Dismissal, jail for minister, 14 others over MEW scam - Kuwait Times [PDF]

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TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2015

Ministry mulls enrolling Syrians in public schools

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Dismissal, jail for minister, 14 others over MEW scam

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Abdaly cell trial resumes today • Justice ministry reports court fight

Min 25º Max 43º High Tide 00:05 & 12:25 Low Tide 06:25 & 18:40

By B Izzak, Meshaal Al-Enezi and A Saleh

KUWAIT: A combination of pictures shows the moon in various stages of a total lunar eclipse as seen from Kuwait early yesterday. — Photo by Yasser Al-Zayyat

Supermoon eclipse wows stargazers WASHINGTON: Skygazers were treated to a rare astronomical event yesterday when a swollen “supermoon” and lunar eclipse combined for the first time in decades, showing Earth’s satellite bathed in blood-red light. The celestial show, visible from the Americas, Europe, Africa, west Asia and the east Pacific, was the result of the sun, Earth and a larger-than-

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Qatar to invest $35bn in US over 5 years DOHA: Qatar plans to invest $35 billion over the next five years in the United States, as the energy-rich Gulf state diversifies its global stakes, its sovereign wealth fund said yesterday. The Qatar Investment Authority revealed its US investment plans in a statement announcing the opening of an office in New York. The office “will enable QIA to develop and expand its global investment portfolio, with the State of Qatar having committed to investing $35 billion in the United States of America over the next five years,” it said. QIA said it also “remains committed to its investments in Europe, Asia and the Middle East,” while the New York office “facilitates access to significant investment opportunities”. Qatar’s portfolio - valued at between $256 billion and $334 billion - includes significant stakes in British supermarket chain Sainsbury’s and the London Stock Exchange, as well as owning Harrods department store and the Shard skyscraper in the capital.

life, extra-bright moon lining up for just over an hour. Images from France, Argentina and the United States, among others, capture the progression of the lunar eclipse to a striking red finale. In Brooklyn, New York, crowds of people gathered on plazas and sidewalks, gazing up at the sky and trying to take

photos with their smartphones - though in other cities, including Washington, cloud cover hid much of the spectacle. While the phenomenon was not visible in any major Indian cities, stargazers equipped with telescopes were able to catch a glimpse of the eclipse in the country’s remote northeast. Continued on Page 13

Kuwait rejects plan for oil summit Development to continue regardless of oil price KUWAIT: The OPEC oil cartel has no plan to participate in an oil producers’ summit proposed by Venezuela to support prices, Kuwait’s oil minister said yesterday. The next meeting on OPEC’s calendar is a twice-yearly ministerial gathering in December, Ali Al-Omair told reporters when asked about the Venezuelan proposal. “There will be no conferences before December 4,” said Omair. “The problem is that there is no commitment from non-OPEC producers for what they will undertake to help stabilize the market.”

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro earlier this month proposed a summit meeting between major world oil producers from OPEC and non-OPEC members to discuss slashing production to boost prices that have slumped by more than half. Omair said that in previous such meetings OPEC was always asked to make the production cuts “while others continued to produce, causing us to lose market share”. Venezuela, an OPEC member that relies heavily on oil revenues, has been trying hard to per-

Saudi forces kill two IS suspects DUBAI: Two suspected Islamic State militants were killed and three were arrested by Saudi security forces in coordinated raids in the capital Riyadh and the eastern city of Dammam, the Interior Ministry said yesterday. The statement carried by state news agency SPA said the men belonged to an Islamic State cell that was planning to carry out “an imminent terrorist act” and that one of the sites raided by the authorities was a bomb-making factory.

suade oil producers to cut production to boost oil prices, which have plunged about 60 percent since June last year. Oil prices fell in Asia yesterday as investors looked for further clues about the health of the Chinese and US economies, the world’s top crude consumers. US benchmark West Texas Intermediate for November delivery eased 48 cents to $45.22 and Brent crude for November dipped 50 cents to $48.10 in afternoon trade. Continued on Page 13

Ali Al-Omair

Obama, Putin spar over Syria

India, Pak say 1,100 killed in hajj disaster ISLAMABAD: Saudi Arabia has given foreign diplomats some 1,100 photographs of the dead from last week’s hajj crush and stampede, Indian and Pakistani authorities said, an indication of a significantly higher death toll than previously offered by the kingdom. The Saudi health ministry’s latest figures, released Saturday, put the toll at 769 people killed and 934 injured. Tariq Fazal Chaudhry, a lawmaker in Pakistan’s governing PML-N political party who is leading his country’s response to the disaster, said Saudi officials gave diplomats “1,100 photos” of the dead from Mina. Chaudhry told journalists during a news conference broadcast nationwide yesterday night that the photos could be viewed at Saudi embassies and missions abroad. His comments echoed those of Indian External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj from Sunday. “Saudi authorities have released photos of 1,090 pilgrims who have died in (the hajj) stampede,” Swaraj wrote on Twitter.

KUWAIT: In a rare judgment, the misdemeanors court yesterday sentenced to jail current Minister of Electricity and Water Ahmad Al-Jassar and 14 senior officials at the ministry for two years each and ordered their dismissal over the 2007 faulty generators scandal. The court however asked the officials to pay KD 20,000 each to suspend the implementation of the penalties, which are expected to be challenged at the appeals and cassation courts. The court also acquitted former Audit Bureau undersecretary Abdul Aziz Al-Roumi in the case related to the 2007 emergency power plan. Jassar, who was then a senior official at the ministry, and the officials were members of a committee formed by the ministry in 2007 to study measures to deal with a projected shortfall in power production in the summer. The National Assembly witnessed heated debates over the issue after it was found that a local company was given the contract to urgently import genAhmad Al-Jassar erators that were found to be faulty. They cost the government several hundred million dinars, in one of the most highly publicized graft cases. The Assembly then referred the issue to the Audit Bureau and formed its own committee to investigate what former MP Ahmed Al-Saadoun described as a “disgraceful form of violating public funds”. Later, the case was sent to the public prosecution, which pressed charges against the officials. Jassar was appointed as minister of electricity and water and minister of public works earlier this year after the resignation of former minister Abdulaziz Al-Ibrahim, who had criticized MPs. There has been no reaction by the government over the ruling. Sources said Jassar is expected to step down, although the ruling is not going to be implemented immediately. Continued on Page 13

A handout image made available by NASA shows dark, narrow, 100-m-long streaks flowing downhill on Mars, inferred to have been formed by recently flowing water. — AFP

Briny water flowed recently on Mars PARIS: Scientists announced yesterday “the strongest evidence yet” of liquid water on Mars, raising a distant prospect of microscopic life on our neighboring planet. Curious lines running down steep slopes on the surface of the Red Planet may be streaks of super-salty brine that flowed as recently as last summer, a team said after discovering evidence of “hydrated” salt minerals. These results “strongly support the hypothesis” of liquid water on Mars - though not H2O as we know it, concluded a research paper in the journal Nature Geoscience. If anything, it was likely “wet soil, not

free water sitting on the surface,” study co-author Alfred McEwen, from the University of Arizona, told AFP. NASA said the findings, made with its Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, “provide the strongest evidence yet that liquid water flows intermittently on present-day Mars”. “Mars is not the dry, arid planet we thought of in the past,” according to Jim Green, the American agency’s planetary science director. “Under certain circumstances, liquid water has been found on Mars,” he told journalists in Washington. Continued on Page 13

UNITED NATIONS: Russian President Vladimir Putin and his US counterpart Barack Obama sparred over the crisis in Syria in duelling UN speeches yesterday, each accusing the other of fuelling the carnage. The Russian urged UN General Assembly members to unite to fight the Islamic State group and said it would be a disastrous error not to support Syria’s sitting president, Bashar Al-Assad. “We must address the problems that we are all facing and create a broad anti-terror coalition,” Putin said in his address, his first to the world body in a decade. It is, he argued, an “enormous mistake to not cooperate with the Syrian group which is fighting the terrorists face-to-face”. Obama said Washington was ready to work with Russia and even Iran against the Islamic State jihadists, but took a swipe at them for supporting Assad, whom he dubbed a child-killing tyrant. Not to be outdone, the Russian leader blamed the rise of violent extremism on the United States’ military interventions in Iraq and Libya, which he said unleashed chaos in the Middle East. Obama took the podium at the UN General Assembly ahead of Putin and hours before the pair were to hold their first meeting in over two years. The US president extended a cautious hand to his traditional foes, suggesting they work together to end the bloodshed in Syria. “The United States is prepared to work with any nation, including Russia and Iran, to resolve the conflict,” he said. But the American leader made clear his opposition to Moscow and Tehran’s cur-

UNITED NATIONS: US President Barack Obama addresses the UN General Assembly yesterday in New York City. — AFP rent policy of arming and supporting Assad. Rather than a bulwark against jihadist extremism, Obama argued, Assad drives Syrians into the arms of such groups by such acts as dropping “barrel bombs to massacre innocent children.” Putin rejected this view, arguing that the IS group sprang out of the chaos left behind after US-backed forces ousted Saddam Hussein from Iraq and Muammar Gaddafi of Libya. Continued on Page 13

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2015

LOCAL

Crown Prince receives officials

NEW YORK: His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah received Sunday at his residence in the United States His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah. — KUNA

KUWAIT: His Highness the Deputy Amir and Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber AlSabah received at Seif Palace yesterday Speaker of the National Assembly Marzouq Al-Ghanem. His Highness Sheikh Nawaf also received Acting Prime Minister, Minister of Interior, and Acting Minister of Defense Sheikh Mohammad Al-Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah, Minister of Information and Minister of State for Youth Affairs Sheikh Salman Sabah AlSalem Al-Humoud Al-Sabah, and Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs Sheikh Mohammad Al-Abdullah Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah. — KUNA

KUWAIT: His Highness the Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah meets Speaker of the National Assembly Marzouq Al-Ghanem. — KUNA

Prime Minister represents Amir at UNGA opening session NEW YORK: UN Secretary General Ban Kimoon opened yesterday the General Assembly’s (UNGA) 70th session, attended by Representative of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah. Ban, in his opening speech, urged world countries to unite to solve crises around the globe, and to provide funding to help the people of Iraq, South Sudan, Yemen, and Syria. Ban shed light on the Syrian people who were leaving their homes because of “oppression, extremism, destruction, and fear,” as four years of diplomatic “paralysis by the security council and others have allowed the crisis to spin out of control.” He stressed that it was high time for UN Security Council (UNSC) and key regional players to step forward and end the Syrian conflict, which killed more than 250,000 people and displaced over 12 million others. He further said the spirit of solidarity and diplomacy among UNSC members, which was materialized in the Iranian nuclear agreement, which Ban welcomed, could be demonstrated in resolving the conflicts in Syria and Yemen. Paying the price Ban said that innocent Syrians were paying the price of barrel bombs and terrorism, thus there must be no impunity for atrocious crimes. “Our commitment to justice should lead us to refer the situation to the International Criminal Court,” he added. Ban, speaking one day after world leaders adopted the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), said crises in the region were further fueled by terrorist groups on the ground, like so-called ISIL, AlQaeda and its affiliates. Those groups, he added, remained major threats especially to women and girls who were systematically targeted. “The world must unite against the blatant brutality of these groups. We must also counter the exclusion and hopelessness on which extremists feed,” he said, and world countries must never violate human rights in the

fight against terror. US President Barack Obama will be hosting a summit on countering violent extremism on the sidelines of the UNGA meetings, a high-level meeting that His Highness the Amir was expected to attend. Ban highlighted the dire need for aid for millions of refugees and displaced people in the region, like in Lebanon, Jordan and Turkey that were hosting millions of Syrian and Iraqi refugees. He commended the European countries that approved to receive large numbers of Syrian refugees fleeing the conflict in their country and have nowhere to live. Insufficient funding Ban, however, urged Europe to do more. He complained of lack of sufficient humanitarian funding, noting that the international community has about half of what it needs to help people of Iraq, south Sudan and Yemen, and only just a third for Syria. The State of Kuwait had hosted three donor conferences over the past three years, pledging and fully paying some USD 1.3 billion out of over $7 billion for the Syrian people, while also being active in Yemen, where 80 percent of the population needs aid, and other conflict zones. Kuwait was the world number one in providing humanitarian assistance in 2014, with aid amounting to 0.24 percent of the country’s Gross National Product (GNP). Ban, meanwhile, warned against the dangerous drift in the Middle East peace process. With “settlement expanding and incitement and provocations on the rise, it is essential for Israelis and Palestinians to reengage, and for the international community to pressure the parities to do so.” The peace process has been hampered by the Israeli unilateral measures like the further construction of Jewish settlement and derailment of the two-state solution. The Representative of His Highness the Amir was accompanied by First Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah, Deputy Foreign Minister Khaled Al-Jarallah and other senior officials. — KUNA

World leaders voice commitment to fighting poverty, hunger, diseases NEW YORK: World leaders have adopted the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that ultimately aimed at eradicating poverty, hunger, and disease by 2030 as well as making sure not one person would be left behind the development march. The leaders, concluding Sunday night the Sustainable Development Summit, held on sidelines of the UN General Assembly meetings, approved 17 SDGs and 169 targets that acknowledged human rights of all people, achieve gender equality, and empower women and girls. In their final declaration, the leaders voiced determination to end all forms of poverty and hunger, ensure human beings live in dignity, equality and healthy environment. They said they were determined to protect the planet from degradation, sustainably managing its natural resources and taking urgent action to address climate change. Human beings, said the leaders in their declaration, should enjoy prosperous and fulfilling lives, and that economic, social and technological progress must occur in harmony with nature. They said peace and the three dimensions of sustainable development - economic, social and environmental - were interlinked, and that they would work on building on achievements of Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and seek to address shortcomings. The SDGs aim at making sure human dignity is respected, rule of law and justice are implemented, while equality and non-discrimination are honored. The SDGs promote lifelong learning opportunities for all people, ensure sustainable manage of water and sanitation for all, sustainable access to energy, promote innovation, combat desertification and strengthen means of implementing and revitalizing global partnership for sustainable development. Speaking at the closing press briefing, Amina Mohammad, UN Secretary General’s Special Advisor for Post-2015 Development Planning, emphasized that implementation of SDGs would be the litmus test of the agenda. She welcomed the new commitments made at the

Summit across member states, businesses, civil society and international organizations that will support action on the new SDGs. Innovative means His Highness the Amir of Kuwait Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber AlSabah, in his speech before the summit three days ago, said the world should explore innovative means to implement sustainable development beyond 2015 in order to end poverty by 2030. The world should engage in a collective work and active partnership while taking into consideration burden-sharing in order to achieve sustainable development, His Highness the Amir said. He added the targeted sustainable development was facing big challenges “due to the patterns of conduct of man throughout the ages, in addition to impact of natural disasters and the rise in earth’s temperature thus increasing our responsibilities.” His Highness the Amir highlighted Kuwait’s contributions to help developing countries worldwide, calling upon developed countries to honor their commitment and contribute 0.7 percent of their gross domestic product (GDP) to enable sustainable funding for developing countries. Kuwait, he added, has been living up to its regional and international responsibilities towards achieving sustainable development and address related problems, providing aid to developing countries and least-developed nations. “My country continue during the past few years to provide development assistance that amounted to 2.1 percent of its GDP, which is more than double the percentage agreed-upon internationally,” he said. Kuwait was the world number one in providing humanitarian assistance in 2014, with aid amounting to 0.24 percent of the country’s Gross National Product (GNP). He said the SDGs’ three dimensions represented a starting point to support global development. “Our success to achieve sustainable development reflects our responsibilities towards the world,” said His Highness the Amir. — KUNA

His Highness the Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah meets Acting Prime Minister, Minister of Interior, and Acting Minister of Defense Sheikh Mohammad Al-Khaled Al-Sabah.

His Highness the Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah meets ministers Sheikh Salman Al-Humoud Al-Sabah and Sheikh Mohammad Al-Abdullah Al-Sabah.

Kuwait condemns Israeli desecration of Islamic, Christian sites in Jerusalem GENEVA: Kuwait condemned at a UN meeting yesterday the Israeli desecrations and violations against Islamic and Christian sites in Jerusalem. Speaking to a meeting for the UN Council for Human Rights, Kuwait’s Permanent envoy to the UN headquar ters to Geneva Ambassador Jamal Al-Ghunaim said that the continuous Israeli violations against Al-Aqsa Mosque and the attempts to hinder Palestinian presence at the Islamic shrine, was a clear violation of human rights. The international community has an obligation to protect the Palestinians and their sacred places of worship, said Ghunaim. He added that the Israeli previous aggressions against the Palestinians, especially against those in the Gaza Strip, had remain uncontested despite the deaths of over 2,500 people, including children, women, and the elderly, in

Ambassador Jamal Al-Ghunaim

the Israeli assault back in 2014. The Israeli violations were beyond military action, said Ghunaim, adding that the construction of Jewish settlements on Palestinian and Arab lands still continues. Furthermore, the Israeli violations reached agricultural lands owned by Palestinians who are prevented from cultivating, harvesting, and benefiting from their own lands and goods, said the Ambassador. Meanwhile, Ghunaim showcased Kuwait’s continuous commitment to the Palestinian people, noting that recently his country donated a sum of $15 million to UNRWA to help cover the educational expenses of Palestinian students at 685 schools. He also noted that Kuwait had donated $200 million to help in the reconstruction of the southern area of the Gaza Strip. — KUNA

Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled takes part in Arab FMs’ meeting FM meets officials on sidelines of UNGA session NEW YORK: First Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled AlHamad Al-Sabah led Kuwait’s delegation to an Arab Foreign Ministers’ meeting, held on Sunday under the presidency of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The foreign ministers, meeting on sidelines of the 70th UN General Assembly (UNGA) session, discussed the Palestinian question, the peace process, and the situations in Syria, Iraq, Yemen and Libya. They also discussed the issue of terrorism and the agenda of the UNGA meetings. Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled was accompanied by his Assistant for the Foreign Minister Office Affairs Ambassador Sheikh Dr Ahmad Nasser Mohammad Al-Sabah and Kuwait permanent representative to the UN Mansour AlOtaibi. Later, Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled led Kuwait’s delegation to Gulf Cooperation

Sheikh Sabah Khaled meets OIC’s Secretary General Iyad Madani. — KUNA photos Cooperation’s (OIC) Secretary General Iyad Lucian Aurescu on sidelines of the UNGA sesMadani on a coordination meeting of OIC sion, called for exerting further efforts to find Foreign Ministers, due to be chaired by Kuwait the whereabouts of Al-Baghli. The two officials in New York next Thursday. also discussed ways of further cementing bilatMeanwhile, Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled valued eral relations and cooperation in many Romanian authorities’ efforts to search for domains. Also Sunday, Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled missing Kuwaiti citizen, Mohammad Taher Al- held talks with Malaysian Foreign Minister Baghli. Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled, during a meet- Anifah Aman on ways of boosting bilateral ties ing with Romanian Foreign Minister Bogdan and issues of mutual interest. — KUNA

NEW YORK: First Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled AlSabah participates in the Arab FMs meeting.

Council’s (GCC) Foreign Ministers’ meeting, held on the sidelines of the UNGA session. The top diplomats discussed coordination of positions for upcoming meetings between the GCC and political and economic blocs from around the world, as well as a host of issues of mutual interest. Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled was accompanied by Dr Ahmad Al-Nasser, Mansour AlOtaibi and Assistant Foreign Minister for GCC Affairs Nasser Al-Muzayyen. FM meets officials Separately, Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled held talks with Latvian Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkevics on ways of boosting bilateral relations and issues of mutual interest. He also held talks with the Organization of Islamic

Sheikh Sabah Khaled meets Romanian Foreign Minister Bogdan Lucian Aurescu.

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 29 2015

LOCAL

Central Agency for Information Technology holds E-Gov’t Forum: Information Management & Security Under the Patronage of His Highness the Prime Minister

The five Zainers 2.0 graduates.

Zain Group introduces graduate program dubbed Zainers 2.0 Five Kuwaitis selected to spend a year working for Zain Group KUWAIT: Zain Group, a leading mobile telecom innovator in eight markets in the Middle East and Africa, announces the commencement of its elite graduate program called Zainers 2.0, which is aimed at infusing fresh new talent into the organization at an early stage. Under the Zainers 2.0 initiative, five Kuwaiti recent graduates from leading universities have been selected to spend a year working within Zain Group for a year.133 applicants applied for the positions, with only 19 candidates selected for interviews, and five ultimately succeeding, all of them having achieved scores above a 3.5 Grade Point Average (GPA) for their university degrees. The graduates will be exposed to different tasks in different departments and country operations within Zain Group, and based on their performance, will be offered an opportunity to assume a full-time role within the organization at the end of the program. Commenting on the launch of graduate recruitment initiative, Zain Group CEO, Scott Gegenheimer said, “Zain Group is widely viewed as a blue chip company within Kuwait and across the wider Middle East region. This reputation is built on the manner in which we conduct ourselves and the caliber of the people we employ, and I believe Zainers 2.0 will go a long way in securing our reputation for being one of the best companies to be employed for generations to come.”

Positive momentum Gegenheimer continued, “The injection of fresh new talent will generate positive momentum and new ideas as Zain Group transitions into a digital lifestyle organization. We envisage these high caliber graduates will play a significant role in many facets of the future prosperity of the company.” Omar Al Omar, Zain Kuwait CEO, a 14 year stalwart of the company who also rose through the rankscommented, “This initiative by Zain Group is a prime opportunity for career advancement for these talented young Kuwaiti nationals. It remains our duty to provide employment to the nationals of the country in which we are based, and which offers us so much support, and we will work close with the Group to make Zainers 2.0 a successful program.” The graduates commenced their program with Zain in the middle of September and will be under assessment throughout the whole year, being closely supervised by senior Zain Group and Zain Kuwait personnel from various departments. Zain has high hopes for the five graduates enjoying a long and successful career in the frame of Eaman Al Roudan, Zain Group’s Chief Regulatory Officer, and Mohammad Abdal, Zain Group’s Chief Communications Officer, both of who launched their careers at Zain and many other Kuwait nationals who have risen successfully through the ranks of Zain Group and Zain Kuwait.

