BEIJING: China remained silent yesterdayover the disappearance of the head ofInterpol, deepening the mystery over theinternational police chief’s fate after reportssaid he was detained for questioning onarrival in his homeland. Meng Hongwei, 64,was last seen leaving for China in lateSeptember from the Interpol headquarters inLyon, southeast France, a source close to theenquiry said. His wife has since reported himmissing. It is the latest high-profile disappear-ance in China, where a number of top govern-ment officials, billionaire business magnatesand even an A-list celebrity have vanished forweeks or months at a time.

Beijing has so far said nothing on Meng’scase. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs did notrespond to a request for comment from AFP.But news of his absence was swiftly followedby speculation that Meng - who also servesas a vice-minister of China’s Ministry ofPublic Security - had been swept up inBeijing’s secretive anti-corruption campaign.Citing an anonymous source, the South ChinaMorning Post said authorities from the coun-try’s disciplinary commission had snatched

Meng upon arrival in Beijing.China’s recently established National

Supervisory Commission holds sweepingpowers to investigate the country’s publicservants with few requirements for trans-parency. While the law requires authorities toinform family members of a detention, itmakes exceptions for cases involving nationalsecurity, terrorism, or concerns over destruc-

tion of evidence or witness tampering. Peoplehave been known to disappear into the com-mission’s custody for weeks or even monthswithout a word. Interpol has also kept quieton Meng’s whereabouts. “This is a matter forthe relevant authorities in both France andChina,” the police agency said on Twitter,adding it would make no further comment.

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ISSUE NO: 17650

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Established 1961 The First Daily in the Arabian Gulf

MUHARRAM 27,1440 AH SUNDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2018

Max 40ºMin 25º

Bangladeshi man commits suicide in his Jahra room

Russia spy saga shows darker side of Dutch ‘City of Peace’

Saudi backs down from blocking climate report75 Real troubles deepen

with loss at Alaves24 28

Saudi sovereign wealth fund to surpass $600 billion target

Saudi Arabia to privatize more than 20 companies RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed BinSalman said the kingdom’s main sovereign wealth fund(PIF) will surpass its target of increasing its assets to$600 billion by 2020, as part of a plan to reduce theeconomy’s dependence on oil. “We are now above$300 billion, we’re getting close to $400 billion. Ourtarget in 2020 is around $600 billion. I believe we willsurpass that target in 2020,” the prince said in aBloomberg interview published on Friday.

He added that the fund, with more than 50 percentof its investments located in Saudi Arabia, will beinvesting in more places next year. The fund wouldinvest another $45 billion in Softbank Vision fund, theworld’s largest private equity fund, backed by Japan’sSoftbank Group and the PIF, which invests in technolo-gy sectors such as artificial intelligence and robotics.

“We have a huge benefit from the first one. Wewould not put, as PIF, another $45 billion if we didn’tsee huge income in the first year with the first $45billion,” the prince said. Locally, one of the biggestinvestments for the PIF is a planned $500 billionbusiness and industrial zone called NEOM extendinginto Jordan and Egypt, announced in October 2017.Prince Mohammed said the first town in NEOM willbe ready in 2019 or 2020, with the entire site com-pleted by 2025.

The Crown Prince said his country will privatize

more than 20 companies in 2019, helping the govern-ment’s strategy of diversifying away from oil exports.“In 2019, we will have more than 20 services that willbe privatized, most of them in water, agriculture, energyand some of it in sports”, the prince said in an interviewwith Bloomberg published on Friday. In April, the Saudigovernment said it aims to generate 35 billion to 40 bil-lion riyals ($9 billion to $11 billion) in non-oil revenuesfrom its privatization program by 2020 and create up to12,000 jobs.

The privatization initiative targets 14 public-privatepartnership (PPP) investments worth 24 billion to 28billion riyals. It includes the corporatization of Saudiports and the privatization of the production sector atthe Saudi Saline Water Conversion Corp (SWCC) andthe Ras Al Khair desalination and power plant, accord-ing to official document published in April. The princesaid unemployment, which now stands at a record levelnear 13 percent is part of the side effects of restructur-ing the economy.

He added that the kingdom’s economy today wasmuch more powerful, with 2019 budget planned toexceed one trillion riyals ($267 billion) for the first time,and with non-oil revenue rising by 300 percent “Ibelieve the unemployment rate will start to decline from2019 until we reach 7.0 percent in 2030 as targeted,”he said. — Reuters

DUBAI: Dr Ziad Al-Alyan CEO of Central Circle Medical Company in Kuwait (center left) and Ramesh Subrahmanian,the President of International, Acelity LP Inc attend the event with the company team. ( See Page 3)

China tight-lipped as Interpol chief Meng disappears

Meng Hongwei, president of Interpol

ASWF facilitates peer-to-peer learning

MADRID: Sporting a trendy brown bob, ahumanoid robot named Erica chats to a man infront of stunned audience members in Madrid.She and others like her are a prime focus ofrobotic research, as their uncanny human formcould be key to integrating such machines intoour lives, said researchers gathered this week atthe annual International Conference onIntelligent Robots.

“You mentioned project management. Canyou please tell me more?” Erica, who is playingthe role of an employer, asks the man. She maynot understand the conversation, but she’s beentrained to detect key words and respond to them.A source of controversy due in part to fears forhuman employment, the presence of robots inour daily lives is nevertheless inevitable, engi-neers at the conference said.

The trick to making them more palatable, theyadded, is to make them look and act more humanso that we accept them into our lives more easily.In ageing societies, “robots will coexist with

humans sooner or later”, said Hiroko Kamide, aJapanese psychologist who specializes in rela-tions between humans and robots. Welcomingrobots into households or workplaces involvesdeveloping “multipurpose machines that arecapable of interacting” with humans without

being dangerous, said Philippe Soueres, head ofthe robotics department at a laboratory belong-ing to France’s CNRS scientific institute. As such,robots must move around “in a supple way”despite their rigid mechanics and stop what they

Continued on Page 24

Human-likerobots spark fascination and fear

KUWAIT: National Assembly SpeakerMarzouq Al-Ghanim has condemned aKuwaiti newspaper’s offensive remarksdirected at “our brothers in Lebanon,”in a phone call with his Lebanesecounterpart Nabih Berri on Friday. Al-Ghanim went on to underline thestrength of relations between Kuwaitand Beirut and Kuwait’s appreciationof the Lebanese parliament speaker.

In response, Berri said that “dozensof articles” would not affect the rela-tionship between Lebanon and Kuwait.Yesterday, Kuwait’s Deputy ForeignMinister Khalid Al-Jarallah voiced“categorical rejection” and deep regretover the contents of an editorial in theKuwaiti newspaper.

The opinions outlined only express theviews of the writer and do not reflect theviews of the Kuwaiti government, hehighlighted.

In response to a question by KUNA,Al-Jarallah said that Kuwait deeplyregrets the editorial offenses against “ourbrethren in Lebanon”. Al-Jarallahstressed that the editorial does not reflectthe official view of the State of Kuwait.Kuwait is keen on having great relationswith Lebanon and does not condoneoffenses against it, he said. He reiteratedthat Kuwait, out of its firm rejection ofsuch offenses against Lebanon and itsofficials, immediately referred the editori-al writer to the competent authorities totake relevant legal action. — Agencies

Kuwait condemns offensive remarks

MADRID: A robot produced by Japan’s Hiroshi Ishiguro Laboratories called Erica is present-ed at the IROS 2018 International Conference on Intelligent Robots in Madrid. — AFP

BANGALORE: An Indian bus driverwho let a monkey behind the wheel ofhis vehicle was suspended yesterdayafter a video of the incident went viral,sparking outrage and humor. The 36-year-old driver is seen smiling and pat-ting the langur monkey as it sits atop thewheel of the moving bus in footage shotby a passenger. “Driver M Prakash hasbeen taken off duty for allowing themonkey to sit on the steering wheel andhandle it,” T.S Latha, a spokesperson forthe government’s road transport corpo-ration in southern Karnataka state said.

“Passengers’ safety is paramount andthe driver cannot risk it by allowing a

monkey on the steering.” The incidenttook place Monday but authorities onlylearnt of it after the video was shared onsocial media, Latha added. There werearound 30 passengers on the bus at thetime and none of them complained.Local media reports say the langurboarded with a passenger and was at thewheel for almost ten minutes.

The bus was on its regular triparound Davangere, around 170 milesfrom regional capital Bangalore, whenthe incident took place. “So sweet. Whysuspend. He should have been warnednot to repeat this,” tweeted Parag Heda.Another local quipped that the driverwas in the wrong profession. “Good thataction is taken and he suspended, butclearly he is in wrong job. This man is asensitive animal lover (see how langurtrusts him) and could be an asset inwildlife related jobs,” he said. The statetransport authority said an investigationwas being conducted. — AFP

India suspendsdriver for letting a monkey ‘drive’

Kuwait has been relentless in humanitarian aidKUWAIT: Kuwait has been relentless inoffering humanitarian aid to the people in needboth in the region and around the world inareas affected by natural disasters or conflicts.Kuwait Zakat (alms) House recently openedschools complex in Saadnayel town in theBekaa area, eastern Lebanon, to educateSyrian refugees.

Adel Al-Jerry, Kuwait Zakat House ForeignOperations chief, said the complex was part ofhumanitarian projects to offer education andhealth for Syrian refugees. Zayed Taqtaq,executive director at Gheras society, whichbuilt the schools, commended Kuwait for phil-anthropic activities in Lebanon and the rest ofthe world. The schools complex consists ofready-made small houses which can accom-modate more than 250 students at morningand evening shifts.

Meanwhile, Kuwait Red Crescent Society(KRCS) sent a team to Indonesia to distributefood for victims of earthquake and tsunamithat struck Sulawesi. KRCS Chairman Dr HilalAl-Sayer said the team would be providingfood and medical kits for victims of the naturaldisaster. He hoped aid would alleviate sufferingof Indonesians who lost their homes.

Al-Sayer also said another team was inIndia to offer aid for victims of monsoonswhich displaced 14,000 families. Kuwait non-resident ambassador to Kosovo Fayez Al-Jassem inaugurated Kuwait Health Center andKuwait orphans village, all part of Kuwait’sphilanthropy abroad. KRCS handed out foodaid, electrical appliances, and clothes to fami-lies inside Kuwait registered in KRCS.

African Union Deputy Chairman Anwar Al-Hasawi

announced the campaign during the celebra-tion of the humanitarian working day, to helpthe families in cooperation with Kuwait-basedAmbassadors of South Africa, Swatini,Lesotho, Botswana, Tanzania, Zimbabwe andMalawi. “The support of the disadvantagedfamilies is of great importance to the KuwaitiRed Crescent, as one of its humanitarian proj-ects and programs with its partners in charita-ble work”, said Al-Hasawi.

He explained that the participation of anumber of African ambassadors comes on theoccasion of the National Week of the AfricanUnion and the celebration of the InternationalDay of Nelson Mandela, which began onSeptember 28 and ended on October 4 inKuwait. South African ambassador to Kuwait,Mzolisa Bona appreciated humanitarian effortsof the Red Crescent at all levels, especially theaid of disadvantaged families in Kuwait.

Bona also appreciated role of KRCS in sup-porting people affected by natural disastersand alleviating their suffering, while also com-mending spreading the culture of volunteerism.Bona pointed out how Kuwait had become amodel of humanitarian work, as reflected in thegenerous assistance it has provided to all peo-ple, including people in Africa.

In the region On the other hand, Kuwait’s Permanent

Representative to UN and InternationalOrganizations in Geneva, Jamal Al-Ghunaim,told the executive commission of UNRefugee agency (UNHCR) in Kuwait hostedthree international donor conferences to helpSyrian people, co-chaired in a Syrian meet-ing in London in 2016, and participated in afollow-up conference in Brussels in 2017.Those conferences contributed to USD sixbillion in pledges for the Syrian people, inaddition to USD 3.7 billion for the periodbetween 2018 and 2020.

Kuwait continues to coordinate with Syria’sneighboring countries to secure medical,health care for Syrian children, in addition to

contributions to UN agencies and internationalNGOs to relieve the Syrian refugees.Moreover, Kuwait has coordinated with theWorld Health Organization (WHO) to fightpolio, rampant among the refugees in theseneighboring countries.

On Yemen, Al-Ghunaim said repercussionsof the coup against the legitimacy and absenceof a political settlement have led to aggravat-ing the humanitarian conditions in the country— in an unprecedented manner. Affirmingkeenness on Yemen’s stability, Al-Ghunaim saidKuwait has continuously provided humanitari-an and development aid to the “brothers theresince decades ago,” in addition to presentingsoft loans to fund development enterprises.

As for Iraq, he noted that the Iraqi authori-ties have backed the international communityand has succeeded in liberating the countryof the “dangerous terrorist organizations.”Out of its unwavering belief that post-war

security and peace cannot be establishedwithout repairing the destruction, Kuwait hadhosted the international community forrebuilding Iraq where aid pledges reached upto USD 30 billion.

Myanmar Regarding the Muslims’ plight in Myanmar,

he urged the international community to helpin downgrading their suffering. Kuwait hadheaded a delegation representing the UNSecurity Council that visited Bangladesh andMyanmar in May to shed light on the MuslimRohingya’s hardships. In New York, Kuwaitcalled on all the UN nations to band togetherto achieve the Sustainable Development Goals(SDGs), including humanitarian ones.

Abdulrahman Al-Shatti, of Kuwait’s Missionto the UN, told a UN committee meetingKuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development(KFAED), which has around 960 projects in106 nations, allocated loans worth KD 6.2 bil-lion (around USD 21 billion) since establish-ment in the 1960s to help achieve developmentand equality. Meanwhile, Al-Salam humanitari-an work society said it was planning urgentwinter aid in Yemen, Syria, Kyrgyzstan,Myanmar and Philippines.

Society Board member Dr Nabil Al-Ounsaid the society was preparing convoys to helppoor, refugees and homeless in the three coun-tries who would face harsh winter. He said thesociety would be providing food and clothes.Al-Oun said the society was also supportingdevelopment projects that would help providejobs for people, building villages for orphansand widows. — KUNA

MANAMA: Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and the UnitedArab Emirates will jointly provide assistance worthUSD 10 billion to Bahrain, including financing and softloans, aimed at stabilizing the kingdom’s budget by2022. The support was granted after the finance min-isters of the four neighboring Gulf countries signed aframework agreement in Manama, according toBahrain’s state news agency, BNA.

It follows earlier pledges made by the three coun-tries, in accordance with “brotherly ties, constructivecooperation and a common destiny.” The move targetssupport for Bahrain’s financial stability, the encour-agement of economic growth and development, andachieving a balance between government revenuesand expenditures.

Bahraini Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad AlKhalifa, the Deputy Supreme Commander and FirstDeputy Prime Minister, earlier received KuwaitiMinister of Finance Dr Nayef bin Falah Al-Hajraf,Saudi Minister of Finance Mohammed bin Abdulla AlJadaan and UAE Minister of State for Financial AffairsObaid bin Humaid Al Tayer. During the meeting, theCrown Prince expressed gratitude to sisterly Kuwait,

Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates for theirfirm support to the Kingdom of Bahrain in all areas,according to Bahrain News Agency (BNA).

The meeting took place at Gudaibiya Palace fol-lowing the signing of USD 10-billion aid package fromthe three countries to Bahrain. The Crown Princeunderscored the importance of the long-standing anddeep-rooted relations between Bahrain, on one hand,and Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and the UAE, on the other.

He stressed the significance of regional coopera-tion in accelerating economic and social development.He asked his guests to convey the greetings ofBahraini King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa to HisHighness the Amir of the State of Kuwait SheikhSabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, Saudi KingSalman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and UAE PresidentSheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan. The meeting alsogathered Bahrain’s Deputy Prime Minister SheikhMohammad bin Mubarak Al Khalifa, Deputy PrimeMinister Sheikh Ali bin Khalifa Al Khalifa, DeputyPrime Minister Sheikh Khaled bin Abdulla Al Khalifa,and Minister of Finance Sheikh Ahmad binMohammad Al Khalifa.

Cloud computing On Friday, Kuwait’s Communication and Information

Technology Regulatory Authority (CITRA) andBahrain’s Information and eGovernment Authority(IGA) signed a Memorandum of Understanding withinthe remote server practice of cloud computing. CIT-RA’s Chairman and CEO Eng Salem Muthib Al-Othainah said in a press statement that the authoritywas keen on bolstering cooperation with Bahrain incloud computing, affirming that the agreement wouldboost efforts to protect data and information online.The MoU is part of the Kuwait 2035 vision, said Al-Othainah, adding that Kuwait was eager to be involvedin GCC countries’ development plans.

On his part, IGA CEO Mohammad Al-Qaed com-mended Kuwait on its keenness to bolster cooperationwith Bahrain within the IT domain, stressing that theMoU was part of an ongoing cooperation between thetwo sides. He hoped that Kuwait and Bahrain wouldcontinue to IT coordination in the future to benefitboth countries’ plans for development and progres-sion. In its 2017 plans, the government in Bahrain hadset its eye on becoming a part of the global cloud-

computing scene, becoming the first Arab nation toadopt this branch of computing. Cloud computing is apractice that uses remote reserves to store data andinformation in an effort to protect them against harmand digital crime. — KUNA

Sunday, October 7, 2018

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Established 1961

PARTcompletes roadsprojects aheadof scheduleKUWAIT: The Public Authority forRoads and Transportation announcedon Friday that a major portion of itscontractual projects has been complet-ed ahead of schedule. Among theachieved projects are Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah Causeway Doha Link,East Jahra, First Ring Road-SecondPhase, Fifth Ring Road-West Section,Al-Ghous Road-First Phase, SeventhRing Road, Al-Wafra Road, Al-ZourRoad, Al-Nowaiseeb Road and Al-Salmi Road Eng Ahmed Al-Hassan,

PART’s Director General and BoardMember, stated to KUNA.

“The authority is advancing signifi-cantly towards achieving all its projectsaimed to enhance the road network inKuwait and to elevate its efficiencyeffectively”, Al-Hassan said. “Such proj-ects would contribute in solving the traf-fic crisis in the country and giving publicroads more flexibility”, Al-Hassan added.

“PART is determined to acceleratethe pace of achieving all its projectsand complete them ahead of time inaccordance with the plan that aim tomodernize road network in the countryas part Kuwait 2035 Vision”, he noted.The authority had previouslyannounced an integrated scheme toimplement around 74 projects aimedto enhance roads and infrastructureand facilitate traffic in the country. Ithad also mentioned allocating KD 500million, nearly USD 1.65 bill ion, toimplement all its projects. —KUNA

Re:Food: AKuwaiti youthsocial welfareinitiativeKUWAIT: Food and sustenance arevital parts of living for almost all humanbeings, but for some, such resources arehard to find and difficult to attain. Aspart of its social responsibility andhumanitarian mission, the ‘Re:Food’non-profit Kuwaiti youth initiativefocuses on distributing food to thosewho are really in need.

The head of Re:Food’s public rela-tions and media Haya Al-Maqroun saidthat the initiative began in reaction tothe World Bank’s report on Kuwait,which revealed that food wastes repre-sented around 50 percent of the twomillion tons of solid wastes producedannually. The overflow of food waste

and surplus of sustenance coming ofrestaurants and households were anintegral part of launching the Re:Foodinitiative, said Al-Maqroun. She indicat-ed that instead of food being wasted,there are families in need of suchresources and that is why the initiativeis there. There are some 44 needy fami-lies registered at House of Zakat, saidAl-Maqroun who added that ‘Re:Food’served so far some 1,200 familiesthroughout the country.

“Re:Food volunteers are the back-bone of the whole project and they makesure that no family would sleep withoutproper food”, she affirmed. On volun-teering, Re:Food’s head of the volunteersprogram Hussein Redha said that thenumber of people partaking in this hon-orable endeavor jumped from 15 individ-uals to 700 members. Any person couldbe part of Re:Food, he affirmed, sayingthat the group’s official website offers allthe necessary details for anyone to jointhe cause. The Re:Food initiative wonseveral accolades this year and was cho-sen among 30 projects in the “OperationHope Kuwait”. — KUNA

Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and UAE pledge $10bn in aid for Bahrain

KUWAIT: Egypt’s Ambassador toKuwait Tareq Al-Qouni yesterdayaffirmed the deep-rooted bilateralrelations between his country andKuwait, during the past century,including both nations’ sacrifices inthe wars of Kuwait’s liberation andOctober 6th War. The diplomat addedin remarks to the media, on the occa-sion of celebrating the 45th anniver-sary of October War’s victory, thatthis epic war witnessed the contribu-tion of many Arab nations with sol-diers, weapons, military equipmentand oil supplies.

Al-Qouni recalled the great sacri-fices of Kuwaiti soldiers who lost theirlives in this war, defending the Arabnational security. On October the 6th,Arab nations united to regain theoccupied Arab territories from thegrips of Israel through a historic warfought amid political, economic,regional and international challenges.

“This war reflected the Egyptian peo-ple’s great capabilities of overcomingall obstacles and difficulties to achieveand fulfill their aspirations”, he said. Herecalled with great appreciationKuwait’s contribution in the OctoberWar and The War of Attrition, as theKuwaiti army took part in the fightingwith Al-Yarmouk brigade, and manyKuwaiti men were martyred in thewars, he affirmed. —KUNA

Egypt’s ambassador recallsKuwait’s many sacrifices inOctober war

Kuwait Red Crescent Society hands out food aid, electrical appliances, and clothes tofamilies inside Kuwait. — KUNA photos

The school complex in Saadnayel town (Bekaa area) opened by Kuwait Zakat (alms) House.

Aimed at stabilizing the kingdom’s budget by 2022

MANAMA: Bahraini Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad AlKhalifa with Kuwaiti Minister of Finance Dr Nayef binFalah Al-Hajraf. — KUNA

KRCS Chairman Dr Hilal Al-Sayer

Egypt’s Ambassador to KuwaitTareq Al-Qouni

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The Acelity Surgical Wound Forum:Fostering a culture of partnership

Content delivered by renowned faculty from across the globe

DUBAI: The Acelity Surgical Wound Forum (ASWF) beganin Dubai on Friday. It aims to facilitate peer-to-peer learn-ing, the exchange of innovative concepts in surgery andwound care and educate delegates on the safe and effectiveuse of new technologies.

In addition to a high-impact plenary session with contentdelivered by renowned faculty from across the globe,ASWF 2018 hosted four specialty-dedicated breakout ses-sions in which current surgical practices and challenges willbe addressed are Orthopedic and orthopedic-trauma sur-gery, plastic surgery, cardiothoracic and vascular surgeryand General and trauma surgery. Muneera bin Nikhy,Consultant plastic & reconstructive surgeon specialized inreconstructive microsurgery and super-microsurgery in AlAdan hospital, Kuwait had also given a talk at the event.

Dr Muneera is a consultant plastic & reconstructive sur-

geon specialized in reconstructive microsurgery and super-microsurgery. She did her plastic and microsurgery fellow-ship in Seoul/Korea at Asan Medical Center. She is a mem-ber in many societies such as World Society forReconstructive Microsurgery and American Society forReconstructive Microsurgery. Dr Muneera has had manypublications and participated in many national, regional, andinternational conference as invited speaker.

Dr Muneera is currently working in Al Adan hospital,which covers a population of two million people (40% ofKuwait population) and has the highest trauma rate inKuwait. Dr Muneera established the plastic surgery unitfrom zero and she is the head of plastic and reconstructivesurgery unit in Adan hospital and consultant plastic &reconstructive surgeon in Taiba hospital.

Gaurav Agarwal, Chief Commercial Officer, KCI: An

Acelity Company said “thank you for taking the time awayfrom your family, patients and clinical work to join us for the2018 The Acelity Surgical Woundcare Forum.

The Acelity Surgical Woundcare Forum ‘ASWF’ wasfounded in 2015 as a medical education event focused onincreasing peer to peer engagement and fostering a cultureof clinical partnership for early and mid career surgeons.Our aim since conception is to ensure an extremely highstandard of diverse and engaging topics and speakers.

Our theme for this meeting is ‘Go Beyond-Innovate,Integrate, Interact’. I welcome each of you interact with ourFaculty, Acelity personnel and each other to ensure maxi-mum engagement and the opportunity to share your inno-vation and skills with one another. I look forward to spend-ing some time with you over the coming days.” The AcelitySurgical Wound Forum is set to end today. Muneera bin Nikhy

Dr Ziad Al-Alyan CEO of Central Circle medical company in Kuwait attended the event with the company’s team.

BEIRUT: Kuwait’s honey industry has seen significantdevelopments in recent years, leading its products togain worldwide quality recognition, a Kuwaiti beekeep-ing expert affirmed on Friday. “Such developments aredue for the efforts exerted by the honey industry sectorin Kuwait, as well as the increasing number of honeykeepers”, Nael Al-Saif, Secretary of Kuwait BeekeepersAssociation, told KUNA.

Al-Saif made his remarks on the sidelines of the 11thmeeting of Arab Beekeeping Union in Beirut. He saidthe Association strives for highlighting the distinctivequality of Kuwaiti honey to the world, adding it has, sofar, won two gold medals in its first international partic-ipation in Seoul, South Korea in 2015. Furthermore, Al-Saif said there are currently around 350 registeredbeekeepers in the Association, noting there is morethan that number as non-registered members in Kuwait,including women. “Beekeeping has gained a wide pop-ularity among Kuwaitis over the years due for its easeof learning, economic returns, and health benefits”, saidAl-Saif.

The Arab Beekeepers Union (ABU) launched its 11thconference on Friday in the coastal city of Al-Jiyehsouth of Beirut, Lebanon with a delegation from theKuwait Beekeepers Association partaking in theConference whose motto is “Let’s Bee united.” TheLebanese presidency’s representative and conferencesponsor MP Shamel Roukoz assured during his intro-ductory speech the importance of bees as they “repre-sents a lifestyle of discipline, perseverance, and hardwork” while also pointing to the benefits of preservingsystemic nature and using natural medicine cures.

Roukoz also mentioned the danger revolving aroundthe Bee sectors such as pesticide abuse, pasture degra-dation, and the absence of beekeepers support, as hewas reflecting on the personal efforts of the beekeepersin Lebanon. On his part, President of the ABU Fathy Al-Beheary stressed on the need to further develop thebeekeeping profession as technology has become apart of all modern developments today, as these effortswill ensure the preservation of this profession regional-

ly and yielding better quality honey as a solid instruc-tional plans are put forth as a basis to develop the skillsthrough this association.

This development process should also aid in pro-tecting the local bee breeds which should be catego-rized for each member country to help produce even

better queen bees, added the President of the ABU. Al-Beheary stressed on the issue of funding as it is note-worthy produce in the Arab region which requires moreinvolvement by the state and authorities in the samefield to not miss out on this “long forgotten valuabletreasure. — KUNA

Kuwait producessome of the bestquality honey inworld, say experts

BEIRUT: Kuwait’s delegation at the Arab Beekeepers Union. — KUNA photos

Kuwait Dive Team replaces 24 cables aspart of maintenancecampaignKUWAIT: Kuwait Dive Team (KDT) affiliated with theEnvironmental Voluntary Foundation (EVF), replacedand installed 24 cables on the island of Kubbar as part ofa maintenance project to the sea and surrounding south-ern islands, and most importantly the sites of coral reef.“This project is one of the most important preventiveenvironmental projects to protect coral reefs fromdestruction due to boats or yachts wastes,” head of theteam Waleed Al-Fadhel told KUNA yesterday. Al-Fadhelnoted that such cables provides safe and easy means toenable boats or yachts to dock easily without using tra-ditional means, pointing out that this project requiresgreat efforts and continuous follow-up by the teamthroughout the year. Al-Fadhel added that the marineproject began in 1997 and developed over the past yearsto reach the current levels that provide maximum safetyand durability even in the most difficult climatic condi-tions. He pointed out that the project has a clear impacton the rehabilitation of the waterfront sites, and KDT hasgreat knowledge and experience in this field. Al-Fadhelhas also praised efforts exerted by the GeneralDirectorate of Coast Guard, the General Authority forEnvironment, and the General Authority for Agricultureand Fisheries in implementing laws that help preservemarine environment and maritime safety. — KUNA

KUWAIT: Kuwait Dive Team affiliated with theEnvironmental Voluntary Foundation replaces andinstall cables on the island of Kubbar as part of amaintenance project. — KUNA photos

KUWAIT: “Scouts, whether they wereboys or girls, are an important part of thesocial construct, and they are helping in thedevelopment of Arab society as a whole”,said a Kuwaiti official yesterday in hisstatement at the opening of the Arabscouting forum. The event is co-organizedby the Arab Union of Pioneer Scouts andGuides and Kuwait Boy Scouts Association— the Kuwaiti association’s chairmanAbdullah Al-Terji said that the event wouldfocus on exchange expertise within thefield of scouting.

“Scouting is an integral part of socialdevelopment and both Arab boys and girls’scouts and guides are interested in giving

back to their respective Arab societies”,said the Kuwaiti official. The forum, whichwill last until October 10, will be interestedin addressing challenges facing Arab scoutsand guides and hopefully such exchangewould lead to fruitful results, said Al-Terji.

On his part, member of the Arabunion and chair of the forum Dr AhmadAl-Dousri lauded the efforts of theKuwaiti association and its contributionsto the Arab scouting union. He called onall participants to provide their vitalinput and expertise during the course ofthe forum, saying that such action willhelp propel the Arab scouting and guid-ing scene forward. — KUNA

Scouting ‘important’ part of social development, says Kuwaiti official

KUWAIT: The opening of the Arab scouting forum — an event co-organizedby the Arab Union of Pioneer Scouts and Guides and Kuwait Boy ScoutsAssociation. — KUNA photos

Sunday, October 7, 2018

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KUWAIT: A raving display of lights and water captured at Al-Shaheed Park in Sharq. — KUNA

KTS celebrates International Translation DayKUWAIT: Kuwait Translators Society (KTS) held itssecond annual forum at Dr Suad Al-Sabah Theaterrecently as part of i ts celebrations to mark theInternational Translation Day. The forum, themed “trans-lation enriches cultural heritage at changing world,”gathered dozens of intellectuals and academics who

reviewed the contributions of KTS to the translationmovement in the Arab world.

Speakers at the event included KTS Secretary DrDhiya Brusly who appreciated KTS Secretary-GeneralTalal Al-Romeidhy’s support to the Society, associate pro-fessor of philosophy at Kuwait University Dr Abdullah Al-Jasmi, and associate professor of translation at KU Facultyof Arts Dr Mohammad bin Nasser. KTS President DrTareq Fakhr-Eddin reviewed his experiment in compilingand publishing a range of articles relating to the study oftranslation and the challenges facing Arab translatorstoday. The International Translation Day is celebrated onSeptember 30, the death anniversary of St Jerome (347-420 AD) who translated most of the Bible into Latin and isconsidered the patron saint of translators. — KUNA

Sheikh Jaber Centrehosts jazz legend Herbie HancockKUWAIT: As part of its Bridging Cultures program,Kuwait’s Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Cultural Centre hostedlegendary jazz pianist Herbie Hancock for a first of atwo-day set on Friday evening. The world-renownedjazz practitioner, whose career spans over 50 years, hasreleased more than 40 albums and has been awarded 14Grammys and an Oscar for his work on the jazz drama,‘Round Midnight’. He is known for his contributions tothe emergence of the post-bop and jazz fusion styles ofthe genre. The jazz icon will hold one more performanceat Kuwait’s state-of-the-art venue before heading homefor a show in California ahead of a tour of SouthAmerica starting next month. — KUNA Jazz legend Herbie Hancock

KUWAIT: Photos from the event held at Dr Suad Al-Sabah Theater. — KUNA photos

L o c a l Sunday, October 7, 2018

5Established 1961

Kuwait Fire Safety Department holdsforum at the Symphony Style Hotel

The forum is a step on the path to achieving ideal safety levels

KUWAIT: Under the auspices of deputyPM and minister of state for cabinet affairs,KFSD director, Lt General Khaled Al-Mekrad recently inaugurated the KuwaitFire Safety Forum which was organized byKuwaiti Association for protection fromFire Risks (KFPA) at the Symphony StyleHotel. The forum saw the participation of anumber of KFSD officials including DeputyDirector for Prevention Maj General KhaledAbdullah Fahad, KFPA chairperson Eng

Adel Al-Nassar, KFPA advisor Yousif Al-Ansari, Civil Defense and National Guardofficials.

