prince mohammed: vision 2030 to help kuwait make major...

ISSUE NO: 17666

28 Pages 150 Fils

www.kuwaittimes.net

Established 1961 The First Daily in the Arabian Gulf

SAFAR 16,1440 AH THURSDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2018

Max 34ºMin 22

Firemen tackle massive blaze in Dajeej commercial building

Inside China’s internment camps: Tear gas, Tasers and textbooks

Decades of war have shattered Afghanistan glassblowing craft73 De Jong leveller leaves Spurs’

hopes hanging by a thread19 28

Prince Mohammed: Vision 2030 to help Kuwait make major gains

MBS speaks with Erdogan, vows to bring Khashoggi killers to justice

News in brief

Kuwait places 9 on terror list

KUWAIT: Kuwait has designated nine terrorists fortheir link with Afghanistan’s Taleban and Iran’sRevolutionary Guard, the foreign ministry announcedTuesday. The designation was taken hand-in-handwith Riyadh-based Terrorist Financing TargetingCenter (TFTC), co-chaired by the US and SaudiArabia, as well as in line with UN Security Councilresolutions under Chapter VII of the UN Charter, itsaid in a statement. The foreign ministry identified theterrorists as: Mohammad Owhadi, Esma’il Razavi,Abdullah Faroqui, Mohammad Muzzamil, AbdulRahim Manan, Abdul Aziz Zamani, Sadr Ibrahim, HafizMajid and Naeem Paretch. The ministry said the des-ignation is part of efforts by the TFTC to address ter-rorism financing and crack down on terrorist groupswhich posed a threat to the interest and security ofTFTC member countries. — KUNA

Israel wins $777m India order

JERUSALEM: Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) saidyesterday it had won a $777 million order from India tobuy defense systems for its navy. The deal with India’sstate-owned Bharat Electronics Limited to supply themarine version of the Barak 8 air and missile defensesystem for seven more warships follows a $630 millionorder placed last year. Israel’s and India’s leaders havepledged to deepen ties and the countries have beenincreasing cooperation in fields like agriculture andadvanced technologies. “IAI’s partnership with Indiadates many years back and has culminated in joint sys-tem development and production,” IAI Chief ExecutiveOfficer Nimrod Sheffer said. “It constitutes furtherproof that security is an investment not an expense,”Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman said ofyesterday’s deal. “Israel Aerospace Industries is a pillarof the nation that we must conserve and strengthen,” headded, recalling his opposition to proposals for partialprivatization of the firm.— Agencies

RIYADH: Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (left) arrives with Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Al-Haririto attend the Future Investment Initiative conference in the Saudi capital yesterday. — AFP

RIYADH: Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salmanyesterday said Kuwait could achieve major accomplish-ments, thanks to the country’s “Vision 2030” and finan-cial resources. Prince Mohammed made the remarkduring a session on the second day of the FutureInvestment Initiative (FII) in the presence of LebanesePrime Minister Saad Al-Hariri and Bahrain’s CrownPrince Salman bin Hamad. Kuwait has huge financialresources and wonderful people as well as the “Vision2030”, which will enable the country to make majorachievements, he said.

Prince Mohammed also vowed yesterday that thekillers of Jamal Khashoggi would be brought to justice,in his first public comments since the journalist’s murdersparked global condemnation. Striking a defiant tone,Prince Mohammed told international investors at amajor conference in Riyadh that the furor overKhashoggi’s killing at the Saudi consulate in Istanbulwould not derail the kingdom’s reform drive.

“We will prove to the world that the two govern-ments (Saudi and Turkish) are cooperating to punishany criminal, any culprit and at the end justice will pre-vail,” Prince Mohammed said to applause. The world’stop oil exporter has come under increasing pressureover the death of Khashoggi, a columnist and one of thecrown prince’s most prominent critics. The crisis hasstrained Riyadh’s ties with the West and led dozens ofWestern politicians, top world bankers and company

executives to boycott the conference that opened inRiyadh on Tuesday.

Saudi Arabia first denied any involvement inKhashoggi’s disappearance after he entered the con-sulate but a Saudi official eventually attributed hisdeath on Oct 2 to a botched attempt to return him tothe kingdom. Turkey has dismissed Saudi efforts toblame rogue operatives and urged the kingdom tosearch “top to bottom” for those responsible. PrinceMohammed said Saudi Arabia and Turkey would worktogether “to reach results” on a joint investigation anddescribed cooperation between the two countries as“special”, despite criticism from Ankara. “The incidentthat happened is very painful, for all Saudis... The inci-dent is not justifiable,” the crown prince said on a dis-cussion panel at the conference.

Erdogan spoke to Prince Mohammed yesterday andthe two discussed the steps needed to bring to light allaspects of Khashoggi’s death, a presidential sourcesaid. The phone call was at the request of the prince,the presidential source noted. Prince Mohammedpainted a different picture of relations with Turkey.“There are now those who are trying to take advantageof the painful situation to create a rift between thekingdom and Turkey,” he said. “I want to send them amessage that they cannot do this as long as there a kingnamed Salman bin Abdulaziz and a crown prince named

Continued on Page 24

One winning $1.5bn ticket

WASHINGTON: A single winning ticket has beenidentified in a massive $1.5 billion Mega Millions USlottery jackpot, the second largest on record, organ-izers said yesterday. The winning ticket was boughtin South Carolina, but the lucky winner has not yetbeen identified. It’s the largest single winning ticketever and it dwarfed the previous Mega Millionsrecord, set in March 2012 at $656 million. The sixwinning numbers drawn on Tuesday night were five,28, 62, 65, 70 and another five as the special “goldMega Ball”. The winner can take $878 million in alump sum cash payment or be paid out in annuitiesover 30 years. The massive jackpot had set off a lot-tery frenzy across America, with people lining up atconvenience stores, supermarkets and liquor storesto buy a $2 ticket that gave them a roughly one in300 million chance of winning. — AFP

By B Izzak

KUWAIT: Opposition MP Riyadh Al-Adasani yester-day blamed National Assembly Speaker Marzouq Al-Ghanem for the delay in sending to the government akey early retirement law that could result in preventingthe Assembly from easily approving it. According toAdasani, the law was passed by an overwhelmingmajority of 43 MPs on May 15, 2018, but Ghanem tookmore time than expected to send it to the government.

This gave the government time to reject the law andsend it back to the Assembly on July 5, when MPs wereon summer recess, Adasani said.

Under the constitution, the government has the rightto reject laws passed by the Assembly within 30 daysof receiving them. The Assembly can overturn therejection in two ways: Either by a two-thirds majority inthe same term or by a simple majority in the next term.Adasani said when the speaker delayed sending the lawto the government, it allowed it to reject the legislationwithin the stipulated constitutional period and send itback to the Assembly during the summer recess.

This means that to overturn the government rejec-tion and pass the law again, the Assembly needs a two-thirds majority in this term, Adasani said. If the speakerhad sent it a few days earlier, the government rejectionwould have come in the previous term, and the lawcould have been overturned in the new term, which will

open on Tuesday.Adasani also blamed Minister of State for Assembly

Affairs Adel Al-Khorafi for the delay and warned thatthis could trigger a constitutional crisis. The lawmakersaid the delay is similar to attempts to scrap grillings inthe Assembly. He also warned that he will include thisviolation in his grilling of Khorafi, expected to bedebated on the Assembly’s opening day.

Meanwhile, the Assembly’s public utilities committeedecided yesterday that the public roads authorityshould continue to exist and made a number of recom-mendations to amend a few provisions of its law.Separately, MP Mohammad Al-Dallal asked the oil min-ister about the number of Kuwaiti chemical and petro-leum engineers in each oil company compared to expa-triate engineers. He also asked why the oil sector didnot hire Kuwaiti chemical and petroleum engineers inthe past three years.

Adasani warns speaker over retirement law

NEW YORK: (From left) New York City Police Commissioner James O’Neil, New YorkGovernor Andrew Cuomo and New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio attend a newsconference outside the Time Warner Building yesterday after an explosive devicewas delivered to CNN’s New York bureau. — AFP

NEW YORK: Pipe bombs were sent toBarack Obama, other top Democrats andCNN - all hate figures for backers ofPresident Donald Trump - in a coordi-nated “effort to terrorize” days beforepolarizing US elections, officials saidyesterday. Hillary Clinton was amongsome of America’s most high-profileDemocrats targeted with the countrybitterly divided ahead of Nov 6 electionsseen as a referendum on the RepublicanTrump. CNN is well known for its robustcoverage of the Trump administration

and is routinely condemned by the pres-ident, who succeeded Obama anddefeated Clinton in 2016. Signs at his ral-lies condemn the network.

The spree of bomb alerts was kickedoff Monday with a device found at theNew York home of billionaire liberaldonor George Soros. “So far the deviceshave been what appear to be pipebombs,” said FBI agent Bryan Paarmann.“It appears that an individual or individ-uals sent out multiple similar packages,”he added, in what appeared to be acoordinated effort.

Another suspicious device was sentto the Manhattan office of New York’sDemocratic state Governor AndrewCuomo. In Florida, police also investigat-ed a suspicious package near the officeof a Democrat lawmaker, DebbieWasserman Schultz. In California, suspi-cious packages provoked a false alarm at


Pipe bombs sent to Trump foes Obama, Clinton, CNN

WASHINGTON: Sign language interpretation major, student Nikolas Carapellatti signswith deaf Gallaudet University student Rebecca Witzofsky outside the first USStarbucks cafe staffed by employees who are partially or fully deaf on Tuesday. — AFP

WASHINGTON: Rebecca Witzofsky, a20-year-old deaf student at GallaudetUniversity in Washington, and her hearingfriend Nikolas Carapellatti wanted to geta coffee. But on Tuesday, Witzofsky finallydidn’t have to struggle to make her orderunderstood. US coffee giant Starbucksopened its first “signing store” in theUnited States in northeast Washingtonnear the campus of Gallaudet, the world’sonly university with an entire curriculumdesigned to accommodate the deaf andhard-of-hearing.

At the store, all staff - most of themdeaf or hard-of-hearing themselves - arerequired to communicate with customersusing sign language. The cafe is modeledafter a store that opened in KualaLumpur, Malaysia in 2016. At firstglance, it doesn’t look any different froma regular Starbucks, seen on seeminglyevery other street corner in the US capi-tal. Employees wearing black shirts andgreen aprons emblazoned with the com-pany logo scurry behind the counter toserve hot drinks, cold drinks and pastriesto an eager clientele.

But despite the crowd - perhapsunusually big for mid-morning on aTuesday - the cafe enjoyed a surprisingcalm, probably because most conversa-tions were held in silence. For Witzofsky,it was a revelation.


First Starbucks sign language US store opens

KUWAIT: His Highness theAmir Sheikh Sabah Al-AhmadAl-Jaber Al-Sabah receivedyesterday at Bayan Palace HisHighness the Crown PrinceSheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah. His Highnessalso received NationalAssembly Speaker Marzouq AliAl-Ghanem. His Highness thenreceived His Highness the PrimeMinister Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah.

Meanwhile, His Highness theCrown Prince received at BayanPalace Ghanem, His HighnessSheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak,Deputy Prime Minister andMinister of Foreign AffairsSheikh Sabah Al-Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah and DeputyPrime Minister and InteriorMinister Sheikh Khaled Al-Jarrah Al-Sabah. — KUNA

Thursday, October 25, 2018

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Established 1961

Amir, Crown Prince receivesenior state officials

KUWAIT: His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah meets with His Highness the PrimeMinister Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah.— KUNA photos

His Highness the Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah meets with National Assembly SpeakerMarzouq Ali Al-Ghanem.

His Highness the Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah meets with DeputyPrime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah.

His Highness the Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah meets with DeputyPrime Minister and Interior Minister Sheikh Khaled Al-Jarrah Al-Sabah.

ICRC eyes closercooperation withKuwait: MaurerKUWAIT: President of the International Committee of theRed Cross (ICRC) Peter Maurer said Tuesday the relation-ship between the committee and the State of Kuwait isunique thanks to the humanitarian policy of Kuwait. Kuwaitalways responds promptly to emergencies worldwide andhelps ensure respect for human dignity of the victims ofcrises and armed conflicts, he said in an interview.

Maurer, who concluded a two-day visit to Kuwait, saidthe aim of the visit was to enhance cooperation andexpress gratitude for the diplomatic and material assis-tance to the activities of the committee in crisis-hit coun-tries. He noted that he reviewed with the Kuwaiti officials

the latest developments of the ICRC response to thehumanitarian disasters in several countries, particularlySyria, Iraq and Yemen.

The regional mission of the committee works constant-ly to integrate the provisions of the international humani-tarian law into the national legislations and the war gamesof the Gulf Cooperation Council member states, he said.Members of the committee visit the detainees and prison-ers of wars, and address the humanitarian matters left bythe Gulf War of 1990-91, he went on. He spoke highly ofKuwait’s relentless efforts to bring the Yemeni politicaladversaries to the negotiating table, host donor confer-ences on Syria, and lobby for the reconstruction of Iraq.

Maurer noted that the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait, includ-ing the missing Kuwaitis, was one of the topics discussedduring his stay in Kuwait. He added that the discussionsdealt also with the possibility of enhancing cooperationwith Kuwaiti charities and fund-raising organizations suchas Kuwait Red Crescent Society and the InternationalIslamic Charitable Organization. — KUNA

KIB platinumsponsor ofFintechConferenceand ExhibitionKUWAIT: Kuwait International Bank(KIB) recently offered its platinumsponsorship for the Kuwait FintechConference and Exhibition. Organizedby Events 12, the two-day conferencewas held at the Palms Beach Hotel.The conference was held under thepatronage of the Minister ofCommerce and Industry, KhaledNasser Al-Roudhan, and representedby the Assistant Undersecretary ofthe Ministry of Commerce andIndustry for Corporate Affairs andCommercial Licenses, Ahmed Al-Faris, supported by the CentralAgency for Information Technology.

During the conference, a series offinancial technology and blockchaintopics were covered, such as elec-tronic payments as seen from a tech-nical, regulatory, and legal aspect. Atotal 16 speakers, from 10 countriesacross the globe, presented several

topics covering the latest develop-ments and trends in fintech andblockchain, as well as their impact onfinancial technology and the publicsector.

Speaking at the conference, ZiadAl-Hassawi, Assistant GeneralManager of the Business ServicesDepartment and Head of InformationTechnology at the bank, said:“Innovation is progressing exponen-tially, as new financial technologiesare emerging faster than ever beforearound the world. There is no denyingthat its impact spans across industries,which of course, includes banking.The demand is growing for fintech, asit constantly develops, now integrat-ing more and more into the bankingsector.”

Moreover, Hassawi pointed outthat in line with His Highness theAmir’s Vision 2035; KIB has adopteda number of ambitious goals andobjectives, including the implementa-tion of innovative technologies andmethods. Additionally, the bankactively seeks to identify cutting-edgefinancial technologies to improve itsbanking products and services andboost customer satisfaction.

Meanwhile, Nawaf Najia, Managerof the Corporate CommunicationsUnit at KIB, said: “Our sponsorship ofthis event came as part of KIB’s ongo-ing support for initiatives that focus

on the importance of innovation infinancial technology. Additionally, theevent showcased the important rolefintech plays in driving financial inclu-sion, and introduced attendees to avariety of fintech solutions. The eventserved as a platform, shedding lighton emerging companies in the fintecharena and exploring valuable connec-tions between fintech companies andvarious financial institutions.”

Najia added that KIB continues tofocus on the development of financialtechnology, as well as the future offinancial services and possible obsta-cles the industry may face.Accordingly, the bank has alwayssought to identify key developmentsin fintech, in order to provide the lat-est services the industry has to offerto enhance the overall customerbanking experience.

Municipal Councilworkshop discussesdeveloping JleebBy A Saleh

KUWAIT: The Municipal Council yesterdayheld a workshop to discuss the project ofdeveloping Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh. The work-shop was attended by the council’s ChairmanOsama Al-Otaibi and Farwaniya committeemembers to discuss building an ideal publicservices area in Jleeb after purchasing theland from their owners.

Sabah Al-Salem University Well-informed sources said Kuwait

University plans to have an international com-pany to technically administer Sabah Al-SalemUniversity buildings in Shadaddiya accordingto local laws and regulations. The sourceadded that the university will be academicallyrun by Kuwait University. The sources said theinternational company would be responsiblefor operating the buildings, supervising theirinfrastructure, cleaning and transport.

Bedoon military personnelThe Central Bank urged all banks to pay the

salaries of bedoon (stateless) military and civilpersonnel working for the defense ministry withexpired security ID cards for the next threemonths, provided they show their military IDs.

Teachers arriveThirty five Palestinian maths teachers

arrived yesterday to join the Ministry ofEducation’s (MoE) school teaching staff andhelp cover the shortage of teachers in someschools, said a diplomatic source, noting that79 more teachers will arrive from Gaza nextweek to take the total number of Palestinianteachers interviewed and hired in August to150. In another educational concern, someeducationists have questioned the legality ofhaving subjects’ supervisors take part in eval-uating teaching staff members, noting thatMoE had finally decided to contact the CivilService Commission (CSC) for advice andissuing a decision that will end the debate andclearly define the duties of technical supervi-sors. In this regard, MoE’s acting undersecre-tary Fahd Al-Ghaiss requested detailedreports from various supervisors about theirjob nature and the evaluation methods theyfollow. Ghaiss also requested legal advicefrom the ministry’s legal affairs departmentbefore meeting with CSC officials to discussthe topic. Notably, many educationists believethat it is illegal that supervisors take part in

evaluating teachers because they are not theirdirect seniors, which has led to several teach-ers filing cases questioning their annual per-formance evaluation reports.

60 projectsWell-informed sources said Kuwait is

about to execute 60 projects to build suitableinfrastructure for the tourism, aviation, healthand education sectors at a total cost of KD 13billion in the coming five years.

Prices increaseChairman of the Kuwait Union of

Consumer Co-operative Societies (KUCCS)Khaled Al-Hudaiban said that the union willwork hard on preventing companies fromincreasing prices and providing foodstuff atreasonable rates in all co-ops. Speaking onlaunching Yarmouk Co-op’s promotionalfestival , Hudaiban said the union onlyapproved a five percent increase for compa-nies that had applied to increase the pricesof their goods.

By Hanan Al-Saadoun

KUWAIT: Firefighters tackled a blazethat gutted a commercial center in Al-Dajeej yesterday morning, Kuwait FireService Directorate (KFSD) said.Operations received a call at 3:49 amover a blaze ata 10,000-square-meterbusiness com-plex, whereteams of fire-fighters weredispatched tothe scenei m m e d i a t e ly,read a state-ment by theKuwaiti firedepartment. Despite numerous obsta-cles, including a warning system mal-function and several collapses at the site,the fire crews managed to suppress theblaze with no reports of casualties.

Traffic campaignThe Relations and Security

Information Department at the InteriorMinistry said the traffic department car-ried out a campaign from Oct 14 to 20,resulting in issuing 34,916 citations,

i m p o u n d i n g1,267 vehiclesand six motor-cycles, nine‘wanted’ carswere accountedfor and 56 per-sons weredetained - 42were sent to thejuvenile depart-ment, 11 wantedmen were

arrested, while three persons werearrested and sent for deportation. Fourdrug busts were carried out, while 26persons were held for not having IDs.

L o c a l Thursday, October 25, 2018

3Established 1961

KUWAIT: Firefighters tackle a blaze at a commercial center in Al-Dajeej yesterday. Kuwait Fire Service Directorate (KFSD) officials discuss the work plan at the site of the fire.

A sports car impounded during a traffic camping heldrecently in Kuwait.

A traffic policeman is seen in the background as a sports caris impounded during a crackdown.

By Meshaal Al-Enezi

KUWAIT: The constitutional courtyesterday confirmed that sentencesin terrorism and money launderingcases are dropped after 20 years.The court stressed that article 42 ofthe money laundering and terrorismlaw, which prevents dropping thosecrimes by the statute of limitations, isunconstitutional.

Meanwhile, the court of cassationyesterday acquitted a defendantaccused of smuggling diesel contain-ers on the grounds that a proceduralmistake took place. The error wasdescribed as confiscating the con-tainers, emptying them and returningthem to Kuwait Oil Company (KOC)before a judgment was issued by theconcerned court, which prevented thecourt from examining the evidence.

Several arrestsin traffic

campaign

Firemen tackle blaze atDajeej commercial building

Several collapses reported at site; no injuries

KUWAIT: Municipal Council members attend a workshop to discuss the project ofdeveloping Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh yesterday. — KUNA photo

Statute of limitations appliesto terrorism charges: Court

The Palace of Justice

Kuwait, Frenchforces launchjoint drillsKUWAIT: The Kuwaiti Army will conductjoint drills (Pearl of the West) with liveammunition in cooperation with the FrenchArmed Forces between November 11 and30, it said yesterday. The exercises are partof a series of drills that are carried out incooperation with friendly armed forces withthe aim of strengthening military ties, plan-ning and operations, the Kuwaiti Army saidin a press release. — KUNA

Female judges in 2019Sources said there is a plan in the offing

between the public prosecution and the com-prehensive court to appoint a number of femaledeputy prosecutors in 2019 after completingfive years of work at the prosecution. Thesources said they will be appointed as thirdgrade judges in several judicial circuits at thecourt. Sources said the Supreme JudicialCouncil approved admitting law and shariagraduates in the public prosecution - both maleand female - and asked advertisement be pub-lished in November. This will be the third batchin which women are accepted after proven suc-cessful as investigators. The sources said thoseto be accepted this time are this year’s gradu-ates from approved colleges after personalinterviews and written exams at the KuwaitInstitute for Judicial Studies. — Al-Jarida

GCC health ministers meetThe fourth meeting of the Council of

GCC Ministers of Health will be held inKuwait today, with a focus on essentialtopics, Kuwait’s Ministry of Health (MoH)yesterday said. Kuwait’s Minister of HealthSheikh Bassel Al-Sabah said in a pressrelease ahead of the meeting that healthsecurity will begin with examining expatsat border crossings in line with relevanthea l th regu lat ions , and s t rateg ica l lystocking medical supplies and vaccinesduring emergencies. The meeting will dis-cuss the citizens’ ability to access healthservices, address the tobacco epidemicand fo l low-up on dec is ions of theSupreme Council on Health, in addition tomany other topics related to GCC healthchallenges, he noted. — KUNA

National Guardjoins int’l police bodyANTALYA: Kuwait’s National Guard hasjoined the International Association ofGendarmeries and Police Forces withMilitary Status to become the 19th mem-ber, alongside nations such as France,Italy, Spain, Portugal and Turkey. Joiningthe body, also known as the FIEP, willhelp Kuwait to enhance its cooperation insecurity, the exchange of experience,coexistence and training with the othermember countries’ forces, NationalGuard Secretary Lt Gen Hasim Al-Refaisaid at the body’s meeting on Tuesday.

Kuwait is the seventh Arab country tojoin the body, founded in 1994, followingDjibouti, Jordan, Morocco, Palestine,Qatar, and Tunisia. It does so along withSenegal, who both celebrated the occa-

sion at the talks which witnessed Turkey’sGendarmerie’s handing of the annuallyrotating FIEP presidency to the RoyalMarechaussee of the Netherlands. Theannouncement was welcomed by severalexisting Arab members.

Jordan’s Darak forces representativeCol Mohammad Al-Ammoosh, whosecountry presided over the body in 2017,praised Kuwait’s efforts in support ofglobal security and Jordan. PalestinianNational Guard Assistant Chief Brig GenIsmail Qadi also commended Kuwait’ssupport of Palestinian forces. He pro-posed establishing a similar miniatureregional body between the Arab mem-bers, focused on tackling cross bordercrimes such as terrorism, illegal migration,trafficking and organized crime.

Qatar’s Lekhwiya AssistantCommander Maj Gen Abdulaziz binFaisal said he had invited Kuwait’sNational Guard to attend Milipol Qatar,an international exhibition dedicated tothe homeland security and civil defensesectors. — KUNA


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KUWAIT: Kuwait City landmarks seen from Al-Shaheed Park. — Photo by Mohammad Sobhi (KUNA)

Kuwait renewscommitment tomediating Yemenpeace talksNEW YORK: Acting head of Kuwait mission to the UN BaderAbdullah Al-Munayekh said Tuesday his country is ready tofacilitate the efforts of Martin Griffiths, the UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy to Yemen, to bring the warring par-ties back to the negotiating table. “The deterioration of thehumanitarian situation is the unavoidable result of the armedconflict which affects, first and foremost, the economy,” hesaid in a speech to a UN Security Council session on the situ-ation in Yemen on Tuesday. “Given the non-payment ofsalaries and the (Yemeni) riyal’s depreciation, the internationalcommunity has a responsibility to support the YemeniGovernment’s economic response, as well as the SpecialEnvoy’s efforts,” Ambassador Munayekh pointed out.

He commended Saudi Arabia’s support to the CentralBank of Yemen, including a recent cash injection of $200million, bringing the total Saudi contribution to $3.2 bil-lion, in addition to $70 million for teachers’ salaries.Pointing to the Houthis’ coup against the legitimateGovernment in Yemen and their seizing control of allState institutions by force, he said they are refusing tocooperate with political efforts to end the crisis, as seenmost recently in Geneva. “That group is also seizing andloot ing humanitar ian ass is tance,” AmbassadorMunayekh went on.

“The State of Kuwait stands ready to support interna-tional efforts to prioritize a political solution based on inter-national resolutions, despite security challenges, includingthe targeting of Saudi territory with ballistic missiles andother weapons,” he stressed. Efforts to end the crisis muststem from a political solution based on the Gulf initiative, theoutcome of the national dialogue and relevant SecurityCouncil resolutions, he added.

Central African Republic Separately, Munayekh said that Kuwait strongly

denounces the attacks against Muslims in Central AfricanRepublic (CAR) as it did in cases of violence based on reli-

gious or racial grounds. Theattacks by CAR extremistgroups target not onlyMuslim figures, and theirhomes and places of wor-ship but UN staffers andaid workers as well, he saidin a speech to a UNSecurity Council session onthe situation in CAR.

Ambassador Munayekhvoiced profound concernover the repeated attackson members of the UNM u l t i d i m e n s i o n a lIntegrated StabilizationMission in the CentralAfrican Republic (MINUS-CA), which could hamperthe relief effort. The Stateof Kuwait calls on the gov-ernment of CAR to doubleits effort to halt all kinds ofviolence and hate, and pro-mote the culture of coexis-tence among all segmentsof the society, otherwisethe instability and insecuri-ty could have a spillovereffect on neighboringcountries, he stressed.Meanwhile, he welcomedthe inauguration yesterdayof the criminal court on theCentral African Republic asan important step towardsrestoring stability andsecurity in the country andbringing the culprits ofcrimes to justice.

Recalling his visit toCAR on October 2-5alongside a UN delegation,Ambassador Munayekhsaid he felt indications ofimprovement in the securityand political areas althoughthe situation was still fragileparticularly in the capitalcity of Bangui. — KUNA

Kuwait, Jordansign MoU todevelop industrialexportsKUWAIT: Kuwait’s Ministry of Commerceand Industry signed yesterday a memoran-dum of understanding (MoU) with Jordan onindustrial exports’ development during 2019and 2021. On the sidelines of the MoU sign-ing, Undersecretary of the Ministry ofCommerce and Industry Dr Khaled Al-Fadhelsaid that this agreement would enhance trade,investment and economic exchange betweenthe two sides. He added that the two coun-tries are looking forward to improving thelevel of trade cooperation, stressing the needto follow up what was agreed upon in theKuwaiti-Jordanian joint committee meetingheld in Kuwait on Monday.

He praised the role of the joint commit-tee’s members for their efforts to make the

meeting successful and to reach fruitfulresults that will benefit the two countries incoming years. The Kuwaiti-Jordanian jointcommittee meeting discussed many tradeissues between the two countries, especiallyin the areas of transport, trade, investment,specifications and standards, enhancing the

trade exchange movement. According toprevious data from Kuwait’s Ministry ofCommerce and Industry, the volume oftrade exchange between Kuwait and Jordanin 2017 amounted to KD 84 million (about$276 million) compared to KD 65 million(about $214 million) in 2016. —KUNA

By Faten Omar

KUWAIT: The Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions(BDS) movement in Kuwait, in cooperation with theWomen’s Cultural and Social Society organized a sym-posium titled ‘Palestine in our curriculum’ on Tuesday.Dr Talal Al-Rushoud talked about Palestine in theschool curricula of Kuwait historically and ProfessorYousef Al-Mahameed discussed the Palestine case inKuwait’s curriculum today. The symposium was moder-ated by Dr Taghreed Al-Qudsi.

Rushoud said the absence of the Palestinian case inthe curriculum might leadto the absence of knowl-edge of Palestine in thenext generations. “Thecase of Palestine was pres-ent in the Kuwaiti curricu-lum issued in the earlyfifties. Palestinian DarwishEl-Miqdadi, the Director ofEducation, played animportant role in the devel-opment of the first Kuwaitinational curriculum,” hesaid. He added Kuwait pre-ceded Gamal Abdel Nasser, the second President ofEgypt, in issuing a national curriculum based on theidea of Arab nationalism in 1957.

Mahmeed said since the National Center forEducational Development in Kuwait signed a partner-ship agreement with the World Bank five years ago, thecurriculum began to change in Kuwait with the help of

Kuwaiti educational mentors and specialists. Heexplains that students in the tenth grade two years agowere studying about the challenges facing the Arabhomeland. “The ‘Arab Homeland’ textbook discussedthe issue of the Arab-Zionist conflict and not the caseof Palestine,” he said.

He explained that the ‘Arab Homeland’ textbook dis-cussed the Arab-Zionist conflict in general and did notmention any names, saying: “Why doesn’t our curriculahave information about the Nakba, the BalfourDeclaration, the apartheid wall, the right of return andthe effects of the occupation on an entire people,

despite the honorableactions of HH the Amir, sen-ior state officials and thegeneral public in supportingthe Palestinian right on allplatforms. There is no nameof Palestinian or Arab leadersexcept of the late Egyptianpresident Anwar Sadat, andthere are no names ofPalestinian organizations. Itis noteworthy that this bookwas canceled two years ago,which requires another study

to put the Palestinian issue in the curriculum.” Mahmeed added that the study of social subjects in

Kuwait starts from the intermediate stage, ie from thesixth grade to the ninth, noting that the sixth-grade syl-labus mentions Palestine only twice. In the textbook‘Kuwait and the Arab Nation’, Palestine is not men-tioned, while Israel is mentioned once and Gaza twice

in the context of decisions of the Arab League. In thedecisions of Kuwait and the Islamic world, Palestine ismentioned once and Israel thrice.

In the tenth grade, Mahmeed explained that studentswere studying the subject of the Arab homeland, butthe education ministry replaced it with the “History ofKuwait” textbook. “There is no material in the second-ary grade that deals with the Arab world. In geography,there is no mention of Palestine, but it is mentioned inthe twelfth grade on the subject of water as one of thecountries facing a water crisis,” he said.

BDS is a Palestinian-led movement for freedom, justiceand equality. BDS upholds the simple principle that

Palestinians are entitled to the same rights as the rest ofhumanity. BDS is now a vibrant global movement madeup of unions, academic associations, churches and grass-roots movements across the world. In 2005, Palestiniancivil society organizations called for boycotts, divestment,and sanctions as a form of non-violent pressure on Israel.The BDS movement was launched by 170 Palestinianunions, political parties, refugee networks, women’sorganizations, professional associations, popular resist-ance committees, and other Palestinian civil society bod-ies. Inspired by the South African anti-apartheid move-ment, the Palestinian BDS call urges nonviolent pressureon Israel until it complies with international law.