KUWAIT: Announcing the convening of the 3rd E-Government Forum Information Management and Security (EGOV3), Abdullatif Suraie AlSuraie the Director General of the Central Agency for Information Technology (CAIT) welcomed the patronage of Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Mubarak AlHamad Al-Sabah of the event that is scheduled for 15 - 17 November 2015. Suraie commented by saying, “The patronage of His Highness the Prime Minister reflects an invaluable support of all Kuwaiti leadership of the country’s growth and prosperity. It also signals a much needed support for CAIT’s mission of developing the egovernment program for the State of Kuwait in collaboration with all other government agencies. Moreover, we are pleased to work closely with NoufEXPO in organizing this yearly event; it represents a solid partnership and cooperation between the public and private sectors.” Two tracks The Director General of the Central Agency for Information Technology commented on EGOV3

by saying, “EGOV3 will focus on two technology tracks: Information management and information security. These tracks have their impact on the development and implementation of the e-government program and the success and efficiency of its services. Many technology phenomena, today, have their far reaching influence on Information management such as big data analytics, cloud computing, social media, and mobility. Moreover, information management is very much concerned with our disaster recovery plans, business continuity processes, and governance frameworks that control our operations. We believe that the Internet of Things, too, will have its deep influence and implications; and we should be ready. Information security is, no doubt, another ongoing concern that comes along with any IT implementation. Information security became an essential component of national, social, and economic security of any country. Policy makers cannot overlook the impact of information security when they set

Abdullatif Al-Suraie their national security policies. CAIT is fully aware of the value of information security, its implications, technologies, and processes. We are developing our capabilities and working closely with all concerned parties to protect Kuwait’s information assets.” Distinctive event Suraie continued to say that EGOV3 will be a distinctive technology event gathering many global technology vendors, as well as,

many GCC and Kuwaiti IT companies to showcase their products and services. The Forum will host IT leaders and specialists from all government information technology departments. The Forum will dedicate two days for technology presentations, discussions, and knowledge transfer sessions. EGOV3 will be inaugurated by His Excellency Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah AlMubarak Al-Sabah, Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs and Chairman of the Board of the Central Agency for Information Technology. Suraie concluded his statement by saying, “We look forward to host all IT leaderships and specialists in Kuwait and other GCC countries. I believe that the accompanying exhibition will witness the display of many products and solutions. EGOV3 Scientific Committee is finalizing the scientific program along with NoufEXPO that is carrying out EGOV3 related logistics. IT vendors still have the opportunity to reserve their spot by contacting the Scientific Committee on +965 22469921 or via email [email protected].”

International Student Network holds education fair in Kuwait

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KRCS supports Syrian patients in Lebanon BEIRUT: Kuwait Red Crescent Society (KRCS) announced yesterday that it will cover medical expenses for the treatment of dialysis patients among Syrian refugees in the town of Tripoli, north of Lebanon. KRCS is holding the fifth campaign to support the Syrian refugees in Lebanon, by providing coverage for the costs of medical treatment of Syrian dialysis patents for six months, member of KRCS mission in north Lebanon Mohammad Al-Mutairi said. KRCS is financing a number of projects

including the dialysis project in governmental Orange Nassau Hospital, to alleviate the suffering of the Syrian refugees who are living in very tough conditions in various parts of Lebanon. Meanwhile, the hospitalís Director Dr Khalid Kamal Al-Dein praised the distinguished cooperation of KRCS with the hospital for the last two years, affirming that the GCC state contributions in covering the costs were highly commendable. The society also donated the operation of planting kidney to a Syrian refugee at the hospital. — KUNA

n Tuesday, October 1, 2015, the International Student Network (ISN) will return to Kuwait for an educational fair at the Movenpick Hotel from 6-9 pm. US Ambassador to Kuwait Douglas Silliman will provide opening remarks. The fair will include representatives from ten US colleges and universities who will provide information about their schools and answer questions from students and parents about educational opportunities in the United States. The three-hour educational fair is organized by ISN in cooperation with the US Embassy. The following universities will attend the event: Adelphi University, Drexel University, Drury University, Illinois State University, George Mason University, Oregon State University, Pennsylvania State University, Harrisburg, Saint Joseph’s University, University of Central Missouri, and Western Illinois University. Educational USA advisers will be present at the fair to answer students’ questions about higher education in the US including the admission process, US Embassy consular officers will also be present to answer questions about the student visa application process. Additional information about the fair can be found at http://www.studentlane.com/en_us/. For more information about studying in the United States please visit http://www.educationusa.state.gov/.

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2015

LOCAL

KUWAIT: Members of the Philippines Professional Regulation Commission are pictured with the Philippines’ Ambassador to Kuwait Renato Pedro Villa.

Filipino workers take the exam.

221 Filipinos take special licensure board exams By Ben Garcia KUWAIT: For the first time in Kuwait, the Philippines Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) conducted the Special Professional Licensure Board Examination (SPLBE) here to give a boost to thousands of Filipinos who are currently working in Kuwait but are short of required qualifications to be called ‘professionals’, and do not get salaries corresponding with their skills. “We are happy to conduct the PRC board exams here in Kuwait for the Filipinos. We are officially holding the exams for about 221 examinees from eleven disciplines,” said Lily Ann Baldago, PRC Director (Iloilo Regional Office). The exams were conducted at the Philippine International English School in Fahaheel from Sept 24-26 through efforts by the Philippine Professional Organization (PPO) with the support of the Philippine Embassy’s Overseas Labor Office (POLO).

The exams Examinees included nurses (94), dentists (1), electrical engineers (15), master electricians (8), architects (29), mechanical engineers (17), chemical engineers (33) and teachers (24). There are thousands of Filipino professionals in Kuwait who are not recognized or are not paid well either because they did not pass the board exams or left Manila without taking them. Many of them, according to Philippine Labor Office, are working as housemaids or at places unrelated to their professions. “I would like to remind those professionals who have not taken the exams yet to make use of this huge opportunity given to us by the Philippine government - make the decision and bear in mind that these special exams would not have been possible if we hadn’t spent millions of pesos from our coffers to bring them right to your doorsteps. Use this opportunity for your ben-

efit and professional development and growth. Prepare for the next examination, especially young and old professionals who missed this year’s special board exams here. This will help you greatly to better improve the quality of life in the future,” said Baldago. Annual tests The exams will be conducted annually (or as per request), but will depend on the number of examinees. “The applicants were over 300; but some of them are on leave, so they missed the three-day exams. But we hope that next time, people who haven’t taken the exams will apply and seize the opportunity for their own good. We dreamed about these exams, we worked hard to make them possible and thank God, we finally achieved it. We hope this will be an annual event, or as needed,” said Brian Bachinilla, PPO President.

PRC Director Lily Ann Baldago speaks to people taking the exams.

Ministry mulls enrolling Syrians in public schools No exceptions to studying law in Egypt, Jordan: Essa Commerce ministry preparing to suspend manual transactions The ministry of commerce and industry announced its readiness to stop receiving companies’ transactions manually and stressed that the process would be fully automated, except for transactions made by senior and disabled citizens. The ministry added that all its five centers and offices in the three government malls would start using the automated system within two weeks, except for the Jahra and Jaber Al-Ali centers, where some technical problems were still impeding the use of Internet.

By A Saleh

KUWAIT: Minister of Electricity and Water Ahmad Al-Jassar (right) and the ministry’s undersecretary Mohammad Bushehri are seen during the reception.

Ministry meets increasing demand on energy: Jassar By Meshaal Al-Enezi KUWAIT: Minister of Electricity and Water and Public Works Ahmed Al-Jassar stressed that the ministry’s plan to meet the summer’s increasing demand for electricity was successful, and the ministry managed to provide all consumers’ needs. Jassar added that ministry has already started preparing for next summer to follow the same pattern. 111 reports The Kuwait Fire Services Directorate (KFSD) said that it dealt with 111 reports during the Eid Al-Adha holiday, including 45 fires in various areas around Kuwait. KFSD added that its teams dealt with 16 fires, 20 rescue operations and five service calls on the first day, 22 fires, 19 rescue operations and 6 serv-

ice ones on the second day in addition to 7 fires, 12 rescue operations and 4 service operations on the third day. The department also stressed that most fires were due to electric short circuits, while most rescue operations were related to traffic accidents and elevator malfunctions. Paper charged The public prosecution yesterday started investigating a case filed against Al-Shahed newspaper over a story it published under the title of ‘The Fifth Column’, in which a few public figures’ names were mentioned, said lawyer Khalid Al-Sowaifan, who filed the case. Separately, the criminal court yesterday released a lawyer who had been accused by state security of money laundering on KD 1,000 bail.

KUWAIT: Minister of Education Dr Bader Al-Essa announced that the ministry plans to assess the students’ capacity at public schools in order to study the possibility of enrolling Syrian children living in Kuwait there. Enrollment in public schools, where education is free of charge, is normally exclusive for Kuwaiti students, with little exceptions given to certain cases such as children of Arab teachers hired by the ministry. “The cabinet will review the number of Syrian students living in Kuwait then decide whether to enroll them in public schools or provide educational services to them through the charitable fund for helping students in need,” the minister said yesterday. “This step comes as part of Kuwait’s efforts to help alleviate our Syrian brothers’ suffering,” he explained. Law schools Meanwhile, Essa reminded that studying law at Egyptian and Jordanian universities is still suspended because Kuwait’s labor market is saturated in this field, adding that students need to focus on studying other specialties that are more needed locally. Essa also stressed that no exceptions would be made in this regard. In another educational concern, the ministry of education’s private education director Abdullah AlBasri urged all bedoon parents not to attempt to

Dr Bader Al-Essa register their children in private schools using only birth notifications without settling their statuses with the Central Apparatus for Illegal Residents’ Affairs. “That document is not enough to register their children, because it does not include any civil ID number,” he added. Biofuel project Kuwait National Petroleum Company (KNPC) has discussed preparations to go from the infrastructure to the installation phase in the biofuel project, said informed sources, noting that over 90 percent of the project’s infrastructure, including the project’s power plant, has been concluded.

FIFA suspension Kuwait Football Association (KFA)’s secretary general Saho Al-Saho denied receiving any formal letter from FIFA with a warning to suspend it unless Kuwaiti sports laws were amended to match related international regulations. “We have not so far received any FIFA letters and cannot deal with media stories about the matter until we officially receive one,” Saho said. Responding to a question whether this would affect holding the 23rd Gulf Cup in Kuwait, Saho said Kuwait was doing its best to prepare for the championship and that an inspection team would arrive again on Oct 7 for a final assessment. “We cannot talk about the championship’s future now,” he added. Notably, FIFA considers Kuwait’s new sports laws contradictory to its regulations and subject to political interference.

Kuwait ranks ‘stable’ KUWAIT: Kuwait ranked stable in the Fragile States Index annual ranking of 178 nations by the UN-funded Fund for Peace. Kuwait came in at 57.5, below the United Arab Emirates (46.2), Qatar (46.3) and Oman (52) but ahead of Bahrain (64.3) and Saudi Arabia (71.6). The index ranks countries using a conflict assessment analysis and scored based on twelve key political, social and economic indicators including demographic pressures,

group grievances, human flight and brain drain, refugees, economic development, human rights and rule of law, public services, state legitimacy, poverty and economic decline, security, factionalized elites and external intervention. Within these indicators, more than 100 sub indicators are weighed to determine a country’s level of fragility versus stability. The 2015 Fragile States Index, the 11th edition of the

annual Index, comprises data collected between January 1, 2014 and December 31, 2014 - thus, certain well-publicized events that have occurred since January 1, 2015 are not covered by the 2015 Index. Northern European countries including Finland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Luxembourg dominated the top 5 with other Western countries like New Zealand, Australia and Ireland rounding out the top 10.

Man questioned over picture with weapons By Hanan Al-Saadoun KUWAIT: A Kuwaiti citizen in his forties was questioned by criminal detectives after pictures of him carrying weapons were found in his cell phone. Police wanted to know where the arms were found. However, the suspect said the weapons were not real. The citizen was caught in Rai on a swindling and forgery case. When his phone was checked, the pictures were found. Campaigns Ahmadi municipality carried out several field campaigns in Wafra, resulting in removing six abandoned cars and 265 signboards. Meanwhile, a campaign in Wafra farms resulted in the removal of 532 loads of shrubbery, and all open areas were cleaned. Three warnings were issued, 13 undertakings were signed and three stickers were placed.

Smooth preparations, procedures for returning pilgrims: Ministry KUWAIT: The Interior Ministry’s Relations and Security Information Department’s Director Brigadier Adel Ahmad AlHashash said that security services and hospitality authorities carried out all instructions to receive returning pilgrims and ensure their comfort and speedy processing of their travel

procedures. The instructions were given by Deputy Prime Minister, Interior Minister, and Acting Defense Minister Sheikh Mohammad Al-Khaled Al-Sabah, when he inspected preparations of Airport Security Department inside and outside Kuwait International Airport, Hashash said.

Officers from various ministry departments headed delegations that received pilgrims and supervised the processing of entry and exit. Preparations included the supply of enough wheelchairs for the elderly and the sick, as well as those with special needs, he added.

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2015

LOCAL

Ooredoo partners with Dar Al-Athar Al-Islamiyyah to support culture Sponsoring its 30th anniversary, three months exhibition KUWAIT: Ooredoo Kuwait, a member of the international Ooredoo Group, is supporting culture by its sponsorship of Dar Al-Athar Al-Islamiyyah’s 30th anniversary celebration in Kuwait; an event which took place on Sunday, September 27th, at Al-Maidan Yarmouk and attended by Minister of Information and Minister of State for Youth Affairs Sheikh Salman Al-Humoud AlSabah and General Supervisor of Dar Al-Athar AlIslamiyyah (DAI) Sheikha Hussah Sabah Al-Salem AlSabah. The 30th anniversary celebration will be marked by a three months exhibition which will include more than 3,000 historical pieces, available to public throughout the exhibition period. Commenting on the sponsorship, Mijbil Alayoub, Director of Corporate Communications at Ooredoo Kuwait said: “Glad to be sponsoring such a cultural

event held in collaboration with a renowned organization like Dar Al-Athar Al-Islamiyyah. Our CSR strategy focuses on supporting various activities of interest of people of Kuwait and we trust that religious, cultural and historical related events do attract a large segment of the society” Dar Al-Athar Al-Islamiyyah (DAI) is a cultural organization based around the private art collection owned by Sheikh Nasser Sabah Al Ahmed Al Sabah, founder of The Al Sabah Collection and his wife, DAI director general and co-founder Sheikha Hussah Sabah AlSalem Al-Sabah. Since its inception in 1983, DAI has grown from a single focus organization created to manage the loan of the prestigious Al Sabah Collection of art from the Islamic world to the State of Kuwait to become an internationally recognized cultural organization.

Kuwait Times Publishing would like to thank Al-Anbaa and Al-Jarida daily newspapers for sending flowers on the occasion of Kuwait Times 54th anniversary. Kuwait Times Editor-in-Chief, Management and staff appreciate the friendly gesture, and wish the two organizations further success.

KOC wins award for gas reduction KUWAIT: The Kuwait Oil Company (KOC) won World Bank’s Global Gas Flaring Reduction Partnership (GGFR) Excellence Award for 2015. The KOC’s CEO Hashim Sayed Hashim said yesterday that the company received this prestigious award for making a significant contribution to gas flaring reduction from 40 to less than one percent in west of the country. Hashim pointed out that the award highlights the KOC’s pioneering performance in gas reduction, gas sweetening and gas re-injections operations which are important in the limiting of chemical productions on environment. The GGFR is a joint project between public and private sectors to overcome challenges that prevent further utilization of associated gas throughout the world. The KOC has joined the GGFR in 2011 to support its goals in gas reduction operations. The award was presented during the GGFR’s Global Forum, hosted by the government of Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Okrug-Yugra (KMAO), the Russian Federation. — KUNA

KOC’s CEO Hashim Hashim

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2015

Fr om the Arabic press

Crime

Al-Jarida

R e p o r t

Extemism

Foul play ruled out in roommates’ death

Once more, where are we heading? By Hassan Al-Essa

KUWAIT: Police received a call from an Asian man saying that he returned home late at night and found his roommates dead. When the two bodies were inspected, no signs or marks indicating foul play were found. Police are waiting for the coroner’s report on the cause of death.

T

Body found Ahmadi detectives are working on a case involving a taxi driver who dumped the body of a woman in front of a house where her sister works before escaping, and no one was able to note the taxi’s license plate number. Police received a call from a citizen reporting that the sister of an Asian woman who works for him found her lying lifeless in front of his house, and he was told that a taxi driver left her body there. The body was recovered by the coroner, and detectives are investigating.

Al-Jarida

Drug possession A Kuwaiti citizen was sent to the Drugs Control General Department (DCGD) after throwing out four pills wrapped in a tissue paper after being stopped by a police patrol for a traffic violation. When the car was searched, more pills were found. A bedoon man was also sent to the DCGD, charged with driving under the influence of drugs. Red-colored pills, an imported liquor bottle and drug envelopes that were with him were included in the case file. Meanwhile, a citizen in his thirties was taken to the DCGD after being found asleep inside his car that was parked by the side of the road. Police found that he was under the influence of drugs.

Drug dealers caught An Asian man and a maid were sent to the DCGD for bringing in drugs for sale. Twenty kilograms of qat and four kilograms of marijuana were found. Also, an Arab man was sent to the DCGD with a piece of hashish, which he claimed was for his personal use. All three suspects said that they thought customs officers will be busy with pilgrims and their luggage will not be searched.

Obscene gesture A citizen complained against a person who made an obscene gesture during a dispute over the right of way in Farwaniya. The citizen gave police the license plate number of the suspect’s car. Farwaniya detectives are working on the case. —Al-Anbaa and Al-Rai

Al-Anbaa

Sean, IS and Qaeda By Thaar Al-Rasheedi

I

do not know I am alone in this, or somebody else share it with me. I usually mix between the two US stars, Kevin Spacey and Nicolas Cage. I also get confused with three more others - Gary Oldman, Sean Penn and John Malkovich, and cannot tell who starred in the recent Batman, Red or Mystic River movies, which always confuses me when looking up a movie based on star names. Maybe this is happening because they look like alike or because my memory is getting weak. I also confuse the American actor Sean Penn for the British Sean Bean, especially that both their names sound alike. I do not know why I recalled this memory confusion when I read a controversial statement made by the American Sean Penn (not the British one) in which he said that IS was USmade. During a campaign to promote his latest movie back in March, and in an interview with Conan O’Brien, he even made a sarcastic statement addressed to former US president George W Bush, saying: “I wish to thank former president Bush and his vice president Dick Cheney for creating IS”. This statement made by (the American) Sean is very evident and everybody can see how this former US

administration had contributed in creating IS to become what we know today, just the way earlier administrations created the mujahedeen movement (Al-Qaeda) back in the 1980s. I am not a fan of international conspiracy theories, but I am a good reader and follower of historic events and their consequences. Near history that only goes back three decades tells us that it was the US administration that supported, nurtured, trained and developed the mujahedeen in Afghanistan to fight the Soviet Red Tide during the Cold War. It also supported Al-Qaeda after the fall of the Soviet Union in the early 1990s until AlQaeda faded away by killing its leader Osama bin Laden, giving way to the dawn of IS less than two years after toppling Saddam Hussein and the incidents in Syria. So, after such a brief narration of history, can any wise hotshot still argue that IS was the result of defects in our school curriculums? No, dear gentlemen! IS was created by foreign powers that made use of regional developments, and some day, IS will vanish and others will replace it to resume the sought regional political change process! —Translated by Kuwait Times

he Financial Times, one of the world’s most important financial magazines, recently published an analytical article about degrading development rates in China and the situations in the oil market where it repeatedly stressed that this ‘distress’ would affect oil producing countries. Well, it seems that this ‘distress’ is here to stay for long, according to the magazine’s analysis. I believe the guys in our government and parliament do not agree with this opinion. They, most likely, do not read foreign newspapers and only settle with following what is written in our press, tweets and posts on various social media networks with the aim of tracking down young people who go beyond what is allowed in the ‘shut up laws’ and send them to prison with state security accusations. What was written in this magazine or published in various media ever since oil prices started dropping is an alarm ringing loudly to attract the attention of people who foresee the worse coming soon no matter whether they are in power or simple individuals in a society sinking in boredom. However, it seems that each of them only focuses on their own concerns. The authority is going on with wasteful expenditure policies to satisfy tycoons with tenders and astronomical commissions through horrible deals because it is afraid the poor with medium and small incomes might grumble and reject any true attempts to achieve true financial reforms. It, accordingly, opts to silencing and satisfying the public and carries on with its ‘open pocket policy’, which keeps such pockets widely open for mighty tycoons in upper ‘floors’ and only dripping small drops to those in the lower ones and in the ‘basement’. This Kuwaiti story goes on forever no matter whether oil prices are $100 or $40. The finance minister coyly speaks about ‘structural deficit’ in the state’s budget without mentioning any radical solutions to the economical crisis. On the other hand, lawmakers display their ‘economic muscles’ by rejecting IMF proposals, claiming to know better, though they do not. They keep rejecting IMF’s recipes and we may go along with that. But what about their own prescription and remedy for the corruption, dependability and financial waste cancer that has been spreading in Kuwait’s body? NOTHING! The government has many times stressed that citizens incomes would not be touched, though the PM had warned almost a year ago of tough days ahead and called for ‘tightening belts’ (rationalization). Everybody was silent then and no one spoke of the belt or the large, roundish bellies of influential VIPs that can never be surrounded by any ‘governmental belt’. —Translated by Kuwait Times

Al-Jarida

Handling medical errors

EQUATE visits Kuwait Cancer Control Center KUWAIT: EQUATE Petrochemical Company, Kuwait’s first international joint-venture in this industry, visited Kuwait Cancer Control Center (KCCC) to interact and present gifts to the center’s staff and residents. EQUATE Senior Executive for Corporate Communications and Government Affairs Abeer Al-Omar said, “Well-being constitutes a critical pillar for EQUATE that dedicates great attention to medical and health issues through EQUATE Sustainability Program which focuses also on the fields of education, health, community awareness and human development.” Omar, who also heads EQUATE Sustainability Team, added, “This visit, by a number of EQUATE leaders and employees, represents continuous embodiment our ‘Partners in Success’ slogan with KCCC in specific and Kuwait’s Ministry of Health (MoH) in general to ensure overall holistic community awareness in all relevant fields. Therefore, throughout the years, EQUATE fully renovated a number of the center’s wards and other critical medical facilities at the ministry’s hospitals. EQUATE has also sponsored several activities by the ministry, such as conferences and seminars. In addition, EQUATE has launched a number of health and awareness initiatives, such as EQUATE Breast Cancer Awareness Program (Keep You Life Rosy), EQUATE’s Initiative for a Healthy Society (Lighten Up), EQUATE Hypertension Awareness Campaign (Stay Normal) and EQUATE Diabetes Awareness Campaign (Stay Normal 2). All these initiatives were executed in partnership with specialized government and civic bodies, such as MoH.” Omar extended utmost appreciation and gratitude to KCCC’s management and employees for their humanitarian and professional efforts, as well as all individuals who participated in this visit, wishing all patients a speedy recovery.

