THE LEADING INDEPENDENT DAILY IN THE ARABIAN GULF

40 PAGES MONDAY, JANUARY 4, 2010 MOHARRAM 18, 1431 AH NO: 14599 150 FILS

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France joins Europe flu vaccine sell-off

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Desperate Somalis seek ‘backdoor’ route to US

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Muslim-Hindu punk rock bands part of new movement

Manchester United humbled by Leeds in FA Cup

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DUBAI: Emirati men walk past Burj Dubai, theworld’s tallest tower, yesterday. — AFP

DUBAI: SheikhMohammad binRashed Al-Maktoum, whotoday inauguratesthe world’s tallesttower to mark hisfourth year in pow-er, appears deter-mined not to letdebt woes dampenhis vision forDubai’s future. Theemirate’s British-educated ruler has been thedriving force behind the spec-tacular rise of the Gulf emirateinto a boom town, and strivesto project the image of a mod-ern Arab leader.

An avid horse-racing fan,Sheikh Mohammad has placedlittle Dubai firmly on theworld map as a business, IT,leisure and tourism hub, creat-ing a modern city where 50years ago there was mostlysand. Today’s official openingof Burj Dubai is on the fourth

anniversary of hisaccession followingthe death of his eld-er brother SheikhMaktoum on Jan 4,2006.

S h e i k hMohammad, 60, haslong pushed hisvision of elevatingDubai to the statusof global city, butthe opening of theworld record-break-

ing skyscraper comes amid aslump in investor confidenceover the emirate’s debt prob-lems. Hundreds of other build-ing projects are in mothballs,and plunging property pricesand weak demand had alreadyput a dampener on newschemes even beforeNovember’s shock announce-ment by state-owned giantDubai World that it wants tohalt debt payments for sixmonths.

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Dubai ruler vision reaches skywards

SheikhMohammad

In this 1912 image, an unidentified man stands next to a Vickers airplaneused during an Australian Antarctic Expedition in Antarctica. Remains ofthe first airplane ever taken to Antarctica have been found by Australianresearchers, the team announced Saturday. — AP

SYDNEY: Australian explorers yesterdaycredited record low tides and a blue moon forthe “one-in-a-million” discovery inAntarctica of one of the world’s first aero-planes, found buried in ice. The monoplane,which was the first aircraft off the Vickersfactory production line in Britain just eightyears after the Wright brothers’ first flight,was taken to Antarctica by Australian explor-

er Douglas Mawson in 1911.Mawson hoped to stage the first ever

human flight over the Antarctic ice cap, buthis dreams were dashed when the pilot whoaccompanied the craft from London crashedit on the Australian mainland during ademonstration flight. “He’d had a rather longnight at the local (armed forces) club in

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Explorers hail historic Antarctic airplane find

TOKYO: In the Japan of 2020 astressed-out salaryman may unwindfrom his hectic futuristic lifestyle bytime-travelling back a few centuriesand taking a virtual stroll throughmedieval Tokyo. As he walks overarched wooden bridges, he will chatwith the avatars of his real worldfriends, admire pollution-free views ofMount Fuji and perhaps do some cash-free souvenir shopping for a digitaldownload of a woodblock print.

He will navigate through the cityonce called Edo from the comfort ofhis intelligent living room, wearing 3-D glasses and moving about by wavinga super-networked mobile phone thatis attached to his wrist like a watch.“This is Nihonbashi in virtual Edo,” aninvisible tour guide will say in anupbeat if slightly tinny voice. “It’s avirtual community that is popularworldwide. A lot of people have loggedon today already!”

Welcome to the future as imaginedby NTT DoCoMo, Japan’s mobile tele-phone giant with 55 million sub-scribers, which has long been a lead-ing force for innovation in the high-tech paradise that is Japan. ItsShangri-La is the ‘Future Station’,located in a skyscraper 29 floors aboveTokyo, where visitors are taken onguided tours of the company’s mobilephone marvels, and treated to a

glimpse of what’s to come.Such as the wearable phone of 2020

that DoCoMo envisions will be theuser’s constant companion, fitted witha small flip-out screen and capable ofprojecting images onto a wall or intothin air in the form of a hologram. Itwill be an ID to enter the family homeor to board a flight, a device to video-chat with friends and the office, and aremote control to activate the robo-vacuum cleaner or tell the fridge toorder new groceries. Made from recy-clable materials and partially chargedkinetically through body movements,the device will be equipped withsimultaneous translation software toconnect the user to everyone else,anywhere, anytime.

The vision is bold, but in Japan thatdoesn’t make it unrealistic. In manyways the mobile phone future hasalready arrived in Japan, where theevolution of the devices has taken aseparate path to the rest of the world.On Tokyo’s crowded subway trains,newspapers are a rare sight as mostcommuters plug themselves into theircellphones or other handheld electron-ic devices - web-surfing, mailing, play-ing games or watching television.

Japanese cellphones started send-ing email 10 years ago, have had ter-restrial TV for years and long boasted

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Japan mobile marvels go back to the future

BEIJING: A couple uses an umbrella to shield themselves fromthe falling snow while walking yesterday. — AP

BEIJING: Heavy snow hit Beijing yes-terday, stranding thousands of passen-gers at the main airport and casting anunusual quiet over normally busy streetsas people stayed out of the freezingweather. More than 90 percent of flightsat Beijing’s Capital International Airport,the country’s busiest, were cancelled ordelayed, state television said, with onlyone of its three runways open. Airports

in the nearby cities of Tianjin, Hohhotand Dalian closed, the report added.

Major highways in Beijing andTianjin, as well as in the surroundingprovinces and regions of Hebei, Shanxiand Inner Mongolia were closed due tothe heavy snowfall earlier yesterday, butsome roads opened later in the day,China Central Television said.

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Heavy snow brings Beijing to standstill

SANAA: The United Statesand Britain promptly closedtheir embassies in Yemen yes-terday after threats from an Al-Qaeda offshoot, while vowingto fight Yemeni extremistslinked to a failed US airlinerbombing. US President BarackObama on Saturday accusedthe Yemen-based Al-Qaeda inthe Arabian Peninsula, orAQAP, of arming and training aNigerian suspect who targeteda Detroit-bound NorthwestAirlines jet on Christmas Day.AQAP claimed responsibilityfor the foiled attack and calledfor strikes on embassies inYemen.

“There are indications thatAl-Qaeda is planning to carryout an attack against (a) targetinside of Sanaa, possibly ourembassy,” US HomelandSecurity and CounterterrorismAdviser John Brennan saidSunday. “So the decision wasmade to close the embassy.We’re working very closelywith the Yemeni governmenton taking the proper securityprecautions,” the White Houseadviser said on CNN. “Weknow that Al-Qaeda is outthere. We know we have tomind our steps.”

Earlier the US embassyposted a statement on its web-site saying the closure was “inresponse to ongoing threats byAl-Qaeda in the ArabianPeninsula... to attack Americaninterests in Yemen.” Britainfollowed suit, with a spokes-woman for the Foreign Officein London confirming its Sanaaembassy had been closed “forsecurity reasons”. A Yemenigovernment official earlier toldAFP the British embassy wasclosed “for security reasons,and out of fear of possible Al-Qaeda reactions.” But hestressed there were “no directAl-Qaeda threats.”

Spain meanwhile decided torestrict public access to itsSanaa embassy for securityreasons, a diplomatic sourcesaid after the online edition ofEl Mundo newspaper reported

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US, Britain shut Yemen missionsEmbassies close over Qaeda threats • No troops for Yemen: US

BEIRUT: Children with tape over their mouths protest against Egypt’s borderbarrier between Egypt and southern Gaza Strip during a demonstration in frontof the Egyptian embassy yesterday. Placards in Arabic read “Hey Arabs, stopkilling innocents by your metal wall” (front center) and “From Lebanese childrento Gaza children, be patient, victory is near” (front right). Egypt is installing aseries of metal sheets submerged along the Gaza border to block tunnels used tosmuggle weapons into the Palestinian territory. — AP (See Page 7)

TEHRAN: Iran said yesterday the West has given it until theend of January to accept a uranium swap deal, stressing it willpress on with plans to produce higher enriched nuclear fuel ifthere is no agreement. Tehran has already ignored a US-setDec 31 deadline to accept a UN-brokered deal aimed at allay-ing fears about its nuclear drive by shipping most of its lowenriched uranium (LEU) stockpile abroad to be furtherenriched into reactor fuel.

Despite the threat of tougher sanctions, Iran has rejectedthe offer drawn up by the International Atomic EnergyAgency (IAEA) and come out with its own proposal of asimultaneous and staged swap of LEU with reactor fuel.“Based on the talks Iran had with the relevant parties, it wasdecided to provide the Tehran reactor with the necessary fuel(from outside), and if not then we will produce it,” foreignministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast said.

“Then the (negotiating) parties asked the Islamic republicto give them two months to reach an understanding and weaccepted that,” news agencies quoted him as saying. “Nowone month of that waiting period is over and one month isleft. So if it does not materialise (the provision of fuel) thenIran will take the necessary decision.” Mehmanparast wasspeaking a day after Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottakigave the West a one-month “ultimatum” to accept the Iraniancounter-proposal.

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Tehran in new threat over nuke swap deal

HONOLULU: US PresidentBarack Obama today swapshis Hawaiian vacation hide-away for Washington, withresurgent fears of airborneterror and Iran’s nuclear defi-ance darkening his alreadydaunting agenda. Challengesfacing the White House in2009 - including the worsteconomic meltdown in 70years - look if anything likelyto be trumped by the buildingcrises threatening to ragethrough 2010. Hyper-partisanpolitics will get even morenasty, with Republicans tar-geting gains in mid-term elec-tions in November - whichnormally wound first-termpresidents - and Democratsdefending their grip onCongress at all costs.

The thwarted ChristmasDay attack on a US airlinerreintroduced the terrifyingand polarizing specter of ter-rorism into American life, justas a wary normality was eas-ing memories of the Sept 11attacks in 2001. Criticism ofObama’s handling of theattack is likely to complicatehis task of enacting an ambi-tious domestic program. Hewill attempt to address whathe says are “systemic” USfailures over the episode bymeeting spy chiefs Tuesday.

Obama’s plan to close the

Guantanamo Bay camp,already set to miss a one-yeardeadline, looks in deep peril:nearly half of the remaining198 detainees are fromYemen, where the ChristmasDay attack was planned.Yemen, with its building Al-Qaeda presence is a wideningfront for US forces in the glob-al anti-terror struggle, alongwith Pakistan andAfghanistan.

Iran, beset by its own polit-ical turmoil, is meanwhileescalating the showdown overits nuclear program, withWashington seeking toughersanctions. Tehran last yearspurned Obama’s engagementpush - leading the president’sfoes to brand him as naive.Recent deaths of seven CIAemployees in Afghanistanmeanwhile underscored thepolitical risks and deep humancost of the president’s 30,000strong troop surge intoAfghanistan.

Fresh global challengescome as Obama faces 10 per-cent unemployment, which isdampening hopes for econom-ic recovery and his own politi-cal prospects. Republicans arepainting Obama as a bigspending, big government lib-eral, and will skewer him with

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Crises to greet Obama return to Washington

NATIONAL2 Monday, January 4, 2010

He demanded that the NationalAssembly reprise its role in mattersrelated to legislation and surveillanceand questioned the role played by theMinistry of Information. Commenting onthe loans issue, he said that the govern-ment, through the Central Bank com-mitted a mistake by letting banks raiseinterests that choked citizens. He criti-cized all those who stood against theinsolvency fund.

Daifallah Al Oteibi, Chairman ofKuwaiti Movement to Protect NationalUnity described the issue as ‘painful.’He added that it hurt Kuwaiti people andaffected the market because of weakpurchasing power and placed responsi-bility on MPs and the government forpoliticizing this matter. He added citi-

zens should pay back loans. Faisal Al-Dabes, Executive President

of the Group, urged the government torespect the majority opinion on theloans issue, and to reinstate the draftlaw based on citizens’ demands. Hewent on to say that the imbalance set inbecause of the government’s failure toput a cap on unrestrained banking prac-tices without being overseen by theCentral Bank. He suspected that a con-spiracy was hatched to rob citizens offtheir money by hiking interest ratesthat could sometimes reach 300 per-cent. This led to the collapse of the mid-dle class.

He also addressed the MPs anddemanded that they assume responsibil-ity and protect citizens and support

them during times of crisis. He thenaddressed the ‘Group 26,’ describing itsstance on this issue as being ‘weird.’ Hecriticized that the group only focused onthis particular issue, ignoring otherpressing social and civil issues thatafflict the country. He added that if whatthe group said was true and debt write-off was a waste of public money, it defi-nitely has an impact on national unity.He described them to be ‘a very bour-geoisie class’ who does not care aboutpeople’s interests.

Fayez Al-Nashwan , a Member of theParliamentary Performance EvaluationCommittee questioned the role playedby the Prime Minister and MPs and the‘Group 26’. He demanded that they takeserious steps to support citizens.

11/11 Group discusses debt write off issue

Govt urged to respect opinion of majority

By Nisreen Zahreddine

KUWAIT: The 11/11 Group recently held a press confer-ence to discuss the issue of debt write-off. The GeneralSecretary of Parliamentary Conference Association MutleqAl-Abaisan condemned the acts of unrest that took place atstreets saying that these could threaten national unity. He

blamed the concerned ministries for failing to curb sectar-ian developments. He went on to say that such issues can-not be solved within a couple of days, and will need time.That is why it needs efforts from civil society groups andthe government to fight sectarian attitudes by issuing leg-islations and laws, in addition to efforts made by the mediaand the press.

KUWAIT: Security condi-tions in the regional andinternational arenas warrantthe mapping out of a compre-hensive Arab strategy toconfront terrorism, accord-ing to a senior Kuwaiti offi-cial.

Colonel MohammedHashem Al-Sabr, theDirector of the Ministry ofInterior’s Security MediaDepartment and the min-istry’s official spokesman,made his statement onSaturday, just before his

departure for the UnitedArab Emirates, where he isset to take part in a seminarthat begins today on theArab role in combating ter-rorism, in line with theinstructions of the InteriorMinister, (Ret.) LieutenantGeneral Sheikh Jaber Al-Khaled Al-Sabah.

The minister has alwaysaffirmed the need to use sci-entific study and research forgetting to the bottom of var-ious social and security phe-nomena, he said, adding that

the national representationat the seminar, which con-cludes on Wednesday, wasalso in implementation of thedirections issued by theUndersecretary Lt. Gen.Ahamad Abdullatif Al-Rujaib,who advocates the promo-tion of security informationactivities to stay abreast ofscientific innovations.

Col Al-Sabr called fordevising a new mechanismto study terrorism and thecauses of its spread in orderto best define the most effec-

tive forms of war that shouldbe launched against this phe-nomenon.

Media planning can help inserving this strategy, he said,asserting that such a planshould comply with “our val-ues, traditions, cultural andeconomic conditions.”Credible and comprehensivemedia coverage can be helpfulfor promoting morality withinsocieties and nudging the ter-rorists to change “their pat-terns of thinking and behav-iors,” he added. — KUNA

Kuwait calls for Arab strategy to combat terrorism

KUWAIT: A raid was carried out by the Ahmadi Municipality in cooperation with its Public RelationsDepartment targeting restaurants and food joints.

By Curtis Doebbler

The New Year is a time to make resolutions for the yearahead. Mine are as follows:

1. I will refuse to believe what my government tells me,merely because it tells me something, and I will judge itsactions according to international law.

2. I will support people who fight for their independenceagainst foreign occupiers as this is a moral duty and legal right.

3. I will continue to reject violence, but at the same time tryto understand the point of view of people who hate my country’sviolations of their rights to such an extent that they might turnto violence as the only way they think they can respond to ourviolence against them.

4. I will laugh and then cry when I hear our leaders speak asif we are better than others because I will remember that we areall created equal, but some of us have had unfair advantages.

5. I will remember how my ancestors, and I, have exploitedour environment to such an extent as to make it unlivable forfuture generations in some parts of the world.

6. I will do everything I can to ensure that support theefforts of those who have suffered and will suffer damages fromour pollution and other destruction of our planet’s environmentare able to get restitution from us.

7. I will support the human rights of all, realizing that theserights include communal rights and social and economic rightsfor which other states, like my own, might be responsible forviolating even in distant parts of the world.

8. I will uphold the law in the interest of the least wealthyand most vulnerable among us, realizing that the rich and pow-erful don’t need the law to protect them.

9. I will daily remind myself that just because George W.Bush is no longer President does not mean that the US will stopusing violence in its foreign policy

10. And, I will remember that terrorism is not merely thework of deviant minds, but also of our unfair and often illegaltreatment of others around the world.

These are the New Year’s resolutions of an open-minded,internationally conscious American.

in my view

My resolutions

KUWAIT: The 9th ArabShooting Championship isdue to kick off here todaywith the participation of 350shooters from 16 Arab coun-tries.

The first of the eight-dayevent will include the inaugu-ration ceremony only, whilecompetitions will kick off theday after, the championship’sgeneral manager Obeid Al-

Oseimi said in a pressrelease. The categoriesinclude men, women and jun-iors, all competing in 10shooting contests, he added.

All ranges of Sheikh SabahAl-Ahmad Olympic ShootingComplex are set for the event,as all technical arrangementsare at hand, Al-Oseimi noted,pointing out that all contestswill be run by internationally-

accredited Kuwaiti referees,as well as other Arab ones.

Al-Oseimi, who also headsKuwait’s delegation to theevent, said that Kuwaititeams are all geared up forthe championship, as allwhere engaged in extensivetraining camps in Kuwait inpreparation for it aside fromparticipating in shooting tour-naments overseas. — KUNA

Shooting championship kicks off today

KUWAIT: The cabinet isreportedly pushing for thepostponement of a final deci-sion on the draft loans pur-chase law during its secondparliamentary hearing of thebill, which is set to take placeduring Tuesday’s session.The parliament would like tosee the decision delayed toallow time for its report sug-gesting further amendmentsto the bill to be studied by theparliamentary finance com-mittee. While it is believedthat the majority of votes infavor required to pass the billis believed to already exist(under the ‘half plus one’ sys-tem), MPs are working on arequest that could allow thecommittee to hold a meetingduring the session in order tocome up with a report thatwould take the cabinet’samendments into account,which would then be submit-ted to the parliament foranother vote.

Meanwhile, the head of thefinance committee MP Dr.Yousef Al-Zalzalah revealedthat His Highness the PrimeMinister Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammed Al-Sabah isadvancing towards presentinga compromise between thecabinet and the parliamentconcerning the solution thateach authority seeks for thecrisis, in a strategy that aimsto assert the cooperationbetween the two authorities.

While noting that the cabi-net is still adamant that theinsolvency fund modified by alimited set of amendments isthe best solution to the crisis,Al-Zalzalah asserted that thegovernment would put them-selves in a negative position ifit rejected the proposed write-off of loans if this is widely

Premier seeks compromise on citizens loans buyout issue

endorsed since such actionwould cause the cabinet tolose popularity.

Al-Zalzalah also rejectedrecent reports which claimedthat the finance committee hadabstained from taking any ofthe MPs’ suggest amendmentsinto consideration, stating thatthey haven’t received any sug-gestions on that regard fromeither of the cabinet or theparliament since theDecember 23rd session, andthat’s the reason why noamendment proposals werediscussed. He furtherannounced that the committeewill be meeting with the rep-resentatives from the FinanceMinistry, in addition to theDeputy Prime Minister forEconomic Affairs and Ministerof Housing and Development,Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad, todiscuss each of the authorities’visions on the matter.

On a separate subject, theMinister of Communicationsand State Minister ofParliament Affairs, Dr.Mohammad Al-Busairi, isreportedly set to meet withNational Assembly SpeakerJassem Al-Khorafi to discussthe parliamentary work sched-ule for the forthcoming period,which includes several mattersother than the loans issue,such as the sports regulationsamendments and the ongoingcontroversy over the Um Al-Haiman pollution crisis.

In the meantime, the cabi-net has put the commercialcompanies’ law among its top

priorities, and is seeking tohave it adopted following thepassing of the currency marketauthority law, reported Al-Watan. In addition, theMinister of Commerce andIndustry Ahmad Al-Harounrevealed that the governmentwill be taking steps to supportthe country’s strategic foodsecurity by opening the door tomore foreign markets and sup-pliers to provide the main fooditems, indicating at the sametime that the current ware-houses do not have sufficientcapacity to hold the necessarysupplies for the future.

On a separate note, duringits weekly meeting the cabinetis set to discuss all the propos-als regarding the privatizationof the Kuwait AirwaysCorporation (KAC), in additionto other issues, includingamendments to the penal coderelated to state securitycharges, and the amendmentsto the multimedia law.

Also during the meeting,the Minister of Social Affairsand Labor, Dr. Mohammad Al-Afasi, will explain the min-istry’s situation in regards tothe recent developments onthe sports scene.

On another subject, MPWalid Al-Tabtabae praised theMinistry of Interior’s efforts tomaintain order and securityduring the New Year’s Eve cel-ebrations, calling on the minis-ter not to submit to accusa-tions that the actions of securi-ty officers were a violation ofrevelers’ personal freedoms.

KUWAIT: The Kuwait BanksAssociation (KBA) on Saturdaythe draft law to let citizens payoff their loan interests as‘unfair’.

In its latest issue, theAssociation’s (Masaref) maga-zine reviewed the impacts ofthe draft law presented to theNational Assembly which stip-ulates re-scheduling of con-sumer loans. It pointed out theimpact of the global economicdownturn on the banking sec-tor.

“Impacts of the global finan-cial crisis reflected on theKuwaiti banking sector, espe-cially cash flow, in light of theCentral Bank’s monetary poli-cy,” the magazine said.

The quarterly magazinealso had a special report onefforts made local banks torecruit national labor, whichdovetails with the state’sKuwaitization policy, in addi-tion to other reports, reviewsand news. — KUNA

KUWAIT: The Amiri Diwanhas given the go-ahead for aproposal to establish an edu-cational science museum toreplace the current one in Al-Merghab.

Mohammed Al-Sayegh, theMinistry of Education’s(MoE) Deputy Assistant forConstruction Affairs,announced the Amiri Diwan’sapproval of the project in apress release issued onSaturday. In the statement, heexplained that the educationministry and the Amiri Diwanhad reached agreement on theissue, with the museum toform part of the Abdullah Al-Salem Cultural Center,reported Al-Watan.

Consumer loan rescheduling unfair: KBA

Museum project

3Monday, January 4, 2010 NATIONAL

Egyptian concert held at Babtain theater KUWAIT: The Council of theEgyptian Community inKuwait, headed by SecretaryGeneral Ali Al-Alami recentlyorganized a concert titled‘Egyptian Tunes AmongKuwaiti Pearls.’

It was held under the patron-age of the Egyptian Ambassadorto Kuwait, Taher AhmedFarahat. The concert was orga-nized by the Council’s culturalcommittee at Al-BabtainCentral Library stage. Staffmembers from the Egyptianembassy, Ambassadors fromSomalia, Jordan, Yemen, digni-taries, music lovers and mem-bers of the media attended theevent and enjoyed listening tothe songs of Umm Kalthoum,Mohammed Abul Wahab, andSayyed Mekkawi among others.

By Muna Al-Fuzai

The CivilS e r v i c eC o m m i s s i o n

(CSC) issued a clearstatement onSaturday that thereare no vacancies forbedoon (stateless)people in government

departments. Now I know that this willprovoke some predictable ‘shout andfight’ MPs to make this announcementappear to be an abuse of bedoons by thegovernment of Kuwait!

I believe that the CSC has simply spo-ken the truth about the impossibility ofappointing bedoons in government depart-ments and that the commission’s state-ment should be supported and receivedwith the same wisdom and understandingshown towards other issues, rather than

being used to rally voters or crowds and tocall for gatherings and public seminars atwhich the same government would be tar-geted and accused of being the abuser!

I don’t want to repeat the questionsover the origins of many of the bedoons.In fact, I think it’s stupid to assume that aman doesn’t know where his parentscame from - this is an unbelievable level ofnaivety. So, as long as these people aretrying to conceal or manipulate the truthabout their country of origin in which theywould be citizens, the CSC is absolutelyright and sincere in refusing to hire non-citizens. I think that the commission hasacted in accordance with the constitutionand the country’s laws which prioritizethe appointment of its own citizens overothers, with expatriates being second inline, end of story.

I know that such views will not endMPs’ anger, but national policies, at leastthose of civilized nations, are not decided

on the basis of public popularity, but onthe grounds of the welfare of the country’sown people, its citizens.

I agree with those who condemn theneglectful and weak attitude in dealingwith the bedoons; they should have civilrights as human beings, but that doesn’tmean that they should have all the samerights as Kuwaiti citizens. That would beunjust - and I doubt the employment poli-cy in government departments is capableof adapting to employ bedoons when theyare already full of Kuwaitis anyway! Itwould be like cramming people togetherlike sardines in a tin rather than appoint-ing those who should be given a job basedon need; such ethics are already not beingfollowed or even existing in governmentjobs! Do we want to reduce corruptionand the full package policy or to makethings worse just to keep some MPshappy?!

Email: muna@kuwaittimes.net

No public sector jobs for bedoons

local spotlight

AMMAN: The Palestinian Ambassadorto Jordan Atallah Khairi yesterday laudedPalestinian-Kuwaiti relations, stressingthe importance of President MahmoudAbbas’ visit to Kuwait today, which theofficial said will promote bilateral rela-tions between the two nations.

In an interview with the Kuwait NewsAgency (KUNA), Ambassador Khairispoke highly of the stances adopted byKuwait on the Palestinian cause and of

Kuwait’s continuous support for thePalestinian people championing their justclaim to an independent state and theirright to self-determination in all regionaland international forums.

Khairi also underlined the importanceof the support provided by Kuwait to thePalestinians, especially during the recentextremely tough times in which thePalestinian people face the ordeal ofIsraeli occupation and siege and the

threatening policies of Judaization andland incursions carried out by the Israelioccupation forces in the occupiedPalestinian Territories.

On the Palestinian leader’s visit,Khairi said that Abbas, who began histour in the Jordanian capital yesterday,will also visit Cairo before a two-day visitto Kuwait. These visits form part of aweek-long tour by President Abbas, dur-ing which he will also visit Qatar and

Turkey. Ambassador Khairi indicated that dur-

ing his time in Kuwait, the Palestinianpresident will meet with senior Kuwaitiofficials to discuss the latest develop-ments in the situation in the Middle East,especially the efforts to relaunchPalestinian-Israeli negotiations, theinter-Palestinian reconciliation and thelatest developments on the Palestinianscene. — KUNA

Diplomat hails Palestinian-Kuwaiti relations

The Secretary for theKuwaiti Center of Expatriate’sRights (KCER), Umar Al-Utaibi, said in a statement tothe Kuwait Times that the lawcontains “a number of incom-patibilities.”

He highlighted such issuesas not specifying minimumwages, not cancelling the spon-sor system, not guaranteeing alaborer’s right to seek legalaction without needing to applythrough the Ministry of SocialAffairs and Labor and lackingany sort of coverage for domes-tic laborers.

“However,” Al-Utaibi says,“passing the law in the secondreading and considering a num-ber of notes given in this regardis a step forward and could revi-talize the labor market andencourage prosperity.”

The Kuwaiti governmenthas been consultingInternational LaborOrganization (ILO) expertsabout the best way to replacethe sponsor system. Potentiallya government authority couldbe established to take over thesponsoring responsibility andlegal status of foreign laborersin Kuwait from Kuwaiti citi-zens.

Domestic labor remain ‘outsiders’ in new law

By Ahmad Saeid

KUWAIT: A number of representatives from local and interna-tional organization praised the National Assembly (NA) andthe government for cooperating and passing the new labor law.However, the law received criticism for a number of reasons

including the lack of coverage for domestic laborers in the billand not including any kind of specification for minimum wages.The piece of legislation came after a long debate between busi-ness owners and union workers. They collaborate to addressthe international reports accusing Kuwait’s legislation of facil-itating human trafficking and forced labor.

The representative of theILO in Kuwait, Thabet Al-Haroon, said that theImmigration Department in theMinistry of Interior proposed aproject to establish a govern-ment owned company to beresponsible for the residency ofexpat workers in the country.

“There is a tendency in thegovernment to make this com-pany non-profit oriented,” saidAl-Haroon.

He added that the passed law

still needs to be strengthenedby other legislations. “In addi-tion to the fact that it does notshow clear coverage for houselaborers, the law does not definethe word child.

This is important in dealingwith child labor, even though weall know Kuwait is not sufferingfrom this kind of problem now.”

Al-Haroon also noted thatthere is a tendency in theKuwaiti government to serious-ly tackle the issue of ‘human

trading,’ which is widelyreferred to in Kuwait as ‘visatrading.’

“Nonetheless, the new laborlaw, once implemented, is goingto eradicate human trading by75 percent,” Al-Haroon con-cluded. The new law gives theauthority of executing the law tothe Minister of Social Affairsand Labor. He is expected tocreate a completely imple-mentable and comprehensivelaw within six months.

KUWAIT: A group of expatriate workers staging a strike recently to protestagainst non-payment of their salaries for many months. —File photo

Jaber Bridge tender opens for bids todayKUWAIT: The Ministry ofPublic Works has reachedagreement on the Jaber BridgeProject, with bidding on the pro-ject, which is set to costbetween KD 650 million and KD750 million, set to open todayand remain open for a six-monthperiod.

Several senior governmentofficials attended a recent MPWmeeting, headed by the Ministerof Public Works andMunicipality Affairs Dr. FadhelSafar, Deputy MinisterAbdulaziz Al-Kulaib, the DeputyPrime Minister for EconomicAffairs and State Minister forHousing and DevelopmentAffairs Sheikh Ahmad Al-FahadAl-Sabah and the head of theCentral Tenders Committee(CTC) Ahmad Al-Kulaib, amongothers.

The public works ministryhas reiterated its earlier positionon rejecting any potential tenderfor the project from the UnitedGulf Construction Company, thefirm responsible for construct-ing the troubled Mishref sewageplant, reported Al-Watan.

The decision on the SheikhJaber Bridge was postponed forseveral months following dis-agreements between the min-istry and the CTC over themethods used for selecting thewinning tender from the compa-nies contending.

Al-Afasi lashes out at IOC chiefKUWAIT: In response to the let-ter sent by the InternationalOlympic Committee (IOC)Director, Pere Miro, addressingKuwait’s suspension from theIOC, the Minister of SocialAffairs and Labor, Dr. MohammadAl-Afasi has replied strongly.

He pointed out that the mes-sages sent by the IOC President,Jacque Rogge were contradictoryin nature, reported Al-Qabas. Al-Afasi argued that while the deci-sion to revoke Kuwait’s suspen-sion were premeditated, he ques-tioned the reasons that led Miro toraise the club’s dissolution issue,when FIFA is authorized to lookinto such matters. Furthermore,Al-Afasi described Miro’s inter-vention and the conditions placedto re-establish the dissolvedboards as being unjustified.

KUWAIT: Kuwait will be the starting point of a$25 billion rail project to link the member statesof the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).Tenders for the GCC’s proposed regional railnetwork are set to be floated in the first quarterof 2010, according to comments from a seniorofficial of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).

Mohammad Bin Obeid Al-Mazroui, GCCassistant Secretary-General for economicaffairs, said in a statement published in thepress yesterday that up to five firms would beshortlisted.

He also indicated that either a single compa-ny would be chosen for the execution of theproject or a number of companies will cometogether to do it as part of a consortium.

The GCC states will be linked with a 2,117kilometers long network, starting in Kuwaitand Saudi Arabia before construction of thelines linking Bahrain, Qatar and the UAE.

Al-Mazroui confirmed that it was hoped toget the project up and running by 2017.

“Train services across the six GCC stateswill facilitate movement and travel of GCC citi-zens as well as expatriates and boost regionaltrade,” Al-Mazroui said.

A report by a Kuwait-based center last weeksaid GCC nations are planning to invest a totalof $109 billion on rail projects in the next 10years as officials look to solve traffic congestionissues.

The report said investments in railway pro-jects would increase dramatically in the regionover the next decade.

The supply-side analysis of expected invest-ments indicates that the GCC region could seeinvestments totaling $109 billion - based on the

announced projects in Saudi Arabia, UAE,Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait and the pan GCC pro-ject.

The center said in its report that these pro-jects were “crucial” to relieve the stress on theroad system in the GCC region.

“Already some of the countries in GCC haveput forward plans for alternative transport sys-tems such as the Dubai metro and SaudiArabia’s various rail plans. We believe that thismight result in relieving some amount of stressfrom the road network,” the report added.

“Also, the pan GCC railways planned at anoverall cost of $60 billion will open lot of inter-esting opportunities for pan GCC travelers.

Currently, the only option to travel acrossGCC is either by road or by air,” it said.

Saudi Arabia is currently the only GCCcountry to have a railway, although the networkis still in the nascent stage.

Dubai has recently launched its metro sys-tem but the GCC region’s growing population isincreasing demand for transport infrastructure,the report said.

“Consequently, congestion on roads hasincreased. Growing trade has also contributedto the congestion. This has spurred the govern-ments of several GCC countries to look atinter- and intra-city railways as a viable option,”its report added.

The majority of the countries in the GCCfared poorly when compared to developednations on fatality rates on the roads, it said.

In the US and UK, the number of fatalitiesper 1,000 people is at 13.68 and 19.11 respec-tively, compared to 30.7 in Oman and 26.32 inSaudi Arabia.

Kuwait starting point for $25bn GCC rail project

NATIONAL4 Monday, January 4, 2010

KUWAIT: The group of people arrested during the raid. — Photo by Hanan Al-Saadoun

KUWAIT: As part of measures meant to boost awareness on role played bypolice women, the Ministry of Interior’s Security Media Department recentlyheld a special lecture at a girls’ school. —KUNA

KUWAIT: A 15-year-old bedoon was killed afterhe received several stab wounds from anotherteenage bedoon during a heated scuffle inSulaibiya recently. Police were first informed ofthe case from the medical staff of the area’s clinic,reported Al-Qabas. They made an emergency callinforming the authorities about the arrival of abadly hurt juvenile who was still in very criticalcondition. When police reached the clinic howev-er, they were told by doctors that the young manhad already died. Criminal investigators were thensummoned to conduct an investigation.

Forensic examination revealed that the young-ster had sustained fatal stab wounds to the neck,back and chest areas, which caused him severebleeding and led to his death. The body was thenleft to the coroner for further investigation.

While investigators were looking into the inci-

dent they received a call from the Al-Sulaibiyapolice station informing them that a juvenile hadreported to the station with his father to turn him-self in. The youth confessed to being responsiblefor the death of the youngster. During his confes-sion he explained that the two decided to settletheir previous disputes with a fight after gettingtogether with some of their friends. He also saidthat the incident was accidental and he had notintended to kill the young man. He explained thatthe stabbings were an act of self defense.

Investigators sent the murderer to the juve-niles prosecution where he was put in solitaryconfinement before he could be reviewed by thePublic Prosecution the following day. Meanwhile,police were sent to the Al-Sulaibiya clinic in orderto maintain order after a large group of the vic-tim’s relatives gathered there.

Bedoon teenager killed in heated scuffle in Sulaibiya

By Hanan Al-Saadoun

KUWAIT: Farwaniya police raided a brothel andarrested 20 individuals involved in criminalactivities. They were all referred to the properauthorities.

Motor accidentsA 16-year-old citizen sustained a broken leg

and two others suffered minor injuries whentheir ATV flipped over in Julaiah. They weretaken to Adan Hospital.

A 31-year-old Sri Lankan received a cut onher lip when a car hit her in Farwaniya. She wastaken to Farwaniya Hospital.

A 26-year-old Saudi received a facial injury

after a motorcycle accident on Second RingRoad. He was taken to Amiri Hospital.

Four citizens suffered various injuries whentheir vehicle flipped over in Julaiah. They weretaken to Adan Hospital.

A 49-year-old Egyptian suffered a brokenleg, and a 50-year-old fellow citizen sustainedbruises on the forehead, after a car accident onSixth Ring Road. They were taken to JahraHospital.

Employees burnedTwo Indians working at the Salwa co-op

restaurant received first degree burns on thehands and face after a fire in the restaurant.They were taken to Mubarak Hospital.

Farwaniya police arrest 20 people in brothel raid

In a move to encouragemore investors, five lawmak-ers have drafted a bill to openthe door for expatriates andgive them the right to ownapartments. Currently, owningapartments in Kuwait isrestricted only to Arabs withspecial permits. However, theproposed bill submitted byMembers of Parliament, RolaDashti, Mukhled Al-Azimi,Saleh Ashour, Ghanem Al-Azemi and Salwa Al-Jassar,call for allowing all expatriatesregardless of nationality toown one apartment not largerthan 350 square meters.

This proposed law raised anumber of new questions andconcerns amongst expatriatesabout their residency. “If anexpat is terminated at work,will they be allowed to staywithin the country withoutharassment?” asked an expatwho wished to remain anony-mous. “How long would anexpat be allowed to stay ifthey owned property withouthaving a job? If an expatowned property and werehandicapped in some way,would they still be allowed tostay?” While many expatswere excited about the pro-posal, there were also manywho expressed doubt. “Whowill benefit, from it?” askedanother expat who wished toremain anonymous. “Not usexpats for sure.

A proposed bill is always infavor of Kuwaitis. Maybe theyonly like your money and yoursavings.” Many Kuwaiti spon-sors only allow expatriate

workers to stay in Kuwait for amonth once they received anotice of termination. Once anemployer has cancelled anexpat’s residency he, or she,will be automatically consid-ered an illegal immigrantunless they leave Kuwaitwithin the allotted period oftime.

If apprehended, they couldbe imprisoned by immigrationauthorities and deported.“Without employment or a jobhow can you protect yourapartment?” the same expatasked. “It will be an additionalheadache. You’ll surely strug-gle for buyers once you decideto leave the country.

Additionally, who can buy theapartment? Was that made forbusinessmen or for simpleexpatriates earning a mini-mum salar?”

Some of the expats excitedat the opportunity would loveto see the bill passed andimplemented in Kuwait. “Thefact is we are paying monthly

house rents,” another anony-mous expat said.

“The money we are payingis nonetheless a huge sum. Ifthe proposed bill is like a rentto own apartment I would gofor it. I would really love tohave an apartment since I amnot planning to change my jobor my workplace at this time.”

‘One step forward’

Expats respond to proposed Kuwait’s property bill

By Ben Garcia

KUWAIT: The opportunity to own a home or an apartment in Kuwait isimportant and good news to some working expatriates in Kuwait. Whilethe details of the law are still unclear, many expatriates were elated tohear about the proposition. Some regard it as a step forward but ques-

tions regarding residency are still a priority when considering buyingproperty in Kuwait. “It’s one step forward and it looks to me likeKuwait is going to change their pro-Kuwaiti law policies to now createlaws that favor expatriates. As to whether they will really pass orimplement the bill I hope they will,” said a visibly elated expat reactingto the proposed bill.

KUWAIT: The new law calls for allowing all expatriates regardless of nationality to own one apartmentnot larger than 350 square meters.

MoH examining dept head appointments KUWAIT: Kuwait’s health min-ister Dr. Helal Al-Sayer isreportedly examining theappointment of new medicaldepartment heads at local hos-pitals and polyclinics.

Concerns arose at theMinistry of Health (MoH) afterthe Civil Service Commission(CSC) submitted severalreports to the ministry voicingmisgivings about decisionsissued by the department headsin question, as well as express-ing concern over the heads sub-mitting their resignation overvarious issues. Dr. Al-Sayer isexpected to settle the issueshortly through appointing newstaff to these positions, report-ed Al-Watan.

The appointment process atthe health ministry is super-vised by the CSC, whose regu-lations stipulate that depart-ment heads at hospitals andpolyclinics should have employ-ment contracts of no longerthan two years in duration. Theformer department heads, how-ever, were excluded from hav-ing to comply with these con-tractual regulations for reasonsof necessity.

The new developmentcomes during a period in whichthe MoH is also occupied byanother issue which hasaroused concern, namely theissue of its central administra-tive system.

Abbas to visitKuwait soonKUWAIT: Palestinian Presidentand head of the PalestinianLiberation Organization (PLO),Mahmoud Abbas, is set toarrive in the country tomorrow.He will meet with HH the AmirSheikh Sabah Al-Ahmed Al-Sabah in order to discuss theefforts to unite the Palestinianpolitical scene and achievenational unity, reported Al-Qabas. They are also expectedto discuss the latest develop-ments of the Israeli andPalestinian peace process.

This visit comes as part of atour that Abbas started onSunday. He will depart fromAmman to a series of destina-tions that include a number ofArab and Islamic countries andis expected to announce thePalestinian Ambassador toJordan, Attalla Khairi.

By Fouad Al-Obaid

This pastyear haswitnessed

its fair share of upsand downs. Forinstance, we haveseen the price ofour main exportcommodity declinebefore returning to reasonable levels.More lasting in terms of threat and withmuch danger, we have recently seen thethreat of civil strife ignited by thosewho believe that out of chaos willemerge much blessing!

It is no secret to all those who havelived long enough that there are variousdivisions that undermine society.However, such is the case in most of theworld’s countries and it is natural thatsome may not like the present condi-tion.

However, there are limits to what isto be broadcasted in public, especiallywhen it will lead to nothing construc-tive. We are a nation that has beenshaped over time with many peoplecoming - some leaving and a majority

steadily holding firm grounds. We are a nation that has survived

many calamities that are both man-made and from the heavens. We are anation of honest citizens; some of whichthrough time have been coerced andcorrupted. We are a nation of values,some of which have eroded, othersreplaced. We are a nation on the move;one that plays an important role at theregional just as much at the global level.

We are a nation that has much tolearn, we are a nation that has much tobuild, we are a nation that has plenty todo, yet the question is will our nation bestronger and more reasonable thanother nations who have battled eachother some till this very day are wearyof their neighbors?

Citizens and residents of Kuwait, Ibelieve that it’s our duty to heed the callof HH the Amir and to stop the point-less bickering and inner fighting, and tofear God in our actions and to workearnestly towards the development ofthe country, for it is in the interest of all.

Perhaps, it is worthwhile to remindthe people of Kuwait of the sacrifices ofboth citizens and residents to the coun-try during our various conflicts through-

out history. We are to guard against those that

threaten our national unity and of thosewho likewise abuse their citizenship. Itis up to the government to ensure thatall citizens are loyal to the state and arenot only citizens to enjoy the pleasureand benefits of citizenship, yet whenthings go sour they will be the first toflee.

We need to guard against the vari-ous elements that maneuver to gainpersonal gains at the expense of theState. HH the Amir has shed light onsuch matter, calling on all citizens to bebrothers, who are to work for the devel-opment of our country.

We are all on one boat and it is HHthe Amir who is the captain of this boat.May we sail through rough seas andbrace storms, when united nothing candeter our desire to develop and to gainprominence at the global stage. MayGod grant us his blessing and May Heprotect our country from all harm-whether foreign and internal. May heguide HH the Amir our commander andleader.

fouad@kuwaittimes.net

in my view

United we stand: A wish for 2010

KUWAIT: A bedoon man and womanwere arrested on Ghazali road afterleaving a camping site in Doha. Policepursued the vehicle after the driverrefused to stop at a police checkpoint.Police set up roadblock and stopped hisvehicle after he collided with a policecar and hit a cement barricade. Thecrash caused a police officer to sustainminor injuries and a small fire in thelawbreaker’s car. It was discovered thatthe driver, as well as his female passen-ger, were under the influence of alco-hol. The female passenger, who washaving a nervous breakdown, explainedto police that she was kidnapped fromthe camp site by the driver. They weretaken into custody for further investi-gation.

Drug possessionAn Egyptian man was arrested at the

Kuwait International Airport after asearch of his luggage revealed 600g ofdrugs. Customs officials decided to stopthe man, who was arriving fromAlexandria, after he raised suspicion byshowing signs of discomfort. He wasreferred to the proper authorities.

In an unrelated incident, a young cit-

izen was arrested at a checkpoint inSabah Al-Salem after being found inpossession of hashish, 30 illegal pillsand a bottle of vodka. He was referredto the proper authorities.

Additionally, Farwaniya policearrested a 26-year-old citizen after hewas caught driving under the influenceof drugs and in possession of 20 drugpills on the Seventh Ring Road. Afterinspecting the man’s ID, police realizedthat he was wanted for a previous casein which he was sentenced to pay a KD5,000 fine. He was also taken to theproper authorities.

Citizen stabbedA Kuwaiti man was admitted to the

intensive care unit of Al-Jahra Hospitalafter he sustained several stab woundsduring a fight in Al-Waha. After the manwas hospitalized criminal investigators,who questioned people at the scene ofthe incident, discovered that the fightwas a result of a dispute over the sale ofa car. Police are still searching for theassailants.

Fuel thief caughtJahra police arrested a Pakistani man

for stealing fuel and selling it tocampers in the area. Police arrested theman after receiving reports of a manroaming camping sites in order to offercampers fuel for their power generatorsat a reduced price. After investigatingthe incident police discovered the manwas stealing gas from parked vehicles.He was arrested and referred to theproper authorities.

Asians arrestedTwo Asians were arrested on a

street in Abdaly after police found a boxfilled with imported liquor bottlesinside their vehicle. The police madethe discovery after pulling the car over.The bootleggers were then sent to theproper authorities.

House robberyA citizen informed Ahmadi police

that he was robbed after he made thediscovery when he returned home froma camping trip with his family. Hereported that KD 15,000 had beenstolen from his house. A case wasopened and investigators searched thescene of the crime for clues that couldlead to an arrest.

Bedoon, woman caught in hot pursuit

NATIONAL 5Monday, January 4, 2010

Teachers to be honored at KuwaitceremonyKUWAIT: The Kuwait TeachersSociety (KTS) is scheduled tolaunch its Sixth Annual ‘ThankYou, My Teacher’ festivalscheduled to take place fromJan 4 to 6 to coincide with theWorld Teachers Day celebra-tions. It will be held under thepatronage of HH the AmirSheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah.

The event will commencewith a grand opening that willbe held today at 10:30 am, inthe theater of the primary edu-cation faculty in Shamiya withthe attendance of HH the Amirwhere 447 teachers will behonored.

The celebrations will featurethe inauguration of a monumenterected in honor of teacherstomorrow. It will take place at11:00 am at the 360 Mall. It istouted to set a world record forthe most number of pencilsused in its construction, as theevent will be attended by repre-sentatives from the GuinnessWorld Records Organization, inaddition to the Minister ofEducation, Dr. Moudhi Al-Humoud.

Other activities scheduled tobe held include a forum to beheld at 9:00 am at the EducationFaculty’s theater in Shamiya,titled ‘Teacher and Proud.’

Several prominent figureswill take part like Al-Humoud,the Parliament’s EducationalCommittee Head, MP Dr.Hassan Jowhar and Head of theKuwait Teachers Society, AyedhAl-Sehali.

KUWAIT: Academics have cau-tioned the public against astrolo-gy programs that are being wide-ly aired on satellite television sta-tions and of the astrologers’deceptive means of baffling thoseof weak mental abilities who lackany logic.

Dr Khodor Yaroun, a psychol-ogy professor at KuwaitUniversity, said in an interviewthat astrology programs attractmany viewers due to various rea-sons, such as ignorance, worries,a profound sense of defeat, con-cern over the future or fear ofchange.

This phenomenon has spreadon a wide-scale, he said notingthat the media and the press ded-icate special promotions to astro-logical programs, in addition tothe publication of magazines andbooks on such illogical specula-tions and predictions. Astrologersare generally distinguished by aspecial charisma and ability toinfluence others, with somereferring to themselves as doc-tors or astrological or spiritualscientists, and tend to mix upbetween astrology and parapsy-chology. Many people glue them-selves to their television sets onNew Year’s Eve and scan variouschannels, anxious to attempt toforesee their future through

these programs, hosted by suchnotorious figures.

Dr. Amthal Al-Huwailah, apsychology professor at KU’sSociology Faculty, said many peo-ple are drawn to supernatural andsuperstitious beliefs as a result ofboredom or mental or spiritualemptiness.

Such a phenomenon encour-ages people to become morecredulous and some becomementally sluggish to the extentthat their passive attitude maylead to catastrophic conse-quences, she explained. “It isregretful that they pay heftyamounts of money to those whopretend to be able to read theirfuture, thus turning into easyprey for such deceitful personswho seek to earn money by ille-gal means.” Dr. Ahmad Al-Sharif,information professor, said suchprograms have spread widely dueto diverse psychological andsocial factors such as frustrationand a sense of powerlessness.

“The inability to attain realaccomplishments nudges somepeople to drift into a world ofsuperstitions, seeking anyglimmer of hope,” he said,adding that astrologers makemassive amounts of moneyfrom this effort-free art ofdeception. — KUNA

Astrologers make fortunes by deceiving the gullible

“The minister of information is using theinstability caused by the programs aired onthose two TV channels, and the whole issue ofnational unity, as means to impose restrictionson bloggers,” said Al-Mutairy.

While he agreed that there is a group ofMPs who support freedom of expression Al-Mutairy noted that some Parliamentarianshave double standards about this issue. “Ithink that, unfortunately, a large group of MPssupport the media when it speaks favorably ofthem and discard the media when it criticizesthem,” he said.

Muhammad Al-Yousifi, another Kuwaitiblogger, said that the government has beenwanting to place restrictions on bloggers forsome time now. “They have been wanting todo this since the scandal of changing the elec-toral districts in 2006,” he said. “They onlygot the chance to do it now with thisParliament which is mostly ‘governmental.’Especially since a number of bloggers are nowattacking MPs.”

Al-Yousifi said that the law is “more laugh-able than it is scary” both because of themotive to monitor blogs, and the process ofmonitoring blogs itself. “How do they want to

conduct this censorship? They can’t do it, theyphysically can’t do this,” he said.

Abdul Aziz Al-Atygy, Kuwaiti blogger and aco-founder of the biggest blogging aggregationwebsite in the Middle East,‘KuwaitBlogs.com,’ said that it will be verydifficult for the government to censor or blockblogs because most of the servers that containthese blogs are outside Kuwait. They don’t fallunder the jurisdiction of Kuwaiti law. “Even ifthey are willing to block them, people can stillaccess them via proxies. Governments cannotstop that and cannot identify those who accessthem,” he said.

Al-Atygy also pointed out that there is ahuge misunderstanding about what blogs areamong Kuwaiti people in general. “Blogs are amicro prototype of Kuwaiti society. They arelike diwaniyas. People speak what they thinkin them and if someone is [upset] by aMember of Parliament he will write his feel-ings in his blog. These views and feelings arevarying and they are about different subjects.Political blogs are less than 15 percent of thewhole blogosphere of Kuwait.”

The issue of freedom of expression hasbeen dwelled on for the past few years in

Kuwait. The Amir of Kuwait, HH SheikhSabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, has repeatedlyurged local media to adopt more responsiblemeasures of tackling delicate subjects such asnational unity.

Minister of Information, Sheikh Ahmad Al-Sabah, is still under fire from the NationalAssembly (NA) after a number of MPsdemanded the closure of the Al-Soor channel.They accused the Minister of allowing thechannel to broadcast without proper permis-sion. A number of MPs announced they willfile an interpellation motion against the PrimeMinister Sheikh Nasser Al-Sabah if he doesnot fire the Minister.

Last October however, some of those sameMPs held a number of demonstrations wherethey claimed the government was not doingenough to protect the freedom of expression.The demonstrations occurred after the pub-lisher of an online newspaper, Zaed Al-Zaed,was attacked by an anonymous man.

Kuwait occupies the 60th position on thePress Freedom Index issued by media free-dom watchdog Reporters Without Borders. Itis also the highest ranking Arab country onthat index.

‘Most of the servers outside Kuwait’

Govt attempts to censorblogs ‘unacceptable’

By Ahmad Saeid

KUWAIT: A number of Kuwaiti bloggers said that govern-ment’s attempt to impose censorship on blogs is unaccept-able and unrealistic. The comments were made amidst expec-tations of the government’s plan to amend the ‘audio-visual

Law’ after a TV show on the Al-Soor channel caused a waveof outrage amongst Kuwaiti tribes. “It was only a matter oftime before these restrictions were imposed on bloggers,”said Amer Al-Mutairy, a Kuwaiti blogger. He added that thegovernment has been waiting for the right excuse tostrengthen its grip on the blogging community.

KUWAIT: Ahmadi SecurityOfficers conducted their routinesecurity patrol over the week-end at several areas includingAl-Wafra, Abdullah Port and Al-Abdaliyah.

It was carried out with the

intention of placing a check onreckless drivers, who usesports cars to perform danger-ous stunts and drive erratically.During the campaign, severallawbreakers were arrested andreferred to prison after charges

were pressed against him. Dozens of old sports cars

and other normal vehicles werealso impounded. As part of thecampaign, 20 drivers werearrested which raised the totalnumber of arrested on the same

charges during the weekend to95.

Several of those arrestedwere held at farms and jakhours(animal pens) police said. Atleast 23 vehicles were consfis-cated, reported Al-Watan.

Vehicles impounded, offenders arrested

NATIONAL6 Monday, January 4, 2010

Kuwait Times asked some Kuwaiti andnon-Kuwaiti doctors about their opinionon the subject. Some officials say manydoctors have resigned from services toreturn to their respective native countriesor obtain suitable placements at otherGCC countries that offer them severalbenefits as reported in Al-Dar newspaper.

Dr. Saeed T, a dentist who works in apublic hospital said, “We have read manyof such articles and we have heard aboutdecisions. Actually, nothing has happenedtill now. Yes, it’s fair for every doctorregardless of whether they are Kuwaiti or

non-Kuwaiti, to receive revised salaries.Every doctor should be given a rentallowance. We are serving a whole nationhere. So it’s only fair that the salaries areraised. At the end of the day, nothing willhappen and we will not see any raise inour money.”

A gynecologist who refused to discloseher name said, “In my point of view, theold doctors deserve higher salaries. Thisis because they have served Kuwait formore than 20 years. Some even haveMaster’s or a PhD qualification and expe-rience. The new doctors deserve only a

raise of about 10 percent of their salariesbecause they haven’t fully served Kuwaityet.”

A pediatrician who requestedanonymity had this to say, “All what theysay and what we read is great. But noth-ing has happened since a year ago. This isour right. This raise should be made prac-ticable. If I don’t receive a salary raise, Iam going to resign and return to my coun-try. Is it reasonable, that a doctor whoworks in the Ministry of Health has to payhis own health fee insurance? I think theyshouldn’t charge us for that.”

Ministry urged to take serious steps

Doctors demand more job perks

By Rawan Khalid

KUWAIT: Doctors have urged the Health ministry to takeserious steps to improve their living conditions in thecountry. They demanded a salary raise that covers their

living expenses and annual income levels at par with otherparts of the world. Recent press reports quoted ministryofficials as saying that the salaries of Kuwaiti and non-Kuwaiti doctors will be raised between 30 percent to 60percent.

KUWAIT: AssistantUndersecretary of Kuwait’sMinistry of Health forPlanning and Quality AffairsDr Walid Al-Fallah said yester-day the patient safety programbeing introduced to all hospi-tals is an integral part of theministry’s plan for moderniz-ing the healthcare services.

The World HealthOrganization (WHO) attrib-utes particular importance tothe issue of patient safetywhich is a global issue affect-

ing countries at all levels ofdevelopment, Al-Fallah toldreporters here.

“The WHO experts havedeveloped in May, 2009, theGlobal Priorities for PatientSafety Research which provid-ed vitally important solutionsto facilitate the spread and useof research findings to informsafer health care in all WHOMember States,” he pointedout.

“The solutions aim toincrease knowledge about

patient safety, how research isconducted, what priorities aredetermined, and how theresults are disseminated.

“They can have significantimpact on government healthpolicies, the introduction ofimproved health-care practicesand, as a result, better patientcare,” Dr. Al-Fallah noted.

He affirmed that theMinistry’s Planning andQuality Affairs Departmentdoubled its efforts to educatethe personnel of all state-run

and private-run hospitals onthe patient safety issue andconducted field studies on thebest ways to implement therelevant WHO guidelines.

“The Ministry has made thepatient care program a priorityitem of its modernization plan.

“The programs ensuresspeedy admission of patientsinto the hospitals, easy accessto proper diagnosis and med-ication and improved patho-logical care,” Dr. Al-Fallahadded. — KUNA

Ministry promotes patient safety program

KUWAIT: Kuwait’s Institute ofBanking Studies (IBS) is set towork closely with the presti-gious Harvard Business Schoolto design and implement anexecutive education programfor senior administrators in theKuwaiti banking sector.

The announcement of thenew joint program was made byIBS chairman Sheikh SalemAbdulaziz Al-Sabah, who is alsogovernor of the Central Bank ofKuwait (CBK).

The Governor pointed outthat the program, initiated bythe CB, is sponsored by the IBSmember banks, the CBK,National Bank of Kuwait, GulfBank, Commercial Bank ofKuwait, Burgan Bank, Al AhliBank of Kuwait, Bank of Kuwaitand the Middle East, KuwaitInternational Bank, IndustrialBank of Kuwait and BoubyanBank.

Sheikh Salem Abdulazizexplained that the program isone of the strategic develop-mental projects being pursuedby Kuwait’s banking sector, ledby the Central Bank and organ-ized by the IBS, to upgrade theskills of the national workforce,of which executive leadershipcomprises the key component.

The CBK governor indicatedthat preparations for this effortbegan over a year ago after aresolution was approved toorganize a high-level programwith the help of a leading inter-national business school.

The IBS initiated communi-cation with Harvard BusinessSchool, and the two partiesreached an agreement aroundthe beginning of this year, herevealed.

He also explained that thatthis will be the first customizedprogram that the world-renowned Harvard BusinessSchool has delivered in the GCCregion, affirming that the schoolis very selective in undertakingsuch projects, especially thosebeyond its campus in Boston,USA.

Sheikh Salem Al-Abdulazizexplained that the program isdesigned around two integrated

themes, ‘StrategicManagement’ and ‘Leadership.’

These themes were agreedupon following a one-week visitto Kuwait last April by Dr JamesDowd of Harvard BusinessSchool, who will serve as theprogram’s Faculty Chairman. DrDowd and members of the IBSmanagement spent the week inextensive discussions withchairpersons, chief executiveofficers, general managers andassistant general managersfrom the number of Kuwaitibanks. Using the informationgained in these meetings, a pro-gram was designed in two inte-grated modules.

The first, entitled‘Developing and ExecutingEffective Strategies’ will beheld from Jan 23 to 27, with thesecond, entitled ‘MaximizingLeadership Impact,’ will runbetween April 11 and 14.

Sheikh Salem affirmed thatthis executive education pro-gram will adhere to HarvardBusiness School’s high stan-dards thus ensuring that partici-pants and their banks will beprovided with the same qualityof learning experience for whichthe school is so well known.

At the end of the program,participants will receive aHarvard Business School cer-tificate, verifying that they havecompleted the program.

The Governor elaboratedthat the world-famous HarvardBusiness School case studieswill be the main learning toolutilized in the program; thesecase studies are written by theschool’s faculty and are used innumerous universities andexecutive development centers.

As well as selecting bank-ing and finance cases, the fac-ulty have also chosen somethat focus on other industriesto diversify participants’ learn-ing experience. The programwill also include applicationsessions during which partici-pants will focus on how theconcepts and frameworks pre-sented by the Harvard facultycan be put to work in their ownorganizations. — KUNA

KUWAIT: Kuwait International Airport’s customs administrationdepartment has received the go-ahead from the Ministry of Health(MoH) to introduce a number of advanced scanning systems at theairport, which are able to detect any unusual or strange objectsbeing carried by passengers.

KIA’s Director General Suleiman Al-Fahad told reporters thatthe equipment, which is extremely advanced, does not show bodyparts in detail, but uses sonic waves which detect any unusualobstruction or alien object, even inside a passenger’s stomach,reported Al-Anba.

The equipment, which was purchased some time ago, was sentto the health ministry for assessment to ensure that its use wouldnot be harmful to passengers’ health.

KIA gets go-ahead for hi-tech scanners

IBS, Harvard school to present program

KUWAIT: The Kuwait Municipality recently concluded a training course entitled ‘Planning and ProjectManagement.’ It was attended by the Training and Development Manager Awwadh Al-Otaibi.

By Nawara Fattahova

KUWIAT: In an increasing num-ber of advertisements, in thepress and various other places,apartments are being offered toexpats only. These signs don’tallow Kuwaitis to lease availableapartments because the land-lord or owner of the building hadbad experiences with Kuwaititenants.

These advertisements canbe found beside other ads thatdo not rent to bachelors, or askfor only newly married couplesto lease the apartment. “Theowner of the building does notwant to rent his apartments toKuwaitis,” said Nasser, a realestate broker, to the KuwaitTimes. “He said that he did thatin the past and he encounteredmany problems. He said thatmany of the Kuwaitis that rent-ed the apartments turned it into

a party location. The ownerprefers renting to expat fami-lies, this is usually who weaccept.”

Omar, another real estateagent, said “a Kuwaiti will notlive in an apartment. He mostprobably will rent the flat andturn it into a gathering place forhis friends to gamble and haveparties. If he was young andwanted to live in the flat with hiswife, he would be most wel-come.”

Many landlords won’t rent toa single woman or to bachelors.“It’s not possible to let a bache-lor lease a flat in a buildingwhere all the other tenants arefamilies,” added Omar. “Thiscan cause problem for the wivesand the families will not feelcomfortable. Also, many ownersrefuse to lease flats in theirbuildings for single womenbecause they have had bad

experiences with women whohold parties and disturb neigh-bors. There is another pointhere. Many of the owners saythat they won’t go to court tofile a case against a woman ifshe doesn’t pay the rent. Hewould find it immoral.”

Many owners have facedseveral problems with Kuwaititenants. “Most owners havefinancial obligations on amonthly basis,” saidMohammed, another landlord.“They are waiting for the rentof the tenants. When the tenantdoesn’t pay for two or threemonths he is losing and gettinginto problems. Then he has togo to the court and get a deci-sion to empty the apartment.He will have to wait a long timeto receive his money and theapartment will stay closed for afew months. Some tenants alsosteal the furniture of the flat

when leaving.”Some owners feel more

comfortable when leasing toforeigners. “The owners of vil-las who live on one floor andwant to rent out the secondfloor, prefer to have westernexpats in the villa,” notedHusein Abdul Majeed, a partnerin a real estate agency. “Theymay feel embarrassed and notfree if they think a Kuwaiti ten-ant is always watching them,while western tenant might not.Also, they are afraid that if anyproblem occurred, especiallywith paying the rent, theKuwaiti tenant would find a rel-ative or friend who knows theowner and try to solve the prob-lem or stop him from demand-ing payment. They find dealingwith strangers easier, especiallyif it was with westerners whosecompany will pay the rent,” heconcluded.

