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8 new40minister 7 MP asks 20 on state security role Youth group prepares gathering amid calls for Cabinet resignation

By B Izzak KUWAIT: As Sheikh Ahmad Al-Hmoud Al-Sabah was sworn in by the Amir as new interior minister, liberal MP Marzouk Al-Ghanem sent him a series of questions about the alleged role of the state security department in curbing freedom and monitoring the Internet. The questions were sent on the eve of a gathering that has been called for by a youth group to protest the cancellation of Assembly sessions and to press for the resignation of the government.

The Fifth Fence group has called on its members and the Kuwaiti people to gather at 11 am in the morning at the Assembly building and also invited MPs to attend. They want to press for the resignation of the government and for changing the prime minister, according to stateKUWAIT: New Interior Minister ments posted by Sheikh Ahmad Al-Hmoud Al- the group on its Sabah is sworn in by HH the Twitter. But they Amir yesterday. — KUNA insisted the protest is not linked to any outside events, a clear reference to mass protests in Egypt calling for the removal of the regime. The gathering was also due to press for the resignation of the outgoing interior minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Khaled Al-Sabah over his political responsibility for the death under torture of a Kuwaiti citizen, but his resignation was accepted by the Amir on Sunday.

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Oil spill from Iran hits Gulf TEHRAN: An ageing oil pipeline has ruptured in southern Iran, contaminating vast patches of the coast and farmland near the town of Deylam on the Gulf, the official IRNA news agency reported yesterday. “Over 20 kilometres of Deylam coast and 500 hectares of farmland have been contaminated by the oil spill,” said Behrouz Atabakzadeh, the environmental protection chief in Bushehr province.

Atabakzadeh said the breakage in the pipeline between Aghajari and Deylam had happened last week, and described the damage caused by the oil spill as “irreversible”.

Mohammad Baqer Nabavi, a deputy head of the Environmental Protection Organisation, said an operation to clean up the coast was under way but admitted that it could take at least two months to be completed. “If weather conditions are favourable, it will take at least two months to clean up the contaminated areas,” Nabavi was quoted by ISNA news agency as saying. A storm has hampered the operation, a senior environmental official told Mehr news agency.

“All equipment is ready to clean up the spill but the work is being slowed down by the storm,” Omid Sadighi said. Iran is the second largest crude producer in the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC). — AFP

Mubarak fights street protests with pay hike ‘Nile Revolution’ digs in

CAIRO: An anti-government protester dressed as a football referee shows a symbolic red card to Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak in Tahrir Square yesterday. — AP

New settler homes okayed in Jerusalem JERUSALEM: The city council yesterday approved plans for construction of 16 new apartments by a Jewish settlement group in the Sheikh Jarrah district of Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem, a councillor said. The move drew an angry response from the Palestinian Authority, for whom settlement construction is one of the bitterest elements of the conflict, and which scuppered the latest round of US-brokered direct peace talks.

Yosef Pepe Alalu, a city councillor with the dovish Meretz party, told AFP the municipality’s building and planning committee approved two plans for the building of up to 16 housing units on two separate sites in Sheikh Jarrah. “There were two plans filed, on both (sites) there are currently small houses” which are owned by Palestinians, he said. One is inhabited and the other is empty. “This approval is the first stage,” he told AFP. Continued on Page 14

TEL AVIV: Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivers a speech at the Bukharan Jewish Congress at the Mann Auditorium on Sunday. — AP

Nasrallah yearns to be in Tahrir Square BEIRUT: Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah said yesterday he yearned to be in Cairo for the uprising against President Hosni Mubarak, as he lashed out at the United States for backing “dictatorships” in the Middle East. “The United States is trying to contain the revolution and improve its own ugly image in the Middle East and Islamic world ... after years of backing the worst dictatorships our region has ever seen,” Nasrallah said in a televised speech, as the anti-Mubarak movement in Egypt headed into its third week.

“But be sure that regimes allied with the United States and Israel

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cannot stand long against the will of the people,” he added. “As God is my witness, I yearn to be among you, to give my blood and soul, as any Egyptian youth would, to this noble cause,” Nasrallah said in remarks directed at the protesters.

“From afar, from Beirut, all we can say to you is that we wish we could be with you in Tahrir Square, in Cairo, in Alexandria, in the city of Suez and elsewhere.”

Nasrallah, leader of Lebanon’s most potent armed force, also declared that Egypt’s protestors were on the threshold of changing the Middle East. “Your movement

today is a great, great deed and one of the most important turning points in the history of the nation and region,” he said. “Your acts will change the region. In your squares today, with your faith and will, you can change the face of the world.

You are fighting the battle of Arab dignity, the dignity of the Arab human being that was humiliated by some of its leaders in the past decades,” Nasrallah said. “We look forward to the day that you bring back to Egypt its leading and historic position in the life of our nation and the region,” he said Continued on Page 14

CAIRO: Egypt’s embattled President Hosni Mubarak tried to buy himself some time in the face of defiant street protests yesterday, vowing to boost public sector pay packets by 15 percent. The 82-year-old strongman met his new-look cabinet for the first time as the regime battled to get the economy moving again despite ongoing demonstrations by pro-democracy activists who have occupied a Cairo square. According to the official MENA news agency, the cabinet approved a plan to increase state sector salaries by 15 percent from April and to spend another 6.5 billion Egyptian pounds ($940 million) more to boost pensions.

The raise might reassure Mubarak’s partisans in Egypt’s large bureaucracy and security forces, but there was no sign that the demonstrators who have now spent two weeks in Tahrir Square are ready to cede ground. “We don’t trust him and he’s a liar - he’s made many promises in the past,” said Salih Abdel-Aziz, an engineer with a public sector company, referring to the president.

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TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2011

LOCAL Local Spotlight

Warren Buffett... an inspiration

Embassy awaits notification of ban for seekers of higher education in Manila Mama Sita’s cookbook launched in Kuwait

By Ben Garcia

Muna Al-Fuzai

muna@kuwaittimes.net f you had to choose between success and failure which one would you choose? Unless you were nuts you would ask for success of course, what a stupid question!

However, to wish for something is one thing and to work for it is another.

Now, although most of us want to be a success at an early age not all of us make the effort. Only smart guys are able to find their way, make a success of themselves and keep going. Reaching the top of a mountain is one thing, its maintaining your spot at the top that is the hard part.

Warren Edward Buffett is an American investor and is considered one of the most successful investors in the world. As of 2010 he was ranked the third wealthiest person in the world. He was born in 1930 in Omaha. This man has seen a lot and learned a lot about investment, how to make money and how to save it. This is a skill many of us lack today. But is it all about money? Is it all about having a big bank account? I doubt that. I was thinking about people like him, those who have been successful and are considered business tycoons, and I don’t think they wish to be remembered as just a person with lots of money.

I think we should all read about the life of a man that may be old now but is apparently young enough to push the trolley of industry all on his own.

Guess what? This man was not born a billionaire but he managed to develop something very valuable, a successful investment philosophy.

What impressed me about this man’s life story is that he fought for what he believed in and struggled to make his dreams a reality. When Buffett was a little boy he showed an interest in making money and saving it. He sold chewing gum, cola, or any sort of thing but kept the income. In high school, a time when most teenagers get wild, he spent his time developing ideas on how to make money for himself.

The point I wish to make here for my readers is that we need to learn from these success stories so that we can get inspired in our own lives. We are not surrounded by success and joy in our lives here, people especially in the Middle East and in this part of the region need to hear more and learn from those that made it and do more than just make good money. Money is not the only kind of wealth out there and money is not the only thing that many successful people were looking for. It is about the values and ethics you get and learn from on your hard journey. According to Foreign Policy’s 2010 report, Buffet is one of the most influential global thinkers. For those of you wishing to be successful you need to read about this man, the one who is often referred to as a ‘legendary investor.’

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Facts of Life

By Brig Gen Mohammad Al-Saber ost scholars share a common belief in that in order to understand the present and the future, you need to study history. In Kuwait, we have an expression with a similar meaning, which is, “If I remain in my position forever, you have no chance of attaining it.”

This is a principle that should be in everyone’s minds regardless of the circumstances around us, whether these circumstances are good or bad.

No matter what the results may be, what lasts for a human being is their contentment in their performance, and their respect for what they did for themselves and others, in addition to the good memories they leave for fellow citizens.

Life has countless facts, and likewise morals, which we need to adopt as a basis for work in our daily lives. It would be a great blessing for Kuwaitis to always remember that we will all eventually depart, and that what truly lasts is Kuwait; our past, present, and future, and the mother of our children and their future.

How can our performance and the way in which we deal with others be assessed? What is the best approach to dealing with others now? These are among the numerous questions that we should ask ourselves today, while realizing the fact that life is like a relay race, with everyone handing the baton on to their successors. But in which way is the baton exchange process handled? Is it made in philanthropic manners and based on moral foundations which preserve the dignity of both parties? Or is it made on the basis of individualism, regardless of what happens to everyone else?

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KUWAIT: The Philippine Embassy in Kuwait is awaiting clarification and a formal memo issued from Kuwait’s Ministry of Education and Higher Education on the ban placed on Kuwaiti students that seek to pursue higher studies in Manila. Speaking with Kuwait Times following the launch of Mama Sita’s cookbook with the embassy on Sunday evening, Philippine Ambassador Shulan Primavera said, until this very moment the embassy has not received official memo/documents from Kuwait’s Ministry of Education. Primavera noted it is yet premature to give any [opinion] on the matter. On the other hand, Primavera assured of the Philippines’ education system, which he termed as: ‘solid’ and based on the required college/university standards. “For a long time, we’ve been a country in South East Asia where education curriculum is as solid as the rest of our country’s institutions,” he added. News reports last month indicated that the Minister of Education Dr Moudhi Al-Humoud issued a decision to extend the ban placed on Kuwaiti students that opt to register for higher studies in universities and colleges in India and the Philippines.

Dr Al-Humoud disclosed that the suspension covers all scientific specialties.

At the launch of Mama Sita’s cookbook, Ambassador Primavera thanked Mama Sita’s Marigold Marketing Service Inc for introducing Filipino recipes to the Middle East. Nic Baustita, Philippine Commercial Trade Attache to Kuwait was delighted to launch ‘Mama Sita’s’ cookbook which is also a brand of some famous Philippine culinary products. He noted that it could

KUWAIT: Philippine Ambassador Shulan Primavera, left, with Pablo Caparros, at the ‘Mama Sita’s’ cookbook launch held at the Philippine Embassy Sunday evening. —Photo by Ben Garcia help prop up trade exchange balance between two countries. Even though dominated by food products, Bautista acknowledged that Philippines has had limited amount of export products to Kuwait. They asserted with the recent $142 billion fiveyear development plan, the Philippines Trade and Industry will see more export opportunities in Kuwait. He said, aside from food products, the Philippines would

like to see IT-enabled products and services which he said are all equally competitive with the products of some developed countries. Along with manpower, Kuwait’s five -year development plan, the Philippines also identified potential growth in back-office services, “Many would not know that some of the beautiful products that are sold by several huge companies in Kuwait [and other parts of

the world] are outsourced from the Philippines. We want these products to enter Kuwait straight from the Philippines,” he said.

Bautista claimed that in the last few months, several Kuwaiti companies have already signed [to venture] with the Philippines, “We welcome and support them on their venture in the Philippines; along with these we also want to promote our tourism industry,” he said elaborating that tourism in the Philippines is also one of many potential enterprises. “We also plan to introduce some health and wellness services products and lots more,” he said. Based on their 2009 record, Manila export value to Kuwait totaled US $39 million, “We are targeting double if not triple that amount by the year end,” he explained. This was the first time that Filipino culinary firm’s cook book was launched in the Middle East. Chef Pablo Caparros, Mama Sita’s Marketing Services Specialist, the ‘Flavor of the Philippines Islands’ cookbook is especially prepared for Middle Eastern consumers/customers, “We prepared it especially for the Middle Eastern people, taking out all ingredients that are forbidden in a Muslim country like Kuwait,” he said. Taking the point further, he stressed that this is the third edition, “With this new cookbook, we added some favorite recipes which were collected from different regions of the Philippines or those recipes that Filipinos abroad miss,” Caparros added. The 106-pages cookbook contains original recipes of Mama Sita’s [Teresita Reyes] which they have resurrected from handwritten journals of Mama Sita. The rest are inspired by Mama Sita’s culinary talents.

Health minister concludes visit to Balkans KUWAIT: The Minister of Health Dr Hilal Al-Sayer concluded a Balkan - East European tour in which he led a delegation from the ministry and visited a number of facilities in Slovenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina.

In a press statement released following the conclusion of the tour, MoH Public Relations Department Manager Faisal AlDousari said that the minister had visited the Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation Center in Ljubljana, Slovenia. He was provided with demonstrations on advanced technologies to treat head, neck, spinal traumas as well as brain hemorrhage. This is in addition to taking a look at the latest technologies used in prosthetics. The delegation also stopped by the medical center of the University of Ljubljana and visited the ICU, anesthesia, heart surgery and pediatric centers.

Dr Al-Sayer wrapped up his Slovenian

visit by holding a meeting with Slovenian counterpart, during which a Memorandum of Cooperation was signed, said AlDousari. Meanwhile, Kuwaiti health delegation’s tour to Bosnia met with Bakir Izetbegovic; the Bosnian member of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina. This is before meeting with predecessor Haris Silajdzic. Dr Al-Sayer met with Bosnian Minister of Health Dr Safet Omerovic and discussed with him, the means of boosting cooperation, reported Al-Qabas. In addition, Kuwaiti delegation also met with Prime Minister of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Mustafa Mujezinovic, and a Memorandum of Cooperation was signed between the Kuwaiti government and the Government of Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina in the medicine health care fields. The minister wrapped up his tour to the Balkan nation with a visit to the pediatric hospital in Sarajevo.

KUWAIT: The General Director of Civil Defense Lt General Yousuf Abdul Aziz Al-Roudhan and Assistant Undersecretary for Operations Affairs Ministry of Interior, Lt General Dr Mustafa Al-Zaabi received Deputy Russian Ambassador to Kuwait Alexander Moscinco along with the Russian Ambassador. They handed over an invitation from the Russian Emergency ministry to participate in the Fourth International Conference for Safety Tools and Equipment. It is scheduled to be held in Moscow during between 17 and 20 May.

‘Kuwait marks half a century of achievements’ ALGIERS: Kuwait’s forthcoming national celebrations will see the country marking half a century of achievement in all fields, said the President of the University of Algiers Dr Taha Hadjar yesterday.

Kuwait is a pioneer in encouraging creative and cultural initiatives, said Dr. Hadjar in a statement issued to mark the celebrations of Kuwait’s 50th Independence Day, 20th Liberation Day, and the fifth anniversary of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad AlSabah’s investiture.

The prominent academic praised Kuwait’s enthusiasm for holding events

featuring Arab intellectuals, writers and others distinguished by creative abilities, as well as highlighting the scholarships presented by Kuwait to Algerians especially after the latter gained its independence and presenting the students with the necessary aid. He congratulated Kuwait on its upcoming national celebrations, and prayed for the country’s further development and prosperity. Dr. Hadjar added that he looks to further strengthening Algerian-Kuwaiti relations in the fields of science and advanced technology, as well as working closely with Kuwaiti universities. — KUNA

DOHA: Al-Khorafi addressing the conference of the Arab InterParliamentary Union yesterday.

Al-Khorafi calls for stability in Arab countries DOHA: Kuwait’s National Assembly (parliament) Speaker Jassem Al-Khorafi said here yesterday an approach should be found to diagnose and finesse the current happenings in the Arab region.

Addressing the 17th conference of the Arab Inter-Parliamentary Union (AIPU), which kick-started here earlier in the day, Al-Khorafi said: “The Arab official discourse is not enough to interpret and justify stumbles.” Democratic practice in the Arab region is in dire need of reforms and broader Arab participation, he said.

The Arab world has witnessed, in several stages, calls for all-out reforms on both economic and political levels, he added.

“But, unfortunately, such calls have not turned into tangible reality,” the Kuwaiti parliament speaker said.

The stumbles of Arab development and world economic and the fallout of the global financial crisis have added another dimension to Arab reality and led to high inflation, poverty and joblessness rates, he pointed out.

Even pan-Arab relations have been at risk in spite of solid nationalism constituents, Al-Khorafi said.

On ongoing demonstrations and protests in some Arab countries, he emphasized that they could not be fathomed out or finessed, but they really reflect persistent efforts for reforms, advancement and progress.

The events of Tunisia have fallen in this context, he said, wishing this Arab country stability, security and social peace.

On Egypt, the top Kuwaiti lawmaker hoped that it could overcome its current unrest as soon as possible.

On Middle East, Al-Khorafi criticized international acquiescence in Israel’s settlement policies and hostility to the Palestinian people as well as its total inattention to the peace process and international resolutions. In this respect, he hailed continuing international recognitions of an independent Palestinian state as a key response to Israeli violations of Palestinian rights. — KUNA

Six hurt in road accidents

By Hanan Al-Saadoun KUWAIT: A car crash near the KNPC headquarters in Ahmadi left a 36-year-old Bangladeshi man with broken bones to his right foot, while a 34-year-old Egyptian man sustained heavy bruising to one shoulder and a 45-year-old Indian man suffered lacerations to his scalp in the accident. All were taken to Adan Hospital.

In a separate accident, a nine-year-old Kuwaiti boy was taken to Amiri Hospital after suffering multiple lacerations when he was hit by a car in the Qadisiya area.

In another incident, a 30-year-old Indian man suffered cuts to the head and right leg when he was hit by a car on a street in Jahra. He was taken to Jahra Hospital.

Meanwhile, a 29-year-old Egyptian man was taken to Mubarak Hospital after suffering heavy bruising to both hands and complaining of severe pain in his right foot after being hit by a car on a street in Shuhada.

Airport drug bust Officials at Kuwait International Airport (KIA) arrested an Egyptian man after he returned from his country carrying a quantity of hashish.

He has been referred to the General Department for Drugs Control (GDDC).

Bad mechanic A Kuwaiti man lodged a complaint at Shuwaikh police station, telling officers there that a mechanic at the garage where he had left his car to be repaired had driven it without his permission and damaged it in a car accident.

Officers insulted A bedoon man was arrested and detained at a Salmiya police station for being intoxicated in public and insulting two non-commissioned officers. A police patrol approached the man when they noticed him sleeping in his car and discovered that he smelled strongly of alcohol.

When asked to get into the police car he swore at the officers and attempted to beat them.

Dealers caught Meanwhile, two bedoon men were arrested for being in possession of counterfeit Kuwaiti dinars, 13 keptagon tablets, a bar of hashish, five hashish joints and two plastic bags full of liquor.

They were referred to the proper authorities.

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Teachers catch protests fever, attempt fails ‘Our demands are not political’

By Hussain Al-Qatari

KUWAIT: First Deputy Premier and Defense Minister Sheikh Jaber Mubarak AlHamad Al-Sabah receiving congratulations from well-wishers after his safe return following a medical treatment trip abroad.

Minister inaugurates Awqaf exhibition KUWAIT: The Minister of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs, Rashed Al-Hammad, on Sunday evening inaugurated the third ‘Awqaf Publications’ exhibition at the Grand Mosque.

After the ceremony, Al-Hammad, who is also the Deputy Prime Minister for Legal Affairs and Ministry of Justice, toured the exhibition, reviewing the Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs’ (MAIA) publications, along with other works on show.

This year’s event is being held as part of Kuwait’s upcoming national celebrations to mark the 50th anniversary of Kuwait’s independence, the 20th anniversary of its liberation from the Iraqi occupation of 1990-91, and the fifth anniversary of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah’s investiture. Speaking to the press during the inaugural event, MAIA Undersecretary Adel Al-Falah said that

the decision to organize the exhibition stemmed from the ministry’s strategy to encourage development, which he said depends on a number of foundations, including religious obligation, human necessity and societal partnership.

Al-Falah said that the event aims to help in enhancing Kuwaiti society’s cultural development in order to raise the country’s status by having public sector bodies and institutes participate in such activities.

The exhibition is displaying all the MAIA’s publications, including ‘ The Judicial Encyclopedia,’ a priceless work which generates immense pride in Kuwait, as well as in the wider Arab and Islamic world.

As well as the thirty MAIA departments taking part in the five-day exhibition, other participants include GCC states’ embassies, civil society organizations and public sector bodies. — KUNA

KUWAIT: The Deputy President of the National Guards Sheikh Meshaal Al-Ahmad AlSabah yesterday received the Governor of Kuwait’s Central Bank, Sheikh Salem Abdulaziz Al-Sabah, who presented him with commemorative gold and silver coins minted by the bank to mark the fifth anniversary of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah’s investiture. Sheikh Meshaal thanked the governor for the commemorative coins, saying that the anniversary of this momentous occasion is “dear to us all.”

Nine ministers headed Interior Ministry since independence KUWAIT: Since the formation of the first government in Kuwait’s history, on Jan 17, 1962, nine ministers headed the Interior Ministry successively.

The first interior minister was late Father Amir Sheikh Saad Al-Abdullah AlSalem Al-Sabah who remained in office until Jan 28, 1963.

When the third government was formed on Dec 6, 1964, Sheikh Saad became both interior minister and defense minister and held the two posts until the formation of the ninth government on Sept 6, 1976.

On Feb 16, 1978, and upon the formation of the 10th government, His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah AlAhmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah was appointed as acting interior minister, in addition to his posts as deputy prime minister and foreign minister.

According to the ministerial shuffle made on March 19, 1978, His Highness the Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf AlAhmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah headed the ministry. Upon the formation of the 11th government, on March 4, 1981, Sheikh

Nawaf was appointed once again as interior minister, a post he held until the formation of the 13th government on July 12, 1986.

On Jan 26, 1988, late Sheikh Salem Sabah Al-Salem was appointed interior minister according to a cabinet reshuffle.

He headed the ministry until the formation of the 14th government on June 20, 1990. The 15th government was formed on April 20, 1991. At that time, Sheikh Ahmad Al-Homoud Al-Jaber AlSabah became interior minister and remained in office until the 16th government formation on Oct 17, 1992.

On April 13, 1994, Sheikh Ali Sabah AlSalem was appointed as interior minister according to a cabinet reshuffle.

When the 17th government was formed, on Oct 15, 1996, Sheikh Mohammad Khalid Al-Hamad Al-Sabah became the head of the ministry.

On July 13, 2003, when the 21st government was formed, the post was held

by His Highness Sheikh Nawaf along with his appointment as deputy prime minister. — KUNA

KUWAIT: Deputy Minister of Amiri Diwan Affairs Sheikh Ali Jarrah Al-Sabah receiving at Seif Palace yesterday the Eritrean Ambassador to Saudi Arabia and non-resident ambassador to Kuwait Mohammad Omar Mahmoud.

KUWAIT: Text messages, BlackBerry broadcasts and tweets rolled over the past weekend urging Kuwaiti teachers and educators in the country’s public sector to attend a series of protests in front of the Ministry of Education. The reasons behind these protests were not unusual: demands for wage rises. These came in reaction to recent news about pay rises being given to other Kuwaiti public sector employees, spurring demands from teachers to be included. One message posted on various social networking websites stated: “Our demands are not political, and we don’t represent any organization; we will gather in front of the Ministry of Education building to demand a rise. We are not different from our fellow employees in other sectors; we too must be included in this increment.”

Messages were publicly directed to MPs and media figures, demanding that they join in the protest. Organizers sent messages asking anyone, whether teachers at the public sector or not, to turn up. The protest failed, with nobody showing up.

Opinions on whether or not the demands were legitimate were mixed.

Bader Ali, a senior teacher at a school in Qurain noted that several aspects make these demands inappropriate at the current time.

“The political situation at the present time is very unstable. Posts in the cabinet are shifting, and demands like this are not

going to help the situation,” he said, adding that to many, the demands sound unjustified due to the high salaries Kuwaiti teachers already receive.

“A newly graduated Kuwaiti teacher employed in the public sector receives no less than KD 900 [per month]. Asking for more than that is greedy if you ask anyone, especially with endless complaints and criticism of the low quality of education and performance of teachers in schools, especially new teachers, the very ones demanding more money,” he further elaborated. As the cabinet looks more towards reform, he suggested, it would be better for it to invest in spending on reforming and ensuring better qualifications rather than a higher income for teachers.

High school teacher Mona Al-Matrouk believes that teachers must hold protests and demand changes, but doesn’t believe that income should be the priority. “Yes, teachers are indeed under a lot of pressure and an immediate solution is needed, but this cannot be done by giving them more money. This applies to Kuwaiti teachers; expat teachers are the only ones deserving wage rises. But generally, there needs to be a complete change in the way the education ministry operates,” she said. AlMatrouk said that the main obstacle to raising educational standards is the ministry’s massive internal bureaucracy, which she asserted is the number one culprit in causing educational standards to fall in Kuwait.

MoH to hold headaches conference KUWAIT: A senior Kuwaiti Ministry of Health (MoH) official announced yesterday that the ministry is to hold a conference entitled ‘An Update on Headache and Craniofacial Pain’ this coming Saturday, February 12. Both local and visiting doctors will be attending the event, which focuses on various aspects of headaches, including causes, symptoms, types and complications.

Dr. Asmahan Al-Shubaili, the head of the conference organizing committee and Consultant and Head of Ibn Sina Hospital’s Neurology Department, explained at the press conference held to announce the event that the delegates will address various aspects of the phenomenon of headaches, particularly migraines, since this condition affects more people than diabetes and asthma combined.

Kuwait Digest

Stop ‘instigating’ our young men

By Meshal Al-Thufairi

T

he act of ‘mobilizing’ young people for certain purposes has been increasing in Arab societies. They are mostly driven by pure political reasons. Here in Kuwait, there are people who attempt to instigate young citizens in order to achieve a political goal. They usually wait for chances that are created by governmental flaws.

A group of Kuwaiti citizens announced a sit-in that will be staged today (Tuesday) outside the parliament building, in protest against the decision to suspend February’s sessions until March.

Given the fact, the decision was passed through a voting round by MPs. I wonder what is the purpose behind this sit-in, especially at this time where young men are encouraged to express patriotism and national unity.

The people’s confidence is high in His Highness the Prime Minister and his ability to contain tensions via a Cabinet reshuffle that maintains stability of political life in Kuwait.

Several reports have already been published about a potential reshuffle that will take place in March.

This will take place at least for the Cabinet to prove their good intentions in seeking achievement. This is after the public grew tired of unfulfilled promises.

In most cases, the public do not have any other way out to vent out their frustration, other than organize public rallies. I believe that young men are more capable than many politicians. They are never given the chance. In the meantime, the capabilities are used by Parliament representatives to boost their popularity. We are not saying that they are not honest MPs. The problem that all Arab societies share is that we are too emotional. This creates little room for rational thinking. — Al-Rai

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JAMM to hold art auction in Kuwait KUWAIT: JAMM, an independent strategic art advisory body, is to host its second auction in Kuwait this Wednesday, with over 90 works by emerging and established Arab, Iranian and international artists on sale at the event. Ten percent of the proceeds from the auction sales will benefit a Kuwait-based organization, the Kuwait Association for the Care of Children in Hospital (KACCH. JAMM was co-founded by Sheikha Lulu AlSabah.

Below is a Q&A session with Sheikha Lulu on Kuwait’s art scene What are the reasons for the art auction houses’ optimism about this event?

The three biggest auction houses (Christie’s, Sotheby’s and Phillips de Pury and Company) have been doing very well recently, especially in their sales of post-war and contemporary art. JAMM’s annual auction in Kuwait cannot be compared to these sales because our highest estimate for a work in our upcoming sale is KD16,000. This estimate would be considered extremely low in their terms since they feature many works of art selling for over one million dollars.

What is the underlying dynamic driving the economics of the Arab art market and cultural growth through art fairs/auctions?

JAMM recently hosted a dinner for Sotheby’s in Kuwait, prior to their December 16th auction of Arab and Iranian art in Doha, Qatar. We felt that it was important to offer Sotheby’s our encouragement and support because their activities in the region contribute to the growth of the art market in the Gulf. Art Dubai, which takes place in mid-March every year, is a fantastic art fair and also contributes to the growth of the regional art market. We hope to contribute to this growth by hosting an auction in Kuwait every February and in doing so, also contribute to the growth of the Kuwaiti art scene as a whole.

Sheikha Lulu Al-Sabah — Picture courtesy of Beyond Vision Photography

Would you please share some facts, figures and data on sales volume?

Last February, when we held the first contemporary art auction in Kuwait, we included 53 artworks and sold 51 works in total, generating half a million dollars in sales. This February, we will be featuring 90 artworks by emerging and established artists; 70 works by Arab and Iranian artists and 20 works by international artists.

What are your views on the art market and art as an investment?

If a buyer is purchasing a work of art purely for investment purposes then it is not that important whether they like the work in itself. Their motivation is to generate income by selling that work a few years later when the price point for that particular artist increases. If a buyer is purchasing a work of art that they will display in their home or in their office, then it is crucial that they like the work that they are purchasing. Of course if that buyer likes the work and it happens to increase in value over time then that is an added bonus. We feature works by emerging artists that we feel have enormous potential and we also feature works by established artists that have an auction history and an existing collector base. In both cases, the work will very likely increase in value over time and be consid-

ered an asset that you can pass on to your children or to the future generation.

What would you say are the main things that have changed in the art world?

The most significant change that occurred in the art world as a result of the global recession was the fixing of prices for artworks that were overinflated prior to the recession. This was a positive change because the works of certain Arab and Iranian artists are no longer inflated, which has helped the regional art market as a whole. Another significant change is the increasing number of global exhibitions and auctions that feature the works of Middle Eastern artists. The spotlight is on the Middle East and in time, our nascent art market will soon become part of the mainstream.

How do you select the artists?

For new and emerging artists, I must rely on my judgment (based on my experience in the art world) and my eye. I determine their future potential by assessing their development as an artist. It is important to know where their works have been shown (in group exhibitions, solo exhibitions, art fairs, etc...) and the success of their sales (i.e. are their works being collected and by whom). I only collaborate with the best galleries in the region, which are committed to raising the profile of their young and emerging artists. I trust their judgment and industry knowledge. For the established artists that have their works featured in museums, private collections, or corporate collections, I research their auction history and their most recent exhibitions. I have a close, professional relationship with these artists and their inclusion in based on mutual trust and professionalism.

How many Kuwaiti artists are being featured?

We have 14 Kuwaiti artists featured in our upcoming auction. We had 17 Kuwaiti artists last year.

What is the strength of Arab art in terms of style and themes?

It is impossible to categorize any art as ‘Arab art’ because there are over 20 Arab countries and each has its own specific culture, traditions, political realities etc... Moreover, art from the Arab region encompasses over 10 different styles in technique and spans over 100 years, from the Modern art that emerged from countries such as Iraq and Egypt in the early 20th century to the contemporary art being produced today. Contemporary art from the Arab world is no different from the contemporary art that is being produced elsewhere in that all artists are inspired by their experiences in life. I feel that contemporary art is a genuine expression of the world we live in today; artists help us better understand our cultures, offering interesting perspectives on the beauty and the complexities of life.

Would you mention some striking paintings?

Our star lots include a limited-edition vintage photograph of Marilyn Monroe (from her last photo-shoot in 1961), adorned with Swarovski crystals, by the legendary American photographer Bert Stein. It is entitled Jeweled Roses in Pink (2010) and estimated between $18,500 and $20,100 (KD 5,200- 5,600); an oil painting by Iranian artist Rokni Haerizadeh entitled Washing the Coffee House Painting and estimated at between $55,400 and $55,800 (KD 15,600- 16,000); and a sculpture by Kuwaiti artist Khazaal Al-Qaffas entitled From the Market (1994) and estimated between $29,150 and $30,550 (KD 8,200- 8,600).

What are some of the names of artists to watch out for from this region?

Some of the artists to look out for in the Gulf are Iraqi artists Sinan Hussein, Sina Ata and Halim Al Karim; Iranian artists Ramin Haerizadeh, Rokni Haerizadeh, and Mohsen Jamali Neer; Saudi artists Manal AlDowayan and Ahmed Mater; Kuwaiti artists Ebrahim Habib and Amira

Behbehani; Omani artist Hassan Meer; Yemeni photographer Ibi Ibrahim; and Bahraini artists Mohammed AlMahdi and Rahim Sharif. These are just a few examples. We have so many talented artists that will go very far.

What are your expectations for the top-selling pieces?

I hope that all the works featured in our upcoming sale will sell well.

There are a number of works that we feel especially confident about; these work are highly likely to exceed their high estimates at auction. Our expectations are not only based on the popularity of these artists but also on the uniqueness of these pieces. These works include: An abstract painting by British/Iraqi artist Athier entitled Abjadeeyet Al Medinaha (Alphabet City), an oil painting by Iranian artist Reza Derakshani entitled Dark Ruby, Red Pearl, a print by Iraqi artist Ahmed Alsoudani that is from a sold-out edition, and a mixed-media collage by Iranian artist Ramin Haerizadeh entitled I Heard the Voice of Your Revolution.

What are the future plans for JAMM? We hope to continue to provide a platform for Kuwaiti artists and to foster links between the East and West through various art events and cultural exchanges. We will hold our second exhibition in London in October and we will continue working with Contemporary Istanbul, which will be in its 6th edition.

Are you going to expand your repertoire and include South Asian/East Asian artists too?

We have two works by Pakistani artist Simeen Farhat in our upcoming auction and we hope to include more artists from South Asia and East Asia.

What has the response been like?

The response has been overwhelmingly positive. We received incredible support from collectors and art enthusiasts from across the region after our first contemporary art auction in Kuwait last February, which encouraged us to turn the JAMM auction into an annual event.

What is the JAMM’s mission?

My business partner, Lydia Limerick, and I had worked together for four years, first at Christie’s in Dubai then at Phillips de Pury & Company.

Our focus had always been on the Middle East region and we shared similar views on the projects we wanted to be engaged in. For this reason, we established JAMM to contribute to the development of the contemporary art market in the Middle East and beyond.

What was the first work of art that really made an impression on you?

The Winged Victory of Samothrace (at the Louvre museum in Paris).

What was the first work you bought or were gifted?

A small painting of an angel by Kuwaiti artist Thuraya Al-Baqsami What charities are you supporting?

The Kuwait Association for the Care of Children in Hospital (KAACH); part of the proceeds from our sale will benefit this charity.

What do you plan to do to increase art awareness in Kuwait? Are we on our way to becoming the next cultural center?

For the contemporary art market in Kuwait to prosper, we need to have an increasing number of collectors and art enthusiasts within the local scene. Artists need patrons; my hope is that Kuwait’s art scene will develop into a vibrant one. The signs are positive. There are two new galleries in Kuwait that are devoted to contemporary art and more people becoming interested in the arts as a whole.

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KISR to host e-Learning regional conference Efforts to improve education system

By Nawara Fattahova KUWAIT: With the aim of imparting elearning to all, the Kuwait Institute for the Scientific Research (KISR) will host an e-Learning regional conference titled, ‘eLearning, Education for All’ from March 28 to 30, 2011 at the Hashimi Ballroom, Radisson Blu Hotel. It will be held under the patronage of HH Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah. This conference is organized by the Regional Center for Development of Educational Software (ReDSOFT ), Ministry of Education, Kuwait Foundation for the Advancement of Sciences in cooperation with the Sheikh Salem Al-Ali Al-Sabah Information Award.

The title of the conference expresses its basic aim, which is to ensure that elearning is accessible to all, “Holding a conference during this period particularly is extremely important. This is to ensure the active use of information and communication technologies in the education system. It also helps follow all the technical updates and use it to improve the educational and training field,” said Nader Marafi, Head of the Higher Committee, (ReDSOFT) during the press conference held yesterday at KISR. “By organizing this conference, they aim to develop and improve the education system and to reach out to a complete IT community through the effective usage of information and communication technologies and apply e-learning in the educational and academic institutions,” he added.

Abdulmajeed Salman, Deputy Director of the Higher Committee, General Coordinator, KISR highlighted the conference’s goals, “As we live in an era of technological innovation, in which education is the primary sector that helps advance societies, it is important to develop future generations that is commensurate with the requirements of this age, while maintaining our principles,

in brief

KD5.2 billion to be invested KUWAIT: An estimated KD5.2 billion is to be invested in development-related projects for the 2011-12 financial year, according to the General Secretariat of the Supreme Council for Planning and Development (SCPD). The estimate is based on the large volume of projects listed as part of the government’s substantial four-year development plan, an SCPD insider explained, saying that 270 of the 1,240 projects listed for the second year of the plan are new, whilst the remainder concern further work on projects already begun in the first year of the development plan. The SCPD insider told Al-Qabas that the new projects include power plants at Al-Shuaiba, Al-Subbiya and Al-Zoor, as well as the launch of work on the massive Boubyan Port project. Meanwhile, work will continue on the projects already underway, including the construction of new housing developments in Sabah Al-Ahmad, Jaber Al-Ahmad, Mutlaa and Khairan.

KHRS demands investigation KUWAIT: The Kuwait Human Rights Society (KHRS) has called for an investigation into allegations that the country’s state security services have been monitoring individuals’ use of social networking site Twitter. In a press release issued on Sunday, the human rights body protested that the state security services’ “terrorizing” of users of the site is a “clear violation of the freedom of expression protected by the constitution and international treaties,” reported Al-Rai. The KHRS urged the Kuwaiti government and parliament to develop legislation covering online media, whether social networking sites, news sites, blogs or any other form.

KUWAIT: (From left) Fatma Al-Agrouqa, Abdulmajeed Salman, Nader Marafi, Dr. Mansour Gloum and Saleh Al-Asousi during yesterday’s conference at the KISR headquarters. — Photo by Joseph Shagra Islamic values and national identity,” he noted.

There are nine main goals, “Exchange global e-Learning experience, improve educational institutions, encourage the development of integrated educational environments based on international standards, identify the latest methods and tools for e-Learning, develop in children the ability to interact with e Learning tools and services, develop teacher ’s abilities to deal with e Learning techniques, encourage parents to integrate and interact with LMSs, access the latest trends in expectations for and challenges facing e-Learning, and raise a spirit of competition among those that provide innovative solutions for e-Learning,” explained Salman.

As e-learning is the key to many education problems, “ The knowledge economies that come to existence through this information revolution do

not depend on the production of knowledge only, but also on the effective use of knowledge, which requires a fully integrated infrastructure and technical tools to achieve smoother and more interactive access to knowledge. The provision of innovated educational services, employing the latest technology is required to make the change,” noted Dr Mansour Ghloum, Head of the Scientific Committee.

Saleh Al-Asousi, member of the Board of Trustees spoke about the main objectives of this conference, “It aims to improve the educational process and seek the development of informationbased societies through the use of ICT and application of e-Learning in academic and educational institutions,” he stated. Regarding the themes he said, “It will discuss the e-Content Design and Development, e-Learning Systems and Tools, e-Learning for Special Needs, e-

US has every right to take Kuwait’s oil: Fox News host KUWAIT: Fox News host Sean Hannity last Friday slammed Kuwait’s oil minister for “lecturing us [Americans]” on oil prices, accusing Sheikh Ahmad Al-AlAbdullah Al-Sabah of having a “short memory” over the US-led 1991 liberation, and suggesting that the US “has every right to go in there [Kuwait] and take their oil and force them to pay the cost of their liberation while their Sheikhs were staying in London and New York hotels.”

According to Al-Anba, the host of the US news show expressed anger at rising gasoline prices in the US, saying that while the country contains large quantities of oil its politicians insist that excavating it could take years.

The immediate solution to this prob-

News

lem, he continued, is in Kuwait, which he said is indebted to the US for its very existence. Condemning the Kuwaiti oil minister’s assertion last Wednesday that the rise in oil prices to between $80 and $100 per barrel “is fair,” the right wing American news show host accused Sheikh Ahmad AlAbdullah of “preaching” to the American people and telling them that they could bear the situation and should get used to it.

Hannity also asked why Iraq does not pay compensation to the relatives of American soldiers killed and injured there, asking “why don’t [Iraqis] pay for the costs of their liberation?”

Hannity cited Elise Jordan, a director for communications in the US’s

Amiri amnesty: 550 inmates’ files reviewed, 5,000 to go KUWAIT: The special committee formed to review the files of Central Prison inmates who may see their sentences curtailed or be released under the annual Amiri amnesty has completed its checks on 550 inmates who meet the necessary criteria.

A security official told Al-Qabas that the committee has still to review the cases of another 5,000 inmates, including Kuwaiti, Bedoon (stateless) and expatriate prisoners.

The committee is expected to submit a list of all those eligible for the amnesty to Major General Anwar Al-Yaseen, the Ministry of Interior Assistant Undersecretary for Rehabilitative Institutions Affairs, next week before it is passed to the interior minister, who will then refer it to His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah for endorsement. The insider said that the committee will be working flat out to ensure that all the files are assessed up till then.

National Security Council from 200809 and former speechwriter for Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who had reportedly written that the US must exploit its influence with the “autocratic” Arab regimes, saying that “as she said,” the US has protected the Kuwaitis and Saudis, allowing them to benefit from these high oil prices.

Pat Cadell, a regular commentator on Hannity ’s show and former Democratic pollster, said during the program that while the world is full of oil, the problem is that that the US has consistently pushed for a low dollar value and since oil is priced in dollars oil-producing countries want to increase their prices to generate more earnings.

New labor body will be launched soon KUWAIT: A senior Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor (MSAL) official insisted on Sunday that the ministry would launch the long-awaited new public sector labor authority in the next month, in accordance with the labor legislation enforced in June last year.

Rejecting recent reports of possible delays in the new body’s launch due to what unidentified ministry insiders reportedly cited as “technical difficulties,” Mansour AlMansour, the MSAL Assistant Undersecretary for Labor Affairs, told Al-Qabas, “Minister Mohammed Al-Afasi has previously given assurances that the inauguration of the new authority will not be postponed.”

The MSAL is making every effort to protect workers’ rights, said Al-Mansour, further explaining that the new body will work independently from the ministry and will have a wholly separate budget. The minister will be required to supervise its work, however, and to decide on its specific areas of expertise, which will include administering the influx of expatriate workers’ at employers’ request.

No teacher shortage problems, stresses MoE official KUWAIT: The Ministry of Education (MoE) has emergency plans in place to cover any possible teacher shortages if Egyptian teachers are unable to return from their homeland in time for the start of this school year’s second term on Sunday, said a senior MoE official on Sunday.

Egyptian teachers account for between 30 and 40 percent of the teaching staff in Kuwait’s state schools, with some ministry personnel expressing concern that many of these teachers who went home to Egypt for the current school break may face difficulty in returning to Kuwait given the ongoing political turmoil in their homeland. Muna Al-Salal, the Acting MoE Assistant Undersecretary for Public Education, denied that this could pose a problem, however, indicating that the ministry has a large number of substitute and reserve teachers on standby in

case of any emergency who could stand in for these teachers until they return. She added that the MoE could also hire other highly-qualified teaching staff in Kuwait if the need arose.

Al-Salal was speaking after an unidentified MoE insider voiced concern that of the average six to seven Egyptian teachers at each Kuwaiti school only four might be able to make it back to work for the start of the upcoming school term. On a separate issue, meanwhile, Mariyam Al-Wutaid, the MSAL Assistant Undersecretary for Educational Research and School Curricula, announced also on Sunday that the ministry is ready to give a presentation to the cabinet on the three educational TV channels which it plans to launch to offer educational material for students, as well as training programs for teaching staff.

Learning Domains and Global Experiences, e-Learning Management and Socio-Technical Issues, and the Value of the Conference.”

The conference will address all ministries and educational institutions, students, parents and schools, “This conference has many benefits including; published and shared k nowledge, exchange of international experience in e-learning, stimulation of interaction between students, schools and parents, development of more interesting and striking learning environment, provision of opportunities for distance learning and training, development of an understanding and application of interactive multimedia and others,” stressed Al-Asousi. The official languages of conference will be in English and Arabic.

Translation will be available throughout conference sessions. It will be accompanied by an exhibition.

Memorial plans launched KUWAIT: The Cabinet recently instructed a number of state departments and non-governmental organizations to develop a model of a memorial for Kuwait’s martyrs in South Surra, opposite to the Shuhadaa area, reported AlRai. The Cabinet assigned the General Secretariat for the Supreme Council of Planning and Development to coordinate with the Ministry of Public Works, the Kuwait Municipality, the National Council of Culture, Arts, and Letters in addition to civil service institutions on this issue. It is expected that the department will file a report to the Cabinet within three months. The project coincides with Kuwait’s celebration of the 20th anniversary of its liberation from Iraq during the Iraqi invasion. The project will be an attempt to bring attention to those who sacrificed their lives in defense of the country.

Diplomatic phone bills KUWAIT: The Ministry of Commerce (MOC) collected KD 130 million in 2010 from the phone bills of ministries as well as the embassies of foreign countries in Kuwait, reported Al-Rai. The announcement was made by the manager of the commercial services accounting department at the MOC, Zakariya Al-Ansari. He indicated that when collecting the debts the Ministries of Interior and Defense had the highest bills with KD 600,000 and KD 298,000 respectively. Meanwhile, Al-Ansari noted that the Industrial Public Authority still has yet to pay a KD 281,538 debt to the ministry. He added that the Saudi Arabian and Libyan embassies still owe KD 66,000 and KD 12,000 to the ministry respectively.

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local kuwait digest

Handling events proactively

By Nasser Al-Abdali

N

ot everyone has the ability to read between the lines when it comes to certain issues, whether political, economic or social. With the large amount of information for people to receive these days on any given topic, those capable of extracting the hidden meanings in the news are distinguished from normal viewers, mainly for their ability to make predictions based on what they see in current events.

There have been lots of predictions regarding the political and economic developments being seen in both the Western and Arab Worlds. However, the response to those predictions have been completely different on both parts of the globe. On one hand, governments of Western countries are capable of coming up with proactive procedures to take care of a situation before it happens while Arab governments are more known for their stalling and unwillingness to consider the possibility of a political crises.

Tunisia is a prime example of just that. The revolution in the North African nation was predicted by several Western research centers that were unable to set a date for the eruption but did see it coming.

Meanwhile, the general feeling in the Arab World during the Tunisian revolution was that similar incidents could not take place anywhere else. “Egypt is not like Tunisia”, a lot of people in Arab countries said, making similar statements regarding Yemen, Algeria and Morocco. However, things turned out different as we can see today.

The mounting frustration in the Arab World needed only a spark. This spark came in the form of vegetable vendor Mohammad Al-Buazizi, whose suicide prompted Tunisians to start the revolution that toppled the regime of Zain Al-Abedine Bin Ali before moving to the heart of the Arab World; Egypt. It is still possible that these events could reach other Arab countries.

This undeniable reality has stressed the need to improve the current conditions of the entire Arab World and to improve the standard of living for all people living here. In fact, this is the only option that Arab governments now have. The revolutions in Tunisia and Egypt proved that the use of force is no longer an effective option. Jordan’s King Abdullah II realized that and proactively launched a reform and dialogue project in his nation. Will other Arab governments follow suit?—Al-Qabas

Body of accident victim found on Salmi Road 60 residency violators in custody KUWAIT: The body of a person killed in a car accident on Salmi Road was found three days after the accident occurred, reported Al-Rai. Authorities responded to the accident after being informed that a decomposing body was found. An investigation revealed that the victim suffered fatal injuries during the accident and that it’s likely no one was present when the accident took place. An investigation was launched. Meanwhile, a man was found dead inside a car that was parked under the Abdullah Port Bridge by a routine police patrol of the area, reported All-Rai. An autopsy was ordered for the body to determine the exact time and cause of the victim’s death.

Public shooting Police are currently looking for at least one person suspected of firing shots at a wedding in Jahra, reported Al-Watan. Police responded to the emergency after receiving reports from nearby residents and spotted someone firing shots from a gun. While the suspect escaped from authorities before he could be apprehended, police did record his car’s license plate number. They are using the information to assist them in their efforts to apprehend the suspect.

Residency violators During a security campaign through the Ahmadi governorate, police arrested 60 expa-

triates from different nationalities for being in violation of residency laws, reported Al-Watan.

The lawbreakers were referred to the proper authorities.

Shell defused Bomb squad personnel defused a bombshell that was found on Failaka Island, reported Al-Qabas. Authorities responded to the location after a citizen reported finding a foreign object half buried on the island.

Authorities confirmed that the explosive was a remnant from the Iraqi Invasion 20 years ago.

Gangsters held Police arrested a gang of four thieves for robbing Asian residents in Salwa, reported AlQabas. An investigation was launched after authorities received several complaints from expats in the area about being robbed. While patrolling the area authorities spotted four people attack a man and steal his wallet. After being arrested the four men were identified as an Egyptian man - the gang’s leader - and his three Bangladeshi accomplices. They were referred to the proper authorities.

Rent dispute A property owner in Qsour was charged with physically assaulting and sexually harassing a female tenant when he insisted that she and her husband leave their apartment. She

filed a case against the landlord at the Al-Adan police station, indicating that the suspect inappropriately touched her and deliberately tore her clothes. It was not specified why the tenants were being evacuated.

Ungrateful sons An elderly woman filed a case against her two sons at a police station in Ferdous, reported Al-Rai. She provided authorities with a medical report to support her claim that proves she was bruised and injured in the attack. After refusing to report to the police station after being summoned, a warrant was issued to arrest the two young men.

Missing wife found The woman whose husband recently reported was kidnapped was found by authorities completely safe, reported Al-Rai. After launching an investigation in search of the woman, Hawally investigators discovered that the woman faked her own kidnapping in an attempt to take some time for herself.

Initially the woman called her husband and informed him that she was kidnapped and locked inside of a building in Salmiya.

However, 24 hours later police were able to locate the woman when she turned on her cell phone briefly. Police learned that the woman rented a room at a Hawally hotel so that she could stay there by herself away from

life’s pressures. She informed authorities that she faked her own abduction so that she would not have to go back home right away.

The woman was reunited with her husband and released from police custody after signing a statement.

Bootlegger held An Asian man was arrested after he was found to be in possession of 300 bottles of homemade liquor in his car, reported Al-Rai. The discovery was made after the man was pulled over on Fahaheel Street by authorities.

He was referred to the proper authorities.

Illegal trade Police arrested two Indian men in Kabad for being in possession of and illegally selling 65 military helmets and 60 bulletproof vests that belong to the American Army, reported Annahar. They were held for questioning in order to determine how they were able to obtain the equipment.

Officers fight Police held three Ministry of Interior officers for questioning after they got into a fight at the Kuwait International Airport, reported Annahar.

The fight was initially between two police officers but one of the officer’s sons got involved in the brawl. The officers were referred to the Jeleeb Al-Shuyoukh police station.

AIPU conference to focus on human rights DOHA: The economic, social, and political changes being witnessed around the world at present further emphasize the need for the 17th conference of the Arab Inter-parliamentary Union (AIPU to highlight human rights, said a Qatari official speaking at the event yesterday.

Arab parliamentarians should urge the international community to protect the rights of the Palestinian people in the face of Israeli aggression, said the Speaker of the Qatari Advisory Council, Mohammad Al-Khuleifi.

In his speech on the first day of the two-day event, Al-Khuleifi called for the lifting of the siege imposed on Gaza and the attainment of peace while securing Palestinian right in establishing an independent state. During the conference, delegates were expected to touch on the current regional situation, with a focus on the need to restore and strengthen Arab unity and maintain the stability of all Arab countries.

Amongst the issues expected to be addressed during the event were the role of democracy and protecting human rights; encouraging sustainable development in the region, and electing a president and a secretary general to the AIPU’s management board. — KUNA

Kuwait Towers to host Chocolate festival KUWAIT: The Kuwait Towers will host an annual Chocolate Festival starting February 11, 2011 until Saturday Feb 19, 2011, announced Meshar y Al-Sanousi Deputy Managing Director for Tourism Affairs at the Touristic Enterprises Company.

The event will feature a wide selection of Belgian chocolates made by the Kuwait Towers’ chefs.

Visitors will be able to enjoy free samples, in addition to the ‘chocolate fountain’ which consists of three different types of chocolates.