ByMudaffar Abdullah

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Positive impact Meanwhile, KCCC Director Dr Ahmad Al-Awadhi expressed heartfelt appreciation to EQUATE’s humanitarian and professional initiatives in support of the center’s activities to serve its patients, such as fully renovating the wards and visiting the residents to present them with tokens of appreciation. Awadhi added that such matters have a positive emotional impact on the patients and support medical treatment, noting that partnerships between various bodies in Kuwait and the medical sector would play a good role in maintaining the society’s health. Awadhi called on all com-

Senior officials to get cash instead of perks KUWAIT: Government bodies are studying a new proposal to cancel allocation of vehicles and phone lines to those in leading posts in all ministries and government departments, informed sources said. The new measures aim at reducing expenses in the proposed budget for next fiscal year 2016/2017 and rationalize government spending due to persistently low oil prices, in addition to stopping spending that does not agree with the current financial situation in the state and it is expected to have a budget deficit estimated at KD 8 billion by the end of the current year. The new proposal calls for canceling vehicle allocation for those in the excellent grade, ministry undersecretary, assistant undersecretary and those at the same level, as a car is allocated to them along with fuel and this cost KD 350 per month on lease basis. To rationalize spending, the car allocation will be cancelled and they will be given KD 250 per month instead. Fuel cards will also be cancelled. As for phone lines, the proposal calls for canceling the distribution of lines to all posts except ministers. As for ministers’ cars, they will be cancelled too, and each minister will be given KD 500 per month. —Al-Qabas

panies in Kuwait to follow EQUATE’s example in supporting the community, extending overall appreciation to EQUATE’s leaders and employees. EQUATE’s delegation during the visit to KCCC included a number of Procurement Department leaders and employees, who represented by Procurement Director Muayad AlFaresi, Procurement Category Leader Fawaz Al-Shehab, Procurement Category Leader Zeyad Al-Barrak, Strategic Sourcing Specialist and Member of EQUATE Sustainability Team Shirin Kamshad, as well as Sourcing Specialist Khaled Al-Qashaan and Investment Recovery Sales and Contract Executive Abdulrazzak Purayil.

‘Suspicious’ Saudi tourist questioned KUWAIT: A Saudi national wearing casual clothes drew the suspicions of a police patrol at the heritage village. The man reportedly asked a lot of questions about the village, such as the time it opens, number of visitors, when it closes, etc. This drew the attention of officers, who grew suspicious of the man’s inquiries. When questioned, the man said he came to Kuwait on September 26 on a short visit. When asked about his car, he said he left it in a hotel’s parking lot, but when police went to check on it, they did not find it. When asked again, the man told police that his car was located in an open area opposite the village, where it was eventually found. Police found a paper inside the car, which turned out to be an arrest report of suspects in Asir, Saudi Arabia. State security officers were informed, and the man was detained for further questioning. —Al-Rai

1.3 daily traffic victims in Kuwait KUWAIT: There are 1.3 victims of traffic accidents a day in Kuwait, a local daily reported yesterday quoting a source who has access to an Interior Ministry statistics. According to the source, traffic accidents killed 340 persons since the star t of this year and as of last Sunday. The source said that official statistics are alarming, saying that the number of victims and injured people are on the rise. He added that 340 persons, 39 percent of whom are Kuwaiti, were killed in 267 days. The source said lack of attention while driving is one of the main reasons behind accidents in Kuwait. He added that most road victims are young men and women, as the age group of 21 to 30 years registered the highest percentage in the number of victims, followed by the group from 31 to 40 years. —Al-Qabas

HO researches on medical errors show that one out every 10 patients is a victim of medical errors in advanced countries like the US and Germany. Kuwait is no exception, but what needs more highlighting is the administrative conduct following each error-caused fatality or disability. On Sept 20, Al-Qabas Arabic daily published interesting statistics about medical errors that had led to deaths over the past three years. The figures, including the recent ones from 2015, show seven out of 10 (six citizens and a Lebanese) died, while others suffered from disabilities, comas, kidney failure and unnecessary tooth removal. In my opinion, so many medical error-related fatalities in eight months this year call for dismissing the health minister or having him resign from office, especially when one of the doctors responsible for one of these fatalities managed to flee the country and with information about trainee doctors allowed to perform dangerous surgeries that led to some fatalities. Resignation would be civilized behavior on the medical corps side as well as a positive one for the Cabinet as a political body. It should not be viewed as offending to either side or body, especially when citizens’ and expats’ lives are at stake. Secondly, any health minister ought to confront medical errors courageously without hesitation by explaining each case’s details as soon as possible so as not to leave rumors and non-medical opinions to flourish. This would protect the medical corps as well as respect the families of the victims. I believe that medical errors must be announced annually in order to monitor the quality of health services. Thirdly, it is obvious that committees investigating such errors should be impartial in order to achieve transparency, and hence we suggest cooperation with Kuwait University’s medicine faculty and forming a committee comprising of teaching staff members to study each case. This would put an end to favoritism and courtesy. We suggest this because investigating some cases was below par and sometimes influenced by a political wish to absorb public rage. Such cases may result in damage to doctors’ rights by prison or suspended indictment, which is an unforgettable offense. For the best of everybody (doctors, MoH, hospitals, patients and their families), stricter administration should be adopted on investigating medical errors because they may happen for several reasons such as lack of experience, negligence or forgetfulness. In addition, errors may involve several parties and elements such as nurses, medications, equipment and surgery theatre readiness. Therefore, unbiased professional investigations are a must to probe the causes as well as protect the medical corps’ reputation for the ultimate benefit of the public. —Translated by Kuwait Times

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2015

New clashes at Jerusalem holy site as Jewish holiday starts Page 8

Catalan vote deepens political standoff Page 10

KUNDUZ: Afghan security forces patrol, as battles were ongoing between Taleban militants and Afghan security forces, in Kunduz, capital of northeastern Kunduz province yesterday. The Taleban are in control of around half of Kunduz, Afghanistan’s fifth largest city, a senior police official said yesterday. Sayed Sarwar Hussaini, police spokesman for the northeastern Kunduz province, told a news conference: “Around half the city has fallen into the hands of Taleban insurgents.” — AFP

Taleban seize half of major Afghan city KUNDUZ: The Taleban yesterday seized half of an Afghan provincial capital, sending panicked residents fleeing as the hardline Islamists for the first time breached a major city since being ousted from power in 2001. Marauding insurgents hoisted their flag over the main square of the northern city of Kunduz, freed prisoners from the local jail and set fire to the local intelligence agency headquarters, witnesses and officials said. The Taleban’s incursion into Kunduz barely nine months after the NATO combat mission ended marks a major psychological blow to the country’s Western-trained security forces. “Half the city has fallen into the hands of Taleban insurgents,” Kunduz police spokesman Sayed Sarwar Hussaini told a news conference, adding local forces had not yet received promised reinforcements from Kabul. Scores of bodies littered the streets after hours of heavy fighting, Afghan media reported citing local residents, many of whom were making a hasty exit from Kunduz. The city was swarming with Taleban fight-

ers who were racing police vehicles and had raised the flag of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (the group’s official name) over the homes of government officials, according to an AFP reporter. “Around 3:30pm the Taleban installed their flag in the main square of Kunduz city,” a government official, who requested anonymity, told AFP. He added that the local headquarters of the National Directorate of Security, the country’s main intelligence agency, had been set on fire, and prisoners had been released from the city jail. “Only the police headquarters is now resisting,” he said. Saad Mukhtar, head of a 200-bed government hospital, said the Taleban had control of the building and were hunting for wounded Afghan troops. Major setback This was the group’s third attempt this year to breach the city, which coincides with the first anniversary of President Ashraf Ghani’s national unity government in power. The Taleban’s ability to penetrate the city

UNITED NATIONS: Iran's President Hassan Rouhani addresses the 70th session of the United Nations General Assembly, at U.N. Headquarters, yesterday. —AP

Iran ready to help bring democracy to Syria, Yemen UNITED NATIONS: Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said yesterday Tehran was ready to help bring democracy to war-torn Syria and Yemen and blamed the spread of terrorism in the Middle East on the United States. Iran has given extensive military backing to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and has supported Houthi rebels fighting for power in Yemen. “We are prepared to assist in the eradication of terrorism and in paving the way for democracy,” Rouhani said in a speech to the annual United Nations General Assembly in New York. “As we aided the establishment of democracy in Iraq and Afghanistan, we are prepared to help bring about democracy in Syria and also Yemen,” he said. Rouhani blamed the crisis in the Middle East on the United States’ occupation of

Afghanistan and Iraq as well as what he said was Washington’s support for Israel against Palestine. “If we did not have the US military invasion of Afghanistan and Iraq, and the US’s unwarranted support for the inhumane actions of the Zionist regime against the oppressed nation of Palestine, today the terrorists would not have an excuse for the justification of their crimes,” he said. He also said a historic nuclear deal reached between Iran and six global powers in exchange for easing economic sanctions on his country was “a brilliant example of “victory over war that has managed to disburse the clouds of hostility and perhaps even the specter of another war and extensive tensions from the Middle East.” — Reuters

is a major setback for Afghan forces who have been battling the militants without the front-line help of NATO forces who ended their combat mission in December 2014. The Islamist group has been largely absent from cities since being driven from power by the US and its allies, but has maintained often-brutal rule over swathes of the countryside. A senior tribal elder in Kunduz, 150 miles (250 kilometres) north of Kabul, said the militia had control of one of the city’s districts, while a second elder added his house was now around 100 metres (yards) from their forward line. Federal government officials had earlier issued strong denials that the Taliban had breached the city, insisting they were repelling the insurgents on the city’s outskirts. The Taleban have been waging a bloody insur-

gency since a US-led invasion booted them from power in late 2001, and have stepped up attacks during a summer offensive launched in late April against the Western-backed government in Kabul. Co-ordinated strikes On Sunday 13 people were killed and 33 wounded at a volleyball match in the eastern province of Paktika. The Taleban denied being behind the attack in Paktika, a volatile frontier region considered a stronghold of their allies the Haqqani network. Meanwhile, Afghanistan’s thinly spread security forces are increasingly having to deal with the threat from the self-styled Islamic State group, which is looking to make inroads in the troubled country. At the weekend, it launched coordinated attacks on police checkpoints in the eastern province of Nangarhar,

killing at least three officers. The two groupsboth with their blood-curdling brand of Islamic fundamentalism-are seen as engaged in a contest for influence in Afghanistan. But after years of costly involvement, Washington and its allies have tired of the blood and treasure they were expending in the country, and have pulled back from frontline combat. Most NATO troops had left by the end of 2014, although a residual force of around 13,000 remains for training and counter-terrorism operations. Peace overtures by the government of President Ghani over the summer ended in failure, as civilian casualties soared to a record high in the first half of 2015 according to a UN report. It said 1,592 civilians were killed, a six percent fall over last year, while the number of injured jumped four percent to 3,329. — AFP

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2015

I N T E R N AT I O N A L

Women held as sex slaves in S Sudan ‘rape camps’ BENTIU: One woman was abducted by soldiers and taken to a military camp, tied up and raped repeatedly for two months. Another was kidnapped with her 15year-old sister and raped every night for five nights. A third was taken to a forest with her 12-year old daughter where both were raped. The abduction of women and girls for use as sex slaves-some of them held indefinitely, tied up with hundreds of others in secret rape camps-is a disturbing new aspect of South Sudan’s 21-month conflict, already characterised by well-documented war crimes and human rights abuses. Nigeria’s ‘Chibok girls’, abducted by Boko Haram in April 2014, and Iraq’s Yazidi women taken as sex slaves by Islamic State are well-known. But the plight of perhaps thousands of South Sudanese women and girls from just a single state, abducted and subjected to repeated, brutal rape and slave-like working conditions has remained hidden until now. Dozens of interviews conducted by AFP in the northern Unity State reveal a systematic pattern of abduction and rape perpetrated by government soldiers and their allied militia during a recent offensive. The investigation focused on attacks by government forces but both sides have perpetrated ethnic massacres, recruited and killed children and carried

out widespread rape, torture and forced displacement of populations to “cleanse” areas of their opponents. Systematic abduction and rape Nyabena’s experience is typical. The 30-year old mother was seized when soldiers attacked her village in Rubkona County in April. Men and boys were shot. Homes were looted and burned to the ground. Women and girls were rounded up. She was among 40 taken from two neighbouring settlements and wells up with tears when she talks about being torn away from her five children. They were marched to Mayom County. Nyabena was held in Kotong, a stronghold of Major-General Matthew Puljang, commander of a tribal Bul Nuer militia aligned with South Sudan’s army, the SPLA, which has been battling rebels since December 2013. From April to July this year the SPLA and Puljang’s militia carried out an offensive that United Nations investigators described as a “scorched earth policy” in an August report. Fighting and flooding limits access to large parts of South Sudan, leading aid workers to refer to southern Unity State as “an information black-hole”. A human rights investigator said: “Nobody knows what’s happening in Mayom County,” where many of the women were taken. One military expert estimated that “thou-

sands of women” were abducted during the offensive. “In all the southern Unity counties it’s been the same: those women who escape are lucky. Those who don’t are raped and abducted or killed,” said the rights investigator. “The abduction of women seems to be systematic. It might be for a day, or longer, or forever.” Those who escaped recount their stories with numb, quiet voices. Nightmares plague some who wake up terrorised, thinking they are still captive. After her abduction Nyabena was put to work during the day, carrying looted goods and food, collecting water and hoeing farms. She was guarded constantly during the day and tied up at night with other women. “When one of the soldiers wanted to have sex he would come, untie us and take us away. When they were finished they would bring you back and tie you to the post again,” she said, stretching her elbows behind her back to show how she was bound. She said being raped by four men a night was common. Women who refused to work or fought against their rape would disappear. “In the morning we discover they are missing,” she said. Of the 40 she arrived with in April, 10 disappeared this way. Victims as young as 12 Nyamai, a 38-year old mother of five, was taken

from her village in Koch County. She was guarded constantly and tied up frequently. As many as 10 soldiers would queue up at night for their turn raping her. “Please, let one guy deal with me, don’t come all of you,” she pleaded, and was beaten with a stick in response. In another case, three of Nyatuach’s unmarried, teenaged daughters were abducted in May during an attack on their village in Rubkona County. Two are still missing, but her 17-year old daughter escaped with three of her nieces. They returned “very sick, very thin”. “Their bodies were weak and they were leaking fluids from so many men having intercourse with them,” Nyatuach said, a common symptom of fistula, an incontinence-causing tear in the wall between the vagina and bladder or rectum, that can be caused by particularly violent rape. Others were raped repeatedly until, bleeding and unable to take any more, they were set free, or killed. “When the girls were broken they would dispose of them,” said Nyatuach. Rebecca found her 12-year old daughter again the day after their village in Koch County was attacked. “When they took me, those people used me,” the girl told her mother. Rebecca boiled some water and washed her daughter with hot cloths. “We can do nothing,” she told her. “It’s like that.” — AFP

Abbas set for UN speech as Palestinian despair mounts RAMALLAH: Mahmud Abbas heads to the UN this week for a speech expected to be closely watched for clues of his intentions at a time of growing despair among Palestinians, moribund peace talks and volatility in Jerusalem. Abbas’s actions in recent weeks have spurred speculation ranging from whether the 80-year-old’s retirement is imminent to whether he intends to take the drastic step of dismantling the Palestinian Authority to reenergize the push for statehood. A recent poll found that Palestinians are increasingly exasperated with his leadership and Israel’s right-wing government. A majority favour a return to armed uprising in the absence of peace talks and two-thirds want Abbas to resign. Clashes in recent weeks between Israeli police and Palestinians at the sensitive Al-Aqsa mosque compound in Jerusalem have raised tensions further and prompted Abbas to warn of the risk of a third intifada if the volatility worsens. If that were not enough, the Palestinian president’s speech to the UN General Assembly on Wednesday comes with much of the world’s attention having drifted toward other concerns, such as combating Islamic State jihadists. “Mahmud Abbas is going to tell everyone that the current situation is no longer tenable, that the Authority has authority in name only while Israel is destroying any idea of a two-state solution,” a Palestinian official told AFP, declining to provide further details. In the runup to the speech, there have been reports that Abbas would use the opportunity to drop a “bombshell”. Suggestions of what that could mean have included a complete withdrawal from the Oslo accords of the 1990s or the dissolution of the Palestinian Authority that those agreements created. ‘Who will make concessions?’ While such an announcement could potentially have a major impact, many analysts question whether Abbas would truly press ahead with it. Some speculate that suggestions ahead of the speech may have been in the hope of gaining concessions from those in the international community who would not want him to take those steps. “I think he would like every-

one to pressure him not to do it, then see what he will get out of it,” said Yossi Mekelberg of the London-based Chatham House think tank’s Middle East programme. “Even in the corridors of the United Nations, use it as effectively as he can to get some concessions. But the question is, who will make these concessions?” The Palestinian Authority was intended to be a temporary arrangement to serve as a governing administration over five years before negotiations leading to a final status, two-state settlement. That of course did not happen, and peace talks between Israelis and Palestinians have been stalled for more than a year. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has sent mixed signals, ruling out the establishment of a Palestinian state while campaigning for March elections before later backtracking. There is also a lack of trust between the two sides with the formation of one of Israel’s most right-wing governments in its history after the March vote, and Jewish settlement expansion in the West Bank has continued. Polls reflect disillusion Organisers of a recent poll by the respected Palestinian Centre for Policy and Survey Research said for the first time in its surveys a majority called for the dissolution of the Palestinian Authority. It also showed 57 percent of Palestinians support a return to an armed intifada in the absence of peace negotiations, up from 49 percent three months ago. The poll organisers said the figure was similar to numbers seen ahead of the second Palestinian intifada in 2000. A recent leak of documents alleging corruption among Palestinian officials has not helped matters. Two decades after the Oslo accords, the Palestinian public sees the political process as having “failed,” with statehood far from being achieved, said Palestinian political scientist George Giacaman. “For them, Oslo promised the delivery of a two-state solution,” he said. Abbas’s Fatah, which dominates the Palestinian Authority based in the occupied West Bank, also remains deeply divided from Hamas, the Islamist movement that runs the Gaza Strip, the coastal enclave still badly reeling from last summer’s war with Israel. —AFP

BEIRUT: Lebanese Karma Khayat, left, the deputy director of a local TV station AlJadeed, speaks with her staff reporters, right, in Beirut, Lebanon, yesterday. A special UN-backed tribunal on the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri has fined the manager of a local TV station for not removing information about identities of confidential witnesses in the long-running probe. — AP

Lebanese journalist fined for contempt in Hariri case THE HAGUE: A journalist who ignored a court order to take down internet videos that risked exposing the identities of witnesses in the case of Lebanese former prime minister Rafik al-Hariri’s assassination was fined 10,000 euros ($11,000) yesterday. Karma al-Khayat was convicted 10 days ago of failing to obey a court order to remove from the internet video interviews that risked exposing witnesses in the case against the five suspects in the 2005 bomb blast that killed Hariri and 21 others. She was acquitted of the more serious charge of publishing material exposing witnesses, but prosecutors had nonetheless asked for a one -year jail term and a $100,000-euro fine for the journalist, saying she had shown “no remorse or regret”. Khayat, who was not in court, has described her conviction as an attack on the free press. “I sentence Khayat to a fine of 10,000 euros,” said judge Nicola Lettieri, adding that he would publish his reasoning

in a separate, later filing. The defence team smiled and nodded after he read out the sentence. “The heart, the core of the prosecution’s case has been completely rejected,” her defence lawyer Karim Khan told Reuters. Earlier, he had told the court the single remaining conviction standing against her was a “lesser” offence. “Stripped down of the hyperbole, what this case comes down to is a single finding of wilful blindness to a court order,” he said in pleadings before the sentence was read out. Hariri and 21 others were killed in a waterfront bomb blast in 2005 that upset a fragile peace in Lebanon, dragging the country back to the brink of civil war. Five suspects, all linked to the Lebanese Shi’ite Muslim militant movement Hezbollah, which is part of the current Beirut government, have since been indicted for the killing. They remain at large and are being tried in absentia. — Reuters

JERUSALEM: An Israeli border policeman grabs a Palestinian man during confrontations in the Old City of Jerusalem, yesterday. Palestinians clashed with Israeli riot police after barricading themselves in a mosque at Jerusalem’s most sensitive holy site, throwing firebombs and rocks at officers outside during a major Jewish holiday yesterday. — AP

New clashes at Jerusalem holy site as Jewish holiday starts Palestinian Red Crescent reports 22 wounded JERUSALEM: New clashes broke out yesterday between Palestinians and Israeli police who stormed Jerusalem’s flashpoint Al-Aqsa mosque compound, as an expected increase in Jewish visitors to the site over the Sukkot holiday boosted tensions. Police fired tear gas and stun grenades, while young masked protesters who had pledged a day earlier to “defend” Al-Aqsa threw stones before barricading themselves inside the mosque itself, an AFP journalist reported. According to police, the young protesters had slept overnight at the mosque and also hurled petrol bombs at security forces during the clashes, which caused a small fire at the entrance to the building. Sources in the Jordanian-run organisation that administers the site, the Waqf, told AFP that police stun grenades provoked four fires inside the building that were brought under control. The Palestinian Red Crescent reported 22 people were wounded, with three hospitalised after being hit by rubber bullets, including one person struck in the face while inside the mosque. Police said negotiations to have the youths leave had failed, leaving them no choice but to carry out the raid to keep them from disrupting visits to the site. Dozens of officers deployed, including on the mosque’s roof, and police rolled a moving wall to the mosque’s front door to shut rioters inside and block projectiles being thrown. Muslim worshippers who were at the compound after morning prayers as the raid began were forced to leave by police and all gates used by Muslims to enter the site were closed. Some remained near the gates and chanted in protest. Regular visits by non-Muslims permitted between 7:30 am and 11:00 am were then allowed to go ahead, according to police, with more than 700 visiting, including 43 Jews. Calm later returned to the site. Stones and barricades The compound has been the scene of repeated clashes in recent weeks, provoking international calls for calm. The highly sensitive site is the third holiest in Islam but is also known to Jews as the Temple Mount, the most sacred in Judaism. Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas, who will address the UN General Assembly on Wednesday, has warned of the risk of a third intifada, or uprising, if volatility at the site worsens. Recent weeks have seen a series of Jewish holidays which have led to an increase in visits by Jews that have sparked clashes. The same situation is feared over Sukkot, an eightday religious feast that began on Sunday night. Jews are allowed to visit the site, but cannot pray to avoid provoking tensions. Muslims fear Israel will seek to change rules

governing the compound, which is located in Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said repeatedly he is committed to maintaining the status quo despite the views of some hardliners within his governing coalition. A campaign by a hardline Jewish minority to build a new temple at the site has further stoked suspicions. Brief clashes had also broken out on Sunday, and afterwards young Palestinian protesters were seen preparing to “defend” the mosque during Sukkot, stocking stones inside the shrine and barricading doors. Visits by Jews were stopped and age restrictions on Muslim men entering the compound lifted during the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha, which was celebrated from Thursday to Sunday. However, a ban on Muslim men under 50 was re-imposed as Sukkot started. ‘A national symbol’ Jews celebrate Sukkot to commemorate their journey through the Sinai wilderness to the Holy