Apartment ads exclude Kuwaiti tenants

Alternative to sponsorship systemKUWAIT: As part of its continuous efforts to find suitable alter-natives to the current sponsorship practice, the Ministry ofSocial Affairs and Labor is mulling over setting up a publicauthority for expatriate workers. In this method, all residencework permits of expats will be registered with a public share-holding company. The suggestion was proposed by Minister, Dr.Mohammad Al-Afasi in response to MP Dr. Yousuf Al-Zalzalah’squestion. They said that the ministry will coordinate with theInternational Labor Organization (ILO) by sending experts toKuwait to study the country’s labor market, reported Al-Watan.Furthermore, all suggestions will be referred to proper commit-tees in order to take follow-up action, once a decision is made.

Al-Zalzala to meet authoritiesKUWAIT: Chairman of the Finance and Economy Committee atthe National Assembly MP Dr Yousuf Al-Zalzala said that thecommittee will meet with concerned government authorities asper the state’s strategic plan. The Finance Ministry, DeputyPremier for Economic Affairs Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad will beconsulted. He said the committee will present its report after themeeting with the Cabinet and holding discussions, reportedAwan. He said that no changes were made on the debtor’s law onbehalf of the government or MPs.

KUWAIT: The Egyptian CulturalOffice organized a medical seminarunder the patronage of the EgyptianAmbassador to Kuwait Taher Farhat.It was titled ‘New Developments inSwine Flu.’ Public health specialistand Head of the Department atMubarak hospital, Dr Ahmad Khalilwas the keynote speaker in the sem-inar. Human beings contract the fluwhen they come in contact with

infected swine. The reverse can alsooccur when the animal contracts thevirus, leading it to the creation ofmutated virus.

The mutated virus is then trans-ferred to humans, which then turnsinto a contagious disease like the sea-sonal flu. Coughing and sneezingthrough the mouth and nose canspread the virus. Symptoms of swineflu are similar to those of the season-

al flu that is characterized by a sud-den increase in temperature, cough-ing, pain in the muscles. This viruscauses diarrhea and vomiting at amuch severe degree than the normalflu, reported Al-Anba.

He added that some precautionarymeasures could prevent it frombeing transmitted - washing handswith soap several times during theday, especially after coming in contact

with animals, and by avoiding gettingcloser to an infected person. This isin addition to covering the mouth andnose with a napkin while coughing orsneezing. Avoid touching around theeye contour area and the nose incase the hands are dirty to avoidtransmitting the virus.

Dr Khalil emphasized that theinfection is not air borne, but isspread by sneezing and coughing.

Patients should be examined from aconsiderable distance so that theinfection can be avoided.

Pregnant women and young chil-dren are the most vulnerable, includ-ing asthma patients. Speaking aboutthe vaccine, he said that it can beadministered to pregnant women,baby sitters, medical emergencystaff, adults who fall in the rangebetween 19 to 24 age group.

Seminar on new developments in swine flu

in the news

MPs respond to celebrationsKUWAIT: MP Dr Waleed Al Tabtabae hailed the efforts ofpolice for preventing violations on public morals on New Year’sEve and called on the Ministry of Interior to keep up this effortthroughout the year, reported Al-Shahed. In response, MP DrMaasouma Al-Mubarak expressed astonishment Al-Tabtabaefor appointing himself the guardian of people and their behav-ior. She said that MPs have no right to threaten the public andhave no authority over how they express themselves duringtimes of sadness or joy. She went on to say that God is the onlyone who watches and keeps a record of a person’s good or baddeeds.

INTERNATIONAL 7Monday, January 4, 2010

His visit comes almost aweek after Israeli PrimeMinister Benjamin Netanyahuheld talks in Cairo withMubarak on the stalled peaceprocess and as diplomats saidWashington was drafting lettersof guarantees for the peacetalks. An Arab diplomat toldAFP last week that US specialenvoy George Mitchell wouldpresent the letters to Israel andthe Palestinian Authority on hisnext visit to the region.

“The United States is hop-ing that the two letters willserve as a basis for the relaunchof Israeli-Palestinian negotia-tions but we don’t know if theywill satisfy the Palestinians,who want a complete freeze ofsettlement activity before talksresume,” the diplomat said.

Egyptian Foreign MinisterAhmed Abul Gheit is also plan-ning to visit Washington fortalks with officials on January 7,and has said he will be accom-panied by Cairo’s intelligencechief Omar Suleiman.

US President Barack Obamahas repeatedly called on the twosides to resume peace talks, butthe Palestinians have demand-ed Israel first freeze all settle-ment activity and commit to aframework for the talks.

Egypt, Saudi Arabia andTurkey have all urged Israel tohalt its settlement activity,while Saudi Foreign MinisterPrince Saud al-Faisal hit out atthe Jewish state on Saturday foracting like a “spoiled child.”

Abbas’ spokesman AbuRudeina said: “There are Araband international efforts to cre-ate the climate to support thereturn to negotiations with the

George Mitchell to present letters to Israel and PA

Abbas visits Egypt for talks on Mideast peaceCAIRO: Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas arrived in Egypt yesterday fortalks aimed at relaunching peace talks with Israel, amid lingering divisionsover Jewish settlement expansion. Abbas’ spokesman Nabil Abu Rudeina saidhe would meet Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak at the Red Sea resort of

Sharm el-Sheikh today, before visiting Qatar and Kuwait and Turkey later inthe week. “President Abbas will present to President Mubarak the importantdevelopments that confront the Palestinian cause and the great challengesfacing the entire region,” he said.

BEIRUT: Demonstrators protest against Egypt’s border barrier between Egypt and southern GazaStrip, during a demonstration in front the Egyptian embassy in Beirut, Lebanon, yesterday. Placardswritten in Arabic, left, “Netanyahu says, thanks for Egyptian leaders”. Egypt is installing a series ofmetal sheets submerged along the Gaza border to block tunnels used to smuggle weapons into thePalestinian territory. — AP

Israeli side based on a completehalt to settlements.”

He added the Palestinianswould also require “specificguidelines” for the talks, includ-ing that the borders of a futurePalestinian state encompass allof their land Israel occupied in1967. The Palestinians haveinsisted that mostly Arab eastJerusalem occupied by Israel in1967 and later annexed in amove not recognised by the

international community-be thecapital of their future state.

“The Israeli position that wehave seen up until now is notencouraging and it will not bepossible to return to the negoti-ations based on it,” Abu Rudeinasaid. Netanyahu in Novemberimposed a 10-month halt on newconstruction of settlements inthe occupied West Bank butexcluded east Jerusalem, publicbuildings and housing units

already under construction.Abbas suspended peace talks

with Israel after it entered a 22-day war with Hamas, theIslamist rulers of Gaza, thatkilled more than 1,300Palestinians and left swathes ofGaza devastated. ThirteenIsraelis were killed.

Hamas’s takeover of Gaza in2007, which shrank Abbas’spowerbase to the West Bank,left a deep rift between

Palestinians that have also ham-pered peace talks with Israel.

Egypt has already twicepostponed the planned signingof a reconciliation agreement inCairo because of deep divisionsbetween Hamas and Abbas’Fatah supporters.

But exiled Hamas leaderKhaled Meshaal said during avisit yesterday to Saudi Arabiathat a reconciliation deal is“close.” — AFP

Hamas says in final stage of Fatah reconciliationRIYADH: Hamas leader KhaledMeshaal said yesterday theIslamist group was in the finalstages of achieving reconciliationwith the rival Palestinian Fatahparty after he met Saudi Arabianofficials to try to narrow the rift.

“We achieved great stridestowards achieving reconcilia-tion,” Meshaal told reporters atthe foreign ministry during avisit to the Saudi capital. “We arein the final stages now.”

An Egyptian proposal to pro-mote reconciliation betweenHamas and Palestinian PresidentMahmoud Abbas’s Fatah grouphas called for presidential andlegislative elections to be held inthe West Bank and Gaza Stripnext June.

Meshaal said Hamas still hadsome points to resolve in theEgyptian proposal.

“We all agree that the signingof the (reconciliation) will takeplace in Cairo,” he said.

Meshaal’s visit with SaudiForeign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal was designed to help rec-onciliation of the feud, Saudi offi-cials said. “We still hope that thekingdom plays a special rolealongside Egypt and Arab coun-tries to help us first succeed insponsoring the Palestinian rec-onciliation and unify thePalestinian position and also toprompt Arabs to confront thestubborn Israeli administration,”Meshaal said.

Hamas rules the Gaza Strip,which was hammered by anIsraeli military offensive in late2008. Israel pulled out of thecramped Mediterranean enclavein 2005 and, after driving out themainstream Fatah movement in2007, Hamas took full power inan election.

Abbas’s Palestinian Authorityruns the Israeli-occupied WestBank. Hamas, which is backedby Iran, does not recogniseIsrael’s right to exist and oppos-es the Fatah strategy pursued byAbbas of seeking to negotiate apermanent peace deal. Hamas isnot part of the PalestineLiberation Organisation, whichwas founded in 1964 and isrecognised internationally as therepresentative body of thePalestinians. —Reuters

JERUSALEM: Israeli Prime Minister BenjaminNetanyahu addresses the weekly cabinet meetingin Jerusalem yesterday. Israel’s ultra-nationalistForeign Minister Avigdor Lieberman questionedwhether president Mahmoud Abbas represents allPalestinians, given his lack of authority in theGaza Strip. — AFP

WASHINGTON: The adminis-tration of US President BarackObama believes domesticunrest and signs of unexpectedtrouble in Iran’s nuclear pro-gram make the country’s lead-ers particularly vulnerable tostrong and immediate newsanctions, The New YorkTimes reported late Saturday.

Citing unnamed officials,the newspaper said the long-discussed sanctions proposalcomes as the administrationhas completed a fresh review ofIran’s nuclear progress.

Obama’s strategists believeIran’s top political and militaryleaders were distracted inrecent months by turmoil inthe streets and political infight-ing, and that their drive to pro-duce nuclear fuel appears tohave faltered, the report said.

The White House wants tofocus the new sanctions on theIslamic Revolutionary GuardsCorps that is believed to runthe nuclear weapons effort,The Times said.

Although repeated roundsof sanctions over many yearshave not dissuaded Iran frompursuing nuclear technology,an administration official

involved in the Iran policy saidthe hope was that the currenttroubles “give us a window toimpose the first sanctions thatmay make the Iranians thinkthe nuclear program isn’tworth the price tag,” the papernoted.

The Obama administrationofficials said they believed thatIran’s bomb-developmenteffort was seriously derailed bythe exposure three months agoof the country’s secret enrich-ment plant under constructionnear the holy city of Qom, thereport pointed out.

Exposure of the sitedeprived Iran of its best chanceof covertly producing the high-ly enriched uranium needed tomake fuel for nuclear weapons,The Times said.

In addition, internationalnuclear inspectors report thatat Iran’s plant in Natanz, wherethousands of centrifuges spinto enrich uranium for nuclearfuel, the number of themachines that are currentlyoperating has dropped by 20percent since the summer, adecline nuclear expertsattribute to technical problems,according to the report. —AFP

US considers new sanctions against Iran

8 INTERNATIONAL Monday, January 4, 2010

CAPE TOWN: In this June 3, 2009 file photo, South African president JacobZuma, second right, seen with his three wives Sizakele Khumalo, right, NompumeloNtuli, left, and Thobeka Mabhija, second left, after giving the State of the Nationaddress, at parliament in Cape Town, South Africa. —AP

REGGIO CALABRIA: Italian Carabinieri police officers inspect the entrance of a courthouse where a bombblast has heavily damaged the entrance to the courthouse in Reggio Calabria, southern Italy, yesterday.Investigators are working to assess the blast, which the National organized crime prosecutor Piero Grasso toldSky TG24 TV that investigators suspect the ‘Ndrangheta crime gang’ set off the homemade bomb in ReggioCalabria in a bid to intimidate prosecutors. —AP

ZAGREB: Former Croatian PrimeMinister Ivo Sanader said yester-day his withdrawal from politicslast year had been a mistake andannounced a more active role inhis ruling party, defeated in lastweek’s presidential election.

Sanader quit unexpectedly asprime minister last July withoutgiving an explanation. He was suc-ceeded by his former deputy,

Jadranka Kosor, who took overboth the government and the rul-ing conservative HDZ party.

“I fully activate my role as thehonorary president of the party.The reason is not the governmen-t’s work, which I fully support, butthe poor result of the party in thepresidential election,” state radioquoted Sanader as saying.

The HDZ’s candidate came

third in the first round of the pres-idential election a week ago, get-ting 12 percent of votes, the par-ty’s worst presidential poll resultsince the country became indepen-dent in 1991.

“To a large extent the resultreflects a disorientation in leadingthe party. I feel partly responsiblefor that because of having with-drawn from politics altogether,”

Sanader said.Many analysts said a division of

votes among centre-right candi-dates, including some HDZ rene-gades, and voter discontent overthe economic situation, risingunemployment and a number ofcorruption scandals in state-con-trolled companies in recentmonths caused a drop in supportfor the HDZ’s candidate.

Sanader did not specify if hispolitical revival would be focusedonly on party affairs or if his ambi-tions went beyond that. However,he indicated he might take up hisrole as a parliamentary deputyafter mid-January.

“I’m not thinking about takingover the party again,” he said.

Independent political analystAndjelko Milardovic said

Sanader’s comeback could deependisagreements among party fac-tions.

Croatia hopes to wrap upEuropean Union accession talksthis year and join in 2012. One ofthe requirements for that is abeefed-up fight against corruption,which Kosor has undertaken.

The second round of the presi-dential election on Jan. 10 will pit

the candidate of the oppositionSocial Democrats, Ivo Josipovic,against his former party colleagueand Zagreb mayor, Milan Bandic,who runs as an independent.

Sanader urged the party leader-ship to give explicit support to oneof the candidates. Kosor said earli-er this week that HDZ would notsupport either of the two remain-ing candidates. —Reuters

Former Croat PM Sanader returns to politics

A Foreign Office spokes-woman in London told AFP:“Our position is unchanged. Wehave believed for some time thatAlan’s been killed and his imme-diate family have been told ourviews.

“We continue to urge thoseholding Alan to return his bodyimmediately,” she said. “We’rein close contact with the Iraqiauthorities and we’re doingeverything we can to try andsecure a swift return to the UK.”

McMenemy, 34, was one offour security guards for PeterMoore, 36, a computer consul-tant who was releasedunharmed on Wednesday by theLeague of the Righteous, abreakaway Shiite militia, 31months after the kidnapping.

All four of his bodyguards,also Britons, have since beenkilled.

The bodies of threeóAlecMacLachlan, 30, JasonSwindlehurst, 38, and JasonCreswell, 39 — were handedover to British officials last year.

Some commentators said adeal may have been done to freeMoore after League of theRighteous leader Qais al-Khazaali was recently trans-ferred from US to Iraqi custody.

The Foreign Office deniedany deal was done, saying theUnited States transferredKhazaali into Iraqi custodyunder the terms of a bilateralagreement.

Khazaali’s brother Laith wasreleased in June, around thesame time two of the bodieswere handed over to Britain,while around 200 detaineeswere freed in September, whena third body was transferred.

Qais al-Khazaali, meanwhile,was among detainees handedover to the Iraqi governmentlast month.

Moore returned to Britain onFriday, and said in a statementreleased by the Foreign Officehe was “delighted to havereturned to the UK and to havebeen reunited with my family.”

“I am looking forward tospending the coming days andweeks catching up on all thethings I’ve missed over the pasttwo and a half years,” he added.

“I would therefore be grate-ful if we could be given the spaceand time we need to start to getto know one another again.”

The five were kidnappedfrom the finance ministry inBaghdad in May 2007, by some40 League of the Righteous gun-men.

US regional military com-mander General David Petraeussaid on Friday that Moore spentat least part of his time in captiv-ity in Iran, citing American intel-ligence.

“Our intelligence assess-ment is that he (Moore) certain-ly has spent part of the time, atthe very least, in Iran, part of thetime that he was a hostage,” hetold reporters in Baghdad whileon a visit to the Iraqi capital.

“That is based on an intelli-gence assessment, and obvi-ously I’ve not had a chance tohear it, certainly not to talk tohim, but nor to hear anythingthat he has said.”

British Prime MinisterGordon Brown said, however,there was no “direct evidence”Moore was held inside Iran.

British newspaper TheGuardian has reported thatIran’s Revolutionary GuardsCorps led the kidnap operationand took the five to Iran withina day of their abduction.

“I’ve talked to Peter and wedidn’t talk about that,” Browntold BBC television. “We don’thave direct evidence from theForeign Office of that. If evi-dence becomes available, obvi-ously we’ll share it with thepeople. —AFP

Hostage ‘delighted’ to be back from Iraq

Body of fifth British hostage to be handed over: Iraq

BAGHDAD: The body of the sole remaining Briton of five kidnapped inBaghdad in May 2007 by Shiite militants will be handed over in the comingdays, Iraq said yesterday. The transfer of Alan McMenemy’s corpse will bringan end to a two-and-a-half year ordeal that has seen several hundred sus-

pected insurgents, including the leader of the group behind the kidnappings,released in an apparent deal. “We expect them to deliver the body within thenext few days in order to close the file,” Iraqi government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh told AFP, referring to the British bodyguard.

Mafia blamed for Italian court bombROME: A powerful homemade bombexploded yesterday at a court in a southernItalian city, in an attack the authoritiesblamed on the local mafia.

The device, consisting of a gas cylinderwith dynamite attached to it, detonated at5:00 am (0400 GMT) in an entrance to thecourt in Reggio Calabria, damaging thebuilding, according to police quoted in themedia.

No-one was injured in the explosion,which happened in the entry to the buildinghousing the prosecutor’s office in the cen-tre of the city.

A second gas cylinder bomb attack yes-terday morning targeted a fishmonger inthe north of the city.

The Reggio Calabria prosecutorSalvatore Di Landro told journalists thatsurveillance camera footage showed twomen in motorcycle helmets placing thebomb at the court.

Following a two-hour meeting, theauthorities said they were sure the blastwas the work of the the local mafia, the‘Ndragheta, and security measures andpolice checks are to be stepped up.

Di Landro said the attack targeted theprosecutor’s office because of its work con-fiscating mafia assets and a number ofongoing appeals in cases against organisedcrime.

Deputy prosecutor Franco Mollace saidthe incident was prompted by “a sharpchange of tack in our team’s activitieswhich has not pleased organised crime”.

Confiscating mafia assets during inves-tigations is seen as an important weapon inthe fight against crime.

Mafia clans are also worried the Reggioprosecutor may use appeal hearings to tryto increase their members’ prison terms,according to the online newspaper Il Sole e24 Ore.

Up to now, appeals have tended toreduce sentences, sometimes by as muchas a half, the website said.

A number of public figures includingItaly’s President Giorgio Napolitano spokeout in support of the Reggio prosecutorsfollowing the attack.

The national anti-mafia prosecutorPiero Grasso expressed his “solidaritywith the Reggio prosecutor and all thecity’s judiciary, who are victims of a veryserious act of intimidation.”

Sunday’s attacks came after another gascylinder bomb targeted a bar run by associ-ates of Emilio Di Giovine, a former mem-ber of the ‘Ndrangheta, shortly beforeChristmas.

Di Giovine, a drug and gun traffickerthought to be an ‘Ndrangheta boss inMilan, is cooperating with the authori-ties to try to have his sentencereduced. —AFP

Zuma set to marry his fifth wifeJOHANNESBURG: South African PresidentJacob Zuma is set to marry his fifth wife in atraditional ceremony at his rural village in theprovince of KwaZulu-Natal, the presidencysaid in a statement yesterday.

“The traditional wedding of PresidentJacob Zuma and Tobeka Madiba today, is aprivate family ceremony,” said the state-ment.

The Sunday Times and Independent news-papers reported that Zuma’s homestead inNkandla was a hive of activity this week as heprepared to tie the knot with Madiba today.

“Most of the things are only happeningfrom (Sunday). We are expecting the arrivalof a number of guests and dignitaries.

“There is obviously a lot of dancing andsinging at the moment - people are happy.But tomorrow (Monday) is the big day,” theIndependent said, citing a source close to thefamily.

Today’s wedding ceremony will be the tra-ditional one where the bride Madiba will beintroduced to the elders as well to the ances-tors, two years after Zuma paid the Ilobolo(dowry).

Madiba, 37, who has two children with 66-year-old Zuma, has attended official functionsas one of the country’s first ladies and has been

quoted in the media as Thobeka Madiba-Zuma.Polygamy is legally recognised in South

Africa.According to a biography on Zuma, pre-

pared by his party, the African NationalCongress, the president has three wivesincluding Madiba but details on their mar-riage remained vague.

Meanwhile, Zuma is also reportedlypreparing to take on a sixth wife.

Earlier this week, an umbondo (exchangeof gifts) ceremony was held signalling that hehad paid ilobolo (dowry) for his latest fiancee,Bongi Ngema, according to the SundayTimes.

When Zuma was inaugurated as head ofstate in May, speculation was rife about whowould be the first lady.

He attended the ceremony with his firstwife Sizakele Khumalo, whom he has knownfor 50 years and married in 1973.

Zuma is also married to NompumeleloNtuli Zuma, whom he married in 2008 in alavish ceremony.

One of his earlier wives, Kate MantshoZuma, committed suicide in 2000.

In 1998 he divorced Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, but she remains in his inner circle asshe is currently home affairs minister. —AFP

DORTMUND: A plane of German airline Air Berlin is stuck in the snow behind arunway at the airport in Dortmund, western Germany, yesterday. The jet headedfor Spain’s Canary Islands came off the runway at Dortmund airport in westernGermany yesterday, but no one was injured, authorities said. The pilot of the AirBerlin Boeing 737-800, with 165 passengers and six crew members on board, triedto abort the takeoff because of a “technical irregularity” that is still being exam-ined, airline spokeswoman Diane Daedelow said. —AP

BILECIK: A passenger helps an injured woman after a train accident yesterday inBilecik province. Two trains collided yesterday in northwestern Turkey, killing oneperson and injuring seven others, Anatolia news agency reported. The crashoccurred in a rural area of Bilecik province as both trains travelled betweenIstanbul and the northwestern city of Eskisehir. —AFP

Full-body scanners to be put in British airports

LONDON: Full-body scan-ners will be introduced inBritain in the wake of thefailed Christmas Day bomb-ing attempt of a US airliner,Prime Minister GordonBrown said yesterday, Browntold the British BroadcastingCorp. that all airport securitywould be increased in Britain,and all passengers, eventhose only transiting throughthe country, will have theirhand luggage screened fortraces of explosives. Thesuspect in the failedNorthwest Airlines bombinghad changed planes in The

Netherlands and gonethrough security but notthrough a full-body scanner.Brown warned that there wasno guarantee that the newtechnology would work.

“We cannot be convincedof the absolute proof of theworking at 100 percent levelof any technology, that isabsolutely true,” he said.

“We have found that thereis a new form of explosivethat is not being identified byordinary machines.

We have got to go further.Our first duty is to the secu-rity of the people of this

country.” Britain’s main air-port operator BAA says it hasordered full-body scannersfor Europe’s busiest airport,Heathrow, but said they hadto be used with other securi-ty measures. “It is our viewthat a combination of technol-ogy, intelligence and passen-ger profiling will help build amore robust defense againstthe unpredictable and chang-ing nature of the terroristthreat to aviation,” BAA saidin a statement.

Heathrow and Manchesterairports have had trials usingthe full-body scanners. —AP

Pope’s aide visits woman who knocked him down VATICAN CITY: AVatican spokesman saysPope Benedict XVI’s per-sonal aide has visited theyoung woman whojumped over a barrier andknocked the pontiff downin St. Peter’s Basilica onChristmas Eve.

The Rev. FedericoLombardi says thatBenedict asked the aideto pay a call on thewoman, who is beingtreated for psychiatricproblems, to “show thepope’s interest andbenevolence.” Lombardideclined to comment onan Italian newspaperreport yesterday that thepapal aide told the womanduring the Dec. 26 visitthat Benedict had “par-doned” her. The Italian-Swiss woman, 25-year-oldSusanna Maiolo, yankedBenedict’s vestments,pulling him down as hewalked up the center aisleto celebrate Mass. In thecommotion, an elderlyFrench cardinal fell,breaking his hip. Thepope wasn’t hurt.—AP

9INTERNATIONALMonday, January 4, 2010

Authorities said Merhigechecked into the motel onDec. 2, using the name“John Baca” and a falseHomestead address. Hehad the same blue 2007Toyota Camry that hadbeen a key part of the man-hunt, but police said it washidden with a covering atthe Keys motel.

US Marshals saidMerhige, who had with-drawn $12,000 from bankaccounts before thekillings, paid for his room inadvance in cash. It turnedout that the license tag onhis car had been registeredto a Lexus he owned in2006. Merhige was on hiscomputer when policemade entry to his motelroom, according to aMarshals statement. Therewas no indication Saturdaythat Merhige had an attor-ney. Authorities said hewas being taken to thePalm Beach County jail.

Police say Merhigeopened fire at a homewhere 16 relatives hadgathered for the holiday inJupiter, an affluent commu-nity about 90 miles north ofMiami. He faces fourcounts of first-degree mur-der and two counts ofattempted first-degreemurder in the shootings,which also injured twoother people.

Police say Merhige shotand killed his 33-year-oldtwin sisters, Carla Merhigeand Lisa Knight, both ofMiami, along with twoother relatives: his auntRaymonde Joseph, 76, andhis young cousin, MakaylaSitton. Police said Knightwas pregnant.

Authorities have saidMerhige carefully plannedthe killings. A family mem-ber said Merhige was heardsaying after the shootingsthat he had waited 20 yearsto kill the relatives.

Merhige sat throughthree hours of dinner andsing-a-longs around thepiano before the shootings,his cousin-in-law Jim Sittonhas said. There were noarguments, warnings or redflags before the rampage,said Sitton, who hosted thedinner and is Makayla’sfather.

Police said Merhige wastaking numerous medica-tions, including Ativan,used to treat anxiety disor-ders, and may be experi-encing symptoms includinginsomnia, chest pain andrestlessness. — AP

ANGRA DOS REIS: Rescuersyesterday searched for morebodies from an avalanche ofmud and rock that buried a lux-ury Brazilian hotel filled withNew Year’s revelers, as thedeath toll from heavy rains inthe south of the country stoodat 63.

Twenty-eight people werekilled in the tragedy at the hotelon Ilha Grande-a resort islandsouthwest of Rio de Janeiro-andanother six people injured.

State officials said anotherlandslide in the nearby city ofAngra dos Reis, south of Rio,left at least 13 people dead, partof a series of mudslides broughton by incessant rains that havekilled at least 63 people acrossthe state of Rio de Janeiro sinceWednesday and left dozensmissing.

Authorities said the HotelSankay was full to capacity withabout 40 guests, including chil-dren, ringing in the New Year atthe idyllic seaside getaway onBananal beach.

The complex is nestled atthe bottom of a jungle-coveredhillside which gave way beforedawn Friday on New Year’sDay, transforming the touristparadise into a hell.

“It was a deafening noise,I’ve never heard anything likeit-a loud thunder that wouldn’tstop,” Felipe Gomes Martins, ahotel neighbor, told Brazil newswebsite G1.

“There was a lot of earth,mud, trees-trees falling and tak-ing away everything,” saidMartins, 32, who described howhe and his father helped rescuesome 60 people as the landslideswamped the area.

Rio’s deputy governor LuizFernando Pezao said it was “avision of horror,” describing itto CBN radio as “a mountain ofrocks and trees covering vari-ous homes.”

Nearby houses had beenrented out to vacationers forthe holiday period.

A fire chief said the deathtoll at the hotel site could riseto 40, and rescue teams werespeeding their search Saturdayamid warnings of the possibilityof new landslides.

“The whole area is in severedanger of new landslides due tothe vegetation,” FireDepartment commander PedroMachado told Globo News.

About 100 rescue workersand firefighters, aided by rescuedogs, wrestled to remove tonsof mud, rocks and thick treetrunks in the hope of finding

Search at Rio hotel goeson as landslides kill 63

Florida police nab man in Thanksgiving killings of 4 WESTON: A Florida man suspected of gunning down four family members ata Thanksgiving dinner was arrested Saturday night in the Florida Keys aftera weekslong manhunt, authorities said. Jupiter Police Sgt. Scott Pascarellasaid Paul Merhige, 35, was taken into custody without a struggle by USMarshals and Monroe County Sheriff’s deputies at a motel on Long Key.

Pascarella credited the TV show “America’s Most Wanted” for the tip that ledto Merhige’s capture. Merhige has been the subject of a massive manhuntthat included a $100,000 reward for information leading to his capture. He isaccused of killing his twin sisters, a 79-year-old aunt and 6-year-old cousin onThanksgiving Day at a family gathering in Jupiter.

LIMA: The Peruvian SupremeCourt yesterday unanimouslyupheld a 25-year prison sentenceon the country’s former presidentAlberto Fujimori, who has beenconvicted of massive humanrights abuses.

A Supreme Court review ofFujimori’s convictions wasrequested in November by hisdefense lawyer, who asked thehigh court to revoke his client’ssentence.

“None of the 10 pieces of evi-dence that went to determine hisguilt as mastermind of premedi-tated murder have to do with theissue of him giving the order forthe Barrios Altos and La Cantutakillings in 1991 and 1992,” attor-ney Cesar Nakazaki told thecourt.

The defense lawyer also askedfor an annulment of Fujimori’sconviction in the kidnapping of ajournalist and a businessman in1992, claiming there was notenough evidence to prove that theformer president had ordered theabductions. Fujimori, 71, has beenfound guilty in four trials since hewas extradited from Chile inSeptember 2007.

He was found guilty of abuse ofpower and sentenced to six yearsin prison in December 2007. InJuly, he pleaded guilty to chargesof illegally paying a 15 million dol-lar bonus to his security chief andright-hand man, VladimiroMontesinos, and was sentenced toseven and a half years in prison.The sentence is under appeal.

And on September 30 he was

given another six year sentenceand fined nine million dollars afterhe admitted charges of wiretap-ping and bribing journalists, politi-cians and business leaders.

In one of the first reactions tothe Supreme Court’s ruling,member of Congress Carlos Raffosaid he was “disappointed” by it.“The court has convicted a presi-dent who has freed us from terror-ism,” Raffo said. “And it has rati-fied this odious 25-year sentencewithout any proof of guilt. It was apolitical settling of scores againstFujimori.”

During his presidency,Fujimori proved to be an unre-lenting foe of Shining Path andTupac Amaru rebels active inrural areas.

However, his political downfallbegan in 2000 when a video ofMontesinos was broadcast ontelevision, showing the spy chiefbuying off an opposition lawmak-er. Soon after, Fujimori fled toAsia and resigned via fax from aTokyo hotel.

Congress refused to accept hisresignation and instead voted tosack him and ban him from publicoffice for 10 years.

In 2005, Fujimori, who wastrying to stay involved in Peruvianpolitics while in Japanese exile,flew to Chile on a private jet. Onarrival, he was arrested and Perudemanded his extradition, whichChile finally granted in September2007.

Poor health has dogged theformer president, slowing trialproceedings. He has been treated

for hypertension and cancer,among other ailments.

But the ex-president’s politicallegacy appears far from extin-guished.

Fujimori’s daughter Keiko

enjoys her own political careerand remains deeply loyal to him.

She is likely to run for thePeruvian presidency in 2011 and,if successful, she has vowed topardon her father. — AFP

Peruvian court upholds 25-yr sentence for Fujimori

LIMA: File photo released by Peru’s Judiciary andtaken on July 17, 2009 shows ex-president ofPeru, Alberto Fujimori speaking in Lima duringthe last audience of his trial for fresh corruptioncharges of illegally paying his former top aide andintelligence chief Vladimiro Montesinos a 15 mil-lion dollar bonus. — AFP

This photo released by Mexico’s Federal Security Secretary Saturday, Jan. 2,2010, shows Carlos Beltran Leyva sitting in a police vehicle at an undis-closed location after his arrest. —AP

MEXICO CITY: Just two weeks after a chillingreprisal attack for troops’ killing of the reputedboss of the Beltran Leyva cartel, police have cap-tured one of his brothers, sending a strong mes-sage that Mexico will not back down in the drugwar.

The Public Safety Department said in a state-ment Saturday night that Carlos Beltran Leyvawas arrested in Culiacan, the capital of the Pacificcoast state of Sinaloa, where he and several of hisbrothers were born and allegedly started theirgang.

On Dec. 16, his brother Arturo, the allegedchief of the Beltran Leyva cartel, died during atwo-hour shootout with marines in the city ofCuernavaca. He was the highest-ranking drugsuspect taken down since President FelipeCalderon sent tens of thousands of soldiers andfederal police across the country three years agoto fight brutal drug gangs.

Mexican officials in the past have describedCarlos Beltran Levya, 40, as a key member of thegang, but it was unclear if he took over as chief ofthe cartel after his brother died.

A third brother, Alfredo, was arrested inJanuary 2008. At least one other brother, Mario,remains at large and is listed as one of Mexico’s24 most-wanted drug lords, with a $2 million

reward offered for his capture. Carlos Beltran wasnot included on the list, although the Public SafetyDepartment said there had been a warrant for hisarrest since 2008.

The arrest gave Calderon back-to-back victo-ries in the drug war and underscored the govern-ment’s determination to destroy the BeltranLeyva cartel despite the threat of reprisal attacks.

Days after Arturo Beltran was killed, gunmenmassacred the mother and three other relatives ofthe only marine who died in the Dec. 16 shootoutin Cuernavaca. The brutality of the attack _ stagedjust hours after the marine was buried in a publicceremony - shocked Mexicans who have increas-ingly been numbed by daily reports of drug vio-lence. Calderon vowed he would not be intimidat-ed by reprisals. However, authorities were farquieter in announcing Carlos Beltran’s capture,waiting three days to make the arrest public.

In its terse statement, the Public SafetyDepartment said federal police found BeltranLeyva on Wednesday carrying two guns, ammuni-tion and a false driver’s license identifying him asCarlos Gamez Orpineda. He later acknowledgedhe was Arturo Beltran Leyva’s brother, thedepartment said.

Public Safety officials said there would be noimmediate comment beyond the statement.— AP

Mexico takes down secondreputed drug lord in 2 weeks

victims alive on Ilha Grande, but“the chances of finding sur-vivors are very slender,”Machado said.

“We cannot use heavy equip-ment because of the risk of set-ting off new landslides,” he said.

Authorities said rescue oper-ations would likely continueanother 48 hours, adding thatmost of the bodies recoveredearlier were found on land. Atleast three more had beenpulled from the sea.

It is still not known if therewere foreigners among thedead.

The Hotel Sankay, whichopened in 1994, catered toBrazilian and foreign touristslooking for a remote beachsidehideaway.

The island, whose Bananalbeach can only be reached bywater, is the largest in a translu-cent bay studded with pristinetropical islands.

In the center of the city ofAngra dos Reis, a seaside townon the mainland overlookingIlha Grande Bay about 150 kilo-

meters (93 miles) south of Rio,another landslide buried severalhouses, killing at least 13,according to a governmentstatement.

A top Brazilian geologist said“the natural risk is very severe”in locations like Bananal beach,where thick vegetation grows inunstable ground on steep, rockyterrain.

“The occupation of unstableareas is greatly increasing therisk of accidents,” Alvaro dosSantos, former director of theTechnology Research Institute,told the newspaper Folha de SaoPaulo.

Although the rains stoppedon Friday, authorities put Rio onalert because of fears of poten-tially devastating mudslides inits densely populated hillsidefavelas, or shanty towns.

The mudslides have forced4,000 people to leave theirhomes across Rio de Janeirostate-about the same numberaffected by similar mudslideswhich hit the state one yearago. — AFP

INTERNATIONAL10 Monday, January 4, 2010

SYDNEY: About 1,000 people in a smallAustralian town evacuated their homes yes-terday as floodwaters besieged the areaafter 10 days of heavy rain. Emergency offi-cials advised 1,200 residents of Coonamble,257 miles (415 kilometers) northwest ofSydney, to relocate to less-threatened parts

of town away from the rising CastlereaghRiver. State Emergency Services urgedpeople to evacuate by nightfall. The riverwas expected to peak at 18 feet (5.5 meters)early Monday — its highest level sinceFebruary 1971 and just below a 19-foot (5.9-meter) high levee. “We want to make sure

that the people there do not have any risk totheir own safety, so we need to err on theside of caution,” said State EmergencyServices spokesman Phil Campbell.

He said there was concern about thelevee withstanding such a high flood level,but Mayor Tim Horan said engineers did not

anticipate major problems.“We know we’ve got some weak points

in the levee where there’s seepage with thesand,” he told Australian Broadcasting Corp.“But we’ve just got to make sure we put inprecautions to cover any problems that mayarise.” Residents trolled away in a motor-

boat and ranchers herded horses and cattlethrough the deep water to higher ground. Amajor road was submerged by brown water.Coonamble, with a population of nearly2,600 people, was cut off by floodwaterscaused by heavy rains that began ChristmasDay. While meteorologists say the worst of

the rain is over, rivers and reservoirs arestill dealing with the extra water.

“I’ve lived here for 60 years and this is ashigh as I’ve seen (the river),” resident KenBaker told Network Ten television. He lefthis house as floodwaters came within yards(meters) of his front door. — AP

About 1,000 Australians evacuate homes from floods

PUCHENG: A Chinese firefighter checks the rubbles after putting out theblaze at the Xinping Firecrackers factory in Pucheng, northern China’sShaanxi province, destroying all of the seven workshops producing festiveexplosives. — AFP

ISTANBUL: Japanese Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada (C) leaves the Haghia Sophia (St. Sophia) Museum in Istanbul after hisvisit yesterday. Okada is on an official two-day visit to Turkey. — AFP

BEIJING: One of China’s former topjudges will be tried for taking up to fourmillion yuan (588,000 dollars) in bribes,in one of the nation’s most high-profilegraft cases, the state press said yester-day.

Huang Songyou, former deputy headof the Supreme People’s Court, will goon trial by the first week of March, mak-ing him the highest judicial official to betried since the establishment of newChina in 1949, the Chongqing EveningNews said.

Huang, 52, is being accused of abus-ing power, enabling profit for others,taking bribes and living a “corrupt and

lavish” life, the report said.He allegedly accepted a massive

bribe to arrange a favourable ruling in ahuge real estate case in the southernChinese province of Guangdong in 2008that benefited friends and cronies, thereport said.

Yang Xiancai, a former chief judge atthe Guangdong provincial high court,has also been linked to the case, alongwith 36 other officials in the Guangzhouintermediate court in Guangdong’sprovincial capital, the SouthernMetropolitan Daily said.

A native of Guangdong, Huang onceserved as a judge on the provincial high

court.As one of China’s best educated

judges, Huang was seen as a leading fig-ure pushing China down the path towarda constitutional legal system when hewas appointed vice head of the nation’sSupreme People’s Court in late 2008.

His trial is expected to come ahead ofChina’s annual parliamentary session inthe first week of March, the reportssaid.

Chinese President Hu Jintao hasrepeatedly warned that corruption isone of the greatest threats to the legiti-macy of Communist Party rule and hasvowed to crackdown on graft.

China’s judiciary is rife with corrup-tion, with judges known to take bribes ina wide array of civil cases often linked tolucrative real estate and business deals.

Top court officials in Beijing andChongqing as well as Guangdong, Hubeiand Liaoning provinces have recentlybeen convicted for taking money fromattorneys in exchange for favourablerulings.

The former vice head of Beijing’swestern district court, 58-year-old GuoShengqui, was sentenced to death with atwo-year reprieve in late 2008 for takingbribes and kickbacks from real estatedevelopers and lawyers. — AFP

Huang accused of abusing power

China to put former top judge on trial for graft

KUALA LUMPUR:Malaysia’s government haspledged to challenge a courtruling that Christians have aconstitutional right to usethe word Allah to refer toGod. The High Court verdictThursday has sparked small,peaceful protests by Muslimgroups, raising fears of fric-tion between the MalayMuslim majority and thelarge ethnic Chinese andIndian minorities, who main-ly practice Christianity,Buddhism and Hinduism.The Prime Minister’sDepartment will file anappeal against the verdict,Jamil Khir Baharom, aCabinet minister responsiblefor Islamic affairs, said in astatement late Saturday.

He called for Muslims torespect the court decisionand for all parties to bepatient and allow the disputeto be resolved through thelegal process.

The High Court’s decisionstruck down a governmentban on non-Muslims translat-ing God as Allah in their lit-erature. Minorities wel-

comed it as a blow againstwhat many consider to beinstitutionalized religiousdiscrimination. The courtruling was in response to alawsuit filed in late 2007 byThe Herald, the RomanCatholic Church’s main pub-lication in Malaysia. The gov-ernment ban had affectedThe Herald’s Malay-languageedition, read mostly byindigenous tribes who con-verted to Christianitydecades ago.

The verdict has dividedMuslim commentators. Someagree with the government’sinsistence that Allah is anIslamic word that should beused exclusively by Muslims,and that its use by other reli-gions would be misleading.However, other MalaysianMuslim scholars say non-Muslims should be free touse the word.

Efforts by Christians touse Allah in Malay-languageliterature have been per-ceived by some Muslims “asa plot to convert MalayMuslims to Christianity,”Anas Zubedy, a popular

Muslim blogger on social andpolitical issues, wrote afterthe court verdict, adding hissupport of the ruling.

Former Prime MinisterMahathir Mohamad saidSaturday the governmentshould set strict conditionsfor the use of the word Allahto ensure the court verdictdoes not trigger religioustensions, the national newsagency Bernama reported.

“What I am afraid of isthat the term ‘Allah’ might beused in such a way that couldinflame the anger ofMuslims, if (non-Muslims)were to use it on banners orwrite something that mightnot reflect Islam,” it quotedMahathir as saying.

Minorities often say theirconstitutional right to prac-tice religion freely has comeunder threat from the MalayMuslim-dominated govern-ment. The governmentdenies any discrimination,but authorities recently con-fiscated 10,000 copies ofMalay-language Biblesbecause they contained theword Allah. — AP

LONDON: The family of a Briton executed inChina wrote yesterday to the government inLondon demanding an inquest into his death, theirlawyers said.

Akmal Shaikh, a 53-year-old father-of-threewhom supporters say was mentally ill, was exe-cuted on Tuesday for drug smuggling despiteextensive British pleas for clemency.

In a letter to Foreign Secretary DavidMiliband, the deceased’s brother Akbar Shaikhcalled for a coroner’s inquest to be held in Britain.

“My family is suffering incredible grief and tor-ment over the many unanswered questions sur-rounding Akmal’s death,” he wrote.

“We have begged the Chinese for answers...but none have been forthcoming. All this uncer-tainty is just too much for the family to bear.

“We therefore implore you to direct a coroner’sinquest so that some of our questions can beanswered, and the terrible mysteries surroundingmy brother’s apparent death... can be resolved forus.” Shaikh, from north London, was arrested inSeptember 2007 in Urumqi, in China’s westernXinjiang region, with four kilogrammes of heroin.Campaigners say he was duped into carrying the

drugs for a criminal gang.The execution added to diplomatic tensions

between London and Beijing, after Britain blamedChina for “hijacking” last month’s United Nationsclimate change summit in Copenhagen.

Human rights lawyers Reprieve cited sectionsof the Coroners Act 1988, under which an inquestmight be held.

Reprieve director Clive Stafford Smith said:“Despite having flown to China to be with him,Akmal Shaikh’s family were not told of his deathuntil he was already apparently buried in thefrozen soil of Urumqi.

“Nobody told the family how or where hewould be killed. No family member or independ-ent observer was allowed to witness his death,view his body or verify his burial.

“We have only the word of a Chinese pressrelease that he was even killed.

“An inquest would give this grieving family acrucial insight into Akmal’s final hours, his mentalstate and the extent to which he suffered beforehe died. “Only then can they begin to recoverfrom the trauma of Akmal’s lonely and senselessdeath.” —AFP

MANILA: Disaster relief offi-cials in the Philippines launcheda massive clean-up yesterday astens of thousands of villagersbegan returning home after therestive Mayon volcano showedsigns of calming down.

Joey Salceda, governor of theprovince of Albay southeast ofManila where Mayon is located,said he expected all 29 publicschools converted into tempo-rary shelters would reopen forclasses today.

“What we are doing now isconducting damage assessment.We are on an early recoverystage,” Salceda told reporters.“We are cleaning up schools andclassrooms so that classes canresume tomorrow.”

He said firetrucks had beenbrought in to hose down sanita-tion facilities that were over-whelmed when more than50,000 people were evacuatedover the past three weeks forfear of a possible major erup-tion. “It’s a massive clean up-operation,” he said.

Mayon began rumbling andspewing lava and ash in earlyDecember, leading authoritiesto declared a level-four alert outof a scale of five, meaning that amajor hazardous eruption wasabout to take place.

But Mayon has since shownsigns it was calming down, andon Saturday the PhilippineInstitute of Volcanology andSeismology lowered the alertlevel to three.

The provincial governmentsaid more than 46,000 people

living some seven to eight kilo-metres (five miles) from Mayon,the country’s most active vol-cano, had been given the greenlight to return home.

But more than 3,000 otherswho live in a six-kilometre zonewill have to remain in evacua-

tion centres.“Right now we are not see-

ing a new rise of magma,” chiefvolcanologist Renato Solidumsaid in a radio interview.

However, he warned vil-lagers returning to their farmson the foothills of Mayon to

remain wary of lava flows orheavy rains that could dislodgevolcanic debris from the slopes.

An August 2006 eruptioncaused no immediate deaths butthe following December a pass-ing typhoon unleashed an ava-lanche of volcanic mud from the

mountain’s slopes that left 1,000people dead.

The 2,460-metre (8,070-foot)Mayon has erupted 48 times inrecorded history. In 1814, morethan 1,200 people were killedwhen lava flows buried the townof Cagsawa. — AFP

Malaysian govt to fight court verdict on Allah ban

Family urges inquest for Briton executed in China

Philippine volcano calms down

LEGAZPI CITY: Evacuees affected by the Mayon volcano return home with their belongings in the out-skirts of Legazpi City, the Philippines’ Albay province. Tens of thousands of Filipinos evacuated fromthe shadow of a volcano that began spewing ash and lava prepared to head home after the alert levelwas lowered. — AFP

BEIJING: A Chinese provincehalted all fireworks productionfollowing a factory explosionthat killed nine people, officialmedia reported yesterday. Theorder from the Shaanxi govern-ment followed Friday’s’ blast atthe Xinping Firecrackers Co.,where workers were rushing tofill orders for this month’sLunar New Year festival, theXinhua News Agency said.The explosion tore throughseven workshops in Shaanxi’sPucheng county where morethan 100 workers were labor-ing in cramped conditions, itsaid.

Provincial officials have

ordered police and governmentsafety and commerce depart-ments to conduct a “thoroughoverhaul” of all fireworks facto-ries in the province, Xinhuasaid. It gave no details and didnot say when the factorieswould be allowed to restartproduction. The factory’s man-ager, Qu Pingxin, initially fledbefore turning himself in toauthorities on Saturday, Xinhuasaid. Pucheng county is a tra-ditional base for the industry inthe province, employing 30,000people and producing 300 mil-lion yuan ($44 million) worth offireworks last year, Xinhuasaid. Six workers died yester-

day when the highway over-pass they were building inYunnan province collapsed, afurther example of the humancost of China’s breakneck drivefor development. The overpassis part of a massive new airportcomplex in the provincial capi-tal, Kunming.

The 23 billion yuan ($3.3billion) project is designed tohandle 38 million passengersand 1.3 million tons of cargoper year by its completion in2020. About 100,000 peopledie each year in industrial andtraffic accidents in China, manyin the country’s notoriouslydeadly coal mines. — AP

Fireworks and highway accidents kill 15 in China

11Monday, Jaunary 4, 2010 INTERNATIONAL

Indian PM admits climate talks a let-downNEW DELHI: Indian Prime MinisterManmohan Singh, who successfully foughtagainst binding caps on emissions at theCopenhagen climate talks, admitted yeater-day that all parties involved were unhappywith the results.

Singh told a science conference in thecity of Thiruvananthapuram that world lead-

ers “were able to make only limitedprogress at the Copenhagen summit and noone was satisfied with the outcome.

“There is no escaping the truth that thenations of the world have to move to a lowgreenhouse gas emissions and energy effi-cient development path,” he said.

At last month’s talks, India and other

emerging nations such as China thwartedplans for legally binding emissions caps,arguing the importance of maintaining rapideconomic growth. India insists that devel-oped countries, blamed for most globalwarming thus far, should bear the burden ofmitigating its future effects.

India’s per capita emissions are among

the lowest globally as much of the country iswithout power, but in volume terms it is stillamong the top five carbon emitters.

At Copenhagen, a total of 30 billion dol-lars was pledged from 2010-2012 to helppoor countries in the firing line of climatechange. Rich nations also sketched out a tar-get of providing 100 billion dollars annually

by 2020.The deal set the aim of limiting warming

to two degrees Celsius (3.6 degreesFahrenheit), but set no binding targets toreduce emissions of gases that scientistssay are heating the world’s atmosphere todangerous levels.

Indian Environment Minister Jairam

Ramesh has welcomed the lack of bindingmeasures and praised the united front pre-sented by major emerging countries.

A diplomatic battle erupted over thesummit’s final agreement, which has beenwidely panned for its failure to obligecountries to implement emissions reduc-tions. —AFP

The blast comes in an espe-cially bloody week, including thesuicide bombing of a volleyballgame in a northwestern villagewhere anti-Taleban militiaswere being formed. At least 98people were killed.

In another attack, claimed bythe Taleban, a suicide bomberblew himself up at a religiousprocession of thousands ofShi’ite Muslims in Karachi,Pakistan’s biggest city.

The blast killed 43 people,triggering riots that destroyedhundreds of buildings in thecommercial capital, an imagethat could discourage badlyneeded investment in infrastruc-ture. Such large-scale opera-tions suggest Pakistani Talebanfighters are now focusing onbombing large crowds of civil-ians to inflict maximum casual-ties and spread terror in a bidtopple the pro-American gov-ernment of President Asif AliZardari. Bloodshed has intensi-fied since July 2007 when thearmy cleared militants from aradical mosque in Islamabad.

The violence has also includ-ed attacks on government offi-cials and anti-Taliban clerics. Inone of the boldest operations,suicide bombers and gunmenattacked a mosque near theheadquarters of Pakistan’s all-powerful military.

Rattled by relentless blood-shed, many Pakistanis are losingfaith in Zardari, who is alreadyunder the spotlight because hisaides could face renewed cor-ruption charges. In a sign ofgrowing security fears, theUnited Nations will withdrawsome of its staff from Pakistanbecause of safety concerns, aUN spokeswoman said.

The instability is likely toraise more concern inWashington, which seesPakistan as a frontline state inthe fight against a Taleban insur-gency in Afghanistan.

The United States wantsIslamabad to both defeat home-grown Pakistani Taliban andwipe out militants along the bor-der who cross over intoAfghanistan to attack Westernforces. But Pakistan has littleincentive to root out militantsfocused on defeating what theycall “occupation troops” inAfghanistan.

Pakistan sees those militantsas vital leverage against rivalIndia’s influence in Afghanistan,especially if the United Statespulls out before Afghanistan isstabilised. —Reuters

Roadside bomb kills ex-Pakistan minister

Militants adopt new strategy in especially bloody week

ISLAMABAD: A bomb attack in northwest Pakistan killed a former ministeryesterday, officials said, keeping up pressure on a government struggling tocontain a raging Taleban insurgency and stabilise the country. A roadsidebomb hit the car in which former provincial minister Ghani-ur-Rehman was

travelling. “The minister, his bodyguard and driver were killed,” said FazalNaeem, a police official in the town of Hangu, where the attack took place. Asecond bodyguard was also killed.

KABUL: Afghan members of parliament watch during voting on President Hamid Karzai’s cabinetnominees at Afghanistan’s parliament in Kabul on January 2, 2010. Afghan President Hamid Karzaisuffered a new blow to his authority with the rejection by parliament of most of his choices for cabinet,further prolonging political crisis in the war-ravaged country. — AFP

KAPISA: Platoon commander of Tagab district Mir Abdul Mokim of theAfghan National Police (ANP) (2L) listens to a French gendarme (R) as heworks with a Police Operational Mentoring and Liaison Team (POLMT) onthe road Axe Vermont in the Kapisa province yesterday where two Frenchjournalists were kidnapped on December 30, 2009. A senior executive withFrance Television said he was flying to Kabul as efforts continued to freetwo of the station’s journalists abducted while going to meet a contact 60kilometres (40 miles) from the Afghan capital, Kabul. — AFP

KABUL: Afghan President Hamid Karzai suffereda new blow to his authority with the rejection byparliament of most of his cabinet nominees, fur-ther prolonging political crisis in the war-ravagedcountry.

Of the 24 people Karzai put forward for thecabinet, only seven won approval on Saturday in asecret ballot of more than 200 lawmakers.

The rejections leave Afghanistan without afully functioning government, dragging out a polit-ical vacuum that has prevailed since an Augustpresidential election, with ministries being run byjunior bureaucrats who have little power and nocoherent plan.

“It is a political setback,” said the UN’s specialrepresentative, Kai Eide.

“It prolongs the situation without a functioninggovernment, which has lasted since summer,” hetold reporters.

“It’s particularly worrying in a country in con-flict, where you have so many challenges andneed to focus attention on urgent reform pro-grammes,” he said.

Among those rejected were the only femalenominee, undermining Karzai’s pledge to bringmore women into government, and a warlordwhose naming as water and energy minister wasseen as a reward for support at the August 20election.

“At a time when Afghanistan needs stronggovernment, I think most of the ministers who didnot get through were perceived by parliament asnot being strong enough representatives of thenation,” said parliament member ShukriaBarakzai.

Karzai has been attempting to rise above accu-sations that his government is corrupt, that heuses the international military to keep him inoffice and billions in foreign aid to enrich hiscronies.

His cabinet list had been seen as an effort tobalance obligations to his Western backers,including the United States, and his domestic sup-porters.

Karzai has long relied on warlords to prop uphis administration, but aides said he recognisedthe need to satisfy the West to stay in power andbring some momentum to much-needed develop-ment.

Haroun Mir, director of Afghanistan’s Centrefor Research and Policy Studies, said the rejec-tions showed up the lack of cohesion in Afghanpolitics.

“There is no organisation, parliament is frag-mented, parliamentarians vote on their ownassessment. There are no political parties behindthem,” he told Al-Jazeera television.

Karzai’s spokesman, Waheed Omar, said thatwhile the president “was not happy,” he respect-ed the democratic process.

“The president is thinking about some sort ofrestructuring within the government based onwhatever views were expressed... and will intro-duce new members to the cabinet in the propertime,” he told reporters, without giving a time-frame.

The humiliating rejections came less than fourweeks before an international conference inLondon to discuss the political, social and militaryneeds of Afghanistan as the war strategy putsmore focus on development.

Karzai faces going to London without a coher-ent plan for reform as he has few senior ministersto present and even his foreign minister, the 25thcabinet post, is acting only until after the confer-ence, when he will be replaced.

“We are not yet out of political crisis,” saidMir. “President Karzai will go to the London con-ference without anything to offer.”

Those voted down included warlord IsmailKhan, while incumbent women’s affairs ministerHusn Banu Ghazanfar lost out by two votes.

Also rejected were incumbent holders of thepublic health, counter-narcotics and telecommuni-cations portfolios.

Five of the highest-profile nominees, who hadthe West’s nod, were approved-the interior,defence, finance, education and agriculture minis-ters.

The rejections highlight Karzai’s lack ofauthority, as parliament questions the nominees’legitimacy and their promises to implementpromises of clean and transparent governance.

Under the constitution, rejected nomineescannot be tapped again for the same post, said par-liamentary spokesman Husib Noori.

Parliament begins a 45-day winter recesstomorrow. — AFP

Afghan parliament delivers blow to Karzai on cabinet

KANDAHAR: The Taleban militia yester-day denied kidnapping two French televi-sion journalists and three Afghan assis-tants who were snatched at gunpoint fivedays ago in Afghanistan.

“We are not involved,” self-styledTaleban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahidtold AFP by telephone from an undis-closed location.

“We ask our fighters to inform us ifthey do anything but we have no informa-tion coming from this area,” he said.

There has been no claim of responsi-bility since gunmen snatched the group offive in the eastern province of Kapisa onWednesday, but a French colleague of thejournalists blamed the Taleban.

The five men disappeared while goingto meet a contact 60 kilometres (40 miles)from the Afghan capital near French mili-tary bases.

Criminal groups and Taleban insur-gents have kidnapped several dozen for-eigners, many of them journalists, sincethe 2001 US-led invasion ousted the

Taleban regime in Kabul, sparking thecurrent insurgency.

Most foreign hostages in Afghanistanhave been released unharmed and rela-tively quickly, but the situation can bemore complicated if the kidnappers takethem into the remote mountains on theborder with Pakistan.

A senior executive at public broadcast-er France Television is travelling to Kabulon Monday to lobby for the group’srelease.

“I am going to Kabul to take stock ofthe situation,” said director of news PaulNahon. “I am going to meet with differentAfghan authorities.”

A source involved in efforts to free thejournalists said on Friday they werebelieved to be alive and in good health.

Far from being homogenous, theAfghan Taliban are a nebulous collectionof largely autonomous local networks andremnants of the regime ousted frompower by the 2001 US-led invasion.

The French were abducted in a volatile

area where the Taleban and wanted war-lord Gulbuddin Hekmatyar’s Hezb-e-Islami network have a presence.

French troops said yesterday theywere stepping up a hunt for the five.

“All vehicles heading north towardsKabul are being searched 24 hours a day,”a senior French military official in Kapisatold AFP.

In an interview published in Franceyesterday, French Defence MinisterHerve Morin said there had been “noclaim and no demand” over the missingreporters.

“The less we talk about it, the betterfor the security (of the five). We have nodirect contact allowing us to give younews of them,” he said.

The latest media abduction inAfghanistan comes just weeks after twoAfghans and an Iraqi journalist workingfor a British newspaper were kidnappedand then freed following a six-dayordeal in a remote region ofAfghanistan. —AFP

Taleban deny abducting two French TV reporters

LAHORE: An elderly Pakistani man crosses a street decorated with posters of candidates of the localmarket elections, in Lahore, Pakistan, yesterday. — AP

Prisonersescape

NEW DELHI: Indian police saythey have launched a massivesearch for three Pakistani menconvicted of bombing a crowdedshopping area who escapedfrom custody shortly beforethey were to be deported.

Police spokesman RajanBhagat says the men alreadyserved their prison terms forsetting off two bombs in June2000 near the Red Fort, a mas-sive 17th-century sandstonepalace in the capital.

Two people died in theblasts. Bhagat says the men —Abdul Razzak, MohammedSaddique and Rafaqat Ali — fledFriday on their way back from aroutine medical checkup beforetheir deportation to Pakistan.Police have announced areward of 50,000 rupees($1,100) for information leadingto their capture. — AP

SRINAGAR: Kashmiris take shelter to protect themselves from snow inSrinagar, India, yesterday. The higher reaches of northern Indian states ofJammu Kashmir received snow while other parts of northern India sufferedfrom cold wave conditions. — AP

By Frank Bajak

Juan Vasquez didn’t have muchof a childhood. He never wentto school, began to work as a

ranch hand at age 12, married threeyears later and has nine children.But in all his 55 years, Vasquez sayswith moistening eyes, he never gotpaid - not unless a daily meal from acommunal pot can be called com-pensation; or a twice-yearly allot-ment of used clothing. “I didn’tknow what it was to earn money,”Vasquez says through a half-set ofteeth stained evergreen from chew-ing coca leaf.

With re-election last month ofEvo Morales, Bolivia’s first Indianpresident, and with Indians ofVasquez’s Guarani people winningseats in congress for the first time,the end may soon be at hand for asystem the UN has classified as“forced labor and servitude.”Though the Guarani account foronly about 85,000 of Bolivia’s morethan 6 million Indians, they havebeen the most downtrodden, andthat makes them a priority forMorales in his mission of eradicatingall vestiges of colonial repression.

For now, several thousandnewly “liberated” Guarani, includ-ing Vasquez, live in a pennilesslimbo, waiting for the government tomake good on its promises to givethem land. But Bolivia already hastaken giant steps toward ending acenturies-old legacy of whatMorales calls endemic mistreat-ment of its third-largest ethnicgroup by white overlords.

His landslide re-election was aringing endorsement. Anotherexpression of the Guaranis’ politicalawakening came in the same elec-tion, when voters approved autono-my for Indians in two Guarani-dom-inated municipalities. In April, theGuarani are poised to win a numberof mayoral races for the first timehere in their traditional homeland insoutheastern Bolivia, where Andeanfoothills meet broad plains of dryscrub that extend east to Paraguay

and south to Argentina.Since the Dec 6 election the gov-

ernment has seized ranches totaling15,500 hectares from two powerfulwhite opposition leaders in Bolivia’seastern lowlands, stronghold ofMorales’ most bitter foes. The gov-ernment said the land met the maincriteria for confiscation - obtained byfraud and serving no “social or eco-nomic purpose.” With the electoralrise of the Guarani, the opposition’sgrasp on power is rapidly eroding inthe Alto Parapeti region, at theintersection of Santa Cruz, Tarijaand Chuquisaca states where thegovernment says exploitation of theGuarani has been most severe.

Juan Vasquez is at the epicenterof the struggle. He walked awayfrom one of five ranches encompass-ing 37,000 hectares in the AltoParapeti whose owners are fightinggovernment expropriation orders.The government says it found servi-tude on those ranches. The ranch-

ers, who include American RonaldLarsen and his son Duston, deny it.“We’re hoping for the best. That’sall we can do,” Duston Larsen, 31,told the AP of the legal battle to savethe family’s 15,000-hectare spread.He said they had always paid theirworkers twice the minimum wageand provided free healthcare andschooling - but were now down toabout 15 workers from twice asmany in 2007.

Along with the other cases, theLarsens’ is stalled in the NationalAgricultural Tribunal since last year.But the new, pro-Morales congressis expected to abolish that court andreplace it with a new tribunal of pop-ularly elected judges. “There hasbeen an uprising, to reclaim theright to land and liberty,” says CelsoPadilla, a senior official with theGuarani People’s Assembly, hispeople’s national governing body.

Under Morales, of the Aymara,the largest Indian group, this poor

South American country has beensteadily chiseling away at whiteminority control of politics. Thekeystone is a new constitution,enacted in February, that estab-lished Bolivia as a “plurinationalrepublic”. It gives the country’s 36ethnic groups, well over 60 percentof the population, the right to self-determination at municipal level.Eventually there will beautonomous territories, though thenew congress still needs to definehow that will work.

