14 jan

NO: 14969- Friday, January 14, 2011www.kuwaittimes.net

Max 19Min 4FR

EE6 59

Run forsomeoneelses life

Clijsters, Li reach Sydney final

Ministerof Interiorresigns

Shrimpseason ends

Photo by Yasser Al-Zayyat

L o c a lFRIDAY, JANUARY 14, 2011

Local Spotlight

By Muna Al-Fuzai

[email protected]

The Namesake

in my view

Iwas driving home from San Antonio toTyler, Texas on a Monday afternoon. Theweather was glorious so I decided to takethe country road to enjoy the greenery andfresh air. While driving at 65 miles per hour,I saw a stationary pick-up truck parkedtoward the side of the road from a distance.As I approached closer, the vehicle beganmoving slowly until it faced me head on,forcing me to slam the brakes and swerveto avoid hitting the truck or ip over.

When my Dodge Dakota truck came to ahalt, I found myself facing the driver of theother vehicle, who was at least 75 years old.The elderly man looked me straight in theeye and screamed the words did you notsee me trying to turn? I was still recoveringfrom the shock of the experience and couldnot reply to him immediately, but it joltedme. I apologized and promised to be morevigilant. This incident took place thirty yearsago.

I recollected this while driving alongIstiqlal road on Tuesday. It was about 8:30 inthe morning and there was a trac jamduring rush hour. When I reached the exitof the Third Ring Road, I noticed an oldworn out Caprice car driven by an elderlyman who occupied two lanes at a time. Myvehicle was right behind his and I could seehim making gestures toward other drivers.He kept pointing at his head as if to ask

them to use their brains and stop honkingat him!

Kuwaits Trac Department has beentaking a lot of steps to reduce the rate ofroad accidents; some of them are tragic andtake away the lives of a signicant numberof youth. However, there are some whodefy logic, road manners, disregard othersin addition to ignoring the law, rules andregulations. A motorist told a TV presenterwhen asked why he drove so fast and cutthe chase between cars, I cannot lie, I amjust having fun! The TV presenter shot hima look of disbelief. I believe that it is hightime for our education system to instill inour children from the elementary level, eti-quettes and maintaining safety and mutualrespect on the road. The case now is thatmany young drivers believe that they arenot good drivers unless they drive fast,cross a red light, or overtake others. Manyfatal accidents take place because of theirattitudes.

I really feel sorry for some of our youngmen who put up a brazen motorcycle stunton the road or whizz past the red light atunimaginable speeds. Many of them slide,break limbs or injure their heads, apart fromscaring and saddening people aroundthem. May Almighty Allah guide us to allthat is right and may He protect our youthfrom all evil and danger.

Road rash Abdellatif Al-Sharaa

Why is it dicult to nd someonesaddress in Kuwait? Why is it hardto nd someones place of resi-dence regardless of the area they live in?

If you try to visit someone living in anew residential area like South Surra forexample, you can easily get lost. This isunless you install a GPS system in your carthat helps with directions. Otherwise, youllend up attending your friends party whenit is just about over! Also, you could besearching for someone who lives in a verycrowded area like Hawally or Salmiya. Yourmission is almost impossible if your friendstays in a at. You may end up spendingdays together in a futile eort, and still notnd the place. The municipality has namedstreets that are either too long or too di-cult to pronounce especially for a non-Arab. I know that here in Kuwait, streets arenamed after eminent personalities -Kuwaitis and Arabs who helped developthis country. I think long-winding namesshould be abbreviated in order to make

pronouncing it easier. One has to bear inmind the fact that Kuwaitis are not the onlyones on the streets. There are many waysto honor an eminent personalitys achieve-ments, and naming a street is not the onlyway. I think it is worth it to name govern-ment schools after iconic personalities. Thisis because most, if not all, are Kuwaitis.They would nd it easier to pronounce andspell the names. Many a time a street isnamed after a public gure who is largelyobscure. People often suer by having topronounce the name and, worse still, havebusiness cards printed with unpronounce-able names. Why does the municipality notjust name the streets? I am sure that thereare many ways to honor someone. In fact,naming main halls and libraries after keygures is more acceptable. Funnily, peopletell you their block and street numbers!What does that mean? Lastly, have a mapin hand before heading to a place that youare not sure of. You may lose your way andnot nd help.

L o c a lFRIDAY, JANUARY 14, 2011

Satire Wire

By Sawsan Kazak

[email protected]

Last week an article about human tracappeared under my name. Let me begin bysaying that I did not write this opinion edito-rial. A printing mistake switched my article aboutbad immune systems with one about a Bahrainiman convicted of human tracking.

The article expressed doubt over the reliabilityof the girls stories accusing the man of forcingthem into prostitution and showed sympathytowards the convicted man claiming moreexaminations should be made before passingjudgment on people. Furthermore, the articleaccused the women from Thailand of pretendingto be naive and claimed that they should haveknown that there was such a risk when they wereoered work in a massage salon.

Unfortunately, the views expressed in the arti-cle are the exact opposite of what I believe. Allowme to address the topic. At rst glance, I wouldnever begin by doubting the stories of girls claim-ing to be forced into prostitution in a foreignland. I could be wrong, but I strongly believe thatprostitution in a foreign country is somewhat of alast option for girls and being tricked and luredunder false pretenses is not unheard of; actuallyits the norm.

I do believe that proper inspection needs tobe made on human tracking claims, but since

the court ruled against the man, then clearly aproper inspection was undertaken.

I think that any claim made on human track-ing needs to be taken extremely seriously. Ibelieve that the Bahraini man should have beento blame as they were his responsibility. Even ifthe girls were aware of what was going to takeplace (which I doubt), they are not the ones to beheld responsible. The person that sponsoredthem, set up the location and supervised andmade prot from the dealings is the person toblame. Accusing the victims, as the article sug-gested, is denitely not what I believe shouldhappen.

Human tracking is a big problem not only inthe Gulf but also around the world. To blame thegirls involved in this underground world is likeblaming a drug addict for the availability of drugson the street. The whole system that allows forthis to take place needs to be fought and disman-tled to avoid more incidents like these.

The Gulf already has a bad reputation when itcomes to this topic and we must do everythingwe can to ght human tracking and prostitu-tion. Evaluating what is at the source of this sys-tem and the people proting is what we need toconcentrate on. Protecting the innocent that arecaught up in this is the goal here.

Human trafficking in my view this time

Imagine life without a phone! I mean amobile phone. Coming back to the newspa-per today to write my article, I rushed out ofthe door and left my mobile phone at home. Inall honesty, I was coming to write about a total-ly dierent story. Then a small incident like for-getting my mobile occupied my mind andhijacked my thoughts. It became the topic ofthe evening.

It is only about 15 years ago when themobile was not so popular or important anitem. It was meant only for the elite of the socie-ty. Or to put it bluntly - it was a gadget for therich because of its high price. I remember amobile used to cost around KD650. The timesbefore when it was a commodity for the rich, itused to come in a heavy briefcase which had tobe installed in the luxurious car with an antennato accompany the accessories. You had to makea hole in your car to accommodate the antennabecause it would not have a good signal with-out the antenna.

So you ended up having two antennae - onefor the radio and another to tell the world thatyou have a mobile in your car. If you wanted toboast and brag, you had to carry the wholedamn thing with you. That cost aroundKD2,000.

Come year 2000, it was in everybodys handand it kept shrinking in size till it became palm-size and could be accommodated in your jeanspockets. The amazing thing is that it has spreadfaster than u. Just look around you and youwill see that even kids in the schools, theporters, delivery boys etc carry at least onemobile phone. It is no more just for the privi-leged or the wealthy. It became a necessarycommodity you could not live without.

How funny life is. Your mobile and your wal-let are as important when you leave home. Themobile phone actually evolved and has nowbecome your oce and media source. As ajournalist, I get all the news I need on mymobile. It has become my communicationdevice with the whole world. You just send amessage and wish good health or Eid Mubarakwith an SMS! You can have your Internet, yourdirectory with friends list and your personalbanking tool - all of it on your handset. Youstore the pictures of loved ones in the grip ofyour hand. It has become your survival tool forsocial life. So, guys tonight I am lost. I donthave my mobile phone with me! Excuse me as Isign o and rush back home - you know forwhat!

Have a good weekend!

Conspiracy Theories

[email protected]

By Badrya Darwish

Lost without my mobile

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FRIDAY, JANUARY 14, 2011

By Nawara Fattahova

Kuwaits theater culture is nearing extinc-tion. Although Kuwaitis are known fortheir love of theater, actors, producers,and directors jointly agree that their craft suersfrom the lack of performances. Instead, manytroops of actors travel to present their craftbeyond Kuwaits borders, There are no profes-sional theaters in Kuwait with international stan-dards and modern technology. So many of theplays cannot be presented here, and our actorshave to go outside to present their art, saidAbdullah Abdulrasoul, a Kuwaiti theater directorand founder of the Youth Theatre. There wereattempts to battle that status

quo. Earlier this year,the Cabinet issued a decision to establish

a theater in each of the six governorates. Thedecision includes a plan to also build an operahouse. We suer from a lack of theatres inKuwait in general. This is a great obstacletowards presenting dierent plays, especiallythe professional ones, said Abdulrasoul.

Abdulrasoul, President of the Youth Theaterfrom 1981 - 2005, explains that some theaterplays need special eects and the use of mod-ern technology, which are unavailable inKuwaits theater infrastructure. He laments thatthere are no genuine permanent theaters inKuwait, All the current shows are held at placesthat are not real theater houses, he said elabo-rating that plays are now hosted in the sportshalls in some sports clubs or schools. A thirdgroup of plays are staged in the old hall of thecinema. All these plays are presented seasonal-ly (during the Eids) only, he explained.

