2 3 13 20Amir honors Kuwaiti wheelchair champion

On the trail of S Korea’s high-tech Peeping Toms

Five-goal Real turn on the style against Legia

Interview with outspoken lawyer and candidate Nawaf Al-Fuzai

SUBSCRIPTIO

N

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2016 MUHARRAM 18, 1438 AH www.kuwaittimes.net

Min 19ºMax 39ºHigh Tide

00:59 & 14:25Low Tide

08:03 & 20:1440 P

AG

ESN

O: 1

7024

150

FILS

Former opposition MPs to

likely end polls boycott

Registration of candidates starts today

Newsi n b r i e f

Syria first lady rejected offers to leave country

DAMASCUS: Syria’s first lady Asma Al-Assad said she reject-ed multiple offers to flee the war-ravaged country with herchildren, according to an interview with broadcasterRussia24 aired yesterday. The comments were part of theBritish-born Assad’s first interview with international mediasince Syria’s revolt erupted in 2011 with demands for herhusband Bashar’s ouster. “I never thought of being any-where else at all. ... Yes, I was offered the opportunity toleave Syria, or rather to run from Syria,” the 41-year-oldsaid. “These offers included guarantees of safety and pro-tection for my children, and even financial security. It does-n’t take a genius to know what these people were reallyafter. It was never about my wellbeing or my children - itwas a deliberate attempt to shatter people’s confidence intheir president,” she said.

Hotdogs set for name change in Malaysia

KUALA LUMPUR: Food outlets in Muslim-majorityMalaysia must rename hotdogs or risk being refusedhalal certification, a government religious authoritysaid yesterday. The ruling, which also includes otherfood items whose name includes the word “dog”, hasgarnered much ridicule on social media. It followscomplaints by Muslim tourists from overseas, saidSirajuddin Suhaimee, director of the halal divisionfrom the Department of Islamic Development. “InIslam, dogs are considered unclean and the namecannot be related to halal certification,” he said. USpretzel chain Aunty Anne’s, which has 45 outlets inMalaysia with plans to expand further, told AFP it hasno qualms about renaming its pretzel dogs.

Kabul, Taleban hold secret talks in Qatar

KABUL: The Taleban and senior Afghan government offi-cials have held two secret meetings since September inQatar in a bid to restart long-stalled peace negotiations,sources said yesterday. An official in the National UnityGovernment in Kabul told AFP that the two rounds of dis-cussions took place in Doha, where the Taleban maintain apolitical office. Britain’s The Guardian newspaper said thetalks were attended by Mullah Abdul Manan Akhund,brother of Taleban founder and longtime leader MullahOmar, who died in 2013. A senior American diplomat wasalso present in the Qatar meetings, the newspaper said cit-ing a Taleban official.

By B Izzak

KUWAIT: The stage looks set for a stiff election battleafter many leading opposition figures and former law-makers said they plan to end a four-year boycott of par-liamentary polls and contest elections for the 50-seatNational Assembly. Leading former Islamist MPs AhmadBaqer, Fahd Al-Khanna and Adel Al-Damkhi have alreadysaid they will run in the election.

Earlier, the interior ministry announced that registra-tion of candidates for the Assembly elections will startfrom today for 10 days, in accordance with the electionlaw. The announcement came after the Amiri decree set-ting Nov 26 as the date for the snap elections was pub-lished in the official gazette Kuwait Al-Youm. Registrationwill end on Oct 28, after which withdrawal of candidateswill continue until four days before election day.

The interior ministry said all arrangements have beentaken at the election department in Shuwaikh to receivethe candidates. Under Kuwaiti law, candidates must beKuwaiti by birth, at least 30 years of age and have notbeen convicted of a felony, unless they have been reha-bilitated. Acting on a recommendation by the Cabinet,HH the Amir dissolved the Assembly on Sunday citinggrave regional security threats and conflicts. It was theseventh dissolution of the Assembly since 2006.

Former Islamist MP Waleed Al-Tabtabaei said a meet-ing of former opposition lawmakers was held yesterdayto discuss the possibility of ending the boycott and con-testing the election. He said 11 former MPs attended themeeting, which decided to hold another meeting in thecoming few days to allow other opposition figures toattend and then take an unanimous decision on whetherto take part in the polls or not.

Continued on Page 13

KUWAIT: Opposition leader and former Islamist MP Jamaan Al-Harbash (second right) speaks as activists gatherat his house yesterday to urge him to run for office and to end his boycott of the coming parliamentary elec-tions. — Photo by Yasser Al-Zayyat

By Hanan Al-Saadoun

KUWAIT: The interior ministry’s security and mediadepartment yesterday said a nine-year-old Kuwaitiboy died after being “tortured” and locked up forseveral days by his parents. It was reported earlierthat Eid Talaq told Sulaibikhat police that his sonWaleed died of natural causes after he rushed himto Jahra Hospital on Monday. The ministry state-ment said the child’s body had cuts and bruises,while his hands and clothes were wet, and he waspronounced dead on arrival.

On being interrogated, the parents admitted theboy was hyperactive and used to attack his broth-ers, and they used to beat him for disciplinary pur-poses. They said that the boy was tied up andlocked in a room for several days, so he stoppedeating. His mother said she untied him a few hoursbefore his death and he went to sleep with hisbrothers, but they later discovered he had died.

‘Hyperactive’ boy

dies of ‘torture’

By Meshaal Al-Enezi

KUWAIT: The health ministry yesterday issued a deci-sion to subject domestic helpers (holders of article 20residency visas) from 40 countries to new medical testson renewing their residency visas regardless if theyhave traveled out of Kuwait or not. The 40 countriesinclude Philippines, India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal,Ethiopia, Nigeria, Central African Republic, Senegal,Somalia, Cameroon, Congo, Niger, Angola, Uganda,Eretria, Sudan, Benin, Burkina Faso, Thailand, Chad,Togo, Gambia, South Africa, Djibouti, Zaire, Zambia,Zimbabwe, Ivory Coast, Sierra Leone, Ghana, Guinea,Guinea Bissau, Kenya, Mali, Malawi, Namibia, Tanzania,Myanmar and Madagascar.

New medical tests

must for domestics

PARIS: The UN cultural agency yesterday adopted anArab-sponsored resolution condemning Israel’s actionsat a flashpoint holy site in east Jerusalem, deepeninganger in Israel. The UNESCO resolution on “occupiedPalestine” was endorsed yesterday by the agency’s exec-utive board at its headquarters in Paris, after beingapproved at the committee stage last week. Referringthroughout to “the occupying power,” it condemns Israelfor restricting Muslims’ access to the Al-Aqsa mosquecompound - Islam’s third holiest site - and criticizes dam-age by security forces to the site and nearby excavations.

It is the latest episode in a series of rows at UNESCO,which is responsible for protecting important heritagesites and is one of few international organizations thatrecognizes Palestine as a member state. Israel suspendedits cooperation with UNESCO last week in response to thedraft resolution and its ambassador, Carmel ShamaHacohen, accused the Palestinians of playing “games”yesterday. “This is the wrong place to solve problems

between countries or people,” he told AFP. Israel is furious that the resolution refers to the Old

City site in Jerusalem by its Muslim name, Al-Aqsa or Al-Haram Al-Sharif. It is considered holy by Muslims,Christians and Jews. Jews refer to it as the Temple Mountand it is considered the holiest site in Judaism. IsraeliPrime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu complained lastweek that saying “Israel has no connection to the TempleMount and Western Wall is like saying China has no con-nection to the Great Wall of China or Egypt has no con-nection to the pyramids”.

While acknowledging the importance of the Old Cityto “the three monotheistic religions” - Islam, Judaism andChristianity - the resolution focuses on Israeli restrictionson Muslims accessing the mosque. It also includes con-demnation of Israel’s blockade of Gaza and “constantaggressions by the Israeli settlers” in the West Bank.

Deputy Palestinian ambassador to UNESCO, MounirAnastas, welcomed the decision yesterday. “This resolu-

tion reminds Israel that they are the occupying power ineast Jerusalem, and it asks them to stop all their viola-tions, especially in the fields of competence of UNESCOsuch as the excavations,” he told reporters. Since 2011,when Palestine was admitted to UNESCO, the body hasbeen the scene of numerous diplomatic spats resultingfrom resolutions condemning Israel, most recently inApril but also in October last year.

The east Jerusalem site is a 14-hectare rectangularesplanade at the southeast corner of the Old City whichwas seized by Israel during the 1967 Six-Day War and lat-er annexed in a move never internationally recognized.Israel considers all of Jerusalem as its undivided capital,but the Palestinians want the eastern sector as capital oftheir future state. The atmosphere before the vote yes-terday was soured further by threats received by tele-phone and on social media last week following a vote onthe draft resolution, a UNESCO official said.

Continued on Page 13

UNESCO adopts Jerusalem resolution

WASHINGTON: US President Barack Obama issued ascathing rebuke yesterday to Donald Trump on the eveof the final election debate, blasting him for “whining”about “rigged” elections and warning that such accusa-tions are irresponsible. Trump and Democratic rivalHillary Clinton are set for their final presidential debatetoday, with three weeks to go before Americans head tothe polls on Nov 8. It is seen as a last chance for theRepublican nominee, dogged by accusations of sexualmisconduct and sinking poll numbers, to make his markon millions of voters.

With the provocative billionaire’s campaign reeling,Trump is likely to engage in more scorched-earth tacticsif recent history is any guide. But with Trump pressingthe dangerous conspiracy theory that the US election is“rigged”, Obama abandoned diplomatic decorum andskewered the mogul from the Rose Garden in front ofvisiting Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi.

“I have never seen in my lifetime, or in modern politi-cal history, any presidential candidate trying to discreditthe elections and the election process before votes haveeven taken place. It’s unprecedented,” Obama told a jointpress conference. “That is both irresponsible - and, bythe way, it doesn’t really show the kind of leadership andtoughness that you’d want out of a president. You startwhining before the game’s even over? If, wheneverthings are going badly for you and you lose, you startblaming somebody else? Then you don’t have what ittakes to be in this job,” he added. “I’d advise Mr Trump tostop whining, and go try to make his case to get votes.”

Trump has sought to fire up his supporters, who havegrown more aggressive by the day towards hisDemocratic opponent, as they and Trump fume overClinton’s swirling email scandal, and argue that the elec-tion is rigged in her favor. “People that have died 10years ago are still voting, illegal immigrants are voting,”Trump claimed at a rowdy rally Monday in Green Bay,Wisconsin. “Voter fraud is very, very common.” — AFP

Obama tells Trump

to ‘stop whining’

SHAQOULI, Iraq: Iraqi Kurdish peshmerga fighters react yesterday in this village, about 35 km east of Mosul,after they recaptured it from the Islamic State (IS) group. — AFP (See Page 8)

QAYYARAH, Iraq: Iraqi forces were making gains as tensof thousands of fighters advanced on Mosul yesterdayin an unprecedented offensive to retake the city fromthe Islamic State group. With the crucial battle in its sec-ond day, Iraqi commanders said progress was beingmade as fighters pushed on two main fronts against themilitants’ last stronghold in Iraq. The US military, whichis leading a coalition providing air and ground support,said Iraqi forces even looked “ahead of schedule” butsenior Western officials warned the battle would belong and difficult.

Advancing in armored convoys across the dusty plainssurrounding Mosul, forces moved into villages defendedby pockets of IS fighters after intensive aerial bombard-ment. At the main staging base for government troops inQayyarah south of Mosul, federal police were rotating inand out of the front line. As Apache attack helicoptersflew overhead, ambulances brought the wounded backfrom the battle. Two armored vehicles bearing US flagsdrove by, apparently carrying American military person-nel. One manning a gun turret flashed the victory sign.

Continued on Page 13

Iraqi forces make gains

in push to retake Mosul

L O C A LWEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2016

Amir honors Kuwaiti wheelchair champion

KUWAIT: His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah hon-ors the champion Ahmad Naqa Al-Mutairi for winning the gold medal in the 100-m wheelchair race during the 15th Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazi. —KUNA

His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah is pic-tured with athlete Ahmad Al-Mutairi and members of Kuwait’s DisabledSports Club (KDSC).

His Highness the Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah meets with Kuwaiti Paralympic athlete Ahmad NaqaAl-Mutairi, in the presence of Information Minister Sheikh Salman Al-Humoud Al-Sabah and other officials.

His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah meets with Kuwaiti Paralympic athlete AhmadNaqa Al-Mutairi, in the presence of Information Minister Sheikh Salman Al-Humoud Al-Sabah and other officials.

KUWAIT: His Highness the Amir Sheikh SabahAl-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah has ordered hon-oring Kuwaiti athlete Ahmad Naqa Al-Mutairiwith the ‘Kuwait first-degree medal with the rib-bon’ for winning the gold medal in the 100-mwheelchair race during the 15th Paralympicstournament in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Deputy Minister of the Amiri Diwan SheikhAli Jarrah Al-Sabah said the champion was alsoawarded KD 50,000 and a housing plot of land.His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmadlauded the distinguished sports achievementmade by Mutairi who proved that the Kuwaitiyouth could overcome all difficulties.

Emerging from the audience with HisHighness the Amir, held at Bayan Palace, the

athlete Al-Mutairi expressed pride for earningHis Highness’ honoring. “I am proud of thisaccomplishment and by God’s will, I’ll achievemore in the future,” he said.

Sheikh Salman Sabah Al-Salem Al-HumoudAl-Sabah, the Minister of Information, theMinister of State for Youth Affairs and BoardChairman of the Public Authority for Sports,accompanied the racer during His Highness theAmir’s audience.

Kuwait’s flagAddressing His Highness the Amir during

the audience, Minister Sheikh Salman boastful-ly stated that the champion Mutairi and theother Kuwaiti athletes took part in the Rio com-

petitions for special needs, “the Flag of Kuwait ..and they are not suspended, grace to God. Theyhave made excellent results in the 100-meterrace scoring a new Olympic record.”

Minister Sheikh Salman added that thenational sports authorities specialized for theKuwait Disabled Sport Club a plan to be imple-mented in the coming four years, so that fur-ther accomplishments can be made.

Elaborating, he indicated that the victori-ous champion Mutairi, in addition to the KD50,000 award, will be getting an extra monthlyfinancial allotment in appreciation for hisaccomplishments. Minister Sheikh Salmanassured His Highness the Amir that the nation-al sports would make more achievements,

“with Your Highness’s support and encourage-ment.” The audience was also attended bySheikh Ali Al-Jarrah and General Director ofthe public authority, Sheikh Ahmad MansourAl-Ahmad Al-Sabah.

Outstanding performanceMeanwhile, His Highness the Crown Prince

Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabahreceived, Mutairi, accompanied by SheikhSalman Al-Humoud along with Members ofKuwait’s Disabled Sports Club (KDSC). HisHighness the Crown Prince hailed Mutairi’s out-standing performance, and urged all athletes towork harder to achieve more achievements atregional and international sport events.

The meeting was also attended by HisHighness the Crown Prince’s Diwan ProtocolChief Sheikh Mubarak Sabah Al-Salem Al-Sabah, Honorary President of Kuwait DisabledSports Club Sheikha Shaikha Abdullah Al-Sabah, Director General of PAS Sheikh AhmadMansour Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah and his deputy DrHumoud Fleitah.

Later, His Highness the Prime MinisterSheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabahreceived Mutairi, accompanied by SheikhSalman and Dr Fleitah. During the meeting, HisHighness the Prime Minister lauded theachievements made by all Kuwaiti champions,and their efforts made to raise the Kuwaiti flagat any international sports event. —KUNA

KUWAIT: His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah received yesterday atBayan Palace Governor of the Central Bank of Kuwait(CBK), Dr Mohammad Al-Hashel. His Highness alsoreceived Head of the Financial Control ApparatusAbdulaziz Dakheel Al-Dahkeel. He introduced HisHighness the Amir to the deputy head of apparatus

Mariam Aqeel Al-Aqeel and other executives BaderMishrari Al-Hammad, Faisal Habes Al-Mutairi, as wellas Qusai Mousa Al-Darweesh. Dahkeel also intro-duced the new officials to His Highness the CrownPrince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabahand His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah.

Earlier yesterday, His Highness the Amir and HisHighness the Crown Prince received His HighnessSheikh Nasser Al-Mohammad Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah.Meanwhile, His Highness the Crown Prince alsomet with Hashel, as well as former Minister ofJustice and Minister of Awqaf and Islamic AffairsYaqoub Al-Sane. —KUNA

KUWAIT: His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah meets with Governor of the Central Bank ofKuwait (CBK), Dr Mohammad Al-Hashel. —KUNA

His Highness the Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah meets with His Highness Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammad Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah.

KUWAIT: Arab news agencies perform a crucialrole in supporting issues of security and devel-opment in the region, Minister of Informationand Minister of State for Youth Affairs SheikhSalman Sabah Salem Al-Humoud Al-Sabah saidyesterday. The Kuwaiti Minister made this

remark in his keynote speech during the 44thGeneral Assembly meeting of the Federation ofArab News Agencies (FANA). Sheikh Salmanwas representing His Highness the PrimeMinister Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah who is the sponsor of the event.

Media outlets have a huge national respon-sibility in creating an effective strategy in theregion; an effective strategy that entails raisingpublic awareness and backing developmentalprojects, Sheikh Salman pointed out. He addedthat the media industry requires progressivethinking that abides by traditional and reli-gious values.

Nonetheless, Arab media is facing numer-ous challenges due to advanced technologiesthat help the spread of uncensored content allover online social networks. Therefore, tradi-tional news agencies have a responsibility tomonitor and control the spread of these unreli-able sources of information; news agenciesalso are required to be more transparent andmore subjective than ever to curb any extrem-

ist schools of thinking, which have destructiveeffect on younger generations.

Difficult timesMeanwhile, Chairman and Director General

of Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) SheikhMubarak Duaij Al-Ibrahim Al-Sabah said thatthe ongoing FANA conference is taking place ata crucial juncture that calls for increased coop-eration and concerted efforts.

Addressing the meeting, Sheikh MubarakAl-Duaij, who is also Chairman of FANA, notedthat the Arab world is cognizant of the chal-lenges it faces, as he underscored the need offurther collaboration to overcome theseobstacles.

Speaking on Arab media, he said it faces amounting obligation to support sustaineddevelopment efforts, describing the sector as apillar of security and stability. He also addedthat media can be helpful in staving offextremism and terrorism. KUNA’s Chairmanalso acknowledged Arab news agencies fortheir contributions to propping up the mediasector through information exchange, sayinghe is hopeful that such efforts would persist.

Solid reputeMeanwhile, Secretary General of FANA Dr

Farid Ayar said that Arab news agencies haveforged a solid repute, adding that they seek tobring visions and goals of grandeur to fruition.He also spoke of numerous courses and work-shops FANA has put together in recent yearswith the aim of further developing the mediasector in the Arab world.

FANA’s Secretary General also urged Arabnews agencies to focus on punctual and effi-cient methods to convey world news to itsreaders, as he thanked His Highness the PrimeMinister for patronizing the conference. Thetwo-day conference, which brings togetherthe head honchos of Arab news agencies,tackles a myriad of issues germane to themedia sector. —KUNA

Amir, Crown Prince meet Central Bank Governor

His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah meets with Head of the Financial Control Apparatus AbdulazizDakheel Al-Dahkeel and other executives.

Arab news agencies play crucial role in regional issues

Sheikh Salman Sabah Salem Al-Humoud Al-Sabah

KUWAIT: His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah meets withKUNA Board Chairman and Director General and Chairman of the Federation of Arab News Agencies(FANA) Sheikh Mubarak Al-Duaij Al-Ibrahim Al-Sabah, and FANA members. —KUNA

KUWAIT: His Highness the Prime MinisterSheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah yesterday received KUNA BoardChairman and Director General andChairman of the Federation of Arab NewsAgencies (FANA) Sheikh Mubarak Al-DuaijAl-Ibrahim Al-Sabah. Sheikh Mubarak Al-Duaij was accompanied by heads of theArab news agencies taking part in FANA’s44th General Assembly, Kuwait, October18-19. During the meeting, His Highnessthe Premier extoled the notable role of theArab agencies, namely reporting facts withfull objectivity and neutrality.

Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak emphasizedthe necessity of paying further attention tothe efforts made to achieve sustainabledevelopment of the Arab communities, as

well as to counter extremism and terror-ism, which threaten security, peace andstability of the region. Head of HisHighness the Prime Minister ’s DiwanSheikha Etimad Khalid Al-Ahmad Al-Sabahattended the meeting.

FANA delegates meanwhile voicedgratitude to His Highness the PrimeMinister for his extensive support to theArab media, Sheikh Mubarak Al-Duaij said.During the meeting, the delegatesexpressed keenness on enhancing the roleof the Arab media, especially news agen-cies, to support stability in the Arab World,through disseminating awareness and cul-ture, Sheikh Mubarak Al-Duaij added. Hepointed to the notable media role in thefight against extremism and terrorism.

The Arab agencies’ chiefs voiced prideover the UN honoring of His Highness theAmir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah naming him a “HumanitarianLeader” and Kuwait a “HumanitarianCenter,” the KUNA and FANA chief said.They noted that His Highness the Amir’shumanitarian initiatives have alleviatedsufferings of millions of people around theglobe.

In the meantime, the chiefs vowed todo their best to promote the media dis-course and to play an effective role tocounter the challenges facing the ArabWorld, and the attempts that distort theArab and Muslim people, as well asenhancing Islamic values of tolerance,Sheikh Mubarak Al-Duaij said. —KUNA

PM receives FANA chairman, members

L O C A L

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2016

By Nawara Fattahova

KUWAIT: In less than six weeks, Kuwaitiswill go to the polls to elect a new parlia-ment. In the run-up to the elections, KuwaitTimes will be interviewing candidates fromacross the political spectrum to hear theirviews on the challenges facing Kuwait andwhat can be done.

In today’s issue, we speak with outspokenlawyer and former lawmaker Nawaf Al-Fuzai,from the first constituency. Fuzai plans toregister as a candidate, the fifth time he willcompete in the parliamentary polls. Fuzai is awell-known political activist and columnistand regularly comments on contemporaryKuwaiti issues including growing corruption,removal of fuel subsidies and other contro-versial topics. Kuwait Times met Fuzai at hisoffice in Hawally.

Kuwait Times: What are your expectationsfor winning the elections and of the percent-age of change of MPs in the next parliament?

Nawaf Al-Fuzai: Every candidate hopesto win. I believe that presently, the majorityof voters are not satisfied with the efforts ofthe lawmakers (of the recently dissolved par-liament) and are looking for change. Thepublic didn’t really trust the current crop of

lawmakers due to their poor performanceand failure in resolving various problems ormeeting the demands of the people. Theremoval of fuel subsidies and the hiking ofpetrol prices without consultation with thepeople is a recent example.

I filed a court case against the govern-ment for increasing petrol prices as Ibelieved that the parliament is unable to car-ry out its responsibilities. This verdict saidany price hike should pass through the par-liament, which should approve it, which wasmy defense. It was the parliament that sup-posedly demanded the increase, and Ibelieve it made a mistake.

The economic reforms paper is a study sub-mitted by the Chamber of Commerce andIndustry, which included six modules of eco-nomic reforms including removing subsidieson fuel. There was no voting on this paper, butit passed through the parliament. This wasvery negative as it didn’t propose an alterna-tive vision through a law.

Economic reformsKT: What is your vision for reform in

Kuwait?Fuzai: In my opinion, economic reforms

should start from the top. The reforms should

start with taxes on family-owned companiesparticularly, so we can strike a balancebetween budget demands and social justice. Ithink it’s not fair to take a one-sided opinion,as the chamber is not neutral and will definite-ly defend the interests of the businessmen. Itwill push the burden on a category differentfrom the one it represents.

This decision of removing subsidies frompetrol led to price hikes of other products. Thisissue was one of the reasons behind the disso-lution of the parliament. The fuel case is nowin the appeals phase, and we are waiting forthe date of the hearing to present our defense.As I filed this case against the prime minister,he will be obliged to execute the verdict if wewin the case.

KT: What is your plan or program for theelections? What are the issues you will befocusing on?

Fuzai: I have a vision. I’m known for adopt-ing cases dealing with squandering of publicfunds. I have filed the largest number of courtcases against banks - about 1,000 cases - toclarify the real status of debtors or borrowers,who were highly victimized by the illegalinterest rates charged by the banks.

I’m now focusing on public projects thatwere carried out with oversized budgets,

including new road projects and others. Wecompared these projects to the budgets ofsimilar projects abroad and their cost was veryhigh. Also, the social security case is very pop-ular, which I assume will not be closed withjust the currently accused people, as there aremore people involved.

The Public Authority for InvestmentPromotion and Export Development hascommitted many violations and was referredto the public prosecution. The Dow Chemicalcase was another one I worked on, and theoil minister at that time was grilled for it andresigned as a result. These cases have notbeen resolved yet, and their costs exceed bil-lions of dinars.

More Cases“The economic situation today is bad and is

pressing on all of us. A report was recentlyissued by the World Bank stating that our gov-ernment is borrowing from the NextGenerations Reserves more than from foreignentities. There are many questions about thisissue and about the reason of not taking moreeffective economic initiatives instead of usingthis fund that was established for future gen-erations in case oil runs out,” Fuzai said.

“There is visible negligence by the gov-

ernment, which is a very serious issue, espe-cially during this period in Kuwait’s history.Other countries are now moving to alterna-tive resources other than oil. Kuwait will beaffected if we don’t change our philosophyof completely depending on oil for a living.This is a shared responsibility of the legisla-tive and the executive powers, includingissuing laws and observing the execution ofthese laws,” he said.

“I warned in the past of a possible econom-ic crisis that may reach the level of bankruptcyin 15 to 20 years. I’m following closely the cri-sis in Venezuela, which is one of the world’sbiggest oil producers. Due to the wrong deci-sions by its former president, he led his coun-try to famine. We should take a lesson fromtheir experience.”

Conclusion“We don’t only demand the change of peo-

ple in the parliament, but a change in ideolo-gies, agendas and performance, and theapproach of the next MPs towards issues. Wedon’t need flattery - we want to see real per-formance and work to fulfill their promises. Ibelieve the turnover of the present parliamentwill be high - maybe a change of more than60-70 percent,” concluded Fuzai.

Candidates Speak

Interview with outspoken lawyer

and candidate Nawaf Al-Fuzai‘Price hikes should pass through the parliament’

KUWAIT: Former lawmaker Nawaf Al-Fuzai speaks to Kuwait Times. —Photos by Yasser Al-Zayyat

By A Saleh and Meshaal Al-Enezi

KUWAIT: The Cabinet yesterday urged all gov-ernment bodies to work on facilitating the suc-cess of the upcoming parliamentary electionprocess, starting with the registration of candi-dates until polling day on Nov 26. The Cabinetalso stressed the importance of strict lawenforcement.

In this regard, the Ministry of Social Affairsand Labor stressed its strong intentions tomonitor the spending of charity funds duringthe elections. Charities also warned againstusing charity funds as political money to makeelectoral gains during candidates’ campaigns.They said such acts would be deemed as severeviolations that would result in closing downany involved charity.

Similarly, the Ministry of Awqaf and IslamicAffairs instructed imams and preachers to avoidusing mosques for electoral purposes or showbias towards certain individuals or blocs. Theministry added violators will be severely penal-ized and would be immediately suspended. Theministry also explained that it would preparespecial sermons urging voters to vote for thebest candidates, avoid tribalism and sectarian-ism and enhance the spirit of national solidarityand obedience to the ruler. The ministry willnot allow any sermons or lessons without priorpermission, in addition to banning all illegaldonations.

In the same concern, and after several

potential candidates started taking over certainsites to pitch their electoral campaign head-quarters even before the candidacy applicationdate was announced, head of the Capitalmunicipality inspection team Tareq Al-Qattansaid all ads and signs reading ‘booked’, alongwith tents or shacks in any area would beimmediately removed without prior notice.Qattan said many such violations had beenalready removed, adding that campaign siteshad to be booked through the municipality.

Legally speaking, the head of the fatwa andlegislation department Chancellor Salah Al-Masaad confirmed that the procedures fol-lowed by the government on dissolving theparliament were sound and conformed to arti-cle 107 of the constitution. “According to theconstitution, HH the Amir is the one responsi-ble for deciding on the reasons and justificationof dissolving the Assembly because this is partof his authorities,” he said.

SecretariesMeanwhile, National Assembly Secretary

General Allam Al-Kandari stressed the secretari-at general’s keenness on settling all financialand administrative matters resulting from dis-solving the parliament according to standardrules and regulations. Kandari added that thesecretariat general had received many inquiriesabout former MPs’ secretaries and explainedthat they will all have to resolve their statuseswith the secretariat after returning to their orig-

inal jobs by Thursday (tomorrow) at most.Kandari said that certain procedures had beentaken to hand over former MPs’ vehicles andoffices to the secretariat general, adding that ifan MP wishes to keep the vehicle, he wouldhave to pay the cost of its lease himself.

Restructuring plan Head of the state’s restructuring plan com-

mittee at the Municipal Council Ali Al-Moussasaid that the council has strong intentions toapprove Kuwait’s restructuring plan becausethe coming period is a critical one in terms ofregional economic situations and their impacton Kuwait. Moussa added that the restructur-ing plan acts as a roadmap for Kuwait.

One-vote lawManager of the membership and proclaim-

ing of cooperative societies and unions affairsdepartment at the ministry of social affairs andlabor Hamad Al-Mutairi said the Ministry ofSocial Affairs and Labor (MSAL) had closed allcases filed against the one-vote co-op elec-toral system and that the last such case filed byAdail iya Co- op was won by the ministr y.Mutairi added that Adailiya Co-op will be thelast to use the one-vote co-op electoral systemand that MSAL would start receiving candi-dates’ applications on Nov 3 for 10 workingdays before holding the elections on Dec 9 toelect nine board members according to theone-vote system.

State departments urged to

help make elections ‘a success’

The Palace of Justice

KUWAIT: The Criminal Court postponedlooking into the ‘terrorist cell’ case, in which26 defendants are involved, to November29 to announce the rest of the suspects. Thecourt had held its first hearing on August 16to examine “behind closed doors” the caseof “training with weaponry outside thecountry” which was sent to it by the Courtof Appeals.

On June 21, the Court of Appeals said thatKuwaiti law renders punishment to all crimescarried out outside of the country. The courtsentenced the first defendant to death, lifeimprisonment to the sixth and cancelled 15

years in prison to 8 defendants andredeemed them innocent. It also cancelled 5and 15 years in prison to five defendants andsufficed to fine them with KD 5001.

In addition, it mitigated the imprison-ment sentence from 15 to 5 years, 10 to 5years, and 15 to 2 years for some defen-dants. In September 2015, the public prose-cutor lodged criminal charges against theterrorist cell known as the “Al-Abdali Cell,” inwhich 26 defendants were put on trial overpossession of huge caches of weapons andammunition, as well as espionage for Iranand Hezbollah. —KUNA

Court adjourns ‘terrorist

cell’ case to November 29

By Hanan Al-Saadoun

KUWAIT: Farwaniya detectives arrestedfive gang members (two Syrians andthree Indians) for stealing vans. TheMinistry of Interior’s department ofrelations and security information saidin a statement said that the arrestswere made following several com-plaints by expat van owners in Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh. The statement said severalpatrols roamed the area for five days,resulting in arresting several suspects,who named others, who were alsoarrested. The gang members said theyused copies of keys to steal the vans,and used them to transport laborersand students after altering theirappearance.

Separately, a local liquor brewery inFaiha was busted by police. A Sri Lankanwoman who ran the place was arrested,while 610 drums, 400 plastic bottles, 13warming pumps and a tub full of rawmaterials were confiscated. The womanwas sent to concerned authorities.

KUWAIT: Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Sheikh Mohammad Al-Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah met yesterday withColonel Waleed Al-Duraie, Acting Director of the Drug Control General Department, and the team that handled a recent casewhich concluded with the arrest of a major drug dealer in Kuwait. Sheikh Mohammad acknowledged the officials’ hard workwhich falls under the ministry’s strategy to protect the public from drugs, the ministry said in a statement. UndersecretaryLieutenant General Suleiman Al-Fahad attended the meeting.

Van thieves arrested

One of the suspects pictured with twostolen vans.

L O C A LWEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2016

BERLIN: Kuwait’s First Deputy PrimeMinister and Foreign Minister SheikhSabah Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah wasscheduled to arrive in the German capi-tal late yesterday for talks with seniorleaders on bilateral relations and issuesof common concern.

The State of Kuwait Ambassador toGermany, Munther Bader Al-Essa, said ina statement that Sheikh Sabah Khaledwould meet his German counterpart,Frank-Walter Steinmeier, to discussmeans of boosting the relationsbetween Kuwait and Germany.

The German Government considersits bilateral ties with the State of Kuwaitas stable and cordial, particularly in theeconomic, political and cultural sectors.In 2014, the two countries celebrated50th anniversary of establishing the ties.At the political level, the German ForeignMinistry considers high-level reciprocalvisits as a sign of the two countries sen-ior leaders’ great concern for maintain-ing the close relationship.

In April 2010, His Highness the AmirSheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah paid a visit to Germany, duringwhich he held talks with ChancellorAngela Merkel. Former German presi-dent, Christian Wulff, came to Kuwait inFebruary 2011, where he took part incelebrations marking the 50th anniver-sary of Kuwait ’s independence. InDecember the same year, he paid anoth-er visit to the Gulf State.

In September 2014, His Highness thePrime Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-MubarakAl-Hamad Al-Sabah and the foreign min-ister visited Germany on the ties’anniversary. The premier during his stayin the European country held talks with

Merkel. In 2016, German ParliamentSpeaker Norbert Lammert came toKuwait, heading a high level delegation,reciprocating for a visit to his country bySpeaker of the (currently dissolved)National Assembly Marzouq Ali Al-Ghanem in April 2014.

At the economic level, Kuwait is thefourth commercial partner for Germanyamong the GCC countries after SaudiArabia, the UAE and Qatar. Kuwait is thenumber-one trade partner for Kuwait atthe EU level.

Berlin exports to Kuwait trucks,equipment, power generators, electricaland electronic appliances, chemical andmedical materials. The two sides signeda deal for averting double taxation inDecember 1987. Another agreement forboosting and protecting investmentswas inked in 1997. In 2004, the Germanbusiness council in Kuwait was re-acti-vated. Moreover, Kuwait has 12 percentof stakes in Daimler-Chrysler.

Germany provides medical equip-ment to Kuwait and the European nationis a top favored destination for Kuwaitipatients seeking treatment abroad. Intourism, Kuwait partakes in the annual“international tourism bourse.” And,Berlin relieves Kuwaitis of the Schengenvisa. At the educational level, the twocountries signed a treaty for cooperationand exchange of students.

The year 2010 witnessed a significantvisit to Germany by His Highness theAmir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad, duringwhich accords were signed for techno-logical and scientific cooperation. InOctober the same year, the first groupsof Kuwaiti students started studies atGermany colleges. — KUNA

KUWAIT: In this file photo, His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah meets with Chancellor Angela Merkel during his visit toGermany in 2010. — KUNA

Kuwait FM due in Germanyfor talks on boosting ties

PARIS: The French capital hosts today theThird French-GCC Forum to discuss prospectsof enhancing mutual trade exchanges, esti-mated at euro 18 billion in 2015. Conferees arescheduled to discuss during the day-longforum, to be held at headquarters of theFrench-Arab Chamber of Commerce, mutualinvestments and commercial cooperation.

The event will involve two workshops,themed “role of sovereign funds and fundingorganizations in financing small and mediumenterprise,” and “the French-Gulf cooperationin health and pharmaceuticals.”

France enjoys sold economic ties withKuwait, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Bahrainand Oman. The European nation plays a keyand dynamic role at the regional and interna-tional levels, with 40 percent of the globepetroleum reserves and produces 30 percentof the world daily output of consumed oil.Moreover, its annual growth rates are higherthan those posted in other member States ofthe Organization for Economic Cooperationand Development (OECD).

According to records of the French-GCCChamber of Commerce, GCC exports to theEuropean nation grew by 17 percent, in 2015,reaching euro 18 billion, with a surplus in favorof France exceeding euro four billion. Althoughthe French-GCC commercial exchanges havebeen negatively affected with bearish oilprices, Paris is seeking to boost the economicand trade cooperation with the Gulf countriesin various sectors, namely infrastructure.

KuwaitAs to the French economic ties with the

State of Kuwait, the French Foreign Ministryrecords showed that the bilateral tradeexchanged rose 31 percent, in 2015, reachingeuro 1.7 billion, against euro 1.3 billion in2014, thus transforming the trade exchanges’deficit, recorded at euro 257 million, into a sur-plus valued at euro 510 million.

The French-GCC cooperation at this levelclimbed due to sales of aircraft and transportequipment, estimated at euro 733 million lastyear, compared to euro 114 million in 2014.

France delivered to Kuwait the second batchof Airbus planes in 2015, in line with a euro 1.3billion deal signed in 2013. France ranked 10thamong exporting countries to Kuwait, in 2014,after Germany, South Korea, Indian and Italy.

It is also the 13th among the countries thatimport oil from Kuwait — 97 percent of theKuwaiti exports to the European country,according to figures by the InternationalMonetary Fund (IMF). France’s imports fromKuwait noticeably dropped in 2015, amount-ing to euro 604 million compared to euro 754million in 2014, dropping by 20 percent, large-

ly due to the oil prices’ crisis. Although theFrench stake in the Kuwaiti market dropped inthe first decade of the 21st century, it hadremained at three percent since 2014, com-pared to 6.3 percent in 1994.

Saudi ArabiaTurning to the French-Saudi economic ties,

the cooperation has recently grown. Regionaltension since 2011 has helped in boostingParis’ import of the Saudi crude oil making upfor stoppage of imports from Libya and slowrise of exports from Iraq, in addition to thedeficit in the French trade balance, amountingto euro 2.6 billion in 2013.

Although the French-Saudi exchangesdropped in 2015, reaching some euro eightbillion compared to euro 12 billion in 2014,the Kingdom has remained the top commer-cial partner for France in the Gulf and the sec-ond at the Middle East level.

Saudi official figures showed that Paris wasthe eighth commercial partner for theKingdom in 2015, where the commercialexchanges accounted to 2. 6 percent of theKingdom’s external exchanges.

France ranked the 10th among importingnations from Saudi Arabia in 2015, where val-ue of the Kingdom’s exports amounted tosome euro four billion, while French importsreached five billion, covering oil, infrastruc-ture, nuclear energy and defense.

UAEFor its part, the UAE is France’s main market

in the Gulf. The GCC country came fourthamong nations that bolstered the French com-

mercial surplus in 2015. It is the second afterRiyadh among the Gulf commercial partnersfor France. UAE took 30.7 percent of Frenchsales in the Gulf last year, slightly dropping byseven percent compared to 37.7 percent in2014. French exports to the UAE amounted toeuro 3.8 billion in 2015, in contrast to euro 1.09billion worth of UAE imports the same year.

Consumer goods, except for agriculturalproducts, top the list of French exports to theUAE, accounting to 30.2 percent, followed by

manufactured commodities, 29.05, transportequipment, 5.14 percent, which dropped by54.4 percent in 2014 reaching 28.5 percent.

UAE oil products topped the Gulf country’sexports to France in 2015, accounting to 74percent, euro 808.5 million, rising by 11.5 per-cent as compared to 2014, followed by alu-minum, euro 99 million. UAE investments inFrance constitute up to 40 percent of busi-nesses from the Middle East. They were valuedat euro 4.9 billion in 2013 compared to euro1.6 billion in 2012. Most of the UAE invest-ments are in stocks, bonds and property.

QatarAs to Qatar, France’s trade exchange with

the Gulf country rose by two billion euros in2015 compared to one billion euro in 2010.French exports to Qatar are forecast to soar tothe highest level since 10 years ago, buoyedby a 300 percent hike in the first eight monthsof 2015, reaching euro 1.58 billion, includingeuro 463 million worth of exports of manufac-tured commodities-except for aerial equip-ment. French enterprises in Qatar noticeablyrose in the past years, particularly in aerialindustries, water treatment, construction andarmament. Number of French companiesoperating in Qatar reached 294, including 66firms with full French ownership and 228 onesin partnership with the Qataris. France is a keyinvestment market for Qatar. Bulk of theQatari businesses are in stocks, property andluxurious hotels.

Bahrain and OmanFrance’s exports to Bahrain rose, in 2013, by

70 percent after delivery of two Airbus aircraft,worth euro 111 million, to Manama. TotalFrench exports to Manama reached 235 mil-lion euros. Last April, the Bahraini EconomicDevelopment Council declared that the tradebalance amounted to some euro 240 million,compared to euro 180 million in 2012.

Oil and aluminum constitute bulk of theBahraini exports to France.

The balance of trade between France andOman was at euro 700 million during the pastdecade. The exchanges rose in 2013 to euro584.5 million but stabilized in 2015 at euro 518million. — KUNA

France, GCC meet amid 18 billion euro trade balance

PARIS: Kuwait’s Ambassador to France SamiAl-Suleiman has stated that First DeputyPrime Minister and Foreign Minister SheikhSabah Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah’s visit toParis today comes at a delicate time for thewhole Middle East region. The goal of the two-day visit is to cementbilateral relations and retain high-levelcooperation as well as to bolster joint actionin handling international and regional issuesof common concern, Ambassador Al-Suleiman said in an interview. He added thatSheikh Sabah Al-Khaled would discuss eco-nomic, investment and commercial relationsand review the implementation of the previ-

ously signed agreements with France.During his visit, the Kuwaiti top diplomat

would hold talks with his French counterpartJean-Marc Ayrault and would take part inthe anti-Islamic State coalition’s meeting onMosul liberation battle, to be held in ParisThursday, he pointed out. He noted that theFrench officials are looking forward to wel-come Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled in Paris. Theybelieve that his visit comes at a delicate timefor the whole region and it provide anopportunity to re-evaluate the joint venturesand means for beefing up strategic coopera-tion, he said. Kuwaiti-French relations havebeen steadily growing, particularly after His

Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-AhmadAl-Jaber Al-Sabah’s visit to Paris in 2006 andHis Highness the Prime Minister SheikhJaber Al-Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah’s visitin October 2015.

Both sides have inked eight agreementsand memoranda of understanding for coop-eration in various domains including a $2.8billion-worth agreement to sell Kuwait 24Airbus-built Caracal helicopters. Tradeexchange between the two countries hasrose to 1.7 billion euros in 2015 comparedwith 1.3 billion euros a year earlier. Over 112French companies are operating in Kuwait inseveral sectors. — KUNA

Kuwait FM’s visit to Paris toucheson Middle East situation: Diplomat

TASHKENT: Kuwait strongly believes in thejoint efforts to spread religious tolerance andfight terrorism, said First Deputy PrimeMinister Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah. Speaking at the 43rd session of theOrganization of Islamic Cooperation’s (OIC)Foreign Ministers council yesterday, SheikhSabah Al-Khaled, also Minister of ForeignAffairs noted that the session under thetheme “Education and Enlightenment: ThePath to Peace and Creativity” aimed to bringawareness towards the peaceful teachings ofIslam and show the world that our religionhas no relation with terrorism by any means.

He said Kuwait was honored to chair the42nd session of the council for a year, withadditional extended six months by therequest of Uzbekistan. Kuwait has headed 11urgent meetings in the time period, seekingto resolve issues facing the Islamic World,mainly terrorism, said Sheikh Sabah.

The Foreign Minister spoke of thePalestinian Cause, noting the increasing suffer-ing of Palestinians as Israel continues to

expand the settlements and execute acts ofaggression against citizens. He called partici-pants to join efforts to end Israeli violationsagainst Palestinians, in accordance with inter-national laws and the terms of the Arab PeaceInitiative. Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled added thatKuwait will host an international conferenceon the suffering of Palestinian children withIsrael’s violation of the UN’s Convention on theRights of the Child.

Syrians’ sufferingAs for the Syrian crisis, he said Kuwait has

been exerting efforts to ease the suffering ofSyrians affected by the ongoing war.Mentioning the worsening situation inAleppo, he noted that Kuwait has called onthe OIC to hold an urgent meeting onOctober ninth to discuss the issue. TheKuwaiti official called on the UN and theclashing Syrian parties to apply resolution2254 to endorse a road map for peace in Syriaand achieve a political solution to end thewar. Meanwhile, Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled

expressed regret that clashing Yemeni partiesdid not make the best out of the UN-spon-sored Yemeni peace talks held in Kuwait forover 100 days. He also expressed support forthe 72-hour ceasefire set to start nextThursday, announced by UN Special Envoy forYemen Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmad.

The Senior Kuwaiti official hoped that theceasefire would be a step towards reachingan agreement to end the war, in accordancewith the GCC initiative and the UN resolution2216. Moreover, he congratulated Iraq onlaunching the battle to liberate Mosul fromthe so-called Islamic State (IS). Kuwait alwayssupports Iraq to protect its peace and securi-ty against terrorist groups.

Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled spoke about thesuffering of Somalis living in poor conditions.He noted that Kuwait is set to host an inter-national conference to develop education inSomalia. The official also called on the inter-national community to protect the RohingyaMuslim minority against continuous attacksin Myanmar. — KUNA

Kuwait keen on religious tolerance,counterterrorism: Foreign Minister

TASHKENT: Group picture of participants in the 43rd session of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation’s (OIC) Foreign Ministers council meet-ing in the Uzbek capital. — KUNA

L O C A LWEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2016

KUWAIT: Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Finance and Acting Minister of Oil Anas Al-Saleh attended on Monday the inauguration of AhmadAl-Jaber Oil and Gas Exhibition, being organized by Kuwait Oil Company (KOC) in Al-Ahmadi Governorate. The event gathered CEO of KuwaitPetroleum Corporation (KPC) Nizar Al-Adsani and KOC’s CEO Jamal Jaafar as well as other leaders of the oil sector. — KUNA

ANKARA: Kuwait’s new ambassador Ghassan Al-Zawawi presents his credentials toTurkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. — KUNA

ANKARA: Kuwaiti diplomat Ghassan Al-Zawawi presented his credentials to theTurkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan asKuwait’s new Ambassador Extraordinaryand Plenipotentiary to Turkey. Al-Zawawisaid yesterday that he relayed the greetingsof His Highness the Amir of Kuwait SheikhSabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah toErdogan after he submitted his credentials.

The Turkish President, on his part,relayed similar greetings to the Kuwaitileadership, expressing aspiration to boostties between Turkey and Kuwait in allfields. The meeting was attended by theenvoy ’s wife, advisor at the Kuwaitiembassy Azzam Al-Asfour, the embassy’ssecond secretary Abdulaziz Al-Daleh andother diplomats. — KUNA

Kuwait’s new envoy toTurkey presents credentials

DUBAI: GITEX Technology Week is a gold-en opportunity to showcase some ofKuwait’s technological projects, KuwaitiMinister of Cabinet Affairs SheikhMohammad Al-Abdullah Al-Mubarak Al-

Sabah said yesterday. Kuwait’s participa-tion at the event proved how the countryis technologically advanced, especially inthe information and communications tech-nology, the Kuwaiti minister said after visit-ing Kuwait’s pavilion at the exhibit. SheikhMohammad Al-Addbullah lauded the levelof organization of the exhibit, whichimproves with every passing year.

Kuwaiti bodies participation at the eventare: Ministry of Finance, Kuwait Credit Bank(KCB), Public Authority for Civil Information(PACI), and the Civil Service Commission(CSC), in addition to others.

Since its inception in 1981, GITEX hasgrown to be one of the most influentialtechnology events in the world, givingvisitors access to the latest products andservices. GITEX 2016 has launched themost global startup movement with over400 entrepreneurs, 250 regional, globalVCs and investors/mentors f rom 60countries. — KUNA

Kuwaiti minister highlightsGITEX Tech Week

Sheikh Mohammad Al-Abdullah Al-Sabah

FROM THE ARABIC PRESSWEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2016

Al-Jarida

By Arwa Al-Waqian

Kuwait International Airport is the eighth wonder of theworld that has not yet been discovered by the GuinnessBook of World Records, archeologists or UNESCO. It is

the only airport with unrivalled characteristics hardly found atany other airport. It is the only airport where outbound pas-sengers mingle with those arriving without any separation.

It is the only airport where you walk according to intuitionunless you reside in Kuwait and are familiar with its ins andouts. It lacks any signs guiding passengers where to go, andthey will have to act like herds and follow other passengers tothe passport lounge.

I happened to be travelling out on the second day of theEid holidays. The airport was relatively less crowded com-pared to the previous day, I was told. Policemen actedfriendlily until I saw a passport officer insult an Asian passen-ger in the Kuwaiti dialect and looking at us in anticipation oflaughs. I was shocked! What happened to professionalismand good manners?!

I could not help remembering my own experience withanother passport officer, when he responded rudely to myinquiry if there was any queue, because I noticed that passen-gers jumped the line. He threw my passport at me in a rudemanner, and when I asked if there was any problem, he toldme ‘just go away’. So, imagine what non-Kuwaitis go throughwhen such officers look down on them.

Having their passports stamped, passengers see others sit-

ting or sleeping on the floor, because all seats and cafes areoccupied simply because the airport is too small and cannotabsorb too many passengers. We know that airport expansionproject started years ago and know that it might remain inprogress forever, just like all other projects in Kuwait. But, peo-ple, the airport is the country’s frontier and the continuation ofthis farce is disgraceful for Kuwait!

Kuwait is a humanitarian center and the world’s largestdonor. It has built the most beautiful airports and playgroundsin friendly countries, but does not have a decent airport itself.Even when visiting the poorest countries on voluntary trips, Ifind airports far much better than ours.

Kuwait International Airport is not only a poor building, butsome of its staff members, namely officers, need special train-ing courses on how to deal with the public respectfully. It musthave a channel through which passengers can file complaintsin case they are bullied or abused by employees, so that theycould be held accountable regardless of their ranks. This is theonly way to develop airport services.

Finally, I would like to note that it would be unjust andunfair to compare Doha or UAE airports to KuwaitInternational Airport. We only hope we will be alive untilKuwait has a normal street and normal airport, but it seemsthat we stopped dreaming after so many setbacks and disap-pointments!

—Translated by Kuwait Times

Kuwait Airport, the 8th wonder of the world!

CrimeR e p o r t

Drug users arrested

KUWAIT: Hawally Security Director Brig Abdeen Al-Abdeen sent several drug users including a Kuwaitiwoman to the Drugs Control General Department (DCGD).A security source said police patrols in Mishref arrested anEgyptian man with shabu. Meanwhile, police noticed a carbeing driven erratically by a woman, who was found want-ed to serve a three-year jail sentence. Police found ‘spice’and ‘shabu’ drugs in her bag, while a bedoon who was withher had shabu and drugs paraphernalia on him.

Stray bullet

A stray bullet penetrated the window of an intermedi-ate school in Taima and created fear amongst students.Criminal evidence personnel inspected the scene, anddetectives are investigating. A case was filed.

Woman assaulted

A citizen attacked a woman before ending up at the Jabriyapolice station. Several passersby witnessed the beating andcalled interior ministry operations. A Hawally patrol went tothe area and noticed a woman fleeing from a man who wasbeating her. Police caught him and freed the woman. Thesuspect, a citizen, and the woman, also a citizen, were ques-tioned. The woman said she knows the man, but a disputetook place between them because he interferes in her per-sonal affairs. A complaint was lodged.

Abnormal condition

Police arrested three persons who were in anabnormal condition. They were caught whileusing heroin, and had 13 bags on them. One ofthe arrested persons was found wanted to serve aseven-year jail sentence. The suspects were sent toDCGD for further legal action.

Man in trouble

A citizen put his cousin in trouble following his arrestin Jahra. He claimed the car, which contained drugs,belonged to his cousin and he did not know anythingabout its contents. The citizen was sent to DCGD forfurther legal action.

Al-A

nbaa

All the decisions made by the government, itsministries and various establishments sums upthe state of chaos and randomness the so-

called state of institutions is suffering from. The latestof such decisions was the cut in expat teachers’ rentallowance from KD 150 to 60, which is way more than50 percent, with the excuse of rationalizing expens-es and annually saving KD 42 million.

According to Ministry of Education’s statement,the decision will be applied on 40,000 out of the totalof 65,000 teachers working for it. This is two-thirds ofthe teaching staff in Kuwaiti public schools, who willbe affected by this sudden reduction coinciding withincreasing the prices of fuel and that of electricity andwater due to take effect soon.

In other words, expat teachers’ salaries have beenreduced at a time when cost of living is growingbecause of increasing fuel prices. This also means thatrent values will even rise before the new electricityand water prices are in effect. Once more, the onesmost affected by this will be two-thirds of the teach-ing staff in Kuwait, taking into consideration thatexpat teachers leave their home countries in thequest for well-paying jobs that would enable themsupport their families and lead a decent life backhome on concluding their tenures in Kuwait. They didnot come to Kuwait because they like immigratingand living as strangers!

So, the government decided to make the lives oftwo-thirds of public school teachers harder with theexcuse of cutting public spending and annually sav-ing KD 42 million, which will force expat teachers toone of two options to make up for the difference.They will either resort to private tuitions, if they donot already do so, and increase the sums they chargefor it, which means a direct impact on Kuwaitisthemselves, who will in turn demand financial sup-port, or find a better paying job somewhere outsideKuwait. If they opt for the second choice, the govern-ment will then have to look for substitutes for thishuge number of teachers, and this is impossible tobe locally done.

The government will then have to attract newteachers in the middle of a school year, providedthose new teachers will actually accept the new pay.This will surely lead to hiring less competent teachers,though some of the ones already here are below par.Although I do not have enough legal knowledge, Ibelieve the decision is not legally sound and couldlead to an endless number of court orders to com-pensate teachers, and this will surely cost Kuwaitmore than the KD 42 million due to be saved.

All indicators show that the state is lost and blun-dering in view of the lack of people with visionamongst decision makers.

—Translated by Kuwait Times

To cut a long story short

Al-Jarida

By Ali Mahmoud Khajah

Election Time

KUWAIT: The Interior Ministry’s retired officers department celebrated the first anniversary of its inception, during a ceremony held yesterday and attended by Major General Adeeb Suwaidan, General Directorof the Service Centers General Department.

KUWAIT: Kuwait Fire Service Directorate (KFSD) and Kuwait National Guard (KNG) held their first annual meeting earlier this week, during which they reviewed the most notable achievements since the two sidessigned a protocol of cooperation six years ago. KFSD Director Lieutenant General Khalid Al-Mikrad and KNG Undersecretary Staff Lieutenant General Hashem Al-Rifaie attended the meeting. —By Hanan Al-Saadoun

Drug possession

Ahmadi police arrested a bedoon man after findingthree shabu envelopes, six capsules of narcotics, 105capsules of a red substance, in addition to drugsparaphernalia on him. The suspect, an ex-convict,was sent to concerned authorities. —Al-Rai, Al-Anbaa

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2016

India hospital fire death toll hits 20

UN announces truce in new attempt to end Yemen warPage 10 Page 11

MANILA: Filipino activists rally against the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) between the US and Philippines in front of the US embassy in Manila, Philippines. —AP

OLONGAPO: In a bar along thePhilippines’ Subic Bay owned by anAmerican military veteran, the maintopic of conversation is not the upcom-ing US election despite the DonaldTrump coffee mugs, photographs andcaps on display. The talk is of PhilippinesPresident Rodrigo Duterte’s tensionswith Washington and his courting ofChina, which is worrying the bar’s most-ly American clients who have settled inthe vicinity of the huge Subic Bay base,a former US navy installation. “Thebiggest fear is that one day he’s going towake up and say ‘everybody from theUS, get out of town’ and we’d have toleave our loved ones behind,” said JackWalker, a retired Marine sergeant whohas lived in Olongapo, the town aroundthe base, for five years.

For more than a century thePhilippines and the United States havehad a shared history of colonialism,wars, rebellion, aid and deep economicties. That could change as Duterte’sthree-month-old administration re-examines the relationship.In a series ofconflicting statements, Duterte hasinsulted US President Barack Obamaand the US ambassador in Manila forquestioning his war on drugs, whichhas led to the deaths of more than

2,000 suspected users and pushers. Hetold Obama “go to hell” and alluded tosevering ties with Washington. Then,after weeks of anti-American rhetoric,Duterte said the Philippines wouldmaintain its existing defense treatiesand its military alliances.

The comments have left Americansand US businesses in the Philippinesjittery about their future, said EbbHinchliffe, executive director of theAmerican Chamber of Commerce.“Every time he opens his mouth andsays something negative aboutAmerica, that hurts me personally ...and from a business standpoint, it’s nothelping,” he said. He said three tradedelegations representing Americantechnology, financial services andmanufacturing companies had can-celled trips to the Philippines in recentweeks. At least two American compa-nies have opted to do business inVietnam instead “because of the presi-dent’s anti-American sentiment”.Hinchliffe declined to name the com-panies or give further details.

