ISSUE NO: 17951

28 Pages 150 Fils

www.kuwaittimes.net

Established 1961 The First Daily in the Arabian Gulf

SAFAR 8, 1441 AHMONDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2019

Public transport a solution for Kuwait’s suffocating gridlocks

Jordan teachers end strike in pay deal with government

NBA scores on debut in cricketmad India but questions remain

Max 37ºMin 24º

News in brief

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Dozens of Farwaniya tenants forced to sleep outdoors after shock move

Power, water cut to evict ‘bachelors’ from building

KUWAIT: Tenants sleep in trucks and cars and on the ground after electricity and water were cut from their build-ing in Farwaniya last week.

By Ben Garcia

KUWAIT: Dozens of expatriate workers in Kuwait wereforced to sleep outdoors for five nights after the electric-ity and water in the building where they lived was cut ina bid to force single men from their flats. This comesamid an ongoing campaign by the Municipality to evict“bachelors” living in Kuwaiti family areas. Block 2 inFarwaniya is included in the “bachelor ban”, althoughnone of the single men - who are legal residents ofKuwait - were given prior notice that they needed tovacate their apartments.

“They should have informed us earlier. It’s been fivenights of nightmares. Why didn’t they inform us ahead oftime rather than just cut the electricity and water? Weare paying rent regularly and this is what we get?” askeda Filipino worker, who was among the tenants of the tra-ditional villa turned into flats in block 2 of Farwaniya.

The Filipino tenant said that they were kept in thedark as to why this happened to them or whether theelectricity and power supply will be back in the next fewhours or days. “It was hell, because it’s too hot. It was asif we were in a graveyard because of the total darkness,”he told Kuwait Times. Electric supply was cut in themorning of Oct 1, and the next day, the water supply wascut too. “When I asked the haris, he said it was just apower outage, and maybe by afternoon electricity wouldbe restored. The next day I went to the haris again, but

Continued on Page 24

RIYADH/KUWAIT: Zain Group announced that itsoperation in Saudi Arabia has launched 5G commer-cial services, with the first phase of the rollout beingimplemented through a network of 2,000 towers thatcover an area of more than 20 cities in the kingdom.This launch follows the launch of 5G services inKuwait and is the largest 5G network deployment inthe region to date. It will be followed by a gradualexpansion of the network to cover a total of 26 Saudicities utilizing 2,600 towers by the end of 2019.

5G is regarded as a major global breakthrough inthe field of digital technology, and its implementationin Saudi Arabia is expected to contribute towardsrealizing the digital transformation goals specified inthe Saudi Vision 2030. Zain KSA’s launch of 5G serv-ices will speed up the roll-out of this advanced tech-nology and its applications, offering high-speedmobile Internet connectivity to users across theKingdom.

Commenting on this significant milestone, ZainVice Chairman & Group CEO and Zain KSA ViceChairman, Bader Al-Kharafi said: “5G will bring sub-stantial change for the Kingdom’s telecom industry,creating new business models and unlocking oppor-tunities for many sectors such as financial, ICT, agri-cultural, tourism, entertainment, automotive, health,education and public sectors, to name a few. The

technology is also expected to contribute signifi-cantly to the country’s economy, creating thousandsof new jobs.” (See Page 11)

Zain KSA launches largest 5G network

Zain Vice Chairman & Group CEO and Zain KSA ViceChairman Bader Al-Kharafi

JERUSALEM: Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz saidyesterday he was seeking “non-aggression” agree-ments with Gulf Arab nations that do not formally rec-ognize the country as a prelude to possible futurepeace deals. Details of the proposal were not madepublic, but it was the latest sign of Israel’s push toimprove ties with Gulf Arab nations with whom it hasno formal diplomatic relations. Israel’s occupation ofPalestinian territory has long served as a major factorpreventing peace deals with Arab countries, but com-

mon concerns over Iran are widely seen as havingbrought them closer in recent years.

“Recently, I have been promoting, under the backingof the United States, a political initiative to sign ‘non-aggression agreements’ with the Arab Gulf states,”Katz wrote on Twitter. “The historic move will put anend to the conflict and allow civilian cooperation untilpeace agreements are signed.” Katz said he discussedthe initiative with unnamed Arab foreign ministers andUS President Donald Trump’s outgoing envoy JasonGreenblatt while attending the UN General Assembly inlate September.

A spokesman for Katz declined to provide furtherdetails for now, and it was not clear how much progresshe has made in the endeavor. Only two Arab countries -Jordan and Egypt - have peace treaties with Israel, butthere have been overt signs in recent months of

Continued on Page 24

Israeli FM seeks ‘non-aggression’ pacts with Gulf

Crackdown on traffic violators

KUWAIT: The interior ministry is implementing astricter policy against traffic violators that may reachimprisonment for citizens and deportation for expats ifthey exceed the maximum penalty points annually fortraffic violations. Security sources said in a bid to limittraffic violations resulting in serious fatalities, the min-istry’s assistant undersecretary for traffic affairs Maj GenJamal Al-Sayegh instructed the traffic sector to activatethe demerit point system for traffic violations. Sayeghalso ordered the immediate deportation of expats in caseof driving under the influence of alcohol, driving withouta license, exceeding the maximum points limit, runningred traffic lights and speeding. — Al-Qabas

Mawashi secures sheep from S Africa

KUWAIT: Kuwait Livestock Transport and TradingCo (Al-Mawashi) has completed its first live sheepshipment from South Africa, which is expected toarrive in Kuwait within 14 days, the company saidyesterday. The shipment is the culmination of twoyears of efforts by the company as it seeks to lookbeyond Australia for potential new livestock suppliers,Al-Mawashi CEO Osama Boodai said. He regretted a“clash” with animal welfare groups which sought tostop the shipment on grounds that it failed to meetanimal welfare standards . — KUNA

Kuwait facilitates return of expats

KUWAIT: The Public Authority for Manpowerannounced yesterday that 71 female expatriateshave been hosted by expatriate workers shelter inpreparation for sending them back home. Theauthority’s official spokesperson Asseel Al-Mazyadsaid the workers had been placed at the shelter forsettling their status and ensuring their return totheir countries. — KUNA

WASHINGTON: A second whistleblower has comeforward, this one with first-hand information of theevents that triggered an impeachment investigation ofUS President Donald Trump for alleged abuse of power,the informant’s lawyer said yesterday. “I can confirmthis report of a second #whistleblower being repre-sented by our legal team,” Mark Zaid said on Twitter.“They also made a protected disclosure under the lawand cannot be retaliated against. This WBer has first-hand knowledge.”

Earlier yesterday, Zaid’s co-counsel, Andrew Bakaj,said his firm and team “represent multiple whistleblow-

ers” in the case accusing Trump of using the powers ofhis office to pressure Ukrainian president VolodymyrZelensky in a phone call to investigate political rival JoeBiden and his son Hunter.

It was unclear whether Bakaj was using “multiple” torefer to more than two whistleblowers. Typically, sever-al officials would listen in on a call between the presi-dent and a foreign leader, while others would haveaccess to a written transcript or summary. The exis-tence of a whistleblower claiming first-hand knowledgewould make it harder for the president and his support-ers to dismiss the original complaint as hearsay, as theyhave repeatedly done.

Trump pushed back at the allegations in two tweetsearly yesterday, though he made no mention of the sec-ond whistleblower. He repeated his assertion thatHunter Biden had been “handed $100,000 a month(Plus,Plus) from a Ukrainian based company, eventhough he had no experience in energy...and separately

Continued on Page 24

Second Trump whistleblower comes forward

WASHINGTON: In this photo taken on Oct 4, 2019, USPresident Donald Trump speaks to the press as hedeparts the White House for his annual visit to WalterReed National Military Medical Center. — AFP

SOCHI, Russia: Philippine President Rodrigo Duterteattends the 16th annual meeting of the ValdaiDiscussion Club on Oct 3, 2019. — AFP

MANILA: Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte hasdisclosed that he suffers from an autoimmune diseasethat can potentially have serious complications, the lat-est condition for a leader whose health has been sub-ject to speculation. Duterte, 74, was the oldest personto be elected president of the country and questionsabout his health have swirled since taking office in2016. His occasional skipping of events and meetings,as well as him discussing his ailments, has only addedto the speculation.

Duterte revealed the condition, myasthenia gravis,at an appearance before the Philippine community lateSaturday during a visit to Russia. “One of my eyes issmaller. It roams on its own,” he said, according to atranscript released yesterday by his office. “That’smyasthenia gravis. It’s a nerve malfunction. I got it frommy grandfather,” he added. The condition causes mus-

cle weakness, and can result in drooping of eyelids,blurred vision as well as weakness in one’s extremities,according to the US National Institutes of Health.

The condition can generally be managed with treat-ment, but up to 20 percent of people who have the dis-ease experience at least one “crisis” that requires themto use a ventilator to help breathe, the NIH said.Duterte gave no indication as to whether he has hadany serious incidents as a result of the disease. Hisadministration gives out very little information abouthis health and consistently says the president is ingood shape.

Duterte himself, however, has discussed his ailmentsin his frequent, rambling speeches. In October 2018 hetold an audience how he was awaiting the results of acancer screening. His comments sparked immediateconcern and speculation, but days later he said thetests had come back negative. Duterte has also saidpreviously that he suffers from daily migraines and ail-ments including Buerger’s disease, an illness thataffects the veins and the arteries of the limbs, and isusually due to smoking. — AFP

Duterte reveals new health issue

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K U W A I T :Central Bank ofK u w a i t ’ sG o v e r n o rMohammad Al-Hashel said thatGCC centralbanks are seek-ing to createtools for boost-ing their pre-dictability ofbanking liquidi-ty. Hashel, alsothe President ofthe GulfMonetary Council (GMC), was speaking duringthe inaugural session of a workshop on liquidityprojection and analysis, co-organized by the CBKand the GCC council. GCC countries’ economiesshare factors that affect liquidity levels, direct andfundamental impact of oil income and pegging ofthe national currencies to the basket of hard cur-rencies, Hashel said. These economies are alsocharacterized with free internal and external mon-ey movement, he adds, however he cautions thatglobal developments such as greater trade barriersand political jitters have been affecting the region-al countries’ economies. Advanced states’ mone-tary policies may lead to adverse outcome, such ashigher debts, sharp fluctuation of exchange rates,thus states may be ultimately in difficulty to honortheir obligations Meanwhile, the council’s execu-tive director Dr Atef Al-Rashidi said in a statementat the event that the workshop addresses projec-tion and management of liquidity in the GCCcountries, where the central banks seek to enhancetheir abilities with respect of forecasting bankingliquidity. He has pointed out that such greater abil-ities enable the central banks to intervene in con-ditions where the liquidity depletes.

Separately, the committee of GCC FinanceUndersecretaries recommended at the 56th meet-ing in Muscat, Oman to draw the outlines of thenew 2025 economic unity plan. The meeting dis-cussed the Gulf market as a whole, and revised thepossibilities of applying the board’s recommenda-tions in reality to achieve economic integration.The meeting also tackled the unified regulationsfor medicine and medical equipment that has zeropercent tax commission. GCC Ministers of Financeare scheduled to hold a meeting today in Muscatto approve all decisions of the undersecretaries.The Kuwaiti delegation participating in the meet-ing was headed by Undersecretary of FinanceSaleh Al-Saraawi. — KUNA

GCC central banksseek to enhanceliquidity predictability

Kuwait Central Bank’s GovernorMohammad Al-Hashel

Deputy Amir receives stateofficials at Seif Palace

KUWAIT: His Highness the Deputy Amir and Crown Prince SheikhNawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah meets with National AssemblySpeaker Marzouq Al-Ghanem. — KUNA photos

His Highness the Deputy Amir and Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah meets with His Highness the Prime MinisterSheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah.

His Highness the Deputy Amir and Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah meets with Deputy Prime Minister andMinister of State for Cabinet Affairs Anas Al-Saleh.

His Highness the Deputy Amir and Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah meets with OilMinister and Minister of Electricity and Water Dr Khaled Al-Fadhel, and the new assistant undersecretaries.

His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah meets with Oil Minister andMinister of Electricity and Water Dr Khaled Al-Fadhel, and the new assistant undersecretaries.

KUWAIT: His Highness the Deputy Amir and CrownPrince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabahreceived at Seif Palace yesterday National AssemblySpeaker Marzouq Al-Ghanem. His Highness thenreceived His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh JaberAl-Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah. His Highness Sheikh

Nawaf later received the Deputy Prime Minister andForeign Minister Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled Al-HamadAl-Sabah, Deputy Prime Minister and InteriorMinister Sheikh Khaled Al-Jarrah Al-Sabah andDeputy Prime Minister and Minister of State forCabinet Affairs Anas Al-Saleh. Furthermore, His

Highness received Oil Minister and Minister ofElectricity and Water Dr Khaled Al-Fadhel. TheMinister introduced to His Highness the newly-appointed Assistant Undersecretary for TechnicalAffairs at the Ministry of Oil Khaled Al-Deyain, as wellas the Ministry of Electricity and Water’s new

Assistant Undersecretary for Electric DistributionNetworks Mutlaq Al-Mutairi , and AssistantUndersecretary for Planning, Training and InformationSystems Ahmad Al-Rashidi. Fadhel also introduced thenew undersecretaries to His Highness the PrimeMinister Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak.

By Ben Garcia

KUWAIT: The International Committee ofthe Red Cross (ICRC) along with theKuwait Red Crescent Society (KRCS) cel-ebrated the 70th anniversary of theFourth Geneva Conventions of 1949 underthe theme ‘Hopes and Challenges’. In aspeech, Omar Odeh, head of ICRC’sregional delegation, highlighted the activerole of Kuwait in humanitarian work invarious areas around the world, saying hewas happy to be part of the special cele-brations.

“This celebration comes in light of thefifth anniversary of the UN honoring of HisHighness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-AhmadAl-Jaber Al-Sabah as a ‘HumanitarianLeader’ and Kuwait as a ‘HumanitarianCenter’. The International HumanitarianLaw (IHL) was conceived through theGeneva Conventions of 1949 after the longand bitter suffering of two world wars,”Odeh said, adding that the rules are meantto protect the safety, dignity and well-being of people affected by armed conflict,such as children, women, the elderly,injured and sick people, those with disabil-ities, and people who are detained.

“The conventions set down the funda-mental obligation that people, even in timesof armed conflict, must be treated withhumanity. Enemies must see each other ashuman beings. Created to govern humanbehavior in the worst circumstances, theGeneva Conventions underscore our com-

mon humanity and the dignity of everyhuman being, regardless of race, religion orany other circumstance,” he said. He point-ed out that the core conviction is thathumanity must be found even in armedconflict and that the individual must berespected in all circumstances.

Odeh also spoke about enforcingrespect of the International HumanitarianLaw, which is one of the main interests ofthe ICRC, as part of its work that aims atthe protection of the life and dignity of vic-tims of war. “When the First GenevaConvention was drafted, warfare mainlyinvolved clashes between clearly uni-formed and defined armed forces. Modernwarfare still occasionally features suchinterstate confrontations, but as you allknow, the trend in today’s armed conflictsis towards greater complexity,” he said.

Odeh said the protective power of theGeneva Conventions remains as crucial asever merely to guarantee this protection -all countries should start to put in placesome measures in time of peace. “There’sno doubt that disseminating knowledge ofthe provisions of IHL among a large seg-ment of the population and encouragingthe adoption of national measures toimplement it are necessary foundations forensuring respect and strengthening thismuch-needed law,” he said.

“I’d like to praise the role of KRCSbeing a pioneer in this, and that togetherthe ICRC can have a greater reach to thepublic. National IHL committees with the

active membership of KRCS can play anefficient role in this regard - offeringadvice to national authorities on how toenforce this law in their countries. I wouldlike to congratulate these committees inGCC countries in general, and the nationalcommittee for IHL in Kuwait in specific, onthe tremendous efforts they exert in theactivities done in coordination with theICRC,” said Odeh.

According to Odeh, the regional dele-gation of the ICRC in Kuwait was estab-lished 26 years ago. “The main drivebehind its establishment was the file ofmissing persons, and thanks to joint effortsof all relevant parties, the ICRC hasachieved significant progress in whichKuwait has proven to be a capable andwilling partner,” he added.

In his welcome address, AmbassadorAbdul Aziz Abdulaziz Al-Sharekh, DirectorGeneral of Saud Al-Nasser DiplomaticInstitute, welcomed guests and thanked thepeople behind the program and for makingKuwait a special rapporteur of the ICRC.“We appreciate the ICRC, especially as thepeople of Kuwait recall ICRC with appre-ciation as it stands by families and coun-tries in need,” he said.

Among the attendees were AmbassadorNasser Al-Hein, Deputy Foreign Minister forInternational Organizations, Dr Owaid SariAl-Thuwaimer, Director of Kuwait Institutefor Judiciary and Legal Studies, Adel Al-Essa,Secretary General of the Permanent NationalCommittee for International HumanitarianLaw, and Dr Hilal Al-Sayer, Chairman ofKuwait Red Crescent Society.

Hopes and challenges as ICRCcelebrates 70th anniversary

KUWAIT: Omar Odeh, head of ICRC’s regional delegation, speaks during the event. — Photo by Yasser Al-Zayyat

KUWAIT: Kuwait’s diplomacy has alwaysbeen balanced in its relations with othercountries around the world, France’sAmbassador to Kuwait Marie Masdupuysaid yesterday. Masdupuy made theremarks in a press conference in theembassy, noting that Kuwait’s role throughits membership in the UN Security Councilwas “very critical” as its schedule wasextremely busy in dealing with manyissues. Masdupuy added Kuwait attachedgreat importance to resolving manyregional and international issues, stressingthat her country shares Kuwait’s goals inachieving stability and peace in the regionand the world. The ambassador also shedlight on the continuous development ofrelations between Kuwait and France invarious fields, including the military, namelyjoint training and maintenance, in accor-dance with the agreements concludedbetween the two countries. Regarding the

exemption ofKuwaitis fromthe Schengenvisa, she saidthat there is anongoing effort,and that hercountry isworking withp a r t n e r sregarding theexemption ofKuwaitis, indi-cating that thiswill soon beon the agenda in the meetings of coun-tries involved in Brussels. She pointed outthat the French embassy in Kuwait issuedfrom 50,000 to 55,000 visas annually;pointing out that flights between the twocountries increased from four flights aweek to daily flights. — KUNA

France hails Kuwait’s balancedapproach to other countries

France’s Ambassador toKuwait Marie Masdupuy

KUWAIT: A “scientific forum on artsand media” kicked off in Kuwait yester-day to examine prospects for youth cre-ativity in these sectors. In his keynotespeech at the opening session, KuwaitiMinister of Information and Minister ofState for Youth Affairs Mohammad Al-Jabri indicated that that seminars andworkshops, held within the forum’sframework, would shed light on success-ful experience of the youth in the sectorsof information and arts. He lauded HisHighness the Prime Minister SheikhJaber Al-Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah’ssponsorship of the activity, whichdepicts concern of the political leader-ship for boosting youngsters’ potentials.Meanwhile, Director General of thePublic Authority for Youth AbdulrahmanAl-Mutairi said the forum constitutes a

platform where representatives of thissegment of the society exchange viewson the national movie industry, the dra-ma and the digital media. In the mean-time, Walid Al-Farhan, the director of theyouth department at GCC SecretariatGeneral, indicated at significance of thegathering to cement bonds among juniorcitizens from the GCC countries, Jordanand Morocco. Saeed Al-Nabhani, thehead of the Omani delegation, said thathe was proud of participating in theevent in Kuwait, which has always occu-pied a pioneering status at the mediaand artistic levels. The forum, groupingyoung activists from the GCC states,Jordan and Morocco, tackles for fourdays a host of issues such as mediaethics and influence of the digital mediaon the youngsters. — KUNA

Kuwait hosts forum for youthfrom GCC, Jordan, Morocco

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Public transportation, one solutionto Kuwait’s suffocating gridlocks

‘Kuwait Commute’ initiative encourages people to use public busesKUWAIT: Imagine one day in Kuwaitgoing out of your house and heading to anearby bus, subway, or railway station toget to work or find leisure. Wouldn’t thatbe convenient? The very concept ofpublic transportation is meant to solveone of the most grueling problems facedin the country with gridlocks stretchingas far as the eye could see. While someinitiatives in Kuwait exist to encouragepeople to use public transportation, peo-ple are s t i l l re luctant to ut i l i ze th ismethod for various reasons. Launched bya group of youngsters , the ‘KuwaitCommute’ initiative aims at encouragingpeople to use public buses to countertraffic jams and lessen the load of carson the road.

The initiative’s founder Jassem Al-Awadhi said that the main reason forKuwait Commute was to encourage peo-ple to use public transportation. MostKuwaiti nationals refrain from using pub-lic transportation due to it lacking basicmeans of comfort, Awadhi said, addingthat the Central Stat ist ical Bureau’s(CSB) statistics show that only two per-cent of the populat ion in Kuwait -nationals and expatriates included - usepublic transportation, which in turn rep-resents less than 15 percent of the totalmeans of transport in the country. Headded that bus stops generally lack basicfeatures and safety requirements withmost of them positioned on major roadsand highways.

Kuwait Commute offers an alternativeto private transport, indicated Awadhi,revealing that the initiative managed toput on six trips to encourage the use ofpublic transport. The initiative, so far,was met with positive reactions espe-

cially from women who expressed eager-ness to use publ ic transport more i fservices were further developed, Awadhiaffirmed. He said that the governmentwas interested in the initiative and offi-cials displayed desire to support it.

Meanwhile, the initiative’s technicaldirector Halah Al-Humoud stressed thatthe more people use public transport,the more of a chance that Kuwait Citycould be turned to a modern metropolisf ree of dreaded gr id locks . Humoud

revealed that she lived in New York Cityfor seven years, using public transport asher main method to commute. The pres-ence of hellish gridlocks requires theextensive use of public transportationand the promotion of regulat ions tofavor public commuting, she affirmed,adding that the more people us ingbusses, for example, the less cars will bepresent on the streets, leading or maybelessening traffic jams. — KUNA

ABU DHABI: Kuwaiti Minister of PublicWorks and Minister of State for HousingAffairs Dr Jenan Boushehri has affirmednecessity of examining “internationalstrategies and studies” to renovateKuwait’s roads, infrastructure and trans-ports. The minister made the note as shechaired the State of Kuwait’s delegationat the inauguration of the 26th AbuDhabi World Road Congress, whichkicked in the UAE capital yesterday with

participation of 40 ministers, represen-tatives of 120 countries and 151 exhibit-ing companies. Boushehri said on thesidelines that the convention addressesfuture of transport companies, landplanning and employment of smart tech-nology for roads’ planning and con-struction. The five-day gathering tacklesfinancing, transportation, smart under-ground transport, shipping, safety andother topics. — KUNA

Int’l studies important tooverhaul roads: Kuwaiti official

ABU DHABI: Kuwaiti Minister of Public Works and Minister of State for HousingAffairs Dr Jenan Boushehri on the sidelines of the conference. — KUNA

PARIS: Kuwait’s Ambassador to France Sami Al-Sulaiman (fourth from left)is seen during his tour. — KUNA

PARIS: Kuwait is keen to strengthencooperation with France in the agricul-ture and marine fields to benefit from thelatter’s expertise, said KuwaitiAmbassador to France Sami Al-Sulaimanyesterday. The ambassador further notedthat he was briefed during his visit toCherbourg, in the Manche departmentnorthwest of France, with the latest inheavy industry, technical experimentsand the use of modern technology in thefield of agriculture and food products.He also said that he visited the city’snaval base and inspected advancedequipment for boat and shipbuilding.

Ambassador Sulaiman expressedKuwait’s content in the advanced level ofmilitary cooperation between the twocountries, especially in the maritime field.

He stressed that his visit to the citycomes as part of a series of meetingsheld by the embassy in various Frenchcities in order to expand the base ofKuwaiti relations. Ambassador Sulaimanalso met with the chairman and boardmembers of the Kryolan Agrial Groupfor biological food industries in theneighboring commune of Lisses.

Ambassador Sulaiman’s visit to the citycame at the invitation of the region’s sen-ator and member of the French SenateRegional Planning and SustainableDevelopment Committee, Jean-MichelOlgat. The visit included a tour of a num-ber of factories in the city, such as AvinorGroup for Metallurgical Industries, whichis multi-tasked in producing componentsof nuclear reactors. — KUNA

Kuwait, France discussagriculture, marine cooperation

KUWAIT: Public buses at a station in Kuwait City. — KUNA

2% of population use public transport

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Photo of the Day

KUWAIT: A man takes a photo of a cargo ship as it leaves Shuwaikh Port yesterday. — Photo by Yasser Al-Zayyat

KUWAIT: Gulf Bank held an in-house Assessment Day onSeptember 21, 2019 to finalize candidates for the sixth edi-tion of its AJYAL development program. The HumanResources Talent Development team, along with Gulf Bankemployees from various business groups and departments,participated in an all-day evaluation process to select anelite group of candidates that will take part in the AJYAL 6Program.

The AJYAL 6 Assessment Day aimed to evaluate whichapplicants would be accepted into this year’s cohort.

Applicants took part in threemain groups of activities,including case study assess-ments, group activities, andone-on-one interviews. Theselection process was basedon each individual candi-date’s potential for growthand development, including:displays of leadership,embodiment of Gulf Bank’svalues, and an ability to con-tribute to Gulf Bank’s suc-cess. It is worth noting that

out of 109 applicants, 36 were shortlisted to take part inthe Assessment Day and, upon the completion of theassessment, a total of 22 candidates were accepted intoGulf Bank’s AJYAL 6 program.

Among the Assessment Day highlights was the contri-bution of the AJYAL 1 Program graduates, who were invit-ed to be a part of the selection process for this year’s pro-gram. The AJYAL 1 graduates, who completed the pro-gram in 2015, have since progressed in their professionalcareers and currently hold senior management positionswithin the Bank. During the Assessment Day, the AJYAL 1alumni assumed mentorship roles, highlighting the long-term impact of the AJYAL program to the success of GulfBank employees.

“The Assessment Day is part of an effective selection

process to ensure that all our candidates have the rightskills and potential for Gulf Bank’s AJYAL developmentprogram,” said Salma Al-Hajjaj, General Manager ofHuman Resources at Gulf Bank. “At Gulf Bank, we take intocareful consideration the banking landscape’s many differ-ent challenges and needs. Assessing candidates at an early

stage helps them identify their strengths and weaknessesand leaves them better prepared to meet any upcomingchallenges head on.”

AJYAL is Gulf Bank’s flagship development programthat targets Kuwaiti professionals. The program spans sixmonths and aims to help candidates develop key banking

skills, cultivating holistic bankers that have shown growthpotential on both a personal and professional level. Theprogram, now in its sixth edition, also benefits from thementorship and teachings of the previous years’ alumni,who have contributed to Gulf Bank’s many successes sincetheir graduation from the AJYAL program.

Gulf Bank selects candidates forsixth edition of AJYAL program

22 trainees selected for program aimed to develop key banking skills

Workshop trainskids on writingsci-fi storiesKUWAIT: Dr Ali Jaffar, an academic atKuwait University, assured the importance oftraining kids to write science fictions stories,which promotes their development process inmany areas especially in language, art, andexpression. Dr Jaffar made that statement onSaturday during a science fictional stories’writing workshop which was organized byScientific Progress Publishing Company fortwo days with trainers from Lebanon andEgypt. Jaffar said that writing in the field ofscience fiction demands skills, one beingknowledge and how to apply to elaborate anidea. This workshop is part of the 2035 newKuwait plan as it focuses on an importantpart of society with skills and innovations tobe part of the 2035 vision, he added.

Nabeeha Mhaidli a Lebanese writer was

invited as she is a known author and an own-er of kids publishes, as well as Waleed Taherfrom Egypt an important artist of kids draw-ings to present the workshop. A number ofkids were chosen for their skills and interestin science alongside their artistic side able toelaborate on their imagination for the work-shop. The workshop was held for two dayswith 11 kids to help them bring out their ideasinto written stories and drawings.Discussions with the kids helped bring outnew ideas which they did not even expectfrom their imagination from the results of theworkshop, he said.

He also pointed to the importance of lis-tening to the kids as the participants’ ideato use a robot to get to the waste in theocean to help protect the environmentamongst other ideas. An opportunity towrite short stories was given during theworkshop which will be reviewed for pub-lishing and handed out during the upcomingbook fair. Mhaidli said her experience is asuccess despite the short amount of hoursand confirmed the imaginations and abilityof the kids, pointing out how their ideas dif-fer from ours. — KUNA KUWAIT: A child discusses his science fiction story with Dr Ali Jaffar. — KUNA photos

Hassan Al-Wazzan, a child participating in theworkshop.

Salma Al-Hajjaj

KUWAIT: A group photo taken during the AJYAL 6 Assessment Day.

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News in brief

Money laundering suspicions in US army contracts

KUWAIT: Relevant Interior Ministry security anddetectives of the US army launched an investigationover suspicions of the involvement of five localcompanies in money laundering in contracts to pro-vide logistics services for the US army. Informedsources said that the suspected companies hadrecently won a $140 million tender to provide vehi-cle services in US camps and drivers inside andoutside Kuwait, while their local licenses are relatedto garments and sanitaryware sales and contracts.The sources added that four of the five companiesare officially partners and executives in all of themare linked in the founding contracts or KCCI regis-ters, which is illegal as per Kuwaiti and US tenderlaws and regulations. — Al-Qabas

Mothers granted medical custody

KUWAIT: In view of the social controversy con-cerning restricting medical custody of minors andincompetent or incapacitated individuals to fathersonly whenever surgical intervention is required, theMinistry of Health proposed new amendments to thenew medicine practice bill giving mothers equalrights in this regard, said health sources, noting thatthe amendments came after full studies of real-lifeexamples in various public and private health facili-ties. The sources added that the new amendmentsalso include reducing the age at which patients candecide for themselves from 21 to 18, except for plas-tic surgeries and organ transplants, where parents’approval will be mandatory. “According to the newamendments, minors aged 15 to 18 will be allowed toreceive primary healthcare pending parents’approval before moving on to further medical pro-cedures,” the sources explained, noting that in caseof minors younger than 15, consent of either parentwill suffice if the parents are married, and of theguardian in case of divorce. — Al-Rai

Welsh delegation visits Kuwait

KUWAIT: A Welsh delegation’s visit to Kuwaittomorrow is a chance to strengthen bilateral tradeties through establishing new links between thetwo countries, said a Welsh minister. Kuwaiti mar-kets are among the most vibrant and lucrativeones in the region, said Minister of InternationalRelat ions and the Welsh Language ElunedMorgan, who pointed out that viable investmentopportunities await Welsh companies in the Gulfstate. “This trade mission will provide an idealplatform for eight innovative Welsh businesses tobuild on existing links and establish new partner-ships,” she said in a statement yesterday. On whatthe visit would entail, the minister said the Welshcontingent will be “attending a number of meet-ings and receptions,” as part of efforts to exploreopportunities for joint projects. “Trade missionsare an important part of our ongoing commitmentto sell Wales to the world and highlight that weare very much open for business,” the ministeremphasized. — KUNA

Firm action needed to stopplastic littering in Kuwait

Careless disposal of plastic bags could cause death of various species

KUWAIT: Many states across the globe, amid alarm-ingly mounting hazards, have become preoccupiedwith conserving the environment and creating meansto tackle various forms of pollution namely plasticcontamination. Such pollution tops hazards againsthumans’ health and wellbeing; that is certainly muchmore dangerous for the next generations; thus, theremust be a serious stance at the national level andcoordination among parties concerned for safe dis-posing of various plastic items and used products.

Regretfully, plans and programs that have beenalready drawn up, and some in implementation, tolimit the plastic harm, have not resolved the problemand it continues to grow, amid the snowballing tech-nological development and lack of awareness amonglarge segments of the population. Some of the reme-dies include imposing tougher penalties against irra-tional disposal of these enduring materials. Carelesspersons randomly dump plastic bags in various

regions on land and at the sea, causing death of vari-ous species of creatures.

Moreover, using disposal plastic kitchen utensils,namely dishes, has become widely spread, and inaddition to the plastic bags, the environment suffersthe harmful burden. The items that end up at the seafatally harm the fish and other creatures namely tur-tles that have insatiable appetite for plastic bags.People around the globe, directly or indirectly, areseriously affected with the waste, considering thepollution to underground water, rivers and lakes.

