MPs demand action over Kuwait sports situation
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3 8 40 18 SUBSCRIPTION MONDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2015 MUHARRAM 6, 1437 AH www.kuwaittimes.net Min 24º Max 36º High Tide 02:14 & 16:29 Low Tide 09:40 & 21:40 40 PAGES NO: 16671 150 FILS Premier opens fair for national products Center shows conservatism still central to Saudi soul Djokovic hammers Tsonga for Shanghai title West moves to end sanctions as Iran deal adopted MPs demand action over Kuwait sports situation Citizenship ruling delayed after judge recuses himself By B Izzak KUWAIT: MPs Abdullah Al-Turaiji and Abdullah Maayouf yesterday met HH the Amir and the prime minister over a decision by the world’s football governing body FIFA to suspend Kuwait Football Association for failing to change the sports law. Maayouf said they explained to the Amir their meeting with the International Olympic Committee in Geneva, refuting allegations against Kuwait that it was not respecting the Olympic charter. The two lawmakers also told the IOC that the Kuwaiti government was not interfering in sports affairs, and on the contrary, has been providing generous aid to sports clubs and federations. The two MPs also called for put- ting an end to the ongoing problem in a way to comply with Kuwaiti laws and sovereignty. Meanwhile, MP Turaiji called on the government to dissolve the Kuwait Football Association, claiming it was responsible for the suspension of Kuwait by FIFA. He said a temporary committee should be appointed to run the association. He also called for suing FIFA at the international sports court for taking an arbitrary deci- sion to suspend Kuwait. Liberal MP Rakan Al-Nasef called for holding accountable those responsible for the suspension of Kuwait football. In another development, the appeals court yesterday did not issue a highly-expected ruling on the citizenship of former Islamist MP Abdullah Al-Barghash and his family after judge Najeeb Al-Majed recused himself from the case and asked it to be given to another judge. The lower court had scrapped the government’s Continued on Page 13 KUWAIT: HH the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah and HH the Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah receive their portraits as gifts from Huawei CEO Guo Ping yesterday. — KUNA (See Page 2) KUWAIT: Health Minister Dr Ali Al-Obaidi opens a renovated ward at the Chest Diseases Hospital yesterday. —KUNA KUWAIT: Health Minister Dr Ali Al-Obaidi yesterday opened the renovated Late Shaikhan Al-Farsi ward at the Chest Diseases Hospital. Obaidi said that the new ward would serve male cardiac dis- ease, cardiac catharsis and cardiac failure patients. He added that the ward includes 27 beds and was built according to the latest and most up-to-date inter- national specifications in terms of priva- cy, patient safety and infection preven- tion. “This donation is another bright model of Kuwaitis’ contributions to sup- port health service projects in Kuwait,” he underlined, pointing out that such dona- tions are a source of pride before various international health organizations. Obaidi added that wards 3 and 5 of the hospital have also been renovated and turned into a lab section over a total area of 1,460 sq m including bio- chemistry, microbiology and blood dis- eases units. “Renovation and repairs cost KD 558,000,” he said, noting that the hospital’s newly launched services and sections match MoH’s strategies and programs, especially since cardiac diseases have been the prime cause of deaths in Kuwait. The hospital’s manag- er Dr Nader Al-Awadhi said the new ward includes two isolation rooms and that proper infection prevention proto- cols would be strictly applied to ensure patients’ safety. — KUNA Obaidi opens ward at Chest Hospital WASHINGTON: The leader of a group of Al-Qaeda veterans which Washington calls the Khorasan Group has been killed in a coalition air strike in Syria, the Pentagon said yesterday, proclaiming it another victory against a shadowy outfit it says tar- gets the United States. Sanafi Al-Nasr, a Saudi national and trusted Al-Qaeda militant, was killed in an air attack in the northwest of the country on Thursday, according to the Pentagon. “This opera- tion deals a significant blow to the Khorasan Group’s plans to attack the United States and our allies,” Secretary of Defense Ash Carter said in a statement. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based monitoring group, had reported al- Nasr’s death on Friday, saying he was killed in a strike in Aleppo province. Nasr - also known as Abdul Mohsen Abdullah Ibrahim Al-Sharikh - was listed as a “specially designated global terrorist” by the US Treasury Department in 2014. He had been erroneously reported dead in the past. “The United States will not relent in its mission to degrade, disrupt and destroy Al-Qaeda and its remnants,” added Carter. The Pentagon described Nasr as a “long-time jihadist” who funneled money and fighters for Al-Qaeda and said he was the fifth senior Khorasan Group leader killed in the last four months. US strikes in Syria have largely targeted jihadists in the Islamic State group. But Washington has occasionally also gone after what it brands the Khorasan Group, which it says is a cell of senior Al- Qaeda veterans charged with planning attacks in the West. Continued on Page 13 Khorasan Group leader dead in Syria air strike BENI SUEF, Egypt: An Egyptian casts his vote at a polling station during the first round of the parliamentary election yesterday. — AP CAIRO: Egyptians trickled in to polling sta- tions yesterday to elect a new parliament that will tighten President Abdel Fattah Al- Sisi’s grip on power after he crushed all opposition since ousting his Islamist prede- cessor. The vote for the much-delayed 596- member parliament is being staged in two phases ending on Dec 2, with Egyptians abroad casting their votes for the first round from Saturday. But with an absence of opposition par- ties - including the now-banned Muslim Brotherhood that has faced a deadly gov- ernment crackdown overseen by Sisi - polling has inspired none of the enthusi- asm witnessed for Egypt’s first democratic elections in 2011. Experts say the outcome of the election is a foregone conclusion and only voter turnout will be a gauge of popu- larity for Sisi, who has enjoyed a cult-like status since he toppled his Islamist prede- cessor Mohamed Morsi in 2013. Voting was listless in the first few hours in 14 of the 27 provinces where polling is being held over two days. “It’s expected to rise by the end of the day as many voters are working,” said Refaat Komsan, an advis- er to the prime minister. “Also as tempera- tures fall, we expect voters to come out and vote.” Electoral commission spokesman Omar Marwan said participation of women voters was “four times more” than men dur- ing the first part of the day. Continued on Page 13 Egypt voters trickle in to elect pro-Sisi parliament MANILA: A teenager was crushed to death as powerful Typhoon Koppu tore down trees and houses and unleashed landslides and floods across a wide area of the Philippines yesterday, forcing thousands to flee. At least eight other people have been reported missing and military and volun- teer rescue teams were dispatched to the rice-farming province of Nueva Ecija where rivers burst their banks and flooded several villages, authorities said. “People are asking for help because the floodwaters are rising. The rescuers cannot penetrate the area as of now,” Nigel Lontoc, the assis- tant civil defence chief for the region, told AFP. Television footage showed raging brown rivers swallow- ing up homes and carrying off large debris including tree trunks. ABS-CBN network showed a photograph of blue- clad police holding onto a rope and wading in chest-deep floodwaters to rescue trapped residents. The government said more than 23,000 people had already been evacuated from the path of Koppu, which also disrupted ferry services and aviation. Koppu made landfall before dawn on the remote fishing town of Casiguran, whipping the coast with gusts of up to 210 km an hour for nearly seven hours before moving inland. “Koppu tore off roofs of homes made of light materi- als. Rivers overflowed, and the roads to the area are blocked by downed power pylons and trees,” Lontoc said. It later crossed over the Pantabangan Dam in the southern foothills of the Cordillera, the country’s largest mountain range, with gusts of 185 kilometres an hour. A big tree toppled and crushed a house in Manila, killing a 14-year-old boy and injuring four other people, Alexander Pama, head of the National Disaster Risk Reduction Council, told reporters in Manila. Officials said more people are expected to flee as the now weakened storm makes its way to the northern tip of Luzon, the Asian country’s largest island and home to about half its national population of 100 million people. Aurelio Umali, governor of Nueva Ecija province that includes Pantabangan told ABS-CBN said rescuers saw two human bodies floating in one of the flooded vil- lages. However Lontoc said the two bodies have not been recovered. Continued on Page 13 Typhoon Koppu pummels Philippines NAVOTAS, Philippines: A Filipino man scavenges recyclable materials near a house on stilts stands by the bay as strong winds and rains caused by Typhoon Koppu hit this coastal town north of Manila yesterday. — AP
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Transcript of MPs demand action over Kuwait sports situation
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SUBSCRIPTIO
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MONDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2015 MUHARRAM 6, 1437 AH www.kuwaittimes.net
Min 24ºMax 36ºHigh Tide02:14 & 16:29 Low Tide09:40 & 21:4040
PA
GES
NO
: 166
7115
0 FI
LS
Premier
opens fair
for national
products
Center shows
conservatism
still central
to Saudi soul
Djokovic
hammers
Tsonga for
Shanghai title
West moves to
end sanctions
as Iran deal
adopted
MPs demand action over
Kuwait sports situationCitizenship ruling delayed after judge recuses himself
By B Izzak
KUWAIT: MPs Abdullah Al-Turaiji and Abdullah Maayoufyesterday met HH the Amir and the prime minister overa decision by the world’s football governing body FIFAto suspend Kuwait Football Association for failing tochange the sports law. Maayouf said they explained tothe Amir their meeting with the International OlympicCommittee in Geneva, refuting allegations againstKuwait that it was not respecting the Olympic charter.
The two lawmakers also told the IOC that the Kuwaitigovernment was not interfering in sports affairs, and onthe contrary, has been providing generous aid to sportsclubs and federations. The two MPs also called for put-ting an end to the ongoing problem in a way to complywith Kuwaiti laws and sovereignty.
Meanwhile, MP Turaiji called on the government todissolve the Kuwait Football Association, claiming it wasresponsible for the suspension of Kuwait by FIFA. Hesaid a temporary committee should be appointed torun the association. He also called for suing FIFA at theinternational sports court for taking an arbitrary deci-sion to suspend Kuwait. Liberal MP Rakan Al-Nasefcalled for holding accountable those responsible for thesuspension of Kuwait football.
In another development, the appeals court yesterdaydid not issue a highly-expected ruling on the citizenshipof former Islamist MP Abdullah Al-Barghash and hisfamily after judge Najeeb Al-Majed recused himselffrom the case and asked it to be given to another judge.The lower court had scrapped the government’s
Continued on Page 13
KUWAIT: HH the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah and HH the Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah receive their portraits asgifts from Huawei CEO Guo Ping yesterday. — KUNA (See Page 2)
KUWAIT: Health Minister Dr Ali Al-Obaidi opens a renovated ward at the ChestDiseases Hospital yesterday. —KUNA
KUWAIT: Health Minister Dr Ali Al-Obaidiyesterday opened the renovated LateShaikhan Al-Farsi ward at the ChestDiseases Hospital. Obaidi said that thenew ward would serve male cardiac dis-ease, cardiac catharsis and cardiac failurepatients. He added that the wardincludes 27 beds and was built accordingto the latest and most up-to-date inter-national specifications in terms of priva-cy, patient safety and infection preven-tion. “This donation is another brightmodel of Kuwaitis’ contributions to sup-port health service projects in Kuwait,” heunderlined, pointing out that such dona-tions are a source of pride before variousinternational health organizations.
Obaidi added that wards 3 and 5 ofthe hospital have also been renovatedand turned into a lab section over atotal area of 1,460 sq m including bio-chemistry, microbiology and blood dis-eases units. “Renovation and repairscost KD 558,000,” he said, noting thatthe hospital’s newly launched servicesand sections match MoH’s strategiesand programs, especially since cardiacdiseases have been the prime cause ofdeaths in Kuwait. The hospital’s manag-er Dr Nader Al-Awadhi said the newward includes two isolation rooms andthat proper infection prevention proto-cols would be strictly applied to ensurepatients’ safety. — KUNA
Obaidi opens ward at Chest Hospital
WASHINGTON: The leader of a group of Al-Qaedaveterans which Washington calls the KhorasanGroup has been killed in a coalition air strike inSyria, the Pentagon said yesterday, proclaiming itanother victory against a shadowy outfit it says tar-gets the United States. Sanafi Al-Nasr, a Saudinational and trusted Al-Qaeda militant, was killedin an air attack in the northwest of the country onThursday, according to the Pentagon. “This opera-tion deals a significant blow to the KhorasanGroup’s plans to attack the United States and ourallies,” Secretary of Defense Ash Carter said in astatement.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, aBritain-based monitoring group, had reported al-Nasr’s death on Friday, saying he was killed in astrike in Aleppo province. Nasr - also known asAbdul Mohsen Abdullah Ibrahim Al-Sharikh - waslisted as a “specially designated global terrorist” bythe US Treasury Department in 2014. He had beenerroneously reported dead in the past.
“The United States will not relent in its missionto degrade, disrupt and destroy Al-Qaeda and itsremnants,” added Carter. The Pentagon describedNasr as a “long-time jihadist” who funneled moneyand fighters for Al-Qaeda and said he was the fifthsenior Khorasan Group leader killed in the last fourmonths. US strikes in Syria have largely targetedjihadists in the Islamic State group. But Washingtonhas occasionally also gone after what it brands theKhorasan Group, which it says is a cell of senior Al-Qaeda veterans charged with planning attacks inthe West.
Continued on Page 13
Khorasan Group
leader dead in
Syria air strike
BENI SUEF, Egypt: An Egyptian casts his vote at a polling station during the firstround of the parliamentary election yesterday. — AP
CAIRO: Egyptians trickled in to polling sta-tions yesterday to elect a new parliamentthat will tighten President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi’s grip on power after he crushed allopposition since ousting his Islamist prede-cessor. The vote for the much-delayed 596-member parliament is being staged in twophases ending on Dec 2, with Egyptiansabroad casting their votes for the firstround from Saturday.
But with an absence of opposition par-ties - including the now-banned MuslimBrotherhood that has faced a deadly gov-ernment crackdown overseen by Sisi -polling has inspired none of the enthusi-asm witnessed for Egypt’s first democraticelections in 2011. Experts say the outcome
of the election is a foregone conclusion andonly voter turnout will be a gauge of popu-larity for Sisi, who has enjoyed a cult-likestatus since he toppled his Islamist prede-cessor Mohamed Morsi in 2013.
Voting was listless in the first few hoursin 14 of the 27 provinces where polling isbeing held over two days. “It’s expected torise by the end of the day as many votersare working,” said Refaat Komsan, an advis-er to the prime minister. “Also as tempera-tures fall, we expect voters to come out andvote.” Electoral commission spokesmanOmar Marwan said participation of womenvoters was “four times more” than men dur-ing the first part of the day.
Continued on Page 13
Egypt voters trickle in to
elect pro-Sisi parliament
MANILA: A teenager was crushed to death as powerfulTyphoon Koppu tore down trees and houses and unleashedlandslides and floods across a wide area of the Philippinesyesterday, forcing thousands to flee. At least eight otherpeople have been reported missing and military and volun-teer rescue teams were dispatched to the rice-farmingprovince of Nueva Ecija where rivers burst their banks andflooded several villages, authorities said. “People are askingfor help because the floodwaters are rising. The rescuerscannot penetrate the area as of now,” Nigel Lontoc, the assis-tant civil defence chief for the region, told AFP.
Television footage showed raging brown rivers swallow-ing up homes and carrying off large debris including treetrunks. ABS-CBN network showed a photograph of blue-clad police holding onto a rope and wading in chest-deepfloodwaters to rescue trapped residents. The governmentsaid more than 23,000 people had already been evacuatedfrom the path of Koppu, which also disrupted ferry servicesand aviation.
Koppu made landfall before dawn on the remote fishingtown of Casiguran, whipping the coast with gusts of up to
210 km an hour for nearly seven hours before movinginland. “Koppu tore off roofs of homes made of light materi-als. Rivers overflowed, and the roads to the area areblocked by downed power pylons and trees,” Lontoc said. Itlater crossed over the Pantabangan Dam in the southernfoothills of the Cordillera, the country’s largest mountainrange, with gusts of 185 kilometres an hour.
A big tree toppled and crushed a house in Manila, killinga 14-year-old boy and injuring four other people, AlexanderPama, head of the National Disaster Risk Reduction Council,told reporters in Manila. Officials said more people areexpected to flee as the now weakened storm makes its wayto the northern tip of Luzon, the Asian country’s largestisland and home to about half its national population of100 million people.
Aurelio Umali, governor of Nueva Ecija province thatincludes Pantabangan told ABS-CBN said rescuers sawtwo human bodies floating in one of the flooded vil-lages. However Lontoc said the two bodies have notbeen recovered.
Continued on Page 13
Typhoon Koppu pummels Philippines
NAVOTAS, Philippines: A Filipino man scavenges recyclable materials near a house on stilts stands by the bayas strong winds and rains caused by Typhoon Koppu hit this coastal town north of Manila yesterday. — AP
L O C A LMONDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2015
By Talal Al-Ghannam
Deportationthreat, taxis and
Pakistani visa issues
Good morning dear and honorable readersand I wish all a happy Hijri year full of happi-ness and joy. In this article I would like to
pinpoint on some true and yet funny stories I wastold about many of my trustworthy friends, hopingeveryone learns a lesson from them.
A friend of mine traveled to Egypt last year andencountered a dispute between a Kuwaiti womanand a shop owner in downtown Cairo. As he was ashopper, he preferred to stay longer to know whatwas going on. Both sides were very angry andyelling at each other and all of a sudden the Kuwaitiwoman shouted at the Egyptian, telling him: Willyou behave otherwise I will deport you back to yourcountry and ban you from entering Kuwait! Thepoor lady had forgotten that she was in Egypt andthose words may have been repeatedly uttered byher long tongue back in Kuwait. The coincidence isthat the shop worker used to work in Kuwait andwas telling police that he used to hear that threat alot when he was in Kuwait and now it is time othershear it while he is in his own country. What I meanby this true story is to say that no matter what youdo to others, it will come around eventually back toyou. The poor lady ended up being deported as thatworker had connections or wasta in his own home-land.
The other issue I would like to highlight andhope it would be settled for good is the dilemma oftaxi drivers and the oppression imposed on themby some of the Interior Ministry authorities. I willmention as well some of their negative points.Many of the policemen roam the roads searchingfor prey and they find it easy enough to fine taxidrivers even ones adhering to the traffic laws andregulations. The ministry officers want taxi drivers topick up their customers while flying so that they donot cause traffic jams on the roads. Perhaps theythink passengers can fly like bees who can quicklyboard the taxi while the car is moving to keep thesmooth pace of traffic. Many taxi drivers stop at des-ignated parking spots to pick up their passengersbut yet get fined for no reason. Where for God’s sakedo you want them to stop? We all know that ourroads are not as nice as those in Dubai where taxiscan stop easily for passengers whereas here theroads remain unchanged since the Sixties.
The negative aspect about the majority of taxicars are the nasty smells inside the vehicle andsometimes the smell comes from the driver himself.You board the car and tend to close your nose tillyou reach your destination and poor you when thedestination is Jahra.
The last point I would like to touch upon is thevisit or family dependence visa for our Pakistanibrothers and sisters. It has been suspended for along time. I have heard so many divorce cases tak-ing place from wives of Pakistani brothers workingin Kuwait as this matter constitutes a dilemma tothem. Imagine you work abroad and are not able tosee your loved ones or eat and be united with them,how would that feel? For the sake of Allah and forthe sake of humanity please open up the visa forour Pakistani brothers and sisters. Pakistan is amongthe first countries which supported Kuwait duringthe Invasion and it is offering assistance to theSaudi-led coalition against Daesh. Let’s wait andsee.
Until the next article Insha’Allah.
Frankly Speaking
KUWAIT: His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah received yesterday at Bayan Palace HisHighness the Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah. HH the Premier sought permissionfrom His Highness the Amir to go on an official visit to France. —KUNA
KUWAIT: Officials of the ChineseHuawei Technologies Co, Ltd havebriefed His Highness the AmirSheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-JaberAl-Sabah on their plans for invest-ing in Kuwait, Kuwait DirectInvestment Promotion Authority(KDIPA) Director General Sheikh DrMishaal Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabahsaid. Sheikh Dr Mishaal made thestatement yesterday after attend-ing a meeting for His Highness theAmir with the Chinese HuaweiTechnologies Co, Ltd Rotating CEOGuo Ping, as the world leadingtelecommunications firm is open-ing a company in Kuwait.
He added that they explainedto HH the Amir how they will helprealize the goals of Kuwait’s devel-opment plans and job opportuni-ties to provide for the Kuwaitiyouth. HH the Amir welcomedsuch companies that help achieve
state goals and bring in technolo-gy investments, creativity andinnovation, to vary sources ofincome and provide new jobs forKuwaiti people. HH the Amirexpressed on behalf of the coun-try his welcome and full supportto all commercial projects andpromising investment opportuni-ties in the economy and invest-ment fields and achieving betterambitious improvement towardadvancement and prosperity.
Huawei CEO Guo expressedpleasure and commitment by thecompany to engage in the invest-ment and participate in develop-ing the telecommunication tech-nology, including providing train-ing to young Kuwaitis. The meet-ing was attended by Minister ofAmiri Diwan Affairs Sheikh AliJarah Al-Sabah and DirectorGeneral of Kuwait Direct
Investment Promotion Authority(KDIPA) Sheikh Dr Mishaal JaberAl-Ahmad Al-Sabah.
His Highness the Crown PrinceSheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-JaberAl-Sabah also received yesterdaythe Trade and Industry Ministeraccompanied by Director Generalof Kuwait Direct InvestmentPromotion Authority (KDIPA)Sheik h Dr Mishaal Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah and Huaweimobile Co CEO Guo Ping. Theguests briefed HH the CrownPrince on the company’s contri-bution to developing technologyand information sector. HH theCrown Prince thanked the guestsfor their efforts and contributionto improving the technology sec-tor, stressing the importance ofthe communication field whichserves all economic progress insociety. —KUNA
KUWAIT: His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah’s visit to France today will fur-ther contribute to the 50 years of strong bilateral relations.
HH the Prime Minister will lead a large delegation fortalks at various levels in Paris tomorrow and Wednesday.He will meet with President Francois Hollande, PrimeMinister Manuel Valls and senior members of the Cabinet,including Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius.
Relations between France and Kuwait date back toAugust 28th, 1962, with official diplomatic ties establishedin April of 1964 through the appointment of the firstFrench Ambassador to Kuwait.
The strength of Kuwaiti-French relations was evidentduring the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait in August of 1990.France backed up its political stance with a strong contri-bution to the military operation against the Iraqi regime.Paris sent some 18,000 troops to partake in the desertstorm operation which led to the liberation of Kuwait. In agesture of appreciation, His Highness the late Amir SheikhJaber Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah visited France after theliberation of Kuwait in 1991, thanking the European nationfor its just stance against the Iraqi occupiers.
France hails ties Ahead of HH the Prime Minister’s visit to France, France
said it wants to further develop “deep partnership” it enjoyswith Kuwait and it praised HH the Amir for “his major role”in promoting peace in the region.
“This visit will be an opportunity to strengthen evenmore our bilateral relations in the broad domains they cov-er,” said Romain Nadal, Director of Communications-Pressand Official Spokesman at the French Foreign Ministry. Thesenior French official praised the multiple and growingcontacts between France and Kuwait and indicated that anumber of accords would be concluded during the forth-coming visit.
“This year has been rich in exchanges at very high lev-els,” Nadal remarked, noting that French Foreign MinisterLaurent Fabius had been to Kuwait in January for “a much-remarked” visit and had clearly expressed the desire “togive more depth to the partnership between our twocountries.”
In the past four years, there have been 13 ministerial vis-its between France and Kuwait, going in both directions,and there have been a number of other high-level contactsin the parliamentary, finance and military areas since 2011.
France has long pointed to the “excellent political rela-tions” that exist with Kuwait, but Paris also has noted in thepast that economic ties were lagging and an effort shouldbe made to boost the economic aspects of the partnershipto the high level of constant political relations.
“The partnership is characterized today by the excep-tional depth of our political contacts,” the French officialsaid, also noting the close cooperation in “the fight againstterrorism and in exchanges between (the two) peoples,and in the area of trade.”
In an effort to bolster “human exchanges,” he indicatedthat France was working to improve and speed up visapolicies with many countries and that Kuwaitis can nowget tourist visas within 48 hours through the Frenchembassy in Kuwait.
In 2006, the current ruler of the State of Kuwait HisHighness Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah madeFrance his first stop on his visit to Europe, reflecting thestrong ties linking the two friendly nations. In reciproca-tion, the former French president, Nicolas Sarkozy, paid anofficial visit to Kuwait in 2009, thus bolstering the strategicpartnership between the two countries.
For his part, National Assembly Speaker Marzouq Ali Al-Ghanim also paid a formal visit to Paris in January 2014,during which he expressed hope that the Kuwaiti-Frenchrelations would be bolstered further, particularly at theeconomic and commercial levels. In October 2009, the twocountries signed a security cooperation treaty, accordingto which Paris supplied military equipment to Kuwait.Among the delivered arms were gunboats and gunshiphelicopters-that is in addition to France’s obligation to safe-guard Kuwait’ security and support its just causes.
Economic partnershipOn the economic level, Kuwait considers France as a
major partner with commercial exchange reaching around$2.5 billion in 2014. Kuwaiti exports to France in 2014reached $750 million with 95 percent being oil products.France exports to Kuwait in the same year reached 500 mil-lion euro.
Kuwait Airways had worked out a deal with France tobuy 25 Airbus aircraft. In a step to further develop therelations, France established back in January the Frenchcommercial mission in Kuwait as an effort to coordinateFrench companies’ involvement in the Gulf country. Morerecently, French companies got involved in Kuwait’sambitions development plan with two entities develop-ing the southern and northern Al-Zour power stations.France is a major destination for Kuwaiti recreation seek-ers. The French embassy issued up to 50,000 visas forKuwaitis in 2014. —KUNA
KUWAIT: His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah receives Guo Ping, HuaweiTechnologies Co, Ltd Rotating CEO, yesterday.— KUNA
Huawei officials brief Amir on company plans France seeks to bolster
partnership with KuwaitPM, high-ranking delegation to visit France today
L O C A LMONDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2015
By Faten Omar
KUWAIT: Kuwait Industries Union (KIU)kicked off the KIU Expo yesterday at Al-Baraka Hall in Crowne Plaza Hotel underthe auspices of His Highness the AmirSheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah and with attendance of HisHighness the Prime Minister Sheikh JaberMubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah.
After the opening ceremony, thePrime Minister expressed satisfactionover the organization of the fair whichwas exceptional in terms of participationof all national industries.
The premier asserted the keennessand seriousness of the government inimproving trade and industry environ-ment in the country and to work onpreparing legislations and laws to push
forward the private sector and improvethe country’s industrial capabilities.
The premier also expressed hope inorganizing similar fairs and raising publicawareness on the role of the private sec-tor.
Minister of Social Affairs and Laborand State Minister for Planning andDevelopment Hind Al-Sabeeh said thatKuwait is interested in further developingnational industries by including projectsin a five-year plan to encourage youngpeople to enter the industrial fieldthrough small and medium enterprises.
Al-Sabeeh added that there is animportant role for cooperative societiesin promoting the national product. Sheconfirmed that the government is sup-porting the industrial sector in terms oflegislation or to facilitate financial and
technical support offered by the PublicAuthority for Industry.
She explained that the Ministry ofPlanning and Development is interestedin all employment sectors to accomplishthe vision and guidance of His Highnessthe Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah to transform Kuwait into acommercial and financial center.
The ceremony was attended byDeputy Prime Minister and FinanceMinister Anas Al-Saleh, Minister ofInformation and Minister of State forYouth Affairs Sheikh Salman Sabah SalemAl-Humoud Al-Sabah, Minister ofCommerce and Industry Dr YousifMohammad Al-Ali, state officials, ambas-sadors, industrialists and businessmen.The second Kuwaiti Industries Unionexhibition will last until 20 October.
Premier hints at laws to push private sectorKIU industrial expo kicks off
KUWAIT: His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah during theopening of the KIU Expo at Al-Baraka Hall in Crowne Plaza Hotel yesterday.—KUNA
Obama envoy to globalcoalition against IS due in Kuwait
By A Saleh
KUWAIT: US President Barack Obama’s envoy to theglobal coalition fighting Islamic State, Rtd Marine GenJohn Allen is due to arrive in Kuwait on a one-week visitas part of a GCC tour. A US State Department report saidthat during his tour, Allen would meet with regionalallies to coordinate efforts on fighting IS. The reportadded that Allen would also hold talks with politicaland security officials in five GCC capitals includingKuwait, Riyadh, Abu Dhabi, Doha and Manama.
Judicial powersMinister of Commerce and Industry Yousef Al-Ali
issued a decision granting 48 out of 220 employeesworking at the precious metals department judicialpowers. Notably, Ali had granted 180 employees three-month judicial powers last month and withdrawn thepowers from some employees, including 10 who stillhad them despite having retired a long time ago.
Gas station bidsPan Arab Consulting Engineers have given the lowest
bid to provide the architectural design of 26 new gasstations due to be built by KNPC, with an estimatedtotal cost of KD 1 million. According to the contract dueto be signed within a month, the project will be execut-ed in six months.
ScholarshipsCSC announced that public employees’ scholarships
for the academic year 2016-2017 would be restricted tomedicine and allied health sciences students, postgrad-uate students studying at the Arabian Gulf University inBahrain and higher institutes of music and theatricalarts teaching assistants dispatched abroad. CSCChairman Abdul Aziz Al-Zaben announced that theeducation ministry has been given time till Dec 31 tonotify it of the total number of employees to be dis-patched on scholarships.
KAC employeesThe syndicate of employees working at KAC and its
subsidiary companies warned of what it described as“violations committed by the national carrier’s seniormanagement”. “The administration is governed by pas-sions, favoritism and personal considerations, whichmight lead to destroying the Blue Bird,” said syndicatemember pilot Foad Abbas, adding that the administra-tion had paid up to KD 30,000 as travel allowance toone senior employee over a period of 150 days. “This iscorruption,” he charged, pointing out that the adminis-tration’s plan to operate the newly-bought and leasedplanes would ultimately lead to considerable commer-cial operational losses.
MoH revenuesRevenues the health ministry obtained from selling
some used items jumped to KD 200,000, while thosemade from selling tenders’ conditions and specifica-tions exceeded KD 220,000. In this regard, MoH saidthat used items and tender conditions and specificationsales were always done through a special committee incoordination with the finance ministry.
Citizen acquittedThe criminal court acquitted a citizen accused of fake
bidding at the Kuwait stock exchange.
FIFA presidencyNational Assembly Deputy Speaker Mubarak Al-
Khrainej urged the international sports community tosupport and back the Arab candidate running for theFIFA presidency, Prince Ali bin Al-Hussein of Jordan.
KUWAIT: CISCO, announced yesterdaytheir participation in the 3rd E-Government Forum (EGOV3) to be heldfrom 15 - 17 November 2015 at ArrayaBallroom of Courtyard Marriott hotel. “It isour pleasure to participate in this technol-ogy event, especially as it convenes underthe patronage of His Highness the PrimeMinister Sheikh Jaber Mubarak Al-HamadAl-Sabah.
EGOV3 is not only enjoying Kuwaitileadership attention, but is also attractingmost industry leaders. CISCO, with its lead-ing global position, has a lot to show andshare. We are pleased to work withNoufEXPO and CAIT who are servingKuwait’s IT industry with this annual tech-nology gathering.”
“Technology trends shape our livestoday and will continue to do so in thefuture. We realize the role that key businessarchitectures and solutions will play in dig-ital transformation including Security,Cloud, Data Center and Analytics, Mobility,Application Centric Infrastructure, andCollaboration. CISCO also realizes howthese technologies are and will play anincreasingly important role in improvingthe quality of life, not just for upcominggenerations, but for everyone today. Webelieve that CISCO is in an excellent posi-tion to partner with E-Government pro-grams that aim to shape the progress ofsocieties and people.”
The Internet of Things (IoT), the net-worked connection of devices where weare today, is the foundation for next waveof the internet which we are already wit-
nessing today, The Internet of Everything(IoE), which will connect people, process-es, data and things, creating unprece-dented opportunities. When people,process, data, and things are broughttogether seamlessly through intelligentnetworked connections - institutions are
transformed. They can then offer new cus-tomer and citizen experiences, improvedoperational efficiencies, breakthroughinnovations and entirely new economicmodels for services and growth. Over thenext decade, the IoE will deliver $19T ofvalue to individuals, businesses and coun-tries and Cisco is helping its customers totake advantage of the next wave of theinternet.
“In order for Middle East cities to
embrace the IoE, each institution mustbecome fully digitized. Becoming a digitalbusiness requires an agile IT model, andthe ability to rethink core processes for thedigital era. Embracing new security, cloud,mobile, social and analytics technologiesrequired to fully digitize takes imagina-tion, investment and expertise. As the net-worked connection of people, process,data and things, the Internet of Everythinghas the potential to further accelerate theMiddle East region’s pace of change.Energy can be saved by equipping streetlights with intelligent sensors, so they canbe dimmed or brightened based onmotion. Healthcare can be improved byconnecting rural patients with chronic dis-eases to doctors, without ever having toleave their homes. These are just a few ofthe many outcomes that the Internet ofEverything can make possible for theMiddle East”, said Mohamed Bakry, Headof Technology, CISCO Kuwait and Bahrain.
Commenting on the Internet of ThingsWorld Forum (IoTWF) coming up on the 6-8 December 2015 in Dubai, Bakry said,“CISCO will be hosting this IoT exclusiveindustry event. The IoTWF is widely recog-nized as the premier thought leadershipforum in this rapidly growing industry, amust-attend event for key stakeholdersand innovators in business, government,and academia who are driving adoption ofthe IoT worldwide. The 2015 IoTWF willshowcase dramatic transformations nowgaining momentum across every globalsector, a new world of opportunities madepossible by the Internet of Things.”
L O C A LMONDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2015
By Hanan Al-Saadoun
KUWAIT: Following up the murder of an Indiantwo months ago in Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh, detec-tives arrested a Syrian and an Omani while theywere assaulting an expat in Farwaniya, said secu-rity sources. Case papers indicate that a policepatrol saw the suspects mugging their victim,and on approaching, they fled, but policemenmanaged to chase and catch one of them. Thearrested suspect told police that along with a
Syrian and an Omani, they had been muggingseveral expats and confessed that they werebehind the murder of an Indian in Jleeb twomonths earlier. The suspect said they stabbedthe man to death when he resisted. A case wasfiled and further investigations are in progress.
Two drown after storm Kuwait Fire Directorate said two persons
drowned in two accidents during a storm thathit Kuwait on Saturday. A boat sank in Khor
Subbiya with four people aboard - three sur-vived, but the fourth’s body was recovered bythe coastguard. In the second accident, a boatflipped over near Kuwait Towers with twobrothers aboard, one of whom swam to thebeach and was taken to hospital in stable con-dition, while divers searched and found thebody of the other and handed it to the coroner.
Egyptian killedAn Egyptian was instantly killed and several
others injured when a vehicle they were inflipped along King Fahd expressway.
‘Shemales’ heldA vice squad arrested a number of Asian ‘she-
males’ at a massage center in Mahboula, saidsecurity sources. Case papers indicate thatdetectives had been tipped off concerning thesuspects’ activity and a secret agent wasassigned to go to the center before the placewas raided and 11 people were arrested. A casewas filed and further investigations are inprogress.
Camping regulationDirector General of Kuwait Municipality
Ahmad Al-Subaih said he is keen to adapt rulesregulating camping in a way that ensures peo-ple’s comfort. He said 19 sites were approved inthe last season in three governorates - Jahra,Ahmadi and Farwaniya. He said that some of thesites will be cancelled as new ones will replacethem as requested by government authorities,making sure that camps are at least 2 km awayfrom military sites.
Syrian, Omani arrestedin Indian’s murder case
Two drown after storm in Kuwait
KUWAIT: One of the dead bodies of a person who drowned after the storm that hitKuwait on Saturday.
KUWAIT: National Guard undersecretary Staff Lt General Hashim Al-Refa’eyesterday received a military delegation from Bangladesh at his office.
KUWAIT: National Fund for Small and MediumEnterprise Development Forum will kick off onWednesday under the patronage of HisHighness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, the Fund’s Executive ChairmanDr Mohammad Al-Zuhair announced yester-day.
In a statement to the press, Al-Zuhair saidthat His Highness the Amir’s sponsorship of theevent, which will be held at the Sheraton Hotel,reiterates his support for entrepreneurship andKuwait’s youth. Minister of Commerce andIndustry Dr. Yousef Al-Ali will inaugurate thetwo-day forum. The forum will host local andinternational participants to showcase a widevariety of experiences in the domain of SMEentrepreneurship. High Advisory Committee
member Lord Jonathan Marland and SeniorDirector at the World Bank Group AnnabelGonzalez will take part.
The forum agenda will include two signifi-cant talks: the first will be regional discussionspresented by CEO of Khalifa Fund UAE AbdullaAl Darmaki; the second will be Asian disucssionpresented by CEO of SME Corp. Malaysia DatoHafsah Hashim.
Other participants include the co-founderand vice chairman of Aramex and chairmanand managing partner of Wamda Capital FadiGhandour. Dr Al-Zuhair invites all field-relatedexperts and those who are interested in SMEdevelopment to attend the forum and offertheir insights, advice and suggestions to chal-lenge and inspire the local SME sector and fur-
ther encourage and help develop SMEs andentrepreneurship in Kuwait.
There will be several panel discussions onSME development including: the role of SME inbuilding Kuwait’s economy, the National Fund’sorganizational structure from a strategic per-spective along with the Fund’s main responsi-bilities and building the entrepreneurship cul-ture in Kuwait within a constrained businessecosystem. The National Fund for Small andMedium Enterprise Development was estab-lished in April 2013, with a total capital of KD 2billion, according to law number 98 of 2013.This law is intended to help the country make amajor stride in the efforts to support the youth,combat unemployment, and enable the pri-vate sector to drive economic growth. —KUNA
National Forum for SME to open on WednesdayMANAMA: The Kuwait University won thesecond edition of the GCC Secretariat prizeon e-curricula designs among the mem-ber states. The Secretariat gave the prize toDr Abdullah Al-Mutawa, a professor ofComputer Engineering from KuwaitUniversity, during the Fifth InternationalConference on e-Learning. Al-Mutawaexpressed his joy for winning the prize,saying he took part in the competitionthrough submitting an e-curriculum oncontaining lectures for students by avideoconference that could be watchedanywhere.
He told KUNA that he has implementedthis curriculum since 2012 and the stu-dents’ levels were greatly improved. Hesaid that he carried out lectures through e-programs that could be seen by studentsat anytime, noting that lectures insideclasses witness positive interaction among
all students so their levels were improved.Meanwhile, Bahraini Deputy Prime
Minister Sheikh Mohammad bin MubarakAl-Khalifa said, during his speech, that thee-learning has contributed to innovationand creativity, and preparing a qualifiedand trained generation on the latestknowledge. He noted that the prize is aninitiative supported by the GCC leaders,affirming its vital role in serving the societyand contributing effectively to the educa-tion process through transferring knowl-edge and expertise. Oh his part, Dr. AdelAl-Zayani, President of the Human andEnvironmental Affairs Sector of GCCSecretary, said in a speech on behalf ofGCC Secretary General that the GCC gov-ernments paid a great attention to sup-port and develop infrastructure of educa-tion and list e-learning at different levels ofeducation. —KUNA
CISCO to highlight its digitization strategy at e-government forum
Mohamed Bakry
CBK co-sponsors KOGS 2015KUWAIT: The Commercial Bank of Kuwait (CBK) recently co-sponsored the 2nd Kuwait Oil& Gas Show and Conference 2015 (KOGS) that was held under the auspices of HH the PM,Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah at Mishref International Fair Grounds. CBKhad its own section in the exhibition held on KOGS’ sidelines where a team from the bank’sretail unit promoted CBK services to the exhibition visitors.
KU wins GCC prize on e-curricula design
L O C A LMONDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2015
GENEVA: Arab Inter-Parliamentary Union(AIPU) President and Kuwait i NationalAssembly Speaker Marzouq Al-Ghanem hasrenewed a call for ousting Israel from theInter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) in reactionto its continuing insolence and brutalityagainst the Palestinians. Al-Ghanem madethe call in his speech at the 133rd session ofthe IPU that kicked off in Geneva yesterday.
Ejecting Israel from the IPU - as an out-cast with crimes worthy of condemnationon the ethical, political and legal levels - isthe least thing to be done in response tothose criminals amid the Israeli insolenceand the bloodshed in the occupiedPalestinian land, Al-Ghanem told the gener-al session. He added that Israeli crimes con-stitute a flagrant contrast to the teachings ofall Holy Books, the UN Charter and the val-ues of Amnesty International, Human RightsWatch and Doctors Without Borders andReporters Without Borders and other inter-national organizations.
These crimes are the utter opposite of theIPU Charter, Geneva Conventions and all thatis human, he said. Al-Ghanem said that Israelconstitutes a striking and blatant violation ofArticle 4 of Item 3 of the IPU Charter thatdemands member states to commit them-selves to the values comprised in Item 1regarding the importance of contributing toand reinforcing human rights globally.
He stressed that the Arab and theMuslims are not against “Judaism.” “I say itopenly that we oppose Zionism, which is, inour conventions and experience, synony-mous to abhorrent racism,” he stressed. “Weare no warmongers, nor calling for extermi-nation, but we are advocates of peace that isbased on justice, honor and Charter of theUN and the International Law,” he said, call-ing upon the IPU members to support theefforts to force the Israeli government to
enable the Palestinian people to establishtheir own sovereign state with Jerusalem acapital.
Al- Ghanem referred to the Syr ianrefugees cr is is , a lmost a copy of thePalestinian Diaspora, for which the interna-tional community has failed over decades tofind a just and a final settlement.
DilemmaKuwait foresaw the dilemma and His
Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-AhmadAl-Jaber Al-Sabah hosted three internationalconferences for donors of Syria over threesuccessive years, to spare the world theunprecedented of flooding of refugees flee-ing the destructive war at home.
Drowning is not their worst choice, hesaid, many Syrians who drowned in the seawhile running away from fighting.
Egypt parliamentAl-Ghanem said that he is looking forward
to the return of the Egyptian parliament to thenational and Arab political scenes. The long-awaited parliamentary vote constitutes a sig-nificant step in the democratic transition inEgypt after the constitution and the presiden-tial elections, Al-Ghanim said in a statement inGeneva.
Yesterday, Egyptians started voting in thetwo-day first phase of the parliamentary elec-
tions, which covers 14 governorates. Al-Ghanem urged Egyptians to intensively takepart in the vote, saying the Arabs are lookingforward to the results of the elections in theirArab populous country.
Al-Ghanem noted that they have missedthe Egyptian parliamentarians in the AIPU. It’shigh time the Egyptian legislature played acrucial role in the AIPU, he said. The Inter-par-
liamentary Union IPU’s 133rd session openedyesterday with participation of a Kuwaiti dele-gation headed by Ali Al-Ghanem. The session,due to proceed till October 21st, will include aseries of meetings by the governing board andaffiliate committees, tackling issues such asimmigration, democracy and freedoms.
It will also include a forum by young parlia-mentarians and a meeting by the permanentcommittee for global peace and security, dur-ing which experts will lecture about terrorism,
need for global cooperation to face threatsagainst democracy, individuals’ freedoms.
The participating Kuwaiti delegationincludes the undersecretary of the parliamen-tary caucus, MP Faisal Al-Shaye’, the CaucusSecretary, MP Dr Oda Al-Ruwaiee, the Caucusmembers, Dr. Khalil Abdullah, Saif Al-Azmi andthe National Assembly Secretary General,Allam Al-Kandari. —KUNA
Suspend Israel’s IPU membership: Al-GhanemEgypt election key step in democratic transition
GENEVA: Arab Inter-Parliamentary Union (AIPU) President and Kuwaiti National Assembly Speaker Marzouq Al-Ghanimattends the AIPU session in Geneva yesterday. —KUNA
Green Schools encourage actionoriented thinkingKUWAIT: The Green Schools initiativepilots active-learning approaches thatencourage investigative and action-ori-ented thinking that enables learners toimprove the wellbeing of society,Minister of Education and Minister ofHigher Education Essa Al-Bader said yes-terday. The minister made this remark atthe opening of a regional meeting to setup Green Schools in the GCC countriesand Yemen.
Green Schools are an initiative for sus-tainable education organized by theUNESCO’s office in Kuwait and Al-SaadFoundation for Knowledge and ScientificResearch. This initiative promotes educa-tion as a tool to develop learners who areboth capable and willing to respond toenvironmental issues in their communi-ties and in the world at large, Al-Essaadded.
Director of Kuwait National Commissionfor UNESCO Dr. Ahmad Al-Enizi stressedthe importance of raising awareness andcreating wider perspectives to improvinghuman life where poverty could be non-existent and where environment could beprotected from industrial and technologi-cal side effects.
The guidelines of sustainable develop-ment have already been drawn by inter-national community, pointing out thateveryone agrees that it can only beattained through economic and socialgrowth and protection of naturalresources. —KUNA
Kuwaiti ambassador, Brunei’s Speaker
discuss boosting tiesKUALA LUMPUR: Kuwait’s Ambassador to Brunie Fahad Al-Thifiri met yesterday Speaker of the Legislative CouncilAbdulrahman Bin Mohammad Taib discussing means ofenhancing bilateral parliamentary ties. Al-Thifiri, in a phonecall to KUNA, said he conveyed greetings and wishes forsuccess from National Assembly Speaker Marzouq Ali Al-Ghanim to Taib for his recent election to serve in the toplegislative post.
The Kuwaiti diplomat also conveyed Parliament SpeakerAl-Ghanim’s official invitation to Brunei’s counterpart to vis-it Kuwait, in order to boost bilateral parliamentary rela-tions. Speaker Taib expressed appreciation for the NationalAssembly Speaker Al-Ghanim’s greetings and sincere wish-es, saying that he deeply admires the Kuwaiti parliamen-tary experience and the local political activities, noting hewas looking forward to visit Kuwait soon.
Al-Thifiri noted the successful visit by a Kuwaiti parlia-mentary friendship group to Brunei last year; a mission thatboosted parliamentary cooperation and coordinationbetween the two states. Speaker Taib also recalled the suc-cessful visit by Brunei’s President Sultan Hassanal Bolkaihto Kuwait, and the fruitful cooperation that resulted fromthis event, including the signing of a memorandum ofunderstanding for investment cooperation. —KUNA
KUALA LUMPUR: Kuwait’s Ambassador to BruneiFahad Al-Thifiri met yesterday Speaker of theLegislative Council Abdulrahman Bin MohammadTaib discussing means of enhancing bilateral par-liamentary ties. —KUNA
Union chief wantssteps to protect fishermen’s lives
By Meshaal Al-Enezi
KUWAIT: Chairman of Kuwait Fishermen Union Thaher Al-Sowayyan said fishing was an arduous and dangerous pro-fession, adding that this calls for combining relevantauthorities’ efforts to facilitate fishermen’s mission and pro-tect their lives. He also noted that the local catch was beingsold in local markets.
Responding to what he described as a campaignlaunched against trap fishing by some amateur photogra-phers, Sowayyan stressed that they had legal fishing licens-es like any other fishermen. He added that these photogra-phers also accused expatiate fishermen of depleting localfish resources although they are official workers who legal-ly came to Kuwait and contribute to securing its food sup-plies. “All those fishermen’s catches are sold in local mar-kets,” he underlined, adding that the fishing business can-not do without them because there are no Kuwaiti substi-tutes.
Sowayyan slammed the “amateur photographers”, not-ing that they have been photographing fishing boatsreturning to the marina with their catch of mullet, claimingit had been caught within Kuwait Bay, although the boatsonly fish at specific spots outside the bay near HammarCape, Meskan Island and Failaka Island.
Passport validityThe residency affairs manager at Jahra governorate Lt Col
Saud Nasser Al-Tami reminded that the residency generaldepartment would start activating a ministerial decision onlimiting residency validity to expats’ passports from January2016 as stipulated by law number 17/1959 and article 15 ofthe foreigners’ residency law number 640/1987.
F r o m t he A r a bic pr e s sMONDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2015
It is absolutely hideous to talk about beautyduring times of ugliness. It is also out of totalignorance to talk about knowledge during
times of absolute ignorance. It is also insane totalk about wisdom and reason during times thatare dominated by a state of complete insanity andgroups of lunatic people who lost their mindslong ago. It is no use to have your words fall ondeaf ears!