Speaking on the occasion, Maj GeneralKhaled Fahad stressed that KFSD’s strategyinvolves utilizing all possible potentials anddeveloping them to interpret His Highnessthe Amir’s vision on turning Kuwait into aregional financial and commercial hubthrough following up the execution of vari-ous health, cultural and recreational proj-

ects. Fahad added that many projects werebeing currently executed such as air, marineand land aviation terminals 4 and S, T2,Mubarak port, Jahra road, Jabber Stadiumand other sport grounds. He also mentionedthat strict measures and safety conditionswould have to be applied to keep thoseprojects safe against any fire risks. On hispart, KFSD’s PR manager, Brigadier KhalilAl-Amir highly commended KFPA’s organi-zation of the forum noting that such activi-

ties usually have a positive impact on safetyand fire protection measures.

Also speaking on the occasion, KFPA’sadvisor, Yousif Al-Ansari stressed on theimportance of combining all efforts toachieve HH the Amir’s vision noting that theforum is a step on the path to achievingideal safety levels, environmental suitabilityand saving lives against fires, and other nat-ural disasters.

KFPA chairperson, Adel Al-Nassar

stressed that the forum had gatheredresearchers and those interested in fire-fighting sciences to discuss the best meth-ods and techniques of dealing with varioustypes of fires. He added that the forum heldin collaboration with IQPC company was agreat opportunity to exchange ideas andexpertise through endless specializedpapers and researches discussed on itssessions.

By Hanan Shadooun

KUWAIT: A Bangladeshi was recently found hung to arope tied to the ceiling of his room in Jahra, said securi-ty sources. The man was already dead when para-medics released his neck of the rope. Inquires fromacquaintances of the deceased testified that the manwas suffering from depression for a long time.

Farwaniya fire A fire recently broke out in a Farwaniya house, said

security sources noting that firemen from Farwaniyaand Ardhiya rushed to the scene and managed to con-trol the fire before it spread. No casualties werereported at the scene.

Massive drug bust An Iraqi jeep was recently detained at Abdali land

border exit. The 4X4 vehicle was driving into Kuwaitwith over 41 kilograms of Hashish and 400,000 capta-gon tablets concealed in within it, said security sources.A case was filed and the driver was referred to the rele-vant authorities.

Bangladeshi hangsself in Jahra room

KUWAIT: Police authorities arrested atweeter for insulting the political leadershipand police dignitaries as well as the people’shonor. Police sources said the suspect wasarrested before on drugs charges, wasreleased on bail and banned from traveling.Yet he went back to tweeting using the nameof a detective, and used it to start insultingthe leadership of Kuwait. His account wasswiftly closed and he was also charged forposing as a different person. This time how-ever, after being released he started using

his real identity and resumed his insultingtweets, so he was arrested again.

Police chase in Farwaniya Farwaniya police arrested a citizen fol-

lowing a chase during which the suspectcollided with several cars. Police who wereon a patrol asked the driver to pull over,but he quickly sped away. Police initiated achase, and the reckless driver hit severalcars during his escape. Police found drugparaphernalia on him. — Al-Anbaa

Tweeter arrested for insulting leadership

By A Saleh

KUWAIT: Kuwait Directorate Generalfor Civil Aviation (DGCA) intends toapply eye-identification using Iris recog-nition scan on all passengers, includingcitizens and expats, with the aim of pre-venting forgery, said DGCA off icia lsources. The sources added that the Irisscan would include complete data reportabout the passport holder and stressedthat the new system would be put intopractice after contracting a specialized

company and the scanners are installed.

Insurance deposit MMSAL undersecretary, Saad Al-

Kharraz recently issued a ministerial deci-sion directing the community developmentdepartment to collect an extra KD 100 feeas an insurance deposit in addition to theusual KD 100 paid on renting weddinghalls. Moreover, informed sources said thatMSAL also intends to increase the hallsrent value to about 300-400KD instead ofits earlier plans to double it to KD 200.

DGCA intends to use Iris scan

The Commercial Bank of Kuwait (CBK) recently took part in a ceremony organized byJahra governorate to celebrate the International Day for Older Persons and honorgeriatric people. The ceremony was attended by Ouyoon mayor, Melouh Al-Harbi. Inthis regard, CBK’s deputy director for corporate communication, Amani Al-Wer’a saidthat the bank’s contribution comes within its social responsibility sphere, especiallythose addressing senior citizens.

InternationalKids born aboard floating hospital in quake aftermathMelania Trump rounds off Africa tour in Egypt Page 7 Page 9

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2018

Established 1961

WASHINGTON: Alessandra Mondolfi joins fellow protesters against US Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh as they demonstrate at the US Supreme Court in Washington, DC yesterday. —AFP

WASHINGTON: The US Senate is expected to con-firm conservative judge Brett Kavanaugh as the nextSupreme Court justice-offering President DonaldTrump a big political win and tilting the nation’s highcourt decidedly to the right. The months-long battleover Kavanaugh’s nomination has gripped Washington,laying bare the partisan gridlock on Capitol Hill and thepolitical polarization of America just a month beforemidterm elections.

The Senate vote, set to begin from 3:30 pm, willbring an end to a raucous nomination process definedby harrowing testimony from a woman who saysKavanaugh tried to rape her when they wereteenagers-and his fiery rebuttal. If Kavanaugh is con-firmed, Trump will have succeeded in having his twopicks seated on the court-a major coup for theRepublican leader less than halfway through his term.

His promotion to the Supreme Court will also standas a demoralizing defeat for Democrats who battledhard to block the 53-year-old judge at all costs.Kavanaugh’s confirmation was all but sealed on Fridaywhen he won the support of key Senate RepublicanSusan Collins and conservative Democrat Joe Manchin.Their statements of support brought the number ofsenators supporting Kavanaugh to 51 in the 100-mem-ber chamber. “This is a great day for America,” SenateMajority Leader Mitch McConnell told Fox News lateFriday, congratulating his colleagues for “refusing to

roll over under all of this intense pressure.”

‘Presumption of innocence’Kavanaugh’s nomination as a replacement for retir-

ing justice Anthony Kennedy was controversial fromthe start-but the initial focus was solely on the conser-vative views held by the married father of two. But hisascent to the Supreme Court was thrown into doubtlast week after universityresearch psychologistChristine Blasey Ford testifiedthat he had sexually assaultedher at a Washington area par-ty in the early 1980s. Thebrutal hearing sparked a sup-plemental FBI dive intoKavanaugh’s background anda week-long delay of theSenate vote. While many sen-ators say they were satisfiedwith the FBI probe, herlawyers say the investigation was insufficient.

“An FBI investigation that did not include interviewsof Dr Ford and Judge Kavanaugh is not a meaningfulinvestigation in any sense of the word,” they said in astatement quoted in US media. Collins-a moderateRepublican from Maine-said Kavanaugh was entitled tothe “presumption of innocence” as the allegations

against him were not substantiated with corroboratingevidence. While acknowledging that Blasey Ford’s testi-mony was “sincere, painful and compelling,” Collinsadded: “We will be ill-served in the long run if we aban-don the presumption of innocence and fairness.”

Immediately after that speech, Manchin announcedhis support, calling Kavanaugh a “qualified jurist” who“will not allow the partisan nature this process took to

follow him onto the court.”Manchin faces extraordinarypolitical pressure. He is up forre-election in West Virginia, astate Trump won overwhelm-ingly in 2016. The stage wasset for the final confirmationwhen the Senate ended debateon the nomination on Fridaywith a procedural 51-49 vote-a move cheered by Trump,who said he was “very proud.”

‘Elevator screamers’ If he wins confirmation, Kavanaugh-who has faced a

bruising process that raised questions over his candor,partisan rhetoric and his lifestyle as a young man-willseal a conservative majority on the nine-seat highcourt, possibly for decades to come. His nomination hasbeen met with loud protests, both in Washington and in

other cities across the United States. On Friday, morethan 100 people were detained. Trump dismissed themostly female anti-Kavanaugh protesters-and claimedthat billionaire financier George Soros, a frequent tar-get of conservatives, was behind their demonstrations.“The very rude elevator screamers are paid profession-als only looking to make Senators look bad. Don’t fallfor it!” he tweeted. Trump’s reference to Soros, who hassupported the US Democratic Party for years,appeared aimed at inciting more support and angerfrom the president’s conservative Christian base.

‘Agonizing’ Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski was the only

Republican to break ranks. She described her decisionto oppose Kavanaugh as “agonizing,” and said thatwhile she hopes he will be a “neutral arbiter” on thecourt, he was not “the right person for the court at thistime.” However, while she plans to vote “no”,Murkowski said she would ask to be recorded as “pre-sent” in the final tally “as a courtesy” to a fellowRepublican so he can attend his daughter’s weddinginstead of returning to Washington to vote. “It will notchange the outcome of the vote, but I do hope that itreminds us that we can take very small, very small stepsto be gracious with one another,” Murkowski said lateFriday on the Senate floor. “We owe it to the people ofAmerica to return to a less rancorous process.” —AFP

US Senate poised to confirm KavanaughPresident Trump eyes a big political victory

A major coup for

Republicanleader

#Metoo in Europe: The new laws on consent, catcallingPARIS: From France, where seduction is treated asa high art, to Sweden, a trailblazer for gender equal-ity, the #MeToo movement has had a mixed impactin Europe, stirring debate about consent and thebanality of street harassment. Here is a look at howfive countries were affected.

France In France, where come-ons from men-even when

unwanted-have long been treated as gallantry, the#MeToo movement has been divisive. Thousands ofwomen shared accounts of harassment or assaultusing the #MeToo or #Balancetonporc (Squeal onyour pig) hashtags, but the wording of the Frenchslogan rankled many, who accused the accusers of awitch hunt. Among those who hit back was screenlegend Catherine Deneuve, who signed an open let-ter by a group of 100 prominent French womendefending men’s freedom to “hit on” women andrailing against the new “puritanism.” Deneuve, whodrew hefty criticism over the letter, particularlyamong younger women, later apologized to sexualassault victims while saying she remained opposedto social media “denunciations”. Elected before theWeinstein affair broke, President Emmanuel Macronhad already made fighting sexism a priority. InAugust, parliament passed a new law that makes

catcalling in the street a crime punishable by on-the-spot fines.

BritainIn Britain, sexual harassment revelations made

heads roll in government. Defense Minister MichaelFallon quit after being accused of groping a journal-ist and Prime Minister Theresa May’s deputy,Damian Green, also resigned after being accused ofinappropriate behavior by a young activist. Anti-poverty charity Oxfam and other NGOs also suf-fered severe damage to their reputations after sever-al aid workers were accused of sexually exploitingpeople during missions in crisis-hit countries such asHaiti. The government has promised to get tougheron harassment, particularly upskirting. British policeare also investigating assault claims against dis-graced former House of Cards star Kevin Spacey,when he was in London between 2005 and 2008.

Sweden Sweden, a bastion of progressive gender poli-

cies, has not been spared scandal. The venerableSwedish Academy, which awards the annual NobelLiterature Prize, was thrown into flux after severalwomen accused the French husband of one of theacademy members of sexual assault. Jean-ClaudeArnault, who headed an influential cultural club inStockholm, was sentenced this month to two yearsin jail for rape. The allegations prompted the acad-emy to postpone the 2018 Literature Prize by ayear-a first in 70 years. The government meanwhileseized the #MeToo momentum to push through anew law defining all sex without explicit consent asrape, irrespective of whether violence or threatsare applied. —AFP

Gay marriage: Europe splits PARIS: A referendum in Romania this weekend todefine marriage explicitly as between a man and womanunderlines the largely East-West split in Europe oversame-sex unions.

Western Europe: pioneers In 2001 the Netherlands became the first country in

the world to allow gay and lesbian couples to marry in acivil ceremony. Fifteen European countries have fol-lowed: Belgium, Britain (but not Northern Ireland, whichonly accepts civil partnerships), Denmark, Finland,France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Luxembourg, Malta,Norway, Portugal, Spain and Sweden, with Austria dueto join next year. In several of these countries, gay mar-riage had been preceded by civil partnerships, whichcome with fewer rights, Denmark being the pioneer in1989. Some European countries still only allow suchpartnerships, rather than marriage, including Croatia,Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Greece, Hungary, Italy andSwitzerland. Slovenians also allow civil partnerships butin 2015 rejected in a referendum a proposal to legalizegay marriage.

Bans in the eastIn June 2018 the Czech government backed draft leg-

islation that would make the country the first post-com-munist member of the European Union to legalize same-sex marriage. But most Eastern European countriesallow neither gay partnerships nor marriages, includingBulgaria, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania andSlovakia. In 2014 Estonia became the first former Sovietrepublic to authorize same-sex civil unions. In Russiahomosexuality was considered a crime up to 1993 and amental illness until 1999. Now legal, a 2013 law howeverpunishes the promotion of homosexuality among minors.

West opens to gay adoptionWestern Europe also leads the way on the rights of

same-sex couples to adopt children, whether within mar-riage or civil partnerships. This is allowed in Austria,Belgium, Britain, Denmark, France, Germany, Malta andThe Netherlands, Spain and Sweden. Other countries,like Finland and Slovenia, allow gay people to adopt theirpartner’s children.

Medically Assisted Procreation (MAP) is allowed forlesbian couples in Austria, Belgium, Britain, TheNetherlands, Spain and the Nordic countries. France isexamining whether to make such a move. Most Europeancountries however ban surrogacy although the use of sur-rogate mothers is allowed-as long as they are not paid-inBelgium, Britain and The Netherlands. In an exception,Greece in 2014 authorized paid surrogacy. Further afield,homosexual couples can also marry in Canada since2005 and in the United States since 2015, as well as infour Latin American countries: Argentina, Brazil,Colombia and Uruguay. South Africa in 2006 becamethe sole African nation to allow gay marriage. —AFP

BUCHAREST: Romanian Prime Minister Viorica Dancilacasts her ballot in a referendum to change the constitu-tional definition of ‘family’, at a polling station inBucharest yesterday. — AFP

I n t e r n a t i o n a l Sunday, October 7, 2018

7

Russia spy saga shows darker side of Dutch ‘City of Peace and Justice’

Netherlands finds itself in Russian crosshairs THE HAGUE: The Hague brands itself as the “City ofPeace and Justice”, but this week the stately seat of theDutch government also revealed a darker side with theexposure of four alleged Russian spies. The sedate citybordering the North Sea is home to a slew of internationalorganizations that have also made it increasingly attractiveto espionage and cyber-attacks, officials and experts say.The scale of those normally undercover activities was sud-denly thrust into the daylight this week when theNetherlands said it had busted a Russian plot to hack theworld’s chemical watchdog.

In scenes that could have come from a spy film, the fouralleged members of Russia’s GRU military intelligenceagency were caught red-handedwith a car full of electronic gearin a carpark next to theOrganization for the Prohibitionof Chemical Weapons. “TheHague as a UN city focusing onissues of human security isattracting judicial bodies andinternational organizations... alsoillicit activities,” Jan Melissen, adiplomacy expert at LeidenUniversity and the Clingendaelinstitute said. “In the past, diplo-macy and intelligence used to be seen as almost two con-cepts as almost watertight compartments. Now they arecoming much closer as we see here in The Hague.”

‘A small city’Ever since The Hague Conventions of 1899 and 1907

that helped set down the laws of international warfare, ithas drawn a growing array of international bodies. Theirgrand headquarters lining The Hague’s leafy, orderlystreets now offer rich pickings for spooks. Apart from theOPCW, it also hosts the UN’s top International Court ofJustice, the International Criminal Court and theMechanism for International Criminal Tribunals-the formerYugoslavia war crimes court.

The EU’s police agency Europol and judicial bodyEurojust are just around the corner. The Dutch prime minis-ter’s official residence meanwhile is across the road from theOPCW. A stone’s throw away, one of The Hague’s best-known museums the Museon, last month was one of the ven-ues of the city’s annual “Just Peace” festival. Over two days,the festival saw a host of events relating to “peace and jus-tice”-including an exhibition focusing on UN peacekeeping.

“The Hague is very much at the centre of the re-fram-ing of what security, justice and human rights values and vio-lations are all about,” said Melissen. “This takes The Hague

out of proportion. For a small UN city... it’s becoming veryvisible.” For a small country, the Netherlands generallyattracts plenty of unwelcome attention from spy services.The two Russians named by Britain as being behind theSalisbury nerve agent attack on a Russian double agentallegedly passed during their travels through Amsterdam’sSchiphol airport-the same gateway that the four allegedOPCW hackers came through and were then expelled from.

‘Illicit activities’ The Netherlands has found itself in Russian crosshairs

too during the investigation into the shooting down ofMalaysia Airlines flight MH17 in 2014 over Ukraine as it flew

from Schiphol to KualaLumpur. A laptop belonging toone of the four Russiansexpelled in April had beenlinked to Malaysia and activi-ties related to the MH17 probe.

“I often hear people saythat the Netherlands is toosmall and insignificant to inter-est hackers, but this is ofcourse not the case,” said Bende Jong, a Dutch specialist inRussian intelligence agencies.

“We’ve got important organizations here, like the OPCW...Besides if you have an in into one NATO country, youeffectively have an in into all of them,” De Jong told thepopular Algemeen Dagblad tabloid. Melissen said that“clearly, this sort of thing has been going on since timeimmemorial-also in The Hague.” “There is much greatertransparency these days so there is greater awareness ofillicit activities-also among The Hague’s diplomatic corps,”Melissen said.

‘No James Bond’The spying activities that do go on are a far cry from

the glamorous world of James Bond-as the arrest of theRussian agents showed. The manager of the Marriott hotelsaid that Dutch agents had simply come in and asked atreception to see the four men-and that by coincidencethey came down in the elevator at that moment. “Thepolice officers simply told the men: ‘Will you please followme’-and they did!,” manager Vincent Pahlplatz said. “NoAston Martins, no revolving number plates, nobody skydiving from the rooftop.” Indeed, perhaps The Hague’sonly appearance in the fictional spy world to date is moreapt-a bleak beachfront scene in the John Le Carre classic“The Spy Who Came In From The Cold”, a novel in whichno one really knows who is who until it is too late. — AFP

AllegedRussia spies

exposed

THE HAGUE: This undated handout document shows parts of Russian diplomatic passports of alleged Russian agents asthe Netherlands expelled the four alleged Russian agents after uncovering a spy-novel-style bid by Russia’s GRU mili-tary intelligence agency to target the Organization for Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) in The Hague. — AFP

State polls a regional test forIndia’s Modi NEW DELHI: Poll dates were announced for five Indianstates by the country’s election commission yesterday,opening a long election season that will present PrimeMinister Narendra Modi a regional test ahead of hisnational reelection bid in 2019. Modi’s right-wingBharatiya Janata Party (BJP) rules three of the five poll-bound heartland states-western Rajasthan, centralMadhya Pradesh and eastern Chhattisgarh.

BJP’s performance in these states, part of India’s bell-

wether Hindi speaking heartland, will reflect both onModi’s personal popularity and the state of the main,Nehru-Gandhi dynasty led opposition Congress partybefore 2019. Congress party president Rahul Gandhihas been facing questions over his leadership after aseries of electoral setbacks for the party since 2014,when Modi took office.

The BJP hopes to wrest power in northeasternMizoram, one of only two states directly ruled by theCongress, and will challenge a popular regional party insouthern Telangana state. India’s chief election commis-sioner O P Rawat announced a single phase election inall states except Chhattisgarh, which is at the heart ofcountry’s raging Maoist insurgency. “Rajasthan andTelangana will vote on December 7, Madhya Pradeshand Mizoram on November 28 and Chhattisgarh onNovember 12 and November 20,” Rawat told journalistsin New Delhi. — AFP

Japan military joins historic Philippine war gamesSAN ANTONIO: Japanese troopsstormed a beach in the Philippinesyesterday in joint exercises with USand Filipino troops that officials saidmarked the first time Tokyo’s armoredvehicles rolled on foreign soil sinceWorld War II. The small Japanesecontingent played a humanitariansupport role in the drill after US andFilipino marines made an amphibiouslanding to retake Philippine territoryfrom a “terrorist” group.

Fifty unarmed Japanese soldiers incamouflage marched behind their fourarmored vehicles and picked up Filipinoand American troops playing the role ofwounded combatants while movinginland over sand and sparse bushland.The exercise, codenamed Kamandag(Venom), marked the first time Japanesearmored military vehicles were used onforeign soil since the country adopted apacifist constitution after its 1945defeat, said Japan’s Major Koki Inoue.

“Our purpose is to improve ouroperational capability and this is a

very good opportunity for us toimprove our humanitarian assistanceand disaster relief training,” Inouesaid, adding Japan was not involved inthe drill’s combat component. Theexercise was held at a Philippine navybase facing the South China Sea some250 kilometers (155 miles) from theScarborough Shoal, a territory claimedby Manila that was seized by Chinaduring a 2012 naval stand-off. ThePhilippines has since ramped up mili-tary cooperation with Washington, its

long-time ally, and also held joint navalexercises with Japan nearScarborough Shoal in 2015.

Japan has its own maritime territo-rial dispute with Beijing in the EastChina Sea. The US military stressedthat yesterday’s exercise was notaimed at China, which has also builtartificial islands on disputed areas ofthe South China Sea and installed mili-tary facilities on them. “It has nothingto do with a foreign nation or any sortof foreign army. — AFP

Melania Trump rounds off Africa tour in EgyptCAIRO: US First Lady Melania Trump held talks in theEgyptian capital yesterday on the final leg of a solo four-nation tour of Africa that will also see her visit thePyramids. The low-key tour, during which she has made nocomment to reporters, has contrasted with the politicaltumult back home where her husband was set to score abig political win after days of acrimonious deadlock insideand outside the Senate over his Supreme Court pick. Theformer model stepped off a plane at Cairo internationalairport wearing high-waisted white pants, a pleated whiteshirt and a black tie with a beige jacket hung over hershoulders. She was welcomed by Egyptian First LadyIntissar Amer al-Sisi, an observant Muslim who wore anankle-length blue dress and matching headscarf.

Security was tight with police deployed along the routeand on rooftops as her convoy drove from the airport tothe presidential palace. The visit comes as security forcesface a persistent jihadist insurgency in the Sinai Peninsulaacross the Suez Canal to the northeast. The First Lady helda one-hour meeting with President Abdel Fattah al-Sisiand his wife at the palace, the longest of her tour, and wasthen driven to the US embassy before heading to thePyramids of Giza. During her whistlestop five-hour stay inCairo, she was also scheduled to visit the new NationalMuseum under construction next door to the Pyramids.

SAN ANTONIO: Amphibious Assault Vehicles (AAV) of the US marines emit whitesmoke during an amphibious landing exercise at the beach of the Philippine navytraining center facing the south China sea in San Antonio town, Zambales province,north of Manila yesterday. — AFP

On the previous leg of her tour in Kenya, her choice ofa white colonial-style pith helmet while on safari drewsome criticism on Twitter, with one person comparing herlook to that of a “colonial administrator”. Melania Trump,in Africa to promote her children’s welfare program,began her trip in Ghana, where she visited mothers andtheir newborns, and toured a former slave trading fort.She then made a brief stop in Malawi where she toured aprimary school. — AFP

Sunday, October 7, 2018

8I n t e r n a t i o n a l

Established 1961

CHICAGO: A white Chicago police officer was foundguilty of murder Friday for fatally shooting a black teenag-er and triggering months of protests in America’s thirdlargest city. Jason Van Dyke fired 16 bullets into 17-year-old Laquan McDonald during the 2014 confrontation. Theslaying was captured on police video that showed theknife-wielding teen appearing to walk away from officerswhen he was shot. The 12-person jury reached a verdictjust one day after beginning deliberations. They chose todispense of first-degree murder charges, and instead con-victed Van Dyke of lesser second-degree murder. Theofficer was also found guilty of16 counts of aggravated bat-tery with a firearm-for eachbullet he fired-and acquittedof one count of official mis-conduct. “This is a victory forAmerica,” said McDonald’sgreat-uncle and familyspokesman Marvin Hunter.“Laquan McDonald repre-sents all of the victims thatsuffered what he suffered.”The city of Chicago hadalready reached a $5 millioncivil settlement with McDonald’s family. A jubilant crowd-some of whom told local media that they were in shockover the outcome-grew steadily in the city’s downtownbusiness district, demanding additional resignations of cityofficials and more police reform.

‘Historic for Chicago’ “This is historic for Chicago,” community organizer

Janette Wilson told reporters. “I would hope that the peo-ple of Chicago will really look at this case as a model forthe nation.” The city had been on edge in advance of theverdict, since the case had already caused politicalupheaval and months of earlier protests.

City officials and business owners beefed up security

as the trial neared an end, while thousands of police offi-cers were deployed to the streets. Lead prosecutor JoeMcMahon said he hoped the verdict “begins a new chap-ter in the relationship between law enforcement and thecommunity.” “It provides validation and a sense of justicefor many residents,” he said. The jury reached its verdictafter 10 days of testimony in which the officer claimedself-defense, while the prosecution accused him of makinga rash and unjustified decision to shoot.

The trial had hinged on the video footage showing VanDyke continuing to fire bullet after bullet-even after the

teen falls to the ground andlies motionless. Crucially, VanDyke is also seen taking stepstoward McDonald before fir-ing, even though he testifiedthat he shot because the teenhad gotten too close with hisknife. Several jurors toldreporters under condition ofanonymity that convicting hadbeen straightforward-although they went for thelesser second-degree murderverdict because they believed

Van Dyke’s claim that he felt threatened. “Instead of esca-lating the situation, he should have de-escalated,” onesaid, however.

‘Sacrificial lamb’ Van Dyke was taken straight into custody. Under

Illinois state law, he faces four to 20 years for the murderfinding while aggravated battery with a firearm carries sixto 30 years. The head of Chicago’s police union, whichfunded Van Dyke’s defense, promised an appeal and criti-cized the jury for punishing an officer for simply doing hisjob. Van Dyke’s attorney Dan Herbert said the officer hadbeen made into a “sacrificial lamb” by politicians whowanted to appease an angry public.

Van Dyke wasn’t criminally charged until the day thevideo was made public-which itself did not happen until ayear after the shooting and only after a judge forced cityofficials to do so. The shooting became emblematic ofdecades of police abuse in the Midwestern city-often tar-geted at Chicago’s African-American population. Therewere months of protests and calls for resignations.Activists accused city officials of an attempted cover up.Similar cases of deadly police encounters between policeand African Americans have rarely been prosecuted. And

when officers have been charged, they have rarely beenconvicted. In Chicago, the aftermath of the McDonaldshooting convulsed the city’s politics and led to significantchanges in its police department. The city’s police chiefand lead prosecutor both lost their jobs. The new policechief, Eddie Johnson, recommended that seven officers befired for filing false reports about McDonald’s shooting.Three of the officers have been charged with conspiringto mislead about the threat McDonald had posed. Theyare awaiting trial. —AFP

White cop convicted of murder for shooting dead a black teen

Van Dyke fired 16 bullets into 17-year-old Laquan McDonald

CHICAGO: Demonstrators protest as they celebrate the verdict in the murder trial of Chicago police officer JasonVan Dyke along Michigan Avenue in Chicago, Illinois. — AFP

Fatally shooting triggered months of protests in US

RIGA: Polling stations in Latvia opened yesterday for ageneral election that could propel a populist, pro-Kremlin coalition to power as the Baltic state celebratesthe centenary of its birth as an independent state.Though lauded for righting the economy, the governingcentre-right coalition has lost ground, opinion pollssuggest. But with a quarter of voters still undecidedaccording to pollsters, the election is still wide open.After casting his ballot, President Raimonds Vejonisfrom the Green Party called on fellow Latvians to cometo the polls, pointing to the Brexit vote as an exampleof what might happen if they didn’t.

“It shows us that we should not stay at home andthat we should express our opinions,” he said. Latvia isa member of both the euro-zone and NATO, havingjoined the military alliance in 2004. Latvia’s ethnicRussian minority makes up about a quarter of thecountry’s 1.9 million population and Harmony, whichwas formerly allied with Putin’s United Russia party, ispopular with them. The party has won the largest num-ber of votes in the last three elections, and did not entergovernment only because it failed to attract coalitionpartners. But this time could be different.

Along with fellow Baltic states Estonia and Lithuania,Latvia declared independence in 1918 after the TsaristRussian empire collapsed. But it was occupied by NaziGermany during World War II, and then by the SovietUnion for nearly half a century until 1991. After the lastelection in 2014, the centre-right Greens and FarmersUnion, the right-wing National Alliance and the centre-right Unity formed a three-party coalition to run thecountry. On their watch the economy, hit hard by the2008 financial crisis, has resumed growth.—AFP

Latvia votes as Russians andpopulists eye power

VATICAN CITY: “We mustn’t be afraid of sexuality!”French prelate Emmanuel Gobillard urged the Vatican syn-od on the role of young people, trying to break down theenduring taboo in the 1.3 billion-member Church. But whilethe young insist that sex is an unavoidable topic at themonth-long meeting of world bishops, the subject has alow profile in the gathering’s 70-page working document.

The text notes “the beauty and depth of affective andsex life” that can be “disfigured” by “early sexual activity,multiple sexual partners, digital pornography, exhibitingbodies online and sexual tourism”. It admits that theChurch is no longer the moral compass it once was:“Sociological studies show that many young Catholics donot follow Church teachings on sexual morals,” it says. Butthe fact that it mentions, once, the term LGBT (Lesbian,Gay, Bisexual and Transgender) was too much forArchbishop Charles Chaput of Philadelphia, a member ofthe synod’s permanent committee.

“There is no such thing as an ‘LGBTQ Catholic’ or a‘transgender Catholic’ or a ‘heterosexual Catholic’ - as ifour sexual appetites defined who we are,” he told themeeting on Thursday. The working document, which willbe the basis for a final text, notes the existence of LGBT“who wish to benefit from greater closeness and experi-ence greater care by the Church”. But Chaput objected.“‘LGBTQ’ and similar language should not be used inchurch documents, because using it suggests that theseare real, autonomous groups, and the church simplydoesn’t categorize people that way,” he argued.

‘Prism of pornography’Auxiliary Bishop of Lyon Gobillard said he had spent

the summer listening to what young people had to say. “Asthis synod begins, it is essential to remember how impor-tant it is to be able to speak freely about sexuality, for our

youths and seminarians to be educated so that they caneducate,” he told the meeting of bishops and Pope Francis.“Too often, young people discover sexuality through theprism of pornography or the embarrassed silence of (pre-vious) generations,” he said in his four-minute address.

He called for a change in mentality that would see sexu-ality and celibacy discussed in schools and seminaries.Even Pope Francis has approved of young lovers livingtogether provided it leads to marriage. “Sexuality is nolonger a taboo within the Church but it’s still difficult totalk about it in simple terms,” Gobillard told journalistsbefore the synod. Dealing with the controversial topic iscomplicated by the presence of bishops from cultures withmore or less conservative attitudes to sexuality, includingsome countries in Africa, Asia and the Middle East. Aninternational seminar on youth in September 2017 inpreparation for the synod invited French sexologistTherese Hargot to speak.