At the local level, leading stakeholders have beensounding the alarm bell, repeatedly, amid varioussigns how the dumped plastic has been causing deathof various species of marine creatures. Dr Sultan Al-Salem, the director of environmental and climatic pol-lution at Kuwait Institute of Scientific Research(KISR), says the institute is campaigning to raisepublic awareness of the prevailing danger. KISR is

addressing the problem by regularly organizing semi-nars, publicizing pictures about plastic hazards andmethods to dispose of the material, namely hard plas-tic, safely. The lectures shed light on KISR’s mostimportant studies to minimize plastic contaminationand activities by the department of hard plastic, inaddition to analyzing means of disintegrating plasticin the Kuwaiti environmental conditions.

KISR is currently focusing its efforts on plasticrecycling and applying chemical-thermal disintegra-tion technology. He called on all concerned authori-ties in the State of Kuwait to seek to enhance publicawareness of the dangers resulting from the plasticwaste on the wildlife and people’s wellbeing. Salemcalled for following suits of other countries that haveenacted punitive legislations to clamp down onwrongdoers; those who litter plastic cups, bags andother objects, with no regard whatsoever to short andlong-term harm. — KUNA

By A Saleh

KUWAIT: The Defense Ministry plans to enlist a newbatch of bedoon (stateless) recruits in January, saidinformed sources. They noted that applicants in thisbatch have already been interviewed and medicallyexamined and should have been recruited in August,but the process was deferred until the law on legalizingillegal residents - due to be discussed by the parliamentnext month - is passed. The sources added that the newbatch will include 3,000 recruits to be enlisted inJanuary and July according to the capacity of the train-

ing camps. Further, the sources pointed out that the total num-

ber might change after double checking applicants’documents, as some are expected to be proven to holdother nationalities and thus be deemed expats andexcluded, as expats are only accepted in very limitedpositions on the condition they have enough experi-ence in certain specialties.

Expats’ replacementA number of co-operative societies have already set

special plans to hire nationals to replace expats, namelyin leading and administrative positions, said informedsources, pointing out that Kuwaitis will also be hired ascashiers and salesmen, as many of them had mentionedthis in applications they filed with the Public Authorityfor Manpower. Some co-ops already have 25 vacancies,the sources said, adding that expats in various depart-ments will be demoted pending gradual layoffs.Moreover, the sources said a further 1,825 job vacan-cies for Kuwaitis will be announced this month.

Excellent performance bonuses The Ministry of Education announced it will accept

grievances and complaints by Kuwaiti and expatemployees who were excluded from excellent perform-ance bonuses, said informed sources, noting that theministry will receive online complaints at the ministry’swebsite for two months. Al-Qabas daily had reportedyesterday that 15,000 employees did not receive theirbonuses because their schools failed to update theirevaluation information in the ministry’s integrated eval-uation system.

Loan installmentsThe parliamentary financial affairs committee yes-

terday agreed to cut the deduction of loan installmentsto 10 percent. In this regard, MP Farraj Al-Arbeed saidthat both the parliament and the Public Institution ForSocial Security agreed to cut deduction from 25 per-cent to only 10 percent. MP Safa Al-Hashem said thatshe abstained from voting because she completelyrejects the proposal.

Defense Ministryto enlist bedoonrecruits in Jan

By Meshaal al-Enezi

KUWAIT: Chairman of Kuwait Fishermen UnionThaher Al-Suwayyan yesterday hailed the effortsexerted by officials at Kuwait National PetroleumCompany’s (KNPC) marketing and customer caredivisions, the state property department and KuwaitPorts Authority, leading to the reopening of the fuelstation at Shamlan harbor. Suwayyan added thatresuming operations at the station helps many fishingboats refuel and sail out easily to provide more fishand shrimps than those caught in the past few days.

In other news, the Municipal Council’s technicalcommittee yesterday approved two proposals by thecouncil’s deputy chairman Abdullah Al-Mehri on issu-ing licenses for industrial land plots and increasingthe ratio of construction in basements in Abu Fatirafrom 80 to 100 percent. Meanwhile, KuwaitMunicipality’s public relations department announcedinstalling 157 awareness billboards in various gover-norates to boost public awareness with regard to the‘Keep it Clean’ campaign. Noting that this particularcampaign is fully supported by Minister of Awqaf andIslamic Affairs and Minister of State for MunicipalAffairs Fahd Al-Shola, the Municipality stressed thatthe campaign will last for six weeks targeting cleanli-ness at various beaches, markets and public facilities.

Fishing boats’fuel station back

KUWAIT: Kuwait’s Environment Public Authority(EPA) is eager to adhere to an international treaty thataims to eliminate and restrict the production and use ofpersistent organic pollutants, its chief said yesterday.EPA Director General Sheikh Abdullah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah’s remarks came amid a workshop in which anaction plan to adhere to the Stockholm Convention on

Persistent Organic Pollutants will be formed. Kuwait’senvironment agency prioritizes such landmark deals,especially ones which the Gulf state has joined, accord-ing to EPA’s Deputy Director General for EnvironmentInspection Affairs Samira Kandari. As one of the signa-tories of the Stockholm Convention, which seeks toeliminate all substances deemed detrimental to humanhealth and the environment alike, Kuwait has takenmeasures to make sure the deal ultimately comes tofruition, she added. Kuwait Institute for ScientificResearch (KISR) is also a proponent of the StockholmConvention, said Dr Mohammad Al-Rashed, the direc-tor of a water research center affiliated with KISR. Theaforementioned plan is a collective effort that requiresstate-run bodies to work closely together to ensureprogress on commitment, he added. — KUNA

Kuwait committedto pact banningtoxic chemicals

By B Izzak

KUWAIT: MP Bader Al-Mulla warned yesterday that hewill file to grill Minister of Public Works Jenan Boushehrifor failing to complete the repairs of roads ahead of therainy season that is about to begin. The lawmaker saidthat the minister is so close to the grilling podium espe-cially if the country’s roads were not ready for rains likelast year.

Last year, unprecedented heavy rains lashed Kuwaitcausing heavy damage to roads and infrastructure. Theassembly formed a special panel to probe government fail-ure and demanded compensation for citizens.

The lawmaker who grilled the finance minister last term,said he is also monitoring the developments of a refineryproject in Vietnam which has sustained heavy losses and inwhich Kuwait is a major investor. Mulla also held the primeminister responsible, saying he may also grill him over thesame issue, adding he will not wait for too long to get theanswers for questions he sent over the issue.

The lawmaker said he is also following the multi-billion-dollar Clean Fuel project, adding it needs to be closelymonitored by the prime minister to find out reasons for thedelay of operations. He said he sent questions about rea-sons for the delay, the cost of extending the advisor’s con-

tract, variation orders and import of fuel, in addition todemands by contractors. Mulla warned that if the councilof ministers does not form panels to investigate suchissues, he will file to grill the oil minister, adding that hemay grill the premier himself.

Meanwhile, Minister of State for Economic AffairsMaryam Al-Aqeel said that some KD 28 billion have beenspent on the development plan in the country between2010 and 2019 and not KD 37 billion in just five years ashas been circulated. In reply to a parliamentary question,the minister said that the KD 37 billion were the sumsneeded for the first five-year development plan ending2014 but these amounts were not spent. She said that KD7.2 billion were spent in the first development plan while inthe second plan spending was KD 12.7 billion.

MP warns ministerof grilling overdelayed roadmaintenance

The National Assembly.Kuwaitis urged toavoid London demosLONDON: Kuwait’s Embassy in the UK urged citizens inLondon yesterday to bypass protesting areas and ralliesthat the Pella Organization is set to organize today tocombat climate change. In a brief statement, it stressed theimportance of citizens’ compliance with the police’sinstructions, to evade these gatherings in London’s center,which are scheduled from 9:00 am to 6:00 pm. A group ofenvironmental organizations, under the ExtinctionRebellion movement, called on the British government todeclare an environmental emergency and cut emissions ofgreenhouse gases to net zero by 2025. The group organ-ized large protests last April, with week-long protests ofthousands, causing traffic on major streets. —KUNA

Et tu, Mitt? Trump blasts senator

InternationalIn Morocco, heroin addiction sweeps cannabis corridor

Page 9

What’s in a name? India’s citizenship drive hits women hardestPage 9

MONDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2019

Inside Burkina Faso’s failing fight against jihadism, terrorismOUAGADOUGOU: The expert cups his hands, with theball-like space between them representingOuagadougou, the capital of Burkina Faso. He then slowlysqueezes his palms together: “The vice is tightening,” hesays. The movement is a distressing, yet truthful, state-ment of where Burkina Faso stands in its four-year-oldfight against jihadism.

Islamist insurgents are relentlessly gaining ground, leav-ing the capital as one of the few areas of safe territory.“Safe” is a relative word. France advises its nationals againsttravelling to half of Burkina’s territory, includingOuagadougou. The US State Department urges Americantravelers to “exercise increased caution” everywhere. Until2015, landlocked Burkina Faso was largely spared the revoltthat hit Mali and then Niger, its neighbors to the north. Butjihadists - some linked to Al-Qaeda, others to the so-calledIslamic State - started infiltrating the north, then the east,and then endangered its southern and western borders.Combining guerrilla hit-and-run tactics with road minesand suicide bombings, the insurgents have killed nearly 600people, according to a toll compiled by AFP. Civil societygroups put the tally at more than 1,000. Around 300,000people have fled their homes and almost 3,000 schoolshave closed. The impact on an overwhelmingly rural econo-my is escalating, dislocating trade and markets.

Escalation Attacks are “more widespread... more violent, bloodier,

they lead to inter-community violence and the creation ofself-defense militias,” says Ousmane Amirou Dicko, emir ofthe historic Islamic kingdom of Liptako, reaching intoNiger and Mali. “The north has been forgotten, and it’shard to recover that in the space of two or three years,”adds the traditional ruler, noting a widening gap in stan-dards with the south in the past 50 years. A curfew hasbeen imposed in the east, while major northern cities suchas Djibo and Dori live as though in a state of siege. “InDjibo, at 2:00 pm, everyone - police, gendarmes, soldiers,civil servants - heads to the military camp” where theyspend the night, a policeman told AFP on condition ofanonymity.

Weak armyPoorly-trained and chronically short of equipment, many

members of the security forces feel overwhelmed. “We’velost the fight. Not a day goes by without something happen-ing, even if the press doesn’t know about it,” said a policemanwho has been made several tours of duty in the north. Beforeprotests brought about his downfall in 2014, then presidentBlaise Compaore kept up negotiations with Islamist forces,assuming a role of regional mediator. “Burkina was theirsanctuary,” said a source in the security forces. “At the sametime, he (Compaore) feared a coup. Though he was a soldier,he pared down the army in favor of his presidential guard. In2014, we had an army without arms.”

Shaken by foiled comeback attempts by Compaore loy-alists, interim authorities and then the government ofPresident Marc Roch Christian Kabore, elected inNovember 2015, have done little to boost security forces.“I have an automatic pistol. I have five rounds of ammo. Isthis how we’re going to fight the jihadists?” the police offi-cer asked, adding that soldiers were no better off.“Security guards transporting money have more ammuni-tion than soldiers,” a security source told AFP. —AFP

WASHINGTON: In this file photo, US Senator Mitt Romney (center) attends a ceremony in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington, DC. Top Republican Romney says it is ‘appalling’ that Trump urged China, Ukraine to probe Biden. —AFP

WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump has opened anew front in the impeachment battle that threatens his adminis-tration, blasting a prominent member of his party for criticizinghis push to get foreign nations to probe a leading Democraticrival. The Republican president, who launched a stream ofinvective at Democrats and the media this week as an impeach-ment probe in Congress widened, tweeted that US Senator MittRomney was a “pompous ‘a**’ who has been fighting me fromthe beginning.” Romney, who lost the 2012 election toDemocratic incumbent President Barack Obama, criticizedTrump on Friday for asking China to investigate former VicePresident Joe Biden, who is seeking the 2020 Democratic presi-dential nomination. The Utah Republican said Trump’s appeal toChina was “wrong and appalling.” In a later tweet, Trump saidhe was hearing that people in Utah regretted electing Romneyto the Senate in 2018. “I agree! He is a fool who is playing rightinto the hands of the Do Nothing Democrats! #IMPEACHMIT-TROMNEY,” Trump wrote. Trump also defended again as“appropriate” the July 25 phone call with Ukrainian PresidentVolodymyr Zelenskiy that triggered the impeachment inquiry inthe Democratic-controlled House of Representatives, and saidhis call for China to investigate Biden and his son Hunter waslinked to corruption, not politics. Another Republican senator,Susan Collins of Maine, on Saturday also criticized Trump forexhorting China to investigate the Bidens, calling it “completelyinappropriate” in remarks to reporters at an event in her homestate, according to the Bangor Daily News. “I thought the pres-ident made a big mistake by asking China to get involved ininvestigating a political opponent,” Collins said, according tothe local report. House Democrats are examining whether thereare grounds to impeach Trump based on a whistleblower’scomplaint that said he asked Zelenskiy to help probe theBidens. Hunter Biden was on the board of a Ukrainian naturalgas company for several years.

There is no evidence of wrongdoing by either the formervice president or his son. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, aTrump ally, said on Saturday the State Department had issuedan initial response to a request by the House Foreign AffairsCommittee for documents tied to US contacts with theUkrainian government. The panel issued Pompeo a subpoena onSept 27. “The State Department sent a letter last night toCongress, which is our initial response to the document request.We will obviously do all the things we are required to by law,”Pompeo said in a news conference in Greece. He did not elabo-rate on the contents of the letter. An official from the HouseForeign Affairs Committee said in a statement to Reuters thatPompeo had “failed to meet the deadline to produce documentsrequired by the subpoena,” but confirmed the State Departmenthad contacted the three House committees involved in theprobes. “We hope the department will cooperate in full prompt-ly,” said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

‘Gotcha game’Pompeo, who has acknowledged he listened to the July 25

call between Trump and Zelenskiy, objected last week to effortsby Democrats to obtain depositions from current and formerdepartment officials. Asked at another event on Saturday if therewere any red flags in the Ukraine saga that required furtherinvestigation, Pompeo said he did not think the audience wasinterested in hearing about the issue. “This is what’s wrong,when the world doesn’t focus on the things that are right, thethings that matter, the things that impact real people’s lives andinstead you get caught up in silly gotcha game?” he said. Healso addressed a notion Trump has long held that Ukraine inter-fered in the 2016 US presidential election, a theory that runscounter to the US intelligence community’s findings that it wasRussia that meddled in the campaign. Pompeo said “govern-ments have an obligation and indeed a duty to make sure that

elections happen with integrity, without interference from anygovernment, whether that’s the Ukrainian government or anyother.” Lawmakers are looking at whether Trump jeopardizednational security and the integrity of US elections for personalpolitical gain. Trump has called the impeachment investigation a“hoax” and accused the media and Democrats of corruption.Rudy Giuliani, Trump’s personal lawyer, told Reuters in a phoneinterview on Saturday that the president in the July 25 call hadnot offered his Ukrainian counterpart any “quid pro quo” for hiscooperation in probing Biden and his son. “One thing clearabout the conversation is, there’s no quid pro quo,” said the for-mer New York mayor, who has emerged as a central figure inthe scandal. The House Intelligence Committee has issued asubpoena to Giuliani, setting an Oct. 15 deadline for him to turnover documents related to his work with Ukrainians on Trump’sbehalf. House Democrats subpoenaed the White House for doc-uments on Friday. White House spokeswoman StephanieGrisham said the subpoena “changes nothing” and that it wouldbe ultimately shown that Trump did nothing wrong. The probecould lead to approval of articles of impeachment - or formalcharges - against Trump in the House. A trial on whether toremove Trump from office would then be held in theRepublican-controlled Senate. A two-thirds majority of thesenators present would be needed to oust Trump, which means20 Republicans would have to jump ship if all the Democratsand the two independents who caucus with Democrats form aunited front. Although Trump’s Senate firewall has no visiblecracks so far, Romney’s willingness to step out of formation andcriticize Trump over his calls for foreign investigations of apolitical opponent could act as a catalyst for others. Romneysavaged Trump during the 2016 campaign, calling him a “conman” who was unfit for the presidency, but the two men laterset aside their differences. Trump endorsed Romney’s politicalcomeback last year. —Reuters

North Korea breaks off US nuclear talks STOCKHOLM: Working-level nuclear talksin Sweden between officials from Pyongyangand Washington have broken off, NorthKorea’s top negotiator said late on Saturday,dashing prospects for an end to months ofstalemate. The talks, at an isolated confer-ence centre on the outskirts of Stockholm,were the first such formal discussion sinceUS President Donald Trump and NorthKorean leader Kim Jong Un met in June andagreed to restart negotiations that stalledafter a failed summit in Vietnam in February.

The North’s chief nuclear negotiator, KimMyong Gil, who spent much of the day intalks with an American delegation, cast theblame on what he portrayed as US inflexibili-ty, saying the other side’s negotiators wouldnot “give up their old viewpoint and atti-tude.” “The negotiations have not fulfilled ourexpectation and finally broke off,” Kim toldreporters outside the North Koreanembassy, speaking through an interpreter.

The US State Department said Kim’scomments did not reflect “the content orspirit” of more than 8-1/2 hours of talks, andWashington had accepted Sweden’s invita-tion to return for more discussions withPyongyang in two weeks.

“The US brought creative ideas and hadgood discussions with its DPRK counter-parts,” spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus saidin a statement. North Korea is also known asthe Democratic People’s Republic of Korea(DPRK). She said the US delegation had pre-viewed a number of new initiatives thatwould pave the way for progress in the talks,and underscored the importance of moreintensive engagement.

“The United States and the DPRK will notovercome a legacy of 70 years of war andhostility on the Korean peninsula through thecourse of a single Saturday,” she added.“These are weighty issues, and they requirea strong commitment by both countries. TheUnited States has that commitment.” NorthKorea’s Kim downplayed the US gestures.“The US raised expectations by offeringsuggestions like a flexible approach, newmethod and creative solutions, but they havedisappointed us greatly and dampened ourenthusiasm for negotiation by bringing noth-ing to the negotiation table,” he said.

Swedish broadcaster TV4 said the USSpecial Representative for North Korea,Stephen Biegun, who led the team, hadarrived back at the US embassy in centralStockholm. The Swedish foreign officedeclined to give details on the invitation fornew talks, or whether Pyongyang hadaccepted. Since June, US officials had strug-gled to persuade North Korea, which isunder sanctions banning much of its trade,due to its nuclear program, to return to thetable, but that appeared to change this weekwhen the North abruptly announced it had

agreed to talks.On Saturday, negotiator Kim accused the

United States of having no intention of solv-ing difficulties through dialogue, but said acomplete denuclearization of the Koreanpeninsula was still possible. It would onlyhappen “when all the obstacles that threatenour safety and check our development areremoved completely without a shadow ofdoubt,” he said, in an apparent reference toNorth Korea’s desire for Washington to easeeconomic pressure.

Yesterday, China’s President Xi Jinping

and the North’s leader exchanged messagesto reaffirm the neighbors’ relationship on the70th anniversary of the establishment ofdiplomatic ties. China is the North’s onlymajor ally. Xi, who has met Kim five times inthe past year, said they had “reached a seriesof important consensuses, leading China-North Korea relations into a new historicalera”, the official Xinhua news agency said.Kim replied the two leaders would “resolute-ly safeguard the peace and stability of theKorean peninsula and the world,” Xinhuareported. —Reuters

US impeachment battle heats up

STOCKHOLM: Policemen are seen outside Villa Elfvik Strand conference center where US-North Korea talks took place. —AFP

I n t e r n a t i o n a l Monday, October 7, 2019

7Established 1961

Cameroon main opposition leader Kamto releasedYAOUNDE: Cameroon’s main opposi-tion leader Maurice Kamto walked freefrom jail Saturday after a military courtordered his release at the behest ofveteran President Paul Biya. The sur-prise conciliatory gesture comes as thepresident is facing a number of domes-tic crises and international criticismover political freedoms. “We are heretoday thanks to your constant sup-port,” Kamto, who had spent ninemonths behind bars, told hundreds ofsupporters who gathered to greet him.“I saw you even when you couldn’t seeme.” He announced a “new chapter inour struggle”, adding that “if somepeople think that our liberation meansthe end of our struggle they haveunderstood nothing”.

The struggle would be “peaceful”, hesaid before being driven away surround-ed by a dozen-strong escort of klaxon-blaring vehicles. Kamto, 65, was arrestedin late January after months of peacefulopposition protests over the results ofthe October 2018 election. He went ontrial with dozens of others in a militarycourt in September on charges of insur-rection, hostility to the motherland andrebellion - crimes which could be giventhe death penalty, though this is nolonger carried out in Cameroon.

‘Welcome step’ Biya, 86, has ruled Cameroon with

an iron fist for nearly 37 years. OnFriday he announced he had orderedprosecutions to be dropped against“some” opposition leaders, including anumber from the main Movement forthe Rebirth of Cameroon (MRC) whichKamto leads. More than 100 people indetention are also now set for release“if they have not been detained foranything else”, the military court said.

They include Biya’s former economicadvisor Christian Penda Ekoka, lawyerMichele Ndoki and rapper Valsero, wellknown for songs critical of the rulingestablishment. Amnesty Internationalcalled Biya’s decision “a welcome steptowards ending the long repression ofdissenting voices in Cameroon”. Butthe organization also called on authori-ties to “go further by releasing all otherindividuals arbitrarily detained for hav-ing exercised their right to freedom ofexpression and peaceful assembly”.

As the opposition leader arrived athis home in a residential neighbor-hood of Yaounde following his release,he was met by dozens of cheering,dancing young people . “Maur iceKamto, save us,” the crowd chanted.Most of those gathered were under30 and - like around 75 percent of thepopulation - would not have knownanother leader than Biya. “We aretired of this system that has been inplace for 37 years,” said one protest-er, Abraham. “We want alternance inpower. We want a new momentum forour country.”

‘Crises and conflicts’ Biya’s shock announcement Friday

came on the closing day of crunch talksaimed at easing a bloody crisis inCameroon’s anglophone regions, whichwere shunned by the main separatistleaders. The talks also ended with aproposal to give more autonomy to theEnglish-speaking regions, where a two-year armed campaign for independencehas been met with a brutal crackdownand cost nearly 3,000 lives, accordingto the International Crisis Group. Inaddition, Biya had Thursday announcedthe shelving of an investigation and therelease of 333 people detained during

the crisis. The two areas in westernCameroon - the Northwest Region andSouthwest Region - are home to mostof the country’s anglophones, whoaccount for about a fifth of a popula-tion that is overwhelmingly French-speaking. A presidential statementSaturday said that “the head of statereaffirms his determination to pursuerelentlessly his efforts seeking waysand means to resolve peaceably thecrises and conflicts confronting ourcountry”. The apparent seachange inBiya’s approach comes after months ofintransigence and follows internationalpressure. —AFP

Mali conflict robs displaced children ofschoolSEGOU: In a better world, nine-year-oldOumou Tomboura would have alreadyhad several years of schooling behindher and be able to write, read and count.But in Mali, education is another casual-ty of conflict. When the new academicyear began last week, Oumou sat not ona classroom bench but on a mat out-doors in the southern-central town ofSegou, chopping onions and tomatoesfor the next meal.

Her family is among tens of thousandsto have fled jihadist groups working theirway southwards from the desert north tocentral Mali in a seven-year-old insur-gency, battling the army and its allies. Sixmonths ago, Oumou’s mother, FatoumaDja, 29, left the dangerous village ofMamba, finding refuge for her three chil-dren 200 kilometers away.

“Of course I would like her to go toschool, but it isn’t possible,” Dja said.“When Oumou was old enough to go toschool in Mamba, jihadists came andthreatened the teachers and the schoolwas closed. So she never went,” Dja saidwearily, bearing her youngest child onher back. Renowned for venerable cen-tres of learning and trade down the cen-turies such as Timbuktu on the southern

edge of the Sahara and for a remarkablemusical heritage, Mali is badly batteredby the revolt.

A fresh blow came this week with thedeadliest jihadist raids of the insurgencyon two military camps in central Mali,where 38 soldiers were declared killedand dozens missing. In Segou, not a sin-gle school admitted displaced childrenalongside the town pupils on Tuesday,when classes resumed. The situation inSegou is overwhelming - more than20,000 people have taken refuge there,and Mali is a desperately poor nation.

Sermons and illiteracyBut Abdoulaye Diallo, a member of

Segou’s Educational Action Committee,which oversees primary schooling in thetown, said displaced families should notdespair. “The displaced should come andregister with us, so we can point them toa school that will take them,” he said. Djasaid she was not informed of this.

In any case, she was busy doing hersums, totting up the cost of new clothes,shoes and school supplies. “It will cost50,000 CFA francs (76 euros, $83) andI don’t have that,” she said, lowering hereyes. The new school year will be justas hard for those who stayed behind.One school in three has shut down inthe Mopti region, which is most affect-ed by raids from jihadists loyal to ethnicFulani - or Peul - preacher AmadouKoufa. The raids prompt retaliatory vio-lence by self-proclaimed communitydefence militias.

Across Mali, 920 schools are listed asclosed, more than two-thirds of them inthe three central regions - Mopti, Segou

and Koulikoro. At the local educationauthority in Segou, regional directorItous Ag Ahmed Iknan, said he had justbeen informed of dramatic events in thevillage of Souba. The previous week,eight jihadists had gone there, wherethey preached for 50 minutes. “In theirpreaching, they insisted that schools beclosed,” he said. “The army has to comeback, so that the zone can be secured,otherwise the schools will not re-open.”

Teacher exodusFrench military intervention in 2013

drove jihadist forces out of key northerntowns including Timbuktu, Gao and

Kidal, and Paris today lends military sup-port to the Malian army and regionaltroops of the G5 Sahel force set up tocounter insurgents. Jihadist forces havesteadily moved into the centre, usuallyadopting guerilla tactics.

Violence by armed groups has alsoled to school closures in neighboringBurkina Faso and Niger, according to theUN. The Bamako government and inter-national organizations have respondedwith lessons by radio, a framework ofpsychiatric support to help childrenaffected by trauma or post-traumaticstress, and ad-hoc learning centers invillages and camps. —AFP

SEGOU: Two displaced children lie down to watch the television in the court of ahouse in Segou. In central Mali, in the heart of Sahel bogged down in a conflictthat worsen since 2012, education has become a luxury. —AFP

Paris police attacker had ‘radical vision of Islam’PARIS: A staffer at Paris police headquarters who stabbedfour colleagues to death in a frenzied attack adhered to “aradical vision of Islam”, an anti-terror prosecutor saidSaturday, amid a gathering political storm over securitysafeguards. The 45-year-old computer expert had been incontact with members of Salafism, an ultra-conservativebranch of Sunni Islam, and defended “atrocities committedin the name of that religion”, Jean-Francois Ricard toldreporters.

Three police officers and an administrative worker -three men and one woman - died in the lunchtime attack onThursday at the police headquarters, a stone’s throw fromthe Notre-Dame cathedral in the historic heart of Paris. Theassailant, named as Mickael Harpon, was shot dead by apoliceman, who was a trainee at the police headquarters.The attack sent shock waves through an embattled Frenchpolice force already complaining of low morale and hasraised serious concerns over security procedures.

Harpon, born on the French overseas territory ofMartinique in the Caribbean, converted to Islam about 10years ago, the prosecutor said. He had no police record butwas investigated for domestic violence in 2009. Sourcessaid he had worked in a section of the police service dedi-cated to collecting information on jihadist radicalisation.Harpon held a high-level “defense secrets” security clear-ance, which authorized him to handle sensitive informationof national defense importance and would have subjectedhim to regular, stringent security checks.

On the morning of his “extremely violent” attack,Harpon bought two knives - a 33-centimetre long kitchenknife and an oyster knife - which he kept hidden, Ricardsaid. He showed “absolutely no signs of nervousness” ashe circled back to police headquarters, according toCCTV footage examined by police, the prosecutor said.The attack, from his return to the office, the killings and hisdeath by police bullets, lasted seven minutes, Ricard said.He first killed a 50-year old police major and a 38-year oldguard who worked in the same office as Harpon and werehaving lunch at their desks. —AFP

TUNIS: Outsider candidates challenged Tunisia’s politi-cal elite yesterday as voters returned to the polls weeksafter a presidential election that reshaped the country’spost-Arab Spring political landscape. The ink-stainedfingers once proudly displayed after the 2011 revolutionwere briskly wiped clean as Tunisians fed up with thestatus quo cast ballots for MPs for the third time sincethe uprising. The vote comes after traditional politicalparties were eclipsed in favor of independent candi-dates during the first round of presidential polls lastmonth in a trend that looked likely to continue.

Sixty-year-old voter Mohamed Daadaa said he had“no hope for a positive change” in Tunisia. “I don’t trustanyone or any political party. Life just gets worse in thiscountry,” he said. More than 15,000 candidates on1,500 lists are contesting 217 seats in a parliamentdominated by the Islamist-inspired Ennahdha inalliance with centrist party Nidaa Tounes, which hasbeen decimated by infighting.

Polling stations for the seven-million electorate areto remain open until 6:00 pm (1700 GMT), with pre-liminary official results scheduled for Wednesdayalthough exit polls will be released from later. Surveyscirculated informally due to a ban on their publicationpredict Ennahdha will lose ground to the new QalbTounes (Heart of Tunisia) party of jailed businesstycoon Nabil Karoui, who has won a place in a two-way presidential runoff on October 13.

The sidelining of the ruling political class in the firstround on September 15 was rooted in frustration over astagnant economy, high unemployment, failing publicservices and rising prices. But monitors worried votersyesterday found little inspiration at the ballot box.“People no longer trust the old parties, and they don’tknow the new ones, so they’re not motivated in this

election,” said Ali Rekiki, who works with Tunisian elec-toral monitor Mourakiboun.

New movements vie for vote Karoui, a media mogul held since August on money-

laundering charges, came second behind Kais Saied, anindependent law professor, in the first round of presi-dential voting. Courts have rejected several appeals forhis release during campaigning. Interim presidentMohammed Ennaceur-filling in since the death of BejiCaid Essebsi in July brought forward the vote for headof state-warned Friday that Karoui’s detention couldhave “serious and dangerous repercussions on theelectoral process”. The presidential race may haveovershadowed the legislative contest, but parliament isresponsible for tackling the main challenges facingTunisian society.

A strong showing for Qalb Tounes could bolsterKaroui’s campaign and supporters say it might make acase for him to take over as prime minister if he loses toSaied. The socially conservative professor has not comeout in support of any party. With the electorate tired ofpolitical maneuvering and the failure to improve livingconditions since the ouster of late longtime autocratZine El Abidine Ben Ali, new movements have beenvying for votes.

Aich Tounsi, which calls itself an “anti-party”, hasemerged from the civil society movement, while Islamistpopulist lawyer Seifeddine Makhlouf’s Karama aims totake seats from Ennahdha, which has been weakenedby past alliances with political elites. With the plethoraof parties and movements in contention, the stage is setfor complex and rowdy negotiations before any sideemerges with the minimum 109 seats needed to headTunisia’s next government.

In the runup to the vote, Qalb Tounes and Ennahdhahave officially ruled out forming an alliance. Parliamentwill have two months to agree on the formation of anew government in a country hailed as the ArabSpring’s sole democratic success story but straining to

meet the revolution’s other demands of “work and dig-nity”. While it has succeeded in curbing terroristattacks that rocked the key tourist sector in 2015,Tunisia’s economy remains hampered by austereInternational Monetary Fund-backed reforms.—AFP

Economic troubles have disillusioned many voters

Outsider candidates battle political elite as Tunisia votes

PARIS: Two emergency members stand by the body ofMickael Harpon, 45-year-old computer expert, shot deadby a policeman after he stabbed four colleagues to deathin a frenzied attack at Paris police headquarters. —AFP

TUNIS: Tunisians queue to cast their ballot at a polling station in the capital Tunis yesterday during thethird round of legislative elections since the North African country’s 2011 revolution. —AFP

YAOUNDE: Cameroonian opposition leader Maurice Kamto is greeted and acclaimedby hundreds of supporters in Yaounde after his release from prison. —AFP

Monday, October 7, 2019

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

BRUSSELS: French and German attempts to end the con-flict in east Ukraine risk increasing tensions that werealready rising in the European Union over how to handleRussia and which could complicate peace efforts. Progressat talks between Russian and Ukrainian envoys have raisedhopes of convening the first international summit in threeyears on ending the fighting between pro-Russian sepa-ratists and Ukrainian government forces.