Moreover, Al-Sanousi indicated that the festival will also include a special buffet for healthy food. It is suitable for diabetic and blood pressure patients as well as people on a diet. Special programs have been allocated for the festival, including a ‘special dinner’ offer on Monday, February 14, 2011. Each couple will be presented with a free cake.

Meanwhile, the Entertainment City has prepared a special program to mark the closure of the Spring

Meshary Al-Sanousi

Anwar Al-Nisf

Festival. It will take place on Friday, Feb 11, 2011. This was announced

by Anwar Al-Nisf, Activities and Operations Department Manager at the Touristic Enterprises Company.

He said that the program is similar to others including competitions,

for which various prizes have been allocated. The Spring Break is an annual event that the Entertainment City will host during the schools’ summer break. The facility opens between 2pm and 11pm every day.

Al-Jawhara draw live at 360 Mall KUWAIT: National Bank of Kuwait (NBK) the leading bank in Kuwait and the highest rated bank in the Middle East - is organizing a huge festival next Thursday at 360 Mall, to unveil a special surprise to the public for the first time. The festival comes in line with Kuwait’s celebrations of 50 years its independence, 20 years of its liberation and 5 years since His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber AlSabah assumed his post.

NBK will also announce the names of the February winners of the Jawhara draw, in addition to distributing many surprises and breathtaking prizes.

The Al-Jawhara draw each month gives away 100 prizes. The first prize is KD 125,000, second prize is KD. 7,500 and the third prize is KD 3,000 and the remaining 97 winners are awarded KD 400 each. It is important to note that the minimum opening balance for Jawhara account is now KD 400.

A photo from a previous Jawhara draw.

International TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2011

Bashir accepts South’s secession

Tide turns in favor of Egypt Brotherhood Page 8

Africa’s largest state set to split on July 9

KAPOETA: Southern Sudanese from the Toposa ethnic group celebrate the choice of separation from the north. (Inset) Southern Sudanese men ride a motorcycle past a billboard celebrating the choice of the south to separate from Africa’s largest nation. — AFP

Sudan to split - but what happens next?

KHARTOUM: South Sudan has overwhelmingly voted to secede from the north but before it can become the world’s newest state, leaders from both sides must resolve potentially explosive disputes. Here are some possible scenarios for the coming months until the south can declare its independence expected on July 9.

RECOGNITION The south has voted 99 percent vote for secession. It will expect recognition statements from Washington, London and the European Union as well as the African Union. Most important will be the north’s recognitionwhich President Omar Hassan Al-Bashir has promised to give. The south will now begin work on gaining membership of bodies such as the United Nations and especially the World Bank and IMF to allow it access to concessional funding to build the war-ravaged nation.

SUDAN’S NATIONAL GOVT Sudan’s coalition government, formed after a 2005 peace deal with the participation of the south’s ruling party, the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM), should hold until July 9. However SPLM ministers have in the past said they were able to exert little control over policy in the ministries dominated by northern officials from the National Congress Party, and their influence will only become weaker until July 9, giving the NCP an effective free ride in terms of policy making. Bashir has also said southerners cannot hold government jobs after July 9 and the removal of 22,000 southern soldiers from the northern army must be handled with care and transparency.

Already an army mutiny in Malakal has claimed 50 lives because southern solders refused to redeploy to the north. And no one is able to say what will happen to southerners who opt to keep north Sudanese nationalitywill they enjoy full equality in the north? The constitution of both north and south must be changed to reflect the new realities but this also gives both dominant parties an opportunity to amend the democratic and inclusive articles guaranteed by the 2005 peace deal. The extent to which opposition parties and civil society are involved in the writing of the new constitutions of both nations will indicate how both states will be ruled post secession one-party states or multilateral democracies.

RESOLUTION OF ABYEI The division of oil revenues and other outstanding post-secession issues will depend on the resolution of a dispute over the ownership the central region of Abyei, claimed by both sides. It’s clear the region will not have its promised referendum on which nation to join. Its status will be part of a wider package of post-secession arrangements including the disputed border, debt, citizenship and oil. Observers have urged that Abyei be resolved as soon as possible and before the July 9 deadline as it remains the main flashpoint for violence, with tribes allied to both sides clashing during the January independence vote.

The international community will likely offer further incentives to the NCP to convince its allied nomads, the Misseriya, to accept the region being annexed to the south. The NCP could extract a high price for this of up 4050 percent of southern oil revenues in the form of “rent” for the refineries, port and pipelines for a fixed period of time. Incentives could include further easing of US sanctions, progress towards debt relief or even a possible oneyear UN Security council suspension of Bashir’s international arrest warrant for war crimes in the separate Darfur conflict.— Reuters

KHARTOUM: Sudan’s president yesterday said he accepted a southern vote for independence in a referendum that is set to create Africa’s newest state and open up a fresh period of uncertainty in the increasingly volatile region. Final results from the plebiscite are due later but preliminary figures show 98.83 percent of voters from Sudan’s oil-producing south chose to secede from the north. Sudan is now expected to split in two on July 9.

“Today we received these results and we accept and welcome these results because they represent the will of the southern people,” Bashir said in an address on state TV. Bashir earlier told supporters he knew the vote was for secession. The referendum is the climax of a 2005 north-south peace deal that set out to end Africa’s longest civil war, reunite the divided country and instill democracy in a land that straddles the continent’s Arab-sub Saharan divide.

Bashir’s comments allayed fears that the

split could reignite conflict over the control of the south’s oil reserves. Both sides did avoid major outbreaks of violence over the past five years. But they failed to overcome decades of deep mutual distrust to persuade southerners to embrace unity.

Hundreds of people started gathering in the blistering heat of the southern capital Juba yesterday to celebrate the official results. “Today I don’t fear war anymore, it is the past ... Our leaders have made friends with the north, but for me, I can never forgive them for what I have seen. I don’t hate them now, but I never want to see them again,” said Riak Maker, 29, as men drummed and women ululated around him. Many southerners see the vote as a chance to end to years of northern repression, which they say stretches back through almost 50 years of civil wars to 19th century raids by slave traders. Bashir, who campaigned for unity, has surprised many commentators with a series of conciliatory

remarks about the south in recent weeks.

Washington has signaled it is ready to remove Sudan from its list of state sponsors of terrorism after a successful referendum, and help in easing crippling trade sanctions. The West’s hands may be tied by the continuing global uproar over Sudan’s separate Darfur conflict. Bashir is still living under the threat of arrest warrants issued by the International Criminal Court over charges he orchestrated genocide in Darfur.

Deep uncertainties remain over the economic and political stability of both territories over the next five months of intense negotiations over how to share their oil revenues and other unresolved issues. Landlocked south Sudan is almost entirely dependent on oil revenues and has struggled to find other sources of income to support its economy, weighed down by the huge costs of its army and civil service wage bills. The north is mired

in its own economic crisis, marked by soaring inflation. A series of small street protests, part inspired by uprisings in Tunisia and neighboring Egypt, has increased political pressure on Khartoum, as has the prospect of losing the south, seen as a matter of shame to some northerners.

The challenges were underlined over the weekend when soldiers in the southern town of Malakal mutinied, killing at least 50 people, after refusing to redeploy north with their weapons as part of preparations for the split. Malakal was a key battle ground in the north-south civil war that killed 2 million people and destabilized the whole region, flooding it with refugees.

Other burning issues include the division of Sudan’s crippling debt, the position of the north-south border, the ownership of the contested oil-producing Abyei region and the regionally divisive share out of water from the river Nile. — Reuters

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Tide turns in favor of Egypt’s Brotherhood Is Brotherhood to be feared?

TEHRAN: Iranian Defense Ministry, nad President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (second left) visit an exhibition of Iran’s aero space achievements yesterday. — AP

Iran unveils missiles as warning to foes TEHRAN: Iran showed off new missile and satellite technology yesterday, and told its enemies it had “complete domination” of the entrance to the oil-rich Gulf. As part of Iran’s annual revolution celebrations, a time traditionally marked by new technological and military advances, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad unveiled locally-made satellites while a senior commander showed off mass produced missiles.

“We should reach a point where we will be able to provide our knowledge and technology in the aerospace field to other countries,” Ahmadinejad said in a speech, unveiling the satellites he said were for scientific purposes, and showing film of a satellite-carrier rocket.

Although Iran is not engaged in any military conflict, it is on constant alert against possible attacks from the United States and Israel which have not ruled out possible pre-emptive strikes to stop Tehran getting nuclear weapons.

Iran says it has no intention of making nuclear bombs and that its atomic program, which is the subject of US, European and UN sanctions, is entirely

peaceful. In 2009, Iran launched a domestically-made satellite into orbit for the first time, a step that increased the West’s fear that the Islamic Republic is seeking to build a nuclear bomb and missile delivery systems. The chief commander of the Revolutionary Guards, Mohammad Ali Jafari, said the new massproduced missile would be able to target enemies at sea.

“Its speed is three times greater than the speed of sound and it cannot be traced and deactivated by enemies,” official news agency IRNA quoted Jafari as saying. Another Guards commander, Ali Fadavi reiterated Iran’s threat to close the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow channel through which 40 percent of the world’s seaborne oil trade passes. “The Arabian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz are under the complete domination of the Revolutionar y Guards ... and it would be blocked in case of a threat,” he said, according to the semi-official Mehr news agency. Foreign analysts say Iran would be reluctant to take such a drastic step as it would cut off its own oil exports. —Reuters

Netherlands to recall ambassador from Iran AMSTERDAM: The Netherlands is recalling its ambassador to Iran over the execution of a Dutch-Iranian woman and the authorities’ failure to hand over her body to her family for burial, the Dutch Foreign Ministr y said yesterday.

Relations between the Netherlands and Iran have rapidly deteriorated since Zahra Bahrami, a 45-year-old woman with dual Dutch-Iranian citizenship, was suddenly hanged on Jan 29 for alleged drug smuggling. The Netherlands froze diplomatic contacts with Iran immediately after Bahrami’s execution. Her family said that the charge of drug smuggling was fabricated after she was arrested for participating in anti-government protests in 2009.

According to postings on Iranian blogs and news websites, Bahrami had in fact died when she was tortured during interrogation by the Iranian authorities.

Yesterday, a foreign ministry spokesman said the Dutch ambassador would make a formal protest to the Iranian Foreign Ministry before returning to The Hague on Thursday for consultations. “We were dismayed at the way the Iranians treated her bodily remains,” the spokesman said.

“The family was entitled to receive the remains. But she was buried 400 kilometers away from Tehran so the family could not attend the funeral.” Iran’s ambassador to the Netherlands would be summoned shortly to the Dutch Foreign Ministry, he said. — Reuters

CAIRO: The first time Essam El-Erian, went to jail, he was 27. Last Sunday, he left prison for the eighth time at the age of 57. The medical doctor’s crime for each incarceration was belonging to the Muslim Brotherhood, Egypt’s most influential and best-organized Islamist opposition movement and long feared by President Hosni Mubarak, Israel and the United States. Egypt’s courts have repeatedly rebuffed the Brotherhood’s requests for recognition as a party on the grounds that the constitution bans parties based on religion.

Now the world could not look more different to the past three decades when Brotherhood members were repressed, arrested, tried in military courts and shunned by the Egyptian government. After the last tumultuous days of popular revolt against Mubarak, it is now the government that is seeking out the Muslim Brotherhood to discuss Egypt’ future. Mubarak’s Vice President Omar Suleiman met opposition groups on Sunday in talks joined for the first time by the Brotherhood. The once outlawed group is finally well-placed to play a prominent role as Mubarak’s government struggles to survive after 30 years in power.

I’ve been in and out since 1981,” said Erian, a leading figure in the Brotherhood. “I have seen all forms of torture. I have been suspended by ropes, beaten, electrocuted and left outside in the cold for hours. I must say the treatment improved along the years and because of my age.” “All this only increased my resolve,” said Erian. “The Mubarak regime exists to monopolize not only power but wealth.” Erian was among 34 Brotherhood members who walked out of Wadi Natroun prison last Sunday after relatives stormed the jail, overcame the guards and freed the prisoners during protests which spilled out of control across the country. Erian, rounded up last month during preparations for the protests, went straight from jail to Tahrir Square, the epicenter of anti-Mubarak protests.

POWER THROUGH THE BALLOT? His group has been active in the uprising.

But decades of repression have taught the Brotherhood to take a backseat and it is anxious to maintain the impression that the Islamists are one part of the wider protest movement. “We’re not seeking power but our participation is a duty under a democratic and independent process. Our goal is to make sure the identity of society is Islamic,” Erian said. “It is the right of everybody to compete and if people like us then where is the problem? We have sacrificed a lot...It is our right to win a majority as in any country, like Turkey.”

The popular uprising against Mubarak sent off alarm bells in Israel and the United States.

They fear the Islamist movement might end up in power through the ballot and would eventually achieve its ultimate aim of implementing Sharia law in Egypt.

The Muslim Brotherhood is certainly hostile to Israel and the United States’s policy in the region. It has historic links with the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas and shares its belief in armed struggle against Israel. But unlike the militant groups that

CAIRO: Egyptian anti-Mubarak protesters react as others block the street to cut the access of public workers to the Mogama, the main government service building, in a street leading to Tahrir Square yesterday. — AP

fought Mubarak’s rule in the 1990s the Brotherhood has an overwhelmingly lay leadership of professionals with modern educations-engineers, doctors, lawyers, academics and teachers. The core membership is middleclass or lower middle-class. The government’s willingness to talk to the Brotherhood is a political shift with historic proportions and testimony to the perseverance of a movement seen by analysts as playing a long waitinggame. Western governments have until now avoided direct contacts with the Brotherhood, for fear of angering the government. But they have not been able to brand the group, which renounced violence in the 1950s, a “terrorist” organization. In such a disfigured political environment it is impossible to judge the real popularity of the Brotherhood. In parliamentary elections in 2005, the first stages of which were relatively fair, the Brotherhood won 88 of the 165 seats they contested. In the latter stages police stopped people voting.

ISLAMIC IDENTITY The crackdown failed to dent the movement’s drive to expand its popular base through charity and social work. Brotherhood ideology steadily seeped into schools, households, the media, bookshops and even clothing shops. Much of this Islamic resurgence stems from social dislocation, economic hardship and political frustration.

Arab defeat in the 1967 war with Israel, the political vacuum opened after the collapse of President Gamal Abdel Nasser’s secularist pan-Arabism in the 1970s, and a sudden peace with the Jewish state after years of enmity gave impetus to Islam as a competing and substitute ideology. But for the Islamists the issue goes beyond the immediate future to a political landscape in which they believe they are steadily dominating by seeding the terrain with people of faith. Many Brotherhood leaders, most of whom have been jailed for years, believe that the future is

the final days of World War II, with their Japanese residents expelled and replaced

by Russian settlers.

Japan has since demanded the return of the southernmost four islands. Northern Territories Day-attended by 1,600 former islanders, activists and politicians yesterday-marks the conclusion of an 1855 treaty with Russia which confirmed that the four islands are Japanese territory, Tokyo says.

Now home to around 19,000 people, the islands are rich in gold and silver and lie in waters abundant in marine life. But their infrastructure is crumbling and most Russian residents eke out a meager living there. Medvedev in a speech in December said that Japan should realize that Moscow would not give up the four disputed islands, proposing instead to consider creating a joint free economic zone there. Last Friday, Russian Defense Minister Serdyukov said he visited the islands to ensure that the region’s machine gun and artillery division was fully equipped with the latest issue of weapons.

Maehara summoned Russian ambassador Mikhail Bely for a strong protest.

Russia’s foreign ministry said Saturday it was “disappointed” at Japan’s furious reaction to the defense minister’s trip, and indicated it was becoming bored with the regular Japanese complaints.

“The Russian foreign ministry has already reacted several times to these comments (and) we are disappointed by the fact that the Japanese side continues” to make them, the foreign ministry said. Medvedev tried to defuse the dispute Friday by telling a Russian Security Council meeting that Serdyukov’s visit was not meant as a show of force. But he stressed once again that the islands “are Russian territories that must develop according to a very obvious scenario-just like all the other regions of Russia.” — AFP

FEAR OF IRANIAN MODEL Liberals involved in the uprising are also worried about the Brotherhood’s ambitionsthat they will capitalize on an uprising, launched by a mixture of political and secular forces, to emerge on top as happened in Iran during the 1979 Revolution. Analysts say the dynamics of Egyptian politics have changed from the 1990s when the Brotherhood versus the government was the only game in town.

The Jan 25 uprising has revealed a diversity in liberal movements which could see the creation of new political parties. “The situation cannot be compared to the past. I don’t think the experience can be repeated or compared with Iran in the same way but of course there are fears,” Diaa Rashwan, an expert at AlAhram Centre for Political and Strategic Studies, said. “Nobody can predict the future but the uprising was against a dark regime. We could have something better, but we could also have chaos as something may happen to spoil and sabotage this uprising”. — Reuters

Four Roma kids die in Italy fire

Japan calls Medvedev Island trip ‘unforgivable outrage’ TOKYO: Japan’s Prime Minister Naoto Kan yesterday called Russian President Dmitry Medvedev’s visit three months ago to a disputed Pacific island chain an “unforgivable outrage”, media reports said. Kan also said Tokyo would tenaciously seek a settlement of the row over the Southern Kurils, known as the Northern Territories in Japan, which has prevented the signing of a post-World War II peace treaty, Kyodo News said. The long-simmering row flared up again after Medvedev in November became the first Russian leader to visit the windswept, volcanic-origin islands located between Japan’s Hokkaido island and Russia’s Kamchatka peninsula.

Other Russian ministers have followed, despite repeated and strong diplomatic protests from Tokyo. Most recently, Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov inspected Russian military facilities there last Friday.

Japan’s centre -left premier Kan said Monday: “I will patiently negotiate, with a strong will, in accordance with the basic policy to solve the territorial issue of the four islands and to sign a peace treaty.”

“The issue of the Northern Territories is an extremely significant subject for Japan’s diplomacy,” Kan told the annual National Meeting to Demand the Return of the Northern Territories, Jiji Press reported.

Japanese Foreign Minister Seiji Maehara, who is due to visit Moscow from Thursday, said that he would work toward the return of the islands, “even if it costs me my political career”. He also pledged an “all-out effort to convey Japan’s position” to Russia, and said he hoped for a solution to the row in a future Kan-Medvedev summit.

The dispute with Russia flared up last year at a sensitive time for Japan, when it was also embroiled in a territorial row over islands with China. The disputed Kuril Islands have been controlled by Moscow since they were seized by Soviet troops in

for Islam as long as they are patient, determined and resolute. They are confident that Islam and sharia (Islamic law) will eventually rule and they are working to achieve that goal.

The Brotherhood, founded in 1928, wants democracy, except governed by the main principles of the Sharia. It had for long demanded greater political freedom, freedom of expression, free and fair elections where people of all trends are represented.

Supporters also dominate most of Egypt’s main professional syndicates, have strong presence at universities and run thousands of charities providing health care and education.

But perhaps the most novel element in its manifesto is that it advocates “ijtihad”, innovative interpretation of the Koran to bring Islamic law in tune with the demands of changing times.

ROME: A couple comfort each other after a fire broke out at a Roma camp leaving four children dead. — AP

ROME: Four children aged between three and 11 years old died Sunday in a fire at an illegal Roma camp on the outskirts of the Italian capital, officials said. “The bodies were half burned,” a fire service spokesman said. The ages of the victims were three, five, seven and 11, said the spokesman, adding that the remains of what was feared to be a fifth child turned out to be those of a small animal. The fire started at 8:30 pm in an illegal encampment along a route that runs southeast out of the city, said Italy’s ANSA news agency. The cause is under investigation.

The family, with seven members total, lived in one of five makeshift shacks in a camp that authorities had torn down several times, only to see it rebuilt by the Roma.

“These damn illegal camps have be cleared out of Rome,” the city’s mayor Gianni Alemanno told reporters as he visited the site. Campaigners say thousands of Roma live in and around the capital, most of them in illegal constructions, which city authorities last year pledged would be shut down. They plan to build three new camps to house 6,000 Roma by the end of the year, to add to the seven such camps that already exist around Rome. Alemanno blamed the “damned bureaucracy” that had blocked this project for Sunday’s deaths. An estimated 11 million Roma or Gypsies live in Europe, generally in extreme poverty and with a lack of education opportunities in European Union states. Their continuing plight came into sharp focus last year when France expelled hundreds of Roma back to Romania and Bulgaria over concerns about crime and security. — AFP

Cameron reignites multiculturalism debate LONDON: On June 22, 1948, the ship Empire Windrush docked just outside London loaded with hundreds of men from the West Indies, marking a sea change in British culture-the start of mass immigration. More than half a century on and after successive waves of arrivals from across the world, Britain is struggling more than ever with the vexed question of how to integrate the newcomers. Prime Minister David Cameron has now reignited the debate by claiming in a speech on Saturday that the long-standing policy of multiculturalism is a failure and in part to blame for

fostering Islamic extremism.

Multiculturalism-generally understood as meaning no single culture or set of values should be promoted above any other-was encouraging different cultures to live separate lives, said Cameron. Young Muslims felt drawn to violent ideology because they found no strong collective identity in Britain, he added in the speech at the Munich Security Conference on Saturday. “If we are to defeat this threat, I believe it’s time to turn the page on the failed policies of the past,” he said.

His frank remarks came at a time

when the issue of home-grown Islamic militancy is fresh in the minds of many here, almost two months after a botched suicide attack in Stockholm by a man allegedly radicalized in Britain. They were also sure to remind listeners in Britain of the attacks on the London transport network in 2005 by four home-grown suicide bombers, which killed 52 people. While the speech was swiftly condemned by Muslim groups and opposition politicians, the furor masked the fact that this is just the latest problem Britain has faced with integrating outsiders. — AFP

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Assange’s case and Swedish extradition STOCKHOLM: Julian Assange returned to a British court yesterday to fight extradition to Sweden, where the WikiLeaks founder is wanted for questioning about alleged sex crimes. The 39-year-old Australian has denied the accusations, which his supporters claim are part of a CIA-led conspiracy against his secretspilling organization. Here are some questions and answers about the case.

Why does Sweden want him?

A Swedish prosecutor wants to question Assange about accusations made by two women that he violated them sexually during a brief stay in the Scandinavian country last year. One of them says he intentionally damaged a condom during sex and the other says he had sex with her while she was asleep. The latter could be considered rape under Swedish law. Assange denies wrongdoing.

Will Assange be jailed?

Yes, at least for some time. He would be arrested upon arrival and a detention hearing would be held within four days.

The prosecutor could decide to release him after questioning. But she could also ask the court to extend the period of detention. Such hearings must be held ever y two weeks until a suspect is charged or released. There is no bail in Sweden.

How common is extradition?

Since 2000, the US has requested the

extradition of seven citizens from Sweden, according to the Swedish Justice Ministry. Five of the requests were approved, and two were rejected because the suspects were no longer believed to be in Sweden. Britain and the US signed a fast-track extradition treaty in 2003 intended to speed the transfer of terror suspects. Since it came into force in April 2007, 23 people have been extradited from the UK to the US, according to British government figures.

Extradition lawyer Karen Todner said Assange would probably stand a better chance of resisting extradition to the US if he were in Sweden than if he were in the UK. Has Assange been charged?

No. He’s only considered a suspect, of rape, sexual molestation and unlawful coercion. Prosecutors say - and Swedish courts have agreed - that there is “probable cause” to believe he committed those crimes. That’s the higher level of suspicion in Sweden, but it doesn’t mean that he will be charged. It typically takes months of investigation before Swedish prosecutors decide whether to bring a case to trial.

What’s the penalty?

It ranges from fines for the lower offenses to as much as six years in prison for rape. In cases where sex starts out being consensual, but ends up in rape, the maximum sentence is typically four years.— AP

Budget-conscious Beverly Hills lays off ambassador BEVERLY HILLS: Just how bad is the economy these days? So bad that even the kingdom of Beverly Hills has had to lay off its ambassador. Gregg Donovan, the jovial, stentorian-voiced actor who has spent much of the past dozen years in top hat and tails giving directions, posing for photos, promoting local businesses and bellowing in dozens of languages, “Welcome to Beverly Hills! You have arrived,” is leaving.

Donovan says he got the word last month from his bosses at the Beverly Hills Conference & Visitors Bureau that they could no longer afford him.

As word of his fate has begun to spread up and down a street covered if not in gold then at least in Gucci, people are not happy. “How could they do that?” asked CNN’s Larry King, who bumped into Donovan

during a recent morning stroll. “He’s a Beverly Hills institution.” Korosh Soltani, who runs David Orgell, the venerable Rodeo Drive jeweler that has provided bling to everyone from heads of state to people attending the Oscars, Golden Globes and Emmys, called Donovan “a face of the city.”

Indeed, Donovan’s mug is plastered right on the visitors maps handed out all over town, as well as on T-shirts in some of the souvenir stores. That fact has made his departure a little less than amicable. Under terms of a separation agreement he showed The Associated Press, Donovan was asked to relinquish his red ambassador jacket, as well as the rights to any photos, videos or other materials representing him as the city’s ambassador. — AP

LONDON: Masked supporters of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange protest outside Belmarsh Magistrates’ Courtin London yesterday. — AP

WikiLeaks chief fights extradition to Sweden Lawyers argue he could face death penalty in US LONDON: WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange will try to persuade a British judge yesterday to block his extradition to Sweden to face trial for sex crimes, arguing he could end up facing execution in the United States. The 39-yearold Australian computer expert, who has infuriated the US government by releasing thousands of secret US diplomatic cables on his website, is wanted in Sweden where two WikiLeaks volunteers allege sexual misconduct. Assange denies the allegations. At a two-day hearing starting on Monday at the high security Belmarsh Magistrates’ Court in southeast London, Assange’s lawyers will try to persuade Judge Howard Riddle to refuse the Swedish extradition request. Sweden is seeking Assange’s extradition under a European arrest warrant, introduced in 2004 to speed up extraditions between European Union member states.

Grounds for refusing a request are limited, mainly to whether extradition would violate a suspect’s human rights or whether the arrest warrant was drawn up correctly. Riddle will not look at the strength of the evidence

against Assange, who has been living at a supporter’s mansion under a form of house arrest since a court granted him bail in December. In an outline of their case posted on the Internet, Assange’s lawyers argue that the arrest warrant was issued to punish him for his political opinions and sending him to Sweden could be a stepping stone to a transfer to the United States.

“There is a real risk that, if extradited to Sweden, the US will seek his extradition and/or illegal rendition to the USA, where there will be a real risk of him being detained at Guantanamo Bay or elsewhere ...,” the document said. “Indeed, if Mr Assange were rendered to the USA ... there is a real risk that he could be made subject to the death penalty,” it said. The US government is examining whether criminal charges can be brought against Assange over the publication of the diplomatic cables which disclosed sensitive information such as that Saudi King Abdullah repeatedly urged the United States to attack Iran’s nuclear program. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has said the US government

will take aggressive steps to hold responsible those who “stole” the cables, saying the leaks put lives in danger and threatened US national security. Assange has also attracted supporters, including activists, celebrities and politicians. A Norwegian politician said last week he had nominated WikiLeaks for the 2011 Nobel peace prize.

Lawyer Gemma Lindfield, representing Swedish judicial authorities, told an earlier court hearing in London that the extradition case contained allegations of four sexual assaults by Assange against two women in Stockholm in August 2010. One accusation by “Miss A” is that Assange “sexually molested her” by ignoring her request for him to use a condom when having sex with her. Another relates to “Miss W”, who says Assange had sex with her without a condom while she was asleep. Prosecutors say that amounts to the least severe of three categories of rape in Sweden, carrying a maximum of four years in jail. If the court rules he may be extradited, Assange can appeal and the legal arguments could stretch on for months. — Reuters

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Thailand, Cambodia battle for the 4th day on border Dispute focuses on land around ancient temple PHUM SARON: Thai and Cambodian troops clashed for a fourth straight day yesterday over a disputed border area surrounding a 900-year-old mountaintop temple, deepening political uncertainty in Bangkok and prompting Cambodia to urge UN intervention. Several hours of shelling and machine gun fire subsided at around 11 am, creating an uneasy peace in the 4.6-sqkm contested area around the 11thcentury Preah Vihear temple claimed by both Southeast Asian neighbors.

Both sides blame the other for sparking clashes that have killed at least two Thais and three Cambodians since Friday and unleashed nationalist passions in Bangkok, energizing “yellow shirt” protesters demanding Thailand’s government step down. Reasons behind the fighting remain murky.

Some analysts reckon hawkish Thai generals and nationalist allies may be trying to topple Thailand’s government or even create a pretext to stage another coup and cancel elections expected this year.

Others say it may be a simple breakdown in communication channels at a time of strained relations over Cambodia’s flying of a national flag in the disputed area and laying of a stone tablet inscribed with “This is Cambodia”. In Phum Saron, an evacuated village in Thailand’s Si Sa Ket province where Cambodian artillery struck several homes and a school on Sunday, Thai soldiers guarded buildings and said it was unclear if more fighting loomed.

The Thai government said 30 Thai soldiers and 4 villagers had been wounded so far. Cambodia says 10 of its troops were wounded.

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen called on the UN Security Council to convene an urgent meeting, accusing Thailand of “repeated acts of aggression” that have killed Cambodians and caused a wing of the temple to collapse. In a speech in the Cambodian capital Phnom Penh, Hun Sen directly addressed his Thai counterpart. “We will go to the UN Security Council whether you like it or not,” he said during a university graduation ceremony, calling on the United Nations to deploy peacekeeping troops to the area. “The armed clash is threatening regional security.”

PREAH VIHEAR: Cambodian armed vehicles stand by in Preah Vihear province, 500 kilometers northwest of Phnom Penh, Cambodia. — AP

Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva wrote to the Security Council accusing Cambodia of starting the fighting by opening fire at a Thai military post at Phat Ma Khua village on Friday, and again in the same area on Sunday. “Thai soldiers had no choice but to exercise the inherent right of self defense,” Abhisit said. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said in a statement he was “deeply concerned” and urged both sides to cease fire and find a “lasting solution” to the dispute, echoing a similar statement from Washington over the weekend.

INFLAMING THAI NATIONALISTS The dispute threatens to worsen long-running hostility between Thai political factions ahead of the expected general election this year.

Thailand’s national police chief said he would seek cabinet approval on Tuesday to impose the Internal Security Act this week to give the military powers to prevent protesters from occupying government buildings in Bangkok in a planned protest on Friday.

The “yellow shirts”, who helped to bring Abhisit to power, have turned against him in recent weeks, calling for him to take a tougher line against Cambodia. In 2008, they occupied state offices for three months and blockaded Bangkok’s main airport until a court expelled a government allied with former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, a step that paved the way for Abhisit to take power. “I don’t think

this will look good for Abhisit’s government, especially as we are heading towards elections,” said Pavin Chachavalpongpun, a fellow at the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies in Singapore.

Thousands have fled villages on the Thai side and hundreds of Cambodians have been evacuated.

The clashes pushed down shares in Thai firms which have businesses in Cambodia, led by a 1.8 percent loss in satellite firm Thaicom , with its telecom service in Cambodia contributing 10 percent of revenue, said broker Capital Nomura Securities.

The temple, known as Preah Vihear, or “Mountain of the Sacred Temple”, in Cambodia and Khao Phra Viharn in Thailand, sits on a triangular plateau that forms a natural border.

Both sides have been locked in a standoff since July 2008, when Preah Vihear was granted UNESCO World Heritage status, which Thailand opposed on grounds that territory around the temple had never been demarcated. Thailand ruled much of northwestern Cambodia, including Preah Vihear, from the late 18th century until the early 20th centur y, when Cambodia’s French colonial rulers forced the Thais back to the current international frontier.

The International Court of Justice in 1962 awarded the temple to Cambodia, which uses a century-old French map as the basis for its territorial claims, but the ruling failed to determine ownership of the scrub

Wildfires wreck homes in cyclone-hit Australia 59 homes destroyed in Perth PERTH: Wildfires destroyed at least 59 homes in Per th, Australia’s fourth largest city, officials said yesterday, as soldiers fanned out for massive cleanup operations across the cyclone-hit northeast. A natural disaster was declared in areas of Perth on the country’s west coast, where two major blazes raged out of control for a second day, triggered by heat and high winds brought by last week’s ferocious Cyclone Yasi.

Fast and unpredictable flames swept through rugged terrain at Roleystone, on Perth’s southern fringes, and along its northern outskirts at Red Hill, leveling 59 homes and scorching hundreds of hectares of forest. “Fifty nine structures have been damaged or destroyed,” the Fire and Emergency Services Authority (FESA) said. “An additional 28 structures have sustained partial damage of varying degrees.”

A bridge over the Canning River collapsed in the flames and would be impassable for at least three weeks, FESA added. Emergency chief Craig Hynes said there had been no serious injuries or fatalities, with officials prepared for the “remarkable” winds, but he cautioned that authorities were yet to bring the fires under control. Both were burning in areas of heavy vegetation on the city’s outskirts, in rugged terrain that was difficult to access except by air. “We’re still calling both fires uncontrolled and we won’t be able to let people back into the areas due to safety reasons,” he said. “We are very concerned about the safety of the fire grounds and we are doing our best to make sure that there are no injuries. Life is our priority.”

The emergency came exactly two years after the deadly “Black Saturday” firestorm which claimed 173 lives in southeastern Victoria state, an anniversary marked yesterday with memorial services in the worst-hit towns. “It’s a reminder to all of us just how long and painful the journey back from natural disaster can be,” said Prime Minister Julia

2 Koreas meet in bid to ease high tensions SEOUL: Military officers from North and South Korea will meet today for the first cross-border talks since the North’s deadly shelling of a South Korean island last November sent tensions on the peninsula soaring. The discussions at the border truce village of Panmunjom will focus mainly on preparations for high-level military talks at a date yet to be arranged.

But the South sees it as a chance to test the sincerity of the North’s peace overtures after months of confrontation. “The discussions during the meeting may help give us a cue on the North’s intentions and the overall climate for dialogue,” a defense ministry spokesman said.

Relations have been icy since the South in May accused the North of torpedoing a warship and killing 46 sailors, a charge it denies. The bombardment of Yeonpyeong Island near the disputed Yellow Sea border, which killed two marines and two civilians, briefly sparked fears of war. But in an abrupt change of tack this year, Pyongyang has launched what the South’s media terms a peace offensive. And after their respective superpower patrons, China and the United States, called last month for inter-Korean dialogue, neither North nor South wants to be seen as the party refusing to talk.

While China is also pressing for the revival of sixparty nuclear disarmament talks, the United States says the North must first mend ties with the South.

Seoul, however, says its neighbor must take “responsible measures” over last year’s attacks and pledge no repetition if dialogue is to make any progress.

And some analysts question what there is to talk about. “There is an ongoing debate on the utility or the futility of talks with the North, bilateral or multilateral,” said Tong Kim, an adjunct professor at Johns

Hopkins University ’s School of Advanced International Studies.

Negative views, he wrote in yesterday’s Korea Times, are based on the “widely recognized assumption” that the North will never give up its nuclear weapons through negotiation. Supporters of talks believe that after last year’s confrontation, “it is better to have dialogue than none, even if its goal is limited to restoring stability”, he said. Michael Green, of the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said in an article for Foreign Policy online magazine it would be “delusional” to expect that Pyongyang is ready for a deal on its nuclear weapons.

And Peter Beck, of the US Council on Foreign Relations, said Pyongyang is “just going through the motions” with its latest peace overtures. “I don’t think the North Koreans are serious about negotiating with anyone at this point but they see it as in their interests to take some of the pressure off,” Beck said. “I think Beijing has told them to cool it for a while and they don’t want to jeopardize remaining projects with South Korea. They want to keep the Kaesong cash cow going,” Beck said, referring to a Seoul-financed industrial park in the North.

The six-party talks, grouping host China, the United States, the two Koreas, Russia and Japan, have been stalled since December 2008. Beck sees a reasonable chance of them resuming since they are the only dialogue channel for the relevant parties.

“While (six-party) expectations couldn’t be lower, talking is better than not talking,” he said. Seoul’s defense ministry said today’s military talks were expected to start at 10 am (0100 GMT) and last for an hour or two, with three South Korean officials led

by Colonel Moon Sang-Gyun taking part. — AFP

Defenseless Ahmadi men beaten, stoned to death 8 questioned over deadly Indonesia mob beating JAKARTA: Disturbing video emerged yesterday of a bloody religious mob attack in Indonesia that killed three members of a minority Muslim sect, showing extremists beating and stoning their victims to death. The incident, involving more than 1,000 Muslims who stormed a house in West Java on Sunday to stop the minority Ahmadiyah Islamic sect from holding worship, has been condemned by the government and rights activists.

Footage of the attack-which came at the start of “interfaith harmony week” in the mainly Muslim country-shows police doing nothing as scores of Islamic fanatics go berserk with stones, knives and sticks. Shouting “Allahu Akbar” (God is Greatest) and “kafir” (infidel), the mob brush aside a lone police officer and launch a sustained attack on the house, as a small group of Ahmadis try briefly to defend the property.

Defenseless and half-naked Ahmadi men are then shown being beaten and stoned to death in the mud outside the house. Their bodies are pelted with stones and desecrated as members of the mob laugh and take pictures.

Throughout the attack police are either absent or standing amid the

JAKARTA: Indonesian from various religions hold hands together in downtown Jakarta yesterday, as they condemn the bloody religious clash which claimed three lives. — AFP

mob doing nothing to intervene, with the exception of a lone police officer, who is seen attempting to stop people beating and stoning one of the dead men, but he is ignored.

National police spokesman Boy Rafli Amar said eight people are being questioned in relation to the violence but no one had been charged. President Susilo Bambang

Yudhoyono has instructed police to capture the perpetrators and “haul them to court if need be,” his senior adviser, Daniel Sparingga said. “The president is deeply concerned and condemned the violence and said that the country must be firm in defending the constitution, that would never allow small groups to use religion to attack groups of different faiths,” he said. — AFP

What do the 2 Koreas want?

PERTH: Buildings in suburban Perth burn as a wildfire threatens homes and businesses. The wildfire that tore across the outskirts of Perth over the weekend has destroyed at least 59 homes. — AP

Gillard. “It’s going to strike .... as perhaps a very cruel irony that on the day they mark the two-year anniversary of the Victorian bushfires so many Victorian communities are actually battling floodwaters,” she added.

A top-category storm when it tore across Australia’s northeast tourist coast on Thursday, Yasi trashed hundreds of homes and decimated crops worth at least Aus$500 million. It came weeks after record flooding which killed more than 30 people and swamped tens of thousands of homes in Queensland and Victoria, forcing the major city of Brisbane to a standstill for several days. Soldiers led recovery efforts in devastated towns along the cyclone’s path on Monday, bringing bulldozers, cranes and tanks to help move mountains

of debris. Reconstruction chief Major-General Mick Slater said that lives had been “absolutely destroyed” by the storm, warning that recovery would be protracted and difficult.

Slater said the “flattening” of the region’s agriculture industry had left many “with their world torn apart” and wondering how they would make ends meet. “It is a large area and there are a lot of people there who are really suffering,” Slater told public radio. “We can rebuild the roads and the bridges and the schools and the like, but what is going to take a long time is for people to rebuild their lives.” Australia’s extreme weather has been linked to an extremely strong La Nina climate pattern, usually characterized by increased flooding and cyclones for the vast southern continent. — AFP

SEOUL: Military officers from rivals North and South Korea meet at their heavily fortified border for the first inter-Korean talks since tension peaked on the peninsula late last year. Here are some questions and answers about the talks.

WHY HAS THE NORTH PUSHED FOR TALKS? The North has said it wants to let “bygones be bygones” and hopes for peace on the peninsula.

Pyongyang says it is ready for unconditional talks, including about two deadly attacks last year. Analysts say the real reasons are it is coming under pressure from China and its economy is in a state of ruin. It needs aid particularly as leader Kim Jong-il seeks the support of the political elite and the military as he prepares to hand over the leadership reins to his youngest son. The North has also called for Red Cross talks and inter-parliamentary talks, and has sent letters to civic groups requesting dialogue on humanitarian issues. Experts say this could be a ploy to create an ideological divide in the South.

WHAT DOES S KOREA STAND TO GAIN? Initially, the South cynically dismissed Pyongyang’s push for talks as propaganda geared to extract aid, but under pressure from regional powers has agreed to bilateral talks- on its terms. However, it is unlikely the two sides will resolve any of their numerous outstanding disputes. Seoul says it won’t fall for the North’s tactic of recent decades when it has made promises to change its ways only to renege on any deal upon the receipt of aid. The South has devised a new “grand bargain” strategy under which it will supply billions in aid and development only once the North completely dismantles its nuclear program. Yet, Seoul benefits from talks if for no other reason than they relieve tensions. The wealthy South more than anything wants peace and stability on the peninsula.

This in turn benefits its standing as a land of favorable business and investment opportunities. The South’s economy has grown at a meteoric pace over the past two decades, and is now Asia’s fourth biggest. Conflict and tensions spook markets and scare off investors.

WHAT ARE THE MAIN ISSUES SOUTH WANTS TO DISCUSS? The preliminary military talks will address the sinking of the South’s Cheonan warship last March, in which the North denies involvement, and the North’s bombardment in November of the South Korean island of Yeonpyeong which Pyongyang says was provoked by a military exercise. The colonel-level talks will set the agenda for more senior dialogue, possibly at the ministerial level.

The South ultimately wants the North to acknowledge and apologize for the attacks. Analysts doubt the North will change its position that it didn’t sink the Cheonan and that it was provoked into shelling Yeonpyeong by a South military drill. Seoul also wants an assurance from the North that it will desist from further “provocations”, such as military attacks, and nuclear and missile tests. The South separately wants bilateral political talks with the North to ascertain its sincerity about its pledges to denuclearize.

Pyongyang has yet to respond to this request. Seoul will also want to discuss restarting reunions of families separated by the 1950-53 Korean War. WHAT DOES PYONGYANG WANT TO TALK ABOUT? Pyongyang has pressed Seoul to talk about reopening their trade links. The South’s President Lee Myung-bak severed most economic ties, to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars, after the sinking of the Cheonan. The North will also want to talk about a disputed maritime area off the west coast which has been the site of several deadly battles over the past decade, including the two attacks last year in which 50 people were killed. The North says the current demarcation line was drawn without its consent.

WILL INTER-KOREAN DIALOGUE SUCCEED? Inter-Korean dialogue has stumbled along for years, focusing on military, political and economic issues. There have also been two leaders’ summits, and Lee said there could be another if ties improve. —Reuters

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

900 Afghan fighters to lay down arms KABUL: As many as 900 Afghan fighters have agreed to lay down their arms, a senior NATO official said yesterday, but it is too soon to say if a drive to bring in low-level fighters can be decisive in curbing bloodshed. Major General Philip Jones, who leads NATO support of the Afghan government’s efforts to broker peace with various militant factions, said reintegration of local fighters had begun in earnest three or four months ago.

“The pace of people coming into the program has picked up ... but the initial steps are the first in a very long process of trying to build peace,” Jones told reporters in Kabul. “It’s a tough and complicated and very human process at all levels, but of course it would be after 20 years of war and 10 years of insurgency.” Yet many thousands more full- or part-time fighters from the Taleban and other militant groups will need to halt their hostilities if Afghanistan is to emerge from bloodshed.

Violence reached its highest level last year in nearly a decade of fighting after the Taleban government was overthrown, as US President Barack Obama sent some 30,000 extra soldiers to take on Taleban militants dug in across southern Afghanistan. After heavy fighting last year, parts of the southern Taleban heartland are more secure and Afghan and Western officials are hoping to rout the Taleban’s spring offensive. But the Taleban, the Al-Qaeda-linked Haqqani network, and other groups remain well-armed and determined and bloodshed has intensified in eastern Afghanistan and spread to once-secure areas of the country’s north and west.

RISK VS REWARD Central to any lasting improvement will be support from Pakistan in reining in militants along the Afghan border and better governance in Afghanistan, where corrupt officials have driven many villagers into the arms of the insurgency. President Hamid Karzai sees reconciliation with Taleban leaders as the key to ending the war but there are few signs of traction despite more than a year of support for high-level talks.

At the other end of the militant spectrum, Jones said at least 45 armed groups or possibly more were in talks with the government on lower-level or local reintegration. Those who want to sign up must stop fighting, cut ties with other militants and embrace the Afghan constitution.

They provide the government biometric information and surrender heavy weapons but are allowed to keep arms deemed essential for selfdefense.

In return, they are promised some level of protection from militant retribution and may get limited assistance and aid projects for their communities. Yet at least a dozen fighters who signed up with reintegration programs have been attacked or killed and the Taleban have made it clear that “anyone who steps into this process has a death sentence over their head”, Jones said. As foreign forces begin to withdraw gradually from July this year, an end to hostilities at the local level may be as important as decisions from Taleban leaders.

“It’s not to say that peace in our time is around the corner,” Jones said. “But there is a huge sense of war weariness.” — Reuters

Suicide bomber slays US troops Latest in a string of bloody incidents to hit Kandahar KANDAHAR: US soldiers have been killed in a suicide blast in southern Afghanistan’s biggest city, Kandahar, along with an Afghan interpreter for the US military, police said yesterday. Khan Mohammad Mujahid, the provincial police chief for Kandahar, could not specify exactly how many troops died in the attack on the customs office in the city, which is seen as the birthplace of the Taleban. But a spokesman for the international force in Afghanistan said he believed the number was “not high.” The attack is the latest in a string of bloody incidents to hit Kandahar, which has been the scene of a major anti-Taleban offensive by international troops.

The province’s deputy governor was killed by a suicide bomber last month, highlighting the fragile situation in the crucial province as coalition troops prepare to hand control of security to their Afghan counterparts in 2014. Describing the latest incident, police chief Mujahid said: “The suicide attacker blew himself up inside the Kandahar customs compound which brought fatal casualties to US Army troops. “An Afghan translator of the troops has been killed but we are not clear about the number of US soldiers killed.” Mujahid said the bodies of the casualties had been evacuated from the scene by US military helicopters.

A spokesman for the international force in Afghanistan, Major Michael

KANDAHAR: US soldiers walk towards the scene of an explosion in Kandahar, south of Kabul yesterday. — AP Johnson, said there had been “a few casualties” but said that details were still being clarified. “My understanding is that the numbers are not high,” he added.

Officials and the military are frequently targeted in Kandahar, regarded as one of the most dangerous provinces in Afghanistan. Last month, its deputy gov-

ernor, Abdul Latif Ashna, was killed by a suicide bomber on a motorcycle who blew himself up shortly after the official left his home. The area’s police chief has faced a series of attempts on his life and the deputy mayor of Kandahar city, Noor Ahmad Nazari, was killed in October, six months after his predecessor was assas-

Bangladesh paralyzed by opposition strike Police, opposition supporters clash

DHAKA: Bangladesh’s main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party activists shout slogans during a nationwide strike in Dhaka yesterday. — AP

Malaysian opposition charged with sedition KUALA LUMPUR: A Malaysian opposition politician was charged with sedition yesterday over a blog posting that allegedly insulted the royal ruler of central Selangor state, his lawyer said. State assemblyman Shuhaimi Shafiei was charged over a December blog posting that prosecutors claimed questioned the powers of Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah, his lawyer Amer Hamzah Arshad said. The allegation stems from a row over the appointment of a new chief civil ser-

sinated.

There are around 140,000 international troops, two-thirds of them from the United States, in Afghanistan fighting the militant Islamist Taleban. Foreign troops are due to start a limited, conditionsbased withdrawal from July, and Afghan forces are scheduled to take over responsibility for security in 2014. A total of 37 foreign troops have been killed so far this year in Afghanistan, according to the independent iCasualties.org website. The figure stood at 711 for last year, the highest death toll since the 2001 US-led invasion which followed the September 11 attacks.

Human rights watchdog the Afghanistan Rights Monitor (ARM) says that more than 2,400 Afghan civilians died in the war last year. That too is the highest death toll since 2001. ARM blamed the Taleban and other insurgents for more than 60 percent of the deaths.

Elsewhere in Afghanistan yesterday, a child was killed in Helmand province, which borders Kandahar, during an air strike by international forces targeting insurgents. The International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) called the incident “deeply regrettable”. And in eastern Afghanistan, the governor of a district in Khost province was killed by unknown gunmen, police said. Sayed Mohammad, the district chief in Baak, was assassinated while driving to work. — AFP

vant in Selangor which was bitterly opposed by the opposition-which rules Malaysia’s richest state -but received the sultan’s assent.

“Suhaimi has pleaded not guilty to the sedition charge and we also informed the judge that we would be filing a motion with the High Court challenging the constitutionality of the Sedition Act,” he said. Amer said that the law was introduced during the British colonial era but had only been used after the country’s inde-

India, Pakistan officials meet NEW DELHI: India and Pakistan have agreed to “carry forward” talks aimed at resuming the full-fledged peace dialogue between the arch rivals that was suspended in the wake of the 2008 Mumbai attacks. Indian foreign secretary Nirupama Rao and her Pakistan counterpart Salman Bashir held talks late Sunday in the Bhutanese capital Thimphuthe first high-level meeting between the nuclear-armed neighbors since July. “They agreed on the need for a constructive dialogue between India and Pakistan to resolve all outstanding issues,” according to a joint statement that described the discussions as “useful and frank”. “They affirmed the need to carry forward the dialogue process,” the statement said.

The meeting failed to produce a date for an expected visit to India this year by Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi, who last held talks with his Indian counterpart S M Krishna in Islamabad in July. The talks in Thimphu took place on the sidelines of a South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) conference.

India suspended a peace dialogue with Pakistan after the November 2008 Mumbai attacks, which claimed 166 lives, but the two countries last year began to explore a resumption of structured talks.

India accuses Pakistan of failing to crack down sufficiently on militant groups on its territory, including those which New Delhi blames for the Mumbai attacks. Relations between the two countries, which have fought three wars since the subcontinent was partitioned in 1947, have been plagued by border and resource disputes, and accusations of Pakistani militant activity against India. Two of the three wars were over the disputed Kashmir region, and Kashmiri militants have been fighting New Delhi’s rule for two decades in an insurgency that has claimed tens of thousands of lives. — AFP

pendence in 1957, to silence the opposition and civil society groups.

“The Sedition Act should not be used, it is outdated and has no place in our society. We should deal with the facts and debate the legal arguments rather than spreading fear through the selective application of this act,” he said. Amer said Suhaimi could face three years in jail and possibly lose his seat in the state assembly if convicted.

Malaysian authorities justify the use of the legislation as being vital to curb

comments or actions that could stoke racial conflict in the multicultural nation. Last month, the government announced plans for a national roadshow to defend the strict sedition and media control laws that have been criticized as tools to stifle dissent. The opposition alliance seized power in Selangor and four other states in 2008 elections which yielded its best ever result, stunning the coalition which has ruled Malaysia for half a century. — AFP

DHAKA: Thousands of riot police patrolled the streets of the Bangladeshi capital Dhaka yesterday as a nationwide strike called by the main opposition party paralyzed much of the country.

Police used water cannons and batons to disperse hundreds of supporters of Bangladesh’s main opposition party who went on strike to demand early parliamentary elections to force the ruling party from power. Scores of protesters were wounded in clashes with police, witnesses said, and media reported that at least 70 activists were detained. Analysts did not expect the general strike, the third by the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) since Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina took office in early 2009, to bring forward the date of the 2013 general election.

But it is a large-scale challenge by the BNP, emboldened by its success at municipal polls, and adds to the woes of Hasina’s government, already struggling with discontent over high prices, lacking public services as well as the crash in the stock market, a main source of income for many in this impoverished country. At least five people were injured, two seriously, in clashes between protesters and police outside the BNP’s central office in Dhaka, a Reuters reporter at the scene said. “Police used batons and water cannons to drive the demonstrators back into the party office. Police also detained about 20 activists,” the reporter said by telephone.

Some 50 other protesters were injured and dozens detained in clashes with police outside Dhaka, media reports said. In December, food inflation hit 11 percent, its highest level in three years, and analysts warned rising global food prices may drive the index higher. Angry investors took to the streets of the capital on Sunday after the stock exchange suffered another dramatic fall, the latest of a series of collapses that forced halts in trading several times last month. Yesterday, the benchmark Dhaka Stock Exchange index shed 4 percent within two hours following its 5.7 percent slide on the previous day.