Comic magazines have always been addressingyoung people using imaginary heroic characterssuch as Superman, Spiderman, Batman and otherswho all looked like ordinary, well-dressed, hand-some, neat, clean and well-behaved individualswho adored good work and respected the law.Those magazines have been really teaching gen-erations after generations of young people somevery good values.
Contrarily, and in view of the ugliness sur-rounding us everywhere nowadays, filthy speech-es and indecency, it is no wonder that some simi-lar magazines are issued using heroes that matchthese twisted times only to show a ‘Daeshman’ (IS-man) as evil-loving, throat-cutting, dressed infilthy attire, ignorant, l iar, fool and terroristbecause exquisiteness, reason and literature nolonger exist in our real lives and even in virtuallives on various social media networks that areonly dedicated to conflicts and disputes!
—Translated by Kuwait Times
Daeshman
Al-Anbaa
By Salah Al-Sayer
MIDDLEEAST
An international education expert saidthat every country will bear the resultof not providing good education for its
students, because this wil l domestical lydestroy the country, fragment it and make itlose its existence. Countries of the Middle Eastneglected education, and now they are pay-ing the price.
I believe the sentence above applies tomany countries in our region, includingKuwait, where I place the responsibility ofdeteriorating education on the government,when it allowed the Muslim Brotherhood,which is charged with corruption, to controleducation for an entire generation throughpersons who controlled key positions in theministry, and they are known by shape andname.
They had the most dangerous role inchanging curricula and distorting the educa-tional process under the watchful eye of thegovernment, besides the army of politicizedteachers who belong to the Salaf andBrotherhood parties, who had an additionalrole in corrupting an entire generation of ourschool students by charging them with a loadof grudges, hatred and racism, as their signsbegan to appear consecutively, such as thelarge number of holders of “empty doctoratedegrees” who leaked into every facility in thestate, and those who forged certificates ofpassing language tests, as most, if not all ofthem, are graduates of the years of theBrotherhood party’s control over public edu-cation.
The tragedy that calls for sadness andmaybe despair is what we kept seeing in therepetition of electing the remnants of theBrotherhood in every student election. Areader and member of the teaching faculty atthe commercial studies college, who workedin the field of training and consultation, andpreviously worked at the research instituteand as a teacher at Kuwait University, hasgood knowledge about what goes on in gov-ernment educational establishments. He saysthe problem is the PAAET, or rather theauthenticity of a considerable percentage ofits educational apparatus and lack of respectfor academic rules.
A problem like those having certificatesfrom a Greek university may lie on the shoul-ders of the authority’s director and his deputyfor applied education affairs, as well as on thedirector of the scholarships administrationand the dean of the commercial studies col-lege at the time, as all of them are responsiblein one way or another about the origin of theproblem, and they may have kept quiet aboutthem then although they knew how danger-ous it was.
He says that no one gives importance tothe basic education college, not realizing thatit is the factory of teachers for the kinder-garten and elementary stages, and the dangerthey have on shaping the mentality of juniors.One feels sorry for the time spent by the for-mer director of the authority Jassim Khalaf 30years ago in preparing a supervisory programthat relied on reviewing the PhD degree atthe PAAET at the time, and approved goodAmerican universities for scholarships, but hewas fought fiercely and forced to resign.
Following liberation, things went out ofcontrol after the authority recognized a largenumber of incorrect PhD degrees, some ofwhich were obtained by correspondence, andthe number of professors at the PAAET at acertain stage equaled those in other stateestablishments together!
—Translated by Kuwait Times
Part of theproblem
Al-Qabas
By Ahmad Al-Sarraf
CrimeR e p o r t
Asian heldTwo Asians, one of whom is a tailor, were arrested
by Ahmadi police with 61 liquor bottles in addition to23 bags of booze. The arrest was made when a patrolsuspected a car in Mahboula with the two inside. Oneof them said he had goods for his tailoring shop, butwhen they searched the car, the liquor was found. Bothwere sent to the DCGD.
KUWAIT: A bedoon who asked a series of questions at ahusseiniya in Mansouriya prompted some people to callpolice. He was taken to state security before beingreleased. His questions were about the times of gatherings,number of attendees and when it opened and closed,prompting people to call police.
InsultedA citizen accused his ex-wife of insulting and threaten-
ing him by SMS. He told Adan police about the woman’sactions and showed them the messages she sent overthree days. When police called her, she did not answer, sothe case was referred to detectives.
Sponsor assaultAn Asian domestic helper accused her sponsor of beat-
ing and locking her up. The woman was taken to AdanHospital and obtained a medical report. The helper askedAhmadi police to take her to her country’s embassy. —Alrai
Ahmadi breathesat dawn
Al-Anbaa
By Yousif Abdulrahamn
After per forming Fajr prayers at Haya Al-Ibrahim Mosque in Abu Al-Hassaniya, I droveto Ahmadi - the oasis founded in the heart of
the desert in 1949 coinciding with the discovery ofthe Burgan oilfield that extends from Magwa to Warato the south.
Ahmadi is a dream Kuwaiti city in the early morn-ing hours, when serenity is everywhere and nobodyis on the streets except for a few vehicles, laborersand passersby here and there. I believe nobodyknows exactly when this city was founded at the siteof a small ancient village. However, historians sug-gest it was founded between 1946, when the firstKuwaiti oil shipment was exported, and 1949.
Driving towards the city gateway, I recalled mymemories in the 1960s and 1970s, when as youngpeople, we used to drive our vehicles there everyFriday. Ahmadi was full of wooden huts with watertanks on top and tents were used as dormitories foroil companies’ workers. It is absolutely a most beauti-ful and clean city today.
As an Arabic teacher, I know that it was namedafter Kuwait’s tenth ruler, the late Sheikh Ahmad Al-Jaber, because it was built between Fahaheel andShuaiba villages during his reign and was first called‘Arab village’ by the British who built it. Yet, why wasit called Ahmadi rather than Ahmadiya? I believethere is not much difference in using masculine andfeminine names to call a place after sheikhs, becausewe have Salmiya and Salmi named after the lateSheikh Salem Al-Mubarak. We also have Ahmadi (thecity) and Ahmadiya (an old school) named afterSheikh Ahmad Al-Jaber.
Cruising around Ahmadi streets before sunrise, Ifound that the people were still the same like theyhave ever been. There was mixture of Arab, Europeanand Asian nationals in addition to a growing numberof citizens. Ahmadi is becoming a favorable destina-tion during Eids and special occasions, namely thenational and liberation days, when thousands of citi-zens and expats visit it. In addition, all visiting seniorofficials and leaders have been to it, like QueenElizabeth II of UK, Egyptian President Anwar Sadat,UAE’s Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al-Nahyan, the lateSaudi King Faisal bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud and theAlgerian revolutionist Djamila Bouhired.
Accordingly, I do urge all visitors to Kuwait to visitAhmadi, otherwise they will have missed a lot. Oh,how marvelous it is to drive your vehicle around thisbeautiful city with its Arab-European influence towatch people starting another workday amidst cleanstreets, houses and parks. Such days prove thatAhamdi is absolutely the bride of all cities that getsbusy with sunrise when everybody springs out towork. Ahmadi will always remain beautiful andgraceful! —Translated by Kuwait Times
Bedoon’s queries at husseiniya
raise security scare
KUWAIT: Chairman of the Board of Public Authorityfor Roads and Land Transport Eng Abdellatif Al-Dakheel said the authority was aiming at finding alasting solution to the traffic problem in the country.He said “everything is possible in order to reach thisgoal, including imposing toll fees on using someroads.”
He said there will be stations to weigh truck on allhighways, so if the weight exceeds the allowed limits,the truck will be unloaded before being allowed toproceed on the road. He said there is cooperationwith Kuwait Municipality to check traffic movementon all roads from city center to the Sixth Ring Road todetermine the directions of vehicles, adding thatsuitable solutions will be found according to theresults, he said. There are some ideas for quick proj-ects that will be executed at the same time of themetro, such as a two carriage train at land level,adding that Kuwait must complete a good portion ofthe railways project by 2018.
He said the metro will be done in stages with a KD8 billion budget, adding that it will cover 160 km, andthe first stage of it is 50 km.
KUWAIT: Al-Ahli Bank of Kuwait (ABK) yesterdayannounced its successful sponsorship of a special eventfor the elderly home to mark the Annual InternationalDay for the Elderly (World Elderly Day), which is heldeach year on 1 October. Conducted by the Ministry ofSocial Affairs, this year’s event in Kuwait was held at theMinistry’s theater in Sulaibikhat on 1 October.
Fawzy Al-Thunayan, ABK’s General Manager of BoardAffairs said :”ABK is proud of its close ties with the localcommunity, especially the elderly. Through our spon-sorship of this event to mark World Elderly Day inKuwait we hope to continue this tradition of bringingtogether people of all ages to celebrate and honor thesenior members who helped shape Kuwait and are the
pillars of Kuwaiti society.”The event featured a wide variety of activities for
people of all ages, including a show put on by primaryschool students, a performance by a local traditionalsinger and distribution of gifts for the elderly to com-memorate the occasion.
‘World Elderly Day’, which is endorsed by the UnitedNations General Assembly, is celebrated each year todraw attention to the welfare of the elderly as well asto draw attention to their significant involvement andcontribution to society. The event was the latest ofABK’s corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiativeswhich are designed to support different sectors ofKuwait’s society.
ABK sponsors event to mark Int’l Day for the Elderly
KUWAIT: The 55th anniversary of the decree for launch-ing the Kuwaiti dinar will fall today (October 19, 2015)an occasion depicting the country’s progress and pros-perity, for the banknote is an iconic symbol of its sover-eignty and pride.
The dinar was issued in April of 1961, to be the offi-cial currency of Kuwait. Later, it was re-printed in variousversions, the first on November 17 of 1970, and the sec-
ond time on February 20, 1980.Following the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait in 1990, during
which the occupation forces robbed the Central Bank,the Kuwaiti legitimate authorities cancelled the stolenbanknotes, and later on, the fourth copy of the dinarwas printed. The fifth edition was on April 4, 1994. Thesixth was on May 19 of year 2014, before becoming offi-cially in circulation on June 29 of the same year. —Kuna
Kuwait marks dinar’s55th anniversary
Authority eyesroad toll to
control traffic
Simmering tensions ended in violence in the westerncity of Cologne on Saturday when a man with a knifeattacked the independent mayoral hopeful HenrietteReker, who is active in helping refugees, leaving her withserious neck wounds and injuring four others. Policearrested the attacker who told them he had “a racistmotivation” for the assault which regional police chiefWolfgang Albers described as a “political act”.Investigators however said they could not rule out thatthe man was psychologically disturbed.
As the influx continued, Hungary closed its borderwith Croatia, forcing the migrants to find a new morewesterly route to northern Europe through Sloveniaand into Austria. Croatia on Saturday began ferryingmigrants by bus and train to its northern border withSlovenia, with 3,000 crossing the frontier. Hundredsmore were arriving in Slovenia yesterday aboard a spe-cial train from Croatia. Slovenia has said it would draftin the army to help police cope with the additionalnumbers.
Another 1,000 people crossed from Slovenia intoAustria on Saturday and through the night, police said,with most headed for Germany, where debate continuedover how to slow the influx. Police union chief RainerWendt told the Welt am Sonntag newspaper Germanyshould build a fence along its border with Austria. “If weclose our borders this way, Austria will also close its bor-der with Slovenia, and that’s exactly the effect we need,”he said, insisting that Germany could no longer send outthe message that everyone was welcome. — AFP
MONDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2015
Breakingtradition: Child brides fight forfreedom
Page 10
ISTANBUL: German Chancellor Angela Merkel was yes-terday holding talks with Turkish leaders over ways toresolve the migrant crisis after Turkey expressed disap-pointment with the EU’s efforts so far. Merkel was meet-ing Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu at the Ottoman-eraDolmabahce Palace in Istanbul ahead of talks withPresident Recep Tayyip Erdogan on a critical one-day visitwhich was only announced on October 12.
With no end in sight to the crisis which has posed thebiggest challenge of Merkel’s career, the flood ofmigrants and refugees continued to make their wayacross Europe, pouring into Slovenia after Hungaryclosed off its border with Croatia. The European Unionwants Turkey to do more to tighten its border securityand help contain the historic influx of people from Syria,Iraq and other conflict zones seeking shelter in the 28-nation bloc.
In return, Ankara wants greater recognition for its rolein hosting over two million Syrian refugees, a concreteincrease in financial help and for an acceleration of itslong-stalled bid for EU membership. Germany has beenEurope’s top destination for refugees, most of whomtravel through Turkey and the Balkans, and is expectingto register up to a million asylum requests this year-adevelopment which has hurt Merkel politically.
But Erdogan has heaped scorn on Europe’s efforts todeal with the crisis and urged Brussels to take Ankara’sEU membership bid more seriously. “We are hosting 2.5million refugees but nobody cares,” he said. And TurkishForeign Minister Feridun Sinirlioglu punctured hopesthat a deal had been reached between Ankara andBrussels, saying an action plan thrashed out on Thursdaywas only a draft and the financial help offered was “unac-ceptable”. With Turkey facing one of the most significantjunctures in its modern history, Merkel is also expectedto discuss security a week after a double suicide bomb-ing killed more than 100 people, and as the country’sheads towards parliamentary elections on November 1.
‘Hopes not running high’ Research institute the European Stability Initiative said
although expectations were “not running high” for yes-terday’s talks, Berlin and Ankara “share a capacity to bringthe migration crisis back under control”.
“If Germany and Turkey cannot reach a deal, there areno other solutions in sight, and the mass migration ofSyrians and others into the EU will continue.” More than630,000 people fleeing war and misery in the Middle Eastand Africa have landed on Europe’s shores this year,many making risky sea crossings from Turkey to Greece.
Another 12 people drowned off the Turkish coast onSaturday, and yesterday the Greek coastguard said fivemigrants including a baby and two boys had died trying tocross the Aegean Sea. Of those who make it, most try toget to Germany, after Merkel made clear her country wouldtake in people fleeing the bloody Syrian war. While manyGermans have welcomed the refugees, there has also beena backlash. Support for Merkel’s conservatives dippedanother point to 37 percent, a new poll said yesterday.
Merkel in Turkey to discuss refugee crisisTurks disappointed in ongoing EU efforts
ACEH SINGKIL: Authorities in Indonesia’s conserva-tive Aceh province said yesterday several Christianchurches would be shut down this week, just daysafter a mob burned down a church, killing one per-son and injuring several others. Tensions have beenhigh among the ethnically and religiously diversepopulation of Aceh, raising the risk of further reli-gious violence in Indonesia, the world’s most popu-lous Muslim population.
The vast majority of Indonesians practice a mod-erate form of Islam and Aceh is the only province toadhere to Islamic Sharia law, putting it at odds withthe rest of the country. Aceh was granted specialautonomy as part of a 2005 agreement to enddecades of separatist violence, which allowed it toimplement Sharia law. Christian groups in AcehSingkil district, where the churches stand, had beenconsulted on the matter, authorities said, andmembers of as many as six churches had agreed todismantle their houses of worship after admittingthey did not have the required building permits.
“All houses of worship, regardless of the religion,need to be in accordance with the laws of Aceh,”Bardan Sahidi, a member of the provincial parlia-ment, told Reuters after attending a meeting ofpolitical and religious figures, including representa-tives from the religious affairs ministry in Jakarta.Local Christian groups were not immediately avail-able for comment.
The move comes after Muslim residents, includ-ing members of the hardline group IslamicDefenders Front, demanded that the local govern-ment shutdown 10 churches, citing a lack of per-mits. A mob of hundreds of people burned down asmall church in Aceh Singkil district last week, forc-ing thousands of Christians to flee to neighboringvillages.
One Muslim member of the mob was killed,police said last week, adding that at least 10 peoplehad been detained on suspicion of inciting vio-lence. The government has since deployed 1,300police and military personnel to the area, with hun-dreds more on standby, to patrol the streets andstand guard outside churches that dot the smallpalm oil plantations in the district.
Christian residents of the run-down villageattended a service yesterday right next to thecharred remains of their church, under the guard ofabout a dozen armed security personnel. “At themoment, things are calm but we are on standby forany further incidents,” said Saladin, spokesman forAceh police, adding that evacuees had sincereturned to their homes. — Reuters
Aceh closechurches
after pressure
JERUSALEM: Israel yesterday rejected a proposal tosend international observers to a flashpoint holy site ina bid to calm unrest after five more stabbing incidentsdefied a security crackdown. Diplomatic moves to haltthe more than two weeks of unrelenting violencegained steam meanwhile, with US Secretary of StateJohn Kerry saying he planned to meet both the Israeliand Palestinian leaders in the coming days.
In yet another sign of tensions, ultra-OrthodoxJews illegally visiting a West Bank holy site set ablazelast week were assaulted by Palestinians, while somewere also arrested. Clashes also broke out in the WestBank city of Hebron, where three attacks occurred onSaturday. The unrest and stabbing attacks or attemptson Saturday came as the violence raised fears of a full-scale Palestinian uprising.
At the start of a cabinet meeting yesterday, PrimeMinister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected an idea fromFrance that would see international observers sent toJerusalem’s Al-Aqsa mosque compound. Clashes at thecompound between Israeli police and Palestinian pro-testers in September preceded the current wave ofviolence. Muslims fear Israel will seek to change rulesgoverning the site, located in Israeli-annexed eastJerusalem.
The site is sacred to Muslims and Jews, who refer toit as the Temple Mount. Jews are allowed to visit butnot pray there to avoid provoking tensions, andNetanyahu has said repeatedly he has no intention ofchanging the rules. “Israel cannot accept the Frenchdraft resolution at the United Nations Security Council,”Netanyahu said. “It doesn’t mention Palestinian incite-ment; it doesn’t mention Palestinian terrorism; and itcalls for the internationalization of the Temple Mount.”
With international concern mounting, Kerry said hewould meet both Netanyahu and Palestinian presidentMahmud Abbas later this week. Kerry said he wouldmeet Netanyahu in Germany, where the Israeli leaderis scheduled to travel on Wednesday, before talks withAbbas and Jordan’s King Abdullah at an unspecifiedlocation in the Middle East.
Attacks defy crackdown Checkpoints have been set up in Palestinian areas
of east Jerusalem, where many of the attackers havecome from, and some 300 soldiers yesterday beganreinforcing police. Israel also yesterday implemented apreviously approved measure allowing security forcesto search people whenever they feel necessary.
As fears have mounted, Tel Aviv city officials havebarred cleaning and maintenance employees fromschools during times when students are present, withparents concerned over possible attacks against chil-dren. Arab Israelis account for the majority of suchemployees, public radio reported.
Most of the attackers have been youngPalestinians wielding knives and believed to be actingon their own. Including alleged assailants, 41Palestinians have been killed since the upsurge in vio-lence began on October 1, while seven Israelis havedied. Violent protests have also erupted in eastJerusalem, the occupied West Bank and the GazaStrip.
Israel yesterday closed the only civilian crossingfrom Gaza into Israel, except for humanitarian cases,while damage was being repaired. On Saturday, fourPalestinians were shot dead and a fifth was woundedin attacks on Israelis in east Jerusalem and the West
Bank. All of the incidents involved a Palestinianassailant attempting to stab an Israeli.
Incident at holy site Overnight, a group of ultra-Orthodox Jews
attempting to illegally visit a holy site in the West Bankset ablaze last week were assaulted by Palestinianswhile five were also arrested, Israeli authorities said.Palestinians torched the site holy to Jews on Friday inan incident that threatened to further inflame ten-sions. The incident saw a group of about 30 religiousstudents from a school in Jerusalem travel to Joseph’sTomb in the northern West Bank city of Nablus despitenot having the required authorisation from Israel’s mili-tary. They told police they intended to repaint theshrine after the fire. According to Israeli authorities,Palestinian police beat at least some of them withtheir batons and the butts of their guns. A group ofPalestinian civilians arrived afterward and also beatthem, according to Israeli police. A Palestinian securitysource denied that police had beat them but said thatdozens of civilians arrived later and burned one of thecars used by the Jewish students.
Most of the students fled, but five were arrested byPalestinian police and later handed over to Israeliauthorities, according to Israeli police. Israeli policecalled the students’ visit “completely irresponsible” andsaid the incident “could have ended tragically”.
Joseph’s Tomb, inside a compound in thePalestinian refugee camp of Balata in Nablus, has beenthe scene of recurring violence between Israelis andPalestinians. The shrine is under Palestinian controland off-limits to Israelis except on escorted trips organ-ized by the army. — AFP
HEBRON: Palestinian students from Palestine Polytechnic University protest against Israel and throw stones towards the Jewish settlement ofBeit Hagai, at the southern entrance to the occupied West Bank city. — AFP
I N T E R N AT I O N A LMONDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2015
TUNIS: At least 70 hotels have closedin Tunisia since September after twodeadly jihadist attacks on foreigntourists, and more are expected tofollow suit, an industry official saidyesterday. “The situation is very slug-gish,” Radhouane Ben Salah, the headthe Tunisian Federation of Hotels,told private Mosaique FM radio.
With reservations at “no more than20 percent, 70 hotels had to closesince September because the lack ofclients and more are expected to dothe same,” he added. Ben Salah saidhe expected unemployment to climbas hotel staff would be forced out ofwork. Joblessness already stands atnearly 30 percent, with the numbereven higher among youths, and onein six Tunisians lives below the pover-ty line.
The country’s key tourism sectorcontributes to 10 percent of grossdomestic product, and employs400,000 people, directly or indirectly.But it has been badly shaken byattacks on foreign tourists at theNational Bardo Museum in the capitalin March and a beachside massacrenear the coastal city of Sousse inJune. The attacks, claimed by thejihadist Islamic State group, cost the
lives of 22 and 38 respectively.Ben Salah said hotel owners and
the government had agreed to lookafter employees who would beforced out of work. He said the gov-ernment would provide them with a200-dinar monthly subsidy (around90 Euros, $102) and social securitycoverage for a renewable six-monthperiod. The number of visitors fromEurope has halved since January, andinternational hotel chains haveannounced plans to close over thewinter season. This summer Tunisia’stourism industry relied mainly onlocal holidaymakers or those fromthe region, namely from neighboringAlgeria.
Several countries evacuated theircitizens from Tunisia after the beach-side massacre in June and others,including Britain, have warnedagainst travel to the North Africannation. Thirty of the 38 tourists killedin June near Sousse were British.Tunisia’s economy has remained stag-nant since the 2011 popular uprisingthat toppled dictator Zine El AbidineBen Ali. The finance ministry has fore-cast economic growth of just 0.5 per-cent this year, representing half therate for last year. — AFP
70 Tunisia hotels shutsince jihadist attacks
WASHINGTON: The US expects Iranwill take months to live up to its endof a seven-nation nuclear pact thatcould eventually provide the countryrelief from international sanctions.The deal was formally taking effectyesterday, opening the way for Iranto make major changes to an under-ground nuclear facility, a heavy waterreactor and a site for enriching urani-um. The changes will not happenimmediately, and Iran must furtherconstrain its nuclear program beforerelief from sanctions will occur.
Senior administration officials saidSaturday they understand it’s in Iran’sbest interest to work quickly, butthey are only concerned that thework is done correctly. They insistedthat no relief from the penalties willoccur until the UN’s InternationalAtomic Energy Agency has verifiedIran’s compliance with the terms ofthe agreement. They said Iran’s workwill almost certainly take more thanthe two months Iran has projected.
The administration officials spokeon a conference call with reporters,but under the condition that theynot be identified by name. As part ofthe nuclear agreement, PresidentBarack Obama yesterday issued pro-
visional waivers and a memoranduminstructing US agencies to lay thegroundwork for relieving sanctionson Iran.
Western promises In Iran, Ali Akbar Velayati, a top
adviser to supreme leader AyatollahAli Khamenei told state T V: “Onimplementation, all should be watch-ful that Westerners, par ticularlyAmericans, to keep their promises.”Velayati said Iran expects that theUnited States and other Westerncountries that negotiated the dealwill show their “good will” throughlifting sanctions.
I ran’s atomic energy chief, AliAkbar Salehi, told state T V thatTehran was ready to begin takingsteps to comply, and awaited anorder from President HassanRouhani. “We are hopeful to begin inthe current or next week,” he said.The IAEA said yesterday that Iran hasagreed to allow greater monitoringof its commitment to the deal, goingbeyond basic oversight provided bythe safeguards agreement that IAEAmember nations have with theagency. For instance, it allows short-notice inspections of sites the IAEA
may suspect of undeclared nuclearactivities.
Even as the terms of the dealbegin taking effect, recent develop-ments have shown the wide gulfbetween the US and Iran on otherissues. Fighters from Iran have beenworking in concert with Russia inSyria, and a Revolutionary Court con-victed a Washington Post reporterwho has been held more than a yearon charges including espionage. Thecourt has not provided details on theverdict or sentence. Further, two oth-er Americans are being detained, andthe US has asked for the Iranian gov-ernment’s assistance in finding a for-mer FBI agent who went missing in2007 while working for the CIA on anunapproved intelligence mission.
Also, Iran successfully test-fired aguided long-range ballistic surface-to-surface missile. But the US officialsasserted that those actions would beworse if they were backed up by anation with a nuclear weapon. Theofficials emphasized that the seven-nation pact is focused solely onresolving the nuclear issue. The stepsbeing taken by the US come 90 daysafter the UN Security Councilendorsed the deal. — AP
TEHRAN: Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, (center) and his German counterpart Frank-Walter Steinmeier, (center left) leave the Munich Security Conference venue. — AP
BAGHDAD: The Iraqi judiciary said yes-terday it had issued an arrest warrantagainst Trade Minister Malas AbdulkarimAl-Kasnazani on corruption charges. “Thecentral investigation court has issued anarrest warrant against the minister oftrade and his brother on charges of finan-cial corruption,” judiciary spokesmanAbdelsattar Bayraqdar said in a state-ment.
The pair’s case has been transferred toa specialized anti-corruption court inBaghdad, he said. Government officialscould not be immediately reached forcomment. One of the minister’s advisers
told AFP he was attending a cabinet ses-sion in Baghdad yesterday. The statementprovided no details on the accusationsagainst the minister and his brother. ButIraqi media reports said Kasnazani is sus-pected of awarding contracts withouttenders to firms linked to his Jordan-based brother Nehru, a wealthy business-man who once had presidential aspira-tions.
Their father, a Kurd who once ran amilitia backed by former presidentSaddam Hussein to oppose peshmergarebels, is the leader of the largest Sufiorder in Iraq, the Kasnazani order. Sufism,
which focuses on the mystical dimensionof Islam, is widespread in Iraq. Ordersthat transcend the Sunni-Shiite divide areorganized around a grand master andmeet to perform specific rituals, whichcan include music, dance and trance.
Saddam’s number two Malas and his two brothers-Nehru and
Gandhi-were arrested in the late 1990s,allegedly for forging Saddam’s signature,but were released and fled to Kurdistan,an autonomous region of northern Iraq.Their father is believed to have once hadclose ties with Izzat Al-Duri, who was
Saddam’s number two and is also a Sufi.The highest-ranking former regime
figure still officially on the run, Duri andhis loyalists were allied with the IslamicState group in the early phase of thejihadist offensive in June 2014. TheKasnazanis fell out with Saddam near theend of his reign and are reported to haveplayed a key role in assisting the UnitedStates in planning the 2003 invasion ofIraq.
Kasnazani is the highest-ranking offi-cial to be targeted by an arrest warrantsince Prime Minister Haider Al-Abadipromised a crackdown on graft in
August. The embattled premier, facingmounting popular discontent and large-scale protests, announced a number ofmeasures aimed at curbing corruptionand official privileges.
The trade minister is a political ally ofIyad Allawi, a politician who has beenaccused by the main Shiite bloc in gov-ernment of abetting insurgent Sunnigroups. Allawi held one of the three vice-president jobs Abadi scrapped as part ofhis reform package but the former inter-im prime minister is challenging the deci-sion. Many of Abadi’s measures have yetto be implemented. — AFP
Iran nuclear deal reachessanction relief milestone
Israel rejects observer plan, Kerry plans visit to leaders
Unrelenting violence gaining steam
Iraq slaps arrest warrant on trade minister
LONDON: Former British Prime MinisterTony Blair was committed to joining theUnited States in the Iraq war a year beforethe 2003 invasion, documents obtained byyesterday newspaper suggested. The reve-lations focus on a memo allegedly writtenby former US secretary of state ColinPowell on March 28, 2002 to then presi-dent George Bush a week before the USleader’s meeting with Blair at his ranch inCrawford, Texas.
“On Iraq, Blair will be with us shouldmilitary operations be necessary,” wrotePowell, in a document the Mail yesterdaypublished on its website. “He is convincedon two points: the threat is real; and suc-cess against Saddam will yield moreregional success,” Powell said, referring toformer Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein, whowas eventually ousted in the 2003 US-ledinvasion.
The Mail yesterday said the memo andother sensitive documents were part of abatch of secret emails held on the privateserver of Democratic presidential candi-date Hillary Clinton which US courts haveforced her to reveal. A separate quote from
Powell assured Bush “the UK will follow ourlead in the Middle East”, while other state-ments suggest Blair’s willingness to pres-ent “strategic, tactical and public affairslines” to strengthen public support for theIraq war.
Blair, who served as prime ministerbetween 1997 and 2007, has repeatedlydenied rushing to war. Under his leader-ship, Britain made the second biggesttroop contribution to the Iraq invasion,and British forces were stationed in thecountry until 2011.The decision to backthe invasion is now deeply unpopular inBritain and has haunted Blair’s Labor Partyever since.
A controversial inquiry by former civilservant John Chilcot into the decisionsleading up to the war was expected to takea year to report, but is still not publicdespite being announced by the govern-ment six years ago. “This story is nothingnew. The memo is consistent with what MrBlair was saying publicly at the time andwith Mr Blair ’s evidence given to theChilcot Inquiry” said a spokesperson forBlair’s office. — AFP
Blair committed UKto Iraq war yearbefore invasion
I N T E R N AT I O N A LMONDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2015
OPATOVAC, Crotia: Thousands of migrants seeking to reachWestern Europe were stranded in fog and cold weather inCroatia and Serbia yesterday, a day after Hungary closed itsborder with Croatia and the flow of people was redirected toa much slower route via Slovenia.
Tiny Slovenia has said it will only take in 2,500 people aday, significantly stalling the movement of people across theBalkans as they flee wars and poverty in countries in theMiddle East, Asia and Africa. On Saturday, over 6,000 peoplereached Croatia, and most of them were stuck in the countryyesterday. The migrant route switched to Slovenia earlySaturday after Hungary’s right-wing government closed itsborder to Croatia for the influx, citing security concerns andsaying it wants to protect the European Union from anuncontrolled flow of people.
Croatian police said yesterday nearly 4,000 people,including women holding babies in their arms, remained inthe refugee camp in Opatovac, eastern Croatia, where buses
and trains were waiting to take them toward Slovenia, thenext step on their journey toward richer EU states, such asGermany or Sweden. Across the border in Serbia, thousandsof people have been sitting in some 50 buses since earlyhours yesterday waiting to cross to Croatia. More are expect-ed to arrive during the day.
‘Children are cold’ “We are waiting here 4 hours on the bus,” said
Muhammad Samin from Afghanistan. “The weather is toocold. We wear lots of shirts. The children are also in the cold.No food.” The United Nations refugee agency warned thatHungary’s decision to close its border for migrants hasincreased their suffering and could lead to a backlog downthe so-called Balkan route that goes from Turkey throughGreece, Macedonia, Serbia and Croatia.
Babar Baloch, regional spokesman for Central Europe forthe UN High Commissioner for Refugees, said the new
Thousands stranded on new route through EUmigrant route through Slovenia has significantly prolongedtheir already weeks-long journey. “The decision by Hungaryto close its border has certainly added to the suffering andmisery and the length of the journey for these desperate peo-ple,” Baloch said. “There will be challenges if the processbecomes slow or we have a backlog of people.”
The Hungarian border closure is the latest demonstrationof EU’s uncoordinated response to the surge of people reach-ing its borders. More than 600,000 people, mostly Syrians,have reached Europe since the beginning of this year.Hungary decided to close the border with Croatia after EUleaders last week failed to agree on a plan backed byHungary to send EU forces to block migrants from reaching
Greece from Turkey. It did the same on Sept. 15 on the bor-der with Serbia after erecting a razor wire fence on bothfrontiers. German Chancellor Angela Merkel was meetingTurkish leaders yesterday to promote an EU plan that wouldoffer aid and concessions to Turkey in exchange for measuresto stem the mass movement of migrants into Europe. Merkelarrived in Istanbul as thousands of new arrivals a day arestretching Germany’s capacity to house refugees and othermigrants. Officials said the incentives offered to Turkeywould involve an aid package of at least 3 billion Euros tohelp Turkey host the more than 2 million refugees that are inthe country, as well as easier access to EU visas for Turkish cit-izens and re-energized EU membership talks. —AP
SREDISCE OB DRAVI, SLOVENIA: Dozens of migrants wait to be registered after arriving from Croatia. —AP
Ex-church
members
speak up
on decline
ALBANY, NY: Former mem-bers of the upstate New Yorkchurch where two teens wereviciously beaten paint a pictureof a once vibrant and joyoushouse of worship that declinedinto a place of fear and intimi-dation under new leadership.
“When I first arrived, it waswarm and welcoming. It wasencouraging. It was helpful,”said Chadwick Handville, amassage therapist in Phoenix,Arizona, who left the Word ofLife Christian Church in June2000 after 10 years that includ-ed a stint as a worship leaderand trustee. Things wentdownhill after founder JerryIrwin returned from some timeaway and reclaimed his posi-tion as pastor, Handville said.“What was off the wall was hisattitude toward others,”Handville said. “It wasn’t happy.He accused every male of lust-ing after his wife.”
Handville said Irwin’spreaching was filled with per-sonal attacks on parishioners,whom he forced to work longhours renovating the Irwinfamily’s apartment on the thirdfloor of the former schoolbuilding that houses thechurch in New Hartford, whichis 100 miles west of Albany.
“He did have good points,”Handville said. “Through him Iwas able to memorize half theBible. He taught me a lot. Whathe failed to teach me was howto use what I read, how to treatpeople.” Handville said manycurrent and former churchmembers are afraid to talkpublicly about the church forfear of recrimination.
In a letter to the Post-Standard of Syracuse, formercongregant Nathan Ames saidthe church started out as afast-growing Pentecostalchurch but declined after Irwinreclaimed leadership. Amesdescribed Irwin as controllingand intimidating. Since Irwin’sfatal stroke several years ago,his wife, Traci, and their chil-dren - Tiffanie, Daniel andJoseph - have been in charge.Ames said they continued inthe style of the founder.
Manslaughter and assault Six church leaders and
parishioners now face chargesincluding manslaughter andassault for a brutal beating inthe sanctuary last Sunday thatleft 19-year-old Lucas Leonarddead and his 17-year-oldbrother Christopher hospital-ized. Church members Bruceand Deborah Leonard, parentsof the victims, face the mostserious charge, manslaughter.Deborah Leonard’s daughter,Sarah Ferguson, and JosephIrwin, both face assaultcharges. —AP
I N T E R N AT I O N A LMONDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2015
JODHPUR: University student Santadevi Meghwalhas been threatened, harassed, ostracized and evenfined by a council of male elders in her village inIndia. But the 20-year-old is determined to pushahead with annulling her child marriage, and join asmall but growing number of youngsters in northernIndia rejecting the ancient tradition.
Meghwal was only 11 months-old when her eld-ers married her to a nine-year-old boy from a neigh-boring village in the desert state of Rajasthan, whererates of child marriages have long been high. Sherecalls seeing her husband for the first time aged 16,when a friend, whose family had attended Meghwal’s‘wedding’ when she was a toddler, pointed out adrunk man hurling abuse outside their school.
“My friend turned to me and said ‘look, that’s yourhusband’,” Meghwal said, describing how her heartsank as she raced home to confront her parents. “Iasked them, why did you marry me off like that? I wasso innocent and I didn’t even realize what happened,I mean, how old was I?” she said, sitting on a bench inJodhpur University, where she is finishing her finalyear of arts.
Although illegal, millions in India are married aschildren in a deep-rooted tradition in mostly poorand rural areas. Nearly 50 percent of women, aged 20to 24, say they were married before the legal age of18, government figures show. The custom is particu-
larly strong in Rajasthan, a popular tourism destina-tion, where politically powerful village councils, com-prising men of the same caste, have an iron grip oversocial and moral life. But a small number of young-sters there are fighting back, seeking annulments tomarriages they never agreed to, with the help of alocal NGO and government crackdowns.
Meghwal was supposed to move in with her hus-band when she turned 17. But instead she has foughta three-year battle against her council, and turnedaway her in-laws when they came to fetch her.Meghwal’s defiance had terrible consequences, withthe enraged council barring her and her family fromtaking part in village life in Jodphur district. It alsoslapped her father with a 1.6-million rupee fine whichas a mason he could not afford to pay.
‘Ray of hope’ Meghwal turned in May to Sarathi Trust which
says it is the only charity working to annul child mar-riages after winning its first case three years ago.Trust head Kriti Bharti recalled stumbling on the lit-tle-known provision in India’s anti-child marriage leg-islation that permitted annulments.
“Child marriage was like a huge, dark room. Andin it, we found a ray of hope in a small law,” saidBharti, sitting behind her desk in a room decoratedwith awards and certificates for her work. Bharti,
whose charity has helped annul 27 marriages inRajasthan, said annulments were favored overdivorce, as they were generally quicker and requiredless paperwork.
Granted with the consent of both parties andproof of their age, annulments also avoid the stigmaof divorce for women. Meghwal is hopeful of eventu-ally winning an annulment despite the fact her hus-band, with whom she has never lived, staunchlyopposes one, and has threatened to abduct her.
Health problems Every year, on the holy day of Akshaya Tritiya,
authorities crack down on underage marriages. Thefestival, usually in April or May, is an auspicious timeacross India for weddings, including those betweenchildren. Police in Rajasthan together with socialworkers often conduct raids on villages to break upceremonies, and pressure priests, wedding-cardprinters, caterers and tent operators to say no to fam-ilies wanting to hire them.
Such campaigns, along with government cashincentives for families who defer marrying theirdaughters until they are older, have helped lower theoverall numbers. But Joachim Theis, UNICEF’s chief ofchild protection in India, warned the challenge wasstill huge and needed a national approach given theenormous population. — AFP
Breaking tradition: Child
brides fight for freedomDeep-rooted custom in poor rural areas
DHARAMSALA: Thousands of Tibetansworldwide voted yesterday for a politi-cal leader to keep up their struggle forgreater freedom in China and to headtheir exiled government. Harvard-edu-cated Lobsang Sangay, current primeminister of the exiled government whois re-contesting for the top job, is thefront-runner ahead of four other candi-dates.
But rival candidate Lukar Jam Atsokis looking to make waves, advocatingTibet’s complete independence fromChina, rather than the exiled govern-ment’s more moderate stance of greaterautonomy for their homeland.
In yesterday’s preliminary round ofvoting, 87,000 exiled Tibetans in abouta dozen countries from Australia to theUnited States are registered to cast bal-lots for a prime minister and for a newexiled 44-member parliament. Monks,nuns and families stood in long queues
waiting to vote at the main temple inthe nor thern Indian hil l station ofDharamsala, where the exiled govern-ment is based.
Zompa, an 85-year-old grandmother,said she would again vote for Sangay.But student Pho Nya said the youngergeneration was drawn to Atsok whofled Tibet in 1997 after China releasedhim from jail for political activism. “He isa learned man and someone who hasundergone suffering at the hands of theChinese and overcame it,” the 23-year-old said.
A final round of voting is scheduledfor March next year when the newprime minister and parliament will beannounced. The election is only the sec-ond since the Dalai Lama retired aspolitical head of the exiled governmentfour years ago, handing over power toelected leader Sangay to continue thefight after his death.
The 80-year-old remains the spiritu-al head of Tibetan Buddhism and thefigurehead of the struggle for autono-my for Tibetans in China. The DalaiLama raised concern among his mil-lions of followers last month when hescrapped a tour of the United States forhealth reasons. The leader fled Tibetfor exi le in India in 1959 amid anabortive uprising against China’s rule.China has widely been seen as waitingfor the Dalai Lama’s death, believingthat the movement for Tibetan rightswould not survive without its charis-matic and globally famous leader. TheDalai Lama, an avowed pacifist, saysthat he recognises China’s rule overTibet and is seeking greater freedoms.China insists that the Nobel Peace Prizewinner is nonetheless a “splittist,” andsome younger Tibetan activists in exilehave advocated a more mil i tantapproach. — AFP
NEW DELHI: Tibetans-in-exile fill in ballot papers, as election officials checkdocumentation, before casting their votes in an election for the parliament ofthe Tibetan government-in-exile, at a polling station. — AFP
JODHPUR: In this photograph taken on August 24, 2015, 20 year old Indian student Santa Devi Meghwal, a victim of child mar-riage poses in her college library. — AFP
KUNDUZ: The head of an international medicalcharity whose hospital in northern Afghanistanwas destroyed in a US airstrike says the “exten-sive, quite precise destruction” of the bombingraid casts doubt on American military assertionsthat it was a mistake.
The Oct 3 attack on the compound inKunduz city, which killed at least 22 patients andhospital staff, should be investigated as a possi-ble war crime, said Christopher Stokes, generaldirector of Doctors Without Borders, which isalso known by its French abbreviation MSF.
The trauma hospital was bombed during afirefight between Taleban and governmenttroops, as US advisers were helping Afghanforces retake the city after the insurgents over-ran it and seized control on Sept 28 Afghanauthorities say they are now largely back in con-trol of Kunduz.
US President Barack Obama has apologizedfor the attack, and the commander of US andNATO troops in Afghanistan, Gen John FCampbell, said it was a mistake. He said thestrike had been called in by Afghan forces, buthas not explained exactly how it happened orwho granted final approval. Internal militaryinvestigations are underway, with preliminaryresults expected in coming days.
According to Associated Press reporting,American special operations analysts were scru-tinizing the Afghan hospital days before it wasdestroyed because they believed it was beingused by a Pakistani operative to coordinateTaleban activity. The analysts knew it was a med-ical facility, according to a former intelligenceofficial who is familiar with some of the docu-ments describing the site. It’s unclear whetherthat information ever got to commanders whounleashed the AC-130 gunship on the hospital.
‘Doesn’t indicate a mistake’ “The hospital was repeatedly hit both at the
front and the rear and extensively destroyedand damaged, even though we have providedall the coordinates and all the right informationto all the parties in the conflict,” Stokes said,standing in the burned-out main hospital build-ing. “The extensive, quite precise destruction ofthis hospital ... doesn’t indicate a mistake. Thehospital was repeatedly hit,” Stokes said. Thebombing went on for more than an hour,
despite calls to Afghan, US and NATO to call ifoff, MSF has said.
Stokes, who has called for an independentinquiry into the incident, told The AssociatedPress in an interview in the remains of the hospi-tal on Friday that MSF wanted a “clear explana-tion because all indications point to a gravebreach of international humanitarian law, andtherefore a war crime.” Afghan authorities haverefused to comment before investigations arecomplete. President Ashraf Ghani’s deputyspokesman, Zafar Hashemi, told reporters onSaturday that the Afghan government has “faith”in investigations being conducted by the USmilitary, and by a joint Afghan-NATO team.
MSF has denied there were any armedTaleban on the hospital grounds at the time ofthe attack. “The compound was not entered byTaleban soldiers with weapons,” Stokes said.“What we have understood from our staff andguards is that there was very strong, very goodcontrol of what was happening in and aroundthe compound and they reported no firing in thehours preceding the destruction of the hospital.”
More than 70 staff members were on duty,tending to more than 100 patients at the time,he said. According to its policy, MSF treats gov-ernment troops and insurgent combatantsequally. Hospitals are regarded as protectedsites in war. Doctors Without Borders officialshave said the US gunship made five separatestrafing runs over the course of an hour, direct-ing heavy fire on the main hospital building,which contained the emergency room andintensive care unit. Surrounding buildings werenot hit. The hospital is no longer operable.
Stokes said that “until we understand whathappened and we can gain guarantees that thisunacceptable attack cannot happen again, wecannot reopen and put our staff in danger.” MSF,a Nobel Peace Prize-winning organization thatprovides medical aid in conflict zones, has calledfor an investigation by the InternationalHumanitarian Fact-Finding Commission, basedin the Swiss capital, Bern. It is made up of diplo-mats, legal experts, doctors and some formermilitary officials from nine European countries,including Britain and Russia. An IHFFC investiga-tion needs the cooperation of both Afghanistanand the US before it can proceed, which neithergovernment is expected to give. — AP
MSF says bombing of
hospital no mistake
KATHMANDU: After months in makeshift shel-ters, earthquake victim Bhim Bahadur Gurung isdesperate to start rebuilding his house ahead ofNepal’s biting winter, but a fuel blockade hasleft him unable to obtain vital construction sup-plies.
Nearly six months after a 7.8-magnitudequake killed almost 8,900 people and destroyedabout half a million homes, thousands of sur-vivors are still living in tents and other tempo-rary shelters, dependent on aid. But the three-week blockade of a major border checkpoint byprotesters who reject Nepal’s new constitutionhas sparked a fuel shortage and nationwiderationing, with vital supplies unable to getthrough.
“No cement, no rods, no roofs... how can Ibuild my home?” 43-year-old farmer Gurungsaid from his village in Sindhupalchowk district,one of the areas worst hit by the devastatingquake in April. “The villagers are all living in tem-porary shelters right now, this won’t be enoughwhen it starts snowing,” Gurung said. Aid organ-izations say the fuel crisis has severely ham-pered their operations and the continued short-age could cut off relief supplies to communitiesin far-flung areas of the country.
The World Food Program (WFP) said it hadbeen forced to halt distribution of relief goodsand shelter supplies to 224,000 quake victimsbecause of the shortage. “Because of the fuelcrisis we’ve only been able to deliver 40 percentof the actual needs,” said Seetashma Thapa,communications officer for WFP, which coordi-nates logistics for nearly 130 other humanitari-an organizations. “The situation is particularlycritical as we are in a race against time to reach84,000 people with vital food and suppliesbefore the snow sets in,” she said of those in themost remote areas. The WFP’s helicopter opera-tions have only a week of fuel left, she said.
‘Peak time’ For three weeks, hundreds of protesters
have blocked a bridge crossing in the town ofBirgunj, 90 kilometres south of Kathmandu,through which 60 percent of the country’spetroleum imports pass. The protesters, from
the ethnic Madhesi minority in Nepal’s southernplains, are incensed about the planned divisionof the country into several federal provincesunder the constitution introduced last month.
Slow movement at other checkpoints hasprompted Nepal to accuse India, which hasexpressed concerns over the constitution, ofimposing a blockade. Landlocked Nepal is com-pletely reliant on India for fuel supplies. “Wehave been requesting the Indian OilCorporation continuously to resume supplies,but the response has not been satisfactory,” saidSushil Bhattarai, Acting Deputy GeneralManager of Nepal Oil Corporation.
“Right now we are only getting 10-15 per-cent of our regular imports,” he said, adding thatthe state oil company has asked internationalfuel companies to supply petroleum productsto Nepal. Nepal’s newly elected prime ministerKP Sharma Oli has called on political parties rep-resenting the Madhesi community to halt theirprotests and hold talks. But the parties haverefused to come to the negotiating table, untilthe government submits a concrete plan toaddress their demands.
This weekend, Nepal’s deputy prime minis-ter and foreign minister flew to India to holdtalks on getting the fuel and other critical sup-plies moving again. India denies it is deliberate-ly halting trucks at its border, insisting the dis-ruptions are coming from the other side.Govind Raj Pokharel, chief of the NationalReconstruction Authority in the process ofbeing set up by Nepal, said the blockade wasalso disrupting the production of materialsrequired for reconstruction.
“Goods are stuck at the borders and strikeshave forced factories to shut down. Even if theywant to operate, their raw materials aren’t com-ing in,” Pokhrel said. “This is the peak time forreconstruction. But this crisis will have a long-term impact on our recovery.” For victims likeGurung, the crisis translates to more immediateworries. “The earthquake has troubled usenough, this fuel crisis is only adding to ourpain,” Gurung said. “I pray that our governmentresolves this soon and pays attention to usbefore winter comes.” — AFP
Fuel crisis halts aid
to quake-hit Nepal
NEW DELHI: India police said yesterday they havearrested two teenagers over the rape of a toddler, thelatest sexual assault on a child in the capital to ignitepublic anger. Twenty police teams questioned morethan 250 suspects before arresting the juveniles overthe attack on the two-year-old girl, who was foundbleeding in a park near her New Delhi home on Fridaynight. “Delhi police have solved (the crime) by appre-hending two juveniles in the rape case of a child,”Dependra Pathak, a Delhi police commissioner, toldreporters. “Further investigation is on. All concerned evi-dences are been collected,” Pathak said, adding that thetwo 17-year-olds arrested late on Saturday will face ini-tial charges in 10 days.