The Guarani, Bolivia’s third-largest ethnic group, are now rat-tling ranchers far beyond the AltoParapeti. Many ranchers are treat-ing their workers better and havebegun to pay the minimum wage of647 bolivianos ($92) a month, afterpreviously paying only half as much,says Walter Herrera, an official withthe Guarani’s Capitania, or localcouncil, in Monteagudo in hills tothe west. “A lot remains to be done,

but the human rights situation isimproving,” he said. But otherranchers have simply fired theirworkers with severance paymentsaveraging $565, while as many as350 Guarani families still live aspeons on smaller ranches deeper inthe hills, economic prisoners of theirbosses, Herrera added.

The claims of serfdom areunfounded, said Javier Antunez,president of the cattlemen’s associa-tion based in nearby Camiri. “Thegovernment has made a lot ofproclamations about servitude but ithasn’t produced anything solid to beable to prove it irrefutably,” he saidin an interview. Antunez dismissedBolivia’s indigenous empowermentas “a new experiment born inEurope”, because German, Swissand Spanish nongovernmental orga-nizations have helped the Guarani.He said it could impede Bolivia’sdevelopment, putting the country ata competitive disadvantage withneighboring Brazil and Argentina.

Some ranchers violently resist-ed the government inspections thatled to the expropriation orders.Several times in 2008, ranchers shotout or slashed tyres of governmentinspectors accompanied by Guarani.In one incident, 46 Guarani and offi-cials were injured - 11 of them seri-ously - when ranchers hurled rocksat them in Alto Parapeti, the UNnoted in a May report. AnUruguayan Roman Catholic priest,Rev Nacho Aguirre, delivered foodand medicine afterward to those stillliving in servitude in remote com-munities only accessible by four-wheel-drive vehicle.

But he left Bolivia this year afterthe bishop of Camiri, his superior,emailed him that the ranchers hatedhim and “swore they would killyou”. No rancher interfered with anAP reporter’s trip to Alto Parapeti inDecember for interviews withVasquez and others who said theyhad lived most of their lives trappedin abusive labor relationships withranchers. “I earned 5 kilos of sugara week, plus some herbs and a bar ofsoap. Those were my wages,” said

Felicia Florez, 78. She said she wasborn into forced labor on the ranchof Ernesto Chavez, working first asa nanny, then as a cook.

Speaking to the AP by phone,Chavez’s son, Roberto, accusedFlorez and Vasquez of lying. Butwhen asked how much they werepaid, he gave no answer. MiriamCampos, who led anti-servitudeefforts in the Justice Ministry for adecade until recently steppingdown, said she had confirmedVasquez’s story and many similarcases - “testimony we could notpublish precisely because of peo-ple’s security, because they’ve beenthreatened.” A mission of theOrganization of American States inJune 2008 determined that “peopleof all ages, including boys, girls, ado-lescents and seniors” had fordecades been subject to “excessivephysical labor”, in some cases underthreat of corporal punishment.Mission members were also toldthat “in many cases, the (ranch)owners were either local politicalleaders or directly connected tothem”.

Indian servitude dates back toBolivia’s 1825 independence fromSpain. Until then, even the Incaswho once dominated the Andeanhighlands couldn’t conquer theGuarani. But their gradual subjuga-tion was final by 1892, when some6,000 were killed in an uprisingagainst ranchers, who Padilla saystreated the Guarani “like animals”,buying and selling their land as ifthey didn’t exist. It was so thoroughthat the Alto Parapeti’s landlordswere spared in a 1952 land reformthat broke up large estates else-where in Bolivia and continued totake advantage of the politicallyinert Guarani. Che Guevara, theArgentine revolutionary, tried toorganize a leftist uprising in south-eastern Bolivia in the followingdecade. But the Guarani didn’t join,and Guevara was captured by thearmy and killed. The Guarani didn’torganize until the early 1980s afterthe fall of Bolivia’s right-wing dicta-torship. — AP

OPINION12 Monday, January 4, 2010

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Bolivian Indians see rocky exodus from serfdom

By Amy Taxin

The asylum seeker fromSomalia hung his head as animmigration judge grilled

him about his treacherous journeyfrom the Horn of Africa. By air, seaand land he finally made it toMexico, and then a taxi deliveredhim into the arms of US borderagents at San Diego. Islamic mili-tants had killed his brother,Mohamed Ahmed Kheire testified,and majority clan members hadbeaten his sister. He had to flee theSomali capital Mogadishu to live.

The voice of the judge, beamedby videoconference from Seattle,crackled loudly over a speaker in themostly empty courtroom near thedetention yard in the desert north ofLos Angeles. He wanted to knowwhy Kheire had no family testimonyto corroborate his asylum claim.Kheire, 31, said he didn’t have e-mail in detention, and didn’t think toask while writing to family on hisperilous trek.

It seemed like the end ofKheire’s dream as he waited for thejudge’s ruling. He clasped his hands,his plastic jail bracelet dangling fromhis wrist, and looked up at the ceil-

ing, murmuring words of prayer.Kheire is one of hundreds of desper-ate Somalis in the last two years tohave staked everything on a wildasylum gamble by following immi-gration routes to the United Statestraditionally traveled by Latinos.

With the suspension of a USrefugee program and stepped-upsecurity in the Gulf of Aden andalong Mediterranean smugglingroutes, more overseas migrantsfrom Somalia are pursuing asylumthrough what one expert calls the“back door.” “The US has closedmost of the doors for Somalis tocome in through the refugee pro-gram so they’ve found alternativeways to get in,” said Mark Hetfield,senior vice president for policy andprograms at the Hebrew ImmigrantAid Society. “This is their newroute.” About 1,500 people fromaround the world showed up in USairports and on the borders seekingasylum during the 2009 fiscal year,according to statistics from USCustoms and Border Protection.

Somalis were the biggest groupto make the journey, with mostarriving in San Diego. More than240 Somalis arrived during thatperiod - more than twice the num-

ber from the year before. LikeKheire, they have been shuttled toimmigration detention centers inCalifornia while legal advocateshave scurried to find lawyers andtranslators to help them navigateUS immigration courts.

Many end up defending them-selves. Those who lose may remaintemporarily. Somalis may be deport-ed, but immigrant advocates sayauthorities often do not send themback immediately because of diffi-culties making the trip. For many, ithas become increasingly dangerousto stay in Somalia. The Africannation has not had a functional gov-ernment since 1991 when warlordsoverthrew longtime dictatorMohamed Siad Barre and thenturned on each other, plunging thecountry into chaos.

Somali refugees say they arefleeing repression by armed militiasdefending majority clans and theIslamic militant group Al-Shabab,which has been labeled a terroristorganization by the United States.“There are stories about housesbeing blown up by rocket launchersthat you don’t hear coming out ofother countries as a normal occur-rence,” said James Duff Lyall, an

attorney for the EsperanzaImmigrant Rights Project, who hasrepresented several Somali asylumseekers in Lancaster. “The consis-tently horrific stories are striking.”

In 2007, Kheire’s brother wasshot in the head in his music store inMogadishu after refusing to bow toal-Shabab’s demands that he shutterthe shop. A year later, Kheire’s sis-ter was beaten with a stick and leftbleeding outside a school.That nightKheire, whose family belongs to aminority clan, was visited by threemen who rammed his chest with arifle butt and debated whether to killhim. Once they left, Kheire decidedto leave. His wife and then-nearly 4-year old son went to stay with fami-ly. He sold his taxi and used themoney to go to Kenya, where asmuggler arranged for him to travelto Dubai, then to Cuba, using fakedocuments.

He then went to Ecuador andColombia, where he boarded a smallboat with about 20 African migrants.It took them a week to reach CostaRica. They traveled by night, bailingout sea water with plastic bins.During the day, they hid in forestsalong the shoreline and waited forsmugglers to bring them food.

In Nicaragua, Kheire was herdedinto the back of a sweltering truckcontainer for 18 hours, fearing hewould die of suffocation or be caughtby police. In Guatemala, he crosseda river atop two rubber tires boundtogether to reach Tapachula,Mexico. He spent 12 days in immi-gration detention before authoritiesreleased him with a piece of paperordering him to leave the country in30 days. He would carry the paperon a plane to Tijuana and in the taxito the US border. Immigrationexperts say such circuitous pathsare routes of last resort. “I alwayscall it the backdoor,” said BobMontgomery, director of the SanDiego office for the InternationalRescue Committee. “When therefugee program is not robust, wesee more people trying to comethrough the asylum system,” hesaid. Most Somalis have reachedthe United States - there are some87,000 here - through US-spon-sored refugee resettlement pro-grams. But the State Department in2008 suspended a family reunifica-tion program for refugees over fraudconcerns. The number of Somalisadmitted by refugee programs dwin-dled to about 4,000 last year. — AP

Desperate Somalis seek ‘backdoor’ route to US

In this Nov 16, 2009photo, Somali asylumseeker MohamedKheire waits to consultwith EsperanzaImmigrant RightsProject detention attor-ney James Lyall at theLos Angeles CatholicCharities. – AP

This Nov 28, 2006 file photo shows a protester tied to a rope and a chain asa symbolic protest against the working conditions of the indigenous Guaranipeople, during a rally demanding land reform in La Paz, Bolivia. – AP

By Bernd Debusmann

Who is winning thewar of ideasbetween the

West and Al-Qaeda’s hate-driven version of Islam? It isa question that merits askingagain after a 23-year-oldWestern-educated Nigerianof privileged background,Umar FaroukAbdulmutallab, attempted tomurder almost 300 people bybringing down a Detroit-bound airliner on ChristmasDay with explosives sewninto the crotch of his under-pants.

The administration ofPresident Barack Obama,averse to the bellicose lan-guage of George W Bush,has virtually dropped thephrase “war of ideas”. Butthat doesn’t mean it hasended. Or that Obama’s plea,in his Cairo speech this sum-mer, for a new beginningbetween the United Statesand Muslims around theworld has swayed the disci-ples of Osama bin Laden,whose 1998 fatwa (religiousruling) against “Jews andCrusaders” remains theextremists’ guiding princi-ple.

“To ... kill the Americansand their allies - civilians andmilitary - is an individualduty for every Muslim whocan do it in any country inwhich it is possible to do it,”the fatwa said. “This is inaccordance with the words ofAlmighty Allah (to) fight thepagans all together as theyfight you all together.”

That this exhortation isas appealing today, to afanatical minority, as it was11 years ago underlines thatthe United States has hadscant success in meeting theobjective the Bush adminis-tration set out in its 2003National Strategy forCombating Terrorism.“Together with the interna-tional community, we willwage a war of ideas to makeclear that all acts of terror-ism are illegitimate, toensure that the conditionsand ideologies that promoteterrorism do not find fertileground in any nation ...”

That aim was spelt outjust weeks before the UnitedStates invaded Iraq, an eventthat provided ample ammu-nition for the extremists’assertion that the West wasstepping up an unrelentingwar it has waged against theMuslim world for centuries.Such claims, and Al-Qaedaitself, should be easy to dis-credit, write two political sci-entists, Peter Krause andStephen Van Evera in the fallissue of the Middle EastPolicy Council Journal.

Instead, they say, “Al-Qaeda has so far fought theworld’s sole superpower to astalemate in the worldwidestruggle for hearts andminds. As a result, USprospects in the larger waragainst Al-Qaeda are uncer-

tain.” They make an impor-tant point. By manyaccounts, the United Stateshas been making moreprogress on the militaryfront than in the war of ideas.

In Afghanistan, the num-ber of Al-Qaeda elementshas shrunk to fewer than100, according to Obama’snational security adviser,James Jones. In Pakistan,missile strikes have thinnedout the ranks of Al-Qaedaleaders who use the frontierregion as safe havens. InYemen and Somalia, airattacks and covert opera-tions have killed “high-valuetargets”.

But Al-Qaeda is morethan an organization, it is anidea, and killing ideas ismuch more difficult thankilling people. Especiallywhen the propagators ofmediaeval concepts use 21stcentury technology - web-sites, social networks,videos - more nimbly thanthe country that inventedthe Internet, in the view ofcommunications experts.

One of the most cuttingcritiques of America’s short-comings on the ideas frontcame this summer, from thecountry’s top soldier,Admiral Michael Mullen, theChairman of the Joint Chiefsof Staff. Writing in the JointForce Quarterly, a publica-tion of the National DefenseUniversity, he complainedabout “a certain arrogance”in strategic communicationsand of gaps between whatthe United States says andwhat it does. “Each time wefail to live up to our values ordon’t follow up on a promise,we look more and more likethe arrogant Americans theenemy claims we are,” hewrote.

As to Al-Qaeda and theTaleban, “they intimidateand control and communi-cate from within, not fromthe sidelines. And theyaren’t just out there shoot-ing videos, either. Theydeliver.

Want to know what hap-pens if somebody violatestheir view of sharia law? Youdon’t have to look very far orvery long. Each beheading,each bombing and each beat-ing sends a powerful mes-sage or, rather, IS a powerfulmessage.”

More powerful, perhaps,than Obama’s promise, afterthe underwear bomber’sfailed operation on the mostjoyful day in the Christiancalendar, that “we will notrest until we find all whowere involved and hold themaccountable”. That soundeda lot like George W Bush, aweek after the Sept 11, 2001,attacks on Manhattan andthe Pentagon, the greatestmass murder in Americanhistory. Talking about theelusive bin Laden, he said: “Iwant justice. And there’s anold poster out West thatsays, ‘Wanted: Dead oralive.’” — Reuters

issues

The Undie Bomber and the war of ideas

13Monday, January 4, 2010 ANALYSIS

By Jeff Mason

Job creation will take a backseat to coun-terterrorism on President BarackObama’s agenda next week after an Al-

Qaeda-linked man’s failed attempt to bomb aUS-bound plane forced the White House toshift its focus. Obama returns to Washingtonfrom a roughly 11-day Hawaiian vacation facedwith a public concerned about new threats, anopposition party ready to jump on a perceivedpolitical vulnerability, and a high US unem-ployment rate that was supposed to be his top

priority for months to come. A lot can changein 11 days.

In the advent of the failed attack, nationalsecurity issues and their domestic politicalramifications will take up more of Obama’stime as he kicks off the second year of hispresidency and tries to wrap up healthcarereform and pursue other domestic priorities.That shift has already begun. Obama is waitingfor final results from reviews he ordered intohow 23-year-old Nigerian Umar FaroukAbdulmutallab was allowed to get on aNorthwest Airlines flight from Amsterdam to

Detroit allegedly with explosives in his under-clothes. Tomorrow he will meet with top intel-ligence officials at the White House - a signthat his schedule is reflecting his new priori-ties. The White House had planned a majorpush on job creation this year, ahead of mid-term elections in November, whenRepublicans are likely to lambast Obama’sDemocrats for not doing more to reduce dou-ble-digit unemployment. But the botchedplane attack - and the sense that the Obamateam was not ready for it - has givenRepublicans new ammunition and jolted the

White House to hone its message.On Saturday Obama focused his weekly

address on new information about the bomber,saying it appeared he had been trained andequipped by an Al-Qaeda affiliate. He did notmention the economy, but an aide said Obamawould focus on both issues in the weeks andmonths to come. “The president will keepworking to create jobs and strengthen theeconomy even as he continues to do every-thing within his power to keep the Americanpeople safe,” said deputy press secretary BillBurton. “Even as we review the breakdown in

protocols and procedures surrounding theattempted act of terrorism on Christmas Day,the economic and other challenges that faceour nation remain urgent.”

Politically, the White House also seessome urgency in highlighting the administra-tion’s record on counterterrorism. Obamafocused a large chunk of his address onSaturday on a robust defense of what his gov-ernment has achieved in its war on extrem-ists, with not-so-subtle shots at former VicePresident Dick Cheney and other Republicancritics woven in.

“I refocused the fight - bringing to aresponsible end the war in Iraq, which hadnothing to do with the 9/11 attacks, and dra-matically increasing our resources in theregion where Al-Qaeda is actually based, inAfghanistan and Pakistan,” Obama said.Cheney has often suggested Iraq was involvedin the Sept 11, 2001, attacks on New York andWashington. “It’s why I’ve set a clear andachievable mission - to disrupt, dismantle anddefeat Al-Qaeda and its extremist allies andprevent their return to either country,”Obama said. — Reuters

Counterterrorism competes with jobs in Obama agenda

Iran regime has lost touch with societyBy Jean-Louis de la Vaissiere

Iran’s regime has definitive-ly lost touch with the aspi-rations of its people but it is

still far from certain that theprotest movement confrontingit is ready and able to seizepower, experts say. The streetbattles that rocked Tehran andother major cities over theAshura holiday show that thedemonstrations have entered anew phase with increased staterepression and more violentincidents. But, unlike the 1979revolution that overthrew theShah, Iran’s latest uprising isnot led by a well organisedopposition in exile. The largelyspontaneous protest movementdoes not appear poised to takeover.

Former Iranian lawmakerAhmad Salamatian said the civicrevolt is “not organised andnon-hierarchical” and warned“it should not fall into the trapof violence, because it’s notclear that the middle classeswould follow. “Meanwhile, theagents of repression will doeverything to trigger a violentshowdown,” he told AFP inParis, describing the battle forrepresentative government as“a marathon, not a boxingbout.”

Several Iran experts said theresponse of PresidentMahmoud Ahmadinejad andsupreme leader Ayatollah AliKhamenei’s government to theprotests triggered by June’sdisputed election remindedthem of the last days of theShah. The mounting anger onthe streets, where protestersare increasingly taking on thepolice and members of the Basijmiltia, shows the frustration ofa people that is more in tunewith the modern world than aretheir leaders.

Francois Nicoullaud, whoserved as France’s ambassadorin Tehran between 2001 and2005, said it was significant thatprotests had now spreadbeyond the capital to the largecity of Tabriz in the northwest.Tabriz was a centre of opposi-tion to the Shah during Iran’sconstitutional revolution in1905 and is still considered apolitical bellwether. “Ironically,the current regime now facesthe same dilemma as the Shah,”he said. “It is toughening itsstance and in doing so it runsthe risk of making martyrs of itsvictims and giving its detaineesa passport into politics.”

He described the revolt asspontaneous and said opposi-tion flagbearers such as formerprime minister and defeatedpresidential candidate MirHossein Mousavi were follow-ing events rather than leadingthem. Thierry Coville, whostudies Iran at the Institute ofInternational and StrategicRelations in Paris, said formerregime insiders like Mousavi“are being dragged alongbehind a civil society which isracing ahead. “It wasn’t theywho led Sunday’s demonstra-tions,” he said, while also dis-missing the influence of Iranianopposition movements in exilesuch as Maryam Radjavi’sNational Council of Resistanceof Iran.

According to the experts,Khamenei’s failure to addressthe anger caused byAhmadinejad’s dubious re-elec-tion has destroyed his ownlegitimacy and that of theIslamic Republic brought topower in the 1979 revolution.That opposition supporters -some of them at prayer - wereattacked by the security forcesduring the religious holiday ofAshoura, a celebration of one ofShiite Islam’s greatest martyrs,was particularly shocking toIranian opinion. “The regimehas turned an electoral crisisinto a political crisis, then into asystemic crisis and, sinceSunday, into a religious andsecurity crisis,” Salamatiansaid. “Khamenei appears to bethe prisoner of his most hard-line advisers.” — AFP

NEWS14 Monday, January 4, 2010

Continued from Page 1

Despite the emirate’s financial prob-lems, Sheikh Mohammad has kept bothhis cool and his confidence in Dubai’sfuture. “I’m a bedouin, and the bedouinslike to accept challenges,” he told journal-ists recently inside his marbled Dubaipalace. Sheikh Mohammad carefully craft-ed his role as national leader after alsosucceeding his brother as vice presidentand prime minister of the seven-memberUnited Arab Emirates federation thatincludes Dubai.

In Feb 2007, he unveiled an economicplan for Dubai aimed at maintaining dou-ble-digit growth, achieving a gross domes-tic product of $108 billion and increasingper capita GDP to $44,000 by 2015.Economic aims set out in 2000 for thenext 10 years “have been realised in halfthe time,” with GDP reaching $37 billionin 2005, he boasted. Over the course of 20years, Sheikh Mohammad transformedDubai, an emirate of 1.4 million inhabitantswhere natives form just around 20 percentof the population, into a popular tourist

destination, particularly with Europeans.His decision in 1985 to arm Dubai with

an airline, Emirates, was the first crucialmove in a strategy to develop the desertcity state into a business and tourism cen-tre. In the following years, countless megaprojects - ranging from the Burj Dubaitower to the three-kilometre-long PalmJumeirah artificial island - were launchedand specialised free zones were created.

Even with the current debt crisis,Dubai remains a bustling city full of eye-catching sights. Grandiose ventures,including a “Dubailand” planned as aMiddle East version of Orlando and anindoor ski resort, have ensured a steadystream of visitors. Sheikh Mohammad hasled the charge to model Dubai - whereAsians are by far the largest group ofexpatriates, followed by Arabs andWesterners - as a haven of tolerance.

Non-Muslims can practise religious rit-uals freely and Dubai hosts severalchurches. But religious freedom has itslimits: proselytising for any religion otherthan Islam is strictly prohibited. SheikhMohammad is seen by some as autocratic,in a state where neither political parties

nor trades unions are allowed. “I am con-vinced I am leading my people not only onthe right path but on the only one avail-able,” he writes in his book “My Vision.”

According to author Jim Krane, writingin “City of Gold: Dubai and the Dream ofCapitalism:” “Sheikh Mohammad is asmuch a tribal sheikh as he is a twenty-first century politician.” Born in Dubai in1949, Sheikh Mohammad studied in a mil-itary college in Britain before starting hispublic career in 1968 as the director ofpolice and public security in the emirate,which was still a British protectorate.Shortly after independence in Dec 1971,he was promoted to general by SheikhMaktoum, and was named defence minis-ter for the new federation, a post he stillholds.

He is passionate about horses andregularly takes part in endurance races.He is also a pilot and keen on poetry.Sheikh Mohammad is married toPrincess Haya, daughter of the late KingHussein of Jordan, who shares his inter-est in matters equestrian. A son from hisfirst marriage, Sheikh Hamdan, isDubai’s crown prince. — AFP

Continued from Page 1

Adelaide the night before and apparent-ly was not in the best of shape when hefirst flew it,” Australian conservationistDavid Jensen told AFP.

Its wings were so badly damaged theyhad to be removed, but Mawson decidedhe wanted to take the Vickers to theAntarctic to use as an “air tractor” to pullhis sledges with a specially-made tail rud-der and skis, Jensen said. However, itsengine seized up in the subzero tempera-tures and Mawson abandoned the Vickersat Cape Denison in 1914, said Jensen,chairman of the government-backedMawson’s Hut Foundation charity.

The explorer paid a brief visit to thecraft when he returned on a two-year terri-tory-staking mission in 1929, before givingit up for good in 1931, Jensen said. Armed

with magnetic imaging equipment and oth-er technology, three successive teams ofconservationists and scientists from theMawson’s Huts Foundation searched forthe fuselage, which was last sighted almosttotally buried in ice in 1975.

But it was the unprecedented combina-tion of historically low tides, prompted by ablue moon - the second full moon in a cal-endar month - and unprecedented meltingof the ice that led to its chance discoveryon New Year’s Day, Jensen said. “It wasprobably one chance in a million that theseconditions just allowed us to spot it,” hesaid. “One of our heritage carpenters wasactually just wandering along the edge ofthe harbour... and he just by chance spottedthe piece of the metal amongst the rocks.You talk about once in a blue moon, well itwas so true.”

The team was preparing for a large-

scale drilling into the ice under arduousand challenging conditions, said Jensen,with average winds in excess of 80 km perhour and temperatures below freezing.Had the carpenter failed to spot the relic,which was under “just a couple of centime-tres of water” in rising tide conditions itwould have likely been lost forever, headded. “The tide would have come in andwe would never have seen it again,because the tides were at the lowest theywere ever recorded at Cape Denison,” hesaid.

Jensen said the “ecstatic” team quicklyrecovered the fragments of the fuselageand would likely bring them back toAustralia for treatment at the end ofJanuary. “The pieces we found are definite-ly of the air tractor and they can’t be any-thing else. That’s the last (of a) little part ofaviation history,” he said. — AFP

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video cameras, barcode readers andan ‘i-concierge’ assistant that gives hintson a late train or a traffic jam. DoCoMo’sphones since 2007 feature a cashless pay-ment system, which allows users to buy asoft drink from a vending machine orlunch at a hamburger chain, simply byswiping their phone over an electronicpad.

“By having a phone you can do almosteverything,” said Takeshi Natsuno,known as the ‘father of i-mode’, the popu-lar Internet service DoCoMo launched adecade ago, and now a professor atTokyo’s Keio University. “All conven-ience stores and 60 percent of Tokyotaxis are equipped with readers so youcan pay by phone,” he said, adding thatthis is one reason the central bank threeyears ago started to reduce the numberof new coins minted.

DoCoMo co-develops phones withmanufacturers such as NEC, Fujitsu andPanasonic, who then custom-make thehandsets for it. Usually the makers areidentified only discreetly with their ini-tials in the model name. Among recentofferings is the bright-yellow Kids PhoneF05A by Fujitsu, which features a pull-string alarm that emits a shrill noise andsends an email alert to the parents thatinstantly pin-points the child’s location.

In another new model, the two halvesof the phone are held together magneti-cally and can be easily separated, allow-ing users to talk and web-surf at the

same time, or to split the device into aTV and a remote control. Other newcom-ers include a cellphone with a small solarpanel that in a pinch can give the user afew extra minutes of power, a phone witha 10-megapixel camera, and a range ofwaterproof models to use in the bathtub.

Despite, or perhaps because of, theirsophistication, Japan’s mobile marvels arerarely seen outside the archipelago. Theonly Japanese maker with a strong inter-national presence is Sony Ericsson.Experts say Japan’s more than half adozen big manufacturers have long reliedon the huge domestic market anddesigned phones specifically for Japanesetastes, customs and, with their oftenhefty price tags, wallets.

During the cellphone boom years ofthe 1990s and 2000s, Japanese companiesraced ahead and adopted the second- andthen third-generation standards yearsbefore their international counterparts,effectively insulating the market. Morerecently, however, the sector has taken abeating as a deep recession has rockedJapan’s economy. An end to industry sub-sidies meanwhile has made phones moreexpensive at a time of few real technolog-ical breakthroughs. Cellphone sales fellby one third from 51.72 million in fiscal2007 to just 35.85 million in 2008. Arebound is expected in coming years butin the long term the market is set toshrink as Japan’s population greys andfalls.

Meanwhile, the iPhone and othersmartphones have marked a quantum

leap for the rest of the world in turningphones into multi-functional personalgadgets with Internet access, GPS-guid-ed maps and a universe of software appli-cations. The iPhone has caught on onlygradually in Japan, where it is marketedby DoCoMo rival Softbank, but the deviceand other smartphones show that Japan’smobiles no longer have an undisputededge over foreign makes.

“The American and European marketshave rapidly ‘Japanised’ in terms ofmobiles,” said Natsuno, who warned thatthe new phones, made by informationtechnology companies, are rapidly shak-ing up the industry. Natsuno, who uses aJapanese phone and an iPhone, said hisforeign-made device has only a few draw-backs, such as lacking the ‘wallet func-tion’ and a privacy mode that, he joked,made having an extra-marital affair dan-gerous. “Why are so many people usingthe iPhone now?” he said. “The phone isthe closest device to the human body.PCs are too big and easily run out of bat-teries. If you consolidate all the function-ality within one device ... the mobilephone is the best device for human life.”

Natsuno said in future he expectsmobiles to boast advances such as basicartificial intelligence, sophisticated bio-metrics and batteries that last one week -but he says it may not be Japanese com-panies who make them first. “Now theleaders of the industry are IT players,and telecom players are following,” hesaid. “China, the US and Europe arebecoming more like Japan.” — AFP

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Long-distance bus travel in north Chinawas also being hampered by the weather,reports said. Several centimetres of snowblanketed roads and temperatures expectedto touch lows of -16º Celsius.

The last time northern China was hit by aspell of snowstorms in November, foodprices spiked due to delivery difficulties, driv-ing up inflation unexpectedly that month.The latest snowstorm and the likelihoodroads may stay backlogged for several dayscould fuel fresh worries about inflation. Stateradio said some vegetable prices had begunto rise following the snow.

Long lines formed at the airport terminalin Beijing as passengers waited to rearrangetheir flights or get taxis or buses out. On thetarmac, workers in orange jackets shovelledsnow and ice from around grounded aircraft.

Passengers expressed resignation. “I camevery early to catch my plane because I knewit was going to snow,” said Xiao Guo. “Ihoped to come early and get through thecheck-in process and see what time the planewould leave, but according to the airport itwill not leave today.” Schools in Beijing willbe closed today. The city set 300,000 peopleto work clearing away snow.

On one highway into Beijing from Hebeiprovince police stopped trucks on the road-side, causing lengthy queues. Several hadjack-knifed off the road. The governmentmobilised almost 200 snow-clearing vehiclesto keep traffic flowing downtown, Xinhuanews agency said, and upgraded the snow-storm alert from blue to yellow. “The yellowalert means that the snowfall is going to turnheavier,” Xinhua quoted Guo Hu, Beijing’schief meteorologist, as saying.

The snow is expected to stop falling in

Beijing today, but temperatures are likely todrop further, with lows of around -20º Celsius,forecasters said. Beijing, which over the pastfew years has seen little winter snow, hasexperienced several falls so far this season,including at least one man-made snowstormto help ease a prolonged drought. The weath-er is also affecting large swathes of the rest ofnorthern and northeastern China, with snowand plunging temperatures expected to con-tinue into the first full week of the new year,according to weather forecasts.

With Beijing set to return to work, thehead of its traffic management office, SongJianguo, said 7,000 traffic police would bedeployed for today morning rush hour, alongwith 5,000 volunteers to maintain order atcrowded bus stops, Xinhua reported. Thecity authorities had mobilised a vast army of300,000 people to clear snow, the agencyadded. — Agencies

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the mission would close today andtomorrow. “The Spanish embassy in Yemenremains open and operational, but access isrestricted for security reasons,” the Spanishsource told AFP.

Fears grew after AQAP urged Muslimson Monday to conduct an “all out war”against Western targets in the impoverishedArabian Peninsula country. “We call uponevery Muslim who cares about his religionand doctrine to assist in expelling the apos-tasies from the Arabian Peninsula, by killingevery crusader who works at theirembassies or other places, declare it an all-out war against every crusader onMuhammad’s (PBUH) peninsula on land, airand sea,” it said in a statement.

London and Washington meanwhileagreed to fund Yemen’s special Counter-Terrorism Unit - a special force which in thepast has received US training and assis-tance. Brennan described the move as a“determined and concerted effort” butstressed Washington will not open up a newfront in Yemen by sending in troops to helpthe authorities battle Islamist militants. “I

wouldn’t say we’re opening a second front.This is a continuation of an effort that wehad underway, as I said, since the beginningof the (Obama) administration,” Brennansaid. “We’re not going to let Al-Qaeda con-tinue to make gains in Yemen because weneed to take whatever steps necessary toprotect our citizens there as well as abroad,”he told Fox News. Asked if that could meansending US troops into Yemen, Brennanreplied: “We’re not talking about that at thispoint at all.”

He also hailed the Yemeni governmentfor making “real progress” against Al-Qaedaand said Washington was “providing every-thing they’ve asked for”. “In the pastmonth, Al-Qaeda has take a number of hits.A number of Al-Qaeda leaders in Yemen areno longer with us,” Brennan said. Yemeniforces launched raids on suspected Al-Qaeda targets on Dec 17 and 24, killingmore than 60 Islamist militants. A defenceministry newspaper said a plot to bomb theBritish embassy was also foiled.

But Foreign Minister Abubakr Al-Qirbisaid his government was not coordinatingstrikes against Al-Qaeda with the US. Qirbi,quoted by the state news agency, said

Yemen was cooperating with foreign coun-tries in exchanging information and training.Asked if Yemen had agreed to allow US mis-siles and aircraft to strike Al-Qaeda targetsin Yemen, Qirbi said: “There is no agree-ment with the United States in this regard.”

Britain is due to host an internationalmeeting on combating extremism inYemen on Jan 28. “Yemen has been recog-nised, like Somalia, to be one of the areaswhere we’ve got to not only keep an eyeon but we’ve got to do more,” BritishPrime Minister Gordon Brown said. Yemen- the ancestral homeland of Al-Qaeda chiefOsama bin Laden - is grappling with insur-gents in the north and the south and hasbeen rocked by several deadly anti-Western attacks. Nineteen people werekilled in a car bomb attack outside the USembassy in September 2008. In Oct 2000,17 US military personnel were killed in aAl-Qaeda suicide attack on the USS Coledestroyer in southern Yemen. The govern-ment has welcomed US and British help tofight extremism. “Any assistance providedto Yemen’s counter-terrorism force will bemost welcome,” a government official toldAFP. — AFPContinued from Page 1

Some western powers have dismissedthe Iranian proposal and called on Tehranto accept the IAEA deal or face furthersanctions. Reacting to Mottaki’s statement,the US National Security Councilspokesman Mike Hammer said onSaturday that the IAEA proposal was suffi-cient. “If getting access to fuel is Iran’sobjective, then there is absolutely no rea-son why the existing proposal, which Iranaccepted in principle at Geneva, is insuffi-cient. The Iranian government is standingin its own way,” Hammer said.

Last month Mottaki said Iran was opento exchanging uranium on Turkish soil.The IAEA has ruled out a swap takingplace in Iran itself. World powers havebeen pushing for Iran to accept the UN-

brokered deal and are also mulling freshUN sanctions after Tehran dismissed theyear-end deadline. Iran is already underthree sets of UN Security Council sanc-tions over its defiance and refusal to sus-pend enrichment, which lies at the heart ofinternational fears about its nuclear pro-gram. The process that makes nuclear fuelcan also be used to make the fissile core ofan atomic bomb.

The United States, Israel, and otherworld powers suspect Tehran is making anuclear bomb under the guise of a civilianprogram, something Iran vehementlydenies. The United States is reportedlyweighing targeted sanctions against mem-bers of Tehran’s government and mostnotably the Islamic Revolutionary GuardsCorps that runs the country’s ballistic mis-sile programme.

The Washington Post said onWednesday the US administration wantedtargeted sanctions to avoid alienating theIranian public, while keeping the door opento a resolution of the crisis over Tehran’snuclear program. The New York Timesreported on Saturday that PresidentBarack Obama’s administration believesdomestic unrest and signs of unexpectedtrouble in Iran’s nuclear program make itsleaders vulnerable to strong and immediatenew sanctions. Meanwhile, a top Israeliofficial said the UN Security Council willadopt a fresh batch of sanctions againstIran within a month. “The world is unitingagainst Iran’s nuclear program, and withina month we will see UN Security Councilsanctions,” deputy foreign minister DannyAyalon of Tehran’s arch-foe Israel said yes-terday. — AFP

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huge joblessness and a budget deficit ofover a trillion dollars in 2010. “The country isin deep, deep trouble,” Minnesota governorTim Pawlenty - a possible Republican 2012presidential candidate told Fox News lastweek. “People are going to hold office holdersand candidates to account.”

Amid the gloom, Obama must try to rekin-dle the theme of change and hope which pow-ered his 2008 election win. “While 2009 wasdifficult for many Americans, we must alsolook back ... with the knowledge that brighterdays are ahead of us,” he said in his New Yearmessage. One political triumph - healthcarereform - a task that has confounded genera-tions of Democratic presidents, may be inreach. A final bill could emerge from Congress

within weeks, setting up a historic signing cer-emony to boost the president early in 2010.

After nearly a year in power, Obama isgrayer, drained by Washington’s acrimony andno longer an untested source of hope for mil-lions, but a commander-in-chief who agonized,then escalated the Afghan war. His once soar-ing job approval ratings are now around thecritical 50 percent threshold though he will becomforted, that unlike many lawmakers, hedoes not face voters for three more years.

Judged by massive expectations whichgreeted his election, Obama’s first year looksunimpressive, but history may give him morecredit. Despite the economic blight, Obamaargues that he stopped a traumatized economyslipping into depression - and if the US econo-my shows its historic resilience, he may reap apolitical benefit.

However, the long fight over healthcare hasdelayed much of his domestic agenda and WallStreet is battling to water down a regulatoryreform drive. Obama’s hopes of passing a cap-and-trade bill to fight global warming also lookincreasingly doubtful and dreams of his devo-tees that he could cleanse Washington’s parti-san swamp have proven fanciful.

Abroad, the administration’s bid to confrontIsraeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahunow looks clumsy, and the Middle East peaceprocess is stalled. In Iraq, however things lookbetter: the White House hopes to get US troopnumbers down to 50,000 by August. Theadministration also hopes to conclude a land-mark nuclear deal with Russia in early 2010and will also seek to build on a tortuous startin engaging China and hopes to ease the NorthKorea nuclear crisis. — AFP

Dubai ruler vision reaches skywards

Japan mobile marvels go back to the future

Tehran in new threat over nuke swap deal

Explorers hail historic Antarctic airplane find

Heavy snow brings Beijing to standstill

US, Britain shut Yemen missions

Crises to greet Obama return to Washington

CANDOR, New York: Fred Mayer has a spe-cial feature in his kitchen: a faucet thatspews fire. Mayer says that about threeyears ago the well supplying water to hishome in Candor became polluted with natu-ral gas. Explosive vapors now run from his

tap along with the water. The Vietnam veter-an demonstrates by holding a lighter to therunning water and igniting it with a flash.Mayer jokes that he can wash his dishes andpoach an egg at the same time. But it’s nojoke. Experts say the house could explode if

the faucet emits enough gas. State environ-mental officials say the gas was created andreleased by nature, but Mayer suspects thatdrilling by an energy company is to blame.The natural-gas company Fortuna Energydenies any link to the problem. — AP

US man finds kitchen faucet spews flames

CANDOR, New York: In this photo taken Dec 24, 2009, Fred Mayer uses a charcoal grill lighter to ignitewater running from his kitchen faucet. Mayer says that about three years ago, the well supplying water tohis home in Candor became polluted with natural gas. — AP

SPORTS 15Monday, January 4, 2010

ABU DHABI: Robin Soderling of Sweden returnsthe ball to Rafael Nadal of Spain during the finalof the Capitala Tennis Championships in AbuDhabi, on Saturday, Jan 2, 2010. — AP

PERTH: John Isner of the United States reacts while playing against Spain’s Tommy Robredo (inset)during their men’s singles match at the Hopman Cup tennis tournament in Perth yesterday. — AP

BRISBANE: Kim Clijsters of Belgium hits a forehand return to Tathiana Garbin of Italy during the first round of the Brisbane International tennis tourna-ment yesterday. Clijsters won the match 6-2, 6-1 in the tournament used by top players as a warm-up to the Australian Open to be played January 18-31,2010. — AFP

BRISBANE: Belgium’s KimClijsters opened the New Yearin the best possible style whenshe overpowered ItalianTathiana Garbin 6-2, 6-1 in thefirst round of the BrisbaneInternational yesterday.Despite a nervous start to thematch when she lost her servein the opening game, the reign-ing US Open champion quicklyfound her form to overcomeGarbin in just 53 minutes.Garbin had no answer to the 26-year-old Clijsters once theBelgian found her range, withan array of powerful and accu-rate groundstrokes provinglethal.

Clijsters’ forehand was par-ticularly damaging, pinningGarbin back in the corners andforcing a host of errors fromher opponent. The strength ofClijsters’ groundstrokes putGarbin’s serve under immensepressure and the Italian wasunable to cope, making just 51percent of her first serves.Clijsters took full advantageand broke twice in the first setand twice more in the secondas she booked her place in thesecond round, where she willface Australia’s own comebackqueen Alicia Molik. Molik,granted a wildcard to play thetournament, beat Russia’sEkaterina Makarova 6-4, 1-6,6-4.

The match was Clijsters’first on her full return to theWTA tour after retiring in May2007. She made a partial come-back last year, playing just fourtournaments and culminating inher sensational US Open victo-ry in New York. “It was a nicefeeling to be out there again,”Clijsters said. “I felt like mygroundstrokes were going real-

ly good, I felt like I was standingup on the baseline and reallychanging the direction of therallies.” The win delighted thelarge crowd packed into the PatRafter Arena, who gaveClijsters a rousing receptionwhen she stepped onto the cen-tre court.

It also kept alive the possi-bility of a dream final againstfierce rival and fellow country-woman Justine Henin, who willplay second seeded RussianNadia Petrova in the first roundon Monday in her first matchsince making a comeback.Clijsters said the Brisbane tour-nament would help her preparefor the Australian Open laterthis month.

“I’m really happy that I’mhere because it really makes thetransition to Melbourne a biteasier,” she said. “At least nowwe have a roof over us and youget a feel for the humidity andyou don’t all of a sudden comefrom snow to extreme heat.”

Andrea Petkovic of Germanycaused the only upset on a rain-affected first day when she beateighth seeded Czech IvetaBenesova 6-7 (6/8), 6-2, 6-1 in ashade over two hours. Seventhseeded Hungarian MelindaCzink narrowly avoided a simi-lar fate, beating Lucie Hradeckaof the Czech Republic 6-4, 3-6,6-3.

Other first round winnerswere Barbora ZahlavovaStrycova of the Czech Republic,who beat Belarusian OlgaGovortsova 6-4, 6-1 andAmerican Vania King, whodowned Sybille Bammer ofAustria by the same scoreline.The men’s matches werewashed out and have beenrescheduled to today. — AFP

Clijsters opens New Year in style

PERTH: Tommy Robredoproved size is not everything intennis, cutting toweringAmerican John Isner down tosize to give Spain victory in theiropening Hopman Cup encounteryesterday. Maria Jose MartinezSanchez put the two-timeschampions ahead with a 6-4 6-4win over teenager MelanieOudin, and Robredo beat the 6-foot-9 (2.06m) Isner 6-7 6-3 7-6.The Spaniards then teamed up towin the mixed doubles 6-4 7-5 tocomplete a 3-0 whitewash. Isnersmashed down 16 aces butRobredo’s greater all-round abil-ity eventually proved the differ-ence between the two.

The Spaniard broke once inthe second set to level the matchbut the decider was nip and tuckuntil the tiebreak, whichRobredo pinched 7-5. “It’s a bitlike the casino, red or black,”Robredo said, when asked todescribe what it is like to facethe Isner serve. “If it’s red it’sthe forehand, if it’s black it’s thebackhand, so I am very proud theway I returned.” Experience andvariety were the key factors asMartinez Sanchez saw off 18-year-old Oudin, a quarter-finalistat the US Open in September.

A LITTLE RAGGEDOudin was guilty of making

too many mistakes on her fore-hand and Martinez Sanchez tookfull advantage. The left-handerused her serve to great effectand mixed serve and volley withsome deft touch to leave Oudinlooking a little ragged. MartinezSanchez did not face a breakpoint until she served for thematch at 5-2, when Oudin sud-denly lifted her game to breakback. After holding serve, shethen had a chance to break backfor 5-5 but Martinez Sanchezheld on and sealed victory with avolley at full stretch. “At thebeginning of the season it’s diffi-cult to play matches and I waswinning 5-2 and you have somedoubts,” Martinez Sanchez said.

“But at the end I playedaggressive and I could win.”Martinez Sanchez’s performancewas even more impressive giventhe fact she woke up yesterdayfeeling ill. “This morning I wasnot OK and I threw up, but now Iam much better,” she said.Oudin said the Americans wouldgive it everything when theyplayed Australia in their nextgroup match tomorrow. “Wewere both a bit down after thesingles,” she said. “But it wasreally fun and it’s alright. We’llbounce back.” — Reuters

Robredo cuts down towering US Isner

Spain whitewash US in Hopman Cup

DOHA: Roger Federer expectsto carry on his momentumfrom the middle of 2009 intothe new year now that his backinjury from last season hasfully healed. The Swiss starlost to Andy Murray, RafaelNadal and Novak Djokovicearly last year before recover-ing to reach the final in all fourGrand Slam events, winninghis first French Open and thenWimbledon for his 15th majortitle to surpass Pete Sampras’record. In the first month of2009, Federer lost to Murrayin Doha and Nadal in theAustralian Open final, beforepulling out injured from aDavis Cup series against theUnited States in February. InMarch, Djokovic beat Federerin the Miami semifinals.

“Last year, I had problem atthe start of the season with my

back,” Federer said yesterday.“I lost to Murray, Djokovic andRafa, who got the better of meat the start of the season. But Ifeel fine now because I havebeen practicing enough to feelconfident of winning.”Federer’s Roland Garros victo-ry gave him a career GrandSlam, while the Wimbledonwin helped take the No 1 rank-ing from Nadal. He thenreached the US Open final,only to lose to Juan Martin DelPotro of Argentina, but endedthe season with four titles.

“I got better and better asthe season went on,” Federersaid. “I was able to bounceback and was on a roll.(Winning in) Paris andWimbledon showed that I wasunbeatable. I can do it again.That’s a good feeling to have,that I can do it again.” The

Qatar Open starts Monday andFederer, a two-time champion,will meet Christophe Rochusof Belgium in his first match.He is drawn to play sixth-ranked Nikolay Davdyenko ofRussia, who won the season-ending London World TourFinals in November, in thequarterfinals.

“It is hard to be competingagainst the best, but I know Ican win more tournaments thisyear,” said Federer, who fin-ished third Saturday in the sea-son-opening Capitala exhibi-tion tournament in Abu Dhabi,United Arab Emirates. “I havebeen practicing good. The endseason was short, so I feel mygame is where it is supposed tobe. I know I can make a fewadjustments to my game andplay well again.”

Nadal, who leads 13-7 over

Federer in their head-to-headrecord, won the Abu Dhabiexhibition final by ending atwo-match losing run to RobinSoderling.

The Swede beat Nadal atthe 2009 French Open, wherethe Spaniard had been unbeat-en since 2005. “I got threematches in Abu Dhabi. I feltgood on court. I was movingwell on the court,” Nadal said.Nadal had chronic injuries toboth knees and an abdominalcomplaint last season, forcinghim to miss Wimbledon. Askedabout his condition, theSpaniard replied: “I am OK. Ifeel fine. I just want to play mybest tennis in every match Iplay. That’s my goal.” The10th-ranked Jo-WilfriedTsonga of France withdrewFriday from the event becauseof a wrist injury. — AP

Federer says he can be unbeatable again

CHENNAI: World number eightRobin Soderling and defendingchampion Marin Cilic will preparefor the tough season ahead at the400,000-dollar ATP ChennaiOpen starting today. Soderlingflies in for his maiden appearancein South Asia’s only ATP eventfrom Abu Dhabi, where heknocked out world number oneRoger Federer in the semi-final ofan exhibition tournament onFriday. The Swede lost inSaturday’s final to Rafael Nadal,who he beat at the French Openlast year on the way to his firstGrand Slam final.

Soderling is the top seed atthe Chennai event, regarded as awarm-up for the first Grand Slamof the year, the Australian Open,which begins in Melbourne onJanuary 18. The 25-year-oldstarts his campaign against 100th-ranked American Robby Ginepri,known for a stunning run at theUS Open in 2005 when hereached the semi-finals beforelosing to Andre Agassi in fivesets. Second-seed Cilic won theChennai and Zagreb titles in asuperb start last year, beforeenduring a mid-season slump andfinished 2009 ranked 14th.“Going into the top 10 is obvious-ly an aim, but I can’t be thinkingabout it yet,” the big-serving

PERTH: World number four Andy Murraybelieves his decision to miss Britain’s Davis Cuptie against Lithuania in March will give the coun-try’s young players invaluable experience. Lastyear, Britain were relegated to Europe/AfricaZone, Group Two, the third tier of the Davis Cup,after which Murray said he would consider hisoptions for 2010.

Addressing the media at the Hopman Cupyesterday, Murray said that he had made thedecision in order to enhance his chances of per-forming well at the biggest tournaments thisyear. “You’ve got to do what is right for your ten-nis,” he said. “That period of the year just beforeIndian Wells and Miami is very important for me.I have a lot of ranking points to defend. “I’veobviously done very well there in the past coupleof years so playing on clay away in Lithuaniabefore travelling over to California is not the bestpreparation for that. I think it’s the right decision.

“My focus in 2010 is on performing well in theMasters events and improving my record in thegrand slams. I’m always available for my countryand am happy to help whenever needed.” Murraywill consult with the Lawn Tennis Associationbefore each match in the future, but with the nexttie, win or lose in Lithuania, straight afterWimbledon, the 22-year-old could well sit out thecompetition for the entire year. The Scot, whoopens his season in the mixed team event on

Monday, denied that he was abandoning his coun-try at a time when they needed him most.

LOW GROUP“It would be a bit unfair to single me out,” he

said. “(Roger) Federer has missed Davis Cupmatches, Rafa (Nadal) has missed Davis Cupmatches, as has (Novak) Djokovic, (Pete)Sampras and (Andre) Agassi. A lot better playersthan me have missed Davis Cup matches. “It’sjust because the team has struggled in the pastfew years that if I didn’t play then there was agood chance that we were going to lose, whereasnow we can still win. “I don’t think it’s a case ofme abandoning Great Britain. I’ve played a lot ofmatches for them and I’m here representingthem as well.”

In Murray’s absence, the likes of Dan Evans,James Ward and Jamie Baker are likely to com-pete for the two singles berths. “We are down inquite a low group now,” Murray said. “When I doplay and we lose, I don’t feel like it really benefitsthe other players. “I think it’s been ten years orsomething since a British player outside myself,Tim (Henman) and Greg (Rusedski) won a liveDavis Cup rubber. “It’s time for the guys to getused to winning in the Davis Cup rather thanhaving so much pressure on them every timethey play. “Hopefully, this will give them a goodopportunity. Even without me I think they have agood chance of winning in Lithuania.” — Reuters

Murray defends decision to skip Britain’s Davis Cup tieWorld number four to concentrate on slams

Soderling and Cilic set for India’s ATP event

Croat said yesterday.“The start and the finish last

year were great, but it could havebeen better in the middle of theyear. “I think I was not fit enoughfor the whole year. I have workedhard on my fitness in the off-sea-son. The important thing is to playat least three or four weeks in arow without any problem.” Cilic,who won the Chennai Open lastyear by beating Indian wildcardSomdev Devvarman in the final,plays Russian Igor Kunitsyn inthe first round. Fourth seed JankoTipsarevic of Serbia is favored tomeet Cilic in the semi-final of thebottom half of the draw which alsoincludes German veteran RainerSchuettler.

Soderling faces a possiblequarter-final against fifth seedDudi Sela of Israel, while hissemi-final opponent could be the21st-ranked Stanislas Wawrinkaof Switzerland. Spanish veteranCarlos Moya, a two-time ChennaiOpen champion and former worldnumber one, returns to the cir-cuit after a string of injuriesrestricted him to just four tourna-ments in 2009. Moya, 33, dis-missed talk of imminent retire-ment, saying he was raring toplay competitive tennis again. “Imissed it for almost the whole oflast year,” said Moya, the formerFrench Open champion who wonthe Chennai title in 2004 and2005.— AFP

SPORTS16 Monday, January 4, 2010

Eastern ConferenceAtlantic Division

W L PCT GBBoston 24 8 .750 -Toronto 16 18 .471 9NY Knicks 13 20 .394 11.5Philadelphia 9 23 .281 15New Jersey 3 30 .091 21.5

Central DivisionCleveland 27 8 .771 -Chicago 14 17 .452 11Milwaukee 13 18 .419 12Detroit 11 21 .344 14.5Indiana 10 22 .313 15.5

southeast divisionOrlando 24 9 .727 -Atlanta 21 11 .656 2.5Miami 16 15 .516 7Charlotte 13 18 .419 10Washington 10 21 .323 13

Western ConferenceNorthwest Division

Denver 21 12 .636 -Portland 22 13 .629 -Oklahoma City 18 15 .545 3Utah 18 15 .545 3Minnesota 7 28 .200 15

Pacific DivisionLA Lakers 26 6 .813 -Phoenix 21 13 .618 6LA Clippers 14 18 .438 12Sacramento 14 19 .424 12.5Golden State 9 23 .281 17

Southwest DivisionDallas 23 10 .697 -San Antonio 20 11 .645 2Houston 20 14 .588 3.5Memphis 16 16 .500 6.5New Orleans 15 16 .484 7

NBA results/standings

WASHINGTON: Results and standings afterSaturday’s National Basketball Associationgames: Cleveland 94 New Jersey 86; Charlotte107 Miami 97; Indiana 122 Minnesota 111; SanAntonio 97 Washington 86; Boston 103Toronto 96; Chicago 101 Orlando 93; NewOrleans 99 Houston 95; Milwaukee 103Oklahoma City 97 (OT); Memphis 128 Phoenix103; Denver 105 Utah 95; Dallas 99Sacramento 91; Portland 105 Golden State 89.

MILWAUKEE: Oklahoma City Thunder’s Thabo Sefolosha (2) tries to steal the ball from Milwaukee Bucks’ HakimWarrick (21) during the second half of an NBA basketball game on Saturday, Jan. 2, 2010, in Milwaukee. The Buckswon 103-97 in overtime. — AP

WASHINGTON: The SanAntonio Spurs defeated theslumping Washington Wizards97-86 for their season-best fifthstraight NBA victory onSaturday. Tim Duncan scored23 points, reserve Roger MasonJr added a season-high 20 andTony Parker had 12 points forthe Spurs, who have won fourstraight on the road and nine ina row against the Wizards.Duncan’s jump-hook gave theSpurs an 81-80 lead with 6:21left in the game, and he followedthat with two free throws aspart of a decisive 12-2 run.Caron Butler scored 24 pointsand Gilbert Arenas added 23 forthe Wizards, who have droppedfour straight and remainedenveloped in a gun controversysurrounding Arenas. Arenas isbeing investigated by the NBA,US Attorney’s Office andDistrict of Columbia police overallegations that he storedunloaded firearms in his lockerin the team’s Verizon Centerlocker room.

Nuggets 105, Jazz 95At Salt Lake, City, Ty

Lawson had 23 points and nineassists and Denver ended athree-game losing streakdespite playing without injuredstars Carmelo Anthony andChauncey Billups. Nene added22 points and Kenyon Martinfinished with 12 points and 12rebounds for the Nuggets.Carlos Boozer had 18 points and10 rebounds to lead the Jazz.

Cavaliers 94, Nets 86At East Rutherford, New

Jersey, LeBron James had 28points, nine rebounds and sevenassists to lead Cleveland to itsseventh straight victory. MoWilliams added 18 points for theCavaliers, who have won 12 of13, and Anderson Varejao had15 points and 12 rebounds.Shaquille O’Neal finished with12 points and nine boards.Devin Harris scored 22 pointsand Brook Lopez 20 for NewJersey.

Bobcats 107, Heat 97At Miami, Stephen Jackson

scored 13 of his season-high 35points in the fourth quarter, D.J.Augustin added all 13 of his inthe final 11 minutes andCharlotte won a road game forjust the second time this sea-son. Jackson added eightrebounds for Charlotte, whicherased an early 19-point deficit.Dwyane Wade had 29 points and11 assists for Miami, whichdropped its third straight.

Pacers 122, Timberwolves 111At Indianapolis, Roy Hibbert

and Luther Head each scored 21points to help Indiana snap aneight-game losing streak.Brandon Rush scored 16 pointsand Mike Dunleavy added 15points and eight rebounds forthe Pacers, who played withoutinjured forwards Troy Murphyand Tyler Hansbrough. AlJefferson scored 23 points,Wayne Ellington had a career-high 16 and Kevin Love alsoscored 16 for Minnesota, whichhas lost four straight.

Celtics 103, Raptors 96At Boston, Ray Allen scored

23 points, Rasheed Wallaceadded 16 and Boston wondespite missing starters PaulPierce, Kevin Garnett and

Rajon Rondo because ofinjuries. Tony Allen had 14points, seven assists and fiverebounds, Glen Davis chippedin 15 points, and KendrickPerkins had 14 points and 10rebounds for Boston. ChrisBosh led Toronto with 25 pointsand nine rebounds.

Bulls 101, Magic 93At Chicago, Derrick Rose

scored 30 points to lead fiveplayers in double figures andhelp Chicago to its season-highfourth straight win. JohnSalmons scored 15 points, LuolDeng added 14, Taj Gibson had10 points and 12 rebounds andKirk Hinrich scored 11 pointsfor the Bulls. Matt Barnes had23 points but Dwight Howardmanaged just nine points forOrlando.

Hornets 99, Rockets 95At New Orleans, Chris Paul

had 28 points and nine assistsand New Orleans closed the winon a 13-2 run. Emeka Okaforhad 14 points and 16 rebounds,and David West added 14points, including a jumper thatgave the Hornets the lead forgood with 47.6 seconds left afterthey trailed by seven late in thefouth quarter. Trevor Arizascored 19 points and AaronBrooks had 17 for Houston.

Grizzlies 128, Suns 103At Phoenix, OJ Mayo had 25

points and reserve Sam Youngadded a career-high 22 to helpMemphis to its most lopsidedvictory of the season. MarcGasol scored 19 points for theGrizzlies, Zach Randolph had 18points and 11 rebounds, RudyGay scored 16 points, and rook-ie Hasheem Thabeet had 10.Amare Stoudemire led the Sunswith 29 points, Steve Nash had19 points and 13 assists, LouAmundson had 14 points andGoran Dragic added 13.

Bucks 103, Thunder 97, OTAt Milwaukee, Michael Redd

scored six of his 27 points inovertime to help Milwaukeesnap a four-game losing streak.Andrew Bogut had 23 pointsand 15 rebounds for the Bucks,who ended Oklahoma City’s winstreak at five games. KevinDurant had 31 points andRussell Westbrook had 17points and 13 assists for theThunder.

Mavericks 99, Kings 91At Sacramento, California,

Dirk Nowitzki scored 25 pointsto help Dallas improve to aWestern Conference-best 12-5on the road. Jose Barea scored17 points and Josh Howardadded 16 points for theMavericks. Omri Casspie scored22 points for the Kings, whohave dropped five of six.

Trail Blazers 105, Warriors 89At Portland, Oregon,

Brandon Roy scored 37 pointsand Andre Miller added 23 asPortland won despite dressingonly eight players. MartellWebster had 21 points and 11rebounds for injury-plaguedPortland, which essentiallyused six players. Rookie for-ward Jeff Pendergraph startedbut played just 9 minutes.Monta Ellis scored 30 pointsand Corey Maggette added 22points and 10 rebounds for theWarriors. — AP

Spurs grab 5th straight winInjury-depleted Boston still too strong for Toronto

LOS ANGELES: Michal Handzus’ short-handedgoal early in the third period put Los Angelesahead and Ryan Smyth connected on a power playto lead the Kings over the Washington Capitals 2-1 in the NHL on Saturday. Jonathan Quickstopped 26 shots a day after he was selected tothe US Olympic team along with Los Angelesteammates Dustin Brown and Jack Johnson.Quick kept the Kings in the game during a one-sided second period in which the Capitals outshotLos Angeles 13-2. Defenseman Mike Green hada power-play goal for Washington.

Lightning 3, Penguins 1At Tampa, Florida, Zenon Konopka celebrated

his 29th birthday with a rare goal, and Martin St.Louis and Steve Downie also scored to helpTampa Bay hand Stanley Cup championPittsburgh its fourth straight loss. Konopka gavethe Lightning a 2-1 lead in the second with hissecond goal of the season and sixth in 79 NHLgames. Mike Smith made 25 saves, allowing onlyBill Guerin’s first-period goal.

Hurricanes 2, Rangers 1, OTAt New York, Ray Whitney scored at 3:45 of

overtime to give Carolina its third victory in 20road games this season. Cam Ward made 27saves, and Tom Kostopoulos had a goal forCarolina, which was last in the NHL. MarianGaborik scored his NHL-leading 27th goal forNew York.

Canucks 3, Stars 1At Dallas, Daniel Sedin scored the go-ahead

goal on a power play early in the third period, andRoberto Luongo made 31 saves for Vancouver.Ryan Kesler had a second-period goal and AlexBurrows added an empty-netter for the Canucks,who have won four of their five games on a roadtrip. Loui Eriksson scored for Dallas.

Flames 3, Maple Leafs 1At Calgary, Alberta, Curtis Glencross scored

the go-ahead goal on a power play midwaythrough the second period and added an empty-netter for Calgary’s fourth straight win. JaromeIginla had a goal and two assists, and MiikkaKiprusoff made 24 saves to help the Flames. JasonBlake scored for Toronto, which has lost five of itslast six games.

Islanders 6, Thrashers 5, SOAt Uniondale, New York, Jeff Tambellini and

Frans Nielsen scored shootout goals to give NewYork its third win in five games. Atlanta, whicherased two three-goal deficits, lost for the eighthstraight time. Matt Moulson, Jon Sim, RichardPark, Trent Hunter and Josh Bailey scored forNew York. Maxim Afinogenov scored twice, andIlya Kovalchuk, Nik Antropov and Rich Peverleyadded goals for the Thrashers.

Avalanche 3, Blue Jackets 2At Columbus, Ohio, TJ Galiardi crashed the

net and scored on a rebound with just under aminute left to lift Colorado past Columbus. KyleCumiskey and Chris Stewart also scored for theAvalanche, who have won five of their last six

road games. Kristian Huselius and DerickBrassard scored for Columbus.

Blackhawks 6, Blues 3At St Louis, Tomas Kopecky scored twice for

his third career multipoint game, and PatrickSharp also had two goals to help Chicago beat StLouis after the Blues fired coach Andy Murrayand replaced him with interim coach Davis Payne.Brian Campbell and Kris Versteeg also scored forChicago. The Blackhawks have won five of sixand are tied for second overall in the NHL, twopoints behind San Jose. Eric Brewer, AndyMcDonald and Keith Tkachuk scored for theBlues.

Red Wings 4, Coyotes 1At Glendale, Arizona, Tomas Holmstrom

deflected two of Nicklas Lidstrom’s shots into thenet for his 14th and 15th goals to lead Detroit pastPhoenix. Pavel Datsyuk added a power-play goal,and Darren Helm had an empty-netter for the RedWings, who opened a five-game trip with theirsecond straight win. The Coyotes had a two-manadvantage when Matthew Lombardi scored theirlone goal.