Strikes have been often used by political parties in Bangladesh to force change, and senior BNP officials have vowed a “fierce campaign” to force early elections. But Shamsul Haque Tuku, state minister for home affairs, told the opposition to find other ways to protest. “Strikes as a political weapon have become blunt and not enough to shake the government,” he said. The strike was also intended to mobilize public opinion against a controversial new airport plan and force authorities to withdraw a case against BNP leader, Begum Khaleda Zia for allegedly provoking violence over the issue, BNP leaders said. The strike began at 6 am and ends at 6 pm. Prime Minister Hasina defeated Khaleda in a vote held inDecember 2008 that restored democracy after two years of rule by a military-backed interim authority. Economists estimate that Bangladesh, home to more than 150 million people and a multibillion dollar export-oriented garments industry, could lose some $250 million a day due to any strike-related stoppages. — Agencies

Suu Kyi party urges West to keep Myanmar’s sanctions Western investors to remain on sidelines YANGON: The party of Myanmar prodemocracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi said yesterday that Western sanctions on the country should remain in place, arguing the embargo affected the military regime and not the broader population. The announcement by the National League for Democracy (NLD), Myanmar’s biggest opposition force, will be a blow to both the ruling junta and Western investors keen to tap the isolated countr y ’s vast natural resources. “We came to find that the sanctions affect only the leaders of the ruling regime and their close business associates, not the majority of the people,” Tin Oo, NLD vice-chairman said. Tin Oo declined to elaborate but said a report by the NLD, whose 1990 election victory was ignored by the junta, would be released later based on its own research and consultation with economists.

Suu Kyi, who was released from house arrest on Nov 13, has long backed sanctions as part of her fight against decades of authoritarian military rule in the former British colony also known as Burma. The sanctions were intended to force the regime to improve its poor human rights record and initiate democratic reforms. But many experts say the policy damaged the economy and hurt the Burmese people, pushing the generals closer to neighbors China and Thailand, which are tapping the country’s vast energy reserves. Soon after her release, Suu

Kyi indicated she might recommend the lifting of the embargoes, which prompted a flurry of diplomatic activity and attracted wide attention in the West.

INVESTMENT CREDENTIALS Around the same time, Myanmar launched a drive to attract Asian investors, touting its tourism potential and abundant supplies of gemstones, timber, oil and gas, much of which remained intact because of “unfavorable Western sanctions”. Such sanctions have not affected the wealth and lavish lifestyles of the junta top brass, but they have hampered efforts to acquire new weapons technology for the military and have increased dependence on China.

Many experts see the sanctions as Suu Kyi’s best, and perhaps only, bargaining chip-one she might continue to hold to remain relevant in Myanmar’s changing political landscape. While hugely popular and a symbol of hope for the Burmese people, Suu Kyi and the NLD have no official political role in Myanmar having boycotted the Nov. 7 election because of strict election laws. It has since been officially disbanded for refusing to take part, despite repeated court appeals. A civilian parliament dominated by retired and serving soldiers convened last week for the first time in five decades and chose a new president to lead the country but the old regime is expected to pull the strings,

SEOUL: A member of ethnic people of Myanmar shouts a slogan during a rally for his country’s democracy in front of the Myanmar Embassy in Seoul. — AP with little scope for reconciliation or reforms.

Experts suggest Suu Kyi could act as a mediator between the West and the reclusive generals towards easing the sanctions in return for concrete reforms in the country of 50 million people, about a third of whom live beneath the poverty line. “The NLD is popular, but it’s facing real problems.

They’ve been outmaneuvered by the generals, who have formed a parliament and government without them,” said Milton Osbourne, a Southeast Asia expert at Australia’s Lowy Institute think tank.

“The focus on sanction reflects the NLD and Suu Kyi’s desire to be relevant again after being sidelined for so long.” — Reuters

12

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Issues

Can the Arab revolt learn from Turkey?

By Ibon Villelabeitia f President Hosni Mubarak bows to the clamour of the street and goes, Egyptians and other Arabs seeking to turn a page on autocratic government may look at Turkey for some clues on marrying Islam and democracy.

Relatively stable, with a vibrant economy and ruled by a conservative and pragmatic government led by former Islamists, Turkey has often been cited as a model Muslim democracy and a linchpin of Western influence in the region. With a wave of unrest spreading from Tunisia to Jordan to Yemen and as calls intensify for Mubarak to start a transition soon, Middle East analysts are turning their attention to Turkey, a rising diplomatic force in the region.

“The only effective, working model in the Middle East is the Turkish model. There is nothing else,” said Fawaz Gerges, professor of Middle Eastern politics and international relations at the London School of Economics.

“Turkey’s model serves as a foundation for similar societies so I think then in the wake of the protests Arabs will be taking a second look at the Turkish model that marries Islamic values and democracy as a universal form of government,” Gerges said.

But analysts cautioned that deep differences between Turkey, a NATO partner and European Union candidate with a moderate brand of Islam, and an Arab Middle East lacking a culture of political freedom, means the model cannot be readily copied. “There is no question Turkey’s example can be an inspiration in Tunisia or in Egypt, but if any Arab country would take Turkey as a model it would take it decades to emulate Turkey’s political and economic development,” said Fadi Hakura, associate professor at London’s Chatham House think tank.

With protesters demanding an end to Mubarak’s 30year-rule and clashes breaking out in Cairo streets between opponents and supporters of the government, Egypt’s military may hold the key to Mubarak’s fate and to Egypt’s pro-democracy movement. In Turkey, the powerful military has ousted four governments since 1960, and has acted as a final arbiter of power in a parliamentary system that has prevailed since the 1950s. During the past few years, Turkey’s democracy grew hardier as reforms undertaken by Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan’s AK Party to make Turkey fit for EU membership have clipped the generals’ power.

Paul Salem, director of the Carnegie Endowment’s Middle East Centre in Beirut, noted that this was not the case in Egypt, where the military has been at the heart of power since the overthrow of the monarchy in 1952. “The military in Egypt has to make a basic decision which the Turkish military did successfully and with such a good outcome, which is to step back, focus on protecting the country’s sovereignty, protect the constitution and allow civilian politics to grow,” Salem said. “This is exactly what the military has been asked to do in Egypt and in Tunisia and in Jordan, but we are not there yet.”

Analysts say Islamist groups are likely to play a prominent role in Tunisia after the fall of former President Zine al-Abdine Ben Ali and in Egypt once Mubarak goes. Such prospects are a concern for the United States, which has backed autocratic Arab rulers as bulwarks against the perceived threat of militant Islam. US support of Israel and reliance on Middle East oil supplies has made Arabs mistrust Washington’s motives.

Tunisia’s newly returned Islamic leader Rachid Ghannouchi has compared his party more to Turkey’s ruling AK Party than to Egypt’s banned Muslim Brotherhood, Egypt’s largest opposition. Erdogan’s AK Party emerged from a banned Islamist movement to become a moderate party that favours foreign investment. Its victory in 2002 elections was seen as a triumph for a strain of political Islam centred on promoting Muslim values democratically rather than imposing strict Islamic law.

The Brotherhood says it would preserve democracy, but experts are divided on which way it may go. Lorenzo Vidino, an expert on the Muslim Brotherhood at the RAND Corporation, said the Turkish experience was the best case scenario for an Islamist movement getting into government in Egypt, but said he did not see that happening. “The Muslim Brotherhood has not undergone the evolution that took place in Turkey where in the 1990s Erdogan and (President Abdullah) Gul got rid of the old Turkish Islamist guard who were anti-democratic,” Vidino said. “That generational change has not taken place in the Muslim Brotherhood where there is a struggle between the old school and the second generation Islamist, so the jury is still out.” Vidino also said Turkey’s tradition of secularism since Mustafa Kemal Ataturk founded modern Turkey in 1923 means Turks are more wedded to the separation of state and religion. — Reuters

I

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Energy riches, fear contain C Asia dissent

By Robin Paxton entral Asia’s authoritarian leaders, having crushed dissent during decades in power, are likely to use a mixture of oil and gas revenues, repression and cosmetic reforms to meet any threat of Egyptian-style protests. Few in the strategic ex-Soviet region, which covers an area twice the size of Saudi Arabia, expect their entrenched and ageing leaders to succumb to the wave of public anger sweeping parts of the Arab world. However, in a region riven by ethnic tensions and poverty, where one country Kyrgyzstan - has twice overthrown a president, authorities would be remiss in ignoring this warning, political analysts and opposition politicians say.

“The most important lesson? Don’t take your country to the brink,” said Mukhiddin Kabiri, chairman of the opposition Islamic Revival Party of Tajikistan. Authoritarian presidents rule four of the five ex-Soviet states in Central Asia, a resource-rich and majority Muslim region between China, Russia and Iran, which serves as a key supply conduit for US military operations in Afghanistan.

Kazakhstan holds slightly more than 3 percent of the world’s recoverable oil reserves, while the world’s fourth-largest reserves of natural gas lie under the desert of Turkmenistan.

C

These resources generate prosperity.

Kazakhstan, the region’s largest economy, boasts per capita gross domestic product of more than $9,000, four times that of Egypt. In Ashgabat, capital of Turkmenistan, low utility bills help appease a population in a country where political dissent is not tolerated. “We have free gas, water and lighting,” said Aibibi, 34, a bookseller in an Ashgabat market.

Inflation remains a region-wide threat. Unrest in Kyrgyzstan led to a colossal 19.2 percent surge in prices last year, while in Kazakhstan food prices rose 3 percent in January alone.

Turkmen pensioner Gulsenem, 57, said: “To cook with our free gas, we also need meat and that’s becoming more expensive.”

The riches of Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan can be spread among relatively small populations, but Uzbekistan, a top-10 world gold miner and major cotton exporter, is home to 28 million people. State figures portray a robust economy and the International Monetary Fund forecast 8 percent GDP growth in 2010. However, perhaps nowhere in Central Asia are fear and repression more apparent. President Islam Karimov, 73, says tough measures are needed to curb the threat of Islamist militancy. Human rights activists speak of religious persecution and torture.

Mukhammad Salikh, 61, stood against Karimov in a 1991 election. He now lives in

exile in Norway. “The danger of a social explosion has not only existed for the last 20 years.

It has grown bigger with every year,” Salikh said in a recent interview with Ferghana News Agency, a private, Russian-language agency covering Central Asian affairs. Could an “explosion” take place in Uzbekistan, immune to Western criticism of its rights record, where state television is strictly controlled and a mainly rural population has limited access to the Internet?

UN data show 36 percent of Uzbekistan’s population is urbanised, compared with 43 percent in Egypt. In Tunisia, whose president was ousted in a popular uprising in January, the figure is 67 percent. Fear is a strong deterrent to would-be demonstrators. Uzbek government troops shot into crowds that took to the streets of Andizhan in 2005. Witnesses say hundreds were killed.

In Tajikistan, protests in Dushanbe in 1992 lit the fuse for a five-year civil war in which tens of thousands of people were killed. Taxi driver Turakul, 55, would rather swallow his discontent with President Imomali Rakhmon than risk a repetition. “I’ll never go out on the streets,” he said. “I have food on the table and my four sons work in Russia. We’ll tolerate this as long as we have our small wages.”

Tajikistan, where the average monthly wage of $80 is less than one-sixth of that in Kazakhstan, relies heavily on remittances

from about 1 million migrant workers. Many young men, the core demographic for protest, live abroad in Russia. Zardusht Alizade, an independent analyst in Baku, says developments in Moscow are more likely to define the direction of post-Soviet states than events in the Middle East. “If people in Russia decide to raise their voices against the ruling elite, there will be a chain reaction,” he said.

Kyrgyzstan is the odd man out in Central Asia. The overthrow of President Kurmanbek Bakiyev last April was its second revolt in five years. As political tension simmers, the country is experimenting with the region’s first parliamentary democracy. Widely acknowledged to have the region’s most politically active population, Kyrgyzstan had a vibrant opposition ready to seize on discontent with the pervasive cronyism of Bakiyev’s rule. A sudden rise in utility bills was the last straw.

“How do you grab power in Kyrgyzstan?

Gather your relatives, friends and the unemployed. Regional frictions become revolutionary movements where there is no premise but the hatred of authority,” said Bishkekbased analyst Toktogul Kakchikeyev.

By comparison, political activism elsewhere is muted. Uzbek and Turkmen dissidents voice their opposition from abroad.

Some countries, perhaps pre-empting the risk of popular discontent, have taken steps towards reform. —Reuters

Jordan seeks to shore up tribal support

By Suleiman Al-Khalidi ing Abdullah is seeking to appease Jordan’s powerful tribes by naming a conservative former army general as prime minister but he will need to appeal to a wider base to maintain stability and deflect regional turmoil. Facing widespread protests inspired by uprisings in Tunisia and Egypt, Abdullah sacked his government and appointed Marouf Bakhit as prime minister last Tuesday, angering the main Islamist opposition who said Bakhit oversaw flawed 2007 elections.

Analysts said the decision reflected a traditional priority of the Hashemite royal family to placate “East Bank” Jordanians, the country’s original inhabitants who dominate the political establishment, over the interests of Palestinian communities. The stability of Jordan is vital for Israel, which has a peace treaty and close security cooperation with its eastern neighbour. British-educated King Abdullah is a key political and military partner of the West.

Palestinians and Jordanians of Palestinian origin make up a majority of the 7 million population. East Bankers, who have enjoyed a generally higher level of state jobs and subsidies, were alarmed by the threat to their benefits from a sharp economic slowdown and from economic liberalisation promoted by former Prime Minister Samir Rifai.

Protests across Jordan went ahead despite a rushed package of government aid worth $500 million that focused on raising civil servants’ salaries and reversing a decision to freeze state hiring.

Protesters called for Rifai’s dismissal, although no direct criticism was addressed to the palace.

“The king, by appointing Bakhit, is seeking to calm an influential

K

constituency that defines its interests within the traditional state bureaucracy and feels threatened by excessive free market policies,” said Mohammad Masri, political analyst at Jordan’s Centre for Strategic Studies. “However the coming days will show if this strategy is able to contain demands of civil and political society for wider political reforms”.

Unlike the mass demonstrations

times of crisis by dismissing the cabinet - Abdullah’s father King Hussein changed prime minister 45 times in his 47-year reign - though it might be risky to assume the move will always work.

“The monarchy is immune for the time being, but this is not an eternal condition,” said Mustafa Hamarneh, political analyst and board chairman of Al-Sijil magazine.

“I don’t think (Bakhit) is the kind of

changes to a tribally structured society, fearing it could give Jordanians of Palestinian origin more influence and reduce East Bankers’ access to government funds.

A leaked US diplomatic cable published by WikiLeaks this week highlighted the scale of that spending, saying 83 percent of Jordan’s $7.71 billion budget last year went towards a “bloated civil service and

Jordanian opposition protesters shout slogans and carry the Islamic Action Front flag during a protest against Jordan’s new prime minister Marouf Al Bakhit and in support of the Egyptian people in Amman Feb 4, 2011. – AP in Tunisia and Egypt, where hundreds of thousands of protesters took to the streets demanding the overthrow of the head of state, the rallies in Jordan have not yet targeted Abdullah so far. Jordanian monarchs have often defused tension in

politician who will institute political change, the kind of change that the country needs badly now,” Hamarneh said. The dismissal of Rifai marked the latest standoff between Abdullah and an establishment that has long resisted

military patronage system”. Rifai’s embrace of private enterprise raised fears he would erode the state’s economic role, voiced in the protests in rural East Bank strongholds such as the cities of Karak and Maan. Jordan’s Islamists, the coun-

try’s biggest political group, are concentrated mainly in Amman and its urban surroundings and have taken a backseat in protests outside the capital.

The Islamic Action Front (IAF), which dismissed Bakhit’s appointment as an inadequate step, says it will continue weekly protests which have drawn a few thousand demonstrators in Amman after Friday prayers, saying the protests had broader aims. “The issue is not about the personality of Rifai. It’s about changing the way governments are formed and moving to elected governments that are truly representative,” said Sheikh Hamza Mansour, head of the IAF. Bakhit, a former military intelligence general, served as prime minister from 2005 to 2007, overseeing parliamentary elections which were widely seen as marred by vote-rigging. Analysts say he is known for his anti-business views and will for now likely reassure public sector employees that their interests will be preserved. Bakhit’s aides say his cabinet will not include figures drawn from the private sector, derided by their opponents as the “digitals” in previous liberal administrations and whom Rifai also came to symbolise.

But an economic policy driven by political expediency will only worsen the country’s ability to fight a recession. Although the authorities managed to cut a $2 billion record budget deficit in 2009 by nearly a third last year, a reversal of austerity measures taken in the wake of protests will strain state finances long kept afloat by aid and remittances. At least $1.4 billion is already set aside for subsidies, from barley for cattle owners to electricity and water in rural areas. Many Jordanians who have protested in recent weeks will be hoping Bakhit keeps those subsidies intact. —Reuters

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ANALYSIS

West rethinks its Arab realpolitik

US ‘desertion’ of Mubarak dismays Israel

By William Maclean stonished by the uprising in Egypt, Western countries anxious to be on the right side of history have started to reassess ties to army-backed Arab strongmen stubbornly opposed to democracy. On grounds of both principle and self-interest, the West must promote more responsive and democratic government in the region to ensure peaceful change in societies yearning for a better life, officials at a security conference in Germany said. “The past two weeks are a wake-up call,” former Republican presidential candidate John McCain said. He said he wanted democracy in the region not out of “some misplaced moralism” but because the resultant stability would help the United States.

“The greatest guarantee of stability is democracy ... Our national interests demand it (in the Middle East).”

Whether those sentiments turn into reality may hinge on the outcome of events in Egypt, the Arab world’s most populous and influential country, where an unprecedented revolt has shaken President Hosni Mubarak’s 30-year-old grip on power. “What happens in Egypt affects all of our interests throughout the region,” said Frank Wisner, President Barack Obama’s private envoy to the Egyptian crisis. “We are aiming for an orderly transition to a democratic future.

Western democracy rhetoric tends to be greeted with cynicism in the Middle East, because the region has been here before. A US push for democracy in the Middle East after the 2003 Iraq invasion ran out of steam when the Islamist movement Hamas won parliamentary elections in the Palestinian territories in 2006.

Critics of Western diplomacy in the region says this episode reflected a double standard, namely that the West compromises on its democratic ideals when the outcome would be unfavourable. But many speakers at the gathering said the revolts in Tunisia and especially Egypt showed that this time it could be different, because these were genuinely popular expressions of anger about corruption, joblessness and poor state services. The involvement of youths, secularists and the educated middle class gave the lie to any notion that Islamists were at the vanguard of opposition forces in the Arab world.

Arab governments have long said the only alternatives to their repressive rule are banned

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By Marius Schattner he US “desertion” of its long-time ally President Hosni Mubarak in the face of protests shaking the Egyptian regime has angered Israel, with analysts warning of consequences for the turbulent Middle East.

Until now, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government has held back from any public criticism of the US position, to avoid a row with US President Barack Obama. But Washington’s change of heart towards the embattled Egyptian president has not passed unnoticed in Israel, where the dominant reaction has been one of criticism-in government circles, among analysts and in the press.

“One gets the impression that Washington was pretty anxious to throw Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak overboard” once he became a cumbersome ally, a senior Israeli official told AFP, on condition of anonymity.

“Even if the American position has become more nuanced in the last few days, it doesn’t make it any less of a desertion. That’s what is most worrying,” he said.

“Loyalty is priceless, especially in the Middle East,” he said, warning that Washington’s sudden apparent ditching of the Egyptian leader could undermine the credibility of American foreign policy. He also pointed to “confusion and incoherence of the American positions,” referring to the declaration of support by an influential retired diplomat at the weekend, from which the Obama administration quickly distanced itself.

Dore Gold, a former ambassador to the United Nations who is close to Netanyahu, also highlighted such confusion. He drew a comparison to the run-up to the 1979 Islamic revolution in Iran when the US administration of then president Jimmy Carter was faced with mass protests against the Western-backed Shah.

“Massive demonstrations were being held in the streets of Tehran, calling for the ouster of the shah, who had been America’s key ally in the Arabian Gulf. “The White House did not know quite what to do: back the shah or seek his replacement,” he wrote, warning the Obama administration not to “repeat the errors” it made by failing to back an ally facing protests, in the name of democracy.

Since the outbreak of the daily mass protests in Egypt on January 25, Israel has expressed fears that the rise of Islamist power in Cairo could threaten Egypt’s 30year-old peace deal with Israel and tip the regional balance of power. “Everyone understands that Mubarak has to go, but we would expect the US administration to give him backing and not dissociate itself from him,” the popular Yediot Aharonot daily said. “For decades he was the mainstay of the West, the bulwark against Islamisation,” it said. “And when the US does this to the Egyptian president, what should any other ally of the US think?” the paper asked, warning about the “treacherousness” of the Western world and that it “could also happen to us.”

For Eitan Gilboa, a professor of political science at Bar Ilan University, Washington “has stabbed its Egyptian ally in the back” when it could have criticised him in a more discrete fashion. But Gilboa is not concerned that the Jewish state could one day face the same fate, given the huge support for Israel among the US public and the influential Jewish lobby. In the short term, he believes Israel’s position in the West could actually be strengthened by the move, especially if the Jewish state appears as “the only stable ally in the face of the Islamic threat”. — AFP

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Soldiers patrol in front of the Sphinx, at the closed Pyramids site in Giza, Egypt’s most famous tourist attraction, yesterday. — AP Islamist groups they say would bring an Iranianstyle theocratic rule to the region.

This preoccupation with Islamist influence was echoed at the gathering by Israeli National Security Adviser Uzi Arad, who said security should be the top Western concern in the region.

But many Western analysts said the revolt had brought a chance for more secular, modernist and technocratic forces to become involved in government. “Our friends are those that want to take Egypt into the modern world,” Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt said. Egypt was an opportunity for democracy not to be missed.

John Chipman, Director-General of the International Institute for Strategic Studies, saw the idea that the only alternative to Mubarak was Islamist as a “totally out of date mantra”. “There is

a possibility of a technocratic government of all the talents ... if the United States and the European Union favour it,” he said.

Diplomats say a successful move to better governance in Egypt would inspire similar changes in other Arab countries. Arab states, from Morocco to Yemen, have much in common with Egypt: Many have large populations of unemployed young, entrenched leaderships, rule under state of emergency laws, and opposition groups which say it is time for democracy.

Some analysts say that whether Mubarak goes or stays, the real behind-the-scenes power in the country will remain the army: Egypt’s large armed forces have been at the heart of power since army officers overthrew the monarchy in 1952. Chipman said continued military influence

was not necessarily a concern. “Yes the military can hold the ring, but they would hold the ring for a very different type of government. I think that is still there to play for.” One of the more pessimistic voices, from a democrat’s point of view, is that of US academic Robert Springborg, who sees “no chance whatsoever” of Washington ending its habit of forging alliances with militarybacked autocrats. Springborg, Professor of National Security Affairs at the US Naval Postgraduate School, says the army is working quietly with the West to remove Mubarak from power in return for keeping its behind-thescenes dominance of the political system. “We have missed a historic opportunity,” he said, arguing that a secular democratic Egypt would have been in Israel’s interest. — AP

Algeria also joins change bandwagon

By Paul Taylor lgeria’s rulers appear to have concluded, in the words of Giuseppe di Lampedusa’s 19th century novel “The Leopard”, that “Everything must change so that everything can stay the same.” It has become the latest Arab state to announce political reforms designed to preserve a system dominated by the security services and head off pro-democracy protests that swept away Tunisia’s ruler and threaten Egypt’s. The tactic may work because the country’s oil and gas wealth provides leeway to buy social peace, opposition is fragmented and the population is traumatised by memories of a civil war in the 1990s in which an estimated 150,000 people died. The authorities that imposed a state of emergency in 1992 after scrapping a general election which an Islamist movement was poised to win have suddenly decided to lift it. The “suspension of the electoral process”, as it was euphemistically termed, launched a decade of carnage in the North African state, in which both sides committed atrocities as the Islamic Salvation Front was crushed. Now President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, the civilian face of a system dominated by generals and secret policemen, has said all legal political parties will have access to the media and demonstrations will be allowed everywhere except in the capital, Algiers, and its surrounding region.

“This is clearly a response to the events in Tunisia and Egypt and an attempt by the Algerian authorities to get ahead of the curve and head off popular protests, as in Yemen,” said Benjamin Stora, the leading French historian of Algeria. “They would not have dreamed of lifting the state of emergency otherwise.”

It also seems to be a divide-and-rule tactic aimed at splitting a nascent prodemocracy front formed by small, secular political parties and the Algerian League of Human Rights, which has long favoured dialogue with the Islamists. “I hope very much that this is not just another ruse by the authorities,” said Fodil Boumala, one of the organisers of a planned protest march called for Feb 12. “I think that instead of getting to the root of the problem the authorities are just playing for time. They want to cut the ground out from the opposition by saying: ‘You asked for the state of emergency to be lifted and now it is’,” he said.

The ruling elite, built around officers who fought in the 1954-62 war of independence against France, is closely watching events in Egypt, which has a similar system of military-dominated government with a civilian facade. Many Algerians speak of “le pouvoir” (the powers-that-be) to designate the opaque security establishment presumed to pull the strings and control the economy, and “le gouvernement” (the government) - the civilian politicians and technocrats who debate in parliament and decide on the colour of traffic lights. For three decades since Iran’s 1979 Islamic revolution, the rulers of Algeria and most other Arab countries have secured international support by presenting themselves as the last rampart against an Islamist takeover. In the name of “stability”, Western governments closed their eyes to the Algerian slaughter of the 1990s, chillingly epitomised by the phrase of former Prime Minister Redha Malek: “Fear must change sides.” Fear changed sides in the other direction in Tunisia and Egypt, where protesters have braved the risk of death or injury to demonstrate for democracy and against their rulers.

Algeria’s development has long been distorted by the “resource curse” of the energy sector, which funded the elite and encouraged an import-based economy that rewarded rent-seekers and discouraged domestic production.

Bureaucracy stifled entrepreneurship, leaving young, educated Algerians the choice between emigration, until Europe slammed its doors shut, and unemployment. Housing construction did not keep pace with rapid population growth. The socio-economic frustrations which fuelled Islamism have erupted frequently in mostly short-lived local protests. But unlike Tunisia, where the selfimmolation of a frustrated vegetable-seller snowballed into a national protest movement, protests against price rises and housing shortages in Algeria were short-lived, quickly bought off by the authorities. While Tunisian President Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali’s rule was politically repressive and nepotistic, he did promote the rise of an educated middle class and a thriving private sector that provided the social basis for the democracy movement.

The political challenge presented by Algeria’s embryonic pro-democracy front may be trickier to defuse than the economic unrest, but the country has always had the escape valve of a sometimes outspoken privately owned press and some degree of parliamentary debate. A popular joke in the Maghreb, adapted from communist-era eastern Europe, tells of two dogs who meet on the border between Algeria and Tunisia. “Why do you want to come to Tunisia?” the sleek, chubby Tunisian dog asked the mangy Algerian mongrel. “I want to eat,” the Algerian dog replies. “But why on earth do you want to come to Algeria?” “I want to bark,” the Tunisian dog says. — Reuters

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A Palestinian protester burns an American flag during a demonstration in support of the Egyptian people in the West Bank city of Ramallah Feb 5, 2011. – AP

Palestinians expect boost from new Egypt

By Mohammed Assadi and Nidal Al-Mughrabi alestinians are likely to benefit from a change of regime in Egypt, irrespective of whether they are in the camp of those seeking peace with Israel or those who advocate conflict, analysts said. A more independent and assertive Egypt, reflecting popular opinion rather than US policy, will create pressure on Israel and Washington to make the compromises necessary for a long-overdue Middle East peace treaty, they said. Whether they live in the occupied West Bank, whose leaders want a treaty with Israel, or in the blockaded Gaza Strip, whose leaders reject the Zionist state, Israel is the dominant factor overshadowing Palestinian lives. West Bank and Gaza leaders have avoided speculating on the probable outcome in Egypt’s power struggle or its implications for Palestinians and the wider Arab world. But a few officials and political thinkers are ready to make predictions. “The new situation in Egypt could lead to a change in world powers that upsets Israel and forces it to compromise. Egypt will get stronger,” said senior peace negotiator Nabil Shaath. A stronger Egypt “will definitely help our bargaining power” so that when the peace process gets back on track again, perhaps in a year “it comes with a more realistic American position, therefore a more positive Israeli position,” he added.

Mubarak has been Israel’s best friend in the Arab world for 30 years, far friendlier than the masses in his country who are soon likely to elect a successor more in tune with their views on the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. Mubarak has also been the ally of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, playing a key role in supporting US-led peace negotiations with Israel over the years. Shaath said he now saw “a golden opportunity” for the Palestinian Authority to get much firmer backing from Egypt and other Arab countries for future negotiations.

Israel may face the logic of agreeing to a Palestinian state “so they can keep their treaty with Egypt”, said George Giacaman of Beir Zeit University. The 1979 Camp David peace treaty removed Egypt from the long list of Israel’s Arab enemies and allowed it to relax along the Sinai border. Analysts say it may now be questioned.

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“In the second intifada (Palestinian uprising 2000-2005), there were demands in the parliaments of Egypt and Jordan to revoke their peace agreements with Israel,” said Giacaman said. “Imagine after the change of regime that the same demands resurface? I am not saying they will annul the agreement with Israel. But I expect that there will be tremendous pressure to have a settlement here with Israel.” The United States and Israel would be so anxious not to “lose” the new Egypt that they would be forced finally to resolve the Palestinian question, Giacaman said.

Mubarak has not been a friend of Hamas, the armed Islamist movement ruling the Gaza Strip, blockaded by Israel and Egypt in a joint operation since 2007. Egypt has, however, played a major role in trying to reconcile Hamas and Abbas’s Fatah movement, to reunite the badly divided Palestinian national cause. Gaza political commentator Talal Okal also foresees pressure mounting on Israel to make a deal with the Palestinians in the form of a potential threat to the Camp David treaty. “There are calls to amend the Camp David agreement and Israel is worried about that,” he said.

Iranian-backed Hamas is supported in Egypt by the Muslim Brotherhood, which endorses Palestinian armed resistance against Israel and which may play a significant role in the coalition that is expected ultimately to replace Mubarak.

The prospect of the Muslim Brotherhood dominating a new Egyptian government is Israel’s chief concern, since it seems unlikely that they would ever embrace the Camp David accords.

Okal said Hamas was waiting to see how the Brotherhood’s prospects play out in the coming transition from Mubarak who says he will stand down at the next election in September. “I think they will have a role but within a coalition of other parties, and they will not rule alone,” Okal said. In the West Bank, Shaath had a similar view. He said he was in contact with the antiMubarak demonstrators in Cairo’s main square and was sure that “this is a pure revolution ... that has nothing to do with the Muslim Brotherhood and America”. “People are worried there will be chaos. Some are worried that the Muslim Brotherhood will take charge (but) the Muslim Brotherhood is out of the picture,” Shaath said.— Reuters

Saudis fear unrest could bolster Iran

By Ulf Laessing audi Arabia is more concerned about losing allies to counter its regional adversary Iran than with the risk that upheavals sweeping Tunisia and Egypt might spread to the kingdom, diplomats and analysts say. Flush with petrodollars, the world’s top oil exporter can splash out to alleviate any social tensions due to unemployment around 10 percent of the Saudi work force is jobless - and quell any unrest in the absolute monarchy, they say. But some believe the Saudi rulers would be alarmed if the United States jettisons Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, who, like successive Saudi monarchs, has been a longtime US ally since taking power three decades ago.

“The Saudis...are worried that the US has made a foreign policy mistake by appearing to give up support for Mubarak too easily,” said Simon Henderson, a Washingtonbased Saudi watcher. For the moment, Mubarak remains in place. Protesters who have paralysed Egypt and extracted concessions unimaginable two weeks ago - among them a Mubarak pledge not run again for president in September elections and the sacking of his cabinet - have yet to achieve their core demand that he go now.

Yet the Saudis may feel that a weakened Mubarak on his way out is no longer an effective bulwark against Shiite Iran.

They more than share US fears that Iran is seeking nuclear weapons - a charge Tehran denies. “Cut off the head of the snake,” the Saudi ambassador to Washington, Adel AlJubeir, quoted King Abdullah as advising US General David Petraeus in April 2008, according to a US cable released by WikiLeaks in November, referring to Iran. The kingdom, custodian of Islam’s holiest sites, sees itself as a bastion of Sunni Islam, so it is also deeply concerned about wider Shiite influence in the region having watched the 2003 US-led invasion produce a Shiite-led government in Iraq.

The Saudis fret that the balance could tilt further if Mubarak’s impending exit leads to prolonged uncertainty in Arab heavyweight Egypt, a staunch foe of Iran. “There will be a vacuum. Egypt was a very important element for Middle Eastern stability. Saudi Arabia will have to carry the burden if there is instability or a vacuum on the political side,” said Turad al-Amry, a Saudi political analyst. “What is the direction of the new regime and new government (in Egypt) and how fast can it perform business?” he asked.Egypt, shaken by anti-Mubarak protests for the past two weeks, will in any case be too focused on its internal crisis to bolster Saudi efforts to counter Iran’s sway, analysts say. Diplomats said Riyadh also worries that a diplomatic void left by a preoccupied Egypt will give openings to countries such as Turkey and Qatar, a smaller Gulf rival of Saudi Arabia, which both seek bigger regional roles and are on good terms with Iran. “Saudi influence will probably diminish, while others such as Qatar and Turkey who do not want an isolation of Iran like the Saudis will play a bigger role,” said a Gulf-based diplomat. — Reuters

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HAEL, Saudi Arabia: A picture taken through a mirror shows Saudi men performing the noon prayer at the main center of the Hael International Desert Rally, some 600 km west of the Saudi capital Riyadh yesterday. The 2011 rally will be held between Feb 8-10 in the Nufud desert, north of Hael. — AFP

Mubarak fights street protests with pay hike Continued from Page 1 “He could raise it 65 percent and we wouldn’t believe him. As long as Mubarak is in charge then all of these are brittle decisions that can break at any moment.”

Campaigners sat under the tracks of army tanks deployed around the square, fearful that any movement by the military could be designed to drive out the protesters or abandon them to the mercy of pro-regime thugs.

Activists also kept up the pressure by barring access to the Mugamma, the heart of Egypt’s bureaucracy, which dominates the square, despite dozens of people trying to gain access to get documents such as passports processed. In a mark of the tension, protesters seized a man with a petrol can they said was trying to set the building ablaze, fearing they would be blamed, and handed him over to the troops controlling access to the square. In other government moves to revive economic life, the nightly curfew in three cities including Cairo was pushed back to 8:00 pm (1800 GMT) to 6:00 am and the stock exchange said it would reopen on Sunday. The Cairo bourse closed down 10 points on Jan 27, after 70 billion Egyptian pounds ($12 billion) was wiped off shares over two days.

Mubarak, meanwhile, met at his presidential offices with Vice President Omar Suleiman, parliament speaker Fathi Surur and the head of Egypt’s appeals court, Sari Siyam, state news agency MENA said. On Sunday, Suleiman - Mubarak’s key lieutenant and possible successor - tried to appease the revolt by inviting several opposition groups to join him on a panel to pilot democratic reform. But the demonstrators were unimpressed and vowed to maintain their vigil. Activists have called the uprising the “Nile Revolution”.

Keen to get traffic moving around Tahrir Square, the army tried early yesterday to squeeze the area the protesters have occupied. Overnight campers rushed out of their tents to surround soldiers attempting to corral them into a smaller area. Wary of the army’s effort to gain ground to try and restore the traffic flow in central Cairo, dozens of protesters slept inside the tracks of the army vehicles. The powerful army’s role in the next weeks is considered critical to the future of Egypt. “The army is getting restless and so are the protesters. The

army wants to squeeze us into a small circle in the middle of the square to get the traffic moving again,” protester Mohamed Shalaby, 27, told Reuters by telephone.

Opposition parties, including the powerful Muslim Brotherhood, repeated their demand that Mubarak himself must stand down or immediately delegate his powers to Suleiman. And there was scant relief for the strongman in the Western capitals where he was once hailed as a close ally and bulwark of Middle East stability. US President Barack Obama says Egypt has changed forever since its street revolt broke out on Jan 25 and has called for a “representative government” in Cairo, although he stopped short of urging Mubarak to quit immediately.

The government said the parties agreed to set up a committee to examine constitutional amendments by March, while an office would look at complaints over the treatment of political prisoners and loosen media curbs. A strict emergency law would be lifted “depending on the security situation,” the government said. But Suleiman refused another key demand of the opposition, saying he would not assume Mubarak’s powers and rule in his place during the transition.

Not all of the opposition movements involved in the revolt against Mubarak’s rule were present at the talks.

Former UN nuclear watchdog head and leading dissident Mohamed ElBaradei was not invited, and has criticised the talks. The Muslim Brotherhood, still officially banned, said it had agreed to take part in the talks because it wanted to determine if the government was serious about reform, but warned that the initial concessions were insufficient.

While Mubarak has said he is “fed up” with leadership, he says he must stay on until September’s presidential election in order to ensure stability - but the demonstrators’ frustration is now finding an echo abroad. Spain’s foreign minister said the election should be brought forward, but US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said warned an early election could lead to complications if opposition groups are not organised for the vote. But this cuts little ice in Tahrir Square, where the demonstrators have kept up demands for his immediate exit and have no faith that Mubarak is serious about stepping down after three decades in power. — Agencies

Capitalism dead: Lula

DAKAR: Brazil’s first working class president and an icon of the downtrodden said yesterday that the global financial crisis proves capitalism is broken. Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva also said it was time for affluent countries to begin paying attention to nations like Senegal, ranked as one of the world’s poorest. “For too long, rich countries saw us as peripheral, problematic, even dangerous,” said Silva, who stepped down last year with one of the highest approval ratings in his country’s history, “Today we are an essential, undeniable part of the solution to the biggest crisis of the last decade - a crisis that was not created by us, but that emerged from the great centers of world capitalism.”

His speech marked the second day of the six-day World Social Forum, an annual counterpunch to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. While the latter draws CEOs who sleep in four-star hotels and take turns on the Swiss slopes, the participants in the World Social Forum are happy to camp on the sides of roads or sleep with locals in order to take part in the yearly anti-capitalist gathering.

Instead of suits, they arrive wearing tie-die shirts and trousers of organic cotton, like Lula who addressed the cheering crowd in a short-sleeved shirt. Presentations are frequently ad lib, including a fiery impromptu speech by Bolivian President Evo Morales on Sunday who told the assembled crowd that capitalism was in its death throes. “We can see it

Nasrallah yearns to be in Tahrir Square Continued from Page 1 referring to the days when Egypt was leading anti-Israeli policies in the 1950s and 1960s.

The Shiite leader, whose alreadytense ties with Mubarak took a turn for the worse during Israel’s 2008 offensive in Gaza, placed his militant party at the service of Egypt’s protestors. “ Today, on behalf of Hezbollah and all resistance movements in Lebanon ... we place ourselves at the service of Egypt and its

Continued from Page 1 The liberal National Action Bloc meanwhile said in a statement they have decided not to take part in any protests, gatherings or meetings during the month of February in respect of national events. The bloc also called on all parties to take all necessary measures to safeguard national unity. It also called on the new interior minister to start key reforms in the ministry.

Islamist opposition MP Faisal AlMislem meanwhile called on the government to resign or at least promise to resign at the start of March after the national occasions as a way to resolve the ongoing political dilemma in the country. Mislem called for implementing overdue democratic reforms like moving the forensic department to the ministry

of justice and sending well-detailed receipts of the spending of the prime minister’s office to the Audit Bureau.

He also called on the Assembly to pass laws over anti-corruption, wealth disclosure, judiciary independence, clash of interests and others.

In his questions to the interior minister, Ghanem asked about how the state security department is monitored financially and the side that carries out such monitoring. He inquired if the director of the state security sends reports to officials other than the interior minister and demanded their names. He demanded to know the budget of the department in the past five years.

Ghanem inquired if the department has purchased bugging equipment and why, and asked if these equipments have been used to monitor

public figures, ministers, MPs or citizens without a permit from the public prosecution.

The lawmaker asked about the role of the state security in keeping a close watch on sleeper cells which threaten national security. He also inquired about the role of the state security department in preserving national unity and what measures it has taken against those who try to undermine it. Ghanem asked if the state security director has given orders to some of its members to launch a campaign against an MP on the Internet by using various sites or Twitter, and if the department has directly or indirectly threatened users on Twitter. The lawmaker asked if the director of the department has directly or indirectly interfered in the functions of the Assembly, especially elections of panels, grilling or others.

people,” he said. “It took us a few days to take this stand,” Nasrallah added. “We did not want you to face accusations ... that cells created by Hezbollah, (Palestinian Islamist) Hamas or the Iranian Revolutionary Guard were mobilising the protestors in Egypt.”

Hezbollah - which opposes the 1979 peace treaty between Egypt and Israel - has had strained ties with Cairo for decades. The militant Shiite movement sparked the ire of Mubarak in late 2008 by accusing

Egypt of complicity with Israel, with which Hezbollah fought a deadly 2006 war, during the Israeli offensive in the Gaza Strip. Egyptian courts last year sentenced 26 people for allegedly planning attacks on behalf of Hezbollah, which was seen as retaliation for its criticism of Mubarak. The arrests soured relations between predominantly Sunni Egypt and Shiite Hezbollah’s backer Iran, with Cairo accusing Tehran of using the movement to gain a foothold in Egypt. — Agencies

New settler homes okayed in Jerusalem Continued from Page 1

MP asks new minister on state security role

with the global financial crisis. We can see it with climate change and global warming,” said Morales, who in 2005 became the first leader to be elected from Bolivia’s indigenous majority. “The capitalism of today is a capitalism that no longer produces but just consumes.”

The weeklong conference, which has drawn some 30,000 participants from 123 countries, aims to create “open space” for debate on subjects ranging from “the crisis of capitalism” to the African Diaspora. Many participants pointed out that the event is also taking place at a same time of change in Africa. “If you look across the democratization struggle in Egypt and Tunisia and the challenges in Ivory Coast and Zimbabwe, it is very important for people to express their views and indicate that there is a ruling elite, a very small group of people who are holding us hostage,” said Zimbabwean journalist and participant Thomas Deves.

Nilza Iraci, a member of the forum’s international organizing committee, says that in the early years, the forum attempted to bridge the gap with Davos. They held a teleconference with members of the Davos conference in an attempt to exchange ideas. Critics of the forum say it has not effected real change in the 11 years since it started. Iraci says the event is not meant to effect change, but rather to create a space to network and to share ideas for a new world. — AP

The move still had to be rubberstamped by an interior ministry committee. “It will be at least a year before we see anything.” A spokesman for the municipality said that the projects in question were “private and not municipal,” and that permits were never issued on the basis of the applicant’s “religion, colour or creed”.

But the Palestinian Authority issued a statement saying the city council’s approval of the projects was more evidence of a “continued policy of ethnic cleansing, of uprooting humanity and of the imposition of facts on the ground.” Alalu agreed.

“This is the settlers and the right, together with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and (Mayor) Nir Barakat, working together to Judaise this neighbourhood,” he said. “The problem is that this is an invasion of a Palestinian neighbourhood, this is not one of the Jewish

neighbourhoods that has been agreed will remain with Israel, like Gilo,” Alalu said, referring to a large Jewish district in east Jerusalem.

Israeli activists working to stop creeping settlement activity in Sheikh Jarrah, just north of Jerusalem’s Old City, said the move would see the demolition of the two buildings, one of which is home to three local families. Avner Inbar of the Sheikh Jarrah Solidarity Movement said the families, who live in the Im Haroun compound, had lost a legal battle with the settlers over ownership of the land six months ago. “When the municipality says these are private projects and that it has only played a bureaucratic role, it is very misleading because it is Israeli law which has allowed for this land to be basically confiscated by the state of Israel,” he said. “This is an entirely new settlement and the vision is to connect it with other Jewish settlements in the area, to create continuity of Jewish building

between west Jerusalem and Mount Scopus.”

Israel captured the city’s still mainly Arab eastern sector from Jordan in the 1967 Six-Day War and later annexed it in a move not recognised by the international community. Following the decision, between 30 and 40 leftwing activists held a protest against the new settlement plans outside the city’s police headquarters in west Jerusalem. Police spokesman Shmulik Ben Ruby said police had been forced to intervene after the demonstrators began marching, arresting one and taking two others for investigation as they did not have a permit. The Jewish state sees Jerusalem as its “eternal, undivided” capital and does not consider construction in the east to be settlement activity. The Palestinians, however, want east Jerusalem as the capital of their future state and fiercely contest any actions to extend Israel’s control over the sector. — AFP

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Years

sp orts

ICC inspect Eden Gardens

Rooney set for court battle

KOLKATA: Angry fans waved banners and shouted slogans yesterday as an International Cricket Council (ICC) inspection team assessed whether Eden Gardens could host three World Cup games after losing a marquee match to Bangalore. Eden Gardens, one of India’s best-known grounds, was stripped of the India v England game on Feb. 27 after an ICC delegation said the venue was under-prepared due to a delay in construction work.

A three-member inspection team returned yesterday to assess if enough progress had been made to save three other matches- none featuring India-and was greeted by slo-

LONDON: Wayne Rooney will face a new court battle after his former agents were given leave to appeal over a 4.3-million-pound ($ 6.6-million) claim they have brought against the Manchester United and England striker. A judge ruled at Manchester Mercantile Court in July last year that the agreement between sports management firm Proactive and Rooney for a 20 percent commission for a number of deals was unenforceable. The judge added that the eight-year contract Rooney signed as a young Everton player was “an unreasonable restraint” of his trade when the Football Association recommended a maximum of two years.

But appeal judge Lord Justice Alan Ward said yesterday that Proactive did have a prospect of success in its arguments over Rooney’s contract “The mere fact that this was a claim for millions of pounds is almost in itself a compelling reason to give permission to appeal,” Ward said.—AFP

gan-chanting fans holding up “Go Back ICC Officials” placards and waving black flags.

The Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB), who have headquarters at Eden Gardens, were hopeful of hosting their other three scheduled matches there in March. “We are confident,” CAB joint secretary Biswarup Dey told the CNN-IBN channel. “We took them (ICC team) to the players’ area, press box ... everything is now ready and there is nothing incomplete.” The three games still due to be held at Eden Gardens are South Africa v Ireland on March 15, Ireland v Netherlands on March 18 and Kenya v Zimbabwe on March 20.—Reuters

Khan to defend WBA title MANCHESTER: Amir Khan will defend his WBA light-welterweight title against European champion Paul McCloskey on April 16. In his first fight on home soil since 2009, the British fighter will face the Northern Irishman at the MEN Arena in Manchester. “Home is home and I love fighting in England,” the 24-year-old Khan said yesterday. “Not many people can afford to travel all the way to America to see me fight. “McCloskey’s not a payper-view fighter and he agrees with that.”

Khan fought in the United States last year, defeating Paulie Malignaggi and Marcos Maidana. He has a career record of 24 wins (17 KOs) and one loss.

There had been speculation that Khan’s next defense would be against Victor Ortiz or Zab Judah. But he has settled for the 31-year-old McCloskey, who is 22-0 but hasn’t fought any big names. —AP

Wilson leads Phoenix Open

MONTREAL: New Jersey Devils goaltender Martin Brodeur grimaces after making a save in this file photo. —AP

Lightning roll past Blues TAMPA: Vincent Lecavalier scored a power-play goal at 4:53 in overtime and Steven Stamkos scored his NHL-leading 40th goal as the Tampa Bay Lightning beat the St. Louis Blues 4-3 on Sunday.

St. Louis defenseman Eric Brewer was called for a holding penalty 3:40 into the extra session, and Lecavalier converted a rebound back hander for his ninth goal of the season, giving Tampa Bay the victory.

Stamkos had three assists, and Dominic Moore and Steve Downie also scored for the Lightning, who have won seven of eight. Stamkos also leads the NHL with 72 points.

Patrik Berglund, David Backes and Nikita Nikitin had the St. Louis goals. The Blues have lost 11 of 14.

Devils 4, Canadiens 1 At Montreal, Dainius Zubrus and Ilya Kovalchuk scored 2:52 apart early in the first as New Jersey downed Montreal. Martin Brodeur got his 615th career win despite leaving after the first period because of a bruised right leg. Brodeur stopped all 11 shots he faced before he was replaced for the second by Johan Hedberg, who made 14 saves over the final two periods.

Capitals 3, Penguins 0 At Washington, Brooks Laich and Marcus Johansson scored as Washington won on Super Bowl Sunday for the eighth straight time.

The Capitals snapped the five - game winning streak of their dreaded rival Penguins, who are dealing with a likely season-ending knee injury to Evgeni Malkin and are awaiting

Kovalchuk was awarded his second goal of the game at 18:39 of the third when he was hooked on a shot at an empty net that hit the right post. Travis Zajac, who scored in the second, got his second assist of the game on the play. P.K. Subban got his sixth goal 6:32 into the second, moments after Zajac made it 3-0, to spoil the combined shutout effort.

Sidney Crosby’s return from a concussion.

Pittsburgh’s hopes for a Super Sunday double — the Steelers were playing for the NFL title later in the day — were stifled by an improved Washington defense anchored by M ichal Neuvirth, who made 22 saves in his first start since Jan. 18. Mike K nuble added an empty net goal for the Capitals.—AP

NHL results/standings NHL results and standings on Sunday.

Washington 3, Pittsburgh 0; New Jersey 4, Montreal 1; Tampa Bay 4, St. Louis 3 (OT).

Philadelphia Pittsburgh NY Rangers New Jersey NY Islanders Boston Montreal Buffalo Toronto Ottawa Tampa Bay Washington Carolina Atlanta Florida

Eastern Conference Atlantic Division W L OTL GF 35 13 5 180 34 16 4 164 29 22 4 153 19 30 4 113 17 28 7 128 Northeast Division 30 16 7 161 30 19 5 139 24 22 5 145 21 26 5 133 17 28 8 117 Southeast Division 33 16 5 164 29 15 10 150 26 21 6 159 24 21 10 158 23 23 6 140

GA 137 122 135 154 169

PTS 75 72 62 42 41

119 131 149 162 174

67 65 53 47 42

162 134 164 178 141

71 68 58 58 52

Western Conference Central Division Detroit 31 15 6 173 154 68 Nashville 28 18 7 141 125 63 Chicago 27 21 4 167 147 58 Columbus 25 22 5 141 162 55 St. Louis 23 20 8 138 153 54 Northwest Division Vancouver 34 10 9 179 125 77 Minnesota 27 20 5 135 138 59 Calgary 26 21 7 154 160 59 Colorado 25 21 6 164 172 56 Edmonton 15 29 8 129 180 38 Pacific Division Dallas 30 18 5 152 150 65 San Jose 28 19 6 150 144 62 Anaheim 29 21 4 146 150 62 Phoenix 26 19 9 153 156 61 Los Angeles 29 22 2 150 129 60 Note: Overtime losses (OTL) are worth one point in the standings and are not included in the loss column (L).

SCOTTSDALE: Mark Wilson held a twostroke lead in the Phoenix Open when play was suspended Sunday because of darkness. Wilson broke a tie with Tommy Gainey with a 15-foot birdie putt on the par-3 12th. Gainey three-putted the hole for a bogey. “I birdied some tough holes,” Wilson said. “The 4-iron I hit on 12 was the best swing of the day and I rolled in that putt. Just felt good.

“Been a long ride. I mean, four holes the first day, 28 holes the next day and then four holes and now 31 holes, and we’ll do five more tomorrow and see what happens.” Wilson and Gainey were facing 20-foot birdie putts on the par-5 13th when they decided it was too dark to finish the hole.

“I was thinking about putting it, but it’s hard to read and it’s a goofy little putt,” Wilson said. “It’ll be a lot easier tomorrow morning.