5L o c a l

Established 1961

Palestine in ourcurriculum

Symposium calls for more focuson Palestine in Kuwait’s curricula

Organized by BDS movement in Kuwait in cooperation with Women’s Cultural and Social Society

KUWAIT: Panelists attend a symposium titled ‘Palestine in our curriculum’, organized by the Boycott,Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement in Kuwait, in cooperation with the Women’s Cultural and SocialSociety on Tuesday. — Photo by Joseph Shagra

KUWAIT: Kuwait and Jordan sign a memorandum of understanding on industrial exports’development. — KUNA

Health teamdiscusses inJordan waysto bolster tiesAMMAN: A delegation of consultantdoctors from the Kuwaiti Ministry ofHealth discussed yesterday ways toenhance cooperation with Jordan in thefield of medical and therapeutic servicesprovided by the centers and hospitals inthe Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. DrFuad Al-Qattan, Director of the TreatmentAbroad Management in the Ministry, saidthat the delegation’s visit lasted for fourdays, and included field visits to severalhospitals, medical and therapeutic centersin different Jordanian areas.

Qattan added that the delegation,which included consultants from thedepartments of surgery, abdominal sur-gery, bone and tumors, discussed with

Jordanian officials during the visit thepossibility of exchanging experiencesamong doctors and training them for thecontinuing education program. Qattansaid that the delegation also visited theKuwaiti Health Office in Jordan and dis-cussed several issues of concern toKuwaiti patients with the head of theoffice Dr Badr Al-Enezi, including ways toprovide more facilities for patients’ proce-dures at the expense of the Ministry ofHealth and health insurance for Kuwaitistudents. He also praised the role playedby the Kuwaiti Health Office, extolling atthe same time its exerted efforts andkeenness to strengthen cooperation rela-tions in the medical field with theJordanian side.

Meanwhile, Dr Enezi said that theKuwaiti delegation’s visit comes within theframework of the ‘privileged’ cooperationrelations between the two countries. Enezipraised Jordan’s advanced experience in themedical and health spheres, both in terms ofhuman resources and infrastructure, notingthe importance of exchanging experienceswith the Jordanian side to achieve the com-mon interest of both sides. — KUNA

InternationalInside China internment camps: Tear gas, Tasers

Page 7Child bride refugees spur Sweden to tighten marriage law

Page 7

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2018

Knock, knock with an app: The US door-to-door campaign ritualWILKES BARRE: Republican volunteer John Lombardosets himself an ambitious target when going door-to-dooron the campaign trail in battleground state Pennsylvania: ahundred door knocks every two hours. In the age of thesmart phone and algorithms, door knocking has onlycemented itself as a vital way to mobilize US voters, espe-cially those traditionally apathetic when it comes tomidterm elections. Lombardo, 25-year-old fire fighter andmedic who volunteers for the Republican Party when notworking three jobs, walks briskly from house to house in amiddle-class suburb on the edges of Wilkes-Barre.

Yet even on a sunny day, visiting neat and tidy homesspruced up for Halloween with pumpkins and witches, is athankless task. Only one in 10 actually answer the door.“It’s not something as a volunteer to be discouraged by,”Lombardo shrugs. “That word of mouth, that voter mighttell his wife or five of their friends, it spreads like wildfire atsome point.” Wilkes-Barre sits in former coal-miningcountry. Largely white, heavily Catholic and traditionallyDemocratic, it bucked tradition and voted 58 percent forDonald Trump in the 2016 presidential election.

The goal in the November 6 midterms is to make surethose Trump supporters show the president some morelove and return to the ballot box in an election likely tohave an outsize influence on the rest of his term. All 435seats in the House of Representatives up for grabs alongwith a third of the Senate, threatening to eat away if notcapsize the Republican billionaire’s slender workingmajority in both houses. Lombardo goes about his work,armed with his smart phone and the Geoconnect Proapp, which classifies homes’ occupants as “hard” or“weak” Republicans and Democrats, based on a nation-wide algorithm. —AFP

In this file photo, women shout slogans during an International Women’s Day rally in Kathmandu. The rape and murder of a teenager provoked unprecedented protests in conservative Nepal, but activists say a #MeToo reckoning likethat unfolding in neighboring India remains a distant prospect. —AFP

KATHMANDU: The rape and murder of a teenager pro-voked unprecedented protests in conservative Nepal, butactivists say a #MeToo reckoning like that unfolding inneighboring India remains a distant prospect. Thousandspoured onto the streets after 13-year-old Nirmala Pant’sbody was discovered in July angered by allegations thepolice were protecting the perpetrators.

Two hashtags - #RageAgainstRape and#JusticeForNirmala - have become the rallying cries forprotesters fed up with Nepal’s woeful record of prosecutingcases of violence against women. But #MeToo has beenlargely absent from the ongoing debate. Those fighting forchange say women still struggle to speak out against theirabusers in Nepal. “I would love a society where you can say#MeToo,” said women’s rights activist Hima Bista. In recentweeks the #MeToo movement in neighboring India hasgathered pace, a year after the hashtag first went viral.

The public allegations by Bollywood star TanushreeDutta against a fellow actor emboldened a wave of womenin India to tell their own stories. A government minister, MJ

Akbar, resigned this month after at least 20 women accusedhim of sexual harassment. A prominent Bollywood directorwas also sacked over similar allegations. The shockwaveshave not gone unnoticed in Nepal, which shares strong cul-tural and religious ties with its influential neighbor, as well asa 1,850-kilometre open border. “You see a slight breezecome through,” Bista said of the ripple effect from India.

‘Fight for justice’In the last two weeks, a handful of women have gone

public with #MeToo stories in Nepal, including two accus-ing the former mayor of Kathmandu, Keshav Sthapit, ofabusing his power. “Nepal also has serial predators whohave been misusing their powers and positions,” wroteRashmila Prajapati, who says she lost her job in Sthapit’soffice 15 years ago after she rejected his sexual advances.“(It) is high time to reveal them.” Sthapit has denied the alle-gations, describing them as “a rape of men’s rights” in anrecent interview with the Kathmandu Post newspaper.

But for most women in Nepal, particularly those in con-

servative rural communities, speaking out is not an option,says Mohna Ansari of the National Human RightsCommission. She is supporting two rape victims whobrought their cases to court - a rare achievement in itself.But the women have been driven from their communities bygossip, a byproduct of speaking out about sexual violence.“They are now both hiding in a shelter.

The stigma and victim blaming is still too strong in oursociety,” said Ansari. Bista is concerned that Nepal may notbe ready for #MeToo, pointing out that so far only profes-sional women in Kathmandu have felt able to speak out.“And the reaction has been very divided for and against(them),” she added. A change needs to come from the top,but the government’s response to Pant’s killing, the botchedinvestigation and the ensuing protests has invoked outrageand derision.

Parliament passed a ban on pornography saying it wouldcurb violence against women, while the home ministerblamed rape on capitalism. He also described the#RageAgainstRape protest movement as a conspiracy

aimed at toppling Nepal’s communist-led government.There have been small signs of progress: official figuresshow 479 complaints of rape and attempted rape weremade from July to September this year - more than the totalnumber of cases filed between 2008 and 2009 - suggestingthe protests have encouraged some to speak up. In 2016 to2017, 1,131 rapes were reported to the police, but only a tinyfraction ended up in court.

Sexual violence is making news too. An acid attack ontwo sisters by a jilted suitor in late September, and the gangrape and murder of a 10-year-old girl, dominated headlinesfor days. But activists say the sensationalist coverage andgratuitous detail paints women as weak victims with noagency — undermining their ability to call out their abusers.“Once we address the culture, then you have space for#MeToo,” said Bista. Pant’s killers meanwhile remain atlarge. “I don’t have any hope of justice, because the investi-gations have come up with nothing despite public pres-sure,” her father, Yagya Raj Pant, told AFP by phone. “Butwe still continue our fight for justice.” —AFP

Long road ahead for #MeToo in NepalRape, murder of teenager provoke unprecedented protests

Hurricane Willa slams Mexico’s Pacific coastESCUINAPA: Hurricane Willa crashed ashore in west-ern Mexico Tuesday, lashing the Pacific coast with pow-erful winds and heavy rain before weakening to a tropi-cal storm as it moved inland. The powerful storm, whichwas a maximum Category 5 hurricane on Monday, hadweakened to Category 3 as it moved toward land.Forecasters warned that the storm still had the potentialto unleash deadly flooding and landslides. However,storm surge levels will subside over the course ofWednesday and Willa is expected to dissipate by theafternoon, the US National Hurricane Center said.

As of 0600 GMT, the storm’s maximum sustainedwinds had decreased to 45 mph (75 kph). Willa firstswept over the Marias islands, where Mexico has a fed-eral prison. The interior ministry did not respond toquestions on whether it had evacuated the 1,000inmates housed there or what other emergency meas-ures were in place for the penal colony. “We do nothave any reports of damages there so far,” the head ofMexico’s emergency services, Luis Felipe Puente, told apress conference. More than 4,250 people were evacu-ated from high-risk areas, including tourists who wereon vacation at the beach, he said. They are beinghoused in 58 temporary shelters.

‘Up against nature’At a shelter in Escuinapa, a town of 30,000 people

that sits in the middle of the storm’s likely path, resi-dents fretted over their houses as they waited out thestorm. “Let’s just hope this is over soon so we can gohome,” said Epigmenio Cardenas, 44, a farmer who wasamong the 2,500 people huddled there. “You feel badleaving everything behind, but what can you do? We’reup against nature,” he told AFP. Many residents hadboarded up their windows with plywood. “They told usit was going to hit hard, and that we had to come here”to the shelter, said Maria Virginia Cardenas, 59, a cook.

“God, please just let us go back home unharmed.”The Mexican army deployed troops to roll out a disas-ter response operation in the area. In Mazatlan, a tran-

quil resort town with turquoise waters, the hotels thatline the coast were largely empty as workers nailed ply-wood over the windows and built sandbag barriers tokeep out the flood waters earlier in the day. As thestorm moved over the town, drenching it in a light butsteady rain, some hardy residents even went for walksor bike rides on the oceanfront avenue, the Malecon.

State of alertAt its peak, Willa packed maximum sustained winds

of 195 kilometers (120 miles) per hour, the NHC said. Itis expected to dump 15 to 30 centimeters (six to 12inches) of rain on parts of Sinaloa, Nayarit and Jaliscostates, with some areas getting up to 45 centimeters.The three states had already declared an alert and can-celled school. In the resort town of Puerto Vallarta,

Jalisco Governor Aristoteles Sandoval on Mondayordered the evacuation of hotels and coastal areas,warning the storm could have “very destructive conse-quences.”

In Michoacan state, also on the Pacific coast, heavyrain caused a freight train to derail Monday in the townof La Goleta, injuring at least two workers for theKansas City Southern rail line, authorities said. Addingto the weather chaos, the remnants of Tropical StormVicente were moving over Michoacan on Tuesday,bringing more heavy rainfall. Mexico’s Pacific coast hasalready been hit by deadly storms and rains this hurri-cane season. In September, at least 15 people werekilled when flash floods hit the states of Sinaloa andMichoacan. Last week, 11 more people died in Oaxaca,including seven children. —AFP

ESCUINAPA: Aerial view of a collapsed church, after the passage of Hurricane Willa in Escuinapa, Sinaloa state, Mexicoyesterday. —AFP

I n t e r n a t i o n a l Thursday, October 25, 2018

7

Inside China internment camps: Tear gas, Tasers and textbooks

Camps hold a million ethnic Uighurs, Muslim minorities BEIJING: On state television, the vocational educationcentre in China’s far west looked like a modern schoolwhere happy students studied Mandarin, brushed up theirjob skills, and pursued hobbies such as sports and folkdance. But earlier this year, one of the local governmentdepartments in charge of such facilities in Xinjiang’s Hotanprefecture made several purchases that had little to do witheducation: 2,768 police batons, 550 electric cattle prods,1,367 pairs of handcuffs, and 2,792 cans of pepper spray.

The shopping list was among over a thousand procure-ment requests made by local governments in the Xinjiangregion since early 2017 related to the construction andmanagement of a sprawling system of “vocational educa-tion and training centers”. The facilities have come underinternational scrutiny, with rights activists describing themas political re-education camps holding as many as onemillion ethnic Uighurs and other Muslim minorities. Beijinghad previously denied their existence.

But a global outcry, including from the UN and the US,sparked a PR counter-offensive. Government propagandainsisted the centers were aimed at countering the spreadof separatism, terrorism and religious extremism through“free” education and job training. However, an AFP exami-nation of more than 1,500 publicly available governmentdocuments - ranging from tenders and budgets to officialwork reports - shows the centers are run more like jailsthan schools.

Thousands of guards equipped with tear gas, Tasers,stun guns and spiked clubs keep tight control over “stu-dents” in facilities ringed with razor wire and infraredcameras, according to the documents. The centers should“teach like a school, be managed like the military, and bedefended like a prison”, said one document, quotingXinjiang’s party secretary Chen Quanguo.

To build new, better Chinese citizens, another docu-ment argued, the centers must first “break their lineage,break their roots, break their connections, and break theirorigins”. ‘Detain those who should be detained’ - The cen-tre featured on state broadcaster CCTV last week is oneof at least 181 such facilities in Xinjiang, according to datacollected by AFP. Participation is voluntary, according toCCTV, which showed contented “students” wearingmatching uniforms, studying Mandarin and learning tradeslike knitting, weaving and baking.

The centers first appeared in 2014, the year thatauthorities launched a new “strike hard” campaign against“terrorism” after deadly violence in Xinjiang. But thebuildup began in earnest in early 2017, with local govern-ments in predominantly Uighur southern Xinjiang orderedto speed up the construction of “concentrated educational

transformation centers for focus groups” - a euphemismfor the religious, the poor, the uneducated, passport hold-ers, and virtually all men of military age.

Shortly after, Xinjiang’s regional government issuedregulations on managing “religious extremism”. Extremistscould be hiding anywhere, officials warned, instructingcadres to be on the lookout for 25 illegal religious activi-ties and 75 signs of extremism, including such seeminglyinnocuous activities as quitting smoking or buying a tent.“Detain those who should be detained to the greatestextent possible”, cadres were told. Detentions surged,catching local governments unprepared.

In 2017, spending by justice bureaus throughoutXinjiang exploded, driven largely by huge outlays for build-ing and running vocational centers. The offices spent nearlythree billion yuan ($432 million) - at least 577 percent morethan planned - according to AFP’s calculations. Counties inthe south closed the gap with a special fund earmarked forcenters in the region. At least some of that money camedirectly from the Communist Party’s Central Political andLegal Affairs Commission - the group in charge of thenation’s legal authorities - budget documents showed.

‘Wolf’s teeth’ Around April 2017, local governments began posting a

wide variety of tenders related to the facilities. Some orders- furniture, air conditioners, bunk beds, cutlery - would notseem out of place at a typical Chinese university. But othersresembled prison equipment: sophisticated surveillancesystems, cameras for recording students in their rooms,razor wire, a system for eavesdropping on phone calls, andinfrared monitoring devices. The centers also bought policeuniforms, riot shields and helmets, pepper spray, tear gas,net guns, stun guns, electrified batons, billy clubs, spears,handcuffs and spiked clubs known as “wolf’s teeth”.

At least one centre requested “tiger chairs”, a deviceused by Chinese police to restrain interrogation subjects.The gear was necessary, party officials in the regionalcapital Urumqi argued in an emergency request for Tasers,to “guarantee staff members’ personal safety”. Non-lethalweapons, it said, were important for “reducing the possi-bility of accidental injury in some situations where it is notnecessary to use standard firearms”. Despite repeatedattempts by AFP, local authorities could not be reached forcomment. At the end of 2017, “higher authorities” issueddirections to standardize the facilities’ operations. New“vocational education and training service managementbureaus” were set up, headed by officials experienced inrunning prisons and detention centers, according to localgovernment websites. — AFP

Pakistan urged to cut off extremistsWASHINGTON: US Secretary of State Mike Pompeoon Tuesday renewed calls on Pakistan to curb extremistsfighting in Afghanistan, saying Washington was holdingits uneasy war partner accountable. Pompeo made thecomment as he welcomed long-delayed legislative elec-tions in Afghanistan, saying the United States was“encouraged” by voter turnout, despite reports of wide-spread problems including poll centers that failed toopen or lacked voter rolls.

“Our expectation is that Pakistan will not providesafe harbor to terrorists on their western border,”Pompeo told reporters when asked about Islamabad’srole. “We couldn’t have made that message any more

clear,” he said, adding: “Pakistan will be held to accountif they don’t achieve that, if they’re not sincere in thateffort.” “Everyone wants a reconciliation in Afghanistanand to achieve that, you can’t have a safe harbor forTaleban, for Haqqani and for others inside of Pakistan,”he said, listing extremist movements fighting inAfghanistan.

President Donald Trump’s administration last monthcut $300 million in military aid to Pakistan after yearsof US complaints that Islamabad has kept nurturingties with militants that target both Afghanistan andrival India. Pakistan has countered that it has paid aheavy price internally for fighting militants and that itcan help bring the Taleban to the table. A Taleban del-egation earlier this month met in Qatar with a USenvoy. Pakistan’s new Prime Minister Imran Khan is alongstanding supporter of negotiations to end the warin Afghanistan, where the United States has beendeployed since 2001. — AFP

Child bride spur Sweden to tighten marriage lawLONDON: Among the tens of thousands of child refugeeswho have fled to Sweden from war-torn countries is agroup of young girls who have presented the Nordic coun-try with a major dilemma - they are married. The predica-ment is this. Should the country accept such unions eventhough they would be illegal under Swedish law and couldexpose girls to lifelong abuse? Or should it separate cou-ples, potentially compounding their trauma and isolation? Itis a conundrum that has also vexed Germany, Denmark andthe Netherlands, which have re-examined their laws andpolicies since the European refugee crisis began in 2015.

Sweden bans marriage under 18. But foreign underagemarriages are recognized if legal in the countries wherethey were carried out. That is set to change. Under a law,expected to come into force in January, Sweden will invali-date all underage marriages. If the couple want to staytogether they will have to remarry when both reach 18.Rights activists are delighted. “We hear about these casesall the time,” said Sara Mohammad, founder of GAPF, anorganization which campaigns against “honor” relatedabuse, including child marriage. “We need to protect thesegirls, and we need Sweden to show the world that childmarriage is not OK.”

The debate in Sweden comes as global leaders arepushing to end child marriage by 2030. Advocacy groupGirls Not Brides says 12 million girls under 18 marry eachyear worldwide, depriving them of education and increasingtheir risk of domestic and sexual violence. Mohammadarrived in Sweden in 1993 having fled Iraq where her broth-er tried to shoot her with a Kalashnikov after she ran awayfrom her own child marriage on her wedding day. “IfSweden shows that these marriages are not allowed, mostgirls in forced marriages will not choose to go back to theirhusbands,” she told the Thomson Reuters Foundation. “Thegovernment must show these girls that it will protect them.”

OutlawedSweden has been one of the most generous countries

during Europe’s migrant crisis. Some 400,000 people havesought asylum there since 2012. But there is no compre-hensive data on how many married children are among thearrivals. In 2016, Sweden’s Migration Agency said it hadidentified 132 married children, 129 of them girls. Mostcame from Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan. Mohammad saidthe real number was “much bigger”. Tina Trygg, an experton the issue at Sweden’s governmental National Board ofHealth and Welfare, which provides guidance to socialservices, said there were probably more cases as youngmarried girls who arrive with their parents may go unde-tected. Steps to tighten the law in Sweden follow similarmoves in Germany, which has taken in more than 1.6 millionasylum seekers, mainly from the Middle East and Africa,since 2014. Germany reported in 2016 that nearly 1,500foreign children living in the country were listed as “mar-ried” on their paperwork. Last year it outlawed all mar-riages and engagements under the age of 18.

‘Child abuse’Swedish authorities have faced many difficulties know-

ing how to support married girls, with social workers com-plaining of a lack of guidance, according to an investiga-tion by the National Board of Health and Welfare. Tryggsaid most of the girls had children, which meant socialservices had to balance the welfare of the young mother,who might be better off separated from her spouse, againsther children’s conflicting need to be with both parents.

One official quoted in the board’s report also highlightedthe risk of subjecting a girl to further trauma if she is “takenagainst her will when she has just arrived in Sweden andwhat she thought was a safe haven”. In many cases, Tryggsaid, girls asked to remain with their husbands but socialworkers often found it hard to assess whether the girls werereally expressing their own will. The board has produced afact sheet on child marriage for new arrivals.

This states that sex with a child under 15 is a crime evenif the child is reported to be married, that non-consensualsex - even within marriage - is rape, and that any marriedperson can divorce even if their spouse is opposed. Butchild marriage is nothing new in Sweden. Zinat Pirzadeh, aschool careers counsellor in Stockholm, said Swedish girlsfrom ethnic minority backgrounds vanished every year tobe married off in their parents’ home countries. Pirzadeh,who suffered years of violence after she was married at 16in her native Iran, said politicians and officials were oftentoo scared to speak out for fear of being branded racist orIslamaphobic.

But she said turning a blind eye was itself racist becauseit meant children were not being equally protected regard-less of their background. “It’s so wrong that we even use theterm ‘child marriage’,” she added. “Children get raped inthat kind of marriage. It’s child abuse.” Pirzadeh believes thenew law is crucial. “A child should be a child. A child has tohave a chance to grow up,” she said. “I know from my hearthow hard it is to be with some guy you don’t know, don’tlove, don’t want to share a roof with. I wouldn’t wish it onmy worst enemy.” — Reuters

HOTAN: Uighur men pray in a mosque in Hotan, in China’s western Xinjiang region. The prefecture in the region’s southhas seen an explosion in the construction of ‘vocational training’ centers for the region’s Muslim minorities. — AFP


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

HUIXTLA: The caravan of Honduran migrants defyingPresident Donald Trump by slowly trekking to the UnitedStates includes hundreds of children whose parents areready to risk everything to give them a better future. In thepast five days alone - since the thousands of migrantscrossed from Guatemala into Mexico - the children’s par-ents have exposed them to a stampede, a treacherous rivercrossing and searing heat.

Driven from Honduras by violence and poverty, theyhave little choice, they say. Many of the mothers travel-ing in the caravan are barely 20 years old. But they tendto have one thing in common: they are fleeing Hondurasto prevent gangs from killing or recruiting their sons,from kidnapping or raping their daughters, a fate thatbefell many of them. In a journey fraught with danger,there are plenty of worries to keep a parent awake atnight, despite the fatigue. First among them: losing achild in the human ocean.

“Help me grab this child!” one of the volunteers accom-panying the caravan shouted at a recent stop, clinging to a10-year-old boy who was trying to run off in search of hismother, who had lost him. Ana Rivera, 27, meanwhilewalked beside her two-year-old son, who was dressedonly in a nappy, searching for her daughter in an impro-vised camp. Nearby, an adolescent approached an ambu-lance to take a look at her three-year-old son, who wasalmost constantly vomiting water. She was told to comeback later, when the queue had died down.

Gate crushThe caravan, which left Honduras on October 13, com-

prises more than 7,000 people, according to the UnitedNations. Humanitarian organizations say a quarter of them

are babies and children. On Friday, as the caravan amassedin the Guatemalan town of Tecun Uman looking to crossthe bridge that separates it from the Mexican town ofCiudad Hidalgo, a multitude of migrants pressed upagainst a border gate that had been sealed by police.

Mexican riot police pushed back the migrants, butmany children watched terrified as their parents, crushedagainst the gate, pleaded with authorities to let themthrough. “We were at the front, against the fence, andwhen the police fired tear gas, the child curled up in myarms,” said Oscar Rodriguez, 22, while his 18-year-oldwife, Ruth Fuentes, tried to calm a tearful Jasser, their tod-dler of 21 months. At the border crossing, many migrantsopted to try to navigate the Suchiate river in improvisedrafts made of inner tubes with a wooden board on top.

Guadalupe Del Carmen, 29, was one of them. But hernine-year-old son got scared and started crying:“‘“Mommy, take me back. Mommy, I don’t want to do thisanymore.’ It was a very tense moment,” she said. Her son,with skinny legs and big black eyes, listened intently to her

story. “I explained we can’t go back, that the situation inour country is too difficult and that’s why we had to runaway,” said Del Carmen, who has been unable to sleepsoundly since leaving Honduras due to the stress of look-ing after her son. To distract him, Del Carmen was ticklinghim playfully, forgetting their surroundings amongstmigrants with bloodied feet sleeping on wet and dirtypieces of cardboard.

Fleeing for their livesLike a lot of the caravan kids, Jennifer Molina’s two

children, aged three and five, regularly have a fever. “I

know it’s dangerous, I know we could be robbed, but wedon’t have another option,” she said. “The gangs wanted toforce my husband to transport drugs and when he refused,they threatened to kill us all.” When not crying either overthe imposing mass of migrants or from seeing their parentsbeg for food, the children entertain themselves with impro-vised games. They play at a future in which their parents’American dream has become reality. They “play as if theywere already in the United States,” said Molina, “as if theirgrandmother had already bought them a car, that theyhave this, that and the other thing, because they know theirgrandmother is waiting for them there.” — AFP

For migrant caravan children, a long trek to a murky dream

Migrants defying Trump, slowly trekking to US

News in brief

102-year-old charged SYDNEY: A 102-year-old man has been charged withaggravated indecent assault against a 92-year-oldwoman at an old people’s home in Sydney, police saidyesterday. The unnamed man will appear in court nextmonth, police said, after he was accused of assaultingthe fellow resident at a care facility in the city’s east-ern suburbs. Police declined to give details of thealleged crime, but said the incident took place aroundlunchtime on Tuesday and was reported to police.Officers arrived on the scene, not far from BondiBeach, and took the man into custody. If convicted, hecould face up to seven years in jail. He was howevergranted bail pending a court appearance onNovember 20. — AFP

Woman gives birth on flightMUMBAI: An Indonesian woman gave birth on anEtihad Airways flight from Abu Dhabi to Jakarta thathad to be diverted to Mumbai yesterday, Indian offi-cials said. Flight EY 474 left the emirate for Indonesia’scapital in the early hours of yesterday but was divertedto India’s commercial hub after the woman went intolabor, a Mumbai airport spokesperson said. “The pas-senger delivered a female child about 40 minutesbefore landing” in Mumbai, the spokesperson said. Thewoman, described by the spokesperson as being ofIndonesian origin, was taken to a nearby hospital andthe flight departed Mumbai around 09:40 am to com-plete its journey to Jakarta. —AFP

Pope sacks US bishop VATICAN CITY: Pope Francis has removed fromoffice Bishop Martin Holley of Memphis, Tennessee,the Vatican said yesterday. A Vatican spokesman saidthe decision had been taken over “an issue of manage-ment and had nothing to do with sexual abuse”. TheVatican’s statement was unusually tough, saying the63-year-old had been “relieved of the governance” ofthe diocese. Such announcements usually say the popehas accepted a resignation. The widely-read NationalCatholic Reporter newspaper said Holley had been thesubject of a Vatican investigation in June followingcomplaints among priests about his leadership. Thenewspaper said Holley had transferred about 75 per-cent of the diocese’s priests shortly after his appoint-ment in 2016. — Reuters

Greek ex-minister jailed ATHENS: A prominent Greek socialist ex-minister wasjailed for graft late Tuesday in a 2003 case linked to anavy frigate upgrade, a court source said. Formerdefense minister Yannos Papantoniou and his wifewere placed in pre-trial detention for allegedly stash-ing some 2.8 million Swiss francs (2.45 million euros)from contract bribes in dozens of Swiss accounts. Bothdeny the charges. A 69-year-old economist,Papantoniou, was a key minister in successive socialistadministrations between 1994 and 2004, previouslyserving as finance minister as Greece prepared to jointhe euro. Papantoniou had been under investigation forthe past 15 years. — AFP

Afghan forces kill 14 KABUL: At least 14 civilians were killed during anoperation by Afghan security forces in easternNangarhar province, residents said yesterday.Government officials confirmed that security officialshad conducted an operation against insurgents in theShahidano Mena area of Rodat district on Tuesday andwere investigating whether the operation resulted incivilian casualties. Both Taleban and Islamic State mili-tants are active in eastern Afghanistan. AttaullahKhogyani, a spokesman for Nangarhar governor con-firmed the death of 14 people but he refused to com-ment whether the victims were civilians or insurgents.Angry residents along with families of the victims saidinnocent men, women and children were targeted bythe Afghan soldiers. — Reuters

Migrants driven from by poverty

and violence

Climate change swells migration to US: ExpertsPANAMA CITY: Deepening climatechange will swell Central American migra-tion to the United States, the region’s envi-ronment ministers and experts warnedTuesday as a caravan of mostly Honduranmigrants trekked towards the US borderin defiance of President Donald Trump.“The next migrants are going to be cli-mate migrants,” El Salvador’s Environmentand Natural Resources Minister Lina Pohltold reporters on the sidelines of a confer-ence in Panama. Delegates heard climatechange had caused prolonged periods ofdrought and rain in the region, damagingor destroying the crops of poorer subsis-tence farmers who are often forced toleave with their families to search for newopportunities.

“Central America has had recurrentlosses in agriculture, with populationsincreasingly faced with fewer opportunitiesfor work and development,” Pohl said. FiveCentral American countries - Honduras,Nicaragua, Guatemala, El Salvador and theDominican Republic - are among theworld’s 15 most vulnerable states in the

face of extreme climate change events,ministers at the meeting of the CentralAmerican Commission for Environmentand Development said.

“The impacts of climate change are partof the triggers of migration,” they said in astatement. “All countries have a problem -that if you do not have food security or themeans to survive, it causes migration - andall Central American countries are suffer-ing,” said Elvin Rodas, Honduras’ deputyenvironment minister. “Independently ofthe caravan, the effects of climate changecause migrations, because you do not havesustainability in the place where you wereborn,” said Rodas.

Droughts and RainsThe Central American dry corridor,

which runs through Guatemala, Hondurasand El Salvador, was hit by one of theworst droughts in a decade in 2016. Thatleft 3.5 million people needing humanitari-an assistance, according to the UN Foodand Agriculture Organization. InGuatemala, this year alone, more than100,000 families had been affected by theloss of the corn and bean crops due to cli-mate variability, said Guatemala’s ministerAlfonso Alonzo. Change in temperatures,prolonged drought and intensified rainfallmean that millions of Central Americanfarmers who subsist on basic grains cansee their crops wiped out.

“Climate change has no ideology, it has

victims and we are seeing these victimssuffering every day,” said Alonzo. “Withoutdoubt, climate change is adding to the ter-rible decision that people are taking tomigrate,” said Elena Pita, an official of the

UN climate change adaptation program forLatin America and the Caribbean.“Populations,” she said, “are very vulnera-ble, because there is a high percentage ofvery poor people.” — AFP

Over 20injured as escalator collapsesROME: More than 20 people, mainlyRussian football fans, were injuredTuesday when an escalator in a metrostation in central Rome collapsed,firefighters said. Most of those hurt,one seriously, suffered leg injuriesafter getting entangled in the escala-tor’s mangled mechanics, Italianmedia added. A video of the dramashows the descending escalator atRepubblica station suddenly and dra-matically pick up speed with dozensof people on it, many screaming asthey piled on top of one another atthe foot of the moving stairway.

Media reports said witnessesspoke of football fans, seeminglydrunk, jumping and dancing on theescalator just before its collapse, butsupporters denied this ever hap-pened. “In any event, we are here tounderstand what happened and tooffer our support to the wounded andtheir families,” Rome mayor VirginiaRaggi told journalists at the scene.

Some of the victims were seenwrapped in blankets and some woreneck braces as they were taken awayfrom the scene on stretchers byemergency crews. Several investiga-tions have been opened, and themetro station near Rome’s Terminitrain station was closed. The horrificevents took place around 1730 GMT,just over an hour before the kickoffof a Champions League matchbetween Italy’s Roma and Russianclub CSKA Moscow. The Russianfans were headed for the metro thatwould have linked them to the trainto the stadium.

