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GULF TIMES
In brief
BUSINESS | Qatar

d in

TUESDAY

Vol. XXXII No. 8509

January 17, 2012 Safar 23, 1433 AH

www. gulf-times.com 2 Riyals

Agreement to launch WH Smith bookshops

Al Meera Holding has entered into a franchise agreement with the UK-based WH Smith Travel to foray into bookstores. According to the agreement signed between the two parties, Al Meera Holding has been granted the exclusive rights to establish and operate in Qatar bookstores under the WH Smith brand, using the know-how developed by WH Smith Travel, an Al Meera spokesman said in a statement to the Qatar Exchange.

HMC set to review emergency patient tracking system

HMC says it has conducted an investigation into the circumstances surrounding last Fridays accident at Zubara

BUSINESS | Real estate

Ezdan, Tadawol in property deal

Qatars Ezdan Real Estate Company has begun selling property worth QR1.53bn ($420mn) to Tadawol Holding Group, according to a statement posted on the Qatar Exchange yesterday. The sale will take place in two stages with legal measures related to the transaction to be resolved by the end of this month, the developer said in the statement. Ezdan, which develops malls, residential complexes and schools in Qatar, has a market capitalisation of around QR61bn.

BUSINESS | Investment

QFIB acquires 15% stake in snack maker

Qatar First Investment Bank (QFIB) said yesterday it acquired a 15% stake in Al Rifai International Holding, a manufacturer of nuts and snacks in the Middle East and Europe. The deal is QFIBs first investment in the food and beverage manufacturing industry, the company said in a statement.
Page 31

HH the Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani with Vietnamese President Truong Tan in Hanoi yesterday. The Emir arrived in Hanoi for a two-day state visit to Vietnam after concluding a trip to Sri Lanka. A red -carpet welcome was accorded to the Emir at the Presidential Palace.

SUDAN | Politics

Minister chairs Darfur committee meeting

HE the Deputy Premier and Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs Ahmed bin Abdullah al-Mahmoud returned to Doha yesterday evening from El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur state, Sudan, after he had presided over the second meeting of the Committee assigned to follow up the implementation of the Doha Document for Peace in Darfur (DDPD). Page 14

QPI to invest in Vietnam plant

Reuters Hanoi

he Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) yesterday pledged to review thoroughly the technologies used in locating patients during emergencies following complaints that the delayed arrival of a medical team at an accident site had resulted in the loss of lives. Responding to complaints that the rst ambulance to reach the accident spot was poorly equipped and the others arrived too late, the HMC claried that the delay had occurred because of confusion over the exact location . An official said the corporation, in collaboration with the relevant national agencies, would conduct a thorough review of the technologies used in locating patients during emergencies to ensure that patients received timely care wherever they are in Qatar. According to reports in the Arabic media, three Qatari women died in the road accident at Zubara off the Shamal expressway on Friday (January 13). HMC said it had conducted an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the tragic accident and found that despite the operator being a permanent resident, who is born in Qatar and familiar with the geography of the country, there was still confusion over the exact location of the accident. The emergency and medical response was delayed as a result of this confusion, according to the HMC. The Hamad Medical Corporation

apologised unreservedly for the delay and the distress it had caused to the families affected. Once the location was identied, six ambulances, a supervisor, two critical care paramedics and two senior managers attended the incident and responded in line with the highest international standards of emergency medicine. The Lifeight helicopter was dispatched once it had delivered a patient from another incident to hospital, a spokesperson of the corporation said.

The Lifeflight helicopter was dispatched once it had delivered a patient from another incident to hospital
The relatives of the Qatari women who died in the accident pointed out that in spite of informing the emergency room of the Hamad hospital soon after the incident, the rst ambulance had reached the spot only after one and a half hour and it had only one rst-aid attendant. He could not handle the situation all alone since there were ve injured persons on the ground, they said. Later on four ambulances arrived and helped the injured but they could not save the life of a woman and her children who were struggling for life. Precious lives could have been saved had the rst-aid attendant, who was also the diver of the rst ambulance, known the procedures to be followed in such a situation, said the male relative of the deceased who was following her car. He also admitted that he himself and several other passersby were not aware of the basic rst aid measures to be administered in such incidents.

Apart from those dead, two other Qatari women have sustained serious injuries and are undergoing treatment at the Hamad hospital. One woman suffers from a displacement of her pelvis and internal bleeding in the stomach while the other has had a fracture in her thigh and her jaws. The relatives deplored the fact that in spite of their immediate request for the air ambulance it did not arrive on time. Commenting on the incident, HMCs chief officer for emergency services, Robert Owen, said that the air ambulance was at the very same moment transporting a person seriously injured in Sealine to the Hamad hospital. It was not possible to attend this incident also at the same time. Moreover the air ambulance can transport only one patient at a time . Meanwhile, the editor of a local Arabic daily has called for introduction of more measures to bring down the number of fatal accidents in Qatar. In an open editorial, he mentioned the case of a 30-year-old Qatari youth who died in a fatal crash recently. He was to be married in a few days time. The venue had been xed in a ve-star hotel. Wedding cards had been sent out. He had also decided on which European country to go for the honeymoon and had booked two air tickets to that destination. Everything was set to the last detail. But lo! He was found dead in a pool of blood on an expressway in Doha a few days before the wedding. Referring to this incident, the chief editor of the local Arabic daily, AlArab, said that such tragic accidents occurred regularly here. As many as 15 people have died during the past few days in road accidents in Qatar, he said.

PAKISTAN | Crisis

Court challenges PM on corruption cases

Pakistans Supreme Court yesterday ordered Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani to appear before it for failing to pursue corruption cases against the president and other officials, a sharp escalation in the governments battle for survival. The court threatened the premier with contempt, the latest blow for the civilian administration.
Page 24

atar Petroleum International (QPI) will pick up a 25% stake in the $4bn Long Son petrochemical project in Vietnam, a senior executive of the southeast Asian countrys state oil and gas group Petrovietnam said yesterday. We will establish a joint venture to build the complex, Do Van Hau, Petro vietnam chief executive officer said after signing an investment agreement with QPI officials. Detailed work on the joint venture will start next month, the Hanoi-based groups sources said. The complex will be Vietnams rst fully integrated petrochemical project, consisting of upstream, intermediate and downstream plants, QPI said in a separate statement. The venture is made up of Petrovietnam, Vietnams Vinachem, SCG chem-

icals and Thai Plastics and Chemicals, it said. The announcement came during a visit to Vietnam of HH the Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani. Long Son renery, part of project, 120km southeast of Ho Chi Minh City, would use Middle Eastern crude oil, Petrovietnam has said. HH the Emir and Vietnamese President Truong Tan Sang reviewed joint co-operation and ways to cement them in several elds during official talks at the Presidential Palace in Hanoi yesterday afternoon. The Emir and President Sang later witnessed the signing of a set of agreements and memorandums of understanding between the two countries. Last night, HH the Emir attended a dinner banquet hosted by President Sang. At the banquets beginning, the president said the timing of the Emirs visit would help boost the level of relationship between Vietnam and Qatar. Page 3

PSG, Juventus clash in Al Kass Cup final today

Juventus under-17 captain Michele Somma and his Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) counterpart Hervin Ongenda posing with the Al Kass Cup on the eve of their title clash in Doha yesterday. The two teams will clash in the final of the prestigious event at the Aspire Zone today. The match begins at 5.30pm.

Al Wakrah Hospitals official opening by middle of this year

By Noimot Olayiwola Staff Reporter

he $1bn Al Wakrah Hospital, which was originally scheduled for commissioning in the second quarter of 2011, is expected to be officially open by the middle of this year, the projects assistant executive director, Hanan Sebaie, has told Gulf Times. She said the hospital, which has its buildings spread over 128,000sqm within the 304,000sqm premises, would have over 300 beds in all its six different departments: surgical, medicine, paediatric, neurology, obstetric/ gynaecology and diabetic.

The plan is to see the hospital fully operational by the middle of this year. But some sections, including the outpatient clinics, obstetrics/gynaecology, which runs two clinics, paediatric emergency, ear, nose and throat (ENT) and ophthalmology have already started receiving patients, she said. The laboratories, pharmacy and radiology department are also fully functional. The other sections, she said, would gradually begin offering their services until the official opening with the start of the dental and the dialysis units slated for February and March end respectively. We will be launching the rst stage of the dialysis unit, which contains some

nine stations, at the end of March while an additional nine stations will be added to the unit during its second stage opening, scheduled to take place during the grand opening, Sebaie explained. According to her, the paediatric emergency, which is now functional with its in-patient section having about 15 beds spaces, will be upgraded to 25 when the hospital begins full operations. Pending the official opening, other sections such as the neo-natal intensive care unit will be assisting the only facility at the Womens Hospital by receiving stable patients only for admission by end of next month. We have provided around 10 beds for that purpose and this

will increase to 28 beds later on. She said the Medical unit in-patients, which has 10 beds, would start attending to patients by February while the physiotherapy department would open during the main launch of the hospital. The official, who was condent that it would help reduce pressure on the Hamad General Hospital, said: Our plan is to work with the HMC in order to reduce the overload of patients and Ill like to implore residents in Airport, Wakrah and Wukair as well as Mesaieed areas to avail of the new hospitals services. A feature of the hospital includes the pneumatic tube technology which is ,

used to speed up sending and receiving of documents and specimens through cylindrical containers, via a computercontrolled system, to and from laboratories and nurses stations. The hospital will have 54 pneumatic tubes and its advanced laboratory with eight main sections will be networked through the system. The hospital has separate buildings for womens healthcare and emergency, operation theatres and intensive care units. Each of the three main hospital buildings has six oors with some 321 beds for inpatients and a parking lot for 1,000 cars. There are eight gates for

entry into the hospital premises. The emergency rooms in the trauma section have seven vertical pendants with all the facilities patients will require and the section also has speciallydesigned ceilings with scenery of a blue sky and palm trees to create a pleasant atmosphere and give a psychological boost to the patients. All bed head units of the hospital are equipped with advanced facilities, data systems, a nurse-call system and a power system. These systems have been provided in all 32 patient rooms on each oor of the north and south wings of the hospital. The three hospital buildings have a total of 26 lifts.

Gulf Times Tuesday, January 17, 2012

QATAR

HH the Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani, accompanied by Vietnamese President Truong Tan Sang, meeting ministers and senior officials at the welcome ceremony at the Presidential Palace in Hanoi.

HH the Emir holding talks with Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung.

Qatar, Vietnam seek to expand ties

QNA Hanoi

H the Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani and Vietnamese President Truong Tan Sang held a round of official talks at the Presidential Palace in Hanoi yesterday afternoon. They reviewed joint cooperation and ways to cement them in several elds, the latest regional and international developments and other issues of common concern. The talks were attended by members of the official

delegation accompanying HH the Emir. The Emir and President Sang later witnessed the signing of a set of agreements and memorandums of understanding (MoUs) between the two countries. MoUs were signed by the two countries central banks, by Qatari Diar Real Estate Investment Company and M & C Company, by Qatar Holding and Vietnam State Capital Investment Corporation and on co-operation in education, higher education and scientic research. The two sides also signed an agreement for investment on the Long Son project for Petrochemical

Emir concludes Lanka visit

HH the Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani left Colombo yesterday morning, wrapping up a two-day state visit to Sri Lanka. HH the Emir and his accompanying delegation were seen off upon departure at Bandaranaike International Airport by Sri Lankan Prime Minister Disanayaka Mudiyanselage Jayaratne, several high-ranking officials, Qatars ambassador Saeed Abdullah al-Mansouri and Sri Lankas ambassador to Qatar Manjusri Jayantha Palipane. The Emir sent a cable to President Mahinda Rajapakse in which he expressed thanks and appreciation for the hospitality accorded to him and his accompanying delegation during the visit.

in Vietnam with each of the Petrovietnam company and SCG Chemicals Company of Thailand. Earlier, HH the Emir held talks with Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung. They discussed bilateral relations and ways to develop them in addition to other issues of mutual interest. Members of the delegation accompanying the Emir attended the meeting. HH the Emir also met Vietnamese National Assembly chairman Nguyen Sinh Hung. Relations between the two countries and ways to enhance them in various elds were taken up. The Emir arrived in Hanoi for a two-day state visit to Vietnam after concluding a trip to Sri Lanka. The Emir and the accompanying delegation were welcomed upon arrival at Noi Bai International Airport by Vietnamese Presidency Affairs chief Ngowin Ven Geyan along with a number of senior ofcials, Qatars ambassador to Vietnam, Mohamad Jaber Abdullah as-Sulaiti, and Vietnamese ambassador to Qatar, Li Hong Van. Upon his arrival, the Emir headed to the Presi-

dential Palace where President Sang and a number of ministers and top officials welcomed him. A red -carpet reception ceremony was accorded to the Emir. Upon his arrival, the Emir gave a statement in which he voiced pleasure and expressed in his name and on behalf of the people and Qatar government, sincere greetings and best wishes of progress, welfare and prosperity to the government and people of the friendly Socialist Republic of Vietnam . The statement said: It gives me pleasure to visit Vietnam in reply to the kind invitation of President Truong Tan Sang, and meet with him and senior Vietnamese officials to discuss ties of joint co-operation and hold consultations on regional and international issues of common interest. Im condent that these meetings would give us a great opportunity to promote bonds of friendship and develop co-operation between the two countries in all elds to the welfare and interest of our people. HH the Emir last night attended a dinner banquet hosted by President Sang.

HH the Emir with Vietnamese National Assembly chairman Nguyen Sinh Hung.

HH the Emir and President Sang witnessing the signing of an agreement between Qatar and Vietnam.

HH Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani and President Sang, accompanied by senior officials and ministers, holding official talks at the Presidential Palace in Hanoi.

Council reviews draft law

The Advisory Council yesterday held its weekly regular session under the chairmanship of its speaker HE Mohamed bin Mubarak al-Kholaifi. Council secretary general HE Faded bin Mubarak al-Khayareen read out the agenda which was approved. The council also approved the minutes of the previous meeting. It reviewed a draft law organising the consultancy business services and decided to forward it to the Committee of Financial and Economic Affairs for studying and report back to the council.

Farewell call
HH the Deputy Emir and Heir Apparent Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani met at his Emiri Diwan office with Unesco representative in the Arab States of the Gulf and Yemen and director of the Unesco Office in Doha Dr Hamad bin Saif alHammami on the occasion of the end of his tenure in Qatar. HH the Deputy Emir hailed the efforts made by al-Hammami in enhancing co-operation between Qatar and the Unesco, wishing him all success in his future assignments.

Moussa praises Qatars effective role

Former Arab League secretary general and Egyptian presidential candidate Amr Moussa has said that Qatar has a very active and effective role in supporting Arab issues. When asked about contesting presidential elections and whether he had fears about ending his political life on a low if he didnt win the elections, Moussa said in an exclusive interview with Qatar News Agency (QNA) that he didnt leave Arab League to run for the presidency and that he had already determined to stay in his Arab League post for 10 years and decided to leave two or three years before January 25 Revolution, calling the two events unrelated.

Gulf Times Tuesday, January 17, 2012

QATAR
India call offer for Hala customers
Hala customers can now call India for Dh33 a minute until February 4 as part of a new Qtel offer. Qtel said it is making it easier for customers to say in touch with family and friends this January, with a wide range of offers designed to enable people to talk for longer. The Indian call offer is the latest in a series of special promotions designed to reach out to people throughout the community. Hala customers can also take advantage of the Hala number validity offer, available until February 4. Customers who top up with QR200 or more will receive an extension on credit validity for their number, which means they can keep talking through 2012 with peace of mind that their line will remain valid for a whole year. This is in addition to a 30% extra credit, Qtel said.

Qatar has over 3,300 doctorate holders: QSA

n the countrys economically active population of 1.27mn (15 years or more), more than 3% (41,637 people) are classied as illiterate, according to the Qatar Statistics Authority (QSA). The QSA said there are 4,234 females and 37,404 males among the countrys illiterates. Another interesting revelation is that only 384 Qatari nationals are illiterate. It effectively means more than 99% (41,253) of the illiterates are non-Qataris. Of the Qatari illiterates, 48 are women. The QSA survey said there are 331,020 people in the countrys economically active population who could just read and write but did not complete even the primary level education. Among them are 1,807 Qataris. In this group, 44,752 (13.5%) are women. The QSA studies reported that the countrys above-15 age-group has 255,630 (20%) people, who have studied only up to the primary level. The number of secondary graduates in the country is given as 241,660 (19%). Of them 26,853 are Qatari nationals, it said. The number of the countrys university graduates is 177,881 (almost 14%), of which 39,070 are women, the report said. The studies found that the country has 11,524 postgraduates, of which 2,196 are women. The number of Qatari postgraduates is 1,237. Among the whole group of postgraduates, the women constituted 19% and signicantly Qataris constitute 10.7%. Another interesting nding is the presence of 3,317 doctorate holders in the country, of which 578 (17.4%) are Qataris. Among the nationals, there are 340 women (58.8%), who have taken doctorates in different disciplines. Similarly, the QSA study has found that 74,680 members of the economically active population are Qataris. This comes to nearly 5.88% of the grand total. Among the nationals in the economically active group, males are ahead of their women counterparts, with a share of over 66.20% or almost two-third of the whole group. However, when it comes to the numbers of the total university graduates, both men and women are more or less evenly balanced.

PM confers with Omani minister

HE the Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jabor al-Thani yesterday met with Omani Minister in charge of Foreign Affairs Yusuf bin Alawi bin Abdullah. They discussed cooperation between the two countries and regional and international issues. Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim hosted a luncheon banquet in honour of the Omani minister and the delegation accompanying him.

Admissions portfolio review at VCUQatar

he Virginia Commonwealth University in Qatar has announced four sessions of admissions portfolio review, feedback and advice for high school students wishing to applying for a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree in Fashion, Graphic, Interior Design or Painting and Printmaking. The portfolio is an important aspect of the VCUQatar application process, the university said. Prospective students are required to present a portfolio of their best work that demonstrates their strengths, interests and individual growth. During the admissions portfolio review sessions, the faculty will look at the students portfolios, give them feedback on the quality and range of their work, help identify areas that need improvement and also give valu-

able advice about the types of items that should be included in a strong portfolio. Two Portfolio Crit sessions start on January 22 and will be held on Sundays and Tuesdays between 5 and 7pm. Two sessions start on January 23 and will be held on Mondays and Wednesdays between 5 and 7pm. Each Portfolio Crit session will entail four classes with sessions concluding on January 31 and February 1 respectively. Seats are approximately QR400 per session and can only be reserved with full payment. All sessions are open to both women and men and are taught in English at the VCUQatar campus located within Education City. All sessions will be held by VCUQatar faculty and the proceeds are donated to the VCU-

Qatar scholarship fund. Details are available on http://www.qatar.vcu.edu/ events/2012-portfolio-critsessions/ VCUQatar admissions personnel will be available to provide details about scholarship opportunities and the interest-free loans available from the Qatar Foundation nancial aid office. VCUQatar is also offering the two best applicants full fouryear HH Sheikha Moza bint Nasser Scholarships for Creativity to attend the university. The deadline for VCUQatars Bachelor of Fine Arts applications is March 1. For more information contact Rodney Hall, director of Admissions at VCUQatar on 4402 0522 or email: vcuqadmissions@qatar.vcu.edu or visit www.qatar.vcu.edu.

Gulf Times Tuesday, January 17, 2012

QATAR
New Kahramaa appointments
Khamis Ahmed al-Mohannadi has been appointed corporate services director at the Qatar General Electricity and Water Corporation (Kahramaa). His appointment is in line with the Emiri Decree 45/2009/ Kahramaa, according to a statement issued by Kahramaa president Essa Hilal al-Kuwari. A number of departments are attached to the corporate services directorate, the statement said. These include human resources, IT, and general services among others. Sheikha Shaikha bint Jassim al-Thani is named Kahramaas new HR manager.

Khamis Ahmed al-Mohannadi

Mike al-Mefleh: showcasing the BlackBerry range.

Competitive Qatar tariff seen fuelling BlackBerry growth

By Pratap John Chief Business Reporter

lackBerry maker Research In Motion (RIM) is optimistic of further growth in Qatar with competitive tariffs being offered for the smartphone service by its partners Qtel and Vodafone. According to RIM Middle East director (product management, services and platforms) Mike al-Meeh, the BlackBerry tariff in Qatar is one of the lowest in the region . Highlighting the popularity of BlackBerry services in Qatar, alMeeh said the BlackBerry Messenger (BBM) is immensely popular in the country with 98% penetration among BlackBerry users. This rate is one of the highest in the world, al-Meeh said yester day.

BlackBerry Messenger also tops the 10 popular Apps downloading in Qatar, al-Meeh said. BlackBerry Messenger (BBM) is a proprietary Internet-based instant messenger application included on BlackBerry devices, which allows messaging between BlackBerry users. Al-Meeh said sharing information and content among BlackBerry users would become easier with near eld communication-enabled (NFC) BlackBerry smartphones that were now available in Qatar. He also showcased the recently announced BlackBerry 7.1 OS, the new BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.0 and updates to BlackBerry Messenger. The new BlackBerry 7.1 OS will further enhance the mobile experience and make life easier, from managing daily tasks to planning

big adventures with capabilities such as BlackBerry Tag, a mobile Wi-Fi hotspot, BBM 6.1 and connected apps. With BlackBerry 7.1, users will now be able to share information and content by simply tapping their NFC-enabled BlackBerry smartphone against another NFC-enabled BlackBerry smartphone. They can instantly invite a friend to BBM, exchange contact information, documents, URLs, photos and other multimedia content. Other BlackBerry 7.1 capabilities demonstrated by al-Meeh are; Wi-Fi hotspot - users can now turn their BlackBerry smartphone into a mobile hotspot that can be shared by up to ve Wi-Fi -enabled devices, including laptops and tablets. FM radio - customers with a BlackBerry Curve 9360 or 9380

smartphone will be able to tune in and enjoy local FM radio stations. BlackBerry 7.1 also supports the latest version of the BBM instant messaging service, BBM 6.1. Additional features will allow users to personalise their experience even more with support for animated avatars, a dozen new and fun emoticons to spice up conversations, and the ability to customise chat bubbles with different colours. In addition, the new BBM app allows users to add customised personal messages of up to 160 characters in their online prole, more than double the length supported in previous versions. New features of the BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.0 were also demonstrated, designed to enable customers to stay even more connected and productive in their personal and professional lives.

Gulf Times Tuesday, January 17, 2012

QATAR

Book on Qatars wildlife launched

By Noimot Olayiwola Staff Reporter

Al-Attiyah meets envoys

book authored by a Qatari about Qatars wildlife, covering mammals, birds and reptiles found on the mainland and the seas surrounding the country, has been launched by the Minister of Culture, Arts and Heritage HE Dr Hamad bin Abdulaziz alKuwari at the Friends of the Environment Centre. The 167-page Introduction to Qatar Fauna book written by Mohamed Jasim al-Abduljabbar, and whose scientic editor is Frances Gillespie, was translated into English from an earlier Arabic version. The English edition was sponsored by the Department of Cultural Research and Studies at the Ministry of Culture, Arts and Heritage. The book contains photos and illustrations of different types of birds, mammals and reptiles in Qatar, some of which were being threatened by extinction including birds of gardens, parks and farmland; birds of coastal areas and freshwater lagoons; and birds of desert and arid plains. It also features in detail mammals and reptiles in the marine and terrestrial worlds. Speaking at the book launch held at the FECs Green Tent, HE al-Kuwari said it was one of the many efforts aimed at preserving

the Qatari identity while at the same time trying to open and welcome other cultures. We cherish our culture, which is why we always support any attempt aimed in that regard and I believe this book will be a reference for environmental library and a useful resource for all English speakers in the country, who wish to know more about Qatars animals, birds and reptiles as the book contains very accurate scientic details, the minister said. The author, al-Abduljabbar, who is wheel-chair bound because of multiple sclerosis, said it took him three years to compile the book. Long before my illness, I used to go to the desert to observe nature and especially to see the types of animals and birds we have here. About some three years ago, I began collating my ndings into a book. I really thank God for the success launch of this book, al-Abduljabbar, who got married recently, told Gulf Times. He also thanked HH the Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani and HH the Heir Apparent Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, HE al-Kuwari, the ministrys secretary general as well as the FECs chairman Dr Saif al-Hajri and Cultural Research and Studies department director Dr Bashir Marzooq bin Marzook for their support and encourage while putting the book together.

HE the Chairman of the Administrative Control and Transparency Authority Abdullah bin Hamad al-Attiyah yesterday conferred separately with Lebanese ambassador Hassan Saad and Singaporean charge daffaires Sayyed Noureddin.

HE al-Kuwari and al-Abduljabbar display the book during the launch as Dr al-Hajri and a guest look on.

Barwa appoints new communications chief

Barwa Real Estate has appointed Hamad Rashid Sadoun al-Kuwari as the new communications director. Abdulla Abdulaziz al-Subaie, Barwa Chief Executive Officer said: We are delighted with the appointment of al-Kuwari, which reflects our strategy of bringing executives of the highest calibre to drive Barwas business plans forward. This appointment comes at an important time following the recent launch of our new corporate strategy and five-year plan and will work to further strengthen the Barwa Group and ensure our continued success. Al-Kuwari was previously employed as a consultant at the office of the president of Public Works Authority (Ashghal). He had also served as Director of PR at Ashghal and Head of Public Relations at Kahramaa. Al-Kuwari has also held the role of Vice-Chairman of the Committee of Rationalising the Consumption of Water and Electricity and PR consultant for the former Ministry of Water and Electricity, among others. He continues to hold the role of vice chairman of the Gulf Water Conference; Water Science and Technology Association. Al-Kuwari said: I am honoured to join Barwa Group and look forward to further supporting the company on its continual path to achieve high professional performance and success in the coming years. Almost 50% of employees at Barwa Real Estate are Qataris and the company said it continues to demonstrate its dedication towards developing its national staff base.

Gulf Times Tuesday, January 17, 2012

QATAR

Qatar Academy tops in schools debating league

Panelists at the recent Doha Debates held at Bosphorus University, where an audience voted that the Turkish political model should not be followed by young Arab democracies. DPS Modern Indian School and the Amna Bint Wahab Independent Secondary School for girls finished second and third respectively ore than 120 students from 22 schools recently participated in the third Qatar Schools Debating League, organised by QatarDebate and hosted at the Tareq Bin Ziyad Independent Secondary School for boys. Qatar Academys team nished rst in the competition, followed by DPS Modern Indian School and the Amna Bint Wahab Independent Secondary School for Girls in second and third respectively. Member of Team Qatar 2011, Yousif Fakhroo welcomed the students to the event, and provided them with advice and a number of debating tips, stating that comprehensive preparation is the most important aspect of a debate. The tournament centred around four motions: This House Believes (THB) that newly democratised Arab nations should not allow religious parties to participate in elections, THB that developing nations should place limits on migration from the countryside into cities, This House would punish parents who smoke in the home, and This House would ban the trade and sale of animal fur. The award for best speaker was presented to Doha Colleges Mustafa el-Mumin, with Jonathan Coutinho, Abdullah al-Shackarchi, P Vainatheya, Shima Abdulla, Paul Illori, Leen Walid, Anton Paulson, Wessam Kanes and Vane Swetah comprising the top ten individuals of the day. Head of the English programme at QatarDebate, Kelley

Turkey a bad model for new Arab states

merging Arab democracies were warned not to follow the example set by the Turkish political system by the audience at the latest Doha Debates, with 59% of viewers supporting the motion that This House believes Turkey is a bad model for the new Arab states. The debate was held at Bosphorus University, and produced a sustained attack on Ankaras record on human rights and media freedom. Award winning journalist and author, Ece Temelkuran, who was recently dismissed from her newspaper for a series

of campaign reports, drew huge support from the audience as she referred to an example of the governments crackdown on critics. Arabs should talk to Arabs about which model is best for them, she said, arguing they should hear their own voices. Turkey cannot be a model because Arabs already have enough problems. Senior Transatlantic Fellow for Middle East, North Africa and the Islamic World at the German Marshall Fund, Hassan Mneimneh said Arabs should learn from other models of good governance around the world. Beware of the use of the Turkish model as a cover for the insertion of Islamism into positions of power where the Islamists would be really entrenched in the Arab world, he warned. Speaking against the motion were former Turkish diplomat Sinan Ulgen and award-winning Moroccan journalist and co-editor of the news website, lakome. com, Aboubakr Jamai. Both opponents suggested that while there are problems associated with the Turkish model, it is a work in progress and offers an example to Arab countries in political turmoil. This is a workable model for us because I do believe that Islamism can evolve in our countries and because our population relate to this model, said Jamai. Ulgen said that for reasons associated to geographic proximity, culture, religion and tradition, the Turkish model should work for the Arab world, particularly in Tunisia, Morocco and Egypt. More lightheartedly, he also referred to the success of Turkish soap operas in Arab countries, saying that tells us something about Turkey in the Arab world.

A participant in the third Qatar Schools Debating League, which was won by Qatar Academy last weekend. Bieringer expressed her pleasure at the success of the league and the introduction of a number of new schools to debating. Officials from host school, Tareq Bin Ziyad Independent Secondary School for boys said they were pleased to host the event, and explained that most of their students have been learning about debating, highlighting the positive impact that it has had on their schoolwork. The school is very concerned about the art of debate and believes in its great importance for the educational process, they said, expressing their commitment to support future activities organised by QatarDebate. Some 63 judges took part in the tournament, including Khalid al-Khulai, who highlighted the impact of debate on students educational, practical and personal lives. He said: The most important characteristic of the third league is signicant participation by schools students, pointing out that the level of the participants is in continuous progress and improving the great efforts of QatarDebate Centre. Students, Mariam al-Manaai and Leen Walid expressed their happiness at the strong performance of their Amna Bint Wahab team in the competition, noting that participating in debating has helped improve their studies. Fellow student Nada Nabil said: The debates give students a space to be creative, and grow their minds in order to be updated with the education revolution through the development of the art of debate culture and dialogue, and to accept others opinions and to listen to others. The schools which participated in the competition included the Al Arqam Academy, Al Resala ISSG, Al Wakra ISSB, Ali Bin Jassim ISSB, Al Sailiyyah ISSG, Amna Bint Wahab ISSG, Arwa Bint Abdul Muttalib ISSG, Birla Public School, Cambridge International School for Girls, Doha College, DPS-Modern Indian School, Khalifa ISSB, MES Indian School , Mosab Bin Omair ISSB, Omar Bin Abdul Aziz ISSB, Omar Bin Khattab ISSB, Park House, Pakistan Education Centre, Qatar Academy, Rabaa Al Adawiya ISSG, Rauda Bint Jassim ISSG and Tareq Bin Ziyad ISSB.

Gulf Times Tuesday, January 17, 2012

QATAR
Pak forum donation for Turkey victims

Pakistan Welfare Forum (PWF)- Qatar has donated QR25,000 in support of earthquake victims in Southern Turkey. The cheque was handed over to Turkish Ambassador H Emre Yunt by a three-member delegation of Pakistan Welfare Forum (PWF) led by its president M Israr Malazai, founder executive members Mohammed Idrees Anwar and Mohammed Khan. The Turkish ambassador thanked the PWF for the timely help.

Doha to host Connect Arab Summit in March

oha will play host to Connect Arab Summit 2012 from March 5 to 7. Being held under the theme Connecting the unconnected by 2015 the summit is organised by the International Telecommunication Union in partnership with the League of Arab States (LAS). To be hosted by ictQATAR, the event is expected to be attended by dignitaries from around the region. The objective of the summit is to mobilise the hu-

man, nancial and technical resources required to close information and communication technology gaps in the region, a news item on the ITU website said.

The summit is part of ITUs Connect the World Series, an initiative aimed at connecting the unconnected by the year 2015
The summit is part of ITUs Connect the World Series, an initiative aimed at connecting the uncon-

nected by the year 2015. The summit relies on a summit preparatory process, run hand in hand by LAS and ITU. The summit offers a venue for leaders from the public and private sectors as well as international and regional nancing and development agencies to network face-to-face and forge new partnerships. It is preceded by a preparatory process during which ICT development projects and project holders are identied, as well as partners and

donors willing to contribute to the implementation of the selected projects, with a view to enhance the deployment of ICT networks, applications and services within the region. The summit features discussion panels and roundtables focusing on the challenges posed to emerging and transition economies in harnessing the full potential of ICTs. Bold decisions and commitments will be announced on multi-stakeholder partnerships to meet these challenges.

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Gulf Times Tuesday, January 17, 2012

QATAR

Forum urges Arab strategy to ght human trafficking

By Ayman Adly Staff Reporter

Charity seeks support for Syrian, Yemeni children

atar Charity has recently organised a number of lectures and presentations at independent schools throughout the country to highlight the suffering of people caught up in the violence in Yemen and Syria. The project aims to teach students about the humanitarian issues in the region, and encourages them to support the charitys Sham and Yemen Relief campaign. Jassim Bin Salem, executive director for international development at QC, headed a delegation who visited the Doha Independent Secondary School to launch the campaign. Mohammed Saif, director of QCs media department, stated: Carrying out these activities in schools for the benet of the campaign launched by QC to relieve Sham and Yemen is a continuation of the humanitarian and relief efforts made by QC to alleviate the suffering and pain of Sham and Yemen children enduring difficult humanitarian conditions which call for urgent intervention. In addition, the campaign aims to enhance community voluntary work, disseminate its

comprehensive strategy with shared and solid legal foundations between the Arab countries should be implemented to combat human trafficking, experts said at the second Doha Forum for Combating Human Trafficking which opened yesterday. Dr Ali bin Fetais al-Marri, Attorney-General of Qatar, stressed that human trafficking is a heinous crime that requires co-operation from multiple entities to combat it. He said that Qatar was rst in the region to adopt the anti- human trafficking law and has enacted legislation making it a crime punishable with severe penalties. However, this crime is not a phenomenon in Qatar and it rarely existed so far. In the worst case scenario, Qatar may be a spot for transit of human trafcking and the authorities deal with such cases strictly. Al-Marri pointed out that the experiences of others in the eld should be incorporated to achieve better law enforcement. The forum has gained its great importance as it integrates and enhances a series of efforts and procedures, that began following the announcement of the Arab Initiative for building national capacities for combating human trafficking in the Arab states through the Doha Con, stitutive Forum held in March 2010, said Dr Abdullah al-Mal, chairman of Qatar Foundation for Combating Human Trafficking (QFCHT). This Forum shall be dedicated for the launch of the initiative, execute its plans, identify required scientic and practical actions, and on-the-ground monitoring. A co-operation agreement has already been signed with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UN-

Qatar Charity volunteers participating in the Sham and Yemen Relief campaign. culture and instill the values of voluntary work in students. This includes preparing generations to believe in the importance of voluntary work in serving and developing the community, he added. Bin Salem met over 200 students during his visit, and addressed the school, explaining that students in both countries are in dire need of food, medicine and shelter. Other QC officials visited various schools to discuss the difficult humanitarian situations arising in both countries, and to garner support for their campaign by sending letters to parents. The letter to parents seeks their consent to contribute to the fundraising campaign to help alleviate the suffering of thousands of Syrians and Yemeni children and their families, displaced from their homes and land and living in miserable conditions, said a spokesperson.

Al-Marri addressing the forum yesterday. ODC), which alongside the Arab League shall be active partners in the implementation of the initiatives project, he said. Al-Mal added that Qatar is keen to actively participate in the international and regional efforts that aim at combating human trafficking so as to enforce the humanitarian principles and values that have been stated upon in the Qatar Constitution. Mohamed Radwan bin Khadra, legal adviser to the Secretary General and head of the Legal Department at the League of Arab States, said: The Arab region, given its strategic location, has been subject to illegal activities such as human trafficking. Organised crime gangs have expanded their range to hunt new victims and to explore new markets for their activities which reached some Arab areas, especially after a fall in possibilities for legal immigration to Western countries. The growing poverty caused by the global nancial crisis, as well as the unstable economic and security conditions in some Arab countries currently, have made their citizens, especially children and women, more vulnerable to trafficking. The League of Arab States, believing in the seriousness of the crimes of human trafficking and their repercussions, has intensied its efforts at all levels and participated actively in all stages of the preparation of the United Nations Protocol to prevent, suppress and punish trafcking in persons, especially women and children, and also participated in many international forums on combating human trafficking, he added. Khadra said: We must always bear in mind that combating human trafficking in the Arab region cannot succeed in the absence of a comprehensive Arab system based on co-operation and active partnership among all actors in this area. And the Arab Initiative adopted and sponsored by Qatar is a good example of this Arab co-operation. The UNODC representative and head of office for GCC countries stressed that common and shared legal foundations should be adopted to maintain severe penalties for the traffickers and protect the vulnerable. The Forum, jointly organised by QFCHT, the Arab League and UNODC concludes today.

St Regis Doha accepts rst bookings S

cheduled to debut on February 28, The St Regis Doha is now accepting reservations for a relaxing weekend, a business meeting or a stylish wedding . The St. Regis Doha marks the debut of the St. Regis brand in Qatar, and is set to become the premier business and leisure hotel in the country. We have been building up to this moment for three years and it is with a lot of excitement that we received our rst booking this morning, said Tareq Derbas, general manager, St Regis Doha. We look forward to welcoming our rst guests and to start building the reputation of the hotel as the nest address in Doha, he said. The St. Regis Doha will offer some 336 luxurious guest rooms including 70 suites all offering sea views. The hotel is geared to set new standards in service and luxury in Qatar with the legendary St. Regis butler service provided to all guests. The hotel features 10 restaurants and lounges from international ne dining venues to Jazz

The St Regis Doha at Lincoln Centre Doha, the rst jazz club in Doha to offer daily live jazz music. The hotel also offers 4,000 square metres of meeting space, a Remde Spa, an Olympic swimming pool and seafront cabanas with private Jacuzzis. People in Qatar and luxury enthusiasts from across the region can now reserve the rst taste of The St. Regis Doha lifestyle.

Right: A luxury room at The St Regis Doha.

DHL steps in to help in relief effort for Philippine victims

DHL Express, a worldwide express company, has ensured that donations made by people in Qatar for the displaced Philippine communities of Cagayan de Oro City and Illigan City will arrive safely and quickly to the region. DHL Express stepped in to assist in the relief efforts organised by the Qatar based Red Carpet Events Management Company to ship used and new clothing, shoes, bags, toys and baby items. The Philippines was hit by typhoon Sendong in December, just before Christmas and many families lost everything, said Mohamed Harris, chief executive officer of Red Carpet Qatar. Partnering with the Red Crescent was our simple way of reaching out and doing our part for those in need, he said. Red Carpet Management contacted DHL Express and the logistics company accepted their role in transport. Gail Pantig, HR manager, DHL Express Qatar, said: We are very happy to take part in a humanitarian effort such as this and will continue to make positive contributions to the society and environment we live in. This will remain one of our priorities and we will continue to work closely with a number local and global charitable organistions, he said. DHL Express has been in the regions logistics industry for over the last 31 years.

Qtel contest winners receive prizes

tel has awarded the prizes in its SSM and Win competition, which provided a special incentive for customers to use its nationwide network of self-service machines (SSM). The competition, which ran from November to early January, saw every customer who used a Qtel SSM being entered into a special prize draw to win one of 20 monthly prizes. In the nal prize-giving ceremony, customers from across Qatar gathered at the Qtel headquarters to receive a selection of exciting prizes, awarded by Qtels customer services team. With the largest network of SSMs in Qatar more than 200 and growing Qtel made it easy for customers to ac-

Business group to open luxury boutique hotel

atar-based Al Jassim Group, a leading diversied business group in the country, has partnered with the Rezidor Hotel Group to launch international luxury boutique hotel, Missoni, Doha. The luxury lifestyle hotel will be exclusively designed by Rosita Missoni and feature approximately 200 rooms and site and 70 serviced apartments. It is scheduled to welcome rst guests in late 2015. With more than 30 years experience in the property development and leasing industry, Al Jassim group identied the hospitality sector as one capable of leveraging its existing real estate expertise to enhance economic growth in line with the potential of Qatar, a

Winners of SSM and Win competition with Qtel executives at the Qtel Tower. cess and pay bills for instant credit into their accounts. The SSMs are available round-the-clock, Qtel said. Self-service machines are an easy option for topping up Hala accounts, prepaid mobile broadband, Ebhar internal vouchers, Qcard for landline and payphones, and Dawali vouchers for international calling and most recently added Kahrama bill payments for customer convenience. Shahry customers can pay their Shahry account, mobile broadband, residential xed line or Mozaic TV bills instantly. The national SSM network also supports the companys environmental initiative, which aims to support a greener, cleaner Qatar. By reducing the number of paper-based transactions, Qtel SSMs are helping to reduce the amount of litter and wasted resources, Qtel said.

key factor in the decision to bring Hotel Missoni to Doha. Hotel Missoni has been borne out of a co-operation between the Italian fashion house Missoni and Rezidor. Hotel Missoni is a fashionable destination for travellers seeking Italian chic, style and authenticity combined with all luxury services and standards of a contemporary international hotel. Each Missoni Hotel is unique in its design, reecting the local style and culture, a release said. Hotel Missoni Dohas serviced apartments will have one, two or three bedrooms. The extensive food and beverage outlets will comprise Hotel Missonis signature restaurant The hotel will be built along the C Ring Road.