The hiccups of the theater industry These not only have limited places for audi-

ence, there are not enough parking lots for theaudience as well. Such make-shift theaters arenot equipped with the necessary sound eectsand light, said Abdulrasoul who considers theDasma Theater to be the only real one inKuwait. The theater groups have continuouslydemanded that the government establish mod-ern theaters in Kuwait, We hope that the deci-sion of the Cabinet will be executed soon,Abdulrasoul said. He explained that theatergroups do not have the capital needed to fund atheater. This is the duty of the government. Weknow that the government has some prioritiesin their budget, he stressed.

Ahmad Al-Hleil, Kuwaiti Director expressed aless optimistic view about the time-frame forthe projects completion, It may be done in veyears if we are lucky. We need these projectsurgently, as the present situation is miserable,he said.

Abdulrasoul asserted on the role played by

the private sector in rebuilding theindustry, We do not mind if anycompany took this issue as aninvestment subject, I call upon theprivate sector to show more inter-est in this matter. Kuwaitis havegreat taste and sense for arts andculture but they have to travelabroad to watch the Kuwait the-ater plays that are present here,

he concluded. Al-Hleil attributed the problem to childhood,

We grew up from small school theaters thatconsist of a stage without a curtain in most cas-es. So we got used to the miserable situation ofthe theater, he said.

Stressing that Kuwaitis face many obstaclesand feel envious when they visit other countriesin the region, when they see art ourish. Thetheaters of the schools in Europe, United States,and even in many GCC countries are better thanour ocial Dasma Theater, This one needs tobe renovated. Although we have the nancialand the cultural ability to build good theaters,some poor countries have better theaters thanus. In Egypt for instance, they have an old the-ater which is renovated and is well- equipped,he further said.

The government is not solely responsible forthe situation. The Parliament can share a part ofthe blame, Some MPs instead of looking intothis important issue, stand in the way of estab-lishing such an important project. In my opin-ion, the solution of the problem starts with theMinistry of Education, which should build bettertheaters in the schools, highlighted Al-Hleil.

The plays presented during Eid are all stagedat rented theaters, The Kuwaiti actor Tareq Al-Ali succeeded to somehow equip his theaterwith good equipment and seats, as he is rentingthe place for long term. So he presents moreshows during the year long. Other producershave to rent the theater for a short period only,he added. According to Al-Hleil, the govern-ment will not issue a license to build a privatetheater, We cannot buy or build a theater; wecan only rent one. Once the owner of a mall pro-posed that theater producers and directors renthis facility. But, the rent charged was unbeliev-ably high. He demanded KD15,000. The price oftickets is cheap, one of the cheapest rates in theworld. The price ranges between KD3 and 10.Even in Egypt, the ticket touches KD50 for someplays. So, we cant pay such a high rent, he stat-ed. He concluded by saying that the govern-ment must adopt a serious approach towardsreviving the opera and the theater culture.

Is it the curtains for Kuwaits theatre?

Liberation Theatre in Kaifan. Photo by Yasser Al-Zayyat

Abdullah

Abdulrasoul

Ahmad Al-Hlei

l

Reviving the dying art of drama

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Australian marathon runner and coach, Pat Carroll,represented Australia in the marathon at threeCommonwealth Games and is ranked fourth on theAustralian all-time list for marathon runners. In 1994, heran 61 minutes 11 seconds for the Half Marathon and

won the Beppu marathon in 1995 in a time span of 2hours 9 minutes 39 seconds. Both performances at thetime of racing, ranked him twelfth fastest in the world.

Carroll retired from competitive running in 2001 totake up coaching. He has helped hundreds of runnersachieve their goals through an online coaching site.Carroll corresponded with the Friday Times to give hisbest tips and coaching guidelines for running a half orfull marathon. Before commencing your campaign, Iencourage you to stand back and realistically assesswhere you are currently placed tness wise, he says. Nomatter what level of tness you are at or whether youare a runner or not, everyone contemplating entering anevent like a marathon needs to have a tness/medicaltest, Especially, if you have not been involved in anyform of physical tness recently, you should consult yourdoctor to discuss what you are about to undertake,adds Carroll.

Once you are cleared to start training you then haveto get motivated. Carroll says nding enjoyable environ-ments in which to train will help to keep your motivationlevels high. If you have to get in your car and go some-where else then do it. Carroll suggests running fromhome and meeting up with a friend somewhere or alter-natively work out at a gym on the treadmill.

Another motivational tool is to hang your trainingschedule where you can constantly see it such as on thefridge door or at your desk at work, Putting your train-ing schedule where not only you can see it but whereyour family and work colleagues can see it will remindthem also of what you have committed to, said Carroll.He adds it is important to nd and lock in windows ofopportunity for training in order to ensure that you willcomplete the program.

Now that you have committed yourself to the task, itis time to start running. Carroll says it is important to

begin slowly to prevent burn-out and injury. For peoplewho have never trained for an event like this before, it iscommon that in the beginning you start out by justwalking, Dont be concerned about the pace you arewalking at your rst week, said Carroll. You will pick upthe pace later in the program. Your aim is to completeeach session.

Just as it is important to warm-up and cool-downwith a 10-minute walk before and after your runs, a gooddiet is also a must, Your next run is only as good as yourlast recovery, says Carroll. And by recovery, I am notjust referring to rest or cross-training the following day,but also diet. Carroll explains that when you driftbetween feeling great in one run to sluggish in the next,

What youdrink and eat inthe first hourafter a run playsa huge role indetermininghow you willfeel on yournext one

By Wendy Clayton

Long distance running can be a very fullling, satisfactory and lonely sport. It is just you and the pavement. Not only do you require the physical tness andendurance to complete a marathon, but you also need discipline and mental tness. Those who enter a marathon do not have to be professional runners.However, they must set realistic goals for themselves. Armed with this advice, amateur runners will be able to join a half marathon in March. The Kuwait CharityRun is hosting the rst ever half marathon to be held in Kuwait on March 19 this year. Teaming up with the Bayt Abdullah Childrens Hospice (BACCH), the KuwaitCharity Run hopes to raise funds and awareness for Bayt Abdullah Childrens Hospice and to support children with life-threatening conditions in Kuwait.

Marathoners unite on March 19

KUWAIT: The team from Kuwait Charity Run at the 2010 Run Q8.

AND THE WINNER IS: Competitors in the Graz Marathon 2010seen at the finish.

GRAZ: Half way in to the Graz Marathon leader Weldon Kiruifollowed by eventual winner Kenyan compatriot Robert-Kipheoch Kirui and second placed Ethiopian Desta-BerisoMorkama.

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chances are the sluggish feeling is due to not recovering fully.What you drink and eat in the rst hour after a run plays a

huge role in determining how you will feel on your next run,explains Carroll. Your body is crying out to be replenished.Carbohydrates are the ultimate fuel source for exercise saysCarroll. Increasing Carbohydrate intake is essential duringheavy training periods.

Just as important it is maintaining hydration of the bodyincluding during runs, Practice drinking on your training runsand take in uids before you feel thirsty, instructs Carroll. Bypracticing to eat and drink pre-race, during the race and post-race will go a long way in achieving a fast recovery from anevent like the marathon.

Another important factor to consider is injury. While in thebeginning, you may be healthy and injury-free, you need to beon the look-out for signs that could lead to the development ofan injury, Early warning signs of injury can be as small as dullache, said Carroll. You can easily x this by having an extraexercise-free day or icing the area and doing some light stretch-ing.

Carroll explains some common injuries that can occur are:Stitch, blisters, chang, and muscle soreness. More seriousinjuries are: Achilles tendonitis, runners knee, iliotibial bandsyndrome, plantar fasciitis, and shin splints. All starting as a dullache, these injuries can be kept at bay with an extra rest day. Ifnot then you should seek some physiotherapy.

So you have set your race day goal but just doing the work isnot enough. You need to test yourself in training and prove toyourself your commitment to your goals, Our lives are oftenbusy and time is precious, says Carroll. The best way to makeuse of the time you have made available to run is to constantlyremind yourself of your goals. When testing yourself in training,visualize yourself achieving your goal on race day.

Running fast is being out of your comfort zone says Carroll.Achieving a personal-best time on race day will nd you run-ning out of your comfort zone, said Carroll. Ideally, you shoulddo the same while training. Carroll adds that running at thesame pace will not make you a faster runner. The short andsharp eorts, run at a much faster pace that your goal racepace, will help you develop your basic speed.

A good idea is to adopt a mantra says Carroll so that you canfocus on and repeat over and over again in your mind. Whenyou get out of your comfort zone being able to concentrate onspecic things will help to keep you relaxed and stay in control.Marathon running not only requires physical tness but alsomental tness. Psychologically preparing yourself for an eventis an important aspect of your training.

The beginning of events such as marathons consist of manycompetitors, nothing like going out for your training runs. Thestart line will be congested and your heart rate will increasebefore the gun even res. Being warmed up before the gunres is paramount at the start of a race when you most likelywill nd yourself jostled about and being forced to run at every-one elses pace.

Not being warmed up can lead to a sudden increase in yourheart rate when the gun res, says Carroll. This dramaticchange to your physiology can leave you feeling exhausted.