Predators 3, Ducks 1At Nashville, Tennessee, Jason Arnott broke a

tie with his first goal in 10 games, and Shea Weberand David Legwand also scored for Nashville.Pekka Rinne made 25 saves, allowing only MikeBrown’s first-period goal. — AP

Kings rule over CapitalsSedin helps surging Canucks stop Stars

LOS ANGELES: Brendan Morrison No 9 of the Washington Capitals is pursued by Drew Doughty No 8 of the LosAngeles Kings for the puck in the third period at Staples Center on January 2, 2010 in Los Angeles. — AFP

Eastern ConferenceAtlantic DivisionW L OTL GF GA PTS

New Jersey 29 10 1 118 89 59Pittsburgh 26 15 1 131 110 53NY Rangers 19 17 5 108 115 43NY Islanders 17 18 8 107 134 42Philadelphia 19 18 3 113 111 41

Northeast DivisionBuffalo 25 11 4 111 93 54Boston 21 12 7 105 95 49Ottawa 21 16 4 115 121 46Montreal 21 19 3 114 119 45Toronto 14 19 9 115 145 37

Southeast DivisionWashington 24 11 6 145 116 54Atlanta 18 17 6 132 135 42Tampa Bay 16 15 10 103 121 42Florida 16 18 7 117 133 39Carolina 11 23 7 102 146 29

Western ConferenceCentral Division

Chicago 28 10 3 132 88 59Nashville 25 14 3 121 119 53Detroit 21 14 6 108 104 48St. Louis 17 18 6 108 121 40Columbus 15 19 9 112 143 39

Northwest DivisionColorado 24 13 6 128 124 54Calgary 24 12 5 114 98 53Vancouver 25 16 1 132 103 51Minnesota 20 19 3 111 124 43Edmonton 16 22 4 115 138 36

Pacific DivisionSan Jose 27 8 7 142 106 61Phoenix 25 14 4 111 99 54Los Angeles 24 15 3 124 120 51Dallas 18 12 11 122 127 47Anaheim 16 18 7 113 132 39Note: Overtime losses (OTL) are worth onepoint in the standings and are not included inthe loss column (L).

NHL results/standings

NHL results and standings on Saturday.Carolina 2, NY Rangers 1 (OT); Vancouver 3,Dallas 1; Tampa Bay 3, Pittsburgh 1;Los Angeles 2, Washington 1; NY Islanders 6,Atlanta 5 (SO); Colorado 3, Columbus 2;Calgary 3, Toronto 1; Chicago 6, St. Louis 3;Nashville 3, Anaheim 1; New Jersey 5,Minnesota 3; Detroit 4, Phoenix 1; San Jose 4,Edmonton 1. (OT Denotes Overtime, sodenotes shootout)

WASHINGTON: Amid conflict-ing reports on what happened inthe Washington Wizards lockerroom, the matter clearly goesbeyond the team’s originalstatement about Gilbert Arenasstoring unloaded guns in hislocker. What began with theNBA looking into a possible vio-lation of its own rules hasturned into an investigationinvolving the US Attorney’sOffice and District of Columbiapolice. The implications areserious, with the legal system,the league and the Wizards inline to take possible action if theallegations prove true.

“We’re all watching this veryclosely to see how the storydevelops right now,” MiamiHeat coach Erik Spoelstra saidon Saturday. “It’s so early in thestory and there’s so much spec-ulation, it’s hard to figure outwhat’s fact and what’s fiction,but it is a scary thing for theNBA and we all want to seewhat happens.” The Wizardssaid on Christmas Eve thatArenas stored unloadedfirearms in a locked container inhis locker, with no ammunition.

Arenas said he wanted themout of the house after the birthof his latest child. An officialwithin the league said onSaturday that he was briefedbefore Dec 24 by officialsreviewing the incident. He saidthe review included a disputeover card-playing, gamblingdebts and a heated discussionbetween Arenas and anotherplayer. He said the review didnot refer to Arenas and JavarisCrittenton drawing guns oneach other - as the New YorkPost has reported - although hesaid that doesn’t preclude that itmight have happened.— AP

Arenas gun inquiry ‘a scary thing for NBA’

Javaris Crittenton

SPORTS 17Monday, January 4, 2010

ARLINGTON: DexterMcCluster rushed for 182yards and two touchdowns asMississippi beat 21st-rankedOklahoma State 21-7 in col-lege football’s Cotton Bowlon Saturday. McCluster alsohad an 86-yard touchdownrun in the second quarterafter he had already becomethe first SoutheasternConference player with1,000 yards rushing and 500yards receiving in the sameseason. Ole Miss had fiveturnovers in the game, butOklahoma State had six inthe fourth quarter, and sevenoverall.

Papajohns.com BowlConnecticut 20, South

Carolina 7At Birmingham, Alabama,

Andre Dixon rushed for 126yards and a touchdown asConnecticut ended a tryingseason with a win in in thePapajohns.com Bowl.Connecticut improved to 3-1in bowl games since movingup to major college footballin 2002. It won its final threeregular season games andovercame the October stab-bing death of cornerbackJasper Howard to reach abowl. Then it relied onDixon’s 33 carries to controlthe ball, and throttled SouthCarolina, limiting quarter-back Stephen Garcia to just16 of 38 passes for 129 yards,and 56 yards on 15 carries.

International BowlSouth Florida 27,

Northern Illinois 3At Toronto, Mike Ford ran

for a career-high 207 yardsand scored one touchdown,and BJ Daniels threw twoscoring passes to AJ Love asSouth Florida won consecu-tive bowls for the first time.South Florida scored 24unanswered points in thesecond half after the teams

traded field goals in a drearyfirst half. Ford had just onecarry in the first half, an 18-yard gain in the second quar-ter. He broke out in the third,rushing 12 times for 106yards, then capped his daywith a 24-yard scoring run inthe final quarter.

Liberty BowlArkansas 20, EastCarolina 17, OT

At Memphis, Tennessee,Alex Tejada kicked a 37-yardfield goal in overtime afterEast Carolina’s BenHartman missed two fieldgoal attempts late in regula-tion and another in the extrasession at the Liberty Bowl.Hartman missed from 39yards with 1:03 remainingand from the same distanceon the final play, then missedfrom 35 in overtime. Tejada,who has struggled with kicksin pressure situations him-self, made his attempt to endthe game. Arkansas wondespite failing on all 13 of itsthird downs.

Alamo BowlTexas Tech 41,

Michigan St 31At San Antonio, Texas

Tech blocked out all distrac-tions and rallied to beatMichigan State at the AlamoBowl after a week of turmoil.Texas Tech fired coach MikeLeach on Wednesday afterallegations that he mistreat-ed Adam James. The widereceiver got a hostile recep-tion all night from the crowd,who booed James so loudthat it drowned out themarching band at halftime.But when it was over, therewere only cheers. Thecrowd chanted “Ruffin!” in athank-you to Texas Tech’sinterim coach who navigatedthe Red Raiders through aweek the school is desperateto forget. — AP

ALABAMA: Connecticut running back AndreDixon (2) dives forward for extra yardage againstSouth Carolina in the fourth quarter during anNCAA college football game in the Papajohns.comBowl on Saturday, Jan 2, 2010, in Birmingham,Ala. — AP

McCluster-led Ole Miss win OSU in Cotton Bowl

KUWAIT: Kuwait Shooting Club said it had already finalized necessarypreparations and arrangements for the 9th Arab shooting sports cham-pionship due in Kuwait today. Speaking to reporters following a meetingof the organizing committee, Kuwait Shooting Club President SheikhSalman Al-Homoud Al-Sabah said the meeting had stressed concertedefforts for ensuring a successful shooting sports event in Kuwait.

During the meeting, the participants reviewed all relevant steps bybodies involved for the championship, including the opening and con-cluding ceremonies, Sheikh Salman, who heads the organizing commit-tee, said. Sheikh Salman, who is also chairman of the Asian ShootingConfederation, called on all committees concerned to share relevantinformation in order to take appropriate decisions. A total of 350 maleand female shooters representing 16 Arab countries are expected to jointhe event. — KUNA

Kuwait gears up forArab shooting event

ZAGREB: Sandrine Aubert of Francewon a women’s World Cup slalom yes-terday for her second win of the season.Aubert posted the fastest second-runtime on the Crveni Spust course to fin-

ish in an aggregate 2 minutes, 0.36 sec-onds and record her fourth career victo-ry. She now tops the discipline stand-ings after also winning last month inAare, Sweden.

Kathrin Zettel of Austria, who ledafter the opening leg, was 0.43 secondsback in second. “I am not disappointed.The podium was my goal,” Zettel said.“Leading after the first run was a sur-prise to me. I’ve got to learn to copewith such a situation.” Susanne Rieschof Germany finished third, 0.74 behindAubert, while older sister Maria took

fourth to top the overall standings.Marlies Schild, who was second goinginto the final run, and overall World Cupleader Lindsey Vonn both went out.Schild fell shortly before the finish as shetried to make up lost time from the steeppart of the course. “I am obviously dis-appointed not to finish,” said Schild,returning this season after breaking a legin October 2008. “On the other hand, Icouldn’t ski the whole past season andthat was harder to take.”

Overall World Cup champion LindseyVonn, still hampered by a bruised leftarm, had been 1.71 seconds back afterthe opening run. That forced her toattack and she missed the 15th gate onher second run. “In the first run, myhand hurt. In the second run, I went fullrisk and maybe tried too hard,” Vonnsaid. Anna Goodman of Canada crashedat the penultimate gate in her first run,slid off-course and was treated for anapparent right knee injury. — AP

France Aubert wins World Cup slalom

Skiing

LONDON: Saracens director of rugbyBrendan Venter has launched a scathingattack on the refereeing of English rugby,saying that officiating at the key area ofthe breakdown has become a lottery.Venter, speaking after his Premiership-leading Saracens were beaten 22-15 byLeicester on Saturday, said: “There is aproblem and that is the game is deter-mined by referees and not by teams.

“We have no idea what is going on.They’ve no idea what’s going on outthere. “I am not accusing referees here ofbeing dishonest but the confusion isalmost total. I am trying to prepare teamsbut suddenly it seems pointless ... you geta penalty, then they get a penalty.”Venter’s comments will strike a chordwith rugby fans up and down the countrywho have become increasingly bemusedby the tackle and breakdown area. Somany offences are available to the refereethat it is inevitable some will be picked upmore than others by different officials.

The situation appears to have becomeso random that teams are opting for thesafety-first option of kicking rather thanrunning the risk of being penalized aftertaking the ball into a tackle. “In the firsthalf the penalty count was 9-3 to us. In thesecond half it was 10-4 to Leicester,” saidVenter, who is well experienced in theEnglish game having previously playedfor and coached London Irish. “What hap-pened to the ref? Did someone say some-thing? I didn’t say to my team: ‘Lookboys, we are leading, let’s cheat more.’The referee seemed to have walkedthrough a maze.”

‘MAN OF THE MATCH’The South African also said that after

he complained to the Rugby FootballUnion’s refereeing bosses about the offici-ating of the Saracens v London Irish gamelast month, assessor Tony Spreadburyagreed with him on 25 of 27 contentiousdecisions. A World Cup winner with SouthAfrica in 1995, Venter also criticized thegrowing trend of “preventative referee-ing”, where officials constantly talk toplayers, warning and guiding them andblowing the whistle only if the warningsare ignored. “This is totally wrong. By thetime the referee has told a player to stopoffending, the ball is already slowed downand the defense is back in position,” hesaid.

Venter, who took over at the Londonclub at the start of the season and broughtin a host of South Africans, is likely to bepunished by the RFU for his commentsbut has already gained support in themedia. Stephen Jones, rugby correspon-dent for the Sunday Times, made Venter‘man of the match’ for his comments andsaid that if he were to be fined, all rugbyfans should chip in. Jones said Venter hadtreated the media to “40 of the most well-founded, clinical and courageous pressconference minutes that many of us haveheard for decades.” — Reuters

Saracens director Venter blasts English refereeing

Rugby

TEXAS: Mississippi running back Dexter McCluster (left) leaps over the goal line to score a touchdown as teammateTyler King (33) blocks Oklahoma State safety Markelle Martin during the fourth quarter of the Cotton Bowl NCAA col-lege football game at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington on Saturday, Jan 2, 2010. — AP

LONDON: Scottish rugby legend Ian McGeechanadmitted yesterday receiving a knighthood in the NewYears Honors list had been a humbling experience.The 63-year-old Grand Slam winning coach - who alsowon three test series with the British and Irish Lionsas a player and coach - picked out Ireland to defendtheir Six Nations title when it gets under way early inFebruary. McGeechan, who guided Scotland to the1990 Five Nations Grand Slam, said that to receivesuch an honor had been extraordinary. “It was fantas-tic news. It’s been quite an exciting and humblingtime,” he told BBC radio.

McGeechan said he saw no other side apart fromthe Irish - who went unbeaten throughout 2009 round-ing it off with a win over world champions South Africa- winning the Six Nations. “They’re settled they’re

confident and they’ve got some talented players - theylook a very competent side. I thought they did well inthe autumn,” said McGeechan. McGeechan said hecould sympathize with the travails of England coachMartin Johnson, who has struggled to convince criticsthat he can be as successful a coach as he was as aplayer.

“It was unfortunate for Martin that there were somany injuries in the autumn,” said McGeechan, whoadded he had identified some progress at last year’sSix Nations. “He hasn’t been able to develop and build- he’s had some of his key players missing. “It’s alwaysdifficult then when you’re trying to draw thingstogether and introduce not just one or two new play-ers sometimes but five, six, seven new players atinternational level.” McGeechan, who featured in

seven British and Irish Lions tours, including five as acoach and two as a player, picked out his most memo-rable moments from his glittering career.

“Obviously as a player getting your first interna-tional cap for Scotland (1972) and obviously the Lionsin 1974 as a player and then having the opportunity tocoach Scotland,” said McGeechan, who has alsocoached Northampton at club level and was director ofrugby at Wasps. “Later, winning the Grand Slam in1990 again was something which was exceptional andwinning the Lions Test series in ‘89 and ‘97,” addedthe former teacher. McGeechan - affectionately knownas ‘Geech’ - confessed that he didn’t think he would beable to play at the top level these days given his size.“I’m happy I played when I did,” he said, adding he wasnow totally enthused by the coaching side. — AP

Humbled McGeechan picks Ireland for Six Nations title

ZAGREB: France’s Sandrine Aubert celebrates on the podium afterwinning an alpine ski, Women’s World Cup Slalom race, in Zagreb,Croatia yesterday. — AP

SALT LAKE CITY: Top-ranked American snow-boarder Kevin Pearce was in a critical conditionSaturday at a Utah hospital after suffering a“severe, traumatic brain injury” in a training acci-dent, one of his doctors said. Dr Holly Ledyardsaid Pearce, who is in the University of UtahHospital’s intensive care unit, has not yet neededsurgery. “Kevin sustained a severe, traumaticbrain injury ... (and) is being kept sedated,”Ledyard said in a statement released by the snow-boarder’s publicist.

“The focus over the next week will be watch-ing for any swelling in his brain and keeping hisbrain pressure normal.” “Kevin has a long recov-ery ahead of him,” she said. Pearce was injuredThursday in Park City as he prepared for nextweek’s Olympic qualifying events. His spokes-woman Danielle Burch said he was in the processof completing a twisting double back flip when hecaught his toe-side edge and landed on his head.He was wearing a helmet. The 22-year-old from

Norwich, Vermont, is a top-ranked halfpipe rider.Along with Shaun White, he is considered to beone of America’s top athletes in a sport dominat-ed by the United States.

According to an update Saturday afternoon ona Facebook page set up by his family, Pearce was“doing well, he continues to maintain his stablecondition. Being young, healthy and strong isworking in his favor.” “Family and friends remainpositive and are thankful for the outpouring ofsupport,” said Pearce’s spokeswoman DanielleBurch.

Olympic halfpipes are essentially hollowed outice shells, the sides of which rise up to 22 feet inthe air. Riders gain speed as they go from one sideto another and fly several feet over the edges,where they flip and spin, often rotating 720 or1080 degrees on a single jump. Three weeks ago,Pearce fell during a preliminary run at an Olympicqualifying event in Copper Mountain, Colo, andsuffered a concussion. — AP

ACCRA: Most football coaches might have givenup title hopes on injury worries to one or twokey players. But not Milovan Rajevac, the Coachof the Ghana’s senior national football team,which has been hit by serious injury crisis to keyplayers ahead of the Africa Cup of Nationsexpected to kick off in seven days. Serbian train-er Milovan Rajevac is optimistic that Ghanacould still pick up a fifth title at the end of thethree-week competition to make him the firstforeign coach to achieve the feat with the team.

The absence through injury of experiencedand regular players such as captain StephenAppiah of Italian side Bologna, John Mensah ofEnglish Premiership side Sunderland, Fulham’sJohn Paintsil and Laryea Kingston of Scotland’sHearts means the coach must vary his game planand tactics. “I know that a foreigner is yet to winthe competition and I want to become that firstcoach to deliver the title and it is possible,”Rajevac told journalists last week before theteam left Accra for Nelspruit, South Africa tobegin their pre-tournament training.

German trainer Otto Pfister came close towinning the trophy with the Black Stars in 1992but lost out on penalties to Ivory Coast in

Senegal. Ghana under Frenchman Claude LeRoyfinished third when it hosted the last edition ofthe tournament. Also on the injury list but isexpected to recover and join the rest of the teambefore the commencement of the tournament, isChelsea’s midfield kingpin Michael Essien wholimped off clutching his hamstring in Chelsea’sChampions League game against APOELNicosia.

Rajevac has blended his squad with eightmembers of the FIFA Under-20 World Cup win-ning team in Egypt last year. “You can see thecoach has brought in talented youngsters whohave shown great quality already, so while it’sunfortunate that injuries have come, we have toconcentrate on what we have,” Eric Addo (RodaJC, Holland) was quoted as saying by the officialwebsite of the Ghana Football Association.

The injuries will deny Ghana of some badlyneeded experience at the tournament but theGhana Football Association vice president FredPappoe says there is no point brooding over thelosses. “I am a perennial optimist. I don’t payattention to the dark side of life. Injuries havecome; injuries will come so we can’t broodabout it. — AFP

Snowboarder suffers ‘traumatic brain injury’

‘Yes we can’: Ghana’s coach eyes fifth title

DHAKA: India will be keen toextend their impressive run in a tri-angular series starting in Dhakatoday and boost their hopes ofbecoming the top-ranked side inone-day cricket. They have won sixof their last seven bilateral one-dayseries under Mahendra Singh Dhoniand a title-triumph here against anew-look Sri Lanka and a resurgent

Bangladesh would ensure them thenumber-one ranking. India, alreadythe top-ranked side in Test cricket,are currently behind leadersAustralia in one-day rankings. Thetournament opens with a day-nightclash between Sri Lanka and thehosts. Each team will play fourleague matches before the top twoqualify for the final on January 13.

India vice-captain VirenderSehwag said ahead of the series histeam were focused on maintainingconsistency. “If we win the series,the rankings will look after them-selves,” he said. “We have beenplaying very tough and good cricketfor the last two years. So, hopefullywe will do well in 2010. It’s impor-tant for the team to play well consis-

tently. We hope to do well and winthe series here.” India will be with-out batting superstar SachinTendulkar, who has been rested forthe one-dayers, but they still havedepth in batting to give a goodaccount of themselves.

India, who beat Sri Lanka inboth Test and one-day series athome recently, have explosive bats-

men in Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir,Yuvraj Singh and Dhoni to dominateany attack. Sehwag said Sri Lankawere a tough side to beat despitemissing veterans MuttiahMuralitharan, Mahela Jayawardeneand Sanath Jayasuriya. OpenerJayasuriya, the world’s second-highest scorer with 13,428 one-dayruns, was dropped, while spinnerMuralitharan and batsmanJayawardene have yet to recoverfrom injuries picked up during theIndia tour.

“I think Sri Lanka still are agood side and Bangladesh can alsobeat any team. We are not takingthem lightly,” said Sehwag.Bangladesh coach Jamie Siddonssaid his side could make it to thefinal despite missing skipperMashrafe Mortaza and key seamerNazmul Hossain due to injuries.Top all-rounder Shakib Al Hasanwill lead the team, while ShahadatHossain replaces Nazmal. “SriLanka have brought a team belowtheir best. They have left a few topplayers behind. We’ll be competi-tive against them and can pushthem hard. Hopefully, we’ll beatthem,” he said.

He added that Bangladesh werenow a better batting side and wouldalso be “competitive” againstfavorites India. The series will be areal test for Bangladesh, who willbe keen to build on their one-daysuccesses last year. Bangladeshclinched one-day series againstbelow-strength West Indies andZimbabwe in 2009 under Shakib,who led the side in the absence ofMortaza. The tri-series will be fol-lowed by two Tests between Indiaand the hosts at Chittagong(January 17-21) and Dhaka (January24-28). —AFP

CAPE TOWN: England spin-ner Graeme Swann claimedtwo wickets with successiveballs to put South Africa introuble again on the first dayof the third test yesterday.South Africa were 183 for fiveat tea with Jacques Kallisunbeaten on 55 and MarkBoucher on 37 as England, 1-0up in the series, seized theinitiative.

The second session beganin dramatic fashion as SouthAfrican captain Graeme Smithwas caught behind for 30 offthe first ball he faced afterlunch, James Anderson bowl-ing a superb away-swinger toclaim his second wicket. ABde Villiers opened his accountwith a risky single off his first

delivery but South Africalooked in control when he andKallis added 76 for the fourthwicket in positive fashion. DeVilliers then gifted his wicketon 36 when he came down thepitch to off-spinner Swann andchipped the ball into AndrewStrauss’s hands at short mid-wicket.

JP Duminy edged a beauti-ful delivery that drifted in andturned away just enough tofind the bat to be caughtbehind for a golden duck. Theleft-hander also fell first ball inhis previous innings inDurban. The double-strike leftSouth Africa in dire straits on127 for five but Boucher sur-vived the hat-trick ball andstroked six fours while the

obdurate Kallis calmlyreached his 53rd test half-cen-tury. Anderson and GrahamOnions claimed a wicket eachto put England on top in thefirst session as South Africareached 51 for two at lunchhaving been sent in to bat on apitch that offered seam move-ment under overcast skies.

SUPERB DELIVERYAnderson struck in the

first over with a superb deliv-ery that bounced and swungaway, Ashwell Prince glovingthe ball to wicketkeeper MattPrior for a duck. Smith had amajor let-off from the firstdelivery bowled by Onions,reaching for the ball outsideoff stump and edging it to sec-

ond slip where Swanndropped a simple chance.Smith and Hashim Amla (14)added 45 for the second wick-et before Amla was trappedlbw by Onions 11 minutes

before lunch. The batsmanplanted his front foot and triedto drive through mid-on butthe ball swung in and hit himplumb in front of the stumps.The start of play was delayed

by half-an-hour due to show-ers. England named anunchanged team and SouthAfrica brought in fast bowlerFriedel de Wet for MakhayaNtini. —Reuters

18 Monday, January 4, 2010SPORTS

South Africa, first inningsG. Smith not out 30A. Prince c Prior b Anderson 0H. Amla lbw b Onions 14J. Kallis not out 1Extras (lb5, nb1) 6Total (2 wkts, 19 overs) 51Fall of wickets: 1-1 (Prince), 2-46 (Amla)

To bat: A de Villiers, J. Duminy, M. Boucher, M.Morkel, P. Harris, D. Steyn, F. de WetBowling: Anderson 6-1-11-1 (nb1), Onions 8-2-23-1, Broad 5-2-12-0 England: Andrew Strauss (captain), Alastair Cook,Jonathan Trott, Kevin Pietersen, Paul Collingwood,Ian Bell, Matt Prior (wkt), Stuart Broad, GraemeSwann, James Anderson, Graham Onions.

CAPE TOWN, South Africa: Lunchtime score on the first day of the third Test between South Africaand England at Newlands on Sunday:

Scoreboard

DHAKA: Indian cricketer Harbhajan Singh (on ground) is helped by a team support staff to perform stretch-ing exercises during a practice session in Dhaka yesterday. —AP

DHAKA: Sri Lankan cricketers run to warm up during a practice session yester-day. Bangladesh, India and Sri Lanka are competing in the one-day internationaltri-series in Dhaka starting today. —AP

CAPE TOWN: English Captain Andrew Strauss (left) and English bowler Graeme Swann (second left) celebrate the dismissal of South African batsman AB de Villiers(not in picture) yesterday during the first day of the third Test match between South Africa and England at Newlands cricket stadium in Cape Town, South Africa. —AFP

Swann’s double leaves South Africa in trouble

Kallis holds firm for South Africa

Swann: I drank too much in S Africa 10 years ago

LONDON: England off-spinnerGraeme Swann’s sparklingform in South Africa contrastswith his tour there 10 yearsago when he spent a lot of timedrinking and was a millionmiles from the Test side, hewas quoted as saying yester-day. Swann is up to third in theinternational bowling rankingsafter his nine-wicket haul inthe second test led England toan innings victory, a result thatgives the visitors a 1-0 leadgoing into yesterday’s thirdand penultimate match in CapeTown.

However, it was very differ-ent when he toured SouthAfrica as a young squad mem-ber in 1999-2000. “The differ-ence between this current tourand that one is like polar oppo-sites,” the 30-year-old Swanntold the Mail on Sunday news-paper. “I would turn up at thenext hotel and the first thingI’d find out was where the barwas located. “I was young andstupid and I didn’t realize thatsometimes you need morethan one alarm clock to wakeyou up.” Swann did not play atest match on the 1999-2000tour and acknowledged he wasnot good enough in those days.

TENACIOUS ATTITUDE“When you are 19 you think

you know everything there isto know,” he said. “You’re con-vinced you’re right and that

everyone else in the world isold and senile, out of touch andwrong. “At the end of it (thencoach) Duncan (Fletcher) satme down for my tour reviewand praised me for my ‘tena-cious’ attitude in training but Ididn’t need to be told... I wasnowhere near good enough, amillion miles from playing testcricket.”

After the second-test win inDurban on Wednesday,England captain AndrewStrauss said Swann had been akey figure in the team’s resur-gence this year. “Graeme hashad a massive impact over thelast 12 months,” said Strauss.“He has always been a veryattacking spinner, he gives it arip, bowls an attacking line andwith the extra pressure of testcricket, that can be invalu-able.”

Swann said that, lookingback, he was pleased he did notfeature in the test side 10years ago. “I’m very glad I did-n’t play because I certainlywouldn’t have done justice tomyself and I may have madesuch a hash of it that I nevergot another go,” said the spin-ner who is also a hard-hitting,lower-order batsman. “Even ifI had done okay, in all probabil-ity I would have formed toohigh an opinion of myself andended up disappearing fromthe game and stuck in a day jobI hated.” —Reuters

India eye top ranking in the Dhaka tri-series

DHAKA: Sri Lanka’s young teamare good enough to be competi-tive in the one-day Tri-Series inBangladesh this month, theircoach Trevor Bayliss said yester-day. Sri Lanka, who face hostsBangladesh on Monday in theopening match of the tournamentwhich also involves India, madesweeping changes following theirdefeat by India last month.

Batsmen Sanath Jayasuriyaand Chamara Kapugedera, fastbowler Lasith Malinga and spin-ner Ajantha Mendis weredropped and batsman MahelaJayawardene, all-rounder AngeloMathews and bowlers MuttiahMuralitharan and DilharaFernando are injured. “We had anumber of injuries in India which

forced us seeing some of theyoung players that have beenclose to the team for long years.We are very happy with the waythey were performing in the lastfew games,” Bayliss told a newsconference.

“It has brought some youthfulenthusiasm to the team and weare looking forward to see howthey develop over the comingmonth and years,” he said. “Theymay be lacking a little bit of expe-rience. But the more games theyplay the more they will be expe-rienced. If we play good cricketwe have a good chance of win-ning.” he said. Sri Lanka will bewithout leading spinnersMuralitharan and AjanthaMendis. “Obviously, we have

come from India and the youngSuraj Randiv is probably the bestspinner we had on the tour,”Bayliss said.

“He bowled exceptionallywell against India in his first twoor three games. So we are veryhappy the way he is coming tointernational cricket. “ObviouslyMalinga Bandara, he has beenaround for a number of yearsplaying second fiddle to Muraliand Mendis. He gets anotheropportunity.” “The spin bowlingall-rounder (Muthumudalige)Pushpakumara made his debut inIndia,” Bayliss added. “So we arequite happy with the depth wehave in our bowling. They arevery young and inexperiencedbut they are talented.” —Reuters

Sri Lanka coach has confidence in youth

Ntini axing could signal the end of Test career

CAPE TOWN: Makhaya Ntini was dropped from the South Africanteam yesterday in a move which could hasten the end of a notableTest career. Ntini, 32, did not travel to the ground after being toldthat he was not in the team for the third Test at Newlands, theground where he started his 101-Test career against Sri Lanka 12seasons ago. Although the team was not announced publicly untilshortly before the toss, the players were informed of the selectionon Saturday and Ntini was given the option of returning home,according to team spokesman Michael Owen-Smith. Ntini’s axinghad been widely anticipated after he performed poorly in the firsttwo Tests against England.

In the 2008 calendar year he took only 13 wickets in six Tests atan average of 57.00. Experts believed that a loss of pace hadreduced his effectiveness. Speculation about the future of a mandescribed by both captain Graeme Smith and coach Mickey Arthuras one of South Africa’s iconic cricketers was fuelled by a report inthe London Sunday Telegraph which claimed Ntini was set to joinEnglish county Middlesex as a Kolpak player, which would precludehim from playing international cricket. The Sunday Telegraphclaimed Ntini intended to announce his retirement from interna-tional cricket and that he had signed a pre-contract agreement withMiddlesex.

Owen-Smith said he was unaware of Ntini reaching an agree-ment with Middlesex. “He is contracted to Cricket South Africawhich means he cannot sign any contracts without CSA’s agree-ment,” he said. Ntini has had a special status in South African sportas the first black African to play Test cricket for the country.Although three others have also won Test caps, Ntini remains theonly black African to hold down a long-term place in the team. At hisbest, Ntini was able to bowl tirelessly at high pace. He has taken390 Test wickets at an average of 28.82, second only to SouthAfrican record holder Shaun Pollock, who took 421.

Ntini has taken ten wickets in a match on four occasions, themost by any South African, and claimed the best match figures inSouth African Test history when he took 13 for 132 against theWest Indies in Port of Spain in 2004/05. The decision to drop Ntiniwas not taken lightly in a country where political considerations arean unavoidable reality. “It’s a sensitive issue in South Africa,” Smithsaid in his captain’s pre-match press conference on Saturday whenasked about the debate surrounding Ntini’s place. —AFP

19Monday, January 4, 2010 SPORTS

CARNAGO: British soccer star David Beckham (center) trains at the AC Milan training center in Carnago,near Varese, northern Italy. —AP

HOUSTON: Santos Laguna’s Uriel Alvarez (left) kicks America’s Juan Carlos Valenzuela in the head while going for the ball during thefirst half of an Interliga soccer game in Houston on Saturday, Jan 2, 2010. —AP

Club America down Santos3-1 as Atlante edge Tecos

Interliga football tournamentHOUSTON: DanielMontenegro and SalvadorCabanas scored second-halfgoals to lead Club America toa 3-1 win over Santos Lagunain Group A of the Interligafootball tournament Saturday.Earlier, Guillermo Rojasscored in the 47th minute asa 10-man Atlante beatEstudiantes Tecos 2-1.Enrique Esqueda got ClubAmerica off to a good start inthe 27th minute, controlling apass from Pavel Pardo andbeating Santos goalkeeper

Oswaldo Sanchez. Four minutes later,

America defender JuanCarlos Valenzuela was calledfor a hand ball in the penaltyarea, and Juan PabloRodriguez drove the penaltypast goalkeeper FranciscoOchoa to level the scores.Montenegro scored in the62nd minute after lungingforward to head home a highcross from Oscar Rojas togive America a 2-1 lead.

Santos defender JorgeEstrada was given a red card

in the 76th minute and ClubAmerica controlled the gamefrom there. Cabanas scoredfrom a penalty in the 84thminute after he was draggeddown near the area. TheInterLiga tournament is anannual eight-team eventbetween Mexican clubs todetermine the two that willplay in the CopaLibertadores, the SouthAmerican club championship.

In the first game, DanielArreola put Atlante ahead inthe 10th minute, launching a

left-footed shot from 30meters that sailed over Tecoskeeper Mario Rodriguez.Tecos leveled it in the 29thminute, when Cejas drovehome a short, left-footed passfrom Bareiro. Atlante playeda man down in the second halfafter defenseman Jose DanielGuerrero was sent off shortlybefore the break for trippingTecos midfielder RubensOscar Sambueza.

Atlante took the lead forgood two minutes into thesecond half, when Christian

Bermudez threaded a shortcross to a sprinting Rojas foran easy goal past Rodriguez.Tecos missed a point-blankchance to equalize a few min-utes after Rojas scored.Fredy Bareiro’s header hit offthe left post and MauroCejas’ rebound shot caromedoff the crossbar. Atlante wonfor the first time in its sevenInterliga games. Tecos isplaying in the Interliga for thethird time in four years. Thefour teams will play againtomorrow. —AP

LONDON: David Beckham wishes he hadstayed with Manchester United for hisentire career and not left in 2003 for RealMadrid, the former England captain saidyesterday. Beckham will return to OldTrafford as a player for the first timewhen his club AC Milan play the secondleg of the Champions League knockout-round tie against United on March 10.

“I would love to have stayed atManchester United for my whole careerand never gone anywhere else-but it wasjust not meant to be,” Beckham said in aninterview on BBC Sportsweek. “I wentto Real Madrid and in the last year wewere successful so I enjoyed that time,but I would like to have stayed atManchester United.” Beckham moved toLos Angeles Galaxy in 2007 and has nowstarted his second loan spell at Milan in abid to win a place in England’s World Cupsquad this year.

The midfielder said he felt envious ofhis former team mates Ryan Giggs, PaulScholes and Gary Neville, who came

through the United youth ranks withBeckham and have stayed at the club. “Iam sure they will all try and kick me ifthey can because we were together for somany years and we were so successfultogether,” Beckham said. “Off the fieldwe became best friends and that’s whywe became so successful at a club likeManchester United. “But it’s testamentto themselves and the club and every-thing that surrounds them as individualsthat they wouldn’t be at a club likeManchester United if they weren’t spe-cial people and special players.”

EMOTIONAL OCCASIONBeckham said going back to Old

Trafford would be an emotional occasion.“Manchester United is so special to meand I have never been back as a player-soto go back seven years after as an ACMilan player it doesn’t get much moreperfect than that and it is an experience Iwant to cherish. It is going to be a specialand emotional night.

“But I’d like us to win, us being ACMilan. As a Manchester United fan Ialways want them to win in every game-but not this one.” Beckham, England’smost capped outfield player with 166appearances, said that “scary” FabioCapello had instilled a “good arrogance”in the England team since becomingcoach. “Players go onto the field confi-dent, they believe they are going to win.He has brought a real seriousness, a pro-fessional side, which was needed-but hescares you-in a respect way.”

He said there were similaritiesbetween Capello and Alex Ferguson, hismanager at Manchester United. “I waslucky enough to have played for the bestfootball manager for many years,” hesaid. “Alex Ferguson brought me up, hewas a father figure to me and I have got ahuge amount of respect for AlexFerguson and for Fabio Capello. “Theydon’t just manage teams they love foot-ball and that’s why they are still in thegame now.” —Reuters

I wish I had never leftMan United: Beckham

Grant admits Portsmouth fans right to show anger

PORTSMOUTH: Portsmouth manager AvramGrant admits he can understand why his club’sfans protested against the board after Coventryheld the Premier League strugglers to a 1-1 drawin the FA Cup third round. Grant’s side needed anequalizer from Kevin-Prince Boateng to scrape areplay after David Bell had put their Championshipopponents ahead at Fratton Park on Saturday.With Portsmouth already bottom of the league,facing a winding-up petition in the High Court andunable to pay the players on time for the third timethis season, it was little surprise to Grant that thePompey faithful finally snapped after another lack-luster display.

Hundreds of fans gathered outside the direc-tors’ entrance to register their unhappiness withSaudi owner Ali Al-Faraj and his directors andchanted ‘sack the board’, ‘where’s the moneygone?’ and ‘where’s the owner of our club?’. “Iunderstand (why they are frustrated) but you mustunderstand that no-one at the club is happy withthe situation,” Grant said. “My job and the players’job is to do things on the pitch. The situation is noteasy but we can do our best for the team on the

pitch and that’s what I will do.“I’m very impressed with the supporters. They

were behind us for the whole game and it’s not aneasy time for us generally or in this game. Irespect them.” Grant has spent more time dis-cussing the club’s financial plight than his players’efforts on the pitch since taking over as managerfrom Paul Hart in November. The former Chelseaboss added: “To be honest, I feel as if I’m notanswering as a football manager. “Eighty per centof the questions I have been asked since I camehere haven’t been about the football. I like to talkabout things on the football side, but what can I do?

“This is the situation and if I have to answerthese questions, I will answer these questions.But there are enough problems on the pitch weneed to take care of.” Meanwhile, Coventry bossChris Coleman was pleased with the way hisside matched Premier League opposition. “Itwill be a better result for us than Portsmouthwith their current situation,” Coleman said. “Ithink, on the balance of play, it was a fair result.I thought we did well and we coped well whenwe had to.” —AFP

Benitez still up for FA Cup despite disappointments

READING: Rafael Benitez insistedthe FA Cup remained a top priorityfor Liverpool after his side werefortunate to scrape a 1-1 third rounddraw away to Reading. Reading,who sit two points and two placesabove the second-tierChampionship relegation zone,threatened an upset when SimonChurch gave the hosts a 24thminute lead after Benitez’s sidefailed to deal with a free-kick.Steven Gerrard’s hopeful long shotrescued a draw for Liverpool at theMadejski Stadium here on Saturdayto set up a replay, currently sched-uled to take place at Anfield onJanuary 12.

And Benitez admitted his teammust improve if they are to com-plete the job at the second attempt.“I’m relieved,” said the under pres-sure manager. “I think it was diffi-cult. “I think they (Reading)played really well. To play in frontof the TV (cameras) and againstLiverpool I think was a massiveboost for them and you could seethey played really well,” theSpaniard added. “You could see wewere trying to do our best with areally strong team and we will playone again at Anfield for the replay.

“We had two or three situationsthat could have been better but alsothey had some chances. “So creditto them and we are still in the com-petition,” Benitez said.

Benitez fielded both Gerrardand Fernando Torres in his startingline-up for a competition that, alongwith the Europa League, has sud-denly assumed a greater priorityalthough the manager conceded theburden of a replay will do nothing toboost Liverpool’s hopes of finishingin the top four and claiming a placein next season’s ChampionsLeague. “We know that we havetwo clear chances to win trophies -the Europa League and the FA Cup- so we will try to our best in bothand keep improving in the League,”said Benitez, whose side are fourpoints adrift of English football’sleading quartet.

“I am disappointed (with theresult) because we didn’t want toplay more games. But it was atough, tough game so we needed towork hard.” Benitez admitted he islooking at bringing in players tostrengthen his squad during theJanuary transfer window butrefused to be drawn on whether hehad made a move for Real Madrid

striker Ruud van Nistelrooy. “Weare not talking about players but Iwill say that it will be very, very dif-ficult,” he said.

He was equally coy when askedabout whether Liverpool wereinterested in signing Aston Villaforward Emile Heskey. “I will nottalk about names,” Benitez insisted.“This one because it is in all thepress here and also in Spain. But weare not trying to bring him so it willbe very, very difficult to get him.”Reading caretaker-manager BrianMcDermott is keen to land the jobfull-time and hopes the Royals’efforts against Liverpool can bolsterhis chances. He is more concerned,though, with picking up points innext weekend’s league clashagainst Championship leadersNewcastle.

“Points are our priority,”McDermott said. “We playNewcastle next week withanother full house. We have tobe spot on or we’ll get nothing.The Championship is a tough,tough league. “We need to playlike that every week. The mostimportant thing we’ve lacked isconsistency and we have to getback to that. —AFP

Guardiola warns Ibrahimovic MADRID: Barcelona striker Zlatan Ibrahimovicneeds to control his temper and accept the deci-sions made by match officials or he risks lettingdown the team, according to coach Pep Guardiola.The Swede, who moved to Barca from Inter Milanin the close season, protested a host of decisionsin Barca’s 1-1 La Liga draw at home to Villarrealon Saturday and was booked in the 88th minute fora reckless lunge at Diego Godin. “He’s a tempera-mental player and we need to be a bit carefulbecause we might end up one day with 10 play-ers,” Guardiola said at a news conference.“Ibrahimovic needs to be strong and he is capableof doing it as he’s a great player,” he added. “Hecan’t control the referees’ decisions.”

N Korea lose match but win tournamentDOHA: North Korea continued their 2010 WorldCup preparations by winning a four-team invita-tional tournament in Qatar despite losing theirfinal match 1-0 to Iran. A draw between the hostsand Mali in the earlier match meant North Koreacould afford to lose to Iran on Saturday havingrecorded victories in their opening two games.Mehrzad Madanchi scored the winner for Iran,lobbing a shot home in the 42nd minute to give his

side a timely boost ahead of a key Asian Cup qual-ifier against Singapore on Wednesday. NorthKorea finished on six points from three matchesahead of Qatar on four, then Mali (4) and Iran (3).The North Koreans will next month head to SriLanka for the Asian Football Confederation (AFC)Challenge Cup where the winners of the region’ssecond-tier tournament qualify for the 2011 AsianCup. North Korea have been drawn with Brazil,Portugal and Ivory Coast for only their secondWorld Cup campaign.

Nigeria’s Martins declared fit ABUJA: Obafemi Martins has been declared fitand included in Nigeria’s squad for the AfricanNations Cup finals in Angola, team officials saidyesterday. The striker had undergone fitnesstests at the team’s training camp in Durban, SouthAfrica over the weekend before being named incoach Shaibu Amadou’s 23-man squad. Martinsunderwent surgery on his shin at the end ofNovember after getting injured while playing forBundesliga club VfL Wolfsburg. Nigeria, who playin June’s World Cup finals in South Africa, take onEgypt in their opening Nations Cup Group Cmatch on Jan 12 in Benguela. They also meetBenin and Mozambique in their group.

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MANCHESTER: Manchester United’s Northern Irish defender Jonny Evans (third right) puts the ball wide past Leeds United’s Danish goalkeeper Casper Ankergren during theirEnglish FA Cup football match at Old Trafford yesterday. — AFP

LONDON: Leeds United sentManchester United crashing to theirmost embarrassing FA Cup defeatfor 26 years when they scored ashock 1-0 third-round victory at OldTrafford yesterday. A 19th-minutegoal from in-form striker JermaineBeckford gave the League One(third division) leaders victory asManchester United, who have wonthe Cup a record 11 times, went outat this stage for the first time since1984. Holders Chelsea made surethere was no slip-up at StamfordBridge where they crushedChampionship (second division)Watford 5-0 after streaking into a 3-0 lead in 22 minutes.

Arsenal, the second most suc-cessful club in the cup’s history with10 wins, left it late to beat WestHam United in a pulsating all-London tie at Upton Park. Goalsfrom Aaron Ramsey after 78 min-utes and Eduardo five minutes latergave the visitors a 2-1 win afterAlessandro Diamanti had put theHammers ahead just before thebreak. The biggest upset of theround, and the competition, formany years came at Old Traffordwhere Beckford’s solitary strikewas fashioned by a 50-metre puntfrom Johnny Howson.

The ball went over the champi-ons’ defense, allowing Beckford toget a touch and angle a shot wide ofkeeper Tomas Kuszczak. It was thefirst time Alex Ferguson had suf-fered defeat in the third round, thestage at which the top clubs enterthe FA Cup, since he became Unitedmanager in 1986. United’s first lossto lower league opposition since1984 also gave Leeds a memorablevictory at a ground where they reg-ularly used to duel with United fornational supremacy before theirslide down the leagues.

BIG SHOCKThe 9,000 away fans went wild

with delight at the end of a thrillingtie which produced the first bigshock of the round after a series ofpredictable results on Saturday. “Imust admit I didn’t expect that per-formance,” Ferguson told MUTV.“If you don’t start and the otherteam does, you’re always up againstit. Leeds had a far bigger appetitethan us for the game. You need a bitof luck and they got it but theydeserved it because they playedreally well.”

Leeds manager Simon Graysonwas full of praise for his team. “Itwas a good long diagonal ball fromJohnny Howson and nine times outof 10 Jermaine finishes them off andthat’s what he did,” he told ITV.“We gave ourselves an opportunityto go and win the game from thereand with a bit of luck here and therewe’ve hung on. “I am sure they willbe celebrating in Leeds for the nextfew days. The players will havetomorrow off then we will startpreparing for the match againstWycombe.”

Grayson’s men thoroughlydeserved their victory which wouldhave been more comfortable ifBeckford had scored after 78 min-utes instead of dragging his shot justwide. Robert Snodgrass smashed a25-metre free kick against theUnited bar two minutes later beforekeeper Casper Ankergren parried agoalbound effort from WayneRooney in stoppage time. MichaelOwen, Dimitar Berbatov andRooney went close for United butLeeds, who needed a replay to getpast non-League Kettering Town inthe last round, hung on for a memo-rable victory-their first at OldTrafford since 1981.

NO UPSETChelsea cruised past Watford at

Stamford Bridge where DanielSturridge, John Eustace (own goal)and Florent Malouda settled theoutcome with early goals. FrankLampard and Sturridge scored in thesecond half to ensure Chelsea elim-inated Watford for the second sea-son running. Chelsea manager CarloAncelotti said: “I am happy becauseit was important to start the NewYear well.

“If you don’t take the game in theright way it could be difficult but wewere up 3-0 after 20 minutes and weplayed well for the full 90 minutes.”West Ham looked as if they wouldcause an upset against Arsenal afterDiamanti gave them the lead with aleft-foot shot that squeezed pastkeeper Lukasz Fabianski justbefore halftime. But Arsenal hitback late in the game with goalsfrom Ramsey and Eduardo, whoscored a well-taken header, turningthe game.— Reuters

Leeds kick United out of FA CupUtd suffer 1st third-round defeat since 1984; Chelsea crush Watford 5-0

A RIOJA: Qatar’s Nasser Al-Attiyahseized control of the Dakar Rally yester-day as an investigation into the horrorcrash which claimed the life of a 28-year-old spectator continued. Al-Attiyah, dri-ving a Volkswagen, won the secondstage, a 355km timed run from Cordoba,to take a 1min 19sec overall lead overteammate Carlos Sainz of Spain who wasfourth on the day. It was an early 2010boost for the Qatari driver whose 2009race ended in controversy when he wasdisqualified while leading the race.

France’s Guerlin Chicherit, in a BMW,was second on the stage followed bythree more Volkswagen drivers - CarlosNeves, Sainz and Mark Miller. Six-timemotorcycle winner and three-time autochampion Stephane Peterhansel ofFrance, in a BMW, was sixth on the dayand is third overall. Spain’s Nani Roma, ina BMW, who won Saturday’s openingstage, lost 15 minutes on Sunday aftersuffering a double-roll and finished in

18th spot to be in eighth place overall.“We caught up with Stephane after

150km. We kept a modest pace for awhile then it became very technical.That’s where we attacked before endingup in Carlos’ dust,” said Al-Attiyah.“From then on we kept up a good rhythm.Everything is going great. The conditionswere pretty difficult - there was rain, fog,a bit of everything.” France’s DavidFretigne on a Yamaha won the motorcy-cling stage while compatriot DavidCasteu of Sherco retained the overall leadafter coming in second, 43 seconds adrift.

Spain’s Marc Coma, the 2006 and 2009winner, finished third but was thenpenalised 22 minutes for speeding, asanction which relegated him to 14thoverall. “It was a really tough specialstage, very technical,” said Casteau.

“The trail was very slippery and thereare animals everywhere. I even crossedpath with two cars going in the oppositedirection.” Meanwhile, Germany’s Mirco

Schultis and Swiss teammate UlrichLeardi, whose car accidentally ploughedinto a group of spectators, killing a femalefan, didn’t start Sunday’s second stage.

The duo’s 4x4 vehicle came off thetrack and smashed into the spectatorswho are believed to have strayed from adesignated safe-viewing area near thetown of Rio Cuarto, around 800km fromBuenos Aires on Saturday.

Sonia Natalia Gallardo, 28, who suf-fered serious head, pelvic and stomachinjuries in the incident, died in a Cordobahospital while four others were hurt.Schultis and Leardi hit a group of fanswho “were in a non-authorized sector, aprivate area”, said Julio Cesar Berrocal,the Cordoba police chief.

“Three vehicles came around a cornerand two of them tried to get round. Butthe dust cloud kicked up by them pre-vented the third (Schultis and Leardi’s4x4) from seeing clearly and they cameoff the track.” — AFP

Qatar’s driver seizes control of Dakar Rally

MADRID: Real Mallorcamoved above Sevilla intofourth place with a 2-0 winover Athletic Bilbao at theOno Stadium as they main-tained their perfect homerecord with an eighth succes-sive home victory. JulioAlvarez scored the opener on49 minutes to open the scor-ing before Aritz Aduriz nettedhis eighth goal of the seasonagainst old club Bilbao after 67minutes. Mallorca are now inthe final Champions Leaguespot after a terrific start to theseason and turn their atten-tion to the Kings Cup as theytravel to Rayo Vallecano onWednesday for the first leg ofthe last 16 tie.

Earlier, Racing Santanderand Almeria both climbedaway from the relegation zonewith wins. Santander beatTenerife 2-0 with second-halfgoals from Gonzalo Colsa andFrancisco “Xisco” Jimenez,lifting the team two places to14th on 16 points. Almeriabeat bottom-placed Xerez 1-0with an 89th minute winnerfrom Jose Ortiz Bernal in JuanManuel Lillo’s first game incharge following the depar-ture of Hugo Sanchez.

The result leaves Almeriain 15th place on 16 points.Another struggling team,Malaga, appeared to haverisen out of the bottom three,twice going ahead againstSporting Gijon with goalsfrom Sergio “Duda” Barbosaand Weligton before the hostsequalized through GregoryArnolin and a long-range shotby Roberto Canella. Malagaremains 18th with 13 points.In Mallorca’s Ono Estadi bothteams struggled to createchances in a flat first half untilIraizoz had to make a superbsave to stop Aduriz’s close-range shot just before the

Home specialists Mallorca go 4thAlmeria, Racing climb out of relegation zone

PALMA DE MALLORCA: Mallorca’s JulioAlvarez (left) vies with Athletic de Bilbao’sUstaritz Aldekoaotalora during their Spanishleague football match yesterday at Ono Stadiumin Palma de Mallorca. — AFP

break.After going a goal down,

Bilbao replaced FranciscoYeste with 17-year-old IkerMuniain. The attackingreshuffle nearly paid off whena flowing move by Bilbao drewa last-ditch header off the lineby Jose Miguel Gonzalez fromFernando Llorente’s shot. Inother games it was: Getafe 1,

Valladolid 0; and Zaragoza 0,Deportivo La Coruna 0. OnSaturday, Villarreal heldBarcelona to a 1-1 draw,Valencia beat Espanyol 1-0and Atletico Madrid beatSevilla 2-1. Barcelona leadsthe standings with 40 points.Real Madrid is next with 37,Valencia has 32 points andSevilla 30. — Agencies

Authorities investigate ‘horror crash’

GLASGOW: An equalizer fromLee McCulloch earned Rangers a1-1 draw at Celtic yesterday tokeep his side seven points aheadof its traditional rival at the top ofthe Scottish Premier League.After Celtic has wasted a series ofchances at Parkhead, ScottMcDonald headed home a crossfrom Aidan McGeady in the 79thminute to give the home side adeserved lead. But McCullochheaded home a corner just twominutes later and the resultmeans defending championRangers remains a strong favoriteto hold onto the title even thoughCeltic has a game in hand.Rangers has 44 points from 19games and Celtic 37 from 18. ButCeltic manager Tony Mowbraypointed out that Rangers made upa seven-point gap on his club fromhalfway through last season, andhis team still had plenty of time,plus the bonus of a game in hand,to make up the difference.“Undoubtedly, it’s less of a taskthan they had last year,” he said.

Rangers manager WalterSmith admitted his side was luckynot to lose. “Celtic played verywell. It was a tough afternoon fora lot of our boys,” he said. “I felt inthe second half we did a little bit

better. We are delighted to havegot a point from a game we shouldnot have. We were not with thepace of the game at all.” Rangers

lost Nacho Novo with a leg injurywith the game only 13 minutesold and Maurice Edu replacedhim. Marc-Antoine Fortune had

the ball in the Rangers net in the20th minute when he climbedabove goalkeeper AllanMcGregor to head home.

But referee Steve Conroyharshly ruled he had fouled thegoalkeeper and it didn’t count.Celtic midfielder Barry Robsonhit the bar with a glancing headerand McGeady missed two morechances, pulling a left footed shotacross the face of the goal andthen shooting over the bar. Afterthe two goals, McGregor rescuedRangers by pushing a powerfulshot from Georgios Samaras overthe bar. Hibernian and Heartsdrew 1-1 in yesterday’s othergame, an Edinburgh derby whichwas marred by two red cards andcrowd trouble. Gordon Smithgave Hearts the lead in the finalminute of the first half and aHearts fan was ejected after aflare was thrown as the playersleft the field.

equalized for the home side inthe 54th minute and, three min-utes later, Hearts’ RubenPalazuelos and DarrenMcCormack of Hibs were sent offfor head-butting each other.Hibernian remained third with 33points and Hearts stayed fifthwith 24. — AP

Rangers go 7-point clear

GLASGOW: Celtic’s French striker Marc-Antoine Fortune (right) vies with Rangers’Danny Wilson yesterday. — AFP

Emaar surges ahead of Burj Dubai opening, Gulf jump

Prince Alwaleedranked No 1

Monday, January 4, 201022 232010 expected to bring stable gas prices 24

www.kuwaittimes.net

DUBAI: Burj Dubai, the world’s tallest building (seen at centre left) in Dubai yesterday. — AP

DUBAI: Dubai is set to open theworld’s tallest building amid tightsecurity today, celebrating thetower as a bold feat on the worldstage despite the city state’sshaky financial footing. But thefinal height of the Burj Dubai —Arabic for Dubai Tower —remained a closely guarded secreton the eve of its opening. At morethan 2,625 feet (800 meters), itlong ago vanquished its nearestrival, the Taipei 101 in Taiwan.The Burj’s record-seeking devel-opers didn’t stop there. Thebuilding boasts the most storiesand highest occupied floor of anybuilding in the world, and ranks asthe world’s tallest structure, beat-ing out a television mast in NorthDakota. Its observation deck —on floor 124 — also sets a record.

“We weren’t sure how high wecould go,” said Bill Baker, thebuilding’s structural engineer,who is in Dubai for the inaugura-tion. “It was kind of an explo-ration. ... A learning experience”Baker, of Chicago-based architec-ture and engineering firmSkidmore, Owings & Merrill, saidearly designs for the Burj had itedging out the world’s previousrecord-holder, the Taipei 101, byabout 33 feet (10 meters). TheTaiwan tower rises 1,667 feet(508 meters).

The Burj’s developer, EmaarProperties, kept pushing thedesign higher even after con-struction began, eventuallyputting it about 984 feet (300meters) taller than its nearestcompetitor, Baker said. He iskeeping quiet about the exactheight.

Dubai’s ruler will open thetapering metal-and-glass spirewith a fireworks display todayevening.

Security is expected to betight. Local newspapers quotedMaj. Gen. Mohammed Eid Al-Mansouri, head of the protectivesecurity and emergency unit forDubai Police, saying more than1,000 security personnel, includ-ing plainclothes police and sharp-shooters, will be deployed tosecure the site for the opening.Work on the Burj Dubai began in2004 and continued rapidly. Attimes, new floors were beingadded almost every three days,reflecting Dubai’s raging push toreshape itself over a few yearsfrom a small-time desert outpostinto a cosmopolitan urban giantpacked with skyscrapers. ByJanuary 2007, thousands of labor-ers, many of them brought in ontemporary contracts from India,had completed 100 stories.

The finished product containsmore than 160 floors. That is over50 stories more than Chicago’sWillis Tower, the tallest record-holder in the US formerly knownas the Sears Tower.

At their peak, some apart-ments in the Burj were selling formore than $1,900 per square foot,though they now can go for lessthan half that, said HeatherWipperman Amiji, chief executiveof Dubai real estate consultancyInvestment Boutique. Besidesluxury apartments and offices, theBurj will be home to a hoteldesigned by Giorgio Armani. It’salso the centerpiece of a 500-acredevelopment that officials hopewill become a new central resi-dential and commercial district inthis sprawling and often discon-nected city. It is flanked by dozensof smaller but brand-new sky-scrapers and the Middle East’slargest shopping mall.

That layout — as the core of alower-rise skyline — lets the Burjstand out prominently against thehorizon. It is visible across dozensof miles of rolling sand dunes out-side Dubai. From the air, the spireappears as an almost solitary,slender needle reaching high intothe sky. The Burj’s openingcomes at a tough time for Dubai’seconomy. Property prices in new-er parts of the sheikdom have col-lapsed by nearly half over the pastyear.

The city-state turned to itsricher neighbor Abu Dhabi for aseries of bailouts totaling $25 bil-lion in 2009 to help cover debtsamassed by a network of state-linked companies. Burj developerEmaar is itself partly owned bythe government, but is not amongthe companies known to havereceived emergency cash.

Emaar has said the entireDowntown Burj Dubai develop-ment, which includes the tower,will cost $20 billion to build.Sales of properties around theBurj are meant to help pay for thetower itself, which analysts say isunlikely to be profitable on itsown.

Jan Klerks, research and com-munications manager for theCouncil on Tall Buildings andUrban Habitat, which tracksworld’s tallest claims, said thebuilding’s real value might be thatit is the “biggest city marketingcampaign” Dubai could have comeup with.

“Put your name and that of theBurj Dubai on an envelope, and nopostal service in the world willhave problems delivering themail,” he said. —AP

Dubai opens world’s highest tower todayNo tell tale: A bold feat on world stage

DUBAI: Dubai was preparing yesterday to inaugurate the world’stallest tower, a symbol of the Gulf emirate’s unbridled ambitions, amidongoing fears about a financial catastrophe. The city state, which bor-rowed heavily to finance its grandiose projects, is striving to restructureits mountain of debt and face a serious crisis in its once-booming realestate sector. Some observers now appear more confident aboutDubai’s ability to navigate its way out of the crisis, after many predictedbankruptcy when it requested a debt repayments standstill for itslargest group Dubai World in late November.

Dubai was bailed out with a last-minute lifeline of 10 billion dollarsfrom neighbouring emirate Abu Dhabi, which enabled Dubai to pay itsimminent debt. “We are much more confident about the situation ofDubai now, after Abu Dhabi’s support as well as the comprehensiverestructuring plan, than we were a one month ago,” said Mahdi Mattar,chief economist at Shuaa Capital.

“The debt story is not as bad as the market initially thought, wheninvestors were assuming the worst,” he said. Dubai World began nego-tiations with its creditors in late December with the hope of reaching anagreement over restructuring debt of $22 billion, owed by its troubledsubsidiaries.

The talks followed Dubai World’s payment of $4.1 billion in matur-ing bonds owed by its real estate arm, Nakheel, thanks to Abu Dhabi’shelp. But the emirate, which has little oil resources, has to deal with atotal debt burden amounting to around $100 billion, according to esti-mates. Its fortunes have turned around as the global financial crisisdried up global finance which was crucial to feed its rapid economicgrowth, mainly in real estate. “In Dubai where 90 percent of the popula-tion are expatriates, 50 percent of the work force is real estate and con-struction-based,” said Saud Masud, senior real estate analyst at UBSbank in Dubai. He estimated a drop of eight percent in Dubai’s popula-tion, which was reportedly around two million before the crisis, whilehe expected a two percent drop in 2010.

This decrease in population is expected to deepen the decline inproperty prices in Dubai which dived 50 percent in 2009, he said.“There is over supply as more houses are being handed over. With pop-ulation outflows of 10 percent over 2009-2010 and handovers of roughly40,000 units during the same period, we would not be surprised to seeresidential over supply of 30 percent by end of 2010,” he said.

This deterioration has triggered an 80 percent drop in projects in2009 compared with the previous year. “Big projects have been delayedindefinitely. If investors don’t pay developers, they in turn will struggleto pay contractors,” he said.

Vacant villas and apartment blocks make now up part of Dubai’slandscape, while the most grandiose projects have been put on hold,including a one-kilometre (0.62 mile) high tower expected to dwarfDubai’s completed Burj Dubai, whose final height is more than 800metres (2,640 feet). But Dubai’s debt crisis does not mean the emiratewill sink in the desert sands, analysts agreed. “Dubai will not be wipedoff the map. It is a very important centre and model for the rest of theMiddle East,” said Masud. — AFP

Financial uncertainty clouds tower opening

NEW DELHI: Small will be big at anIndian auto show when the world’sleading manufacturers unveil a slew ofcompact cars designed for one of theworld’s fastest growing markets.

AutoExpo 2010, which beginstomorrow and runs until January 11, isexpected to be the biggest ever, featur-ing global releases of new models fromthe most famous names in the industry.

Recent months have seen foreigngiants Ford, General Motors, Hyundaiand Renault join a stampede to India,where each has promised a small,cheap model designed for what Fordboss Alan Mulally termed the “sweetspot” of the market. Many of these willbe on display during the week, includ-ing the Figo from Ford, concept smallcars from Japan’s Honda and Toyota aswell as the India-made Polo byGermany’s Volkswagen.

“India is developing as a small-carhub,” senior director at the Society ofIndian Automobile Manufacturers(SIAM), Sugato Sen, told AFP. Hepointed to government policies thathave promoted the production of smallcars domestically, while rising incomeshave driven demand for basic, no-frillsvehicles.

“India ultimately is a developingcountry where the average annual

income is below $1,000 a year, so thisis reflected in the vehicles we use,” hesaid.“They’re not sophisticated, butthe market is growing double-digit.”India is Asia’s third-largest car marketafter China and Japan, but what hasmanufacturers excited is the potentialexplosive growth in a country with abillion-plus population.

“Growth in developed counties isalmost saturated so they are lookingfor where they can sell, especially inthe low-end, entry-level segment,”said analyst Vaishali Jajoo from AngelBroking.

She said sales of passenger vehicleshave been growing at above 10 percenta year for the last five years and will

carry on at “12-13 percent for the nextfour to five years.”

Incomes are rising steadily, mean-ing Indians are following the familiarpattern of upgrading their personaltransport from push bikes, to motor-bikes, then to cars.

The market is forecast to triple tosix million car sales annually in adecade-a mouth-watering propositionfor car groups, but a concern for thosewho drive on the already traffic-clogged streets of India’s cities. “Thetrain is leaving the station and youwant to make sure you have the prod-ucts on line,” Carlos Ghosn, who runsRenault and Nissan, said in Novemberas he announced plans to produce an

ultra-low-cost vehicle.Such is the buzz around the India

show this year that some insiders arebeginning to speak of it in the samebreath as the Detroit auto event thatkicks off on the day the Delhi exhibi-tion finishes.