Gulf Times Tuesday, January 17, 2012

11

QATAR

New Porsche Carrera makes regional debut

By Bonnie James Deputy News Editor

Fleck, Mauer and Wills with the new Porsche 911 Carrera. pelkupplungsgetriebe (PDK), Fleck said. The new electro-mechanical power steering offers even better precision and response, while increasing efficiency and reducing general fuel consumption. The 350hp, 3.4-litre boxer engine on the 911 Carrera consumes 8.2 litres of fuel per 100km, which is 16% less over its predecessor. With an emission level of 194 g/km CO2, it is the rst Porsche sports car to make it below the 200 g/km mark, Fleck added. The Carrera S, featuring a 3.8-litre boxer engine, produces 400hp and accelerates from zero to 100kph (0 to 60mph) in 4.3 seconds. Pressing the Sport Plus button on the optional Sport Chrono package cuts that to 4.1 seconds. Porsche Dynamic Chassis Control is now available in the Carrera S and Porsche Torque Vectoring makes its debut in the 911 Carrera S as standard. The all-new, lightweight body is an aluminium-steel construction, providing an overall weight reduction of up to 45kg, and greater rigidity. Aerodynamic optimisation measures, including a wider, variably extending rear spoiler, results in further reducing the lift of the new 911 Carrera. We have created a completely new interior based on cues from the Porsche Carrera GT with the new upward inclined centre console, Mauer said. Porsche Middle East and Africa sold 7,949 cars in 2011, a 16.2% increase over 2010. The model mix comprised 61% Cayenne and 24% Panamera, with the rest taken up by sports cars.

he new Porsche 911 Carrera, described by the German luxury carmaker as the best ever version of the iconic sports car with a history spanning almost ve decades, has made its Middle East and Africa media debut. We have more than 600 preorders for the new 911 Carrera, Porsche Middle East and Africa managing director George Wills told a select group of journalists

at the event held in Abu Dhabi. The 911 Carrera is the redenition of what a sports car should be. The rst deliveries of the new 911 Carrera and Carrera S Coup, which had their international debut at the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show, is set to start on February 11 for left-hand drive markets and March 10 for right-hand drive markets. Pointing out that the 911 has been a design icon since its debut in 1963, Porsches head of design Michael Mauer said that it is the core product of the automaker.

A combination of increased wheel size, 100mm extension of wheel base and a lower roof line gives the car a much more sporty appearance, he said. The new 911 sits lower to the ground and offers even better handling dynamics. No fewer than 90% of all components are either new or have been fundamentally revised, explained Porsche Middle East and Africa volume and sales planning manager Steffen Fleck. The aim of building the best 911 ever has been fullled, he said, while referring to the new

lap time of just seven minutes 40 seconds on the famous Nrburgrings Nordschleife circuit 14 seconds faster than the previous model. Boasting of a top speed of 289kph for the standard version, the new 911 Carrera is the rst passenger car in the world to feature seven-speed manual transmission. It is also the rst sports car equipped with an auto start/ stop function, electro-mechanical power steering and a new coasting function in vehicles , equipped with the Porsche Dop-

Panamera GTS making an entrance at Qatar show

orsche is all set to cause a stir at the Qatar Motor Show next week with the regional launch of the Panamera Gran Tourismo Sport (GTS), the sportiest Panamera thus far. With pre-orders already on the books, this vehicle is available to buy from March. The Qatar Motor Show is open to the public from January 25 to 28 at the Doha Exhibition Centre. January 23 and 24 are for press, VIPs and trade professionals.

Porsche Panamera GTS The GTS badge is a promise that the vehicle is extra special and a link to Porsches extraordinary historical performance, said Porsche Middle East and

Africa managing director George Wills. The sportiest Panamera ever built delivers race track performance and practicality, with a striking engine sound that turns heads. More power and upgraded brakes, a body lowered by 10mm and a highly-tuned sports chassis, with air suspension and Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM), make the Panamera GTS more distinctive.

Powered by a modied 4.8-litre naturally aspirated V8 engine, the Panamera delivers 430hp at 6,700rpm and maximum torque is increased from 500 Nm to 520 Nm. Porsche Doppelkupplungsgetriebe (PDK) the marques unique dual clutch system transmits engine output to the all-wheel drive through the Sport Chrono package featured as standard. The Panamera GTS leaps to

100kph in under 4.5 seconds, with a top speed of 288kph. With a New European Driving Cycle fuel consumption of 10.9 litres per 100km only 10.7 litres per 100km with low-friction tyres the Panamera GTS is also fuel efficient. Wills adds: The new Panamera GTS ticks all the boxes of what we at Porsche want to achieve. This is a beautiful, fast, sports car which offers great stability, an incredibly smooth drive

and all the efficiency our discerning clientele has come to expect from Porsche. Adaptive air suspension and PASM featured as standard connect the chassis and body, constantly adapting to the driving challenges by regulating levelling settings, adjusting height and spring rate; as well as electrically regulating the damping system. The damping is designed to be more taut than previous Pan-

amera models; which aids agility and further reinforces the new Gran Turismos sporty personality. Five millimetre thick wheel spacers between the wheel and the wheel carriers increase the rear axle track width, giving the Panamera an even more stable ride. Porsche will also be showcasing its recently-revealed 911 Carrera S Coupe and Cabriolet at the Qatar Motor Show.

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Gulf Times Tuesday, January 17, 2012

REGION

Iranians hail lms triumph at Golden Globes

AFP Tehran

Iranian director Asghar Farhadi (left) and actor Peyman Moaadi pose with the Golden Globe award for Best Foreign Language Film for A Separation in Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, on Sunday.

ranians reacted with pride yesterday after an Iranian lm, A Separation, won a major US prizea triumph on the international stage that, for a moment, eclipsed geopolitical tensions. Its victory at Hollywoods Golden Globes, where director Asghar Farhadi picked up the award for best foreign-language movie from pop star Madonna late Sunday, lit up Iranians messages on online social networks. This award is the cause of

pride for all Iranians all over the world, said one Facebook user, Iman, 29. OMG...! I still cant believe that Farhadi got the Globe from Madonna! Now I really envy him. Congratulations to everyone! said another, Mehrdad, 33. Few Iranian media carried reports on the win yesterday, mainly because the Golden Globes took place well after newspaper deadlines. A Separation is Irans official entry for the Oscars next month, where another trophyalready tipped by many of the worlds leading lm criticswould be a cultural coup for this country at a

time it is facing an intense Western campaign to isolate it politically. Irans government initially slapped a ban on the movie as it was being made because Farhadi voiced support for fellow lmmakers labelled by authorities as anti-regime . But, following an apology from Farhadi that permitted A Separation to be completed, Tehran has come to embrace the movie, strengthening support for it as it picked up award after award in international festivals. The lm recounts the story of a couple estranged because of differences over whether to leave

Iran, who become embroiled in a nasty dispute with a domestic worker. The tale builds smartly to become an engrossing look at the societal pressures ensnaring all the protagonists as they navigate a mineeld of lies. A Separation is seen to be a frontrunner for the best foreignlanguage Oscar at the US Academy Awards on February 26, with critics raving about its humanity and its sharp portrayal of the Iran that exists beyond the grim news headlines. The attention it is earning, though, is also bringing into focus the trials of the overall Iranian lm industry, which has become

increasingly restricted in the past three years, since the disputed 2009 re-election of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Authorities in Iran this month dissolved the countrys main lm industry guild, the House of Cinema, despite an outcry from several renowned Iranian directors. The decision came after the government felt the guild was politicising certain events, such as allowing lmmakers to express critical views of the regime at its annual festival. The official reason given was that the House of Cinema had changed its founding statutes without consulting authorities.

Premier says Sanaa needs billions of dollars in aid

Reuters Abu Dhabi

emen needs billions of dollars in aid and has received assurances of nancial help from Gulf Arab neighbours after a year of violent political turmoil over the fate of its president, Prime Minister Mohamed Basindwa said yesterday. Basindwa, who leads a government tasked with preparing for a February election to pick a successor to President Ali Abdullah Saleh, also said he wanted Saleh to leave Yemen before the vote. Im hopeful he will leave (before February 21), he told Reuters in the interview, on the sidelines of a conference in the United Arab Emirates, one leg of a regional tour aimed at drumming up aid. But let us wait and see, he added. Basindwa said aid from Yemens neighbours was crucial to rebuilding the country, one of the poorest in the Arab world, and which the US and Saudi Arabia view as a potential foothold for Al Qaeda. In late March or early April they will establish a fund for Yemen, he said. Yemen needs a lot of money to rebuild to achieve prosperity, to eliminate poverty, unemployment and thereby also

terrorism. It needs billions of dollars, tens of billions of dollars. He said Yemen has received assurances of nancial help from the GCC countries led by Saudi Arabia, but no set gures or a timeline for disbursing the funds. Any aid would bypass his government and be spent directly on approved development projects, he said. Our role will be just to submit a list of projects Yemen needs in all its governorates, Basindwa said. Theyll after (that) hold tenders and choose the right companies to implement. We will have nothing to do with choosing the consultants, companies that will carry out such projects... We dont want cash money from that fund going to our Treasury. Any successor to Saleh will face multiple, overlapping regional conicts including resurgent separatist sentiment in the south, where Islamist ghters have also seized chunks of territory and control large parts of the province of Abyan. Yemens political chaos has deepened a pre-existing humanitarian crisis, with about half a million displaced and one-third of children suffering from moderate or acute malnutrition, according to a recent government and UN survey.

Al Qaeda-linked fighters man a checkpoint at a road in the town of Radda, some 170km southeast of Sanaa, yesterday.

Qaeda militants tighten grip on town in Yemen

State television reports that Radda residents are appealing to the government to send in troops to free the town
Reuters Sanaa

slamist militants raised their ag over the citadel at Radda and pledged allegiance to Al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahri after seizing the Yemeni town southeast of the capital Sanaa,

residents said yesterday. The move is likely to raise concern in neighbouring Saudi Arabia and the US about Al Qaedas spreading presence in Yemen, which lies next to important oil and cargo shipping lanes in the Red Sea. Washington and Riyadh are pushing for implementation of a deal signed in November under which Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh formally handed power to his deputy to calm unrest and restore order in the impoverished country.

Radda residents said the militants, who stormed the town of 60,000 people overnight on Saturday, had killed two policemen, seized the local prison and ve police vehicles and were besieging government buildings. Al Qaeda has raised its ag over the citadel, one resident said by telephone. Its members have spread out across the towns neighbourhoods after pledging allegiance to Ayman al-Zawahri during evening prayers (on Sunday). Yemeni state television re-

ported that Radda residents were appealing to the government to send in troops to free the town. But no government officials were immediately available to comment on the report. The raid on Radda, in the Al Baydah province, appeared to mirror an attack last year when the militants seized the city of Zinjibar, capital of the southern province of Abyan. The militants have since captured at least two other smaller towns in the area. A police source and witnesses said the gunmen, led by an Al

Qaeda militant recently handed over by Syria to Yemen, met little resistance from a small police contingent based in the town, and declared Tareq al-Dahab, a brother-in-law of a US-born Muslim cleric killed in an air strike last year, emir of Radda. The capture of the town triggered an exchange of charges of collusion with the militants between Saleh supporters and his opponents in a coalition of parties that have led demands for his departure after 33 years in office.

Tehran in crackdown on peddlers of Barbie dolls

Reuters Tehran

rans morality police are cracking down on the sale of Barbie dolls to protect the public from what they see as pernicious Western culture eroding Islamic values, shopkeepers said yesterday. As the West imposes the toughest ever sanctions on Iran and tensions rise over its nuclear programme,

inside the country the Barbie ban is part of what the government calls a soft war against decadent cultural inuences. About three weeks ago they (the morality police) came to our shop, asking us to remove all the Barbies, said a shopkeeper in a toy shop in northern Tehran. Irans religious rulers first declared Barbie, made by US company Mattel Inc, un-Islamic in 1996, citing its destructive cul-

tural and social consequences . Despite the ban, the doll has until recently been openly on sale in Tehran shops. The new order, issued around three weeks ago, forced shopkeepers to hide the leggy, curvaceous blonde behind other toys as a way of meeting popular demand for the dolls while avoiding being closed down by the police. A range of officially approved dolls launched in 2002 to counter

demand for Barbie have not proven successful, merchants said. The dolls named Sara, a female, and Dara, a male, arrived in shops wearing a variety of traditional dress. My daughter prefers Barbies. She says Sara and Dara are ugly and fat, said Farnaz , a 38-year-old mother, adding that she could not nd Barbie cartoon DVDs as she was told they were also banned from public sale.

International observers to monitor Kuwait elections

AFP Kuwait

bout 30 international observers will for the rst time be allowed to monitor Kuwaits parliamentary election on February 2, the head of a nongovernmental organisation said yesterday. Most of the observers will be Arabs from the Arab Network for Election Democracy but contacts are under way with some non-Arab organisations to send monitors, Salah al-Ghazali told a press conference. The foreign monitors will assist 300 local volunteers who have been allowed to monitor the election, also for the rst time in an official capacity, said the head of the Kuwaiti Transparency Society. In previous elections, independent groups and organisations sent monitors to polling stations on their own without co-

ordination with the government. The foreign and local monitors will be allowed free access to polling stations and report any violations to the authorities, Ghazali said. The Kuwaiti government last month asked the Kuwaiti Transparency Society and two other NGOs to monitor the parliamentary election before and during the casting of votes. Ghazali said 300 people have volunteered to become monitors and undergone training. The Kuwaiti ruler dissolved parliament in December after accepting the governments resignation and appointing a new prime minister following a bitter dispute between the previous government and MPs. More than 300 candidates, including about 20 women, have registered to contest the election for the 50-seat parliament.

Gulf Times Tuesday, January 17, 2012

13

ARAB WORLD

Britain: Israel settlements are vandalism

British Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg accuses Israel of deliberate vandalism with its continued construction of settlements
Reuters London

Rivals at odds on Quartet deadline

AFP Jerusalem

ritain condemned Israeli settlements yesterday as deliberate vandalism of efforts to establish a Palestinian state, and warned that time was running out for the peace process in the Middle East. The comments on Jewish settlements by Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg, and on the peace process by Prime Minister David Cameron, bolster Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas as negotiators attempt to revive moribund peace talks. Cleggs comments were some of Britains strongest yet on the Middle Easts most intractable conict.

Once you place physical facts on the ground which make it impossible to deliver what everyone has for years agreed is the ultimate destination, then you do immense damage, Clegg said during a visit to London by Abbas, referring to settlements impeding efforts to create a Palestinian state alongside Israel. Its an act of deliberate vandalism to the basic premise upon which negotiations have taken place for years and that is why we have expressed our concerns as a government in increasingly forceful terms, he told reporters. He prefaced his comments by saying there was no stronger supporter of Israel than himself. Abbas is on a tour of Europe while negotiators from both sides undertake initial discussions on resuming full talks. The exploratory discussions began on January 3 and followed a long break in negotiations after

Palestinian jailed for killing settlers

An Israeli military court yesterday sentenced a 19-year-old Palestinian to five consecutive life sentences for killing a family of five in a northern West Bank settlement, the army said. Amjad Awwad also received an additional seven years imprisonment for the murders, which saw the family stabbed to death as they were sleeping in Itamar settlement in March 2011. His cousin, Hakim Awwad, 18, was sentenced to a similar prison term in October. According to the charge sheet, the cousins, from the nearby village of Awarta, acted of their own free will although both are members of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine. The two men were convicted of killing Ehud and Ruthy Fogel and their three young children, one of whom a three-month-old baby, in a murder that sparked international condemnation.

Abbas suspended talks 15 months ago over Israels expansion of Jewish settlements in the occupied West bank, where Palestinians want to found a state. All parties to the talks have accepted the ultimate goal of a two-state solution which , would see a Palestinian state established alongside Israel. The sides remain divided over its borders, the fate of Palestinian refugees and other issues. Israel says such issues can be resolved only at talks with no preconditions. Palestinians say Israel must rst halt settlement building, which they believe moves the goalposts while talks are under way and gives Israel incentive to stall. We think that time, in some ways, is running out for the twostate solution unless we can push forward now, because otherwise the facts on the ground will make it more and more difficult, which is why the settlement issue remains so important, Cameron said. In February last year, Britain and almost all other members of the UN Security Council backed a resolution condemning settlement building as illegal and a major obstacle to peace. The resolution was vetoed by the US, which says it wants Israel to stop settlement construction but believes international condemnation is unhelpful. Most world countries deem the settlements illegal. Israel disputes this. Abbas, who is also due to visit

British Prime Minister David Cameron shakes hands with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on the steps of 10 Downing Street in London yesterday. Berlin and Moscow, welcomed the comments by Britains deputy prime minister. This is exactly what we had wanted to hear officially from the government of the United Kingdom, he said. Speaking after meeting Cameron, Abbas reiterated his call for a settlement freeze. Of course, time is of the essence; there must be speed .... Settlements have to stop in order for us to be able to continue our negotiations; to come to some sort of solution, he said. Abbas did not say why he was considering returning to the negotiating table now despite continued settlement building, but Clegg said the Arab Spring had ushered in a period of change that could make negotiations more fruitful. If there was any time for real progress, then it is now at a time when so much change and transformation has taken place throughout the region, Clegg said. Abbas said he had received no new proposals from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, but that Palestinian negotiators were still scheduled to meet their Israeli counterparts two or three more times. The Quartet of international peace mediators - the US, Russia, the European Union and the UN - wants the two sides to state their positions on the borders and security arrangements of a future two-state solution by January 26.

srael and the Palestinians are at odds over the Quartets deadline for proposals on borders and security, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said yesterday. His remarks to MPs came two days after Israels chief negotiator Yitzhak Molho held a third exploratory meeting in Amman with Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erakat in a bid to restart direct talks which have been on ice since September 2010. Erakat wants to abandon talks on January 26, Netanyahu was quoted as saying by a spokesman, in reference to the three-month deadline set by the diplomatic Quartet of peacemakers from the US, European Union, Russia and UN. On October 26, Quartet envoys said they were giving the parties three months to come forward with comprehensive proposals on territory and security . With the deadline looming, Palestinian officials have made clear they will not continue any form of talks after January 26 unless Israel freezes settlement construction and agrees to base any future talks on the lines which existed before the 1967 Six-Day War. But Netanyahu made clear Israel was working on a different schedule. We are only counting talks from January 3 which means we have until April 3, he said, referring to the date of the rst faceto-face encounter between the two sides.

Israel rattled as hackers hit bourse, banks, El Al

Reuters Jerusalem

ackers disrupted online access to the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange, El Al Airlines and three banks yesterday in what the government described as a cyber-offensive against Israel. The attacks came just days after an unidentied hacker, proclaiming Palestinian sympathies, posted the details of thousands of Israeli credit card holders and other personal information on the Internet in a mass theft. Stock trading and El Al ights operated normally despite the disruption, which occurred as Israeli media reported that pro-Palestinian hackers had threatened at the weekend to shut down the TASE stock exchange and airline websites. While apparently conned to areas causing only limited inconvenience, the attacks have caused particular alarm in a country that depends on high-tech systems for much of its defence. Officials insist, however, that they pose no immediate security threat. They have demanded an apology for Israels defensive measures, Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon said on his Facebook page, alluding to the conict with Palestinians. I am using this platform to send a

clear message that ... they will not silence us on the Internet, or in any forum. The First International Bank of Israel (FIBI) and two subsidiary banks, Massad and Otzar Hahayal, said their marketing sites had been hacked but that sites providing online services to clients were unaffected. Israels third-largest bank, Discount, said it had been spared attack, but that it was temporarily shutting down foreign access to its website as a precaution. The Tel Aviv bourse website could only be accessed intermittently, but screen-based trading was not hit. There has been an attack by hackers on the access routes to the website, said Orna Goren, deputy manager of the exchanges marketing and communications unit. The stock exchanges trading activities are operating normally. El Al said it had taken precautions to protect the company site and warned of possible disruptions to its online activity. There was no claim of responsibility for yesterdays incidents. However, Hamas, which governs Gaza, welcomed the attacks as a blow against the Jewish state. This is a new eld of resistance against the Occupation and we urge Arab youth to develop their methods in electronic warfare in the face of (Israels)

crimes, Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri said in Gaza. Israeli Information Minister Yuli Edelstein told a conference in Tel Aviv that the cyber attacks were part of a wider move to smear the countrys reputation and threaten Israels economic stability and security . Its another episode in the war our enemies are conducting as a campaign of delegitimisation to hit our pockets and lifestyle, he said, in reported com ments conrmed by his spokesman. Israel must use all measures at its disposal to prevent these virtual dangers from turning into real threats and to prevent with all its force attacks against it and its institutions. Today its credit card theft and toppling websites, and tomorrow it could be theft of security information and harm to infrastructure. Israel opened an agency to tackle cyber attacks earlier this month. A founding member of the unit, Isaac Ben-Israel, said the countrys most vital systems were already protected, but that incidents like the ones seen recently would only increase. As long as the systems are not guarded, any hacker anywhere in the world can break into them and do damage, Ben-Israel said on Israel Radio. I believe that, done right, in a year or two, we will be able to wipe out all these hackers threats.

Palestinian policemen loyal to Hamas participate in a graduation ceremony in Gaza City yesterday.

14

Gulf Times Tuesday, January 17, 2012

ARAB WORLD

Assads political, army foes step up pressure

The Syrian National Council and the Syrian Free Army set up a liaison office and a hotline
AFP Damascus

Lawmaker from Homs defects, says reform promises hollow

A member of Syrias parliament said yesterday he has left the country to join the opposition after losing hope that President Bashar al-Assad will implement reforms and end a crackdown on protesters demanding his removal. Imad Ghalioun, an MP from the restive city of Homs, also told Reuters his expectations that reforms will be implemented were crushed during a parliament meeting a few months ago, when a colleague was silenced for suggesting members discuss the opposition. They all attacked him saying there is no such thing as opposition. If they cannot acknowledge the existence of an opposition, how can they accept reforms? he added. Ghalioun, who left Syria with his family for Cairo two weeks ago, said he could not remain silent in the face of the bloodshed in the country. Blood is in the streets, the whole country is bleeding. I do not think there will be any reforms because the young people have taken their decision, this is a revolution and there is no going back. The regime will use the security solution till the end, he said. I cannot see blood in the streets and the human rights violations and say I just want to watch. Ghalioun said his hometown of Homs was a stricken city. I lived all this time in Homs, during that time all I saw was a disaster stricken city. People staying home and children are scared. The sick can not even go to hospitals, he said. Garbage is everywhere, there is no electricity, water, gas or diesel for heating. The commercial life is almost nonexistent. Ghalioun said he rejects foreign intervention and military operations in Syria saying that protests can eventually topple Assad. There is no chance for Bashar to stay anymore, we all want this to happen.

he political and military opposition to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad announced yesterday they have set up a hotline to co-ordinate their action, as foreign and internal pressure mounts on his regime. A rights group, meanwhile, said security forces killed at least ve civilians in the ashpoint central region of Homs and carried out night-time arrests of students at Aleppo University in the north of the country. The Syrian National Council, an umbrella group, said in a statement the decision was taken in talks on Saturday night with the Syrian Free Army (SFA), formed of deserters from the military. A liaison office was set up and a hotline to follow internal political developments on the ground it said. , The statement said further meetings would be held involving military experts to strengthen the capacity of the SFA against regime forces and to protect civilian regions which the regime wants to raid or pillage . The talks on Saturday also focused on efforts to restructure SFA units and create a modern and exible structure ... to allow for rapid deployment and cope with the daily inow of deserting officers and soldiers. The FSA claims to have gathered some 40,000 ghters un-

A member of the Free Syria Army with an assault rifle stands guard during a patrol in the western border town of Zabadani in this undated still image taken from amateur video obtained by Reuters yesterday. Masked gunmen prowl the rain-swept streets of the once-relaxed Syrian hill resort, which they have transformed into a hub of revolt against President Bashar al-Assads rule. der its command since an anti-regime revolt broke out in Syria in mid-March. A government crackdown on dissent has since cost more than 5,000 lives, according to a UN estimate. Dozens of people have died in FSA attacks on the regular army. A media adviser to a top Syrian army defector, General Mostafa Ahmed al-Sheikh, said last week that a special council is being set up to oversee all military operations. The council will help organise defections within the army and will be in contact with officers in the regular army to encourage large-scale rather than individual defections, he said. In fresh violence yesterday, ve people including a woman were killed and nine others wounded as armed members of the shabiha pro-regime militia shot up a bakery in Homs and burnt it down, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. It said security forces red off mortars at Baliun village in Jabal Al Zawiya where hundreds of deserters had gathered. In Aleppo, security forces arrested nine students in a raid on the university of Syrias second largest city, said the Britainbased Observatory in statements received in Nicosia. Damascus announced a general amnesty which the opposition dismissed as a sham on Sunday. President Assad issued a decree stipulating a general amnesty for crimes committed during the events between March 15, 2011 and January 15, 2012, the ofcial Sana news agency reported. It said the amnesty, the third of its kind, covered infringements of the law on peaceful demonstrations, the possession of unlawful weapons and army desertion. But the opposition Muslim Brotherhood dismissed the amnesty as neither serious nor credible . The regime is trying to make its unrealistic plans for reconciliation and national dialogue credible, and it is in this context that it is making such announcements, for propaganda purposes, the group said. Releasing prisoners is one of the key conditions of an Arab

League road map approved by Syria in November to end the countrys crisis. The Syrian Observatory said 11 civilians were killed by security forces on Sunday and that 19 soldiers were abducted by deserters who ambushed their convoy in the southern province of Daraa. Iran has repeatedly violated a UN arms embargo with exports to protest-hit Syria, the French foreign ministry said yesterday, citing a UN group of experts. The UN panel of experts on Iran has identied and informed the Security Council of several violations of the embargo on arms to or from Iran set up by... the UN Security Council, said spokesman Romain Nadal. These arms deliveries are illegal and deeply shocking because they benet a regime that has chosen a kind of repression that the UN rights council has repeatedly said constitutes crimes against humanity he said. , We condemn these violations and call on Iran and Syria to comply with Security Council resolutions, Nadal said in response to a question about a US accusation that Tehran was sending arms to Damascus. Senior US officials told AFP on Friday that Iran was supplying munitions to aid Syrias bloody protest crackdown in an initiative spearheaded by the head of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps elite Quds force, Qasem Soleimani. Iran is forbidden to import or export weapons or ammunition under the terms of UN Security Council resolutions dating from 2007 and 2010 slapped on the country because of its controversial nuclear programme.

UN chief urges Security Council to act with seriousness on Syria

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on Monday appealed to the Security Council to act with seriousness on Syria, where he said the situation has become unacceptable. The situation has reached an unacceptable point, Ban told reporters on the sidelines of an energy summit in Abu Dhabi. I sincerely hope that the Security Council will handle this in a sense of seriousness and gravity and in a coherent manner. Ive been urging and appealing to President (Bashar) al-Assad to stop killing... and to listen to his own people, he said. Leaders should always be connected with the people. When a leader is disconnected from the reality and from the people, then this situation is inevitable, he added of 10 months of deadly protests against Assads regime. It is important that the UN speaks and acts in a coherent manner, he said. I know there are some differences of opinions among member states of the Security Council, but the number of casualties has reached to such an unacceptable stage. We cannot let this situation continue like this. Ban also commended the Arab League for sending monitors to Syria despite criticism of the mission that has failed to end the violence. I highly appreciate and commend the efforts by the league of Arab states, by dispatching monitors and engaging in discussions with President Assad, he said. I sincerely hope they will be able to carry on, he added.

Darfur commission meets

A handout photograph made available by the UN and Afrcan Union Mission in Darfur shows UNAMID Joint Special Representative Ibrahim Gambari (second left) and Qatars Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs HE Ahmed bin Abdullah al-Mahmoud at the second meeting of the Implementation Follow-up Commission (IFC) on the Doha Document for Peace in Darfur at the UNAMID headquarters in El Fasher, Sudan, yesterday.

Tycoon to be retried over singers killing

AFP Cairo

gyptian tycoon Hisham Talaat Moustafa, who was jailed in 2010 for the murder of a Lebanese pop singer, will be retried next month as sought by prosecutors who complained his 15-year sentence was too lenient, a court said yesterday. The Supreme Egyptian Criminal Court decided that it would begin the new trial of Moustafa for the murder of singer and former lover Suzanne Tamim from February 6. In May 2009, Moustafa, an associate of ousted president Hosni Mubaraks son Gamal who also sat on the poli-

cies committee of the former ruling National Democratic Party, was sentenced to death. A year later an appeals court overturned the conviction on procedural grounds and ordered a retrial. In September 2010, Moustafa was sentenced to 15 years in jail. But in November that year the prosecution complained the sentence was too lenient and demanded Moustafa be tried again. Also to be retried in the case is Mohsen al-Sukkari, an associate of Moustafa who was sentenced to 25 years for the murder of Tamim, who was killed in July 2008 at her Dubai apartment. At the rst trial, Moustafa was ac-

cused of having paid Sukkari, a former policeman, $2mn to cut Tamims throat. The death sentence shocked Egypt, particularly since it targeted a prominent businessman who was close to Gamal Mubarak, who had been expected to succeed his father before the regime was toppled in an uprising last year. Hosni Mubarak is now himself on trial for corruption with his two sons, Gamal and Alaa, and separately for the killings of hundreds of protesters who took part in demonstrations against his regime. The veteran leaders trial, which started in August, resumes today when the defence team is due to make its case.

24 killed as building collapses in Beirut

Agencies Beirut

he death toll from the collapse of a Beirut building rose to 24 yesterday and Lebanese officials said more than 10 people could still be under the rubble nearly a full night and day after the disaster. Rescuers worked in heavy rain to try to nd survivors from the ruins of the ve-storey residential building in Beiruts Ashrayeh district. Many of those killed were foreign workers, including Sudanese, Ethio-

pian, Egyptian and Filipino nationals. Twelve other people were being treated in hospital, health ministry officials said earlier yesterday. It was not clear what had caused the disaster, which occurred after days of heavy rain in the Lebanese capital. Ofcials said the building was old. Prime Minister Najib Mikati set up a team to investigate why the building had collapsed and to ensure the safety of other buildings in the city that could be prone to collapse. One resident who escaped with her mother said the building was extremely run-down and the owner had

warned tenants not to remain there shortly before it disintegrated. She told local television that she and her mother managed to escape as the building came tumbling down but her father and three brothers remained trapped. Several anxious relatives of the victims remained at the site yesterday hoping for news of their loved ones. Many wept and others said prayers as rescuers painstakingly sifted through the rubble, aided by bulldozers. Where are all the political leaders? shouted one woman. They only show up when they want our vote.

Gulf Times Tuesday, January 17, 2012

15

AMERICAS

Silent lm The Artist wins Globes, eyes Oscars

AFP Los Angeles

The Winners for Best Motion Picture - Comedy or Musical The Artist pose with the trophy at the 69th annual Golden Globes Awards at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills on Sunday.

Huntsman quits race, endorses Romney

Huntsmans departure from the race and endorsement could provide a modest boost for fellow Mormon Romney
Reuters Myrtle Beach, South Carolina

Gingrich nips at Romney for dog-on-roof incident in 80s

Newt Gingrich gave the Republican presidential front-runner a little nip in the leg on Sunday, reminding voters of an incident from the 1980s when Mitt Romney tied his dog in a kennel to the roof of his car and drove to Canada. Romney has been criticised by animal rights groups for taking the dog, Seamus, on a family vacation from Boston. Id rather not have been in a kennel all the way to Canada. Personally, that doesnt strike me as a very good thing to have done. But thats just my personal bias, said Gingrich, who is in a bitter feud with Romney over attack ads in the campaign. Gingrich also brought up a recent remark by Romney that, when taken out of context, made it sound like the former enjoyed firing people. I think that there are many characteristics that come out during the course of a presidential campaign, he said in South Carolina. Like the use of words I like firing people ... to putting a dog on the back of the car for 9 hours. Gingrich told reporters. All of this paints a picture. The governor has to figure out whether or not that picture is electable. South Carolina is the next state to vote in a primary to see which Republican will be nominated to run against Democratic President Barack Obama in November. Former Massachusetts governor Romney heads opinion polls in the state. Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum took aim at Romney on Sunday as he sought to build on a late endorsement from evangelical leaders and narrow the crucial South Carolina contest to a two-man race. Santorum, a former Pennsylvania senator, said conservative voters should not let concerns about the shaky US economy or defeating Democratic President Barack Obama interfere with their beliefs.

ilent movie The Artist topped the winners at the Golden Globes awards, adding three gongs to its growing haul of prizes in the run-up to the all-important Oscars next month. The French-directed movie won best musical/comedy, best musical/comedy actor and best musical score on Sunday, one more than family drama The Descendants which won two including best drama picture and best actor for George Clooney. We thought it would be a movie for the festivals, a lm for critics... but not this. We didnt expect this, said director Michel Hazanavicius, after being joined onstage by the movies trickperforming dog star, Uggie. Meryl Streep won best actress for her mesmerising portrayal of British prime minister Margaret Thatcher in The Iron Lady, while best director went to Martin Scorsese for his 3D adventure Hugo. There was disappointment for civil rights movie The Help, nominated for ve awards but winning only one, as well as Brad Pitts baseball-themed Moneyball and Clooneys political thriller The Ides of March, which each had four nods but went home empty-handed. But Clooney won big with The Descendants, a Hawaii-based family drama which took the top prize at Hollywoods main preOscars awards show, as well as best actor. Our quarterback was George Clooney, said The Descendants producer Jim Burke, accepting the award at the climax of the three-hour Globes show at the Beverly Hilton hotel in Los Angeles. The movie missed out in the screenplay category to Woody Allens Midnight in Paris, was beaten for supporting actress by

Uggie the dog poses with the trophy for the Best Movie The Artist at the 69th annual Golden Globe Awards. Octavia Spencer in The Help, and best director where Scorsese won for Hugo. The Artist, which had garnered the most Globes nominations with nods in six categories, was beaten for best director by Scorsese for Hugo, for best supporting actress by Spencer and best screenplay by Allens box office hit. Billed as a tribute to the silent movie era, the lm tells the story of silent star George Valentin (played by Dujardin) whose career is torpedoed by the arrival of the talkies.

We thought it would be a movie for the festivals, a film for critics... but not this. We didnt expect this
It won best lm and best director at the New York Film Critics Circle awards in November, and more recently the Directors Guild of America (DGA) best picture seen as a key indicator for the Oscars, due on February 26. It took yet another prize just three days before the Globes with the Critics Choice best lm award in Los Angeles on Thursday. After its Globes success, the Oscars nominees will be announced on January 24. Other winners on Sunday night included Michelle Williams as best actress in a musical or comedy for her Monroe turn in

My Week with Marilyn, and best supporting actor for Christopher Plummer in Beginners. Best animated feature went to Spielbergs big screen version of the Belgian cartoon book hero, The Adventures of Tintin. Best foreign language movie went to A Separation from Iran, which beat lms from China and Belgium as well Spanish Pedro Almodovars The Skin I Live In, and Angelina Jolies directoral debut, In the Land of Blood and Honey. The Artists rst prize of the night was for best original score, for Ludovic Bource, who apologised, saying Im sorry, Im French, before pulling out a piece of paper and reading his acceptance speech. Taking up the theme, Madonna, who won best original song a short time later, appeared to forget her words initially, saying: This is a surprise, before adding, after a pause: Im not French, I have no excuse. Some of the biggest winners at Sundays Golden Globes were critically acclaimed cable shows that draw relatively small audiences - in some cases, far fewer than 1mn viewers per week. These included HBOs comedy Enlightened, Starzs political drama Boss, BBC Americas crime thriller Luther, and Showtimes show-biz comedy Episodes. British comic Ricky Gervais, hosting for the third straight year despite ruffling feathers at last years show, was again in provocative form although perhaps not quite as near-the-bone as 12 months ago. So, where was I? he opened the show with, before taking an early stab at the Globes themselves. Its just like the Oscars without the esteem, he said, adding: The Golden Globes are to the Oscars what Kim Kardashian is to Kate Middleton to groans from the starstudded audience.

Venezuela closes Miami consulate

DPA Caracas

on Huntsman suspended his bid for the Republican presidential nomination yesterday, calling on his party to end an onslaught of negative and personal attacks in the campaign and then endorsing rival Mitt Romney. The former Utah governor, who also served as US ambassador to China under Democratic President Barack Obama, never gained traction in the Republican campaign. Some conservative Republicans questioned his having worked for Obama; others doubted his conservative credentials. Huntsman lagged in public opinion polls and had nished third in last weeks New Hampshire primary despite focusing much of his energy there after skipping the rst nominating contest in Iowa. His departure from the race and endorsement could provide a modest boost for fellow Mormon Romney, who is ahead in South Carolina after winning in Iowa and New Hampshire. Huntsmans announcement came just hours before a debate for Republican presidential candidates here, and trims the eld to ve candidates: f o r m e r Massachusetts governor Romney, former Pennsylvania senator Rick Santo-

rum, Texas congressman Ron Paul, former House speaker Newt Gingrich and Texas Governor Rick Perry. Huntsman and Romney are longtime rivals for the hearts of moderate Republican voters, and Huntsman barely mentioned Romneys name in endorsing him. Romney was not present at Huntsmans announcement. Instead, Huntsman harshly criticised the negative tone that the Republican race has taken on since Gingrich and other candidates put Romney in their sights after the Iowa caucuses on Jan. 3. This race has degenerated into an onslaught of negative and personal attacks not worthy of the American people and not worthy of this critical time in our nations history, Huntsman said. Voters in Iowa, New Hampshire and now South Carolina have been inundated with negative radio and TV ads about the candidates, Romney and Gingrich in particular. Many of the negative ads in the campaign have been the work of super political action committees that support candidates but operate independently from the campaigns and can receive unlimited donations. Gingrich and Perry have cast Romney as a job killer and a vulture capitalist for Romneys time with Bain Capital, the private equity rm Romney cofounded. Bain was involved in several corporate takeovers, some of which involved cutting costs by laying off workers. In criticising Romneys

business record, Gingrich and Perry became the rare Republicans to attack free enterprise capitalism, a fact that didnt sit well with many conservatives. Although Huntsman decried such tactics yesterday, he too had joined in the attacks on Romney at various times during the campaign. Last week in New Hampshire, Huntsman seized upon remarks Romney made in a healthcare discussion in which Romney said that when it came to healthcare, he enjoyed ring people who didnt provide good service. Without referencing the context of Romneys comments, Huntsman said the fact that Romney enjoys ring people showed that he was so detached from the problems people face today and was unelectable. David Axelrod, a senior adviser to President Obamas re-election team, noted on Twitter yesterday morning that Huntsman had once called Romney a welllubricated weather vane who changes his positions based on the political winds. Even so, politics have a way of quickly turning enemies into friends of convenience, and that appeared to be the case yesterday. Huntsman urged the Republican Party to unite behind the candidate best equipped to beat Obama, and said Romney is that candidate. Although political analysts and commentators speculated that Huntsman might make another run for president in 2016, his campaign would not comment and he took no questions after his announcement. Today our campaign for the presidency ends, Huntsman said, but our campaign to build a better and more trustworthy America continues.

he Venezuelan government announced yesterday the closure of its consulate in Miami, saying that its personnel were at risk. Earlier this month, Venezuelas consul in Miami, Livia Acosta Noguera, was expelled from the US, and the US State Department declared her persona non grata. US authorities, which declined to give details of the reasons for

the expulsion, informed the Venezuelan embassy of their decision on January 6. The Miami Herald reported allegations that she had discussed possible cyberattacks on US soil. The FBI had investigated the allegations, which were made in a documentary aired on Univision, a Spanish language broadcaster, about the Iranian threat. The Venezuelan Foreign Ministry said in a statement yesterday that Acosta Noguera had been expelled based on unjustied allegations that were irresponsi-

bly spread by a television channel better known for its telenovelas than for serious journalism. It constitutes an unfair, worrying and immoral move that shows off the submission of Washingtons agenda to that of extremist and violent political sectors that have their home in the state of Florida, the state ment said. Florida-based criminal and terrorist organisations have threatened its personnel since Acosta Nogueras expulsion became public, the ministry argued.

Shoppers open to giving personal info

Reuters New York

elcome to the era of the candid consumer. From their food allergies to home addresses, shoppers around the world are becoming increasingly willing to share more personal information with their favourite merchants, as they look for a more personalised and efficient shopping experience, an IBM survey of more than 28,000 people in 15 countries showed. That is good news for retailers as they look for ways to target the right demographic of shoppers with new products. They are willing to share information if there is perceived benet, said Jill Pul eri, global retail leader of IBMs global business services. It doesnt have to be monetary benet. While consumers around the world still have reservations about sharing nancial details such as how much they earn, they are less worried about divulging other private information. For instance, about threequarters of the people surveyed were willing to dish out details about their media usage such as the TV shows they watch, while 73% of the

group were ne with disclosing demographic information such as their ethnicity. About 61% of people were comfortable sharing their names and addresses with retailers, while about 59% of those surveyed said they were OK with disclosing lifestyle-related information such as whether they owned more than one car, or had moved into a new home, or had a child recently. These are things that I think are pretty important to a retailer, Puleri said, adding that the change in shopper behaviour was phenomenal. More than half of the people surveyed were even willing to disclose their exact location and related information, hoping for a more targeted and smarter shopping experience. What it tells us is that they really want a personal experience, she said. They dont want to nd advertising in their mailbox or in their email about things they are never going to buy. Shoppers in emerging markets such as Argentina, Colombia, Brazil, Mexico, Chile, South Africa and China were more willing to share private information versus their counterparts in mature markets such as Europe, Australia, Japan, Canada and the US, Puleri said.

16

Gulf Times Tuesday, January 17, 2012

BRITAIN/IRELAND
DISPUTE PEOPLE LEGAL CRITICISM RULING

Unilever strike action set for this week

British workers at Unilever plan to escalate strike action this week with 11 days of rolling stoppages starting tomorrow in a dispute over plans to axe the consumer goods groups final-salary pension scheme. Around a third of Unilevers 7,000 British workforce are union members and took part in the first strike in Britain in the groups 82-year history in December. The Unite, GMB and Usdaw trade unions have called for further action. Concern over pensions changes has been growing in Britain with Unilever closing its final salary scheme to newcomers in 2008 and now for existing members, while oil giant Shell is set to close its British final salary scheme to new workers in 2013.

Dalai Lama to visit Britain this summer

Tibets exiled spiritual leader will visit Britain this summer in a tour that may upset China at a time of protests over its control of the region and efforts by London to persuade Beijing to invest more in the UKs ailing economy. His spokesman said the Dalai Lama will give a series of public lectures on peace to young audiences across the country, just weeks before London hosts the Olympic Games. The Tibetan Buddhist leader has angered the Chinese government by refusing to condemn a spate of protests by ethnic Tibetans in the last year. The Dalai Lama is due to visit Britain from June 16 to June 23, giving speeches in London, Manchester and Scotland.