“We took part in a series of conferences on young peo-ple and political engagement, social engagement,migrants... but not a word on sexuality, friendship, love, notone discussion about love!” she said in a book of conver-sations with Gobillard. “Love and whatever you want todo, do it!” she said. The official response from an unnamedVatican official during the 2017 seminar was not encour-aging, she added. —AFP

Sex: Elephant in the room at Vatican synod

VATICAN CITY: Chinese Bishop Guo Jincai (left)and Chinese Bishop Yang Xiaoting take a selfiebefore Pope Francis’ meeting with the youth andthe Synod fathers at the Paul VI Hall in Vaticanyesterday. — AFP

News in brief

50 killed, 100 burnt KINSHASA: About 50 people died and 100 wereburnt yesterday after an oil tanker collided with avehicle on an arterial highway in the west of DRCongo, the acting governor of the region said. “Wehave about 50 dead and a 100 people have sufferedsecond degree burns,” said Atou Matabuana, theinterim governor of Kongo Central region, accordingto the actualite.cd website. The accident occurred ona highway linking the capital Kinshasa to the coun-try’s sole port at Matadi on the Atlantic Ocean. It tookplace near the city of Kisantu, about 120 kilometers(100 miles) west of Kinshasa. The UN’s Okapi radiosaid “the flames spread rapidly engulfing nearbyhouses.” Overloaded trucks carrying goods as well asoil tankers regularly ply this highway. — AFP

Yemen students protestSANAA: Yemeni rebels yesterday detained dozens ofstudents protesting in the capital Sanaa against povertyin the war-torn country, activists and witnesses said.Local activists, asking not to be named, told AFP thatthe Shiite Houthi movement detained at least 55 stu-dents, including 18 women, near Sanaa University.Houthi authorities had warned it would “beat andarrest” anyone taking part in demonstrations in therebel-held capital, residents said, after local activistscalled for a mass protest against inflation and famine.The Houthi rebels did not immediately comment on thearrests. Witnesses said the detained men and womenwere chanting: “We will sacrifice our soul, our bloodfor you, Yemen.” The students were taken to a nearbyHuthi-run police station, after which they were trans-ported to “unknown locations”, the activists said,adding the rebels closed the university as part of secu-rity measures.—AFP

Dutch scramble F-16s THE HAGUE: The Dutch air force scrambled two F-16fighter jets to escort a flight from Abu Dhabi toAmsterdam after an onboard fight broke out with anaggressive American passenger, authorities said yester-day. “A 29-year-old American man became aggressiveafter being asked by a purser to return to his seat,”Joanna Helmonds said. “A scuffle broke out and the cab-in crew, together with other passengers managed torestrain the man,” she said, declining to name the airlineor flight. A number of passengers were lightly woundedincluding two passengers who were given black eyes,said Helmonds. The plane was then given special clear-ance to land immediately at Schiphol airport with policearresting the man shortly afterwards. Helmonds said theman was examined at the airport and officers deter-mined that he came across as disorientated.—AFP

Turkey arrests 137 ANKARA: Turkish authorities have arrested 137 peoplein a country-wide operation over two days aimed at theoutlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), state newsagency Anadolu said yesterday. The PKK, designated asa terror group by Turkey and its Western allies, is regu-larly targeted in security forces raids. The authoritiesare still battling the over three-decade insurgency ofthe PKK which initially took up arms for a separatestate but now demands a degree of autonomy. Theclashes between Turkish security forces and PKK mem-bers have resumed after a fragile ceasefire collapsed in2015. The PKK’s armed struggle with the Turkish gov-ernment has killed more than 40,000 people since 1984.On Thursday, eight soldiers were killed by an impro-vised explosive device in southeastern Turkey in anattack the government blamed on the PKK.— AFP

YAOUNDE: “We should let him finish, and afterwards wecan judge,” said Denis. “No, he should go!” respondedBernardin, debating with his friend the long legacy ofCameroonian President Paul Biya who has ruled since 1982and will seek a seventh term in today’s election. Denis andBernardin sat on a low wall in the Nkol Eton district of thecapital Yaounde discussing the future of their country, where75 percent of the population have only known Biya as theirpresident. Across all of Africa, only Equatorial Guinea’sTeodoro Obiang Nguema has been in power longer.

“He should have time to complete the projects he start-ed, or else they will fail,” said Denis. Since coming to pow-er three-and-a-half decades ago, Biya has launched manyhigh-profile prestige projects, several of which have neverseen the light of day. “If he hasn’t managed to do some-thing I think that’s enough, he’s not going to do it later,”responded Bernardin, who voted for Biya in the last presi-dential election in 2011. “I was deceived,” he sighed. “NowI’m 30 years old. In 2011 I was 23 and I believed in him. Butnow if he’s reelected? I will be 37 and I will only have everknown him. Ouch!”

‘Biya has experience’The two friends’ cigarette-fuelled, late afternoon con-

versation turned to politics even though Biya himself hasbeen all but invisible during the campaign, except for abrief appearance in the country’s far north last weekend.Thousands of Biya posters have been put up across thecountry proclaiming the 85-year-old to be “the force ofexperience”. “Have faith in him, he’s the father,” said Denis,exhaling as he leant on a nearby car.

“No, no! That’s not the way to look at it,” interruptedHugues, a 44-year-old casual laborer who had been listen-ing to Denis and Bernardin’s debate. “My son just graduat-ed from high school. But me, I’m not ‘in the system’, I wantto know what to do so he has opportunities. I don’t havethe money to give.” But Denis insisted that Biya “is not theproblem. It’s his entourage. I don’t think he knows what’sgoing on, with corruption and all that”. “It’s up to youyoung people to take charge,” said Hugues. “What young-sters? Can you imagine handing power to a young per-son? Look at the state of the youth, it would be a disaster.At least Biya has experience,” said Denis.

‘The youth candidate’ But despite his defense of Biya, Denis admitted he

would not be voting for the president on Sunday and hadnot even collected his polling card. “What’s the point, he’llbe elected without me, and that’s good. I don’t need tovote,” he said. All three men agreed that the election wouldhave no impact on their daily lives. For them, Cameroonianpolitics is defined by self-advancement rather than deeplyheld values.

The young people campaigning for Biya “don’t havepolitical motives, but they have to drink, they have to eatand so people take the money, that’s just the way it is,”said Bernardin. The ruling Cameroon People’s DemocraticMovement (CPDM) party’s youth wing has descended on

communities across the central African nation to hand outshirts, hats and key-rings bearing Biya’s likeness, hoping tomobilize voters.

“But for me, even if they gave me 10,000 CFA francs($17, 15 euros) this year, I wouldn’t vote for Biya!” laughedBernardin. Of the seven opposition contenders, CabralLibii is Bernardin’s favorite “because he is the youth candi-date!” Libii, a TV news analyst who is new to politics, isthe youngest presidential candidate at the age of 38. Hewas just three years old when Biya began his first term.Bernardin is reluctant to imagine yet another Biya victory.“In this system, those who have nothing will have nothing,and those who already have something will still havesomething,” he said, grimly.— AFP

Cameroon’s under 35s have known one leader: Biya

YAOUNDE: Supporters of Joshua Osih, the candi-date in the Cameroonian presidential election ofthe SDF (Social Democratic Front), an oppositionparty to the ruling party, wait for their candidateto arrive during an election rally. — AFP

I n t e r n a t i o n a l Sunday, October 7, 2018

9

PALU: Wearing masks to ward off the stench of death,Indonesian soldiers trudge over mountains of mud andconcrete, moving slowly as they poke and prod thewreckage. Eight days after a quake-tsunami disastererased parts of Palu on Sulawesi island, this is no longer asearch for the living, but a collection of the dead. Theydon’t have to look very hard. Sergeant Syafaruddin, froman army unit in Makassar south of Palu, asks for a bodybag. He is standing near the remnants of an Islamicschool, and two of his soldiers have emerged from theditch with a body bag saggingin the middle.

The load is too light for acorpse-they say they found justthe heads of two adults and achild. “There are no survivorshere. We just find bodies, every-day,” says Syafaruddin, who likemany Indonesians goes by onename. There are no signs of lifepeeking from beneath this dev-astation in Balaroa, where a vastgovernment housing complexwas all but swallowed when the sheer force of the quaketurned the earth into mud. There are fears that vast numbersof decomposing bodies could still be buried beneath thisonce-thriving neighborhood, perhaps 1,000 or more. Thetwin disasters are already known to have killed more than1,500 people, and counting.

Past life Desperate to find any sign of 11 missing relatives,

Rahmat Riadi spots a photograph amid the rubble, thenanother, and another. He finds the torn pages of a family

photo album-perhaps the only trace of loved ones hewill ever recover. None of Riadi’s still-missing family hasbeen seen since the disaster carved a path of destruc-tion through Palu. His sister Hermawati points to a spotamid the carnage. She thinks their home once stoodthere-she can only guess its position from a familiartree. There is nothing else recognizable left in the vastwasteland of debris.

The area is strewn with shards of her past life-a shoe,some text books, a smashed cup, a set of measuring

spoons. Around her, troops incamouflage fatigues and flop-py hats to shield them fromthe unyielding tropical sunclamber past in wellingtonboots. They start diggingafresh, but it is not long beforethey need to call in a digger. Itswoops a few times and withalmost no effort brings up thebody of a long-haired womanburied in mud.

In Petobo, another hard-hitdistrict in Palu, the mud is hardening as the days pass by,frustrating an already herculean effort to find the deadentombed below. Teams struggle to extract bodies fromthe muck, often dislodging limbs loosened by decomposi-tion after more than a week exposed to the elements.They must drag the bodies hundreds of metres to waitingtrucks, unable to traverse the morass, as authorities up inthe hills of Palu bury hundreds of other bodies. Many willnever be found. The government plans to declare theworst-hit zones as mass graves, the victims foreverentombed in mud. —AFP

‘This is no longer a search for the living’

‘We just find bodies’: Quake survivor hopes turn to search for the dead

PALU: A part of a collapsed mosque is seen along with debris at Perumnas Balaroa village in Palu inIndonesia’s Central Sulawesi yesterday, following the September 28 earthquake and tsunami. —AFP

Indonesianquake

death tollmounts

Kids born aboard floating hospital in quake aftermathPALU: Dinar was lucky to survive the Indonesian quake-tsunami that leveled her home. But she didn’t have much timeto count her blessings-she was nine months pregnant andabout to give birth in a disaster zone. The 38-year-old con-fronted a terrifying scene: the city of Palu was in ruins, itsdamaged hospitals overflowed with injured patients anddoctors treated the wounded outside in the cracked, rubble-strewn streets. “I was so worried after the earthquake,” shetold AFP. “I had so much on my mind.” But then a miraclearrived out of the blue in devastated Palu port-the KRI DrSoeharso, an Indonesian naval ship, kitted out with a top-rate medical clinic.

Dinar was rushed aboard and safely delivered her fifthchild on Friday, a week after the twin disaster leveled parts ofthe city on Sulawesi island, killing more than 1,500 people. “Iam so happy, and lucky this ship was here,” she said. Dinarnamed her newborn daughter Suharsi-a feminine adaptationof Soeharso, after the ship where she gave birth. The warshipwas moored in Bali, at the ready ahead of an InternationalMonetary Fund conference slated for the holiday island nextweek. But it charted a course for disaster-struck Sulawesiafter Palu suffered a double blow on September 28 thatwiped villages off the map and left the coastal city cripplinglyshort on doctors and medical supplies.

‘I had to help’ A local doctor stepped up to deliver Dinar’s baby, and

three others so far born aboard the Soeharso since thequake, when an urgent call went out for an obstetrician. DrSasono, who like many Indonesians goes by one name,

packed up whatever belongings remained after the quakeand prepared to flee Palu with his wife and two childrenwhen he heard the appeal.

“I saw so many people in need of help coming to the hos-pital so I abandoned plans to evacuate with my family andwanted to assist,” he said. “Of course, I was afraid of stayingback to help when there were still tremors. “It was my firsttime helping deliver a baby aboard a ship.” One of the chil-dren born aboard died shortly after birth-compounding atragedy for the parents who survived the trauma of thequake. “We bought baby clothes and everything. But God

had a different plan,” said the mother, Kusniran.For Huzria, who gave birth to a healthy child Sunday on

the floating hospital, it was the second miracle in as manydays. She had been on the beach as the quake hit-andwatched in horror as the ocean began bubbling and reced-ing before it crested into the tsunami that roared towards thecoastline. Many were too slow and died on the sand. ButHuzria, aided by her husband, managed to hobble to safety,reaching a hilltop from where they could survey the destruc-tion unfolding below. “Now, I can breathe easily,” the 33-year-old told AFP. “I am so happy.” —AFP

PANTOLOAN, Indonesia: Indonesian Dinar, 38-year-olds, tends to her newborn baby named after the KRIfloating hospital Dian Suharsi in Pantoloan yesterday. —AFP

Troops and Taleban battle for control of Ghazni highways KABUL: Heavily armed Taleban fighters destroyedbridges near the central city of Ghazni yesterday, clos-ing the main highway between the capital Kabul andsouthern Afghanistan, officials said. Sporadic clasheserupted between Afghan soldiers and Taleban insur-gents who were trying to gain control over parts ofGhazni province nearly two months after being pushedback from the city by US-backed Afghan forces, offi-cials added.

Mohammad Arif Noori, the governor’s spokesman inGhazni, said fighting was ongoing and the Afghan armyhad deployed helicopters to prevent the militants fromentering the city centre. “We are fully prepared toattack them. This time the province will not fall into thehands of the Taleban,” Noori said. Five militants werekilled as they were planting bombs on three bridges onthe Kabul-Kandahar highway, Noori added.

The attack on Ghazni was a show of strength for theTaleban, underscoring how volatile the security situa-tion remains two weeks before the parliamentary elec-tions. Polling has already been called off in Ghazniprovince after the Taleban overran it in August andbesieged the city for five days. That confrontation killed150 Afghan security forces and 95 civilians dead, aswell as hundreds of Taleban fighters, said officials then.President Ashraf Ghani’s Western-backed governmentpledged $20 million for relief and reconstruction ofGhazni after security forces defeated the Taleban fight-ers in that battle. —Reuters

Sunday, October 7, 2018

10A n a l y s i s

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In a divided UN, China blazes quiet path to power

Criticized by the White House for allegedinterference in US politics, China has quietlyblazed a path at the United Nations where it

is, little by little, becoming one of the most influen-tial members. At the Security Council, where Chinaholds one of five permanent veto-wielding seats, itsstatements remain bland, often recalling fundamen-tals of the United Nations Charter such as nationalsovereignty and principles of non-interference.

“In their interpretation, democracy is optional, asare human rights,” a European diplomat said. Yet inpeacekeeping missions or when jobs are availablein the UN’s executive arm at the New York head-quarters, Beijing is increasingly making its presencefelt. More than 2,500 Chinese military personnelwear UN blue helmets on peacekeeping missions inLibya, Mali, the Democratic Republic of Congo andSouth Sudan.

China has also “enormously increased” its volun-tary financial contributions to the world body whilethe US under President Donald Trump has slashedits own financing, one diplomat said. Fundingreports and missions allows China to buy some“influence” and push its candidates into top posi-tions, the diplomat added, adding that to haveChinese in multiple roles across the UN provides “asource of information and influence.” Anotherdiplomat, also speaking anonymously, said: “Chinais taking power at the United Nations.”

Spheres of influence In 2017 and 2018, the Asian giant, which is eco-

nomically expanding in Africa and elsewhere,became a key player on two major internationalcrises: North Korea and Myanmar. Under Americanpressure, Beijing imposed unprecedented economicsanctions against Pyongyang, but with the hopethat an accord on denuclearization of the Koreanpeninsula will lead to the departure of about30,000 US troops based in South Korea — China’sbehind-the-scenes strategy in the region. Chinameanwhile considers the crisis of Myanmar’sMuslim minority Rohingya, 700,000 of whom fled amilitary crackdown to Bangladesh, as a bilateralissue between those two countries, and succeededin preventing any firm Security Council action.

Power and erosionEuropean diplomats have noted that China’s

rise at the United Nations has come at a timewhen Beijing and Moscow are no longer automati-cally offering each other immediate reciprocalsupport. When Moscow makes use of its vetopower, China sometimes simply abstains. Even inlower-profile situations, such as negotiating textsamong the 15 Security Council members at theexperts level, China is “present on all subjects,”one diplomat said, speaking on condition ofanonymity. Beijing, for example, is now seeking tobecome chief author on texts about Afghanistan,replacing the Netherlands, which on January 1 willleave its non-permanent Security Council seat,several diplomats said.

The vast majority of UN resolutions still arewritten by the United States, Britain or France - areflection of an older world order. China, likeRussia, is rarely the author, although it was incharge of the Somalia file in the past. So how farwill China go? Some say this is only the tip of theiceberg. “For China, multipolarity is just one stop onthe underground metro line,” one diplomatic sourcesaid. For Beijing, it then sees a Group of Two —China and the US, and eventually, China will reignsupreme, a diplomat said. “They are long-termplayers. They don’t want to create a commotion,”another diplomatic source said.

The United States has imposed $250 billion intariffs on Chinese goods and Trump has gone so faras alleging that Beijing is interfering in theNovember midterm elections in hopes of helpingdefeat his Republican Party due to his tough tradestance. Speaking to a US think tank last week,Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi dismissed fearsthat his country was seeking to overtake the US asthe pre-eminent world power. Concluding thatChina is about to seek hegemony, he said, is “a seri-ous strategic misjudgment.” — AFP

When Clarence Thomas took a seat on the USSupreme Court in 1991, he had only barely sur-vived a series of bitter Senate hearings on alle-

gations of sexual harassment that divided the country. Buthe said he was quickly welcomed by his eight fellow jus-tices. “After going through all those difficulties, the mem-bers of the court were just wonderful people to a person,”Thomas said in an appearance at the Library of Congressearlier this year.

“So the court itself is quite different from the ordeal. It’salmost the opposite of the ordeal it took to get there.”Brett Kavanaugh will be counting on those strong tradi-tions of collegiality if, as expected, he is confirmed by theSenate as a Supreme Court justice this weekend.Kavanaugh’s nomination hearings were rocked by univer-sity professor Christine Blasey Ford’s allegations that hesexually assaulted her in 1982, when they were both highschool students.

Two other women also alleged sexual misconduct bythe conservative Kavanaugh. The accusations as well asKavanaugh’s angry denials and fierce criticism of SenateDemocrats widened the US political divide just weeksbefore congressional elections and raised concerns aboutthe court’s reputation in US society. Like Thomas in 1991,Kavanaugh will be joining a right-leaning court. He suc-ceeds retired Justice Anthony Kennedy, who was often thedecisive 5-4 swing vote on social issues, and consolidatesconservative control of the nine-member Court.

But the four liberal justices include 85-year-old feministicon Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who made her name as anadvocate for women’s rights. Ginsburg voiced support forthe #MeToo movement against sexual misconduct even asKavanaugh was about to face a grueling Senate hearinginto the allegations against him, saying that unlike in heryouth “women nowadays are not silent about bad behav-ior.” Still, Supreme Court experts believe the justices arelikely to move past any differences, as they have done in

the past. “I think the justices care very much about colle-giality and not purely for the sake of collegiality. Theythink it’s important for people who disagree with each oth-er to work together,” said Carolyn Shapiro, who served asa law clerk for liberal Justice Stephen Breyer. The liberaljustices - Ginsburg, Stephen Breyer, Elena Kagan andSonia Sotomayor - need to seek support from at least oneconservative in ideologically divisive cases, so they have astrong incentive not to alienate the new arrival, courtexperts said. Kagan, known for her strategic nous, has anexisting relationship with Kavanaugh. In her former role asdean of Harvard Law School, she hired Kavanaugh toteach there.

“She is practical enough that she is going to put thatbehind her and have the best relationship she can withsomeone she is going to have to put up with for 30 years,”said one Washington lawyer, who declined to be namedbecause he argues cases at the court. “The bigger ques-tion is Sotomayor and Ginsburg,” the lawyer added.Sotomayor has stressed the importance of collegiality,recounting at a 2016 event how the justices often eattogether after oral arguments. “There is no topic that’s offlimits. But we try to avoid controversy, so we’re veryguarded about raising topics that we think might createhostility in the room,” she said.

Friendships among justicesGinsburg was herself famously close friends with the

late conservative Justice Antonin Scalia, with the twobonding over a shared love of opera despite their ideolog-ical differences. And Thomas is himself is seen as a popularfigure among the other justices. Aside from his belligerentSenate appearance and his reputation as a doctrinaireconservative, Kavanaugh has been seen as a calm, easy-going judge on the federal appeals court in Washington.He is also a self-declared fan of sports and beer.

Supreme Court justices do not always get on, however.

Most notably, several justices chafed at the leadership ofChief Justice Warren Burger, who served from 1969 to1986. The broader problem facing the court may bewhether the circumstances of Kavanaugh’s confirmationhave damaged not just Kavanaugh’s reputation but alsothe institution itself. “This is going to make the court seemmore political, and I think that’s dangerous because thelegitimacy of the court turns on the belief that law is dis-tinct from politics,” said Ernest Young, a conservative lawprofessor at Duke University.

At the Sept. 27 Senate hearing into Ford’s allegationsagainst Kavanaugh, he fought back with a blistering parti-san attack in which he described the allegations againsthim as a “calculated and orchestrated political hit” master-minded by the Democrats and left-wing groups. “I hadhoped and still hope that if confirmed he will be a non-partisan justice,” said Yale Law School Professor AkhilAmar, who supported Kavanaugh’s nomination. “But thesavage and ugly partisanship in late September may makethat harder, psychologically, to happen.” Retired JusticeJohn Paul Stevens, a Republican appointee, said onThursday that Kavanaugh’s remarks in that hearing shoulddisqualify him from serving on the high court.

Kavanaugh, in an opinion piece in the Wall StreetJournal article this week, said he regretted some of hiscomments. “I was very emotional last Thursday, more sothan I have ever been. I might have been too emotional attimes. I know that my tone was sharp, and I said a fewthings I should not have said,” Kavanaugh wrote.

The concern for some on the left is whether Kavanaughwill be able to put aside several bruising weeks and give allwho come before him a fair shake. “We should fully expectthat there will be parties that appear before him in thefuture who will be deeply skeptical about receiving a fairopportunity to be heard,” said Kristen Clarke, president ofthe Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, a civilrights group. — Reuters

Kavanaugh on US Supreme Court: Sparks or harmony?

‘The Children Gone to Poland’ traces North Korea war orphans abroad

Anew documentary sheds light on the little-knownstory of North Korean war orphans sent to Poland,where they formed an unlikely bond with their

teachers before their traumatic return home. “The ChildrenGone to Poland”-which premiered Saturday at the BusanInternational Film Festival in South Korea-traces the jour-ney of the 1,200 orphans sent from the North during the1950-53 Korean War. The devastating conflict, whichsealed the division of the flashpoint peninsula, killed atleast half a million civilians and left at least 100,000 chil-dren without parents. The North’s then-leader Kim Il Sungsent thousands of orphans to countries including theSoviet Union, Hungary and Poland from 1951, pleadingwith his communist allies to take care of them.

The group of 1,200 orphans arrived in 1953 at the small,forested village of Plakowice, where they lived in a formerhospital building for six years under the care of Polishteachers. Famed South Korean actress Choo Sang-mee,who directed the film, visits Poland to find traces of thewar orphans, alongside a North Korean defector with herown distressing childhood memories of separation fromher family. “Trains full of children arrived (over) severaldays,” retired teacher Jozef Borowiec said in the film,adding many were in a “state of shock and trauma” afterwitnessing the horrors of war.

‘Heartbreaking memories’ The orphans, infested with lice and suffering from dis-

ease, insisted on sleeping under the bed in fear of thebombing campaigns they lived through at home, whileconstantly screaming and crying in their sleep. But theyquickly learned Polish and formed bonds with their teach-ers and caregivers, who knew from personal experiencethe horrors of war. “Back then, we also went through hor-rible wars and had many heartbreaking memories our-selves,” Borowiec, 91, told Choo. “We told them to call usmum and dad... We wanted to do everything to help these(North Korean) orphans erase the memories of war and

have a sense of family in Poland,” he said, wiping awaytears. Old photos and videos showed the orphans laugh-ing, studying Polish, dancing and singing, or playing withteachers and other Polish children-a typical childhooddenied in their homeland. The teachers soon got to knoweach of them-whose names they tearfully remember evendecades later. “The children were brought here as part ofinternational propaganda (to cement diplomatic ties),”Jolanta Krysowata, a Polish journalist who wrote a bookabout the North Korean orphans, says in the film. “But theteachers developed real compassion for these orphans...the human feelings they shared with the children had littleto do with politics,” said Krysowata, whose book inspiredthe latest documentary.

Forced returnNorth Korea eventually ordered the children to return

and join the country’s post-war reconstruction efforts,prompting some to lie on the snow and even pour coldwater over themselves in a desperate bid to fall sick andavoid repatriation. Many sent letters back to the teachers,describing their days in Poland as the best time of their

lives and bemoaning the backbreaking labor they facedback home.

One child even died during a failed attempt to illegallycross the border to neighboring China, after sending mul-tiple letters begging Borowiec to take him back. All letterscame to a sudden stop in 1961 as the North’s regime limit-ed contact with the outside world. The film juxtaposes thefate of the orphans with those of today’s North Koreanchild defectors, traumatized by the harrowing escape fromtheir homeland.

The impoverished, isolated state is still under the tightgrip of the Kim dynasty that has ruled through three gen-erations with an iron fist and has little tolerance for dissi-dent. The film shows young North Korean refugees inSeoul telling their childhood memories of losing parents tofamine, or witnessing the gruesome death of a sibling in agulag. “There are always children who suffer at times ofhistoric turmoil, but they are forgotten as the history even-tually heals itself and moves on,” said director Choo.“History erases the story of these children in its path to thefuture. But some children transform their pain to thestrength to live, and they grow.” — AFP

This undated handout photo shows a scene from South Korean film ‘The Children Gone to Poland’. A new docu-mentary shed light on the little-known story of North Korean war orphans sent to Poland where formed unlikelybond with their Polish teachers and an ongoing tragedy under Pyongyang’s authoritarian regime. — AFP

China President Xi Jinping

KUWAIT: Zain, the leading inte-grated telecommunications compa-ny in Kuwait, announced its partici-pation - for the first time - at the38th edition of The Gulf InformationTechnology Exhibition (GITEXTechnology Week 2018). The inter-national event, hosted in the UnitedArab Emirates, is organized by theDubai World Trade Center, and fea-tures the biggest global companies,organizations, and entities from theTelecom and IT industry.

Zain’s participation in this globalevent, considered one of thebiggest of its kind in the world,comes as part of the company’sstrategy to enrich its transformationinto a fully integrated digital serviceprovider. Zain started its digitaltransformation journey by launchingmany smart services and solutionsto both consumers and businessesthroughout the past two years.

Eaman Al-Roudhan, ZainKuwait’s Chief Executive Officer,commented: “today we are thrilledto announce Zain’s participation atthe 38th GITEX Technology Weekas the only telecom company that

represents the State of Kuwait inthis leading global and regionalevent amongst the presence ofinternational companies. Throughthis participation, we hope to show-case our capabilities as an activepartner in achieving the goals of theKuwait National Development Plan(New Kuwait 2035) that stems fromHis Highness the Amir Sheikh SabahAl-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah’s con-

ceptualized vision of a new Kuwaitby 2035, which will contribute tothe further progress of our belovednation”.

Al-Roudhan explained: “Zain iscommitted to expand in smart lifeand digital transformation applica-tions, and our participation atGITEX is a step to confirm andshowcase our capabilities to partic-ipate with the public sector in exe-cuting the seven pillars of the NewKuwait 2035 vision. Along with ourstrategic partners, we will be show-casing various models of enrichingeconomic development and digitaldiversity, as well as offer our latestinnovative solutions for empoweringa smart life, a safe community, and

an efficient business sector”.

5G technologyAl-Roudhan added: “during our

participation at GITEX, we willgreatly focus on showcasing the fullcapabilities of the integrated 5Gtechnology that we started invest-ing in last June, which represents aquantum leap in the operationalefficiency of our network in Kuwait,and makes Zain one of the firstcompanies in Kuwait and the regionto adopt this solution to meet theever-growing needs of our individ-ual and enterprise customers, aswell as support the expansion ofdigital transformation applications”.

Al-Roudhan further explained:

“Zain’s participation at GITEX willalso include the showcasing of ourArtificial Intelligence (AI) andInternet of Things (IoT) solutions,which extend to serve numerousessential sectors and industries. Wedesigned these solutions specifical-ly to enrich Zain’s leadership as anactive partner in creating the futureof smart life in Kuwait. In addition,NXN, Zain’s smart city arm, will bepresent with us at GITEX to offerstrategies and innovative smartsolutions that achieve the NewKuwait vision goals, especially inrelation to increasing the efficiencyof the infrastructures of the variousgovernment entities in the country,as well as developing areas of edu-cation, health, security, communitysafety, and economic progress”.

Al-Roudhan pointed out thatZain’s digital transformation journeybegan two years ago with the com-pany’s partnership with the Ministryof Electricity and Water through theSmart Meters project. Zain consid-ers itself an active partner in creat-ing the future of smart life inKuwait, as well as empowering the

community though the use ofadvanced technologies such as IoTand more. This motivated Zain totake part in this regional event toenrich the role played by privatesector companies in achieving thedevelopmental goals of the country.

Zain’s strategy is centeredaround digital transformationleadership and empowering thecommunity to enjoy a smarterportable lifestyle, as well as usingadvanced technology and Zain’slong experience to enable an easi-er and more flexible life. The com-pany places itself as an activepartner in creating the future ofsmart life in Kuwait.

Zain’s participation at GITEXTechnology Week will contributeto prove the company’s fu l lpotential in triggering the digitalcommunity, and will enrich its col-laborations in Telecom and ITareas with its strategic partnerson multiple levels. The company’spart ic ipat ion in such globalevents will motivate its efforts tobecoming a fully integrated digitallifestyle provider.

Commercial Real Estate launches campaign to promote ‘Symphony Tower Al-Tijaria’

Gulf Bank launches Kuwait’s highest rewarding Cashback Program

Ooredoo sponsors startup gathering 1512 13

BusinessEstablished 1961

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2018

Zain expands in digital transformation toachieve goals of ‘New Kuwait 2035’: Al-Roudhan

Eaman Al-Roudhan

• Zain to showcase capabilities of 5G technology, AI, and IoT applica-tions.

• Company will introduce models of latest smart life solutions to empow-er a smart life, safe community, and efficient business sector.

• Zain to enrich economic development and digital diversity with strategicpartners.

• NXN, Zain’s smart city arm, to showcase smart life strategies and inno-vative solutions.

WASHINGTON: The US trade deficit ballooned inAugust to its highest level in six months as exports oftariff-targeted goods fell while American consumerssnapped up imported cars and mobile phones, the gov-ernment reported Friday.

The result, which showed mounting pressures ontrade from US President Donald Trump’s entrenchedconflict with China, still came at a triumphant momentfor the American leader, who has reveled in a newagreement to remodel North America’s trading system.The August figures suggested retaliatory tariffsimposed by China continued to whipsaw Americanfarmers, whose rural counties Trump’s Republican partytraditionally counts on for political support.

The numbers also reflect reports that businesseshave rushed to import goods before tariffs hit on Chinain late August and September, including importingproducts needed in stores for the holiday shoppingseason, driving up the trade gap. Economists said theunexpectedly poor trade numbers could slow economicgrowth in the third quarter.

“Even adjusting for price changes, it looks like thetrade deficit widened significantly in the third quarter,greatly slowing growth,” economist Joel Naroff said ina client note.

With US imports of goods and services at theirhighest on record, the result pushed the goods deficitswith China and Mexico to all time-highs, according tothe Commerce Department report.

Weighing on GDP The total US trade deficit rose 6.4 percent over July

to $53.2 billion, overshooting analyst forecasts whichhad called for a smaller five percent increase. That wason exports of $209.4 billion and record imports of$262.7 billion. Despite Trump’s efforts to attack thetrade deficit, so far this year it has risen 8.6 percentover the same period in 2017.

The gap in goods trade with China rose to $38.6 bil-lion for August and with Mexico hit $8.7 billion-boththe highest monthly totals ever.

At $31.1 billion, imports from Mexico also were thehighest ever. And soybean exports, a sector highlydependent on trade with China, plunged a painful $1billion from July, when Beijing unveiled retaliatoryduties in response to Trump’s escalating trade fight.Meanwhile, US exports of crude oil and other petrole-um products fell by a combined $1.6 billion for themonth, but this was offset by $1.6 billion jump inexports of artwork, antiques and pharmaceuticals, theCommerce Department reported.Exports of corn,juices, auto parts, crude oil and gold also fell.

On the other side of the ledger, imports of autos rose$1 billion while imports of mobile phones and otherhousehold goods rose by $900 million. Americans andUS companies also bought more foreign gems, jewelry,telecommunications equipment an aircraft parts.

But imports of lumber fell for the month. Washingtonhas put steep tariffs on Canadian lumber in a long-standing dispute with Ottawa that has seen costs risefor newly built homes in the United States.

Jim O’Sullivan of High Frequency Economics saidtrade had boosted GDP growth in the second quarter-adding perhaps 1.2 percent as Chinese importersrushed to stock up on American soybeans before around of tariffs by Beijing hit in July.