But some EU states, while welcoming a summit thatwould involve France, Germany, Ukraine and Russia, areworried by growing talk that the EU might partially liftsanctions imposed on Moscow since its seizure of Crimeafrom Ukraine in 2014. EU divisions over how to deal withMoscow have been growing over overtures to the Kremlinin recent months, led by Paris.

Comments by French President Emmanuel Macron haveespecially upset governments in EU countries that wereonce Soviet satellite states or constituent republics.Alarmed by what they see as an increasingly aggressiveRussian foreign policy, they reject anything that mightsmack of appeasement. “Are we to reward Russia becausethey have not done anything grotesque in the past fewmonths?” one EU diplomat asked.

In EU meetings, letters and speeches, divisions aboutRussia that were once under control are resurfacing,diplomats say. The tension could make it harder for the EUto agree new sanctions if Russia intensifies what are oftendepicted by Western leaders as efforts by PresidentVladimir Putin to undermine Western institutions such asthe 28-nation bloc.

The tension could also further divide the bloc - with agroup of French-led, relatively Russia-friendly allies suchas Italy on one side, and the Baltic states, Poland andRomania on the other. This in turn could weaken theresolve of Western-backed governments to stand up forUkraine, diplomats said.

EU diplomats still expect leaders of the bloc to extendsanctions on Russia’s energy, financial and defense sectorsfor another six months at a regular summit in December.But while Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkelsay there can be no sanctions relief until Russia imple-ments a peace deal for Ukraine agreed in 2014-2015, bothsee sanctions as impeding better relations with Moscow.

Macron’s ‘reset’The measures, imposed over the annexation of Crimea

and Russian support for the separatists fighting in Ukraine,require all EU governments to agree. Any friction couldallow just one country, possibly Moscow’s ally Hungary, toend them. “The time has come for the German governmentto pressure the EU for a partial lifting of the sanctions,”German lawmaker Peter Ramsauer, whose centre-rightChristian Social Union (CSU) is a member of Germany’sruling coalition, told Reuters.

Baltic states, once part of the Soviet Union, fear aRussian trap to block Ukraine’s ambition to join NATOand the EU. The country of 42 million has borders bothwith Russia and countries in the EU and NATO. WithGermany open to France taking a more active role onRussia, Macron unexpectedly relaunched a bid for betterRussian ties in July. Sending his defense and foreign min-isters to Moscow in September and ending a four-yearfreeze on such high-level diplomatic visits, Macron isseeking to bring Moscow back into the fold of leadingindustrialized nations.

Macron, who said in August that alienating Russia was“a profound strategic mistake”, wants Moscow’s help tosolve the world’s most intractable crises, from Syria toNorth Korea. “The geography, history and culture ofRussia are fundamentally European,” Macron said onTuesday in a speech to the Council of Europe, the conti-nent’s main human rights forum, from which Russia wassuspended after Crimea.

Russia’s readmission in July, for which France andGermany lobbied, was the first time that an internationalsanction imposed for Moscow’s seizure of Crimea hasbeen reversed. Charles Michel, Belgium’s prime minister,told EU diplomats last month that while Russia was asecurity threat, it “remains a neighbor too and we mustdeal with this reality.” In a letter to EU diplomats lastmonth, the EU’s ambassador to Moscow also called for a“pragmatic” approach to Russia.

Reward or revenge?EU diplomats from eastern, Balt ic and Nordic

nations have said they are confused by Macron’sapproach, questioning what has changed in Russia to

merit a renaissance in relations. The conflict in eastUkraine has killed over 13,000 people since April2014. Russ ia and Ukraine swapped pr isoners inSeptember in what was seen as the first sign of animprovement in relations. But Putin has ruled outreturning Crimea, gifted to Ukraine in 1954 by thenSoviet leader Nikita Khrushchev. NATO accusesRussia of trying to destabilize the West with newnuclear weapons, pulling out of arms control treaties,cyber attacks and covert action.

Last year, Western governments including Franceexpelled an unprecedented number of Russian diplo-mats after a nerve agent attack on a former Russian spyin England that EU leaders blamed on Moscow. TheKremlin rejected any involvement. Michel Duclos, a for-mer French envoy to Syria, said the risk for Macronwas that, viewed from Moscow, France was “useful fordisuniting the Western camp,” recalling what he saidwas a “classic feature” of East-West relations duringthe Cold War. — Reuters

Divisions over Russia mount: France and Germany seek peace in Ukraine

EU risks splitting into two camps on Russia

KIEV: Demonstrators wave Ukraine national flags as they gather in central Kiev yesterday to protest broad-er autonomy for separatist territories, part of a plan to end a war with Russian-backed fighters. — AFP

EU presses Britain to resubmit Brexit plan as end-game loomsBRUSSELS: With the resumption of crunch Brexit talkstoday looming large, European leaders piled pressure onBritish Prime Minister Boris Johnson to revise his offer -and to do so quickly. On Saturday Johnson started phoninghis EU counterparts to sell his proposals for a managedwithdrawal from the bloc, after the latest plans were givenshort shrift by Brussels. European diplomats say Londonneeds to offer a revised, viable way forward before the endof next week, so that any haggling and legalistic work isdone before a crucial EU summit on October 17-18.

That high-stakes European Council meeting will deter-mine whether Britain is headed for an agreement, exten-sion, or potentially disastrous no-deal. Finnish PrimeMinister Antti Rinne - whose country currently holds the

European Union’s rotating presidency - said he had toldJohnson it was “important to find a solution within a week”and the British leader “agreed with the timetable”. DutchPremier Mark Rutte tweeted he had told Johnson “impor-tant questions remain about the British proposals” and“there is a lot of work to be done ahead” of the summit.

Johnson was expected to also call the leaders of otherEU countries after talks broke up without progress Fridaybetween a top UK Brexit official, David Frost, and the EUteam headed by top negotiator Michel Barnier. “An agree-ment will be very difficult to reach, but it is still possible,”Barnier said on Saturday at an event organized by Frenchnewspaper Le Monde. “We are ready for no-deal, even ifwe don’t desire it,” he said. “No-deal will never be thechoice of the EU. If it happens, it would be Britain’s choice.”The UK had been keen for discussions to continue throughthe weekend, but they were set to restart on Monday.

A week’s windowJohnson’s proposals, submitted Wednesday, “do not

provide a basis for concluding an agreement,” a EuropeanCommission spokeswoman underlined on Friday. The EUrefuses to characterize the talks held so far as negotia-

tions, preferring to resurrect a Brexit withdrawal agree-ment struck with Johnson’s predecessor Theresa May thathas been rejected three times by British MPs.

The main sticking point is a “backstop” for Northern

Ireland that under the May agreement would have seen all theUK, or at least Northern Ireland, remaining in the EU’s cus-toms union. It is meant to guarantee that no border springs upbetween the British territory and EU member Ireland - whichwould threaten the hard-won Good Friday peace accord -while also maintaining the integrity of the EU’s single market.

Britain’s current idea for an alternative is for untriedtechnology to remove the need for most but not all borderchecks, and for EU standards on goods to continue toapply in Northern Ireland to facilitate trade. This borderplan is not acceptable for the EU. It sees the potential forrampant smuggling - especially as Johnson intends for therest of the UK to diverge from EU labor, environmentaland tax norms to aim for a regulation-lite economy onEurope’s doorstep. Johnson on Saturday called his plan “apractical compromise that gives ground where necessary”but has also previously suggested it was a broad “landingzone” - which to Brussels suggests he might yet budge onissues it finds unacceptable. But in identical articles for theBrexit-backing British tabloids the Sunday Express andthe Sun yesterday, Johnson said the bloc now needed toshow “its own willingness to do a deal that the UKParliament can support”. — AFP

Thousands protest French IVF law for single women and lesbians PARIS: Thousands gathered in Paris yesterdayto protest the government’s plan to let singlewomen and lesbians become pregnant with fer-tility treatments, the country’s first major socialreform since France legalized gay marriage in2013. Waving red and green flags, a crowdmarched from the French Senate toward themonolithic Tour Montparnasse skyscraper,chanting “Liberty, Equality, Paternity”-a play onthe French motto which ends with “Fraternity.”

Many wore the distinctive cone-shaped redPhyrgian hats that are a symbol of the Frenchrepublic. Organizers said they hoped 100,000will turn out against the law, which wasapproved by the lower house of parliament lastmonth, but officials said they were expecting10,000 to 20,000 people. “For two years nowour attempts at dialogue have gone nowhere...the street is the only place left for us to beheard,” Ludovine de la Rochere, president ofthe Protest for Everyone association, told jour-nalists yesterday.

President Emmanuel Macron pledged duringhis 2017 election campaign to push the lawdespite deep resistance among rightwingopponents as well as conservative RomanCatholics and other religious groups. They hadmobilized massively in 2012 and 2013 against amove by Macron’s Socialist predecessorFrancois Hollande to legalize marriage forhomosexual couples, with one Paris protestattracting 340,000 people according to police.

But that law did not allow lesbian couples orsingle women to have children via in-vitro fer-tilization or other medically assisted means,long a taboo in France. Many women haveinstead been forced to go abroad for suchtreatments, and French courts often refuse torecognize the second mother’s maternity rightsin the case of same-sex couples. Under theproposed law, France’s healthcare systemwould cover the cost of the procedure for allwomen under 43.

It would also allow children conceived withdonated sperm to find out the donor’s identity

when they turn 18, a change from the country’sstrict donor anonymity protections. Ifapproved, the law would bring French legisla-tion in line with other European nations includ-ing Britain, Spain, Portugal, the Netherlands,Ireland, Belgium and Scandinavian countries,which authorize medically assisted procreationfor all women.

‘Much less divided’ Opponents say the law deprives children of a

necessary paternal figure and threatens a tradi-tional family structure, and would open thedoor to legalizing surrogacy, including for gaymen. Protest organizers chartered two high-speed TGV trains and around 100 buses tobring people to Paris yesterday, and said theyhad distributed some three million flyers againstthe law in recent weeks. “The family, with amother and a father, is an ecosystem that needsprotecting,” said Christian Kersabiec, 68, whocame to the march yesterday from Vannes inBrittany, denouncing “this new society wherethey play the sorcerer’s apprentice.”

But analysts say French society has become

more accepting of non-traditional familiessince the gay marriage law was passed in 2013.Last week, National Assembly lawmakers vot-ed to make it easier for parents who have chil-dren via a surrogate mother abroad, in coun-tries where it is legal, to have them officiallyrecognized in France - though Macron’s gov-ernment has said it opposes the move. And anIfop poll in September found that 68 percentapproved IVF and other medically assistedprocreation (MAP) for single women, and 65percent for lesbian couples.

“It’s hard to predict what will happen yester-day but public opinion is much less divided onMAP than on gay marriage,” Frederic Dabi, anIfop director said. Gerard Larcher, therightwing president of the Senate who protest-ed against the gay marriage law six years ago,is not expected to attend the rally. “The peopledemonstrating will be doing it more out ofmoral conviction, a sense of duty, rather than totry to make the government back down,” saidYann Raison de Cleuziou, a sociologist who hasstudied the conservative Catholic movementagainst the family reforms. — AFP

PARIS: Protesters take part in a demonstration against a government plan to let single women andlesbians become pregnant with fertility treatments yesterday in Paris. — AFP

NEWCASTLE: Britain’s main opposition Labor Partyleader Jeremy Corbyn acknowledges the applause afterspeaking during a Labor party rally in Newcastle. — AFP

I n t e r n a t i o n a l Monday, October 7, 2019

9

Pope urges conservatives to be open to changes in the Church

GUWAHATI: Abanti Deka had no idea when she mar-ried her husband that taking his name would jeopard-ize her Indian citizenship. That was before authoritiesin the northeast Indian state of Assam, where she haslived all her life, launched a vast and highly contentiousexercise to register all its citizens as part of a cam-paign against illegal immigration.

When the register was published at the end ofAugust, the names of nearly 2 million of the state’sabout 33 million people were missing, plunging theminto a bureaucratic nightmare that human rightsexperts fear could render some stateless. Abanti wasone of the unlucky ones. “The notice came suddenly,”she told the Thomson Reuters Foundation at herlawyer’s office. “I don’t understand. I was born here, Ihave voted here before, but suddenly none of that mat-ters any more.” Resentment against illegal immigrantshas simmered for years in Assam, one of India’s poor-est states, with residents blaming outsiders for takingtheir jobs and land.

To be included on the register, residents had toproduce documents proving their families lived in Indiabefore March 24, 1971, when hundreds of thousands ofpeople began fleeing conflict across the border in whatis now Bangladesh. Lawyers and campaigners dealingwith such cases say they present particular challengesfor women. About one in three women in Assam is illit-erate - a higher proportion than for men - and manymarry young, moving away from home and losingaccess to any documents that might prove their origins.

They also take their husbands’ names, a move thathas complicated things further for many marriedwomen in a region where family names are markers ofethnic and religious affiliation. “The women have hadto pay a higher price,” said Tanya Laskar, a lawyerworking on such cases. “They have struggled the hard-est to get relevant documents and many failed becausethey were child brides or the family did not put theirnames on a land document because women are notentitled to property in many homes.”

PressureIndia is expected to face pressure at a major inter-

governmental meeting in Geneva on Monday to assessprogress in a global decade-long campaign aimed ateradicating statelessness by 2024. On Wednesday, theUN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandiexpressed concerns that the Assam exercise couldresult in some people being made stateless. There arean estimated 10-15 million stateless people worldwidewho are not recognized as nationals of any countryand are deprived of basic rights most people take forgranted such as education and healthcare. Thoseexcluded from India’s register will have 120 days toprove their citizenship at hundreds of regional quasi-judicial bodies known as foreigners’ tribunals. If thatgoes against them, they can appeal all the way up toIndia’s Supreme Court.

‘Lonely battles’From land deeds to school leaving certificates, voter

lists and birth certificates, residents of Assam have hadto spend thousands of rupees to access their docu-ments from government offices. Laskar, who runsawareness campaigns on the process, said poorer fam-ilies often spent their limited resources on the men.

“In poor families, a woman’s right to justice comesat the end,” she said. “We have had women fainting inour awareness meetings because they are so worriedof what lies ahead. Many know that they will have tofight lonely battles.” Education is another factor, saidDigambar Narzary, head of the Nedan Foundation, ahuman rights charity that works in a remoteautonomous region inhabited mostly by tribal people.

“In many parts of the state, access to education forgirls has been a challenge,” she said. “Since theyhaven’t been to school or dropped out early, they donot have essential school leaving documents thatestablish one’s age and other details.” State authoritieshave not provided a breakdown of men and womenomitted from the register. But many married womenlike Abanti say they have been left off even thoughtheir siblings and parents were included. — Reuters

What’s in a name? India’s citizenship drive hits women hardest

Conservatives see heresy in synod’s working document

Bangladesh troops accused of raping a Rohingya girl DHAKA: The Bangladesh military said it has orderedan investigation after a Rohingya family in a refugeecamp accused army troops of raping a 12-year-oldgirl. The inquiry comes as around a million Rohingyain vast camps in Bangladesh face increasing hostilitytwo years after fleeing a military offensive inMyanmar. Mohammad Osman, an elder brother of thealleged victim, said three soldiers entered their shantyat the Nayapara Rohingya camp on Sunday eveningand sexually assaulted his sister.

“She was raped as one of them tightly held hermouth,” he told AFP by phone, referring to the borderdistrict where the refugee camps are located. Aspokesman of the Bangladesh Armed Forces,Lieutenant Colonel Abdullah ibn Zaid, said they wereinvestigating. “We have formed a probe committee toinvestigate the incident and find out the facts. If (theyare) found guilty, exemplary punishment will be giv-en,” ibn Zaid told AFP.

Doctor Shaheen Abdur Rahman said the girl wasexamined at the central hospital in Cox’s Bazar but herefused to comment on the findings due to courtrestrictions. A spokesman of the United Nations HighCommissioner for Refugees said they were also inves-tigating the incident. “We are aware of the reports. Insuch cases, individuals are entitled to medical, physi-cal and psychological support, as well as access todue process,” UNHCR spokesman Joseph Tripurasaid in a statement to AFP.

Tensions Tensions have risen in recent weeks with an

increasingly frustrated Bangladeshi governmentenacting several measures making life harder for therefugees. These include blocking mobile internet, con-fiscating SIM cards and mobile phones and filing hun-dreds of cases for illegally obtaining citizenship cards.UN experts have expressed “serious concerns” aboutthe restrictions. Last week Bangladesh’s home minis-ter said that barbed-wire fencing, guard towers andcameras would be erected around the Rohingyacamps, sparking criticism from rights groups.Checkpoints set up on the main highways leading tothe camps have stopped Rohingya and sent themback to the settlements when they try to travel to oth-er parts of Bangladesh. Hundreds of Rohingya foundelsewhere in the South Asian nation have also beendetained and returned to the camps. Authorities saythe internet ban was sparked by security fears afterthe Rohingya were blamed for the murder of a localpolitician and drug smuggling. — AFP

VATICAN CITY: Pope Francis appealed toconservatives yesterday not to be bound bythe status quo as he opened an assembly ofbishops to discuss the future of the RomanCatholic Church in the Amazon, including thepossibility of introducing married priests. At aMass in St Peter’s Basilica opening the synod,Francis also denounced past and presentforms of colonialism and said some of thefires that devastated forests in Brazil in recentmonths were set by special interest groups.

In his sermon, Francis said some Churchleaders risked becoming “bureaucrats, notshepherds”, and urged them to have thecourage of rekindling what he called the fireof God’s gift by being open to change. “Ifeverything continues as it was, if we spendour days content that ‘this is the way thingshave always been done’, then the gift van-ishes, smothered by the ashes of fear andconcern for defending the status quo,” hesaid. One of the most contentious topics ofthe synod, whose some 260 participantsare mostly bishops from the Amazon, iswhether to allow older married “provenmen” with families and a strong standing inlocal communities to be ordained as priestsin the Amazon.

This solution to the shortage of priests,backed by many South American bishops,would allow Catholics in isolated areas toattend Mass and receive the sacraments regu-larly. At least 85% of villages in the Amazon, avast region that spans eight countries and theFrench territory of Guiana - cannot celebrateMass every week. Some see a priest only oncea year. Conservative opponents fear it wouldbe a doctrinal Trojan horse that would thenspread to the entire Church in the West.

Heresy and error They have attacked the synod’s working

document as heretical, including what theysay is an implicit recognition of forms ofpaganism and pantheism practiced by indige-nous people, such as nature worship. Thethree-week synod will discuss spreading thefaith in the vast region, a greater role forwomen, environmental protection, climatechange, deforestation, indigenous people andtheir right to keep their land and traditions.

Bill Donohue, president of the US-basedCatholic League, a conservative group, drewcriticism for what was perceived as a conde-scending attitude toward native cultureswhen he said this week that a dilemma in the

Amazon was “how to respect the culture ofindigenous peoples while at the same timeacknowledging inherent deficiencies in it.”

A number of conservatives have tweetedtheir disapproval of a three-planting ceremo-ny in the Vatican on Thursday in which peoplefrom the Amazon used native symbols andgestures, such as blessing the earth. In hissermon, Francis said indigenous cultures hadto be respected. “When peoples and culturesare devoured without love and withoutrespect, it is not God’s fire but that of theworld. Yet how many times has God’s giftbeen imposed, not offered; how many timeshas there been colonization rather than evan-gelization!” he said.

The synod is taking place at a time when theAmazon is in the world spotlight because of thedevastating fires in Brazil. Francis implied thathe believed at least some of the fires wereintentionally set. “The fire set by interests thatdestroy, like the fire that recently devastatedAmazonia, is not the fire of the Gospel (whichis) fed by sharing, not by profits,” he said. Thesynod does not make decisions. Participantsvote on a final document and the pope willdecide which recommendations to integrateinto his future rulings. — Reuters

In Morocco, heroin addiction sweeps cannabis corridorTETOUAN: In a filthy squat in a beach town in northernMorocco, drug users inject and smoke heroin, a relativelyrecent scourge plaguing a region long known for cannabisand contraband. Rachid says he does nothing with his life,except heroin. “I shoot up four or five times a day,” the 34-year-old said, breathing raggedly. He shows his arms,scarred from a decade of injecting, before taking a sniff ofglue to “prolong the high”.

Half a dozen others are shooting up or smoking heroinalongside Rachid in the squat, located behind a police sta-tion in M’diq, a Mediterranean resort near the city ofTetouan. A dose of the powerful opiate they heat on alu-minum foil sells for between 2.8 and 6.5 euros ($3-7) for atenth of a gram. Every week, a team from the Associationfor the Fight Against AIDS (ALCS) comes to the squat tohand out syringes to prevent the spread of diseases likeHIV and hepatitis.

The sale and consumption of heroin is illegal inMorocco, but thanks to the efforts of ALCS in Tetouan, “it isvery rare that users are arrested for their own personal con-sumption”, said Dr Mohamed El Khammas. He runs the harmreduction program launched by ALCS in 2009, which com-bines awareness raising, distribution of materials like cleanneedles and screening. “The idea is not to moralize, but tohelp the user to reduce negative effects,” Khammas said.

Cannabis routesIn this region, known worldwide for its hashish pro-

duced in the Rif mountains, heroin use is a relatively recentdevelopment that is growing exponentially, experts say.“It’s a public health priority, especially as the heroin beingsold is very bad quality: it is mixed with talcum powder,paracetamol and glue,” Khammas said. The typical user isa “single man, aged 30-35 with little or no education whohas never worked or works on an occasional basis,”according to a 2014 report from the National Observatoryon Drugs and Addiction (ONDA). The northern urban cen-ters of Tetouan, Tangier and Nador are Morocco’s worstaffected areas.

The spread of heroin is facilitated by the “great popu-lation mobility” between southern Europe and northernMorocco, and the increased use of “well-establishedcannabis routes” by traffickers from Latin America tosmuggle cocaine and heroin to Europe, ONDA said. Thosedrug barons also barter heroin for cannabis in the Rif,according to ALCS staff. The number of heroin users inMorocco is unknown. According to ALCS, there are likelyseveral thousand heroin users in Tetouan alone, a city of380,000 people, which was once the seat of the Spanishadministration under the dictator Francisco Franco.

‘Rock bottom’ Hassna, a 46-year-old ALCS caseworker, distributes

clean drug paraphernalia from her backpack to usersgathered in the M’diq squat. “We urge them not to sharesyringes, we accompany them to health centers and we tryto convince them to take care of themselves,” she said.Rachid said he is “incapable of quitting”. But he does wantaccess to methadone: “That’s all we ask,” he said. This opi-oid substitute is distributed by addiction treatment centersin Tetouan, but in “insufficient amounts”, Rachid said.“Withdrawal is terrible, you have cramps, anxiety,” said hiscompanion Mohamed, a waxen-faced 24-year-old with asyringe buried in his tattooed arm.

Every evening, an ALCS medical vehicle is parked in adifferent location, with a doctor, nurse and field workerson hand. Once a week, the team parks near a cemeteryoverlooking Tetouan, a common spot for users. One ofthem, a 56-year-old named Said, said he “lost everything”because of heroin. “I am at rock bottom,” he said. “Thehardest part is on the social level,” 37-year-old Abdelilahsaid. “I lost 30 kilos because of this crap. When an oldfriend sees me in the street, he looks away.” — AFP

Kosovo votes amid pressure to reboot Serbia talks PRISTINA: Kosovo went to the polls yesterday in an elec-tion that could usher in new leadership at a time whenstalled talks with former war foe Serbia are a source ofinstability in Europe. Whoever takes the reins will beunder heavy pressure from the West to renew dialoguewith Belgrade, which still rejects the independence its for-mer province declared in 2008.

However, for many of Kosovo’s 1.8 million citizens, highunemployment, widespread corruption and poor health-care are more pressing concerns than the talks. “We needfreedom, a state governed by the rule of law, prosperity,economic development,” voter Mentor Nimani, 47 said inthe capital Pristina shortly after polling began at 0500GMT. For the past decade Kosovo has been dominated bymembers of the guerrilla forces who waged an insurgencyagainst Serbian repression in the late 1990s-a war thatcost 13,000 lives, mostly Kosovo Albanians.

Yesterday’s snap poll was called after then prime ministerRamush Haradinaj resigned in July to face questioning by aspecial court in The Hague investigating war crimes from thatera. Opposition parties hope to block him and other ex-fight-ers from regaining power by harnessing public frustrationwith the graft and poverty that have blighted Kosovo’s firstdecade of independence. Brussels and Washington will bewatching closely to see whether a change of power can thaw

the frozen dialogue and ease tensions. Kosovo needs Serbia-and its allies Russia and China-to accept its statehood so itcan get a seat in the United Nations. Serbia is also under pres-sure to make peace with Kosovo, so it can move forward withits EU accession process. But the EU-led talks have been at astandstill for nearly two years, with frequent diplomatic provo-cations souring efforts to build goodwill. Ahead of the vote,the US and four European countries made clear the polloffered an important “chance to urgently restart talks”.

‘Fed up’ with dialoguePolls will close at 1700 GMT, with official results not

expected until today. “I am fed up with this story of thedialogue” with Serbia, shop owner Salih Mehana, 39, toldAFP in Pristina. But analyst Krenar Shala expects the issueto top the agenda of any new government. “It is clear thatthe future government will focus almost its entire energyon the dialogue with Serbia and very little on the issuesdiscussed with the citizens during this election campaign,”he said. One of the core obstacles to resuming talks is the100-percent tariff that Haradinaj slapped on Serbiangoods a year ago. Having resisted heavy Western pressureto remove the tariff, the former commander is hoping vot-ers will reward his tough stance with re-election. All theother top candidates, however, have shown a willingness toreconsider the tariff for the sake of dialogue.

Kadri Veseli, leader of the PDK, which was part of theoutgoing coalition with now-rival Haradinaj, has con-demned the tariff move as “amateur”, and said he wouldhonor Washington’s calls to remove it. Opposition partycandidates Vjosa Osmani, from the centre-right LDK, andAlbin Kurti, from the left-wing and nationalistVetevendosje, also seem willing to lift the trade barrier toresume talks. — AFP

VATICAN CITY: A representative of one of the Amazon Rainforest’s ethnic groups walks past PopeFrancis as he takes part in a mass yesterday at St Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican, for the openingof the Special Assembly of the Synod of Bishops for the Pan-Amazon Region. — AFP

MDIQ: A Moroccan addict injects another with heroin in asquat behind a police station in the Moroccan city ofM’diq near Tetouan. — AFP

PRISTINA: Kosovo Albanians vote for the parliamentary election at a polling station in Pristina yesterday. — AFP

Monday, October 7, 2019

10A n a l y s i s

THE LEADING INDEPENDENTDAILY IN THE ARABIAN GULF

ESTABLISHED 1961

Founder and Publisher YOUSUF S. AL-ALYAN

Editor-in-ChiefABD AL-RAHMAN AL-ALYAN

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For US banks skittish about pot, proposal to ease worries

Most US banks shun people l ike HopeWiseman, who runs a dispensary that sellsmarijuana for medical use. But a bil l

designed to open up banking to those in the potindustry, such as herself, is sparking optimism as itmakes its way through Congress. Wiseman, whooperates a dispensary called Mary and Main, inCapitol Heights, Maryland, just outside Washington,serves patients who suffer from migraineheadaches, chronic illnesses or depression. Shefeels lucky to already have an account at a bank,but says she is at the facility’s mercy, since it couldclose it at any time.

Marijuana for medical use is legal in 33 states andthe US capital of Washington, 12 of which have alsolegalized it for recreational use. But under federallaw, pot is still classified as a hard drug, just likecocaine. Most banks fear being charged with moneylaundering if they work with people in the legal mar-ijuana industry. Wiseman’s bank is one of few thataccept merchants like her as customers. “We arecharged very high fees because the business is sospecial, and we are just subject to their mercy,” saidWiseman, who opened her dispensary last year.

Transactions are carried out mainly in cash, andwhen the money is deposited it takes several daysto show up in her account, making it difficult topay bills and employees’ wages. Wiseman’s debitcard only works with online transfers of cryptocurrency. The bank will not give her a credit card,deeming her a risk. And the bank can shut downher account over the slightest suspicion that atransaction is illegal.

A small step ahead This wariness on the part of the banks also

affects organizations that are regularly or occa-sionally involved with the marijuana industry. JennMichelle Pedini, head of development at NORML,one of the main organizations lobbying for legal-ization of marijuana, said she had problems withthe government when she helped a marijuana ven-dor set up a company under a consulting firm thatshe operates.

The pot industry is indeed booming, generatingmore than $10 billion a year in revenue which couldhit $56 billion by 2025, accord to pro-legalizationlobbies. But of the 11,000 banks and other lendersoperating in the United States, only 700 work withpeople in the marijuana sector, according toTreasury Department figures. Last week the Houseof Representatives passed a bill designed to protectpot industry professionals and associated compa-nies from running afoul of the federal government. Itnow goes to the Republican-controlled Senate.

Supporters of the SAFE Banking Act also sayit reduces the risk of burglary and violent rob-bery in an industry where cash is king. Critics ofthe bill say it gives drug cartels easier and less-monitored access to the financial sector. TannerDaniel, vice president for congressional relationsat the American Bankers Association (ABA),called the bill’s passage “a necessary incrementalstep forward.”

Taxing pot revenue “ABA is not taking a stance on legalization. 99

percent of members state that clarification is neededon the state and federal level,” Daniel said at arecent forum in Washington. Daniel added that 75percent of ABA members have closed the accountsof customers potentially tied to the pot industry.Republicans in the Senate tend to frown on use ofmarijuana. Michael Correia, of marijuana lobbyinggroup National Cannabis Industry Association, saidCongress “is not ready to debate the merits of legal-ization”. “Politicians have been waiting for thepolling and the public. It will be state, after state,after state, before the federal level,” Correia said.

That is what Thiru Vignarajah, a former deputyattorney general in Maryland and candidate formayor of Baltimore, wants to do - legalize pot in thecity, and hope the state eventually follows suit. Healso proposes taxing pot sales with a city-backedand -regulated crypto currency and using that mon-ey to invest heavily in education. Legalization wouldalso help in the fight against crime in Baltimore, oneof the most violent cities in America, he said. “Themurder rate is among the highest in the country. Thedrug war between gangs is fuelling the overwhelm-ing majority of it,” Vignarajah told AFP. He admitted,however, that pot is just part of the drug problemand legalizing it is no panacea. — AFP

With secret satellites, pricey messages abroad andclandestine file transfers, young Iraqis are cir-cumventing an Internet blackout aimed at sti-

fling several days of bloody protests in the capital andbeyond. Authorities restricted access to Facebook andWhatsApp after anti-government demonstrations beganon Tuesday, before ordering a total network shutdown onWednesday. The termination of Wi-Fi, 3G and 4G accessleft protestors with just regular phone calls and mobilemessages - a few notable exceptions aside.

Ahmad, 29, works at an Internet service provider thathelped implement the government’s shutdown, but still hasinternet access at its headquarters. “I go to the protests inthe morning and shoot video on my phone, then use theinternet at work to upload them to Facebook or send themto media outside Iraq,” he said, using a fake name for fearof retribution or legal action by the government. Protesterssay the Internet outage is an attempt to suppress reportsof security forces using indiscriminate force including teargas, live rounds and water cannons.

Ahmad showed AFP footage he planned to send tointernational media later that evening - shots could beheard fired across a mostly-empty street in Baghdad as heand fellow protesters took cover behind a concrete barrier.“Friends are even giving me the footage they shoot onflash drives so everyone outside Iraq can see what’s hap-

pening here,” he said. Before Tuesday, many Iraqis hadtaken to Facebook and Instagram to call for initial protestsagainst a range of grievances: unemployment, mass gov-ernment corruption, nepotism, poor public services, andmore. Images of young men and women marching towardsthe emblematic Tahrir Square flooded social media the firstday, using the hashtag #save_Iraqi_people.

When restrictions on Facebook began, Iraqis actedquickly; many downloaded virtual private network (VPN)applications. Others even began surreptitiously postingthe details of the next protests in the comments section ofCinemana, a popular streaming service in Iraq. But thoseavenues were shut off by the systemic shutdown. Thosethat could afford to therefore erected costly satellites ontheir rooftops to get a window into the outside world.

‘Follow the gunfire’ Nearly 100 people have died in the demonstrations

since Tuesday, most of them protesters but also personnelfrom the security forces, according to authorities. “They’retrying to fight us not just with arms, but with this black-out,” said 31-year-old protester Osama Mohammad. “Weused to check the different neighborhoods’ Facebookpages to know where to go for protests. Now we just fol-low the sound of gunfire,” Mohammad told AFP. “If theycut off regular phone lines, we’ll be completely blind,” he

noted. For 25-year-old women’s rights activist Rasha, tak-ing to the streets carries too much risk, but she says shehas found a different way to get involved. Every day, hermale friends text her dozens of updates from protestsquares across the country, which she then texts andphones through to friends in the United Arab Emirates andEurope. “I’m an intermediary. I can’t protest myself so thisis the least I can do,” she said, telling AFP the phone creditshe buys has cost her around $100 per day for the lastthree days.