Most pro-US nationThe United States effectively ruled

the Philippines from 1898, when itacquired the country from Spain, until

recognizing its independence in 1946.About four million people of Philippineancestry live in the United States, oneof its largest minorities, and about220,000 Americans, many of them mil-itary veterans, live in the Philippines.An additional 650,000 visit each year,according to US State Department fig-

ures. According to a Pew ResearchCentre study last year, the Philippinesis the most pro-US country in theworld. Despite the shared history,though, the Philippines has a strongnationalistic movement that has ques-tioned the US alliance. In 1991, thegovernment asked Washington to

vacate the Subic Bay naval facility andthe nearby Clark Air Base.

But as tensions increased with Chinaover the territorial dispute in the SouthChina Sea, the Philippines signed anEnhanced Defense CooperationAgreement (EDCA) with the UnitedStates in 2014 that grants Washingtonincreased military presence throughrotation of ships and aircraft forhumanitarian and maritime securityoperations.

However, Duterte has said thatagreement will be reviewed and heinsists that the Philippines, the third-largest Asian recipient of American mili-tary aid after Pakistan and Afghanistan,can do without assistance.

He was to leave for China yesterdayon a state visit that could shift alliancesin the region. Philippine governmentofficials have sought to play downDuterte’s comments. “Where the presi-dent is coming from is that he wants toencourage the Filipino people to bemore independent,” said governmentspokesman Ernesto Abella. “It’s not somuch an anti-American relationship asa pro-Philippine sentiment.” Still, themood was sombre at Dynamite Dick’sbar in Olongapo when a Reutersreporter dropped in recently.

Edward Pooley, a former Marinecolonel who has lived in the Philippinesfor nearly 30 years, said Duterte’s wordswere “heartbreaking” but he remainedoptimistic about the bilateral relation-ship in the long term. “We’ve alwaysdone a lot of charitable activities and ...we feel the appreciation. Don’t give upon us,” he said. The mayor of the city of220,000, Rolen Paulino, said his peoplewere “pro-American” but that he sup-ports Duterte’s shift in foreign policy. “Ifthe president wants to invite Russia andChina ... I will teach my people Russianand Chinese because we have toadapt,” Paulino said.

But many in the business communi-ty have labelled Duterte’s rhetoric aslargely bluster and take comfort in thefact that he has yet to translate it intoaction. The business process outsourc-ing (BPO) sector - expected to accountfor 9 percent of GDP this year - remainslargely optimistic about growth in thePhilippines. “Suffice to say, there arequestions that are being asked becauseof (Duterte’s) statements,” said DaniloReyes, country manager of Genpact,one of the biggest American BPO com-panies in the country. “But it does notreally translate to actions, we continueto expand.” —Reuters

Americans in Philippines remain jittery President Duterte rails against United States

GABALDON, Philippines: Residents walk along a destroyed high-way following heavy rains brought by Typhoon Sarika in the townof Gabaldon, Nueva Ecija province, north of Manila. —AFP

BERLIN: Europe faces a new influx of IslamicState jihadists if Iraqi forces retake thegroup’s stronghold Mosul, officials and ana-lysts warned yesterday, adding to fears on acontinent battered by a string of Islamistattacks. Thousands of Europeans have left forIraq and Syria over the last two years to wagejihad, but after the IS suffered a string of terri-torial defeats this year in both countries,some of its fighters have begun returning tothe continent.

As Iraqi forces press their offensive inMosul, the “caliphate” declared two years agoby the IS, experts urged Europe to prepareitself for more battle-hardened jihadists readyto launch attacks back home. “The retaking ofthe IS’ northern Iraq stronghold, Mosul, maylead to the return to Europe of violent IS fight-ers,” the EU’s commissioner for security JulianKing told German daily Die Welt. King thoughtit was unlikely that there would be a mass exo-dus of IS fighters from Mosul to Europe but he

stressed that even a handful of jihadists return-ing would pose a “serious threat that we mustprepare ourselves for”. Around 2,500 Europeanfighters are still in the conflict zones, said King.

‘Guerrilla attacks’The IS may become less appealing to

potential recruits if its Iraqi stronghold were tocrumble, but fighters left without a “home”would pose dangers for the West, saidRaffaello Pantucci, Director of InternationalSecurity Studies at the Royal United ServicesInstitute. “Rudderless but without a sense ofrevolutionary purpose, they will present amenace to security officials around the worldfor years to come,” he wrote in the DailyTelegraph. The IS group “has shown a capacityto send fighters back hidden among therefugees coming to Europe. If it is threatenedin Iraq and Syria it may step up the number ofthose ‘returnees’ to establish networks or evenlaunch attacks,” he warned. —AFP

DUBAI: Ten international rights organizationsurged Oman’s Sultan Qaboos yesterday torevoke an order to close a newspaper and end acrackdown by authorities on journalists andactivists. A court last month upheld a govern-ment order to permanently close the Azamndaily over an article about suspected corruptionwithin the judicial system. Its editor-in-chiefIbrahim Al-Maamari and his deputy Yousef Al-Haj were each sentenced to three years’ jail anda colleague, Zaher Al-Abri, got one year. Theywere convicted of disturbing public order,undermining the prestige of the state and mis-using the internet, judicial sources have said.

All three are on bail pending a hearing onNovember 7. “These harsh sentences are a clearattempt to hinder the work of journalists and tocurtail the right to freedom of expression andopinion in Oman,” said the joint statement by 10watchdogs including Reporters Without Borders(RSF) and the Committee to Protect Journalists.“The imprisonment of journalists whose only

crime was to exercise their profession in a legiti-mate manner and the censorship of this storydo not bode well for the future of journalismand civil liberties in the sultanate,” they added.The groups urged the Gulf state’s ruler to use hisinfluence to “protect freedom of the media andfreedom of speech...(and) revoke the closureorder of Azamn newspaper”.

The signatories called for the sentencesagainst the journalists to be revoked and alsofor two online activists arrested for expressingtheir support for the Azamn three to be released“immediately and unconditionally”. They urgedQaboos to ensure that the internal security serv-ice “stops its attacks on media freedom and free-dom of expression and its targeting of journal-ists, online activists and other human rightsdefenders”. Also among the signatories are theInternational Federation for Human Rights andthe Gulf Centre for Human Rights. Oman ranks125th out of 180 countries in RSF’s 2016 WorldPress Freedom Index. —AFP

Rights groups urge Oman to end media crackdown

Fears rise in Europe over jihadist influx

I N T E R N AT I O N A LWEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2016

BAGHDAD: As Iraqi forces close in onMosul, trapped civilians report thicksmoke enveloping the city ’s emptystreets as their jihadist rulers attempt toshield themselves from intensifying US-led coalition air strikes. After more thantwo years of Islamic State group rule,there is hope but also fear of what liesahead. Mosul, a large city split by theTigris river, is where IS declared its“caliphate” two years ago but is now thejihadists’ last major stronghold in Iraq.

Abu Saif, a 47-year-old former compa-ny manager contacted by AFP, said thestreets felt eery as fighters and civiliansalike stayed indoors. “The atmosphere inMosul is strange, the sky is constantlyblack with smoke from tyres Daesh (IS)lit everywhere,” he said yesterday. “Thereis also the black smoke from the burningoil in the trenches Daesh dug around thecity to hide their members’ movements.“The streets are empty, the people havebeen staying at home since the strikesstarted yesterday,” said Abu Saif, a resi-dent of the eastern half of Mosul.

He said he could hear air strikes andexplosions coming from Bartalla, aChristian town just east of Mosul onwhich Kurdish and federal forces areadvancing. “It seems a lot of Daeshmembers have already left this side ofthe city and crossed to the other bank ofthe river,” Abu Saif said. Military sourceshave predicted that east Mosul could be

significantly easier to retake than thewestern half, which is considered thejihadists’ real bastion in the city. “Theystill have a lot of snipers perched in highplaces around here though and weknow they have lots of car bombs readyand have planted roadside bombseverywhere,” he said.

Living in basementsAbu Saif, who is now jobless and

managed to smuggle his family out ofthe city earlier this year, said the peo-ple around him were torn between theprospect of being freed from thejihadists’ yoke soon and the fear thatthey will not survive the impendingbattle. “There is this happiness insideus besieged people of Mosul, becausewe feel that we are about to be res-cued,” he said.

“But we are scared that Daesh can stillcarry out acts of revenge against thepopulation.” As the noose has tightenedaround Mosul in recent months, IS fight-ers have executed countless people,including their own, over accusations ofspying or collaborating with govern-ment forces. Abu Saif said two peoplewere executed near Al-Zuhoor school asrecently as Sunday. “There is also the fearof all these bombs falling from the sky.People have moved back into the oldshelters that were used during the warwith Iran in the 80s,” he said. — AFP

Inside Mosul, tense wait

under the clouds of war

ALEPPO: Syrian Civil Defense group known as the White Helmets try to remove a boy stuck in the debris of a building in theneighborhood of Qaterji in rebel-held east Aleppo following an airstrike in Aleppo, Syria. — AP

MOSCOW: Moscow announced yesterday thatRussian and Syrian air forces have stoppedbombing Aleppo ahead of a brief truce, a movethe Kremlin said showed “goodwill” as it facesmounting criticism for backing a brutal regimeoffensive. Russia had said there would be aneight-hour “humanitarian pause” in the batteredcity tomorrow, a move welcomed by the UnitedNations and the European Union which never-theless said the ceasefire needed to be longer toallow the delivery of aid. The UN said yesterday itwas waiting for safety assurances from all sidesbefore going in with “critical humanitarian assis-tance” for Aleppo’s desperate population.

The West has voiced increasing alarm at thesituation in Aleppo, saying the ferocious Russian-backed onslaught on the rebel-held east couldamount to a war crime. “Strikes in the Aleppo

region by the Russian and Syrian air forces arestopping today starting at 10:00 am,” RussianDefense Minister Sergei Shoigu said in a tele-vised briefing, adding that the measure was “nec-essary” to pave the way for the truce. “This guar-antees the security of civilians’ exit through sixcorridors and prepares the evacuation of the sickand injured from eastern Aleppo,” he said, addingthat it would also guarantee safe passage forarmed rebels to leave eastern Aleppo.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov hailed themove as a “manifestation of goodwill” anddenied it was meant to assuage Western criticswho have accused Moscow of perpetratingpotential war crimes in Syria’s second city. “Thisis an obvious continuation of Russian efforts, onthe one hand, to fight terrorists in Syria, and onthe other, to unblock the situation in Aleppo,”

Peskov told reporters. “It is exclusively a mani-festation of goodwill by the Russian military.”Raids in the eastern neighborhoods of Aleppohave stopped since the Russian announcement,but air strikes are still being conducted in thebroader Aleppo region, the Britain-based moni-toring group Syrian Observatory for HumanRights said yesterday.

Under siege Over 250,000 people are under government

siege in the city that was once Syria’s thrivingcommercial hub. Yesterday’s halt in bombingcame just hours after Russian warplanes pound-ed Aleppo’s rebel-held districts, killing a coupleand their three children, the Observatory said.On Monday, dozens of civilians including 12members of the same family were killed in strikesagainst Aleppo, the monitor said.

The brutal government offensive against east-ern Aleppo-which has destroyed hospitals andother civilian infrastructure-has plunged Syriainto some of the worst violence since the conflicterupted in March 2011. The European Union saidon Monday that the Russian and Syrian air strikescould amount to war crimes. “The deliberate tar-geting of hospitals, medical personnel, schoolsand essential infrastructure, as well as the use ofbarrel bombs, cluster bombs, and chemicalweapons, constitute a catastrophic escalation ofthe conflict... and may amount to war crimes,” EUforeign ministers meeting in Luxembourg said.

They also warned that the 28-nation bloccould impose additional sanctions againstDamascus, but decided against targeting Russiadespite US and British calls to punish Moscow aswell. Talks in Switzerland at the weekend involv-ing foreign ministers from Washington, Moscowand Syria’s neighbors ended with no break-through on halting the violence. The talks werethe first international meeting on Syria sinceWashington froze bilateral ceasefire negotiationswith Moscow over its unwavering support of theSyrian regime.

A short-lived truce brokered by Moscow andWashington last month could have led the twocountries to coordinate strikes against jihadists,but the deal quickly unraveled. Shoigu said yes-terday that the halt in bombing could “con-tribute to the success” of international militarytalks in Geneva on Wednesday on efforts to dis-tance Syrian opposition fighters from jihadistgroup Fateh al-Sham Front, which changed itsname from Al-Nusra Front after renouncing itsties to Al-Qaeda. Russia has repeatedly demand-ed that the Syrian rebels break off from Fateh Al-Sham Front, which the United Nations considersa terrorist group, as a condition to revive aceasefire in Aleppo. — AFP

Russia and Syria halt Aleppo

strikes ahead of brief truceAn 8-hour ‘humanitarian pause’ in battered city

BAGHDAD: For one policeman, the battlefor Mosul is a chance to return home aspart of victorious Iraqi forces two yearsafter leaving the city in defeat. Ahmed,whose last name is being withheld to pro-tect his family from reprisals, foughtagainst the Islamic State group and waswounded by a suicide bomber in June2014, when the jihadists overran Mosul.

He lived in a camp for displaced Iraqisfor more than half a year, then stayed withfamily, rejoined the police and is nowdeployed in the country’s north. The battlefor Mosul, the last IS-held city in the coun-try, will bring Iraqi forces back to the sceneof the 2014 debacle, giving them an oppor-tunity for redemption where they sufferedone of their worst defeats. Prime MinisterHaider Al-Abadi announced the start of thelong-awaited offensive on Monday.

For Ahmed, the operation is personal onseveral levels: he is a native of Mosul andstill has relatives living in the city. RetakingMosul means a “return to my house and myfamily and my people, and this is the samesituation for my friends-we all have rela-tives” there, Ahmed said by telephone. It isa chance to “rescue my family and my rela-tives-I want to save them”, he said. As anadded incentive, “we always feel that thestate considers us traitors, and we want toprove to them that we are the opposite ofthat”, he said. Ahmed said he had beenworking in the police for around two yearswhen IS seized Mosul.

‘Our morale was finished’Ahmed was out early that day with a

patrol that clashed with IS forces for sever-al hours before running out of ammuni-tion and falling back, with two of its mem-

bers dead. Later, a suicide bomber deto-nated an explosives-rigged tanker truck,killing a colonel and wounding Ahmed inthe leg. Reinforcements that were said tobe coming from Baghdad did not materi-alize, and Ahmed and other security per-sonnel were ordered to withdraw from thebattle, he said.

“Our morale was finished, and we con-sidered ourselves dead,” Ahmed said. Thebattle for Mosul, which fell on June 10,2014, was an unmitigated disaster in whichtop commanders and the prime ministerplayed major roles. Ample intelligencepointed to the impending attack, includingfrom a captured IS commander who gavethe day of the assault and the planned lineof advance, according to a parliamentaryinquiry into the city’s fall. But that informa-tion was not acted upon and the attackwent ahead as the jihadists had planned.

Living in exileTop officers performed poorly, includ-

ing a general who departed west Mosulwith dozens of armored vehicles thenight before the city’s fall, “greatly harm-ing the morale of the f ighters”, theinquiry found. Nuri Al-Maliki, the primeminister at the time, had already weak-ened the military by appointing “incom-petent leaders and commanders”, whilethe general in charge of Iraqi groundforces failed to keep units in Mosul sup-plied with troops and equipment. ForAhmed, the fall of Mosul marked thebeginning of a period of exile. Eventually,a call was made for the province’s police-men to return to work, which he didsome eight months after Mosul’s fall-aperiod in which he was not paid. —AFP

For Iraq policeman, battle for

Mosul means returning home

AL-HOL: Displaced Iraqis who fled fighting in the Mosul area playingvolleyball at a camp for internally displaced people in the northeasterntown of Al-Hol in Syria’s Hasakeh province. — AFP

SIRTE: The Islamic State group’s beleagueredLibyan stronghold of Sirte has been devastated bymonths of fighting, the second time in five years ithas been wrecked. Tanks roar through rubble-strewn streets while explosions and gunfire rockgutted buildings. Most of the 120,000 residentshave fled, either in fear of jihadists or forced out bypro-government forces who have been battlingsince May to oust IS from what was once its northAfrican headquarters.

The 2011 uprising that toppled its most famousson, the late dictator Muammar Gaddafi, laid wasteto Sirte. Residents rebuilt after the war, but thisyear’s fighting has once again left the coastal townin ruins. Apart from fighters, Sirte is now a ghosttown with no electricity or phone coverage withina hundred kilometers. Pro-government Libyanforces backed by American air strikes are graduallytightening the noose on the few remaining IS fight-ers holed up in District Three in the east.

IS took over Sirte in June 2015, flying their blackflags above public buildings and imprisoning, cru-cifying or beheading dozens of people. Jihadistsroamed the streets in pickup trucks to check thatresidents were praying at the correct times andthat women did not leave home without a maleminder. Forces allied with Libya’s UN-backed and

internationally recognized Government of NationalUnity (GNA) launched an offensive in May to oust ISfrom the city and surrounding areas.

‘Bye bye Daesh’They entered Sirte itself on June 9, and the

jihadists hit back with suicide bombings andsnipers. More than 550 GNA fighters have beenkilled and 3,000 wounded in the assault. Shopfronts throughout town still bear the black stampof the “Office of General Services”, the jihadists’ taxauthority. On those walls that are still standing, slo-gans glorifying IS have been erased and replacedwith “Bye bye Daesh”-an Arabic acronym for IS.Forces loyal to Libya’s unity government suspectthat the jihadists had local help when they seizedthe town. The loyalist forces expelled residents andwere preventing them from returning to “liberated”areas, said Hadi, the commander of a group offighters from Tripoli.

“We do not want to take risks by leaving apotential enemy behind our backs,” he said, addingthat he had come to fight the jihadists and hoped“to die a martyr”. While most members of the pro-government forces are from Misrata half waybetween Tripoli and Sirte, fighters have come fromacross Libya, he said. — AFP

Rebuilt once, Gaddafi’s home town lies in ruins again

SIRTE, Libya: Members of the forces loyal to Libya’s UN-backed Government of National Accord(GNA) gather in the coastal city of Sirte, east of the capital Tripoli, during their military operation toclear the Islamic State group’s (IS) jihadists from the city. — AFP

WASHINGTON: The battle for Mosul is achance for President Barack Obama to claiman election-year victory over the IslamicState group in Iraq and offset failures in Syria.Ask the White House about the slow motioncatastrophe in Syria and, more likely thannot, officials will talk about the different-ifrelated-problem of the Islamic State group.With the battle to retake Mosul kicking offMonday, the Obama administration now real-ly has something to talk about. US efforts tostop the Syrian-Russian bombing of civiliansin Aleppo have come to nothing, anotherblack mark against Obama’s vexed policies inthe Middle East.

Libya is in chaos, Egypt is run by the military,while Yemen offers ever-more bloodshed andembarrassment. And Obama’s refusal to inter-vene in Syria’s war, which has already killed300,000 people, will likely have repercussionsfor generations to come. But from Aleppo,head 375 miles east across the Syrian-Iraqi bor-der, and there is better news.After two yearsand some 5,634 strikes against the Islamic Stategroup, Mosul, the jihadists’ last major redoubtin Iraq is in the crosshairs of a ground cam-paign. Retaking Iraq’s second largest city isunlikely to be quick. But it would be a majorvictory over the Islamic State group in its ownright, and would help Obama greatly.

Obama’s struggleThe bitter 2016 US presidential election

campaign has taken place against a backdropof jihadist-inspired attacks from Paris to SanBernardino, California. Polls show Americansare more concerned about terrorism todaythan at any time since the aftermath of 9/11.In a TIME/SurveyMonkey poll of 5,478 votersreleased this month, 58 percent said terror-ism and national security should be amongthe top three priorities for the next president.Donald Trump, the Republican who wants thejob, has gained electoral traction with a sim-ple-if functionally questionable-pledge to“bomb the shit out of ISIS.” He has repeatedlyaccused Obama and his Democratic oppo-nent Hillary Clinton of “founding” the ISgroup-of withdrawing US troops from Iraqtoo quickly and creating a vacuum thatallowed the extremists to thrive.

The Islamic State group’s rapid retreat fromtowns like Jarabulus and Raqa is likely to fuelquestions about why the jihadists were notconfronted with more military strength onthe ground sooner. Meanwhile, Obama has attimes struggled to find Trump’s levels of clari-ty. He has tried to show the myriad of actionshis administration has taken to counter IS-from diplomacy to special ops-while at thesame time tr ying not to overstate theirstrength and importance. Privately, aidesargue the group is far from an existentialthreat to the United States, and can only besuccessful if Americans respond by weaken-ing their own values and institutions. — AFP

The battle for Mosul provides

pre-election boon for Obama

I N T E R N AT I O N A LWEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2016

RIO DE JANEIRO: Rioting inmates beheaded rivalsand burned others alive in an explosion of violencein two Brazilian jails that left at least 18 peopledead on Monday, the authorities said. Prisonersalso took women visitors hostage, officials said,blaming the violence on a rift between the coun-try’s two largest gangs. It was the latest eruption ofgruesome violence to hit Brazil’s underfunded andovercrowded prisons.

The clash between two rival factions in a prisonin the far northern state of Roraima killed 10 onSunday, regional government spokeswoman JessicaLaurie said. “The inmates were armed with stonesand pieces of wood that they ripped from the walls.They used those bits of wood to decapitate theirrivals. It was very brutal,” she said. “Seven bodieswere found burned and three others beheaded.” Sheblamed a war between the First Capital Command(PCC) and Red Command (CV), Brazil’s biggest crimegangs. “PCC’s organized crime faction gave the orderto kill all members of their rival faction in the CV inevery prison across the country,” she said.

Another riot broke out on Monday at a prison inthe northwestern state of Rondonia, officials said. “Agroup of inmates blocked their rivals in their cell and

set it on fire. We suspect a clash between rival fac-tions,” a police official in the state capital, PortoVelho said. “There are thought to be eight peopledead, but the bodies are burned and the medicalauthorities will have to confirm” the toll, a policespokesman said. A third riot broke out Mondayevening at a prison in Sao Paulo, police said.Television footage showed several wings in flames.“Several prisoners have escaped,” a policespokesman said. There were no immediate reportsof casualties in the latest riot, which broke out in thepsychiatric ward.

Knives, clubs, hostagesBrazilian sociologist Camila Nunes Dias said the

PCC, based in Sao Paulo, and the CV, based in Rio,had split the drugs and arms trade for twodecades. “But they broke that alliance becauseboth groups have a strategy to expand acrossBrazil,” she said. Prisons nationwide have been onalert since the rival gangs declared war, Roraimastate Justice Secretary Uziel Castro said. But guardswere caught by surprise on Sunday because theriot broke out during visiting hours-a traditionaltime of truce, he added. — AFP

Inmates beheaded in Brazil prison riots

MISSOURI: Melania Trump (left) shakes hands with former US President Bill Clinton before the town hall debate at WashingtonUniversity in this photo. — AFP

GREEN BAY: White House hopeful Donald Trumpbranded Hillary Clinton’s operations a “criminalenterprise” Monday as he assailed her for creat-ing conditions for a rigged election, and accusedUS media of wanting to “poison” voters’ minds.Trailing in national polls and in key battlegroundstates just three weeks before Election DayNovember 8, Trump came out swinging on thecampaign trail, accusing Clinton of colludingwith US authorities to cover up misconductregarding her private email system and denounc-ing it as “one of the great miscarriages of justice”in US history.

Trump, whose campaign has been reeling inthe face of lewd comments about women andaccusations of sexual assault, has doubled downon claims of massive voter fraud in 2016, despitedenials from within his own party. Despite a flur-ry of sexual assault accusations against DonaldTrump and recordings of him boasting that heuses his fame to grope and kiss women, MelaniaTrump on Monday shrugged off her husband’s“boy talk” in an interview with CNN.

And his team has deployed his wife Melania ina media blitz to try to tamp down the furor overthe allegations, with interviews airing late Mondayon CNN and yesterday on Fox News. “Those words,they were offensive to me and they were inappro-priate. And he apologized to me. And I accept hisapology. And we are moving on,” Trump told Fox,in an excerpt released by the network.

A firestorm erupted earlier this month when a2005 video was made public and caught Trumpsaying lewd things about women, in a mostly off-camera conversation with host Billy Bush of theshow “Access Hollywood.” Melania Trump toldCNN that she felt her husband had been “eggedon by the host to say dirty and bad stuff.” TheRepublican nominee takes the stage today withhis Democratic rival Hillary Clinton in their finaldebate before voters make their choice. Trumpunleashed a litany of complaints recently aboutthe nation’s election system, and also blamed themedia for his woes, raising concerns about possi-ble unrest should he lose.

‘Tell the truth!’ He let loose again Monday at a rally in Green

Bay, Wisconsin. “Voter fraud is very, very com-mon,” he told a fired up crowd, who at varioustimes broke into chants of “Lock her up!” “Tell thetruth!” and “CNN sucks!” “This is a rigged electionfolks,” he said. “And the media’s trying to rig theelection by giving credence... to false stories thathave no validity,” he added. “They want to poisonthe minds of the voters.” Trump also accusedClinton of colluding with US authorities by seek-ing to pressure the FBI to alter its findings in aprobe of Clinton’s use of private servers while shewas secretary of state.

Federal Bureau of Investigation documentsreleased Monday showed a senior StateDepartment official, undersecretary of statePatrick Kennedy, had asked the FBI to declassifyor lower the classification of one Clinton emailthat had been rated secret.” Trump said the StateDepartment official made the request for alteringclassification “as part of a ‘quid pro quo.’” “We’re

witnessing a criminal enterprise” at work, he saidof the Clinton campaign. “This is felony corrup-tion by any standard.”

Clinton leads Trump by 12 points, 50 percentto 38 percent, among likely voters nationwide ina four-way contest with third-party candidates, aMonmouth University poll showed. Meanwhile, asurvey from Quinnipiac University had Clintonleading in several key swing states-Colorado,Florida and Pennsylvania-and tied with Trump inOhio. A CNN poll puts Trump ahead by fourpoints in Ohio, but gives Clinton a slight lead inbattlegrounds North Carolina and Nevada. Herleads in key states correspond to her advantageof 6.4 percentage points in an average of recentnational polls given by RealClearPolitics.

‘Irresponsible’ The polls indicate that the allegations swirling

around Trump have taken their toll. Monmouthfound that six in 10 voters believe he made

unwanted sexual advances towards women-claims he vehemently denies. Trump’s runningmate Mike Pence sought to ease tensions, insist-ing his camp would accept defeat if voters rejectthe Republican ticket at the polls. “We willabsolutely accept the results of the election,” hetold CBS Sunday.

Ohio Secretary of State Jon Husted, aRepublican who oversees election operations inhis state, insisted that Trump was being “irre-sponsible,” after the nominee tweeted a warningMonday about “large scale voter fraud” in the USelection. “If there is a systemic problem, pleaseidentify it. Don’t just make an allegation onTwitter. Tell me,” Husted said on CNN. ForClinton’s campaign manager Robby Mook, Trumpis “desperately trying to shift attention from hisown disastrous campaign.” “He knows he’s losingand he’s trying to blame that on the system. Thisis what losers do,” Mook said during a press callon Monday. — Agencies

Trump bashes Clinton Melania shrugs off husband’s way with women

ORLANDO: A group of volunteers register-ing Hispanic voters gets down to businessat an apartment complex in the center ofFlorida, one of the key battleground statesin the White House race. The bad news forRepublicans is that most of those waitingto sign up before Tuesday’s deadline arePuerto Ricans. Since the 2012 election, thedire financial crisis in Puerto Rico hasbrought hundreds of thousands of new res-idents from the US commonwealth in theCaribbean to Florida. They strongly supportHillary Clinton and could deliver theSunshine State to the Democratic candi-date. Ana Iris Vazquez, a 54-year-oldhousewife, is preparing lunch in herOrlando apartment when two womenknock on her door. They work for Mi FamiliaVota (My Family Votes), an NGO seeking toregister Hispanics eligible to vote.

“For Hillary!” Vazquez exclaims whenasked who she will vote for on November8. “If I voted for this man (Trump), we’d allbe screwed,” she says with a smile, referringto Republican nominee Donald Trump.When she left her home island, Vazquezand her fellow new “Flo-Ricans” neverthought they could have the power todecide the fate of the US presidential race.But one million Hispanics have come tothis state since 2012, most of them PuertoRicans. Many have settled in the Orlandoarea-home to Disney World and othertheme parks.

“The migration of Puerto Ricans hasreally made a huge impact on the numberof Hispanics registered to vote in centralFlorida,” says Mark Hugo Lopez, director ofthe Pew Hispanic Research Center. PuertoRicans are US citizens and are eligible tovote in the US mainland unlike foreignimmigrants, who must first become citi-zens, a process that can take years. The 1.9million Hispanics currently registered tovote in Florida represent 15.4 percent ofthe state’s electorate. According to Pew,between 2006 and 2016, the number of

registered Hispanics increased 61 percent.Most of them are Democrats.

Swing state At the Mi Famil ia Vota off ice in

Orlando, a dozen volunteers are preparingto register voters in supermarkets andhomes. Hand-colored signs glued to thewall chart the 28,200 Hispanics that thegroup has registered so far. “Wherever thePuerto Rican voting trend goes is whereyou wil l see the Hispanic vote go” inFlorida, said Soraya Marquez, the group’sstate director. Historically, elections inFlorida have been extremely closebetween Republicans and Democrats. In2000, Republican George W Bush won thestate-and the presidency-with a 537-votemargin over Democrat Al Gore.

For decades, every Republican electedpresident has carried Florida. The last onewho won without the southeastern US statewas Calvin Coolidge in 1923. That explainswhy both candidates have so fiercely court-ed Florida voters in the campaign’s homestretch. With 20.2 million people (24.5 per-cent of them Hispanic), Florida is the thirdmost populous US state. But more impor-tant than its size is Florida’s swing state sta-tus-from election to election, it tends toalternate between the two major partiesand by an extremely small margin.

Florida is complex electorally because itis anything but homogeneous. The southleans Democratic, the nor th leansRepublican, and the center is a close racethat’s widening because of Puerto Ricanmigration. It is this election’s real battle-field. “Anything can happen because thestate is very evenly divided,” says KevinHill, an associate professor of politics andinternational relations at FloridaInternational University. According to thelatest Real Clear Politics poll averages,Clinton is 6.4 percentage points ahead ofTrump nationwide, but in Florida the mar-gin is 3.6 points. — AFP

In Florida, Puerto Ricans could help sway the White House race

PARIS: Midway through releasing aseries of damaging disclosures about USpresidential contender Hillary Clinton,WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange sayshis hosts at the Ecuadorean Embassy inLondon abruptly cut him off from theinternet. The news adds another layer ofintrigue to an extraordinary campaign.“ We can confirm Ecuador cut offAssange’s internet access Saturday, 5pmGMT, shortly after publication ofClinton’s Goldman Sachs (speeches),” thegroup said in a message posted toTwitter late Monday.

With both WikiLeaks and Ecuadoreanofficials refusing to say much more aboutthe incident, outsiders were left to guessat what was happening behind closeddoors at the embassy suite at No. 3 HansCrescent, a stucco-fronted building whichAssange has called home for more thanfour years. Had Ecuadorean diplomatslost patience with their famous Australianhouseguest? Had they finally bowed topressure from Washington to muzzle theoutspoken ex-hacker following one reve-lation too many? Had there been someother kind of confrontation?

WikiLeaks said unspecified “contin-gency plans” were in place and its Twitter

account was still active Tuesday. OnMonday it released the latest tranche ofemails from senior Clinton ally JohnPodesta, suggesting that, for now at least,the group’s ability to publish has not beencompromised. The disclosure was the10th installation in a series of leaks whichhave captured the workings of Clinton’sinner circle and included excerpts of herwell-compensated speeches to invest-ment bank Goldman Sachs.

WikiLeaks staffers Kristinn Hrafnssonand Sarah Harrison did not return repeat-ed messages seeking comment. A womanwho answered the phone at the embassysaid she was not authorized to say any-thing. Ecuador’s Foreign MinisterGuillaume Long, approached by TheAssociated Press on the sidelines of aUnited Nations conference in Quito onMonday, declined to comment whenasked about Assange. His office laterreleased a terse statement in response to“the speculation of the last few hours” reaf-firming Assange’s asylum status and sayingthat “his protection by the Ecuadoreanstate will continue while the circumstancesthat led to the granting of asylum remain.”The statement made no mention ofAssange’s internet access. — AP

Mystery swirls around Assange’s status at Ecuadorean Embassy

FRANCO DA ROCHA, Brazil: Handout video grab taken from SBT shows inmates sitting in thecourtyard of the prison in Franco da Rocha, in the state of Sao Paulo, as several barracks burnin flames when clashes between rival factions in different jails across Brazil left at least 18inmates dead. — AFP

SAN DIEGO: For some, the apology wenttoo far. For others, it didn’t go far enough.For many, it was just right. The president ofone of the largest police organizations inthe United States on Monday apologized forhistorical mistreatment of minorities, callingit a “dark side of our shared history” thatmust be acknowledged and overcome.Terrence Cunningham, president of theInternational Association of Chiefs of Police,said at the group’s annual conference thatpolice have historically been a face ofoppression, enforcing laws that ensuredlegalized discrimination and denial of basicrights. He was not more specific.

Cunningham said today’s officers are notto blame for past injustices. He did notspeak in detail about modern policing, butsaid events over the past several years haveundermined public trust. His commentscome as police shootings of black men haveroiled communities in Ferguson, Missouri;Baton Rouge, Louisiana; and suburban StPaul, Minnesota; and as black shooters havetargeted officers in Dallas, the St Louis sub-urb of Ballwin and Baton Rouge. “While weobviously cannot change the past, it is clearthat we must change the future,”Cunningham said. “We must forge a paththat allows us to move beyond our historyand identify common solutions to betterprotect our communities.

“For our par t , the f irst step in thisprocess is for law enforcement and the(International Association of Chiefs ofPolice) to acknowledge and apologize forthe actions of the past and the role thatour profession has played in society’s his-

torical mistreatment of communities of col-or,” he said. Cunningham received a stand-ing ovation for his remarks from thousandsof law enforcement officials before heintroduced US Attorney General LorettaLynch, who largely avoided the topic. Hehas been police chief since 1999 in hishometown of Wellesley, Massachusetts, anaffluent, overwhelmingly white, low-crimesuburb near Boston.

He served three years as vice president ofthe police chiefs association before becom-ing president in 2015 for a one-year term.David Alexander I I I , police chief inPensacola, Florida, said recognizing histori-cal injustices is key to addressing race rela-tions, just as acknowledging domestic vio-lence was a step forward. “When you don’tknow the history and you say, ‘Well, there isno problem,’ then you pretty much presentyourself as insensitive to the issues,” saidAlexander, who is black. “The issue of racialtension has been a part of American historysince its settlement.”

Delrish Moss, who has been police chiefof Ferguson, Missouri, since May and isblack, said he had negative encounters withpolice when he was growing up, includingbeing called racial epithets. “There are com-munities that have long perceived us asoppressors, there are communities thathave long perceived us as the jackbootedarm of government designed to keep peo-ple under control, and that’s one of thethings we have to work hard to get past,”Moss said. “I’m glad it’s being addressed ...because the only way to get past it is to firstacknowledge the existence of it.” — AP

Reactions are mixed to police leader’s apology

In this file photo, WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange participates via video linkat a news conference marking the 10th anniversary of the secrecy-spillinggroup in Berlin. — AP

I N T E R N AT I O N A LWEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2016

WASHINGTON: President Barack Obama, first lady Michelle Obama, Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi, and his wife Agnese Landini, wave from the Truman Balcony of theWhite House in Washington yesterday, during a state arrival ceremony. — AP

ROME: Barack Obama praised the politi-cal “v is ion” of I ta l ian Pr ime M inisterMatteo Renzi in a newspaper interviewyesterday ahead of a state visit by Renzito Washington, and criticized EU rulesthat rein in national budgets. “I believethe austerity measures have contributedto slowing growth in Europe,” the USpresident told la Repubblica daily, addingthat Renzi understood the need forreforms to increase productivity andstimulate investments.

Obama’s words are a boost for Renzi,who faces a referendum on constitutionalreform that could decide his political future

and whose 2017 budget targets a fiscaldeficit higher than previously agreed withthe European Union. Obama said Europeanpolicies aimed at capping budget deficitsand lowering debt had led to years of stag-nation and high unemployment in severalcountries. “That is why I believe the visionand the ambitious reforms Prime MinisterRenzi is following are so important,” he said.Renzi “recognizes the need to make theinvestments necessary to sustain growthand jobs and increase opportunities.”

Renzi’s reforms in areas such as the labormarket, the state bureaucracy and educa-tion have so far failed to boost Italy’s chron-

ically sluggish growth and his popularityhas fallen over the last 18 months. He hassaid he will resign if he loses a Dec 4 refer-endum on his plan to overhaul the consti-tution by reducing the role of the Senateand cutting the powers of regional govern-ments. A large majority of opinion pollsover the past month have put the “no”camp ahead. Former Prime Minister MarioMonti, whose austerity measures are wide-ly credited with saving Italy from a debt cri-sis in 2011 and 2012, said yesterday hewould vote “no”.

He told Corriere della Sera daily thenew role of the Senate was unclear and

criticized Renzi for what he said was anirresponsible budget that underminedpublic finances by offering hand-outs topersuade people to support the referen-dum. Brussels will issue a verdict this yearon the budget. European Commissionofficials are concerned about Italy’s inabili-ty to bring down a public debt of around133 percent of national output, the high-est in the euro-zone after Greece’s.However, they are also reluctant to hurtRenzi ahead of the referendum which theyfear could bring political instability if heloses and favor the rise of the eurosceptic5-Star Movement. — Reuters

Obama hails Renzi’s Italian reforms, slams EU austerity

PM negotiating with Brussels over 2017 budget

SANAA: Fire and smoke rise after a Saudi-led airstrike hit a site believedto be one of the largest weapons depots on the outskirts of Yemen’s capi-tal, Sanaa. —AP

ADEN: The United Nations has announced a newceasefire in war-ravaged Yemen from tomorrow,after a week of escalated fighting sparked newinternational calls to end the conflict. WhilePresident Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi’s govern-ment and its Saudi backers said they would sup-port the truce, there has been no word from theIran-backed rebels who control the capital Sanaaand other areas of the Arabian Peninsula country.

A cessation of hostilities that first went intoeffect in April “will re-enter into force at 23:59Yemen time (2059 GMT) on 19 October 2016, foran initial period of 72 hours, subject to renewal”,UN special envoy for Yemen Ismail Ould CheikhAhmed said in a statement late Monday. Yemenhas been rocked by war since the Shiite Houthirebels and allied forces loyal to ousted presidentAli Abdullah Saleh overran Sanaa in September2014. The conflict escalated after a Saudi-ledArab coalition began a campaign against therebels in March 2015.

The UN says the fighting has since killedalmost 6,900 people, wounded more than 35,000and displaced at least three million, with civilianspaying the heaviest price amid a worseninghumanitarian crisis. UNICEF’s representative inSanaa, Mohammed al-Assadi, told reporters

Sunday that “10 million” children in Yemen need“water, food, medicine, social protection, andgeneral services”. The United States, Britain andthe UN peace envoy on Sunday urged the warringparties in Yemen’s civil war to declare a ceasefire.

Yemeni Foreign Minister Abdulmalek Al-Mekhlafi welcomed the truce which he said willbe extended if the rebels adhere to it, activate atruce observing committee, end a months-longsiege of Taez and allow “unrestricted” humanitar-ian aid into the loyalist-controlled third city.Before the UN announcement, Saudi ForeignMinister Adel Jubeir also said Riyadh was in favorof a truce if the rebels respect it, the daily AsharqAl-Awsat reported.

Sixth truce attemptThis is the sixth attempt to establish a Yemen

ceasefire. The April truce declared in conjunc-tion with the start of peace talks in Kuwait washardly observed on the ground, with each sideblaming the other for violations. It collapsed asthe talks ended in August with no break-through, prompting an intensified round offighting. The Arab coalition stepped up its airraids and cross-border attacks from Yemen onSaudi Arabia intensified. — AFP

Purged North Korea diplomat reappears

SEOUL: A veteran North Korean diplomat reportedlypurged over the recent defection of the deputy ambassa-dor to Britain has appeared in public-albeit without his for-mer job title. South Korea’s mass-circulation JoongAng Ilboreported last week that vice foreign minister Kung Sok-Unghad been dismissed and expelled from Pyongyang to arural farming area with his family. But on Sunday theNorth’s official KCNA news agency noted Kung’s presenceat a football match in the capital. The KCNA report referredto him as the “former vice minister”, confirming he was nolonger in his original post but suggesting he may have justretired. The Chosun Ilbo newspaper in Seoul quoted asource as saying that Kung’s daughter was still living inPyongyang and acting as a guide for foreign visitors. As thevice foreign minister, Kung, 72, had special responsibilityfor European affairs. His dossier fuelled speculation hemight have been punished for the defection two monthsago of the North’s deputy ambassador to Britain, ThaeYong-Ho, and his family to South Korea.

UK police probe rape allegations

LONDON: British police are investigating an allegationof rape at the Houses of Parliament against an aide toa Conservative Party MP, the politician’s spokesmansaid yesterday. London’s Metropolitan Police onMonday announced an investigation into the allegedrape which is said to have occurred in the early hoursof October 14. “A 23-year-old man was arrested thatsame day on suspicion of rape. He has been bailedpending further enquires to a date in mid-January2017,” the Metropolitan Police said. Investigators didnot publicly name the victim or the suspect, who wasidentified by British media as an aide to MP CraigMackinlay who represents the ruling ConservativeParty. A spokesman for Mackinlay said the politician“was made aware of an allegation against a member ofhis staff” on Friday morning. “Following a requestmade by the police and parliamentary services hegranted full access to his Westminster office. “MrMackinlay is currently awaiting further informationfrom the police,” they said.

Newsi n b r i e f

Venezuela court raises obstacle to recall vote

CARACAS: Venezuela’s Supreme Court has raised anotherobstacle to an opposition drive for a referendum on recall-ing leftist President Nicolas Maduro, who is blamed for adeepening economic and political crisis. Proponents of arecall already faced a high hurdle: they must collect signa-tures from 20 percent of the electorate-or about four mil-lion voters-over a three-day period from October 26 to 28.But in a ruling Monday the Supreme Court raised the bareven higher by making it 20 percent of the electorate ineach of the country’s 24 states in order to force a recallvote. “The failure to collect that percentage in any of thestates or the capital district would nullify the validity of apresidential recall referendum,” the court said. Maduro’spopularity has plummeted as his oil-rich country has spi-raled into chaos, with the economy now in its third year ofa deep recession, exacerbated by the plunge in world oilprices. Inflation is expected to top 700 percent this year,and ordinary Venezuelans are struggling with widespreadshortages of food and medicine.

6 people found alive with severed hands

GUADALAJARA: Five men and a woman were foundalive on Monday on a road in western Mexico withtheir hands amputated and their foreheads markedwith the word “I’m a thief.” The victims were mutilatedby a criminal group linked to drug trafficking, whichalso left a dead man on the road and two bags withthe severed hands in Tlaquepaque, near Guadalajara,Mexico’s second biggest city, police said. “They’re in adelicate state of health,” local police commanderRoberto Larios told reporters. “Their stumps werewrapped in plastic.” Drug cartels often leave the dis-membered bodies of victims on roadsides in Mexico,making the discovery of six mutilated people alive allthe more unusual. The dead man, 39, was apparentlybeaten to death and his hands were not cut off. He wasmarried to the woman, who is 44. The other men areaged between 25 and 43. Authorities suspect that thegruesome crime is linked to drug dealing. Two of thevictims have rap sheets.

Retired top US General pleads guilty to lying

WASHINGTON: A retired top US general pleaded guiltyMonday to making a false statement during an FBI probeinto a classified intelligence leak about a cyberattackagainst Iran’s nuclear program in 2010. Marine CorpsGeneral James Cartwright, 67, formerly the vice chairmanto the Joint Chiefs of Staff, was accused of lying to investi-gators when he said he had not confirmed classified infor-mation to New York Times journalist David Sanger. Sangerwrote a book describing a joint US and Israeli operationthat deployed a virus called “Stuxnet” that reportedlydestroyed or damaged centrifuges being used by Iran toenrich uranium in 2010. The malicious code reportedlydealt Iran’s disputed nuclear program a serious blow.“After investigators showed Cartwright a list of quotes andstatements from David Sanger’s book, a number of whichcontained classified information, Cartwright falsely toldinvestigators that he was not the source,” prosecutors saidon a charge sheet.

Retired Marine Gen James Cartwright

UN announces truce in new attempt to end Yemen war

CHIOS: Standing with a group of childrenoutside a refugee camp on the Greekisland of Chios, little Roza can’t wait to getan early start to her day. “Good school,good school!” she beams, her backpack onand pigtails bobbing. Roza, a Syrian Kurd,is one of a small group of children inGreece’s island camps fortunate enoughto get some schooling. Thousands of oth-ers count education as just another loss inthe long list of deprivations on the har-rowing road from home.

Roza is one of some 270 children whoare learning English, mathematics, artsand creative skills with “Be Aware andShare” (BAAS), a Swiss NGO which hasbeen active on Chios since May. Operatingout of a converted former restaurant inthe island’s port capital, the 20-strongteam runs classes for children from theage of six, as well as workshops forteenagers about cooking or going to thesupermarket. The school also promotesacceptance of other national back-grounds. And hygiene, including tooth-brush use. “We’re not here to replacemainstream school,” says Nicholas Millet, aBritish volunteer and one of the foundersof the BAAS school. “We provide an aca-demic curriculum (but) for us, this is aboutchildren feeling like children again.” BAASproject manager Jacob Rohde says theprogram provides “a drop of normality” forchildren who also experience regular out-breaks of violence in the camp.

‘A sense of safety’But he believes that getting children

into mainstream Greek schools is an

“absolute necessity.” “Going to a normalschool would provide these children withso much more of a sense of structure,safety and normality,” the 28-year-oldGerman told AFP outside the school.Inside, a teacher can be heard strumminga guitar for youngsters in class.

At the makeshift Souda camp, 28-year-old Djeneba from Mali is one parent whohas agreed to send her child to the Swissvolunteer program. “I want what is best formy child, she is the reason I’m here,” saysthis divorced mother, who fled Mali afterher firstborn daughter died from theeffects of genital mutilation. There aremore than 60,000 refugees and migrantsin Greece. Among them are thousands ofchildren, including around 2,000 who areentirely on their own-many under the ageof eight. More than half of these unac-companied minors - 1,200 in all-are stay-ing on the islands of the eastern Aegean.According to the UN children’s agencyUNICEF, refugee children in Greece haveon average missed 20 months of school.

‘A very big mistake’On the mainland, the Greek education

ministry last week began after-hoursclasses for some 1,500 refugee children in20 schools around the country. However,there are currently no classes on offer atschools on several islands housingmigrant camps. The education ministrysays children in island camps, many ofwhose parents have applied for asylumand are waiting to be relocated to themainland, are on hold as their transfercould be imminent. — AFP

LUDWIGSHAFEN: German chemicals giantBASF said the two people who died afteran explosion and subsequent fire at its flag-ship production complex at Ludwigshafenon Monday were both members of thesite’s own fire brigade. They were respond-ing to a minor fire near the huge complexof plants’ river harbor on Monday morningwhen a pipe exploded that most likely con-tained propylene or ethylene, BASF toldjournalists at a news conference yesterday.

The resulting blaze took fire fighters 10hours to extinguish and forced BASF toshut down more than 20 facilities, includ-ing its two steam crackers which producethe basic hydrocarbon chemicals used toproduce a wide range of plastics and otherchemicals. The harbor at which the explo-sion occurred serves as a terminal for tak-

ing in combustible fluids such as naphthaand methanol that are important for BASF’ssupply of raw materials.

One person is still missing following theblast and is believed to be in the water. Sixof the 25 people injured are still in inten-sive care, Ludwigshafen city official DieterFeid said at the news conference. BASFmanagement board member MargretSuckale said the company was facing “bigchallenges” in supplying its customers afterthe blast cut off the supply of raw materi-als, but said its main concern was for thedeceased, the injured and their families forthe moment. She said she could not yet saywhat the financial damage of the explosionwould be, but said it would take some timeto start up the steam crackers again oncethe area had been cleared. — Reuters

2 fire fighters killed in blast at German chemical complex

LUDWIGSHAFEN: Smoke rises from the Chemical plant of the BASF site inLudwigshafen, western Germany. — AFP

On Greek islands, childrenof war hungry for school

DHAKA: A Bangladeshi Islamist partyallied to the opposition has elected a newchief untainted by war crime allegations,seeking to turn the page after the execu-tion of several of its top leaders. Jamaat-e-Islami said in a statement late Monday ithad sworn in former school teacherMaqbul Ahmed as its leader after a secretballot of party members.

Ahmed takes over from Motiur RahmanNizami, who was hanged in May after acontroversial tribunal convicted him ofmurder during the country’s 1971 war ofindependence with Pakistan. Four othertop leaders, including the party’s secretarygeneral, its two joint secretaries and itsmain financier, have been executed since2013 following trials that rights groupshave condemned as unfair. They were tried

by the same war crimes tribunal set up bythe secular government of Prime MinisterSheikh Hasina, which said Jamaat leadershad to be prosecuted to heal the woundsof the war.

Sources close to Jamaat said Ahmed,believed to be in his early seventies, hadbeen chosen from a panel of three seniorparty officials who had not been tainted bywar crimes. In his debut speech he paidtribute to Hasina’s father, who led the warof independence against Pakistan, in a signthe party is looking to break from its pastpolicies. “He is an experienced leader and avery good organizer,” said Abul Asad, theeditor of the pro-Jamaat Bengali dailySangram. “He has said he wants to forgetthe pains and sorrows of the past andwants to look forward.” — AFP

I N T E R N AT I O N A LWEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2016

NEW DELHI: Three staff at an Indian hospitalhave been suspended after a deadly blaze inthe intensive care unit, authorities said yester-day, as the toll from the disaster rose to 20.Fire broke out on Monday night in the dialysisward of the hospital in eastern Odisha statebefore quick ly spreading to other f loors,k i l l ing 19 seriously i l l patients who wereunable to flee the blaze. Another patient diedin hospital yesterday after being rescued fromthe burning building, said police inspectorSharat Kumar Sahu. “The toll is now 20 as onemore person has succumbed to his injuries,”he said. “We can also confirm that three mid-level hospital staff have been suspended pri-ma facie (for) negligence.”

About 40 critically ill patients were in theICU of the SUM hospital in state capitalBhubaneswar when the fire broke out. In allmore than 100 were rescued by firefighters

who smashed windows to get them out of theburning building. “Some patients were evacuat-ed by breaking a window on the first floor andthen they were lowered to the ground floor.And some of them were evacuated through theadjoining operation theatre which was emptyat that time,” said Odisha’s health secretary ArtiAhuja. “There are about 106 people who are(now) in different private and government hos-pitals,” she told the NDTV news channel.

In a separate incident, two people died earlyyesterday morning when a high-rise luxuryapartment block in the western city of Mumbaicaught fire. Firefighters said 11 people had tobe rescued from the blaze and two died ofasphyxiation after they became trapped in thestairwell. The cause of the fire was not immedi-ately clear. Such disasters are relatively com-mon in India, partly because of poor safetystandards. In 2011 more than 90 patients were

killed in the eastern city of Kolkata when a fireraged through a private hospital, trappingmany people inside the building. Most diedfrom inhaling toxic gases. Ahuja said the hospi-tal in Odisha had been sealed off and a detailedinquiry would be carried out to establish thecause of the disaster.

Local television stations showed images offirefighters wearing masks smashing glasspanes to enter the building. Police inspectorSahu said more than 100 firefighters had bat-tled the blaze for around five hours until it wasbrought under control. Most of the criticalpatients were on ventilators and died in theblaze, he said. The state’s chief minister NaveenPatnaik said yesterday that he had visited theevacuated patients in hospital and ordered aninquiry into what he called a “tragic incident”. Agovernment relief fund would bear the cost oftheir treatment, he said on Twitter. — AFP

India hospital fire

death toll hits 20 Three staff suspended after deadly blaze

JOHANNESBURG: Political drama, cor-ruption allegations and even weddingparty controversies-the Gupta family, oneof South Africa’s wealthiest, has beenaccused of wielding undue influencebehind the scenes. Now the immigrantfamily is at the centre of a row batteringPresident Jacob Zuma after allegedlyoffering key government jobs to thosewho might help the Gupta family’s busi-ness interests.

Who Are The Guptas?The corruption scandal has renewed

scrutiny about Zuma’s ties with Ajay, Atuland Rajesh Gupta, three brothers fromthe northern Indian state of UttarPradesh. Led by Atul, they arrived inSouth Africa in 1993 as white-minorityapartheid rule crumbled and a yearbefore Nelson Mandela won the coun-try’s first democratic elections. As thecountry opened up to foreign invest-ment, the Guptas-previously small-scalebusinessmen in India-built a sprawlingempire in computers, mining, media,technology and engineering. The NewAge, a pro-government newspaper, waslaunched in 2010, and the 24-hour newschannel ANN7 started broadcasting in2013.They also developed close linkswith the ruling African National Congress(ANC) party, and particularly with Zuma,well before he became president in 2009.

What are the alleged links?Zuma’s son Duduzane is a director of

the Gupta’s Sahara Computers, namedafter their hometown of Saharanpur, andhas been a director of several otherGupta companies. Zuma’s third wifeBongi Ngema and one of his daughtershave also been Gupta employees.Deputy finance minister Mcebisi Jonasclaimed in March that the Guptas hadoffered him the post of finance minister,providing the first public testimony oftheir alleged involvement in cabinetappointments. Last week the BBC report-ed that little-known ANC lawmaker David

van Rooyen visited the Guptas’ home thenight before his appointment as financeminister in December. Mines MinisterMosebenzi Zwane is also seen as close tothe Guptas. Both the Guptas and Zuma,who has described the brothers asfriends, deny any wrongdoing.

Where do they live?Now in their 40s, the Guptas hold

court at their residential and businessheadquarters in a huge high-securitycompound in Saxonwold, an upmarketdistrict of Johannesburg. It has a helicop-ter pad and they reportedly travel withtheir own chefs and bodyguards. But aspressure has increased on them this year,they were reported to be moving theirbase to Dubai and to have bought a largeresidence in the city. They said in Augustthat they plan to sell their South Africanassets. Public anger towards the familysoared in 2013, when a jet carrying 217foreign guests to a Gupta wedding land-ed at Waterkloof Air Force base, outsidePretoria. The airport is a military facilitynormally used to receive heads of state.

What happens now?The Guptas complained voraciously

when South Africa’s largest banks closedtheir accounts earlier this year. The familylobbied unsuccessfully for FinanceMinister Pravin Gordhan, who is at log-gerheads with Zuma, to intervene. But onFriday Gordhan disclosed in a court affi-davit that the Gupta family and associat-ed companies were implicated in “suspi-cious transactions” worth $480 millionover four years. On Monday the familydenied reports that money had beenremoved from the rehabilitation fund of amine they bought, saying the claim was“another example of groundless innuen-do”. They also vowed to respond thisweek to Gordhan’s affidavit. Zuma lastweek blocked the release of a watchdog’sreport into his relationship with theGuptas. A court hearing into the case isdue next month. — AFP

The Guptas: 3 brothers at

heart of S Africa scandal

BHUBANESWAR: Indian rescue workers lower a body of a victim of a massive fire at the SUM hospital building in Bhubaneswar, the capital ofcoastal Odisha state. — AFP

SYDNEY: Australia yesterday rejected a claim byrights group Amnesty International that condi-tions on a tiny South Pacific island where about400 Australian-bound asylum seekers are held“amount to torture”. Under Australia’s toughimmigration policy, asylum seekers interceptedtrying to reach the country by boat are sent forprocessing at a camp in Nauru or to ManusIsland in Papua New Guinea (PNG) and are noteligible for resettlement in Australia. Many asy-lum seekers on Nauru are being driven toattempt suicide to escape the prison-like condi-tions they face in indefinite detention, Amnestyalleged in a detailed report.

“I reject that claim totally. It is absolutelyfalse,” Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull toldAustralian Broadcasting Corp radio of the tortureclaim. “The Australian government’s commit-ment is compassionate and strong.” The deten-tion was a “systematic regime of neglect and cru-elty,” said Amnesty, adding that its findings werebased on both desk research and field work inNauru between July and October. “The condi-

tions on Nauru - refugees’ severe mentalanguish, the intentional nature of the system,and the fact that the goal of offshore processingis to intimidate or coerce people to achieve aspecific outcome - amounts to torture,” it added.