“Someone was screaming in my head saying, ‘Don’t putt this tonight!’ So, when I heard that voice, I said, ‘Let’s mark it.”‘ Wilson was 18 under. Gainey was tied for second with Vijay Singh and Jason Dufner. Singh shot a 5-under 66, while Dufner had four holes left.

The start Sunday was delayed a halfhour because of frost. About nine hours of playing time has been lost to frost and frozen turf, forcing the Monday finish.

Wilson completed a 68 in the third round Sunday and was 2 under through 12 holes in the final round. On the amphitheater 16th in the third round, Wilson and caddie Chris Jones donned cheeseheads and led the rowdy fans in Packers chants.

Gainey was 1 over in the final round after shooting a 68 in the third round to take a one-stroke lead over Wilson. “I’m not too happy in my position right now, two back, but I’ve just got to come out tomorrow and just get it done,” Gainey said. “Just start making some putts.”

He matched Wilson with a bogey on the par-4 11th after driving into the

water on the left, then dropped another stroke on 12 when he three-putted from 90 feet. “I made a couple bogeys the last few holes, and you know, I didn’t think I really hit that many bad shots to be honest with you,” Gainey said.

“The drive on No. 11, I thought was good. I hit it in the middle of the fairway and it just happened to go in the water.

That’s just how it goes.” Singh, winless since 2008, was the last player off the course, putting out on the par-4 18th in the dark more than 10 minutes after Wilson and Gainey stopped playing. “I’ve got no chance,” Singh said.

“They’re going to come back tomorrow and I think the leaders have two par 5s to go and 17, and they ’re good enough players.” Singh has been slowed by right knee problems. “Considering all, this is the first time that I’ve actually felt good, and coming back to the way I know how to play golf,” he said.

“Whatever happens, I’m very satisfied with my result this week.” J.B. Holmes (67) and Nick Watney (68) finished at 15 under. Martin Laird and Chris Couch also were 15 under. Laird had two holes left, and Couch had five. Fan favorites Phil Mickelson and Rickie Fowler, paired together in the second-to-last group, dropped out of contention.

Fowler holed out from 123 yards on the final hole of the third round for a 69, but was six strokes back at 12 under with five holes left.

Mickelson, second a week ago in San Diego, had a 71 in the third round and was 11 under overall. He needs at least a solo third-place finish to pass Tiger Woods for No. 3 in the world. Lefty hasn’t been ranked ahead of Woods since the week before the 1997 Masters.

Fowler wore a hot pink hat, shirt and shoes in the third round, prompting a female fan near the 16th green to shout “Rickie, I want your shoes!” In the fourth round, he switched to an all-orange “Oklahoma State” ensemble.—AP

SCOTTSDALE: Mark Wilson hits a tee shot on the 12th hole during the final round of the Waste Management Phoenix Open.— AFP

PAYS conclude 1st Arena Football Tourney

KUWAIT: The Late Abdullatif Al-Fadhalah team was recently crowned as the champion of the 1st Arena Football tournament which was held at the Public Authority for Youth and Sports Bayan Arena, after defeating the Martyr Jairman Al-Mutairi team in the final. The tournament featured 96 teams competed in a knockout system.

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2011

S P ORT S

Celtics stop Magic, Heat win BOSTON: Rajon Rondo scored 11 of his 26 points in the third quarter as the Boston Celtics beat the Orlando Magic 91-80 on Sunday.

Boston led 46-43 at halftime and stretched that to 70-55 with 3:36 left in the third quarter. At that point, the Celtics had made 9 of their 10 shots in the period while the Magic had hit just 4 of 18.

Paul Pierce added 18 points and Kevin Garnett had 16 for the Celtics, who improved to 23-4 at home. Dwight Howard had 28 points and 13 rebounds for the Magic, who lost for the fifth time in eight games.

Celtics guard Ray Allen made two 3pointers to move within three of the NBA record of 2,560 held by Reggie Miller.

Boston is at Charlotte late yesterday.

Knicks 117, 76ers 103 At New York, Amare Stoudemire matched his season high with 41 points as New York beat Philadelphia to split a home-and-away series.

Rookie Landry Fields added a careerhigh 25 points and grabbed 10 rebounds as New York rebounded from a 100-98 loss Friday night in Philadelphia to snap a two-game losing streak and win for just the fourth time in 13 games.

Stoudemire, outplayed by Elton Brand on Friday, shot 17 of 21 from the field in his 17th career 40-point game. Raymond Felton had 13 points and 13 assists as the Knicks shot a season-best 59.7 percent.

Brand scored 28 points for Philadelphia, which could have moved within a game of New York for sixth place in the Eastern Conference.

Heat 97, Clippers 79 At Miami, Dwyane Wade had 28 points, eight rebounds and eight assists as Miami beat the Los Angeles Clippers to stretch its winning streak to six games. Chris Bosh scored 16, Eddie House added 15 and LeBron James had 12 points for Miami.

The Heat started the fourth quarter on an 18-4 burst to pull away. Blake Griffin had his 42nd double-double for the season, finishing with 21 points and 16 rebounds. Randy Foye scored 15, Baron Davis added 14 and Ryan Gomes added 12 for Los Angeles, which fell to 3-17 away from home _ not the best of signs for a team now two outings in to what’ll become an 11-game road trip by the end of the month.

Pacers 105, Nets 86 At Newark, New Jersey, Dahntay Jones scored a season-high 18 points as Indiana remained unbeaten in four games under interim coach Frank Vogel.

M ike Dunleav y added 17 points and hit a 3-pointer to ignite an early 1 0 - p o i n t r u n t h a t p u t t h e Pa c e r s ahead for good.

Devin Harris had 13 points and seven assists and Brook Lopez added 13 for New Jersey, which lost its third straight.

Indiana had six players score in double figures. Paul George added 14, Danny Granger and Roy Hibbert had 11 apiece and Darren Collison 10. Indiana has scored at least 100 points in each of its four games since Vogel replaced Jim O’Brien a week ago Sunday. — AP

NBA results/standings NBA results and standings on Sunday: Miami 97, LA Clippers 79; Indiana 105, New Jersey 86; NY Knicks 117, Philadelphia 103; Boston 91, Orlando 80.

Boston NY Knicks Philadelphia New Jersey Toronto Chicago Indiana Milwaukee Detroit Cleveland Miami Atlanta Orlando Charlotte Washington

NEW YORK: Knicks’ Danilo Gallinari (8), of Italy, shoots between Philadelphia 76ers’ Andre Iguodala (9) and Spencer Hawes (00) during the first half of an NBA basketball game. — AP

Eastern Conference Atlantic Division W L PCT 38 12 .760 26 24 .520 23 27 .460 15 37 .288 14 37 .275 Central Division 34 15 .694 21 27 .438 19 30 .388 19 32 .373 8 43 .157 Southeast Division 37 14 .725 33 18 .647 32 20 .615 21 29 .420 13 37 .260

Western Conference Northwest Division Oklahoma City 33 17 .660 30 21 .588 Denver Utah 30 22 .577 Portland 27 24 .529 Minnesota 11 39 .220 Pacific Division LA Lakers 35 16 .686 23 25 .479 Phoenix Golden State 22 27 .449 LA Clippers 19 31 .380 Sacramento 12 35 .255 Southwest Division San Antonio 42 8 .840 35 15 .700 Dallas New Orleans 32 20 .615 Memphis 27 25 .519 Houston 24 28 .462

GB 12 15 24 24.5 12.5 15 16 27 4 5.5 15.5 23.5

3.5 4 6.5 22 10.5 12 15.5 21 7 11 16 19

World championships a holiday for Kostelic GERMANY: In-form Ivica Kostelic is treating Alpine skiing’s world championships as a holiday, a fact which is hardly likely to thrill organisers who are hoping to boost Munich’s winter Olympic credentials.

The biennial event, which will feature Lindsey Vonn and Maria Riesch continuing their rivalry in the women’s races over the next two weeks in the Bavarian Alps, holds an unenviable position in the skiing calendar. Many racers give more value to the World Cup which is held at a host of venues from November to March and which demands both consistency over the season and the ability to compete in a number of disciplines.

Slalom specialist Kostelic, the overall World Cup leader and winner of seven races since the turn of the year, appears to be one of them, judging by his comments after winning at Chamonix last week.

“For me, the world championships will be like a holiday,” said the Croatian, slalom champion at St Moritz eight years ago. “I will be in the same place, I will be able to relax, focus on my races and I don’t know if I will take part in all of them, especially the downhill.”

“For me, it’s really about winning the World Cup and I just hope I stay healthy.” The event, also a step down from Olympic skiing, does not even enjoy the luxury of a build up.

The first race, the women’s super G, is being held on Tuesday, two days after World Cup meetings in Hinterstoder in Austria for the men and Zwiesel in Germany for the women.

With Riesch competing in her home town, the rivalry between her and Vonn is bound to be bubbling under the surface as the German threatens to turn the tables on the American.

Vonn, world champion in downhill and super G, has won the World Cup for the last three years while Riesch, the slalom champion, has had to settle for one third place and two runners-up spots.

The two are close friends but the tension has been heightened with Riesch leading this year’s World Cup ahead of second-placed Vonn, who missed Friday’s slalom in Zwiesel after crashing in training.

Among the racers possibly competing at their last world championships are 36-year-old Swiss Didier Cuche, Austria’s Michael Walchhofer and American Bode Miller. As with Olympic skiing, the world championships have a tradition of turning up surprises and the World Cup can prove an unreliable form guide. Garmisch has been earmarked for the skiing if Munich is awarded the 2018 Winter Olympics, which would make it the first city to host

both the summer and winter Games. A group of land owners in Garmisch have staunchly refused to release their land for the 2018 Games bid, saying the Olympics would not benefit the region.

While bid officials have played down the importance of the farmers’ decision, they submitted a bid book in January that did not yet finalise all the Olympic-related locations due to the dispute.

According to analysts, Munich and South Korea’s Pyeongchang, in their third straight bid, are the frontrunners in the race while the troubled bid of France’s Annecy is considered an outsider some five months before the July 6 International Olympic Committee (IOC) election. An IOC evaluation commission will visit Munich and Garmisch as part of their pre-election report on the quality of the bids between March 1 and 4. — Reuters

Russia to face champion Italy in Fed Cup semifinal

HOBART: Flavia Pennetta of Italy returns a shot during her match against Jarmila Groth of Australia in the Fed Cup tennis tournament. — AP

HOBART: Italy’s Francesca Schiavone reacts after winning a point against Sam Stosur of Australia during their Federation Cup tennis match. — AP

LONDON: Russia came from 2-0 down to beat France on Sunday and book a Fed Cup semifinal against two-time defending champion Italy.

Italy won all three of Sunday ’s matches to beat Australia 4-1, while Belgium’s comfortable 4-1 win over the United States set up a semifinal against the Czech Republic, which saw off Slovakia 3-2.

Russia lost both singles matches o n S a t u rd ay, b u t c a p t a i n S h a m i l Ta r p i s c h e v ’s d e c i s i o n to re p l a ce three -time Grand Slam champion M a r i a S h a r a p ov a w i t h A n a s t a s i a Pavlyuchenkova on Sunday proved inspired.

Pavlyuchenkova beat Alize Cornet 3-6, 6-3, 6-2 in the first reverse sing l e s a n d l a te r te a m e d u p w i t h Svetlana Kuznetsova to win the doubles and complete Russia’s comeback in Moscow.

Russia was only the fourth team since 1995 to come back from 2-0 down to win a Fed Cup World Group tie. The 14th-ranked Pavlyuchenkova lost to Francesca Schiavone of Italy on her debut in the 2009 semifinals, but recovered from losing the first set to see off Cornet on Sunday. “ The pressure on me was really tough,” she said. “On the court today, I often remembered that my first match was also a decisive one. I thought that if I lose this one as well I would not survive it.”

Kuznetsova, who lost in three sets to Cornet on Saturday, leveled the tie at 22 with a 6-4, 6-4 win over Virginie Razzano before Pavlyuchenkova and Kuznetsova won the doubles 7-6 (4), 60 to send Russia into the semifinals and extend its unbeaten home run to eight ties. Russia’s reward is another home tie against Italy, which extended its Fed Cup winning streak to seven ties by beating Australia.

Schiavone put Saturday’s surprise loss to Jarmila Groth behind her with a gruelling 7-6 (1), 3-6, 7-5 win over Sam Stosur in a repeat of last year’s French Open final, also won by the Italian play-

er. Flavia Pennetta sealed Italy ’s progress by winning her 10th straight Fed Cup match, 6-3, 6-2 over Jarmila Groth. “We have to be really happy about this match,” Penetta said.

Roberta Vinci and Sara Errani of Italy beat Anastasia Rodionova and Rennae Stubbs 2-6, 7-6 (1), 6-4 in the doubles in Stubbs’ last before retiring after a 25year pro career.

Belgium made light of the absence of the recently retired Justine Henin with a dominant 4-1 win over the United States, which was without the Williams sisters.

The hosts were already 2-0 up after the first day and the No. 2-ranked Kim Clijsters beat Bethanie Mattek-Sands 67 (10), 6-2, 6-1 in Sunday’s opening match to seal the win. “It really feels good to see that 3-0 on the board so soon,” Clijsters said.

Yanina Wickmayer gave Belgium a clean sweep in the singles with a 6-2, 6-0 win over Melanie Oudin, before Liezel Huber and Vania King scored a consolation point in the doubles by beating Kirsten Flipkens and AnSophie Mestach 6-3, 7-5.

“Unfortunately we came up against a better team in Belgium,” U.S. captain Mary Joe Fernandez said. “It was really too tough with Kim Clijsters and Yanina Wickmayer, they really were a level above.”

Up next for Belgium is a home tie against the Czech Republic, which sealed its progress when Petra Kvitova won her second singles match of the tie by beating Slovakia’s Daniela Hantuchova 6-4, 6-2.

“It was one of my best performances in the Fed Cup,” Kvitova said. “We came here in great shape while (Hantuchova) is still not in her best form.” Kvitova’s win put the Czechs 3-0 up before Slovakia won the final two meaningless matches.

Slovakia, like all the teams beaten in the first round, will go through to the World Group playoffs on April 16-17, when the semifinals will also be played. — AP

GERMANY: Lindsey Vonn, of the United States, speeds down the course during the first run of an alpine ski, World Cup women’s giant slalom in this file photo. — AP

Vonn to make late decision on Super G GERMANY: Defending champion Lindsey Vonn, still suffering from mild concussion after a crash last week, said she will make a last-minute decision on whether to race in today ’s women’s Super G at the world championships.

Vonn, who has made a habit of suffering injuries before big events including one which put her in doubt for the Olympics last year, told Reuters this was the “scariest” she had ever suffered as it took away her concentration.

“I’ll make a decision I can race as close to the start time as possible,” the American, the dominant force in women’s skiing, told Reuters on the eve of the world championship’s opening event.

“This isn’t like my other injuries. It’s not about pain, I can’t just fight through it. I don’t have focus and concentration and that to me makes it the scariest and hardest injury I’ve ever had to deal with.”

Vonn, winner of the overall World Cup for the last three years, suffered a training crash last week. She missed the slalom at Zwiesel on Friday before struggling through a giant slalom at Zwiesel on Sunday, finishing an exhausted and modest 18th.

“I had some major problems,” she said.

“I felt pretty good until about halfway down the course, from their to the finish I just lost concentration completely.

“I couldn’t focus anymore and on both runs, I lost almost one second in the last 15 seconds. “That’s purely because of my head injury so first of all it’s not safe, second of all it’s not really fast.

“Today I trained super G and felt better but I’m not perfect, I’m hoping things get better for tomorrow. “I don’t just crash before big events, I crash all the time,” she said. “It’s unfortunate but it happens in ski-racing.”

Vonn was in doubt until the last minute before the Vancouver Olympics because of a painful foot injury but went on to win gold in the downhill and bronze in the Super G. She is also reigning world champion in the downhill and is due to defend that title on Sunday. “It’s going to be difficult for me. If I couldn’t race tomorrow, it would be awful, the worst possible scenario,” she said.

“I want to try and defend my title, I’m a racer, I want to race. This injury is really hard for me. There’s nothing I can do but wait and just rest.” — Reuters

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TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2011

Years

sports

India’s bat makers hit for six by global sponsors MEERUT: When the world’s batsmen dazzle crowds at this month’s cricket World Cup, many will use bats hand-made in India. But lucrative global branding that masks the bats’ true makers threatens the country’s craftsmen.

In cricket-mad India, family businesses that have supplied the country’s leading cricketers for generations face an uncertain future of anonymity as global giants swamp the game with cash in exchange for TVfriendly logos on the big-hitters’ bats.

“Buying players with advertising is far cheaper than investing in making bats. We are crafting bats, they are using stickers.

They are ruining our brands, because we cannot afford to give that kind of money, those royalties to the players,” says Rakesh Mahajan, director of B.D. Mahajan and Sons (BDM). In his dust-filled workshop in the northern Indian city of Meerut, dozens of workers cut, glue, sand and bend hundreds of bats everyday to the exact specifications of international superstars, who rely on their decades-old techniques.

“Sponsorship is no harm, but removing the manufacturer’s branding is not fair. We are building the bats, but people are not recognising us: the sponsors are taking the credit,” says Mahajan.

Sat in his wood-paneled office, over the sounds of sawing and banging below,

Mahajan proudly shows photos of players using BDM bats. But the pictures are undeniably dated: Former superstars carry the logo, but the current crop have followed the money.

“We have no issue with Gray Nicholls, or Kookaburra,” says Mahajan, referring to the long-established UK and Australia-based equipment manufacturers. “The problem is Nike, Reebok, Adidas, people like Brittania and Hero Honda. They make biscuits and motorbikes, not bats!”

BDM employs 300 people in its two factories in Meerut, 80 kilometres north-east of Delhi, where hundreds of sports companies gather at a major hub in the country’s estimated 10 billion rupee ($219 million) cricket equipment market.

Wood shavings carpet the stone floor of the bat workshop, where scores of workers squat, filing the edges of countless bats to a smooth finish under towers of willow planks and cane handles that climb to the ceiling. Boxes of finished bats pile up in every direction from the factory entrance, ready to be distributed across India and the world to global superstars, academy players and amateur batsmen.

Despite Mahajan’s fear of cricket’s commercialisation, which exploded with the launch of the billion-dollar Indian Premier League in 2008 that sent player wages and

TV rights skyrocketing, he admits the globally-viewed World Cup is good for business.

Demand is strong, and Mahajan’s sparkling 4x4 on the dusty lane that runs through the industrial estate filled with sports manufacturers attests to BDM’s 1015 percent annual growth.

With the first match just weeks away, the factory is churning out 1,200 bats a day for its largest ever order, and to meet soaring demands from schools and local authorities, while sacks are stuffed full of cricket balls branded with carmaker logos for promotional release during the tournament, which begins Feb 19.

The company produces an average of 150,000 bats and 220,000 balls every year, using willow from England and India’s northern Kashmir region. Ten percent of its products are exported, mainly to the cricket hear tlands of the UK, Australia and Pakistan.

English willow bats sell for 12,000 rupees ($263), while those made from Kashmiri wood range between 500 and 1,200 rupees ($11-$26). BDM’s balls cost retailers 60-600 rupees ($1.30-$13).

“For the top bats, willow is imported from England, and cane for the handle is impor ted from Singapore. From India comes the labour and the technique,” says Mahajan. His is a very local operation.

Having filled its dingy ball factory, BDM has turned to local villagers, who collect scores of unstitched balls and return with the finished products a few days later, which will be used in professional matches across the country.

Yet when these balls are smashed around stadiums by India’s top batsmen, hundreds of millions of adoring young fans will see the logos of international sports brands and other firms, rather than the domestic producers such as BDM, and its Meerut-based competitors Sanspareils Greenlands and Sareen Sports Industries.

They still count global superstars as customers. In the factory’s reception, a huge kit bag stuffed full of BDM equipment sits ready to be delivered. The name of Sanath Jayasuria, Sri Lanka’s big-hitting all rounder, is emblazoned across the top in shining silver letters.

“The top players come in and want to feel the wood before we make their bats.

They want to test the quality, thickness and the speed that the ball comes off it,” says Lalit Verma, factory supervisor. “They know we can give them what they want.”

“We are the leaders, the pioneers in this country,” says Mahajan defiantly. “Reebok is here, Nike is here, but our business is growing, because the right people know who the real manufacturers are.”—Reuters

DOHA: This combination of file pictures taken on January 11, 2011 shows Pakistan cricketers Salman Butt (right), Mohammad Asif (left) and Mohammad Aamer (center) upon their arrival at the Qatar Financial Centre to attend the final hearing of an anti-corruption tribunal with the International Cricket Council (ICC) in Doha.—AP

Pakistan board says bans ‘regrettable’ KARACHI: The head of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) yesterday said lengthy bans given to three Pakistani players for spot-fixing were “regrettable” but promised to help them in their rehabilitation.

An International Cricket Council (ICC) anticorruption tribunal on Saturday banned former Pakistan captain Salman Butt for ten years, Mohammad Asif for seven years and Mohammad Aamer for five years after a hearing in Doha.

The charges against them related to alleged incidents during the Test against England at Lord’s last year, when Britain’s News of the World newspaper claimed the players were willing to deliberately bowl no-

balls. The newspaper alleged the three had colluded in a spot-fixing betting scam organised by British-based agent Mazhar Majeed.

“PCB terms the verdict against the three players as regrettable and a sad reality which must be faced,” PCB chairman Ijaz Butt said in a statement.

Butt said the PCB had “full confidence” in the investigation and tribunal, but admitted the spot-fixing episode had been a gruelling time for Pakistani cricket.

“The time since August last year, when the spot-fixing case came to light, has been an extremely painful one for Pakistan cricket. I now hope that this unfortunate saga is put to rest and we can concentrate on cricket,” Butt

said. “We will continue to work with ICC on this sensitive matter in future also. We will also see how we can help the three players with their education and rehabilitation programme.”

Butt said the PCB was determined to root out corruption, which has dogged cricket in Pakistan in the past. “The PCB is determined to ensure the threat of corruption is dealt with severely and will do everything in its power to ensure the integrity of cricket is protected,” he said.

“Like all my colleagues in the ICC, I am determined to maintain the integrity of our sport. This is fundamental.” Since the spot-fixing scandal, the PCB has taken important

Kubica to return in under a year — Renault boss PARIS: Formula One driver Robert Kubica will be out for at least two months after his horror crash in a rally and doctors’ predictions he could take a year to recover are overly cautious, Renault’s team boss said yesterday.

The Pole, who needed seven hours of surgery involving seven doctors split into two teams after he sustained multiple fractures to his right leg and arm, was put into an induced coma after hitting a church wall at high speed in Italy on Sunday.

Doctors were worried at first about the functionality of his right hand but are now sounding positive, with Renault’s Eric Boullier even more upbeat.

“When you have a big crash like Robert suffered on Sunday doctors always predict the worst case scenario,” Boullier told the BBC on his

way to visit Kubica along with fellow Renault driver Vitaly Petrov.

“He is definitely out for a couple of months. The recovery will be quicker than one year but it is a bit early to know exactly how long he will need.”

Despite Boullier ’s optimism Kubica’s surgeon said the possible recovery time could be around a year, with the next few days crucial to see if the operation was totally successful. “ The hand is warm and this means the operation went well,” surgeon Mario Igor Rossello told reporters at the Santa Corona hospital near Genoa. “We need at least six days to check if the circulation of the blood in the limb responds as it should.”

With testing already under way in Spain and the first race of the season in Bahrain on March 13, Kubica’s

PIETRA LIGURE: The former Renault F1 boss Flavio Briatore speaks to the press during a visit to Santa Corona hospital where Polish Formula One driver Robert Kubica is being treated the day after a high-speed rally crash. —AP

Lotus-backed team will have to find a replacement for one of the most popular and competitive drivers on the grid.

The team’s official third drivers are Brazilian Bruno Senna and France’s Romain Grosjean. Senna competed last season for the HRT team while Grosjean started seven races for Renault in 2009.

Neither has scored a point in Formula One and media reports have quickly focused on Germans Nick Heidfeld and Nico Hulkenberg as possible long-term alternatives, although the latter is contracted to Force India as a reserve.

“We are already starting to think and work on a contingency plan,” added Boullier who strongly defended Kubica’s love of rallying in his spare time despite the risks.

“We don’t know yet, we are actually waiting to know how long it will take because if it is a short-term replacement we will take one of our reser ve drivers. If he has to be longer we may have to consider different options.”

Goodwill messages have poured in for the 26-year-old, a race winner in Canada in 2008 with BMWSauber. Ferrari driver Fernando Alonso visited him late on Sunday and the Internet and Twitter have been awash with support.

“I am still upset by the news about Robert Kubica. It is shocking ... just terrible. I hope the medical efforts are working and will continue to work so he can go back to normal with no lingering damage,” seven-times champion Michael Schumacher said on his website (www.michael-schumacher.de). “We are all rooting for him and our thoughts are with him and his family.”—Reuters

steps, including the introduction of a corruption code in domestic cricket, he said.

The PCB had formed an integrity committee to check players and held lectures to create awareness against corruption and these steps were praised by the ICC, Butt said. On Friday British prosecutors charged the three players as well as Majeed with corruption offences and summoned them to appear in a London court on March 17.

Salman and Aamer have indicated they wish to appeal against the ICC tribunal’s verdict, but Asif till now has given no reaction.

The players have 21 days to appeal against the sanctions at the Court of Arbitration for Sports, based in Switzerland.-—AFP

Aussie selectors under fire SYDNEY: Criticism continues to dog Australia’s selectors in the run-up to the World Cup despite a comprehensive 6-1 one-day drubbing of England being wrapped up at the weekend.

The four-man panel headed up by law yer Andrew Hilditch has been under almost constant fire for their perceived mistreatment of players and confusing selections, particularly during the Ashes humiliation.

The latest blast came from former test player Ian Healy after captain Michael Clarke, Player of the Series Shane Watson and experienced quick bowler Brett Lee were rested for the final match in Perth on Sunday.

“I haven’t seen Cricket Australia this fragmented for a long time,” Healy, now a television pundit, said during the broadcast at the WACA. “They’ve alienated some senior players, not just players in general, but senior players like Brett Lee and Michael Clarke.

“They’ve given the public some ammunition to have another go at Michael Clarke for wanting a rest even though it was 100 per cent the selectors that did it.”

Clarke, the acting captain while Ricky Ponting recovers from a finger fracture, has struggled to get the backing of the nation and was booed onto the field during the one-day series.

Hilditch’s declaration that the selectors had done “a very good job” during the Ashes perplexed many, as did his hailing of Brad Haddin as Australia’s best wicketkeeper in all forms of the game, only for the righthander to be dropped for T20 matches.

The rotation system has drawn criticism throughout the Australian summer even though resting Mitchell Johnson before the third Ashes test looked like a stroke of genius when the paceman returned to skittle England in the hosts’ win in Perth. In the matter of the choice of spin bowlers for both the Ashes and the World Cup, however, there has been little genius, or luck, evident.

Nathan Hauritz was considered the incumbent at the start of the summer but discarded for the Ashes in favour of the untested Xavier Doherty, who was in turn dropped for the little-known Michael Beer.

Hauritz was included as the only specialist spinner in the World Cup squad only to dislocate his shoulder in the one-day series against England with Doherty following him to the treatment room with a bad back.

Gambles on the fitness for the World Cup of Ponting and batsman Mike Hussey, who only started jogging last week after a severe hamstring injury, have also called into question the judgement of the panel.

Hilditch has said he wants to stay on the panel with Greg Chappell, David Boone and Jamie Cox when his contract expires after Australia’s attempt to win a fourth successive World Cup at the Feb. 19-April 2 tournament.

The contrast with the success of England’s captain-coach team of Andrew Strauss and Andy Flower during the Ashes series, however, has prompted calls for a similar system to replace the selection panel, for the final team selection at least. “It is high time the captain and coach had more responsibility selecting, running and organising the team,” former test cricketer Dean Jones wrote in the Sydney Morning Herald last week.

“The captain should always have the final say. In the end, these are the people who receive the wins and losses next to their name. Not the selectors.

“Too many people have a say in the shape of the Australian cricket team,” he added. “That needs to stop now. The skipper is boss. Full stop.”—Reuters

LONDON: Belgian driver Jerome D’Ambrosio poses with the Marussia Virgin Racing Formula One MVR-02 car during its launch at the BBC television studios in London.—AP

Virgin F1 team to race under the Russian flag LONDON: Virgin Racing will compete with a Russian licence this season as part of their partnership with sportscar maker Marussia Motors, the Formula One team said yesterday.

Team president Graeme Lowdon told Reuters at the launch of the new MVR-02 car that Virgin had obtained the agreement of Britain’s governing body, the Motor Sports Association (MSA), to make the switch.

“There’s actually quite close links between the MSA and the Russian federation and there’s a lot of training going on and things like that,” he explained. “It’s really quite an important thing for our investors. “I don’t think they will be dusting down the national anthem just yet,” he added with a smile.

British-based Virgin, whose principal John Booth is a proud Yorkshireman, were one of three new teams who made their debut last year without scoring a point. They will be the second Russian team to have raced in F1 after Midland, who later became Spyker and are now Force India, competed in 2006. “It is a little bit more cosmopolitan now,” Lowdon said of the sport. “It’s not quite what racing under a different licence would have been years and years ago. But for the whole team it would be a proud moment if we could see the (Russian) flag

flying.” The new car, designed like the last one entirely on computers and without the use of a wind tunnel, should represent a big step up from the 2010 challenger that started that season with a fuel tank too small to be sure of finishing all racesnot that the car was often in sight of the chequered flag.

“We had a tough but incredibly rewarding baptism into Formula One last season,” said Booth before the unveiling in a BBC studio in west London attended by a crowd of fans as well as the media and sponsors. “2011 is all about moving forward and starting to achieve solid results,” he added.

“The MVR-02 is a clear step forward in every area and a credit to all the hard work that has gone into our car development programme over the past 12 months.”

Technical head Nick Wirth said the team was “just much better prepared for this season. “We have addressed every single issue that troubled us last year, but in our own unique digital way. “For example the hydraulics and gearbox oil problems of last year have resulted in us doing more CFD (computational fluid dynamics) in those areas alone than we used in the entire aero design programme for our first digital race-winning sportscar in 2008,” said the Briton. —Reuters

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S P ORT S Preview

Messi, Ronaldo take duel to international level

Preview

Friendly form a concern for Spain and Del Bosque MADRID: Vicente del Bosque has been showered with honors since Spain won their first World Cup last year, but the coach must address wretched form in international friendlies when his side host Colombia tomorrow.

The match at Real Madrid’s Bernabeu stadium, in aid of the Spanish players’ union (AFE), comes af ter the world and European champions suffered a 4-1 drubbing in Argentina in September and lost 4-0 to Portugal in Lisbon two months later.

Spain, who top the FIFA rankings, are playing 50th-ranked Colombia for only the second time -the previous meeting between the pair in a friendly in Bogota in July 1981 ended 1-1.

Del Bosque, awarded the honorar y title of Marquis by Spain’s K ing Juan Carlos on Friday, said he did not want a repeat of the Portugal result and the match would be a chance for his side to hone their sk ills ahead of March’s Euro 2012 qualifiers against Czech Republic and Lithuania. “ The players have shown some positive signs together, although we still have the blemish of the Portugal match which cannot happen again,” the 60year- old former Real Madrid player told a news conference on Friday. Del Bosque has kept faith with his World Cup-winning squad, with only Barcelona central defender Carles Puyol

Portuguese forward Cristiano Ronaldo

Argentinian forward Lionel Messi

LISBON: Argentina’s Lionel Messi and Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo will headline a match set to showcase plenty of attacking flair when they take their Spanish rivalry to Switzerland for a friendly tomorrow.

World Player of the Year Messi has been on fire this season for La Liga leaders Barcelona with 24 league goals, while Ronaldo is living up to his tag as the world’s most expensive player with the same number of strikes for chasers Real Madrid.

“For me, it is not just about Ronaldo against Messi, but above all about Portugal against Argentina-individual duels are for the fans (to enjoy),” Portugal coach Paulo Bento said ahead of the match in Geneva.

“We have to bring out the best in Ronaldo within a team dynamic, and ensure they cannot do that with Messi,” he added.

Bento took charge in September after Carlos Queiroz was sacked for insulting anti-doping agents, and has been praised for reviving Portugal’s Euro 2012 qualifying hopes after a poor start with wins over Denmark and Iceland.

A 4-0 thumping of World Cup winners Spain in November showed a more attacking style than under Queiroz, and by selecting tricky winger Ricardo Quaresma for Wednesday’s friendly Bento

signalled he wants Portugal to show flair as they continue to build momentum.

“We want to win and play well. It is an important game to prepare the key qualifier against Norway in June,” Bento said. The game is also important for Argentina, with coach Sergio Batista using the chance to test out new players ahead of the Copa America to be played on home soil in July.

Batista said resting strikers Carlos Tevez and Sergio Aguero and defenders Gabriel Heinze and Martin Demichelis did not represent a punishment.

The coach is expected to give Velez Sarsfield forward Juan Manuel Martinez, viewed as one of the best players in the Argentine league, a debut cap.

Batista, who took over from Diego Maradona after last year’s World Cup, may also use Messi in a central role in attack to test how he links up with playmaker Javier Pastore.

Probable teams: Portugal: Eduardo; Jose Bosingwa, Ricardo Carvalho, Bruno Alves, Fabio Coentrao; Joao Moutinho, Raul Meireles, Carlos Martins; Nani, Helder Postiga, Cristiano Ronaldo.

Argentina: Sergio Romero; Pablo Zabaleta, Nicolas Burdisso, Gabriel Milito, Ezequiel Garay; Ever Banega, Javier Mascherano, Javier Pastore; Juan Manuel Martinez, Lionel Messi, Ezequiel Lavezzi. —Reuters

Preview

Germany tap fountain of youth for Italy friendly BERLIN: Germany meet Italy in a friendly in Dortmund tomorrow in a repeat of the 2006 World Cup semi-final, but the host’s young squad bears almost no resemblance to the defeated Germany team of five years ago.

Germany coach Joachim Loew is looking to integrate several more young players into his already youthful side with an eye on the Euro 2012 qualifiers and the tournament itself. Five Dortmund players are vying for a place in Loew’s long-term plans.

The 18-year-old Mario Goetze and his Dortmund teammates Mats Hummels and Marcel Schmelzer have already made names for themselves, with the latter pair serious options in defence.

Team mates Kevin Grosskreutz, 22, who has two caps, and uncapped 21-year-old Sven Bender complete the Bundesliga leaders’ contribution to the national cause.

While Hummels, 22, could win a starting spot in central defence, Schmelzer, 23, has emerged as an aggressive left back, a position that has changed almost constantly in the past few years.

“Mats is more and more convincing with his style of play,” Loew said. “In the past four or five months he has made a significant step forward.”

Loew’s choices will also boost interest for the game at Dortmund’s Westfalen stadium-site of their 2006 semi-final defeat in extra time-with fans having already snapped up 54,000 of the 64,000 tickets.

Germany, whose last win over Italy came in 1995, top their Euro 2012 qualifying Group A, with their next qualifier on March 26 against Kazakhstan.

Italy welcome back goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon for the first time since he was substituted in their opening World Cup game last June. Buffon needed back surgery that kept him out of action until last month. “February 9 will be like a debut for me-it will

be another great emotional moment after my return for Juventus,” Buffon told his website, www.gianluigibuffon.com.

Antonio Cassano is also back after missing the 11 friendly draw against Romania in November, having at that stage been dropped by Sampdoria because of an internal dispute. The mercurial forward has since joined Serie A leaders AC Milan and has been in superb form.

Juventus forward Fabio Quagliarella, who impressed against Romania and had been one of Italy’s form players in the early part of the season, is out for possibly the rest of the campaign with knee ligament damage.

Coach Cesare Prandelli’s big hope for the futureManchester City’s Mario Balotelli-is also injured and was subjected to racist booing in the Romania game held in Austria.

A first callup for Inter Milan’s Brazil-born midfielder Thiago Motta also caused a stir in Italy given he represented Brazil at under-23 level. His inclusion still requires ratification from FIFA. Italy top Euro 2012 qualifying Group C after their last qualifier at home to Serbia was abandoned because of crowd violence and the Azzurri were awarded a walkover win. Their next qualifier is in Slovenia on March 25.

Probable teams: Germany: Manuel Neuer; Philipp Lahm, Per Mertesacker, Mats Hummels, Holger Badstuber; Bastian Schweinsteiger, Mesut Ozil, Sami Khedira, Christian Traesch; Lukas Podolski, Miroslav Klose.

Italy:Gianluigi Buffon; Mattia Cassani, Leonardo Bonucci, Giorgio Chiellini, Domenico Criscito; Daniele De Rossi, Alberto Aquilani, Thiago Motta; Antonio Cassano, Marco Borriello, Giuseppe Rossi. —Reuters

Giovanni Moreno of Colombia seen in this file photo

missing out through injury.

Midfielder Javi Martinez and for ward Juan Mata have dropped to the Under-21s, although the injured Mata has withdrawn from their friendly against Denmark today.

Spain continue the defence of their European championship title on March 25 at home to the Czech Republic and four days later visit Lithuania. They top Group I with three wins from three. Colombia coach Hernan Dario Gomez has picked an

attack-minded squad which includes Giovanni Moreno, the best player in the Argentine league in the last six months playing for Racing Club, and Por to striker Radamel Falcao Garcia.

Gomez, who coached Colombia in their last appearance at a World Cup finals in France in 1998, took charge again last May. He is preparing his team for the Copa America in Argentina in July and the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. —Reuters

Palestinian team to play Tanzania DAR ES SALAAM: The Palestinian national football team has touched down in Tanzania for a maiden international friendly against the Taifa Stars tomorrow.

“The delegation of 27 players and officials arrived on Sunday for the game, at the invitation of the Tanzania Football Federation,” federation president Leodegar Tenga told AFP.

Tanzania will use the game as a build-up for next month’s African Nations Cup qualifier against Group D leaders the Central African Republic in Dar es Salaam. —AFP

Preview

France to use Brazil friendly as progress check PARIS: France will use tomorrow’s friendly against Brazil as a chance to measure themselves against the best and gauge their progress since last year’s disastrous World Cup. The 1998 World Cup winners have not fully recovered from their first round exit and off-field controversies in South Africa but are on the right track after a 2-1 win in England last November and some solid Euro 2012 qualifying results.

Coach Laurent Blanc, who famously missed the 1998 final against Brazil after being controversially sent off in the semi-final, said his players were preparing for a tough game.

“As a player, you don’t have many opportunities to face Brazil in your career,” Blanc told reporters.

“They are one of the two best teams in the world. It’s going to be difficult. Brazil have a multitude of good players. To measure oneself against the best is the best way to make progress. It will be a good gauge,” he added.

France’s last clash with Brazil was a 1-0 win in the 2006 World Cup quarter-finals, and Blanc’s team top their Euro 2012 qualifying Group D with their next match against Luxembourg on March 25.

Blanc has chosen to keep faith in players such as Olympique Lyon’s Yoann Gourcuff, Girondins Bordeaux’s Alou Diarra and Loic Remy of Olympique Marseille, despite some under-par performances by the trio.

“I know these players very well. I know what they

are capable of, even if they haven’t shown it in a while. “It is up to us to show them that we are counting on them, that they are important. It is also my role to make them feel confident again.”

Blanc also chose to leave out Patrice Evra despite the left back having completed his five-match ban for his role in the players’ strike in South Africa.

For Brazil Inter Milan goalkeeper Julio Cesar is back for the first time since the team’s disappointing World Cup exit at the hands of finalists the Netherlands in the last eight.

“This was already part of our plans and it’s with happiness that I call up Julio Cesar for the first time”, coach Mano Menezes said.

However there was no room for Kaka, the Real Madrid player deemed not fit enough by Menezes having only just returned following several months on the sidelines through injury.

The squad consists entirely of players based in Europe as Menezes said home players were only just getting back into match fitness at the start of the 2011 season.

Probable teams: France: Hugo Lloris; Eric Abidal, Adil Rami, Philippe Mexes, Bacary Sagna; Yann M’Vila, Alou Diarra, Yoann Gourcuff, Florent Malouda; Kevin Gameiro, Karim Benzema.

Brazil: Julio Cesar; Daniel Alves, Thiago Silva, David Luiz, Marcelo; Ramires, Lucas, Elias; Hernanes, Robinho, Alexandre Pato. —Reuters

PARIS: France national soccer team’s forward Karim Benzema (right) takes part in a training session in front of team’s coach Laurent Blanc. —AP

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2011

S P ORT S

Qatar to host 2022 Cup alone in summer — Blatter LONDON: The 2022 World Cup in Qatar will be played in the summer as originally planned and will not be co-hosted with neighboring countries, FIFA president Sepp Blatter said.

Blatter, reiterating comments made by soccer’s governing body two weeks ago, said there were no plans to stage a winter World Cup and any request to do so would have to come from the Qatari hosts who have already said they plan to stage the event in summer. “Everything is settled now for summer

and with all 64 matches in the territory of Qatar,” he told the BBC in an interview.

“In the bidding documents it was clearly established that the executive committee reserved the right to change anything in the bidding process, but here in this case it must come from Qatar.

“Qatar has not moved for the time being. I think for the time being this matter is on ice because we have just signed in the last days the final documents.” Qatar were chosen as hosts in December,

winning a contest also featuring Australia, Japan, South Korea and United States. Their bid was based on a summer World Cup using air-conditioned stadiums to combat the desert heat.

Despite this, there has been wide support for a winter World Cup with Franz Beckenbauer and UEFA president Michel Platini backing a JanuaryFebruary tournament. Platini also suggested a “World Cup in the Gulf” with Qatar sharing matches with neighbouring countries. Blatter denied sup-

porting a winter tournament himself and said he was impartial, although he feared a winter tournament could clash with that year’s Winter Olympics.

“I’m not in favour of one or the other although January and February would be in conflict with the IOC (International Olympic Committee) of which I’m a member. “Who said first we should play in winter? It was Franz Beckenbauer, secondly Michel Platini, thirdly it was the professional players’ union, FIFPro.”— Reuters

Preview

Preview

Dutch leave out Robben

Ghana give ‘bad boy’ Muntari another chance JOHANNESBURG: Troublesome Ghana star Sulley Muntari gets another chance to redeem his reputation today against Togo in one of three friendlies involving African teams.

New ‘Black Stars’ coach Goran Stevanovic says his priorities include sorting out problems with a midfielder who was in and out of the national squad under previous handler Milovan Rajevac.

Muntari recently joined English Premiership outfit Sunderland on loan from Inter Milan until the end of the season and his new team-mates include compatriots John Mensah and Asamoah Gyan.

Central defender Mensah is also in line to face the Togolese ‘Sparrowhawks’, but a suspension rules out 2010 African Footballer of the Year runner-up Gyan after he was red carded against Sudan last October. Blackpool goalkeeper Richard Kingson, who has conceded an alarmingly number of goals lately, and Fulham defender John Pantsil are other Premiership footballers in the Ghana squad.

The match in the Belgian port city Antwerp is the first in charge of a team ranked number one in Africa for the former Partizan Belgrade coach, and he has a tough act to follow.

Fellow Serb Rajevac took a severely depleted squad to the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations final in Angola and to the World Cup quarter-finals five months later in South Africa before being wooed to Saudi Arabia by petro dollars.

Stevanovic says the Togo fixture is the first step down a road he hopes will lead to Ghana conquering Africa at the 2012 Cup of Nations hosted by Gabon and Equatorial Guinea.

Togo are ranked 24 in Africa and without retired striker Emmanuel Adebayor on loan to Real Madrid from Manchester City-stand little chance of making it to the next Cup of Nations.

Ivory Coast can boast a strong ‘spine’ of defenders Kolo Toure and Didier Zokora, midfielder Yaya Toure and strikers Didier Drogba and Salomon Kalou when they face Mali in the southeast French town Valence.

But France-born Mali coach Alain Giresse is not intimidated. “I know the Ivorian playing pattern well and believe we can achieve the win needed to restore confidence,” he told state television in Bamako. Minnows Botswana are on the verge of a first Cup of Nations appearance after shock home and away victories over Tunisia and will get precious practice from playing Mozambique in Maputo.

A further 13 friendlies featuring African teams are scheduled for tomorrow as teams fine tune ahead of third round Cup of Nations qualifiers at the end of March. — AFP

ABU DHABI: Spanish Tennis Player Rafael Nadal arrives for the Laureus Awards in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

Rafael Nadal and Lindsey Vonn won this year’s individual Laureus Sports Awards with Spain’s World Cup champions taking the team prize.

MEXICO: America’s Matias Vuoso (back) fights for the ball with Queretaro’s Efrain Cortes in their Mexican soccer league match. — AP

Pumas undefeated in Mexico MEXICO CITY: Carlos Orrantia came off the bench and scored his first career goal to lead the Pumas to a 1-0 win over Puebla on Sunday and help his team remain one of two undefeated teams in the Mexican Clausura championship after five rounds.

The other undefeated team is Toluca, which played out a 0-0 draw with Atlas at home. Orrantia, who turned 20 Wednesday, scored in the 89th minute with a powerful shot from outside the box to give the Pumas their second win in a row. Pumas have 11 points to lead Group 3, and the overall standings lead with San Luis.

“We are aware that this is just the beginning, we are happy for the fast start, but that’s just what it is, we need to keep on working,” said Pumas manager

Porto beat Rio Ave LISBON: FC Porto beat Rio Ave 1-0 at home to stay undefeated and 11 points clear of second-place Benfica in the Portuguese league. Silvestre Varela scored what proved to be the winner in the sixth minute, heading home a cross from midfielder Joao Moutinho.

Three Argentines gave Benfica its eighth consecutive win, downing Setubal 2-0. Nicolas Gaitan scored Benfica’s opener in the 45th, firing in Javier Saviola’s assist, and substitute Franco Jara doubled the lead with an acrobatic kick in the 78th. Benfica has a game in hand over its league rivals.

Elsewhere on Sunday, it was: Guimaraes 0, Nacional 0; Portimonense 0, Pacos Ferreira 1; Academica 3, Beira Mar 3; and Leiria 0, Olhanense 2. — AP

ABU DHABI: British middle distance athlete Kelly Holmes arrives for the Laureus Awards in Abu Dhabi yesterday. —AP photos

Viva Espana at Laureus awards ABU DHABI: Spain had double reason to celebrate at the prestigious Laureus awards here yesterday as world tennis number one Rafael Nadal was voted sportsman of the year and the Spanish football team’s World Cup win netted them the team of the year. American ski superstar Lindsey Vonn got a gentle boost ahead of this week’s world alpine skiing championships by winning the sportswoman of the year title. German golfer Martin Kaymer’s fabulous year, which included his first major the US PGA Championship, saw him win the World Breakthrough of the Year Award.

Nadal, who won three Grand Slams last year in another scintillating display of all round tennis, was present at the gala ceremony - hosted by top American actor Kevin Spacey - to accept his award as he is presently out of action with a torn thigh muscle. “I cannot be thankful enough for receiving the most prestigious award in the world of the sport, Nadal said. “For me it is an honour to be in front of the best sportsmen and sportsmen of the world. Thank you very much.”

Vonn earned her award after a stunning year in which she secured her third straight skiing World Cup and the Olympic downhill gold medal. The World Comeback of the Year Award went to Italy’s seven-time motorcycle world champion Valentino Rossi, who returned to the track just 41 days after breaking his leg. American surfer Kelly Slater, who has won a record ten World Surfing Championships, received the Laureus World Action Sportsperson of the Year award for the third time.

And German skier Verena Bentele was awarded Laureus World Sportsperson of the Year with a Disability after winning five gold medals in the Winter Paralympic Games.

French football legend Zinedine Zidane received the Laureus Lifetime Achievement Award at the ceremony in Abu Dhabi. “My wish is to always stay close to football,” he said, adding that he hopes to become a manager one day. The European Ryder Cup team won the Laureus Spirit of Sport Award and Beirut marathon founder May El-Khalil received the Laureus Sport for Good Award. — AFP

Guillermo Vazquez. Puebla lost its second in a row and remained stuck on four points.

Elsewhere, America notched its third win in a row with a 3-1 win over Queretaro. Daniel Marquez put America ahead on the 16th, Matias Vuoso added a strike in the 40th and Colombian defender Aquivaldo Mosquera sealed it in the 86th.

America is unbeaten since Chilean manager Carlos Reinoso took over the team nearly two weeks ago, and with nine straight points, now have 10 to take the second place in Group 2.

Julio Nave scored in the 52nd for Queretaro, which lost its second straight and is fighting with Necaxa to avoid relegation. — AP

ROTTERDAM: Netherlands coach Bert van Marwijk left winger Arjen Robben out of his squad for the friendly against Austria tomorrow despite the Bayern Munich player’s recent recovery from long-term injury.

Robben returned to action last month for the first time since last year’s World Cup following a hamstring injury which also caused a dispute between his club and the Dutch soccer association.

“Arjen is just back on the pitch after a half-year absence,” Van Marwijk told reporters ahead of Wednesday’s match in Amsterdam.

“He needs time to get used to playing regular matches physically and mentally and that is why I didn’t invite him.” Van Marwijk has welcomed back injured internationals as soon as they resume playing for their clubs, but on the last occasion it earned him criticism from Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger in the case of striker Robin van Persie.

Van Marwijk must improvise in midfield with Rafael van der Vaart and Nigel de Jong both out injured. Theo Janssen is likely to partner Mark van Bommel.

Van der Vaart replaced De Jong as the holding midfielder during the three matches the Manchester City midfielder was dropped for following a tackle on Hatem Ben Arfa in a Premier League match in October.

Van Persie looks likely to replace Klaas-Jan Huntelaar who was in excellent form during the first half of the season with eight goals in four Euro 2012 qualifying matches but who has struggled recently. — Reuters

Ronaldinho scores 1st goal with Flamengo in Brazil SAO PAULO: Ronaldinho scored his first goal for Flamengo on Sunday, converting a first-half penalty in his team’s 3-2 victory over Boavista in the Rio de Janeiro state championship. The result sent Flamengo into the semifinals of the Guanabara Cup, the first stage of the Rio tournament, and extended the team’s winning start to the season to six matches.

Also, Botafogo edged Brazilian champion Fluminense 3-2 with a goal

by Uruguay striker Sebastian Abreu and another by Argentine forward German Herrera.

In the Sao Paulo state tournament, Corinthians edged leader Palmeiras 10 despite protests from fans still upset with the team’s disappointing elimination from the Copa Libertadores.

Ronaldinho struck his penalty firmly into the top left corner in the 24th minute to open the scoring for Flamengo in Macae, then sprinted to celebrate by punching the air and performing his traditional samba dance in front of Flamengo’s cheering fans.

It was only his second match in Brazilian football after 10 seasons in Europe playing for Paris SaintGermain, Barcelona and most recently AC Milan. He was held scoreless in the team’s 1-0 win over Nova Iguacu on Wednesday.

Striker Deivid added to the lead in the 49th before Boavista rallied with goals by Argentine-born striker Carlos Frontini in the 50th and in the 77th.

Young striker Negueba netted the winner for the popular Brazilian club with a shot from inside the area in the 83rd.

At the Engenhao stadium, Abreu missed a penalty in the 51st, but converted another five minutes later to even the score with Fluminense at 22, then Herrera netted Botafogo’s winner from inside the box in the 64th.

Abreu chipped the ball in his badly missed penalty, but tried it again and it worked in his second attempt.

Newly signed striker Rafael Moura scored both goals for Fluminense, which has secured a spot in the semifinals along with Botafogo.

Vasco, already eliminated after four straight losses and a draw, finally won its first match with a 3-0 thrashing of Americano at Sao Januario stadium in the debut of coach Ricardo Gomes.

The winner of the Guanabara Cup will play for the state title against the Rio Cup champion later in the tournament. In Sao Paulo, right back

Ronaldinho of Brazil seen in action in this file photo

Alessandro scored a 82nd-minute winner in a breakaway to give Corinthians the 1-0 win over Palmeiras at Pacaembu stadium.

Corinthians won despite being outplayed by the team coached by Luiz Felipe Scolari during most of the match.