Ten global launches of vehiclesfrom heavy trucks to two-wheelers areplanned at the Delhi event, which willsee an expected 1.8 million visitorspass through the doors.

This year’s Delhi is the 10th, but itfirst caught the world’s attention in2008 when Indian manufacturer TataMotors unveiled its Nano, the world’scheapest car that has since hit theroads, though production remains

restricted. Ranojoy Mukerji, an autosector analyst and adviser on a govern-ment car certification project, under-lines that the range of new vehicles setto hit the market is good news for con-sumers.

But it means manufacturers willface a highly competitive market thatis currently dominated by Indo-Japanese group Maruti Suzuki, whichhas about 55 percent market share anda strong track-record in the small-carsegment. “It will become a very toughmarket because the consumer willhave a lot of choice,” Mukerji told AFP.“Before (consumers) had five cars tochoose from, suddenly they will belooking at 20.” — AFP

MOSCOW: Russia has halted oil flows to Belarussianrefineries after failing to agree terms for 2010, but ris-ing tensions have not so far affected the transit ofRussian oil to the European Union, traders said yester-day.

Germany and Poland are watching the dispute aftersupplies to some of their major refineries were cut dur-ing a similar row between Moscow and Minsk inJanuary 2007. European politicians have repeatedlyaccused the Kremlin of using its energy might as a toolof intimidation against its neighbors, be it gas or oildeals with Belarus or Ukraine.

Russia, the world’s largest oil and gas producer, saysit is simply switching gradually to market terms aftersubsidizing neighbors with cheap energy for years. Afifth of Europe’s gas comes from Russia via Ukraine andBelarus. Large volumes of Russian oil also go throughpipelines that traverse the two ex-Soviet states.

Two traders from major Russian oil firms said crudehad not been flowing to Belarussian plants since Jan. 1,but added that two Belarussian refineries-Naftan andMozyr-had enough stockpiled crude to continue opera-tions for around a week.

“In Belarus they say when holidays are over today,Lukashenko will come back and decide what to do,”said one trader, referring to Belarussian leader

Alexader Lukashenko. Russia is on holiday until Jan.11, while Belarus resumes working on Jan. 4.

Minsk has insisted that Russia supply duty-free oilnot only for volumes consumed domestically inBelarus, but for all Russian crude supplied to the coun-try. Most of that crude is refined by Naftan and Mozyrfor re-export to the West and only a small portion ofrefined products stays inside Belarus.

Traders said Mozyr and Naftan have stockpiles ofaround 450,000 tons. They also said Belarus had threat-ened to raise transit fees on Russian oil supplies toPoland and Germany by a factor of 10 to $45 per ton inretaliation to Russian demands.

That would make transit supplies of crude expen-sive and potentially disrupt flows to Poland andGermany. Russia and Belarus had plans to created aunion with one currency and common customs rules,but the project never materialized as relations betweenthe two states chilled.

Moscow has often blamed Lukashenko, who hasbeen running the country for over a decade alongSoviet-style command lines, for failing to keep itspromises, including selling top assets to Russian firms.Lukashenko in turn has accused Russia of deviatingfrom initial agreements to create the union, including itsefforts to raise oil duties. — AFP

Small is big at Delhi auto show

PIMPRI, India: Tata Motors employees walk past parked Nano cars lined up ahead of a test drive session for journalists atthe Tata Motors plant at Pimpri, some 160 km south-east of Mumbai. — AFP

BEIJING: Shoppers walk past the Silkmarket in Beijing, an emporium ofcounterfeit goods from an array of vendors who used to sell on a streetknown as Silk Street, which was closed under the guise of World TradeOrganization rules on piracy, only to resurface nearby with the appearanceof a fully legitimate shopping center. — AFP (See page 24)

Russia halts oil flows to Belarus refineries

22 Monday, January 4, 2010BUSINESS

EXCHANGE RATES

Commercial Bank of Kuwait

US Dollar/KD .2830000 .2930000GB Pound/KD .4530000 .4640000Euro .4080000 .4160000Swiss francs .2730000 .2820000Canadian Dollar .2700000 .2780000Australian DLR .2530000 .2610000Indian rupees .0045000 .0075000Sri Lanka Rupee .0020000 .0035000UAE dirhams .0777740 .0785560Bahraini dinars .7577310 .7653460Jordanian dinar .4020000 .4180000Saudi riyals .0750000 .0790000Omani riyals .7428230 .7502880Philippine peso .0045000 .0072000Egyptian pounds .0500000 .0570000

CUSTOMER TRANSFER RATESUS Dollar/KD .2865000 .2886000GB Pound/KD .4551710 .4583860Euro .4103960 .4132940Swiss francs .2757300 .2776830Canadian dollars .2724910 .2744210Danish Kroner .0551500 .0555400Swedish Kroner .0397110 .0399930Australian dlr .2552150 .2557010Hong Kong dlr .0369400 .0372020Singapore dlr .2036980 .2051400Japanese yen .0031080 .0031300Indian Rs/KD .0061940 .0062380Sri Lanka rupee .0025130 .0025310Pakistan rupee .0034210 .0034450Bangladesh taka .0041970 .0042270UAE dirhams .0780420 .0785400Bahraini dinars .7603350 .7651840Jordanian dinar .4051910 .4080610Saudi Riyal/KD .0764390 .0769270Omani riyals .7445310 .7492800Philippine Peso .0062280 .0062720

TRANSFER CHEQUES RATESUS Dollar .2886000Sterling pounds .4583860Swiss Francs .2776830Saudi Riyals .0769270

Bahrain Exchange Company

Kuwait Bahrain Intl Exchange Co.

Dollarco Exchange Co. Ltd

Al Mulla Exchange

Hongkong dollar 37.780 37.630Indian rupees 6.480 6.180Indonesia 0.034Iranian tuman 0.290Iraqi dinar 0.251Japanese yen 3.220Jordanian dinar 408.100 406.370Lebanese pound 0.194 0.193Malaysian ringgit 86.270 86.270Morocco dirham 38.700Nepalese Rupees 4.240 3.880New Zealand dollar 212.800 211.300Nigeria 2.183Norwegian krone 51.100Omani Riyal 746.800 746.620Pakistani rupees 3.480 3.425Philippine peso 6.420 6.210Qatari riyal 79.510 79.080Saudi riyal 76.760 76.760Singapore dollar 206.320 206.320South Africa 41.380 41.380Sri Lankan rupees 2.762 2.510Sterling pound 470.300 468.300Swedish krona 41.400Swiss franc 283.200 281.700Syrian pound 6.400Thai bhat 9.020 8.810Tunisian dollar 222.000UAE dirham 78.440 78.440U.S. dollars 287.900 287.500Yemeni Riyal 1.430

GOLD10 Tola 1,187.010

TRAVELLER’S CHEQUESterling Pound 468.300US Dollar 287.500

Currency Rate per 1000 (Tran) US Dollar 287.350Pak Rupees 3.420Indian Rupees 6.165Sri Lankan Rupees 2.520Bangladesh Taka 4.165Philippines Peso 6.210UAE Dirhams 78.270Saudi Riyals 76.750Bahraini Dinars 764.000Egyptian Pounds 52.420Pound Sterling 467.500Indonesian Rupiah 0.0000306Yemeni Riyal 1.550Jordanian Dinars 408.200Syrian Pounds 5.750Euro 418.700Candaian Dollars 280.600

Sri Lankan Rupees 2.490Bangladesh Taka 4.160Philippines Pesso 6.085Japanese Yen 3.165Thai Bhat 8.550Syrian Pound 5.520Nepalese Rupees 3.640

Al-Muzaini Exchange Co.

Sterling Pound 458.800Canadian dollar 279.420Turkish lire 190.620Swiss Franc 278.610Australian dollar 256.010US Dollar Buying 285.000

ASIAN COUNTRIESJapanese Yen 3.140Indian Rupees 6.155Pakistani Rupees 3.414Srilankan Rupees 2.513Nepali Rupees 3.865Singapore Dollar 205.400Hongkong Dollar 37.140Bangladesh Taka 4.164Philippine Peso 6.190Thai Baht 8.647Irani Riyal - Transfer 0.301Irani Riyal - Cash 0.292

ARAB COUNTRIESEgyptian Pound - Cash 54.500Egyptian Pound - 52.413Yemen Riyal 1.394Tunisian Dinar 218.530Jordanian Dinar 406.610Lebanese Lira 194.500Syrian Lier 6.336Morocco Dirham 37.090

GCC COUNTRIESSaudi Riyal 76.790Qatari Riyal 79.110Omani Riyal 748.020Bahraini Dinar 764.710UAE Dirham 78.420

GOLD20 Gram 216.00010 Gram 110.0005 Gram 57.000

Currency Transfer rateUS Dollar 287.400Euro 415.500Pound Sterling 458.000Japanese Yen 3.140Indian Rupee 6.165Egyptian Pound 52.400Sri Lankan Rupee 2.513Bangladesh Taka 4.155Philippines Peso 6.190Pakistan Rupee 3.420Bahraini Dinar 764.100UAE Dirham 78.300Saudi Riyal 76.800*Rates are subject to change

EUROPEAN & AMERICAN COUNTRIESUS Dollar Transfer 287.800 Euro 413.600

COUNTRY SELL CASH SELL DRAFTAustralian dollar 262.600 261.100Bahraini dinar 764.540 764.540Bangladeshi taka 4.480 4.160Canadian dollar 278.100 276.600Cyprus pound 693.700Czek koruna 15.800Danish krone 56.700Egyptian pound 54.120 52.431Euro Cash 417.200 415.700

US Dollar 284.800Canadian Dollar 274.810Sterling Pound 475.510Euro 429.290Swiss Frank 281.470Cyprus Pound 719.870Bahrain Dinar 759.995UAE Dirhams 78.015Qatari Riyals 78.655Saudi Riyals 76.450Jordanian Dinar 404.430Egyptian Pound 52.475Indian Rupees 6.125Pakistani Rupees 3.445

Prince Alwaleed ranked No 1 Institutional Investor Magazine’s list of ME’s influential financiers

The list includes KhaldoonKhalifa Al-Mubarak, ChiefExecutive, Development Co,Arif Naqfi, Founder and CEO,Abraaj Capital, Sheikh Hamadbin Jassim bin Jabr Al-Thani,CEO, Qatar InvestmentAuthority, Bader Al Sa’ad,Managing Director, KuwaitInvestment Authority, SheikhAhmed bin Zayad Al-Nehayan,Managing Director, Abu DhabiInvestment Authority, Adel El-Labban, Chief Executive, AhliUnited Bank, Hamad Al-Sayari,Governor- Saudi ArabianMonetary Agency, AbdullahSalim Bahamdan, Chairman,National Commercial Bank,Mohammed Al-Gergawi,Chairman, the Executive Officeand Dubai Holding, Amr AlDabbagh, Chairman andGovernor, Saudi ArabianGeneral Investment Authorityand Hassan Heikal, CO-CEO,EFG, Hermes.

The prince is known for hisprecision for exploring new andpotential business opportunitiesand ventures in synchronizationwith the direction and fluctua-tions of the economic climate.His successful strategy in longterm investment has also paidoff handsomely, which hasearned him a global name in theworld of business.

Consequently, KHC was list-ed on Tadawul in 2007 and hasbeen involved in the creation ofa diversified long term invest-ments portfolio of strategicstakes in well-known companieslocally and around the world, in

multiple sectors. Furthermore, Prince

Alwaleed’s unique progressivethinking and active social net-work with global leaders, deci-sion makers and business peo-ple has firmly placed HisHighness and Kingdom Holdingon the world business map.

Moreover, Prince Alwaleedis active in social responsibilityprojects through significantlocal and international donationsmade by Alwaleed Bin Talal’sphilanthropic and humanitarianfoundations span all the conti-nents, including Africa and Asia.HRH was acknowledged for his

active philanthropy and wasawarded the Special Award forPhilanthropy by ArabianBusiness during the ArabianBusiness Saudi AchievementAwards event in 2007. In addi-tion, the Prince is an advocatefor the promotion of East-Westcultural and religious dialoguefor tolerance and understandingin line with the initiative of theCustodian of the Two HolyMosques King Abdullah. Inrecognition of this, Time maga-zine listed Prince Alwaleed onthe Time 100 issue and amongthe 12 Power Givers around theworld for raising the profile ofIslamic history and culturearound the world in 2007.

Prince Alwaleed’s recogni-tions span over a decade and themost recent include: the Princetopped Arabian BusinessMagazine’s 2009 50 RichestArabs List, also the Prince wasnumber one in ArabianBusiness Magazine’s 50 RichestSaudi List, 2009, he was includ-ed in the 2009 Forbes World’sPowerful Billionaires list, in the25 People Who will Affect YourFinances 2009 list in US Newsmagazine, named the top singleinvestor in Saudi Arabia accord-ing to Al Jazeerah newspaperthat named investors who holdthe most stakes in local compa-nies. The percentage of PrinceAlwaleed’s share in KingdomHolding Company is 95% whichis the largest by an individualinvestor. Also, the Prince wasranked one of the top 25 billion-aires in the 2009 Forbes

Billionaires list, in 2008, he wasranked the largest privateinvestor on the Saudi stockexchange, Arabian Businessranked him number one in theirlist of 100 Most Powerful Arabsfor the fourth year running. Alsoin 2008 Institutional Investormagazine listed PrinceAlwaleed on its first-ever rank-ing of the most-powerful figuresin finance, European Businessmagazine selected PrinceAlwaleed as the number oneRichest Arab in the World onthe list of The World’s RichestArabs, Zahrat Al-Khaleej maga-zine chose Prince AlwaleedEntertainment Personality ofthe Year according to its annualpoll, The Times newspaperranked Prince Alwaleed num-ber five on the “25 ShapingTomorrow’s World of MiddleEast Business” list, Forbesmagazine ranked PrinceAlwaleed number 1 on theMiddle East’s 20 RichestPeople List, InstitutionalInvestor magazine listed PrinceAlwaleed on their 40th anniver-sary issue on the list of theWorld’s Most Powerful andInfluential people in the last 40years and Arabian Businessmagazine chose PrinceAlwaleed on the Top of the 50Richest Arabs List, Almaal walAalam magazine’s poll votedPrince Alwaleed EconomicPersonality of the Year in theArab World and in 2005 fea-tured Prince Alwaleed’s rank-ing in Fortune Magazine’s 2005list of Asia’s 25 most powerful.

Prince Alwaleed bin Talal bin Abdulaziz Alsaud, Chairman of KingdomHolding Company (KHC), tops Institutional Investor magazine’s 2009 list ofthe 12 of the Middle East’s Most Prominent and Influential Financiers. The

magazine stated, “As a barometer of the vertiginous rise and fall of the Gulf’sfortunes, few investors can rival Prince Alwaleed...his ambition still makehim one of the most fascinating Gulf investors to watch.”

KUWAIT: National Bank of Kuwait (NBK), theleading bank in Kuwait and the highest rated inthe Middle East, is bringing its Thahabi clientsan exclusive promotion by Lexus Al-Sayer.This exclusive promotion will offer Thahabiclients the opportunity to purchase any Lexusmodel car of their choice at a competitive priceand free service for 4 years or 50,000 KM.

“Promotions such as this are especiallyenticing to those Thahabi customers whoappreciate Lexus, and now have the chance topick the model that best suits them, statedAdel Al Jenae Assistant General ManagerConsumer Banking Group. Adding “our clientsappreciate practical luxury very much, and wehave partnered with Al-Sayer Lexus who’sautomobiles are synonymous with that. Thisspecial promotion that started on December15, 2009 is only valid until the end of January2010, hence we invite you to visit the Lexusshowroom and pick the car of your choice.”

Thahabi is the Premier affluent customerpackage from NBK that offers personalizedand ‘best in class’ products and services,delivered by professional Personal BankingOfficers. Thahabi customers enjoy manybanking related discounts, fee waivers andvalue-added lifestyle benefits. Qualificationfor the Thahabi package is subject to meetingthe minimum deposit criteria of KD 30,000 inany interest or non-interest bearing account

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Exclusive promotion from NBK and Lexus for Thahabi’s clients

Adel Al-Jenae

DUBAI: The Gulf emirate ofDubai, whose biggest state-owned group sparked globalfears of a debt default inNovember when it asked for asix-month debt moratorium,has a history of vast imposingprojects. Burj Dubai, theworld’s tallest tower beinginaugurated today, is just thelatest of these.

As recently as late 2008Dubai was still announcinggigantic schemes like the 95-billion-dollar JumeirahGardens new town and a one-kilometer-high structure,Nakheel Harbor and Tower, ina 28-billion-dollar businessdistrict.

The iconic Palm Jumeirahdevelopment has seen thou-sands of apartments, villasand luxury hotels built on ahuge artificial palm-treeshaped island. The island’sluxury “Atlantis, The Palm”hotel is a tourist attractionwith 1,539 bedrooms, as isBurj Al-Arab, the only hotelanywhere claiming a seven-star rating.

However, only one of thethree planned palm islandshas been completed, whileThe World-a proposed collec-tion of 300 islands forming a

globe shape-is far from beingrealized. Plans for Dubailand,a $64 billion theme park, arealso at a standstill. Marketresearchers estimate that

projects worth up to $582 bil-lion, or 45 percent of thevalue of all developments, areon hold in Dubai or othermembers of the United Arab

Emirates because of the glob-al economic crisis.

But many older schemeshave been completed. Amongthem is Festival City, com-prising 20,000 apartments,50,000 offices, 3,500 guestbedrooms, 100 restaurantsand two shopping centres.

Another tourist draw is theMall of the Emirates, openedin 2005 and famous for SkiDubai, the world’s largestindoor ski slope. Dubai hasalso been planning yet moreshopping malls such as theone-million square-metreMall of Arabia, scheduled forcompletion in 2016.

In terms of infrastructure,the opening of Al-MaktoumInternational, Dubai’s secondairport with a predicted capac-ity of 120 million passengers ayear, has been put back tomid-2010.

The airport, near Jebel Aliport, is designed to be part ofa $33 billion complex thatincludes a freight terminalwith capacity of 12 milliontons a year. —AFP

DUBAI: Burj Dubai, whose inauguration isscheduled for today, will be the biggest tower inthe world at more than 800 metres (2,640 feet)tall.

The exact height of the tower has not beenofficially announced, but developer Emaar saysthe height is at least 800 metres. Informedinternet sites have put the overall height at 818metres, while architects working in the regionsay it could be even higher.

The top of the tower is visible from a dis-tance of 95 kilometres (59 miles). The first 605metres are made from concrete, a world record,while the rest of the structure is made out ofmetal.

The tower is at the heart of a roughly $20-billion (14-billion-euro) project namedDowntown Burj Dubai, which includes theDubai Mall, one of the biggest shopping centresin the world.

The tower has been under constructionsince 2004 and had originally been scheduled tobe inaugurated in 2008.

Here are the 10 biggest towers in the world,not taking into account their antennae: ● Burj Dubai (United Arab Emirates, 2009)

800m (2,640 feet) ● Taipei 101, Taipei (Taiwan, 2004)

508m (1,676 feet) ● Shanghai World Financial Centre (China,

2008) 492m (1,624 feet)

● Willis (Sears) Tower, Chicago (UnitedStates, 1974)442m (1,459 feet)

● Petronas Twin Towers, Kuala Lumpur(Malaysia, 1998)410m (1,353 feet)

● Two International Finance Centre, HongKong (2003)407m (1,343 feet)

● Empire State Building, New York (UnitedStates, 1931) 381m (1,257 feet)

● Central Plaza, Hong Kong (1992)374m (1,234 feet)

● Bank of China, Hong Kong (1989)369m (1,218 feet)

● Jin Mao Tower, Shanghai (China, 1998)366m (1,208 feet)

Among the towers currently under construction:● The Tokyo Sky Tree, originally referred to

as New Tokyo Tower (Japan, 2012)610m (2,013 feet)

● Chicago Spire, Chicago (United States, 2010)609m (2,010 feet)

● Abraj Al Bait, Makkah (Saudi Arabia, 2010) 600m (1,980 feet)

● One World Trade Center, at Ground Zero,New York (United States, 2014) 541m (1,785 feet)

● International Commerce Centre Hong Kong(2010) 484m (1,597 feet) —AFP

RIYADH: A consortium led byJapan’s Marubeni Corp has pro-posed the lowest tariff to build a2,000 megawatt power plant inRiyadh for Saudi Electricity Co(SEC).

The consortium, which alsoincludes Kansai Electric andSaudi Masader Co for Power,Water and Gas, proposed a lev-elised electricity cost-whichincludes costs of production,fuel, financing and operations-of0.077 riyals per kilowatt hour,Saudi Electricity said.

In a statement on its websiteSaudi Electricity said it wouldexamine legal and technicalaspects of all bids before signinga power purchase agreement(PPA) by the end of March.“Bids are now under evaluation,within a month or a month and ahalf we will have a clear pic-ture,” Amr Al-Swaha, head ofindependent power producer(IPP) projects, told Reuters.

French utility group GDFSuez along with Saudi Al JomaihGroup’s offered a cost of 0.1079

riyals per KWH. A bid by Japan’sSumitomo Corp, TenagaNasional of Malaysia and SaudiBinladin Group came in at0.1126 riyals per KWH, the SECsaid.

Japan’s Mitsubishi Corp, withSaudi Acwa Power and Japan’sTokyo Electric Power, made anoffer of 0.1197 riyals per KWH,while International Power withSaudi Oger and Korea ElectricPower Corp (KEPCO) made thehighest tariff with 0.1299 riyalsper KWH. —Reuters

The highest towers in the worldA brief history of mega projects in Dubai

Marubeni submits lowest tariff for Riyadh plant

DUBAI: A handout picture made available by the Atlantis public relations officeshows fireworks lighting the man-made palm island in Dubai during the grandopening of Atlantis resort on November 20, 2009. The Gulf emirate of Dubai has ahistory of vast imposing projects. —AFP

BUSINESS 23Monday, January 4, 2010

FRANKFURT: The euro-zone’snew year heralds a debt crisisthat has alarm bells ringing andmarkets tracking governmentplans to tame the growing short-fall.

Officials have borrowedheavily to pull the 16-nationzone out of its first recession,and debt levels are set to smasha huge hole in the ceiling set bythe European Union in itsStability and Growth Pact.

Soaring budget deficits, lowgrowth and banking sector sup-port “are feeding into signifi-cantly higher public debt levels,”the European Commission haswarned.

Average euro-zone “publicdebt could reach 84 percent ofGDP (gross domestic product)by 2010, an increase of 18 per-centage points from 2007,” itsaid, far above the pact’s limit of60 percent.

Government debt ratings

have been downgraded inGreece by all three major inter-national agencies, and by someof them in Ireland and Spain aswell.

The Fitch agency has urgedall governments with top ratingsto tame debt, mentioning in par-ticular Britain, which is not aeuro-zone member, along withFrance and Spain, which are.

Germany, long consideredthe cornerstone of euro-zonefiscal discipline, forecasts publicdebt at around 78 percent ofGDP this year, while in France,the second biggest euro-zoneeconomy, public debt jumped toa record 75.8 percent in thethird quarter of 2009.

Greece says its shortfallcome to 120 percent of output in2010. Debt is raising the cost ofborrowing for many countriesand adding to the weight ofreimbursing obligations onfuture budgets.

With unemployment risingand weak growth expected in2010, officials cannot count onincreased tax revenues formuch help in paying down debt,a lot of which is owed abroad.

“The (economic) crisis isweighing on the sustainability ofpublic finances and potentialgrowth,” the EU commissionhas warned as economists leaveopen the possibility of a “doubledip” recession this year.Finances will be underminedfurther by an ageing populationthat will need expensive healthcare in the years to come.

But tightening the financialscrews, as many capitals havepledged to do, could choke off aneconomic recovery if officialsact too soon, analysts warn.Natixis economist Patrick Artussaid that in the near term, “itwill not be possible to return toless expansionary monetarypolicies, at the risk of creating

huge problems” as moneypumped out to boost activity hasbegun to generate fresh prob-lems of its own.

They include new specula-tive bubbles in emerging econo-my assets, commodities andpossibly even real-estate, a keyfactor in the mid-2007 financialmeltdown. Failing to act ondeficits and debt however willspark a reaction at some pointfrom financial markets whichwill demand higher interest pay-ments on loans, especially fromhighly exposed countries likeGreece. On Friday, the yield, orinterest on 10-year Greek bondswas a hefty 2.36 percentagepoints higher than that forbenchmark German bonds.

Before the financial crisiserupted in August 2007, thespread was just 0.29 points, andin early December, GreekPrime Minister GeorgePapandreou warned: “Either we

eradicate the debt, or the debtwill eliminate the country.”

The Greek debt debacle con-stitutes one of the euro-zone’sbiggest tests ever as Europe’ssingle currency begins its 12thyear in existence.

That has weighed on theeuro, which traded for $1.44 onThursday ahead of the NewYear holiday. Markets want toknow if solidarity will prevailwithin the 16-nation bloc, asmost analysts expect, orwhether it will plunge into anexistential crisis.

European Central Bank gov-erning council member EwaldNowotny has underscored a “nobail-out” principle contained inEU treaties, while GermanChancellor Angela Merkel, headof Europe’s biggest economy,has suggested otherwise.

Merkel said last month that“we all share a common respon-sibility,” for Greece. — AFP

Euro-zone’s new year heralds major debt crisis

ECB headquarters seen against a euro symbol at Frankfurt.

Gains elsewhere were more muted,with Saudi Arabia almost flat and Qataredging slightly higher in sluggish tradingon both bourses. Emaar’s gains werenearly matched by its rival developers,with Deyaar climbing 6.9 percent andSorouh Real Estate adding 4.2 percent.

“The opening of Burj Dubai is a senti-mental issue, rather than an actual changein the company’s situation, although itdoes mean investors expect Burj Dubairevenues will be booked in the first quar-ter,” said Marwan Shurrab, vice-presidentand chief trader at Gulfmena AlternativeInvestments.

Emaar, Arabtec and Deyaar betweenthem accounted for almost two-thirds of allshares changing hands on Dubai’s indexand analysts were divided over what thismeant for the bourse’s immediateprospects. “The big volumes in Emaar andArabtec mean the market should be able togo a bit higher tomorrow,” said ShawkatRaslan, Prime Emirates head of sales.

“Emaar broke a strong resistance levelat 4.04 dirhams on high volumes-this isnew cash coming into the stock and itshould continue upward.” Gulfmena’sShurrab was more cautious, saying thefocus on a handful of property-relatedstocks showed that short-term, retailinvestors were dominating trading.

Saudi Arabia’s index rose for a secondday as investors paused ahead of fourth-quarter results following strong gains in2009. “Everybody is waiting for the full-year results and this is reflected in the lackof liquidity and turnover in the market,”said Saleh AlOnazi, vice-president ofPrincipal Investment at Swicorp in Riyadh.“We have performed very well for the pastyear and the big investors are caughtbetween realizing their profits and tryingto work out where the market will go.”

The Saudi measure was the top GulfArab performer in 2009, climbing 27 per-cent.

Saudi Basic Industries Corp (SABIC)rose 0.3 percent, offsetting minor declinesin Samba Financial Group and Al-RajhiBank.

“Oil prices have done very well, butthe big question mark is over banks’transparency and the provisions they aretaking,” added AlOnazi.

Qatar’s index rose for the first sessionin four, although it remains down 8 per-cent since early October’s 11-monthhigh.

“Everyone is waiting to see what divi-dends banks will announce-until then,trading is likely to be conservative,” saidSamer Al-Jaouni, General Manager ofMiddle East Financial Brokerage Co.

“Qatar’s economy should do betterthan the rest of the Gulf and is seen asone of the top performers globally, butthis has yet to really be seen in compa-nies’ earnings.”

The Bahrain and Kuwait markets wereclosed for a holiday.

HIGHLIGHTSDUBAIThe index climbed 3.4 percent to 1,866points, its highest finish since Dec. 17.ABU DHABIThe benchmark rose 1.1 percent to 2,772points.SAUDI ARABIAThe measure climbed 0.1 percent to 6,150points.OMANThe index rose 1.6 percent to 6,470 points.QATARThe measure climbed 0.7 percent to 7,007points.EGYPTThe index rose 1 percent to 6,272 points,its third gain in four sessions. — Reuters

MIDEAST STOCK MARKETS

Emaar surges ahead of Burj Dubai opening, Gulf jump

DUBAI: Emaar Properties lifted Dubai’s index to a two-week high yesterday, a day before theofficial opening of Burj Dubai, the developer’s flagship project and the world’s tallest struc-ture. In a sentiment-driven rally, Emaar surged 7.8 percent to its highest close since Nov. 23,

helping Dubai’s measure climb 3.4 percent. Other Gulf Arab bourses also advanced, withOman hitting a 10-week high after a government official forecast the country’s gross domes-tic product would increase by 6.1 percent in 2010.

DUBAI: Traders watch the price movement at the Dubai stock market. Emaar Properties lifted Dubai’s index to a two-week high yesterday. —AP

MUSCAT: Oman’s spending on new projects,spurred by the recovery of oil prices, will raisethe demand for foreign labor in 2010, the sul-tanate’s national economy minister said yester-day.

The Gulf Arab country expects to create 4,000jobs in 2010 for nationals through the 937 million($2.4 billion) allocated for new projects, butAhmad Mekki said the projects will also drivedemand for foreign workers. “We will need moreexpatriates to keep up with the pace of the devel-opment from new projects next year,” Mekki toldreporters, without giving figures for foreignworkers. “There are not enough nationals to ful-fill all the jobs in demand.”

According to the latest national economy sta-tistics, there are 852,000 foreign workers inOman, five times the number of nationals work-ing in the private sector. Foreign workers make

up nearly 30 percent of Oman’s population of 2.9million people. Industry analysts said the sul-tanate depended heavily on foreign labor in theconstruction sector, where nationals lackedexpertise or were not willing to take on jobs.

“We don’t have enough experts in civil engi-neering to cater for the rising demands,” RashidAlawi, managing partner at Muscat InvestmentsCo told Reuters. “Young Omanis also are notwilling to work as laborers because they see it asdemeaning.” Oman has allocated an expenditureof 7.18 billion Omani rials in 2010, up from 6.42billion a year earlier. Plans include building fournew airports, three ports, power plants andpetrochemical projects.

Oman fetched 12.5 percent more from oilincome in 2009, basing its budget on an oil priceof $45 per barrel, but selling its oil at an averageprice of $56.7 per barrel. —Reuters

Oman says project boom needs expatriate labor

MUSCAT: Oman’s spending on new projects, spurred by the recovery ofoil prices, will raise the demand for foreign labor in 2010, the sultanate’snational economy minister said yesterday.

Mobinil case shows minorities protected:

Egypt regulatorCAIRO: The decision of an Egyptian appeals commit-tee to approve France Telecom’s latest bid forMobinil shows Egypt is prepared to protect minorityinterests, the Egyptian regulator said yesterday.

The committee on Saturday rejected OrascomTelecom’s request that the regulator scrap its deci-sion to allow France Telecom to pay 245 Egyptianpounds ($45) for each share in Mobinil, Egypt’slargest mobile operator by subscribers.

“At the end, we are trying to implement what willachieve the public interest, what will achieve the rep-utation and stability of the market,” Chairman of theEgyptian Financial Supervisory Authority (EFSA)Ziad Bahaa El-Din told reporters.

The appeals committee overseeing the case is anindependent body including members from the StateCouncil, a senior official of the EFSA and a memberappointed by the Ministry of Investment.

Orascom said it would challenge the committee’sdecision. Orascom and France Telecom, the twomain shareholders in Mobinil, took their years-longbattle for control of the company to an arbitrationcourt in 2007, which ruled the French companyshould buy Orascom’s stake.

The Egyptian regulator rejected three previousoffers by the French company to buy the minoritystake in Mobinil. The prices offered in the earlieroffers were 187 pounds, 237 pounds and 230 pounds,all below the price of the arbitration ruling.

Orascom had argued France Telecom should haveoffered 273 pounds, equivalent to a price set by theEgyptian court last April for Mobinil shares held byOrascom through a holding company, and which thecourt ordered France Telecom to buy.

In May last year, France Telecom said minorityshareholders of Mobinil were ready to sell stock at230 pounds a share. Orascom Telecom could netmore than $1.6 billion if it sold its 20 percent directstake in Mobinil at 245 pounds and its stake in theholding company at 273 pounds. Bahaa El-Din saidthe decision to accept France Telecom’s latest offerensured minority interests in Mobinil were protectedand that fair practice was followed. —Reuters

Ajman Bank names Khokhar as chief

DUBAI: UAE-based Islamic lender Ajman Bank said yes-terday it named Mubasher Hanif Khokhar, a formerMashreq banker, as its new chief executive. Khokhar’sappointment is effective Jan. 3, according to a statementposted on the Dubai bourse website. Ajman Bank’s actingCEO, Ali Shaqoosh Al Mueen, will become the lender’sdeputy chief, a spokesperson for the company toldReuters.

Aabar says has no investment in Arabtec

DUBAI: Abu-Dhabi based Aabar Investments said it hasnot made an investment in Arabtec, after the Dubai-basedconstruction firm last week said it was not in talks aboutany possible deal. “We can confirm that Aabar has notmade an investment in the company mentioned in theBloomberg report to which you refer in your facsimile,”Aabar said in a statement to the Abu Dhabi bourse.Arabtec denied the same report on Dec 30.

First Gulf Bank extends share buyback

DUBAI: Abu Dhabi’s First Gulf Bank obtained theapproval of the UAE markets regulator for an extension onplans to buy back 10 percent of its shares, a statement onthe Abu Dhabi bourse website said yesterday. The bankrequested an extension of one year. “The approval isgranted to the bank in order to complete the buyback of 10percent of the bank’s capital,” the statement said.

Savola sells storage facility for $80m

DUBAI: Saudi sugar refiner Savola Group has sold a cen-tral storage facility to Al Rajhi Capital for 299 million Saudiriyals ($79.73 million), making a profit of 55 million riyals,the company said yesterday. Savola sold the facility on thecondition that Al Rajhi Capital will rent it out to its sub-sidiary Al-Azizia Panda, one of the Gulf Arab region’sbiggest supermarket chains, it said in a statement on theSaudi bourse website. Savola also holds a 26.5 percentstake in Almarai Co, the Gulf’s biggest dairy firm by mar-ket value.

in the news

LONDON: Finance chiefs atthe UK’s biggest companiesare in their most confidentmood for two years asrecovery hopes grow, a sur-vey said yesterday.

The risk appetite amongchief financial officers andfinance directors is at itshighest level since thebeginning of 2008, financialservices firm “Deloitte”said. Its quarterly survey ofsenior staff - including 39major firms finance bosses -said optimism aboutprospects for their ownbusiness was also at a two-year high. Deloitte chiefeconomist Ian Stewart said:“Today businesses are lift-ing their eyes from therecession and are lookingfor growth in 2010. Theeconomy and the financialsystem are a long way fromnormal but things are look-ing up.”

Concerns about access tofinance have also eased -with many prepared to issuebonds or new shares to raisefunds rather than rely oncostly bank borrowing.

Almost four in fivefinance bosses - 78% -nonetheless believe the UKbanking system is nowstrong enough to sustain arecovery. But the strugglingeconomy remains the chiefworry with nearly half - or48% - concerned over apotential ‘double dip’ reces-sion in 2010.

The UK is expected tohave returned to growth inthe final three months of2009 after a record six quar-ters of recession in a row,although prospects for earlythis year remain uncertainas VAT returns to 17.5%and spending cuts loom aftera general election, thereport added. —KUNA

Finance chiefs in UK upbeatabout business recovery

MUSCAT: Omani authori-ties will spend 1.6 billionOmani riyals ($4.2 billion)on utility and water pro-jects in the governorate ofMuscat in the comingyears. Omar Al-Wuhaibi,Chief Executive Officer ofOman Wastewater ServicesCompany, said in a pressstatement yesterday thatthe forecast spendingwould cover projects,including water treatmentplants and water networks,in the Muscat region till2017.

Overall cost of the pro-jects, currently under exe-cution in various regions of

the sultanate, has amount-ed to 562 million riyals, hesaid.Moreover, the compa-ny is currently building acentral water treatmentplant in the region ofBosher. The station, whoseconstruction is projected tocost 36 million riyals, isdesigned to put out 55cubic meters of water perday. The company is alsobuilding several water net-works in the region. It isalso constructing a centralstation for waste watertreatment in the region ofAl-Seeb. It will initially putout 60,000 cm of water perday. —KUNA

Oman to spend $4.2bn on utility projects till 2017

BUSINESS24 Monday, January 4, 2010

BEIJING: A vendor sets up her display of counterfeit handbags for sale along a street in Beijing on December31, 2009 near the Silk Market, an emporium of counterfeit goods from an array of vendors who used to sell ona street known as Silk Street, which was closed under the guise of World Trade Organisation rules on piracy,only to resurface nearby with the appearance of a fully legitimate shopping center. —AFP

SAN FRANCISCO: Gas prices over $4.00 per gallon are displayed at a Chevronstation in San Francisco, California.

Gas prices continued to climb in 2009

2010 expected to bring stable gas pricesWASHINGTON: Gas prices continuallyclimbed in 2009 and 2010 is expected tobring relatively stable gas prices, anAAA spokesperson said. GeneLaDoucer, spokesperson for AAA, saidthe agency is still seeing a weakdemand for gasoline.

“Going forward, I would think wouldkeep gasoline prices somewhat steadyat least through the early part of 2010,”LaDoucer said. “As we approach thesummer driving season, we’re going tohave to see what the economy is doingat that time, and what the indicatorssay for increased travel at that time.”

LaDoucer said there is potential thatgas prices could move considerably

higher if the economy improves quick-ly throughout 2010.

“As of right now it looks like thatisn’t going to happen,” LaDoucer said.“It looks like it’s going to be a slowerrecovery and for that reason I wouldexpect gasoline prices would remainrelatively stable or continue to movehigher at a slow rate.”

Dickinson resident Dustin Rau saidit costs about $75 to fill up his truck’sempty tank.

The prices haven’t really botheredhim, he said. “I just drive to work,” Rausaid. “When we travel, we usually tryand take the car.” A gradual climb ingasoline prices during 2009 stand in

stark contrast to the price swings wit-nessed in 2008, according to a pressrelease from AAA.

The year’s lowest average price fora gallon of self serve regular in NorthDakota was recorded on Jan. 2, 2009 at$1.69, according to AAA’s daily FuelGauge Report. The state’s highestaverage recorded price in 2009occurred on June 21 at $2.74. The aver-age at year end stands at $2.67.

Barry Hagbom, of Townsend,Montana, said he travels frequently forwork, but hasn’t decreased the amountof times he’s filled up. “I still have toget around,” Hagbom said while fillingup at a Cenex in Dickinson Saturday.

If 2010 gas prices continue to rise,Hagbom said he probably won’t cutback on work driving, but possibly dri-ving for vacations.

LaDoucer said AAA is expecting a15 percent increase in travel over lastyear in the west/north central region,which includes North Dakota, but isstill well below the record number oftravelers that was seen four years ago.

“We’re not exactly sure what theweather did,” LaDoucer said. “Becauseof the two-week holiday, and most peo-ple drive, we expect that most of thepeople who planned to travel actuallydid, they just adjusted their plans abit.” —MCT

China’s counterfeit and piracymarket is the biggest in the worldand employs millions of factoryworkers, distributors and shopassistants across the vast countryof 1.3 billion.

Fake products are readily avail-able in stores and on the Internet inChina, as well as in overseas mar-kets from New York to Sydney, at afraction of the cost for the realthing.

“Avatar” is smashing box officerecords in North America but canbe bought for about a dollar inBeijing shops. Cheap copies ofApple’s iPhone were available inChina long before the smartphonewas officially launched in 2009.

“In China, you can get enforce-ment but no deterrence,” saidChow. “You can easily get a raidbut there are no consequences tothe counterfeiter, who usually paysa light fine and is back in businessin two to three weeks.”

In his annual report toCongress before Christmas, USTrade Representative Ron Kirk-akey member of US PresidentBarack Obama’s delegation for hisfirst official visit to China inNovember — was damning.“Despite repeated anti-piracy cam-paigns in China and an increasingnumber of civil IPR cases inChinese courts, counterfeiting andpiracy remain at unacceptably highlevels and continue to cause seri-ous harm to US businesses acrossmany sectors of the economy,”Kirk said.

Kirk’s comments followed adecision by the US CongressionalInternational Anti-Piracy Caucus toplace China among the top fivecountries on its “InternationalPiracy Watch List” for 2009.

But Beijing says it has made“notable progress” in the war onInternet piracy and copyrightinfringement, state media reportedlast month, citing an official fromthe National CopyrightAdministration of China.

Since August, Beijing hasinvestigated more than 500Internet copyright infringements,closed hundreds of illegal websitesand fined those involved in onlinepiracy 1.28 million yuan (187,500dollars), the China Daily said.

Foreign companies have alsobeen targeted. A Chinese firm suc-cessfully sued Microsoft Corp forinfringing its intellectual propertyrights by including certain fonts inits operating systems.

And a Chinese author haslaunched the country’s first civillawsuit against Internet giantGoogle for scanning one of her nov-els into its digital web library with-out consent.

But many more cases of piracyand counterfeiting go undetected,said Victor Ho, a Shanghai-basedlawyer with Allen and Overy, withunderstaffed enforcement agenciesoverwhelmed by the scale of theillicit industry in China.

“It’s not easy to police,” Ho toldAFP. A major hurdle facing Beijingin its battle against counterfeits islocal government officials, who aredetermined to protect jobs andmaintain fast economic growth-seen as crucial for their own careeradvancement.

“If the local government cracksdown on counterfeiting, millions ofjobs will be lost, not just in coun-terfeiting but in legitimate indus-tries that support counterfeitingand millions in tax revenue,” Chowsaid. But as Beijing demonstratedin the lead-up to the OlympicGames in 2008, it has the power tostop the illegal reproduction ofmerchandise when it is truly moti-vated, Ho said. —AFP

Beijing beefs up effort to stamp out copy right piracy

Counterfeiting thriving inChina despite crackdownsBEIJING: While China has talked up its recent progress in stamping outcopyright piracy, the market for fake iPhones and bootleg DVDs stillflourishes, and its trading partners say it could do better. Late last month,the United States-consistently critical of Beijing’s failure to stop the illic-it production of US brands-issued an annual report saying piracy in theAsian giant remained at “unacceptably high levels”. Analysts say despiteofficial crackdowns and successful prosecutions, graft and weak policing

means factories continue to churn out fake goods, costing foreign anddomestic firms billions of dollars in lost revenue. “Local protectionism andgovernment corruption are the real issue,” Daniel Chow, a professor atthe Ohio State University College of Law, told AFP. “The central govern-ment is probably sincere but enforcement occurs at the local level, andlocal governments have a direct and indirect interest in protecting coun-terfeiting, which is important to the local economy.”

TOKYO: Japan agreed yesterdayto give a new lifeline to troubledJapan Airlines by doubling astate-funded loan for the carrierto 200 billion yen ($2.2 billion).

The government decisioncomes after shares in Asia’slargest carrier plunged to arecord low last week wheninvestors were spooked byreports that bankruptcy was apossible option for the belea-guered airline. In November, thestate-run Development Bank hadset a credit line of 100 billion yenfor Japan Airlines and has alreadypaid out just over half of the total.

The extra funding was agreedat a meeting of cabinet ministersincluding Transport MinisterSeiji Maehara and Vice PrimeMinister Naoto Kan, the daybefore the stock market resumestrading after a New Year break.“The ministers confirmed thatwe will have JAL rehabilitateitself while it keeps flying.”Maehara told reporters.

Kan said the amount of theloan “enables JAL to cope withevery possible circumstance.”

JAL, battered by the globalrecession and swine flu pandem-ic, is scrambling to slash costsand is seeking its fourth govern-ment bailout since 2001 in theface of mounting losses.

Local media have reportedthat the state-backed EnterpriseTurnaround Initiative Corp(ETIC), which is overseeingJAL’s restructuring, is consider-ing the possibility of the carrierfiling for protection from credi-tors. ETIC is expected to decideon a financial package for the car-rier in mid-January.

But airline president HarukaNishimatsu said in an interviewwith the Asahi Shimbun newspa-per published yesterday that hewas opposed to any bankruptcyfiling and also had no plans to haltinternational flights. “Legal liqui-dation gives an image that willaffect us and reduce the numberof our clients,” he said.

The airline, which lost about$1.5 billion in the six months toSeptember, has said it plansthousands of job cuts and a dras-tic reduction in routes as part of

its efforts to return to profitabili-ty.

On Thursday, the MainichiShimbun newspaper reportedthat the government was dis-cussing a plan which whichwould see rival All NipponAirways (ANA) take over JAL’sinternational flights.

But Nishimatsu dismissedsuch a plan as “impossible.”“Demand for air traffic, particu-larly in Asia, is rapidly expand-ing. It provides a tremendousbusiness opportunity,” he toldAsahi.

JAL has been offered financialassistance by both AmericanAirlines and Delta Air Lines,which are competing to take aminority stake in the Japanesecarrier, eyeing its coveted Asianlanding slots.

Nishimatsu said he was infavor of the airline switching toDelta’s global alliance SkyTeamfrom the OneWorld group ofAmerican Airlines. “Asia willhave ‘open skies’ in the future...SkyTeam has many Asian mem-bers,” he said. —AFP

Decision as airline shares plunge to record low

Japan to double credit line for troubled JAL

Czech 2009 budget gap up to 7.4bn euros: PM

PRAGUE: The Czech state budgetdeficit for 2009 outdid the worstexpectations when it soared to apreliminary 195 billion koruna (7.4billion euros, $10.6 billion), PrimeMinister Jan Fischer said in a tele-vised debate yesterday.

“This is the figure we have as ofDecember 30,” he said on the pri-vate TV Prima station.

The finance ministry is due toannounce the official figure today.The preliminary figure far exceedsthe 2.04-billion-euro deficitapproved by lawmakers, whoraised the estimated gap from anoriginal 1.4 billion euros inNovember because of the econom-ic crisis that had battered state rev-enues.

But the finance ministry alreadywarned at the time that the finalfigure could be much higher. Theinitial 2009 budget was drawn upbefore the ex-communist economyfell into recession at the end of2008, and was based on forecast

growth of 4.8 percent comparedwith 2008.

The central bank now expects a4.4-percent economic contractionfor 2009, followed by 1.4-percentgrowth this year. In December,statisticians announced the Czecheconomy contracted at a 12-monthpace of 4.1 percent but grew by 0.8percent on a quarterly basis in thethird quarter of the year.

Last month, lawmakers alsoapproved this year’s state budgetwith a deficit equal to some 6.1 bil-lion euros, but they are likely toraise the gap later this month asleft-wingers in parliament areproposing higher spending on ben-efits and welfare. The approveddeficit is equal to 5.3 percent ofgross domestic product, but thechanges are likely to raise it to 5.7percent of GDP, way above the 3.0percent lid set down in the criteriafor euro adoption, expected in theCzech Republic in 2014 at the ear-liest. —AFP

Egypt extends exemption on sugar import duties

CAIRO: Egypt has extended the exemption of rawand white sugar imports from duties until June 30,the trade minister said yesterday, confirming anewspaper report which appeared last week.

“Yes, this happened. It was extended for sixmonths,” Minister Rachid Mohamed Rachid said.

Egypt had exempted sugar imports from dutiesstarting Aug. 15 until the end of December to con-trol prices in the domestic market in light ofrecord rises. Egypt ordinarily has a 2 percent dutyon raw sugar and a 10 percent duty on refinedsugar.

The most populous Arab country consumesaround 2.8 million tons of sugar a year, includingabout 1.6 million tons produced domestically. Theinvestment ministry raised the price at which itbuys sugar cane from domestic farmers by 17 per-cent this season in a bid to encourage local pro-duction.

Trade Minister Rachid Mohamed Rachid hassaid higher world prices would push the sugar sub-sidy bill in 2009/10 up by more than 70 percent to 4billion Egyptian pounds ($729 million). —Reuters

Protiviti’s Member Firm for the Middle Eastregion announced the successful completion ofa project for implementation of Expersoft’sPM1e Wealth Management System at NationalIndustries Group Holding Co which NIG willuse to manage its investments across differentasset classes. Protiviti’s member firm providedend-to-end solution in selecting and deployingthe asset management system for NIG.

Hetaf Khajah, Executive Manager -International Investments, NIG, remarked“Our decision to continue investing in informa-tion systems during a time of global financialcrisis has paid off well. The PM1e system, withits powerful analytic tools, robust reports andrisk measures helped us stave off major ero-sion in asset values over the past 18 months.Successful implementation of the system isanother step in preparing ourselves to seizeopportunities when markets emerge out of thecurrent crisis. Our team together with the sup-port of Expersoft Systems and Protiviti’s mem-ber firm have done a commendable job.”

Khajah, added “We had an internally devel-oped system to manage our investments.However, the system did not keep pace withour growing financial needs as well as thedynamic nature of global investment instru-ments and the often changing businessprocesses. We quickly realized that we neededone solution that is readily available to meetthe majority of our requirements. We appoint-ed Protiviti’s member firm for the Middle Eastas our consultants to conduct a requirementsstudy and find a suitable system / vendor. Afterrigorous analysis of all available solutions,(local, regional and international) we selectedExpersoft’s PM1e portfolio management sys-tem. We were very pleased with our consultan-t’s work during the selection phase and decid-ed to appoint them to assist us in the systemimplementation project.”

On the project team’s skills, Khajahremarked, “Expersoft complemented their sys-tem with an experienced team for the imple-mentation phase. Protiviti’s member firm pro-vided project management assistance offeringkey insights in investments performance analy-sis and ensured knowledge transfer to ourteam. All these factors contributed to the suc-cessful implementation and migration to thenew platform; what we have today is a systemthat is powerful, dynamic and robust, providingperformance and risk management reports onthe fly. What used to take us days, or some-times even weeks, for generating certain keyreports, now takes just about two minutes.”

Mubasher Sheikh, Group FinancialController, remarked “Considering the suc-cessful adoption of the system by ourInternational Investments team in managingthe portfolio of diverse asset classes, weextended the system to manage the Group’sdirect investments in subsidiaries and associ-ates. In future, we intend to extend the systemto cover our local investments and treasuryoperations, and thereafter integrate it with ourfinancial accounting system.”

Vedat Tuzun, Project Manager withExpersoft Systems Middle East, remarked“Middle East is a key focus area for us and weare delighted to have NIG as a successful siteusing PM1e. We are looking forward to a longterm relationship with the Group providingvalue adds and extensions to the system tocover NIG’s other divisions and subsidiaries’needs. The project included some region spe-cific developments for PM1e product family,and strengthened our position in Kuwait andthe Middle East”.

Senthilkumar, Regional Managing Directorof Protiviti’s member firm remarked: “NIGManagement’s commitment throughout theproject was critical to the success of this pro-ject. We are happy to add this project to ourgrowing list of success stories in the Bankingand Financial Services space. With our recentexpansion in the Middle East region we arenow better positioned to assist GCC banks,asset management companies and investmentbankers in managing their challenges.”

Protiviti Member Firm (Middle East) Ltd. isthe member firm of Protiviti, Inc. (www.protiv-iti.com) for the Middle East Region. Protiviti,Inc. is a global consulting and internal auditfirm composed of experts specializing in riskand advisory services. Protiviti, Inc is a sub-sidiary of Robert Half International, an NYSElisted company.

National Industries Group Holding Co(www.nig.com.kw) is a holding company andhas investments across various industry sec-tors and asset classes including real estate, oiland gas, financial services, building materials,etc. NIG’s total assets as of 31 December 2008were 1.7 billion KD ($6 billion).

Expersoft Systems AG(www.expersoft.com) provides leading-edgesoftware solutions and services for private andretail banks, family offices, asset managers,brokers and other financial service providers.Expersoft is a Switzerland based company andhas offices in Europe, Middle East and AsiaPacific.

Protiviti member firm implementsAsset Management System at NIG

25Monday, January 4, 2010 BUSINESS

NEW YORK: A trader works on the floor of the New York Stock Exchangeat the end of the last trading day for the year on December 31, 2009 in NewYork City. — AFP

FORT LAUDERDALE: The economy hasn’t put a damper on the spirits ofluxury consumers. Robin Levinson shows rings to Karon and Lew Cohen atLevinson Jewelers’ grand opening in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. — AFP

NEW YORK: Businesses areeager to put 2009 behind them.Many are expecting a better2010, if only slightly. “We’recertainly thinking 2010 is goingto be another difficult year,” saidBret Elbin, vice president andFranklin County executive forM&T Bank. “In talking to mycustomers, I don’t think thingsare getting worse. It’s a ques-tion of how long it’s going to beflat.”

Franklin County’s unem-ployment rate reached a 25-yearhigh this fall, but early indica-tors are hinting that jobprospects will be better in thenew year. Temporary employ-ment-often seen as a bellwetherof overall employment-is pick-ing up. “When a recession hits,the first to go are temporaryworkers. After you weather arecession, they’ve cut a lot ofinternal staffing and when theyget new business, they are hes-itant to hire full-timers back,”said Jim Carchidi, executive vicepresident for JFC StaffingAssociates, which has a branchin Chambersburg. “So once they(temporary staffing agencies)see a surge, which national pollsare showing, things are turningin the right direction.”

Hiring trends among region-al employers are expected toremain stable or improve slight-ly in the first quarter of 2010,

according to Manpower’sEmployment Outlook Survey.

In the Harrisburg-Carlislelabor market, 11 percent of thecompanies interviewed plan tohire additional employeesbetween January and March,while 10 percent expect toreduce their payrolls.

The largest percentage — 71percent-expect to maintain theircurrent staff levels. “No one’sexpecting anything great for thefirst quarter of 2010,” said CarlFrancisco, co-owner presidentof Express EmploymentProfessionals in Greencastle.Francisco said those in the land-scaping and construction indus-tries are optimistic that theywill see more meaningful workreturn in the second quarter of2010.

Manpower said the jobprospects in early 2010 appearbest in construction, financialservices, professional and busi-ness services, and leisure andhospitality.

Logistics and distributionjobs will remain weaker untilconsumers are more comfort-able opening their wallets,Carchidi said. Locally, manufac-turing remains the hardest hit.

“It’s flat right now, but we’reglad to have our head above thewater,” said Sandra Tillman-Daniels, president of ACSPrecision, a fabrication and con-

tract manufacturing shop inMercersburg. “But we’re antici-pating good things are going to

happen.”For manufacturers, quoting

activity is often an early indica-

tor that the conditions areimproving. An increase in actualpurchase is a better sign. ACS

Precision plans to hire in 2010.Tillman-Daniels said the compa-ny is already seeing “a ton” of

quoting requests.Employment in health care

remained relatively flat in 2009.They’re not struggling, but it’snot exploding in growth like ithas been for the past decade,”Carchidi said. Summit Healthhas announced plans to expandChambersburg Hospital thisyear. Employment levels areexpected to remain steadythrough the new year.

“Summit Health saw a delayin the impact of the economicconditions last year, so weexpect a delay in the recovery aswell,” said Kimberly Rzomp,vice president for corporatefinance for Summit Health.

For health care, much of theincome is dependent on employ-er-sponsored health insurance,so one of the indicators of recov-ery is when more patients haveinsurance-indicating more peo-ple in the community areemployed.

“We will watch our accountsreceivable, our bad debts, andour cash balances to indicatethat recovery,” Rzomp said.“We also watch our elective ser-vices and our doctors’ office vis-its. Right now we see patientswaiting for economic recoveryin order to proceed with electivemedical procedures or visits.When we see those elective ser-vices rebound, that will signal arecovery to Summit Health.”

Like Summit Health, M&TBank expects employment to besteady through 2010.

Elbin said the bank has notlaid off any employees locally in2009 and does not expect to inthe coming year. There are stilla number of job openings locally.“We’re pleased with wherewe’re at, relatively,” Elbin said.“On an absolute basis, I don’tthink anyone is pleased with thelast couple of years.”

The bank is currently build-ing a new branch on NorlandAvenue. Employees from exist-ing branches will be relocated tostaff the new branch.

Elbin said commercial loanactivity, which indicates busi-nesses are purchasing capital orexpanding, still has not fullyrebounded, but there are signsthat will change.

Overall unemployment isoften a lagging indicator. “Untilthe economy is recovered,employers are not typicallygoing to go out and make signif-icant hires until they’re surethey’re not going to lay them offat some point,” Elbin said.While there’s still uncertaintyabout 2010, Francisco said onething is certain about 2009.

“We’re hoping that everyonewill be able to shake off 2009,”he said. “Everyone was readyand willing to get over 2009 asquickly as possible.” — MCT

Harris and other econo-mists make a compellingcase that consumers are onthe straight and narrow, nolonger willing to super-charge economic growth bygoing into debt. They cite,for example, the 3.8 percentdecline in consumer creditsince its peak in July 2008,the biggest decline sinceWorld War II, when creditcards did not exist.

What those numbers donot disclose, however, ishow much of the decline hasbeen caused by rejections ofcredit card applications.Plus, economists skip overthe fact that consumer creditfell 2 percent in the shortand mild recession of theearly 1990s.

Perhaps economists areright, but there is a chancethat the “new normal” con-cept stems from the samesort of thinking that pro-duced the “new economy”hype during the dot.combubble and the belief that itwas fine to give home buyers100 percent financing withno income verification dur-ing the housing boom.

The drive behind suchthinking has always beenthat whatever is happeningnow will keep happening inthe future, be it a powerfulcycle of productivity gains

through new technology or aperiod when housing pricesknow only one direction: up.

Hyman P Minsky, aneconomist who died in 1996but has come into voguerecently for his descriptionsof capitalist economies asinherently unstable, showedhow even the most insightfulthinkers can be heavily influ-enced by recent events.

In his 1986 book,Stabilizing an UnstableEconomy, written at a timewhen the 1970s’ raging infla-tion was a fresh memory,Minsky tried to explain whynumerous financial crisessince the mid-1960s had notresulted in a repeat of the1930s.

Minsky wrote: “Whathappened is that the shape ofthe business cycle has beenchanged; inflation hasreplaced the deep and widetroughs of depression.” Justas Minsky made that state-ment, the United Statesentered a 20-year periodknown as the great modera-tion, with relatively steadyeconomic growth and mostlytame inflation.

Time will tell if econo-mists are right to say thatthe current retrenchment byAmericans-millions of whomhave lost their jobs whilemillions more worry aboutwhen they might be on the

unemployment line-will con-tinue for the foreseeablefuture.

It is worth noting, howev-er, that Americans tend tofeel better about the econo-my-and spend more-whenthe job market improves andhousing prices are going up.There’s little doubt that thejob market will recover.Less certain is the fate of thehousing market. If housingprices return to the relative-ly slow growth rate that pre-vailed in most of the 20thcentury, consumers couldremain subdued. The Obamaadministration is doing all itcan to prevent that, mostrecently lifting the limits onsupport for government-con-trolled mortgage-financecompanies Fannie Mae andFreddie Mac.

Hank Smith, chief invest-ment officer for equities atHaverford Trust Co., ofRadnor, is a “new normal”skeptic. “Don’t underesti-mate the consumer,” hesaid.

“Historically, it’s been thewrong bet. Yes, we under-stand there’s deleveraginggoing on with the consumer,”he said. But Smith does notexpect that to go on forever.“We affectionately say thatconsumers have some genet-ic chip inside them that says,‘Spend.’ — MCT

WASHINGTON: What thank-fully remains the GreatDepression brought a deluge ofmeasures from a newly mintedDemocratic president intent onreforming banking and WallStreet.

Eighty years later, anothersevere recession has sparked asimilar outburst of reformatoryzeal from another Democraticfirst-term president. The tar-gets of his sweeping proposalshave greeted the initiatives withreactions ranging from cautionto skepticism to outrage.

As a new decade dawns,President Barack Obama ismaking slogging but steadyprogress across a number ofreform fronts, including health-care, financial markets, execu-tive compensation and the envi-ronment. Whether it ultimatelywill lead to landmark measuresthat will fondly be recalled thenext time talk of a new GreatDepression rolls aroundremains to be seen.

But there is no doubt a hostof new laws and regulations arecoming that businesses willhave to respond to. Uncertaintyover what the new rules willlook like is fueled in part by thebiblical proportions of some ofthe proposals, including the2,000-page plus health carereform measure.

“Who knows what’s in thatlaw when it passes because it’slike 30 pounds and inchesthick,” said Don A. Linzer ofSchneider Downs, a Downtownfirm that counsels clients onaccounting, tax and otherissues.

National Association ofManufacturers President JohnEngler has read enough to knowhe doesn’t like it. “This bill rais-es costs for manufacturers at atime they can’t afford it,” theformer Michigan governor saidof the Senate proposal.

Whether it’s concern overwhether federal tax incentiveswill be extended or the impactof health care legislation, theuncertainty compounds thereluctance of business ownersto invest in new projects orexpand their payrolls.

“If I’m looking to hire some-one now, I could be hiring atime bomb,” said Antony Daviesof Duquesne University’sPalumbo-Donohue School ofBusiness. “So business will beloath to take on new employeesuntil the rules of the game aresettled.”

Even before those changescome, businesses realize theObama administration can useexisting laws and regulations inways the Bush administrationdid not. A case in point is the USEnvironmental ProtectionAgency’s finding last month thatgreenhouse gasses endangerpublic health. The conclusionincreases the agency’s authorityto regulate emissions frompower plants, factories andautomobiles.

“The president is strongly infavor of using regulatoryauthority to regulate carbon

dioxide,” said American Ironand Steel Institute PresidentThomas J. Gibson. “That’ssomething that really needs tobe left to Congress.” He saidthat even one year into the newadministration, industry doesn’thave a clear idea of how the reg-ulatory agencies will proceedbecause the White House is stillfilling senior positions in someof the agencies. The head of theOccupational Safety and HealthAdministration, an agencywhich Gibson expects to take amore active look at steel pro-ducers, just took office lastmonth.

Much of the reform stemsfrom the problems and excessesin the financial services indus-try. One WesternPennsylvanian understands thepush for closer scrutiny. “Theregulatory agencies are veryconcerned about what’s beengoing on the last two years. Ithink they’re going to be verydiligent about their investiga-tions,” said William J. Burt,president of Gateway Bank inPeters. “We understand it. Weknow we’re regulated, and westay within the guidelines.”

The 5-year-old bank has$115 million in branches inMcMurray and Cranberry.While the ObamaAdministration is pressuringbanks to lend more money, Burtsaid Gateway has made loansequal to more than 90 percent ofits deposits.

“There is money available.Banks will lend money,” hesaid. “It’s a credit quality issue.”Obama’s sharp remarks aboutbankers last month reflectedpublic anger over credit avail-ability as well as Wall Streetbehavior. Last year’s furor overbonuses at AIG, the giant failedinsurer now majority-owned bythe US taxpayer, was anotherexample. But a former vicepresident of the New YorkFederal Reserve Bank said itwas wrong to affix the blame onone group.