Both boys lived in the same poor western neighbor-hood as the toddler and one of them was known to herfamily, Pathak said. The assault on the toddler, who isrecovering in hospital, was the second within 24 hoursafter a five-year-old girl was gang-raped at a neighbor’shouse in east Delhi.
Three men have been arrested over that attackwhich also occurred on Friday evening, with both inci-dents sparking protests and renewed anger over sexualviolence in the capital. The attacks on the girls came aweek after a four-year-old girl was raped, slashed with aknife and dumped by a railway track in Delhi.
They add to a grim record of sexual assaults in India.The fatal gang-rape of a student on a bus in Delhi in2012 unleashed a wave of public outrage. That incidentprompted the national government to toughen punish-ments for rapists and overhaul policing to better protectwomen and children.
After neighborhood protests on Saturday, small ral-
lies were staged yesterday at police headquarters andthe office of the city’s chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, whohas been blamed for failing to halt the attacks. Kejriwalhas pointed the finger at the national government, as
both jostle for control of the capital’s police department.India recorded 36,735 rape cases in 2014 — 2,096 ofthem in Delhi. Experts say those figures likely under-rep-resent the true scale of the crimes. — AFP
Teens arrested for toddler rape
NEW DELHI: Indian students shout slogans during a protest against the rapes of twominor girls outside the police headquarters. — AFP
Exiled Tibetans vote for political leader
I N T E R N AT ION A LMONDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2015
VATICAN CITY: Pope Francis canonized theCatholic Church’s first married couple in moderntimes yesterday, declaring the parents of thebeloved St Therese of Lisieux saints in their ownright. Francis told followers gathered in St Peter’sSquare that the couple, Louis and Zelie Martin,“practiced Christian service in the family, creatingday by day an environment of faith and lovewhich nurtured the vocations of their daughters.”
Francis is particularly devoted to the 19th cen-tury French Carmelite nun, fondly known as “TheLittle Flower,” who died at the age of 24 in 1897and was later honored with the title doctor of thechurch. Francis has had a copy of Therese’s “Storyof a Soul” on his bookshelf since his days as anovice. As archbishop of Buenos Aires, he hadher image on his desk. And he has said thatwhenever he has a problem, he directs his payersto Santa Teresita, as she is known in Spanish, andoften a white rose appears to him as a sign thatshe has heard his prayers.
Her parents were canonized at the start of
final week of his big bishops’ meeting on families.His aim is to provide Catholic families with saintlyrole models who took particular care to educatetheir children in the faith: The Martins bore ninechildren, only five of whom survived. All fivebecame nuns, including the youngest, Therese,at age 15.
Going against the grain “It’s the first time a couple have been canon-
ized as a couple, and this is a beautiful sign forChristian families, who often are left without anysupport and have to go against the grain, espe-cially in the West, to live and educate their chil-dren in the truth of creation and with that lovethat God has given us in Christ,” said the Rev.Romano Gambalunga, the postulator who fol-lowed the saint-making case through.
It is not insignificant that both miraclesrequired for the canonization concerned theinexplicable cures of newborns born with whatdoctors determined to be life-ending ailments.
When the Martins were beatified in 2008, the“miracle” concerned little Pietro Shiliro, born inthe Italian city Monza in 2002 with a congenitallung deformation that doctors said he could notsurvive. The priest who was called to baptize himencouraged his parents to pray to the Martin’sintercession. After a month in the ICU, duringwhich he came close to death, he was releasedand is now a healthy teenager.
The second miracle needed for the Martin’scanonization concerned little Carmen, born at 28weeks on Oct 15, 2008 in Valencia, Spain after adifficult pregnancy. Two days later, she suffered acerebral hemorrhage that caused near-fatalblood poisoning. Her parents went to theCarmelite nuns seeking guidance; they suggest-ed they pray to the intercession of the Martins,who had just been beatified on Oct 17, 2008 inLisieux. After three months in the hospital,Carmen was released, cured, on Jan 2, 2009 - the135th anniversary of the birth of the Martin’syoungest daughter, Therese.—AP
Pope canonizes couple, first in modern timesParents of St Therese of Lisieux declared saints
VATICAN CITY: A view of St Peter’s Square at the Vatican during a canonization cere-mony celebrated by Pope Francis. — AFP
Nigeria set to finally getgovernment ministers
LAGOS: It’s taken nearly five months butNigeria—Africa’s biggest economy, mostpopulous nation and number one oil pro-ducer-may get a government this week.Final screening of 36 ministerial nomineesis due to take place from tomorrow, endinga lengthy process that has earnedPresident Muhammadu Buhari a less thanflattering nickname.
Buhari, dubbed “Baba Go Slow” for thetime it has taken him to appoint ministerssince he took office in May, will then assignthe candidates portfolios once they areapproved. Since the first names were sub-mitted to parliament on September 30,speculation has been rife about which postgoes where. But some appointments lookclearer than others.
Ibe Kachikwu, the new head of theNigerian National Petroleum Corporation(NNPC), is a virtual certainty to serve as jun-ior oil minister, after Buhari said he will per-sonally oversee the ministry himself.Former army Chief AbdulrahmanDambazau is in line for the defense portfo-lio, which has been dominated for the lastsix years by the Boko Haram insurgency inthe northeast. Former Ekiti state governorKayode Fayemi has been tipped for foreignaffairs.
Pragmatic, balanced Since he was sworn in on May 29, Buhari
has been running Nigeria with permanentsecretaries (senior civil servants), layinghimself open to charges of autocracy. Butthe 72-year-old, who headed a militarygovernment in the 1980s, has blamed thelate reception of handover notes from theprevious administration for the time takento make his nominations.
Political commentator Chris Ngwodosuggested that as well as the “politicalback-and-forth” about potential nominees,he has also been looking at revamping fail-ing government structures. “He wanted tofinish all that. He wanted to be able to con-duct a proper audit of the federal bureau-cracy before getting ministers,” he told AFP.
As for the candidates, Buhari-elected ona promise of “change”-is constitutionallybound to nominate candidates from eachof Nigeria’s 36 states. “‘The List’ has much tocommend and cause for thought too,” saidMax Siollun, a historian and author of “Oil,politics and violence: Nigeria’s militarycoup culture (1966-1976)”. “It is a pragmat-ic list that combines technocratic talentwith the need for careful ethno-regionalbalancing.
“Buhari could not appoint an entire cab-
inet 100 percent composed of trailblazingreformers. “He had to take vested interestsinto account and include ministers whomay not be his personal first choices butwho are allied to the politicians that helpedhim to get elected.” The technocratsinclude Kachikwu, a former ExxonMobilexecutive, and Ogun state finance commis-sioner Kemi Adeosun, a former investmentbanker and accountant, who has beentipped for finance minister.
Both reflect Buhari’s priorities to over-haul the notoriously-corrupt oil sector andboost the economy, which has been bat-tered by the fall in global oil prices sincelast year. Figures such as the former LagosState governor Babatunde Fashola andRotimi Amaechi, his counterpart in oil-richRivers State, were his “political IOU”, saidNgwodo.
“It’s generally a good balance... person-ally I think it’s a decent list for both consid-erations,” he added. “He’s covered the rightbases. A lot of it has shown his own individ-ual mindedness. He’s been able to asserthimself against the interests of the party.”
Corruption cloud ? Buhari declared before his election:
“Corruption will have no place and the cor-rupt will not be appointed to my adminis-tration.” He has already begun a purge ofthe NNPC, appointing Kachikwu and order-ing an audit of the group’s opaqueaccounting practices to identify and recov-er stolen funds.
At the same time, former oil ministerDiezani Alison-Madueke was arrested inLondon as part of a British investigationinto international corruption. Her arrest-and the sealing of her house in Abuja byEconomic and Financial CrimesCommission agents-has left few in doubt atBuhari’s seriousness in tackling graft. Buthis nomination of Amaechi, his presidentialcampaign manager, could muddy thewaters as he is subject to a probe orderedby the Peoples Democratic Party in Rivers.
Amaechi switched sides from the PDP tothe APC in 2013 and the elections in March,which the APC lost in Rivers, were marredby violence, bad blood and claims of elec-toral fraud. Malte Liewerscheidt, seniorAfrica analyst at political consultants VeriskMaplecroft, said the claims againstAmaechi could dent Buhari’s image as a “MrClean”. “Buhari’s open support of Amaechi,who is enveloped in corruption allegations,will furnish the opposition with opportuni-ties to undermine Buhari’s trademark anti-graft image,” he said. —AFP
Pakistan claims it has killed Uighur militants
BEIJING: Pakistan has eliminated allmembers of the Uighur militant groupthe East Turkestan Islamic Movement(ETIM) from its territory, but must remainvigilant to ensure they don’t return, thecountry’s defense minister said in Beijingyesterday. China blames ETIM for carryingout attacks in its far western region ofXinjiang, home to the Muslim Uighurpeople, although many foreign expertsdoubt the group’s existence in a cohesivegroup.
China, Pakistan’s only major ally in theregion, has long urged Islamabad toweed out what it says are militants fromXinjiang, who are holed up in a lawlesstribal belt, home to a lethal mix of mili-tant groups, including the Taliban and alQaeda. “We believe they’re all eliminated,”Pakistan Defense Minister Khawaja Asiftold reporters on the sidelines of a securi-
ty forum. “I think there (were) a smallnumber in tribal areas, they’re all gone oreliminated. There are no more there.”
It is just as much in Pakistan’s inter-ests as China’s to fight Uighur militants,Asif said, denying there was any differ-ence of opinion between Beijing andIslamabad on Pakistan’s efforts to tacklethe problem. “The fight against ETIM isour own fight. It’s not only China’s fight.It’s a joint fight against ETIM, betweenPakistan and China, so there is absolute-ly no difference of opinion on the elimi-nation of ETIM from our tribal areas,” headded “We have to be vigilant for a longtime that this menace, this infection,does not return.”Some Xinjiang govern-ment officials have said they believePakistan is not doing enough to preventUighurs from travelling there to becomeradicalized. —Reuters
N E W SMONDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2015
Continued from Page 1
decision to revoke the citizenship of Barghash and alarge number of his family members and ordered thegovernment to reinstate them as full citizens.
The government withdrew Barghash’s nationality onthe claim that it was obtained on the basis of false doc-uments, which the former lawmaker vehementlydenied and took the matter to court. During the trial,the court asked the government to submit its reasonsfor revoking the citizenship, but the government insist-ed that the court had no right to look into the matterbecause it is a sovereign issue.
The appeals court held several hearings into the caseand set a date to issue its verdict in early October, but itpostponed it to Oct 18. The reason given by the judgefor not handling the case was “to remove any embar-rassment” on his part, without further explanation. Nowa new judge will be appointed to look into the casefrom the start.
The government had revoked the citizenship of sev-eral people amid a crackdown on opposition membersand sympathizers. The opposition described the deci-sions as politically motivated. Regarding similar cases,other courts said they were not competent to handlenationality issues because they are sovereign matters.
MPs demand action over Kuwait sports...
Continued from Page 1
Officials say Khorasan is part of Al-Qaeda’s Syrianbranch, Al-Nusra Front, although experts and activists castdoubt on the distinction between the two groups. In aSeptember interview, US President Barack Obama listedKhorasan among “immediate threats to the United States,”warning that “those folks could kill Americans.” Khorasanmembers have traveled from Central Asia and elsewherein the Middle East to Syria to plot attacks on the West, theUnited States says. The Pentagon said Nasr was involved
in myriad jihadist activities. In 2012, he oversaw Al-Qaeda’s finances and a year later relocated to Syria, the USsays.He was also responsible for moving funds fromdonors in the Gulf to Al-Qaeda leaders, according to thePentagon.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Nasrwas killed along with two other senior Al-Nusra memberswhen an air strike hit their car. In July, the Pentagon said ithad taken out Muhsin Al-Fadhli, another Khorasan Groupleader, in a “kinetic strike” while he was traveling in a vehi-cle near the northwestern Syrian town of Sarmada. — AFP
Khorasan Group leader dead in Syria...
Continued from Page 1
Most of the more than 5,000 candidates overwhelm-ingly support Sisi and are expected to dominate parlia-ment. Cairo resident Islam Ahmed, who said he wouldnot be voting, was unmoved by polling getting under-way. “I think the turnout will be low. I don’t know anycandidate in my constituency... many people don’tknow candidates in their constituencies,” he said.Hazem Hosny, political science professor at CairoUniversity, said: “This parliament will be a parliament ofthe president. “It’s really a parliament... to keep thingsas they are, to give an image of democracy.”
Young Egyptians boycotting the polls were cynical.“It’s not going to matter. It’s just for show, to show thatwe are a democracy, and we have elections, and blahblah blah any nonsense,” said Ahmed Mostafa, 25, whoworks in a lab. “Most people in our generation feel thesame way: That all of this is a show.” Ahmed Ibrahim, a34-year-old accountant, had a similar view. “The youthin Egypt, our ambition in 2011, we were going to buildthe country - but then suddenly it was stolen from us,”he said. “Ninety-nine percent of my friends are notgoing to vote.”
In the working-class Cairo neighborhood of GeziratAl-Dahab, a judge at a polling station said only about10 percent of registered voters had taken part. “Theelection is a farce. I don’t think anyone in Egypt is tak-ing it seriously,” Muslim Brotherhood official WafaaHefny told Reuters.
Soldiers and policemen stood guard outside apolling station in a school in October 6 City on the out-skirts of Cairo, where there were only about 30 peoplecasting ballots. Vans blasted nationalist and pro-armysongs. Most voters were elderly or middle-aged, in acountry where half the rapidly-growing population isunder 25. “I want the youth to get elected. We neednew blood,” said Fatma Farag, an elderly woman. InCairo’s low-income Boulaq Al-Dakrour neighborhood,there were far more police and polling station workersthan voters. Few analysts expect turnout to exceed athird of the electorate. “These elections will result inillegitimate institutions and we will never participate insuch elections,” said senior Brotherhood memberMohamed Soudan.
Many Egyptians tired of political turmoil since the2011 ouster of veteran leader Hosni Mubarak supportSisi, who has vowed to revive an ailing economy and
restore stability amid a deadly crackdown targetingMorsi supporters. Morsi, Egypt’s first freely elected civil-ian leader, was deposed by then army chief Sisi on July3, 2013, after mass street protests against his divisiveyear-long rule. An ensuing government crackdown tar-geting Morsi’s Muslim Brotherhood left hundreds deadand thousands jailed. Hundreds more including Morsihave been sentenced to death after speedy trials,which the United Nations denounced as “unprecedent-ed in recent history”.
Sisi, meanwhile, won a presidential election in 2014.“Sisi is our soul... without him we would have beenmigrants like those from other countries around us,”said Buthaina Shehata after casting her vote. Scores ofpolicemen and soldiers have been killed in jihadistattacks since the crackdown on Islamists began, withthe Egyptian affiliate of the Islamic State group leadinga deadly insurgency in North Sinai.
The Brotherhood dominated the last assembly but isnow banned after being blacklisted as a “terroristorganization”, while leftist and secular movements thatled the 2011 uprising are boycotting or are badly repre-sented in the polls. The Islamist movement had beenthe main opposition force for decades, fielding candi-dates in parliamentary elections under Mubarakdespite an official ban. Its party took 44 percent ofseats in the first free democratic elections followingMubarak’s ouster. That parliament was dissolved inJune 2012, but the Brotherhood’s popularity shonethrough days later when Morsi, a civilian, was elected,putting an end to six decades of presidents comingfrom military ranks.
In a television address on Saturday, Sisi called on cit-izens to vote. “Celebrate the choice of representativesand make the right choice,” he said. “I am expectingEgyptian youth to be the driving force in this celebra-tion of democracy.” Of the 596 lawmakers being elect-ed, 448 will be voted in as independents, 120 on partylists, and 28 will be presidential appointees. The maincoalition is the pro-Sisi For the Love of Egypt, whichincludes leading businessmen and former members ofMubarak’s National Democratic Party. It aims to wintwo-thirds of the seats. The openly pro-Sisi Salafist Al-Nour party that backed Morsi’s ouster is the onlyIslamist party standing. About 55 million voters are eli-gible to vote in the two-stage election. Any run-off inthe first phase will be contested on Oct 27-28. The sec-ond phase starts on Nov 21. — Agencies
Egypt voters trickle in to elect pro-Sisi...
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Lontoc said three people in the coastal resort town of Baler,near Casiguran, are missing after a large wave struck theirhouse, and three fishermen are also missing on Manila Bay.
The authorities warned heavy rains could still trigger flashfloods and landslides in the Cordillera, known for its spectacu-lar rice terraces carved on the slopes of towering mountains. “Imust emphasise that this is just the start. People must remainalert while we try to pick up the pieces in areas already hit,”Pama said, as he urged local officials to evacuate Cordillera vil-lages deemed most at risk. Lontoc said the rain-soaked moun-tains also posed a threat to the heavily populated centralLuzon region just north of Manila in the coming days. Withdams filling up and forced to let off water, he said huge vol-
umes of runoff are streaming into the Pampanga river, whichspills onto the region.
The weather service said Koppu would weaken further intoa tropical storm by tomorrow, but continue to dump rainbefore heading for Taiwan on Wednesday. It caused wide-spread power and communications disruptions across Luzon,with many roads and bridges also blocked by landslides,floods or fallen trees and power pylons. Thousands werestranded as ferry services were suspended amid rough seaswhile 44 commercial flights were cancelled, including fourinternational flights, Pama said. The Philippines suffers an aver-age of 20 storms each year. Super Typhoon Haiyan, thestrongest and deadliest on record, destroyed entire towns inthe central islands in Nov 2013, leaving more than 7,350 peo-ple dead or missing. — AFP
Typhoon Koppu pummels Philippines
JERUSALEM: At least four Israeli cities, including Tel Aviv,temporarily banned Arab laborers from working in theirschools yesterday. Israel’s cabinet also imposed more secu-rity measures yesterday, widening police stop-and-friskpowers that will effectively allow them to search anyone onthe street. A party representing Israel’s Arab minority calledthe municipalities’ edicts “racist”. Israel’s Interior Ministry,which oversees the municipalities, said it appealed to “allmayors to continue to act with respect and equalitytowards all their workers, irrespective of religion, ethnicityor gender”. It did not ask them to repeal the restrictions.
Forty-one Palestinians and seven Israelis have died inrecent street violence, which was in part triggered byPalestinians’ anger over what they see as increased Jewishencroachment on Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa mosque compound.“We are preserving the status quo, we will continue to doso,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in publicremarks yesterday to his cabinet. Netanyahu is to meet USSecretary of State John Kerry in Germany in the comingweek as part of an effort by Washington to restore calm.Kerry also plans to hold talks in the Middle East withPalestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, but no precise loca-tion has been announced.
Citing security concerns, Tel Aviv and the nearby cities of
Rehovot and Hod Hasharon avoided using the word “Arab”in announcing on their websites and emails to residentsthat maintenance workers and cleaners - many of whomare Arabs - would not be allowed into schools. Another city,Modiin-Maccabim-Reut, midway between Tel Aviv andJerusalem, said “minority members” - a term Jews in Israeloften use for Arab citizens who make up 20 percent of thepopulation of eight million - would be banned from work-ing in its schools.
Dov Khenin, a legislator from the Joint Arab List, thelargest Arab party, said on Israel Radio that “under cover ofanxiety, dangerous measures of racist exclusion are beingadvanced”. Spokesmen for Tel Aviv and Rehovot said Jewsas well as Arabs would be covered by the temporary ban.“Owing to the sensitive situation, the municipality of TelAviv-Jaffa will not permit the entry of construction workersand labourers - Jews and Arabs alike - to educational insti-tutions for on-going work,” city spokeswoman Gali Avni-Orenstein said in an email to Reuters. But Doron Milberg,director-general of the municipality of Rehovot, which saidits own ban on laborers also applied to Jews, acknowl-edged that Arabs would be most affected by the decisionbecause “those who work in construction ... are the minori-ties”. — Reuters
Israeli cities ban Arab
workers from schools
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A N A L Y S I SMONDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2015
By Paul Taylor and Lefteris Papadimas
When Greece applied for its first inter-national bailout in 2010, only twocountries in Europe lacked a comput-
erised register of land ownership and usage.Albania was the other. Experts from EuropeanUnion and International Monetary Fund identi-fied the lack of legal certainty about propertyrights and land usage as a major barrier toinvestment, proper taxation and economicdevelopment. Five years on, Greece is on itsthird EU/IMF bailout. Each of those programshas made a priority of completing a land regis-ter, known as a cadastre. Yet it is still less thanhalf done despite spending hundreds of mil-lions of euros with technical assistance from EUpartners.
Meanwhile Albania, a far poorer Balkanneighbour that is still a distant candidate for EUmembership, has leapfrogged Greece andimplemented a digitised land registry and zon-ing map, even if some holes remain. Greeknewspapers call the never-ending epic of thecadastre, started in 1995 with EU funds thathad to be returned to Brussels in 2003 becauseof misuse, “our national shame”.
It is a microcosm of everything that remainsto be fixed in the country - bureaucracy, politi-cal patronage, competing layers of govern-ment, legal complexity, fiscal uncertainty, vest-ed interests, cheating, tax evasion and opaquerelations between the two biggest landowners- the state and the church. The continuedabsence of a comprehensive land registry isone reason why a privatisation programannounced in 2011 and initially meant to raiseÄ50 billion ($56.73 billion) over five years hasnetted a mere 3.1 billion euros to date.
Roughly half of deals so far have come fromthe sale or lease of state land, including a flag-ship plan to sell the disused Hellenikon airportsite next to Athens which is still stalled. The Ä50billion goal was reaffirmed in the third bailoutpackage agreed in August but stretched outover 30 years. The state cannot sell its prime
real estate while disputes fester in the courtsabout ownership, boundaries and zoning.
“We have to give investors certainty thatwhatever they get from the Greek state they canactually realise,” said Lila Tsitsogiannopoulou,executive director of the Hellenic Republic AssetDevelopment Fund in charge of land privatisa-tion. “We still have a long way to go. We still haveso many authorities.”
Illegal House Owners’ UnionThe country even boasts a union of illegal
house owners that campaigns to legalise theirhomes. Michael Vlahakis a 60-year-old pension-er from Heraklion, the main city on Greece’slargest island Crete, is president of the“Residents Outside Town Planning” club, whichhe says represents some 45,000 illegal homeowners on the island. “Our club is unique inGreece, in Europe and probably in the wholeplanet because Greece is the only country inEurope that doesn’t have a cadastre,” he toldReuters in an interview. “We still don’t knowwhat is mountain, what is forest and what is abuilding or a house.”
About two-thirds of Greeks lived in thecountryside until the 1960s, when a massiverural exodus began. Now more than half live inthe cities of Athens, Thessaloniki and Heraklion.Vlahakis, who says he has built two illegal hous-es, one for himself and his wife, the other for hisdaughter, was invited to Athens four years agoto address lawmakers and ministers in parlia-ment on the need to adapt town planning toreality.
“They haven’t done it since the mid-1980sdespite the fact that Heraklion city has morethan tripled in terms of houses and land sincethen,” he said, describing an upside-downurban development process. “In Greece webuild the houses first, then the roads, after thatthe infrastructure - waste system, electricity andwater network - and at the end the sidewalks.”Politicians, real estate developers and construc-tion firms had all sabotaged the cadastre proj-ect to protect their interests, Vlahakis said.
According to Dimitris Rokos, director ofplanning and investment at the NationalCadastre and Mapping Agency, just 25.3 per-cent of the country has been completelymapped, another 22 percent is in the worksand contracts have yet to be awarded for justover 50 percent. The agency has lost key staffsuch as the IT director and top legal experts tothe private sector due to steep pay cuts underausterity measures imposed by Greece’slenders. It also endured long months without abudget in the last five years.
It remains shackled by being a public utilitycompany under the authority of the environ-ment ministry, even though it is partly self-financing. The chairmanship has changed fourtimes in as many years, mirroring successivegovernments, including twice this year when ahard left minister was appointed, then sacked.Originally due to have been completed in2008, the cadastre has an overall budget of 1.2billion euros and is now supposed to be com-pleted in 2020.
That seems wildly optimistic, but Rokossaid the deadline could still be achieved if theagency were given greater financial and man-agement autonomy to run more efficiently. “Itis still realistic if the government takes somebasic strategic decisions by the end of theyear,” he said.
‘Make it Simple’European officials who have been involved
in trying to help speed up the job say it isimpossible to tell when it will be finished andhave urged a radical simplification. “It is socomplex that no one dares to say ‘let’s make itsimple’,” said Rik Wouters, a veteran Dutchcadastre official who led the European teamthat tried to help Greece between 2011 andlate 2014, when an EU Task Force was with-drawn. Wouters, managing director of theEuropean Land Information Service, said in atelephone interview he had recommendedthe project be streamlined using tax recordsand old land registers to identify property
holders and produce an index map locatingland parcels rather than the more cumber-some delineation of boundaries to the cen-timetre.
Some of the problems are the legacy of his-tory. Greece was part of the Ottoman Empirefor centuries until 1830 and has since beenscarred by wars, occupation and mass migra-tion. Most land transaction records in thisnation of 11 million people, sprawling over132,000 square km, are still handwritten inledgers held by local registrars. There are notitle deeds for land in some parts of the coun-try, and any area for which documents provingprivate ownership are not available from 1883onwards is deemed to be state land, causingendless legal disputes.
Compounding the problem, resolving busi-ness disputes through the courts takes nearlythree times as long in Greece as the average inmembers of the Organisation for EconomicCooperation and Development, a rich countries’club. The Greek Orthodox Church has no centralland registry, forcing the state cadastre agencyto deal with individual monasteries or dioceseto try to establish land ownership and delineateboundaries. Documents may be two centuriesold and define the limits of properties with ref-erence to landmarks that no longer exist, orusing fuzzy phrases such as “500 paces from theolive tree” or “five stone throws in this direction”.
What’s a Forest?Roughly 60 percent of the country is offi-
cially designated as forest, protected by theGreek constitution from economic exploita-tion. The perimeters of forests are largely delin-eated by aerial photographs taken shortlyafter World War Two. Areas that have sincebeen deforested, including several of theCyclades islands, remain registered as foresteven though they may not have a single tree.Much of suburban Athens is still officially for-est, since the city expanded massively in the20th century with no equivalent changes inland zoning. —Reuters
The United States’ decision to extend its militarypresence in Afghanistan beyond 2016 hasthrown the war-ravaged country’s government a
much needed lifeline even as its dysfunctionality,blamed for the Taleban’s revival, shows no signs ofabating. It has been just over a year since Ashraf Ghaniwas sworn in as president as part of a US-brokered uni-ty government with his main election rival, former anti-Soviet fighter Abdullah Abdullah, as chief executive.
While the deal was hailed as a breakthrough thathad averted a possible ethnic civil war, experts blamethe political deadlock it created for allowing theTaleban to regain momentum and unleash a wave ofviolence not been seen for years. The insurgents’seizure of the northern regional capital Kunduz lastmonth, though brief, was a stinging blow to Western-trained Afghan forces as they struggle to maintainsecurity after the end of NATO’s mission in December.
US President Barack Obama’s decision to keep 5,500troops beyond 2016 has therefore been met withwidespread relief by officials and residents, who hopeit will prevent the country from becoming a regionalhub of terror and violence like Syria. “The announce-ment is an important boost to the Afghan army morale,it shows that the world is not leaving them alone,” saidretired general Atiqullah Amarkhil.
But few are hopeful it can tilt the balance in favourof government forces, with a protracted stalemateseen as one possible scenario, and rising proxy battlesbetween opposing foreign powers another. RussianPresident Vladimir Putin’s announcement this weekthat his country would create a joint task force with ex-Soviet states to defend against a spillover in Afghanviolence has invoked fears of a fresh Russian-US proxywar in addition to the rivalries already being played outbetween Saudi Arabia and Iran, and India and Pakistan.
‘One Truck, Two Drivers’ “What it is essentially saying is that the Americans
and NATO will continue to bankroll the salaries of theAfghan army,” said Ahmed Rashid, a Pakistani authorand Afghanistan expert. “Obama’s statement wasn’ttough enough on the corrupt leadership, which hassquandered the opportunities given to it and robbedthe country... We’ve seen a year of hopeless gover-nance and there is mounting pressure for a fresh gov-ernment.”
At the heart of the problem, insiders say, is theunstable power-sharing deal between Ghani andAbdullah - only ever meant to be temporary arrange-ment before a more permanent solution was fleshedout by the loya jirga (grand assembly) and a fresh con-stitution. “When we first proposed a unity governmentit was to keep everybody on board so we have a unitedvision for Afghanistan,” said Ahmad Wali Massoud, anex-ambassador who was close to former presidentHamid Karzai.
Instead, he argues, the government has descendedinto a debilitating factionalism - popularly derided as “onetruck, two drivers”. “There is now a sense that a governormay be Ghani’s pick, the deputy governor is Abdullah’s,”he said. “That doesn’t work... The disunity is very obvious.The policies and appointments are falling apart.”
Poor intelligence sharing between officials inopposing camps across the country’s 34 provinces hasbeen blamed for the rise in unrest that saw civiliancasualties reach a record high in the first half of theyear. The provincial governor of Kunduz, for example,was a Ghani man, while the powerful police chief wasAbdullah’s pick - sources close to the matter say therewas little coordination between the two.
‘Losing our Country’ Massoud, who supported Abdullah last year but
prefers to remain neutral now, said he chaired an infor-mal meeting of advisors to the two camps at his homethis week. “They told me, we never discuss the issuesinside the government. This is the first time we arethrashing them out.” Beyond the security crisis, thepolitical deadlock has hampered progress on a host ofother fronts key to stabilising the country - includingappointing essential posts such as defence minister.“They have not carried out any of key reforms prom-ised including parliamentary elections, the appoint-ment of a cabinet, a fresh loya jirga and the writing of anew constitution. None of this has happened,” saidRashid. —AFP
Focus
US troop extension hands Afghanistan a lifeline - for now
By Issam Ahmad
By Michelle Martin
At a sprawling camp in the German town of Celle,refugees wearing thick sweaters sit around a heatersmoking cigarettes as rain beats down on the
cramped white tent that has become their home. Some ofthem are ill and worried it will snow. “The weather is socold that I can’t even leave the tent,” said Taher, a 25-year-old Syrian farmer. Sitting on his camp bed surrounded bywet washing that hangs limply from tent poles, he reachesfor a box of cough medicine.
With the approach of winter, authorities are scramblingto find warm places to stay for the thousands of refugeesstreaming into Germany every day. In desperation, theyhave turned to sports halls, youth hostels and empty officebuildings. But as these options dry up, tent cities havebecome the fall-back plan: despite falling temperatures, asurvey by German newspaper Die Welt showed at least42,000 refugees were still living in tents.
The challenge of finding adequate housing is turninginto one of the biggest tests for the government of AngelaMerkel, who has stuck doggedly to her mantra “Wir schaf-fen das” (“we can do this”) in the face of rising public scep-ticism. Struggling to cope with a record influx of migrantsthat could exceed a million this year alone, her aides saythe winter may prove decisive in determining whetherGermans take the view that the crisis is manageable - ornot. “Absolutely, we can manage this,” said one adviserwho requested anonymity. “But you can envision a worstcase scenario where we have rioting over the winter. Andthat could shape the mood.”
Cold and RainingThere’s space for 1,000 at the camp on the outskirts of
Celle, an old ducal town in northern Germany that sur-vived World War Two largely intact and boasts fairy-taletimber-framed houses dating back as far as the 16th cen-tury. Diesel-powered heaters pump warm air into thetents at a cost of 4,000 euros per day. But the refugees,
some walking around in flip-flops, say they are strugglingto keep warm. “The problem in winter is that I have to goout to the toilet, often twice a night, and a lot of times it’scold and raining,” said Shahad Alabadi, a 26-year-old Iraqidentist who keeps her coat on as she eats dinner in thevast hangar that serves as the camp’s canteen.
Temperatures dropped to near-freezing during thepast week. Snow has already fallen in some parts ofGermany and forecasters expect ground frost in someareas in the coming days. Michael Lukas, a spokesman forMalteser, the aid organization that runs the camp, saysthe tents are not winter-proof and “too thin” to be lived inpermanently. They were due to be replaced by huts, butthose have not been delivered despite being orderedweeks ago. “Everywhere has sold out of huts,” Lukas says.
Bernd Mesovic, deputy director of Pro Asyl, a groupthat campaigns for refugee rights, said the standard ofaccommodation provided in Germany, Europe’s richesteconomy, had fallen. “In summer the official policy was tosay we’ll make sure refugees are out of makeshift shel-ters, especially tents but also sports halls, before winterbut now you just have to be happy there’s space in anykind of accommodation at all.”
In the state of Hesse, 380 refugees were evacuatedfrom a tent city on Thursday and taken to fixed accom-modation after the head of the camp said he could nolonger take responsibility for people having to sleep intents in the cold weather. And in Hamburg around 100refugees took to the streets last Tuesday to protestagainst sleeping in unheated tents, carrying posters say-ing “we’re cold” and “please take the tents down”, accord-ing to German media reports. Hamburg Mayor OlafScholz has said while efforts are being made to make thetents winter-proof or find alternatives, the “top priority iscurrently to avoid homelessness”.
In Berlin, authorities say they will take down tentsonce three big new accommodation centres open.They’re also planning to put people up in Tempelhof air-port, a Nazi-built structure that served as a lifeline for
West Berlin during the post-war Soviet blockade, and inthe former ICC congress centre. In many regions, peoplewho have been granted refugee status are still living inbuildings intended for new arrivals due to a lack of socialhousing for them to move to, Mesovic said. He believes itcould take months to adapt other buildings for use.
Harald Loehlein, head of migration at Paritaetische,an umbrella organization of German NGOs, said theunexpectedly rapid influx of refugees had forcedauthorities to improvise. But he also blamed delays inreimbursing the organizations that run refugee centres,saying this was deterring people from opening newaccommodation.
Risk of FightsCharities are concerned the cold and crowding mean
illnesses will spread among refugees weakened by ardu-ous journeys. Herbert Hessler, a doctor at the medicalpractice in Celle’s tent city, said two-thirds of refugeesthere have caught a cold. One problem is that washinghung around the camp cannot dry properly so peopleget ill from wearing damp clothes, he said. Aid groupswarn that there is an increased risk of conflicts in thecamps over the winter as refugees huddle in cold tentswith little to keep them occupied. “You can go outsideand move around a bit if it’s warm, but your whole lifehappens inside in winter and that makes living in suchclose quarters even more depressing,” Loehlein said.
That’s a problem that Bilal says he knows all too well.Fights, fuelled by alcohol in some cases, are a daily occur-rence in the camp in Celle, the 30-year-old economistfrom Syria says. There is some hope. Malteser says thefirst huts should arrive in Celle next week but if theirdelivery is delayed again, the refugees will probably haveto stay put in their tents, the town’s mayor, Dirk-UlrichMende, told Reuters. “People told me I was going to para-dise and Aunt Merkel would make everything good,” saidKhaldoon Kareem, 27, a dentist from Iraq. “When I sawthe tent I thought, Aunt Merkel is bad.” —Reuters
Germany struggles to find homes for refugees
Typically Greek, cadastre is never-ending epic
MEXICO CITY: French striker Andre-Pierre Gignac scored twice to give UANL Tigres a2-1 win over Toluca on coach Ricardo Ferretti’s return from steering Mexico into the2017 Confederations Cup.
The victory, their fifth in seven matches, at the Universitario on Saturday leftTigres in fifth place in the Liga MX Apertura championship six points behind leadersUNAM Pumas. Brazilian-born Ferretti stood in as Mexico coach for four matches fol-lowing the sacking of Miguel Herrera for punching a reporter and wona playoff against the United States last weekend for a place at theWorld Cup warm-up tournament in Russia.
He handed the reins in midweek to Colombian Juan CarlosOsorio, who has taken charge until the 2018 World Cup, afterending his short tenure with a 1-0 friendly win over Panama onTuesday.
Pumas beat Leon 3-1 away and top the standings with 28points from 13 matches, four points ahead of Americaand Leon. Fourth-placed Toluca, a point further back,can climb to second if they beat Queretaro at homeyesterday. America’s 2-0 win at Tijuana on Friday led tothe dismissal of Argentine coach Ruben Romano bythe border-town club on Saturday after they havegone five matches without a win and are three frombottom. — Reuters
S P O RT SMONDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2015
MUMBAI: The Indian Cricket board will invite bids for two newteams for the Indian Premier League (IPL) to replace the sus-pended Rajasthan Royals and Chennai Super Kings for the nexttwo editions, it said yesterday. A panel appointed by India’s topcourt recommended in July that the franchise owners of the twoIPL teams be suspended for two years following a corruptionscandal in the cash-rich Twenty20 tournament.
The panel led by retired chief justice R.M. Lodha also recom-mended life bans on Chennai official Gurunath Meiyappan andformer Rajasthan co-owner Raj Kundra. Both were found guilty ofillegal betting by another committee appointed by India’sSupreme Court.
“The Justice Lodha committee interim report will be imple-mented fully,” the BCCI said in a statement after a working com-mittee meeting. “The two franchisee teams, Chennai Super Kingsand Rajasthan Royals remain suspended for two years.
“BCCI will float tenders and invite bids for two new teams toreplace CSK & RR in the Indian Premier League for 2016 and 2017(2 years).” The decision would mean that the tournament, with a$3.5 billion estimated brand value and boasting of Bollywoodstars and major conglomerates as investors, will remain an eight-team affair for at least the next two editions. —Reuters
Bids for two
new IPL teams VILAMOURA: Andy Sullivan won his third European Tour title of the season atVilamoura yesterday, dominating the Portugal Masters throughout for a com-manding nine-shot victory.
The 29-year-old Englishman, who won twice in South Africa earlier in the year,was already leading by five at the start of the day and he never looked like relin-quishing that lead as he carded a superb 66 to finish a massive 23 under par.Another Englishman, Chris Wood, took second place on 14 under after a finalround of 68, with Anthony Wall, Trevor Fisher and Eduardo de la Riva another shotback in joint third. Sullivan opened with three pars before holing from 25 feet for
a birdie on the fourth and two-putting for another on the par-five fifth to reach 20 under par.
He was furious with himself for three-putting the12th for par after finding the green in two, but the
former Walker Cup made certain of victory with a birdieon the 14th.
He then picked up further shots on the 17th and18th to put the seal on a brilliant wire-to-wire
success. The win moves Sullivan into the top 50of the world rankings and means he has three
wins in 23 events after not claiming a victoryin his first 84 on the European Tour.
Sullivan wins in Portugal Gignac brace sinks Toluca
KUWAIT: Zain, the leading telecommunicationscompany in Kuwait, welcomed Kuwait’s NationalJet Ski team champions in Kuwait Airport afterthe team achieved a number of titles during theirparticipation in the recently concluded World JetSki Championship held in Arizona, United States,as the company is the main sponsor of the teamfor the fifth consecutive year.
Zain participated in the reception ceremonyheld in Kuwait Airport’s Honoring Hall, wheremany of the team’s sponsors and supportingorganizations attended. The company expressedits keenness on encouraging Kuwaiti athletes torepresent Kuwait in the various internationallyrenowned championships, and that its sponsor-ship of the team for fifth consecutive year falls
under its strategy towards supporting the youthand sports sectors.
The company expressed its pride in the latestachievements the team accomplished, wherethey won 18 medals, 8 of which are gold medals.Zain confirms its commitment towards Kuwaitichampions, which resembles the company’sendless confidence of the competencies of
these young athletes and their capabilities inexcelling in different fields.
As a leading telecommunications companyin Kuwait, Zain is constantly looking to identifyand support excellence across the sports sector.The company will continue to put KuwaitiNational teams and individual athletes at theforefront of its priorities and pledges to contin-
ue motivating them to achieve all the recogni-tion they deserve.
It is worth noting that the National Jet Skiteam is authorized by the Kuwait Sea Sport Clubto officially represent the country in regionaland international Jet Ski championships. Theteam champions won a number of prominenttitles during past and present participations.
Zain honors National Jet Ski team world champions
KANSAS CITY: The Kansas City Royals sawtheir chance and took it, exploding for fiveruns in the seventh inning to steal a 6-3 winover the stunned Toronto Blue Jays onSaturday and seize a commanding 2-0 lead inthe American League Championship Series.
The best-of-seven series shifts to Torontofor Game Three on Monday, with the Blue Jaysdesperate for a victory. It is familiar territoryfor Toronto, which lost the opening twogames of the AL Division Series to the TexasRangers before coming back to sweep thenext three and advance to the next round.“You don’t like to get in the habit of doing it,that’s for sure,” said Toronto manager JohnGibbons. “Our back is against the wall, but itwill be good to go back home where we nor-mally play well. “We feel good. I t ’s a lottougher from here. But we have a pretty goodteam, too.”
Leading 3-0 and with ace David Price oncruise control having retired 18 consecutivebatters, Toronto looked poised to level the
series until a Kansas City barrage of seventhinning singles during which Eric Hosmer, MikeMoustakas, Alex Gordon, Alex Rios andKendrys Morales, on a fielder’s choice, alldrove in runs.
The inning began on an ominous notewhen Kansas City second baseman BenZobrist floated a soft pop fly into shallow rightthat left Ryan Goins and Jose Bautista staringat each other to make the easy catch as theball fell fair. With the two players running tomake the catch Goins put up his gloveappearing to call off Bautista but thenstopped and dropped to the turf as the ballhit the ground between them.
Kansas City left fielder Gordon consideredthe mix-up the turning point of the game. “He(Price) was cruising, we got that early at-bat.Price is a tough pitcher,” Gordon said. “I feltlike we needed to catch a break and Zobrist’sball there I think got things going. “Once thislineup gets moving, it’s one guy after another,and it was a big seventh inning.”
Added Gibbons: “The way I saw it lookedlike Ryan kind of held him (Bautista) off a littlebit and he might have backed Jose up a littlebit and the ball dropped in.
“They were looking for that one crackbecause David was so good ... It’s a shame ithad to end that way.” After Toronto openedthe door the Royals did not look back, scoringfive and adding another on a Moustakas RBIin the eighth.
A regular Cy Young contender rated one ofthe best pitchers in baseball, Price has notproduced the same results in the postseason,where he is 0-7 as a starter.
“The breaks didn’t go our way,” said Goins.“We’ve been down two before and came backso we are going to Toronto (to) take threegames. “I put my glove up and was prettymuch saying I’m going to make this play and Ididn’t so it’s on me.
“I put my glove up, that’s our sign and itmeans I’ve got it, and just thought I heardsomething that I didn’t.” — Reuters
Royals stun Blue Jays to grab lead
KANSAS CITY: Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Chris Colabello (left) picks off Kansas City Royals’ Lorenzo Cain at first base during the eighthinning in Game 2 of baseball’s American League Championship Series. —AP
KUWAIT: KSSC’s chairman, Maj. General, Fahad Al-Fahad, his deputy AhmedAbdullah Al-Ghanim, PAYS representative, Abdullah Al-Dabi were on top of a wel-come-back committee receiving Kuwait Jet Ski on arrival from USA after winning theWorld’s Jet Ski Championship 2015 organized by IJSBA from October 3-11 in Arizona,USA. Kuwait won first place for the fourth year in a row by winning 8 gold medals,five silver and five bronze. 38 countries participated in this competition.
S P O RT SMONDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2015
DUBAI: Nissan had cause for double cele-brations at the Rally of Morocco, the latestround of the cross-country FIA World Cup,as its sponsored drivers won the champi-onship and took second place.
Denis Berezovskiy became this year’schampion in the Nissan Patrol. The Nissansponsored driver, from Kazakhstan, hasbeen so far ahead in points that he onlyneeded to finish the Rally of Morocco toclinch the T2 category title.
Emil Khneisser, also backed by Nissan,powered across the line in Morocco in sec-ond place at the wheel of his Nissan Patrol,confirming an unassailable runners-upposition in the Championship, with onefurther round to go.
“Both drivers have shown their great ral-lying talent with Denis taking the WorldChampionship even before the final round,and Emil becoming the Championship run-ner-up as well as placing second inMorocco,” said Samir Cherfan, managingdirector of Nissan Middle East. “It is anabsolutely tremendous feat, and they areboth inspirations to young rally drivers inthe Arab world. We are also extremelyproud of the first and second place champi-onship victory for the Nissan Patrol in theT2 category, which pits series productionvehicles against each other.”
Berezovskiy, and his navigator IgnatFalkov, faced some challenges during theearly stages of the Rally of Morocco.Despite needing only to finish they made abarnstorming run through the final loopstage near Agadir to catch up and finishline fifth.
“I am delighted to win the T2 WorldChampionship here with my Nissan Patrol,”says Berezovskiy. “It was a long and difficultrally and we had our fair share of issues, butit all worked out in the end and I am proudto say that Nissan, Ignat and I are the FIA T2world champions!”
Abu Dhabi-based Khneisser and Russiannavigator Alexey Kuzmich also had to over-
come time delays during the race but a sol-id last stage helped them and their Patrolto gain second place in the Rally ofMorocco and consequently second place inthe Cross-Country FIA World Cup.
Khneisser’s day job is group training andproduct manager at Abu Dhabi’s Nissandealer Al Masaood Automobiles and this isthe Lebanese driver’s first attempt at thepunishing and highly competitiveEuropean circuit.
“I always tell my kids how they shouldnever to give up in the face of adversity,”said Khneisser. “In Morocco I had no choicebut to apply that lesson and lead by exam-ple. Even though we were challengedalong the way, the obstacles certainlydidn’t prevent the legendary Nissan Patrolfrom forcing its way to a podium finish.
“For four days we kept our hopes high,working hard in the dunes and across somereally tough terrain to achieve our podiumfinish. It also enabled me to confirm secondplace in the T2 championship standingsand I’m really proud of that and for every-one at Nissan who has been so supportive,especially the Middle East team.”
Khneisser now heads to Portugal at theend of this month to tackle Baja Portalegre,the final round of the FIA World Cup.
The Cross Country FIA World Cup is aglobal competition with events including;the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge Poweredby Nissan, Baja Russia (Northern Forest),Sealine Cross Country Rally Qatar, PharaonsRally in Egypt, the Italian Baja, theHungarian Baja, Baja Aragon in Spain, theBaja Poland, Morocco Baja and the BajaPortugal 500.
Nissan is working to develop motor-sport in the Middle East and support driv-ers. The Japanese carmaker sponsorsSaudi Arabia’s Ha’il International Rally andthe Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge, and alsoruns programs to help youth learn thesport of drifting in a safe and controlledenvironment.
Nissan Patrol clinch top two spotsin Cross-Country FIA World Cup
KUWAIT: Nissan has agreed to a major eight-yeardeal with the International Cricket Council (ICC) thatfurther strengthens its ties with global sport.
The agreement, which runs through 2023, con-firms Nissan as a global sponsor of cricket’s interna-tional tournaments, including the ICC Cricket WorldCup, ICC Champions Trophy and ICC WorldTwenty20, as well as Under 19 and Women’s Cricketand qualifying events.
The ICC partnership is a significant expansion ofNissan’s ongoing international sports sponsorshipstrategy. It allows the Japanese carmaker to bring itsinnovative and fan-focused approach to sport tomillions of cricket-lovers around the world.
“Innovation that excites is what Nissan does.”said Roel de Vries, corporate vice president, andglobal head of marketing and brand strategy forNissan. “As partners with the ICC we will introduceways to enrich the experience of cricket fansthrough our rights with the global Trophy Tour, theInternational Flag Bearer Program and new liveevent experiences.”
“We’re excited to be part of the global cricketingfamily and to be involved in some of the world’smost prestigious and popular tournaments. Our aimis to share with cricket fans around the world theexcitement of the game and our cars. Both are creat-ed by people who have passion for what they do.”