Victims offered supportThere was heightened security in

Rome for some 1,500 Russian sup-porters, notoriously rowdy, expectedto watch the game. One Russian sup-porter, the subject of a stadium ban,had already been stopped at the air-port as he tried to enter. But accord-ing to Italian media, this did not pre-vent an assortment of incidentsaround the stadium hosting thematch. One Russian fan was stabbedwith a knife, and two others werehurt in clashes with other support-ers. Roma won the group stagematch 3-0, tweeting after the matchthat: “The thoughts of everyone at#ASRoma are with the supportersinjured prior to tonight’s game. Theclub will do everything it can to pro-vide the right support and assis-tance to those in need.”

Red-Blue World, a CSKA fangroup, set up a collection fund forthose injured, as well as fans hurt inviolence near the stadium. Rome’spublic transport is often criticized as

running on obsolete equipment. Inrecent years, more than a dozenmunicipal buses have caught firewhile in service, with several reportsof metro passengers injured by mal-functioning hardware. And a massivebridge collapse in Genoa in August -which killed 43 people - also raisedsafety questions about transportinfrastructure in Italy.

Incidents on escalators havecaused injuries, and even deaths,around the world. In 2015, a womanwas killed after she plunged throughflooring over an escalator in aChinese department store. Securitycamera footage showed a panel in thefloor giving way as the womanstepped off the escalator. As she fellhalf-way through she pushed her sonforward, and a nearby shop assistantdragged him to safety. And in March2017, around 20 people were injuredat a Hong Kong shopping centrewhen an escalator suddenly changeddirection, sending people hurtlingtowards its base. — AFP

Social media in the spotlight in Brazil’s electionRIO DE JANEIRO: Brazil, like other countries, is fac-ing a very electronic election. WhatsApp, Facebookand Twitter are the weapons of choice to sway thecountry’s 147 million voters - and abuse of socialmedia has been widespread. Facebook and itsWhatsApp messenger service - hugely popular in theLatin American nation - have been thrust into thespotlight for being used to traffick in disinformation.The extreme-right frontrunner in the run-off electionon Sunday, Jair Bolsonaro, has largely eschewedBrazil’s established media, preferring to woo votersonline in a manner very reminiscent of US PresidentDonald Trump.

Bolsonaro’s trailing rival, leftwing candidateFernando Haddad, has raged against “fake news” and“lies” targeting him and his Workers Party, asBolsonaro’s support has grown into what looks to bean unassailable lead. Surveys suggest Bolsonarocould pick up 59 percent of the vote, to 41 percent forHaddad. If the race goes in that direction, Brazil - acountry that threw off military dictatorship just threedecades ago - will veer to the far right, under a presi-dent Bolsonaro vowing a relentless crackdown oncrime and corruption.

This week, the 63-year-old former paratrooper, apro-gun lawmaker backed by influential evangelicalgroups, warned the “red marginals” of the WorkersParty “to get out or go to jail.” The language online isjust as blunt, mixing truth with lies, or presentingopinions as fact. Many shared posts amplify theWorkers Party’s past corruption. Some portrayHaddad as trying to promote homosexuality inschoolchildren. Others, those backing Haddad, callBolsonaro a “fascist” bent on destroying democracy.

Accusations of defamation and campaign dirtytricks are flying back and forth. The federal policehave opened an investigation into online “fake news”against both candidates. The potential of socialmedia to influence Brazil’s election also evokes therevelations of meddling that came out in the wake ofthe US election and the Brexit referendum in Britain,both in 2016. — AFP

HUIXTLA: Honduran migrants aboard a truck - take part in a caravan heading to the US, in Huixtla on their wayto Mapastepec Chiapas state, Mexico yesterday. — AFP

ROME: Photo shows the wreckage of an escalator after it jammed at the under-ground metro station ‘Repubblica’ in Rome, injuring at least 20 people. — AFP

CHIAPAS: Honduran migrants heading in a caravan to the US, climb on a truck inHuixtla on their way to Mapastepec Chiapas state, Mexico. — AFP

I n t e r n a t i o n a l Thursday, October 25, 2018

9

Paradise lost: Tourist spots in danger of being loved to deathMANILA: The Philippines’ most famous resort islandBoracay re-opens Friday after a six-month clean-upintended to fix the damage done by unrestrainedmass tourism. Here are some other global hotspotsthat authorities have moved to protect:

Bali, Indonesia Officials on the holiday island, Indonesia’s top

tourist destination, declared a “garbage emergency”last year after the palm-fringed Kuta beach was swal-lowed up by mountains of trash. Indonesia, secondonly to China as the world’s biggest contributor tomarine debris, deployed 700 cleaners and 35 trucks toremove roughly 100 tons of debris each day from Kutaand two other popular beaches to a nearby landfill.

Easter Island, Chile Known for its 900-odd human figures standing up

to 10 meters tall, the isolated Pacific island severelycurtailed visitor numbers in August this year due toconcerns over the remote Chilean territory’s environ-mental sustainability. Tourist stays on the island,believed to have been settled by the Rapa Nui peoplearound the 12th century, were cut to 30 days from 90,after the population - along with the crime rate -doubled in a few decades. Those who wish to live onthe island are now required to be a parent, partner orchild of the Rapa Nui people.

Dubrovnik, CroatiaDubrovnik, which boasts an old walled city, saw

cruise ship arrivals shoot through the roof after it wasused as a backdrop in the smash television dramaseries “Game of Thrones”, causing congestion astourists made a beeline for the shoot locales. MayorMato Frankovic told AFP the authorities plan to cutcruise ship numbers coming into the Adriatic port,while deploying cameras to count the number of peo-ple entering the old town.

Venice and Florence, ItalyVenice authorities are trialling a system that

forces visitors to make a reservation if they want togo to the popular Saint Mark’s Square during peakhours. They are also fining tourists 500 euros($585) for bathing or having picnics in the city’sfamous canals. In Florence, officials have resortedto hosing down public spots such as church stepswhere many visitors congregate to eat picnics. Thisaims to prevent people from sitting on the wetpavement.

Machu Picchu, Peru Peruvian authorities increased surveillance at the

15th-century Incan citadel high in the Andes moun-

tain range in 2014 as nude photos and streakingbecame increasingly common. Tourists have since atleast 2013 been posting their naked selfies on socialmedia, which the government described as a “disre-spectful act” aimed solely at getting attention.

Maya Bay, ThailandThe glittering Thai bay immortalized in the movie

“The Beach” was closed indefinitely on October 1 toallow it to recover from the impact of mass tourism,after a four-month respite failed to ease beach ero-sion and pollution. About 5,000 tourists had arrivedby boat each day to the beach framed by limestonecliffs that was made famous by the 2000 film star-ring Leonardo DiCaprio. —AFP

Women demand compensation over Japan university discriminationTOKYO: A group of women is demanding compen-sation from a Japanese medical university thatadmitted routinely altering the scores of femaleapplicants to keep them out, lawyers said yesterday.More than 20 former applicants are demandingTokyo Medical University make amends for thescandal, which led to the discovery of similar dis-crimination in other medical schools after promptinga government investigation.

Lawyers for the women, who were rejected by theschool after taking entrance exams at the school from2006 onwards, are expected to present a claim to theuniversity next week. They acknowledge they cannotyet prove whether they were rejected because of dis-crimination or insufficient test scores, but are callingon the university to disclose their results.

They are also asking for 100,000 yen ($890)each in compensation for “mental anguish” and forthe university to reimburse money they paid to takethe entrance exams, travel to the school and stay inthe area during the application process. The womenin the group include a doctor, students currentlyenrolled at other medical schools and women whohave taken jobs in other fields. The university admit-ted the process of altering the test scores of femaleapplicants began in 2006.

An independent probe said Tuesday that theschool had disqualified about a quarter of femaleapplicants who should have been offered placesbased on their original, unaltered test scores during2017 and 2018. “I’m speechless over these numbers-how much weight each one of them carries,” SakuraUchikoshi, one of the lawyers representing thewomen, told reporters yesterday. The universityreportedly sought to keep the percentage of femalestudents low in part because of a belief that womenwould leave the profession soon after graduationwhen they married and had families. —AFP

NEW DELHI: India’s government yesterday ordered aprobe at the country’s top crime fighting bureau afterits two senior officers accused each other of briberyand interference in police investigations. The weeks-long public spat between Alok Verma, director of theCentral Bureau of Investigation (CBI), and his second-in-command, Rakesh Asthana, has embarrassed anagency that serves a similar role as the US FederalBureau of Investigation.

The CBI is leading several high profile investigationssuch as the $2 billion fraud at Punjab National Bankinvolving fugitive diamond billionaire Nirav Modi, andloan defaults by liquor baron Vijay Mallya. The infight-ing intensified this week after CBI agents raided theirown headquarters and arrested an officer accused offabricating records to back Asthana’s allegationsagainst Verma. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said yes-terday a special investigative team will probe the alle-gations leveled by Verma and Asthana against eachother.

He did not detail the allegations. The government,faced with daily leaks and counter-leaks of wrongdoing

at the CBI, appointed an interim director yesterday andasked the two officers to go on temporary leave. “Tomaintain the institutional integrity, the officers under thecloud must stand out, as an interim measure,” Jaitley toldreporters. “It is important tomaintain the institutionalintegrity of the CBI”. Vermaand Asthana, both veterans ofthe police service, could notbe reached for comment.

The CBI, has come underpublic scrutiny in the past.India’s Supreme Courtdescribed the bureau as a“caged parrot” in 2013, criti-cizing the then attorney gen-eral for interfering in a CBIinquiry into the allocation of government coalfieldlicenses. The latest problems are a new low for India’selite police force, media commentators said. The“infighting points to a deep rot in the organization,” theBusiness Standard newspaper said. “Even by the CBI’s

standards, this must count as a low point”. The mainopposition Congress party has attacked Prime MinisterNarendra Modi for not doing enough to ensure the CBIremained a credible, unbiased and independent police

agency.

#MeToo movement In another development,

four Indian cabinet ministerswill suggest steps to addresssexual harassment at work, thegovernment said yesterday,after a growing #MeToomovement sparked accusationsagainst more than a dozen menand forced a minister to resign.The two men and two women

will review existing provisions on women’s safety andrecommend further measures, the Ministry of HomeAffairs said in a statement.

Women’s groups say a requirement under currentharassment laws that accusations have be made to a

workplace complaints committee within three months isunfair. They also say it is not clear who takes responsi-bility for ensuring compliance once a decision is takenon a complaint. “The government is committed toensure the safety and dignity of women in the work-force,” said the ministry, whose boss, Rajnath Singh, willlead the group. India’s junior minister for foreign affairs,MJ Akbar, resigned this month to fight accusations ofsexual harassment from more than a dozen women dur-ing his previous career as a journalist. He has deniedwrongdoing and filed a defamation suit against one ofhis accusers.

The #MeToo movement, which began in the UnitedStates more than a year ago, gained traction in Indialast month after an actress accused a veteran actor ofbehaving inappropriately 10 years ago. Since thenmany women have accused men from the worlds ofmedia, Bollywood, politics and art of offences rangingfrom harassment to rape. The government statementyesterday also said that the Ministry of Women andChild Development had launched an “electronic com-plaints box” for harassment cases. —Agencies

Ministers seek to tighten rules against sexual harassment

India FBI-style police agency hit by infighting amid probe

Weeks-longpublic spat

embarrassesIndia’s agency

BORACAY: Residents walk along a beach on the Philippine island of Boracay yesterday. —AFP


10A n a l y s i s

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German halt to arms sales could squeeze Eurofighter

Germany’s hardline halt to arms sales to SaudiArabia over the killing of Saudi journalist JamalKhashoggi may jeopardize a big UK-led

Eurofighter order from Riyadh and could hit jobs at ashipyard in struggling northeastern Germany. GermanChancellor Angela Merkel has been more outspokenthan fellow major arms exporters the United States,Britain and France about stopping sales to SaudiArabia until Khashoggi’s case is cleared up, a stancethat a senior conservative ally said could also affectpreviously approved orders.

Berlin is now reviewing all Saudi sales, including con-tracts approved in September for more patrol boats builtby privately-held Luerrsen and four Cobra counter-bat-tery radar systems built by a consortium that includesFrance’s Thales, Airbus and the US defense companyLockheed Martin. German authorities approved morethan €400 million worth of Saudi arms supply contractsin the first nine months of 2018, but have not specifiedthe value of equipment not yet delivered.

Germany accounts for just under 2 percent of totalSaudi arms imports, a small percentage internationallycompared with the United States and Britain - but,crucially, also makes components for other countries’export contracts. The biggest impact may be on a£10-billion ($12.99 billion) agreement by Saudi Arabiato buy 48 new Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jets fromBritain, given that a third of their components wouldcome from Germany, industry sources said.

The deal, nailed down in a memorandum of under-standing in March, has not been finalized yet, and isnot reflected in BAE Systems Plc’s 2018 financialstatements. BAE declined to comment on the issue, asdid officials from the German-based Eurofighter con-sortium. Britain’s Foreign Office had no immediatecomment. Nearly four years in the making, the SaudiEurofighter order would secure thousands of jobs atBAE, and help extend production of the Europeanwarplanes until a next-generation fighter jet to bedesigned in coming years goes into production. SaudiArabia is also one of the few remaining export marketsfor the Eurofighter, given the warplane program’s loss-es to the Lockheed F-35 fighter jet in other tenders,including a decision expected soon from Belgium.

Patrol boats under constructionOf more immediate concern are three patrol boats

currently under construction at the Luerrsen shipyardin Wolgast, in the financially strapped northeasternGerman state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. Itemploys 300 people, Stern magazine reported. Of 33boats ordered in total, 16 must still be approved, itsaid. Luerssen declined to comment on the Saudiwork, but said it would respect any political decisionon the fate of the boats while underscoring the impor-tance of the orders for the yard.

Germany has taken a far tougher approach on armssales to Riyadh following Khashoggi’s killing inside theSaudi consulate in Istanbul, which has stirred interna-tional outrage, than major allies such as the UnitedStates, France and Britain. US President Donald Trumphas voiced concern that shelving arms sales to Riyadhcould push Saudi Arabia, its key Arab ally against Iran,to place orders with Russia and China.

Tim Stuchtey, executive director of theBrandenburg Institute for Society and Security (BIGS),said Germany faced a tough dilemma - whether to fol-low its moral instincts or pursue a realpolitik-ledagenda of arms sales out of economic interest. Merkelis guided in part by the March 2018 governing accordwith her coalition partners, the left-leaning SocialDemocrats, who insisted on language that bans armssales to any parties to the devastating war in Yemen -where Saudi-led Arab forces intervened in 2015 -except for certain previously approved items andthose that will remain in the purchasing country.

Divergent views in Europe on the issue also under-score the challenges facing an ambitious Franco-German program to develop a future fighter jet, hesaid. “As long as we don’t have unified European rulesfor arms exports, we will always have this problem. Itwill be difficult to square French and British attitudesabout arms exports with German moral imperatives.”

If Berlin does halt work on approved orders for theSaudi patrol boats, it may have to compensate theshipyard, which invested heavily to be able to executethe work, said Jan Techau, a senior fellow at theGerman Marshall Fund think-tank. “Ultimately, thequestion is, how much is a principled foreign policyworth,” he said. “If the shipyard in Wolgast suffersdamage due to a policy shift, it may cost money. That’sthe decision they’ll have to make.”

Arising in part from its Nazi past, Germany’s cau-tious approach to weapons sales, and past moves toslow down approvals for exports, have raised eye-brows in other European countries. It has alreadyprompted France to market certain weapons as “100percent French” - not subject to disruption by suppli-ers in other countries, according to one executive.Norbert Roettgen, who chairs the German’s parlia-ment’s foreign affairs committee, told broadcasterZDF on Monday that Germany’s credibility was atstake if it did not halt all arms deliveries to SaudiArabia until the ultimate responsibility forKhashoggi’s killing is established, or serious conse-quences were seen in Saudi Arabia. — Reuters

In battling the timber poachers who roam the thickSierra Madre forests near his home, Larry Garaes hasfound a new ally: solar panels. With solar chargers, the

radios he and other forest rangers rely on no longer runout of power on multi-day operations in the mountains, hesaid. “Communication between rangers is a lot better.Now, we can catch the poachers while they are in the actbecause we can coordinate our moves quietly withoutresorting to shouting at the next ranger - unlike before,”he told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.

Access to clean energy is bringing a range of unex-pected benefits around the world. On the longest mountainrange in the Philippines, those benefits include better for-est protection - and power for tribal people who oncelacked it. More than 2 million households - or about 10percent of all households - in the Philippines lack electrici-ty, according to a 2017 report by the country’sDepartment of Energy. About three quarters are in remoterural locations, in a country spread over thousands ofislands, according to the Small Power Utilities Group(SPUG), which is trying to get them connected.

Because bringing the national grid power to many ofthose people is not cost effective, the state National PowerCorporation has charged SPUG with setting up and run-ning small power plants in these areas. So far 327 suchplants have been established, according to the NationalPower Corporation. Government plans call for 100 percentelectrification of the country by 2022. “Government has todo its work to connect all those areas that are not yet con-nected to the grid,” said Edmundo Veloso Jr., the head ofthe National Power Corporation’s SPUG unit.

But all but one of the new generation plants use dieselfuel, he said - even though transport of fuel can be a bigproblem in remote areas. Diesel is “the fastest and the onlytechnology available at the moment for off-grid areas. Dieselis still the cheapest in terms of capital outlay,” he said.

Tapping the sunIn Garaes’ community, however, in Bulacan province in

the northern Philippines, two solar micro-grids are provid-ing the community’s first power. They were put in placelast December by the Forest Foundation Philippines, anon-governmental organisation that aims to improve forestprotection, and the Centre for Renewable Energy andSustainable Technology (CREST), a Quezon City-basedorganisation focused on expanding use of clean power.

While the new grid was primarily set up to help mem-bers of the local Dumagat ethnic group police theforests, it also supplies power free of charge to commonareas of the village of 36 families, including a study halland communal kitchens. The forest rangers and othermembers of the community have been trained to trou-bleshoot and maintain the system, CREST officials said.“In the past we would need to walk almost two kilome-tres to the nearest village where there is electricity tocharge our radios and cellphones for a fee,” Garaes said.“That was a burden to us.”

Such solar micro-grids could fill gaps in providing elec-tricity to many remote areas of the Philippines as they arecheap to operate - and don’t face the fuel transport issueof diesel-run plants, said Sara Ahmed, an energy analystfor the US-based Institute for Energy Economics andFinancial Analysis. “It’s not economically viable to transferpower from one (place) to another if the demand is nothigh. That’s why far-flung areas don’t get power,” Ahmedsaid. “This is where micro-grids come in. There is no needto build transmission lines and wires. You can have powerright there and then. You save a lot of money.”

In Garaes’ village, each micro-grid produces 1 kilowattof electricity - enough to provide lights in the communalkitchen, along village pathways, in the classroom and for atelevision set. Building the grid cost about $3,000,according to CREST officials. Urbano Mendiola Jr, vicepresident for corporate affairs at the National PowerCorporation, said his agency was considering installinghybrid power plants that combine diesel and solar powerin some remote areas.

A hybrid plant to power about 1,250 households costs

about $985,000, he said, while a diesel-only plant costsabout $425,000. But while hybrid plants are moreexpensive to set up at the moment, they bring cost sav-ings in the long run because energy from the sun is free,he said. He said the company is not setting up solar-onlyplants in remote areas at the moment because of the costof the batteries needed to store solar power and provideenergy at night.

Rural off-grid power plants in the Philippines are fund-ed by the government and by a small surcharge on theelectrical bills of grid power users, aimed at bringing thecost of power for rural users closer in line with that inurban areas. Ahmed said that tapping the full potential ofrenewable energy would require a sea-change in the viewsof officials tasked with providing energy. Currently theysay diesel is the most affordable option. But “diesel is notaffordable... When they say it’s cheaper, they only meanupfront,” she said. “If you look at wind and solar, theprices have dramatically gone down,” Ahmed said. “SPUGneeds to update itself with the technology”. — Reuters

Could push to power Philippines turn greener?

Saving the precious wood of Gabon’s forests from logging

In Gabon the majestic kevazingo tree, its tropical hard-wood highly valued in Asia for upmarket furniture, isalso held to be sacred by generations of forest dwellers

in equatorial Africa. Chopping down the kevazingo tree,which can grow to more than 500 years old, has been out-lawed in Gabon since March, but that hasn’t eased envi-ronmental fears. A loophole in the law allows the sale ofthe prized wood if felled trees were abandoned or seizedfrom illegal loggers which environmentalists say onlyencourages further exploitation.

The ban on felling the trees is intended to “limit traf-ficking in this wood”, explains Simplice Nteme, the nation-al director general of waterways and forests, which cover85 percent of the west African country. But for Martial, a54-year-old resident of Oyem, capital of the northernWoleu-Ntem region, little has changed. “They tell us thatkevazingo is no longer cut, but we see lorries loaded withkevazingo logs leaving the forest to go to the capitalLibreville,” he told AFP.

The government insists it is taking away kevazingo thatis considered “abandoned” after lying on the ground forsix months after being chopped down. “Who can cut downa kevazingo tree and then just leave it there?” asks MarcOna, president of the Gabonese environmental NGOBrainforest. “We’ve noticed in long years of work thatsome companies or even villagers, sometimes with otheraccomplices, chop wood illegally, then recover it sixmonths later as abandoned wood,” adds Luc Mathot, pres-ident of Conservation Justice, a group combatting woodtrafficking and poaching in Gabon. “So this is a way oflaundering illegal wood,” he claims.

Villagers blockadeThe heavy, dense kevazingo wood ranges in color from

pinkish red to ruddy brown. Chopping down an ancientgiant is a major enterprise, from clearing the surroundingarea to digging a ramp to hold the trunk when it falls.More than 150 forestry firms have been welcomed to

Gabon, where the industry accounts for about five percentof the gross domestic product. Since 2014, timber compa-nies have been legally obliged to give money to villagecommittees to help pay for such services as schools andclinics. In practice, locals may well end up mounting road-blocks to remind some loggers of this responsibility. “It’sunfortunate, but we are often forced to put up a show ofstrength in order to be heard,” says Herve Allogo, a vil-lager from Essong Medzome, near Oyem, manning a barri-cade of logs. Timber firms tend to lay the blame for short-falls in community support on internal constraints or out-side factors, and also claim villagers lack information.“Administration is slow, because projects must beapproved at several levels,” says Sylvain IbouangaMbouma, a director of Compagnie Dan Gabon, a Chinesefirm active in the north.

The state is keen to promote the wood processingindustry inside Gabon, rather than export raw timber forvalue-added treatment elsewhere. On a manufacturingestate near Libreville, massive kevazingo logs are taken in

charge by Asian firms to be carved into furniture for for-eign markets, says Kumar Mohan, who runs logistics forthe Gabon Special Economic Zone (GSEZ). The GSEZ - apartnership between the state and agri-business multina-tional Olam - earns 50,000 CFA francs (€76) for eachcubic metre (35 cubic feet) of the timber and the statereceives 25 percent of the value of a log, Nteme says.

The price soars astronomically when logs have sufficientgirth to yield products entirely carved out of a single chunkof wood. One cubic metre can then fetch anywhere between400,000 CFA francs (€610) and 1.2 million CFA francs(€1,800), according to business sources. Enterprising busi-ness people have moved in to claim a share of the earningsby being told to find and recover abandoned kevazingowood and take it to a depot where it can be fetched by theGSEZ. These individuals, who are usually members of theGeneral Conferation of Small and Medium Businesses andIndustries (CGPMEI) or the Collective of GaboneseForesters and Industrial Workers (Cofiga), say they receive30 percent of the value of a cubic metre. — AFP

Ethnic Dumagat forest rangers stand beside a solar micro-grid in Norzagaray, Bulacan, in the northern Philippines onJune 26, 2018. — Reuters

A file photo taken on Sept 10, 2011 shows an aerial view of Nkok, a special economic site dedicated to the transfor-mation of wood, some 30 km from Libreville. — AFP

Trump threats, demands spark ‘existential crisis’ at trade body 1412 13

BusinessEstablished 1961


KFH announces KD 169.1 million net profit until end of Q3 2018

EQUATE’s subsidiary ‘MEGlobal’ crowned as ‘Gold Level Winner’

UK traders ‘out of time’ to cope with no-dealFrance urges businesses to prepare for no-deal BrexitLONDON: UK businesses have run out of time to preparefor the consequences of Britain leaving the EuropeanUnion in March without an exit deal, a government auditshowed yesterday. The findings by the National AuditOffice, the government’s spending watchdog, were pub-lished with London and Brussels at loggerheads in Brexittalks. They threaten to deal a political blow to PrimeMinister Theresa May, who has made the phrase that “nodeal is better than a bad deal” her mantra.

The audit said uncertainty over the course of the negoti-ations has delayed preparations for a no-deal scenario, withorganized crime gangs potentially stepping in to smugglegoods across the new EU-UK frontier. “Businesses do nothave enough time to make the changes that will be needed ifthe UK leaves the EU without a ‘deal’,” it said.

Over the long-term, “organized criminals and others arelikely to be quick to exploit any perceived weaknesses orgaps in the enforcement regime,” it added. The audit esti-mated that between 145,000 and 250,000 traders willneed to make customs declarations for the first time shouldBritain break away without coming to terms with the EU.“Government papers from July 2018 stated that it wasalready too late to ensure that all traders were properlyprepared for ‘no deal’,” the report wrote.

The number of customs declarations as a whole willgrow from 55 million to 260 million, putting existing gov-ernment management systems under immense strain. Theaudit found that 11 out of 12 government projects replacingor upgrading existing border systems to prepare for morerigorous customs checks were-as of September-at risk ofnot being delivered on time to “acceptable quality”.

No-deal flotilla The Financial Times reported on Tuesday that realizing

the potential chaos, the government was drawing up plansto charter ships to bring in food and medicine in case therewas no deal. The newspaper said a meeting of May’s cabi-net on Tuesday was told that a heavily used trade routebetween the British port of Dover and the French one inCalais would quickly become blocked if no customsarrangements were made. Britain would then ferry in “crit-ical supplies” and possibly also car parts. Robert Peston,the political editor of the private channel ITV, wrote onFacebook that Transport Minister Chris Grayling told min-isters that freight coming into UK from Calais would bereduced by 85 percent.

National Audit Office chief Amyas Morse said the gov-ernment openly admits that trade between Europe’s sec-ond-largest economy and the rest of the 27-nation blocwould be “sub-optimal” in a no-deal scenario.

“It is not clear what sub-optimal means in practice, orhow long this will last,” Morse said. The report suggestedthat “it may take some time” for trade to return to normal.“Individuals and businesses will feel the impact of a sub-optimal border to varying degrees,” it said.

France warned its business leaders Tuesday to preparefor all potential Brexit scenarios including Britain crashingout of the EU with no deal, as Paris scrambles to plan for anew era of trade with its neighbor. The meeting betweenjunior finance minister Agnes Pannier-Runacher and mem-bers of trade federations comes after the French govern-ment unveiled draft legislation setting out preparations fora possible “no-deal” Brexit.

“It’s about really explaining to them that they must pre-pare at the same time for the United Kingdom becoming athird-party country, and the risk of there being no transi-tion period after March 2019,” a ministry source said ofthe meeting.

Any transition period to smooth Britain’s exit “dependson an exit deal having been reached with the UnitedKingdom,” the source said-a deal that has eluded the EUand Britain so far, just months away from Britain’s sched-uled departure on March 29, 2019.

French companies are therefore being urged to preparefor “all options”, the source said.

Some 30,000 French companies export goods toBritain, according to the finance ministry. The exportswere worth some 31 billion euros ($35.5 billion) in 2017.

“There are also all the companies which import goodsfrom the United Kingdom and those that import serviceswhich are also affected,” the source said. Credit insurerEuler Hermes estimated that a no-deal Brexit could costFrench exporters up to three billion euros next year.Germany would however be the biggest EU country tolose out in trade terms, with its exporters losing someeight billion euros, followed by the Netherlands with fourbillion euros of losses.

Belgium, like France, would lose an estimated threebillion euros under the credit insurer’s model, which isbased on import taxes of four to five percent beingimposed as per default World Trade Organization rules. Itis also based on estimates that the pound would crashfrom its current value of 1.13 euros to 0.88 euros by theend of 2019. — AFP

Boeing profits surge after tax settlementNEW YORK: Boeing’s profits surged in the third quarterafter a favorable US tax settlement, and the companyraised some key annual projections yesterday as its orderbook stayed robust.

The aerospace giant, which has benefited from a multi-year investment boom in global air travel, reported profitsof $2.4 billion for the quarter ending September 30, a 30.6percent jump from the same period of the prior year.Revenues rose 3.8 percent to $25.1 billion. Boeing lifted itsfull-year revenue forecast range by $1 billion to $98-100billion. Chief Executive Dennis Muilenburg pointed to“strong underlying performance” as well as growth “acrossour businesses ... throughout the year” as factors in boost-ing 2018 revenue and earnings forecasts.

Commercial airplane deliveries actually fell comparedwith a year earlier, but profit margins in the businesssurged on higher production of key planes. The companybooked 171 net orders, a decline from the second quarter,but well above the prior year’s level. —AFP

Bitter taste for Cuba as it imports sugar for the first timeHAVANA: Sugar: it’s so quintessentiallyCuban that even a young, machete-wieldingFidel Castro used to hack away at the canestalks vital to the Caribbean island’s economy.Now, the long-time world leader in sugar pro-duction is importing the stuff for the first time,and in large amounts, from France after anoth-er bad harvest.

Sugar used to account for the vast majorityof Cuba’s exports. But the fall of its big broth-er, the Soviet Union-a key, hungry customer-changed everything, as did a lack of invest-ment in seeds, fertilizer and pesticides. To wit:in the early 1990s, Cuba produced about eightmillion tons of sugar a year. A decade later, itstopped reaching two million a year.

Back then, sugar accounted for almost 75percent of Cuban exports. In 2015, it was only13 percent, with other products like nickel andtobacco making up some of the difference.

The 2017-2018 harvest suffered badly afterHurricane Irma ravaged the country, followedby a long rainy season. So Cuba is importingsugar from France.

Whiter sugar On the island, residents quickly caught

wind of the somewhat counter-intuitive devel-opment. Here, sugar from cane tends to bebrownish. But the French version comes from

beets so it is whiter, and the granules are finer.And that is what Cubans started receivingwith their “libreta”-their ration book.

“The sugar we get now is very good. It isvery sweet, not very different. The only differ-ence is the color,” said Felicia Navarro, a 40-year-old homemaker. The French governmentfarm and seafood export agencyFranceAgriMer said that from 2001 to 2017,Cuba had imported just three tons of sugarfrom France.

But in just three summer months this year-June, July and August-that number balloonedto 40,000 tons. “This is the first time in histo-ry that Cuba is importing significant amountsof sugar from France,” FranceAgriMer said.Cuba imports most of the food it consumes.Yearly, it imports 400,000 tons of wheat.

‘The Golden Age is over’ These new numbers are humiliating for

Cuba, given its past as the world’s largest pro-ducer of sugar and one of the biggestexporters. Until 1960, the US was one of itsmain customers. Then came the Soviets, whobought Cuban sugar at a discounted price.These days, sugar production here is disap-pointing.

The expected annual amount is 1.6 milliontons, but it is actually just 1.1 million. And it isno surprise that Cuba has to import because ithas export contracts with China to fulfill, saidFranceAgriMer. A British farm consultancycalled FO Licht said it expects Cuban outputto improve next season and reach 1.5 milliontons-even if that is far from the big numbers itused to post in the 1980s. — AFP

GENEVA: The World Trade Organization isscrambling to develop a plan for the biggestreform in its 23-year history after USPresident Donald Trump brought the world’stop trade court to the brink of collapse byblocking appointments of its judges andthreatening to pull the United States out ofthe organization. Trump’s administration hastargeted the WTO, the watchdog of globalcommerce, as part of his wider campaignagainst trade arrangements he contendshave cost hundreds of thousands of US jobs.