Corinthians played without veteran striker Ronaldo and left back Roberto Carlos, who were listed as injured. Both were heavily criticized by fans after the team’s elimination by Colombia’s Deportes Tolima last week in the Copa Libertadores, which is the only major tournament the club is yet to win. Fans damaged players’ cars and threw rocks at the team’s bus over the weekend in protest, prompting

Ronaldo to say he momentarily thought about early retirement because of the violence.

Palmeiras remained atop the 20team standings despite the loss, thanks to Santos’ 1-1 draw with Santo Andre at Pacaembu on Saturday. Still without striker Neymar, who is with Brazil’s under-20 squad, Santos has drawn three of its last four matches.

Former Brazil and Barcelona star Rivaldo was held scoreless as fourthplace Sao Paulo lost 2-1 to Botafogo in Ribeirao Preto.

The top eight teams will advance to the quarterfinals of the Sao Paulo tournament. Corinthians, the competition’s most succesful club, is ninth but has two games in hand. — AP

Rooney set for new court battle

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ARLINGTON: Green Bay Packers head coach Mike McCarthy holds the trophy after the Packers defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers 3125 in the NFL Super Bowl XLV football game. —AFP ARLINGTON: Pittsburgh Steelers’ Mike Wallace (17) makes a touchdown catch against Green Bay Packersí Sam Shields (37) during the second half of a NFL Super Bowl XLV football game.—AP

Packers win Super Bowl ARLINGTON: Aaron Rodgers grew up watching legendary quarterbacks Joe Montana and Steve Young play their best games on American football’s biggest stage.

Now Rodgers can say he did the same after guiding the Green Bay Packers to a 31-25 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers in the Super Bowl on Sunday night.

The Vince Lombardi Trophy is headed back to Green Bay for the first time in 14 years, and Rodgers can lead the championship parade in the red convertible he received as the game’s Most Valuable Player.

“It’s the top of the mountain in my sport, my profession,” Rodgers said. “It’s what you dream about as a kid and think about in high school.”

The Packers raised their record of NFL titles to 13, nine before the Super Bowl era.

The Steelers still own the most Super Bowl titles — six in eight tries.

Rodgers put his team ahead on their second drive and made sure they never trailed. He threw three touchdowns and had no turnovers.

He also proved Green Bay general manager Ted Thompson was right to draft him and to trade Brett Favre so he could become the starter.

Favre led the Packers to their last championship, but was never the Super Bowl MVP. “I told Ted back in 2005 he wouldn’t be sorry with this pick,” Rodgers said. “I told him in ‘08 that I was going to repay their trust and

get us this opportunity.” The Packers also got big contributions from stand-in players: On Pittsburgh’s first snap after Green Bay made it 7-0, lineman Howard Green, a midseason pickup, bolted through the line and hit Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger just as he was throwing. The ball fluttered to safety Nick Collins and he returned the interception 37 yards for a touchdown, making it 14-0. The Packers sacked Roethlisberger only once. The play was made by Frank Zombo, an undrafted rookie linebacker who became a starter only after an injury. Jarrett Bush and Pat Lee filled in for Charles Woodson and Sam Shields at cornerback. Bush had an interception and came tantalizingly close to another on the play that sealed the game Green Bay led 21-3 with a few minutes left until halftime, but Pittsburgh had plenty of resolve.

Roethlisberger got a quick touchdown before the intermission, then another early in the third quarter.

The Steelers were driving in search of a go-ahead touchdown when Rashard Mendenhall fumbled on a hit by Clay Matthews at the start of the fourth quarter.

Rodgers marched from there to a touchdown, stretching the lead and making the Packers 3-for-3 in scoring touchdowns off turnovers.

But Roethlisberger brought Pittsburgh back again, throwing a

25-yard touchdown pass to Mike Wallace and following with a nifty 2point conversion on an option.

Green Bay’s 18-point lead was down to a field goal.

Rodgers got to the Pittsburgh 5yard line on the next series, only to see Jordy Nelson fail to make what would’ve been a tough catch in the end zone. Mason Crosby kicked a short field goal, but the six-point lead left the Packers and their fans uneasy, even if Roethlisberger had to go 87 yards in 1:59 with only one timeout.

Some thought about last year’s game against Pittsburgh, when Roethlisberger threw a touchdown pass on the final play of the game and they lost by one point. Others thought about the Super Bowl two years ago, when Roethlisberger threw a touchdown pass in the final minute to beat Arizona. “This time,” Packers defensive coordinator Dom Capers said, “it was our turn.”

Roethlisberger got a first down on the first play, then threw three straight incompletions. His season that began with a four-game suspension for violating the NFL’s personal conduct policy ended with his head down, hands on his hips, feeling something he never experienced: defeat in a Super Bowl.

“I feel like I let the city of Pittsburgh down, the fans, my coaches and my teammates and it’s not a good feeling,” Roethlisberger said. —AP

Rodgers rewards Packers’ faith with MVP effort DALLAS: Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers exploded out of Brett Favre’s shadow by tossing three touchdowns and claiming Super Bowl most valuable player honours in a 31-25 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday. Rodgers completed 24 of 39 passes for 304 yards and joined Hall of Fame quarterback Bart Starr (1967, 1968) and wide receiver Desmond Howard (1997) as the only Packers to claim MVP honors in Super Bowl.

“It’s a dream come true,” said Rodgers, who was hoisted onto the shoulders of his team mates after the win. “It’s what I dreamt about as a little kid watching Joe Montana and Steve Young and we just won the Super Bowl.”

Rodgers, selected by the Packers in the first round of 2005 NFL draft, spent three seasons as Favre’s patient understudy but has cemented his status as one of the elite quarterbacks since stepping into the starting role in 2008.

If there were any lingering doubts about Green Bay’s decision to let Favre, a future Hall of Famer, walk away three seasons ago and put their faith in an untested backup, Rodgers erased it with a masterful post-season

performance. Rodgers led Green Bay to a pair of musthave wins at the end of the regular season to claim the final playoff spot in the NFC Conference and got three road wins in the postseason before capturing the Super Bowl in Dallas.

In doing so, the 27-year-old Rodgers gave the Packers their first NFL title in 14 years and walked away with the MVP award, one of the few honours Favre does not have in his trophy case.

“I never felt like there’s been a monkey on my back,” said Rodgers. “The organisation stood behind me, believed in me. “I told Ted (Thompson, Packers general manager) in 2005 he wouldn’t be sorry with this pick. I told him in 2008 I was going to repay their trust and get us this opportunity.”

While Rodgers never seem flustered by constant comparisons to Favre, there seemed to be no escaping the scrutiny until he lead the Packers a Super Bowl victory. He forged his own identity in the 2010 campaign, coming back from a concussion to close the season with six-straight wins and establish himself has a team leader. —Reuters

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BAGHDAD: An Iraqi shop owner sells groceries in Baghdad yesterday a day after the Iraqi government submitted a revised draft budget to MPs for approval, raising projected public spending as oil prices have increased.—AFP

Anger simmers at German austerity plan Merkel sees tough negotiations on “competitiveness pact” ATHENS/WARSAW: Resentment smoldered among European governments yesterday over a German-instigated drive to end wage indexation, raise retirement ages and lock debt limits into national constitutions across the euro zone.

Chancellor Angela Merkel, backed

by French President Nicolas Sarkozy, presented proposals for a “competitiveness pact” to EU leaders at a summit last Friday, provoking strong pushback due to both a lack of prior consultation and the objectives chosen.

Merkel made clear that agreement on these measures, designed to align economic policies more closely with Berlin’s, must be sealed in March before she will agree to strengthening the rescue fund for debt-stricken eurozone countries. “The negotiations will be tough, that’s clear already. But we want an agreement and there is still a

bit of time,” she told a news conference after talks in Warsaw on Monday with Polish President Bronislaw Komorowski and Sarkozy. Greece, already subject to a tough austerity program in return for a 110 billion euro EU/IMF bailout last year, voiced opposition to the attempt to make member states change their constitution if they want financial assistance in future. “I reject categorically the thought of an EU decision to intervene in all national constitutions,” Deputy Prime Minister Theodoros Pangalos told daily Ta Nea in an interview.

“The thought that this be a precondition for joining in the German rescue plan is not attractive to me,” he said.

Diplomats said Friday’s EU summit was acrimonious with lots of finger-pointing at other countries’ alleged shortcomings. Belgium, whose caretaker government can ill afford a social cri-

sis, objected to ending inflation-indexing of wages. Under the system, Belgian trade unions accepted a wage cut without protest last year because prices had fallen. Portugal, Luxembourg, Austria and Spain, which all have elements of automatic inflation adjustment, were also opposed.

Italy, which has the EU’s second highest debt-to-GDP ratio after Greece, disliked the proposal to anchor binding debt reduction targets in its constitution. Austria said it opposed any EUwide retirement age or centrally mandated system for linking the retirement age to demographic trends in each member state. Ireland, which is counting on foreign investment to help it recover from its own bailout, rejected the idea of setting a minimum corporation tax level in the euro zone.

A senior official from one southern European country, speaking on condi-

tion of anonymity, said the FrancoGerman plan addressed issues that had little or nothing to do with the causes of the euro-zone crisis.

“If we have to agree on a package, the first test is: If we had this package five years ago, would the crisis have been avoided? A package containing only tougher fiscal rules would not have prevented crisis in Ireland, Spain, Portugal, all of which had very solid public finances,” he said.

“Some countries look only at public finance and forget the rest. I have the feeling that there is too much emphasis on debt reduction,” said the official from a highly-indebted country.

Seeking to smooth ruffled feathers, Merkel and Sarkozy evaded questions about objections to their initiative and said they hoped Poland would join the “competitiveness pact”, even though it is not yet in the euro area. An EU diplo-

Layoffs become rarer even with high Jobl ess rate WASHINGTON: The US labor force has been split into two groups: the relieved and the desperate. Those who have a job are less likely to lose it than at any point in at least 14 years.

Those who are unemployed are in trouble.

Finding a job remains a struggle 20 months after the recession technically ended. Employers won’t likely step up hiring until they feel more confident about the economy. A result is that people who are unemployed are staying so for longer periods. Of the 13.9 million Americans the government says were unemployed last month, about 1.8 million had been without work for at least 99 weeks — essentially two years. That’s nearly double the number in January 2010.

Yet the deep job cuts of the recession have long since ended. In Januar y, companies announced plans to trim fewer than 39,000 jobs, according to outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas. That was 46 percent fewer than a year earlier. More strikingly, it was the fewest number of planned layoffs in January since Challenger began keeping track in 1993. For all of 2010, planned layoffs hit a 13year low.

Eventually, consumer spending will rise high enough that companies will need to accelerate hiring to keep up with demand. In the meantime, a fading fear of layoffs is likely helping the economy: It’s encouraging consumers who have jobs to spend more.

“The fact you know that the paycheck is going to be coming in now and for the foreseeable future gives you permission to do some extra spending,” says John Challenger, CEO of Challenger.

mat said Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk had asked the French and German leaders bluntly at Friday’s summit “whether they really thought they had the right to treat others in this manner”. Merkel yesterday said Poland already had the kind of constitutional debt limits which Berlin is seeking to extend to other partners. “ This pact, where there are most opportunities for reform, is open and we would like to see our Polish friends ... participate, because they are a reform-friendly country with a tradition of consolidation,” she said.

French officials have said the individual measures in the pact are open to negotiation, and Merkel said she was awaiting proposals from the executive European Commission in this area. The European Central Bank stepped up its campaign to make countries that breach budget disci-

pline rules in the euro zone subject to automatic financial sanctions. ECB polic ymaker Axel Weber, head of Germany’s influential Bundesbank, said reforms to the EU’s Stability and Growth Pac t agreed so far made some improvements but did not go far enough. “ The major shortcoming of the envisaged reform is that relevant decisions on sanctions are still to be taken at a political level by the European Council,” he said in a speech prepared for deliver y in Tallinn. This left “too much room for discretion in interpreting and applying the rules”, Weber said. On the financial markets, Por tugal took advantage of lower borrowing costs to launch a five-year syndicated bond issue and said demand was a healthy 6 billion euros-double the minimum planned placement. — Reuters

Zain Saudi up as Kingdom extends deal deadline MIDEAST STOCK MARKETS

GLENDALE: Job seeker Richard Phillips looks for a video post-production job opportunity at the Verdugo Job Center in Glendale, California. Finding a job remains a struggle 20 months after the recession technically ended. —AP Retailers, in particular, have stopped shedding workers. After the best holiday shopping season in four years, stores cut fewer than 5,800 jobs last month. That’s only about one-third the number of a year earlier. And it’s far fewer than the nearly 54,000 in January 2009 at the depths of the recession.

“If you’re bringing value to your company, you don’t have to worry,” says Mickey Kampsen, president of Management Recruiters of Charlottesville, Virginia. Courtney Miller-Rao, 28, is feeling more secure about her job than at any time since she began working a decade ago. She’s an auctioneer, selling cars for an auto salvage company near Waterbury, Conn.

“We’re growing immensely, we’re opening a new branch, selling more cars,” she says. “I don’t feel like I have to work 10 to 14 hours a day to

keep my job.” Yet employers still aren’t ready to start hiring aggressively. A government survey of business payrolls released Friday showed a net gain of only 36,000 jobs in January — barely one-fourth the number needed just to keep pace with population growth. Harsh winter weather helped explain the weak hiring. But not entirely. A bigger factor is that companies have become more productive. After slashing jobs during the recession, they discovered they could produce the same, or more, with smaller staffs.

A company that might have had a half-dozen people working on business development, for instance, might now have three, says Bobbi Moss, vice president of executive recruiters MRINetwork Govig & Associates in Scottsdale, Arizona. — AP

DUBAI: Zain Saudi Arabia hit a three-week high yesterday after Kingdom Holding extended the deadline for its offer to buy a stake in the telecoms operator.

Middle East markets were mixed, with investors cautious as they await further developments in Egypt. Zain Saudi climbed 2.9 percent to its highest finish since Jan 15.

Yet traders hoping for a stake sale windfall may be disappointed. Analysts expect Kingdom’s offer to be priced at a steep discount to Zain Saudi’s share price because of the operator’s debts, mounting losses and stiff competition in the local telecoms sector. Kingdom surged 9.4 percent. Samba Financial Group climbed 1.3 percent and SABB added 2.7 percent, helping the banking index edge higher.

Many analysts are bullish about Saudi banks, predicting lending will rise along with government spending, but Youssef Kassantini, a Saudi-based financial analyst, warned unrest in Egypt may dampen the kingdom’s banking activity.

“Some investors that were going to borrow money are likely to hold off and see what happens in Egypt, especially if they are exposed to the country,” said Kassantini. “Bank growth will be limited, but we’ll probably see better numbers in Q2.” Hundreds of thousands of Saudis live in Egypt, Kassantini said, and others have

also invested heavily in their North African neighbor, with multibillion dollar annual trade between the two countries. The index rose 0.5 percent, trimming its losses to 1.2 percent since Jan. 26, when protests in Egypt against President Hosni Mubarak’s rule sent Saudi stocks tumbling.

Retail investors have led sellers, with institutions among the biggest buyers, indicating the latter were less worried about a potential Egypt contagion. “The market has rebounded, but we’re still affected by the Egypt situation and I doubt the index will move much higher for now - trading will be sideways,” added Kassantini.

Cairo protesters dug in for a long fight on Monday, pressing their demand for an overhaul of the political system and for Mubarak to resign as many Egyptians tried to resume their normal lives.

Qatari Islamic bank Masraf Al-Rayan climbed 3.6 percent to a 32-month high, extending gains since the central bank told commercial lenders to end their Islamic operations.

Qatar Islamic Bank and Qatar International Islamic Bank fell 0.8 and 1.8 percent respectively as investors booked profits from a Sunday surge.

Conventional lenders have until Dec. 31 to dispose of their Islamic banking operations. — Reuters

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Kuwait Paraxylene exports 1st shipment of heavy aromatics Asia customers to get first KPPC shipment KUWAIT: Kuwait Paraxylene Al-Rashidi expressed utmost Produc tion Company appreciation to (KPPC ) announced it has Petrochemical I ndustries exported its first ever shipCompany (PIC) and EQUATE ment of heavy aromatics.

Petrochemical Company for Heading to customers in their role in the success of Asia, the shipment’s size is the heavy aromatics pro17,000 metric tons. KPPC is duction. a fully owned subsidiary of In addition to heavy aroKuwait Aromatics Company matics, KKPC ’s aromatics (KARO). complex produces 829,000 On this occasion, KARO MTA of Parax ylene and board Chairman Al-Rashidi 393,000 MTA of Benzene. said, “KPPC aromatics plant K ARO is a joint venture will continue selling heavy grouping Petrochemical aromatics produced at the Industries Company (PIC) s i t e, w i t h a c a p a c i t y o f with 40%, Kuwait National 80,000 metric tons annualPetroleum Company (KNPC) ly (MTA), to enhance the with 4 0 %, wh ile Qurain added-value and returns Petrochemical I ndustries from this stream to the aroCompany (QPIC) owns the matics business.” remaining 20%.

KARO board Chairman Al-Rashidi Al-R ashidi added, “ The EQUATE is the single stream which was previousoperator of Greater EQUATE, ly used as a fuel substitute at the site has a high- which includes KPPC, TKSC and The Kuwait er market replacement value and will also reduce Olefins Company ( TKOC) under one fully intethe site’s overall carbon print due to lower CO2 grated operational umbrella at Kuwait’s Shuaiba emissions resulting from the use of cleaner fuels.” Industrial Area.

Doha Bank does not see ‘big hit’ from CB move DOHA: Qatar’s Doha Bank does not expect a major financial impact from the central bank’s decision to separate the Islamic operations of conventional lenders in the Gulf Arab state, its chief executive said yesterday.

“It’s not much of a surprise, as we had signals earlier from the central bank,” Raghavan Seetharaman said in an interview.

“About 89 percent of our books are conventional, so we don’t see it taking a big hit.”

Doha Bank will continue to meet its contractual obligations within its Islamic business and will

seek clarification from the central bank when required, Seetharaman added.

The central bank issued a circular to banks, saying it “has been decided to terminate the activities of the Islamic finance services” offered by conventional banks.

Other Banks effected by the directive include international lender HSBC, Qatar National Bank, Commercial Bank of Qatar, Al Ahli Commercial Bank and International Bank of Qatar.

In a statement issued on Sunday, HSBC said it is also “communicating with the Qatar Central

Bank to seek clarification on this issue.” Islamic asset allocation for other commercial lenders is between 10 and 15 percent, Seetharaman added, saying the central bank’s directive should not pose a challenge for the sector.

Separately, Doha Bank has put its plans for a $500 million bond on hold due to a drop in the local customer deposit rate and enough liquidity in the market.

Doha Bank shares were trading down 1 percent at 0735 GMT. Qatari conventional bank stocks fell on Sunday after the central bank’s decision. — Reuters

Toyota’s golden offers for Kuwait’s Golden occasions Gold Winner with Al Sayer Toyota Vehicles KUWAIT: Mohamad Naser Al Sayer & Sons Automotive Co held the second draw of its promotion on Toyota Cars on Sunday the 6th February at 6 pm. The Toyota Golden Offers, during Kuwait’s Golden Occasions (5, 20 and 50th anniversary of Kuwait’s independence), at Al-Tilal showroom, Al-Sayer continues to run the electronic raffle draw to ensure that all of AlSayer’s customers have an equal and fair chance in the draw, the event was attended by a representative from the Ministry of Commerce and Industry Eshkinani, and from Al Sayer MNSS Khaled Al Bakri (Al Al Tilal Showroom manager). This promotion is available at all Toyota showrooms. The offer is valid for the period from January 23 to February 28, 2011, which includes retail sales only (cash and installments).

The campaign consists 5 raffle draws, 8 winners each time, each winner will get a 100 grams gold

bar, according to the below schedule.

In this great occasion, Al-Sayer Group will extend a message of peace to Kuwait and the World, by placing Kuwait in the Guinness

Date / Day Jan 30 - Sun Feb 6 - Sun Feb 13 - Sun Feb 20 - Sun March 1 - Tues

book of records soon. Mohamad Naser Al Sayer & Sons congratulates all winners and thanks all customers for their wise choice of Toyota genuine spare parts and their trust in Toyota service centers.

Location Al Rai Al Tilal Al Jahra Al Ahmadi Al Rai

Time 6:00 pm 6:00 pm 6:00 pm 6:00 pm 6:00 pm

The lucky winners are: Coupon No. 1838 2245 13 4202 966 1545 2351 1228

Name Mohamad Abdulwhab Eibrahim Alqalaf Sami Khalaf Ghanim Alazmi Deef Allah Thary Menawer Alrashedy Watheha Ali Mohd Alharbi Fhaid Mikhlif Fhaid AlAzmi Khaled Atallah Badi Al-Rasheedi Sulayman Hasan Salman Albaqsam heesa aldehany

EMCO Sponsors the First Sharjah Business Forum SHARJAH: Based on its effective role as a leading company that takes part in driving the economic wheel of the United Arab Emirates, EMCO Contracting Company will be the Silver Sponsor of the Sharjah Business Forum 2011. The Forum, to be organized by the Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry, will be held under the theme “Complementarity between the GCC Market and the Business Sector.” This event will benefit from the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Sultan bin Mohammed Bin Sultan AlQasimi, Crown Prince and Deputy Ruler of Sharjah.

A number of prominent Arab and international figures from different business sectors as well as economists, academicians and decision mak-

ers will take part in the forum. Commenting on the contribution of EMCO to this event, Amer AlAmiri, Chairman of EMCO’s board of directors, said: “We are an active player in the economic dynamics of the UAE in general, and Sharjah in particular. Our participation in the first Sharjah Business Forum is an expression of our commitment to support anyone who is helping to build the regional economy. Our participation is also a testimony to the vital role the private sector can play in creating investment opportunities and vitalizing the local business environment.”

Al-Amiri added: “We believe that the private sector and the public sector are two partners who act jointly and individually to consolidate the existing economy and we are very pleased

Amer Al-Amiri, Chairman of EMCO’s board of directors

that this platform will let us meet with our brother and sister entrepreneurs and business actors

from other GCC countries. Hopefully, this reunion will give an impetus to the economic development and commercial exchanges between the GCC countries, and will lay the ground for better business opportunities for GCC investors. I hope this forum would yield fruitful results and I also hope that the objectives of the Sharjah forum would be fulfilled.”

“Thanks to the wise leadership adopted by Sheikh Sultan Bin Mohammed Al-Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council - Ruler of Sharjah, and Sheikh Sultan Bin Mohammed Bin Sultan Al-Qasimi, Crown Prince and Deputy Ruler of Sharjah, the Emirate of Sharjah offers all the necessary provisions and facilities that enhance the business environment of the emirate.

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

.2740000 .4470000 .3770000 .2895000 .2800000 .2800000 .0045000 .0020000 .0753900 .7345050 .3900000 .0730000 .7200500 .0045000 .0480000

.2840000 .4550000 .3840000 .2980000 .2880000 .2870000 .0075000 .0035000 .0761480 .7418870 .4100000 .0780000 .7272870 .0072000 .0560000

CUSTOMER TRANSFER RATES .2783500 .2804500 .4491180 .4525060 .3789180 .3817770 .2918940 .2940960 .2821730 .2843020 .0508220 .0512050 .0430460 .0433710 .2822190 .2843480 .0357650 .0360350 .2182790 .2199260 .0033850 .0034110 .0000000 .0061980 .0000000 .0025380 .0000000 .0032900 .0000000 .0039780 .0758030 .0763750 .7385250 .7440970 .0000000 .3966760 .0742460 .0748070 .7231750 .7286310 .0000000 .0064470

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

Al-Muzaini Exchange Co.

Japanese Yen Indian Rupees Pakistani Rupees Srilankan Rupees Nepali Rupees Singapore Dollar Hongkong Dollar

ASIAN COUNTRIES 3.421 6.129 3.267 2.516 3.846 219.620 35.942

Bangladesh Taka Philippine Peso Thai Baht Irani Riyal - Transfer Irani Riyal - Cash

3.856 6.405 9.091 0.271 0.273 GCC COUNTRIES 74.591 76.877 726.720 742.940 76.171

Saudi Riyal Qatari Riyal Omani Riyal Bahraini Dinar UAE Dirham

ARAB COUNTRIES Egyptian Pound - Cash 50.750 Egyptian Pound - Transfer 47.054 Yemen Riyal 1.310 Tunisian Dinar 198.640 Jordanian Dinar 395.110 Lebanese Lira 185.600 Syrian Lier 6.080 Morocco Dirham 34.528 EUROPEAN & AMERICAN COUNTRIES US Dollar Transfer 279.680 Euro 382.180 Sterling Pound 452.660 Canadian dollar 285.530 Turkish lire 176.790 Swiss Franc 294.710 Australian dollar 283.790 US Dollar Buying 278.095 GOLD 260.000 130.000 68.000

20 Gram 10 Gram 5 Gram

SELL CASH 288.000 743.590 4.220 286.700 549.100 14.100 52.100 167.800 50.420 385.000 36.610 6.400

SELL DRAFT 286.500 743.590 3.870 285.200

220.500 47.177 383.500 36.460 6.135

0.033 0.262 0.251 3.500 396.800 0.189 95.020 46.500 4.380 219.600 1.902 49.900 726.270 3.340 6.570 77.343 74.653 220.530 41.100 2.713 455.000 43.900 296.600 6.100 9.470 198.263 76.290 280.000 1.350

0.032

395.200 0.188 95.020 3.850 218.100

295.100 6.100 9.260 76.190 279.600

Selling Rate 279.500 284.750 451.670 382.720 292.584 739.765 76.075 76.749 74.503 394.826 47.753 2.516

6.139 3.273 3.872 6.394 685.606 3.496 9.150 6.196 3.925

Currency 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 Canadian Dollars

TRAVELLER’S CHEQUE 453.000 279.600

Dollarco Exchange Co. Ltd Rate for Transfer US Dollar Canadian Dollar Sterling Pound Euro Swiss Frank Bahrain Dinar UAE Dirhams Qatari Riyals Saudi Riyals Jordanian Dinar Egyptian Pound Sri Lankan Rupees

Indian Rupees Pakistani Rupees Bangladesh Taka Philippines Pesso Cyprus pound Japanese Yen Thai Bhat Syrian Pound Nepalese Rupees

Kuwait Bahrain Intl Exchange Co. 726.090 3.275 6.370 76.910 74.650 220.530 41.100 2.515 453.000

GOLD 1,413.690

10 Tola

Sterling Pound US Dollar

Bahrain Exchange Company COUNTRY Australian dollar Bahraini dinar Bangladeshi taka Canadian dollar Cyprus pound Czek koruna Danish krone Deutsche Mark Egyptian pound Euro Cash Hongkong dollar Indian rupees

Indonesia Iranian tuman Iraqi dinar Japanese yen Jordanian dinar Lebanese pound Malaysian ringgit Morocco dirham Nepalese Rupees New Zealand dollar Nigeria Norwegian krone Omani Riyal Pakistani rupees Philippine peso Qatari riyal Saudi riyal Singapore dollar South Africa Sri Lankan rupees Sterling pound Swedish krona Swiss franc Syrian pound Thai bhat Tunisian dollar UAE dirham U.S. dollars Yemeni Riyal

Rate per 1000 (Tran) 279.700 3.280 6.145 2.530 3.880 6.430 76.255 74.790 743.600 47.965 456.200 0.00003280 3.910 1.550 397.400 5.750 385.700 289.100

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

Transfer Rate (Per 1000) 279.150 383.000 453.000 284.900 3.415 6.140 46.900 2.515 3.825 6.380 3.270 743.550 76.120 74.550

*Rates are subject to change

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BUSINESS

Kuwait salaries to rise 6% in 2011: Study Qatar tops regional pay rises l Egypt turmoil could impact talent availability in Gulf DUBAI: Private sector salaries in the UAE are forecast to increase at an average rate of 6.3 percent this year, according to research released yesterday by GulfTalent.com, the leading online recruitment firm in the Middle East.

The findings were published in GulfTalent.com’s sixth annual review of labor market trends entitled “Employment and Salary Trends in the Gulf 2010-2011” and were based on a survey of 32,000 professionals and 1,400 companies across the six Gulf states.

Among countries, Qatar and Saudi Arabia had the highest pay rises in 2010 at 6.8% and 6.7% respectively. Oman was in third place with 6.4%, followed by Kuwait at 5.7%.

The UAE and Bahrain saw the smallest increases at 5.2% and 4.9% respectively.

Although much lower than the double-digit increases of 2008, the pay rises were all higher than the rates of inflation, resulting in improving living standards for many.

However, an estimated 55% of professionals did not receive any pay increase at all.

Across the region, with consumer spending picking up, the retail sector saw the highest pay rise at 6.4%, while education had the smallest increase at 3.8%. Among job categories, Human Resource professionals saw the highest raise at 7.1%. Many executives told GulfTalent.com that, with their companies increasingly focused on performance, the HR function had assumed a much greater significance. Lawyers had the smallest increases at 4.3%.

According to the study, pay increases were largely driven by the employers’ efforts to retain their top performers, growing demand for skill in Qatar and Saudi Arabia, as well as continued growth in Asia, the main source of talent for the Gulf.

With increasingly attractive career opportunities in their home countries, Asian professionals working in the Gulf received pay rises of 6.1% compared with just 3.2% for Western professionals.

Salaries in the booming Indian economy grew at 11.1% in 2010, compared with just 2.4% in the UK, where unemployment remains high following the financial crisis.

Based on the report findings, the Gulf’s labor market is witnessing “a small but fastrising Chinese presence” - as employers seek

industries, up from 1% in 2008.

Despite outflows resulting from job cuts, the UAE remained far ahead of all other Gulf countries in terms of popularity with its current residents, thanks to its superior infrastructure. 72% of UAE residents prefer to remain there, compared to 59% in Kuwait and 50% in Qatar.

substitutes for India and the Philippines, their traditional sources of skill, while a growing number of Chinese companies win major construction and energy contracts in the region, often bringing the required staff directly from China. Construction of a highspeed railway connecting holy Makkah and Madina, and a new port in Doha are among contracts recently awarded to Chinese firms.

Based on GulfTalent.com’s study, the employment market in the Gulf is expected to continue growing at a moderate pace, aided by global economic recovery, rising oil prices and continued government spending on infrastructure projects. 61% of companies surveyed expected to increase headcount in 2011, compared to 9% who planned staff cuts.

Commodity weekly update

Geo-political jitters drive commodities

By Ole Hansen

T

he winning streak of global stock markets continues with especially companies in energy and materials outperforming on the back of strong rallies in cyclical commodities.

The strength of the global economic recovery is driving commodities like base metals and energy higher and these two sectors have been the best performers during the past week, according to the DJ-UBS indices.

On the last trading day of January the Reuters/Jeffries CRB index cleared the 50 percent retracement level of the entire credit-crisis sell off. The move above 337 on the index was driven by a broad based rally with most commodities showing positive returns on the week.

Record high food prices The main headlines however continue to centre on food price inflation and the role it is has played in provoking unrest in North Africa. Global food prices hit a new record high in January, according to figures released by The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (UN FAO). The main index rose to 230.8, some eight percent above the previous record from June 2008, and it looks set to climb further in the months ahead on the back of hoarding to curb inflation and scarce supplies following the weather shocks in 2010.

Not as bad as 2008 There are however some indications that the situation this time round is not as bad as in 2008 when a genuine shortage caused the spike in prices. The cereal component of the index is still some 11 percent lower than the peak in 2008 as wheat stocks are still in abundance, with farmers holding back stock in anticipation of higher prices.

The prices of wheat and rice, despite the recent rally, are still some 33 percent lower than the levels seen in 2008.

Oil above holding above $100 North Sea Brent crude has remained above $100 this week on the back of geopolitical risk and increased economic activity. Meanwhile WTI Crude in New York continues to dislocate from the other global oil benchmarks having traded sideways some ten dollars below Brent crude. WTI stored at Cushing rose to a new record above

38 million barrels.

Increased supplies from Canada is adding to the supply glut as they are going nowhere because US refineries are enter the spring maintenance period, with lower demand being the consequence.

Historically Brent crude has been trading at a discount to WTI and once that discount rose too much the North Atlantic arbitrage kicked in with Brent crude being shipped across to the US and sold at a higher price. Now the opposite situation has developed but the arbitrage does not work the other way. Pipelines from the Mexican Gulf are currently configured to handle imports and run crude oil inland towards Cushing. Current export regulations also prohibit the export of domestically produced crude oil.

Industrial metals rising on strong macro data Industrial metals, which have showed the strongest gains over the last week, continue to react to the continued run of positive economic data. Copper, widely used in construction and autos, reached the physiological and all-time high of $10,000 per metric ton before succumbing to some profit taking.

Concerns over tight global supplies combined with some loss of production from the cyclone affected area of Australia also helped support prices.

Gold recovers lost ground After spending the past week consolidating, Gold broke back above 1,350 as geopolitical risk continues to attract attention. The Federal Reserve chairman Bernanke in a comment stated that the US economy was still too fragile to contemplate ceasing quantitative easing. As a result the market concluded that the current environment of low interest rates will continue for longer and thereby help gold to recover lost ground.

Investment flows out of gold ETPs has stabilized and could indicate that the recent selling pressure has eased.

Near term the trading range looks like 1,325 to 1,360, while longer term the important technical support level at the 200 day moving average, currently at 1,290, holds the key just like it did during the last major correction in July 2010. Volatility continues in agricultural sector Turning to the agricultural sector elevated levels of volatility continue.

Mobility and the rise of Qatar GulfTalent.com’s study highlights the rising prominence of Qatar as a destination for professionals. The trend has been driven by fast-rising salaries, falling cost of living, growing employment opportunities and an improving international brand, which came to a grand finale with the country’s surprise qualification to host the 2022 Football World Cup. Based on an analysis of vacancies advertised by employers and recruitment agencies on GulfTalent.com website, job opportunities in Qatar have grown from 8% of all GCC vacancies in 2008 to 16% in 2010.

GulfTalent.com’s survey of mobility intentions found that, while the UAE remains the

most attractive destination for professionals, favored by 49% of GCC-based expatriates, Qatar is closing in fast, with a 44% following.

Based on current trends, Qatar could become the Gulf’s most popular destination for expatriates.

Meanwhile, employers across the region continued to tap into the talent pool in Dubai, the study said. In addition to professionals who had relocated from Dubai since the onset of the crisis, an estimated 5% of Dubai’s residents now commute daily to their jobs in Abu Dhabi, a five-fold increase since 2008.

A similar trend was found in Bahrain, where 2% of residents cross the border each day to Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Province, the home to the country’s oil and petrochemical

Impact of Middle East turmoil According to the study, potential turmoil in the wider Middle East region, most recently in Tunisia and Egypt, could have a mixed impact on the availability of talent in the Gulf during 2011. Any sustained upheavals “could increase the supply of Arab professionals from regional hotspots who will seek careers in the Gulf, putting downward pressure on salaries”, the study said, citing the experience of the 2006 conflict in Lebanon which resulted in a mass migration of Lebanese professionals to the Gulf.

The report adds that “the resulting coverage of the region in international media may deter some Western professionals from relocating to the Gulf”, similar to the trend seen in 2003 in the immediate aftermath of the Iraq war. Events in North Africa have also drawn attention to spiralling food prices and the challenges of youth unemployment.

According to the study, employers in the Gulf are likely to face tougher workforce nationalization targets in 2011, as governments accelerate existing efforts to create jobs for their nationals, particularly in Bahrain and Oman which according to UNDP statistics, have the highest rates of unemployment in the GCC. GulfTalent.com’s study was based on a survey of 32,000 professionals and 1,400 companies in the six countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), as well as interviews with regional business leaders and human resource managers. The survey was conducted during December 2010 and January 2011. The full publication entitled “Employment and Salary Trends in the Gulf 2010-2011” is available for download free of charge from the company’s website at: www.gulftalent.com.

GulfTalent.com is the Middle East’s leading online recruitment portal, used by over 2 million professionals and 4,000 companies across 9 countries.

50 Years, 50 days, ‘Triple your skywards miles with ABK’ KUWAIT: To celebrate Kuwait’s 50th year of independence, ABK and Emirates, along with Visa International, are rewarding their cardholders for 50 days with Triple Skywards miles. From the 8th Februar y until the 29th March 2011 Visa Classic, Gold and Platinum ABK/Skywards cobranded cardholders will benefit from 10 Skywards miles for every KD1 of international spend.

Stewar t Lockie, GM, Retail Banking said “ABK again delivers an amazing campaign to reward our customers. With Triple miles, Visa Classic, Gold and Platinum cardholders will now get 10 miles for every KD1 of international spend, which is the highest miles redemption program on a card in the GCC.” Lockie added “In addition, we are also rewarding our Al Raed

Stewart Lockie

GCC Markets down on Egypt Turmoil MARKAZ MONTHLY REPORT KUWAIT: GCC markets were mostly down in January; due to profit taking ahead of earnings in addition to a wave of selling as political turmoil erupted in Egypt. S&P GCC lost 2.6% for the month; led by 5% and 4% losses in the UAE and Saudi Arabia, respectively.

Investor’s turned attention to Egypt as protests erupted over the last week of January; the Egyptian market shed close to 20% before being closed, while S&P, Fitch and Moody all downgraded Egypt credit and placed it on Negative outlook.

Kuwait, Saudi and UAE markets, which all have close ties to Egyptian, saw their stocks fall in the final week of the month while CDS rates spiked briefly.

Liquidity was up in January; with GCC Volume and Value Traded up 35% and 20%, respectively. Total value traded in the GCC amounted to $30bn for the month. Qatar was the only market which saw a monthly decline in volume and value traded, down 26% and 8%, respectively.

After hitting a 5 year low at the end of December; GCC volatility surged over 5

times in January. MVX GCC quadrupled in just the last three days of January as turmoil in Egypt intensified. The same held Saudi Arabia and Kuwait; both of which hit a 5 year low in January 2011 before surging multiple times in the final days of the month. MVX Saudi closed out the first week of January with a new low before quadrupling in the last three days of the month. Likewise, MVX Kuwait reached a 5 year low in the third week of January before nearly tripling by month end.

World markets were led by Developed world gains as economic growth continued steadily while possibility of monetary tightening in Emerging Markets resulted in sluggish performance. Crude oil gained another 7% in January, ending at $99.46/bbl, as political turmoil in Egypt spooked markets.

Monthly returns were positive for the Developed World while negative on the Emerging Market side as signs of monetary tightening emerged. MSCI Europe was up 3.7% while the Indian market was the worst performer, losing 10.6%.

and Prestige premium debit cardholders with 3 Skywards miles on every KD1 of international spend during the 50 days.

Here at ABK we continually aim to deliver exciting and unique promotions for our customers”.

For further details please visit any of our branches, use our innovative Ahli Chat on our website www.eahli.com or call us at Ahlan Ahli on 1 899 899.

Al-Masah fund eyeing Egypt stocks post crisis DUBAI: Alternative asset manager Al Masah Capital Management may invest in Egyptian stocks once political unrest there has stabilized as the recent sell-off has made valuations attractive, its fund manager said.

Masah’s Special Opportunities Fund, with $140 million in assets under management, escaped the slump by staying in cash. “The fact that we managed to escape the drop, we might now, depending on how things span out, turn buyers,” the fund’s manager, Akber Naqvi, said in an interview. “ There are some companies with very attractive fundamentals there.”

Egypt’s main stock market index is down 21 percent this year. Financial markets there have been shut for the past eight working days after protesters took to the streets calling for an end to President Hosni Mubarak’s rule.

The bourse will reopen on Sunday, Feb. 13.

Egypt stocks may rally once trading resumes on the Cairo bourse as bargain hunters step in following steep declines which saw the market drop 16 percent in two sessions. Naqvi said the fund was bullish on petrochemicals and telecoms in Egypt as the sectors could benefit from the long-term impact of the crisis.

The fund may look at selling investments in the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait and allocate the money to Egypt, he said. “The UAE (market) has structural problems and its volumes are low.

Kuwait, to a certain extent, is more expensive than others,” Naqvi said. The fund was still bullish on Qatar, the Gulf Arab state that recently won a bid to host the football World Cup in 2022 and Saudi Arabia, the top-oil producing country, he said.

Recent events in Egypt will hamper investor sentiment and may deter foreign investors just beginning to look at the region after shunning it in the past two years, Naqvi said. “When sentiment takes over, the fundamentals go out of the window.

Regardless of how fundamentally attractive a stock is or how technically good it looks on the charts, sentiment overwrites that,” he said. Naqvi said some international investors had booked profits from a two-year rally in big emerging markets like India and China and may have allocated money to the Gulf Arab world as these markets have underperformed in the past few years.

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KSE stocks close mixed GLOBAL DAILY MARKET REPORT KUWAIT: Kuwait Stock Exchange (KSE) stocks ended on a mixed note yesterday, as investors looked ahead to more 2010 earnings results. Reflecting the bearish trend, the market benchmark, KSE Price Index slid 12.70 points (0.19 percent) and closed at 6,734.3 points, its lowest level in 2011. Stocks slumped to their almost lowest levels so far in 2011, investors confidence is in the bottom at the moment and the volume is light although the banks announced impressive year end results. Egypt turmoil is a great concern right now.

Global General Index (GGI) closed 0.89 points up (0.41 percent), at 218.97 point as the Market capitalization increased reaching KD35.59mn. On the other hand, Kuwait Stock Exchange Price Index closed in the red zone shedding 12.70 points (0.19 percent) from its value and closed at 6,734.3 point.

Market Breadth During the session, 112 companies were traded. Market breadth was skewed towards advancers as 35 equities advanced versus 32 that retreated. Trading activity remained thin, with only 130.55mn shares changing hands at a total value of KD24.74mn.

The Services Sector was the volume leader yesterday, accounting for 34.28 percent of total shares and the Banking Sector was the value leader, with 46.43 percent of total traded value. Company-wise, National Ranges Company was the most actively traded stock during the day, with 16.00mn shares exchanged at a total value of KD0.412mn. The scrip closed up by 2.00 percent at KD0.0255.

In terms of top gainers, Gulf Investment House was the biggest gainer for the day,

adding 7.22 percent and closed at KW0.052. On the other hand, Alargan International Real Estate Co came in as the biggest decliner, dropping by 12.50 percent and closed at KD0.182.

Sector-wise On a sector-by-sector basis, five out of the eight sectors managed to eke out gains. Banks stocks led the pack of advancers with an impressive 0.93 percent climb. National Bank of Kuwait (NBK) wiped out the losses it accumulated during Sunday’s session, clocking 1.43 percent in gains.

Meanwhile, as presented by the Global Industrial Index, the sector produced 0.31 in gains.

Kuwait Metal Pipe Industries & Oil Services and National Industries Group (Holding) were up by 4.17 percent & 1.47 percent respectively. Elsewhere, Mena Holding continue the south journey. The

scrip lost 33.78 percent since January 26, 2011. It’s worth mentioning that, the company have big investments in Egypt.

Corporate News Kuwait Stock Exchange (KSE) announces that Shuaiba Industrial Company won a contract worth almost KD1.8mn.

Under the one-year agreement, the company will supply a Saudi cement producer with paper bags in 2011.

Gulfinvest International Company secured the preliminary approval of all its creditors to convert the part of its debt that is not covered by guarantees into shares in the company’s capital. This is a significant step towards the company’s restructuring as it will enable it to dispose of all its debt, Gulfinvest International Co, said. The second phase of Gulfinvest restructuring plan will see it raise its capital

through the participation of existing shareholders in addition to the participation of a new strategic investor in unsubscribed shares after coordination with the restructuring advisor, it added. In the third phase, the decisions will be made through shareholders meetings in coordination with the regulatory authorities.

Saudi Arabia’s Kingdom Holding Co said Sunday that it had agreed to a request from Kuwait’s Mobile Telecommunications Co, also known as Zain, to extend its offer to buy a stake in Zain’s Saudi unit in a week. The offer will expire on 13th February.

Oil news The price of OPEC basket of twelve crudes stood at $96.85 a barrel on Friday, compared with $97.71 the previous day, according to OPEC Secretariat calculations.

Brent crude climbs above $100 on Egypt 0LONDON: North Sea Brent crude oil futures jumped back above $100 a barrel yesterday on worries unrest in Egypt could spread to other parts of the Middle East and north Africa, disrupting energy supplies.

A senior Kuwait official said over the weekend oil prices could exceed $110 per barrel if the turmoil in Egypt continued, while Venezuela said prices could more than double to $200 if the Suez Canal closed. Iran, which holds the rotating presidency of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, said it saw no need for an emergency OPEC meeting even if oil prices hit $120.

“There is a lot of uncertainty over Egypt. We do not know what is going to happen there and the worry is that contagion will spread, destabilizing other countries,” said Christophe Barret, oil analyst at French bank Credit Agricole.

“Of course everyone is worried-the Middle East is such a big source of energy.” Commerzbank analysts said oil prices remained “well protected on the downside” “on the back of continued protests in the Middle East”.

“The unrest in Egypt has also had an impact on the behavior of speculative financial investors, who are increasingly betting on rising oil prices again amid the uncertainty about possible effects on oil supply,” Commerzbank said in its daily note.

ICE Brent crude oil futures for March rose $1.07 to a high of $100.90 before slipping back to around $100.50 by 1035 GMT. On Feb. 3, Brent reached an intra-day high of $103.37, its highest since September 2008.

US crude futures were more restrained as investors looked past the political crisis in Egypt and took note of high oil inventories, particularly in the US Midwest and Cushing, Oklahoma, the delivery point for the New York Mercantile Exchange’s crude futures contracts. US crude for March was up 2

cents at $89.05 a barrel by 1035 GMT. Opposition groups including the banned Muslim Brotherhood held talks with the government on Sunday to resolve Egypt’s political crisis, but said their core demand for the removal of the president had not been met.

Demonstrators in central Cairo’s Tahrir Square, focal point of an uprising that has rocked the Arab world and alarmed Western powers, said they would intensify their two-week battle to oust the president who has vowed to stay on until September.

What really worries traders is that unrest in Tunisia and Egypt could fuel similar protests in bigger oil producers such as Libya-or even Saudi Arabia, creating massive uncertainty over oil supplies.

But there is no sign of a physical shortage of oil and global stocks are high by historical standards.

Domestic US crude stocks rose 2.59 million barrels to 343.16 million barrels in the week to Jan. 28, data from EIA showed. Egypt controls the Suez Canal and the Suez-Mediterranean (SUMED) oil pipeline, which together moved over 2 million bpd of crude and oil products in 2009.

More than 34,000 vessels passed through the canal in 2009, of which nearly 2,700 were oil tankers carrying 29 million tons of oil, according to the US Energy Information Administration.

Venezuela’s oil minister Rafael Ramirez, who is usually hawkish on prices, said on Friday OPEC would call an emergency meeting if the canal closed.

“There is sufficient oil (in the market) and there have been no interruptions, but if they close Suez, that could take the oil price to $200,” he told reporters. OPEC members will meet consumers at an energy conference in Riyadh on Feb. 22 and are expected to talk informally about output levels. — Reuters

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Oman economy grew 6% in 2010, spending tops target Govt overspent 2010 budget plan by 7%

Commercial Bank announces winners of Al Najma draw KUWAIT: Commercial Bank of Kuwait held the Al Najma Account (Triple) draw on February 6, 2011.

The draw was held under the supervision of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry represented by Nomis Al Nomis and Sarah Ahmed Dashti from the Ministry of Interior.

Commercial Bank of Kuwait was represented at the draws by staff members of Technical Support Division, IT Security, and Advertising & Public Relations Department in addition to a large crowd of customers.

Commercial Bank of Kuwait takes this opportunity to congratulate all lucky winners and also extends appreciation to the Ministry of Commerce and Industry for their effective supervision of the draws which were conducted in an orderly and organized manner.

MUSCAT: Oman’s economy grew by a fasterthan-expected 6 percent last year, and robust crude oil prices enabled the non-OPEC oil producer to overspend on its 2010 budget, a finance ministry official said yesterday.

Analysts see growth slowing this year to 4.6 percent due to slower revenue growth from oil and gas. Countries in the Gulf, the world’s top oil exporting region, tend to overspend from their budget plans if crude prices are strong. Fiscal policy is a key tool to steer their economies as most Gulf currencies, including the Omani rial, are pegged to the dollar.

“GDP growth in real terms was 6 percent in 2010,” the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told Reuters. “Because of high oil prices in 2010, the government has spent 7 percent more compared with forecast spending,” the official said.

Economic growth was much stronger than 3.7 percent growth in 2009. It also beat an

official forecast for 5 percent growth in 2010, and a Reuters poll forecast of 4.6 percent growth, as oil prices surprised on the upside.

Data yesterday showed Oman sold its crude at an average price of $76.64 a barrel last year, well above $50 a barrel assumed in the 2010 budget.

Yesterday, crude oil for March was trading at above $89 a barrel. “Enhanced oil production will have a positive impact on growth but also recovery in the global economic environment and global oil prices,” said Farouk Soussa, Middle East chief economist at Citi in Dubai. “In 2011 we expect a lower growth rate of about 4.5 percent,” he said, adding that was due to slower growth from gas and oil as the the energy industry has reached peak capacity. Data yesterday showed Oman’s exports jumped 32.7 percent in September last year from a year earlier. The Gulf Arab country’s government set spending in the 2010 budget at 7.18 billion rials ($18.65 bil-

lion). Oman’s budget deficit widened to 287.4 million rials at the end of November, data also showed yesterday.

Inflation accelerated to 4.2 percent yearon-year in December and prices rose 0.7 percent from the previous month, the fastest pace in four months, as food costs soared, data also released yesterday. The release put average inflation at 3.3 percent for 2010, below the central bank’s forecast of 4-5 percent and slightly down from 3.4 percent in the previous year.

A Reuters poll forecast average inflation of 3.6 percent in 2010. “The pressure from rents and utilities has eased in the last twelve months.

To some extent that is offset by the rise in food prices,” said Khatija Haque, vice president for research at Shuaa Capital in Dubai. “That is a trend we are seeing across the GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) and not just Oman,” she said. ($1=.3850 Omani rials). —Reuters

The winners of the Al Najma draw are :No 1 2 3

Names Ali Muaijel Muawad Anyukorn Sornsathapornkul RababYaqoub Yousif Al Abdouh

KD 100000 100000 100000

D-Bank boss draws flak over comment on women FRANKFURT: The head of Germany’s largest bank, Deutsche Bank, has drawn ire by saying that appointing more women to its executive board would make it “prettier and more colourful,” a press report said yesterday.

Amid a debate on whether Germany should set quotas for women on the boards of major groups, Josef Ackermann acknowledged there were none on the bank’s executive committee, a subordinate body to the board of directors.

“But I hope it will be prettier and more colorful one day” when more women are named, business daily Handelsblatt quoted Ackermann as saying. Ilse Aigner, the conservative German minister for agriculture and consumer affairs, shot back in the newspaper, saying: “Those who like pretty and color ful things

should go take a walk in a field of flowers or a museum.”

Deutsche Bank’s chief spokesman told Handelsblatt that Ackermann’s remarks were taken out of context and that he was “a gentlemen from the old school.”

Ackermann made the comments during the group’s annual press conference last week, after underscoring “the necessity to have more women in senior positions,” a spokesman told AFP. Germany’s ruling coalition is divided on the idea of introducing quotas to correct a flagrant under-representation of women on corporate boards, an option both Chancellor Angela Merkel and Ackermann oppose.

Women represent 44.3 percent of all Deutsche Bank staff but only 16.1 percent of senior managers, Handelsblatt said. — AFP

ATHENS: European Commission representative Servaas Deroose (second right), International Monetary Fund (IMF) representative Poul Thomsen (right) and Klaus Masuch of the European Central Bank (left) arrive yesterday, 2011 for a meeting with Greek Health Minister Andreas Loverdos in Athens. — AFP

Iraq govt wants Kurd oil deals Amended, says Shahristani

Gulf Bank Offers Visa Credit Card Holders 10% Discount at Kuwait Airport’s Duty Free KUWAIT: Gulf Bank yesterday announced that it is offering its Visa credit card holders 10% discount on purchases made in Kuwait International Airport’s Duty Free Shop. The promotion is valid until March 15, 2011.