Land after their exodus from Egyptian slavery. The radical northern branch of the Islamic Movement in Israel and the Higher Arab Monitoring Committee, which represents Arab communities in Israel, had urged Muslims to go to the compound to defend it on Sunday. “AlAqsa is a holy place, but it is also a national symbol for Palestinians and all Arabs,” Sheikh Kamal Khabit, deputy head of the Islamic Movement, said. “Jewish extremists want to destroy Al-Aqsa to build a third temple.” According to Biblical tradition, the first and second Jewish temples were located at the site of the Al-Aqsa compound and destroyed by the Babylonians and the Romans. This month over the Jewish New Year holiday, or Rosh Hashanah, police raided the compound to stop what they said were plans by Palestinian youths to disrupt visits to the site. Clashes occurred over three consecutive days. Israel seized east Jerusalem, where Al-Aqsa is located, in the Six-Day War of 1967 and later annexed it in a move never recognised by the international community. — AFP

Iraq defends intelligence sharing with Russia, Syria BAGHDAD: Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi defended his country’s intelligence-sharing agreement with Russia, Syria and Iran yesterday, saying Baghdad needs to share intelligence with these countries and others in order to defeat the Islamic State group. Iraq’s decision to strengthen ties with Syrian President Bashar Assad and his two main allies potentially complicates US efforts to combat the IS group without strengthening regional foes who are also battling the extremists. It comes as Moscow has been ramping up its involvement in Syria in defense of Assad - ferrying weapons, troops and supplies to an airport near the Syrian coastal city of Latakia in what the US sees as preparations for setting up an air base there. In a televised speech before his departure to attend the UN General Assembly, al-Abadi said Iraq welcomed Russia’s “recent interest” in battling the IS group. “During the past three months, there has been an interest by Russia to fight Daesh, as many terrorists who are fighting with it are Russian who would return to Russia to carry out terrorist acts,” alAbadi said, using the Arabic acronym for the IS group. “At the same time, we welcomed that interest by establishing an intelligence cell in which Syria and Iraq participate.” He said that his country will continue to work closely with the US-led coalition that has been bombing the IS group in Syria and Iraq, saying Iraq needs “all the world’s intelligence efforts in order to fight, to besiege and to terminate Daesh.” Iraq has long had close ties with neighboring Iran and has

coordinated with Tehran in fighting IS - which controls about a third of Iraq and Syria in a selfdeclared caliphate. Iran has sent military advisers to Iraq and worked closely with Shiite militias battling the IS group. A US-led coalition has meanwhile been conducting airstrikes against IS in Iraq and Syria as well as training and advising Iraqi forces, but U.S. officials insist they are not coordinating their efforts with Iran. The US also refuses to cooperate with Syrian President Bashar Assad, who Washington has insisted should step down. Russia and Iran have provided crucial support to Assad since Syria’s uprising began in 2011. Hours after announcing the agreement on Sunday, the Baghdad-based spokesman for the USled campaign against the IS group, Col. Steve Warren, said the US recognizes Iraq’s interest in sharing information on IS with other governments, but added that, “We do not support the presence of Syrian government officials who are part of a regime that has brutalized its own citizens.” In New York, US Secretary of State John Kerry, who met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, said “all of the efforts need to be coordinated. This is not yet coordinated.” “I think we have concerns about how we are going to go forward. That is precisely what we are meeting on to talk about now. Our presidents will be meeting tomorrow,” he told reporters, referring to scheduled talks between US President Barack Obama and Russian President Vladimir Putin. — AP

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Canada election could shift foreign policy back to multilateralism OTTAWA: Prime Minister Stephen Harper has dramatically changed Canada’s position in the world, moving away from multilateralism to a more muscular stance, but an election could bring a new approach critics hope will win more friends abroad. The ruling Conservatives say they’ve taken the moral high ground in their nine years in power, shunning messy diplomatic compromises while resolutely backing allies such as Israel and Ukraine and contributing to the fight against Islamic State. But many diplomats and Canadian experts say Ottawa has marginalized itself by a combination of extreme positions and miscalculations. “There is a real desperate

plea from our allies for Canada to get back in the game ... Canada does some things really well and we just aren’t doing them any more,” said Paul Dewar, foreign affairs spokesman for the New Democrats, referring to peacekeeping missions, helping to enforce the Iran nuclear deal and broader global arms control efforts. Harper’s Conservatives are in a tight three-way race with the center-left New Democrats and Liberals ahead of an Oct 19 election. All three leaders are due to take part in a foreign policy debate yesterday. Since taking office in 2006, Harper has distanced Canada from the United Nations - once the centerpiece of its diplomacy -

the smaller cats.” Under Harper, Canada failed to gain a seat on the UN Security Council in 2010 - in part because of his unilateral approach and irritated many by pulling out of the Kyoto climate change treaty in 2011. Foreign Minister Rob Nicholson said Harper’s steadfast support for Israel and strong criticism of Russia over Ukraine has won respect. “I think people recognize that we stand for freedom, democracy, human rights ... I’m invigorated by peoples’ support and admiration of Canada,” he said in a phone interview. But the pro-Israel stance has alienated some in the Middle East and many voters. If Harper loses power, the mis-

preferring what he calls a principled approach to the need to “please every dictator with a vote”. Shifting Canada’s focus from peacekeeping to the military, Harper sent troops to Afghanistan and signed up for the mission against Islamic State, commitments warmly welcomed by allies such as Britain and the United States. But Paul Heinbecker, a former Canadian ambassador to the United Nations, says Harper hasn’t advanced Canada’s interests by ignoring the world body. Previous prime ministers, he said, understood that an international system with respected rules “is vastly more in our interest than a kind of a law of the jungle because ... we’re one of

sion against Islamic State will be scaled down and possibly scrapped, since the New Democrats and Liberals have major doubts about it. Under Harper, trade ties have also been uneven. His cool relationship with President Barack Obama and US Ambassador to Canada Bruce Heyman have not helped Ottawa’s attempts to persuade Washington to approve the Keystone XL pipeline, which would take Alberta oil to US refineries. His ties with China have also been bumpy, after he first shunned Beijing over human rights concerns and then - under pressure from Canadian firms - sought to boost business. — Reuters

Putin heads for UN showdown with US rival Obama over Syria Moscow dispatches troops, aircraft to war-torn country

NEW ORLEANS: Former President Bill Clinton speaks in New Orleans. Bill Clinton is “ready to get out there” and campaign. With his wife facing an increasingly tough primary battle, the big dog is gearing up to get into the fight. — AP

Hillary’s 2016 campaign set to get a boost from Bill NEW YORK: After largely staying in the background this summer as Hillary Rodham Clinton kicked off her second campaign for president, former President Bill Clinton is ready to take on a more active and public role in his wife’s second bid for the White House. Bill Clinton’s move to deepen the political involvement in his wife’s 2016 effort comes as she continues to confront the insurgent campaign of Vermont independent Sen. Bernie Sanders and the chance that Vice President Joe Biden could make a late entry into the race. Friends and former aides say the former president is eager to become a more vocal advocate for her candidacy. “He’s going to be very active,” said Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe, a longtime Clinton confidant. “He always intended to come out and support his wife. He’s now at the point that he’s ready to get out there.” Shortly after today’s close of the annual meeting of the Clinton Global Initiative, the crown jewel of the sprawling charitable network he established after leaving the White House, Bill Clinton is scheduled to embark upon a series of fundraisers and party events across the country. The events will follow a weekend in which he aired a forceful defense of his wife, arguing that she faces the same kind of partisan attacks over her use of a private email account and server while serving as secretary of state that plagued his 1992 campaign and his administration. “This is just something that has been a regular feature of all of our presidential campaigns, except in 2008 for unique reasons,” Bill Clinton said in a Sunday interview with CNN. “We’re seeing history repeat itself. And I actually am amazed that she’s borne up under it as well as she has.” Though he logged thousands of miles to campaign for Democrats in the 2014 midterm elections, Bill Clinton has yet to be a visible part of his wife’s campaign. Though longtime Clinton backers consider the former president one of her strongest advocates, campaign aides worried his presence early on during the campaign could undermine their efforts to reintroduce Hillary Clinton to voters. Good opportunity “People love President Clinton up here. They love Hillary Clinton,” said Mike Vlacich, Clinton’s New Hampshire state director. “There’s going to be good opportunities for him to support her, but the focus has been on Hillary and the people she’s fighting for.” But as Clinton’s position as the front-runner for the nomination continues to erode in preference polling, which still shows her ahead nationally but by not nearly as much as she was at the start of the year, that calculation seems to be shifting. Earlier this month, Bill Clinton filled in for his wife at fundraisers in Chicago after a scheduling conflict led her to cancel. Later this week, he plans to raise money at events in Atlanta and suburban Kansas City before

headlining an annual dinner for the West Virginia Democratic Party. He’ll also woo donors in suburban Detroit later in October. While no large campaign rallies featuring Clinton are in the works, fundraisers across the country are working with his team to firm up dates for other events. Clinton has also indicated that he would be open to raising money for the Democratic Super PAC supporting his wife’s campaign, some donors said. Clinton’s personal aides coordinate his appearances with his wife’s team, according to campaign aides. “He’s the next best person to her to do events and raise primary money,” said Steve Elemendorf, a veteran Democratic strategist who is raising money for Clinton. “I don’t think there’s any mystery about that.” With the highest favorability rating of any living president, Clinton is considered one of his party’s most effective messengers. But as he showed in 2008, with remarks about thenIllinois Sen. Barack Obama that angered black voters in South Carolina, he can also be an undisciplined campaigner. ‘I love my husband’ “I love my husband, and you know, he does get upset when I am attacked,” Hillary Clinton said Sunday in an interview with NBC’s “Meet The Press. “I totally get that.” At the recent events in Chicago, Bill Clinton detailed his wife’s accomplishments from her time as a young legal advocate for children. He warned the crowd that winning the White House is always a grueling process, “no matter who you are” and that electing a Democrat for a third term would be particularly difficult. Before the event, he toured a technology incubator in Chicago, where he was swarmed by selfie-snapping engineers and entrepreneurs. “He’s excited to get out there and do it and make sure he’s letting people know what the best features of Hillary are,” said Clinton fundraiser J.B. Pritzker, who escorted the former president to the events. “He’s deep into it.” Friends and former aides have said Clinton told them that he wanted to focus on his foundation’s work at least until this fall, in part to ensure that the charity he spent more than a decade building remains robust should his wife win the White House and he’s forced to scale back his role. A number of top dignitaries, including Obama, opted to skip the meeting this week, amid increased scrutiny of the foundation’s internal workings and the heated politics of Clinton’s presidential bid. But at the opening event, surrounded by Nobel Prize winners, celebrities and corporate sponsors, Clinton vowed the work of his foundation would continue - with or without its namesake. “Don’t ever confuse the headline from the trendlines or today’s problems for the possibilities of tomorrow’s solutions,” he said. “Ten years from now somebody will be here. I’d like it if I could outlive every man in my family and be one of them, but we’ll see.” — AP

UNITED NATIONS: Russian President Vladimir Putin will square off today with US rival Barack Obama at the United Nations, as the Kremlin leader pushes for a new coalition against the Islamic State. Putin and Obama are due to make competing speeches before the UN General Assembly in New York, and will come face-to-face for their first official meeting in over two years at a time of high tension. In the runup to the key meeting, Putin-isolated by the West over the crisis in Ukraine-has dramatically thrust himself back into the spotlight with a lightning push on the 4.5-year conflict in Syria. Moscow has put Washington on the back foot by dispatching troops and aircraft to the war-torn country and pushing reluctant world leaders to admit its long-standing ally Bashar al-Assad could cling to power. The Kremlin strongman called in an interview ahead of the UN summit for “a common platform for collective action” against Islamic State jihadists that would supercede a US-led coalition and involve Assad’s forces. On the ground, Russia seems to have already started putting the pieces together by agreeing with Iraq, Syria and Iran that their officers will work together in Baghdad to share intelligence on IS. But both Russia and the United States will take part in Syria peace talks in October, along with Egypt, Iran, Saudi Arabia and Turkey, Russian deputy foreign minister Mikhail Bogdanov said, quoted by RIA Novosti. ‘Long way to go’ Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that despite the sharp disagreements, he saw that Moscow and Washington shared a “desire to work together” on Syria after a meeting with his American counterpart John Kerry on Sunday. But the US has expressed deep concern over Russia’s maneuvering in Syria and insists Obama will not let Putin off the hook over Ukraine after he shattered ties with the West by seizing the Crimea peninsula and allegedly fueling a separatist conflict. “We’re just at the beginning of trying to understand what the Russians’ intentions are in Syria, in Iraq, and to try to see if there are mutually beneficial ways forward here,” a senior State Department official said. “We’ve got a long way to go in that conversation.” Washington has demanded that Syrian strong-

NEW YORK: Russian President Vladimir Putin addresses the United Nations General Assembly at UN headquarters yesterday in New York City. The ongoing war in Syria and the refugee crisis it has spawned are playing a backdrop to this years 70th annual General Assembly meeting of global leaders. — AFP man Bashar al-Assad step down, but Putin’s rival alliance with Shiite-led states will instead shore up the beleaguered government in Damascus. Western powers say Assad’s military is responsible for the vast majority of the 240,000 deaths in the war. But with their response to IS in disarray, they have let the Syrian president’s backers present him as the only option. “I think today everyone has accepted that President Assad must remain so that we can combat the terrorists,” Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, another key ally of Assad, told CNN on Sunday. Subplots While the duel between Putin and Obama looks set to hog the limelight, there are a string of other eye-catching subplots on what will be a frantic day of diplomacy in New York. Rouhani will take to the podi-

um for the first time since Tehran edged in from the cold with the signing of a key deal with world powers over its nuclear program in July that will see sanctions eased. In an olive branch to his US hosts ahead of the address, Rouhani said that Iran was ready to free three Americans from its prisons in a prisoner swap for its citizens held over sanction violations. France’s Francois Hollande will also address world leaders a day after his fighter jets carried out their first strikes against IS jihadists in Syria. In his first UN address, China’s Xi Jinping will talk after a tour of the US that saw Washington and Beijing struggle to shake off mutual suspicions by trying to curb fears of cyber spying. UN member states will for the first time hear Cuban President Raul Castro and Nigerian leader Muhammadu Buhari, who won elections in March with a vow to defeat Boko Haram Islamists. — AFP

Study projects Asians to become largest US immigrant group WASHINGTON: In a major shift in immigration patterns over the next 50 years, Asians will have surged past Hispanics to become the largest group of immigrants heading to the United States, according to estimates in a new immigration study. The study looks in detail at what will happen by 2065, but the actual tipping point comes in 2055. An increase in Asian and Hispanic immigration also will drive US population growth, with foreign-born residents expected to make up 18 percent of the country’s projected 441 million people in 50 years, the Pew Research Center said in a report being released Monday. This will be a record, higher than the nearly 15 percent during the late 19th century and early 20th century wave of immigration from Europe. Today, immigrants make up 14 percent of the population, an increase from 5 percent in 1965. The actual change is expected to come in 2055, when Asians will become the largest immigrant group at 36 percent, compared with Hispanics at 34 percent. White immigrants to America, 80 percent back in 1965, will hover somewhere between 18 and 20 percent, with black immigrants in the 8 percent to 9 percent range, the study said. Currently, 47 percent of immigrants living in the United States are Hispanic, but by 2065 that number will have dropped to 31 percent. Asians currently make up 26 percent of the immigrant population but in 50 years that percentage is expected to increase to 38 percent. Pew researchers analyzed a combination of Census Bureau information and its own data to develop its projections. Part of the reason for the shift is that the fertility rate of women in Latin America and especially Mexico has decreased, said Mark Hugo Lopez, Pew’s director of Hispanic

NEW YORK: In this Dec 18, 2013 file photo, immigrants hold miniature US flags as they listen to a video broadcast from President Barack Obama during a naturalization ceremony attended by Mayor Michael Bloomberg in New York. In a major shift in immigration patterns over the next 50 years, Asians will have surged past Hispanics to become the largest group of immigrants heading to the United States, according to estimates in a new immigration study released yesterday. — AP “At the same time we’ve seen a growing numresearch. In Mexico, Lopez said, women are now having around two children, when back in the ber of immigrants particularly from China or India 1960s and 1970s, they were having about seven who are coming for reasons such as pursuing a college degree or coming here to work temporarily in children per woman. “There are relatively fewer people who would the high-tech sector.” Despite the increase in Asian choose to migrate from Mexico so demographic immigrants, Hispanics will still make up a larger changes in Mexico have led to a somewhat smaller number actually living inside the United States, Lopez said. —AP pool of potential migrants,” he said.

Pope: Bishops who covered up for abuse guilty of wrongdoing ABOARD THE PAPAL PLANE: Pope Francis has defended his words of consolation to US bishops over the priest sex abuse scandal but says - for the first time - that those who covered up for abusers are guilty of wrongdoing. In a wide-ranging press conference en route to Rome from his first-ever visit to the United States, Francis also declared conscience objection a “human right,” explained his love affair with American nuns and discussed his own star-power, which was fully on display during his six-day, three-city tour. He also invented a new Italian word to describe the exuberant reception he received in New York City: “stralimitata” - roughly, “beyond all limits.” On his last day in the US, Francis on Sunday met with five survivors of sexual abuse and issued a warning to bishops that they would be held accountable if they failed to protect their flocks. “Those who covered this up are guilty,” he said. “There are even some bishops who covered this up. It’s something horrible.” While the Vatican

has cracked down on priests who rape and molest children in recent years, it has long been accused of turning a blind eye to the bishops who moved abusers around rather than report them to police. Francis has agreed to create a tribunal in the Vatican to prosecute these bishops for abuse of office and has accepted the resignations of three U.S. bishops who mishandled abuse cases. Francis defended his words of consolation to US bishops in Washington earlier in the week, saying he wanted to acknowledge that they had suffered too. Advocates for victims had denounced his praise as tone-deaf. Words of comfort “The words of comfort weren’t to say ‘Don’t worry, it’s nothing.’ No, no, no. It was that ‘It was so awful, and I imagine that you have wept so much,’” he said. On Sunday, Francis directed his attention to the victims of abuse themselves, meeting with five survivors, including people who had been molested not only by priests but

also abused by family members or educators. He apologized to them that often their accusations weren’t taken seriously and promised to hold bishops accountable. Francis said he understands how a victim or a relative of a victim could refuse to forgive the priest who abused. “I pray for them, and I don’t judge them,” Francis said. He recalled that in his previous meeting with survivors of sex abuse, in July 2014, one told him that her mother had lost her faith and died an atheist after learning that a priest had violated her child. “I understand this woman. I understand, and God who is better than me understands,” Francis said. “And I am sure that God received this woman. Because what was groped and destroyed was her flesh, the flesh of her daughter. I understand. I cannot judge someone who cannot forgive.” In another issue pressing on the American church, Francis was asked about the case of Kim Davis, the Kentucky county clerk jailed for several days after she refused to issue marriage licenses to gay couples despite the Supreme Court’s ruling making

same-sex marriage legal nationwide. Davis said such marriages violate her Apostolic Christian faith. Francis said he didn’t know the case in detail, but he upheld conscience objection as a human right. “It is a right. And if a person does not allow others to be a conscientious objector, he denies a right,” Francis said. Warm welcome Francis said he was surprised by the warmth of the welcome he received in the US despite criticism from conservatives over his environmental and economic messages. “In Washington, it was a warm welcome, but a bit more formal,” Francis said. “In New York, a bit ‘beyond all limits.’” “In Philadelphia, very expressive. Different ways, but the same welcome.” He said he was also impressed by the piety of Americans and gave thanks there were no incidents during the trip. “No provocations, no challenges,” he said. “They were all well-behaved, normal. No insults, nothing bad.” Conservative American commentators

had been deeply critical of Francis’ priorities prior to the trip, blasting his eco-focus as flawed and even criticizing his decision to streamline the church’s annulment process by saying it amounted to a “Catholic divorce.” Francis denied the change would facilitate divorce, saying it merely simplified the church’s process for determining if a marriage was valid. Francis once again pronounced his love for American nuns, saying they had worked “marvels” in education and health care in the United States and were simply “great.” “The people of the United States love their sisters,” Francis said. “I don’t know how much they love their priests, but they love their nuns. And they are great. They are great, great women.” His praise was noteworthy, given the Vatican under his predecessor had launched a crackdown on the largest umbrella group of US sisters, accusing them of straying from orthodoxy and not emphasizing doctrine enough. Under Francis, the takeover ended two years early without any major changes. —AP

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2015

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German president warns of limits to number of refugees BERLIN: Germany’s president has warned that there are limits to how many refugees his country can absorb as it prepares for as many as 800,000 arrivals this year, showing growing concern even at the highest level over how to look after so many newcomers. “We want to help. We have a big heart. However, there is a limit to what we can do,” President Joachim Gauck, a former rights activist in communist East Germany, said in a speech on Sunday evening. “Our ability to take in people is limited, although we don’t know yet where those limits are,” he added. The comments from the head of state, who has a largely ceremonial role but whose words carry moral authority, appeared to be striking a more cautious tone than Chancellor Angela Merkel who has said Germany can cope with the record influx. The government declined to respond directly to Gauck’s comments, reflecting political convention, but defended its handling of the situation. “The German government and the chancellor are convinced that protection has to be given to those who need it, whether they are persecuted for political reasons or fleeing war,” said government spokesman Steffen Seibert. The debate came amid signs of growing ten-

sion among asylum seekers, part of a wave of mass migration into the European Union from the Middle East and parts of Africa. Fourteen people were injured on Sunday when a brawl broke out between two rival groups in a refugee centre in the western German town of Calden, police said. The refugees were being housed in tents set up on a disused airfield. A union representing German police officers has suggested that refugees should be divided according to their religion to try to reduce the risk of conflict. Germany has reintroduced border controls with EU neighbours to try to regulate the flow of people after initially throwing open its doors to refugees from Syria. The central government also agreed last week to give its 16 regional states around 4 billion euros ($4.5 billion) next year to help cover the cost of looking after refugees. “The German government stands by its decision to now introduce signs of order into the process for the arrival and the admission of refugees,” Seibert added. Merkel’s popularity has dropped sharply over her handling of the refugee crisis, two polls showed at the weekend, indicating a shift in the mood in the Europe Union’s most populous country. —Reuters

BERLIN: Migrants wait in lines for their registration in the Berlin reception center LaGeSo yesterday in Berlin. —AP

German court jails two Rwandan rebel leaders

Catalan vote deepens political standoff Spain: Tough talks loom for pro-secession parties BARCELONA: Separatists in Catalonia vowed yesterday to push on for independence from Spain after winning control of their regional parliament, but the Spanish government promised to keep the country united. Raul Romeva, the lead candidate in the main pro-indepen-

Rajoy said he would not discuss the “end of unity of Spain”. “I am ready to listen and to talk, but not in any way to liquidate the law,” Rajoy said. Catalan nationalist leaders framed Sunday’s election in the wealthy northeast region as a proxy vote on secession after Rajoy refused to allow them to hold an

liament in Sunday’s polls, but they won fewer than half the votes overall-just under 48 percent. Tough talks ahead The separatist alliance led by Artur Mas now faces tough negotiations to strike an accord with CUP, an anti-capitalist citizens’