But now “net exports are likely to subtract at least

1.5 points in Q3,” he said in a research note. WallStreet closed down sharply lower following the news,amid a sell-off sparked by a sudden jump in bondyields that accelerated after jobs numbers suggestedthe Federal Reserve is likely to continue tighteninginterest rates. — AFP

Record US importsdrive goods tradedeficit with China to new high

LONG BEACH: In this file photo taken on September 29, 2018 the US flag flies over Chinese shipping containersthat were unloaded at the Port of Long Beach, in Los Angeles County. — AFP

NEW DELHI: The Indian government said it was forcedto take control of ailing shadow banking firm InfrastructureLeasing & Financial Services (IL&FS) as it feared its col-lapse would cause “catastrophic” damage to the financialmarkets and the economy, a court filing shows.

In the largest intervention of its kind, India this weekreplaced the board at IL&FS, a construction and infra-structure firm that had defaulted on a series of repay-ments to creditors as it struggled under a debt pile ofmore than $12 billion.

The company’s downfall has undermined confidence inIndia’s shadow banking sector, triggered declines in the

nation’s stock and bond markets, and stoked fears of out-flows from the mutual fund industry which has a largeexposure to such financing companies. In a 36-page peti-tion filed by India’s Corporate Affairs Ministry at thecompany law tribunal, the government does not pull itspunches, referring to IL&FS as a “titanic ship” andaccusing its board of mismanagement.

The petition, which sought permission for the boardtakeover and the right to replace executives and wasapproved by the tribunal, has not been made public,though some media outlets have quoted from parts of it inrecent days. Reuters was able to review the entire petition.

Saving IL&FS was critical as nearly two-thirds of thefirm’s accumulated debt of 910 billion rupees ($12.36 bil-lion) was from public sector banks. Moreover, IL&FSaccounts for 16 percent of the total exposure of banks toIndia’s non-banking financial companies (NBFCs), thegovernment said in the petition. “The future impact ofmore defaults in the group may be catastrophic for the(country’s) financial stability,” it said.

“Any impairment in its ability to finance and supportthe infrastructure projects would be quite damaging tothe overall infrastructure sector, financial markets and theeconomy,” the government added.

IL&FS, whose top shareholders are state-run LifeInsurance Corporation, the State Bank of India, Japan’sOrix Corp and the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, isone of the largest of thousands of NBFCs which havemushroomed in India in recent years. The NBFCs, thatcurrently manage an aggregate loan book of nearly $300billion, have played a key role in lending growth in Indiaas the main banking sector struggled to tackle a bad-debt burden of $150 billion.

It is rare for the Indian government to take control of aprivate company. In 2009, it took over Satyam ComputerServices following an accounting scandal at the firm.

But the rescue was critical for Prime MinisterNarendra Modi who can ill afford a financial crisismonths before he faces voters at the next election, due byMay 2019. His administration is already facing public ireover high fuel prices, a falling rupee currency and farmerprotests due to low crop prices.

In a “critical lapse”, IL&FS’ risk management commit-tee, which was tasked to keep tabs on liquidity, credit andmarket risks, met just once between 2015 and 2018, thegovernment said.

IL&FS’ proposed restructuring plan, announced justdays before the government takeover, was a “sham” and a

“disguised way” to further dupe the stakeholders andmisguide the general public, the government said. Theboard was “responsible for negligence, incompetencyand putting veil on the misleading intent by presentingrosy financial statements,” the petition said.

The “unscrupulous” manner in which public moneyhas been managed and is stuck in projects indicates thatthe management not only failed but was involved in“operation cover up” till the end and willfully created afinancial mess, the government alleged.

IL&FS’ former managing director and board member,Hari Sankaran, did not respond to a request for comment.Reuters could not immediately contact the other formerboard members of IL&FS, who have not commentedpublicly on the matter.

IL&FS has 348 entities and has over the years devel-oped marquee road, township and water-treatmentprojects in India and abroad. The group’s debt levelsrose to more than $12 billion this year, from $6.6 billionin 2014. The government said IL&FS was not makingenough profits to take care of its interest expenses,leading to defaults and rating downgrades. The overexposure to loans had been without “prudent commer-cial practices”, it said. — Reuters

Saving the Titanic: India took control of IL&FS to avert catastrophic damage

Company to participate in GITEX Technology Week during Oct 14-18

Sunday, October 7, 2018

12B u s i n e s s

Established 1961

KUWAIT: The Commercial Real Estate Company team during the launch on Thursday at Al-TijariaTower. — Photos by Yasser Al-Zayyat

NBK Economic Report

EXCHANGE RATES

BAHRAIN EXCHANGE COMPANY WLL

CURRENCY BUY SELLEurope

Europeritish Pound 0.387920 0.401820Czech Korune 0.005624 0.014924Danish Krone 0.043139 0.048119Euro 0. 344519 0.358219Georgian Lari 0.11449 0.115448Hungarian 0.000998 0.001188Norwegian Krone 0.033189 0.038389Romanian Leu 0.058444 0.075294Russian ruble 0.004633 0.004633Slovakia 0.009085 0.019085Swedish Krona 0.029738 0.034738Swiss Franc 0.302099 0.313099

AustralasiaAustralian Dollar 0.209902 0.221902New Zealand Dollar 0.193577 0.203077AmericaCanadian Dollar 0.231671 0.240671US Dollars 0.300000 0.305300US Dollars Mint 0.300500 0.305300

AsiaBangladesh Taka 0.002973 0.003774Chinese Yuan 0.042760 0.046260Hong Kong Dollar 0.036711 0.039461

Indian Rupee 0.003564 0.004336Indonesian Rupiah 0.000016 0.000022Japanese Yen 0.002588 0.002768Korean Won 0.000261 0.000276Malaysian Ringgit 0.069910 0.075910Nepalese Rupee 0.002630 0.002970Pakistan Rupee 0.001839 0.002609Philippine Peso 0.005481 0.005781Singapore Dollar 0.215847 0.225847Sri Lankan Rupee 0.001523 0.002103Taiwan 0.009790 0.009970Thai Baht 0.009036 10.009586

ArabBahraini Dinar 0.791954 0.808454Egyptian Pound 0.014365 0.020083Iranian Riyal 0.000084 0.000085Iraqi Dinar 0.000205 0.000265Jordanian Dinar 0.424614 0.433614Kuwaiti Dinar 1.000000 1.000000Lebanese Pound 0.000151 0.000251Moroccan Dirhams 0.022477 0.046477Omani Riyal 0.783552 0.789232Qatar Riyal 0.079239 0.084179Saudi Riyal 0.080007 0.081307Syrian Pound 0.001289 0.001509Tunisian Dinar 0.104531 0.112531Turkish Lira 0.044775 0.056275UAE Dirhams 0.081370 0.083070Yemeni Riyal 0.000988 0.001068

By Nawara Fattahova

KUWAIT: The Commercial Real Estate Companylaunched a campaign to announce its latest project;“Symphony Tower Al-Tijaria”, one of the biggest resi-dential projects in Bahrain.

The campaign aims to promote the project andaddress all the questions or concerns of those whowish to own apartments in Bahrain. The event waslaunched on Thursday at Al-Tijaria Tower - the busi-ness tower entrance and will continue till October 26.

“Symphony Tower Al-Tijaria is an elegant andmodern property and is unique in providing luxurywith a variety of facilities including indoor and out-door swimming pools, a wide arena for various sports

activities such as tennis, basketball, volleyball, coffeeshop, men’s health club and women’s club,” SawsanAl-Aliwat, Marketing Specialist, The Commercial RealEstate Development Co told the Kuwait Times.

“In addition to its location in the heart of the capi-tal, Manama, the surrounding area is vibrant with itscommercial and tourist attractions, including Al-QuranHouse, Moda Mall, Avenues Mall, Bahrain City Centerand Saif, Bahrain National Museum and Bahrain Bay,”she added.

“Symphony Tower Al Tijaria” is built on a space of3,856 square meters and consists of 46 floors with 351housing units, while 6 floors are allocated for parking.“All of this luxury residential project apartments,ranging from studio to three bedrooms, have

panoramic views of the sea and the city. In addition tothe strategic location of the tower near the diplomaticarea, it is characterized by the availability of directentrances and exits to the main streets such as Al-Fateh Street and Sheikh Hamad Bridge,” explained Al-Aliwat.

This is the first developing project for Al-Tijaria inBahrain. “We wanted to have something more luxuri-ous than what’s available in the market, so it was builtin the Diplomatic Area in Manama. It’s a safe area andmost of the embassies are located there. It’s close tothe International airport, 15 minutes’ drive from theKing Fahad Bridge that connects Bahrain to KSA, andonly five minutes from the Avenues Bahrain, which wasrecently launched,” she stated.

The project should be ready and launched byDecember 2019. “Till now we already finished about90 percent of the external structure and we startedwith the internal structure. It’s considered one of thehighest towers in the Diplomatic area and the flats willbe semi-furnished. The cost of the projects is about 22million Bahraini dinars. The flats will be freehold prop-erty open for all nationalities. Also the maintenance isfree for the first two years,” she stated.

About 40 percent of the flats were sold already.“The interested clients can also pay in a very comfort-able way through installments paid every threemonths. The prices start from BHD 46.000 (about KD37,000). It’s simply a secure investment with a stun-ning view,” concluded Al-Aliwat.

Commercial Real Estate launches campaign to promote ‘Symphony Tower Al-Tijaria’

Symphony Tower Al-Tijaria, an elegant and modern property in Bahrain

Egypt faces higherborrowing costsamid emergingmarket pressuresKUWAIT: Egypt’s finance ministry cancelled four consecu-tive auctions of 5 and 10-year treasury bonds, the last ofwhich was on September 24 worth EGP3 billion ($167 mil-lion), after bankers and investors demanded high yields onthe debt. The fifth auction on October 1 was acceptedalthough the bid rates have not changed. The Ministry ofFinance had argued that the requested interest rates for thebonds exceeded the acceptable limits and did not reflectthe good economic and financial performance or even theimprovement in Egypt’s credit rating, and these rates werenot warranted by the level of risk in Egypt. Banks andinvestors have been seeking rates of 18-18.5 percent, whilethe authorities were betting on a 14-15 percent rate.

Why did Egypt cancel four T-bond auctions?For the current 2018/19 budget, Egypt is planning to

lower the interest rates on government debt instruments to14.7 percent, compared to 18.5 percent under the 2017/18budget. According to the state budget, interest paymentsare forecast to grow to EGP541 billion ($30 billion) in thecurrent fiscal year, making up 38 percent of total expendi-ture and 70 percent of tax revenue. The finance ministryestimated that for every 1 percentage point increase in aver-age rates the debt service bill will rise by EGP4-5 billion.

According to the Ministry of Finance, the interest ratesrequired were “not within the logical limits”, although thedemand for these bonds was high (1.6 times the offer). Theshortfall due to the cancelation of September’s auctions hasbeen covered by the increased issuance of shorter-dura-tion bills with an average yield of about 19 percent sincethe fiscal year began in July. Historically, Egypt has gone formonths without issuing bonds and relied only on short-term treasury bills. Central bank data showed that the gov-ernment raised EGP19.2 billion last Sunday at an auction ofthree and nine-month treasury bills. Although a risky strat-

egy, this gives the government room for canceling bondauctions with the hope that they will be able to auctionbonds at lower rates as the situation in emerging marketsstabilizes.

However, the weekly auction of October 1 ($50.6 million)was accepted. The rates on 3-year and 7-year bonds were18.432 percent and 18.431 percent, respectively. While thetotality of the 3-year bonds was sold, the central bank soldonly EGP153 million of the 7-year offering - well under theEGP500 million sought. Investors are reluctant to lockthemselves into longer-term maturities and so is the centralbank and that is why it accepted only the 7-year rate thatwas close to that paid on the 3-year rate bonds, whichexplains why the rates came out virtually identical despitethe maturity gap. In parallel, the government is seeking totap international debt markets and an official delegation willgo on a road show to Europe and Asia to promote thesebonds next week. Egypt plans to sell $5 billion in bondsoverseas in the next few months, benefiting from relativelylow-interest rates in developed markets, despite their pro-jected increase in the short run. If successful, this willreduce the average interest rates on government debt.

Why Investors are demanding high yields on the debt?It is clear that the current emerging market currency cri-

sis is the main reason for foreign investors’ demand forhigher interest rates. Many emerging markets have beenshaken by this crisis, stemming mainly from US monetarytightening - which is attracting funds back to the UnitedStates - on top of the uncertainly created by an escalatingtrade war between the US and China. The currencies ofmany emerging markets, especially Turkey and Argentina,have seen a huge drop in recent months, contributing to theexit of foreign investors from these markets. While Egyptwas not as badly affected as other countries, according tosome reports, some $6 billion in foreign holdings of localdebt left in the three months ending in July.

The Central Bank of Egypt decided early in the year tocut interest rates by up to five percentage points this yearas inflation slowed, with the aim of curbing returns ondomestic debt instruments. This decision was taken beforethe recent tensions in emerging markets. In addition, theelimination of some subsidies in the summer and the rise inthe oil price did not help as inflation is at 14 percent andexpected to remain at that level next year, above the 10 per-cent originally projected. That is why, and after cutting the

rate by 200 basis points in February and March, the centralbank has decided to put the policy interest rate on hold. TheMonetary Policy Committee kept interest rates unchangedfor the fourth time this year at its September meeting, keep-ing the overnight deposit rate and the overnight lending rateat 16.75 percent and 17.75 percent, respectively.

The confluence of these factors made investors muchmore cautious and selective about emerging markets thanthey were in 2016 when Egypt adopted a comprehensivereform program supported by the IMF. At that time, moneypoured in to support the reform package with the IMFmoney serving as a catalyst. In the present environment,investors are likely to ask for higher interest rates and alarger margin over the prevailing inflation rate,). This is morethe case at a time where global interest rates are on the riseand where investors think, justifiably or not, that emergingmarket contagion could put pressure on what is now a flexi-ble exchange market.

Going forward Egypt has adopted an ambitious and politically difficult

economic reform program that won the praise of interna-tional financial institutions and its main economic partners.And much progress has been made on several fronts. Yetthe repeated cancellations of bond auctions has likely notsat well with foreign investors, further eroding their interestin future auctions and undermining confidence in the coun-try’s economic management. This could threaten invest-ment flows or disrupt them at the very least. The fact thateven domestic banks are asking for higher interest ratesmay also dampen foreign investors’ interest.

The position of the Egyptian authorities is understand-able as they are trying to balance two (and maybe inconsis-tent at this time) objectives: securing financial resources(including foreign) to finance their budget deficits, whichwould require a higher interest rate, but at the same time,they want to enhance economic activities and growth, andavoid a sharp increase in the interest bill. Any increase in theinterest rate will have serious implications for the budgetdeficit, which is targeted to be reduced below 9 percent ofGDP this coming fiscal year, one of the objectives under theIMF-supported program. It may not possible in the currentglobal environment to achieve these two objectives simulta-neously. Experience has shown that for a country that adoptsa strong adjustment program - like the one adopted by Egypt- it is bound to have soft economic growth (and in some cas-

es recessions) before macroeconomic stability is reached.Once stabilization is achieved, the focus will then turn toboosting economic growth. It is a difficult tradeoff sociallyand politically but often unavoidable. Continued reliance onshort-term budget financing by 3 and 9-month treasury billsinstead of medium and long-term bonds is not ideal. This willcomplicate Egypt’s plan to reduce its budget deficit, as thedebt service burden mounts. In fact, yields on Egyptianpound-denominated short-term treasuries continued to rise,with the return on 3-month bills at 19.748 percent onSeptember 30, while yields at the 9-month auction rose to19.847 percent.

Central Bank of EgyptThe current interest rate structure shows an inverted

yield curve, though less inverted than 6 months ago wheninflation was expected to go down at a steeper pace. Thismay make investors less inclined to invest in medium-andlong-term assets. The authorities’ intended strategy oftapping international debt markets is well placed. In themeantime, they should continue to create an environmentwhereby investors are reassured that things are going inthe right direction and that Egypt will avoid the worst ofthe problems facing other emerging markets. This includesforging ahead with its economic reforms in order toaddress its macroeconomic vulnerabilities and help ensurea healthy investment climate that would encourageinvestors and secure financing hopefully at a lower cost.

Burgan Bank holds‘The Leadership Challenge Complete Model’ programKUWAIT: To further solidify its position as a dynamic financial pow-erhouse, Burgan Bank recently concluded The Leadership Challenge(an evidence-based global leadership development program) withthe second and third batch of internal management. Continuing toinvest in its employees by providing the latest tools and resources forlong term growth, the widely practiced model of leadership devel-opment was integrated to advance skills of high potential leaders inline with current market demands. Working in tangent with the newlyadopted strategy in the Learning and Development department atBurgan Bank, The Leadership Challenge that ran for two days fol-lowed by on the job coaching was successfully completed by nearlyforty participants from middle and senior management level. Themodel is associated with the central psychometric tool (LPI) which isregarded as the most benchmarked for research purposes and is aglobal standard for developing leadership talent.

Companies and their management are met with complex situationsthat challenge their thought and decision making process daily.Intrinsically designed models such as The Leadership Challenge havebeen devised from the culmination of interviews and case studies. It

helps to transform ordinary people into world class performers, raise theprofessional standard of its staff and shape exceptional business leaders.

It was determined that discerning leaders engage in The FivePractices of Exemplary Leadership, which are the foundation of thebusiness model. People who effectively demonstrate these leadershippractices, regardless of their organizational position or field, makesignificant contributions. The program starts with ‘Model the Way’wherein leaders set the example by aligning actions with theiraffirmed values, followed by ‘Inspire a Shared Vision’ in which leadersenlist others in a common vision by appealing to shared aspirations.Third step involves ‘Challenge the Process’ enabling them to takerisks by generating small wins and learning from experience, ‘Enableothers to Act’ strengthens others by enhancing self- determinationand developing competence and lastly, ‘Encourage the heart’ cele-brates values and victories by recognizing individual excellence.

B u s i n e s s Sunday, October 7, 2018

13Established 1961

KUWAIT: Today, Gulf Bank launch-es the Gulf Bank Cashback Program,the most rewarding CashbackProgram in Kuwait . The al l-newCashback Program is designed to addvalue to your credit card usage expe-rience by providing instant cashrewards on al l your day to dayspends. Customers are rewardedwith cashback of up to 10 percent ongrocery items and up to 5 percent onall other spends locally and interna-tionally .

The all-new Gulf Bank CashbackProgram provides cardholders withinstant, tangible rewards on all localand international spends. From gro-cery and department store shopping,to fashion and lifestyle, to airline,hotel bookings and dining out, allpoint-of-sale and e-commerce trans-actions are eligible to receive cash-back rewards. In other words, themore customers spend, the more theyearn, with up to 10 percent cashbackon all purchases. To be eligible forthe program cardholders must spenda minimum of KD 100 per month, oneither their Mastercard TitaniumCashback Credit Card or their VisaPlatinum Cashback Credit Card.

Speaking of the program, AhmadAl-Amir, Assistant General Managerfor External Communications, GulfBank commented, “In today’s fast-paced, evolving world, customerslook for instant gratification and con-venience. The Gulf Bank CashbackProgram, allows us to cater to those

needs, providing customers withadded-value and rewards. By analyz-ing customers spending patterns inKuwait, we have created a specificprogram where individuals can earncash rewards in relation to distinctpurchase slabs for groceries and oth-er spends. We are also providing thehighest cashback rewards of any on-going cashback program in Kuwait.Gulf Bank prides itself on continuallyexpanding its products and servicesto meet the modern lifestyle needs ofloyal and new customers, while offer-ing them a wide array of rewards andsought-after benefits”.

Gulf Bank Cashback Rewards canbe accessed and redeemed throughthe Gulf Bank online banking portalor using the dedicated Gulf Bankmobile banking app, in multiples of10 KD with no restrictions on the

number of redemptions. With a max-imum cashback amount of KD 250per month, the highest cap in

Kuwait, Cashback Rewards are validfor 24 months from the date ofrewards earned.

Gulf Bank launches Kuwait’s highest rewarding Cashback Program

Ahmad Al-Amir

KUWAIT: Ahmad Al-Amir, Assistant GeneralManager for ExternalCommunications, GulfBank outlines the benefitsof cashback.

For over 200 years, theworld has used cash asthe basis of economicactivity, and Kuwait hasprimarily been a cash-based society. However, recent adoptions of technology and inno-vation, has seen the rise in cashless payments across the country.As innovation continues to drive new payment technologies, it isimportant for banks to remember to place consumers at the centreof their developments. Knowing what’s coming next in order tomeet rising consumer expectations, in terms of both innovationand convenience.

As society moves towards digital and cashless payments, it isimportant to find ways to reward a loyal and growing customerbase. Anyone who is interested in getting the best savings anddeals shouldn’t ignore programs such as the Gulf Bank CashbackProgram, which allows customers to earn more while spendingmore, with rewards being automatically applied to their cardstatement.

Societies, businesses, consumers in Kuwait have started toexperience the benefits of electronic payment solutions, but thereis still a lot of potential for all stakeholders to realize the full poten-tial of creating a cashless society. Technology and innovation arekey drivers of this transformation process and Gulf Bank’s goal is tomeet the changing tides of payments by building relationships andrewarding consumers. Innovative payment solutions are turning alldevices into simple, safe and secure payment tools.

This is driving better efficiencies for the payment ecosystem,leading to higher productivity for businesses and supportinggreater financial inclusion.

Our strategy towards banking innovation is simple. As tech-nology innovations deliver new ways of connecting consumerswith their accounts, Gulf Bank is putting the full power of thesesolutions to work. The Bank is focused on providing the tech-nology, expertise and flexibility needed to give consumers any-time, anywhere, solutions-now and in the future.

Gulf Bank has always been committed to finding new andinnovative ways to reward its customer base, and we are commit-ted to fulfilling customer needs and exceeding customer expecta-tions, and the launch of the highest paid rewards program inKuwait demonstrates our appreciation for their trust and loyalty.

The benefits of Cashback

Why is the Gulf Bank CashbackProgram the best in Kuwait?• Up to 10 percent cashback on all groceries and super-markets and up to 5 percent on ALL spends locally andinternationally.

• Gulf Bank Cashback Program is providing consumers withthe highest cashback in Kuwait. It will revolutionize thebanking sector.

• The program has been built around the spending patternsof our customers and the distinct rewards slab is a directreflection of those patterns.

Sunday, October 7, 2018

14B u s i n e s s

Established 1961

26 new winners included in Al-Hassad Islamic account KUWAIT: Ahli United Bank recently conducted itsAl-Hassad Islamic account weekly draw, Kuwait’sleading sharia-compliant rewards program thatoffers a broad range of prizes to the largest numberof winners, on the 3rd of October 2018. Theaccount provides 26 weekly prizes that are com-prised of KD 25,000 as a grand prize and 25 otherprizes valued at KD 1,000 each. AUB also offersfour quarterly prizes that are valued at KD250,000 to each winner allowing them to achievetheir dreams of travelling, studying abroad, or own-ing their dream home or car.

On this occasion Ahli United Bank announced,“With this draw, we are adding 26 new winners andprizes to the Al-Hassad Islamic account whereby,the total number of winners annually will includemore than 1300.

The weekly grand prize winner of KD 25,000Adel Mohammad Al-Zaid.

25 other winners won prizes of KD 1,000 andare as follows: Khalil Ali Hussai, HamedAbdulkareem Al Enezi, Entesar Naser Al Qemlas,Alaa Aldeen Dibo Tafnakji, Husain Ali Ali, NabilKhalifa Al-Ajil, Amin S Yousef, Mohammad HelmiAl-Amir, Abdulrahman A Al-Yaqout, NaserMohammadAl Naser, Barges H Al-Barges, OmarAbdallateef Al-Hasawi, Hessah Ali Al-Meaili, AbdAlwahab Jamal Al-Shehab, Ahmed MohammedGhnaim, Zainah Mahmoud Al Bastaki, WadhhaMohammad Al-Suwailem, Musaed Raheel Al Enzi,Abu Al Qassim Ali, Nabil Joseph Kotran, AliMohamed Mansoor, Adel Hasan Buchir, MustafaMirza Al-Makana, Radhi Ahmed Mohammed, andElyas Fernandes.

Al-Hassad Islamic account’s customers inKuwait and Bahrain are eligible to participate in thedraw in line with the program’s terms and condi-tions. Ahli United Bank added, “There are increasedopportunities that await our current customers andthose who are interested in opening an Al HassadIslamic account to benefit from the wide range ofprizes and opportunities offered this year.”

Individual customers can open their accountswith a minimum deposit of KD 100, qualifying themto enter the draw.

Bayan Weekly Market Report

KUWAIT: Dubai Aerospace Enterprise (DAE) Ltdannounced that it had successfully closed its $800 mil-lion revolving loan facility, which was launched in Mayof this year. The credit facility, initially launched for anamount of $480 million, attracted the appetite from abroad group of banks and achieved substantial over-subscriptions.

Al-Ahli Bank of Kuwait (ABK) serves as theCoordinating Mandated Lead Arranger andBookrunner, and together with UAE-based First AbuDhabi Bank (FAB) act as Mandated Lead Arranger(MLA) and Bookrunner, while Noor Bank acts asMandated Lead Arranger. FAB is also the GlobalAgent, Facility Agent and Investment Agent, whilst

Noor Bank acts as the Islamic Structuring Agent.Eight additional banks have entered the facility usingthe accordion feature to bring the total of the facilitysize to $800 million.

Firoz Tarapore, Chief Executive Officer of DAE com-mented: “The successful closing, and oversubscriptionof the credit facility is confirmation of the confidencethat banks have shown in DAE’s performance andstrategic plan. Furthermore, this strong appetite fromsuch a large group of banks reinforces the strong liq-uidity available in the local and regional market. Welook forward to partnering with these banks in theupcoming years to grow our business.”

Al-Ahli Bank of Kuwait’s Chief Executive Officer,

Michel Accad commented: “We are very pleased to beable to attract such a diverse group of prime globalbanks to form a strong lenders’ group for DAE. The

cooperation of our transaction team with DAE’s financeteam and the other MLAs and Accordion Lenders hasensured smooth sailing through the process.”

DAE announces successful closing of $800 million revolving loan facility

‘Strong appetite led to substantial oversubscriptions’

KFH platinum sponsor of Arab Net conferenceKUWAIT: Kuwait Finance House (KFH) participatedas a platinum sponsor in the third edition of ArabNetKuwait as part of its keenness to be present atforums and events concerned with the latest devel-opment in the digital world and the financial technol-ogy to be utilized in the financial industry and cus-tomer service.

Group Chief Retail and Private Banking Officer atKFH, Waleed Khaled Mandani will deliver the openingkeynote speech, demonstrating the latest developmentsin the financial technology Fintech and the role of digi-tization in the banking industry. He will also underlinethe significant role of KFH in coping with technology asper regulations and security manner.

Group General Manager Retail Banking at KFH, FadiChalouhi will participate in a panel discussion to speakabout Fintech: Best practices for collaboration withBanks and Telecos.

The conference will include workshops and startupbattle competitions among entrepreneurs. The StartupBattle competition aims to showcase the best ofregional startups to an enthusiastic crowd of

investors, incubators, media and digital professionals,as well as connect entrepreneurs with the digitalworld. KFH offers a KFH People’s Choice Start-UpAward of $5,000 to the winner.

The conference will explore trends in financial tech-nology and the transformations created by big data,blockchain, AI and the practical opportunities availablefor banks and financial service providers.

The conference, which will be held at Alraya ball-room on 8-9 October, is one of the biggest and mosttargeted to tech startups. It brings together topinvestors, and other potential partners working in thesame industry in addition to entrepreneurs andfinancial experts.

Waleed Mandani Fadi Chalouhi

ABK announces the final summer promotion winnersKUWAIT: Under the supervision of the Ministry of Commerce,Al-Ahli Bank of Kuwait (ABK) held its final draw for its summerpromotion titled “6 million Skywards Miles, 120 winners.”, whichwas launched in partnership with Emirates Skywards. The drawwas held at the ABK Head Office, where 40 lucky customerswon 50,000 Skywards Miles each.

The Skywards Miles get credited to the customer’s EmiratesSkywards membership account (EK number). The Miles can beredeemed for reward flights and upgrades on Emirates, as wellas luxury hotel stays, fun-filled family days out with EmiratesSkywards’ wide range of partners, or even tickets to a widerange of sporting and cultural events across the globe

There were a total of 3 monthly draws this summer, and thisexciting campaign was one of several initiatives the Bank hasundertaken to add value to its customers. ABK is committed toproviding customers with innovative and valuable promotions, tai-lored to meet their specific needs and exceed their expectations.

Boursa Kuwait ends week on a bearish noteKUWAIT: Boursa Kuwait ended last weekin the red zone. The Premier Market Indexclosed at 5,314.90 points, down by 0.58percent, the Main Market Index declinedby 0.43 percent after closing at 4,741.54points, and the All-Share Index closed at5,111.34 points down by 0.53 percent.Furthermore, last week’s average dailyturnover decreased by 38.89 percent,compared to the preceding week, reach-ing around KD 12.72 million, whereastrading volume average reached around75.81 million shares, recording a drop of27.23 percent.

Boursa Kuwait initiated the last quarterof the current year’s trading with agrouped decline to its three indices, as theBoursa performance was weak in general,amid slow trading activity and clearabsence of the purchasing operationscompared to the previous weeks, which inturn ref lected on the cash l iquiditypumped into the market that witnessed anoticeable decrease during most of thedaily sessions of the week, especially dur-ing last Wednesday’s session, where thetrading value dropped to below KD 10million for the first time in around a month,and reached by the end of same session toabout KD 9.63 million only.

Also, the market capitalization recordeda weekly loss of over KD 157 million, as itreached by the end of the week around KD28.60 billion, down by 0.55 percent of itslevel in a week earlier, where it was KD28.75 billion. The market cap gains since

the new market segmentation reachedapproximately KD 740.38 million, and 2.66percent. (Note: The market capitalizationfor the listed companies in the Market iscalculated based on the weighted averagenumber of outstanding shares as per thelatest available official financial statements).

In addition, the three Boursa indicesreturned to meet once again in the losseszone after it declined last week, as a resultto the increased selling pressures thatincluded most of the listed stocks on onehand, and the refrain of some traders frompurchasing, watching for new motivatorson the other hand, especially after the endof the third quarter of the current year’speriod, where the Market is entering intoa general state of watch and caution wait-ing for the listed companies disclosuredfor its fiscal results, especially the resultsof the leading companies listed on FTSERussell Index, which is expected to dis-close its results in the few coming weeks.

Moreover, the slow pace trading wit-nessed by the Boursa during the last weekand the absence of the purchasing activityduring most of the week’s sessions causedthe trading indicators to drop clearly forthe second consecutive week, whereas thetotal cash liquidity in all the week’s ses-sions reached KD 63.59 million, afterbeing KD 104.06 million in the previousweek, and the total traded volumedeclined from 520.80 million stock toreach 379.06 million stock.

Last week witnessed trading over 142stock out of 175 listed stock in the Market,where prices of 38 stock increasedagainst prices of 84 stock decreased, andprices of 53 stock remained at no change.

Sectors’ IndicesEight of Boursa Kuwait’s sectors end-

ed last week in the red zone, while three

recorded increases, and the Technologysector remained at no change. Lastweek’s highest loser was the FinancialServices sector, as its index declined by1.49 percent to end the week’s activityat 961.54 points. The Consumer Goodssector was second on the losers’ list,which index declined by 1.35 percent,closing at 833.03 points, followed by theTelecommunication sector, which indexdecl ined by 1 .17 percent , c los ing at917.0 points.

On the other hand, last week’s highestgainer was the Health Care sector, achiev-ing 1.02 percent growth rate as its indexclosed at 995.60 points. The BasicMaterials sector came in the second place,as its index closed at 1,176.32 pointsrecording 0.54 percent increase, followedby the Industrial sector, achieving 0.16percent growth rate as its index closed at983.33 points.

Sectors’ ActivityThe Financial Services sector dominated

a total trade volume of around 108.43 mil-lion shares changing hands during lastweek, representing 28.60 percent of thetotal market trading volume. The Banks sec-tor was second in terms of trading volumeas the sector’s traded shares were 28.31percent of last week’s total trading volume,with a total of around 107.32 million shares.