“In order to have a crisis thissevere, it takes a lot of peopleworking together” includingregulators and consumers, saidErnie Patrikis, the co-leader ofNew York law firm White &Case’s bank practice.

He has misgivings aboutfinancial industry reform legisla-tion before Congress, believingthat it will raise borrowing costsfor consumers. Patrikis also pre-dicts reform will spur an expan-sion in what he calls the “shad-ow” financial world as companiesinevitably find ways around reg-ulation.

While the former Fed officialwon’t place blame on one party,Dr Davies will. He thinks theWhite House and Congress aretrying to cure the economy usingthe tools that made it sick in thefirst place. “I would put the bulkof what we’ve gone through ongovernment regulation. Whatwe’re looking to do now isinvoke the same tonic that got usinto this thing,” the Duquesneprofessor said. — MCT

US businesses see prospects of growth in 2010

Tari Dudley and her son-in-law, Aaron Phelps had to start their auto repair business in Fort Worth,Texas, without a bank loan. — MCT

Recession sparks steps to overhaul US economic system

Rules of the game have changed...

Profligate Americans permanently shocked into frugality?

Consumers ‘deleverage,’ and what comes next?

NEW YORK: The New Year, and the new decade have arrived. Is the “new normal” hereto stay? In case you haven’t heard, the “new normal” is the supposedly new economicreality caused by the global financial crisis and the worst economic slump in 70 years.The notion is that profligate Americans have been permanently shocked into frugality. Ifthis is true, the implications for the US economy are huge. For 25 years, US consumer

spending grew at a rate of 0.5 percent faster than income, said Ethan S. Harris, NorthAmerican economist at Bank of America Merrill Lynch, while discussing the “new nor-mal” opportunities. That excess spending, powered largely by mounting debt, provided atailwind to economic growth. “Now there could be a headwind,” Harris said during a2010 outlook conference.

WASHINGTON: The US dollar has been decliningin value against most major world currencies forpretty much the last eight years. Why should youcare? The fading dollar has both good and bad con-sequences, depending on where you stand. Whenthe dollar falls, it helps make US companies morecompetitive in the global economy by makingdomestic goods more affordable to foreign buyers.

“That’s assuming [US companies] have qualityproducts that consumers around the world want,which we do,” said Stuart Hoffman, chief economistat PNC Financial Services Group in Pittsburgh.

On the other hand, a falling dollar hurts the pur-chasing power of Americans on the world scene.Imports-everything from BMWs to oil-end up cost-ing more. Foreign travel also becomes more costly.So far, the dollar’s descent has been slow andsteady. It surged higher briefly as a safe haven dur-ing the world financial crisis last year, but since

March has dropped back to nearly an eight-year lowas measured by the trade-weighted US dollar index.

Some experts worry that the slow leak couldbecome a blowout, especially with all the moneythe US government has been pumping into theeconomy. If that happened, it could be very bad forthe US economy, Hoffman said. “A sharp drop inthe dollar can scare away foreign investors,investors that we need because we are runningsuch a huge federal deficit,” he said. “It could proveto be inflationary, too.”

So far, that hasn’t been the case. Hoffman pre-dicts the dollar might actually start to rally again inthe middle of next year as a US recovery looksmore sustainable and the Federal Reserve startsraising interest rates. “That [scenario] isn’t in thestory line of any of the people screaming about theconsequences of a falling dollar or writing alarmiststories,” he said. —MCT

Currency exchange,the fading dollar

WASHINGTON: This photo illustration shows George Washington on thefront of the one dollar USD note in Washington, DC. — AFP

BUSINESS26 Monday, January 4, 2010

BROOKSVILLE: MarilynPearson-Adams, president ofthe Hernando CountyAssociation of Realtors, saidshe is not sweating over anewly released housing marketthat shows home prices fell 1.6percent in the Tampa Bay met-ropolitan area from Septemberto October.

“I’m not panicking,” shesaid. “You can’t take just onefigure.” While it’s true thatprices in the county did fall dur-ing that period in HernandoCounty, Pearson-Adamsbelieves there were extenuat-ing circumstances and thatprices will be more stable in2010. The S&P Case-Shillerhome price index releasedTuesday showed the Tampaarea ranked at the bottom of 20different markets in terms ofhome price losses in October.But Pearson-Adams attributesthe drop-off in October to buyeranxiety over the pending expi-ration of the First-TimeHomebuyer Tax Credit. Manyrushed to finalize home pur-chasing contracts in September,she said.

Pearson-Adams also blameda rise in short sales for skewingthe numbers. A short sale isone where the seller is willingto take a lower price for thehome than what is owed thebank.

In October, the average salesprice for an existing single-fam-ily home in Hernando Countywas $117,932, down from$122,494 one year earlier.Florida’s median sales price forexisting homes in October 2009was $140,300, down 17 percentfrom one year earlier when itwas $169,700, according toFlorida Realtors.

Pearson-Adams said anyprogress in the housing marketin 2010 will depend on the fore-closure rate, but she doesexpect to see some naturalmarket appreciation in homeprices anywhere from 3 to 5percent, which is what the ratewas prior to the boom year of2004. Pearson said the exten-sion of the first-time homebuy-er tax credit should continue todrive sales in 2010. On Nov 6,President Barack Obamasigned into law an extension

and expansion of the $8,000first-time homebuyer tax cred-it.

Among other provisions, theextension adds money for cer-tain move-up buyers; createsone deadline for signing a con-tract and a later deadline forclosing; changes incomerequirements; and limits a pur-chased home’s cost to$800,000. Cynthia Shelton,2009 Florida Realtors presi-dent, said extending the buyertax credit and expanding it toreach more homebuyers is theright thing to do, “as it’s criticalto maintaining positive momen-tum in the housing market andin the overall economy.”

The news from November isnot much better. The averageprice of an existing single-familyhome in Hernando County was$107,575 that month, accordingto Multiple Listing Service sta-tistics. The median sales pricefor existing homes in Florida forNovember was $139,000, or 12percent lower than November2008, according to statisticsfrom Century 21 AllianceRealty. — MCT

“We are just about at the (halfway)point to having the condo reservationsrequired to meet financing requirements,”said Jack Kay, president of SusquehannaReal Estate, the project developer.“Several major projects have been put onhold ... because the local economy justcan’t sustain them right now,” said JohnColeman, president of the Chamber ofBusiness and Industry of Centre County.But while construction of luxury homeshas fallen dramatically, one home buildersays he’s seen some success in the pastyear building more modest dwellings forentry-level buyers. And construction atMount Nittany Medical Center reflects thestrength of the health care industry.

“Mount Nittany has several major proj-ects ... as well as growth in general in thehealth care field,” Coleman said. Of course,much of the local economy is driven by oneorganization: Penn State. And the universi-ty, while it froze wages, has not reducedstaff.

“And, like (economists) watch AlanGreenspan or Ben Bernanke, we all watchthe university for signs,” Coleman said.“Hiring, wages, student enrollment-thoseare all things we have to pay attention to.”The university offers a measure of eco-nomic stability to Centre County, but thatdoesn’t mean the county has been immuneto the effects of the recession. During2009, the average price of a home fell 7percent in Centre County. The number ofhomes sold decreased 4 percent, from1,396 to 1,334 as of Dec. 14, according todata from the Centre County Association ofRealtors.

Still, association leaders remain upbeat.“All things considered, we’re still far betteroff than most parts of the country,” saidSteve Bodner, the association’s president-elect. He noted that Centre County stillenjoys the lowest unemployment rate inthe state; Penn State, the county’s largestemployer, is stable; financing remainsavailable for qualified buyers and interestrates remain near historic lows. “As long asyou’re long-term minded, it’s not a badtime to buy,” said association PresidentLorraine Spock. Spock said she believesthere are some signs of a “pent up market”in the area-rental rates remain very high.“So maybe people are renting becausethey’re afraid of the market, the economy,”she said. The slowdown, both in the broad-er economy and in the housing market, hasalso affected local builders, a group thatColeman said has been “decimated” duringthe past year.

“Like everyone in housing, it’s been arough couple of years,” said ChrisSchoonmaker, vice president of sales atS&A Homes. The homebuilder operates

across central and southern Pennsylvania,in Harrisburg, Carlisle, Altoona andPittsburgh. And in those areas, as well as inCentre County, there’s been a significantslowdown in new construction.

“I would say State College is an unbe-lievable area to live in and is still ourstrongest market ... but in terms of trends,the trends here are similar to otherplaces,” Schoonmaker said.

In 2008, there were 185 residentialbuilding permits issued in the countythrough September. During the same timeperiod of 2009, 131 permits were issued,according to the Pennsylvania BuildersAssociation. “There’s a perception thatState College is a bit of an oasis, but Iwould not say that,” Schoonmaker said. “Ifyou look at single-family building permits,just in the last 12 months they’re down

about 34 percent” (in Centre County).In Allegheny County, home-building

permits issued stood at 774 in September,trending down from 1,003 in the sameperiod in 2008. In the Harrisburg area,Dauphin County fell to 166 permits, downfrom 272; Cumberland, a rapidly growingcounty south of Harrisburg, registered 507permits in 2008 — and 323 in the firstthree quarters of 2009.

The building slowdown has also affect-ed commercial and industrial developmentprojects, several of which have also beenput on hold in recent years.

“We probably had our strongest yearever in 2007,” said John Sepka, presidentand CEO of PennTerra Engineering. TheState College- based company providesengineering services for residential, com-mercial and industrial projects. “We defi-

nitely saw a sharp drop-off in work lastyear ... saw it starting in the last summer,early fall of 2008,” he said. Since then,there has been a “sharp decline in newprojects,” he said. But, Sepka said, thefirm has been able to weather the econom-ic storm and even expand its market reach.Within the past month his firm absorbed aHarrisburg-based company, CEDGEngineers. Sepka said the acquisitionmade sense, even with the economic cli-mate. “We’re hoping to see things turnaround here in the spring,” he said. Andthe acquisition will strengthenPennTerra’s reach into the southern por-tion of the state.

“We’ve always seen it as a very strongmarket to be in,” he said. “I definitely havethe team we need to be positioned forthings to turn around.” The timing of the

turnaround though, is still any-one’s guess.Schoonmaker said S&A is expecting to seethe start of a rebound in 2010. The compa-ny will be starting several new projectsaimed at entry-level home buyers in thesub-$250,000 range.

While high-end home construction andsales have slowed considerably,Schoonmaker said his company has donefairly well in the entry market over thepast year, buoyed by the first-time homebuyer tax credit, lower prices and lowinterest rates.

“I really believe things are going tostart to improve in 2010,” he said.“Obviously we’re not going to jump backinto the numbers we saw in 2005. ... Butbased on certain indicators ... and if (inter-est) rates stay at a reasonable number,2010 is going to be a better year.” — MCT

MUMBAI: Steel Authority of India (SAIL)is headed for disinvestment. A 20 per centshare sale proposal in the PSU steel majorwill be taken to the Union cabinet byJanuary 2010, steel secretary AtulChaturvedi said on Thursday.

“The proposal will be moved to the cab-inet in the next 3-4 weeks,” he toldreporters at a Ficci conference. He saidthe draft proposal that has been approvedby the steel ministry has now been sent toconcerned ministries for comments.

As per the proposal, government will

offload 10 per cent stake in the companyand SAIL will come out with a public offerin the same proportion, in two phases.Another official in the ministry toldFinancial Chronicle that the proposalwould adhere to all standard formulations,including SEBI guidelines. The govern-ment holds over 85 per cent stake in thecountry’s largest steel company and plansto raise Rs 9,000 crore based on SAIL’sshare price from the proposed disinvest-ment.

Meanwhile, operating like a cartel,

leading steel companies like SAIL, JSWSteel, Essar and Bhushan Steel may hikeprices next month to cash in on thedemand surge in domestic markets.“Internationally, steel prices have risen byabout $30 a tonne to $ 450 a tonne in thepast one month. There is a possibility ofJSW Steel increasing its prices,” JSW steeldirector Jayant Acharya said. Steel priceswere cut by about Rs 2,000 a ton in thepast two months following a fall in globalprices and threat from cheaper imports.Bhushan Steel on Wednesday had let it be

known that prices could increase by Rs500-1,500, even as steel makers have gen-erally been cagey in confirming the quan-tum of the hike. SAIL chairman S KRoongta too concurred that prices are like-ly to be increased in January 2010. Whenasked, steel secretary Chaturvedi said thegovernment had no immediate plans tointervene if steel producers acted like acartel. “If prices can go down, they can goup. We have no plans of intervening at themoment. We will see when the situationwarrants,” he said.

For much of the past decade, American consumers haveconsidered a penny saved to be a penny spurned.Consumer spending ballooned, spurring an economicexpansion that came to an abrupt halt with a worldwiderecession. That economic collapse put an end to free-spending ways for many. American consumers, who a fewyears ago were spending more than they were taking in,have pared budgets and reined in their use of credit.

“The level of debt on the individual side just got to thepoint of unsustainability,” said Keith Hazelton, economicadviser to Oklahoma Bankers Association. “Once we workour way through that, which could take a decade, there’s alot of upside.” The erosion of portfolios and retirementaccounts provided a wake-up call for many Americans, par-ticularly those nearing retirement age.

“I think you’ll see a lot of changes in behaviors by babyboomers,” Hazelton said.

Chad Wilkerson, regional economist with the FederalReserve’s Oklahoma City branch, said it’s hard to predictwhether consumers will continue their thrifty ways as theeconomy rebounds.

“I do hope that savings rates aren’t zero again in thefuture,” Wilkerson said. “I hope people have learned theirlesson about that. Surely in the near to intermediate term,hopefully they have. In the longer run, I don’t know forsure.”

Economic engineConsumer spending accounts for about 70 percent of

the U.S. economy, but Hazelton believes that figure is dueto fall. Such a change in consumer behavior could prove tobe a “watershed event,” he said. For many consumers, thedays of “been there, done that; got the flat-panel TV toshow for it,” could be over, he said.

Meanwhile, a decline in home values and more restric-tive policies by credit card issuers have forced some con-sumers to live within their means.

Hazelton foresees fundamental change in consumerbehavior that over the next decade could transform the USeconomy. Such a transformation would be painful,Hazelton said, but could produce greater economic stabili-ty, much like the upheaval of the Great Depression thatended with a higher standard of living for many Americans.

Because consumer spending plays such a large role inthe nation’s economy, growth in personal savings couldactually end up playing a negative role, Wilkerson said.

“That’s going to be interesting to see in the next yearor two how that plays out,” he said. “If savings rates con-tinue to increase, that will put a damper on the speed ofrecovery. It will be good for the folks who are doing that inthe long run, but it could cause some short-term pain.”

Local wealthWilkerson said the economic woes that prompted con-

sumers to save more and cut debts were most severe instates where home values soared and creative financingwas more widely used. “In this particular downturn, therewas a lot more regional wealth destruction on the coaststhan here,” he said. “One of the reasons our part of thecountry might do OK in this recovery is because we didn’tlose as much wealth.” While savings and debt level figuresaren’t available on a regional level, other economic indica-tors have reflected that Oklahoma’s economy has faredbetter than those of most states during the current reces-sion.

The savings and spending behaviors of the state’s andnation’s consumers are tough to predict, but Hazeltonthinks the current trend could be a boon for most.

“We’ll be living more frugal, austere lifestyles, butmaybe in the long run we’re going to be happier,” he said.“Who knows?” — MCT

US home prices fall in latest report

Rafael Aponte (left), who lost his job and his home in foreclosure, protests outside the National Constitution Center,where a congressional panel meeting inside was looking into homeowner-rescue programs in Philadelphia,Pennsylvania. — MCT

Builders digging out from downturn

Demand eases for homes, but first-time buyers provide boostSTATE COLLEGE: In Patton Township, naked steel girders outline what was to have beena luxury condominium hotel. The project is indefinitely suspended, a casualty of the econo-my. In downtown State College, another luxury building project remains on the drawing

board-literally. An artist rendering at the site shows a vision of the project, initially slated tobegin construction in 2009. But sales of the project’s condominiums have been affected bythe economy.

India’s SAIL headed for disinvestment

BRISTOW, Virginia: A construction worker builds a new home in the community of New Bristow Village, in Bristow,Virginia. The US government has pledged virtually unlimited aid to mortgage finance giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Macthrough 2012 to allow the government-sponsored firms to weather any new crisis. — AFP

Americans save more during tough times

Rosa Miro (left), housing counselor for ConsumerCredit Counseling of Central Florida, helps aclient with a new foreclosure prevention programat their Orlando, Florida office. — MCT

TECHNOLOGY 27Monday, January 4, 2010

HAMBURG: The idea is simple:exchange data among computers andother network-ready devices using theexisting electrical wiring in yourhome. The method is known asPowerline and it’s one of the solutionsto in-home networking being touted bynetworking equipment makers today.

A Powerline adapter features a con-ventional plug on one side and anEthernet port on the other side tobridge the short distance betweenadapter and PC. Powerline is consid-ered foolproof, but it can bring someproblems of its own.

The major benefit is the technolo-gy: it eliminates the need to lay yardsof Ethernet cable across an apartmentor house, or even to set up a WLANnetwork. Powerline is particularly

helpful, for example, when layingEthernet cables within an existing sin-gle family home would be expensive.“If I have to send WLAN through sev-eral walls, then Powerline is a goodalternative,” says Michael Link fromGermany’s Computerbild magazine.

Powerline adapters are easy toinstall, too. Just plug a network-readydevice like a PC or gaming consoleinto a Powerline wall socket and theadapters facilitate communicationautomatically. Problems are rare andwhen they do occur it is usuallybecause the wiring is not standard,Link says.

Powerline installations are not lim-ited to just two adapters, either. Up to256 can be linked onto one network,explains Christoph Roesseler from

German hardware maker devolo. Thereason: each adapter must be capableof recognising which other adaptersare already on the network. Eachadapter’s module can hold data for upto 255 other modules.

Powerline products are offered bymost of the major home networkingequipment makers, including Allnet,Belkin, Linksys, and MSI. The devicesgenerally work with either theHomePlug 1.0 or HomePlug AV stan-dard. The key differences between thetwo are in transmission speed andencryption. HomePlug 1.0 offerstransmission speeds of up to 85Megabit seconds (MBit/s).

HomePlug AV works at up to 200MBit/s. “AV” stands for audio/videoand hints at the type of data for which

this system is designed: music and inparticular films. “If you’re interestedin streaming a HD movie from theinternet onto a television, thenHomePlug AV products are a must,”says Michael Link. For videos and TVat standard resolutions, HomePlug 1.0is sufficient.

The gap between nominal speedslisted in Powerline ads and the speedthat the technology achieves in reallife situations tends to be worse thanon WLAN, however, according to arecent study from Germany-basedStiftung Warentest. “The connectionsare faster on the whole, though,” thetesters noted.

Adapter pairs cost between 50 and180 dollars, depending on whichspeeds are offered. Single units are

also available for purchase as well. Theplugs from different manufacturers aremutually compatible, presuming theywork with the same standard.

Data security is one potential pointof concern. While power metersabsorb signals transported acrosspower lines, it is hardly an impenetra-ble barrier. The experts recommendchanging the preset password to pre-vent a neighbor with a Powerlineadapter of his own from sneaking on toyour network.

Some adapters do provide extra lay-ers of security, like a button on eachadaptor that must be pressed beforedevices will pair with one another.HomePlug-AV plugs also work with128 bit AES encryption. The olderHomePlug 1.0 standard works with a

weaker level of encryption that maypotentially be unsafe, says MichaelLink from Computerbild.

Even so, Powerline networksrequire physical access. You have to bein the same house - a significant differ-ence from WLAN networks, which canbe attacked from a hacker sitting in acar outside of a house.

HomePlug adapters do have at leastone negative side effect: they can dis-rupt shortwave radio equipment.Although Powerline runs over thepower cables, under certain circum-stances the signals can radiate out forseveral metres, disrupting amateurbroadcasters in the immediate vicinity.In practice these problems are rare,says Link, himself a ham radio opera-tor. — dpa

Setting up Powerline on your home network

WASHINGTON: Google isexpected to ring in the new yearby unveiling its own smart-phone tomorrow, the NexusOne, in a bid to expand its pow-erful Web brand in the boomingmobile arena. The Internetsearch and advertising giant hasalready gained a foothold in themarket with its Android mobileoperating system, featured in anumber of phones starting withT-Mobile’s G1 in October 2008and more recently with theDroid from Motorola.

But the Nexus One,designed by Taiwanese handsetmaker HTC, represents a signif-icant departure in that Google isexpected to sell the Google-branded phone directly to con-sumers who will not be tied toany one telecom carrier. Apple’spopular iPhone, for example, isavailable exclusively in theUnited States through AT&T,but buyers of the “Googlephone” will reportedly havetheir choice of wireless carriers.

Technology blog Gizmodo,citing leaked documents, saidthe Nexus One will cost 530 dol-lars “unlocked”-meaning it isn’ttied to a specific carrier-or 180dollars with a two-year serviceagreement with T-Mobile, asubsidiary of Germany’sDeutsche Telekom AG. Googlehas been coy about any plans tojump headfirst into the fast-growing smartphone market,dropping hints but not confirm-ing its intentions outright.

Agence France-Presse andother media outlets have beeninvited to a press event tomor-row at Google headquarters inMountain View, California,billed only as an “Android pressgathering.” “With the launch of

the first Android-powereddevice just over a year ago,we’ve seen how a powerful,open platform can spur mobileproduct innovation,” the invita-tion said. “And this is just thebeginning of what’s possible.”

Google provided no furtherdetails about the event, whosetiming appears to be an attemptto upstage the ConsumerElectronics Show, the annualtechnology extravaganza whichopens in Las Vegas on January7. Among the hints dropped byGoogle was a blog post lastmonth in which the company

said employees were testing amobile product internally in anexercise known in the industryas “dogfooding.”

Google’s plunge into thesmartphone market has drawn amixed reaction. “It looks likeGoogle is moving to see if theycan do the Apple thing,” saidanalyst Rob Enderle, of EnderleGroup in Silicon Valley, in a ref-erence to the iPhone, which hasenjoyed phenomenal successsince it was introduced in 2007.

Pointing to Google’s 750-million-dollar acquisition ofmobile advertising company

AdMob in November, a numberof analysts said Google hopes toreplicate its Web advertisingsuccess in the mobile space. Notall are convinced by the wisdomof the move. “For Google to gointo the business of sellingphones just doesn’t make awhole lot of sense,” Gartneranalyst Van Baker said.

“Just coming out with ahigh-end phone really doesn’tbuy you much,” Baker said.“You’d be hard pressed to comeup with enough revenue frompushing ads to pay for thephone service.” Ovum research

fellow Jonathan Yarmis saidGoogle will have to walk a fineline between marketing its ownsmartphone and being a sup-portive partner for the growingnumber of firms making theirown handsets based onAndroid.

Although Android’s share ofthe US smartphone market isrelatively small, it has doubledin the past year to 3.5 percent inOctober, according to comScore,and Gartner predicts Android-based smartphones will capture14 percent of the global marketby the year 2012. — AFP

Vint Cerf, also known as the father of theInternet, warned that we’d run out of IPaddresses by 2010. That didn’t happen. Nowsome pundits are predicting 2012 as the newdoom-and-gloom date for the World WideWeb.

No one knows for sure when the originalpool of IP addresses will be depleted, but onething is certain: The continued growth of theInternet and the increasing use of machine-to-machine communications makes it likely-and soon.

Here’s how it works in a nutshell: IP ver-sion 4, or IPv4, addresses are allocated bythe Internet Assigned Numbers Authority(IANA) to regional registries. The registriesthen allocate IPv4 addresses to individualcustomers. As it stands, the last free pool atIANA is tracking for September 2011 — andthe last address would be offered to an indi-vidual customer about a year later, or about700 days from now.

“As with all scarce resources, occupationof new address resources will slow down asthe free pool shrinks, just as oil consumptiondecreases as the price goes up,” said DrMilton Mueller, a professor at the SyracuseUniversity School Of Information Studies’Internet Governance Project. “But sooner orlater, the free pool will be gone. IPv4addresses are fixed in number and most ofthem have already been handed out to organ-izations and ISPs.”

Several factors contribute to addressscarcity. First, the Internet address space isa fixed quantity, set by the basic Internetprotocol standard of 1981. It allows for aboutfour billion unique bit combinations. In theearly years of Internet development, addressblocks were handed out too easily, Muellersaid, because no one knew the Internetwould become so large. By 1993, about 40percent of the addresses had already beengiven out.

“The regional address registries don’thave effective reclamation policies, so oncethey give out an address block, it nevercomes back, regardless of how efficiently itis used,” Mueller said. “A more fundamentalcause of inefficient address usage is the needfor aggregation of routes. This is difficult toexplain simply, but the current system ofrouting makes it difficult and sometimesimpossible for users to carve up theiraddress blocks into smaller pieces and movethem around to different users, so there is alot of underutilized address space.”

What happens when we run out of IPv4addresses? The impact of an IPv4 addressexhaust can manifest itself in a number ofways-technical and business, according toPravin Mahajan, marketing manager forCisco’s Core Solutions. There’s a possibilityof a ‘last-chance’ rush on the registries, hesaid, along with industry talk about the pos-sibility of trading IPv4 addresses. Howeverno such model exists today or is forecast tobe built.

“Apart from these issues which relate tothe procurement of addresses, there’s theissue of optimization with available address-es. Optimization involves reuse of existingaddresses with translation and tunnelingtechniques,” Mahajan said. “The businessimpact of the exhaust is already being felt insome market opportunities. Smart gridinvolves IP-enabling the electric power infra-structure.” According to Mueller, when theworld runs out of IPv4 addresses, it willforce network operators to use their addressresources more carefully and promote twostructural adjustments. First, it will promotethe use of network address translators(NATs) that put an entire organizational net-work in a private address space. Second, itwill, hopefully, eventually drive ISPs and oth-ers to adopt the new Internet protocol, IPv6,which has a very large address space.

Meeting the challenge means understand-ing the distinction between IPv4 addresses(the established Internet protocol) and IPv6addresses, which are not widely used yet.The Internet itself is unlikely to run out of IPaddresses because IPv6 offers a virtuallyinfinite pool. However, the challenge is tomake the transition from IPv4 to IPv6.Eventually providers will adopt IPv6addressing, and the IPv4 exhaust couldprompt them to move faster on its adoption.

“The migration to IPv6 will take years,and that will require both standards to be inplace for a long time,” Mueller said. “If wereally develop shortages of IP addresses, itcould crimp the growth of the Internet andundermine its performance in variousways.”

As Mueller sees it, the best solution inthe short term is for the regional addressregistries to allow market trading of addressresources-with some restrictions to maintainaggregation-and to institute more effectivepolicies to reclaim unused addressresources. “Longer term,” he said, “we musteither standardize NAT arrangements in away that allows a huge expansion of theaddress space, or migrate to IPv6.”

Mahajan has a similar take. Any technolo-gy transition usually involves periods ofcoexistence before the complete shift. Inthis case, the transition is expected to occurover many years and possibly decades. Thatpoints to an industry need for a coherentplan during this long migration.

“The plan needs to incorporate preserva-tion of the existing mode of operations,preparation for the new technology coexist-ing with the old, and maintain or enhancebusiness prosperity along the process,”Mahajan said. “Industry participants maymove at a different pace based on their ver-tical segment-wireline, mobile, cable, etc.-geography and other drivers. The best solu-tion for the transition needs to factor in all ofthese dynamic components.” — Newsfactor

Google phone debut expected this week

Company gained foothold with Android mobile operating system

SAN FRANCISCO: Sleeker, smartermobile phones, tablets, and netbooks willbe stars at next week’s premierConsumer Electronics Show (CES) inLas Vegas, as firms bring out their latestgadgets to court the Internet crowd.While this year’s CES will be smaller dueto the global economic crisis, 110,000people are registered to attend and thenumber of first-time exhibitors tops 330for the first time.

A Google “Nexus One” smart phonebased on Android software is likely toignite CES buzz even though the deviceis to debut at the Internet giant’s head-quarters in California two days beforeCES starts Thursday. CES goers areeager to see whether the Google brandedphone lives up to expectations in a sce-nario reminiscent of the Palm Pre launchat the annual electronics show last year.

“All eyes are on the Nexus One,” saidanalyst Rob Enderle of Enderle Group inSilicon Valley. “The other thing of courseis the tablets. A wave of Android tabletswill be hitting at CES, and it looks likeApple’s is coming at the end of themonth.” A tablet computer to belaunched at CES by India-based NotionInc. is generating the most interest dueto attributes such as paper-like screengraphics for easy reading outdoors andfull-color resolution.

By waiting a few more weeks tolaunch a tablet, Apple will be able toassess how competitors position them-selves in the market and adapt its strate-gy accordingly. Electronic books, or e-books, will also be rolled out in abun-dance at CES. Industry tracker ForresterResearch predicts that six million e-read-ers will be sold in the United States alonein 2010, doubling the number bought inthe country the prior year.

An eagerly-awaited QUE e-reader byPlastic Logic will premier Thursday in an

invitation-only press conference slatedprior to the opening of the show floor.“We are going to be awash in e-books,”Enderle said. “The contrast betweentablets and e-books is going to be pro-nounced.”

Lightweight, bare-bones laptopsreferred to as netbooks or “ultraporta-bles” will also be a rage at CES as com-puter makers debut offerings tailored fora market that has boomed during hardtimes. Making devices ranging from flat-screen televisions to cars or home ther-mostats “smart” with computer chipsand links to the Internet will gainmomentum at CES.

Powerhouses behind huge but ever-thinning televisions that are a hallmark of

CES will tout online capabilities alongwith rich graphics prime for viewingfilms in high-definition or Blu-ray for-mats. “You will see the TV set becomemore than just a simple TV set and theBlu-ray player more than a Blu-ray play-er,” predicted Dolby consumer technolo-gy marketing director Craig Eggers.“Last year saw Yahoo! widgets on TVsets. More television makers areinstalling devices to stream YouTube,CinemaNow, and other online video onTV.”

Dolby, which is planning CESannouncements of its own, is intent onmaking sure audio richness on devicesdoes justice to eye-popping graphics.Television screens with improved 3D

capabilities will be “big stuff” at CES andthere is a rumor that the first US 3D tel-evision station will launch during CES,according to Enderle. Microsoft andYahoo! are among Internet titans that willbe announcing innovations or alliances atCES.

The Consumer ElectronicsAssociation has beefed up the size of avideogame gear zone and an iLoungedevoted to software and accessories forApple iPhones, iPods and Macintoshcomputers. Speakers include Microsoftchief executive Steve Ballmer; Nokiahead Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo; Ford presi-dent Alan Mulally; Intel leader PaulOtellini; Qualcomm boss Paul Jacobs, andHisense chairman Zhou Houjian. — AFP

Will the Internet run out of IP addresses in 2012?

SAN FRANCISCO: AHuffington Post spokesmansays the left-leaning newsand opinion Web site wasnot hacked when a Twittersocial network feedemerged in its name andbegan issuing insults with aconservative bent.

Mario Ruiz tells TheAssociated Press in an e-

mail Saturday that theaccount isn’t operated byThe Huffington Post, butwas set up to appear asthough it was. He followedup later Saturday to say thatTwitter had suspended theaccount.

Some Twitter sub-scribers earlier Saturdaymistook the mimicked feed

for The Huffington Post’sown commentary whenthey were alerted to it byother Twitter users. Thefeed included mostly un-publishable insults aboutpolitical and media figures,including President BarackObama and MSNBC com-mentator KeithOlbermann. — AP

Huffington Post’s Twitterfeed mimicked by hacker

Tablets, netbooks and smart phones to be CES stars

HEALTH & SCIENCE28 Monday, January 4, 2010

H1N1 flu spreading into the countryside: China BEIJING: The H1N1 strain of flu is rapidlyspreading into China’s vast countryside andthere could be a spike in cases around theLunar New Year period when millions headback to their home towns, the health ministrysaid. The world’s most populous nation has

reported 648 deaths to date from what isoften called swine flu, a tiny portion of theestimated 12,220 deaths around the globe,but has launched a massive vaccination cam-paign. “Outbreaks in Beijing, Shanghai, otherlarge cities and in schools have seen an obvi-

ous decline, but the virus continues to spreadinto villages and communities,” the HealthMinistry said in a statement on its website(www.moh.gov.cn). The government hasbeen especially worried as the country headsinto the depths of winter and ahead of the

Lunar New Year holiday in February, whenmillions of people travel back to their hometowns-potentially taking flu with them.

“The risk of catching H1N1 will increase,and the virus prevention situation is stillgrim,” the ministry added. “It is expected

that for the period to come the virus willspread briskly.” China is also concerned thatnot enough people have been vaccinatedagainst the virus, and that the flu will be hardto control once it reaches the poor and under-developed rural hinterland, where most the

country’s 1.3 billion people live.The government is rushing to send med-

ical equipment such as respirators to 17 cen-tral and western provinces to “increase theoverall ability to deal with severe cases”, theministry said. — Reuters

PARIS: France has joined other Europeancountries in selling off millions of its emergencyswine flu vaccines after buying far more than itneeded to fight the outbreak, the governmentsaid yesterday. “We started with a plan for two-dose vaccinations but since one dose is suffi-cient we can start to re-sell part of the stock,” aFrench health ministry official told AFP.

Like some other European countries, Francehas witnessed less demand than expected afterspending 869 million euros (1.25 billion dollars)on vaccines for the A(H1N1) flu virus. It bought94 million doses-almost one and a half for everymember of the population-but so far only aboutfive million people in France are recorded ashaving been vaccinated since the programlaunched in October.

France took the decision to sell some of itsstock after European medical authorities saidthat a one-off vaccination was enough to protectagainst the virus. The ministry said Qatar hadalready bought 300,000 doses from France andEgypt was negotiating to buy two million.France is also in discussions with Mexico andUkraine, it said. Germany also said last month itwas looking to sell off vaccines even though itsfull order of 50 million doses was not due to bedelivered until March. Only about five percentof the population had been vaccinated inGermany.

A health ministry senior official in theGerman state of Thuringia, Hartmut Schubert,said there had been requests from Afghanistanand Eastern European countries includingUkraine-where France is now competing withit. The Netherlands announced in Novemberthat it would sell 19 million of the 34 millionvaccines it ordered to countries with a shortageof them, judging its own flu scare to be past.

Spain’s Health Minister Trinidad Jimenezwas quoted as saying in the daily El Pais yester-day that it expects to buy a total of about 13 mil-lion doses-little more than a third of its earlierestimate of 37 million.

The World Health Organization (WHO) saidlast month that A(H1N1) was reaching a peak inmuch of western Europe, as the disease pro-gressed into central Europe and through partsof Asia.

German authorities said Moldova, Kosovo,Mongolia and the Maldives had approachedthem asking for vaccines to be donated as aid.The WHO said last week that swine flu haskilled at least 12,220 people worldwide, thebiggest share of them in the United States andCanada, but had peaked and was declining inNorth America.—AFP

France joins Europe flu vaccine sell-off

Less demand for drug than expected

BARENDRECHT: A plan byoil giant Shell to store 300,000tons of carbon dioxide a year ina depleted gas reservoirbeneath this Dutch city hasdrawn the ire of residents andlocal officials who have vowedto thwart it. “We are going todo everything to oppose thisproject,” declaredBarendrecht deputy mayorSimon Zuubrier, who voicedfears for the safety of the city’s50,000 inhabitants. “We aretaking legal action to get itcancelled and we’ll approvenone of the required permits.”

Anglo-Dutch Shell inNovember was authorized bythe Dutch government toundertake a project to captureand store a portion of the 5.0megatons of carbon dioxideemitted each year by the com-pany’s refinery in Pernis,Europe’s largest. Pernis islocated 15 kilometers (9.4miles) from here.

Under the scheme, set toget under way in 2012, theCO2 will be carried by apipeline and, after being com-pressed, will be injected into adepleted gas reservoir 1,800meters (5,900 feet) underground. The reservoir has acapacity of 800,000 tons.

Shell has said that overtime the CO2 will dissolve orform minerals. With a positiveevaluation of the initiative by

g o v e r n m e n t - m a n d a t e dexperts, the project will beextended in a few years toanother nearby gas reservoir,with a 9.0 megaton capacityand part of which lies underBarendrecht city center.

“It’s ridiculous to carry outsuch an experiment in adensely populated area,”insisted Zuubrier.

Klass Brantjes, a memberof a residents’ association, saidthat while “we have beengiven the illusion of security,all the risks are not known.”“The risks that CO2 willescape are real and are espe-cially dangerous as the city issituated in a basin.” But aspokesman for the Dutch for-eign ministry, Jan van Diepen,insisted that “the project issafe, otherwise the govern-ment would not have given thego-ahead.”

The Dutch government isproviding 30 million euros tohelp finance the facility. Shellhas declined to reveal theoverall cost. Shell says thecarbon capture and storage byinjection technique hasalready been tested in Norwayand the United States. “CCS(carbon capture and storage) isa safe technique in itself,”Margriet Kuijper, ShellManager of Carbon Captureand Storage Projects andStudies, said on the company

website.“It will be carried out with

so many safeguards that it canbe used anywhere, even inresidential areas.”

The Netherlands, whichemitted 174.5 megatons ofCO2 in 2008, has a total stor-age capacity of 1,600 mega-tons.

“It is imperative to captureand store CO2 in order toreach our target of reducinggreenhouse gas emissions” by20 percent from 1990 levels by2020, van Diepen said.

“If a fifth of the country’senergy production is fromrenewable sources by 2020,which is what the governmentwants, it would mean that 80percent would still come fromfossil fuels,” he said.

“Storing CO2 is thereforeinescapable as a transitiontechnology to limit climatedamage.” It’s an argument dis-missed by the environmentalgroup Greenpeace, which hassaid “the enormous subsidies”allocated to burying carbon gascontribute to “maintaining pol-luting industries” at theexpense of cleaner energy.Shell has acknowledged thatcarbon storage operationshave an impact on the environ-ment, as they release a quanti-ty of CO2 equal to 5.0 percentof the carbon gas beingstored.—AFP

Shell CO2 stockingplans under fire

FREIBURG: Suricates (suricata suricatta), also known as meerkats,seen seated by a heating lamp in a zoo in Freiburg , southern Germany,Monday. —AP

Lessons of a weekend of free health careTENNESSEE : The two-hour drive is done,but Hannah and Jack Hurst leave theHonda’s engine running. Hannah’s prayershave brought them here. Now there’s littleto do but turn up the car’s heat, get somesleep and wait for morning, and a set ofglass and metal doors to open.

Still, Hannah doesn’t complain. The 26-year-old mother of three has waited “prettymuch as long as I can remember” to escapethe pain throbbing through her jaws. Jacklost his road construction job a year ago andhealth insurance is out of the question. Ifthe answer to Hannah’s misery lays behindthose doors, what’s 10 hours more? Out inthe dark, the Hursts have plenty of compa-ny. Even before 10 p.m. on this Friday inlate fall, nearly 50 cars ring the lot. By 6a.m. Saturday, more than 400 men andwomen stand tightlipped and bleary-eyedunder the stars. By day’s end, as long asthey keep tempers in check and sleep fromtheir eyes, they will win the privilege ofcare from a dentist or a doctor.

In a country convulsed over health care,the scene is alarming. But it is always thesame, Stan Brock says. For 17 years, theBritish-born Brock has piloted a nonprofitcalled Remote Area Medical, offering freehealth care to the uninsured, the underin-sured and the desperate. Brock has seenso many crowds like the one outside UnionCounty High School he chides himself forlosing track of whether this is RAM’s 578thexpedition or its 587th. Yet in every crowd,there are hundreds of Hannah Hursts, each

a unique testament to America’s raggedpursuit of health care answers.

Over the next two days, RAM’s volun-teers will examine, extract and prescribehundreds of solutions for individual achesand afflictions. They will, in the fewmoments left, attempt to convince patientsthey’ll probably never see again of thevirtues of healthier living and continuouscare. They will try to answer HannahHurst’s prayers. Lawmakers debatingreform could almost certainly learn some-thing here in the trenches.

But the most striking lesson might alsobe the most daunting: To fix health careinequities, expanding insurance alone maynot be enough.”Good morning folks,”Brock booms in an English accent crispwith authority. “We’re going to get startedon time.” It is precisely 6 a.m. and Brockhas just pushed open the high school’sdoors, questions ready.

“Who’s here to see a dentist?”More than half raise their hands. Who

needs an eye doctor? Almost as many. Whoneeds a medical doctor? Scattered hands goup, but Brock expects that, too. “Really,they all need to see a doctor,” he says.“They just don’t want to lose their place online.” Ronnie and Debbie Erwin have dri-ven 2 1/2 hours from Johnson City.Insurance from her job covers his care forspinal stenosis. But the prescriptionscaused his teeth to disintegrate and infec-tion followed. Insurance doesn’t cover that.

“My doctor said you’ve got to do some-

thing or it’s going to kill you,” Ronnie says.Melissa Hayes, a home health aide fromnearby Luttrell, has waited since 11:30 pmwith her daughters, aged 5, 7 and 10. Heroldest, Brittney Prince, can’t see the boardat school, but the family can’t afford glass-es. Joe Mason is anxious about a brokenmolar, but if there’s time, he’s thinkingabout seeing a doctor, too. The idea,though, leaves him uncertain. “How do yougo in there and talk to a doctor? I probably

haven’t been to one in 20 years,” saysMason, 31. “I mean, what are you supposedto say to one?”

“Who’s got No. 1?”The day’s first patients are waved in to

“triage”, the school cafeteria. Decidewhich need is today’s priority, volunteersurge. There won’t be enough time or doc-tors to deal with them all.

“Dental?” Go to the gym. “Generalmedical?” In the classrooms down the hall.

It’s just 45 minutes from RAM’s base inKnoxville to Maynardville, the center of acounty of 19,000 set amid corduroy ridges.But the volunteers’ arrival is the product ofa long and convoluted journey.

It began in the Amazon. Brock, a board-ing school dropout, landed there more than50 years ago and turned himself into aSouth American cowboy. He left in the1960s to wrestle anacondas and ropegiraffes on a popular U.S. television show,“Wild Kingdom.” But in 1985, settled inKnoxville, he began organizing medicalrelief flights back to the region. Sevenyears later, he got a call. The only hospitalin Hancock County, Tennessee, had closedand the sole dentist had moved away. “Weliterally loaded a couple of 400-pound (180kilogram) dental chairs that we borrowedinto the back of a pickup truck and we wentup there with a couple of dentists,” Brocksays. “It wasn’t long before another countycalled and on and on and on and on.”Hundreds of expeditions later, Americanshave become the group’s main mission.

For all their planning, RAM’s peoplenever know entirely what to expect.Neither do their patients. Although theHursts got to Maynardville early, they losttheir place in line when police cleared theparking lot because of shots from nearbywoods. It turned out to be just someteenagers hunting.

By the time the couple reaches the gym,dentists clustered around 38 portable den-tal chairs fill the Union County Patriot’s

home court. Patients pack the bleachers.Finally, Hannah Hurst is called to a chairand explains why she’s come.

In pregnancy, her mother suffered froma calcium deficiency. Hannah’s baby teethdecayed fast. It was even worse with herpermanent teeth and disease filled hergums, swollen with abscesses. Insuranceeither wasn’t enough or dental wasn’t cov-ered. Four years ago, Hannah savedenough to reach a dentist’s chair, when herphone rang. Her aunt, hospitalized withcancer, had taken a turn for the worse. Sherushed out, even though a spring breezecan trigger pain that knocks her to herknees.

Back home in Campbell County, wor-shippers at Sled Creek HolinessCommunity Church have prayed, even fast-ed, to help Hannah heal. Today Hannah isready to embrace the answer. Please, sheasks, pull them all out. It’s calmer in theclassrooms reserved for medical doctors,but the patients’ stories are at least astelling. “I went to college. I’m a graduate. Ijust never thought I’d ever be here,”Earleen Black says. Until losing her jobeight months ago, Black was a radiologytechnologist. She’s embarrassed to ask forhelp. But bursitis has attacked her hip likea baseball bat. She’s relieved when a doctoradministers a shot without charge, butmystified there was almost no wait. Thetruth is, many are here only because theirblood pressure registered too high toundergo the dentist’s drill. —AP

TENNESSEE: This Nov 14, 2009 photo shows Tresa Daughertyfrom Oak Ridge, Tenn., sleeping as she waits in the hall for eyeexams during a Remote Area Medical clinic held at Union CountyHigh School in Maynardville, Tenn. —AP

BEIJING: A burst oil pipeline in northChina has spewed thousands of gallons(litres) of diesel into a major tributary of theYellow River, state media said yesterday.The spill occurred on Wednesday last weekon the Chishui river in Shaanxi provincewhen a pipeline operated by the ChinaNational Petroleum Corporation (CNPC)ruptured, a statement on the Weinan citygovernment website said.

Emergency measures have been takento stop the leak, with 23 containment beltsset up downstream from the spill and up to700 people scrambling to clean up the mess,

the statement said. Local government offi-cials refused to reveal how much diesel hadspilled into the river or comment on thespill when contacted by AFP. The officialXinhua news agency reported that up to150,000 liters (40,000 US gallons) hadleaked into the river about 70 kilometers(42 miles) from the Yellow River, one ofChina’s longest watercourses.

Oil has already been detected 33 kilo-meters downstream from the spill, thereport said. “We must take thorough mea-sures to handle the spill and the pollutionand strictly prevent it from entering the

Yellow River, while ensuring the safety ofdrinking water,” the Chongqing EveningNews quoted Vice Premier Li Keqiang assaying. Local environmental departmentshave warned residents not to use the riverwater as it may be polluted, the report said.

A preliminary investigation showed thatthe pipeline rupture was caused by a localconstruction project, CNPC, one of China’sbiggest state-owned oil and gas companies,said in a statement. The pipeline is used totransport diesel from northwest China’sGansu province to the central parts of thenation, it said. Around 30 years of unbridled

economic growth have left most of China’slakes and rivers heavily polluted while thenation’s urban dwellers also face some ofthe world’s worst air pollution.

More than 200 million Chinese current-ly do not have access to safe drinking water,according to government data. InNovember 2005, a major oil spill on theSonghua river in northeast China’sHeilongjiang province resulted in a cut offof water supplies to up to four million peo-ple in the provincial capital of Harbin beforeflowing down river into Russia, causing adiplomatic crisis. —AFP

MALABON: A Bengal tiger licks the glass that separates the animal and zoo ownerManny Tangco, who blows a paper horn, on New Year’s eve at a zoo in suburban MalabonCity, north of Manila, Philippines. The coming year 2010 falls on the Year of the Tiger inthe Chinese calendar. —AP

North China oil spill threatens Yellow River

30 Monday, January 4, 2010WHATʼS ON IN KUWAIT

TomorrowRaag ‘N’ Rhythm: Raag ‘N’ Rhythm (an ensemblecreated by Malini Viswanath for students of classicalmusic) organizes Sangeetha Choodamani Dr SmtBombay Jayashri Ramnath in a Classical Carnatic vocalconcert, accompanied by her troupe on the Violin,Mridangam and Khanjira on the occasion ofThyagaraja Aradhana on 5th Jan 2010, the PushyaBahula Panchami Day, at 6 pm at Al-Maidan CulturalCentre, Abdullah Al-Salem School, Maidan Hawally,near Sha’ab Leisure Park. Entry by invitation, ContactMrs. Jayanthi- 25634108, Mrs Shalini 25610617, MrsJaya 25322749 for invitations.

January 15Kalanja li Ponga l Vizha 2010: Kalanjali Kuwait isplanning to organize ‘Pongal Vizha’ on January 15,2010 in American International School. Special pro-gram, similar to Paattukku Paatu (in Tamil), byWorld famous Bh Abdul Hameed will be conducted.Interested participants can send an email with theirdetails to kalanjaliq8@gmail.com for selectionprocess in Dec 2009 or contact 99816937 / 66457286.

KKMA children’s draw ing contest: The grandfinal contest of KKMA-Tiffany drawing contest forchildren in Indian schools in Kuwait will be held onFriday, 15th January 2010. A press release fromKKMA stated that a total number of 3000 entrieswere received during the first phase of the contestheld in June-October 2009. Children’s from 17Indian schools in Kuwait participated in this contest.Of which 1000 finalists were selected and invited foran on-the-spot final contest held on January 15th2010 at Kuwait Indian school in Jleeb (next to 6thring road). A list of all finalists who are eligible forparticipating in the final contest is being sent to theirrespective schools and the participants are contactedby their given contact telephone or emails. The listis also published at KKMA website www.kkma.netThe Association thanked all class teachers and theart/drawing teachers of your school for their kindsupport without which we could not have receivedsuch an immense response. Contest titled as ‘WorldPeace’ KKMA-Tiffany Drawing Contest is conductedto promote a culture of nonviolence and peace byraising awareness among young children about these

concepts. The competition was open to all studentsof Indian Schools in Kuwait and divided in to fourcategories - Primary School (Class 1 to IV), UpperPrimary School (Class V to VII), Secondary School(Class VIII to Class X), and Senior Secondary School(Class XI and Class XII). The Phase 1 of the contestwas held early this year in which each of the entrantswas requested to submit one piece of drawing whichresponds to the theme, “World Peace”. All entrieswere then reviewed by a judging panel and 1000semi-finalists were selected to advance to phase 2final competitions which will be now held on 15thJanuary 2009. Total of 60 winners, 15 students fromeach category will be then chosen and awarded withmedals and gifts.

MARCH 26CRYcket 2010: the 13th annual crycket tourna-ment is scheduled to be held on Friday, 26th March2010 at the KOC Hockey Grounds, Ahmadi. Thistournament is organized by FOCC (Friends of CryClub). Friends of CRY Club (FOCC) is associatedwith CRY (Child Rights and You), India and its main

objectives are to create awareness of the underprivi-leged Indian children, help restore their basic rights,strive to provide support in personal development ofthe Indian children in Kuwait and bring out the quali-ties of social commitment in them. FOCC has beenorganizing CRY awareness programmes for childrenthrough its two annual events - CRYcket (Cricketmatch for children below 14 years organized annuallysince 1997) and CRY chess tournament (for childrenof all ages organized annually since 2005) - and‘Brain Bang’ programme which is an ongoing bi-weekly Accelerated Learning activity. CRYcket willbe played by 24 teams of children and about 500spectators are expected for this special one-dayevent. The deadline to receive the registrationforms is 18th March 2010, however registration maybe close earlier if the available slots of 12 teams ineach category are filled. A colourful souvenir will bereleased to mark the 13th year of FOCC’s activitiesin Kuwait. For details how to become a sponsorand/or to advertise in the Souvenir or to volunteer asa FOCC member, pls visit www.focckwt.org or email focckwt@yahoo.com

Announcements

Expatriate Pilipino families celebrated 25th December the X-mass day in Kuwait. MerryChristmas. 25th December is an important calendar day for the world wide Christian commu-nity. Every year they celebrate the occasion amid befitting merriment. Merlin Stephen and her

colleagues and honorable guests mark their celebration at her South Surra residence, right after the24th December midnight at 12:01 by piercing celebratory cake, dance and music and exchanging giftsamong themselves. They also extend good wishes to all expatriate Pilipino families residing in Kuwait.In this opportunity Merlin and all her friends and guests along with their families thank the Kuwaitadministration for extending all out support in X-mass day celebration. Also they wish happy new year.

A Pilipino Christmas

As per instructions from Pir Syed AbidHussain Shah and Pir Syed Ijaz HussainShah of Chora Sharif monthly Mehfil was

organized by Bazme Chorahi International Kuwaitin respect of Islamic New Year. Where the largenumber of the Muslims community were attendwith spiritual and intuitive passions. The programhad been started with the recites of the holy

Quran by Talat Mehmood Chorahi. The heartswere enlighted with the Zikr of Allah Hoo andAsma Al Husna (The Most beautiful names ofAllah). This had been presented by Khalifa HakimAzmat Ali Chorahi. Air was fragranced with theZikr of Allah Hoo. The presentation of the Mehfilwas supervised by Mohammad Daud Chorahi.Droodo Salam had recited which was not incon-

siderable. Salam and special address to theShuhada-e-Karbala was presented by KhalifaHakim Azmat Ali Chorahi. He also prayed for theserenity of the Muslim World. Umat-e-Mohammadia and especially people of Pakistanand Kuwait. Rajab Khan Abbasi advocate was thehonorable quest of the Mehfil. The Mehfil was livetelecast to abroad through web channel.

Zikr & Hamd-o-Naat in Muharram by Bazme Chorahi

Indian national Saulat Ali Khan, aresident in Kuwait for over 30years, is to publish his memoirs inan exhilarating book entitled‘Destiny’s Destination ...’ Thebook, which appears in a lavishlystyled coffee-table book format, isslated to be released in New Delhion January 6th, 2010, by author andIndian Minister of State forExternal Affairs, Shashi Tharoor.The glittering ceremony to markthe book launch will be attended bya galaxy of senior government offi-cials, VIPs and several prominentIndians from Kuwait including thechairman of the Indian BusinessCouncil, S K Wadhawan.

‘Destiny’s Destination ...’ tracesthe extraordinary journey ofKhan’s life as a young man from asmall village in Sihali Jagir in UttarPradesh (India), to a successfulbusiness man and eminent person-ality among Indians in Kuwait. Thebook documents Khan’s rare gift tomeaningfully touch other people’slives, an ability he has carefully cul-tivated during his three decades ofstay in the country. “There aremany moments in one’s life thatneeds to be cherished and remem-bered,” said Khan. “The conceptfor compiling a book of this naturebegan in early 2009, while I wasattempting to organize my largecollection of photographs intoalbums. That idea then eventuallyevolved into ‘Destiny’s Destination... a photo anthology of my journeythrough life. This has been anamazing opportunity to indeliblyrecord the many enlivening rela-tionships that I have nurtured witha wide section of people in Indiaand Kuwait,” added Khan.

The book, which chroniclesseveral historical events in thelong and harmonious relationsbetween India and Kuwait,includes photo images of the visitto Kuwait by the late Indian PrimeMinister Mrs. Indira Gandhi, thevisit by HH the Amir Sheikh SabahAl-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah toIndia and the recent visit to Kuwaitby Mohammad Hamid Ansari, theVice-President of India. ‘Destiny’sDestination ...’ which narratesfriendships with people and insti-tutions that have transcended bar-riers and created enduring rela-tionships, also features messagesfrom prominent personalities inIndia and Kuwait. Among the dig-nitaries from India who have addedto the richness of the book withtheir heartening words are formerIndian President, A P J AbdulKalam, eminent economistMontek Singh Ahluwalia, ShashiTharoor and film director YashChopra. Others who have pub-

lished their messages of friendshipin the book include Fawaz Al-Farah, Hashem Al-Khalaf, JassimAlghanim and Mohammed Al-Mutairi from Kuwait. Indianambassador Ajai Malhotra, in hisletter of appreciation on the launchof the book, applauded the ventureundertaken by Khan in conscien-

tiously recording historic eventsand hoped that this would addanother chapter in the dynamicIndo-Kuwait relations.

‘Destiny’s Destination ...,’, willalso feature in the storyline mem-bers of the Indian community inKuwait who have had a close asso-ciation with Khan. As part of his

philanthropic efforts Khan hasdecided to commit a portion of theproceeds from the sale of the bookto a charitable trust he intends toset up. News of the book launchhas been received warmly byfriends and members of the Indiancommunity who have voiced theirenthusiastic support for the book.

Destiny’s Destination

An inspiring hardcover book by SA Khan

The embassy staff together withtheir families and well wisherstook part in an overnight pirith

chanting ceremony on New Year’sEve and invoked blessings upon theGovernment and the people of theState of Kuwait as well as the expatri-ate communities including SriLankans, for the new year 2010.

The ceremony began with theofferings of Buddha Puja followed byreligious observances. The embassyauditorium has been decorated withBuddhist flags for the occasion, whilea special chamber (Mandappaya) hasbeen set up to accommodate thegroup of laymen who volunteered forthe occasion and performed the role ofclergy. The atmosphere was reminis-cent of a typical religious setting in SriLanka with devotees dressed up inwhite cloth gathered around the cham-ber in devotion for the religious obser-vances. The pirith chanting whichbegan around 10:00 pm on 31st nightlasted for over three hours until earlymorning on the 1st January 2010,amidst the dawn of the New Year tothe delight of all. The safe houseinmates too observed pirith chantingin which they sought solace to theirsuffering. The meritorious deeds per-formed on the occasion included reli-gious prayers, dharma discourses, ameditation session etc. which were

well received by the gathering. The proceedings came to a close

with traditional food & snacks servedfor the devotees.

On 1st January 2010, the staff tookpart in the flag hoisting ceremony inthe morning, followed by singing thenational anthem, reading of messages,oath taking, assumption of duties etcin the New Year. Sri Lanka’sAmbassador to Kuwait, SarathDissanayake addressed the staff and

emphasized the importance of forgingahead with “new year resolutions” inorder to usher in an era of lastingpeace and prosperity for all. He alsoappealed to staff to redouble theirefforts toward serving the Sri Lankancommunity with dedication and forfurther strengthening relationsbetween Sri Lanka and Kuwait. Theofficial ceremony ended with tradi-tional milk rice and sweet meals beingserved for those present.

Lankan Embassy in Kuwait invokes blessings for all

31Monday, January 4, 2010 WHATʼS ON IN KUWAIT

Warm birthday greetings to our dearest Ann Mary D’Cruzwho is celebrating her 4th birthday today. May Almightyshower you with blessings. Wishes come from daddy DrAntony, mummy Dr Anila, sister Andrea, Alber Papa, Sharletmumma, Sheeb aunty, Johnson uncle, and Binu aunty.

Happy birthday S Geethika, you are so special to everyone andwe pray for your long life and happiness and lots of fun. Bestwishes on your 8th birthday, from M mummy Nagakatga,daddy S V Ramana and the entire in Kuwait and India.

‘Steadfastness and perseverance have a magi-cal effect before which difficulties disappearand obstacles vanish’. Quaid-e-Azam

Muhammad Ali Jinah is one of the great leaders ofthe world who change the destiny of nations withtheir untiring efforts and unwavering determination.He is the founder of Pakistan who carved out anindependent state for the Muslims of the sub-conti-nent.

NPIS, Hawally celebrated his birthday on 24th ofDecember 2009 and refreshed his memory throughmotivating programs. The Pakistani students exhib-ited their great enthusiasm through Speeches,devoted national songs, informative quiz andtableaux.

Quaid-e-Azam Day Celebrated in NPIS

Seva Darshan Kuwait held a press conference attendedby prominent media personnel from Kuwait December29. The meeting was presided over by S

Mohankumar, General Convener, ‘Bharath Darshan 2010’.P. Krishnakumar, President, Seva Darshan Kuwait, ManojNair, Executive Committee Member, and T. G. Venugopal,Convener, Public Relation Committee were also present atthe press conference.

A detailed media kit about the ‘Bharath Darshan 2010’was circulated among the media personnel. Mohankumarnarrated the aim of Seva Darshan in conducting this megaevent and progress of the preparations.

Seva Darshan Kuwait has invited the esteemed mediapersonnel and the public to attend and grace this occasionJanuary 15, 2010, to be held at Marina Hall, Jleeb Al-Shyoukh.

The day-long event will be staged by Idea Star singersSomadas, Jins, Prasobh and Super Global Star winner Roopa.The program will be made more colorful by veteran cineartists like Kottayam Nazeer and Kalabhavan Prajod.

Bharath Darshan 2010

(National events celebration)committee organized ‘Bijoy Mela-09” in celebration of Victory day of Bangladesh

Banglades Jatiya Dibas Udjapan

Bangladesh Jatiya Dibas Udjapan(National events celebration) com-mittee has celebrated the auspi-

cious Victory day of Bangladesh in befit-ting manner. The celebration took place inAbbasiya touristic park, Kuwait on 18thDecember 2009. The celebration was inau-gurated by Moaz Uddin Ahmed and AtaulGani Mamun respectively the convenerand member secretary of the Jatiya DibasUdjapan committee, amid presence of dis-tinguished guests. BangladeshAmbassador Sayed Shahed Reza hasattended the celebration as the chief guestof honor.

The celebration was marked with honorconferred to the Gallant freedom fightersof Bangladesh living in Kuwait as well as todistinguished personalities of Bengaliexpatriate community in Kuwait. NurulIslam counselor of Bangladesh Embassyhas also participated in the ceremony. Thechief guest handed over crests of honor tothe Gallant freedom fighters respectivelyMoaz Uddin Ahmed, Ahmedur RahamanMasum, Afzal Ibsen khan, Shafiqul AlamShah, Dr. Shariar Huda, EngineerKhondakar Abdul Hannan. Engineer AbdurRab, and renowned business man HasanWaris, Cultural activists Rabiul Alam Rabi,Mr. Mohammed Au Azam, Sheikh

Bahauddin Siddiqui Lablu, Kazi MahabubulIslam Liton, Jahangir Hossain Bablu,Abdur Rahim, Muzibur Rahaman Rana,M.R. Chowdhury Zahangir, Raliqul AlamSumon, Abu Taher for their excellent con-tribution in respective field.

In the cultural segment of the celebra-tion Jatiya Kabita Parisad President, poetJahangir Hossain bablu lead the chore ofpoets in poetry recitation. That followedstaging of two plays respectively written

by Rafiqul Islam bulu and MuziburRahaman Rana. Skillful display and dancewere performed by expatriate Bengaliyoungsters. Pran Co. has distributedprizes to the brilliant performers. The cel-ebration was concluded with the BengaliPatriotic song sang by expatriate musicianartists. The program was brilliantly pre-sented by Kazi Mahbubul Islam liton andthe entire festivity was well maintained byRafiqul Islam bulu.