Proposals to shore up the organizationinclude increasing the number of judges andrewriting trade rules for industrial subsidies,state-owned firms and technology transfer.Those ideas and others will be discussedwhen Canada hosts a dozen trade ministersin Ottawa on Wednesday and Thursday.

At stake is the effectiveness - even thesurvival - of a key stabilizing force in theglobal economy. Since its founding in 1995,the WTO has stopped governments fromarbitrarily raising trade barriers and disrupt-ing the flow of goods. Members can airgrievances before clashes materialize, andthe WTO’s dispute settlement system allowsthem to seek binding rulings from judges.

Much of the US displeasure stems fromhow the WTO has tied its hands in deal-ing with China, which i t accuses of“dumping” cheap goods on the UnitedStates to take market share and unfairlyusing government subsidies to lowerChinese companies’ costs.

US officials have repeatedly complainedthat the WTO’s seven-member AppellateBody has gone beyond its remit. In bindingrulings, effectively acting as the supremecourt of world trade, WTO judges havegiven Beijing the benefit of the doubt onsubsidies and rejected Washington’s treat-ment of dumping.

The WTO rules on dumping are ambigu-ous, the result of a political compromise atthe WTO’s creation in 1995. The US reading

is that, when in doubt, the judges shoulddefer to the US interpretation of the law - aview that judges often have not shared. “TheTrump administration has seized on whatwas a controversy in the WTO and turned itinto an existential crisis,” said JamesBacchus, a one-time WTO chief judge andformer Democratic congressman.

Dennis Shea - US ambassador to theWTO and deputy United States TradeRepresentative - has said the judges have“strayed” and taken liberties with their ownrules of procedure, ignoring deadlines andstaying on cases after their official depar-ture dates. Shea says such breaches mayinvalidate their work.

“We’ve been making these points for notjust 15 months but for 15 years. Our propos-al is that the Appellate Body needs to abideby the rules we agreed to in 1994,” he said.

The White House did not respond torequests for comment. The United StatesTrade Representative declined to commentand referred to previous administrationstatements on trade.

Appointments blocked When Trump first suggested withdrawing

from the WTO during his presidential cam-paign, the organization’s diplomats, con-vinced the United States could not afford tooperate outside global rules, neglected thecomplaint as just the latest gripe about itsoperations from one of 164 member nations.

Now they appear to grasp the serious-ness of the threat - that the WTO wouldhave little sway over global commerce with-out the world’s largest economy as a mem-ber. The Trump administration has rampedup pressure by blocking any move to fillvacancies on the Appellate Body as judgesleft or finished their terms, taking the teamdown to three - the minimum required tomake rulings.

The appeal system will cease to functionaltogether in December 2019 if Shea blocks

the appointment of two more judges whoneed to be replaced by that time. The tacticamounts to “asphyxiation” of the organiza-tion, departing judge Ricardo Ramirez-Hernandez said in May, after his replace-ment was blocked. The demise of theappeals system would paralyze dispute res-olution and make negotiating new traderules pointless, Appellate Body chief judgeUjal Singh Bhatia said in a speech inGeneva in May.

“The paralysis of the Appellate Bodywould cast a long and deep shadow on thecontinued operation of the multilateral trad-ing system,” he said. The WTO has no exec-utive power, but its members have a sharedinterest in following its rules. Under USpressure, the WTO has begun discussingreform but found little agreement amongmembers on the way forward.

Challenging ChinaIn September, the European Union and

Canada, which had separately drawn upreform proposals for the WTO, presentedtheir ideas to a packed audience of diplo-mats from developing countries.

“The idea at this point is not to solve allthe problems” but to open discussion aboutthem, said a Latin American diplomat whoattended the meeting at the WTO inGeneva. The United States has also teamedup with the European Union and Japan topush for tighter rules on government subsi-dies of exports, state-owned firms and theforced transfer of technology from foreignpartners, issues often raised in US criticismof China’s trade practices.

They also want to end the way two-thirds of WTO members, including China,declare themselves “developing” and there-by qualify for about 140 provisions in therules that grant benefits and more lenienttreatment to developing nations. Taiwanrecently won US praise for voluntarilyrenouncing such benefits. The EU has trans-

lated some of those shared ideas into WTOreform proposals. Most of them have USapproval, but U.S. and EU officials disagreeon the Appellate Body. In early October,Shea criticized EU proposals during a tensepublic debate with EU Ambassador MarcVanheukelen at the WTO.

The EU advocated increasing the numberof judges to nine and giving them moreresources and longer, single terms to makethem more independent on the grounds theywould no longer need to curry favor to getappointed for a second term.

“That means less accountability for theAppellate Body,” Shea said. “We cannotsupport something that makes the AppellateBody less accountable.”

‘Crunch point’US Trade Representative Robert

Lighthizer has said the WTO does an enor-mous amount of good but that he wants

more focus on negotiating new rules andenforcing existing ones with less litigation.Lighthizer is widely seen as the brain behindTrump’s trade strategy, drawing on hisexperience battling cheap Japanese importsas the deputy US Trade Representative from1983 to 1985 under the administration ofPresident Ronald Reagan. For more than 30years after that, he was a partner at the lawfirm Skadden Arps, where he representedUS steelmakers against China. Shea alsobriefly worked at Skadden, later spending adecade investigating the national securityimplications of US-China trade for the USCongress.

“We have a slew of steel dumpinglawyers on the protectionist s ide incharge of US trade policy,” said Bacchus,the former WTO judge and congressman.“They are bullying the world, and nowthey are bullying the members of theAppellate Body.” — Reuters

B u s i n e s s Thursday, October 25, 2018

12 Established 1961

Warba Bank’s Al-Sunbula draw todayKUWAIT: Warba Bank, “the Bestinvestment Bank” and “Best CorporateBank” in Kuwait, will be organizing its39th weekly draw for Al-SunbulaAccount today (Thursday) at 11 am inpresence of a representative from theMinistry of Commerce and Industryand the Bank officials.

Al-Sunbula Account is the perfectchoice for all customers who wish tosave money and achieve steady returnswhile simultaneously have the opportu-nity to win cash prizes throughout theyear. Due to the high traffic on thisaccount, for its offerings of unparal-leled opportunities, Warba Bank hasworked on enhancing Al-Sunbulaaccount to provide customers withmore benefits. Such enhancementsinclude increasing the number of win-ners and the frequency of the draws.Now, on every Thursday the Bankholds draws for 5 weekly winners ofKD 1,000 each. In addition, the Bankcontinues its monthly draws held on thefirst Thursday of every month, withcash prizes of KD 30,000 dividedamongst 4 winners: two winners get-ting KD 10,000 each, and two winners

getting KD 5,000 each.Thus, the new development of Al-

Sunbula account has increased thetotal number of winners to 24, and thetotal amount of prizes to KD 50,000instead of KD 30,000. As for thechances for winning, each customer iseligible to enter the draw against eachKD 10. It is noteworthy, that WarbaBank has recently launched the Al-Sunbula Fixed Deposit, which providesdepositors with high returns of up tothree percent, as well as getting month-ly chances to win in Al-SunbulaAccount draws.

Warba Bank has launched its latestCustomer Onboarding solution, in linewith its ambitious five-year strategythat enables non-Warba Bank cus-tomers to request opening Al-Sunbulaaccount in an easy electronic mannerthrough the Bank’s website withouthaving to visit any of the Bank’sbranches, by following five simple stepsthat might take up to five minutes. Newcustomers will be able to requestopening the account at anytime, any-where, and the Bank will receive,process and pass the new applicationfor approval through whole new andunique electronic system used toimplement this service. Warba Staff willthen contact the customer to determinethe appropriate time to visit the branchto get required signatures, verify thecustomer’s identity, deliver his/her deb-it card, and activate the account.

GENEVA: US Ambassador to the WTO Dennis Shea (right) talks with Marc Vanheukelen,EU Ambassador to the WTO before the General Council meeting at the World TradeOrganization (WTO) in Geneva in this July 26, 2018 file photo. — Reuters

Trump threats, demands spark ‘existential crisis’ at trade body

WTO scrambling to develop sweeping reform plan

Restructuringfails to halt revenue slide atDeutsche BankFRANKFURT: Germany’s biggest lenderDeutsche Bank reported tumbling profits andebbing revenues in the third quarter yester-day, failing to meet analyst forecasts as itslatest restructuring weighs on performance.Net profit at the Frankfurt-based group fell65 percent year-on-year between July andSeptember, to 229 million euros ($263 mil-lion), short of analysts’ forecasts for a 240-million-euro bottom line.

But a 9.0-percent slide in revenues, to6.2 billion euros, was more concerning forexecutives and observers alike. “We havenot yet achieved a turnaround in terms ofrevenues,” chief executive Christian Sewingtold employees in an open letter published

on the bank’s website.Worse still, over the full year, Deutsche

said it expected revenues “slightly lower”than in 2017 — a downgrade from its flatforecast issued at the end of the secondquarter.

JP Morgan analysts said Deutsche “hasdone an excellent job under Sewing inrespect to leverage and capital ratio andbeing on track for cost reduction.” Butthey were less confident than the Deutscheboss about the outlook. “We remain con-cerned about DB’s inabi l i ty to turn-around... revenues” in some vital businessareas, they warned.

Mindful of past years when i t wasdescribed as a threat to European andglobal financial stability, the bank highlight-ed a so-called “CET1” capital ratio-mea-suring its buffer to absorb potential losses-of 14 percent, slightly higher than the pre-vious quarter.

Refocus on Europe On taking office in April, Sewing heralded

yet another round of restructuring, afteryears of Deutsche struggling to overcome the

legal and financial hangovers of its pre-2008crisis attempt to compete with Wall Streetinvestment banking giants.

Deutsche aims to slash a total of 7,000jobs by the end of 2019. That burden andlower client fees for the bank weighed onthe bottom line. The investment bankingarm, st i l l recovering from a dizzyingsequence of legal entanglements and espe-cially hit by staffing cuts, saw revenues fall13 percent year-on-year.

Deutsche’s international payments busi-ness, a historically reliable source of incomewhere the firm is continuing to invest, bookedrevenues down 5.0 percent. Meanwhile rev-enues for the group’s asset management divi-sion DWS fell 10 percent and the retail andcommercial banking arm shed 3.0 percent.

Cost cutting Sewing’s efficiency drive has borne some

fruit, as Deutsche’s costs fell 1.0 percentyear-on-year to 5.6 billion euros. The groupreported restructuring and severance costs of103 million euros between July andSeptember, some linked to the departure of1,450 employees. —AFP

CUBA: A woman buys sugar produced in France at a grocery store in Havana. Cuba, whichwas for long time a world leader in the production of sugar, now imports the product fromFrance after serious problems in its harvest. — AFP

Nordea profitsfall in ‘challenging’ third quarterHELSINKI: The Nordic region’slargest bank, Nordea, reported yester-day an 18 percent fall in third quarter netprofit, which it put down to seasonalmarket conditions and low interest rates.Nordea chief executive Casper vonKoskull said the lower-than-expectedprofits were partly explained by a “chal-lenging” quarter with low levels of activ-ity during the summer months.

“I’m not happy with the incomedevelopment but I know there is nothingstructural there, I know we can improvethat,” he said. Nordea announced a netprofit of 684 million euros for the period,compared to 832 euros million one year

previously, and a total operating incomeof 2.0 billion euros.

Nordic banks, like many of theirpeers, have felt the pinch of historicallylow interest rates over recent years. Thebank announced a fall of 14 percent in itsincome from fees and commission, whilenet interest income dropped 10 percentfrom the third quarter of 2017.

Antti Saari, analyst at OP bank, saidthe results were weaker than expected.“If you look at the last six or sevenresults there’s only been one positivesurprise. Investors are always expectingrevenues to turn upwards, but so far wehaven’t seen that,” he said.

However, the same period did see 3.0percent fall in operating expenses, to1.14 billion euros. At the end of last yearNordea announced it would cut 6,000jobs over the coming years in order toensure long-term profitability. Earlierthis month Nordea relocated its head-quarters to the Finnish capital, Helsinki,from neighboring Sweden, bringing itinto the same supervisory mechanism asother eurozone banks. — AFP

KUWAIT: Chairman of Kuwait Finance House(KFH) Hamad Abdulmohsen Al-Marzouq said that“KFH has, by the grace of Allah, reported a KD169.10 million net profit to shareholders until end ofQ3 2018 compared to KD 137.87million for the sameperiod last year i.e. an increase of 22.7 percent.

Net Financing income until end of Q3 2018reached KD 404.82 million i.e. a growth of 25.4 per-cent compared to the same period last year. Totaloperating income until the end of Q3 2018 reachedKD 589.61 million, i.e. a growth of 12.3 percent com-pared to the same period last year and net operatingincome reached KD 367.47 million, i.e. a growth of17.9 percent compared to the same period last year.

Earnings per share reached 27.04 fils, comparedto 22.06 fils for the same period last year i.e. anincrease of 22.6 percent. Despite a real growth in thebusiness, the decline in the Turkish currency rateagainst Kuwaiti Dinar during the third quarter of thecurrent year has a negative impact on the consoli-dated balances as at the date of the interim con-densed consolidated financial information. Afterexcluding this effect, the total assets of the Groupincreased by 4.3 percent. The financing portfolioincreased by 6.8 percent, and depositors’ accountsincreased by 4.4 percent compared to year ended 31December 2017.

Al-Marzouq explained that the realized profits areattributed to the efficient execution of the Bank’sstrategy approved by the Board of Directors and thelong-term plans implemented by the executive man-agement by focusing on diversifying sources ofstrength, mitigating risk, rationalizing cost, increasingoperating income resulting from core banking busi-ness and achieving harmony among Group banks toensure sustainable profitability.

Positive indicatorsHe added in a press release, that the indicators of

the balance sheet are all positive, which demon-strates the robust financial position of the Bank, notto mention reinforces the stable and sustainablegrowth in profits over four years of outstanding per-formance, and third consecutive quarters until theend of the third quarter of the current year. All key

indicators recorded growth. Return on average equi-ty (ROAE), return on average assets (ROAA) com-pared to the end of year 2017, and the earning pershare (EPS) all surged. Also, Net financing incomeincreased, the operating income of banking businessgrew compared to the same period last year, as thisrepresents a major source of the group income.Further, cost to income ratio (C/I) has decreasedcompared to the same period last year, whichreflects the improvement in the Group’s performancedespite the difficulties in the operating environment.This confirms the sound performance of the Groupas KFH continues its prudent investment policy,effective risk management while maintainingimproved asset quality as per the best practices inthis field.

Al-Marzouq illustrated that KFH has developedmany scenarios to deal with the developments in thebanking sector on the regional and global levels, andthe prospects for the future of banks at all levels,most notably the increasing competition in the bank-ing industry. He said that the emergence of severalmergers and acquisition deals confirm that a newbanking world is underway heading to establishinglarge banks that enhance the capacity of these enti-ties to secure local and international funding sourcesat a competitive cost, while enhancing the credit lim-its of those banks, thus increasing profits.

Al-Marzouq pointed out that KFH’s overseasoperations are characterized by the geographicaldiversification that contributes in increasing liquidity,improving financing capability and asset quality, thusboosting profitability. KFH Group banks in Turkey,Malaysia, Bahrain and Germany have continued theirsuccessful performance in accordance with the setplans and strategies to benefit from the elements ofstrength in each market in which they operate. KFHGroup Banks achieve further coordination and col-laboration in different joint ventures.

Al-Marzouq expressed his confidence in theBank’s strong financial hedge and the resilient mech-anisms to deal with the economic conditions and theregional developments in their markets in an efficientmanner. This reduces the effects of market fluctua-tions in the long and medium terms.

He continued: “Despite the sharp fluctuations inthe Turkish lira, the position of KFH-Turkey is strong.This is attributable to the credit facilities granted inTurkish lira, the credit facilities granted in hard cur-rency as well as the good credit growth and theincreased credit margin of financing which enabledthe Bank to overcome the impact of these fluctua-tions and mitigate risk.

TechnologyMoreover, He said that KFH pays great attention

to the technological side of rolling out high-endservices, indicating Fintech is in line with KFH strate-gy of offering round the clock high-quality, cost-effective, advanced and innovative services. DuringQ3, KFH uniquely provided several ArtificialIntelligence AI services. KFH signed a partnershipagreement with Ernst & Young (EY) to launch anambitious Robotic Process Automation (RPA) pro-gram as the first Bank in Kuwait to integrate ArtificialIntelligence into operation. This increases productiv-ity and reduces operational costs, yet allows theBank to keep abreast of the international trend ofutilizing AI, the most influencing element in the mod-ern technology. KFH launched chatbot built onMicrosoft technologies, in a move that promises todrive digital transformation by improving customer

engagement. The chatbot is available to customers24/7, on KFH’s most popular engagement channels,including the website KFH.com and mobile appKFHonline. KFH launched a centralized SWIFT net-work system for global payments at the group level.The Bank rolled out new system on its ATMs thataccelerates the process of customers’ claims trans-actions, while minimizing error as it is an automatedsystem. KFH offers “request Financing online” for itscustomers in efforts to save their time and efforts.

Al-Marzouq stressed KFH keenness on financingmajor and infrastructure projects in line with itsstrategy in supporting the national economy. Thisallows the banking sector to diversify its financingportfolio, indicating Kuwaiti banks enjoy high degreeof liquidity and high solvency ratios. KFH succeededin closing several credit facility deals in oil and gas,infrastructure, transportation, energy and real estatesectors within the framework of achieving the com-prehensive development. The most recent deal was acontract of credit facility with Kuwait IntegratedPetroleum Industries Company (KIPIC) where KFHparticipated in financing the company’s $2.3 billionLiquefied Natural Gas (LNG) import. KFH wasselected to lead the deal of the Islamic banks fortheir share in the $500 million. KFH is currentlystudying different other projects to finance.

Expansion plansKFH continues its efforts in financing Kuwaiti

companies and supporting them in improving theirbusinesses and expansion plans as per credit regula-tions. KFH pays great attention to the small andmedium enterprises SMEs. The Bank enjoys greatshare in financing SMEs as they play a significant rolein supporting the youth segment and improving theperformance of the entrepreneurs. This contributes indiversifying income resources, creating new jobswhile building national expertise in business.

KFH has strong retail activities thanks to its roleas a leading provider of Shariah-compliant financialproducts and services, which is a fundamental pillarof the Bank’s business. Efforts have been exerted topromote market share by establishing cooperationand partnership agreements with many local compa-nies in various fields, and by organizing marketingand promotional programs to energize the market.KFH continues to provide the highest level of service

quality, while paying great attention to customers,and innovating new products and services.

At the level of deposits, KFH offers wide range ofinvestment deposits with competitive yield. This con-tributes in attracting new segments of customers,while providing the best savings programs that helpcustomers to financially plan for their lives and thefuture of their children. KFH uniquely offers a rangeof diversified banking cards, accompanied by a widerange of discounts and prizes. This differentiates theBank’s customers, and increases the usage volume ofthe cards locally and globally. This also contributes inachieving a secure payment system across the world.

Al-Marzouq reiterated that the positive ratings ofKFH by international rating agencies, and the presti-gious international awards from global institutions,most recently the Safest Islamic Bank award in theGCC- 2018 by Global Finance Magazine affirm KFHrole in leading the international development ofIslamic financial services. The ratings and the awardsrepresent an impetus for maintaining growth, indi-cating KFH will continue its prudent policy to faceany local and global challenges. KFH strengthens itsprecautionary provisions and its financial position byfocusing on core banking business while improvingits asset quality.

He stressed the significant role of the humanresources at the Bank, indicating KFH works tireless-ly on qualifying and honing the skills of its humancapital; mainly the national youth. This paves the wayfor creating leaders who are able to deal with thefuture challenges, while coping with the growth ofthe Bank in the regional and international markets,which adds genuine value to the capacity of thenational economy.

Social sustainabilityHe mentioned that KFH achieved great success in

the social sustainability strategy in different initia-tives including education, health, youth, and peoplewith special needs to confirm the leadership of theBank in social responsibility.

Al-Marzouq concluded by conveying his sincerethanks to all shareholders and customers for theircontinuous and valuable support and trust in KFHactivities and business. He extended his appreciationto all regulatory authorities for their support. Heappreciated the efforts of KFH staff and the execu-tive management for their distinguished perform-ance, emphasizing the importance of maintaining thepioneering position of KFH in all fields.

B u s i n e s s Thursday, October 25, 2018

13Established 1961

KFH announces KD 169.1 million net profit until end of Q3 2018

Hamad Al-Marzouq

Net financing income increased by 25.4% to KD 404.8 million: Al-Marzouq

• Net profit increases by22.7%

• Earnings per share 27.04fils, an increase of 22.6%

• Total operating incomeincreased by 12.3% to KD 589.6million

• Net operating incomeincreased by 17.9% to KD 367.5million

• Sustainable growth in profitsover 4 years

• Comprehensive growth inIndicators over 3 consecutivequarters

• KFH Group banks... strategicinvestment with strong financialhedge against volatility

• FinTech priority for rolling outinnovative services

• Pioneering role in financingmega projects, SMEs

• KFH continues leading int’ldevelopment of Islamic financialservices

• Positive Ratings, GlobalAwards Reiterate Confidence inKFH Future


14B u s i n e s s

Established 1961

Alghanim Eng leads the way in a new era of HVAC systems KUWAIT: Alghanim Engineering joined in theHVAC Energy Efficiency EXPO from September30th to October 1st at the Symphony Style Hotelto highlight the future of VRF and Climaver sys-tems and the latest products available in theworld of ventilation and AC.

Showcasing the new and latest developmentsin energy efficiency systems available, alongsideKIMMCO, giving demonstrations of how theseproducts could help reduce energy loss withinresidential and commercial buildings. Accordingto a study conducted by GCC EnergySystem(KAPSARC) in 2016, 90 percent of ener-gy consumed in Kuwait were that of residentialand commercial establishments, 70 percent ofthat energy comes from air conditioning units.With the new and improved VRF systems, basedon internal study, this will help reduce the energyloss by 30 percent.

A study done by Mckinsey Climate ChangeSpecial Initiative, also highlighted the mostefficient strategic option is an adequate build-ing insulation solution. The Climaver ducting,the latest and best in the market in terms ofquality, insulation and durability offered byKIMMCO, offers Grade A low air leakagewhich results in its 46 percent less energy andcooling power.

Alghanim Group said the company aspires toestablish that both Kimmco and AlghanimEngineering are leading companies in the HVACindustry. Which is evident in their innovation inenergy efficiency solutions per internationalstandards, with the latest high quality productsterms of performance and contribution to energysaving in addition to long-term use.

KUWAIT: MEGlobal, a wholly-owned subsidiary ofEQUATE Petrochemical Company has been crowned asa “Gold Level Winner” at Canada’s Safest Employersawards, during a ceremony that was held in Toronto.

This is just another successful achievement to beadded to MEGlobal’s records. The company historyreflects a lot of achievements have been made within ashort period of time. MEGlobal was established in July2004, and is headquartered in Dubai, United ArabEmirates. A video describing the company’s safetycommitment was played at the awards ceremony.

It is fascinating to see MEGlobal achieving safetyrecognition at the same time its parent company iscelebrating a significant achievement. Last month theEQUATE Group, a global producer of petrochemicals,also made a remarkable record regarding health andsafety methods. “EQUATE achieved over 50 millioncontinuous safe work hours without a day away fromwork case (DAWC) throughout its industrial complexin Kuwait,” said the CEO of EQUATE Group, RameshRamachandran back in September of the current year.

Launched in 2011, Canada’s Safest EmployersAwards is presented by the Canadian OccupationalSafety magazine, a Thomson Reuters business. TheAwards recognize companies from all across Canadawith outstanding accomplishments in promoting thehealth and safety of their workers.

“This is a great honor for us but it is also some-thing that MEGlobal employees and contractors haveearned through their commitment to safety in every-thing they do,” said Rocco Schurink, Vice Presidentof Manufacturing at MEGlobal.

The awards boast 10 industry-specific categories,ranging from hospital ity to mining and naturalresources. Companies are judged on a wide range ofoccupational health and safety elements, includingemployee training, OHS management systems, inci-dent investigation, emergency preparedness andinnovative health and safety initiatives.

“Safety is an intrinsic part of who we are and what

we do at MEGlobal,” said Pravind Ramdial, MEGlobalNorth American Responsible Care Leader. He added:“We live the principles of Responsible Care and weempower everyone at our site to make safety becomeshis/her priority in every task. Our leaders don’t justexpect safe behaviors from others; they model it eachday, and while it is very exciting to receive such aprestigious award, the real reward is all about keeping

our people, communities and environment safe.” According to the company’s recent report,

employees of MEGlobal have not experienced anywork injuries for 3,471 days. As for the process safetyincident category, the records showed zero incidentsoccurred for 2,675 days. The report also reflectedthat the number of days without a governmentreportable incident reached 4,101.

EQUATE’s subsidiary ‘MEGlobal’ crowned as ‘Gold Level Winner’

Recognition at Canada’s Safety Employers awards in Toronto

Trish and Cathy during the ceremony

Flydubai inaugural flight lands inHelsinkiKUWAIT: Flydubai has inaugurated its new dailyservice to Helsinki becoming the first national carrierfor the UAE to offer direct flights from Dubai. Theinaugural flight departed yesterday from Terminal 2,Dubai International (DXB) and landed at HelsinkiAirport (HEL) just before midnight.

On board the flight was a delegation led by JeyhunEfendi, Senior Vice President, Commercial Operationsand E-commerce at flydubai and was joined byThierry Aucoc, Senior Vice President, Commercial(Europe and Russian Federation) at Emirates, RiittaSwan, Finnish Ambassador to the UAE together withrepresentatives from regional media outlets. On arrivalin Helsinki, the delegation was welcomed by seniorofficials from the airport.

Speaking at a press conference to mark the occa-sion, Jeyhun Efendi, Senior Vice President,Commercial Operations and E-commerce at flydubaisaid: “As the first carrier to operate a year-rounddirect flight from the UAE to Finland, we expect thisroute to be very popular for travellers from Dubai andthe region as we make the market more accessible foradventure seekers, those who want to see the

Northern Lights, Lapland and those visiting familyand friends alike. Passengers travelling on this routewill be able to enjoy the added comfort offered by ourlatest innovations in cabin design as well as an excep-tional travel experience on board our new BoeingMAX 8 aircraft.”

Finland attracts more than 6 million tourists a year,but most flights to the market so far have been sea-sonal. The new scheduled direct flights from Dubaiwill give passengers easier access into Finland andhelp stimulate trade and tourism around the year.

“We have seen healthy demand especially for ourBusiness Class since the route was announced in Aprilthis year. We expect this trend to continue from Dubaias well as see growing numbers of connecting passen-gers from both the Emirates and the flydubai net-works. Passengers from Finland now have easieraccess to popular destinations on the flydubai net-work including Sri Lanka and Tanzania as well as fur-ther afield on the Emirates network to Far East desti-nations including Australia, Indonesia and Thailand,”Efendi added.

Cityview project inaugurated,apartment handover begins MANAMA: Cityview Real Estate Development Company(Cityview), a Bahrain-based real estate developmentcompany, announced on Tuesday the formal inaugurationof the Company’s Cityview building and said it had start-ed handover apartments to their owners.

Speaking at the inauguration ceremony, CityviewChairman, Abdulhakeem Al-Mutawa, said he is pleasedthat, despite the many complex challenges, the projectwas successfully completed. The Cityview project, a resi-dential tower in the Seef District near Dana Mall, was puton hold in 2011 due to circumstances beyond anyone’scontrol. The Project’s completion makes it the only projectof its kind in Bahrain to be resolved internally, withoutexternal intervention after Ithmaar Bank, one of the share-holders, provided the necessary financing. IthmaarHolding, an investment firm listed on the Bahrain Bourse,Boursa Kuwait and Dubai Financial Market, owns throughits subsidiary 51 percent shareholding in Cityview.

Present at the inauguration ceremony were represen-tatives of Ithmaar Bank and Cityview as well as IthmaarDevelopment Company (IDC), which represents Ithmaar

Group, Dheya Tawfiqi Engineering Consultancy BureauW.L.L. (DTEB) as the Project Consultant, PoullaidesConstruction Company (PCC) as the main contractor ofthe Project and Ithmaar Bank’s Home Finance team.

When announcing the completion of the Cityviewproject in August, Al-Mutawa had said the achievement,which remains unique in Bahrain, was made possible byIthmaar Bank’s determination to see the project through,and a demonstration of the potential that can be realizedwhen everyone pulls in the same direction.

“The building is now fully operational with all utilitiesfunctional after having received all municipal andauthority approvals,” said Al-Mutawa. “In fact, with thede-snagging works completed, and the testing andcommissioning successful, we are handing over thebuilding to Olive V.F.M (a wholly owned subsidiary ofIthmaar Holding), the appointed facility managementteam who will be welcoming the first residents,” he said.

The Cityview building comprises a total of 88 apart-ments offering amenities such as a gym, health club, and

swimming pool dedicated to the residents. Al-Mutawathanked the buyers of the project’s apartments for theirsupport during the previous period, which ended withcompleting construction works of the building.

Al-Mutawa also thanked the Deputy PrimeMinister and Chairman of the Ministerial Committeefor Urbanization and Infrastructure, Sheikh Khalid binAbdulla Al-Khalifa, for his continuous efforts andsupport for helping drive the Project towards itscompletion.

MANAMA: (From right) Cityview Chairman, Abdulhakeem Al-Mutawa, Ithmaar Bank member of the Board of Directors,Mohammed A Rahman Bucheerei, Ithmaar Bank Chief Executive Officer, Ahmed Abdul Rahim, IDC Chief Executive andMember of the Board, Mohammed Khalil Al-Sayed and other guests at the opening ceremony of Cityview building. Cityview building

NBK announces winners of Al-Jawhara weekly drawKUWAIT: The National Bank of Kuwait continues toreward its customers with Al-Jawhara account throughweekly, monthly and quarterly draws. The bank recentlyannounced the winners of the weekly draw for themonth of October, naming Ahmad Bader Al-Thaqeb,George Anis Neaimi, Thamer Saleh Al-Mutairi andKhaldoun Jawdat Almasri as the winners of the KD5,000 prize each.

Automatically entering customers into the draws, Al-

Jawhara account gives customers a chance to win KD5,000 weekly, KD 125,000 monthly and a KD 250,000grand prize quarterly for every KD 50 deposited intotheir account. If no withdrawal or transfers occur on theaccount during the required period, customers willreceive an additional chance to enter the draw for everyKD 50 held in the account, doubling their chance to win.

Since 2012, the National Bank of Kuwait has reward-ed loyal customers with a total worth of prizes up toKD 2,200,000 in the weekly, monthly, and quarterly Al-Jawhara draws. All the draws are conducted in thepresence of a representative from the Ministry ofCommerce and Industry and the name of all the win-ners are announced.

Customers can open an Al-Jawhara account by sim-ply visiting any NBK branch. Also, NBK customers canconveniently open an Al-Jawhara account through theNBK Online and Mobile Banking services.

Focused on sustaining its relationship with cus-tomers, NBK commits to offer diversified and innova-

tive products and solutions, in addition to valuablerewards to customers.


15W h a t ’ s O n

Established 1961

Canon partners with Al Sayer group and the Kuwait Teachers Society

Under its ‘Education For Life’ campaign, CanonMiddle East partnered with Al Sayer group andthe Kuwait Teachers Society to demonstrate its

suite of solutions that address challenges broughtabout by the changing needs of key education sectorstakeholders - students, teachers, and administration.