Visualization can help to keep you in control and relax intothe race. Completing a marathon is an exhilarating experiencesays Carroll, I often experience a tremendous high with myrunning success. But I have come to realize there is often no dif-ference to the amazing high experienced by the winner of arace to someone crossing the line an hour or so later. Carrollsays competitors nished an event such as the marathon is theexact euphoric state like all my Christmases have come atonce.

Running is an individual sport involving natural movementwhich makes the experience all the more special says Carroll,This natural high stays with you for the remainder of your life.All you have to do is tap into your memory and relive themoment.

Kuwait Charity Run

Saturday, March 19 at 8 am on Gulf Road For more information visit www.kuwait-charityrun.com

Display weekly training schedule somewhere that itwill be a constant reminder.

Keep a stock of sports bars and electrolyte powder athome/oce and car to ensure you replenish afterevery run.

Prevention is better than cure. Always stretch afteryour warm-up and have regular check-ups with sportsphysiotherapist or sports massage to keep injuries atbay.

When running out of comfort zone develop a mantrayou can repeat to help you stay in control.

To help maintain a uent pace, imagine the sound of adrum beating in constant rhythm.

Stay relaxed. Rather than running with tight shoulders,drop them. Dont clench your sts and if you arebreathing heavily, try to make as little sounds as possi-ble.

Wear an old warm-up top to the race and discard it tothe side ve minutes before the start, it will keep youwarm.

Decide on a pre-arranged meeting point at the end ofthe race to meet your supporters.

Tips from Pat Carroll

Temperature drops to freezing point in Kuwait

KUWAIT: Temperature throughout Kuwait ebbedover the past hours dropping to the freezing pointin some regions and islands. Meteorologist IssaRamadan of the Meteorology Department atKuwait Civil Aviation Department said that thetemperature on Boubyan Island was recorded zeroin yesterdays early hours and two degrees at theairport region.

The country was aected over the past dayswith Siberian gales, turning the temperature verycold in the morning and moderately cold through-out the day, with the winds turning northwesterlyat night times.

The winds are forecast to turn southeasterlywith predicted hike of humidity, with formingclouds and relative hike of the temperature todayand tomorrow. More clouds are expected tomor-

row with chances of scattered rain tomorrow,along with active southeasterly winds as well ashigh waves at sea.

The temperature is forecast to reach 23degrees tomorrow, before the northwesterly coldwinds blow anew on Sunday. It will drop againlower than the level of 20 degrees. Ramadanarmed that the country would witness scatteredrain by the end of the week with forecast higherquantities compared to the recent showers.

Dryness had been the lowest to be recorded inthe country in the fall and early winter since the50s, he indicated. Al-Marbaaniah period (the localterm used in reference to severe cold) would passin the end of the month to be followed with theBard Al-Nayem, another wave of coldness of lessseverity, expected to last for 13 days. KUNA

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Probe committee ready tohold first working session MPs warn Interior against pressuring witnesses

By B Izzak

K U W A I T : The invest igat ion committeeformed by the Nat ional Assembly onWednesday to probe the death of a Kuwaiticitizen in a police station decided to hold itsfirst working session on Sunday. It also invitedall MPs to the meeting. The committee yester-day elected MP Ali Al-Omair as its chairmanand Marzouk Al-Ghanem as rapporteur ,Ghanem told reporters following the proce-dural meeting.

Ghanem and other MPs warned the interi-or minister and other officials from taking anymeasure that would influence the witnessesin the case, amid charges by MPs that theinterior ministry has summoned two key wit-nesses.

MPs on Wednesday lashed out at InteriorMinister Sheikh Jaber Al-Khaled Al-Sabah afterMohammad Ghazzai Al-Mutairi, a Kuwaiti inhis early 30s, reportedly died of torture atAhmadi police station where he was beingheld on charges of trading in liquor.

Several MPs have cried foul over the inci-dent stating that the man was murdered bythe Interior Ministry personnel after torturinghim to extract confess ions. The Inter iorMinister said that the man had twice com-plained of pain in the chest before he died inthe early hours of Tuesday.

MP Mussallam Al-Barrak however pro-duced a medical report issued by the oil hos-pital in Ahmadi in which it clearly said theman had arrived at the hospital dead withsigns of beatings on various parts of his body,

and with his legs and hands tied.Ghanem said that the committee on

Sunday will listen to all MPs who have anyinformation on the issue and appealed to law-makers to attend the meeting. The commit-tee was given two weeks by the assembly toprepare its report and submit it to the assem-bly for action. The interior minister has prom-ised to punish any official if proven responsi-ble for the death of the man regardless of hispost. At the same time, the Interior Ministryformed two committees to investigate thedeath. He also said that the committee askedits chairman MP Omair to make contacts withthe interior minister and other ministers in abid to reach the truth.

MP Barrak meanwhile alleged that a seniorofficial at the Interior Ministry yesterday sum-moned the doctor who prepared the medicalreport on Mutair i s death and bothapproached the interior minister. Barrakwarned against any foul play or altering themedical report and stressed he already has acopy of the report. MP Mohammad Hayefmeanwhile claimed that the detectives havesummoned the main witness in the case,Sayyah Al-Rasheedi who was with thedeceased at the police station and said he sawthe police torture him. Hayef said that thedetectives action at this time is a flagrantinterference in the investigation of the case.

The lawyers associat ion meanwhileformed a special committee to follow up thecase of Mutairi and will sponsor the case anddefend his rights against policemen involvedin his death.

Citizens murder suspectsunder interrogation

KUWAIT: The police are currently questioning a num-ber of suspects who were detained as part of theongoing investigation into the murder of a female citi-zen in Bneid Al-Gar last Sunday. Ocials are checkingthe records of the Trac Police Department in searchof the vehicle that matches the descriptions of the oneused by the main suspect, reported Al-Rai. It is believedthat the vehicle may belong to a person who is relatedto the killer.

Exam cheatingA number of high school students were caught

after breaking into their school at night to scribblenotes on their desks with the intention of cheating fortheir next exam. The schools janitor detained the sus-pects and informed police immediately. The arrestedstudents admitted their plan to jot down notes ontheir desks for their physics exam the next morning,reported Al-Rai. Police are trying to conrm if the stu-dents entered the control room.

Intruder escapesA Waha resident was hospitalized with a stab

wound after being attacked by a person he encoun-tered in his domestic helpers room. The man forciblyentered the Asian maids room after his wife heardstrange noises. He found a man in a compromisingposition with the maid. The intruder, however,charged at the citizen and attacked him with a knifeand ed the scene. The police were informed of the sit-uation and apprehended the maid. During interroga-tion, the maid admitted that the stranger was herboyfriend; an Asian driver whom she met at a nearbyco-operative society branch. She provided police withhis phone number, but could not be reached, reportedAl-Rai. They were able to identify his place of residence.However, he had already disappeared.

Unconscious worker A Thai national was rushed to the Adan hospital

where he was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit in acoma. He was found in an unconscious state inside therestroom of a company at the Abdullah Port, reportedAl-Watan. A large bruise was located on the victimsright arm. An investigation will be held once the vic-tims condition stabilizes.

RAINDROPS KEEP FALLIN ON MY HEAD: Pedestrians are pictured walking in the rain.More clouds are expected tomorrow with chances of scattered rain, along with activesoutheasterly winds as well as high waves at sea. Photo by Yasser Al-Zayyat

Crimes

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KUWAIT: The Minister of Interior Lt Gen Sta (rtd) SheikhJaber Al-Khaled Al-Sabah resigned yesterday in the wake ofan investigation which conrmed that there was foul play inthe death of citizen Mohammad Al-Mutairi. He allegedly diedwhile in police custody.

I resign bearing my responsibilities and duties, and livingup to my word during (Wednesdays) session, Sheikh JaberAl-Khalid conrmed in a press statement, referring to when hesaid at the Parliament that he wouldnt accept or be honoredto lead a ministry that attacks citizens, Al-Aan reported.

Earlier reports suggested that Sheikh Jaber Al-Khalid Al-Sabah had sent a letter of resignation to the Cabinet yester-day noon, shortly after the ministry released a statementwhich conrmed suspicions of a criminal act behind his death.Al-Mutairi was brought in dead to the Kuwait Oil Companyhospital where he was dropped o by police who haddetained him under interrogation.

In the rst public comment on the interior ministers resig-nation, MP Dr Faisal Al-Mislem praised the minister for thisstep, and urged the Prime Minister Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammad Al-Sabah to accept his resignation immediately,before legal action is taken against the people involved.

The ministers resignation is seen by many as a clear admis-sion that there have been some attempts to keep the circum-stances which led to Al-Mutairis death in the dark. Most spec-ulation regarding foul play behind the citizens death wassolidied after the ministrys statement contradicted with aninitial statement in which they claimed that Al-Mutairi hadattacked police ocers during his arrest for alcohol posses-sion. Observers believe that with this contradictory statement,combined with the ministers promise during the latest parlia-ment session and the medical report produced by MPMusallam Al-Barrak during the same session, as well as theAhmadi Security Department report left the minister with noother choice but tender his resignation.

In a press statement released yesterday, the KuwaitiMinistry of Interior announced that the post-mortem reportproved that Mohammad Ghazay Al-Maymouny Al-Mutairi wasmurdered.

The entire case, including the ministrys sta membersinvolved, has been referred to the Public ProsecutionDepartment, the ministry stated in a press release. The min-istry, out of full commitment to the principles of transparency,will show all facts to the public, the statement read, reiterat-ing an earlier statement issued soon after the death.