Sean Quinn declared bankrupt in Dublin

Sean Quinn, once Irelands richest man, has been declared bankrupt in the republic and could now be barred from trading for the next 12 years. The judgment was made at the high court in Dublin shortly before midday and represents a victory for the state-owned Irish Bank Resolution Corporation which sought to have Quinn bankrupted in Ireland. This followed last weeks judgment in the high court in Belfast which overturned the former billionaire businessmans attempt to declare himself bankrupt in Northern Ireland where he would only have been banned from trading for a year. Quinn had originally said he intended to challenge the issuing of a bankruptcy summons.

Mayor slams govt over high-speed rail project

Boris Johnson has attacked the government over the high-speed rail project, saying the plan as it stands is not right for London. The mayor expressed his concerns about the impact the 32bn HS2 line will have on west London. Transport Secretary Justine Greening gave the go-ahead to the scheme last week. Despite his criticism of the current plan, the mayor remains a passionate supporter of HS2 in principle. A source close to Johnson denied he wanted to see the project scrapped. He will continue to press for concessions in the coming months and will do everything he can to make the case for unhappy west London residents, the source added.

Tennis coach paralysed in crash gets 4mn payout

A tennis coach left paralysed by a hit-and-run driver has been awarded 4mn compensation. Patrice Gougam, now 55, who was also a cycling enthusiast, suffered a near-fatal brain injury when thrown from his bike as it was struck by a Land Rover on the Great North Road between Barnet and Potters Bar in 2009. His wife, Virginia, yesterday pleaded with drivers in London to take more care to avoid injuring cyclists. The Land Rover driver, Michael Elliott, now 66, was being treated for glaucoma and cataracts at the time, and should not have been at the wheel. Gougam was in a coma for three weeks.

Govt seeks ways to create own golden age of cinema

Reuters London

Open season

he government has urged its national broadcasters and audiences to get behind the countrys lm industry to promote a cultural brand on a par with Hollywood and French cinema and maintain its current golden run of box office success. British cinema has enjoyed a string of hits in recent years, from Slumdog Millionaire to The Kings Speech, and a government-appointed panel set out yesterday how it intended to maintain that form during the tough economic environment.

A run of really good, successful, British-made and British-based movies has been taking not just British cinema audiences but many others around the world by storm
The review calls for British broadcasters to help fund and show British lms; for nancial support for a wide range of movies ranging from the small arthouse movies to blockbusters and the reinvestment of prots into the industry to generate further success. Prime Minister David Cameron sparked controversy last week when he suggested that the British movie industry should focus on box office success rather than critical acclaim. The movie industry is worth an estimated 4.2bn to the economy each year, but much of that comes from blockbusters like the Harry Potter franchise that are often bankrolled by Hollywood studios. Independent British lms had a share at the box office of just 5.5% between 2001 and 2010. Filmmakers argue, however, that they cannot predict how successful a lm will be until it has hit the screens and that they

do not wish to merely recreate Hollywood-style movies in a hunt for nancial success. The government-appointed panel appeared to agree yesterday, saying it would look to support as many lms as possible. British lm is going through something of a golden period, the report said. A run of really good, successful, British-made and British-based movies has been taking not just British cinema audiences but many others around the world by storm. The key question, though, is how do we make this something that lasts for more than just an alltoo-brief year? How do we secure greater consistency in the quality and success of British lm? One of the suggestions includes returning the prots from a movie to the development and production teams, to encourage further investment in future lms. Funding for a lm from a body such as the National Lottery used to be considered a loan that was expected to be paid back from the lms income. A British Film Week around the country showing old and new lms was cited as a way to promote British movies while lessons in school could teach children about British lm heritage, it said. Broadcasters such as ITV and BSkyB were also urged to do more to promote British lms, either through help in funding or through showing the lms once they are released for television. The BBC, the publicly funded broadcaster which dominates much of the media industry in Britain, invests 12mn per year to British lms and while the panel welcomed the support, it said it would like to see this increase further. Chris Smith, a former secretary of state who produced the report, said television accounted for 80% of the total lm audience, making the role of broadcasters all the more important.

Jim Ferrie casts a line on the opening day of the salmon fishing season on the river Tay, in Dunkeld, Scotland, yesterday.

Government torpedoes yacht gift plan for Queen

Reuters London

he coalition government poured cold water on suggestions from a minister that taxpayers should fund a new royal yacht for Queen Elizabeth to mark her 60th year on the throne despite Britons dealing with severe austerity measures themselves. The Queen bade a sad farewell to the royal familys much-loved yacht Britannia in 1997 and Education Secretary Michael Gove recommended replacing it as a signicant gesture to celebrate

the Diamond Jubilee, the Guardian newspaper reported. My suggestion would be a gift from the nation to her majesty; thinking about (Universities Minister) David Willetts excellent suggestion of a royal yacht, and something tangible to commemorate this momentous occasion, the paper quoted his letter as saying. The letter did make reference to Britains current economic woes, but added that despite and perhaps because of the austere times the jubilee cel, ebrations should be greater than any that had gone before. However, his idea was im-

mediately scuppered by Prime Minister David Cameron and his Liberal Democrat deputy Nick Clegg. I dont think this would be an appropriate use of public money given the state of the nations nances, Camerons spokesman told reporters.

I dont think this would be an appropriate use of public money given the state of the nations finances
Commentators said a taxpayer-funded new yacht for the royals would not have gone down well with the public who

are facing spending cuts, rising taxes, pay freezes, high inflation, and job uncertainty as the economy struggles out of recession. Clegg joked the issue would be about the haves, and the have yachts . Most people in the country would think the diamond jubilee is a wonderful occasion for us to celebrate together as a community and as a nation, Clegg told reporters. But I suspect that most people in the country would think, given that there is very little money around, that this probably would not be the top of their list of priorities for

the use of scarce public resources. Britannia, a 6,000-tonne ship with a crew of 230, was decommissioned shortly after Tony Blairs Labour party came to power in 1997. Media reported the Queen cried when she bade it farewell, the only time she has shed tears in public. At the time the Conservative Party had called for a replacement yacht - at an estimated cost of some 60mn - but a poll showed 72% of Britons disapproved of using public money for it. Buckingham Palace said it had no comment on the story.

May not to rewrite US extradition treaty

London Evening Standard London

Top university probes Nazi game assault

AFP London

heresa May is preparing to abandon efforts to rewrite the governments extradition treaty with the US despite claims that it is unfair to British citizens. The home secretary is understood to have concluded that altering the way that the law is written would have little practical effect. Insiders say that she also accepts that the treaty, which was introduced in 2003, is not unbalanced and that critics accusations about aws in the legislation are largely misplaced. Mays decision follows the publication last year of a governmentcommissioned report on extradition law by the former Court of Appeal judge Sir Scott Baker. It found that the widespread perception that arrangements with the US were unfair was not justied by the facts.

Despite the conclusions, a series of high-prole cases, including that of London computer hacker Gary McKinnon, have continued to prompt calls for reform.

The home secretary has concluded that Sir Scotts findings have shown that the law does not need significant changes
The home secretary, whose party joined criticism of the legislation before the election, has concluded, however, that Sir Scotts ndings have shown that the law does not need signicant changes. Sources say that ministers acknowledge that they will have to take a few hits politically because of the decision, but that they feel bound to accept the former judges verdict because of the detailed way in which he conducted his analysis of the law. The most crucial nding in Sir Scotts report was that although

different language is used in the legal tests applied by British and American courts, the hurdle that prosecutors must clear to secure extradition is equally high in both countries. He also pointed out that while the UK has refused extradition requests from the US, all British requests have been approved by the American authorities and that the overall numbers being extradited from this country were not disproportionately high. Sir Scott also concluded that even if a forum test had been applied in British courts to decide whether suspects should be tried in the US, as supporters of reform want, none of the extraditions that have so far taken place would have been halted. McKinnon, 45, an Aspergers syndrome sufferer, is ghting extradition to the US over charges that he hacked Pentagon computers in 2002. His legal team argues that his mental condition could lead to his suicide if he were sent to the US.

May: U-turn over decision

prestigious British university was yesterday investigating claims that a Jewish student was assaulted during a Nazi-themed drinking game while on a ski holiday in France. Drinkers reportedly hurled anti-Semitic abuse at the victim, a 21-year-old student at the London School of Economics, and broke his nose on a night out in the Alpine resort of Val dIsere. The ght broke out after the student took offence at other members of his group playing a game called Nazi Ring of Fire, involving cards arranged in the shape of a swastika, several reports said. These are disturbing allegations relating to events which took place on a foreign trip organised by the Students Union, said an LSE spokeswoman. Both the SU (Students Union) and LSE are investigating these events and are prepared to take disciplinary action if the al-

legations are shown to be true. Officials will examine a video of the incident, the spokeswoman said. The assault follows the launch of a probe by French prosecutors into a Nazi-themed British stag party at another Alpine ski resort last month, at which a British lawmaker was present. Aidan Burley lost his post as a parliamentary aide for attending the party in Val Thorens, around 90kms from Val dIsere. Under French law it is a crime to make anti-Semitic statements or exhibit Nazi uniforms or emblems in public, unless required for a lm, play or other cultural production. British fashion designer John Galliano was convicted of antiSemitism last year for ranting at drinkers in Pariss Jewish quarter, and given a suspended ne of 5,000. The LSE was forced to admit it officials had made a chapter of failures after it accepted a 1.5mn gift from a foundation run by Saif al-Islam Gadda, the son of late leader Muammar Gadda.

Gulf Times Tuesday, January 17, 2012

17

BRITAIN
LAW AND ORDER CRIME HEALTH DECISION MOTORING

Police work on new anti-gang plan

Scotland Yard is developing a new strategy to tackle gang-related crime and serious youth violence in the capital. The force confirmed senior Metropolitan Police officials are in the process of finalising details of the fresh approach, which will put an enhanced focus on cracking down on Londons gang culture. It is believed Trident, the Mets specialist unit to investigate gun-related murders within the black community, will be at the forefront of the new strategy. A Met Police spokesman said: The new approach will enhance our anti-gang activities, improve co-ordination and tasking, and increase proactive operations.

Murder suspect held after row with paramedics

A man suspected of murdering his partner and her young daughter was arrested after a row with paramedics trying to treat him. Sources said John Miller was arrested at Fairburn Ings Nature Reserve near Castleford several miles away from where the bodies of his partner, Sarah Laycock, and her daughter Abigail were found in the familys home in Kirkby Avenue, Garforth, near Leeds. Paramedics were called after a member of the public saw Miller, 36, struggling to walk and alerted the emergency services. Police were called after Millers row with the paramedics and he was arrested. Officers later discovered the bodies of the 31-year-old woman and her eight-year-old daughter.

New food guidelines for children being launched

New guidelines on suitable food and drink for young children are being launched. Childcare providers will for the first time have a nationallyrecognised source of information about menus, portion sizes, how to deal with fussy eaters and advice on involving children in food and cooking activities. According to the School Food Trust charity, which compiled the voluntary guidelines, some young children are given food which is more appropriate for older children and adults. This can result in them eating too much salt and sugar. Childrens Minister Sarah Teather said: Healthy eating is at the heart of helping every child get the best start in life.

Scotland delays tobacco display ban

Scotland has delayed implementation of a tobacco display ban in supermarkets because of a change to regulations and a legal challenge, the government said. Scotland proposes to make it an offence to display tobacco products in shops so as to dissuade young people from taking up smoking. It would however increase the area of cigarette storage units that may be displayed after retailers raised concerns. Following discussions with retailers, the need to notify the European Union of the revised regulations and an ongoing legal challenge by Imperial Tobacco, the government has decided to defer the bans implementation date for large stores, the government said.

Hammersmith flyover could be shut for months

Repairs to the Hammersmith flyover are likely to cost tens of millions of pounds and take up to four months, Transport for London revealed. Residents and drivers have suffered severe jams since the flyover shut on December 23 for emergency repairs to steel cables holding the structure together. One lane has reopened in each direction but the rest of the fly-over will be closed for months. At a meeting with residents, TfLs David McNeill said: The road system around Hammersmith is very, very saturated. Theres a lot of traffic and theres not a lot of spare capacity. Any displaced traffic is likely to cause some disruption, some delays and some congestion.

Clegg wants Budget to target the rich

The Independent London

Walk through the park

ick Clegg is demanding a tax the rich Budget in March to head off growing fears that the coalition will lose public support because its decitreduction programme is seen as unfair on ordinary families. The Liberal Democrats are urging George Osborne to include a mansion tax on homes worth 2mn and measures to stop the rich avoiding stamp duty when they sell their properties by transferring ownership to a shell company. Although it is thought the chancellor is unlikely to introduce a high-value property tax immediately, he may set up a review to look at raising the tax burden on the rich by targeting property assets rather than income, which would be harder to avoid. Osborne is likely to act on stamp duty, amid evidence that rich people reduce the 5% stamp duty on the sale of homes worth 1mn to only 0.5% by placing their property in a company. Clegg and other Liberal Democrat cabinet ministers will make their demands in behindthe-scenes talks with Osborne before his Budget on March 21. Other Liberal Democrat proposals include a tax on land values and scrapping the 40% tax relief on pension contributions for higher-rate taxpayers. They also want a new crackdown on non-domiciles - foreign residents living in Britain who do not pay tax on their overseas earnings. Yesterday Clegg joined the debate about responsible capitalism before a speech on moral markets by David Cameron later this week. The deputy prime minister called for millions of workers to own shares in their companies in a new John Lewis economy . A source close to Clegg said: Nick is pushing his government colleagues for real, early, radical action on this. Employee ownership is part of a long liberal tradition.

Unqualied surgeons at private clinics raise concern

Guardian News and Media London

Pedestrians walk through St Jamess Park in central London yesterday.

rivate cosmetic clinics are employing surgeons - to carry out breast implants, nose jobs and tummy tucks who are not qualied to work as consultants in the NHS, the Guardian revealed. Experts are concerned about the level of training and qualication required of surgeons working solely in the private cosmetic industry. Many who trained in the UK reached only a basic level and are not on the General Medical Councils specialist register, which means they are barred from becoming consultants in the NHS. Up to that point, in the NHS, a surgeon is still in training and will normally work under supervision. The clinics say it does not matter, because their surgeons have years of experience in the procedures they do, which makes them just as good as any NHS surgeon. The private clinics also point out that all meet the standards of the Care Quality Commission, which regulates both the NHS and private sector. But the revelation has shocked members of the expert group set up by Health Secretary Andrew Lansley to look into the scandal of substandard breast implants and which has been asked to investigate standards in the cosmetic surgery industry more generally. Im very concerned indeed that they are not on the register, said Tim Goodacre, a plastic and reconstructive surgeon at the

John Radcliffe hospital in Oxford and a member of the group. That should be a bare minimum for independent practice in this country. Doctors who have worked for years as cosmetic surgeons without specialist registration are not breaking the rules and may be more than competent, but the absence of required qualications means that patients cannot know for sure how skilful they are. Entry on to the specialist register indicates that a surgeon has nished their training and can apply for a consultant post in the NHS.

Im very concerned indeed that they are not on the specialist register. That should be a bare minimum for independent practice in this country
Plastic surgeons working for the major private healthcare groups, such as Nuffield, BMI and Spire, are all NHS consultants who do some private work as well. The majority of those working for the cosmetic chains, however, such as Transform and the Hospital Group, do not hold NHS posts. Both have some surgeons who are not on the GMC specialist register, although both say this is unnecessary for their work and maintain that their standard of work is as high, if not higher, than that of an NHS surgeon who does private cosmetic operations in his spare time. Goodacre, however, says it is possible for doctors who were not good enough to progress up

the ladder in the NHS to move into the private sector as cosmetic surgeons. In most other specialities, those who do private practice have got to the top of the tree, he said. We have this other cadre who have come in because they have not succeeded. There are growing demands for further regulation of the cosmetic surgery industry, which has always operated very much as a free market, following the breast implant scandal. On Saturday, 60 women who had received faulty breast implants made by PIP (Poly Implant Prostheses) in France, filled with industrial grade silicone, marched in Harley Street, demanding that private clinics agree to replace them for free. On Sunday Lansley said private rms currently refusing to replace PIP breast implants free of charge were not stepping up to their responsibilities . The health select committee of MPs is the latest to announce an inquiry into standards in the industry. Qualications and the training of cosmetic surgeons will be an issue for the expert group. The two main professional organisations of plastic surgeons in the UK, based at the Royal College of Surgeons, are also concerned about the arrival in the UK of a ood of cosmetic surgeons who qualied in Europe and whose diplomas and certicates, they argue, are not necessarily an indication of reaching the same exacting standards as in the UK even though the GMC accepts them on to the specialist register.

Westminster parking row council chief quits

London Evening Standard London

Annual clean-up

Therapists giving dangerous advice

Agencies London

estminster council was yesterday in turmoil following the shock resignation of the leader responsible for its West End parking charges plan. The unexpected departure of Colin Barrow, comes after a sustained campaign against the tax on nightlife that left him isolated against senior politicians, Londons biggest businesses and ordinary residents. The capitals largest local authority faces weeks of uncertainty at the start of a crucial year for London as a power struggle starts. Pressure was growing on Barrows close ally Lee Rowley, the Cabinet member responsible for parking, to quit. Insiders say the parking charge plan is almost certain to be abandoned for good as the leadership battle pits a young turk said to be opposed to the charges against the authoritys nance chief.

One senior council gure told the Standard they were mystied and in shock He said: We . are leaderless while (Barrow) is a leader without power. Its a very strange thing to do. Political leaders said it was almost inconceivable that whoever was elected the new head of Londons most powerful local authority could continue with the scheme. The proposals would have seen motorists charges up to 4.80 an hour to leave their cars on the streets of the West End in the evenings and on Sunday afternoons. Local Conservative MP Mark Field said: Given the furore, I would be very surprised if Colins successor runs along with this. There is no chance of a successor being chosen for at least six weeks until a group meeting on February 29. Critics of the parking policy expressed delight at Barrows abrupt departure and said the charges should be immediately consigned to the political dustbin. Paul Dimoldenberg, leader of Westminster city councils La-

bour group, said the resignation was a real victory for West End jobs, businesses and residents . For the past six months Westminster Conservatives have refused to listen to common sense and now Colin Barrow has paid the ultimate price for his poor judgment and failure to recognise the damage that his nightlife tax parking charges would do to West End jobs and businesses. The charges were scheduled to come into force on January 9 but have been delayed until after the Olympics by a legal challenge. The race for the succession began immediately with four leading candidates emerging. They are Cabinet members for street cleaning and City management Ed Argar, who is seen as the candidate most likely to scrap the charges; nance chief Philippa Roe; the Cabinet member for enterprise Brian Connell and Jonathan Glanz, who is responsible for housing. One local Tory activist said: We would favour Argar, he is bright, businesslike and much more sensible than the others.

Maintenance engineer Darren Unsworth dusts a chandelier during the annual cleaning of the ballroom in Blackpool Tower in Blackpool, north-west England, yesterday. The annual cleaning of Blackpool Towers iconic ballroom takes two weeks and has to be done with utmost care to ensure the whole ballroom looks just as good as it did when it opened back in 1899.

utritional therapists are giving dangerous advice to patients, including those with cancer, according to a Which? investigation. The consumer group said therapists are providing expensive dietary advice that could seriously harm patients health . It sent undercover investigators posing as patients to 15 consultations with nutritional therapists. All the nutritionists charged between 50 and 80 per visit. The patients included a 46-year-old woman and another aged 40 recently diagnosed with ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), the most common type of noninvasive breast cancer. And a 56-year-old male and a 52-yearold woman complained of suffering serious fatigue for the last three months. The nal patient, a female aged 31, told nutritionists she had been trying to conceive for more than a year. From the 15 visits, six were

rated as dangerous fails by a Which? expert panel, which includes a GP. A further eight were rated as fails and only one was deemed a borderline pass . One of the breast cancer sufferers was told by the nutritional therapist to delay the radiotherapy treatment recommended by her oncologist, saying they could rid the body of cancer through diet. The therapist advised her to follow a no-sugar diet for three to six months, saying cancer feeds off sugar By cutting out . sugar we have a better chance of the cancer going away The . expert panel concluded this was highly irresponsible and incorrect advice. In another consultation, the woman trying for a baby was subjected to an examination of the iris of her eye and was told she had a bit of bowel toxicity and a leathery bowel The . expert panel said these are both meaningless terms. Several of the therapists also used tests with no evidence base to diagnose a range of symptoms, the investigation found.

18

Gulf Times Tuesday, January 17, 2012

EUROPE

Passengers reveal fears of dying like on the Titanic

AFP London

he capsize of an Italian liner turned a holiday into the cruise from hell, survivors said in reports yesterday that revealed how they had feared for their lives or felt they were the cast of Titanic. When the massive ship went aground off the Tuscan island of Giglio late on Friday, some survivors said the horrendous experience made them think of the stars of the Hollywood blockbuster.

For others it was too close a brush with death, leaving them scarred with memories of panic and hysteria. Following are quotes from survivors as some returned to their homelands: When we were sitting on the side of the ship I said to her now we know what Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet felt like Seamus Moore told the Irish , Times as he and his wife Carol arrived at Dublin airport. And she (Carol) said well at least Kate lived .

The 52-year-old Moore added that it was my rst cruise and my last! I just thought my life was over, getting in that water. I thought, if I dont die from the swimming part, Im going to die from the shock of having to get in it, said Mandy Rodford, 45, arriving at Londons Heathrow airport. She and her husband John had taken the cruise to celebrate their fourth wedding anniversary. The little mermaids got my belongings. The lot! joked Rod-

ford as their stateroom was on the submerged side of the ship. Rose Metcalf, a 23-year-old crew member, wiped away tears as she told how she wrote a note to her mother in case she didnt survive. There was absolute panic. It was just terrifying, I was just trying to keep people calm. People were white, people were crying, screaming, she told BBC television upon her return to England. Im just very, very lucky to be here.

I thought we were going to die. I had already worked on several ships and I quickly understood that we were going to sink, Artur Silva, a 63-year-old Portuguese passenger, told the daily Correio da Manha. Bosnian passenger Sea Alibegovic, hospitalised with injuries, said he looked death in the eyes . Everyone was running around ... and each of us only thought about saving our own skins, his wife Nasima told the Bosnian newspaper Dnevni Avaz.

It is true that some crew members were the rst to leave the ship. I am really shocked by that attitude, Danijel Miklauzic, a passenger from Croatia, told the Croatian daily Jutarnji List, criticising the inability and incapacity of the crew. As the Costa Concordia cruise ship took on more and more water, Roger Pols, 63, of Belgium said that he heard one of the crew members say, speaking to himself, Shes going down .

That meant that the boat was lost. Hearing that made us afraid. Pols also told the Flemish newspaper Het Laatste Nieuws that in the confusion he got separated from his partner, Ivonne Adriaensens, 63. But on arriving in the early hours of Saturday on the island of Giglio, Adriaensens recalled: Among the thousands of passengers who had been rescued, we found each other again. Adriaensens added: It is a moment that we will never forget.

Hope fades in search for survivors

Reuters Giglio Island, Italy

Environmental disaster risk if ship fuel leaks

As the Costa Concordia shifted dangerously yesterday, Italys environment minister raised the prospect of an environmental disaster if the 2,300 tonnes of fuel on the half-submerged cruise ship leaks. The ships fuel tanks were full, having just left the port of Civitavecchia, north of Rome, for a week-long Mediterranean cruise, when it ran aground on Friday. The area were the ship capsized, off the island of Giglio, is a natural maritime park noted for its pristine waters, varied marine life and coral. It is known worldwide as an excellent diving site. The environmental risk for the island of Giglio is very, very high, Environment Minister Corrado Clini told reporters in Rome. The aim is to prevent the fuel leaking out of the ship. We are working to avoid this. It is urgent and time is running out. The 290m-long ship is resting on an undersea ledge in 15-20m of water but salvage workers fear it could slip down the slope, which falls away sharply into much deeper water. The ship is carrying heavy fuel, or bunker fuel. Because of its density, it is harder to pump out unless it is heated or diluted. Environmental groups have for years been asking that huge ships be banned from coming too close to the Tuscan archipelago, made up of the islands of Giglio, Montecristo, Pianosa, Elba, Capraia and Gorgona. These monstrous floating cities pollute the scenery with their very presence and the rivers, seas and cities where they stop with the refuse that they produce, said Alessandra Motola Molfino, national president of Italys national conservation group, Italia Nostra (Our Italy). The disaster of the Costa Concordia unfortunately proves the unsustainability of the type of tourism that exploits and tramples on Italys beauty and cultural heritage and does not produce any growth or wellbeing, Molfino told Reuters. Salvage companies are already in place to try to remove the fuel after surrounding the vessel with a floating barrier. Dutch maritime services company Smit has been asked by the ships owner Costa Cruises, and insurer to pump out oil and clean it up if it started leaking. A salvage expert on Giglio, who asked not to be named, said that the ship was definitely moving. He said that it appeared to be held firm by points of rock which had pierced the hull, but with the rougher sea there was a risk it could break free, which he said would be a big problem.

escuers resumed a search of the hulk of a giant cruise liner off the west coast of Italy yesterday after bad weather forced them to halt operations, but hopes were fading of nding more survivors. Worsening weather and heavy seas earlier made the wreck slip on the rocky underwater slope where it is lodged off the island of Giglio and rescue teams were evacuated. But they returned to work after several hours, seeking up to 16 missing people out of the 4,200 who were aboard. Six bodies have been found so far. Fireghters spokesman Luca Cari said there were still small movements but they were not considered dangerous. However, night-time searches would be suspended from now on. Another senior reghter, Luciano Roncalli, told Reuters that all the areas of the part-submerged liner that are above water had now been searched, indicating faint hopes of nding more survivors. Earlier search teams recovered a sixth body from the 114,500-tonne Costa Concordia,

which was holed by a rock late on Friday and rolled onto its side just off the coast of the picturesque port. The giant, multi-storey liner had about 4,200 passengers and crew on board, though some uncertainty about the numbers means it is unclear just how many are unaccounted for. The vessels captain, Francesco Schettino, was arrested on Saturday. He is accused of manslaughter and abandoning his ship before all those on board were evacuated. The chief executive of the ships owners, Costa Cruises, yesterday blamed human error by Schettino for the disaster. Pier Luigi Foschi told a news conference the company would provide its captain with any assistance he required. But we need to acknowledge the facts and we cannot deny human error, he added. These ships are ultra-safe. It is an exceptional event, which was unforeseeable, he said, ghting back tears. The calm weather which since Friday has aided the rescue and search of the wreck, one of the biggest ever of a passenger ship, took a turn for the worse with rougher seas and a light drizzle falling.

A handout photo provided by divers of the Italian Financial Police (Guardia di Finanza) shows an underwater image taken of the Costa Concordia.

Forecasters said worse was coming. A salvage expert on Giglio, who asked not to be named, told Reuters that the ship was clearly moving after being held in place by sharp points of rock that had pierced the hull (see accompanying report). Rougher seas could break it free, which would be a big problem he said. , Cari of the re brigade said the rescuers could hear no noises from possible survivors inside the half-submerged ship. Obviously the more time passes, the less possibility there is of nding anyone alive, he said. Cruise company chairman Foschi said Schettinos actions had caused the accident and were contrary to company rules. The captain denies being too close to the coast and says the rock he hit was not marked on charts. His lawyer, Bruno Leporatti, said that Schettino was overcome and wants to express his greatest condolences to the victims . But he said Schettinos actions in anchoring the ship at one end to swing it closer to the shore after the collision, saved the lives of thousands of people . It could have been an enormous tragedy, Leporatti added. The disaster occurred as passengers were sitting down to dinner on Friday night, triggering panic with thousands jostling to get on lifeboats and some leaping into the icy sea. Investigators say the vessel was much too close to the shore and residents say its course was much nearer land than usual. The father of the ships head waiter told Reuters that his son had telephoned him before the accident to say the crew would salute him by blowing the ships whistle as they passed close by Giglio, where both the waiter, Antonello Tievoli, and his 82-year-old father Giuseppe live. The ship obviously came too close, the elder Tievoli said. I dont know if Antonello asked

Above: The Le Scole three rocks off Giglio Island, around 150m from the coast, where it is believed the Costa Concordia ship sailed into. Right: The Costa Concordia lies near the harbour of Giglio Island. the captain to come near, but the responsibility is always the captains. Passengers say there were long delays in sending an SOS and organising the evacuation of those on board and this had resulted in chaos. More than 60 people were hurt. Italian passengers told newspapers they used their mobile phones to call the Carabinieri police in the city of Grosseto on the mainland to raise the alarm, while the crew were still insisting to them that there was only an electrical fault. Three people, a South Korean honeymoon couple and a crewman, were rescued on Sunday and police divers also found the bodies of two elderly men, still wearing life vests. The bodies of two French tourists and a Peruvian crewman were found on Saturday. The vast hulk of the 290m vessel, lying on its side, loomed over the little port of Giglio, which sits on the island of the same name in a maritime nature reserve off the Tuscan coast. A large gash could be seen in its hull but salvage experts said its fuel tanks did not appear to have been damaged, lessening the danger of an oil spill in the pristine waters. A sixth body, that of an adult male passenger, was recovered just before dawn yesterday, ofcials said. Giuseppe Linardi, the national government prefect for the province of Grosseto, told reporters the number of those unaccounted for stood at 16 but that could change slightly as passenger lists were rechecked. He said efforts to prevent an environmental disaster would have to wait until the rescue

was over. The worsening of the weather could create a critical situation, he said. Environment Minister Corrado Clini told reporters: The environmental risk for the island of Giglio is very, very high. Workers from Dutch salvage company Smit said equipment to pump fuel off the stricken liner was being sent by barge but the operation would depend on it remaining stable. The ship is resting in about 20m of water but could go down by up to 130m if it becomes detached from the rocks (see accompanying report). Investigators were working through evidence from the equivalent of the black boxes carried on aircraft to establish the sequence of events behind the disaster, which occurred in calm seas and clear weather.

Carnival Corp, the ships parent company, said it estimated the impact on its 2012 earnings for loss of use alone to be $90mn. Its share price was down around 16% on the London market. Italys defence minister, Giampaolo Di Paola, who is also an admiral, said the disaster did not appear to have been caused by natural or technical factors. In my estimation there was a serious human error, which had dramatic and tragic consequences, he told RAI state television. Prosecutors have accused Schettino of refusing to return to the vessel when asked by the coastguard. Schettino said the ship hit rocks that were not marked on maps and were not detected by navigation systems. He said the accident occurred some 300m from shore.

Human blunders seen at heart of ship disaster

Reuters London

ver-reliance on electronic navigation systems and a failure of judgment by the captain are seen as possible reasons for one of the worst cruise liner disasters of all time, maritime specialists say. Industry experts say modern passenger ships such as the Costa Concordia, that ran aground off Italys west coast at the weekend, are equipped with state-of-theart global positioning systems and collision avoidance radar tracking facilities. Nevertheless, the human dimension is still vital. All these gizmos are aids to navigation and it does not absolve you, as master, from taking responsibility for exercising good seamanship which is constant

monitoring of your position accurately and making reference to all available material including printed charts and the local knowledge of the area, said John Dalby, chief executive with specialists Marine Risk Management. At all times the master is responsible for the safe navigation of a ship, and he ultimately bears the risk responsibility here. The operator of 114,500-tonne Costa Concordia said the captains actions had caused the tragedy in which at least six people died. Dalby said there were also questions about whether there were enough qualied crew with maritime experience on board, rather than staff whose role was in passenger hospitality. In a situation where you are in conned waters, things can happen very, very quickly; faster

than a GPS can refresh or be referred to, he said. Pier Luigi Foschi, chairman and chief executive of Costa Crociere, which operates the Costa Concordia said yesterday that the crew responded adequately given the circumstances in line with the training and instruction they have received . Foschi said the ship had deviated from the correct route when it hit rocks near the coast, tearing a large hole in the hull, and that the captain had contravened company safety procedures. The only thing I can repeat is that was not the ordinary route that the ship was taking at the time, he said. Other maritime experts said a combination of human and technical errors were likely to have contributed. An error chain is where several things have gone wrong, said

Len Holder, former master of the Honourable Company of Master Mariners industry association. Looking at the Herald of Free Enterprise, several things went wrong, none of which should have caused the accident but when they all came up together that is where the problems occurred, he said referring to a car ferry disaster in Britain in which 193 people were killed. UN shipping agency the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) said if necessary it would re-examine safety regulations for large cruise liners pending the outcome of investigations. Cruise ship safety measures are regulated by IMO conventions. It is important to recognise that the last century has seen an astonishing growth in legislation on the safety of shipping, a senior ship industry source said.

Marine accidents are now rare events when the thousands of voyages undertaken annually in often appalling weather are taken into account. Certainly no more regulation is required but a focus on application and compliance may be something that the IMO will consider. IMO secretary-general Koji Sekimizu said the outcome of the investigations should not be prejudged, adding that the agency should not take the accident lightly. We should seriously consider the lessons to be learnt and, if necessary, re-examine the regulations on the safety of large passenger ships in the light of the ndings of the casualty investigation, he said yesterday. Others said the disaster could encourage more rigorous training of crews. In the immediate future af-

termath if there is a higher emphasis on the inspection of cruise ships, that maybe focused towards the training and qualications of the navigating crew and the crew that is assisting with emergency responses in terms of helping passengers, said Ted Thompson, with the industry Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA). Some maritime specialists say the growing size of cruise liners has posed risks in the event of a sinking. The problem with the big ones tends to be getting people off safely if there is an incident, said Holder, who is also chairman of maritime training company Videotel. Industry officials say size was not an issue. Different ships are built for different markets, different routes but every cruise ship is

built to operate or is certied to operate around the globe, said Robert Ashdown, technical, environment and operations director for the European Cruise Council, the umbrella group for cruise companies. These ships routinely face the worst that nature can throw at them, whether its the Bay of Biscay in December or whether its a Caribbean tropical storm or the high seas of the Antarctic ocean. These ships are stable in those conditions and they are safe, he added. CLIAs Thompson said new cruise liners were tted with propeller systems that enabled more manoeuvrability. To actually turn a ship ... is much more quickly done than in the past, he said. This is such a one-off event, passengers can and should feel safe cruising on modern cruise ships.

Gulf Times Tuesday, January 17, 2012

19

EUROPE
GERMANY

Mein Kampf returning to shops

Adolf Hitlers Mein Kampf, banned from German bookstores, will soon be available from newspaper kiosks after a British publisher said he would print excerpts from the text in Germany. But the state of Bavaria, which owns the copyrights to the Nazi vision of Aryan racial supremacy, said it was considering legal steps to block publication. Reprinting the Nazi dictators autobiography, which outlines his ambitions to seize vast areas of land in eastern Europe to provide living space for the socalled master race, is outlawed in Germany except for academic study. The first of three 16-page extracts from the book, accompanied by a critical commentary, will be published later this month with a print run of 100,000 each, Peter McGee, head of London-based publishing firm Albertas Ltd told Reuters.

Putin promises change and warns of new crisis

Reuters/AFP Moscow

AUSTRIA

Honest homeless returns 7,000

Homeless Austrian man Hermann Schleichert had 80 and an empty packet of cigarettes in his pocket on a cold Boxing Day evening when he found 7,000 euros on the pavement. But instead of seeing the cash as a late Christmas present, the 48-year-old, who was staying in a Vienna homeless shelter and hostel for recovering alcoholics, took his find to the police, he told the Kurier daily on Sunday. I picked up the envelope and saw there was a bundle of cash inside. All 500-euro notes! he said. Not even for a second did I think about keeping the money. That would have been theft. The real owner of the money later reported his loss to police and got his cash back but is yet to thank Schleichert, Kurier added.

ladimir Putin has said that he would not plunge Russia into stagnation in a third presidential term but offered stability for what he warned would be a long and painful period of global turbulence. Putin, who ruled Russia since 2000 as both president and prime minister, looks set to win the March election but is facing a growing wave of public discontent after a contested parliamentary vote last month. His critics liken the 59-yearold prime minister, who has dominated politics in both positions and has no serious rivals in the forthcoming vote, to Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev who presided over a period of stagnation in 1970s. In the modern world, stability is an asset which can only be earned by hard work, by showing openness to change and readiness for thought-out, calculated reforms, Putin wrote in the pro-government daily Izvestia yesterday, adding that stability has nothing in common with stagnation . In an article which opponents said was short on specics, he said that he supported neither subversives who want rapid change nor self-satised gentlemen who favour the status quo. Russia was threatened by bankruptcy and disintegration when he took over, he said, re-

ferring to an economic crisis and separatist conicts in Chechnya after the Soviet Unions collapse and saying the current situation would have seemed then like superoptimistic science ction . Now the challenge was to nd ways to boost Russias growth, he said, adding that he knew which of his policies were wrong and needed adjustment without going into details. He made no direct mention of the biggest political protests of his rule by demonstrators who say his rule has been characterised by corruption, weak institutions and nepotism. But he said societys readiness to apply the highest standards of life and democracy to Russia was itself proof of the success of his policies. Fitch Ratings agency downgraded Russias outlook to Stable from Positive yesterday, saying that it was unclear how the countrys leadership will respond to the unexpected wave of protests which increased un, certainty in the country. Tens of thousands of people rallied in Moscow on December 24 and the opposition plans new rally on February 4. President Dmitry Medvedev submitted a bill on the direct election of governors to parliament yesterday in a bid to respond to the protests by reversing a 2004 decision by Putin seen by critics as his most serious attack on democracy. In the current system, the Kremlin chooses new governors from a shortlist presented by the

Putin: supports neither subversives or self-satisfied gentlemen. ruling party. The appointment is then rubber-stamped by the local parliament. The bill proposes instead that registered parties consult with the president on their candidates before their formal nomination something that the opposition has criticised for allowing the Kremlin to lter out unwelcome candidates. The parties will be able to nominate their candidates after consultations with the Russian president, the rules of which will be determined by the president, said the statement. Independent candidates will not consult with the Kremlin but will have to gather signatures in their support, the bill said. Russia abolished direct gubernatorial elections in 2004 during Putins presidency, in a move that was strongly criticised by the opposition. The posts have been lled by presidential appointment ever since. Both Putin and Medvedev have defended the abolition of the elections in the past as a necessary measure to ensure stability against separatism and crime. However the opposition has argued that the measure made regional appointees unaccountable and worsened corruption, while opinion polls have indicated that most Russian people want to elect their governors. Maria Lipman of Carnegie Centre said while reforming one of the most unpopular laws of the past decade is a step in the right direction, it will hardly have any effect on the disgruntled protesters. Irritation and disapproval of Putin as a future president is increasing ahead of the presidential polls, and returning the gubernatorial polls cannot break this trend, she told AFP.

Putin did not mention Medvedevs initiative in what his opponents said was one of several glaring omissions. What is interesting in this article is not what he talks about but what he does not talk about, said opposition politician Vladimir Ryzhkov. He does not talk about a growing wealth gap, capital outows, an increase in corruption and the enrichment of his friends. Putin said he regretted that the pre-election debate focused on political renewal but did not touch on the post-election course, calling for a broad dialogue about the future . Lets rst talk about the election fraud, said opposition Yabloko party leader Sergei Mitrokhin. The society he wants to have a dialogue with is asking precisely this question. He is offering a dialogue about something else, dodging the question. Putin said that Russia would soon be hit by a new global economic crisis and touted his achievements as a crisis manager who steered the country through a time of low oil prices in 2008-09. The world is entering a period of turbulence. This period will be lengthy and painful. There should be no illusions about it, Putin wrote. Alluding to the US and the EU, Putin said the global economic centres generated problems and risks instead of serving as locomotives of development . In a clear reference to the popular uprisings that swept

through the Middle East, Putin said destructive forces were acting in different parts of the world with the help of countries which were trying to export democracy . Putin also appealed to Russias emerging middle class, seen as the driver for the protests, while saying the group, which he estimated at 20 to 30% of the population, should incorporate people like teachers and medical staff, considered to be among his core supporters. The middle class are the people who can choose policies, their level of education lets them consciously pick candidates, not just vote with their hearts Pu, tin wrote, in an ironic reference to the 1996 campaign slogan of his predecessor Boris Yeltsin. Addressing a major criticism of his rule, that Russias economy remains far too dependent on oil revenues, Putin said the initiative of the people should be the main driver for growth rather than oil, calling on Russians to step up self-governance, entrepreneurship and charitable activities. Oil and gas still provide nearly half of all Russias budget revenues and attempts to diversify the economy have been hampered by red-tape and corruption which scare potential entrepreneurs from non-energy sectors. We will lose out if we only rely on decisions of bureaucrats, large investors and state corporations, Putin wrote. We will lose out if we encourage the passive position of the people.

TURKISH CYPRUS

Thousands mourn Denktash

Thousands attended an official ceremony yesterday for Turkish Cypriot veteran nationalist leader Rauf Denktash who died after a long illness. Turkish Cypriots gathered early in the morning outside the hospital where the former leader died on Friday night at the age of 87, with his successor Mehmet Ali Talat and Turkish Cypriot premier among the crowd at the ceremony. Denktashs coffin, wrapped in Turkish and Turkish Cypriot flags, was later transferred from the hospital in northern Nicosia to the presidential palace where it will lie in state.

Cautious optimism at Swiss watch exhibition

AFP Geneva

BELGIUM

Police raid church in abuse probe

New police raids rocked the Belgian Catholic church yesterday, as prosecutors continued an investigation into child abuse allegations. Police seized material from the offices of the Archbishop of Mechelen-Brussels the head of the Catholic church in Belgium and from those of bishops in Antwerp and Hasselt. A previous raid in June 2010 had caused a furore. The Vatican reacted at the time by accusing Belgian authorities of behaving worse than the Communists.