Rasha, who comes from Baghdad, is also saving videosand other unpublished material from one of the firstprotests that turned violent. She attended that initialdemonstration. “They think we’ll forget they fired at us,they think people won’t know. But I’ve got the videos andI’ll publish everything I saw that day the minute the inter-net comes back,” she said. Jaafar Raad, an unemployed29-year-old Iraqi who has frequently protested, is alsostoring dozens of images and videos to release once theblackout is lifted. He even records voice notes from theprotests themselves in applications like WhatsApp andFacebook, so that the audio messages will automaticallysend to friends abroad and international media outlets assoon as the Internet returns. “People must know what hap-pened to us. This is so we can hold those behind the vio-lence accountable,” he said. — AFP

An Iraqi protester waves the national flag during a demonstration against state corruption, failing public services, and unemployment in Baghdad on Saturday. — AFP

Innovative Iraqis illuminate protest violence

Yovanovitch latest casualty of Trump war on diplomats

The treatment of US Ambassador Marie Yovanovitch- disparaged by President Donald Trump andabruptly recalled from Ukraine - exemplifies what

current and former US officials describe as a campaign byTrump against career diplomats. A veteran diplomat whohas led the US embassies in Armenia, Kyrgyzstan andUkraine, Yovanovitch’s stint as ambassador in Kiev wascut short when she was recalled to Washington in May asTrump allies leveled unsubstantiated charges of disloyaltyand other allegations against her.

Former Deputy Secretary of State Bill Burns, a careerforeign service officer who served in top diplomatic postsunder Republican and Democratic presidents, describedher treatment as part of a wider “campaign within andagainst the department.” “There is a quite reckless anddangerous effort underway not only to sideline careerexpertise but to sideline the department as an institution,”said Burns, author of “The Back Channel,” a memoir of hiscareer that calls for a renewal of US diplomacy.

Yovanovitch is now embroiled in the Democratic-ledHouse of Representatives’ inquiry into whether Trumpshould be impeached for pressing his Ukrainian counter-part, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, to investigate unsubstantiatedcorruption charges against Democratic political rival JoeBiden and Biden’s son, Hunter. She has agreed to give adeposition to congressional committees on Oct 11.

Trump has denied pressuring Zelenskiy and defendedhis request to the Ukrainian president, tweeting onThursday that he has an “absolute right” to ask other coun-tries to investigate corruption “to help us out.” Describedby colleagues as a consummate professional, Yovanovitchin March became the target of allegations - vehementlydenied by the State Department - that she gave a Ukrainianprosecutor a list of people not to prosecute.

Trump allies called for her removal, accusing her ofcriticizing the president to foreign officials, somethingcurrent and former colleagues found inconceivable.Trump’s personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, alleged that sheblocked efforts to persuade Ukraine to investigate theBidens. Trump himself, according to a White House sum-mary, described her as “bad news” to Zelenskiy in a July25 call in which he sought Zelinskiy’s help to investigateJoe and Hunter Biden, a former board member of aUkrainian gas company.

“She’s going to go through some things,” Trumpadded. “There is the particularly pernicious practice ofgoing after individual career officers, either because they

worked on controversial issues in the last administration,or as in the case of Masha Yovanovitch, a terrific apoliti-cal career diplomat who was doing her job extraordinari-ly well, were attacked, deeply unfairly, for political rea-sons,” Burns said. “We have career people who did theirjobs, followed their instructions, served their country loy-ally, and they are being treated as pawns in a politicalstruggle,” said a senior US diplomat who spoke on con-dition of anonymity. The State Department did not imme-diately respond to a request for comment.

Pompeo has tried to improve morale at the StateDepartment. Last year, he nearly doubled promotions oftop American diplomats as he sought to restore ties witha workforce alienated by his predecessor, Rex Tillerson.However, current and former officials say Trump’s push tomarginalize career diplomats can be seen in his proposedroughly 30% State Department budget cuts, his appoint-ment of the highest proportion of political ambassadorsin modern history and his drastic reduction in the numberof career officials with confirmed posts as assistant sec-retaries of state and higher. As a result, there are fewertop jobs in Washington or abroad available for the mostsenior US diplomats. The State Department has beenwhipsawed by major policy decisions abruptlyannounced by Trump over Twitter. These include a 2018suspension of security aid to Pakistan and a breakoff oftalks in September with the Taliban on a US troop with-drawal from Afghanistan. — Reuters

Is the Lebanese pound at risk of devaluation?

Fears of a monetary devaluation in Lebanon, where theexchange rate has been fixed for more than twodecades, are on the increase following a dollar shortage

and the downgrading of the country’s sovereign credit rating.

Why the panic? Panic has gripped Lebanon in recent weeks when it

became nearly impossible to withdraw dollars from ATMsor to change large sums in banks. Since 1997, when theexchange rate was fixed at 1,500 Lebanese pounds to thedollar, the greenback has been used interchangeably withLebanese pounds in everyday transactions. That measurewas adopted after several rounds of devaluations in the1980s and after Lebanon 1975-1990 civil war.

But on the parallel market, exchange rates reached 1,600Lebanese pounds to the dollar in September. This deprecia-tion and banking restrictions prompted calls for strikes,notably from gas station owners who receive pounds butwould have to pay suppliers in dollars. The action was calledoff under a deal allowing payments in dollars.

After initially denying a dollar shortage, the centralbank blamed the fluctuating exchange rate on increasedimports, which observers say could be partly due to smug-gling to neighboring war-torn Syria. But Lebanese econo-mist Jad Chaaban points to a decision by banking authori-

ties to control the flow of capital, including central bank“oversight to limit anyone exchanging dollars in banks, butalso withdrawing large dollar amounts”.

Why did agencies downgrade Lebanon? The original rationale for banking restrictions was wor-

ry over revised ratings to Lebanon by the three majorinternational credit agencies. On Tuesday, Moody’sannounced it had put Lebanon’s credit rating “underobservation” with the possibility of a downgrade withinthree months. The agency downgraded Lebanon from “B3”to “Caa1” in January, signalling “a very high credit risk”.

In August, Fitch downgraded Lebanon from “B-” to“CCC”, a category for countries where there is a “realpossibility” of default. Standard & Poor’s (S&P) keptLebanon’s “B-/B” rating but with a negative outlook,meaning it could slide over the next year, the agency’sassociate director of sovereign ratings Zahabia Gupta toldAFP. The Lebanese economy has suffered for years fromlow growth and a public debt swelling to around $86 bil-lion. At roughly 150 percent of gross domestic product,this is one of the highest rates worldwide. In a countrywhere the political class is often accused of corruption andracketeering, analysts say trust in Lebanon’s system ofgovernance is being tested. For the past year, Beirut hasbeen trying to introduce economic reforms in order tounlock pledges of $11.6 billion in loans and grants from theinternational community. This crucial aid has not beenreleased due to delays in implementing reforms.

Is the risk of devaluation real? Despite the worry, “there is no real risk today of a

devaluation”, according to economist Nassib Ghobril. Thecentral bank “has the necessary tools” to maintain mone-

tary stability, said the chief economist at Byblos Bank.These tools include sufficient foreign currency reserves toallow the bank to buy and sell currency to maintain therate of the Lebanese pound.

At the end of September, foreign reserves reached$38.5 billion, an increase of over $2 billion since June,according to official figures, about four times the amountthe country had in reserve in 2005. Another positive indi-cator for analysts are deposit inflows that can replenishforeign currency reserves. The central bank’s inflowsincreased over three consecutive months between Juneand August, according to Marwan Barakat, chief econo-mist at Bank Audi. But observers remain cautious. Theincrease in deposit inflows and central bank reserves “areprimarily linked to the (central bank’s) financial engineer-ing and other one-off transactions and may not be sus-tained”, warned S&P’s Gupta. — AFP

Lebanese protesters chant slogans during a demonstrationin central Beirut’s Martyr Square yesterday over increas-ingly difficult living conditions, amid fears of a dollarshortage and possible price hikes. — AFP

As factories falter, White House insists economy like ‘a rock’

New 2020 Nissan Patrol arrives in Kuwait

KFH Group participates in Sibos 2019 conference in London1412 13

Established 1961

MONDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2019 Business

Zain KSA launches region’s largest 5G networkFirst phase of 5G services provided through network of 2,000 towers across 20 Saudi citiesRIYADH: Zain Group announcesthat its operation in Saudi Arabiahas launched 5G commercialservices, with the first phase ofthe rollout being implementedthrough a network of 2,000 tow-ers that cover an area of morethan 20 cities in the Kingdom.This launch follows the launch of5G services in Kuwait and is thelargest 5G network deployment inthe region to date. It will be fol-lowed by a gradual expansion ofthe network to cover a total of 26Saudi cities utilizing 2,600 towersby the end of 2019.

5G is regarded as a majorglobal breakthrough in the fieldof digital technology, and itsimplementation in Saudi Arabiais expected to contributetowards realizing the digitaltransformation goals specified inthe Saudi Vision 2030. ZainKSA’s launch of 5G services willspeed up the roll-out of thisadvanced technology and itsapplications, offering high-speedmobile internet connectivity tousers across the Kingdom.

Commenting on this significantmilestone, Zain Vice Chairman &Group CEO, & Zain KSA ViceChairman, Bader Al-Kharafi said,“5G will bring substantial changefor the Kingdom’s telecom indus-try, creating new business modelsand unlocking opportunities formany sectors such as financial,ICT, agricultural, tourism, enter-tainment, automotive, health, edu-cation and public sectors, to namea few. The technology is alsoexpected to contribute signifi-cantly to the country’s economy,creating thousands of new jobs.”

He continued, “Zain KSA willcontinue to enhance its servicesand launch innovative offeringsthat guarantee satisfaction for its8.3 million customers. We arekeen to offer 5G services to allbusiness and individual clientsthrough various service packagesat competitive rates.”

Al-Kharafi concluded, “Weremain committed to invest furtherin infrastructure and develop ourservices to be on par with global

digital technology advancementsand offer remarkable new servicesto support the 5G network’s capa-bilities and coverage.”

The 5G service will provideprepaid and post-paid customerswith high-speed internet connec-tivity 10 times faster than the cur-rent 4G network. It will also allowcustomers to utilize advanceddigital solutions and technologies,including virtual and augmentedreality, Automated SystemOperations, 3D printing, androbotics, in addition to enablingthem to enjoy their preferredentertainment content and videogames with ease. 5G services willprovide a great research oppor-tunity for students and profes-sionals in the artificial intelligenceand virtual reality disciplines, aswell as opening up new fronts foradvancing various Big Data serv-ices in the Kingdom including IoTand smart services such as self-driving vehicles and smart citygrids. Additionally, issuing elec-tronic visas and other similarFourth Industrial Revolution tech-nologies including IoT and digitalpayments will be accessiblethrough the upgraded network.Zain KSA is eager to support theKingdom’s mega government ini-tiatives and projects that are theresult of an ambitious Saudivision to position the Kingdom asa digital and innovation pioneer.In this context, Zain KSA hasrecently inaugurated its 5G net-work at the Neom Bay Airport, anarea regarded as Saudi Arabia’sfuturistic gateway. The telecomprovider also showcased someimpressive technologies the 5Gnetwork will enable during theinauguration ceremony of theKingdom’s new “welcome theworld” tourist visa.

Zain KSA benefits greatly fromthe expertise of its parent compa-ny Zain Group, one of the mostinnovative telecom companies inthe region. The Group supportsZain KSA to be a leader in thesector and drive technology inno-vation in the Kingdom forward.

Zain Vice Chairman & Group CEO & Zain KSA Vice Chairman Bader Al-Kharafi

Bader Al-Kharafi: 5G will bring substantial change for

the Kingdom’s telecom industry, creating new business

models and unlocking opportunities for many sectors

LONDON: British companies are ramp-ing up preparat ions ahead of Brexit ,spearheaded by the food and drink sec-tors stockpiling extra ingredients andbottles. “Get ready for Brexit” is the UKgovernment’s slogan ahead of the nation’sscheduled departure from the EuropeanUnion on October 31. Billboards up anddown the country are carrying the mes-sage as part of a state-funded advertisingcampaign that a lso features leaf lets ,online information and a roadshow wherebusinesses can further seek advice.

“We are preparing for the potentialimpact of the UK’s departure from theEuropean Union by building stocks of keyingredients and equipment that could beaffected by disruption to the f low ofgoods into the UK,” bakery chain Greggssaid this week, addressing customer con-cerns that they could struggle to get holdof its famed sausage rolls. The govern-ment’s own forecasts show Britain poten-tially running out of food and vital medi-cine-and seeing riots on the streets in theevent of a ‘no-deal’ Brexit.

The problems stem from decades ofinterdependence that saw goods and serv-ices to flow freely and without customschecks. Businesses fear that even briefborder inspections would plug up traderoutes and grind their operations to a halt.

“The big problem is that there is still,unbel ievably, such uncertainty,” saidRosalind Sharpe from the Centre for FoodPolicy Research at City, University of

London. “Companies really don’t knowwhat will happen and in that situationthey have to plan as best they can,” saidSharpe, who has studied the impact ofBrexit on Britain’s food supply.

“Steps have been taken but it’s beyonddoubt that i f we leave on October 31without a deal there will be chaos at theports, there will be shortages,” she said.Bank of England governor Mark Carneylast month acknowledged “improvementsin preparedness” but st i l l forecast ashortfall in British GDP of 5.5 percent inthe event of no-deal.

The government ’s ‘Get ready forBrexit’ campaign includes advice on theexporting and importing of goods andservices, as well as on the movement ofgoods between Ireland and NorthernIreland.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson’sfresh Brexit deal proposals this week areaimed at preserving a free-flowing borderbetween British-run Northern Ireland andthe Republic of Ireland in the EuropeanUnion. However, the EuropeanParliament’s Brexit steering group havesaid that the proposals do not “representthe basis for an agreement”.

At UK-based Daniel Lambert Wines,bottles from around the globe are beingstockpiled at a greater rate. “Normally wewould have a four-month (inventory).Now it is at about six months,” ownerDaniel Lambert said. — AFP

British firms in last Brexit stretch

In this file photo, lorries queue up at the port of Dover on the south coast of England. British companies are ramping up preparations ahead of Brexit,spearheaded by the food and drink sectors stockpiling extra ingredients and bottles. — AFP

B u s i n e s s Monday, October 7, 2019

12

As factories falter, White House insists economy like ‘a rock’

Auto plants, steel mills shut down while companies lay off staff

AL-MUZAINI EXCHANGE CO.

EUROPEAN & AMERICAN COUNTRIES

US Dollar Transfer 304.650Euro 338.010Sterling Pound 379.290Canadian dollar 230.800Turkish lira 54.890Swiss Franc 309.600US Dollar Buying 297.250

ASIAN COUNTRIESJapanese Yen 2.849Indian Rupees 4.304Pakistani Rupees 1.961Srilankan Rupees 1.674Nepali Rupees 2.681Singapore Dollar 222.700Hongkong Dollar 38.849Bangladesh Taka 3.593Philippine Peso 5.887Thai Baht 10.033Malaysian ringgit 77.916

GCC COUNTRIESSaudi Riyal 81.294Qatari Riyal 83.730Omani Riyal 791.813Bahraini Dinar 809.490UAE Dirham 83.000

ARAB COUNTRIESEgyptian Pound - Cash 21.100Egyptian Pound - Transfer 18.674

DOLLARCO EXCHANGE CO. LTD

BAHRAIN EXCHANGE COMPANY WLL

Yemen Riyal/for 1000 1.224Tunisian Dinar 110.780Jordanian Dinar 430.140Lebanese Lira/for 1000 0.203Syrian Lira 0.000Morocco Dirham 32.341

Rate for Transfr Selling Rate

US Dollar 304.740Canadian Dollar 230.725Sterling Pound 375.885Euro 333.495Swiss Frank 307.075Bahrain Dinar 810.415UAE Dirhams 83.370Qatari Riyals 84.610Saudi Riyals 82.160Jordanian Dinar 431.105Egyptian Pound 18.729Sri Lankan Rupees 1.672Indian Rupees 4.308Pakistani Rupees 1.949Bangladesh Taka 3.609Philippines Pesso 5.872Cyprus pound 18.130Japanese Yen 3.815Syrian Pound 1.595Nepalese Rupees 2.697Malaysian Ringgit 73.635Chinese Yuan Renminbi 43.065

CURRENCY BUY SELL

EUROPEBritish Pound 0.369334 0.383234Czech Korune 0.004992 0.014292Danish Krone 0.040776 0.045776Euro 0.327497 0.341197Georgian Lari 0.121580 0.121580Hungarian 0.001148 0.001338Norwegian Krone 0.029467 0.034667Romanian Leu 0.065299 0.082149Russian ruble 0.004581 0.004581Slovakia 0.009111 0.019111Swedish Krona 0.026993 0.031923Swiss Franc 0.300000 0.311000

AustralasiaAustralian Dollar 0.198382 0.210382New Zealand Dollar 0.186704 0.196204

AmericaCanadian Dollar 0.223620 0.232620US Dollars 0.300550 0.305850US Dollars Mint 0.301050 0.305850

AsiaBangladesh Taka 0.002934 0.003735

Chinese Yuan 0.041250 0.044750Hong Kong Dollar 0.036968 0.039118Indian Rupee 0.003648 0.004420Indonesian Rupiah 0.000017 0.000023Japanese Yen 0.002772 0.002952Korean Won 0.000244 0.000259Malaysian Ringgit 0.069065 0.075065Nepalese Rupee 0.002627 0.002967Pakistan Rupee 0.001342 0.002112Philippine Peso 0.005680 0.005989Singapore Dollar 0.215701 0.225701Sri Lankan Rupee 0.001320 0.001900Taiwan 0.009705 0.009885Thai Baht 0.009676 0.010226Vietnamese Dong 0.000013 0.000013

ArabBahraini Dinar 0.801935 0.810001Egyptian Pound 0.018653 0.022013Iranian Riyal 0.000084 0.000086Iraqi Dinar 0.000214 0.000274Jordanian Dinar 0.424785 0.433785Kuwaiti Dinar 1.000000 1.000000Lebanese Pound 0.000157 0.000257Moroccan Dirhams 0.021219 0.045219Omani Riyal 0.786166 0.704074Qatar Riyal 0.083024 0.083860Saudi Riyal 0.080153 0.081453Syrian Pound 0.001292 0.001512Tunisian Dinar 0.102593 0.110593Turkish Lira 0.046512 0.056357UAE Dirhams 0.082311 0.083139Yemeni Riyal 0.000990 0.001070

Thai Bhat 10.935Turkish Lira 54.365Singapore dollars 220.536

EXCHANGE RATES

WASHINGTON: After a brief surge during his firstyears in office, and despite his lofty promises, theAmerican manufacturing rebound has begun to crumbleunder President Donald Trump.

Auto plants and steel mil ls are shutt ing down.Companies are announcing layoffs and furloughs.Factory output is in the red. The year-end outlook isgrim, whipping up fears that as the global economyslows, Trump’s trade wars with China and Europe-withtariffs on hundreds of billions of dollars of goods-couldpush the world’s largest economy over the edge andinto recession.

Most worrisome for the president, as he prepares tofight for a second term next year, the picture is darkest inregions of the country that gave him his paper-thin mar-gin of victory in 2016, despite losing the popular votenationwide.

The White House, for its part, is having none of thistalk. Throughout September-as job creation slowed, keyindicators fell, consumer confidence waned and factoriesspun down-Trump attacked Democrats and the FederalReserve, anything but his trade policy, while accusing thenews media of “begging” for a recession. “The PMI man-ufacturers’ index has gone substantially up,” Trump saidduring a September 25 news conference. “Our country isthe strongest it’s ever been economically.”

Not so. In fact, the most closely watched gauge ofAmerican factories’ health-the Institute for SupplyManagement’s manufacturing index-had just fallen intothe red in August for the first time in three years. And aweek after Trump spoke, it fell to the lowest level sincethe Great Recession.

Tim Fiore, chair of the ISM manufacturing survey, toldAFP the dropoff this year was the steepest in this centu-ry. “It’s like a nosedive,” he said, warning that recessionrisks were mounting. “I think if we stay below 50 for acouple more months, it’s not going to feel very good.”

Pain in Mercer County, PA As of August, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, North Carolina

and Michigan had fewer people working in manufactur-ing than they did at the end of 2018, according to LaborDepartment data. Trump’s 2016 margin of victory inPennsylvania, Wisconsin and Michigan-crucial battle-ground states-was fewer than 78,000 votes out of nearly14 million cast. But in an irate television appearance,Trump’s senior trade advisor Peter Navarro accused thenews media of “singing some song” about a weakeningeconomy. “This Trump economy is strong as a rock.Manufacturing is strong as a rock,” he said in a tirade onCNBC. He said highlighting Pennsylvania’s job losses wasmerely “cherry-picking the data.” But there are quite afew cherries to pick.

Louisiana’s Democratic Governor John Bel Edwardson September 30 blamed Trump’s trade wars for thebankruptcy of Bayou Steel, which put nearly 400 peopleout of work. In Michigan’s Oceana County, whereRepublican support surged in the 2016 elections, a steelfoundry operated by train manufacturer Wabtecannounced last month it would close by the end of theyear and lay off 61 workers due to “declining businessconditions.” Earlier in the summer, Russian-operatedNLMK USA steel mill laid off almost 100 employees inbellwether Mercer County, Pennsylvania, blamingTrump’s tariffs on the imported steel slabs it processes.Congressman Mike Kelly, a Trump supporter, pleadedwith the White House for help to no avail.

Mercer County gave Trump a major boost in 2016,with a surging Republican vote tally helping put him overthe top statewide.

Red areas in the red Across the nation, the manufacturing slump is hitting

Republican counties hardest, according to data from theBrookings Institution. And in battleground states, the

picture is even more stark. In the Wisconsin andMichigan counties that Trump won, manufacturingaccounts for about one in every five jobs. In theDemocratic areas, it only accounts for about one in 10.“To the extent that the economy shapes political behav-ior-which it may not at this stage because we’re so deepinto the tribal stalemate-this slowing maybe inconven-ient” for Trump, said Mark Muro, a senior fellow atBrookings. Olive McKeithan, Democratic mayor of Farrell,Pennsylvania, home of the NLMK steel mill, told AFP thelayoffs were a major blow to her city’s voters and tax

base. She blamed Trump and his tariffs. “Everyone whovoted for No. 45, I hope they are happy,” she said.

But Matthew McConnell, the Republican chairman ofthe Mercer County board of commissioners who is him-self a former steel worker, said support for Trump wasundiminished. “If you had the election today, you wouldhave even larger support for Trump,” he said. ChallengingChina’s unfair trade practices was a necessity, he added.“He had no ill will toward NLMK employees but, being abusiness guy, you sometimes have to make decisions forthe betterment of the majority.” — AFP

The engine and drive train are pictured with the body on the assembly line at the General Motors (GM) manufactur-ing plant in Spring Hill, Tennessee. — Reuters

CBK launches its new websiteKUWAIT: The Central Bank of Kuwait (CBK) is launchingits new website featuring a revamped design and utilizingthe latest technological developments. It also aims to

strengthen communications with the public through allmedia and communication channels available.

The new website comes with an array of improvementsto content, readability, ease and speed of search, effortlessaccess to pages and menus, refreshed information andintuitive display of related content. It is also optimized formobile devices, and the design reflects the corporate iden-tity of the CBK. The CBK shall continue to adopt the latestsystems and technologies to enhance efficiency.

Who’s betting against the pound? FX markets enter political frayLONDON: Britain’s opposition parties are hitting out atcurrency speculators betting against the pound while alsobankrolling the leadership campaign of pro-Brexit PrimeMinister Boris Johnson.

However, allegations of conflicts of interest are difficultto prove in the highly globalised and largely unregulatedforeign exchange (FX) markets. John McDonnell, the mainopposition Labour Party’s finance spokesman, warned thatJohnson’s supporters could be pressing the prime ministerfor a no-deal Brexit in order to benefit their currency mar-ket positions. He told MPs on Monday that some traderswere “gambling on the country’s failure” and accusedJohnson’s ruling Conservatives of receiving hundreds ofthousands of pounds “from individuals who back a no-dealBrexit, many involved in hedge funds”.

Backed by the Liberal Democrats, McDonnell hasdemanded an inquiry and wrote to Cabinet SecretaryMark Sedwill, Britain’s top civil servant, to outline his con-cerns. Former finance minister Philip Hammond, a staunchopponent of Britain leaving the European Union without adivorce agreement, has also expressed his concerns overpotential currency trades related to no deal.

The government has dismissed the concerns as “myths”and refused to open an investigation or comment on indi-vidual Tory donors. “We do not accept there is anyprospect of a conflict of interest,” Simon Clarke, a financeminister, told the House of Commons in response toMcDonnell.

Among those implicated in the allegations is CrispinOdey, a wealthy hedge fund manager who is a leadingbacker of a no-deal Brexit and Johnson. He donated£10,000 to Johnson’s Conservative leadership campaignand has given almost £900,000 to pro-Brexit campaignsin the past, according to British media reports. Odey toldThe Guardian on Monday that claims his support wasmotivated by an opportunity to make millions from short-selling British companies and the pound was “absoluterubbish”. “We are trading currencies all the time, long andshort,” he said.

Short-selling The pound has lost around 15 percent of its value since

the Brexit vote more than three years ago. At the begin-ning of September, it fell back to levels not seen since1985, aside from its dramatic post-referendum drop in2016. The accusations in Westminster centre on “short-selling” of the currency.

This sees traders borrow and sell assets in the hope ofthen buying them back at a lower price and pocketing thedifference between the old price and the new one.

Foreign exchange markets have always been highlyspeculative: US billionaire George Soros made his fortuneby betting against the pound in the early 1990s, and hasrecently funded efforts to bring about another referendumon Britain’s EU membership. And anti-EU populist NigelFarage, a former commodities trader, was accused of usingthe 2016 referendum to fuel speculation on the pound-something he has denied. Before the official announcementof the results, he sent the pound spiking by conceding thelikely defeat of his pro-Brexit camp. Hours later, the“Leave” side’s victory sent the British currency crashing.

However, experts say the sheer weight of the foreignexchange market-where more than $5 trillion is tradeddaily-makes it hard for individuals to have a big impact.“It’s going to be super difficult to move the market,” YuvalMillo, an accounting professor at Warwick BusinessSchool, told AFP. Marcin Kacperczyk, at Imperial CollegeLondon, agreed, noting it was “a different time” whenSoros was able to speculate so successfully on the poundin the 1990s. — AFP

In this file photo British one pound sterling coins and one Eurocoins are arranged in front of a British ten pound sterling notefor a photograph in London. — AFP

B u s i n e s s Monday, October 7, 2019

13

New 2020 Nissan Patrol arrives in KuwaitWith premium design and new advanced technologies,

Nissan SUV flagship delivers even higher levels of comfort, safety and connectivity

KUWAIT: Abdulmohsen Abdulaziz Al-BabtainCompany (AABC), the authorized dealer ofNissan vehicles in the State of Kuwait, recent-ly unveiled the new 2020 Nissan Patrol at itsAl-Rai showroom. The much-anticipatedmodel comes with its enhancements that offercustomers even higher levels of sophistication,comfort, safety and connectivity.

The Nissan Patrol 2020 Launch wasattended by Al-Babtain Group CEO Saleh Al-Babtain and The Chairman Khaled Al-Babtain,the ICONIC SUV was unveiled in the midst ofits media partners and senior delegates fromAl-Babtain Group and Nissan Middle East.Revealing the transition of the iconic modelacross six generations, the attendees experi-enced the journey of each model and its her-itage through the respective displays.

The new Patrol features striking newdesign, enhanced luxury features and the lat-est advanced Nissan Intelligent Mobility tech-nologies. At the same time, the new NissanPatrol retains its exceptional on- and off-road“Go Anywhere” capabilities and class-leadingpower.

The Nissan Patrol is the icon of Nissan’sSUV heritage, loved by generations of loyalcustomers since it first debuted in 1951.Known for its durability, reliability, premiumdesign, safety, comfort features andunmatched all-terrain performance, the Patrolremains the flagship of Nissan’s extensive 4x4lineup. The car holds a special place in thehearts and minds of Middle Eastern customerswho value performance even in the toughestof conditions, a key attribute of the Patrol.

Abdulmohsen Abdulaziz Al-BabtainCompany Automotive GM - Laurent Pernetsaid, “2019 represents a significant year in theGroup’s history, Al-Babtain Group celebratedseven decades of presence in the automotiveindustry in Kuwait, signifying a symbol ofstrength and dedication in its business per-formance and keenness on their customers’service and satisfaction. Today, represents animportant phase for us as we present thereborn of an icon, the new 2020 Nissan Patrol.The Patrol has been a loyal and integral com-panion to Al Babtain Group since the initialdays of its existence: it was first introduced inKuwait more than 60 years ago and after 6different generations, Nissan Patrol becomesagain an indisputable reference in the Kuwaitimarket. It offers the right balance of powerand performance for adventure seekers andthose in search of luxurious experiences whiledriving in the city.”

“In 2015, Al-Babtain Group opened thefirst ever Patrol Service Center here in Kuwait,to ensure the quickest and optimal qualityservice to the Hero of all Terrains owners andto meet the growing demand for this success-ful model in Kuwait. The service centerincludes state-of-the-art equipment, Nissan’soriginal spare parts and advanced cleaningfacilities. In 2018, we went a step further, bydedicating 3 locations in our Patrol quickservice so we can service Patrols in less than60 minutes. Dedication to work, quality, andcustomer satisfaction is the foundation of Al-Babtain Group’s strategy,” added LaurentPernet.

Engineered from the wheels up to tacklethe most demanding driving conditions on theplanet, over the years the Nissan Patrol hasmore than earned its reputation. Patrol canprovide the same outstanding level of comfortcruising on the highway in Kuwait or negoti-ating rocky mountain terrain.

The Patrol has established itself as one ofthe most capable vehicles around, with out-standing driving performance, best-in-classengines and advanced Hydraulic Body MotionControl. With that as a starting point for thenew 2020 Patrol, Nissan took all of the

aspects of a vehicle that already providedowners with top level comfort, safety andconfidence behind the wheel - and made itever better.

With an increasing popularity, the Patrol’sruggedly stylish appearance and all-conquer-ing performance has led the model to becomean inseparable part of the social and culturalfabric of Kuwait.

Signature design changes for the newPatrol include Nissan’s V-motion grille, inter-preted in a new way for SUVs. Along with thenew boomerang-shaped LED headlights, theredesigned grille highlights the Patrol’s strong,angular front. At the rear, the Patrol’s new tail-lights also sport the boomerang shape. Theyare seamlessly integrated along with a largechrome nameplate and sequential rear turnindicators, which have been added for the firsttime on a Nissan vehicle.

Inside, a new center console incorporatesdual displays featuring Apple CarPlay andAndroid Auto. This ensures customers arealways connected and can make the most oftheir smartphones.

New diamond-stitch quilted leather seatswith added padding provide a luxurious feel,as does the new hand-stitched steering wheel.Climate control and powered lumbar supportare optionally available for the front seats.Significant reductions in noise and vibrationresult in a quieter, more pleasant cabin.Improved cooling and air flow distributionsystems lead to quicker cooling, ideal in hotclimates.

The new Nissan Patrol also stands out forits extensive suite of advanced safety andsecurity technologies. In addition to theNissan Intelligent Mobility technologiesalready available, the new Patrol comes withIntelligent Emergency Braking with pedestriandetection and the Intelligent Forward CollisionWarning system. All-terrain Patrol power isprovided by the strongest V6 and V8 enginesin the segment. The base 4.0-liter V6 pro-duces 275 horsepower and 394 Nm of torque.The 5.6-liter V8 produces 400 horsepowerand 560 Nm of torque. An All-Mode 4X4 sys-tem lets the driver switch modes to handle dif-

ferent on- and off-road conditions. HydraulicBody Motion Control, available on V8 models,ensures a more comfortable ride thanks toimproved suspension and vibration reduction.

Nissan Al-Babtain invites customers tovisit its showrooms located in Al-Rai and Al-Ahmadi to discover the dynamic features thenew Nissan model has to offer.