BARCELONA: Catalonia’s regional government president and leader of the Catalan Democratic Convergence (CDC) Artur Mas (R), leader of the Catalan coalition ‘Junts pel Si’ (Together for the Yes) Raul Romeva (C) and leflist republican party Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya (ERC) Oriol Junqueras (L) talk before the press conference after the results of the regional election in Barcelona yesterday. —AFP dence list, told repor ters his Together For Yes alliance along with the radical left-wing group CUP “have a majority which totally legitimises initialising the process” towards declaring independence. He warned that a declaration of independence was inevitable. “If the state shows no will to negotiate, we will do it anyway, because we have a mandate,” Romeva had told AFP earlier. But in Madrid, Prime Minister Mariano

official independence referendum like the one in Scotland in 2014. Rajoy argues a referendum would violate the Spanish constitution. His conservative government is seeking to cement the recovery of the eurozone’s fourthbiggest economy from an economic crisis. Groups that want to break Spain’s richest region away as a new state in Europe won a combined 72 seats in the 135-seat par-

group that does not want Mas to lead the separatist movement. CUP said yesterday it was launching meetings with various groups in the new parliament to negotiate a deal. All the CUP’s decisions will be made in its grassroots citizens “assemblies”, not by the winning candidates alone. CUP said it would insist on urgent social aid measures for the poor and that the coalition select a leader other than Mas, who is

widely despised on the left. “ We are going to appoint someone who has nothing to do with spending cuts, privatisations and corruption,” said CUP’s number two candidate Anna Gabriel Sabate. Rival politicians and newspapers were divided over whether the results added up to a victory for the separatists or not. Together for Yes and CUP insisted the vote gave them a mandate for independence. But Rajoy said their failure to get more than 50 percent of the vote together shows “they don’t have the support of the majority of people.” Political jockeying Obser vers agree the vote leaves Spain in a complicated situation as it prepares for December’s general elections. “ There is quite considerable confusion,” political scientist Pablo Simon told AFP. “ They have used a regional election for a question that should be resolved in a referendum,” he said. “The mandate is a bit lame from the start.” Other parties jostling to oust the ruling Popular Party (PP) in December’s election staked out their positions, saying the Catalan result supported their calls for political reform. The main opposition Socialists denounced what their leader Pedro Sanchez called the “intransigence” of the PP against the separatists’ demands. Spain’s left-wing protest party Podemos too cast the vote as a defeat for the PP, criticising its combative approach to the region. Albert Rivera, the leader of the rising centrist party Ciudadanos, said yesterday: “Today begins a programme of reform for Spain.” Analyst Pablo Simon said the result “sends a very strong signal to Madrid, telling them they have to put something on the table. Otherwise the situation is going to fester.” —AFP

STUTTGART: A German court yesterday sentenced two Rwandan rebel leaders to long jail terms for masterminding massacres in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo from their homes in Germany, capping a trial hailed by the UN as a breakthrough. Ignace Murwanashyaka, head of the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), received 13 years in prison, while his deputy Straton Musoni was given eight years, judge Juergen Hettich told the court after a trial that lasted more than four years. “This is not a political trial, but a criminal trial of significant scale,” the judge said. The verdict fell short of prosecutors’ demands that Murwanashyaka be jailed for life with no conditional release after 15 years as is usual practice under Germany’s legal system, and that Musoni serve 12 years. But it was quickly welcomed by Congolese authorities, who also called for others

responsible for the violence plaguing the east to be brought to justice. The two Rwandans, who have lived in Germany for more than 20 years, were accused of a litany of war crimes committed by militias under their command between January 2008 and their arrest in Germany in November 2009. At the opening of the case, federal prosecutor Christian Ritscher said Murwanashyaka ordered more than 200 killings and “large numbers” of rapes by his militias, had them use civilians as human shields and sent child soldiers into battle in eastern DR Congo. The two men were initially accused of 26 counts of crimes against humanity and 39 counts of war crimes. But over time, that was whittled down to charges related specifically to the killings, as the court decided not to further aggravate the vulnerability of traumatised rape victims or child soldiers by making them appear before the hearing. —AFP

Three killed by UN troops in tense C African capital BANGUI: Three protesters were killed in the tense capital of the Central African Republic yesterday when UN peacekeepers opened fire on a crowd amid a resurgence of deadly violence in the country. Three died and seven were injured by gunfire, a hospital source said, as a crowd of several hundred headed for the presidency to demand the resignation of interim leader Catherine Samba Panza after the deaths of at least 20 people in Bangui at the weekend. She is currently in New York attending the UN General Assembly. After the break-up of the protest, shooting broke out elsewhere in the city where a teenager too was killed after being hit by “a stray bullet,” added the hospital source, who spoke on condition of anonymity. Bangui woke up to tension after a dusk-to-dawn curfew, with barricades thrown up across the heart of the city and French and UN peacekeepers on watch at key points after weekend trouble triggered by the killing of a motorcycle-taxi driver. Few vehicles ventured out onto the roads and most shops remained shuttered throughout the day amid fears of a new episode of the Muslim-Christian violence that has riven the country. “The (military) gendarmerie, the defence ministry and state radio all came under attack during the night by armed individuals,” said a Central African army source who asked to remain anonymous. “The attacks were repulsed, causing some fatalities amid the assailants,” added the source, without providing further details. Protesters erected barricades in several parts of the city on Sunday, which were destroyed by police but subsequently re-built. The trouble in the already restive impoverished nation led Prime

Minister Mahamat Kamoun to slap a curfew on the city. Medical sources have said that in addition to the more than 20 dead, around 100 people were wounded in violence on Saturday sparked by the murder of a motorcycle-taxi driver in central Bangui’s Muslim-majority PK-5 neighbourhood. After the death of the driver, whose throat was allegedly slit, clashes and looting spread to nearby districts. The PK-5 area was the epicentre of unprecedented killings between Christians and Muslims in the city in late 2013 and early 2014 that raised the spectre of a wholesale bloodbath. It remains the last bastion for Muslims who were hounded from other districts by Christian Seleka fighters. French soldiers and UN peacekeepers remain in the former French colony where thousands of people died in the violence and hundreds of thousands remain displaced from their homes. The chronically unstable country descended into bloodshed after a 2013 coup by mainly Muslim Seleka rebels ousted longtime leader Francois Bozize. His ouster triggered the worst crisis since independence in 1960, and the country since has remained prey to violence between Seleka fighter and Christian militias known as the “anti-balaka”, or anti-machete. Although unrest has abated considerably, armed groups still operate in some parts of the country. Presidential and legislative elections are due to be held by the end of the year, but they have already been pushed back several times as the country continues to grapple with the crisis. Pope Francis is due to travel to Bangui on November 29 and 30, the last stop on an African tour. —AFP

Hope, fear, waiting at French migrant camps run by smugglers TETEGHEM: A Mercedes and a BMW, both with British license plates, sit in a forest clearing on the edge of a small migrant camp in northern France. Everyone here speaks in whispers, or not at all. Bullet holes pock two shipping containers sheltering migrants, all trying to get to England, helping to explain the silence. People smugglers who get rich off desperate migrants span the globe, and their tentacles extend into nooks and crannies like Teteghem, a small town outside Dunkirk. Here the smuggling kingpins are firmly in control, and growing nasty. “Don’t come see me in the camp,” said a typically cautious Iranian migrant in the parking lot of a local grocery store, where talking is easier. “Problems,” he added, putting his finger to his head. “Bang!” An Iraqi migrant was wounded by gunfire in mid-August, caught in the crossfire of score-settling among smugglers, said Teteghem Mayor Franck Dhersin. This month, police chased a Mercedes driven by a suspected smuggler into a ditch at the camp entrance, the shattered glass and skid marks visible a week later. An 18year-old Syrian displayed his bandaged right leg and a hospital report stating that “metallic” objects were removed - police bullets according to migrants, metal from bullet-punctured containers hit by smugglers, says the mayor. Few French know of the town of Teteghem, but some migrants first heard

the name in a phone call before ever leaving their homeland. It is described by Mayor Dhersin and others as a drop-off point for a band of people smugglers taking in Syrians, Iraqis and Iranians; ultimately, officials believe, the gang is locked into a Britain-based network that may stretch to Kurdish regions of the Middle East. The migrants are among thousands of desperate travelers who pass through northern France trying to sneak onto trucks, ferries or freight trains to Britain, where they hope to find a better life. Robert Crepinko, head of the Organized Crime Network at Europol, the European Union’s law enforcement agency, estimates there are roughly 30,000 suspected people smugglers operating in the 28nation EU, with most living within the bloc. Some smugglers even advertise their services on social networks like Facebook, he said. New business opportunities Crepinko says the current influx of migrants has opened new business opportunities in the organized crime world. “Criminals who would normally deal with drugs or would normally deal with money laundering ... with other forms of crime, are using this opportunity and are making criminal profits out of the migrant crisis,” he told The Associated Press in a telephone interview. He refused to estimate the monetary gains of the people smuggling market, say-

ing only it is “very lucrative.” Crepinko makes a distinction between human traffickers - in which there is always a victim, be it sexual exploitation, forced labor or forced marriage - and people smugglers who provide services for people who want to go from Point A to Point B. At the small Teteghem camp, migrants are stuck in a murky limbo short of their goal. The camp, with a spigot of running water, public toilets and eight bright green shipping containers with electricity to shelter migrants, is high-end compared to others in France, such as the huge, squalid migrant ghetto in nearby Calais. Smugglers haunt all the camps of northern France, but they reign in tiny Teteghem; many of the migrants owe their foothold in Europe to the gangs, sucking the newcomers into an orbit of intimidation. Interviews with the mayor, Dunkirk’s top state official, police and migrants provide a picture of a camp in the grip of smugglers that local police cannot defeat. Sitting on an artificial lake, the Teteghem camp is a nearperfect smugglers’ haven, strategically located just off a highway that leads east to Belgium and west to the Eurotunnel site outside Calais, a magnet for migrants trying to cross the Channel. Its population has recently swelled with the refugee crisis that has brought nearly a half-million migrants into Europe so far this year, going from 80 to 374 at the latest count. The rise also reflects the backlog in all camps due to a security crack-

down at the Calais border. Small tents now dot the Teteghem site. The camp’s relatively comfortable amenities were installed 15 months ago, paid for with public funds under the mayor’s orders. Today, Dhersin deplores the consequences of what he bitterly calls his five-star camp, saying improvements mean smugglers have become the decision-makers. They place migrants with more means in the camp, decide who lives in containers instead of tents - and charge migrants to stay. “I’m enriching the smugglers,” he said. War on smugglers Police are now regularly seizing smugglers’ cars in the camp, like the two with British plates seen hidden in the forest. “It’s my way, as mayor, to make war on the smugglers,” Dhersin said. The cars, with steering wheel on the right side, indicating a British make, are mainly used to transport their charges to truck stops or ports, like Zeebrugge in Belgium, according to the mayor and a ranking French border police official. Cars can be specially hired in Britain for the risky job of picking up migrants and hiding them in the trunk, said the official. He spoke on condition he not be named because he was not authorized to speak publicly. The police official said that in one instance smugglers sneaked 150 people to Britain for 4,000 euros per person. He would not elaborate on the case. “It’s like a gang,”

but the people keep changing, said an Iraqi migrant, wearing a woolen cap with ear flaps against the chilly night. And, he said, you never know who the people transporting you are. “Someone takes you from Paris to here, another one will take you from here to the U.K. ... They have masks on their face,” said the Iraqi, who, like other migrants in the camp, refused to be named out of fear of the smugglers. He said he was never sure where he was during his 20-day journey from Iraq to Teteghem, a trip he said cost $15,000, with a promise to cover the last leg to Britain. By all accounts, the Teteghem camp is controlled by Kurds. Many migrants in the camp are from the same Kurdish towns or regions: Sardasht in Iran, or Hasaka in Syria or Kirkuk in Iraq; the last two have been besieged by the Islamic State group. Kurds rule Migrants and an aid worker in the camp in nearby Grande-Synthe say Kurds rule there, too, with weapons and terror. “I’ve seen more than 20 guns at this camp,” said a 29-year-old Iranian man at the GrandeSynthe camp. He said he fled Iran because he was hounded by police after converting to Christianity. The border police official, who has spent years tracking smugglers, confirmed that smugglers are often armed and that Kurds are the main presence in Dunkirk. He said they often come in at night to “establish order, resolve problems.” —AP

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2015

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Man in Thailand hacks five children to death BANGKOK: A man with a history of mental illness hacked five young children to death and stabbed a pregnant woman in a knife rampage in northern Thailand, police said yesterday. The mass murder took place on Sunday afternoon in a village in Chai Prakarn district of Chiang Mai province. “Five boys were killed by a mentally ill man using a chopping knife,” Police Lieutenant Colonel Sombut Kalasuk from Chai Prakarn police told AFP. “The wounds were to their necks and heads-they

were aged from five months to eight years old,” he added. Pictures widely shared on social media showed a scene of carnage, with the blood-soaked corpses of the children littering the house. At least one of the children was related to the pregnant woman, who was taken to hospital suffering from stab wounds but survived the ordeal. Three of the bodies were found inside the house while another was found dead next to a nearby fence.

The fifth child died in hospital, police added. Sombat did not say what caused the unidentified man to turn violent. But he said he had previously been treated in hospital for an undisclosed mental health problem. He has since been arrested and taken to hospital. A doctor at Suanprung Hospital in Chiang Mai confirmed that the man had recently been released after receiving treatment. “He had been treated here for two weeks before he went home

because he felt better,” said Paritat Silpakit, the hospital director. Thailand provides universal healthcare but access can be patchy-particularly in rural and remote areas-while the quality of mental health services still leaves much to be desired. “Inconsistency of medication and the distance from patients’ houses to hospitals is still a challenge”, Panpimol Wipulakorn, deputy general director of the Department of Mental Health, Ministry of Public Health, told said. — AFP

Anti-India protests erupt in Nepal as fuel rationing bites KATHMANDU: Nepal’s cable federation said it would suspend Indian television channels and protesters marched in Kathmandu carrying an effigy of India’s prime minister yesterday, accusing their neighbour of imposing an economic blockade and meddling in internal politics. Tension between the South Asian nations has spiked since Nepal adopted a new constitution last week, upsetting southern minority groups who fear being marginalised in a new federal structure. More than 40 people have been killed in protests in the Himalayan republic since August. Indian oil trucks stopped crossing into Nepal because of protests in the south, prompting authorities to try to limit the use of cars and save fuel. Nepal is almost totally dependent on India for overland supplies following earthquakes in the spring that killed nearly 9,000 people and blocked crossings from China. India has been critical of Kathmandu for rushing through the constitution, despite opposition from minorities living close to the Indian border. Yesterday, a few trucks carrying fuel, vegetables and building materials started to cross the border into Nepal but hundreds more were waiting on the Indian side, a customs official in Nepal said. TV channels off air The Federation of Nepal Cable Television planned to suspend broadcasting of Indian channels in Nepal from 10 a.m. on Tuesday, Sunil Kumar Lama, the organization’s general secretary, said on Monday. “This is to protest against the blockade,” Lama said. He declined to say how long the suspension would last. Earlier in the day, protesters in central Kathmandu carried an

effigy of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and shouted: “Down with Indian expansionism! Down with Modi!” before police scattered them and confiscated the effigy. “We are asking India ‘Please, please open up the border and stop interfering in Nepal’s internal issues’,” said nursing student Amrita Baral, who was among 130 protesters in a second march headed for the Indian Embassy in Kathmandu. A representative of India’s Ministry of External Affairs declined to comment on the new protests. Nepal’s largest trading partner, India strongly denies a trade blockade, saying its trucks have been hampered from entering Nepal firstly due to security concerns and later because protesters were blocking the roads. A Foreign Ministry spokeswoman said Nepal had asked China to hasten the reopening of the two border crossings closed since the earthquakes struck. Nepal started rationing fuel for vehicles on Sunday, said Nepal Oil Corp spokesman Deepak Baral, after trade ground to a halt at crossing points on the India-Nepal border. Hundreds of trucks carrying food and fuel lined up on the Indian side, while opposition protesters on the Nepal side sat on the road to block their path. Some trucks started to move across the Sunauli-Bhairahawa border crossing yesterday, a customs official in Nepal said, but more than 1,000 trucks were still waiting in India. “(Indian customs officials) are telling me, ‘We’re giving permission, there’s no problem,’ but we are still seeing a huge decrease in the number of trucks passing through,” said Lawanya Kumar Dhakal, Bhairahawa’s chief customs official. — Reuters

KATHMANDU: Students affiliated with various students group shout slogans against India near the Indian Embassy during a protest against the blockade of cargo trucks along the border with India in Kathmandu, Nepal, yesterday. — AP

PESHAWAR: A Pakistani man, center left, is greeted by relatives on his arrival from Saudi Arabia after performing the Muslim hajjj pilgrimage, yesterday in Peshawar, Pakistan. Pakistan’s minister for religious affairs says authorities have tracked down 217 Pakistanis who went missing following last week’s stampede that killed more than 700 pilgrims during the hajjj in Saudi Arabia. — AP

Sons of hajj victims desperate to know how parents perished India names mother, father as among stampede victims JARGAL: Firojsha Aiyubsha and his two brothers only found out that their parents had died in last week’s stampede during the hajj in Saudi Arabia when a boy from their village deep in western India spotted the names on the Internet. Now the siblings, all policemen, are desperately seeking information from tour operators, government helplines and their parents’ cell phones about events leading to the tragedy on what was to have been the journey of a lifetime. “All we have is the death notice on the internet. Nobody has told us anything, nobody has seen their bodies,” said Firojsha, the youngest brother who lived with his parents in their crumbling home in Jargal, in Gujarat state. “Someone must have seen them, even if they fell. Someone must have dug them out.” Gujarat is home to 11 of the 45 Indians known to have perished in the worst disaster to befall the Islamic pilgrimage for 25 years. At least 769 people died in a crush of pilgrims near Makkah when two large groups converged at a crossroads. India sends one of the largest contingents of pilgrims each year to the hajj; its Muslim population is the world’s third biggest, and Saudi Arabia offers each country one spot per 1,000 Muslims. The passport details of Bafaisha and Jubedabibi Aiyubsha, aged 65 and 62 respectively, were posted online by the Indian government and are accurate, but their sons want to know more before performing rituals and prayers for the dead.

Bafaisha, a retired government clerk from India’s Muslim minority of 180 million, was more keen than his wife to go on the pilgrimage, saying he wanted to carry out the sacred journey while still healthy. Jubedabibi, a diabetes patient, had kept her sugar levels low by walking 5 kms a day in the months leading up to the hajj. The couple emptied their savings accounts, paying 570,000 Indian rupees ($8,600) to a tour operator that was more expensive than the government-run scheme but promised better services. They hosted meals for villagers in celebration of their journey, bought a suitcase to pack four sets of clothes and finally, at Ahmedabad airport, purchased the shroudlike white garments pilgrims wear just before they left. “They were the only ones from our village who were going, but we were confident they would be fine. They were going to God’s house,” said Firojsha. DESPERATE FOR NEWS He and his brothers blame the tour operator who arranged their parents’ trip, Madni Tours and Travels, for failing to provide enough information about the circumstances of the couple’s deaths. Calls made by Reuters to Madni Tours and Travels on a number provided by the family went unanswered. The one time the agent who accompanied them answered his telephone, he said he had seen 500 bodies, but not those of their parents, said Miskinsha, the eldest brother.