A big Lange and Soehne watch is on display yesterday on the first day of the 22th Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie (SIHH), in Geneva, Switzerland. The SIHH is a private trade fair, reserved exclusively for professionals in fine watchmaking who are invited by the exhibiting brands.

n international luxury watch show opened yesterday in Geneva to cautious optimism despite the economic crisis, with the organiser of the event forecasting modest growth for 2012 after a record 2011. This year the industry is expecting an increase of at least ve percent in exports, according to Cologni Franco, director of Richemont and chairman of the shows organiser, Fondation de la Haute Horlogerie (FHH). I will be happy if the new year results in a net growth of about 5%, he said. The week-long event called the Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie brings together 18 watchmakers including the Richemont Group with brands such as IWC, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Lange & Soehne, Vacheron Constantin, Baume & Mercier, Dunhill, Montblanc, Panerai, Roger Dubuis and Van Cleef & Arpels. Independent brands such as Audemars-Piguet, JeanRichard, Girard-Perregaux and Parmigiani also count among exhibitors. Despite the global economic crisis, Switzerlands agship

watch industry posted a record year in 2011, although it now expects a return to normalcy in 2012 as it builds on the growing markets in emerging countries. The Richemont Group said sales for the third quarter that ended in December ticked up 24% to 2.6bn euros ($3.3bn). Another Swiss watchmaker, the Swatch Group, exceeded annual turnover of 7bn Swiss francs ($7.4bn) for the rst time last year despite the negative effects of a high currency that weighed on sales. While the SIHH is open only to those invited, the Geneva Time Exhibition (GTE), an annual event for the watch, jewellery and luxury market is open to the public. It started at the weekend, ahead of the yearly Baselworld, one of the industrys biggest exhibitions in Switzerland, in March. SIHH 2012 will also host a special exhibition. After presenting pieces from the Watch Museum Beyer in Zurich in 2011, a collection from the Museum of Art and History in Geneva is on show. Previous exhibitions emphasised pocket and wristwatches, but the theme this year is pendulum clocks, represented by a selection dating from the Renaissance period to the early 20th century.

Russian probe meets its end in the Pacic

AFP Moscow

ussia vowed yesterday to expose the officials responsible for the failure of a Mars probe that the military said crashed into the Pacic Ocean after orbiting the Earth for more than two months. The 13.5-tonne PhobosGrunt probe re-entered the Earths atmosphere late on Sunday and was thought to have mostly burned up in an ignominious end to an ill-fated bid to relaunch Russias interplanetary programme. It had blasted off November 9 on an ambitious mission to collect soil samples from Mars largest moon Phobos. But its booster rockets never triggered and the probe lost contact with ground control and spiralled into an uncontrolled descent. Im taking personal control of the investigation into the reasons for the Phobos-Grunt accident, Russias former ambassador to Nato and recently appointed Deputy Prime Min-

ister Dmitry Rogozin wrote on his Twitter account. Russias military space forces said fragments of the probe were believed to have crashed on Sunday into the Pacic Ocean, although there were no reports that its impact had been observed. Space forces spokesman Alexei Zolotukhin told Russian news agencies that the impact site was some 1,250km west of the island of Wellington off the coast of Chile. After remaining silent on the probes fate until yesterday afternoon, Roscosmos said in a brief statement that the probe had ceased its existence in a section covering the southern part of the Pacic Ocean, South America and the Atlantic Ocean . It remained unclear how much of the probe burned up in the atmosphere and whether any fragments landed on Earth. The unmanned $165mn vessel is one of the largest objects to re-enter the atmosphere since Russia brought down the Soviet-era Mir space station in 2001.

Kazakh ruling party wins landslide, observers troubled

AFP Astana

he ruling party of Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev has won a landslide victory with over 80% of the vote in parliamentary polls which observers said failed to meet democratic standards. Two nominally opposition groups won seats for the rst time in the Kazakh parliament after Sundays elections which veteran leader Nazarbayev hoped would breathe fresh life into politics while maintaining stability. But the only clearly anti-government party the All-National Social Democratic Party (OSDP) which failed to make parliament denounced the elections as among the dirtiest ever in Kaza-

khstan and vowed street protests. Nazarbayevs Nur Otan party won 80.74% of the vote in the polls, the central election commission announced. This is our shared victory, Nazarbayev told his supporters after the results were announced. This means that the people of Kazakhstan will continue supporting our course of stability and unity. Nur Otan will be joined in parliament by the pro-business Ak Zhol (Bright Path) party which garnered 7.46% of the vote and the Communist Peoples Party of Kazakhstan a largely pro-government group that won 7.2%. None of the other parties contesting the election in the resource-rich nation broke through the 7% threshold and will remain shut out of parliament.

International observers from the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) said the elections did not meet fundamental principles of democratic elections and had been marked by a lack of transparency in counting, as well as cases of electoral fraud. Genuine pluralism does not need the orchestration we have seen, Miklos Haraszti, the head of the Election Observation Mission of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, said. The OSDP the only force among the parties taking part to be openly critical of Nazarbayev and which polled only 1.59% said that it would change its tactics to street protests from today. These were the dirtiest elections from a moral point of view

that I have experienced, the OSDPs general secretary Amirzhan Kosanov told reporters in Kazakhstans biggest city, Almaty. Tomorrow we will have a protest on Republic Square against these shameful elections. The polls have forced us to change our tactics and these will not be the only protests, he said. The polls were overshadowed by concerns about Kazakhstans stability after December clashes between striking oil workers and security forces killed 16 people in the Central Asian states worst bloodshed since the collapse of the Soviet Union. The anti-government opposition has already alleged that the elections were marred by agrant violations. But Nazarbayev said on Sunday that the polls were unprec-

edented in their transparency, openness and honesty . Western monitors have never before recognised a Kazakh ballot as free or fair an issue that has irritated Nazarbayevs advisers as they position the regions largest economy toward future growth. If Kazakhstan is serious about their stated goals of increasing the number of parties in parliament, then the country should have allowed more genuine opposition parties to participate in this election, said the OSCE missions special co-ordinator Joao Soares. Observers had also condemned the conduct of the April 2011 presidential election that saw Nazarbayev win more than 95% of the vote in a poll where even one of his rivals voted for the Kazakh strongman.

GULF CINEMA: Venicile Vyapari (Malayalam) 2 & 11.30pm; Nanban (Tamil) 4.30 & 8pm. DOHA CINEMA: Nanban (Tamil) 2 & 11pm; Players (Hindi) 5.30 & 8.15pm. MALL CINEMA (1): Attack The Block 3, 5 & 9.30pm; Mission Impossible 4: Ghost Protocol 7pm; The Double 11.30pm. MALL CINEMA (2): EUC (Arabic) 2.30 & 7.15pm; Alvin & The Chipmunks 3 5pm; Tall Dark Stranger 9.30 & 11.30pm. MALL CINEMA (3): Hugo (3D) 2.30pm; The Darkest Hour (3D) 5, 7 & 9pm; Sherlock Holmes (A Game Of Shadows) 11pm. ROYAL PLAZA Cinema Palace (1): The Darkest Hour (3D) 2.30, 7 & 9.15pm; Hugo (3D) 4.30pm; Sherlock Holmes (A Game Of Shadows) 11.15pm. ROYAL PLAZA Cinema Palace (2): Elephant White 3, 5 & 11.30pm; Mission Impossible 4: Ghost Protocol 7pm; Passion Play 9.30pm. ROYAL PLAZA Cinema Palace (3): The Double 2.30 & 11.30pm; Trespass 4.30pm; Tall Dark Stranger 7 & 9.15pm. CINEMA LANDMARK (1): Attack The Block 3 & 7pm; Alvin & The Chipmunks 3 5pm; Passion Play 9 & 11.15pm. CINEMA LANDMARK (2): Hugo (3D) 2.30pm; Sherlock Holmes (A Game Of Shadows) 5pm; The Darkest Hour (3D) 7.30, 9.30 & 11pm. CINEMA LANDMARK (3): Alvin & The Chipmunks 3 2.30pm; EUC (Arabic) 4.30, 7 & 9.15pm; Mission Impossible 4: Ghost Protocol 11.30pm.

20

Gulf Times Tuesday, January 17, 2012

WORLD
DEADLY WATERS COSTLY INTERVENTION RANSOM PAID CAFFEINE ISSUES PAYING TRIBUTE

South African swimmer is mauled and killed by shark

A South African man was killed by a shark over the weekend while swimming at Second Beach in the rural Eastern Cape, one of the worlds deadliest spots for attacks, officials said yesterday. Lungisani Msungubana, from the Transkei region, was bathing in waist-deep water among a crowd of swimmers when the attack took place, said John Costello, local station commander for the National Sea Rescue Institute. He sustained multiple traumatic lacerations to his torso, arms and legs where the shark bit him repeatedly, Costello said. At the clinic medical staff declared the man dead after all efforts to save him had been exhausted, said Costello.

Gillard slams irresponsible anti-whaling activists

Three activists who sparked a diplomatic incident by boarding a Japanese whaling ship arrived back in Australia yesterday as Prime Minister Julia Gillard blasted their irresponsible behaviour. The West Australian newspaper said the men from the Forest Rescue Australia environmental group were escorted back by Australian Federal Police officers to cries of support from a small band of supporters. But Gillard said they should not be treated as heroes despite Canberras firm opposition to Japanese whaling in the Southern Ocean, with the operation to retrieve them costing taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars. The truth is, it has been a costly venture to go and retrieve these three men, Gillard said in Hobart.

Somali pirates free crew of Maltese-flagged ship

Somali pirates have freed the 18-man crew of a Maltese-flagged chemical tanker after the payment of a $4mn ransom, the maritime editor of the Somalia Report said yesterday. Andrew Mwangura, an authoritative source on piracy, said the crew - three Turks and 15 Georgians sailed to the Kenyan port of Mombassa in a tugboat after their release last week, while the tanker, the MV Olib G, was abandoned off the Somali coast. The Greek-owned and -operated chemical tanker was seized in the Gulf of Aden while on its last trip before the scrap yard, according to Mwangura, a former regional maritime official.

Australian experts call for energy drink warnings

Researchers in Australia yesterday called for health warnings on caffeine-loaded energy drinks following a spike in the number of people reporting medical problems after drinking them. Health professionals from the University of Sydneys Medical School and the New South Wales Poisons Information Centre said reports of adverse reactions to drinks like Red Bull and V jumped from just 12 in 2004 to 65 in 2010. The study, published in the Medical Journal of Australia, said the average person affected was 17 years old and that they often mixed energy drinks with alcohol. A can of energy drink may contain up to 300mg of caffeine - compared to an average 65-120mg for a cup of drip coffee.

Cape Verde names airport after Nelson Mandela

Cape Verde has decided to re-name its Praia International Airport after South Africas former president Nelson Mandela, an icon for freedom in Africa, a government statement said yesterday. The decision is a homage to Mandela, who on February 11 marks 22 years since he was released from prison, where he had spent 27 years for his struggle against the apartheid regime in South Africa. Giving Nelson Mandelas name to the capitals airport is a gesture to underline the calling of a Cape Verdean nation which is open to the world, and historically linked to mixed-race people and dialogue between cultures, said the government statement. The island-nation said the decision also marked an important step in bilateral relations with South Africa.

Nigerian president cuts petrol price in standoff

Oil production so far unaffected; unions suspend strike after government deploys military to prevent further protests
Reuters Abuja

SAs Malema likely to lose ANC appeal

Reuters Johannesburg

igerian trade unions yesterday called off strikes and protests, pulling Africas top oil producer back from a major confrontation after President Goodluck Jonathan announced a cut in petrol prices by a third. His move partially reinstated a fuel subsidy, the scrapping of which was a key policy of Jonathan and his economic team. But it slashes the cost of the benet to the government and leaves open negotiations to phase it out again later. Jonathan said xing the litre price at 97 naira ($0.60) was a short-term response to ease hardships. In the past eight days through strikes, mass rallies, shutdown, debates and street protests, Nigerians demonstrated clearly that they cannot be taken for granted and that sovereignty belongs to them, Abdulwahed Omar, president of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), said during a press conference. Labour and its allies formally announce the suspension of strikes, mass rallies and protests across the country. The strikes paralysed Africas second-largest economy last week and the oil workers union had threatened to shut down its 2mn barrel a day production. Jonathan met union leaders late on Sunday in search of a compromise to end the strikes but he said later the talks had yielded no tangible result and he would pursue a policy of removing subsidies which he says breeds waste and corruption. The government will continue to pursue full deregulation of the downstream petroleum sector. However, given the hardships being suffered by Nigerians, and after due consideration and consultations ... the government has approved the reduction of the pump price of petrol, he said in a national broadcast. Residents of Nigerias biggest city Lagos reported soldiers in the streets in an apparent security move to contain any further protests. It remains unclear whether the government will be able to keep the lid on the wider public anger unleashed by the subsidy protests, which is rooted in years of frustration at corrupt and incompetent governance. A few hundred protesters chanting solidarity forever tried to continue protesting in Ketu, on the outskirts

The commander of troops monitoring the protest, Lieutenant Colonel A A Alabi, tries to calm protesters in the Ojota district of Lagos. Nigerian security forces fired tear gas and shot into the air earlier in the day to disperse around 300 protesters in Lagos as authorities moved to prevent demonstrations in various parts of the country. of Lagos, but were blocked by armed riot police and soldiers. He cant just set the price unilaterally at 97 naira per litre. Thats not listening to the voice of the Nigerian people. Were not stupid and he shouldnt treat us as if we dont know whats going on, said IT con sultant Mavila Sadiq. When a price cap of 65 naira ended on January 1, pump prices more than doubled, to 150 naira. The new cap of 97 naira still represents a 50% price increase since January 1. Analysts said the unions reckoned that Jonathan, having a made a large concession, would be unlikely to back down further. Critics of the subsidy cut have urged the government to lower its own spending rst. Jonathan pledged such cuts in his speech, though trade unions are likely to fear that that cost-saving could mean public sector job cuts. There was an implicit threat to the unions in that promise to cut recurrent expenditure, said Kayode Akindele, a director of the Lagos investment rm 46 Parallels, noting that much of that spending was on civil service wages. It will lead to job losses, and thats a big ght for the unions. They dont want to push it too far. He added that the president had salvaged credibility by restoring only part of the old subsidy. Analysts note the protests were only in some parts of the country, as most Nigerians away from the main urban centres have never had fuel at the official subsidised price anyway. Oil output by Nigeria, Africas biggest crude exporter, has not been affected so far by the labour unrest. Global oil prices were boosted by fears of reduced supplies from Nigeria late last week. A serious production outage would push them sharply higher, traders and analysts say. Several people were killed in clashes between strikers and police last week and 600 were treated for wounds, according to the Red Cross. Unions said they wanted the government to bring the petrol price immediately back down to 65 naira, at which point they would cancel strikes and protests and talks could continue. Many economists argue that the subsidy should be dropped because it was wasteful and open to corruption. Protesters have countered that position by asking the government to work harder to tackle graft and waste before rescinding public benets. Jonathan gave approval on Sunday night for an investigation and Oil Minister Diezani Alison-Madueke said she had written to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission inviting the regulator to examine the subsidy procedure. The state oil company NNPC and fuel regulators have come under re for lacking transparency and for mismanagement, including in a report compiled by international accounting rm KPMG. Alison-Madueke pledged to review such reports, although some analysts question the ministrys good faith in doing so. The KPMG report has been on your desk for over a year. So why now? said Akindele said of the oil minister. The president might have to sacrice somebody, and it might have to be the petroleum minister. Nobody has said anything in support of her. Alison-Madueke said she would meet legislators in the next week to seek progress towards passing a wide-ranging Petroleum Industry Bill that has been stuck in parliament for years, costing Nigeria billions of dollars in lost investment. Africas most populous nation holds the worlds seventh largest gas reserves but its infrastructure only provides enough power to run one medium-sized European city, meaning most of the countrys 160mn people live without electricity.

he appeal that will decide the future of South African rebrand Julius Malema starts next week, with analysts saying it will likely uphold a ve-year suspension from the ruling party that would send the youth leader into the political wilderness. Malema, who rose to prominence with calls to nationalise mines and seize white-owned farm land, is ghting for his political life after an African National Congress (ANC) disciplinary committee in November found him guilty of bringing the party into disrepute and expelled him for ve years. The appeal will begin on January 23, a senior ANC official said yesterday. Malema is also facing a criminal probe that is looking into his nances. He has been able to stay in the party pending the appeal. If the panel made up of senior ANC officials upholds the previous sentence, Malema would be stripped of his position as president of the ANC Youth League and ostracised by the party dominates politics in Africas largest economy. Analysts expect the appeal panel to uphold the previous decision and Malema has said he sees himself as nished politically The panels de. cision is expected in the next few weeks. Malemas fate has been increasingly tied to President Jacob Zuma, whose path to re-election as leader of the ANC at the end of this year could be blocked if the party rebel, an ANC power-broker, is still in the movement. Malema has become one of the most prominent critics of Zuma, voicing the concerns of factions in the party frustrated with what they see as ineffectual leadership. Major ratings agencies are also worried about the way things have been going. Fitch, last Friday, and Moodys a few months ago downgraded the outlook for South Africa, saying Zumas government has not done enough to tackle structural problems including chronic unemployment, growing state debt and a broken education system. Political risk featured heavily in the decisions, said Razia Khan, head of Africa research at Standard Chartered. Ratings agencies appear to be looking at the longer term weak growth trajectory in South Africa, the economic progress that isnt being made, especially with job creation, and assuming on that basis perhaps more political risk than might be currently justied, Khan said. If Zuma wins re-election as head of the ANC, he is almost certain to be its nominee for the 2014 presidential election. Given the ANCs stranglehold on politics, its candidate is virtually guaranteed to win the race. The ANC disciplinary panel said in its decision Malema had fostered divisions in the party that has ruled since the end of apartheid in 1994. The panel also said he brought the party into disrepute for calling for the overthrow of the elected government of neighbouring Botswana. Malemas calls for radical economic transformation have won him support from millions of poor who feel they have been left behind in the countrys economic and social advancements. His plans to take over mines in the worlds largest platinum producer have also worried economists who said they would bankrupt the state. Analysts see little chance of Malema trying to form his own political party after the failure of the opposition COPE party formed amid much fanfare about four years ago by defecting highprole ANC members. COPE has since become a minor party struggling to survive.

Sirleaf takes oath at lavish ceremony

AFP Monrovia

On top at the bottom of the world!

iberias Nobel peace laureate Ellen Johnson Sirleaf was sworn in yesterday in a lavish $1.2mn ceremony after her disputed re-election in the nations second post-war polls. The 73-year-old grandmother took the oath administered by the countrys Chief Justice Johnnie Lewis as thousands looked on from the grounds of the capitol building in Monrovia. Sirleaf, Africas rst democratically-elected female president, managed to appease her opponents on the eve of her inauguration. The opposition Congress for Democratic Change recognised

her win on Sunday after a rocky election and weeks of negotiations. While the government said some 30 heads of state would attend the ceremony, few were visible - among them Guineas Alpha Conde, Senegals Abdoulaye Wade and Sierra Leones Ernest Koroma. US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton attended as part of a whirlwind trip in Africa, and other nations sent representatives. The ceremony, with singing and traditional dances, was to be followed by a military parade and oats representing Liberias 15 counties. Several inaugural balls and receptions will take place in different districts. Congress for Democratic Change candidate Winston Tub-

man boycotted the run-off and called a protest march on the eve of the November 8 poll which turned violent and saw police open re on his supporters, leaving up to four dead. Sirleaf eventually won 90.7% of votes in the run-off, but turnout was low and the opposition then refused to accept her victory. While billed an opportunity to cement a fragile democracy eight years after the end of a 14year conict that killed 250,000 people, the elections showed the nation remained deeply divided. After weeks of negotiations which stalled several times, Tubman called off a protest march planned for the inauguration and announced on Sunday: We recognise that Madam Sirleaf is the president of Liberia.

Adelie penguins move about over an ice bank on Blue Lake near Mawsons Hut in Commonwealth Bay, Antarctica.

Gulf Times Tuesday, January 17, 2012

21

PHILIPPINES/EAST ASIA
PROTEST JUSTICE PEOPLE POLITICS INTERNET

Police charge Lebanese as Bangkok ups security

Thai police charged a Lebanese man suspected of planning an attack in Bangkok after they raided a property yesterday and discovered chemicals that could be used to make a bomb. The US has warned of a serious threat of a terrorist strike on tourist areas in Bangkok and a manhunt is under way for a second suspect who could be hiding in the Thai capital, prompting extra security. The Lebanese man is accused of breaking weapons control law, deputy national police chief Pansiri Prapawat said. We will conduct further investigation into whether he violated any other laws, he said. Ammonium nitrate is commonly used in agriculture, but mixed with other substances can make a bomb.

Thailand king treated for digestive ailment

Thailands frail king, the worlds longest reigning monarch, has been treated with antibiotics for a digestive ailment, the palace said. King Bhumibol Adulyadej, 84, who is widely revered, was diagnosed with diverticulitis, a condition that is relatively common among the elderly and can cause stomach pain. His blood pressure, temperature and breathing were normal, the Royal Household Bureau said in a statement released late Sunday. The king was admitted to hospital in September 2009 for treatment of a respiratory condition and has rarely left since then, aside from a few public appearances including a public speech in early December on his birthday.

Govt to name islands to bolster territory claim

Japan said yesterday it would give names to 39 uninhabited islands, including some near those at the centre of a dispute with China, in a bid to bolster its territorial claim to the region. The Japanese government has been naming remote islets as it tries to verify the extent of the nations exclusive economic zone, Chief Cabinet Secretary Osamu Fujimura told a news conference. We aim to name the remaining 39 by the end of March... which include ones near the Senkaku, Fujimura said. Japan and China have repeatedly clashed over who owns the uninhabited, but coveted, islands known as Diaoyu in Chinese, which lie between Japan and Taiwan in the East China Sea.

Microblogging use in China quadruples in 2011

Use of microblogging in China quadrupled in 2011 compared with the previous year, with nearly half of all Chinese Internet users now taking to the nearinstant service to gather news and spread views, a government Internet think tank said yesterday. Microblogging, or Weibo as it is known in China, allows users to send short messages of 140 characters or less. Twitter, the most popular microblogging platform in the world, is blocked by Chinas censors. Sina Corp and Tencent Holdings both run popular Weibo platforms in China. Last year was a watershed year for Weibo with major events such as the Wenzhou high-speed train crash in July fuelling intense discussion on the platform.

South Korean cattle breeders protest shouting slogans during a rally against the governments cattle prices policy near the National Assembly in Seoul yesterday.

Japans rst reactor stress tests reach key stage

Reuters Tokyo

Philippines chief justice faces impeachment trial

AFP Manila

apans panel of experts is due to review the nuclear watchdogs rst report on reactor stress tests tomorrow in an important step in efforts to rebuild public trust shattered by the Fukushima crisis and restart idled reactors. An official at the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency (Nisa) said it is preparing a report on its findings based on tests run by Kansai Electric Power Co on its Ohi No 3 and No 4 reactors. The panels approval would pave the way for further review by Japans Nuclear Safety Commission, Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda and relevant cabinet ministers. Were organising data and ndings from the past discussions of stress test reports, aiming to discuss mainly the No 3 and No 4 Ohi reactors on Jan 18, a Nisa official said. He said the panel was also expected to look into other test results tomorrow. Those tests, which Nisa will later assess based on suggestions from the panel, concern Hokkaido Electric Powers Tomari No 1 and No 2 units and Shikoku Electric Powers Ikata No 3 unit. The Nikkei newspaper said over the weekend that the watchdog would accept the results of the tests for Kansais two Ohi reactors, but the official, who declined to be named because he is not authorised to talk to the press, would not conrm the report. He said the panel could request more information before approving the watchdogs recommendations. A go-ahead for the two reactors in Japans western industrial heartland would mark a symbolic breakthrough in the governments and utilities efforts to avert a total nuclear power shut-

down before the next peak summer demand season. The government ordered the stress testscomputer simulations of how reactors would withstand severe shocks such as the magnitude 9.0 earthquake and tsunami that ravaged Japans northeast on March 11 -to overcome public opposition to restarting of reactors taken offline for regular checks. But even after reactors win a clean bill of health from safety watchdogs and the governmenta process Industry Minister Yukio Edano has said could take several monthsthe utilities will still need to win over sceptical local communities, which have demanded more assurances about nuclear power plants safety. Before the meltdowns at the Tokyo Electric Powers crippled Fukushima plant that triggered the worlds worst nuclear crisis in 25 years, nuclear power covered about a third of Japans electricity demand. The government is now debating a new energy strategy that will probably entail a gradual shift away from nuclear power and a greater role for renewable, clean energy sources. But it is also keen to bring existing reactors back in operation to avert a power crunch and ease the immediate economic impact. Now, only ve reactors out of a total of 54 remain online, prompting utilities to import and burn more fossil fuels to ll the gap at a higher cost to customers and the economy. The maintenance schedule means that all reactors will be offline by late April if stress tests, a planned reorganisation of the nuclear watchdogs and utilities additional safety steps fail to convince the public. Nisa has said it could ask a utility to run stress tests again if ndings of new seismic or other risks to reactors emerged.

historic impeachment trial of the Philippines top judge began yesterday in one of President Benigno Aquinos boldest yet most divisive moves to tackle pervasive corruption. Members of the 23-person Senate gathered as judges to determine whether Supreme Court Chief Justice Renato Corona should be removed from his post and become the highest-prole scalp yet in Aquinos anti-graft crusade. Renato Corona by his misdeeds is unt to remain chief justice, lead prosecutor Niel Tupas said in his opening address to the hearing, which could last months and seen Aquino accused of overstepping constitutional boundaries. Corona is accused of violating the constitution in his efforts to protect graft-tainted former president Gloria Arroyo from prosecution, while also for allegedly amassing a personal fortune above the limits of his salary. The prosecution will show how chief justice Corona became the crowning glory of the cast of accomplices of the former president, and how he protected (her) interest in exchange for the position of prestige and power, Tupas said. Aquino won a landslide election victory in 2010 on a platform to end corruption which

Philippine Supreme Court Chief Justice Renato Corona (left) talks to his defence lawyers following the adjournment of his impeachment trial at the Senate in Manila yesterday. has plagued the Philippines for decades and which he said worsened dramatically during the decade that Arroyo led the country before him. Arroyo, 64, was arrested in November on charges of rigging the 2007 senatorial vote and is now awaiting trial in a military hospital where she is being treated for what she says is a rare spinal illness. Aquino then marshalled his allies in Congress to impeach Corona, 63, last month, labelling him a rogue magistrate loyal to Arroyo. Arroyo appointed Corona, her former chief of staff, to the Supreme Court bench in 2002, then to the top judicial post shortly before she stepped down as president. Public opinion polls show Aquino enjoys overwhelming backing for his anti-graft efforts and the bachelor president is widely regarded as not being corrupt. However his critics and even some supporters say Aquino has been employing questionable tactics in going after Corona and Arroyo. Some also say that he has dangerously weakened the independence of the judiciary. Corona, who has repeatedly accused Aquino of trying to move the Philippines towards a dictatorship, made a deant speech on Monday morning to hundreds of court employees

who remain loyal to him. I have not wronged the president. I have not wronged the public. I have not stolen anything from anyone, he told the rally at the Supreme Court compound. In an earlier television interview, Corona said only death could remove him from his post. The Philippines has a turbulent recent history of dictatorship, revolutions and military coup attempts, and Coronas strong words reinforced concerns that the impeachment trial may raise political tensions to a dangerous level. However, the military has so far stood behind Aquino, the son of democracy heroes who were pivotal in overthrowing 1980s dictator Ferdinand Marcos. The constitution requires a two-thirds endorsement of the senators, or 16, for Corona to become the rst Philippine chief justice ever to be sacked. So far, only about eight have showed signs they will vote against Corona, and in a political culture where expediency often trumps values, no one in the Philippines can predict with certainty the nal outcome. The varied backgrounds of some of the senator-judges also reect the colourful side of Philippine politics. Among them are Marcos son, the dictators former defence minister now aged 87, two former failed coup plotters, an ex-police chief once accused of murder, three former action movie stars and a comedian.

Vapour leak likely cause of Korean ship explosion

AFP Seoul

outh Koreas coastguard said yesterday a failure to remove fuel vapour from a tank was the likeliest cause an explosion which split a tanker

in two on Sunday and killed at least ve crewmen. The 4,191-tonne South Korean tanker carrying 11 South Koreans and ve Myanmar citizens partially sank about 30 kilometres off the western port of Incheon after discharging its cargo there. The coastguard has rescued ve crew-

men and recovered the bodies of ve more, including one South Korean, two Myanmar citizens and two unidentied victims. A search is still underway for the six missing. We believe that the fuel vapour that remained in the tank is the likeliest cause of the blast, given statements from surviving crewmen and the com-

pany that owns the ship, a coastguard spokesman said. Investigations are still underway to reach a nal conclusion. The crewmen told investigators that the explosion occurred while they were cleaning up fuel residue in the tank, the spokesman said, adding forensic experts were examining the ship.

French FM meets Myanmar regime to gauge reforms

Frances foreign minister held talks with Myanmars rulers yesterday during a visit to assess the regimes reformist credentials as Western powers weigh a possible relaxation of sanctions. A nominally civilian government which took power last year has surprised even critics with a series of reformist moves, including dialogue with opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, released from house arrest in late 2010. French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe said after his talks with President Thein Sein that he was confident the leader is a reformer. Its a certainty. Its enough to look at what he has done in the past few months, he said, describing the president as a wise man, completely determined. A day earlier Juppe said France and the European Union would respond positively and in concrete terms to what he described as significant gestures by the regime. He later said initial changes could be discussed at the EU level in April, including an end to visa bans for regime figures and the granting of lower duties on certain exports to the European Union not subject to sanctions. Juppe is the highest level French diplomat to ever visit the country also known as Burma, long criticised by the West for its human rights record and ruled outright by the military for almost five decades until last year.

Splendid spectacle

Chinas communist party rewards rebel leader

Reuters Beijing

Local residents shop for red and gold lanterns to bring good fortune as they prepare to celebrate the Lunar New Year in Shenyang, northeast China yesterday. Chinese will mark the Year of the Dragon on January 23 with the longest holiday period of the year.

Chinese Communist Party member who led violent protests against land conscation in Wukan has been rewarded by an appointment as village head, a unique move by Beijing as it grapples with thousands of such protests nationwide. On Sunday, Lin Zuluan, 65, was named the new party head of the Wukan village, state news agency Xinhua said. Democratic elections for Wukans village committee could follow, according to state media. Ten days of protests over confiscated farmland and the death of a protest organiser in Wukan drew global media attention as a dramatic rebuff to the stability-obsessed government. For a long time, the villagers of Wukan did not understand their rights, Lin said in a December interview, offering his explanation for the more than four decades of rule by Xue Chang, the villages former Communist Party secretary. The main reason is that the

villagers did not understand the meaning of democracy. Because they didnt know, it was impossible to bring it up, Lin had said. The Chinese government has not issued official estimates of protests and other mass incidents since the mid-2000s. But a number of state-sponsored studies have estimated there were about 90,000 a year in recent years up to 2010. Some estimates put the number much higher. Many times the police and local officials crack down hard on protesters. But in the case of Wukan, the party has recognised that Xue was corrupt. Villagers also accused Xue of colluding with businessmen and selling their land without compensation. Xue fled after large-scale protests by Wukan villagers in September. Lin had been accused by the government of being an illegal organiser in the subsequent protests. But in late December he successfully brokered a deal with his accusers that led village representatives of Wukan to end the protests on the same day.

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Gulf Times Tuesday, January 17, 2012

INDIA
CONTROVERSY PROTEST CRIME POLITICS TRAGEDY

No politics behind UP statue order: poll panel

The Election Commission (EC) yesterday said its decision to order covering the statues of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati and the Bahujan Samajwadi Party (BSP) poll symbol, the elephant, was not politically motivated. It is unfortunate... and the decision was not politically motivated. There was no question of the election body working in proDalit or anti-Dalit manner, Election Commissioner H S Brahma told CNN-IBN news channel in response to Mayawatis angry reaction to the decision. He said the poll panel would issue a formal denial to Mayawatis charges. Mayawati on Sunday lashed out at the poll panel, saying the decision was a reflection of the governments casteist mindset.

Ramdev supporters, Congress workers clash

Supporters of Baba Ramdev and Congress Party workers clashed yesterday after the yoga gurus activists held protests outside the party headquarters, police said. Two Ramdev supporters were arrested, police said. According to eyewitnesses, a group of around 15 Ramdev supporters shouted slogans and blackened the portrait of Congress president Sonia Gandhi on a board outside the party office at 24, Akbar Road around 5pm. As they came to know of the incident, Congress workers came out of the office and clashed with the Ramdev supporters, in full view of the TV cameras and reporters. A Congress leader said that the protesters were planning to disrupt the party press briefing scheduled at 5pm.

Super thief Bunty arrested in Bhopal

Devendra Singh alias Bunty, the most wanted thief in India, has been caught in Madhya Pradesh, police said yesterday. The high-profile thief who has participated in reality TV show Big Boss was arrested on Saturday from a hotel. Bunty was part of Big Boss season-4. The Bollywood film Oye Lucky, Lucky Oye was based on his life. He tried to fool the police by claiming his name was Nepolean and that he was from Nepal. However, the Madhya Pradesh police asked their Delhi counterparts for his finger prints to identify him. Delhi police today matched his finger prints and confirmed that the arrested person is Bunty himself, the police said.

Priyanka returns to campaign in Amethi

After a long break from grassroots politics, Congress chief Sonia Gandhis daughter Priyanka Vadra was back in Amethi yesterday to supplement brother Rahuls efforts in mobilising votes for the Congress ahead of elections in politically crucial Uttar Pradesh. Priyanka, who has campaigned several times in the Congress borough will visit Amethi and Rae Bareli, the parliamentary constituencies of her brother and mother respectively. Though she has no plans to take a direct plunge into campaigning for the assembly elections beginning on February 8, her presence has generated excitement, with Congress leaders confident the three-day visit will give a boost to their mission.

Key suspect in liquor deaths surrenders

Noor Islam Sheikh alias Khora Badshah, the prime suspect in the Sangrampur hooch tragedy in which 171 people were killed, surrendered before a court in West Bengals South 24-Parganas district yesterday, police said. He was sent to 14 days in police custody. The Criminal Investigation Department (CID), which is probing the liquor tragedy, said Sheikh gave himself up at the additional chief judicial magistrates court in Diamond Harbour. At least 171 people - mostly masons, labourers and hawkers died after drinking spurious liquor at shanties near Sangrampur railway station of South 24-Parganas district on December 13-14 last year.

Bullfight, Indian style

Not possible to block content: Internet giants

Leading Internet companies appeal to the Delhi High Court, challenging a lower courts ruling asking them to take down some content
Agencies New Delhi

A villager is pinned down by a bull during a bull-taming festival on the outskirts of Madurai town, about 500km from the southern city of Chennai yesterday. The Jallikattu bullfight is annual event and is part of south Indias harvest festival of Pongal.

nternet giants Google and Facebook told a New Delhi court yesterday that it is not possible to block offensive content that appears on their websites, in a case that has stoked fears about censorship in the worlds largest democracy. Google and Facebook are among 21 companies that have been asked to develop a mechanism to block objectionable material, after a private petitioner took the websites to court over images deemed offensive to Hindus, Muslims and Christians. At the heart of the dispute is a law passed last year in the country that makes companies responsible for user content posted on their websites, requiring them to take it down within 36 hours in case of a complaint. The case was originally led in a lower court, but the companies have appealed to the Delhi High Court, challenging the lower courts ruling asking them to take down some content. The search engine only takes you till the website. What happens after

that is beyond a search engines control, Neeraj Kishan Kaul, a lawyer for Googles Indian unit, told a packed high court hearing yesterday. If you use blocks, which is very easy for people to say, you will inadvertently block other things as well. For example: the word sex Even a . government document like a voter ID list or a passport has the word sex , he added. Siddharth Luthra, a lawyer for Facebook told the court it was not possible for the social network to single out any individual on the basis of religion or views and said the users should be held responsible for content they post. Less than a tenth of Indias 1.2bn population have access to Internet although its 100-odd million users make it the third biggest Internet market after China and the US. Internet users in India are seen nearly tripling to 300mn over the next three years. Despite the new rules to block offensive content, Indias Internet access is still largely free unlike the tight controls in neighbouring China. The high court will resume hearing the case on Thursday, Justice Suresh Kait said. The judge was last week quoted by local media warning the websites of China-style controls if they did not create a means to curb material seen as offensive. Civil rights groups have opposed

the new laws. But politicians say that posting offensive images in the socially conservative country with a history of violence between religious groups presents a danger to the public as Internet use grows. This censorship is totally useless; the government is trying to curb freedom of speech and expression, which is everyones right, Kartik Dayanand, a social media consultant and blogger, said. Anirudh Salve, a content writer, said: Social media provides ultimate freedom space for people who want to express themselves. By snatching this freedom, the government is trying to spoil the basic tenets of democracy, which is not acceptable. Freelance writer Pooja Kapur said: Censoring content on social media sites is totally unjustied. How different would we be from China or Afghanistan then? Others felt there should be some control over the Internet, but only to a certain extent. Vedika Nandan, a model, said: I think censoring of the Internet is good, but to a certain extent. Censorship should be implemented to a certain limit. Social networks are portals to discuss and communicate. But these days people put anything on the Internet, no matter what rubbish it is, said Tullika Batra, a journalism student at Delhi University.

Army chief takes govt to court over age row

IANS New Delhi

n a rst such instance in Indias history, army chief Gen V K Singh yesterday took the government to court over the issue of his age. The general moved the Supreme Court after the defence ministry in December rejected his statutory complaint, requesting change of his year of birth in official records to 1951 from 1950. If the change is not carried out Singh would retire this year. This is the rst time that the chief of the 1.13mn-strong army - the worlds second largest - has taken the government that appointed him to court while still in service. According to sources, the army chief has, in his petition, challenged the rejection of his statutory complaint by the defence ministry and has sought relief from the court on the matter.

The writ petition by Gen Singh comes just a day after the 64th Army Day on Sunday and four days after the combative army chief maintained that the age issue was a matter of integrity and honour for him and indicated that all his options were open. With the writ petition led, the days to come will witness a bitter legal battle. The court, which will take up the petition, will have to decide if it will admit the plea, issue notices to the respondents and may also decide on an interim relief to the army chief if it nds merit in his petition. The government, which appointed him the army chief on April 1, 2010, had stuck to its decision maintaining his birth date as May 10, 1950. As per that appointment order, he will have to retire on May 31 this year. If Gen Singhs plea is accepted and he get another 10 months in service it would alter the succession line.

If his plea to hold his year of birth as 1951 is acceded to, the baton of the chief may pass on to present Northern Army Commander Lt Gen K T Parnaik in April 2013. If he retires according to the existing schedule on May 31 this year, then present Eastern Army Commander Lt Gen Bikram Singh may be the next chief, as he would be the most senior lieutenant general in service at that time. The adjutant general branch of the army headquarters, the official records keeper, holds that his year of birth is 1951. On the contrary, the military secretary branch, dealing with postings and promotions, maintains that it is 1950. The issue had rst cropped up in 2006 when Gen Singh was being considered to command an army corps. Present Arunachal Pradesh Governor J J Singh was then the army chief. The matter was again up for a debate in 2008 and 2010 when he was being considered for promotion as an army commander and army chief respectively.

Ministers Mullaperiyar remark irks Kerala

IANS Kottayam, Kerala

ederal Science and Technology Minister Ashwani Kumars statement that the 115-yearold Mullaperiyar Dam is safe has not gone down well in Kerala with the ruling front ally Kerala Congress (Mani) yesterday announcing its support to a strike called by an anti-dam panel. Government chief whip and senior

KC (Mani) party member P C George said that the decision to extend moral support to the strike call by the Mullaperiyar Action Committee tomorrow has been taken by his partys political affairs committee. It is not only us, almost all parties have extended their support to the call given by the Action Committee. This committee has been on a sit-in protest near the dam site for the past 1,800 days demanding a new dam, said George.

State Water Resources Minister P J Joseph termed as sad Ashwani Kumars remark on Sunday that the dam was safe and there was no need to worry. It is sad that such a statement has come from a federal minister. We feel that our own ministers like Defence Minister A K Antony should speak up for our cause, said Joseph, who rst raked up the dam issue when he said late last year that he cant sleep apprehending that the dam in Idukki district might give way anytime.

Gulf Times Tuesday, January 17, 2012

23

INDIA
Tamil Nadu Roundup
By Umaima Shafiq

CM launches new insurance scheme for poor

Chief Minister Jayaram Jayalalitha last week launched a new health insurance scheme for the impoverished in Tamil Nadu. The Comprehensive Health Insurance Scheme replaces the former Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam governments Kalaignar Kappittu Thittam. The new scheme offers increased benefits like Rs100,000-150,000 health cover per annum for four years that covers diagnosis, pre- and post-operative costs. Families with an annual income below Rs72,000 are eligible for the scheme available at 900 hospitals in the state. Jayalalitha also announced a Rs3.5bn scheme to distribute free clothes to the poor from January 13 through ration shops. In a rare gesture, former chief minister and DMK party president M Karunanidhi has welcomed the new scheme while expressing regret over Jayalalithas decision to convert newly-constructed government buildings into hospitals. The chief minister also announced 500 extra buses for the holiday season.