The Minister of Interior has promptly ordered an investiga-tion into the death of the defendant thoroughly. The ministryhas vowed to take the necessary legal and punitive measuresagainst any sta members that commit irregularity.

Earlier, Al-Mutairys family said that they plan to take legalaction against the Ministry of Interior, holding it fully respon-sible for the victims death. A heart failure was pronounced asthe cause of death, but the medical report indicates that thevictims body was heavily bruised, which drew strong specula-tion that the man might have been tortured to death, Al-Anbareported.

In the meantime, the victims cousin Faisal Al-Tuwaihexplained to the local press that the hospital refused to pro-vide the family with the medical report, as per the orders ofKOC board member Khalid Al-Khamees. Furthermore, Al-Tuwaih indicated that the hospitals public relations managertold him that the Interior Ministry is in possession of the med-ical report and all other documents pertinent to the case.

While asserting that he learned about the ministrysattempts to check the medical history of the victim, Al-Tuwaihsaid that there are strong indications that the ministry is try-ing to cover up the case and conceal the identities of thoseresponsible for Al-Mutairis death.

On a separate note, an Iraqi sailor accused of ring the shotthat killed a Kuwaiti coastguard ocial, is pleading not guiltyto his charge after initially admitting that he was the culprit,Al-Anba reported. Lance Corporal Abdurrahman Al-Enizy wasshot dead after he stopped a boat carrying Iraqi sailors thatinltrated into the Kuwaiti territorial waters. Kuwaiti ocialswere able to arrest a number of the inltrators, and held themfor questioning in connection with Al-Enizys death.

One of the suspects, identied as 45-year-old TahaSamhan, said that he pushed Al-Enizy and seized his gun,which he used to re at the coastguards boat that wasapproaching their boat at the time in an attempt to escape.Investigators, however, insist that the suspect had previously

admitted that one of his shots had fatally wounded the lancecorporal. Kuwaiti authorities further denied rumors that theIraqi sailors in their custody will be handed over to authoritiesin Iraq. They are currently being held by the PublicProsecution Department.

Minister of Interior resignsAutopsy proves foul play in defendants death

Anniversary

Years

1312 144 deadovernight inTunisia

Governmentfall plunges Lebanon intouncertainty

Hundreds deadin Brazil slides

BRISBANE: People paddledown a flooded shoppingarea in the Rosalie district ofBrisbane in Australia yester-day.AFP

Australia floods recede to reveal damage

POSTMANS RIDGE: Residents began a longwait yesterday for floodwaters to subside andreveal the extent of devastation to Australiasthird-largest city, while upstream soldierspicked their way through the debris ofwashed-away towns looking for more victimsfrom one of the countrys worst natural disas-ters. The waters left behind tractor-trailerssnapped in half, concrete slabs where housesused to be and a car hanging from a tree.

The slow-motion inundation of Brisbaneovernight, played out live on television beforea nation transfixed, was a critical moment inflooding that has built for weeks as rain fellincessantly across Australias tropical north-east.

The emergency is not over, but Brisbanesescape from what forecasters had predictedwould be a flood worse than one that laidwaste to much of the city 37 years ago trig-gered relief nationwide.

The death toll stood at 25, including a 24-year-old man who drowned yesterday whenhe was sucked into a storm drain as he triedto check on his fathers home in a swampedBrisbane neighborhood. Ocials said theyexpect to find more bodies farther upstreamas they finally got access to hamlets struck byflash flooding on Monday. The deadly flood-waters began to recede yesterday after crest-ing about three feet (one meter) below thedepth of 1974 floods that swept through

Brisbane and set a benchmark for disaster.Stil l , 30,000 homes and business wereswamped , many all the way up to their terra-cotta roof tiles. Skyscrapers stood empty asdowntown closed for a for a second day, andthousands remained huddled in evacuationcenters or with friends and family on higherground. Queensland is reeling this morningfrom the worst natural disaster in our historyand possibly in the history of our nation, avisibly shaken state Premier Anna Bligh toldreporters. Weve seen three-quarters of ourstate having experienced the devastation ofraging floodwaters and we now face a recon-struction task of postwar proportions. Theflooding across Queensland has submerged

dozens of towns , some three times , and leftan area the size of Germany and France com-bined under water. Highways and rail lineshave been washed away in the disaster, whichis shaping up to be Australias costliest.Damage estimates were already at $5 billionbefore the floodwaters swamped Brisbane.

At least 61 people are still missing, most ofthem from around Toowoomba, a city west ofBrisbane that saw massive flash floods onMonday. Fourteen died in that flood alone,including two whose bodies were found yes-terday. Deputy Police Commissioner IanStewart warned that number was likely to riseas search and rescue teams are able to moveinto more devastated areas. AP

Death toll stands at 25

FRIDAY JANUARY 14, 2011

12

BEIRUT: The collapse of Lebanon's govern-ment plunged the country into deep polit-ical uncertainty yesterday after a year ofrelative stability, as the president beganthe process of putting a new administra-tion together. President Michel Suleimanasked Saad Hariri to stay on as caretakerprime minister after the Iranian-backedmilitant group Hezbollah and its alliesresigned Wednesday and brought downHariri's government.

The crisis was the climax of tensionsthat have been simmering for months overthe UN tribunal investigating the 2005assassination of Hariri's father, formerPrime Minister Rafik Hariri. The tribunal iswidely expected to indict members ofHezbollah soon, which many fear couldrekindle violence in the tiny nationplagued for decades by war and civil strife.

Lebanon's 14-month-old unity govern-ment was an uneasy coalition linking bitterrivals UN a Western-backed bloc led byHariri and the Shiite Hezbollah UN that wasan attempt to stabilize the country. But inreality, it had been paralyzed for monthsbecause of disputes over the Hariri tribu-nal. Hezbollah, which is supported by Syriaand Iran and maintains an arsenal that faroutweighs that of the national army,denounces the Netherlands-based tribunalas a conspiracy by the US and Israel. It hadbeen pressuring Hariri to reject any of itsfindings even before they came out, butHariri has refused to break cooperationwith the tribunal.

Now, the chasm between the two sidesis deepening with Hezbollah accusingHariri's bloc of bowing to the West.Hezbollah's ministers timed their resigna-tions to coincide with Hariri's meeting withPresident Barack Obama in Washington,forcing him to meet the American presi-dent as a caretaker prime minister.

The collapse of the government ushersin the worst political crisis since 2008 inone of the most volatile corners of theMiddle East.

Lebanon suffered through a devastat-ing civil war from 1975-1990, a 1982 Israeliinvasion to drive out Palestinian fighters inthe south, a 2006 war between Israel andHezbollah, and deadly sectarian fightingbetween Sunnis and Shiites in 2008.

Arab League chief Amr Moussaexpressed concern that Lebanon couldagain descend into chaos. "It is bad. It istense. It is threatening," he said of the situ-ation. "All of us have to work together inorder to reach some kind of compromise,"he told reporters in Doha, Qatar.

Israel also said it was worried aboutrenewed violence on its northern borderwith Lebanon. Israeli troops stationedalong the frontier were on alert yesterday.Suleiman began consultations over thechoice of a new prime minister yesterday.He met with parliament speaker Nabih

Berri, who told reporters after the meetingthat the president would begin pollinglawmakers on their choice on Monday.

There were expectations of prolongedwrangling over the selection of prime min-ister. Politicians in the pro-Western coali-tion said there was no alternative to the 40-year-old billionaire Hariri, who remains themost popular choice among Sunnis.According to Lebanon's constitution, thepresident must be a Christian Maronite, theprime minister a Sunni and the parliamentspeaker a Shiite.

Samir Geagea, leader of the Christianright-wing Lebanese Forces group which isallied with Hariri, said Hariri's backerswould name him again as their choice. "Itwould be a grave mistake to even thinkabout an alternative to Saad Hariri," hewarned Wednesday. AP

BAGHDAD: Vice President Joe Biden emphasized to Iraqi leadersyesterday that the US wants nothing more than for Iraq to be afree and democratic country in a daylong visit that officials saidwould focus on the departure of American troops from the coun-try. Biden's trip marks the first visit by a top US official since Iraqapproved a new Cabinet last month, breaking a political deadlockand jump-starting its stalled government after March's inconclu-sive elections. Three explosions in the capital killing two people,however, demonstrated the lingering security challenges facingthe country's young democracy.

"We have one overwhelming desire, the single best thing,that could happen to the United States, literally, is for you to bea free, prosperous democracy in this part of the world," the vicepresident told reporters before a meeting with Iraqi PresidentJalal Talabani. Officials said they expected the issue of whetherto keep some US forces in Iraq beyond the Dec 31 deadline todominate the agenda with Talabani, Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki and Kurdish President Massoud Barzani. The officialsspoke on condition of anonymity to be able to discuss the sensi-tive diplomatic issues frankly. Under a security agreementbetween Washington and Baghdad, all American troops are toleave Iraq by the end of the year. However, Iraq's top militarycommander Gen Babaker Shawkat Zebari, has said US troopsshould stay until Iraq's security forces can defend its borders ,which he said could take until 2020. But Al-Maliki, under pres-sure from hardline Shiite Muslims, has signaled he wantsAmerican troops to leave on schedule. Last weekend, the influ-ential and anti-American cleric Muqtada al-Sadr returned to Iraqafter nearly four years of exile in neighboring Iran, in part toinsist that the US "occupiers" must leave on time or face retribu-tion among his followers "by all the means of resistance." AP

Government fall plunges Lebanon into uncertainty

Suleiman asks Hariri to stay on as caretaker PM

BEIRUT: In this photo released by Lebanons official governmentphotographer, Lebanese President Michel Suleiman, right, meetswith Prince Albert II of Monaco at the Presidential Palace in Baabda,east of Beirut, Lebanon yesterday.AP

BAGHDAD: US Vice President Joe Biden, left, sharesa light moment with Iraq's Parliament SpeakerOsama Al-Nujaifi, in Baghdad, yesterday.AP

Iraqs success in US interest: Biden

DOHA: US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton yesterdaydelivered a stark warning to Arab leaders that they will face grow-ing unrest, extremism and even rebellion unless they quicklyaddress depleting oil and water reserves and enact real economicand political reform. Wrapping up a four-nation tour of US allies inthe Persian Gulf with unusually blunt remarks to a regional devel-opment conference in the Qatari capital of Doha, Clinton said eco-nomic and political space must be opened up for the Arab world'sexploding youth population, women and minorities. Without that,respect for human rights, improved business climates and an endto pervasive corruption, she said young people and others willincreasingly turn to radicalism and violence that will bleed outsidethe region, threatening not only Middle Eastern stability and secu-rity but the rest of the world.