Maldives president escapes boat blast, wife injured MALE: An explosion ripped through a speed boat carrying Maldives President Abdulla Yameen yesterday, injuring his wife and two others but leaving him unhurt. It remains unclear what caused the explosion, which came at a time of heightened political tensions in the atoll nation after the controversial jailing of Yameen’s predecessor Mohamed Nasheed. Unconfirmed reports suggested the blast, which occurred as the tightly-guarded vessel docked in the capital island Male, came from the engine room below deck. “The first lady Fathimath Ibrahim, a senior protocol officer and a bodyguard of the president were hurt and taken to hospital,” said Mohamed Hussain Shareef, minister at the President’s Office. “ The president was unhurt and he escorted the first lady to hospital where she is under observation following a minor injury,” he told AFP. The Maldives has launched an investigation into the incident and is seeking help from the United States and Australia to determine what happened. Reporters had gathered at the presidential jetty to receive Yameen, who had landed a few minutes earlier at the nearby Hulhule airport after a visit to Saudi Arabia for the hajjj pilgrimage. State television footage showed the

president being escorted off the boat and onto a police launch, while witnesses said they saw an ambulance rush to the jetty and authorities immediately cordoned off the area. The Maldives is a popular upmarket tourist destination, but its image has suffered in recent years due to prolonged political unrest. The country has come in for tough international criticism over the jailing of Nasheed for 13 years after conducting a rushed trial that the UN said was seriously flawed. The charge against Nasheed relates to the ordering of the arrest of an allegedly corrupt judge when he was still president in 2012. His 13-year jail sentence was commuted to house arrest in July, but last month police took him back to prison in a surprise move that drew fresh criticism. Nasheed’s international lawyer Amal Clooney has warned she will press for sanctions against the Maldives unless he is released. That comment triggered a row with another high-profile London lawyer Cherie Booth, who is representing the government, and who said the sanctions call was “unjustified” and a threat to the economic stability of the honeymoon islands. — AFP

On another occasion, someone answered their father’s mobile, but he was speaking in Arabic and they could not understand a word. By the time the brothers got hold of the local imam, who speaks some Arabic, the phone was dead. “I am a policeman, I deal with these things regularly. You need to give proper information to the family members in case of a tragedy,” Miskinsha said. “We want a picture of our parents. They must have taken a video, anything, if they have been buried. We want to see their faces. We have to carry out prayers here according to our custom; how can we do it if nobody has seen their bodies?” Saudi Arabia does not send the bodies of pilgrims who die during the hajj back to their home countries, burying them in unmarked graves. The government-supported Hajj Committee of India, which sends the most pilgrims each year, said it was making arrangements for the victims’ next-of-kin to travel to Saudi Arabia to offer final prayers. “We are talking to the Saudi authorities to allow the family members to travel as far as possible,” said K. Zahir Hussain, deputy chief executive officer of the Hajj Committee based in Mumbai. While no one in the village openly criticised Saudi Arabia, Miskinsha questioned whether the hajj might be organised differently in future. “Shouldn’t they be restricting the numbers of pilgrims in the light of what has happened?” he said. “They should host only as many people as they can handle.” — Reuters

Involve Afghan women in talks with Taleban: HRW

MALE: Unidentified injured people are evacuated after a blast on the Maldives President Yameen Abdul Gayoom speedboat in Male, Maldives yesterday. Gayoom’s wife Fathimath Ibrahim and several officials suffered minor injuries. The country’s international airport is on a separate island and a short boat trip is needed to reach the capital island. — AP

NEW DELHI: Afghanistan must ensure women have a say in negotiations between the government and the Taleban and other insurgent groups, Human Rights Watch said yesterday, warning that gains made on women’s rights could slide if they are not given a seat at the table. Fledging peace talks between insurgents and the Afghan government have been on hold following news leaked in July that the Taleban’s reclusive founder, Mullah Omar, had been dead for more than two years. The New York-based Human Rights Watch (HRW) said this was an opportunity for authorities in Kabul to honour commitments made to include women in the process when the peace talks resumed. “Afghan President Ashraf Ghani promised to include women in negotiations with the Taleban at the ‘right time,’” Sarah Taylor, HRW’s women, peace, and security campaigner said in a statement. “But for full and meaningful participation, every stage of the process is the ‘right time’ to involve women.” Fourteen years after the Taleban was toppled by a US-led military intervention, Afghanistan remains deeply conservative and many fear women’s rights will be rolled back after the withdrawal of the most foreign troops last year. Afghan women are still exchanged to settle disputes amongst families and suffer high levels of violence. Laws designed to protect them are under threat, and parliamentary quotas have been reduced. — Reuters

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China village defenceless against North Korean intruders NANPING: A three-metre barbed wire fence and the winding Tumen River are all that separate Nanping in China from North Korea, and after a spate of murders - allegedly by frontier-crossing intruders - frightened villagers are increasingly keen to leave, fearing neither the water nor the barrier are enough to protect them. Over the past year at least 10 people have been killed by North Koreans-mostly soldiersattempting robberies in the area, according to Chinese officials and state-controlled media reports. Food security is a perennial issue in North Korea, raising the spectre of individuals driven by desperation to attack their wealthier neighbours in China. Officially Nanping’s population is more

than 6,000, but in reality it is becoming a ghost town. Most houses and buildings have been abandoned for years, many with broken windows and overgrown gardens. Its people are ethnic Koreans and the younger generation’s multilingual abilities give them far better employment opportunities with South Korean firms elsewhere. All have left, leaving only the elderly and a small Chinese military contingent, along with local Communist Party secretary Wu Shigen, who is in his 30s and said he was by far the youngest person in the village. He has a two-pronged plan for keeping the peace: a voluntary curfew and an information blackout. “I tell all the residents not to go out at night, and to pay attention to their safe-

ty,” Wu said-although most of those killed were murdered in their homes. “There are no witnesses for any of these attacks and we don’t tell the residents much,” he added. “The less people know, the less they will be afraid.” Security cameras watch the two streets running parallel to the border and China earlier this year announced civilian-military patrols for the area. However, residents said the militia was never set up, with a shop owner adding some elderly villagers have joined the exodus in recent months, scared away by the violence. Longstanding allies In April, a trio of North Korean soldiers searching for food and money killed three people near Nanping,

according to local authorities and Chinese media. That came after a North Korean soldier was fatally shot in December having murdered two elderly village couples while stealing 100 yuan ($16) and some food, they said. China’s foreign ministry spokesman Hong Lei said after the quadruple killing that it had “lodged representations” with Pyongyang and both sides took the case “very seriously”, adding the North had “expressed its regret that such (an) incident happened”. It was a rare open censure of a longstanding ally. Three months earlier a North Korean civilian was captured after killing a family of three during a robbery, the Beijing News reported, also con-

firmed by officials in the area. Beijing’s willingness to publicise the deaths may reflect frustration with North Korean authorities, analysts say, pointing out there may have been earlier murders that were not disclosed at the time. The two Communist countries have long been partners, their ties forged in fire when Beijing sent more than a million troops to fight for Pyongyang in the Korean War. It remains the North’s main diplomatic protector and aid provider. At the same time it fears instability and nucleararmed North Korea has long oscillated between conciliatory offers and bloodcurdling threats against its enemies, while leader Kim Jong-Un himself has yet to visit Beijing. —AFP

‘Typhoon’ Dujuan batters Taiwan with fierce winds More than 7,000 evacuated in advance TAIPEI: ‘Super typhoon’ Dujuan battered Taiwan with torrential rain and fierce winds yesterday evening as it made landfall on the northeastern tip of the island. The storm hit earlier than expected after pick ing up speed as it approached, with more than 7,000 people evacuated in advance. Authorities said tens of thousands

northern county of Yilan, where some areas have seen more than 500 millimetres (20 inches) of rain in the last 24 hours. Panicked visitors to the island’s east-many of whom had headed there for the Mid-Autumn Festival long weekend-crammed onto trains away from the eastern cities of Hualien and Taitung before services were

storm intensified as it approached Taiwan, with gusts of 227 kilometres (141 miles) per hour. Windspeeds in Taiwan rose from 23 k ph to 38 k ph in the hours before the typhoon hit. Damage threat Dujuan was graded a “strong typhoon”-the top categor y-by

TAIPEI: People struggle with winds from approaching Typhoon Dujuan in the business district of Taipei, Taiwan, yesterday. Typhoon Dujuan picked up strength Sunday as it headed toward Taiwan, prompting warnings of strong winds and torrential rain. —AP of homes were without power in the island’s north. Waves crashed along the east coast and the capital Taipei was swept with wind and rain. There were no immediate repor ts of injury. “It picked up speed in the past few hours, but will slow somewhat after hitting the mountains in the east,” an official from the Central Weather Bureau said. Dujuan made landfall in the

suspended. High-speed rail services in the west were also cancelled. Authorities warned that coastal areas could be particularly dangerous as tides are affected by the current “supermoon”-a rare astrological event in which the moon appears brighter and larger. This is because the moon has reached its closest orbital point to Earth and therefore has a stronger gravitational pull than usual. The

Taiwan’s weather bureau while other regional forecasters, including the Hong Kong Observatory, categorised it as a “super typhoon”. Almost 3,000 people were evacuated Sunday from Taiwan’s Green Island and Orchid Island-popular with visitors. More than 4,000 were moved yesterday ahead of the storm. New Taipei City Mayor Eric Chu said they were from vulnerable

areas, including the hot spring town of Wulai, just outside Taipei. Aboriginal mountain communities are par ticularly at risk during typhoons, often affected by flooding and mudslides. Wulai was hit hard by Typhoon Soudelor in August with some residents unable to return home for weeks. Shops and hotels have remained closed as roads and flood damage are yet to be fully repaired. “To be honest, we all feel very depressed. Any damage may further prolong the time needed for reconstruction,” Chou Chih-kang, a Wulai neighbourhood chief, told AFP. By Monday evening Wulai had already seen 450 mm of rain in 24 hours. The weather bureau warned that the “massive amount or rubble” on mountain slopes and riverbeds since Soudelor could lead to fur ther damage. More than 24,000 troops are on standby for disaster relief and evacuations, with 100 shelters set up. Emergency response centres have been established in the north and east. A concert by US rock band Bon Jovi due to take place in Taipei Monday was cancelled, while 169 international and 59 domestic flights were also pulled. Ferr y services and flights to outlying islands were suspended. Dujuan passed near the Japanese island of Ishigaki as it approached Taiwan. Japan’s meteorological agency has warned it could trigger waves 13 metres (42 feet) high. Around 100 domestic flights were cancelled in Japan, while 3,200 households lost power in Ishigaki and other islands, local media said. The storm is on course to hit mainland China from Tuesday, but is forecast to have weakened by then. Typhoon Soudelor caused at least eight deaths in Taiwan last month and killed 21 people in China. —AFP

Police say local politics could still be behind Bangkok blast BANGKOK: Thai police said yesterday that domestic politics could have been a factor in last month’s deadly Bangkok blast as they revealed one local suspect was linked to previous bombings in the kingdom. Mystery still surrounds the motive for the August 17 attack on a religious shrine in a busy shopping district which killed 20 people, the majority of them ethnic Chinese tourists. Investigators have previously said they believe it was most probably a revenge attack by a peoplesmuggling gang angered at a recent crackdown on their illicit business. Strong speculation has also centred on a link to

militants or supporters of the Uighurs, an ethnic group who say they face severe persecution in China. In July Thailand forcibly deported a group of 109 Uighurs back to China, sparking widespread condemnation. Two foreigners accused of planting the bomb have been arrested and charged. One is a Chinese passport-holder with Uighur ethnicity and the other, according to his lawyer, is a Chinese Uighur who settled in Turkey. Arrest warrants are out for a further 17 others, both Thais and foreigners, some of whom are named. Senior police officers repeated the people-

BANGKOK: Reporters and photographers take photos of a chart of suspect bombers after a press conference in Bangkok, Thailand, yesterday. Police have given their most detailed explanation yet of who they believe was behind last month’s deadly bombing in Bangkok, for the first time publicly linking one of the suspects to previous explosions. Authorities have said they believe the Aug 17 bombing, which killed 20 people and injured more than 120, was carried out by a people smuggling gang seeking revenge for having their operation curbed. —AP

smuggling revenge theory at a press conference yesterday. But they said those with local political grievances might still be involved and could have teamed up with an international people-smuggling gang. “It could be two groups of people who have the same aims to achieve the same thing. One group might have used the other group but they both earned the same benefit,” national police chief Somyot Poompanmoung, who retires on Wednesday, told reporters. It is the first time police have suggested a link to Thailand’s turbulent street politics. Explaining their latest theory in an investigation beset with contradictory and confusing statements, police said one Thai national wanted in connection with the bomb blast was called Yongyuth Phobkaew, also known as “Odd”. Police said he is linked to a motorcycle bomb last year that killed two and a 2010 blast at an apartment complex in Nonthaburi north of Bangkok, in which four people died. At the time police blamed the 2010 blast on the “Red Shirt” movement loyal to ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra. Police believe Odd was also involved in the shrine blast. “Odd was in the team making the bomb,” Sriwara Ransibrahmanakul, head of the Metropolitan Police Bureau, told reporters. “He does not have enough knowledge to make the entire bomb but he provided equipment.” Bangkok has endured a decade of deadly political violence amid a bitter power struggle. On the one side stands the military, backed by the middle class and elite. On the other, the rural and urban poor loyal to Thaksin, toppled in a 2006 coup, and his sister Yingluck who was forced out of office days before the current junta seized power last year. The ongoing political struggle has seen repeated rounds of deadly street protests, including grenade and small pipe bomb attacks. But experts have said neither side had much to gain by launching such a brutal attack. The Red Shirts have denied any involvement in the shrine bomb. —AFP

HONG KONG: Pro-democracy demonstrators and activists gather outside the government headquarters building to mark one year since the start of mass pro-democracy rallies calling for fully free leadership elections in the semi-autonomous city, in Hong Kong yesterday. The 2014 Occupy protests began after China’s central government claimed it was offering a compromise of sorts by allowing a popular vote for the Hong Kong leader in 2017 but insisted candidates were vetted. — AFP

Tensions flare in HK, a year since mass rallies HONG KONG: Tensions flared between Hong Kong protesters and police Monday evening as crowds gathered a year to the day after the start of huge pro-democracy rallies which brought parts of the city to a standstill. All day crowds had numbered just a few hundred, a reflection of the movement’s loss of momentum after failing to push Beijing into allowing fully free leadership elections in the semi-autonomous Chinese city. But as 5:58 pm (09:58 GMT) neared-the exact time a year ago when police fired tear gas at protesters-hundreds more poured in to the roads and walkways near government headquarters in the Admiralty financial district. Instead of a planned moment of silence, protesters opened yellow umbrellas symbol of the pro-democracy movement-while police warned them to back down, saying they would “use force” if they tried to occupy the nearby main road. Hundreds of angry demonstrators shouting “Open the roads!” faced off with tense police for more than an hour at the edge of the main road before the crowds dispersed voluntarily. At the height of the 2014 protests, which lasted for 79 days, tens of thousands regularly gathered to demand political reform in a major challenge to China’s communist rulers. Yet despite the unprecedented rallies which garnered extensive coverage across the world, protesters were unable to force change. Frustrated activists now say they must regroup and come up with new strategies, conceding that changing the minds of Beijing and the Hong Kong government is currently a hopeless task. Protest leaders yesterday encouraged the crowd to fight on. “The authorities will still be against us but that doesn’t mean we will give up,” said student leader Lester Shum. Occupy Central co-founder Benny Tai called 2014 “one of the most important

years in Hong Kong history”. “The Umbrella Movement... was just the beginning for Hongkongers in their quest for democracy,” he said. Lack of progress Some protesters expressed anger at the lack of progress. “We have not achieved universal suffrage,” a woman in her 30s, who gave her name as Lam, told AFP. “Society is not geared to helping Hongkongers.” Others relaxed in the sun and browsed stalls of Umbrella Movement memorabilia. One couple posed for pre-wedding photos, the bride-to-be in a strapless white wedding dress with a construction helmet-often worn during the rallies. Dozens of pro-Beijing supporters also marched in central Hong Kong on Monday afternoon, shouting “Hong Kong people have had enough!” They accuse democracy activists of disrupting daily life. Occupy Central was launched exactly a year ago, calling for fully free leadership elections, following more than a week of student protests. Thousands joined the already large crowds after police fired tear gas in the afternoon of September 28 last year, a move that shocked the public and galvanised the Umbrella Movement-named after the umbrellas used to ward off sun, rain, tear gas and pepper spray. The protests began after China’s central government said it would allow a popular vote for Hong Kong’s leader in 2017. But it insisted candidates must be vetted, in what critics termed “fake democracy”. The electoral package was voted down in June by pro-democracy lawmakers unhappy with the restrictions, leaving the territory with its existing system where the leader is chosen by a pro-Beijing election committee. Hong Kong has been governed under a “one country, two systems” arrangement since it was handed back to China by Britain in 1997.—AFP

Singapore announces new Cabinet structure SINGAPORE: Less than three weeks after a landslide general election win by the ruling party, Singapore announced a new Cabinet structure yesterday in a pitch for leadership renewal, with some senior officeholders taking on wider coordinating roles overseeing younger ministers. Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, who has helmed the city-state’s parliament since 2004, described the changes as “bold,” saying that countries including Britain and Indonesia had made similar moves. “This is a transition team, so it is a bit bigger than usual,” Lee said at a news conference, noting that half of the 20member Cabinet, up from the previous 19 members, is below 55 years of age. In the new Cabinet structure, senior officeholders of three portfolios - home affairs, finance and national development - will drop their previous duties and take on guiding roles. Of the three, the two who have served as deputy prime minister will continue to do so, while the other will take on a new transport portfolio.

Since the Sept. 11 general election, Lee, 63, has said that he is looking for a successor from elected members of parliament, but has not yet given any names. The ruling People’s Action Party won about 70 percent of the vote, up from 60 percent in the previous general election, in 2011. Analysts said the landslide victory could be attributed to factors such as a real effort on the PAP’s part to fix its problems, including accusations that it is out of touch with the electorate. The death in March of Lee Kuan Yew, the party’s founder and Singapore’s first prime minister, may also have swung some votes in the PAP’s favor. “We don’t have time to lose. To that end, I have given heavy responsibilities to the next generation of ministers,” Lee said M onday. “ They will be stretched and tested, they have to improve themselves and gel together as a team. Soon after the end of this term, we must have a new team ready to take over from me.”—AP

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2015

NEWS

As insults fly, Iran-Saudi hajj row aggravates rifts DUBAI: For regional adversaries at loggerheads over the crises in Iraq, Syria and Yemen, the disaster at the hajj is unlikely to be a game changer in the contest between Iran and Saudi Arabia, merely adding venom to their mutual acrimony. But a deepening of already profound mistrust between the conservative Sunni kingdom and the revolutionary Shiite theocracy will make the task of stabilizing the Middle East’s many trouble spots even harder to achieve than it already is. While the Gulf rivals have managed to put aside bad blood after past flare-ups, such moments of detente happened in a much more stable Middle East, years before turmoil in Iraq and Arab Spring uprisings unleashed sectarian hatreds across the region. Today, Iranian and Saudi participation would be crucial in stabilizing Iraq, Syria, Yemen or Lebanon, where the two sides back sectarian proxy forces that are either at daggers drawn or openly at war in conflicts killing thousands each month. Riyadh also accuses Tehran of fomenting trouble in Bahrain and even Saudi Arabia itself. Tehran accuses Riyadh of plotting its destruction with Washington. The animosity worsened in the wake of the deadliest disaster to befall the annual hajj pilgrimage in 25 years. Iran says it lost at least 169 pilgrims when two large groups of pilgrims converged on Thursday at a crossroads in

Mina, a few kilometres east of Makkah, on their way to perform the “stoning of the devil” ritual at Jamarat. Iran demanded an apology. Demonstrators protested in Tehran, chanting “Death to the Saudi dynasty”. Saudis commentators insinuated that Iranian pilgrims themselves were at fault. Invective poured onto social media. “It’s a lie that Satan’s representative, Khamenei, mourns the Mina incident victims,” Saudi prince Khaled Al Saud tweeted, referring to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. “His dirty hands are stained with the blood of the children of Syria and the Sunnis of Iraq,” the prince told his nearly quarter of a million followers. Even before the hajj tragedy, prominent figures in both countries exchanged critical tirades. In May, Khamenei denounced Saudi Arabia for its military campaign in Yemen by comparing the kingdom to the pagans who ruled the Arabian Peninsula before the advent of Islam in the seventh century. At the United Nations, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on Sunday lamented that Riyadh had rebuffed his repeated attempts at reconciliation since his election in 2013. “We are disappointed about the cold relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia,” he said. “The rift between Tehran and Riyadh is not in the interest of either country. Also when Saudis started killing people

in Yemen, Riyadh drifted even further away from Iran and many other Islamic countries,” Rouhani told an audience of US think-tanks and journalists on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly. Saudi Foreign Minister Adel Al-Jubeir, a longtime adviser to the kingdom’s rulers, wearily accused Tehran of playing politics. “We will reveal the facts when they emerge, and we will not hold anything back,” he said. Iranians are sceptical about that. But analysts across the region agree the depth of the crisis may be determined largely by the results of the Saudi probe and how much is published. Former Iranian lawmaker Elias Hazrati told Reuters by phone from Tehran that Iran was not playing politics over the hajj. “Tehran is simply asking Riyadh to take responsibility,” he said. “If this incident happened only once we could call it an accident, but this is happening every few years. The Saudis’ mismanagement is the problem of all the Islamic world, not Tehran.” Saudi commentators point the finger at Tehran. Jamal Khashoggi, head of a Saudi news channel owned by a prince, said investigators were looking at the actions of a large number of Iranian pilgrims who “happened to be in the wrong place in the wrong time”. “I think Saudi Arabia will speak very loudly on the issue when the result of the investigations come out. No

statement has been made officially, but now it seems that the Iranians will be blamed because they took their hajjis in the wrong direction at the wrong time. That was very irresponsible,” he said. The rivals have overcome previous crises in their relations. A late 1990s rapprochement followed a 1996 truck-bombing in the kingdom that killed 19 US service personnel and clashes at the 1987 hajj between Iranian protesters and Saudi police that led to the death of 400 people, mainly Iranians. Saudi Arabia and the United States accused Iran of orchestrating the 1996 attack. Iran denied any role. But the rapprochement happened at a time of relative Gulf stability, above all when Iraq was ruled by a Sunni, Saddam Hussein, seen by Gulf Arab states as a buffer against Iran. Now a worsening of Iran-Saudi rivalry could have broad consequences. Not only are the two competitors openly tussling for influence in Arab countries, but Saudi Arabia is worried that Washington has realigned with Tehran at Arab expense by backing a deal settling Iran’s long-standing nuclear dispute. Alive to what he sees as a US-Iran detente, Saudi Arabia’s new monarch, King Salman, is pushing for Sunni Muslim Middle East countries to set aside differences over political Islam and focus on what it sees as the more urgent threat from Tehran. — Reuters

Briny water flowed recently on Mars

Obama, Putin spar over Syria

Continued from Page 1

Continued from Page 1

The hydrated salt minerals, called perchlorites, contain water molecules in their make-up, and their presence indicates that “water plays a vital role in the formation of these streaks,” according to Lujendra Ojha of the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta. It is widely accepted that the Red Planet once hosted plentiful water in liquid form, and still has water today, albeit frozen in ice underground. Earlier this year, NASA said almost half of Mars’ northern hemisphere had once been an ocean, reaching depths greater than 1.6 km. Astrobiologist Lewis Dartnell of the University of Leicester Space Research Centre said the study, which he did not take part in, presented “very strong evidence that what we believe to be signs of liquid water trickling down the Martian surface is in fact that”. This, in turn, raised the intriguing prospect of life, he told AFP. “If there is liquid water trickling beneath the surface, maybe that’s an environment where bacteria and microbial life can survive... The results we’ve had this afternoon are very exciting because they increase the possibility that there is life alive on Mars today.” Scientists have long hypothesised that the seasonal features, dubbed “recurring slope lineae” (RSL), may be formed

by brine flows. But spacecraft images have been unable to reveal detail of what exactly is in the lines - the pixel resolution is coarser than the width of the streaks themselves. Up to a few hundred metres in length and typically under five metres wide, they appear on slopes during warm seasons, lengthen, then fade as they cool. For the new study, a team from the United States and France devised a method to extract more data from individual pixels in images from the CRISM spectrometer instrument on NASA’s Orbiter. They found details “consistent with the presence of hydrated salt minerals that precipitate from water,” according to a Nature press release. Precipitation is the process of separating a solid material from a liquid solution. “The findings strongly suggest a link between the transient streaks on Martian slopes and the flow of liquid brines,” it added. This was not the first time perchlorites were found on Mars. In April this year, a different team wrote in the same journal that perchlorate salts were “widespread” on the surface of our neighbouring planet, and humidity and temperature conditions were just right for salty brines to exist. Perchlorate is highly absorbent and lowers the freezing point of water so that it remains liquid at colder temperatures. Asked if the data was the final proof of liquid water on Mars, McEwen replied: “I would say almost.” — AFP

Dismissal, jail for minister, 14 others over... Continued from Page 1 Notably, considering it as a state of emergency, the 2007 emergency power plan was directly funded by KD 400 million from the state treasury without any Amiri decrees and in the absence of the parliament, said informed sources, noting that the plan was “full of corruption” and that it had totally ignored the CTC and the Audit Bureau, spending the funds on purchasing outdated 1974 model power generators that could not be operated ever since. The sources added that 16 people, including Roumi, had been accused in the case and that he had been released earlier on a KD 1,000 bail and returned to office, where he acted as Audit Bureau chairman during the illness of Abdul Aziz Al-Adsani. The sources said that the case had been filed by the Audit Bureau’s chief auditor Ehsan Abdullah, who detected public fund violations when the MEW signed contracts with unqualified companies to provide electricity generators to be used during the 2007 summer emergency plan. In his report, Abdullah accused three senior officials, including Roumi. Meanwhile, two MPs have called for a Cabinet reshuffle to change several ministers. MP Ahmad Al-Qudhaibi said he believes at least four ministers need to be changed ahead of next month’s start of the new Assembly term. He did not name them. MP Abdulrahman Al-Jeeran said at least three ministers need to improve their performance, which has been very weak in the past. In another development, the criminal court resumes

today the trial of 26 people charged of being members of a cell working for Iran and the Lebanese Shiite militia Hezbollah. In the first hearing two weeks ago, judge Mohammad Al-Duaij read the charges to 23 of the defendants present in the court. Three others are at large. Twenty-five of the defendants are Kuwaitis and one is Iranian. All the defendants categorically denied the charges and said they were tortured to force them to make the confessions. Their lawyers demanded them to be freed and examined by a neutral medical commission. The judge refused to release them but referred them to the forensic department for examination. The case has dominated the local scene after senior Shiite cleric Hussein AlMaatouq charged in a sermon that the defendants were subjected to sexual harassment to extract the confessions. The accusation was widely condemned amid calls to refer the cleric to court. Authorities began legal action against him. Similar accusations were made by MP Abdulhameed Dashti before an international rights group in Geneva last week. A large number of MPs and activists have called for investigating him. Separately, the ministry of justice announced yesterday it has submitted a report to the Public Prosecutor Dhirar Al-Assousi about the fight that took place at the Palace of Justice on Sept 21. Assistant Undersecretary at the justice ministry for court affairs Ali Al-Salman told KUNA that the ministry will take all necessary procedures to prevent the recurrence of this incident.