The technology leader showcased its commitmenttowards enabling the digital transformation of the edu-cation experience in Kuwait at an event held at theKuwait Teachers Society in Kuwait City. The speakersat the event CEO and board member of Al Sayer GroupMubarak Al Sayer, founder of Kashcool FaisalAlghadhouri, Board Member of the Kuwait TeachersSociety and First Advisor of Computer Curriculum atthe Ministry of Education, Mr. Ali Ahmed Al Kandari,and Business Unit Director, B2B, Canon Middle EastShadi Bakhour.

The Kuwait Vision 2035 lays the framework toachieving sustainable development in the country andhighlights the significant role played by education inenabling economic diversification, growth and socialprogress. As the student aged population continues toincrease and with substantial investment from the gov-ernment, the sector is poised for growth with Kuwait’sprivate school market estimated to grow from $1.3 bil-lion in 2015 to $2 billion in 2023, according to theBoston Consulting Group (BCG). As a key catalyst ofthe strategy, the government is promoting the use oftechnology in schools, supporting educational planningand management, with a view towards higher quality ofeducation and future employability of the students.

Canon has identified the education sector as onethat can benefit greatly from a technology-enabledtransformation, benefiting stakeholders of today as well

as nations in future. Key areas of consideration that theeducation sector must consider in this transition phaseare their strategies towards: student data management;the document-heavy admissions and enrolmentprocess; differentiating the learning-teaching experi-ence for students and teachers, and; ensuring competi-tive quality across all processes.

Ali Ahmed Al Kandari, Board Member of the KuwaitTeachers Society and First Advisor of ComputerCurriculum at the Ministry of Education, said: “Kuwaitis well known for a rich tradition of valuing education,hence the development of the knowledge and skills ofKuwaiti youth remains a top priority today. The KuwaitTeachers Society is committed to supporting theKuwait Vision 2035 to drive excellence in the educa-tional sector right from improving the learning experi-ence to enhancing the effectiveness of the system as awhole. Recognizing that a key facilitator of improve-ment is knowledge transfer across the sector andbetween public and private institutions, it is our pleas-ure to host the Education for Life roadshow with Canonto present the opportunities available to educators inthe country to effectively transform the learning experi-ence in the classroom and solve the challenges theyface with the integration of new technologies.”

Shadi Bakhour, Business Unit Director, B2B, CanonMiddle East, said: “With the prioritization of humandevelopment and social progress by the government inKuwait, Canon aims to come alongside Kuwaiti leader-ship to drive the enhancement of the educational sectorthrough the adoption of technology.

Education for Life aims to creatively demonstratethe role technology can play in enabling organizationsto innovate across multiple areas of process optimiza-

tion, communication efficiency and educational person-alization, ultimately unlocking higher efficiency andsuperior learning experiences. We are thrilled to bringthis roadshow to this country in partnership with theKuwait Teachers Society as we believe that our tech-nology is uniquely placed to help students, teachers,and administrative staff, unlock the power of digital tobetter prepare tomorrow’s workforce.”

Canon’s ‘Education For Life’ campaign comprisesfive key pillars, each of which impact multiple stake-

holders and allow school management to build compet-itive differentiation and preference as a digitally-enabled learning environment. Those five pillars areCost control, Security, Productivity, Integration andSustainability. The Canon ‘Education For Life’ road-show was launched in Dubai and Abu Dhabi earlier thisyear, followed by Riyadh, Amman and today in KuwaitCity. The roadshow will continue to be conducted incities across the GCC and the broader Middle Eastregion this year

“Our Environment, OurHumanity,” an interna-tional environment pho-

to gallery in collaboration with theEnvironment Public Authority and theAmiri Diwan, will be held fromNovember 11 at Shaheed Park. Thephoto gallery is a modern take on artgalleries and aims to educate the peo-ple of Kuwait on the myriad environ-mental issues facing the world today.With the support of several embassiesfrom the southern part of Africa, andwith the participation of both localand international artists from aroundthe world, the three-day event willshowcase many environmental phe-nomena from across the globe.

“The Kuwaiti citizen is the primarypartner of the Environment PublicAuthority, and we are therefore con-stantly looking to increase theirawareness of the environmental issuesfacing Kuwait and the world, throughawareness campaigns and events. Thisphoto gallery is a fine example of thistype of awareness, and I would like to

extend my gratitude to everyone thathas contributed to the success of thisevent,” said EPA General ManagerSheikh Abdullah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabahon the eve of the event.

Pixel art is a form of digital art, cre-ated through the use of software,where images are edited on the pixellevel. The aesthetic for this kind ofgraphics comes from 8-bit and 16-bitcomputers and video game consoles,in addition to other limited systemssuch as graphing calculators. Includedin the gallery are several activities forboth children and adults. Videoscreens will display the artwork, andvisitors will have the chance to inter-act with this innovative technologyand create their own pixel art. Thefirst day will include the opening cer-emony, as well as activities and eventsfor children and adults. On the secondday, there will be a photographyworkshop alongside the continuedevents. The third and final day willinclude a closing ceremony and thesecond day of the workshop.

Hilton Kuwait Resort invites guests todelight in its magnificent villas over-looking the Arabian Gulf. Guests who

will book a two-night stay in either aPresidential or Royal Villa will be able to avail50% off their second night, offering a longerstaycation experience. Conveniently locatedin the south of the city, Kuwaitis and residentsof Kuwait can expect to experience true lux-ury, including breakfast buffet at Teatrorestaurant for up to 8 people, whilst baskingin the serene views of the Arabian Gulf.

The spacious and elegant Presidential andRoyal Villas are best for families to experi-ence a special staycation with all of the com-forts of home. Set over two storeys, thePresidential Villas boast four bedrooms andbathrooms - two bedrooms feature onequeen bed and the other two bedrooms offertwo twin beds. A fully equipped modernkitchen, a dining room, and a private terracewith calming views of the sea make it the per-fect space to unwind and reconnect with

loved ones. Set across two floors, the elegant Royal

Villa comes complete with an exclusiveplunge pool for guests to relax in with totalprivacy, also boasting magnificent views overthe Arabian Gulf. Both villas also feature aprivate maid’s room. Kids can enjoy after-noons at the Kids Paradise and Games

Corner, hosting a variety of activities for chil-dren under six, and a range of indoor games,including PlayStation, billiards and air hockeyfor children aged between 7 and 15 years.Hilton Kuwait offers a range of villas, withmajestic seafront rooms. Book a PresidentialVilla or a Royal Villa and get 50% off thesecond night from now until 17 November.

Kuwait’s first international environmental photo gallery

Enjoy a remarkable ‘staycation’ atHilton Kuwaitresort’s villas

In collaboration with LOYAC Academy forPerformance Arts (LAPA) and within the third cycleof the Peace Festival, Alsarah and The Nubatones

Band had a wonderful performance on October 23, 2018

at Al-Shaheed Park’s amphitheater. The band performeda number of traditional Nubian songs on East Africanpop music with its fast beat and dances before a wideaudience mainly including members of the Sudanese

community in Kuwait. Speaking on the concert’s side-lines, Alsarah expressed her joy for performing in Kuwaitfor the first time and thanked LAPA and Al-ShaheedPark. Alsarah added that she is scheduled to perform in

New York, Pennsylvania and Virginia soon and that sheis currently preparing to launch her third album. Alsarahis a singer and lyric writer of Sudanese origin, she wasborn in Sudan and currently resides in New York.

Alsarah and The Nubatones Band perform at Al-Shaheed Park

H e a l t h & S c i e n c e Thursday, October 25, 2018

16

JOHANNESBURG: A bucket containing a soupy greenmixture sits under a table in Nduna Ewrong-Nxumalo’sconsultation room in downtown Johannesburg, SouthAfrica’s economic hub. The traditional healer, or sangoma,has trusted and prescribed the pungent mixture —cannabis tea — to his patients for years. “We were giventhis holy plant by the ancestors,” Ewrong-Nxumalo toldAFP, scooping out a cupful. “Healers who came before usand trained us showed us how to restore people’s healthwith it,” said the healer, wearing a leopard-skin vest andkhaki trousers. “It is a plant to be respected and protected,and I’m happy the law is finally doing that.”

Last month, South Africa’s top court decriminalized theprivate and personal use of cannabis in a landmark casethat pitted law enforcement agencies against advocates ofthe plant, known in the country as dagga. TheConstitutional Court ruling changed attitudes overnightwhile bringing interim legal relief to those who usecannabis for medicinal purposes by decriminalizing thepossession and cultivation of dagga for private use.Parliament has 24 months to iron out legislative detailssuch as permitted quantities. For Siphelele Luthuli, 47, whowas diagnosed with asthma in 2010, the court ruling hasbeen a saving grace after years of secretly buyingcannabis from a merchant in a dangerous part of Durban,on South Africa’s southeastern coast. “Obviously it wasillegal so I had my secret merchant,” she said. “For me it’sreally liberating to be able to have access to it.”

‘Holy plant from ancestors’ Luthuli, a tourism entrepreneur, turned to cannabis in

her quest for a natural alternative to a heavy cocktail ofsteroids, which she said caused water retention and subse-quent weight gain. In 2014, her doctor did not object whenshe suggested trying home-brewed cannabis tea — at afraction of the cost of the Western treatment. “I would boil

it and Google a recipe, even though with my measure-ments it wasn’t that accurate. But I found solace in know-ing that you can never overdose on weed because it’s nat-ural,” Luthuli said.

After taking the cannabis tea for almost a year she wentback for a check-up and was declared asthma-free, shesaid. Dagga is sometimes seen as a gateway drug to hard-er substances. But Sipho Ntanzi, 23, a goat shearer, hassteadfastly used it as a basic painkiller for years. The pow-ers of cannabis have been an open secret in his family forgenerations. “When I was growing up, my uncle used tobrew cannabis tea for himself at home and there was noproblem or stigma attached to it,” he said, adding: “No onehad a problem with it unless you smoked it — then youwould get into trouble.”

As an adult, he started taking a cupful of the tea daily inthe morning and evening. “After drinking it I feel strongerand my system is refreshed,” Ntanzi told AFP while sip-ping the tea at the sangoma’s offices. Criticizing Westernmedicine for despising traditional herbal remedies such ascannabis, Ntanzi said he takes a dose whenever he feels “abit sick — to stop illness in its tracks”.

A generational open secret A 2007 study commissioned by the country’s trade and

industry ministry suggested that more than 26 millionSouth Africans — nearly half the population — use tradi-tional medicine, mostly derived from wild plants includingcannabis, and some animals. Legislation prohibiting thesale of dagga in South Africa dates back to 1908.

The battle over its legalization has been waged in SouthAfrica’s courts since 2010, led by a group of activists whofaced arrest for personal use in the past. While theConstitutional Court did not decriminalize the use of the drugin public nor the offences of supplying or dealing, the legal-ization of personal cannabis use has been met with some

backlash. The lobbying group Doctors for Life disputes theveracity of claims about cannabis’s medicinal powers. Theconservative African Christian Democratic Party has alsostrongly condemned the court decision. But the leader of theTraditional Healers Organisation of South Africa, PhephisileMaseko, says the ruling is a victory for all. “Finally we are

told, particularly by the Constitutional Court, that we can usetraditional medicines... that’s a real, real victory, not just to usas service providers but a victory to the clients and thepatients that we service.” Patients use cannabis for a slew ofailments including cancers, as well as colic, anxiety, insomniaand as an antiseptic, Maseko said. — AFP

‘Holy plant’: Cannabis legalisation delights South African pot users

‘We were given this holy plant by the ancestors’

Women’s birthcanals in Kenya, Korea,Kansas not thesame: Study PARIS: The size and shape of women’s birth canalsvary depending on what part of the world they livein but most medical textbooks are based on aEuropean body type, scientists said yesterday,warning of health risks. Differences in the depthand width of the pelvic canal determine a new-born’s route into the world, and forcing births toconform to a single standard can be harmful tomother and child, they reported in the journalProceedings of the Royal Society B.

“An obstetrician’s training is based on a model ofthe pelvis that has been developed from Europeanwomen,” said lead author Lia Betti, a senior lecturerin evolutionary anthropology at the University ofRoehampton in London. “But the typical pelvicshape and typical childbirth pattern can differ amongpopulations,” she told AFP. “An update seems neces-sary, especially in a multi-ethnic society.”

Women from sub-Saharan Africa, for example,tend to have a deeper canal, while — at the otherextreme — native American women generally havea wider one, she explained. European and Asianwomen fall somewhere in between. This mattersbecause, during birth, a baby rotates while travel-ling through the canal, aligning the sides of the headand shoulders to the channel’s contours. “If awoman’s birth canal is substantially different fromthe model described in textbooks, the movement ofthe baby will also deviate from the expected pat-

tern,” Betti said. She cited examples from the early-to-mid 20th century of “horrendous consequences”when forceps were used to rotate babies duringdelivery, based on erroneous assumptions about theshape of the pelvis. X-raying pregnant women —standard practice well into the 1950s to determinethe position of babies — helped provide the data-base highlighting differences in female anatomy.Some 300,000 women die during or shortly afterchildbirth each year, many due to “complicationsfrom delivery,” according to the World HealthOrganization.

Far from Africa One of those “complications” is the fact that

humans have a big brain encased in bone. “Owingto the tight fit, the fetus needs to perform a series ofrotations to successfully navigate the mother’s birthcanal,” Betti explained. The shape of the femalepelvis has also been described as an evolutionarycompromise between a short, compact body suitedfor walking on two limbs, and a spacious pelviccanal for big-brained newborns. But none of thistells us why women in Namibia, Nanjing, andNorway have different internal architectures forgiving birth. There are three possible explanations,none of them mutually exclusive, the authors said.

One is cold weather environments, which mayhave led to the emergence of wider hips — and, atthe same time, a larger inlet to the birth canal — toreduce heat loss by increasing body mass for insu-lation. Some studies have suggested that naturalselection may have helped to winnow out bodytypes poorly suited to delivery. The evidence forboth of these theories, however, is patchy at best.The most likely cause of variation, said Betti, hasmore to do with human migration.

Homo sapiens originated in Africa and dispersedrapidly into new continents 60,000 to 100,000years ago — in the case of North American morerecently. Each founding population was small, form-ing what is known as a genetic bottleneck. The fur-

ther from Africa, the less genetic diversity themigrant groups had. That means that whichevertraits they shared — blond hair and fair skin inScandinavia, for example — would dominate local-ly. Likewise for pelvic shapes and contours, whichremain far more diverse in sub-Saharan Africa thanelsewhere. “This is clear evidence that birth canalvariation has been shaped by past population his-tory,” Betti said. “Distance from Africa explains aremarkable 43.5 percent of canal diversity withinhuman populations.” — AFP

The differences in pelvic canals, showing a more ovaland wider pelvic canal (top) found to be more commonin Europe and the Americas, while birth canals (down)that are more circular and deeper back-to-front arefound more frequently in Africa and Asia. — AFP

Johannesburg: Gogo Phephisile Maseko, 44, traditional healer and national coordinator of the TraditionalHealers Organization (THO) of South Africa attends to patients on Oct 1, 2018 using a blend of cannabis andother herbs in a consultation room at their offices. — AFP

Cancer risk in tall peopledown to number of cellsPARIS: Taller people have a higher risk of cancer “hard wired” into thempartly because they have more cells for the disease to target, a studyclaimed yesterday. Researchers in the US examined populations acrossthree continents and found that the risk of contracting cancer for both menand women increased 10 percent for every 10 centimeters in height.Cancer develops when the body’s normal controls on cell growth stopworking, leading to the runaway creation of abnormal cells that manifestsas tumors.

A study published in the journal Proceedings of Royal Society B sug-gests that the risk of several types of cancer is likely higher in tallerhumans simply because they have more cells, and therefore more opportu-nities for those cells to become cancerous. “This means that this extra riskis ‘hard wired’ and cannot in any obvious way be reduced,” lead studyauthor Leonard Nunney of the University of California Riverside told AFP.

It is thought that some larger mammals such as elephants and giraffes— whose bodies have a far greater number of cells than smaller creatures— have evolved additional safeguards against cancer. But there is no evi-dence that this works the same in individuals within a single species, suchas humans. Average height varies among regions but in the United States,men are on average 176 cm (five feet nine inches) tall, and women 162 cm.

While scientists have known for a while that taller people tend to be athigher cancer risk, Nunney’s study into human populations in the US,Europe and South Korea found that this may be because they have morecells in which something can go wrong. In particular, taller people wereshown to be at increased risk of melanoma because they have a higher rateof cell division — and, simply, more skin — than people of average height.However, the risk of stomach, mouth and cervical cancer in women didn’tseem to be affected by height. While height is largely determined by an indi-vidual’s genes, Nunney said that childhood environment also has an effect,and therefore likely impacts associated cancer risks. “Environmental andgenetic factors acting during childhood both have a strong effect on adultheight,” he said. “There is no reason to believe that their effects on cancerrisk would be different, since the driver is the number of cells, not why orhow an individual ended up with a given number of cells.”— AFP


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CROSSWORD 2043

ACROSS1. Characteristic of a mob.12. The act of slowing down or falling

behind.15. A constellation in the southern hemi-

sphere near Telescopium and Norma.16. Wormlike larva of various elaterid bee-

tles.17. A hospital unit staffed and equipped to

provide intensive care.18. One of a family of granular intrusive

rocks.20. (Sumerian and Babylonian) A solar

deity.21. A pass between mountain peaks.22. The content of cognition.23. A son who has the same first name as

his father.25. Ancient Persian god of light and truth.27. Infestation of the pubic hair by crab

lice.31. The capital and largest city of

Bangladesh.34. Large herbivorous tropical American

arboreal lizards with a spiny crestalong the back.

36. Having the leading position or higherscore in a contest.

38. Alcoholic drink from fermented cider(`cider' and `cyder' are European(especially British) usage for the fer-mented beverage).

42. Mythical bird of prey having enormoussize and strength.

44. Escape, either physically or mentally.45. Comprises tropical American species

usually placed in genus Masdevallia.48. Informal abbreviation of `representa-

tive'.49. A small island.50. (Norse mythology) God of poetry and

music.53. A ductile gray metallic element of the

lanthanide series.55. English historian noted for his history

of England (1800-1859).59. The Tibeto-Burman language spoken

in the Dali region of Yunnan.60. A small cake leavened with yeast.64. A particular geographical region of

indefinite boundary (usually servingsome special purpose or distinguishedby its people or culture or geography).

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

71. The 4th letter of the Hebrew alphabet.73. An affirmative.74. A cut of pork ribs with much of the

meat trimmed off.76. (Irish) Mother of the ancient Irish gods.77. A sweetened beverage of diluted fruit

juice.78. Genus of tropical American timber

trees.79. A light touch or stroke.

DOWN1. (New Testament) The sages who visited

Jesus and Mary and Joseph shortlyafter Jesus was born.

2. Toward the mouth or oral region.3. A very young child (birth to 1 year) who

has not yet begun to walk or talk.4. A nuclear reactor that uses water as a

coolant and moderator.5. Dry red table wine from the Rioja region

of northern Spain.6. A colorless and odorless inert gas.7. A fractional monetary unit of Japan and

Indonesia and Cambodia.

8. A large and hurried swallow.9. An electrically charged particle.10. A Ukrainian peninsula between the

Black Sea and the Sea of Azov.11. A particular environment or surround-

ing influence.12. Chinese fruit having a thin brittle shell

enclosing a sweet jellylike pulp and asingle seed.

13. Fruit of the oak tree.14. A Russian prison camp for political

prisoners.19. An indehiscent fruit derived from a sin-

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

24. A soft silvery metallic element of thealkali metal group.

26. A track or mark left by something thathas passed.

28. A unit of absorbed ionizing radiationequal to 100 ergs per gram of irradiat-ed material.

29. Perennial of wet and marshy places inthe northern hemisphere.

30. Any of several large turkey-like gamebirds of the family Cracidae.

32. Traveling on horseback.33. Of or like a cecum.35. United States evangelical preacher

famous as a mass evangelist (born in1918).

37. Jordan's port.39. Of or relating to the dura mater.40. Swelling from excessive accumulation

of serous fluid in tissue.41. Pay back.43. Angular distance above the horizon

(especially of a celestial object).46. Tropical American trees with palmately

compound leaves and showy bell-shaped flowers.

47. A region of northern France on theEnglish Channel.

51. An amino acid that is found in the cen-tral nervous system.

52. Of or belonging to or suitable for aduke.

54. A light strong brittle gray toxic bivalentmetallic element.

56. The branch of computer science thatdeal with writing computer programsthat can solve problems creatively.

57. Lower in esteem.58. A small unit serving as the nucleus of a

larger political movement.61. Advanced in years.62. The length of a straight line passing

through the center of a circle and con-necting two points on the circumfer-ence.

63. Having or demonstrating ability to rec-ognize or draw fine distinctions.

65. Having been read.66. An inactive volcano in Sicily.67. According to the Old Testament he

was a pagan king of Israel and hus-band of Jezebel (9th century BC).

69. The residue that remains when some-thing is burned.

70. A secret agent hired by a state toobtain (military) information about itsenemies or by a business to obtainindustrial secrets from competitors.

72. A loose sleeveless outer garment madefrom aba cloth.

75. An intensely radioactive metallic ele-ment that occurs in minute amounts inuranium ores.

Yesterday’s SolutionDaily SuDoku

Wordsearch Puzzle Yesterday’s Solution


18S t a r s

Established 1961

Yesterday’s Solution

You have a desire to make a lasting first impression on everyonenew you meet. You take care of yourself and even tuning a year older doesn’tseem to phase you. You have been paying extra attention to how others maysee you. Your appearance and style are a focal point in your life now. Youwant to be a head turner. Romance becomes a focus for you and probably adriving factor behind the way you are taking care of yourself. It is a time youmay find yourself indulging in the finer things life has to offer. You feel goodabout spoiling yourself.

Aries (March 21-April 19)

STAR TRACK

Contrast is evident in your life today. That’s doesn’t have to meanconflict. There is a difference. Cultivate your fun-loving, romantic side. But,don’t ignore your uncomfortable, needy feelings. Your insecurities make youmore compassionate toward those who are looking for comfort. They will findyou reassuring. You will bring peace into the lives of others today.

Taurus (April 20-May 20)

This may be a time to keep to yourself. A cool front seems tohave moved in. Your usual warm caring personality seems to have beencooled off. Cold and hard have taken the place of the usual warm and lovingside of you. This is not a good day to present yourself to others. Firstimpressions last a lifetime and you would not make a good one today. Thiswould be a day to skip any job interview or first date. Spend some time toyourself and find your happy place. The old you will emerge when you bringpeace and happiness back into your world.

Gemini (May 21-June 20)

Let your creative juices flow. Use that nervous energy to be creative.That which is unique and special about you will have you in the limelight today.Those close to you will be very appreciative of these qualities. Place your focuson your problem-solving skills. Take some time for yourself today to reflect,regroup, and reorganize. Cancer, leave those big decisions on the back burnertoday and do not let anything dull your shine! You may find yourself deep inthought struggling with a big decision but for today, let it be.

Cancer (June 21-July 22)

Leo (July 23-August 22)

You have friends of all ages, all walks of life, all cultures, and dif-ferent races. You may find this to be a very healthy environment. It is alwaysbeneficial to try to see things from others perspectives. This evening couldfind you exchanging ideas and obtaining other’s outlooks on life. This is avery enlightening time for you. Always keep an open mind. Knowledge ispower and you can gain much seeing things through other’s eyes. Enjoy yourevening with friends, Leo. You may find this to be a great time and a wonder-ful learning experience for you.

Virgo (August 23-September 22)

Breaking away from the old and preparing for the new is strong onyour mind today. You long for a fresh start. A surge of independence hascome over you. You tend to be easily bored with life and always want toreach beyond the horizon. Today finds you ready to make the changes thatwill feed this desire. Others may notice a change in you today. From youroutfit to your hairstyle. Today will be full of changes. An almost mischieviousside of you will emerge.

Libra (September 23-October 22)

Things may seem too good to be true. In an almost magical senseit seems that all of your dreams are coming true. Goals seem attainable now.Everything seems to be falling in your lap. You are being smiled upon andyou have a new love for life. This is the result of your hard work and dedica-tion. You may find that karma has a way of repaying your good deeds andthere seems to be no other explanation for this vast array of good fortune.This is a great time to get all of your affairs in order and continue to dreambig, Scorpio.

Scorpio (October 23-November 21)

You may be feeling drawn and even turned on by that which istaboo. Sex, power, and the pursuit of wealth are beginning to be a drivingforce behind your emotions. You are fascinated by people. What makes thedo the things they do? What makes them tick? You desire a fresh start inyour life and major changes. You know this may only be accomplished byturning your back on all you believed and starting over with an open mindand a new outlook on life in general, Sagittarius. Sometimes a fresh start isjust what we all need to succeed.

Sagittarius (November 22-December 21)

Capricorn (December 22-January 19)

You may find yourself having emotional differences with some-one. This could cause you to become frustrated. There may be someone orsomething that just doesn’t feel right to you and your are unable to put yourfinger on it. Trust your gut on this one. You are usually a great judge of char-acter and able to know who and who not to keep in your circle. This is one ofthose people that you do not need to allow to become a part of your life. Youcan save yourself some heartache by walking away.

Pisces (February 19-March 20)

It seems you may find yourself in a power struggle. You may findsomeone challenging you concerning a very private matter. Your personal issuesare just that, personal! You may find someone invades your space and this couldlead to conflict. Respect is something that is a priority in your world. Not only totreat others with respect, you demand to be treated as such. You are ambitiousand practical and may find this a time you are able to work well with othersdeveloping strong teams who will be able to accomplish big goals.

Aquarius (January 20- February 18)You have friends of all ages, all walks of life, all cultures, and dif-

ferent races. You may find this to be a very healthy environment. It is alwaysbeneficial to try to see things from others perspectives. This evening couldfind you exchanging ideas and obtaining other’s outlooks on life. This is a veryenlightening time for you. Always keep an open mind. Knowledge is powerand you can gain much seeing things through other’s eyes. Enjoy your eveningwith friends, Leo. You may find this to be a great time and a wonderful learn-ing experience for you.

You may find yourself having emotional differences with someone.This could cause you to become frustrated . There may be some-

one or something that just doesn’t feel right to you and your are unable to putyour finger on it. Trust your gut on this one. You are usually a great judge ofcharacter and able to know who and who not to keep in your circle. This is oneof those people that you do not need to allow to become a part of your life.You can save yourself some heartache by walking away.


Established 1961

Lifestyle

Afghan man glassblower Ghulam Sakhi, mid-40s, crafts a glass object at histraditional glassblowing workshop.

Families visit a pumpkin patch in Irvine, California on the second-to-last weekend before Halloween. Spending in the US this year is expected to reach $9 billion as more than 175 million Americans areexpected to partake in Halloween festivities. — AFP

Paris auction house Artcurial held itsbreath yesterday ahead of the sale offour works by Banksy, unsure what to

expect following the enigmatic artist’sshredding of a painting just moments afterit went under the hammer. Artcurial saidsecurity would be tight for Wednesdayevening’s sale and that this time, no hiddenshredding devices appeared to be con-cealed in the frames-but with Banksy, youjust never know. “We are going to be par-ticularly vigilant. We’ve put security meas-ures in place but we’ll be looking to keep itdiscreet and as light as possible,” ArnaudOliveux, the contemporary art specialist incharge of the sale, told AFP. “There won’tbe 10 heavies in every room,” he added.

Banksy, a British street artist whoseidentity is known to only a handful offriends, caused a sensation this monthwhen one of his paintings began shreddingitself, just after selling for $1.4 million (1.2million euros). Experts say “Girl withBalloon” is now probably worth even morebecause the stunt created such a massivemedia stir. Oliveux predicted that if any-thing out of the ordinary happens in Paris,“it won’t be a repeat” of the stunt that flab-bergasted a room of champagne-sippingauction-goers at Sotheby’s in London. Forone thing, the frames around the threepaintings up for grabs are on the slenderside, meaning it would be difficult to hide ashredding device of the kind used inLondon, which Banksy concealed under athick wooden frame.

Background checks Artcurial has nonetheless done back-

ground checks on attendees-not least afterspeculation that it may have been Banksyhimself who triggered the shredding deviceinside the room at Sotheby’s. “We’veasked them to identify themselves, we’vemade a few enquiries,” Oliveux said. Thesale, which also features other celebratedstreet artists such as France’s JR and USduo FAILE, includes three silkscreens byBanksy as well as a plastic statuette of a ratholding a paintbrush. Oliveux acknowl-edged there was more interest in this salethan there would have been pre-shredding.

The Banksy works have been on showat Artcurial’s elegant auction house onthe Champs-Elysees roundabout, andmany visitors have been pausing to takea look. As for the shredding of “GirlWith Balloon”-now renamed “Love Is In

The Bin”-Banksy has admitted thingsdidn’t go according to plan. He posted avideo on YouTube showing it was sup-posed to have been fully shredded, andthat during test-runs it worked perfectlyeach time. But when the prank was final-ly carried out, only the bottom half ofthe painting shredded-because, herevealed, it got stuck. The woman whohad just bought the work for £1,042,000— a female European collector whoseidentity has not been revealed-said shewas stunned when the device beganwhirring into motion. “I was at firstshocked, but gradually I began to real-ize that I would end up with my ownpiece of art history,” Sotheby’s quotedher as saying. Alex Branczik, head ofSotheby’s Contemporary Art in Europe,has meanwhile hailed the self-destruct-ing painting as “the first artwork in his-tory to have been created live during anauction”. “Banksy didn’t destroy an art-work in the auction, he created one,”Branczik added. — AFP

Paris auction house braces for Banksy sale after shredding

Hunched and shriveled, Afghan glassblowerGhulam Sakhi deftly blows and twirlsmolten glass into delicate blue and green

goblets and vases-a craft passed down for gen-erations but now at risk of dying out. Sakhi isone of the last makers of Herati glassware in theeponymous western city where the once-thriv-ing industry has been shattered by decades ofwar, poverty, and cheap imports. The brick andcorrugated iron workshop where Sakhi toilsonly operates a few days a month owing to thelack of demand for the distinctive colouredglassware that is more expensive than Chinese-made products. “People don’t value art,” saysSakhi, who is in his mid-40s but looks mucholder. He began working with his glassblowerfather when he was seven.

Sakhi sits on a low stool next to a wood-firedclay oven, occasionally wiping away sweat asthe temperature inside the workshop soarsabove 40 degrees Celsius (104 degreesFahrenheit). His eldest son Habibullah worksalongside him, scraping shards of glass-mixedwith copper or iron powder to create a blue orgreen tint-into a bubbling pot of molten liquidinside the furnace. Sakhi sticks an iron blow-pipe into the fiery mixture, gently spinning it likea honey twirler. After extracting the rod, heswings, blows and rolls the molten glass intoshape before firing it in a kiln.

The tools and techniques used by Sakhi havebarely changed in generations, although insteadof making glass from quartz, glassblowers nowrecycle bottles and broken windows, which are“easier to find”. “It’s not going to last anothergeneration,” says Sakhi, whose family have been

making Herati glass for “200 or 300 years”.

‘Already finished’ Decades of war have driven away foreign

tourists who used to be drawn to Herat, a citysteeped in history as a trading hub on theancient Silk Road and the 15th century capitalof the Timurid empire. Most Afghans also prefercheaper Chinese-made imports over hand-madeglassware that breaks easily, says Sakhi. “Theythink when they buy imports from China theyare going to be better quality,” he explains. Theonly hints of modernity in the smoky workshopare Sakhi’s blue Nokia mobile phone lying nextto him and an electric fan whirring furiously inthe searing heat.