Prayer Timings

Fajer 05:18Shorook 06:43Dohor 11:52Aser 14:43Maghreb 17:02Ishaa 18:24

Sea watch

High Tide

00:14 & 14:38

Low Tide

08:01 & 19:53

POLICE STATION

HOSPITALS

Al-Madena Police Station 22434064Al-Murqab Police Station 22435865Al-Daiya Police Station 22544200Al-Fayhaʼa Police Station 22547133Al-Qadissiya Police Station 22515277Al-Nugra Police Station 22616662Al-Salmiya Police Station 25714406Al-Dasma Police Station 22530801

PHARMACIES ON 24 HRS DUTY

GOVERNORATE PHARMACY ADDRESS PHONEAhmadi Sama Safwan Fahaeel Makka St 23915883

Abu Halaifa Abu Halaifa-Coastal Rd 23715414Danat Al-Sultan Mahboula Block 1, Coastal Rd 23726558

Jahra Modern Jahra Jahra-Block 3 Lot 1 24575518Madina Munawara Jahra-Block 92 24566622

Capital Ahlam Fahad Al-Salem St 22436184Khaldiya Coop Khaldiya Coop 24833967

Farwaniya New Shifa Farwaniya Block 40 24734000Ferdous Coop Ferdous Coop 24881201Modern Safwan Old Kheitan Block 11 24726638

Hawally Tariq Salmiya-Hamad Mubarak St 25726265Hana Salmiya-Amman St 25647075Ikhlas Hawally-Beirut St 22625999Hawally & Rawdha Hawally & Rawdha Coop 22564549Ghadeer Jabriya-Block 1A 25340559Kindy Jabriya-Block 3B 25326554Ibn Al-Nafis Salmiya-Hamad Mubarak St 25721264Mishrif Coop Mishrif Coop 25380581Salwa Coop Salwa Coop 25628241

Sabah Hospital 24812000

Amiri Hospital 22450005

Maternity Hospital 24843100

Mubarak Al-Kabir Hospital 25312700

Chest Hospital 24849400

Farwaniya Hospital 24892010

Adan Hospital 23940620

Ibn Sina Hospital 24840300

Al-Razi Hospital 24846000

Physiotherapy Hospital 24874330/9

CLINICS

Roudha 22517733

Adhaliya 22517144

Khaldiya 24848075

Keifan 24849807

Shamiya 24848913

Shuwaikh 24814507

Abdullah Salim 22549134

Al-Nuzha 22526804

Industrial Shuwaikh 24814764

Al-Khadissiya 22515088

Dasmah 22532265

Bneid Al-Ghar 22531908

Al-Shaab 22518752

Al-Kibla 22459381

Ayoun Al-Kibla 22451082

Al-Mirqab 22456536

Sharq 22465401

Salmiya 25746401

Jabriya 25316254

Maidan Hawally 25623444

Bayan 25388462

Mishref 25381200

W.Hawally 22630786

Sabah 24810221

Jahra 24770319

New Jahra 24575755

West Jahra 24772608

South Jahra 24775066

North Jahra 24775992

North Jleeb 24311795

Al-Ardhiya 24884079

Firdous 4892674

Al-Omariya 4719048

N.Kheitan 4710044

Rabiya 4732263

Fintas 3900322

FIRE BRIGADEOperation Room 777

Al-Madena 22418714Al-Shohadaʼa 22545171Al-Shuwaikh 24810598Al-Nuzha 22545171Sabhan 24742838Al-Helaly 22434853Al-Fayhaa 22545051Al-Farwaniya 24711433Al-Sulaibikhat 24316983Al-Fahaheel 23927002Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh 24316983Ahmadi 23980088Al-Mangaf 23711183Al-Shuaiba 23262845Al-Jahra 25610011Al-Salmiya 25616368

INTERNATIONAL CALLS

Afghanistan 0093

Albania 00355

Algeria 00213

Andorra 00376

Angola 00244

Anguilla 001264

Antiga 001268

Argentina 0054

Armenia 00374

Australia 0061

Austria 0043

Bahamas 001242

Bahrain 00973

Bangladesh 00880

Barbados 001246

Belarus 00375

Belgium 0032

Belize 00501

Benin 00229

Bermuda 001441

Bhutan 00975

Bolivia 00591

Bosnia 00387

Botswana 00267

Brazil 0055

Brunei 00673

Bulgaria 00359

Burkina 00226

Burundi 00257

Cambodia 00855

Cameroon 00237

Canada 001

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Cayman Islands 001345

Central African Republic 00236

Chad 00235

Chile 0056

China 0086

Colombia 0057

Comoros 00269

Congo 00242

Cook Islands 00682

Costa Rica 00506

Croatia 00385

Cuba 0053

Cyprus 00357

Cyprus (Northern) 0090392

Czech Republic 00420

Denmark 0045

Diego Garcia 00246

Djibouti 00253

Dominica 001767

Dominican Republic 001809

Ecuador 00593

Egypt 0020

El Salvador 00503

England (UK) 0044

Equatorial Guinea 00240

Eritrea 00291

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Ethiopia 00251

Falkland Islands 00500

Faroe Islands 00298

Fiji 00679

Finland 00358

France 0033

French Guiana 00594

French Polynesia 00689

Gabon 00241

Gambia 00220

Georgia 00995

Germany 0049

Ghana 00233

Gibraltar 00350

Greece 0030

Greenland 00299

Grenada 001473

Guadeloupe 00590

Guam 001671

Guatemala 00502

Guinea 00224

Guyana 00592

Haiti 00509

Holland (Netherlands) 0031

Honduras 00504

Hong Kong 00852

Hungary 0036

Ibiza (Spain) 0034

Iceland 00354

India 0091

Indian Ocean 00873

Indonesia 0062

Iran 0098

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Ireland 00353

Italy 0039

Ivory Coast 00225

Jamaica 001876

Japan 0081

Jordan 00962

Kazakhstan 007

Kenya 00254

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Kyrgyzstan 00996

Laos 00856

Latvia 00371

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Liberia 00231

Libya 00218

Lithuania 00370

Luxembourg 00352

Macau 00853

Macedonia 00389

Madagascar 00261

Majorca 0034

Malawi 00265

Malaysia 0060

Maldives 00960

Mali 00223

Malta 00356

Marshall Islands 00692

Martinique 00596

Mauritania 00222

Mauritius 00230

Mayotte 00269

Mexico 0052

Micronesia 00691

Moldova 00373

Monaco 00377

Mongolia 00976

Montserrat 001664

Morocco 00212

Mozambique 00258

Myanmar (Burma) 0095

Namibia 00264

Nepal 00977

Netherlands (Holland) 0031

Netherlands Antilles 00599

New Caledonia 00687

New Zealand 0064

Nicaragua 00505

Nigar 00227

Nigeria 00234

Niue 00683

Norfolk Island 00672

Northern Ireland (UK) 0044

North Korea 00850

Norway 0047

Oman 00968

Pakistan 0092

Palau 00680

Panama 00507

Papua New Guinea 00675

Paraguay 00595

Peru 0051

Philippines 0063

Poland 0048

Portugal 00351

Puerto Rico 001787

Qatar 00974

Romania 0040

Russian Federation 007

Rwanda 00250

Saint Helena 00290

Saint Kitts 001869

Saint Lucia 001758

Saint Pierre 00508

Saint Vincent 001784

Samoa US 00684

Samoa West 00685

San Marino 00378

Sao Tone 00239

Saudi Arabia 00966

Scotland (UK) 0044

Senegal 00221

Seychelles 00284

Sierra Leone 00232

Singapore 0065

Slovakia 00421

Slovenia 00386

Solomon Islands 00677

Somalia 00252

South Africa 0027

South Korea 0082

Spain 0034

Sri Lanka 0094

Sudan 00249

Suriname 00597

Swaziland 00268

Sweden 0046

Switzerland 0041

Syria 00963

Taiwan 00886

Tanzania 00255

Thailand 0066

Toga 00228

Tonga 00676

Tokelau 00690

Trinidad 001868

Tunisia 00216

Turkey 0090

Tuvalu 00688

Uganda 00256

Ukraine 00380

United Arab Emirates 00976

United Kingdom 0044

Uruguay 00598

USA 001

Uzbekistan 00998

Vanuatu 00678

Venezuela 00582

Vietnam 0084

Virgin Islands UK 001284

Virgin Islands US 001340

Wales (UK) 0044

Yemen 00967

Yugoslavia 00381

Zambia 00260

Zimbabwe 00263

Kuwait Airways 22433377Wataniya Airways 24379900Jazeera Airways 177Jet Airways 22477631Qatar Airways 22423888KLM 22425747Air Slovakia 22434940Olympic Airways 22420002/9Royal Jordanian 22418064/5/6Reservation 22433388British Airways 22425635Air France 22430224Emirates 22425566Air India 22438184Sri Lanka Airlines 22424444Egypt Air 22421578Swiss Air 22421516Saudia 22426306Middle East Airlines 22423073Lufthansa 22422493PIA 22421044Alitalia 22414427Balkan Airlines 22416474Bangladesh Airlines 22452977/8Czech Airlines 22417901/2433141Indian Airlines 22456700Oman Air 22412284/5Turkish Airlines 22453820/1Aeroflot 22404838/9

AIRLINES

EMERGENCY 112

INFORMATION32 Sunday, January 3, 2010

PRIVATE CLINICS

Ophthalmologists:

Dr. Abidallah Al-Mansoor 25622444Dr. Samy Al-Rabeea 25752222Dr. Masoma Habeeb 25321171Dr. Mubarak Al-Ajmy 25739999Dr. Mohsen Abel 25757700Dr Adnan Hasan Alwayl 25732223Dr. Abdallah Al-Baghly 25732223

Ear, Nose & Throat (ENT):Dr. Ahmed Fouad Mouner 24555050 Ext 510Dr. Abdallah Al-Ali 25644660Dr. Abd Al-Hameed Al-Taweel 25646478Dr. Sanad Al-Fathalah 25311996Dr. Mohammad Al-Daaory 25731988Dr. Ismail Al-Fodary 22620166Dr. Mahmoud Al-Booz 25651426

General Practitioners:Dr. Mohamme Y Majidi 24555050 Ext 123Dr. Yousef Al-Omar 24719312Dr. Tarek Al-Mikhazeem 23926920Dr. Kathem Maarafi 25730465Dr. Abdallah Ahmad Eyadah 25655528Dr. Nabeel Al-Ayoobi 24577781Dr. Dina Abidallah Al-Refae 25333501

Urologists:Dr. Ali Naser Al-Serfy 22641534Dr. Fawzi Taher Abul 22639955Dr. Khaleel Abidallah Al-Awadi22616660Dr. Adel Al-Hunayan FRCS (C)25313120

Plastic Surgeons:Dr. Mohammad Al-Khalaf 22547272

Dr. Abdal-Redha Lari 22617700Dr. Abdel Quttainah 25625030/60

Family Doctor:Dr Divya Damodar 23729596/23729581

PsychiatristsDr. Esam Al-Ansari 22635047Dr Eisa M. Al-Balhan 22613623/0

Gynaecologists & Obstetricians:Dr Adrian Harbe 23729596/23729581Dr. Verginia s.Marin 2572-6666 ext 8321Dr. Fozeya Ali Al-Qatan 22655539Dr. Majeda Khalefa Aliytami 25343406Dr. Ahmad Al-Khooly 25739272Dr. Salem soso 22618787

General Surgeons:

Dr. Abidallah Behbahani 25717111Dr. Amer Zawaz Al-Amer 22610044Dr. Mohammad Yousef Basher 25327148

Internists, Chest & Heart:Dr. Adnan Ebil 22639939Dr. Mousa Khadada 22666300Dr. Latefa Al-Duweisan 25728004Dr. Nadem Al-Ghabra 25355515Dr. Mobarak Aldoub 24726446Dr Nasser Behbehani 25654300/3

Paediatricians:Dr. Abd Al-Aziz Al-Rashed 25340300

Dr. Zahra Qabazard 25710444Dr. Sohail Qamar 22621099Dr. Snaa Maaroof 25713514Dr. Pradip Gujare 23713100Dr. Zacharias Mathew 24334282

(1) Ear, Nose and Throat

(2) Plastic Surgeon

Dr. Abdul Mohsin Jafar,

FRCS (Canada) 25655535

Dentists:

Dr Anil Thomas 3729596/3729581

Dr. Shamah Al-Matar 22641071/2

Dr. Anesah Al-Rasheed 22562226

Dr. Abidallah Al-Amer 22561444

Dr. Faysal Al-Fozan 22619557

Dr. Abdallateef Al-Katrash 22525888

Dr. Abidallah Al-Duweisan 25653755

Dr. Bader Al-Ansari 25620111

Neurologists:

Dr. Sohal Najem Al-Shemeri 25633324

Dr. Jasem Mola Hassan 25345875

Gastrologists

Dr. Sami Aman 22636464

Dr. Mohammad Al-Shamaly 25322030

Dr. Foad Abidallah Al-Ali 22633135

Endocrinologist:

Dr. Abd Al-Naser Al-Othman 25339330

Dr. Ahmad Al-Ansari 25658888

Dr. Kamal Al-Shomr 25329924

Physiotherapists & VD:Dr. Deyaa Shehab 25722291Dr. Musaed Faraj Khamees 22666288

Rheumatologists:Dr. Adel Al-Awadi 25330060Dr. Khaled Al-Jarallah 25722290

Internist, Chest & Heart:DR.Mohammes Akkad 24555050 Ext 210Dr. Mohammad ZubaidMB, ChB, FRCPC, PACCAssistant Professor Of MedicineHead, Division of CardiologyMubarak Al-Kabeer HospitalTel: 25339667

Dr. Farida Al-HabibMD, PH.D, FACCConsultant CardiologistTel: 2611555-2622555

Inaya German Medical CenterTe: 2575077

Fax: 25723123

Psychologists/PsychotherapistsSoor CenterTel: 2290-1677Fax: 2290 1688info@soorcenter.comwww.soorcenter.com

Dr. Naif Al-Mutawa, Ph.D. 2290-1677Susannah-Joy Schuilenberg, M.A. 2290-1677William Schuilenberg, RPC 2290-1677Zaina Al Zabin, M.Sc. 2290-1677

THE PUBLIC

AUTHORITY FOR

CIVIL INFORMATION

Automated enquiry

about the Civil ID card is 1889988

Ministry of Interiorwebsite: www.moi.gov.kw

For labor-relatedinquiries and complaints:

Call MSAL hotline 128

ACCOMMODATION

33

Monday, January 4, 2010

Room available from 1stJanuary in central A/C flatfor Asian decent family/couple, in old Khaitan nearWater and Electricitydepartment. Contact:97468551. (C 20125)

Sharing accommodationavailable with food for 2Manglorean or Goan bach-elors to share with a Goanfamily in Abbassiya.Mobile: 66269035. (C20128)

4-1-2010

Sharing accommodationavailable in Abbassiya near6th Ring Road one roomsemi furnished for bache-lors or small family, staywith two bachelors, Indiansonly from 25th Dec, rea-sonable rent. Contact:55682203

(C20083)

Sharing accommodationavailable for a bachelorIndian, near Don BoscoSchool at Salmiya, rent KD60 one room. Contact:99493024, 25628932. (C20123)

SITUATION WANTED

FOR SALE

No: 14599

Flight Schedule

FOR AIRPORT INFORMATION 161

Arrival Flights on Monday 04/01/2010Airlines Flt Route TimeJazeera 0263 Beirut 00:05Middle Fast 406 Beirut 00:10K.L.M. 0447 Amsterdam/Bahrain 00:10Wataniya Airways 2011 Sharm El Sheikh 00:15Jet A/W 574 Cochin 00:40Wataniya Airways 2103 Beirut 00:50Kalitta 537 Sharjah 01:00Gulf Air 211 Bahrain 01:05Ethiopian 620 Addis Ababa 01:45D.H.L. 370 Bahrain 02:15Turkish A/L 1172 Istanbul 02:15Emirates 853 Dubai 02:35Etihad 0305 Abu Dhabi 03:00Jazeera 0267 Beirut 03:10Qatari 0138 Doha 03:25Jazeera 0637 Aleppo 05:05Falcon 201 Dubai 05:25Jazeera 0503 Luxor 05:35Jazeera 0527 Alexandria 06:10Jazeera 0529 Assiut 06:30British 0157 London 06:40Kuwait 412 Manila/Bangkok 06:45Jazeera 0607 Mumbai 06:55Kalitta 533 Al Fujairah 07:00Kuwait 206 Islamabad 07:40Kuwait 352 Cochin 07:40Jazeera 0161 Dubai 07:45Kuwait 302 Mumbai 07:55Kuwait 676 Dubai 08:20Kuwait 362 Colombo 08:20Emirates 855 Dubai 08:30Arabia 0121 Sharjah 08:55Qatari 0132 Doha 09:00Etihad 0301 Abu Dhabi 09:35Kuwait 344 Chennai 10:35Gulf Air 213 Bahrain 10:45Wataniya Airways 1121 Bahrain 10:45Jazeera 0447 Doha 11:00Jazeera 0165 Dubai 11:05Jazeera 0425 Dubai/Bahrain 11:10Wataniya Airways 1021 Dubai 11:20Jazeera 0113 Abu Dhabi 11:20Middle East 404 Beirut 11:55Oman Air 0645 Muscat 12:15Iran Aseman 6521 Lamerd 12:35Kuwait 382 Delhi 12:45Egypt Air 610 Cairo 12:55Jazeera 0171 Dubai 13:05Kuwait 672 Dubai 13:25Wataniya Airways 2301 Damascus 13:35Jazeera 0525 Alexandria 14:05Jazeera 0257 Beirut 14:10Wataniya Airways 2001 Cairo 14:20Saudi Arabian A/L 500 Jeddah 14:30Kuwait 552 Damascus 14:35

Jazeera 0457 Damascus 14:45Qatari 0134 Doha 15:00Kuwait 284 Dhaka 15:10Kuwait 548 Luxor 15:15Kuwait 546 Alexandria 15:30Kuwait 678 Muscat/Abu Dhabi 15:30Royal Jordanian 800 Amman 15:40Jazeera 0173 Dubai 16:05Jazeera 0345 Sanaa 16:45Kuwait 118 New York 16:55Emirates 857 Dubai 16:55Gulf Air 216 Bahrain 17:05Etihad 0303 Abu Dhabi 17:15Saudi Arabian A/L 510 Riyadh 17:15Jazeera 0493 Jeddah 17:30Jazeera 0239 Amman 17:35Arabia 0125 Sharjah 17:40Jazeera 0367 Deirezzor 17:45Wataniya Airways 2101 Beirut 17:50Sri Lankan 227 Colombo/Dubai 18:05United A/L 982 Washington DC Dulles 18:15Jazeera 0427 Dubai/Bahrain 18:15Wataniya Airways 2003 Cairo 18:20D.H.L. 473 Baghdad 18:30Wataniya Airways 1025 Dubai 18:40Kuwait 542 Cairo 18:50Jazeera 0177 Dubai 18:55Kuwait 674 Dubai 18:55Kuwait 786 Jeddah 19:10Kuwait 614 Bahrain 19:20Kuwait 744 Dammam 19:25Kuwait 774 Riyadh 19:30Indian 575 Chennai/Goa 19:30Kuwait 104 London 19:35Kuwait 618 Doha 20:00Jet A/W 572 Mumbai 20:05Wataniya Airways 1201 Jeddah 20:15Jazeera 0459 Damascus 20:40Jazeera 0261 Beirut 21:00Jazeera 217 Bahrain 21:05Gulf Air 217 Bahrain 21:05Middle East 402 Beirut 21:20Qatari 0136 Doha 21:35Emirates 859 Dubai 21:40K.L.M. 0445 Amsterdam 21:55Kuwait 502 Beirut 22:00Jazeera 0449 Doha 22:10Jazeera 0429 Dubai/Bahrain 22:15Global 081 Baghdad 22:20Jazeera 0117 Abu Dhabi 22:25Jazeera 0185 Dubai 22:40Tunis Air 327 Tunis 23:10Pakistan 239 Islamabad/Sialkot 23:20Lufthansa 636 Frankfurt 23:30Wataniya Airways 1029 Dubai 23:45Wataniya Airways 1129 Bahrain 23:55

Departure Flights on Monday 04/01/2010Airlines Flt Route TimeJazeera 0528 Assiut 00:05India Express 390 Mangalore/Kozhikode 00:30United A/L 981 Washington DC Dulles 00:40Middle East 407 Beirut 01:00Indian 982 Ahmedabad/Chennai 01:05Pakistan 206 Peshawar/Lahore 01:10Bangladesh 044 Dhaka 01:15Lufthansa 637 Frankfurt 01:20K.L.M. 0447 Amsterdam 01:25Jet A/W 573 Cochin 01:40Ethiopian 620 Bahrain/Addis Ababa 02:30Kuwait 283 Dhaka 02:55Turkish A/L 1173 Istanbul 03:15D.H.L. 371 Bahrain 03:15Kuwait 381 Delhi 03:30Emirates 854 Dubai 03:50Etihad 0306 Abu Dhabi 04:10Kalitta 537 Kandahar 05:00Qatari 0139 Doha 05:00Jazeera 0162 Dubai 06:00Jazeera 0164 Dubai 07:00Wataniya Airways 1020 Dubai 07:00Jazeera 0524 Alexandria 07:20Wataniya Airways 2000 Cairo 07:30Jazeera 0112 Abu Dhabi 07:35Jazeera 0446 Doha 07:40Gulf Air 212 Bahrain 07:45Wataniya Airways 1120 Bahrain 07:50Jazeera 0422 Bahrain/Dubai 07:55Wataniya Airways 2300 Damascus 08:10Kuwait 545 Alexandria 08:30Jazeera 0256 Beirut 08:35Kuwait 677 Abu Dhabi/Muscat 08:40British 0156 London 08:55Kuwait 671 Dubai 09:00Kuwait 551 Damascus 09:10Kuwait 547 Luxor 09:15Jazeera 0456 Damascus 09:25Jazeera 0344 Bahrain/Sanaa 09:30Arabia 0122 Sharjah 09:35Emirates 856 Dubai 09:40Qatari 0133 Doha 10:00Etihad 0302 Abu Dhabi 10:20Kalitta 533 Kandahar 11:00Wataniya Airways 2002 Cairo 11:30Gulf Air 214 Bahrain 11:40Kuwait 165 Rome/Paris 11:45Jazeera 0426 Bahrain/Dubai 11:50Jazeera 0172 Dubai 12:00Kuwait 541 Cairo 12:00Wataniya Airways 2100 Beirut 12:05Jazeera 0492 Jeddah 12:15Jazeera 0366 Deirezzor 12:20Jazeera 0238 Amman 12:25Kuwait 103 London 12:30

Middle East 405 Beirut 12:55Iran Aseman 6522 Lamerd 13:35Kuwait 785 Jeddah 13:40Egypt Air 611 Cairo 13:55Wataniya Airways 1024 Dubai 14:25Kuwait 673 Dubai 14:30Jazeera 0260 Beirut 15:00Jazeera 0176 Dubai 15:05Wataniya Airways 1200 Jeddah 15:10Jazeera 0458 Damascus 15:30Saudi Arabian A/L 501 Jeddah 15:45Kuwait 501 Beirut 16:10Kuwait 773 Riyadh 16:10Kuwait 613 Bahrain 16:20Royal Jordanian 801 Amman 16:25Qatari 0135 Doha 16:30Kuwait 617 Doha 16:35Kuwait 743 Dammam 16:40Jazeera 0182 Dubai 16:55Gulf Air 216 Bahrain 17:55Etihad 0304 Abu Dhabi 18:00Emirates 858 Dubai 18:10Arabia 0126 Sharjah 18:20Jazeera 0262 Beirut 18:25Saudi Arabian A/L 511 Riyadh 18:30Kuwait 543 Cairo 18:30Jazeera 0184 Dubai 18:35Wataniya Airways 2200 Amman 18:40Jazeera 0116 Abu Dhabi 18:40Global 082 Baghdad 18:50Jazeera 0448 Doha 18:50Jazeera 0428 Bahrain/Dubai 19:00Wataniya Airways 2102 Beirut 19:05Sri Lankan 228 Dubai/Colombo 19:15Wataniya Airways 1028 Dubai 19:30Kuwait 331 Trivandrum 21:00Wataniya Airways 1128 Bahrain 21:00Jet A/W 571 Mumbai 21:10Jazeera 0606 Mumbai 21:50Gulf Air 218 Bahrain 21:55D.H.L. 171 Bahrain 22:00Kuwait 675 Dubai 22:10Middle East 403 Beirut 22:20Falcon 102 Bahrain 22:30Qatari 0137 Doha 22:35Kuwait 301 Mumbai 22:45Emirates 860 Dubai 22:50K.L.M. 0445 Bahrain/Amsterdam 22:55Jazeera 0480 Sabiha 23:00Jazeera 0636 Aleppo 23:20Jazeera 0526 Alexandria 23:25Mzeera 0534 Aswan 23:40Jazeera 0502 Luxor 23:50Kuwait 411 Bangkok/Manila 23:55

Excellent condition. Usedhousehold furniture, electri-cal, electronic items for salewith or w/o apartment. Gen-uine buyers call 66159436.

(C 20121)3-1-2010

Household furniture sofas,cupboards, tables chairs,dishwasher, TV, miscella-neous. Qurtoba - 99786814.(C 20118)

2-1-2010

Pajero 4x4, V3000, model92, color golden + brown,full option, interior and exte-rior, engine transmission,AC front and rear all inexcellent condit ion, oneyear registration, monthlyinstallment KD 49, balanceto KFH KD 980, for details99322585. (C 20113)

IBM Lenovo desktop PC,Dual Core, RAM 1 GB, HD200 GB, DVD writer, faxmodem, Lan card, 17” LCDmonitor Lenovo, in excellentcondition, price 90 KD, call99322585. (C 20114)

31-122009

Toyota Prado, model 2007VX 4 cylinder, color violet,good condition, price KD5,990 only. Tel: 66974049.

30-12-2009

SITUATION VACANT

Wanted full time maid forPakistani family in Sawaber,for cooking, cleaning,should speak Hindi, havingvalid iqama. Tel: 22400207.(C 201127)

4-1-2010

Required a live-in nanny fora special needs child,knowledge of spoken andwritten English a necessity,nursing or educational back-ground an asset highly com-petitive salary, please con-tact 99824597. (C 20117)

2-10-2010

Accountant with 10 yearsexperience in Kuwait, wellversant in Arabic and Eng-lish, seeking a part time job.Call: 67706575. (C 20107)

29-12-2009

Are you looking for goodsharing apartment in a C-AC, furnished 3BR/ 2 bath?Itʼs only for decent workingfemales executive with anIndian family. Interestedfemales can call on65820916. (C 20122)

3-1-2010

Sharing accommodationavailable, new building,single working lady at oldRiggae. Contact:97836756, 66720438. (C20119)

2-1-2010

Sharing accommodationavailable in Abbassiya nearGerman clinic from non-smoking, God fearingbachelors with an execu-tive Christian Keralitebachelor, C-AC 2 bedroomnew bldg reasonable rent.Contact: 94942964. (C20115)

31-12-2009

Sharing accommodationavailable for a couple orworking ladies with Keralitefamily, two bedroom andtwo bath flat, near Swaadrestaurant, Abbassiya.Contact: 97949378,97524093. (C 20110)

30-12-2009

Toyota Corolla 1.8, model2007, white, done mileage47,000 km, excellent condi-tion, price KD 3,050/- cash.Contact: 66211779.

(C 20104)

Galant 2001, lady driven,excellent condition, only km102,000 done, cash KD1,000. Contact: 97119879.(C 20106)

Subaru Impereza 2007,4WD, GPS manual drive,DVD player, red metallic,sunroof, service book excel-lent condition, price 3400KD. Contact: 60012596.

(C 20101)

Pentium 4, Intel, 40GBHDD, 256 MB Ram, CDRom, 56K modem, soundcard, speakers, 17” CRTmonitor, ready for internetKD 40, P4, Intel Celeron 1.7Ghz, 30GB, 256 Ram with17” monitor KD 30. Contact:66244192. (C 20102)

29-12-2009

Toyota Camry model 2006,white color, 4 cylinderengine, excellent condition,72,500 km done, installmentpossible, cash price 2990KD. Contact: 66507741.

(C 20098)28-12-2009

Leo (July 23-August 22) Be wise and know your subjectwell before trying to convince someone to your way ofthinking. A subject you know a little about is a passionatesubject for some people. This could be in a family orreligious surrounding. Some volunteer organization may

have your full attention this afternoon. You want to make a difference—littlesteps lead to much progress. A love for those that struggle is the type ofenergy that is now just beginning. You have a yen for a soul-stirringromance, a weakness for the weak and a tendency to idealize people andrelationships . . . very aesthetic, very otherworldly. Learning what makespeople tick is absorbing. Your instinctive orientation is toward creatingopportunities for people that do not have a job or a home.

CROSSWORD 859

INTERNATIONAL CALLS

Kuwait 00965Qatar 00974Abu Dhabi 009712Dubai 009714Raas Al Khayma 009717Al-Shareqa 009716Muscat 00968Jordan 009626Bahrain 00973Riyadh 009661Makkah - Jeddah 009662Cairo 00202Alexandria 00203Beirut 009611Damascus 0096311Allepo 0096321

Tunisia 0021610Rabat 002127Washington 001212New York 001718Paris 00331London 004471Madrid 00341Zurich 00411Geneva 004122Monaco 0033Rome 00396Bangkok 00662Hong Kong 00852Pakistan 0092Taiwan 00886Bonn 0049228

Calvin

Pooch Cafe

Non Sequitur

Zits

Mother Goose and Grimm

Yesterday’s Solution

ACROSS1. (British informal) Not to be deceived or hoodwinked n 1.4. Someone who works (or provides workers) during a strike.8. 100 pyas equal 1 kyat.11. An overwhelming feeling of wonder or admiration.12. A Chadic language spoken south of Lake Chad.13. A graphical record of electrical activity of the brain.14. Heal or recover.16. A young woman making her debut into society.17. A decree that prohibits something.18. English theoretical physicist who applied relativity theoryto quantum mechanics and predicted the existence ofantimatter and the positron (1902-1984).20. A genus of Indriidae.22. The sound made by corvine birds.24. The elementary stages of any subject (usually plural).27. A light strong brittle gray toxic bivalent metallic element.30. A fraudulent business scheme.32. A partially opened flower.34. The cry made by sheep.35. A loose sleeveless outer garment made from aba cloth.38. Submerged aquatic plant having narrow leaves and smallflowers.42. An industrial city in southern Poland on the Vistula.44. Slender bristlelike appendage found on the bracts ofgrasses.45. A flat wing-shaped process or winglike part of an organism.47. A bachelor's degree in religion.48. Wild and domestic cattle.49. God of death.52. In or of the month preceding the present one.53. A blue dye obtained from plants or made synthetically.54. Having undesirable or negative qualities.

DOWN1. King of Saudi Arabia since 1982 (born in 1922).2. 100 lwei equal 1 kwanza.3. A period of time containing 365 (or 366) days.4. A metallic element having four allotropic forms.5. Someone who is morally reprehensible.6. Goddess of criminal rashness and its punishment.7. A small cake leavened with yeast.8. Having nine hinged bands of bony plates.9. Not only so, but.10. God of fire.15. Resinlike substance secreted by certain lac insects.19. A compartment in front of a motor vehicle where driver sits.21. A magnetic tape recorder for recording (and playing back)TV programs.23. English writer and a central member of the Fabian Society(1858-1943).25. Date used in reckoning dates before the supposed yearChrist was born.26. A white metallic element that burns with a brilliant light.28. The sixth month of the civil year.29. East Indian tree bearing a profusion of intense vermilionvelvet-textured blooms and yielding a yellow dye.31. A master's degree in fine arts.33. Medium-sized tree-dwelling monkey of the Amazon basin.36. A coffee cake flavored with orange rind and raisins andalmonds.37. Wild sheep of northern Africa.39. Absent without permission.40. In or of the present month.41. Fallow deer.42. A public promotion of some product or service.43. A public promotion of some product or service.46. A local computer network for communication betweencomputers.50. A silvery ductile metallic element found primarily inbauxite.51. A Russian river.

Gemini (May 21-June 20) You will appreciate thepeople around you now. You will be successful inevaluating input from a family meeting and can findsolutions that satisfy everyone. An interplay of ideas canspur your creative side, which you may feel is your calling

on this day. You have a natural ease when it comes to communicating clearthoughts to others. This evening you could express a sense of connection toothers through your artistic endeavors. You expand your artistic talentswhen one idea easily leads to another. There is almost nothing that youcannot do artistically. Perhaps the medium of oil, watercolor, wood or clay ishow you desire to express your creative side. Regardless of how you expressyourself you can enjoy monetary rewards for your efforts.

Cancer (June 21-July 22) Religion, law, politics,travel and higher education are some of the areas whereyou might invest your time. This is a time of testing yourlimits to see how far you can go. You seem to have a clearunderstanding of where you are going and what you need

to do when you get there. This may mean you are in front of the public oryou are a writer. Yours and other people’s emotions are very clear today.Patience with your own progress may not be adequate. It would be good foryour health to take precautions against stress at this time. If you are single,love will seek you out—you just may find that special person today. Marriedlovers will become more romantic than usual. Affection and optimisticattitudes are just oozing from the atmosphere today.

Virgo (August 23-September 22) You can be a restlessperson and you seem to always be in search of somethingnew. Today is no exception. You will be feeling thisrestlessness but you will also be moving toward a balancein your life—and this is good. Variety is the spice of lifeand during this time, you might involve yourself withrepairs and updates around your place. It is time to build

wonderful memories by spending time with the ones you love latertoday. It does not mean you are without a thing to do just because youmight not be able to go out-of-doors. Try beginning a story and lettingsomeone else pick it up from there—you might record it. This isparticularly fun with young people in the home. Shopping later today isfor groceries and staples.

Scorpio (October 23-November 21) Your day seemsfocused around the family. There is an opportunity to gaininput for ideas on redecorating and updating from the peoplethat really care . . . your housemates, family, etc. There isgrowth and gain through these things. Generally, a fruitfulperiod for real estate investment, if you do not bite off more

than you can chew. Emotional security and a sense of belonging and nurturingare felt. You want your family to see the home as a place of safety andrefurbishment. There may be an interest in research and fun times ofaccumulating facts for a family tree. Making your home situation morepleasant and attractive plays a part in this and the sale or purchase of realestate could bring you gain before this cycle is complete.

Sagittarius (November 22-December 21) You mayhave found a great way to make a little extra moneytoday. You will be successful in your efforts. A friend orfamily member may want to join you in this workendeavor; short lived as it may be . . . it is fun to share

in the fortune. Good surprises happen in many sectors of your life. Anyfrustrations heal quickly today and it may even seem as though thefrustration was set up as an example of how you handle certain matters.Your timing should be perfect however and those around you should findyou most understanding and full of optimism. Spend a little time inexpressing your talent this evening and encourage others to do the same.A talent contest might be fun and prizes could sweeten the incentive forothers to join in and be expressive.

Pisces (February 19-March 20) This is the time to take asentimental journey down memory lane with a loved one. Ifyou are not with a loved one, this may be the perfect timeto visit with a close friend. Until April, most of your

concerns will be with the family. Your finances may be a concern today butanother door will open soon and finances will not be as much of a problem.This is the month to prepare for the year ahead and set dates to act on thefirst of your goals. You will be able to work with your loved one in acombined goal. A local restaurant might be fun later tonight but you maywant to also think a light dinner at home and a movie or music. Your senseof appreciation is sharpened and you want to show that special person inyour life—you care.

Capricorn (December 22-January 19) Youmay enjoy getting away from routine and doingsomething completely different for a change. Youmay feel that you are in touch and in harmony withothers; the lines of communication are open. The

mood for today is travel. In fact, this could be the best time to treat thatlittle child in you to some long desired activity from your childhood.Perhaps a visit to the zoo, park, planetarium, hobby shop, will bebeneficial. You may find yourself and a friend, or family membertraveling a short distance to a tourist or community affair today. If youare giving a party, you may be traveling to pick up a specialty item. If youare not going on a trip you will be visiting with someone who has widelytraveled, perhaps to places you would like to visit.

Aquarius (January 20- February 18) If you have nottraveled much you could be yearning to wander or roam andsee other parts of the world. Although there is no indicationof a long trip at this time, you could start planning your nextvacation—get everyone involved. Go somewhere really funand away from the same-old, same-old. You may be asked toteach others a hobby or some skill. This is a great boost for

you—there are many people that would like to follow or learn yourmethods, techniques or style of working. You have plenty of chores toclear away before you can start this project but it is something you mightconsider for a future venture. While you are out shopping today, drop bythe library and gather information on the stock market. You have luck inyour corner.

Libra (September 23-October 22) An importantrelationship, perhaps an older person or someone inauthority, may come into focus today. There could besome tension or sense of opposition requiringcompromise or negotiation on your part. There is an

opportunity for understanding and even growth. You may have the opportunityto improve your home surroundings or plan a move. These energies are strongthrough this whole month, especially if you are looking to sell your home. Yourbest buys and improvement toward repairs could be made now if you so desire.The importance of a good foundation in home and finances is what makes youhappy and this is the time to make sure all is as you want it to be. You couldfind yourself feeling in a stay-at-home mood tonight.

Taurus (April 20-May 20) This morning there is a falsesense of urgency. You may feel that you want to diveinto waters that could be over your head and thenwonder what got you into the water in the firstplace—money matters or some touchy subjects. Pay

attention to those feelings that have you wanting to jump into a heateddiscussion. You can quickly halt these energies before they get out of hand.Your altruistic spirit may stimulate you to lead in some special cause. Yourvision will likely lead you into the unknown without others’ support orunderstanding—walk softly. Your timing is improving, almost as thoughyou have enhanced your psychic powers. If you have an opportunity to goout and socialize, do it. You could shine brighter than the streetlights.

Aries (March 21-April 19) You may want to giveadvice to a young one this morning but it would bebetter to hold back until asked—and you will beasked. You may spend much of this morningpreparing for some activity that will take your quickthinking and your careful words. A special social

affair, perhaps a charity or spirit filled type of gathering, creates a feelingof inner peace this afternoon. There are some hands-on opportunities tohelp the community today. One is often healed when there is a sacrifice oftime and energy to help another. The pursuit of a new hobby is fun andmakes a good transition into the evening; particularly if you can have alittle time to yourself for creative expression. There is time later thisevening to prepare for the workweek ahead.

Word SleuthSolution

SPECTRUM34 Monday, January 4, 2010

Yesterday’s Solution

yester

to

Orbit listings / Show listings

TV PROGRAMSMonday, January 4, 2010

AMERICA PLUS00:00 The Ex-List01:00 Private Practice02:00 Grey’s Anatomy03:00 Cold Case04:00 Gilmore Girls05:00 One Tree Hill06:00 GMA Recorded07:00 Inside the Actors Studio08:00 Cold Case09:00 Private Practice10:00 Grey’s Anatomy11:00 *24*12:00 The Closer13:00 Gilmore Girls14:00 *24*15:00 GMA Live17:00 Gilmore Girls18:00 The Closer19:00 Cold Case20:00 In Plain Sight21:00 Private Practice22:00 Grey’s Anatomy23:00 Supernatural

ANIMAL PLANET00:50 Planet Earth01:45 Animal Cops Houston02:40 Untamed & Uncut04:30 Animal Cops South Africa05:25 Night06:20 Into the Pride07:10 Africa’s Outsiders08:00 Wildlife SOS08:25 Pet Rescue08:50 Animal Precinct09:45 All New Planet’s FunniestAnimals10:40 Aussie Animal Rescue11:05 Animal Cops Phoenix11:55 The Jeff Corwin Experience12:50 Wildlife SOS13:15 Pet Rescue13:45 All New Planet’s FunniestAnimals14:40 Natural World15:35 Lemur Street16:00 Monkey Business16:30 Pet Rescue16:55 Pet Passport17:25 Wildlife SOS17:50 Aussie Animal Rescue18:20 Animal Cops Phoenix19:15 Escape to Chimp Eden20:10 Into the Lion’s Den21:10 Animal Cops Phoenix22:05 Untamed & Uncut23:00 Escape to Chimp Eden23:55 Animal Cops Phoenix

BBC ENTERTAINMENT00:05 Life On Mars00:55 Popcorn01:55 Life In The Undergrowth02:45 Casualty03:35 Casualty04:25 Cash In The Attic04:50 Doctors07:20 Tweenies07:40 Little Robots07:50 Teletubbies08:00 Fimbles08:20 Teletubbies08:45 Yoho Ahoy08:50 Tommy Zoom09:00 Balamory09:20 Tweenies09:40 Fimbles10:00 Teletubbies10:25 Yoho Ahoy10:30 Tommy Zoom10:40 Bargain Hunt11:25 Blizzard - Race To The Pole12:15 A Year At Kew12:45 A Year At Kew13:15 The Weakest Link14:00 Eastenders14:30 Doctors15:00 Bargain Hunt15:45 Cash In The Attic16:15 Antiques Roadshow17:15 The Weakest Link18:00 Doctors18:30 Cash In The Attic19:00 Rough Diamond Sd19:50 Model Gardens20:10 Antiques Roadshow21:00 The Weakest Link21:45 Doctors22:15 Eastenders22:45 Canterbury Tales23:45 Holby City

BBC LIFESTYLE00:30 Come Dine With Me08:00 Daily Cooks Challenge09:00 Cash In The Attic Usa09:25 Hidden Potential09:50 Antiques Roadshow10:40 Gary Rhodes’ Local FoodHeroes11:25 Living In The Sun12:15 Antiques Roadshow13:05 What Not To Wear13:55 Antiques Roadshow14:45 Gary Rhodes’ Local FoodHeroes15:30 Daily Cooks Challenge16:25 Cash In The Attic Usa16:50 Hidden Potential17:10 Antiques Roadshow18:00 What Not To Wear18:50 Living In The Sun19:45 Daily Cooks Challenge20:15 Daily Cooks Challenge20:45 Masterchef Goes Large22:05 Colin And Justin’s Home Show22:50 What Not To Wear23:40 Indian Food Made Easy

BBC WORLD00:00 Bbc World News - U00:30 Iran: Guarding The Revolution - U01:00 Bbc World News - U01:30 Dateline London - U02:00 Bbc World News - U02:30 Hardtalk - U03:00 Bbc World News - U03:30 Reporters - U04:00 Bbc World News - U04:30 Dateline London - U05:00 Bbc World News - U05:30 Asia Business Report - U05:45 Asia Today - U06:00 Bbc World News - U06:30 Asia Business Report - U06:45 Asia Today - U07:00 Bbc World News - U07:30 Hardtalk - U08:00 Bbc World News - U

08:30 World Business Report - U09:00 Bbc World News - U09:30 World Business Report - U10:00 Bbc World News - U10:30 World Business Report - U10:45 Sport Today - U11:00 Bbc World News - U11:30 World Business Report - U11:45 Sport Today - U12:00 Bbc World News - U12:30 Hardtalk - U13:00 Bbc World News - U14:00 Bbc World News - U14:30 World Business Report - U14:45 Sport Today - U15:00 World News Today - U16:00 World News Today - U17:00 Bbc World News - U17:30 Hardtalk - U18:00 Bbc World News - U18:30 Click - U19:00 World News Today - U20:00 Bbc World News - U20:30 World Business Report - U20:45 Sport Today - U21:00 Bbc World News - U21:30 Hardtalk - U22:00 World News Today - U23:00 Bbc World News - U23:30 Fast Track - U

CARTOON NETWORK00:15 Out of Jimmy’s Head00:40 Chop Socky Chooks01:05 Foster’s Home for ImaginaryFriends01:30 Cramp Twins01:55 George of the Jungle02:20 Adrenalini Brothers02:45 Gadget Boy03:10 Ed, Edd n Eddy03:35 Class of 300004:00 The Powerpuff Girls04:15 Robotboy04:40 The Secret Saturdays05:05 Chowder05:30 Ben 1005:55 Best Ed06:20 Samurai Jack06:45 Cramp Twins

07:10 The Powerpuff Girls07:35 Camp Lazlo08:00 My Spy Family08:25 Chowder08:50 Best Ed09:15 Chop Socky Chooks09:40 Ben 10: Alien Force10:05 Bakugan Battle Brawlers10:30 Fantastic Four: World’sGreatest Heroes10:55 Skunk Fu!11:20 My Gym Partner’s A Monkey11:30 Squirrel Boy11:55 Robotboy12:20 Camp Lazlo12:45 The Powerpuff Girls13:10 Class of 300013:35 Ed, Edd n Eddy14:00 Foster’s Home for ImaginaryFriends14:25 Codename14:50 Ben 1015:15 My Gym Partner’s A Monkey15:40 Squirrel Boy16:05 Eliot Kid16:35 George of the Jungle17:00 Skunk Fu!17:25 Fantastic Four: World’sGreatest Heroes17:50 Bakugan Battle Brawlers18:15 The Secret Saturdays18:40 Ben 10: Alien Force19:05 Casper’s Scare School19:30 Squirrel Boy20:00 The Marvelous Misadventuresof Flapjack20:25 Chop Socky Chooks20:50 My Gym Partner’s A Monkey21:05 Ed, Edd n Eddy21:30 Skunk Fu!21:45 The Secret Saturdays22:10 Ben 10: Alien Force22:35 The Life & Times of JuniperLee23:00 Camp Lazlo23:25 Samurai Jack23:50 Megas XLR

CINEMA CITY01:00 Ninja Cheerleaders - 1803:00 Abraham’s Point - PG1505:00Once Upon a Time In America - 18

09:00 Don’t Say a Word - PG1511:00 Saving Sarah Cain - PG 13:00 Napoleon Pt.*1* - PG15:00 Everest Pt.*1* - PG17:00 Custody - PG19:00 California Dreaming - PG21:00 Scorched - PG1523:00 Netherbeast Incorporated -PG15

CNN INTERNATIONAL00:00 Fareed Zakaria Gps01:00 Best Of Backstory01:30 World Sport02:00 The Situation Room03:00 World Report04:00 World Business Today04:30 World Sport05:00 World Report06:00 Anderson Cooper 36007:00 World Report07:30 Worldview08:00 World Report08:30 Best Of Backstory09:00 World Report10:30 World Sport11:00 World Report11:30 World Business Today12:00 World Report12:30 Worldview13:00 Larry King14:00 World Report14:30 World Sport15:00 World Report16:00 Amanpour.16:30 News Special17:00 World Business Today18:00 International Desk19:00 The Brief19:30 World Sport20:00 Prism20:30 News Special21:00 International Desk22:00 Quest Means Business23:00 Amanpour.23:30 World One

DISCOVERY CHANNEL00:00 MacIntyre: World’s ToughestTowns

01:00 Eyewitness02:00 Street Customs Berlin02:55 Fifth Gear03:20 Fifth Gear03:50 American Chopper04:45 How It’s Made05:10 Eyewitness06:05 X-Machines07:00 Extreme Engineering07:55 Rides08:50 Overhaulin09:45 How Do They Do It?10:10 Mythbusters11:05 Ultimate Survival12:00 River Monsters: Killer Catfish12:55 How Do They Do It?13:25 How It’s Made13:50 Fifth Gear14:15 American Chopper15:10 Miami Ink16:05 Mythbusters17:00 Ultimate Survival18:00 Destroyed in Seconds18:30 Destroyed in Seconds19:00 Street Customs20:00 How Do They Do It?20:30 How It’s Made21:00 River Monsters: Killer Catfish22:00 Deadliest Catch23:00 Ultimate Survival

DISCOVERY SCIENCE00:40 Nextworld01:30 Science of the Movies02:20 Future Weapons03:10 Future Weapons04:00 Nextworld04:50 Science of the Movies05:45 Engineered06:40 Patent Bending07:10 What’s That About?08:00 Thunder Races09:00 NASA’s Greatest Missions10:00 Nextworld10:55 How Stuff’s Made11:20 Stunt Junkies11:50 Man Made Marvels: China’sNational Theatre12:45 Green Wheels13:10 One Step Beyond13:40 NASA’s Greatest Missions14:35 Nextworld

15:30 Robocar16:25 How Stuff’s Made16:55 Thunder Races17:50 Brainiac18:45 Extreme Engineering19:40 Mighty Ships20:30 Mega Builders21:20 How It’s Made22:10 Mythbusters23:00 Mighty Ships23:50 Mega Builders

DISNEY CHANNEL00:00 Jonas00:20 Wizards Of Waverly Place00:45 Suite Life On Deck01:10 Fairly Odd Parents01:35 Replacements02:00 Phineas & Ferb02:25 Little Einsteins02:45 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse03:10 Handy Manny03:35 Lazytown04:00 Jonas04:25 Suite Life On Deck04:50 Wizards Of Waverly Place05:15 Hannah Montana05:40 Sonny With A Chance06:00 Higglytown Heroes06:10 My Friends Tigger and Pooh06:35 Handy Manny07:00 Special Agent Oso07:20 Lazytown07:45 Lazytown08:10 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse08:35 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse09:00 Handy Manny09:25 Special Agent Oso09:45 Brandy & Mr Whiskers10:10 Fairly Odd Parents10:35 Hannah Montana11:00 I Got A Rocket11:25 Wizards Of Waverly Place11:45 Phineas & Ferb12:10 Suite Life On Deck12:35 Replacements12:55 American Dragon13:20 Kim Possible13:40 Famous Five14:05 Fairly Odd Parents14:30 Phineas & Ferb14:55 Replacements15:15 I Got A Rocket15:40 Wizards Of Waverly Place16:00 Hannah Montana16:25 Sonny With A Chance16:45 Fairly Odd Parents17:10 Phineas & Ferb17:35 Suite Life On Deck18:00 Wizards Of Waverly Place18:25 Hannah Montana18:45 The Replacements19:00 Jonas19:25 Suite Life On Deck19:50 Sonny With A Chance20:15 Hannah Montana20:40 Wizards Of Waverly Place21:05 The Suite Life of Zack & Cody21:50 The Replacements22:00 American Dragon22:25 Kim Possible22:50 Famous Five23:15 Fairly Odd Parents23:35 Phineas & Ferb

E! ENTERTAINMENT00:15 Reality Hell00:40 E!es02:20 Sexiest03:15 Fatal Beauty05:05 Dr 9021006:00 Ths07:45 Style Star08:35 E! News09:25 Kourtney And Khloe TakeMiami10:15 Ths12:00 E! News12:50 Keeping Up With TheKardashians13:40 15 Most Infamous Child StarMugshots15:25 Behind The Scenes16:15 E!es17:10 Leave It To Lamas18:00 E! News18:50 Streets Of Hollywood19:15 Battle Of The HollywoodHotties19:40 101 Craziest Tv Moments21:20 Wildest Tv Show Moments21:45 Reality Hell22:10 E! News23:00 Dr 9021023:50 Battle Of The HollywoodHotties

EXTREME SPORTS00:00 Strikeforce01:00 Strikeforce02:00 X Games 15 200903:00 Fim World MotocrossChampionships 200904:00 FIM World Supermoto 200805:00 I-Ex Season 207:00 FIM World Supermoto 200808:00 Sacred Ride09:00 Avalanche Trophy 200810:00 AST Winter Dew Tour11:00 Rebel Events 2009: WanglTangl12:00 Sacred Ride13:00 Avalanche Trophy 200814:00 Ride Guide Snow 200715:00 Rebel Events 2009: WanglTangl16:00 Sacred Ride17:00 Avalanche Trophy 200818:00 AST Winter Dew Tour19:00 LG Action Sports WorldChampionships20:00 Ride Guide Snow 200721:00 Avalanche Trophy 200822:00 Rebel Events 2009: WanglTangl23:00 LG Action Sports WorldChampionships

FOX SPORTS00:00 Motorworld 00:30 Raceworld 01:30 ACC Sunday Night HoopsXavier v Wake Forest 03:30 ACC Sunday Night HoopsClemson v Duke 06:00 The Golf Channel - TBA09:00 Everton TV Classic Highlights 12:00 Dream Team Season 7 14:00 PGA TOUR Year in Review 15:00 NFL: Teams TBA

18:00 Dream Team Season 8 19:00 ACC Sunday Night HoopsFlorida v North Carolina St. 21:30 ACC Sunday Night HoopsXavier v Wake Forest 23:30 ACC Sunday Night HoopsClemson v Duke

MGM01:20 House Of Games03:00 Miracle Mile04:25 Laws Of Gravity06:00 Sweet Lies07:35 Futureworld09:20 Hennessy11:05 Buona Sera, Mrs.campbell12:55 The Escape14:25 The Glory Stompers15:50 Napoleon17:10 Sticky Fingers18:35 Arena20:10 The Playboys22:00 Ski School23:30 Kidnapped

NAT GEO ADVENTURE00:00 Bondi Rescue00:30 Surfer’s Journal01:30 Jailed Abroad03:30 Photo To Go04:00 Cycling Home With Rob Lilwall04:30 Lonely Planet05:30 Bondi Rescue06:30 Surfer’s Journal07:30 Jailed Abroad09:30 Photo To Go10:00 Bondi Rescue10:30 Destination Extreme11:00 Madventures11:30 Word Travels:the TruthBehind12:00 Word Travels12:30 Lonely Planet13:30 Finding Genghis14:00 The Ride: Alaska To Patagonia14:30 Destination Extreme15:00 Madventures15:30 Surfer’s Journal16:00 Bondi Rescue16:30 Destination Extreme17:00 Madventures17:30 Word Travels:the TruthBehind18:00 Word Travels18:30 Lonely Planet19:30 Finding Genghis20:00 The Ride: Alaska To Patagonia20:30 Destination Extreme21:00 Madventures21:30 Surfer’s Journal22:00 Bondi Rescue22:30 Destination Extreme23:00 Madventures23:30 Word Travels:the TruthBehind

NAT GEO WILD00:00 Orca Killing School01:00 Chimp Diaries01:30 Savannah02:00 Spain’s Last Lynx03:00 Python Attack04:00 Rescue Ink05:00 Divine Delinquents06:00 Orca Killing School07:00 Chimp Diaries07:30 Savannah08:00 Spain’s Last Lynx09:00 Python Attack10:00 Rescue Ink11:00 The Living Edens12:00 Secrets Of The King Cobra13:00 Kalahari Supercats14:00 Guardians Of Nature15:00 Mother Warthog16:00 Insects From Hell16:30 Snake Wranglers17:00 The Living Edens18:00 Secrets Of The King Cobra19:00 Kalahari Supercats20:00 Guardians Of Nature21:00 Mother Warthog22:00 Insects From Hell22:30 Snake Wranglers23:00 The Living Edens

ORBIT NEWS 100:00 NBC Weekend Today Show01:00 ABC This week (Sun)02:00 ABC World News Live02:30 NBC Nightly News Live03:00 ABC World News (Sun)03:30 NBC Nightly News (Sun)04:00 NBC Sunday Today Show05:00 ABC This week (Sun)06:00 NBC Meet The Press (Sun)07:00 ABC World News (Sun)07:30 NBC Nightly News (Sun)08:00 ABC World News (Sun)08:30 NBC Nightly News (Sun)09:00 ABC This week (Sun)10:00 ABC World News (Sun)10:30 NBC Nightly News (Sun)11:00 ABC World News Now Live12:30 NBC Early Today Live13:00 ABC America This MorningLive14:30 NBC Early Today15:00 NBC Today Show Live19:00 ABC Now Money Matters /Bell19:30 ABC NOW / Good Money20:00 MSNBC Live Dr. NANCY21:00 MSNBC Live Andrea MitchellReports22:00 NBC Meet The Press (Sun)23:00 ABC This week (Sun)

ORBIT NEWS 200:00 ABC NOW Nightline Twitter(Mon)00:30 ABC Now Ahead of the Curve(Fri)01:00 ABC Now Nature’s Edge(Mon)01:30 ABC Now Good Money (Fri)02:00 ABC Now Job Club (Wed)02:30 ABC Now Daily Download +Now you Know (Fri)03:00 MSNBC (As Live) Investigates10:00 NBC Meet the Press (taped)11:00 MSNBC (As Live) Investigates12:00 NBC Meet the Press (taped)13:00 MSNBC First Look (Live)13:30 MSNBC Way Too Early w/W.Geist (Live)14:00 MSNBC (taped) Hardball15:00 MSNBC (taped) The Ed Show16:00 MSNBC (taped) Countdownw/K. Olbermann

17:00 MSNBC Live MorningMeeting with Dylan Ratigan18:00 MSNBC Live MorningMeeting with Dylan Ratigan19:00 MSNBC Live20:00 MSNBC Hardball Weekend(Sun. 12:00G)20:30 MSNBC Your Business (Sun.12:30G)21:00 NBC Meet the Press (taped)22:00 MSNBC Live

PLAYHOUSE DISNEY08:00 Special Agent Oso08:25 Handy Manny08:50 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse09:15 Imagination Movers09:40 Chuggington10:10 Handy Manny10:30 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse10:50 Special Agent Oso11:15 Imagination Movers11:40 My Friends Tigger and Pooh12:05 Chuggington12:20 Chuggington12:55 Handy Manny13:05 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse13:30 Little Einsteins13:50 Handy Manny14:10 My Friends Tigger and Pooh14:30 Little Einsteins14:55 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse15:20 Jo Jo’s Circus15:45 Jo Jo’s Circus16:10 Higglytown Heroes16:35 Higglytown Heroes17:00 Happy Monster Band17:05 My Friends Tigger and Pooh17:30 Happy Monster Band17:35 Handy Manny18:00 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse18:25 Special Agent Oso18:50 Chuggington19:00 Imagination Movers19:25 Handy Manny19:50 Chuggington20:00 Special Agent Oso20:15 Little Einsteins20:40 Handy Manny20:50 My Friends Tigger and Pooh21:00 End Of Programming

SHOW COMEDY00:00 My Family: Christmas Special01:00 Free Radio03:00 Home Improvement03:30 The Daily Show With JonStewart04:00 Free Radio05:00 Tyler Perry’s House Of Payne05:30 Will And Grace06:00 My Wife And Kids06:30 Home Improvement07:00 Fresh Prince Of Bel Air07:30 Three Sisters08:00 Tyler Perry’s House Of Payne08:30 8 Simple Rules...09:00 The Nanny09:30 Rita Rocks10:00 Will And Grace10:30 My Wife And Kids11:00 How I Met Your Mother11:30 8 Simple Rules...12:00 Three Sisters12:30 The Nanny13:00 Fresh Prince Of Bel Air13:30 Tyler Perry’s House Of Payne14:00 Home Improvement14:30 Rita Rocks15:00 My Family: Christmas Special16:00 Three Sisters16:30 The Nanny17:00 Fresh Prince Of Bel Air17:30 8 Simple Rules...18:00 Will And Grace18:30 My Wife And Kids19:00 How I Met Your Mother19:30 Rita Rocks20:00 Gavin And Stacey20:30 According To Jim21:00 The Daily Show - GlobalEdition21:30 The Colbert Report - GlobalEdition22:00 Plus One22:30 The Inbetweeners23:00 South Park23:30 How I Met Your Mother

SHOW MOVIES 101:00 Clean Break - 1803:00 Miss Pettigrew Lives For ADay - PG 15

05:00 Termination Point - PG 1507:00 Heavy Metal In Baghdad - PG1509:00 Sicko - PG 1511:00 Fireproof - PG13:00 Grace Is Gone - PG 1515:00 Sicko - PG 1517:00 Fireproof - PG19:00 Man On Wire - PG 1521:00 Lions For Lambs - PG 1523:00 The Foot Fist Way - PG 15

SHOW MOVIES 200:00 Adoration - PG 1501:45 Straw Dogs - R03:45 Interview With An Assassin -PG 1505:30 West Side Story - PG 1508:30 Dead Men Don’t Wear Plaid -PG10:00 The Secret Garden - PG12:00 Trekkies 2 - PG14:00 The Odd Couple 2 - PG 1516:00 The Secret Garden - PG18:00 Trekkies 2 - PG20:00 The Lonely Guy - PG 1522:00 Ceux Qui Restent - PG 15

SHOW MOVIES ACTION01:00 Virtuosity - 1803:00 Princess Mononoke - PG 1505:30 The Host - 1807:30 H.i.t. - PG 1509:00 The Invincible - PG 1511:00 Outpost - 1813:00 Artefacts - PG 1515:00 The Invincible - PG 1517:00 Outpost - 1819:00 Incubus - PG 1521:00 Prophecy 5 - 1823:00 Felon - 18

SHOW MOVIES COMEDY00:00 How High - 1802:00 Sixteen Candles - PG 1504:00 Dennis The Menace StrikesAgain - PG06:00 Made Of Honor - PG 1508:00 Sixteen Candles - PG 1510:00 Bee Movie - PG12:00 Pure Luck - PG 1514:00 Little Giants - FAM16:00 Bee Movie - PG18:00 Pure Luck - PG 1520:00 American Pie 2 - 1822:00 Serial Mom - 18

SHOW MOVIES KIDS01:15 Clockstoppers - FAM03:00 Stan Lee: The Condor - PG04:30 Barbie - And The DiamondCastle - FAM06:00 D2: The Mighty Ducks - PG08:00 Never Ending Story 2: TheNext Chapter - FAM10:00 The Mighty Ducks - FAM11:45 Barbie And The ThreeMusketeers - PG13:30 D3: The Mighty Ducks - PG15:15 Mee Shee - PG 1517:00 Only Yesterday - PG19:00 D3: The Mighty Ducks - PG20:45 The Mighty Ducks - FAM22:30 Barbie And The ThreeMusketeers - PG

SHOW SERIES00:00 Criminal Minds01:00 Doctor Who02:00 C.s.i. Miami03:00 Survivor: Samoa04:00 Law And Order05:00 Emmerdale05:30 Coronation Street06:00 Criminal Minds07:00 2408:00 Heroes09:00 Survivor: Samoa10:00 Law And Order11:00 2412:00 Emmerdale12:30 Coronation Street13:00 Doctor Who14:00 C.s.i. Miami15:00 Heroes16:00 Criminal Minds17:00 Survivor: Samoa18:00 Emmerdale18:30 Coronation Street19:00 Law And Order20:00 Lipstick Jungle21:00 C.s.i. New York22:00 24

23:00 Heroes

SHOW SPORTS 101:30 Scottish Premier League03:30 Goals Goals Goals04:00 Barclays Premier League06:00 Barclays Premier LeagueHighlights07:00 Premier League09:00 Test Cricket Highlights11:00 Scottish Premier League13:00 Premier League17:00 Futbol Mundial17:30 Premier League World18:00 Premier League Classics18:30 Scottish Premier League20:30 Barclays Premier LeagueHighlights21:30 Premier League World22:00 Premier League Classics23:00 Scottish Premier LeagueHighlights23:30 Futbol Mundial

SHOW SPORTS 202:00 Barclays Premier LeagueHighlights03:00 Premier League World03:30 Live Test Cricket10:30 Futbol Mundial11:00 Weber Cup Bowling 12:00 Guinness Premiership14:00 Barclays Premier LeagueHighlights15:00 PGA European Tour Review16:00 Futbol Mundial16:30 Gillette World Sport17:00 Weber Cup Bowling 18:00 PDC World DartsChampionship23:00 PGA European Tour Review

SHOW SPORTS 301:30 Guinness Premiership05:30 Barclays Premier LeagueHighlights06:30 PDC World DartsChampionship11:30 Live Test Cricket18:30 Test Cricket

SHOW SPORTS 400:15 Live NFL03:00 UFC 10806:00 WWE Vintage Collection07:00 WWE Bottomline08:00 UAE National Race Day 08:30 FIM World Cup09:00 Rat Race09:30 FIA GT11:00 Bushido12:00 WWE Bottomline13:00 Red Bull Air Race15:00 Rat Race15:30 WWE SmackDown!17:00 WWE Bottomline18:00 WWE Vintage Collection19:00 UFC 10822:00 NFL

SUPER COMEDY00:30 Two And A Half Men01:30 Drew Carey Show02:00 The Ellen Degeneres Show03:00 Everybody Loves Raymond03:30 SNL 2009-201005:00 Curb Your Enthusiasm05:30 Two And A Half Men06:30 The Simpsons07:00 Frasier07:30 Drew Carey Show08:00 The Tonight Show With ConanO’ Brien09:00 The Ellen Degeneres Show10:00 Jimmy Kimmel Live11:00 Everybody Loves Raymond11:30 Frasier12:00 The Simpsons12:30 Drew Carey Show13:00 SNL 2009-201014:30 Curb Your Enthusiasm15:00 Two And A Half Men16:00 The Ellen Degeneres Show17:00 Everybody Loves Raymond17:30 Frasier18:00 The Best Of Jimmy KimmelLive19:00 The Simpsons19:30 Drew Carey Show20:00 The Best Of Jay Leno Show21:00 The Best Of Tonight ShowWith Conan O’ Brien22:00 The Best Of Late Night ShowWith Jimmy Fallon23:00 Entourage23:30 The Best Of Jimmy KimmelLive

SUPER MOVIES01:00 Lie to Me - R03:00 In Tranzit - PG1505:00 The Go-Getter - PG1507:00 Max Payne - PG1509:00 Player *5150* - PG1511:00 The Jerk Theory - PG13:00 The Nines - PG 15:00 Alice Upside Down - PG 17:00 Shadows in Paradise - PG1519:00 Momma’s Man - PG21:00 Nancy Drew - PG23:00 Finding Amanda - 18

TCM00:55 Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice(1969)02:40 Kelly’s Heroes05:00 Bad Day at Black Rock06:15 Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice(1969)08:00 White Heat09:50 Desert Bloom (1986)11:40 Kelly’s Heroes14:00 Kidnapped (1971)15:50 An American in Paris17:40 The Alamo (1960)21:10 Beau Brummell23:00 Zebrahead (1992)

THE HISTORY CHANNEL00:40 Battles B.C.01:30 Cities Of The Underworld02:20 The Universe03:10 Ice Road Truckers 304:00 Evolve04:55 How the Earth Was Made05:50 Warriors06:40 Battles B.C.07:30 Cities Of The Underworld08:20 The Universe09:10 Ice Road Truckers 3

Miss Pettigrew Lives For A Day on Show Movies 1

The Go-Getter on Super Movies

Star Movies16:00 Scrubs16:25 Scrubs16:50 V.I.P.17:00 Ugly Betty17:50 One Day At A Time18:00 Ghost Whisperer18:50 Dilbert19:00 Ghost Hunters International19:50 V.I.P.20:00 Ugly Betty20:50 One Day At A Time21:00 Ghost Whisperer21:50 Dilbert22:00 [V] Tunes23:00 Worst Week23:30 NGC Program00:00 [V] Tunes01:00 [V] Tunes02:00 7th Heaven03:00 American Idol04:00 According To Jim04:30 According To Jim05:00 Ghost Hunters International05:50 V.I.P.