No rivalry with India, says top Chinese official

IANS New Delhi

Wet, white carpet adorns Kashmir

TNPSC chief resigns over graft charges

R Sellamuthu, the chief of the Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission (TNPSC) resigned over corruption charges in Chennai last week. He submitted his resignation to Tamil Nadu Governor K Rosaiah. The case dates back to two months, when based on complaints of TNPSC secretary T Udayachandran, the directorate of vigilance and anti-corruption raided the office and residences of Sellamuthu and 13 members of TNPSC. They found incriminating documents and unaccounted cash that indicated that Sellamuthu and his colleagues had accepted bribes to recruit their favourite candidates to the commission.

ndian and Chinese officials yesterday held talks to formulate a border mechanism and to resolve their decades-old boundary dispute, with Chinese State Councillor Dai Bingguo rejecting rivalry and predicting a golden period for India-China relations in the days ahead. Dai and Indias National Security Adviser Shivshankar Menon, special representatives for boundary talks, began the two-day negotiations that are aimed at rming up a framework for delineating the border on the map. This is the 15th round of boundary talks between special representatives of the two countries that was set up in 2003 to resolve the festering dispute. Menon and Dai are also expected to work out the details of an accord on the border mechanism that is likely to be signed today. The discussions scheduled for last year were cancelled over a speech in India by Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama. Recently, Menon described the boundary question as a difficult issue and claried that the two sides were in the second stage of the threestage process of agreeing to principles, a framework and nally a boundary line. The second and the third stages are proving to be most difficult as it may involve a swap of territories. The border mechanism will facilitate real-time contact between the foreign office of the two countries in case of intrusions along the Line of Actual Control (LAC). It is aimed at preventing are-ups or mis-

understandings arising out of incursions in others territory that in turns may stem from misperceptions of the un-demarcated LAC. The decision to set up the border mechanism was taken at a meeting between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his Chinese counterpart Wen Jiabai in April 2011. Ahead of the talks, Dai, who is said to be close to Chinese President Hu Jintao, struck an upbeat note on the trajectory of the burgeoning India-China relations and rejected rivalry with New Delhi amid recent differences over a host of issues. While working hard to develop itself, China is fully committed to developing long-term friendship and cooperation with India. It is our genuine hope that India will enjoy prosperity and its people, happiness, Dai wrote in an article in The Hindu published yesterday. There does not exist such a thing as Chinas attempt to attack India or suppress Indias development China will . remain committed to the path of peaceful development, Dai wrote. Underlining the need for closer co-operation between India and China, Dai said: We speak with one voice and enjoy increasingly closer coordination and collaboration in multilateral mechanisms and in tackling global challenges. The inuential Chinese politician and diplomat also rejected rivalry with India. We need to view each others development in a positive light and regard each other as major partners and friends, not rivals. We always need to be each others good neighbour, good friend and good partner, he said.

A boat is seen covered in snow during a snowfall in Srinagar yesterday. A cold wave further tightened its grip on Jammu and Kashmir with most places in the state recording sub-zero temperatures. The icy temperatures have frozen many bodies of water as well as drinking water taps while an avalanche warning has been issued in some snow-bound hilly areas.

Ination slides to two-year low

The RBI is unlikely to begin cutting interest rates at its review on January 24
Reuters New Delhi/ Mumbai

Leader of Dalit party murdered

C Pasupathi Pandian, the leader of a Dalit political party, was murdered as he was relaxing in the compound of his house in Dindigul, about 600km from Chennai, last week. Reports said Pandian died instantly of multiple stab wounds. At the time of the attack, Pandian had sent his round-the-clock bodyguards on errands and his family had been out of station. Pandian, a native of Tuticorin district, was wanted for murder, extortion and other crimes. He had shifted to Dindigul in 1997, after threats to his life. He had survived an attempt on his life in 2006. A day after his murder, three men surrendered.

Chinese official Dal Bingguo walks with Indian National Security Adviser Shiv Shankar Menon in New Delhi prior to their talks yesterday.

ndias headline ination slowed in December to a two-year low as food price pressure eased dramatically, but the central bank is expected to leave interest rates on hold next week as manufactured products ination edged up from November. The Wholesale Price Index (WPI), the main ination gauge, rose 7.47% from a year earlier, slowing from a 9.11% rise in November, roughly in line with the 7.50% increase forecast in a poll. Still, the Reserve Bank of India is not expected to begin cutting interest rates at its review on January 24, though some traders and economists expect it to cut the cash reserve ratio (CRR), the proportion of deposits that banks must keep as cash with it, in order to ease tight market liquidity. From the RBIs perspective, core ination is still elevated, and so we are not expecting any

rate move from the central bank on January 24, said Sonal Varma, economist with Nomura in Mumbai. The RBI left interest rates unchanged last month after raising them 375 basis points since March 2010 to ght ination, as worries about growth in Asias third-largest economy moved to centre stage. The yield on 10-year bonds rose 6 basis points to 8.21% and the benchmark ve-year and one-year swap rates climbed 6 bps and 9 bps, respectively after the data. Traders said the still-high manufacturing ination had reduced the chance of a CRR cut next week. December ination was the lowest since December 2009. Indias economic growth is slowing after a prolonged bout of monetary policy tightening that has seen 13 interest rate increases since March 2010, as well as sluggish investment and weak global conditions. Some analysts expect the economy to struggle to achieve 7% growth for the scal year ending in March after it grew 8.5% a year earlier. With little scal space for government

stimulus, pressure is growing on the central bank to begin easing monetary policy. While RBI officials have conceded that they are concerned about growth, their public comments suggest that the bank isnt ready to take its foot off the pedal until clear signs emerge that ination is under control. Food ination tumbled to 0.74% in December from 8.54% in November, while fuel ination was 14.91% compared with 15.48%, the data yesterday showed. Manufacturing ination was at 7.41% compared with a reading of 7.7% in the previous month, but was up on a sequential basis from November. The rupee fell about 16% in 2011, aggravating fuel ination in a country that imports nearly 80% of its crude requirements. The upward exertion by weaker rupee on manufactured products prices is apparent, said Anubhuti Sahay, an economist with Standard Chartered in Mumbai. The RBI is expected to continue its current practice of buying government bonds in the open market to add cash to the banking system and ease the

liquidity crunch, analysts say. The central bank has bought Rs695bn ($13.5bn) of government debt since late November. The market has been split on whether or not the RBI will cut the cash reserve ratio at its review next week. While liquidity remains tight, the central bank tends to view CRR primarily as a monetary policy tool. I would still think there is a case for CRR cut because of tight liquidity and the scale of liquidity infusion required, but since the RBI has used CRR as a monetary measure, the probability of CRR cut has also reduced after this data, said A Prasanna, economist at ICICI Primary Securities Dealership. Other recent data also give the RBI reason to refrain from easing rates just yet. Industrial output recovered in November, posting its fastest growth in ve months. Manufacturing activity surged to a six-month high in December, while services grew at their fastest pace in ve months. Car sales, after falling for four months, rose for a second month in December, climbing 8.5% from the same month a year earlier.

Memorial to honour Mullaperiyar man

Chief Minister Jayaram Jayalalitha has announced a memorial to be constructed for Col John Pennycuick, the British engineer who built the Mullaperiyar dam in Theni district between Kerala and Tamil Nadu. The memorial will be built on two acres of land near a government office in Theni. It will be ready by January next year. The dam irrigates 2300,000 acres in Tamil Nadu and is now at the centre of a dispute with Kerala state. Pennycuick (1841-1911) served as a member of the Madras Legislative Council overseeing major irrigation projects in India.

India, EU hold talks on trade and security

DPA Bangalore

Shops sealed for 72 days reopen

Bringing relief to customers and shop owners, the Supreme Court has ordered the reopening of 26 major textile shops sealed by the Chennai Corporation for violation of building norms at Ranganathan Street, a busy shopping hub of Chennai. These shops had been closed down for the past 72 days. The seals were formally broken and the shops were allowed to do business for the next six weeks.

ndia and the European Union yesterday held talks on trade and security issues ahead of their summit next month, officials said. EU chief diplomat Catherine Ashton and External Affairs Minister S M Krishna chaired talks in the southern city of Bangalore to prepare for the 12th India-EU summit on February 10 in New Delhi. The meeting covered issues including counterterrorism, climate change and differences over a proposed free trade pact, Indian diplomats said. Krishna said the two sides held useful discussions and committed to intensifying co-operation in diverse elds including trade and investment, energy, science and technology and counter-terrorism. Through our discussions today, we have been able to take stock of what has been achieved in the last one year and prepared on a substantive basis to take our co-operation forward during the upcoming India-EU Summit meeting. Regarding the free trade agreement, Ashton said the pact would take some more time to materialise and the discussions on it would continue, the All India Radio reported. The two sides have been negotiating a trade pact for nearly ve years, but have stalled over tariff barriers and the EUs attempts to include links to the environment and child labour. The EU is Indias largest trading partner with bilateral volume worth $86bn in 2010. That amount is expected to double by 2015 if the pact is nalised.

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Gulf Times Tuesday, January 17, 2012

PAKISTAN/AFGHANISTAN
Fresh push to set up national museum in capital Islamabad
Internews Islamabad

Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani sits with members of parliamentary party and heads of coalition parties (from left) Mir Israrullah Zehri, Makhdoom Amin Fahim, Minister of Commerce and Industries, Asfandyar Wali Khan, head of Awami National Party (ANP), President Asif Zardari, Chaudhry Pervez Elahi, senior cabinet minister and leader of Pakistan Muslim League Quaid (PML-Q), Dr Farooq Sattar, leader of the Muttahida Quami Movement (MQM) party, Munir Orakzai and Khurshid Shah, Minister of Religious Affairs, during a meeting in Islamabad to discuss the Supreme Courts contempt notice against Gilani.

Pakistan PM is found in contempt of court

AFP Islamabad

akistans top court yesterday deemed beleaguered Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani in contempt for failing to re-open corruption cases, exacerbating a crisis likely to force early elections. The Supreme Court summoned Gilani to appear on Thursday, escalating pressure on a weakened government at a time of crippling tensions with the army which some analysts believe could cost Gilani his job. The Supreme Court has issued a contempt of court notice to the prime minister for not complying with its orders, Judge Nasir-ulMulk told the court which met to debate how to proceed on graft charges against the president. He has been directed to appear personally on January 19. The Supreme Court wants the government to write to Swiss au-

thorities demanding that they re-open corruption cases against President Asif Ali Zardari after a previous amnesty expired in 2009. Zardari and his Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leadership have refused to do so, saying the president is immune from prosecution as head of state. We will consult legal experts and take steps which they consider necessary under law, minister for law and parliamentary affairs Maula Bakhsh Chandio told reporters after the court order. In the past, PPP stalwarts have accused the judiciary of overstepping its reach and colluding with the army to bring down the administration before its veyear mandate ends in 2013. Last year, a Swiss prosecutor said that it would be impossible to reopen a case against Zardari since he benets from immunity as a head of state. Supreme Court judges have outlined six options on how to

proceed on graft charges against Zardari - which include nding Gilani in contempt, disqualifying the prime minister and president, and holding early elections. Mulk said he had been left with no option but issue a show cause notice to Gilani after the government ignored the courts demands. It marks only the second time that contempt of court procedures have been initiated against a sitting prime minister in Pakistan. In November 1997, prime minister Nawaz Sharif was also found in contempt in a case which ultimately led to the resignation of president Farooq Leghari. Although the prime minister has little choice but appear on Thursday, analysts are divided on whether he could be convicted, pushed out to protect Zardari or show exibility in order to avert a wider crisis. There is possibility now that the prime minister will be made a scapegoat and he may resign,

said senior lawyer Quosen Mufti. Another possibility is that the prime minister will appear before the court... If he gives the court a commitment on implementation the court can discharge the contempt notice. If not then he may be convicted, Mut added. The prime minister is likely to seek solace in a condence vote in the civilian leadership in the lower house of parliament on Monday. Zardari is also under pressure over a memo soliciting American help to prevent a coup apparently feared in the aftermath of Osama bin Ladens killing in Pakistan on May 2 and to clip the power of the army. Zardaris close aide, Husain Haqqani, has been forced to resign as ambassador to Washington and the Supreme Court on December 30 ordered a judicial inquiry into a memo following a demand from the chief spymaster. The army has carried out three coups in Pakistan, but analysts believe it has no appetite for an-

other direct takeover, instead preferring to force early elections behind the scenes in concert with pressure from the courts. The commission probing memogate is expected to determine this month whether Islamabad endorsed the note submitted to a then top US military officer. The attorney general said yesterday he had been unable to obtain crucial evidence - BlackBerry message data sent between Haqqani and businessman Mansoor Ijaz, who claims to have acted as a go-between on the memo. He said Blackberrys makers refused to release such records without the customers permission. Ijaz, who has American nationality, has not visited Pakistan since revealing the existence of the memo in the Financial Times in October. His lawyer, Akram Sheikh, said Ijaz feared for his life but would apply for a visa in Switzerland, indicating that he could testify by January 25.

he archaeology department of Pakistan is adamant on pushing through with the establishment of a national museum in the Shakarparian area of capital Islamabad, despite heavy resistance. After being shelved for three years by the Planning Commission, National Heritage and Integration Minister Samina Khalid Gurki told the National Assembly on the other day that the project is under consideration again . She said a proposal amounting to $15.1mn was submitted to the Planning Commission for approval on October 14, 2008, but the project was deferred due to nancial constraints in the Public Sector Development Programme. She said that the proposed site for the museum, measuring 8.33 acres, had been acquired from the Capital Development Authority (CDA) three years ago, and an updated proposal will be submitted to the Planning Commission soon. Other stakeholders do not share Gurkis enthusiasm for the project, however. There are already four cultural institutions in the vicinity and the archaeology department could use any one of for the national museum, said a senior official of the Planning Commission. It is a futile exercise, and the planning commission will not support it, he added. The CDA spokesperson also opposed the idea. With Lok Virsa Open Theatre, National Monument and Pak-China Friendship Centre already present, no other similar institute should be established in the vicinity, he said. Environmentalists, too, are unhappy with the proposal, saying that development is already prohibited in the green area of the National Park as per CDA bylaws and the project will only serve to ruin the beauty of the city. Artist and author Fouzia Minallah said that haphazard construction has ruined the beauty of Islamabad. There is no planning of sustainable development in the city, she said, while adding that the preservation of archaeological sites is a more imminent need than opening museums. But I am not denying the importance of museums. A museum is a good idea, but considers the fact that there is not a single archaeological site being preserved in Islamabad. Dr Ashraf, head of Taxila Institute of Asian Civilizations at Quaid-i-Azam University, said that a national museum is needed in the capital city. He said there is no other building suitable to preserve the hundreds of thousands of antiques that needed preservation. He said that Fazal Dad Kakar, as head of the Federal Archaeology Department, is working on the assignment, which is in the interest of Pakistan. Efforts are also underway to preserve archaeological sites in the capital city, Dr Ashraf said. Kakar refused to comment on the issue.

Oldest scholar here gets his doctorate

Internews Peshawar

3 dead in Afghan helicopter crash

AFP Kabul

Taking charge of security

hree people died yesterday when a civilian helicopter contracted to Nato forces crashed in ames in Afghanistans southern Helmand province, officials said. The aircraft had gone down due to mechanical problems, said Daud Ahmadi, a spokesman for the provin cial government. Three people on board died as a civilian helicopter crashed in ames in Nad Ali district near Shora, said a security official on condition of anonymity. Afghan police had earlier reported that a foreign troops helicopter had crashed, and Taliban insurgents claimed they had shot it down. But a spokesman for Natos International Security Assistance Force said the aircraft belonged to a civilian company, which he named as AAR Airlift, which is based in the US. Ahmadi said the helicopter was doing contract work as a supply aircraft for Nato troops.

Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai (centre), head of the Transition Commission, kisses the Afghanistan flag during a ceremony yesterday to hand over security control in Herat. The security of 12 of 15 districts of Herat has been handed over by Nato to Afghan forces in a second wave of transition.

ome term-end and students all over the world anxiously wait to do away with course books. But not Qazi Hazullah. At the age of 82, he is probably one of the countrys oldest scholars to get his PhD degree. Studying and research are my hobbies and I never feel tired of them, even at this age, Qazi said. He successfully defended his PhD thesis on Mullah Ali Al Qaris famous Tafsir Anwarul Quran wa Israrul Furqan on July 28 last year at the department of Islamic Studies at University of Peshawar (UoP). He is currently based in Peshawar with one of his sons, while another teaches at a government university in their hometown in Nangarhar province of Afghanistan. Sporting along, white beard and turban on his head, Qazi appears less a scholar and more a conventional grand parent gure, as the children gathered around tended to look him with a hushed awe of reverence, listening to each word he spoke during the interview. Qazi received his earlier education in religious seminaries and after obtaining his Bachelors in Shariah from Kabul University, he joined the office of judge in Kabul.1 served till the Communists came and quit my job when Babrak Karmal came into power, he said. Later, he relocated to Pakistan. An M.Phil and PhD took him six years to complete. It was a difficult thing to do at my age, he said with a chuckle. He said that he was suffering with arthritis and that was his biggest challenge in perusal. I was unable to move due to the excruciating pain in my legs, but one of my teachers at the department [helped me by giving me lifts in his car, he said. Another challenge for him was taking the GRE, which is mandatory to get admission in PhD; however, it might have been relaxed by the department, as he does not understand English, said a fellow student. During my PhD, I learnt to conduct research and how to reference, he said. However, his doctorate degree is not a means to an end, I shall continue my quest for knowledge even after getting PhD degree.

Pakistan Taliban leader believed killed in drone strike

Reuters Peshawar

he leader of the Pakistani Taliban, the militant movement that poses the gravest security threat to the country, is believed to have been killed by a US drone strike, four Pakistan intelligence officials have said. The officials said they intercepted wireless radio chatter between Taliban ghters detailing how Hakimullah Mehsud was killed while travelling in a convoy to a meeting in the North Waziristan tribal region near the Afghan border. A senior military official said there was no official conrma-

tion that the Pakistani states deadliest enemy had been killed. The Pakistani Taliban issued a denial. US officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, could not conrm his death. If Hakimullah did die, it could ease pressure on security forces, who have struggled to weaken the group, which is close to Al Qaeda and has been blamed for many of the suicide bombings across one of the worlds most unstable countries. But it may not ease violence in the long term in Pakistan, which is seen as critical for US efforts to ght global militancy, most crucially in neighbouring Afghanistan. The death of Hakimullahs predecessor, Baitullah Mehsud,

in a drone strike in 2009 raised false hopes that the Tehrik-eTaliban Pakistan, or TTP, could be broken. Six to seven TTP members were talking to each other through wireless radio in the conversations we heard, talking about Hakimullah Mehsud being hit by a drone when he was heading to a meeting at a spot near Miranshah, said one of the intel ligence officials. They referred to him by his codename. Officials refused to disclose Mehsuds codename. Based on our intercepts, Mehsud was heading to a meeting in Nawa Adda, said another intelligence official. Nawa Adda is a village in the Dattakhel area of North Waziristan.

The Pakistani Taliban said Hakimullah was still alive, but the denial was far less assertive than one issued in 2010 after media reports said he had been killed in a drone strike. There is no truth in reports about his death. However, he is a human being and can die any time. He is a holy warrior and we will wish him martyrdom, said TTP spokesman Ihsanullah Ihsan. We will continue jihad if Hakimullah is alive or dead. There are so many lions in this jungle and one lion will replace another one to continue this noble mission. The TTP launched an insurgency in 2007 after the military began a major crackdown on militants. Fighters were particularly in-

censed when Pakistani security forces stormed the Red Mosque complex run by hard-line clerics in the capital, Islamabad. The government said 102 people were killed in ghting in the incident. The TTP delivered on threats to carry out revenge attacks in Pakistan after US special forces killed Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden in a secret raid in a Pakistani town in May last year. More recently, some senior Taliban commanders said the umbrella group had started exploratory peace talks with the government. But it is not clear if all factions were on board. Hakimullah was not only in danger of being killed by the drone campaign that President Barack Obama has escalated, or

by Pakistani military operations. He and his powerful deputy, Wali-ur-Rehman, were at each others throats and hostilities were close to open warfare, Taliban sources say. Al Qaeda and the Taliban in Afghanistan have been trying to sort out differences between Pakistani Taliban commanders so they can aid their ght against US-led Nato forces across the border in Afghanistan. Any division within the TTP could hinder the Afghan Taliban and Al Qaedas struggle in Afghanistan against the US and its allies, making it tougher to recruit young ghters and disrupting safe havens in Pakistan that Washington says are used by the Afghan militants.

Hakimullah, who has a sharp face framed by shaggy hair and a disarming grin, is considered to be one of the most ruthless Taliban commanders. He is also ambitious. Under his leadership, the Taliban has vowed to expand its violent campaign overseas to hit Western targets. A suicide bombing at a US base in Afghanistans Khost province in 2009 killed seven CIA employees. In video footage released after the attack, the bomber was shown sitting with Hakimullah Mehsud. Shortly afterwards, the US added the TTP to its list of foreign terrorist organisations and set rewards of up to $5mn for information leading to Hakimullah Mehsud or Wali-ur-Rehman.

Gulf Times Tuesday, January 17, 2012

25

SRI LANKA/BANGLADESH/NEPAL

Nepal capital warned of major earthquake

Studies show Kathmandu is one of the worlds high-risk cities, but is unprepared for a high-magnitude tremor
DPA Kathmandu

Zia indicted over trust funds graft

By Mizan Rahman Dhaka

s Nepal marked National Earthquake Safety Day yesterday, experts warned of a major earthquake for which the capital Kathmandu remains unprepared. Studies have shown that Kathmandu is one of the worlds high-risk cities, but is unprepared for a high-magnitude tremor. According to geologists, Nepal is at the meeting point of two tectonic plates, which were responsible for creating the Himalayan mountain range when they converged. This makes it a hotspot for quakes, putting the lives of millions of people at risk. The United Nations and the Bureau for Crisis Prevention and Recovery rank Nepal 11th among

earthquake-prone countries in the world. A study conducted by GeoHazards International, a California-based non-governmental organisation, in 2001 placed Kathmandu among the worlds 20 high-risk cities and most vulnerable to damage by a major earthquake. Kathmandu is the mostpopulated area of the country and home to an estimated 3mn people. Kathmandu stands on soft sediment as it used to be a lake, says Archan Dawadi, a geologist working for the governments mining department. The sediment is made up of clay, he says, and is not solid enough for heavy settlements. You could compare Kathmandu to a bowl of yogurt, the contents of which will continue to shake after you hit the bowl, even though the bowl has stopped moving. Dawadi says the shockwaves passing through Kathmandu could be amplied because the valley is soft and vulnerable.

In 2011, a 6.8-magnitude earthquake struck Nepal, killing eight people and destroying 1,700 houses in the eastern part of the country. Of those families, 700 still live in tents and some in caves as the government hasnt been able to provide them with more permanent shelter.

You could compare Kathmandu to a bowl of yogurt, the contents of which will continue to shake after you hit the bowl, even though the bowl has stopped moving
Kathmandu hasnt experienced a major quake since the 1930s. More than 8,500 people died in a magnitude-8.4 quake in 1934, which destroyed half of the capitals buildings. In 1988, a 6.6-magnitude earthquake killed more than 700 people. It is critical that Nepal gets better prepared, before the next big one that might be much closer to Kathmandu and much more severe, the head of the

United Nations in Nepal, Robert Piper, wrote in the Republica daily yesterday. In recent years, the city has grown rapidly and the uncontrolled construction of high-rise buildings that are not earthquakeresistant is a major concern. There seems to be a tacit acknowledgement of the impending big one, but little is being done to prepare for it. There are no earthquake drills at schools and homes do not have GObags, which contain essential supplies for a short period. For Kathmandu, its not the earthquake but the postearthquake scenario like re or electric-shock thats more threatening since the city is illmanaged, Dawadi says. Kathmandu is a dense settlement with only alleyways separating houses in most parts of the old city, which consists of run-down mud and brick houses. If a major earthquake happens, narrow roads could be blocked, leaving little room for

rescue operations in the old part of Kathmandu, Dawadi says. Things would only be worse if it happened during monsoon when the houses are likely to collapse more easily. Moreover, access to the capital valley is limited. The city has one airport and only three highways that connect it to the rest of the country, which means rescue work could be hampered if these were not functioning after an earthquake. According to the National Society for Earthquake Technology (NSET), if a 7-magnitude quake hit Kathmandu, 200,000 people would die, and about the same number would be injured. Up to 60% of homes are likely to be destroyed and 1.5mn would be left without shelter. NSET and government studies say two-thirds of the capitals structures are not t to withstand a quake of more than 8-magnitude. The UNs Piper wrote: We dont know how many days we have until the next earthquake.

Flights grounded
DPA Kathmandu

ad weather grounded ights at Nepals only international airport yesterday. Dense fog kept planes from landing or taking off at Tribhuvan International Airport. Some international ights were compelled to circle for more than an hour before being diverted to India. Only two domestic ights were able to take off yesterday. Nepal has been receiving heavy snowfall for the past two weeks. Reports said 150 tourists were stranded in Ghorepani in the western part of country.

haka police yesterday led a charge-sheet against opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) chairperson Khaleda Zia and three others in Ziaur Rahman Charitable Trust corruption case. The case was led by the Anti-Corruption Commission on August 8, 2011. Others accused include Haris Chowdhury and his private secretary Ziaul Islam Munna and Monirul Islam Khan, private secretary of Dhaka mayor Sadeq Hossain Khoka. According to the chargesheet, Zia had established the trust after the name of her late husband president Ziaur Rahman in 2001 through her two sons Tarique Rahman and Arafat Rahman Koko, who are also trustees, by abusing power. The trustees mobilised funds worth 78mn taka during the period from 2001 to 2006 from unknown sources. They purchased land at Kakrail at 65.2mn taka but paid 77.7mn taka through cheque to the land owner. This shows illegal transaction of about 12.5mn taka. The actual value of the land was more than 212.4mn taka. The mobilisation of funds from unknown sources, land purchase and transaction of payment were all illegal and punishable under the law, said the charge-sheet led by

Zia accused of abusing power to raise funds for a trust named after her husband. the Criminal Investigation Department. After the current Awami League government took charge, this is for the rst time the ACC has submitted a charge-sheet against the opposition leader. In the event of a guilty verdict, says lawyer Aminul Gani Titu, the accused in such case can be sentenced up to seven years in jail. The money they embezzled may also be seized, he added. A defence lawyer said the BNP chairperson may appear in the chief metropolitan magistrates court on Tuesday to submit a bail order given by the high court. The ACC alleges that money sources, other than BNP party funds, have no legal cover and that Zia abused her office to collect the money from various sources.

Bangladesh lifts amnesty on black money in stocks

Agencies Dhaka

UK to give $350mn
IANS Dhaka

ritain will provide 230mn ($350mn) to Bangladesh for improving quality of primary education and health sector over a period of next ve years, Xinhua reported. The fund will aid the governments Third Primary Education Development Programme to improve the quality of education of 16.5mn children, recruit and train 35,000 new teachers, and construct 30,000 new classrooms. Visiting British Secretary of State for International Development Andrew Mitchell announced this on Sunday, news agency bdnews24.com reported citing a media statement from the British High Commission in Dhaka.

Indias Foreign Minister S M Krishna, third right, and Sri Lankas President Mahinda Rajapakse, centre, take part in a Thaipongal festival in Colombo yesterday. Krishna is on an official visit to Sri Lanka.

Krishna in Lanka on 4-day visit

IANS Colombo

ndias External Affairs Minister S M Krishna arrived in Colombo yesterday on a four-day official visit to Sri Lanka. Sri Lankan External Affairs

Minister G L Peiris received Krishna and the accompanying delegation, arriving from Bangalore, at the airport on a bright sunny evening. I feel delighted to be in Colombo again ... a pleasant climate and its breezy, Krishna told IANS soon after landing at the Sri Bandaranayake Interna-

tional Airport, 15km from the main city. Krishna, during his second visit to the island nation, will take forward a host of bilateral issues and also review the continuing reconciliation efforts between the Sri Lankan government and the ethnic Tamil-speaking mi-

nority in the northern region. The visit is signicant as it is taking place in the context of the reconciliation process between the Sri Lankan government and the Tamil-speaking minority in the aftermath of the over two-decade old strife, an Indian external affairs ministry spokesman said.

Diaspora group says Sri Lankan Tamils want self-determination

IANS Colombo

angladesh has revised an amnesty order that it issued last year to allow black money in stock market. The new order follows stern objections from nancial and security watchdogs. Officials and reports said the National Board of Revenue (NBR) issued a statutory regulatory order (SRO) saying only legally earned yet untaxed money could be invested in the stock market on payment of 10% tax. The existing opportunity on declaring undisclosed income to bring it under formal channel is offered to only legally earned money from known sources, the order said, adding that the order would not be valid for the income earned through any criminal activities punishable under other laws. It also pointed out that the income tax law would not question investment of such undisclosed earning but other laws could be applied for such investment. The government last year revived an old amnesty allowing investment of black money in the bourse in a desperate effort to boost the stock

market that suffered a massive setback sparking widespread street protests in 2011. But the nancial and graft watchdogs severely criticised the decision and the Asia Pacic Group (APG) on money laundering expressed its serious concern over acceptance of the illegally earned money without any question. Finance ministry officials said the APG also warned that it would issue a worldwide public statement and ask banks in other countries not to open letters of credit for Bangladesh Bank unless the provision of allowing the investment of black money was lifted. Officials said undisclosed money includes funds borrowed from relatives or collected from other sources to buy stocks, which are not illegal though such earnings might not reected in ones tax les. But the black money indicates money earned through illegal or criminal acts, one nance ministry official said. The official said the government would allow only individuals and private limited companies to declare the undisclosed income in the share market but public limited companies could not avail the opportunity.

President sets ball rolling for poll panel

President Zillur Rahman has called for the government to form a search committee to constitute the new election commission in Bangladesh. A judge of the highest appellate division of Bangladesh Supreme Court, nominated by the chief justice, will be the convener of such a committee, according to a communication of the Presidents Secretariat to the cabinet division in Dhaka. Other members of the search committee will include the chairman of Anti-Corruption Commission, a high court judge nominated by the chief justice, chairman of Public Service Commission, and the Comptroller and Auditor General. Earlier, the president held talks with a total of 24 political parties including main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) up to January 12. The president began the talks on December 22 last to take the opinions of the political parties to form the new election commission. As directed by the president, a letter signed by presidents secretary M Shafiul Alam has been sent to the cabinet division secretary for necessary measures to form the search committee.

Sri Lankan Tamil diaspora group said yesterday that it will support discussions for a political settlement on the island if the solution alters the structure of governance in the country. The Global Tamil Forum (GTF), which is seen by the Sri Lankan government as an organisation which promotes the ideologies of the Tamil Tiger rebels,

said that Tamil speaking people in Sri Lanka are entitled to the right to self-determination, reported Xinhua. In a statement emailed to the Sri Lankan and international media, the GTF which has offices in several countries but not in Sri Lanka, said that the ethnic conict in Sri Lanka has not ended despite the end of the war nearly three years ago. The Sri Lankan government defeated the Tamil Tiger rebels in May 2009 after 30 years of war but since then has initiated talks with the

Tamil National Alliance (TNA), a key political party in Sri Lanka.

The governance structure of the country should recognise that the Tamil speaking peoples are entitled to the right to self-determination and granting to them irreversible autonomy in the areas of historic habitation
However, the discussions which have failed to see the light of a nal political solution despite pressure from India.

The governance structure of the country should recognise that the Tamil speaking peoples are entitled to the right to self-determination and granting to them irreversible autonomy in the areas of historic habitation. We for our part will support the full implementation of such an arrangement if agreed upon, and urge the international community to encourage the Sri Lankan government to come up with such an acceptable political solution and ensure its genuine implementation, the GTF

said in the statement sent to the media. The GTF has been having discussions with representatives of foreign governments including US and Britain, urging for a political solution in Sri Lanka. The Sri Lankan government, however, does not recognise any statement from the GTF and even boycotted an invitation to attend the celebrations of the 100th anniversary of the African National Congress in South Africa as the GTF was among the invitees.

26

Gulf Times Tuesday, January 17, 2012

COMMENT
Chairman: Abdullah bin Khalifa al-Attiyah Production Editor: C. P. Ravindran

Log out of distractions: Time Out Page 4

The politics of poverty

The world has changed greatly since 2000, when the international community adopted the Millennium Declaration and the Millennium Development Goals
By Erik Solheim Oslo overty is not only about not having enough money. It is also about exploitation and oppression, and about armed conicts and wars that make it impossible to run a business, visit the doctor, or send children to school. In short, poverty is about politics, and the need to devise political solutions to its underlying causes, which involves more than providing money. The world has changed greatly since 2000, when the international community adopted the Millennium Declaration and the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). There has been a major shift in geopolitical power, with countries previously regarded as poor enough to receive aid transformed into emerging-market drivers of the world economy. Power has also shifted in the global political arena, with the global nancial crisis catalysing the emergence of the G-20. If the fight against poverty is to be based on our traditional carbon-

P.O.Box 2888 Doha, Qatar editor@gulf-times.com Telephone 44350478 (news), 44466404 (sport), 44466636 (home delivery) Fax 44350474

GULF TIMES Supreme Court notice may spell doom for Gilani
The chances of early general elections in Pakistan have increased dramatically after Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani was ordered to appear before the Supreme Court for not complying with its orders to re-open cases of corruption against President Asif Ali Zardari. Yesterdays contempt of court notice has come as a hammer blow to the Pakistan Peoples Party government, which was already under re from the nations powerful military over the Memogate scandal in which Zardari allegedly used the countrys ambassador in the US, Hussain Haqqani, to seek Washingtons help in thwarting a coup. Although the PPP made a big show of its showdown with the military, saying an army takeover would be disastrous for the democratic process, it has virtually no chance in a confrontation with the Supreme Court. It is no secret that whenever the politicians fail to deliver on their promises, the military and the judiciarys esteem rises considerably in the eyes of the people. Trapped from both sides, Gilani has very few options but resign and allow the people of the nation to elect a new government. If Gilani and Zardari dont quit they also face the prospect of being disqualified by the Supreme Court. This is only the second time that contempt of court procedures have been initiated against a sitting prime minister in Pakistan. In November 1997, then prime minister Nawaz Sharif was also found in contempt in a case which ultimately led to the resignation of president Farooq Leghari. Although Gilani has little choice but appear in the Supreme Court on Thursday, analysts are divided on whether he could be convicted, pushed out to protect Zardari or show exibility in order to avert a wider crisis. There is possibility now that the prime minister will be made a scapegoat and he may resign, senior lawyer Quosen Mufti said. Another possibility is that the prime minister will appear before the court... If he gives the court a commitment on implementation the court can discharge the contempt notice. If not then he may be convicted, Mut added. The army has carried out three coups in Pakistan, but it has no appetite for another direct takeover, instead preferring to force early elections behind the scenes in concert with pressure from the courts. Cricketer turned politician Imran Khan, who leads the Tehrik-e-Insaaf (Movement for Justice) Party, has emerged as a strong contender for the prime ministers post over the past few months, judging by the massive support he has received in rallies across the country. According to some experts even the military wants Khan to be the prime minister, and although he has denied reports that he enjoys any support from the army top brass, it is common knowledge that nobody comes to power in Pakistan without the generals backing. Going against Gilani and Zardari is also the fact that their reign has hardly come as a boon for the people after Pervez Musharraf left the scene. Rampant corruption, unemployment, terrorist attacks, power shortages etc have left the population totally disillusioned and demoralised. A change, therefore, is what they need at the moment. And they dont seem to care how it comes.

heavy growth path, the climate consequences will be devastating, even if the richer parts of the world were to get rid of all emissions today. The result would be floods, drought, dramatically reduced food production, and a great loss of our precious biodiversity. All of this would obviously lead to a dramatic increase in poverty around the world, but, as always, the poorer countries would be the hardest hit. Yet not to ght poverty is perhaps a worse option still. Not providing proper access to energy would mean not only denying a billion people their basic needs and rights, but also that more wood will be chopped down for rewood, resulting in deforestation and desertication. Rich countries engagement in the ght against global poverty has always been based on justice and a moral imperative. But our experience during this rst decade of the 21st century has made it clear that ghting poverty is also necessary for a secure future. As Norways minister for both the environment and development since 2007, I meet with other countries ministers with both portfolios, and it has come as a shock to see how the two groups lead such separate lives. Each has its own important agenda, its own analysis of the challenges ahead, its own strategic plans, and literally its own language. While each recognises the importance of the others agenda, unless they talk and act together, neither groups goals will be achieved. Meanwhile, global climate negotia-

tions now the most important forum where development and environment experts and decision makers meet have proven that the era of Western global hegemony has passed. The so-called developing world contains something that we want: huge untouched rainforests that are vital to our future existence. These countries are able to choose a different technological path to growth, one based on low-carbon strategies and green principles. It is a path that we desperately need them to choose, but one that also means greater negotiating power for poorer countries than we have ever seen. It will be challenging, but maybe also healthy for our common future. The amounts needed for development, peacekeeping, and climate adaptation and mitigation will be enormous, and we have been debating for years the appropriate level of aid. But, although aid is important, public funding from the developed countries can never be enough, even if we were to full all our pledges. Over the last decade, innovative nancing has become the new buzzword, and not just for development. As part of the climate negotiations, new mechanisms for mobilising funds are being suggested, with levies on air travel and taxes on nancial transactions perhaps the best known. Such funding schemes great innovation is that the richest people would pay, regardless of their own countrys economic position. But the most important of all

financial flows are the illicit funds that pour out of so many developing countries, which the Tax Justice Network estimates to be around 10 times the development aid that they receive. Much of this money comes from cross-border financial transactions linked to illegal activities, with profits from organised crime and the trafficking of drugs, weapons, and human beings accounting for a substantial proportion. Moreover, while large sums disappear through fraud, corruption, bribery, smuggling, and money laundering, the largest share of illicit financial flows is related to commercial transactions, often within multinational companies, for the purpose of tax evasion. These ows are made possible mainly by tax havens, so the ght against global poverty should also be a ght against them. Tax havens make economic crime more protable, and the only way to ght them is to adopt global agreements on transparency in nancial transfers, which should also cover companies on a country-tocountry basis. We must be careful not to fool ourselves into believing that the MDGs can be achieved through development aid alone. The wider politics of poverty must be placed at the top of the international agenda, along with the three factors most critical to development: climate, conict, and capital. - Project Syndicate Erik Solheim is Norways Minister for Development and Environment.

Early elections likely as PPP finds itself sandwiched between the military and judiciary

Egypts revolution has been misread

Tahrir was not about ushering in a US-style political campaign, and Egypts parliament is not a touchstone of the future
By Khalid Abdalla Cairo battle cry and not a description; it choked in experts throats. Ten months later, the worlds media poured back into Egypt to cover the spectacle of elections. But, barely settled into their hotel rooms, they found themselves covering major street battles yet again. The thousands of protesters had reappeared, ghting to the death against live ammunition and fatal levels of teargas, while Tahrir turned into the biggest eld hospital on earth. The revolution seemed once again to have found its voice. It called not for elections, but for the military to step down. Nevertheless elections came, following days of predictions that they would be postponed. Tahrir emptied almost as quickly as it had lled up. The Islamists were upon us, and all observers could talk about was how the Salas had blindsided everyone. A milestone in democracy and progress had turned the future Islamic green. An article in the Guardian talked of the revolutions secular liberal fantasy . On January 23 parliament will hold its rst session. The 99% who enter its doors will be men. The 1% will be women. So beware anyone who wants to read Egypts parliament as a touchstone of the future. If ever there was a sign ripe for misreading it would be this one. The countrys representative body is ideologically skewed, incoherent at best, and overwhelmingly gendered. Only a month ago the army was hurling everything from rocks and old crockery, to satellite dishes and office cabinets on protesters from the roof of the parliament building. There are three main poles of power in Egypt: the army, the Islamists and the revolution. No single event is powerful enough to obliterate the inuence of any one of them. Only time can. The real question is: whose ideology is most resilient? In interpreting the last year, too many people have read events as if, following massive social upheaval, everything turns into an Americanstyle political campaign. They talk as if the most important question facing Egypt is who will be clever enough to make the right moves to replace Mubarak and take control of parliament. If thats how you read social change, then yes, the revolution has failed, quite wilfully. Indeed, it never had a chance. The dice were heavily loaded even before the rst person looked around them and thought: Is this really happening? But what began on January 25 last year was not a political campaign, it was a country awakening. Over the last year, the streets have had the power to inspire generations, to topple cabinets, prime ministers and a president, to move political roadmaps, to force a cultural shift in the police state and deeply threaten the army. Time and again battles have been fought by citizens of conscience willing to die for their principles, or go to prison. For the rst time since 1919 thousands of women have appeared on Egypts streets, marching as a bloc. As people take their seats in parliament on January 23, deep down they will know that it is blood that got them there. You can be sure that every person who has died will have chanted the words: Bread. Freedom. Social justice. Those who have lost their eyes, been tortured, or wounded, continue to do so. So until the country feels those words can rest in balance, expect Egypt to remain turbulent. If the Islamists can bring that future in one choppy parliament, expect the future to be theirs, deservedly. But presuming they cant; it will be civil society that writes the future, as the street nds ways to organise itself and build its vision. - Guardian News and Media

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ince the very beginning, the Egyptian revolution has been misread. At its dawn, people said it could never happen. Within days it had become the ame to Tunisias spark. The euphoria brought with it successive uprisings in the region, and an international movement that re-appropriated the word occupy . But only two weeks after Hosni Mubaraks fall, Egypts army feted for helping to oust him was violently clearing the square. Torture and thousands of military trials followed, protest was criminalised in law, and nally protesters were crushed to death by armoured personnel carriers that the army astonishingly claimed through state media were stolen by revolutionaries. The word revolution became a

Gulf Times Tuesday, January 17, 2012

27

A life less ordinary...: Time Out Page 11

COMMENT

Behind the ECBs wall of money

The ECB is the only institution in the EU that is able to provide unlimited funding to governments
By Benedicta Marzinotto Brussels hroughout the crisis period, the European Central Banks behaviour has been conditioned by the tension between what it can do and what it is allowed to do. The ECB is the only institution in the European Union that is able to provide unlimited funding to governments, but its governing statute prohibits government bailouts. Nonetheless, the ECB has provided large amounts of liquidity to the nancial system, indirectly softening the pressure on government debt renancing. For 18 months, it has been buying government bonds worth more than 200bn ($254bn) on secondary markets under its Securities Market Programme. Moreover, it has provided loans to the banking sector, recently launching a three-year renancing operation that generated demand from eurozone banks for 489bn. In his early December address to the European Parliament, ECB President Mario Draghi stressed his commitment to unlimited support of banks to avert the risk of a credit crunch. The wall of money unleashed by the ECB just before Christmas should be seen as a measure matching that commitment. Draghi left it up to national banks to decide whether to use the liquidity to buy high-yield government bonds. French President Nicolas Sarkozy and Frances central bank (a member of the ECB) were less timid; they urged Italian and Spanish banks to buy their

governments debt. The political logic behind such a plea is straightforward. If the banks proceed with purchases of their own government bonds, all public debt will be progressively renationalised, along with loans to the private sector, which undercapitalised banks have recently been providing only locally. The so-called Sarkozy carry trade is no solution to the systemic consequences of a sovereign-debt meltdown, but it would resolve a politically delicate situation, in which vulnerable eurozone governments hold foreign banks in just few countries to ransom. Greece taught France a lesson. Worryingly, the evidence so far is that banks have not used the cash, instead parking it at the ECB. The banks overnight deposit facility rose from 250bn to 400bn just after the extraordinary renancing operation and to 480bn in recent days. That behaviour reects banks uncertainty, but leavi4ng the money with the ECB is a loss-making operation that cannot be sustained indenitely. Sooner or later, the banks will use the cash. The question is how. Banks immediate interest is to adjust to the new capital requirements and restore their balance sheets to nancial health, which implies that they will use the ECB money in a way that enables them to meet this objective most cost effectively. So, for example, if they use the cash to continue nancing the private sector, they will ensure that loans go to creditworthy customers. This means that, like credit provided by Italian and Spanish banks over the last several months, most of the new cash will be lent locally to safe households and large established rms. That will allow bank markets to continue functioning, but it is unlikely to inject the type of stimulus that European economies now require. The alternative is the one urged by

Sarkozy and the Banque de France: purchases by Europes banks of their countries government bonds. Of course, it is difficult to imagine that banks will use all of the money to buy the same assets that some of them have been trying to sell over the past few months. But that does not mean that they wont buy any of them. In fact, some of the 489bn already has been used for that purpose. This should not come as a surprise. Italian and Spanish banks, which

received funds from the ECB at a very low rate, can prot greatly from the high yields that their governments bonds now offer. These investments can stabilise nancing for governments while strengthening banks balance sheets. There is a caveat, though. Banks have bought only short-term assets, mainly with maturities of about three years (to match their liabilities with the ECB). This means that there is no appetite for supporting governments

beyond what the ECB itself is willing to do. More importantly, the ECB is de facto the lender of last resort, while foreign banking systems are sharply reducing their exposure to risks abroad. The ECBs wall of money is likely to support the real economy only mildly. By contrast, if banks use the money now parked at the ECB to continue buying short-maturity government bonds, that wall of money would have a large impact on eurozone countries

nancial inter-linkages. Instead of falling on foreign banks in just a few exposed countries, a default would land mostly on the ECBs balance sheet, whose losses are distributed to all eurozone central banks a soft form of debt socialisation that may well prepare the ground for Eurobondtype solutions. - Project Syndicate Benedicta Marzinotto is a research fellow at Bruegel and Lecturer in Political Economy at the University of Udine.