The Kuwait International Airport Duty Free Shop offers a wide selection of products and brands suiting a large number of travellers passing through Kuwait International Airport. Gulf Bank is using this promotion to extend its services to its customers travelling through Kuwait International Airport, where they can purchase gifts for their families and friends. Gulf Bank’s customers can use their Visa credit card to take advantage of this promotion

which offers a 10% discount on all items offered in the Duty Free Shops with the exception of food items.

Gulf Bank is committed to providing greater convenience for customers by continuously adding to the number of outlets which accept Gulf Bank’s cards and providing great discounts, promotions and other customer benefits when Gulf Bank cards are used for purchases. To find out more about Gulf Bank’s latest promotions, customers can visit the Bank’s bilingual website www.e-gulfbank.com. Customers can also visit one of Gulf Bank’s 53 branches or call the Customer Contact Center on 1805805 for assistance and guidance.

Turkey, Iran aim to triple trade volume to $30bn ISTANBUL: Turkey and Iran aim to triple their bilateral trade to $30 billion in five years, Iran’s foreign minister was reported as saying, despite US attempts to constrict ties between Tehran and its closest neighbors.

NATO member Turkey and Iran, its second biggest gas supplier, have built up strong trade and political ties over the last decade to the concern of Washington, which has pushed an international campaign to isolate Tehran over its disputed nuclear program.

“There is a political determination in the two countries to develop rela-

tions further,” Iran’s Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi, was quoted by staterun Anatolian news agency as saying on Sunday, when Turkey and Iran signed a joint economic commission accord in Tehran.

The cooperation talks spanned areas such as transport, industry and customs, Anatolian said.

Turkish State Minister Cevdet Yilmaz also set a target of $30 billion trade volume, without specifying a time frame. Their bilateral trade volume rose to $10.7 billion last year from about $1 billion in 2000, Yilmaz said. Turkey’s exports to Iran stood at $3.44 billion last year, making it

Turkey’s 10th biggest export market.

Washington has increased pressure on Ankara to enforce sanctions against Iran. Turkey says it observes United Nations sanctions against Iran but declares it is not obligated to adhere to a separate US embargo that targets Iranian energy.

The US Treasury last week blacklisted six individuals and five business entities in Iran and Turkey for providing materials and support to Iran’s ballistic missile development efforts. Western powers suspect Iran is tr ying to secretly build a nuclear weapon, a charge Tehran denies. — Reuters

BAGHDAD: Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri Al-Maliki was misquoted as saying the central government would honour Kurdish production-sharing oil contracts, Deputy Prime Minister Hussain Al-Shahristani said yesterday.

Shares in Norwegian oil firm DNO had moved sharply higher yesterday on a media report quoting Maliki as saying Iraq would honour Kurdish productionsharing contracts like that of DNO. “All the contracts we (the central government) have signed were service contracts and we expect that all these (Kurdish) production-sharing contracts should be amended to be service contracts in order to be

approved” by the Baghdad government, Shahristani, the deputy prime minister for energy, told Reuters.

The weekend report by news agency AFP seemed to catch senior Iraqi oil officials by surprise.

“In fact this was a misunderstanding and misquoting by the AFP of what the prime minister said,” Shahristani said. “It did not actually represent the position of the prime minister and the Iraqi government towards this issue.” Shahristani said the Kurdish contracts had not yet been reviewed by the central government. Shares of DNO pared their gains but were still up by more than 3 percent on the day by 1312 GMT.—Reuters

Egypt stock market to resume trading Sunday CAIRO: The Egyptian stock exchange said trading will resume Sunday, while massive protests that have roiled the country for the past two weeks panicked investors and pushed the country’s currency to near six-year lows. Also yesterday, the government also drew offers on 13 billion Egyptian pounds ($2.2 billion) in Treasury bills — a bid to raise cash that many analysts and economists predicted would attract only domestic buyers. The Central Bank had originally intended on offering 15 billion pounds in a variety of three, six and nine months bills aimed at shoring up support for the financial sector a day after banks reopened.

The banks had been closed for a week amid the demonstrations demanding President Hosni Mubarak’s ouster. The protests, which saw tens of thousands of people massing in downtown Cairo for demonstrations that at times turned violent, have raised questions about the impact on the economy.

By reducing the T-bill offer, Central Bank officials “are reducing market expectations, and if they meet those expectations, they will look very good,” said John Sfakianakis, chief economist at the Riyadh, Saudi Arabia-based Banque Saudi Fransi.

The sale was part of the government’s attempt at restoring a semblance of normalcy in Egypt while mitigating the potential financial and economic

fallout from the unrest that has caused tens of thousands of tourists to flee the country.

Dubai-based brokerage Exotix Ltd. said 7 billion pounds in 3 month Treasury bills were sold, with an average yield of 10.972 percent; 4 billion pounds in 6 months bills were accepted with an average yield of 11.484 percent and 2 billion pounds in 9 month bills were accepted with an average yield of 11.657 percent.

The issue was successful seeing as it came in below 12 percent, Ahmad Alanani, Exotix’s director of Mideast fixed income sales, said in an e-mail, adding that it reflected a “vote of confidence from local banks.” “A successful auction of this size taken up by local banks would send all the right signals that the Egyptian debt markets are back in business,” he said. The Egyptian Exchange said Monday it had “taken the necessary steps to ensure orderly operations” for brokers and other companies in the exchange, and it promised to announce details of the changes and measures to be implemented later. The market saw its benchmark index plummet about 17 percent in two days of trading before the market closed on Jan 27. Analysts and brokers have been worried that the unrest would result in a massive sell-off as investors fled the market. The delay in the restart of the bourse’s operations for a week after

banks reopened appears to be part of an effort by officials to test investors’ resolve and allow some time to pass to cool fears. Those fears appear to be well founded. A day after banks reopened on an abbreviated schedule following a weeklong closure, the Egyptian pound sank against the US dollar, approaching near January 2005 lows. The pound stood at about 5.9540 to the dollar. It had been trading at about 5.84 for much of last week, and economists expected the test would come at the 6 to 6.1 pound to the dollar level.

Analysts have predicted it could drop as much as 25 percent in the shortterm, a level that would put it at weaker than 7 pounds to the dollar.

International ratings agency Moody’s Investors Service said it expects pressure on the Egyptian pound’s exchange rate because of the conversion of local currency deposits to foreign currency deposits as the banks reopen. “The flow will mainly come from foreign investors and high net-worth local depositors, and is likely to diminish the (Central Bank’s) foreign currency reserves its capacity to support the banking system’s overall foreign currency obligations,” Moody’s said in a report released yesterday. “Sustained demand to either withdraw or convert deposits into foreign currency is a key heightened risk for Egyptian banks’ liquidity positions,” Moody’s said. —AP

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business

US tells India to open economy NEW DELHI: US Commerce Secretary Gary Locke yesterday said India needed to open up its economy by reducing trade barriers and tariffs to encourage direct international investment and fight poverty.

Locke, who is in India on a mission to encourage India-US business links to grow in line with warming political ties, said he was in talks with officials on areas of contention such as market access.

India has undergone dramatic economic liberalization over the last 20 years, but international companies are still banned from many potentially lucrative sectors, such as supermarkets for the country’s booming consumer classes. “Even though India has made tremendous strides to open up its economy, there are still too many tariffs and too many barriers to foreign participation in the Indian economy,” Locke said at a conference in New Delhi.

“US businesses can help India achieve its goal of providing a better standard of living... but market barriers are restricting them.” Locke, who is accompanied by leaders of 24 companies including major players in defense and nuclear power, said “India’s market barriers may seem to protect some domestic industries in the short term. But over time, these barriers will limit foreign direct investment.”

French supermarket giant Carrefour recently opened its first wholesale store in India, but like other multibrand supermarket retailers it is not allowed to sell direct to consumers.

Only single-brand foreign outlets by firms such as Reebok or Marks & Spencer are allowed to operate. WalMart, one of the world’s largest retailers, has already opened two wholesale stores and plans to open 10 more within four years. —AFP

TOKYO: Bank of Japan Governor Masaaki Shirakawa speaks during a press conference in Tokyo yesterday. Japan’s central bank chief pressed the government to speed up fiscal reforms to ease the industrialized world’s largest debt, after ratings agency Standard & Poor’s cut Japan’s credit rating.—AFP

India poised to grow 8.6% this fiscal year Agriculture to grow at 5.4%, Manufacturing at 8.8% NEW DELHI: India’s economy, Asia’s third-largest and a driver of the world recovery, is expected to grow 8.6 percent in the year ending in March, but at the risk of high commodity prices widening the trade gap and exacerbating inflation. The government estimate comes after a Reuters poll last month forecast the economy would grow 8.7 percent in the current fiscal year and 8.5 percent in the year that ends March 2012.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said last week rising prices were a serious threat to growth momentum, underscoring the worries of policymakers about headline inflation above 8.4 percent, driven by stubbornly high food prices. India is the second fastest-growing major economy in the world, after China, and both countries are battling inflation.

India’s trade gap and fiscal deficit also cloud the outlook for an economy that, along with China’s, has been a key driver of recovery from the global downturn. The trade gap hit a 23-month high of $13 billion in August as imports backed by rising domestic demand far outstripped exports, which were crimped by sluggish recovery in advanced markets, but it shrunk to $2.6 billion in December.

Trade Secretary Rahul Khullar has said that if global crude and commodity prices rise, the trade deficit in the January-March quarter could widen again. “I am happy with the 8.6 percent growth. But there are other concerns apart from GDP. My main concerns are inflation and the trade gap,” Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee told reporters.

In the fiscal year that ended last March, India’s GDP rose 8 percent, up from 6.7 percent in the fiscal year that ended in March 2009. India’s chief statistician, T C A. Anant, said rising global crude oil prices had put pressure on India’s fiscal deficit, although he expects the government to meet its target of keeping the fiscal deficit to 5.5 percent of GDP this fiscal year.Rising crude prices threaten to add to the government’s fuel-subsidy burden.

India’s expected GDP growth this fiscal year will be helped by a rebound in agriculture, which is expected to grow 5.4 percent on good monsoon rains after expanding by just 0.2 percent a year earlier following a severe drought.

The full-year outlook implies a slowdown in fiscal fourth-quarter growth to about 8 percent year-on-year, a four-quarter low, according to Dariusz Kowalczyk, an analyst at Credit Agricole-CIB in Hong Kong.

The expected January-March quarter moderation “would provide hope for slowdown in demand-pulled

NEW DELHI: Indian Minister for Commerce and Industry Anand Sharma (right) gestures while talking with US Commerce Secretary Gary Locke (second right) as US Ambassador to India Timothy J Roemer (second left) and FICCI President, Vice Chairman and Managing Director of Bharti Enterprises Rajan Bharti Mittal (left) look on during a meeting in New Delhi yesterday.

— AFP price pressures”, Kowalczyk said in a note. Bond yields, swap rates and the rupee were little changed after the release of the data yesterday.

The strong growth in agriculture is expected despite recent shortages in vegetables, such as onions and potatoes, which have led to high food inflation spilling into the broader economy.

India’s central bank, the Reserve Bank of India, has raised interest rates seven times since March, although monetary policy is expected to have only a limited impact on reining in supply-side driven food inflation. Rising interest rates, meanwhile, have taken a toll on manufacturing, which is expected to grow by 8.8 percent this fiscal year, down from nearly 11 percent growth a year earlier.

“You have to look at manufacturing, which at 8.8 per-

German industrial orders fall in Dec

BOJ seeks faster fiscal reform TOKYO: Japan’s central bank chief yesterday pressed the government to speed up fiscal reforms to ease the industrialized world’s largest debt, following a downgrade to the nation’s credit rating.

“Japan’s fiscal situation is of course in very bad shape,” Bank of Japan Governor Masaaki Shirakawa told reporters in Tokyo.

“As history shows, no country can continue to run fiscal deficits forever.”

Shirakawa said while the economy was showing signs of improvement, the euro-zone debt crisis served as a warning over what could ensue if appropriate fiscal reforms were not carried out.

“Once confidence in fiscal sustainability erodes, this will result in an adverse feedback loop among fiscal conditions, the financial system, and the real economy, with negative consequences for economic activity,” he said. “Improvement in the fiscal balance cannot be achieved without efforts to both reduce expenditures and increase revenues in real terms,” he added.

Last month Standard & Poor’s cut Japan’s credit rating one notch to “AA-” from “AA”, accusing the government of lacking a “coherent strategy” in efforts to ease the highest debt proportional to GDP of any developed nation.

It was the first downgrade of a G7 member since Italy in October 2006, and underlined mounting problems with national debts since the 2008 financial crisis. Four euro-zone members including Spain suffered downgrades last year.

Shirakawa noted that despite the downgrade, Japanese government bond yields remain stable because investors still expect Japan “ultimately has a strong will” to fulfil fiscal and tax reforms.

“To put it the other way around, Japan should appreciate and make every effort to maintain the confidence shown by markets while working on mid- to long-term fiscal consolidation,” he said.

A rapidly ageing population, entrenched deflation and a feeble economy have made it hard for lawmakers to curb borrowing, with years of pump priming creating a debt load that is well on course to exceed 200 percent of GDP. Nearly a third of government spending is being swallowed up by a social security system catering to a rapidly greying society, Standard & Poor’s warned, with that ratio set to rise without reforms as Japan continues to age.

Prime Minister Naoto Kan’s centre-left government has prioritized social security reform and an overhaul of the tax system, but the opposition has so far refused to begin talks over the issue.

The government has been able to fund its growing fiscal gap by raising money in the domestic market, with around 95 percent of the country’s huge debt held domestically via banks and pension schemes. Japan’s ability to finance its debt is therefore seen as sustainable for now, but analysts warn pressures will increase as the population ages and dips into savings to spend in retirement. Shirakawa also warned that pumping cash into the economy alone will not combat the nation’s deflation, saying “consistent monetary easing and efforts to strengthen the foundation for economic growth are essential.”

He said the BOJ would for now continue its “comprehensive monetary easing” package ranging from purchasing public and private debt to maintaining its key rate between zero and 0.1 percent. Shirakawa backed Kan’s push for the country to join a trans-Pacific free trade pact, which he described as “key importance for increasing the productivity of Japan’s economy.” Kan has advocated that Japan join the US-backed Trans-Pacific Partnership being debated by nine countries, but has faced harsh criticism from the country’s inefficient and ageing farm sector, which fears cheaper imports. —AFP

cent is beginning to show capacity constraints and price pressures, which could be a drag on growth going forward,” said N. Bhanumurthy, senior economist with the National Institute of Public Finance and Policy.

The manufacturing sector grew at 13 percent in the June quarter and nearly 10 percent in the September quarter, thanks to robust domestic demand, as India came out of the global financial crisis much faster than many other economies around the world. Core sectors in industry like mining and construction, which tend to reflect the health of the overall economy, are expected to grow at 6.2 percent in the current fiscal year. India’s industrial growth slumped to an 18-month low in November to 2.7 percent but PMI data in India showed manufacturing grew at a slightly faster pace in January. — Reuters

AWEIL: Southern Sudanese men stand in front of trucks loaded with goods to be sold in Aweil, the capital of Northern Bahr Al-Ghazal state. Like most south Sudanese, traders in the border states relish the prospect of cutting the umbilical cord with the north but face a daunting readjustment to survive the separation. — AFP

Sudan’s north-south trade under threat AWEIL, Sudan: Like most south Sudanese, traders in the border states relish the prospect of cutting the umbilical cord with the north but face a daunting readjustment to survive the separation.

Aweil is the capital of Northern Bahr al-Ghazal, one of the states flanking the future international border between Sudan’s north and south, and in recent years it has become a major hub for goods coming from the north. Uncertainty over relations between the two former foes if the south becomes a fully-fledged state in July, as well as unresolved issues in the peace agreement, leave question marks hanging over the future of cross-border trade. In Aweil market, the cost of sorghum has risen by around 50 percent in recent days. While a number of factors account for the hike, southern traders favor one explanation.

“The Arabs are trying to raise the prices because we are separating from them,” said Simon Athuar, 25, whose narrow shop in the bustling market stocks mainly sorghum, flour and sugar.

The temporary closure of a main north-south road due to insecurity, cuts in subsidies on some goods by the government in Khartoum and the seasonal food gap in the landlocked south also concurred to raise prices. Whether or not there is an element of retribution from the north over the south’s unequivocal decision to secede, southerners galvanized by the prospect of statehood vow they would rather rely on friendlier neighbors.

“If one day the road completely closes, we will open new trade routes with Kenya and Uganda...

We spent 21 years acquiring independence and we will stay here even if there is no food for a while,” Athuar said. The northern Arab traders still active in Aweil market speak prudently.

“We are comfortable here, we are just traders and not involved in politics,” said Ahmed Odouma, a northerner who sells sugar and other basic commodities. His colleague Yakub Faddal, who sells clothes, admits that times are changing and that while tens of thousands of southerners who had been based in the north are returning, he may well cross the border in the other direction.

“The decision made in the referendum was for all southerners. If they say they don’t want northerners here, we’ll just go,” he said. Most southern traders

from the dominant Dinka tribe argued that the political independence that south Sudan looks poised to achieve should also bring about an end to economic dependence. ‘We have food deficits’David Niang Mathiang runs the main filling station in Aweil. The fact that he is probably selling his customers southern oil that has been pumped to the north and sold back to him by Khartoum is an insult to his patriotism. “The pipeline is taking our oil to the north and in fact we don’t know what we’re getting, maybe the non-purified stuff while the good oil is sold off by Khartoum,” he said. “We need to make a plan, build our own pipeline, even if it takes years,” said the 34-year-old, sitting in his office under the portraits of south Sudan’s president Salva Kiir and the late rebel leader John Garang. The 2,000-kilometre (1,260 miles) north-south border is dotted with disputed areas and the mood in Northern Bahr al-Ghazal, not the worst flashpoint, is a sign that future cross-border exchanges could be limited. A scheme launched last year called “tamazuj”-Arabic for “intermingling” brought together governors on either side of the border and was designed to promote peaceful coexistence among border communities.

“Tamazuj was to promote Sudan’s unity. But now it is clear we are going to secede. As a scheme, Tamazuj is dead, the results of the referendum confirm it,” said Ronald Ruay Deng, the state’s finance minister. He acknowledged the inter-dependence between the southern Dinka tribes and the Misseriya Arabs across the border.

“We will need each other. We need goods from the north and the Misseriya need their cows to graze here,” he told AFP in Aweil. While Ruay Deng insisted he wanted trade to continue, he said his state should not take any chances and would develop its own productivity to recover its status at south Sudan’s breadbasket. “The crop Aweil is famous for is rice... The state used to feed the whole of south Sudan. But the rice mills are outdated, nothing has been done because of the war and we have to start from square one,” he said. “Why should we buy all our products from the north when we have the potential to make our own industry? We also have agriculture, we can develop livestock, we have oil in block E,” the official said. —AP

BERLIN: German industrial orders fell an unexpectedly sharp 3.4 percent during December, due mainly to a large drop in demand for capital goods from non-euro-zone countries, the Economy Ministry reported yesterday.

Domestic industrial orders in December dropped 2.4 percent when adjusted for price changes and seasonal factors, while foreign orders dropped 4.2 percent.

Orders from within the euro-zone rose 3.7 percent, however, while outside the 17-nation bloc they fell 8.9 percent, the ministry said.

The drop followed a robust 5.2 percent overall rise in industrial orders in November over the previous month, and ING economist Carsten Brzeski said it was partially an expected correction.

“Today’s drop is mainly a reversal of the November surge, which was driven by several one-off factors: some big-ticket orders from abroad and the fact that domestic orders benefited from the expiration of the declining balance depreciation option which brought forward investment in capital goods,” he said in a research note. The Economy Ministry noted that the combined November/December period showed an adjusted rise in orders of 4.4 percent over the September/October period. Germany’s economic recovery has made it a standout among the 17 countries that use the euro currency. The central bank has forecast the economy will grow by 3.6 percent in 2010 and 2 percent this year. The number of jobless, meanwhile, has fallen to about 3 million. Even with the drop over November, orders in December were up 22.3 percent compared with a year earlier, when the financial crisis had plunged the country into its deepest postwar recession.

Brzeski noted the rise in euro-zone orders in December as a good sign, showing that despite fiscal austerity in the bloc there is still robust demand for German goods. “Looking ahead, the strong momentum of new orders of the last two years should normalize in the coming months,” he said. “However, the positive trend is unlikely to reverse. With a pickup in domestic investment and the strengthening of the US economy, the German industry should get enough fuel to continue running smoothly.” —AP

FREITAL: Jens Noack grinds a piece of metal in the Edelstahl Freital steel company in Freital, eastern Germany. The Economy Ministry said yesterday German industrial orders fell an unexpectedly high 3.4 percent in December over the previous month.—AP

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TECHNOLOGY

Travel apps help you stay on schedule and in touch LONDON: Where the fast-paced worlds of travel and technology meet, smart phone applications provide travellers with better control over their hectic schedules. Though ash clouds, extreme weather and stringent security measures have cast their fair share of travel gloom, apps on smartphones which help users save time when booking flights; provide constant updates on flight status; allow internet access when on the hoof; and provide detailed maps and weather updates are a ray of sunshine for business travellers. Here is a list of four apps aimed at business travel: Tripit: An interactive app that ensures your travel information is never far from your fingertips.

Email your particulars to Tripit (www.tripit.com/uhp/blackberry) and it will generate a detailed itinerary (maps, weather updates, images). Plans tend to change unexpectedly: it’s easy to alter hotel/restaurants/cafÈ reservations and client meetings on the go. Tripit provides realtime updates to your calendar and even creates directions from the airport to the hotel, etc... All addresses and telephone numbers you need are generated in your itinerary. Networking addicts will enjoy a social component: “Who’s Close” is associated to LinkedIn and allows you to sync your address book to find contacts close to where you are. AllSubway HD: For those of us who regularly experience rising panic

when racing against time to get to a meeting on foreign transport links, this app helps takes the edge off. Comprising 115 subway maps from city hubs worldwide, AllSubway (http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/allsubwayhd/id376025304?mt=8>) provides a detailed map of the underground system along with the ability to zoom in and out.

While this makes for a simple navigation tool, the app is not interactive. FlightTrack: Say farewell to your travel agent; this app supports the frequent business traveller pre-flight with speedy updates and user-friendly layout. Access detailed information on flights covering more than 4,000 airports and 1,400 airlines. FlightTrack

(http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/id296240199?mt =8,) boasts alternative routes, includes real-time updates on departure and arrival times, and maps the flight route. Users can also sync timings with their calendar.

Boingo: A service-provider app which enables unlimited Wi-Fi at selected airports, hotels, restaurants, coffee shops and other venues in more than 200,000 hotspots worldwide. Boingo (http://mobile.boingo.com/download/index.php) is useful for frequent business travellers, who can stay connected without having to deal with roaming fees at popular meet-and-greet venues across the planet. Users can select from various plans depending on required usage. — Reuters

Video shows Cuban fears of Internet, social media US subversion attempts have moved to Internet

Sgt. Jeff Egge runs the Crime Analysis Unit. Using crime data and software, his team is able to point out hotspots where crime is likely to occur. — MCT

Targeting the next crime MINNEAPOLIS: Ryan Hughes, a young, spiky-haired computer analyst for the Minneapolis Police Department, pulls up a map of the Twin Cities on his screen.

“Here, here, here,” he begins, pointing to six red dots. Each marks a robbery probably committed by the same man. “And here,” Hughes continues, pointing to a dot just northeast of Minneapolis, “is where I predicted he would go next.”

Simple as a crime map, seemingly as far-fetched as ESP, such scenes are becoming more common. Police departments from Minneapolis to Los Angeles are turning to the emerging science of using recent crime data to predict where criminals will strike next.

The potentially revolutionary step could fundamentally alter the nature of police work.

The idea is that everyone, even criminals, are creatures of habit. With enough information about past crimes, it’s possible to forecast their future target.

“We usually look at the last week and say, ‘This is what happened in the last week,’ “ said Minneapolis Chief Tim Dolan. “Well we’ve added to that, saying, ‘This is what we think’s going to happen next week.’ “ That kind of thinking has just begun in Minneapolis, but Dolan says it’s already paid off in north and southwest Minneapolis, areas that led the city last year in reducing overall crime rates.

The strategy looks slightly different everywhere it’s used, but predictive policing relies mainly on a police department’s ability to accumulate deep databases of crime information that detail time, location, methods and numerous other bits of revealing data.

Crunched by a computer analyst, the numbers reveal patterns.

That’s the task facing a crew of five such crime analysts who work out of a second floor office in City Hall. Every day, they pore over recent crime data, slicing it different ways and sometimes using software to crunch it further. If a pattern emerges, they mark it down for consideration on an internal crime map that gets passed along to the chief for his weekly meeting with top inspectors and lieutenants. A handful of police departments around the country have spent tens of thousands of dollars on more advanced software, or are working with university researchers and technology companies on algorithms to help them spot crime trends. It’s akin to predicting where an earthquake’s aftershocks will be felt, says a Santa Clara University mathematician developing formulas for such police work.

As for Hughes’ prediction of where the Minneapolis robber would strike next? It was made using free software distributed by the National Institute of Justice. The software examines the location and timing of each crime to draw its conclusions. The estimate of the robber’s next target turned out to be a mile off. But in the world of crime prediction, that’s still counted as a success _ the kind of information that could put a patrol car close to the action.

Hughes, who hopes the Minneapolis department will eventually use more high-powered software for predictive policing, said that his maps have accurately predicted the locations of 45 percent of the city’s violent crime. “I have a better batting average than Joe Mauer,” Hughes said. To better understand predictive policing, consider the Pop-Tarts story.

Businesses such as Wal-Mart have long anticipated customers’ needs based on weather and time of year.

Coastal stores knew that as hurricanes approached, customers stocked up on bottled water and duct tape. Those things made sense, but looking more closely at customer data and comparing it to weather patterns, analysts at WalMart noticed that customers anticipating a hurricane also bought more strawberry Pop-Tarts.

It’s the sort of anecdote that the emerging industry of predictive policing embraces because it shows how analyzing data can turn up surprises, things that can be used to predict future behavior.

The promise of doing the same thing with crime has prompted some large police departments such as Los Angeles to invest in partnerships with university researchers to devise predictive algorithms or formulas. As exotic as it sounds, it’s just the next step in the changing world of police work, said William Bratton, the celebrated former chief of police in Los Angeles and New York City.

“It’s really the continuation of the evolution of policing,” Bratton said.

Starting in the 1990s, when police began using crime reports to identify hot spots, the focus has been on putting police officers near high-crime areas. Putting laptops in squad cars and publishing crime maps helped shorten response time. Now, police departments can quickly analyze a lot of crime data to spot crime trends as they’re occurring.

“So after two or three incidents we can put a stop to it instead of waiting for 20 or 30,” said Bratton, who now works as an independent security consultant. “This is potentially labor-saving,” he said. “That’s very important because as we’re going into very tough times with public financing, it’s going to become more and more critical.”

The hope is that predictive policing will help supplant random patrolling, which studies have shown doesn’t work well. “It’s not enough to send people out and expect that they will have an impact on crime,” said Chuck Wexler, executive director of the Police Executive Research Forum in Washington.

Minneapolis police estimate that half of the city’s most serious crime takes place on 6 percent of its land area.

Many of the worst areas are under video surveillance, as the city expands its use of closed circuit cameras. But even within those high crime areas, there might be a few blocks that are particularly rough on any given week, said Sgt. Jeff Egge, the head of the department’s Crime Analysis Unit. His staff of five analysts make predictions by printing color-coded maps that show blocks or small sectors where they expect crimes such as burglary, robbery and aggravated assaults. The techniques are less effective for “episodic” crimes such as homicide, which are more random. The strategy adds a predictive element to the department’s CODEFOR program, begun in 1998 to map the city’s crime hot spots. “ When we started CODEFOR, we looked at where crime occurred last week,” said Deputy Chief Rob Allen.

“What we’ve asked people to do is to focus more on where we anticipate crime is going to occur next week.

We’ve made it sort of future-oriented rather than assuming the same patterns will continue.” —MCT

HAVANA: Cuba fears the United States is encouraging dissent through social media such as Facebook and Twitter with the goal of toppling the government, according to the video of what appears a meeting of Cuban officials posted on websites this week. The 50minute video apparently is a presentation given by an Internet expert to officials of Cuba’s Interior Ministry last June. A link to the video at http://vimeo.com/19402730 was posted on several blogs, including that of Cuban antigovernment blogger Yoani Sanchez, and on the website of the Miami Herald. It is not known how the video was obtained.

The expert, whose identity is not disclosed, told the officials the United States is promoting use of Facebook and Twitter to foment dissent similar to ways it was used in insurrections in the Ukraine in 2004 and in Iran in 2010. He also said the US government is financing the introduction into Cuba of satellite communications equipment to create

secret points of WiFi access. In communist-led Cuba, Internet access is limited and content largely controlled by the government.

The lecturer mentioned US aid contractor Alan Gross, who has been detained since December 2009 on suspicions he illegally supplied satellite phones to Jewish groups for Internet access. Gross is described in the video as a “mercenary.” “The idea is to create a technological platform away from control of Cuban authorities that permits the free flow of communication between Cuban citizens selected by (Cuban enemies) and the world,” he said. Cuba said on Friday that Gross, 61, will face trial soon on charges of crimes against the security of the state and that prosecutors would seek a 20-year sentence in the case that has been a stumbling block for U.S-Cuba relations.

The lecturer said the US-supplied satellite equipment seeks to spread the voice of a new wave of anti-government bloggers such as

Sanchez. “A virtual network of mercenaries is organizing that are not the traditional counter-revolution. We are talking about young people, people who can have an attractive discourse, young people who hang out with our children and our brothers,” the expert said.

He said the United States is dedicating more money to finance “cyber dissidents” than to the island’s traditional opponents.

According to a US State Department cable obtained by WikiLeaks and published in December, Washington is losing confidence in the older dissidents and giving more credence to bloggers and intellectuals. In the video, the expert said Cuba should try to neutralize the dissident bloggers by countering with its own. “ Being a blogger is not bad. They have their bloggers and we have ours. We’re going to fight to see which of the two turns out stronger,” he said. — Reuters

Teen crisis: Should they friend parents on Facebook?

WASHINGTON: It’s become an increasingly familiar cry among teens and young adults: “(NUTS)! _ my parents are on Facebook!”

As the world’s biggest socialnetworking site continues to grow, parents are joining _ and invariably asking the kids to include them in their circle of online friends.

Many young people are horrified at the idea of parents seeing their posts _ which may include racy photos or talk about who they’re dating.

“I don’t want my mom asking me about everything I say on Facebook,” said 15-year-old Evie Petersen, who is ignoring her mother ’s most recent friend request. The Fresno, Calif., teen isn’t alone.

A survey released this month

by Kaplan Test Prep on social networking trends found that more than a third of teens whose parents are on Facebook have not agreed to friend them. Of this group, nearly 40 percent had simply ignored their parent’s request, leaving them in Facebook limbo.

The decision to friend a parent isn’t always voluntary: Sixteen percent of those who did so reported that it was a condition of parental approval for starting a Facebook page.

Where to draw the line is a digital-age dilemma that has spawned humorous websites, newspaper columns and a recent skit on “Saturday Night Live”

about solutions to parental friending.

But the issue also is sparking serious discussions in more households as older adults, many with children, join the ranks of Facebook’s 500 million users. The 35-54 age group is the fastestgrowing demographic and now represents some 30 percent of the entire user base, according to iStrategyLabs, which tracks social networking trends.

Parents may think it’s a harmless way to keep up with what their children are up to. After all, child-safety advocates advise parents to keep tabs of their children’s online activity.

But teens are likely to view their parent’s Facebook friending request as unnecessary prying into their personal lives.

When they tell parents their Facebook pages are off-limits, teens are drawing a line in the sand and asserting their independence, said Kristen Campbell, executive director of Kaplan’s college prep programs. “ They want to control their personal and private lives,” she said. “It’s something that parents should not take personally.”

But that’s not easy to do, said Gretta Petersen, mother of Evie, a Bullard High School sophomore who has friended her twice _ only to unfriend her later.

“I think at some level you can’t help but take it personally,” Petersen said. It’s kind of like,

Evie Petersen, left, likes having friends on Facebook, but doesn’t especially want her mother, Gretta Petersen, right, to be one of them. Evie has friended, unfriended, refriended and then unfriended her mom. — MCT what don’t you want me to know about you? You start making assumptions. But, on the other hand, they are at the point in their lives where they are starting to assert their independence.”

Evie said her mom insisted on being included among her Facebook friends, and she agreed.

But, realizing she didn’t want her mom seeing everything she and her friends discussed and photos they posted, Evie unfriended her.

Then, she felt guilty and refriended her mother — only to give her the boot again.

Gretta Petersen hadn’t committed the cardinal sin of posting messages on Evie’s Facebook page. “But she looks at my stuff

sometimes and says things like, ‘You shouldn’t be using that language,’” Evie said.

Petersen said Evie doesn’t use foul language on her page, but she partially spells out expletives, substituting symbols for letters. “I don’t comment on her page, but I will tell her, ‘you need to clean up your language.’”

Although her daughter has shut her out, Petersen has other options: she’s been friended on Facebook by some of Evie’s friends — including her best friend, Mar y Taylor — which allows her an occasional glimpse into their lives. On Facebook, posts sometimes can be viewed second-hand. — MCT

Nokia gets delayed E7 mobile phone in some stores this week HELSINKI: Nokia, the world’s leading mobile phone maker, said yesterday that its new E7 business smartphone, whose release had been delayed from the end of 2010, will be on sale in “select markets” this week.

The E7 “will begin arriving in stores in select markets this week, with broader availability building up quickly in several markets,” the company said in a statement.

The E7 runs the high-end Symbian3 operating system and is heir to the long lineage of Communicator-model business handsets which were first released in 1996 and later evolved into the E-series.

“Importantly, the device supports business applications from leading enterprise technology

partners including Microsoft and IBM,” the company said. The phone features a large

screen, a full keyboar, and mobile office software developed for Nokia by Microsoft, although its camera is a step down from the N8’s much-praised Carl Zeiss lens.

The E7 was unveiled last September at the Nokia World event in London.

Nokia has come under intense pressure as it has lost market share to rivals in the key smartphone market, with both Standard and Poor’s and Moody ’s threatening recently to downgrade the company’s credit ratings unless it did better.

Nokia’s 2010 fourth quarter beat expectations but its net profit of 745 million euros ($1.02 billion) was down steeply from 948 million euros a year earlier as sales gained six percent to 12.65 billion euros. — AFP

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2011

H E A LT H & S C I E N C E

Heavy drinking bad for health NEW YORK: If you have a heavy drinker in your life, your own health and well-being could suffer as a result, according to a New Zealand study. The survey of more than 3,000 people, reported in “Addiction,” showed that people with a family member, friend or colleague who drank heavily generally gave lower ratings to their own health and well-being.

Compared to people who didn’t have heavy drinkers in their lives, they also did less well on on standard measures of general health-such as chronic pain, anxiety and depression symptomsand had lower overall satisfaction with life.

The average affect was similar to what’s been seen in studies of people caring for somebody with

a disability, said lead researcher Sally Casswell, at Massey University in Auckland, New Zealand.

“There is a relationship between exposure to heavy drinkers and reduced personal well-being and poorer health status in this cross-sectional general population sample,” she wrote.

“Exposure to heavy drinkers may have negative impacts for others.” Casswell acknowledged, however, that the findings do not prove that being around a heavy drinker was the root of study participants’ problems, noting that the study is just “a snapshot at one point in time.”

“So...some other explanation is possible,” she told Reuters Health by e-mail, adding that people with poorer well-being may be more likely to

attract heavy drinkers into their lives.

In addition, people who know heavy drinkers might drink heavily themselves, tend to be less educated or have lower incomes. But none of these explained the findings.

The new study included 3,038 12- to 80-yearolds who were asked whether they had any heavy drinkers in their life. “Heavy drinking” was not defined but was left to participants to define.

Overall, about one in three said they had at least one heavy drinker in their life in the past year. Most often, it was a friend, family member or partner, but in some cases it was someone at work.

Not surprisingly, people who actually lived with a heavy drinker had the lowest scores on

measures of general health and personal wellbeing. But even people with relatively minor exposure to heavy drinkers, such as those with a co-worker or a more-distant relative who drank, generally reported lower satisfaction than people who had no heavy drinkers in their life. In contrast to research on families with a member in treatment for alcohol problems, she said, “what the current study does is get more of a sense of the size of the problem across an entire population.” She added that this should be considered in debates about polices aimed at heavy drinking, such as raising the price of alcohol or stricter enforcement of drunk driving laws and minimum drinking age. — Reuters

Gene insights lead to a risky treatment Mother believes in ‘signs and wonders’ MILWAUKEE: For the first time in the three years of Nicholas Volker’s illness, his mother dreams of the word she cannot say. In the dream, her 5-year-old, the little boy who calls himself “Batman,” lies on the ground. There is a smile on his face. His blue eyes are closed. The heat is stifling and a boy and girl stand over Nicholas pointing down and holding their noses. Amylynne Santiago Volker keeps trying to wake her son, gripping his shoulders, crying his name over and over. “I can still hear myself screaming,” she writes in her journal. “I hope and pray this is just my mind playing tricks on me.”

MANILA: A Cebu Pacific Air plane passes behind buildings before it lands at the Manila International Airport in Manila yesterday. Planes operating at the Philippines’ main airport are facing a growing danger from waterbirds descending there after losing nearby swamps to development, authorities said. Airlines complained last month to the Manila International Airport Authority about the worsening problem of birds flying into planes, said Alex Cariaga, head of the airport’s ground operations safety division. — AFP

Displaced birds disrupt Philippine planes MANILA: Planes operating at the Philippines’ main airport are facing a growing danger from waterbirds descending there after losing nearby swamps to development, authorities said yesterday. Airlines complained last month to the Manila International Airport Authority about the worsening problem of birds flying into planes, Alex Cariaga, head of the airport’s ground operations safety division.

He said the Airline Operators Council, a group representing all carriers that serve Manila airport, said there had been 23 incidents in which birds were sucked up into jet engines last year. The so-called “bird strikes”, which could cause a plane to crash, was up from just nine in 2009, Cariaga told AFP. However there had been no major incident yet due to the bird strikes. Cariaga said the problem appeared to worsen after developers reclaimed some small lagoons near the airport runway last year to build warehouses.

“We thought it was a good thing because we expected the birds to move elsewhere,” he said. However the birds, mainly egrets, instead moved to the grassy areas beside the runway to hunt frogs, grasshoppers, lizards and other prey.

Cariaga said pilots frequently contacted the control tower for help whenever they saw birds wandering onto the runway.

He said the airport’s 15-member ground safety team has to then scramble to the runway with noisemaking equipment to scare off the birds. The Philippines is a key pit-stop on the East Asian-Australasian flyway, in which enormous numbers of birds fly between the northern and southern hemispheres to escape cold weather. Apart from the migratory birds, Cariaga said the team also had to deal with domesticated pigeons that were raised by surrounding communities.

“These pigeons would descend in large flocks. We have asked the local governments to discourage residents from raising birds, but truth to tell, there is no ordinance right now that bans the practice,” he said. — AFP

The mother, a practicing Christian, believes in what she calls “signs and wonders.” She pays attention to dreams, the sermons at church, the animals and scenery that catch her eye as she jogs. During her son’s long stays at Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin, she has prayed and fasted and slept beside him. She has not used “the ‘D’ word” and has bristled at the doctors who have. So when the dream visits her in June of this year, on the eve of an important, but risky, treatment for Nicholas, it unsettles her to the core.

Nicholas has spent much of his life in the hospital, at times near death from a mysterious illness that attacks his gut. But a powerful new technology has allowed scientists to sequence his DNA, pinpoint the mutation causing his disease and arrive at an answer to the mystery. A partial answer.

Sequencing revealed a more complex picture than the doctors at the Medical College of Wisconsin and Children’s Hospital had suspected. The slightest mutation in a single gene has left Nicholas with not one, but two extremely rare, life-threatening illnesses. One of them, called XLP, is an inherited immune system disorder that affects fewer than one in a million children. Found on the X chromosome, the disease strikes only boys and is usually fatal, rendering them unable to survive one of the most common human viruses, Epstein-Barr. Although Nicholas’ specific mutation has never been seen before, it affects the same protein impaired in the other boys with XLP. His second disease, the gut illness marked by holes that pierce the intestine and skin, has never been identified until now. Nicholas is the first known case in medical history.

A bone marrow transplant should treat XLP; doctors do not know whether it will remedy the gut disease.

The transplant will be a dangerous time for Nicholas. His old immune system must be wiped out using powerful chemotherapy drugs. His body could reject the cells that will build the new immune system. Even if his body accepts the cells, it will take time to create the new system and, in the interim, he will be vulnerable to any infection or virus.

The diseases could end his life; so could the treatment.

Nicholas Volker’s name is unknown beyond his family, friends and medical staff, but his case has reached some of the world’s elite geneticists. His sequencing, one of the first to result in a diagnosis, is hailed by some as a demonstration of what the Human Genome Project made possible a decade ago. The Wisconsin scientists who decoded Nicholas’ DNA are writing up the case for a medical journal. In late March, David Dimmock, a Children’s Hospital genetics specialist, described the work at a meeting of the American College of Medical Genetics in Albuquerque, N.M. Dimmock explained the extensive search that took scientists from a list of more than 16,000 variations — departures from the normal genetic sequence — to the single one responsible for the boy’s illness.

“It’s thrilling to see that this has come around as a real consequence so soon because it took us the better part of 13 years to sequence the first human genome,” said Francis Collins, director of the National Institutes of Health, who learned of Dimmock’s presentation later.

“To now find, just a few years later, that it’s possible to apply this in a medical situation and come up with an answer to a puzzling disorder of a child, is really remarkable and very gratifying.” Studies in late 2009 and early 2010 at Yale University, the University of Washington and other schools have shown success using the technique employed with Nicholas: sequencing not the whole genome, but a little more than 1 percent of it called the exons. Exons, part of every gene, contain the instructions for making proteins. Failure to make proteins correctly leads to many diseases.

These successes have come as scientists take stock of the genome project a decade after it gave us the first draft of our genetic blueprint. The accomplishment has spawned

Amylynne Santiago Volker, left, and daughters Mariah and Kristen try to calm Nicholas, who was feeling the effects of his chemotherapy at Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin. Nicholas has a rare, mysterious disease marked by holes that develop between his intestine and skin. — MCT

research into the genetic roots of diseases and commercial tests that reveal whether our individual mutations increase the risk of various ailments. But the project has yet to bring about profound changes in medicine, such as cures for common illnesses or the sequencing-at-birth of babies.

Scientists are learning that heart disease and other common illnesses appear to involve the interaction of several or even many genetic mutations, as well as diet, exercise and environmental factors. Sequencing offers simpler medical answers when it comes to rare inherited diseases such as those confronting Nicholas.

In his request to sequence the boy’s DNA back in 2009, pediatrician Alan Mayer wrote, “a diagnosis soon could save his life and truly showcase personalized genomic medicine.”

Doctors have reached a diagnosis and showcased genomic medicine. Now, they must hope what they’ve learned can save Nicholas’ life. Allowing their son’s DNA to be sequenced was an easy decision for Sean and Amylynne Volker.

The aftermath has been proving more difficult.

Amylynne aches with the knowledge that she passed the ruinous mutation to Nicholas. Her extended family struggles, too. The mutation is a genetic shadow hanging over them all and over their children. It is like a sealed envelope no one wants to open. To date, no other members of Amylynne’s family have been tested for the mutation.

Even using the genetic information to treat Nicholas has not been as straightforward as the Volkers once imagined.

They have not rushed to proceed with the bone marrow transplant. After being hospitalized last Christmas, Nicholas recovered and came home. Late in March, the Make-A-Wish Foundation flew the family to Las Vegas, where Nicholas watched the monster truck world finals and met Batman. At school, he ran and climbed with the other children in gym class. In their Monona home, he roughhoused with Dad and bossed around his three big sisters.

To the Volkers, the days outside the hospital were a joy.

Still, all of Nicholas’ food came through a tube. He longed for a bite of steak or pizza, but real food seemed to spur on the disease in his digestive system. The disease was the reason a short piece of intestine jutted from his stomach,

diverting waste into a bag. Nicholas prayed for this nub of intestine to go back inside him, for his stomach to close up and for everything to be as it was before he got sick.

Conflicted as they were, the Volkers had signed the consent forms for the transplant. By mid-June, the day was almost upon them. “This is the best he’s been,” Sean said, admitting to second thoughts. “It’s just so hard when he’s so healthy and you’re going to make him sick again.”

On the morning after Amylynne’s dream, the Volkers drive to Damascus Road Church, which sits in a small strip mall in Madison. It is Father’s Day and Sean Volker carries his only son, slumped over his shoulder, into the church. The boy has spent each of the last three Father’s Days in the hospital. The Volkers would like to spend this one anywhere else.

But Nicholas’ face is ashen. His eyes keep closing. Dressed as usual in his Batman cape, the child appears bound for Children’s Hospital once more — a day too soon. The next morning, Nicholas is due at the hospital to begin preparations for the transplant. As the service opens, Amylynne stands, hands outstretched, eyes closed. Sean sits, Nicholas’ head buried in his chest. Family friend Dan Peck asks the congregation of 100 to pray for the Volkers. The family comes forward and Amylynne describes what Nicholas is facing.

“Pray against complications,” she asks. “Pray that the new immune system will take, because Nic ... “ Her voice falters.

Friends surround the family, stretching their hands over Nicholas’ head as he rests in his father’s arms. A red spotlight bathes the child and the arms reaching toward him.

“We have your favor and we know that, God,” prays Joseph Steinke, co-founder of this church in the Protestant evangelical tradition. “But we live in this broken and disrupted, unhealthy world. ... Jesus, we’re asking you to come and to place your hand on little Nic, and would you just guide him through this next week.” When the prayer finishes, the Volkers depart. Within an hour, Nicholas’ fever passes. For once, the family avoids spending Father’s Day at the hospital. They enjoy an afternoon of mini-golf. That night Nicholas cannot sleep. Put your arm around me, he tells his mom.—MCT

Arctic fishing under-reported

WASHINGTON: This combination of file photos shows Giant Pandas Mei Xiang (L) and Tian Tian enjoying treats in their habitat at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Zoo in Washington, DC. The doors to the outside world were closed, the lights dimmed. Video cameras angled down from multiple locations, and a couple dozen onlookers watched intently.

The two giant pandas at the National Zoo were about to have their first date in a year. — AFP

VANCOUVER: The amount of fish caught in the Arctic has been dramatically under-reported for decades, making the northern ocean environment appear far more pristine than it really is, according to a new study. An estimated 950,000 tonnes of fish were caught in Russian, Canadian and US Arctic waters between 1950 and 2006, which is 75 times higher than reported by the United Nation’s agency that records catch levels, according to Canadian researchers.

Ineffective reporting “has given us a false sense of comfort that the Arctic is still a pristine frontier when it comes to fisheries,” lead researcher Dirk Zeller of the University of British Columbia said in a written statement. The results of the study were published this week in the journal Polar Biology.

The researchers said they collected data on fish catches from a variety of sources in the region, including those kept by indigenous people, and compared it to what was reported to the UN’s Food and

Agriculture Organization. The researchers estimate that, between 1950 and 2006, 89,000 tonnes of fish were caught in Alaskan coastal waters in the Arctic and 94,000 tonnes in Canadian waters, but neither Canada nor the United States supplied that data to the UN. An estimated 770,000 tonnes of fish were caught in Russian waters off Siberia, far above the 12,700 tonnes reported by the United Nations, according to the study. The researchers said that most Arctic conservation efforts concentrate on protecting animal such as seals and polar bears, and they warned that the marine mammals will not survive if the rest of the region’s ecosystem is neglected.

The researchers said the problems could become worse if climate change pushes more fish into polar waters and melting sea ice allows greater access by the world’s fishing fleets. Researchers at the university issued a study in December warning that global fleets were running out of fishing grounds, and the waters of the Arctic and Antarctic were among the few areas remaining for exploitation. — Reuters

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H E A LT H

In Kenya khat makes middlemen rich, not growers MERU: Here around Meru in central Kenya life revolves around the cultivation of khat, a plant with narcotic properties, to such an extent that it has altered the social fabric of local communities.

In Muringene, some 300 kilometres (186 miles) north of Nairobi, the locals live both thanks to khat, or miraa as it is called here, and for the sake of consuming khat.

Most of what they produce is exported to Somalia, where it has been used for centuries mainly by men, or to Britain, which has what is thought to be the largest Somali community in the global diaspora from the war-wracked country.

Several million euros of khat leave the region each year but the paradox, according to the Catholic charity Caritas active here, is the business has had little impact on the villages’ standard of living.

“Despite the money from the miraa, the area is very poor. The miraa money doesn’t trickle down into the households,” the nongovernment organisation’s social development director Joseph M’Eruaki told AFP. The main reason he puts forward is that the farmers have no influence over khat prices, which are fixed by a handful of Kenyans and Somalis. Given how lucrative the crop is, children of barely 10 are dropping out of school in large numbers to pick khat. “They make easy money on the farms and wonder why they should ‘waste their time’ in school,” M’Eruaki said.

The working day runs from 6 am to 9 am.

“When they’ve finished they hang around for the rest of the day, chewing miraa,” he said. And the money earned early morning has normally gone by evening and, judging by the levels of malnutrition in the region, does not make its way into household food budgets. Caritas has also voiced concern about the problems attached to having khat as the sole crop and tries to convince farmers to branch out in order to protect themselves from price fluctuations.

The green hills of this region-Kenya’s main khat-growing hub-are covered with medium-sized trees from which growers pluck new shoots as often as once a month.

Tied into small bunches and often wrapped in banana leaves and then plastic to keep the moisture in and its main active ingredient-cathinone-potent, the shoots will be

Mammogram avoidance studied

NAIROBI: A trader holds on January 24, 2011 bunches of khat or miraa as it is called locally in Meru, some 300 kms north of Nairobi. Around Meru in central Kenya, life revolves around the cultivation of khat, a plant with stimulant properties, to such an extent that it has altered the social fabric of local communities. — AFP

chewed carefully one by one to release the cathinone and the second active ingredient, cathine. ‘Slaves on their own land’-Khat is banned from import to the United States and many European countries, though it is still legal in Britain-where the government has expressed concern in studies on khat use among the Somali population and health and social consequences.

Here, however, referring to khat as a drug will at best draw furious denials and a few insults. Locals say miraa is “just like coffee” - a stimulant. And indeed, as well as suppressing hunger-a property that made it very popular with nomads heading out into deserted arid areas with their livestock, the bitter miraa shoots enable the user to stay up all night without feeling fatigue and it can be compared to a mild amphetamine.

But 48 hours after being harvested, miraa loses all its effects, a factor that leads to a constant race against the clock to deliver it to the end user.

Collected at dawn and quickly packed, the miraa is piled onto the back of mototaxis and ferried at top speed to the nearest collection centre. There young day labourers scuffle to be the first to get their hands on the bundles and pile them onto gleaming pickups, lined up and engine already running in preparation for a speedy departure.

As soon as a pickup is full it races off to Nairobi with a total disregard for bumps, potholes and other traffic. The miraa is either sold the same day in Eastleigh, Nairobi’s Somali quarter, or crammed into small planes to be flown to Somalia out of the capital’s domestic airport Wilson. An intermedi-

ary who asked not to be named explained that one pick-up can transport 100,000 euros ($136,000) worth of khat, and 50 trucks head out of the region every day. With stakes that high, in the event of an accident, sending a new vehicle to pick up the load takes precedence over getting medical help for the driver. In recent years the men who handled the transport side of the sector have also broadened their activities to production and have managed to put in place what amounts to a system of sharecropper tenants. Now, “many people in the region are slaves on their own land,” said M’Eruaki.

Caritas has launched a sensitisation programme to counter the harmful effects of the khat, and said already several dozen small growers have started planting cereal and vegetables between their trees. — AFP

COLUMBIA: Women under 60 may be too busy for mammograms; obese women may avoid them because of pain, according to a study that involves the health records of Vancouver-area Kaiser members.