Monday, October 7, 2019

14B u s i n e s s

Established 1961

NBK Money Markets Report

Burgan Bankannounces winners of Yawmi account drawKUWAIT: Burgan Bank announced yesterday thenames of the daily draw winners of its Yawmiaccount draw, each taking home a cash-prize of KD5,000.

The lucky winners are: 1. Abdulmohsen Khaled Albahar2. Mahmoud Hasheesh3. Ismaeil Taha Ali4. Fatemah Adel Alhasan5. Mohammad Medhat SuwaifiIn addition to the daily draw, Burgan Bank also

offers a quarterly draw with more chances to winhigher rewards, offering the chance to one luckycustomer to win KD 125,000 every three months.The Yawmi Account offers daily and quarterlydraws, wherein the quarterly draw requires cus-tomers to maintain a minimum amount of KD 500in their account for two months prior to the drawdate. Additionally, every KD 10 in the account willentitle customers to one chance of winning. If theaccount balance is KD 500 and above, the accountholder will be qualified for both the quarterly anddaily draws.

Burgan Bank encourages everyone to open aYawmi account and/or increase their deposit tomaximize their chances of becoming a winner. Thehigher the level of the deposit, the higher the likeli-hood to win.

KUWAIT: Kuwait Finance House Group (KFH Group) partici-pated in Sibos 2019 conference, an annual conference for globalbanks to meet and discuss current business opportunities andthe future of banking and FinTech.

At the 4-day conference held in London, KFH Group demon-strated its innovative Islamic financial products and services tothe correspondent banks and international financial institutionsin Sibos 2019. KFH Group showcased its Treasury, Trade Financeand Cash Management services including Sukuk, clearingaccount services, including EUR Clearing offered by KT BankAG - Germany; and Fintech services offered by ArchitectTechnology, a subsidiary of KFH-Turkey.

Sibos is a chance for KFH Group to strengthen its ties withdifferent financial institutions abroad, while further strengtheningits position as the world’s leading Islamic financial institution.Sibos conference 2019 kicked off under the theme “Thriving in aHyper-Connected World”. It introduced a range of new net-working initiatives, thought leadership opportunities, and inter-active events to facilitate high quality learning, conversations andbusiness development opportunities.

It is worth noting that KFH participated in Sibos on theGroup level with KFH, KFH-Turkey, KFH-Turkey Bank-Bahrain,KT Bank AG-Germany and KFH-Turkey’s subsidiary ArchitectTechnology that offers digital and software solutions. KFHGroup representatives at the event held important meetings andbilateral talks with 83 entities from 32 countries.

Bank holds bilateral talks with 83 entities from 32 countries

KFH Group participates in Sibos 2019 conference in London

Registration for 5th KIPCO Tmkeen award for young entrepreneurs opensKUWAIT: KIPCO - the Kuwait Projects Company -and the Youth Empowerment Organization (Tmkeen)have announced the start of registration for the annualKIPCO Tmkeen Award for Young Entrepreneurs. This isthe fifth year that the two entities come together toorganize the award, which focuses on entrepreneurialbusinesses in the e-media and technology sectors.

Young entrepreneurs aged 18-33 with existing busi-nesses established for no longer than five years andlicensed in Kuwait are invited to visit the Tmkeen web-site (www.tmkeenkw.com) to apply for the award.Registration is open until November 5.

Eman Al-Awadhi, KIPCO’s Group CommunicationsDirector, said: “Since launching the KIPCO TmkeenAward for Young Entrepreneurs in collaboration withthe Youth Empowerment Organization in 2015, we havestrived to highlight the talent of Kuwait’s entrepreneur-ial community and shed light on its creativity and inno-vativeness. Through the services that KIPCO’s Groupcompanies provide, we aim to support these ambitiousyoung people as they work to make their businesses

sustainable and profitable.”She added: “KIPCO Group is delighted to be part-

nering with Tmkeen for the fifth year. With the high lev-el of proficiency that we have seen from our youngentrepreneurs and the innovative business models, thecompetition has always been close. We look forward toseeing more of the same in this year’s competition.”

The KIPCO Tmkeen Award for Young Entrepreneursoffers the grand prize winner services from the KIPCOGroup companies worth $100,000, making it the largestentrepreneurship prize in terms of value in Kuwait. Theservices include a wide range of financial, strategic andoperational consultancy sessions, market studies, insur-ance coverage and advertising services. Burgan Bank,OSN, Gulf Insurance Group, KAMCO InvestmentCompany and Marina FM are contributing their expert-ise and services to the prize. United Real Estate, QurainPetrochemical Industries, United Networks and UnitedEducation are also supporting the award. In addition,the first place winner will be awarded US$ 15,000 incash, while the second and third place winners willreceive US$ 10,000 and US$ 5,000 respectively. On hispart, Abdulrahman Al-Adsani, Head of the TmkeenSymposium Organizing Committee, said:

“At Tmkeen, it is our mission to educate young peo-ple and to inspire them to become entrepreneurs. Ourcollaboration with KIPCO, now in its fifth year, hasallowed us to take a step further in supporting this ris-ing business community by allowing them the opportu-nity to benefit from the expertise that KIPCO Grouphas to offer.”

He added: “It is our ultimate goal to encourage

young people to use their creativity to establish inno-vative small and medium enterprises, thereby contribut-ing to the development of Kuwait’s business sector.”Eligible applicants for the award will be asked to submitdetailed information about their business’s operationaland financial performance. The first judging round willbe held on November 18, where applicants will give a5-7 minute presentation to a panel of business profes-sionals from the KIPCO Group. Based on defined busi-ness criteria, the three applicants with the highestscores will be eligible to give a final presentation of 7-10 minutes at the KIPCO Tmkeen Award Startup Battle,and the official judging panel will select the winners.The winner of the grand prize will be announced duringthe Youth Empowerment Symposium.

Weaker manufacturingand nonfarm payrollsKUWAIT: The US dollar was slightly weakerlast week while still being heavily supportedby demand for dollar-denominated assets.Investors have been caught out by a set ofweak US data, including surveys on servicesand manufacturing sectors, deepening fearsthe Sino-US trade war is starting to hurtgrowth in the world’s biggest economy.

The release of the much weaker thanexpected ISM manufacturing survey forSeptember has put a dampener on the USdollar’s renewed upward momentum. It raisesquestions over the sustainability of therecent run of better than expected US dataespecially in the housing sector. The ISMmanufacturing survey revealed that businessconfidence dropped sharply by 1.3 point to47.8 in September. It was the lowest levelsince June 2009.

Manufacturing output peaked at the endof last year and has since contracted mod-estly by -1.1 percent to the end of August.The ISM survey signals that recessionaryconditions in the manufacturing sector arelikely to increase further heading into yearend. It is also consistent with the globaldeterioration of manufacturing and trade.President Trump chose to blame the Fed forthe hit to the manufacturing sector sayingmonetary policy is too tight and encouragesa strong US dollar. However, economistsbelieve that disruptive trade policies fromthe Trump administration have also played alarge role in the fall.

The US rate market now sees another 25point rate cut as more likely in October asexpectations rose from 60 percent to 74percent. It also casts doubt on the Fed’splans from last month in which they clearlysignaled that rates are unlikely to be loweredmuch further. Those doubts will be rein-forced if weakness in the US labor marketmaterializes further.

Indeed, US nonfarm payrolls disappoint-ed and rose by 136,000 in Septemberaccording to the Bureau of Labor Statistics,with the health care sector contributing thegreatest. The figure follows an upwardlyrevised 168,000 in August and below expec-tations of 145,000. Looking at unemploy-

ment however, the figure posted its lowestlevel since 1969 at 3.5 percent in September,following 3.7 percent in August and lowerthan expectations of 3.7 percent. Still, jobcreation has decelerated diminishing busi-ness confidence as indicators point to aslowing economy and weaker growth ahead.

US adds tariffs on EUThe United States said it would impose

10 percent tariffs on European-made Airbusplanes and 25 percent duties on variousgoods including, alcoholic beverages, food,and clothing from across the continent. Theannouncement came after the World TradeOrganization gave Washington a green lightto impose tariffs on $7.5 billion worth of EUgoods annually as punishment for illegal EUaircraft subsidies. “Finally, after 15 years oflitigation, the WTO has confirmed that theUnited States is entitled to impose counter-measures in response to the EU’s illegal sub-sidies,” U.S. Trade Representative RobertLighthizer said in a statement.

As Washington and Beijing try to ease theirbitter 15-month trade war, the US-EU tradespat looks set to worsen. Airbus spokesmanClay McConnell said the France-based plane-maker was evaluating the tariffs and its possi-ble consequences in “close collaboration withthe European Commission.” The WTO, he said,in coming months would grant the EU authori-ty to impose tariffs on US goods over similarfindings of illegal subsidies for Boeing fromWashington. The move threatens to reigniteanother tit-for-tat trade war with the EU.

BrexitBoris Johnson pitched his Brexit deal to

the EU on Wednesday with limited time leftfor further negotiations. The current proposaldiffers from the former-PM May’s failed dealin two key ways. The Irish border backstop isto be replaced by having Northern Irelandwithin the Single Market but outside of theEU’s Customs Union. This will see customschecks on goods from Northern Ireland toIreland, and for goods coming into NorthernIreland from the UK meaning effectively twoborders. He has suggested that physicalchecks would only be required on a smallproportion of trade and most checks wouldtake place on the premises of the trader. Thiswould be similar to the arrangement Norwayand Sweden have and allow inspectors fromeach other’s jurisdictions to carry out checksanywhere on all of Ireland. The second differ-ence is that the proposed end goal of tradetalks is a Free Trade Agreement rather thanthe much closer alignment under May’s deal.Furthermore, this status of Northern Ireland

being in the Single Market would need con-sent from the Irish Parliament every fouryears. Basically, Northern Ireland would havea Brexit debate every four years. One of thekey reasons the EU might not accept this isthat if Northern Ireland leaves the EU’sCustoms Union this ensures that there willhave to be customs checks in Ireland and theUK in 2017 committed to a “no physical bor-der infrastructure.”

The EU replied cautiously saying thedocument contained some progress on thesticking point of Northern Ireland but stillhad problems. The ball is in the UK’s court toaddress problems the EU sees in the newBrexit proposal, and not the other wayaround, a spokeswoman for the EuropeanCommission has said.

UK GDP lowerUK gross domestic product contracted

by 0.2 percent in quarter 2 of 2019, havinggrown by an upwardly revised 0.6 percent inquarter 1. Annually, the UK economy grewby 1.3 percent compared with the samequarter in the previous year slowing from 2.1percent in Quarter 1. GDP and some of itscomponents have been particularly volatilethrough the year so far, largely reflectingchanges in the timing of activity related tothe UK’s original planned exit date from theEuropean Union in late March. There is evi-dence that stockpiling and the change in tim-ing of activity was taking place in the firstquarter of the year, which likely provided aboost to GDP, with the latest figures sug-gesting that these increased stock levelswere partly run down in Quarter 2 2019.Furthermore, it was also reported that anumber of car manufacturers had broughtforward their annual shutdowns to April aspart of Brexit-related contingency planning.

UK manufacturing LowerThe downturn in the UK manufacturing

sector continued in September. Although thecontraction was shallower than the prior sur-vey month, levels of output, new orders, newexport business and employment nonethe-less fell further. Stocks of purchases andinput buying volumes also rose for the firsttime in recent months, as some companiesrestarted their Brexit preparations. Theheadline seasonally adjusted IHSMarkit/CIPS Purchasing Managers’ Indexrose slightly to 48.3 in September, up fromAugust’s six-and-a-half year low of 47.4.The headline index has now remained belowthe neutral 50.0 mark for five successivemonths, its longest sequence below thatmark since mid-2009.

EU inflationThe need for action by the European

Central Bank became evident in the latestEuro area inflation reading. Annual inflationis expected to be 0.9 percent in September2019, down from 1.0 percent in Augustaccording to a flash estimate from Eurostat,the statistical office of the European Union.At their last policy meeting the ECB revealedthat it has gone all in to boost growth andinflation in the euro-zone before PresidentDraghi’s term ends. The comprehensive eas-ing package even exceeded market expecta-tions by unveiling plans for an open-endedQE program. More specifically, the ECB willrestart monthly purchases of EUR20 billionfrom the 1st November.

Reserve Bank of AustraliaAustralia’s central bank lowered interest

rates for the third time this year as itattempts to protect the economy from off-shore risks, and signaled further cuts movingforward. Reserve Bank of Australia ChiefPhilip Lowe announced a reduction to thecash rate by 25 bps to 0.75 percent, as pre-dicted. “Forward-looking indicators of labordemand indicate that employment growth islikely to slow from its recent fast rate,” Lowesaid. “The economy still has spare capacityand lower interest rates will help makeinroads into that.”

Although oil prices surged the most onrecord after the attack on Saudi Abqaiq pro-cessing facility and Khurais oilfield onSeptember 14, instantly disabling half ofSaudi output, the gains have since evaporat-ed. Crude is back below $60 a barrel, partlybecause Saudi Aramco has restored produc-tion swiftly, but also reflecting deeper chal-lenges afflicting the market. A faltering glob-al economy and fears of recession erodingoil demand, combined with a relentless tideof American shale-oil offering alternativesupply heavily outweighed the brief loss ofsupply from Saudi.

Global shares were generally lower fallingto one-month lows in some cases after USmanufacturing activity tumbled to more thana decade low, sparking worries that the fall-out from the US-China trade war is spread-ing to the US economy. A slowdown in USeconomic growth would remove one of thefew remaining bright spots in the globaleconomy and come just as Europe is seen asclose to falling into recession.

KuwaitKuwaiti dinar at 0.30380The USDKWD opened at 0.30380 yes-

terday morning.

Abdulrahman Al-Adsani Eman Al-Awadhi

KFH team at Sibos conference in London KFH Group booth

Al-Tijari announces winners of Al-Najma drawsKUWAIT: Commercial Bank conducted the weeklyand monthly draws on Al-Najma Account and theweekly draw on the “Salary and Cash on Top”campaign. The draws were conducted in the pres-ence of Ministry of Commerce and Industry repre-sentative Mr. Abdulaziz Ashkanani.

The results of the draw were as follows:1- Al-Najma monthly account - the prize of

KD 20,000 was for the share of Mashhour AhmadAlabdullah Al-Tadmori.

2- Al-Najma weekly account - the prize ofKD 5,000 was for the share of Abdullah Salem AjajAl-Sulaili.

3- The “Salary & Cash on Top campaign”prize of KD 1,000 was for the share of AbdulazizNaser Harbi Al-Fadhli.

The Bank stated that the account prizes thisyear is featured by the highest cash prize anddiversity of prizes throughout the year clarifyingthat Al-Najma Account will offer weekly prize ofKD 5,000, monthly prize of KD 20,000 and asemi-annual prize of KD 500,000 in addition tothe largest prize - linked bank account payout ofKD 1,500,000. Al-Najma Account can be openedby depositing KD 100, and customer should main-tain a minimum amount of KD 500 to be eligible toenter all draws on Al-Najma Account prizes. As forthe chances of winning, the more balance a cus-tomer maintains in Al Najma Account, the morechances the account holder will get to win, whereeach KD 25 will give the customer one chance towin, the account also offers additional benefits likethe ATM card, a credit card against customer’saccount and all CBK banking services that cus-tomer can enjoy.

W h a t ’ s O n

15Established 1961

Monday, October 7, 2019

Lulu Hypermarket, the regional retailleader, launched its ‘Best of Egypt2019’ promotion on Thursday, 3

October at the Al-Rai outlet of the hyper-market. The event was inaugurated byAmbassador of Egypt to Kuwait, Tarik AlKouny in the presence of top LuluHypermarket management and a largegathering of shoppers, well-wishers andmedia personnel. A colorful cultural pro-gram of traditional music and folk dances,including the Horse Dance, Puppet Danceand Tanoura Dance graced the inaugura-tion event. Special food stalls and samplingcounters have also sprung up inside thepromotion venues to give shoppers a taste

of the best of Egyptian foods.The 11-day festival, which runs until

Saturday, 12 October at all outlets of LuluHypermarket in the country, features someof the best products and food items fromEgypt at exceptionally competitive prices.Lulu Hypermarkets in Dajeej, Egaila,Fahaheel, Jahra, Khaitan, Qurain, Al-Raiand Salmiya have also been decked up forthe ‘Best of Egypt’ promotion, with largecut-outs and posters of historic monu-ments and culturally important places inEgypt in a bid to boost tourism to thecountry.

Among the popular brands highlightingtheir products at the Best of Egypt 2019

promotion are the likes of Al Zaher, AlMarwa, Frosty Foods, Mr Freeze, Sea Star,Summer Moon and a whole lot more.Products from all these popular vendorsare being offered at highly competitiveprices only during the promotion period.The Best of Egypt 2019 has become anannual event that shoppers eagerly lookforward to, as it enables them to purchasesome of the finest Egyptian products at anexceptional value. The promotion also,once again, reinforces Lulu Hypermarket’scommitment to offering their patrons thewidest range of products from around theworld under one roof and in a consumer-friendly environment.

Lulu Hypermarket launches its ‘Best of Egypt 2019’ promotion

IWG host TheKuwaiti Group‘The North PoleChallenge’

The International Women’s Group(IWG) kicked off its new year of activi-ties 2019-20 by hosting a unique and

special event yesterday, at the Crowne PlazaHotel in Farwaniya. Joining the event was theKuwaiti adventurer Abdullah Al Husainan andhis team of 12 explorers, who shared theirunique experiences.

Also attending the event were IWG mem-bers, including the wives of Ambassadors toKuwait, as well as a selection of prominentwomen within Kuwaiti society. Members andtheir guests were greeted by IWG President,Anita de Vogel, who welcomed them backand thanked them for their ongoing supportand contributions.

In the commencement speech, Anitaremembered the beloved late IWG HonoraryPresident, Sheikha Anwar Faisal Al-Sabah,who passed away last month. Sheikha Anwarwas fondly remembered for her active role inIWG and the wider community as well as herkindness, humility, care, generosity and lovingnature that was felt by all that knew her.

Anita spoke of how many membersexpressed to her the personal connection andimpact that she had on their lives and howsorely she will be missed. Anita also vowedthat she and her board will continue to guidethe IWG in the vision and values that SheikhaAnwar had for the group. A short film, pre-pared by IWG, was played that highlightedthe many fond memories of Sheikha Anwar.

Anita went on to introduce Abdullah Al

Husainan who shared his experience withIWG of leading a Kuwait team of explorerson an exciting 8-day journey to the frozenisland of Svalbard. Driven by the love ofadventure, his team of explorers and he trav-elled to the Norwegian Arctic Ocean toexplore the unknown. On their expedition,they encountered a sparsely inhabited yetstunningly beautiful nature that challengedthe team’s determination and patience whilstalso pushing them to the limits of their physi-cal, psychological and intellectual capacities.

Following their successful trip, they notetheir enhanced respective skill set as a resultof overcoming those challenges and anindepth understanding of survival techniques

required in the polar atmosphere. These tech-niques include how to maintain and regulatebody temperature in the extreme weather,how to deal with exceptional circumstancessuch as snowstorms and even how to protectthemselves from polar bears. Husainanexplained how the planning stages of theiradventure started in April with the selectionof people who were to become the team ofexplorers. This team comprised of men andwomen who were trained and well equippedto face challenges such as the extremeweather conditions they would encounter.

Husainan and his team noted the power ofpositive thinking as well as the importance ofdrive and passion that is necessary for suchadventures. A short documentary was playedfollowing their talk that showcased the team’smany adventures, including a 2013 trip wherethe team was able to proudly raise theKuwaiti flag. A short question and answersession followed. The IWG event ended withexciting prizes for lucky raffle winners as wellas a meal expertly prepared by the very tal-ented chefs of Crowne Plaza Hotel. Anita andher IWG board thanked the hotel, guestspeakers, event organizers and all attendeesfor their contributions in making this a suc-cessful, exciting and memorable event mark-ing the start of the year.

To commemorate th is specia lmonth , Jumeirah Mess i lahBeach Hotel & Spa goes pink

for breast cancer awareness. Kuwait’sIdyllic Resort will dim down its lightsto pink every night this October inhonor of this month. The magical col-

or continues throughout the resortwith breath-taking pink f lowerarrangements around every corner,signature pink refreshments to guestsin the lobby and ribbon-shaped pinkpins on every employee to supportthis special cause.

TIESannouncement

Dear brothers and sisters, theTIES Center cordiallyinvites you to our Tafseer

class (Divine Wisdom from the LastTestament) today Monday, 7thOctober, at 7pm. In that class wewill focus on verses 14 and 15 ofSurat Al-Hashr (The Gathering). Wewill discuss some characteristics ofthe hypocrites of Medina, and theirrelations with the Jews and Muslimsin their city as well as with thepolytheists of Makkah. We willexamine the Medinan Jews’ strate-gy to fight the Muslims, the reasonsand the outcome. We will alsoexplore the Jews’ and hypocrites’motives, why they did not trust eachother, their failure to support eachother, and why, deep in their hearts,they feared their Muslim neighbors.We will learn about Saad binMuadh’s judgment against theJewish tribe of Bani Quraidaha.Finally, we will learn how believersshould feel toward one other andthe importance of enjoining goodand forbidding evil.

Jumeirah Hotel honors Breast Cancer Awareness Month

HappyBirthday!

Hurray! Fajimi Adeola Eunice is 5today! May God guide and pro-tect you as you continue to be a

blessing to the family. Special greet-ings from daddy, mummy, brothers, sis-ters, friends and well-wishers.

H e a l t h & S c i e n c e Monday, October 7, 2019

16

DAKAR: When the sight of plastic bags, bottles and otherdebris littering the seabed becomes too much, there’s justone thing to do: don your diving suit, strap on an air tankand fish out the stuff yourself. That is the solution adoptedby Oceanium, an association of amateur divers in the WestAfrican state of Senegal. In a few hours last month, diversremoved hundreds of kilos (pounds) of plastic rubbish in thewaters around the island of Goree off the capital Dakar — aformer hub in the African slave trade and today the jewel inSenegal’s tourism crown.

In real terms, their cleanup was Sisyphean: they removeda molehill in a mountain of plastic that is relentlessly grow-ing. But it provided temporary relief for local biodiversity —and gave a push for environmentalism in a country wheregreen issues trail far behind the drive to ease poverty.“We’re here to clean up,” exclaimed Ndeye Selbe Diouf, ayoung woman who took up diving two years ago and saidshe had lost count of fish she has seen trapped in bottlesnear the shore.

Oceanium’s diving director, Rodwan El Ali, 36, said theproblem of plastic rubbish in Senegal was acute. “Peoplego to the beach and drink and party, and if there are norubbish bins, they leave it on the beach and it’s swept intothe sea with the tide,” he said. Ali, a member of the ethnicLebanese community that has been in Senegal for genera-tions, took over Oceanium with his sister after its foundingby their father, Haidar, a former environment minister.“When we see fishing nets tangled around shipwrecks orplastic littering the sea bottom, we organize a cleanup,” hesaid. Their first operation took place in 2017 and is movingtowards a monthly cleanup dive — even weekly, if fundingbecomes available.

‘Dustbin’ “People throw everything into the sea because they think

it’s big,” said Mamadou Ali Gadiaga, who has been a mem-ber of Oceanium since it was founded 35 years ago. “It’s ahard job but you have to make people aware of the problem.The sea is not a dustbin.” Twenty-two divers took part in acleanup in mid-September, using two boats for operationsand a third as a floating bin for the rubbish.

By the close of the operation, they had hauled up 1.4 tonsof debris — mainly plastic but also rusty drink cans, tornclothing and other discarded items. This gesture for theenvironment has to be weighed against the realities. Eventhough Senegal is in the upper tier of developing economies,it has no recycling facilities. The rubbish that was so ardu-ously brought up from the bottom of the sea was sent to ahuge garbage tip at Mbeubeuss, where household wastefrom Dakar’s three million people is discharged.

According to the UN, worldwide around eight milliontons of plastic ends up in the sea, providing a deadly hazardfor birds and marine mammals and breaking down intomicroscopic waste that also enters the food chain. Aroundnine billion tons of plastic have been produced since thesubstance was produced on a large scale after World War II,but just nine percent of this has been recycled.

In Senegal itself, environmental awareness remains lowcompared with the rising swell of campaigning in the rest ofthe world. Only a few dozen young people turned out onSeptember 20 for the planet-wide environment rallies.President Macky Sall has said he wants the country to be“zero waste” but discarded plastic containers and bags arean eyesore in many towns and villages, and a 2015 law torestrict the use of plastic bags is a dead letter. — AFP

Plastic tide: Divers fight Senegal’s rubbish contaminating its waters

A handout image made available by Oceanium de Dakar shows a scuba diver collecting plastic and other waste from abay during a ‘clean-up day’ campaign of the ocean off the coast of Goree Island on September 15, 2019. — AFP

Monday, October 7, 2019

17

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This is a fantastic day for you, so celebrate. You're the star of the show, and you'll be upon stage more than usual. People will look up to you and respect you for your incredi-ble leadership skills. Be confident and express yourself from your heart. Actions shouldrun smoothly. You can accomplish quite a bit. Don't waste this day. Do some creativework.

CROSSWORD 2326

ACROSS1. A guided missile fired from shipboardagainst an airborne target.4. Any of numerous plants of the genusCoreopsis having a profusion of showy usu-ally yellow daisylike flowers over long peri-ods.12. An anxiety disorder characterized bychronic free-floating anxiety and such symp-toms as tension or sweating or trembling oflight-headedness or irritability etc that haslasted for more than six months.15. A federation of North American industri-al unions that merged with the AmericanFederation of Labor in 1955.16. A narrow street with walls on both sides.17. A religious belief of African origin involv-ing witchcraft and sorcery.18. A condition (mostly in boys) character-ized by behavioral and learning disorders.19. Expandable metal or wooden wedgeused by printers to lock up a form within achase.20. Located inward.22. The event of dying or departure from life.24. Antihypertensive drug (trade namesTrandate and Normodyne) that blocks alphaand beta-adrenergic receptors of the sym-pathetic nervous system (leading to adecrease in blood pressure).26. A gonadotropic hormone that is secret-ed by the anterior pituitary.29. Advanced in years.30. A very poisonous metallic element thathas three allotropic forms.32. Oval reproductive body of a fowl (espe-cially a hen) used as food.34. Any of numerous local fertility andnature deities worshipped by ancientSemitic peoples.37. A garment worn on the upper half of thebody.41. English essayist (1775-1834).42. Republic in northern Europe.43. A federal agency established to coordi-nate programs aimed at reducing pollutionand protecting the environment.46. A unit of magnetomotive force equal to0.7958 ampere-turns.47. A doctor's degree in education.48. A very young child (birth to 1 year) whohas not yet begun to walk or talk.52. Island in West Indies.54. An enzyme that catalyzes the oxidationof many body compounds (e.g., epinephrineand norepinephrine and serotonin).55. (Irish) Mother of the ancient Irish gods.56. The capital and largest city of Yemen.61. Any fern of the genus Davallia.71. A period marked by distinctive characteror reckoned from a fixed point or event.72. Inaccessible and sparsely populated.75. An elaborate song for solo voice.76. Flower arrangement consisting of a cir-cular band of foliage or flowers for ornamen-tal purposes.77. A stone pillar having a rectangular crosssection tapering towards a pyramidal top.78. Not reflecting light.79. A device for creating a current of air bymovement of a surface or surfaces.80. A reminder of past events.81. Wading birds of warm regions havinglong slender down-curved bills.

DOWN1. Any of a number of fishes of the familyCarangidae.2. An officer who acts as military assistant toa more senior officer.3. (statistics) Relating to or constituting themost frequent value in a distribution.

4. Measuring instrument for indicatingspeed of rotation.5. The United Nations agency concernedwith the interests of labor.6. Fruit (especially peach) whose fleshadheres strongly to the pit.7. The quantity contained in a keg.8. A syntactic string that forms a part ofsome larger syntactic unit.9. An open vessel with a handle and a spoutfor pouring.10. (Akkadian) God of wisdom.11. In or associated with the process of pass-ing from life or ceasing to be.12. Of or relating to the gonads.13. Assist or encourage, usually in somewrongdoing.14. Fraught with extreme danger.21. A Bantu language sometimes consid-ered a dialect of Zulu.23. A unit of heat equal to 100,000 Britishthermal units.25. An associate degree in applied science.27. A radioactive element of the actinideseries.28. Thrown together in a pile.31. A member of the lowest or workerHindu caste.33. A rare silvery (usually trivalent) metallicelement.35. An island in the Aegean Sea in theSaronic Gulf.36. 1 species.38. A nonmetallic element belonging to thehalogens.39. The inner and thicker of the two bonesof the human leg between the knee andankle.40. Cubes of meat marinated and cookedon a skewer usually with vegetables.44. A woman hired to suckle a child ofsomeone else.45. A corporation's first offer to sell stock tothe public.49. A public promotion of some product orservice.50. (Islam) The man who leads prayers in amosque.51. Any of various long-tailed rodents simi-lar to but larger than a mouse.53. A quantity of no importance.57. An official prosecutor for a judicial dis-trict.58. Highly seasoned fatty sausage of porkand beef usually dried.59. A telegram sent abroad.60. A small pellet fired from an air rifle or BBgun.62. A particular geographical region ofindefinite boundary (usually serving somespecial purpose or distinguished by its peo-ple or culture or geography).63. Characteristic of false pride.64. A textile machine for weaving yarn intoa textile v 1.65. Apply a lubricant to.66. A distinct part that can be specified sep-arately in a group of things that could beenumerated on a list.67. A town and port in northwestern Israelin the eastern Mediterranean.68. An Arabic speaking person who lives inArabia or North Africa.69. Tree of low-lying coastal areas of south-eastern United States having glossy leavesand racemes of fragrant white flowers.70. Informal terms for a meal.73. Belonging to or on behalf of a specifiedperson (especially yourself).74. Standard time in the 6th time zonewest of Greenwich, reckoned at the 90thmeridian.

Yesterday’s SolutionDaily SuDoku

Wordsearch Puzzle Yesterday’s Solution

Monday, October 7, 2019

18S t a r s

Established 1961

Yesterday’s Solution

Aries (March 21-April 19)

STAR TRACK

Taurus (April 20-May 20)

Gemini (May 21-June 20)

Cancer (June 21-July 22)

Leo (July 23-August 22)

Virgo (August 23-September 22)

Libra (September 23-October 22)

Scorpio (October 23-November 21)

Sagittarius (November 22-December 21)

Capricorn (December 22-January 19)

Pisces (February 19-March 20)

Aquarius (January 20- February 18)

The energy flows smoothly today. Obstacles seem to have dissolved. There's a great dealof energy at your disposal. You have strong thoughts and powerful emotions backing youup. Work with partners and promote your ideas. Speak your passions out loud. Help yourdreams manifest by writing them down.

There's a spark about to ignite inside you. Pay close attention to your emotions andtake care of yourself physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Infuse your plans withpassion. Breathe life into your dreams and act with confidence. The inner and outeraspects of your being are working in harmony.

People may seem a bit more stubborn and emotional than usual. Try not to contribute toit by being vain and stubborn. This isn't the time to contemplate. It's time to act. Youhave all the information you need. Make sure you're actively getting the attention youdeserve and you're giving credit to the people who've helped you along the way.

This is a very opportune day for you. Say hello to the stranger in line or followthrough on a tip or comment. Opportunities are there. All you have to do is grabthem. You'd do very well in a group situation today. In fact, you'd do well leadingothers. You understand the need for action. Be decisive and confident.

People might step on your toes today, but try not to react. Go with the flow. This maybe the only way they know how to act. Express your feelings. Open yourself up to theworld. There are people who want to get closer to you, but they might feel too intim-idated to do so. Take it one step at a time, but realize that you're probably the onewho needs to take the first step.

Something may get your dander up today. There are hot tempers and strong opin-ions right and left. Try to see the big picture. You'll seek extra attention from others,especially when it comes to your needs and emotions. People will be irritable, butarguing will only make the situation worse. Give everyone some time and you'll findthat many issues work themselves out.

Cooperate today even if it seems easier said than done. People will have hot tempers andbe very focused on themselves. There's a me-first attitude around, and relations will bemuch better if you let people have their time in the spotlight. You might find that youhave an important message to express. Make sure your voice is heard.

People will be focused on themselves, leaving you wondering what all the fuss isabout. You have a strong desire to express your emotions. It may feel like you're onstage in some way. You wish to be recognized and appreciated for your sensitive,devoted, and passionate nature. Speak up.