"In too many places, in too many ways, the region's founda-tions are sinking into the sand," she told officials at the Forum forthe Future conference. "The new and dynamic Middle East ...needs firmer ground if it is to take root and grow everywhere."Clinton made her comments after visiting the United ArabEmirates, Oman, Yemen and Qatar. During her trip, civil unrest con-

tinued unabated in Tunisia and Algeria, Egypt remained tenseafter disputed elections and a political crisis hit Lebanon, under-scoring what Clinton said where deep concerns about trends inthe Middle East. "While some countries have made great strides ingovernance, in many others, people have grown tired of corruptinstitutions and a stagnant political order," she said. She appealedfor leaders to heed calls to rein in rampant graft and offer all oftheir people a better way of life. "Those who cling to the statusquo may be able to hold back the full impact of their countries'problems for a little while, but not forever," Clinton said. "If leadersdon't offer a positive vision and give young people meaningfulways to contribute, others will fill the vacuum." "Extremist ele-ments, terrorist groups and others who would prey on despera-tion and poverty are already out there appealing for allegianceand competing for influence," she said. "This is a critical momentand this is a test of leadership for all of us." Improving the climatefor business and outside investment is one approach, she said.Critical to that is fighting corruption, she said, reeling off a list ofcomplaints about payoffs she had heard from businesspeoplearound the broader Middle East and North Africa. AP

Clinton: Mideast faces disaster without reform

DOHA: US Secretary of State Hillary RodhamClinton talks during a Civil Society breakfast inDoha, Qatar yesterday.AP

International


13

TUNIS: Rioters hurled stones at trams andgovernment buildings in Tunisia's capitalyesterday in defiance of increasingly toughgovernment attempts to quash more thanthree weeks of rioting by youths angryabout joblessness.

Overnight, police opened fire and killedfour people who defied a government cur-few in several towns, opposition memberssaid, driving up a death toll already in thedozens. Looters in the Bizerte region raided asupermarket, pharmacy, clothing shops anda bookstore amid chaos, said union leaderand human rights advocate SouadGhousami, a member of the opposition PDPparty. Security forces appeared unable orunwilling to intervene, and the militaryappeared to focus its efforts on public build-ings, she said. Many youths were taken intocustody. The unprecedented violence hasrevealed deep anger against autocraticPresident Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, who hasclamped down on civil liberties, jailed oppo-nents and tightly controlled the media dur-ing 23 years of rule in the Mediterranean

tourist haven where unrest had been rare.Ben Ali announced plans to give his third tel-evision address since the start of tensionslater in the day. The government's death tollstands at 23, while opposition figures andwitnesses say it is more than 50, includingthe deaths overnight near Tunis and in thenorthern region of Bizerte. French and Swisscitizens visiting their native country wereamong those killed, the two European gov-ernments said.

In the capital, which until this week hadbeen spared the violence erupting in provin-cial towns, rioters threw stones at Metrotrains, forcing them to return to their depot.The Interior Ministry building and a munici-pal services building were among targets ofprotesters' anger. Near the French Embassy,hundreds of protesters, some throwingrocks, clashed with undercover officers andriot police who fired tear gas in an effort todisperse them, a witness said. Police weredeployed on major thoroughfares in thecapital, and stores were shuttered as wasthe central souk, or market.

The European Union has complainedabout the disproportionate use of force in acountry that is considered an oasis of calmcompared to its neighbors, Algeria andLibya. Ben Ali has gone on national TV in anappeal for calm and to pledge job creation,but his efforts have not done much to stopthe unrest. Mourad Yacoubi, an academicand member of the PDP party, said two peo-ple were shot to death and another wasseverely wounded after being hit by gunfirein the Al Intilaka housing project outsideTunis.

To the north, in the town of Menzel-Bourguiba in Bizerte, a young man, KhaledBen Abderrahmane Mathlouthi, was alsokilled, said Ghousami. Ghousami said anoth-er person, Skander Khlifi, was shot and killedin the nearby town of Sekma, where twoothers were also rushed to the hospital withinjuries to the stomach and shoulder. Amidcomplaints about a lack of openness, thegovernment opened a media hotline, butcalls to the line went unanswered yesterday.

The Swiss Foreign Ministry said yesterdaya woman with dual Swiss-Tunisian citizen-ship died in unrest in northern Tunisia. Swissradio reported the woman was killed by astray bullet while watching a protest a dayearlier. Another victim was a professor ofcomputer science in France, at the Universityof Technology at Compiegne. Universityspokeswoman Nadine Luft said HatemBettahar had taught there for a decade andhad traveled to Tunisia for vacation to see hismother. Slah Nebti, a Tunisian teacher, saidBettahar was shot to death Wednesday bypolice in a protest in the central city of Douz.He filmed a video of the shooting's after-math and posted it to Facebook: It showedBettahar lying in a pool of blood, and thecrowd shouting "God is Great!" in Arabic.

The French Foreign Ministry said it waslooking into the circumstances of Bettahar'sdeath. Ben Ali, 74, has maintained an irongrip on Tunisia since grabbing power in 1987in a bloodless coup, repressing any chal-lenge to a government many see as corruptand intolerant. AP

ABIDJAN: Students loyal to the Ivorian leader who is refusing tocede power attacked a UN vehicle in the country's main city yes-terday, setting it ablaze and beating the driver after dragging theperson from the car.

Supporters of incumbent leader Laurent Gbagbo forced thevehicle to stop at a makeshift roadblock in a pro-Gbagbo neigh-borhood. The driver was pulled out of the car and beaten whileanother group smashed the vehicle's windows and set it on fire,said a witness who declined to be identified for security reasons.

It was not immediately known what happened to the driver,and the United Nations mission in Abidjan said it was looking intothe attack and could not yet comment. The cocoa-producingcountry has been tense since a heavily disputed Nov. 28 electionwhich the international community says opposition leaderAlassane Ouattara won. Gbagbo, who refuses to give up power,still controls the military and security forces across this lagoon-side city. An Associated Press reporter who arrived on the scenein the Riviera II neighborhood after the attack saw the vehicle stillsmoldering. There were no UN troops or security forces in sight.

The witness said the students also tried to stop a UN truck thatdrove by shortly afterward. The truck escaped, but the studentsgrabbed a bag filled with what appeared to be UN peacekeepinguniforms, which some of them put on. After the UN certifiedOuattara as the winner, Gbagbo accused the global body of biasand ordered thousands of peacekeepers to leave the countryimmediately. UN peacekeepers patrolling the streets of Abidjanhave come under growing threat of violence, including one whowas wounded in a machete attack last month. Violent clashes inAbidjan already have left up to 11 people dead in recent days,including four civilians. Authorities imposed a curfew in theOuattara stronghold of Abobo and sent in a convoy of militarytrucks following fighting that began there Tuesday after a policeraid. Up to seven police officers are among the dead, and armychief Philippe Mangou warned that his troops reserved the rightto retaliate.

"In order to find these people attacking the republic insidetheir hiding places, the armed forces of Ivory Coast want allhuman rights organizations, as well as the national and interna-tional community to know that that these attacks against us areequal to acts of war ... putting us in a position of legitimate self-defense," Mangou said in a declaration read on state TV onWednesday. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has expresseddeep concern about the violence in Abobo, and UN spokesmanMartin Nesirky said that Ban urged both sides "to exercise maxi-mum restraint and to avoid further clashes." Gbagbo lost the elec-tion by a nearly 9-point margin according to results certified bythe United Nations. A peace agreement after the country's 2002-2003 civil war invited the UN to act as the final arbiter of the elec-tion, creating an independent mechanism for determining theoutcome.

Elections in Zimbabwe and Kenya in recent years have endedwith the opposition candidate forced to accept a power-sharingagreement with the sitting president, even though mostobservers say the opposition had won in both instances.

Country experts warn that Gbagbo is likely hoping for a similararrangement and is using the tool of human rights abuses, includ-

ABUJA: Paramilitary police and soldiers swarmed Nigeria's capitalyesterday ahead of the ruling party's convention, where dele-gates will pick the candidate expected to become the next leaderof Africa's most populous nation. The party is choosing betweenPresident Goodluck Jonathan and former Vice President AtikuAbubakar, highlighting the religious and ethnic fault lines run-ning through this oil-rich nation of 150 million.