As a global partner, Nissan will have extensive in-venue activation, broadcast and digital rights at allICC events. Commenting on the agreement, DavidRichardson, chief executive, International CricketCouncil, said: “The ICC is delighted to welcomeNissan on board as a Global Partner and we look for-
ward to working together for the next eight years todeliver a strong partnership at all ICC global events.“Nissan is one of the world’s leading motor compa-nies and boasts a strong international presence inboth new and established markets. Nissan’s valuesare closely aligned to those of the ICC, to be innova-tive, with a strong focus on delivering exciting andunique experiences for our fans and stakeholders.“We are delighted to welcome such a strong brand
to our growing commercial portfolio and we wouldlike to thank Nissan for their support.”
The ICC partnership is another example ofNissan’s dedication to global sport, which includesthe UEFA Champions League, the Rio 2016 Olympicand Paralympic Games, the Olympic Teams of GreatBritain, Mexico and Brazil, the National CollegiateAthletics Association, the Heisman Trophy, CityFootball Group and GT-R ambassador Usain Bolt.
Nissan sponsors global cricket events in ICC partnership deal
MONTREAL: Jeff Petry scored the go-ahead goal inthe third period and the Montreal Canadiens beat theDetroit Reds Wings 4-1 on Saturday night to reach 6-0-0 for the first time in franchise history.
Brendan Gallagher scored in the second, TomasPlekanec made it 3-1, and Brian Flynn scored an emp-ty-netter for Montreal. The Canadiens also wereunbeaten after six games in 1977-78 at 5-0-1. CareyPrice made 21 saves for Montreal. Rookie Dylan Larkinscored for Detroit.
OILERS 5, FLAMES 2Connor McDavid scored twice and added an assist
for his first multipoint game and Edmonton beatCalgary for its first victory of the season.
The first overall pick in the June draft, the 18-year-old McDavid broke a 1-1 tie with 3:29 left in the sec-ond period. After carrying the puck through the neu-tral zone, he used Kris Russell as a screen and scoredpast Jonas Hiller on a long wrist shot.
With his parents in attendance, McDavid cappedthe scoring with 3:40 left in the third, convertingTaylor Hall’s pass for a power-play goal.
Hall added a goal and two assists, and RyanNugent-Hopkins and Nail Yakupov also scored to helpEdmomton improve to 1-4-0. David Jones scoredtwice for Calgary.
BLACKHAWKS 4, BLUE JACKETS 1Artem Anisimov and Teuvo Teravainen scored in a
1:05 span late in the second period to break a score-less tie and Chicago beat Columbus.
Columbus is 0-6-0, the worst start in franchisehistory. Marian Hossa added a power-play goal in thethird and had an assist to help the defending StanleyCup champions rebound after consecutive losses atPhiladelphia and Washington. Patrick Kane completedthe scoring with an empty-netter for his fourth goal.Corey Crawford made 22 saves, allowing only JackJohnson’s last goal.
PENGUINS 2, MAPLE LEAFS 1Evgeni Malkin and Olli Maatta scored first-period
goals and Pittsburgh held on to beat Toronto. PhilKessel faced Toronto for the first time since the Leafsshipped the three-time All-Star to Pittsburgh in July.Marc-Andre Fleury, playing in his 600th career game,made 26 saves.
Sidney Crosby hasn’t scored in the team’s first fivegames, a career-worst stretch to start the season. JakeGardiner scored for Toronto.
ISLANDERS 6, SHARKS 3Kyle Okposo broke a tie early in the third period
and added two assists to help New York hand San Jose
its first loss of the season. Johnny Boychuk, AndersLee, Josh Bailey, Brock Nelson and Frans Nielsen alsoscored, and Jaroslav Halak made 22 saves after miss-ing the first four games because of an undisclosedupper-body injury. New York has won three straight,all at home. Joe Pavelski, Nikolay Goldobin and JoelWard scored for San Jose. The Sharks opened 4-0-0.
CAPITALS 4, HURRICANES 1Nicklas Backstrom had a goal and two assists in his
season debut to help Washington beat Carolina.Backstrom, the NHL assists leader last season with 60,missed the first three games while recovering fromarthroscopic hip surgery. The center scored in thethird period and assisted on power-play goals from T.J.Oshie and John Carlson. Washington broke it openwith three third-period goals, the last coming fromAlex Ovechkin. Braden Holtby made 18 saves, allow-ing only Jeff Skinner’s goal.
STARS 4, PANTHERS 2Tyler Seguin and Jamie Benn each scored two
goals to lift in Dallas past Florida. Benn tied it at 2 on apower play 50 seconds into the third period. Seguingave Dallas its first lead with 3:02 remaining, back-handing a rebound of a pass from John Klingberg.Benn then capped the scoring with an empty-netterwith 19 seconds to go.
Patrick Sharp had two assists and Kari Lehtonenstopped 22 shots to improve to 3-0-0. AleksanderBarkov and Brandon Pirri scored for Florida.
LIGHTNING 2, SABRES 1Ben Bishop broke the Tampa Bay record for career
victory, and Alex Killorn scored the go-ahead goal ona power play with 3:57 left.
Bishop made 31 saves in his 84th victory for theLightning, one more than Nikolai Khabibulin. VladislavNamestnikov also scored for Tampa Bay. Sam Reinhartscored his first NHL goal for Buffalo.
BRUINS 5, COYOTES 3Patrice Bergeron scored twice in the last 11 min-
utes to lift Boston past Arizona. Tyler Randell, DaveKrejci and Brad Marchand also scored, and TuukkaRask stopped 20 shots for his first win of the season.Shane Doan had a goal and two assists, and TobiasRieder and Kyle Chipchura also scored for Arizona.
PREDATORS 4, SENATORS 3James Neal scored two power-play goals and
added the shootout winner in Nashville’s victory overOttawa. Craig Smith also scored, and Carter Huttonmade 38 saves in his first start of the season to helpNashville improve to 4-1-0. Mike Hoffman scoredtwice, and Mark Stone added a goal for Ottawa. — AP
Canadiens clip Red Wings
Jeff Petry in action in this file photo.
S P O RT SMONDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2015
CARDIFF: New Zealand’s Kieran Read wins a line out during the Rugby World Cup quarterfinal match between New Zealand and France at theMillennium Stadium. — AP
SHANGHAI: It proved all too easy once again forNovak Djokovic as the world number one con-tinued his frightening dominance of men’s ten-nis by blitzing past Frenchman Jo-WilfriedTsonga to win another Shanghai Masters titleyesterday.
The Serbian, 10-times a grand slam champi-on, brushed aside the challenge of a befuddledTsonga 6-1 6-4 to claim his third ShanghaiMasters and ninth title of a standout year thathas left him being spoken of among the sport’sall-time greats. Djokovic won three grand slamsthis year, was runner-up at the French Open andsince suffering a surprise quarter-final loss to IvoKarlovic in Qatar in January has made the final ofall 13 events he has played.
The 30-year-old Tsonga had shown his serv-ing prowess in taking out Rafa Nadal in threetight sets in the semi-finals on Saturday butagainst the imperious returning skills ofDjokovic he had no answers. The 28-year-oldSerb nullified Tsonga’s most potent weapon tobreak his three opening service games and takea first set which the Frenchman played predomi-nantly way behind the baseline. Thingsimproved for Tsonga at the start of the secondset where he worked hard to fight off breakpoints and stay on serve through the openingeight games as the Serb sauntered through hisown service. But the pressure proved too much,Djokovic pummelling balls to all angles withsupreme court coverage at the expense of justeight unforced errors and he broke at the thirdattempt in the crucial ninth game and servedout for victory.
SERVICE RETURNS“Today the key was to get as many serves
back into play to Jo because he has one of thebiggest serves in the game,” Djokovic told theATP website (www.atpworldtour.com).
“He has shown that in the second set, with
some break points early in the set. He came upwith some aces, some big serves.”
It was a second straight tournament Djokovichad won without dropping a set after he landedhis sixth China Open title in Beijing last week.The Serb now boasts a 38-1 win loss record onthe Chinese hardcourts. “Generally I felt alwaysin control of the match. I felt like I’ve done every-thing right. I didn’t allow him to get into therhythm, get into the match,” he said.
Tsonga will be comforted by his strong show-ing in China, which helped move him up toninth in the race to qualify for the eight man
end-of-season ATP Tour Finals in London nextmonth. “The first set went quick,” Tsonga said.“It’s not easy to stop him. He is really consistenton his return. Today I didn’t serve well enough,especially in the first set.
“After that, in the second, I served a little bitbetter, and it gave me the opportunity to havea chance on his serve. But finally I was notable to do it.” The victory was Djokovic’s 57thATP Tour t it le, moving him within two ofNadal’s mark of 27 Masters Series crowns andtook his prize money for the year past a record$16 million. — Reuters
LONDON: The southern hemisphere’s assaulton the World Cup delivered the first two semi-finalists on Saturday when South Africa edgedWales 23-19 and New Zealand crushed France62-13 to set up a titanic last-four clash betweenthe rugby powerhouses.
Australia and Argentina will be looking tocomplete a Rugby Championship clean sweepby beating Scotland and Ireland respectivelyon Sunday. Winger Julian Savea scored his sec-ond hat-trick of the tournament as the AllBlacks steamrolled the French in Cardiff after aclose game at Twickenham was settled by amoment of magic from Springboks scrumhalfFourie du Preez.
New Zealand were far too strong for France,the side they overcame 8-7 in the 2011 final,sounding a clear warning that they do notintend to let go of their crown by winning thetitle abroad for the first time. “We can’t wait forthe semi-finals, South Africa are a great teamand we enjoy playing them,” All Blacks coachSteve Hansen said after masterminding thebiggest ever victory in a Rugby World Cupknockout match. “New Zealand were two orthree classes above (us),” said France captainThierry Dusautoir. Flyhalf Dan Carter kept hisbacks moving at pace and converted seven ofthe All Blacks’ tries, adding a penalty for a per-sonal tally of 17 points.
Lock Brodie Retallick, winger Nehe Milner-Skudder, flanker Jerome Kaino, number eightKieran Read and replacement Tawera Kerr-Barlow (twice) also crossed the line. The Frenchreplied with a first-half try from number eightLouis Picamoles, who was sin-binned in thesecond half. The Twickenham quarter-final wasdefined by two Dan Biggar moments.
The Wales flyhalf, who kicked 14 points, laidon a fine try in the first half when he gathered
his own perfectly judged kick ahead and as hewas tackled passed to scrumhalf Gareth Davieswho touched down under the posts.
Springboks flyhalf Handre Pollard kept histeam’s score ticking over with penalties and adrop goal and Wales, 13-12 ahead at halftime,went into the final six minutes clinging to aslender 19-18 lead.Biggar was then taken off asa precaution after receiving a knock to his headand in his absence a Welsh lapse of concentra-tion at a Springboks scrum close to the touch-line was exploited by Du Preez. The Springboksforwards wheeled right and Duane Vermeulendummied to go that way before turning andbrilliantly offloading the ball to Du Preez whodarted over in the corner.
Wales coach Warren Gatland had no com-plaints about the medical call on Biggar. “He’sdone a fantastic job for us in terms of his lead-ership and control,” Gatland said. Unfortunately,that leadership of the back line was missing atthe crucial moment and Du Preez seized thechance to apply a move the Springboks hadrehearsed all week. “We actually initially wentfor the penalty from the scrum, but during theweek we noticed that their number nine wascovering more behind the scrum and thatopened some space,” said Du Preez.
Argentina’s Pumas, semi-finalists in 2007,face Ireland in Cardiff (1200 GMT) looking toprevent the Six Nations champions from reach-ing the last four for the first time.
The Irish have been further depleted byinjury after flyhalf Johnny Sexton failed a fit-ness test on a groin injury on Saturday havingbeen named in their starting line-up. Ireland,who have replaced Sexton with Ian Madigan,had lost captain Paul O’Connell and blindsideflanker Peter O’Mahony to injury. OpensideSean O’Brien is suspended. —Reuters
All Blacks, Springboks
set up semi showdown
CARDIFF: For once, France passed the ballaround and played positive rugby, but theygot what they deserved in a 62-13 humilia-tion by New Zealand in the World Cupquarter-finals on Saturday.
Les Bleus never looked like repeatingthe famous upsets of of the All Blacks in the2007 last-eight game in Cardiff, or the 1999semi-final. For all their positive intent, theylacked the quality to challenge a team whocruised through the pool phase and theylost to New Zealand for a record ninth con-secutive time.
Under head coach Philippe Saint Andre,who will make way for the former Toulousecoach Guy Noves, France always playedconservatively, but on Saturday they decid-ed to be bold.
“I believe that rugby is a game,” SaintAndre told a news conference, although hespent most of his time insisting rugby wasa physical affair above all.
“We tried to put rhythm into the gamebut we had too many turnovers and theywere more reactive, they were faster.”
France missed several tackles in theopening 20 minutes and just as in their 24-9 pool defeat by Ireland, they were domi-nated at the breakdown, giving the ballaway on too many occasions.
The All Blacks ran riot with nine tries, thefirst coming after 11 minutes when BrodieRetallick touched down after a kick byFrederic Michalak, who got injured in theprocess, was charged down.
Losing Michalak so early was big set-back for France, who were completely over-
powered by the defending champions.Saint Andre’s side showed good inten-
tion with fullback Scott Spedding oftenrunning with the ball instead of kicking itaway and they were rewarded before thebreak when the powerful Louis Picamolespierced the defence to score the onlyFrench try. But Picamoles was sin-binnedfor punching Richie McCaw in the 47thminute and that was when France totallycracked, not scoring a point in the secondhalf and conceding 33 as New Zealand felljust short of their record winning marginagainst their opponents after winning ahome test 61-10 in 2007.
France had never before conceded 62points in a test match. “I assume a lot ofresponsibility, there is no problem aboutthat, it’s part of the job,” said Saint-Andre,whose successor had been named beforethe World Cup. “I took a lot of punches dur-ing four years. We were hoping that threemonths of preparations would help usreach another dimension.”
The result was more painful for LesBleus, who went through the pool phasewithout showing many attacking skills.They realised only before the game againstNew Zealand that attack is the DNA ofFrench rugby but it was way too late.
“Let’s face it, we’ve been between thefifth and eighth place in the world for threeyears now,” Saint Andre said. “We’re in ourplace,” he added. “New Zealand had moreflair and more skill,” a painful admissionthat flowing and inventive French rugby isa thing of the past. — Reuters
Too little too late
for fading France
Djokovic dispatches
Tsonga in Shanghai
SHANGHAI: Winner’s Novak Djokovic of Serbia (left) and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga of France after theaward ceremony for the Shanghai Masters tennis tournament. — AP
MELBOURNE: Outgoing MotoGP champion MarcMarquez snatched the lead from Jorge Lorenzo on athrilling last lap to win a classic Australian GrandPrix yesterday, with championship leader ValentinoRossi finishing fourth.
At the climax of a white-knuckle feast of dare-devil racing between the top four place-getters,Marquez coaxed his Honda past Lorenzo before thefinal turn and roared home to win his first race atPhillip Island and fifth of the season.
Having grabbed and lost the lead time andagain over the course of the race, Lorenzo initiallycut a dejected figure when crossing for secondplace. He quickly cheered, however, having closedthe gap on leader Rossi to 11 points ahead of thepenultimate race in Malaysia next week.
Double world champion Lorenzo had AndreaIannone to thank for keeping a rampaging Rossi offthe podium, with the unfancied Italian enjoyingone of his finest days on a Ducati to take third on aglorious afternoon at the seaside circuit.
Lorenzo said in a trackside interview thatMarquez had made an “unbelievable last lap”. “I waslucky that Andrea got the podium,” he added.Iannone capitalised on a solid start from second onthe grid to sweep past pole-sitter Marquez but heldthe lead for only moments before Lorenzo swoopedat turn eight. The pair swapped the lead back andforth, and feathers flew on the third lap when astray seagull ploughed straight into Iannone’s hel-met, ruffling the Italian who fell back to second.
Marquez soon joined the fray to turn the raceinto a three-way tussle before Rossi steered hisYamaha brilliantly from seventh on the grid to nip atthe leaders’ wheels.
Rossi went for broke in the final laps, pushing tosecond behind Lorenzo with an aggressive thrustpast Marquez, but Iannone topped it with an auda-cious double overtake of both riders.
Lorenzo broke clear from the skirmish to open agap from Marquez, but the Honda rider burnedaround the track on his final lap to seal a remark-able victory.
In the Moto2 category, rookie Alex Rins won hissecond race of the season for Paginas AmarillasHP40 ahead of Speed Up Racing’s Sam Lowes andForward Racing’s Lorenzo Baldassarri.
Marquez denies Lorenzo
with brilliant final lap
PHILLIP ISLAND: MotoGP rider Marc Marquez of Spain raises his trophy above hishead as he celebrates winning the Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix. — AP
HONG KONG: Jelena Jankovic made it a Serbianwin double in Asia yesterday as she fought backfrom a set down to beat Germany’s AngeliqueKerber to take the Hong Kong Open title.
The former world number one triumphed 3-6 7-6(4) 6-1 to claim her 15th WTA Title andsecond of the year. The success came shortlyafter compatriot Novak Djokovic beat Jo-Wilfried Tsonga to win the Shanghai Masterstitle in China.
Kerber needed a win to secure a place in the
eight woman end-of-season WTA Finals inSingapore next week and started brightly withan opening break as she took the set 6-3.
The second proved another tight affair withthree breaks of serve each before a tiebreakwhich Jankovic edged 7-4 after both playersexcelled with returns.
Jankovic was buoyed by the success andfound her serving rhythm in the decider asKerber failed to force a break point and collapsedas the Serb ran out a strong winner. — Reuters
Jankovic bags
Hong Kong title
HONG KONG: Jelena Jankovic of Serbia smiles as she poses with the trophy after defeatingAngelique Kerber of Germany during their final match at the WTA Hong Kong Open. — AP
S P O RT SMONDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2015
KUWAIT: Red Bull Winning 5 is back toKuwait! Winning 5 is a mini Football tourna-ment with a twist. For the second year in arow, the most exciting and well-loved sportin the country, is back to Kuwait. Footballlovers will be put to the test and have thechance to participate in a unique and excit-ing competition.
This event will have two qualifiers onOctober 19 and 20 with 64 teams compet-ing. Only the best 16 teams will qualify tothe final held on October 29 at HasanAbul Soccer Courts. Save the date. Thisevent is challenge-based, and focuses oncreativity and entertainment while beinga serious football competition. The five-
aside event does not include goalkeepers,whereby the goal is relatively small, i.e.2m large x 1m high.
The game is based on elimination, so theloosing team is out of competition.However, a unique rule states that everygoal scored allows the team to eliminate aplayer from the opposite team. The teamcaptain should take this decision within 5seconds of scoring, by pointing to theselected player with his finger. Each matchconsists of two 5-minute halves, and lastsuntil one team is completely eliminated,therefore it is challenging yet exciting forthe teams to undergo the next round ofgames with one or more missing member.
Red Bull Winning
5 starts today
MADRID: Celta Vigo moved level with Real Madridand Barcelona at the top of La Liga thanks to Nolito’slast-minute winner in a 2-1 victory at 10-manVillarreal yesterday.
Atletico Madrid are now within two points of theleaders as Antoine Griezmann and Yannick FerreiraCarrasco handed them a controversial 2-0 win atnine-man Real Sociedad.
Villarreal had started the weekend as leaders, buta second consecutive defeat sees them slip down tofifth. Real Madrid remain top on goal difference andtravel to Celta next Saturday in a top-of-the-tableclash. Villarreal enjoyed the better of the earlystages, but were hit by a sucker punch four minutesbefore half-time when Fabian Orellana curled homea superb opener from outside the box. The visitorscould have been even further ahead at the break as
Pablo Hernandez’s chipped effort drifted just overand Nolito hit the post. Villarreal were then reducedto 10 men early in the second half when Ivory Coastinternational defender Eric Bailly was shown a sec-ond yellow card. Yet, despite Celta’s domination ofpossession, the hosts levelled through DenisSuarez’s deflected effort 23 minutes from time.
Marcelino’s men couldn’t hold out for a point,though, as Spanish international Nolito swept homehis sixth goal of the season on the rebound afterOrellana’s initial effort came back off the bar. Later,Atletico piled the pressure on former ManchesterUnited manager David Moyes as Real Sociedadremain above the relegation zone only on goal dif-ference with just one win in their opening eightgames of the season. Griezmann brilliantly acceler-ated beyond the Basque side’s defence on nine min-
utes before dinking the ball over Geronimo Rulli toopen the scoring against his old club. A tepid 80minutes followed with the hosts unable to breakdown the visitors as Atletico sat back, but tempersflared in the final stages as Diego Reyes was first tobe sent off for taking his protests towards refereeIgnacio Iglesias Villanueva too far. Villanueva thenturned down strong penalty appeals for the hosts instoppage time as Jose Maria Gimenez appeared tobring down Jonathas.
To rub salt into the home wounds, Atletico brokeupfield and Fernando Torres played in Carrasco toscore his first goal for the club. Jonathas then sawtwo yellow cards in a matter of seconds as he lost hiscool with the officials to leave Moyes with twounnecessary suspensions to cope with for nextweekend’s crucial clash at Levante. — AFP
Celta Vigo go joint top,
Atletico down Sociedad
NEWCASTLE: Georginio Wijnaldum plun-dered four goals as Newcastle United thrashedNorwich City 6-2 at St James’ Park yesterday tobelatedly claim their first win of the PremierLeague season. Wijnaldum was a member ofthe Holland team that failed to qualify for Euro2016 earlier in the week, but he shrugged offthe disappointment with a brilliant quadruplethat eased some of the pressure on Newcastlemanager Steve McClaren.
Ayoze Perez and Aleksandar Mitrovic alsofound the net, while Moussa Sissoko playedhis part with four assists, as Newcastle secureda league victory at the ninth attempt ahead ofnext weekend’s trip to northeast derby rivalsSunderland, who replaced them at the foot ofthe table.
Norwich were 3-2 down at half-time, hav-ing scored through Dieumerci Mbokani mak-ing his full league debut-and NathanRedmond, who also hit the post in the secondhalf. But despite a strong start to the secondperiod they ended up well beaten, leavingAlex Neil’s side just three points above the rel-egation zone in 16th place.
Newcastle showed four changes to theteam thrashed 6-1 by Manchester City on theirprevious outing-in which Sergio Aguero hadscored five goals-with Rob Elliot notablyreplacing Tim Krul in goal after the Dutchmanruptured knee ligaments on internationalduty. The hosts went ahead in the 14th minutewhen Sissoko picked up a loose ball on the
edge of the box and threaded a pass throughto Wijnaldum, a close-season signing fromPSV Eindhoven, who steered a low shot intothe bottom-left corner. Robbie Brady soundedthe Norwich revolt, cracking a shot againstthe post from 30 yards, and the visitorsequalised in the 20th minute when MartinOlsson’s delicious left-wing cross was stabbedhome by Mbokani.
Wijnaldum restored Newcastle’s lead sixminutes later with a downward header fromSissoko’s clipped cross and Perez made it 3-1when he found the bottom-left corner at thesecond attempt following a block by Olsson.But Newcastle’s defensive frailties wereexposed again just 48 seconds later whenOlsson’s deep cross from the left was adroitlyside-footed home on the volley by Redmond.McClaren sent Vurnon Anita on for CheickTiote at half-time and he had reason to thankWijnaldum for a third time when the Hollandinternational cleared a header from Newcastleold boy Sebastien Bassong off the line.
Bassong’s chance arrived amid a spell ofsustained Norwich pressure that spread jittersthroughout the home ranks and visiting man-ager Neil added further attacking guile to histeam by sending on Wes Hoolahan forAlexander Tettey.
But it was Newcastle who struck next witha goal of exceptional quality. Sissoko led abreak from Newcastle’s right-hand corner flagthat culminated in him flighting a pass toMitrovic, who chested the ball down, let itbounce, and lashed it past John Ruddy withhis left foot.
Two minutes later it was 5-2 as DarylJanmaat crossed from the right for Wijnaldumto head home his hat-trick goal. Redmondthen cracked a low shot against the post, butWijnaldum had saved the best for last, cuttingin from the left and smashing a 25-yard shotinside the right-hand post. — AFP
Newcastle thrash Norway
Newcastle 6
Norwich 2
Man City 9 7 0 2 24 8 21Arsenal 9 6 1 2 16 7 19Man Utd 9 6 1 2 15 8 19West Ham 9 5 2 2 20 12 17Leicester 9 4 4 1 19 17 16Crystal Palace 9 5 0 4 12 10 15Tottenham 9 3 5 1 11 7 14Southampton 9 3 4 2 15 12 13Everton 9 3 4 2 12 11 13Liverpool 9 3 4 2 8 10 13
Chelsea 9 3 2 4 14 17 11West Brom 9 3 2 4 7 11 11Swansea 8 2 4 2 10 10 10Watford 9 2 4 3 6 10 10Stoke 8 2 3 3 8 10 9Norwich 9 2 3 4 14 20 9Bournemouth 9 2 2 5 11 17 8Newcastle 9 1 3 5 12 19 6Aston Villa 9 1 1 7 8 15 4Sunderland 9 0 3 6 8 19 3
EPL Result/StandingsNewcastle 6 (Wijnaldum 14, 26, 66, 85, Perez 33, Mitrovic 64) Norwich 2 (Mbokani 20,Redmond 34)Played Saturday:Chelsea 2 (Costa 34, Hutton 54-og) AstonVilla 0;Crystal Palace 1 (Cabaye 25-pen)West Ham 3 (Jenkinson 22, Lanzini 88,Payet 90+4); Everton 0 ManchesterUnited 3 (Schneiderlin 18, Herrera 22,Rooney 62); Manchester City 5 (Sterling
7, 29, 45+3, Bony 11, 89) Bournemouth 1(Murray 22); Southampton 2 (Fonte 21,Van Dijk 37) Leicester 2 (Vardy 66, 90+1);Tottenham 0, Liverpool 0; Watford 0,Arsenal 3 (Sanchez 62, Giroud 68, Ramsey74); West Brom 1 (Berahino 54)Sunderland 0.
English Premier League table after yesterday’s match (played, won, drawn, lost, goalsfor, goals against, points):
NEWCASTLE: Newcastle United’s Dutch midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum (right) cele-brates with Newcastle United’s Dutch midfielder Vurnon Anita (left) and Frenchdefender Massadio Haidara (second left) after scoring his fourth goal during theEnglish Premier League football match. — AFP
By Abdellatif Sharaa
KUWAIT: President of Arab and Kuwait ShootingFederations Duaij Al-Otaibi said HH The CrownPrince Tournament will start Wednesday atSheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Olympic ShootingComplex, with the participation of all GCC coun-tries. Al-Otaibi held a press conference Saturdayevening in which he said Kuwait Shooting SportClub began preparations for this event early, androles were given to committees to organize theopening of the local sports season, with a majorcomprehensive championship that includes allShooting Sports under the name of HH theCrown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-JabarAl-Sabah, in appreciation of his role in support-ing Kuwait Shooting Sport, enabling it to makeso many international achievements includingOlympics in the name of Kuwait, the last ofwhich is the qualification of shooter Khalid Al-Mudhaf and Ahmad Al-Afasi to Brazil 2016Olympics during their participation in Italy.
Al-Otaibi said the Board of Directors agreedon the participation of GCC countries in HH TheCrown Prince Tournament, adding that GulfShooters will participate for the first time in thearchery event, and wished all shooters success.
Al-Otaibi said KSSC Board decided to honorthe winners at the world championship inLunato, Italy, Ahmad Al-Afasi in double trap andKhalid Al-Mudhaf, double trap.
Al-Otaibi also lauded the achievements of theclub’s shooters at the Arab championship whichwas held in Morocco, achieving great results and
first place. When asked how shooting will beaffected with suspensions, Eng. Al-Otaibiexpressed regret over how matters deterioratedin Kuwait sports and the suspensions of sportsfederations.
He said we regret the behavior of someKuwaitis by sending complaint against theircountry, Kuwait, to suspend sports and levy pun-ishments against their country and athletes. Hesaid there are countries close to us, who haveappointed councils and governments interfere
in the sports affairs and they are not punishedand nobody complain against them.
He said the IOC interference in our sports isregretful, adding that we at the KSSC are hon-ored to comply with all Kuwait laws, and thesupervision of state institutes does not contra-dict the Olympic charter. He said in case IOCdecide to punish Kuwait sports, Kuwait shooterswill not participate in Brazil 2016 Olympicsunder the Olympic flag, and their participationwill only be under Kuwait flag.
Otaibi: We won’t participate
under the Olympic Flag
RAJKOT: Quinton de Kock hit 103 and MorneMorkel claimed four for 39 as South Africabrushed aside India by 18 runs in the third one-day international in Rajkot yesterday.
De Kock, the 22-year-old left-handed opener,took advantage of a flat pitch to notch up hisseventh one-day century-the fourth againstIndia-that lifted the Proteas to 270-7.
India were restricted to 252-6 in reply, despitehalf-centuries from Rohit Sharma (65) and ViratKohli, who returned to form with 77, his first sub-stantial knock after 12 barren one-dayers.
The win handed the tourists a 2-1 lead in thefive-match series with the last two games to beplayed in Chennai (October 22) and Mumbai(October 25). South Africa had won the openinggame in Kanpur by five runs and India drew levelat Indore with a 22-run victory. Morkel was sup-ported by spirited fielding by his team-mates inhot and humid weather which tied down thefree-stroking Indian batsmen.
Sharma, who hit 150 in a losing cause in thefirst match in Kanpur, shared a 72-run stand forthe second wicket with Kohli after ShikharDhawan had fallen for 13.
Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni thenput on 80 for the third wicket with Kohli beforehe was removed by Morkel for 47 with his teamstill needing 78 off 49 deliveries.
Morkel sealed India’s fate by dismissing Kohliand Ajinkya Rahane off successive deliveries inthe 46th over, both batsmen being caught atdeep mid-wicket by David Miller. Suresh Rainafell for a second successive zero, holing out in thedeep against leg-spinner Imran Tahir.
South African captain AB de Villiers lauded hisbatsmen, especially de Kock, for the team’s victo-ry. “It was a very special batting performance,” hesaid. “Quinton answered a lot of questions on
how valuable he is to the side. “We were lookingat 250 to be a par score, but we managed morethan that. And the way we fought back with theball was special.”
Dhoni said the target of 270 was gettableeven on a pitch that became two-paced as thematch went on. “South Africa batted when thewicket was at its best,” he said. “When our turncame, the wicket kept getting lower and slowerand it became difficult to play the big shots.
“Also there was not much dew in the evening,which made it easier for the South Africanbowlers. There are still two more games to goand we will look to bounce back.”
Earlier, Faf du Plessis (60) shared a third-wicketstand of 118 with de Kock to lift the tourists to205-2 in the 39th over when India hit back withthree quick wickets to make it 210-5 in the 41st.
Du Plessis, who was caught off a MohitSharma no-ball when on 16, was dismissed bythe same bowler to a catch at third-man, trigger-ing the slide. De Kock was run out in the 40thover after a misunderstanding with de Villiers,who was himself given leg-before in left-armspinner Axar Patel’s next over. Farhaan Behardiensmashed a last-ball six off Bhuvneshwar Kumar toreturn unbeaten on 33. The one-day series will befollowed by four Test matches. — AFP
SPAIN: Celta Vigo’s Danish defender Daniel Wass (left) vies with Villarreal’s forward Roberto Soldado during the Spanish League football match. — AFP
South Africa:Q. de Kock run out 103D. Miller c Rahane b Harbhajan 33H. Amla st Dhoni b Mishra 5F. du Plessis c Kumar b M. Sharma 60AB de Villiers lbw b Patel 4 JP Duminy c Raina b M. Sharma 14F. Behardien not out 33D. Steyn run out 12K. Rabada not out 0 Extras: (w5, nb1) 6Total (for seven wickets, 50 overs) 270 Fall of wickets: 1-72 (Miller), 2-87 (Amla), 3-205(du Plessis), 4-210 (de Kock), 5-210 (de Villiers),6-241 (Duminy), 7-264 (Steyn)Bowling: Kumar 10-1-65-0 (w2), M. Sharma 9-0-62-2 (nb1, w2), Harbhajan 10-0-41-1 (w1),Mishra 10-0-38-1, Patel 9-0-51-1, Raina 2-0-13-0.
India:R. Sharma c and b Duminy 65S. Dhawan c de Villiers b Morkel 13V. Kohli c Miller b Morkel 77M. Dhoni c Steyn b Morkel 47S. Raina c Miller b Tahir 0A. Rahane c Miller b Morkel 4A. Patel not out 15H. Singh not out 20 Extras: (b2, lb1, w8) 11 Total (for six wickets, 50 overs) 252Fall of wickets: 1-41 (Dhawan), 2-113 (R.Sharma), 3-193 (Dhoni), 4-206 (Raina), 5-216(Kohli), 6-216 (Rahane).Bowling: Steyn 10-0-65-0 (w1), Rabada 10-0-39-0 (w3), Morkel 10-1-39-4 w1), Duminy 8-0-46-1 (w3), Tahir 10-0-51-1, Behardien 2-0-9-0.South Africa won by 18 runs; leads five-matchseries 2-1.
SCOREBOARDRAJKOT, India: Full scoreboard of the third one-day international between India and SouthAfrica in Rajkot on yesterday:
De Kock, Morkel help S Africa down India
18Djokovic dispatches
Tsonga in Shanghai
MONDAY, OCTOBER 19, 201519
Newcastle thrash
Norway
Marquez denies Lorenzo with brilliant final lap Page 18
ITALY: Napoli’s Argentinian-French forward Gonzalo Higuain (left) falls after a contact with Fiorentina’s Romanian goalkeeper Ciprian Tatarusanu during the Italian Serie A football match. — AFP
MILAN: Gonazalo Higuain’s fifth league goal ofthe season helped Napoli to a precious 2-1 winover Fiorentina yesterday as Mauricio Sarri’s menmoved up to fourth place in Serie A. Napoli wel-comed Fiorentina to the San Paolo looking tomaintain a recent purple patch that has seenSarri’s side remain unbeaten in their last six out-ings.
Fiorentina were tough customers, but afterNikola Kalinic had levelled Lorenzo Insigne’ssuperb opener for the hosts, Higuain struck inthe 75th minute to secure Napoli’s fourth win ofthe campaign.
Fiorentina, conceding just their seconddefeat, remain top but now have just a one-point lead on Roma and two on Inter Milan, whocould go top of the league if they beat Juventusin the ‘Derby d’Italia’ late yesterday.
Elsewhere, Sampdoria’s promising start cameto a shuddering halt with a 2-0 defeat atFrosinone, while Lazio were stunned 2-1 away toSassuolo.
Atalanta, meanwhile, romped to 3-0 win inBergamo that came complete with a stunning
corner kick goal from Alejandro Gomez.Mauricio Pinilla gave the hosts a welcome
eighth-minute opener after meeting MaxiMoralez’s curling delivery from the right to headpast Carpi ‘keeper Vid Belec at his near post.
Belec was beaten again on the stroke of half-time in more spectacular fashion, Gomez hittinga superb corner that sneaked over the entireCarpi defence and into the far top corner.
Atalanta wrapped up the points when LucaCigarini fired past Belec from the penalty spoton 63 minutes after Pinilla was fouled by IgorBubnjic. Paulo Sousa’s Fiorentina have beenrightly described as one of the most stylishteams in the league and were unlucky not tosnatch a share of the points at the San Paolo. Onthe quarter hour Jakub Blaszczykowski broughta great one-handed save from Napoli ‘keeperPeper Reina after turning on the edge of thearea to unleash a left-footed drive.
When Higuain was impeded by Milan Badeljwhen just about to pull the trigger minutes later,he earned a free kick that Insigne curled into thewaiting arms of Ciprian Tatarusanu.
Napoli’s players surrounded the referee onthe stroke of half-time to demand the expulsionof Davide Astori after the Italian defendertugged at Allan’s shirt to stop him launching anoffensive down the right flank. From the freekick, Napoli almost found the opening, Higuainheading wide of the target from Insigne’schipped cross from the left of the area.
The deadlock was finally broken two minutesafter the restart when Insigne beat Tatarusanu athis far post after running on to Marek Hamsik’ssuperb defence-splitting pass down the left.
Minutes later Higuain spurned the chance todouble Napoli’s lead when he bundled just overfrom close range. Napoli appeared to be on theirway to a share of the spoils after Croatia interna-tional Kalinic, who hit a hat-trick in the 4-1 ormpover Inter, ran on to Josip Ilicic’s delivery to slotthe ball past Reina down low.
But minutes later the stadium erupted whenHiguain dispossessed Ilicic deep in Fiorentinaterritory, played a one-two with Dries Mertensand held off his marker to beat Tatarusanu downlow. — AFP
Higuain on target as Napoli edge Fiorentina
Fiorentina 8 6 0 2 15 6 18Roma 8 5 2 1 20 10 17Inter Milan 7 5 1 1 8 6 16Napoli 8 4 3 1 18 8 15Sassuolo 8 4 3 1 11 8 15Lazio 8 5 0 3 11 13 15Torino 8 4 2 2 13 9 14Atalanta 8 4 2 2 11 8 14Chievo 8 3 3 2 13 8 12Sampdoria 8 3 2 3 13 12 11
Palermo 8 3 1 4 10 12 10Genoa 8 3 1 4 7 9 10AC Milan 8 3 1 4 9 14 10Juventus 7 2 2 3 9 8 8Udinese 8 2 2 4 8 11 8Frosinone 8 2 1 5 6 10 7Empoli 8 2 1 5 8 14 7Carpi 8 1 2 5 8 19 5Verona 8 0 5 3 7 11 5Bologna 8 1 0 7 4 13 3
Bologna 0, Palermo 1 (Vazquez 24); Napoli 2 (Insigne 46, Higuain 75) Fiorentina 1 (Kalinic 73);Atalanta 3 (Pinilla 8, Gomez 43, Cigarini 63-pen) Carpi 0; Verona 1 (Pazzini 41-pen) Udinese 1(Thereau 84); Genoa 3 (Pavoletti 13, Gakpe 17, Tachtsidis 90+3) Chievo 2 (Paloschi 1, Pellissier 77);Sassuolo 2 (Berardi 7-pen, Missiroli 60) Lazio 1 (Anderson 67); Frosinone 2 (Paganini 54, Dionisi 55)Sampdoria 0.
Played SaturdayRoma 3 (Pjanic 56, De Rossi 59, Salah 69) Empoli 1 (Buechel 75) Torino 1 (Baselli 73) AC Milan 1(Bacca 63).
Italian Serie A table after yesterday afternoon games (played, won, drawn, lost, goals for, goalsagainst, points):
Italian League Results/Standings
NYON: The match fixtures are shown on an electronic panel following the draw for the play-off matches forUEFA EURO 2016 at the UEFA headquarters. — AP
NYON: Hungary will have to overcome Norway if theyare to qualify for their first major tournament in 30 yearsfollowing yesterday’s draw for the Euro 2016 playoffround while Sweden and Denmark will clash in aScandinavian derby.
Hungary, who have been in the international wilder-ness since they appeared at the 1986 World Cup inMexico, will play the first leg away against theNorwegians, who themselves have not played at amajor tournament since the 1998 World Cup.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s Sweden, who lost out toPortugal in a playoff for the last World Cup, will be athome in the first leg against their neighbours.
In the other ties, Ukraine, who co-hosted Euro 2012with Poland, will meet Slovenia and Bosnia will faceIreland. Hungary, semi-finalists in the 1964 and 1972European championships, have won six and lost five oftheir 16 meetings with Norway but have not beaten theScandinavians since a 4-1 win in Budapest in 1981, a runof nine games.
Their last appearance in a playoff was in the 1998World Cup qualifiers when they crashed to a 12-1aggregate defeat to Yugoslavia.
“I know Norwegian football very well-no one needsto introduce the opposition to us-so we know an excel-lent team awaits us,” Hungary coach Bernd Storck toldreporters. History does not favour Ukraine, who haveyet to beat Slovenia in four games, with two draws andtwo defeats, and lost out to their opponents in the play-offs for a place at Euro 2000.
“There is no need to look for motivation against theteams of Spain or France’s calibre, but we have to playwith double motivation against the likes of Slovenia,”said Ukraine midfielder Taras Stepanenko. “We have agreat chance to qualify to the finals and everybody hasto give their all to achieve this aim.” Sweden andDenmark have met 104 times with 45 wins for theSwedes and 40 for the Danes, who are the only formerEuropean champions in the playoffs.
Bosnia have lost on both their previous two appear-ances in a playoff round, having been eliminated byPortugal in the final qualifying stages of the 2010 WorldCup and then Euro 2012.
They qualified directly for Brazil last year when theymade their first appearance at a major tournament asan independent nation. — Reuters
Hungary set for Norway test in Euro 2016 playoffs
BusinessMONDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2015
KCCI to boost trade, economic cooperation with France
Page 22
Kuwait key to flydubai’s growth story
Page 23 First X-cite store opens in Riyadh
Page 26
Japan’s ‘konbini’ stores, open and stocked round the clockPage 25
ROISSY-EN-FRANCE: A file picture taken on October 5, 2015 shows employees of Air France demonstrating in front of the company headquarters, during the launch of the plan at a central committee meeting, in Roissy-en-France. AirFrance will cut almost 1,000 jobs in 2016, the first part of a restructuring plan aimed at combating fierce competition from global rivals, the chief executive Air France-KLM said yesterday. — AFP
Air France to go ahead with 2016 job cuts
Further cuts can still be avoided if negotiations are successfulPARIS: Air France will go ahead and cut hun-dreds of jobs as planned next year under thefirst part of a restructuring plan that triggeredviolent protests, the chief executive of AirFrance-KLM said yesterday.
The remaining cuts planned for 2017 canstill be avoided if negotiations with unions aresuccessful before the start of next year,Alexandre de Juniac said in a joint interviewwith RTL radio, LCI television and the Le Figarodaily.
The struggling airline’s restructuring plan-unveiled on October 5 after pilots rejected aproposal to work longer hours-made head-lines around the world when executives weremanhandled by furious workers.
Human resources manager Xavier Broseta
had his shirt ripped off as he clambered overbarriers to escape, helped by security guards,while another executive had his shirt and jack-et torn in the scrum.
Workload ‘too heavy’ Air France plans to cut 2,900 jobs over 2016
and 2017, and in the interview, De Juniac saidthat next year’s portion of the restructuringplan was already underway.
He remained evasive about the exact num-ber of job cuts next year-which will mainlyinvolve voluntary departures-saying theywould represent “less than a third of the total”of the planned 2,900 layoffs.
Asked whether this would represent nearly1,000 posts, he responded: “Less than that.” “If
negotiations are successful by the beginningof next year, we can avoid implementing2017’s plan B.
“The events on October 5 upset a lot ofpeople... and highlighted the need to negoti-ate.” Unions reacted in anger at the announce-ment. Miguel Fortea of the CGT said unionswere not being respected. “It makes you won-der whether you’ve got to go to RTL (radio) totalk with De Juniac,” he said. ChristopheMalloggi of the FO union accused the groupCEO of pursuing “his roadmap without evenbothering to analyse what happened on the5th.” “Eluding problems doesn’t make themdisappear. “The workload is already too heavy,in many services, with the current workforce,”he said.
‘Destructive’ The October 5 violence-in which seven
people were hurt, including a security guardwho was knocked unconscious-earned a sharprebuke from President Francois Hollande, whosaid it could harm the country’s image.
“Social dialogue matters, and when it’sinterrupted by violence and disputes take onan unacceptable form, it can have conse-quences for the image and attractiveness” ofthe country, he said a day after the incident.
De Juniac said the chaotic scenes hadharmed the airline’s image as well. “What wesaw was destructive,” he said. “It’s unimagin-able that the whole world now assimilates AirFrance with these images.”
Five employees at the airline-which
merged with Dutch national carrier KLM in2004 — were detained and will face trial onDecember 2 for their alleged role in the vio-lence.
De Juniac said the company had launched18 disciplinary procedures, which could leadto layoffs or other sanctions. He also called onthe government to help out as Air France triesto save 1.8 billion euros ($2 billion) over twoyears, as competition with global rivals intensi-fies.
“It would be good if we could make 200million euros in savings on social security con-tributions,” he said. Taxes and social securitycharges paid by companies in France are noto-riously high, and have been blamed on a lossof competitivity.— AFP
DUBAI: Better-than-expected earnings at toppetrochemical producer Saudi Basic Industriesboosted the Saudi stock market yesterday, whilemost Gulf bourses moved little and Egypt fell onfears of currency depreciation.
SABIC reported a 9.4 percent drop in third-quar-ter net profit to 5.6 billion riyals ($1.5 billion) due toslumping product sales prices, but it beat analysts’average forecast of 4.36 billion riyals because ofcost-cutting.
That was enough to boost the stock by 2.9 per-cent to 90.25 riyals, bringing its gains over the past10 trading days to 15 percent. The Saudi stock indexclimbed 1.2 percent. Shares in Saudi petrochemicalmakers plunged in the last several months as low oilprices slashed their profit margins and because ofconcern the Saudi government, facing a hugebudget deficit, might seek to raise revenue byincreasing gas feedstock prices.
But growing hopes that oil prices may have bot-tomed out, with Brent crude hovering around $50 abarrel, have encouraged some investors to startbuying back petchems in the last couple of weeks.Nine analysts rate SABIC a “buy” or “strong buy” andfive “hold”, according to Thomson Reuters data; themedian target price is 105 riyals.
Sahara Petrochemical jumped 7.0 percent yester-day after it said third-quarter earnings soared 608percent, partly because its year-earlier earningswere hit by an unplanned shutdown of a plant. Buta third firm in the sector, Saudi Kayan, sank 1.1 per-cent after tumbling 9.8 percent on Thursday follow-ing its announcement of a third-quarter loss.
SABB Takaful soared 9.6 percent in unusuallyheavy trade, rebounding after a couple days ofsharp declines. Elsewhere in the Gulf, markets weremuch more subdued. The Dubai index edged up0.3 percent as the most heavily traded stock, GFHFinancial, added 0.9 percent. The company said ithad agreed to acquire an industrial real estate port-folio in the United States in a deal worth $125 mil-lion - potentially a fresh sign that it is putting its
debt restructurings behind it. Abu Dhabi gained 0.6 percent as telecommuni-
cations blue chip Etisalat, which has risen 22 per-cent since late August, added 0.7 percent to 15.25dirhams.
Five analysts rate the stock a “buy” or “strongbuy” and four a “hold”; their median target price is14.60 dirhams, according to Thomson Reuters data.The company opened its shares to buying by for-eign and institutional investors on Sept. 15 and mayeventually become part of MSCI’s emerging marketindex. Qatar edged down 0.1 percent, thoughBarwa Real Estate climbed 1.1 percent.
The 10 most heavily traded stocks moved onlynarrowly, however, indicating the market was not inthe grip of a major sell-off.
SUNDAY’S HIGHLIGHTSSAUDI ARABIA
The index climbed 1.2 percent to 7,793 points.
DUBAIThe index edged up 0.3 percent to 3,708 points.
ABU DHABIThe index rose 0.6 percent to 4,563 points.
QATARThe index edged down 0.1 percent to 11,761
points.
EGYPTThe index fell 0.7 percent.
KUWAITThe index gained 0.7 percent.
OMANThe index added 0.3 percent to 5,925 points.
BAHRAINThe index fell 0.7 percent to 1,249 points. —Reuters
SABIC profit falls 9.4% but
cost-cutting limits drop
MIAMI: In this Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2015 photo, job applications and information for the Gap Factory Store sit on a table dur-ing a job fair at Dolphin Mall in Miami. Job openings slid to 5.4 million in August from a record high 5.7 million in July, theLabor Department said Friday, Oct. 16, 2015. Hiring was little-changed at 5.1 million. — AP
Egypt central bank devalues pound again
CAIRO: Egypt’s central bank weakened thevalue of the Egyptian pound against thedollar yesterday for the second time in aweek. The bank said in a statement that itweakened the pound at an auction, drop-ping the value from 7.83 to 7.93 pounds perdollar. The central bank has allowed com-mercial banks a wider margin for selling andbuying dollars since January, at 0.10 poundsabove or below the official rate. The centralbank effectively controls the value of thedomestic currency in regular foreign curren-cy auctions. This is the weakest the poundhas been since the Egyptian governmentintroduced the auction system in December2012 aimed at regulating devaluation.
The new rate could boost much-neededforeign investment, as investors and econo-mists see the currency as overvalued. “Weshould be expecting gradual and managedmovement,” said Hany Farhat, senior econo-mist at CI Capital. He said the move wasexpected, and that his firm forecasts thepound will continue to weaken and reach8.2 to the dollar by the end of the year.