On the other hand, the Banks sector’sstocks were the highest traded in terms ofvalue; with a turnover of around K.D 32.69million or 51.40 percent of last week’s totalmarket trading value. The Industrial sectortook the second place as the sector’s lastweek turnover was approx. KD 11.80 mil-lion representing 18.55 percent of the totalmarket trading value. —Prepared by theStudies & Research Department, BayanInvestment Co.

Te c h n o l o g y Sunday, October 7, 2018

15

Bayt.com weekly report .

HARARE: Zimbabwe’s central bank governor sought to reassure thepublic yesterday as people again formed long queues to fill up theircars in the capital, with others panic-buying basic goods like cook-ing oil and sugar.

The panic has been caused by recent changes introduced by thegovernment and a worsening US dollar crunch, but the governor,John Mangudya, told Reuters that people should not be worried andthat he expected an improvement in the next 48 hours

“The problem is that we did not explain things. This economy is asentiment driven economy so we need to communicate more withthe society,” he said. The southern African nation dumped its hyper-inflation-wrecked currency in favor of the US dollar in 2009 but ashortage of cash dollars has worsened following a disputed electionwon by President Emmerson Mnangagwa in July.

Fuel queues started building up this week and on Saturday out-lets in Harare had either run out or had long queues as driverspatiently waited for their turn to fill up their tanks.

“I have been here for an hour because the queue is moving slow-ly. I have no choice because I need the petrol,” said one motorist,who identified himself as Pascal, at a service station in the Avondalesuburb in Harare. At some outlets owned by Total, attendants onlyserved motorists with pre-paid cards. Other outlets refused mobilepayments, preferring bank cards and cash. Zimbabwe spends $80million on fuel imports every month. Mangudya told Reuters the fuelshortages had been caused by an introduction of a 2 percent tax onelectronic payments last Monday, which meant oil firms would incurweekly bank charges of $400,000 for fuel imports but were notallowed to pass the cost to consumers.

The companies had stopped supplying fuel as a result,Mangudya said, but he added the situation would improve in thenext 48 hours because the government on Friday night scrapped thetax on foreign payments. Zimbabweans were also stocking up onbasic goods like rice, cooking oil, sugar and juice. At some branchesowned by Zimbabwe’s biggest grocery chain OK Zimbabwe, man-agement limited sales of sugar, cooking oil and a popular local juice.

“Management reserves the right to limit quantities,” read a noticeto customers. A shortage of US dollars in banks has forced importersto purchase them on the black market, which has pushed up premi-ums and the price of imports. On the black market, the premium forthe US dollar spiked to a new record on Saturday, reaching 165 per-cent from 120 percent on Monday, traders said. — Reuters

Worried Zimbabweans fill up cars and stockpile goods

KUWAIT: Ooredoo Kuwait announced its sponsorship ofKuwait’s Startup Gathering under the title of “EvaluatingEntrepreneurship in Kuwait”, which took place lastThursday in Nouriyah Residence - Bneid Al Qar. The eventwas powered and organized by Startups Magazine andPlatform and was attended by a number of Kuwait’s mostdistinguished entrepreneurs. This sponsorship comes inline with the company’s ongoing efforts to support andempower youth, and is in alignment with its core values ofcaring, connecting, and challenging.

Commenting on this entrepreneur-centric sponsorship,Ooredoo Kuwait’s B2B Senior Director Abdulaziz Al-Babtain said: “At Ooredoo Kuwait, we are committed toour support for youth to help them reach their aspirations.Over the years, Kuwaiti youth have proven time and timeagain their ability to propel the economy with their contri-bution in small and medium enterprises, and it is without adoubt a necessity today for such businesses to embracedigitalization and rely on innovative advanced technolo-gies. We are proud to be part of their success.”

He added: “We’re very pleased to participate in thisevent and interact with some of Kuwait’s most successfulyoung leaders. We have demonstrated over the years ourcommitment and dedication to supporting youth by part-nering with a number of reputable entities, such as theMinisterial Council’s Central Agency for InformationTechnology, the Ministry of State for Youth Affairs, and the

Youth Public Authority.” Al-Babtain participated in theevent, and he showcased the different solutions the com-pany provides to help entrepreneurs with realizing theirambitions. Al-Babtain also showcased the different chal-lenges that are facing the entrepreneurial eco system inKuwait. Among the event participants, who discussedchallenges and obstacles and ways to overcome them,included: Eman Al-Abdulghani, CEO of Startups; SuleimanAl-Tarrah, one of the founders of Bleems; Rakan Al-Faldalaco-founder of Chocolateness, Abdullah Al Ghanim, CEO ofGlobal Identity; Dawood Marafi, President of theAssociation of Small and Medium Enterprises - Kuwait;and Ahmad Al-Essa, CEO of ESG Kuwait.

Ooredoo Kuwait offers a diverse portfolio and compre-hensive solutions tailored especially to help entrepreneursthrough Ooredoo Business, offering fixed and mobileinternet bundles with the most advanced devices.

Ooredoo sponsors startup gathering An event by some of Kuwait’s brightest entrepreneurs

Dr. Musaed Al-Raqqi, Rakan Al-Fadhalah, Sulaiman Al-Tarrah and Fahad Al-Saeed. Khaled Al-Mutawa, Iman Abdul Ghani and Manaf Al-Mulaifi

Dawood Ma’rafi and Yousif Al-Shallal

Abdul Aziz Al-Babtain

Yousif Al-Shallal, Abdul Aziz Al-babatin, Abdul Aziz Allloughani and Thamer Al-Tahous

Abdullah Al-Ghanim, Iman Abdul Ghani, Abdul Aziz Al-Babtain, Khaled Al-Mutawa, Thamer Al-Tahous andAhmed Al-Wazzan

Four ways to keep the money pouring in

Many argue that money doesn’t buy happiness,which might be true in some cases. But, nomatter how well off you are when it comes to

income, there can always be room for more. So, howdo you get the cash to start flowing? You’ll actuallyneed to plan this out and form strategies that aim toincrease your earnings and cut costs.

Increasing income can be challenging for many ofus. Depending on your day to day expenses, howmany dependents you have under your care orwhether you’re paying off a loan, improving yourincome might even seem impossible at times.

Then again, if it really was impossible, you wouldn’tbe here reading this, would you?

Bayt.com, the Middle East’s #1 Job Site, is commit-ted to help job-seekers progress in their career andreach their goals. So, our experts have written thisarticle to discuss the best ways in which you canimprove your income and increase your net worth bythe end of 2018.

Here are a few things you can try in order toget there:

1. Turn up!First thing you can do is to try to get a raise.

Sounds obvious, but it really is a great way toincrease inflow of cash. If you are reading this, how-ever, it is possible you’re either reluctant to ask for araise or unsure you can. You need to know how pro-motions work and when it’s time to climb up thecareer ladder. Let’s break down the main points per-taining specifically to raises.

A lot of employees find it difficult to ask theirbosses for a salary raise, even if they are aware of theemployee’s skills and abilities and confident in his orher performance. Bringing up the conversation mightseem stressful to you and you might worry that it willput an awkward strain on your relationship if yourmanager declines.

If you believe that you don’t deserve to warrant araise, then you should start taking steps to changethat. What you could do is focus on learning new

skills or developing your existing ones in order toprove your value to your employer and show yourcommitment to the organization. You could search fortraining and development courses available in yourlocation. But, if you are unable to find any or feel thatyou don’t have enough time, there is an abundance ofcourses you can take online from the comfort of yourdesk on Bayt.com.

You should certainly consider asking for a raise ifyou are confident that you have shown your employeryour commitment and feel that you have deliveredabove and beyond what is expected of you. Bear inmind, of course, that if the company is going througha rough spot financially or is sizing down, it might notbe the best time to ask for a salary upgrade.Otherwise, a well-structured and open conversationwith your manager is all that stands in between youand a potential pay raise.

2. Every Hero Needs a Side-KickWorking on the weekends or a few hours after

work sounds like torture. But, investing time into afreelancing gig or a “side-hustle” as some call it canbe a lucrative source of supplementary income. Thisusually involves capitalizing on the skills you currentlyhave by offering non-contractual services to smallbusiness and startups that are not looking to hiresomeone full time.

Don’t let that think freelancing does not bringmoney. On the contrary, it is a win-win situation forboth you and an employer. Instead of hiring someoneand paying them a monthly salary, the employer paysa one-time fee on the rare occasion they need expert-ise their employees do not have. Subsequently, thatmoney goes to you instead.

Also, freelancing gigs are generally related to yourcareer, skills and goals, it will also help you hugely inthe future. The experience you will be gaining in yourarea of interest will prove useful when applying forfuture jobs.

Now, if you’re a fresh graduate undertaking yourvery first job, then don’t fret. Even if you don’t feelthat you have the skills and expertise to compete withother freelancers, there are other things you can do inorder to earn some extra cash. We would recommendprivate tutoring, which can also bring home a coupleextra hundred a month, babysitting or part-time workon the weekends.

3. Stacks in the CityYou should also consider the amount of money you

are spending on living costs. If you live in a city with areally high cost of living or low average salary, it canreally burn a hole in your bank account. Is living thereworth it to you? This is an option you should considercarefully, since packing up and moving cities can beeasier said than done, but it’s definitely worth consid-ering. Instead of burning yourself out trying to makeends meet in a city where the odds are currentlystacked against you, you could find a job in a lower-cost city and increase your income.

Alternatively, you could find a job in a city that hasa higher average salary. You can use Bayt.comSalaries in order to see how much you should expectbased on job role and location.

4. Do What You LoveHopefully, I’ve convinced you to consider freelanc-

ing, let’s move onto the next money maker on the list:monetizing a hobby.

You’re probably thinking ‘How is that differentfrom freelancing?’ Here is the difference: generally,freelancing is work that relates to your professionalskills. For example, some copywriters tend to offerfreelance writing, editing and translation services. Ateacher would offer private tuition classes. A designerwould sell branding and design services, and so onand so forth.

Capitalizing on a hobby is different; it is takingsomething you enjoy doing and turning it into ban-knotes. For example, you could be a talented artistand sell digital or traditional prints of your work.Perhaps you make amazing jewelry or knit incrediblescarves. You might even enjoy baking and decoratingspecialty cakes in your spare time. Whatever it is, itcan be the ticket to increasing your income if youplay your cards right. You will need to invest sometime into branding yourself, networking to reachmore people and potential clients and marketingyour services to them. This might sound like work,but it’s a small price to pay to do what you love (andget paid for it!).

Also, this is especially useful for fresh graduatesand candidates with little professional background asit is an easy way to get their CV populated withimpressive experiences and new skills. Remember thatthere are over 10,000 available across the MiddleEast on Bayt.com alone for you to sift through.

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Sunday, October 7, 2018

16

Sunday, October 7, 2018

17W h a t ’ s O n

Established 1961

Fahed Abushaar ofSheraton Kuwaitwins ‘GCC’s BestGeneral Managers’

Fahed Abushaar, complex GeneralManager for the Sheraton KuwaitHotels, was awarded the “GCC’s Best

General Managers” award. The award wasreceived at a recent ceremony held in Dubaifor the best managers within the Gulf regionand was presented by the CMO Asia - acompany that specializes in the sectors ofindustry, economics and hospitality.

He stated that: “This award is another trib-ute to the achievements of the entire team ofthe hotel, a proof of excellence for theSheraton Kuwait Hotels for five decades and

continues in mak-ing a great effortto work hard onkeeping the suc-cessful chain thathas enhanced ourguests’ confi-dence in the serv-ices that both ourproperties offer.

It is worthmentioning thatSheraton KuwaitHotel hasachieved more than half a century of successand innovations in the service of the guests ofKuwait and its citizens, making it the idealdestination for an exceptional experience fora luxurious stay and enjoy all the methods ofluxury, hospitality and many services fromthe lobby, to the luxurious suites and its luxu-rious rooms, representing a hotel rich in his-tory, where luxury meets elegance with mod-ern day facilities.

G4S Kuwaitsuccessfully organizesmedical camp

G4S Group Policy continuouslyenforces the duty of care toits employees plus their fami-

lies as employees are the integralpart of an organization. As such, G4SKuwait successfully organized a FreeMedical Camp with the theme“Health is Wealth” for its employeeson 21st September 2018 at theirMahboula Camp Facil ity. A totalnumber of 475 + employees—maleand female benefited from this med-ical camp and were tested for bloodpressure, hb1ac, full lipid, sugar, cho-lesterol, eye, ear, nose and throat,oncology, gynecology, sonographyand General Physician consultations.

This event was attended and joint-ly coordinated with the support ofthe generous team of local medical

volunteer doctors from the IndianDoctors Forum in Kuwait who sent atotal number of 33 specialties volun-teers plus two USG Machines, theKuwait Heart Foundation and fivespecialty volunteers from PharmaciaKuwait who were responsible forproviding Full Lipid and Hb1ac tests.

G4S Kuwait, a joint venturebetween Al Mulla Group and G4Splc, is one of the leading integratedsecurity solutions provider in Kuwaitwith almost 3,000 employees atpresent. This medical camp facility isjust one of the fundamental initiativesof the company to promote employ-ees Welfare, Health & SafetyAwareness towards the realization ofthe Zero Harm goal which was aimedat delivering basic medical consulta-tion and services to its employeesand their families in Kuwait at nocost. G4S Kuwait management teamled by their new Managing Director,Atanu Sanyal were delighted to haveconcluded this event and is commit-ted to sustaining further health andsafety awareness campaigns to pro-mote healthy living practices andreaching out to their employeesthrough such initiatives.

Scientific competition beingheld by Al-Saad Charity

Al-Saad Charity for Knowledge and ScientificResearch recently announced the openingregistration for its 19th season of Sheikha

Fadya Saad Al-Sabah scientific competition forfemale students’ researches and projects. Theyadded that registration would be accessible through

the following website: www.ibtikar.com.kw. In this regard, the competition manager, Dr

Aisha Al-Houli said that the competition aims atencouraging scientific talents and molding a newgeneration capable of developing Kuwait in variousfields. She added that the initiative was purely

Kuwaiti and that it inspired its principles from theAmir of Humanity, His Highness Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmed Al-Sabah.

Furthermore, Al-Houli stressed that the compe-t i t ion’s v is ion focuses on invest ing in femalehuman resources to create a well-aware genera-

tion and develop its talents and skills in variousfields. In addition, Al-Houli said that registrydeadline would be October 21st so that the namescould be categorized and prepared in each educa-tional stage before launching the competition inNovember.

Aisha Al-Houli speaking during the press conference

Modi governmentworking towards an ‘Inclusive India’: MPBy Sajeev K Peter

Avisiting parliament member from Indiasaid on Friday that India governmentled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi

is working towards building an inclusiveIndia through implementing projects that‘touch upon the lives of every Indian’.

“The Modi government was able to makea difference in people’s lives through humandevelopment and there is not a s inglescheme or activity of this government thathas not touched upon the lives of the peo-ple,” said Meenakshi Lekhi, the spokesper-son of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party(BJP) and the MP from the high-profileNew Delhi constituency.

Addressing the media along with BJP’sKerala state President P S Sridharan Pillaiand the legislative assembly member fromMangalore City from Karnataka, Veda Vyas,she listed out the achievements of Modigovernment over the last five years. Theleaders arrived in Kuwait to attend a con-ference organized by the Pravasi Bharatiya

Parishad, Kuwait. She said United Nations Environment has

bestowed Prime Minister Narendra Modiwith the 2018 ‘Champion of the Earth’ awardfor his leadership in promotion of solar ener-gy. “It is a proud moment for every Indianbecause a recognition for the PM means arecognition for every Indian. Because, yourattitude towards the earth changes with sus-tainable development and the realization thatraising a nation’s GDP is not in confrontationwith the environment,” she pointed. She alsospoke in detail about various developmentprojects undertaken by the government suchas smart city projects, PM’s Awaz Yogana,Inclusive India project, Mudra loan scheme,Startup India initiative etc.

Oil price crisis“Oil price is determined by multiple fac-

tors, not just the central government alone,”she said answering a query relating to themercurial increases in petrol and dieselprices in India over the last few years. Sheattributed the present petroleum prices tocertain composite factors from global oilprices to state-level taxes, to the repay-ment commitment made by the previousgovernment.

Regarding the continued nose-diving ofIndian rupee, she said it is controlled byinternational economy. Regarding FDI inflow,she said, “we have received the highest vol-ume of investments compared to any othercountry in the last two years. It shows peo-ple’s faith in Indian economy”, she said.

Responding to a specific question aboutthe demonetization, she said the goal wasachieved. More than 99 percent of the cur-rency that India declared void in a surpriseannouncement in 2016 was returned to thecountry’s banks in subsequent weeks,according to an RBI report. The figures sug-gest the demonetization policy, which likelywiped at least 1 percent from the country’sGDP and cost at least 1.5 million jobs, failedto remove significant hordes of unaccountedwealth from the Indian economy - a keyrationale for the move.

“The fact that within four months’ time,the entire demonetized rupee was broughtback to the system speaks about the efficien-cy and efficacy of the system. This exercisewas not in futility, but it was carried out withgood intention,” she argued. About the bene-fits of demonetization, she said terror fundingand funding for all the disruptive activitiesaround the country through hawala transac-tions came to a standstill,” Lekhi pointed out.

Sridharan Pillai, who also addressed thepress conference, sought to toe a moderateline on the controversial issue of women’sentry to Sabarimala temple following a courtverdict. In a recent judgment, India’s topcourt opened the doors of the temple inKerala dedicated to Lord Ayyappa to thewomen in the age group of 10-50. Pillai how-ever said the party’s state unity will howeversupport the believers and seek to safeguardtheir belief. Veda Vyas MLA also spoke onthe occasion. BPP Kuwait president A KSumod welcomed the gathering.

It was a wonderful moment at the Life Abundant International FountainChurch on Friday as families, friends and well-wishers gathered to cele-brate with Mr/Mrs Odenyo as they dedicated their baby girl Danah

Gillian to the Lord. May God guide and protect you as you grow to be bless-ing to your family Amen.

Baby dedication

Fahed Abushaar

CROSSWORD 2027

ACROSS1. A guided missile fired from shipboard

against an airborne target.4. A nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug

(trade name Lodine).12. An enzyme that catalyzes the oxidation

of many body compounds (e.g., epi-nephrine and norepinephrine andserotonin).

15. The capital and largest city of Japan.16. A single great stone (often in the form

of a column or obelisk).17. (Judaism) Sacred chest where the

ancient Hebrews kept the two tabletscontaining the Ten Commandments.

18. City in northern Austria on the Danube.20. A colorless odorless gaseous element

that give a red glow in a vacuum tube.21. Direct opposite.23. Agile long-legged rabbit-sized rodent

of Central and South America andWest Indies.

26. Somewhat tall.27. Larval mite that sucks the blood of ver-

tebrates including human beings caus-ing intense irritation.

28. Any of various deciduous or evergreenornamental shrubs of the genus Abeliahaving opposite simple leaves andcymes of small white or pink or pur-plish flowers.

30. Antibacterial drug (trade nameNydrazid) used to treat tuberculosis.

31. Fermented alcoholic beverage similar tobut heavier than beer.

32. A gonadotropic hormone that issecreted by the anterior pituitary.

36. Distilled rather than fermented.40. Advance evidence for.42. (with `in') Guardianship over.43. The state of needing something that is

absent or unavailable.46. A (usually rectangular) container.47. Not in.49. (Babylonian) A demigod or first man.51. Resembling or characteristic of or

appropriate to an elegy.54. Closely related.56. English theoretical physicist who

applied relativity theory to quantummechanics and predicted the exis-tence of antimatter and the positron(1902-1984).

57. Of a yellowish brown color similar toolive drab n.

60. The compass point that is one pointeast (clockwise) of due north.

61. The capital and largest city of Yemen.62. The basic unit of money in Bangladesh.66. The eleventh month of the civil year.68. 16 ounces.69. Dried out by heat or excessive expo-

sure to sunlight.71. Of or pertaining to atmospheric phe-

nomena, especially weather andweather conditions.

76. West Indian tree having racemes offragrant white flowers and yielding adurable timber and resinous juice.

77. Title for a civil or military leader (espe-cially in Turkey).

78. (physics) Material in a nuclear reactorthat absorbs radiation.

81. A decree that prohibits something.82. An ugly evil-looking old woman.83. Furnished with or made of wood or

timbers.84. A loose sleeveless outer garment made

from aba cloth.

DOWN1. Big-eyed scad.2. A river in northern Italy that flows south-

east into the Adriatic Sea.3. French biochemist who (with Francois

Jacob) explained how genes are acti-vated and suggested the existence ofmessenger RNA (1910-1976).

4. The square of a body of any size of type.5. The present or immediately coming

night adv.6. Used of a single unit or thing.7. An uproarious party.

8. Leaf or strip from a leaf of the talipotpalm used in India for writing paper.

9. Horizontal beam used as a finishingpiece over a door or window.

10. Unarmed feather palms of central andnorthern South America.

11. (Mexican) Ground beef and chili pep-pers or chili powder often with toma-toes and kidney beans.

12. Any of a group of antidepressant drugsthat inhibit the action of monoamineoxidase in the brain and so allowmonoamines to accumulate.

13. Acute lung injury characterized bycoughing and rales.

14. An endorsement.19. (Sumerian) Evil storm god represented

as a black bird.22. A cloth having a crisscross design.24. The capital and principal port of

Tunisia.25. An official prosecutor for a judicial dis-

trict.29. An indehiscent fruit derived from a sin-

gle ovary having one or many seedswithin a fleshy wall or pericarp.

33. Of or relating to or characteristic ofCuba or the people of Cuba.

34. An area in which something acts oroperates or has power or control.

35. The cardinal number that is the sum offive and one.

37. United States physicist (born inAustria) who proposed the exclusionprinciple (thus providing a theoreticalbasis for the periodic table) (1900-1958).

38. An advanced student or graduate inmedicine gaining supervised practicalexperience (`houseman' is a Britishterm).

39. (usually in the plural) Pants for casualwear.

41. Lacking or deprive of the sense ofhearing wholly or in part.

44. The blood group whose red cells carryboth the A and B antigens.

45. An industrial city in southern Poland onthe Vistula.

48. A soft silvery metallic element of thealkali earth group.

50. (anatomy) Situated farthest from pointof attachment or origin, as of a limb orbone.

52. The vertical triangular wall between thesloping ends of gable roof.

53. A ship with a reinforced bow to breakup ice and keep channels open fornavigation.

55. A woman who is engaged to be mar-ried.

58. (astronomy) The angular distance of acelestial point measured westwardalong the celestial equator from thezenith crossing.

59. The part of the nervous system of ver-tebrates that controls involuntaryactions of the smooth muscles andheart and glands.

63. Jordan's port.64. Cubes of meat marinated and cooked

on a skewer usually with vegetables.65. A city in southern Turkey on the

Seyhan River.67. Prolific Spanish playwright (1562-

1635).70. A lyric poet.72. A label made of cardboard or plastic or

metal.73. A run that is the result of the batter's

performance.74. A belief (or system of beliefs) accepted

as authoritative by some group orschool.

75. Nut of any of several trees of the genusCorylus.

79. A rare heavy polyvalent metallic ele-ment that resembles manganesechemically and is used in some alloys.

80. A nonmetallic largely pentavalentheavy volatile corrosive dark brownliquid element belonging to the halo-gens.

Friday’s SolutionDaily SuDoku

Wordsearch Puzzle Friday’s Solution

Sunday, October 7, 2018

18S t a r s

Established 1961

Friday’s Solution

Your way may not be the only way. You may need to put sometime, thought, and consideration into the decisions you have to make today.Your first instinct isn’t necessarily going to be the way to go this time.Even though you are fully aware of the why’s behind your choices othersmay not understand your choices today. Take time to listen to the opinionsof others and take all avenues into consideration. You will make the rightchoice in the end.

Aries (March 21-April 19)

STAR TRACK

You long for peace in your life. Today is the day to make that call,give the apology, or take whatever steps necessary to make amends. Nothinggood comes for conflict and this may be just the barrier that is preventing youfrom being totally at peace. You may find that someone close to you is needof your assistance. You may find yourself gaining much satisfaction from sim-ply being able to use your life experiences to guide others through similarobstacles. This is a great time of expression for you and others will be drawnto your wisdom and take heed to your advice.

Taurus (April 20-May 20)

You seem to be desiring a change in your world. You desire tonot only change your views on life but change the way you live it. Theunique and different ways of people start to appeal to you. This is a wake upcall for you and helps you realize your way is not necessarily always theright way nor the only way. You find this a great day of mental clarity as youface it with an open mind your own thoughts become very clear and youfind yourself extremely productive and eager to be surrounded with yourpeers. This is a wonderful time for you to make any decisions you have beenputting off, Gemini. Enjoy this day and all it brings your way!

Gemini (May 21-June 20)

There is a reason they make chocolate AND vanilla. Whatappeals to one may not always appeal to the other. People are different.They have different options and different outlooks on life. You may findyourself running across someone who could not be any more opposite ofyou. This person will not be someone whose company you enjoy. You canalways turn a negative situation into something positive. Sit and have a talkand really listen to what this person has to say. Sometimes listening tounderstand rather that listening to respond can shed great light and under-standing on a situation.

Cancer (June 21-July 22)

Leo (July 23-August 22)

You have a desire to get to the bottom of things. You are inquisitive and curi-ous. Answers are what you seek and answers are what you will get. You mayfind yourself channeling your inner Sherlock Holmes. Your inner workings arewhat you desire to understand. You are on a soul-searching mission.

Virgo (August 23-September 22)

Your self-confidence may be a little off today. Not to worry.Confidence is not something you are born with. It is not part of your DNA.You can boost yours with a simple mantra. It could be “I am strong. I canhandle whatever comes my way today” or “I am blessed. I have a lot to give,and I will make every effort to share my talents with others.” You can use thesame mantra everyday or find a new one to fit each day. When you feel confi-dent, it is apparent and contagious. Others respond to it. With practice confi-dence can become an effortless habit.

Libra (September 23-October 22)

Intellectual and literary interests seem to be where your focus isnow. You may find opportunity seems to fall into your lap when it comes tobeing able to develop your talents in this area. This a time you will find greatpleasure in not only teaching others but also in learning. You may want toteach or take a class. Start a new side business. you may find any marketingefforts that are made will be much more profitable than you would think. Stepout on that limb, Scorpio. The risk may be well worth the reward.

Scorpio (October 23-November 21)

People sometimes wonder about the secret to your contentment.It’s not something you think about. You just go about each day being helpfuland kind. You consider being reliable a part of who you are. You are notworking at being happy, but happiness is a by-product of your lifestyle. Ifyou could bottle and sell it, you might become financially rich. But you knowthat money is not the key to riches. You reap your rewards by continuing toinvest in others.

Sagittarius (November 22-December 21)

Capricorn (December 22-January 19)

You are feeling some financial stress. That’s because you havetrouble distinguishing between “Needs” and “Wants.” Solve the problem bylisting your expenditures in the two categories. To assure objectivity, youmay want to enlist the help of a friend to verify the lists. (Utilities are Needs,that new purse is a Want.) Set aside money for Needs, including payments oncurrent debts. Allow yourself the balance to spend on wants. Resisting thetemptation to spend more than you have will be difficult at first, but it willsoon become habit. And you will be surprised at how quickly you will feelfreer, less stressed.

Pisces (February 19-March 20)

Look for a rainbow today. Something good is happening in yourlife. It may lead to something important in your career or your personal life.Even if the pleasure you derive from it is not permanent, you can find pleasurein the moment. You’re getting a break you deserve. Don’t discount it by pro-jecting the future. If you take a “live today” attitude, the future will take careof itself-and you. Happiness is a choice. Today you will choose to be happy.

Aquarius (January 20- February 18)

You may feel as if you want all eyes on you! You are on top of theworld. It seems as if everything is going your way. You are the center ofattention. Your hard work and dedication have paid off and you may find oth-ers not only admire you but they actually strive to be like you. You are atrendsetter and the person others long to be like. Keep your head high andenjoy the attention.

You are ready to get serious about taking care of you! Meal plan-ning seems to appeal to you. Organized and healthy are a great combination.You feel great about yourself and about who you are. It is time to take thenew healthy you to a new level. You have previously made small changes andnow you are ready to dive head first into a new lifestyle. Join the gym, takethe walk, get up and get going. Changes now will bring great reward in thefuture. Live out loud. Capricorn. If anyone can reach them, you can.

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2018

Established 1961

Lifestyle

Comic Con fan incostume arrives forthe 1st day of the2018 New YorkComic-Con at theJacob JavitsCenter. — AFP

Alca offers a conference for young people in vulnerable situation. Alca enjoys surfingin Puerto Colombia.

Alca performs in a bus in Barranquilla, Colombia.

Venezuelan migrant Alfonso Mendoza was bornwithout legs. Abandoned by his parents, heflirted with suicide. But everything about himshouts: “Believe in Yourself!”-ask anyone whoattends his motivational classes. His main mode

of movement is on a shabby skateboard, which he keptclose during a dangerous crossing into Colombia with hiswife. “It was difficult because of the guerrillas and theVenezuelan National Guard; it is a very difficult journey.”

The skateboard, its wheels squeaking over the ruttedpath outside his wood and corrugated iron shack, has beena constant since he swapped it for his wheelchair. Lithe andmuscular, Alca-as he prefers to be known-hoists himselfinto buses. With a boom box and microphone, the charming,good-looking 25-year-old perches on a railing and belts outrap songs. The passengers look on, fascinated at the appar-ent trompe l’oeil as he appears to levitate on the railing, thelower half of his body missing.

But it’s not part of an elaborate magic act, as everyonecan see when Alca eases himself down onto his skateboard,and rolls down the aisle to collect his tips. Rudimentary itmay be, but the mobility provided by his skateboardappears to allow him to move more swiftly and easily thanmost able-bodied people in Barranquilla, the Colombianport that has become his adopted home. On a good day, hecan come home with 30,000 pesos-around 10 dollars. Amonthly salary back home in Venezuela is just 30 dollars.

Migrant hardships Severely disabled since birth, Mendoza added another

level of hardship to his life this year when he joined thelegion of Venezuelan migrants spilling over the border fromColombia’s poverty-wracked neighbor. In Barranquilla, anew challenge awaits: bringing up baby Auralys, their littlegirl born just last month. “At the moment when I knew I wasgoing to be a father, I had to come to Colombia.”

“Despite his disability, he is much more complete thanother parents, since we have everything we need, he hasalways been there for us,” says his wife Mileidy Pena. Later,he goes to the skate park to work out, using his arms torapidly flip the board under him, barely getting a glancefrom the other boarders. Acceptance didn’t always come soeasily. After being abandoned as a child, he was placedunder the care of his grandmother, who died when he wasnine years old.

Then came the years in a wheelchair and the bullying atschool. “The children used to put me in the wastebaskets orlock me in the bathrooms.” Depressed, he dwelled on sui-cide when he was 13. But music-and a friend who helpedhim swap his wheelchair for a way-cooler skateboard-”saved my life.” After working selling raffle tickets and

handicrafts, Alca found he could make more money rappingon the public transport system.

“I am not embarrassed to be singing on a bus. Iwould be embarrassed if I arrived at home one day andmy wife tells me there are no diapers or clothes for mydaughter. I believe my life has changed a lot nowregarding responsibilities.”

Breaking wavesWhen he can, Alca hits the beach, where he has parlayed

his skill on the skateboard into surfing. “Today I can seehow a wave is a barrier that I can break through with myboard,” he said. His own personal breakthroughs and posi-tivity have opened the way for motivational speaking.Dressed in a freshly-pressed shirt, he gives a motivationalclass to children and teachers at a private school. Proppedon a table, microphone in hand, he tells them: “You have tohave a positive attitude.” A power-point projection behindhim says: “Believe in Yourself!” “God didn’t give me legs, buthe replaced them with talents,” he tells his audience.—AFP

Legless Venezuelan rapper, surfer, overcoming odds in Colombia

Venezuelan migrant and rapsinger, Alfonso Mendoza aka“Alca”, 25, practice with his

skateboard in a park inBarranquilla, Colombia.

— AFP photos

Believe inYourself!