Dont blame ratings agencies for turmoil

Europe and the eurozone are strangling themselves with a toxic mixture of austerity and a structurally awed nancial system
By Ha-Joon Chang London ven the most rational Europeans must now feel that on Friday the 13th is an unlucky day after all. On that day last week, the Greek debt restructuring negotiation broke down, with many bondholders refusing to join the voluntary 50% haircut that is, debt write-off scheme, agreed last summer. While the negotiation may resume, this has dramatically increased the chance of disorderly Greekdefault. Later in the day, Standard &Poors, one of the big three credit ratings agencies, downgraded nine of the 17 eurozone economies. As a result, Portugal pulled off the hat-trick of getting a junk rating by all of the big three, while France was deprived of its coveted AAA rating. With Germany left as the only AAA-rated large economy backing the eurozone rescue fund (the Dutch economy, the second biggest AAA economy left, is much smaller than the French economy) the eurozone crisis looks that much more difficult to handle. The eurozone countries criticise S&P, and other ratings agencies, for unjustly downgrading their economies. France is particularly upset that it was downgraded while Britain has kept its AAA status, hinting at an Anglo-American conspiracy against France. But this does not wash, as one of the big three, Fitch, is 80% owned by a French company. Nevertheless, France has some grounds to be aggrieved, as it is doing better on many economic indicators, including budget decit, than Britain. And given the incompetence and cynicism of the big three exposed by the 1997 Asian nancial crisis and more dramatically by the 2008 global nancial crisis, there are good grounds for doubting their judgments. However, the eurozone countries need to realise that its Friday-the-13th misfortune was in no small part their own doing. First of all, the downgrading owes a lot to the austerity-driven downward adjustments that the core eurozone countries, especially Germany, have imposed upon the periphery economies. As the ratings agencies themselves have often albeit inconsistently pointed out, austerity reduces economic growth, which then diminishes the growth of tax revenue, making the budget decit problem more intractable. The resulting nancial turmoil drags even the healthier economies down, which is what we have just seen. Even the breakdown in the Greek debt negotiation is partly due to past eurozone policy action. In the euro crisis talks last autumn, France took the lead in shooting down the German proposal that the holders of sovereign debts be forced to accept haircuts in a crisis. Having thus delegitimised the very idea of compulsory debt restructuring, the eurozone countries should not be surprised that many holders of Greek government papers are refusing to join a voluntary one. On top of that, the eurozone countries need to understand why the ratings agencies keep returning to haunt them. Last autumns EU proposal to strengthen regulation on the ratings industry shows that the eurozone policymakers think the main problem with the ratings industry is lack of competition and transparency. However, the undue inuence of the agencies owes a lot more to the very nature of the nancial system that the European (and other) policymakers have let evolve in the last couple of decades. First, over this period they have installed a nancial regulatory structure that is highly dependent on the credit ratings agencies. So we measure the capital bases of nancial institutions, which determine their abilities to lend, by weighting the assets they own by their respective credit ratings. We also demand that certain nancial institutions (eg pension funds, insurance companies) cannot own assets with below a certain minimum credit rating. All well intentioned, but it is no big surprise that such regulatory structure makes the ratings agencies highly inuential. The Americans have actually cottoned on this problem and made the regulatory system less dependent on credit ratings in the Dodd-Frank Act, but the European regulators have failed to do the same. It is no good complaining that ratings agencies are too powerful while keeping in place all those regulations that make them so. Most fundamentally, and this is what the Americans as well as the Europeans fail to see, the increasingly long-distance and complex nature of our nancial system has increased our dependence on ratings agencies. In the old days, few bothered to engage a credit ratings agency because they dealt with what they knew. Banks lent to companies that they knew or to local households, whose behaviours they could easily understand, even if they did not know them individually. Most people bought nancial products from companies and governments of their own countries in their own currencies. However, with greater deregulation of nance, people are increasingly buying and selling nancial products issued by companies and countries that they do not really understand. To make it worse, those products are often complex, composite ones created through nancial engineering. As a result, we have become increasingly dependent on someone else that is, the ratings agencies to tell us how risky our nancial actions are. This means that, unless we simplify the system and structurally reduce the need for the ratings agencies, our dependence on them will persist if somewhat reduced even if we make nancial regulation less dependent on credit ratings. The eurozone, and more broadly Europe, is slowly strangling itself. Guardian News and Media

Weather report
Three-day forecast
TODAY

Ar Ruways Al Khuwayr Fuwayrit

Gulf of Bahrain

The Gulf

High: 23C Low: 13C

Moderate temperature by the day with slight dust and cold by night.

WEDNESDAY

Al Khawr Al Jamayliyah

High:23C Low: 15C

Clear

Dukhan

QATAR
Ar Rayyan

THURSDAY

Doha

High:23C Low: 15C

Clear

Umm Bab Al Wakrah

Fishermens forecast
Al Kiranah Umm Said
OFFSHORE DOHA Wind: NW 15-22 KT Waves: 4-6/7 feet INSHORE DOHA Wind: NW 05-15 KT Waves: 1-2 feet

Around the region

Abu Dhabi
Baghdad

Dubai
Kuwait City

Manama
Muscat

Riyadh
Tehran

Weather today M Sunny Clear Clear M Sunny M Sunny Clear Clear M Sunny

Max/min 23/13 17/04 23/18 17/06 20/16 24/17 21/06 09/-1

Weather tomorrow M Sunny M Sunny Clear P Sunny M Sunny Clear Clear M Sunny

Max/min 25/13 17/05 25/17 19/09 20/16 25/16 19/07 11/00

Tehran

SYRIA
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Baghdad

IRAQ KUWAIT
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IRAN

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UAE

Conquering the chilly workouts of winter

By Dorene Internicola New York he short days, the weak sun, and the warm beds of winter can wreak havoc on your tness routine. As the outside temperature plummets, so too can the will to brave the elements for outdoor exercise. Experts say as long as you layer up, drink up and tune into how cold is just too cold it shouldnt impact your tness. Come with a different game plan for the winter, advises Jessica Matthews, an exercise physiologist with the American Council on Exercise (ACE). Motivation tends to wane a bit, so explore different activities, including things you can do in your own home. Have a exible approach to your tness routine as the weather changes. If youre keen to exercise outside in

Muscat

EGYPT SAUDI ARABIA OMAN

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all seasons, says Matthews, learn to dress for workout success. Wear layers. Thats really important when its cold outside and make sure youre not becoming wet. Heavy cotton soaks up sweat, so you might want to stick with wool or polyester: something water repellent. Matthews suggests a rst layer of lightweight synthetic. The second can be a little heavier, but still avoid heavy cotton, she said. And dont leave home without hat and gloves. Heat loss from the head alone is about 50% at the freezing mark, according to ACEs safety tips for cold weather. Keeping hands and feet warm is crucial because in cold the body shunts blood away from the extremities to warm internal organs at the centre. In temperatures below zero, consider a scarf or face mask, kept loosely

over mouth, to warm the air a little bit before it gets into your body, Mat thews said. Sometimes its just too cold outside. Check the air temperature and wind chill factor before exercising in the cold, Matthews said. Data from the National Safety Council suggest that when the wind chill factor falls below -20F (-29C), a danger zone exists. Hypothermia is a potentially fatal condition. Warning signs include light-headedness, dizziness and lethargy. Those are the beginning stages, Matthews said. Most people are not likely to forget to layer up in the cold, but they will more easily neglect to hydrate. Its too easy to forget to hydrate in the cold, and its so important to stay hydrated in winter, said Matthews. You are going to sweat. She suggests drinking up to 20

ounces (0.59 litres) of water two or three hours before working out. Deborah Plitt is a trainer with the Illinois-based equipment company Life Fitness, which recently broke down the calorie burn of 30 minutes of winter activities, such as sledding (250 calories), ice skating (230 calories), shoveling snow (230 calories). Of course theres a lot of wiggle room (in the calculations). Its based on an average woman of 145 lb (65 kilos), said Plitt. And sledding and snow shoveling depends on whether the snow is wet or fluffy. Plitt said the point is to stay physically active, regardless of the weather, even if that means just taking the dog for a walk (125 calories). Theyre mixing things up; theyre enjoying what theyre doing, she said. And believe it or not you burn more calories when youre shivering. - Reuters

Around the world Weather today Clear P Sunny C Rain C Rain M Sunny Clear M Sunny M Sunny M Sunny Clear C Rain Clear Cloudy M Sunny Fog Fog Rain M Sunny C Storms P Sunny C Storms M Sunny M Sunny Max/min 07/-1 33/25 14/09 05/-2 17/05 31/21 31/21 25/14 19/17 03/-1 31/24 23/10 05/00 31/24 -6/-14 17/07 09/03 05/00 26/19 07/-2 32/25 25/20 05/01 Weather tomorrow Clear M Sunny M Sunny M Sunny Fog Clear M Sunny M Sunny P Sunny M Sunny T Storms Clear C Rain M Sunny Fog M Sunny M Sunny Fog C Storms M Sunny Fog C Rain Clear Max/min 08/03 32/24 13/08 05/03 18/06 30/20 31/18 24/16 21/19 04/-1 33/24 24/08 09/04 31/24 -7/-12 16/09 05/-6 13/08 25/19 07/-1 31/25 25/18 08/03

Athens Bangkok Beirut Berlin Cairo Cape Town Colombo Dhaka Hong Kong Istanbul Jakarta Karachi London Manila Moscow New Delhi New York Paris Sao Paulo Seoul Singapore Sydney Tokyo

28

Gulf Times Tuesday, January 17, 2012

QATAR

Vienna Boys Choir, QPO to perform at Katara T

he Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra will play alongside the Vienna Boys Choir this weekend, as the Opera House at Katara brings together the two ensembles for a series special New Years concerts from January 21-23. The concerts will be directed by Gerald Wirth and feature works by Johann Strauss, Verdi, Bizet, Schumann, Suppe, Joseph Strauss, Mascagni and Mozart, with tickets available from Virgin Megastores. The choir is well known as one of the best in the world and has been singing at the court of the Holy Roman Emperor since the early 15th century, with the choir separated into four touring groups named after the composers, Bruckner, Haydn, Mozart and Schubert. Director of cultural affairs, Emad Sultan said: We are proud to host the Vienna Boys Choir and look forward to the result of the collaboration with Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra. Katara continues to bring world renowned artistes and musicians, contributing to our overall vision to educate and entertain while building cultur-

QUs research vessel gets rousing welcome

The new marine research vessel Janan has arrived at Doha port at the end of a month-long journey crossing the Atlantic Ocean, Mediterranean Sea, Suez Cannel, Red Sea and the Arabian Sea atar Universitys (QU) new marine research vessel Janan has arrived at Doha port at the end of a month-long journey crossing the Atlantic Ocean, Mediterranean Sea, Suez Cannel, Red Sea, Arabian Sea and through the Arabian Gulf. The vessel was escorted into port by a small eet of boats from Qatars Coast Guard. A group of QU leaders attended the reception ceremony. QU president Prof Sheikha Abdulla al-Misnad, vice president for research Dr Hassan al-Derham, vice president for institutional planning and development Saif Alsowaidi, Environmental Studies Centre (ESC) director Dr Mohsin al-Ansi were among them. The event was also attended by the Director of Coasts and Border Security Department Brigadier Ali Ahmad Saif al-Bedaid al-Mannai, and several officers from the Ministry of Interior. Janan is named after the island located in the western part of Qatar. The vessel is for use by QUs ESC to advance marine environmental studies and research in Qatar and the Gulf region. It is a donation presented to QU by HH the Heir Apparent Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, who is also the chairperson of QU Board of Regents, to replace the outgoing vessel Mukhtabar Al-Bihar. Janan was built in the Vigo shipyard of reire, the world-famous manufacturer of scientic research vessels in co-operation with Qatari experts and in compliance with Qatars environmental conditions. The vessel has an overall length of 42.8m, breadth of 10m, gross registered tonnage of more than 600 tonnes, maximum draught of 3.7m which will allow it to reach the shallowest areas of the Arabian Gulf, normal cruising speed of 12.5 knots and maximum speed of 14 knots. The vessel can sail for 21 days, and accommodate a total of 30 technical and scientic staff. It is equipped with two main engines,

Members of the Vienna Boys Choir are set to perform in Doha for the first time this weekend. al bridges. The choir has been involved in projects from all over the world, including Silk Road, featuring music from Uzbekistan, China, Pakistan, Iran and Tajikistan. The project inspired director Curt Faudon to film a documentary about the choirs life in Vienna as well as their experiences of touring, featuring a soundtrack of the boys singing in Arabic, Chinese, Farsi, French, Japanese, Latin, Marathi, Maori, Urdu, and many other languages. The show at Katara will also feature Johann Strauss Tritach Tratsch (Chit Chat) and Josef Strauss Feuerfest (Fireproof). A second film about the choir, Bridging the Gap is scheduled to be released this year.

The marine research vessel Janan. Below: Senior officials from QU taking a tour of the vessel.

New associate dean at CMUQ

Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar (CMUQ) has announced the appointment of Mark Stehlik (pictured) as the universitys new associate dean for education from July 1. Stehlik, currently assistant dean for undergraduate education for the school of computer science at the schools Pittsburgh campus, has guided more than 2,500 students through the schools undergraduate computer science programme. In his new role, he will be responsible for the delivery of all of the undergraduate programmes offered on the Qatar campus, explained a spokesperson. Dean of the school of computer science, Randal Bryant said: Mark has been the heart and soul of our undergraduate programme in computer science for the past two decades. We will surely miss him here in Pittsburgh, but I am glad he will be able to work his magic with our students and faculty in Qatar. Stehlik expressed his excitement about his new role: I am proud of the way that we have been able to connect undergrads to each other and to the school. Im eager to see that continue at the Pittsburgh campus and to increase those connections in Doha. He has experience of teaching in Doha, having taught during semesters in 2006, 2007, 2008 and last year. Recently appointed dean, Ilker Baybars said: Mark brings a strong balance of academic and leadership experience to Qatar. I am confident that the students in Qatar will flourish and benefit from his experience and guidance - we are pleased to have someone with Marks knowledge and enthusiasm join our leadership team.

allowing it to work near oil and gas platforms, has the ability to function on generators without relying on the major engines, and contains an advanced de-positioning system to stabilise the vessel using satellites.

It has ve sophisticated research laboratories, and electrical generators. Facilities also include an environment-friendly sewage treatment unit, water desalination plant, an emergency room, and a diving room.

FRANCE BOOST | Page 30

URGENT HELP | Page 31

IMF warns of downward Euro spiral

Egypt asks IMF for $3bn in support

REGIONAL TRADING | Page 32

GULF TIMES Tuesday, January 17, 2012 Safar 23, 1433 AH

BUSINESS
The organisation expects OECD Europe oil demand to fall 160,000 bpd in 2012; Says Opec oil output above new 30mn bpd target
Reuters London

Saudi sees biggest fall in four weeks as Gulf mostly down

Saudi says can pump even faster
Saudi Arabia, the worlds top oil exporter, said yesterday it can pump more oil at a moments notice, the day after Iran warned Gulf oil producers not to compensate for any disruption to Iranian output. Saudi Oil Minister Ali al-Naimi, in an interview with CNN, said Riyadh could increase production by about 2mn bpd almost immediately. He identified $100 a barrel as an ideal oil price for Riyadh. Naimis remarks were aired after Iran said on Sunday its Gulf Arab should not lift output to make up for any shortfall from Iran in the event of oil sanctions on Tehran. This spare capacity is to respond to emergencies worldwide, to respond to our customer demand, and that is really the focus. Our focus is not on who drops out from production, but who wants more, he said. Iranian oil supplies to Europe are set to fall this year when an European Union embargo, due to be agreed next week, is fully implemented in July. A new US sanction on Irans central bank means some of Irans biggest customers in Asia may seek supplies from elsewhere. We can easily get up to 11.4, 11.8 (million barrels a day) almost immediately, in a few days, Naimi told CNN up from just under 10mn bpd now. ... all we need is to turn valves. Iran said on Sunday that any such action by the Gulf countries will not be perceived as friendly. Saudi Arabia pledging a replacement of Iran crude oil to other nations is a risk, said oil consultant Olivier Jakob of Petroconsultants. Saudi Arabia is walking a thin line as it needs to re-assure the West without appearing as supporting Israel against Iran. The Saudi oil chief said it would take about 90 days to add a further 700,000bpd and reach full capacity of 12.5mn barrels daily.

Downside risk to demand from Euro crisis: Opec

A
worsening of the eurozone debt crisis would reduce Europes already slowing oil demand and could impact consumption in emerging economies, which are driving the increase in global fuel use, Opec said yesterday. In its monthly report, the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries also said its oil output rose to a three-year high in December as Libyan supplies recovered and was far above the groups new target of 30mn barrels per day (bpd). Opec said oil use in European members of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) would fall by 160,000 bpd in 2012 and would drop further if the eurozone crisis deteriorates. If the situation were to worsen, the effect on the oil market could be seen not only through a further decline in oil demand in Europe but also with spillover effects on oil demand in the emerging economies, amid an adequately supplied market, the report said. Europe accounts for about 15mn bpd of the 88.90mn bpd Opec expects the world will need this year. Opec said the eurozone crisis had so far had little effect on oil demand outside the region. Opec, whose 12 members pump more than a third of the worlds oil, made only a minor downward revision to its forecast for global oil demand growth in 2012, trimming its estimate by 10,000bpd to 1.06mn bpd. The group is the second of the three closely watched oil forecasts from government agencies to be issued this month. Last week, the US Energy Information Administration made a larger reduction of 120,000 bpd to its 2012 demand growth estimate. The third of this months trio of reports is due tomorrow from the International Energy Agency. Brent oil was trading above $111 a barrel yesterday, supported by supply concerns. Iran warned Gulf Arab neighbours of consequences if they raised output to replace Iranian barrels facing international sanctions. But top oil exporter Saudi Arabia said yesterday it can pump more oil at a moments notice. At a meeting in December, Opec settled a six-month-old argument between its Gulf Arab members and price hawks led by Iran over production policy by adopting a target to produce 30mn bpd. In the second half of 2011, Saudi Arabia and its Gulf Arab Opec allies had raised production unilaterally after failing to convince Iran, Venezuela and African members to agree to a coordinated increase to meet a shortfall in supplies from Libya. Opecs report provided further evidence of Libyas output recovery, following the virtual shutdown of its oil industry last year due to civil war, and little sign yet that the Gulf producers were curbing output drastically to make way. According to secondary sources cited by the report, Opecs production rose in December to 30.82mn bpd, the highest since October 2008, largely in line with a Reuters survey published on January 4. While that is above forecast demand for Opec crude in 2012 of 30.15mn bpd a gure Opec raised by 60,000 bpd due to slightly lower supply estimates from countries outside the group it appears the market can absorb the extra oil, analysts said. Page 31

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Gulf Times Tuesday, January 17, 2012

BUSINESS

IMF warns of Euro downward spiral

European leaders are due to meet on January 30 to agree a new fiscal pact to co-ordinate deficit reduction programmes
AFP Washington

Greece dispatches officials to US

Greece sent senior officials to Washington yesterday for meetings with the International Monetary Fund as it raced against the clock to break a deadlock in debt swap talks that has prompted new fears of an unruly default. Barely a month after an injection of bailout funds helped avert bankruptcy, Greece is back at the centre of the eurozone crisis as fears of a default and a subsequent eurozone exit overshadow a mass credit downgrade of eurozone countries. Athens needs a deal with the private sector within days to avoid going bankrupt when 14.5bn of bond redemptions fall due in late March. But talks with its creditor banks broke down without an agreement on Friday.

uropean banks stowed record sums in the ECB for safe keeping yesterday as a top IMF official warned the eurozone faced a downward spiral in the wake of a batch of stinging credit downgrades. Frances President Nicolas Sarkozy received a boost when Moodys declined to follow rival ratings agency Standard and Poors in stripping Paris of its triple-A status but headed for crisis talks in Spain with clouds gathering. Eurozone banks put 493.3bn ($623.7bn) on 24-hours deposit with the European Central Bank overnight Sunday, topping a record set on Friday of 489bn and highlighting fears of a credit crunch. Meanwhile, IMF First Deputy Managing Director David Lipton warned Asian nance and banking chiefs meeting in Hong Kong of trouble ahead. Europe could be swept into a downward spiral of collapsing condence, stagnant growth, and fewer jobs, he said. In todays interconnected global economy, no country and no region would be immune from that catastrophe. European leaders are due to meet on January 30 to agree a new scal pact to co-ordinate decit reduction programmes

and attempt to reassure the bond markets that they are on top of the sovereign debt crisis. But Fridays S&P downgrade of nine European economies and the impasse in talks between private lenders and debt-wracked Greece have raised fears that the markets will not be content to wait until governments provide answers. Sarkozy, who saw France stripped of its top AAA credit rating, received an award from King Juan Carlos in Madrid before holding a working meeting with Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy. S&Ps rival Moodys gave Sarkozy some welcome relief yesterday when it said it would not follow suit but it also warned that it was still reviewing whether to maintain its stable outlook on France. Spain and Italy were both hit by double downgrades in the S&P report card, piling pressure on governments and the euro in the run-up to the EU summit. The euro remained under pressure but edged up to $1.2680 in early London trading from $1.2677 in New York late Friday,

when it plunged to a 17-month low at $1.2624 - a level last seen in August 2010. European stock markets stabilised after opening slightly down but the true test of the effect of Frances humiliating downgrade will come on Thursday, when it conducts its rst large-scale bond auction as an S&P AA+ economy. France will try to sell between 7.5bn and 9.5bn in bonds with maturities of between two and 28 years and markets will be keen to see how much interest Paris will have to pay to nd buyers. If Sarkozys government nds itself saddled with high yields in the wake of its downgrade it will call into question the credibility of his decit reduction plan and plunge the eurozone into further turmoil. Already, by slapping nine eurozone members with downgrades and putting all the others bar Germany on notice that they are under scrutiny, S&P has undermined the European Financial Stability Facility. The EFSF is supposed to act as a bail-out fund to back-stop

weak economies but it owes its own credit-worthiness to its triple-A backers and now faces a downgrade of its own. Many European leaders are furious over S&Ps decision and are scrambling to restore their credibility ahead of the January 30 summit the latest in what is now a long line of emergency save the euro meetings. Let there be no mistake: this is not a crisis of the euro as a currency, the European Unions internal market commissioner Michel Barnier told the Asian Financial Forum yesterday in Hong Kong. The euro is here to stay. In the last 10 years the euro has proven itself as a true world currency ... And despite the difficulties, it remains strong. The real crisis the eurozone faces right now is a crisis of condence. Our political unity and our determination and our ability to rectify what is wrong ... are being tested, he said. British Finance Minister George Osborne, who was also in Hong Kong, said the downgrade should spur reform. Britain is outside the eurozone but is keen to see its neighbours pull through the crisis and restore growth to Europe. No one likes to see credit ratings downgraded but what matters much more are the actions Western countries take to restore their own scal sustainability, he said. Spain where on Saturday Rajoy announced an astronomical gure of 5.4mn jobless now has one of the eurozones weakest credit ratings, with S&P bumping it from AA minus to A.

Sarkozy (left) and Rajoy shake hands after their news conference at Madrids Moncloa Palace, yesterday. Sarkozy said France could overcome its debt crisis as long as it was prepared to pull together to adopt economic reforms.

France backs Spain on ECB

Reuters Madrid

rance pledged support yesterday in Spains battle to maintain its executive board seat at the European Central Bank, as Madrid looks to protect its place at the core of eurozone policymaking despite its waning economic clout. Several smaller and economically tter northern countries, such as Netherlands, Luxembourg and Finland, are seen as vying to take Spains only seat on the six-member board when Jose

Manuel Gonzalez-Paramo steps down in May. France supports with all its force the presence of a Spanish representative on the executive board of the ECB, French President Nicolas Sarkozy said at a joint news conference with Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy after a bilateral meeting. Rajoy said Spain deserved to maintain the seat because of its status as the euro currency zones fourth biggest economy, adding he would aim to meet this years tough decit-reduction target without raising taxes further. Rajoy, who took office in De-

cember, has pledged to drastically cut Spains scal gap even though it will harm an economy on the brink of recession and impede job creation. But in exchange, he has said the ECB must continue to do all it can to support countries doing their job to control spending and push through reforms to make their economies more competitive. Spains government has been pleased with ECB measures such as buying Spanish sovereign bonds on the secondary market and providing a three-year lending facility to banks, a lifeline for Spains strapped nancial sector.

Gulf Times Tuesday, January 17, 2012

31

BUSINESS
INVESTMENTS BOOST STRENGTHENING TIES WORKING GROUP STABLE SUPPLIES DEBUT OFFERING

Mazaya Qatar 2011 profit jumps 3-fold

Mazaya Qatar has reported more than a threefold jump in its 2011 net profit to QR48.83mn mainly supported by its investments in properties and rental earnings. The realty firm reported QR43.88mn revenue from change in fair value of investment properties and a gain of QR10.94mn on sale of investment properties, according to a statement to the Qatar Exchange. Rentals jumped more than 23-fold to QR12.46mn in 2011. Although it earned QR0.80mn from dividend income, the companys profits from deposits with Islamic banks and financial institutions plunged 71% to QR6.85mn.

Saudi, China sign nuclear co-operation agreement

Saudi Arabia has agreed to co-operate with China on the civilian use of nuclear energy as part of a package of deals the worlds most populous country signed over the weekend to strengthen ties with the top oil exporter, Saudi state news agency SPA reported. SPA did not provide further details on the nuclear co-operation agreement which was signed on Sunday by Hashim Yamani, president of the King Abdullah City for Atomic and Renewable Energy and Zhang Ping, chairman of Chinas National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC).

ADIA keen to invest in India

Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, the sovereign wealth fund of the Abu Dhabi government, has expressed keen interest in investing in India, Indias Trade Ministry said yesterday. The two sides have agreed to speed up the creation of a joint working group to facilitate the funds investment into Asias third-largest economy, the ministry said in a statement. ADIA may invest in Indias infrastructure sector, which will see a total of $1tn of investment in the next five years, Trade Minister Anand Sharma said. This could include money for the Delhi Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC).

S Korea, Oman reach oil deal

South Korea and Oman have agreed to cooperate to ensure stable oil and gas supply to Seoul while the country seeks a waiver of toughened US sanctions on Iran and weighs up options, including reducing crude imports from Tehran. South Korea, the worlds fifthlargest importer of crude, buys 10% of its oil from Iran and 2% from Oman. Prime Minister Kim Hwang-sik visited Oman over the weekend before heading to the UAE for oil supply talks. Both sides have agreed to closely co-operate to continue stable energy supply, the Prime Ministers Office said in a statement.

Saudi civil aviation body readies $4bn sukuk

Saudi Arabias General Authority for Civil Aviation (GACA) is set to print a 15bn riyals ($4bn) ten-year sukuk, its debut Islamic bond offering, a source said. The transaction will carry a profit rate of 2.5%, the source added. Investor meetings ahead of the sukuk sale began on January 10, a statement carried by the Saudi Press Agency said at the time. The sukuk is fully guaranteed by the Saudi Ministry of Finance and will be the first in a series of Islamic bonds from the authority to help fund the 27.1bn riyals development of King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah.

QFIB buys 15% stake in snack maker Al Rifai

Qatar First Investment Bank (QFIB) has acquired a 15% stake in Al Rifai International Holding, a well-established manufacturer of nuts, kernels, light snacks and delicacy in the Middle East and Europe. However, QFIB did not disclose the size of the deal, which marks its debut investment venture in the food and beverage manufacturing industry. Al Rifais wide presence in European markets offers QFIB an opportunity to venture into new geographical regions, said a spokesman for the bank, which is authorised by the Qatar Financial Centre Regulatory Authority. From the outset, our strategy was to focus on sectors that benefit from key drivers of economic change, QFIB chief executive Emad Mansour said, adding that it is well positioned to take advantage of the rapidly growing global savory snack market, which is expected to reach $85.4bn in 2012. Through representation on the board of directors, QFIBs team would work closely with Al Rifai management at a strategic level to streamline business and drive future growth of the group, he said.

Al Rifais wide presence in European markets offers QFIB an opportunity to venture into new geographical regions
Through QFIBs strategic counsel, access to multiple sources of funding and risk management solutions, we are confident that Al Rifai will achieve its future expansion and growth plans, Mohamed al-Rifai, chairman and CEO of Al Rifai International Holding, said.

Egyptians queue with their cars at a petrol station in Cairo yesterday. Rumours that the IMF deal would force the Egyptian government to scrap energy subsidies leading to a rise in prices for gasoline have caused a run on petrol stations.

Egypt asks IMF for $3.2bn in support

Country needs urgent help to fill budget gap; minister says money to be paid out over 18 months; deal might speed release of funds from other donors
Reuters/Dow Jones Cairo

gypt has asked the International Monetary Fund for $3.2bn in support, a government minister said yesterday, as the countrys interim cabinet seeks to ll a budget gap pushed wider by almost a year of political and economic turmoil. The previous army-backed government turned down an offer of $3bn in nancial assistance from the IMF last June but since then the countrys funding problems have worsened and its currency has come under heavy pressure. We have asked the IMF for $3.2bn

in support, Planning and International Cooperation Minister Faiza Abu el-Naga told reporters at the start of talks with fund officials visiting Cairo. She said an IMF delegation would return to Egypt in late January. IMF regional director Masood Ahmed said many technical details of an agreement must still be resolved and this weeks visit was to hear and understand the Egyptian situation . Foreign nancial investors have given Egypt a wide berth since street protests erupted a year ago, forcing the government to rely on local banks for funds, a situation that has forced up yields on treasury bills and bonds to levels that some economists say are unsustainable. The new negotiations take place as the ruling military council tries to fend off criticism of its temporary rule from pro-democracy groups and grapple with social tension caused by poverty and rising prices.

The new cabinet nominated in November needs to cut spending but risks further angering a population that depends on state subsidies and whose hopes for an improvement in living standards were raised by the uprising that ousted President Hosni Mubarak. Abu el-Naga said the projected budget decit was now 144bn Egyptian pounds ($23.85bn), or 8.7% of estimated gross domestic product. That compares to an official estimate for the previous year of 9.5%. The IMF money would be disbursed over 18 months, she said. Without a nancial lifeline from the IMF, it is unlikely that Egypt will be able to tap an international pool of aid agreed by donors in France last year for countries in the Middle East and North Africa, such as Egypt and Tunisia. Yet there is no certainty that an agreement can be reached. The IMF has insisted that any deal with Egypt needs to have broad political

support, meaning it would be transferred easily into the hands of a successor government. The dire state of Egypts economy has made a loan a necessity even with IMF demands of economic reforms, government officials have said. Foreign-currency reserves have decreased by half to about $18.1bn in December, leaving the country with only enough to cover two to three months of imports. Meanwhile, the cost of domestic borrowing has skyrocketed, with seven-year bond yields rising to above 16%. In a sign of the impending economic strain, Egypts streets have been gridlocked for the past two days as lines from petrol stations have spilled out into city streets. Rumours that the IMF deal would force the Egyptian government to scrap energy subsidies leading to a rise in prices for gasoline have caused a run on petrol stations.

Mansour (left) and al-Rifai shake hands after signing the share purchase agreement.

Asia oil customers Investment risk weighs on stay loyal, says Iran Mideast insurance ratings
Reuters Tehran

ran said yesterday it was business as usual with Asias leading oil buying countries, despite growing pressure on its customers in the East from a tightening mesh of sanctions hampering its crude exports. Asian leaders are touring the Middle East to secure supplies, as tension over Irans nuclear work builds, while European buyers may rely more heavily on Arab oil producers should an EU ban come into effect. Mohsen Qamsari, head of international affairs at the National Iranian Oil Co, told Sharq daily that Iran had renewed some contracts with foreign reners and would do so with others as deadlines approached. The one-year contract with Korean companies to buy our oil has been renewed since the last two months, Qamsari said. South Korea will buy around 10% of its crude from Iran in 2012, up slightly from last year, as it seeks a waiver from toughened US sanctions, and its ren-

ers were also looking for alternatives, traders and officials told Reuters early in January. Iran has warned Gulf Arab neighbours not to raise oil output to replace Iranian crude facing an international ban. When asked whether Japan had reduced its oil imports from Iran, Qamsari said: It is not true. The time for renewal of contracts with the Japanese is around March and they are buying 240,000 barrels from us per day. Qamsari also denied any problems doing business with India. India has been struggling to pay Iran after the new US sanctions which penalise any nancial institutions dealing with Irans central bank. It currently pays through Turkeys Halkbank, a mechanism that may be cut off by the latest round of sanctions. Qamsari declined to comment about using the Indian rupee for oil sales, saying the matter was for Irans central bank to decide. He said most Chinese oil deals to Iran were paid for in euros.

The EU has agreed in principle to ban imports of Iranian oil, while the US has pressured Asian buyers to reduce imports to starve Tehran of revenue for its disputed nuclear programme. On the European Unions planned embargo on Iranian oil imports, Qamsari said: In my opinion it cannot be implemented fast. It would take around one year at least. EU countries have proposed grace periods on existing contracts of one to 12 months to allow companies to nd alternative suppliers before implementing an embargo. Parliament speaker Ali Larijani told state-run Arabic language Al Alam TV that Tehran was ready to deal with further sanctions. We are prepared for oil sanctions and have different scenarios, but we would not announce them in order to avoid alerting our enemies, he said. Iran has warned it could shut the Strait of Hormuz, a shipping chokepoint, if sanctions are imposed - a threat that temporarily pushed up global oil prices.

By Santhosh V Perumal Business Reporter

nvestment risk will continue to constrain insurance ratings in the Middle East in the next 12-18 months as the risk cover providers risk appetite for real-estate exposure and equities will remain strong in view of low attraction for bank deposits, according to Moodys. The ratings of insurers in the Middle East will continue to remain constrained over the next 12-18 months, due to the signicantly concentrated and highly correlated investments in the local real-estate and equity markets, Moodys said in a new special comment published yesterday. The agency noted that real-estate holding (including land, construction projects and property) constituted around 50% of the average investment portfolio or around 60% of shareholders equity as on end-2010 compared to 7% and 12% respectively in Europe and CIS (Commonwealth of Independent States) region. Moodys said insurers are likely to maintain their exposure to equities, partly due to the market expectation within the region that equity/real estate valuation have largely bottomed out and the relative lack of other traditional asset classes (xed income securities) in the Gulf region. Given the GCCs (Gulf Cooperation

Council) hydrocarbon wealth, which supports many of the sovereigns credit prot, the need to issue government debt is modest, thus limiting the issuance volume of local-currency denominated government bonds and keeping yields low, it said. Finding that local corporate xed-income market which is often a key element of insurers asset mix in other regions remains relatively undeveloped compared with European/US markets; it said only about $200bn of corporate debt instruments is currently outstanding in the GCC region. Observing that interest rates in the region is low, Moodys said we expect that the attractiveness of bank deposits will remain low in the near term and added that the expectations of moderation in ination levels would also reduce the pressure on banks to offer competitive deposit rates. As more sophisticated regulatory supervision and enterprise risk-management techniques become embedded in the sector; Moodys expects these pressures to moderate with a shift towards xed-income securities and bank deposits, a trend which is likely to accelerate if and when deposit interest rates increase to more normalised levels. Our analysis highlights that investment risk typically remains the pre-eminent credit risk for insurers in the Middle East region, despite the fact that these insurers

typically hold very strong levels of capitalisation relative to their underwriting risk, said David Masters, a Moodys assistant vice president and author of the report. Finding that so far, only a handful of the very largest groups in the region have implemented robust risk-management techniques, the report said consequently, groups tend to set capitalisation targets more in relation to regulatory minimum requirements and with only very limited reference to the investment risks on the insurers balance sheet. The development of risk-management systems would represent a clear credit positive, as it indicates that insurers management teams have the intention and a growing ability to manage a groups risks (including investment risk) and capitalisation on a risk-adjusted and analytical basis, according to Moodys. In addition, insurance regulators in the region were increasingly embedding prudential insurance regulatory supervision philosophies into their monitoring of local insurance companies, it said. A more risk-related regulatory framework for insurers, combined with a future rebound in bank-deposit interest rates, leading to a reduction in real estate and equity exposures and an overall increase in lower-risk assets, might moderate these pressures over the medium term, it added.

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Gulf Times Tuesday, January 17, 2012

BUSINESS
POLITICAL UNCERTAINTY LIQUIDITY OPTIONS GUINNESS TARGET 5-YEAR BOND GAS STRATEGY

Fitch cuts Russia outlook on anti-Putin protests

Fitch yesterday cut the outlook on Russias debt rating due to uncertainty over protests against Vladimir Putins planned return as president and the growing risk of capital flight. Political uncertainty in Russia has risen and the global economic outlook has worsened since Fitch last affirmed the rating in September 2011. The agency affirmed its BBB rating on Russias long-term debt but lowered the outlook to stable from positive as it noted the risks associated with Russias political model. Russias largest protests in nearly two decades followed allegations of fraud in the December 4 election.

Rosneft considers higher loan, say bankers

Russias top crude producer Rosneft is looking to tap the international lending market for a sizeable syndicated loan only six weeks after agreeing an increased $2bn loan, bankers close to the borrower said. Rosneft is considering its options to prevent a liquidity squeeze if Europes unpredictable economic outlook worsens, the bankers added. Rosneft is seeking a loan worth up to $2bn for general corporate purposes, including export finance, one of the bankers added. On an annual basis, depending on whats going on, Rosnefts financing need is anywhere from $15bn upwards.

S Korea shipbuilder wins $2.26bn gas project deal

South Korean shipbuilder Samsung Heavy Industries said yesterday it had won a 2.6tn won ($2.26bn) deal to build a gas processing plant in Australia for Japanese oil and gas producer Inpex. Work on the 100,000-tonne plant will begin in 2013, the shipbuilder said, adding a full agreement with Inpex will be signed next month. It said the structure, to be 110m both in height and width when delivered by the end of 2015, will be listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the worlds largest offshore plant. Inpex is seeking to explore the Ichthys gas field 200km off Australia coast in a joint venture with Total.

Samsung plans $1bn debt sale to fund US chip plant

Samsung Electronics said yesterday its US operation plans to sell around $1bn in bonds, its first major overseas debt sale in more than a decade, to fund its chip plant operations. Samsung, which supplies semiconductors to Apples iPhone and iPad tablet, is considering selling the 5-year bond to secure operational funds for its chip operations in Austin, Texas, and has sent requests for proposals to banks to manage the deal. The South Korean firm had around 22tn won ($19.2bn) in cash as of endSeptember and mainly uses its internal cash to fund investments.

Frances Total scours Australia for acquisitions

French energy giant Total is scouring Australia for acquisition opportunities as part of an aggressive expansion of its gas strategy, a report said yesterday. It follows an announcement on Friday that Total will join with Japanese oil and gas producer Inpex to invest in the $34bn Ichthys LNG gas project off northern Australia. Inpex will take a 72.8% stake while Total will hold 24%. There is no limitation for Total to invest more in Australia, the companys senior vicepresident for exploration and production in Asia, Jean-Marie Guillermou, said. Australia is a core asset and is part of our future.