Jonathan, a Christian from the south, became president onlyafter the death of Nigeria's elected leader, a Muslim from thenorth who had only served one term. For that reason, some with-in the party believe its presidential candidate should be anothernortherner. The voting is to take place yesterday evening and isexpected to last well into the night. The winner is expected to goon to victory in the April election. Since the hand over in 1999from military rule to a civilian government, Nigerian politics havebeen dominated by the ruling People's Democratic Party. Theparty's operatives have the political connections, money andmuscle necessary to control Nigeria's unruly and corrupt electoralsystem.

Security was tight yesterday in Abuja, where car bombings

during an October independence celebration killed at least 12people and wounded dozens more. Another bomb tore throughan open-air beer garden in the city on New Year's Eve, killing atleast four people. Federal police spokesman Olusola Amore saidmore than 17,000 officers were on hand for the primary conven-tion. On Wednesday night, officials sealed off major roads criss-crossing the arid capital and paramilitary police with night-visiongoggles monitored traffic.

Yesterday, roads were blocked off as far as one mile (two kilo-meters) from the convention. Delegates, supporters and mediahad to go through at least four different searches, bags were X-rayed, and bodies were patted down and scanned with metaldetector wands. In an unusual order, Amore said the federalpolice force had told its officers they wouldn't be able to carryfirearms, grenades and tear gas canisters into Eagle Square, theconvention site. Before the convention began, the US Embassy inAbuja also warned its citizens "to exercise caution and avoid areaswhere there are political or other large public gatherings" duringthe election season. Every major ministry office was shut downfor the day. AP

New violence in Tunisian capital; 4 dead overnight

Unprecedented violence reveals deep anger

TUNIS: People walk past a burned building after riots inEttadhamoun, west of Tunis yesterday. AP

ABIDJAN: Local residents look on as a United Nationsvehicle, set on fire by militant student supporters ofLaurent Gbagbo, burns in the Riviera 2 neighbor-hood of Abidjan, Ivory Coast yesterday.AP

Ivory Coast mob beats driver of UN vehicle

Nigerias ruling party to choose its candidate

International

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

Anniversary

Years


TERESOPOLIS: Driving rains senttons of rusty red earth sliding intoBrazilian mountain towns, killing atleast 287 people and leavingdozens more missing , lives rescuershoped to save as they resumedsearches yesterday.

In the hardest-hit town ofTeresopolis, where the local civildefense agency said at least 146people died, hundreds of familymembers crowded around thetowns morgue waiting to identifybodies. More corpses were laid outon a street in front to the police sta-tion, covered by blankets. Rains hitthe town overnight, though no newmudslides were reported.

Rescuers used heavy machinery,shovels and bare hands in attemptsto nd survivors. How many weresaved was not known , at least 50were still missing and one neigh-borhood hit by slides in Teresopolishad not been reached yet byauthorities. In a neighboring town,reghters rescued a 25-year-oldman who held his 6-month-old sonfor 15 hours until they were bothpulled out alive. The mans wife andmother-in-law were feared dead.

Heavy rains and mudslides killhundreds of people across Brazileach year, especially during theSouth American summer. The worsthit are the poor, whose rickety

homes are often built on steepslopes with weak or no foundations.In Teresopolis, 40 miles (65 kilome-ters) north of Rio de Janeiro, del-uges lled creeks and the overowsswept over already water-loggedmountainsides. Brick and woodenshacks built on hillsides stripped oftrees washed away in surging earthand water, leaving behind only along trail of mud. The mountainssaw 10 inches (26 centimeters) ofrain fall in less than 24 hours. Morerain, possibly heavy at times, is fore-cast through the weekend.

Floodwaters continued to gushdown the mountains for hours afterrainstorms ended Wednesday.

Survivors waded through waist-highwater, carrying what belongingsthey could, trying to reach higherground. Many tried desperately tond relatives, though phone servicewas out in the region and manypeople were still missing hours afterthe rain stopped. There are so manydisappeared , and so many that willprobably never be found, saidAngela Marina de Carvalho Silva, aresident of Teresopolis who fearedshe may have lost 15 relatives,including ve nieces and nephews.There was nothing we could do. Itwas hell, she said in a telephoneinterview. Carvalho Silva took refugein a neighbors house on high

ground with her husband anddaughter, and watched the torren-tial rain carry away cars, tree branch-es and animals and rip apart thehomes of friends and family. Itsover. Theres nothing. The watercame down and swept everythingaway, said her husband, SidneySilva. In the neighboring mountaintown of Nova Friburgo, at least 107people died, according to an e-mailed statement from the Rio statecivil defense department. Amongthe dead were four reghters whowere helping in the rescue eort.Three other reghters were listedas missing after their re truck washit by a mudslide. AP

Hundreds dead in Brazil slides, search to continue

At least 50 still missing

TERESOPOLIS: A rescue worker walks among debris after landslides at Caleme neighborhood in Teresopolis, Brazil yesterday. AP

ARIZONA: President Barack Obama greets Daniel Hernandez,an intern for Rep Gabrielle Giffords who helped her after shewas shot, at a memorial service in Tucson, Ariz, on theUniversity of Arizona campus, Wednesday. AP

TUCSON: President Barack Obamaappealed for unity at a memorial servicefor those attacked in the Arizona shoot-ing rampage, and he implored a dividedAmerica to honor them by becoming abetter country. Obama electried thecrowd Wednesday by revealing that fol-lowing his hospital visit with Rep.Gabrielle Giords, she had opened hereyes for the rst time since being shotpoint-blank in the head in the assassina-tion attempt four days ago. First ladyMichelle Obama held hands withGiords husband, Mark Kelly, as thenews brought a cascade of cheers.

While some have blamed Americasoverheated political climate and the useof violent imagery in campaigns, Obama

conceded that there is no way to knowwhat set o last Saturdays shootingrampage that left six people dead, 13wounded and the nation shaken. Hetried instead to leave indelible memo-ries of the people who were gunneddown and to rally the country to use themoment as a reection on Americasbehavior and compassion.

I believe we can be better, Obamasaid to a capacity crowd at theUniversity of Arizona basketball arena _and to countless others watching acrossAmerica. Those who died here, thosewho saved lives here _ they help mebelieve. We may not be able to stop allevil in the world, but I know that howwe treat one another is entirely up to

us. Obama said Giords, known asGabby, opened her eyes a few minutesafter he left her intensive care hospitalroom Wednesday evening at TucsonsUniversity Medical Center, where someof her colleagues in Congress remained.Gabby opened her eyes, so I can tellyou: She knows we are here, she knowswe love her, and she knows that we arerooting for her through what isundoubtedly going to be a dicult jour-ney, he said. Giords is expected to sur-vive, although her condition and theextent of her recovery remain in doubt.The 40-year-old was less sedated andmore responsive and her doctors saidthat her recovery was going as anticipat-ed. AP

Obama urges country to heal after Arizona shooting

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

Anniversary

Years


BEIJING: In this Jan 12 photo, Chinese paramili-tary policemen stand guard in front of a sculp-ture of the ancient philosopher Confucius dis-played near the Tiananmen Square in Beijing,Chinas capital.AP

US defense chief warns on North Korea, eyes Japan ties

Gates heads to SeoulTOKYO: The United States and Japanvowed yesterday to deepen militarycooperation in the face of North Koreanbelligerence. US Defense SecretaryRobert Gates, on an Asia trip that startedin China and will end in South Korea onFriday, said all major regional powershoped to ease tensions on the Koreanpeninsula. If there is a common theme inmy visits, it is the common interest of theUnited States, Japan, the Republic ofKorea and China for there to be stabilityand peace on the Korean peninsula,Gates said.

Gates earlier this week warned thatPyongyang was becoming a direct threatto the United States and could developinter-continental ballistic missiles withinve years. He also suggested that thesinking of a South Korean warship andthe shelling of a South Korean island lastyear was raising pressure on South Koreato shift from a policy of restraint towardone of military response, were Pyongyangto strike again.

The key on the Korean peninsula, as Idiscussed in China and discussed inJapan, is to prevent another provocationfrom happening, he said. The North hasappealed almost daily for talks since thestart of the year, but Gates called onPyongyang to make concrete gesturesthat it was serious about negotiations.

Gates and his Japanese counterpart,Toshimi Kitazawa also agreed to strength-en defense cooperation, and discussedthe potential export to allies of missiledefense capabilities both countries arejointly developing. Pentagon ocialshope Japan will buy US ghter jets, whenupgrading its eet of ageing F-4 Phantom

ghters. US relations with Tokyo frayedafter the Democratic Party of Japan sweptto power last year vowing to forge moreequal ties with the United States andreview an agreement on relocating a USMarine airbase on Japans Okinawa island.

But wariness over a rising China andan unpredictable North Korea has bol-stered incentives to strengthen thealliance. Gates said he spoke withJapanese leaders about the challengesassociated with Chinas growing militarystrength. His comments came just twodays after the rst test ight of a Chinesestealth ghter jet. US ocials are also con-

cerned about Chinas faster-than-expected advances in its anti-ship ballisticmissile program, which could challengeUS aircraft carriers in the Pacic.