Sultan Ahmad Hamidi, the white beardedowner of the workshop who spends his dayslolling on a sofa in his store selling Herati glass-ware, trinkets and handicrafts, despairs for the

future of his business. “Thirty to 40 years agopeople were lining up to buy glass here-asmany as 100 tourists a day,” says Hamidi, 78.His store, which is across a busy street from thecity’s main mosque, is crammed with Heratiglass goblets, vases and bowls that are gather-ing dust. With prices starting around $6, ittakes a month to sell 100 pieces, he complains.

As the craft declines, survival becomes agrowing challenge for Sahki and his family.Habibullah supplements their meagre incomefrom glassblowing by ferrying passengersaround the city in a three-wheeled motorbiketaxi. But without government support ortourism, Sakhi fears he could be the last ofHerat’s glassblowers. “I’m very sad,” he says. “Ifit stays like this it’s already finished.”— AFP

Decades of war shatterAfghanistan’s glassblowing craft

Ghulam Sakhi, mid-40s, crafts a glass object.

Afghan man glassblower Ghulam Sakhi, mid-40s,crafts a glass object at his traditional glassblow-ing workshop in Herat province. — AFP photos

Afghan man Sultan Ahmad Hamidi, 78, looks on ashe sells Herati glassware, at his handicrafts shop.

Thursday, October 25, 2018L i f e s t y l e G o s s i p

Established 1961 20

teve Mac admits Coldplay are top of his wish list of artists he wantsto work with. The acclaimed songwriter has penned tracks for thelikes of Ed Sheeran, Little Mix, Leona Lewis and Anne-Marie amongmany others and is very much in-demand in the studio but he is hop-

ing for a call from Chris Martin to create a song for the ‘Paradise’ hitmakers.Speaking exclusively to BANG Showbiz at the ASCAP London Music Awards onTuesday, he said: “You know what? I’ve pretty much worked with everyone thatI’ve wanted to. Listen, if Coldplay call up or Florence Welch calls up or some-body like that, I won’t turn it down.” Steve is also a fan of Liam Gallagher andwould be interested in working with the former Oasis frontman on his secondalbum - the follow-up to 2017’s ‘As You Were’ - but he thinks it’s unlikely to hap-pen. He added: “I’m not sure I’m cool enough for Liam, I’m not sure I’m going to

get that call.” Steve was on-hand to collect a slew of awards including ASCAPSong of the Year and ASCAP Top Digital Song for ‘Shape of You’, the globalsmash he penned with Ed and Johnny McDaid. The music maestro is beyondthrilled with the success of the 2017 single which has achieved over a billionstreams on Spotify and topped the charts in countries all over the world and headmits it’s a great feeling to have created such an iconic song. Speaking aboutthe impact the song has had on his career, Steve said: “I’ve gone from SusanBoyle and the middle of the road stuff to the last year-and-a-half going back todoing pop music and it’s just been extraordinary. Just absolutely loved it. Havingthe best time of my life.”

Steve Mac would love to write with Coldplay

S

Noel Gallagher:Liam doesn’t need

Oasis money oel Gallagher can’t understand whyhis brother Liam wants to reformOasis because he “must be loaded”.The 51-year-old rocker was stunned

to see so many of his fans dressed from head totoe in garments from his younger sibling’s cloth-ing label Pretty Green and thinks the popularityof the brand means the former Beady Eye front-man must be financially secure. He said: “Kidswith their dads, all of them dressed in PrettyGreen, I was saying to my mam, why does hewant to get Oasis back together, he must beloaded.’ While Noel has been vocal about hisdesire not to get back with Oasis - who split dueto tensions between the Gallagher brothers in2009 - their songs still play an important part ofhis solo setlists. He quipped: “It’s easy, you justdo ‘Wonderwall’ and ‘Don’t Look Back in Anger’then work backwards from that, that’s worth 50quid of anybody’s money, right? That’s a fact.You’ve only got to justify the other £75 then.”The ‘Holy Mountain’ singer also admitted he’s notafraid to rework his own old material for newsongs. Speaking at the launch of his book ‘AnyRoad Will Get Us There (If We Don’t KnowWhere We’re Going)’ at Kings Place in London,on Tuesday he said: “There’s only so many timesyou can write a song about the rain and use theword shine and I’ve got away with it shedloads.I’ll never stop trying to... I’ve used the chord for‘Wonderwall’ six times now and it’s not dryingup yet.”

N

StDon wins VanguardAward at 2018 ASCAPLondon Music Awards

tefflon Don was honored with the VanguardAward at the ASCAP London Music Awardson Tuesday. The 26-year-old rapper receivedthe prestigious gong - which recognizes the

impact of outstanding ASCAP members that are helpingto shape the future of music - during the awards eveningheld at One Marylebone by The American Society ofComposers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP). Speakingas she accepted her award, Stefflon said: “I just want tothank ASCAP so much for giving me this award, it meansa lot and for them to think that I’m going to be part of themusical future is beautiful. “I want to say thank you toeverybody who has always believed in me I hope you aregoing to continue to shine and continue to do bigger andbetter things, I can’t wait for next year for you guys tohear all the big releases I’ve got coming.” And the‘Calypso’ hitmaker - who also opened the ceremony witha performance of her hit single ‘Hurtin’ Me’ - hopes thetrophy will open doors for her, after “big sensation” DuaLipa was handed the honor last year. Speaking exclusive-ly to BANG Showbiz on the red carpet, she said: “It feelsgood to be appreciated. Dua Lipa won here last year andshe’s a big thing now, a big sensation so this does mean alot.” Alongside Stefflon, Tom Walker - who performed histrack ‘Leave a Light On’ - was also given a VanguardAward. Elsewhere in the evening, Steve Mac was thebiggest winner as he took home seven awards, includingSong of the Year and Top Digital Song for Ed Sheeran’ssmash hit ‘Shape of You’, which peaked at number one inthe singles charts of 34 countries. The musician andrecord producer also scored three awards in the Hot 100Winning Songs category, for ‘Strip That Down’ by LiamPayne, ‘What About Us’ by Pink, and Clean Bandit track‘Rockabye’.

Andrea Bocellipraises Dua Lipa

ndrea Bocelli has praised Dua Lipa’s talentsand loved working with her in the studio. TheItalian tenor collaborated with both EdSheeran and the ‘New Rules’ hitmaker on his

new album ‘Si’, and he was delighted with the chance toteam up with them both. He told The Sun newspaper’sBizarre column: “I loved Dua’s voice - it’s very recogniza-ble and has a lot of tension. “With Ed, he has a greatdetermination and lots to communicate, and he does thatin a sincere way. He’s a great guy.” The 59-year-oldsinger - who received the Classic BRIT Icon Award thisyear - was keen to start a new chapter with his first LP in14 and channel his youth, which led to collaborations withJosh Groban and even his own son Matteo. He previouslysaid: “I wanted to go back to my memories of being ayoung man, playing at a piano bar. Obviously since then,I’ve produced lots of albums, sung lots of covers, per-formed many other things. “But at a certain point I saidto myself: ‘Maybe the time has come to put my effort intofinding new songs.’ “Like starting all over again, as itwere, in my career.” The record will be his 16th studiorelease since his debut ‘Il Mare Calmo della Sera’ in 1994,and he has now given the secret to his longevity.Explaining the need to avoid narcissism and alcohol, headded: “It’s a mistake to fall in love too much with your-self and what you’ve done.”

A

Cudi isworking on anew album

id Cudi has started working on hisnext album. The 34-year-old star -whose most-recent solo album is2016’s ‘Passion, Pain & Demon Slayin’

- has give his fans a clue as to when they canexpect his much-anticipated new record toarrive. In reply to one of his fans searching fornew music, he wrote on Twitter: “I just started thenew album! Taking my time w it tho but imthinkin next year sometime? Would that be cool?Huh? Tell me? Would that be ok. “Got some tastyfeatures comin out soon in the meantime. (sic)”Cudi has recently been working with outspokenrap star Kanye West on their joint album ‘KidsSee Ghosts’, which was released earlier this year.And Cudi has revealed that he made a consciousdecision to adopt a more upbeat tone on therecord. He shared: “I chose to write the light. “Meand Kanye both agreed that we wanted to createa spiritual album. I know kids are used to hearingme talk about darkness, but I’m living in the lightnow.” In 2016, Cudi admitted to struggling withdepression and checking himself into a rehabfacility. The rapper can still vividly remember hisown mindset as he was entering the facility. Heshared: “I was thinking of ways to do it. It scaredme straight. What scared me was that my mindwas willing to go there. After all these years.” ButCudi has insisted he’s now in a much happierplace in his life. He told GQ magazine: “I’m notbattling any demons right now. Thank God.”

ile Rodgers’ music is “therapy” for his mother,who is battling Alzheimer’s. The CHIC star hasrevealed that he and his mom Beverly like todiscuss his music in a bid to help her and him-

self through the difficult time. He said: “My mom is dyingright now from Alzheimer’s. It’s taken somewhat of a tollon me mentally ... So after starting to visit her more Irealized that - and this was something I found really hardto come to terms with - her reality and the rest of theworld’s reality are so totally different to one another. Andthe most, or at least what feels like the most, kind way forme to help my mother live the rest of her life the best wayit can be lived is to enter her reality, because I can alwaysleave but she can’t leave. So when she starts talkingabout the same thing over and over again I act like it’s thefirst time we’ve said it. “I’ll say, ‘Hey mom, I’ve got a newrecord,’ and it doesn’t mean anything to her. I mean, it’llmean something to her in the moment. She’ll say, ‘Really,wow.’ ‘Yeah, it’s the first time we’ve had a Top 10 since1979.’ ‘Oh my God, darling that’s fantastic, where did youdo that?’ ‘Well, we did it in the UK.’ ‘So, what’s going onnow sweetheart?’ Oh well, mom it’s the first time we’vehad a Top 10 since...’ so it’s like that, you know?” And the66-year-old musician doesn’t know if it’s “comfort” forhis mother or not. He added: “I don’t know if it’s actuallycomfort. I don’t wanna judge or even guess as to what itis. All I wanna do is let her be in it, just let her be there.”

Posthumous Aviciialbum beingdiscussed by labeland parents

posthumous Avicii album may be releasedusing unheard music from the late DJ. The star- who tragically passed away in April, aged 28- is said to have had “several songs” which

hadn’t been unveiled before his death, and his friend AloeBlacc has confirmed there are discussions about lettingfans hear them. He told the Daily Star newspaper: “Thereare several songs left. I believe the record label is work-ing with his parents and the estate to find a way to bringthese unreleased songs to the public. “But for me there’sno rush - I would leave that with his parents.” While NileRogers recently revealed he also has “at least” 10 unre-leased songs he recorded with Avicii - whose real nameis Tim Bergling - and praised the DJ’s knack for creatinga hit song. He previously said: “Between Avicii and me,there’s at least ten, at least. We laughed all the time. Iused to say, ‘You put Tim and I in a room and we can dothe entire Top 20 in, like, two or three weeks.’ “ Now, itappears Aloe was also in the studio at the time as herevealed he was working with them both on the sessions.He added: “I think I did a couple of songs in the sessionwith Nile as well.” Aloe - who will release his own festivealbum ‘Christmas Funk’ next month ahead of a anotherLP in 2019 - took time to praise his friend’s huge hit‘Wake Me Up!’, which topped the charts in 22 countries.He said: “It’s still a song of celebrations and nostalgia,and hope for the future. I think the hope for the futurepart is even stronger. “Avicii’s death has been a call to alot of young folks for people to take better care of them-selves and surround themselves with people who arelooking out for their best interests.”

K

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Nile Rodgers’ therapeutic music N

A

Hodge castas Pennyworth

in Joker

L i f e s t y l e Thursday, October 25, 2018

21Established 1961

G o s s i p

Pixar co-founder Ed Catmull has announced hisretirement. The 73-year-old president of WaltDisney and Pixar Animation Studios - who pio-neered animated movies with the likes of ‘Toy

Story’ and ‘The Incredibles’ - has confirmed his plans tobring an end to an illustrious career. As explained by theHollywood Reporter, it means 2019 will be the first yearthat none of the company’s original co-founders will workfor Pixar - although he still plans to remain an adviser for awhile to ease the transition until a successor has beenannounced. He said in a statement: “I have the mixed emo-

tions that come with stepping away from a group of peo-ple I love, but also with the utmost pride and pleasure thatwe now have at both Pixar and Disney Animation the mostdedicated and imaginative leaders I have worked with.”The studio he helped create is currently looking ahead to‘Toy Story 4’, and Tim Allen - who voices Buzz Lightyearin the franchise - recently revealed the film will have a veryemotional ending. Asked whether he’s been working hardon the movie, Tim previously explained: “Yes, I gotta resistgetting emotional. I don’t want to give it away, but this isan incredibly great story. “It is so emotional, it’s so funny,

it’s so big, the idea they’ve come up with, I’m startled. Icouldn’t even get through the last scene. I would love to bea Washington leaker.” Despite this, Tim tried his best tonot reveal too many of the film’s secrets. He added: “I justcan’t do it. I can’t give any more away. They’ve got greatcharacters but a couple of scenes toward the end werereally hard to get through.”

Pixar’s co-founder Catmull announces his retirement

P

Boynton opens up on Malek’sBohemian Rhapsodytransformation

ucy Boynton says Rami Malek was “a stranger”on the set of ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’. The 24-year-old actress plays Freddie Mercury’s long-time friend and former fiancee Mary Austin in

the biopic, and she admitted her co-star’s transformationinto the Queen frontman was remarkable. Speaking aboutthe feeling Freddie was actually stood there with them, shetold HeyUGuys: “Yeah, totally, until you see Rami Malek inthe makeup trailer at the end of the day without every-thing and it’s like there’s a stranger on our set. “And thenyou come to work and it’s Freddie, and it’s like, well, that’sa person I know.” Bonyton stunned in a pink gown as shewas joined by fellow actors Malek, Ben Hardy and GwilymLee - and Queen legends Brian May and Roger Taylor - atthe film’s premiere on Tuesday at London’s WembleyArena. The ‘Murder on the Orient Express’ star - who hasbeen romantically linked to Malek since April - admittedthere was a feeling that his performance was “somethingvery special”. She added: “I think we could all see it on set.What you see in the film is what we saw on set, he justcompletely disappeared and was totally Freddie. “It wasincredible, it was amazing to have that energy. But yeah,you were very much aware that something very special ishappening.” The movie wasn’t without its difficulties, andjust three months into shooting director Bryan Singer wasreplaced by Dexter Fletcher who completed the film.Asked about how it impacted the feeling on set, Boyntonexplained: “Rami set the tone and energy on set everyday.Because that was constant without the entire shoot, thatwas a really powerful constant to have.”

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Disney wantsto reboot

Pirates of theCaribbean isney is reportedly seeking a reboot of its pop-ular ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ franchise. Thestudio is exploring the possibility of launchinga reboot of the Johnny Depp-fronted block-

buster after five films and grossing more than $4 billionsince it started with 2003’s hugely successful first install-ment ‘The Curse of the Black Pearl’, which featuredOrlando Bloom and Keira Knightly alongside Depp.Disney has reportedly met with ‘Deadpool’s writing duoRhett Reese and Paul Wernick to pen the script and are in“early talks” following their success with the superherofranchise and previous satirical comedies like ‘Zombieland’and its sequel ‘6 Underground’. Reese and Wernick willtake over from Ted Elliot and Terry Rossio after theywrote the first four films, including ‘Dead Man’s Chest’, andJeff Nathanson, who penned the fifth installment ‘DeadMen Tell No Tales’. The latest film in the franchise - whichstarred Kaya Scodelario and Brenton Thwaites - proved tobe a disappointment after it only grossed $172 million inthe US, as compared to the four previous films, whichearned an average of $320 million per film. JerryBruckheimer - one of the original producers of the mon-ey-spinning franchise - will stay on as a producer, assum-ing the ambition does become a reality. However, it is yetto be confirmed whether Depp will reprise his iconic roleas the drunken pirate, Captain Jack Sparrow.

D

ouglas Hodge has been cast as Batman’sfuture butler Alfred Pennyworth in ‘Joker’.The 58-year-old actor - who previouslystarred in ‘Penny Dreadful’ - has been

cast in the role of Batman’s iconic butler in the ToddPhillips-directed project, which sees JoaquinPhoenix star as the Joker. Dante Pereira-Olson -who played a young version of Joaquin’s character in‘You Were Never Really Here’ - has also been cast inthe movie, with the up-and-coming star set to playBruce Wayne, ComicBook.com reports. However, it’sunclear how big of a role Bruce will actually play inthe upcoming movie. Other big-name stars set toappear in ‘Joker’ include Robert De Niro and ZazieBeetz. Meanwhile, Joaquin previously explained thatthe ‘Joker’ movie will be unlike many earlier comic-book films. The Hollywood star said that the eagerlyawaited effort won’t seamlessly fit into a particulargenre. He revealed: “I wouldn’t quite classify this aslike any genre. “I wouldn’t say it’s a superheromovie, or a studio movie or a ... It feels unique, and Ithink more then anything, and probably the mostimportant thing, is Todd seems very passionateabout it and very giving, and so that’s exciting. “Ithink, underneath the excitement of these films, andthe size of them, there are these incredible charac-ters that are dealing with real life struggles. “Andsometimes that is uncovered and exposed, andsometimes it isn’t, and so I always felt, like, therewere characters in comics that were really interest-ing and deserve the opportunity to be kind of stud-ied. And so I think that’s what Todd sees appealingabout this idea.”

D

Holmes to starin The Boy 2

atie Holmes has signed on to star in thehorror sequel ‘The Boy 2’. The 39-year-old actress will replace LaurenCohan in the lead role for the sequel to

the 2016 movie, with William Brent Bell returningto direct the Stacey Menear-written film.Lakeshore Entertainment’s Tom Rosenberg - whowill serve as a producer of the movie - explained:“Following the success of ‘The Boy’, we arethrilled to be working on the next chapter of thischilling Brahms story with Stacey and William. Weare also delighted to be continuing our relation-ship with STX, on this, our third partnership.”Tom, Gary Lucchesi and Eric Reid will producethe project alongside Matt Berenson, Jim Wedaaand Roy Lee, and production is scheduled tobegin in Victoria, Canada, on January 14.Meanwhile, Katie - who has a 12-year-old daugh-ter called Suri with her ex-husband Tom Cruise -previously discussed the challenge of balancingher work life with her responsibilities as a parent.The Hollywood star explained that while she’scommitted to her career, her daughter remains hertop priority. She said: “My child is the mostimportant person to me, and her upbringing isparamount to my work right now. “It’s veryimportant that I’m present and she has a stable,innocent childhood. I feel so blessed to do what Ido, but there’s nothing in the world better thanwatching your child succeed.”

Butler wantshis movies to inspire

erard Butler wants his movies to inspire people.The ‘Hunter Killer’ star hopes that movie goerscome away from the cinema when they’ve seenhis action heavy flicks wanting to be “more

courageous” in their lives. He said: “In some ways they areinspiring in that kind of way that humans want to go andbe entertained and come out and go, ‘Yeah, I want to bemore courageous’, or, ‘I want to stand up for myself’, or, ‘Iwant to find something that’s worth sacrificing for.’ That’sultimately one of the reasons why I like making these bigmovies.” And the 48-year-old actor loves it when anaction film just “works” because there’s not better cine-matic experience, in his opinion. He added to Uproxx: “Wealways try our best but sometimes you make a movie andyou go, ‘OK, that really didn’t work’. But, when it works,honestly, there is nothing better. There is nothing betterthan walking into a room and feeling the excitement ofsomebody who has watched a 300 or a Hunter Killer.Because there are always high stakes and there are alwaysbig ideas. You make these movies with original content,original ideas - not some intellectual property - and you’retherefore dangling a little more, you know? You could fallon your a**. So, therefore, when it works, it’s so excitingbecause of those high stakes. When they work they areincredibly exciting, thrilling, fun.”

rian May thinks Freddie Mercury “would haveloved” ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’. The Queen gui-tarist - who starred alongside the iconic musi-cian in the band - has hailed the long-awaited

biopic, but insisted it is “not a Queen movie, it’s a Freddiemovie”. Speaking at the fi lm’s world premiere atWembley Arena in London on Tuesday Brian explained:“The whole deal was to do Freddie justice in a way thathe would enjoy and would be worthy of him. “It’s allthere, the humor is there, the talent is there, the heart-break is there. “There’s a lot of tears and a lot of joy inthis movie. So yes, it’s always Freddie. Freddie, Freddie,Freddie. Because this is the one chance we got to makethe film about Freddie.” The movie has been a decade inthe making and Brian - who was a driving force behind

the project - admitted that being able to attend the pre-miere was a special moment for himself. The 71-year-oldmusician - who was joined at the premiere by the likes ofRami Malek, who plays Freddie in the movie, and band-mate Roger Taylor - told Sky News: “I feel very over-excited. “We’re like children ... because of course youexpect it because we’ve been on this journey, we’ve seenthe film a lot, but this moment is very special. “It’s a one-off. Who would ever think this would happen in their life-time?” Brian is played by Gwilym Lee in the film and hewas impressed by the actor’s performance. He said: “Mykids saw the trailer and they said, ‘Dad, you must havedone the voice for him.’ “I said no, he’s an actor, he’s agreat actor. He really is.” — BangShowbiz

May says Freddie Mercury ‘would have loved’ Bohemian Rhapsody B

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Thursday, October 25, 2018L i f e s t y l e Fe a t u r e s

Established 1961 22

Dotted with bullet holes and scarred by war, a onceiconic hotel in Lebanon abandoned for more than40 years is coming back to life through the paint-

ings of an artist on a mission to revive the memories of itsglorious past. British artist Tom Young studies the historyof abandoned buildings in Lebanon, many of them areminder of the country’s civil war, and creates paintingsbased on old photographs, stories, architecture and theirsurrounding environment.

His exhibitions, held in the abandoned buildings, arefree of charge and include community events to help stirpublic interest in their history. “These great places ... arejust sleeping and in many ways with my art I am hoping toperhaps wake them up and make them relevant for thepresent day and the future,” said Young, who has been liv-ing in Lebanon for the past nine years. Lebanon has nolaw to protect historic buildings and many have beendemolished to make way for modern apartment buildingsand offices.

In the capital Beirut the number of historic buildingshas dropped to about 250, down from 4,200 in the 1990s,according to campaign group Save Beirut Heritage.

Young’s latest project is the Grand Sofar, a 75-room hotelbuilt in 1892 under Ottoman rule that was bustling withfamous people from Egyptian actor Omar Sharif to diplo-mats and generals who shaped the history of the countryand region. The hotel, about 30 kilometers (19 miles) awayfrom Beirut, became a casualty of the country’s 15-year-long civil war, which began in 1975, the year the hotelclosed its doors.

One of the owners, Roderick Sursock Cochrane, whosefamily built the hotel, wanted to bring its history back tolife through Young’s “out of the ordinary” exhibition.“Every painting which you see here depicts an eventwhich happened in the hotel. And that is very, very impor-tant I find, because people just don’t come and see regularpaintings but they also come and learn what has happenedin this place,” he said. One of Young’s paintings is basedon a photo he found of 80-year-old Samira Sayegh on herwedding day standing with her husband on one of twogrand staircases at the entrance of the hotel. “It was soemotional because I went 52 years back (to) the day of mywedding,” Sayegh said with a smile, remembering whenshe first saw Young’s painting.

“The young generation, they don’t know what is theGrand hotel. Since 1975 it (has been) hidden - now it’scoming back.” Cochrane plans to use the old hotel as awedding venue and cultural center for local artists, and hehopes to encourage young people to appreciate historicbuildings. “Old does not mean necessarily that it has to bedestroyed for something new to come instead of it,” saidCochrane, sitting outside the hotel.

Identity threatNaji Raji, founder of Save Beirut Heritage, a local

organization fighting to save architectural heritage in thecapital, said buildings like the Grand Sofar are underthreat. “There is no law protecting heritage buildings inLebanon. The dangers of removing these historic buildingsmeans losing identity and common memory,” said Raji. In2013, Young found an abandoned 19th century mansion incentral Beirut that was left in ruins. He brought it back tolife with his paintings and through partial renovation.

But what mattered most to the 45-year-old is that hisexhibition led to the building to be used as a public cultur-al center for three years before becoming the residence ofthe head of the European Union delegation to Lebanon.“Really our memories, our history is what gives us ouridentity, and in Lebanon that identity is under threatbecause of this destruction of both architecture andhuman memory,” he told the Thomson Reuters Foundationin the Grand Sofar hotel.

In several of his exhibitions, including in the GrandSofar, he teaches art classes to refugee children andorphans to show how art can be used to revive memoriesand history in derelict buildings. Learning about historythrough art helps young people to connect to their identi-ty, a different experience then through history books, saidYoung. He hopes his next exhibition will be in Beirut’sHoliday Inn, a hotel that once exemplified the city’s glam-our and became an icon of the civil war only a few weeksafter it opened. It was the military headquarters ofwhichever militant faction was winning the war over the

next 15 years, and it is still not open to the public. “I hopethat a transcendent public art event can help all thoseinvolved and transform a place of unresolved trauma into asite of culture and creativity,” said Young. — Reuters

Sleeping beauties: Artistrevives Lebanon’s

abandoned historic buildings

The Grand Sofar Hotel which closed its doors in 1975, the beginning of the Lebanese civil war, Sawfar, Lebanon.— Reuters

Exhibit visitors looking at Tom Young’s painting inside the Grand Sofar Hotel, Sawfar.

Photos shows Tom Young’s painting inside the Grand SofarHotel, Sawfar.

Artist Tom Young inside the Grand Sofar Hotel.

This handout from the Fijian Government taken and released shows Britain’sMeghan, Duchess of Sussex (center) touring the municipal market in Suva.

Britain’s Prince Harry (left) and his wifeMeghan, the Duchess of Sussex (center)arrive at the University of the South Pacific inSuva, Fiji. — AFP photos

ACanadian rapper died after falling from the wing ofa flying plane he was walking on during a musicvideo shoot, his management team said. Jon James,

33, died instantly in the “wing-walking” accident inVernon, British Columbia, on Saturday, according to astatement. “He had trained intensely for this stunt but asJon got further out onto the wing of the plane, it causedthe small Cessna to go into a downward spiral that thepilot couldn’t correct,” said the statement, publishedalongside an online fundraiser to raise money for funeralcosts and to release James’s new music.

“Jon held onto the wing until it was too late, and by thetime he let go, he didn’t have time to pull his chute.” Jameshad also enjoyed success as a competitive freeskier andwas known for carrying out extreme stunts. The Royal

Canadian Mounted Police confirmed they responded to“the sudden death of a parachuter” on Saturday evening.CTV reported the plane and its pilot landed safely. — AFP

Philippines to re-open ‘cesspool’ Boracayafter clean up

The Philippines re-opens its crown jewel resort islandBoracay to holidaymakers on Friday, after a six-monthclean up aimed at repairing the damage inflicted by

years of unrestrained mass tourism. Philippine PresidentRodrigo Duterte ordered the island shuttered in April for amajor effort to fortify weak infrastructure and crack downon the rampant overdevelopment that had left it, what hetermed, a “cesspool”. When the government throws openthe doors, Boracay will have fewer hotels and restaurants, acap on the number of visitors and anti-beach boozing rulesaimed at taming its party-hard reputation.

All of this is intended to protect the bruised beauty ofthe island’s turquoise waters and expanses of white sandbeaches which were being loved to death by two milliontourists per year. Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat said she hopes the new Boracay will be the start ofa “culture of sustainable tourism” in the Philippines,adding other tourist destinations will be next. “It meanstaking account of the repercussions of our actions on cur-rent and future situations of the environment,” she toldreporters on Friday. Romulo-Puyat said she has sent awritten “warning” to other top Philippine tourist drawsincluding El Nido and Panglao islands, while others, suchas the whale-shark-feeding site of Oslob have cut itstourist arrivals by half. Boracay, which major tourist maga-zines consistently rate as among the world’s best beaches,is a mere 1,000 hectares (2,470 acres).

Industry ‘sacrifice’ during closure Yet it was seeing up to 40,000 sun worshippers at

peak times, who left behind $1 billion a year but alsomountains of garbage, an overflowing sewer system and acarnival-like atmosphere. Under the new rules, 19,200tourists will be allowed on the island at any one time, withthe government aiming to enforce that by controlling thenumber of available hotel rooms. Fire eaters, masseuses,vendors, stray dogs, bonfires and even the builders of itsfamous photo-op sandcastles have been chased from thebeachfront, while buildings were torn down to create a30-metre(98-foot) easement from the waterline.

All water sports save for swimming are also banned forthe time being, while Boracay’s three casinos have beenpermanently shut down in line with Duterte’s wishes.Nearly 400 hotels and restaurants deemed to violate localenvironmental laws have already been ordered closed andairlines as well as ferries were told to restrict service tothe area. Boozing and smoking are banned on the beachand the huge multi-day beach parties dubbed“LaBoracay” that drew tens of thousands of tourists dur-ing the May 1 Labour Day weekend will be a thing of thepast. The Boracay Foundation, the main business industrygroup on the island, did not comment on the new rules butwelcomed the return of tourists. —AFP

Canadian rapper diesafter falling from plane

Jon James

Residents walk along a beach on the Philippine island ofBoracay. — AFP photos

Meghan takesspotlight amid

royal fever in FijiBritish royal Meghan Markle sent adoring crowds

into a frenzy in Fiji yesterday when she took centerstage from husband Prince Harry to passionately

promote women’s rights. The American-born 37-year-oldrecounted her struggle to afford higher education in hermaiden international speech, made to students at theUniversity of the South Pacific. She also met femaletraders at the Suva markets, although so many enthusias-tic fans were jammed into the venue that her securitydetail cut short the pregnant duchess’s visit.

Meghan, who married into the royal family five monthsago, made the case for open access to education, partic-ularly for women. “For women and girls in developingcountries this is vital,” she said. “Providing them withaccess to education is the key to economic and socialdevelopment. “When girls are given the right tools tosucceed they can create incredible futures, not only forthemselves, but for all of those around them.” Meghan,37, graduated with a communications degree fromNorthwestern University in Illinois before becoming anactress then marrying Harry earlier this year.

Announcing two grants to encourage female empow-erment in Pacific academia, she said higher education forher was “incredible, impactful and pivotal”, despite thechallenge of paying for it. “It was through scholarships,financial aid programs and work-study-where my earn-ings from a job on campus went directly towards mytuition-that I was able to attend university,” she said.“And, without question, it was worth every effort.”

Meghan’s visit to meet women participating in the UNproject Markets for Change was curtailed, withKensington Palace later citing “crowd managementissues” She was calm as bodyguards escorted her out ofthe markets and into a waiting car without incident.Rosemerry Dautei, 35, said Fijians were keen to see thevisiting royals. “It is just the excitement... this is anopportunity that has to be grabbed with both hands,” shesaid. Meghan’s message resonated with Shayaa Chand,22, who said: “In today’s era we should support womenand we should make them leaders. We are very gratefulthat Mrs Meghan thinks that way.”

Climate change Harry, who attended the elite Eton school and

Sandhurst military academy, watched his spouse’s univer-sity address with admiration. “No way I can follow mywife after that,” he said, to laughter from the assembledstudents. The prince acknowledged the Pacific’s concernsabout climate change, announcing four scholarships tostudy the issue. “All of you living here are confrontedwith this threat in your daily lives,” he said. “You’re actu-ally experiencing changing weather patterns, ferociouscyclones and rising sea levels, particularly in Tuvalu andKiribati. “You’ve been living with this for many years,way before the world started talking about it.”

The royal couple, who arrived in Fiji on Tuesday aftera week in Australia, appeared relaxed touring the cam-pus, meeting students and pre-school children. Meghanwore a pink floral wrap dress with a pompom trim, andflowers in her hair, while Harry sported a blue Hawaiianshirt. The day started on a sombre note for Harry, whoattended a ceremony at the Fiji war memorial in Suva.