The Nauru government did not responddirectly to the Amnesty report but criticized anABC TV story that made similar allegations andquoted children on Nauru, where refugees aremainly from Iran and Afghanistan. “It was clearthese children were coached,” the governmentsaid in a statement, calling the ABC report“biased political propaganda and lies”, and “aninsult to the people of Nauru”. Almost 60 people,or about 15 percent of the 410 men, women andchildren on the island, reported they had eitherattempted suicide or had thoughts about harm-ing themselves, Amnesty said.

Despite receiving refugee status, they contin-ue to be confined to poor accommodation withlittle access to medical care, it said, adding thatchildren, who number just over a tenth of thedetainees, suffered disproportionately. “I met

children as young as nine who had already triedto kill themselves and were talking openly aboutending their l ives,” said Anna Neistat, anAmnesty official. Amnesty’s report, titled “Islandof Despair”, joins a chorus of criticism by humanrights groups of Australia’s immigration policy,and comes just weeks after the United Nationssaid Nauru was failing to protect children.Yesterday, the United Nations issued fresh criti-cism of Australia’s human rights record.

Australia’s policy of jail terms of up to twoyears for detention centre workers who revealdetails of the operation curtails free speech,said Michel Forst, the UN independent observerfor human rights defenders. Turnbull’s govern-ment has been trying to organize resettlementof the asylum seekers in other countries, buthas so far struck a deal only with Cambodiathat has proved unpopular with refugees.Asked if he was in talks with the United Statesto take some of the detainees, Turnbulldeclined to comment but stressed they wouldnot be allowed to enter Australia. — Reuters

Australia-bound refugees

driven to suicide on Nauru Australia rejects Amnesty’s description of ‘torture’

SYDNEY: Amnesty International’s senior director for research Anna Neistat speaks during a press conference in Sydney yesterday, as Amnestysaid in a report that asylum-seekers and refugees on tiny Nauru were “driven to absolute despair”. — AFP

BANGKOK: Thais should “socially sanction”those who defame the monarchy followingKing Bhumibol Adulyadej’s death, the jun-ta’s justice minister said yesterday, as freshvideos emerged of mob justice againstpeople accused of insulting the institution.The death tomorrow of the world’s longestreigning monarch has left the nationbereft of its key pillar of unity and seenmass outpourings of grief from black-cladThais. But it has also unleashed small butvocal ultra-monarchist forces, includingmobs and online crusaders scouring theweb and bent on punishing anyone per-ceived to have insulted the monarchy.

“There is no better way to punish thesepeople than to socially sanction them,”Justice Minister Paiboon Koomchaya toldreporters yesterday, as he vowed to “pur-sue those people who violate the law”. Hismessage comes amid a growing numberof cases of vigilantism by royalist Thaisagainst people accused of insulting themonarchy. At 10.30am a video was broad-cast live on Facebook showing a mob kick-ing and beating a man and forcing him toprostrate himself in apology for allegedlyinsulting the monarchy.

During the beating, which appeared totake place in Chonburi east of Bangkok,the man cried out: “I didn’t mean to do it, Ilove the king! It’s my fault.” Another videouploaded to social media late Mondayshowed an elderly woman on a Bangkokbus being berated and slapped in the faceby commuters in the presence of policeover alleged comments. Thailand’s monar-

chy is protected by a draconian lesemajeste law that outlaws criticism withpunishments of up to 15 years in jail foreach insult uttered. Prosecutions havesurged under the military which seizedpower two years ago, and record-breakingsentences have been handed down insome cases.

‘Bunker mentality’ The arch-royalist junta has done little to

tamp down hardline public sentiment bypresenting the monarchy as under attack,said David Streckfuss, a Thailand-basedexpert on the monarchy. “They’ve createda sort of bunker mentality,” he said, addingthat there was no evidence of a genuinerepublican movement in Thailand to justifysuch an approach. “The closest thing toany anti-monarchy movement is just a vari-ety of unconnected individuals who wantto be able to make public comments aboutthe monarchy as it is an important publicinstitution,” he said.

The lese majeste law makes detaileddiscussion or debate about the monar-chy’s role-and its future after Bhumibol’s70-year reign-all but impossible. Theatmosphere in Bangkok has been over-whelmingly somber and calm since thedeath of the k ing. Late MondayBhumibol’s oldest daughter, PrincessUbolratana, 65, made a surprise visit towell-wishers outside the Grand Palace.“We have to work to move forwards, notbackwards,” she said according to videouploaded by eyewitnesses. — AFP

Minister urges ‘social sanctions’

as mobs hunt Thai royal critics

BANGKOK: Privy Council President Prem Tinsulanonda (left in yellow) receivesThailand’s Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha (center in purple) during an event tocelebrate the annual Songkran festival in Bangkok. — AFP

Bangladesh Islamists elect a

new leader after executions

I N T E R N AT I O N A LWEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2016

BEIJING: With a tale of a dead pet tortoise givenBuddhist rites and a senior official shedding tearsfor his crimes, state television has begun airing adocumentary that takes viewers behind the scenesof some of China’s most dramatic corruption cases.The eight-part series that k icked off late onMonday promises an unusual war ts-and-allapproach to revealing the story behind the dirtydeals and extravagant lifestyles uncovered by graftbusters from the ruling Communist Par ty.President Xi Jinping has waged a sweeping war ondeep-seated corruption since assuming poweralmost four years ago, vowing to go after powerful“tigers” as well as lowly “flies”.

Three of those “tigers” get camera time in thefirst episode Bai Enpei, the former party boss ofsouthwestern Yunnan province; Zhou Benshun, anex-party chief of northern Hebei province and LiChuncheng, a former deputy party boss of south-western Sichuan. Bai and Li have both been con-victed, while Zhou awaits trial. The juiciest detailscome from the probe into Zhou. Against a back-drop of images of a Buddhist temple and to thesound of monks chanting, the documentar ydescribes Zhou’s involvement in “superstition”.Party officials are not supposed to practice religionand the charge of superstition is often leveledagainst the corrupt to further blacken their names.

Zhou “set his expectations upon protectionfrom supernatural beings and was widely involvedin superstitious practices”, the narrator says. “Aftera tortoise died at his home, he specially had scrip-tures transcribed and buried with it.” Zhou evenhad a nanny for his pets, investigator Wang Hantold the program. The three disgraced officials alladmitted their guilt in appearances on the show. Itwas not possible to confirm if they participatedwillingly, or to reach family members or lawyersfor comment. However, the party views contritionand confession favorably, and officials have avoid-ed death sentences if they are judged to haveshown remorse or cooperated.

Describing his failings, Sichuan’s Li, given a 13-year jail term last year, struggled and failed tokeep back tears. “From a young age I hoped thatunder the leadership of the party ... I could getprogress for society, make the people happy,” Lisaid. “In the end, because of myself, I didn’t getthere. I really let the party down. I let the peopledown.” The show is called “Always on the Road”, areference to the party’s vow not to relax in stamp-ing out corruption, and further revelations arepromised later in the week. The first episode waswidely discussed on Chinese social media, withsome saying they found Li’s tears theatrical andunconvincing.— Reuters

Tears and tortoises - Chinese TV unveils graft secrets

TOKYO: A Shinto priest leads a pack of lawmakers at Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo yesterday. — AFP

TOKYO: Dozens of Japanese lawmakers visited acontroversial war shrine yesterday in an annualpilgrimage criticized by China and South Korea,which see it as a painful reminder of Tokyo’saggressive past. The group of about 85 politi-cians arrived at the leafy Yasukuni shrine in cen-tral Tokyo during a four-day autumn festival. Ledby priests, the dark-suited lawmakers entered themain shrine building to pray for Japan’s war deadas they bowed at the threshold. The visit comes aday after Prime Minister Shinzo Abe-often criti-cized for what some see as revisionist views onJapan’s wartime record-sent an offering to theshrine, but avoided a visit.

Yasukuni honors millions of Japanese wardead, but also senior military and political figuresconvicted of war crimes after World War II. Theindigenous Shinto religious shrine has fordecades been a flashpoint for criticism by coun-tries that suffered from Japan’s colonialism andaggression in the first half of the 20th century,including China and Korea. South Korea in astatement expressed “deep concern and disap-

pointment over the fact that (lawmakers) haveonce again sent offerings to and paid tribute atthe Yasukuni Shrine, which glorifies Japan’s pastwar of aggression”.

Seoul called on Japanese politicians to“demonstrate through action their humble self-reflection and sincere remorse for Japan’s pastwrongdoings”. While Japan-China relations havebeen on the mend, Beijing also had a frostyresponse to the lawmakers’ visit. “We hopeJapan’s politicians can maintain a correct view ofhistory, and do more to promote cooperationwith and win the trust of neighboring Asiancountries,” said foreign ministry spokeswomanHua Chunying. Earlier yesterday four Chinesecoastguard ships entered Japan’s territorialwaters close to disputed islands that have been athorn in the side of diplomatic relations for years.

Paying respects Visits to Yasukuni by senior Japanese politi-

cians routinely draw an angry reaction fromBeijing and Seoul. More controversial than the

shrine itself is an accompanying museum thatdepicts Japan as a liberator of Asia and a victimof the war. Abe and other nationalists sayYasukuni is a place to remember fallen soldiersand compare it to Arlington National Cemeteryin the United States. “Ever y countr y paysrespects to people who died for his or hercountry,” said Hidehisa Otsuji, who headed thegroup of lawmakers.

The site attracts many ordinary visitors whocome to pay their respects to friends and rela-tives who died in military conflicts. “I heard thatmy grandfather died in the battlefield so I camehere to comfort his spirit,” said Kazuya Ono, a40-year-old businessman, who visited Yasukuniyesterday. “I prayed for him to be well in heav-en.” Abe visited the shrine in December 2013 tomark his first year in power, a pilgrimage thatsparked fury in Beijing and Seoul and earned adiplomatic rebuke from close ally the UnitedStates which said it was “disappointed”. He hassince refrained from going, sending ritual offer-ings instead.— AFP

Dozens of Japanese lawmakers

visit controversial war shrineShrine seen in China, Korea as symbol of past militarism

HANOI: Vietnam and the United States yes-terday launched the second phase of adioxin clean-up in Danang, where millionsof litres of Agent Orange were stored dur-ing the war between the former enemies.The US sprayed the defoliant over largeswathes of southern jungle during theVietnam War to flush out Viet Cong guerril-las, and Vietnamese victims’ groups havelong blamed the toxic residue for deformi-ties and disease. Though Washington hasdisputed the link between dioxin exposureand bad health, the US government hascommitted to help clean up toxic land inthe communist nation.

The countries, whose relations havewarmed in recent years yesterday begantreating 45,000 cubic metres of soil con-taminated with dioxin at Danang Airport, atask expected to be finished by mid-2017.“I am encouraged by how this project con-tinues to be a symbol of our honesty aboutthe past, dealing with what remains andturning an issue of contention into one ofcollaboration,” US ambassador Ted Osiussaid at the scene, according to a statement.

The first phase of the clean-up, whichalso treated 45,000 cubic meters, was com-pleted in May. “The long-term impact of theproject will be the elimination of potentialhealth risks associated with dioxin expo-sure from the site,” the US embassy state-ment said. Osius and Vietnam’s ViceMinister of National Defense Nguyen ChiVinh switched on a thermal treatment sys-tem yesterday at a ceremony in Danang,where they were photographed before agiant mound of covered earth. The thermal

technology heats the contaminated soil totemperatures high enough to break downdioxin into harmless compounds.

Danang Airbase was a key site in thedefoliant program, and much of the 80 mil-lion liters (21 million gallons) of AgentOrange used during “Operation RanchHand” was mixed, stored and loaded ontoplanes there. The airbase is considered a“dioxin hotspot”, where concentrations oftoxic contaminants from Agent Orange arewell above the globally-accepted maxi-mum standard. Victims groups say rates ofcancer, birth deformities and other dioxin-related diseases are higher than the nation-al average around the site. The governmentsays up to three million Vietnamese wereexposed to Agent Orange, and at least150,000 children were born with birthdefects as a result.

Helicopter missingIn another development, a Vietnamese

army helicopter carrying three people dis-appeared from radar yesterday, the defenseministry said, sparking fears of anotherdeadly military aviation accident in thecommunist nation. Eleven people havebeen killed in army air accidents this yearalone, although the country has a strongcivil aviation record. Officials said yesterdaythey were searching for the helicopter afterit disappeared in the southern province ofBa Ria-Vung Tau with a pilot and twotrainees on board. “During training the heli-copter lost contact northwest of Dinhmountain,” the ministry said in a statementon its website. — Agencies

Vietnam and US launch

Danang dioxin clean-up

Army helicopter goes missing

WELLINGTON: A US Navy warshipwill visit New Zealand next monthfor the first time since the 1980s,ending a 30-year-old military stale-mate between the countries thatwas triggered when New Zealandbanned nuclear warships. NewZealand Prime Minister John Key

announced yesterday that he hasgiven clearance for the destroyerUSS Sampson to visit during cele-brations of the Royal New ZealandNavy’s 75th anniversary.

The visit marks a continued thawin military relations, which turnedfrosty when New Zealand enacted

its nuclear-free policy in the mid-1980s. The policy prevents shipsthat have nuclear weapons or arenuclear powered from visiting.Because the US won’t officially con-firm or deny if its ships have nuclearcapabilities, New Zealand imposeda blanket ban on US ships. But Key

said he’d taken advice from his ownofficials and was “100 percent confi-dent” the USS Sampson wasn’tnuclear powered or carryingnuclear weapons.

“I think it’s a sign of the fact thatthe relationship between NewZealand and the United States is tru-ly in the best shape it’s been sincethe anti-nuclear legislation waspassed,” Key said. “All of those lastvestiges of the dispute that we hadhave really been put to one side.”Key said he didn’t think the result ofthe upcoming US presidential elec-tion would affect the relationship.The dispute began in 1985 when theNew Zealand government refusedto allow a US destroyer to visit. TheUS responded by downgrading itsmilitary ties. New Zealand passed itsnuclear-free law in 1987.

The relationship improved after2001, said Rear Admiral John Martin,the chief of the New Zealand Navy,when New Zealand agreed to sendSpecial Forces and later a recon-struction team to Afghanistan. TheUS and New Zealand signed defenseagreements in 2010 and 2012.“We’ve been working with the USNavy for many decades and we’relooking forward to hosting themdown here,” Martin said. “A birthdayis not complete without yourfriends.” Mark Gilbert, the US ambas-sador in Wellington, said the visithelped clarify the improvement inthe relationship. He said the US andNew Zealand shared similar valuesand had much in common, from cul-ture to tourism. “We’re all very excit-ed,” Gilbert said. — AP

BEIJING: As China marks 80 years sincethe Red Army ended its epic Long March,the Communist Party is attacking revi-sionist history in an effort to compel rev-erence for its founding legend. Facingannihilation at the hands of Nationalistsduring China’s civil war in 1934, some80,000 Communist soldiers and leaders-Mao Zedong among them-brokethrough encircling forces and embarkedon a grueling escape. Nine out of 10 haddeserted or died by the time the lastunits reached Yanan in the northernprovince of Shaanxi as much as twoyears later, where Mao and his cohortsfounded a base from which they went onto take over the country.

According to Communist Party lore themarchers travelled at least 12,500 kilome-ters through some of the country’s mostremote and hazardous terrain. Theanniversary is being marked this week,with a daily drumbeat of newspaper arti-cles and op-eds-plus dozens of TV dra-mas, documentaries, trivia contests, radio

broadcasts and special exhibitions-extolling their heroism. President XiJinping has put his stamp on the occa-sion, visiting museums in the northernregion of Ningxia and Beijing. Xi hasdeclared the party must emulate themarch’s spirit in pursuit of his “ChineseDream”, a vaguely defined promise ofnational rejuvenation, and the party’s cen-tenary goal to build a “moderately pros-perous society” by 2021.

“We, the new generation, shouldaccomplish our new Long March,” he said.The drive comes just ahead of a top partymeeting in the capital this month, withspeculation mounting that Xi may delayappointing a successor and seek to stay inpower beyond the traditional 10-yearterm. Evoking the legend is “a goodreminder to everybody that the partyactually did, and does, stand for some-thing” despite the Communist Party’s lossof “purpose and legitimacy”, Trey McArver,a London-based China politics analyst atTrusted Sources research firm said. — AFP

China president revives Long

March myths to rally party

US Navy warship to visit NZ

Ending 30-year stalemate

In this file photo, navy personnel line the deck of the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USSSampson during a commissioning ceremony in Boston. The US Navy warship will visit New Zealand nextmonth for the first time since the 1980s, ending a 30-year-old military stalemate between the countries thatwas triggered when New Zealand banned nuclear warships. — AP

HANOI PROVINCE: US Ambassador to Vietnam Ted Osius (centre left) and Vietnam’sDeputy Defense Minister Gen Nguyen Chi Vinh (centre right) attend a ceremony mark-ing the start of the clean-up of dioxin contaminated-soil in central Danang city. — AFP

BEIJING: Uruguay’s President Tabare Vazquez (left) shakes hands with ChinesePresident Xi Jinping during a signing ceremony at the Great Hall of the People inBeijing yesterday. — AFP

N E W SWEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2016

Continued from Page 1

Two key opposition figures, former Assembly speakerAhmad Al-Saadoun and deputy speaker Khaled Al-Sultandid not attend the meeting. The two figures have explicit-ly announced that they will not run in the electionbecause the opposition will not be able to change thestatus quo. Other leading MPs who have said they willnot run include Faisal Al-Mislem, Khaled Al-Tahous,Mohammad Al-Khalifa and others.

Dozens of opposition activists meanwhile visited thehouses of a number of former MPs to convince them toend their boycott and contest the election in order toprevent “corrupt” lawmakers reaching the house. Theactivists visited the residence of former Islamist MPJamaan Al-Harbash, who did not provide a clear-cut

answer, telling the activists that he is contemplating theissue. The activists also launched a Twitter campaign tourge opposition leaders to contest the polls in order towin a majority in the 50-seat Assembly.

Controversial lawmaker Abdulhameed Dashti toldSyrian government news channel that he plans to contestthe election despite living outside the country to escapeover 30 years of jail terms against him for insulting SaudiArabia and Bahrain. The Islamic Constitutional Movementsaid it will name six candidates to run in the polls. The lib-eral Kuwait Democratic Forum said yesterday the dissolu-tion of the Assembly is like a time bomb that could dragthe country into further political disputes. It said in a state-ment that although the decision appears to fulfill constitu-tional requirements, the reasons for dissolving theAssembly are very weak and could trigger a legal battle.

Former opposition MPs to likely end polls...

Continued from Page 1

The text had created unease at the top of the organiza-tion, with Michael Worbs, who chairs UNESCO’s executiveboard, saying he would have liked more time to work outa compromise. The resolution was voted on last Thursdayat the committee stage, with 24 votes in favor, six againstand 26 abstentions. There were two absentees. UNESCOchief Irina Bokova also distanced herself from the resolu-tions, saying in a statement that “nowhere more than inJerusalem do Jewish, Christian and Muslim heritage andtraditions share space”.

Israel’s envoy to UNESCO defended the Jewishstate’s suspension of its cooperation with the organiza-tion as a “proportional reaction” to the resolutionpassed yesterday. “I hope it will not last long,” ShamaHacohen told AFP. He also saw Mexico’s decision tochange its position yesterday from voting in favor ofthe resolution to abstaining as a small victory. “Wehope it will come to a point that the Palestinians under-stand that there is no place for these games atUNESCO,” he said. The UN body also yesterday adopteda separate, less controversial resolution on schools inPalestinian territories. —AFP

UNESCO adopts Jerusalem resolution

Continued from Page 1

Speaking to AFP from inside Mosul, resident Abu Saifsaid heavy smoke was hanging over the city as the mili-tants burned tyres to shield themselves from air strikes.While the sounds of explosions could be heard comingfrom outside the city, its streets were eerily quiet, the 47-year-old former company manager said. “The streets areempty, the people have been staying at home since thestrikes started yesterday,” Abu Saif said. “There is this hap-piness inside us... because we feel that we are about to berescued,” he said. “But we are scared that Daesh (IS) canstill carry out acts of revenge against the population.”

The long-awaited Mosul offensive was launched onMonday, with some 30,000 federal forces leading Iraq’slargest military operation since the 2011 pullout of UStroops. Retaking Mosul would deprive IS of the lastmajor Iraqi city under its control, dealing a fatal blow tothe “caliphate” the jihadists declared two years ago afterseizing large parts of Iraq and neighboring Syria. Iraqicommanders said IS fighters were hitting back with sui-cide car bomb attacks but that the offensive was goingas planned.

“Many villages have already been liberated,” saidSabah Al-Numan, the spokesman of the elite counter-ter-rorism service. “Iraqi forces have achieved their goals andeven more, but we’re careful to stick to the plan and notrush this.” The two main fronts are south of Mosul, whereforces are moving from Qayyarah, and east, where anoth-er push involving Kurdish peshmerga fighters is underway. In the south, forces inching forward along the Tigrisriver were training their sights on a village calledHammam Al-Alil, while units east of Mosul enteredQaraqosh, once Iraq’s biggest Christian town.

Iraqi forces have significant ground to cover beforereaching the boundaries of the city, which IS is defendingwith berms, bombs and burning oil trenches. IS forces arevastly outnumbered, with the US military estimating3,000 to 4,500 militants in and around Mosul. A videoreleased yesterday by the IS-linked Amaq news agencyshowed masked fighters in battledress patrolling adeserted, dimly lit thoroughfare in what it said wasMosul. “America will be defeated in Iraq and will leave,God willing, again - humiliated, wretched, dragging itstail in defeat,” one of the fighters said to camera.

The US-led coalition said strikes destroyed 52 targetson the first day of the operation. “Early indications are

that Iraqi forces have met their objectives so far, and thatthey are ahead of schedule for this first day,” Pentagonpress secretary Peter Cook said. Most of the coalition’ssupport has come in the shape of air strikes and training,but US, British and French special forces are also on theground to advise local troops.

“It could be a long battle, it’s not a blitzkrieg... It’s alengthy affair (lasting) several weeks, maybe months,”French Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian toldreporters in Paris. France will host an international meet-ing today on the political future of Mosul, while the coali-tion’s defense ministers will meet in Paris next Tuesday toassess progress on the military front. Aid groups are brac-ing for a potentially massive humanitarian crisis, withsome warning yesterday they were preparing for the pos-sible use of chemical weapons by IS.

Mosul is Iraq’s second-largest city and the UN fearsthat up to a million people could be forced from theirhomes by the fighting. “There are real fears that theoffensive to retake Mosul could produce a humanitariancatastrophe, resulting in one of the largest man-madedisplacement crises in recent years,” warned WilliamSpindler, spokesman for the UN refugee agency.

Both the Red Cross and the International Organizationfor Migration raised concerns of IS using chemicalweapons. The Red Cross was training healthcare workersand providing equipment to facilities around Mosul “thatwould be able to absorb the cases of people contaminat-ed,” Robert Mardini of the group’s Near and Middle Eastdivision told reporters in Geneva. Iraqi troops and policehave been joined on the battlefront by an array of some-times rival forces, including the Kurdish peshmerga,Sunni tribal fighters and Iran-backed Shiite militia.

IS once controlled more than a third of Iraq’s territorybut its self-proclaimed “state” has been shrinking steadily.Experts warn that the jihadists are likely to increasinglyturn to insurgent tactics as they lose ground. The grouphas claimed a string of deadly suicide bombings inBaghdad in recent days. IS has also organized or inspireda wave of attacks in Western cities and yesterday theEuropean Union’s security commissioner raised concernsover the potential impact of Mosul’s fall.

“The retaking of the IS’ northern Iraq stronghold,Mosul, may lead to the return to Europe of violent ISfighters,” Julian King told German daily Die Welt. He saideven a handful of militants returning would pose a “seri-ous threat that we must prepare ourselves for”. — AFP

Iraqi forces make gains in push to retake...

SEOUL: Walking into an empty women’s bathroom stall,Park Kwang-Mi waves a hand-held detector around thetoilet seat, paper roll holder, doorknob and even theventilation grill on the ceiling. “It’s my job to make surethere’s no camera to film women while they relievethemselves,” the 49-year-old said after similarly inspect-ing dozens of public toilet stalls at a museum in Seoul.“It’s weird that there are people who want to see some-thing like that...but this is necessary to help women feelsafe,” she told AFP.

A member of Seoul city’s all-female “hidden camera-hunting” squad, Park is at the forefront of a battle against“molka”, or “secret camera” porn. South Korea takes pridein its tech prowess, from ultra-fast broadband to cutting-edge smartphones. Around 90 percent of its 50 millionpeople possess smartphones - the highest rate in theworld. But it’s a culture that has also given rise to anarmy of tech-savvy Peeping Toms in a still male-domi-nated country with a poor record on women’s rights.

Many use special smartphone apps to film upwomen’s skirts as they ride subway escalators or sit atdesks, and spy cameras to gather footage from changingrooms and toilet stalls. The images are then often sharedto numerous molka speciality sites on the Internet. Suchpractices have become so rampant that all manufactur-ers of smartphones sold in South Korea are required toensure the cameras on their devices make a loud shuttersound when taking photos.

Molka crimes are daily news, and perpetrators cover abroad social range. A pastor at a Seoul mega-church with100,000 members was caught filming up a woman’s skirton an escalator. His smartphone was packed with similarimages of other women. A 31-year-old obstetrician wasjailed for secretly filming female patients and nurses in achanging room and sharing some of the images on theInternet. And the head coach of South Korea’s nationalswimming team resigned last month after two maleswimmers were found to have installed a hidden camerain the locker room of their women teammates.

According to police data, the number of molka crimesjumped more than six-fold from about 1,110 in 2010 tomore than 6,600 in 2014. While some offenders usesmartphones, others employ spy-style gadgets, includ-ing ballpoint pens, glasses or wrist watches equippedwith micro lenses, said Hyun Heung-Ho, a detectiveattached to Seoul police’s metro squad. The squad wasestablished in 1987 to fight subway crime like pickpock-ets, but now its main focus is on tackling various kinds ofsexual harassment, including molka crimes.

“It’s tough because the technology they use advancesso fast, like special apps to mute camera sound or toshow something else on the display while the camera isrolling,” Hyun told AFP. The majority of men nabbed bythe squad are in their 20s or 30s - and include many col-lege-educated, white-collar workers. “They generally cryand beg to be let off, saying they were ‘simply curious’,”Hyun said.

Convicted offenders face a fine of up to 10 millionwon ($9,100) or a maximum jail term of five years. Tohelp with their crackdown, police have offered cashrewards to those reporting molka crimes and the Seoulcity council has hired dozens of women like Park toscour bathrooms and other spaces for hidden cameras.Office worker Lee Hae-Kyung said she, like many of herfriends, tried to avoid toilets in public spaces like subwaystations. “If I urgently need to use a public toilet, I alwaysinspect the doorknob or the flush handle,” the 38-year-old told AFP.

“It’s scary because many molka are apparently filmedby normal people like office workers ... so who knows?An ordinary-looking guy standing next to you in thesubway may be filming up your skirt,” she said.Whenever a man stands behind Lee on an escalator, sheslightly turns her body to face him or look him in the eye- a move detective Hyun says can act as a strong deter-rent. According to Lee Na-Young, a sociology professorat Hanyang University in Seoul, the only real solution is asocietal one.

Lee said “upskirt videos” had been avidly consumed inSouth Korea and Japan for decades. “Both are deeplyconservative nations where open discussion of sex isquite taboo, people feel sexually oppressed and womenare relentlessly objectified and discriminated against,”she said. South Korea - Asia’s fourth-largest economy -has long been ranked bottom for women’s rights amongOECD member nations.

Average pay for South Korean women is 63.3 percentthat of men - the lowest in the OECD - and womenaccount for 11 percent of managerial positions and 2.1percent of corporate boards - far lower than the OECDaverage of 31 percent and 19 percent. In this environ-ment, some men view women as nothing more thansexual objects, Lee said, describing the molka trend as a“wrong marriage between fast-evolving technologyand slow-evolving patriarchal culture”. “The molka prob-lem won’t be solved unless we deal with this biggersocial problem through education at home and atschool,” she said. — AFP

On the trail of S Korea’s

high-tech Peeping Toms

SEOUL: This picture taken on Aug 18, 2016 shows a member of Seoul city’s “hidden camera-hunting” squad(left) and a policewoman inspecting a women’s bathroom stall to find “secret cameras” at a museum. — AFP

The voices cascade into the studio, denouncing politicalhypocrisy and media bias and disappearing values.Hillary Clinton is a liar and a crook, they say; Donald

Trump is presidential and successful. By the time the 16thcaller reaches the air this day, the Rick Roberts show hasreached an impassioned crescendo of anger and lamenta-tion. Roberts, WBAP’s bearded, rodeo-roping, husky-voicedhost, has heard enough, and he is primed with a messagefor his listeners. “I want my country back,” he begins.

He repeats that sentence a half-dozen times in a 41/2-minute rant that darts from fear of crime to outsourced jobsto political correctness. He pans soulless politicians and has-been celebrities and psycho-babble hug-a-tree experts; hepines for a time when everyone spoke English and lookedyou in the eye and meant what they said. It’s a fervent solilo-quy that dismisses transgender people and calls for faith toregain public footing and for economic opportunity toreturn. “I want America to be America,” he says. “I don’t rec-ognize this country anymore.”

This is a white male voice preaching to a largely whitemale audience that has expressed similar sentiments, indribs and drabs, in hushed water cooler conversations andboisterous barroom exchanges and, most of all, in thecourse of a presidential campaign in which Trump hasbecome their champion and their hope. At this moment inAmerican history, to be white and male means, for many, tofeel centuries of privilege and values slipping away. To manyothers, the notion of white men being marginalized is ludi-crous, their history a study in privilege. But data show somereal losses, even as they maintain advantages:

• Whites’ household net worth fell dramatically in theGreat Recession. (But the declines of blacks and Hispanicswere far larger, and whites still have an average net worthabout 13 times greater than blacks and 10 times greaterthan Hispanics.)

• White home ownership is down from a decade ago.(But black and Hispanic home ownership, already lower,dropped at a far sharper rate.)

• White women have overtaken men in earning collegedegrees. (But white men still hold a big educational advan-tage over blacks and Hispanics.)

• The number of incarcerated white men has ballooned.(But black and Hispanic men remain far more likely to bejailed.)

• Fueled by suicides, drug overdoses and alcohol-relatedillnesses, mortality rates for middle-age whites haveincreased even as they continue to fall among middle-ageblacks and Hispanics. (Still, white men continue to have alonger life expectancy than black men, though shorter thanHispanics.)

No one cites metrics like these on air this day, but it’sclear some of the listeners have felt their toll. Stephen

Sanders is 49 and was once an X-ray technician. He says hisskill and seniority were ignored when he applied for a super-visory job that ultimately went to a black candidate. WhenTrump announced his candidacy, Sanders was thrilled tohear someone give voice to his feelings about immigrationand outsourcing and restoring opportunity for guys like him.He felt he was seeing decades of painful history starting tobe reversed. He wants to live a better life than his father, buthe doesn’t. “The theme about the American experience is toget better and to do more,” he says. “I’ve never experiencedit. I’ve always struggled.”

Jon Hayes also dials in this day. He is 55 and onceowned a construction business. It folded and he lost hishouse, he said, when it became impossible to competeagainst the cheap labor of immigrants who came to the USillegally. He fell back on a career in auto mechanics andhoped to retire this year, but has put it off. A grown son stilllives at home, and for all the setbacks Hayes has had, hebelieves he’s still able to say something that he’s not surethe 29-year-old will: He achieved a better life than his par-ents. “I just don’t think the opportunity is out there nowthat there used to be,” he says.

White Privilege They are far from alone in their pessimism. A Kaiser

Family Foundation-CNN poll released in September com-

pared white college graduates and the white, black andHispanic working class. Working-class whites were least like-ly to say that they’re satisfied with their influence in politics,that the federal government represents their views, and thatthey believe their children will achieve a better standard ofliving than them. They were most likely to say it has becomeharder to get ahead financially and find good jobs in recentyears, and to blame economic problems on the federal gov-ernment and immigrants working here illegally.

Roberts, 53, sees the hurt across the US, but dismisses theidea of white privilege. His parents were never in his life, hesays. He was left with grandparents and, when they grewtoo old, he was emancipated at age 15 and landed at a boys’ranch. He went on to earn an MBA and law degree and shift-ed 22 years ago to begin a life in radio.

He first delivered his “I want my country back” rant,impromptu, about two years ago on one of those dayswhen his listeners’ despair was overwhelming. He keeps anMP3 of the audio on his computer and airs it every nowand again when it seems right. He clicks the file this after-noon and it begins to play. “I want my country back, andthe only way, the only way I’m ever going to be able to getthis country back is if I reach out to the brothers and sistersthat all feel the very same way and say, ‘Hell, no, you can’thave the country.’ Stop it! How many different ways do wesay stop it!?” — AP

A N A L Y S I SWEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2016

THE LEADING INDEPENDENTDAILY IN THE ARABIAN GULF

ESTABLISHED 1961

Founder and Publisher YOUSUF S. AL-ALYAN

Editor-in-ChiefABD AL-RAHMAN AL-ALYAN

EDITORIAL : 24833199-24833358-24833432ADVERTISING : 24835616/7FAX : 24835620/1CIRCULATION : 24833199 Extn. 163ACCOUNTS : 24835619COMMERCIAL : 24835618

P.O.Box 1301 Safat,13014 Kuwait.E MAIL :info@kuwaittimes.netWebsite: www.kuwaittimes.net

All articles appearing on these pages arethe personal opinion of the writers. KuwaitTimes takes no responsibility for viewsexpressed therein. Kuwait Times invitesreaders to voice their opinions. Please sendsubmissions via email to: opinion@kuwait-times.net or via snail mail to PO Box 1301Safat, Kuwait. The editor reserves the rightto edit any submission as necessary.

Issues

Splits plunge South Africa’s liberation party into turmoil

As options shrink, US white men ask why

More is riding on the battle forMosul than the recapture of theIslamic State group’s main strong-

hold in northern Iraq. Also on the line is theObama administration’s theory that theextremists can be defeated in Iraq, Syriaand elsewhere without American groundtroops doing the fighting. For more thantwo years, the administration has stuck toits argument that the only path to a sus-tained victory over the Islamic State groupis for locals, not Americans or other out-siders, to bear the main responsibility forthe fighting and for governing after theextremists are removed.

President Barack Obama has taken a lotof political heat for that approach, whichcritics say has allowed IS to expand itsinternational reach and influence. The via-bility of Obama’s strategy has been widelydoubted. In May 2015, after months of USbombings in Iraq and while in the midst ofAmericans training and advising Iraqiground troops, the Iraqis lost the city ofRamadi. Defense Secretary Ash Carterpublicly said he doubted the Iraqis’ will tofight. Since then, the US support role hasgrown and the Iraqi security forces havemanaged to retake key parts of westernand northern Iraq, including Ramadi.

Mosul is different, not least because it isthe place where Islamic State leaders in2014 announced their intent to create anIslamic-run state after taking a large swathof Iraq and Syria in a lightning surge. White

House press secretary Josh Earnest onMonday called Mosul a new measure ofObama’s strategy. “And I think the presi-dent would be the first to acknowledgethat this is a significant test,” he said, giventhe size of the city and its importance to IS.“Dislodging them from the city would be asignificant strategic gain,” Earnest said.

US airpower played a key role in therun-up to the fight for Mosul by taking outIslamic State defenses, cash resources,supply routes and some of the group’sleaders. The US is now providing air coveras Iraqi security forces and members ofthe Kurdish militia begin their attempt toretake the city over the next severalweeks. American advisers are workingwith Iraqi troops, but the outcome will bedetermined largely by the Iraqis.

Mosul may answer the question: If ISloses a crown jewel of its so-calledcaliphate, will that be a decisive and sus-tainable victory for Iraq? Or will Baghdadonce again falter, allowing sectarian andpolitical divisions to destabilize the coun-try and permit a return of extremists? Thatlikely won’t be known before Obama’s suc-cessor takes office. The next president alsowill inherit the broader problem of Syria -not just the IS presence there, including inits self-proclaimed capital of Raqqa, butalso the civil war with its complicationsinvolving Russia, Iran and Turkey.

Iraq remains deeply divided, and thegrievances among the country’s Sunni,

Shiite and Kurdish populations thatallowed IS to rise to power in the firstplace have not been resolved. Even if theMosul campaign is successful militarily,there is a risk of violence erupting again inthe form of revenge killings or clashesbetween groups once allied against acommon enemy.

Aftermath Seth Jones, a defense and security

expert at the RAND Corp, says the combatphase of the battle for Mosul, while diffi-cult, will be “much easier” than the after-math. “I think there’s a strong possibilitythat a lot of the political grievances actu-ally get accentuated,” he said in an inter-view Friday. David Petraeus, the formerArmy general who commanded US andcoalition forces in Iraq in 2007-08, callsthe Obama approach in Iraq and Syria “anew way of fighting”. “It’s much more sus-tainable in terms of blood and treasurethan obviously having our forces have todo it ,” Petraeus, who also ser ved asObama’s CIA director, said Sunday onABC’s “This Week.”

Obama began sending small numbersof US military advisers to Iraq in the sum-mer of 2014, after the Islamic State hadswept into Mosul and also captured muchof western I raq, including cit ies l ikeRamadi and Fallujah where Americanground troops had spilled much bloodbefore all US troops left Iraq in 2011. The

rise of IS in Iraq was a stinging blow toObama, whom critics accused of giving uphard-fought gains.

He initially insisted there would be noUS “boots on the ground,” but he author-ized a gradual expansion of the US trainingand advising effort to complement a US-led coalition air campaign. He was sup-ported in his cautious, go-slow approachby his top military adviser at the time, Gen.Martin Dempsey, who was chairman of theJoint Chiefs of Staff when IS moved intoIraq and when Obama began returning USadvisers to Baghdad. Dempsey counselledpatience. Give the Iraqis time to heal theirinternal divisions and fight their own bat-tles, he argued. Resist the temptation tograb control of the contest against theIslamic State. Dempsey believed an endur-ing victory would require a unified Iraqsupported by neighbors.

“If we were to take control of this cam-paign, I mean literally seize control of thecampaign, then there’s no doubt in mymind we would probably defeat ISIL on,let’s say, a faster timeline,” but it would notlast, he said in June 2015. “Maybe ISIL goesaway, maybe they’re defeated militarily,and two years from now another groupwith another name and another ideology... will just be back,” he said. In the Obamaview, Iraq is more likely to regain, andretain, control of its territory if it is not rely-ing on US troops to do the fighting. Mosulis the biggest test of that theory. — AP

Mosul more than climactic military battle

South Africa’s government has descended intoopen warfare as a clash between PresidentJacob Zuma and his finance minister unveils

rivalries that could tip the country into instability.The ruling African National Congress (ANC) partylooks set for worsening strife as its divided leader-ship struggles with falling popular support, aweakening economy and violent student protests.Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan, a respected ANCveteran who was heading for a peaceful retirementuntil his appointment last year, has emerged as theunlikely figurehead of opposition to Zuma.

Gordhan, 67, will next month appear in court oncriminal charges that he says are a politically-moti-vated attempt to oust him after he stood up toZuma and alleged corrupt associates linked to thepresidency. Gordhan’s cause has attracted somesignificant backers - not least Deputy PresidentCyril Ramaphosa as well as several other ministers.“People in the ANC are beginning to understandthe gravity of the crisis that the country is in,”Prince Mashele, a political analyst based at theUniversity of Pretoria, told AFP. “These are not justordinary members, but senior members who havenow broken ranks, including Ramaphosa - some-thing which I would describe as groundbreaking.”

‘A Very Dark Place’ Zuma in December reluctantly re-appointed

Gordhan, who had served as finance minister from2009 to 2014, to calm panicked markets after sack-ing two finance ministers within four days.Gordhan vowed to use the unexpected opportuni-ty to revive South Africa’s economy by controllingspending, reforming loss-making state companiesand tackling rampant corruption. His work put himin direct conflict with Zuma loyalists such as theGupta business family, who are accused of wield-ing huge influence over the government.

In a carefully-worded statement on Sunday,Ramaphosa said: “I lend my support to MinisterGordhan as he faces charges brought against him.”Adding to the toxic political mix, Zuma last weekwent to court to block the release of an officialanti-corruption probe into his relationship with theGuptas. Zuma has survived several major scandalsduring his presidency, but at a cost to the partythat led the long fight against apartheid rule andtook power under Nelson Mandela in 1994.

Local elections in August produced the ANC’sworst-ever poll performance, and a difficult gener-al election looms in 2019. “South Africa is in a verydark place,” said Mashele. “We have lost that moralhigh ground that we used to occupy.” Zuma - whoretains deep loyalty in many parts of the ANC - isdue to leave office in 2019 after serving the maxi-mum two terms, with Ramaphosa and Zuma’s for-mer wife Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma among his pos-sible successors.

Worsening Impasse The president was reprimanded by South

Africa’s highest court in March for using publicfunds to upgrade his private home, and he is alsofighting a court order that could reinstate almost800 corruption charges against him. GDP growthis expected to be virtually zero this year, unem-ployment remains stubbornly high at 27 percent,and public anger at lack of progress sinceapartheid has most recently erupted through vio-lent protests by university students.

“So much damage has been done in theprocess of keeping Zuma in power. Neither theANC or South Africa are winners,” Susan Booysen,a polit ical analyst at the University of theWitwatersrand, told AFP. “We haven’t previouslyseen this level of division in the ANC and cabinetduring Zuma’s time in office. It’s very unusual forcabinet members to speak out.” Zuma appearsunable to sack Gordhan as it would trigger hugewithdrawal of investment from South Africa,which already faces the possible loss of its invest-ment-grade credit rating in December.

“Any move he will make against Gordhan now islikely to provoke a massive backlash,” RanjeniMunusamy, a commentator and former aide to thepresident, wrote on Monday. “(He) faces the realdanger of being isolated as his comrades and sub-ordinates close ranks around Gordhan.” — AFP

Jon Hayes, a listener of Rick Roberts’ radio talk show on WBAP, contemplates a question during a political discus-sion at his home in Cedar Hill, Texas on Oct 14, 2016. — AP

BARCELONA: Barcelona defender Gerard Pique insists he will not reverse his deci-sion to retire from international football after the 2018 World Cup. Pique announcedhis intention to leave La Roja after having to demonstrate he didn’t cut the colours ofthe Spanish flag off his kit during a 2-0 win in Albania last week. The absurdincident was the latest in a string of accusations concerning Pique’scommitment to play for Spain due to his outspoken calls for a referen-dum on Catalan independence. “The decision is final. Events in Albaniabrought it forward, I didn’t want to say it at that time, but I came outannoyed by the story that was proven to be false and felt I had to say it.”Pique was routinely jeered when playing for the national team onhome soil in the build-up to Euro 2016 in part for his political views,but also for his role is stoking the fierce rivalry betweenBarcelona and Real Madrid. However, after winning theWorld Cup in 2010 and Euro 2012 with Spain, he insist-ed his decision to retire after the World Cup is notdue to the treatment he has received. — AFP

S P O RT SWEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2016

ZURICH: Former FIFA executive committee member Worawi Makudi ofThailand was banned from soccer for five years yesterday for election for-gery. The judging chamber of FIFA’s ethics committee said it found Makudiguilty of forgery and falsification of documents and refusing to cooperatewith investigators. Makudi was also fined 10,000 Swiss francs ($10,100). Alongtime ally of former FIFA presidential candidate Mohamed binHammam of Qatar, Makudi was a member of the tainted executive com-mittee for 18 years until Asian federations voted him out in April 2015.Makudi is the ninth member of the 24-man ruling panel which oversaw thebidding contests for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups who has since beenbanned for unethical conduct by FIFA. Four others have been indicted orare under criminal investigation in the United States or Switzerland,though they yet to be banned by the ethics committee. Some of Makudi’sformer colleagues have been both banned and indicted. Makudi’s ethicscase centered on his 2013 campaign to win re-election as president ofThailand’s soccer federation (FAT). — AP

Former FIFA official

banned for forgery

Pique not for turning

on Spain retirment

MILAN: Inter Milan fans will never recognise Mauro Icardi as their cap-tain, they said yesterday, as the fallout from the Argentine forward’s con-troversial autobiography continued. Inter said on Monday the 23-year-

old would be sanctioned over comments in the bookbut would not be stripped of the captaincy. But theCurva Nord hardcore supporters criticised thedecision, posting a statement on their website,saying: “Icardi is not our captain, not now or ever.”Icardi has been Inter’s top scorer for the past twocampaigns and is again this season. But he has

upset some fans after an account in his book abouta confrontation with one of the ultra leaders in 2015

in which he claimed the fan ordered a child to handback the Argentine’s shirt after the player had given itto him. The ultras say Icardi’s version of events is an

invention. — Reuters

Inter fans refuse to

accept Icardi as captain

PARIS: The French rugby federation (FFR) hascleared former All Blacks Dan Carter and JoeRokocoko, as well as their Racing Metro teammate Juan Imhoff, of any doping wrongdoingsafter the French Championship final, the clubsaid yesterday. French newspaper L’Equipereported earlier this month that tests conductedafter the Top 14 final in June, in which Carter’sRacing Metro beat Toulon 29-21, showed theplayers had tested positive for corticoids, typical-ly used to treat inflammation or joint pain.

“ The medical committee of the FrenchFootball Federation has dispelled doubts hang-ing over the medical practice of Racing 92,”Racing said in a statement on their website(www.racing92.fr/).

“It means that, as we have always said, DanCarter, Joe Rokocoko, Juan Imhoff and SylvainBlanchard, the club doctor, did not commit anyviolation of the regulations, not the least ethicalviolation. “We look forward to a decision thatdoes not concern only three players but also theclub and the image of the whole discipline.”

The FFR opened a disciplinary case againstthe club last week after Racing denied they hadbreached anti-doping rules.

Carter and Rokocoko’s agent, Simon Porter,had earlier said that the duo had been grantedTherapeutic Use Exemptions (TUEs) for the pre-scribed medication as they recovered frominjuries. “I just received the ruling from the FFR

today,” Carter said in a statement on Instagram.“No surprises that the FFR’s ruling was that I’d

done nothing wrong. I hold my integrity and thegame of rugby’s integrity in the highest regard.

“I love this game and owe so much to rugbythat I would never do anything intentionally to

bring it into disrepute. “Whilst this wholeepisode is disappointing and frustrating, I sup-port the authorities who work hard to ensureour game is played fairly. I am glad that we cannow put all this behind us so I can now concen-trate on playing rugby!” — Reuters

By Abdellatif Sharaa

KUWAIT: Technical and administrativecommittees are all set for the launch ofKuwait Shooting Sport Club seasonwith the tournament of HH the CrownPrince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber

Al-Sabah Tournament on Thursday,October 20 at Sheikh Sabah Al-AhmadOlympic Shooting Complex.

The tournament will star with thepar ticipation of shooters from the

club, military association, police asso-ciation besides shooters from UAEand Bahrain Federations, who wil lcompete in the t rap double t rap,skeet, 10m pistol and rifle, 50m pistoland rifle along with Olympic archery.

KSSC Treasurer Essa Ahmad Al-ButiButaiban appreciated the unlimitedsuppor t by HH the Crown Pr inceSheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad, adding thatthe board of direc tors is keen onorganizing this tournament every year,and to bring it out in a way that is fit-ting to Kuwait’s name, and the tourna-ment sponsor, who always motivatesshooters to keep Kuwait ’s name inprominence.

Butaiban gave special thanks to HHthe Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah for his care and supportof the sport of shooting.

He also thanked HH the PrimeMinister and government for giving thespor t of shooting spor t the care itdeserves. Meanwhile, board memberEng Hussam Al-Roumi said official train-ings will begin today at the shotgunand rifle ranges, adding that all is readyfor this tournament, Al-Roumi said thatmore than 300 shooters of both gen-ders registered for this tournament,adding that UAE and Bahrain shooterswill participate.

300 shooters to take part

in Crown Prince tournament

Uncapped Ospreys

pair in Wales’s

November squad

LONDON: Uncapped Ospreys duo Sam Davies and RoryThornton were included in Wales’ 36-man squad announcedyesterday for next month’s home internationals againstAustralia, Argentina, Japan and South Africa.

Fly-half Davies has been in fine form for the Welsh region-al side so far this season and will look to push Dan Biggar forthe No 10 shirt, while Thornton has been drafted into thesecond row. Meanwhile full-back Leigh Halfpenny, who playsfor French giants Toulon, has been called up 13 months afterhis last game for Wales where he suffered a knee injury thatruled him out of last season’s World Cup and the subsequentSix Nations.

The squad includes a further seven players who missedWales’ recent 3-0 series loss in New Zealand in June throughinjury, including flanker Dan Lydiate and wing Alex Cuthbert.

Meanwhile Wales captain Sam Warburton could make hisreturn from a cheekbone injury when Cardiff continue theirEuropean Challenge Cup campaign against French club Paulater this week.

WALLABY WORRIES Wales open their campaign bidding for a first win in 12

Tests against Australia when they take on the Wallabies inCardiff on November 5. But they could be without severalEngland-based players for that match.

As the fixture takes place outside of World Rugby’s officialwindow for Tests, teams are not obliged to release players forthe fixture. Premiership clubs have an agreement withEngland’s Rugby Football Union that allows England to selectplayers for matches outside the window, but it has no suchdeal with the Welsh Rugby Union.

As a result, the likes of Northampton wing Gorge North,Harlequins centre Jamie Roberts and the Bath trio of TaulupeFaletau (currently injured), Luke Charteris and Rhys Priestlandcould all miss the Australia fixture.

Wales coach Rob Howley, in charge while Warren Gatlandis seconded to leading the 2017 British and Irish Lions tour ofNew Zealand, said of his latest squad: “It is great to give theopportunity to players who are playing well for their clubswith the likes of Nicky Smith, Rhys Gill, Rory Thornton andSam Davies coming into the squad. “In addition, it’s great tobe able to welcome back experienced players such as DanLydiate, Alex Cuthbert and Leigh Halfpenny, who have missedout recently with injury, and that experience will be importantthis autumn. “We know we have to start the campaign strongand have to replicate the accuracy and intensity our oppo-nents will bring to Cardiff.”

WALES SQUADBacks (15)

Wings/Full Backs: Hallam Amos (Newport GwentDragons), Alex Cuthbert (Cardiff Blues), Leigh Halfpenny( Toulon/FRA), George North (Northampton/ENG), LiamWilliams (Scarlets)

Centres: Jonathan Davies (Scarlets), Tyler Morgan(Newport Gwent Dragons), Jamie Roberts (Harlequins/ENG),Scott Williams (Scarlets) Fly-halves: Gareth Anscombe (CardiffBlues), Dan Biggar (Ospreys), Sam Davies (Ospreys)

Scrum-halves: Gareth Davies (Scarlets), Rhys Webb(Ospreys), Lloyd Williams (Cardiff Blues)

Forwards (21)Back rows: Dan Baker (Ospreys), Taulupe Faletau

(Bath/ENG), James King (Ospreys), Dan Lydiate (Ospreys), RossMoriarty (Gloucester/ENG), Justin Tipuric (Ospreys), SamWarburton (Cardiff Blues, capt) Second rows: Jake Ball(Scarlets), Luke Charteris (Bath/ENG), Bradley Davies (Ospreys),Alun Wyn Jones (Ospreys), Rory Thornton (Ospreys) Hookers:Scott Baldwin (Ospreys), Kristian Dacey (Cardiff Blues), KenOwens (Scarlets)

Props: Scott Andrews (Cardiff Blues), Tomas Francis(Exeter/ENG, Rhys Gill (Cardiff Blues), Gethin Jenkins (CardiffBlues), Samson Lee (Scarlets), Nicky Smith (Ospreys). — AFP

Essa Ahmad Al-Buti Butaiban

Ex-All Blacks Carter, Rokocoko

cleared of doping wrongdoings

Dan Carter Joe Rokocoko

KUWAIT: Red Bull Bar Bahr is less than amonth away from being held for the sec-ond time in Kuwait. This year, the much-awaited event will require enormousefforts in preparation of the racing tracks.The construction of the tracks will takeapproximately five days of logistic prepara-tions on the Marina Beach in Salmiya,where organizers will work around theclock to ensure the completion of the setupfrom the biggest to the smallest details pri-or to the date of the competition.

On the midnight of Saturday 5th ofNovember, the start signal will be given forthe preparation of the “Red Bull Bar Bahr”Championship land track on the MarinaBeach in Salmiya. The set up will requirefive days of continuous work from the mid-night of every night until 9 of the nextmorning, at the start of the week towards

the day of the much-awaited event at 2:30PM on Friday, November 11.

The event is organized by Basel SalemAl-Sabah Motorsport Club and will be heldunder the sponsorship of Nissan Al-Babtain, Public Authority for Youth andSports, Kawasaki, GoPro, Acqua Eva, MarinaMall, Al Anbaa Newspaper, Kuwait TimesNewspaper, Studentalk Magazine.

CHALLENGE AND THRILL TRACKA group of vehicles of different sizes will

be involved on site to prepare land trackstarting with the transfer of large quantitiesof sand required for the event, all the wayto the preparation of the curves, obstaclesand bumps. This well-devised design willadd to the level of challenge for bikers,enthusiasm and thrill for the public.

As far as the logistic details are con-

cerned, the track will require up to eightytrucks loaded with sand which will betransported to the event location. A largeloader will work for five days on preparingthe track and delimiting its borders, assist-ed by a small Bobcat depending on theprecision of the required process at this lev-el. A roller will handle the levelling of thetrack for four days to render it suitable forthe race after spraying large quantities ofwater reaching six tanks per day on thetrack, in addition, two vehicles will beworking every day on paving the tracksand smoothing their surface.

ORGANIZATION EXPERIENCE AND WIDE SPONSORSHIP

The land track for Red Bull Bar Bahr willbe designed and executed by the EmiratiRed Bull athlete Mohammed Balooshi. The

37-year-old Motocross champion has a ashis achievements record holds many titlesincluding the Arab MotocrossChampionship for motorbikes, BahrainChampionship and Tunisia Cup. He alsowon the Umm Al Qiwayn Championshipand Kuwait Championship. In 2012, he wasthe first Emirati to take part in the RallyDakar where he lasted for nine days in themost difficult endurance race. Balooshitrained junior bikers and established hisown academy for “Motocross” bikes to trainpromising talents.

In order to participate in the “Red BullBar Bahr” Championship, visitredbull.com/barbahr. Every quad bike com-petitor should possess a driving license andbe the owner of his bike. Participants in theJet Ski category should have a license fromthe Marine Sports Club of Kuwait.

Five days of construction in

preparation for Red Bull Bar Bahr

Red Bull Bar Bahr returnson 11th November

Red Bull Bar Bahr Intensive preprations and sponsors’ support.

S P O RT SWEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2016

TOKYO: The International OlympicCommittee (IOC) is looking into hostingrowing and canoe/kayak sprint events forthe 2020 Summer Games in South Korea ifagreement cannot be reached to keep thevenue for the races in Tokyo, Japanesemedia said yesterday.

Tokyo governor Yuriko Koike, who tookoffice in August, ordered a review ofOlympic expenses that last month recom-mended changing three venues to savemoney, a move criticised by the 2020Organising Committee and international

sports officials. One of the changes wouldmean moving rowing and canoe/kayaksprint events some 400 km (250 miles)north of Tokyo to use existing facilitiesrather than building new ones in the capi-tal, an effort to rein in costs projected to hit3 trillion yen ($29.15 billion).

That figure is some four times the initialestimates made when Tokyo won the rightto host Games in 2013. Both the IOC andinternational rowing federation favour theoriginal plan to keep the venue in Tokyo,while Koike last week told Reuters this was

the last chance to take steps to rein insoaring costs for the Games.

If they failed to reach an agreement onthe Tokyo site, the IOC was looking intohosting the events in the South Koreancity of Chungju, where rowing events wereheld for the 2014 Asian Games, mediareports said. IOC President Thomas Bachmeets Koike later yesterday, and the venuechange is set to be high on the agenda.Tokyo 2020 officials were not immediatelyable to comment on the reports.

Reforms known as “Agenda 2020”, car-

ried out under Bach with the aim of mak-ing the Olympics more sustainable, allowhosts to use facilities in other cities or evencountries if it makes financial and practicalsense. Tokyo’s original bid pledged to keepmost venues within 8 km of the athlete’svillage in downtown Tokyo, but severalhave already been moved. Cycling will takeplace in Shizuoka prefecture, about 200km (125 miles) west of Tokyo.