Kitazawa said both Japan and theUnited States agreed it was important forthe international community to keepworking on China, so that it will takecooperative actions as a responsiblemajor power in the international society.Relations between Japan and Chinasoured last year after a are-up of a terri-torial dispute involving islands known asthe Senkaku in Japan and Diaoyu inChina. Reuters

TOKYO: US Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, right, shakes handswith Japans counterpart Toshimi Kitazawa after a joint news con-ference at the Defense Ministry in Tokyo yesterday. AP

Confucius shows up on Chinas Tiananmen Square

BEIJING: Theres a new facekeeping Chairman Mao compa-ny on Tiananmen Square. Amammoth sculpture of theancient philosopher Confuciuswas unveiled this week o oneside of the vast plaza. Its a jar-ring juxtaposition for a squarethe ruling Communist Partytreats as politically hallowedground: a mausoleum holdingrevolutionary leader MaoZedongs body sits in the mid-dle and his giant portrait hangsat one end. Placing the statueat Chinas political heart is theauthoritarian governmentsmost visible endorsement yetof the 2,500-year-old sage and,selectively, his teachings.Confucius is enjoying a revival,in books and lms, on TV and inclassrooms. His message of har-monious social order and defer-ence to authority is unthreaten-ing to the party, while hisemphasis on ethics resonatesamong Chinese coping withfast-paced social change on theback of torrid economicgrowth.

The government is increas-ingly marshaling his popularityto bolster national identity.The rise of a big countryrequires a cultural foundation,and Chinese culture upholdsthe spirit of harmony, said Wu

Weishan, the sculptor, who hasmade more than 200 statues ofthe philosopher. The essentialthoughts of Confucius are love,kindness, wisdom and generos-ity. And peace and prosperityare what the people are strivingfor. The 31-foot (9.5-meter)bronze sculpture depicts arobed Confucius with a seriousexpression and sits on the eastside of the square, facing in thedirection of Maos portrait andamid the bustle of Beijing.

Chinese tourists busilysnapped photos and agreedthat Confucius teachings beara message for modern China,where money worship andconsumerism feel like nationalp r e o c c u p a t i o n s .Confucianism has been gov-erning the lives and ethics ofChinese for thousands ofyears, said 25-year-old engi-neer Cui Xiaozhan, on a busi-ness trip from the eastern cityof Qingdao. We should studyit. But everyone is too busy andtired. Confucius laid down acode of ethics that was adopt-ed as a quasi-religious nationalphilosophy of governance andpersonal behavior. His teach-ings emphasized duty to fami-ly, respect for learning, virtuousbehavior and obedience ofindividuals to the state. AP

CHIBA: Japans prime minister saidyesterday he will reshue his unpop-ular Cabinet as he tries to revive thestruggling economy and open up thecountry to stay globally competitive.Naoto Kan said he will announce hisnew lineup today to push for reformsas Japan faces a string of dauntingproblems, including a rapidly agingpopulation, growing national debtand an anemic economy , the worldsthird-largest.

I will have the most powerfulCabinet, Kan said. The changes willreect how best we can push forreforms for Japan and tackle the prob-lems. He was speaking at the annualconvention of his ruling DemocraticParty of Japan, held in Chiba, just out-side Tokyo, where more than 2,000national and local lawmakers andtheir supporters gathered to discussagendas for the year.

It will be his third Cabinet since hetook oce in June. The reshue islargely seen as an attempt to increasechances of passing key legislation,

including the 2011 budget. Distractedby personnel issues and a scandalinvolving a party veteran, Kans gov-ernment has been unable to makemuch progress in parliament.

Kan didnt specify what changeshe will make, but media reports sayhe will replace Chief CabinetSecretary Yoshito Sengoku, who hascome under re from opposition par-ties for controversial comments ondiplomatic and defense issues. Theopposition bloc had threatened toboycott parliamentary sessions ifSengoku is not replaced. YukioEdano, the ruling partys acting secre-tary general, is among the top candi-dates for the job as the top govern-ment spokesman, according toJapanese media reports. KaoruYosano, a 72-year-old veteran law-maker known as a staunch advocateof scal reform and supporter of rais-ing the sales tax to meet the countrysclimbing social security costs, is alsoexpected to be given a Cabinet post.

Yosano has held a number of sen-

ior government posts under the for-mer Liberal Democratic government,and Kans likely decision to tap himsuggests that the prime minister isfocused on scal reconstruction andwants someone who could fosterconsensus across party lines. Otherkey Cabinet members, includingFinance Minister Yoshihiko Noda,Foreign Minister Seiji Maehara andDefense Minister Toshimi Kitazawa,are likely to retain their posts, KyodoNews agency reported.

Yesterdays party meeting, Kanfaced criticism from fellow partymembers that his administration wasfailing to tackle urgent problems con-fronting Japan. Tokyo is consideringwhether to join a U.S.-backed free-trade zone called the Trans-PacicPartnership that nine countries arenegotiating. Business leaders sayJapan must join the TPP or suer acompetitive disadvantage, but farm-ers are opposed because of worriesthat cheaper imports would ruinthem. AP

Cambodias Khmer Rouge trial gets go-ahead

PHNOM PENH: Cambodias UN-backed genocide tribunalhas refused to drop indictments against four former seniormembers of the Khmer Rouge, rejecting their appeals. Thetribunal says Nuon Chea, the Khmer Rouges chief ideolo-gist; Khieu Samphan, its head of state; Ieng Sary, its for-eign minister; and his wife Ieng Thirith, who was ministerfor social aairs, were ordered yesterday to be sent for tri-al. Court ocials have suggested the trial would startmidyear. Charges against the four include crimes againsthumanity, genocide, war crimes and murder, torture andreligious persecution. An estimated 1.7 million peopledied under the Khmer Rouges rule in the late 1970s. Theregimes chief jailer was convicted last year of war crimesand crimes against humanity. AP

Japan PM to reshuffle Cabinet to push for reforms


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KABUL: Afghanistan's security forces willlikely need to be bigger than a projected400,000 soldiers and police if they are totake over securing the country from for-eign troops in 2014, the Afghan DefenceMinistry said yesterday. Afghan PresidentHamid Karzai wants Afghans to take thelead in security by the end of 2014, anambitious goal but one endorsed byWestern nations with troops on theground.

Commanders have estimated that a400,000-strong security force-combiningmilitary and police-would be the minimumrequirement to protect the whole countryand international donors have tentativeplans to reach that level by 2013. There is afirm commitment to have a 300,000-strongforce by October 2011, shortly after the USbegins a slow withdrawal. But AfghanDefence Ministry spokesman GeneralZaher Azimy said yesterday even the largernumber may not be high enough.

"It cannot be predicted what the securi-ty situation will be like in 2014," Azimy saidin a written statement. "But consideringthe current security situation ...Afghanistan will need a security force num-bering more than 400,000 to transitionpower in 2014." Violence in Afghanistan isat its worst since the war began in late2001. A strategy review released by USPresident Barack Obama last month foundNATO-led forces were making headwayagainst the Taleban but serious challengesremained.

The review also said the United Stateswas on track to begin gradually withdraw-ing its troops-numbering about 97,000 outof some 150,000 foreign troops-in July, asAfghan forces slowly take over in someparts of the country. Azimy said there werecurrently around 149,500 soldiers in theAfghan army and that they were on trackto expand to the 171,600 target this year.The Afghan army numbered 97,000 sol-diers in November 2009, according toNATO figures.

Afghanistan's police force, which is con-trolled by the Interior Ministry, numberedabout 120,000 in November 2010, up from95,000 a year earlier. Plans for 2013 call for240,000 soldiers and 160,000 police.

Critics, however, point to shortcomingsin Afghanistan's security forces and say the2014 target to begin withdrawing troops istoo ambitious and only emboldens theinsurgents. The army and police force havesuffered from high attrition rates, mainlyfrom desertion and casualties. The com-mander in charge of training, LieutenantGeneral William Caldwell, said inSeptember attrition rates were so high thatin order to achieve a permanent increase of50,000, the security forces would need torecruit 133,000 personnel.

Some also say too much focus has beenplaced on quantity over quality, and while

the army in particular has made strides inrecent months, its operational capabilityhas been overstated. Violence has surgedin Afghanistan with record casualties on allsides. Afghan security forces have been hitparticularly hard as they are often easiertargets than their foreign partners who areprotected by more advanced equipment.

On a visit to Afghanistan this week, USVice President Joe Biden said he hopedAfghans would be able to ensure securityby the end of 2014 but that the UnitedStates would remain beyond that date ifthe Afghans wanted. The Pentagon alsosaid last week the United States wouldtemporarily send 1,400 more Marines toAfghanistan in an effort to hold on tofragile gains, but overall US troop levelswould not surpass previously announcedlimits.Reuters

COLOMBO: Sri Lanka is hospitalizing pregnant women andyoung children to shield them from waterborne diseases in dis-tricts where floods have brought sewage into the streets, a healthofficial said yesterday. Days of heavy rain have triggered wide-spread floods and mudslides, mainly in the island's EasternProvince. Five more deaths were reported yesterday, bringing thetoll to 23, Pradeep Kodippili of the Disaster Management Centersaid. One person was reported missing and 36 others injured.

Amid the floods, sewage lines and tanks have overflowed inmany villages, and Health Ministry spokesman DharmaWanninayake said officials are concerned about diseases liketyphoid and diarrhea. He said doctors working in affected areashave been asked to hospitalize women who are nearly ninemonths pregnant and children under 5 years old.

The measure will help slow infection rates and allow the mostvulnerable to be treated quickly, he said. More than a million peo-ple have been affected by the rains, and 325,000 have been forcedfrom their homes. Many villages in Eastern Province have beeninundated, with some cut off from supplies. Nine villages in theeastern Trincomalee district are isolated with only sea access, saidN Selvanayagam, a local government official. Food and medicalsupplies are running low in those areas, leaving tens of thousandsof people in need, said Mohammad Jihad, a community leader.Wanninayake said special teams of doctors and health inspectorshave been dispatched to work in camps housing the displacedpeople and mobile clinics set up. The government has deployed28,000 armed forces and police personnel with boats and helicop-ters to help with rescue and relief for affected people.