Meanwhile, Egypt’s foreign currencyreserves continue to drop. Many economistssay propping up the pound was a factor inthe depletion of Egypt’s foreign currencyreserves. The bank reported that reservesfell 9.7 percent in September to $16.3 bil-lion. Years of unrest since the 2011 over-
throw of longtime autocrat Hosni Mubarakwere already taking a heavy toll on sourcesof foreign currency, such as foreign invest-ment and Egypt’s vital tourism sector.
Farhat said devaluation by itself will notbe enough. “It’s a basic step toward morecoherent (foreign exchange) managementpolicies and will be accompanied by otherpolicy measures as well.”
“We have to solve the problem from theroot cause,” Egypt’s Minister of InvestmentAshraf Salman told a group of businessleaders last week. “We’re trying to restruc-ture the trade balance in order to reach aproper gap,” he said, as imports far exceed-ed exports last year.—AP
B U S I N E S SMONDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2015
EXCHANGE RATES
Bahrain Exchange Company
Al-Muzaini Exchange Co.
Dollarco Exchange Co. Ltd
ASIAN COUNTRIESJapanese Yen 2.533Indian Rupees 4.670Pakistani Rupees 2.897Srilankan Rupees 2.152Nepali Rupees 2.922Singapore Dollar 220.480Hongkong Dollar 39.035Bangladesh Taka 3.888Philippine Peso 6.576Thai Baht 8.590
GCC COUNTRIESSaudi Riyal 80.710Qatari Riyal 83.139Omani Riyal 786.120Bahraini Dinar 803.770UAE Dirham 82.403
ARAB COUNTRIESEgyptian Pound - Cash 40.280Egyptian Pound - Transfer 38.659Yemen Riyal/for 1000 1.412Tunisian Dinar 156.410Jordanian Dinar 426.900Lebanese Lira/for 1000 2.017Syrian Lira 2.157Morocco Dirham 31.977
EUROPEAN & AMERICAN COUNTRIESUS Dollar Transfer 302.500Euro 346.360Sterling Pound 470.240Canadian dollar 236.880Turkish lira 104.850Swiss Franc 321.470Australian dollar 222.850US Dollar Buying 301.300
CURRENCY BUY SELLEurope
British Pound 0.460734 0.469734Czech Korune 0.004719 0.016719Danish Krone 0.042100 0.047100Euro 0.338358 0.346358Norwegian Krone 0.033475 0.038675Romanian Leu 0.086774 0.086774Slovakia 0.009011 0.019011Swedish Krona 0.032765 0.037765Swiss Franc 0.311183 0.321383Turkish Lira 0.098992 0.109292
AustralasiaAustralian Dollar 0.212314 0.223814New Zealand Dollar 0.200431 0.209931
AmericaCanadian Dollar 0.229135 0.237635US Dollars 0.298400 0.302900US Dollars Mint 0.298900 0.302900
AsiaBangladesh Taka 0.003484 0.004084Chinese Yuan 0.046405 0.049905Hong Kong Dollar 0.036929 0.039679Indian upee 0.004378 0.004768Indonesian Rupiah 0.000018 0.000024Japanese Yen 0.002460 0.002640Kenyan Shilling 0.003144 0.003144Korean Won 0.000257 0.000272Malaysian Ringgit 0.069252 0.075252Nepalese Rupee 0.002898 0.003068Pakistan Rupee 0.002833 0.003113Philippine Peso 0.006470 0.006750Sierra Leone 0.000067 0.000073Singapore Dollar 0.216459 0.222459South African Rand 0.017165 0.025665Sri Lankan Rupee 0.001858 0.002438Taiwan 0.009244 0.009424Thai Baht 0.008247 0.008797
ArabBahraini Dinar 0.794758 0.802758Egyptian Pound 0.037789 0.040619Iranian Riyal 0.000084 0.000085Iraqi Dinar 0.000199 0.000259Jordanian Dinar 0.422651 0.430151Kuwaiti Dinar 1.000000 1.000000Lebanese Pound 0.000151 0.000251Moroccan Dirhams 0.020452 0.044452Nigerian Naira 0.001247 0.001882Omani Riyal 0.779294 0.784974Qatar Riyal 0.082378 0.083591Saudi Riyal 0.080030 0.080730Syrian Pound 0.001282 0.001502Tunisian Dinar 0.151983 0.159983Turkish Lira 0.098992 0.109292UAE Dirhams 0.081378 0.082527Yemeni Riyal 0.001367 0.001447
UAE Exchange Centre WLL
CURRENCIES TELEX TRANSFER PER 1000Australian Dollar 207.34Canadian Dollar 237.51Swiss Franc 319.30Euro 346.99US Dollar 302.85Sterling Pound 466.17Japanese Yen 2.55Bangladesh Taka 3.888Indian Rupee 4.675Sri Lankan Rupee 2.160Nepali Rupee 2.924Pakistani Rupee 2.897UAE Dirhams 0.08240Bahraini Dinar 0.8048Egyptian Pound 0.03857Jordanian Dinar 0.4307Omani Riyal 0.7864Qatari Riyal 0.08350Saudi Riyal 0.08078
Rate for Transfer Selling RateUS Dollar 302.900Canadian Dollar 236.000Sterling Pound 465.270Euro 345.110Swiss Frank 292.425Bahrain Dinar 803.930UAE Dirhams 82.765Qatari Riyals 90.745
Saudi Riyals 81.500Jordanian Dinar 426.815Egyptian Pound 38.572Sri Lankan Rupees 2.163Indian Rupees 4.672Pakistani Rupees 2.897Bangladesh Taka 3.885Philippines Pesso 6.604Cyprus pound 576.925Japanese Yen 3.510Syrian Pound 2.600Nepalese Rupees 3.915Malaysian Ringgit 74.100Chinese Yuan Renminbi 48.045Thai Bhat 9.495Turkish Lira 104.250
GOLD20 gram 238.0710 gram 121.735 gram 61.55
LONDON: British Union flags and Chinese flags fly together on the Mall in central London, yesterday. Chinese President Xi Jinping begins a four-day visit to Britain tomorrow in which human rights issues are to be eclipsed by lavish ceremony and hardnosed business talk heralding a “gold-en era” in ties. — AFP
LONDON: Chinese President Xi Jinping begins afour-day visit to Britain tomorrow in which humanrights issues are to be eclipsed by lavish ceremonyand hardnosed business talk heralding a “goldenera” in ties.
An Asian superpower with deep pockets andinternational ambitions on one side and aEuropean financial hub keen on attracting invest-ment on the other-the scene is set for a UK-Chinalove story. But Prince Charles will not attend anofficial banquet hosted by Queen Elizabeth II inwhat is being seen as a snub by the Dalai Lama-friendly heir to the throne. And Jeremy Corbyn, theoutspoken new leader of the opposition LabourParty, could also ask Xi some tough questionsabout dissidents and media censorship.
But these concerns are likely to remain second-ary as Britain rolls out the red carpet for Xi, who willget a carriage ride to Buckingham Palace and willaddress British parliamentarians at the Houses ofParliament.
Xi is bringing along a retinue of bankers andbusinessmen which could include Jack Ma, thefounder of Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba, anda string of contracts are expected to be signed dur-ing the visit.
The state visit is the first since then-presidentHu Jintao came in 2005 and both British PrimeMinister David Cameron and China’s ambassadorto London, Liu Xiaoming, have said it will herald a“golden era” in relations.
Britain “is becoming the leader in Europe andindeed in the West” in its relations with China,Xiaoming said, while Cameron lauded increasedtrade ties. “We encourage investment, and China isinvesting more in Britain now than other Europeancountries,” Cameron told Chinese state television.
Chasing ‘China money’ Economics professor Ivan Tselichtchev, an
expert on Asia, said burgeoning relations betweenthe two countries are led by a business rationale.
“The UK is effectively the only European countryshowing a strong political will to attract ‘Chinamoney’ into infrastructure projects,” he said. “Inbroader terms, perhaps more than any other majordeveloped nation, the UK values the businessdimension in its relationship with Beijing.”
Chinese sovereign wealth funds, state enterpris-es and, increasingly, private companies are buyingup British firms and land, creating joint ventureswith local partners or setting out on their own inBritain-a bridgehead to continental European mar-kets.
Michael Gestrin, an economist at theOrganisation for Economic Co-operation andDevelopment (OECD), has calculated that Chinahas accounted for some $70 billion (62 billioneuros) in mergers and acquisitions in Britain since2008. Some of China’s purchases have been strik-
ing on a symbolic level-like the takeover of thecompany that makes traditional London taxis. Butinvestments in infrastructure are more impressiveand promise to grow further.
Between 2015 and 2025 China could invest£105 billion (141 billion euros, $162 billion), includ-ing in energy, property and transport, said DanaeKyriakopoulou from the Centre for Economics andBusiness Research in London and the co-author ofa report on Chinese investments.
‘Low-hanging’ fruit “Following the victory of the Conservative Party
in the May 2015 general election, infrastructureinvestment has once again been identified as a toppolicy priority given the UK’s big deficit in infra-structure assets resulting from chronic under-investment,” she said.
“The country’s northern regions should serve asparticularly attractive propositions for investmentgiven that the ‘low-hanging’ fruit in terms of infra-structure investment there have not been reaped
in the same way as in the south,” she said.China has already made some investments
including in Manchester airport, from which Xi willdepart on Friday after a visit to Manchester Cityfootball club. Reflecting Britain’s needs in the area,finance minister George Osborne during a recentvisit to China announced a giant tender for a high-speed train line linking London to northernEngland. The burgeoning relations are controver-sial for some, with The Economist magazine sayingBritain was “sleepwalking” into relations with China,while the Daily Telegraph newspaper said therewas “an awful lot of kowtowing to Chinese sensitiv-ities and interests”.
The criticism has done little to dissuade busi-ness. In the property market, three years after buy-ing the London headquarters of Deutsche Bank,China is eyeing the ongoing boom and the high-light of the visit in business terms could be a dealbetween French company EDF and its Chinesepartners to build a new nuclear power plant atHinkley Point in southwest Britain.—AFP
Business ties herald ‘golden
era’ as China’s Xi visits UK
China is investing more in Britain than other EU countries
KUWAIT: Member of the Board ofDirectors of the Kuwait Chamber ofCommerce and Industry (KCCI) Osama Al-Nisf yesterday said that the Chamber islooking forward to further boost trade andeconomic cooperation with the Republic ofFrance in various fields.
Al-Nisf, who heads the Chamber’s dele-gation accompanying His Highness thePrime Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah for his upcoming visit toFrance today, told KUNA in a statementthat His Highness the Prime Minister’s visitaims to explore the investment opportuni-ties available in France and find new part-nerships between the business owners.
The visit also aims to attract a number ofFrench companies to contribute to thedevelopment plan’s projects adopted byKuwait’s government and to benefit fromthe French experience in this area, Al-Nisfadded.
Several meetings will be held at the eco-
nomic level with several important Frenchentities especially the French BusinessConfederation (MEDEF), one of the largesteconomic entities in Paris, he said.
The Kuwaiti delegation will also focuson highlighting the advantages of invest-ing in the infrastructure projects in Kuwait,which require attracting many internation-al companies to participate in its imple-mentation, Al-Nisf added.
An overview will be given to the Frenchside on the most important legislation theGovernment is adopting to lure foreigninvestment, especially with the remarkableprogress in the construction of Mubarak Al-Kabeer new port, which will brighten thefuture of the trade in the Gulf region.
The Volume of trade exchange betweenKuwait and France reached about USD 2.250 billion by the end of 2014. Kuwait’sexports to France reached USD 750 millionwhile Kuwait ’s imports from Francereached about USD 500 million. —KUNA
KCCI to boost trade, economic
cooperation with France
Deutsche Bank to
restructure divisions
BERLIN: Germany’s biggest bank,Deutsche Bank AG, said yesterday that itis restructuring its divisions and makingchanges to its management structure inan effort to streamline its business. Thebank’s corporate banking and securitiesdivision will be split in two, and its assetand wealth management division alsowill be divided into separate units.
The company’s management struc-ture also will be overhauled. It will scrapits group executive committee, a bodythat includes the bank’s top executivesas well as regional and other representa-tives, and slightly expand its manage-ment board. In addition, it will abolish 10of the current 16 management boardcommittees, and several top managerswill shift positions or leave.
Deutsche Bank said the aim is “to
reduce complexity of the bank’s man-agement structure, enabling it to bettermeet client demands and requirementsof supervisory authorities.” The decisionat a supervisory board meeting is the lat-est shake-up following the arrival of newco-chief executive John Cryan, who tookover July 1 after co-CEOs Anshu Jain andJuergen Fitschen announced they wereleaving.
Fitschen will remain until May 2016,after which Cryan is to become sole CEO.In recent years, Deutsche Bank has strug-gled to get over legal issues dating backyears and has seen disappointing profits.Earlier this month, the bank announcedthat it expects to report a third-quarternet loss of 6.2 billion euros ($7 billion)because of a combination of write-downs and litigation costs. —AP
FRANKFURT: The headquarters of Germany’s biggest lender Deutsche Bank are pic-tured on June 9, 2015 in Frankfurt am Main, western Germany. Scandal-plaguedDeutsche Bank announced yesterday a sweeping business and management shake-up that would “fundamentally change” its leadership structure. — AFP
DUBAI: Commercial Bank of Qatar (CBQ), theGulf Arab state’s second-largest lender byassets, reported a 43 percent drop in third-quar-ter net profit yesterday, blaming the weakerperformance of its unit in the United ArabEmirates.
It is the third Qatari bank to report results sofar this earnings season and the first to missanalyst expectations. In contrast, Qatar NationalBank and Qatar Islamic Bank have already deliv-ered estimate-beating results.
CBQ made a net profit of 275.9 million riyals($75.78 million) in the three months to Sept. 30versus 486.5 million riyals in the same period oflast year, according to financial statements laterpublished by the bank. In an earlier version ofthis story, Reuters calculated the quarterly fig-ure based on the bank’s previous financial fil-ings as CBQ had not immediately provided abreakdown for the third quarter.
Five analysts polled by Reuters had forecaston average CBQ’s quarterly profit would be495.4 million riyals. The bank made a net profitof 1.34 billion riyals in the first nine months of2015, down by 13.7 percent from a year earlier,the filing said.
“Commercial Bank’s UAE associate partnerUnited Arab Bank has experienced difficult mar-ket conditions resulting in prudent provisioningduring the period, which has affected our net
profit,” said Hussain Alfardan, CBQ’s vice chair-man and managing director.
United Arab Bank, in which CBQ holds a 40percent stake, last week reported an 85 percentdrop in net profit for the first nine months, com-pared with the same period of last year, blaminga large jump in provisioning.
The results suggested that some smallerbanks in the Gulf Arab region could be feelingthe strain of tighter liquidity and declining assetquality as a result of low oil prices.
Still, CBQ’s units in Oman and Turkey per-formed better. National Bank of Oman reporteda 6.6 percent rise in third-quarter net profit to14.93 million rials ($38.78 million), according toReuters’ calculations.
Over the nine-month period, Alternatifbankdelivered an 18.4 percent rise in nine-month netprofit to 116 million lira ($40.13 million).
Credit growth in Qatar has been one of themain drivers of expansion for banks in recentyears as the government spends ahead of host-ing the soccer World Cup in 2022.
But CBQ’s rate of loan expansion slowed to3.8 percent year on year, with total lendingstanding at 73.4 billion riyals at Sept. 30. It hadbeen 4.6 percent at the end of the second quar-ter of 2015. Deposits climbed by 10.3 percentyear on year to 64.1 billion riyals at Sept. 30, butwere flat to the end of June this year. —Reuters
Qatari bank CBQ misses
forecasts as Q3 profit drops
B U S I N E S SMONDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2015
By Sajeev K Peter
KUWAIT: The airline industry in the Gulfregion is witnessing a robust growth ofaround 14 percent today, which isstronger than Europe or the US, and theKuwait market is an important part ofthat growth story, said SudhirSreedharan, flydubai’s Senior VicePresident, Commercial Operations(Indian subcontinent, GCC and Africa).Talking to Kuwait Times in an exclusiveinterview, Sreedharan said the Kuwaitmarket is a significant part of flydubai’sgrowth strategy as it expands its foot-print in the region.
Sreedharan was in Kuwait to attend amall promotion roadshow organized byflydubai at Avenues Mall from Oct 14-17. Speaking at length about flydubai’sgrowth and expansion since it startedoperations as a Dubai-based airline in2009, Sreedharan elaborated on theimportance of the Kuwait market to theairline.
“flydubai’s advent into Kuwait is oneof the most robust stories that we havein the GCC. We started operations toKuwait in 2010 with two flights a day,and in less than five years’ time, we havegrown to 12 flights a day. This wouldnot have been possible without thesupport of the Kuwaiti authorities andthe people,” said Sreedharan.
On the launch of the Sheikh Saad ter-minal in 2013, he said, “we took flydubaiservice to a new level with the launch ofthis dedicated terminal. Today, a pas-senger takes less than five minutes tocome out of the aircraft at Sheikh Saadterminal and get into a taxi. So the serv-ice and seamlessness that we guaranteeonboard and on ground to Kuwait cus-tomers has gone to a whole new level.
The exclusivity and the seamlessness ofSheikh Saad terminal is a fantastic story,”he said.
Kuwait market“The Gulf region is growing more
strongly than Europe or the US today,”he said, quoting the latest Carper reporton the aviation industry. “Growth in thismarket is about 13 to 14 percent, whichis the strongest at the moment andKuwait is an important part of thatgrowth. If we look at our numbers forthe first half of 2015 compared to thesame period last year, we have grownabout 22 percent,” he said.
According to Sreedharan, Kuwaititravelers are extremely discerning andvery adventurous. Unlike the usual GCCtravel which is predominantly point-to-point, Kuwaiti customers opt to travel topreviously underserved markets. “Of the98 cities that we fly into today, 67 ofthem were previously underserved fromDubai. The amount of Kuwaitis travel-ling to these 67 destinations is a storythat is quite commendable,” he pointedout.
Kuwait is not only growing homoge-nously as Kuwaitis continue to travel toDubai, but they also venture out to testnew markets such as Eastern Europeancities. This expansion of footprin allowsus to invest and grow in this market,” hesaid.
From 2010 till date, flydubai has car-ried around 2.8 million passengers in anout of Kuwait. “This number endorsesthe fact that we fly 12 flights a day fromKuwait. We would want customers tothink of us the moment they think ofDubai. They could go to the airport,park the car, buy the ticket and practi-cally take off. That is how the whole
travel arena is evolving today. That iswhere our space of growth is as com-pared to any other legacy carrier. Peoplecontinue to believe in us and we remaina popular airline,” he explained.
Fleet expansionOver the last six years, flydubai has
built up a fleet of 49 new aircraft andwill take delivery of more than 100 air-craft by the end of 2023, all of which willbe Boeing 737-800s. “We took deliveryof 15 Boeing 737-800s we ordered in2008. In 2013, flydubai ordered another111 aircraft including the new Boeing737-800 max. Next year, we will takedelivery of eight more aircraft and willlaunch eight to 10 new destinations. Bythe end of 2016, we are looking at a net-work of 100-110 destinations with 58aircraft,” Sreedharan said. flydubai hascreated a network of more than 95 des-
tinations in 45 countries, with 18 newroutes announced in 2015.
The airline has opened up 67 newroutes that did not previously havedirect air links to Dubai or were notserved by a UAE national carrier fromDubai. It has a workforce of more than3,000 employees from 111 nationalitiesand operates an average of 1,600 flightsa week.
“Complementing this growth is theopening of a new hub at Dubai airport.We will start operations from DubaiWorld Centre (DWC) starting with thewinter schedule this year and operate70 flights a week. Along with twoKuwait flights daily, we will also operateflights from DWC to Doha, Bahrain,Muscat, Beirut, Amman, Chittagong andKathmandu. Customers from Kuwait willhave the ability to go to central Dubaior Jebel Ali or south of Dubai which iswhere the next phase of development istaking place today,” he informed.
Business class“We see it as a plausible and solid
case to launch business class in ourflights. Of the 98 cities we will serve bythe end of this year, 67 of the cities werepreviously underserved. From thosecities to Dubai, there was either noproduct or the product was not of theright quality or not affordable, and tothose cities, business class is definitelythe only option for business travelerswho wish to come to Dubai,” he said,explaining the rationale behind launch-ing a business class on flydubai.
“In the existing network where wehave a competition in business class, wefind that there is a profile of customerswho want to see differently and to beseated differently. And we have been
able to deliver the service the way theywant. Not only we deliver it as a prod-uct, but we have been able to ensurethat we get the customers to endorse it,”he said.
flydubai launched its business classin 2013 with 162 seats in economy classand 12 in business class. According toSreedharan, the Boeing 737-800 is themost successful and sturdy plane everbuilt by Boeing, which is also very fuelefficient.
Oil price scenarioTalking about the fuel price drop and
its possible impact on airfares, he said:“It is a double-edged sword.” For air-lines, a drop in fuel prices is positivebecause fuel accounts for about 30 per-cent of the operating costs. “But aver-age airfares have come under pressurenow. So the right revenue per seat thatshould have been complemented bythe oil price drop is not exactly there,”he explained.
“The fuel price drop has helped fly-dubai in its overall positioning in theindustry. Our customer base continuesto grow,” he said. “We see fuel pricesremain suppressed in 2016. But moreimportantly, our focus is to ensure thatin each market, our guests get the rightprice. We remain in that affordable seg-ment and continue to stimulate profit,”he added.
“Fares are the reflection of the mar-ket irrespective of the fuel costs. Faresdo not go up just because fuel prices goup or vice versa. We, being a part of thismarket, have to ensure that fares are inline with what the market can affordand in line with our business policy ofensuring an affordable stimulatory fare,”he concluded.
Sudhir Sreedharan during the interview
Sudhir Sreedharan with flydubai team at its stand at Avenues Mall, Kuwait. flydubai business class
Airline industry in Gulf sees robust growth, flydubai expands footprint
KUWAIT: Oil price weakness continued during September-15 asinvestors watched US rate hike decision that remainedunchanged after the Fed meeting. However, the drop in averageoil prices during the month was one of the smallest, as seen dur-ing the last four months, as prices remained largely range-boundthroughout the month only to pickup in October-15.
The oil price rebound during the first week of October-15came on the back of news that OPEC and non-OPEC oil marketmajors (mainly Russia and Venezuela) are mulling on collaborat-ing to deal with the oil price rout. However, Russia ruled out anysuch collaboration and stated its inability to cut oil production.Oil market, which shrugged constructive data from strongEuropean equities and stronger base metals, took minimal sup-port from the continued decline in oil rig count in the US.According to Baker Hughes, active oil rigs declined for the sev-enth straight week by 10 to 595 during the week ending 16-October-2015, the lowest level in more than five years.
However, dampening the aforementioned upbeat senti-ments, trade data released during the second week of October-15 by China reported an 11th straight month of drop in exports.Further, pricing data also showed that deflationary pressure isgaining pace as consumer inflation slowed more than expectedin September and producer prices fell for the 43rd month.According to the trade data, China’s USD-denominated exportsdeclined by 3.7% in September-15 as compared to the previousyear, while imports plunged 20.4%. Although the decline inexports was less than expected, the sharper fall in imports sentout a net negative indication about the health of the world’s sec-ond largest economy. Further pressure came from the monthlyInternational Energy Agency (IEA) report that forecasted a slow-down in global oil demand growth to 1.2 mb/d in 2016 from 1.8mb/d in 2015. The forecaster said that the effects of lower oilprices on demand growth would eventually fade with Iran enter-ing the market which would keep the market oversupplied in2016. The IEA report also highlighted the impact of a slowdownin economic activity in countries dependent on commodity rev-enues. Moreover, the latest weekly report from the EIA showedhigher crude supplies whereas an API report showed that crudeinventories jumped during the week.
OPEC oil price continued to decline right since the start ofSeptember-15 and averaged at 44.83/b during the month. Themonth-on-month decline in average OPEC oil price stood at oneof the smallest in over four months at 1.4% as compared to 16.1%during August-15. Price improvement continued in October-15as the positive trend during the first week of October-15 pushedaverage oil prices to USD 46.55/b. Kuwait Blend Spot Price FOBalso declined during the month and averaged at USD 44.0/b.
Oil Prices After multiple sessions of positive price trend during the first
week of October-15, oil prices once again trended downward
after several reports pointed out to the increase crude oil inven-tory in the US in addition to a fall in oil demand growth in 2016.The weekly report from the US EIA pointed to an increase of 7.6Mn barrels of crude supplies for the week ended 9-October-15resulting in a total amount of oil in commercial storage to a 80-year-plus seasonal high of 468.6 Mn barrels. The jump in crudeinventory came on the back of a fall in refinery utilization that slidto 86% of capacity from 87.5% a week earlier due to the indus-try’s fall maintenance season. However, the report also showedthat the weekly total oil production in the US fell 76 tb/d toapproximately 9.1 mb/d. Another weekly report from the APIshowed a much higher than expected inventory build of 9.3 Mnbarrels in the US. Data related to oil rig count in the US thatshowed a decline for the seventh consecutive week could pro-vide only a temporary support to oil prices during October-15.Moreover, Russia’s clarification that it is not joining hands withOPEC members to manage oil prices also pushed oil prices lower.A report from IEA showed that the agency expects a sharpdecline in oil demand growth, which is expected to be at thestrongest level in over a decade in 2015 at 1.8 mb/d to 94.5 mb/d,as the benefits of lower prices are declining and as economicactivity weakened in countries dependent on commodity rev-enues. Moreover, the agency also expects that the increase in oiloutput from Iran would overshadow the decline in oil output inthe US. OPEC oil price continued to decline right since the startof September-15 and averaged at 44.83/b during the month. Themonth-on-month decline in average OPEC oil price stood at oneof the smallest in over four months at 1.4% as compared to 16.1%during August-15. However, the trend reversed as the positivetrend during the first week of October-15 pushed average oilprices to USD 46.55/b. Kuwait Blend Spot Price FOB also declinedfor the fourth consecutive month and averaged at USD 44.0/bduring September-15, a decline of 2.9% as compared to the pre-vious month’s average.
World Oil Demand World oil demand growth for 2016 was revised slightly down-
ward for the second time by 40 tb/d to 1.25 mb/d resulting in aconsumption of 94.11 mb/d primarily reflecting the higher base-line effect in OECD Americas. A higher-than-expected gasolineconsumption, especially in 2H15, has set a high baseline for 2016consumption. Oil demand for the remainder of 2015 and 2016 inthe US is expected to be determined primarily by gasoline usagein the road transportation sector and fuel price levels. Meanwhile,OECD Europe is expected to show a marginal fall in oil demand in2016 once again due to the high baseline effect although the lowoil price environment is expected to provide economic benefits.On the other hand, downside risks continue to be linked to fuelsubstitution risk and vehicle efficiencies in advanced economies.
Total world oil demand for 2015 was revised upward for thethird consecutive time in OPEC’s October-15 monthly report.
KUWAIT: Joyalukkas, the world’s favourite jeweller,has announced their festive campaign for Diwali - thecelebration of light. This festive season, Joyalukkas isoffering an incredible chance to win upto 30 kg Goldand other exciting offers across GCC, Singapore &Malaysia showrooms so that every shopper feels likea winner. “This Diwali we have planned exciting offersfor the customers. Wherein the customers get achance to win upto 30 kg Gold, a whopping & 50%off on Diamond & Polki Jewellery so that every jew-ellery lover feels like a winner shopping at our show-room,” said Joy Alukkas, Chairman & MD, JoyalukkasGroup.
This festive season, Joyalukkas is offering anopportunity to their customers to win 30kg of gold in30 days. The customers who buy gold or diamondjewellery worth KD 40 get a chance to enter the raffledraws and win up to 30kg of gold during this festiveseason. The offer for the festive period starting 15thOctober 2015 also includes 50% off on diamond &polki jewellery. Joyalukkas is also waving off makingcharges on 22K gold 8gm Gold Coins during the fes-tive period.
“We extend warm greetings to all during this fes-tive period and hope our celebratory offers helpmake their celebrations more enjoyable and memo-rable. Our offers are tailored to make all our cus-tomers feel special and like a winner during the fes-tive period of Diwali- the celebration of light,” saidJohn Paul Joy Alukkas, Executive Director, JoyalukkasGroup.
Joyalukkas has also launched special Diwali collec-tions in Diamond, Polki & Pearl Jewellery to com-memorate the celebration period. All Joyalukkasshowrooms have added various festive designs whichhave been created by renowned craftsmen to meetthe demands and need of all jewellery lovers shop-ping during this period.
Win upto 30 kg gold at Joyalukkas this Diwali
IEA forecasts slowdown in global oil demand growth
KAMCO’s Oil Market Monthly Report According to the report, OPEC expects world oil demand to growby an additional 40 tb/d on the back of better-than-expectedperformance from OECD Americas, Europe, Other Asia and Chinaduring the third quarter of 2015. As a result, 2015 world oildemand is expected to grow by a total 1.50 mb/d from the 2014level to average around 92.86 mb/d. In the US, monthly data forJuly-15 showed strong growth in oil demand of around 4% ascompared to previous year or 0.7 mb/d on the back of highergasoline demand further supported by higher demand for jetfuel owing to the traditional holiday season. Oil demand inEurope also remained strong and increased by 0.3 mb/d inAugust-15 as compared to the previous year on the back of apositive demand growth in a majority of the countries. Oildemand for the first eight months of the year in the European Big4 increase by 1.7% year-on-year or 0.11 mb/d to 6.70 mb/d led byhigher demand for diesel, jet fuel, LPG and residual fuel oilwhereas gasoline demand remained flat. In the Asia Pacificregion, oil demand in Japan in August-15 rose for the first timeQ1-14 by almost 0.12 mb/d to 3.53 mb/d. Elsewhere, in India oildemand increased by 7% or 0.24 tb/d year-on-year in August-15to 3.62 mb/d.
Kuwait key to flydubai’s growth story
B U S I N E S SMONDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2015
KUWAIT: Al-Mazaya Holding achieved a net profit of KD6.73m till the end of the third quarter 2015, comparedto KD 5.662m in the corresponding period in 2014 rep-resenting an increase of 18.8%. The profit is equivalentto 10.86fils per share compared to 9.14fils per share inthe corresponding period in 2014.
Speaking after an October 13 board meeting,Mazaya Group CEO Eng. Ibrahim Al Soqabi said: “AlMazaya Holding has achieved strong results in the firstnine months of the year by focusing on increasing salesand ensuring sale and leasing activities met deliveryschedules. Occupancy rates in revenue-generating proj-ects were also increased.
“Operating revenues increased by 154.7%, amount-
ing to KD 38.97m by the end of Q3, 2015, compared toKD 15.30m for the same period in 2014”.
Al Soqabi stressed that the improved revenues weredue to strong marketing and sales campaigns.Revenues generated from sales increased by 214.3% toKD34.23m, compared to KD 10.89m in 2014 and rev-enues generated from leasing increased by 20.4% to KD4.67m, compared to KD 3.88m in 2014.
Commenting on the operating activities of Al-Mazaya, Al Soqabi said: “The Company continued toachieve higher occupancy rates in its income-generat-ing projects, such as Sky Gardens located in DubaiFinancial Centre, which is 95% occupied. Similarly, Al-Mazaya Towers (3 towers) in Kuwait are 100% occupied.
Other Al-Mazaya projects in GCC countries are also100% occupied. Al Mazayaachieved high sales in thefirst nine months of 2015, including Al-Mazaya BusinessAvenue, the final phase of the Villa Residential projectand a significant portion of Queue Point project inDubai (3,131 residential apartment were developed;83% of which are sold).
Financial statements With regard to the Al Mazaya’s financial position at
the end of Q3, Al Soqabi said: “Al-Mazaya continuedgrowth in its operational performance in the first ninemonths of the year, achieving net profits in line withwell formulated targets”. He added gross assets totaled
to KD 263.85m by the end of Q3, 2015 andShareholders’ equity amounted to KD 107.36m.
Al Soqabi elaborated on the company’s fiveyear credit plan: “Al-Mazaya has successfullyaccomplished its smart objectives for 2015 oftransforming all loans into Islamic financing, con-cluding two Islamic facilities with a Kuwaiti bankamounting to KD25m. As a result, the companyhas significant investment funds available for newventures. All Mazaya borrowing is now Sharia-compliant.”
“Mazaya is in a strong financial position com-pared to many of the region’s similar companies,a position that is strengthened by the decision toconvert all short-term borrowing to medium-to-long-term borrowing, reducing finance cost pay-ments.”
Q3 accomplishments Al Soqabi said Mazaya’s major achievements
in the first nine months of 2015 included: * Acquisition of a commercial tower in Riyadh
through a subsidiary company. The tower is situ-ated on a 2160m≤ parcel of land in the Al-Oliaarea. The tower was acquired for SR130m and isnow 100% occupied, with an annual investmentyield of up to 9%.
* Increased promotion campaigns andimproved sales of the Ritim Istanbul development(joint venture project with Dumankaya Real-Estate) and Queue Point Dubai.
* The completion of the Logistics ServicesProject in Bahrain, culminating in a spectacularceremony attended by press, media and busi-nessmen. The current occupancy rate is 35%.
* The completion of architectural drawingsand application for license for a medical facility inSabah Al-Salem, Kuwait, spanning 2,000 m≤.Preparation for construction is underway.
* The completion of 80% of designs for the Al-Mazaya Residence project in Al-Mawaleh, Muscat,covering an area of ??23,193 m≤. Al-Mazaya has
recently divided the development into three sec-tors equally allocated for sale and leasing.
* Al-Mazaya contracted a renowned companyin Dubai to construct the Queue Line project,scheduled for completion in 2017.
* Al-Mazaya boosted income generated fromexisting fully occupied projects by renewing leasecontracts and increasing rates to reflect the quali-ty services provided by the PropertyManagement Department.
* Through one of its subsidiaries, Al-Mazayapurchased a land located in Sharq area in Kuwaitcity worth KD8m.
Al Soqabi concluded by stating that Al-Mazaya is considering numerous investmentopportunities, mainly within the stable growthmarkets of the GCC and Turkey. As Mazayaevolves in these markets, it is expected the com-pany will increasingly enter strategic partnershipsto deliver improved value to shareholders.
Al-Mazaya Holdings achieves 154.7% increase in operating revenues
Ibrahim Al Soqabi
KUWAIT: Earlier this month, the IMF cut itsglobal growth outlook for 2015 for thesecond time this year. The world annualgrowth forecast for 2015 was reduced by20 basis points (bps) in each of the Juneand October updates, from 3.5% in Aprilto 3.1%. Three major factors are behindthe downward revisions: first, the Chineseslowdown; second, the fall in commodityprices, which has intensified this yearacross most types of goods; and third, theimpending normalization of US monetarypolicy, which is taking longer than initiallyexpected as the Federal Reserve remainsconcerned about domestic and externalheadwinds. The IMF also lowered its 2016global growth forecast by 20bps, but stillhigher than 2015 at 3.6%.
At the regional level, two markets wit-nessed substantial reductions in their out-looks since the April update: Latin Americaand the Caribbean, by more than one per-centage point for both 2015 and 2016respectively, and Sub-Saharan Africa, by70bps and 80bps. The slip in commodityprices has had a large impact on these tworegions through the export channel. The
headline growth of emerging economieswas also downgraded, by 30bps for 2015and 20bps for 2016. Emerging Asia andthe Middle East and North Africa (MENA)regions witnessed the smallest cutsamong developing economies for 2015,by 10bps, and no downgrade at all for2016. This is in part due to their large fiscalbuffers.
The IMF projects the Gulf to deceleratein 2015, and more sharply in 2016, to lessthan 3% for the first time in fifteen years(excluding 2009). For this year, the UAEand Bahrain are the only countries expect-ed to soften in the region, by more than 1percentage point each, while next year’sbiggest losers are Saudi Arabia and Oman,by around the same magnitude. The onlycountry in the region projected to addmore than one percentage point in 2015and 2016 is Kuwait, by a total of 2.4 addi-tional percentage points. However, this ismostly because the IMF estimates growthto have stalled 0.1% YoY in 2014. Estimatesof Kuwait’s 2014 GDP growth contrastwidely between forecasters, with BMI at2.7%, Oxford Economics at 1.4% and NBK
at -1.6%. The government has had toreduce fiscal spending levels, but its cur-rent account surplus is still leading the restof the region by a wide margin.
IMF projectsThe only other region forecasted to
slow in 2016 is emerging Asia. China,which makes up more than two thirds ofthe bloc’s output, is on an ongoing decel-eration, dragging down the headline fig-ure. China is having a profound effect onthe rest of the region through the trade,investment and financial channels, withonly Thailand and Singapore expected toaccelerate this year, but the IMF projectsmost of them to recover in 2016. Apartfrom China, only Malaysia is projected todecelerate next year, mainly due to theeconomy’s dependence on oil. AlthoughAsia is forecasted to decelerate from 6.8%in 2014 to 6.5% in 2015 and 6.4% in 2016,the bloc is expected to gain a greatershare of the world’s output in nominalterms. In fact, the 250bps increase in glob-al share, to 21.9%, is the largest on record -the second largest was in 2009, by 170bps.
The sharp surge in the net commodityimporter’s global share is a direct result ofthe stronger impact the commodity rout ishaving on leading exporters.
Overall, the IMF might be too opti-mistic. Historically, the IMF’s projectionsare too high, particularly on the subse-quent year. In our view, various factorssuggest more global growth sluggishnessahead. The weakening recovery inadvanced economies will lead to greaterpolicy uncertainty, which may furtherdestabilize financial markets and emerg-ing economies. Moreover, the Chineseeconomy will continue to decelerate in2016, further dampening the commoditymarket and as a result hurting commodityexporters. Although Asia will deceleratenext year, the continent will continue tooutperform other emerging markets, gain-ing a greater share of the world economy,mainly due to the its diversified economicstructure and relatively larger fiscal andcapital buffers. Meanwhile, the Gulf ’sstrengthening relationship with Asia willhelp the Arab region avoid a similar fate asthe other commodity exporters.
B U S I N E S SMONDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2015
KUWAIT: The US Dollar Index dropped last week reach-ing a seven-week low of 93.80, due to mounting expec-tations that the FED will refrain from raising interestrates any time soon. Top Fed officials appear to be atodds on whether to tighten monetary policy. Earlier lastweek, Governors’ Brainard and Tarullo argued againstraising interest rates, while Dudley, President of the NewYork Fed, said the Fed would raise rates by yearend. Fornow, interest rate futures indicate that most traders donot see any rate increases this year, and about halfbelieve the central bank may have to wait beyondMarch next year.
The Euro currency started the week at 1.1354 thenmoved sharply higher to 1.1495 as expectations thatthe Federal Reserve will delay hiking interest rates untilearly next year continued to pressure the greenbacklower. However, the currency turned lower against thedollar by the end of the week, retreating from its seven-week highs after European Central Bank policymakerNowotny said the Euro Zone needed fresh measures tobolster price growth. The Euro ended the week at1.1346. The Sterling Pound opened the week at 1.5318,to drop to a low of 1.5198. The weakness came on theback of the inflation report indicating that the UnitedKingdom fell back into negative inflation in Septemberdampening expectations for higher interest rates fromthe Bank of England. Later in the week, the currencyregained strength and rallied sharply against the USDollar reaching a high 1.5508 as the job report datashowed that the UK unemployment rate fell to a newseven-year low and wage growth continued to outpaceinflation.
The Japanese Yen opened the week at 119.80against the US Dollar. The USD/JPY dropped to 118.04,its lowest level in two-month as the dollar remainedunder pressure after data showed that the annual rateof inflation in China slowed to 1.6% in September, from2.0% in August, compared to forecasts of 1.8%. The Yenclosed the week at 119.42. On the commodities side, oilfell the most in six weeks as signs of the rising demandin China countered the increase in OPEC production.After rising above the 50$ by the end of last week, crudeprices could not sustain gains amid speculation themarket could remain oversupplied through 2016. Crudeoil closed for the week at 47.26$.
US inflation drops sharply United States consumer prices recorded their largest
fall in eight months in September as the cost of oildropped. The Labor Department said last week, itsConsumer Price Index fell 0.2 % last month after slipping0.1% in August. However, the core CPI, which strips outfood and energy costs, rose 0.2 % after ticking up 0.1 %in August. Low inflation, which has persistently runbelow the Federal Reserve’s 2 % target, is a major hurdleto an interest rate hike this year.
Unemployment claims fell back to a 42-year low
The number of Americans filing new applications forunemployment benefits fell back to a 42-year low lastweek, suggesting the labor market remained strongdespite the slowdown in job growth in the past twomonths. Initial claims for state unemployment benefitsfell 7,000 to 255,000 for the week ended Oct. 10. It wasthe 32nd straight week that claims remained below the300,000 threshold, which is normally associated with astrengthening labor market.
Preliminary consumer sentiment improves
The University of Michigan said that consumer senti-ment rose to 92.1 from 87.2 in the preceding month.Analysts had expected consumer sentiment to rise to
89.0. Consumer sentiment climbed more than forecastin October as lower-income Americans projected wagegains will accelerate and falling energy alongside lowinterest rates would help them buy big-ticket items.
Fed manufacturing Index contracts
Manufacturing activity in the Philadelphia-regioncontracted for the second straight month in October,fueling concerns over the US economic outlook. In areport released this week, the Federal Reserve Bank ofPhiladelphia said that its manufacturing index improvedto -4.5 this month from September’s reading of -6.0.Analysts had expected the index to rise to -1.0 inOctober. For the second consecutive month, regionalmanufacturers reported declines in overall activity.However, most firms continued to expect growth overthe next six months.
Europe & UKUnited Kingdom Inflation drops to its lowest level
since March 1960United Kingdom inflation rates unexpectedly moved
back into negative territory last month to match April’sall-time low, after low-cost fuel and clothing pusheddown average prices. CPI dropped to an annual rate of -0.1 %, below economists’ expectations for it to holdunchanged at zero. The reading remains the lowestsince March 1960. Unlike policymakers in the Euro zoneand Japan, the Bank of England is relatively uncon-cerned about the risk of persistent price falls leading todeflation due to very strong consumer demand and ris-ing domestic wages. However, the weakness in inflationis likely to encourage the central bank to take its timebefore starting to raise interest rates from their recordlow. Last week, the Bank of England said it did notexpect inflation to reach 1 % until next spring, slightlylater than previously predicted.
UK unemployment rate falls to a 7-year low
United Kingdom unemployment fell to its lowestrate since mid-2008 in a sign that the labor market isenduring strains from the global economy. The joblessrate declined to 5.4 % between June and August from5.5 % in the previous three months. The three monthsincrease of people in the employment force rose by140,000, pushing the employment rate to 73.6%, thehighest since records began in 1971. The total earningsof workers, including bonuses, rose by 3.0%, slightlybelow analyst expectation of at 3.1%.
German ZEW economic indicator reached a one-year low
German ZEW Indicator of Economic Sentimentdropped in October, decreasing by 10.2 points com-pared to the previous month and reaching its lowestlevel in a year. ZEW President said, “The emissionsscandal at Volkswagen and sluggish growth inemerging markets are dampening the economic out-look for Germany. However, the positive domesticenvironment and recovering Euro zone made itunlikely that the German economy would slip intorecession.”
Euro Area Annual Inflationconfirmed at -0.1% in September
Annual inflation in the Euro zone turned negativein September due to sharply lower energy prices andmaintaining pressure on the ECB to increase its assetpurchases to boost prices. Eurostat said consumerprices in the 19 countries sharing the Euro fell by 0.1%in the year to September, dipping below zero for thefirst time since March. However, the core inflation thatexcludes the most volatile components ofunprocessed food and energy rose 0.8% year-on-year,slightly down from the previous reading of 0.9%.
Japan & ChinaBank of Japan Governor Kuroda SpeechIn Asia, Bank of Japan Governor Kuroda said last
Friday that consumer prices are rising more than 1%excluding food and energy prices, which indicatesthat the overall inflation trend is improving.
Kuroda also said domestic demand will strengthenas households and companies use their income toincrease spending. Kuroda’s suggested that he doesnot see the need to ease monetary policy, thoughsome economists have said the BOJ will change itsstance and expand its quantitative easing when itupdates its economic forecasts later this month.
China’s inflation Rates will continue to grow at aslower pace
China’s national Bureau of statistics said last weekthat consumer prices will continue to grow at a slowerpace in the coming months, amid investors’ concernsabout deflationary pressures in the economy. The con-sumer price index rose 1.6% in September from a yearearlier, lower than expectations of 1.8% and downfrom August’s 2.0%. Chinese manufacturers have con-tinued to cut selling prices to win business this year inthe face of persistently weak demand.
Dollar index drops
to a seven-week low
KUWAIT: Top Real Estate Group (TREG)announced that it has expanded its realestate investment business to recentlycover Toronto, Canada, which is consid-ered as a key world city with high andrapid growth rates.This step comes afterdiligent study of the real estate in theregion. The Group concluded that invest-ment in residential segment at certainlocations in Toronto will yield very highreturns. Through its real estate portfolioin partnership with a group of investors,the Group purchased a collection ofproperties and old buildings, which thegroup intends to renovate, redevelopand then resell in the local market ofCanada. The Group will then undertake
similar projects to reoffer the same forsale in countries where the Group hasoffices or agents, in particular Kuwait,Qatar and UK.
Deputy Managing Director, Marketingin Top Real Estate Group (TREG) and theGroup’s Country Manager in CanadaMohamed Waleed Al-Qadoumi said thatthis expansion initiative took place afterfinding requirements to do business innew markets and make investments instrong markets, which have normal sta-bility and growth. Toronto was specifical-ly selected due to being one of bestcities in Canada, which annually receivestens of thousands of new migrants inaddition to attracting a large number of
major investors. These factors makeinvestment in the residential real estatesegment viable and yield suitablereturns on investment. He added thatthe Group’s experience in this sectorenhances opportunities for success of itsportfolio to realize good returns for theinvestors. He said the Group is currentlyin the process of examining certain pro-posals offered to it to buy land in primelocations. The Group will procure licens-es for such lands for residential uses andredevelop the same. Al-Qadoumi indicat-ed that the Group agreed with relevantentities with experience in the real estatesector in Toronto to execute such proj-ects and ensure completion thereof on
timely basis and ultimately achieve feasi-ble returns for the portfolio.
Al-Qadoumi added that many eco-nomic and financial reports confirmedthat Toronto is one of the top worldcities that enjoy financial, political andeconomic stability with high growthrates. Toronto is one of safest investmentcities and has clear laws supportinginvestments and investors in differentsectors, particularly the real estate sec-tor. Al-Qadoumi indicated that over thelast two years, Toronto outperformedmany world cities in the sales of luxuryhomes. Toronto came on the top of list ofluxury home markets outmatching citieslike Sidney, Miami and San Francisco.
TREG expands its real estate investment business to Toronto
Mohamed Waleed Al-Qadoumi
NBK’s WEEKLY MONEY MARKET REPORT
Asia and Gulf less vulnerable
than other emerging markets
TOKYO: Stocking anything from shirts toface masks, 24-7 convenience stores havebecome an indispensable part ofJapanese daily life, with the sector nowworth more than Sri Lanka’s economy.Their secret? Constant renewal.
A staggering 1.5 billion people passthrough “konbini” stores-a Japaneseabbreviation of the English word conven-ience-every month, with some 55,000outlets throughout the country, includ-ing more than 7,000 in Tokyo alone.Competition is fierce, with two of itsbiggest players, Family Mart and UnyGroup, announcing days ago a merger tobattle market leader 7-Eleven for a big-ger slice of an industry that marketingnewspaper Nikkei MJ values at some 10trillion yen ($84 billion). That is comfort-ably more than the economic output ofsome entire nations, including Sri Lanka,Belarus and Azerbaijan.
“In our 40 years of experience, weunderstand that our purpose must be tooffer something new all the time,”explains Minoru Matsumoto, aspokesman for 7-Eleven, Japan’s largestchain with 18,000 stores. “Every time weextend what’s on offer, we are creating
new customers rather than taking awaycustomers from somewhere else.”Despite being so ubiquitous, the sectorhas yet to show any sign of reaching sat-uration point, with the number of shops-which are run on a franchise system-ris-ing five percent from the previous year in2014. According to the Japan FranchiseAssociation (JFA), the average Japaneseperson visits a konbini store 11 times amonth and the average outlet servesaround 1,000 customers a day.
While such stores are common acrossAsia, experts say the key to their successin Japan is their finely tuned supplychains that can monitor stock down to asingle toothbrush, allowing them to sellan unparallelled array of goods.