The study by Kaiser Permanente researchers was one of the largest to explore why women who have health insurance put off getting mammograms.

Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women in the United States, claiming about 46,000 lives annually. About one in eight women develop breast cancer during their lifetimes.

Although regular mammograms can reduce breast cancer deaths by more than 30 percent, nearly one-third of eligible women do not get regular screenings.

“Even though we know that mammograms can save lives, many women put them off,” said study lead author Dr. Adrianne Feldstein, a physician and senior investigator with the Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research in north Portland. “Our study found that, even when women have access to health care, there are still barriers to getting this important screening test. We need to do more to understand these barriers and help women overcome them.” The study looked at 4,708 women from 50 to 69 years old who are Kaiser Permanente members in Oregon and Washington. Using Kaiser’s extensive medical records, researchers were able to correlate mammogram schedules with physical and demographic information, including height and weight, age, race, length of time on the health plan and family income.

About 20 percent of the members of Kaiser Permanente Northwest live in Clark County.

The study released this week is an extension of a 2009 report that looked at a reminder system of postcards and telephone calls to get women into mammogram appointments. The women in this study, published online this week in the Journal of Women’s Health, had gone longer than 20 months since their last mammogram.

“Even with an aggressive reminder program, we found that even though response rates for mammograms increased, they didn’t get as high as we had hoped,” Feldstein said.

In this analysis, researchers found that lower mammogram rates were associated with being younger than 60, having a household income of less than $40,000, being obese, and having had health insurance for less than five years. — MCT

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Members of the International Women’s Group at the event on Sunday at Radisson Blu — Photos by Joseph Shagra

IWG President Ira Malhotra (centre) with members of the group.

IWG holds presentation on occasion of holidays

By Nisreen Zahreddine KUWIAT: Celebrating fifty years of independence, twenty years of liberation, and five years of the Amir’s rule, the International Women’s Group held a presentation titled ‘Kuwaiti Culture and Traditions as a Living Identity.’ The presentation was made by Dr Saleh AlNajada, Head of Interior Design Department at the College of Basic Education.

In his presentation, Al-Najada focused on the history of Kuwait and living traditions, how Kuwaitis use cultural traditions that are maritime and desert related, in terms of current buildings and house designs. He mentioned some important dates such as 1650 when Qurain fort was built by Mohammad Basqah and the establishment of old Kuwait back in 1672 by a prince from Bani Khalid tribe.

Al-Najadah explained how women wash their clothes on the beach and walk a distance to collect water. This means of transport was made possible through donkeys and bicycles. People were not wealthy then. The aim, he explained, was to try and keep some old features of history alive these days.

Ira Malhotra, President of the International Women’s Group praised AlNajadah’s presentation by saying that he had connected the old with the new in a way that attendees could journey back in time.

IWG President Ira Malhotra honoring Dr. Ali Saleh Al-Najada at the event on Sunday.

Hearts, flowers & Valentine’s Day at Movenpick Al Bida’a Kuwait

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Love is in the air at Kuwait’s premier beachside resort this February. A touch of romance graces Movenpick Hotel & Resort Al Bida’a this February with a special dinner on the Valentine’s Day - February 14th -and spa offers throughout the month.

Simon Sperling, the Executive Chef of the resort, announced a romantic buffet in Breeze Restaurant on the year’s dreamiest day. “We are preparing an enticingly romantic menu this year,” he said, “featuring choice Oriental and international favourites and exceptional desserts for just 16KD +10% service charge per person.”

The Spa, too, provides a romantic treat lasting all February. Its Valentine’s special

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uwait National English School, Hawally, Al Farabi Round About celebrated its best ever 2011 Annual Science Fair on Tuesday February 1, 2011 in the Al Farabi Theatre. The event started on Thursday afternoon by a full school assembly during which Madame Chantal Al Gharabally, School Director, addressed the school population and stressed the importance of Science and Technology to the young generation. Her speech was centered on philosophical thought towards ethics in science through various examples.

The science exhibition began with presentations by students using the updated school facilities and they were judged by a panel of experienced teachers. They were very interesting and informative.

Many experiments were carried out on stage to

demonstrate scientific principles. Experiments included hot air balloon, tracing the history of crude oil in Kuwait, osmosis and diffusion in the human body, recycling, the principle of moments, types of energies, etc. The day culminated with a Science Quiz with teams of students from Primary and Secondary Departments competing to show their understanding of scientific facts and principles. Winners were rewarded with prizes and medals.

The Kuwait National English School Science fair was an excellent event that showcased the successes of our students. The school has invested extensively in Science and Technology over the last few years and this event is very encouraging to see this realized in the enthusiasm and achievement of the Primary and Secondary Departments.

Madame Chantal Al Gharabally, School Director, and the team of Science & Technology teachers from the entire school have been holding the event each year since 1998 as a way to develop students’ skills and interest in the subjects of Science and Technology. This interest is obviously building as each year students seem to get an earlier start on their Science Day exhibits, Projects and Researches in order to know everything they can about their science topic before the fair begin.

includes a relaxing Indian head massage, an exquisite foot reflexology session, your preferred 60-minute body massage and complimentary access to the VIP room. More than two hours of bliss for just 76KD per couple.

These offers are proving popular, and interested parties are advised to make their reservations soon. Contact the hotel at +965 22 25 31 00 or email resort.albidaakuwait@moevenpick.com today.

BHCK: Launch of official college page on Facebook

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n its continuous effort to utilize all means of communication with its students and the local community, Box Hill College Kuwait has launched its official page on Facebook. The main purpose of this venture is to communicate with the community, staff and current and prospective students, the latest news on all activities and events within the college, and to provide information concerning the services offered to students and clients of BHCK.

Write to us

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s part of its commitment to literature and the habit of reading, Successlines is going to open a library for Indian expats in Abbassiya. Readers can browse through foreign as well as indian magazines and journals at its office in Abbassiya. The center is organizing for English and Malayalam books through Al-Shamel book company and readers can avail this facility by next month.

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nder the Patronage of the Spanish Embassy, and in collaboration with the Kuwait Chamber Philharmonia, has the honour to announce a Spanish Musical Concert, by the Spanish Pianist Pablo Galdo, plays ISAAC ALBENIZ & FRANZ LISZT on Thursday 10 February, at Al Hashemi II Grand Ballroom, Radisson Blu Hotel, at 8 pm.

Send to What’s On upcoming events, birthdays or celebrations by email: local@kuwaittimes.net Fax: 24835619 / 20

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Embassy Information 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 2491-3204).

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he British Business Forum (BBF), a non-profit association of British business people in Kuwait held its 14th Annual British Excellence Awards evening in a packed venue at the British Embassy on Friday 4th Feb. This event is the highlight of the BBF Business Year, recognising and rewarding business people in the private and public sector for their contribution to British business in 2010.

The top honour and BBF Award of British Excellence for 2010 was presented to Bryan Willey of WS Atkins Overseas Limited. Since moving to Kuwait in 2008 Bryan has expanded the Kuwait office for Atkins from an urban villa to commercial premises in the Kuwait City. This award is in recognition of his excellence as Project Director responsible for the growth of the organisation to 60 people in UK and Kuwait who have been responsible for delivering several key projects for Kuwait’s future. These include the Kuwait public Transport Masterplan, the Kuwait City Urban Development Plan, the Kuwait Metro, the Sanitation Masterplan, and the new Kazma National Guard Camp. These key infrastructure plans, with a value already into tens of millions of Kuwaiti dinars all support the new Kuwait Development plan, in accord with His Highness the Amir’s ambitions to develop the national infrastructure economy in the 21st century. Bryan’s award is in recognition of the positioning of British excellence within the planning, infrastructure and project management fields that will be instrumental in Kuwait’s future aspirations.

The BBF Award of Merit was accepted by Dr.

Sabah Al-Obaidi, Project Manager, on behalf of Penspen International Limited, who have undertaken the Project Management Services contract to Khafji Joint Operations since 2005 for the multi-million dollar development of the Khafji Field facilities.

Boasting an exemplary record of programme performance, 2010 in particular has been a good year in areas of project schedule cost and safety across a portfolio of works. Penspen is an independent UK company specialising in oil & gas engineering consultancy, project management and asset management services, established for over 50 years with 15 worldwide offices. Over the last 3 years the group has grown export services from the UK by over 90%.

The engineering and project management group was awarded the Queen’s Award for Enterprise 2010.

Peaking at over 200 employees the Khafji PMS contract, with a value of tens of millions of KD, represents a major part of Penspen UK’s engineering and project management contribution to Kuwait. David Stanley, the group CEO is quoted as saying; “Our ability to grow in the way we have and continue to achieve is based on the outstanding performance and quality of work from our personnel. The most significant factor in our success is our reputation...’

Noting these themes, which recur consistently in British success stories - performance, quality, reputation - the BBF is very pleased to make this Award of Merit.

The BBF made a special award for Life-Long Achievement to Jeff de Lange in recognition of his years of direct and indirect support to British business and the wider community in both business and non-business. An architect by training and now Deputy Chairman of GulfConsult, Kuwait, he is responsible for reshaping much of the new Kuwait skyline. In addition he served for many years as Vice Chairman of the BBF and has been a key driver in managing the programmes for Scholarship which intrinsically link Britain and Kuwait through the development of young people in Kuwait. Currently he is involved in several business and social organisations, including convening Construction Business Sector Groups and is now finding time for his other passions, including cricket where he has recently been involved in the international invitation tournament here in Kuwait.

Joint Certificates of Excellence were awarded to Dr Renee McCulloch and Nurse Consultant Maggie Comac for their work in the development of pain and palliative care services for children in Kuwait. Dr McCulloch is a consultant in paediatric palliative medicine (PPM) and a senior clinical lecturer, presently on secondment to the Ministry of Health Kuwait from Great Ormond Street Hospital and the Institute of Child Health, London. She is qualified in neurology, haematology/oncology, paediatric pain, with experience in a children’s hospice, and is a leader in establishing paediatric palliative medicine as a subspeciality in the UK, including funding support for a new PPM Dept at the Institute of Child Health.

Nurse Consultant Maggie Comac has been seconded from the Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, London to Kuwait, as Lead Nurse and manager of the palliative Care Team. She is qualified and experienced in cancer nursing, paediatric haematology and oncology. Special skills include the management of symptoms and supervision of independent nurse specialist teams. Much of her work is focused on caring for very sick children in the home or hospice environment.

Both Dr McCulloch and Nurse Consultant Comac are leading examples of experts delivering ‘best of British’ practice and expertise to meet a need in Kuwait, and in accord with Kuwait’s present investment in hospitals, medicine and medical care.

A second BBF Certificate of Excellence went to Ms. An Swinnen, the founder and owner of Business English Consulting Service Ltd (BECS), delivering business skills and management training and technical training to the oil and gas sectors, with several contracts within Kuwait Petroleum Corporation and also delivering training to over 200 Arab Open University students. Earlier BECS set up BECS Education, a division specialising in Teacher Training to Ministries of Education worldwide, the European Union, The United Nations, the World Bank and various Development Banks. BECS is very active, with trips to UK, Belgium, Holland, Qatar, Bahrain, Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait in a recent 2month stint. Notwithstanding all this, Ms Swinnen also wrote and published an illustrated book - “The Business Survival Guide” - delivering top tips on business success. She is an excellent example of a young British entrepreneur making her way successfully in a very difficult global market.

The BBF’s third Certificate of Excellence was awarded to Mr. Gary Moran, the General Manager at the Movenpick Hotel & Resort, Al Bida’a, Kuwait.

With a background in banking, Gary moved into the hotel industry, gaining experience in numerous hotel chains, later including the Whitbread and Marriott groups, with a spell in Amman. Throughout his hotel career he has always become fully involved in the local community, holding many posts in various local organisations. Kuwait has been no exception to this, and within two years Gary has quickly established a reputation for giving back to the local community and is involved with many local charities and organisations. He also organises a unique schedule of musical, sporting and social events at the hotel, taking advantage of the Kuwaiti climate and the position on the beach to introduce a unique flavour of culture often performed by British based artistes. It is in recognition of this innovative and superb programme and its cultural benefits to the

British community and business infrastructure that the BBF is extremely pleased to make this Award.

A fourth BBF Certificate of Excellence was awarded to Col Abdulhammed Al Ansari (Ret’d) for his active support and assistance to British companies to the defence equipment and services sector. This has resulted in the delivery of airborne defence systems, countermeasures, equipment and training, all of which support and contribute to Kuwait’s current security and well into the future. In his unavoidable absence the Certificate of Excellence was accepted by a colleague on Col. Al Ansari’s behalf.

The presentations were made by Baroness Nicholson of Winterbourne, UK, a name already familiar to many in Kuwait, through her keen interest in the Islamic world and her close involvement with a number of charities. She was the Member of Parliament for Torridge and West Devon from 1987 until 1997, when she was elevated to Peer of the Realm, Member of the House of Lords. In 1999 Baroness Nicholson was elected Member of the European Parliament, where she served until very recently. Baroness Nicholson is extremely active in support of a wide range of causes, and is host of the BBF Kuwait in her capacity as the founder and Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group for Economic Development in Iraq and the Region and as Executive Chair of the Iraq Britain Business Council and Executive Chair AMAR International Charitable Foundation (Iraq, Lebanon).

The presentations were attended by Her Majesty’s Ambassador Mr Frank Baker, Paul McKay, Chairman of the BBF. The evening, as a pre-cursor to the Kuwait 5020 celebrations throughout 2011 was a great success and this high profile promotion of the Award winners, together with an opportunity to promote British business success confirms the BBF Excellence Awards as the premier business awards ceremony of the year in Kuwait.

The gala dinner and Awards evening was hosted

by Arthur Barber, Vice-Chairman of the BBF and head of the Awards committee which also included Duncan Hoyland, UKTI. Speaking on the occasion he said, “The Awards committee received more nominations than in previous years. Also as in previous years, the task of selecting the winners was not an easy one. The British business community can be proud of the exceptional ability and performance of its businessmen and women.”

The Excellence Awards were launched in 1997 to celebrate individual successes of men and women in business not just from Britain but the wider Kuwaiti community for their achievements in British business excellence. It is open to organizations of any size and entries are received from those who feel they have made a discernible difference to enhance Britain’s business interests.

Announcements

7 a-side Football Tournament First International Open 7 a-side Football Tournament for Indians will be held on 25th February 2011, at Baladiya Grounds, Salmiya from 7 am until 5 pm. The tournament is sponsored by the Royal Al-Sabah Family in memory of Late

Shaikha Huda Bader Mohammed Al-Ahmed AlSabha, and is being organized by Real Betalbatim F.C., Kuwait. The Tournament coincides with Kuwait celebrating 50 Years of Independence in addition to celebrations of Kuwait National Day and Liberation Day. This is the first time that such a event is hosted in the History of Indian Football in Kuwait, as Teams from GCC and Kuwait are expected to participate in this prestigious tournament. Everyone is invited to come and witness this exciting and memorable extravaganza.

Special arrangements have been made to import gifts/trophies from the USA for this event. For more details contact: President of Real Betalbatim Derick Gomendes at derickagomindes@gmail.com (Mob: +96599659749) or robin.fernandes@jotundxb.ae (Mob: +965 99704157).

EMBASSY OF INDIA The Embassy of India has fur ther revamped and improved its Legal Advice Clinic at the Indian Workers Welfare Center, and made the free service available to Indian nationals on all five working days, i.e. from Sunday to Thursday every week. Kuwaiti lawyers would be available at the Legal Advice Clinic daily from Monday to Thursday, while Indian lawyers would be available on Sundays. Following are the free welfare services provided at the Indian Workers Welfare Center located at the Embassy of India: [i] 24x7 Helpline for Domestic Workers: Accessible by toll free telephone no. 25674163 from anywhere in Kuwait, it provides information and advice exclusively to Indian domestic sector workers (Visa No. 20) as regards their grievances, immigration and other matters. [ii] Help Desk: It offers guidance to Indian nationals on routine immigration, employment, legal, and other issues (Embassy premises; 9 AM to 1 PM and 2 PM to 4.30 PM, Sunday to Thursday); (iii) Labour Complaints Desk: It registers labor complaints and provides grievance redressal service to Indian workers (Embassy premises; 9 AM to 1 PM and 2 PM to 4.30 PM, Sunday to Thursday); (iv) Shelters: For female and male domestic workers in distress; (v) Legal Advice Clinic: Provides free legal advice to Indian nationals (Embassy premises; Kuwaiti lawyers 3 PM to 5 PM, Monday to Thursday ; Indian lawyers 2 PM to 4 PM on Sunday); and (vi) Attestation of Work Contracts: Private sector worker (Visa No. 18) contracts are accepted at the Embassy; 9 AM to 1 PM; Sunday to Thursday; Domestic sector worker (Visa No. 20) contracts are accepted at Kuwait Union of Domestic Labor Offices (KUDLO), Hawally, Al-Othman Street, Kurd Roundabout, AlAbraj 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.

Greetings

Ranina to speak on Indian budget Al Mulla Exchange, in association with the Kuwait Chapter of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India, is holding a seminar for their customers, on the Indian budget 2011-2012 by eminent Indian tax lawyer, Homi Phiroze Ranina. The event will take place at the Pearl Tent in Safir International Hotel, Bneid Al Ghar on Sunday, 6th March, 2011 at 6.30 pm. Customers are requested to pre-register their names by contacting the following numbers: 97271511, 97228757

EMBASSY OF CANADA The Embassy of Canada is located at Villa 24, Al-Mutawakel St., Block 4 in Da’aiyah. Please visit our website at www.Kuwait.gc.ca.

The Embassy of Canada is open from 07:30 to 15:30 Sunday through Thursday.

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.

Effective January 15, 2011, the only Temporary Resident Visa (TRV) application form that will be accepted by CIC is the Application for Temporary Resident Visa Made Outside of Canada [IMM 5257] form.

All previous Temporary Resident Visa application forms will no longer be accepted by CIC and instead will be returned to applicants. Should old applications be submitted prior to January 15, 2011 they will continue to be processed. To ensure that the most recent version of the Temporary Resident Visa application form is being utilized, applicants should refer to the CIC website.

As of January 15, 2011, forms are to be filled in electronically. The forms are available on the internet at: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/pdf/kits/for ms/IMM5257E.PDF. A guide explaining the process can be found here: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/pdf/kits/guides/5256E.PDF.

EMBASSY OF VIETNAM

Islam Ahmad Eisa successfully passed the midterm first class.

Congratulations !!

The Embassy of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam in the State of Kuwait has the honor to inform that the Embassy remains close till today (Feb7) for its Tet Holidays ( Traditional Lunar New Year Holidays). The Embassy will resume its normal work tomorrow (Feb 8).

A

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TUESDAY, FRBRUARY 8, 2011

Years

TV PROGRAMS

01:00 03:00 04:00 List 05:00 06:00 08:00 09:00 10:00 11:00 12:00 14:00 15:00 17:00 18:00 19:00 20:00 21:00 22:00 23:00 List

Good Morning America Alias Kathy Griffin: My Life On The DMy Generation Good Morning America Parenthood Survivor: Nicaragua The Ellen Degeneres Show My Generation Survivor: Nicaragua Parenthood Live Good Morning America My Generation The Ellen Degeneres Show Strong Medicine Law And Order Lie To Me Sons Of Anarchy Kathy Griffin: My Life On The D-

00:50 Untamed And Uncut 01:45 Jungle 02:40 Dogs/Cats/Pets 101 03:35 Living With Wolves 04:30 I’m Alive 05:25 Human Prey 06:20 Untamed And Uncut 07:10 Cats 101 08:00 Meerkat Manor 08:25 Night 08:50 Corwin’s Quest 09:40 Breed All About It 10:10 Project Puppy 10:35 Project Puppy 11:05 Jungle 12:00 Animal Precinct 12:55 Wildlife Sos 13:20 Wildlife Sos 13:50 Animal Cops Phoenix 14:45 Rspca: On The Frontline 15:10 Vet On The Loose 15:40 Almost Human With Jane Goodall 16:30 Dogs/Cats/Pets 101 17:30 Night 18:00 Breed All About It 18:25 Must Love Cats 19:20 Living With Wolves 20:15 Escape To Chimp Eden 20:40 Snake Crusader With Bruce George 21:10 Dogs/Cats/Pets 101 22:05 Weird Creatures With Nick Baker

00:30 01:15 01:45 02:30 03:20 04:05 04:40 05:00 05:20 05:40 05:50 05:55 06:10 06:30 06:50 07:10 07:20 07:25 07:40 08:00 08:20 08:40 08:50 08:55 09:10 09:30 09:50 10:10 10:20 10:25 10:40 11:10 11:40

Live At The Apollo Last Of The Summer Wine The Weakest Link Holby City Live At The Apollo Last Of The Summer Wine Balamory Tweenies Fimbles The Large Family Spot’s Musical Adventures Charlie And Lola Balamory Tweenies Fimbles The Large Family Spot’s Musical Adventures Charlie And Lola Balamory Tweenies Fimbles The Large Family Spot’s Musical Adventures Charlie And Lola Balamory Tweenies Fimbles The Large Family Spot’s Musical Adventures Charlie And Lola Last Of The Summer Wine Last Of The Summer Wine The Weakest Link

12:30 13:30 14:00 14:30 15:25 16:25 16:55 17:25 18:10 18:40 19:10 20:00 21:00 21:45

Bleak House Doctors Eastenders Holby City Last Of The Summer Wine Bleak House Bleak House The Weakest Link Doctors Eastenders Holby City Bleak House The Weakest Link Doctors

00:00 Design Star 00:45 Cash In The Attic USA 01:25 Come Dine With Me 02:15 Fantasy Homes By The Sea 03:00 Home For Life 03:55 Superhomes 04:40 Design Star 05:25 Cash In The Attic USA 06:10 Come Dine With Me 06:35 Antiques Roadshow 07:25 Home For Life 08:25 Daily Cooks Challenge 09:00 10 Years Younger 09:25 10 Years Younger 09:50 Antiques Roadshow 10:40 Fantasy Homes By The Sea 11:25 10 Years Younger 11:50 10 Years Younger 12:15 Antiques Roadshow 13:05 Fantasy Homes By The Sea 13:50 Glamour Puds 14:20 Glamour Puds 14:45 Daily Cooks Challenge 16:40 Fantasy Homes By The Sea 17:30 Home For Life 18:20 Superhomes 19:10 Design Star 19:55 Cash In The Attic USA 20:45 Come Dine With Me 21:35 Fantasy Homes By The Sea 22:20 Rick Stein’s Mediterranean Escapes 23:10 Rhodes Across China 23:55 Come Dine With Me

01:00 03:00 05:00 07:00 09:00 11:30 13:15 14:45 17:00 19:00 21:00 23:00

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

My Own Private Idaho-R Linha De Passe-18 Joe’s Palace-18 The Missing Person-PG15 Mr. Holland’s Opus-PG Keith-PG15 Racing For Time-PG15 Shine A Light-PG15 Of Mice And Men-PG15 Capturing Mary-PG15 Last Chance Harvey-PG15 Lean On Me-PG15

Overhaulin’ Dirty Jobs River Monsters X-Machines Mythbusters How Do They Do It? How It’s Made Dirty Jobs X-Machines American Chopper How Do They Do It? How It’s Made Mythbusters Cake Boss Border Security Overhaulin’ Ultimate Survival Mythbusters Miami Ink Dirty Jobs Overhaulin’ Deadliest Catch Mythbusters Cake Boss Border Security Deconstruction

00:40 Mega World 01:30 The Gadget Show 01:55 The Future Of...

02:45 Mighty Ships 03:35 Kings Of Construction 04:25 How Stuff’s Made 04:50 Thunder Races 05:45 Brainiac 06:40 Patent Bending 07:10 Nextworld 08:00 Scrappy Races 08:55 Through The Wormhole With Morgan Freeman 09:50 Mighty Ships 10:45 Stuntdawgs 11:10 The Gadget Show 11:40 Nextworld 12:30 Cool Stuff And How It Works 12:55 Scrappy Races 13:45 Patent Bending 14:15 Mighty Ships 15:05 Kings Of Construction 15:55 Savage Planet 16:20 The Future Of...

17:10 Mega World 18:00 The Gadget Show 18:25 How Stuff’s Made 18:50 Brainiac 19:40 Space Pioneer 20:30 How The Universe Works 21:20 How It’s Made 21:45 The Gadget Show

00:15 Kendra 00:40 The Soup 01:05 Chelsea Lately 01:30 THS 02:20 THS 03:15 Extreme Hollywood 04:10 Sexiest 05:05 Battle Of The Hollywood Hotties 05:30 Streets Of Hollywood 06:00 THS 07:45 Behind The Scenes 08:10 Behind The Scenes 08:35 E! News 09:25 Giuliana And Bill 09:50 Married To Rock 10:15 THS 12:00 E! News 12:50 Extreme Close-Up 13:15 Extreme Close-Up 13:40 Kourtney And Khloe Take Miami 14:05 Kendra 14:30 THS 15:25 THS 16:15 Behind The Scenes 16:40 Behind The Scenes 17:10 Kourtney And Khloe Take Miami 17:35 Fashion Police 18:00 E! News 18:50 Then And Now 19:15 Then And Now 19:40 THS 20:30 Style Star 20:55 Chelsea Lately 21:20 Kendra 21:45 Kendra 22:10 E! News

00:40 Good Eats 01:05 Unwrapped 01:30 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 01:55 Paula’s Party 02:20 Guys Big Bite 02:45 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 03:10 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 03:35 Food Network Challenge 04:25 Food Network Caters Your Wedding - Special 05:15 Good Eats 05:40 Unwrapped 06:05 TEN DOLLAR DINNERS 06:30 Paula’s Best Dishes 06:50 Paula’s Party 07:35 Barefoot Contessa 08:00 Chopped

08:50 Guys Big Bite 09:15 Boy Meets Grill 09:40 Good Deal with Dave Lieberman 10:05 TEN DOLLAR DINNERS 10:30 Paula’s Best Dishes 10:55 Barefoot Contessa 11:20 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 11:45 Throwdown With Bobby Flay 12:10 Unwrapped 12:35 Paula’s Party 13:25 Good Eats 13:50 Paula’s Best Dishes 14:15 Throwdown With Bobby Flay 14:40 Ultimate Recipe Showdown 15:30 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 15:55 Unwrapped 16:20 Boy Meets Grill 16:45 Chopped 17:35 Paula’s Best Dishes 18:00 Barefoot Contessa 18:25 Good Deal with Dave Lieberman 18:50 TEN DOLLAR DINNERS 19:15 Paula’s Party 20:05 Good Eats 20:30 Guys Big Bite 20:55 Throwdown With Bobby Flay 21:20 Guys Big Bite 21:45 Guys Big Bite

00:30 Golf Channel - TBA 02:00 Golf Central International 02:30 Golf Channel - TBA 03:00 NHL Columbus Blue Jackets at Pittsburgh Penguins 03:30 NHL New York Rangers at Detroit Red Wings 06:00 U.S. Figure Skating Championships Ladies Free Program Greensboro, NC 09:30 Rolex Spirit of Yachting Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race 10:00 European Tour Commercialbank Qatar Masters Rd. 3 Doha, Qatar 14:00 Golf Central International 14:30 PGA Tour: Waste Management Phoenix Open Final Rd. Scottsdale, AZ 17:30 U.S. Figure Skating Championships Men’s Free Skate Greensboro, NC 20:30 NHL New York Rangers at Detroit Red Wings 23:00 Dream Team Season 9

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

01:30 03:10 04:45 06:25 07:55 09:30 11:05 12:25 13:55 15:20 17:00 18:50 20:25 22:00 23:30

Who On Earth Did I Marry?

Autopsy: Most Shocking Cases The Haunted A Haunting Couples Who Kill Who On Earth Did I Marry?

Autopsy: Most Shocking Cases Ghosthunters The Haunted Mystery Diagnosis Forensic Detectives On The Run Mystery Diagnosis Real Emergency Calls Disappeared Fbi Files Murder Shift Fbi Case Files Mystery Diagnosis Real Emergency Calls Disappeared Forensic Detectives On The Run Fbi Files Mystery Diagnosis Real Emergency Calls Real Emergency Calls Murder Shift Fbi Case Files

Bad Influence The January Man Dream Lover Extremities A Star For Two The Miracle Movers And Shakers Book Of Days Frankie And Johnny Nothing Personal Hickey And Boggs Inherit The Wind Scream, Blacula, Scream!

Coffy Cold Heaven

00:00 The Frankincense Trail 01:00 Departures 02:00 By Any Means 03:00 Graham’s World 03:30 Bondi Rescue 04:00 Banged Up Abroad 05:00 Warrior Road Trip 06:00 The Frankincense Trail 07:00 Departures 08:00 By Any Means 09:00 Graham’s World 09:30 Bondi Rescue 10:00 Banged Up Abroad 11:00 Lonely Planet- Roads Less Travelled 12:00 Banged Up Abroad 13:00 Wild Rides 14:00 Banged Up Abroad 15:00 Graham’s World 15:30 Bondi Rescue 16:00 Banged Up Abroad 17:00 Lonely Planet- Roads Less Travelled 18:00 Banged Up Abroad 19:00 Wild Rides 20:00 Banged Up Abroad 21:00 Graham’s World 21:30 Bondi Rescue 22:00 Banged Up Abroad 23:00 Lonely Planet- Roads Less Travelled

Daddy Day Care on Show Movies

00:00 Swamp Men 01:00 Restless Planet 02:00 The Cute Report 03:00 Dangerous Encounters With Brady Barr 04:00 Built For The Kill 05:00 The Living Edens

06:00 Animal Paparazzi 07:00 Dangerous Encounters With Brady Barr 08:00 Super Pride 09:00 Hunter Hunted 10:00 World’s Deadliest Animals 11:00 Bite Me With Dr. Mike Leahy 12:00 The Cute Report 13:00 Animal Paparazzi 14:00 Wild Freaks 15:00 Planet Carnivore 16:00 Wild Russia 17:00 Triumph Of Life 18:00 The Living Edens 19:00 Animal Paparazzi 20:00 Dangerous Encounters With Brady Barr 21:00 Planet Carnivore 22:00 Wild Russia 23:00 Triumph Of Life

00:00 Two And A Half Men 00:30 Just Shoot Me 01:00 The Daily Show Global Edition 01:30 The Colbert Report Global Edition 02:00 Late Night With Jimmy Fallon 03:00 Comedy Central Presents 03:30 Comedy Central Presents 04:00 South Park 04:30 10 Things I Hate About You 05:00 It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia 05:30 Coach 06:00 Yes, Dear 06:30 The Drew Carey Show 07:00 Late Night With Jimmy Fallon 08:00 Just Shoot Me 08:30 Coach 09:00 Yes, Dear 09:30 The Drew Carey Show 10:00 According To Jim 10:30 Billable Hours 11:00 Coach 11:30 Yes, Dear 12:00 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno 13:00 Just Shoot Me 13:30 Coach 14:00 Yes, Dear 14:30 Two And A Half Men 15:00 Billable Hours 15:30 The Daily Show Global Edition 16:00 The Colbert Report Global Edition 16:30 The Drew Carey Show 17:00 Late Night With Jimmy Fallon 18:00 Just Shoot Me 18:30 According To Jim 19:00 Teachers 19:30 Two And A Half Men 20:00 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno 21:00 The Daily Show With Jon Stewart

01:00 Transporter 3-18 03:00 Monster’s Inc-FAM 05:00 The Box-PG15 07:00 All About Steve-PG15 09:00 Did You Hear About The Morgans?-PG15 11:00 Ponyo On The Cliff By The SeaFAM 13:00 Obsessed-PG15 15:00 Along Came A Spider-PG15 17:00 Did You Hear About The Morgans?-PG15 19:00 Dance Flick-18 21:00 Where The Wild Things Are-PG 23:00 Keeping The Faith-PG15

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

American Idol True Blood Desperate Housewives True Blood The Simpsons C.S.I. New York The Ellen Degeneres Show Coronation Street The Event Desperate Housewives The Ellen Degeneres Show The Simpsons Coronation Street My Generation The Event C.S.I. New York Desperate Housewives The Simpsons Coronation Street The Ellen Degeneres Show Cold Case Grey’s Anatomy Private Practice Parenthood True Blood The Ellen Degeneres Show

00:00 02:00 04:00 06:00 08:00 10:00 12:00 14:00 16:00 18:00 20:00 22:00

2:37-R Fanboys-PG15 Thor: Hammer Of The Gods Daddy Day Care-PG Mee Shee-PG National Security-PG15 My Sister’s Keeper-PG15 Annihilation Earth-PG15 Mee Shee-PG Emotional Arithmetic-PG15 Cheri-PG15 My Best Friend’s Girl-PG15

01:00 03:00 05:00 07:00 09:00 11:00 13:15 15:15 17:00 19:00 21:00 23:00

Universal Soldier: Regeneration Star Trek: Generations-PG Borderland-18 The Purifiers-PG15 Wushu Warrior-PG15 Face Off-PG15 Hellboy II: The Golden ArmyWushu Warrior-PG15 The Order-PG15 Traitor-PG15 G.I. Joe: The Rise Of Cobra-PG15 Rage: Carrie 2-PG15

00:00 The Milagro Beanfield War 02:00 The Last Shot-PG15 04:00 A Dog Year-PG 06:00 Martha Meet Frank, Daniel And Lawrence-PG15

Dorian Gra on Super Movies 08:00 10:00 12:00 14:00 16:00 PG15 18:00 20:00 22:30

Scrooged-PG Christmas At The Riviera-PG The Frighteners-PG15 Confessions Of A Shopaholic The Milagro Beanfield WarYes Man-PG15 Keeping The Faith-PG15 Black Dynamite-18

00:00 Moomin And Midsummer Madness-FAM 02:00 Zeus And Roxanne-PG 04:00 Pocahontas II: Winter Of The Rocky Mount-FAM 06:00 Winx: Secret Of The Lost Kingdom-PG 08:00 Tom And Jerry: Blast Off To Mars-FAM 10:00 Pocahontas II: Winter Of The Rocky Mount-FAM 12:00 Gladiator Academy: The Movie 14:00 Zeus And Roxanne-PG 16:00 Ramses Of Egypt-PG 18:00 Clockstoppers-FAM 20:00 Pocahontas And The Spider Woman-PG 22:00 Gladiator Academy: The Movie

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

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

C.S.I. Miami Desperate Housewives The Martha Stewart Show White Collar The View What’s Good For You Emmerdale Coronation Street White Collar The Martha Stewart Show What’s Good For You White Collar The View Emmerdale Coronation Street The Martha Stewart Show C.S.I. Miami Desperate Housewives What’s Good For You The View Emmerdale Coronation Street Grey’s Anatomy Private Practice White Collar The View What’s Good For You

Goals On Monday PGA European Tour Highlights Pool World Cup Goals On Monday Futbol Mundial Anglo Welsh Cup Brazil League Highlights Goals On Monday TransWorld Sport ICC Cricket World Scottish FA Cup Asia Pacific Iron Man Goals On Monday Anglo Welsh Cup PGA European Tour Highlights Scottish FA Cup Pool World Cup Goals On Monday Brazil League Highlights Futbol Mundial Extreme Sailing Series ICC Cricket World Scottish FA Cup

00:30 Dubai International Horse Racing 04:30 PGA European Tour Highlights 05:30 ICC Cricket World 06:00 Pool World Cup 07:00 PGA European Tour Highlights

08:00 Anglo Welsh Cup 10:00 Trans World Sport 11:00 World Hockey 11:30 PGA European Tour Highlights 12:30 Pool World Cup 13:30 Dubai International Horse Racing 17:30 PGA European Tour Highlights 18:30 Anglo Welsh Cup 20:30 Scottish FA Cup 22:30 PGA European Tour Highlights 23:30 Brazil League Highlights

00:00 UFC 126 Prelims 01:00 UFC 126 04:00 Sports Adventure 04:30 FIM World Cup 05:00 UFC Unleashed 06:00 UFC Unleashed 07:00 WWE NXT 08:00 WWE SmackDown 10:00 Full Throttle 10:30 FIA GT1 World Championship 12:00 WWE Bottom Line 13:00 Abu Dhabi Adventure Challenge 14:00 Red Bull X-Fighters 15:00 UAE National Race Day Series 16:00 FIA GT1 World Championship 17:30 FIM World Cup 19:00 WWE SmackDown 21:00 UFC 126 Prelims 22:00 UFC 126

01:15 Dorian Gray-18 03:15 Phoebe In Wonderland-PG 05:00 Save The Last Dance-PG 07:00 Fab Five: The Texas Cheerleader Scandal-PG15 09:00 Phoebe In Wonderland-PG 11:00 Solaris-PG15 13:00 Aliens In The Attic-FAM 14:45 The Lovely Bones-PG15 17:00 Phoebe In Wonderland-PG 19:00 The Stepfather-PG15 21:00 The Prince And Me 3: Holiday Honeymoon-PG15 23:00 Fireflies In The Garden-PG15

00:35 Sitting Target-PG15 02:05 Quo Vadis-PG 05:00 A Kiss Before Dying 06:35 Father’s Little Dividend-FAM 08:00 Quo Vadis-PG 10:45 Above Suspicion-PG 12:15 Anchors Aweigh-FAM 14:30 Gun Glory-FAM 16:00 The Yearling-FAM 18:05 The Wonderful World Of The Brothers...-FAM 20:15 Screening Room, The Director’s Special-PG 20:50 Bite The Bullet-PG 23:00 Get Carter-18

00:40 01:30 02:20 03:10 War II 04:00 04:55 05:25 05:50 06:40 07:30

Extreme Trains How The Earth Was Made Investigating History Secret Allied Aircraft Of World Ice Road Truckers Pawn Stars Pawn Stars Tales Of The Gun Extreme Trains How The Earth Was Made

08:20 09:10 War II 10:00 10:55 11:25 11:50 12:40 13:30 14:20 15:10 War II 16:00 16:55 17:25 17:50 18:40 19:30 20:20 21:10 War II 22:00 22:55 23:50

Investigating History Secret Allied Aircraft Of World

00:17 01:00 01:45 02:00 02:45 03:17 05:00 05:15 07:17 08:00 08:30 09:17 13:00 13:45 15:17 16:00 16:50 17:17 18:00 18:45 20:00 20:45 21:00 22:00 22:17

Playlist Rnb 10 Playlist Urban Hit Playlist Playlist Guest Star Playlist Playlist New Playlist Playlist Urban Hit Playlist Playlist Hit Us Playlist Playlist Urban Hit Playlist Latina 10 Playlist Focus Playlist Playlist

Ice Road Truckers Pawn Stars Pawn Stars Tales Of The Gun Extreme Trains How The Earth Was Made Investigating History Secret Allied Aircraft Of World Ice Road Truckers Pawn Stars Pawn Stars Tales Of The Gun Extreme Trains How The Earth Was Made Investigating History Secret Allied Aircraft Of World Secret Superpowered Aircraft Ax Men 2 Engineering Disasters

00:00 Globe Trekker 01:00 Rivers Of The World 02:00 Travel Today 02:30 Travel Oz 03:00 Australia’s Great Wildlife Islands 04:00 Inside Luxury Travel-Varun Sharma 05:00 Globe Trekker 06:00 Rivers Of The World 07:00 Panasia 07:30 Destination Art 08:00 Globe Trekker 09:00 Inside Luxury Travel-Varun Sharma 10:00 Rajasthan - A Colourful Legacy 11:00 Flavours Of Mexico 11:30 Chef Abroad 12:00 Rivers Of The World 13:00 Globe Trekker 14:00 Planet Food 15:00 Panasia 15:30 Inside Luxury Travel-Varun Sharma 16:30 Flavours Of Scotland 17:00 Globe Trekker 18:00 Chef Abroad 18:30 Flavours Of Peru 19:00 Planet Food 20:00 Globe Trekker 21:00 Essential 21:30 Great Scenic Railways-Us And Canada 22:00 World’s Greatest Motorcycle Rides 23:00 Travel 360

e niv rsar n

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A

Classifieds TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2011

Years

7-2-2011 ACCOMMODATION Sharing accommodation in C-A/C, single bedroom, furnished flat with all facilities available from 01-03-2011 in Khaitan. Interested please call: 99508412 / 66924510. (C 3099) Accommodation available for small family or bachelor (decent) near Hi Dine Super Market in Abbassiya. Please contact: 24312462 after 3pm. (C 3098) Sharing accommodation available in 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom flat for single or couples.

Contact: 99358389. (C 3100) 8-2-2011 Sharing accommodation available for Christian bachelors, non-smoking, in CA/C building in Abbasiya, big bedroom, 2 bathroom, near Indian International School. Contact: 24313499 / 99529809. (C 3092) Abraq Khaitan, single room available for decent Indian bachelor, beside main road in C-A/C, new building, with DSL line from 15th February or 1st March. Contact: 97523316 / 24745162.

(C 3093)

One bedroom available for Keralite couple/ working lady/ bachelor in Abbassiya near to Orma restaurant with a family. Contact: 99494671.

(C 3088) One room available for Filipino couple only to share with Filipino family in Hawally behind Popeye’s restaurant. Please call 66440968, 66266105.

(C 3089) Spacious room with separate toilet, available to let, from a flat in Bneid Al Gar. Single occupancy KD 75, double KD 100. Contact 60914165 for more details.

(C 3090) ٦-٢-٢٠١١

Prado v6 2007 model, white color, full option, 96,000km. Ph: 55605233.

(C 3097) 8-2-2011 Mitsubishi Galant for sale model 2004, color white, good condition, price KD 1,300. Tel: 66723518.

(C 3086) MATRIMONIAL Pakistani, Muslim parents are seeking suitable match for their educated and wellmannered daughter.

Grooms must be age 33+ years old and well educated. Elders of interested candidates may write at: akbar.200@hotmail.com (C 3076) 7-2-2011

FOR SALE SITUATION WANTED Toyota Corolla, model 2005, 1.8, color silver, 77,000km only, good condition. Call: 66974049.

(C 3095) Toyota Corolla XLI 1.6L, model 2010, white color, excellent condition, done 53,000km only, cash price KD 3,650/-. Contact: 66211779. (C 3096)

Finance professional (Indian) with reasonably long experience in Kuwait seasoned in all areas of accounts & finance, banking, accounts of multinational group, business planning, budgeting, business takeovers etc. seeks opportunity. Contact: 90931195.

6-2-201

I need job as full time sales executive. I am MBA (Marketing) and have valid driving license and car. I am in Kuwait for last 4 years. I have one year experience as sales executive. Contact: 55355954. (C 3091) 10 years experienced accountant looking for job.

Expert in Microsoft Dynamic GP, Oracle Financials, Peachtree Accounting & tally Contact: 60320220.

(C 3080) 7-2-2011 An individual having MBA (Finance) degree with 3 years experience as an accountant looking for a suitable job. Having transferable visa. Please contact: 97516489/ 65801964.

(C 3087) ٦-٢-٢٠١١

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 JZR WAN THY UAE QTR DHX GFA FDB ETD ETH JZR JZR KAC JZR KAC BAW KAC FCX KAC FDB KAC KAC KAC UAE KAC QTR ABY ETD GFA IRA IRA JZR JZR MHK KAC JZR KAC MSR FDB JZR UAL SVA KAC KAC QTR KAC MHK KAC

Flt 267 306 772 853 138 370 211 67 305 620 529 207 544 503 416 157 412 201 206 53 302 332 676 855 286 132 123 301 213 605 619 121 165 711 382 549 672 610 57 555 982 500 562 284 134 746 712 546

Arrival Flights on Tuesday 8/2/2011 Route BEIRUT CAIRO ISTANBUL DUBAI DOHA BAHRAIN BAHRAIN DUBAI ABU DHABI ADDIS ABABA / BAHRAIN ASSIUT DAMASCUS CAIRO LUXOR JAKARTA / KUALA LUMPUR LONDON MANILA / BANGKOK BAHRAIN ISLAMABAD DUBAI MUMBAI TRIVANDRUM DUBAI DUBAI CHITTAGONG DOHA SHARJAH ABU DHABI BAHRAIN ISFAHAN LAR BAHRAIN DUBAI BAGHDAD / NAJAF DELHI ALEXANDRIA DUBAI CAIRO DUBAI ALEXANDRIA WASHINGTON DC DULLES JEDDAH AMMAN DHAKA DOHA ABU DHABI / DAMMAM NAJAF ALEXANDRIA

Time 0:45 1:50 2:15 2:35 2:45 2:55 3:05 3:05 3:10 3:40 3:45 3:50 4:40 5:20 6:25 6:40 6:45 7:00 7:40 7:45 7:55 8:05 8:10 8:30 8:35 9:05 9:05 9:30 9:35 9:45 10:35 11:10 11:20 11:30 12:45 13:00 13:25 13:45 13:50 14:00 14:10 14:30 14:40 14:55 15:00 15:05 15:30 15:30

WAN MLR ETD UAE GFA WAN SVA JZR JZR RJA JZR ABY ALK JZR KAC KAC KAC KAC KAC KAC KAC KAC MHK KAC WAN SIA VOS FDB OMA KNE WAN JAI SYR KAC DHX GFA WAN MEA JZR QTR KLM UAE KAC IAC JZR RBG JZR UAL DLH

304 403 303 857 215 402 510 213 777 800 239 127 227 177 542 618 786 614 674 166 104 774 713 552 642 458 93 61 647 945 612 572 341 551 372 217 104 402 185 136 443 859 502 981 157 3553 135 981 636

CAIRO COLOMBO / DUBAI ABU DHABI DUBAI BAHRAIN BEIRUT RIYADH DEIREZZOR JEDDAH AMMAN AMMAN SHARJAH COLOMBO / DUBAI DUBAI CAIRO DOHA JEDDAH BAHRAIN DUBAI PARIS / ROME LONDON RIYADH NAJAF DAMASCUS VIENNA SINGAPORE / ABU DHABI KANDAHAR / DUBAI DUBAI MUSCAT JEDDAH ISTANBUL MUMBAI DAMASCUS TEHRAN BAHRAIN BAHRAIN DUBAI BEIRUT DUBAI DOHA AMSTERDAM DUBAI BEIRUT CHENNAI / AHMEDABAD / HYDERABAD DOHA ALEXANDRIA BAHRAIN BAHRAIN FRANKFURT

16:20 16:40 16:50 16:55 17:05 17:15 17:20 17:25 17:30 17:30 17:40 17:45 18:10 18:15 18:50 18:55 19:10 19:20 19:25 19:30 19:35 19:40 19:40 19:45 19:50 20:00 20:00 20:05 20:10 20:10 20:15 20:15 20:20 20:55 21:00 21:15 21:15 21:20 21:30 21:35 21:40 21:40 22:00 22:05 22:10 22:50 22:55 23:00 23:35

MHK PIA

714 205

Airlines TAR UAL IAC PIA DLH KAC THY KAC FDB UAE ETD ETH QTR DHX JZR JZR JZR RJA GFA JZR FDB KAC BAW KAC KAC KAC KAC UAE ABY QTR ETD GFA IRA IRA JZR KAC KAC JZR JZR MHK KAC JZR KAC FDB

Flt 328 981 576 240 637 283 773 381 68 854 306 620 139 371 548 554 164 803 212 120 54 545 156 671 745 561 101 856 124 133 302 214 604 618 212 165 541 776 238 712 785 176 551 58

NAJAF LAHORE / PESHAWER Depatrure Flights on Tuesday 8/2/2011 Route DUBAI / TUNIS WASHINGTON DC DULLES GOA / CHENNAI SIALKOT FRANKFURT DHAKA ISTANBUL DELHI DUBAI DUBAI ABU DHABI ADDIS ABABA DOHA BAHRAIN ALEXANDRIA ALEXANDRIA DUBAI AMMAN BAHRAIN BAHRAIN DUBAI ALEXANDRIA LONDON DUBAI DAMMAM / ABU DHABI AMMAN LONDON / NEW YORK DUBAI SHARJAH DOHA ABU DHABI BAHRAIN ISFAHAN LAR DEIREZZOR ROME / PARIS CAIRO JEDDAH AMMAN NAJAF JEDDAH DUBAI DAMASCUS DUBAI

23:50 23:55 Time 0:25 0:45 0:50 1:10 1:30 2:40 3:15 3:30 3:45 3:50 4:00 4:25 4:55 5:45 5:45 6:30 6:55 7:00 7:15 8:20 8:25 8:50 8:55 9:00 9:05 9:20 9:35 9:40 9:45 10:00 10:20 10:20 10:45 11:35 11:45 11:45 12:00 12:00 12:10 12:20 13:40 13:50 14:20 14:35

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

MSR KAC UAL KAC SVA KAC KAC KAC KAC QTR MHK JZR MLR ETD GFA UAE RJA ABY JZR SVA JZR ALK WAN JZR KAC MHK FDB KAC JZR KNE KAC OMA JAI SYR SIA KAC DHX KAC GFA MEA FCX QTR KLM KAC UAE JZR RBG JZR KAC

611 673 982 617 501 501 613 773 511 135 713 184 404 304 216 858 801 128 156 511 266 228 305 134 361 714 62 351 528 946 343 648 571 342 457 543 373 677 218 403 102 137 443 301 860 502 3554 554 411

CAIRO DUBAI BAHRAIN DOHA JEDDAH BEIRUT BAHRAIN RIYADH TEHRAN DOHA NAJAF DUBAI DUBAI / COLOMBO ABU DHABI BAHRAIN DUBAI AMMAN SHARJAH DOHA RIYADH BEIRUT DUBAI / COLOMBO CAIRO BAHRAIN COLOMBO NAJAF DUBAI COCHIN ASSIUT JEDDAH CHENNAI MUSCAT MUMBAI DAMASCUS ABU DHABI / SINGAPORE CAIRO BAHRAIN DUBAI / MUSCAT BAHRAIN BEIRUT BAHRAIN DOHA BAHRAIN / AMSTERDAM MUMBAI DUBAI LUXOR ALEXANDRIA ALEXANDRIA BANGKOK / MANILA

14:50 15:10 15:25 15:35 15:45 16:15 16:20 16:25 16:25 16:30 16:30 17:05 17:40 17:40 18:05 18:10 18:15 18:25 18:30 18:35 18:40 19:10 19:15 20:05 20:20 20:40 20:50 20:55 21:00 21:00 21:05 21:10 21:15 21:20 21:25 21:55 22:00 22:10 22:15 22:20 22:30 22:35 22:40 22:45 22:50 23:00 23:35 23:45 23:55

34

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2011

s ta rs CROSSWORD 223

STAR TRACK

CALVIN & HOBBES

Aries (March 21-April 19) Although you may resent the continued long hours at this time, your patience and perseverance is paying off. The positive aspects promised you this year are gathering forces. A continued nose-to-the-grindstone attitude will work in your best interest at this time. This is the month of advancement in business. A social event this evening reveals you at your most elegant. You may find the words for a poem or short story this evening. You will have a grasp for spiritual ideas and the ability to present or communicate these to others. Your inner resources and emotions are accented. Expect a sense of support and goodwill from those around you. Your talents captivate a loved one this evening. You may be entertaining more than one person soon.

Taurus (April 20-May 20) Ideas and technologies that change the way people live—not just one person, but many—are a major new focus in your life. You will not sit by and watch, while others work. You are becoming more and more interested in learning ways in which you can expand your knowledge. A time for new accomplishments, during which insights and breakthroughs in organization and determination are in order. There is a revolution within the established order—new ideas and ways to do and use things become clear. You may find yourself involved in an exercise program, either in a group or by a videotape in your home. There could be friction today and tomorrow with those you love. It might be a good idea to stay out of their way for now.

POOCH CAFE ACROSS 1. Used of physical heat.

4. Without speed.

10. A state-chartered savings bank owned by its depositors and managed by a board of trustees.

13. A flat wing-shaped process or winglike part of an organism.

14. A technician who is highly proficient and enthusiastic about some technical field (especially computing).

15. Fermented alcoholic beverage similar to but heavier than beer.

16. A low triangular area where a river divides before entering a larger body of water.

18. A quality of a given color that differs slightly from a primary color.

19. An interest followed with exaggerated zeal.

20. German mathematician (1804-1851).

22. 1/10 gram.