Saudi stocks make largest fall in 4-weeks; Gulf down

Reuters Dubai

Qatar shares end at amid sell pressure

By Santhosh V Perumal Business Reporter

audi Arabias benchmark index made its largest oneday decline in four weeks yesterday as falling natural gas prices weighed on petrochemical stocks, while most other regional markets also ended lower. The kingdoms index fell 1.1% in its biggest drop since December 13. The US benchmark gas price fell to $2.60, its lowest level since September 2009, with a US shale gas boom and the prospect of similar developments in China helping to bring it down sharply. Saudi petrochemical producers are supplied with subsidised gas at xed prices, whereas rival producers in other regions typically pay the market rate, so a fall in global gas prices reduces Saudi producers competitive advantage. Earnings are below expectations so far in banks and petrochemical companies and there are concerns about the future, said Mohamed Omran, a Saudibased independent nancial analyst. The drop in the gas price is continuing mainly because of shale gas. Major (international) producers will have a big advantage and they will reduce gaps with the petrochemical producers in the region - this is negative for the industry. Saudi Basic Industries Corp (Sabic) dipped 0.5%. Yanbu National Petrochemical Company (Yansab) slipped 0.7% to 42.7 riyals after reporting a fourth-quarter net prot of 664.8mn riyals ($177.3mn), at an increase of 20% from the year earlier period. Analysts polled by Reuters expected an average net prot of 751mn riyals. Lower petrochemical prices in the fourth quarter of 2011 impacted top to bottom protability... we are encouraged by

A visitor watches financial data on screens inside the Dubai Financial Market in Dubai. The DFM, the only listed Gulf Arab bourse, plunged to an all-time low yesterday, falling 10%. expected quarter-on-quarter margin improvement given pricing pressure, Riyad Capital said in a research note, recommending a buy rating with a target price of 52.50 riyals. In the UAE, Dubai Financial Market, the only listed Gulf Arab bourse, plunged to an all-time low, falling 10%. It dragged down the index, which closed 1% lower at a new seven-and-a-half year low. Volumes in Dubai are not going to pick up for the next 12 to 24 months and anything that has fundamental weakness could get pummeled, said Amer Khan, fund manager at Shuaa Asset Management. Once Abu Dhabi starts falling and people punish companies that have fundamental weakness, it causes a spillover in Dubai. Abu Dhabi-listed Dana Gas dropped to an all-time low as investors cut positions on worries the energy rm will face problems repaying an upcoming bond. Dana fell 8.1%, down for a fourth straight session. It has fallen 39% in the past two months. London-based investment rm Exotix has issued a sell recommendation on Dana Gas saying it had little condence in the rms ability to repay a $920mn debt that matures in October. It has been facing payment delays from its operations in Kurdistan and Egypt. They dont have enough cash or make enough money to pay the bond - most of it is being held back as cash receivables, says Haissam Arabi, chief executive and fund manager at Gulfmena Investments. They still have the ability to borrow new debt against the old debt. Theres just uncertainty on the funding gap and investors dont like it. Abu Dhabis benchmark dropped 0.8% to its lowest close since March 2009. Aldar Properties and Sorouh Real Estate fell 2.6 and 2.9% respectively. Elsewhere, Omans benchmark slipped 0.2%; Egypts measure slipped 0.2% to 3,832 points; Kuwaits measure eased 0.05% to 5,763 points and Bahrains measure climbed 0.7% to 1,142 points.

he Qatar Exchange almost treaded a at path yesterday despite the buying support from domestic institutions. Although foreign institutions selling pressure was intact, the 20-stock benchmark rose a marginal 0.03% or two points, to close at 8,640.36 points. The market is however down 1.51% year-to-date. Barwa, Masraf Al Rayan and Qatar Electricity and Water rose while Industries Qatar (IQ), Commercialbank, National Leasing and Nakilat bucked the trend. The indices of services and insurance rose 0.45% and 0.38% respectively; while that of industry fell 0.83% and the banking sector was unchanged. Market capitalisation lost 0.10% or QR47mn to QR451.79bn with large and micro cap equities losing 0.03% and 0.01%. Small and mid caps rose 0.10% and 0.05% respectively. Of the 42 stocks, only 15 advanced, while 16 declined, seven were unchanged and four not traded. Foreign institutions were increasingly bearish as their net selling rose to 20.47% from 19.67% the previous day. A higher 13.59% of them were into buying compared to 9.50% on Sunday and a higher 34.06% of them into selling against 29.17%. On the other hand, domestic institutions were increasingly bullish as their net buying surged to 12.23% from 6.13% the previous day. A higher 30.77% of them bought equities against 27.49% on Sunday whereas a lower 18.54% offloaded compared to 21.36%. Qatari individual investors

continued to be bullish but with lesser vigour as their net buying shrank to 8.57% from 12.22% the previous day. A lower 45.49% of them purchased equities compared to 47.31% on Sunday although a marginally higher 36.92% sold against 35.09%. Non-Qatari retail investors turned prot-takers as they were net sellers to the tune of 0.33% compared with net buyers of 1.32% the previous day. A lower 10.15% of them were into buying against 15.71% on Sunday and a lower 10.48% were into offloading compared to 14.39%. Total trading volumes rose 17% to 6.98mn equities, value by 33% to QR252.28mn and deals by 8% to 3,442.

Foreign institutions were increasingly bearish as their net selling rose to 20.47% from 19.67% the previous day
The insurance sectors trading volume more than doubled to 0.05mn shares and value jumped 65% to QR0.28mn on more than doubled transactions to 18. The industrial sectors trading volume surged 81% to 1.65mn shares and value more than doubled to QR69.15mn on a 24% jump in deals to 792. Banks trading volume gained 7% to 2.54mn shares, value by 29% to QR116.30mn and transactions by 23% to 1,356. The services sectors trading volume was up 4% to 2.79mn shares, while value fell less than 1% to QR66.55mn and deals by 11% to 1,276. Actively traded stocks (in terms of volume) were Masraf Al Rayan (1.38mn shares); IQ (1.30mn); Barwa (788,224); Mazaya Qatar (585,583) and Nakilat (535,624). On the money market, there have been no trades in the 10 treasury bills.

Carmakers drive up Asian markets decline after European bourses Europe rating downgrades
Reuters London

uropean shares rose yesterday in thin trade, led by carmakers, after bullish broker comments buoyed the sector as investors shrugged aside Standard & Poors (S&P) downgrade of nine euro countries and fresh worries about an unruly default in Greece. Volume was less than two-thirds of the 90day daily average. That made trade choppy and exaggerated movements, with the gains were not enough to see the FTSEurorst 300 index break beyond a technical resistance level. The expected downgrades by credit rating agency S&P were ignored by the market. Yet analysts said the eurozones EFSF bailout fund could be next in line for a downgrade and that top-rated countries, such as Germany, would need to increase nancial backing to the fund for its rating to be maintained. Autos were the best performers, with the STOXX Europe 600 Automobiles & Parts index up 3.1% after positive broker comment by Goldman Sachs, which reiterated its attractive outlook on the sector. Italys Fiat, which is on Goldman Sachs Conviction Buy list for 2012, was the standout performer, up 7%, in volume 112.4% of its 90-day daily average. Goldman Sachs said in a note the sector was in better nancial and operational shape than in 2007, and we believe it is well placed to benet from global economic realignment and could benet from signicant foreign exchange tailwinds .

Fiat trades on an implied ve-year earningsper -hare compound annual growth rate of 6.6%, according to Thomson Reuters StarMine data, which means the market is pricing in a rise of that magnitude every year over the ve-year period on a compounded basis. German carmaker Daimler, up 3.6%, was the biggest gainer on Germanys DAX, helping it also outperform the FTSE 100 and Frances CAC, after Goldman Sachs added the rm to the Conviction Buy list. Other brokers also echoed the positive view on Daimler, with Exane BNP Paribas raising it to outperform from neutral as momentum improves for its trucks and Mercedes divisions. Pechlaner added she had BMW in her portfolio, also a big riser on the DAX, due to strong export demand. The pan-European FTSEurorst 300 index of top shares closed up 0.8% at 1,025.68 points, after being as high as 1,026.55 and as low as 1,012.62, in volume that reached 65.8% of its 90-day daily average. The index was trading between a major resistance level at 1,028 pointsits October 2011 high from a rally started in September 2011 - and its 23.6% Fibonacci Retracement level of the same rally at 987.07. The index has tested 1,028 several times this month without breaking through. Carnival dropped 16.5% in volume nine times its 90-day daily average after the owner of the cruise ship that capsized off Italys west coast on Friday said it would take a $90mn hit from the accident.

AFP Tokyo

sian markets fell and the euro remained under pressure yesterday after Standard & Poors cut the credit rating of nine European nations, including France and Austrias triple-A status. The news brought the eurozone debt crisis back to the forefront with traders looking ahead to a crucial week in the region as Greece struggles to come to an agreement with creditors over its repayments, raising fears it could default. Sydney lost 1.16%, or 49.9 points, to nish at 4,145.9, Tokyo fell 1.43%, or 121.66 points, to 8,378.36, while Seoul ended 0.88% lower, or 16.41 points, at 1,859.27. Hong Kong closed down 1.0%, or 192.22 points, at 19,012.22 while Chinese shares nished 1.71% lower, or 38.39 points, at 2,206.19. Taipei lost 1.09%, or 77.92 points, to 7,103.62 despite Beijing-friendly President Ma Ying-jeou being handed a second term in weekend elections, a result that came as a relief to the US and China. S&P on Friday cut Frances and Austrias top AAA rating by one notch to AA+ with a negative outlook, citing European leaders inability to come up with a solid plan to tackle the two-year-old crisis. It also downgraded under-pressure Italy and Spain, which have already seen the interest on their bonds hit dangerously high levels.

Overall nine countries had their ratings cut while seven had theirs affirmed. Greece was excluded. The agency warned last month before a European summit aimed at hammering out a solution that it was putting the eurozone on review for downgrade, adding that it would take the outcome of the talks into mind. The downgrades were widely anticipated and already priced (in), Ric Spooner, chief market analyst at CMC Markets, said in a note. However, they set a nervous early tone for this weeks markets as we approach more signicant hurdles in the evolution of the eurozone crisis, he added, accord-

ing to Dow Jones Newswires. Eyes will now be on Greece this week as it holds talks with private banks over writing down part of its debt, which is considered vital to avoid a messy default. Prime Minister Lucas Papademos said his country faced acute economic dangers without the writedown deal, which would wipe off 100bn ($127bn) from Greeces massive debt burden and help unlock further international bailout aid. However, talks at the weekend stalled, raising the prospect that Greece could plunge out of the eurozone with dire results for the region and the global economy. Elsewhere in Asia, Manila lost 0.75%, or 34.91 points, to 4,578.92.

Sensex, rupee advance

Indian stocks rose, erasing earlier losses, as Europes central bank bought bonds to ease concern about the regions debt crisis. Tata Motors Ltd, the biggest truckmaker and owner of Jaguar Land Rover, advanced 2.4%, reversing an earlier decline. Infosys Ltd, the second-largest software services provider that gets 22% of its sales from Europe, paced gains among its peers. The BSE India Sensitive Index, or Sensex, rose 0.2% to 16,189.36 yesterday. The gauge lost 0.7% in intraday trading amid concern a decline in the nations inflation rate to a twoyear low may not be enough for the central bank to cut borrowing costs. The Sensex plunged 25% in 2011 amid concern record interest-rate increases by the Reserve Bank of India will erode company earnings threatened by Europe crisis. The rupee rose, reversing earlier losses, on speculation foreign funds will increase purchases of the nations assets after inflation slowed to a two-year low. The rupee advanced 0.3% to 51.3950 per dollar in Mumbai, according to data compiled by Bloomberg, after earlier declining as much as 0.5%. Foreign funds boosted holdings of Indian debt by $2.6bn this month to a record $28.7bn as on January 12.

Gulf Times Tuesday, January 17, 2012

33

BUSINESS
SAUDI ARABIA
Company Name
Saudi Arabian Fertilizer Co Al Sagr Co-Operative Insuran Saudi Advanced Industries Saudi Arabian Coop Ins Co Saudi Cooperative Iaic Insur Samba Financial Group Sanad Cooperative Insurance Saudi Public Transport Co Saudi Arabian Refinery Co Hsbc Amanah Saudi 20 Etf Saudi Re For Cooperative Rei Savola Saudi Cable Co Saudi Chemical Company Saudi Ceramic Saudi Electricity Co Saudi Fisheries Al-Hassan G.I. Shaker Co Saudi Hotels & Resort Arabian Shield Cooperative Saudi Investment Bank Saudi Industrial Development Saudi Industrial Export Co Saudi Ind Investment Group Saudi Indian Co Saudi International Petroche Saudi Industrial Services Co Saudi Transport And Investme Southern Province Cement Co

KUWAIT
Lt Price
175.75 23.90 17.15 38.20 35.50 45.20 21.50 9.40 73.50 20.40 10.40 28.30 14.80 38.10 150.75 13.65 34.90 59.75 32.40 26.20 15.80 17.20 34.90 19.55 38.00 19.55 14.25 38.00 84.00

OMAN
Lt Price
99.00 280.00 236.00 300.00 104.00 0.00 0.00 540.00 0.00 63.00 310.00 48.00 0.00 26.00 0.00 0.00 244.00 860.00 0.00 60.00 17.00 53.00 0.00 192.00 108.00 57.00 0.00 174.00 82.00 13.00 64.00 31.50 0.00 0.00 1,520.00 102.00 85.00 54.00 23.50 0.00 100.00 340.00 1,140.00 93.00 0.00 285.00 0.00 224.00 160.00 1,960.00 0.00 118.00 0.00 64.00 295.00 86.00 180.00 710.00 0.00

% Chg
-0.14 -4.40 2.08 -5.91 -1.66 -0.44 -4.44 -3.09 -3.29 0.00 -5.02 -0.70 0.00 -1.04 -3.43 -0.73 -2.51 2.14 -1.22 3.56 -0.63 9.90 -4.12 -0.76 -0.26 0.00 -1.04 -4.28 -3.17

Volume
190,509 514,095 12,118,141 875,895 460,943 99,940 534,542 5,944,172 473,021 2,325 4,230,235 192,716 14,594,192 338,144 172,828 2,078,105 1,164,401 115,791 287,333 1,420,791 75,626 9,687,258 587,604 1,589,398 1,186,713 1,276,914 13,773,308 467,562 126,749

Company Name
Kuwait & Gulf Link Transport Kuwait Hotels Co Kuwait International Bank Kuwait Insurance Co Kuwait Investment Co Kuwait & Middle East Fin Inv Kuwait National Airways Co Kout Food Group Kuwait Packing Materials Mfg Privatization Holding Compan Kuwait Projects Co Holdings Kuwait Real Estate Co Kuwait Slaughter House Co Kuwaiti Syrian Holding Co Kuwait Invest Co Holding Kuwait Reinsurance Co Ksc Kgl Logistics Company Kscc Mabanee Co Sakc Al-Madar Finance & Invt Co Manafae Investment Co Manazel Holding Real Estate Trade Centers Co Markaz Real Estate Fund Marine Services Co Kuwait Financial Centre Al Masaken Intl Real Estate Al-Masar Leasing And Investm Mashaer Holdings Al-Massaleh Real Estate Co National Ranges Company Al-Mazaya Holding Co Mena Real Estate Co Mena Holding Group Al Mowasat Health Care Co Al Maidan Dental Clinic Co K Metal & Recycling Co Mushrif Trading & Contractin Mubarrad Transport Co Munshaat Real Estate Project Kuwait Resorts Co Kscc Nafais Holding National Petroleum Services National Bank Of Kuwait National Co For Consumer In Network Holding Co K.S.C.C National Industries Co National International Co National Industries Grp Hold National Investments Co National Mobile Telecommuni Noor Financial Investment K. National Real Estate Co National Slaughter House Osoul Investment Kscc Oula Fuel Marketing Co Palms Agro Production Co Shuaiba Industrial Co Kuwait Portland Cement Co Pearl Of Kuwait Real Estate

% Chg
0.00 0.00 -0.84 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 -1.56 0.00 -1.03 0.00 -7.14 0.00 0.00 -0.81 0.00 0.00 0.00 9.68 0.00 0.00 0.00 1.89 0.00 0.00 -3.33 0.00 -7.14 -3.03 0.00 0.00 0.00 2.70 -1.92 0.00 -1.82 -2.08 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 -0.88 -2.44 1.03 0.00 -6.35 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 -1.39 0.00

Volume
400,000 80,000 140,000 10,000 60,000 5,000 320,000 1,570,000 1,680,000 80,000 120,000 185,000 40,000 8,640,000 80,000 20,000 180,000 480,000 40,000 40,000 8,400,000 760,000 240,000 820,000 60,000 1,080,000 160,000 240,000 60,000 40,000 220,000 40,000 10,000 1,560,000 880,000 40,000 520,000 1,160,000 1,430,000 80,000 20,000 30,000 -

Company Name
Flexible Ind Packages Financial Corp/The Dhofar Tourism Dhofar Poultry Aloula Co Dhofar Intl Development Dhofar Insurance Dhofar University Dhofar Power Co Dhofar Power Co-Pfd Dhofar Fish Industries Co Dhofar Cattlefeed Al Batinah Dev & Inv-50% Dhofar Beverages Co Computer Stationery Inds Construction Materials Ind Cement & Gypsum Pro Marine Bander Al-Rowdha Bank Sohar Bankmuscat Saog Bank Dhofar Saog Al Batinah Hotels Majan College Areej Vegetable Oils Al Jazeera Steel Products Co Al Sallan Food Industry Acwa Power Barka Saog Al-Omaniya Financial Service Taghleef Industries Saog Gulf Plastic Industries Co Al Jazeira Services Al Jazerah Services -Pfd Al-Fajar Al-Alamia Co Ahli Bank Abrasives Manufacturing Co S

Lt Price
0.14 0.13 1.00 0.82 0.00 0.44 0.19 1.13 0.00 0.00 1.28 0.14 0.04 0.26 0.33 0.04 1.00 0.00 0.15 0.76 0.55 1.36 0.27 2.50 0.26 0.00 1.49 0.31 2.00 0.39 0.20 0.55 0.71 0.26 0.10

% Chg
0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 -1.43 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.13 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 1.18 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 1.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00

Volume
31,000 63,997 3,000 633,246 324,250 210,600 400 161,132 -

QATAR
Company Name
Qatar National Bank Industries Qatar Ezdan Real Estate Co Qatar Telecom (Qtel) Q.S.C Commercial Bank Of Qatar Qsc Qatar Islamic Bank Masraf Al Rayan Qatar Electricity & Water Co Doha Bank Qsc Barwa Real Estate Co Qatar Fuel Co Qatar Gas Transport(Nakilat) Qatar Navigation Qatar International Islamic Aamal Co Vodafone Qatar Al Khaliji Bank Al Ahli Bank Qatar Insurance Co Qatar National Cement Co United Development Co Mannai Corporation Gulf International Services Qatar General Insurance & Re Qatar Industrial Manufactur Al-Khalij Holding Co National Leasing Al Meera Consumer Goods Co Gulf Warehousing Company Salam International Investme Qatar Islamic Insurance Mazaya Qatar Real Estate Dev Medicare Group Al Khaleej Takaful Group Zad Holding Co Qatar Meat & Livestock Co Doha Insurance Co Qatar Cinema & Film Distrib Dlala Holding Qatar & Oman Investment Co Qatar German Co For Medical Islamic Holding Group

Lt Price
147.10 130.20 22.00 143.00 82.90 83.20 26.30 145.20 66.00 29.05 259.00 17.30 74.30 54.00 15.84 7.56 17.10 87.00 79.90 111.00 24.00 98.10 22.75 55.00 58.00 14.97 47.55 153.00 36.30 12.07 59.00 7.90 24.55 44.00 47.90 33.45 29.30 82.00 16.50 9.79 8.03 23.50

% Chg
0.07 -1.14 0.00 0.00 -0.72 0.12 0.38 1.82 -0.15 1.04 0.00 -0.23 0.00 0.00 0.06 -0.53 0.00 0.00 0.38 -0.45 0.76 0.00 -0.35 0.00 0.52 -0.20 -1.04 -0.07 0.83 0.00 1.55 -0.51 0.81 -2.22 -0.21 -0.30 0.34 2.50 0.00 0.51 -0.50 -2.49

Volume
141,748 282,941 855 4,438 173,872 51,670 1,383,323 32,044 438,945 788,224 10,488 535,624 27,508 141,831 14,820 125,242 207,178 1,004 295 1,302,353 29,151 1,200 39,415 58,740 13,448 11,884 1,850 585,583 4,023 275 352 233,131 2,697 1,000 221,586 89,556 18,529 100

KUWAIT
Company Name
Aayan Leasing & Investment Aayan Real Estate Co Burgan Co For Well Drilling Al Ahli Bank Of Kuwait Al Abraj Holding Co Abyaar Real Eastate Developm Acico Industries Co Kscc Al-Dar National Real Estate Afaq Educational Services Al Arabi Group Holding Co Agility Aref Investment Group Co Al-Ahleia Insurance Co Al-Ahlia Holding Co Ajwan Gulf Real Estate Co Aviation Lease And Finance C Al Aman Investment Company Kuwait Real Estate Holding C Al-Deera Holding Co Al-Eid Food Co Alimtiaz Investment Co Kscc Alkout Industrial Projects C Al Madina For Finance And In Al Mal Investment Company Al Mudon Intl Real Estate Co Ahli United Bank (Almutahed) Al-Nawadi Holding Co K.S.C First Investment Co Kscc Al-Qurain Petrochemicals Co Alrai Media Group Co Al Safat Investment Co Al Safwa Group Co Al Salam Group Holding Co Alshamel International Hold Commercial Real Estate Co Amar Finance & Leasing Co Amwal International Investme Aqar Real Estate Investments Arab Real Estate Co Ajial Real Estate Entmt Aref Energy Holding Co Kscc Alargan International Real Arab Insurance Group(Bsc)-$ Arkan Al Kuwait Real Estate Automated Systems Co Advanced Technology Co Ahli United Bank B.S.C Al Bareeq Holding Co Kscc Bayan Investment Co Kscc Boubyan Intl Industries Hold Bahrain Kuwait Insurance Boubyan Bank K.S.C Boubyan Petrochemicals Co Burgan Bank Gulf Cable & Electrical Ind Kuwait Cable Vision Sak Livestock Transport & Tradng Commercial Bank Of Kuwait Combined Group Contracting City Group National Cleaning Company Coast Investment Development Dulaqan Real Estate Co Damac Kuwaiti Holding Co Danah Alsafat Foodstuff Co Educational Holding Group Egyptian Kuwaiti Holding Co Ekttitab Holding Co S.A.K.C Equipment Holding Co K.S.C.C Al-Enmaa Real Estate Co Kuwait Bahrain International Eyas For High & Technical Ed Commercial Facilities Co Fujairah Cement Industries First Dubai Real Estate Deve Flex Resorts & Real Estate Kuwait Foods (Americana) First Takaful Insurance Co Future Communications Co Future Kid Entertainment And Gulf Bank Gulf Cement Co Gulf Franchising Kscc Gulf Finance House Ec Gulf Glass Manuf Co -Kscc Gulf Investment House Gulf Insurance Co Global Investment House Kscc Gulf North Africa Holding Co Gulf Petroleum Investment Grand Real Estate Project Gulfinvest International Ksc Kuwait Gypsum Manufacturing Hayat Communications Hilal Cement Co Hits Telecom Holding Human Soft Holding Co Intl Financial Advisors Ifa Hotels & Resorts Co. K.S International Finance Co Industrial & Financial Inves Intl Investment Group-Kuwait Ikarus Petroleum Industries Intl Leasing & Investment Injazzat Real State Company Inovest Co Bsc Investors Holding Group Co.K Independent Petroleum Group International Resorts Co Housing Finance Co S.A.K.C Ithmaar Bank Bsc Jazeera Airways Jeeran Holdings Jeezan Holdings Co Kscc Kipco Asset Management Co Kuwait Building Materials Kuwait Business Town Real Es Kuwait Cement Co Kuwait China Investment Co Kuwait National Cinema Co Kuwait Medical Services Co Kuwait Co For Process Plant Kuwait Finance & Investment Kuwait Finance House Kuwait Foundry Co

Lt Price
0.00 58.00 212.00 660.00 0.00 30.50 196.00 16.00 0.00 97.00 360.00 0.00 500.00 12.50 55.00 285.00 24.00 33.00 27.00 0.00 132.00 0.00 55.00 47.50 220.00 880.00 92.00 108.00 212.00 146.00 0.00 15.00 146.00 0.00 77.00 65.00 0.00 90.00 27.00 120.00 98.00 124.00 0.00 70.00 230.00 0.00 192.00 144.00 30.50 75.00 0.00 590.00 550.00 465.00 1,400.00 0.00 212.00 770.00 1,500.00 530.00 114.00 51.00 0.00 0.00 100.00 0.00 270.00 54.00 55.00 97.00 0.00 260.00 255.00 46.50 26.50 0.00 1,460.00 104.00 295.00 104.00 490.00 55.00 16.50 44.00 1,220.00 21.00 560.00 0.00 46.50 31.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 72.00 0.00 71.00 280.00 42.50 435.00 0.00 31.00 0.00 168.00 0.00 62.00 0.00 12.00 295.00 40.00 0.00 18.50 475.00 80.00 0.00 244.00 0.00 26.00 440.00 52.00 1,020.00 65.00 295.00 0.00 880.00 0.00

% Chg
0.00 0.00 0.00 1.54 0.00 -3.17 -2.97 14.29 0.00 4.30 -4.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 -1.72 -4.00 -7.04 -3.57 0.00 -1.49 0.00 -3.51 -4.04 0.00 3.53 0.00 -3.57 0.95 5.80 0.00 -3.23 7.35 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 1.05 0.00 -3.17 1.35 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 -4.50 0.00 0.00 0.00 -1.72 -1.92 0.00 0.00 -7.41 0.00 3.85 -1.82 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 -1.85 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 -1.01 0.00 0.00 -5.38 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 -6.58 0.00 -2.30 -1.14 0.00 0.00 0.00 2.44 0.00 -6.06 0.00 0.00 -1.67 -2.44 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 -1.89 -2.22 1.96 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00

Volume
40,000 40,000 55,000 24,080,000 160,000 1,120,000 40,000 1,430,000 20,000 1,520,000 40,000 520,000 80,000 240,000 1,360,000 420,000 27,320,000 1,120,000 1,960,000 910,000 80,000 5,020,000 1,880,000 1,220,000 2,800,000 10,220,000 720,000 200,000 80,000 80,000 20,000 40,000 60,000 320,000 20,000 780,000 80,000 160,000 120,000 100,000 35,000 130,000 5,000 40,000 5,000 35,000 10,000 340,000 1,800,000 7,140,000 470,000 13,800,000 40,000 200,000 550,000 40,000 80,000 240,000 10,000 20,000 2,710,000 40,000 1,310,000 520,000 80,000 39,520,000 12,500 80,000 170,000 80,000 160,000 80,000 10,840,000 20,000 8,800,000 30,000 80,000 40,000 3,680,000 1,360,000 30,000 8,560,000 960,000 320,000 280,000 320,000 18,080,000 100,000 240,000 2,500 40,000 40,000 395,000 -

UAE
Company Name
National Takaful Company Waha Capital Pjsc Union Insurance Co Union National Bank/Abu Dhab United Insurance Company Union Cement Co United Arab Bank Abu Dhabi National Takaful Abu Dhabi National Energy Co Sudan Telecommunications Co$ Sorouh Real Estate Company Sharjah Insurance Company Sharjah Cement & Indus Devel Ras Al Khaima Poultry Ras Al Khaimah Co Rak Properties Ras Al-Khaimah National Insu Ras Al Khaimah Ceramics Ras Al Khaimah Cement Co National Bank Of Ras Al-Khai Qatar Telecom (Qtel) Q.S.C Umm Al Qaiwain Cement Indust Oman & Emirates Inv(Emir)50% National Marine Dredging Co National Corp Tourism & Hote Sharjah Islamic Bank National Bank Of Umm Al Qaiw National Bank Of Fujairah National Bank Of Abu Dhabi Methaq Takaful Insurance Manasek Gulf Pharmaceutical Ind-Julp Investbank Insurance House Gulf Medical Projects Gulf Livestock Co Green Crescent Insurance Co Gulf Cement Co Foodco Holding Finance House First Gulf Bank Fujairah Cement Industries Fujairah Building Industries Emirates Telecom Corporation Eshraq Properties Co Pjsc Emirates Insurance Co. (Psc) Emirates Driving Company Al Dhafra Insurance Co. P.S. Dana Gas Commercial Bank Internationa Bank Of Sharjah Abu Dhabi Natl Co For Buildi Al Wathba National Insurance Intl Fish Farming Co-Asmak Arkan Building Materials Co Aldar Properties Pjsc Al Ain Ahlia Ins. Co. Al Khazna Insurance Co Agthia Group Pjsc Al Fujairah National Insuran Abu Dhabi Ship Building Co Abu Dhabi National Insurance Abu Dhabi National Hotels Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank Abu Dhabi Aviation

Lt Price
0.65 0.45 0.00 2.87 0.00 0.00 3.64 0.00 1.18 1.01 0.67 0.00 0.50 0.00 1.60 0.27 0.00 1.49 0.49 4.90 159.50 0.54 0.00 8.26 0.00 0.80 1.81 4.55 10.40 0.90 0.00 2.24 1.60 0.90 1.99 0.00 0.30 0.68 0.00 3.25 14.95 1.05 0.00 9.03 0.16 6.00 0.00 0.00 0.34 0.83 1.92 0.86 0.00 0.00 0.77 0.76 0.00 0.47 1.71 0.00 1.59 6.00 2.17 2.93 2.70 3.22

% Chg
0.00 -2.17 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 -0.98 -2.90 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 -3.92 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 -0.48 -7.22 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 -9.09 -1.45 0.00 0.00 -2.61 0.00 0.00 -0.55 -5.88 0.00 0.00 0.00 -8.11 3.75 -1.54 -4.44 0.00 0.00 -6.10 -2.56 0.00 0.00 -0.58 0.00 1.92 0.00 0.00 -1.01 -1.10 0.00

Volume
13,056 88,811 40,000 19,600 282,298 46,722 6,421,115 10,000 25,000 1,568,762 29,320 2,610,500 2,000 11 300,000 1,600 593,794 5,000 10,000 113,044 2,466,088 546,641 2,949 25,200 22,064 60,000 232,681 553 239,000 10,000 1,499,557 49,459 19,369 22,685,516 50,000 12,649,319 20,000 64,500 15,359,391 6,000 32,000 1,000 4,000 300,000 501,581 214,189 123,714

SAUDI ARABIA
Company Name
Saudi Hollandi Bank Al-Ahsa Development Co. Al-Baha Development & Invest Ace Arabia Cooperative Insur Allied Cooperative Insurance Arriyadh Development Company Fitaihi Holding Group Arabia Insurance Cooperative Al Abdullatif Industrial Inv Al-Ahlia Cooperative Insuran Al Alamiya Cooperative Insur Dar Al Arkan Real Estate Dev Al Babtain Power & Telecommu Bank Albilad Alujain Corporation (Alco) Aldrees Petroleum Operates G Fawaz Abdulaziz Alhokair & C Alinma Bank Al Khaleej Training And Educ Abdullah A.M. Al-Khodari Son Allianz Saudi Fransi Coopera Almarai Co Ltd Saudi Integrated Telecom Co Alsorayai Group Amana Cooperative Insurance Anaam International Holding Abdullah Al Othaim Markets Arabian Pipes Co Advanced Petrochemicals Co Al Rajhi Co For Co-Operative Arabian Cement Arab National Bank Ash-Sharqiyah Development Co United Wire Factories Compan Astra Industrial Group Alahli Takaful Co Aseer 9Xa Cooperative Insurance Basic Chemical Industries Bishah Agriculture Bank Al-Jazira Banque Saudi Fransi United International Transpo Bupa Arabia For Cooperative Buruj Cooperative Insurance Methanol Chemicals Co Eastern Cement Etihad Atheeb Telecommunicat Etihad Etisalat Co Emaar Economic City United Electronics Co Falcom Saudi Equity Etf Filing & Packing Materials M Food Products Company Falcom Petrochemical Etf Gulf General Cooperative Ins Jazan Development Co Gulf Union Cooperative Insur Halwani Bros Co Hail Cement Herfy Food Services Co Al Jouf Agriculture Developm Jarir Marketing Co Jabal Omar Development Co Al Jouf Cement Saudi Kayan Petrochemical Co Knowledge Economic City Kingdom Holding Co Saudi Arabian Mining Co Malath Insurance Makkah Construction & Devepl Mediterranean & Gulf Insuran Middle East Specialized Cabl Mohammad Al-Mojil Group Al Mouwasat Medical Services National Agriculture Develop Nama Chemicals Co National Gypsum National Gas & Industrializa National Industrialization C Maadaniyah National Shipping Co Of/The Saudi National Petrochemical Rabigh Refining And Petroche Al Qassim Agricultural Co 1Assim Cement/The Red Sea Housing Services Co Saudi Research And Marketing Riyad Bank Al Rajhi Bank Saudi Arabian Amiantit Co Saudi British Bank Sabb Takaful Saudi Basic Industries Corp Saudi Cement Sasco Saudi Dairy & Foodstuff Co

Lt Price
29.20 13.75 18.00 53.50 35.80 22.40 15.05 24.30 25.90 33.70 39.30 7.60 25.00 21.10 17.45 43.50 63.25 9.40 44.00 51.00 27.20 99.75 22.20 23.55 34.60 67.75 100.00 34.30 28.90 52.75 45.10 27.30 72.25 40.00 34.40 62.00 16.65 34.40 26.50 0.00 17.60 42.20 53.00 28.70 64.50 12.35 55.25 0.00 54.25 7.70 77.75 20.60 41.70 27.80 24.25 38.50 27.50 19.00 52.25 17.10 87.00 35.80 137.00 12.10 15.05 17.05 11.60 10.10 25.00 17.35 35.10 28.50 16.70 23.80 92.50 28.30 10.85 34.30 19.50 39.90 33.00 12.30 20.55 22.95 26.20 72.00 42.80 18.70 23.35 72.50 16.20 41.00 28.70 93.50 74.00 17.25 49.00

% Chg
-0.68 -5.50 -4.00 -6.14 -4.53 0.00 0.67 -2.41 -0.77 -4.26 -6.21 -1.94 0.20 0.00 -0.85 -0.91 -2.69 -2.08 -2.00 -1.92 -4.56 -0.25 4.23 -1.88 -4.16 -3.90 -1.96 -8.78 -1.37 -5.38 1.58 -1.44 -4.93 -3.38 -1.99 -4.25 -2.63 -3.91 -1.85 0.00 0.28 -0.24 -1.85 -3.04 -4.09 -1.98 -2.21 0.00 0.00 -1.91 -1.89 0.00 -7.54 -3.14 0.00 -3.27 -3.51 -4.52 -6.70 -1.72 -3.06 -1.92 -0.54 -0.82 -1.31 -0.87 -2.52 0.00 -1.19 -3.07 0.29 -3.39 -1.47 -1.45 -1.33 -3.41 0.00 -3.11 -1.76 -0.99 -2.37 -1.20 -1.91 -0.86 -2.24 -1.71 -1.38 -1.06 -0.43 -1.36 0.31 0.24 -4.97 -1.06 -1.00 -2.54 -0.20

Volume
91,224 10,804,742 1,693,071 422,085 613,118 1,822,141 14,784,237 483,448 246,874 906,186 517,032 15,275,320 818,907 839,077 6,417,902 137,038 147,461 24,620,806 28,361 234,380 445,899 96,300 11,119,547 740,511 2,560,122 1,136,228 29,399 3,437,215 1,226,327 629,891 207,261 201,169 518,642 699,063 138,897 272,502 3,979,852 338,173 90,883 698,106 33,039 133,292 1,988,901 776,763 3,486,263 87,191 769,683 22,821,232 433,103 2,475 2,749,251 1,225,871 14,410 454,196 944,338 2,501,797 936,291 3,536,353 57,465 265,110 46,916 3,297,903 2,641,035 9,311,452 16,455,006 2,473,614 1,048,676 2,020,219 131,602 229,645 3,391,764 1,224,010 26,950 508,170 15,808,840 612,982 473,167 797,179 2,833,708 2,316,282 709,615 2,026,685 2,264,669 47,443 570,628 85,995 150,177 935,146 4,457,982 82,126 806,922 4,805,620 56,690 1,065,823 104,047

OMAN
Company Name
Voltamp Energy Saog United Finance Co United Power Co United Power/Energy Co- Pref Transgulf Investment Hldg Co Taageer Finance Salalah Port Services Asaffa Foods Saog Sohar Poultry Shell Oman Marketing Shell Oman Marketing - Pref Smn Power Holding Saog Al Shurooq Inv Ser Al Sharqiya Invest Holding Sohar Power Co Salalah Beach Resort Saog Salalah Mills Co Sahara Hospitality Renaissance Services Saog Raysut Cement Co Port Service Corporation Packaging Co Ltd Oman United Insurance Co Oman Textile Holding Co Saog Oman Telecommunications Co Sweets Of Oman Oman Orix Leasing Co. Oman Refreshment Co Oman Packaging Oman Oil Marketing Company Oman Oil Marketing Co-Pref Oman National Investment Co Oman National Engineering An Oman National Dairy Products Ominvest Oman Medical Projects Oman Ceramic Com Oman Intl Marketing Oman Investment & Finance Oman International Bank Saog Oman Hotels & Tourism Co Oman Holding International Oman Fiber Optics Oman Flour Mills Oman Filters Industry Oman Fisheries Co Oman Education & Training In Oman & Emirates Inv(Om)50% Oman & Emirates Inv(Emir)50% Oman Europe Foods Industries Oman Cement Co Oman Chlorine Oman Chromite Oman Cables Industry Oman Agricultural Dev Omani Qatari Telecommunicati National Securities Oman Foods International Soa National Pharmaceutical-Rts National Pharmaceutical National Packaging Fac National Mineral Water National Hospitality Institu National Gas Co National Finance Co Rts National Finance Co National Detergents/The National Carpet Factory National Bank Of Oman Saog National Biscuit Industries National Beverages Co Ltd Natl Aluminium Products Muscat Thread Mills Co Muscat Insurance Company Modern Poultry Farms Muscat National Holding Musandam Marketing & Invest Al Maha Petroleum Products M Muscat Gases Company Saog Majan Glass Company Muscat Finance Al Kamil Power Co Interior Hotels Hotels Management Co Interna Al-Hassan Engineering Co Gulf Stone Gulf Mushroom Company Gulf Invest. Serv. Pref-Shar Gulf Investments Services Gulf International Chemicals Gulf Hotels (Oman) Co Ltd Global Fin Investment Galfar Engineering&Contract Galfar Engineering -Prefer Financial Services Co.

Lt Price
0.40 0.12 1.00 1.00 0.06 0.16 0.48 0.49 0.21 2.35 1.05 3.70 1.15 0.10 1.63 1.43 0.90 2.35 0.49 0.74 0.42 0.37 0.12 0.42 1.31 0.71 0.11 1.55 0.16 1.71 0.25 0.18 0.46 0.00 0.42 0.08 0.75 0.55 0.19 0.29 3.10 0.25 3.59 0.47 0.02 0.09 0.35 0.10 0.59 0.20 0.43 0.44 3.60 0.72 1.45 0.63 0.08 0.13 0.00 0.10 0.00 0.05 2.05 0.52 0.02 0.14 0.90 0.00 0.32 4.20 5.00 0.39 0.11 0.00 0.00 2.18 0.00 13.20 0.72 0.65 0.20 1.72 0.17 1.25 0.26 0.09 0.45 0.41 0.06 0.15 11.00 0.06 0.34 0.45 0.06

% Chg
-0.74 -0.82 0.00 0.00 -1.64 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.06 0.00 0.00 0.00 -0.81 0.00 0.00 0.00 -3.17 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 -0.56 0.00 0.00 0.72 0.00 0.00 0.00 2.19 -1.04 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 1.08 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 -1.56 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 -6.12 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 -3.96 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 1.69 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.79 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.90 0.00 0.00

Volume
35,541 10,000 752,610 141,000 2,771 33 463,522 2,769 44,050 44,380 4,000 28,049 404,774 24,500 172,850 36,665 1,000 350 75,850 20,000 50,000 304,091 167,541 2,001 457,830 140,100 1,527 341,000 232,864 -

BAHRAIN
Company Name
United Paper Industries Bsc United Gulf Investment Corp United Gulf Bank United Finance Co General Trading & Food Takaful International Co Taib Bank -$Us Securities & Investment Co Seef Properties Sudan Telecommunications Co$ Al-Salam Bank Delmon Poultry Co National Hotels Co National Bank Of Bahrain Nass Corp Bsc Khaleeji Commercial Bank Ithmaar Bank Bsc Investcorp Bank -$Us Inovest Co Bsc Intl Investment Group-Kuwait Gulf Monetary Group Global Investment House Kscc Gulf Finance House Ec Bahrain Family Leisure Co Esterad Investment Co B.S.C. Bahrain Duty Free Complex Bahrain Car Park Co Bahrain Cinema Co Bahrain Tourism Co Bahraini Saudi Bank/The Bahrain National Holding Bankmuscat Saog Bmmi Bsc Bmb Investment Bank Bahrain Kuwait Insurance Bahrain Islamic Bank Gulf Hotel Group B.S.C Bahrain Flour Mills Co Bahrain Commercial Facilitie Bbk Bahrain Telecom Co Bahrain Ship Repair & Engin Albaraka Banking Group Banader Hotels Co Ahli United Bank B.S.C

Lt Price
0.00 0.10 0.30 0.00 0.26 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.09 0.00 0.04 0.00 0.00 0.58 0.13 0.04 0.07 796.95 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.15 0.00 0.12 0.67 ` 0.00 0.00 0.07 0.41 0.00 0.57 0.00 0.61 0.09 0.68 0.00 0.00 0.40 0.39 0.00 1.02 0.00 0.69

% Chg
0.00 0.00 9.63 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 2.63 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 -2.54 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 1.48

Volume
16,000 10,000 10,000 20,000 115,200 15,000 60,000 53,313 469,440 31 24,000 50,000 10,000 5,000 70,000 333,697 200,000 7,886 30,000 289,828 3,752 101,917 2,071 88,939

LATEST MARKET CLOSING FIGURES

40

Gulf Times Tuesday, January 17, 2012

SPORT
NFL

Giants end Green Bays reign; Ravens advance

AFP New York

li Manning threw for a career playoff high 330 yards and three touchdowns to power the New York Giants to a 37-20 upset of reigning Super Bowl champion Green Bay in an NFL playoff shocker on Sunday. Hakeem Nicks caught seven passes for 165 yards and two touchdowns and Giants defenders forced four turnovers as the host Packers, who went an NFL-best 15-1 this season and

E
NBA

averaged 35 points a game, were ousted in sub-freezing cold. It shows our hard work and determination, Nicks said. Were peaking right when we need to. Were stronger than we have been all season. We just want it. As a result, New York avenged a regular-season home loss to the Packers and joined the Baltimore Ravens in advancing to next Sundays playoff showdowns that will decide berths in Super Bowl 46 at Indianapolis on February 5. We can go as far as we want to go, Nicks said. Weve got a

bunch of guys who believe, and we can do anything if we believe. The Ravens, who ousted visiting Houston 20-13, will visit New England in the American Conference nal while the Giants will visit the San Francisco 49ers, who ousted New Orleans 36-32 on Saturday, in the National Conference nal. I think were a dangerous team, Giants coach Tom Coughlin said. There are always things for us to improve upon but I like where we are. Baltimores Joe Flacco threw two touchdown passes to lead

the Ravens, who know the challenge they face after seeing the Patriots rout Denver 45-10 on Saturday. What they did to the Broncos, they sent a message to whoever was coming up there, Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis said. We have to be ready for them. The Giants, who needed a regular season-ending victory over Dallas to take the last vacant playoff berth, started slow but are one win shy of their rst Super Bowl since beating New England in 2008. We started to believe and trust in each other and our de-

fensive people got together and decided they were better than theyd been playing, Coughlin said. They had success and success breeds condence. Manning, who completed 21 of 33 passes, tossed a 37-yard touchdown pass to a high-leaping Nicks on the last play of the second quarter to give New York a 20-10 lead, the rst time Green Bay trailed at half-time at home this season. I just jumped up and got it, said Nicks, who fought off two defenders. It was just me and the ball in my mind. The Packers, who had a rst-

round bye, became the winningest team ever to drop its playoff opener. We did not play to our identity, Packers coach Mike McCarthy said. The biggest thing was self-inicted wounds, dropped balls. We left some yards on the eld. We did not do a very good job handling the football. No excuses. We practiced well. There was nothing in preparation that led me to believe this was going to occur. A Chase Blackburn fumble recovery set up a 4-yard touchdown toss from Manning to

Mario Manningham for a 30-13 lead. Green Bays Aaron Rodgers responded with a 16-yard touchdown pass to Donald Driver with 4:46 to play, but New York answered with a 14-yard touchdown run by Brandon Jacobs with 2:36 remaining for the nal points. At Baltimore, Lewis made a team-high seven tackles and the Ravens forced four turnovers, two of them interceptions by Ladarius Webb, to set up 17 points and spoil the rst playoff trip in the Texans 10-year history.