The United Nations and other aid agencies have stepped in toprovide food, sleeping mats, water tanks, purification tablets andhygiene kits. Badly hit Eastern Province has been recovering froma quarter century of violence during a civil war fought by TamilTigers seeking a separate state for minority Tamils. AP

PESHAWAR: Suspected militants targeted a police vehicle and asecurity checkpoint with bombs in northwest Pakistan yester-day, killing four officers and wounding nine others, police said.Three policemen were killed in the first attack when a remote-controlled bomb destroyed a vehicle carrying police and para-military forces in Bannu district of troubled KhyberPukhtunkhwa province, said Rafique Khan, a local police official.

Five security personnel were also wounded in the attack, saidKhan, who blamed local Islamic militants but offered no evi-dence to back up his claim. Also yesterday, a bomb rippedthrough a checkpoint manned by tribal police in Bara, a townnear the northwestern city of Peshawar, killing one officer andwounding four others, police official Iqbal Khan said.

Islamist militants with bases in the northwest have carriedout scores of attacks on police and army targets over the lastthree years. They are seeking to overthrow the US-allied, demo-cratically elected government and replace it with a pro-TalebanIslamic emirate.AP

Afghanistan troop target may be too low: DefenSe official

Current security situation means more than 400,000 needed

KABUL: Afghan police guard entrance of Iranian Embassy hit withred paint by protestors yesterday in Kabul, Afghanistan. A few hun-dred protesters marched to the Iranian Embassy to demonstrateagainst the hanging of Afghans in Iran. Afghan lawmakers haveclaimed that as many as 45 Afghans had been executed in Iran .AP

COLOMBO: A Sri Lankan woman selling jack fruitsand coconuts sits with a glass of tea as she waits forcustomers in Colombo, Sri Lanka yesterday.AP

Sri Lanka prepares for flood-borne diseases

NEW DELHI: China has angered India by issuing unorthodoxvisas to two Indians from a border state claimed by Beijing, thelatest flare-up of a territorial dispute festering between the Asiangiants. India's foreign ministry said yesterday it had seen reportsthat an Indian athlete and his coach from the remote northeast-ern state of Arunachal Pradesh, on the Chinese border, wereissued visas on papers stapled to their passports. Chinese visasare normally stamped into Indian passports. The state is one ofthe biggest issues of contention between the fast-growing Asiannations who are competing for global influence and resources.China and India still claim vast swathes of each other's territoriesalong their 3,500 km (2,173 mile) Himalayan border which haslargely remained peaceful since a 1962 war, but their unsettledborder remains the biggest single impediment to better rela-tions.

"We have unequivocally conveyed to the Chinese side that auniform practice on issuance of visas to Indian nationals must be

followed, regardless of the applicant's ethnicity or place of domi-cile," the Indian foreign ministry said in a statement. "The ministryhad also issued a travel advisory cautioning Indian citizens thatChinese paper visas, stapled to the passport, were not consid-ered valid for travel out of the country."

In the past, China has refused to issue visas to Indians fromArunachal Pradesh saying they did not need permission to travelto China. In 2009, India protested against a Chinese policy of issu-ing different visas to residents of Kashmir, a state which India andarch-enemy Pakistan rule in part but claim in full. Beijing sup-ports Pakistan's claims to Kashmir. A few weeks ago, ChinesePremier Wen Jiabao visited India in an effusive display of warmththat, however, failed to lift the veil of suspicion between the twonations or resolve their border disputes. China's support forPakistan, which backs separatists in Kashmir, has not helpeddefuse tensions. Beijing resents the presence of the Dalai Lama,the exiled Tibetan leader, in India. Reuters

India angry at Chinese visas for disputed border state residents

Bomb attacks kill 4 police in Pakistan

International

BusinessFRIDAY, JANUARY 14, 2011

China skeptical on UStrade-for-yuan deal

PAGE 20Profit hopes push IQ to new high PAGE 18

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WASHINGTON: The World Bank warned yesterday theglobal economy could return to the dark days of the 2008crisis, with slowing growth and rising commodity prices.

After the recession in 2009 and the 2010 rebound, themultilateral institution said, 2011 is expected to be a yearof deceleration. In its latest projections, the bank estimatesglobal growth of 3.3 percent this year following a 3.9 per-cent rate in 2010. Emerging and developing countrieswere expected to expand 6.0 percent, down from a 7.0percent pace in 2010, the bank said in its latest GlobalEconomic Prospects report.

But that was more than double the 2.4 percent rateexpected to be clocked by high-income countries thisyear, slowing from a 2.8 percent rate in 2010. Growth inboth high-income and developing countries, however,was expected to pick up toward mid-2011, and settling atrates close to their longer-run potential.

For 2012, growth in the global economy was seen ris-ing at a 3.6 percent rate. High-income countries were

expected to expand by 2.7 percent and developing coun-tries would speed up just a notch, to 6.1 percent.

Still, the overall pace of growth is too weak to give therecovery solid traction, the World Bank said.Unfortunately these growth rates are unlikely to be fastenough to eliminate unemployment and slack in the hard-est-hit economies and economic sectors.

In addition, serious tensions and pitfalls persist in theglobal economy, which in the short run could derail therecovery to diering degrees, it warned.

Threats that could derail the recovery include the euro-zone nancial market crisis, volatile capital ows and therising prices of commodities, including food and fuel, the187-nation institution said.

The World Bank expressed particular concern about ris-ing commodity prices, including food and fuel, driven byloose monetary policies in the developed countries andsolid demand in the emerging economies. Although realfood prices in most developing countries have not

increased as much as those measured in US dollars, theyhave risen sharply in some poor countries, the WorldBank said.

And if international prices continue to rise, aordabili-ty issues and poverty impacts could intensify.

We are very concerned about the rise in the foodprices... We see some similarities with the situation in 2008,just before the nancial crisis, Hans Timmer, the banksdirector of development prospects, said at a news confer-ence. In 2008, oil prices surged above $147 a barrel in July,then fell to nearly $30 six months later.

Currently around $92 in New York, oil prices are abovethe banks estimate of $85 a barrel on average in 2011,compared with $79 in 2010. Commodity prices excludingoil were expected to dip 0.1 percent in dollar terms.

The 2008 scenario of soaring food and oil prices amidslowing growth, which had revived the word stagation,would likely be avoided, the World Bank said, as long assupply follows the rhythm of demand. AFP

JAKARTA: A vendor puts chillies into a plastic bag for a customer at a market in Tangerang in the outskirts of Jakarta,Indonesia yesterday. Triggered by increasing food prices, Indonesias inflation reached 6.96 percent in 2010, raisingconcerns that the country could face big challenges in 2011 due to skyrocketing basic needs price. (Inset): Hans Timmerspeaks in Washington. AP

WB sees 2008 risks for economyGrowth slowing, food and fuel prices skyrocketing

FRANKFURT: The European Central Bankand Bank of England kept key lending ratesunchanged yesterday as Italy and Spain suc-cessfully sold bonds and the French premiervowed that the 17-nation euro-zone wouldnot fail.

In Frankfurt, the ECB kept its main lendingrate at a record low 1.0 percent for the 20thmonth running, while the BoE held steady atits record low of 0.50 percent.

Analysts had widely anticipated the ratedecisions and waited for news on the ECBsprogram of public debt purchases followinga string of bond issues by Italy, Portugal andSpain, countries seen as at risk on the moneymarkets. That and potential developmentsregarding the European Financial Stability

Facility (EFSF) were the two questions highin peoples minds, Barclays Capital econo-mist Thorsten Polleit told AFP after the deci-sion was announced. Capital Economicscounterpart Ben May wondered whether theECB would provide more clues at a pressconference about how it will deal with theperipheral euro-zone debt crisis.

Spain passed a key test with its rst bondauction of 2011, selling 3.0 billion euros ($3.9billion) in ve-year bonds while Italy raised 6.0billion euros via ve- and 15-year bond sales aday after Portugal raised 1.25 billion euros.

Analysts stressed that the sales did notspell an end to the euro-zone debt crisis andpointed to tens of billions of euros that wouldstill have to be raised by heavily indebtedcountries later this year. In London, FrenchPrime Minister Francois Fillon said: Of thisthere must never be any doubt-euro areastates, and especially France and Germany, areready to do everything, absolutely everything,to ensure the euro areas stability.

The ECB has helped indebted countries bybuying government bonds on secondary mar-kets and providing unlimited amounts of cashloans to the commercial banks, some of whichhave become addicted to the funds in thewords of many economists. But ECB presidentJean-Claude Trichet has become more andmore outspoken in telling euro-zone govern-ments to get their nances in order, sayingthey must do more rather than rely on the ECBto save the day with its bond purchases.

Trichet told German lawmakers last weekthat the ECBs monetary policy responsibilitycannot substitute for government irresponsi-bility. Germany is the strongest euro-zonemember and many politicians here opposeproviding more money to weaker partnerswho have failed to take the painful measuresneeded to put their nances in order.

Media reports nonetheless suggest thatBerlin is coming around to an eventualincrease in the size of the 440-billion-euroEFSF, a vehicle that could eventually take oversovereign bond purchases from an increasing-ly reticent ECB. AFP

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ATHENS: A man walks among vehicles in a traffic jam during a 24-hourstrike by public transport in Athens yesterday. Transport workers inAthens have defied a court order and gone on a 24-hour strike againstthe governments

14 jan

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