Sunday, October 7, 2018L i f e s t y l e M o v i e s & M u s i c

Established 1961 20

In this file photo opera singer Montserrat Caballe performingat the Palais des Festivals in Cannes. — AFP

Spain’s world-famous opera singer MontserratCaballe has died in Barcelona on Saturday, a sourceat the hospital where she was being treated said.

The singer, who was known as one of the world’s greatestvoices during a career spanning half a century, had longsuffered from ill health and was hospitalized in mid-September due to a gall bladder problem, local mediareported. “She died overnight at the Sant Pau hospital,”the hospital source told AFP.

A service for the singer will be held on Sunday at 2pmlocal time, with a funeral the following day, Barcelonaauthorities said. Caballe made a global splash when“Barcelona”, her song with Queen singer Freddie

Mercury, became the anthem for the 1992 OlympicGames. Born in April 1933 to a humble family inBarcelona, Maria de Montserrat Viviana ConcepcionCaballe i Folc studied music at the Liceu Conservatory inthe Catalan capital.

Caballe’s big break came in 1965 when she stepped infor another singer in the notoriously difficult role ofLucrezia Borgia in Donizetti’s opera in New York. Herdebut went down in opera history as one of the greatestovernight successes ever. She went on to tour the worldin a career spanning 50 years, garnering internationalacclaim for her creamy voice and dramatic power. Careerhighlights included a triumphant performance in Bellini’s

“Norma” at La Scala in Milan in 1972. Her vocal versatility meant she was as at home with

Rossini and Donizetti as well as Mozart and Dvorak,while her energetic performance with Mercury showedher ability to break with tradition. Spanish PresidentPedro Sanchez paid tribute to Caballe on Saturday, say-ing on Twitter that Spain had lost “a great ambassador ofour country, a soprano recognized internationally”.“Montserrat Caballe, her voice and her tenderness, willalways stay with us,” he added.—AFP

Spanish opera star Montserrat Caballe dies aged 85

In the soon to be released documentary “On HerShoulders,” Nobel Peace Prize winner Nadia Muradsays she didn’t want to become known as a “victim of

Daesh terrorism.” Murad, 25, a member of Iraq’s Yazidiminority who was enslaved by the Islamic State group, onFriday won the coveted award along with Congolese doc-tor Denis Mukwege. They were honored for their work infighting sexual violence. Murad’s painful work speakingout on behalf of her community is chronicled in AlexandriaBombach’s film, which won the Directing Award for USDocumentary at the 2018 Sundance Festival.

“I would like to not have to tell people what happenedto me... I would like them to know me as a top dressmakeror an excellent athlete or an excellent student, a makeupartist or farmer,” Murad says of her broken dreams in thefilm, which will open in US theaters on October 19. FromCanada’s Parliament to Germany and refugee camps inGreece, Bombach followed Murad for three months in2016 on her long and difficult journey to tell the worldwhat her community and she herself suffered as a sexslave of IS, also known by its Arabic acronym Daesh.

“On Her Shoulders” refers certainly to Murad’s struggleas spokeswoman for her Kurdish-speaking minority-whichthe United Nations says was subjected to IS genocide-buteven more so to Murad the woman herself. Thoughbruised, she can still smile, play with a supermarket shop-ping cart, and worry about her hair. “Representing her as ahuman being was important, and I think she enjoyed see-

ing herself in the movie as someone who lives a normallife,” Bombach told AFP. The US director chose to refrainfrom all commentary to better allow Murad and thoseclose to her to talk.

Bombach confessed it was sometimes “very depress-ing” to consider what Murad faced, with very intimate andclinical questions from some media about what IS subject-ed her to. “I think the film is for Nadia, and for the Yazidis,

but it’s a film about us, about everyone outside the Yazidisbecause it makes us reflect on our own apathy, and empa-thy,” Bombach said. Murad told the UN two years ago thatshe wasn’t brought up to give speeches or address headsof state, but “everything changed” after the invasion of hervillage by the jihadists on August 3, 2014.

Murad was among thousands of Yazidi women and girlsabducted, raped and brutalized by IS. After her escape,

Murad was named a UN ambassador for victims of humantrafficking. “They say that I am a militant... but basically Isee myself as someone who is worth nothing, reduced to aslave for no reason,” she tells Bombach’s camera. The daythat “the terrorists” are brought to justice, “then I will beworth something,” she adds. — AFP

‘On Her Shoulders’ tells of painful burden carried by Nobel winner

This combination file pictures show Congolese gynecolo-gist Denis Mukwege in Paris and Nadia Murad, publicadvocate for the Yazidi community in Iraq and survivor ofsexual enslavement by the Islamic State jihadists inWashington, DC. — AFP

Armenia’s President Armen Sarkisian, left, and France’s President Emmanuel Macron pay their respect by the coffin of French-Armenian singer-songwriter Charles Aznavour during the national homage held at the Invalides in Paris . — AFP

Australian actress and UNHCR goodwill ambassador CateBlanchett poses for the photographer during the UNHCR’sNansen Refugee Award in Geneva, Switzerland. — AFP

“I see myself as worth nothing”

Ex-bodyguard sued over Kardashian Paris robberyTwo years after Kim Kardashian was robbed

at gunpoint in Paris, her insurance companyis suing her former bodyguard and his secu-

rity firm in the United States for $6.1 million. Thelawsuit was filed on Wednesday in Delaware bycompany AIG and accuses Pascal Duvier and thecompany he worked for, ProtectSecurity, ofbreach of contract.

Celebrity website TMZ, which first reported thesuit, says Duvier left the luxury residence, whereKardashian had been staying during Paris FashionWeek in October 2016, and followed two of her sis-ters to a nearby club. As a result, Kardashian wasleft without security. The lawsuit also accusesDuvier of failing to plug a number of breaches atthe property that allowed the masked gunmen toenter, TMZ reported.

Five men tied her up, gagged her and locked herin a bathroom, before making off with jewels worth$10.6 million, including a diamond ring gifted byrapper husband Kanye West, which she had flaunt-ed on Instagram. AIG is seeking the $6.1 millionthat it paid Kardashian after the robbery, holdingthe bodyguard and firm negligent, TMZ said.Duvier no longer works for the mother of three.

French justice charged 11 suspects in connectionwith what was the largest robbery of an individualin France for 20 years. Only one piece, a diamond-encrusted cross, has been recovered. The suspect-ed ringleader, Aomar Ait Khedache, told investiga-tors he had struggled to find a buyer forKardashian’s 18.88-carat ring, complaining it was“too recognizable” and that he had given it to anunidentified third party.—AFP

In this file photo US TV personality Kim Kardashianattends the 2018 MTV Movie & TV awards, at theBarker Hangar in Santa Monica. — AFP

How CharlesAznavour changedmusic forever

Charles Aznavour reinvented popular music one coldDecember night in Paris in 1960. “He just blew mybrains out,” said Bob Dylan of the first time he wit-

nessed the French singer’s style of delivery a little over twoyears later. That concert has since gone down as one ofthe greatest ever at New York’s Carnegie Hall. Yet thatnight in Paris when a nervy Aznavour-who died Mondayaged 94 — stepped out on stage to change the way songswere sung forever, his career was on the skids.

Unloved at home and utterly unknown abroad, he wasat the end of his tether. He had pulled out all the stops tofill the Alhambra concert hall in one final bid to win overthe public. But the critics had come to bury not to praisehim. The little Armenian who had written songs for EdithPiaf, and spent years as her bag carrier, was goingnowhere, stuck as the “ugly duckling” of the cabaret cir-cuit without any kind of hit for four years.

Yet it was-irony of ironies-a song he wrote about adesperate provincial crooner dreaming of fame, “Je m’voy-ais deja” (It Will Be My Day), that finally launchedAznavour to stardom. Yves Montand, the actor and singer,had earlier turned it down, saying “songs about showbusiness never work”. But that night at the Alhambra,Aznavour did not just sing the song, he turned it into “aone-act play” about the poor crooner’s life, acting out himdressing to go on stage.

‘He was revolutionary’And with the song’s last prophetic line, “But a day will

come/ When I will show them I have the talent”, Aznavourbrought the house down. The man who begun performingat five finally found his mojo at 36. His biographer BertrandDicale said “Aznavour was a revolutionary. He changedeverything: the way songs were written, the themes a songcould tackle, the way they could be performed.” Nevergood-looking-Piaf badgered him to get a nose job, then

told him it was horrible-he was by then balding and pre-maturely aged.

But even as doors closed in his face, he was rebuildinghimself from the best of his heroes. “My four points of ref-erence were “Edith Piaf, Charles Trenet, (the Russian act-ing guru) Konstantin Stanislavski and Maurice Chevalier,”he told AFP last year, adding that Bing Crosby, Mel Tormeand Frank Sinatra were also in the mix. “He stole hisfamous bar stool routine from Sinatra,” said Dicale. “Andthat way he had of telling stories between songs wasinspired by Sinatra’s Las Vegas shows.” “I had done clas-sical dance, variety and theatre, and I wanted to get allthat into my performances,” Aznavour told AFP.

‘He put his guts into it’ “I said to myself that if I put them all in I would find my

own style. And I did, it became ‘Aznavour’,” said thesinger born Shahnour Varinag Aznavourian to parentsfleeing the massacres of Armenians as the Ottomanempire collapsed. Aznavour, the little man who became anentertainment world giant, was honored with a nationalhomage in Paris Friday, a ceremony reserved for France’sgreatest heroes. He will be buried next to his parents andhis son Patrick, who died aged 25 in 1976, in a cemeterynear the French capital on Saturday after a mass at thecity’s Armenian cathedral.

“He broke all the rules of his era when singers had tobe really good looking,” said the French songwriterCalogero. “But he had this incredible personality.” Forthe rapper MC Solaar “you can see the feeling withAznavour. He wanted to move people, we are far beyondjust singing with him,” he added. Dicale added thatAznavour really became the characters in the songs,“really putting his guts into it”. That is what impressedhis peers, the writer said, and what won him the heartsof audiences across the world.

“Just seeing what he did on stage at his age gives methe courage to continue,” said the rapper Soprano, one ofseveral hip-hop stars including Dr Dre and Sean Paul whohave covered or sampled Aznavour. “Lots of singers havea bit of Aznavour in them,” said Dicale, from “Brazilianslike Caetano Veloso and Chico Buarque to... Elton Johnand Sting who at 19 or 20 discovered Aznavour” and havenever ceased to be fans.—AFP

Italy’s ‘other’ film fest to kick off in RomeCate Blanchett, Martin Scorsese, Sigourney Weaver

and Michael Moore will all be attending thismonth’s Rome Film Fest, Italy’s ‘other’ cinema gath-

ering after Venice. Just don’t call it a festival. “We are not afestival and those who want a festival will always be disap-pointed here,” the Fest’s director Antonio Monda toldjournalists on Friday ahead of the October 18-28 eventwhich does not include a competition.

“What distinguishes us is that artists, directors, actors,actresses and producers choose Rome even if they don’thave a film, book or CD to sell,” Monda said. The fest’s13th edition will screen 60 features, including 34 pre-mieres. For the first time in Rome, two ‘major’ studios willpremiere films. Sony Pictures will premiere the latestinstallment in the Millenium series, “The Girl in the Spider’sWeb”, to be attended by the cast including star Claire Foy,who played Queen Elizabeth II in the Netflix series “TheCrown”.

France’s Studio Canal will show “Mia and the WhiteLion” about an 11-year-old girl’s relationship with a lion.US director Barry Jenkins, who won the Oscar for BestFilm in 2016 with “Moonlight”, returns with “If BealeStreet Could Talk” which tackles US racism and discrimi-nation in 1970s. Martin Scorsese returns to his roots toreceive a lifetime achievement award on October 22. Otherworkshops and discussion groups will be held with thelikes of Blanchett, Weaver and Isabelle Huppert, who willalso receive a lifetime achievement award.

Moore on Trump The director of the Cannes Film Festival Thierry

Fremaux will discuss the thorny issue of Netflix and theoften delicate relationship between streaming services andfilm fests/festivals. Rome’s show opens with “Bad Times atthe El Royale” starring Dakota Johnson and Jeff Bridges,which tells the story of seven strangers at a run-downhotel in the Sierra Nevada.

Outspoken US documentary maker Michael Moore willshow “Fahrenheit 11/9” about the day that Donald Trumpbecame US president. “An entertaining and worrying filmthat mixes Michael Moore’s irony, intelligence andprophetic spirit,” said Monda. British documentary makerTim Wardle will show “Three Identical Strangers” abouttriplets adopted by separate families who discover eachother’s existence aged 19.

The “Stan & Ollie” biopic about Laurel and Hardy, star-ring Steve Coogan and John C. Reilly will also bescreened, along with “A Private War” by MatthewHeineman, about Sunday Times journalist Marie Colvinwho was killed in Homs, Syria in 2012.—AFP

Weinstein hearing moved up in NY

One year after the explosive claims of sexual mis-conduct against Harvey Weinstein first came tolight, he may finally have some good news, with

some of the charges against him reportedly being ques-tioned. The next hearing in a New York court in his sexcrimes case has been moved up from November 8 toOctober 11 — a possible sign that prosecutors are havingdifficulties making their case, local media reported Friday.

The 66-year-old disgraced Hollywood producer is outon bail and has pleaded not guilty to six counts allegedlycommitted against three women in 2004, 2006 and 2013.The charges include rape in the first and third degree, anda criminal sex act. He could face life to prison if convicted.The New York Post and celebrity news outlet TMZ, citingpolice sources, reported that a detective is under investi-gation for possibly failing to disclose information that dis-credited one of Weinstein’s alleged victims, aspiringactress Lucia Evans.

Evans has accused Weinstein of forcing her to performo**l sex in 2004. But a witness-a casting director, accord-ing to TMZ-apparently told the police investigator thatEvans said she had willingly engaged in o**l sex to securean acting role. The New York Police Department did notimmediately respond to a request for comment.

A spokeswoman for Weinstein’s attorney Ben Brafmanconfirmed the hearing date change, but declined to pro-vide further information. The Manhattan district attorney’soffice did not immediately comment. If the reports areaccurate, the charges against Weinstein relating to hisinteractions with Evans could be thrown out, according tothe New York Daily News.

Weinstein, 66, has steadfastly insisted that he neverengaged in non-consensual sex. Brafman had alreadyasked in August that the entire case against Weinstein bethrown out, disclosing dozens of intimate emails betweenhis client and his alleged rape victim, in which she said “Ilove you.” Weinstein has been accused of misconduct bydozens of women, allegations that torpedoed his careerand galvanized the #MeToo movement.—AFP

L i f e s t y l e Sunday, October 7, 2018

21Established 1961

Fe a t u r e s

Square dancers perform at the final round of a city-wide square dance competition at a local theatre in Shanghai. — AFP photos

Square dancers perform at a public park in Shanghai.

In a sparkling white cap and oversized sun-glasses, 55-year-old retiree Zhang Yongli anddozens of neighbors liven up a Shanghai park

by doing the jitterbug, part of a public dancecraze that has become China’s national pastime.Every day, an estimated more than 100 millionpeople-dubbed “dancing aunties” as they areprimarily older women-take over squares andparks to tango, waltz, and grind out everythingfrom flamenco to Chinese traditional dance.

Complaints over speakers blaring late at nighthave ensued, and even physical brawls pittingaunties against others vying for park turf. Buttoes are tapping to an ever-quickening beat as“square dancing”-as it is known in China-booms.Teams are competing in dance-offs featuringthousands of contestants, while a thriving marketof dance-related paraphernalia and mobile appscatches the attention of the business world.

Even the government has jumped on thebandwagon to extol the health benefits. “Squaredancing happens wherever there is a square,”said Wang Guangcheng, a fitness instructor andchoreographer who helps the government devisedance routines and is widely known as China’s“Square Dance Prince”. “It has become a venuefor the masses to exercise.”

Shaping upMore than 240 million Chinese are 60 or old-

er, a number expected to double by 2050. Bythen, the government estimates China will bespending more than one-quarter of GDP on eld-erly care and medical services, compared toaround seven percent in 2015, placing increasingimportance on healthy, active lifestyles. Zhang“was sitting at home, doing nothing” after retir-ing five years ago from her travel-agency job,undergoing treatment for diabetes, high bloodpressure and cholesterol.

“Since I started dancing, my (health) indica-tors are now normal. I no longer need medica-tion,” she said as her neighborhood dancegroup’s red skirts twirled in Shanghai’sZhongshan Park. “I also look younger,” said

Zhang, who has jitterbugged away 11 kilogramsof bodyweight. A 2016 national fitness planstresses “square dancing” as a team sport to be“vigorously developed” and last year it becamean official event at China’s National Games alongwith old reliables like athletics and swimming.Local contests are proliferating.

Shanghai retiree Li Zhenhua’s team workedwith a professional instructor for weeks, endur-ing the winter chill and the summer heat of theirlocal square to train for a months-long citywidecontest that culminated in August. The team,drawn mostly from China’s ethnic Korean minor-ity, took the title with their traditional Koreandances, beating out 750 other troupes. “I washappy to find a Korean ethnic dance team inShanghai, not only to exercise and dance butalso to pass along our ethnic culture,” Li said.

Silver economyMass public dancing took root after the 1949

Communist takeover as the government organ-ized communal activities to foster unity and loy-alty to the party. But it has really taken off latelyas an increasingly prosperous China finds moreleisure time, and nearly every neighborhoodpark or square today is enlivened by dancersavailing themselves of the free exercise.

Taobao, the leading Chinese e-commerce siteowned by Alibaba, and other businesses areexpressly targeting the new market to sell cloth-ing, speakers, and gadgets for watching andlearning new dances, and market studies say theindustry is booming. Han Xiaoyuan, 28, foundeda mobile platform for organizing competitionsand purchasing gear. User numbers quintupledover the past two years to more than 500,000.It is also one of many business initiatives seekingto tap into the wider “silver economy” repre-sented by dancers, by selling travel packages,financial services and other products gearedtowards retirees.

Han said the elderly “have time (and) money....They are our best business target group”.Square dancing is even changing age-old gender

dynamics, as grandmothers are often away train-ing for long stretches. “Several of our team mem-bers’ husbands have learned to change diapersand taken over feeding the grandchildren as away of supporting us,” said 65-year-old HongAizhen, a competitor in the Shanghai-wide con-test. But many men are showing off their dancemoves as well.

Late one recent weekend, hundreds of peoplefilled a tree-lined park in central Shanghai amida cacophony of musical styles as men andwomen waltzed or formed conga lines, and chil-dren did the cha-cha. Often, they dance to oldChinese revolutionary standards or other patri-otic tunes. “We are not only delivering a fitnessculture, but also the concept of a prosperouscountry,” said choreographer Wang.

“Many songs we choose express our nationalcharacteristics and values.” But dance enthusiastZhang prefers the zesty jitterbug. “It’s quick andrhythmic. I forget all my worries when I dance,sometimes even my age,” she said.—AFP

Forever young: China’s dancing aunties kick up their heels

It’s quick and

rhythmic

Kazakhstanembraces Latin script in break with past

The classrooms of school number 76 in Kazakhstan’scapital Astana are buzzing with change as old wordstake on new forms and teachers struggle to keep

pace. Number 76 is one of several pilot schools in thecity where a Latin alphabet consisting of 32 letters isbeing test driven for the country’s state language,Kazakh, which has been written in Cyrillic for nearly 80years. The long-planned return to Latin, which Kazakhwas briefly written in from 1927 after the Bolsheviksphased out Arabic scripts for a number of non-Slavic lan-guages, should be completed by 2025. Kazakh PresidentNursultan Nazarbayev has called the reform a moderniz-ing move to make it easier to use the internet and learnEnglish. The Soviet Union encouraged the use of Cyrillicletters in its republics and a move to the Latin alphabetwould break symbolic ties with its former master, Russia.The transition has been bumpy so far, sparking philologi-cal mudslinging-notably over apostrophes.

But school administrations in the ex-Soviet countrywith close ties to Moscow have expressed confidencethat the younger generation can take all the upheaval intheir stride. “Children understand the language of com-puters, they know some English. So they will grasp Latinscript very quickly,” Ernur Omarkhanov, the state-fundedschool’s deputy director, told AFP. For their class men-tors, who spent their formative years living in the SovietUnion, it may be harder, Omarkhanov added. “Testsshowed that a task in Latin that might take a teacher twoand a half hours can be completed by pupils in 20-25minutes,” he said.

When AFP correspondents visited the school inSeptember, the class was preparing for a competitionwith the other pilot schools known as an Olympiad in for-mer Soviet republics. One of the participants in the com-petition that features a spelling contest using the newalphabet, among other games, 15-year old studentAmirbek Talipbayev said he supported the switch. Usinga Latin alphabet would help him “understand moreEnglish” and grasp how speakers of other Latin alphabetlanguages speak, he told AFP, adding he expected peoplehis age to “master it quickly.”

Apostrophe soupThe reform has sparked heated discussions. Some

opposition has come from those who are happy enoughto transition away from Cyrillic in a republic whereRussian is also widely spoken but dislike the specificalphabet adopted by state philologists. Arman Baikadam,whose business supports online education projects in thecountry, warned that Kazakhstan could be committing “ahistoric mistake” after introducing the latest 32-letterversion of the alphabet in February.

“We should have a 26-letter alphabet like the Germanand English alphabets. Our alphabet needs to be in har-mony with other Latin alphabets,” he told AFP. But if thislatest version is seen as too bulky, it is at least free of thenine apostrophes that troubled its predecessor, intro-duced in October, and which conjured a storm of publiccriticism. The apostrophes were the philologists’ attemptto represent specific Kazakh sounds but were criticizedas impractical in an era of computing.

Corruption and political risks? Kazakh is a Turkic language with similarities to

Turkish and other Turkic tongues like Uzbek andTurkmen, both of which shifted back to Latin after thosecountries gained independence from Moscow in 1991.The language’s short-lived, Soviet-era Latin alphabet hada keyboard-busting 42 letters and a return to that setwas immediately discounted by policymakers. But eachof the recent attempts to better it has triggered furor onsocial networks like Facebook, which is popular in theMuslim-majority republic of 18 million people.

A trial-balloon alphabet preceding the ill-fated,apostrophe-laden version gained notoriety for its ren-dering of the Kazakh word for carrot as “saebiz”, whichread like a harsh Russian swearword. The unhappycoincidence created such a buzz that it inspired entre-preneurs in the former capital, Almaty, to brand theirnew diner “Saebiz”. The restaurant that cheekily sportsa carrot as its logo has been busy ever since it openedlast year. More serious considerations include the costof the whole exercise and “corruption risks”, saidDaniyar Kussainov, a visiting fellow at the NorwegianInstitute of International Affairs in Oslo.

Kussainov pointed to a “high possibility” of misalloca-tion of resources for changing signs, texts and otheritems in Cyrillic to Latin during the transition period. Thecountry’s name, which appears everywhere, is spelled“Qazaqstan” in the new alphabet, for instance. The ana-lyst was less concerned, however, by the shift’s geopoliti-cal implications, which he believes are negligible despitespeculation about Russia’s disgruntlement.

Nazarbayev has reassured Russian speakers that theirlanguage’s privileged status will not be affected andKussainov believes Astana had a similar conversationwith powerful ally, Moscow, before the switch wasannounced. Had it not, the move would have been “reck-less and even quite dangerous,” he told AFP.—AFP

Artist to issue Swiss passports in London installation

Ever wanted to hold a Swiss passport in theseuncertain times? If you head to London’supscale Mayfair district this weekend, you

can check out an art installation by Americansculptor Tom Sachs called “Swiss PassportOffice”, which for 20 euros will issue a fake ver-sion of the highly coveted document. Set up onthe sidelines of London’s annual Frieze Art Fair,the installation “encompasses contemporary con-cerns relating to Brexit, Syria and (US PresidentDonald) Trump’s immigration policies”, accordingto a press release. “The Swiss passport representsthe ultimate status in nationality... It is a tax haven.

No one is going to bomb Switzerland becausethe good guys and the bad guys both have theirmoney there. It is the centre of Europe,” Sachssaid. At desks set up in front of a large Swiss flag- which features a white cross on a red back-ground - applicants are asked personal questions,have their photograph taken and their name typedonto a serial-numbered “Tom Sachs Studio pass-port”. The document is stamped with a studioendorsement and its number put into a database.The “passports” are being issued for 24 hoursonly, starting at 1700 GMT on Friday, at theinstallation, housed in the Galerie ThaddaeusRopac in Mayfair.

“They are not authorized by the Swiss govern-ment,” the 52-year-old Sachs told Reuters. “Theyare authorized by my studio and you can usethem. You can make the world not the way it is buthow you want it to be by believing and that is howyou affect change.” Sachs, known for his bricolagerecreations of engineering and design works, saidin a statement that his project aimed to expose theartificiality of borders “at a time when our liberaldemocracies are being threatened and oppressedpeople all over the world live in danger and with-out refuge”. After Saturday, the installation willremain on display until November. — AFP

These pictures show children attending a class at Astana’s school number 76. — AFP photos

Sunday, October 7, 2018L i f e s t y l e Fe a t u r e s

Established 1961 22

An undated handout picturereleased by the Union Theatre

shows actors during arehearsal for the play ‘People

Like Us’ by columnist JulieBurchill and novelist Jane

Robins. — AFP

Buyers, workers and auctioneers attend the final

tuna auction at the landmarkTsukiji fishmarket, the last

day of the market’s operations before closing

its doors, in Tokyo. — AFP photos

People participate in the 23rd Annual Salem Chamber of Commerce Haunted Happenings Grand Parade, which launches the Halloween season in Salem, Massachusetts.

Buyers inspect fish before the final tuna auction.

Friends shunned, lovers torn apart and emotionsexploding: a new play running in London thismonth tackles the very personal divisions in

British society caused by Brexit. “People Like Us”,a tragi-comedy by the columnist Julie Burchill andnovelist Jane Robins, asks whether it is possible tostay friends with people who hold opposing views.The play was sparked by what the Brexit-backingwriters felt was a social out casting of Leave votersby more vocal, self-righteous Remainers-particu-larly in the fervently pro-EU London artsy circles.

“It’s what they call projection. Everything theyaccuse us of, they are: a small, monoculturalclique,” Burchill, 59, told AFP. “They call us bigots-but they won’t listen to us for a second! “By pro-jecting all their sins onto us, they are cleansed.”Robins, 60, said she was invited to severalChristmas parties in 2016, six months after theBrexit vote-and avoided the lot. “I knew theywould all be so miserable. Christmas wakes,” shetold AFP.

“Every single one was going to be Remainersmoaning in despair-and they would look at me as

the one to be blamed.” Burchill’s stinging columnsabout Remainers’ “pathetic petulance” and thesocial backlash aimed at Leavers chimed withRobins. The two met via a mutual friend-and setabout penning a drama. They found rich inspirationin the aftermath of the referendum. The vote wasbitterly contested and led to relationship break-downs, friends falling out and even inter-genera-tional conflict between Leave-voting children andRemain-voting parents.

Book group bust-up“People Like Us” centers on five friends in a

book group and takes place around the 2016 Brexitreferendum.

It features pompous Ralph, his self-righteousFrench girlfriend Clemence, fence-sitting eternaloptimist Will, judgmental minx Stacey and her no-nonsense, wine-guzzling friend Frances. Ralph,Stacey and Will are old mates from OxfordUniversity. Ralph, Clemence and Will areRemainers, while Stacey and Frances are Leavers.The setting is Ralph’s flat in Islington: the north

London epicenter of right-on thinking.The book group’s first monthly meeting takes

place just before the Brexit vote and tensions arebeginning to stir. But afterwards, divisions surfaceand emotions boil over. Ralph is consumed by“numbing, excruciating grief; with a top note ofdespair”, while for Stacey, Brexit was “a revolutionI could witness” and the first thing that “actuallymade me feel something”. The sniping from bothsides culminates in a catfight. The book groupbreaks up, each side unable to bear the other’s atti-tude. Though pegged around Brexit, the drawing-room comedy focuses on the boundaries of modernfriendship.

Brexit derangement syndrome“Now it’s like a mob mentality,” said Robins.

“Because we voted for Brexit, they think we’re evil.“Brexit derangement syndrome is a real thing.“What the hell’s happened to our society that wecan’t be friends with people anymore because ofthis vote? It’s bizarre.” The play, which runs untilOctober 20 at the 70-seat Union Theatre, sold outbefore it opened-much to the writers’ surprise.

Given the Remain-dominated atmosphere in theLondon arts world, they doubted the play wouldeven get put on-and were prepared to stage it inthe back room of a pub. Now the writers hope totransfer to a bigger London theatre and take the

play to the Brexit heartlands. Robins said: “Wereally hope that people come who don’t generallygo to the theatre because it’s alienating forthem.”—AFP

New theatre comedy dramatizes Brexit break-ups

A revolution I could witness

Tokyo fishmongers gathered beforedawn yesterday for one final tunaauction at the world-famous Tsukiji

market before it closed its doors to moveto a new site. It was an emotional momentfor veterans of the market, the beatingheart of Tokyo’s culinary scene fordecades, which many acknowledged hadbecome too rundown to support its mam-moth operations.

“I’m almost crying,” said Hisao Ishii, aretired seafood auctioneer who was backat the market for its final day. “Today is asad day of goodbyes. Tsukiji tried to meetthe times, but it is getting older,” the 68-year-old told AFP. “I came here today totell Tsukiji thank you and goodbye.” In theweak early-morning sun, traders filed intoa warehouse for the last tuna auction, anindispensable ritual in Tokyo’s culinaryworld, and a major tourist draw.

Hundreds of fresh and frozen tunatagged with their weight and port of originwere laid out in lines in a refrigeratedwarehouse, as buyers in rubber boots qui-etly inspected the wares. They rubbedslices between their fingers and shonetorches into the insides of the fish, swap-ping information with rivals before theshowdown began. At 6:00 am sharp, hand-bells rang to signal the auction was underway and the air filled with the sound ofauctioneers yelling prices at buyers, whoraised fingers to indicate interest.

The highest bidder at yesterday’sauction paid 4.4 million yen ($38,700)for a bluefin tuna-a threatened species-weighing 162 kilograms (357 pounds)caught off Aomori, northern Japan,according to the market. It was far belowthe record 155.4 million yen paid at thefirst auction of 2013. Buyers traditionallyoffer eye-watering prices as a “NewYear gratuity” when the market resumesoperation after winter holidays.

Pass the batonFish wholesaler Takeshi Yoshida said

Tsukiji had left “its mark on history” but itwas time to “pass the baton”. Tsukiji’s innermarket, known as “Japan’s Kitchen”, willnow move to Toyosu, a site in easternTokyo, where operations will begin onOctober 11. “It will be the first massivemove in our history,” said Hiroyasu Ito,chair of the market association. “We wantto club together and get through it,” hetold reporters.

The move has been in the works foryears, prompted by Tsukiji’s dilapidatedstate. Wholesalers had raised concernsabout the antiquated facility’s earthquakeresistance, sanitation and fire safety, aswell as the structure’s use of asbestos andits crumbling walls. The crowds of touristswho would mob the market, includinggroups who lined up for hours to win oneof just 120 spots for the tuna auction,would also irk wholesalers by interferingwith business. The new site will featurestate-of-the-art refrigeration, whiletourists will be confined to special galleriesbehind glass.

But the move has proved controversial,with rows breaking out over pollution andthe loss of Tsukiji’s globally recognizedbrand. Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike wasforced to delay the move after a series ofproblems at Toyosu, formerly home to agas plant, including soil and groundwatercontamination. Local authorities paid hun-dreds of millions of dollars to clean up thenew facility and Koike took the final deci-sion to move the market there in late 2017,ending years of delays.

Hopes and fearsThe move affects not only the famed

fishmongers, but also fruit and vegetablevendors, restaurants and other shops in theinner market. “I feel nostalgic as Tsukiji hasbeen my home ground for 15 years. We aresad to lose the Tsukiji brand,” vegetablewholesaler Tsukasa Kujirai told AFP. Heacknowledged the need for the move butsaid he was torn between “hopes and

fears” about the new site. The final day ofthe market looked much like any other inthe decades since it opened on the site.

Cars and small “turret trucks” used byvendors whizzed along the roads aroundthe market, which was full of buyers. As themarket closed at noon, workers busilymopped the empty floor after the auction,while hundreds of tourists flocked to thegate, taking pictures of the market’s name-board. “It’s so sad to hear that this verypopular and interesting tourist spot will beclosed,” said Rodolfo Hernandez, a 28-year-old graduate student from Mexico.