Home from home As well as the usual drinks and snacks,
visitors in konbini are confronted with asmorgasbord of useful items such ashygiene products, batteries, umbrellas,face masks, memory cards and phonechargers. Complex logistics softwarekeeps track of things like demographics,weather and the school holidays to pre-dict what each store will need more of at
a given times. “If there’s a school feast dayin the vicinity of a konbini... we will knowwe need to have more onigiri (stuffedrice balls),” said Matsumoto. And in awork-oriented culture like Japan, whereemployees spend some of the longesthours in the world in the office, they alsooffer a home away from home.
Konbinis act as a sort of 24-houradministration centre, where customerscan obtain official certificates, photocopyand fax documents, pay bills, withdrawcash and book tickets.
You can get your mail and internetdelivery items sent to the store-and evenbuy a fresh shirt in the event of anyunsightly workplace accidents. Konbinistores continually adapt “to catch newcustomers, like the growing number ofworking mothers and old people,” saidTomomi Nagai, a senior analyst for TorayCorporate Business Research.
In a recent report, she estimated 70percent of items they offer are renewedor repackaged each year.
‘Strategy of domination’ Smaller mom and pop stores have
been struggling to survive in the face of
such flexibility, and even the big corpo-rate giants are having to adapt. Chainslike McDonalds and Starbucks havefound themselves having to review theirown menus and prices to retain cus-tomers, after some konbini stores beganoffering fries and coffee.
“We apply a strategy of domination,”said Matsumoto. “Even if we have a 7-Eleven on a crossroad, a second is entire-ly justified as we might be missing out oncustomers on the other side of the road.”At the same time, the konbini chainsthemselves are all in fierce competitionwith each other. “We felt it necessary tocreate a larger distribution group to stayin the competition,” FamilyMart and Unygroup said in a statement announcingtheir merger plans Thursday.
One of the secrets behind konbinis’success is the way the stores arerestocked-a streamlined, round-the-clockeffort. Most shops have no backroomstorage. Instead, computers keep a trackof every item sold, allowing logistic cen-tres to dispatch exactly the right numberof replacements. A delivery truck mightbring something as precise as a singletoothbrush or pack of toilet roll. — AFP
YOKOHAMA: This picture taken on October 17, 2015 shows pedestrians walking pasta store of Japan’s third largest convenience chain, FamilyMart, in Yokohama, subur-ban Tokyo. Stocking anything from shirts to face masks, 24-7 convenience storeshave become an indispensable part of Japanese daily life, with the sector now worthmore than Sri Lanka’s economy. Their secret? Constant renewal. — AFP
ASIYA CAPITAL INVESTMENTS COMPANY REPORT
Japan’s ‘konbini’ stores, open and stocked round the clock
B U S I N E S SMONDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2015
KUWAIT: Alghanim Industriesannounced the expansion of its con-sumer electronics retail business, andinsulation manufacturing business in
Saudi Arabia. A leading destination formulti-brand consumer electronics, X-citeis a critical part of the AlghanimIndustries portfolio of companies and a
fast-growing electronics brand. The open-ing was marked with a celebration hostedby the Council of Saudi Chambers.
Kutayba Yusuf Alghanim, Chairman ofAlghanim Industries commented saying:“We appreciate the support from theKingdom of Saudi Arabia and look for-ward to creating jobs and delivering highquality products and services to Saudi cit-izens for many years to come.”
The new showroom, located at KingAbdullah Road, is a one-stop shop forconsumers who are looking for a range ofproducts from mobile phones to televi-sions to major appliances. It is also thefirst step in a wider expansion in KSA,with a second X-cite showroom expectedto open later this year.
“Our goal is simple: give our cus-
tomers a world-class electronics retailexperience,” said Omar KutaybaAlghanim, Chief Executive Officer,Alghanim Industries.”We never lose sightof our customers, and we are committedto serving their needs at every turn. Wearethrilled to serve the people of SaudiArabia and look forward to many years ofsuccess in Riyadh.”
New stone wool factory under construction in Yanbu
Alghanim Industries has a joint ven-ture with Saint-Gobain, having createdthe Saudi International InsulationManufacturing Company (SIIMCO). TheSIIMCO factory, owned equally byAlghanim Industries and Saint-Gobain,will produce stone wool insulation prod-
ucts with exceptional fire protection,thermal and acoustic properties, such asslabs, rolls, stitched mats and pre-formedpipe sections that will be sold across theregion. The factory will start operating inthe first quarter of 2016. It is noteworthythat this is Alghanim Industries’ secondjoint venture with Saint-Gobain, the firstbeing IZOCAM - Turkey’s leading insula-tion company, which celebrated its 50year anniversary earlier this year.
Growth on the horizonAlghanim Industries is also currently
working on expanding more of its brandsinto KSA. The company continues to eval-uate and assess growth opportunities inthe Kingdom and in the greater MENAregion.
First X-cite store opens in RiyadhAlghanim Industries continues expansion in Saudi
The new X-cite store in Riyadh.
Chariman of Alghanim IndustriesKutayba Yusuf Alghanim.
Omar Kutayba Alghanim shaking hands with Pierre-Andre de Chalendar,Chairman and CEO of Saint-Gobain.
Omar Kutayba Alghanim speaking during X-cite Riyadh Opening.
The panelist at the discussion
Cityscape provide insights on Kuwait,
Regional Real Estate businessKUWAIT: In the presence of elitedecision makers, developers,investors and key stakeholders ofthe real estate market, and for thefirst time in Kuwait, Cityscape host-ed a Business Breakfast at JWMarriott Hotel in Kuwait City. In anintimate environment, the panel ofexperts provided key insights intothe industry by discussing anddebating local and global realestate with a focus on investmenttrends. The event presented a per-fect platform to build new businessrelationships and network with topreal estate market influencers,experts and leading real estateinvestment and developmentindustry insiders.
As a preview to the upcomingpremier real estate investment anddevelopment event - CityscapeKuwait, being held on December 9-11 - this exclusive event introducedsome of the most importantthemes that will take place duringthe exhibition at the KuwaitInternational Fairgrounds inMishref.
The various high-profile discus-sions centered on possible changesto the economic framework of theGCC states due to natural resourceinstabilities, while stressing realestate will play a significant role inlong-term economical sustainabili-ty with the region.
“In analyzing the real estatemarket in Kuwait, it is important tobroaden the landscape to include aglobal scope. Historically, Kuwaiticitizens and residents have pio-neered overseas property invest-ments by setting the trends for realestate hotspots. By discussing thecurrent state of the Kuwaiti realestate market, there is also a needto expand the topic to covertransnational areas which have typ-ically been points of attraction forKuwait-based investors,” saidAhmed Zakaria, ExhibitionManagerof Cityscape Kuwait, in hiswelcome note at the BusinessBreakfast.
Tawfiq Al-Jarrah, Chairman of
the Kuwait Real Estate Union,stressed in his opening speech atthe event: “the core issue in the realestate business in Kuwait is limita-tion of land, noting that in Kuwait;only 63 square meters of land isobtainable per person whereas 194m2 per person is obtainable inBahrain, 468 m2/person in Dubaiand 171m2/person in Riyadh, caus-ing pressure on land prices andcontributed to its significant rise.He also added that “Kuwait suffersfrom a large gap in private housing,noting that it is expected that thenumber of new requests for hous-ing over the next twenty years willbe234,000, bringing the total num-ber of applications to 352 000.”
As for the monthly rental rate,Al-Jarrah said that there is a clearrise in the rental rate, with an aver-age monthly rental rate of 313KWD, while in the last year itamounted to 264 KWD, describingthat this sector is doing well interms of performance and stability.
Commenting on office buildingsector, Al-Jarrah said: “There is awave of improvement that havebeen accompanying the sectorsince 2011, in which the occupancyrate fell to 60 per cent, but nowthey are up to 85 per cent.”
High rental pricesTawfiq Al-Jarrah also pointed to
the high occupancy rate in theretail sector, as the total retail spacehas reached about 800 thousandsquare meters in the second quar-ter of this year, with an occupancyrate of 95 per cent with high rentalprices. The influential panel chosento speak at the Kuwait BusinessBreakfast gathered experts from across-section of the business world.From the media sector, Ahmed BouMerhi, Head of Kuwaiti BusinessNews at Al-Arabiya News Channeland Head of the BusinessDepartment at Al-Anbaa newspa-per, moderated the panel.
As a panelist at the BusinessBreakfast, Naser Faisal Alkhaled,Head of Real Estate Funds at GlobalInvestment House, said Kuwait haslimited realestate opportunities incomparison with UAE market whichis a big and lucrative market”. Onthe other hand he confirmed thatthe housing real estate sector inKuwait is currently witnessingtremendous growth in demand.
Analyzing other real estate mar-kets in GCC, Alkhaled said: “KSAmarket is the strongest in terms ofdemands and offers best invest-ments opportunities while bothQatar and Bahrain are relativelysmall markets.
Another panelist at CityscapeKuwait Business Breakfast wasBassam Al-Othman, Executive Vice-President, Kuwait Financial Centre -Markaz, who elaborated: “saying ifoil prices reach 55-70 USD theimpact on the real estate sector willbe minimal and that applies on allof KSA, UAE markets subject totheir economic dependence on oil”.
Tawfiq Al-Jarrah, Kuwait RealEstate Union Chairman
Ahmed Zakaria, Expo Manager
Some attendees
Al Tijari announces the
winners of Al Najma Account
KUWAIT: Commercial Bank of Kuwait heldthe Al Najma Account draw on 18thOctober 2015. The draw was held underthe supervision of the Ministry ofCommerce & Industry represented byAbdulaziz Ashkanani.
The winners of the Al Najma Daily Draw are :- S alem Abdulmawjod AbdelmajidKD 7000/-- Ismael Eid Abo Gaish KD 7000/-- Nedaa Abdalrasoul Al Sayegh KD7000/-
The Commercial Bank of Kuwaitannounces the biggest daily draw inKuwait with the launch of the new Najmaaccount. Customers of the bank can nowenjoy a KD 7,000 daily prize which is thehighest in the country and another 4 mega
prizes during the year worth KD 100,000each on different occasions: The NationalDay, Eid Al Fitr, Eid Al Adha and on the 19thof June which is the date of the bank’sestablishment.
With a minimum balance of KD 500, cus-tomers will be eligible for the daily drawprovided that the money is in the accountone week prior to the daily draw or 2months prior to the mega draw. In addi-tion, for each KD 25 a customer can get onechance for winning instead of KD 50.
Commercial Bank of Kuwait takes thisopportunity to congratulate all lucky win-ners and also extends appreciation to theMinistry of Commerce and Industry fortheir effective supervision of the drawswhich were conducted in an orderly andorganized manner.
ABU DHABI: The partnership strate-gy of Etihad Airways is deliveringsignificant new choice for air trav-ellers around the world, thePresident and Chief ExecutiveOfficer of Etihad Airways, and ViceChairman of Alitalia, James Hogan,said yesterday.
Speaking in Milan at the 45thWorld Congress of the InternationalAssociation of Financial ExecutivesInstitutions, Hogan said the com-bined strength of Etihad Airways, itsseven equity partners and its code-share partners created a network ofalmost 600 destinations - five timesthe core network operated byEtihad Airways.
But he said the equity strategyalso delivered benefits to the part-ner airlines and their combined cus-tomers which otherwise would onlybe available through a merger ortakeover.
“Aviation is global, not local,”Hogan said. “Etihad Airways is only12 years old. Our main competitorshave flown for decades, even gener-ations. They have mature networks,large fleets, global presence andmarket access. And some legacycompetitors are aggressively seek-ing to block our growth. To competeeffectively, we need scale and differ-entiation.”
Hogan said Etihad Airways haddifferentiated its offering throughinnovative growth, introducing notonly next-generation aircraft butalso industry-leading inflight prod-uct and ser vice including TheResidence, a three -room spaceexclusive to the airline’s Airbus A380aircraft, First Class Apartments andSuites, Business Class Studios, in-f l ight chefs, food and beveragemanagers and flying nannies forfamily assistance.
He said that in addition to costand revenue synergies, minorityinvestments in other airlines alsoenabled Etihad Airways and its part-ners to connect their networks andschedules, closely align infl ightproduct and service standards, andintegrate and expand loyalty pro-
grams across partner airlines.Hogan said: “Our strategy delivers
benefits well beyond what is offeredby standard commercial alliances.By aligning our networks, schedules,product, service and rewards, we areincreasingly moving towards aseamless guest experience acrossour member airlines. We are alsooffering an effective and increasing-ly attractive alternative to globalmega carriers. In 2014, our partnerrevenues reached US$1.1 billion, up24 per cent. Clearly, customers arechoosing Etihad Airways and part-ners.”
Last year, Etihad Airways expand-ed its portfolio of equity partners byinvesting 560 mil l ion euros toacquire 49 per cent of Italy’s nation-al airline, Alitalia, and a majoritystake in its loyalty program, MilleMiglia.
“Alitalia was on the verge of col-lapse. We saw a great brand, a greatnetwork, but a poor business inneed of a new direction,” Hogansaid. “Alitalia has now been reinvent-ed. It is an important and growingmember of our global partnership.
“Alitalia’s plan is on track. Thisyear it will meet its targets. Nextyear it will break even, and in 2017 itwill achieve profit.”
Yesterday in Rome, Hogan, as ViceChairman of Alitalia, announced anaccelerated growth plan for Italy’snational air l ine, including newroutes to South America, additionaldomestic routes in Italy, new VIPlounges in airports, chauffeur servic-es, new aircraft cabin interiors, in-flight Wi-Fi connectivity on all air-craft, new customer service initia-tives at Rome Fiumicino Airport, anew website and greater focus onemployee training and develop-ment - a total investment of 280 mil-lion euros in expanding and improv-ing Alitalia.
“Through our partnership strate-gy, we have transformed EtihadAirways into a global travel and avi-ation business, together with ourpartners,” Hogan said. “Our cus-tomers are the winners, globally.”
Etihad Airways
partnerships increase
consumer choice globally
SHANGHAI: Quitting her job as receptionist, joiningrock bands and chancing her tattoo-sleeved arm atsmall business ventures would once have branded col-lege graduate Ding Jia as a rebel in China. Now she canclaim state endorsement as a “creative”. “I haven’t had aformal job in years,” said Ding, 31, sitting in her tiny cof-fee and cocktails bar on a trendy Shanghai street. Shehas no regrets, but no illusions either.“Entrepreneurship can be a really hard experience,” shesaid. “Profits can be so thin.”
In the week she spoke to Reuters, she and dozensof nearby businesses were forced to close temporarilyby city officials on a regular sortie to enforce regula-tions. While most parents might warn their children offhigh-risk, low-reward self-employment, preferring jobsin government or state-owned enterprises, Ding saysher Shanghai nurse mother and cab driver father weresupportive. That attitude finds an echo in high places;recent graduates who start their own businesses arebeing hailed in state media as a new creative class thatwill build China’s Silicon Valley. “Creatives show thevitality of entrepreneurship and innovation among thepeople, and such creativity will serve as a lastingengine of China’s economic growth,” Premier LiKeqiang said in January. “I will stoke the fire of innova-tion with more wood.” In addition to warm words,many are receiving training, subsidies, free office spaceand other support from district governments and uni-versities. Optimists hope the next Jack Ma or MarkZuckerberg will emerge from this pool, but sceptics saythe policy is setting up inexperienced kids for failure.
The aim is to help shift China’s factory-based econo-my towards knowledge-driven services, and addressunemployment among Chinese college students. Mostprivate employers have little use for fresh graduatesfrom crowded domestic universities, who consequent-ly can earn less than skilled factory and constructionworkers. A Peking University study found that entry-level salaries in Shanghai averaged just 3,241 yuan($511) a month - a pittance in a city with one of world’s10 most expensive property markets.
Chinese surveys show 20-30 percent of college stu-dents now aspire to entrepreneurship or self-employ-ment, and Cui Ernan, labour analyst at GavekalDragonomics, said official data suggests they are fol-lowing through. Though undergraduate numbersswelled to record highs last year, the number seekingwork in the formal job market appeared to shrink.
Entrepreneurs by QuotaCynics say pushing student entrepreneurship is
mostly about helping officials meet targets whileheading off political unrest among disaffected stu-dents, the demographic behind the 1989 TiananmenSquare protests. A busy entrepreneur, on the otherhand, counts as both employed and as a new businessregistration. Parker Liu, currently COO of a mobiletechnology startup in Beijing, began launching newcompanies before he graduated. He said district offi-cials regularly scoured entrepreneurship events seek-ing startups to subsidise, often on the understandingthat the company would register in their district.
Liu said he had received small subsidies from dis-trict governments and helped introduce officials toother startups, but was doubtful about the benefits.“The real problem is the money doesn’t come witheducation ... These government officers, they didn’tknow much about entrepreneurs or startups, but theyknow a lot about political evaluations. They have aquota.” Liu said the support also encouraged too manyinto sectors with low barriers to entry, such as e-com-merce, mobile games, and college prep schools.
“In terms of helping the job market, this sort ofthing is of marginal benefit,” said Geoffrey Crothall,communications director at China Labour Bulletin.“They are going to price themselves into the ground,and so the wages they can afford to pay their staff aregoing to be very low as well.” While official data isscant, failure rates appear unsurprisingly high. “Theyhave very poor management skills,” said Cui ofDragonomics. “Most of the businesses run by collegestudents I observe, only a few of them succeeded.”
Dream CommunityThe University Students Venture Park in northern
Shanghai was designed as an incubator for collegestudents considering a startup. The lobby is deckedout in a sunny palette and garnished with inspiringslogans about creativity; outside a large sign reads“Dream Community”. Some have turned their dreamsinto a modicum of success. The free rent, accountingservices and internet access helped Jiang Gongbaolaunch his Long Ai marketing company, which haslasted long enough to hire a few employees.
Jiang said he understands the risks, but regardsthem learning opportunities. “Failure is not a badthing, as the process to start up a business is alwaysmeaningful,” he said. The incubator’s deputy generalmanager, Zhu Jiang, roots for his tenants, but he’s noevangelist. “I do not encourage all students to start upbusiness. Being a successful entrepreneur requiressome characteristics that not everybody can possess.”
Many venture capitalists doubt the incubators domuch good, since Chinese bureaucrats with little or noexperience running private firms lack the skills to picksuccessful business plans. “I think it’s really misguided,”said Gary Rieschel, founder of Qiming Ventures, whichhas invested in numerous successful Chinese startupsincluding Alibaba. “A university is a terrible place tolearn how to start a company,” said William Bao Bean,another China venture capitalist with a long history ofinvesting in Chinese tech startups.
What is needed, critics say, is a dismantling of thepolicy barriers that make life tough for the private sec-tor, such as weak legal protection for new ideas,restricted access to capital, and labyrinthine regula-tions that enable corrupt officials to prey on smallenterprises. “Some countries make mistakes by tryingto pick favourites and pick preferred technologies,”said Robert Zoellick, former World Bank chief, in aninterview with Reuters in Shanghai. “Creating a levelplaying field is the start. You need to have an effectiverule of law and property rights. I think China is strug-gling with that.” — Reuters
t e c h n o l o g yMONDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2015
CEDAR RAPIDS: With technology seeming tomove at light speed, and regulations for healthcare facilities continuing to grow ever morecomplex, software and website developers inCorridor have to evolve to find new ways tokeep in front of what their clients - current andfuture - will need. Cedar Rapids-basedGeonetric builds websites for hospitals andhealth systems around the country. Founderand CEO Eric Engelmann said developers facetechnological and regulatory issues craftingand upgrading interactive websites.
“In the 1990s and early 2000s, the websitewas the place, the target destination,”Engelmann said. “Now, it’s being broken up intohundreds of difference social media pieceswhere your communication channel with cus-tomers is not the website anymore. “It’s email orFacebook or Instagram or Pinterest or, depend-ing on what it is, could literally be hundreds. It’sproliferating and that makes it more complicat-ed to manage.”
Engelmann said Geonetric, which employs80 people, sees that dramatic change providinga lot of opportunity going forward. “Hospitalsneed a lot of help managing those same regu-latory, security and other concerns through lotsof channels,” he said. “It’s part of how we gotinto deciding to build the Iowa StartupAccelerator program. We wanted to observeother startup companies at the frontier of newbusiness opportunities, sifting out those issuesand trying to sort them out, helping themwhere we could and learning from them.”
The Iowa Startup Accelerator 90-day pro-gram is housed in Geonetric’s three-story build-ing. It recently launched its second cohort witha group of nine start-ups spanning health,music, commerce and education. Engelmannsaid part of Geonetric’s proposition is the abilityto assist hospitals through all the technologicalchanges. “Some hospitals have one or two peo-ple in their communications department, whileothers have an army,” he said.
Geonetric’s clients range from critical accesshospitals in rural communities to healthcare
systems covering, large metropolitan areas.Engelmann said Geonetric has to translatewhat each entity can offer the patient in a waythat accurately conveys information and theorganization’s capabilities. “We have a team ofpeople who just write content,” he said. “Theyinterview stakeholders, physicians and clini-cians. They take all that information and trans-late it into a story that describes the servicesthat are available and how to make good deci-sions.”
With patients using devices ranging from aniPhone to a 60-inch monitor, Geonetric mustcreate content on multiple channels -Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest - that will dis-play properly. “We spend a lot of time figuringout how to do that,” Engelmann said.“Sometimes the content that we’re communi-cating has to be different depending on thesize of the screen. It’s a real mashup of technol-ogy and how you use it in the marketplace.”
Thinking At Innovative Software Engineering (ISE) in
Coralville, Hass Machlab, ISE founder, presidentand CEO, noted that, “We do a lot of thinkingahead of our customers, what products or serv-ices will they need in the future. Our people goto a lot of seminars and conferences all over thecountry, so we can understand what’s comingdown the pike in technology.” ISE, which wasfounded in 2002 and employs about 60 people,has three business segments:
Compliance Services provides eFleetSuite,the company’s proprietary telematics or vehicledata collection product, to transportationindustry service providers and includes safetyand compliance applications such as electronicdriver logs. Fleet Services uses eFleetSuite tosell an end-to-end safety-focused plan gearedtoward commercial truck fleet customers inNorth America. Professional Services offersclients custom software development, includ-ing solutions in the areas of Big Data, mobileapplication development, vehicle telematicsand engineering process. — AP
Corridor tech firms work
to stay ahead of the curve
MAMMARI, Cyprus: Half a world fromhome, Cambodian experts toil under abeating sun to demine the Mediterraneanisland of Cyprus, using skills they honed tohelp rid their own country of landmines. Itis a slow and painstaking task for the 11-member team employed by the UnitedNations to clear unexploded mines fromthe island, divided since 1974 into a Turkishnorth and a Greek south. The deminerswork in an arid field inside a UN-controlledbuffer zone that runs across the eastMediterranean island.
Kneeling under a scorching summersun, each one meticulously circles his work-ing space with red rope before scoopingaway dirt with a small spade and sweepinga metal detector across the area. Over the
past decade, deminers have removed morethan 27,000 landmines from the bufferzone, with land reclaimed for agriculturaluse. Lieutenant Sovannara Leang, wholeads the team, is proud to have used hisskills to help other countries afflicted by thescourge of landmines since he first joinedthe UN demining operations in 2009.
His assistant Sous Choom swapped hisarmy uniform for a metal detector in 2000and was part of a Cambodian team thathelped demine South Sudan. Others haveoperated in Lebanon and Mali. This weekLeang briefed British actor Daniel Craig -the current James Bond - on the team’sactivities when the big screen super spy vis-ited Cyprus as a UN advocate for the elimi-nation of landmines.
‘Inspiring’ Work “For these peacekeepers to take their
expertise, gleaned over the last 40 years inCambodia, and make it available to the peo-ple of Cyprus, half-way around the world, istruly inspiring,” said Craig. Nearly threedecades of civil war has left poverty-strickenCambodia one of the most heavily-minedcountries in the world. Nearly 20,000 peoplehave been killed there since 1979 and twiceas many have been wounded in landmineand unexploded ordnance accidents. Cyprus“is little compared to what they have had todeal with unfortunately in their country”,Major General Kristin Lund, head of the UNPeacekeeping Force in Cyprus, told AFP.
Bernard Bruneteau, a historian at RennesUniversity in France, told AFP that Cambodia
was “systematically mined by all sides” to theconflict after each round of fighting. “TheKhmer Rouge carried out guerilla warfare fora very long time,” he said. According to Leang,many Cambodian deminers are especiallygood at removing mines because they foughtduring the war and know where the mine-fields are located. “Most of them minedCambodia,” he said.
Deactivation not Detonation Demining operations in Cambodia started
in the 1990s with Western assistance. Frenchcolonel Jean-Pierre Billaut was one of thosewho helped train up to 300 Cambodian dem-iners during an 11-year mission. “We taughtthem the French method that consists in deac-tivating a mine instead of blowing it up,” the
now retired officer told AFP. “It proved to be agood technique. We didn’t lose a single fingeror leg during our operations!” Cambodiaannounced in June it was training an elitesquad of rats, imported from Africa, to sniff outlandmines and other unexploded ordnance. InCyprus, most of the mines were remnants ofthe 1974 Turkish invasion when hundreds ofmines were strewn across the island’s battle-grounds. The demining operation is slowlyreaching its end, with 28 minefields in thenorth of the island yet to be cleared. The GreekCypriot authorities revealed their location aspart of a peace process to reunify the islandrelaunched in May. Turkey invaded and seizedthe northern third of Cyprus in response to aGreek-backed military coup to join Nicosiawith Athens. — AFP
Beijing promotes low-paid
graduates to startup CEOsGovt, universities backing new business incubators
(Left) British actor Daniel Craig speaks with a United Nations Cambodian deminer as he is briefed on mine clearance activities during his visit to an active minefield in the Cyprus’ UN controlled buffer zone onOct 12, 2015. (Right) A UNIFIL Cambodian mine expert demonstrates demining methods on Aug 26, 2015 in the UN-controlled buffer zone near the village of Mammari west of the Cypriot capital Nicosia. — AFP
PARIS: A Bombardier CS 300 airplane performs during the International Paris Airshow at LeBourget on June 17, 2015. — AFP
Cambodian deminers bring expertise to Cyprus
PARIS: Despite failing to agree a potential tie-upwith Airbus, Canadian planemaker Bombardierinsists it can make its bet on entering the lucra-tive medium-range passenger jet market a win-ner, while also leaving the door open to possiblefuture alliances. “Bombardier is fully committedto the CSeries and we have the financialresources in place to support the programme,”spokeswoman Marianella de la Barrera saidregarding the 100 to 150 seat aircraft now near-ing certification, shrugging off not being able tosell Airbus a majority stake in the project.
But the company’s confidence is set againstanalyst concerns about Bombardier’s ability tosurvive the financial stress of bringing the firstall-new medium-range passenger jet in 25 yearsto market as the development costs of theCSeries have doubled to $5.4 billion. There areconcerns over Bombardier’s capacity to absorbthat cost, and the cost of the two-year delay inentering into commercial service of the CSeriesplanes, which should carry their first passengersfor Lufthansa subsidiary Swiss in the middle ofnext year. Certification is expected by year’s end,but the commercial challenge ahead appearssizeable.
Impressive on Paper “On paper, Bombardier has the ability to wor-
ry its rivals,” aeronautics specialist Philip Moinetold AFP. “It is the only wholly new medium-haulcarrier with better announced performancesthan re-engined versions” of single aisle rivals,said Moine. After Boeing’s delays bringing theall-new long-haul 787 Dreamliner to market,both the US planemaker and its European rival
Airbus opted not to completely redesign theirsingle-aisle medium-range aircraft, whichaccount for the lion’s share of sales and are theworkhorses of the aviation market.
Instead they opted to offer new engines andmake aerodynamic enhancements on the 737and A320 aircraft that should nearly match the20 percent fuel savings that Bombardier is prom-ising with the CSeries. However the CSeries,which is Bombardier’s first foray outside businessand regional passenger aircraft into the medi-um-range jets, also promises reduced emissionsand noise, and has a cabin which offers morespace, bigger windows and storage area.
The problem, Moine noted, is that the devel-opment cost overruns and delays have pushedup the break even point for Bombardier from300 to 800 aircraft. The Canadian group has only243 firm orders and 360 letters of intent at thispoint, but believes once the CSeries receives cer-tification and enters commercial service morewill follow. As Bombardier sees it, the bet on theCSeries has good odds of paying off as thedemand for single aisle jets with 100 to 150 seatsis expected to range from 4,000 to 5,000 globallythrough to 2034. The company also stressed itsefforts to streamline costs and boost margins,including 6,500 jobs cut since the end of 2013,and a revamped management.
Keeping a Foothold But Bombardier chief executive Alain
Bellemare said on taking the helm in Februaryhe wanted to examine all options for the group’saeronautics division - a point driven home onceagain after the Airbus talks ended. “Bombardier
will continue to explore different initiatives,including potential participation in the consoli-dation of the industry,” the group said. A sourceclose to the Airbus discussions said that far froman attempt to clutch at straws those talks were aserious management tilt at rationalisation. “Ofcourse Bombardier has the means to deliver onthe CSeries program,” the source told AFP.“Bombardier going with Airbus is not a case ofall or nothing, a last resort,” the source insisted,pointing out the talks had lasted for severalmonths.
For Airbus, aligning itself with Bombardierwould have been a “great opportunity to renewits 100-to-150 seat range” at a relatively low cost,said Jean-Louis Dropsy, sector specialist forArgon Consulting. A tie-up “would have allowedAirbus to maintain a foothold in this market”even if the segment is no longer its main marketfocus, he said. The CSeries corresponds to thesmallest of the A320 family aircraft, the A319which has 124 seats and will have from 140 to160 in the “neo” version with fuel-efficientengines.
But Airbus has focused mostly on the 150-180 passenger A320 and the slightly larger A321,the pair constituting 93 percent of single-aisledeliveries in 2014, up from 53 percent in 2006.Had the Airbus tie-up come to fruition thenBombardier could have expected to benefitfrom Airbus’ size in negotiating with suppliers, aswell as its sales and marketing network. A tie-upcould have also reduced the risk of Bombardierintroducing larger versions of the CSeries, takingon Airbus and Boeing in the biggest segment ofmedium-range aircraft. — AFP
Bombardier out to win medium-range jet bet
H E A LT H & S C I E N C EMONDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2015
FRANKFORT: Kentucky, one of the only Southernstates to expand Medicaid under President BarackObama’s Affordable Care Act, could become the firststate to repeal that expansion depending on the out-come of a closely contested governor’s race.
Kentucky voters have made it clear they don’t likeObama or his policies, with the president’s disapprovalrating consistently at or above 60 percent in publicpolls. But when outgoing Democratic Gov. SteveBeshear used Obama’s signature law to allow morepeople to qualify for taxpayer-funded health insur-ance, about 400,000 people signed up for it.
Republican nominee for governor Matt Bevin,along with the legislative leaders of his party, say thestate cannot continue to pay for the health insuranceof able-bodied adults. Taxpayers pay for health insur-ance for a quarter of Kentucky’s population under thecurrent expansion, which Bevin wants to repeal andreplace with a different plan.
Twice as many people signed up in the first year asstate officials had predicted, more than doubling theexpansion’s estimated cost in 2017 from $33 million to$74 million. Those costs could swell to $363 million by2021, further straining finances in a state wrestlingwith a multi-billion-dollar pension liability.
Yet Kentucky’s uninsured rate has dropped from ahigh of 20.4 percent in 2013 to less than 10 percentlast year. Hospitals covered less than $60 million ofuncompensated care last year, down from $160 mil-lion in 2013. New Medicaid enrollees received morethan 54,000 preventative screenings, including forbreast and colorectal cancer, of which Kentucky hassome of the highest rates in the nation.
But the politics run deeper than the question ofcost. Obama is so unpopular that most Democraticpoliticians avoid invoking his name by calling thestate’s expansion “Beshearcare” after the state’sDemocratic governor who cannot seek re-electionbecause of term limits. The governor remains popular,and the expansion - which he authorized by executiveorder - has been praised for bringing better healthcare to thousands of residents.
Safety netOne of them is Tyler Offerman, 26, who lives in
Lexington and says he grew up without health insur-ance. He said he went years without seeing a dentist,leading to painful problems with his teeth. Offermanused his new Medicaid benefits for thousands of dol-lars in dental work. He now has access to a primarycare physician for guidance given his family history ofcancer. Now, he is starting an adventure tourism busi-ness leading backpacking and hiking trips.
“Being on Medicaid certainly gave me the safetynet I needed to take the risk to be a young entrepre-neur,” he said.
Democratic nominee Jack Conway has said he
would continue the Medicaid expansion unchanged.He cites a study from earlier this year by Deloitte andthe University of Louisville projecting that Kentucky’ssavings and increased revenue from the expansionwould be more than enough to pay the state’s costs.
But Bevin rejects that study. He initially said hewould reverse the expansion “immediately” but hassince clarified he would repeal the current expansionand replace it with something else. He said the statecannot keep enrolling people under the new require-ments.
“I can’t make this more clear: there will be nobodyin the state of Kentucky re-enrolling under the currentMedicaid construct at 138 percent of poverty,” Bevinsaid during a debate on Kentucky Sports Radio lastmonth. The current expansion allows people making138 percent of the federal poverty level to enroll.
Bevin spokeswoman Jessica Ditto said his planwould not take away health insurance from 400,000people, as Democrats say. She said some might beoffered a new plan that would require them to pay“token amounts” for a premium. Some might beoffered a higher deductible plan coupled with a
health savings account. And others still “may graduatefrom medical eligibility just as they might now byexceeded income thresholds.”
Bevin says he will apply for a federal waiver, as fiveother states have done. Indiana, for example, expand-ed its Medicaid program but required new enrolleesto pay monthly premiums or risk losing coverage.
“It’s giving people a vested interest,” Bevin said ofIndiana’s program. “Having skin in the game is a big,big differentiator between whether or not the personhas the dignity that goes with making decisions forthemselves.”
Katrina Kelly has skin in the election. The 29-year-old from Lexington says she cannot afford healthinsurance with the $6,000 she made last year as a self-employed landscaper. But on Medicaid, she hadaccess to physical therapy that took away the terriblepain she had been living with in her shoulders.
If she loses Medicaid, Kelly would most likely haveto pay a penalty on her income taxes for not havinghealth insurance. “It would definitely be a heartacheon having to pay a penalty for something I have nocontrol over,” she said. — AP
KUWAIT: Nestle has launched a newrecipe for its popular Nestlé FITNESS(r)Cereal across the Middle East, whichmaintains the product’s same taste, withmore wholegrain, while reducing sugarby up to 30% without adding artificialsweeteners.
The move is in line with Nestlé’srecently published commitments to soci-ety in the Middle East, which include thepromotion of healthy diets and lifestyles,and reducing sugar in products.
The new recipe with less sugar wasable to maintain the same taste as theoutgoing version without adding anyartificial sweeteners thanks to break-through technology that reduces sugarinside each cereal flake, while retainedamount in the coating.
Since the outer layer of the cerealtouches taste buds first, each flake offers
a sweeter flavor to begin with, meaningpeople can’t tell the difference as wasdemonstrated by a survey of Nestlé FIT-NESS Cereal lovers.
“Nestle FITNESS aims to help peopleachieve a healthier diet that starts with abalanced breakfast, thanks to this break-through recipe which is the result of sev-eral years of nutrition and technologyresearch,” said Zeinab Maktabi, Nutrition,Health and Wellness Manager at NestléMiddle East. “This nutrition revolutionstarted with our current kids’ cerealrecipes launched in 2012, and continueswith ongoing efforts to further reducesugar in all our products.”
The new Nestle FITNESS also providesimproved nutritional content by furtherincreasing total wholegrain by 7%. Theproduct’s amounts of iron, calcium andfolate remain unchanged.
Launch of new Nestle fitness cereal
LONDON: Doctors have found that Ebolacan linger in some male survivors for up tonine months but aren’t sure if that meansthey might still be infectious, according tonew research.
In a study of 93 men in Sierra Leone, sci-entists found the Ebola virus in semen sam-ples from about half of them. The riskseemed to decline over time. Ebola wasdetected in all nine men tested at two tothree months after their illness began but inonly 11 of the 43 survivors tested at seven tonine months.
Researchers aren’t sure why Ebolaremains in semen as opposed to other bodi-ly fluids and don’t know if the lingering virusmight sicken others.
“We think there is a potential risk of expo-sure but we cannot determine that with 100percent certainty right now,” said Dr NathalieBroutet, an expert in sexually transmitteddiseases at the World Health Organizationand one of the study’s authors. The paperwas published online Wednesday in the NewEngland Journal of Medicine.
WHO said previous studies showed thevirus could survive in semen for about threemonths, though it noted one case where itremained for about six months. The UNhealth agency has said the sexual transmis-sion of Ebola from men to women is “astrong possibility” even though the diseaseis mainly spread by direct contact with otherbodily fluids like blood.
To date, Ebola has killed more than11,000 people in West Africa in the outbreakthat was first identified last year and nowappears to be winding down. There’s alsoabout 17,000 Ebola survivors, about half ofthem male.
TransmissionThe journal also published details of an
Ebola case in March in Liberia, where a malesurvivor spread Ebola to a woman via unpro-
tected sex five months after he becameinfected.
In an accompanying commentary, DrArmand Sprecher of Doctors WithoutBorders said if sexual transmission of Ebolawas a significant means of spreading thevirus, “we would have seen a number of cas-es by now,” given the thousands of maleEbola survivors in West Africa. People withEbola are believed to be most infectiouswhen they are the sickest.
Sprecher said the results suggest that sur-veillance needs to last longer than now rec-ommended once an outbreak is thought tobe over in an area. WHO and others recom-mend that male survivors of the lethal dis-ease abstain from sex or use condoms for atleast three months after their recovery. Afterthat, they should be tested every monthuntil they have two consecutive negativetests.
WHO says it’s unknown how long Ebolasurvives in vaginal fluid, and says it’s lessprobable that a woman who has survivedEbola could spread it to a man through sex.
Broutet said it was unclear whether themen whose samples tested positive forEbola had any long-term side effects and ifso, whether the virus might be responsible.Many survivors suffer from chronic problemsincluding vision loss and joint pain.
Dr Francis Moses, a district medical officerin northern Sierra Leone, said it was difficultconvincing male Ebola survivors to use con-doms or abstain from sex.
“The abstinence thing isn’t working,” hesaid, noting there are a number of pregnantwomen in his district whose partners areEbola survivors. Moses said the fact thatthousands of Ebola survivors are living inWest Africa means scientists need to figureout whether sex is a significant risk to the re-emergence of the disease.
“If we don’t find a way of addressing this,we will never stop Ebola,” he said.
Ebola in male survivors can survive up to 9 monthsElection puts Medicaid
expansion in crosshairsKentucky’s uninsured rate drops
NEW ENGLAND: In this undated colorized transmission electron micrograph fileimage made available by the CDC shows an Ebola virus virion. For the first time,Ebola has been discovered inside the eyes of a patient months after the virus wasgone from his blood, according to a report published Wednesday Oct. 14, 2015, inthe New England Journal of Medicine. Doctors have found Ebola can survive in somemale survivors for up to nine months after they first get sick but aren’t sure if thatmeans they might still be infectious, according to the new research published. — AP
WASHINGTON: Hundreds wil l gather inWashington for a candlelight vigil to remem-ber children who have died from cancer after apreviously scheduled event was shut down bythe Secret Service. Organizer Mike Gillette sayshe expects more than 300 people to attend the
ceremony, scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m. onSaturday in Lafayette Park in Washington.
On Sept 19 roughly 700 people gathered inLafayette Park for the vigil, but momentsbefore it began the Secret Service shut downthe event so President Barack Obama could
travel to a gala. Gillette said Secret ServiceDirector Joseph Clancy called him to apolo-gize, and that the group has been soimpressed with the agency’s response thatchildren are going to present a representativewith the “Secret Service ROCKS” award.
Kids with cancer gather in DC for candlelight vigil
WASHINGTON: People gather for a candlelight vigil to remember children who have died from cancer, near the White House on Saturday, inWashington. A previously scheduled vigil was shut down by the Secret Service so President Barack Obama could travel to a gala. — AP
WASHINGTON: The most influentialsource for US oncology treatmentguidelines on Friday unveiled ratingsaimed at helping doctors and patientsassess the costs versus benefits of cur-rent therapies for two types of bloodcancer. The National ComprehensiveCancer Network (NCCN), a nonprofitalliance of 26 leading cancer centers,said its new “Evidence Blocks” for multi-ple myeloma and chronic myelogenousleukemia are the first in a series that bythe end of next year will encompass alloncology therapies, other than surgeryor radiation.
They will supplement NCCN’s widelyfollowed guidelines for oncology care.FDA eye drug rebuff adds to Shire’swoes in Baxalta pursuit Shire Plc suf-fered a setback for its most importantpipeline medicine late on Friday, adding
to the group’s problems as it pursuesBaxalta Inc to forge the leading globalspecialist in rare diseases.
The Irish company said the US Foodand Drug Administration (FDA) haddeclined to approve its new eye druglifitegrast and had requested an addi-tional clinical study. Half a millionYemen children face severe malnutri-tion: UN More than half a million chil-dren in Yemen face life-threatening mal-nutrition as a risk of famine grows, asenior official of the UN Children’s Fund(UNICEF) said on Friday. The figure, athree-fold jump since fighting eruptedin March, reflects depleted food stockscompounded by a failing health systemunable to care for hungry children orvaccinate them against disease, saidAfshan Khan, director of UNICEF emer-gency programs worldwide. — Reuters
US oncology group rates blood cancer regimens
CALIFORNIA: In this July 11, 2012 file photo, then-House Majority Whip KevinMcCarthy of Calif., leaves the House chamber on Capitol Hill in Washington after theRepublican-controlled House voted to repeal President Barack Obama’s health carelaw. McCarthy, the majority leader who’s favored to become the next speaker of theHouse, has energetically nurtured GOP legislators in the House since he was electedto Congress nine years ago. — AP
H E A LT H & S C I E N C EH E A LT H & S C I E N C E MONDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2015
KUWAIT: Al-Sayer Medical Co one of the Al SayerGroup Holding Companies has launched twoadvanced mobility products including Rea Dahliawheel chair for specific needs and TDX SP2 powerwheel chair from Invacare, the global leader in themanufacture and distribution of innovative mobil-ity and home care medical products that promoterecovery and active lifestyles.
The launch event was attended by delegatesfrom Invacare Heinrich Braun Managing Director,Dr Ahmed Refaat Regional Area Manager andEckhard Francksen Regional Invacare Traineealong with Dr Hossam Afify General Manager AlSayer Medical Company, Representatives from thegovernment and private sectors.
“Al-Sayer Medical Company is well placed totake significant role in the improvement of Kuwaithealthcare system, with its focus on leveraging itssuccess factors including the professional team,market and business expertise, the solid infra-structure, and most important the delivery ofadvanced pharmaceuticals and cutting-edge med-ical technologies and supplies”, commentedMubarak Naser Al-Sayer CEO Al Sayer GroupHolding.
Heinrich Braun Managing Director Invacaresaid “The Invacare vision is making people lifeexperience possible based on design, manufac-ture and deliver the highest quality medical prod-ucts that promote recovery and active lifestyles forpeople requiring home and other non-acutehealth care. Our commitment to quality and indus-try standards is paramount. This commitment todriving quality and patient safety is what makesInvacare a trusted supplier to the value of thepatient supported with the top professional levelof before and after sales services provided by ourpartner in Kuwait Al-Sayer Medical Company.
According to Hossam Afify General Manager Al-Sayer Medical Company “In tandem with ourobjective to provide Kuwait healthcare marketwith the most innovative medical products sup-ported by unmatched customers and scientificservices we are proud to launch two new productsInvacare Rea Dahlia and Invacare TDX SP2 Fromour partner INVCARE catering to the mobilityneeds of the patients across all age groups pro-moting an independent lifestyle”.
Dahlia - A versatile compact wheel chair forpeople with changing needs
The Invacare Rea Dahlia has it all, a slim andcompact wheelbase in a modern design. It incor-porates an adjustable center of gravity option anda light and easy tilt and recline function. For thoseseeking mobility with comfort and pressure relief,this versatile chair is perfect for both passive andactive clients alike.
TDX SP2 -Power Wheel Chairs for Unrivalleddurability, ultimate per formance and great
maneuverabilityThe Invacare TDX SP2 boasts unrivalled durabil-
ity and ultimate performance. Great maneuver-ability indoors and out, with a wide choice of seat-ing options for optimum comfort and support, theTDX SP2 is the power chair for individuals who
need full functionality, but do not want to com-promise on style. The modern aesthetics of thechassis add to the sleek appeal with a choice of 7contemporary color options.
The event by Al Sayer Medical Company facili-tated all attendees to communicate with theInvacare delegates, understand the products fea-tures and benefits in depth. The official launch andinteractive presentation of the Invacare productswas followed by illustration and hands-on experi-ence sessions of the products.
The goal of Al Sayer Medical Company is toexcel and expand the delivery of services offeringas well as commit to offer new and unique medicaland healthcare technology to become the destina-tion for all healthcare facilities and professionals inKuwait.
Al Sayer Medical Company was one of thefastest to be awarded the ISO standard certifica-tion within months of commencing its businessoperations, adopting the corporate principles ofBest in the Business approach of the Group.Recently Al Sayer Medical Co. also inaugurated thebiggest and the most prestigious healthcare outletin Kuwait featuring “A to Z” of latest health andwellness products for your family meeting differ-ent medical needs under one roof.
LOS ANGELES: SeaWorld announcedthat it will challenge a state ruling thatbanned the company from breedingcaptive killer whales at its San Diegopark.
The announcement comes a weekafter the California CoastalCommission endorsed a $100 millionexpansion of the tanks SeaWorld usesto hold orcas in San Diego. That rulingalso outlined a series of restrictions onSeaWorld, including a ban on breedingand prohibitions on the sale, trade ortransfer of the whales.
SeaWorld said it would “pursuelegal action” and hired a law firm. But itwasn’t immediately clear if that wouldlead to a lawsuit, regulatory appeal orother action.
“The Coastal Commission went waybeyond its jurisdiction and authoritywhen it banned breeding by killerwhales at SeaWorld,” companyPresident Joel Manby said in a state-ment.
“By imposing broad new jurisdic-tion over all future SeaWorld marineanimal projects, as well as aquariumprojects elsewhere in the state, thecommission has overstepped bothfederal and California law,” Manby said.
The commission said it had notseen a legal complaint and could notcomment. Animal rights activistscalled last week’s vote a death blow tothe use of killer whales at theCalifornia park. “SeaWorld is blowingsmoke,” said Jared Goodman, an attor-ney with People from the EthicalTreatment of Animals.
The commission “acted fully withinits authority when, as a condition of itsapproval of building new tanks, itplaced a ban on breeding orcas,”Goodman said.
Breeding is naturalBefore the vote last week, SeaWorld
argued the commission didn’t havethe authority to impose breeding andother restrictions to its “Blue World”expansion, which would triple the sizeof existing killer whale enclosures.
The park said “breeding is a natural,fundamental and important part of ananimal’s life and depriving a social ani-mal of the right to reproduce is inhu-mane.”
Manby said it “defies common sensethat a straightforward land-use permitapproval would turn into a ban on ani-mal husbandry practices - an area inwhich the commissioners have noeducation, training or expertise.”
Attendance at the California parkhas declined since the release of thepopular documentary “Blackfish” in2013, which suggests SeaWorld’s treat-ment of captive orcas provokes violentbehavior. The company’s stock pricealso has dropped over the past twoyears.
Under the expansion, SeaWorldwould demolish parts of a 1995 facilitythat included a 1.7-million gallon pooland replace it with a 5.2-million gallontank and 450,000-gallon pool.
The Orlando, Florida-based compa-ny had said the orca population at theSan Diego facility, 11 whales, wouldnot significantly increase because ofthe “Blue World” project.
Commissioner Dayna Bochco, whoproposed the breeding ban, defendedthe panel’s vote. “This was not a powergrab,” Bochco wrote in a commentaryposted on The San Diego Union-Tribune website. “The commission isnot pre-empted by any federal law andno other state agency is addressingissues related to captive whales. Wewere faced with making our decisionin a regulatory vacuum.”
“It’s difficult to imagine a speciesmore inherently unsuited for captivity,”she wrote. — AP
SeaWorld to challenge
California ban on
breeding captive whales
Al Sayer Medical Co Management with Invacare delegates.