“In grateful memory of those who made the ultimatesacrifice in the service of their country,” he wrote on anote attached to a wreath laid at the memorial. The royalswill travel to Tonga today before returning briefly toAustralia then wrapping up the tour with a visit to NewZealand. — AFP

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KAC 672 Dubai 13:55QTR 1078 Doha 14:10KNE 231 Riyadh 14:10GFA 221 Bahrain 14:15SVA 500 Jeddah 14:15KAC 618 Doha 14:20FDB 059 Dubai 14:20KAC 516 Tehran 14:20KAC 798 Taif 14:40JZR 789 Riyadh 14:45KAC 788 Jeddah 14:50FDB 8065 Dubai 15:00ETD 303 Abu Dhabi 15:05KAC 304 Mumbai 15:05KAC 412 Bangkok 15:10KNE 529 Jeddah 15:10KAC 562 Amman 15:20OMA 645 Muscat 15:20ABY 127 Sharjah 15:35KAC 202 Beirut 15:35UAE 857 Dubai 15:45SAW 705 Damascus 16:00KAC 118 New York 16:00KNE 531 Jeddah 16:05JZR 535 Cairo 16:10QTR 1072 Doha 16:15FDB 051 Dubai 16:20NIA 361 Alexandria 16:50JZR 125 Bahrain 16:55KAC 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 19:05KAC 744 Dammam 19:10FDB 063 Dubai 19:10ABY 123 Sharjah 19:20KAC 662 Abu Dhabi 19:25KAC 156 Istanbul 19:25NIA 161 Cairo 19:30KAC 776 Riyadh 19:35KAC 674 Dubai 19:40RBG 555 Alexandria 19:40FDB 057 Dubai 19:50KAC 174 Munich 19:55JZR 189 Dubai 19:55KAC 616 Bahrain 20:00DLH 624 Frankfurt 20:05OMA 647 Muscat 20:05KNE 381 Taif 20:10KAC 620 Doha 20:15MEA 402 Beirut 20:15KAC 692 Muscat 20:25QTR 088 Doha 20:40JZR 553 Alexandria 20:50KLM 445 Amsterdam 21:00ALK 229 Colombo 21:15UAE 859 Dubai 21:15ETD 307 Abu Dhabi 21:15KAC 168 Paris 21:20KAC 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 22:25DLH 8456 Frankfurt 22:25BBC 043 Dhaka 22:30JZR 185 Dubai 22:50TRQ 230 KRT 23:00JAI 574 Mumbai 23:00MSR 2614 Cairo 23:30FDB 071 Dubai 23:35JZR 241 Amman 23:40

Departure Flights on Thursday 25/10/2018Airlines Flt Route TimeAIC 976 Goa/Chennai 00:05MSC 502 Alexandria 00:10JAI 573 Mumbai 00:30MSR 2615 Cairo 00:30FDB 072 Dubai 00:30JZR 528 Asyut 01:05MSC 406 Sohag 01:05THY 773 Istanbul 01:45DLH 625 Frankfurt 01:50JZR 502 Luxor 01:55KAC 417 Manila 02:00KAC 677 Dubai 02:00PGT 859 Istanbul 02:45THY 765 Istanbul 02:50AXB 396 Kozhikode 02:55KKK 1269 Istanbul 02:55ETH 621 Addis Ababa 03:05KLM 446 Amsterdam 03:10UAE 854 Dubai 03:30JZR 142 Doha 03:45RBG 216 Sohag 03:45MSR 607 Luxor 04:05OMA 644 Muscat 04:05ETD 306 Abu Dhabi 04:05QTR 1087 Doha 04:15MSR 613 Cairo 04:15JAI 571 Mumbai 05:00LMU 511 Cairo 05:00QTR 1077 Doha 05:15KAC 303 Mumbai 05:35FDB 070 Dubai 06:00THY 771 Istanbul 06:30GFA 212 Bahrain 06:50RJA 643 Amman 07:00JZR 356 Mashhad 07:15JZR 164 Dubai 07:15KAC 167 Paris 07:30RBG 550 Alexandria 07:30KAC 173 Munich 07:35KAC 413 Bangkok 07:40JZR 238 Amman 07:50JZR 778 Jeddah 08:00KAC 201 Beirut 08:00QTR 8512 Beirut/Doha 08:05BAW 156 London 08:20FDB 054 Dubai 08:35KAC 791 Madinah 09:00KAC 613 Bahrain 09:00KAC 117 Shannon/New York 09:05KAC 787 Jeddah 09:05KAC 671 Dubai 09:15KAC 561 Amman 09:40ABY 126 Sharjah 09:40JZR 534 Cairo 09:45KAC 773 Riyadh 09:45UAE 856 Dubai 09:50JZR 482 Istanbul 09:55KAC 101 London 10:00KAC 541 Cairo 10:00KAC 515 Tehran 10:00ETD 302 Abu Dhabi 10:00KAC 797 Taif 10:05KAC 617 Doha 10:20KAC 155 Istanbul 10:25QTR 1071 Doha 10:40FDB 056 Dubai 10:40SYR 342 Damascus 11:00IAW 158 Al Najaf 11:00JZR 788 Riyadh 11:20GFA 214 Bahrain 11:35MEA 405 Beirut 11:55JZR 776 Jeddah 12:05QTR 1075 Doha 12:10JZR 176 Dubai 13:10SAW 702 Damascus 13:30MSC 412 Asyut 13:30ABY 122 Sharjah 13:35JZR 144 Doha 13:55

JZR 124 Bahrain 14:00MSR 611 Cairo 14:00JZR 552 Alexandria 14:05AXB 394 Kozhikode 14:10UAE 872 Dubai 14:15IAW 158A Al Najaf 14:55KAC 673 Dubai 15:00KAC 661 Abu Dhabi 15:00KAC 691 Muscat 15:00KNE 382 Taif 15:00GFA 222 Bahrain 15:00FDB 060 Dubai 15:05JZR 188 Dubai 15:10QTR 1079 Doha 15:15SVA 501 Jeddah 15:45KAC 775 Riyadh 15:55KAC 785 Jeddah 16:00FDB 8066 Dubai 16:00KNE 530 Jeddah 16:00KAC 743 Dammam 16:05KAC 563 Amman 16:10KAC 619 Doha 16:15ABY 128 Sharjah 16:15ETD 304 Abu Dhabi 16:20OMA 646 Muscat 16:20KAC 615 Bahrain 16:40KNE 532 Jeddah 16:55KAC 675 Dubai 17:00SAW 706 Damascus 17:00KAC 503 Beirut 17:15FDB 052 Dubai 17:20QTR 1073 Doha 17:25UAE 858 Dubai 17:40KAC 381 Delhi 17:45NIA 362 Alexandria 17:50KAC 331 Trivandrum 17:55KAC 343 Chennai 18:00KAC 283 Dhaka 18:00SVA 511 Riyadh 18:15GFA 216 Bahrain 18:20JZR 184 Dubai 18:20JZR 608 Hyderabad 18:25JZR 512 Sharm el-Sheikh 18:30JZR 240 Amman 18:30JZR 538 Cairo 18:35JZR 266 Beirut 19:15QTR 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 20:20JZR 602 Mumbai 20:30NIA 162 Cairo 20:30FDB 058 Dubai 20:30UAE 876 Dubai 20:35DLH 624 Dammam 20:50KNE 232 Riyadh 21:00KAC 357 Kochi 21:00KAC 353 Bengaluru 21:00OMA 648 Muscat 21:05MEA 403 Beirut 21:15JZR 550 Alexandria 21:30KAC 301 Mumbai 21:35QTR 1089 Doha 21:50DHX 171 Bahrain 21:50KAC 203 Lahore 22:00ETD 308 Abu Dhabi 22:05KLM 445 Bahrain 22:10KAC 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 23:00QTR 1083 Doha 23:20JZR 560 Sohag 23:45TRQ 231 KRT 23:55

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Mohammed bin Salman in Saudi Arabia, and a presi-dent in Turkey named Erdogan.” His comments camehours after US President Donald Trump was quoted bythe Wall Street Journal as saying that the crown princebore ultimate responsibility for the operation that led toKhashoggi’s death. Trump said he wanted to believePrince Mohammed when he said lower level officialswere to blame for Khashoggi’s death. But the US presi-dent suggested responsibility lay higher up. “Well, theprince is running things over there more so at thisstage. He’s running things and so if anybody were goingto be, it would be him,” Trump said. Trump also said theSaudis had a “very bad original concept” in killing the59-year-old Saudi insider-turned-critic. “It was carriedout poorly and the cover-up was one of the worst in thehistory of cover-ups,” Trump said.

Faced with mounting calls for tough measures by USlawmakers across the political spectrum, the US StateDepartment said it had identified 21 Saudis whose visaswould either be revoked or who would be ineligible forfuture visas. “We are making very clear that the UnitedStates does not tolerate this kind of action to silenceMr Khashoggi, a journalist, through violence,” USSecretary of State Mike Pompeo said. British PrimeMinister Teresa May said Britain was “taking actionagainst all suspects to prevent them entering the UK. Ifthese individuals currently have visas, those visas willbe revoked today”. France also weighed in, saying itwould take “punitive measures” if Saudi Arabia was“proven” to be behind the murder.

Turkish pro-government media reported yesterdaythat Turkish intelligence had shared “all the evidence”with the CIA gathered from its investigation into thekilling of the Washington Post columnist. The evidenceincluded video and audio recordings from the consulateand the consul’s residence and were shared with visit-ing CIA chief Gina Haspel, Sabah newspaper reported.The whereabouts of Khashoggi’s corpse is stil l

unknown.The Future Investment Initiative conference in

Riyadh was overshadowed by Khashoggi’s killing, withmore than two dozen high-level participants withdraw-ing. But Saudi Arabia showed it could still do businessdespite the furor, signing deals worth $50 billion at theconference on Tuesday. The event was attended byhundreds of bankers and company executives.

Prince Mohammed, 33, architect of Saudi Arabia’sreform drive, was upbeat on the economy, predictinggrowth of 2.5 percent this year. He seemed relaxed onthe panel he shared with Bahrain’s Prince Salman andHariri. He joked about Hariri’s detention in the kingdomlast year, saying the Lebanese prime minister was freeto leave after attending the conference. “Prime MinisterSaad is staying in the kingdom for two days so I hopeyou don’t spread rumors that he was kidnapped,”Prince Mohammed, who is also known as MBS, said.Hariri, who has Saudi citizenship, was summoned toRiyadh a year ago, briefly detained and compelled toresign as prime minister in a speech read out on televi-sion from Saudi until France intervened to free him.

The Saudi central bank governor sought to reassureforeign banks that withdrew from the conference thatthey would not be penalized and may apply for licensesto operate in the country, the Middle East’s largest econ-omy. So far there have been no mega announcements atthe conference, in stark contrast to last year’s event thatannounced plans to build a $500 billion mega-city.

During the panel MBS touted Saudi Arabia’s successin its efforts to transform its oil-dependent economyand make the deeply conservative kingdom a more tol-erant society. “All our projects are going ahead, reformis going ahead, our war on extremism is going ahead,our war on terrorism is going ahead...our efforts won’tstop no matter how they try to constrain us,” he said.

Despite the boycott of the investment conferenceby big hitters, including in Wall Street, some seniorinternational bankers including from HSBC andJapan’s biggest lender MUFG attended. Lucid Motorschief technology officer Peter Rawlinson was alsopresent and the US company had a dedicated standat the venue. In September Saudi Arabia’s PublicInvestment Fund agreed to invest more than $1 billionin Lucid as part of Saudi efforts to diversify the oil-dependent economy. — Agencies

Prince Mohammed:Vision 2030...


the offices of rising Democratic star, US SenatorKamala Harris.

The White House swiftly condemned the attemptedattacks. “These terrorizing acts are despicable, andanyone responsible will be held accountable to thefullest extent of the law,” said Press Secretary SarahSanders, adding that Trump and his administration were“monitoring closely”. Trump himself confined hisremarks to retweeting a condemnation from VicePresident Mike Pence against the “cowardly” acts,adding: “I agree wholeheartedly!”

CNN evacuated its New York bureau yesterdayafter the pipe bomb together with an envelope contain-ing white powder was found in the mailroom. A bombsquad secured the device and removed it for investiga-tion, police said. The packaging was addressed care ofCNN to former CIA director John Brennan, who hasworked as a television analyst but not for the channel.

The Secret Service recovered the packageaddressed to Clinton at the home she shares with herhusband, former president Bill Clinton, in Chappaqua,north of Manhattan on Tuesday, as well as a secondpackage addressed to the Obama residence inWashington yesterday. Clinton, speaking in Miami,thanked the Secret Service for intercepting the pack-age and raised concerns about what she called a “trou-bling time” in America. “It’s a time of deep divisions,and we have to do everything we can to bring ourcountry together,” she said.

In New York, Mayor Bill de Blasio condemned “aneffort to terrorize” as he and fellow Democrat Cuomoappealed to all elected officials, including a veiled ref-erence to the US president, to tone down rhetoric.

“Don’t encourage violence, don’t encourage hatred,don’t encourage attacks on media,” said the mayor. TheRepublican president came under a torrent of criticismfor recently endorsing the body slamming of a reporter.“Unfortunately this atmosphere of hatred is contribut-ing to the choices people are making,” said de Blasio.“The way to stop that is turn back the other way, tobring down the temperature, to end any messages ofviolence against people we disagree with and this hasto start at the top.”

There has been no claim of responsibility and no onewas yet thought to have been arrested. The SecretService said the packages were “immediately identifiedduring routine mail screening procedures” and that nei-ther Clinton or Obama were ever at risk of receivingthem. Republican lawmakers quickly followed the WhiteHouse in issuing condemnations, just over a year after ashooter angry about Trump shot four people at a con-gressional baseball practice near Washington.

“Violence and terror have no place in our politics oranywhere else,” tweeted senior Republican lawmakerSteve Scalise, who was shot and seriously injured at thebaseball practice in June 2017. The top Republican law-maker, Mitch McConnell, condemned what he called“attempted acts of domestic terrorism”. Soros, the tar-get of the first device, has long been a hate figure forrightwing groups and lives in Bedford, New York, notfar from the Clintons.

The 88-year-old hedge fund tycoon is one of theworld’s richest men with an estimated net worth of $8.3billion and a prominent philanthropist. Soros supportedClinton, Trump’s election rival in 2016, and has beenaccused by nationalists the world over of sponsoringprotests and seeking to push a liberal, multiculturalagenda. Earlier this month, Trump accused Soros ofpaying demonstrators to protest against the nominationof Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, who wasaccused of attempted rape in high school. Soros hasalso been falsely accused of funding the caravan ofmigrants moving north from Honduras through Mexicoen route to the US border. — AFP

Pipe bombs sent to Trump...


“It gives deaf people space off-campus, a place tocome to and socialize, eat food with other deaf peopleand meet other deaf people as well, and the deafemployees,” she told AFP. “When I go to a normalStarbucks, I either talk and hope they can hear me andunderstand, or I show them my order on my phone,” sheexplained. “Here, your name appears on a screen, whichI really, really like, because when they call my order Idon’t have to try to hear it - it’s right on the screen.”

The store has other specific features designed toembrace and celebrate deaf culture - one is the “sign of

the week”. Right now, it’s for coffee: two closed fists,one on top of the other, rotating in a move that bringsto mind a coffee grinder. There are also special mugsfor sale with designs by a deaf artist, and a transcrip-tion of how to sign the logo of the store. Starbucks saysthe initiative is aimed at bringing diverse communitiestogether. It comes six months after the arrest of twoblack men in a Philadelphia store that sparked accusa-tions of racism.

The opening got a boost from the presence ofOscar-winning deaf actress Marlee Matlin. Seated onan outside patio with their coffees, retired coupleAlbert and Peggy Hlibok said they had come to thestore to “intermingle with the hearing world”. “I thinkit’s a wonderful opportunity for all of us,” said Peggy,with the help of an interpreter. “It will teach people notto be afraid to communicate with deaf people. They cansee it’s just part of who we are, part of our lives, part ofthe diversity of life.” — AFP

First Starbucks sign language...

SAN FRANCISCO: Facebook Inc said yesterday thatcompany moderators during the last quarter removed8.7 million user images of child nudity with the help ofpreviously undisclosed software that automaticallyflags such photos. The machine learning tool rolled outover the last year identifies images that contain bothnudity and a child, allowing increased enforcement ofFacebook’s ban on photos that show minors in a sexual-ized context. A similar system also disclosed yesterdaycatches users engaged in “grooming,” or befriendingminors for sexual exploitation.

Facebook’s global head of safety Antigone Davistold Reuters in an interview that the “machine helps usprioritize” and “more efficiently queue” problematiccontent for the company’s trained team of reviewers.The company is exploring applying the same technolo-gy to its Instagram app.

Under pressure from regulators and lawmakers,Facebook has vowed to speed up removal of extremistand illicit material. Machine learning programs that siftthrough the billions of pieces of content users posteach day are essential to its plan. Machine learning isimperfect, and news agencies and advertisers areamong those that have complained this year aboutFacebook’s automated systems wrongly blocking theirposts. Davis said the child safety systems would makemistakes but users could appeal. “We’d rather err onthe side of caution with children,” she said.

Facebook’s rules for years have banned even familyphotos of lightly clothed children uploaded with “good

intentions”, concerned about how others might abusesuch images. Before the new software, Facebook reliedon users or its adult nudity filters to catch child images.A separate system blocks child pornography that haspreviously been reported to authorities. Facebook hasnot previously disclosed data on child nudity removals,though some would have been counted among the 21million posts and comments it removed in the first quar-ter for sexual activity and adult nudity.

Facebook said the program, which learned from itscollection of nude adult photos and clothed childrenphotos, has led to more removals. It makes exceptionsfor art and history, such as the Pulitzer Prize-winningphoto of a naked girl fleeing a Vietnam War napalmattack. The child grooming system evaluates factorssuch as how many people have blocked a particularuser and whether that user quickly attempts to contactmany children, Davis said.

Michelle DeLaune, chief operating officer at theNational Center for Missing and Exploited Children(NCMEC), said the organization expects to receiveabout 16 million child porn tips worldwide this yearfrom Facebook and other tech companies, up from 10million last year. With the increase, NCMEC said it isworking with Facebook to develop software to decidewhich tips to assess first.

Still, DeLaune acknowledged that a crucial blindspot is encrypted chat apps and secretive “dark web”sites where much of new child pornography originates.Encryption of messages on Facebook-owned

WhatsApp, for example, prevents machine learningfrom analyzing them. DeLaune said NCMEC wouldeducate tech companies and “hope they use creativity”to address the issue.

Meanwhile, Facebook on Tuesday announced anoverhaul of its Messenger smartphone app in an effortto simplify the service for its 1.3 billion monthly globalusers. The social network began rolling out a redesignedversion featuring three tabs instead of nine, saying itwas “going back to its roots” seven years after thestandalone app’s launch. “We build one feature afteranother; they’re piling up,” Messenger chief StanChudnovsky said of the service, which has grown from asimple messaging app to one that lets users make video

calls, send money and more.The updated tabs allow users to navigate between

their conversations under “Chats”, stories and contactsat “People,” and “Discovery,” which is devoted to gamesand exchanges with businesses. Facebook has posi-tioned Messenger as a tool for businesses to efficientlyhandle customer questions or concerns. Talking to cus-tomers via the app is free - but businesses can also payfor Facebook ads that let customers start a conversationor visit their page with one click. Messenger is part ofFacebook’s effort to expand outside the social network -particularly when it comes to staying relevant to mobilelifestyles and younger people, who have been movingaway from the service. — Agencies

Facebook unveils systems for catching child nudity, grooming

Social network simplifies Messenger app

RIYADH: Participants arrive to attend a session of the Future Investment Initiative conference in the Saudi capital yesterday. - AFP

EDMONTON: Sidney Crosby scored a highlight goal at2:12 of overtime Tuesday to give the visiting PittsburghPenguins a 6-5 win over the Edmonton Oilers in a back-and-forth game. Crosby stickhandled all over the Oilerszone before backhanding the puck over the left pad ofgoaltender Cam Talbot for his second goal of the game.Patric Hornqvist and Jamie Oleksiak also scored twicefor Pittsburgh. Leon Draisaitl and Alex Chiasson eachscored twice and Connor McDavid added a goal forEdmonton. Matt Murray made 41 saves for the Penguins,and Talbot made 25.

STARS 4, KINGS 2John Klingberg scored the deciding goal and had an

assist on an insurance tally as Dallas outworked visit-ing Los Angeles to snap a three-game losing streak.Jason Spezza also had a goal and an assist for theStars, and Devin Shore added two assists in the victo-ry. Ben Bishop stopped 31 shots to snap his own three-game losing streak. Anze Kopitar and Tyler Toffoliscored for Los Angeles, which got 19 saves fromJonathan Quick.

SHARKS 5, PREDATORS 4Brent Burns scored the game-winning, power-play

goal with 2:52 remaining to cap a three-goal, third-peri-od rally as San Jose won at Nashville. Burns beat JuuseSaros with a slap shot from the left faceoff circle for hissecond goal of the season off assists from Erik Karlssonand Evander Kane. Timo Meier, Tomas Hertl, BrendenDillon and Joe Pavelski recorded the other goals for SanJose, which won its third game in a row. ViktorArvidsson registered two goals, and Filip Forsberg andCraig Smith added goals for the Predators, who had afive-game winning streak snapped.

BRUINS 4, SENATORS 1David Pastrnak scored two goals and had two

assists, and Patrice Bergeron added a goal and twoassists to help visiting Boston defeat Ottawa. David

Krejci had a goal and an assist for the Bruins, who havewon six games in a row against the Senators, includingfour last season. Pastrnak tied the Toronto MapleLeafs’ Auston Matthews for the NHL lead with 10goals. Thomas Chabot scored for the Senators. Bostongoalie Tuukka Rask made 38 saves while Ottawa goal-tender Craig Anderson stopped 28 shots.

CANADIENS 3, FLAMES 2Jeff Petry and Jonathan Drouin each had a goal and

an assist in Montreal’s three-goal second period as thehost Canadiens beat Calgary on a historic night forgoaltender Carey Price. The 31-year-old Price stopped21 shots in earning his 289th career win, tying him withPatrick Roy for second place in Montreal history.Jacques Plante tops the club with 314. Petry andBrendan Gallagher had power-play goals and Drouinscored at even strength as the Canadiens produced allthree of their goals in a span of 3:21. Michael Frolik andElias Lindholm scored for Calgary.

BLACKHAWKS 3, DUCKS 1Brandon Saad scored twice for his 14th career multi-

ple-goal performance, and Chicago held on for a winover visiting Anaheim. Patrick Kane also scored for theBlackhawks, who earned at least one point for the sev-enth time in nine games this season. Chicago’s CoreyCrawford made 24 saves. He has stopped 61 of 63 shotsin his past two starts. Rickard Rakell scored the lonegoal for Anaheim, which has lost three contests in a row.Ducks goaltender John Gibson turned aside 35 shots.

COYOTES 4, BLUE JACKETS 1Christian Fischer recorded his first career hat trick,

Derek Stepan had three assists, and Darcy Kuempermade 35 saves in his second start of the season as alate replacement, leading Arizona to a win atColumbus. Dylan Strome scored his second goal of theseason on a power play for the Coyotes. Fischerscored in each period, putting the game away with a

wrist shot from between the circles after a pass fromStepan at 4:44 of the third. Pierre-Luc Dubois scoredthe Blue Jackets’ only goal, which came in the openingshift of the game.

RANGERS 5, PANTHERS 2Mika Zibanejad collected two goals and tied a

career high with four points while Mats Zuccarello

scored his first two goals of the season as New Yorkovercame a slow start to defeat visiting Florida.Zibanejad recorded three of his points in the secondperiod-all on special teams when the Rangers turned aone-goal deficit into a two-goal lead. Zibanejadbecame the first Ranger to get a short-handed goal anda power-play goal in the same period since BrandonDubinsky on April 12, 2009, at Philadelphia. — Reuters

Thursday, October 25, 2018S p o r t s

Sidney Crosby, Penquins edge Edmonton Oilers in overtime

25

MEXICAN CITY: Lewis Hamilton won hisfourth Formula One world championship inMexico last year and it will come as a shock ifhe does not also wrap up his fifth at the capital’sHermanos Rodriguez circuit this weekend.

The Mercedes driver will want to do it withrather more determination and style this time,however, even if he is sti l l publicly takingnothing for granted and warning against com-placency.

Last time, the Briton - now 70 points clear ofFerrari’s Sebastian Vettel with three roundsremaining - finished ninth and was lapped in ahigh-altitude race won by Red Bull’s youngDutchman Max Verstappen.

If Verstappen were to repeat the feat, andthat cannot be ruled out, Hamilton would bechampion anyway. That is because Ferrari’sSebastian Vettel can only take the title by win-ning all of the remaining races and hoping hisBritish rival fails to score the five points neededto put the championship to bed.

Seventh on Sunday would do the trick forHamilton but the 33-year-old, who admitted tothinking strategically in the previous race inTexas when trying to pass Verstappen for sec-ond, is going for the win. “I know the guys willdo great analysis from today in the next coupleof days and we’ll come strong in the next race,”he told reporters after finishing third in Austinlast Sunday with Vettel fourth.

“The sole goal was to win these four races,that’s what my mind was set on,” he said of hisapproach going into last weekend. Hamilton’sFinnish team mate Valtteri Bottas may also feelhe has more of a chance of standing on top ofthe podium, for the first time this year, since awin for him also hands Hamilton the title.

The focus for both Mercedes drivers willremain on securing the constructors’ crown fora fifth year in a row, however. Mercedes are 66points ahead of Ferrari, who closed the gap inTexas, with a maximum 86 still to be won afterMexico.

“We have a battle on our hands and we willhave to keep pushing to win both titles,” com-mented Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff. Thethinner air should mean Ferrari and Mercedeshave less of an engine advantage, opening up awindow of opportunity for Red Bull.

“That’s what helped us last year and we’rehopeful it will do the same again.” said Red Bullteam boss Christian Horner. “Realistically it’s ourlast shot at winning a race between now and theend of the year.”

Further back there are still some big battlesgoing on for championship position that decideshow the share of the revenues and prize moneyis divided.

Fourth-placed Renault have a good but notsafe margin to Haas while the Racing PointForce India team - with Mexico’s sole driverSergio Perez - are closing in on sixth-placedMcLaren. —Reuters

Hamilton heading for another Mexican coronation

Klingberg, Spezza push Stars past reeling Kings

MONTREAL: Mikael Backlund #11 of the Calgary Flames attempts to get the puck past goaltender Carey Price#31 of the Montreal Canadiens during the NHL game at the Bell Centre on Tuesday in Montreal, Quebec,Canada. The Montreal Canadiens defeated the Calgary Flames 3-2. — AFP

KUWAIT: Ooredoo Kuwait’s brand ambassador,triathlete Najla Al-Jeraiwi, is competing in the 2018Aqaba ASTC Sprint Triathlon Asian Cup and WestAsian Championship, which includes running, swim-ming, and cycling. The event is scheduled to take placeon Friday 27th October in Aqaba City, Jordan, andincludes three categories: Men’s individual race,women’s individual race, and mixed relay. This isKuwait’s first official participation in an Olympic eventafter lifting the ban,which was put in place nearly threeyears ago.

In a press statement, Ooredoo Kuwait lauded theachievement, noting that her participation brings prideto all the youth of Kuwait. The sponsorship of athleteAl-Jeraiwi comes in alignment with the company’s corevalues of caring, connecting, and challenging. It furtherunderscores the company’s commitment to empower-ing women.

Al-Jeraiwi has a long track record of key achieve-ments. She won the gold medal in the Sierra NevadaTriathlon, in the Spanish district of Granada last June.She won the bronze medal in the African TriathlonUnion Cup - the Pan Arab Competition, held in SharmAl Shaikh last March. She was the first Arab female

triathlete representative in the 17th Asian Games,South Korea and the first GCC representative in UCIRoad World Championships 2016. She was also therunner-up in the ATU African Triathlon & Pan Arabchampionship and the GCC cycling champion in bothTime Trial and Road race. Al-Jeraiwi is currently thenational champion of Kuwait in both triathlon andcycling. She has come in the top 3 in multiple regional

triathlons. Supporting youth and empowering womenis among Ooredoo’s top priorities through its CSRstrategy. The company signed a memorandum ofunderstanding with the Ministry of State for YouthAffairs in 2017to support youth projects and initiatives.Ooredoo is continuously working with the differententities in both private and public sectors to enrichyouth experience in a variety of fields.

Ooredoo’s ambassador Al Jeraiwi participates in 2018 Aqaba Triathlon in Jordan

DOHA: More than 500 gymnasts descend on Qatar thisweek for the Artistic Gymnastics World Championships,but most eyes will be on the sport’s biggest star, theUSA’s Simone Biles. The quadruple Olympic goldmedallist will make her return to frontline internationalcompetition after taking a year off following her tri-umphant showing in Rio in 2016.

Her self-enforced absence from the sport-shereturned to competition in July-has only served toincrease expectation for the 10-day championships, thefirst ever to be held in the Middle East.

Biles, 21, will become the first woman in history towin four world all-around titles if she takes gold in thatdiscipline in Doha. Her main competition is likely tocome from teenage compatriot Morgan Hurd, the 2017champion.

Biles could also take gold in the vault, floor exerciseand beam competitions. She is a member of an excep-tionally strong US team looking for its fourth consecu-tive straight world title, but their preparations havebeen anything but smooth.

Since Biles performed in the 2016 Olympics, it hasbeen a tumultuous time for US gymnastics. In July 2017,former team doctor Larry Nassar was sentenced to upto 175 years in prison on charges of sexual assault.

In January this year, Biles revealed herself to be oneof his victims. In the fallout, US gymnastics chief execu-

tive Kerry Perry resigned because of her handling ofthe scandal. And just this month, interim CEO MaryBono resigned after just five error-strewn days incharge after posting a critical tweet alluding to Nikeand its support for NFL star Colin Kaepernick, whotriggered a political firestorm after kneeling during theUS national anthem to protest racial injustice.

Biles was hugely critical of Bono, taking to Twitter tosay “it’s not like we needed a smarter usa gymnasticspresident or any sponsors or anything”. Doha presentsthe US with a chance to draw a line under the chaoswhich has engulfed the team in recent years.

DOUBTS AS UCHIMARA RETURNS Another notable return is that of Japan’s Kohei

Uchimura, a six-time all around world champion. The29-year-old came back to competition earlier this yearafter suffering an injury at last year’s championships inMontreal.

His preparations though were put in doubt after itwas announced earlier this week he had pulled out ofthe individual all-around competition because of ongo-ing problems with his right ankle. His injury in Canadalast year, led to China’s Xiao Ruoteng taking the title.

Another returnee is Russia’s Aliya Mustafina, a dou-ble Olympic champion on the uneven bars, who missedthe 2017 season after giving birth to a daughter.Another mother, Uzbekistan’s Oksana Chusovitana, willcompete at her 16th world championships.

The 43-year-old has the chance of a medal on thevault, the apparatus on which she won a silver medalback in 1991. Others who are likely to be competing formedals include Sanne Wevers of the Netherlands andJapan’s Mai Murakami in the women’s events.

Gold medal winners at the Rio Olympics, KenzoShirai of Japan and Britain’s Max Whitlock are alsoexpected to feature prominently in the men’s disci-plines. As well as medals, Doha will be the first oppor-tunity for competitors to qualify for the 2020 Olympics.