The so-called outer market, withbrick-and-mortar shops selling every-thing from seaweed to coffee, will remainafter the move. But the warehouses thathoused vendors and additional shopsand restaurants are expected to be lev-eled to make way, initially, for a transportdepot for the 2020 Olympic Games.Beyond that, Koike has suggested thesite could be transformed into a kind ofculinary theme park, commemorating themarket’s colorful history.—AFP

‘We just got Banksy-ed’: Balloon girl painting self-destructs at sale

Apainting by mysterious British artist Banksyshred itself into pieces at the moment itsold for more than 1 million pounds at a

London auction on Friday. “Girl with Balloon”, oneof Banksy’s best-known works, disappeared into ashredder hidden in its frame as the hammer fell at1,042,000 pounds ($1.37 million), a sum thatmatched the artist’s previous record sale, auctionhouse Sotheby’s said. “It appears we just gotBanksy-ed,” Alex Branczik, senior director andhead of contemporary art, said in a statement onSotheby’s website.

Banksy himself posted an Instagram picture ofshocked onlookers watching the painting disinte-grate, with the caption: “Going, going, gone...”Sotheby’s said this was “certainly” the first time awork of art started to shred itself after comingunder the hammer. The auction house was notimmediately available for comment on the where-abouts of the painting’s remains, or how its valuemight have changed in light of its self-destruction.

Banksy, whose real identity is unknown, isknown for sharply ironic outdoor graffiti withpolitical themes, including at Israel’s barrier at theWest Bank and Disneyland where he painted alife-size figure of a Guantanamo Bay detainee.Once a small-time graffiti artist from the Englishcity of Bristol, Banksy’s work has become hugelyvaluable.—Reuters

23rd Annual Salem Grand Parade

Going, going, gone! Tokyo’s Tsukiji holds last tuna auction

Directorate General of Civil Aviation Home Page (www.kuwait-airport.com.kw)

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KAC 792 Madinah 13:40JZR 779 Jeddah 13:45FEG 341 Sohag 13:50IAW 157A Al Najaf 13:55KAC 672 Dubai 13:55QTR 1078 Doha 14:10JZR 125 Bahrain 14:15GFA 221 Bahrain 14:15FDB 059 Dubai 14:20KAC 618 Doha 14:20KAC 364 Colombo 14:20KAC 516 Tehran 14:20JZR 751 Madinah 14:30SVA 500 Jeddah 14:45KAC 788 Jeddah 14:50ETD 303 Abu Dhabi 15:05KAC 304 Mumbai 15:05KNE 529 Jeddah 15:10KAC 562 Amman 15:20OMA 645 Muscat 15:20ABY 127 Sharjah 15:35KAC 502 Beirut 15:35UAE 857 Dubai 15:45SYR 341 Damascus 15:55KAC 118 New York 16:00JZR 535 Cairo 16:10QTR 1072 Doha 16:15FDB 051 Dubai 16:20KAC 542 Cairo 17:00SVA 510 Riyadh 17:15GFA 215 Bahrain 17:30JZR 145 Doha 17:35JZR 777 Jeddah 17:35JZR 177 Dubai 17:40QTR 1080 Doha 18:10JZR 483 Istanbul 18:20MSR 620 Cairo 18:30RJA 640 Amman 19:00GFA 217 Bahrain 19:05UAE 875 Dubai 19:05FDB 063 Dubai 19:10ABY 123 Sharjah 19:20KAC 156 Istanbul 19:25KAC 776 Riyadh 19:35KAC 674 Dubai 19:40RBG 555 Alexandria 19:40FDB 057 Dubai 19:50KAC 104 London 20:00DLH 624 Frankfurt 20:05OMA 647 Muscat 20:05KAC 620 Doha 20:15MEA 402 Beirut 20:15KAC 166 Rome 20:25QTR 1088 Doha 20:40JZR 803 Tbilisi 20:45KAC 172 Frankfurt 20:45JZR 553 Alexandria 20:50UAE 859 Dubai 21:15ALK 229 Colombo 21:15KAC 676 Dubai 21:35KAC 564 Amman 21:50GFA 219 Bahrain 21:50QTR 1082 Doha 22:05ETD 309 Abu Dhabi 22:10KAC 786 Jeddah 22:15AIC 981 Chennai/Ahmedabad 22:25JZR 185 Dubai 22:50JAI 574 Mumbai 23:00MSR 2614 Cairo 23:30FDB 071 Dubai 23:35JZR 241 Amman 23:40PIA 205 Lahore 23:40

Departure Flights on Sunday 7/10/2018Airlines Flt Route TimeAIC 988 Hyderabad/Chennai 00:05BBC 044 Dhaka 00:10MSC 502 Alexandria 00:15KAC 417 Manila 00:25JAI 573 Mumbai 00:30MSR 2615 Cairo 00:30FDB 072 Dubai 00:30KAC 677 Dubai 01:30THY 773 Istanbul 01:45DLH 625 Frankfurt 01:50KAC 363 Colombo 01:50JZR 502 Luxor 01:55PGT 859 Istanbul 02:15THY 765 Istanbul 02:50KKK 1269 Istanbul 02:55ETH 621 Addis Ababa 03:05KLM 446 Amsterdam 03:10JZR 142 Doha 03:20UAE 854 Dubai 03:30ETD 306 Abu Dhabi 04:05OMA 644 Muscat 04:05QTR 1087 Doha 04:15MSR 613 Cairo 04:15PGT 861 Istanbul 04:25LMU 511 Cairo 05:00JAI 571 Mumbai 05:00QTR 1077 Doha 05:15JZR 902 Baku 05:30KAC 303 Mumbai 05:35KAC 103 London 05:45FDB 070 Dubai 06:00JZR 786 Riyadh 06:05THY 771 Istanbul 06:30GFA 212 Bahrain 06:50RJA 649 Amman 07:00QTR 8512 Doha 07:00JZR 164 Dubai 07:15KAC 171 Frankfurt 07:55KAC 501 Beirut 08:00JZR 778 Jeddah 08:00BAW 156 London 08:20KAC 165 Rome 08:25FDB 054 Dubai 08:35KAC 791 Madinah 09:00KAC 613 Bahrain 09:00KAC 117 New York 09:05KAC 787 Jeddah 09:05KAC 671 Dubai 09:15KAC 561 Amman 09:40ABY 126 Sharjah 09:40JZR 534 Cairo 09:45KAC 741 Dammam 09:45KAC 773 Riyadh 09:45UAE 856 Dubai 09:50JZR 482 Istanbul 09:55KAC 101 London 10:00KAC 515 Tehran 10:00ETD 302 Abu Dhabi 10:00KAC 541 Cairo 10:00JZR 750 Madinah 10:15KAC 617 Doha 10:20IRA 664 Shiraz 10:25KAC 155 Istanbul 10:25QTR 1071 Doha 10:40FDB 056 Dubai 10:40SVA 513 Riyadh 11:00IRC 529 Ahwaz 11:00IAW 158 Al Najaf 11:00JZR 124 Bahrain 11:20GFA 214 Bahrain 11:35MEA 405 Beirut 11:55

JZR 776 Jeddah 12:05QTR 1075 Doha 12:10JZR 176 Dubai 13:10SAW 702 Damascus 13:30JZR 144 Doha 13:55MSR 611 Cairo 14:00JZR 552 Alexandria 14:05AXB 394 Kozhikode 14:10UAE 872 Dubai 14:15FEG 442 Asyut 14:50JZR 802 Tbilisi 14:50IAW 158A Al Najaf 14:55GFA 222 Bahrain 15:00KAC 673 Dubai 15:00FDB 060 Dubai 15:05QTR 1079 Doha 15:15SVA 501 Jeddah 15:45KAC 775 Riyadh 15:55KNE 530 Jeddah 16:00KAC 785 Jeddah 16:00JZR 606 Kochi 16:00KAC 563 Amman 16:10ABY 128 Sharjah 16:15KAC 619 Doha 16:15ETD 304 Abu Dhabi 16:20OMA 646 Muscat 16:20SYR 342 Damascus 16:55KAC 675 Dubai 17:00KAC 503 Beirut 17:15FDB 052 Dubai 17:20QTR 1073 Doha 17:25UAE 858 Dubai 17:40KAC 381 Delhi 17:45KAC 331 Trivandrum 17:55KAC 283 Dhaka 18:00KAC 343 Chennai 18:00SVA 511 Riyadh 18:15JZR 184 Dubai 18:20GFA 216 Bahrain 18:20JZR 608 Hyderabad 18:25JZR 240 Amman 18:30JZR 538 Cairo 18:35JZR 650 Lahore 18:35KAC 345 Ahmedabad 19:20QTR 1081 Doha 19:20MSR 621 Cairo 19:30GFA 218 Bahrain 19:50FDB 064 Dubai 19:50RJA 641 Amman 20:00ABY 124 Sharjah 20:00RBG 556 Alexandria 20:20FDB 058 Dubai 20:30JZR 602 Mumbai 20:30UAE 876 Dubai 20:35DLH 624 Dammam 20:50KAC 353 Bengaluru 21:00KAC 357 Kochi 21:00OMA 648 Muscat 21:05MEA 403 Beirut 21:15KAC 301 Mumbai 21:35QTR 1089 Doha 21:50DHX 171 Bahrain 21:50KAC 203 Lahore 22:00KAC 1543 Cairo 22:15ALK 230 Colombo 22:20KAC 383 Delhi 22:25UAE 860 Dubai 22:35GFA 220 Bahrain 22:50KAC 783 Jeddah 22:50ETD 310 Abu Dhabi 23:00KAC 411 Bangkok 23:15QTR 1083 Doha 23:20JZR 560 Sohag 23:45

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Sunday, October 7, 2018N e w s

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are doing in case of any unforeseen event, he added.That’s why people are choosing “modular systemsshaped like human bodies” which are meant to easily fitinto real-world environments built for humans. Forinstance Atlas, a humanoid robot made by BostonDynamics, can run on different types of surfaces. InMadrid, Marc Raibert, founder of the US firm, played avideo showing Atlas doing a backflip.

In a sign of fears over the potential future uses forthese humanoids, Amnesty International has accusedAtlas, financed by an agency of the US Department ofDefense, of being a “killer robot” made for future war-fare. Another example of humanoids presented inMadrid is Talos, a robot made by Spanish company PalRobotics shown testing his stability on a balance board.While it may not be the only form used for those com-ing into contact with humans, “it’s easier for people toaccept the robots when they have human-like facesbecause people can expect how the robots will move,will react,” said Kamide.

That’s comforting, but it also has its limits. Japaneseresearcher Masahiro Mori’s “uncanny valley” theory,

which he developed in the 1970s, states that we reactpositively to robots if they have physical features famil-iar to us but they disturb us if they start looking toomuch like us. “You can’t ever make a perfect humanface” and this imperfection provokes a feeling of“rejection” among humans, said Miguel Salichs, a pro-fessor at the robotics lab of Madrid’s Carlos IIIUniversity. As such, he chose to fashion his robot MiniMaggie into a small cartoon animal.

In Japan, robots like Erica are already used asreceptionists. But for one of their makers, HiroshiIshiguro, a professor at Osaka University, humanoidsare above all “a very important tool to understandhumans”. Researchers have to think hard about thehuman form and how humans interact to develop robotsthat look like them. “We understand the humans byusing robots, the importance for example of eye gaz-ing,” said Ishiguro, who has also made robots that looklike dead celebrities, or “moving statues”.

He believes that humanoids are best to improveinteractions between robots and humans. “The humanbrain that we have has many functions to recognizehumans. The natural interface for the humans is thehumans,” said Ishiguro. For Jurgen Schmidhuber, presi-dent of artificial intelligence start-up NNAISENSE,robots-be they humanoid or not-will be part of ourfuture. They won’t just imitate humans but will solveproblems by experimenting themselves thanks to artifi-cial intelligence without “a human teacher,” he believes.Sitting on her chair, Erica nods her head. — AFP

Human-like robotsspark fascination...

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It is not clear why Meng - the first Chinese presidentof Interpol - would be under investigation. Chinesepresident Xi Jinping has presided over a popular anti-graft drive since coming to power in 2012 that has pun-ished more than one million officials, with critics com-paring it to a political purge. Meng rose up the ranks ofthe country’s domestic security apparatus when it wasunder the leadership of Zhou Yongkang, a rival to Xiand the highest-ranking official to be brought down oncorruption charges. Zhou - who was sentenced to life inprison in 2014 - was subsequently accused of conspir-ing to seize state power and authorities have continuedworking to root out his influence. He appointed Mengvice security minister in 2004.

In the role Meng has been entrusted with a numberof sensitive portfolios, including heading up the coun-

try’s counter-terrorism division, which saw him incharge of the response to several major incidents inChina’s fractious western region of Xinjiang. Critics ofMeng’s 2016 election to Interpol’s presidency said hewould use the position to help China target dissidentsabroad under the guise of pursuing corrupt officials.Interpol has downplayed the concerns, saying the pres-ident has little influence over the organization’s day-to-day operations, which are handled by secretary-generalJuergen Stock, a German.

The Chinese effort to track down corrupt officialsabroad, known as Operation Fox Hunt, has led to claimsin some countries that Chinese law-enforcement agentshave been operating covertly on their soil without theapproval or consent of local authorities. China currentlyhas 44 outstanding red notices, mostly related to mur-der, intentional injury and drug smuggling, according toInterpol’s web site. During Meng’s tenure, Interpolissued a red notice for fugitive Chinese billionaire realestate tycoon Guo Wengui, who threatened to revealcorruption at the country’s highest levels. Authorities inChina and Hong Kong have accused Guo, who residesin the United States, of laundering billions of dollarsamong other crimes. — AFP

China tight-lipped as Interpol chief...

GIZA, Egypt: US First Lady Melania Trump visits the Giza Pyramids and sphinx yesterday, during the final stop of her week-long trip through four countries in Africa. — AFP (See Page 7)

OSLO: The bookies’ odds point towards the Koreans, orDonald Trump. The experts are betting on the fight againstsexual violence or defenders of the press. But all speculationends Friday when the Nobel Peace Prize is unveiled in Oslo.At 0900 GMT, the annual Nobel prize-giving week reachesits peak as the five-member Norwegian committee ends theguessing game by announcing this year’s winner. And antici-pation is likely to be heightened after the postponement ofthis year’s Literature Prize for the first time in 70 years overa rape scandal that came to light as part of the #MeToomovement which took off exactly a year ago.

This year, a total of 331 individuals and organizationswere nominated for the prestigious peace award, almost arecord number. But with the list a closely guarded secret,guessing who might be a contender is largely a game ofchance. Among the bookmakers, the choice was largelyunanimous with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un andhis South Korean counterpart Moon Jae-in frontrunnersfor the prize for their efforts at rapprochement betweenthe two nations.

But choosing Kim may be a step too far for theNorwegian committee, given the UN’s damning verdict onNorth Korea’s “long-standing and ongoing systematic, wide-spread and gross violations of human rights”. Another unex-pected favorite is Donald Trump, who at 7-1 is one of threefrontrunners flagged by online bookies Betsson, with theodds suggesting the bombastic American president is 10times more likely to win than figures like France’s EmmanuelMacron or Russia’s Vladimir Putin.

Taking a step back from the international spotlight, sever-al Nobel experts see the prize honoring those involved in thefight against sexual violence at a time when the aftershocksof the #MeToo movement are still making waves around theglobe. A top contender would likely be Congolese gynaecol-ogist Denis Mukwege, better known as “Doctor Miracle”,who has spent two decades helping women recover from theviolence and trauma of rape in war-torn eastern DemocraticRepublic of Congo. Another possible laureate is Nadia

Murad, a 25-year-old Yazidi woman who was kidnapped byIslamic State militants in 2014 and endured three months as asex slave before managing to escape.

One area yet to be honored by the Nobel committee isthe campaign to protect press freedom, which has beenspearheaded by organizations like the Committee to ProtectJournalists (CPJ) and Reporters Without Borders (RSF).Such an award would be a nod to the role of a free press as apillar of democracy at a time when the profession is increas-ingly under threat from repression, violence and the prolifer-ation of “fake news”.

Other potential laureates include the World FoodProgramme, the UN refugee agency UNHCR, jailed Saudiblogger Raif Badawi and Russian human rights championslike the NGO Memorial and opposition newspaper NovayaGazeta. Last year, the prize was won by the InternationalCampaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN). The 2018Nobel season opened on Monday with two immunologists,James Allison of the US and Tasuku Honjo of Japan, winningthe Medicine Prize for research into how the body’s naturaldefences can fight cancer.

Tuesday’s Physics Prize was won by three scientists,Arthur Ashkin of the United States, Gerard Mourou ofFrance and Donna Strickland of Canada, for inventing opticallasers that paved the way for advanced precision instrumentsused in corrective eye surgery. And on Wednesday, US sci-entists Frances Arnold and George Smith and Britishresearcher Gregory Winter won the Chemistry Prize forapplying the principles of evolution to develop proteins usedto make everything from biofuels to medicine.

This year’s award season will end on Monday with theeconomics prize. Up to three nominees can share theprize, which consists of a gold medal, a diploma and acheque for nine million Swedish kronor (around $1 millionor 867,000 euros). The award will be presented at a cer-emony in Oslo on December 10, the anniversary of the1896 death of prize creator Alfred Nobel, a Swedish phi-lanthropist and scientist. — AFP

Nobel Peace Prize wide open; Global leaders, or grassroots campaigners?

INCHEON: Oil giant Saudi Arabia backed down atthe last minute yesterday from obstructing the adop-tion of a major report by the UN’s climate sciencepanel, sources said. With the threat removed, themeeting of the 195-nation panel in Incheon, SouthKorea-deep into overtime-swiftly approved thereport on how to cap global warming at 1.5 degreesCelsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit), and what a 1.5Cworld might look like.

The Saudis had objected to the inclusion of a pas-sage emphasizing the need for sharp reductions inthe use of fossil fuels-Saudi Arabia’s main export.“Saudi Arabia withdrew its blockage of the passagewhen their objection was about to be formallyrecorded in a footnote,” said a participant in themeeting. “It was a game of chicken, and the Saudi’sblinked first.” The 500-page report-based on 6,000peer reviewed studies-under review at the meetingof the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change(IPCC) is a collaborative effort of the world’s top cli-mate scientists.

Under the IPCC’s consensus rules, all countriesmust sign off on the language of a 20-page Summaryfor Policymakers, designed to provide leaders withobjective, science-based information. After six hoursof fruitless negotiations yesterday morning, the chairof the IPPC meeting adjourned the plenary aroundmidday, warning: “The report hangs in the balance.” Abreak-out group-or “huddle,” in UN jargon-made no

progress in resolving the deadlock. Finally, when theplenary resumed, the Saudi’s withdrew their objectionjust before their demand was to be rejected and not-ed in the record.

“We expected tough negotiations on this landmarkreport and we are happy that governments havedelivered a good reflection of the underlying science,”said Stephen Cornelius, WWF’s chief advisor on cli-mate change and a former IPCC negotiator. “Currentcountry pledges to cut emissions are insufficient tolimit global warming to 1.5∞C-you can’t negotiatewith science.” A email to Saudi officials was notanswered, and delegates at the closed-door meetingwere not available for comment.

At issue was a passage in the summary stating thatvoluntary national commitments to reduce green-house gas emissions, annexed to the 2015 Paris cli-mate treaty, will fail to limit warming to 1.5C. Currentpledges would at best yield a 3C world by century’send, far above the 2C cap mandated by the ParisAgreement. These so-called “nationally determinedcontributions” run from 2020 to 2030 for most coun-tries, including Saudi Arabia, and to 2025 for a fewothers. The passage goes on to note that cappingglobal warming under 1.5C “can only be achieved ifglobal CO2 emissions start to decline well before2030”. As a consequence, scientists and climateactivists have called on countries to ratchet up theircarbon-cutting pledges as soon as possible.

In the case of an impasse, the chairs of an IPCCmeeting can override an objection from one or a fewcountries, recording it in a footnote. “It’s quite rarethat a government will be willing to have their nameon the bottom of the page with an asterisk,” JonathanLynn, head of communications for the IPCC, said lastweek. “We do everything we can to avoid it.” — AFP

Saudi backs down from blocking theUN climate report

Farah, Rupp face African challenge in ChicagoCHICAGO: The spotlight will be on formertraining partners Mo Farah and Galen Ruppbut African runners could prevail in whatpromises to be a stellar but wet ChicagoMarathon today.

Ethiopians Mosinet Geremew and BirhanuLegese and Kenyans Dickson Chumba, AbelKirui and Kenneth Kipkemoi all have runfaster than British marathon record holderFarah and reigning champion Rupp with Kiruiand Chumba former Chicago winners.

Kenyan world championship gold medallistGeoffrey Kirui is also a major threat. “You’vegot guys who’ve run 2:04,” Farah toldRunner’s World. “There are seven or eightgood guys. I don’t even know who to thinkcould win that race.”

But the intriguing story of two formerpartners chasing the same goal makes forhigh theatre. US Olympic marathon bronzemedallist Rupp and Farah, four times anOlympic gold medallist on the track, trainedtogether in Oregon for six years before Farahreturned to Britain in 2017.

Now they face off on the roads withAmerican Rupp still coached by AlbertoSalazar and Farah, now 35, running his first U.S.marathon under the guidance of Gary Lough,the husband and former coach of women’s

world marathon record holder Paula Radcliffe.“It’s part of making the race exciting-it’s

what people want to see,” Farah said whenasked about the rivalry. “Like, when you go towatch boxing you want to see the best boxersfight each other. There’s a lot of talk, you know?That’s how athletics is and why all the fans sup-port us. Only the best man will do it on the day.It’s nice to give the people who’ve seen usthroughout our careers something to watch.”

Both profess to be in top shape. Farah, whoclaimed the British record with his 2:06:21 forthird in April’s London Marathon, hopes toeclipse Norwegian Sondre Nordstad Moen’sEuropean record of 2:05:48.

“For me satisfaction will be to run a per-sonal best,” he said. Rupp, who clocked2:06:07 at Prague in May, also wants to gofaster. “This is probably the best situationI’ve ever been in to run fast,” said the 32-year-old American, who won last year’s racein 2:09:20. The US record is 2:05:38.

Kenyans Brigid Kosgei, the 2017 runner-up, and Florence Kiplagat, a two-timeChicago winner, will likely headline thewomen’s field along with Ethiopians RozaDereje and Birhane Dibaba. All have run2:20 or better. Wet weather, however, couldaffect racing. There is a 50 percent chanceof showers. — Reuters

SUZUKA: Formula One leader Lewis Hamilton seizeda record-extending 80th pole position at the JapaneseGrand Prix yesterday, timing his sole flying lap to per-fection while Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel will start eighth.

The Mercedes driver, in dominant form all weekendat the Suzuka circuit, pumped in a one minute 27.760second lap on the super-soft tyres while it was stillonly just spitting with rain.

Vettel and Ferrari team mate Kimi Raikkonen, whowent out on intermediate tyres in the final part of qual-ifying with the track still dry, lost time coming back into fit the super-soft tyres.

The German then made another mistake on his firstflying lap and was unable to get another one in as theintermittent drizzle turned into a full-blown showerthat drenched the track. Meanwhile, Hamilton-whoalong with team mate Valtteri Bottas had gone outstraight away on the super-soft tyres to beat the rain-was lighting up the timing screens.

“The team have done an amazing job this weekend,and the call that we made for Q3 was probably themost difficult,” said the Briton, joined by Bottas on thefront row after the Finn completed a second successiveMercedes front row lockout.

“It’s so difficult when the pressure is on to make theright call but that’s the big difference between us thisyear and that’s why we’re the best and the teamdeserve it,” added Hamilton. Vettel trails his fellowfour-times champion by 50 points in the standingswith just four races left after Japan. His hopes are fad-ing fast and he needs a huge stroke of luck now toreignite his challenge.

“Obviously it’s not the position we deserve to bein,” said the 31-year-old, who qualified ninth butmoved up a place after Force India’s Esteban Oconwas handed a three place drop for a red flag infringe-ment in final practice. “Anything can happen tomorrow.Tomorrow is a new day.”

RICCIARDO FUMESVettel’s misfortune allowed 21-year-old Dutch driver

Max Verstappen to qualify third for Red Bull.“We have a bigger chance now to be on the podi-

um,” said Verstappen, doubting that he would need toworry too much about the others’ title battle: “Is it stilla battle? I’m not sure,” he said.

While the Dutchman celebrated, team mate DanielRicciardo was left hoarse with anger after a power unitproblem sidelined him during the second phase ofqualifying before he had set a time.

The Australian, as a consequence, is set to start 15th.“I just can’t catch a break,” said Ricciardo, who is leav-ing Red Bull for Renault at the end of the year. ToroRosso starred in what is a home race for engine-suppli-er Honda with New Zealander Brendon Hartley sixthahead of French team mate Pierre Gasly in seventh.

“I’m stoked with that. I was actually a bit emotionalon the in-lap,” said Hartley, who has had a tough timethis year and faces an uncertain future. RivalsMcLaren, who dumped Honda for Renault after threefrustrating years, meanwhile could do no better than18th and 19th.

The retiring Fernando Alonso beat StoffelVandoorne but neither driver made it past the opening

18-minute part of the session. Sweden’s MarcusEricsson briefly brought out the red flags when hecrashed his Sauber at the fast left-handed Dunlopcurve early in the session.

Renault’s German Nico Hulkenberg, who crashed inthe final practice session ahead of qualifying, made itback out on track but was also knocked out in the first

phase having set the 16th quickest time.That could be bad news for the fourth-placed French

team, with their closest rivals Haas having RomainGrosjean qualify fifth. Hamilton has won five of the lastsix races and is already in a position where he does notneed to win again this year to clinch the title. The Britonwon from pole in Japan last year. — Reuters

S p o r t s Sunday, October 7, 2018

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Hamilton storms to 80th pole in Japan, Sebastian Vettel eighth

Mercedes secure second successive front row lockout

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Marquezseizes historicpole at ThailandMotoGPBURIRAM: Championship leaderMarc Marquez made history as hebecame the first rider to climb out ofQ1 and claim pole position at theinaugural Thailand MotoGP yester-day. The Spaniard had to fight hisway through the first qualifying ses-sion after a crash in practice, but inQ2 he stormed to a time of lmin30.088secs for his 50th pole.

It underlined the superb form ofthe Honda rider, who holds a 72-pointlead over Andrea Dovizioso with fiveraces remaining as he closes on a fifthworld title. “Of course I was happyhow I finished the day,” Marquez, 25,told reporters, describing his morning

practice session as “unlucky”.Seven-time world champion

Valentino Rossi, who along withMarquez is a firm favourite amongThai fans, was 11-hundredths behindMarquez with Dovizioso third fastest.Yamaha’s Rossi described his time asa “great result” after he qualified just18th quickest last month in Aragon,his lowest grid position since 2006.

However Jorge Lorenzo, whoarrived carrying a foot injury andthen damaged his wrist in a heavycrash during practice Friday, is outafter he withdrew before qualifying.Italian riders Marco Bezzecchi andLorenzo Baldassarri will start frompole in the Moto3 and Moto2 racesrespectively.

Thailand’s first MotoGP is beingheld in the rural town of Buriram,which is several hours’ drive fromBangkok and has a population of onlyabout 30,000. More than double thatsize turned out yesterday, accordingto organisers. The 25-lap race is atthe Chang International Circuit, theonly Formula One-grade track in thecountry. — AFP

SUZUKA: Pole position winner of the qualifying session Mercedes’ British driver Lewis Hamilton (C), second pole posi-tion Mercedes’ Finnish driver Valtteri Bottas (L) and third pole position Red Bull racing’s Dutch driver Max Verstappen(R) pose after the qualifying session of the Formula One Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka yesterday. —AFP

KUWAIT: Head of Kuwait Winter Games Club, Fuhaid Al-Ajmi presenting a trophy toSpeaker, Marzouq Al-Ghanim in appreciation for his support.

CHICAGO: Sir Mo Farah on a training run alongside Lake Michigan ahead of the 2018 Bank ofAmerica Chicago Marathon yesterday in Chicago, Illinois. —AFP

‘I’ve neverhad criminal involvement’:RakhimovBUENOS AIRES: Gafur Rakhimov, theinterim president of the International BoxingAssociation (AIBA), whose sport has beenthreatened with expulsion from the Olympics,has told AFP he has “never been involved intransnational criminal organisations.”

In an exclusive written response to ques-tions from AFP, Rakhimov said he was “sort-ing out the mess” and added “I hope that Iwill not be the only candidate for president”in the upcoming AIBA election.

On Friday, the International OlympicCommittee (IOC) said it was “freezing con-tacts” with AIBA and would refuse Rakhimovaccreditation for the Youth Olympics, startingon Saturday in Buenos Aires.

Rakhimov, from Uzbekistan, has beeninterim president of AIBA since January,replacing CK Wu who was ousted late lastyear. AIBA has not ratified any other candi-dates and under its constitution that meansRakhimov will be elected by acclaim at theconference in Moscow on November 2-3.

The IOC on Wednesday listed its concernswith AIBA’s governance saying “these includethe circumstances of the establishment of theelection list.” Rakhimov said he was trappedby the constitution drawn up by the previousleadership.

“These somewhat bizarre regulations,which were prepared and put in place by theformer President and his Executive Director,

also had the objective of making it difficult forothers than the leadership to run for positionsin AIBA,” he wrote.

“We in the new leadership of AIBA couldnot change these regulations prior to ourcongress next month, because only the con-gress has the authority to do so.” Rakhimovsaid he could not interfere with the AIBAElection Committee, but he had “asked ourlawyers and the administration to see if any-thing can be done to eliminate such doubts orquestions, and if possible allow for morepotential candidates to run.”

‘ALLEGATIONS ARE FALSE’ In a letter to Rakhimov in August,

Paquerette Girard Zappelli, the IOC ChiefEthics and Compliance Officer, referred to a“decision by the US Department of The

Treasury to consider you as part of, or linkedto, two transnational criminal organisations.”

Rakhimov said: “This of course made mevery sad and it has been stressful - not leastfor my family. “I felt that it would not helpAIBA and the boxers worldwide if I shouldspend time and energy on responding tothis, no matter how unfair and insulting itappeared to me. Instead I spend my all mydays - and many nights - sorting out themess that the former AIBA leadership hadleft behind.

“The truth is that I, of course, have neverbeen involved in transnational criminal organ-isations or whatever has been said about me.”He said he had been framed by political ene-mies in Uzbekistan who “provided all thefalse allegations about me to the USDepartment of The Treasury.” — AFP

LAUSANNE: File photograph taken on July 27, 2017, shows The International House of Sport(Maison du Sport International) complex which hosts the International Boxing Association (AIBA)in Lausanne. Gafur Rakhimov, the interim president of the International Boxing Association(AIBA), whose sport has been threatened with expulsion from the Olympics, has told AFP yester-day, that he has “never been involved in transnational criminal organizations. — AFP

Osaka ‘stressedout’ by greatexpectationsBEIJING: Naomi Osaka admitted thatshe gets “stressed out” trying to live upto “the hype” after the US Open cham-pion was beaten in the China Opensemi-finals yesterday. The 20-year-oldJapanese, who struggled with a backinjury in losing 6-4, 6-4 to unseededAnastasija Sevastova, opened up after-wards on dealing with ramped-upexpectations.

The world number six made headlineslast month when she stunned SerenaWilliams in New York to win her maidenGrand Slam, in a final overshadowed bythe American’s bitter row with the chairumpire.

Osaka’s shock triumph-at such a

young age and against one of the great-est tennis players of all time-propelledher into the limelight. It is a place thatshe is not altogether comfortable in.

“I think definitely as the weeks go by,I have this feeling of wanting to provemyself. I think that sort of takes a toll onme a little bit because I stress myself outin a way,” said Osaka. “If you don’t win atournament, then people will say, ‘Oh,she hasn’t won a tournament.’

“If you haven’t won a Slam, they’ll say,‘She hasn’t won a Slam.’ “Then if youwin one Grand Slam, they’re like, ‘Oh,she only won one Grand Slam.’ “I knowit’s bad, but I sort of read the comments.I’m just like, ‘Oh, I guess I have to domore, to be better.’”