After the end of the Cold War, Putin argued, the West emerged as a new “center of domination” of the world and arrogantly took it upon itself to resolve conflicts through force. This power led to the “emergence of areas of anarchy in the Middle East, with extremists and terrorists. “Tens of thousands of militants are fighting under the banners of the socalled Islamic State, and their ranks include former Iraqi servicemen,” he said. Putin said the current US policy of training and arming local rebel groups to fight jihadists was only adding fuel to the fire. “The ranks of the radicals have been joined by the moderate Syrian opposition,” he said. “First, they are armed and trained, and then they defect to the so-called Islamic State.” Washington insists Assad must leave power before any settlement to the conflict, while European powers seem to be softening their stance, signalling he could stay on in an interim role. In his address, Obama did not specifically address Assad’s fate, a key bone of contention in efforts to re-launch a bid to end a war that has left more than 240,000 dead since 2011. But he declared that there could be no return to the pre-war status quo, when Assad held sway. Moscow has put Washington on the back foot by dispatching troops and aircraft to the war-torn country and pushing reluctant world leaders to admit that Assad could cling to power. On the

ground, Russia has started putting the pieces together by agreeing with Iraq, Syria and Iran that their officers will work together in Baghdad to share intelligence on IS.j Western powers say Assad’s military is responsible for the vast majority of deaths in the war and maintain his brutal rule has allowed the Islamic State’s extremist views to flourish. “When a dictator slaughters tens of thousands of his own people, that is not just a matter of one nation’s internal affairs,” Obama insisted. “It breeds human suffering on an order of magnitude that affects us all.” But with their response to IS in disarray, Western powers have allowed Syrian president’s backers present him as the only practical option for a return to stability. “If we are to succeed in fighting terrorism, the government in Damascus cannot be weakened. It must be able to carry on the fight,” Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani said. “If the Syrian government is taken out of the equation, the terrorists will enter Damascus” and “the whole country will become controlled territory, a safe haven for terrorists.” Syria’s northern neighbor Turkey has been one of Assad’s most implacable critics, but Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu told reporters it was ready to work with Russia to find a settlement. “What we need to do is having solidarity with all the countries, including Russia, to make a transition in Syria a peaceful transition and in the new Syria, there should not be any place for Assad or Daesh,” he said, referring to IS. — AFP

Kuwait rejects plan for oil summit Continued from Page 1 Omair said that oil prices remain volatile in the international markets because of uncertainty over supply and demand. He said that about 2.0 million barrels per day (bpd) of surplus production are available in the markets. The slump in oil prices will not impact mega oil and nonoil projects in Kuwait, the minister said. Omair said oil prices cannot be predicted due to the instability of market data. Varied assessments of prices dominate predictions, as some institutions see that prices will decline further while other

institutions expect a rise, he said. The forecast of rising prices is based on reports that there is growth in the US economy, followed by an improvement in the economies of China and Japan, in addition to the decrease in the number drilling rigs in the US. This will limit production and reduce oversupply, Omair said. Like other Gulf neighbors that rely for more than 90 percent of their revenue on oil, Kuwait is projected to post its first budget deficit this year after 16 successive years of windfall. Omair said Kuwait pumps around 2.8 million bpd and its output capacity is “slightly above this figure”. — Agencies

Supermoon eclipse wows stargazers Continued from Page 1 The event also led to speculation about an impending apocalypse among certain followers of the Mormon Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The fears are believed to have been stoked by a statement from Mormon author Julie Rowe, who regularly speaks to audiences about upcoming worldwide calamities. Church officials were forced to issue a statement warning against panic, saying that while members should be “spiritually and physically prepared for life’s ups and downs” they should avoid “being caught up in extreme efforts to anticipate catastrophic events”. The “blood moon” - which so far has had no apocalyptic consequences - appeared in stages across the planet as the satellite reached its closest orbital point to Earth, called perigee, while in its brightest phase. The resulting “supermoon” appeared 30 percent brighter and 14 percent larger than when at apogee, the farthest point - which is about 49,900 km from perigee.

Unusually, the Earth took position in a straight line between the moon and the sun, blotting out the direct sunlight that normally makes our satellite glow whitish-yellow. But some light still crept around the planet’s edges and was filtered through its atmosphere, casting an eerie red light that creates the blood moon. For people younger than 33, this was their first-ever chance to see a “super blood moon”. The last, only the fifth recorded since 1900, was in 1982, according to the NASA space agency, and the next will not be until 2033. On top of the wow factor, the event was also of great interest for researchers. Over a 24-day cycle, the temperature on the surface of our satellite normally varies between highs of about 121 degrees Celsius in direct sunlight, and lows around minus 115 C in the dark. These changes help researchers study the composition of the crust, as rocks warm and cool slower than sand-like dust. But yesterday, the eclipse saw that temperature shift happen much faster, allowing scientists to make detailed observations of the moon’s uppermost surface. — AFP

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2015

ANALYSIS

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Focus

UN global goals applauded, but action is needed By Ellen Wulfhorst

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t’s taken three years to write the script for the future of the world, but now it’s time for the much-anticipated performance to begin. World leaders have negotiated and agreed an ambitious plan to end poverty and inequality in the next 15 years, adopting 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at the United Nations as a roadmap to tackle the world’s most troubling problems. While getting the 193 member nations to agree on priorities, scope and wording of the SDGs and their accompanying 169 targets was monumental, far more daunting is their implementation. The toughest challenges are the sheer breadth of the agenda, finding ways to monitor and measure progress, and keeping the process transparent and accountable. Added to those are the reluctance of some countries to address certain issues, with climate change and gender equality high up the agenda, not to mention the enormous trillion dollar price tag, say those involved in the sweeping project. “Having been in government, I know managing 10 targets is difficult. Managing 169 targets is challenging for the most efficient government,” said David Miliband, president and CEO of the International Rescue Committee that runs humanitarian relief operations in more than 30 war-torn countries. “The great danger is that the breadth of the targets becomes an excuse for not fulfilling the targets,” Miliband, a former British parliamentarian, told the Thomson Reuters Foundation. Echoing that sentiment, Helen Clark, administrator of the United Nations Development Programme, said the role of the 169 targets is to bring the goals down to manageable bites. The targets range from halting deforestation to raising living standards and reducing child mortality. “These sub-goals spell out in great detail what we need to do so that every year there is stock taking as to what we’ve been able to do,” said Clark, former New Zealand prime minister. Implementation will be monitored and reviewed with a set of global indicators to be agreed by next March.

Effective Monitoring “Setting these indicators means striking a delicate balance between what is manageable and what will actually demonstrate progress toward holistic goals,” said Susan Brown, global and regional policy director at the World Wildlife Fund-International. Accountability and transparency are essential to coaxing private businesses to help put the goals into action, said Mogens Lykketoft, president of the UN General Assembly. The private sector is expected to play a major role in enacting the SDGs which will cost an estimated $3 trillion a year at a time when most countries face budget constraints. “We are far away from reaching the scale required, the trillions of dollars required in the next 15 years to make a decisive impact,” Lykketoft said. With the SDGs relying heavily on the private sector, business will insist on countries having stable regulatory and taxation frameworks, he said. Kerry Adler, chief executive of SkyPower Global, a Canadian solar developer, said his company illustrates the need for requisite institutions and motivation to fight corruption. “We will only work in countries where anti-corruption is the first thing that’s talked about in conversation before we decide to sell power,” he told a private forum of business leaders at the United Nations. While adoption of the SDGs featured world leaders expounding at length at UN podiums on their commitments to lofty aspirations, the fact is plenty of countries cannot or will not meet some of the most critical goals without public pressure or political change, experts say. The United States, for example, is among nations least likely to meet goals to end poverty and combat climate change, according to a study by Bertelsmann Stiftung, a German social responsibility foundation. Holding the United States back are such issues as its income gap, consumption behavior and environmental protection, it said. “Fossil fuels are an economic time-bomb and the infrastructure and investments to support them will become stranded assets,” WWF’s Brown said. “What we expect from large economies like the US and China - is that they should be looking at the long term and making the right decisions in the short-term.” Other nations deemed likely to have trouble meeting the goals were Greece, Chile, Hungary, Turkey and Mexico, challenged by income gaps, lack of education, weak infrastructure, gender inequality, crime or extreme poverty, the German study said. WaterAid America has identified 45 countries unlikely to succeed on the goal of ensuring water and sanitation “without dramatic change to political prioritization and financing”. “In many cases these are post-conflict states with weak governance, and limited ability to mobilize the methods of financing that are needed,” said Lisa Schechtman, WaterAid director of policy and advocacy. —Reuters

All articles appearing on these pages are the personal opinion of the writers. Kuwait Times takes no responsibility for views expressed therein. Kuwait Times invites readers to voice their opinions. Please send submissions via email to: [email protected] or via snail mail to PO Box 1301 Safat, Kuwait. The editor reserves the right to edit any submission as necessary.

Russia props Assad as he reinforces heartland By Samia Nakhoul

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ussia’s military build-up in Syria is aimed mainly at propping up President Bashar Al-Assad and helping him reinforce his threatened coastal heartland, where he is seeking to bolster the communities that form his power base as his army falters. The Russian escalation has ended any prospect of Assad being ousted by military force, despite the near collapse of his army in the face of rebel advances, and will consolidate the de facto partitioning of Syria, most analysts believe. Residents of the coastal city of Latakia, a stronghold of Assad’s Alawite minority, say the increase in Russia’s military presence began as early as June and, along with it, preparations for an eventual breakup of the country of 23 million people. The population of Latakia has swollen fourfold during four years of civil war, and the government is now facilitating the settlement of other minorities such as Christians and Shi’ites. But since most Syrians are Sunnis, those who flee to the coast are not allowed to move their civil registration there, a move designed to prevent the Sunni majority from becoming a threat to the Alawites, an offshoot of Shiite Islam. With roughly two thirds of Syria controlled by mainly Islamist rebels, whether Syrian fighters backed by Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Turkey, or the cross-border Islamic State, it looks inconceivable that Russia could retake territory lost by government forces unless it were to commit ground troops. That is not on the table so far, analysts say. What does seem clear is that Russia’s move was prompted by alarm that government forces were losing ground so fast

that the survival of the Assad family, for decades Moscow’s closest ally in the Middle East, was in question. When Islamist rebels started to threaten Latakia, which is near the Russian naval base at Tartous, Moscow’s only naval facility in the Mediterranean, the Kremlin decided to step in. Russia’s close ties to the Syrian government go back to the Soviet era when Moscow counted Bashar’s father, Hafez alAssad, as a firm ally. Even before the latest build-up, it had teams of military advisers and trainers on the ground. Assad to Stay Russia’s plan is to help forces loyal to Assad hold and reinforce the Alawite enclave in the coastal and mountainous north-west, Syria-watchers say. If Assad were pushed out of Damascus and the capital fell either to Islamic State or other Islamist rebels, Russia and the Syrian government’s allies such as Iran and Hezbollah will have dug him a well-fortified fallback position in Latakia. Amid uncertainty about President Vladimir Putin’s goals in Syria, there are contrary opinions about whether Moscow intends to follow its show of regional force with a diplomatic initiative to end Syria’s fouryear civil war. But there is a near consensus that Assad’s forces were fading, and Russian intervention will accelerate the partition of the country into warring fragments. The Russians were quick to send in air forces and more ground equipment, said Robert Ford, former US ambassador to and then special envoy for Syria, who resigned because of differences with US policy on Syria. “It makes me think that the Assad regime was actually becoming very weak

and the Russians became scared,” he said. While the Kremlin says its deployment is part of the international fight against Islamic State, its main goal is to boost Assad and defend Russia’s beachhead on Syria’s north-west coast, Ford said. “Why would you put the air units in Latakia instead of Damascus if you want to fight the Islamic State?” he said. “Why do you send anti-aircraft equipment when the Islamic State doesn’t have any air force? “So it seems to me that this is designed to help Assad first,” Ford said. After that they may attack Islamic State and other elements of the opposition in north-west Syria. He saw no evidence that the Russians would jettison Assad and risk the stability of what remains of the Syrian state. Turning Point A former senior Syrian official said Assad had asked Russia to intervene “because he was desperate and the army was collapsing”. Assad had briefed his loyalists that Moscow would provide reinforcements and weapons, and take command of the air force. “The Russian intervention is to help Assad preserve the status quo, maintain the areas of the regime, the enclave,” the former official said. He had doubts, however, about Assad’s longterm prospects. “This will allow the regime to continue with its policy of no negotiation with the opposition but it won’t solve the problem.” Fawaz Gerges, Middle East expert at the London School of Economics, said the Russian action was a turning point in stiffening Assad’s resolve that removed any prospect that he would leave the scene sooner rather than later. “Contrary to what

the US, Turkey, Qatar and Saudi Arabia have been trying to say and do, the Russian intervention in Syria shows that Assad is not going anywhere,” Gerges said. At the same time, he said, the rampedup Russian presence will reinforce Assad’s feeling that neither the United States, Turkey, nor any other regional power will intervene enough to tilt the balance of power away from stalemate. Yet Putin, who sees Syria as part of a wider Russian bid for influence in the Middle East, is taking a gamble. “Russia now is taking big risks. Syria is a quagmire in which everyone is basically drowning. Everyone is losing and Syria could prove to be a graveyard for Russia’s influence in the Middle East,” Gerges said. Many analysts believe that while Assad’s external foes now realise he is going to stay, that does not mean they want to cooperate with Putin. After Russia grabbed Crimea and divided Ukraine, some feel its surge back into the Middle East is a bargaining chip for its European agenda. Ford said Washington would continue bombing Islamic State in central and eastern Syria, and working with the Syrian Kurdish militia. “I think the Americans are going to pretend that the Russians aren’t there,” he said. “If I were Assad in Damascus now,” said Gerges, “I know that I have my superpower ally with direct influence, direct presence in the heartland, in my birthplace.” Ayham Kamal, an analyst at Eurasia Group, agrees: “The Russian intervention will make it very difficult for anyone to push forward with regime change. Assad is there to stay, at the very least in a transitional capacity, and the rest depends on negotiations between the West and Russia.” —Reuters

CIA, special ops cooperate to kill extremists By Ken Dilanian

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ith no regular American presence in the war theater, the US has struggled to answer basic intelligence questions about the situation in Syria and Iraq, including the Islamic State group’s fighting strength. And the US-led bombing campaign has failed to dislodge the group from its self-declared caliphate across both countries. But one element is seen as a growing intelligence and military success: The combined effort by the CIA and the militar y ’s Joint Special Operations Command to find and kill “high value” targets from both Al-Qaeda and IS. The drone strikes - separate from the large air campaign run by US Central Command - have significantly diminished the threat from the Khorasan Group, an AlQaeda cell in Syria that had planned attacks on American aviation, officials say. The group’s leader, Muhsin AlFadhli, and its top bomb-maker, David Drugeon, were killed this summer. Other targeted strikes have taken out senior Islamic State group figures, including its second in command, known as Hajji Mutazz. Intelligence analysts and special operators have harnessed an array of satellites, sensors, drones and other technology to find and kill elusive militants across a vast, rugged area of Syria and Iraq, despite the lack of a ground presence and steps taken by US targets to disguise their use of electronic devices. The strikes won’t defeat the Islamic State, but they are keeping its leadership off balance, a senior defense official involved in planning them said. “They are constantly having to adjust, which means they don’t have a lot of time to sit there and plan large and effective attacks,” the official said. Like others interviewed for this story, the official was not authorized to discuss intelligence matters publicly and would not be quoted by name. As in Pakistan and Yemen, missiles fired from unmanned drones have been used to kill high-value targets in Syria and Iraq. But unlike in Pakistan and Yemen, JSOC, not the CIA, has been pulling the trigger in Syria and Iraq, officials say. JSOC’s armed drones operate separately from, but in concert with, a conventional bombing

campaign run by US Central Command, which has overall responsibility for the war. Hybrid Model The CIA’s Counter Terrorism Center brought its collection and analytical expertise to the hunt for senior militants in close cooperation with JSOC, officials say, with a new focus on achieving a hybrid model that has long been the Obama administration’s goal. Although the CIA has carried out the vast majority of drone strikes during the Obama administration, the president has said he wants the military to become the chief instrument of targeted lethal force. In the latest strike on Sept 10, the US killed Abu Bakr Al-Turkmani, an Islamic State administrative officer, near Tal Afar, Iraq, Pentagon spokesman Peter Cook said. Abu Rahin Aziz, a British national, was killed in a drone strike in July. The successful strikes against militant leadership targets in Iraq and Syria show how the US has upped its man-hunting capabilities in areas without an American embassy or troop presence, said Rep. Adam Schiff of California, senior Democrat on the Intelligence Committee. “In Syria it’s taken a long time to build up our intelligence capabilities, but they are improving every day,” he said. The effort is the product of years of honing techniques and technology. Since the attacks on New York’s World Trade Center in 2001, so-called targeting analysts have become increasingly important within both intelligence agencies and the military. Their job is to sift through every fragment of intelligence using “unique datasets, specialized tools and network analysis,” as a CIA job description puts it, to assemble a targeting package. ‘Human Terrain’ The CIA began stepping up efforts to target militants in Syria in early 2013, even before the Islamic State had seized significant territory. But over the last year, its tracking capacity has improved as the Pentagon has deployed 24-hour overhead coverage allowing the National Security Agency (NSA) to soak up electronic signals while the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) conducts visual surveillance, officials say. The CIA and

Defense Intelligence Agency have stepped up efforts to recruit human sources. When the goal is to kill the target, the analysts try to establish his “pattern of life”, so they will know where and when he will be away from innocents. In recent years, a former CIA counterterrorism targeter said, the agency has developed “a better understanding of what a modern extremist group looks like and how it behaves”. Detailed “human terrain” mapping of Syrian and Iraqi tribal leadership and village structure also helps, said a military targeting analyst with long experience hunting militants in the Middle East. Although the CIA doesn’t routinely insert American officers on the ground, it sends in foreign agents recruited in border countries and cooperates closely with Jordanian, Saudi and Kurdish spy services. There is no shortage of informants who are angry about militants’ brutal tactics, officials say. But the most important factor in locating senior militants has been electronic eavesdropping by the NSA, coupled with overhead imagery, social media analysis and other work by the NGA, officials say. Both agencies are adept at finding people based on signals from communication devices. The technology deployed to collect intelligence on Syria and Iraq is part of what Kimberly Arsenault, a Defense Intelligence Agency official, calls “the largest armada of intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) assets in the history of the intelligence community.” Though electronic spying is widely understood, Al-Qaeda and Islamic State operatives in Syria can’t avoid using electronics to communicate, officials say. “They have to be more visible and more accessible because they have a battlefield role,” Schiff said. “They have to interact and communicate in some fashion - they can’t just go hide in a cave somewhere.” Even if senior figures take steps to avoid detection, all it takes is for a known associate to slip up, officials say. Some Islamic State targets have been active on social media, making it far easier to find them. Such was the case with Junaid Hussain, a British hacker and Islamic State militant killed in a US drone strike in August, officials say. —AP

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2015

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Corinthians move closer to Brazil’s Serie A title

Scolari urges Guangzhou to seize semi initiative

SAO PAULO: Corinthians moved a step closer to Brazil’s Serie A title on Sunday when they defeated Figueirense 3-1 to open a seven-point lead over Atletico Mineiro with 10 games of the season remaining. Elias, Gil and Renato Augusto, all members of Brazil’s squad for next month’s World Cup qualifiers against Chile and Venezuela, scored for Corinthians who extended their lead with Atletico held to a 2-2 draw at bottom club Joinville. “It’s step by step,” Renato Augusto said. “We can’t be thinking of Atletico Mineiro. The important thing is getting another victory away from home.” In the big Rio derby, Vasco da Gama beat Flamengo 2-1 to record their fourth win in five outings. Vasco remain second from the bottom, with Figueirense and Chapecoense ahead of them in the four relegation places. In Sao Paulo, goalkeeper and captain Rogerio Ceni fluffed a clearance to gift Palmeiras a lastminute goal in their 1-1 draw. The clearance went straight to Robinho, who lobbed him as he ran back towards goal, cancelling out Carlinho’s opener in the 63rd minute. Sao Paulo remain two points behind their city rivals, while Palmeiras stay fourth behind Gremio. Santos, who beat Internacional 3-1, moved into fifth.— Reuters

SINGAPORE: Former World Cup-winning coach Luiz Felipe Scolari wants Guangzhou Evergrande to seize the initiative when they host Gamba Osaka in the first leg of the AFC Champions League semifinals tomorrow. Scolari, who led Brazil to victory at the 2002 World Cup, has revived the fortunes of the Chinese champions since replacing Italian Fabio Cannavaro as head coach in June. Evergrande are unbeaten in their last 16 competitive matches and lead the Chinese Super League by two points after a 3-2 comeback win over Guizhou Renhe on Saturday sealed by Paulinho’s injury-time winner created by fellow Brazilian superstar import Robinho. Evergrande eliminated Japan’s Kashiwa Reysol 4-2 on aggregate in the quarter-finals and Scolari wants no let-up in their quest to lift the Asian club title for the second time in three seasons. “Every second on the field is going to be important in the game tomorrow,” said Scolari in the build-up to the first leg at Tianhe stadium in the southern Chinese metropolis. “We have to try to avoid conceding a goal and ensure we play the second leg with a larger advantage. Gamba are a tough team, their manager Kenta Hasegawa has his own style, and anything can happen in football. “The team has confidence, though, and the mood among the players is great. — AFP