Tokyo organisers have been grapplingwith a series of blunders. They were forcedto scrap an initial design for the centre-

piece National Stadium, site of the open-ing and closing ceremonies, because it wastoo expensive, and had to redesign thelogo for the Games following accusationsof plagiarism. An Asahi poll found that 78percent of respondents favoured Koike’sproposal, which includes changing venuesfor volleyball and swimming as well asrowing and canoe/kayak sprints.

According to the same poll, 78 percentof respondents also said they felt Olympicpreparations “were not proceedingsmoothly.” — Reuters

IOC looking to host some 2020 Olympics events in S Korea

MELBOURNE: Australia’s tempestuous tal-ent Nick Kyrgios has the potential to be afuture grand slam champion but could justas easily be lost to the sport if he fails to getthe support he needs, according to formerWimbledon champion Pat Cash.

The 21-year-old was suspended foreight weeks by the ATP on Monday follow-ing his second round exit at the ShanghaiMasters where he clashed with fans, thechair umpire and walked off the court mid-way through a point against Mischa Zverev.

The ban can be reduced to three weeksif he sees a sports psychologist, whichKyrgios had committed to, according toAustralia’s tennis association.

“I wouldn’t be surprised (if he quit) buthopefully that’s not the case,” Cash toldlocal radio station 3AW.

“Anybody’s got the opportunity to walkaway but if it’s not good for his health thenI think he should do that.

“But with some good things in place forhis health and wellbeing, and a revisedschedule ... he can go out there and enjoyhis tennis, which is what we want to see.”

Kyrgios posted a lengthy apology onlineafter his Shanghai meltdown, which cameonly days after he won the Japan Open, thethird and biggest title of his career.

The 51-year-old Cash, a notable hotheadduring the early part of his career, saidKyrgios was “flat and exhausted” when hearrived in Shanghai and should never haveplayed the tournament.

He questioned the advice the Canberranative was receiving on tour and claimedTennis Australia (TA) had failed to provideyoung players with the mental support todeal with the grind of the professional cir-cuit. “Mental health and understanding ofwhere you are as a junior should be asmandatory as hitting forehands and doingstretching before and after a practice ses-sion,” he said. “I’ve talked to Tennis Australiaabout it and nothing has been done.”

TA dismissed Cash’s criticism as “incor-rect,” saying sports psychologists wereavailable for players in every state.

“Sometimes they have access to two orthree of them,” TA spokesman ToddWoodbridge, the 22-times doubles grandslam champion, told Reuters.

“Tennis Australia’s support is as strong, ifnot stronger than for any other (sport’s) inthe country,” Cash said Kyrgios was “thenext guy” in line for grand slam glory onceproven winners like Andy Murray andNovak Djokovic bowed out.

“And who is standing up there? Well,Nick’s the obvious one.

“You tend to see after a great year, a bitof a lull, and (then) he’s got a great oppor-tunity to grab a couple of grand slam titlesand really be a success.” — Reuters

PARIS: Tour de France organisers yesterdayunveiled a 2017 course light on mountain climbsbut reigning champion Chris Froome insisted theywould still be key to his bid for a fourth title. Thevisually spectacular 104th race over 3,516 kilome-ters (2,183 miles) starts in Dusseldorf, Germany onJuly 1 with the traditional time trial. There are fivereal mountain stages, fewer than in 2016. “ThisTour will be won in the mountains, the time trialsare too small to have any real effect,” said Froome,winner in 2013, 2015 and 2016. Tour directorChristian Prudhomme said the route “has beendesigned to be won by a true champion”, withoutnaming Froome or identifying any other favourites.

Puncher Dan Martin said he felt the routebrought him into the picture. “There’s plenty ofscope for damage every single day. You have tosurvive,” the Irishman told AFP.

“This route is better suited to my style than pre-vious years.” The opening 13km time trial offersworld champion time-triallist Tony Martin thechance to clinch the yellow jersey on stage one asthe Tour starts from his native Germany for the firsttime in 30 years.

The northern start means the route has to be ‘J’shaped, and this year misses the north and west ofFrance entirely, said Prudhomme. With nine variedflat stages, five hilly ones designed to open up thechallenge, the five real mountain stages aredesigned to have a visual backdrop which willamplify the exploits of the athletes who excelthere. And if the crucial penultimate day’s time tri-al starting at the Marseille Velodrome football sta-dium is only 23km long, it will be run in searingheat and feature a 1km stretch at 18 per cent gradi-ent. Contrary to nearly all the preceding Toursthere will never be more than two consecutivedays of climbing either.

BOND ROUTE The Tour ’s toughest stage on paper is the

214km Pyrenean run from Pau to Peyragudeswhich feature the mountain where the James Bondmovie ‘Tomorrow Never Dies’ was partly filmed,and has a summit finish as the fifth climb of the

day. In total contrast, the following day’s stage 13 isa short but spectacular 100km mountain run fromSaint Girons culminating in a 27km hair-raisingdescent to Foix, featuring extreme climbs anddescents along the way.

This is followed with a day for punchers and willevoke powerful memories for both the Olympicchampion Greg Van Avermaert and world roadchampion Peter Sagan. The 181km 14th stage cul-minates in Rodez where the Belgian out-pacedSagan for a stage win in 2015.

But even in the first week there will be stages forrollers, sprinters, testing cross-wind infested plains,and on day five the Planches Des Belles Filles whereBradley Wiggins took the yellow jersey in 2012 on aday Froome won the stage.

“I was delighted to see it on the race again,” saidFroome. There’s not enough to make a great deal of

time there, but it makes me happy to see it there.”There was further good news for Froome when itwas announced that around 10km of mountain ter-rain, at crucial tactical climb points, would bestripped of roadside fans. An accident caused bypacked crowds on Mont Ventoux in 2016 saw himrun part way to the summit having

abandoned a broken bike. The two Alpinestages on day 17 and 18 finish at the summit of theIzoard, whose lunar summit finish is at 2,360mwhere oxygen will be rarefied. “It looks prettyimpressive,” said Froome. “I’ve never raced there,we’ll need to climb it in practice.”

The most watched of all the stages by televisionaudiences is the final day jaunt to Paris and the 10laps of the Champs Elysees generally won by a topsprinters such as Mark Cavendish or Andre Grepelor Marcel Kittel. — AFP

Banned Kyrgios could quit

without support: Pat Cash

Nick Kyrgios

Mountains decisive for 2017: Froome

PARIS: 2016 runner-up France’s Romain Bardet (2ndL) and title holder Britain’s Chris Froome(3rdL) take part in the presentation of the official route of the 2017 edition of the Tour deFrance cycling race in Paris, yesterday. — AFP

PITTSBURGH: Gabriel Landeskog redirect-ed a shot by Nathan MacKinnon past MarcAndre Fleury 22 seconds into overtime to liftColorado by Pittsburgh 4-3 on Mondaynight. Landeskog tied the game with 6:32left in regulation with a power-play goal andhis second of the night handed the defend-ing Stanley Cup champions their first loss ofthe season. Jarome Iginla and PatrickWiercioch also scored for the Avalanche,who never led until Landeskog’s game-win-ner. MacKinnon had two assists and CalvinPickard stopped 28 shots for Colorado. MattCullen had a goal and an assist for thePenguins while Phil Kessel and Trevor Daleyalso scored. Fleury made 27 saves.

RANGERS 7, SHARKS 4For the third straight game, Chris Kreider

had a goal and an assist for New York.Kreider, who signed a four-year, $18.5 millioncontract on July 22, has three goals andthree assists in New York’s first three games.According to the team, he is the first Rangersince Brian Leetch in 1992-93 to tally six

points in New York’s first three games. Healso became the first New York forward torecord six points in three games to start aseason since Bernie Nicholls and DarrenTurcotte in 1990 -91. Marc Staal, Rick Nash,Kevin Hayes, rookie Jimmy Vesey, MatsZuccarello and Michael Grabner also scoredfor the Rangers, who have won two of theirfirst three games this season. Martin Jonesfinished with 22 saves for San Jose. New Yorkgoaltender Antti Raanta made 26 saves on30 shots.

RED WINGS 5, SENATORS 1Mike Green scored three times for his first

hat trick and Darren Helm had two goals tohelp Detroit win in their last home opener atJoe Louis Arena. Green scored twice in thefirst period and his third goal restored athree-goal lead with 6:36 left in the game.Helm scored on a breakaway in betweenGreen’s goals in the first period and added asecond goal with 2:56 left in the third. RyanDzingel’s short-handed goal midwaythrough the second period pulled the

Senators within two goals. Detroit’s PetrMrazek made 13 of his 31 saves in the sec-ond period. Andrew Hammond stopped 20shots in his first start of the season forOttawa. The Red Wings are leaving the ven-ue they have called home since the 1979-80season next year for a new arena nearby.

BRUINS 4, JETS 1David Pastrnak scored his team-leading

fourth goal of the season for Boston. The 20-year-old Pastrnak extended his point streakto three games while suiting up in his 100thcareer game. Winnipeg captain BlakeWheeler opened the scoring 10 minutes intothe game. Boston trailed for all of 19 sec-onds, however, as Dominic Moore tiedthings up at 10:19 of the first period. RookieBrandon Carlo’s first career goal added insur-ance for the Bruins with 1:59 remaining inthe third period and Zdeno Chara scored anempty-netter inside the final minute.Boston’s Tuukka Rask turned away 34 of 35shots, while Winnipeg’s Connor Hellebuyckstopped 21 of 24. — AP

Landeskog’s OT winner lifts Avalanche by Penguins 4-3

Western ConferenceCentral Division

W L OTL GF GA PTS St. Louis 3 0 0 11 6 6 Colorado 2 0 0 10 8 4 Dallas 1 1 0 9 8 2 Minnesota 1 1 0 6 6 2 Nashville 1 1 0 6 7 2 Chicago 1 2 0 9 11 2 Winnipeg 1 2 0 9 12 2

Pacific DivisionVancouver 2 0 0 6 4 4 Edmonton 2 1 0 14 13 4 San Jose 2 1 0 9 10 4 Arizona 1 0 0 4 3 2 Anaheim 0 2 1 6 10 1 Calgary 0 2 1 8 14 1 Los Angeles 0 2 0 3 6 0

Eastern ConferenceAtlantic Division

Florida 2 0 0 6 2 4 Tampa Bay 2 0 0 9 6 4 Boston 2 1 0 11 8 4 Ottawa 2 1 0 10 12 4 Montreal 1 0 1 7 5 3 Toronto 1 0 1 8 6 3 Buffalo 1 1 0 7 6 2 Detroit 1 2 0 10 11 2

Metropolitan DivisionPittsburgh 2 0 1 9 8 5 NY Rangers 2 1 0 14 10 4 Philadelphia 1 0 1 7 6 3 Washington 1 0 1 4 4 3 Carolina 0 0 2 7 9 2 NY Islanders 1 2 0 7 9 2 New Jersey 0 1 1 3 5 1 Columbus 0 2 0 5 9 0

NHL results/standingsNY Rangers 7, San Jose 4; Colorado 4, Pittsburgh 3 (OT); Detroit 5, Ottawa 1; Boston 4,Winnipeg 1.

Note: Overtime losses (OTL) are worth one point in the standings and are not includedin the loss column (L).

NEW YORK: Antti Raanta #32 of the New York Rangers saves a shot on goal against the San Jose Sharks during the third period at Madison Square Garden on Monday in New York City. — AFP

S P O RT SWEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2016

PERTH: Former Australia cricket captainSteve Waugh and paceman JasonGillespie have both expressed an interestin succeeding Rodney Marsh as the coun-try’s chairman of selectors.

Cricket Australia said last week 68-year-old former test wicketkeeper Marshwould not be seeking to stay on in the

role when his contract expires next yearand that Australia would have a newchairman of selectors before the nextAshes series.

Australia will host the next Ashesseries in 2017-18. Former pacemanGillespie is currently coaching AdelaideStrikers in Australia’s Twenty20 Big Bash

League after spending five years coach-ing English county side Yorkshire.

“There is a national selector’s job upnext year and I might put my name up forthat,” he told News Ltd. “All I have donethe last five years is select teams forYorkshire. I wouldn’t rule anything out. Ifthere are opportunities I will look at it.”

Former test captain Waugh, whoannounced his retirement in 2004, said hewould be willing to discuss the job if anoffer came his way. “I’d listen to it if theopportunity came up, but there are a lot ofthings you’ve got to throw into the mix andsee whether it’s the right time,” Waugh toldthe Sydney Morning Herald. “I think there

are a lot of good cricket brains in Australia.No one has asked me, but I’d listen to it.”Under Marsh’s chairmanship of the panel,Australia lost the 2015 Ashes series inEngland but won the 50-overs World Cupon home soil in the same year and held thenumber one ranking in test cricket for sixmonths earlier this year. — Reuters

Australia’s Waugh, Gillespie open to chief selector role

GLENDALE: Johnson treble as Cardinals rout misfiring Jets Quarterback Geno Smith #7 of the New York Jets prepares to take the snap dur-ing the fourth quarter of the NFL game against the Arizona Cardinals at the University of Phoenix Stadium on Monday in Glendale,Arizona. Running back David Johnson rushed for three touchdowns as the Arizona Cardinals romped to a 28-3 victory over the New YorkJets on Monday. — AFP

GLENDALE: Stopping the run was one of thefew things the New York Jets had done well thisseason. Until they faced David Johnson and theArizona Cardinals.

Johnson rushed for 111 yards and threetouchdowns, and the Cardinals shut down thelistless Jets 28-3 on Monday night. Johnsonscored on runs of 58, 2 and 2 yards while becom-ing the first player to rush for three scoresagainst the Jets since LeSean McCoy did it fiveyears ago. “I say it each and every week. David’sspecial,” Arizona cornerback Patrick Petersonsaid. “I mean very, very, very special. We got usone in (No.) 31.”

The Cardinals (3-3) won their second in a rowto climb back to .500. New York (1-5) lost itsfourth straight in a rough return to Arizona forTodd Bowles, who was defensive coordinator forthe Cardinals for two seasons before getting theJets coaching job two years ago.

“We’ve won two in a row,” Arizona coachBruce Arians said. “We’re still just a .500 ballclub,but I like the way we look right now.”

Arians took no great joy in beating Bowles.Their connection goes back to their days togeth-er at Temple three decades ago.

“I’m glad it’s over,” Arians said. The Jets’ RyanFitzpatrick was 16 of 31 for 174 yards and wasbenched in favor of Geno Smith after New York’slongest drive of the night ended in an intercep-

tion in the end zone late in the third quarter.“As an offense we are just not consistent right

now and the offense goes as the quarterbackgoes,” Fitzpatrick said. “I have got to play better.”

Smith’s lone series at quarterback endedwhen he was intercepted by Tyrann Mathieuwith 4:20 to play.

“The game was 28-3 with eight minutes leftin the game,” Bowles said. “We weren’t doinganything else. I just wanted to give him somereps. Like a relief pitcher, a starting pitcher, onthis day you put in the relief pitcher. Fitz will be(the starter) next week.”

Arizona’s Carson Palmer , back after missing a33-21 win at San Francisco with a concussion,completed 23 of 34 passes for 213 yards beforeleaving with a hamstring strain after throwing a9-yard TD pass to Michael Floyd with 8:20remaining. Arizona scored in the first quarter forthe first time this season on the second timeJohnson touched the ball. “Our coach has beenharping on us about that,” Johnson said. “It feltgood to get in the end zone. I felt like that’s actu-ally what started everyone getting hyped, every-one getting into the game.”

The second-year running back dodged a pairof defenders near the line of scrimmage, andthen raced to the end zone on his longest run ofthe season. Johnson also rushed for 157 yards inthe win against the 49ers, winning NFC offensive

player of the week honors. The Jets entered thegame second in the NFL in rushing defense at 68yards per game.

They were outgained on the ground 171-33.New York had 130 yards in the first half, 70 onthree receptions by Brandon Marshall. Marshall’s36-yard catch over the middle set up New York’sonly score, Nick Folk’s’ 39-yard field goal.

Arizona scored on a pair of 14-play drives inthe second half. Johnson got his second 2-yardTD run up the middle, and Palmer passed toFloyd for another TD.

The Jets drove to the Cardinals 14 late in thethird quarter but D.J. Swearinger interceptedFitzpatrick’s pass in the end zone to end thethreat. It was Fitzpatrick’s league-worst 11thinterception of the season. But Marshall said theinterception was his fault. “I read it wrong, Ryanread it right,” he said. “He threw a pick, but it’s mypick. I’ve said it all along this season, intercep-tions are on everyone.”

THIRD DOWN WOESThe Jets were 2 for 13 on third-down conver-

sions. They were 0 for 8 before converting oneduring their long third-quarter drive.

PENALTIES GALOREThere were 19 penalties in the sloppy game -

10 against New York, nine against Arizona. — AP

Johnson, Cardinals roll

past listless Jets 28-3

DUBAI: Rival captains Misbah-ul-Haq and JasonHolder praised the fight till last attitude in thefirst day-night Test played with Pakistan upstag-ing West Indies by 56 runs in the final hour onMonday. West Indies were led in their fight byDarren Bravo who smashed 116 during his 410-minute of defiance before Pakistan dismissedthem for 289 with just 12 overs remaining in thematch-the second ever in Test cricket’s history.Misbah said the match was good for Test cricket.“It was a good Test and good for the Test cricketwith everything in it,” said Misbah after the victo-ry. “You need Test matches like that and credit toWest Indies to put such a fight.”

Pakistan had amassed 579-3 declared in theirfirst innings courtesy an epic 302 not out byopener Azhar Ali. West Indies conceded a 222-run first innings lead but hit back hard by dis-missing Pakistan for a paltry 123 in their secondknock, thanks to a career best 8-49 by leg-spin-ner Devendra Bishoo.

Misbah praised Bravo for giving Pakistan ascare. “West Indies batsmen showed goodresilience and credit must be given to them,” saidMisbah of the rival team who batted for 109overs on a last day Dubai stadium pitch.

This was the longest batting by a West Indiesteam in the fourth innings of a Test since their105.1 over innings against India in Kolkata in1978. Misbah admitted he was nervous andworried, with just 100 needed and Bravo at thecrease. “I know how I spent time on the fourthday and in the last session on the last day. It wastough for the team as well as for the captain.“You were ahead of them for three days but inone session he (Bravo) gave the advantage tothem,” said Misbah of the laft-hander who wassmartly caught by leg-spinner Yasir Shah withjust 83 needed.

Shah finished with seven wickets in thematch and during first innings became the joint-

second fastest to take 100 Test wickets. Misbahsaid dew did not allow the Dubai stadium pitchto deteriorate. “There were different factorswhich supported the batsmen, the pink ball anddew. Usually Dubai pitch deteriorates after sec-ond day but this time the pitch was bind againbecause of the dew but in the end it ended inour win,” said Misbah, who now has 23 wins in 47Tests as captain. “It is special victory, our 400thTest, first with pink ball, our first day-night matchso it was important to get a victory here.” Holdersaid there were positives despite defeat.

“Disappointed we have lost but there are lotof positives,” said Holder. “One thing is that wefought till the end and it was a good team effortunfortunately we did not cross the line.”

Holder singled out Bravo’s knocks, who made87 in the first innings. “It was a quality innings ashe showed a lot of maturity in both innings andyou could see determination on his face andhopefully he continues in this vein,” said Holderof Bravo. The second Test starts in Abu Dhabifrom Friday with the third and final Test playedin Sharjah from October 30-November 3. — AFP

Captains Misbah, Holder hail

competitive day-night Test

DUBAI: Pakistani cricketers celebrate after winning the Test match at the end of the first day-night Test between Pakistan and the West Indies at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium inthe Gulf Emirate on Monday. Pakistan beat West Indies by 56 runs in the first day-night Test onthe fifth and final day in Dubai, taking a 1-0 lead in the three-match series. — AFP

CHITTAGONG: Proud new father AlastairCook will become England’s most cappedTest cricketer tomorrow when he leads hiscountry into battle against Bangladesh, onlydays after attending his daughter’s birth backhome. Cook, widely tipped eventually tobecome Test cricket’s highest run-scorer, willwin his 134th cap at the start in Chittagong ofa two-match series in which England willhope to maintain a perfect Test record againstthe hosts. Along with Australia, England areone of only two teams to have won all of theirTest matches against Bangladesh since theformer East Pakistan joined cricket’s top table16 years ago.

And after an impressive victory in the pre-ceding one-day series, England will fancytheir chances of extending that 100 percentrecord with the likes of Cook and fast bowlerStuart Broad back in the mix. Cook, who nolonger plays ODI cricket, had been acclimatis-ing with his teammates in Bangladesh beforeflying home last week for the birth of his sec-ond daughter. After arriving back inBangladesh Monday, Cook took part in netson Tuesday and then spoke of his pride atbecoming a father again as well as his mixedemotions at returning to the fray so soon.

“Yeah it was a proud day... as you canimagine, having another daughter and thenleaving so soon afterwards doesn’t make you

feel like the best husband or father in theworld,” he told Britain’s Sky Sports.

“I do feel okay, now it’s just about acclima-tisation to the heat... it’s a hell of a challengeplaying in these conditions so respect toBangladesh and also the guys in the Englandsquad. You can’t just expect to turn up andplay and do well, you’ve got to put those hardyards in.” The 31-year-old’s last outing in thesub-continent saw him lead England to anoutstanding series win over India in 2012,while he scored 173 on his only previous Testin Chittagong in 2010. That series saw Cookcaptain England for the first time before hetook over full-time from Andrew Strauss.

“I started however many years ago andyou never thought you’d get anywhere near,so to break the record like that is very special,”he said. Cook, who will overtake Alec Stewartat the top of the list of Test appearances,could well be joined at the top of the order bya debutant after Ben Duckett and HaseebHameed both made strong cases for a call-up.His most recent opening partner Alex Haleshas decided to sit out the tour for securityreasons, following the lead set by England’slimited-overs captain Eoin Morgan.

‘BABY BOYCOTT’ The 22-year-old Duckett in particular has

impressed in the build-up to the series andwill most likely get the call after notching uphis fourth half century in the last five inningsin the final warm-up match. But he will bevying for a place with 19-year-old Hameed,who has been dubbed “Baby Boycott” for anobdurate style that has evoked memories ofthe legendary Geoffrey Boycott.

At the other end of the age scale, the 39-year-old spinner Gareth Batty could also findhimself back in the starting XI more than 11years after the last of his seven Tests.

The veteran Surrey offbreak bowler iswidely expected to be picked along with leg-spinner Adil Rashid and all-rounder MoeenAli, to give England three spinning options.

Bangladesh have picked four spinners andjust two seamers in their 14-man squad asthey try and overcome the loss of their starpace bowler Mustafizur Rahman, who is recu-perating from surgery on his shoulder.Although Bangladesh are a vastly improvedODI side, they are struggling to competeagainst the best in Test matches and theircoach Chandika Hathurusinghe has acknowl-edged a lack of quality bowlers.

“We haven’t got our right combination inTest cricket. I have been fighting to findbowlers who can get 20 wickets in Tests,”Hathurusinghe told reporters in Chittagong.

After the match in Chittagong, the teamswill head to Dhaka for the second and finalTest beginning on October 28. — AFP

New dad Cook returns to

break England record

Alastair Cook

TORONTO: Toronto Blue Jays’ Kevin Pillar, right, steals second past Cleveland Indiansshortstop Francisco Lindor during the seventh inning in Game 3 of baseball’sAmerican League Championship Series in Toronto, Monday. — AP

TORONTO: The Cleveland Indians overcamethe loss of starting pitcher Trevor Bauer todefeat the Toronto Blue Jays 4-2 and move tothe brink of a place in Major League Baseball’sWorld Series on Monday.

Bauer was removed with blood drippingfrom a finger wound after stitches to an injurysustained last week split open in the firstinning at the Rogers Center. But the injury didnot prevent the Indians from powering to vic-tory, giving them a 3-0 lead in the best-of-sev-en American League Championship Series andleaving them firmly on course for the WorldSeries. Veteran first baseman Mike Napoli wasinstrumental in the Cleveland win, doublingoff Blue Jays pitcher Marcus Stroman to allowCarlos Santana to open the scoring at the topof the first before hitting a homer in the fourth.“I’ve been struggling a little bit but I’m agrinder,” Napoli said. “I knew I’d be back, justworked hard in the cage and it paid offtonight.”

The Blue Jays hit back at the bottom of thesecond when Michael Saunders smashed a flyball to left field off Danny Otero to make it 1-1.Napoli restored Cleveland’s advantage at thetop of the fourth, smacking a fly ball to centerfield for another home run off Stroman tomake it 2-1. But Toronto hit back whenEzequiel Carrera scampered through for a

triple off a sharp line drive. Carrera then racedover for the score after Ryan Goins ground outoff Zach McAllister.

Cleveland regained the lead at the top ofthe sixth and once again Stroman was the vic-tim, the Blue Jays pitcher going for his thirdhome run of the night with Jason Kipnis hit-ting a line drive to right center field.

A Jose Ramirez single off Joe Biagini thenallowed Napoli to come home for an addition-al run and make it 4-2 heading into the sev-enth inning. Napoli paid tribute to theresponse of the Indians bullpen, forced toimprovise after the early departure of Bauer.

“For our bullpen to step up like that today isthe only reason we were able to win today,”Napoli said. “For them to do it like that wasunbelievable.” Team-mate Kipnis meanwhilerevealed the team had been bracing for Bauerto break down at some point. “Trevor got a lit-tle leak. A couple of us had seen the woundand knew it was a possibility. But we were stillconfident that we could do with it our bullpen,”Kipnis said. “We’re having a blast-you can seethe smiles in the team.”

Game four in the series takes place inToronto on Tuesday, with the Indians aimingfor their first World Series appearance since1997, when they were beaten by the FloridaMarlins in a seven-game thriller. — AFP

Indians on brink as

Blue Jays downed

S P O RT SWEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2016

LONDON: Manchester City chairmanKhaldoon Al Mubarak said the PremierLeague club are entering a “critical newphase” after announcing record revenues of£391.8 million ($487 million) and a secondsuccessive annual profit of £20.5 million.

City ’s annual repor t, which wasreleased yesterday, said the club showedgrowth across all areas, with matchdayrevenues rising by 21 per cent and broad-cast revenues increasing by 19 per cent.The net profit is up from £11 million in2015. It said City operate with zero finan-

cial debt with a wage/revenue ratio of 50per cent, which is “among the best in thefootball industry.”

The latest figures reflect an eighth yearof improved financial performance butcome after a season of turbulence inwhich manager Manuel Pellegrini wasreplaced by Pep Guardiola, who takes thePremier League leaders to Barcelona inthe Champions League today.

“On the pitch. results were uneven,”said Sheikh Al Mubarak. “I believe the2016-17 season represents the beginning

of a critical new phase. “We know that wehave the playing, coaching and off-fieldcapabilities at our disposal to achievegreat things in English and Europeanfootball in the years ahead. In our newmanager, Pep Guardiola, we have recruit-ed a proven winner with an innate abilityto identify, nurture and develop youngtalent.” Sheikh Al Mubarak said everyoneat the club was operating under addedpressure with raised expectations.

“Manchester City has now reached alevel of sporting and commercial maturity

that allows one to feed the other.” City,who made a financial loss of £194.9 mil-lion in 2011, moved into profit last yearfor the first time since the 2008 takeoverby Sheikh Mansoor bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

The latest f igures show they haveagain conformed to UEFA’s controversialFinancial Fair Play regulations, which Citywere found in breach of in 2014.

In the report, chief executive FerranSoriano confirmed the level of investmentfrom a consortium led by China MediaCapital (CMC), which injected $400 million

to buy a 13 per cent stake in City FinancialGroup, the holding company which runsManchester City. “Our new partners areinstrumental in our ability to understandand foster the opportunities for our Groupin China, at the same time as we work tohelp develop the game in such a vast andinteresting country,” he said.

City say they are fourth most valuableglobal brand behind Manchester United,Real Madrid and Barcelona. City are thesecond biggest in the premier League interms of revenue. — Reuters

City enter new phase after declaring record profit: Chairman

LIVERPOOL: Manchester United’s Spanish midfielder Ander Herrera (R) vies with Liverpool’s Brazilian midfielder Roberto Firmino during theEnglish Premier League football match between Liverpool and Manchester United at Anfield in Liverpool, north west England on Monday. — AFP

LIVERPOOL: Manchester United manager JoseMourinho claimed that his team had exposedLiverpool’s shortcomings after holding JurgenKlopp’s well-regarded team to a 0-0 draw.

Liverpool went into Monday’s game atAnfield seeking a sixth successive win in all com-petitions and bidding to draw level on pointswith Premier League leaders Manchester Cityand second-place Arsenal.

But United restricted them to few chances,with visiting goalkeeper David de Gea largelyuntroubled apart from a pair of eye-catchingsecond-half saves to deny Emre Can andPhilippe Coutinho.

“The goalkeeper (De Gea) was on holiday for90 minutes, but he had two big saves to do andhe did,” said Mourinho, whose side remain sev-enth in the table. “When we recover the ball Iwas expecting the team to be more dangerous,(although) we had two good chances, butLiverpool did too.

“They are not the last wonder of the worldlike you (the media) say they are, but they are avery good team so we had to adapt a little tothem.” Premier League statisticians Opta saidUnited had only had 35 percent of possession-their lowest tally for a league fixture since suchstatistics started being gathered in the 2003-04season. But Mourinho returned to the press con-

ference room after he had finished addressingreporters to say the club’s own statisticiansthought United had seen more of the ball.

“My guy did it — 42 (percent), not 35,” hesaid, having re-emerged through a side door. “Ithought it was crazy. We do it ourselves withbetter people than them.” He had earlier dis-missed the importance of statistics, pointing outthat United had won 1-0 at Anfield under hispredecessor Louis van Gaal last season despitebeing largely outplayed. “Last season Unitedwon here, Liverpool had 14 shots on target andUnited had one,” he said. “How many shots ontarget did Liverpool have on target today? Two.Two shots on target with 65 percent of posses-sion. “You have to be critical of Liverpool. It istheir problem, not our problem.”

‘HECTIC’ United largely succeeded in stifling Liverpool,

with wide players Marcus Rashford and AshleyYoung notably dropping deep to create a six-man defence at times.

The visitors procured a clear sight of goal ear-ly in the second half when Paul Pogba, playing ina more advanced role, picked out ZlatanIbrahimovic, only for the Swede to miscue hisheader. Liverpool improved following the 59th-minute introduction of Adam Lallana, either side

of which De Gea showed characteristically snap-py reactions to foil Can and Coutinho.

“We lost patience far too early and our pass-ing game was not good,” said Liverpool managerJurgen Klopp, whose side trail City by twopoints. “We had 65 percent possession, but wehave to do better. I didn’t expect we would have10 to 15 chances. Second half we had chances,but De Gea was finally warm and he made bril-l iant saves. “ They had that chance withIbrahimovic. The best news tonight is we haveone point more and a clean sheet, nothing else.“We can do much better and we must do muchbetter. We have to stay cool.

When they want to chase us, we have to usecounter-movements. “Really good attitude of myside. They tried everything, only with the wrongtools.” Klopp dismissed suggestions his playershad been affected by being saddled with thepre-match favourites tag. “Maybe it is veryimportant for the rest of the world what you allwrite, but for us it is not important,” he said.

“We were not favourites in the dressing room.Tonight nobody thought about this. “You couldsee Man United is physically stronger than weare. We couldn’t get rid of the hectic (mindset)— that was the problem. “When you have theball you have to calm down immediately andthat is what we didn’t do.” — AFP

Liverpool shown up by Man Utd: Mourinho

PARIS: AFP Sports previews today ’sChampions League action with Pep Guardiolataking Manchester City to Barcelona.

GROUP AAt Paris

Paris Saint Germain (FRA) v Basel (SUI)As coach of Sevilla last season Unai Emery

beat Basel on the way to winning the EuropaLeague. Now his current charges, Frenchchampions Paris Saint-Germain, host them inconfident mood thanks to Uruguayan strikerEdinson Cavani - enjoying a purple patch of15 goals in his last 11 games - and Brazilianplaymaker Lucas. Both scored in a weekendwin. Basel’s Iceland midfielder BirkirBjarnason scored in his last match in Paris,albeit in a 5-2 defeat at the Stade de Franceagainst hosts France in the quarter-finals ofthe Euros. The Swiss champions warmed upwith a 3-0 win over Luzern and can welcomeback players whose legs were saved at theweekend.

At LondonArsenal (ENG) v Ludogorets Razgrad (BUL)

Arsenal look a solid bet to continue theirChampions League unbeaten start when theyhost Bulgarian outfit Ludogorets Razgrad. TheGunners were unfortunate not to win in Parisbefore form striker Theo Walcott scored abrace to beat Basel. Walcott scored twiceagain this weekend as a gritty Arsenal dug infor a 10-man 3-2 win over Swansea that sawthem climb level with Man City at the top ofthe Premier League. One note of caution forthe hosts is that Ludogorets took the lead inboth their games, a 1-1 draw with the Swissand a 3-1 home defeat by PSG. The Bulgarianchampions are also on a seven game unbeat-en run away from home.

Group BAt Naples, Italy

Napoli (ITA) v Besiktas (TUR)Napoli will become the first team to quali-

fy for the last 16 if they notch up their thirdstraight win and Dynamo Kiev draw withBenfica. A superb opening 4-2 win overBenfica followed by a 2-1 defeat of Dynamoin Ukraine left coach Maurizio Sarri’s sidecoasting towards the knockout stages.Arkaduisz Milik, signed as a replacement forstriker Gonzalo Higuain, has scored threegoals in the competition for Napoli but is outfor months with a knee injury. The Serie Aside lost to Roma on Saturday, leaving themseven points off the league leaders Juventus.Besiktas, back in the competition for the firsttime since 2009/2010, were buoyed by a 1-0win at Kayserispor to maintain their bestdomestic start in five seasons. Besiktas mid-fielder Gokhan Inler plans not to celebrate ifhe scores against his former club.

At KievDynamo Kiev (UKR) v Benfica (POR)

Both sides go in search of their first win,crucial if they are not to be cut adrift in thegroup. Dynamo’s Serhiy Sydorchuk is avail-able after a one match ban due to his match-day one dismissal in the 2-1 loss to Napoli.They host Benfica on the back of a weekend1-1 draw at FC Chornomorets Odesa to leavethe reigning champions six points adrift inthe Ukrainian Premier League. Benfica’s 4-2loss to Napoli is their only defeat in their last20 matches in all competitions.

GROUP CAt Barcelona

Barcelona (ESP) v Manchester City (ENG)Pep Guardiola’s return to Barcelona, the

club where he won the Champions League asboth player and coach (twice) makes thisgame the tie of the season so far. Barcelonahave won 12 straight Champions Leaguegames at home and with Lionel Messi, LuisSuarez and Neymar are all primed to play.Crucially for City playmaker Kevin de Bruyneand Sergio Aguero will be at full fitness tooafter two draws and a defeat in the last threegames. Captain Vincent Kompany also looksset for a start. Gerard Pique, in the news thisweek for his controversial role in Spain’s outfitand his ambitions to be Barcelona president,has also scored three goals in the last threegames. Guardiola’s men drew with Everton atthe weekend.

At GlasgowCeltic (SCO) v Borussia

Moenchengladbach (GER)Celtic’s raucous fans carried the Hoops to a

wild 3-3 draw with Pep Guardiola’s Man Citylast time out and will be a bankable assetagainst Germany’s BorussiaMoenchengladbach. They’ll need to be asCeltic are traditionally beaten by Germanopponents. AndrÈ Schubert’s charges cometo Celtic Park in desperate need of a win afterdefeats against City and Barcelona and inpoor spirits after missing two penalties in a 0-0 draw with Hamburg on Saturday. The manto keep an eye on is Celtic striker MoussaDembele, who has 15 goals in his last 17games. Brendan Rodgers knows that if the1967 Champions are to escape from thisgroup with the respect of their own fans theyneed to win the game and will be priming thestriker to spearhead his masterplan.

Group DAt Rostov-on-Don, Russia

Rostov (RUS) v Atletico Madrid (ESP)Russia’s Rostov are seeking to build on

their plucky home Champions League debut2-2 draw against PSV after an opening 5-0thumping by Bayern Munich. Rostov will behoping for no repeat of the banana throwingincident that marred the PSV stalemate. Theywere beaten by Spartak Moscow in thedomestic league on Saturday with red cardsdished out to two of their players. TheRussians are up against it after last season’sfinalists Atletico sparkled in a 1-0 defeat ofBayern Munich. It lifted Diego Simeone’simpressive side into the group lead. A 7-1humbling of Granada in La Liga means theytravel to Russia in confident mood.

At Munich, Germany Bayern Munich (GER) v PSV

Eindhoven (NED)Bayern host PSV with Carlo Ancelotti slam-

ming their “bad attitude” in Saturday’s 2-2draw with Eintracht Frankfurt and club chair-man Karl-Heinz Rummenigge describing theperformance as “unacceptable”. They need awin to steady the ship after a last time outloss to Atletico Madrid left them in second,three points off the Spanish pacesetters.Franck Ribery misses the match with a leginjury. A win will be Bayern’s first in their lastfour outings. — AFP

BERLIN: Bayern Munich are determined to breaktheir winless streak when they host PSVEindhoven today to get their Champions Leaguecampaign back on track.

Bayern have drawn both of their Germanleague games since losing 1-0 at Atletico Madridthree weeks ago. The Bundesliga leader’s 2-2draw at ten-man Eintracht Frankfurt on Saturdaywas branded ‘unacceptable’ by Munich’s chair-man Karl-Heinz Rummenigge. The disruptioncaused by the international break, when a dozenplayers were away, or a lengthy injury list couldboth be blamed for the poor performance. ButRummenigge is having none of it.

“We don’t need excuses, we have only our-selves to blame,” fumed the Bayern boss. “Theway we played in the first half (in Frankfurt) isnot Bayern Munich. “You can’t turn in a displaylike that.

“We have to shift up a gear very quickly, orwe’ll have problems in the Champions Leaguetoday.” Coach Carlo Ancelotti has already threat-ened to make changes for Eindhoven and admit-ted his team’s attitude in Frankfurt was poor. Hiscaptain, Philipp Lahm, agrees and says Bayernmust now bounce back against their Dutchopponents.

“We have to get a grip. The ChampionsLeague is up on Wednesday and we absolutelymust take three points,” said Lahm.

“If you believe that less than 100 percent willdo, you risk losing tackles and control,” addedthe ex-Germany captain.

Goals by Arjen Robben, then JoshuaKimmich, who has scored in each of his lastthree league games for Bayern, were each can-celled out as Eintracht’s Szabolcs Huszti, thenMarco Fabian levelled the scores. Despite theirdip in form, Bayern remain two points clear in

the Bundesliga table. They need a win to gettheir Champions League back on track afterdefeat in Madrid following their opening 5-0route of Russian side Rostov.

Phillip Cocu’s Eindhoven are still looking for afirst victory in Group D. They lost 1-0 to AtleticoMadrid in their opening game and drew 2-2 atRostov three weeks ago when they twice camefrom behind. PSV have won only one of 18matches in Germany against Bundesliga teamswith four draws and 13 defeats.

Their solitary victory away to a German clubwas back in 1977. Eindhoven are fourth in theDutch league and their only defeat in their firstnine games was at the hands of leadersFeyenoord. Now defender Mats Hummels saysBayern need a “good reaction” against the Dutch.“We have an obligation to up the pace,” saidHummels. “We have to hit the gas from the veryfirst minute and combine our individual qualitywith attitude and passion. “Then we’ll be incredi-bly strong.” — AFP

Spluttering Bayern out to end winless run

MUNICH: Bayern Munich’s Italian headcoach Carlo Ancelotti follows a news conference, on theeve of the Champions League group D match between FC Bayern Munich and PSV Eindhovenat the stadium in Munich, southern Germany, yesterday. — AFP

UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUEArsenal v Ludogorets Razgrad 21:45beIN SPORTS 6 HDPSG v FC Basel 1893 21:45beIN SPORTS 2 HDSSC Napoli v Besiktas 21:45 beIN SPORTS 4 HDDynamo Kyiv v SL Benfica 21:45beIN SPORTS 7 HDBarcelona v Man City 21:45beIN SPORTS 1 HDCeltic v Monchengladbach 21:45beIN SPORTS 9 HDBayern Munich v Eindhoven 21:45beIN SPORTS 5 HDRostov v Atletico de Madrid 21:45beIN SPORTS 8 HD

Matches on TV (Local Timings)

Barca sharpen knives on massive European night

MANCHESTER: Manchester City’s English defender John Stones (L) and ManchesterCity’s Argentinian striker Sergio Aguero (2R) watch as Manchester City’s English mid-fielder Raheem Sterling (2L) and Manchester City’s Nigerian striker KelechiIheanacho (3L) compete for the ball during a team training session at ManchesterCity Football Academy Campus in Manchester, north west England, yesterday aheadof their UEFA Champions League Group C football match against Barcelona at theCamp Nou today. — AFP

S P O RT SWEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2016

LEICESTER: Leicester’s Islam Slimani, left, heads the ball past Copenhagen’s Mathias Jorgensen during the Champions League Group G soccermatch between Leicester City and FC Copenhagen at the King Power stadium in Leicester, England, yesterday. — AP

LEICESTER: Riyad Mahrez struck to giveLeicester City a third consecutive ChampionsLeague victory as the fairytale Premier Leaguechampions edged FC Copenhagen 1-0 yester-day. Mahrez’s athletic 40th-minute volley at theKing Power Stadium left Claudio Ranieri’s menfive points clear in Group G and they are still toconcede a goal in the competition.

With Club Brugge losing 2-1 at home to Portoin the other group game, Leicester will beassured of a place in the last 16 if they win awayto Copenhagen in their next match onNovember 2. Leicester are struggling domesti-cally, their title defence effectively over after fourdefeats in eight games, but in Europe they arerekindling memories of their 5,000-1 march toglory last season.

Indeed, their tally of points in the ChampionsLeague-nine-is one more than they haveamassed in the league. Ranieri was particularlyindebted to his Copenhagen-born goalkeeperKasper Schmeichel, who brilliantly swatted awaya shot from Andreas Cornelius with seconds ofnormal time remaining.

It was a first defeat in 24 matches for StaleSolbakken’s Copenhagen, but they remain insecond place ahead of next month’s return fix-ture. With Leicester’s fans a little subdued fol-lowing another heavy domestic defeat — 3-0 atChelsea last Saturday-it was left to Copenhagen’ssupporters to create the pre-match atmosphere.The travelling fans were in fine voice and theChampions League anthem was accompaniedby a burst of red flares in the away end that willalmost certainly attract the attention of UEFA.

On the pitch, though, it was Leicester whocarried the greater threat, despite the visitorsdominating possession.

CORNELIUS GOES CLOSE The hosts found joy with passes in behind

Copenhagen’s full-backs (less so when the ballwas hoofed in the air towards Islam Slimani) andit was an approach that yielded the openinggoal. Five minutes before half-time, Jamie Vardylofted a cross towards the far post from the left,

Slimani headed it back across goal and Mahrezdarted in to beat Robin Olsen with a close-rangevolley. It was the Algerian winger’s fourth goal ofthe season and third in three Champions Leaguegames. Shy of a Federico Santander shot thatdribbled straight into the gloves of Schmeichel,the Danish champions had not really threat-ened. But they came within a whisker of equalis-ing on the stroke of half-time when Cornelius’sheader from Ludwig Augustinsson’s cornermissed the left-hand upright by millimetres.

Cornelius threatened again early in the sec-ond half, his flick working Schmeichel, but

Leicester were playing with rediscovered belief,Mahrez seeing a shot blocked by Erik Johansson.

Slimani had the ball in the net in the 67thminute when he followed in to head home afterOlsen brilliantly touched his shot onto the bar,but he was denied, incorrectly, by an offside flag.

The introduction of winger Rasmus Falk liftedCopenhagen and there was one last scare beforeLeicester could celebrate victory.

In the last minute, Santander’s cross from theleft picked out Cornelius, but Schmeichel pro-duced a superb one-handed reflex save to keephis countrymen at bay. — AFP

Mahrez takes Leicester to brink of last 16

LEVERKUSEN: Tottenham Hotspur pre-served their unbeaten record away this sea-son with a goalless draw at BayerLeverkusen yesterday in the ChampionsLeague after Stefan Kiessling’s late miss forthe hosts.

A decade after Leverkusen lost 1-0 athome to Spurs in the old UEFA Cup,Kiessling was the only survivor in eitherteam from the November 2006 fixture.

But the 32-year-old former Germanystriker fired wide seven minutes to denyhim the fairytale goal. Having now drawntheir three group games, Leverkusen arethird with three points while Spurs stay sec-ond behind leaders AS Monaco who drew1-1 at bottom side CSKA Moscow.

Tottenham are yet to lose in any of theirsix away trips this season in all competi-tions, but this was a game of the proverbialtwo halves. Spurs dominated the first 45minutes after Dele Alli and Victor Wanyamagot the upper hand in the midfield battleagainst Leverkusen’s Kevin Kampl andCharles Aranguiz.

But the introduction of burly AustrianJulian Baumgartlinger after the breakmeant Leverkusen shaded the midfield bat-tle and looked a different side.

Before kick-off, Leverkusen captain LarsBender shook off the flu to take his place atright-back.

There were three changes from theteam which suffered a shock 2-1 defeat atstrugglers Werder Bremen on Saturdaywith Kiessling, right winger AdmirMehmedi and Bender back in.

Tottenham coach Mauricio Pochettinomade four changes to the side which drew1-1 with West Bromwich Albion on

Saturday to preserve their record as theonly unbeaten team in England’s top flight.

England defender Eric Dier returned atcentre-back while Kieran Trippier madeonly his second Champions League start atright back.

Son Heung-Min, September’s PremierLeague’s Player of the Month, started onthe left wing against his former club, whileEngland’s Danny Rose returned at left back.

Spurs had the ball in the net with tenminutes gone. Son got free of theLeverkusen defence and slide his pass awayfrom Bayer goalkeeper Bernd Leno toVincent Janseen, who slotted into the emp-ty goal, but the offside flag ruled the goalout. Then Alli headed wide just approach-ing the half hour mark.

Just before the break, Janssen’s shotsmashed off the bar and when the ballbounced back into play, Leno denied ErikLamela with a reflex save. It had been allSpurs in the first-half, but Leverkusen gaveTottenham’s goalkeeper Hugo Lloris a busysecond 45 minutes.

Bayer were literally inches away fromthe opening goal on 48 minutes.

Mehmedi’s cross found Hernandez withthe goal at his mercy, but the ex-Manchester United ace hit his shot back atLloris, who scrambled the goal off his line.Javier Hernandez lambasted the assistantreferee, but goal-line technology showedthe ball had not crossed the line.

With 67 minutes gone, Leverkusen cen-tre-back Omer Toprak slammed his handon the turf in frustration after aiming hisheader straight at Lloris. Then with timerunning out Kiessling’s miss meant Spursleft Germany with a point. — AFP

Kiessling’s late miss gives Spurs a point at Leverkusen

LEVERKUSEN: Leverkusen’s Chilean midfielder Charles Aranguiz and TottenhamHotspur’s Argentinian midfielder Erik Lamela vie for the ball during the ChampionsLeague group E football match between Bayer Leverkusen and Tottenham Hotspurin Leverkusen, western Germany, yesterday. — AFP

LISBON: Two superb first-half goals by Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Julian Weigl setBorussia Dortmund on the way to a 2-1 win atSporting yesterday although they had to survivea second-half fightback in a pulsating Group Fgame. Bruno Cesar pulled the Portugueseleague runners-up back into the game when hescored from an indirect free kick midwaythrough the second half but Borussia held on,leaving them on seven points in Group F andSporting with three.

Sporting, without coach Jorge Jesus who wassuspended, made a bright start but theBundesliga side struck the first blow.

Aubameyang outmuscled Ruben Semedo as thetwo chased the ball, left the defender on theground and dinked the ball over Rui Patriciowith his left foot in the ninth minute.

Sporting thought they had levelled in the39th minute when Sebastian Coates turned theball in at the far post from a corner but it wascontroversially disallowed for a push on goal-keeper Roman Buerki.

Dortmund went further ahead two minutesbefore halftime as Weigl won a loose ball, evad-ed a tackle and side-footed a shot into the farcorner from the edge of the area, the 21-year-old’s first goal for the club since he joined them

one year ago. It was harsh on Sporting and theLions hauled themselves back into the gameafter Buerki was forced to pick up a poor backpass from Marc Bartra.

William Carvalho touched the ball to sub-stitute Cesar who blasted it through the wallof Dortmund players on the goal line in the67th minute.

Bas Dost nearly levelled with a headeralmost immediately, Buerki did well to save adangerous Ezequiel Schelotto cross andSporting then failed to find a finishing touchto a Gelson Mar tins shot as the Germansclung on. — Reuters

DOHA: UAE giants Al Ain progressed to thefinal of the AFC Champions League at theexpense of Qatar’s El Jaish after a 2-2 draw intheir semi-final second leg in Doha ensured a5-3 aggregate victory yesterday.

El Jaish needed to raise their game a fewnotches to overcome a two-goal deficit fol-lowing their 3-1 defeat in the first leg, butdespite Brazilian Romarinho’s double theEmirati giants held their nerve to clinch a last-gasp draw with Mohamed Abdulrahman find-ing the net in the fifth minute of stoppagetime. Al Ain, the champions in 2003 and therunners-up in 2005, will in all likelihood takeon South Korea’s Jeonbuk Motors in the finalas they hold a massive 4-1 advantage overSeoul ahead of their semi-final second legmatch today.

Following a goalless first half which sawboth teams miss several chances, OmarAbdulrahman put the Emiratis ahead in the57th minute with a low shot into the bottomleft corner of the net after combining withBrazilian Ciao to split the El Jaish defence with

an exchange of precision passes.El Jaish, however, equalised 10 minutes lat-

er when ex-Barcelona star Seydou Keita foundRomarinho and the diminutive midfielder’sshot from the edge of the area found the netafter taking a deflection off Ismail Ahmed.

Romarinho, who has modeled himself onhis idol, the Brazilian legend Romario, thenput El Jaish ahead almost in similar fashion,with Keita providing him with the vital assistyet again in the 81st minute.

Things then got desperate as Ciao wentclose in the 84th minute and MohamedAbdulrahman saw his header blocked by ElJaish goalie Khalifa Ababacar.

With three minutes remaining, Al Ain’sMohammed Fayez threw himself down tothwart Sardor Rashidov’s strike from the rightand Ciao also missed another chance to regis-ter his name on the score sheet.

However, Mohamed Abdulrahman foundthe net more than four minutes into stoppagetime to put Al Ain on course for a possible sec-ond continental title. — AFP

Al Ain seal Asian CL final berth

Dortmund hang on to win thriller against Sporting

MOSCOW: CSKA Moscow were denied afirst Champions League victory this seasonwhen they were held to a 1-1 draw byGroup E leaders Monaco yesterday.

Lacina Traore put the ‘Army Men’ in frontagainst his parent club in the 34th minutebut Bernardo Silva grabbed the equaliserlate on.

CSKA were desperately disappointingthree weeks ago against TottenhamHotspur but the Russians found top gearstraight away against Monaco, causingproblems with their pace and directapproach.

The impressive Alexander Golovinorchestrated play from midfield and thehosts took the lead after 34 minutes follow-ing a good team move.

Zoran Tosic curled in a left-foot shot thatDanijel Subasic could only parry and Traore

tapped the rebound into an empty net.Igor Akinfeev then produced a stunning

reaction save from close range at the otherend to deny Andrea Raggi a goal.

Monaco put CSKA under considerablepressure early in the second half and cap-tain Valere Germain went close when hiseffort was thwarted by a last-ditch chal-lenge from defender Vasili Berezutski.

Akinfeev made another top-class stop todeny Benjamin Mendy and the Russianinternational looked destined to keep hisfirst clean sheet in the group stages at the40th attempt.

However, Silva levelled for the visitorswith three minutes remaining.

Monaco have five points from threegames, one in front of Tottenham. BayerLeverkusen are on three points while CSKAhave two. — Reuters

Silva grabbed late equaliser for Monaco

MOSCOW: CSKA Moscow’s Ivorian forward Lacina Traore (L) and Monaco’s Frenchmidfielder Tiemoue Bakayoko vie for the ball during the UEFA Champions Leaguefootball match between PFC CSKA Moscow and AS Monaco FC at the CSKA Arena inMoscow yesterday. — AFP

LISBON: Sporting’s Bruno Cesar, right, scores his side’s first goal during a Champions League, Group F soccer match between Sporting andBorussia Dortmund at the Alvalade stadium in Lisbon, yesterday. — AP

17Johnson, Cardinalsroll past listless Jets 28-3

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2016

16Mahrez takesLeicester to brink of last 16

IOC looking to host some 2020 Olympics events in S Korea Page 16

MADRID: Legia’s Adam Hlousek fights for the ball next to Real Madrid’s head coach Zinedine Zidane during a Champions League, Group F soccer match between Real Madrid and Legia Warsaw, at the Santiago Bernabeu stadi-um in Madrid, yesterday — AP

MADRID: Holders Real Madrid edged towards the last 16of the Champions League, but disturbances between visit-ing Polish ultras and the police marred their 5-1 win at theSantiago Bernabeu yesterday. Five fans and two policeofficers were treated for minor injuries after clashes outsidethe stadium before kick-off.

UEFA had already ordered the return match betweenthe sides in two weeks’ time be played behind closed doorsdue to violence and racist abuse in Legia’s opening 6-0defeat in Group F to Borussia Dortmund last month. Oncethe action got underway, Madrid had way too much fire-power as Gareth Bale, a Tomasz Jodlowiec own goal andMarco Asensio handed the hosts a comfortable half-timelead despite Miroslav Radovic’s penalty. Lucas Vazquezand Alvaro Morata came off the bench to round off thescoring after the break.

Dortmund beat Sporting Lisbon 2-1 in the other gamein the group, meaning Madrid and the Germans remaintied at the top of the pool on seven points. Real andDortmund will mathematically seal their place in the last16 should they repeat their success over Legia andSporting respectively on November 2.

Legia had shipped eight goals without reply on theirreturn to the Champions League for the first time in 21years before arriving in Madrid. Yet, the Polish champions

had a slew of chances to take a shock lead before Madridgot going.

Jodlowiec fired meekly at Keylor Navas before VadisOdjidja-Ofoe hit the post.

Bale eased Real’s nerves when he cut inside onto hisfavoured left foot and curled into the far post for his firstChampions League goal since December 2014.

Marcelo’s effort from the edge of the area deflected offJodlowiec to leave Arkadiusz Malarz in the Legia goal flum-moxed four minutes later. However, the hordes of bare-shirted visiting fans got the moment of glory they came forwhen Danilo dived in to give away a penalty seconds laterand Radovic converted from the spot.

The hosts restored their two-goal advantage before thebreak as Cristiano Ronaldo unselfishly teed up Asensio todrive home on his Champions League debut. In the midstof a seven-game run in 29 days, Madrid eased off after thebreak. And it needed the energy of two substitutes to keepthe scoreboard ticking over as Morata and Vazquezreplaced Bale and James Rodriguez. Morata’s cross wassmashed home on the volley by Vazquez for Madrid’sfourth. Ronaldo endured a rare night without a goal in theChampions League, but still played his part with anotherfine pass for Morata to slide home the fifth six minutesfrom time. — AFP

Madrid cruise past Legia, towards last 16

LYON: Juan Cuadrado came off the bench to score alate winner as 10-man Juventus beat Lyon 1-0 inFrance in Champions League Group H yesterday.

The Italian champions saw Gianluigi Buffon save afirst-half Alexandre Lacazette penalty and then hadMario Lemina sent off early in the second period.

But substitute Cuadrado struck in the final quarterof an hour to stun the home fans at the Parc OL andleave the Serie A giants, Champions League runners-up in 2015, in a strong position in their section.

They are level at the top of Group H on sevenpoints along with Sevilla, who were 1-0 winners awayto Dinamo Zagreb in Croatia, while Lyon sit four pointsback in third place. Juventus had never won in six pre-vious visits to France in the competition butMassimiliano Allegri’s side arrived on a run of five con-secutive wins in all competitions.

Opponents Lyon had the fit-again Lacazette lead-ing their attack but selection worries in defence meantcoach Bruno Genesio handed a start to the 19-year-old Mouctar Diakhaby at the back.

Juventus, with former Lyon hero Miralem Pjanic intheir midfield, were the dominant force in the earlystages and Gonzalo Higuain fizzed a shot just over andthen forced a fine save from Anthony Lopes.

Lyon were struggling to get into the game but they

won a penalty in the 34th minute when LeonardoBonucci was penalised for wrestling Diakhaby to thefloor at a corner.