Your emotions are piqued today. You're spurred to take action. People might have ame-first attitude that may get on your nerves. You're more interested in the collectiveand improving the situation for all. Someone may be working counter to this mode ofaction, causing friction in your dealings. Stick to your principles and act confidently.

Get off the couch and get into action. Come out of hiding and let others hear whatyou have to say. Let your emotions shine and don't be concerned about what othersthink. Dance like no one's watching. Passion will be the key to manifesting yourdreams. This is a great day to act bravely toward those dreams.

This is a fantastic day. Assert yourself with confidence and move toward your goals.Your emotions are working harmoniously with your outer-directed nature. You maywant more attention from others today. Enjoy jovial times with friends and lovedones. Plan an activity with children if you can. Break free from your normal routineand create your own fun.

MONDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2019

Established 1961

Lifestyle

Acclaimed actress Tannishtha Chatterjee believesBollywood is undergoing a subtle shift at Asia’sbiggest film festival as the work of more Indianwomen-and more stories about Indian women-are

hitting the silver screen. “We are being heard more and more,”said Chatterjee, who has captured the international spotlight forher roles in the likes of “Brick Lane”, “Anna Karenina” and“Lion”. Bollywood produces around 2,000 movies per year andChatterjee said while an overhaul of the male dominance mightbe some way off, there were positive signs.

“Definitely there is a shift,” she said. “[Women directors] arestill seen as being indie so the challenge ahead is to be in themainstream and to become part of pop culture... and not just beseen as something unusual or new.” Chatterjee has brought“Roam Rome Mein” her debut as a director, to the 24th BusanInternational Film Festival where it had its world premiereSaturday. The film stars box office draw Nawazuddin Siddiquias a man who heads to Italy to find a runaway sister, played byChatterjee. Once he finds her he discovers she is living a life thatforces him to question his own beliefs. “I wanted to show a malecharacter whose experiences unshackle his own patriarchalideas,” said Chatterjee.

“It is still a story about a strong woman and the choices shemakes but I wanted to show how these can be accepted whenoften they are just not. It’s a feminist film but it doesn’t have afemale protagonist. I didn’t want to show a troubled woman somuch as to trouble a man.”

English, Hindi, Italian Chatterjee wrote the screenplay after a chance meeting-and

then dinner-with an old couple during a trip to Venice and said shehas “always been a story-teller at heart” even though up until nowshe’s been best known for her work in front of the camera. In 2011she joined Bollywood royalty by picking up a prestigious NationalFilm Award in India for her role in the drama “Dekh Indian Circus”.“I like to use my imagination,” she said. “But it was not easy to getsupport for the film because it doesn’t fit into any slot.”

“Roam Rome Mein” features the work of one of the risingstars of Bollywood cinematography in Sunita Radia but thedirector revealed the intention was to make a film that looked“for all the world just like a Bollywood film but is not actually aBollywood film.” “It goes into reality and surrealism and it’s inEnglish, Hindi and Italian,” said Chatterjee. “So it’s not reallylike anything any studio in India has seen. I wanted it to havethat bright bold look but to have a story-telling style that wasvery different.”

There’s been a buzz building about the film over BIFF’sopening weekend, with Chatterjee already picking up the festi-val’s Asian Star Award for her work. Another Indian produc-tion generating interest is the Alankrita Shrivastava-directed“Dolly Kitty and Those Twinkling Stars”, also centred around awoman determined to break free from the country’s conserva-tive societal norms.

Chatterjee said both films showed women in her homelandincreasingly wanted to use their positions to expand India’s “cine-matic language.” “The lives of women across society are stillrepressed,” she said. “We are not really yet getting access to thosestories. The more women writers and directors that we have, witha world view that is different, then you will see the industry andthe world shift. We are at the beginning of that right now.”—AFP

With more women voices, Tannishtha Chatterjee says ‘shift’ underway in Bollywood

A cat meows while looking out from its carrier as animals and their owners gather at Our Ladies of Remedies Parish in the Malate area of Manila for an annual pet blessing ceremony. — AFP

ASouth African university has comeunder fire for displaying a painting bya man jailed for kicking a prostitute

to death, with outrage brimming in one ofthe world’s most dangerous countries forwomen. Zwelethu Mthethwa’s work hasbeen on display at the University ofPretoria’s Javett Art Centre since September.He was sentenced to 18 years in prison in2017 for savagely killing 23-year-oldNokuphila Kumalo four years earlier. His1996 oeuvre, “The Wedding Party”, shows anew husband being congratulated while hisuninterested, passive bride sips a drink.

The Sex Worker Education andAdvocacy Taskforce (SWEAT) said thepainting should be removed “out of respect”to Kumalo’s family and taking into accountthe “violence meted out by men to vulnera-ble and marginalised populations ... in SouthAfrica.” South Africa is plagued by violenceagainst women, with at least 137 sexualoffences committed every day, according toofficial figures. In August alone, more than30 women were killed by their spouses.

The university’s art centre has defendedthe curators of the “All in Day’s Eye: ThePolitics of Innocence” exhibition, sayingMthethwa’s painting was included “with thesole purpose of presenting it as ‘evidence’that highlights how misogyny has played outin his work over time.” Social media net-works were filled with outrage. “We don’tneed to debate whether violent murderers’work should be exhibited - when conditionscontinue to support violence againstwomen, transgender people,” one tweetread. SWEAT launched an online petitionagainst the display of the painting.—AFP

This picture shows Indian film actress TannishthaChatterjee on the red carpet during the opening cere-mony of the Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) inBusan. — AFP photos

This undated handout photo obtained from the Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) in Busan shows a scene from film ‘RoamRome Mein,’ Indian actress Tannishtha Chatterjee’s debut as a director.

Painting by prostitute killerstirs outrage in South Africa

he ‘Goop’ founder took to socialmedia to mark her ex-husband ChrisMartin’s new girlfriend’s 30th birth-day on October 4, by sharing a sweet

picture of the actress. Alongside a blue heartemoji, she wrote: “Happy 30th birthday to thisabsolute gem (sic)” Meanwhile, a source recent-ly revealed Gwyneth “really likes” Dakota. Theinsider said: “Gwyneth really likes Dakota andshe likes Chris and Dakota together as a couple.Dakota has always fit in really well and felt likepart of the family when they all hang out. She’svery mature, she’s smart and she’s interesting.They have a lot to talk about. “Gwyneth doesn’tget too involved in Chris’ business but she doeswant him to be happy and supports him. Shehas seen how happy he is with Dakota andthat’s a good thing for everyone.” And Gwynethpreviously insisted she feels “very lucky” thatshe and her ex-husband get on so well and stillshare the same values. She said recently: “Ithink in our case we’re very lucky because wesee eye to eye. A lot of parents, and this is like alot of consternation in marriages with functionaland working, but parents don’t see eye to eyeon how to raise children, it’s you know, a com-mon thing. “I think Chris and I are luckybecause we really agree fundamentally how toraise the children. We have similar principlesand values.” — Bang Showbiz

Monday, October 7, 2019L i f e s t y l e G o s s i p

Established 1961 20

he ‘Maleficent: Mistress of Evil’ star splitfrom Brad Pitt in 2016 and she admits shedidn’t even “recognize” herself anymorethrough it all. She said: “I don’t know what

my fate holds but what I am convinced of is that I am ina period of transition, like a return to my roots, a returnto myself. Because, I had lost myself a bit. I think it hap-pened as my relationship with Brad was coming to anend, then at the beginning of our separation. It was acomplicated moment, where I didn’t recognize myselfanymore, where I had become ... how can I say ... small-er, almost insignificant, even if it wasn’t necessarily visi-ble.” The 44-year-old actress - who has Maddox, 18,

Pax, 15, Zahara, 14, Shiloh, 13, and 11-year-old twinsVivienne and Knox - admits she felt a “deep and gen-uine sadness” when her marriage fell apart, leaving toher feeling “insignificant” and she was also battlingsome health issues too. Speaking to French magazineMadame, she added: “I felt a deep and genuine sadness,I was hurt. On the other hand, it was interesting toreconnect with this humility and even this insignificanceI was feeling. Maybe this is what being human is in theend ... “On top of all this, I suffered some health issues.All these things settle in you and remind you of howlucky you are of being alive.”

Angelina Jolie lost herself after divorceT

Anna Kendrick was really

intimidated by Los Angeleshe ‘Pitch Perfect’ star admits she stillgets “butterflies” driving down somestreets in Sunset Strip as she remem-bered how she felt in the beginning. She

said: “There are still streets that I go down thatgive me butterflies, because the city really intimi-dated me when I first arrived there. There’s a cer-tain section of Sunset Strip that I remember driv-ing on and being like, ‘Oh my God, I will neverbelong here.’ My pulse goes through the roofevery time I drive on it. I thought if I stepped outof the car, people would know and they’d be like,‘Oh, she’s faking it.’” And the 34-year-old actressloves being so “anonymous” in New York.Speaking to The Times magazine, she added: “InLA, to a certain extent. Nobody cares, but I cansometimes feel a bit of a shift in people. Actually,it’s funny being here in New York and realizingthat in the evenings, if I go out walking, I’m reallyanonymous ... I forgot how nice it is not to have totilt my head down or wear a baseball hat.”

T

KourtneyKardashian knows ‘money doesn’tbuy happiness’

he ‘Keeping Up With The Kardashians’star says her late father RobertKardashian always taught her the impor-tance of picking happiness over financial

affairs. She said: “The biggest thing that my dadalways told us was just that money doesn’t buy hap-piness. He would drill that into our heads.” The 40-year-old television personality has recentlylaunched her new business venture Poosh and sheknows it will take some time before it makes thereturn she wants. She added: “I think with new busi-ness ventures, sometimes they can, you know, take alittle bit [longer] to return than you expected. If it’snot the right thing, people have a short attentionspan and you just move on to the next.” AndKourtney has confessed she loves to spend hermoney on travel, whereas her sister Kim KardashianWest prefers to splash out on clothes. She toldCNBC: “Kim Kardashian was big on spending hermoney on clothes, so I would borrow hers and then Ispent mine on travelling. I would say that stays trueto who we are today.” Meanwhile, she previouslyconfessed she “subconsciously” feels the pressureto make as much money as Kylie Jenner, who wasrecently named the world’s youngest self-made bil-lionaire. Asked if she feels the pressure to be like heryounger half-sister, she said: “Probably subcon-sciously it makes us feel like, ‘When is it enough?’And that’s a thing I always think to myself, when is itenough because I don’t like missing out on certainthings like doing my kids homework or certain after-school activities for different things like that.”

TPrince Georgecheered on AstonVilla as they tookon Norwich

he son of the Duke and Duchess ofCambridge couldn’t be more thrilled ashis team, Aston Villa, won five to oneagainst Norwich City at Carrow Road.

The football team wrote on their official page:“You know how to pick your #AVFC games, YourRoyal Highness. (sic)” The six-year-old royal wasseen cheering as Jack Grealish, Conor Hourihaneand Douglas Luiz all scored a goal each whilstWesley Moraes managed an impressive two.Prince George was accompanied by his fatherPrince William, his mother Duchess Catherine andhis sister Princess Charlotte, who looked much lessenthused as she sat through the game. Meanwhile,Prince William has called for the “outrageous”racism in modern football to end. He said recently:“It’s quite hard. People are now talking a little bitabout mental health issues but I imagine talkingabout racism is still quite a difficult subject, espe-cially when it’s happening in such a public fashionwith Premier League matches or ChampionsLeague. “We’ve got to do something about it. I’mfed up with it. I’m so bored of it. It’s outrageouswhat’s happening, it really is.” Whilst DarrenSmith, a program leaders for football and coachingmanagement at UCFC Wembley, added: “We’retrying to help people feel part of the communitythrough football, but there’s still a barrier there. Itdoes have an effect on mental health. People areusing different platforms to express it and thinkthey can get away with it.”

T

Miley Cyrus slams thosewho criticized her for moving onfrom Liam Hemsworth

he ‘Wrecking Ball’ hitmaker split from Liam afew months ago and has since been romanti-cally linked to Kaitlynn Carter and CodySimpson, but she insists she has “grown” nowand wants to move on. She wrote on Twitter:

“I know the public feels invested in my past relationshipbecause they felt like they saw it thru from the beginning.I think that’s why people have always felt so entitled overmy life and how I live it because they’ve watched megrow up. “I am grown now and make choices as an adultknowing the truth/details/reality. People only ‘know’what they see on the internet. [Men], they move on fromone beautiful young woman to the next MOST timeswithout consequence ... I am trying to just THRIVE/sur-vive in a ‘mans’ world. If we can’t beat em, join em! (sic)”When Miley and Liam split, a representative confirmedthey had gone their separate ways as they want to “focuson themselves and careers”. A rep for the high-profileduo said: “Liam and Miley have agreed to separate at thistime. Ever-evolving, changing as partners and individuals,they have decided this is what’s best while they bothfocus on themselves and careers.” Prior to their split,Miley described her relationship with Liam as “unique”.She shared: “I think it’s very confusing to people that I’mmarried. But my relationship is unique. And I don’t knowthat I would ever publicly allow people in there becauseit’s so complex, and modern, and new that I don’t thinkwe’re in a place where people would get it.”

T

Timothee Chalamet’sbowl hair cut wasanxiety inducing

he 23-year-old actor had to get the hair cut forhis role in Netflix’s ‘The King’ and admits it lefthim feeling very anxious. He told Variety: “Atfirst it was anxiety inducing. It was like, nah,

this has to be done. You can kind of see those periodmovies, without shading anybody, but where they didn’tfully, you know, you didn’t know what they were going for.And hopefully this is not that.” Timothee had previouslyadmitted he loved the challenge of playing King Henry Vand as his career goes forward he wants to keep portray-ing “interesting roles”. He said: “I just want to work onanything good. That could be mini series, TV, Broadway,Old Vic or whatever ... Hopefully I get to keep doing goodroles that are interesting 10 years from now.” Meanwhile,Timothee’s co-star Lily-Rose Depp previously confessedshe was “intimidated” by the idea of working with theHollywood actor. She said: “It’s always exciting to workwith somebody who you know has given themselves sowholeheartedly to their role and is so invested. It can benerve-wracking to work with people whose talent youadmire so much, but hopefully it can only make thingsbetter ... It can be intimidating. But I think you can take itlike that, or like, ‘How lucky am I to be working with somany people who are so great at what they do, and hope-fully I can learn from them.’”

T

T

Gwyneth Paltrow posts birthday tribute to Dakota Johnson

Monday, October 7, 2019L i f e s t y l e Fe a t u r e s

Established 1961 21

Members of Ethiopia’s largest ethnicgroup chanted and waved flags as theygathered Saturday for the first time to

celebrate their thanksgiving festival in the capitalAddis Ababa, a city that prominent members ofthe group claim belongs to them. The annualIrreecha festival of the Oromo people marks theend of the rainy season and the start of the har-vest season. It is traditionally held in the city ofBishoftu, located in the Oromia region some 50kilometers southeast of Addis Ababa.

Many Oromo leaders argue that the capital ispart of their group’s territory, meaning the deci-sion to allow Irreecha celebrations there riskedexacerbating ethnic tensions. But a concertFriday night in the central Meskel Square andblessing ceremonies Saturday morning unfoldedwithout incident. Dawud Ibsa, leader of theopposition Oromo Liberation Front, a formerrebel group, told AFP that Saturday’s celebra-tions were “very significant” for Oromos whobelieve their claims to Addis Ababa have notbeen respected. “This is our turn and a revival ofwhat is taken from you,” he said.

In a park not far from Meskel Square, largecrowds of mostly Oromos dipped flowers into

pools of water and then sprayed themselves in agesture symbolizing gratitude and renewal. YadoBirhanu, a student, said celebrating Irreecha inAddis Ababa was fitting given the Oromosplayed a major role in anti-government proteststhat swept Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, himselfan Oromo, to office in 2018. “We have sacrificedmany young people to bring forth these reforms,”she said. In remarks at the concert Friday,Shimelis Abdisa, vice president of the Oromiaregion, struck a similarly triumphant tone.

“Today we have crushed those who crushedus, and now the Oromo is winning back hisrespect right where he lost his dignity,” Shimelissaid. “Today our politics is coming from theperiphery to the centre.” But Takele Uma, theOromo deputy mayor of Addis Ababa, stressedon inclusion. “Now we are celebrating Irreechawith other nations and nationalities in the capitalof Ethiopia,” he said. “We are doing this becauseAddis Ababa is home to every one of us.”

Tight security Irreecha has already been a political flash-

point in recent years. In 2016, the use of tear gasand firearms by security forces sparked a stam-

pede that killed dozens, some of whom drownedin a nearby lake. The government put the deathtoll at 55, though Human Rights Watch later saidit could have been in the hundreds. The followingyear Irreecha turned into an anti-governmentprotest. Last year’s Irreecha, the first since Abiycame to power, was peaceful. The celebrations inAddis Ababa on Saturday will be followed by alarger event on Sunday in Bishoftu.

The state-affiliated Fana BroadcastingCorporate said the festival was expected todraw “millions of Oromos from all over thecountry as well as non-Oromo visitors from dif-ferent parts of the country and other parts ofthe world.” Abiy said the festival was “a symbolof peace and unity,” Fana reported. Securityforces were nonetheless on high alert. Federalpolice on Thursday said they had detained anumber of people with weapons who wereseeking to “disrupt” the celebrations. By mid-day Saturday, the Addis Ababa PoliceCommission was reporting that it had gone off“without any security problems,” according toFana. Security is expected to remain tight inAddis Ababa all weekend, and roads in the citycentre were closed Saturday. —AFP

Ethiopia’s largest ethnic group marks thanksgiving festival

By Aakash Bakaya

For better or for worse, Joker is a film beset withexpectations. Whether those expectations aregood or bad, positive or negative -they will

nonetheless sway your mind one way or the other bythe time the credits roll.

Joker stands on the shoulders of Scorsese’s master-piece ‘Taxi Driver’ and borrows a slew of its themesfrom ‘The King of Comedy’ and Nolan’s ‘The DarkKnight’. It walks a tightrope between outright rippingof those previous films and paying a respectful homageto them but director Todd Phillips does a good job withkeeping its visuals and its bleak tone somewhat unique.Joaquin Phoenix is as usual a revelation here, a trans-formative performance filled with subtle and not-sosubtle nuance. In interviews he said he wanted to greata character nobody could identify with and he achievesthat goal completely. Is Arthur just a freak of the under-world that society helps create or is he simply unhingedfrom a life of abuse, mental problems and plain badluck? To its credit the film doesn’t provide any easyanswers to those questions but neither does it pose anymore difficult ones either.

Praise must be given to the production design and

the music departments. Gotham felt like the unnamedcity in Fincher’s ‘Se7en’ that also had this muddy over-bearing feel to it, like the walls were closing in oneverything and everyone. The musical score by HildurGudnadottir with its discomforting yet familiar sym-phonies carries the film at points. The scene in the run-down bathroom is a crucial point in the story andsomehow Gudnadottir, Phoenix and Phillips managedto capture the perfect amount of absurdity in the sadjoy of a violent victory.

The story doesn’t forget the franchise and comicbook lore that looms heavily over it with frequent refer-ences and the Wayne family playing a prominent role inthe plot. But by the half-way point, the plot becomes apseudo-origin story with all its connections and 75+years of history behind it and that takes a bit off theallure. The comic book side of me loved those additionsbut the side that went in hoping for a more ‘pure cine-ma’ take of an iconic character was a little disappointed.

The brutal but scant scenes of violent hit theirrespective marks and I wish it utilized its run-time a lit-tle better but it by the end you will be left with a mem-orable piece of moviemaking worthy of discussion. Idon’t believe it will have the staying power or relevancymany think it will have but it just might go down as atouchstone in comic book movie history. Joker asalways been a complex character that attempts to turnthe mirror back on society itself and at that, the moviejust about succeeds even with its flaws.

Film review: Joker

The “Egypt Cinema” play was presented by the second batch of the acting department of the artistic innovation cen-ter “Talents studio” as a graduation project directed by Khalid Jalal and executive director Ola Fahmy. The directioneffort on stage was distinguished, as everyone is aware of the innovations of Khalid Jalal, and the products of histheatrical displays. The play brings the past to simulate the present and confirms the future that Egypt’s Cinema is acivilization and is still present in the history of Arab and international cinema.

In a new wave of Russian feminism, thousands ofwomen are posting selfies on social media showingtheir pimples, cellulite and hair loss to challenge

beauty stereotypes that women’s rights activists sayfuel low self-esteem and eating disorders. The#AllIsFineWithMe trend - started by a Russian teenwho has struggled with anorexia - is the latest initiativeto push back against unrealistic pressures on womenand girls to look perfect, often driven by airbrushedimages on social media.

“Russia is still a very patriarchal, body consciouscountry where strict beauty standards and body-sham-ing are an everyday reality,” said Janette Akhilgova,Russia consultant for women’s rights group EqualityNow. “(Such) campaigns ... are a positive way to letpeople see how they can accept their own body andbreak free of the constraints ... which can destroy bothmental and physical health. It is about diversity, inclu-

sion, and acceptance.”From catwalks featuring plus-sized models to air-

lines ditching compulsory make-up for hostesses, agrowing number of so-called body positive initiativesworldwide are encouraging women to celebrate theirappearance. Women in Russia are expected to dress toappeal to men, feminists say, highlighting old-fashionedgender stereotypes and rising conservatism, such as a2017 law decriminalising domestic violence that doesnot require hospital treatment.

In a bid to change that, teenage Instagram influencer@Tysya asked her 1.2 million followers to post photos ofthemselves without make-up with the hashtag#SoMnoyVsyoTak or #AllIsFineWithMe. “In Russia ...we show very few people with ordinary bodies,”@Tysya, whose real name is Natalia Zemlianukhina, toldthe Thomson Reuters Foundation by email. Girls who arenot thin, have acne or different traits are often picked onat school and pressured to diet, she said, adding she hadfought to overcome anorexia, where sufferers starvethemselves due to an obsessive fear of getting fat.“#AllIsFineWithMe is about the fact that every body isright and beautiful. There are no bodies that need to beworked on, improved or changed.” —Reuters

Russian women share their images of beauty

Monday, October 7, 2019L i f e s t y l e C o m i c C o n

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Cosplayers arrive for the third day of the 2019 New York Comic Con at the Jacob Javits Center. — AFP photos

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

DIAL161 FOR AIRPORT INFORMATION

Arrival Flights on Monday 7/10/2019Airlines Flt Route TimeFEG 441 Asyut 00:05IGO 1757 Kochi 00:10JZR 254 Amman 00:20THY 772 Istanbul 00:20KAC 102 London 00:50DLH 625 Dammam 00:50JZR 722 Alexandria 01:00KAC 504 Beirut 01:00JZR 734 Cairo 01:00RJA 642 Amman 01:20UAE 853 Dubai 01:40KLM 446 Bahrain 01:45KKK 1268 Istanbul 01:55ETH 620 Addis Ababa 02:15QTR 1086 Doha 02:40THY 1404 AYT 02:45PGT 860 Istanbul 02:50GFA 211 Bahrain 02:50JZR 502 Lahore 02:55JZR 406 Kochi 03:05OMA 643 Muscat 03:05ETD 305 Abu Dhabi 03:05MSR 612 Cairo 03:15KAC 418 Manila 03:20RBG 1557 Alexandria 03:30QTR 1076 Doha 03:30OHY 352 Istanbul 04:00KAC 382 Delhi 04:05IGO 1751 Chennai 04:10KAC 346 Ahmedabad 04:15KAC 784 Jeddah 04:25JZR 404 Hyderabad 04:50FDB 069 Dubai 05:05DHX 170 Bahrain 05:05THY 770 Istanbul 05:20JZR 402 Mumbai 05:25KAC 344 Chennai 05:30KAC 552 Cairo 05:45JZR 112 Doha 05:50JZR 702 Asyut 06:10BAW 157 London 06:10KAC 284 Dhaka 06:15JZR 714 Sohag 06:20KAC 678 Dubai 06:40KAC 204 Lahore 06:45JZR 102 Bahrain 07:00KAC 302 Mumbai 07:05IGO 1766 Mumbai 07:10RBG 211 Luxor 07:25JZR 724 Alexandria 07:50FDB 053 Dubai 07:50QTR 1084 Doha 08:00MSC 401 Alexandria 08:00KAC 384 Delhi 08:10IRA 601 Tehran 08:10KAC 352 Kochi 08:20UAE 855 Dubai 08:25RSB 1078 Baku 08:30ETD 301 Abu Dhabi 08:50KAC 334 Trivandrum 09:00OMA 641 Muscat 09:00ABY 125 Sharjah 09:00ETD 9873 Tbilisi 09:10QTR 1070 Doha 09:20GOW 061 CNN 09:30IGO 1753 Ahmedabad 09:40FDB 055 Dubai 09:40AXB 889 Mangalore/Bahrain 10:20GFA 213 Bahrain 10:40AXB 395 Kozhikode 10:40MEA 404 Beirut 10:55QTR 1074 Doha 11:00THY 1282 Trabzon 11:05JZR 1736 Cairo 11:05JZR 114 Doha 11:10IGO 1755 CNN 11:30NIA 1401 Sohag 11:35JZR 122 Dubai 11:45AXB 789 CNN/Bahrain 12:10RBG 553 Alexandria 12:30THY 766 Istanbul 12:30MSR 610 Cairo 12:45

KAC 742 Dammam 12:55IRA 667 Esfahan 13:10KAC 774 Riyadh 13:35JZR 212 Jeddah 13:45KAC 672 Dubai 14:00UAE 877 Dubai 14:00JZR 152 Mashhad 14:05KNE 231 Riyadh 14:10GFA 221 Bahrain 14:15FDB 059 Dubai 14:20QTR 078 Doha 14:25KAC 286 Dhaka 14:35KAC 364 Colombo 14:35KAC 304 Mumbai 14:45SVA 500 Jeddah 14:45JZR 222 Riyadh 14:45KAC 562 Amman 14:50KAC 618 Doha 14:50KAC 788 Jeddah 14:55KAC 516 Tehran 15:00KAC 118 New York 15:00KNE 529 Jeddah 15:05KAC 412 Bangkok 15:10ETD 303 Abu Dhabi 15:15OMA 645 Muscat 15:20ABY 127 Sharjah 15:35UAE 857 Dubai 15:45FEG 341 Sohag 16:00KAC 546 Cairo 16:05JZR 732 Cairo 16:10FDB 051 Dubai 16:10QTR 1072 Doha 16:15KAC 502 Beirut 16:15SAW 705 Damascus 17:00JZR 116 Doha 17:05SVA 510 Riyadh 17:10GFA 215 Bahrain 17:30JZR 214 Jeddah 17:35JZR 124 Dubai 17:40IAW 157 Baghdad 18:00JZR 104 Bahrain 18:00KAC 158 Istanbul 18:00QTR 1080 Doha 18:10MSR 620 Cairo 18:30FDB 063 Dubai 19:05RJA 640 Amman 19:05GFA 217 Bahrain 19:05ABY 123 Sharjah 19:20KAC 744 Dammam 19:25KAC 616 Bahrain 19:40KAC 674 Dubai 19:45KAC 776 Riyadh 19:45FDB 057 Dubai 19:50KNE 381 Taif 20:00OMA 647 Muscat 20:05NIA 1501 Asyut 20:10DLH 624 Frankfurt 20:10MEA 402 Beirut 20:15KAC 620 Doha 20:30KAC 174 Munich 20:30QTR 1088 Doha 20:40JAV 621 Amman 20:45RBG 219 Sohag 20:55KLM 445 Amsterdam 21:00ETD 307 Abu Dhabi 21:10UAE 859 Dubai 21:15ALK 229 Colombo 21:15KAC 168 Paris 21:20THY 764 Istanbul 21:30KAC 164 MXP 21:40KAC 622 Doha 21:50GFA 219 Bahrain 21:50KAC 564 Amman 21:55QTR 1082 Doha 22:05ETD 309 Abu Dhabi 22:15KAC 786 Jeddah 22:20SVA 514 Riyadh 22:25AIC 975 Chennai/Goa 22:25SVA 502 Jeddah 22:45JZR 128 Dubai 22:50MSC 411 Asyut 23:15MSR 614 Cairo 23:30FDB 071 Dubai 23:35

Departure Flights on Monday 7/10/2019Airlines Flt Route TimeAIC 982 Ahmedabad/Chennai 00:05JZR 713 Sohag 00:10MSC 412 Asyut 00:15MSR 615 Cairo 00:30FEG 342 Sohag 01:05JZR 723 Alexandria 01:05IGO 1758 Kochi 01:10KAC 677 Dubai 01:40KAC 677 Dubai 01:50THY 773 Istanbul 01:50DLH 625 Frankfurt 01:50KAC 285 Dhaka 02:00KAC 363 Colombo 02:00KAC 417 Manila 02:00JZR 111 Doha 02:10THY 765 Istanbul 02:50KKK 1269 Istanbul 02:55ETH 621 Addis Ababa 03:05KLM 446 Amsterdam 03:10UAE 854 Dubai 03:30ETD 306 Abu Dhabi 04:00OMA 644 Muscat 04:05JZR 101 Bahrain 04:05RBG 1558 Alexandria 04:10QTR 1087 Doha 04:15MSR 613 Cairo 04:15PGT 861 Istanbul 04:20JZR 1735 Cairo 04:40QTR 1077 Doha 05:00OHY 351 Istanbul 05:00IGO 1752 Chennai 05:10KAC 303 Mumbai 05:15THY 1465 Istanbul 06:00FDB 070 Dubai 06:00THY 771 Istanbul 06:30GFA 212 Bahrain 06:50RJA 643 Amman 07:00JZR 121 Dubai 07:15KAC 167 Paris 07:15JZR 113 Doha 07:30BAW 156 London 07:40KAC 173 Munich 07:45JZR 211 Jeddah 08:00IGO 1767 Mumbai 08:10RBG 214 Sohag 08:15JZR 151 Mashhad 08:15FDB 054 Dubai 08:35KAC 163 MXP 08:35KAC 501 Beirut 08:50KAC 545 Cairo 08:50KAC 561 Amman 08:55MSC 402 Alexandria 09:00KAC 117 New York 09:05QTR 1085 Doha 09:10IRA 666 Esfahan 09:10KAC 671 Dubai 09:15KAC 787 Jeddah 09:15KAC 157 Istanbul 09:35ABY 126 Sharjah 09:40KAC 773 Riyadh 09:40KAC 741 Dammam 09:40JZR 731 Cairo 09:45UAE 856 Dubai 09:50ETD 302 Abu Dhabi 09:55OMA 642 Muscat 10:00KAC 101 London 10:05QTR 1071 Doha 10:30GOW 062 CNN 10:30RSB 1079 Baku 10:30KAC 515 Tehran 10:35FDB 056 Dubai 10:40IGO 1754 Ahmedabad 10:40KAC 617 Doha 10:40ETD 9874 Abu Dhabi 11:10AXB 890 Mangalore 11:20JZR 221 Riyadh 11:20GFA 214 Bahrain 11:35AXB 396 Kozhikode 11:50MEA 405 Beirut 11:55THY 1283 Trabzon 12:00JZR 213 Jeddah 12:05QTR 1075 Doha 12:10

IGO 1756 CNN 12:30NIA 1502 Asyut 12:35AXB 790 CNN 13:10RBG 554 Alexandria 13:10JZR 123 Dubai 13:10JZR 115 Doha 13:25MSR 611 Cairo 13:45THY 767 Istanbul 14:00IRA 600 Tehran 14:10KNE 382 Taif 15:00GFA 222 Bahrain 15:00KAC 673 Dubai 15:00FDB 060 Dubai 15:05JZR 103 Bahrain 15:05UAE 878 Dubai 15:30QTR 1079 Doha 15:30SVA 501 Jeddah 15:45KNE 530 Jeddah 15:55KAC 105 London 15:55KAC 563 Amman 16:00JZR 405 Kochi 16:00KAC 743 Dammam 16:05KAC 775 Riyadh 16:05KAC 615 Bahrain 16:10ABY 128 Sharjah 16:15OMA 646 Muscat 16:20ETD 304 Abu Dhabi 16:20KAC 785 Jeddah 16:20KAC 619 Doha 16:25FEG 242 Alexandria 16:55FDB 052 Dubai 17:10QTR 1073 Doha 17:25KAC 155 Istanbul 17:35KAC 361 Colombo 17:35UAE 858 Dubai 17:40KAC 283 Dhaka 17:40KAC 621 Doha 17:50KAC 381 Delhi 17:55SAW 706 Damascus 18:00SVA 511 Riyadh 18:10JZR 721 Alexandria 18:15GFA 216 Bahrain 18:20JZR 127 Dubai 18:20JZR 403 Hyderabad 18:25JZR 733 Cairo 18:35IAW 158 Baghdad 19:00JZR 253 Amman 19:10KAC 345 Ahmedabad 19:20QTR 1081 Doha 19:20MSR 621 Cairo 19:30FDB 064 Dubai 19:45GFA 218 Bahrain 19:50KAC 331 Trivandrum 19:55ABY 124 Sharjah 20:00KAC 357 Kochi 20:05RJA 641 Amman 20:05JZR 401 Mumbai 20:30FDB 058 Dubai 20:30KAC 353 Bengaluru 20:50KNE 232 Riyadh 20:50DLH 624 Dammam 20:55OMA 648 Muscat 21:05NIA 1602 Luxor 21:10MEA 403 Beirut 21:15KAC 301 Mumbai 21:25RBG 210 Sohag 21:35JAV 621 Amman 21:45DHX 171 Bahrain 21:50QTR 1089 Doha 21:50KAC 203 Lahore 22:00KLM 445 Bahrain 22:10ETD 308 Abu Dhabi 22:15ALK 230 Colombo 22:20KAC 383 Delhi 22:35UAE 860 Dubai 22:35JZR 407 Ahmedabad 22:40GFA 220 Bahrain 22:50KAC 783 Jeddah 22:55KAC 551 Cairo 23:00ETD 310 Abu Dhabi 23:05QTR 1083 Doha 23:20SVA 515 Riyadh 23:25JZR 701 Asyut 23:45SVA 503 Jeddah 23:45

ClassifiedsMonday, October 7, 2019

Sabah Hospital 24812000

Amiri Hospital 22450005

Maternity Hospital 24843100

Mubarak Al-Kabir Hospital 25312700

Chest Hospital 24849400

Farwaniya Hospital 24892010

Adan Hospital 23940620

Ibn Sina Hospital 24840300

Al-Razi Hospital 24846000

Physiotherapy Hospital 24874330/9

Kaizen center 25716707

Rawda 22517733

Adaliya 22517144

Khaldiya 24848075

Kaifan 24849807

Shamiya 24848913

Shuwaikh 24814507

Abdullah Salem 22549134

Nuzha 22526804

Industrial Shuwaikh 24814764

Qadsiya 22515088

Dasmah 22532265

Bneid Al-Gar 22531908

Shaab 22518752

Qibla 22459381

Ayoun Al-Qibla 22451082

Mirqab 22456536

Sharq 22465401

Salmiya 25746401

AirlinesKuwait Airways 171

Jazeera Airways 177

Wataniya Airways 22 066 536

Turkish Airlines 1884918

American Airlines 22087425

Jet Airways 22924455

FlyDubai 22414400

Qatar Airways 22423888

KLM 22425747

Royal Jordanian 22418064/5/6

British Airways 22425635

Air France 22430224

Emirates 22921555

Air India 22456700

Air India EXPRESS 22438185/4 Sri Lanka Airlines 22424444

Egypt Air 22421578

Swiss Air 22421516

Saudia 22426306

Middle East Airlines` 22423073

Lufthansa 22422493

PIA 22421044

Bangladesh Airlines 22452977/8

Indian Airlines 22456700

Oman Air 22958787

Turkish Airlines 22453820/1

Aeroflot 22404838/9

CHANGE OF NAME

I, CONCEICAO FRANCISCA,Passport No: K7034936, Civil IDNo: 271121603451, havechange my name to CONCE-ICAO FRANCISCA DA COSTAhereafter in all my dealings anddocuments. (C 5600)

I, SHAIKH YUSUF SHAIKHKARIM QURESHI, holder ofIndian Passport No. L6661740,

Civil ID No. 279010502291, havechanged my name from ABDULYUSUF ABDUL KARIM toSHAIKH YUSUF SHAIKH KARIMQURESHI, hereafter in all mydealings and documents. (C 5599) 6-10-2019

I, SUSANNA MAVELI, holder ofIndian Passport No. H9588802at present residing in Kuwaithereby change my name toSUSANNA MAVELI VARGHESE.(C 5598) 3-10-2019

Monday, October 7, 2019N e w s

Established 1961 24

Continued from Page 1

he wasn’t in his room. On the third day, the food in therefrigerator got spoiled. My dog never stopped barkingbecause of the darkness,” he said.