TENNIS

Millsap stars in Jazzs win over Nuggets

Reuters New York

Strike talk recedes as favourites advance

Nadal, Federer, Clijsters and Wozniacki all win; Heat rises on court as temperatures soar
Reuters Melbourne

aul Millsap scored 14 straight points for Utah in the critical fourth quarter to carry the Jazz to a 106-96 triumph over the Northwest Division rival Denver Nuggets on Sunday. Finishing with 26 points and 12 rebounds, Millsaps devastating personal run in the nal quarter gave Utah (8-4) their seventh win in eight contests. The Jazz led 81-79 early in the fourth when their big power forward netted his own 6-0 run to stretch the lead and nished with 16 in the quarter to keep the Nuggets at bay. My team mates did a great job of nding me, of going to me. There was a mismatch and we tried to expose it, Millsap told reporters. Our team is very unselsh and they nd the guy with the mismatch. You get in a zone like that, you get hot and start feeling it, guys just start looking for you. Denver was coming off a big victory over the Miami Heat on Friday, and were involved with a close battle all game but were unable to keep pace down the stretch.

Results
Golden State......99 DETROIT ...............91 Utah ........................106 DENVER............... 96 SAN ANTONIO102 Phoenix ..................91

op players moved to dampen down talk of a potential revolt and rift in the mens ranks as the Australian Open got underway in stiing conditions yesterday with Rafa Nadal and Roger Federer both winning. After a week of drizzle and heavy cloud cover, blue skies welcomed the players to the tournaments opening day with temperatures rising quickly in the morning and irting with 30 degrees Celsius before midday. The heat, however, was the least of their concerns as some of the men began to openly discuss the possibility of a strike later in the season unless they and the ATP could come to an agreement on a more equitable split of prize money and a revamped playing schedule. Its (strike) such a dangerous word to use, world number three Federer said after his rstround victory over Russian qualier Alexander Kudryavtsev. Thats why I always say, lets try to avoid it as much as we can I think that would be the . best for all of us: you guys, fans, tournaments, players. Its not good for anyone really. Weve seen it in other

Rafael Nadal of Spain hits a return to Alex Kuznetsov of the U.S. during their mens singles match at the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne yesterday. (Reuters) sports happening in the States. Thats why Im always very careful about it. While temperatures rose behind the scenes, world number two Nadal took advantage of cooler conditions in the early evening and romped into the second round with a 6-4 6-1 6-1 victory over Alex Kuznetsov. Womens champion Kim Clijsters also got her title defence off to a strong start with a 7-5 6-1 win over Portugals Maria Joao Koehler, while world number one Caroline Wozniacki smashed Australias Anastasia Rodionova 6-2 6-1 in 76 minutes. Nadal, who had been suffering from a niggling shoulder injury, said his perpetually troubled knees had caused him some concern on Sunday when he suffered unbelievable pain in his right knee when he straightened it. However, the 10-times grand slam winner managed to receive treatment on Sunday and while his knee was heavily strapped on Monday, he had little trouble in advancing to the second round. Earlier, local fans had plenty to cheer with teenager Ber-

nard Tomic coming back from a two-set deficit to beat 22nd seed and 2009 Melbourne Park semi-finalist Fernando Verdasco 4-6 6-7 6-4 6-2 7-5 in four hours, 11 minutes on Rod Laver Arena. The gangly Tomic has now assumed the mantle from Lleyton Hewitt as the host countrys main hope for a rst mens title since Mark Edmondson in 1976. After some youthful and illreceived bravado earlier in his career, Tomic is taking local expectations in his giant stride. The crowd always want an Australian in the nal...but they dont realise its one of the hardest things in the world, Tomic said. To have so many world class players you have to beat on the way to get to the quarters, let alone a nal, its the hardest thing. Im only going to learn and get condence, and one day be in the position to get to the nals of majors. Australian womens wildcard Casey Dellacqua came back from a period of two years off following shoulder and foot surgeries to set up a secondround clash against third seed Victoria Azarenka after a 6-3 6-2 win over Serbias Bojana Jovanovski. Azarenka had missed her morning coffee and was in no

mood to hang around in the Melbourne heat, getting her campaign off to a ying start with a 6-1 6-0 victory over Britains Heather Watson. Azarenka, who only arrived in Melbourne on Saturday after she won the Sydney International title, needed just 67 minutes to beat Watson though she paid a high price for an early morning practice session on the main Rod Laver Arena. Actually, I didnt get my coffee in the morning today, so I was really pissed off, the 22-year-old said to laughter. So tomorrow Im denitely getting it. It was so early and I wanted to come play a little bit longer on centre court. Everything was closed. I said, Oh my God, I need my coffee . Former US Open champion Juan Martin Del Potro looked like he needed a caffeine jolt in his match against French lefthander Adrian Mannarino before eventually running out a 2-6 6-1 7-5 6-4 winner in just under three hours. Hes a lefty and he makes different shots, Del Potro said. He started much better than me in the rst set, and then it was tough to ght behind the score. But I did my things, my game and I took all the opportunities to beat him.

NHL

GOLF

SPOTLIGHT

Habs surprise red-hot Rangers

Reuters New York

Wagner comes from behind to win Sony Open

AFP Hawaii

Beaten Mirza eyes Olympic gold

AFP Melbourne

Chinas Li all ears for fitness coach Stober

While Chinas Li Na famously says she only has to listen to her husband and coach Jiang Shan one hour a day, her fitness trainer Alex Stober has never had any problems getting through to the French Open champion. The world number six cruised into the second round of the Australian Open on Monday with a routine 6-3 6-1 win over Uzbekistans Ksenia Pervak in stifling heat at Melbourne Park. German Stober, who whipped Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi into shape during their careers, said that while Li can get a little fiesty with her husband, her dedication to her tennis career is without question. I can tell you Li is incredibly easy to work with, shes incredibly disciplined, shes a hard worker, he told Reuters. She would never question whatever you are telling her to do, she is fantastic to work with and shes in very good shape. She can keep going for another two, three years easily at this level of tennis, no problem. She is playing her best right now. Lis fitness was put to the test on Monday in the Melbourne heat and she admitted to battling fatigue on a day when many matches became survival of the fittest.

ontreals Max Pacioretty scored twice as the Canadiens rose to the occasion with a 4-1 victory over the NHL-leading New York Rangers on Sunday. Having managed only three goals in three consecutive losses, the Canadiens picked the perfect time to catch re. Pacioretty opened the scoring less than three minutes into the game and after New Yorks John Mitchell made it 1-1 10 minutes later, the Canadiens winger put the home team back in front at 3:54 of the second period.

Results
Golden State......99 Pittsburgh................ 6 WASHINGTON .....2 MONTREAL ..........4 CHICAGO ..................4 EDMONTON .............2 DETROIT ...............91 TAMPA BAY ...........3 Carolina ......................1 NY Rangers ............1 San Jose ...................3 Los Angeles1 (OT)

merican Johnson Wagner recorded his third victory on the USPGA Tour Sunday by shooting a nal round three-under 67 for a two-stroke win at the $5.5mn Sony Open. It feels incredible. I worked really hard this off season and I told everybody that I was going to win early this year. So it feels good to do it, Wagner said. Wagner was one of half dozen players who had a share of the lead in the nal round. His victory qualies him for the Masters tournament in April. I am coming back here so I can buy that plane ticket now and I am in Augusta. I am really excited. Wagner nished at 13-under 267, with Carl Pettersson, Sean OHair, Charles Howell and Harrison Frazar tied for second at 11 under. Third-round co-leaders Matt Every and Jeff Maggert struggled Sunday with Every shooting a two-over

72 to nish at 10 under while Maggert shot a four-over 74. Wagner stepped up his play on the back nine all week long, going bogey free on the backside. He also did not make a bogey in his nal 12 holes on Sunday. He began the new season with a tie for ninth at Kapalua and now a win at the Waialae Country Club course, the rst full-eld event of the 2012 season. I started with a bogey today but was surprisingly clam until the 16th or 17th hole and then I got a little nervous coming in, he said. Coming down stretch here and having a cushion was nice. Wagner made a bogey on the par-four sixth hole but rebounded with a birdie on the par-three eighth in which he rolled in an eightfoot putt. He followed that with another birdie on the par-ve ninth hole. It marked the fourth-straight day he birdied the hole. Wagner earned 500 FedExCup points and is now the FedExCup leader after the rst two weeks of the season.

ndias Sania Mirza yesterday said a gold medal at the London Olympics is her primary focus for 2012 as she makes a comeback from yet another serious injury. Mirza did not play in 2011 following the US Open after sustaining a knee injury, only returning to the court in Auckland two weeks ago. It was just the latest in a string of injuries to have plagued the 25-year-old, including a chronic wrist problem that saw her miss large parts of 2008, 2009 and 2010. The world number 106 lost in qualifying in Auckland and failed again in the rst round of the Australian Open on Monday, going down 6-4, 6-2 to Bulgarias Tsvetana Pironkova. But Mirza, who was once ranked 27th in the world, was anything but downcast and said her main goal was the mixed doubles in London in July. It was my second singles match in the last ve months obviously Im always coming

Sania Mirza of India reacts during her loss toTsvetana Pironkova of Bulgaria in their first round womens singles match at the Australian Open in Melbourne yesterday. (AFP) back from a surgery process, and Im on that again and its never easy, she said. Of course Im disappointed but I will try to take as many positives as I can. Not a lot of people know but I have extra-lax joints and I am double-jointed, because of which Im more prone to getting injured in my joints, and hence thats whats happened, she added. Ive had two knee surgeries and a wrist surgery its not easy. Mirza said she would be focusing on mixed doubles at the Olympics and would be paired with either Mahesh Bhupathi, Leander Paes or Rohan Bopanna. A medals a medal at the Olympics and it doesnt matter whether you get it in singles, doubles or mixed, she said. The fact that even though a lot of people say maybe its not a top priority, people are still going to play and theyre going to play to win a medal. Im in a great position to choose from three people are in the top 12 in the world (in doubles) and obviously the best team will be put forward.

Gulf Times Tuesday, January 17, 2012

41

CRICKET
SPOTLIGHT

Away Test failures dent Dhonis leadership aura

Reuters New Delhi

ahendra Singh Dhonis one-match ban means the India captain will have time for an introspective look as to where and when his Midas touch deserted him as his team mates battle to avoid a series whitewash against Australia in Adelaide. Dhoni, who will miss next weeks fourth Test after the ICC banned him because of Indias slow over rate in the third Test defeat in Perth on Sunday, has enjoyed a fairytale rise from the cricketing backwaters of the eastern Indian state of Jharkhand. In what seemed like a storyline straight out of a Bol-

lywood script, he led teams to Twenty20 (2007) and 50-over (2011) World Cup victories and oversaw their rise as the number one Test team in the world, thus convincing many he was Indias best captain ever. His unappable leadership, as much as his tactical brilliance and uncomplicated approach, impressed most, including a management institute in his home town Ranchi which wanted to do a brain-mapping of the Indian captain. It was a fairytale too good to last long and Dhoni met his Waterloo in England last year, a nightmare that returned to haunt him in Australia. Dhonis brand of leadership, which earned him the nickname of Captain Cool was ridiculed , by a cricket expert who likened him to a clerk in an Indian bank

Indian captain MS Dhoni looks on after Australia won the third Test match at the WACA ground in Perth on Sunday. (AFP) - with no real passion or anger. In England, where a 4-0 whitewash completed in August robbed the team of the top Test status last year, Dhoni could at least blame it on injuries to key players. In Australia, following two innings defeats that have left them trailing 3-0, he has no such luxury.

For quite a while, Dhoni has not looked quite in command and the Perth Test was a good case in study. The sheer rarity of the move to eld an all-pace attack, axing off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin to accommodate debutant pace bowler Vinay Kumar, bafed most. Im surprised, a spinner could have exercised some control here, former captain Ravi Shastri rued on air as the Indian pacers strayed their line and got hammered by Australian opener David Warner on the first day. In a way, Dhoni met his comeuppance and incurred a onematch ban after India were found two overs short of target. It may not have been the case had one of his frontline bowlers been a spinner.

He could not get the best out of his pacers either. Much of Ishant Sharmas reputation is built around his excellent spell against former Australia captain Ricky Ponting in the 2008 Perth Test but this time around Dhoni held him back, preferring Vinay Kumars military medium pace instead. Former India captain Sourav Ganguly was disappointed by Dhonis announcement on the eve of the Perth Test that he was focussing on 2015 World Cup and might quit Test cricket next year. I wish hes joking, Ganguly told Aaj Tak channel. And if he is really serious, then it is not sensible of him at all to make such a comment 24 hours before the start of an important Test match, he added. Barring the half-century in the Sydney Test, Dhoni has not

enhanced his reputation with the bat either on this tour and has been average behind the stumps. Throughout the series, he and his slip colleagues stood way behind where edges dropped and he aimlessly shuffled slip elders on occasions. In Perth, Dhoni briey had Virat Kohli in rst slip where the elder dropped Warner before Sachin Tendulkar, original occupant of the position, returned from outeld. Its a permanent position. This revolving door of rst slip is rubbish, former Australia cap tain Ian Chappell, a specialist slip elder himself in his playing days, fumed. While the entire blame cannot be placed at his feet, Dhoni knows he deserves the lions share and had the candour to admit it.

PREVIEW

Bitter rivalry resumes at neutral venue

Strauss is a top captain and England are lucky to have him leading them
Reuters Dubai

England eye rankings jackpot

England will win a $175,000 jackpot for topping the world Test rankings if they win the series against Pakistan or lose by a single match, the International Cricket Council announced yesterday. The annual award is presented to the side that finishes at the head of the ICC Test championship table on the 1 April. England, who rose to world number one in ICC Test rankings by beating India 4-0 in August last year, face Pakistan in a three match series in Dubai from Tuesday. England will have a chance to the win the $175,000 jackpot for topping the ICC Test championship table when it goes head-to-head with Pakistan in a three-Test series, the ICC said. They will only lose the jackpot if Pakistan beat them either 2-0 or 3-0, with world number two side South Africa poised to benefit. South Africa visit New Zealand for a three-Test series between March 7 to 27 and can still snatch the jackpot from England should their rivals lose by more than one Test and they win on their tour. In case of a 1-0 or 2-1 series loss, England will finish on 120 ratings points, one ahead of South Africa (assuming it wins 3-0 against New Zealand), the ICC explained. The side that finishes second in the Reliance ICC Test Championship table on the 1 April cut-off date will receive $75,000. Meanwhile, Australian opener David Warner has made a big move in the ICC player rankings for Test batsmen, which were updated after the Perth Test. The 25-year-old, man of the match after hitting the jointfourth fastest century in Test cricket history, jumped 35 places to 34th position. Australia beat India by an innings and 37 runs inside three days to lead the four-match series 3-0.

rivalry riddled with acrimony resumes on neutral territory in Dubai today with England seeking to consolidate their world number one ranking against a Pakistan side rebuilding after the 2010 corruption scandal. Pakistan have been forced to play all their home matches abroad for the foreseeable future after an armed attack on the Sri Lanka team bus in Lahore three years ago. Subsequently three leading players, including captain Salman Butt, were jailed after conspiring to bowl deliberate no-balls in the Lords test two years ago. Pakistans response under 37-year-old captain Misbahul-Haq has been admirable. Since Misbah took over, Pakistan have won six tests and lost only once, won 13 out of 14 oneday internationals and all ve of their Twenty20 matches. England, who succeeded India as the worlds top team during a 4-0 whitewash at home last year, now aim to show they are a team for all seasons. They have not won a series in Asia for more than a decade and, after the Pakistan series, they face demanding tests against Sri Lanka away followed by West Indies and South Africa at home and then a tour of India. Each series between Eng-

Pakistans captain Misbah ul-Haq (left) and Englands captain Andrew Strauss pose for photographers with the trophy during a press conference in Dubai International Cricket Stadium at Dubai Sports City yesterday. (AFP) land and Pakistan has involved a controversy of some sort, reaching a nadir in 2010 when the sides were not on speaking terms in the one-day series after the Lords test. Shoaib Akhtar, the former Pakistan fast bowler who retired during last years World Cup after a colourful international career, praised both Misbah and his England counterpart Andrew Strauss at the weekend but said there would still be tension between the sides. Strauss is a top captain and England are lucky to have him leading them, Akhtar told the PTV sports channel. He does not believe in mind games but playing fair. Misbahul-Haq has also matured into a good captain for Pakistan and is a good man. Strauss is a heck of a gentleman but the rest of the players will be at the Pakistani players throughout the series. Pakistan have always shown a remarkable ability to regenerate their international team despite a imsy domestic structure exacerbated now by the handicap of playing all their matches abroad. They will rely on two players well into their thirties to bolster

the batting and lead the attack respectively. Younus Khan, captain of the Twenty20 side who won the 2009 World Cup in England, remains technically adroit, hungry for runs and a wonderful slip elder at the age of 34. Off-spinner Saeed Ajmal, also 34, nished 2011 with 50 test wickets and bowls a high percentage of doosras at a brisk pace which he believes will be a plus against an England batting lineup including four left-handers. Ajmal told Reuters he was condent of winning a high percentage of his lbw appeals with his doosra which either spins into the left-handers or straightens. The advantage we have is we know the conditions and pitches well now and we know what to do to take wickets, he said. England rose to the top of the top of the world rankings with a three-pronged pace attack supplemented by off-spinner Graeme Swann. Now left-arm spinner Monty Panesar, who has not represented his country since the rst test in the 2009 Ashes series, is pushing for a place alongside Swann after taking eight wickets against the Pakistan Cricket Board XI. Panesars inclusion, though, would lengthen the tail especially as the teams best lateorder batsman Tim Bresnan has returned home early with an elbow injury and England are likely to stick to their tried and tested formula.

Sri Lanka selectors must go, says Ranatunga

Sri Lankas cricket selection panel should be axed following the teams shabby showing in South Africa and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), former captain Arjuna Ranatunga says. Ranatunga also accused the government of interfering with national cricket, resulting in some senior players making political comments instead of focusing on the game. Sri Lanka have had a poor run in recent months, suffering a Test and One-Day International series loss in the UAE against Pakistan and later losing the Test series in South Africa. The most humiliating loss was recorded in the ongoing OneDay International (ODI) series against South Africa. Chasing Proteas 302 runs for victory in the second ODI, the Sri Lankans were bowled out for just 43 runs, their lowest total in limited overs cricket. Ranatunga told Xinhua yesterday that he suspected the current selection process for the national team was based on political considerations, not performance. He also said that the national selectors made a huge blunder when they failed to pick in-form batsman Thilan Samaraweera for the Test series in South Africa. Samaraweera was not picked in the original squad but was later included as a replacement for an injured player. He went on to score two centuries and was the most consistent batsman in the series. The selectors should admit they made a blunder in the selection or they should either resign or be sacked, said Ranatunga, now a politician. Ranatunga led Sri Lanka to their only World Cup win in 1996. He attributed that success to the fact that the players did not face pressure from politicians or the board then. He said a major overhaul of the Sri Lanka cricket board was needed to get the team back on track and to prepare them for the next World Cup.

DEFENCE

ASSURANCE

India chief eyes revenge at home

AFP Mumbai

Pietersen vows no spot-fixing jibes

AFP Dubai

ndias cricket chief gave a robust defence of the national team yesterday after the humiliating Test losses in Australia, saying players would soon set the record straight on home soil. Australia played better in their home conditions, it will be different when they come to India, Narayanaswamy Srini vasan, president of the underre Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), said. New Zealand is coming to India next and that will be followed by England and Australia. We will beat these three teams on our own soil. They cannot beat us here and we will feel very

happy, he told the Press Trust of India news agency. Australia smashed India by an innings and 37 runs inside three days in the third Perth Test on Sunday to clinch the four-match series, after winning in Melbourne by 122 runs and Sydney by an innings and 68 runs. It was Indias seventh successive Test loss abroad, following their 4-0 rout in England last year, in a dismal run that has taken the shine off their limited-overs World Cup victory at home last April. Srinivasan, who owns the Chennai Super Kings franchise in the Indian Premier League, cited the example of Indias 5-0 rout of England in a one-day series last October. England won in England,

but they came here within a month and lost 5-0, he said. After our loss in England, I had said we will beat them when they visit India. Thats what happened. India are not due to play an overseas Test series until the tour of South Africa in late 2013 and the next home series against New Zealand in September is still eight months away. Former captain Kapil Dev had on Sunday slammed the cash-rich BCCI for its shortsighted policies, saying its obsession with prots was ruining the game in India. They (BCCI) are doing extremely well when it comes to making money and controlling world cricket, Dev said. But what is the use if your team fails to win matches abroad?

ngland batsman Kevin Pietersen promised there will not be any spot-xing jibes aimed at Pakistan players when the two teams meet in the rst Test in Dubai today. The three-Test series is the rst between the two nations since the 2010 spotxing scandal, which ended in lengthy bans and jail terms for then Pakistan captain Salman Butt and pacemen Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Aamer. The trio, along with their agent Mazhar Majeed, were found guilty for their roles in a plan to deliberately bowl noballs as part of a scam during the Lords Test against England. The lead-up to the current

series has been dominated by discussion about the scandal, stirring anger in the Pakistan camp, led by captain Misbahul Haq, at the perceived distraction from the cricket. But Pietersen, a notoriously combative player, said the scandal will be banished from players minds when the cricket starts and dispelled any suggestions that England could use the issue to sledge their opponents. There will not be an undercurrent about what happened in 2010. Not with our players weve spoken about it and it will not happen at all with us, Pietersen told reporters. Of course there will still be on-field chat because we play our cricket very hard. Theres no way Jimmy Anderson, who is a grumpy bowler, wont be grumpy. But there will be no hangover from the past.

42

Gulf Times Tuesday, January 17, 2012

SPORT
SPOTLIGHT

Its time for a new FIFA, says Champagne

Reuters London

IFAs former director of international relations Jerome Champagne has suggested changes in the world governing body to help end a perception it is run by self-interested men who do not care enough about the game. The erudite 53-year-old Frenchman, who left FIFA suddenly two years ago, has now broken his silence since his unexpected departure from his role as

one of president Sepp Blatters chief advisors. Widely respected and inuential in elite soccer circles, Champagne circulated a detailed 20,000-word report to each of FIFAs 208 member associations on Monday. It examines how many of soccers current ills developed; how FIFA spiralled into recent crises and how it can evolve into a more effective body. Champagne has made 11 recommendations to improve the game, including changes at the top. I am speaking as a citizen of world

football and it has given me no joy to see the troubles that FIFA has faced over the last year or so. Champagne told Reuters in a telephone interview. But after my 11 years with FIFA I think I have something to contribute to the debate and to stimulate it, while recognising that no one has all the answers. Champagne said the red danger lights were ashing in many areas and stressed there has been a loss of trust in soccer. Over the last 20 years there has been a globalisation of football which

has been only loosely regulated and which has dramatically increased the inequalities in the game and stimulated a decrease in the uncertainty of the games results. As is to be expected from a former diplomat, Champagne retains a balanced view of the world game, and highlights many positives in his report. The game, he says, is still expanding, 80,000 amateur matches are played each week in Germany for example, and stadiums have improved. But he identies many wrongs, starting at the top where he said one

of the key problems that should be addressed is that the FIFA president and his executive committee are elected by different voting procedures which leads to conict at the heart of the decision-making process. He suggests a radical overhaul of the voting procedure with more power vested in the presidents position - something which could benet the new president who will succeed Blatter in 2015. They key issue here is for the president to have an executive committee who back him, for a president

and executive to share the same vision, so that modernising reforms and other ideas are implemented and not blocked. He also proposes increasing the executive committee from 24 seats to 31 with future seats open for direct representation for the clubs, women and players. The world has changed and FIFA must adjust to reect these changes better, he said. In essence, FIFAs role, dened when it was formed in 1904, is exactly the same 108 years later. It remains the guardian of world soccer.

LUCRATIVE

LA LIGA

Cannavaro and Pires set for IPL style league

Reuters New Delhi

talys World Cup-winning captain Fabio Cannavaro, former Argentina skipper Juan Pablo Sorin and Frenchman Robert Pires are set to feature in an Indian soccer competition that hopes to replicate the success of crickets Indian Premier League (IPL). Some 30 players and six coaches from abroad will be auctioned off in the eastern Indian city of Kolkata for the Feb 25-April 8 league, one of the organisers told Reuters. We have signed seven icon players for the auction and each of the six teams will have one such player with a $600,000 salary cap, Bhaswar Goswami, executive director of Celebrity Management Group (CMG), said by telephone. Other signed-up players - all at the end of their careers - include Portuguese midelder Maniche, former Nigeria international Jay-Jay Okocha, exLiverpool striker Robbie Fowler, former Spain striker Fernando Morientes and Argentine Hernan Crespo. CMG has signed a 30-year deal with the Indian Football Association for the league and has oated tenders for franchises, Goswami said. We have started with six teams this year, all in the state of West Bengal but have already been approached to expand the league to other parts of the country. Every team will have $2.5mn to spend in the rst year. They will have a maximum of four foreigners and a compulsory six under-21 Indian players in their squad. Crickets IPL dazzled fans with its exciting Twenty20 format, player auctions, postgame parties and heavy advertising and now soccer - which has failed to produce top-class Indian players - is poised for a

similar makeover. The league is modelled on Major League Soccer and of course IPL, Goswami added. We saw the hype and buzz around players auction in IPL and feel it can be an equal success. Its a brilliant concept. We expect owners to make prot much earlier than the IPL franchises. We are also in the process of nalising television rights for live broadcast across south-east Asia. Goswami was bullish about the leagues future and said it would change the face of Indian football. I think we made the right start by launching it in West Bengal. Its a soccer-crazy state where 100,000 people throng to watch the local derby between East Bengal and Mohun Bagan. It will be a massive boost for local players to share the dressing room and eld with some of the players they grew up idolising. A cricket-dominated India ranks a dismal 162 in FIFAs soccer rankings despite its huge population but some 60mn Indians tuned in to the English Premier Leagues 2009/10 season, roughly the same as Britains entire population. Nearly 120,000 fans gave a rousing farewell to Oliver Kahn in the German goalkeepers 2008 Bayern Munich swansong in Kolkata and Argentina great Diego Maradona virtually brought the city to a standstill during his visit the same year. No wonder World Cup winner Pires is keen to give the new league a shot. Since I had nothing in Europe, why not try something completely unknown? Ive never been over there, Pires told LEquipes website (www. lequipe.fr). I am proud to be the rst Frenchman to go and play there. And eight weeks is nothing. Pires said he would at least be paid 395,000 euros for seven weeks.

Barcelona battle to cut Real lead

We have no doubts about our play
AFP Barcelona

Cahill completes protracted Chelsea move

London: Bolton defender Gary Cahill yesterday completed his protracted transfer to Chelsea, the London club confirmed. The 26-year-old centre-back becomes manager Andre Villas-Boas first January recruit in a deal worth 7mn ($10.7m), following a fortnight of wrangling over the players personal terms. The parties reportedly settled on wages of 80,000-perweek on Friday, 20,000 less than Cahill was said to be demanding. The player told his new clubs official website, www. chelseafc.com: Chelsea is a massive club, it is a club that looks to win trophies season in, season out and it is a big opportunity for me to be a part of that. Opportunities like this, you cant turn down. Despite being part of a Bolton defence among the worst in the Premier League this season, Cahill has performed well alongside Chelsea captain John Terry at international level.

arcelona squandered a two-goal lead before seeing off 10-man Real Betis 4-2 to cut Real Madrids lead at the top of La Liga back to ve points yesterday. Two goals from Lionel Messi and a goal apiece from Xavi and Alexis Sanchez red them to the victory after Ruben Castro and Roque Santa Cruz had levelled. Betis had Mario Vazquez sent off with the score at 2-2 with 20 minutes remaining and Barca never looked back. Now the focus is turned to the Spanish Cup on Wednesday when the two giants face each other in the rst leg of a quarter-nal tie. Real Madrid had came from behind on Saturday to win 2-1 at Mallorca with late goals from Gonzalo Higuain and Jose Callejon. The cup is a different competition so we have to change our mentality. What we do know is we will go all out to get through the tie, said Xavi. We have no doubts about our play, although we know we can play better or worse than tonight. Our philosophy is always the same, we go out to attack. We were eight points behind Madrid and Betis made it difficult for us because they wanted the ball. Barca coach Pep Guardiola added of Wednesdays game: Its always good to go into a game on the back of a win, but we know who we are up against and well try to play the best game we can. Betis started the better team

Maradona fine
Dubai: Diego Maradona said he was in good health yesterday after he was released from hospital and was received by cheering fans in the Gulf emirate of Dubai. Im in good health, and I will be back to training on Wednesday, Maradona told DPA after he was cleared from hospital following surgery to remove kidney stones. The Argentine star, who coaches the Dubai-based Al Wasl club, said he wanted to reassure his fans on his health. Maradona was admitted to hospital on Sunday after he complained of abdominal pains. He left hospital on Monday to a group of cheering fans, waved to them while wearing the Al Wasl uniform. His health is completely stable and he can play sports and travel without any medical problems, said Yasser Jassim, the doctor who performed the surgery. I could not believe it when they told me my patient is Maradona, Jassim told DPA. He was very humble and simple while dealing with everyone at the hospital.

Barcelonas Lionel Messi (L) scores his second goal against Real Betis goalkeeper Castro (R) during their Spanish first division soccer match at Nou Camp stadium in Barcelona on Sunday. in the Camp Nou and tested Victor Valdes twice in the opening minutes. This only served to wake up the home team when Xavi, playing his 400th league game for the club, gave them the lead on 10 minutes, following up after a Cesc Fabregas shot had hit the post. Two minutes later and Barca were two goals ahead when Messi steered the ball home after good work on the left from Sanchez. However Betis continued to attack Barcelona with crisp passing and good movement off the ball. Their reward arrived on 32 minutes when Castro was at hand to nish a pass from Salva Sevilla at close range after good work from Jorge Molina had drawn Valdes out of position. It was the rst league goal conceded by Barcelona at home all season. Buoyed by this success, it was no surprise when Santa Cruz got the equaliser on 52 minutes. With uid passing in tight angles Betis were playing the champions at their own game and looked as likely a winner as the Catalans. However, when Barca gained a numerical advantage on 71 minutes it was all the encouragement they needed to surge forward in search of the win. Alexis got the third ve minutes later with a low shot from the edge of the area after a pass from Xavi. Messi nished off Betis from the penalty spot with four minutes remaining after Jose Dorado had handled in the area. Athletic Bilbao beat Levante 3-0 to move within four points of their fourth-placed opponents and edge closer to a Champions League berth. The result lifted them above Sevilla and Espanyol into fth position. First-half goals from Fernando Amorebieta and Fernando Llorente, his seventh of the season, and a last minute header by Mikel San Jose were enough for Bilbao to see off Levantes challenge in a game that Bilbao dominated from start to nish. Athletic have now only lost one game in the last eleven in all competitions since the beginning of December and can look forward to an exciting 2012 with all to play for in La Liga, the Europa League and Spanish Cup. Malaga missed the opportunity to go fth when they lost 2-1 away at Sporting Gijon.

SERIE A

Inter down Milan to reignite Italian title race

AFP Milan

nter Milan coach Claudio Ranieri refused to discuss the Serie A title after his side earnt a crucial 1-0 win away to champions AC Milan to squeeze the top of the table. Inters win, coupled with Juventuss 1-1 draw at home to Cagliari, means the top ve are now separated by just six points. Ranieri freely admitted that his side were back in the mix but refused to discuss the title. Ive said it since day one, I wont talk about (the title) due to modesty and superstition, he said. The first thing for us was that it was important to get into the Europa League zone and weve done that.

Next up is the Champions League zone. We have it in our blood and in our DNA to fight for the top positions. But well keep going slowly because were doing well but we still need to improve. Inter are the form team in the league and as well as ending Milans 12-match unbeaten run, they won for the eighth time in nine matches. However, during their disastrous start, in which they won only two of their first nine games, they lost all their previous clashes with title rivals. Were taking giant steps and thats important, it was important to beat Milan as it was the rst match weve won against a direct (title) rival, said Ranieri. We had three before against Juventus, Napoli and Udinese which served as lessons.

AC Milans Swedish forward Zlatan Ibrahimovic (C) fights for the ball with Inter Milans Brazilian defender Lucio (R) and Inter Milans defender Cristian Chivu during their Italian Serie A match in Milan on Sunday. Inter won 1-0 We played well, we were careful tactically. Were playing well, weve rediscovered our

pride and compactness, weve got the right energy back. Diego Milito scored the winner when Ignazio Abate overcommitted himelf in trying to cut out a cross from Javier Zanetti, missing it and leaving the Argentine poacher to run on and slip the ball home. It was a great game against quality opposition, Im delighted, the match-winner said. It was an important test both for the standings and our morale. Its great to win the derby. With Juve drawing and third placed Udinese losing 3-2 at Genoa, Milan are now a point behind the Old Lady of Turin. Udinese are two points behind that and another pair of points ahead of Lazio, 2-0 winners over Atalanta. Inter are a point behind the

Romans and Milan coach Massimiliano Allegri said that means theyre right back in it. Although he said the defeat hadnt hurt his side too much. It doesnt turn things on their head, its a day in which the top three picked up just one point so nothings changed, said Allegri. All thats happened is we lost the derby and now Inter are back in the title race. He said there was little in the match to separate the teams, with Inter exploiting one chance on the counter. We forced the play while they waited for our mistakes to hit us on the counter, which they did well, said Allegri. We didnt create a lot but it wasnt easy because Inter were playing with 10 men behind the ball and theyre physical.

NFL | Page 40

CRICKET | Page 41

FOOTBALL| Page 42

Giants end Green Bays domination

Failures dent M.S. Dhonis leadership aura

Barcelona battle to cut Real Madrid lead

TENNIS

GULF TIMES Tuesday, January 17, 2012 Safar 23, 1433 AH

SPORT
SHOOTING

Strike talk recedes as favourites advance in Australia

Page 40

Perfect al-Attiyah on target for gold and Olympics spot

Indian women also excel with two gold medals at Asian Championships

Qatars ace shooter Nasser Saleh al-Attiyah in action during the qualifying round of the mens Skeet event at the 12th Asian Shooting Championship at the Lusail Shooting Complex yesterday. Al-Attiyah shot a perfect score of 75.
By N D Prashant Doha

Indias Annu Raj Singh, Shweta Chaudhry and Heena Sidhu pose with their 10m Air Pistol team gold medal. helped a great deal. Still one more day to go and another good show is needed. Hopefully, I can come out tomorrow and shoot the same way I did today, said the 41-yr-old, whose best performance at the Games was a fourth place at the 2004 Athens Olympics. Abdullah al-Rashidi of Kuwait, UAEs Saeed al-Maktoum and Chinas Jin Di with scores of 73 each, are chasing al-Attiyah with another round of 50 to go ahead of the nals today. Al-Attiyahs teammate Rashid Hamad, with 72 shots on target, was currently sharing the third spot with three others, while Hamad Masoud is joint fourth with eight other shooters. Until now, Qatar has only managed to bag one quota through Oleg Engachev, who nished fourth in the 50m Pistol men. India were still looking for the elusive Olympic quota at the end of the fourth day of the tournament and this, despite the women shooters bagging two golds. The rst gold of the day came in the Womens 10m Air Pistol team event with Annu Raj Singh, Shweta Chaudhry and Heena Sidhu getting the better of the formidable Chinese team of Ying Chen, Qi Sun and Luna Tao by a mere one point. The third place went to South Koreas Mi Jang Kim, Hye Jung Kwak and Hee Yun Lee with a score of 1144. Later, Raj Kumari, who already won a berth for the Olympics, went on to claim yesterdays second gold for India with a total score of 594 in the 50m Rie Prone event. Chinas Peijing Li won silver, while Ra Mi Jeong of South Korea went on to claim bronze. Koreas Mi Jang Kim claimed gold in the 10m womens Air Pistol event ahead of Chinas Ying Chen and Indias Annu Raj Singh with a score of 482.3.

atars sporting icon Nasser Saleh al-Attiyah has the knack of doing the unthinkable. While most shooters must have put in months of practice for the Asian Shooting Championships, alAttiyah just made it to the competition two days back and shot 75 out of 75 in the mens skeet qualifying round here at the Lusail Shooting Complex yesterday.

This being the last event to win quotas for the 2012 London Olympics, most of the Asian giants have elded their best shooters here but none could match the accuracy of al-Attiyah, who was simply awless battling troublesome wind and stayed on course of clinching a Games berth. I shot really well today and Im very pleased with it, said an exhausted but visibly pleased al-Attiyah after nishing at the top of the table at the end of round one. The Qatar Shooting and Archery

Federation were battling against time to get al-Attiyah t ahead of the crucial event as the ace rally driver just managed to make it on time after bowing out of the gruelling Dakar Rally where he was defending his title. Al-Attiyah, who is aiming to make his fth Olympic appearance in London, ew back to Doha once he realised that his title hopes were over, following a series of breakdowns. Im not 100 per cent but couldnt have asked for more. The two days of rest and workout with my physio has

GOLF

Westwood leads Doha star parade

Our Correspondent Doha

orld Number Two Lee Westwood will headline a starstudded eld when the 2012 Commercialbank Qatar Masters presented by Dolphin Energy is played in Doha from February 2-5 at Doha Golf Club. The 38-year-old Englishman will be making his seventh con-

play both The European Tour and the US PGA Tour schedules in 2012, the former World Number One believes he is in a good place with his game. Its nice when you click into that kind of gear where your mind is in the right place, youre calm, and your swing feels good and youre on auto pilot, really, he said after winning two out of his nal three events of the year to take his 2011 tally to four. Im very excited about 2012

secutive appearance in a tournament he has yet to win despite getting close on a couple of occasions, nishing fth in 2008 and two years later claiming third place. However, his sensational performances at the end of 2011 with victories in both South Africa and Thailand had even Westwood himself impressed with his own level of play. And despite committing himself to

not only with my form but with the way Im playing. Ive dropped from one to two in the space of the year in the world rankings, but if I was evaluating the way Im playing now and a year ago, Id say Im a better player so any time you improve you cant be disappointed. It lls me full of condence going into the New Year. Organised by the Qatar Golf Association (QGA), the Qatar

Olympic Committee (QOC) and title sponsor The Commercialbank of Qatar, the Commercialbank Qatar Masters presented by Dolphin Energy will give Westwood another opportunity to maintain the ongoing progress with the one area of the game he believes needs attention. My putting has not been as good as I would have liked, he added. Proof of that was at the Nedbank - a week where I putt and hole my fair share and Im leading by seven going into the final round. If I have a week where I just putt okay, I have a chance of winning. And if I have a week where I dont putt very well at all, it seems like I finish 10th to 20th. That really shows the level where my game is at. I just want to putt better, more often really. Thats what Im working on at the moment and it seems to be improving. With 37 worldwide wins including 21 European Tour titles - to his name, there are few more prolic players in the world than Westwood and his appearance in

Lee Westwood: looking for an elusive Commercialbank Qatar Masters title Doha once again underlines the strength of the Commercialbank Qatar Masters in attracting the biggest names in world golf with Westwood joining other stars such as KJ Choi, Graeme McDowell and Alvaro Quiros in the growing line-up. Its always a pleasure to welcome back the World Number Two and we look forward to announcing more players from the top ten in the official golf world ranking as we countdown to the event itself, said Commercialbank Group CEO Andrew Stevens. As well as four days of world class golf on the course, there are a wealth of attractions in the Public Village as well as a wide range of hospitality options. Tickets are now on sale at Doha Golf Club and at the Marriott Hotel priced QR50 for daily access and QR175 for a season pass. More information on the 2012 Commercialbank Qatar Masters presented by Dolphin Energy is available at the official website www.qatar-masters. com.