Al-Sayer Medical Co launches new, unique
mobility products from Invacare
Dr Hossam Afify - General Manager Al Sayer Medical Co.
New Invacare products.
SAN DIEGO: File photo, people watch through the glass as a killer whale passesby while swimming in a display tank at SeaWorld in San Diego. SeaWorld marinepark in San Diego will challenge a state commission ruling than banned thecompany from breeding its captive killer whales. The announcement, comes aweek after the California Coastal Commission endorsed a $100 million expan-sion of the tanks SeaWorld uses to hold orcas in San Diego. — AP
W H AT ’ S ONMONDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2015
OSN, the region’s leading pay-TV net-work, rolled out the red carpet inDubai to launch its exciting new line-
up for 2016. The glittering evening of enter-tainment was hosted by Egyptian comedianBassem Youssuf and featured Hollywoodheartthrob Antonio Banderas and Game ofThrones star Maisie Williams, as well as leadingArabic figures George Kordahi, Omar Hussein,Ahmed Sahab, Hassan Asiri, Yamour, Saba
Moubrak, Amir Karaka and Dina Koraim, ShadyAlfons, Khaled Mansour, Bassem Moughniegh,Amr Youssef, Abed Fahd, Asala Nasry and TarekAl Eryan, Bassel Khayyat, Magie Bou Ghosnand Jamal Sannan, Ahmed Helmy, AbdulMohsin Al Nimer, Zaynab Salbi and Hayat AlFahd.
Over 300 people attended the event, whichprovided a sneak preview of OSN’s exclusivenew programming line-up for 2016, the
launch of three new channels and innovativeexperiences that will further add to the any-where, anytime television experience of familyviewers across the Middle East and NorthAfrica region.
2016 will see over 50 new and exclusiveshows plus 70 continuing series premieringonly on OSN. Over 25 of the biggest andaward-winning shows will premiere at thesame time as the US so OSN viewers see the
most talked about shows first.OSN will also launch a dedicated channel
that will showcase all HBO’s exclusive contentincluding groundbreaking award-winningseries, talk shows, comedy specials and docu-mentaries. The long-term deal also marks theexpansion of OSN’s On Demand service withmore than 2,000 hours of HBO programmingincluding more than a thousand hours of com-plete box sets of HBO series, available to watch
anytime, anywhere.Deals have been signed with Eagle Films
and Gulf Film, which has seen OSN buy out thetransactional window for over 300 blockbustermovies, weeks after their theatrical release.And the stars from Saturday Night Live Arabia,Shady Alfons and Khaled Mansour providedthe audience a taste of what’s to come whenthe eagerly awaited comedy sensation launch-es next year.
Stars come out to honor OSN
Fusing fitness and fashion, TheSultan Center (TSC), one of theGulf’s leading independent
retail companies, launched its2015/2016 autumn/winter sportsrange across its stores. Showcasingsome of the leading sports retailbrands including Nike, Reebok,Adidas, Speedo and Sketchers, TSCoffers a wide selection across itssporting goods, apparel andfootwear.
“The new collections are target-
ed towards fashion-savvy men andwomen who are on the cuttingedge of new trends and have a vari-ety of fitness interests” said MakramMalaeb, Group International andNon-Food Commercial Director.“Our focus is to deliver our cus-tomers’ daily sporting requirementsthrough a selection of the bestsports brands available today. Weare proud to be Kuwait’s exclusivefood retailer to offer branded sportsapparel & shoes to complement our
valuable clients’ needs” Malaebadded.
Embracing the latest seasonalcolors and vibrant trends, TSC main-tains a dedicated sports depart-ment TSC Salmiya, Hawally, SouqSharq and Al-Kout. Featuring thelatest sports style trends, TSC invitesits customers to visit the stores todiscover and shop the season’s newcollections. Whether for the gym,sports activity or outdoors, TSC hasit all!
St Berchmans 19th ExtemporeSpeech Competition for theIndian School students is sched-
uled for Friday 23rd Oct 2015 from1.00 pm to 5.00 pm at United IndianSchool, Jaleeb Al Shuyoukh.
The competition will be conductedin 3 categories separately - Sub-Juniors (7th & 8th Stds.) Juniors (9th &10th Stds.) and Seniors (11th & 12thStds). Trophies and certificates will beawarded to the 1st, 2nd and 3rd prize
winners of each category.Championship and Runner upTrophies will be awarded to therespective schools, based on pointsearned by its students. Each partici-pant will receive a certificate of partic-ipation.
Berchmans eloquent speaker goldmedal has been instituted from 2009onwards, to honor the best studentspeaker of Berchmans ExtemporeSpeech Competition, with 15 grams(22ct) gold medal. Online registrationfacility is available at our websitewww.berchmanskuwait.org and willrun to up to 6 pm on Thursday, 15thOct 2015. Rules & Regulations of thecompetition together with selectioncriteria for championship and runner-up trophy for schools and eloquentspeaker gold medal are available onthe web site.
St Berchmans Extempore
Speech Competition
The Sultan Center launches
Autumn/Winter 2015 Sports Collection
The administrator of Otaibah Tribe website,Nemer Safar Al-Otaibai recently presented amemorial trophy to businessman Bader
Mohammed Al-Otaibi in appreciation of his end-less support to the website.
ABK and International
Clinic encourage
breast cancer screenings
Al Ahli Bank of Kuwait (ABK) has joined up with theInternational Clinic in a campaign during October’sBreast Cancer Awareness Month to raise awareness
of the disease and encourage women over 40 to get regu-larly screened. During the whole of October, ABK femalecustomers and staff will receive a 25 % discount on mam-mogram screenings when conducted at the InternationalClinic in Salmiya. ABK has launched a series of activities insupport of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and the bankis also the main sponsor of the Cancer AwareNation(CAN)marathon, which is scheduled to be held inKuwait, later in the year.
Announcement from
Palestinian embassy
Palestine’s ambassador to Kuwait, Rami Tahboubrecently announced they are receiving condolencesfor the martyrs of Israeli occupation forces’ massacres
and public executions in the occupied Palestinian territo-ries. Tahboub added that funeral services would be held atthe embassy’s headquarters in Bayan, Block 13, street num-ber 7 house number 24 on Tuesday, October 20, 2015 from10:00 am till 2:00 pm and from 5:00-9:00 pm.
Kozhikode District NRI Association - KDNAFahaheel Area committee conductedtheir annual general body meeting on
Friday 25th September 2015 at “Foke” auditori-um, Mangaf. General Body meeting waspresided over by Resheed Payanthong andinaugurated by KDNA General SecretarySathian Varoonda. President Azeez Thikkodispoke about the activities and vision of theassociation.
Annual report for the year 2014-2015 was
rendered by the area general secretary DileepGopinath. Association Vice President SureshMathur controlled the election procedure andthe general body elected following office bear-ers unanimously for the year 2015-2016.
Ajesh Somasundaram (President)Ramachandran Kunnamangalam,C.Muhammed Iqbal (Vice Presidents), NipunPaul (General Secretary), Manoj P Narayanan(Treasurer). Other area executive members areVinod Kumar, Anish Kumar, Nishal Ani, Ummer
Koya, Binul Kumar, Kumaran Perode and DijeshV Nair. Representatives to Central ExecutiveCommittee:
Sajeevan Kunimmal, Rasheed Payanthong,Praju.T.M, Santhosh Punathil, Balan Koomullil,Suhesh Kumar & Dilip Gopinath. KDNA TresurerZaheer Alakkal, Sajeevan Kunimmal wereamong the few that were offered felicitationspeeches. The entire members present in theGeneral Body wished the new committee fol-lowed by vote of thanks by Manoj P Narayanan.
Kozhikode District NRI Association elects new office bearers
The India Trade PromotionOrganization (ITPO), aGovernment of India Enterprise,
under the Department of Commerce,Ministry of Commerce and Industry,Government of India is organizing the35th edition of its annual mega event“India International Trade Fair (IITF)” atPragati Maidan, New Delhi from 14-27November 2015, which will showcaseIndia’s industrial progress, economicachievements and technologicaladvancements in a wide range of
products and services. IITF is a tradefair with B2B and B2C componentsand has emerged as the largest inte-grated trade fair in the Indian sub-continent. The first 5 days (14-18November 2015) of the Fair are exclu-sively earmarked for business visitors.The fair is open to general public from19-27 November 2015.
A large number of overseas com-panies are expected to display theirproducts and services in the event.The theme of IITF “Make in INDIA” is a
major initiative of the Governmentdesigned to facilitate and promoteinvestment, foster innovation,enhance skill development and buildbest-in-class manufacturing infra-structure in the country. An interna-tional Business Lounge will be set upto facilitate the visit of Internationalvisitors. The last edition of the fair wit-nessed a huge turnover of visitors and7000 business visitors which includedoverseas trade delegations from 58countries across the globe.
‘India International Trade
Fair (IITF)’ at Pragati Maidan
The evening of September 30th wit-nessed Indian Learners OwnAcademy celebrating its fifth
anniversary in all grandeur. The programcommenced with the rendition from theverses of the Holy Quran by PeerMohammed. The lyrics of the number,“Heal the World”, reminded one and all ofthe onus and the commitment towardshumanity. The chief guest, R Kuppanna,(General Manager, Kuwait IndiaInternational Exchange Co) lit the lamp ofknowledge along with the dignitaries,Madam Badria, the Arabic Languagesupervisor from Ministry of Pvt Education,Kuwait, Chairman, Mr DK Sharma andsponsor, Mr Ibrahim Al Gharier. The princi-
pal, Mrs Asha Sharma welcomed the chiefguest, Kuppanna at length and intro-duced guests of honor to the audience.
The highlight of the evening was theaward ceremony honoring the awardeesfor their exemplarity in academics and tothe teachers who were with the schoolsince its inception and have completedhalf a decade were felicitated by the chair-man DK Sharma. On the same occasion,Mrs.Richa, the co-coordinator of the ‘SaveTiger’ project organized by the BritishCouncil’s International School AwardProgram was accorded along with fifteenmedalists.
R Kuppanna emphasized on Aristotle’squote, how “excellence should become a
habit” and that dexterity never goesunpaid. The laudable moments were thecommendable artists playing multipleinstruments, blending symphony in har-mony. The lively fusion dance and ‘Frenchnumber’, with its hummable tune and foottapping rhythm sent waves of rapturousdelights.
The grand finale was an Arabic dancewhich captivated the entire gathering.The icing to the show was the anchors ofthe entire event whose performance wasmagnificent. No program culminateswithout the expression of gratitude in itsgrandeur for it gives immense happinessrecounting in each individual’s valuabletime spent in making it a rolling success.
ILOA celebrates fifth anniversary
W H AT ’ S ONMONDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2015
The ambassador of the Republic of Korea Shin Boonam hosted a reception at their embassy on the occasion of the National Foundation and Armed Forces day. The event was held at Regency Hotel and manyhigh ranking officials and media personnel attended the event.
American Society of Safety Engineers(ASSE) Kuwait Chapter is Kuwait’s pre-mier voluntary and non-profit organiza-
tion providing professional guidance, trainingand consultancy; in the field of health, safetyand environment; to the industrial and socialsectors in the region.
Continuing its constant efforts towards socialresponsibility and commitment, AmericanSociety of Safety Engineers (ASSE), KuwaitChapter, organized the second session of theContactor Safety Month on 13th October 2015,where specialist from M/s Capital Safety conduct-ed a presentation on the Fall Projection System.
The event sponsored by M/s Raja Company,was conducted at KOC Hubara Centre -Assembly Hall at Ahmadi Township. The eventstarted with a safety moment and welcomeaddress by Mr Jignesh Shah, chapter secretary.The chapter vice president Dinesh Dutta in hisaddress informed that the chapter is organizingthe Contractor Safety month for the benefit ofcontractors in state of Kuwait who are exposedto various safety risks. These technical meetevents are open to everyone, so that the con-tactors’ who have a major role in industrial sec-tor are updated to the best practices and latesttechnologies. Fadhel Al Ali Chairman ASSE
Kuwait Chapter inaugurated the event. In hisinaugural address Fadhel Al Ali highlighted theimportance of the fall protection system and itsrole accident prevention. Sunil N Sadanandan,head of technical event committee introducedthe speaker Romain Crouzit, Regional Manager(Middle East & Africa), from M/s Capital Safety,leaders in the manufacturing of Fall protectiondevices.
Romain Crouzitin his presentation explainedabout the hazardous situations while workingat heights, where fall protection system ensuresminimizing the associated risks. The presenta-tion was followed by an interactive question
and answer session with the speaker and par-ticipants. A quiz session was also conducted,where the winners received gift.
Sanjay Jaiswal in his closing addressthanked the Kuwait Oil Company for their con-tinuous support extended to ASSE Kuwaitchapter. He also thanked the speaker RomainCrouzit and the sponsors M/s Raja Companyfor the presentations. He thanked the all theparticipants who took their time in the eveningto attend and enrich their knowledge. Around200persons from different sectors participatedin this event. As a token of appreciation,Romain was presented with a memento.
Certificates of participation was distributed toall the participants. ASSE Kuwait Chapter wel-comes all interested parties to attend all theworkshops. The entry is free.
The next session will be held on20thOctober at the same place (KOC HubaraCentre -Assembly hall) from 06.30pm to08.30pm,where Mr.Duplessis & Mr.TomyPickettfromM/s Scott Safety will be givingpresentation on Latest technology in BreathingAir Systems. Register through email [email protected] with details like yourname, Company & Designation; email address,mobile number etc.
ASSE Kuwait Chapter organized the second session of Contractor Safety Month
00:05 Michela’s Classic Italian00:30 Rachel Khoo’s KitchenNotebook: Cosmo Cook00:55 Bargain Hunt03:05 Come Dine With Me05:05 Marbella Mansions05:50 The Roux Legacy06:25 The Roux Legacy07:00 Bargain Hunt07:45 Come Dine With Me08:10 Building Dream Homes09:10 Rachel Khoo’s KitchenNotebook: Cosmo Cook09:35 Bargain Hunt10:20 The Roux Legacy10:50 Homes Under The Hammer11:45 Masterchef: TheProfessionals12:35 Bargain Hunt13:20 Come Dine With Me13:45 Building Dream Homes14:45 Rachel Khoo’s KitchenNotebook: Cosmo Cook15:10 Bargain Hunt15:50 The Roux Legacy16:25 Homes Under The Hammer17:20 Bargain Hunt18:05 Phil Spencer: Secret Agent -Specials18:55 Rachel Khoo’s KitchenNotebook: Cosmo Cook19:20 Marbella Mansions20:05 The Planners20:55 Antiques Roadshow21:45 Come Dine With Me22:10 Bargain Hunt23:05 Phil Spencer: Secret Agent -Specials
T V PR O G R A M SMONDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2015
THE LAST DAYS ON MARS ON OSN MOVIES HD
THE CONJURING ON OSN MOVIES HD
00:20 Fast N’ Loud01:10 Walking The Nile02:00 For The Love Of Cars02:50 Wheeler Dealers03:40 Container Wars04:05 Dallas Car Sharks04:30 Baggage Battles05:00 How It’s Made: Dream Cars05:30 How Do They Do It?06:00 Ice Cold Gold06:50 Extreme Car Hoarders07:40 Fast N’ Loud08:30 Container Wars08:55 Dallas Car Sharks09:20 Baggage Battles09:45 How It’s Made: Dream Cars10:10 How Do They Do It?10:35 Railroad Alaska11:25 For The Love Of Cars12:15 Wheeler Dealers13:05 Container Wars13:30 Dallas Car Sharks13:55 Baggage Battles14:20 Ice Cold Gold15:10 Extreme Car Hoarders16:00 Fast N’ Loud16:50 How It’s Made: Dream Cars17:15 How Do They Do It?17:40 Deadliest Catch18:30 Outback Truckers19:20 Dual Survival20:10 Dallas Car Sharks20:35 Baggage Battles21:00 Deadliest Catch21:50 Outback Truckers22:40 Manhunt With Joel Lambert23:30 Extreme Car Hoarders
00:00 The Soup00:30 WAGs01:25 We Have Issues01:50 Sex With Brody02:20 E! News03:15 Extreme Close-Up04:10 E!ES05:05 Beyond Candid WithGiuliana06:00 Keeping Up With TheKardashians07:50 Style Star08:20 E! News09:15 Giuliana & Bill11:10 #RichKids Of Beverly Hills12:05 E! News13:05 We Have Issues13:35 The Grace Helbig Show14:05 Hollywood Cycle15:00 Kourtney And Khloe TakeThe Hamptons17:00 Stewarts And Hamiltons18:00 E! News19:00 Keeping Up With TheKardashians20:00 House Of DVF21:00 Hollywood Cycle22:00 WAGs23:00 Sex With Brody
11:10 Building Wild12:05 Engineering Connections13:00 Years Of Living Dangerously14:00 Seconds From Disaster15:00 Construction Zone15:30 Chasing Time16:00 World’s Most Extreme17:00 Building Wild18:00 Engineering Connections19:00 Construction Zone19:30 Chasing Time20:00 World’s Most Extreme20:50 Building Wild21:40 Engineering Connections22:30 Construction Zone22:55 Chasing Time23:20 Big, Bigger, Biggest
00:20 Shetland01:15 May The Best House Win02:00 Emmerdale02:25 Eggheads02:55 Coronation Street03:25 Tricked04:20 Keep It In The Family05:15 Take On The Twisters06:10 Who’s Doing The Dishes?07:05 Coronation Street07:30 Tricked08:25 Keep It In The Family09:20 Who’s Doing The Dishes?10:15 I’m A Celebrity Get Me OutOf Here11:10 Paul O’Grady: For The LoveOf Dogs11:35 May The Best House Win12:30 Take On The Twisters13:25 Emmerdale13:50 Eggheads14:20 Coronation Street14:45 The Chase15:35 Who’s Doing The Dishes?16:30 Agatha Christie’s Partners InCrime17:25 Keep It In The Family18:20 Take On The Twisters19:10 Coronation Street19:35 Who’s Doing The Dishes?20:30 Agatha Christie’s Partners InCrime21:25 Keep It In The Family22:20 I’m A Celebrity Get Me OutOf Here23:15 Paul O’Grady: For The LoveOf Dogs23:40 Eggheads
00:10 Wicked Tuna01:00 The 2000s: The Decade WeSaw It All02:55 China From Above03:50 I Wouldn’t Go In There: Ww2Special04:45 Wild Case Files05:40 Big, Bigger, Biggest06:35 Megastructures07:30 Richard Hammond’s WildestWeather08:25 Years Of Living Dangerously09:20 Wild Case Files10:15 World’s Most Extreme
18:45 Snake Sheila19:15 Treehouse Masters20:10 Tanked21:05 Killer Iq: Lion vs Hyena22:00 Megalodon: The MonsterShark Lives23:50 Snake Sheila00:45 Call Of The Wildman01:40 Megalodon: The MonsterShark Lives
03:30 Hotel Secrets With Richard EGrant04:15 The Weakest Link05:00 The Green Balloon Club05:25 Nuzzle & Scratch: Frock n Roll05:45 Gigglebiz06:00 The Green Balloon Club06:20 Nuzzle & Scratch: Frock n Roll07:05 The Weakest Link07:50 Only Fools And Horses08:20 My Family08:50 The Cafe09:15 Doctors09:45 Casualty10:35 Silk11:30 The Weakest Link12:15 The Cafe12:40 My Family13:10 Only Fools And Horses13:40 Casualty14:30 Silk15:25 Doctors15:55 The Cafe16:20 My Family16:50 Only Fools And Horses17:20 The Weakest Link18:05 Call The Midwife19:00 Doctors19:30 Eastenders
10:40 Total Drama: PahkitewIsland11:05 Johnny Test11:50 Steven Universe12:15 Uncle Grandpa12:40 Regular Show13:25 Adventure Time14:10 The Amazing World OfGumball15:00 New Ben 10 Omniverse15:20 Ben 10: Omniverse15:45 Ninjago: Masters OfSpinjitzu16:10 Matt Hatter Chronicles16:30 Teen Titans Go!17:20 Clarence17:31 Clarence17:40 The Amazing World OfGumball18:30 Adventure Time18:40 Adventure Time18:50 Over The Garden Wall -New19:15 New Uncle Grandpa19:27 Uncle Grandpa19:40 Steven Universe20:00 Regular Show20:50 New Ben 10 Omniverse21:15 Ben 10: Omniverse21:40 Adventure Time22:25 Johnny Test23:10 Regular Show23:55 Total Drama: PahkitewIsland00:20 Total Drama: PahkitewIsland
04:55 Kid Colter06:35 Separate Tables08:15 George Washington09:40 Meteor Man11:20 Apache12:50 Adventures Of Hercules14:20 Natural Causes15:50 Nobody’s Fool17:35 The Return Of Sabata19:20 Meteor Man21:00 Sweet Revenge22:20 Doubt00:05 Art School Confidential01:45 Rob Roy
03:25 Man-Eating Super Croc04:15 Megalodon: The NewEvidence05:02 River Monsters (Best OfSeries 1-5)05:49 Killer Hornets From Hell06:36 Call Of The Wildman07:25 Dogs 10108:15 The Lion Man09:10 Treehouse Masters10:05 Tanked11:00 Dogs 10111:55 Bondi Vet12:50 Killer Hornets From Hell13:45 The Lion Man14:40 Treehouse Masters15:35 Tanked16:30 Queens Of The Savannah17:25 River Monsters (Best OfSeries 1-5)18:20 Snake Sheila
03:20 Grojband04:05 Total Drama: Revenge OfThe Island04:27 Total Drama: Revenge OfThe Island04:50 Teen Titans Go!05:00 Teen Titans Go!05:10 Grojband05:35 Grojband06:00 The Amazing World OfGumball06:25 New Uncle Grandpa06:37 Uncle Grandpa06:50 Adventure Time07:35 Clarence07:46 Clarence08:00 Teen Titans Go!08:20 Ninjago: Masters OfSpinjitzu08:45 New Ben 10 Omniverse09:10 Ben 10: Omniverse09:30 Regular Show09:41 Regular Show09:55 Dreamworks Dragons:Defenders Of Berk10:20 Total Drama World Tour
Discovery ID03:00 True Crime With AphroditeJones
00:30 Last Man Standing01:00 The Nightly Show With LarryWilmore01:30 Comedians02:00 Silicon Valley03:30 The Goldbergs04:30 The Tonight Show StarringJimmy Fallon06:30 Til Death07:00 Late Night With Seth Meyers10:30 Til Death11:00 The Tonight Show StarringJimmy Fallon13:30 Til Death14:00 The Goldbergs15:30 Last Man Standing16:00 The Nightly Show With LarryWilmore17:00 Late Night With Seth Meyers18:00 Brooklyn Nine-Nine18:30 The Goldbergs19:00 Hot In Cleveland20:00 Community20:30 Bad Judge21:00 Last Man Standing21:30 Last Week Tonight With JohnOliver22:05 The Brink22:30 Ballers23:00 Family Guy23:30 Community
00:00 Downton Abbey01:00 The Americans02:00 How To Get Away WithMurder03:00 The Knick06:00 Red Band Society08:00 Chicago Fire09:00 Scandal10:00 Red Band Society12:00 Emmerdale12:30 Coronation Street14:00 Chicago Fire15:00 The Astronaut Wives Club16:00 Emmerdale16:30 Coronation Street17:00 The Ellen DeGeneres Show18:00 Chicago Fire19:00 Scandal20:00 Switched At Birth21:00 Quantico22:00 Homeland23:00 The Leftovers
02:00 Good Morning America03:00 Salem04:00 Grimm06:00 Good Morning America07:00 Emmerdale07:30 Coronation Street09:00 Suits10:00 Emmerdale10:30 Coronation Street12:00 Switched At Birth13:00 Supernatural14:00 Live Good Morning America16:00 Suits17:00 Switched At Birth18:00 Supernatural19:00 Suits20:00 Switched At Birth21:00 Supernatural22:00 Salem23:00 Grimm
00:15 Lords Of London02:00 v For Vendetta04:15 Bloodsport06:00 The Core08:15 Rage10:00 Arachnophobia12:00 Bloodsport13:45 The Last Castle16:00 Rage18:00 Special ID20:00 Last Passenger22:00 Closed Circuit
00:00 v For Vendetta-1802:15 Bloodsport-PG1504:00 The Core-PG1506:15 Rage-PG1508:00 Arachnophobia-PG1510:00 Bloodsport-PG1511:45 The Last Castle-PG1514:00 Rage-PG1516:00 Special ID-PG1518:00 Last Passenger-PG1520:00 Closed Circuit-PG1522:00 Rush-18
00:00 Dumb And Dumber To02:00 For Better Or For Worse04:00 Foodfight!06:00 Mousehunt08:00 Life With Mikey10:00 Foodfight!12:00 For Better Or For Worse14:00 Planes, Trains AndAutomobiles16:00 Life With Mikey18:00 The Last Shot20:00 The Ladykillers22:00 Cadillac Man
01:00 Struck By Lightning-PG1503:00 The Truth About Emanuel05:00 Blancanieves-PG1507:00 The Railway Man-PG1509:00 Mr. Pip-PG1511:00 Blancanieves-PG1513:00 Knockout-PG1515:00 The Truth About Emanuel17:00 Mr. Pip-PG1519:00 Devil’s Knot-PG1521:00 Reclaim-PG1523:00 Oldboy-18
01:15 Serial (Bad) Weddings03:00 The Boxer05:00 Pawn07:00 The Invisible Woman09:00 The Bag Man11:00 Pawn13:00 Grand Piano15:00 Atlas Shrugged Part 2: TheStrike17:00 The Bag Man19:00 Blue Ruin21:00 Disconnect23:00 Casualties Of War
01:00 Mine Games-PG1503:00 Seven Days In Utopia-PG1505:00 Le Weekend-PG1506:45 Great Expectations-PG1509:00 At Middleton-PG1510:45 The Fault In Our Stars-PG1513:00 Quartet-PG1515:00 The Last Days On Mars17:00 At Middleton-PG1518:45 Foxcatcher-PG1521:00 Heatstroke-PG1523:00 The Conjuring-18
01:00 Marvel’s Thor: Tales OfAsgaard02:45 Worms04:30 Moomins And The CometChase06:00 Hiroku: Defenders Of Gaia08:00 Goat Story 210:00 The Olsen Gang In DeepTrouble11:30 Daddy I’m A Zombie13:15 Scooby-Doo! Ghastly Goals!14:15 Jelly T16:00 Blue Elephant 218:00 The Olsen Gang In DeepTrouble20:00 Patoruzito: The GreatAdventure22:00 Jelly T23:30 Blue Elephant 2
00:00 Sin City: A Dame To Kill For02:00 Maleficent-PG04:00 Searching For Sugar Man06:00 American Warships-PG1508:00 Million Dollar Arm-PG1510:15 House Of Versace-PG1511:45 Blended-PG1513:45 Saving Mr. Banks-PG1516:00 Million Dollar Arm-PG15
18:15 Brick Mansions-PG1520:00 Maximum Conviction-PG1522:00 The Purge: Anarchy-PG15
01:30 Honor Student03:00 Long Weekend04:30 Struck By Lightning06:00 Grave Encounters07:30 Real Steel09:45 Honor Student11:15 Under The Tuscan Sun13:15 A Lot Like Love15:00 Dangerous Minds16:45 The Longshots18:30 The Joneses20:00 Signs21:45 Tomorrow When The WarBegan23:30 The Limits Of Control
00:00 Grey’s Anatomy01:00 MasterChef Australia02:00 Transporter: The Series04:00 Da Vinci’s Demons05:00 According To Jim06:00 The Simpsons06:30 The Simpsons07:00 Lost08:00 Grey’s Anatomy09:00 MasterChef Australia10:00 Transporter: The Series12:00 Da Vinci’s Demons13:00 According To Jim14:00 The Simpsons15:00 Lost16:00 Grey’s Anatomy17:00 MasterChef Australia18:00 Private Practice20:00 Grey’s Anatomy21:00 Cougar Town22:00 The Simpsons23:00 Lost
00:00 American Daredevils01:00 Mountain Men02:00 Swamp People03:00 Shipping Wars04:00 American Daredevils04:30 American Daredevils06:00 Duck Dynasty07:00 Swamp People08:00 Mountain Men09:00 Gold Hunters: Legend OfThe Superstition...10:00 Alaska Off-Road Warriors11:00 Shark Wranglers12:00 American Pickers13:00 Storage Wars14:00 Pawn Stars15:00 Shipping Wars16:00 American Restoration17:00 Storage Wars17:30 Pawn Stars18:00 American Pickers19:00 Storage Wars20:00 Shipping Wars21:00 Pawn Stars22:30 Pawn Stars
20:00 Hitler On Trial: The StoryBehind The Film20:50 The Paradise21:45 Inside No. 922:15 Call The Midwife23:10 The Weakest Link23:55 Doctors00:25 Eastenders00:55 Call The Midwife01:50 Hitler On Trial: The StoryBehind The Film02:45 The Paradise
03:45 Deadly Women04:30 California Investigator04:55 California Investigator05:20 The Will06:10 The Will07:00 Dr G: Medical Examiner07:50 On The Case With PaulaZahn08:40 Fatal Encounters09:30 Murder Shift10:20 Forensic Detectives11:10 True Crime With AphroditeJones12:00 The Will12:50 I Almost Got Away With It13:40 California Investigator14:05 Nightmare Next Door14:55 Fatal Encounters15:45 On The Case With PaulaZahn16:35 Murder Shift17:25 I Almost Got Away With It18:15 Forensic Detectives19:05 True Crime With AphroditeJones19:55 California Investigator20:20 The Will21:10 Who On Earth Did I Marry?21:35 Who On Earth Did I Marry?22:00 True Crime With AphroditeJones22:50 California Investigator23:15 California Investigator23:40 Who On Earth Did I Marry?00:05 Who On Earth Did I Marry?00:30 The Haunted01:20 Ghost Lab02:10 True Crime With AphroditeJones
03:05 Home Factory03:29 Through The WormholeWith Morgan Freeman04:16 How Do They Do It?06:37 How It’s Made07:00 Mythbusters07:50 Bang Goes The Theory08:40 X-Machines09:30 Food Factory10:20 Deadly Dilemmas11:10 Through The WormholeWith Morgan Freeman12:00 Space Pioneer12:50 Bang Goes The Theory13:40 X-Machines14:30 How It’s Made15:20 Deadly Dilemmas16:10 Through The WormholeWith Morgan Freeman17:00 Bang Goes The Theory17:50 Mythbusters18:40 Home Factory19:30 Food Factory20:20 How It’s Made21:10 How Do They Do It?22:00 Home Factory22:50 Through The WormholeWith Morgan Freeman23:40 Moon Machines00:30 Mythbusters
03:10 Henry Hugglemonster03:20 Calimero03:35 Zou03:45 Loopdidoo04:00 Art Attack04:25 Henry Hugglemonster04:35 Calimero04:50 Zou05:00 Loopdidoo05:15 Art Attack05:35 Henry Hugglemonster05:50 Calimero06:00 Zou06:20 Loopdidoo06:35 Art Attack07:00 Calimero07:10 Zou07:25 Limon And Oli07:35 Jake And The Never LandPirates07:50 Sofia The First
ClassifiedsMONDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2015
Fajr: 04:32
Shorook 05:52
Duhr: 11:33
Asr: 14:48
Maghrib: 17:14
Isha: 18:31
Kuwait
Directorate General of Civil Aviation Home Page (www.kuwait-airport.com.kw)
DIAL161 FOR AIRPORT INFORMATION
Arrival Flights on Monday 19/10/2015Airlines Flt Route Time
JZR 239 Amman 00:20JZR 267 Beirut 00:30DLH 637 Dammam 00:35THY 772 Istanbul 00:35FDB 069 Dubai 00:55JZR 539 Cairo 01:30ETH 3403 Addis Ababa/Riyadh 01:35PGT 858 Istanbul 01:40RJA 642 Amman 01:45OMA 643 Muscat 02:05GFA 211 Bahrain 02:15KKK 6507 Istanbul 02:15JZR 529 Asyut 02:20UAE 853 Dubai 02:25MSC 403 Sohag 02:30QTR 1076 Doha 02:55ETD 305 Abu Dhabi 03:05CEB 7694 Manila 03:10FDB 067 Dubai 03:15MSR 612 Cairo 03:15KAC 1544 Cairo 03:35THY 1464 Istanbul 03:55MSC 401 Alexandria 04:00PGT 860 Istanbul 04:05DHX 170 Bahrain 04:20THY 770 Istanbul 04:40KAC 412 Manila/Bangkok 06:15BAW 157 London 06:35KAC 382 Delhi 07:30KAC 206 Islamabad 07:30IRC 6521 Lamerd 07:40FDB 053 Dubai 07:50OMA 641 Muscat 07:50KAC 302 Mumbai 07:55KAC 354 BLR 07:55QTR 1086 Doha 07:55KAC 154 Istanbul 08:10KAC 352 Kochi 08:15KAC 344 Chennai 08:15UAE 855 Dubai 08:25KAC 362 Colombo 08:30KAC 284 Dhaka 09:00ABY 125 Sharjah 09:05IRA 667 Esfahan 09:05ETD 301 Abu Dhabi 09:10QTR 1070 Doha 09:25FDB 055 Dubai 09:40KAC 350 Kochi 09:40GFA 213 Bahrain 10:40UAE 873 Dubai 10:40MEA 404 Beirut 10:55AXB 889 Mangalore/Bahrain 11:15MSC 405 Sohag 11:20JZR 561 Sohag 11:25AGY 680 Alexandria 11:40JZR 165 Dubai 11:50FDB 075 Dubai 12:25UAE 871 Dubai 12:45MSR 610 Cairo 13:00THY 766 Istanbul 13:10KAC 620 Doha 13:10FBA 831 Baghdad 13:30KAC 672 Dubai 13:55
QTR 1078 Doha 14:05KNE 460 Riyadh 14:10FDB 057 Dubai 14:20GFA 221 Bahrain 14:20SVA 500 Jeddah 14:30KNE 472 Jeddah 14:55KAC 538 Sohag 14:55RJD 135 Abu Dhabi 15:00OMA 645 Muscat 15:05ABY 127 Sharjah 15:35UAE 857 Dubai 15:45RJA 640 Amman 15:55ETD 303 Abu Dhabi 16:00FDB 051 Dubai 16:10QTR 1072 Doha 16:20KAC 118 New York 16:30KAC 792 Madinah 16:50KAC 562 Amman 17:00SVA 510 Riyadh 17:15GFA 215 Bahrain 17:30JZR 177 Dubai 17:45JZR 777 Jeddah 17:50SYR 343 Damascus 17:55KAC 680 Muscat 18:00FDB 065 Dubai 18:05JZR 483 Istanbul 18:20KAC 786 Jeddah 18:35KAC 502 Beirut 18:35KAC 618 Doha 18:55KAC 542 Cairo 18:55QTR 1080 Doha 18:55KAC 104 London 19:00GFA 217 Bahrain 19:05UAE 875 Dubai 19:05KAC 614 Bahrain 19:10FDB 063 Dubai 19:10ABY 123 Sharjah 19:20JAI 572 Mumbai 19:35KAC 774 Riyadh 19:40FDB 061 Dubai 19:50AGY 684 Sohag 19:50KAC 674 Dubai 20:00OMA 647 Muscat 20:00KNE 480 Taif 20:10MEA 402 Beirut 20:15DLH 634 Frankfurt 20:20MSR 618 Alexandria 20:40ALK 229 Colombo 21:10UAE 859 Dubai 21:15ETD 307 Abu Dhabi 21:15QTR 1074 Doha 21:30FDB 073 Dubai 21:30GFA 219 Bahrain 21:45THY 764 Istanbul 22:10ETD 309 Abu Dhabi 22:10JZR 125 Bahrain 22:15AIC 975 Chennai 22:25FDB 059 Dubai 22:50JZR 185 Dubai 23:00JAI 574 Mumbai 23:20RBG 555 Alexandria 23:25MSR 614 Cairo 23:30FDB 071 Dubai 23:35KLM 411 Amsterdam/Dammam 23:40PIA 205 Lahore 23:40
Departure Flights on Monday 19/10/2015Airlines Flt Route TimeAIC 982 Ahmedabad/Chennai 00:05RBG 556 Alexandria 00:05BBC 044 Dhaka 00:10UAL 981 IAD 00:25JAI 573 Mumbai 00:25MSR 615 Cairo 00:30FDB 072 Dubai 00:30PIA 206 Lahore 00:40DLH 637 Frankfurt 01:35THY 773 Istanbul 02:05PGT 859 Istanbul 02:55ETH 3403 Addis Ababa 03:05KKK 6508 Istanbul 03:10MSC 404 Sohag 03:30OMA 644 Muscat 03:35UAE 854 Dubai 03:45FDB 068 Dubai 04:00ETD 306 Abu Dhabi 04:05MSR 613 Cairo 04:15CEB 7695 Manila 04:40PGT 861 Istanbul 04:45THY 1465 Istanbul 04:50THY 765 Istanbul 04:55JZR 560 Sohag 05:00MSC 406 Sohag 05:00QTR 1077 Doha 05:05RJA 643 Amman 06:35GFA 212 Bahrain 06:50THY 771 Istanbul 06:50FDB 070 Dubai 07:05JZR 164 Dubai 07:15KAC 537 Sohag 08:20BAW 156 London 08:30FDB 054 Dubai 08:30IRC 6522 Lamerd 08:35OMA 642 Muscat 08:50QTR 1087 Doha 08:55KAC 671 Dubai 09:25KAC 619 Doha 09:30JZR 482 Istanbul 09:40ABY 126 Sharjah 09:45UAE 856 Dubai 09:50ETD 302 Abu Dhabi 10:00IRA 666 Esfahan 10:05QTR 1071 Doha 10:40FDB 056 Dubai 10:40KAC 501 Beirut 11:00KAC 561 Amman 11:25KAC 165 Rome/Paris 11:25GFA 214 Bahrain 11:35MEA 405 Beirut 11:55KAC 791 Madinah 12:00KAC 541 Cairo 12:05KAC 103 London 12:10UAE 874 Dubai 12:10JZR 776 Jeddah 12:15AXB 890 Mangalore 12:15MSC 402 Alexandria 12:20KAC 679 Muscat 12:30AGY 685 Sohag 12:40KAC 785 Jeddah 13:00JZR 176 Dubai 13:10
FDB 076 Dubai 13:10MSR 611 Cairo 14:00THY 767 Istanbul 14:10UAE 872 Dubai 14:15FBA 832 Al Najaf 14:30QTR 1079 Doha 15:05GFA 222 Bahrain 15:05FDB 058 Dubai 15:05KNE 481 Taif 15:10KAC 617 Doha 15:15KAC 673 Dubai 15:20SVA 501 Jeddah 15:45KAC 773 Riyadh 15:55KAC 613 Bahrain 16:00KNE 473 Jeddah 16:00OMA 646 Muscat 16:05RJD 136 Abu Dhabi 16:10ABY 128 Sharjah 16:15ETD 304 Abu Dhabi 16:45RJA 641 Amman 16:55JZR 266 Beirut 17:05FDB 052 Dubai 17:10QTR 1073 Doha 17:25UAE 858 Dubai 17:40SVA 511 Riyadh 18:15GFA 216 Bahrain 18:20JZR 184 Dubai 18:20JZR 538 Cairo 18:40JZR 238 Amman 18:45FDB 066 Dubai 18:55SYR 344 Damascus 18:55JZR 124 Bahrain 19:20GFA 218 Bahrain 19:50FDB 064 Dubai 19:50QTR 1081 Doha 19:55ABY 124 Sharjah 20:00KAC 361 Colombo 20:00UAE 876 Dubai 20:35JAI 571 Mumbai 20:35FDB 062 Dubai 20:35KAC 283 Dhaka 20:40KAC 331 Trivandrum 20:45AGY 681 Alexandria 20:50KAC 1543 Cairo 20:55OMA 648 Muscat 21:00KAC 351 Kochi 21:05KNE 461 Riyadh 21:10MEA 403 Beirut 21:15MSR 619 Alexandria 21:40DHX 171 Bahrain 21:50ETD 308 Abu Dhabi 22:05FDB 074 Dubai 22:10ALK 230 Colombo 22:20KAC 381 Delhi 22:20UAE 860 Dubai 22:25KAC 349 Kochi 22:30KAC 301 Mumbai 22:30QTR 1075 Doha 22:40GFA 220 Bahrain 22:45ETD 310 Abu Dhabi 23:00KAC 153 Istanbul 23:00KAC 205 Islamabad 23:05KAC 411 Bangkok/Manila 23:25FDB 060 Dubai 23:50
SHARQIA-1JUNE 11:45 AMPAN 1:30 PMJUNE 3:45 PMPAN 5:45 PMJUNE 8:15 PMJUNE 10:15 PMTHE MARTIAN 12:15 AM
SHARQIA-2MOMENTUM 11:30 AMMOMENTUM 1:30 PMHOTEL TRANSYLVANIA 2 3:30 PMTHU+FRI+SATMOMENTUM 3:30 PMNO THU+FRI+SATAHWAK 5:30 PMVIP- 36MOMENTUM 8:00 PMAHWAK 10:00 PMMOMENTUM 12:30 AM
SHARQIA-3AMERICAN ULTRA 11:30 AMAMERICAN ULTRA 1:45 PMTHE MARTIAN 3:45 PMBRUCE LEE - THE FIGHTER 3:45 PMTHE MARTIAN 6:45 PMBRUCE LEE - THE FIGHTER 6:45 PMBRUCE LEE - THE FIGHTER 10:00 PMAMERICAN ULTRA 1:00 AMAMERICAN ULTRA 9:45 PMAMERICAN ULTRA 11:45 PM
MUHALAB-1JUNE 11:30 AMAHWAK 1:30 PMHOTEL TRANSYLVANIA2 4:00 PMJUNE 6:00 PMJUNE 8:00 PMAHWAK 10:00 PMJUNE 12:30 AM
MUHALAB-2AMERICAN ULTRA 12:00 PMAMERICAN ULTRA 2:00 PMTHE WEDDING PULLAV 4:00 PMBRUCE LEE - THE FIGHTER 4:00 PMAHWAK 7:00 PMBRUCE LEE - THE FIGHTER 7:00 PMBRUCE LEE - THE FIGHTER 10:00 PMAMERICAN ULTRA 1:00 AMAMERICAN ULTRA 10:00 PMAMERICAN ULTRA 12:15 AM
MUHALAB-3MOMENTUM 11:45 AMTHE MARTIAN 1:45 PMBRUCE LEE - THE FIGHTER 1:30 PMMOMENTUM 4:45 PMMOMENTUM 6:45 PMMOMENTUM 8:45 PMMOMENTUM 10:45 PMMOMENTUM 12:45 AM
FANAR-1HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA2 1:00 PMJUNE 1:00 PMJUNE 3:00 PM
HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA2 5:00 PMJUNE 7:00 PMJUNE 9:00 PMJUNE 11:00 PMJUNE 1:00 AM
FANAR-2PAN 11:45 AMAHWAK 2:15 PMPAN 4:45 PMAHWAK 7:15 PMAHWAK 9:45 PMAHWAK 12:15 AM
FANAR-3THE MARTIAN 12:30 PMHOTEL TRANSYLVANIA2 1:30 PMBRUCE LEE - THE FIGHTER 3:30 PMTHE MARTIAN 3:30 PMTHE MARTIAN 6:30 PMBRUCE LEE - THE FIGHTER 6:30 PMBRUCE LEE - THE FIGHTER 9:30 PMBRUCE LEE - THE FIGHTER 10:00 PMTHE MARTIAN 9:30 PMMOMENTUM 1:00 AMTHE MARTIAN 12:30 AM
FANAR-4MOMENTUM 12:15 PMMOMENTUM 2:15 PMMOMENTUM 4:30 PMMOMENTUM 6:30 PMMOMENTUM 8:30 PMMOMENTUM 10:30 PMMOMENTUM 12:30 AM
FANAR-5AMERICAN ULTRA 12:15 PMTHE WALK 2:30 PMAMERICAN ULTRA 5:00 PMJAZBAA 7:00 PMAMERICAN ULTRA 9:45 PMAMERICAN ULTRA 12:05 AM
MARINA-1THE MARTIAN 12:00 PMJUNE 3:00 PMTHE MARTIAN 5:00 PMJUNE 8:00 PMJUNE 10:00 PMTHE MARTIAN 12:05 AM
MARINA-2AMERICAN ULTRA 11:30 AMAMERICAN ULTRA 1:30 PMAHWAK 3:30 PMAMERICAN ULTRA 5:45 PMAHWAK 7:45 PMAHWAK 10:15 PMAMERICAN ULTRA 12:45 AM
MARINA-3MOMENTUM 12:30 PMMOMENTUM 2:30 PMHOTEL TRANSYLVANIA2 4:30 PMPAN 6:30 PMMOMENTUM 9:00 PMMOMENTUM 11:00 PMMOMENTUM 1:00 AM
AVENUES-1MOMENTUM 11:30 AMBLACK MASS 1:30 PMBLACK MASS 4:00 PMBRUCE LEE - THE FIGHTER 4:00 PMBLACK MASS 7:00 PMBRUCE LEE - THE FIGHTER 7:00 PMBRUCE LEE - THE FIGHTER 10:00 PMTHE MARTIAN 10:00 PMBLACK MASS 1:00 AM
AVENUES-2HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA2 12:15 PMHOTEL TRANSYLVANIA2 2:15 PMHOTEL TRANSYLVANIA2 4:15 PMHOTEL TRANSYLVANIA2 6:15 PMTHE WALK 8:15 PMTHE WALK 11:15 PM
AVENUES-3AHWAK 11:30 AMTHE MARTIAN 2:00 PMTHE MARTIAN 5:00 PMTHE MARTIAN 8:00 PMTHE MARTIAN
AVENUES-4THE MARTIAN 12:15 PMHOTEL TRANSYLVANIA2 12:30 PMTHE MARTIAN 3:15 PMAHWAK 3:15 PMJAZBAA 6:15 PMJAZBAA 6:15 PMTHE MARTIAN 9:15 PMTHE MARTIAN 12:15 AM
AVENUES-5MOMENTUM 1:30 PMMOMENTUM 3:45 PMMOMENTUM 6:00 PMAHWAK 8:15 PMMOMENTUM 10:45 PMMOMENTUM 1:00 AM12:05 AM
360º- 1THE MARTIAN 12:15 PMTHE MARTIAN 3:15 PMTHE MARTIAN 6:15 PMTHE MARTIAN 9:15 PMTHE MARTIAN 12:15 AM
360º- 2AMERICAN ULTRA 11:30 AMAMERICAN ULTRA 1:30 PMTHE WEDDING PULLAV 3:45 PMBRUCE LEE - THE FIGHTER 3:45 PMBLACK MASS 6:45 PMBRUCE LEE - THE FIGHTER 6:45 PMBRUCE LEE - THE FIGHTER 9:45 PMTHE WEDDING PULLAV 9:45 PMAMERICAN ULTRA 12:45 AM
360º- 3HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA2 1:15 PMHOTEL TRANSYLVANIA2 3:15 PMHOTEL TRANSYLVANIA2 5:15 PMHOTEL TRANSYLVANIA2 7:15 PMAHWAK 9:15 PM
KNCC PROGRAMME FROM THURSDAY TO WEDNESDAY(15/10/2015 TO 21/10/2015)
Prayer timingsSITUATION WANTED
CHANGE OF NAME
Required maid for house,knows-well washing & iron-ing, Filipino or Srilanka orNepali or Ethiopia, for workin small flat, preferred notmarried, salary KD 120/-.Tel: 99827598 (C 5053)14-10-2015
Porf. Qualified & well Exp.Sr. Finance Exec., seeks Sr.
I, Mohammad Imran (P.No:M7063192) r/o Peeli HaveliChowk Kamptee 441002Dist. Nagpur (MS) India,would like to correct myson’s name on the passportbearing No. L8616706 from“Yousuf” to “YousufMohammad Imran”.Hereafter in all his dealingsand documents, he will beknown by the name “YousufMohammad Imran”. (C 5054)
I, Satish Kancharam holderof Indian Passport No.J3955960 r/o H. No: 5-136,Tondamgattu,Kalingagudem GiddapuramAkiyidu, West Godavari -534235, hereby change myname to Satish Kancharani.(C 5055)14-10-2015
Unresolved family issues work their way to the surface today,even if you attempt to remain as cool as a cucumber. But an unexpected dis-ruption to your routine might not be the worst thing if it puts you in touchwith buried emotions. Resisting the natural flow of your feelings is unneces-sary now, even if it creates temporary discomfort or interrupts your productiv-ity. Increasing your awareness facilitates positive change that may already beoverdue. Metamorphosis happens if you're willing to explore your heart.