“When I called the haris, he said the Municipality cutour electricity and water and probably it will resume thesupply by Thursday afternoon. But on Thursday evening,he said all tenants of the building must leave as per theinstructions of the building owner,” the Filipino tenantsaid. He said people regularly paid the rent and therewere no issues of non-payment among the tenants.

“Yes, many occupants are bachelors, but it’s not ourproblem. They accepted us when we wanted a flat. Sothey should be humane enough to settle our problem. Istarted looking for a new place only on Thursday afterspending the nights in my car to be able to sleep com-

fortably in the AC. But it’s not easy - you cannot sleepproperly inside a car,” he added.

An Indian family also slept in their car for four nightswith their four-year-old son. “I was crying for my son - Ican bear the suffering, but I am concerned about my son.He is only four years old and he has to sleep in the car,”he said. “They promised to return the supply of the elec-tricity soon and nothing happened,” he said.

Kuwait Times witnessed several people spending thenights outdoors, some of them in parked trucks and cars,while others slept on the ground. “I have no place to go;I asked my friend in another building to allow me towash. I use the public toilet to clean myself,” said anoth-er tenant.

Family occupants of the building were told by theharis to endure the heat until the electricity is back. Buthe admitted it won’t happen until everything is settled atthe Municipality, prompting the tenants to look for otherplaces to live. The building’s tenants are mostly fromIndia, Nepal, China, Philippines and other Asian coun-tries. Kuwait Times contacted the Municipality for com-ment, but it did not respond.

Power, water cutto evict ‘bachelors’...

Continued from Page 1

improved relations with Gulf nations. A year ago,Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held sur-prise talks with Oman’s Sultan Qaboos in Muscat. Katzin July said he had met his Bahraini counterpart publicly

for the first time during a visit to Washington.In late June, a group of Israeli journalists attended

the US-led economic conference on Israeli-Palestinianpeace in Bahrain. All did not go well, however, when agroup of invitees from Arab states visited Israel in July.Palestinians hurled abuse and chairs at a member of thedelegation - a Saudi blogger - as he visited eastJerusalem’s Old City. East Jerusalem was occupied byIsrael in the 1967 Six-Day War and later annexed in amove never recognized by the international community.Israel sees the entire city as its capital, while thePalestinians see the eastern sector as the capital of theirfuture state. — AFP

Israeli FM seeks ‘non-aggression’...

ISTANBUL: Turkey summoned a top US diplomat toits foreign ministry yesterday, a day after the U.S.Embassy’s Twitter account liked a tweet regardingDevlet Bahceli, the leader of the nationalist party whohas recently fallen ill. The tweet said Turkey should beready for a political realm without Bahceli, who hashad health issues in recent weeks, which led to specu-lation regarding the seriousness of his condition.

The dispute comes at a t ime when relationsbetween the NATO allies are strained due to Turkey’sthreats of an incursion into northeastern Syria, afterAnkara accused Washington of stalling efforts toestablish a ‘safe zone’ there together. Bahceli is theleader of Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), which is

an ally of President Tayyip Erdogan’s AK Party. Thetwo parties entered the parliamentary and presidentialelections in an alliance last year, which allowed themto attain a majority in parliament together.

Turkey’s Foreign Ministry said yesterday it hadsummoned the US charge d’affaires to the ministryand requested an “open and clear” explanationregarding the issue. The US Embassy posted twoapologies on Twitter, one late on Saturday and anoth-er yesterday, after the charge d’affaires was sum-moned. The tweet in question was sent by a usernamed Ergun Babahan. “We apologize for the mistakethat occurred on our Twitter account yesterday. Wedo not associate ourselves with Ergun Babahan nor do

we endorse or agree with the content of his tweet. Wereiterate our regret for this error,” it said in yester-day’s tweet. The like was also removed from theEmbassy’s page.

Omer Celik, spokesman for the AK Party, said earli-er yesterday that the US State Department andEmbassy needed to investigate the issue and an apol-ogy would not suffice. “It shows that some peopleemployed in the Embassy are making a special effortto damage the relations between the two countries,”Celik said on Twitter. “The United States Embassyneeds to try to understand Turkey not through peoplelinked with terrorist organizations but through peoplewho can conduct proper analysis,” he said.

Turkey has placed on trial on terrorism chargesthree local US consulate employees. One of them wassentenced to jail in January but was released due totime served. The trials of the other two, who areaccused of links to Gulen’s network, are continuing.Semih Yalcin, deputy head of the MHP, said on Twitterlate on Saturday that Bahceli has recovered from hisillness and would return to work in the coming week.The relations between the NATO allies have beenunder pressure in recent years over a range of issues,including Turkey’s purchase of Russian S-400 missiledefense systems, differences in policy in Syria and thedetention of local US consulate employees and citi-zens in Turkey. — Reuters

Turkey summons US diplomat after Embassy likes tweet about ill leader

AMMAN: Jordanian teachers ended a month-longstrike yesterday after reaching an agreement with thegovernment for a rise in wages. The strike, which began

on Sept 8 just a week into the school year, paralyzedsome 4,000 public schools in the kingdom where morethan 1.4 million students are enrolled. The teachers haddemanded a 50-percent hike in their salaries, “the low-est among state employees”, according to the union.

Union leader Nasir Al-Nawasra said the “historic”strike was halted after a deal was reached with the gov-ernment on “raises and an apology”. The union, whichrepresents 100,000 teachers, obtained a revaluation ofits members’ salaries ranging from 35 to 75 percent, hetold an Amman press conference. The government hadpreviously refused to meet the union’s demands, pro-

posing in late September it grant the teachers a raise of24 to 31 dinars ($34-$44) instead. Monthly salaries forpublic school teachers in Jordan range between $500and $1,000.

Prime Minister Omar Al-Razzaz claimed the increasewas all the government could afford “given the currenteconomic circumstances”. Minister of State for LegalAffairs Mubarak Abu Yamin, who led the governmentdelegation in negotiations, told the press conferencethe agreement was reached “thanks to the directives ofKing Abdullah II” and the “government’s determinationthat teachers should be able to hold their heads high”.

Cash-strapped Jordan is highly dependent on for-eign aid and has struggled to curb its debt since secur-ing a major loan from the International Monetary Fundin 2016. Unemployment in the resource-poor kingdomremains at 19 percent and the poverty rate hovers atmore than 15 percent, according to official figures.Jordan has blamed its economic woes on instabilitywracking the region and the burden of hosting hun-dreds of thousands of Syrian refugees without ade-quate international support. More than 650,000 Syrianrefugees are registered with the UN refugee agency inJordan. — AFP

Jordan teachers end strike in pay deal with govt

Continued from Page 1

got 1.5 Billion Dollars from China despite no expe-rience and for no apparent reason.” He added that aspresident, “I have an OBLIGATION to look into pos-sible, or probable, CORRUPTION!”

Other reports have said Hunter Biden was paid upto $50,000 a month as a member of the board of aUkrainian gas company, Burisma. No evidence hasbeen found that either Biden did anything illegal. Abit unusually for a Sunday, Trump was staying in theWhite House rather than traveling or playing golf.“On one of the most critical news weeks of the lastthree years,” CNN said in a tweet quoting anchorJake Tapper, “the White House did not offer a guest,the President’s personal lawyers and CongressionalGOP leaders either declined to be on the show ordid not respond.”

But one Republican senator, Ron Johnson, whoserves on the Foreign Relations Committee, appearedon NBC’s “Meet the Press” and rejected the sugges-tion that Trump had withheld military aid to pressureUkraine to investigate the Bidens. “When I asked the

president about that,” he said, “he completelyadamantly, vehemently, angrily denied it.”

The latest turns in the explosive impeachmentinquiry came a day after Secretary of State MikePompeo accused Democratic-led congressional com-mittees leading the probe of having “harassed andabused” State Department employees by contactingthem directly for documents rather than going throughdepartment lawyers. The House committees issuedsubpoenas on Friday - including to the White House -as evidence mounted that Trump attempted to with-hold US military aid to pressure Zelensky into seekingdamaging information on Biden, who has led in mostpolls of 2020 Democratic presidential aspirants.

The impeachment investigation saga began afterthe original whistleblower - an intelligence official -filed a formal complaint to the intelligence communityinspector general about Trump’s alleged pressuring ofZelensky. A rough transcript of the phone call laterreleased by the White House, as well as a series oftext messages between US diplomats, appeared tocorroborate the original complaint.

Zaid recently told the Washingtonian magazinethat he hoped the identity of the original whistleblow-er - whom Trump has assailed as treasonous - wouldnever become public. His co-counsel, Bakaj, previ-ously worked in the inspector general’s offices at boththe CIA and the Defense Department on whistleblow-er-related issues. — AFP

Second Trump whistleblower..

BAGHDAD: The Iraqi government announced a series ofreforms early yesterday after an “extraordinary” sessionovernight in response to sweeping anti-government ral-lies that have left nearly 100 dead in less than a week. TheUnited Nations on Saturday urged an end to violence inIraq, after five days of protests calling for the governmentto resign. Confronted by its biggest challenge since com-ing to power just under a year ago, Prime Minister AdelAbdel Mahdi’s cabinet issued a decree including 17planned reforms, such as land distributions and increasedwelfare stipends for needy families.

The decree ordered construction of 100,000 newhousing units. In September, local authorities launcheddemolitions of houses in informal settlements, home tothree million Iraqis across the country. In response tostaggering youth unemployment, which has reachedaround 25 percent according to the World Bank, thegovernment said it would create large market complex-es and boost benefits for those without work. The pub-lic sector remains the largest employer in Iraq, a coun-try of 40 million people, but it has struggled to absorbnew university graduates in recent years.

In the southern city of Kut last month, a young Iraqiman died after he set himself alight in despair afterauthorities seized his mobile kiosk. The government hasofficially designated those killed as “martyrs,” grantingtheir families a special set of benefits. The Iraqi HumanRights Commission said Saturday that 99 people have

died and nearly 4,000 have been wounded sinceprotests kicked off.

The majority of protesters killed were struck by bul-lets, according to medical sources, who said on Fridaythat six police officers have also been killed. Theauthorities have accused “saboteurs” and unidentifiedsnipers of targeting protesters. Yesterday morning, thesituation was calm in Baghdad, though with lighter traf-fic than usual. The capital’s iconic Tahrir Squareremained blocked off by security forces.

‘This must stop’ Parliament speaker Mohammed Al-Halbusi pledged

a range of reforms in a meeting with lawmakers onSaturday, but did not hold his planned legislative ses-sion as the body failed to reach quorum. Born of callson social media, the protest movement denounced cor-ruption, unemployment and the decay of public servic-es in a country chronically short of electricity anddrinking water. Iraq is the 12th most corrupt country inthe world, according to Transparency International.

The protests follow Iraq’s declaration of victory overthe Islamic State group at the end of 2017 — afternearly four decades of conflict. Starting Tuesday, pro-testers gathered in Baghdad and spread to the coun-try’s Shiite-majority south, defying an Internet black-out, tear gas and even live rounds. The mainly male,young crowds say they are not backed by any politicalor religious establishment and have attacked a broadrange of political party offices.

“We don’t want parties anymore. We don’t wantanyone to speak in our name,” one protester toldAFP on Friday. Authorities have asked protesters togive them time to implement reform. “Five days ofreported deaths and injuries: this must stop. I call onall parties to pause and reflect,” the head of the UNmission to Iraq, Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, wroteon Twitter. — AFP

Iraqi PM vows reforms to calm angry protests

BAGHDAD: Iraqi demonstrators burn tyres during a demonstration against state corruption, failing public servic-es and unemployment on Saturday. — AFP

Finnish pilot Esapekka Lappi and copilot Janne Ferm of the Citroen Total WRT drive their Citroen C3 WRC as theypass through the cancelled Great Orme stage of the Wales Rally GB, the 12th round of the FIA World RallyChampionship, in northwest Wales yesterday. — AFP

S p o r t s Monday, October 7, 2019

25Established 1961

Qatar faces rocky road to 2022 WCup after athletics testDOHA: Despite triumphs on the track, Qatar has comeunder fire for its hosting of the World AthleticsChampionships with questions raised over Doha’s abili-ty to deliver the football World Cup successfully inthree years’ time. Perhaps the most stinging off-trackcriticism of the 10-day event which concluded yester-day was sparked by the spectacle of a near-empty sta-dium during the opening days, raising fears for atten-dances in 2022.

“It’s a classic mega-event failing, believing that ‘if youbuild it, fans will come’,” said Simon Chadwick, profes-sor of sports enterprise at Britain’s Salford University.Crowds at the 1976 Montreal Olympics and the 2004Games in Athens also failed to meet organisers’ expec-tations despite ambitious stadium construction, he not-ed. International Association of Athletics Federationschief Sebastian Coe has come under fire for the dismalcrowds that turned out in Doha to watch blue-ribandevents including the men’s and women’s 100 metres.

“The crowd is an easier subject to talk about ratherthan some of the more insightful stuff around the events,”said Coe, who attacked what he viewed as negativemedia coverage. Spectator numbers improved as theweek wore on after at least one large state-fundedorganisation offered staff free tickets for the KhalifaInternational Stadium. “It totally felt different, there was alot of energy,” said former 1,500m world champion JennySimpson on Thursday after the American won her heat.

‘REASONS TO BE THERE’ Despite Western diplomats warning Qatar would be

“judged harshly” for missteps during the athletics,Chadwick said Doha would be unfazed by criticism ofmeagre crowds. The country instead sees theChampionships and World Cup as a means of bolster-ing security, he said.

“Even if nobody turned up to watch the athletics, itdoesn’t matter. Qatar has mitigated the threats it facesby making itself visible, relevant and important,” saidChadwick. By hosting such events, Qatar “has a degreeof protection against some of the threats,” Chadwicksaid, adding that the 2015 World HandballChampionship and the 2016 cycling Road WorldChampionships were also poorly attended.

FIFA would now seek clarity about Doha’s ticketingstrategy following the sight of a near-empty stadium onsome days at the athletics, he added. “People want toknow — is there going to be somewhere nice to stay,can they buy a beer?” Chadwick said. “What kind ofevent ecosystem are they constructing around thatticketing strategy? You’ve got to give people reasonsto be there.” Qatar World Cup organisers declined tocomment on the ticketing challenges at the athletics butsought to head off fears around the World Cup, includ-ing alcohol prices in the conservative Gulf monarchy.

Officials also sought to reassure LGBT fans theirsafety would be assured as they showed off rapidlyevolving World Cup infrastructure to visiting mediaahead of the athletics. Another recurring issue was theheat in the road races, with some competitors beratingorganisers for the sweltering temperatures and humidi-ty during the marathons and race walks that were heldoutside the air-conditioned stadium.

Canada’s Lyndsay Tessier, who placed ninth after 28of her 68 rivals dropped out of the women’s marathon,told AFP it was “really scary and intimidating anddaunting” seeing competitors collapse.

But World Cup organisers insisted to visiting mediathat 2022 will not be dogged by high temperatures as itwill be staged in the winter months and played in air-conditioned stadiums. Championships spectators facedgrim traffic jams across Doha with many key roads andjunctions undergoing construction, although competi-tors and VIPs received police escorts. —AFP

DOHA: Sifan Hassan made light of the doping banhanded to her coach Alberto Salazar to complete anhistoric 1,500/10,000 metres double at the WorldAthletics Championships on Saturday as a host ofstars celebrated golden repeat performances. Hassandestroyed the 1,500 metres championship record —which had stood for 16 years — in what she admittedhad been a “tough week” due to Salazar’s four-yearban being announced in midweek.

The 26-year-old Ethiopia-born Dutch athleteripped off her name plate and took off on a barefootvictory lap, brandishing the Netherlands flag. “I didnot discuss a strategy as I had no one to discuss itwith,” said Hassan.

“It was a very tough week and had a lot of thingsin my head but I have a good manager and he reallysupported me. She added: “I show the world I am aclean athlete.” Both Hellen Obiri of Kenya andVenezuela’s Yulimar Rojas retained their women’s5,000m and triple jump titles respectively.

Rojas said the parlous state of her country hadbeen her motivation. Venezuela is suffering from apunishing economic crisis and a political standoffbetween President Nicolas Maduro’s socialist gov-ernment and the National Assembly led by oppositionleader Juan Guaido.

“I think what happens in my country is why I wantto make it proud and inspire the whole country andthe next generation,” said the 23-year-old. JoeKovacs of the United States added a second shot puttitle — having won in 2015 — winning in a thrillerwith his last throw of 22.91 metres in front of Ashleyhis wife, who is also his coach.

All three medallists — Olympic champion RyanCrouser and 2017 champion Tomas Walsh taking sil-ver and bronze respectively — bettered the 32-year-old championship record of Werner Gunther.

“These guys probably thought I could only throwangry but it is the first time I threw with a smile onmy face,” said Kovacs, paying tribute to his wife andthe change in his mentality since getting married.

‘PUNCH SOMETHING’ By contrast American Justin Gatlin and Jamaican

sprint legend Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce are old handsat the championships and both celebrated 4x100mrelay gold. Astonishingly two-time 100m men’s worldchampion Gatlin — also 200m world champion in2005 — has had to wait until he was 37 to secureone.

“Gold means so much to me, probably a lot morethan some I have won individually. It has eluded methroughout my career from college onwards,” saidGatlin.

“I take my hat off to my team-mates. They brokethat curse tonight of the USA dropping the baton andI really appreciate them giving me the gift today.”Fraser-Pryce added the relay title — her fourth in theevent — to the 100m individual gold and her ninthoverall in the history of the championships.

The 32-year-old was full of praise for her trio ofless experienced team-mates. “It is a pleasure to beamongst the younger athletes and seeing them comeout and winning speaks volumes for the team,” saidFraser-Pryce.

The men’s marathon saw Lelisa Desisa triumph andend an 18 year hiatus for Ethiopia — GezahegneAbera had taken gold in Edmonton in 2001 — in arace that featured none of the carnage the womenhad experienced a week ago.

Sunday’s climax to the championship will be miss-ing several world and Olympic champions after theyfailed to come through qualifying. Brianna McNealdid not even make it over the first hurdle as the 2016

Olympic 100 metres hurdler was called for a falsestart and left the track in tears.

Germany’s javelin Olympic champion ThomasRohler also departed tearfully having fallen short ofthe top 12 who qualified for the final. American long

jump great Brittney Reese meanwhile was left kickingherself after failing to qualify for Sunday’s final.

“I just need to go punch something, I’ll be okay,”said the 33-year-old quadruple outdoor worldchampion. —AFP

Gatlin joy as US lift 4 x 100 metres relay gold

‘I am clean’ Hassan leads roundof golden doubles at worlds

DOHA: Netherlands’ Sifan Hassan wins the Women’s 1500m final at the 2019 IAAF Athletics WorldChampionships at the Khalifa International stadium in Doha. —AFP

HH the Crown Prince shooting tournament begins on ThursdayBy Abdellatif Sharaa

KUWAIT: Arab andKuwait ShootingFederations SecretaryGeneral Obaid Al-Osaimilauded the continued sup-port by HH the CrownPrince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabahto the sport of shooting,adding that KuwaitShooting Sport Clubbegins its season with atournament of HH theCrown Prince. The tourna-ment will start on October10 in the Olympic skeet andtrap, as well as 10m air pistol and rifle and 50m pistoland rifle in addition to Olympic archery.

Osaimi, on behalf of the board members and shoot-ing community thanked His Highness the Crown Princeof his care and having the tournament in his name.

Meanwhile the organizing committee held severalmeetings with the various subcommittees in order tocomplete all preparations and having all that is neces-sary to ensure a distinguished start for the tournament,which is being officiated by International KuwaitReferee who are fully experienced with internationalrecognition.

Ranges were being prepared and all systems testedto ensure readiness. Al-Osaimi said those wishing toparticipate in the tournament should register at theclub until tomorrow (October 8, 2019).

Al-Osaimi concluded by saying Ranges of Sabah Al-Ahmad Olympic Shooting Complex saw a large numberof shooters practicing for the tournament.

Obaid Al-Osaimi

NBA scores on debut in cricket-mad India but questions remainMUMBAI: Seconds after the NBA’s first games in India end-ed, the packed Mumbai stadium erupted with cheers asspectators — some of whom were still struggling to under-stand basketball etiquette — rose to their feet.

In a country where cricket reigns supreme, basketball haslong struggled to make a mark, and the NBA took nochances, launching a promotional blitzkrieg before the pre-season games between the Sacramento Kings and theIndiana Pacers.

As Indiana Pacers power forward Myles Turner, whohelped his team to victories on Friday and Saturday, put it:“When you think of basketball, you don’t necessarily think ofIndia.” But the 7,000 sold-out seats and howls of enthusiasmat Saturday’s match suggested that, at least for some Indians,basketball matters. “It was an exhilarating experience... abrilliant experience,” said 22-year-old graduate studentAkash Saraswati, who saved up for his ticket costing morethan $90. Even a broken leg could not stop him travelling toMumbai from the neighbouring city of Pune. “I didn’t hesi-tate,” he said. Many of those who packed the stands weredie-hard fans like Saraswati, travelling from as far afield asDelhi and Bangalore. Others were there for a taste of some-thing new, grappling with the rules as they watched the play-ers dribble, dive and dunk.

“There’s so much grace and effortless co-ordinationamong the players. It’s beautiful to watch,” said sales execu-tive Rajesh Kamble, who admitted he was still trying to fig-

ure out the sport.The game may have confused some, but the entertain-

ment was familiar territory — Bollywood dances replacedcheerleader routines and a Mumbai hip-hop group tookover the floor before the tip-off.

The courtside audience included celebrities such asBollywood superstar Priyanka Chopra-Jonas. The biggestovation of the night however was for NBA legend Larry Bird,whose presence brought the crowd to its feet.

WHAT HAPPENS ONCE ‘CIRCUS’ LEAVES? But questions remain about how much the NBA — whose

2017-18 season revenue was a staggering $8 billion, accord-ing to Forbes — is willing to invest in India and whether itsaudience will be restricted to hardcore fans and wealthyurbanites.

“The fact that the circus has come to town is a greatthing,” said Vishal Jhunjhunwala, partner at Mumbai-basedsports marketing firm, Square Consulting.

“But what happens once the circus leaves town? “Youneed a local connect, a superstar with Indian roots for bas-ketball to take off. That doesn’t exist at the moment, unlikesay China where the presence of a star like Yao Ming gal-vanised his whole country into following the sport,”Jhunjhunwala told AFP. No Indian player has ever taken partin an NBA game and although NBA Commissioner AdamSilver told reporters that he hopes to see that change withinfive years, few are holding their breath.

And, unlike cricket which is played everywhere fromIndia’s slums to members’ clubs, basketball enjoys a limitedappeal in the country of 1.3 billion people. The cheapest tick-et for Saturday’s game cost 4,500 rupees ($65), going up toan astronomical 85,000 rupees for courtside seats. In com-parison, a season pass for next week’s second Test betweenIndia and South Africa in Pune tops out at 5,000 rupees.

Although the high price did not deter well-heeled sports

fans, analysts say the NBA risks losing out on a huge chunkof India’s audience if it doesn’t build up mass appeal. “Youare asking people to spend a lot to watch a sport they don’tknow much about,” said Jhunjhunwala. To those in thestands, however, the spectacle was well worth the big bucks.“I am a cricket fan but... basketball also has huge potentialand hopefully this is the start of a new sporting journey”,said 25-year-old Danish Contractor. In his comments, theNBA’s Silver said the games “required us bringing in a court,a scoreboard, seats, locker rooms” to Mumbai.

They will have to do much more if the sport is to have along-term future in the country, experts say as the NBA pre-season Asia tour now heads off to Japan and China for fur-ther matches over the coming week. “One game isn’t goingto turn India into a basketball-loving nation. But it’s a firststep,” said Jhunjhunwala. “If they lose money on it, well, theyhave deep pockets”. —AFP

African diaspora cheer on Doha athletics championshipsDOHA: Dozens of African running fans l inedDoha’s seafront to glimpse their countrymen viefor gold in the World Athletics Championshipsmen’s marathon, singing loudly and brandishingnational flags.

At the halfway point, all six of the leaders werefrom Africa, and Ethiopians were first and secondacross the line while a Kenyan picked up bronzefollowing the midnight event. “We just came hereto celebrate our athletes, from Laban Korir on,they’re our Kenyans! We want to make them feelat home,” said Cornelius Bor ahead of the racewhich finished in the early hours.

Bor’s friend Elliot Kirwa, a runner turned secu-rity officer, said “we are supposed to sleep, weare supposed to go to work — but we had tocome and cheer them”. “My duty is 4:00 a.m. butI will first finish watching them, then I will gothere — and I’m so happy, so proud of them,”added Bor who then chanted “one, two, threeKenya!”.

“(On Sunday) we have 10,000m, Julius Yego inthe javel in . He wi l l c lear Khal i fa s tadium!”Nearby another group of men chanted anddanced in unison, draping the Kenyan coloursover an advertising hoarding.

Kenya’s Amos Kipruto, who won bronze, toldAFP his countrymen “gave me morale”. “Thismedal I dedicate to all my fans in Doha,” he said.“When I win, Kenyans win.” Many other migrant

workers turned out in force to support runnersfrom their native countries at the event whichsaw Ethiopia’s Lelisa Desisa win gold in twohours 10 minutes 40 seconds.

Kenyans make up roughly 30,000 of Qatar’s2.6 million population and are often employed assecurity guards while Ethiopians number around25,000 according to official statistics. Kenyanswere among a number of nat ions whoseembassies in Doha handed out free tickets totheir citizens following dismal crowds in thechampionships’ opening days.

“We feel at home,” said Bor, a security officer.Even more African supporters would have beenable to attend if not for the tournament’s latestart times, often after 10:00 p.m. (1900 GMT)for finals, according to some diaspora members.

“They put it at night and guys are working. Atnight time I don’t think they made it. A few peo-ple (did), but not too much,” said Wilson Mwenji,a former runner from Nairobi resident in Dohafor four years, as he prepared to watch thewomen’s marathon on September 27.

But Mercy, another Kenyan living in Qatar,said the championships had been “very wellorganised” as she walked past the main trackvenue, Doha’s Khalifa stadium.

“I love the fact that it is in the city and securi-ty is very amazing too. Kenya have been doinggreat, we got a gold medal for the men’s 3,000msteeplechase,” she told AFP. “It’s been great.”

Internat ional Associat ion of Ath let icsFederations president Sebastian Coe has said hewants to ensure athletics are “not just rooted in ahandful of European capitals” — but the flag-ship event has never been staged in Africa.

Athletics and road races in particular arehuge ly popular on the cont inent and havefewer barr iers to entry compared to othersports. —AFP

MUMBAI: Yogi Ferrell #3 of the Sacramento Kings shoots the ballagainst the Indiana Pacers at NSCI Dome in Mumbai, India. —AFP

S p o r t s Monday, October 7, 2019

26 Established 1961

Experimental All Blacks thrash Namibia TOKYO: An experimental New Zealand side recov-ered from a sticky start and two yellow cards tohammer Namibia 71-9 and move one step closer tofinishing top of their pool at the Rugby World Cupyesterday.

Namibia battled to within a point at 10-9 afterhalf an hour before the two-time defending cham-pions accelerated away to eclipse their 58-14 vic-tory over the Welwitschias at the 2015 World Cup.

“First half was pretty disappointing. We didn’tturn up with the right attitude and Namibia madeus pay for that,” said coach Steve Hansen.

“We had a poor attitude. They had more intentthan us and played better than us in the first half.We came out in the second half and sorted that outat half-time and came out and played well,” addedHansen. The win put the All Blacks top of Pool Bafter three games, with one more to come againstItaly next Saturday as the quarter-finals beckon.Second-placed South Africa round off their poolmatches against Canada on Tuesday.

Namibia are the World Cup’s undisputed whip-ping boys, after never winning a game in the com-petition and suffering embarrassing defeats like142-0 against Australia in 2003.

The last time they beat a Tier One nation wasIreland in 1991, but they turned up to play at a cool,windswept Tokyo Stadium and were first on theboard through a Damian Stevens penalty after twominutes.

New Zealand’s Jordie Barrett, in his first start atfly-half, put in Sevu Reece with an assured cross-field kick just three minutes later, but then missedthe conversion.