24. Type genus of the Alaudidae.

26. A small cake leavened with yeast.

29. A member of the Siouan people formerly living in the Missouri river valley in NE Nebraska.

30. A science (or group of related sciences) dealing with the logic of quantity and shape and arrangement.

34. A loose sleeveless outer garment made from aba cloth.

35. A small pellet fired from an air rifle or BB gun.

37. Small tropical American tree bearing edible plumlike fruit.

40. South American armadillo with three bands of bony plates.

43. (used especially of commodities) In the natural unprocessed condition.

44. A radioactive element of the actinide series.

45. Type genus of the Nepidae.

46. Bulky grayish-brown eagle with a short wedge-shaped white tail.

47. Jordan’s port.

50. A Chadic language spoken south of Lake Chad.

52. An unforeseen obstacle.

55. Any of numerous local fertility and nature deities worshipped by ancient Semitic peoples.

59. (in golf) The standard number of strokes set for each hole on a golf course, or for the entire course.

62. A benevolent aspect of Devi.

63. A bloody and prolonged operation in which American marines landed and defeated Japanese defenders (February and March 1945).

64. Remote city of Kazakhstan that (ostensibly for security reasons) was made the capital in 1998.

65. A recurring sleep state during which dreaming occurs.

66. A fractional monetary unit of Japan and Indonesia and Cambodia.

67. African tree having an exceedingly thick trunk and fruit that resembles a gourd and has an edible pulp called monkey bread.

68. (Irish) Mother of the ancient Irish gods.

DOWN 1. A pilgrimage to Mecca.

2. Evergreen trees and shrubs having oily one-seeded fruits.

3. A fine grained mineral having a soft soapy feel and consisting of hydrated magnesium silicate.

4. A thrusting blow with a knife.

5. A chronic inflammatory collagen disease affecting connective tissue (skin or joints).

6. The month following September and preceding November.

7. Mostly black African weaverbird.

8. A mobile mass of muscular tissue covered with mucous membrane and located in the oral cavity.

9. Up to the present time.

10. A Chadic language spoken south of Lake Chad.

11. Speaking a Slavic language.

12. English monk and scholar (672-735).

17. 100 toea equal 1 kina.

21. A metrical unit with unstressed-stressed syllables.

23. Upright consisting of a vertical side member of a door or window frame.

25. Hungarian choreographer who developed Labanotation (1879-1958).

27. The elementary stages of any subject (usually plural).

28. The cry made by sheep.

31. A river in north central Switzerland that runs northeast into the Rhine.

32. A male monarch or emperor (especially of Russia prior to 1917).

33. Cut down with an ax.

36. An Arabic speaking person who lives in Arabia or North Africa.

38. Open-heart surgery in which the rib cage is opened and a section of a blood vessel is grafted from the aorta to the coronary artery to bypass the blocked section of the coronary artery and improve the blood supply to the heart.

39. South American wood sorrel cultivated for its edible tubers.

41. A tricycle (usually propelled by pedalling).

42. The great hall in ancient Persian palaces.

43. Up to the present time.

48. Widely distributed low-growing Eurasian herb having narrow leaves and inconspicuous green flowers.

49. American professional baseball player who hit more home runs than Babe Ruth (born in 1934).

51. The blood group whose red cells carry both the A and B antigens.

53. Large genus of erect or climbing prickly shrubs including roses.

54. (prefix) Outside or outer.

55. The longer of the two telegraphic signals used in Morse code.

56. A sensation (as of a cold breeze or bright light) that precedes the onset of certain disorders such as a migraine attack or epileptic seizure.

57. A primeval personification of air and breath.

58. A Tibetan or Mongolian priest of Lamaism.

60. A compartment in front of a motor vehicle where driver sits.

61. A workplace for the conduct of scientific research.

Gemini (May 21-June 20) If you need advice, no matter what the subject matter, today and tomorrow would be the best time to seek such help. There is a need to be appreciated for your hard work and to be the center of attention as well.

This may just be for recognition of your work. Most of us need recognition in order to continue our work with a sustained quality. You are appreciated but you may not hear their praises just now. Just keep on doing your good work. This also includes the work you do for the good of humanity as well as your own personal achievements. Your own inner need for change and growth may be threatened by someone older or by circumstances. Make a real effort to communicate or convey your ideas. Casual friends are who you want to be with this evening.

Cancer (June 21-July 22)

NON SEQUITUR

This is a rewarding day. A loan can be approved, complaints or misunderstandings will be corrected and positive energy will boost your morale. Travel, educational or legal plans look good. The only obstacles may be your own inner fears or doubts. You may be able to convey your message to others with only a few words. Poetry and art may be possible now. Be aware that you need to separate business from pleasure. Make every effort to do so. There is optimism, faith and a tendency to take chances at the deepest emotional levels.

Romance can be enjoyable if you leave the little complaints out of the picture. This can be an expansive, creative and even romantic phase, a time, you will look back on with pride.

Leo (July 23-August 22) You are full of wit and ready for a day with or without challenges. A good attitude works in your favor as others value you for your independence and unique qualities. As long as you keep up the momentum, you should be able to reach your objectives. You are given an excellent opportunity to expand your work experience. This is a wonderful time to repay anything that you owe to others, in the form of money, goods or other obligations. You might feel love or value for an older person and create some healing attitudes that have been long overdue. If you feel outside energies are moving in unacceptable directions, reestablish your priorities. Emotions will smooth out around the twentieth of this month. Wait for the proper advice before signing any papers.

ZITS

Virgo (August 23-September 22) If you refuse to become involved in a negative conversation with a troublemaker today, there can be no problems. Choose today, to be open to another way of seeing a difficult person or situation. The word today in the workplace is flexible—this will bring you success. You will be very astute when it comes to money. Deep thoughts will lead to stunning insights, which in turn will help you along the road to profit. You could be a financial wizard! Opportunities for mending any emotional drifts among family members are positive now and can successfully be accomplished through your positive attitude. Phone calls, letters and long conversations over a cup of tea can be very enlightening. Being more in touch gives you a sense of belonging.

Libra (September 23-October 22)

MOTHER GOOSE AND GRIMM

Scorpio (October 23-November 21) You will see results from your hard work today. This can be an expansive, creative and even a romantic phase; a time, you will look back on with pride and fondness. Taking care of the necessary underpinnings of life— health, work and such—becomes a greater importance now. This is a highly successful day! The work and responsibility factor of your life is running well. Allow your consciousness to expand into a more sensitive space as you leave work this afternoon.

Integrate your spiritual growth with the everyday energies you are receiving now. You may find that your mental and physical health and overall attitude change—in most cases are very positive. Patience, your humor will prevail as you care for a new animal or young person tonight.

Sagittarius (November 22-December 21) Everyone seems to be a bit sluggish today. Go ahead and dive into your work this morning, perhaps you will be able to finish some old projects while others in are busy. Your skills in the workplace are in top form. Your analytical abilities are high above average and your sixth sense where business is concerned is very good. You could find that you are appreciated for your ability to respond quickly to difficulties and get things done. You come up with new inventions.

You are a peace-loving person, so any confrontations will not be welcome. Make the effort to avoid difficulties, particularly this afternoon. This is a very lucky day for making plans. There is an opportunity for you to show off one of your special talents this evening.

Capricorn (December 22-January 19)

To

Yesterday’s Solution

Problems at home may be short lived but could leave lingering thoughts of what should have, could have or would have been.

Fortunately, you have done some very good work on problem-solving and can achieve good results from the action you take. Now you must leave your good work to unfold and turn to the workplace to help move the business world along. You feel successful and able to handle difficult situations. Good advice from a guide or older person may be forthcoming now. This may turn out to be a very good day. You are a good worker, always thinking and caring for things. You are naturally service-oriented and enjoy taking care of the needs of others. You are very discriminating and can sort out just what each person needs.

This is one of your best days this month. You may enjoy probing into your inner workings or some good solid gossip. You appear perhaps more refined than usual and now would be a good time to apply for a job, or otherwise make yourself known. A difference of opinion may occur between you and a co-worker today. Never fear, you are able to stabilize the situation and create an opportunity for the other person to feel good about expressing an opinion. Others value you for your ability to make practical decisions concerning group issues. You have a natural sense of what the public wants at this time. Remember what it took to get positive results and refer to the process when you have days that seem negative.

Enjoy the company of loved ones tonight.

Yesterday’s Solution Yester

Aquarius (January 20- February 18) Networking through social affairs can be quite successful. You may want to plan a get-together with co-workers in order to build firm relationships. Obtaining and exchanging information takes on more emotional significance. This is a good day for practical ideas and planning. You may receive special attention regarding your particular achievements. People will find your sense of humor in fine form, particularly if you have to make a speech. Some of the on-job stress has lessened this afternoon and although there is still work to be done—you may exhibit quite a bit of wit. Some news surrounding a new investment may come to your attention, but you would be wise to listen to the whole story and read the fine print first.

Pisces (February 19-March 20)

Word Sleuth Solution

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.

Your management and directional abilities are in high focus. You will prosper by pursuing your ideals and most deep-seated dreams of how life could be. Do not be afraid to project your image—make your dreams real. Ideas of group cooperation and communion or mass images could further your career. You could find that you are appreciated or valued for your feelings or your ability to act and get things done.

A need to be the center of attention takes hold in your life now - there is a craving to give and to be appreciated for your gifts. This can be an expansive, creative and even romantic phase.

A

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e niv rsar n

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2011

Years

i n f o r m at i o n FIRE BRIGADE

112

Al-Madena

22418714

Al-Shohada’a

22545171

Al-Shuwaikh

24810598

Al-Nuzha

22545171

Sabhan

24742838

Al-Helaly

22434853

Al-Fayhaa

22545051

Al-Farwaniya

24711433

Al-Sulaibikhat

24316983

Al-Fahaheel

23927002

Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh

24316983

Ahmadi

23980088

Al-Mangaf

23711183

Al-Shuaiba

23262845

24812000

Al-Jahra

25610011

Amiri Hospital

22450005

Al-Salmiya

25616368

Maternity Hospital

24843100

Mubarak Al-Kabir Hospital

25312700

Chest Hospital

24849400

Farwaniya Hospital

24892010

Adan Hospital

23940620

Ibn Sina Hospital

24840300

Al-Razi Hospital

24846000

Physiotherapy Hospital

24874330/9

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

Hospitals Sabah Hospital

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

Clinics Rabiya

4732263

Roudha

22517733

Adhaliya

22517144

Khaldiya

24848075

Keifan

24849807

Shamiya

24848913

Shuwaikh

24814507

Abdullah Salim

22549134

Al-Nuzha

22526804

Industrial Shuwaikh

24814764

Al-Khadissiya

22515088

Dasmah

22532265

Bneid Al-Ghar

22531908

Al-Shaab

22518752

Al-Kibla

22459381

Ayoun Al-Kibla

22451082

Al-Mirqab

22456536

Sharq

22465401

Salmiya

25746401

Jabriya

25316254

Maidan Hawally

25623444

Bayan

25388462

Mishref

25381200

W.Hawally

22630786

Sabah

24810221

Jahra

24770319

New Jahra

24575755

West Jahra

24772608

South Jahra

24775066

North Jahra

24775992

North Jleeb

24311795

Al-Ardhiya

24884079

Firdous

24892674

Al-Omariya

24719048

N.Kheitan

24710044

Fintas

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36

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2011

lifestyle G o s s i p

he screen legend stars in new supernatural thriller ‘The Rite’ - in which he plays Father Lucas, a Catholic priest who specializes in exorcisms - and he admits the role made him evaluate his own beliefs about religion. When asked if he believes in God by Piers Morgan on his CNN talk show, he said: “Yes, I do. I’m not an atheist. I don’t know what it is. None of us do. “But everything is God. Everything is particle physics. I’ve read everything I can. I started reading Charles Darwin’s ‘The Origin of the Species’ ... I believe in a God that Einstein believed in, a sort of Spinoza kind of interpretation.” Although he believes in the concept of a creator, Anthony doesn’t agree with the dogma imposed by organized religions.

Instead, the 73-year-old star believes fundamental certainty in life can cause much misery. Discussing the absolute beliefs of organized religions, he said: “I think it is

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indsay Lohan is set to return to jail after allegedly stealing a necklace worth $2,500. If the Los Angeles County District Attorney chooses to file a case against the 24-year-old actress - who completed 14 days of a 90-day jail sentence in July 2010 after breaking the terms of probation for her 2007 conviction for driving under the influence (DUI) - she could reportedly spend up to three years in prison. According to gossip website TMZ, the troubled star was due to face grand theft charges yesterday after allegedly stealing the high-end necklace from California-based jewellery store Kamofie & Company. However, legal expert Susan F Filan believes Lindsay could also be in violation of the terms of her DUI probation. She told HollywoodLife.com: “She is automatically in violation of her probation if she gets arrested. She would face up to six months in state prison or county jail.” The ‘Mean Girls’ star will now need to defend herself on two fronts, and could be forced to admit to courts she was arrested for the alleged theft but asking them to hold off on the probation violation charge in case she is found not guilty of the new felony. Susan added: “If I was her judge, I wouldn’t buy it.” Lindsay was released from a threemonth court-ordered rehab stay in early January her fifth visit to a treatment facility - and is currently on probation until her next court hearing on February 24.

dangerous. Certainty is responsible for some of the most awful terrors in the world.

“I made a point in the film (‘The Rite’), I was saying to the young priest, ‘So what do you believe in? The truth? Oh, yes, the truth. Look where that got us. Hitler, Stalin they know the truth.’ “I know atheists, brilliant atheists. I enjoy reading Christopher Hitchens, I’ll examine everything. But, what I enjoy is uncertainty. “There’s lines in this movie where I say, ‘Cherish your doubts because there God is hiding.’ I don’t know. You don’t know. None of us know. ‘Piers Morgan Tonight’ airs daily on CNN International at 20.00 GMT. For more go to www.piersmorgantonight.com

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Blunt embarrassed by Damon kiss

sa Zsa Gabor was released from hospital so she could celebrate her 94th birthday at home. The ailing actress who was rushed to Los Angeles’ UCLA Medical Centre last week after she started violently spitting up blood - was allowed to go to her Beverly Hills mansion, where she greeted with a special serenade from legendary singer Englebert Humperdinck. Her husband, Prince Frederic von Anhalt - who was treated in hospital last week for stress and exhaustion - bought her a cake and held a small celebration with close friends for her.

Her publicist John Blanchette revealed: “They did a magnificent job getting her back. They treated her with an aggressive treatment of antibiotics. The doctors said it was 50-50, but it worked.” Despite her ill health, John said the screen legend - who had part of her right leg amputated last month after gangrene set in - was managing to stay in good spirits.

“This has been a long, tough road since 2002, when she had an accident that originally disabled her. She has never been able to walk and her health has spiraled down. “But she has kept her sense of humor and she’s a fighter. She always has been.” Zsa Zsa - who has been married seven times - has been in and out of hospital since suffering from two blood clots following hip surgery last July, and was even read her last rites by a priest in November. Just last month, she was admitted to the UCLA Medical Centre after doctors became concerned she may lose her life if the limb wasn’t amputated. While the operation was considered a success, the star has been receiving round-the-clock care by a dedicated team of specialists ever since being allowed to return to her Los Angeles estate on January 22.

Smith’s rocky schoolgirl look W

mily Blunt laughed when she had to kiss Matt Damon. The 27-year-old actress had to get up-close with Matt in new movie ‘The Adjustment Bureau’, and admits it wasn’t easy because she kept on giggling about it. She said: “It comes with the job. By the time Matt and I had become friends and I had got to know his wife Lucy, I laughed the whole time, because it’s so embarrassing to kiss somebody who is your friend.” The British beauty famously dropped weight to play the role of a nasty secretary in romantic comedy ‘The Devil Wears Prada’ and had to do it again for the movie, although she found it hard because she is such a food fan. She told Style: “I love to cook and I love to eat. I make a great Thai green curry and a great roast chicken. “I do it all the time. Obsessively. It relaxes me and I get zenned out. I go into a meditative state and I don’t want anyone helping me.” “When I did ‘The Adjustment Bureau’ last year, I had to get really thin again and it was hell. I had to get ripped at the gym.”

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en Affleck believes he will be a failure in the future. The ‘Town’ director - who is married to actress Jennifer Garner - is thankful for his career as a filmmaker and actor, but doesn’t think the road will continue without bumps and always wants to be “brave” and take risks. He said: “Failure is just a function of risk. I look at my great heroes as actors and directors and none of them have perfect records. I imagine I will have an even more imperfect record. “I think you have to still be brave enough to take risks.

Today I am enjoying the success. Being number one at the box office is pretty cool. But I’ve been round the block enough times to know it won’t last forever.” The 38-year-old hunk thinks without

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illow Smith has described her style as “schoolgirl meets punk rock”.

The ‘Whip My Hair’ hitmaker has become a fashion icon despite being only 10 years old and although she works with a team of stylists and hairdressers, Willow says what she wears often depends on her mood. She said: “I wear anything I feel like. If I want to put on a pair of Converse with a pencil stuck through them, I will. When I was little my style wasn’t great now it’s schoolgirl meets punk rock. Although Willow - the daughter of Hollywood actor Will Smith and his wife Jada Pinkett Smith has admitted she loves Dolce & Gabbana saying “their designs are really cool”, her shopping tastes are also a little more down to earth. She told Teen Vogue magazine: “I mostly shop at Target and the CBS store, I love notebooks, if you went into my room you would see a pile of notebooks. I can’t live without my phone, my shoes and 20 dollars.” Willow has revealed she is an individual even outside of the fashion arena and has some wise advice for her fans. She said: “Don’t let anybody tell you you can’t do something because they’re the ones who can’t do it, be true to yourself.”

ilary Swank lost her luggage ahead of a Super Bowl charity event at the weekend.

The Oscar-winning actress was left without any clothes to wear after staff misplaced her bags when she flew into Dallas to host the Big Game Big Give party held by restaurateur Phil Romano - who founded Eatzi’s, Macaroni Grill and Fuddrucker’s - in the Texan city. But rather than let her baggage woes get her down, quickthinking Hilary decided to buy a T-shirt from the airport gift shop which was emblazoned with the message “Don’t Mess With Texas” to wear to the benefit. The event took place at Romano’s five-acre estate on Strait Lane and featured a gourmet Texas-style barbeque for the 350 guests in attendance. The party was held to raise money for the Giving Back Fund - which aims to bring together celebrities and sports people to help their communities - and Hunger

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Busters, Romano’s non-profit organization that provides hot meals to homeless people in Dallas. Swank was joined by her boyfriend John Campisi, while other guests included Owen Wilson, American fashion designer Tory Burch and former NFL player Emmitt Smith. The Super Bowl game between the Green Bay Packers and the Pittsburgh Steelers was held at the Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas, on Sunday.

failure he would have gone “crazy”, and thinks it has helped him build his character. He told Live: “I’ve been privileged to have a career long enough to see every part of the business, every part of success and failure. It’s much healthier that way. I would be crazy and insufferable if I hadn’t had those bumps along the way. There’s a lot to be said for how you face adversity, how you react - and how you move on.”

— Bang Showbiz

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TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2011

Years

lifestyle Music and Movies

The Black Eyed Peas perform during halftime at the NFL Super Bowl XLV football game between the Green Bay Packers and the Pittsburgh Steelers .—AFP

Black Eyed Peas a ‘mindless’ fit for Super Bowl

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bsurd, gauche and oddly appropriate.

Those were some of the begrudgingly positive reviews of the Black Eyed Peas’ brief set at the Super Bowl halftime show in Dallas on Sunday. The chart-topping foursome, famed for frustratingly catchy dance tunes such as “Let’s Get It Started” and “I Gotta Feeling,” took to the stage at Cowboys Stadium accompanied by hundreds of dancers wearing LED-covered suits. Following in the footsteps of such venerable rock ac ts as The Who, Bruce Springsteen and the Rolling Stones, the Black Eyed Peas were the first hip-hop act to take cen-

ter stage at America’s biggest sporting event.

Amid all the glitz, the event was plagued by the inevitable technical difficulties. But at least singer Fergie did not fall victim to the infamous “wardrobe malfunction” that exposed Janet Jackson’s nipple during the disastrous 2004 installment. Amid guest slots by former Guns N’ Roses guitarist Slash and scene-stealing R&B star Usher, critics appeared to give the Black Eyed Peas the benefit of the doubt.

“The Peas, love ‘em or hate ‘em, are the group this game of hype deserves,” the Los Angeles Times said. Sure, the band’s music is aimed at

“mindless partying,” and Fergie’s glittery top was “absurd and somewhat laughable,” but the Peas had more relevance than previous baby boomer acts, wrote the paper’s critic Todd Martens.

“The Peas of 2011 embrace all things commercial and ridiculous,” he said. “Corny? Please. In the world of the Peas, nothing is too silly and everything is built for exaggeration.” The New York Times was also full of backhanded compliments, citing the group’s “gauche taste” and “anonymous smash hits.” A spectacular piece of choreography

by Usher, who leaped high over the head of kneeling singer will.i.am, and landed on the stage

Woo’s ‘The Killer’

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Aguilera repeats line of national anthem

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hristina Aguilera says she flubbed a line as she belted out the national anthem at the start of the Super Bowl after getting lost in the moment and losing her place. She says in a statement, “I can only hope that everyone could feel my love for this country and that the true spirit of it’s anthem still came through.” When she was supposed to sing the line “O’er the ramparts we watched, were so gallantly streaming,” she instead repeated an earlier line, with a slight variation.

She sang “What so proudly we watched at the twilight’s last gleaming,” which is the same line from earlier in the song but with the word ‘watched’ instead of ‘hailed.’ The mistake immediately set social networks abuzz with people commenting on the error.—AP

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File photo shows director John Woo with his Lifetime achievement award at the 67th edition of the Venice Film Festival in Venice, Italy.—AP

ary Mo ore, for me r sta r of Irish rock band Thin Liz the zy, has died in Spain. The Belfa stborn guitarist was 58. “It is wit h deep sorrow and regret that we ha ve to announce that Gary Moore passe d away while on holiday in Spain last nig ht,” a message on his official website said on Sunday.

“O ur tho ug hts are wi th his ch ild ren , family and friends at thi s sad time.”

According to the Irish Times website, Moore was found dead in his hotel room in Estepona in the early hours of Sunday morning. A po stmortem was due to be carried out in the nearby city of Ma lag a, the ne ws pa pe r ad de d. A sp ok esw om an for Bri tai n’s Fo rei gn Office in London said: “We are aware (of Moore’s death), and we stand ready to provide consular ass istance. We are ver y sorry for his fam ily’s loss.” Moore was just 16 years old when he moved from Belfast to Dublin in 1969 to join Skid Row, which featur ed Phil Lynott as lead singer. Moore wa s later brought int o Th in Liz zy, be st kn ow n for hit so ng s lik e “W his ke y in the Jar ” an d “ Th e Bo ys Ar e Ba ck in To wn .” He replaced the departin g Eric Bell, who told the BBC: “I still can ’t believe it. He was so robust, he wasn’ t a rock casualty, he wa s a he alt hy gu y. He wa s a superb player and a de dicated musician.” As well as playin g with Thin Lizzy for sev era l pe rio ds , Mo ore wo rke d sep ara tel y wi th Lyn ott , wh o die d in 1986 from drug-related File photo shows No complications. rthern Irish guitarist Gary Moore Moore also worked wit during the 42nd h a number of Mo nt re ux to p art ist s, inc lud Ja zz ing Ge or ge Fe st iv al in Montreux.—AFP Harrison.—Reuters

Former Thin Lizzy guit arist Gary Moore dies

Christina Aguilera sings the national anthem before the NFL football Super Bowl XLV game between the Green Bay Packers and the Pittsburgh Steelers Sunday.— AP

second John Woo gangster classic will be updated with South Korean talent. A publicists’ statement says Woo will produce the 3-D, English-language version of his 1989 crime thriller “The Killer.” The Lion Rock Productions film will be directed by KoreanAmerican John H Lee and star South Korean actor Jung Woosung.

His credits include “Reign of Assassins” and “The Good, the Bad and the Weird.” The 1989 original starred Chow Yun-fat as a hitman who takes a final job to pay for the surgery of a nightclub singer he blinded accidentally. A remake of Woo’s 1986 film “A Better Tomorrow” opened in September.—AP

Nigerians at home get 1st glimpse of ‘Fela!’

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to get 3-D remake

in a split “only ended up highlighting the headliners’ weaknesses,” said the paper’s critic, Jon Caramanica.

The Chicago Tribune’s Greg Kot said the Peas were “an oddly appropriate choice” for the big event. “With lyrics like Madison Avenue slogans plastered over relentless beats, the quartet’s big, proudly superficial music advertised and celebrated itself,” he wrote. But Entertainment Weekly said the foursome seemed “... well, as small as peas themselves,” awkwardly static as illuminated, “Tron”-like dancers swirled around them.—Reuters

o a whiff of marijuana smoke and a bit of dancing, Nigerians again met Afrobeat legend Fela Anikulapo-Kuti on Sunday, more than 13 years after his death. About 400 people crowded into the New Afrika Shrine for Nigerians’ first glimpse of the award-winning musical. The venue, now the home of performance

by Fela’s sons, Afrobeat performers Femi Kuti and Seun Kuti, stood electrified as a largescreen television showed a prerecorded performance by the National Theatre in London.

“It was a no-brainer that it would be nice to show this in Lagos, and in the Shrine, so the (National Theatre) provided a high-quality recording for us to show,” said David Higgs, country director of the British Council, which Nigerians watch a recording of Afrobeat Legend Fela Kuti organized the event. at the New Afrika Shrine in Lagos, Nigeria.—AP The “Fela!” musical is set in the original Shrine, which was destroyed while Fela was serving one of his many jail sentences. It was later replaced by the New Afrika Shrine.

Run by his daughter Yeni Kuti, it serves as the new mecca of fans of Fela and Afrobeat, the musical genre he invented, a politically charged mix of Yorubalanguage music and highlife cross-pollinated with funk and jazz.

Yeni Kuti, the daughter of Afrob eat musician Fela Kuti Organizers acknowlspeaks at the African Shrine in Lagos.—AP edged holding the event with diplomats in the Shrine remained a bit of a risque proposal, as youths openly smoked loosely rolled marijuana cigarettes during the event. A fight also broke out between a local photographer and a woman watching the performance. “You can see that we don’t eat people here,” Yeni Kuti said in her welcome address.

“So when you leave this place today, please spread the positive word.” Fela’s daughter was echoed by Ngaujah Sahr, the actor who channeled the late Afrobeat star for his performance in London. “Welcome at the Shrine,” the actor shouts sarcastically at the beginning of the musical. “It’s so good to see so many of you here ... considering how dangerous this neighborhood is. And how dangerous we are.” Fela performed regularly at the original Shrine with his band Egypt 80, surrounded by female dancers who wound their hips at neck-breaking speeds. As Sahr and the rest of the cast were scrutinized by the Shrine audience, two dancers climbed into two cages in front of the screen, a bit of live action for the screened performance. “Seeing them dance makes me so happy,” said Olayinka Anjorin, who rhythmically shook inside a yellow track suit to the crowd’s delight. “I didn’t expect this kind of thing from them. I love them!”

Having studied in the UK and lived in the US during the Black Power movement, Fela created a commune in the heart of Lagos, Nigeria’s commercial capital, where he lived with his 27 wives, most of whom were dancers as well.

Eccentric as he was, Fela was beloved because he captured people’s anger toward rudderless military leadership. He highlighted the ordinary man’s grievances in songs like “Everything Scatter,” which was banned by the Nigerian government. “This is just a copy of the original, but we are excited about it,” said Olayiwola Adeniji, a communications professional who raised his two fists at the screen to respond to Sahr.—AP

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2011

lifestyle T r a v e l

Downtown Los Angeles in 11 micro-itineraries

Los Angeles City Hall stands in between statues of dragons in Chinatown. — MCT photos

By Christopher Reynolds

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At the Angels Flight, for 25 cents passengers can ride the 298 feet from a station at 351 South Hill Street, up to 350 South Grand Avenue in the California Plaza water court during a visit to downtown Los Angeles.

he tourists think big. Arriving in Southern California, they expect to conquer Disneyland and Hollywood, perhaps on the same day, in between the surfing and snowboarding. Then they get stuck in traffic. Then come the recriminations, the tears, the vows to visit an island next time. The locals think small. Tracing tight little loops between home and work, they dodge freeways and alien neighborhoods. There are Los Feliz people who haven’t set foot in Venice since the latter Bush administration (I’m one), and there are Santa Monica people who have never stood at Griffith Observatory, watching the glittering grid of the city spread before them at dusk. (It’s free, people.)

Downtown sits in the middle of all of this, but to thousands of Angelenos, it’s more remote than Manhattan, never mind Manhattan Beach.

What we have here, whether you’re a tourist or a local, is a failure to fully appreciate the wonders and weirdness of Southern California. So we’ve come up with a monthly series of close-ups, beginning with downtown Los Angeles. They’re brisk, because you’ve got ground to cover. They cover kid stuff, adult stuff, food, lodging, roller derby, historic architecture and what to sniff when you’re in the Central Library.

They may be a tad more opinionated and intimate than your average guidebook, because this is our back yard and because you want to make human connections, not just check off a bucket list. We’ll count on you to suggest your own favorite places, beginning with Los Angeles and Orange counties, by responding to us at travel@latimes.com. Now, your 11 downtown close-ups. Most are micro-itineraries, bringing together two or three neighboring destinations to make a single adventure. Others stand alone, like those odd, irresistible Joshua Trees out in the desert. Try a few, and maybe you’ll see LA anew.

Where T-rex roars You can spend hours meandering Exposition Park near USC-the California Science Center, the California African American Museum, the Rose Garden. But not today. Today, you and your child are heading straight to the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, and you’ll start by browsing the long hallways filled with old-school dioramas and a newfangled Age of Mammals exhibit that opened last year. Then you head upstairs to the second North American Mammal area, where, since 2008, museum performance artists have been staging Dinosaur Encounters and Ice Age Encounters. It’s only a 15- or 20-minute show, but the star is a living, breathing, life-sized animal puppet-a 15-foot baby Tyrannosaurus rex. “Who thinks he eats peanut butter and jelly sandwiches?” asks Carissa Barnett, as the dinosaur (inhabited by another performer) snarls and snaps. Halfsmitten and half-scared, the children hang on Barnett’s every word about the food chain and extinction. Shows are offered two or three times daily (check www.nhm.org for times), and the museum’s Ice Age Encounters (with a sabre-toothed cat mother and child) are comparable. Don’t be surprised if other parts of the museum are closed for renovation; a new Dinosaur Hall is due in July.

Shoppers walk along Olvera Street.

Quiet and cool smells, then din and dining Shhh. You’re going to the library. The big one on 5th Street, with the strange pyramid on top that deserves a role in the next overwrought Nicolas Cage conspiracy movie. Don’t be put off by the street people at the entrance or the low ceilings on the ground floor.

Climb one level and behold the soaring rotunda, full of spectacular murals painted in 1933 — conquistadors, friars, Native Americans and European settlers, not to mention the globe chandelier that throws light on them. Then step into the Children’s Literature room next door, where (above the low-hanging fluorescent lights) you’ll find another set of California historic scenes. Now follow the advice of Monica May, chef at the Nickel Diner and a downtown veteran, who takes visiting friends here and orders them to sniff the books. Why? “You’re smelling your childhood,” she says. After those acres of quiet, expect a blow to the head when you step through the glass doors of Bottega Louie Restaurant and Gourmet Market at Grand Avenue and 7th Street. That’s how it feels the first time you confront the restaurant’s signature din, the roar of a few hundred diners and a revved-up sound system, all bouncing off marble floors and empty whitewashed walls, echoing under 40-foot-high ceilings. But give it a minute, and notice the gleaming green eclairs for $3, the gluten-free macarons for $1.75, the legions of chefs in the wide-open kitchen.

Since opening in 2009, this eatery has won a reputation for genial service, good Italian food and reasonable prices. It’s so noisy that no one will notice a garrulous child. And if you don’t want a meal, there’s always the bar in front or the desserts in the bakery. No reservations are accepted, so arrive early or expect to wait.

The Tarzan factor You’re all about sports, and you’ve scored tickets to see the Clippers or Kings or Lakers at Staples Center, next to the LA Live entertainment complex near the southern end of downtown.

Congratulations, especially if those are Laker seats. Now, there are more than a dozen restaurants and bars in LA Live, not to mention the Grammy Museum, a JW Marriott Hotel and a Ritz-Carlton, both of which opened in 2010. But that’s not where you’re sleeping. You’re heading eight blocks northeast to the Los Angeles Athletic Club, which has 72 hotel rooms that many people have never heard about.

From the outside, the LAAC is a humdrum hulk among the gem merchants that make up downtown’s Jewelry District, but inside, it’s a piece of sweat-soaked LA history, with two restaurants and bars, pools, weights, squash courts, basketball courts and walls crowded with fascinating old artworks and photos. Book a room and you get the same access that the club’s members do. (Yes, male and female,

adults and children.) The hotel rooms, upgraded from 2007-2009, are dark, woodsy and clubby. For less than the cost of a room at the Marriott or Ritz, you can walk and run in the footsteps of Esther Williams, and Johnny Weissmuller and dozens of less-celebrated Olympic medalists. (Charlie Chaplin spent a lot of time here too.) Alas, the indoor pool’s high dive is no more, but you can still peek through the underwater window that diving coaches used to watch their proteges splash down.

Astroturf, movie memories and vistas Next stop: the top of the Standard Hotel on Flower Street, where you’ll find a pool (guests only), fireplace, Astroturf deck, goofy topiary and a trendy open-air bar with skyscraper views on all sides. Scan the horizon, quaff a beer ($8) or cocktail, then descend and head two blocks west to the Millennium Biltmore Hotel on Grand. Stroll down the broad corridors of this grand old pile (where many early Oscar ceremonies were staged, beginning in the ‘30s) and imagine the whole place upside-down and wet. Yes, parts of “The Poseidon Adventure” (the 1972 movie) were shot in this lobby. Down the hall you’ll find the hotel’s stately Gallery Bar, where most nights, 26-yearveteran bartender Greg Guzelian will be pleased to assess your demeanor and pour you, as seems appropriate, a French Kiss or a Black Dahlia. These $16 drinks are his own creations. If ‘70s nostalgia takes hold, somebody may suggest an elevator ride to the revolving Bona Vista cocktail lounge on the 34th floor of the tired but striking Westin Bonaventure Hotel (built in 1976) at 4th and Figueroa. Choose the future instead: the WP24 Lounge on the 24th floor of the RitzCarlton at L.A. Live. (But bear in mind that it closes early — 10 pm most nights, 11 on Fridays and Saturdays.)

Street food and ‘Blade Runner’ “Are you Jose?” somebody asks the Asian man behind the counter of Jose’s Ice Cream Shop in Grand Central Market on Broadway near 3rd Street. “Yes,” he says, handing over a scoop of pistachio for $1.50.

Hey, this market is all about mixing it up. Carpeted with sawdust and illuminated by a jumble of neon signs, the open-air market dates to 1917. It offers produce, meats and street food of many countries (especially Mexico). Head to Tacos Tumbras a Tomas (Stall A5, on the left, halfway back) and order a $2.50 taco or a $5.50 burrito. Massive servings, tasty too. Then wander to the market’s rear entrance on Hill, where you can check out the twin orange cars of the Angels Flight Railway, a rebuilt funicular that, for a quarter, will take you 298 feet up Bunker Hill to the splashing fountains and gleaming skyscrapers of the California Plaza Watercourt. (The railway opened in 1901, about a

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block from its current location, and was later closed, rehabbed, closed and rehabbed again, reopening in 2010.)

Now, head back to the market’s front entrance, cross Broadway and step into the Bradbury Building, a five-story, glazed-brick-and-cast-iron marvel that went up in 1893.

Architect George Wyman was inspired by an imaginary building in a science-fiction story. Then, decades later, director Ridley Scott seized on the Bradbury as a set for his 1982 film “Blade Runner.” It’s free to stroll the ground level of the Bradbury, whose tenants include the LAPD Internal Affairs unit and Ross Cutlery, where you can use the old-fashioned scale for a dime.

Noodles in Chinatown LA ‘s Chinatown can’t match San Francisco’s or New York’s for pedestrian friendliness or retail and restaurant variety.

But this Chinatown has its own story. The original neighborhood was leveled to make way for Union Station in the 1930s, so the community rebuilt itself a few blocks to the northwest. You can get ginseng by the barrel or dried shiitake mushrooms by the pound or inspect a vast selection of teas and traditional cures at Wing Hop Fung in Far East Plaza (727 N Broadway, No 102). Then, for a modern spin, head up to Realm (425 Gin Ling Way), a retail haven of stylish home items. Under the lanterns in the courtyard outside, you can find colorful toys and tourist gimcracks along with a few fledgling art galleries, quality variable. Among restaurants here, Yang Chow has the greatest wall of fame and a pleasant atmosphere (819 N Broadway), and Phoenix Bakery has tempting sweets (969 N. Broadway). But you’re going to double back to Far East Plaza for a cheap, healthful lunch and a reminder that Chinatown isn’t just Chinese anymore.

Hoan Kiem, the square little Vietnamese restaurant space at 727 N Broadway, No 130, offers just three dishes: pho (chicken noodle soup), rice crepes and rice with chicken, nothing pricier than $6.75. “We want quality, not quantity,” says hostess and co-owner Lien Ha. “That’s the mentality in our family.”

Union Station and Olvera Street Angelenos sometimes avoid Olvera Street, maybe because its genuinely historic buildings are crowded by vendors and carts peddling cheap trinkets, maybe because parking can cost a fortune, maybe because the neighboring

IF YOU GO

Noelle Scaggs, lead hostess, pauses during the noisy lunchtime rush at Bottega Louie, a restaurant and gourmet market in downtown Los Angeles, California.

Since opening in 2009, this eatery has won a reputation for genial service, good Italian food and reasonable prices.

buildings seem to have been under renovation for longer than most of Los Angeles has been standing. But this is where settlers from Mexico founded Los Angeles in the late 18th century, and it’s where the 1818 Avila Adobe, oldest home in Los Angeles, still stands. And it’s an excuse to see Union Station. To visit, leave your car behind and take a Metro train to Union Station, and linger. This 1939 building is the last grand train station built in the US, and its entwined Art Deco and Spanish Colonial styles suggest the mansion Hernando Cortes might have built had he married a flapper.

Traxx, an upscale bar-restaurant, is tucked just inside the main entrance. Now, head across Alameda Street and walk the crowded alley that is Olvera Street. Unless you need a plastic guitar or wrestler’s mask, stroll briskly past the stalls on your way to browse the more varied goods at Olverita’s Village (No 24). Then take a patio seat at La Golondrina (No 17, main dishes $10-$24), one of several restaurants on the alley. It’s not awesome food, but it’s hearty. And if it’s Friday night between 6:30 and 9, you’ll have a five- or six-man mariachi playing for free. If it’s not a Friday, think twice

WHERE TO STAY Los Angeles Athletic Club, 431 W 7th St, Los Angeles 90014; (213) 625-2211, www.laac.com. Seventy-two rooms, usually $170-$200 a night. Hilton Checkers, 535 S. Grand Ave, Los Angeles 90071; (213) 624-0000, www.hilton.com. A Europeanstyle boutique hotel aimed mostly at business travelers, Checkers has 188 rooms and a snug spot next to the Central Library. Rates $209-$259 for most rooms. The Stay, 636 S Main St, Los Angeles 90014; (213) 213-7829, www.stayhotels.com.

Opened in 2008 as a hotel-hostel hybrid, typically offering bunk beds for $35, private rooms with shared baths for $55 and private rooms with private baths for $75. It has 160 spartan rooms on three floors. It’s actually a subset of the larger Hotel Cecil, whose large old lobby is next door, but the Stay’s lobby and rooms boast fresh coats of paint (bright white and orange), free continental breakfasts and several Macs for guest use in the mezzanine level. The 33 rooms with private baths are the fastest sellers. Omni Hotel, 251 S Olive St, Los Angeles 90012; (213) 617-3300, www.omnihotels.com. Seventeen stories and 453 rooms, a few steps from the Museum of Contemporary Art, Disney Hall and the fountains and eateries of California Plaza.

Rates $169-$259 for most rooms; more for suites.

The many-colored mosaiclike dome decorations by Julian E Garnsey, and globe chandelier which is part of a model of the solar system, are part of the Lodwrick M Cook Rotunda on the second floor of the Los Angeles Public Library .

A view of Grand Central market, located between South Broadway and South Hill Street. Carpeted with sawdust and illuminated by a jumble of neon signs, the open-air market dates to 1917. It offers produce, meats and street food of many countries.

before you hire those strolling singer-guitarists. They’ve been known to ask as much as $4 per guy per song.

Disney Hall, inside, outside, across the street Don’t you want to lay hands on Disney Hall? Frank Gehry’s rippling metallic beauty is nearly irresistible, and the Los Angeles Philharmonic keeps it busy. Acclaimed young conductor Gustavo Dudamel is scheduled to conduct about 45 performances in the 2010-11 season, and the hall books jazz and world music too. But tickets are dear, so you might just take the free 60-minute building tour, which doesn’t cover the auditorium but does let you creep up and around the exterior. Most days, they hand out headphones between 10 am and 2 pm, and sometimes there are live guides. Now, notice the Colburn School, the music and performing arts conservatory just across Grand Avenue. It plays Juilliard to Disney’s Carnegie Hall. And on Friday and Saturday nights, there are often concerts by students, faculty and visiting artists in the Colburn’s 415-seat Zipper Hall, at notably subDisney prices. And there’s the Colburn Cafe, a breakfast and lunch stop that’s nestled just so, often used by music students and their families. From there it’s an easy walk to Disney Hall, the Music Center, the Museum of Contemporary Art, the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels and the outdoor fountains of California Plaza.

The walk and the Stay Downtown’s boosters dream of a 24-hour district teeming with loft dwellers who nightly browse restaurants, bars, galleries and one-of-a-kind shops. We’re not all the way there yet, but if you show up on Spring or Main streets, between 2nd and 9th streets, on the second Thursday evening of any month, you’ll see something like that vision.

That’s the night of the Downtown Art Walk, a loosely organized ritual, born in 2004, in which galleries such as the Hive (729 S Spring St) and shops such as Metropolis Books (440 S Main St) stay open late, DJs pop up everywhere, dozens of food trucks roll down Spring and Main streets like Conestoga wagons seizing prime prairie real estate, and hundreds of young artsy urbanites-some of them loft dwellers, many of them adventurers from elsewhere-roam the streets under the gaze of police and private security guards. There is a lot of amateurish art. Some people drink too much, and some say the food trucks undercut the area’s restaurants. But there’s a big buzz, and it’s mostly fun. Near the center of the action, you’ll find the Stay, a clean budget lodging that offers bunk beds for as little as $35, private rooms with bath for $75. You’ll also find the Nickel Diner, serving American comfort food (including maple bacon donuts) near the gritty corner of Main and 5th.

artwork was done at the invitation of property owners in this Bohemian, post-industrial ‘hood. You also find many artists’ lofts, a few galleries and eateries and the skinniest college ever (the Southern California Institute of Architecture, which occupies a former freight train depot at 3rd Street and Santa Fe Avenue). Hungry? Stop for salad at Cafe Metropol (923 E 3rd St), sushi at R23 (923 E 2nd St) or a gourmet hot dog at Wurstkuche (800 E 3rd St).

Two words: roller derby LA doesn’t have an NFL team-yet. Till then, Angelenos have something almost as bruising, a banked-track, allfemale roller derby league known as the LA Derby Dolls.

Once, sometimes twice a month, about 2,000 people turn out at the rink on West Temple Street (near Alvarado Street) to watch these tough puppies in unstaged athletic competitions. What happened to all the shtick? Beginning in 2001, the sport’s organizers contend, roller derby abandoned most of its canned-ham stunts in exchange for actual athletic competition in which one woman, known as the jammer, tries to whipsaw-fly-bounce-jounce-cuss her way through the opposing team, gaining a point for every player she passes. It is a decidedly unglamorous but endearing sport that packs the plywood bleachers with folks in search of something different on a Saturday night. The “bouts” are broken into four 15-minute quarters. Before the game, there are craft booths to browse and a live band to enjoy. At halftime, more music and pizza. This is minimalist sports, a crazy roadhouse atmosphere with mostly 25- to 35-year-olds, but many spectators twice as old. It’s sort of the anti-LA scene, the polar opposite of blingy Staples. “There’s not one type of people here,” says fan Joel Mandelkorn, who likes to bring out-of-town guests. “It’s one of those things that, once you know about it, you’re always telling people.” Consider yourself told.

The Nickel Diner in downtown LA is a wonderful source of American comfort food (including maple bacon donuts) near the gritty corner of Main and 5th streets.

The writing on the wall The color, the texture, the invention-you can hate most graffiti and still admire the lavishly colored walls, urban grit and exposed brick of downtown’s Arts District. The “Mona Lisa” on the shed at Rose Street and Traction Avenue, for instance, and the long wall of crazy critters along Garey Street between 2nd and 3rd streets. Much of the outdoor

Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, 900 Exposition Blvd., Los Angeles 90007; (213) 763-3466, www.nhm.org. Open 9:30 am - 5 pm daily. Adults $9, children 512, $2; children 4 and younger are admitted free.

Grand Central Market, 317 S. Broadway, Los Angeles 90013; (213) 624-2378, www.grandcentralsquare.com. Open 9 am -6 pm daily. Free parking at 3rd and Hill streets with validated $10 minimum purchase.

Union Station, 800 N Alameda St , Los Angeles 90012.

Amtrak, (800) 872-7245, www.amtrak.com. Open all hours.

Walt Disney Concert Hall, 111 S. Grand Ave, Los Angeles 90012; (323) 850-2000, www.laphil.com. Seats 2,255. Tickets generally cost $18-$165, with $10 and $20 seats sometimes available for students and seniors.

Downtown Los Angeles Art Walk, www.artwalkla.wordpress.com. The Derby Dolls, 1910 W Temple St, Los Angeles 90026; (310) 285-3766, www.derbydolls.com/la. Matches all year long. Admission $18-$40. Over 21 only, but occasional matches open to all ages.

WHAT TO SEE Central Library, 630 W 5th St, Los Angeles 90071; (213) 2287000, www.lapl.org/central. Open 10 am -5:30 pm TuesdaysSaturdays, with extended hours to 8 pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

A dancer from the Xipe Totec Danzantes Atecas performs on Olvera Street in downtown Los Angeles.

Aguilera repeats line of national anthem

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File photo shows a view of designed furniture on display at the showroom of renowned Philippine furniture designer Kenneth Cobonpue in the central Philippines city of Cebu.—AFP photos

Filipino furniture designer a Hollywood hit

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is designs may be in Hollywood but his heart is at home: renowned Filipino furniture designer Kenneth Cobonpue says he still gets his inspiration from the sun-baked shores of Cebu. The multi-award-winner is regarded by international design magazines as one of the poster boys of Asia’s chic furniture design industry and his unique works have penetrated the luxury market around the world. They can be found on movie sets, in the home of US movie star Brad Pitt- who bought a Cobonpue bed-and in leading hotels, establishments and resorts in Paris, London and the Caribbean.

Yet for all his success, the 40-year-old father-of-two remains firmly grounded to his roots.

He says his creative ideas come from nature and locally-sourced materials in Cebu, an island province in the central Philippines, famous for its colourful festivals and sweet mangos.

“In the beginning, I always looked at nature for reference-the transparency, fluidity. These are characteristics of nature that I want to capture in the objects I design,” Cobonpue told AFP at his factory in Cebu City, which is also the country’s booming furniture industry capital. “But actually, inspiration comes from everywhere. There is beauty in everything we see, if only we can take a second look.” Although Cobonpue credits his natural talent to his mother, Betty,

who is a famous local designer, he sharpened his skills at New York’s Pratt Institute where he studied Industrial Design in the late 1980s. He was also apprenticed at leather workshops in Italy and in Germany until 1994, before heading to the United States in the hope of landing a job with one of the big design houses there.

However he was forced to return to the Philippines in 1996 when he could not find a spot in the tough US market. “There was no work to be found.

Even Harvard graduates were driving taxi cabs at the time,” he said. “We had a furniture factory back home, so I took over.” Once back in Cebu, Cobonpue experimented with different designs using humble rattan as the raw material.

He used the skin of the vine for binding and as a weaving material, with its core forming the wooden structure. Manufacturing under his own name, Cobonpue’s meticulously hand crafted, modern designs slowly gained fame beyond Cebu and replaced the 1980s-era catalogue of his mother.

Each design portrayed a certain kind of character, or had a hidden story behind it. The first major breakthrough was a collection called Yin and Yang-with beds and chairs made from rattan splits over a frame of steel and wicker that combined form and function using round and square shapes. Another critically acclaimed set was the Lolah collection, which

the royal wedding cash cow

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rom plates and pies to underwear and condoms, retailers are gearing up to cash in on the upcoming wedding of Britain’s Prince William to Kate Middleton. Whether it’s manufacturers of specialist china, or novelty items, or even the company founded by Middleton’s mother, shops and businesses are looking to make the most of the couple’s big day on April 29. “Every time there’s a royal wedding or a coronation or anything like that, everybody suddenly decides, I think I’ll manufacture a few mugs or tea towels or whatever it happens to be,” said royal biographer Christopher Wilson. “They’ve been doing that for centuries. It’s a boost for the economy.

People will make these things and people will buy them.”

Buckingham Palace has issued strict guidelines on what can and cannot be used on official souvenirs and commemorative merchandise, only allowing tea towels celebrating the engagement after protests from manufacturers. All such items must be in “good taste”, it said. But that has not stopped a slew of unofficial memorabilia hitting the streets and internet shopping websites. Already on offer are “Crown Jewels” condoms, featuring a picture of William and Middleton gazing into each other’s eyes and bearing the famous motto, “Lie back and think of England”.

“In years to come, they will be a timeless memento of a magical wedding day,” said spokesman Hugh Pomfret, although would-be users might be slightly disturbed to see the condoms described a as a novelty product not intended as a contraceptive.

Among the mass of mugs and cups churned out in the couple’s honor is a range of plates by London firm KK Outlet featuring plates emblazoned with slogans such as “Thanks For The Free Day Off” and “It Should Have Been Me”. The more upmarket ceramics maker Portmeirion, known for its Royal Worcester fine bone china, said last month it would produce 250 new products to commemorate the royal wedding. Supermarket Tesco produced a popular 16-pound version of the dress Middleton wore when the couple announced their engagement, while sales of rings similar to that given by William to Middleton have soared. —Reuters

used traditional Filipino boat building techniques in bending rattan to showcase its flexibility and create sensuous frames.

Accolades followed, including the top prize for a lounge chair at the Maison et Objet exhibition in France in 2009 as well as awards from the Hong Kong Design Centre and the Singapore International Furniture Design competitions. Several of the designs were also picked for three editions of theauthoritative International Design Yearbook, underscoring Cobonpue’s status as a furniture virtuoso. But perhaps what signalled Cobonpue’s entry into the big league was the 2001 launch of his Voyage collection, cocoon shaped beds that were reminiscent of ancient reed boats.

“They aim to take the sleeper into an imaginative journey into dreamland,” Cobonpue said. The bed became famous when Pitt, an avid art collector, bought one from a showroom that represented Cobonpue designs in Los Angeles. Orders then flooded in from Hollywood, and Cobonpue sets were used in movies, including the Ocean’s 11 franchise starring George Clooney, Julia Roberts and Pitt, among others. They are also familiar sights in the hit American television series, CSI. “You know at first, I didn’t know what to make of it. The attention we got after that was incredible,” the soft-spoken Cobonpue said. —AFP A work of art depicting a life-sized wax model of Britain’s Prince William with a replica of the engagement ring affixed to his forearm and entitled ‘Engagement’ by US artist Jennifer Rubell. —AFP

File photo shows renowned Philippine furniture designer Kenneth Cobonpue posing for a photo on a bed, similar to what Hollywood actor Brad Pitt bought.— AFP