With France coach Didier Deschamps watchingfrom the stands, Lacazette stepped up to take thespot-kick but his effort was saved by Buffon, divingdown low to his left.

Lopes then denied Higuain and Bonucci headednarrowly wide as the first period ended goalless,before Lyon emerged as more of a threat after therestart.

Buffon, who had been guilty of conceding softgoals for Italy against Spain recently and in Juve’s winover Udinese at the weekend, produced a great savefrom Nabil Fekir’s deflected shot and also somehowkept out a Corentin Tolisso header from point-blankrange. In between, the visitors had been reduced to 10men in the 54th minute when French midfielderLemina was shown a second yellow card for a foul onFekir, although he had appeared to take the ball.

But Lyon could not make their man advantagecount and Cuadrado, who had replaced Paulo Dybalamidway through the second half, collected a DaniAlves pass before cutting in from the right and firingin a shot that took Lopes by surprise and flew inbetween the ‘keeper and his near post. — AFP

Cuadrado strikes as

10-man Juve sink Lyon

LYON: Lyon’s French midfielder Maxime Gonalons (2nd L) vies for the ball with Juventus’ forward from ArgentinaPaulo Dybala (C) during the Champions League football match between Olympique Lyonnais and Juventus yes-terday at the Parc Olympique Lyonnais stadium in Decines-Charpieu near Lyon, southeastern France. — AFP

BRUGES: FC Porto came from behind to beat ClubBrugge 2-1 yesterday with an injury-time penalty tobecome a challenger in Champions League Group G.

Brugge, hit with a slew of injuries, got its first goal inthe group in the 12th minute when forward

Jelle Vossen latched on to a rebound, kept a coolhead in a goalmouth scramble and sent it home with acurling shot. Increasing pressure paid off for Porto in the68th minute when Mexican defender Miguel Layun wasgiven too much space and hit home with a long-rangedrive from well outside the penalty area that gave goal-keeper Ludovic Butelle no chance.

In injury time, Andre Silva completed the comebackwhen he converted a spot kick after Corona wasbrought down.

“It is tough to take this in the last minute. There isnothing you can do about it afterward,” said

Brugge captain Timmy Simons. Both teams cameinto the game winless, but Porto left Belgium in a muchstronger position. In the other game, Leicester beat FCCopenhagen 1-0 to extend its lead in the group. ThePremier League champion has a perfect nine pointsfrom three games. Both Porto and Copenhagen havefour points while Bruges has yet to gain a point.

In ZAGREB, Sevilla was rewarded for a display ofattacking football with a well-deserved 1-0 victory overDinamo Zagreb yesterday that kept up its momentumin the Champions League.

After winning three consecutive Europa League tro-

phies, Sevilla continued to make it presence felt inEurope’s top competition - courtesy of a first-half strikefrom Samir Nasri on a rainy night at Zagreb’s MaksimirStadium.Nasri, who joined the Spanish side fromManchester City on loan ahead of the season, nettedfrom close range in the 37th minute - just 15 minutesafter he missed the target in a similar situation.

Sevilla has not conceded a goal in its three ChampionsLeague matches and is level on seven points with GroupH leader Juventus, which won 1-0 in Lyon. — AP

Porto beat Brugge 2-1

with injury-time penalty

BRUGES: Porto's Danilo, right, and Brugge's HansVanaken challenge for the ball during the ChampionsLeague Group G soccer match between Club Bruggeand Porto at the Jan Breydel stadium in Bruges yes-terday. — AP

BusinessWEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2016

Kuwait’s trade surplus expands on oil price gain

Page 22

Shelves go bare in Egypt as sugar prices skyrocket

Page 23Industry leaders discuss impact of ICT innovation

Page 26Rising gasoline and rents push US inflation higher

Page 25

KUWAIT: Zain Group, a leading mobile telecominnovator in eight markets across the Middle Eastand Africa, announces its consolidated financialresults for the nine-month and third-quarter peri-ods ended 30 September 2016. The companyended the period serving 45.8 million customers.

For the first nine months of 2016, Zain Groupgenerated consolidated revenues of KD 826 mil-lion ($ 2.7 billion), down 3 percent year-on-year(Y-o-Y) in KD terms, while consolidated EBITDAfor the period reached KD 390 million ($1.3 bil-lion), up 5 percent Y-o-Y, reflecting a healthy EBIT-DA margin of 47.2 percent. Consolidated netincome reached KD 124 million ($413 million),reflecting a 5 percent Y-o-Y increase. Earnings PerShare amounted to KD 0.032 ($0.11) for the nine-month period.

The Group incurred foreign currency variancelosses amounting to $96 million for the first nine-month period of 2016 predominantly accountedfor by operations in Iraq and Sudan. This reflects a$27 million increase from the same period in2015.

For the third-quarter of 2016, Zain Grouprecorded consolidated revenues of KD 275 million($911 million), down 6 percent Y-o-Y in KD terms.EBITDA for the quarter reached KD 135 million($448 million), an increase of 3 percent Y-o-Y inKD terms, reflecting a 49.2 percent EBITDA mar-gin. Net income for the period amounted to KD43 million ($141 million), reflecting 12 percent Y-o-Y increase. Earnings Per Share for the quarterreached KD 0.011 ($0.04).

For the third quarter of 2016, the Groupincurred foreign currency variance lossesamounting to $39 million, reflecting a $12 millionincrease from same period in 2015.

Key operational notes1. Group data revenues (excluding SMS and

VAS) witnessed a healthy 7 percent growth forthe first nine months of 2016, representing 22percent of the Group’s total revenues.

2. The continued civil instability in Iraq andimplementation of a 20 percent sales tax onmobile services, as well as wide-ranging taxincreases on other sectors in the country areaffecting spending on mobile services, impactingZain Iraq’s operational results and consequentlythe Group’s overall key financial metrics.

3. On October 1, 2016, Zain Saudi Arabiareceived formal notification from the Kingdom’sauthorities extending its mobile operating licensefor an additional 15 years, which means the oper-ator’s license will now expire in January 2047.Zain Saudi Arabia was also issued a Unified

Telecommunication License, which allows thecompany to provide all telecommunications serv-ices, including fixed services. The license exten-sion will reduce the annual amortization chargeby SAR 433 million ($115 million) starting fromthe date of the extension, reducing the compa-ny’s net losses by the same amount. The positivefinancial impact of this will take effect in Q4 2016reporting and beyond.

Commenting on the results, the Chairman ofthe Board of Directors of Zain Group Asaad Al-Banwan noted, “It is pleasing to report growth inseveral key financial metrics for the third-quarterand nine-month periods of 2016 given the com-pany’s exposure to conflict zones and currencyfluctuations, which continue to impact thegrowth potential of our business. We are commit-ted to continually upgrading our networks tooffer our customers a better mobile experienceand to maintaining our leadership position in ourkey markets.”

Concerning Zain Saudi Arabia being grantedan extended, unified license, Al-Banwan said, “Iwould like to thank the Custodian of the Two HolyMosques and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’stelecommunications regulator, CITC and othergovernment authorities for granting these con-cessions which are in line with the Kingdom’sVision 2030. This will enhance the competitive-ness of the telecom sector and support the futureprosperity of Zain Saudi Arabia for the benefit ofall stakeholders.”

Zain Group CEO, Scott Gegenheimer stated,“The implementation of several data monetiza-tion and cost optimization initiatives continues tobolster our financial performance as we remainsteadfast in our strategy and commitment todelivering an affordable and compelling digitallifestyle experience to our customers. We drawconfidence from the growth in data revenues forthe nine-month period that now accounts for 22percent of overall service revenues and we willcontinue to foster and develop this area of thebusiness.”

Gegenheimer continued, “We are workingclosely with the Board of Directors and the man-agement team of all our operations in dealingwith the many challenges we face, which areimpacting our financial performance on severalfronts. These essentially relate to the ongoing civilinstability and sales tax increases in Iraq; theintense price competition in Kuwait; the biomet-ric registration requirement in Saudi Arabia; andthe currency issues in both Sudan and Iraq. Weare optimistic that these issues will gradually sub-side and are confident that the strategies we havein place to tackle them will be effective.”

Gegenheimer concluded, “We are gratefuland pleased with the license concessions thatZain Saudi Arabia received, which will allow usto invest more in network upgrades andexpansion as we roll out to meet the everincreasing demand for telecommunicationsacross the Kingdom.”

Zain Group Q3 2016 net income rises 12% to KD 43m

Company’s efficiency drive increases EBITDA margin to 49.2%

• For the first nine months of 2016, net income and EBITDA both up 5% • Total customers served stands at 45.8 million• Focus on leveraging 4G networks generated a 7% increase in Group consolidated data revenues, representing 22% of

total Group revenues • Positive financial impact of the extension of Zain Saudi Arabia’s license for a further 15 years to take effect from Q4 2016

MANCHESTER: A woman replaces a fuel nozzle in a petrol pump at a petrol station in Manchester, north-west England yesterday. British annual inflation surged to a near two-year high of 1.0 percent in September, official data showed yes-terday. — AFP (See Also Page 25)

Zain Group Chairman Asaad Al-Banwan Zain Group CEO Scott Gegenheimer

Kuwait: Maintaining its market leadership,Zain Group’s flagship operation saw its cus-tomer base serve 2.9 million in a very chal-lenging nine-month period that witnessedintense price competition impact its finan-cial performance for the period. Revenuesreached KD 242 million ($803 million),EBITDA amounted to KD 118 million ($393million) and net income came in at KD 65million ($215 million). Data revenues(excluding SMS & VAS) formed 36 percentof the operation’s total revenues. ZainKuwait remains the most efficient mobileoperator within the Group and one of themost efficient in the region with an envi-able 49 percent EBITDA margin.

Iraq: The exceptional socio-economiccircumstances facing Zain Iraq saw theoperation’s financial performance ham-pered, with revenues for the period reach-ing $804 million and EBITDA reaching$284 million. Net income amounted to $29million, with the EBITDA margin standingat 35.3 percent. Data-related revenuesformed 9 percent of overall revenues forthe first nine-months of 2016 and cus-tomers served totalled 11.8 million, a 3 per-cent increase Y-o-Y.

Sudan: In local currency (SDG) terms,the operator’s revenues grew by 10 per-cent Y-o-Y to reach SDG 3.7 billion ($577million, up 8 percent in USD terms) for thefirst nine months of 2016. EBITDAincreased by 14 percent to reach SDG 1.6billion ($244 million, up 12 percent in USDterms), while net income decreased 10percent to SDG 646 million ($100 million,down 11 percent in USD terms). Data rev-enues (excluding SMS and VAS) formed 13percent of total revenues, with an impres-sive annual growth rate of 44 percent (42percent in USD terms). The operation sawits customer base expand 8 percent toreach 12.5 million.

Saudi Arabia: The operation served10.5 million customers at the end ofSeptember 2016, a 11 percent decline Y-o-Y due to the biometric registrationrequired by the country’s telecom regula-tory authority. Revenues were relativelystable for the nine-month period at $1.4billion, while EBITDA grew 7 percent to

reach $348 million and net losses amount-ed to $225 million for the period. ZainSaudi Arabia’s EBITDA margin reached 24.7percent. Impressively, the operator wit-nessed a 37 percent Y-o-Y rise in data rev-enues (excluding SMS & VAS), representing31 percent of total revenues as the compa-ny invested heavily and expanded its mod-ern 4G LTE network.

Jordan: Zain Jordan continues to per-form well on multiple levels, maintainingits market leading position reflected bygrowing its customer base by 2 percent Y-o-Y, to now serve 4.2 million customers. Y-o-Y revenues increased 6 percent to reach$363 million, with EBITDA up by 18 per-cent to reach $179 million, reflecting animpressive 49 percent EBITDA margin. Netincome increased 11 percent to reach $79million. With the launch of 4G services,data revenues (excluding SMS & VAS) rep-resented 33 percent of total revenues, upby 24 percent Y-o-Y.

Bahrain: Zain Bahrain saw its customerbase increase 19 percent to reach 969,000and generated revenues of $132 million forthe nine-month period, down 8 percent Y-o-Y. EBITDA for the period reached $49 mil-lion, down 11 percent, reflecting an EBITDAmargin of 37 percent. Net income amount-ed to $8 million, reflecting an 11 percentdecrease. Data revenues (excluding SMS &VAS) increased 8 percent Y-o-Y, represent-ing 39 percent of overall revenues.

Operational review of key

markets for the nine months

ended 30 September, 2016

B U S I N E S SWEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2016

Newsi n b r i e f

Ajman Bank finalizing $205 million Islamic loan

DUBAI: Ajman Bank, a United Arab Emirates-based, sharia-compliant lender, is raising a $205 million Islamic syndicatedloan, banking sources said yesterday. The loan, which has atwo-year maturity and a murabaha format, will be completedimminently, the sources said, with one saying it would closeas early as today. Ajman Bank did not respond immediately toa request for comment. The loan is backed by lenders includ-ing Noor Bank, which is investment agent and bookrunner,and Dubai Islamic Bank , the sources said. Ajman Bank raised$155 million through another two-year murabaha loan inMarch last year and an additional $200 million three-year syn-dicated Islamic debt facility in January 2015.

JPMorgan appoints Alamoudi as Saudi senior country officer

DUBAI: JPMorgan Chase & Co has appointed BaderAlamoudi as senior country officer for Saudi Arabia andgeneral manager of JPMorgan Chase Bank’s Riyadhbranch, the financial group said yesterday. Alamoudi,previously chief executive of J.P. Morgan Saudi Arabia,will be responsible for JPMorgan’s operations and busi-ness strategy in the kingdom. Before joining the groupin 2006, he worked at Saudi Arabia’s Samba FinancialGroup. Fahad Al-Deweesh will become chief executiveof J P Morgan Saudi Arabia and continue to act as headof investment banking for JPMorgan in the kingdom.

Saudi 30-yr bond price guidance at 235 bps

DUBAI: Saudi Arabia gave price guidance for its plannedthree-tranche debut Eurobond yesterday. Pricing guidancefor the five-year tranche was in the 160 basis points over UStreasuries area; guidance for the ten-year tranche was in the185bps over treasuries area and it was in the 235bps overtreasuries area for the planned 30-year bond tranche. Citi,HSBC and JP Morgan are the coordinators of the seniorunsecured 144A / Reg S bond.

Qatar Islamic Bank Q3 net profit rises 6.8%

DUBAI: Qatar Islamic Bank (QIB), the Gulf state’s largestsharia-compliant lender by assets, met the average forecastof analysts as it reported a 6.8 percent rise in third-quarternet profit yesterday, according to Reuters calculations. Itmade a net profit of 550.0 million riyals ($151.1 million) dur-ing the three months to Sept. 30, compared with 515.2 mil-lion riyals in the same period a year earlier, Reuters calculat-ed from financial statements in the absence of a quarterlyearnings breakdown. Four analysts polled by Reuters hadforecast on average the bank to make a quarterly net profitof 550.7 million riyals. QIB posted net profit of 1.61 billionriyals in the first nine months of the year, up 14 percent on ayear earlier, according to a bourse statement.

Qatar Insurance Q3 profit slips 6%

DUBAI: Qatar Insurance, the Gulf country’s largestinsurer by market value, reported a 6 percent fall inthird-quarter net profit yesterday, according to Reuterscalculations. Net profit of 108.8 million riyals ($29 mil-lion) in the three months to Sept. 30, versus 115.7 mil-lion riyals a year earlier. Reuters calculation based onfinancial statements in lieu of a quarterly breakdown.EFG Hermes forecast Qatar Insurance’s third-quarter netprofit at 312 million riyals. Nine-month net profit 711million riyals, up from 693 million riyals a year ago, abourse statement said.

EXCHANGE RATES

Al-Muzaini Exchange Co.

ASIAN COUNTRIESJapanese Yen 2.920Indian Rupees 4.551Pakistani Rupees 2.896Srilankan Rupees 2.071Nepali Rupees 2.847Singapore Dollar 219.490Hongkong Dollar 39.127Bangladesh Taka 3.870Philippine Peso 6.271Thai Baht 8.654

GCC COUNTRIESSaudi Riyal 80.990Qatari Riyal 83.427ani Riyal 788.851

Swiss Franc 308.640Australian Dollar 234.190US Dollar Buying 302.350

GOLD20 Gram 255.88010 Gram 130.8605 Gram 66.270

Rate for Transfer Selling RateUS Dollar 303.800Canadian Dollar 232.145Sterling Pound 372.325Euro 335.690Swiss Frank 301.065Bahrain Dinar 803.120

UAE Dirhams 82.945Qatari Riyals 84.160Saudi Riyals 81.735Jordanian Dinar 428.080Egyptian Pound 34.114Sri Lankan Rupees 2.070Indian Rupees 4.545Pakistani Rupees 2.894Bangladesh Taka 3.864Philippines Pesso 6.258Cyprus pound 160.120Japanese Yen 3.915Syrian Pound 2.420Nepalese Rupees 3.830Malaysian Ringgit 72.925Chinese Yuan Renminbi 45.495Thai Bhat 9.590Turkish Lira 98.495

Dollarco Exchange Co. Ltd

Bahraini Dinar 806.560UAE Dirham 82.689

ARAB COUNTRIESEgyptian Pound - Cash 25.300Egyptian Pound - Transfer 34.572Yemen Riyal/for 1000 1.219Tunisian Dinar 136.240Jordanian Dinar 428.290Lebanese Lira/for 1000 2.024Syrian Lira 2.0164Morocco Dirham 31.358

EUROPEAN & AMERICAN COUNTRIESUS Dollar Transfer 303.550Euro 335.880Sterling Pound 372.610Canadian dollar 232.690Turkish lira 98.560

KUWAIT: Kuwait’s trade surplus expanded for the firsttime in a year in the second quarter of 2016, amid ahealthy bounce in oil prices, though it remains at histori-cally low levels. The surplus widened from a mere KD 0.4billion in the first quarter of 2016 to KD 1.2 billion in 2Q16,as a pickup in oil prices helped push oil export earningshigher. The average oil price continued to edge upwardsin 3Q16, thus we expect the surplus to widen slightly fur-ther during the same period.

Oil export revenues rose from KD 2.4 billion in 1Q16 toKD 3.2 billion in 2Q16, on the back of a healthy recovery inoil prices. The Kuwait export crude (KEC) price was up by48 percent quarter-on-quarter (q/q) in 2Q16, rising froman average of $27 per barrel in 1Q16 to $40 in 2Q16. Oilprices averaged marginally higher in 3Q16 so we expect tosee oil export earnings to continue to edge higher as well.Whilst we did see gains in both oil prices and oil exportearnings on a quarterly basis, they were still down signifi-cantly compared to a year before, falling by 31 percentand 26 percent year-on-year (y/y), respectively.

Non-oil export revenues also improved from the previ-ous quarter, though they were down by 23 percent y/y.Non-oil export revenues rose by 5 percent after ethyleneprices rebounded, rising by 11 percent q/q. Non-oilexport earnings are expected to continue to rise on aquarterly basis in 3Q16, as ethylene prices continued tolog in positive q/q growth.

Central Statistical BureauImports contracted by 1.3 percent y/y in 2Q16 on the

back of lower consumer goods prices. Consumer goods fellby 12.7 percent y/y, the first contraction in at least six years,as all the subcomponents witnessed declines. Passengermotor cars and food & beverages, which together make up40 percent of total consumer goods, were down 13 percenty/y and 29 percent y/y, respectively. These declines can belargely attributed to lower prices. In real terms, food & bev-

erage imports were down by 8.2 percent y/y in 2Q16.Meanwhile, imports of manufactured goods, which includepassenger motor cars, were up by 8.1 percent y/y in 2Q16.

Capital and industrial goods imports witnessed doubledigit growth, likely reflecting the government’s improvedimplementation of its development projects. Imports ofcapital goods, which are a good gauge of the level ofinvestment in the economy, and industrial goods, rose by12 percent and 16 percent y/y, respectively, in 2Q16.

Kuwait’s trade surplus

expands on oil price gain

LONDON: Oil prices rose yesterday, helped by a weakerdollar and the notion that global markets oversupply maybe moderating, ahead of a November meeting of OPECproducers that could decide to cut production. A proposalby the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countriesto cut or cap output helped lift crude prices above $50, butnot much more because market participants doubt thecartel’s ability to strike and implement a concrete deal.

But several analysts have now said a two-year globalsupply glut could be receding if the latest oil inventoriesare taken into account. They say that stocks are not ashigh as usual ahead of the winter fuels season. Brentcrude rose 38 cents, or 0.8 percent, to $51.90 a barrel by1100 GMT. US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude wasup 45 cents, at $50.39.

Traders said a drop in the dollar away from seven-month highs the previous day supported crude. A lowerdollar makes fuel purchases cheaper for countries usingother currencies domestically.

Analysts at Bernstein Energy also pointed to a slowerbuild in global oil inventories. “Global oil inventories(industry and government) increased by 17 million barrelsto 5.618 billion barrels in 3Q16. This is the smallest buildsince 4Q14, confirming that inventory builds are slowing asthe market comes back into balance,” it said. Citi Bankpointed to an overall drop in inventories in the United

States, Japan, Singapore and Europe of 35.9 million barrels.Analysts at Wood Mackenzie have forecast a balanced mar-ket by the end of the year.

BULLISH BETSTraders are taking note, with money managers raising

their bullish bets on US crude prices to the highest levelsince the slump started in 2014. JBC Energy said Octobertanker fixtures from the Gulf reached a five-year high,which could be due to physical traders buying additionalstorage before November to offset further price risesshould OPEC take effective action.

OPEC meets on Nov. 30 to discuss a cut of about 1 mil-lion barrels per day (bpd) from its record 33.6 million bpdSeptember output.

Contributing to the record output has been Iran’s risingexport levels after Western sanctions were lifted earlier thisyear. Iran’s October crude exports are set to hold near five-year highs at about 2.56 million bpd, a source with knowl-edge of its preliminary tanker schedule said.

While there has been focus on the supply side of theglobal market, concerns remain about demand, particular-ly in Asia, a pillar of demand growth in recent years. InChina, the trade environment will remain weak for theremainder of 2016, the commerce ministry said on Tuesdayand in India, fuel demand fell in September. — Reuters

Oil rises on weaker dollar,

market balance signals

HYDERABAD: Indian farmers and traders gather near bags of onions at the Malakpet Agriculture Market Yard inHyderabad yesterday. Farmers from the Kurnool district of Andhra Pradesh have expressed concern over a drop inwholesale onion prices. — AFP

Burberry hit by weak

department stores

LONDON: British luxury fashion brand Burberry report-ed a drop in first-half sales yesterday, hitting its sharesas weak demand from US department stores offset asurge in sales in its home market as tourists tookadvantage of a lower pound. The stock, one of the bestperformers since Britain voted to leave the EuropeanUnion on June 23 in anticipation the company wouldbenefit from a slide in the pound, dropped as much as9 percent, its biggest one day fall for four years.

Burberry, which makes more than 80 percent of itssales abroad, said a 30 percent jump in UK saleshelped it generate a 2 percent rise in comparableretail sales in the second quarter, its first growth inthat measure for four quarters. But total sales fell 4percent on an underlying basis to 1.16 billion pounds($1.44 billion) in the six months ended September, asits stores performance was dampened by a fall inwholesale and licensing revenues.

“Foreign exchange benefits aside, Burberry strug-gles to drive meaningful growth,” broker Liberum said,adding it expected no improvement in the second halfas US department store demand remained depressed.It has a “sell” rating on Burberry stock. The shares hit a14-month high on Friday, partly in anticipation of acurrency-related lift to sales and profit.

Burberry said if sterling remained at the level ofOct. 12, adjusted annual profit would be boosted bysome 125 million pounds. Citi analysts said the tail-wind from the weaker pound, albeit it broadly in linewith its expectations, provided “welcome breathingroom in a difficult year”. They are “neutral” on the stock.

LONDON SHOPPERSChief Financial Officer Carol Fairweather said there

had been strong demand from both consumers andtourists in Britain since the Brexit vote for productsincluding a bridle bag that was available to buy imme-diately after it appeared on the runway in September.“The Chinese are very much part of that, but alltourists are up in this quarter, the US as well,” she said.

“(They are) clearly influenced by foreign exchangerates movements but they are also really respondingto everything they are seeing in the stores.” Britain,where the trench-coat maker incurs about 40 percentof its costs, accounted for about 15 percent of sales inthe half year, she said, up from about 10 percent previ-ously.But markets further afield continued to struggle,particularly Hong Kong, which saw double-digit falls,and the United States, where department stores werehaving a “difficult time,” Fairweather said.

Burberry said wholesale revenue fell by a mid-teens percentage in the half year, and it expected lit-tle or no improvement in the rest of the year. Thecompany, which added actress Lily James to its list ofmodels in the summer, has been working to improveits stores, where sales margins have lagged luxuryindustry rivals. — Reuters

Rosneft’s partner in Essar

deal likely to sell stake

MOSCOW: Russian private investment group UnitedCapital Partners (UCP), which is teaming up with oilgiant Rosneft to buy India’s Essar Oil in a $12.9 billiondeal, said it may sell its stake within five years. Thepurchase of Essar Oil, by Russia’s state-owned Rosneftand a consortium of UCP and global oil traderTrafigura, will be the biggest foreign acquisition everin India and Russia’s largest overseas deal. Thetakeover, agreed on Saturday, is expected to be com-pleted in the next few months.

The chief executive of Russian lender VTB, whichadvised on the deal, has said it was specially struc-tured to ensure it was not affected by Western sanc-tions imposed on Rosneft and its boss Igor Sechin, anally of Russian leader Vladimir Putin. Since Rosneftwill control only 49 percent of Essar under the deal,with Trafigura and UCP jointly holding another 49percent, the sanctions risk is mitigated.

But the structure has raised questions aboutwhether UCP and Trafigura will cede their shares toRosneft once sanctions are lifted or eased, givingSechin full control over the acquisition.

The sanctions were imposed over Moscow’sannexation of Crimea and support for separatistrebels in eastern Ukraine. “We do not plan to sell ourstake to anyone in the near future,” Irina Lanina, adirector of UCP, said in a written response to Reuters’questions. “We plan to make this investment in a con-sortium with our partner Trafigura and are likely toexit together with them as well. As of now, we arelooking at (remaining in Essar) for 3-5 years but timewill tell,” Lanina said. — Reuters

ANKARA: Turkey will miss its official eco-nomic growth forecasts for the next threeyears, a Reuters poll suggested, with sever-al economists putting the blame on fallinginvestment due to the government delay-ing long-awaited structural reforms. Thepoll taken over the last week of 27 econo-mists based in and outside Turkey predict-ed a 3.0 percent expansion this year, belowthe government’s forecast of 3.2 percent.

Growth is expected to pick up to 3.2percent next year and 3.5 percent in 2018,well below Ankara’s targets of 4.4 percentand 5 percent, respectively. “We don’texpect a significant recovery in privateinvestment unless there is progress in thestructural reform roadmap. The structuralreforms have not been carried out yet, and

this will have a negative impact on invest-ments,” said Muammer Komurcuoglu, econ-omist at Is Invest.

“For this reason, our growth forecastsare below the government’s targets,” hesaid. Since last week, when the govern-ment extended by another three monthsthe state of emergency it imposed after anattempted coup in July, the lira has beentrading near historical lows. Turkey ’sinvolvement in the fight against IslamicState in Syria and Iraq has also weighed onthe lira and driven down tourism revenues.

July’s failed coup has hurt the economy.Tourism has also taken a battering this yearas tension between Turkey and Russia anda spate of bombings have led to a fall intourist arrivals. — Reuters

CAIRO: Borrowing a cup of sugar from yourneighbor has rarely been so contentious inEgypt. At supermarkets across the country sugarhas all but vanished, prompting media talk of acrisis and pushing the state to rapidly increaseimports despite an acute dollar shortage andsoaring global prices of the sweetener.

Egypt consumes around 3 million tons ofsugar annually but produces just over 2 milliontons, with the gap filled by imports, usuallybetween July and October when local beet andsugar cane supplies have wound down. Buttraders said high global sugar prices, whichsurged 50 percent over the past year, combinedwith a rising black market rate for dollars hasmade it too expensive and risky for manyimporters to obtain sugar in recent months.

Importers have no choice but to turn to theblack market to get dollars, as banks ration mea-gre supplies, paying 15 Egyptian pounds ormore per dollar versus an official rate of 8.8. Atsuch rates, more and more traders say they canno longer buy. “No one is willing to source dol-lars for this. It is way too expensive,” one sugartrader said. In the absence of steady imports,sugar supplies have all but dried up, shop own-ers, commodity traders, and producers of sugaryfoodstuffs told Reuters.

“It’s been four weeks since we’ve had sugar atany of the branches,” said Aly Ibrahim Aly, a man-ager at Metro Market, one of Egypt’s largestsupermarket chains. Other shops across Cairotold Reuters they were getting just a small frac-tion of their needs, with stocks sold out withinthe hour they arrive as customers fight overbags that have doubled in price in recent weeks.

“I just want to make a cup of tea and I can’t,”one shopkeeper said. He echoed growing com-plaints from the public about rising prices andshortages even as the country looks to imple-ment further austerity measures ahead of a $12billion IMF lending program granted preliminaryapproval in August.

BLANK CHEQUETraders describe the current sugar shortage

as partly self-inflicted, the result of delayed gov-ernment reaction to conflicting policy pro-

nouncements. The Ministry of Supply said inJune that the country had sugar reserves to sat-isfy demand for a year. In August, it reneged, say-ing it needed 500,000 tons to make it untilFebruary, the start of the next harvest.

An arm of the supply ministry boughtaround 225,000 tons of sugar in August fromstate-owned factories, earmarking for govern-ment outlets stocks that normally supply theprivate sector, traders told Reuters. The privatesector has struggled to procure adequate quan-tities since then.

“All the sugar is being dedicated to the gov-ernment subsidy program and nothing is goingto the private sector,” the sugar trader said, refer-ring to government-run supermarkets that sellsubsidized sugar. “One company basically

offered us a blank cheque and said do whateverit takes to get it,” he added.

Ultimately they couldn’t find any, he said.Egypt’s state grain buyer GASC has issued sever-al sugar tenders over the past two months, buy-ing about 250,000 tons so far.

GASC’s recent tenders have called for white,as opposed to raw, sugar in order to bypasslocal refinement and head straight to supermar-ket shelves. That cuts time but adds an $80-$100 dollar per ton premium, traders said.Supply Minister Mohamed Ali El-Sheikh said lastweek that Egypt had enough sugar stocks tocover demand for four months - but the manag-er of one government-run supermarket toldReuters yesterday that he had been out of stockfor four days. — Reuters

FRANKFURT: Eurozone banks offeredimproved conditions for repayment of loansand saw increased demand for credit in thethird quarter, the European Central Bank saidyesterday.

The ECB surveyed loan officers at 141 banksacross the 19-nation eurozone about thedemand they were experiencing, the condi-tions of loans once granted and their criteriafor lending to households or businesses.Boosted by high consumer confidence andlow interest rates, banks said that both house-holds’ and businesses’ demand for credit grewin the third quarter.

With both those impulses persisting intothe fourth quarter, the ECB expects theupward trend in demand to continue throughto December.

Meanwhile, banks granted better repay-ment conditions to both businesses andhouseholds in July to September, comparedwith the previous three months, although theimprovement in terms on household mort-

gages was slower than in the second quarter.Banks loosened their criteria for taking onhouseholds as clients but did not do the samefor businesses.

In fact, some of the respondents said theyexpect to toughen their rules on the business-es they are prepared to lend money to in thefinal quarter of 2016. Yesterday’s report “con-firms that the conditions are, in general, inplace for a further recovery in bank lending,”Natixis bank economist Johannes Gareis said.

But the “cautious signal” from banks ontightening conditions for businesses “has to bewatched carefully,” he added. Using historiclow interest rates, interest-free loans to banksand 80 billion euros ($87.9 billion) per monthof cash injections into the financial system, theECB has for many months sought to boostdemand for credit and banks’ willingness tooffer it.More lending to the real economy willmean more spending, pushing the rate of infla-tion towards the ECB’s target of just below 2.0percent, the central bankers calculate. — AFP

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2016

B U S I N E S S

Shelves go bare in Egypt as sugar prices skyrocket

Govt rapidly increasing tenders to import more

ECB says borrowing easier for eurozone households

DUBAI: Several disappointing third-quarter results from large Saudi Arabiancompanies dragged on the kingdom’sstock index yesterday, while most otherGulf markets edged up in modest trade.Egypt pulled back in falling volumes.Riyadh’s index fell 1.9 percent, with sell-ing momentum intensifying in the finalhour. Saudi Arabian Mining Co(Maaden) fell 1.8 percent after it posteda 4.6 percent rise in third-quarter netprofit to 83.6 million riyals ($22.3 mil-lion), below analysts’ average forecast of122.7 million riyals.

National Industrialization Co (Tasnee)swung to a net profit of 122.2 millionriyals from a loss of 296.3 million riyals inthe prior-year period. But NCB Capitalsaid the result was 18 percent below itsexpectation and the stock slumped byits daily limit of 10 percent.

Chief Executive Mutlaq Al-Morisheddenied a Bloomberg report that thefirm had stopped making payments ona $1 billion loan. “Ask any bank. This istotally inaccurate. We did not default ordelay any payments. Take my word: wedo not suspend a billion dollars,” hetold reporters.

In an interview with Al-Arabiya televi-sion, he said Tasnee had begun informaltalks with local banks to refinance theloan at better terms, as it had done witha 7 billion riyal facility for its Cristal sub-sidiary earlier this year, with negotia-tions set to last at least six months.

Saudi Fertilizer Co (SAFCO) fell 4.2percent to 62.75 riyals after it posted a68 percent decline in third-quarter netprofit to 181.4 million riyals, missinganalysts’ prediction of 249.2 millionriyals. NCB Capital said this was SAFCO’slowest net income on record, blamingweak gross margins and lower incomefrom Ibn Al-Baytar, a joint venture withSaudi Basic Industries . NCB remains“neutral” on the stock with a 63.40 riyaltarget. Sahara Petrochemical tumbled5.2 percent after posting a 13 percent

drop in net income. Banks were mixedwith Al-Rajhi Bank adding 1.0 percentafter it reported a 16.7 percent rise inprofit, meeting forecasts; it was the firstmajor bank in Saudi Arabia to reporthigher profits for the third quarter.

Analysts at Riyad Capital said therewas no major increase in bad loan provi-sions at the retail-focused bank in thethird quarter, contrary to many of its cor-porate-focused peers.

Samba Financial Group dropped 2.1after it reported a 2.2 percent drop inquarterly net profit, in line with fore-casts. Saudi Hollandi Bank recorded a46.7 percent fall in profit to 262.8 mil-lion riyals; analysts had forecast 506.4million riyals. Its shares slumped 6.7percent. The first Saudi telecommunica-tions operator to report third-quarterresults, Zain Saudi, fell 5.8 percent afterit reported a third-quarter loss of 267million riyals. That was in line withexpectations but quarterly revenueshrank 7 percent.

UAE REBOUNDS, EGYPT SLIPSDubai’s index rose 1.4 percent with

attention focused on small and mid-sized shares as large-caps have yet toreport third-quarter results. BuilderArabtec climbed 3.0 percent and UnionProperties added 2.3 percent. In AbuDhabi, First Gulf Bank, which has beenvolatile in recent days, gained 3.8 per-cent. The main index closed 1.2 per-cent higher.

Qatar’s index rose 0.6 percent as 85percent of the traded shares advanced.Qatar National Bank, which reportedstrong earnings last week, added 1.3percent. In Cairo, the index edged down0.4 percent. Trading volumes wereroughly half of those hit on Monday.

Global Telecom Holding, a stockfavoured by international investors, lost4.4 percent and private equity firmQalaa Holdings closed down 4.4 per-cent. — Reuters

Saudi hit by weak Q3 results, UAE rebounds

MIDEAST STOCK MARKETS

Turkey’s economy to miss official growth targets

LONDON: World stocks forged higher yesterdayon uncertainty over the future path for US inter-est rate hikes, while London shrugged off newsof surging inflation. Asian indices advanced asinvestors weighed the prospect of a US rateincrease, and on the eve of key economicgrowth data in powerhouse economy China.

In Europe, the FTSE 100 index of leadingBritish shares was up 1 percent at 7,018 whileGermany’s DAX rose 1.2 percent at 10,632. TheCAC-40 in France was 1.3 percent higher at4,507. US stocks were poised for a solid open-ing, with Dow futures and the broader S&P 500futures up 0.5 percent.

There are a number of events over the rest of

the week that could impinge on investor senti-ment. Particularly interesting to traders will bethird-quarter growth data out of China today.Worries over the Chinese economy have sur-faced on several occasions this year to keep sen-timent in check. Annual growth is expected tobe steady at 6.7 percent. Anything substantiallybelow that could prompt some jitters and bereflected across financial assets.

“Markets appear optimistic going into riskevents including tonight’s China GDP growthupdate, today’s final Trump vs Clinton debateand tomorrow’s ECB policy decision,” saidMike van Dulken, head of research atAccendo Markets.

The main focus of attention later in the daywill be the release of US inflation data forSeptember. The consensus in the markets is thatthe headline rate edged higher to 1.5 percent,while the core rate, which strips out volatileitems such as food and energy, held steady at2.3 percent. The dollar’s near-term fortunescould hinge on whether those numbers arehigher or lower than anticipated. A higher num-ber will likely cement expectations that theFederal Reserve will raise interest rates againthis year, and that could give the dollar a boost.Anything lower could have the opposite effect.

In Europe, Frankfurt, London and Paris equi-ties also pushed higher, as the faltering dollar

lifted the energy and mining sectors, deal-ers said. “Equities are pointing north againtoday, buoyed by Fed rate hike uncertaintytaking the dollar from its highs,” said Mikevan Dulken, head of research at tradingfirm Accendo Markets.

“This, along with... UK inflation data, ishelping materials prices-notably Brentcrude oil holding above $51 — and thusenergy/miners,” he said. British annualinflation surged to a near two-year high of1.0 percent in September, official datashowed yesterday, as a tumbling poundraised prices of imported goods andattracted tourists.

ECB policy Meanwhile a weaker greenback makes

dollar-priced commodities cheaper forbuyers using stronger currencies, whichboosts demand and prices. In turn, thattranslates into rising revenues, profits andshare prices for the broader resources sec-tor. The gains came amid unease over thisweek’s key events that also include the lastUS presidential debate and a EuropeanCentral Bank monetary policy meeting.

Wall Street pulled back on Monday,despite better-than-expected earningsresult from Bank of America. A below-parreading Monday on manufacturing inNew York offset news that overall factoryproduction grew for the third time infour months.

While investors globally expect USinterest rates will rise by the end of theyear, the figures tempered expectationsabout the pace of rises after December.Fed Vice Chairman Stanley Fischer saidinterest rates would likely be suppressedby several factors, including weak eco-

nomic growth at home and abroad andlow corporate investment.

The news added to downward pressureon the dollar, which fell against the yen,euro and even the pound in New York. Andwhile it edged back against the yen onTuesday, it continued to struggle againstthe euro and pound.

Attention turns to the releaseWednesday of Chinese third-quarter eco-nomic growth figures, with an AFP surveypredicting a slowdown from the previousthree months. The figures will be closelywatched after last week’s disappointingChina trade results were tempered by abetter-than-expected inflation reading.

The growth figures will be followed lat-er in the day by the third US debate in abitter presidential election campaign,while the ECB holds a policy meetingtomorrow.

ECB chief Mario Draghi will be underpressure to clarify the bank’s plans afterinvestors were spooked by talk of an endto its stimulus program.

Asian markets climbed yesterday asmixed readings on the US economy andcomments from a top Federal Reserve offi-cial raised expectations that US interestrate rises would be gradual.

Regional stock markets rallied on theprospect of rates staying low for longer.Tokyo ended 0.4 percent higher as the dol-lar pared early losses against the yen.Hong Kong ended 1.6 percent higher andShanghai closed up 1.4 percent.Sydneygained 0.4 percent and Seoul put on 0.6percent, while Singapore was up 0.1 per-cent. Manila surged 2.9 percent, whilethere were also healthy gains in Taipei andJakarta. — Agencies

World markets climb on Fed uncertaintyB U S I N E S S

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2016

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2016

B U S I N E S S

BEIJING: Chinese banks extended 1.22trillion yuan ($181 billion) in new loansin September, well above expectationsand capping a record nine-month lend-ing spree despite growing concernsabout the risks from the country’s bal-looning debt. Much of the loan growthin recent months has been driven by arapid rise in home mortgages, as China’ssizzling housing market drives a buyingfrenzy that authorities are now trying toclamp down on without triggering aprice collapse.

China’s credit growth has been “veryfast” by global standards, and without acomprehensive strategy to tackle thedebt overhang there is a growing risk itwill have a banking crisis or sharply slow-er growth or both, the InternationalMonetary Fund said in a working paperlast week.

Analysts polled by Reuters hadexpected new lending to increase mod-estly to 1 trillion yuan in September,after more than doubling in August to948.7 billion yuan. Loans over the firstnine months of the year were a record10.16 trillion yuan ($1.51 trillion), accord-ing to central bank data on Tuesday.

In September alone, new housingloans to individuals totalled 475.9 billionyuan, some 76 percent higher than thesame period last year, Ruan Jianhong, acentral bank official said in a newsrelease.

Personal mortgages accounted for 39

percent of all new lending last month,based on Reuters calculations using cen-tral bank data.

CREDIT GROWTHIn a further sign that authorities are

keeping the system awash with money tosupport economic growth, broad M2money supply grew 11.5 percent inSeptember from a year earlier, slightlybelow forecasts but up from August’s 11.4percent rise. Outstanding yuan loans grew13 percent by end-September on anannual basis. Outstanding loans had beenforecast to rise 12.9 percent, while moneysupply was seen up 11.6 percent.

China’s debt has soared to 250 percentof GDP and the Bank for InternationalSettlements (BIS) warned in Septemberthat a banking crisis was looming in thenext three years. “Credit booms, evenstealth mini ones, have a stair-step effecton the credit-to-GDP ratio, which at 250percent China can ill afford,” Tim Condon,ING’s chief Asia economist, wrote in arecent note.

However, Condon believes the recentcredit boom driven by lending for govern-ment debt swaps has already peaked. Forsimilar reasons, Capital Economics alsobelieves credit growth has been easing inrecent months, while acknowledging thatit remains rapid compared with a fewyears ago.

Strong lending has also been driven byBeijing’s push to have local governments

participate in debt swaps, which areaimed at reducing their interest paymentsand freeing up more money for economicdevelopment at the municipal level.

“It will take time for this more cautiouspolicy stance to impact economic growth,”said Capital Economics’ China economistJulian Evans-Pritchard said in a note.

“Indeed, in coming months the econo-my may continue to propped up by earlierpolicy easing. However, a slower expan-sion in credit is likely to prove a majorheadwind to growth next year.”

Total social financing (TSF), a broadmeasure of credit and liquidity in theeconomy, rose to 1.72 trillion yuan inSeptember from 1.47 trillion yuan inAugust. TSF includes off-balance sheetforms of financing that exist outside theconventional bank lending system, suchas initial public offers, loans from trustcompanies and bond sales.

M1 money supply, which includes cashand short-term deposits, rose 24.7 percentin September from a year earlier, versusAugust’s 25.3 percent rise. A widening gapbetween M1 and M2 growth has fuelledconcerns about a “liquidity trap” in theeconomy where companies remain waryof investing regardless of how much stim-ulus policymakers pump into the system.

Central bank Governor ZhouXiaochuan said earlier this month thatrisks in China’s banking system are con-trollable even as bad loans increase. Butgrowing risks of a property bubble have

reinforced expectations that the centralbank will be in no rush to ease policy soonby cutting interest rates or banks’ reserverequirements (RRR) further.

“Although we expect economic growthto slow again in the fourth quarter, the(property) tightening measures taken bylocal governments suggest that short-term policy is now focused on reining-in

the surge in home prices rather thanboosting growth,” analysts at Nomura saidin a note.

“Against this backdrop, room for thePBOC to further cut interest rates or theRRR this year is limited. As such, weremove our call for one more interest ratecut and one more RRR cut through therest of this year.” —Reuters

China Sept new yuan loans surge to 1.22tn yuan

SANYA: In this picture taken on October 12, 2016, workers weld pieces ofmetal in a shop in Sanya. China’s growth slipped to a seven-year low of6.6 percent in the third quarter, according to an AFP survey, despiteample stimulus and a red-hot property market in the world’s second-largest economy. —AFP

WASHINGTON: US consumer prices recordedtheir biggest gain in five months in Septemberas the cost of gasoline and rents surged, point-ing to a steady build-up of inflation that couldkeep the Federal Reserve on track to raise inter-est rates in December.

The Labor Department said yesterday itsConsumer Price Index increased 0.3 percent lastmonth after rising 0.2 percent in August. In the12 months through September, the CPI acceler-ated 1.5 percent, the biggest year-on-yearincrease since October 2014. The CPI rose 1.1percent in the year to August. “Today’s inflationdata are not hot enough to put a rate hike up onthe table next month, but it is also true theeconomy is strong enough to generate someinflation pressures,” said Chris Rupkey, chiefeconomist at MUFG Union Bank in New York.

Last month’s increase in the CPI was in linewith economists’ expectations. But underlyinginflation showed signs of moderating amid aslowdown in the pace of increases in healthcarecosts after recent robust gains. The so-calledcore CPI, which strips out food and energy costs,gained 0.1 percent last month after climbing 0.3percent in August. That slowed the year-on-yearincrease in the core CPI to 2.2 percent following

a 2.3 percent rise in August.The dollar extended losses after the data,

while Treasury prices turned higher. The retreatin the monthly core CPI reading will probably dolittle to change the view that the Fed will raiseinterest rates at its December meeting. The UScentral bank has a 2 percent inflation target andtracks an inflation measure which is hovering at1.7 percent. The Fed lifted its short-term interestrate last December and has held it steady sincebecause of persistently low inflation.

Last month, gasoline prices jumped 5.8 per-cent after falling 0.9 percent in August. Gasolineaccounted for more than half of the increase inthe CPI last month. Americans also paid more forelectricity, with prices posting their biggest gainsince December 2014. Households, however, gotsome relief from food prices, which wereunchanged for a third straight month. The costof food consumed at home declined for a fifthstraight month.

Within the core CPI basket, housing costs rosefurther in September. Owners’ equivalent rent ofprimary residence increased 0.4 percent, thelargest gain since October 2006, after rising 0.3percent in August. Medical care costs rose 0.2percent last month after surging 1.0 percent in

August. The cost of hospital services wasunchanged, while prices for prescription medi-cine rose 0.8 percent.

The government revised prices for prescrip-tion drugs from May through August this year asincorrect data had been used to calculate pricechanges. Prescription medicine accounts forabout 1.4 percent of the CPI basket.

Meanwhile, US homebuilders’ confidenceeased this month after surging to the highestlevel in nearly a year in September. Even so,builders remain optimistic overall about salesgrowth in months ahead, a reflection of howsteady job gains are leading more Americans tobuy newly built homes. The National Associationof Home Builders/Wells Fargo builder sentimentindex released yesterday fell two points thismonth to 63 following a reading of 65 inSeptember.

Readings above 50 indicate more buildersview sales conditions as good rather than poor.The index has held above 60 the past twomonths after hovering at 58 earlier this year.Builders’ view of current sales and a gauge oftraffic by prospective buyers declined. Their out-look for sales over the next six monthsincreased. —Agencies

Rising gasoline and rents push US inflation higher

Homebuilder sentiment rises in October

The headquarters of investment banking and securities firm Goldman Sachsin lower Manhattan, in New York. —AFP

NEW YORK: Goldman Sachs Group Increported much bigger profits yesterdaythan Wall Street had been expecting,helped by a substantial rebound in bondtrading.

Goldman, the fifth-largest US bank byassets, has historically been more relianton bond trading than its peers, but thebusiness has been suffering for years fromweak volumes and costly financial reformrules. However, the third quarter was agood one for bond trading revenue acrossWall Street, thanks to Britain’s surprisevote to quit the European Union anduncertainty about monetary policy in theUnited States and elsewhere. Goldmanjoined JPMorgan Chase & Co, Citigroup Incand Bank of America Corp in reportingstronger results from the business.

Goldman’s revenue f rom tradingfixed-income securities, commoditiesand currencies jumped 34 percent, to$1.96 billion, from the third quarter of2015. It was the biggest contributor tooveral l net revenue, which was a lsohelped by big gains in Goldman’s invest-ing and lending business.

The bank generated $2.1 billion in netincome for common shareholders, up 58percent from the year-earlier period. Itwas the bank’s second straight rise inquarterly profit after four quarters ofdecline. Earnings per share rose to $4.88from $2.90, par tly because Goldmanbought back roughly 22 million of its ownshares over that time. Analysts on averagehad expected earnings of $3.82 per share,according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.

Chief Executive Lloyd Blankfeindescribed it as “solid performance” acrossGoldman’s franchise. Goldman’s shares,which have fallen 6.2 percent this year,

were up 1.9 percent at $172.21 in earlytrading. Its chief rival, Morgan Stanley, isdue to report results today, wrapping upwhat has been a better-than-expectedreporting period for big US banks. In addi-tion to revenue gains, Goldman washelped by keeping a lid on costs. The banklaunched an efficiency program earlierthis year, with the goal of reducing annualexpenses by $700 million.

Operating expenses rose 10 percentcompared to a 19 percent rise in revenue,and staff levels were down 5 percent overthe year-earlier period. Goldman’s return-on-equity - a closely watched measure ofhow well a bank uses shareholder moneyto generate profit - was 11.2 percent inthe quarter. Those returns have beenweighed down by higher capital require-ments imposed following the 2007-2009financial crisis. Analysts and investorsgenerally expect big banks to producereturns of at least 10 percent to meettheir basic cost of capital.

Revenue from investments and loansGoldman makes with its own balancesheet more than doubled, to $1.4 billion.The bank attributed the rise to higherstock market values.

Investment banking revenue, whichincludes income from advising on merg-ers and acquisitions as well as underwrit-ing bond and share offerings, fell 1.2 per-cent to $1.54 billion. Goldman topped allbanks globally in M&A fees in the quarter,a s low one for deals, but trai ledJPMorgan in revenue from underwritingbond and equity offerings, according toThomson Reuters data. Its investmentmanagement division generated revenueof $1.49 billion, up 4 percent from theyear-ago period. —Reuters

Goldman Sachs profit beats expectations

LONDON: British inflation recorded its biggestjump in two years last month, setting the tonefor a steep rise in prices over the coming yearas sterling’s post-Brexit plunge squeezeshousehold finances. Annual consumer priceinflation rose to 1.0 percent in September from0.6 percent in August - a leap not seen sinceJune 2014, official figures showed yesterday.The rate of inflation was its highest sinceNovember that year.

There was no direct evidence that sterling’snear 20 percent slide against the US dollarsince the referendum decision to leave theEuropean Union was the driver of September’sprice jump, the Office for National Statisticssaid. But economists said it would be a grow-ing factor in the months ahead as the weakerpound pushes up the cost of imports. “Withwage growth more or less steady, the rise ininflation over the last year has already takenabout a percentage point off real incomegrowth,” HSBC economist Liz Martins said.

More price rises will eat into the spendingpower of consumers who have so far provenresilient to the Brexit shock. The ResolutionFoundation think tank warned that Britonswere likely to suffer a return to falling wages inreal terms, something which blighted theeconomy in the years following the financialcrisis until late 2014.

Sterling rose briefly against the dollar andBritish government bond prices fell after thestronger-than-expected figures which will fur-ther dampen expectations that the Bank ofEngland will cut interest rates again this year.Governor Mark Carney last week said the BoEcould tolerate “a bit” of an overshoot against its2 percent inflation target, to help accommo-date economic growth and employment.

INFLATION WARNING SIGNSThe BoE said in August that inflation would

hit its 2 percent target in around a year andthen overshoot it for the next couple of years.Many economists now expect sterling’s latestfall could push inflation to around 3 percentand that, combined with signs that the econo-my did not suffer an immediate Brexit slump, islikely to put the BoE off a further rate cut thisyear. As recently as last month, the BoE said arate cut was still likely.

“The bigger-than-expected drop in sterlinghas done a lot of the work for the Bank ofEngland,” said Berenberg Bank economistKallum Pickering, adding that he only expecteda rate cut if economic conditions deteriorate.Most of the rise in inflation in September wasdue to the biggest monthly jump in clothingprices since 2010 and a rise in fuel costs, whichhad been falling a year earlier. —Reuters

Ryanair cuts profit forecast but says demand growing

DUBLIN: Ryanair cut its annual profit forecast yes-terday due to a weaker pound, but its share pricerose after it said it expected to boost its marketshare in the coming months by selling more ticketsat cheaper prices.

Europe’s largest low-cost airline, which expectssterling to account for a quarter of its earnings thisyear, said an 18 percent slide in the pound against thedollar following the country’s vote to leave theEuropean Union had forced it to cut its profit forecastby 5 percent. Fare prices may drop by between 13percent and 15 percent, it said. The airline said itexpects net profit for the year to March 31 ofbetween 1.3 billion euros ($1.46 billion) and 1.35 bil-lion euros, down from a previous forecast of 1.375 bil-lion euros to 1.425 billion euros.

The mean forecast of 16 analysts polled byReuters ahead of the profit warning was 1.38 billioneuros. Ryanair’s warning follows a number of similarstatements from rivals including low-cost carriereasyJet and British Airways-owner IAG andGermany ’s Lufthansa. Chief Executive MichaelO’Leary said the reduced forecast “remains heavilydependent upon no further weakness in second-halffares or sterling from its current levels.” Having fallen0.5 percent in early trading, Ryanair shares were up3.5 percent at 0933 GMT after O’Leary told analyststhat he expected Ryanair’s sales and market share togrow in the coming months.

“We are in a low-fare environment, but we like low-fare environments because we are the lowest-cost pro-ducer,” O’Leary said. “We are taking very significant traf-fic away from incumbents ... and we see that continu-ing.” Ryanair’s policy is to maintain passenger numberswhatever the fare and then earn money on extras suchas fees for choosing seats and on-board refreshments.

O’Leary said Ryanair planned to increase passengernumbers to 119 million from an earlier forecast of 117million, piling further pressure on competitors. Ryanairis currently receiving around 50 planes a year fromBoeing and O’Leary said he would consider addingmore planes than scheduled in 2018 or 2019. RivaleasyJet, which depends on the UK for around half ofsales, has already cut its profit forecast by a quarter forthe year to Sept. 30 in the wake of the Brexit vote.

British airline Monarch last week was kept alive by a165 million pound ($205.18 million) bailout frominvestors, having warned in September that securityconcerns and the devaluation of the pound had mademarket conditions difficult. “Tough trading conditionsare an opportunity to make strategic progress at theexpense of weaker competitors,” Liberium analystGerald Khoo said in a note. —Reuters

UK inflation surge likely a taste of more to come

LONDON: Shoppers walking past a branch of clothing retailer Topshop onOxford Street in central London. British annual inflation surged to a near two-year high of 1.0 percent in September, official data showed yesterday. —AFP

B U S I N E S SWEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2016

KUWAIT: Dedicated to helping profes-sionals in the payments industry to con-tinuously enhance their skill sets and stayup-to-date on industry trends, theBahrain Institute of Banking & Finance -BIBF’s Payments Academy and Mastercardhave announced a first-of-its-kind collab-oration in Bahrain.

The BIBF is the training arm of theCentral Bank of Bahrain and the region’spremier training and developmentprovider, recognized for the value,thought leadership and quality of its pro-grams. As part of the collaboration withBIBF’s Payments Academy, MastercardAcademy Middle East and Africa (MEA)will develop an engaging academic andtraining module designed to enhancetechnical performance and leadershipqualities for professionals in the financialsector. Speaking about the program,

Raghav Prasad, General Manager for GulfCountries, Mastercard, said: “We are excit-ed to see our shared efforts in honingintellectual and technical capabilities inBahrain improve customer satisfactionand effectiveness of financial services.The collaboration will emerge as animportant component in countries look-ing to boost education and build a knowl-edge-based economy.”

The BIBF’s Head of Banking andAccounting, Deen Jayah also stated, “TheAcademy is an initiative taken by the BIBFto fill a gap that prevailed in the financialservices to upskill staff talent within thepayments sector. This initiative wouldintroduce latest industry-related trainingcourses that will not only be used to trainexisting staff but bring new talent fromBahrain and the GCC region to the pay-ment sector, giving them new career

opportunities in the process.” Since its inception in 1981, the BIBF

has been committed to providing qualityeducation across major business disci-plines, thereby playing a crucial role inhuman capital development in the coun-try. It currently offers over 300 differentcourses to the financial and corporatemarket, and enrolls close to 20,000trainees annually.