Anton Lienert-Brown stormed through a gapand fended off two defenders for New Zealand’ssecond try on 20 minutes, but Barrett scuffed hisconversion once again.

The All Blacks were finding it hard going againstthe physical Namibians, who twice worked theirway up field and won a pair of penalties whichStevens knocked over to take them to only 10-9down after half an hour.

All Blacks prop Nepo Laulala was sent to thesin-bin for a high tackle on Stevens, and BrodieRetallick’s comeback after a dislocated shoulderlasted just 30 minutes as there were uncomfortablemoments for the world champions.

But Angus Ta’avao, minutes after coming on forSam Cane, dived over for their third try and fullbackBen Smith added a bonus point fourth after the half-time gong to make it 24-9 at the break. —AFP

KUMAMOTO: France qualified for the Rugby WorldCup quarter-finals yesterday with a nailbiting 23-21win against Tonga that sets up a winner-takes-allclash with England to top Pool C. First-half tries byVirimi Vakatawa and man-of-the-match AliveretiRaka were enough to secure the win for Les Bleusagainst a spir i ted Tongan side that competedthroughout a tense encounter at the KumamotoStadium.

Tonga topped the try-scoring count three-twoagainst a French side that again produced a stop-start performance as they did in their first two gamesagainst Argentina and USA.

“We suffered again for yet another match,” grum-bled French coach Jacques Brunel. “We started well,we missed a lot of chances to stretch the gap. Wemissed three or four chances and then we tightenedup. There was tension, errors, we cannot manage thesecond half, especially at the start,” added an unhap-py Brunel.

In the end, it was three penalties by RomainNtamack that got France through to a quarter-finallikely against either Wales or Australia from Pool D— although Fiji still have a mathematical chance of alast-eight spot.

For the first six minutes, the famous French flairwas on full display as they raced to a 10-0 lead,roared on by a loud chorus of “allez Les Bleus” fromthe crowd. That was to prove an important buffer asTonga fought back to trail by only three points at 17-14 early in the second half, the heavier Pacific islandpack troubling France at scrum time.

When Ntamack penalties extended the Frenchlead to nine points, the tireless Tongans rallied toscore a third try right at the death. While Englandhave motored through their first three matches, an

injury-hit France have found life more difficult andBrunel selected his third half-back pairing in as manymatches with Baptiste Serin at scrum-half linking upwith Ntamack.

Brunel also made 11 changes from the last outingagainst USA to take the field with arguably thestrongest available line-up. France’s explosive startcame while the crowd were still getting settled, a penal-ty by Ntamack followed by a try for New Zealand-borncentre Vakatawa following a stolen lineout.

The attack lines and off-loads were France at theirbest but just as quickly the unforced errors thattroubled them against Argentina and USA returned.

Meanwhile, Tonga settled and began to make acontest of it using their big men to target insidebacks Ntamack and Sofiane Guitoune to disrupt theFrench flow. It would be 26 minutes between tries forFrance with their second touchdown coming from theever-dangerous Raka who chipped past CooperVuna and won the race for the ball.

France again swayed between class and defensiveerrors and after a sustained attack by the Tonganforwards, scrum-half Sonatane Takulua dived arounda ruck to score and convert his own try on the strokeof half-time.

Tonga turned 17-7 down but scored soon after theresumption. Vuna kicked ahead and when Frenchfullback Maxine Medard hesitated on the bouncingball, Tongan centre Malietoa Hingano burst throughto take possession and score.

Two more penalties by Ntamack increased thelead to nine points for France before Latiume Fositacrashed over for the late Tonga try that got Tongawithin two with a minute left to play.

However, Tonga were unable to reclaim the restartand France put the ball out after the final gong, much

to the relief of the blue supporters in the crowd.Tonga coach Toutai Kefu declared himself “definitelyfrustrated” with the result.

“Again we didn’t get off to the best of starts and as

you can see in the end, that probably told the differ-ence,” he said. “There was a period there when thegame was in the balance. And the guys hung in andthey hung in. You can’t question their effort.” —AFP

Fiji still have a mathematical chance of a last-eight spot

France qualify for quarter-finals in Rugby World Cup cliffhanger

KUMAMOTO: Fance’s flanker Charles Ollivon catches the ball during the Japan 2019 Rugby World CupPool C match between France and Tonga at the Kumamoto Stadium in Kumamoto yesterday. —AFP

South Africa ring changes forCanada match at WCupKOBE: South Africa coach RassieErasmus made 13 changes for his side’sfinal Rugby World Cup Pool B fixtureagainst Canada tomorow, with just afour-day turnaround from their previousmatch. A bonus-point victory over therank outsiders will virtually guaranteethe two-time world championSpringboks a quarter-final place despitelosing their opening match of the tourna-ment to reigning title-holders NewZealand.

But just days after a 49-3 win overItaly, Erasmus has freshened up his start-ing side, with only Springbok captainSiya Kolisi and centre Damian deAllende retaining their places.Meanwhile Damian Willemse, who onlyarrived on Thursday as an injuryreplacement for Jesse Kriel following abrief stint with English and Europeanchampions Saracens, went straight intothe starting XV at fullback.

Kolisi missed this season’s RugbyChampionship with a knee injury andErasmus said the flanker needed gametime in order to regain full fitness. “Siyaplayed a full 80 (minutes) last week(against Italy), and I thought he waswonderful. It was his best game sincehe’s back from injury... He is not over-played, so I guess the more game time,the better for him.”

Erasmus said Willemse’s additiongave South Africa the “luxury” of resting

Makazole Mapimpi after the wingerstarted all three of their previous poolgames. The fullback “would’ve probablymade the World Cup squad if he wasn’tinjured” and knows the Springbok sys-tems, said Erasmus. Willemse added: “I’mreally excited to play. I’ve been out forthree months... I must say, I’ve got thathunger, and it’s been good to get somegame time for Sarries.” The quick turn-around is a challenge, admitted Erasmus,although he said they had planned for itand were well-prepared.

“This match is just as important as thethree that we have already played — ithas the same number of log points avail-able and the same impact on ourchances of qualifying and we have tonow complete the job.”

Erasmus was a member of the SouthAfrica side that beat Canada 51-18 whenthe teams last met, in East London, 19years ago. But Erasmus warned that

Canada and other so-called Tier Twosides were on the rise and gave credit toWorld Rugby for reducing the gap.

“If you look at the phases Canadaproduced against Italy (in a 48-7 defeat)and how they botched a few tries —they could’ve scored four or five reallygood tries. “I’ve played against them andthis team I’ve picked will know they arein for a physical battle.”

South Africa (15-1)Damian Willemse; Warrick Gelant,

Damian de Allende, Francois Steyn,S’Busiso Nkosi; Elton Jantjies, CobusReinach; Francois Louw, Kwagga Smith,Siya Kolisi (capt); Franco Mostert, RGSnyman; Vincent Koch, Schalk Brits,Thomas du Toit. Replacements: MalcolmMarx, Steven Kitshoff, Frans Malherbe,Eben Etzebeth, Pieter-Steph Du Toit,Herschel Jantjies, Handre Pollard, WillieLe Roux. —AFP

Golovkin survives scare to regain IBF titleNEW YORK: Gennady Golovkin reclaimedhis IBF title on Saturday, defeating SergiyDerevyanchenko by a unanimous decisionin a bruising middleweight fight at MadisonSquare Garden.

Golovkin knocked Derevyanchenkodown in the first round and cut him over theeye in the second but had to dig deep tobeat the stubborn Ukrainian, who made hisopponent look all of his 37 years.

“It’s a bad day for me but a huge experi-ence,” said Golovkin. “After the first round Ididn’t think this was an easy fight. I toldmyself this is a tough fight.”

With the vacant middleweight title onthe line, Derevyanchenko fought a bravefight, landing solid body shots and gettingGolovkin in trouble several times.

He recovered quickly from the knock-down but it didn’t help him in the scoringdepartment in what was a surprisinglyclose fight.

One judge scored it 114-113 and the oth-er two had it 115-112 for Golovkin.

The 37-year-old Golovkin improved to40-1-1 as he regained the belt he first wonin 2015.

Golovkin defended the title with winsagainst Dominic Wade, Kell Brook and

Daniel Jacobs and a draw against Mexico’sCanelo Alvarez.

Golovkin was stripped of the IBF titlelast year when he failed to make a manda-tory defence against Derevyanchenko, opt-ing instead for a rematch with Alvarez —who handed Golovkin the first defeat of hiscareer.

The 33-year-old Derevyanchenko, whofalls to 13-2 with 10 KOs, was hoping toscore a huge upset and dim the prospectsfor a third Golovkin-Alvarez bout in 2020.

The shadow of another Alvarez fight hasloomed large over this bout.

Alvarez is making a November 2 returnto the ring against light heavyweight title-holder Sergey Kovalev in a fight that willsee Alvarez move up two weight divisions.

Golovkin, who contends that Alvarez“ran away” from a rematch, was clearlywearied by repeated questions aboutAlvarez in the build up to Saturday’s bout.

Speaking in the ring immediately afterthe fight, Golovkin said would have toimprove before he fights Alvarez again.

“Right now I know exactly what I need.I understand I need more,” he said.“Everything is ready. Just call to Caneloand if he says yes, let’s do it.”

This may not have been the long await-ed trilogy showdown but it was a surpris-ingly entertaining fight.

Golovkin started quickly in the openinground, landing strong left hooks and thenknocking Derevyanchenko down with agrazing right to the top of the head.

In the second round, Derevyanchenkostarted bleeding from a nasty cut over theright eye that referee Harvey Dock mistak-enly called a head butt.

Video replays showed the cut camefrom a vicious left hook to the brow thathad Derevyanchenko pawing at his eye totry and wipe the blood off.

Once the blood started to flow,Derevyanchenko went to work. Down a 10-8 round from the knockdown and bleedingfrom a potential fight stopping cut heshowed more urgency.

Golovkin was the aggressor through themiddle rounds but Derevyanchenko man-aged to counterpunch effectively. WhenGolovkin tried to cut off the ring,Derevyanchenko did a good job of spinningout of trouble and throwing punches on the

move. Every time Golovkin appeared to getDerevyanchenko in trouble, the Ukrainiandug deep and battled back with a sense ofdetermination and a steady volley ofpunches.

Both fighters landed solid punches in afurious 10th round. Derevyanchenko hadGolovkin in trouble after a right hook and aright uppercut but Golovkin came back andconnected on a couple of blows at the bell.

By the 12th round, Golovkin looked themore tired of the two but he had wonenough rounds early on and scored theknockdown, which allowed him to take theclose decision. —AFP

NEW YORK: Gennady Golovkin is awarded victory in his IBF middleweighttitle bout against Sergiy Derevyanchenko at Madison Square Garden in NewYork City. —AFP

Shami, Jadeja help India go 1-0 up in SA Test seriesVISAKHAPATNAM: Mohammed Shami and RavindraJadeja took nine wickets between them as India out-played South Africa, winning by 203 runs on the finalday of the first Test yesterday. Set a daunting target of395, the tourists were bundled out for 191 in the secondsession in Visakhapatnam, giving India a 1-0 lead in thethree-match series.

Shami returned figures of 5-35 while Jadeja took fourwickets to help current leaders India grab 40 points in

the World Test Championship. “These... of conditions arepretty ideal for him (Shami). He knows how to bowl on(these) pitches, gets reverse swing straight into playonce he knows there is some help on offer,” said RohitSharma, named man of the match for hitting two cen-turies in the game, which was his first as an opener.

“He has mastered that art (of reverse swing) now,bowling with the old ball and getting it to reverse.”South Africa were staring down the barrel at 70-8 butDane Piedt (56) and debutant Senuran Muthusamy (49not out) put on 91 runs for the ninth wicket to frustratethe Indian bowlers briefly.

Shami got last man Kagiso Rabada caught behind for18 to trigger celebrations in the Indian camp. Sharma putIndia in a commanding position with a century in eachinnings on his debut as a Test opener — a first by anybatsman in Test history.

His knocks of 176 and 127, coupled with a fine 215-run innings by Mayank Agarwal, helped India put Indiain a commanding position. “Once you have 500 on theboard, it’s difficult for the opposition. Mayank and Rohitplayed brilliantly,” India skipper Virat Kohli said.

Shami took three key wickets in the morning sessionincluding that of skipper Faf du Plessis for 13 to dimSouth Africa’s hopes of saving the game.

Jadeja soon joined forces to run through the middleorder with three wickets in one over including that ofovernight batsman Aiden Markram (39) with a one-handed return catch.

The Proteas resumed the day on 11 for one and soonthe batting came under attack by some inspired Indianbowling on a pitch that offered variable bounce. Off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin struck first to clean upovernight batsman Theunis de Bruyn for 10, becoming

the joint-fastest to 350 wickets in his 66th Test.Ashwin, who claimed eight wickets in the match and

registered his 27th five-wicket haul on Friday, nowshares the feat with Sri Lankan legend MuttiahMuralitharan. He finished the game with eight wickets.

Shami continued with his exploits, bowling TembaBavuma for nought on a delivery that stayed low. Theveteran paceman came back in his second spell to rattlethe stumps of captain du Plessis, who was leaving theincoming delivery, and Quinton de Kock for zero.

The match also witnessed the most number of sixes— 37 from four innings — surpassing the 35 that weresmashed in a game between Pakistan and New Zealandin 2014-15. Sharma — India’s limited-overs star — got13 of those sixes, the most in a five-day game by onebatsman, breaking Wasim Akram’s record of 12 forPakistan. —AFP

S p o r t s Monday, October 7, 2019

27

Luiz header sends unconvincing Arsenal third in Premier League

LONDON: Arsenal moved up to third in the PremierLeague standings after David Luiz scored his first goalfor the club in a nervy 1-0 win at home to Bournemouthyesterday in which the visitors missed a flurry ofchances to level in the second half.

The former Chelsea defender darted across the areaundetected to glance a Nicolas Pepe corner into the farcorner to give Arsenal the lead in the ninth minute.Arsenal’s record signing Pepe came close to doublingtheir lead with a shot that just missed the top cornerwhile Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang also saw a strikefrom distance flash just wide in the first half.

Bournemouth, who were beaten 5-1 on their last tripto the Emirates Stadium, produced a cagey display inthe first period although they nearly equalised whenDominic Solanke narrowly missed the target with aheader from a free kick.

They showed far more ambition in the second halfwhile Arsenal lost focus but failed to take their chances,with Callum Wilson mis-placing a pass in the area afterrounding Bernd Leno and later seeing a shot tippedover by the German goalkeeper.

Wilson missed two further chances in the closingstages. Steve Cook headed over from a corner asArsenal somehow clung on for the victory, also record-ing their first clean sheet since beating NewcastleUnited 1-0 on the opening day of the season.

Unai Emery’s side moved above Leicester City into

third on 15 points, nine behind leaders Liverpool aftereight games. The supporters sang “1-0 to the Arsenal”as fulltime approached in a nod to the scoreline whichthey were renowned in the George Graham years butthere was little that was convincing about their defencehere, even though they held on for the win.

Arsenal had shipped five goals in their previousthree league home games and Emery said he had spo-ken to his players of the importance of taking control ofthe game. “We said we wanted to take a step ahead inthis match after the three games. We controlled the firsthalf, we were organised and we got close to their area alot. The first half is a good example of how we shouldplay,” he told a news conference.

“I’m critical of the team but also very positive. Weknow our obligation is to win but how we win is alsovery important.” Bournemouth are 10th on 11 pointsand coach Eddie Howe criticised his side for their first-half display but said they deserved more for theirefforts after the break.

“We were a little bit too passive and didn’t dominateour style on them. But you saw the other side in thesecond half,” he said.

“We dominated possession and deserved a point, wedid well enough and had good enough chances. Whenwe play well we’re a match for anybody, if we’d playedin the first half like we did in the second we’d have wonthe game.” — Reuters

LONDON: Arsenal’s Uruguayan midfielder Lucas Torreira (L) vies with Bournemouth’s Scottish midfielderRyan Fraser (R) during the English Premier League football match between Arsenal and Bournemouth at theEmirates Stadium in London yesterday. — AFP

Unai Emery’s side move above Leicester City into third on 15 points

LOS ANGELES: Didi Gregorius clubbed a grandslam home run to highlight a seven-run thirdinning as the New York Yankees took a 2-0stranglehold series lead with an 8-2 win over theMinnesota Twins.

“I knew it was going out when I hit it,” saidGregorius. “I have been swinging at a lot ofpitches. I got one in the zone and I hit it out.”

New York won their 12th consecutive playoffgame against the Twins and can wrap up thebest-of-five American League Division Serieswith a victory Monday in Minneapolis.

Their winning streak over the Twins, which isthe longest over any opponent in the playoffs,dates back to 2004. They are 15-2 all-timeagainst Minnesota in the postseason.

Gregorius’ shot sailed into the upper deck inright field in front of a crowd of 49,200 at YankeeStadium on Saturday. He fell behind in the count0-2 against pitcher Tyler Duffey before connect-ing on a fastball that landed just inside the foulpole. “I was trying not to chase it ,” saidGregorius. “I was just thinking back to my at-bats that I had against (Duffey) yesterday, andafter I had two strikes, he threw me that fastball.So I was prepared for it this time after he threwme the curveball in the dirt.”

New York led 3-0 when Gregorius came tobat in the third. It was his fourth career playoffhomer and the Yankees 12th postseason grandslam and first since Robinson Cano hit one ingame one of the 2011 ALDS against Detroit.

After Gregorius homered, the Yankees addedtheir eighth run when Brett Gardner hit an RBIsingle off Devin Smeltzer that scored DJLeMahieu.

Yankees pitcher Masahiro Tanaka of Japanallowed one run on three hits in five innings. Hestruck out seven and walked one.

Edwin Encarnacion hit an RBI single in thefirst inning, and the Yankees knocked outMinnesota starter Randy Dobnak with two sin-gles and a walk in the third. The Twins struck out14 times and went one-for-seven with runners inscoring position. Miguel Sano struck out fourtimes after hitting one of the Twins’ three homeruns in game one.

“We handle our business and do what we doin a very particular way,” Twins manager RoccoBaldelli said, “and we’ve done it our way all yearlong.” Houston also took a commanding 2-0 ALDivision Series lead on Saturday night as pitcherGerrit Cole struck out 15 batters in the Astros’ 3-1 win over the Tampa Bay Rays in Houston.

Elsewhere, Cole set a club postseason recordwith 15 strikeouts while teammate MartinMaldonado delivered both at the plate andbehind it for the Astros. Cole became just theseventh pitcher in postseason history to record atleast 15 strikeouts, the first since Roger Clemensposted 15 against the Seattle Mariners in gamefour of the 2000 AL Championship Series.

Mike Scott held the franchise postseasonrecord for strikeouts with 14 set in 1986, againstthe New York Mets in the National LeagueChampionship Series. Cole surrendered just fourhits and did not issue a walk until the top of theeighth. After the Astros added a run in the bot-tom of the eighth, Roberto Osuna surrendered arun in the ninth and was pulled with the basesloaded with one out. Will Harris struck out Travisd’Arnaud and got Kevin Kiemaier to ground outto get the save. —AFP

Yankees take stranglehold lead, Cole fans 15 over Rays

BURIRAM: Marc Marquez sealed his sixth MotoGPworld title in Thailand yesterday after storming to vic-tory in a heart-pounding final corner duel with FabioQuartararo at the Chang International Circuit, but saidit had not been an “easy” year as the frontrunner.

The win in Buriram gives him an insurmountable leadover closest rival Andrea Dovizioso with four races leftin the season. Spain’s Marquez finished in 39min36.223sec just ahead of 20-year-old rookie FrenchmanQuartararo with another Spaniard Maverick Vinalesthird. Marquez jumped up and down with joy after thevictory and was handed a large eight-ball to signify theeight overall championships across all classes he haswon. He was hoisted atop the hands of supporters incelebration. Starting from third on the grid, Honda’sMarquez quickly slipped by Vinales and spent most ofthe race trying to overcome Quartararo (PetronasYamaha) who led from pole position.

Quartararo held the lead through 25 of the 26 lapsbut Marquez made his move on the final circuit, flyingpast the leader as the crowd screamed in delight.

Marquez told reporters that it was now “time to

enjoy it” after a high-pressure season with many com-petitors clamouring to topple the reigning champion.“Everybody is looking to beat you, it’s not easy,” arelieved-looking Marquez said.

He also described the 2019 season as his best ever inMotoGP. With six premier class titles, the 26-year-oldHonda superstar now pushes past Australian legendMick Doohan. He trails only Italian great ValentinoRossi, who won the last of his seven championships in2009, and Giacomo Agostini, whose record eight camein 1975.

But Quartararo is fast emerging as one of Marquez’stoughest rivals, and the champion gave him his due. “Ididn’t expect this guy,” he said of Quartararo, callinghim “the outsider”. “He will be a very tough contendernext year for the championship.”

Quartararo admitted that he was “really frustrated”at losing in such a close fight to the finish but recog-nised that it was a great result considering who he wasup against. “We tried until the last corner,” he said.

Marquez went into the race with such a comfortablelead that he did not necessarily need to finish first toclinch the championship. The stunning performance inBuriram, a rural town in northeastern Thailnd that hasbanked its development on sports infrastructure, alsocame after Marquez crashed hard in practice on Fridayand had to go to hospital.

But the fierce competitor was declared fit to raceand rebounded to finish third in qualifying. Marquezwon the inaugural race in Buriram last year in anotherlast-corner thriller against Dovizioso. — AFP

GLASGOW: Jermain Defoe’s hat-trick blastedRangers to the top of the Scottish Premiership astheir 5-0 thrashing of Hamilton took advantage ofCeltic’s shock loss at Livingston yesterday. Defoe’sgoal-blitz helped Steven Gerrard’s side move intopole position for the first time this season. FormerTottenham forward Defoe opened the scoring atIbrox before Connor Goldson’s header and a BornaBarisic free-kick increased the lead.

It was Defoe who completed the rout with twomore second-half goals as Rangers moved twopoints clear of champions Celtic. Earlier on Sunday,Celtic were rocked by Livingston’s first-ever victo-ry over the Glasgow club, as the hosts won 2-0. Itmeant Neil Lennon’s side lost for the first time inthe Scottish Premiership this season.

“You can’t panic but I am expecting better. I didtell them before the game that the fixture was aconcern,” Lennon said. “It’s a dangerous opponentin a dangerous environment. I knew Livi would bewell up for it and they were. It is a poor result.”Celtic were in trouble when midfielder RyanChristie received a straight red card in the 26thminute for a reckless challenge on Scott Robinson.

Robinson fired Livingston ahead two minutesinto the second half before Lyndon Dykes addedthe second in the 73rd minute. A 1-1 draw atHibernian last week was the first time Celtic haddropped points this term. Once again they werewell below their best.

It was only the second defeat in 20 games forCeltic this campaign. They now have to wait untilthe end of the international break to make amends.The sodden artificial surface proved to be a levellerand the home side, all hustle and bustle, came closein the 12th minute when defender Jon Guthrie side-footed a cut-back from Nicky Devlin past the postfrom six yards.

The game’s complexion changed when Christiewent in high on Robinson in the middle of the pitchto earn a red card. Livingston took full advantageof their numerical superiority when RobbieCrawford slipped in Robinson and he quickly firedhome from 16 yards. Lennon reshuffled and sent onIvorian striker Vakoun Issouf Bayo for JamesForrest. Celtic’s pressure and corner countincreased but a long free-kick from keeper MatijaSarkic went all the way through to Dykes.

Dykes ran past Christopher Jullien and calmlylobbed the ball over Fraser Forster for a victorywhich put an unexpected dent in Celtic’s titledefence. — AFP

Defoe treble sendsRangers top,Celtic shockedby Livingston

BURIRAM: Repsol Honda Team Spanish rider Marc Marquez celebrates on the podium after winning the MotoGPrace for the Thailand Grand Prix at Buriram International Circuit in Buriram yesterday. —AFP

Marc Marquez seals MotoGP title with Thailand win

SOUTHAMPTON: Chelsea closed in on the PremierLeague’s top four as striker Tammy Abraham scored hiseighth league goal of the season to help them secure a 4-1win at struggling Southampton yesterday on the back of anexcellent first-half performance.

Mason Mount, N’Golo Kante and Michy Batshuayi werealso on target as Chelsea moved into fifth place on 14 pointsfrom eight games, behind fourth-placed Leicester on goaldifference. Southampton stayed 16th on seven points, onepoint above the relegation zone.

Abraham, the league’s joint top scorer alongsideManchester City striker Sergio Aguero, fired Chelsea aheadin the 17th minute as he latched on to a clever pass fromCallum Hudson-Odoi and looped his shot over advancingkeeper Angus Gunn.

The ball crossed the line before Southampton defenderMaya Yoshida, also beaten to the ball by the pacy Abraham,tried in vain to keep it out with a desperate clearance.Abraham credited his team mates and manager Frank

Lampard for his dazzling run of form that won him a call-upto Gareth Southgate’s England squad for their Euro 2020qualifiers against the Czech Republic and Bulgaria. “It’s beenfantastic, I give it to my team mates and my manager - every-one who has been behind me,” the 22-year-old striker toldSky Sports. “When you play with great players you get yourchances. It was an important first goal for us, Southamptonstarted brightly. At 2-0 they scored and we did well to stoptheir momentum.”

Mount doubled Chelsea’s lead in the 24th minute when heblasted his shot past Gunn from eight metres before DannyIngs pulled one back for the Saints, poking the ball in fromclose range after Yann Valery’s darting run.

More slack defending from the home side allowed Chelseato restore their two-goal advantage shortly before halftime,when Kante’s fierce shot from outside the penalty area took adeflection off Pierre Hojbjerg. The pace dropped in the sec-ond half as Chelsea packed their midfield before late substi-tute Batshuayi, who came on for Abraham, put the icing onthe cake for the visitors with a clinical 89th-minute finish.

Although he was happy with the result, Lampard warnedhis players to keep their feet on the ground. “Let’s not getcarried away, it’s a long season and we feel we might havepicked up more points than we’ve actually got,” the formerChelsea and England midfielder told the BBC. “We’ve notbeen at our absolute best and we can be a lot better. Weshouldn’t be sloppy, at 2-0 we should go 3-0. We’re scoringgoals, great, but can we tighten up? Yes.” — Reuters

Abraham on target again as Chelsea beat Southampton

Jermain Defoe

Sport‘I am clean’ Hassan leads roundof golden doubles at worlds

France qualify for quarter-finals in Rugby World Cup cliffhanger

Marc Marquez seals MotoGP title with Thailand win2725 26

Established 1961

MONDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2019

MANCHESTER: Wolverhampton Wanderers’ Mexican striker Raul Jimenez lands on the back of Manchester City’s Brazilian goalkeeper Ederson after the keeper made a save during the English Premier League football matchbetween Manchester City and Wolverhampton Wanderers at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester, north west England, yesterday. —AFP

MANCHESTER: Adama Traore’s latedouble stunned Manchester City as thechampions suffered a shock 2-0 defeat athome to Wolverhampton Wanderers yes-terday that left them eight points behindPremier League leaders Liverpool.

Wolves forward Traore struck twice inthe final 10 minutes to condemn City totheir first home league defeat since theylost to Crystal Palace on Dec. 22. Yet itwas City’s second defeat in their last fourleague games following the 3-2 loss atNorwich City last month and i t wi l lincrease Liverpool’s belief that they canwin their first league title in 30 years.

With Juergen Klopp’s side having wonall eight of their games so far this season,the Nov. 10 clash with City at Anfield isalready looking like a game which couldhave a major impact on the destiny of the

title. City boss Pep Guardiola said therewas little sense in pondering the eight-point gap. “It is a lot of points. Theydidn’t drop points for many circum-stances. It is better not to think that oneteam is eight points ahead,” saidGuardiola.

“Today was the day we created lessthan ( in other games) , even againstNorwich we created a lot. We faced manyteams with deep defending systems andmore or less we found a way to do it buttoday we had a problem,” he said.

The win was a massive boost forWolves, who have endured a tricky startto the season due to their early commit-ments in the Europa League. It was justtheir second victory of the campaign andtheir first on the road.

“I’m very very proud, it was a very

good performance and more than that, itwas the work. The players run and run,they ran like crazy,” said Wolves bossNuno Espirito Santo. City looked shaky atthe back throughout the game withWolves having three good chances toopen the scoring in the first half afterwaltzing through the makeshift centraldefensive pairing of Nicolas Otamendiand Fernandinho.

BURSTING THROUGHAs early as the fifth minute, City’s

defence was r ipped wide-open withPatrick Cutrone bursting through on goalbefore shooting meekly wide. Then RiyadMahrez gave the ball away to allow RaulJimenez to break free, but the Mexican’sshot was blocked by Fernandinho andCutrone’s follow-up struck the Brazilian’s

head. Argentine Otamendi was at fault inthe 22nd minute, his sloppy pass allowingJimenez to burst clear again, but this timeit was City’s Brazilian keeper Edersonwho saved their blushes, rushing out tofoil the Wolves striker. Guardiola will berelieved that John Stones is due to returnfrom injury after the international breakand on current form it may wel l beOtamendi rather than converted midfield-er Fernandinho who makes way for him.Yet Guardiola’s side also lacked their usu-al sharpness in attack — they had onlytwo shots on target in the entire match —and the nearest they came to scoring wasa 67th-minute free kick from David Silva,which struck the bar.

As so often, City had plenty of posses-sion, but unusually they could not makethe most of it, crossing poorly into the

box and showing little of the crisp-pass-ing that so often characterises their play.

The decisive blow came when JoaoCancelo lost the ball and Jimenez brokefrom deep in his own half, skipped pastOtamendi and found Traore who kept hiscool to beat Ederson.

The 23-year-old Spaniard then addedthe second, deep in stoppage time, afterJimenez found him again through theexposed City defence. Liverpool neverhad an eight-point lead last season,without a game in hand, and while theAutumn leaves have yet to ful ly fal l ,Guardiola knows his side can ill-affordto allow the gap to grow. “The distanceis big. I know that . Liverpool is notdropping points. But we are in October,still a lot of games and competitions,”said the Spaniard. — Reuters

Wolves stun champions Man City Traore scores twice in last 10 minutes for Wolves

BEIJING: An emotional Naomi Osaka saidthat she had atoned for the disappointmentof the US Open after beating world num-ber one Ashleigh Barty in the China Openfinal yesterday. In the men’s draw, top seedDominic Thiem recovered from a set downagainst Stefanos Tsitsipas to claim the 15thsingles title of his career.

The 21-year-old Osaka has had a turbu-lent year, winning the Australian Open butthen suffering a dip in form which includedexiting Flushing Meadows in the last 16.But the two-time Grand Slam championfrom Japan surged back to win her home

Pan Pacific Open last month and made itback-to-back titles with victory in Beijing.

Osaka defeated teenage US Openchampion Bianca Andreescu and thenFrench Open winner Barty on the way tothe fifth crown of her young career.Winning in Japan and China had been heraim after the US Open letdown, where shewas the defending champion and top seed.

“I don’t want to say I planned (it), but Ireally meditated on it. It just feels like Iaccomplished what I set out to do,” shesaid. “I didn’t play those two tournamentsfor myself, I kind of played them for myteam because the US Open wasn’t thatgreat and I felt very apologetic.”

But Osaka admitted that she had beendriven to tears after going down in the first“He doesn’t like watching my matches. Ithink it stresses him out because hetwitches every time I hit a ball ,” shesmiled. The beaten Barty said that her sliceshot, a major weapon of the Australian’s,

was “nullified” because of the cool condi-tions in the Chinese capital.

But the top-ranked 23-year-old said:“I’m extremely proud. “Proud that myself,my team, we turn up for every single tour-nament, regardless of when it is during theyear, what the conditions are like,” saidBarty. The Australian, who took a breakfrom tennis five years ago and playedcricket instead, is relishing more show-downs in the future against Osaka andAndreescu, two other major talents. “Ithink it’s an exciting opportunity for allthree of us,” she said.

The Austrian Thiem defeated Greece’sthird seed Tsitsipas 3-6, 6-4, 6-1 for themen’s crown. The 26-year-old beat formerworld number one Andy Murray on theway to the title and had also booked hisspot in the prestigious season-ending ATPFinals. Thiem strolled to the crown in thedeciding set against Tsitsipas, who at 21 isa rising star of men’s tennis. — AFP

Osaka savoursBeijing title afterUS Open letdown

BEIJING: Naomi Osaka of Japan poses with the trophy after winning her women’s sin-gles final match against Ashleigh Barty of Australia at the China Open tennis tourna-ment in Beijing yesterday. — AFP