Two very different issues may require your attention now. Onone hand, you're redefining your boundaries, and this emotional processmight intensify your isolation for a while. But on the other hand, a parade ofamazing revelations prevents you from sinking into self-pity. You're tooamused by the soap opera that is your life to take things seriously today.Examine your world with an objective eye while you have the chance; culti-vating emotional detachment encourages personal growth.
Although your optimism is a powerful motivational tool attimes, your confidence can get in the way of your success today.
If your healthy self-esteem is presently faltering, make a pact with yourself tointentionally travel to the depths of your subconscious. Decide what's mostvaluable and then return to the surface refreshed and ready to work for whatyou want. A treasure from the underworld contains magic and can be cat-alytic on your journey of self-transformation.
Someone may be trying to manipulate your behavior today,yet you don't have enough information at your disposal to fight off theapparent threat. There are still hidden pieces to the puzzle and it's difficultto defend against an unseen enemy. Rather than shadow boxing, it's moreproductive to maintain familiar routines for a while longer. The truthbecomes clear soon enough, and there will still be time to act when it does.Patience is your best friend now; proceed slowly and with great intent.
Although you're unable to express yourself freely today, ironi-cally, this emotional restraint works in your favor. Fortunately, your socialconnections stabilize your reactions as your peers help you keep your cool inthe midst of a storm. You realize that you could inadvertently offend thepeople who mean the most to you by sharing whatever crosses your mindnow. Heed the words of Thumper, "If you can't say something nice, don't sayanything at all." Exercising your right to remain silent is the key to your cur-rent interpersonal success.
Some people believe that the highest form of creativity originatesonly from the wellsprings of inspiration. However, the source of your currentcreative streak may be triggered by your pressing desire to finish a project now.Happily, you possess the ability to transform your professional ambitions andromantic urges into practical manifestations. Be certain that whatever endeavoryou undertake today is done with a greater purpose in mind; your word is yourwand.
You have a lot of chores to finish today and your responsible atti-tude carries over past normal business hours. Your current priority is todemonstrate your efficiency to others, so list all your tasks and stay focuseduntil you make a serious dent in your work. Channel your stress into actionby striving to tie up any loose ends now. Don't delay because your reservoirof energy could dissipate later in the week. Your willingness to put in over-time shows your commitment to getting the job done.
You might sense a growing resistance from a close friend today,but you're not in the mood for conflict and confrontation. Nevertheless, peo-ple seem emotionally distant now as roadblocks appear to delay your satis-faction. Thankfully, there's no point in getting your knickers in a twist becausethe tension will settle on its own. Instead, concentrate on the love that isalready in your life; celebrating the glass being half-full is a much healthierstrategy than complaining that it's half-empty.
Your greatest worry is that you can't pursue every curiosity thatcatches your eye today. However, your time and energy are limited by cir-cumstances beyond your control. This temporary situation prevents you frombeing as footloose and fancy-free as you prefer. However, significant changesare occurring in your private inner world despite your current frustration.Don't stand in your own way of progress even if you're not clear where yourchoices will lead. Trusting the universe is the fastest way to find the silver lin-ings in the clouds above your head.
Your emotional neediness could block your access to satisfaction,since it's not likely that others will meet your expectations now. But this imbal-ance isn't as bad as it might sound once you realize the real lesson is about learn-ing what you can do for yourself. If you're already in a close partnership, you mayneed to back off a bit to allow everyone involved more breathing room.Fortunately, this exercise in self-sufficiency can help you clearly define what youwant from a relationship if you're willing to let go and follow your heart.
MONDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2015
Aries (March 21-April 19)
STAR TRACK
Taurus (April 20-May 20)
Gemini (May 21-June 20)
Cancer (June 21-July 22)
Leo (July 23-August 22)
Virgo (August 23-September 22)
Libra (September 23-October 22)
Scorpio (October 23-November 21)
Sagittarius (November 22-December 21)
Capricorn (December 22-January 19)
Pisces (February 19-March 20)
Aquarius (January 20- February 18)
CROSSWORD 1053
ACROSS1. The activity of contributing to the fulfillmentof a need or furtherance of an effort or purpose.5. Any of several small ungulate mammals ofAfrica and Asia with rodent-like incisors and feetwith hooflike toes.11. (Old Testament) The eldest son of Isaac whowould have inherited the Covenant that Godmade with Abraham and that Abraham passedon to Isaac.15. Evergreen trees and shrubs having oily one-seeded fruits.16. A member of the Semitic speaking people ofnorthern Ethiopia.17. An account describing incidents or events.18. Sealed in a can or jar.19. An associate degree in nursing.20. Deer grass.21. A pilgrimage to Mecca.22. A Loloish language.24. A man who is the lover of a girl or youngwoman.25. A workplace for the conduct of scientificresearch.27. Naked freshwater or marine or parasitic pro-tozoa that form temporary pseudopods forfeeding and locomotion.30. A silvery ductile metallic element found pri-marily in bauxite.32. Any of numerous local fertility and naturedeities worshipped by ancient Semitic peoples.34. Excellent and delightful in all respects.38. A nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug(trade name Clinoril).41. Intelligence derived from non-communica-tions electromagnetic radiations from foreignsources (other than radioactive sources).42. A health resort near a spring or at the sea-side.43. Fallow deer.44. A radioactive transuranic element synthe-sized from californium.46. A statement that deviates from or pervertsthe truth.47. Channel into a new direction.49. Remove with or as if with a ladle.52. (trademark) An alloy of iron and nickel hav-ing a low coefficient of thermal expansion.54. An Arabic speaking person who lives inArabia or North Africa.55. An inflammatory disease involving the seba-ceous glands of the skin.56. Hired for the exclusive temporary use of agroup of travelers.58. A city in western India just off the coast ofthe Arabian Sea.60. Hawthorn of southern United States bearingjuicy acid scarlet fruit often used in jellies or pre-serves.62. Music performed for dancing the polka.66. A genus of the cactus family with scarletflowers.71. A Kwa language spoken in Ghana and theIvory Coast.74. A Chadic language spoken south of LakeChad.75. A small piece of cloth.79. A member of a Mayan people of southwest-ern Guatemala.80. A usually soluble substance for staining orcoloring e.g. fabrics or hair.81. An Old World reptile family of Sauria.82. A loose sleeveless outer garment made fromaba cloth.
DOWN1. A blind god.2. English essayist (1775-1834).3. United States tennis player (born in
Czechoslovakia) who won several singles cham-pionships.4. A member of the majority people of Punjab innorthwestern India.5. An informal term for a father.6. Before noon.7. Title for the former hereditary monarch ofIran.8. The capital and largest city of Yemen.9. A heavy brittle metallic element of the plat-inum group.10. Gained or acquired.11. The ball-shaped capsule containing the ver-tebrate eye.12. A French marshal who distinguished himselfin the War of the Austrian Succession (1696-1750).13. An elaborate song for solo voice.14. Relatively small fast-moving sloth.23. A member of a formerly tribal people nowliving in south central India.26. An unofficial association of people orgroups.28. Dam to make a millpond to provide powerfor a water mill.29. Minor or subordinate.31. Of or relating to or characteristic of wolves n.33. (Babylonian) God of storms and wind.35. Of a pale purple color.36. The craniometric point that is the mostprominent point at the back of the head (at theoccipital protuberance).37. Comb-plate or locomotor organ consistingof a row of strong cilia whose bases are fused.39. The immature free-living form of most inver-tebrates and amphibians and fish which athatching from the egg is fundamentally unlikeits parent and must metamorphose.40. West Indian tree having racemes of fragrantwhite flowers and yielding a durable timber andresinous juice.45. English writer and a central member of theFabian Society (1858-1943).48. Dutch navigator who was the first Europeanto discover Tasmania and New Zealand (1603-1659).50. Beside one another in a row or rank.51. Knocked unconscious by a heavy blow.53. Being or occurring in fact or actuality.57. The use of dye to change the color of some-thing permanently.59. The month following March and precedingMay.61. (astronomy) The angular distance of a celes-tial point measured westward along the celes-tial equator from the zenith crossing.63. Wild or domesticated South American cud-chewing animal related to camels but smallerand lacking a hump.64. Cubes of meat marinated and cooked on askewer usually with vegetables.65. Small terrestrial lizard of warm regions of theOld World.67. (informal) Being satisfactory or in satisfactorycondition.68. Especially one side of a leaf.69. Having or displaying warmth or affection.70. Predatory black-and-white toothed whalewith large dorsal fin.72. A human limb.73. The Tibeto-Burman language spoken in theDali region of Yunnan.76. (Akkadian) God of wisdom.77. A hard gray lustrous metallic element that ishighly corrosion-resistant.78. The branch of engineering science that stud-ies the uses of electricity and the equipment forpower generation and distribution and the con-trol of machines and communication.
Yesterday’s Solution
Yesterday’s Solution
Yesterday’s Solution
WORD SEARCH PUZZLE
34s t a r s
Daily SuDoku
It seems as if your life is finally settling down to a comfortablepace, but this optimistic assessment may be slightly premature. Even if youcan see positive change at work today, there are unexpected twists and turnson your chosen path. Be smart and prepare for whatever you might find onceyou get around the next bend in the road. Your ability to analyze the facts anddecide what is most critical now will help you navigate this transformativephase with flying colors.
Your first inclination when waves of intense feelings begin to washover you today is to reinforce your tide walls to halt the flow of emotions. Youmay be afraid that your powerful moods could destabilize your personal world inways that aren't easy to manage. However, the more you constrain your irra-tional side now, the greater the probability of unwanted changes. Relax yourresistance and trust your intuition to teach you how to navigate the murkywaters of your heart.
inf or m at ionMONDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2015
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
OphthalmologistsDr. Abidallah Al-Mansoor 25622444Dr. Samy Al-Rabeea 25752222Dr. Masoma Habeeb 25321171Dr. Mubarak Al-Ajmy 25739999Dr. Mohsen Abel 25757700Dr Adnan Hasan Alwayl 25732223Dr. Abdallah Al-Baghly 25732223
Ear, Nose & Throat (ENT)Dr. Ahmed Fouad Mouner 24555050 Ext 510Dr. Abdallah Al-Ali 25644660Dr. Abd Al-Hameed Al-Taweel 25646478Dr. Sanad Al-Fathalah 25311996Dr. Mohammad Al-Daaory 25731988Dr. Ismail Al-Fodary 22620166Dr. Mahmoud Al-Booz 25651426
General PractitionersDr. Mohamme Y Majidi 24555050 Ext 123Dr. Yousef Al-Omar 24719312Dr. Tarek Al-Mikhazeem 23926920Dr. Kathem Maarafi 25730465Dr. Abdallah Ahmad Eyadah 25655528Dr. Nabeel Al-Ayoobi 24577781Dr. Dina Abidallah Al-Refae 25333501
UrologistsDr. Ali Naser Al-Serfy 22641534Dr. Fawzi Taher Abul 22639955Dr. Khaleel Abidallah Al-Awadi 22616660Dr. Adel Al-Hunayan FRCS (C) 25313120Dr. 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
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Dr Nasser Behbehani 25654300/3
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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
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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
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Dr. Abdallateef Al-Katrash 22525888
Dr. Abidallah Al-Duweisan 25653755
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Dr. Sohal Najem Al-Shemeri 25633324
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Dr. Sami Aman 22636464
Dr. Mohammad Al-Shamaly 25322030
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Dr. Abd Al-Naser Al-Othman 25339330
Dr. Ahmad Al-Ansari 25658888
Dr. Kamal Al-Shomr 25329924
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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
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Dr. Farida Al-Habib 2611555-2622555 MD, PH.D, FACC Inaya German Medical Center Te: 2575077 Fax: 25723123
Soor CenterTel: 2290-1677Fax: 2290 1688
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36L I F E S T Y L EM u s i c & M o v i e s
MONDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2015
Justin Timberlake sang and strut-ted his way through his induc-tion into the Memphis Music
Hall of Fame on Saturday, doingvocal impersonations of soul singersAl Green and Otis Redding, perform-ing on stage with Sam Moore ofSam & Dave, and joking with buddyJimmy Fallon. The pop singer andactor accepted the honor in front ofabout 2,100 people, who laughedthroughout his acceptance speech.With a drink in tow, he told Fallon,who introduced him, that he wasnot funny. The pair marched togeth-er on stage as Timberlake led theaudience in the fight song for theMemphis Tigers’ football team,which upset Mississippi on Saturday.
Timberlake, a Memphis native,joked with friend DJ Paul of rapgroup Three 6 Mafia and sang bits ofGreen’s “Love and Happiness,” Sam &Dave’s “Hold On, I’m Comin’” andRedding’s “(Sittin’ On) The Dock ofthe Bay” during his speech. He evencursed a few times. “This is the(expletive) coolest thing that hasever happened to me,” saidTimberlake, a former ‘NSync mem-ber and solo artist who has wonmultiple Emmy and Grammy awardsand appeared in several films.
Honored musiciansLater, he added: “The Grammys
are political. The Emmys are political.Memphis is not political. And don’tget me started on Hollywood.” Theevent honored musicians and per-formers with strong connections to
Memphis, known as a cradle ofblues, soul/R&B and rock n’ roll. Alsoinducted were Sam & Dave, ElvisPresley guitarist Scotty Moore,Booker T & the MG’s drummer AlJackson Jr, singer Alberta Hunter,blues pianist Memphis Slim and
country singer Charlie Rich. RollingStones guitarist Keith Richardsaccepted the award for ScottyMoore, who did not attend.
Eighty-year-old Sam Moore, onehalf of the duo Sam & Dave, per-formed to close the show. He wasjoined on stage by Timberlake, whodanced during “Soul Man” and “HoldOn, I’m Comin’.” They then sang“(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay”together. “I left my home in Memphis,
headed for the lights of LA,”Timberlake sang, changing some ofthe lyrics to fit his own success story.Sam Moore’s singing partner, DavePrater, died in 1988. They recordedseveral hits for Stax in the 1960s.Fallon, who has performed with
Timberlake on “Saturday Night Live”and “The Tonight Show,” sang likeElvis, did an impersonation of DonaldTrump and called himself “Mrs JustinTimberlake” during his speech.
500 recordings“He’s one of the biggest stars in
the world,” Fallon said of Timberlake.“He can sing, he can dance, he canact, he’s funny, he’s good looking. Andif you don’t believe me, you can ask
Justin himself. He wrote thisspeech.”Richards praised ScottyMoore for influencing his career.Scotty Moore played guitar onPresley’s first recording, “That’s AllRight,” at Sun Studio in 1954, and trav-eled with Presley as the rock n’ rollicon started his music career. Richardsdropped the award when heapproached the podium. “I dropped itclassically, tastefully,” Richards joked.Bluesman BB King was honored in an“In Memoriam” video. He died earlierthis year at age 80.
Video and musical tributesaccompanied the inductions of theother artists. Nicknamed the “SilverFox,” Rich recorded at Sun Studio inMemphis with influential producerSam Phillips. Jackson kept time forBooker T & the MG’s, the bi-racial,rock-soul-funk collaboration thatserved as the house band for StaxRecords. The Memphis-born Jacksonwas fatally shot in 1975. Hunter wasborn in Memphis but gained fameas a pioneering blues and jazz singerin Chicago and New York in the1910s and 1920s. Memphis Slim cre-ated over 500 recordings and playedpiano for blues legends Sonny BoyWilliamson and Willie Dixon. TheMemphis Music Hall of Fame startedin 2012. Inaugural inductees includ-ed Presley, Redding and Three 6Mafia. Since then, inductees haveincluded rock group Big Star, bluesguitarist Albert King and soulsongstress Carla Thomas. The sold-out event was held at the CannonCenter for the Performing Arts. —AP
Timberlake sings a little, dances a little at Memphis event
Jimmy Fallon, left, inductes Justin Timberlake, right, during theMemphis Music Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony. —AP photos
Justin Timberlake, center, whistles the tune “Sitting on the Dock of the Bay”with Steve Cropper, left.
Sam Moore, left, and Justin Timberlake perform on stage.
Singer Stromae wows at Rwanda
homecoming concert
Belgian pop singer Paul Van Haver, aka Stromae, performs on October 17,2015 in Kigali. —AFP
Belgian pop star Stromae has wowedthe crowd in Kigali in a landmarkconcert and homecoming for the
half-Rwandan singer, whose father waskilled in the 1994 genocide. The singer,who broke off an African tour in June afterfalling sick to the huge disappointment offans, performed to a packed stadium dur-ing a first concert in Rwanda late Saturday,after per formances in neighboringDemocratic Republic of Congo. “It was soexciting!” enthused Rodie Nkusi, an 18-year-old fan. “Everyone is so proud becausehe’s half-Rwandan.”
“We’re so happy here, he’s a child of ourcountry,” said another fan, 29-year-old
Pacifique. The genre-merging Belgian singer,who earlier this month sang in New York’sMadison Square Garden-only the thirdFrench-language artist to play the self-described “World’s Most Famous Arena” afterCharles Aznavour and Celine Dion-per-formed in front of some 20,000 people fortwo hours. Stromae, whose real name is PaulVan Haver, has won a huge following inBelgium and France for his tunes, includinghis 2009 hit ‘Alors on danse’, which aredanceable but also introspective withthemes including the absence of hisRwandan father. On Saturday he said he was“delighted” but also emotional to be back ina country he last visited as a child. —AFP
Police in Tunisia have arrested rapper KlayBBJ, his lawyer said yesterday, two yearsafter the performer was sentenced to jail for
insulting a public servant. It was not immediatelyclear why Klay BBJ was detained on Saturday, butinterior ministry spokesman Walid Louguini toldMosaique FM radio it was at the request of theprosecution. A judicial source said, however, thatthe arrest could have been linked “to the con-sumption of narcotics”. If found guilty he couldface up to five years in jail.
But Klay BBJ, according to his lawyer GhaziMrabet, has denied using drugs. The rapper, bornAhmed ben Ahmed, was detained in Tunis alongwith two other people as they were preparing toattend a concert in Hammamet further south, saidMrabet. In 2013 he was sentenced to 21 months inprison along with fellow rapper Weld El 15 for
insulting a public servant, in a case that sparkedcontroversy in Tunisia and calls by rights groupsfor their release.
Their sentence was later reduced to sixmonths but the pair appealed the ruling andwere eventually acquitted. Klay BBJ is known forwriting lyrics that criticize authorities, namely thesecurity forces. His lawyer said he could bereferred to court today, and that authoritiescould accuse him of having consumed narcoticsunder so-called law 52. The legislation which wasadopted in 1992, during the reign of the nowousted autocratic regime, has been used to tryand jail rappers who have been critical of thesecurity forces. A civil society group known as“Prisoner 52” has been seeking the scrapping oflaw 52 which they say is used as a tool to repressfreedom of expression. —AFP
British actor Tom Hiddleston gave aonce-in-a-lifetime performancewhen he hopped on stage in
Nashville, Tennessee, on Saturday to singafter a premiere of the Hank Williamsbiopic, “I Saw the Light.” Hiddleston spentmonths learning how to talk and sing likethe iconic country singer for the role inthe Sony Pictures Classics film, set forrelease in March 2016.
He surprised guests at an after-partyfollowing the premiere with a short set ofWilliams’ classics including, “Hey GoodLookin,’” “Why Don’t You Love Me Like YouUsed To Do,” and “Move It On Over.” Thecrowd, which included his co-stars andmusicians, clapped and danced along toHiddleston’s performance at a bar indowntown Nashville, just blocks from thefamous Ryman Auditorium. While onstage, Hiddleston cracked jokes in a mixof British and Southern accents and evengave a quick encore.
Actor Bradley Whitford, who playsrenowned songwriter and music execu-tive Fred Rose in the film, joked that aNashville audience might be a tough
crowd to please. “In front of dark, cynical,inside musicians, will be quick to jump tojudgment? No tension. No anxiety,”Whitford said. Writer/director/producerMarc Abraham said he was nervous
about the premiere because of the city’smusical history. “Without Nashville, thereis no story,” Abraham said. “And withoutthe people in Nashville that helped me,there is no story. So big deal for me to
come down here and present the film topeople who know a lot about this sub-ject.”
The movie focuses on Williams’ mete-oric rise and fall in the 1940s and ‘50sthrough the stories of his personal rela-tionships with women, including hismother, his wife Audrey Williams and hissecond marriage to Billie Jean. He died atthe age of 29 in 1953. At the time of hisdeath, his body was wracked by alcoholand drug abuse. “Hank Williams is some-one I think who loved women, but hewas also unintentionally cruel to them,”Hiddleston said. “He was a hard man tolive with and he was afflicted by so manyaddictions, so many demons.”
Elizabeth Olsen, who plays AudreyWilliams, said the film portrays so manystrong women who had a lasting impacton Williams’ songwriting. “He was alwayssurrounded by really formidable women,”Olsen said. “It’s lucky that all of us got toplay a different variation of a woman whostands on her own two feet and canstand up to a man who is such an iconlike Hank.” —AP
Tunisia arrests rapper Klay BBJ
Tunisian rapper Ahmed Ben Ahmed
Tom Hiddleston sings as
Hank Williams in Nashville
Actors Mia Wasikowska, from left, Tom Hiddleston and JessicaChastain participate in AOL’s BUILD Speaker Series to discuss theirnew film “Crimson Peak” at AOL Studios. —AP
‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’ poster revealed
As “Star Wars” fans (and theaters) continue to count down to the release of “The ForceAwakens,” Disney and Lucasfilm treated them to the new official poster for themovie yesterday. In releasing the new poster, Regal Cinemas also announced that
tickets will go on sale today, and the “Star Wars” Twitter account confirmed rumors that anew teaser will air that same day during “Monday Night Football.” —Reuters
“Goosebumps” rode a wave of Clinton eranostalgia to the top of the box officecharts, as the adaptation of the popular
children’s book series earned $23.5 million in itsopening weekend. That just edged out Fox’s “TheMartian,” the science-fiction smash that was tryingto be the number one picture for a third week in arow. The film added $21.5 million to its $143.8 mil-lion haul. It was a crowded time at the multiplexes,as four new releases jockeyed for audiences’ atten-tion. Aside from “Goosebumps,” the weekend’s bestper former was “Bridge of Spies,” the StevenSpielberg Cold War drama that capitalized on goodreviews and Oscar buzz by nabbing $15.4 million.
Disney is distributing the true story of an attor-ney (Tom Hanks) who defends a Russian spy (MarkRylance). DreamWorks produced the $40 millionproduction. Its look at prisoner rights resonates inthe post-Guantanamo age and positions “Bridge ofSpies” to remain part of the conversation in comingweeks, Disney executives argued. “It’s overwhelm-ingly applicable to today,” said Dave Hollis, WaltDisney Studios’ executive vice president of theatricaldistribution. “But that’s Steven Spielberg. He’s able todo that with almost every single story.”
Adult-oriented films“Crimson Peak” fared less well. The Gothic
Romance from Guillermo del Toro proved too nichefor mainstream crowds, falling flat with a $12.6 mil-lion debut. The story about a virginal bride (MiaWasikowska) who moves into a haunted mansioncost $55 million to bring to the screen. LegendaryPictures fully financed the picture and Universal isdistributing the film. The studio believes that“Crimson Peak” struggled to break out from otherfare aimed at older crowds such as “Bridge of Spies”and “Sicario.” It also had more romance than straightscares, which may have disappointed ticket buyerslooking for a more traditional horror film.
“This is a challenging play time for adult-orientedfilms,” said Nick Carpou, Universal’s domestic distri-bution chief. “The film is definitely a throwback to anold fashioned way of creating atmosphere and layer-ing tension. It’s visually stunning and genuinelycreepy.” “Goosebumps” takes its names from thespooky children’s books by RL Stine, but provided ameta-twist by having the author play a role in themovie. Jack Black, who played Stine, injected somehumor into the proceedings, and a PG-rating madethe film family friendly. Sony Pictures backed the
$58 million production. “Our marketing was able to convey just how fun
this movie is,” said Rory Bruer, Sony’s distributionchief. “This is a an all audience movie. It works forteens, as well as adults and younger kids.” That leftfaith-based drama “Woodlawn,” the story of a highschool football team that makes a playoff run afterfinding religion, debuted across 1,553 to a strongerthan expected $4.1 million.
Less successfulPure Flix, the film’s distributor, declined to pro-
vide a budget. In limited release, abduction drama“Room” leveraged awards chatter into a very strongstart, earning $120,000 from four screens for a per-screen average of $30,000. “Truth,” another Oscarhopeful, was less successful. Sony Pictures Classicsbowed the story of “60 Minutes’” controversial reporton George W Bush’s National Guard service acrosssix screens where it brought in $76,646, for a perscreen average of $12,774. And “Beasts of NoNation,” Cary Fukunaga’s drama about child soldiersin Africa, made headlines when Netflix bested allbidders by offering $12 million for rights to themovie. —Reuters
Box Office: ‘Goosebumps’ tops ‘The Martian,’ ‘Crimson Peak’ falls flat
37L I F E S T Y L EMONDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2015
F e a t u r e s
With temperatures set to cool downover the next months, it is time torevive your wardrobe with winter
2015 trends from the thriving value-fashionbrand, twenty4. Inspired by runway trendsfrom Paris, London, and Milan; twenty4’snew winter collection offers cozy and fash-ionable styles for everyone.
From key knitwear trends dominatingthe fashion charts across the world, twen-ty4 brings a wide selection of trendy outer-wear from fluffy jumpers and cardigans tojazzy kimonos and soft woven vests.
Twenty4’s new collection also offers avariety of bohemian maxi skirts with abreath of romance to perfect your look dur-ing your winter evening chillouts and warmcoloured trousers for active weekend catchups.
With a glimpse of vintage, the latestmen’s fashion from twenty4 includes best
basics and sporty active wear for a casualstreet style look; whereas, the collection’sblack and white smart wear has beendesigned to make the right impression dur-ing successful business moments.
Preparing the little ones for the new sea-son has never been easier with twenty4’swinter vivid and playful children’s collec-tion. From floral sweatshirts and petticoatskirts for girls to funky skater jackets andurban hoodies for boys, twenty4’s childrenwinter collection will make your little onesstay warm, stylish, and comfortablethroughout the entire season.
The winter collection is now availableacross the twenty4 store network of 32 out-lets in Bahrain, Oman, Kuwait, KSA, Qatarand the UAE. Twenty4 combines all thebenefits of a specialty store under one roofwith on-trend, affordable fashion at yourfingertips.
Warm up for a cozy winter with the new twenty4 collection
Triumph launches latest store at the Promenade Mall
Alyasra Fashion officially launched the fifth Triumphoutlet in the country at the Promenade Mall in thepresence of media members and bloggers.
Established in 1886, Triumph International is one of theworld’s oldest and largest manufacturers of lingerie andunderwear.
The Triumph store at Promenade Mall offers variousinnovative styles that combine comfort and design to suitthe needs of a varied customer base including teenagersand young women. The store features various exclusiveTriumph lines including Sloggi and Magic Wire, which offersupport through super light and flexible silicone underwirefor maximum comfort.
Triumph is available in more than 120 countries in 2,100Triumph stores and numerous online shops. Worldwide,the company supplies 40,000 wholesale customers. Thecompany is a member of the Business Social ComplianceInitiative (BSCI) and the Global Social Compliance Program(GSCP).
Triumph is now available in five stores across Kuwaitincluding The Avenues, Al-Bairaq Mall, Marina Mall, Al-Othman Mall and now Promenade Mall.
Honolulu is a bustling metropolis with greatrestaurants just minutes from rain foresthiking trails and snorkeling spots. The
state of Hawaii’s capital, located on the island ofOahu, is also an excellent place to learn aboutWorld War II as well as Hawaiian history and cul-ture.
What’s newFans of surfing will want to see a new Bishop
Museum exhibit on Duke Kahanamoku said to bethe father of the ancient sport’s modern incarna-tion. The Honolulu-born waterman won fiveOlympic swimming medals in the 1910s and1920s and popularized surfing while traveling theworld. The display, up through Feb 28, includeshis surfboard and ukulele as well as photos andfilm.
Riding on a new protected bike lane on KingStreet is a nice way to enjoy a less touristy part ofHonolulu. You can rent a bike at The Bike Shop onKing Street. (A reservation will guarantee you abike, but walk-ins are welcome.) Shortly beforethe lane begins at the South King/Alapai intersec-tion, you’ll find Iolani Palace, home of Hawaii’s lastreigning queen until US-backed businessmendeposed the Hawaiian monarchy in 1893.Heading east toward the University of Hawaii atManoa, a good place to stop for a drink is the gas-tropub Pint and Jigger. Next door are excellentJapanese udon noodles at Jimbo. Farther down avegan restaurant called Peace Cafe is so deliciousmeat-lovers are among its regular customers.Shortly after the path ends is Da Spot, whichserves smoothies as well as tasty, reasonablypriced Mediterranean and North African food.
Classic attractionsThe USS Arizona, a battleship that sank in the
Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor in 1941, topsmany lists for places to visit on Oahu. A boat willtake you from the National Park Service’s visitorcenter to the white memorial that sits atop thevessel’s submerged hull. The remains of nearly1,000 Arizona sailors and Marines killed in theattack are entombed in the ship. A museum andvideo at the visitor center tells about those onboard and the history of World War II. A few elder-ly survivors of the attack are sometimes around tomeet visitors. The nature preserve at HanaumaBay offers white sands fronting aquamarinewaters packed with coral and tropical fish. It’s agood spot for snorkeling or just enjoying the sun.Admission is $7.50 (free for Hawaii residents andchildren 12 and under).
A hike inside one of Honolulu’s most recogniz-able symbols - the jewel-shaped volcanic crater
called Diamond Head - provides dramatic viewsof Waikiki, Oahu’s green mountains and blueocean. Much of the 1.6-mile path to the crater’srim is made of stairs. The trail is hot, so bringwater and use sunscreen. Admission is $1 forpedestrians and $5 per car.
Across town, the trail to Manoa Falls takes youthrough a lush forest to a waterfall at the back ofa verdant valley. The hike is less than a mile andgood for families.
TipsSave time: Go to recreation.gov to reserve tick-
ets for the boat to the USS Arizona Memorial upto two months in advance. Walk-in visitors mayget tickets on a first-come, first-served basis;reserving ahead guarantees a seat and helps youplan your day. Tickets are free, but those reservingonline must pay a $1.50 per ticket processing fee.
Save money: Honolulu can be pricey, butthere’s lots to enjoy for nothing. Beaches are freeand open to the public, for example. Just bring atowel and picnic lunch. The Royal HawaiianCenter shopping complex near Waikiki’s hotelsoffers free live Hawaiian music and hula Tuesdaythrough Saturday nights. During the day, it hasfree lessons in ukulele, lei making, hula dancingand lauhala weaving.
Hanging outExplore the quiet end of Waikiki by strolling down
Kalakaua Avenue to the Waikiki Aquarium, one of thefew places in the world where you can see fish fromthe most remote atolls in the Hawaiian archipelago. A4,000-gallon display tank has species abundant in theNorthwestern Hawaiian Islands but rarely foundaround Oahu, Maui and the other islands where mostpeople live. The aquarium also has two Hawaiianmonk seals, an endangered species. Next door, you’llbe able to peek at the ruins of a now-closed saltwaterswimming pool that was built to honor the 101 peo-ple from Hawaii killed in World War I and the 10,000
others from the islands who served in the conflict.Duke Kahanamoku opened the pool with the first cer-emonial swim in 1927. The Waikiki War MemorialNatatorium has since fallen into disrepair and is thesubject of a long-running debate over whether itshould be demolished or restored to its former glory.
Across the street is the vast expanse of KapiolaniPark, which initially hosted horse races when itopened in 1877. Take a bag lunch to eat on the grassor at one of the picnic tables scattered under shadytrees. If you prefer being served, try the Hau Tree Lanairestaurant at the nearby New Otani Kaimana BeachHotel. It’s a great place to watch the sun set while yousavor fresh ahi sashimi or sauteed mahimahi. —AP
Honolulu offers rain forests, snorkeling and rich history
A hiker walks along the Manoa Falls Trail in Oahu’s Manoa Valley in Honolulu.
Visitors to Diamond Head as they tack-le the steep 1.6-mile round trip trail upto the summit on Oahu in Hawaii.
Ionlani Palace is seen behind gildedgates decorated with a royal seal inHonolulu, Hawaii.
Visitors looking at a wall inscribed withthe names of the USS Arizona’s fallenat a memorial for the sunken battle-ship in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.
A turret from the USS Arizona as seenfrom the USS Arizona Memorial atPearl Harbor in Honolulu.
A Navy rifleman standing at attention by the USS Arizona at the ceremonycommemorating the 72nd anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor inHonolulu. —AP photos
MONDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2015
l if e s t y l eF A S H I O N
Tokyo fashion week drew to a closeat the weekend showcasing a sexynew twist on the kimono, as the
Japanese classic makes a quiet comebackinto women’s wardrobes. In a departurefrom the heavy silk usually used to makethe traditional garb, designers are turningto other fabrics such as jersey, wool andeven denim to reinvent the kimono. “Thekimono is fashion... it shouldn’t be pre-sented as old-fashioned,” said celebrateddesigner Jotaro Saito.
“I want to spread the message thatkimono can be worn every day, it’s some-thing people can wear like they wearmodern clothes, not... something thatmakes them feel like they are in a cos-tume,” Saito told AFP. Kimono, whichtranslates as “something to wear”, wasoriginally an umbrella term that covereda range of garments worn by Japanesemen and women for centuries, but has
now come to signify an outer robe tiedwith a wide sash known as an obi.The kimono’s decline dates back to
the late 1800s when Japan’s rulersopened up the country to modern
influences after hundreds ofyears of self-imposed seclusion,
signalling a shift that wouldsee future generationsembrace western clothing.
The garment never quiterecovered its popularity
thanks to a prohibitivelyhigh cost that can runinto the thousands ofdollars, compellingmany brides to rentrather than purchasekimono for their wed-dings. While kimono-cladwomen are still a regularsight in major urban cen-
ters, the complicated gar-ment tends to be reserved forspecial occasions rather thandaily use. A key reason is thatwearers have to master a com-
plex sequence of knots to tie thekimono tightly, which intimidatesmany curious women into either
taking lessons for months or optingfor simpler western garb.
The downturn has promptedgovernment officials keen to pre-serve traditional culture to comeup with schemes like Kyoto’s“kimono passport” which giveswearers discounts at stores and
restaurants in the ancient capital. Butobservers said the fashion industry’srenewed interest may do more to ensureits survival.
Leopard print and fur Designer Saito, born into a family of
kimono-dyeing artists in Kyoto, hasworked with the garment for twodecades and believes change is critical toits future in fashion. “What we need to donow is evolve the kimono. We cannot justdo what previous generations havealready done,” Saito said. “We need torespond to the street... to alter traditionaldesigns and make something which suitswomen’s lives today without losing thetraditional appeal.” In a nod to labor-intensive Japanese traditions, Saito’skimono-which can cost more than onemillion yen ($8,300) — are all made byhand, from the dyeing stages to stitching,printing and embroidery. However, theyshowcase innovative patterns and incor-
porate modern touches, such as fur-linedhoods, while he uses a wide range ofmaterials from utilitarian fabrics like den-im and polyester to luxurious silk.
In his debut showing Saturday nightat fashion week, heavy-metal rockerYoshiki collaborated with a Kyoto-basedbrand on body-hugging kimono, slashedto miniskirt-length and worn with stilet-tos, leather collars and high-heeledboots. The dyed-blonde co-founder ofthe band X Japan-who opened the showwith a piano recital from Swan Lake-usedleopard-print fabric and gold netting inhis designs and told AFP he wanted tosee women wear his kimono to concerts.“I tried to combine rock & roll with tradi-tion,” he said. “We do have a traditionalline as well but today I emphasized... thesexier version.”
Tied up in knots Kimono’s many layers and complex
knots mean many women need to turn toclasses or watch instructional videos onYouTube. “It’s ridiculous. There is no needfor so many rules.... Let’s make things sim-pler,” said Souta Yamaguchi, a freelancefashion director who styles the kimonowith urban street wear in his work forretailers. “Let’s look at creating (akimono) which can be worn with a singlebelt, instead of so many different stringsand knots.” Although purists initiallyreacted to designers’ innovations withalarm, the tide has turned in recent years,said Manami Okazaki, author of “KimonoNow”. “Traditionalists were very critical atfirst when they saw what designers weredoing but now they have realized that...these modern versions can work as abridge to attract younger customers,”Okazaki said.
“The hope is that once you introduceyoung people to kimono made by con-temporary designers, they will eventuallydevelop an interest in the traditionalkimono too.” At a show by local label,Matohu, whose jackets and dresses areinspired by ancient techniques, kimono-clad Beniko Kinoshita said she used toborrow the garment from her motherbefore saving up to buy her own. “I usedto wear the kimono on special occasionsbut now I wear it every day... I find itappropriate for all situations,” said the 39-year-old Kinoshita. “I wish more peoplewore kimonos... you can only learn andrealize (how special) a kimono is onceyou actually wear it.” — AFP
Kimonos get
rock ‘n’ rollmakeover at
Japan fashion week
Kimonos get
rock ‘n’ rollmakeover at
Japan fashion week
Models displaying creationsby Japanese rock star andkimono designer Yoshiki(left, playing the piano) atthe YOSHIKIMONO first collection during the finaleof the Tokyo Fashion Weekin Tokyo. Tokyo fashionweek drew to a close at theweekend showcasing a sexynew twist on the kimono, asthe Japanese classic makes aquiet comeback intowomen’s wardrobes. — AFP photos
Japanese rock star and kimono designerYoshiki appears on the stage at the YOSHIKI-MONO first collection.
MONDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2015
l if e s t y l eF E A T U R E S
Women knit blankets for Syrian people, at “La Cafeteria” cafe in Villaverde del Rio. — AFP photos Women knit blankets for Syrian people, at “La Cafeteria” cafe in Villaverde del Rio.
Women knit blankets for Syrian people. Women applaud as they just finished to pack homemade blankets for Syrian people.
Working at home or huddled togetherin cafes, women of all ages acrossSpain have furiously knitted hun-
dreds of blankets to send to war-torn Syriabefore cold weather begins following anonline appeal for help. Every night for the pastweek, a team of some 20 women and girlshave met in a cafe in the heart of Villaverde delRio, a town of white-washed houses nearSeville, to finish their blankets. The group onFriday sent 50 blankets of varying sizes thatthey had knitted to the Syrian People SupportAssociation, a small NGO in Madrid, which willship them to camps for displaced peopleinside Syria.
They usually gather once a week to makeblankets for local homeless people but whenthey learned of the movement to knit blanketsto send to Syria they could not resist takingpart, said Coral Benitez, a 59-year-old house-wife who coordinates the knitting group. “Wedon’t look at color, nor race, nor religion. Itdoesn’t matter if we are Catholics and they areMuslims. We have knitted for people who aresitting in the cold.” Over 4,000 people signedup to a Facebook group for people interestedin making blankets to send to Syria dubbed“The Blanket of Life” since it was launched at
the beginning of September. They knittedabout 1,450 blankets ahead of Sunday’s dead-line for getting them to the Madrid-basedassociation, said Marta Blanco, one of thosewho set up the Facebook group.
‘Not forgotten you’ Blanco, a 44-year-old Madrid architect who
has a blog about knitting, set up the Facebookpage with two other knitting bloggers onSeptember 4 after learning of the association’sappeal for donations of blankets. Televisionnewscasts at the time were flooded withimages of desperate Syrians risking their livesto try to reach Europe and she said he wantedto do something for people who hadremained behind in Syria. “We could buy blan-kets, everyone has used blankets they coulddonate. But the idea is to say ‘we have not for-gotten you, we know there is a war and youare suffering’. It’s not just about giving shelter,”she said.
Within days of being set up, the Facebookgroup had attracted over 1,000 members.Local chapters of the group were set up inabout 50 Spanish cities, charged with collect-ing and sending the blankets to Madrid.Several hundred blankets were sent directly by
knitters to the association’s cramped office in aresidential street in Moratalaz, a working classneighborhood in eastern Madrid. A handfulhave come from people from outside of Spain-the United States, Latin America and otherEuropean nations-who heard about the initia-tive online. “There is a lot of love delivered ineach blanket that is here,” said Amer Hijazi,
president of the Syrian People SupportAssociation as he stood in front of a pile ofmulti-colored handmade blankets.
‘We Are With You’ The association, which was founded in
2011, will ship the blankets to Syria at the endof the month. They will be distributed to sev-
eral camps in mountainous areas in Idlibprovince in northwestern Syria where little aidarrives, said Hijazi, 49, who has lived in Spainfor 25 years. The average minimum tempera-ture in the region in January is just abovefreezing. “The only means they have to warmthemselves are their clothes and blankets. Thisis why blankets are so important,” said Hijazi atthe association’s office where a Syrian flag ishanging up. Each blanket will be wrapped inplastic with a label in both Spanish and Arabicthat reads: “We Are With You”. Four millionpeople have fled the war in Syria and another6.5 million are displaced inside Syria itself,according to the UN refugee agency, UNHCR.
Members of the Facebook group have post-ed pictures of themselves knitting with othersin outdoor squares, at home with their familiessitting on the sofa or alone proudly holding uptheir finished blankets. “I saw the images of therefugees, those parents with their children flee-ing war and it seemed very painful. I thoughtthat could be me,” said Olga Lopez, a 48-year-old Madrid mother of two teenagers who knit-ted a blanket together with three co-workers.“It’s a beautiful idea. A blanket is not much butit was made with much love and I hope someof it reaches these people.”— AFP
Spanish women knit blankets of
love for Syria’s displaced
Women pack handmade blankets for Syrian people. A woman cuts a ribbon with the colors of Spanish flag where is written a peacemessage and which will be sewed on handmade blankets for Syrian people.
Children play past a trolley full of packed homemade blankets ready to besend to Syrian people.
Syrian president of NGO “Syrian People Support Association” Amer Hijazifolds a handmade blanket donated by people from Spain.
Women knit blankets for Syrian people.Amer Hijazi shows a handmade blanket donated by people from Spain.
A woman shows peace messages sewed on handmade blankets for Syrian people.
An “Alebrije” is pictured on the street during Ninth Monumental “Alebrijes” Parade and contest yesterday in Mexico City. Some 221 “Alebrijes” - colored Mexican folk art sculptures representing fantastical crea-tures - take part in the event. — AFP
39Spanish women knit blanketsof love for Syria’s displaced
MONDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2015
New foundation shows conservatism still central to Saudi soul
Saudi Arabia’s new research centre onWahhabism, to open on the edge of the capi-tal Riyadh, looks fitting for a branch of Islam
considered inflexible, intolerant and unchanging.Imposing with its limestone blocks, their bulk light-ened only by glass-enclosed bridges, the centre ispart of a major development project shepherded bySaudi King Salman. The building honors SheikhMohammed bin Abdul Wahhab, the 18th-centuryfundamentalist preacher who co-founded the Saudistate. It is a clear sign that his legacy remains centralto the Saudi soul despite his strict doctrine andaccusations it is fuelling deadly Sunni extremismaround the world, including the murderous drive ofIslamic State (IS) group militants.
Featuring cafes and palm trees decorated withtiny lights, the project is set in Addiriyah, birthplaceof the ruling Saud dynasty, and includes theUNESCO World Heritage Atturaif district. “It has veryhigh historical value for the government and for us,”said Abdullah Arrakban, the urban developmentmanager for the High Commission for theDevelopment of Addiriyah. Here, King Salman,monarch of the world’s biggest oil exporter, has aturreted palace overlooking the crumbled mudbrick homes of his ancestors now undergoingpreservation.
And it was here that Abdul Wahhab’s partner-ship with a contemporary local chief, ImamMohammed bin Saud, laid the foundations fortoday’s kingdom and its reliance on the sheikh’s270-year-old teachings. Conceived in 2000, the proj-ect is targeted for completion by the end of nextyear. It has begun to refurbish the district, restore itsancient Atturaif oasis community and create crucial
green space in this heart of the Arabian peninsula.Five mini-museums will depict life in the first Saudistate, which lasted from 1744 to 1818 when it fell toTurkish-Egyptian invaders.
A crucial alliance “We are trying to keep the atmosphere of
Addiriyah-the nature, the color, the original archi-tecture,” Arrakban said, fingering blue prayer beadswhile being interviewed in his book-filled office.Although the heart of the 750-million-riyal ($200-million/179-million-euro) project will be Atturaif,the adjacent Abdul Wahhab Foundation is designedto honor the sheikh’s role as co-founder of the stateand tell “the truth” about his intellectual heritage,Arrakban said. It will feature a library of books anddocuments about his teachings, available forresearch, as well as a multimedia “Memorial Hall”illustrating the religious movement he inspired.
At the centre of the foundation complex is amodern incarnation of the sheikh’s original house ofworship.
“The media, they try to say ‘No, he tried to kill, tomake war’... I think this is not right,” Arrakban said.Abdul Wahhab preached “tawhid”-the oneness ofGod-which meant opposition to the worship ofsaints and to Shiism, a prohibition on images of liv-ing beings and the implementation of sharia law.
He saw his doctrine as a return to Islam as prac-ticed by the first generation of Muslims. His pactwith Saud in the 1740s gave legitimacy to the firsthead of the royal house, who in return implement-ed Abdul Wahhab’s strict version of the Islamic faith.The partnership continues to this day, with the rul-ing family maintaining its tight grip on political life
and puritanical clerics preaching strict codes of con-duct that make Saudi Arabia among the world’smost conservative countries. Women are forbiddenfrom driving, there is no intermingling of the sexes,and cinemas and alcohol are banned, while the mili-tant preaching associated with Wahhabi thought isaccused of inspiring extremists from Osama binLaden to IS.
‘Extremist cleric’ Irfan Al-Alawi, co-founder of the Mecca-based
Islamic Heritage Research Foundation, said honor-ing Abdul Wahhab and preserving Addiriyah is“hypocrisy” at a time when “Islamic heritage is beingwiped away” elsewhere in the kingdom. “If you hon-or an extremist cleric why could you not honor theProphet of Peace?” Alawi asked. In keeping with
Abdul Wahhab’s teaching against idolatry, authori-ties have made no effort to preserve sites linked tothe Prophet Mohammed in the holy cities of Meccaand Medina, said Alawi, a prominent supporter ofIslamic pluralism.
Some of these sites have already disappeared inredevelopment, he said. Alawi is among those whocontend that Wahhabism has inspired militants ofIS, also known by the Arabic acronym Daesh. “Youhave first, Wahhabi ideology, and then you have off-shoots which have become even more extreme,” hesaid.
Yet “Saudi Arabia is not Daesh,” said StephaneLacroix of Sciences Po university in Paris, statingthat Abdul Wahhab left politics to the politicians.
“The political authority puts a number of con-straints on the religious authority which in a senselimits the kind of radicalism that can come out,” hesaid. Lacroix added that some of the country’syouth “don’t really feel Wahhabi at all”, as Saudi soci-ety changes under modern influences. In AprilSalman opened part of the development, parks andrestaurants in Al-Bujeiri quarter which overlooks theAtturaif ruins. On a recent evening, women clothedin black according to local custom sat on concretebenches as families pushed strollers across a centralplaza.
Tariq Al-Muaiseb, 24, one month into a bankingcareer, said he and colleague Abdullah Al-Khayyal,23, hoped to explore the Atturaif ruins to see “howour grandfathers lived” in contrast to their own“Western lifestyle”. Leaving an outdoor cafe, theywalked over to photograph the Abdul Wahhabmosque. “He’s had a large effect on this country,”Muaiseb said. — AFP
Asian laborers restore an old building in the historical UNESCO WorldHeritage Atturaif district.
Asian laborers restore an old home in the historical UNESCO WorldHeritage Atturaif district.
Asian laborers restore an old home in the historical UNESCO WorldHeritage Atturaif district.
A general view shows Saudi children posing for a picture in the restoredhistorical Al-Bureji area in the UNESCO World Heritage Atturaif district.
A man walks between old buildings in the historical UNESCO WorldHeritage Atturaif district.
An Asian laborer restores an old home in the historical UNESCO WorldHeritage Atturaif district.
An Asian laborer restores an old building in the historical UNESCO World Heritage Atturaifdistrict on the outskirts of Riyadh, which is part of a major development project shepherd-ed by Saudi King Salman. — AFP photos