The event, which takes place at the Aspire Dome,

next door to the Khalifa Stadium which will host the2019 World Athletics Championships, begins onOctober 25.—AFP

All eyes on Biles at World Gymnastics Championshipin Qatar

Simone Biles

Thursday, October 25, 2018S p o r t s

26

West Indies’ Hope dampens Kohli’s day in thrilling tie

SCOREBOARD

India 1st inningsR Sharma c Hetmyer b K Roach 4S Dhawan lbw Ashley Nurse 29V Kohli Not Out 157A Rayudu b Ashley Nurse 73MS Dhoni b Obed McCoy 20R Pant lbw M Samuels 17R Jadeja c Powell b McCoy 13M Shami Not Out 0Extras 0b 3lb 0nb 0pen 5w 8Total (50.0 overs) 321-6Fall of Wickets: 1-15 Sharma, 2-40 Dhawan, 3-179 Rayudu, 4-222Dhoni, 5-248 Pant, 6-307 Jadeja.Did Not Bat: Chahal, Yadav, YadavBowling: J Holder 6-0-50-0-8.33 (1w); K Roach 10-0-67-1-6.70;Ashley Nurse 10-0-46-2-4.60 (2w); Devendra Bishoo 10-0-48-0-4.80; Obed McCoy 9-0-71-2-7.89 (2w); Marlon Samuels 5-0-36-1-7.20.

Windies 1st inningsK Powell c R Pant b M Shami 18C Hemraj b Kuldeep Yadav 32Shai Hope Not Out 123M Samuels b Kuldeep Yadav 13S Hetmyer c Kohli b Chahal 94R Powell c Rohit Sharma b Kuldeep Yadav 18Jason Holder Run Out A Rayudu 12Ashley Nurse c A Rayudu b U Yadav 5Extras 1b 4lb 0nb 0pen 1w 6Total (50.0 overs) 321-7Fall of Wickets: 1-36 Powell, 2-64 Hemraj, 3-78 Samuels, 4-221 Hetmyer,5-253 Powell, 6-300 Holder, 7-315 Nurse.Did Not Bat: Roach, Bishoo, McCoyBowling: Mohammed Shami 10-0-59-1-5.90 (1w); Umesh Yadav 10-0-78-1-7.80; Kuldeep Yadav 10-0-67-3-6.70; Ravindra Jadeja 10-0-49-0-4.90; Yuzvendra Chahal 10-0-63-1-6.30.Results: Match Tied

Scoreboard at close of play of 2nd ODI between India and Windiesyesterday at Visakhapatnam, India.

SCOREBOARD

Zimbabwe inningsH. Masakadza c Mushfiqur b Saifuddin 14C. Zhuwao c Fazle b Mehidy 20B. Taylor lbw b Mahmudullah 75S. Williams c Mushfiqur b Saifuddin 47S. Raza c Mushfiqur b Mortaza 49P. Moor c Mehidy b Mustafizur 17E. Chigumbura c Nazmul b Saifuddin 3B. Mavuta not out 9D. Tiripano not out 3Extras (b5, lb3, w1) 9Total (seven wickets; 50 overs) 246Did not bat: K. Jarvis, T. ChataraFall of wickets: 1-18 (Masakadza), 2-70 (Zhuwao), 3-147(Taylor), 4-188 (Williams), 5-229 (Raza), 6-229-(Moor), 7-234(Chigumbura)Bowling: Mortaza 10-0-49-1, Mustafizur 10-0-35-1, Saifuddin10-1-45-3, Mehidy 7-0-45-1 (w1), Nazmul 10-0-43-0,Mahmudullah 3-0-21-1.

Bangladesh inningsLiton Das c Tiripano b Raza 83Imrul Kayes c Chigumbura b Raza 90Fazle Mahmud St Taylor b Raza 0Mushfiqur Rahim not out 40Mohammad Mithun not out 24Extras (lb1, w11, nb1) 13Total (three wickets; 44.1 overs) 250Did not bat: Mahmudullah Riyad, Mehidy Hasan, MohammadSaifuddin, Mashrafe Mortaza, Mustafizur Rahman, NazmulIslamFall of wickets: 1-148 (Liton), 2-152 (Fazle), 3-211 (Imrul)Bowling: Jarvis 9-0-31-0 (w2), Chatara 7-0-48-0(w1), Tiripano5-0-22-0, Mavuta 7-0-56-0 (w7), Williams 6-0-43-0 (nb1),Raza 10-1-43-3 (w1), Zhuwao 0.1-0-6-0.Result: Bangladesh won by seven wickets

Chittagong, Bangladesh: Scoreboard of the second one-dayinternational between Bangladesh and Zimbabwe at the ZahurAhmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chittagong yesterday:

Kohli becomes fastest batsman to reach 10,000 ODI runsMUMBAI: Shai Hope scored an inspired unbeaten cen-tury and struck the final ball for a four to earn WestIndies a nail-biting tie with India in the second one-dayinternational yesterday, souring the day for milestoneman Virat Kohli.

India captain Kohli became the fastest batsman toreach 10,000 runs in ODIs as he scored a second con-secutive century against the touring side earlier in theday at Visakhapatnam. Following up on his 140 in theopening match in Guwahati, Kohli remained unbeatenon 157 for his 37th ODI hundred and took his side to321-6 in their 50 overs, after the hosts won the toss andopted to bat.

But Hope’s unbeaten 123 and a 94 off 64 balls fromShimron Hetmyer put the Caribbean side in reach of thetarget before India pulled it back with some tight oversfrom their spinners. The duo added 143 after their sidehad been reduced to 78-3.

West Indies required 66 from the last 12 overs andappeared comfortably placed to tie the series at 1-1 butended up needing 14 off fast bowler Umesh Yadav’sfinal over and then five with the final delivery.

Hope managed to hit his 10th four just beyond thereach of the fielder patrolling the deep third manboundary to take his side to 321-7 and leave thematch tied. The right-hander also hit three sixes in his134-ball knock.

Left-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav was the mostsuccessful bowler for India with 3-67. Kohli broke therecord of compatriot and batting great SachinTendulkar, who had reached the milestone in 259innings. Indian captain Kohli took only 205, becomingthe 13th cricketer to reach 10,000 runs.

Kohli and Ambati Rayudu, who made 73, added 139for the third wicket after the hosts had lost openersRohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan early. Kohli, who

will turn 30 next month, was dropped on 44 by WestIndies captain Jason Holder off debutant seamer ObedMcCoy and made the touring side pay by hitting 13fours and four sixes in his 129-ball knock.

India added 54 in the last four over as Kohli tore intothe West Indies bowlers, belting 48 runs off the last 17balls he faced. The third ODI will be played at Pune onSaturday. — Reuters

VISAKHAPATNAM: West Indies cricketer Shimron Hetmyer plays a shot during the second one day international(ODI) cricket match between India and West Indies at the Dr. Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA CricketStadium in Visakhapatnam yesterday. — AFP

Al Fahad and Al Khashti with Kuwait’s National Jet Ski team during the ceremony. Al Fahad recognizing Zain represented by Al Khashti.

KUWAIT: Zain, the leading digital service provider inKuwait, announced its participation in the sponsorsrecognition ceremony organized by the Kuwait SeaSport Club. The company’s participation in the eventcame as part of its strategic partnership with the KuwaitNational Jet Ski team for the eighth consecutive year.The team participated at the recent World Jet SkiChampionship 2018 that was held in October in Arizona,United States.

The ceremony was attended by the Kuwait Sea Sport

Club Chairman Retired Major General Fahad Al Fahadand Zain Kuwait’s Chief Corporate Communications andRelations Officer Waleed Al Khashti and a number of theteam’s sponsors. The strategic partnership with theNational Jet Ski team falls under the company’s solidCorporate Sustainability and Social Responsibility strat-egy towards supporting the youth and sports sectors aswell as supporting outstanding Kuwaiti athletes.

The National Jet Ski team is authorized by the KuwaitSea Sport Club to officially represent Kuwait in regional

and international Jet Ski championships, where the teamchampions have won a number of prominent titles duringtheir past participations including achieving 300 pointsamong 30 countries in the last World Championship heldin Arizona, USA, as well as many previous accolades,including the category t it les in the UAE Jet SkiChampionship and the Jet Ski King’s Cup in Thailand.

Zain expressed its pride in all National teams thatraise the Kuwaiti flag high by achieving top internationaltitles, and it further confirms its commitment towards

Kuwaiti champions, which resembles the company’s end-less confidence of the competencies of these young ath-letes and their capabilities in excelling in different fields.

As a leading te lecommunicat ions company inKuwait, Zain is constantly looking to identify and sup-port excellence across the sports sector. The companywill continue to put Kuwaiti National teams and indi-vidual athletes at the forefront of its priorities andpledges to continue motivating them to achieve all therecognition they deserve.

KSSC recognizes Zain for its partnership with Kuwait National Jet Ski team for 8th consecutive year

CHITTAGONG: Opener Imrul Kayes and Liton Das hit bighalf-centuries as Bangladesh crushed Zimbabwe by sevenwickets in the second one-day international to take anunassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series inChittagong yesterday.

Imrul missed out on his second century in the serieswhen he was dismissed for 90, but this was enough to helpBangladesh cruise to 250-3 in 44.1 overs after theyrestricted Zimbabwe to 246-6 at the Zahur AhmedChowdhury Stadium.

Imrul, who played a match-winning knock of 144 runs inSunday’s series opener, shared 148 runs with Liton Das inthe opening stand, Bangladesh’s best ODI start in 2018.Liton chipped in with 83 off 77 balls after being reprievedon naught by the third umpire, who overturned a leg-before decision in the very first over of the innings follow-ing a television replay. Off-break bowler Sikandar Razadismissed Liton to break the stand and then also had num-ber three Fazle Mahmud in his next over, but Imrul stoodfirm to deny Zimbabwe further momentum. Raza alsoremoved Imrul, who hit only seven fours in his 111-ballinnings, before finishing with 3-43.

Bangladesh skipper Mashrafe Mortaza acknowledgeddew in the field made their job easier. “I think winning thetoss was crucial. We knew about the dew, but it was not asmuch as we expected,” Mortaza said.

Mushfiqur Rahim and Mohammad Mithun were unbeat-en on 40 and 24 runs respectively. Mithun clinchedBangladesh’s 12th successive win over Zimbabwe in style,hitting left-arm spinner Cephas Zhuwao for a six over

deep square leg. Sent into bat first, Zimbabwe earlier lostskipper Hamilton Masakadza (14) quickly but BrendanTaylor hit 75 off 73 balls while Raza (49) and SeanWilliams (47) played two useful knocks to give them acompetitive score.

Taylor added 52 and 77 runs for the second and thirdwicket respectively with Zhuwao (20) and Williams beforeBangladesh stalled Zimbabwe’s progress. Taylor, who hitnine fours and a six in his eighth fifty against Bangladesh,the highest by any cricketer, also benefited from a televi-

sion replay as he was reprieved on 42 after being given outleg before wicket initially.

Zimbabwe’s Masakadza lamented their inability to capi-talise on a good start. “We didn’t manage to kick on afterthe kind of start. Credit to Bangladeshi bowlers for starv-ing us at the death,” he said. Rookie all-rounderMohammad Saifuddin finished with the most impressivefigures of 3-45 for the home side and was named man ofthe match. The third and final match of the series will alsobe held at the same ground on Friday. — AFP

Bangladesh seal series over Zimbabwe with big victory

CHITTAGONG: Bangladeshi cricketer Imrul Kayes (r) plays a shot as Zimbabwe’s cricketer Brendan Taylor (L )looks on during the second one day international (ODI) cricket match between Bangladesh and Zimbabwe atthe Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chittagong yesterday. — AFP

S p o r t s Thursday, October 25, 2018

27

PARIS: Amid a packed schedule Arsenal take a 10-match winning streak to Sporting Lisbon as their questto win the Europa League continues today, when cityrivals Chelsea, possibly without the influential EdenHazard, host BATE Borisov of Belarus.

After sealing an impressive 10th straight victory athome to Leicester in the Premier League on Monday,Unai Emery’s outfit are the team to watch in Group E.Arsenal and Sporting sit on six points apiece after twogames, with Azerbaijan’s Qarabag and fellow strugglersVorskla of Ukraine still pointless.

Sporting are fifth in Portugal’s top flight, four pointsoff the top with former Manchester United star Nanihaving scored three goals from seven league outings.

If Arsenal needed more reason to believe in theirchances of going all the way, they need not look far. Ascoach of Sevilla in 2013-2016, Emery led the Spaniardsto three consecutive Europa League titles.

“We are beginning to play with heart,” Emery saidafter Monday’s come-from-behind 3-1 win, in whichMesut Ozil scored and provided an assist in a man-of-the-match performance. “I think we played some sexyfootball,” said the 30-year-old German. Sporting, whowon 2-1 away to Loures in the Portuguese Cup withNani and Bruno Fernandes both on target, should befresher having played on Saturday.

Arsenal played on Monday and Emery, already set tomake changes due to a packed schedule, is set to tinkerfurther after both Nacho Monreal and Sead Kolasinacwere ruled out. “Yesterday was a very bad day forinjuries,” Emery conceded on Tuesday.

Having won both their opening Group L matches,2013 champions Chelsea can take a major step to thenext round with a home win today, although they mayhave to do without Hazard. The Belgian playmaker sayshe was kicked so much during Chelsea’s 2-2 weekenddraw with Manchester United that he will miss theStamford Bridge game against BATE with a bad back.

“When I woke up on Monday I was stiff. Even dur-ing the second half I couldn’t accelerate properly,” hesaid. With Spanish centre-forward Alvaro Moratastruggling on just three goals this season, Hazard’sabsence could rob Chelsea of their main attackingthreat after a blistering seven-goal start to the PremierLeague campaign.

Yet Brazilian winger Willian remains upbeat abouttheir chances, claiming the entire club has been given alift by the arrival of new coach Maurizio Sarri.

“The way we are playing this season, we can go allthe way,” the in-form winger said of their EuropaLeague campaign. As Marseille prepare to face Lazio,the French side will be hoping the past experience ofcoach Rudi Garcia pays dividends as they bid for theirfirst win of the group stage following a 2-2 draw atApollon Limassol. He joined them from Roma, wherehe faced Lazio five times in the capital-city derby andnever lost. “Three wins and two draws in five games, Ihope we can get a result like I used to in those Romederbies,” Garcia told AFP. He added: “I’ll always have alittle bit of Roma in my heart so that gives us addedinspiration, but what counts here is winning, notpunchlines.” — AFP

Rampant Arsenal face Lisbon test, Chelsea sweat on Hazard

We are beginning to play with heart: Emery

LONDON: File photo shows Arsenal’s German midfielder Mesut Ozil celebrates after scoring their first goal during theEnglish Premier League football match between Arsenal and Leicester City at the Emirates Stadium in London on October22, 2018. — AFP

Matches on TV (Local Timings)

UEFA EUROPA LEAGUEZurich v Bayer 04 Leverkusen 19:55beIN SPORTS HD 4AEK Larnaca v Ludogorets Razgrad 19:55beIN SPORTS Red Bull Salzburg v Rosenborg 19:55 beIN SPORTS HD 3RB Leipzig v Celtic 19:55beIN SPORTS HD 5Zenit St. Petersburg v FC Girondins de Bordeaux 19:55beIN SPORTS HD 6FC K?benhavn v SK Slavia Prague 19:55beIN SPORTS HD 12 ENRSC Anderlecht v FenerbahÁe 19:55beIN SPORTS HD 7Spartak Trnava v GNK Dinamo Zagreb 19:55beIN SPORTS HD 9Qarabag Agdam FK v Vorskla Poltava 19:55beIN SPORTSSporting CP v Arsenal FC 19:55beIN SPORTS HD 1AC Milan v Real Betis 19:55beIN SPORTS HD 2F91 Dudelange v Olympiacos CFP 19:55beIN SPORTS HD 8Sarpsborg 08 v Malmo FF 22:00beIN SPORTS HD 13 ENBesiktas v KRC Genk 22:00beIN SPORTS Standard de Liege v FK Krasnodar 22:00beIN SPORTS HD 7Sevilla FC v Akhisar Belediyespor 22:00beIN SPORTS HD 3Eintracht Frankfurt v Apollon Limassol 22:00beIN SPORTS HD 5Olympique Marseille v SS Lazio 22:00beIN SPORTS HD 1Glasgow Rangers v Spartak Moscow 22:00beIN SPORTS HD 8Villarreal CF v SK Rapid Wien 22:00beIN SPORTSChelsea FC v FK Bate Borisov 22:00beIN SPORTS HD 2PAOK FC v MOL Vidi FC 22:00beIN SPORTS Jablonec v FC Astana 22:00beIN SPORTSStade Rennais v Dynamo Kyiv 22:00beIN SPORTS HD 6

MANCHESTER: Jose Mourinho bemoaned the chasmbetween his Manchester United side and Juventus as theItalian champions won 1-0 on Cristiano Ronaldo’s returnto Old Trafford in the Champions League on Tuesday.

Ronaldo did not get on the scoresheet, but played asupporting role by helping set up Paulo Dybala’s winneron 17 minutes as Juventus opened up a five-point leadover United at the top of Group H.

Only a series of excellent saves from David de Gea pre-vented the margin of defeat being far greater for the hostsas any momentum United gained from fightbacks againstNewcastle and Chelsea in recent weeks in the PremierLeague faded away against one of the favourites to winthe Champions League.

Jose Mourinho’s men were handed a break before kick-off as Valencia’s 1-1 draw away to Young Boys meansUnited still hold a two-point lead over the Spaniards, but afourth defeat of the season will see speculation overMourinho’s future increase once more.

And in keeping with his complaints all season,Mourinho suggested United need to invest more in thetransfer market to get to Juventus’ level. Juventus spent 112million euros ($129 million) for a 33-year-old Ronaldo inJuly and also brought Leonardo Bonucci back just a yearafter selling the Italian international to AC Milan.

“Mr. Bonucci, Mr. (Giorgio) Chiellini, they could go toHarvard to give some classes about how to be a centraldefender,” said Mourinho, whose attempts to add a cen-tre-back in the summer were thwarted.

“Juventus is champions for seven years in a row, twoChampions League finals in the last four or five years andthey are not happy with what they have, they want more.They had (Gonzalo) Higuain, (Mario) Manduzkic andDybala, but they want more, they want Ronaldo,” headded. “They go for the best players in the world. A bigclub with a big past but also a big desire to have a bigfuture.” Ronaldo was given a hero’s welcome on his previ-ous visit to Old Trafford with Real Madrid in 2013 afterscoring 118 goals for United in six seasons between 2003

and 2009 to help the Red Devils win three Premier Leaguetitles and the first of his five Champions Leagues.

The Portuguese’s early days as Juventus player sincemaking the move to Italy from Madrid this summer havebeen overshadowed by a rape allegation made against himin the United States, which he strongly denies.

And the reception he received from the United faithfulthis time was far more muted, although he was applaudedoff the field at the end of the game after taking a selfiewith a pitch invader, who was hauled away by securitystaff. Ronaldo scored the winner in a contentiousChampions League last-16 tie for Madrid five years ago,but this time played the role of provider for Dybala to bethe match-winner.

His cross intended for Juan Cuadrado ricocheted kindlyoff Chris Smalling into the path of Dybala to sweep the ballpast De Gea for his fourth goal in two Champions League

games.“The forwards moved a lot and caused their defence a

few problems, but we missed the final pass too many times,especially in the second half,” said Juventus bossMassimiliano Allegri.

“However I’m satisfied mostly because we are continu-ing to grow, especially in terms of confidence, and thatallowed us to impose our own game in this difficult stadi-um.” De Gea made fine saves from Joao Cancelo andBlaise Matuidi before the break, but saved his best stop toprevent Ronaldo scoring his first Champions League goalfor Juventus seven minutes into the second-half.

Going behind brought out the best in Mourinho’s sideagainst Newcastle and Chelsea to help ease the pressureon the manager. But the hosts failed to threaten until PaulPogba’s curling shot from outside the box hit the post 15minutes from time. —AFP

Juventus too good for Man Utd on Ronaldo’s return

MANCHESTER: Manchester United’s French striker Anthony Martial (L) runs past Juventus’ Bosnian midfielder MiralemPjanic (L) and Juventus’ Italian defender Andrea Barzagli (R) during the Champions League group H football matchbetween Manchester United and Juventus at Old Trafford in Manchester, north west England, on Tuesday. —AFP

Qatar World Cup2022 will becarbon-freeDOHA: Qatar’s football World Cup 2022 will be a “carbon-neutral” tournament with zero harmful emissions, thecountry’s environment minister told a sustainability confer-ence yesterdayday. Mohammed bin Abdullah al-Rumaihisaid strict standards in design and construction would off-set the tournament’s carbon footprint, despite the hugenumber of infrastructure projects underway in the Gulfemirate.

“The Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy hasbeen working on planning and organising a carbon-neutral2022 FIFA World Cup tournament,” Rumaihi said. Carbonneutrality is achieved by offsetting the amount of harmfulcarbon dioxide released to the atmosphere.

Hydrocarbon-rich Qatar, which is spending $500 mil-lion a week on capital projects for the World Cup, isundergoing a huge transformation for football’s biggesttournament. Among major projects, Doha is building orrefurbishing eight stadiums, overseeing massive roadworksand the country’s first Metro system.

Qatar is also building the $45 billion Lusail city, pro-jected to be home for 250,000 people, which will host theWorld Cup’s opening and final games. Rumaihi said organ-isers were working in accordance with the world’s footballbody FIFA environmental standards.

Earlier this week, FIFA president Gianni Infantino madean unannounced stop in Qatar where he inspected some ofthe stadiums and the metro project. He said the 2022 tour-nament would have “to be even better” than the hugelysuccessful Russia World Cup held earlier this year. — AFP

KHARKIV: Manchester City began toshow their credentials like properChampions League heavyweights whenthey became the first English team to winat Shakhtar Donetsk in European competi-tion with a handsome 3-0 success in theirGroup F match on Tuesday.

City, who false-started in the campaignwith their only loss of the season at hometo Olympique Lyonnais, were a wholly dif-ferent proposition, waltzing to victory withgoals from David Silva, Aymeric Laporteand substitute Bernardo Silva.

What looked a potentially difficult1,700-mile visit to the Ukrainian champi-ons, who had beaten Pep Guardiola’s menin the group stages last year, was made tolook effortlessly routine as the dazzlingDavid Silva orchestrated their dominance.

City could easily have scored moregoals but the win put the English champi-ons top of the group on six points, a pointclear of Lyon, who drew 3-3 at aHoffenheim team who have two pointsalong with bottom-placed Shakhtar.

City manager Pep Guardiola suggestedon the eve of the match that the club maystill lack the special passion for the compe-tition that could drive them to Europeanglory but his team of all talents demon-strated they certainly have the quality.

Shakhtar had never been beaten by

English visitors in seven home matches,leaving Guardiola to appreciate the magni-tude of the win. “Zero-three here,” he said,“It’s an amazing result.

“We’ve recovered with these tworesults in Germany (a win at Hoffenheim)and here. After the defeat against Lyon, it’sin our hands again and winning our gamesat home will be the next stage.”

The English Premier League leaders,with Kevin De Bruyne back for his first fullstart of the season after an injury layoff,continued their recent dazzling form bytaking control from the opening whistle.

In the first half hour, Riyad Mahrezcould and maybe should have scored twice,once after City had broken with breathtak-ing pace from their own half before he thenalso set up David Silva to flick the ballimpudently against Shakhtar’s post.

Yet the Spanish maestro made no mis-take with a left foot volley just after thehalf-hour to reward City’s mastery. Fiveminutes later, De Bruyne’s corner fell toLaporte, who found himself unmarked ashe stooped to head home.

Though the home side attacked inter-mittently, City could have scored threemore goals in the space of the first 12 min-utes of the second half as they continuedto pour forward. Bernardo Silva had beenon the pitch for 90 seconds after the excel-lent De Bruyne’s withdrawal when anotherdevastating City counter saw thePortuguese midfielder race through andslot his 71st minute left-foot shot in off thefar post.

It sealed Shakhtar’s first defeat in 12matches in all competitions, leaving theirchances of qualifying for the knockoutstages looking bleak. —Reuters

Man City flex muscles with win at Shakhtar

MADRID: Real Madrid snapped a run offive games without victory by earning a2-1 win at home to Viktoria Plzen in theChampions League on Tuesday yet werestill booed off the pitch by their ownsupporters after an unconvincing per-formance.

Karim Benzema headed the stutteringtriple European champions ahead earlyin the first half but they were fortunatenot to concede an equaliser before thebreak as the Czechs somehow failed tocapitalise on three clear opportunities.

Brazi l ian left back Marcelo gotReal’s second goal with a coolly-takendinked finish in the 55th minute andthey then missed a glut of chances toextend the lead, which was cut by anice-cool f inish from Plzen’s PatrikHrosovsky in the 78th.

Real held on for a far-from convinc-ing win which keeps them level withGroup G leaders AS Roma on six pointsafter three games but failed to answerserious questions about their form aheadof Sunday’s ‘Clasico’ away to arch rivalsBarcelona.

“We all needed to get a victory todaywhich we deserved to get before,” saidunder-pressure Real coach JulenLopetegui.

“I can’t say whether the crisis is overor not. All I can say is we had gone a lot

of games without winning and it wasvital we won. Points give you tranquilityand we have broken a spell of not win-ning. Now we have to kick on.”

A run of five games without a winculminating in Saturday’s shock 2-1home defeat by Levante had leftLopetegui against the ropes and hefaced repeated questions about hisprecarious position in the build-up tothe game.

The former Spain manager had insist-ed he felt able to continue at the helm inMadrid yet could still not give any guar-antees that he would remain in chargeby the weekend. Benzema’s headed goalfrom a superb cross by Lucas Vazquezbrought a sense of calm to a nervySantiago Bernabeu crowd althoughthere were howling whistles at halftimeafter Real had given up a third chance tothe Czechs but got away with it.

The visitors had missed an earlyopportunity when Milan Petrzela wasdenied at the near post by goalkeeperKeylor Navas and then managed to sendthe rebound wide. David Limberskyfailed to hit the target after getting pastLucas Vazquez and Hrosovsky thenmissed an even easier opening beforethe break when Navas flapped but themidfielder lacked composure and sentthe ball over the bar.—Reuters

Real end winless run againstPlzen but doubts remain

SportSidney Crosby, Penquins edge Edmonton Oilers in overtime

West Indies’ Hope dampens Kohli’s day in thrilling tie

Juventus too good for Man Utd on Ronaldo’s return2725 26

Established 1961


Tottenham held to a draw by PSVSpurs keeper Hugo Lloris sent off in the 79th minute

EINDHOVEN: Tottenham Hotspur’s Brazilian midfielder Lucas Moura (C/#27) scores during the UEFA Champions League Group B football match between PSV Eindhoven and Tottenham Hotspur at Philips Stadium in Eindhoven yesterday. — AFP

BRUGES: An injury-hit Monaco failed togive Thierry Henry his first win as a headcoach with a 1-1 Champions League draw atClub Brugge yesterday. Moussa Sylla raisedhopes of Monaco ending an 11-match winlessstreak by opening the scoring just after thehalf-hour mark at the Jan Breydel Stadium,but Wesley struck for the Belgian championsto secure a point.

The principality club have now also gone11 Champions League games without a victo-ry since their thrilling 6-3 aggregate triumphover Borussia Dortmund in the 2016-17 quar-ter-finals.

Henry, who took over from the sackedLeonardo Jardim earlier this month, saw hisyoung side put in a spirited display despite

being depleted by a raft of injuries, althoughthe result leaves both sides facing eliminationfrom Group A.

Borussia Dortmund and Atletico Madridlead the way, five points clear of Monaco andBrugge, ahead of their meeting at SignalIduna Park later. Monaco will now hope it isa case of third time lucky under Henry whenthey host Dijon on Saturday, looking to dragthemselves out of the Ligue 1 relegationzone. Henry was forced to hand a full debutto 20-year-old fourth-choice goalkeeperLoic Badiashile in West Flanders, withDanijel Subasic and Diego Benaglio outinjured and Seydou Sy, who made a dreadfulerror in Monaco’s loss to Strasbourg at theweekend, not registered to play in theChampions League.

Nothing was going right for Monaco’snew coach, as after Radamel Falcao had hob-bled off injured on Saturday, Henry was leftwithout a senior striker when Stevan Jovetichad to be replaced by teenager Sofiane Diopin only the 12th minute.

But his fellow 18-year-old Sylla put thevisitors ahead in the 32nd minute, dartingonto Aleksandr Golovin’s through ball andsliding home his maiden Champions Leaguegoal. Sylla should have doubled the lead

before half-time as he raced clear of homegoalkeeper Karlo Letica, only to roll the ballwide of an empty net.

He was made to pay just seconds later, asBrazilian forward Wesley saw his header takea big deflection off Monaco centre-backKamil Glik and spin past the despairing diveof Badiashile.

Ivan Leko’s Brugge continued to createchances in the second half, but after a flow-ing move which sliced Monaco open, captainRuud Vormer hacked his strike well over thecrossbar. After a nervous moment whenBadiashile lost possession outside his ownarea, Monaco went straight up the other endand nearly retook the lead when Golovin’sdrive was beaten away by Letica.

Henry, who was assistant coach toRoberto Martinez for Belgium during theirrun to the World Cup semi-finals, replacedsubstitute Diop with midfielder Jean-EudesAholou in an attempt to seal a point, but theyneeded a massive slice of luck to escape witha draw.

With Martinez watching on in the stands,18-year-old Belgian Lois Openda wasted aglorious opportunity deep into added time,heading wide from barely two yards out withan open goal to aim at. — AFP

BRUGES: Club Brugge’s Croatian goalkeeper Karlo Letica jumps for the ball dur-ing the UEFA Champions League Group A football match between Club BruggeKV and AS Monaco FC at the Jan Breydel Stadium in Bruges yesterday. —AFP

EINDHOVEN: Captain Luuk De Jong struck a lateequaliser for PSV Eindhoven as they drew 2-2 withTottenham Hotspur yesterday, a result that did little foreither side’s Champions League ambitions.

Hirving Lozano’s deflected effort gave PSV the leadafter 30 minutes of the Group B clash but Lucas Mouraequalised before halftime, and when Harry Kane head-ed Tottenham in front after 54 minutes the visitorslooked in complete control.

A moment of madness saw Tottenham keeper HugoLloris sent off in the 79th minute, though, and a rejuve-nated PSV grabbed a point with De Jong’s close-rangeflick. The result left PSV and Tottenham on one point

from three games with Barcelona and Inter Milanalready both on six before their meeting later yesterdayin the Nou Camp. With both sides having lost toBarcelona and Inter Milan in their first two matchesthere was precious little margin for error for either in arocking Philips Stadion.

Tottenham, with playmaker Christian Eriksenrestored to the starting lineup after recovering from anabdominal injury, settled quickly and Kane had a flurryof early chances, sending one header against the wood-work and firing another effort over.

PSV went ahead though, with a goal Spurs defenderToby Alderweireld will not enjoy watching again. His

careless pass gifted possession to Mexican Lozano andalthough Alderweireld did superbly to make a recoverytackle, Lozano’s shot deflected up and over Lloris.

Tottenham responded with Davinson Sanchez hav-ing a goal ruled out but the north London side went inat the break deservedly level thanks to Moura’s deflect-ed finish after good approach play by Eriksen and rightback Kieran Trippier.

Gaston Pereiro hit the woodwork for PSV justbefore halftime but after the interval Tottenham lookedthe more likely to kickstart their campaign. Eriksen wasagain the spark as Tottenham went ahead, this timelinking with Son Heung-min down the left before curl-

ing a cross invitingly for Kane to head home from closerange. Erik Lamela skimmed the crossbar with a shot asTottenham continued to assert themselves, but withvictory looking in the bag they allowed PSV off thehook.

Lloris came charging out of his goal and took outLozano-the French World Cup winning captain givingreferee Slavko Vincic little choice but to brandish thered card.

Worse was to follow for Mauricio Pochettino’s sideas they conceded a soft late goal, failing to clear theball before De Jong flicked the ball past substitutekeeper Michel Vorm. — Reuters

Henry still waitingfor first win asMonaco held at Brugge

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