Osaka, who was attempting to reacha third straight final after New York andTokyo’s Pan Pacific Open, was unhappywith her behaviour in Friday’s quarter-final victory over Zhang Shuai. Osakahad been close to tears during the sec-ond set and threw her racquet, beforerecovering her poise. —AFP

S p o r t s Sunday, October 7, 2018

26 Established 1961

RAJKOT: Spinner Kuldeep Yadav starred in India’sbiggest-ever Test triumph as they thrashed the WestIndies by an innings and 272 runs inside three days inthe opening match yesterday. The tourists were dis-missed for 196 early in the final session while follow-ing on, to trail the two-match series 1-0. They werebowled out for 181 in their first innings in response toIndia’s 649-9 declared.

Kuldeep returned figures of 5-57 with his left-armwrist spin, his first five-for in just his fourth Testsince making his debut against Australia last year.Ravindra Jadeja, who scored his maiden internationalcentury during India’s only innings, took the finalwicket of Shannon Gabriel for four as the hosts cele-brated an utterly dominant win over the formercricketing powerhouse.

The world’s top Test side surpassed their previousbiggest win against Afghanistan by an innings and 262runs during the minnows’ debut five-day game in June.

The match started with teenage opener Prithvi Shawmaking 134 on day one to become the youngest Indianto score a century on debut, at 18 years of age.

Shaw, who is already being compared to SachinTendulkar, was adjudged the man of the match for his154-ball stay laced with 19 fours. Skipper Virat Kohli,who also scored a landmark century in India’s onlyinnings, was happy with the team’s “clinical” showingand praised Shaw for his quality batting.

“Playing his first game, seeing him dominate-the guy showed he is different quality. That’s whyhe’s been pushed to the Test team,” Kohli saidafter the win.

“Jaddu (Jadeja) as well-he has got important runsfor us before and we wanted him to get three figures.We believe he can turn matches for us,” said Kohli.

‘HOW TO BAT’ Kuldeep led an inspired spin attack with Jadeja

claiming three wickets and Ravichandran Ashwin tak-ing two. Opener Kieran Powell fought a lonely battleto score 83 runs before becoming Kuldeep’s fifth vic-tim in another disappointing batting show by theCaribbean side.

Ashwin, who returned figures of 4-37 in WestIndies’ first innings, had sent back stand-in skipperKraigg Brathwaite for 10 before lunch and then gotDevendra Bishoo at the stroke of tea. The 23-year-oldKuldeep then rattled the West Indies’ top and middleorder including big wickets of Powell, Sunil Ambris fornought and Roston Chase, who had top-scored forWest Indies in the first innings with his gritty 53.

The match will also be remembered for Kohli’s 139

during which the world’s top batsman became thequickest to reach 24 Test centuries after the greatDonald Bradman. Kohli got to his hundred in his 123rdinnings with a boundary off leg-spinner Bishoo.Bradman took just 66 innings to achieve the same feat.

“Not the best of starts, credit to India. They showedus how to bat,” a disappointed Brathwaite said after theloss. “Didn’t get enough partnerships as a batting unit.Two or three partnerships would hold us very well,”added Brathwaite, who stood in as captain after JasonHolder was ruled out on the morning of the match dueto an ankle injury. Brathwaite said he was not sure ifHolder will be fit for the next game. The second matchis scheduled in Hyderabad starting October 12. —AFP

RAJKOT: Indian cricketer Prithvi Shaw jumps in air to take evasive action following a shot from West Indiesbatsman Roston Chase during the third day’s play of the first Test cricket match between India and West Indiesat the Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Rajkot yesterday. — AFP

SCOREBOARD

West Indies 1st inningsK. Brathwaite b Shami 2K. Powell lbw b Shami 1S. Hope b Ashwin 10S. Hetmyer run out (Jadeja) 10S. Ambris c Rahane b Jadeja 12R. Chase b Ashwin 53S. Dowrich b K. Yadav 10K. Paul c Pujara b U. Yadav 47D. Bishoo not out 17S. Lewis b Ashwin 0S. Gabriel st Pant b Ashwin 1Extras (b16, lb2) 18Total (all out, 48 overs) 181Fall of wickets: 1-2 (Brathwaite), 2-7 (Shami), 3-21 (Hope), 4-32(Hetmyer), 5-49 (Ambris), 6-74 (Dowrich), 7-147 (Paul), 8-159(Chase), 9-159 (Lewis), 10-181 (Gabriel).Bowling: Shami 9-2-22-2, U. Yadav 11-3-20-1, Ashwin 11-2-37-4,Jadeja 7-1-22-1, K. Yadav 10-1-62-1

West Indies 2nd innings:K. Brathwaite c Shaw b Ashwin 10K. Powell c Shaw b K. Yadav 83S. Hope lbw b K. Yadav 17S. Hetmyer c Rahul b K. Yadav 11S. Ambris st Pant b K. Yadav 0R. Chase c Ashwin b K. Yadav 20S. Dowrich not out 16K. Paul c U. Yadav b Jadeja 15D. Bishoo c Pant b Ashwin 9S. Lewis lbw b Jadeja 4S. Gabriel c K. Yadav b Jadeja 4Extras (b5, lb1, nb1) 7Total (all out, 50.5 overs) 196Fall of wickets: 1-32 (Brathwaite), 2-79 (Hope), 3-97 (Hetmyer), 4-97 (Ambris), 5-138 (Chase), 6-151 (Powell), 7-172 (Paul), 8-185(Bishoo), 9-192 (Lewis), 10-196 (Gabriel).Bowling: Shami 3-0-11-0 (nb1), Ashwin 18-2-71-2, U. Yadav 3-0-16-0, K. Yadav 14-2-57-5, Jadeja 12.5-1-35-3.Result: Indian won by an innings and 272 runs.

Scoreboard of the first Test between India and West Indies in Rajkot yesterday:

India 1st innings 649-9 dec (P. Shaw 134, V. Kohli 139, R. Jadeja 100 not out; D. Bishoo 4-217)

Kuldeep five-for-57 gives India record Test win against W Indies

Shaw adjudged man-of-the-match after dream debut

Yasir targets20 Australianscalps forseries winDUBAI: Match-winning Pakistan spin-ner Yasir Shah has sent a warning toAustralia’s batsmen that he is targeting20 wickets and a win in the two-matchTest series starting in Dubai today. The32-year-old has been Pakistan’s mainspin weapon since making his Testdebut against Australia at the samevenue four years ago.

He and left-armer Zulfiqar Babartook 26 wickets between them to routAustralia 2-0. Yasir again holds thekey for Pakistan in the two-matchseries, with the second in Abu Dhabifrom October 16.

“I have a target of 20 wickets,”Yasir told AFP. “I know how importantit will be to take wickets so thatremains my target and for the team towin the series which is very impor-

tant.” Yasir has grown in stature andwickets with each series. He took 24wickets in three Tests in a series winover Sri Lanka a year later.

His 10 wickets at Lord’s and five atThe Oval formed the basis ofPakistan’s 1-1 series draw in Englandtwo years ago before he took 25 in a2-1 win in the West Indies in 2017 —Pakistan’s first series win in theCaribbean.

Yasir said Australia will miss theguile of banned duo Steven Smith andDavid Warner, who are each bannedfor a year for their part in a ball-tam-pering row in South Africa earlier thisyear. “No doubt, Smith and Warner aretwo world-class players and Australiawill miss them,” said Yasir. “(They)know the art of staying at the wicketso that will be missed by Australia.

“But we can’t take any team lightly.They have a few good players and afew of them I have played with in theBig Bash (Australia’s Twenty20league) so I know their strong andweak points. “You can’t say they areweak, maybe inexperienced. They’realways a strong side. That series (in2014) was my first and so I’m going totry to improve on that.” —AFP

Red Sox strikeearly, hold offYankees in ALDS openBOSTON: Left-hander Chris Sale pitchedeffectively into the sixth inning, J.D. Martinezhit a three-run home run in the first and theBoston Red Sox opened the AmericanLeague Division Series by holding on for a 5-4 victory over the visiting New York Yankeeson Friday night. Game 2 is Saturday night.Left-hander David Price starts for Boston andopposes right-hander Masahiro Tanaka. Inhis second career postseason start, Sale (1-0)allowed two runs on five hits in 5 1/3 innings.Limited to about 100 pitches, Sale threw 93while getting eight strikeouts and issuing apair of walks. The Red Sox took a 3-0 leadwhen Martinez homered over the GreenMonster in left field off J.A. Happ (0-1) andadded two more runs in the third. Boston’sbullpen held on for the final 11 outs; CraigKimbrel allowed a leadoff homer to AaronJudge in the ninth before securing the four-out save.

ASTROS 7, INDIANS 2Alex Bregman slugged his fifth career

postseason home run, and right-handerJustin Verlander delivered a strong start forHouston, which claimed Game 1 of its ALDSagainst visiting Cleveland. Game 2 onSaturday will see Indians right-hander CarlosCarrasco oppose Astros righty Gerrit Cole.Bregman was the first of four Astros tosmack solo home runs, with George Springerand Jose Altuve hitting back-to-back homersin the fifth inning off Indians right-hander

Corey Kluber (0-1). Martin Maldonadoadded a leadoff homer to ignite the Astros’two-run seventh. Verlander (1-0) allowed tworuns on two hits and two walks with sevenstrikeouts over 5 1/3 innings. He tired in thesixth, throwing 27 pitches while loading thebases for right-hander Ryan Pressly, whouncorked a wild pitch that allowed YanGomes to score. Jose Ramirez cut the deficitto 4-2 with a run-scoring groundout, butPressly held the line there.

BREWERS 4, ROCKIES 0Right-hander Jhoulys Chacin and four

relievers combined on a six-hitter as hostMilwaukee rode dominant pitching to a 2-0lead in its National League Division Series

with Colorado. The Brewers will send south-paw Wade Miley to the mound today atColorado seeking a sweep. The Rockies willcounter with right-hander German Marquez.Mike Moustakas, the hero of Milwaukee’sGame 1 win with a walk-off single in the 10th,scored one run and drove in another to high-light the Brewers’ offense. Chacin (1-0)worked the first five innings, limiting theRockies to three hits. He also walked threeand struck out three. Left-hander TylerAnderson (0-1) went six innings, chargedwith one run and four hits. He walked twoand struck out five. Nolan Arenado andGerardo Parra had two hits each for theRockies, who have totaled just six runs intheir last four games. — Reuters

BOSTON: Aaron Judge #99 of the New York Yankees hits a solo home run in the ninth inningagainst the Boston Red Sox in Game One of the American League Division Series at FenwayPark on Friday in Boston. —AFP

Arsenal can cope with hecticschedule: EmeryLONDON: Unai Emery insists Arsenalwon’t be allowed to use their hectic sched-ule as an excuse for a poor performancewhen they face Fulham today. Emery’s sidehead to Craven Cottage bidding to extendtheir winning streak to nine matches in allcompetitions.

But Arsenal will be battling fatigue aftertouching down in London in the early hoursof Friday morning, following a 4,000km flightfrom Azerbaijan, where they beat Qarabag 3-0 in the Europa League on Thursday.

It is hardly ideal preparation for animportant Premier League clash, but Emerytried to guard against burn-out by restingseveral players against Qarabag. And

regardless of the potential for dwindlingenergy levels after the gruelling Europeantrip, the Spaniard believes his stars shouldbe able to cope.

“For us it’s not a problem to play onThursday and then today because we want toplay a lot of matches and a lot of competi-tions,” Emery said. “We also want to give theplayers the chances and opportunities toplay, to give them confidence, responsibilityand rhythm like today for all our players.

“The players who sometimes don’t playwere used against Qarabag. But then also,maybe players who featured against Qarabagcan play on today too. “We can do that withsome players. For us it’s very important onSunday to produce the best performance.”

The Gunners should be able to use themomentum from their impressive winning runto keep them firing on all cylinders in theLondon derby. Arsenal, up to fifth place afterrecovering from their slow start to the sea-son, are vying to win six successive PremierLeague matches within a single campaign forthe first time since August to October 2016.

‘BIG CHALLENGE’ They could earn three consecutive away

league victories for the first time in twoyears, but Emery won’t be taking Fulham forgranted. “Fulham is a very big challenge forus, first because it’s away and secondbecause each match in the Premier League isvery, very difficult,” Emery said.

“Fulham bought very good players likeSeri, like Anguissa, and they have Mitrovicand Schurrle too. It’s a very good team and Ithink their coach is a very good coach withexperience in England.

“We need to push against them today andalso show our best performance. Our idea isto be focused on Sunday with all of our play-ers.” Arsenal hope Gabon striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang will have recoveredfrom illness, while Aaron Ramsey could playdepending on the timing of his child’s birth.Bernd Leno will make his first PremierLeague start, with Petr Cech ruled out by ahamstring injury. A Fulham defeat todaywould equal the club’s worst start after eighttop-flight matches. — AFP

Anfield hoodoo haunts Man City LIVERPOOL: Billions of pounds ofinvestment from Manchester City’s AbuDhabi owners over the past decade hasreaped three Premier League titles andtransformed the blue half of Manchesterfrom “noisy neighbours” into the domi-nant side in the city.

However, the Premier League champi-ons travel to Liverpool today hoping tofinally achieve something that has so farbeen beyond City’s cash-rich era-a win atAnfield. City were last victorious atAnfield in 2003 and have lost 12 of theirlast 17 visits. The most recent of thosesaw City’s Champions League dreamsended for another year in the cauldron ofa European night on Merseyside with a3-0 quarter-final first leg defeat. A coachnot accustomed to losing, City boss PepGuardiola has been defeated on all threeof his visits to Anfield and in JurgenKlopp faces one of the few managerswho can boast a winning record againstthe Catalan.

Just seven games into the PremierLeague season, no knockout blow can belanded this weekend. But with both sides

only separated by City’s superior goaldifference at the top of the table havingdropped just two points each so far thisseason, the clash will go a long way totelling if Liverpool are capable of knock-ing Guardiola’s men off their perch.

‘TOUGHEST AWAY GAME’ “It’s very tough, probably the toughest

away game of the season in the PremierLeague,” admitted City midfielder IlkayGundogan, who worked under Klopp forfour years at Borussia Dortmund. “But asa player there is not much more that youcan achieve than playing these type ofgames, because when you play them orwhen the atmosphere is like that, youknow it’s a big thing.”

While City are seeking to consolidatethemselves as the dominant force inEnglish football by becoming the first sidein a decade to retain the title, Klopp’s taskis to end Liverpool’s near three-decadewait to win the league. When KennyDalglish led the Reds to an 18th league titlein 1989-90, Liverpool were streets aheadas England’s most successful club. Theintervening years have seen ManchesterUnited storm ahead. But with Unitedalready nine points adrift and Tottenham,Arsenal and Chelsea also playing catch-up, Liverpool know beating City is the keyto ending that long wait. — AFP

S p o r t s Sunday, October 7, 2018

27

LONDON: Tottenham got back on track after theirEuropean mauling at the hands of Lionel Messi as EricDier sealed a 1-0 win over Cardiff, while the pressuremounts on Jose Mourinho ahead of ManchesterUnited’s clash with Newcastle.

Mourinho has presided over United’s worst start to aseason for 29 years amid the breakdown of his relation-ship with star midfielder Paul Pogba and several otherkey players. United’s goalless draw against Valencia inthe Champions League on Tuesday meant Mourinhohad gone four home matches without a win for the firsttime in his managerial career.

A report on Friday evening claimed United’s hierar-chy have lost patience with the toxic atmosphere andwill sack Mourinho regardless of the result in the 1630GMT Premier League kick-off at Old Trafford.

Senior United sources strongly denied the sugges-tion Mourinho will be dismissed this weekend, insistinghe retains the board’s support despite last Saturday’swretched loss at West Ham and a shock League Cupexit against second-tier Derby.

However, if Mourinho is to prolong his United reign,the former Chelsea boss surely needs to go into theinternational break with a morale-boosting win over oldrival Rafael Benitez’s Newcastle. At Wembley,Tottenham recovered from Wednesday’s damaging 4-2Champions League loss to Barcelona.

Messi had tormented Tottenham with a mesmerisingdisplay, capped by two goals, that left the northLondoners in danger of missing the knockout stage. ButMauricio Pochettino’s side recovered against Cardiff tomove into third place in the table.

Cardiff boss Neil Warnock joked he would play 10

defenders in a bid to stifle Tottenham and he mighthave regretted not doing exactly that as the hosts wentin front after eight minutes. Davinson Sanchez saw hisheader blocked by Joe Bennett and it span into the pathof England midfielder Dier, who swept home fromclose-range for his first club goal since April 2017.

WARNOCK INCENSED Cardiff were reduced to 10 men when Joe Ralls was

sent off for chopping down Lucas Moura in the 58thminute, with Warnock incensed after Tottenham’s play-ers surrounded the referee to demand a red card.

Matt Doherty condemned Crystal Palace to moremisery on home turf as Wolves won 1-0 at SelhurstPark. Wolves boss Nuno Espirito Santo set a PremierLeague record by naming an unchanged starting line-up for an eighth game in a row at the start of the sea-son. Doherty’s 56th-minute strike rewarded Nuno’sfaith and left Palace without a goal or a win in their firstfour home games. Everton’s Gylfi Sigurdsson scored asublime goal to clinch his side a 2-1 win at 10-manLeicester.

Brazilian forward Bernard, signed from ShakhtarDonetsk in the close-season, marked his first PremierLeague start for Everton with an assist for his compa-triot Richarlison, who bagged his fourth goal of the sea-son with a simple finish in the seventh minute.

Portugal defender Ricardo Pereira equalised forLeicester in the 40th minute, firing home to celebratehis 25th birthday with his first goal since his pre-season move from Porto. But Leicester centre-backWes Morgan was sent off in the 63rd minute, bookedtwice for fouls on Richarl ison, and Sigurdsson

ensured the visitors took advantage when he pro-duced a superb turn and long-range strike into topcorner in the 77th minute.

Burnley drew 1-1 with Huddersfield after Sam Vokesputs the hosts ahead and Christopher Schindlersnatched the equaliser. —AFP

Dier fires Tottenham to victory as Mourinho prepares for crucial test

Man Utd have lost patience, will sack Mourinho regardless of the result: Report

LONDON: Tottenham Hotspur’s English defender Eric Dier (R) scores the team’s first goal during theEnglish Premier League football match between Tottenham Hotspur and Cardiff at Wembley Stadium inLondon, yesterday. — AFP

Matches on TV (Local Timings)

ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUEFulham v Arsenal 14:00beIN SPORTS HD 2Southampton v Chelsea 16:15beIN SPORTS HD 2Liverpool v Manchester City 18:30beIN SPORTS HD 2

SPANISH LEAGUE PRIMERAReal Valladolid v Huesca 13:00beIN SPORTS HD 3Atletico de Madrid v Real Betis 17:15beIN SPORTS HD 3RCD Espanyol v Villarreal CF 19:30beIN SPORTS HD 9Sevilla FC v Celta de Vigo 19:30beIN SPORTS HD 3Valencia C.F v FC Barcelona 21:45beIN SPORTS HD 3

GERMAN BUNDESLIGASC Freiburg v Bayer 04 Leverkusen 14:30beIN SPORTS HD 5TSG 1899 Hoffenheim v Eintracht Frankfurt 16:30beIN SPORTS HD 5RB Leipzig v FC Nuremberg 19:00beIN SPORTS HD 5

LONDON: There were a plethora of red cards in thePremier League yesterday but nowhere was one moredevastating than at Vicarage Road where 10-manWatford were humbled 4-0 by Bournemouth.

David Brooks had already given the Cherries thelead after a quarter of an hour before Watford’sChristian Kabasele received a second yellow 17 minuteslater for bringing down Joshua King in the penalty area.

King converted the resulting spot kick and addedanother goal on the stroke of halftime as Bournemouthbegan to run riot. Callum Wilson grabbed the fourthtwo minutes after the break as Eddie Howe’s men con-tinued their hugely impressive start to the season, mov-ing up to fifth in the standings. Watford, who are nowwinless in four league games, are eighth. However,Tottenham never looked in serious trouble and camethrough 1-0 winners thanks to Eric Dier’s early goal.Leicester City were in the midst of a comeback fromgoing a goal down to Everton before Wes Morgan wassent off for a second booking just after the hour mark.

Ricardo Pereira’s drilled effort following a briskcounter-attack had cancelled out Richarlison’s earlystrike for the visitors at the King Power Stadium. Butwith a numerical advantage, Everton’s Gylfi Sigurdssonmade sure of all three points 13 minutes from time with aright-footed effort from just outside the area. TheIcelandic international’s 50th Premier League goal gaveMarco Silva’s men their first away win of the season, 2-1.

Meanwhile, Huddersfield Town scored only theirfourth goal of the season in a 1-1 draw at Burnley. SamVokes headed in to give the home side the lead after 20minutes. However, a second-half header fromChristopher Schindler levelled the tie and made sure

Huddersfield came off the bottom of the standings.Wolverhampton Wanderers claimed a Premier

League record by naming an unchanged first XI fortheir opening eight games of the season - and it paid

dividends as they won 1-0 at Crystal Palace.Matt Doherty found the bottom right corner from a

difficult angle shortly before the hour mark as Palace’sstruggles in front of goal continued. — Reuters

Bournemouth rout Watford

LONDON: Bournemouth’s Norwegian striker Joshua King (2L) vies with Watford’s Argentinian midfielderRoberto Pereyra during the English Premier League football match between Watford and Bournemouth atVicarage Road Stadium in Watford, north of London yesterday. —AFP

BERLIN: Substitute Paco Alcacer claimed a stunninghat-trick as his superb 96th-minute free-kick keptBorussia Dortmund top of the Bundesliga after a dramat-ic 4-3 win over Augsburg yesterday. Having alreadyscored two late goals off the bench in last Saturday’s 4-2comeback victory at Bayer Leverkusen, and netted againin the 3-0 Champions League win over Monaco onWednesday, the 25-year-old Alcacer, on loan fromBarcelona, again proved deadly off the bench.

In front of 81,365 fans at Signal Iduna Park, Dortmundslipped 1-0 down after Alfred Finnbogason’s first-halfgoal. But Alcacer equalised in the 62nd minute, just threeminutes after coming on, with the Spain internationalsmashing home a cross by teenage winger JadonSancho, who was called up by England on Thursday forthe first time.

Philipp Max restored Augsburg’s lead by takingadvantage of some poor Dortmund defending, only forAlcacer to claim his second equaliser on 80 minuteswhen he fired in off the post. Dortmund led for the firsttime on 84 minutes when midfielder Mario Goetze,another second-half replacement, latched onto a greatthrough ball and fired home on his first Bundesligaappearance this season.

The game swung again as Augsburg equalised whenMichael Gregoritsch headed home a Max cross to makeit 3-3 with just three minutes left. However, the stage wasset for Alcacer to seal the three points after Augsburg’sSergio Cordova gave away a free-kick.

The stunning win means Niko Kovac’s Bayern Munich,who trail Dortmund by four points down in fourth, can-not regain top spot even if they later beat BorussiaMoenchengladbach at the Allianz Arena.

Elsewhere, Hertha Berlin missed the chance to claim

second from Werder Bremen, who won 2-0 at Wolfsburgon Friday, as they were held to a goalless draw at Mainz.Hertha captain Vedad Ibisevic missed a great chancewhen he hit the Mainz woodwork with a first-halfchance. After losing their first five games, Schalke contin-ue their rise up the table with a 2-0 win at FortunaDuesseldorf. US international Weston McKennie whoscored in their 1-0 Champions League win at LokomotivMoscow in midweek, and Guido Burgstaller grabbedSchalke’s goals to put them 14th.

US striker Bobby Wood scored with two perfectly-

timed headers as Hanover 96 picked up their first win ofthe season with a 3-1 home win against Stuttgart. Woodgave Hanover the lead when he guided a header insidethe far post after 30 minutes.

The 25-year-old added a second just before thebreak with another bullet header, expertly guided pastStuttgart’s goalkeeper. Former Germany striker MarioGomez, with a bandaged head after a first-half clash,scored Stuttgart’s consolation goal soon after the breakbefore Hanover’s Togo striker Ihlas Bebou added theirthird in the 91st minute. — AFP

Alcacer hat-trick keeps Dortmund top after 7-goal thriller

DORTMUND: Dortmund’s Spanish forward Paco Alcacer takes the ball after scoring the 1-1 against during theGerman first division Bundesliga football match Borussia Dortmund vs FC Augsburg in Dortmund, westernGermany, yesterday. — AFP

Kovacic setting standard for Chelsea’s England hopefulsSOUTHAMPTON: Gareth Southgate’s latest Englandsquad announcement brought mixed news for RossBarkley and Ruben Loftus-Cheek, but at club level, theimmediate obstacle confronting both players is the out-standing form of Chelsea team-mate Mateo Kovacic.

Having both featured in Thursday’s Europa Leaguedefeat of Vidi-Barkley replaced Loftus-Cheek midwaythrough the second half-the pair will be back on the side-lines should Kovacic return to the starting line-up atSouthampton today.

And if the Croatia international maintains the form hehas shown since his season-long move from Real Madrid,the two England hopefuls will be given another reminderof the standards they must attain if they are to becomeregular starters.

England manager Southgate had kept faith with Loftus-Cheek, who was a member of the World Cup campaign, forthe last round of internationals, despite the midfielder’slack of early season game time under Maurizio Sarri atStamford Bridge.

This time however, Loftus-Cheek’s inaction has led tohim being dropped from from the squad to face Croatiaand Spain, while Barkley has been recalled for the firsttime since May 2016 after overcoming the serious ham-string injury that ended his hopes of making the plane toRussia this summer.

The position of both players on the fringe ofSouthgate’s squad will fuel discussion about the opportu-nities available to young English players at the PremierLeague’s leading clubs.

But in the case of Barkley, 24, and Loftus-Cheek, twoyears his junior, Kovacic’s impressive start to life inEngland highlights the limitations of that debate. Chelseapulled off a considerable coup when they persuaded RealMadrid to allow the Croat to move in the opposite direc-tion when keeper Thibaut Courtois travelled to theBernabeu Stadium at the end of the transfer window.

This, though, was no attempt by the Spanish club tooffload a player who was surplus to requirements. By let-ting the 24-year-old move to Stamford Bridge, Real knewKovacic would be a regular starter at a club competing fora return to the top four in the Premier League and EuropaLeague. The player would continue to develop at a highlevel, and with no agreement in place to transform themove into permanent arrangement, Kovacic shouldprogress before returning to La Liga.—AFP

SportHamilton storms to 80th pole in Japan, Sebastian Vettel eighth

Kuldeep five-for-57 gives India record Test win against W Indies

Dier fires Tottenham to victory as Mourinho prepares for crucial test2725 26

Established 1961

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2018

United fightback spares Mourinho

LONDON: Jose Mourinho was given a stay of execution asManchester United staged a stirring fightback to beatNewcastle 3-2 thanks to Alexis Sanchez’s last-gasp winner,while Tottenham recovered from their European miserywith a 1-0 victory over Cardiff yesterday. Mourinho hadpresided over United’s worst seven-game start to a seasonfor 29 years amid the breakdown of his relationship withstar midfielder Paul Pogba and several other key players.

A report on Friday evening claimed United’s hierarchyhad lost patience with the toxic atmosphere and wouldsack Mourinho regardless of the Newcastle result. But sen-ior United sources strongly denied the suggestionMourinho would be dismissed this weekend, insisting heretains the board’s support following a series of abysmal

results. Despite that vote of confidence, it was lookingincreasingly bleak for Mourinho when winless Newcastleraced into a two-goal in the first 10 minutes at Old Trafford.

But United clicked into gear and Chile forward Sanchez,who had been dropped by Mourinho, came off the benchto bag the winner after goals from Juan Mata and AnthonyMartial dragged the hosts level.

United’s first win in five games in all competitions couldbuy Mourinho some much-needed breathing space head-ing into the international break. Mourinho was in typicallycombative mood when he walked to the bench before kick-off, squirting a television camera with a water bottle, andwithin seven minutes the mood turned even more fractious.

United fell behind when Kenedy parted Mourinho’s

defence with alarming ease, running onto Ayoze Perez’spass and turning away from Ashley Young before firinghome as Mourinho gestured furiously on the touchline.

There was worse to come for Mourinho three minuteslater as Newcastle punished more shambolic defending,Young and his team-mates failing to get in a challenge asJapanese forward Yoshinori Muto scored on his firstPremier League start. Rafael Benitez’s side were the firstvisiting team ever to score two goals in the first 10 minutesof a Premier League game at Old Trafford.

Mourinho responded by making a bizarre 19th minutesubstitution as he hauled off defender Eric Bailly-one of thegroup said to be unhappy with the manager-and sent onMata, once again moving young midfielder Scott

McTominay to play at centre-back.Jeers rang around Old Trafford at half-time and

Mourinho, looking increasingly desperate, made morechanges at the interval with Marouane Fellaini sent on forMcTominay. United finally responded to Mourinho in thesecond half, playing with far more passion as Mata reducedthe deficit with a fine 70th minute free-kick before Martialfired the equaliser six minutes later.

That set the stage for Sanchez to apply the finishingtouch in the 90th minute as Mourinho celebrated while hisname was sung by relieved United fans at full-time.Elsewhere, Wolves won 1-0 at Crystal Palace, Everton beatLeicester 2-1, Bournemouth routed Watford 4-0 andBurnley drew 1-1 with Huddersfield. —AFP

Man Utd’s first win in five games in all competitions

MANCHESTER: Manchester United’s French midfielder Paul Pogba (R) takes a shot during the English Premier League football match between Manchester United and Newcastle at Old Trafford in Manchester, north west England, yesterday. — AFP

VITORIA: Real Madrid’s Spanish-Dominican forward Mariano (L) vies with Alaves’ Spanish defender XimoNavarro during the Spanish league football match between Deportivo Alaves and Real Madrid CF at theMendizorroza stadium in Vitoria yesterday. —AFP

VITORIA: Real Madrid’s miserable run of results con-tinued as they slid to a shock 1-0 La Liga defeat atAlaves by conceding a goal deep in stoppage timeyesterday, marking their longest run without scoringin over 33 years.

Veteran midfielder Manu Garcia headed home afterthe ball hit crossbar following a corner in the fifthminute of added time to send the raucous home crowdinto ecstasy as Alaves climbed to third in the standings.

The triple European champions had been shackledby Alaves for most of the match and they were fortu-nate not to concede before Garcia struck whenAlaves’s Jony fired narrowly wide on the break.

Alaves are the fourth team in a row to stop Realscoring and coach Julen Lopetegui will face furtherscrutiny with this defeat, which came after a 1-0 lossat CSKA Moscow in the Champions League, a 3-0thrashing at Sevilla and a goalless draw with AtleticoMadrid.

Real are still joint top of the standings with 14points after eight games but they could drop down ifleaders Barcelona, Sevilla and Atletico Madrid all wintoday. —Reuters

Real troubles deepen with loss at Alaves

UDINE: Cristiano Ronaldo shrugged off damaging rape allegations toscore for Juventus as the Italian champions beat Udinese 2-0 tostretch their lead at the top of Serie A yesterday. The Portuguese for-ward lashed in the second goal in the 37th minute from MarioMandzukic’s pass, four minutes after Rodrigo Bentancur’s opener.

It was Ronaldo’s fourth goal this season for Juventus, with the 33-year-old celebrating wildly with his teammates. Juventus-with a maxi-mum 24 points from eight games-opened up a nine-point lead on sec-ond-placed Napoli who host Sassuolo later.

Ronaldo showed no sign of being under pressure despite the accu-sations made against him which threaten his multi-million euro sport-ing empire. US police on Monday re-opened an investigation intoaccusations by former American model Kathryn Mayorga that thefive-time Ballon d’Or winner raped her in a Las Vegas hotel in June2009. Ronaldo has strenuously denied the claims, and Juventus haveso far stood behind their superstar, who moved to Turin in the summerin a 100-million-euro ($115 million) deal from Real Madrid. He arrivedat Udinese’s compact Stadio Friuli and was greeted by the enthusiasticcries of dozens of children waiting for the two team buses. During thewarm-up before the game he was even approached by a child whocame onto the pitch to ask for his autograph. —AFP

Embattled Ronaldo scores as Juventus beat Udinese