Mastercard is proud to invest in skilldevelopment across Middle East andAfrica and create a growing pool of quali-fied human resources that will guide thefuture of the financial sector in this partof the world. It is geared towards increas-ing thought leadership in a regionendowed with the energies and creativi-ty of youth, and will continue to harnesstheir talents to realize its vision of a‘World Beyond Cash’.

Mastercard, BIBF partner to spur skill development in financial sector

(Left to right) Solveig Nicklos, BIBF Director and Raghav Prasad, GM for GulfCountries, Mastercard.

KUWAIT: Huawei 1st Innovation Day in theMiddle East, a conference organized on the side-lines of GITEX 2016, saw participation of keydecision makers from the local, regional andinternational ICT and enterprise organizationswho came together to discuss how ICT is shap-ing the future of the region.

Under the theme “Leading New ICT - Shapethe Future”, industry leaders discussed the roleof ICT innovation in driving the digital transfor-mation agenda, supporting the development ofkey sectors and contributing to the achievementof national initiatives and visions across theregion. The event kicked off with a welcomeaddress by David Harmon, Vice-President ofGlobal Public Affairs at Huawei, in which hepraised GCC governments for setting a clear pri-ority to encourage an entrepreneurial societythat helps drive GDP growth, job prosperity andinnovative services that solve everyday prob-lems for their citizens.

The event included a panel discussion titled‘Leading New ICT - Shape the Future’, led byRoland Sladek, Vice President of International

Media Affairs at Huawei, and included a numberof leaders from across the spectrum of the ICTindustry, from government entities, operators,channels, partners and academia.

Innovation Day panelists included visionariesand global thought leaders including FerhadPatel, director of the Reseller ChannelOrganization for Asia Pacific and Japan at IntelCorporation; Marwan Abdulla Bin Dalmook,Senior Vice President, Managed ServicesOperations of Smart City and Smart GovernmentInitiative Lead at du; Fahem Al Nuaimi, CEO,Ankabut; Eric Woods, Research director atNavigant Research; Dr Anas Najdawi, Chair of e-Business program, Canadian University of Dubai;Safder Nazir, Regional VP, Smart Cities at Huawei;and Xiao Peng, CEO of Pegasus.

Huawei ME Innovation Day also saw thelaunch of Huawei’s Smart City Index, which wasdeveloped in collaboration with NavigantResearch and provided an assessment on thestate of smart readiness across Gulf States. Thestudy looked at ICT infrastructure in major citiesand evaluated their readiness for the next level

of smart city adoption. “Innovation has played akey role in Huawei’s success and expansion overthe last 30 years. The company has investedaround $30 billion just in the last ten years onresearch and development, and has launched 16R&D centers worldwide along with 36 joint inno-vation centers,” said Charles Yang, President ofHuawei Middle East. “Innovation is a fundamen-tal element in today’s intelligent revolution anda key enabler for ICT development. InnovationDay is a reflection of Huawei’s deep commit-ment to collaborate closely with all players fromacross the industry and to build an ecosystemthat brings closer to a better connected world.”

Spacelee, VP of Public Relations at HuaweiMiddle East, delivered a speech on the increas-ing focus by regional governments in develop-ing smart city initiatives and demonstrated howintelligent innovation is changing industries,skillsets and traditional ways of doing things.Governments are looking to ICT innovation tocreate more efficient services, provide conven-ience and ultimately ensure the safety and hap-piness of their people.

Industry leaders discuss impact of ICT innovation

Huawei Middle East Innovation Day

KUWAIT: Yusuf A Alghanim and SonsAutomotive, the exclusive distributor ofChevrolet vehicles in Kuwait, is proud tohost one of the biggest and most anticipat-ed car events of the year: the 50th launchanniversary of the legendary ChevroletCamaro. The action-packed event will takeplace at the Sirbb Circuit in Shuwaikh, onSaturday, October 22nd at 5pm, in cooper-ation with the Kuwait Camaro Club.

Chevrolet Alghanim elevates the excite-ment by bringing a one-of-a-kind lineup ofaccessorized Camaro models, giving visi-tors a glimpse of how even the lightest,leanest and meanest sports car can be per-sonalized around its driver’s unique tasteand personality. In addition to an acces-sorized lineup of other Chevrolet lineup,visitors will also get to marvel at theremarkable history of the Camaro in onefell swoop through the Legacy Generationdisplay along with the official reveal of the50th anniversary edition during the event.

To complement the thrill-driven spirit ofthe Camaro, Chevrolet Alghanim will pres-ent a heart-pumping “Performance Drive”

to showcase the amazing capabilities of thesixth-generation Camaro, such as its instan-taneous response to brake and stop withina remarkably short distance. On top of oth-er exciting activities and valuable prizes,the event will also feature the biggest num-ber of test drives performed in one day,which is an incredible feat given that audi-ence’s participation is a crucial componentin setting the record.

Released in 1967 to an immediateacclaim and attention, the Camaro has con-tinued to push the envelope for 50 years-through advanced performance technolo-gy, meticulous design and engineeringmastery-ultimately culminating in theintroduction of sixth-generation models.Indeed, with refinements that can be seenin every sculpted bodyline, felt in everyturn, and heard in the roar of the four avail-able powertrains, the sixth-generationCamaro heralds a new era of performance.

Chevrolet Alghanim invites its cus-tomers to mark the celebration in their cal-enderers and participate in one of must-go-to events of the year.

Chevrolet Alghanim celebrates50th anniversary of Camaro

Celebration in cooperation with Kuwait Camaro Club on Oct 22 at Sirbb Circuit

KUWAIT: Malabar Gold & Diamonds’ theprominent global jewellery retailer unveilsthe ‘Delightful Diwali’ campaign in Kuwaitcommencing from October 19, 2016. Thisseason, Malabar Gold & Diamonds show-cases the latest collection of gold, diamond& precious gems jewellery in their outlets,to celebrate this festive period.

Malabar Gold & Diamonds give theircustomers an opportunity to win big thisfestive season, making their Diwali adelightful one. Customers can win a guar-anteed gold coin or up to 500 gold coinsinstantly on purchase of gold jewelleryworth KD 200 via Scratch N Win coupons.

Adding to the above, customers also gettwo gram gold coin on diamond jewellerypurchase of KD 400 and a one gram goldcoin on purchase of diamond jewelleryworth KD 250.

Other exciting offers that customers canavail during the campaign are no makingcharges for 8 gram gold coins. Also, cus-tomers can protect the gold rate at MalabarGold & Diamonds on payment of 10% ofthe entire amount on the selected gold

jewellery. Furthermore, customers can availthe zero deduction offer on 22K (GCC) goldjewellery exchange as well. All the afore-mentioned offers are valid until Nov 5,2016. To add more glitter to this season,they have also unveiled the latest collec-tion of jewellery specially designed forDiwali in gold, diamonds and preciousgems to suit the tastes of their multicultur-al and multinational customers. MalabarGold & Diamonds has incorporated thesedesigns as a part of various brands present-ed at Malabar Gold & Diamonds’ namelyEthnix - Handcrafted Designer Jewellery,Era - Uncut Diamond Jewellery, Mine -Diamonds Unlimited, Divine- IndianHeritage Jewellery and Precia - PreciousGem Jewellery

Malabar Gold & Diamonds has alwaysbeen at the forefront in gold jewellerymanufacturing, wholesaling and retailingand plans on being the ‘most- preferred’jewellery retailer in the market in the com-ing years. The group strives to continueembarking on its journey by furtherexpanding in the near future.

Win up to 500 gold coins this Diwali at Malabar

Gold & Diamonds

KUWAIT: In line with its unceasing commitment toguarantee the safety and peace of mind of its cus-tomers, Yusuf A. Alghanim & Sons Automotive, theexclusive distributor of Chevrolet vehicles in Kuwait, isexcited announce its free winter checkup campaignon all Chevrolet vehicles being serviced at anyChevrolet service center, starting from October 16 tillNovember 30, 2016.

This special safety checkup entails a detailedinspection performed by a team of professionallytrained service advisors using the latest tools and tech-nology available for car inspection and service. Thecheckup covers the most important mechanical andelectrical components related to a car’s operation andsafety, including disk brakes, tire treads and pressure,car battery, windshield wipers, front and rear lights,suspension, shock absorbers and controlling sticks.

Once the checkup has been performed, customerswill receive a comprehensive report detailing the con-dition of the car, the required maintenance and pric-ing. With great discounts on spare parts and labor feeson maintenance cost and professional service, cus-tomers can enjoy driving their Chevy safely this win-ter-a season known to initiate car malfunctions andother mitigating effects due to the extremely lowtemperatures.

Chevrolet Alghanim encourages customers to takeadvantage of this free checkup before it’s too late andcertainly before their cars get untimely malfunctionedin the unbearably cold weather.

Customers can benefit from this amazing checkupoffer by visiting either the Shuwaikh Service Center,located in Shuwaikh Industrial Area, from Saturday toThursday, 7.00 am till 7:00pm, and Friday, 2:00pm till7:00 pm, or the Fahaheel Service Center, from Saturdayto Wednesday, 7:30 am till 1:00pm and from 2:00pm till6:00pm, and Thursday, from 7:30am till 1:00pm. Forappointments and enquiries, call customer center at24969000.

Prepare for winter with Chevrolet Alghanim free safety checkup campaign

MILAN: Italians worried about the stability oftheir banks have found a new place to puttheir money: The state-controlled post office.“Nobody knows where your money is safetoday,” says Leonardo Galli, a 58-year-oldaccountant who has resolved to move all hissavings out of his bank to a current accountwith Poste Italiane, one of many who aredeserting the banking sector.

“Poste Italiane is state controlled, this is asafeguard,” he explains. He already channelshis salary into a Poste Italiane account andpays his bills through a standing order madeat a post office branch a few steps away fromhis office. The 154-year-old Poste Italiane iswinning deposits as fast as some traditionallenders are losing them, attracting savers dis-illusioned with a banking system that isstraining under bad debts and appears to bein permanent crisis.

Alarmed by daily media reports about fal-tering bank rescue plans, savers have deposit-ed about 3 billion euros ($3.4 billion) in thepost office in the last six months alone.

Poste, owned 65 percent by the state andwith a network of 13,000 branches, reporteda 6.5 percent jump in deposits in the first halfof this year. They continued to grow in thethird quarter, a source at Poste Italiane said. Itis unclear how much of this money has beentaken from the banking sector, but troubledlenders such as Monte dei Paschi di Siena andBanca Carige leaked deposits at a similar rate,around 6 percent, in the same period.

For Galli, from the northern town of Como,Poste’s yellow-and-blue logo represents secu-rity and stability but it has other advantageshe could not find at his bank. In opening anaccount two years ago, he was attracted byPoste’s extensive network, low costs andoffices that opened on Saturday mornings. Hewas also pleased with the return on some

investments he made recently through Poste.“I have invested money in a fund and I

earned a yield my bank couldn’t match,” Gallisaid. He did not want to reveal the name of thelender, but said it was one of Italy’s major banks.

A HAVEN OR A RISK?What many of Poste Italiane’s savers do

not know is that the post office does not havea banking license, even though it takesdeposits and offers loans under the brand-name BancoPosta. And, in the event of a full-blown financial crisis, it may not be the finan-cial haven that some savers believe it to be.

BancoPosta does not subscribe to Italy’svoluntary fund to insure deposits, whichguarantees savers for up to 100,000 eurosdeposited into bank accounts. To protect itsdepositors, it says it has ring-fenced capitalequal to 1 billion euros and an extra buffer of400 million euros kept with the state treasury.

Under a presidential decree, BancoPostacan take deposits provided they are investedin eurozone sovereign bonds, but the postoffice’s deposit-taking arm has chosen toinvest almost entirely in Italian debt, at rough-ly 40 billion euros. In total, Poste Italiane hasmore than 60 percent of its assets tied up inItalian government debt, including anothernearly 80 billion euros held under the group’sinsurance arm. By contrast, Italy’s best-capital-ized major bank, Intesa Sanpaolo, invests 12.8percent of its assets in Italian state debt,including bonds held by its insurance arm.

Some analysts say Poste Italiane’s largeexposure to the state could increase if thegroup’s bid to buy an Italian fund manager,Pioneer Investments, is successful. Pioneer,currently held by Italy ’s largest lenderUniCredit , has a sizeable exposure to Italiandebt being one the country’s biggest assetmanagers. — Reuters

Italian savers bank on post office to survive next crisis

t e c h n o l o g yWEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2016

MANASSAS, VIRGINA: From the outside, the sin-gle-engine Cessna Caravan that took off from asmall airport here on Monday looked unremarkable.But inside the cockpit, in the right seat, a robot withspindly metal tubes and rods for arms and legs anda claw hand grasping the throttle, was doing the fly-ing. In left seat, a human pilot tapped commands tohis mute colleague using an electronic tablet.The demonstration was part of a government andindustry collaboration that is attempting to replacethe second human pilot in two-person flight crewswith robot co-pilots that never tire, get bored, feelstressed out or become distracted.

The program’s leaders even envision a day whenplanes and helicopters, large and small, will fly peo-ple and cargo without any human pilot on board.Personal robot planes may become a commonmode of travel. Consider it the aviation equivalentof the self-driving car.

The program, known as Aircrew Labor In-CockpitAutomation System or ALIAS, is funded by theDefense Advanced Research Projects Agency andrun by Aurora Flight Sciences, a private contractor.With both the military and airlines struggling withshortages of trained pilots, defense officials say theysee an advantage to reducing the number of pilotsrequired to fly large planes or helicopters while atthe same time making operations safer and more

efficient by having a robot step in to pick up themundane tasks of flying.

Taking over a lot of the workloadThe idea is to have the robot augment the

human pilot by taking over a lot of the workload,thus freeing the human pilot - especially in emer-gencies and demanding situations - to think strate-gically. “It’s really about a spectrum of increasingautonomy and how humans and robots worktogether so that each can be doing the thing thatits best at,” said John Langford, Aurora’s chairmanand CEO. Sophisticated computers flying planesaren’t new. In today’s airliners, the autopilot is onnearly the entire time the plane is in the air. Airlinepilots do most of their flying for brief minutes dur-ing takeoffs and landings, and even those criticalphases of flight could be handled by the autopilot.

But the ALIAS robot goes steps further. Forexample, an array of cameras allows the robot tosee all the cockpit instruments and read the gauges.It can recognize whether switches are in the on oroff position, and can flip them to the desired posi-tion. And it learns not only from its experience fly-ing the plane, but also from the entire history offlight in that type of plane.

The robot “can do everything a human can do”except look out the window, Langford said. But give

the program time and maybe the robot can beadapted to do that too, he said. In other ways, therobot is better than the human pilot, reacting fasterand with knowledge instantaneously available, ableto call up every emergency checklist for a possiblesituation, officials said.

It some ways, it will be like flying with a “co-pilotgenius,” Langford said. “The robot carries in them theDNA of every flight hour in that (aircraft) system,every accident,” he said. “It’s like having a humanpilot with 600,000 hours of experience.”

The ALIAS robot is designed to be a “drop-in”technology, ready for use in any plane or helicopter,even 1950s vintage aircraft built before electronics.But the robot faces a lot of hurdles before it’s readyto start replacing human pilots, not the least ofwhich is that it would require a massive rewrite ofFederal Aviation Administration safety regulations.Even small changes to FAA regulations often takeyears to make.

Elements of the ALIAS technology could beadopted within the next five years, officials said,much the way automakers are gradually addingautomated safety features that are the buildingblocks of self-driving technology to cars today. DanPatt, DARPA’s ALIAS program manager, said he thinksreplacing human pilots with robots is still a couple ofdecades away, but Langford said he believes the

transition will happen sooner than that.Pilot unions, however, are skeptical that robots

can replace humans in the cockpit. Keith Hagy, theAir Line Pilots Association’s director of engineeringand safety, pointed to instances of multiple systemfailures during flights where only through the heroicefforts of pilots able to improvise were lives saved. In2010, for example, an engine on a jumbo-sizedQantas airliner with 450 people on board blew up,firing shrapnel that damaged multiple other criticalaircraft systems and the plane’s landing gear. Theplane’s overloaded flight management systemresponded with a cascading series of emergencymessages for which there was no time to respond.By chance, there were five experienced pilots onboard - including three captains - who, workingtogether, were able to land the plane. But it was aclose call.

“Those are the kind of abnormal situations whenyou really need a pilot on board with that judgmentand experience and to make decisions,” Hagy said. “Arobot just isn’t going to have that kind of capability.”

David Strayer, a University of Utah professor ofcognition and neural science who has studied thehuman-machine interface, agreed. “Pilots are goingto make mistakes, but a skilled human in that con-text, their expertise is quite amazing,” he said. “It’s ahigh bar for the robot to meet.” —AP

Pilot in the cockpit may someday be a robot

85% of Businesses in UAE and Saudi Arabia

Feel Threatened by Digital Start-ups

Digital start-ups Business Obsolete Within 3-5 YearsDUBAI: 85% of businesses believe digital start-upswill pose a threat to their organization, either nowor in the future, according to new research fromDell Technologies. This phenomenon is propellinginnovative companies forward and accelerating thedemise of others. Almost half (45%) of businessessurveyed fear they may become obsolete in thenext three to five years due to competition fromdigital-born start-ups.

Some companies are feeling badly bruised bythe pace of change. More than half (54%) of busi-ness leaders have experienced significant disrup-tion in their industries over the past three yearsas a result of d igita l technologies and theInternet of Everything, and 44% of businessesdon’t know what their industry will look like inthree years’ time.

The findings result from an independent surveyby Vanson Bourne of 4,000 business leaders-frommid-size to large enterprises-across 16 countriesand 12 industries including UAE and Saudi Arabia

Patchy Progress or Digital Crisis looming?Some companies have barely started their digi-

tal transformation. Many have taken a piecemealapproach. Only a small minority have almost com-pleted their digital transformation. Only 7% ofbusinesses surveyed are performing critical digitalbusiness attributes* well. While only parts of manybusinesses are thinking and acting digitally, thevast majority (71%) admits digital transformationcould be more widespread throughout theirorganization.

Nearly two-thirds (63%) confess to not acting on

intelligence in real-time. Only 41% of businessesreported to meet customers top demand for bettersecurity, while only 46% of businesses said they canmeet the demand for 24/7 faster access to servicesand information

Dell Technologies’ Digital Transformation Indexsupplements the research and rates companiesbased on respondents’ perceived performanceabout their firms’ digital transformation. Accordingto the benchmark, only 4% of businesses in UAEand Saudi Arabia have catapulted themselves intothe Digital Leaders group1. Digital Leaders: 4% - digital transfor-

mation, in its various forms, is ingrained in theDNA of the business

2. Digital Adopters: 13% - have a mature digitalplan, investments and innovations in place

3. Digital Evaluators: 35% - cautiously and gradu-ally embracing digital transformation, planningand investing for the future

4. Digital Followers: 37% - very few digital invest-ments; tentatively starting to plan for the future

5. Digital Laggards: 11% - do not have a digitalplan, limited initiatives and investments in place

Digital Rescue Plan Given the acute threat of disruption, business-

es are starting to escalate a remedy. To advancetheir digital transformation:

73% agree they need to prioritize a centralizedtechnology strategy for their business

64% are planning to invest in IT infrastructureand digital skills leadership

69% are expanding their software develop-ment capabilities

In order of priority according to respondents,the top planned IT investments over the next threeyears are:

Internet of Things technologies- 43%Ultra-high performance technologies (Example:

Flash) - 42%Analytics, big data and data processing

(Example: Data Lakes) - 42%Next Generate Mobile Apps - -41%“We’re in the midst of the next industrial revolu-

tion that will fundamentally alter the way we live,work and relate to one another. This shift will trans-form the way every business in every industry oper-ates. We are already witnessing a transformation ofbusiness priorities as both public and private sectorentities across this vast region continue to invest inadvanced new technologies to better meet chang-ing customer needs and expectations. In the nearfuture, almost every business will have softwaredevelopment expertise at its core. Many of thesecompanies will be brand new; others - having notwritten a line of code in 20 years - will have beenon a momentous journey. New digital products andservices will drive the transformation of IT infra-structure as businesses struggle to manage 1000xmore users and 1000x more data. We believe thatthis monumental change is rich with opportunity,and we see ourselves as the transformational cata-lyst, and partner, for our customers,” saidMohammed Amin, Senior Vice President, Turkey,Eastern Europe, Africa and Middle East at Dell EMC.

MIAMI: Orbital ATK on Mondaylaunched its Antares rocket en route tothe International Space Station for thefirst time since a massive explosionafter liftoff two years ago. The newAntares 230 rocket propelled anunmanned cargo capsule, calledCygnus, toward the orbiting outpostcarrying 5,100 pounds (2,300 kilo-grams) of supplies, food and scienceexperiments.

The white rocket emblazoned withan American flag lit up the clear nightsky as it blasted off from WallopsIsland, Virginia, at 7:45 pm (2345GMT), and was visible to millions ofpeople along the US East Coast fromMassachusetts to South Carolina. Thefirst and second stage portion of therocket separated about five minutesafter the launch as planned, and theCygnus cargo ship reached orbitshortly after, according to a l ivebroadcast of the launch on NASA tel-evision. “We have Cygnus spacecraftseparation,” an Orbital ATK commen-tator said amid the sound of applausein mission control.

It is scheduled to berth at the spacestation early on Sunday, October 23.After the Cygnus is unloaded, astro-nauts will repack it with trash from thespace station. The spaceship willunlatch from the ISS in a month andburn up on re-entry into Earth’satmosphere. The previous Antaresrocket exploded in a fireball onOctober 28, 2014 just seconds afterliftoff, destroying the cargo capsuleand damaging the launch pad.

After an investigation, Orbitalblamed the accident on a flaw in therocket’s AJ26 engines, which had been

designed four decades earlier in theSoviet Union, and were supplied byAerojet Rocketdyne. The Antares 230 ispowered by new RD-181 engines fromRussian manufacturer NPOEnergomash. “These engines haveflown in slightly different variations onother rockets,” said Frank Culbertson,president of Orbital ATK, in a newsconference Saturday.

Since the blast, the launch pad hasbeen rebuilt at a cost of $15 million,and the rocket has been overhauled to

be more powerful. “So yeah, we arealways nervous, but I am extremelyconfident in this team and in this hard-ware,” he told reporters.

Cargo missions resumed The launch was initially planned for

Thursday, October 13, but wasrescheduled a few times. A liftoff forSunday was scratched due to a groundsupport cable that “did not perform asexpected during the pre-launch check-out,” the company said in a statement.

In December 2014, Orbital resumedcargo missions to space as part of a$1.9 billion contract with NASA.Instead of the Antares rocket, the com-pany used a United Launch AllianceAtlas V rocket to propel the cargo tospace from a launchpad in CapeCanaveral, Florida.

After the 2014 blast, the Cygnuscargo ship was redesigned to be ableto carry a larger payload.

Monday marked the third suchflight of a similarly improved Cygnusvehicle, with new solar arrays and fueltanks. The cargo ship is carrying foodand supplies for the six-member astro-naut crew in orbit, including scienceexperiments to test the behavior offire in space.

In addition to Orbital ATK, US com-pany SpaceX is engaged in a contractwith NASA to supply the space station,using its Falcon 9 rocket and Dragoncargo ship. SpaceX has also sufferedexplosions after launch, including onein June 2015 that destroyed a Falcon 9rocket and Dragon cargo ship headedto the space station, and a blast lastmonth that blew up a Falcon 9 rocketand its Israeli satellite during a routinelaunchpad test.

The 30-year US space shuttle pro-gram was retired in 2011, leaving theUnited States no program for reachingspace. For now, the world’s astronautsmust purchase seats aboard Russia’sSoyuz spaceships at a cost of some$71 million each. Orbital and SpaceXcan ship cargo to orbit, however.

NASA has also signed contractswith SpaceX and Boeing to beginlaunching astronauts to space in thenext two years. —AFP

First launch for Orbital’s

Antares rocket since ‘14 blast

Rocket visible to millions of people along East Coast

VIRGINIA, UNITED STATES: This NASA handout photo shows theOrbital ATK Antares rocket, with the Cygnus spacecraft onboard,taking off from launch Pad-0A, October 17, 2016 at NASA’s WallopsFlight Facility. —AFP

SINGAPORE: A car taking part in the world’s firstpublic trial of driverless taxis was slightly damagedyesterday when it collided with a lorry inSingapore, its operator said. No one was hurt inthe accident in One North, a suburban researchcampus where the vehicle has been on a limitedrun since August, US software firm nuTonomy said

in a statement. “None of the people involved wasinjured. The nuTonomy car, which was operatingwith two engineers onboard, was travelling at alow speed at the time of the incident,” it said.

A company spokeswoman told AFP the dam-age to the car was “minimal” and the trial has notbeen suspended. The cause of the accident is not

yet known. The company, police and Singapore’sLand Transport Authority are investigating.

The authority said in a statement the taxi waschanging lanes when it collided with the lorry.NuTonomy became the world’s first company tolaunch driverless taxi trials in public, beating rivalUber by weeks. —AFP

Driverless taxi hits lorry in Singapore trial

HEALTH & SCIENCEWEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2016

ST. LOUIS: Washington University in St.Louis said Monday that it has stopped usingsedated cats to train medical students howto insert breathing tubes down babies’throats, effectively ending the practice inthe US, according to a medical ethics group.

The university’s School of Medicine saidin a statement that after a “significant invest-ment” in its simulation center, it will nowprovide neonatal intubation training usingonly mannequins and advanced simulators,effective immediately.

The school said improvements in simula-tors made the change possible. Cats current-ly at the university are being adopted byemployees of the medical center. “In the 25-plus years the university has relied on cats inteaching this procedure, none was harmedduring training,” the statement read.

The Physicians Committee forResponsible Medicine, a medical ethics non-profit, applauded the decision, saying thepractice was cruel to animals and unneces-

sary for students. The group said it was thelast of the 198 US pediatrics programs stillusing cats.

“The best way to teach emergency air-way intervention is on human-relevanttraining methods. I commend WashingtonUniversity for switching to modern meth-ods,” said Dr. John Pippin, director of aca-demic affairs for the Physicians Committee.

Washington University’s use of cats hasdrawn criticism in recent years, with criticscontending that the animals suffer pain andinjuries ranging from cracked teeth to punc-tured lungs. Protests broke out in 2013 afteran undercover video of the university’s train-ing in pediatric advanced life support wasreleased by People for the Ethical Treatmentof Animals. The video shows a trainee puttingtubes down the throat of a sedated cat,sometimes struggling to get it right.However, the medical school continuedusing sedated cats in other training programsprior to Monday’ announcement. —AP

Washington University stops intubation training using cats

BEIJING: Huang Jiefu, left, director of China’s Organ Donation and Transplantation Committee, shakes hands with Francis L.Delmonico, a longtime surgeon and a professor at Harvard Medical School, during a press conference for the China InternationalOrgan Donation Conference at the Great Hall of the People on Monday. —AP

BEIJING: Surgeons from around the world gath-ered at a conference in Beijing on Monday inChina’s latest effort to fight persistent skepticismabout whether its hospitals have stopped per-forming transplants with the organs of executedprisoners. Doctors from the World HealthOrganization and the Montreal-basedTransplantation Society who were invited to theconference by China praised Chinese officials forreforms they have made in the transplant system,including a ban put in place last year on usingorgans from executed inmates.

Doubts persist that China is accurately report-ing figures or meeting its pledge given its severeshortage of organ donors and China’s long-stand-ing black-market organ trade. By its own figures,China has one of the lowest rates of organ dona-tion in the world, and even the system’s advo-cates say it needs hundreds of additional hospi-tals and doctors.

Usually suppressesWhile China suppresses most discussions

about human rights, government officials andstate media have publicly talked about their com-mitment to ending a practice opposed by doctorsand human rights groups due to fears that it pro-motes executions and coercion.

In a sign of the issue’s symbolic importance to

China, the conference took place in an ornate,chandeliered ballroom inside the Great Hall of thePeople, the building next to Tiananmen Squarethat typically hosts foreign leaders and ceremoni-al Communist Party events.

Doctors at the conference Monday describedmeeting patients and visiting hospitals aroundthe country, and said the recorded usage of drugsgiven to transplant patients lined up with China’sreported numbers of transplants.

Dr. Jose Nunez, an adviser on organ trans-plants to the World Health Organization, told theaudience that he believed China was building the“next great” system. “You are taking this countryto a leading position within the transplantationworld,” he said. Others offered praise for Chineseofficials, but stopped short of saying whetherthey could confirm China had stopped using exe-cuted inmates’ organs.

“It’s not a matter for us to prove to you that it’szero,” said Dr. Francis Delmonico, a longtime sur-geon and a professor at Harvard Medical School.“It’s a matter for the government to fulfill what isthe law, just as it is in the other countries of theworld that we go to.”

China is believed to perform more executionsthan any other country, though the governmentdoes not disclose how many. The former viceminister of health, Dr. Huang Jiefu, publicly

acknowledged in 2005 that China harvestedexecuted inmates’ organs for transplant, and apaper he co-authored six years later reportedthat as many as 90 percent of Chinese transplantsurgeries using organs from dead people camefrom those put to death.

Huang has also responded to a report earlierthis year that a Canadian patient apparentlyreceived a kidney from an executed inmate byannouncing that the doctor and the hospital inquestion were suspended from performingmore transplants.

A key impediment is that members of adonor’s immediate family have the right to vetoany transplant once the person is dead. There isalso a traditional aversion to the removal of bodyparts from the dead and a fear that donatedorgans could be exploited for monetary gain.

Dr. Philip O’Connell, the immediate past presi-dent of the Transplantation Society, told reporterslater that he would work with doctors supportingreform in any country.

“The options are that you completely isolatesomeone, which means that generally their prac-tices get compounded, or you engage with themand you tell them your point of view and explainwhy it would be better for them to change,”O’Connell said. “That is, I think in the simple terms,what we’re doing.” —AP

Doctors hail China’s pledge to stop harvesting inmate organs

Doubts persist that China reports accurately

LONDON: More than 50 researchers from30 countries are to carry out the first sci-entific full circumnavigation of Antarcticain an attempt to measure pollution andclimate change, with the official launchheld on Monday.

The international team will cruise onRussian research vessel AkademikTreshnikov, leaving Cape Town onDecember 20 and returning on March 18next year, braving hostile conditions in aneffort to gain a deeper understanding ofhumankind’s effect on the Southern Ocean.

The Antarctic Circumpolar Expedition(ACE) will be the first scientific mission tostudy all the major islands in the vastocean, as well as the Antarctic land mass.“The idea is to visit the islands aroundAntarctica, which is scientifically extraordi-narily interesting,” businessman FrederikPaulsen, a founder of the Swiss PolarInstitute (SPI) and ACE instigator, told AFPat the project’s official launch in London.

“The changes that are going on aroundAntarctica are less well understood than inthe Arctic and the islands... (and) are a ther-mometer of what’s going on. “This is a proj-ect that has been waiting to happen,” hesaid, adding that “something on this scalehas never been done, and I don’t think itwill ever be done again.”

Researchers will work on a number ofinterrelated fields, from biology to climatol-ogy to oceanography. “Scientific progressdepends more than ever on communica-tion between diverse scientific domains,”said the project’s brochure. “For example,marine biology depends on complex math-ematical models currently being developedby oceanographers.”

Hopes for ‘leap’ forward British Antarctic Survey professor David

Walton, the expedition’s science coordina-tor, warned scientists to prepare for abumpy ride. “If you are seasick, you are

going to be seasick,” he told AFP. “There’s aseries of storms that sweeps around theAntarctic continually, and we will almostcertainly be caught up in one of those.

“The big challenge is to continue thework even when the ship is in a StormForce Nine.” The team leaders issued a calllast year for research proposals, receivingover 90 ideas. A panel of experts whittledthese down to 22.

Adopted projects include mappingwhales, penguins and albatrosses in theSouthern Ocean; measuring the effect ofplastic pollution on the food chain; andlogging the extent of phytoplankton-thebase of the food chain-and its role in regu-lating climate.

Scientists will also take ice core samplesand study biodiversity on the continent inan attempt to reveal conditions before theonset of the Industrial Revolution. “The pro-ject’s ambitious because... we’re trying todo the whole Southern Ocean in one sea-son,” said Walton.

“It is 10 percent of the world’s oceanand we want to find out if its currents arechanging, if the water masses are chang-ing and what that will mean for the futureof the Southern Ocean, especially as a car-bon sink.

“We hope that by bringing our bestideas forward, there will be a leap in ourunderstanding.” ACE is the first project ofthe newly-created Swiss Polar Institute (SPI)a joint venture comprising various Swissresearch and educational institutions thataims to “enhance international relationsand collaboration between countries, aswell as to spark the interest of a new gener-ation of young scientists in polar research.”

The journey will be divided into threelegs, with Hobart in Australia and PuntaArenas in Chile serving as staging posts.Other stop-offs include the Crozet Islands,South Sandwich, South Georgia and theMertz glacier on Antarctica itself. —AFP

Scientists launch unique Antarctic research mission

SYDNEY: This file picture taken on April 27, 2012 shows two 14 month oldTasmanian Devils exploring their enclosure at Devil Ark in the BarringtonTops area of Australia’s New South Wales state. —AFP

SYDNEY: Mother’s milk from the marsupi-als known as Tasmanian devils could helpthe global fight against increasingly deadly“superbugs” which resist antibiotics,Australian researchers said yesterday.

Superbugs are bacteria which cannot betreated by current antibiotics and otherdrugs, with a recent British study sayingthey could kill up to 10 million peopleglobally by 2050.

Scientists at the University of Sydneyfound that peptides in the marsupial’s milkkilled resistant bacteria, including methi-cillin-resistant golden staph bacteria andenterococcus that is resistant to the power-ful antibiotic vancomycin.

The researchers turned to marsupialslike the devil-which carry their young in apouch after birth to complete their devel-opment-because of their biology. Theunderdeveloped young have an immatureimmune system when they are born, yetsurvive growth in their mother’s bacteria-filled pouch.

“We think this has led to an expansion ofthese peptides in marsupials,” University ofSydney PhD candidate Emma Peel, whoworked on the research published in theNature journal Scientific Reports, told AFP.“Marsupials have more peptides than othermammals. In the devil we found six, where-

as humans have only one of this type ofpeptide. “Other research in other marsupi-als has shown that tammar wallabies haveeight of these peptides and opossums have12,” said Peel, adding that studies intokoala’s milk had now started. The scientistsartificially created the antimicrobial pep-tides, called cathelicidins, after extractingthe sequence from the devil’s genome, andfound they “killed the resistant bacteria...and other bacteria”.

They are hopeful marsupial peptidescould eventually be used to develop newantibiotics for humans to aid the battleagainst superbugs.

“One of the most difficult things intoday’s world is to try and find new antibi-otics for drug-resistant strains of bacteria,”the research manager of the university’sAustralasian Wildlife Genomics Group,Carolyn Hogg, told AFP. “Most of the otherprevious antibiotics have come from plants,moulds and other work that’s been aroundfor close to a 100 years, so it’s time to startlooking elsewhere.”

World Health Organization director-general Margaret Chan warned last monthsome scientists were describing theimpact of superbugs as a “slow-motiontsunami” and the situation was “bad andgetting worse”. —AFP

Devils’ milk could fight superbugs

FALLS CHURCH, VIRGINA: This Saturday, Aug. 1, 2015 photo shows a variety of miniature tomatoes displayed for sale at a farmersmarket. —AP

Why tomatoes lose flavor in fridge: Their genes chill out

NEW YORK: If you buy tomatoesfrom John Banscher at his farmstandin New Jersey, he’ll recommendkeeping them out of the fridge orthey’ll lose some of their taste.

Now scientists have figuredout why: It ’s because some oftheir genes chill out, says a studythat may help solve that problem.Cooling tomatoes below 54degrees stops them from makingsome of the substances that con-tribute to their taste, according toresearchers who dug into thegenetic roots of the problem.

That robs the fruit of flavor,whether it happens in a homerefrigerator or in cold storagebefore the produce reaches thegrocery shelf, they said.

With the new detailed knowl-edge of how that happens,“maybe we can breed tomatoesto change that,” said researcherDenise Tieman of the Universityof Florida in Gainesville. She andcolleagues there, in China and atCornell University in Ithaca, NewYork, report their findings in apaper published Monday by the

Proceedings of the NationalAcademy of Sciences.

They showed that after sevendays of storage at 39 degrees,tomatoes lost some of their sup-ply of substances that producetheir characteristic aroma, whichis a key part of their flavor. Threedays of sitting at room tempera-ture didn’t remedy that, and ataste test by 76 people confirmedthe chilled tomatoes weren’t asgood as fresh fruit.

Tomatoes stored for just oneor three days didn’t lose their aro-

ma substances. Further researchshowed that the prolonged chill-ing reduced the activity of certaingenes that make those com-pounds, Tieman said. Her lab isalready looking into the possibili-ty of breeding tomatoes thatdon’t lose flavor in the cold, shesaid. In the meantime, “Just leavethem out on the counter, or leavethem in a shaded area, some-thing like that,” said Banscher,whose farm is in GloucesterCounty. “A tomato has a decentshelf life. —AP

H E A LT H & S C I E NC EWEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2016

MAHASENPURA, Sri Lanka: In this village in south-ern Sri Lanka’s Hambantota District, water sales arebig business. Beset by a prolonged dry spell andday-time temperatures reaching above 36 degreesCelsius (97 degrees Farenheit), the village has seenall of its wells run dry.

Water arrives once every three days in the form ofa free government tanker, but it ’s not alwaysenough to last. Buying a tanker of water privatelycosts 5,000 rupees ($34), more than most peoplecan pay.

Instead the village’s farmers and traders buy theirwater in one-liter bottles from small-scale vendorswho charge four to 10 rupees a liter (less than oneU.S. cent) for drinking water brought from about 30kilometres away. “We buy drinking water, and try touse other sources for cooking and washing,” saidSarath Mahanama, one villager. Those other sourcesinclude the muddy puddle left in the bottom of anearly empty nearby water reservoir.

Mahasenpura is not alone in its shortages. Ninedistricts in Sri Lanka’s Southern, Northern, NorthEastern and southeastern Uva provinces have beenhit by drought. According to the national DisasterManagement Center, by mid-October over 875,000people were being provided with governmenttanker water in these areas.

The worst hit area, where over 160,000 people

are currently dependent on water brought in fromoutside, is north-central Polonnaruwa District. “Thisis what we undergo every year. After the floods,there will be a drought and we are almost dying ofthirst,” said Tissa Poddibanda, a villager from theLankapura area.

Lankapura is one of the worst-affected sites inthe country, with close to 30,000 persons waiting fortransported water.

Drought to floodsAs the weather becomes more extreme, Sri

Lanka finds itself increasingly in a debilitating pat-tern of alternating between drought and floods -both of which can lead to shortages of clean water.In May, large areas of the country were floodedwhich caused damages of more than $3 billion,according to the Finance Ministry. Three months lat-er drought hit.

While weather experts and policy makers increas-ingly see the worrisome pattern, potentially effec-tive national interventions are not yet in place,experts say.

Today, in some drought-hit areas of Sri Lanka, forinstance, water remains in storage dams but officialsare reluctant to release it, fearing there will not beenough irrigation water for farmers to plant in thenext growing season that starts in November.

The Parakarama Samudraya, the largest reservoirin northern Polonnaruwa District, is currently atabout 50 percent of capacity, officials say. But gov-ernment irrigation officials say they don’t want torelease the waters - and the next wave of heavyrains is expected only in mid-November, with theonset of the Northeast monsoon season.

As competition for water grows, better coopera-tion is needed between the various governmentagencies handling water to balance the needs offarmers, hydropower suppliers and household users,said S.L. Weerasinghe, director-general of thenational irrigation department.

“Right now there is very little coordinationbetween various entities handling water, from pow-er to agriculture. We need a much more cohesivewater management policy to safely release waterstored for agriculture,” Weerasinghe said.

‘Not prepared’Lack of public awareness about the extent of the

country’s water problems - and how they might bebetter managed - is another problem, water man-agement experts say. “We are not prepared to meetthese impacts” of climate change, said KusumAthukorala, who heads the Sri Lanka WaterPartnership, a non-profit national organisationworking on water management.

She said that since Sri Lanka’s devastating 2004tsunami the island has upgraded and strengthenedits disaster response capacity but hardly any workhad been done on preparing for disasters and build-ing public awareness about them.

Villagers such as Poddibanda, who are the mercyof changing rainfall patterns, have had little help inlearning to manage water better, though it is crucialto their economic well being, experts say.Poddibanda, like most farmers in water-shortLankapura, waits until he believes rains are close toarriving to prepare his paddy rice plot for cultivation- and he expects the government to provide free irri-gation water, irrespective of rain and reservoir levels.

He said he has not responded to governmentrequests for farmers to break with tradition andplant when water is available, rather than at tradi-tional t imes. “ I don’t know how to do that,”Poddibanda admitted. Athukorala said a sustainedpublic awareness campaign is needed to buildcommunity knowledge about water management,and a national water management policy is neededto coordinate water planning among sectors suchas power, agriculture, weather, irrigation and disas-ter management. In addition, “we have to take careof each spring, each river, each well. You do preven-tive medicine and spend less on curative medicine,”she urged. —Reuters

In parched Sri Lanka, biggest shortage is of water policy

TRENTON, NEW YORK: DrugmakerPfizer said Monday that it will launcha less-expensive version of rivalJohnson & Johnson’s blockbusterimmune disorder drug, Remicade.Pfizer Inc.’s version, called Inflectra,will hit pharmacies in late November.It will be only the second so-calledbiosimilar drug available in the US

Remicade, long J&J’s top-sellingdrug, is approved for treatingrheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, colitisand other immune system disorders.Biosimilars are near-copies of biolog-ic drugs, which are very expensiveinjected medicines that are “manu-factured” inside living cells, ratherthan by mixing chemicals together.

New York-based Pfizer said it willsell Inflectra at a 15 percent discountto the list price for Remicade. J&Jsaid in a statement it will competewith Inflectra “through a variety ofinnovative contracting options, dis-counts and rebates to payers,providers and pharmacy benefitmanagers” to keep Remicade afford-able for patients.

Cost variesThe cost for Remicade varies,

because the dosage depends on thepatient’s weight, the immune disor-der being treated and whether thepatient is beginning treatment or ona lower maintenance dose, but it’sroughly $2,600 per month without

insurance. Johnson & Johnson said itgives insurers discounts and rebateson their costs, that many insuredpatients have very low copaymentsand that those without insurancecan apply for financial aid.

Currently, there’s only one biosim-ilar for sale in the US, Zarxio fromSwiss drugmaker Novartis AG’sgeneric drug division, Sandoz. Zarxiowas launched in September 2015, ata 15 percent price discount toAmgen Inc.’s Neupogen, whichboosts white blood cell production

to prevent infections in patients withcancer and a few other conditions.

US insurers, doctors and patientshave been eager for access tocheaper versions of biologic drugs,which can cost $100,000 or moreannually. Last year, six of the 10bestselling medicines by global rev-enue were biologics, with about $49billion in combined sales.

More than 20 biosimilar ver-sions of seven different medicinesnow are on the market in Europe.Bu in the US, biosimilars have

been delayed by the lengthyprocess of setting up rules fortheir approval, as well as lawsuitsbetween drugmakers.

A 2010 law allows near-copies ofbiologic drugs, known as biosimi-lars, after 12 years of market exclu-sivity for the original. But so far themakers of original drugs facingbiosimilar rivals have been trying todelay that competition with lawsuitsover whether the original drug stillhas a patent in force that protects itsmonopoly.

In the case of Inflectra, litigationbetween Pfizer and Johnson &Johnson, which is based in NewBrunswick, New Jersey, is continuingover whether Remicade still has avalid patent. A federal judge inAugust ruled the patent was invalid,but J&J is appealing that. If Pfizerloses the litigation, it would facesubstantial financial penaltiesbecause it’s making what’s called an“at-risk” launch of Inflectra.

Remicade is known chemically asinfliximab. Inflectra will bear thechemical name infliximab-dyyb, asthe US Food and DrugAdministration requires that biosimi-lar drugs have a suffix attached totheir name to distinguish the biosim-lar from the original medicine.

According to J&J, Remicade hastreated more than 2.6 million peopleworldwide since 1998. —AP

Pfizer to launch cheaper version

of J&J immune drug Remicade

Inflectra, will be in stores late November

NEW YORK: In this Monday, Nov 23, 2015, file photo, the Pfizerlogo is displayed at world headquarters. —AP

PARIS: Exposure to tiny doses of hormone-disrupting chemicals is responsible for atleast $340 billion (310 billion euros) in health-related costs each year in the United States,according to a report published Tuesday.

So-called endocrine-disrupting chemi-cals (EDCs) are found in thousands of every-day products, ranging from plastic and met-al food containers, to detergents, flameretardants, toys and cosmetics. Neurologicaldamage and behavioral problems, includ-ing attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder(ADHD), autism and loss of IQ, accountedfor at least four-fifths of these impacts,researchers said in The Lancet Diabetes &Endocrinology, a medical journal.

The invisible but dangerous chemicalsalso boosted obesity, diabetes, some can-cers, male infertility and a painful conditionknown as endometriosis, the abnormalgrowth of tissue outside the uterus. Theeconomic impact of the chemicals leaves ahuge, two percent dent in the US’ grossdomestic product (GDP) each year.

“Our research adds to the growing evi-dence on the tremendous economic as wellas human health costs of endocrine-dis-rupting chemicals,” said lead investigatorLeonardo Trasande, an associate professorat NYU Langone in New York City. “This hasthe potential to develop into a much largerhealth and economic issue if no policyaction is taken,” he told AFP.

The body’s endocrine tissues produceessential hormones that help regulate ener-gy levels, reproduction, growth, develop-ment, as well as our response to stress andinjury. Mimicking naturally occurring hor-mones such as estrogen and androgen,EDCs lock on to receptors within a humancell and block the body’s own hormonesfrom binding with it.

‘Adverse consequences’ Recent research has raised red flags

showing that “environmental contaminantscan disrupt the endocrine system leading toadverse-health consequences,” according tothe US Environmental Protection Agency.

In the US, the biggest chemical culprit byfar among the thousands of manmade mol-ecules suspected of interfering with humanhormones are so-called PBDEs, found inflame retardants. Bisphenol A, used to linetin food cans, along with phthalates in plas-tic food containers and many cosmetics,

were also held to be responsible for upwardof $50 billion worth of health damages.

A similar study concluded last year thathealth-related costs of EDCs in the EuropeanUnion were some $271 billion, about 1.28percent of GPD. Crucially, the main drivers ofdisease and disability were different oneither side of the Atlantic, Trasande said. “UScosts are higher mainly because of the wide-spread use in furniture of brominated flameretardants,” which were banned in the EU in2008, he explained.

The blood level of these chemicals in theaverage American would be in the top fivepercent of Europeans today. By contrast, thehealth costs associated with pesticides infood were 10 times higher in the EU than inthe United States, where more stringentregulations were put in place to protectpregnant women and children.

To put a figure on the impact of EDCs,the researchers reviewed blood and urinesamples from the National Health andNutrition Examination Survey, which hasgathered data since 2009 on major diseaserisk factors from 5,000 volunteers.

Computer models were then used toproject how much each of 15 diseases orconditions was attributable to chemicalexposure, and the estimated health costsfor each one.

‘Cat-and-mouse game’ Flame retardants and pesticides in par-

ticular are known to affect the developingbrain and can lead to loss of IQ. “Each IQpoint lost corresponds to approximatelytwo percent in lost productivity,” Trasandeexplained.

The costs and benefits of regulationshould be openly debated, the authorsargued, citing the decision in the 1970s toban lead in paint, and then 20 years later ingasoline. Commenting in the same journal,Michele La Merrill, an expert in environmen-tal toxicology at the University of Californiain Davis, said the new findings “provide alesson on the lasting economic effects ofharmful chemicals.”

They should “inspire a policy shift to endthe cat-and-mouse game currentlyemployed the US government and indus-try.” The EU set broad criteria in June foridentifying potentially harmful EDCs, butconsumer and environmental groups saidthey fell far short of what is needed. —AFP

Massive US health tab for

hormone-disrupting chemicals

COLOMBO: Sri Lankan custom officers on yesterdaydestroyed 45 kilograms (99 pounds) of rare bird neststhat are considered a delicacy in China and have astreet value of nearly half a million dollars.

The officers burnt the pile of swallows’ nests con-fiscated mainly from passengers’ airport luggage andpostal parcels intended for overseas delivery over thepast four years. “We destroyed this stock to demon-strate our commitment to protect endangeredspecies,” customs spokesman DharmasenaKahandawa told AFP. “There may be a street value of

up to $10,000 for a kilo of birds’ nests, but for us it hasno value at all because this is an illegal trade.”

Another 40 kilograms of feathers from exotic birdsand other animal parts used in Chinese medicinewere also destroyed yesterday, together with the edi-ble nests, at a Colombo cemetery’s crematorium.

The nests are the main ingredient in bird’s nestsoup, considered a delicacy in China and other Asiancountries. But removing, owning or exporting birds isoutlawed under Sri Lanka’s strict flora and fauna regu-lations.

The cup-shaped collections of twigs are heldtogether by dried swiftlet saliva, which is made into agelatinous soup credited in China with everythingfrom alleviating asthma to arresting the ageingprocess.

In January Sri Lankan customs officers publiclydestroyed the country’s biggest ever illegal ivoryhaul-more than 350 tusks weighing about 1.5 tons— in what officials said was an attempt to showpoachers that the island would not tolerate the ille-gal trade. —AFP

Sri Lanka destroys seized bird nests destined for soup

W H AT ’ S ONWEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2016

Idukki Association -Kuwait celebrated Eid and Onam 2016on October 14 at Co-operative Community Hall, Jaleeb Al-Shoyoukh. Kuwait Television Director Naser Kamal graced

the occasion as the chief guest. Honoring M Mathews(Sunnychayan) by Humanitarian Award 2016 was the highlightof the occasion. The IAK Arts Club glorified the celebration bypresenting high level arts program continuously for fourhours. It marveled the audience for the outstanding perform-ance like skits, cinematic and classical group dances and otherarts forms.

The sumptuous meal Onasadya was marvelous. The formal

meeting was presided over by the President Jeral Jose and thechief guest delivered an inspiring speech. IAK Patron con-veyed his greetings through telephone. Jackson Chacko,General Secretary, made the welcome speech, while JoseThomas, the treasurer proposed a vote of thanks.Representing advisory board, Joy Mundakkattu and Georgieconveyed felicitations on the occasion. IAK rendered farewellto Dr Unnikrishnan and family as well as its members JollyJohn and Cibil Jaison. Painting competitions and MalayaliManka competitions were mind blowing and the winners ofMalayali Manka were awarded with gold coins.

Idukki Association Kuwaitcelebrates Eid, Onam

Seva Darshanlaunches

‘Sounds ForSeva’ flyer

Seva Darshan Kuwait launchedits ‘Sounds for Seva’ pro-gramme flyer in support of its

Seva Kiran project last Friday. ‘SoundsFor Seva’ is a musical programmethat will showcase prominent artistsfrom India led by PadmasreeMattanur Shankarankutty.Programme convener Shr.Mohankumar received the flyer fromSeva Darshan president Ajayakumar.T.K. Shr. Mattannur Sankarankuttywill be joined Thavil by artist Shri.KarunaMoorthy and others includinglocal artist from Kuwait The megaevent will be hosted on 25th ofFebruary from 10Am at the MarinaHall in Jleeb Al Shyoukh

The great acceptance of ‘Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Pearlof the School’ award and its positive impact onthe student community made Thanima Kuwait

to introduce, in collaboration with Promise Kuwait, anew title from this year ‘Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam Pearl ofKuwait’ award - for the best student selected from the20 Pearl of the School award nominees.

The selection was through elocution, quiz, onlinevoting and rating of the profiles. The Quiz Masterwas Prof (Dr) Abraham Joseph who has been inquizzing circuit for over three decades. The resultwil l be announced in the public meeting ofOnathanima 2016 on October 21, 2016 at IndianCentral School premises.

‘Dr APJ Abdul KalamPearl of Kuwait’ award

F O ODWEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2016

By Katie Workman

I’ve been practicing Thanksgiving. That’s becauseI almost never make the same things from yearto year. I’ve already brought you a big pile a

greens (Creamy Swiss Chard with Coconut) as wellas a bourbon and molasses glazed turkey drum-stick recipe. Greens. Bourbon. Molasses. This isshaping up to be a very Southern “practice”Thanksgiving. If you’ve spent some time in aSouthern kitchen I’m sure you know spoonbread. Ifnot then you might not realize how perfect spoon-bread is as a Thanksgiving side dish.

Spoonbread has many of the same ingredientsas cornbread: cornmeal, eggs and milk. But it hasno leavening at all. In fact spoonbread isn’t reallybread. It’s more of a savory pudding. You might betempted to call it a cornmeal souffle. But where Icome from, you’d get a whole lot of nasty looks ifyou did. For starters there’s nothing fancypantsabout spoonbread. It’s a humble dish that gainedpopularity in the south about 100 years ago whencornmeal began to replace yeast in some Southern“breads”.

Like grits spoonbread is a wonderful blank can-vas for flavor. To keep my spoonbread appropriateto the holiday mine features sweet potatoes. I maynot make the same dish every year at Thanksgiving,but at my house sweet potatoes show up year afteryear in some form or another.

Ingredients2 pound sweet potatoes1/4 cup yellow corn meal2 cup milk

2 tablespoon unsalted butter (plus more for loafpan)2 tablespoon brown sugar (optional)1 teaspoon cinnamon1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper1/8 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg1 teaspoon kosher salt1 cup water1/2 cup flour2 tablespoon honey4 large eggs (lightly beaten)1 cup cream

PreparationsHeat oven to 400 degrees. Bake sweet potatoes

until soft when pierced with a knife, 40 to 45 min-utes. When cool enough to handle, slice the sweetpotatoes in half and scoop the flesh into a mediumbowl to cool completely.

Meanwhile, reduce heat to 325 degrees. In amedium saucepan over medium heat combinecornmeal, milk, butter, brown sugar (if using), cin-namon, cayenne, nutmeg, salt, and water. Cook,stirring, until slightly thickened, about 10 minutes.Let cool.

Butter a 9-inch-by-5-inch loaf pan. Set aside.Working in batches if necessary, place cornmealmixture, sweet potatoes, flour, honey, eggs, andcream in a food processor. Process until smooth;pour into the prepared pan. Bake until spoonbreadis set and begins to pull away from sides of pan,about 50 minutes. Let cool slightly before serving.

By Katie Workman

Ifind it a source of great comfort that pretty much every culture, everycuisine has its own interpretation of chicken soup. The Mexican ver-sion in particular speaks to me, scented with chilies and spices like

cumin and coriander, riddled with slightly softened tortilla chips.In Mexico, whole chilies may be used, often toasted and the crumbled

into the soup. I rely on dried chili powder, pure ancho if you can find it,but in this recipe, regular blended chili powder also works just fine.

Cooking the chicken breasts in the broth enriches both broth andchicken, but if you are in a rush, go ahead and use about 3 cups of shred-ded cooked chicken, maybe from a rotisserie chicken. Need one more

shortcut? Skip the frying of the tortillas; grab a bag of tortilla chips, light-ly crush a few handfuls and use those instead.

The garnishes are what make this soup so special. Do not be timidwith the offerings: An assortment of shredded cheese, diced avocado,fresh cilantro, salsa and lime wedges will turn a comforting soup into afeast.

You can make the soup ahead - stopping after adding the chicken -and keep it refrigerated for up to four days. Reheat, adding the lime juicewhen you are ready to serve (and, of course, don’t fry the tortillas or prepthe toppings until just before serving!).

Mexican Tortilla Chicken Soup

IngredientsFor the soup:2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil2 medium-size onions, chopped2 cloves garlic, minced1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin1 teaspoon ground coriander1 teaspoon pure ancho chili powder1 can (14.5 ounces) crushed tomatoes6 cups chicken broth, preferably low-sodiumKosher or coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste3 skinless, boneless chicken breasts (about 1 1/2 pounds)Canola or vegetable oil, for pan-frying6 corn tortillas, halved and cut crosswise into thin stripsJuice of 1 limeTo serve (optional, pick and choose):1 or 2 avocados, peeled and diced1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro leavesSalsa or Pico de Gallo1 lime, cut into wedges

PreparationsHeat the olive oil in a large stockpot over medium heat. Add the

onions and garlic and sautÈ until tender and golden, 5 minutes. Stir in thecumin, coriander, and chili powder and cook until fragrant, 1 minute. Addthe tomatoes and chicken broth, season with salt and pepper, and bringto a simmer over high heat. Add the chicken breasts and lower the heat tomedium-low. Simmer uncovered (don’t let the soup come to a boil), stir-ring occasionally, until the chicken is just barely cooked through, about 12minutes. Remove the chicken to a plate and let sit until cool enough tohandle. Keep the soup gently simmering over medium-low heat.