06:00 Grey’s Anatomy06:50 One Day At A Time07:00 Scrubs07:25 Scrubs07:50 Dilbert08:00 Ugly Betty08:50 V.I.P.09:00 Worst Week09:30 The Bold And The Beautiful10:00 7th Heaven10:50 One Day At A Time11:00 Grey’s Anatomy11:50 Dilbert12:00 [V] TUNES13:00 Ghost Hunters International14:00 American Idol15:00 American Idol

Granada TV20:00 The Last Detective (Series 1)22:00 Resolutionaires *23:00 Traffic Jams From Hell00:00 Resolutionaires *01:00 Crime Monday: The LastDetective (Series 1)

03:00 The Springer Show04:00 Confessions Of05:00 Emmerdale05:30 Coronation Street06:00 Resolutionaires *07:00 Crime Monday: The LastDetective (Series 1)09:00 The Springer Show10:00 Confessions Of11:00 Emmerdale11:30 Coronation Street12:00 The Jeremy Kyle Show 13:00 Fight School *14:00 Crime Monday: The LastDetective (Series 1)15:30 Airline (Series 5)16:00 Emmerdale16:30 Coronation Street17:00 The Jeremy Kyle Show18:00 Fight School *19:00 Crime Monday: The LastDetective (Series 1

Channel [V]22:00 [V] Plug

22:30 The Playlist23:00 Loop00:00 Backtracks01:00 Double Shot02:00 [V] Plug02:30 The Playlist03:00 Loop04:00 [V] Special05:00 [V] Tunes06:00 Double Shot07:00 Backtracks08:00 Loop09:00 [V] Plug09:30 Double Shot10:00 Backtracks11:00 [V] Tunes12:00 [V] Plug12:30 The Playlist13:00 Loop14:00 AMP Celebrasian Specials:Electrico and Hujian15:00 The Goode Family15:30 Keys To The VIP16:00 Backtracks17:00 [V] Tunes

18:00 [V] Plug18:30 The Playlist19:00 Loop20:00 AMP Celebrasian Specials:Electrico and Hujian21:00 The Goode Family21:30 Keys To The VIP

Fox News21:00 America’s News HQ host ShannonBream23:00 Fox News Sunday with ChrisWallace (repeat)00:00 The O’Reilly Factor(repeat)01:00 America’s News HQ hosts GreggJarrett and Julie Banderas03:00 FOX News Sunday with ChrisWallace (repeat)04:00 FOX Report Sunday host JulieBanderas05:00 Huckabee with Mike Huckabee06:00 Hannity with Sean Hannity07:00 Geraldo At Large with GeraldoRivera08:00 Huckabee with Mike Huckabee

09:00 FOX Report Sunday10:00 Geraldo At Large with GeraldoRivera11:00 Hannity with Sean Hannity12:00 War Stories with Oliver North13:00 Bulls and Bears (repeat)13:30 Cavuto On Business (repeat)14:00 FORBES on FOX (repeat)14:30 Cashin’ In (repeat)15:00 FOX & Friends First Live 16:00 FOX & Friends Live 18:00 America’s Newsroom

National Geographical Channel20:00 About Asia -ShowReal Asia :Bettle Battles: Kwang Bang21:00 Big, Bigger, Biggest -Aircraft22:00 Inside -India’s HiddenPlague:Ashley Judd’s Mission23:00 Reverse Exploration -100:00 Naked Science -Birth Of TheEarth S2-1301:00 ABOUT ASIA -ShowReal Asia :Bettle Battles: Kwang Bang02:00 Seconds From Disaster -

Superstore Collaspe S3-503:00 Hitler’s Secret Bunkers04:00 Megafish05:00 ABOUT ASIA -ShowReal Asia :Bettle Battles: Kwang Bang06:00 Seconds From Disaster -Superstore Collaspe S3-507:00 Is It Real? -Chupacabras S207:30 Is It Real? -Psychic Detectives 1008:00 Naked Science -Birth Of TheEarth S2-1309:00 Nat Geo Junior -Planet Mechanics: Solar Paella10:00 Hitler’s Secret Bunkers11:00 Seconds From Disaster -Superstore Collaspe S3-512:00 ABOUT ASIA -ShowReal Asia :Stuntmen of Bollywood13:00 42 Ways To Kill Hitler14:00 Convoy - War For The Atlantic -Wolfpack Rising 115:00 Locked Up Abroad -Sao PauloDeath Trap16:00 Hitler’s Secret Bunkers17:00 42 Ways To Kill Hitler

Star listings (UAE timings)

35

SPECTRUM36 Monday, January 4, 2010

Britney feels freeThe ‘Toxic’ singer has learned to relax and focus on

her own interests since her much-publicizedbreakdown in 2007. She said: “I’m learning to take

better care of myself and not get stressed or down aboutthings for nothing. I’m taking my time these days andnot letting myself get under any pressure other than to

just feel happy about myself and to work on my music. “Iwant to show people I am a strong woman. I have a lot ofgreat things ahead of me that I want to accomplish. “Ifeel positive and much happier, things are looking goodagain. I’m learning to relax and not place so much pres-sure on myself.” The ‘Womanizer’ star says working on

her recent album ‘Circus’ was key to helping her moveforward with her life. She added: “I’ve been through alot and I’m really excited by my album. I’m very proud ofit. I really enjoyed the process of putting the albumtogether and it’s been kind of therapeutic for me. Musicis such a huge part of me.”

Megan Fox hates watching her kiss with Amanda Seyfried.The 23-year-old beauty has to lock lips with the ‘MammaMia!’ star in ‘Jennifer’s Body’ but isn’t comfortable seeing

the smooch played back to her because it was very “awkward tofilm. Bisexual Megan - who has previously claimed she feels

more comfortable kissing her female co-stars rather than hermale ones - said: “I feel it’s so awkward and quiet, there is noscore underneath it and it’s just... Could you watch yourself

doing it? It’s awkward and it was really awkward to film it.“I would say it’s easier kissing someone who you know

doesn’t want to kiss you, that’s more comfortablethan going into a scene with somebody that you thinkis anticipating it or is going to enjoy it. That’s worse

in a working environment. But I knew clearly Amandawas not excited about it.” Amanda has previously

said she felt “uncomfortable” kissing Megan.She said: “I was uncomfortable, because I nor-mally kiss men. Even in front of people, to kisssomeone for the first time, female or male, isstill awkward. “It’s also awkward when you’rebeing filmed doing it. And then, of course,there’s still the producers that get to watch thatscene every day, and you’re like - it’sinevitable, men are going to get turned on. Youknow people are going to get turned on whenthey see this, because it’s, you know, taboo.”

Fox didn’t enjoy ‘lesbian kiss’

Mika hates taking his clothes off

The ‘Grace Kelly’ singer dances around in his whiteunderpants in the promotional video for his single ‘WeAre Golden’ but insists he is embarrassed about flaunt-

ing his body. He said: “I’m so prudish. I hate taking my clothesoff and it seems funny that I’m now known for running aroundand dancing in my underpants!” Although he loves wearingclothes, Mika admitted he doesn’t have a lot of variety in hiswardrobe as it is mainly white. He said: “My clothes reallyaren’t that interesting, I have a lot of white in my wardrobe.But my favorite item of clothing is probably my $7 Gap jean Igot when I was 17. I love them and they’re still so comfort-able.” Meanwhile, the 26-year-old star recently revealed hewas bullied at school, leaving a “cripplingly shy” teenager. Hesaid: “As a teenager I was a coward and a loser. I was shy. Iwas very camp in my own way but I didn’t realize I was. I wasbullied for being different. “It was so bad that I was worriedabout surviving into my 20s.”

Gallagher’s chart war

Liam Gallagher has warnedbrother Noel not to start achart war with him. The singer

- who recently confirmed he is work-ing on new material with ex-Oasisbandmates Gem Archer, Andy Belland Chris Sharrock - insists there isno bad feeling towards the group’sformer guitarist but doubts his sib-ling’s solo record will be as good ashis LP. Liam said: “He’s doing histhing, we’re doing our thing, I wishhim all the best. I don’t wish himanything bad, I’m his brother. I lovehim to death. “So long as you don’trelease the same day as ours becausewe’ll have you.” The ‘Live Forever’star also revealed his new line-up arecurrently experimenting with newnames but he is unsure about whatmoniker to go for as he will alwaysbe associated with Oasis. He addedto Sky News: “It’s me and Gem andAndy, we’ve got a new bass playerwho’s mega, we’ve got the old drum-mer, Chris Sharrock, who’s amazing,the old keyboard player.

Susan Boyle is to duet with opera singerAndrea Bocelli. The Scottish singer -whose debut album ‘I Dreamed a Dream’

was the fastest-selling debut LP ever releasedby a woman - will team up with the Italian oper-atic legend for a new TV talent show eventhough she beat him in the US album charts.The pair will join together for upcoming ITV1show ‘Pop Star to Opera Star’, where popmusicians will compete against each other bysinging classical arias. A source told The Sunnewspaper: “Susan has held Andrea off the topof the US charts for weeks - it’s incredible. Buthe holds no grudges, he joked that he ‘mustsing with this amazing woman.’ “ The blindtenor’s latest album, ‘My Christmas’, was keptfrom the Billboard top spot by 48-year-oldspinster Susan’s LP. When they performtogether, the pair are expected to duet on one

of Grammy-nominated Andrea’s most famoussongs - either ‘Time To Say Goodbye’, whichhe famously performed with Sarah Brightman,or ‘The Prayer’, which he sang with CelineDion. Susan shot to fame earlier this yearwhen she appeared on British TV show‘Britain’s Got Talent’ - on which she finishedsecond. Since releasing her award-winningalbum earlier this year, Susan has already ful-filled her lifelong dream of performing along-side musical legend Elaine Paige.

Boyle to duet with Bocelli

The Kasabian frontman spent time waitingfor guitarist Serge Pizzorno to finish writingthe group’s latest album ‘West Ryder Pauper

Lunatic Asylum’ by buying obscure items from theauction website. He said: “I had to wait for Serge toget the songs ready. It’s hard for me when we’re nottouring or anything. There’s not really much I cando apart from this. I’m in a cage and he’s free, in thewildlife, roaming about. I started s**tting it. Shall Iget high? What shall I do with my day? What can Ido with my night? “I’d go on eBay. I buy everything.Really bizarre s**t. I bought a karate outfit. A Cobra

Kai outfit from ‘The Karate Kid’. It’s not actuallyfrom the film. It’s a copy of it. It’s quite baggy.” Tomis not the only rocker with an interest in the auctionsite. Former Stone Roses star Ian Brown recentlyrevealed that his children- nine-year-old son Emilio,with wife Fabiola Quiroz Brown and two older sons,Frankie and Casey, from a previous relationship -make money by selling his autographed posters onthe internet. He explained: “My kids have startedselling posters of me on Ebay. They get me to signthem and then sell them online for £10. “It savesme having to give them money!”

Tom Meighan is obsessed with eBay

Simon Cowell was given a £500,000painting for Christmas. The musicmogul - who runs record label Syco

- was treated to an original painting byBritish graffiti artist Banksy, to

replicate one of the 50-year-old TV personality’s favorite artworks. The artist - who is known for his sten-cil-style public pieces - superimposedSimon’s head on a reproduction of Degas’1874 creation, Rehearsal Of The Ballet OnStage. A source told the Daily Mirror news-paper: “Record label execs wanted some-thing unique to give Simon. He’s a secretart collector and loves Degas - plus he’s ahuge fan of Banksy. So they got Banksy tomock up one of Degas’ most famous works.In the picture, it looks like Simon’s decid-ing whether or not the girl has the ‘XFactor’. “He took one look at it anddeclared it ‘hilarious’.” The 50-year-old ‘XFactor’ judge’s record company hasachieved massive profits this year afterSyco acts Leona Lewis, Susan Boyle andAlexandra Burke sold millions of LPsworldwide. Despite Simon’s celebrity sta-tus, executives at his label had a hard timepersuading Banksy to help them out. Thesource explained: “Banksy rarely does pri-vate commissions so it was a real coup byrecord label bosses to secure his services.They are very pleased with what he creat-ed.” Simon has hung the painting at his lux-urious London home, and has already hadtwo prints made up for his houses inBarbados and Los Angeles.

Jay-Z makes his bodyguardsdrink a special proteinshake. The 39-year-old

rapper is keen for his six secu-rity men to be in tip top condi-tion, and so makes them gulp adrink made from his ownrecipe. A source said: “Everyday Jay-Z lines up his guards,hands them a protein drink ofhis own concoction - fresh veg-etable juices, fruits, protein

powder, wheat germ, vitaminsupplements - then eyeballs thetough guys until every last dropis gone.” Jay-Z doesn’t even letup from the routine when he ison tour. He ensures all hotelkitchens are given the recipe,and then requests seven glass-es of the drink are brought tohim and his companions byroom service. This is not thefirst time Jay-Z’s love of drinks

has been documented. The ‘99Problems’ rapper recentlyadmitted he used to motivatehis staff at Def Jam records -where he was label president -with champagne cocktails. Hesaid: “I had Bellini Fridays!Basically at 4pm on Fridayswe’d all have Bellinis. Alcoholcan smooth everyone out. I’mnot promoting drinking toyoung people though!”

Jay-Z makes bodyguards drink shake

Diab

lo Co

dy is

sca

red

of g

irls The scriptwriter says she

drew inspiration for her lat-est movie ‘Jennifer’s Body’ -

about a dead cheerleader whoreturns to kill and eat her class-mates - on the struggles and fearsof growing up. She said: “When Istarted the script, I was thinkingabout what’s scary to me and Idecided, girls are scary! One of thefirst lines of the movie is ‘Hell isteenagers’. “If you think about allthe subgenres of horror - vam-pires, werewolves, zombies - noneof these transformations are asprofound as puberty. The experi-ence of becoming an adolescent ishorrifying.” Diablo also admittedshe drew inspiration from peopleshe knew at school when comingup with her lead character, who isplayed in the film by Megan Fox.She explained: “Everyone knowsthe alpha female. She steals yourboyfriend and dates the guys youcan’t have. So yes, it’s more aboutgetting revenge on that girl thanon any of the guys who dumpedme. “It was about exposing her forthe monster she is - and showinghow insecure she is. I love the factthat Jennifer has these moments,because that’s the truth of the mat-ter. Those girls, the ones whoflaunt their power, are the mostinsecure.”

SPECTRUM 37Monday, January 4, 2010

Travel

Botswana: Weed intrusion

threatens fish andtourism on Okavango

The OkavangoDelta, a naturaltreasure in north-

ern Botswana, is underthreat after a large por-tion of the reservoir wasinfested with weedthreatening tourism andfishing industries.Salvinia molesta weedalso known as Karibaweed, which originatesfrom South America, isbelieved to have foundits way to the deltathrough the water thatflows in from Angola’sinfested rivers. The freefloating dark green weedmakes it very difficult forcruising, especially oncanoes, and also suffo-cates the different fishspecies which is aheadache for communi-ties who depend on thedelta for their livelihood.

“It is thus importantfor members of the com-munity and tour opera-tors to combine forcesand fight this weedwhich is threatening thelivelihood of most peoplein the Okavango region.“Its effects may not befelt at the moment but ifit spreads further thenthe fishermen will defi-nitely feel the pinch,”said KetlhatlogileMasepelinge, a fisheriesbiologist at theUniversity of Botswana.

The problem whichwas increasing promptedthe community andtourism stakeholders towork together to get ridof weed as both partieshad a lot to lose shouldthe weed spread.

“Fishing is a source ofincome for most of us inthis part of Botswana,and if it means workingday and night to destroythis weed which isthreatening our fish,then let it be so,” saidFaosiko Wake, the chair-man of the OkavangoFishermen’sAssociation. Tourism willalso suffer should theproblem persist.“Tourists love cruisingin the delta and we haveto make sure that noth-ing stands in their way,”said MorongoeNtloedibe, chief execu-tive officer of Hospitalityand Tourism Associationof Botswana. The weedis being destroyed usingweevil insects whichfeed on it and destroy itin the process. Touroperators and membersof the community haveto breed this insectwhich has a lifespan ofabout 60 days thenrelease it into the delta.

“This is the best wayof getting rid of thisweed as the method isfriendly to the environ-ment. We could haveused chemicals but theseare harmful to otherorganisms in the water,”the director of environ-mental affairs in theMinistry of Tourism,Wildlife andEnvironment, SteveMonna, told AFP. Hesaid the weed has beenpresent in the delta forsome time but in smallquantities. However thespread was caused byfloodwaters and winds inrecent months whichprompted government tolaunch the program todestroy it. “It is now upto the communities andtour operators to makesure that they work hardin breeding the weevils,”he said. Monna said sofar the program was pro-gressing well as bothparties had shown com-mitment to workingtowards destroying theweed. —AFP

Yosemite, Yellowstone andGrand Canyon get the pub-licity, and the visitors. But

there are plenty of lesser-knownnational parks that offer gorgeousvistas and pristine back country,far from the maddening crowds.Joshua Tree, Big Bend, CapitolReef, Isle Royale, Kenai Fjordsand Theodore Roosevelt arenational parks that may never bethe stars of a Ken Burns docu-mentary. But each offers its owncharm, and you won’t find a trafficjam at any of them. In fact, KenaiFjords in Alaska and Isle Royalein Lake Superior have no traffic atall; you explore them by boat orby sea plane.

When I visited TheodoreRoosevelt in remote westernNorth Dakota and asked theranger whether he was busy withvisitors that day, he replied,“You’re No 2.” Franklin Rooseveltmade Joshua Tree a national mon-ument in 1936, and Bill Clintonelevated it to a national park in1994. The park is well known inSouthern California but, likesome Americans living else-

where, I first heard of this eerieexpanse of cactus-studded desertand mountains in 1973 after thestrange death of Gram Parsons, asinger-songwriter who was amember of the Byrds and a pio-neer of country-rock music.

Parsons, who may be bestknown for his later duets withEmmylou Harris, died of an over-dose in the Joshua Tree Inn,where his admirers still maintaina makeshift memorial of candles,flowers and a tiny guitar in thesandy courtyard outside the bluedoor of room No 8. In the daysafter his death, two of his drunk-en buddies absconded withParsons’ casket and tried to fulfillhis wish of being cremated in theJoshua Tree desert. The purport-ed spot where the body was par-tially burned is in the vicinity ofCap Rock, one of the park’s geo-logic landmarks. A nearby rockface is scrawled with messages,some put there as recently as thisyear by fans still mourning 35years later.

Ranger Pat Pilcher, who gave

me a tour during my three-dayvisit to Joshua Tree, said theNational Park Service does notencourage visits to the site or theresulting graffiti. “We don’t offi-cially sanction it,” Pilcher said.“But it’s in the circuit. It’s notlike it’s a secret, obviously.” Likemany national parks, Joshua Treehad a prime mover. MinervaHamilton Hoyt, a Mississippibelle who moved to SouthernCalifornia, founded theInternational DesertsConservation League in 1930.She worked to preserve the land-scapes that were being devastat-ed by cactus collectors and van-dals, and lobbied Roosevelt toprotect the area.

The national monument wasnamed Joshua Tree for the forestsof dagger-leaf plants that domi-nate the high-desert valleys.Early Mormons, who named thetrees, thought they looked likethe prophet Joshua summoninghis followers. The park’s othernoted image is its rock piles,which come in fantastic shapes

and sizes. Some are spheres,some are stacked like a giant’sblocks. All were formed by 90million years of erosion. “That’sthe question we get the most,”Pilcher said. “Who piled thoserocks up like that?”

Although Joshua Tree is with-in a few hours’ drive of the 18million inhabitants of Los Angelesand San Diego, it is easy to bealone in the nearly 800,000 acresof the national park, 80 percent ofwhich is designated wilderness.On my arrival, I made the shortbut steep climb to the top of RyanMountain for a 360-degree look atthe park at sunset. The summitwas crowded with two other hik-ers.

The next day, an eight-mile,round-trip hike took me throughthe low desert to Lost PalmsOasis, a hidden valley filled withthe park’s largest grove of statelyfan palms. The only sounds werethe rustling of the palm frondsand the song of a cactus wren.Nights were spent at the 29Palms Inn, which was built in the1920s, maintains a funkyambiance and has the best restau-rant in the town of TwentyninePalms. The area also is home tothe world’s largest Marine base,which contains simulated Iraqivillages for practicing desert war-fare.

The Joshua Tree lore includesstories of the McHaney Gang ofrustlers and prospectors who filedabout 300 claims in their searchfor gold. Some hit pay dirt; mostfound dry holes. Pilcher, theranger, opened the locked gatesfor a visit to the homestead of theWilliam Keys family. Keys was acaretaker for the Desert QueenMine, one of the few successes,and he took over the property in1917 af ter the mine owner’sdeath. The nearest town was a

six-day ride by horseback, soKeys and his family scavengedthe mining operations for any bitof equipment that might helpthem eke out a living in the harshterrain. A cyanide tank became achicken coop, an old tractor wasjury-rigged to cut wood.

“They were packrats, this istheir Home Depot hardwaredepartment,” Pilcher said in ayard full of tables stacked withrusted nuts, bolts and tools.“They had to haul all this stuff inby horse and wagon, and every-thing was cobbled together. I’mamazed at their ingenuity.”

The park service maintainsthe homestead exactly as it waswhen Keys died in 1969. Perhapsthe most amazing story of JoshuaTree is the plants and wildlife thatare able to survive in a climate inwhich the summer temperaturereaches 115 degrees and theaverage annual rainfall is 4 inch-es. This year has been especiallydry; the park had recorded a mea-ger 0.56 inch of rain by mid-October. The desert tortoise,which is federally listed as threat-ened but holding its own in thepark, lives most of its life protect-ed from the heat in undergroundburrows.

The spindly branches of theocotillo plant appear to be deaduntil they burst forth with greenleaves and flame-red flowers attheir tips with the slightest bit ofrain. Indeed, about half of thepark’s 1.3 million annual visitorscome February through May,when the temperature is mild andrain turns the desert floor into acarpet of wildflowers.

“Some 250 species of birdsoccur here, and there are 800species of plants in the park-they’re finding new ones all thetime,” chief interpreter Joe Zarkisaid. “There are two desert

ecosystems, the Mojave andColorado deserts, and six moun-tain ranges. We are one of themost famous rock-climbing sitesin the world and have some 270miles of hiking trails.” The parkdoes have its problems, especiallybecause of its location within thesuburban sprawl and smog ofSouthern California.

“If you get out to Keys Viewon a clear day, you can see 90miles into Mexico,” Zarki said.“But that’s limited to a few daysout of the year now.” Exoticgrasses also have moved in andprovide tinder for fire from light-ing strikes that normally wouldburn out on the bare ground. Thepark’s larger plants, such aspinon, juniper and its signatureJoshua trees, are not adapted tofire and take many years to recov-er, altering a landscape thatattracted people like MinervaHamilton Hoyt, Gram Parsons,and today’s TV and film produc-ers. “Since we’re so close to LosAngeles, we get a wide variety oftelevision commercials filmed outhere,” Zarki said. “The rocks, theboulder formations, which are ofendless variations, all ringed byJoshua trees, it’s one of the iconiclandscapes of the West.”

Lesser-known parks havemuch to offer

Here are capsule summariesof five lesser-known parks thatare worth a visit. For more onnational parks, visit nps.gov.

Big Bend: Tucked into thenotch of southwestern Texasalong the Rio Grande, Big Bendhas more than 800,000 acres ofdesert and mountains. You canstart a hike among the floweringcactus of the desert and by after-noon be in the pine and pinonforests of the Chisos Mountains-without seeing another person.When the river is running, outfit-ters offer rafting through stun-ning canyons. It’s home to rat-tlesnakes, mountain lions, blackbears and some 450 species ofbirds.

Kenai Fjords: Denali getsthe most visitors of Alaska’snational parks, but Kenai Fjordsfeatures more than 600,000 acresof calving glaciers, ice-cappedpeaks and rocky coasts. Most vis-itors see it by boat or plane toursout of Seward. Kayak adventuresalso are available. Expect to seeseals, sea otters, black bears andhumpback whales. Kenai FjordsGlacier Lodge opened last sum-mer and is the only lodging withinthe park.

Capitol Reef: Zion, Bryceand Arches are the best knownamong Utah’s parks, but CapitolReef also offers red-rock wonderslike the Waterpocket Fold, a 100-mile-long wrinkle in the Earth’scrust. There are twistingcanyons, massive domes andsandstone spires. Get there onRoute 12, which has been billedas America’s most scenic high-way. The town of Torrey, thepark’s western gateway, has an

excellent restaurant in CafeDiablo, which serves “rattlesnakecake” appetizers.

Is le Royale: Accessib leonly by boat or seaplane, IsleRoyale is a remote, road lessisland in northwestern LakeSuperior. Visitors paddle itsinland waterways, explore itsrugged coast or dive into the

depths to see shipwrecks. Mostpeople arrive aboard Ranger III,the park service’s largest ship,based out of Houghton, Mich.

A tra i l leads through thenorth woods across the island’sspine from Rock Harbor Lodge.You can hear loons and wolves,and see moose, beavers andfoxes. —MCT

Joshua Tree National Park is an often-overlooked treasure

La QuintaResort &Club has 41swimmingpools.

TheNationalParkServicemaintainstheWilliamKeysRanch asit waswhen thefamilyleft.

The jumble ofrocksfound inthe parkwereformed bysome 90millionyears oferosion.

JoshuaTreeNationalPark is aneerie landscapethat containstwodesertsand sixmountainranges.

Skull Rock is one of the unusual geologicformations found in Joshua Tree NationalPark. —MCT photos

Lost Palms Oasis has the park’s largestgroves of stately fan palms.

A makeshift memorial to Gram Parsons is in the courtyard of theJoshua Tree Inn, where he died.

The setting sun silhouettes a namesake plantat Joshua Tree National Park.

Joshua Tree National Park: The parkhas visitor centers at Joshua Tree andTwentynine Palms on the north, and atCottonwood Spring on the south. Thepark is 140 miles east of Los Angeles. Itoffers camping: $10 for a first-come,first-served site and $15 for a reservedsite, with a limit of six people and twovehicles. The ranger-guided tour ofKeys Ranch is $5 for adults, $2.50 forchildren 6-12. Off-road driving is prohib-ited. Outfitters offer horseback rides inthe park. 1-760-367-5500 andnps.gov/jotr.29 Palms Inn: The inn is near thenational park visitor center atTwentynine Palms. It has casitas andcabins on 30 acres of natural preservecalled the Oasis of Mara, 73950 InnAvenue, 1-760-367-3505 and 29palm-sinn.com. —MCT

If you go:

SPECTRUM Monday, January 4, 201038Lifestyle

Stuff, stuff, and, more stuff! Nowthat St. Nick has eaten thecookies and gone, kids are play-

ing with all their new toys and wear-ing their new shoes and clothing. So,what should you do with their old(but still good) stuff? Don’t dump it!Donate it! Do Your Part and giveyour used toys, clothing and shoes asecond life.

Begin by tackling the toy situa-tion. Many of the toys children out-grow are still perfectly good. You candonate working toys, certain videogame units and plush animals to yourlocal homeless shelter, batteredwomen’s shelter or Salvation Army.It’s always a good idea to check withthe organization before donatingtoys. Each toy must pass ConsumerProduct Safety Commission guide-lines and recalls before it can bedonated or sold. Due to massive toyrecalls in recent years, some groupsno longer accept used toys and many

children’s hospitals and care facilitiesonly accept brand new toys.

Did St Nick deliver a new bicyclethis year? You must remember thejoy you felt when you got your firstbike. Now, imagine giving that samefeeling to a child in need. You candonate your family’s old bikes tomany different organizations that willdeliver them to those who need themthe most. BikesForTykes.org andIBike.org are good places to find outwhat’s available in your community.Goodwill and Salvation Army willalso accept bicycles and bicycle parts.

If grandma did your child in withnew outfits, it’s probably time to partwith some of the items that no longerfit or that your child no longer wears.Goodwill and Salvation Army areboth seeking additional gently usedclothing items this year becausedonations have also suffered from therecession. Your child’s hand-me-downs could quite simply help turn

another person’s life around. By tak-ing your items to Goodwill you arefunding employment and trainingprograms that benefit over a millionpeople every year. Donations taken

to Salvation Army are recycled orsold through Family Stores with allproceeds funding operations at 119Adult Rehabilitation Centers in theUnited States.

And, don’t forget about the shoes.We all know how fast kids will out-grow their shoes and that means thattheir old ones probably still havesome life left in them. Thirty millionchildren around the globe don’t haveshoes to put on their feet this year.So, instead of trashing your familiesshoes, donate them! Soles4Soles.orgcollects shoes of all kinds and distrib-utes them to children who desperate-ly need them. And, don’t toss outthose athletic shoes that are too wornout to wear again.

Nike’s Reuse A Shoe program willtake them, grind them up, and createall sorts of things with them-every-thing from running tracks to tenniscourts. This season, as new itemscome into your home take the time toreduce, reuse or recycle the old ones.You’ll Do Your Part to keep thoseitems out of the landfill while provid-ing a brighter year ahead for someoneless fortunate. —MCT

In with the new, recycle the old

Do your part andgive your usedtoys, clothing andshoes a second life. —MCT

Field of dreams: Pop the question, museum style

Neelam Patel couldn’t believe it whenshe saw her boyfriend, Neal Patel,reach his hand into a case at The Field

Museum in Chicago and grab the diamondring sitting inside. “I thought, ‘What is hedoing? He’s breaking into this case at theField Museum! He’s going to get arrested,’”she said. A second later Neal, 24, got down onone knee and asked Neelam, 25, to marryhim. The case, identical to the others in thenewly refurbished Grainger Hall of Gems andspecifically lit to hold a diamond ring, is partof a new offer by the museum to pop thequestion there. The $350 fee includes achampagne toast, with optional add-ons likeflowers, music and limo service.

“We’re kind of floored by the response,”said Megan Williams Beckert, who is incharge of special events at the Field. They’vehad seven proposals since they installed thecase in mid-October, and several inquiries aweek. The museum previously offered a sim-ilar, lower-key service. About half a dozenmen a year would rent a Plexiglas case thatwas rolled into the hall for the proposal,Beckert said.

Neal Patel knew one of those men, whomentioned it when Neal was brainstormingcreative proposals. “I’m a romantic,” he said.“I wanted to give her a story she would neverforget.” The two are both fourth year medicalstudents, he at Rosalind Franklin Universityand she in Ohio, though she’s doing her rota-tions in Chicago this year. On a date lastmonth, Neal told Neelam he had a surprisefor her, which she said was not unusual. “Shestarts freaking out,” Neal said. “About 45minutes after it happened, she asked me, ‘Isaid yes, right?’”— MCT

Thinking of getting engaged? For$350, you could use this displaycase at Chicago’s Field Museumto pop the question. —MCT

Director Marc Wilson of theNelson-Atkins Museum ofArt summed up the new

American Indian galleries in a simplesentence: “We’ve made a bold state-ment in terms of real estate and interms of money.” Real estate, as ingallery space, is precious in a muse-um. The Nelson added its BlochBuilding in 2007, moving its modernand contemporary collection into thenew location and freeing space in theoriginal 1933 building.

The old Native American collec-tion had been housed in 1,500 squarefeet of space, tucked into a corner ofthe third floor. Initial plans were torelocate the collection to a galleryabout twice that size. That was ulti-mately expanded to a suite of threegalleries with 6,100 square feet,which opened in November. The gal-leries are on the same floor as thereinstalled Galleries of AmericanArt, not in the basement or someout-of-the-way corner.

The statement was, indeed, bold:American Indian art no longer is con-signed to the “primitive” or “tribal”galleries, with dusty dioramas ofmannequins dressed in headdressesand beadwork that may, or may not,have been from the correct tribe.The art of the first peoples is on thesame level, literally, as the great artof America.

“It’s about the aesthetic sensibil-ities and how each culture developeda method to express it,” Wilson said.“When you examine it, you’ll seethis art is exceedingly hot.” The newAmerican Indian galleries thrust theNelson into the forefront of all muse-ums that exhibit such art, not onlybecause of the prime real estate and$8 million spent on architectural

design, dramatic lighting and Italiancasework. The galleries also areexceptional for the quality of the 205works on display, several of themmasterpieces of their genres.

For the job of finding and select-ing each treasure, Wilson turned toGaylord Torrence, who was a profes-sor at Drake University when he washired in 2002, first as a consultantand then as founding curator of theDepartment of American Indian Art.An author and respected authority inthe field, Torrence’s job was to sortthrough, and build, the museum’suneven collection. “If I couldn’t find

an object that I felt was great instature, I simply didn’t acquire any-thing,” he said. “I wasn’t out tryingto buy types of objects, I was tryingto acquire the greatest objects oftheir kinds.

“Any Native American object hashistorical, cultural and aestheticqualities that have to be considered.But in an art museum, aesthetics isthe most important aspect of thosethree.” Since its opening in 1933, theNelson has bought a stake in NativeAmerican art. The museum madepurchases from the Fred Harvey Co,which had buyers searching theSouthwest for great pottery, basketsand weavings, and from GeorgeGustav Heye, whose collectionbecame the core of the NationalMuseum of the American Indian inWashington.

Ralph Coe, a director of theNelson, organized the “SacredCircles” exhibition that opened inLondon in 1976, then moved to themuseum in Kansas City the nextyear. Coe had combed through thegreat collections of the world to

assemble an encyclopedic display ofNative American art, with an accom-panying catalog, that remains a defin-ing statement in the field.

Coe also gave the Nelson anothergift, his friendship with Donald D“Casey” Jones, a Kansas City news-paper editor who left his Indian col-lection and his wealth to the muse-um. The bequest moved Wilson, themuseum director, to hand Torrencethe task of incorporating the dona-

tion into the museum’s collectionwith an eye on filling in the remain-ing weak spots. Many of the pur-chases for the new galleries weremade from the Donald J Jones Fundfor American Indian Art.

This fall, a final task in Torrence’smission to round out the collectionended with a gift from Morton andEstelle Sosland. Long-time museumpatrons, the couple gave 34 works ofart from the Pacific NorthwestCoast, including several of the mas-terpieces now on display in the newgalleries. The gift transformed thecollection’s weakest area into one ofits strongest. In explaining the gift,Morton Sosland pointed out the sec-ondary status many museums giveto Native American art. “At theNelson-Atkins, American Indian artis given prominence in greatlyexpanded space and by striking pre-sentations that leave no question asto its eminence,” Sosland wrote in anarticle for the museum’s magazine.

Of the 205 pieces in the new gal-leries, about 50 are from the originalcollection, 15 are from the Donald

Jones collection, 25 are on loan fromregional institutions and collections,and the rest were acquired byTorrence through purchases andgifts. One of Torrence’s premierfinds came as he perused old catalogsof the museum’s collection. He wasin the process of attempting toacquire a first-phase chief’s blanket,among the earliest of Navajo weav-ings. Simply, yet superbly, stripedand believed to number about 50 in

existence, a fine first phase goes forabout $500,000 in today’s auctions.“I was looking at these old Polaroidphotos and-bang! — there one was,”he recalled. “I went out to storagethat same day and unrolled thisincredible first phase in perfect con-dition.”

The first phase had been amongthe Fred Harvey purchases, as wereseveral monumental pots and bas-kets. Also already in the collection,but yet to be displayed, was a fetishnecklace by Zuni master carverLeekya Deyuse with 600 birds andanimals fashioned from coral, shell,

turquoise and jet. “It will drop you tothe floor,” Torrence predicted.Among his purchases, Torrence wasmost pleased with an Arikara buffalorawhide shield from about 1850, witha buffalo bull staring out. “It’s a mas-terpiece of Plains Indian visionarypainting,” Torrence said. “It hasbeautiful brushwork.” The museumhas yet to put out a catalog of its new,improved collection. Torrence saidthat would be premature. “The col-lection needs to grow before we doany major publication; this is really afoundation to build on,” he said.“My wish list would include a clas-sic Navajo serape. We’re reallyweak on Eskimo ivory carvings. I’mlooking for a great piece of picto-graphic beadwork. And there’s aparticular Pueblo pot that I have myeye on.” —MCT

Nelson-Atkins museum offers anew look at America’s oldest art

A glowing micaceous jar by New Mexico artist Lonnie Vigil is among the contemporary pottery on display.

Nelson-Atkins Museum ofArt: 45th and Oak streets; 1-816-751-1278 and nelson-atkins.org. Hours are 10 am-4 pm. Wednesday, 10 am-9pm. Thursday and Friday, 10am-5 pm. Saturday and noon-5 pm. Sunday. ClosedMonday and Tuesday.Admission is free. The muse-um has a restaurant, cafe andshop.

Kansas City Convention& Visitors Association: 1-800-767-7700 andvisitkc.com. —MCT

If you go:

An Arikara buffalo rawhide shield from 1850 is a mas-terpiece of Plains Indian visionary painting.

The simple striped blanket from 1850s is a chief’sblanket among the Navajo weavings.

The Chilkat robe on display is unusual in its use ofgreen, red and pink, in addition to the traditional col-ors of white, black and yellow.

A large tray by the Chumash of Southern Californiadates to 1820 and dominates the basketry. —MCTphotos

The impressive basket on display include one by theTlingit of the Pacific Northwest in the new AmericanIndian galleries.

SPECTRUM 39Monday, January 4, 2010

Lifestyle

This Dec 15, 2009 photo shows members of the Muslim Hindu punk band, The Kominas, taking a cigarette break before rehearsing in Wayland, Mass. From left are guitarist Arjun Ray, drummerImran Malik, and guitarist Shahjehan Khan. (Right) Arjun Ray of the Muslim Hindu punk band The Kominas, rehearsing in Wayland, Mass. — AP photos

Artwork from India’s Punjabstate decorates the Ray fam-ily home. A Johann

Sebastian Bach statue sits on apiano. But in the basement-clut-tered with wires, old concert fliersand drawings — 25-year-old ArjunRay is fighting distortion from hiselectric guitar. For this son ofIndian immigrants, trained in clas-sical violin and raised on traditionalPunjab music, getting his threePakistani-American bandmates insync is the goal on this cold NewEngland evening. Their band, TheKominas, is trying to record a punkrock version of the classicBollywood song, “Choli KePeeche” (Behind the Blouse).

“Yeah,” said Shahjehan Khan,26, one of the band’s guitarists,“there are a lot of contradictionsgoing on here.” Deep in the woodsof this colonial town boils a kind ofrevolutionary movement. From thebasement of this middle-class hometucked in the woods west ofBoston, The Kominas have helpedlaunched a small, but growing,South Asian and Middle Easternpunk rock movement that isattracting children of Muslim andHindu immigrants and drawingscorn from some traditionalMuslims who say their political,hard-edged music is “haraam,” orforbidden.

The movement, an anti-estab-lishment subculture borne of reli-giously conservative communities,is the subject of two new films anda hot topic on social-networkingsites. The artists say they are justtrying to reconcile issues such aslife in America, women’s rights andhomosexuality with Islam and oldEast vs. West cultural clashes.“This is one way to deal with myidentity as an Arab-American,” saidMarwan Kamel, the 24-year-oldlead guitarist in Chicago-based Al-Thawra. “With this music, I canexpress this confusion.” The move-ment’s birth is often credited to thenovel “The Taqwacore,” byMichael Muhammad Knight, aRochester, New York-raised writerwho converted to Islam. Knightcoined the book’s title from the

Arabic word “Taqwa,” which meanspiety or God-fearing, and the wordhardcore.

The 2003 book portrayed animagined world of living-on-the-edge Muslim punk rockers andinfluenced real-life South Asians toform their own bands. South Asianand Middle Eastern punk bandssoon were popping up acrossAmerica and communicating witheach other via MySpace. At thetime of book’s release, BasimUsmani and Khan already wereexperimenting with punk and build-ing the foundation for TheKominas, which loosely means“scoundrels” in various SouthAsian languages. When Usmani,now 26, came across the book, hewas writing songs and sporting amohawk-just like the punk rockeron the novel’s cover.

Usmani contacted Knight, whoagreed to buy a bus on eBay for$2,000 to help launch the first“Muslim punk rock tour” in the USin 2007. Kamel, the son of a Syrianfather and Polish mother, bought aone-way ticket to Boston to join thetour, and Canadian drag-queensinger Sena Hussain met up withthem along the way. The musiciansperformed at various venues butwere notably kicked off stage dur-ing an open mic performance at theIslamic Society of North Americaconvention in Chicago. TraditionalMuslims at the convention decriedthe electric guitar-based music asun-Islamic while others were upseta woman dared sing on stage. Theepisode was documented byPakistani-Canadian filmmakerOmar Majeed in his new documen-tary “Taqwacore: The Birth ofPunk Islam.” “These guys are notprophetizing or preaching anythingspecific about Islam,” said Majeed,whose film is set for release in theUnited States later this year.

“They just happen to be youngand Muslim, and they write songsand do art that expresses thatidea.” Imam Talal Eid, executivedirector of the Islamic Institute ofBoston, said some traditionalMuslims may object to such musicbecause they focus on its sexual

attraction rather than its use forspiritual enjoyment. “But I thinkwe can come up with a moderateopinion that distinguished what isforbidden from what is not,” saidEid. “It’s a new issue amongMuslims.” The musical style ofeach group varies. Some songs onThe Kominas’ album “Wild Nightsin Guantanamo Bay” lean towardthe humorous and ironic, including

“Suicide Bomb the Gap.” In their song “Sharia Law in the

USA,” the lyrics mock the portray-al of Islamists: “I am an Islamist/Iam the anti-Christ/most squarescan’t make a most-wanted list/butmy-my how I stay in style.” Theirsound mixes hard-edged punk, skaand funk. Meanwhile, Al-Thawrasings about political events in theMiddle East with songs like “Gaza:Choking on the Smoke of Dreams.”Their music is closer to heavy met-al. Other bands include theWashington, DC-based Sarmustand the Texas group VoteHezbollah. Like most punk groups,bands produce their own albumsand sell them at shows and online.Most band members hold full-timejobs, so tours are sporadic. Usmaniworks full-time at a call center and

writes occasionally for theGuardian newspaper in England.Ray is a medical researcher atHarvard.

The groups have toured sincethat first Taqwacore trip, playing insmall clubs, in basements at partiesand in Hispanic cultural centers.Typically, The Kominas and Al-Thawra say they play in front of 50to 80 people. The bands have

noticed Latino punks getting intotheir music. Al-Thawra recentlypicked up a guitarist from MexicoCity named Mario Salazar. The cov-er of Al-Thawra’s next album willfeature the image of the US -Mexico border fused with Israel’sWest Bank separation barrier. AlanWaters, an anthropology professorat University of Massachusetts-Boston, said it should come as nosurprise that young Muslim andHindu immigrants are expressingthemselves through rock or thattheir music would strike a chordwith other “disenfranchised” popu-lations in the US, such as Latinosand other children of recent immi-grants.

“If they’re touching or singingabout identity, it’s going to make aconnection,” said Waters. “Punk

rock is very American, and this isassimilation through a back door.”He called the bands “a good oppor-tunity for stereotype-smashing.”The Kominas, who sing mostly inEnglish, now are trying to breakthe image they are just a “Muslimpunk band,” especially since one oftheir founders, Ray, is Hindu. Ontheir next album, Ray said the bandwill have songs in Hindi.

Ray’s father, Rahul, said he sup-ports his son’s artistic efforts, evenif he doesn’t fully understand themusic. “It’s just very hard to makea living through music,” said Ray,who is a cancer researcher atBoston University. “But they aregetting attention for some reason.”Usmani said he grew up as a “non-religious” Muslim-American so hisjourney into punk caused few prob-lems, although he admits his familydoesn’t like the drinking and smok-ing that pervade the music scene.

Khan and Kominas drummer ImranMalik, 25, also said they aren’t asobservant as their families mightlike.

“I mean, if you put a sword tous,” said Usmani, “one of us mightpray.” During a recent perform-ance by The Kominas in aCambridge club, Usmani playedguitar while wearing a round-topped hat known as a pakul along

with the traditional lungi, a cloththat South Asian men wrap aroundtheir waists. An Iraqi woman in ahijab bobbed her head to the musicwhile others slammed-danced infront of the stage. At one point,audience members yelled jokinglythat their music was forbidden andplayfully threw shoes at the band-an act usually identified as aninsult among Muslims. The bandsrepresent just another example ofcreative youngsters doing whatAmerican kids have done for gen-erations: forming bands and mak-ing loud music. The fact they areMuslim doesn’t mean there’s somehidden message;

Vote Hezbollah goes so far as todenounce violence on its MySpacepage. Usmani said despite theirobvious ironic messages, he fearsthat his band and others like it willkeep getting “stupid questions”about subjects like Sept 11. For

example, Usami said a reporteronce questioned him on how hefelt about some Muslims being ter-rorists. He responded by askingher how she, as a white person,felt about the African slave trade.“We have people asking us about(stuff) that has nothing to do withchords we want to play,” Usmanisaid while smoking a cigarette. “Orhow loud we want to be.”—AP

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Shahjehan Khan rehearsing.

Drummer Imran Malik and guitarist Basim Usmani ofthe Muslim Hindu punk band The Kominas, rehearsing.

Irish rock star Bono called yes-terday for tougher controls overthe spread of intellectual prop-

erty over the Internet, arguing thatfile swiping and sharing hurt cre-ators of cultural products. “Theonly thing protecting the movie andTV industries from the fate thathas befallen music and indeed thenewspaper business is the size ofthe files,” the lead singer of theband U2 wrote in an op-ed piece inThe New York Times.

He pointed out that “theimmutable laws of bandwidth” indi-cate that technology is just a fewyears from allowing viewers todownload entire movies in just afew seconds. “A decade’s worth ofmusic file-sharing and swiping has

made clear that the people it hurtsare the creators-in this case, theyoung, fledgling songwriters whocan’t live off ticket and T-shirt saleslike the least sympathetic amongus,” Bono noted.

The singer pointed out that theUS effort to stop child pornographyand China’s effort to suppressonline dissent indicate that it is“perfectly possible to track”Internet content. “Perhaps moviemoguls will succeed where musi-cians and their moguls have failedso far, and rally America to defendthe most creative economy in theworld, where music, film, TV andvideo games help to account fornearly four percent of gross domes-tic product,” Bono said. —AFP

Bono calls for control over Internet downloads

In a cafe in this westernCanadian town, a customerorders a soda from his

server. Though both customerand waitress are Chinese, thepair converse easily and com-fortably in English. The wait-ress speaks both Mandarin andCantonese, so she would haveno difficulty understanding theorder in either of China’s mainlanguages.

So why speak in English?“That’s what we speak here,”she said. The interaction is notan anomaly in this town,where nearly half the 188,000residents are of Chinese ori-gin, nor in Vancouver, thenearest city, where some381,500 people-one in five res-idents-are originally fromChina. It is an example of theway the majority of Chineseimmigrants to Canada haveassimilated quickly and easilyinto the country’s population.Immigration from China hasgrown rapidly in recent years,with the number of newcom-ers swelling the Chinese popu-lation in Vancouver by 22.8percent between 1996 and2001, and 11.3 percent from2001 to 2006, according togovernment agency Statistics

Canada.Contrary to popular belief,

economic opportunity is notalways the primary motive forthose who choose to movefrom China to Canada andthose who emigrate may evenseek funds from family backhome rather than sendingremittances.

That was the case forEileen Lao, 43, who leftGuangzhou for Vancouver inFebruary 2007. “Our level ofliving is worse,” she told AFP.“We had no financial problemsin China,” Lao added.

But to buy a house inRichmond, she and her hus-band-an engineer who has onlybeen able to find part-timework-had to borrow moneyfrom family back home. Sowhy cross the ocean andmove? “I wanted to change mylife,” she said, adding thatdespite a few lifestyle changesshe is “quite happy” with hernew life in Canada. Lao hadvisited Canada four timesbefore emigrating with herhusband and their daughterHuang.

The family speaksCantonese at home, butHuang, 17, attends a school

where only English is spoken.Eileen Lao speaks the lan-guage with ease and has a hardtime pinpointing any difficul-ties adapting to life in her newhome. “Mailboxes are green inChina, they are red here,” shesaid finally. “Because of thecolor it took a while before weknew these were mailboxes.”She also acknowledged findingit tough to accept the approachof Canada’s media, which shedeals with in her capacity as apublic relations person forSUCCESS, an NGO that helpsnew immigrants to Canada.

“Media is different here. InChina it is propaganda, promo-tion of things well done. Herethey speak of disasters orhuman rights, look for nega-tive sides,” she said. Despitethe differences, Lao hopes toone day acquire Canadian citi-zenship, expressing a comfortwith her new country that isechoed by many Chineseimmigrants. According to a2002 study by StatisticsCanada, 76 percent of Chineseimmigrants felt stronglyattached to Canada and 58 per-cent said they also stronglyidentified with their own eth-nic and cultural group. —AFP

Canadaʼs Chinese immigrants assimilate quickly, easily

A Chinese-Canadian woman wearing a medical mask cleans thefloor in a downtown Toronto Chinese mall. —AP

www.kuwaittimes.net

Visitors watchKorean tigerpaintings by

South Koreanartist Suh

Gong-im duringher exhibition

celebrating NewYear in Seoul,South Korea,

yesterday. Theyear of 2010 is

the Year of Tigerunder the

12-year Chinesecycle where

each calendaryear is named

after one of the12-key animalsin turn. —AP

Women jump up intheir fluffy orangecotton skirts, wag-

gling their shoulders at menwho are swif t to join thedance, sporting white feathersin their hair and shepherd’scrooks in their hands. Thistribal dance pays tribute to theheroes of the small Konsocommunity, an ethnic groupwhich has lived for 700 yearsin a remote region of south-east Ethiopia 600 kilometers(375 miles) from the capitalAddis Ababa.

The fete was organized tocelebrate the inauguration inDecember of a local museumdedicated to Konso culture,which will above all serve topreserve the Waka, or funeralsteles in carved wood thathave long been placed on thetombs of Konso clan chiefs.These rare carvings have longbeen easy prey for arts traf-fickers and tomb raiders with-out scruples who sell themabroad for a few thousandeuros (dollars) apiece.Ethiopian customs agentshave since 1996 impoundedmore than 200 of the statues,often the size of a man, but nosystem of conservation wasput in place until a Frenchambassador went to theKonso region.

“It was pure chance, I wason my way back with col-leagues from a paleontological

site,” said StephaneGompertz, the former ambas-sador who is now the Africadirector at the French foreignministry. “We visited Konsovillages and from there, wewere taken to see the premis-es of the cultural office andthe police station where theykept the Waka stolen from thetombs and recovered by thecustoms,” he explained.“Konso officials asked us if wecould help them to build amuseum to protect these stat-ues,” Gompertz said, empha-sizing the help that was pro-vided for the project by theMuseum of Primitive Arts onthe Quai Branly in Paris. TheWaka are traditionally placedon the tombs of chiefs or oftribal heroes, recognized fortheir feats of velour in huntingand in war.

“The Waka are made ofvery tough woods like acacia,and can last for 200 years,”said Denote Kusia Shenkri, aKonso elder. “But when theyare taken or rot, then the spir-it of the dead man flies away.It can’t be replaced becausethe Konso believe that youonly die once.” The museumis a vast edifice constructed inthe spirit of the Konso cul-ture, renowned for its fortifi-cations built around villages,its farming terraces and itstukuls, which are round hutswith thatched roofs. “I

thought it mattered to takeinspiration from local tradi-tions so that the Konso thinkof the building as their ownand help in the construction,”said architect Thierry Begat,who conceived the buildingthat took three years to build.

The total budget is 120,000euros (173,000 dollars), withFrance paying two-thirds andthe rest provided by theKonso. Wearing a tall blueturban, Kala GesagnWoldedawit, the traditional

leader of the Konso, is proudof the creation of the muse-um, especially since “there

will be fewer and fewerWaka.” “The Waka are stolen,and thus there are no moreheroes, because there are nowild beasts nor enemies tokill. So this museum is impor-tant for keeping up our oldtraditions and future genera-tions will be able to see theWaka and understand our tra-ditions.”

“Even if the Waka are nolonger in their original place,they can have a strong sym-bolic significance and here

they will be well lookedaf ter,” the chief added.Ethiopia’s junior culture min-

ister, Mahamouda Gaas,stressed that the “museum isonly a first step, since ourgoal is that the Konso culturebe recognized as a world her-itage by UNESCO.”

The Waka museum hasopened at a time whenEthiopia-on an aggressivecampaign to boost tourismfigures-is opening its south tovisitors, like it long has its

north with the Orthodoxchurches carved in the rock atLalibela, the Gondar castlesand the Axoum obelisks.Once seen by the West as a“famine country” thanks tophotos of parched land andemaciated children during adevastating drought in the1980s, the country is slowlyemerging as a favouredAfrican tourist hub like its

more illustrious southernneighbor Kenya.

“In the course of the pastcouple of years, tourists havebegun to combine the visit ofthe historic north of Ethiopiawith a visit to the south,” saidFreddy Hess, who is a touroperator. The authorities areasphalting the roads, but theyhave not reached Konso,which is a 12-hour drive from

Addis Ababa. However, Konsochief Kaka GesagnWoldedawit is optimistic that“tourism brings us lots ofopportunities.” “Trade isdeveloping for our handi-crafts, people are employed inthe hotels and the restau-rants, and even our traditionaldancers perform for thetourists. It encourages theyoung people to stay.” —AFP

A far-off museum to save an Ethiopian tribe’s soulKonso tribes people take part onDecember 18, 2009 in a festivalto celebrate the inauguration of

a local museum dedicated totheir culture. —AFP

Konso tribesmen take part on December 18,2009 in a dance festival. —AFP

Fif ty years af ter hisdeath, the writerAlbert Camus is again

the focus of controversy, asthe lef t accuses FrenchPresident Nicolas Sarkozy oftrying to co-opt a thinkerthey claim as their own.Camus, when he died in aParis car crash on January 4,1960, aged only 46, was one

of the leading literary figuresof his day, having won theNobel Literature Prize in1957. But Sarkozy’s proposalin November to honour himby having his remainsinstalled in the Pantheon, theresting place for Frenchnational heroes, provoked awave of protest from France’sleft.

Many commentatorsargued that Sarkozy was try-ing to exploit the left-wing

philosopher’s legacy for politi-cal gain, and among thoseobjecting was the writer’sson, Jean Camus. His daugh-ter Catherine however object-ed that the critics were them-selves using the memory ofher father for their own ends.“I have seen my father beingtransformed into an anti-Sarkozy missile,” she told

RTL radio.But she did admit she was

surprised that the presidenthad proposed to honor herfather in this way. “Men ofpower do not usually likeCamus,” she said. Born onNovember 7, 1913, in Algeria,Camus came from a verypoor background. But hispotential was quickly spottedby a teacher who encouragedhim to develop his talents. Hepublished his first book at the

age of 24, then moved toParis. When much of Francewas occupied by the Nazisduring World War II, hebecame active in theResistance writing for andediting the undergroundnewspaper Combat.

By the end of the war in1945 Camus had already pub-lished a number of key works,including “The Stranger” and“The Myth of Sisyphus”, bothin 1942. “The Stranger”-alsotitled “The Outsider” in someEnglish editions-became aninternational bestseller. Thestory of a curiously emotion-less man, a white Algerian,who shoots an Arab dead, it istold in the spare and limpidstyle for which Camusbecame known. Camus’s writ-ing, both his fiction and non-fiction, was about the searchfor meaning in life and theneed to revolt.

While associated with theleft, he was nevertheless verymuch his own man intellectu-ally. In 1945, when the UnitedStates dropped an atomicbomb on the Japanese city ofHiroshima, he was one of thefew western intellectuals todenounce it. But unlike manyradical writers of his genera-tion, he also denounced thetotalitarianism of the SovietUnion, clashing bitterly onthis question with Jean-PaulSartre, the other leadingFrench intellectual of the day.For his biographer OlivierTodd, Camus was “ a danger-ous writer”, challenging theideological dogma that the endjustified the means. —AFP

50 years after death, Camus

again at heart of controversy

A file picture taken in 1959. shows Frenchwriter and 1957 Nobel laureate AlbertCamus (1913-1960), reading a newspaper inParis. —AFP

Filipino men dressed in costumes as the Three Kings distribute candies tochildren on the streets of Manila yesterday. —AP

There’s no steeple out front, norows of pews inside, not evenso much as a crucifix on dis-

play. Still, this cramped little art stu-dio in the middle of what, until notvery long ago, was a street with asmany broken dreams as it has pot-holes, is the closest thing to paradiseFather Bill Moore has found. It’s theplace where the 60-year-old Catholicpriest serves God by creatingabstract paintings that he sells by thehundreds. No ordinary preacher,Father Bill, as he’s known through-out Pomona’s fledgling arts district,long ago discarded his clerical collarin favor of a painter’s smock. Only onSundays does he trade it for holyvestments to deliver Mass at a localchurch or one of several detentionfacilities for youthful offenders. Allother times Moore is head of theMinistry of the Arts for the WestCoast branch of his religious order,the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary.His job is to serve God by painting

whatever comes to mind.“That’s Bill’s gift, his talent, and

we have to support that,” saysFather Donal McCarthy, who is theorder’s West Coast provincial andMoore’s superior. “When you’ve gota creative person, you shouldn’t sti-fle that creativity.” Leaders of theorder, founded more than 200 yearsago in France, know of no othermember whose only mission hasbeen to paint. But then Moore, achild of the ‘60s who can quote thewords of Jim Morrison, BruceSpringsteen and Jesus Christ withequal facility, has been a barrier-breaker since he ignored his provin-cial’s order his freshman year of col-lege to study either philosophy ortheology. He majored in art instead.

“The next year, a letter camefrom the provincial saying all the stu-dents are now encouraged to majorin subjects of their choice. I thoughtthat was very cool,” Moore recallswith a smile as he sits in the lobby of

his modest studio sipping coffee. Acopy of underground comic-bookartist R. Crumb’s “The Book ofGenesis” sits on the coffee table andworks by Japanese artist KazumiTanaka (a personal favorite) are dis-played here and there. Since earlychildhood, Moore says, he knew hehad the calling-to be a painter. Thecall to be a priest came later. “I wasdoing little abstract paintings when Iwas a little boy, like around 8, 9 yearsold,” Moore recalls. “My grand-mother would just think they werethe greatest things,” he continueswith a laugh. “The rest of the mem-bers of my family, they were, ahh,kind of more like art critics.” Notthat the art world has been all thatharsh on him. Moore’s works, whichare of ten compared to those ofabstract expressionist Mark Rothko,sell for more than $5,000 apiece, andhe has been the subject of frequentshows at galleries throughout theSouthwest. —AP

Survivor of 1906 SF quake dies at age 107

Jeanette Scola Trapani, one of the oldest survivorsof the 1906 San Francisco earthquake and fire, hasdied at age 107. Dolores Legge told the San

Francisco Chronicle that her mother had been sufferingfrom pneumonia and passed away at her home in ElDorado Hills on Monday. Trapani had clear memories ofthe disaster, even though she was only four years old atthe time, Legge said. “She vividly remembered the ter-rible smell of the smoke from the burning city and howshe and her family had to live in a tent in the Presidio,”Legge said.

The April 18 cataclysmic quake was followed by daysof fire that left much of San Francisco in ruin. Trapaniwas born on San Francisco’s Telegraph Hill on April 21,1902 and she was raised in the city. She marriedVincent Trapani in 1929, and they remained marrieduntil his death in 1996. A funeral Mass will be celebrat-ed at S Vincent de Paul Church. “My mother was mar-ried in that church,” Legge said. “We wanted to bringher back to San Francisco.”—AP

Artist priest finds God in abstract expressionism

Father Bill Moore shows one of hispieces. —AP