Meanwhile, pour the oil to a depth of 1 inch into a medium-size skilletand heat over medium-high heat. Line a plate with a couple of paper tow-els. When the oil is hot, add the tortilla strips in batches and fry, stirringoften, until they are crisp and lightly colored, about 2 minutes. Removewith a slotted spoon to the plate, and sprinkle lightly with salt while theyare still hot.

Shred the slightly cooled chicken, and stir it and the lime juice into thesoup.

Ladle the soup into soup bowls and top with the fried tortilla strips,along with your choice of diced avocado, cheese, cilantro, salsa and limewedges.

By Katie Workman

If you have kids, then you know that thinking aboutdinner on Halloween is not easy. Getting the kids outthe door with a little something in their stomachs

besides candy is one of the few things you can do towrangle a bit of order into this free-for-all holiday.

My kids are too old to really rein in their candy con-sumption, so I just make something simple, think of somefaraway yoga pose and look forward to rooting around intheir bags when they get back.

Quesadillas fit the bill nicely for Halloween: Kids canpick up the cheesy wedges by hand and eat while theylook around for the missing pieces of their costumes.After they are on their way, the quesadillas pair nicelywith a glass of wine for the grownups left manning thedoor at home (and the friends who are willing to hang outwith them).

This recipe’s particular combination of cheese, chickenand vegetables makes my family happy, but quesadillasare a wonderful springboard for combining all kinds ofingredients, so feel free to use what you like and what’s inyour fridge. If you have left-over, simply cooked chicken,use it here. If not, this is what rotisserie chickens weremeant for. The olives are optional, but my kids love them.

These make fat quesadillas, which are so much moresoul-satisfying that flat, under-filled ones. I’d much ratherhave two wedges of slightly overstuffed quesadillas thanfour wedges of skinny ones. If you prefer differently, usemore tortillas and fill them with less stuff.

You can keep the quesadillas warm on a baking sheetin a 250-degree oven for 20 to 30 minutes. Cut them intowedges just before serving.

In addition to sour cream and salsa, guacamole ordiced avocado makes fine toppings

Ingredients1 cup shredded sharp cheddar1 cup shredded Monterey Jack2 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided8 ounces sliced mushrooms, any kind, or a mix1/2 teaspoon minced garlic1 cup roughly chopped spinachKosher or coarse salt and freshly ground pep-per to taste

8 8-inch flour tortillas1 cup shredded cooked chicken1/4 cup chopped pitted black olives (optional)Sour cream and salsa to serveCombine the two cheeses in a small bowl.

PreparationsHeat 2 teaspoons of the butter in a skillet with a cover

over medium heat. When the butter has melted, add themushrooms and sautÈ for about 8 minutes. The mush-rooms will soften and probably release some liquid asthey cook. Continue cooking until all of the liquid hasbeen released, and evaporated, and the mushrooms startto brown a bit. Add the minced garlic and stir for 30 sec-onds. Add the spinach, season with salt and pepper, andsaute for two minutes until the spinach has wilted. Turnthe vegetables onto a plate and set aside.

Wipe out the skillet, then return it to medium heat andadd a half teaspoon of butter. Place a tortilla in the panand cook for 30 seconds, then flip the tortilla. Sprinkle 2tablespoons of the cheese mixture over half of the que-sadilla, and distribute about 1/8 (a couple of tablespoons)of both the sautÈed vegetable mixture and the shreddedchicken over the cheese, as well as some of the choppedolives, if desired. Top that with another 2 tablespoons ofthe shredded cheese. Flip the bare half of the tortilla overthe filling, cover the pan, and sautÈ for about 2 minutes,until the bottom is golden and the cheese has started tomelt, then use a spatula to flip the half-moon quesadilla,and continue to cook, uncovered, until all of the cheese ismelted and the underside is browned, 2 to 3 minutes.

Remove the quesadilla to a cutting board and let it sitfor a minute before you slice into two or three wedges.Repeat until all of the quesadillas are cooked. Serve withsalsa and sour cream.

Nutrition information per serving: 569 calories; 259calories from fat; 29 g fat (16 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 87mg cholesterol; 628 mg sodium; 48 g carbohydrate; 3 gfiber; 3 g sugar; 31 g protein.

Quesadillas for dinner

on Halloween

Sweet Potato Spoonbread for practice Thanksgiving

T V PR O G R A M SWEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2016

WISH I WAS HERE ON OSN MOVIES HD COMEDY

SEVENTH SON ON OSN MOVIES ACTION

04:15 Tracers06:00 50 To 108:00 Where Hope Grows10:00 Tracers12:00 Maze Runner: The ScorchTrials14:30 4 Minute Mile16:30 The Longest Ride19:00 Hector And The Search ForHappiness21:00 Daddy’s Home23:00 People Places Things00:30 The Overnight

04:50 The Yard05:45 Monster Fish06:40 Cold Water Gold07:35 Mega Factories08:30 World’s Most Extreme09:25 Nazi World War Weird10:20 No Man Left Behind11:15 Locked Up Abroad12:10 Airport Security: Colombia13:05 4 Babies A Second

4 MINUTE MILE ON OSN MOVIES HD

05:00 Confessions Of A Shopaholic07:00 Angus Thongs And PerfectSnogging       09:00 A Lot Like Love11:00 Confessions Of A Shopaholic13:00 The Invention Of Lying15:00 Dickie Roberts: Former ChildStar17:00 A Lot Like Love19:00 All About Steve21:00 Wish I Was Here23:00 Dead Snow: Red vs Dead01:00 Drunk Wedding03:00 All About Steve

04:00 Kill The Messenger06:00 God Help The Girl08:00 Atlas Shrugged Part 2: TheStrike10:00 Searching For Bobby Fischer12:00 God Help The Girl14:00 Crouching Tiger, HiddenDragon16:00 Walking On Sunshine18:00 Searching For Bobby Fischer20:00 The Sixth Sense22:00 Zulu00:00 Gainsbourg: A Heroic Life

04:25 Deadliest Place On Earth05:15 Mermaids: The NewEvidence06:02 Hunt For Hogzilla06:49 Extinct Or Alive: TheTasmanian Tiger07:36 The Wild Life Of Tim Faulkner08:00 The Wild Life Of Tim Faulkner08:25 My Cat From Hell09:15 Operation Whale10:10 Operation Whale11:05 Tanked12:00 Rugged Justice12:55 Hello World!13:20 Hello World!13:50 The Wild Life Of Tim Faulkner14:15 The Wild Life Of Tim Faulkner14:45 The Wild Life Of Tim Faulkner15:10 The Wild Life Of Tim Faulkner15:40 The Wild Life Of Tim Faulkner16:05 The Wild Life Of Tim Faulkner16:35 The Wild Life Of Tim Faulkner17:00 The Wild Life Of Tim Faulkner17:30 The Wild Life Of Tim Faulkner17:55 The Wild Life Of Tim Faulkner18:25 The Wild Life Of Tim Faulkner18:50 The Wild Life Of Tim Faulkner19:20 Treehouse Masters20:15 Operation Whale21:10 Toucan Nation22:05 Treehouse Masters23:00 Mountain Monsters23:55 Mermaids: The NewEvidence00:50 Extinct Or Alive: TheTasmanian Tiger01:45 Killer Swarms02:40 Deadliest Place On Earth03:35 Rabid

04:15 Death In Paradise05:10 Doctors05:40 Eastenders06:10 The Coroner07:00 Doctors07:30 Eastenders08:00 Holby City09:00 New Tricks09:55 Doctor Who10:45 Stella11:35 Doctors12:05 Eastenders12:40 Death In Paradise13:35 Doctor Who14:30 Stella15:15 Doctors15:45 Eastenders16:20 New Tricks17:15 Doctor Who18:10 Stella19:00 Doctors19:30 Eastenders20:05 New Tricks21:00 Wallander22:40 Silent Witness23:40 Orphan Black00:25 Doctors00:55 Eastenders01:25 Wallander03:05 Silent Witness

04:00 USA MemoryChampionships04:48 How Do They Do It?05:12 How Do They Do It?05:36 How Do They Do It?06:00 Food Factory06:24 Food Factory06:48 Food Factory07:12 Food Factory07:36 Food Factory08:00 How Do They Do It?08:26 Through The Wormhole WithMorgan Freeman09:14 Redesign My Brain10:02 Mind Control Freaks10:26 Mind Control Freaks10:50 Through The Wormhole WithMorgan Freeman11:38 USA MemoryChampionships12:26 Prototype This13:14 Prototype This14:02 Prototype This14:50 Prototype This15:38 Prototype This16:26 Food Factory16:50 Food Factory17:14 Food Factory17:38 Food Factory18:02 Food Factory18:26 How Do They Do It?18:50 How Do They Do It?19:15 How Do They Do It?19:40 How Do They Do It?20:05 How Do They Do It?20:30 Through The Wormhole WithMorgan Freeman21:20 Redesign My Brain22:10 Mind Control Freaks22:35 Mind Control Freaks23:00 Through The Wormhole WithMorgan Freeman23:50 USA MemoryChampionships00:40 Food Factory01:05 Food Factory01:30 Food Factory01:55 Food Factory02:20 Food Factory02:45 How Do They Do It?03:10 How Do They Do It?03:35 How Do They Do It?

04:40 Christina Milian Turned Up05:35 Christina Milian Turned Up06:30 Celebrity Style Story07:00 #RichKids Of Beverly Hills07:50 E! News08:20 #RichKids Of Beverly Hills09:10 E! News10:05 #RichKids Of Beverly Hills10:55 Botched11:45 Botched12:35 Botched13:25 Botched14:20 Botched15:15 Keeping Up With TheKardashians16:10 Keeping Up With TheKardashians17:05 Keeping Up With TheKardashians18:00 Rob & Chyna19:00 Rob & Chyna20:00 E! News21:00 Rob & Chyna22:00 Rob & Chyna23:00 WAGs00:00 Rob & Chyna01:00 Rob & Chyna01:55 WAGs02:50 E! News03:50 Botched

04:45 Secret Life Of Predators05:40 South Africa06:35 Animal Fight Club07:30 Monster Fish08:25 Monster Fish09:20 Dangerous Encounters10:15 Wild Russia11:10 Animal Storm Squad12:05 Wild 2413:00 Bandit Patrol13:55 World’s Creepiest Killers14:50 Jobs That Bite!15:45 Secret Life Of Predators16:40 South Africa17:35 South Africa18:30 The Incredible Dr. Pol19:25 Animal Superpowers20:20 Secret Life Of Predators21:10 South Africa22:00 South Africa22:50 The Incredible Dr. Pol23:40 Animal Superpowers00:30 Bandit Patrol01:20 World’s Creepiest Killers02:10 Jobs That Bite!03:00 World’s Deadliest Animals03:50 Caught In The Act

05:00 Seventh Son07:00 Grosse Pointe Blank09:15 In The Name Of The King:The Last Mission11:15 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles13:30 The Mark: Redemption15:30 Grosse Pointe Blank17:45 Justice League: Gods AndMonsters19:30 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles21:45 Panic Room00:00 Wild Card01:45 The Night Crew03:30 Mercy

04:00 Workaholics04:25 Catch A Contractor04:50 Ridiculousness05:15 Key And Peele05:40 Ridiculousness06:05 Ridiculousness

06:30 Impractical Jokers06:55 Impractical Jokers07:20 Tosh.007:50 Tosh.008:15 Hungry Investors09:05 Ridiculousness09:30 Ridiculousness09:55 Impractical Jokers10:20 Impractical Jokers10:45 Nathan For You11:10 Nathan For You11:35 Ridiculousness12:00 Catch A Contractor12:25 Hungry Investors13:15 Workaholics13:40 Workaholics14:05 Impractical Jokers14:30 Impractical Jokers14:55 Ridiculousness15:20 Ridiculousness15:45 Coaching Bad16:35 Tosh.017:00 Tosh.017:30 Nathan For You17:55 Nathan For You18:25 Workaholics18:50 Tattoo Disasters19:15 Tattoo Disasters19:39 Ridiculousness20:03 Ridiculousness20:27 Impractical Jokers20:50 Impractical Jokers21:13 TUT22:00 The Daily Show With TrevorNoah22:30 John Oliver’s New YorkStand Up Show23:18 Broad City23:42 Tosh.000:05 Lip Sync Battle00:30 The Daily Show With TrevorNoah01:00 John Oliver’s New YorkStand Up Show01:50 South Park02:15 Tosh.002:40 The Daily Show With TrevorNoah

03:05 David Spade: My FakeProblems

04:15 Jungle Gold05:05 Jungle Gold06:00 Jungle Gold07:00 Deadliest Catch07:50 For The Love Of Cars08:40 Fast N’ Loud09:30 Gold Divers10:20 Garage Gold10:45 How It’s Made: Dream Cars11:10 How Do They Do It?11:35 Harley And The Davidsons13:15 Fire In The Hole14:05 How It’s Made: Dream Cars14:30 Storage Hunters14:55 Garage Gold15:20 Gold Divers16:10 Alaskan Bush People17:00 Deadliest Catch17:50 Fast N’ Loud18:40 For The Love Of Cars19:30 How It’s Made: Dream Cars19:55 How Do They Do It?20:20 Gold Divers21:10 Storage Hunters21:35 Garage Gold22:00 Extreme Car Hoarders22:50 Built To Survive23:40 Treasure Quest: SnakeIsland00:30 Fast N’ Loud01:20 For The Love Of Cars02:10 Extreme Car Hoarders03:00 Built To Survive03:50 Treasure Quest: SnakeIsland

04:00 Storm Chasers04:50 Ultimate Survival05:40 Ultimate Survival06:30 Ultimate Survival07:20 How It’s Made07:40 How It’s Made08:00 Kenny The Shark08:25 Kenny The Shark08:50 Dick ‘n’ Dom Go Wild09:15 Dick ‘n’ Dom Go Wild09:40 How It’s Made10:05 How It’s Made10:30 How It’s Made10:55 How It’s Made11:20 How It’s Made11:45 How It’s Made12:10 How It’s Made12:35 How It’s Made13:00 How It’s Made13:25 How It’s Made13:50 Ultimate Survival14:40 Ultimate Survival15:30 Ultimate Survival16:20 Ultimate Survival17:10 Ultimate Survival18:00 What Could Possibly GoWrong?18:50 What Could Possibly GoWrong?19:40 Bear Grylls Survival School20:05 Bear Grylls Survival School20:30 Prehistoric21:20 Clash Of The Dinosaurs22:10 Curiosity: Megastorm23:00 What Happened Next?23:25 What Happened Next?23:50 What Happened Next?00:15 What Happened Next?00:40 What Happened Next?01:05 What Happened Next?01:30 What Could Possibly Go

Wrong?02:20 What Could Possibly GoWrong?03:10 Storm Chasers

04:00 Surviving Evil04:48 I Almost Got Away With It05:36 I Almost Got Away With It06:24 I Almost Got Away With It07:12 I Almost Got Away With It08:00 Nightmare Next Door08:50 Nightmare Next Door09:40 Nightmare Next Door10:30 Nightmare Next Door11:20 Nightmare Next Door12:10 Obsession: Dark Desires13:00 Who On Earth Did I Marry?13:25 Who On Earth Did I Marry?13:50 Deadly Affairs14:40 Deadly Affairs15:30 Deadly Affairs16:20 Deadly Affairs17:10 Obsession: Dark Desires18:00 I’d Kill For You18:50 I’d Kill For You19:40 I’d Kill For You20:30 I’d Kill For You21:20 I’d Kill For You22:10 California Investigator22:35 California Investigator23:00 The Vanishing Women23:50 Deadline: Crime With TamronHall00:40 The Coroner: I Speak ForThe Dead01:30 A Haunting02:20 Alaska Haunting03:10 The Vanishing Women

04:15 The Hive04:20 Sabrina Secrets Of ATeenage Witch04:45 Sabrina Secrets Of ATeenage Witch05:10 Hank Zipzer05:35 Binny And The Ghost06:00 Violetta06:45 The Hive06:50 Mouk07:00 Jessie07:25 Jessie07:50 Tsum Tsum Shorts07:55 Miraculous Tales Of LadybugAnd Cat Noir08:20 Star Darlings08:25 Austin & Ally08:50 Disney Mickey Mouse08:55 Jessie09:20 Descendants Wicked World09:25 Backstage09:50 Star Darlings09:55 Alex & Co.10:20 Disney Mickey Mouse10:25 Girl Meets World10:50 Stuck In The Middle11:15 Liv And Maddie11:40 Cheetah Girls: One World13:05 The 7D

13:20 That’s So Raven13:45 That’s So Raven14:10 That’s So Raven14:35 That’s So Raven15:00 That’s So Raven15:25 Austin & Ally15:50 Austin & Ally16:15 Disney Cookabout16:40 Bunk’d17:05 Descendants Wicked World17:10 Miraculous Tales Of LadybugAnd Cat Noir17:35 Miraculous Tales Of LadybugAnd Cat Noir18:00 Gravity Falls18:25 Teen Beach 220:00 Star Darlings20:05 Austin & Ally20:30 Jessie20:55 Liv And Maddie21:20 Best Friends Whenever21:45 Good Luck Charlie22:10 H2O: Just Add Water22:35 H2O: Just Add Water23:00 Binny And The Ghost23:25 Sabrina Secrets Of ATeenage Witch23:50 Sabrina Secrets Of ATeenage Witch00:10 Hank Zipzer00:35 Binny And The Ghost01:00 Violetta01:45 The Hive01:50 Sabrina Secrets Of ATeenage Witch02:15 Sabrina Secrets Of ATeenage Witch02:40 Hank Zipzer03:05 Binny And The Ghost03:30 Violetta

04:10 Henry Hugglemonster04:20 Calimero04:35 Zou04:45 Loopdidoo

05:00 Art Attack05:25 Henry Hugglemonster05:35 Calimero05:50 Zou06:00 Loopdidoo06:15 Art Attack06:35 Henry Hugglemonster06:50 Calimero07:00 Zou07:20 Loopdidoo07:35 Art Attack08:00 The Hive08:10 Zou08:25 Sheriff Callie’s Wild West08:50 Minnie’s Bow-Toons09:00 Sofia The First09:30 Goldie & Bear10:00 PJ Masks10:30 Doc McStuffins11:00 Sofia The First11:30 Goldie & Bear12:00 Miles From Tomorrow12:30 PJ Masks

13:00 Goldie & Bear13:15 Jake And The Never LandPirates13:40 Miles From Tomorrow14:00 Sofia The First14:30 Goldie & Bear15:00 Jake And The Never LandPirates15:30 The Lion Guard16:00 PJ Masks16:30 Sofia The First17:00 Doc McStuffins17:30 Goldie & Bear18:00 PJ Masks18:30 The Lion Guard19:00 Goldie & Bear19:30 Goldie & Bear20:00 PJ Masks20:30 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse21:00 Doc McStuffins21:30 Sofia The First22:00 The Lion Guard22:30 The Lion Guard23:00 Sheriff Callie’s Wild West23:30 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse00:00 Minnie’s Bow-Toons00:05 Henry Hugglemonster00:20 Calimero00:35 Zou00:50 Loopdidoo01:05 Art Attack01:30 Henry Hugglemonster01:45 Calimero02:00 Zou02:15 Loopdidoo02:30 Art Attack03:00 Calimero03:15 Zou03:30 Loopdidoo03:45 Art Attack

07:00 Boyster07:10 Super Matrak

07:35 Super Matrak08:00 Danger Mouse08:25 K.C. Undercover08:50 Guardians Of The Galaxy09:15 Supa Strikas09:40 Kirby Buckets10:10 Ratatouille12:05 Danger Mouse12:20 Supa Strikas12:45 Supa Strikas13:10 Gamer’s Guide To PrettyMuch Everything13:35 Gamer’s Guide To PrettyMuch Everything14:00 Phineas & Ferb: MissionMarvel14:55 Gravity Falls15:20 Gravity Falls15:45 Danger Mouse16:10 Disney Mickey Mouse16:15 Counterfeit Cat16:40 Supa Strikas17:05 Supa Strikas17:30 Supa Strikas17:55 Supa Strikas18:25 Supa Strikas18:50 Danger Mouse19:15 Gamer’s Guide To PrettyMuch Everything19:40 Counterfeit Cat20:05 Counterfeit Cat20:10 Gravity Falls20:35 Pickle And Peanut21:00 Lab Rats21:25 Supa Strikas21:55 K.C. Undercover22:20 Gamer’s Guide To PrettyMuch Everything22:45 Guardians Of The Galaxy23:10 Marvel Avengers Assemble23:40 Disney Mickey Mouse00:00 Programmes Start At 6:00amKSA

04:10 Counting Cars: Best Of04:35 Counting Cars: Best Of05:00 Shipping Wars05:30 Shipping Wars06:00 Time Team07:00 Shipping Wars07:25 Shipping Wars07:50 American Pickers08:40 Ax Men09:30 American Restoration09:55 Counting Cars10:20 Counting Cars10:45 Ice Road Truckers11:35 American Restoration12:25 Battle 36013:15 Mountain Men14:05 The Curse Of Oak Island14:55 Storage Wars: Best Of15:20 Storage Wars: Best Of15:45 Alone16:35 Shipping Wars17:00 Ax Men17:50 Storage Wars Miami18:15 Storage Wars Texas18:40 The Curse Of Oak Island19:30 Battle 36020:20 American Pickers21:10 Pawn Stars21:35 Pawn Stars22:00 Pawn Stars

22:25 Pawn Stars22:50 Pawn Stars South Africa23:15 Pawn Stars South Africa23:40 Mankind The Story Of All OfUs00:30 Pawn Stars00:55 Pawn Stars01:20 Pawn Stars South Africa01:45 Pawn Stars South Africa02:10 American Restoration03:00 Swamp People03:50 Ice Road Truckers

04:05 Coronation Street04:30 Coronation Street04:55 Coronation Street05:15 The Chase06:10 The Chase07:05 The Jonathan Ross Show07:55 Paul O’grady’s AnimalOrphans08:45 Grantchester09:40 Tonight At The LondonPalladium10:35 Murdoch Mysteries11:30 Murdoch Mysteries12:20 Murdoch Mysteries13:15 Catchphrase13:45 Paul O’grady’s AnimalOrphans14:40 Victoria15:35 Royal Stories16:00 Tonight At The LondonPalladium16:55 Catchphrase17:30 The Jonathan Ross Show18:20 Grantchester19:10 The Chase20:05 Victoria21:00 Tonight At The LondonPalladium21:55 Catchphrase22:30 The Jonathan Ross Show23:25 Cameraman To The Queen

00:15 Royal Stories00:40 Coronation Street01:10 Who’s Doing The Dishes?02:00 Emmerdale02:30 Emmerdale03:00 Coronation Street03:30 The Chase

04:05 George Clarke’s AmazingSpaces04:55 The Food Files05:20 Testing The Menu With NicWatt05:45 Delinquent Gourmet06:10 Street Food Around TheWorld06:35 Confucius Was A Foodie07:25 Poh & Co07:50 Croatia’s Finest08:15 Croatia’s Finest08:40 Carnival Eats09:05 Charlie Luxton’s Homes ByThe Sea09:55 Delinquent Gourmet10:20 Raw Travel10:45 Raw Travel11:10 Tales From The Bush Larder11:35 Tales From The Bush Larder12:00 Poh & Co12:25 Poh & Co12:50 Dog Whisperer13:40 Andy And Ben Eat The World14:05 Eat: The Story Of Food15:00 A Marriage Of Flavours15:30 A Marriage Of Flavours15:55 Poh & Co16:25 Poh & Co16:50 The Food Files17:20 Delinquent Gourmet17:45 American Food Battle18:15 Street Food Around TheWorld18:40 David Rocco’s Dolce India19:10 Top Tables, Top Cities19:35 Maximum Foodie20:05 Poh & Co20:30 Poh & Co21:00 The Food Files21:25 Delinquent Gourmet21:50 American Food Battle22:15 Street Food Around TheWorld22:40 David Rocco’s Dolce India23:05 Top Tables, Top Cities23:30 Maximum Foodie23:55 Andy And Ben Eat The World00:20 Eat: The Story Of Food01:10 A Marriage Of Flavours01:35 A Marriage Of Flavours02:00 Glamour Puds02:25 Croatia’s Finest02:50 Croatia’s Finest03:15 Eat Street03:40 Valentine Warner EatsScandinavia

14:00 Dog Whisperer15:00 Dog Whisperer16:00 Yukon Gold17:00 Wicked Tuna: North vs.South18:00 Facing...19:00 Nazi World War Weird20:00 Yukon Gold21:00 Wicked Tuna: North vs.South21:50 Facing...22:40 Nazi World War Weird23:30 Yukon Gold00:20 Family Guns01:10 Wicked Tuna: North vs.South02:00 Facing...03:00 Nazi World War Weird03:55 Yukon Gold

04:00 Grimm05:00 Marvel’s Agent Carter06:00 Good Morning America -Weekend07:00 The Amazing Race08:00 DC’s Legends Of Tomorrow09:00 Rosewood10:00 Marvel’s Agent Carter11:00 The Amazing Race12:00 DC’s Legends Of Tomorrow13:00 Rosewood14:00 The Ellen DeGeneres Show15:00 Marvel’s Agent Carter16:00 Live Good Morning America -Weekend17:00 The Blacklist18:00 The Ellen DeGeneres Show19:00 Rosewood20:00 Containment21:00 This Is Us22:00 Notorious23:00 How To Get Away WithMurder00:00 Bates Motel01:00 Prison Break02:00 Notorious03:00 How To Get Away WithMurder

ClassifiedsWEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2016

Directorate General of Civil Aviation Home Page (www.kuwait-airport.com.kw)

DIAL161 FOR AIRPORT INFORMATION

112

Automated enquiry aboutthe Civil ID card is

1889988

KNCC PROGRAMME FROM THURSDAY TO WEDNESDAY

SHARQIA-1DEEPWATER HORIZON 12:30 PMDEEPWATER HORIZON 2:45 PMLAF WA DAWARAN 5:00 PMMISS PEREGRINE’S HOME FOR PECULIAR CHILDREN 7:30 PMDEEPWATER HORIZON 10:00 PMDEEPWATER HORIZON 12:15 AM

SHARQIA-2LAF WA DAWARAN 11:30 AMSTORKS 11:30 AMLAF WA DAWARAN 1:45 PMLAF WA DAWARAN 4:00 PMLAF WA DAWARAN 6:15 PMLAF WA DAWARAN 8:30 PMLAF WA DAWARAN 10:45 PMLAF WA DAWARAN 1:00 AM

SHARQIA-3USS INDIANAPOLIS: MEN OF COURAGE 11:30 AMUSS INDIANAPOLIS: MEN OF COURAGE 2:15 PMSTORKS 5:00 PMUSS INDIANAPOLIS: MEN OF COURAGE 7:00 PMUSS INDIANAPOLIS: MEN OF COURAGE 9:45 PMUSS INDIANAPOLIS: MEN OF COURAGE 12:30 AM

MUHALAB-1LAF WA DAWARAN 11:30 AMUSS INDIANAPOLIS: MEN OF COURAGE 1:45 PMSTORKS 4:15 PMUSS INDIANAPOLIS: MEN OF COURAGE 6:15 PMUSS INDIANAPOLIS: MEN OF COURAGE 9:00 PMUSS INDIANAPOLIS: MEN OF COURAGE 11:45 PM

MUHALAB-2DEEPWATER HORIZON 11:30 AMDEEPWATER HORIZON 1:45 PMMISS PEREGRINE’S HOME FOR PECULIAR CHILDREN 4:00 PMPREMAM - Telugu 4:00 PMMISS PEREGRINE’S HOME FOR PECULIAR CHILDREN 6:45 PMPREMAM - Telugu 6:45 PMDEEPWATER HORIZON 9:30 PMNO FRIPREMAM - Telugu 9:30 PMFRIDEEPWATER HORIZON 12:15 AM

MUHALAB-3LAF WA DAWARAN 12:45 PMLAF WA DAWARAN 3:00 PMLAF WA DAWARAN 5:15 PMLAF WA DAWARAN 7:30 PMLAF WA DAWARAN 9:45 PMLAF WA DAWARAN 12:15 AM

FANAR-1LAF WA DAWARAN 12:15 PMTHE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN 2:30 PMSTORKS 5:15 PMSTORKS 7:15 PMLAF WA DAWARAN 9:15 PMLAF WA DAWARAN 11:30 PM

FANAR-2DEEPWATER HORIZON 11:45 AMDEEPWATER HORIZON 2:00 PMMISS PEREGRINE’S HOME FOR PECULIAR CHILDREN -3D 4:15 PMMISS PEREGRINE’S HOME FOR PECULIAR CHILDREN 7:00 PMDEEPWATER HORIZON 9:45 PMDEEPWATER HORIZON 12:05 AM

FANAR-3TANK 432 11:30 AMTANK 432 1:30 PMMIRZYA - HINDI 3:30 PMPREMAM - Telugu 3:30 PMMIRZYA - HINDI 6:30 PMNO FRI+MONPREMAM - Telugu 6:30 PM

TANK 432 9:30 PMPREMAM - Telugu 9:30 PMTANK 432 12:15 AM

FANAR-4LAF WA DAWARAN 1:15 PMSTORKS 1:30 PMLAF WA DAWARAN 3:30 PMLAF WA DAWARAN 5:45 PMLAF WA DAWARAN 8:00 PMLAF WA DAWARAN 10:15 PMLAF WA DAWARAN 12:30 AM

FANAR-5LAF WA DAWARAN 11:30 AMUSS INDIANAPOLIS: MEN OF COURAGE 1:45 PMUSS INDIANAPOLIS: MEN OF COURAGE 4:15 PMUSS INDIANAPOLIS: MEN OF COURAGE 7:00 PMUSS INDIANAPOLIS: MEN OF COURAGE 9:45 PMUSS INDIANAPOLIS: MEN OF COURAGE 12:30 AM

MARINA-1USS INDIANAPOLIS: MEN OF COURAGE 1:15 PMUSS INDIANAPOLIS: MEN OF COURAGE 1:30 PMMISS PEREGRINE’S HOME FOR PECULIAR CHILDREN 4:00 PMMISS PEREGRINE’S HOME FOR PECULIAR CHILDREN 6:45 PMUSS INDIANAPOLIS: MEN OF COURAGE 9:30 PMUSS INDIANAPOLIS: MEN OF COURAGE 12:15 AM

MARINA-2LAF WA DAWARAN 12:45 PMLAF WA DAWARAN 3:00 PMLAF WA DAWARAN 5:15 PMLAF WA DAWARAN 7:30 PMLAF WA DAWARAN 9:45 PMLAF WA DAWARAN 12:05 AM

MARINA-3DEEPWATER HORIZON 11:45 AMLAF WA DAWARAN 2:00 PMSTORKS 4:15 PMSTORKS 6:15 PMDEEPWATER HORIZON 8:15 PMDEEPWATER HORIZON 10:30 PMDEEPWATER HORIZON 12:45 AM

AVENUES-1THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN 1:30 PMSULLY 4:15 PMOPPAM - Malayalam 6:30 PMASHAN KHARGEN 9:30 PMTHE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN 11:45 PM

AVENUES-2MISS PEREGRINE’S HOME FOR PECULIAR CHILDREN -3D- 4DX 12:00 PMDEEPWATER HORIZON-2D- 4DX 2:45 PMMISS PEREGRINE’S HOME FOR PECULIAR CHILDREN -3D- 4DX 5:15 PMHARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS: PART 1- 2D 4DX 8:00 PMDEEPWATER HORIZON-2D- 4DX 11:00 PM

AVENUES-3LAF WA DAWARAN 11:30 AMLAF WA DAWARAN 1:45 PMLAF WA DAWARAN 4:00 PMLAF WA DAWARAN 6:15 PMLAF WA DAWARAN 8:30 PMLAF WA DAWARAN 10:45 PMLAF WA DAWARAN 1:00 AM

360º- 1MISS PEREGRINE’S HOME FOR PECULIAR CHILDREN -3D 12:30 PMMISS PEREGRINE’S HOME FOR PECULIAR CHILDREN 3:15 PMMISS PEREGRINE’S HOME FOR PECULIAR CHILDREN 6:00 PMMISS PEREGRINE’S HOME FOR PECULIAR CHILDREN 8:45 PMMISS PEREGRINE’S HOME FOR PECULIAR CHILDREN -3D 11:30 PM

360º- 2THE DISAPPOINTMENTS ROOM 12:00 PMTHE DISAPPOINTMENTS ROOM 2:00 PMTHE DISAPPOINTMENTS ROOM 4:00 PMSULLY 6:15 PMSULLY 8:30 PMTHE DISAPPOINTMENTS ROOM 10:45 PMTHE DISAPPOINTMENTS ROOM 1:00 AM

360º- 3THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN 1:00 PMTHE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN 3:45 PMNO FRI+SATOPPAM - Malayalam 3:45 PMFRI+SATOPPAM - Malayalam 6:45 PMTHE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN 9:45 PMTHE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN 12:30 AM

AL-KOUT.1LAF WA DAWARAN 12:30 PMLAF WA DAWARAN 2:45 PMLAF WA DAWARAN 5:15 PMLAF WA DAWARAN 7:30 PMLAF WA DAWARAN 9:45 PMLAF WA DAWARAN 12:05 AM

AL-KOUT.2DEEPWATER HORIZON 11:45 AMDEEPWATER HORIZON 2:00 PMSTORKS 4:15 PM

PRAYER TIMINGS

Fajr: 04:32

Shorook 05:52

Duhr: 11:33

Asr: 14:48

Maghrib: 17:14

Isha: 18:31

Arrival Flights on Wednesday 19/10/2016Airlines Flt Route TimeTHY 772 Istanbul 00:10FDB 069 Dubai 00:55DLH 635 Doha 01:00FDK 803 Damascus 01:00QTR 1086 Doha 01:15JZR 539 Cairo 01:20PGT 858 Istanbul 01:40RJA 642 Amman 01:45THY 1464 Istanbul 01:50KKK 6506 Istanbul 02:00GFA 211 Bahrain 02:15PGT 4860 Istanbul 02:15CEB 018 Manila 02:20UAE 853 Dubai 02:25MSC 405 Sohag 02:30ETD 305 Abu Dhabi 03:05OMA 643 Muscat 03:05MSR 612 Cairo 03:15FDB 067 Dubai 03:15QTR 1076 Doha 03:25KAC 544 Cairo 03:40DHX 170 Bahrain 04:35FEG 961 Sohag 05:00THY 770 Istanbul 05:15KAC 412 Manila/Bangkok 06:30BAW 157 London 06:40FDB 5061 Dubai 07:15KAC 382 Delhi 07:30KAC 346 Ahmedabad 07:35KAC 206 Islamabad 07:40KAC 204 Lahore 07:40FDB 053 Dubai 07:50KAC 302 Mumbai 07:50KAC 354 BLR 08:00KAC 156 Istanbul 08:00KAC 286 Dhaka 08:05KAC 332 Trivandrum 08:15KAC 344 Chennai 08:15KAC 362 Colombo 08:20KAC 352 Kochi 08:20UAE 855 Dubai 08:25ETD 301 Abu Dhabi 09:00ABY 125 Sharjah 09:05IRM 1188 Mashhad 09:10QTR 1070 Doha 09:20IRA 665 Shiraz 09:25FDB 055 Dubai 09:50IRC 6511 ABD 09:50UAE 873 Dubai 10:40GFA 213 Bahrain 10:40AXB 890 Mangalore/Bahrain 10:55PYA 2396 EVN 11:00MSR 502 Cairo 11:00MEA 404 Beirut 11:00JZR 561 Sohag 11:25AVV 655 Asyut 11:30JZR 165 Dubai 11:50IRM 1186 Tehran 11:50IAW 157 Al Najaf 11:55ETD 9819 Abu Dhabi 12:10FDB 075 Dubai 12:25FEG 953 Asyut 12:55MSR 610 Cairo 13:00THY 766 Istanbul 13:10CLX 792 Luxembourg 13:15SVA 9307 Jeddah 13:25KAC 792 Madinah 13:45KNE 231 Riyadh 14:00QTR 1078 Doha 14:05KAC 672 Dubai 14:05

FDB 057 Dubai 14:20GFA 221 Bahrain 14:20SVA 500 Jeddah 14:30KAC 512 Mashhad 14:30IRC 6521 Lamerd 14:40KAC 540 Sharm el-Sheikh 14:50KAC 788 Jeddah 15:00KNE 683 Madinah 15:05KNE 529 Jeddah 15:05ETD 303 Abu Dhabi 15:10OMA 645 Muscat 15:10ABY 127 Sharjah 15:35UAE 857 Dubai 15:45RJA 640 Amman 16:00FDB 051 Dubai 16:10QTR 1072 Doha 16:15JZR 787 Riyadh 16:45KAC 562 Amman 16:55SAW 705 Damascus 17:05SVA 510 Riyadh 17:15JZR 357 Mashhad 17:30GFA 215 Bahrain 17:30JZR 777 Jeddah 17:50QTR 1080 Doha 17:55JZR 483 Istanbul 18:20MSR 620 Cairo 18:30KAC 502 Beirut 18:35KAC 774 Riyadh 18:35KAC 786 Jeddah 18:35SYR 341 Damascus 18:45KAC 742 Dammam 18:50KAC 618 Doha 18:55KAC 542 Cairo 18:55AAG 146 Baghdad 19:00KAC 166 Paris/Rome 19:05UAE 875 Dubai 19:05GFA 217 Bahrain 19:05KAC 614 Bahrain 19:10FDB 063 Dubai 19:10ABY 123 Sharjah 19:15MSR 606 Luxor 19:30JAI 572 Mumbai 19:35KAC 674 Dubai 19:45KAC 154 Istanbul 19:45FDB 059 Dubai 19:50KAC 102 New York/London 19:55DLH 634 Frankfurt 20:05KNE 381 Taif 20:10MEA 402 Beirut 20:15OMA 647 Muscat 20:20JZR 189 Dubai 20:25QTR 1088 Doha 20:35FDB 5053 Dubai 20:55ETD 307 Abu Dhabi 21:05UAE 859 Dubai 21:15JAD 309 Amman 21:20ALK 229 Colombo 21:20QTR 1082 Doha 21:55GFA 219 Bahrain 22:00KAC 564 Amman 22:05ETD 309 Abu Dhabi 22:10JZR 125 Bahrain 22:15AIC 975 Chennai/Goa 22:25MSC 501 Alexandria 22:30BBC 043 Dhaka 22:40JZR 185 Dubai 22:55THY 764 Istanbul 22:55JAI 574 Mumbai 23:05MSC 403 Asyut 23:10JZR 239 Amman 23:20FDB 071 Dubai 23:35KLM 411 Amsterdam/Dammam 23:40

Departure Flights on Wednesday 19/10/2016Airlines Flt Route Time AIC 988 Hyderabad/Chennai 00:05JAI 573 Mumbai 00:10MSC 404 Asyut 00:10JAD 302 Amman 00:25FDB 072 Dubai 00:30THY 773 Istanbul 01:40FDK 804 Damascus 01:55DLH 635 Frankfurt 02:00PGT 859 Istanbul 02:40THY 765 Istanbul 02:45KKK 6505 Istanbul 02:55MSC 406 Sohag 03:30UAE 854 Dubai 03:45KAC 417 Manila 03:55OMA 644 Muscat 04:05FDB 068 Dubai 04:05ETD 306 Abu Dhabi 04:10MSR 613 Cairo 04:15PGT 861 Istanbul 04:30QTR 1077 Doha 04:35CEB 019 Manila 04:50JZR 560 Sohag 05:00THY 1465 Istanbul 06:00FEG 954 Asyut 06:00RJA 643 Amman 06:25QTR 1087 Doha 06:30THY 771 Istanbul 06:45GFA 212 Bahrain 06:50FDB 070 Dubai 07:05JZR 164 Dubai 07:15FDB 5062 Dubai 07:55BAW 156 London 08:25FDB 054 Dubai 08:30KAC 511 Mashhad 08:40KAC 539 Sharm el-Sheikh 08:50KAC 791 Madinah 08:55KAC 117 SNN/New York 09:00KAC 787 Jeddah 09:30KAC 671 Dubai 09:30JZR 482 Istanbul 09:40ABY 126 Sharjah 09:45UAE 856 Dubai 09:50ETD 302 Abu Dhabi 10:05IRA 664 Shiraz 10:25IRM 1189 Mashhad 10:25QTR 1071 Doha 10:35IRC 6512 ABD 10:40FDB 056 Dubai 10:40KAC 501 Beirut 11:00KAC 153 Istanbul 11:00KAC 175 Frankfurt/Geneva 11:15KAC 561 Amman 11:20GFA 214 Bahrain 11:35JZR 356 Mashhad 11:40AXB 890 Mangalore 11:55MEA 405 Beirut 12:00KAC 541 Cairo 12:05UAE 874 Dubai 12:10KAC 103 London 12:10JZR 776 Jeddah 12:15AVV 656 Alexandria 12:30IAW 158 Al Najaf 12:55MSR 503 Cairo 13:00KAC 785 Jeddah 13:00FDB 076 Dubai 13:10IRM 1187 Tehran 13:10JZR 786 Riyadh 13:20FEG 932 Sohag 13:55AAG 145 Baghdad 14:00MSR 611 Cairo 14:00

ETD 9819 BRU 14:10THY 767 Istanbul 14:10CLX 792 Hanoi 14:30KNE 382 Taif 14:55SVA 2507 Jeddah 14:55KAC 773 Riyadh 15:00GFA 222 Bahrain 15:05FDB 058 Dubai 15:05KAC 673 Dubai 15:05QTR 1079 Doha 15:15KAC 617 Doha 15:15IRC 6512 ABD 15:30KAC 741 Dammam 15:30SVA 503 Madinah/Jeddah 15:45JZR 188 Dubai 15:50KNE 530 Jeddah 15:55KNE 684 Madinah 16:00KAC 613 Bahrain 16:00OMA 646 Muscat 16:10ABY 128 Sharjah 16:15ETD 304 Abu Dhabi 16:20KAC 563 Amman 16:30RJA 641 Amman 16:55FDB 052 Dubai 17:00JZR 266 Beirut 17:10QTR 1073 Doha 17:25PYA 2397 Tehran 17:30UAE 858 Dubai 17:40JZR 238 Amman 17:45SVA 511 Riyadh 18:15SAW 706 Damascus 18:20GFA 216 Bahrain 18:20JZR 184 Dubai 18:20JZR 538 Cairo 18:30JZR 552 Alexandria 18:50QTR 1081 Doha 19:05JZR 124 Bahrain 19:20MSR 621 Cairo 19:30SYR 342 Damascus 19:45GFA 218 Bahrain 19:50FDB 064 Dubai 19:50ABY 124 Sharjah 19:55KAC 361 Colombo 19:55MSR 619 Cairo 20:30FDB 060 Dubai 20:30KAC 283 Dhaka 20:30UAE 876 Dubai 20:35JAI 571 Mumbai 20:35KAC 331 Trivandrum 20:45DLH 634 Doha 20:50KAC 343 Chennai 20:55KAC 543 Cairo 21:00KAC 351 Kochi 21:00KNE 232 Riyadh 21:10MEA 403 Beirut 21:15OMA 648 Muscat 21:15QTR 1089 Doha 21:45DHX 171 Bahrain 21:50FDB 5054 Dubai 21:55ETD 308 Abu Dhabi 21:55JAD 300 Amman 22:00ALK 230 Colombo 22:20UAE 860 Dubai 22:25KAC 381 Delhi 22:25KAC 301 Mumbai 22:30KAC 345 Ahmedabad 22:55GFA 220 Bahrain 23:00KAC 205 Islamabad 23:00ETD 310 Abu Dhabi 23:05JZR 528 Asyut 23:15QTR 1083 Doha 23:20MSC 502 Alexandria 23:30

CHANGE OF NAME

I, Mohamed Baruk MohamedAsraf, holder of IndianPassport No. J6973017 & CivilID No. 270021203341 haschanged my name toMohamed Baruk Ashrafalihereinafter in all my dealingsand documents I will beknown by the name of

Mohamed Baruk Ashraf Ali. (C 5223)18-10-2016

I Zahra holding IndianPassport No. Z3218479issued at Kuwait on29/11/2015, would likechange my name toAlbertina Fernandes. (C 5219) 17-10-2016

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2016

Your current wanderlust has an uplifting effect on your entire life,offering the possibility of new friendships and even romantic love. Your spirit ismore adventurous now, both in emotional and financial matters, as Venus in hap-py-go-lucky Sagittarius sparks your ignition. However, there may be a darker sideto all this lovely news if your enthusiasm encourages you to take on commitmentsthat you can’t fulfill. People with good intentions make promises, but people withgood character keep them.

Aries (March 21-April 19)

STAR TRACK

Expect the best and you will receive the best. The day may have a slow startbut an unusually busy afternoon. Your attitude will bring things around to what you wantto accomplish. Positive results depend on your actions and how you influence others andyou know just what to do. You may gain some positive feedback from your peers as wellas the public. You feel at home in your profession and it takes care of you. You could havedeep insights into your own feelings and inner, spiritual nature-enjoy this time of year! Athome, decorate with splashes of color and the fun traditions of the season. You may bechecking out your own wardrobe. You may, in fact, find yourself planning a party or find-ing the right clothing for an upcoming party.

Taurus (April 20-May 20)

You may be very dynamic in what you say. With all of this emotional energy,you could speak or communicate very well. You have mental drive. This may be a veryimpractical time however, when it comes to business concerns; careful. You have imagina-tion when it comes to reducing any excess overhead, but making a deal or a trade mightneed to wait another day. This evening you could be preparing to entertain in the nextfew weeks. Your creative side is showing and you may have lots of fun in decorating andpreparing your place for the quickly approaching holidays. You may insert a theatrical orvaudeville style to your handiwork. If you worry about your guests, don’t worry . . . Yourguests will enjoy these future events at your place.

Gemini (May 21-June 20)

There will be an opportunity today to show off your skills to higher-ups. Youmay not get recognition just now, but it will come soon; smile! If you have not noticedlately, you have had a more confident style about you and this may be the key that opensmany a new door in your career. You are very imaginative when it comes to people andrelationships and you express yourself well in all kinds of communications. At home thisafternoon you may decide to do a few more chores than are usually on your list. You havean interest in preparing for a social event. There may be an opportunity to do a little falldecorating. A splash of decor at your front door presents an intriguing invitation and wel-comes all the little neighbors to your good graces.

Cancer (June 21-July 22)

You know just what to do to keep the professional ball bouncing. Youhave dreams and ideas of how you want your day to develop and you are pleased to beable to take charge and create the desired end result. If you want to learn more about theart of negotiation, you might take a class in negotiation, debate, stage presence or someother similar type of class. You will gain the confidence you need to be more expressive inyour profession and around your friends and family. Soon, people will listen better to whatyou have to say, particularly if you have a good basis for what you say. Communications,computers and the whole electronic revolution are perfect career options for you. Tonightis for relaxation and fun with the young people.

Leo (July 23-August 22)

Challenging authority and rocking the boat will likely be a temptation toyou. Bringing new ideas into the workplace or making changes in a project could beacceptable if there is a plan on paper for higher-ups or a staff to view. Old patterns oforganization and power are ripe for a creative approach. Inventive ideas hold the key torealizing your ambitions and advancing your status in the workplace-it is your turn toshow off your talents. Good humor defuses any tense situation. After work, you are readyto enjoy some quiet time in a bookstore or museum. Check out your calendar for upcom-ing birthdays-you may want to update your collection of cards and have some ready formailing to your family or friends. Enjoy the season’s celebrations.

Virgo (August 23-September 22)

The following are possibilities for your birth year: you can wait, delay, para-lyze yourself or reduce your creativity almost to nothing; however, you cannot abolish it.So . . . Now is as good a time as any to discover your talents and test your abilities. Surpriseyourself! Do or plan to do something you have always wanted to do. You could takecharge of your talent and sign up for piano lessons, ice skating lessons, glass art, cardmaking, acting, etc. This is the year to grow and seek to know the true you. In the work-place you will find good job-related thoughts and ideas are easy to find. Communicationwith superiors is definitely improved. Positive things are happening in your career. Tonightthere are celebrations!

Libra (September 23-October 22)

You are willing to take on a few challenges this tuesday, no matter what therisks. You can be bold, perhaps a little headstrong and impatient. With your attitude how-ever, professional challenges are easily handled. A co-worker or project manager is watch-ing your progress and will be a great support. Daring to implement new approaches ortechniques may be the secret to your success. You prosper through new insights. After theworkday is over, you will have the opportunity to visit and chat with your friends. Withoutrealizing it’s been done, a friend will be able to give you some good guidance. You demon-strate great understanding and sensitivity to others and you can communicate with agreat deal of enthusiasm.

Scorpio (October 23-November 21)

You enjoy your work and you feel important when others depend uponyou. Careful-you may appear commanding at times. In summary, you can

expect a more confident, outgoing attitude, for you have brought to close a time ofinward examination. A growing sense of direction and self-worth will find you reachingout and establishing yourself. You can be very communicative, flexible, mental and other-oriented. Others will find you a smooth talker with a quick wit and ready tongue. You willbe pleased with your progress in the workplace. Tension results from a struggle betweendreams and reality, so keep a handle on your ability to focus. Opportunities are reallybeginning to open up for you now-pick and choose.

Sagittarius (November 22-December 21)

When obtaining a loan, be careful to ask for just what you need and not nec-essarily what you want-you will be granted the loan-but then you will have to start payingit back. Make sure the reason you borrowed the money is worth the time and energy ittakes to pay it back. In the workplace, you could be seen by others as just the person to beput in charge of some project. Difficulties, blocks and all manner of hot spots may be dis-covered. You can work through these blocks quickly as your attitude is to keep things sim-ple and to forge ahead. Nothing seems to slow you down. Ideas and interaction withauthority figures or older people may be in the works. Working with-rather than against-

the flow is good. A social affair is successful.

Capricorn (December 22-January 19)

You could find yourself volunteering to help a co-worker today. Your atti-tude is commendable and others do not let your efforts escape their atten-

tion. Since you do not complain, you may find more than a simple thanks for your efforts.This is indeed a great time to work in a team effort. Obtaining and exchanging informationtakes on more emotional significance this evening as you find yourself interacting with oth-ers on the general events of this day. You value personal contact with your neighbors orfriends, cutting through all the externals and getting to the heart of things. You express adeep understanding of all people and are a good communicator. It is possible that you will

encourage community improvements. Consider going to the next city council meeting.

Pisces (February 19-March 20)

Professional advice may work in your best interest. A relentless, gettingdown to basics attitude makes your sense of management and realistic vision very deep.You seem to understand mass psychology, how to organize and manipulate sensitiveareas of the public mind. This could create mentally stressful times for you but the resultsare rewarding. Work and career is becoming a primary focus. There are opportunities tomake good decisions. Friends visit your home this afternoon and you may find yourselfhaving a blast with these friends and getting all caught up on who has a new baby, whensomebody married and new job moves that are in different places all over the country.Keep up and have a camera at the ready for updating your albums.

Aquarius (January 20- February 18)

CROSSWORD 1404

ACROSS1. An authoritative direction or instruction to

do something.4. Someone who expresses in language.11. Any of a group of Indic languages spoken

in Kashmir and eastern Afghanistan andnorthern Pakistan.

15. A sweetened beverage of diluted fruitjuice.

16. Individual serving of minced e.g. meat orfish in a rich creamy sauce baked in a smallpastry mold or timbale shell.

17. Evergreen trees and shrubs having oilyone-seeded fruits.

18. An independent agency of the UnitedStates government responsible for collect-ing and coordinating intelligence andcounterintelligence activities abroad inthe national interest.

19. A river in central Europe that arises innorthwestern Czechoslovakia and flowsnorthward through Germany to emptyinto the North Sea.

20. (anatomy) Exhibiting ectopia.21. Sheep with long wool originating in the

Cotswolds.23. A rare silvery (usually trivalent) metallic ele-

ment.24. Have supper.25. A person trained to compete in sports.28. Mild yellow Dutch cheese made in balls.29. Any plant of the genus Caladium cultivated

for their ornamental foliage variously pat-terned in white or pink or red.

32. A widely distributed system of free andfixed macrophages derived from bonemarrow.

36. (Irish) Mother of the ancient Irish gods.37. Tuberous or rhizomatous herbaceous

perennials.43. A nonmetallic largely pentavalent heavy

volatile corrosive dark brown liquid ele-ment belonging to the halogens.

44. A switch made from the stems of the rattanpalms.

45. Suggestive of an elf in strangeness andotherworldliness.

48. A particular geographical region of indefi-nite boundary (usually serving some spe-cial purpose or distinguished by its peopleor culture or geography).

50. Largest crested screamer.51. English aristocrat who was the first wife of

Prince Charles.52. A fine grained mineral having a soft soapy

feel and consisting of hydrated magne-sium silicate.

53. Troubled persistently especially with pettyannoyances.

55. Small Old and New World herons.57. A member of the Siouan people formerly

living in the Missouri river valley in NENebraska.

58. An associate degree in nursing.59. A small cake leavened with yeast.65. Type genus of the Alcidae comprising sole-

ly the razorbill.69. Title for a civil or military leader (especially

in Turkey).73. A river in north central Switzerland that

runs northeast into the Rhine.74. The 22nd letter of the Greek alphabet.75. A cut of pork ribs with much of the meat

trimmed off.76. An agency of the United Nations affiliated

with the World Bank.77. Headdress that protects the head from bad

weather.78. 1 species.79. A young woman making her debut into

society.

DOWN1. An indehiscent fruit derived from a single

ovary having one or many seeds within afleshy wall or pericarp.

2. A person of subnormal intelligence.3. The event of dying or departure from life.

4. Cooked in hot water.5. The guidance of ships or airplanes from

place to place.6. Special design or visual object representing

a quality, type, group, etc..7. In bed.8. Unknown god.9. Resembling or characteristic of or appropri-

ate to an elegy.10. The process of remembering (especially

the process of recovering information bymental effort).

11. Something whose name is either forgottenor not known.

12. Perennial rhizomatous herbs of Asia andAustralia and Polynesia having ginger-scented rhizomes.

13. One of a pair of long straps (usually con-nected to the bit or the headpiece) usedto control a horse.

14. Small European freshwater fish with a slen-der bluish-green body.

22. An inflammatory disease of connective tis-sue with variable features including feverand weakness and fatigability and jointpains and skin lesions on the face or neckor arms.

26. Aircraft landing in bad weather in whichthe pilot is talked down by ground controlusing precision approach radar.

27. A Chadic language spoken south of LakeChad.

30. Undo the belt of.31. A percussion instrument consisting of a

pair of hollow pieces of wood or bone(usually held between the thumb and fin-gers) that are made to click together (asby Spanish dancers) in rhythm with thedance.

33. Capital and largest city of the CzechRepublic.

34. A stringed instrument of India.35. Well grounded in logic or truth or having

legal force.38. A mountain peak in the Andes in Bolivia

(21,391 feet high).39. Squash bugs.40. (Greek mythology) A princess of Colchis

who aided Jason in taking the GoldenFleece from her father.

41. An unforeseen obstacle.42. A chain of connected ideas or passages or

objects so arranged that each member isclosely related to the preceding and fol-lowing members (especially a series ofpatristic comments elucidating Christiandogma).

46. The syllable naming the fourth (subdomi-nant) note of the diatonic scale in solmiza-tion.

47. Lacking professional skill or expertise.49. Any of various long-tailed rodents similar

to but larger than a mouse.54. A member of the Himalayan people living

in Nepal and Tibet who are famous fortheir skill as mountaineers.

56. An intensely radioactive metallic elementthat occurs in minute amounts in uraniumores.

60. Title for a civil or military leader (especiallyin Turkey).

61. Anything that serves as an enticement.62. (Norse mythology) God of war and strife

and son of Odin.63. Chocolate cookie with white cream filling.64. Being one more than seven.66. Set down according to a plan.67. (of a young animal) Abandoned by its

mother and raised by hand.68. An Arabic speaking person who lives in

Arabia or North Africa.70. Of southern Europe.71. Primitive predaceous North American fish

covered with hard scales and having longjaws with needle-like teeth.

72. A loose sleeveless outer garment madefrom aba cloth.

Yesterday’s Solution

Yesterday’s Solution

Word Search

34s ta rs

Daily SuDoku

Yesterday Solution

inf or m at ionWEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2016

Ahmadi Sama Safwan Fahaeel Makka St 23915883Abu Halaifa Abu Halaifa-Coastal Rd 23715414Danat Al-Sultan Mahboula Block 1, Coastal Rd 23726558

Jahra Modern Jahra Jahra-Block 3 Lot 1 24575518Madina Munawara Jahra-Block 92 24566622

Capital Ahlam Fahad Al-Salem St 22436184Khaldiya Coop Khaldiya Coop 24833967

Farwaniya New Shifa Farwaniya Block 40 24734000Ferdous Coop Ferdous Coop 24881201Modern Safwan Old Kheitan Block 11 24726638

Hawally Tariq Salmiya-Hamad Mubarak St 25726265Hana Salmiya-Amman St 25647075Ikhlas Hawally-Beirut St 22625999Hawally & Rawdha Hawally & Rawdha Coop 22564549Ghadeer Jabriya-Block 1A 25340559Kindy Jabriya-Block 3B 25326554Ibn Al-Nafis Salmiya-Hamad Mubarak St 25721264Mishrif Coop Mishrif Coop 25380581Salwa Coop Salwa Coop 25628241

Ophthalmologists

Dr. Abidallah Al-Mansoor 25622444

Dr. Samy Al-Rabeea 25752222

Dr. Masoma Habeeb 25321171

Dr. Mubarak Al-Ajmy 25739999

Dr. Mohsen Abel 25757700

Dr Adnan Hasan Alwayl 25732223

Dr. Abdallah Al-Baghly 25732223

Ear, Nose & Throat (ENT)

Dr. Ahmed Fouad Mouner 24555050 Ext 510

Dr. Abdallah Al-Ali 25644660

Dr. Abd Al-Hameed Al-Taweel 25646478

Dr. Sanad Al-Fathalah 25311996

Dr. Mohammad Al-Daaory 25731988

Dr. Ismail Al-Fodary 22620166

Dr. Mahmoud Al-Booz 25651426

General Practitioners

Dr. Mohamme Y Majidi 24555050 Ext 123

Dr. Yousef Al-Omar 24719312

Dr. Tarek Al-Mikhazeem 23926920

Dr. Kathem Maarafi 25730465

Dr. Abdallah Ahmad Eyadah 25655528

Dr. Nabeel Al-Ayoobi 24577781

Dr. Dina Abidallah Al-Refae 25333501

Urologists

Dr. Ali Naser Al-Serfy 22641534

Dr. Fawzi Taher Abul 22639955

Dr. Khaleel Abidallah Al-Awadi 22616660

Dr. Adel Al-Hunayan FRCS (C) 25313120

Dr. Leons Joseph 66703427

For labor-related inquiries and complaints:

Call MSAL hotline 128

Sabah Hospital 24812000

Amiri Hospital 22450005

Maternity Hospital 24843100

Mubarak Al-Kabir Hospital 25312700

Chest Hospital 24849400

Farwaniya Hospital 24892010

Adan Hospital 23940620

Ibn Sina Hospital 24840300

Al-Razi Hospital 24846000

Physiotherapy Hospital 24874330/9

Kaizen center 25716707

Rawda 22517733

Adaliya 22517144

Khaldiya 24848075

Kaifan 24849807

Shamiya 24848913

Shuwaikh 24814507

Abdullah Salem 22549134

Nuzha 22526804

Industrial Shuwaikh 24814764

Qadsiya 22515088

Dasmah 22532265

Bneid Al-Gar 22531908

Shaab 22518752

Qibla 22459381

Ayoun Al-Qibla 22451082

Mirqab 22456536

Sharq 22465401

Salmiya 25746401

Jabriya 25316254

Maidan Hawally 25623444

Bayan 25388462

Mishref 25381200

W Hawally 22630786

Sabah 24810221

Jahra 24770319

New Jahra 24575755

West Jahra 24772608

South Jahra 24775066

North Jahra 24775992

North Jleeb 24311795

Ardhiya 24884079

Firdous 24892674

Omariya 24719048

N Khaitan 24710044

Fintas 23900322

GOVERNORATE PHARMACY ADDRESS PHONE

Plastic Surgeons

Dr. Mohammad Al-Khalaf 22547272

Dr. Abdal-Redha Lari 22617700

Dr. Abdel Quttainah 25625030/60

Family Doctor

Dr Divya Damodar 23729596/23729581

Psychiatrists

Dr. Esam Al-Ansari 22635047

Dr Eisa M. Al-Balhan 22613623/0

Gynaecologists & Obstetricians

DrAdrian arbe 23729596/23729581

Dr. Verginia s.Marin 2572-6666 ext 8321

Dr. Fozeya Ali Al-Qatan 22655539

Dr. Majeda Khalefa Aliytami 25343406

Dr. Ahmad Al-Khooly 25739272

Dr. Salem soso 22618787

General Surgeons

Dr. Amer Zawaz Al-Amer 22610044

Dr. Mohammad Yousef Basher 25327148

Internists, Chest & Heart

Dr. Adnan Ebil 22639939

Dr. Mousa Khadada 22666300

Dr. Latefa Al-Duweisan 25728004

Dr. Nadem Al-Ghabra 25355515

Dr. Mobarak Aldoub 24726446

Dr Nasser Behbehani 25654300/3

Paediatricians

Dr. Khaled Hamadi 25665898

Dr. Abd Al-Aziz Al-Rashed 25340300

Dr. Zahra Qabazard 25710444

Dr. Sohail Qamar 22621099

Dr. Snaa Maaroof 25713514

Dr. Pradip Gujare 23713100

Dr. Zacharias Mathew 24334282

Dermatology

Dr. Mohammed Salam Bern University 23845955

Dentists

Dr Anil Thomas 3729596/3729581

Dr. Shamah Al-Matar 22641071/2

Dr. Anesah Al-Rasheed 22562226

Dr. Abidallah Al-Amer 22561444

Dr. Faysal Al-Fozan 22619557

Dr. Abdallateef Al-Katrash 22525888

Dr. Abidallah Al-Duweisan 25653755

Dr. Bader Al-Ansari 25620111

Neurologists

Dr. Sohal Najem Al-Shemeri 25633324

Dr. Jasem Mola Hassan 25345875

Gastrologists

Dr. Sami Aman 22636464

Dr. Mohammad Al-Shamaly 25322030

Dr. Foad Abidallah Al-Ali 22633135

Endocrinologist

Dr. Abd Al-Naser Al-Othman 25339330

Dr. Ahmad Al-Ansari 25658888

Dr. Kamal Al-Shomr 25329924

Physiotherapists & VD

Dr. Deyaa Shehab 25722291

Dr. Musaed Faraj Khamees 22666288

Rheumatologists:

Dr. Adel Al-Awadi 25330060

Dr. Khaled Al-Jarallah 25722290

Internist, Chest & Heart

DR.Mohammes Akkad 24555050 Ext 210

Dr. Mohammad Zubaid MB, ChB, FRCPC, PACC Assistant Professor Of Medicine Head, Division of Cardiology Mubarak Al-Kabeer Hospital 25339667

Consultant Cardiologist

Dr. Farida Al-Habib 2611555-2622555 MD, PH.D, FACC

Inaya German Medical Center Te: 2575077 Fax: 25723123

Soor CenterTel: 2290-1677Fax: 2290 1688

info@soorcenter.comwww.soorcenter.com

Psychologists/Psychotherapists

PRIVATE CLINICS

William Schuilenberg, RPC 2290-1677Zaina Al Zabin, M.Sc. 2290-1677

Kaizen center25716707

Noor Clinic23845955

INTERNATIONALCALLS

Afghanistan 0093

Albania 00355

Algeria 00213

Andorra 00376

Angola 00244

Anguilla 001264

Antiga 001268

Argentina 0054

Armenia 00374

Australia 0061

Austria 0043

Azerbaijan 00994

Bahamas 001242

Bahrain 00973

Bangladesh 00880

Barbados 001246

Belarus 00375

Belgium 0032

Belize 00501

Benin 00229

Bermuda 001441

Bhutan 00975

Bolivia 00591

Bosnia 00387

Botswana 00267

Brazil 0055

Brunei 00673

Bulgaria 00359

Burkina 00226

Burundi 00257

Cambodia 00855

Cameroon 00237

Canada 001

Cape Verde 00238

Cayman Islands 001345

Central African 00236

Chad 00235

Chile 0056

China 0086

Colombia 0057

Comoros 00269

Congo 00242

Cook Islands 00682

Costa Rica 00506

Croatia 00385

Cuba 0053

Cyprus 00357

Cyprus (Northern) 0090392

Czech Republic 00420

Denmark 0045

Diego Garcia 00246

Djibouti 00253

Dominica 001767

Dominican Republic 001809

Ecuador 00593

Egypt 0020

El Salvador 00503

England (UK) 0044

Equatorial Guinea 00240

Eritrea 00291

Estonia 00372

Ethiopia 00251

Falkland Islands 00500

Faroe Islands 00298

Fiji 00679

Finland 00358

France 0033

French Guiana 00594

French Polynesia 00689

Gabon 00241

Gambia 00220

Georgia 00995

Germany 0049

Ghana 00233

Gibraltar 00350

Greece 0030

Greenland 00299

Grenada 001473

Guadeloupe 00590

Guam 001671

Guatemala 00502

Guinea 00224

Guyana 00592

Haiti 00509

Holland (Netherlands) 0031

Honduras 00504

Hong Kong 00852

Hungary 0036

Ibiza (Spain) 0034

Iceland 00354

India 0091

Indian Ocean 00873

Indonesia 0062

Iran 0098

Iraq 00964

Ireland 00353

Italy 0039

Ivory Coast 00225

Jamaica 001876

Japan 0081

Jordan 00962

Kazakhstan 007

Kenya 00254

Kiribati 00686

Kuwait 00965

Kyrgyzstan 00996

Laos 00856

Latvia 00371

Lebanon 00961

Liberia 00231

Libya 00218

Lesotho 00266

Lithuania 00370

Luxembourg 00352

Macau 00853

Macedonia 00389

Madagascar 00261

Majorca 0034

Malawi 00265

Malaysia 0060

Maldives 00960

Mali 00223

Malta 00356

Marshall Islands 00692

Martinique 00596

Mauritania 00222

Mauritius 00230

Mayotte 00269

Mexico 0052

Micronesia 00691

Moldova 00373

Monaco 00377

Mongolia 00976

Montserrat 001664

Morocco 00212

Mozambique 00258

Myanmar (Burma) 0095

Namibia 00264

Nepal 00977

Netherlands 0031

Netherlands Antilles 00599

New Caledonia 00687

New Zealand 0064

Nicaragua 00505

Nigar 00227

Nigeria 00234

Niue 00683

Norfolk Island 00672

N. Ireland (UK) 0044

North Korea 00850

Norway 0047

Oman 00968

Pakistan 0092

Palau 00680

Panama 00507

Papua New Guinea 00675

Paraguay 00595

Peru 0051

Philippines 0063

Poland 0048

Portugal 00351

Puerto Rico 001787

Qatar 00974

Romania 0040

Russian Federation 007

Rwanda 00250

Saint Helena 00290

Saint Kitts 001869

Saint Lucia 001758

Saint Pierre 00508

Saint Vincent 001784

Samoa US 00684

Samoa West 00685

San Marino 00378

Sao Tone 00239

Saudi Arabia 00966

Scotland (UK) 0044

Senegal 00221

Seychelles 00284

Sierra Leone 00232

Singapore 0065

Slovakia 00421

Slovenia 00386

Solomon Islands 00677

Somalia 00252

South Africa 0027

South Korea 0082

Spain 0034

Sri Lanka 0094

Sudan 00249

Suriname 00597

Swaziland 00268

Sweden 0046

Switzerland 0041

Syria 00963

Serbia 00381

Taiwan 00886

Tanzania 00255

Thailand 0066

Togo 00228

Tonga 00676

Tokelau 00690

Trinidad 001868

Tunisia 00216

Turkey 0090

Tuvalu 00688

Uganda 00256

Ukraine 00380

United Arab Emirates 00976

United Kingdom 0044

Uruguay 00598

USA 001

Uzbekistan 00998

Vanuatu 00678

Venezuela 00582

Vietnam 0084

Virgin Islands UK 001284

Virgin Islands US 001340

Wales (UK) 0044

Yemen 00967

Yugoslavia 00381

Zambia 00260

Zimbabwe 00263

G O S S I P

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2016

l if e s t y l e

Howard Stern doesn’t plan to air old inter-views with Donald Trump featuring thenow Republican presidential candidate

discussing his sexual exploits. The talk show hostsaid Monday on his SiriusXM show that hewouldn’t dig into his archives to replay any ofthe about 50 interviews he’s conducted withTrump over the years. “I feel Donald Trump didthe show in an effort to be entertaining andhave fun with us,” Stern said. “I feel like it wouldbe a betrayal to any of our guests if I sat thereand played them now (when) people are attack-

ing him.” Stern, who has publicly supportedDemocratic presidential candidate HillaryClinton, noted that his conversations with Trumpwere broadcast and not “done in private like theBilly Bush tapes.” “I knew I had a guy who lovedto talk about his relations,” Stern said. “I had aguy who loved to evaluate women on a scale of1 to 10. These are avenues I went down becauseI knew it would entertain the audience.” In pastinterviews with the shock jock, Trump has givenStern permission to call daughter Ivanka Trumpa “piece of (expletive),” boasted about walking in

on undressed contestants at his beauty pag-eants, bragged that he could have had sex withDiana, princess of Wales, and admitted to cheat-ing on ex-wife Ivana Trump. Stern dismissedTrump’s comments to “Access Hollywood” hostBilly Bush as “locker room talk.” He said he hasnever been in a locker room when “someone hassaid ‘grab them by the (expletive).”

Howard Stern won’t air pastDonald Trump interviews

Kim Kardashian West is “taking some muchneeded time off ” from sharing on herphone app after she was held up at gun-

point in Paris, according to a handwritten notedposted in the app Monday by an assistant. “Butnot to worry,” wrote “Steph Shep,” the nicknamefor Kim assistant Stephanie Sheppard. “We’vecalled upon Kims (sic) closest friends, fam &yours truly to serve up some exclusives.”Sheppard promised: “Stay tuned for new postsand app takeovers!!” Kardashian West has main-tained silence on all her social media streamssince the Oct 3 jewelry heist, when she wasbound and left in a bathtub by suspects who

remain at large. Police estimate more than $10million in jewels were stolen. The paid app is arare social media spot where Kardashian Westcharges money for access. It had been leftuntouched since the robbery. The heist, sisterKhloe Kardashian said on “The Ellen DeGeneresShow” about a week after the hold up, was a“wake up call to make a lot of life adjustments”for all in the reality TV family. Usually heavysocial media sharers, the famous sisters, mom,brother and a universe of friends have scaledway back and Kardashian has kept a low profile.

Kardashian West assistant speaks on Kim’s silent phone app

Ora decidedAmerica’s Next Top

Model panel

Rita Ora was the mastermind behind ‘America’s Next TopModel’ panel shake up. The ‘RIP’ hitmaker shocked theworld earlier this year when it was announced she was

replacing Tyra Banks as the host and main judge of the beautyshow but she has admitted she was actually the one whoapproached bosses and encouraged them to employ her,Ashley Graham, Drew Elliott and runway coach/fashion expertLaw Roach. Speaking to PAPER magazine, she said: “I’m lucky tohave friends in this industry, and I thought maybe if I call themand we create a credible panel and give a different perspectiveof ‘America’s Next Top Model’, I could actually be the host.”However, the 25-year-old singer is determined to create a dif-ferent vibe when the show returns in December as she believesmodeling is no longer just about taking a picture. Sheexplained: “I’m not here to tell them what to do. I’m here toshow them that they can do this, too. I’m an example of whatyou can achieve because it’s worked. “I don’t think just taking aphoto is enough anymore. “We focus on how you’re going tocreate a fan base on social media, how you’re going to makepeople want to imitate you. That for me is the differencebetween somebody who’s just a regular model and somebodywho’s a superstar.” Although Tyra - who has fronted the pro-gram for 22 series - has now stepped away from the hostingduties, the 42-year-old model will still remain as executive pro-ducer. And the brunette beauty recently claimed she had a sayin who would replace her. She said at the time: “I’m pumped toidentify that person and bring back the show. ‘Top Model’ fans,you demanded that the show come back and VH1 answeredthe call. Get ready for a fierce-a-fied rebirth!”

Jennifer Lopez allegedly dumped Casper Smartbecause he cheated on her. The 47-year-old singercalled time on her five-year relationship with the 29-

year-old dancer back in August, in what was claimed to bean “amicable” break-up. Originally, it was speculated thatthe ‘Shades of Blue’ actress - whose nickname is J. Lo -broke things off with Casper because he failed to attend acharity dinner with her, but now an accusation of infidelityhas been made against Casper. A source told People: “Shekicked him out because he cheated on her and he gotcaught. It happened two years ago, and he promised hewould never do it again and once he did, she was done.“The truth is, he was cheating and now that it’s over he’sbeen begging to come back.” However, Casper - who previ-ously was separated from the ‘On The Floor’ singer in 2014 -isn’t giving up on his relationship easily, and has been

doing “everything he can” to win J.Lo’s love back. Thesource added: “He’s been doing everything he can to getback together, working on himself and posting on hisInstagram saying that ‘Life is Good’ and showing off hisnew leg tattoo that says ‘You must embrace the darknessto see the light.’” However, it doesn’t look as though Casperis going to change his ways any time soon, as he’s recentlybeen spotted with “bikini-clad dancers” in Mexico. Thesource said: “He says he’s changed and that he is a newman but recently, on a video shoot for Wisin in Mexico, hewas posting videos with bikini-clad dancers and not actinglike a guy trying to remedy old habits. He was kicked tothe curb not because he did not attend a party with J. Lobut because he was caught having parties of his own. Noone has time for that, especially J. Lo.”

Jennifer Lopez allegedly dumpedCasper Smart because he cheated

Victoria Beckham:

Harper has a bettersocial life than me

Victoria Beckham says her daughter has a “bettersocial life” than her. Harper Beckham is only fiveyears old, but her 42-year-old mum says she’s “very

sociable” and has “a lot of friends”. The fashion designeralso has three sons, Brooklyn, 17, Romeo, 14, and Cruz, 11,with her husband David Beckham and it makes her veryproud to see them all “happy” and “confident”. She told theNovember issue of Vogue Australia magazine: “[Harper]works very hard at school and is very sociable, so has a lotof friends. She has a better social life than I do! My childrenare all very happy and that’s the most crucial thing - theyare happy, confident and secure in themselves.” Victoria’slatest comments come after she admitted she doesn’t havemuch of a “social life” because her four children are her“first priority” in life. The former Spice Girl said: “[I don’t]have a social life. My four children and David are my firstpriority. When there’s a play on or a parent/teacher meet-ing, I’m there. David and I are rarely away at the same time.We do the homework, the bath time and the bed time.Paying someone to do those things for you to make yourlife easier isn’t wrong but they’re important to me.” Andwhilst Victoria can’t say for sure if her children will follow inher footsteps and get involved with her self-titled fashionlabel, the kids are showing an interest in her line of workand share her passion for style. She said previously:“Brooklyn wants to be a photographer, he loves art.Obviously he shot the fragrance campaign for Burberry, somaybe he’ll be a fashion photographer. “Romeo enjoyedworking with Burberry too, and Harper and Cruz are tooyoung to tell, but they love fashion. “They all take a lot ofpride in the way they look. When we go out for dinner as afamily, they all put their little looks together. Cruz spends alot of time making sure his hair is just right.”

John Legend keeps

family life ‘fun’

John Legend’s secret to having a happy family isto “enjoy” every moment he spends with hisloved ones. The 37-year-old musician and his

wife Chrissy Teigen have been parents to their babydaughter Luna for six months, and the ‘All of Me’ hit-maker says the trick to making things work is to “goout of your way” to make each other happy. He said:“You just have to try and be with each other as muchas you can, cherish every moment. Enjoy eachmoment. Go out of your way, do fun things togetheras a couple and as a family. And we try to do as muchof that as we can while still working and you knowmaintaining our careers.” And for little Luna, the cou-ple - who married in 2013 - aim to make “every day”easy for her, as they want to keep her “stress-free andjoyous”. The ‘Love Me Now’ singer added: “We just tryand make every day as great as we can for her, helpher grow into the kind of human we want her to be,and try and make every moment as stress-free andjoyous for her as possible.” With his daughter at theage where she may start forming her first words, the‘Tonight’ musician says he is “excited”, and eventhough she’s likely to say “dada” before she says“mama”, he doesn’t view it as a competition.Speaking to ‘Entertainment Tonight’, the musiciansaid: “It is really difficult for them to form the ‘m’ aseasily as they form the ‘d,’ so I am not really making itseem like it is some kind of victory for me that shecan say the easier thing, but either way I will just beexcited when she starts talking.”

Lady Gaga believes wearing an all-black ensemble willmake people “focus” on her songs lyrics. The 30-year-old singer songwriter - who is known for her eccentric

style and outlandish costumes for her performances - hasadmitted she has decided to drop the gimmicks with herrecent album ‘Joanne’ and thinks if she was to don “blackpants and a black T-shirt” fans will enjoy her music more.Speaking to PEOPLE about her wardrobe choices whilstperforming, the blonde beauty - whose real name isStefani Germanotta - said: “If I wear black pants and a blackT-shirt every day, people might focus on what I write.” AndGaga has admitted although others were bewildered byher outfits, the garments “made sense” to her. Sheexplained: “All the outfits, fashion and art pieces over theyears made sense to me [but] they didn’t make sense toother people.” And the ‘Bad Romance’ hitmaker - who hasrecently split from her actor has opted for a more naturalensemble, which has seen her demand flat footwearinstead of high heeled platform shoes. She said: “This time,my style just stayed naturally at how I’ve been in the stu-dio. “I started vehemently saying, ‘Get these clothes out!I’m not wearing this! I’m not wearing heels!’ And some ofthat, too, is because I’ve been in the studio with boys. You

can’t make music with a bunch of boys who are staring at alobster on your head. They are going to get distracted.”Meanwhile, the powerhouse thinks being a woman “ain’teasy”, and thinks all women share many of the same lifestruggles. Speaking previously, she said: “Many women, nomatter their race, colour, religion, go through the sameissues with men, bodies, minds. A lot of women shut down,as they don’t feel heard. It ain’t easy. I know it is pulling meapart.”

Lady Gaga wants people to focus on what I write

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2016

M U S I C & M O V I E S

l if e s t y l e

Sheikha Intisar Salem Al-Ali Al-Sabahsaid she is proud for the only Kuwaitifilm participating in the Alexandria

Film Festival winning the best actor prize.Sheikha Intisar who chairs the Pearl HouseArt Production Company (Lulua Publishing )said that ‘Habeeb Al-Ardh, Fayeq Abdeljalil’film put Kuwait’s name in prominence in theworld cinema, adding that this win is a firststep for Kuwait becoming a nucleus of cine-ma industry.

This prompted us to continue the march ofsuccess, as film director Ramadan Khasro leftwith Kuwait’s delegation along with theNational Council for Culture, Arts and Lettersto Abu Dhabi to participate in the third roundof the “GCC Film Festival” which will continueuntil October 20 and organized by Ministry ofCulture and Knowledge Development incooperation with Gulf Cooperation Councilsecretariat, under the patronage of Cultureand Knowledge Development Minister SheikhNahayan Bin Mubarak Al-Nahayan, in the pres-ence of various officials including GCCAssistant Secretary General for Culture sectorat the Secretariat General Khalid Al-Ghassani,Gulf Culture Directors, GCC Culture

Committee members besides actors from vari-ous GCC countries including AbdelhusseinAbdelreda, Dawood Hussein, Mohammad Al-Mansour, Jassim Al-Nabhan, Huda Hussein,Tariq Al-Ali, Shujoon Al-Hajiri, Amal Al-Awadhi,Muna Shaddad and Zahra Al-Kharji fromKuwait.

Fatima Abdelraheem, Shaila Sabt, ShaimaSabt, Reem Rahmi and Anwar Ahmad. ShamaaMohammad, Buthaina Al-Raeesi, KhalidAlzidjali, Saleh Zaal, Saud Al-Darmaki, GhadaAlzidjali from Oman. Ibrahim Al-Hasawi andReem Abdallah from Saudi Arabia. Najwa Al-Qatariya, Saleh Al-Mawla and Sahar Husseinfrom Qatar. Ahmad Al-Jasmi, Sameera Ahmad,Fatima Al-Housani, Huda Al-Khateeb andBadriya Ahmad from UAE.

She said ‘Habeeb Al-Ardh’ film is participat-ing along with five other Kuwaiti films, addingthat the Gulf cinema festival is a great oppor-tunity for a Kuwaiti and Gulf Cinema Industryto compete at the world level. She said thereare 27 films participating along with severalspecialized seminars and workshops.

‘Habeeb Al-Ardh’ : A winner at the third GCC Film Festival

Photo shows SheikhaIntisar Salem Al-Ali Al-Sabah at the third GCC

Film Festival.

(From left) Photo show directors Ramadan Khasroand Ahmad Al-Khalaf posing at the third GCC FilmFestival. — Photos by Yasser Al-Zayyat

(From left) Photo shows screenwriter Razi Al-Shati, directorRamadan Khasro (center) and Fatima Al-Husseinan posing at thethird GCC Film Festival.

The force behind a string of hits for other artists, popsinger Bebe Rexha was named the host of the MTVEurope Music Awards on Monday before her first

album has even been released. The honor reflects the 27-year-old’s fast-growing stardom and the connection shefeels to Europe. Born in New York to Albanian parents,Rexha will take center-stage on November 6 in the Dutchcity of Rotterdam for a gala geared to a more global audi-ence than MTV’s signature Video Music Awards. With a siz-able fan base in parts of Europe as well as Mexico, Rexhasaid she always immerses herself in local music sceneswhen traveling.

In Europe, “it kind of feels that sometimes they’re a stepahead, and I think they’re open to different-soundingmusic, and I like that,” she told AFP. The singer said with amischievous look that she was practicing pranks for theinternationally televised awards night, whose performerswill include Bruno Mars and Shawn Mendes. “I just want tobe myself and be real and be funny,” she said. Part of beingtrue to herself is expressing her Albanian heritage. Whileher sound is consistent with R&B-tinged mainstream pop,she said there are underlying Albanian influences, includ-ing sounds she heard at weddings. “When I was first start-ing out, I didn’t know how to grasp that, how to intertwinethat in my music,” she said. But she eventually realized that

“the more real you are” the better. “I want to show everypart of me, and every color of me,” she said. “And I think,growing up Albanian, I wanted to bring that to light.”

Young veteran songwriter Rexha’s next single will feature a “big drum that has a

very sexy feel to it,” she said, adding that she sees it as aninheritance from Albanian music. The song comes outahead of her debut full-length album, the cryptically titled“A.Y.F.,” which will be released in January. Rexha entered theTop 10 in the United States and several European countrieslast year with “Me, Myself & I,” a collaboration with rapperG-Eazy. She has already enjoyed a prolific career as a song-writer at her young age. She was discovered after she wona national contest for teenage songwriters run by theRecording Academy, which administers the GrammyAwards.

Rexha co-wrote “The Monster,” the chart-topping 2013hit by Eminem and Rihanna, as well as songs for SelenaGomez, Iggy Azalea and Nick Jonas. Blessed with a voicethat can go into high soprano range yet maintain a soulfultexture, Rexha said recording her own album was a newexperience. “You need to know when to surrender thealbum,” she said. “It’s very nerve-racking because you wantpeople to like it and you want to like it, and sometimes you

have to put your foot down and say this is what it’s goingto be,” she added. “I can’t sit here forever-for another 10years-doing this album.”

Reaching into emotions The album was also highly personal for Rexha, who

poured emotion into songs about a breakup. “The writingprocess was very tough,” she said. “What you start learningis that to get over a breakup, you kind of have to livethrough the emotions and not run away from it becausethen it lasts longer.” But the approach is not always cathar-tic. Performing her early single “I Can’t Stop Drinking AboutYou” a year later when another boyfriend split with her,Rexha said she would cry on stage. “I feel weird-you don’twant to cry on stage!” she said with a laugh. “The fans arelike-what’s happening? But it’s life and I can’t be perfectevery day.” — AFP

Bebe Rexha taps into her roots as MTV Europe host

Pop singer Bebe Rexha poses fora photo at the MTV headquar-

ters in New York. — AFP

A Turkish boyplays with a fan

dressed asChewbacca as

they attend 53rdAntalya Film

Festival inMediterranean

Turkish resort ofAntalya,

Turkey.—AP

Netflix and Amazon were facing off for a Cold War clashof two German spy series yesterday after the phenom-enal international success of espionage drama

“Deutschland 83”. Netflix has snapped up “Downfall” directorOliver Hirschbiegel’s highly-rated new show “The Same Sky”about a Stasi secret police agent sent on a “Romeo mission” toseduce a middle-aged single mother working in an NATOeavesdropping station in West Berlin. The series, written byPaula Milne, the British Emmy-winner behind “The Politician’sWife”, got rave reviews after its premiere late Monday at MIP-COM, the world’s biggest entertainment market in the Frenchresort of Cannes.

Only hours earlier, Amazon had announced that it wouldpremiere the sequel to “Deutschland 83”-the most successfulGerman series of all time-on its streaming service. Despitebeing a relative flop at home, the RTL series about a wide-eyed East German border guard who is sent to spy on theWest was a record-breaking hit abroad. “Deutschland 86” willpick up the story of reluctant spook Martin Rauch’s life threeyears on, the producers said. “The Same Sky” is set in 1974when despite the thawing of relations between East and West,

its producer said Berlin was a “hotbed of paranoia and spying,a covert frontline for both sides infiltrating every aspect of dai-ly life.”

Honey trap boy It opens in the Stasi HQ during a mind control class where

one of its rising young agents is being prepared to sexuallytarget a British-born intelligence officer played by Swedishstar Sofia Helin of “The Bridge” fame. She works at the NSA’stop secret Teufelsberg listening station and is struggling withher angry, off-the-rails son who is dabbling in radical politics.Milne told reporters the series listens in on stories from bothsides of the Berlin Wall.

“You have a family in the East imploding under the strainof their daughter competing in the Olympics while elsewherea group of gays try to tunnel their way under the wall,” sheadded. Director Hirschbiegel said he was old enough to havelived with the wall and drew from his own experiences whenmaking the six-part series for the German public broadcasterZDF. “I have a lot of memories. I had a girlfriend and friends inthe East. I experienced both worlds,” he added. “I crossed the

border in every way: by car, by foot, by subway and tram.Back then Berlin was an island within this rigid East Germanregime, a hippie country where an unbelievable number ofyoung people, students and men wanted to avoid doing mili-tary service.”

The western half of the city was not quite the glitteringadvertisement for capitalism that many think it was,Hirschbiegel said. “Many streets could have been mistaken forthe Bronx with empty houses and dilapidated facades thatweren’t much different from the ones in the East. The main dif-ference was the billboards and the neon advertisements.” “TheSame Sky” will air next year while “Deutschland 86” will not hitterrestrial screens until 2018. “Deutschland 83” was the firstGerman series ever to be shown on a US network and had thehighest ratings of a foreign-language drama in the history ofBritish television, beating Scandinavian hits like “Borgen”, “TheKilling” and “The Bridge”. — AFP

Terrorism TVshow puts verdict

in Europeanviewers’ hands

Amilitary pilot shoots down a hijacked plane with164 people on board to save the lives of thou-sands in a packed stadium that was the target of

a terrorist plot. Is he a hero, or guilty of murder? That isthe question viewers were asked to answer in an inter-active television show broadcast late Monday in fiveEuropean countries. “Terror - Your Verdict” turned couchpotatoes at home into a jury judging the fate of fictionalGerman air force major Lars Koch, who fires a missile atthe Lufthansa passenger jet.

“If I don’t shoot, tens of thousands will die,” he says inthe thriller as he takes aim at an engine of the AirbusA320, flouting the orders of his superiors. The planebursts into flames and comes down in a potato field,killing everyone aboard including militants from an Al-Qaeda offshoot who planned to use the airliner to tar-get a soccer match between Germany and England. Atthe Munich stadium venue, 70,000 fans are blissfullyunaware that they have been spared death due to theactions of the young military pilot. In the televisionshow, an adaptation of a successful play by bestsellingauthor Ferdinand von Schirach, Koch sits in the dock on164 counts of murder.

Trolley problem for terror age The scenario has been debated since the suicide

hijackings of September 11, 2001 in the United States asa kind of modern trolley problem, the classic ethicalthought experiment. In that hypothetical conundrum, aperson must choose between allowing a runaway trol-ley to run over five people tied to railway tracks, or topull a lever and send the trolley barreling into one per-son on another track. After 9/11, then US vice presidentDick Cheney said the military would have been justifiedif they shot down the airliners to prevent them crashinginto the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.

However Germany’s constitutional court ruled in2006 that such action would violate Article One of itsBasic Law, that human dignity is inviolable. In the caseof “Terror - Your Verdict”, viewers in Germany, Austria,Switzerland, the Czech Republic and Slovenia wereasked to vote guilty or not guilty online or via a tele-phone hotline.

Philosophical thicket The programming chief for German public broad-

caster ARD, Volker Herres, said the audience was invitedto become part of the plot. “The viewer is yanked out ofthe passivity of television watching,” he told the Bild dai-ly. “He is actively called upon to become both an affect-ed person and take a decision.” In the end, overwhelm-ing majorities called for Koch to be acquitted, with morethan 80 percent of viewers in Germany, Austria andSwitzerland finding Koch not guilty. An actor playingthe presiding judge read out the verdict, with bothoptions filmed in advance. The normally prosaic Bildpointed up the philosophical thicket revealed by theshow “pitting eternal natural law against the Protestantethic of responsibility, which demands a conscience-based decision in every situation”. —AFP

Prize winning French sculptor Annette Messager (left) walks after receiving a medal fromPrince Hitachi (second right) as Princess Hitachi (right) looks on during the awards ceremony.

Prize winning US director Martin Scorsese (second left) receives a medal from PrinceHitachi (2nd R) as Princess Hitachi (right) looks on during the awards ceremony.

Online giants battle over German Cold War spy dramas

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2016

l if e s t y l eM U S I C & M O V I E S

Three decades ago “Fatal Attraction” heralded the age ofthe erotic thriller-crime potboilers featuring leading menswapping suggestive dialogue and bodily fluids with

bewitching but murderous femme fatales. Movies like “BasicInstinct” and “Sliver” enjoyed acclaim and big box officereceipts during the 1990s, but within a few years the genre haddied out, usurped by a new wave of smarter thrillers thatswapped female flesh for sophisticated scriptwriting.

But while the American appetite for erotic thrillers is at anall-time low, the genre is burgeoning abroad, with France’s“Stranger by the Lake” and “Blue is the Warmest Color” (both2013), Italy’s “I Am Love” (2009) and China’s “Lust, Caution”(2007) all proving critical and box office hits. South Koreandirector Park Chan-wook, who first came to the notice of theWest with his cult, neo-noir revenge movie “Oldboy” (2003),is hoping to tempt US fans of the genre back into the theaterwith his own foreign-language celebration of sex andintrigue.

Due for release in the US on Friday, “The Handmaiden” tellsthe story of a Japanese heiress in 1930s occupied Korea andher affair with a Korean woman hired to be her maid-butsecretly plotting to con her out of her fortune. Adapted fromthe award-winning Sarah Waters novel “Fingersmith,” the narra-tive is driven not just by its many lurid plot twists but alsoscenes of explicit, meticulously choreographed sex.

It captivated South Koreans in June, attracting a record 1.8million cinemagoers, and has since amassed a respectable $32million and has been sold to 175 countries. It received mainlyglowing reviews after showing at the Cannes Film Festival but

some critics bemoaned Park’s penchant for stylized excess andshock tactics. Park says he holds in high regard many Americanerotic thrillers from the 1990s, including “Basic Instinct” and lmafia story “Bound” (1996), directed by Lana and LillyWachowski three years before they made “The Matrix.”

Oscar nominations “But it wasn’t a question of me saying I’m sad to see this

genre dying out and wanted to bring it back. There was noth-ing like that going on,” Park told AFP during a recent visit to LosAngeles. “When I set out to make this film it was purely a func-tion of me being drawn to the source material.” Americandirector Brian De Palma took erotica out of the arthouse andinto the mainstream with 1980’s “Dressed To Kill,” starringMichael Caine, and followed it up seven years later with thesteamy “Body Double.”

But it was another film released in 1987 — Adrian Lyne’smanic slasher “Fatal Attraction”-that defined the genre,packing out theaters, getting multiple Oscar nominationsand enriching the English language with the term “bunnyboiler.” Paul Verhoeven’s sleazy but sexy whodunnit “BasicInstinct” took the erotic thriller downmarket in 1992 butbecame one of the biggest hits of the decade, grossing$353 million worldwide.

The movie-about a novelist who stabs her victims with anice pick while engaged in acrobatic sex acts-famously featuredan interrogation scene in which Sharon Stone crosses anduncrosses her legs to reveal she isn’t wearing any underwear.“If ‘Fatal Attraction’ was the erotic thriller genre’s ‘Jaws,’ then

‘Basic Instinct’ was its ‘Star Wars,’” writes Ryan Lambie of the filmreviews website Den of Geek.

Conservative values The film led an upsurge of erotic thrillers, with cult hit

“Poison Ivy,” Stone’s next film “Sliver,” Madonna’s “Body ofEvidence” and “Disclosure,” all cashing in on the public’sappetite for sex and death. But a succession of lower qualityerotic thrillers bombed at the box office as apathy for thegenre set in. In 1996, Wes Craven’s smart, self-referentialslasher movie “Scream” opened the floodgates for a slew ofironic, postmodern thrillers, often with big stars but almostno nudity. Audiences had come to expect more from theirserial killers than bodice-ripping bonking by the time themuch delayed critical and box office disaster “Basic Instinct 2”came out in 2006.

Some analysts have blamed the rise of internet pornographyfor stripping erotic thrillers of their mystique while others claima resurgence in conservative values following the election of USPresident George W Bush in 2001 finished off the genre. ShawnRobbins, a senior analyst at BoxOffice.com, believes the eroticthriller died out simply because the world moved on, as italways does. “I think this is largely due to a cyclical shift in cul-tural tastes, especially among thriller and horror fans,” he toldAFP. “Certain genres tend to follow-or set-trends for a certainera, and in recent years those have gravitated toward moresupernatural and psychological scare tactics.” — AFP

The life and death of the American erotic thriller

The late rapper Tupac Shakur and Seattle-based rockers Pearl Jam are among thefirst-time nominees on the ballot for induc-

tion next year into the Rock and Roll Hall ofFame. Nine of the 19 acts nominated are on theballot for the first time, with Shakur and PearlJam in their first year of eligibility. More than 800artists, historians and music-industry officialsvote, with results announced in December andinduction next April.

Nominations were announced yesterday Theprolific Shakur was shot and killed at his peak in1996. His album “Me Against the World” hit thetop of the charts when he was in prison for sexu-al assault. “Keep Ya Head Up,” “Life Goes On,”“Ambitionz Az a Ridah” and “Changes” areamong his best-known songs. He recorded somuch while alive that releases kept flowing afterhis death. Pearl Jam would be the second band,following Nirvana in 2014, with roots in Seattle’sgrunge scene to make the hall. Behind charis-matic frontman Eddie Vedder, Pearl Jam was a

huge initial success behind songs like “Jeremy,”“Even Flow,” “Alive” and “Better Man.” They con-sciously stepped back from the commercialworld, and persist as a respected and populartouring outfit.

And “Don’t Stop Believin’” it’s true: Journey isanother first-time nominee. Its members mustwait a couple of months to find out if voters wel-come them with “Open Arms.” Other first-timenominees are: the hardcore punk pioneers BadBrains; 1980s synth-poppers Depeche Mode; JeffLynne’s 1970s hit machine Electric LightOrchestra; Lollapalooza instigators Jane’sAddiction; 1960s folkie Joan Baez; andSteppenwolf, Canadian rockers of “Born to beWild” fame.

The influential disco-era band Chic, who havebecome the hard-luck losers of the rock hallinduction process, are on the ballot for the 11thtime. Others back as nominees include soulsinger and former Rufus frontwoman ChakaKhan; the Peter Wolf-led rockers J. Geils Band;

pregnant soul superstar Janet Jackson; the late “IGotcha” singer Joe Tex; the German electronicmusic band Kraftwerk; the Detroit-area punkforerunners MC5; Ric Ocasek’s new wavers TheCars; the Zombies, British makers of “Time of theSeason” and “She’s Not There”; and the 1970s-eraprogressive rockers Yes.

There is no set number of inductees. Thisyear’s class had five members. To be eligible, allof the nominees had to have released their firstrecording no later than 1991. The induction cer-emony, open to the ticket-buying public and tel-evised later on HBO, will take place in Brooklyn’sBarclay’s Center. The public will also be invited tovote online among the nominees, with their topfive selections cast as a “fan’s ballot.” Inducteeswill eventually be enshrined in the Rock & RollHall of Fame museum in Cleveland. — AP

Tupac Shakur, Pearl Jam leadrock hall of fame ballot

In this Aug 15, 1996, file photo, rapperTupac Shakur attends a voter registrationevent in South Central Los Angeles.

In this June 11, 2016, file photo, Eddie Vedder of Pearl Jam performs at Bonnaroo Music and ArtsFestival in Manchester, Tenn.— AP photos

“The Simpsons” star Harry Shearer is suing French media giant Vivendifor $125 million over missing profits from the cult classic “This IsSpinal Tap,” his lawyers said yesterday. Shearer, who voices a host of

characters including evil employer Mr Burns on the animated television series“The Simpsons,” was a co-creator of the 1984 comedy which was inspired by aparody rock band of the same name. “Despite the widespread success of thefilm and its music, we’ve fallen victim to the same sort of fuzzy and falsifiedentertainment industry accounting schemes that have bedeviled so many oth-er creators,” Shearer said in a statement released by his lawyers.

“In this instance, the fraud and negligence were too egregious to ignore,”he said. Vivendi acquired the rights to the movie, made for $2.5 million, in1989. The suit, filed in Los Angeles, accuses Vivendi of engaging in “anti-com-petitive and unfair business practices, as well as fradulent accounting”, thestatement said. It alleges that the music and merchandise spawned by themovie earned tens of millions of dollars but that the creators were paid only$81 for merchandising earnings between 1984 and 2006. According to thecomplaint, Vivendi reported only $98 in music soundtrack revenues between1989 and 2006. — AFP

Actor Harry Shearer sues Vivendi over ‘Spinal Tap’ profits

Financial thriller “The Accountant” booked $24.7million in ticket receipts on its opening week-end to score number one at the North American

box office, industry data showed on Monday. TheWarner Bros film centers on an autistic mathematicssavant who capitalizes on his fondness for numbersby becoming an undercover forensic accountant forcriminal organizations.

Starring Ben Affleck and Anna Kendrick, the filmopened to mixed reviews but yielded more than fore-casters expected. Psychological thriller “The Girl onthe Train,” starring Emily Blunt as a depressed, alco-holic divorcee who witnesses something odd as sherides a commuter train, dropped down one place on

its second weekend with $12.2 million. It narrowlyedged stand-up comedy film “Kevin Hart: What Now?”which had to settle for third place with $11.8 million,according to box office monitor Exhibitor Relations.

Tim Burton’s fantasy tale “Miss Peregrine’s Homefor Peculiar Children” fell to fourth with $9 million,cumulatively earning $65.9 million over three weeks.Burton’s latest movie, from 20th Century Fox andChernin Entertainment, tells the story of a head-mistress (Eva Green) at an orphanage in Wales full ofodd youngsters with magical powers. MarkWahlberg’s oil-rig thriller “Deepwater Horizon” fromLionsgate came in at number five with $6.4 million.The film, directed by Peter Berg and also starring Kurt

Russell, John Malkovich, Kate Hudson and GinaRodriguez, follows the deadly 2010 Transocean andBP oil rig explosion and spill in the Gulf of Mexico.Rounding out the top 10 films were:

“Storks” ($5.7 million)“The Magnificent Seven” ($5.2 million)“Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life” ($4.3

million)“Sully” ($2.9 million)“The Birth of a Nation” ($2.7 million)

— AFP

‘The Accountant’ easily tops North American box office

Actors Cynthia Addai-Robinson, from left, Ben Affleck and Anna Kendrickpose for photographers upon arrival at the premiere of the film ‘TheAccountant’ in London. — AP

OSN, the region’s leading pay-TV net-work, continues to cement its positionas the go-to network for first and

exclusive access to blockbuster Hollywoodmovies and top-rated series with a newextended partnership with 20th Century FoxTelevision Distribution. The long-term agree-ment with 20th Century Fox TelevisionDistribution is in line with OSN’s strategy ofcarefully choosing partners who providesought-after programming that appeals toviewers in the region.

As part of the deal, the latest movies from20th Century Fox will be available for OSNsubscribers to watch in the comfort of theirown home just months after release in thecinema. The deal also means that OSN sub-scribers will continue to enjoy hundreds ofhours of new TV series each year from 20thCentury Fox. In addition, viewers will be ableto watch the movies and series when theychoose and on various devices of their choicesuch as mobile, tablets, and laptops via OSNPlay, the award-winning digital platform thatis available to subscribers for no extra cost.

Emad Morcos, Chief Content Officer ofOSN, said: “Our strategy is to deliver cutting-edge and sought-after programming thatappeals to our regional viewers. With thou-sands of channels available globally, the truevalue of a network is in offering discerningpremium content, which meets the real aspi-rations of its subscribers. Our focus is there-fore to partner with top-tier contentproviders that bring the best in movies, seriesand general entertainment to our viewers.

“Our investment in premium program-ming is for the long-term, which has given usclear industry leadership in offering first andexclusive content. We are committed to fur-ther delivering on the exclusive choice ofentertainment we offer our subscribersthrough the new, extended partnership with20th Century Fox Television Distribution.From Hollywood to OSN’s channels - we willalways bring the latest and biggest block-

busters and TV shows to viewer’s homes first.”“We are extremely pleased to be building

upon our long-standing partnership withOSN,” said Gina Brogi, EVP Worldwide Pay TV& SVOD at Twentieth Century Fox TelevisionDistribution. “We are proud of the relation-ship we have forged with OSN, who have con-tinuously championed our content over theyears and have provided audiences withaccess to our vast catalogue of popular andaward-winning series and films.”

OSN subscribers will have access to a hugeportfolio of films including a slate of actionmovies such as X Men: Apocalypse andDeadpool, as well as the animated adventure,Ice Age: Collision Course and theDreamWorks Animation title, Kung Fu Panda3. In addition, OSN subscribers will exclusivelyenjoy 20th Century Fox’s eagerly anticipatedupcoming films, after their respective theatri-cal and home entertainment releases.

Series lovers can look forward to enjoyingnew shows including 24: Legacy, PrisonBreak, This is Us and Pitch available same dayand date with the US release only on OSN;along with fresh episodes from hit award-winning shows such as Empire, Homeland,The Americans, Tyrant, Scream Queens,Modern Family, New Girl, The Simpsons andmany more. In addition, complete seasonbox-sets of popular shows and movie fran-chises will also be available for OSN sub-scribers to watch at their convenience.

OSN, today, has MENA’s largest number offirst-on-TV rights to premium content from allthe leading studios. The output deal with20th Century Fox builds on OSN’s unbeatablepartnerships with all the major internationalcontent providers including HBO, Paramount,MGM, Universal, Warner Bros., Sony andDisney, among others.

OSN extends exclusive long-termdeal with 20th Century Fox

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2016

l if e s t y l eF E A T U R E S

In December 1950, the painter Max Beckmannventured out of his New York home to see his“Self-Portrait in Blue Jacket,” then on view at the

city’s Metropolitan Museum of Art. The German artistnever made it: he suffered a fatal heart attack stepsfrom Central Park at age 66. Today, the museum willopen a new exhibition called “Max Beckmann in NewYork” to celebrate his connection to the city wherehe settled in September 1949 and lived out the lastmonths of his life.

Before the Nazi regime labeled his works “degen-erate” and removed them from German museums in1937, Beckmann (1884-1850) enjoyed great acclaimin his home country, with top art dealers presentinghis work to private collectors. He left his native landfor Amsterdam, where he lived for a decade, beforeheading to St Louis, Missouri for a temporary teach-ing position.

He ultimately landed in New York, his third resi-dence in exile. The painter described the city-thenevolving into a major art center-as “a pre-war Berlinmultiplied a hundredfold,” and painted the majorworks “Falling Man” and “The Town (City Night).” Theartist’s oeuvre included self-portraits, interiors, land-scapes and triptychs. His rich blocks of color arebrought into stark relief by thick, black lines.

New York had already known Beckmann for morethan two decades before he arrived, thanks to twoBerlin art dealers who sold his art to New York collec-tors. The Met exhibition, on display until February2017, will feature 14 paintings the artist created whileliving in Manhattan, as well as 25 additional worksfrom New York collections dating from 1920 to1948.”New York is really grandiose,” Beckmann oncewrote. “But it stinks of burned fat, just like the sacrificialmeal of the slain enemies among the savages.” “Butnevertheless-crazy, crazy, crazy!” — AFP

A woman looks at “Self-Portrait in Blue Jacket” (1950)October 17, 2016.

Aside from his kingly duties - and theywere immense - Thailand’s late KingBhumibol Adulyadej took time during

his 70-year reign to compose music (and jamwith some of the world’s jazz legends), buildsailing craft (and win an international yachtingrace), paint surrealistic oils and have some 20patents registered for an assortment of inven-tions. Here’s a look at the many pursuits ofBhumibol, who died last week at the age of 88:

Musician“He is simply the coolest king in the land,”

declared American jazz great Lionel Hamptonof Bhumibol’s talent on the saxophone. He alsoplayed clarinet, trumpet and the piano, oftenwith his own palace band, and one of the high-lights of a 1960 visit to New York was a two-hour jam session with Benny Goodman.

Largely self-taught, he is credited withnearly 50 compositions, including a three-movement ballet previewed in Vienna andsongs that are st i l l f requently heard inThai land, including “Fal l ing R ain” and“Candlelight Blues.” Six of his songs wereincluded in a 1950 Broadway musical ,“Peepshow,” with one, “Blue Night,” describedby one critic as a “sensuous beguine.”

InventorHaving tinkered since childhood and

studied some science and engineering inSwitzerland, the king came up with inven-tions throughout much of his reign, with 20patents and 19 trademarks registered underhis name and some garnering internationalawards. Most were related to rural develop-

ment, although he also configured a newgun mount on helicopters and offeredideas on how to prevent the M-16, thestandard US assault rifle in the VietnamWar, from jamming.

Pondering how to prevent annual floodingin Bangkok, he recalled from childhood petmonkeys munching on bananas, then retain-ing the food in their cheeks to later swallow.The king’s “monkey cheeks” initiative featuredreservoirs on the peripheries of Bangkok intowhich onrushing water was diverted and laterflushed into the sea or used for irrigation. Hisinventions included a biofuel from palm oiland the low-cost Chaipattana aerator, whichresembles a paddle wheel on old steamersand can be inserted into rivers, canals andmarshes to counter water pollution. The aera-tors can be seen across Thailand, including atthe royal residence in Bangkok.

A 2005 European patent, number 1491088,describes a technique for seeding clouds toinduce rain over drought-stricken areas.Dubbed the “super sandwich,” pilots disperseenvironmentally friendly chemicals to formcool and warm clouds at different altitudes.

Artist, author, sailorBhumibol was 8 when he got hold of his

first camera - a Coronet Midget given by hismother - and rarely was one out of reachthrough most of his life, capturing bothdomestic scenes and documenting his effortsto improve rural lives. The king’s more than60 sculptures and paintings range from tradi-tionally realistic to expressionistic andabstract. Some are starkly contemporary.“This is called ‘Subversion’ - there is greed,anger and evil. I painted it with a knittingneedle,” he said of one.

The king also penned several books,including one about a beloved stray dog thathe had adopted. A keen sportsman until hob-bled by illnesses over the past decade, heteamed up with one of his daughters to win ayachting gold medal in the 1967 SoutheastAsian Peninsular Games. A year later, he chal-lenged another royal sailor, Britain’s visitingPrince Philip, to a race. — AP

In this July 5, 1960, file photo, Thailand’s King Bhumibol Adulyadej, right, plays the saxo-phone during a jam session with legendary jazz clarinetist Benny Goodman, left, drum-mer Gene Krupa, second left, and trombonist Urbie Green in New York. — AP photos

In this Sept 22, 1935, file photo, ten-year-old King Ananda Mahidol ofSiam, now known as Thailand, right, stands with his brother PrinceBhumibol, while playing with presents including a science kit he receivedon his tenth birthday, in Lausanne, Switzerland.

In this Friday, Aug 4, 2006, file photo, Thailand’s King Bhumibol Adulyadejholds a camera as he leaves Siriraj Hospital in a wheelchair after undergo-ing surgery in Bangkok, Thailand.

A woman passes by drawing portraits of the late Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej inBangkok, Thailand.

A Thai Buddhist monk takes a picture of drawing portraits of the late Thai King BhumibolAdulyadej in Bangkok, Thailand, yesterday.

People take pictures of a drawing portrait of the late Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej inBangkok, Thailand, yesterday.

Thailand’s late king alsoartist, jazz musician, inventor

Thais turn to tattoos to

remember late King Bhumibol

Days after widely revered King Bhumibol Adulyadej died, many Thais are heading totattoo parlors to get a lasting memory of the only monarch they have ever known.In the seaside resort town of Pattaya, the Skin Art Tattoo parlor offered up to 50

free tattoos per day between Saturday and Monday, media reported, while in Bangkoktattoo artists are worked off their feet. The Sak Lai Tattoo Studio in a popular shoppingdistrict of central Bangkok has prepared several tattoo designs in honor of the late king,including the number 9 in Thai because he was ninth king of the country’s 234-year-oldChakri Dynasty.

“It’s a way to express and record their own story of love and devotion to our king,” saidEsara Usada, 55, who has been a tattoo artist for two decades and owns Sak Lai. His tattooartist wife, Tapanee Prasitsuk, said they are fully booked for the next month.

Prices for a tattoo at their parlor start at 2,000 baht ($57). But as a tribute to the lateking, prices for king-related tattoos will start at 1,000 baht, Tapanee said. PiyaphanPhanwiroj, 34, a military officer, sat still for about 20 minutes while Tapanee inked away atthe nape of his neck, producing a sentence that read in Thai: “I was born in the reign ofKing Rama IX”.

“The tattoo speaks louder than love. It speaks of respect, obedience and loyalty,” hesaid. “It will remind me to do more for my country. In times of hopelessness, it will remindme of all his hard work for us.” Other popular tattoos include the phrase “May I be yourhumble servant in all my lives” and lyrics from the royal anthem. — Reuters

A woman looks at “Self-portrait with Horn” (1938)October 17, 2016 during a press preview for the exhibi-tion called “Max Beckmann in New York”.

A man looks at ‘Falling Man’ (1950) October 17, 2016during a press preview for the exhibition called ‘MaxBeckmann in New York’ at the Metropolitan Museumof Art in New York. — AFP photos

German painter Max Beckmann returns to Manhattan in new show

39Thailand’s late king also

artist, jazz musician, inventor

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2016

Preschoolers can explore an updated version of Elmo’sWorld when the new season of “Sesame Street”debuts next year. Sesame Workshop says it’s making

new episodes of the popular segment for the first timesince 2009.

Also returning is Tony Award-winning performer BillIrwin, who played Elmo’s friend, Mr Noodle. SesameWorkshop says 25 5-minute Elmo’s World segments will beproduced in which Elmo will teach kids through matching,

sorting and counting games. Repeats of original Elmo’sWorld segments will also be included in some episodes ofthe upcoming season. “Sesame Street” will include a new“kindness curriculum” this year aimed at fostering “behav-iors that can have significant outcomes throughout achild’s life.” Season 47 of “Sesame Street” premieres on HBOin January. — AP

Elmo’s World returning to‘Sesame Street’ in January

In this Jan 24, 2011, filephoto, Elmo of the film‘Being Elmo’ poses for aportrait in the FenderMusic Lodge during the2011 Sundance FilmFestival in Park City, Utah.— AP

A Chinese Dragon made from illuminated pumpkins on display at the ‘Rise of the Jack O’Lanterns’ show in Los Angeles, California on October 16, 2016. The four-day show featured thousands of carved pumpkins on the eve of the Halloween festi-val. — AFP photos

A car display made from illuminated pumpkins. A Batman made from illuminated pumpkins.

A Superman made from illuminated pumpkins. A pumpkin bearing a carved image of Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump ison display.

A pumpkin bearing a carved image of Democrat Party presidential candidate HillaryClinton is on display.

People walk past a Star Wars display made from illuminated pumpkins.