Bouchard withdraws from the Wuhan Open WUHAN: Canada’s Eugenie Bouchard withdrew from the WTA Wuhan Open yesterday just hours before her first-round match, citing symptoms linked to the concussion suffered at the US Open earlier this month. The 21 year-old has not played since she pulled out of the US Open on September 7 with a head injury caused by a locker-room fall which saw her forfeit her fourth-round match against eventual finalist Roberta Vinci of Italy. “I travelled to Wuhan with the intention of playing. Unfortunately, my concussion symptoms came back during practice on Saturday and it would not be safe for me to go on court today,” Bouchard said in a statement. Bouchard was due to meet 18-year-old Belinda Bencic of Switzerland in the first round. Bencic now faces lucky loser Ajla Tomljanovic of Croatia. Bouchard slipped and fell in the locker room after a grueling fifth day of the US Open that saw her defeat Slovakia’s Dominika Cibulkova in three sets before going onto win a mixed doubles match with partner Nick Kyrgios of Australia. It was not clear if Bouchard intends to compete in next week’s China Open in Beijing. “I will rest in Wuhan for the next few days to determine how I progress, and look forward to coming back here to play in this great city next year,” Bouchard said. — AFP

Harper and Papelbon clash as Nationals season winds down WASHINGTON: Nationals outfielder Bryce Harper and closer Jonathan Papelbon got into a dugout fight a day after Washington was eliminated from playoff contention, tangling in the eighth inning Sunday of a 12-5 loss to last-place Philadelphia. In the ninth, Papelbon (4-3) gave up Andres Blanco’s go-ahead homer as the Phillies scored eight times. Harper, the National League Most Valuable Player frontrunner, flied out in the eighth with the score 4all. As he returned to the dugout, he exchanged words with Papelbon, who was acquired from Philadelphia in July to help with a possible postseason push. Papelbon then reached for Harper’s throat with his left hand and shoved the outfielder back toward the bench with both arms. Teammates pulled the pair apart. Harper was replaced in right field for the ninth. Dalier Hinojosa (2-0) earned the win. CUBS 4, PIRATES 0 Jake Arrieta pitched seven dominant innings and also homered in his MLB best 21st win, and Chicago stopped Pittsburgh’s winning streak at eight games. Arrieta (21-6) retired his first 18 batters before Gregory Polanco grounded a leadoff single into left field in the seventh. The right-hander homered in the second and struck out nine while improving to 15-1 with a dazzling 0.89 ERA in his last 19 starts. Pittsburgh (95-61) and Chicago (90-65) each have clinched playoff spots and lead the NL wild-card standings, so the Pirates could see Arrieta again in the first game of the postseason on Oct 7. The Pirates could still catch St. Louis for the NL Central title. They trail the Cardinals by three games and open a three-game series at home against St. Louis on Monday. AJ Burnett (9-6) pitched six effective innings. ASTROS 4, RANGERS 2 Dallas Keuchel (19-8) improved to 15-0 at home this season, striking out 10 while giving up one run and two hits in seven innings. Houston maintained a half-game lead over the Los Angeles Angels for the second American League wild card and closed within 2 1/2 games of AL West-leading Texas. Luke Gregerson threw a perfect ninth for his 29th save. Martin Perez (3-6) allowed two runs both unearned - and five hits in six innings. ANGELS 3, MARINERS 2 Kole Calhoun singled in the tiebreaking run in the eighth after Carson Smith relieved Hisashi Iwakuma (9-5), and Los Angeles won its fifth straight David Freese homered in the fifth for the Angels (81-74), who remained a half-game behind Houston. Los Angeles also moved just three games behind the Rangers, with four games in Texas to end the season. Pinch-hitter Mark Trumbo hit a tying homer off Fernando Salas (5-2) in the eighth for the Mariners (74-82), who were mathematically eliminated Sunday. Seattle lost its final five road games and ensured its fifth losing season in six years. TWINS 7, TIGERS 1 Byron Buxton doubled and homered for Minnesota, which won for the fifth time in seven games and remained 1 1/2 games behind Houston. Ervin Santana (7-4) allowing one run and six hits in seven innings. Detroit, which is last in the AL Central, finished 38-43 at Comerica Park, its worst home record since 2004. Randy

CHICAGO: Miguel Montero #47 of the Chicago Cubs is tagged out by Neil Walker #18 of the Pittsburgh Pirates on a steal attempt during the sixth inning on September 27, 2015 at Wrigley Field in Chicago. — AFP Wolf (0-5) gave up six runs and seven hits in 1 1-3 innings. ROYALS 3, INDIANS 0 A day after his father died, Chris Young (116) pitched five no-hit innings in his first start after nearly two months in the bullpen, then caught a flight to Dallas to be with his family before the game ended. After Danny Duffy struck out two in a perfect sixth for the AL Central champion Royals, Francisco Lindor bunted for a single on Ryan Madson’s first pitch. A day after climbing above .500 for the first time since April 9, the Indians (77-77) fell four games behind Houston. Kelvin Herrera worked a flawless eighth, and Wade Davis gave up a double to Jason Kipnis in the ninth as he finished the two-hitter for his 14th save. Kansas City took a 2-0 lead in the fourth against Danny Salazar (13-10) when Eric Hosmer hit an RBI double and scored on Mike Moustakas’ groundout. RED SOX 2, ORIOLES 0 Henry Owens (4-3) gave up three hits in 7 2-3 innings, Blake Swihart hit a solo homer and Boston completed a three-game sweep

MLB results/standings NY Yankees 6, Chicago White Sox 1; Toronto 5, Tampa Bay 4; Minnesota 7, Detroit 1; NY Mets 8, Cincinnati 1; Miami 9, Atlanta 5; Boston 2, Baltimore 0; Philadelphia 12, Washington 5; Kansas City 3, Cleveland 0; Houston 4, Texas 2; Milwaukee 8, St. Louis 4; LA Angels 3, Seattle 2; San Francisco 5, Oakland 4; Colorado 12, LA Dodgers 5; Arizona 4, San Diego 2; Chicago Cubs 4, Pittsburgh 0. American League National League Eastern Division Eastern Division W L PCT GB NY Mets 89 67 .571 Toronto 90 65 .581 Washington 79 76 .510 9.5 NY Yankees 86 69 .555 4 Miami 69 87 .442 20 Baltimore 76 79 .490 14 Atlanta 62 94 .397 27 Boston 75 80 .484 15 Philadelphia 59 97 .378 30 Tampa Bay 75 81 .481 15.5 Central Division Central Division St. Louis 98 58 .628 Kansas City 90 65 .581 Pittsburgh 95 61 .609 3 Minnesota 80 75 .516 10 Chicago Cubs 90 65 .581 7.5 Cleveland 77 77 .500 12.5 Milwaukee 66 90 .423 32 Chicago White Sox 73 83 .468 17.5 Cincinnati 63 92 .406 34.5 Detroit 72 83 .465 18 Western Division Western Division LA Dodgers 87 68 .561 Texas 84 71 .542 San Francisco 81 74 .523 6 Houston 82 74 .526 2.5 Arizona 75 81 .481 12.5 LA Angels 81 74 .523 3 San Diego 73 83 .468 14.5 Seattle 74 82 .474 10.5 Colorado 66 90 .423 21.5 Oakland 65 91 .417 19.5

that included three shutouts. Robbie Ross Jr. worked the ninth for his sixth save. Baltimore (76-79) fell 5 1/2 games back of Houston. YANKEES 6, WHITE SOX 1 Luis Severino (5-3) pitched five-hit ball for six innings, Dustin Ackley homered off Erik Johnson (3-1) to lift New York’s late-waking offense and New York cut its magic number for clinching at least a wild card to three. Severino (5-3) induced three double plays in shutting down the White Sox in his 10th big league start, helping the Yankees move within one of the franchise’s 10,000th regular-season victory. BLUE JAYS 5, RAYS 4 Josh Donaldson hit a solo homer off Steve Geltz (2-6) with two outs in the ninth, his 41st this year. Justin Smoak had three hits, including a two-run homer. The Blue Jays, headed to the postseason for the first time since 1993, finished an AL-best 53-28 at home. Brett Cecil (4-5) pitched the ninth before Toronto’s 27th home sellout of the season and 12th straight. The Blue Jays sold out 20 of their final 21 home games and drew 2,794,891 at home, their most since 1995.

seven hits in 5 1-3 innings. He is 0-16 in 24 starts since May 17. BREWERS 8, CARDINALS 4 Pinch-hitter Jason Rogers had a ninthinning grand slam off Trevor Rosenthal (2-4), who had converted 47 of 49 previous save chances. The Cardinals’ NL Central lead was cut to 2 1/2 games over Pittsburgh. Khris Davis homered twice and drove in four runs for the Brewers, who scored seven runs in the ninth. David Goforth (1-0) pitched one inning, and Francisco Rodriguez got his 37th save when he retired Brandon Moss with two on. ROCKIES 12, DODGERS 5 Nolan Arenado had a career-high five RBIs, including a three-run homer, and Colorado completed a three-game serrp that kept Los Angeles’ magic number at two for its third straight NL West title. Los Angeles (87-68) openes a four-game series at defending World Series champion San Francisco (81-74) on Monday. Arenado hit his 41st homer in the fourth. He also had a sacrifice fly and a run-

scoring single, giving him a major leagueleading 126 RBIs. Chris Rusin (6-9) surrendered four runs - three earned - in 5 1/3 innings as Colorado swept Los Angeles for the first time since 2007. Alex Wood (11-12) couldn’t hold a 4-1 lead, allowing eight runs in 5 1/3 innings. GIANTS 5, ATHLETICS 4 Chris Heston (12-10) gave up four runs and six hits over five-plus innings to win for the first time in two months. He had been 0-5 with a 4.90 ERA in nine starts since beating Milwaukee on July 27. Santiago Casilla pitched the ninth for his 37th save. Sean Nolin (1-2) gave up five runs - three earned - and seven hits in a season-low 2 1-3 innings. DIAMONDBACKS 4, PADRES 2 Ender Inciarte had two homers among his four hits. He drove in three runs and also stole his 21st base. Jhoulys Chacin (2-1) pitched three innings. and Brad Ziegler worked the ninth for his 29th save. James Shields (13-7) was charged with four runs, nine hits and four walks over 6 1-3 innings. — AP

METS 8, REDS 1 Jacob deGrom (14-8) gave up one run and five hits and struck out nine over six innings in his first outing since Sept. 15 - he had been skipped over in the rotation to rest. A day after clinching the NL East title for their first postseason berth since 2006, the Mets rested their regulars but still completed the first season sweep by either team since New York started play in 1962, going 7-0 against Cincinnati. The Mets outscored the Reds 36-12 in these four games at Great American Ball Park and extended their club-record road winning streak to 11. Keyvius Sampson (2-6) lost his fifth straight start, allowing five runs - three earned - and nine hits in 2 2-3 innings. Lastplace Cincinnati has lost eight in a row, one shy of its season high. MARLINS 9, BRAVES 5 Justin Bour homered twice and drove in three runs as Miami completed a three game sweep. Bour was 7 for 12 in the series with four homers and eight RBIs. Martin Prado drove in three runs and Marcell Ozuna also homered for Miami, which has won a team-best seven consecutive games against the Braves. Tom Koehler (11-14) allowed four runs, nine hits, and five walks in 6 2-3 innings. Shelby Miller (5-17) gave up seven runs - four earned - and

HOUSTON: Carlos Gomez #30 of the Houston Astros slides into home under the tag of Sam Dyson #47 of the Texas Rangers during the eighth inning at Minute Maid Park on September 27, 2015 in Houston, Texas. — AFP

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2015

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Tonga take aim at Namibia in race for third place EXETER: Tonga face Namibia today with their aim reset on finishing third in Pool C to seal automatic qualification for the 2019 World Cup while the southern Africans will simply be after a first-ever win. Tonga went down to a shock 17-10 defeat by Georgia in their opening match, throwing the scrap for third place wide open behind heavyweights New Zealand and Argentina. While Tonga mathematically remain in the hunt for second place, they have still to play the All Blacks and the Pumas, who finish up their pool campaign against Namibia. Namibia have made eight changes to the starting line-up that lost 58-14 to New Zealand last week. Indefatigable Saracens flanker Jacques Burger

will captain the side coached by Welshman Phil Davies to make his 10th World Cup appearance, which leaves him one shy of the team record of 11 held by Hugo Horn. Tonga, an ever-present at the World Cup bar one absence in 1991, have nine changes, coach Mana Otai explaining that decision by pointing to the short timespan between the next games. “There’s always been a plan about how we take on these four games and take into consideration the two four-day turnarounds in the upcoming two games, but having said that, we also take into consideration now the situation that we’re in,” Otai said. “We haven’t had success in the last game against

Georgia, so we’re making sure that we address this game first and foremost, hence the changes. This is the team that we believe is going to do the job in the game coming up against Namibia. “On the day we’ve got to be prepared, regardless of who we’re playing and I think we learned our lessons from Georgia.” Otai warned that their favorites’ tag would count for nothing following England’s 28-25 defeat by Wales. “It could have been either one’s game, but if you look at the build-up to it, I think the favorites were England-we’re in the same dilemma (being favorites)... It highlighted that at the World Cup anything could happen.” Namibia coach Davies warned that his team

faced a tough test against the South Sea islanders. “The Tongans have had a good rest. There will be a lot of emotion flying around their team and they will be very physical,” the former Llanelli and Wales forward said. “They are number 11 in the world and we are number 20. That’s a huge difference, so it will be a massive, massive challenge for us.” Davies said many positives could be taken from their defeat by champions New Zealand. “There was inevitable excitement about our performance but this is a levelheaded group,” Davies said. “I was pleased with the performance but a bit disappointed that we didn’t impose ourselves a bit earlier.” — AFP

De Villiers bows out JOHANNESBURG: Jean de Villiers ended 13 years as a Springbok by sipping wine in the middle of the night with team-mate and former schoolmate Schalk Burger, childhood idol Danie Gerber and golfer Ernie Els. The South Africa skipper and centre fractured a jaw on Saturday in a 46-6 Rugby World Cup mauling of Samoa in Birmingham that got the twice champions’ campaign back on track after a stunning loss to Japan. Ruled out of the tournament by the injury, 34-year-old De Villiers later announced his retirement, drawing the curtains on a 109-Test career. It was a heartbreaking ending for the Cape Town-based star who had overcome a serious knee ligament injury and the fracture of the other side of his jaw to make the World Cup squad. De Villiers has had rotten World Cup luck-missing the 2003 tournament because of a shoulder injury and being ruled out of the Springboks 2007 campaign after one match with a biceps injury. But as his Springbok team-mates slept in north-east England city Newcastle, where they face Scotland Saturday in a topof-the-table Pool B clash, De Villiers gathered special friends in his hotel room. “Danie and Ernie have become great friends of mine.” De Villiers told the South African media. “Gerber is the best centre South Africa ever produced and I am honored to have played in the same position he once did. “It is funny how things worked out with two legends commiserating with me, and Schalk being at his philosophical best for that time of the night.” Gerber was capped 24 times between 1980 and 1992 and

Johannesburg-born former world No.1 Els has won four Major championships. De Villiers said the middle-of-the-night talk centred on what would be the perfect ending to a Springbok career “After such a tough week following the defeat to Japan, being part of the team that got back on track and played with such pride and determination to win well is good enough for me. “As a former Springbok now, I am supporter No 1 and I do not want the guys to feel sorry for me. “This week is about the team replicating the urgency shown against Samoa, and beating Scotland.” De Villiers said he hoped to have surgery in South Africa and then return to England for the closing stages of the World Cup to provide moral support and advice. South Africa sports minister Fikile Mbalula said the Springboks will miss their inspirational leader. “Jean is a great leader and a patriot to be celebrated all the time. He put his body on the line despite criticism and has shown great leadership qualities. “It is a setback for South Africa and for him. I wish him a speedy recovery. He was a soldier who was injured on duty trying to do better for his country, his family and everybody.” Former Springbok skipper and loose forward Corne Krige described the loss of De Villiers as a huge blow. “That is a massive setback for Jean after coming back from a horrific knee injury and a cracked jaw. “To be injured again is actually beyond belief-he must be devastated. “I think the team relies on him in a big way. But I also think that after their win against Samoa, spirits will be a lot higher.” — AFP RICHMOND: Peter Sagan, of Slovakia, crosses the finish line first in the men’s elite road circuit race in the UCI Road World Championships cycling races in Richmond, Va on Sunday, Sept 27, 2015. — AP

Cycling champ Sagan casts spotlight on migrant crisis

NEW DELHI: South Africa’s AB de Villiers (2nd left) and Farhaan Behardien (right) take part in a training session for the practice cricket match between the Indian Board President’s XI and South Africa at the Palam A Ground Model Sports Complex in New Delhi yesterday. — AFP

England try to regroup; ‘that decision’ casts long shadow LONDON: England’s Rugby World Cup defeat by Wales, and the decision not to attempt the late shot at goal that could have prevented it, remained the topic of choice in workplaces around Britain yesterday, two days after the memorable Twickenham clash. While Wales were basking in the glory of their remarkable 28-25 comeback win and trying to recover in time for Thursday’s match against Fiji, England were doing their best to switch the focus to their next challengethe all or nothing Pool A meeting with Australia on Saturday. But there was no escaping the events of last Saturday, when England blew a 10-point second-half lead with a series of bad decisions, culminating in that by captain Chris Robshaw not to ask Owen Farrell to take on the difficult 78thminute kick that would have leveled the scores. Robshaw opted for a lineout and England then inexplicably threw to the front, allowing the Welsh to surge forward and shove their attempted driving maul into touch. The Times on Monday described it as a “moment of madness” while former England flyhalf turned pundit Stuart Barnes said the decision was the “worst piece of captaincy I can remember in my playing or media days.” Former England captain Will Carling, the only man to lead the country more times than Robshaw, lumped much of the blame on Lancaster and the “classroomorientated environment” he has created.

“I got the sense that England were panicking,” he told BBC Radio 5 Live on Monday. “I don’t blame Chris as much as I blame others. I blame the environment.” The England camp were endeavoring to “move on”, knowing that a win over Australia would probably still be enough to send them into the quarter-finals. There was good news too on Monday when flanker Tom Wood escaped a possible ban for accidentally kicking Wales’s Liam Williams in the head. However, Lancaster faces an anxious wait on several other players before naming his team on Thursday. Both specialist number eights Ben Morgan and Billy Vunipola have knee injuries, as does lock Courtney Lawes, who went off at halftime against Wales. Scrumhalf Ben Youngs, who had an excellent game at Twickenham before also being forced off, is struggling to overcome an ankle problem, while Jonathan Joseph is considered unlikely to have recovered from the torn chest muscle that ruled him out of the Wales game. Lancaster will also need to decide whether to retain Owen Farrell and Sam Burgess, drafted in to deal with the heavyweight Welsh midfield, or recall George Ford at flyhalf and hand a second start to slippery centre Henry Slade as England seek to create more attacking threat. “There’s a huge sense of frustration around the camp that we let it slip away,” Lancaster said. “But it’s still all to play for.” — Reuters

RICHMOND: Peter Sagan had just climbed to the top of the podium at cycling’s world championships on Sunday when the Slovakian star turned the spotlight on issues far greater than a bike race. Might as well use that podium as a pulpit, after all. Thousands of migrants fleeing war and poverty in the Middle East, Africa and Asia have flooded through the Balkans and into Western Europe over the past year, creating tensions among nations trying to respond to the crisis. The situation has turned many people into nomads, searching not only for borders willing to let them cross, but a country willing to give them a fresh start. “We live in the moment now,” Sagan said, “but maybe in the future, I don’t know. Maybe we’re not here. That is why it’s important. I want to tell the people thinking about how we’re going to change the world OK, one man, maybe nothing, but if we have more, we can change.” The 25-year-old Sagan was born in the former Czechoslovakia less than a year after the Velvet Revolution restored democracy in the country. Though he was still an infant when the nation peacefully separated into the Czech Republic and Slovakia, his family lived through turbulent times. Perhaps it was no surprise that such world issues weighed on his mind Sunday. “I told Kate,

my girlfriend, if I win the rainbow jersey, I want to tell this so people are thinking about the future,” Sagan said, “and that we have to change something.” In many ways, Sagan has become the new face of cycling. He’s young, charismatic and exciting, capable of winning any kind of race - a flat-out sprint or over a punchy course like he found at the world championships. His flair for the dramatic has endeared Sagan to older fans who weathered the doping scandals of Lance Armstrong and others, and young fans only learning about the sport. His relationship with fans was on full display in Richmond, where Sagan in some ways became an adopted American. Fans lining the course shouted his name, urging him on during the decisive final lap, and roared their approval when he rode hands-free across the finish line. Sagan responded by flipping his helmet into the crowd and raising his arms in triumph. The victory was also validation for Sagan, who was near the front in every race he competed in this season, but always seemed to come up short. Those second- and third-place finishes even began to draw the ire of his trade team owner, who lamented about how much Sagan was getting paid. Never mind that Sagan won

two stages and the overall title at the Tour of California, or his fourth straight green jersey as the top sprinter at the Tour de France. “I was winning a lot, and it got boring for the people and the riders,” he said jokingly, when pressed on all his near-misses. “I’m always fighting. In the Tour de France and this year at some of the classics, I was at the front but just not the best.” There was no disputing he was the best on Sunday. Sagan hid safely in the peloton as riders kept attacking throughout the 260-kilometer race, only popping to the front in the last few kilometers. On the penultimate climb, Sagan jumped to the front and roared away, getting into an aerodynamic tuck to leave the rest of the field behind. “He was really strong,” said Australian sprinter Michael Matthews, who wound up taking silver ahead of Lithuania’s Ramunas Navardauskas at the finish on Broad Street. By the time they crossed the line, Sagan was hopping off his bike. He whooped up the crowd, gave his girlfriend a kiss and even highfived some of the other riders straggling in after him. Then, he remembered the bigger message he wanted to get across. “It is about the future,” Sagan said. “This is very nice, I am very happy for this, but I want also for another generation that can ride and be here.” — AP

South Africa banking on IPL skills for India tour NEW DELHI: South Africa hope their players’ experience in the Indian Premier League will enable them to turn the tables on their hosts at the start of a grueling 10-week tour of India, coach Russell Domingo said yesterday. The tourists are due to play three Twenty20 internationals and five one -day matches up until October 25, before starting a four-Test series on November 5. Ten members of their Twenty20 squad turn out for various franchises in the glitzy cash-rich IPL, and Domingo said that will benefit his wards. “We are fortunate to have quite a few players who know Indian conditions because of the IPL,” Domingo told reporters in New Delhi. “They understand what is required to play in these conditions. “We expect tough and uncompromising cricket during the tour. That is also how we play. The players are used to tough places. “South Africa is not for sissies. We enjoy different cultures. We enjoy meeting and mixing with new and different people.” South Africa have separate captains for all three formats, with Faf du Plessis leading them in Twenty20 cricket, AB de Villiers in one-day internationals and Hashim Amla in Tests. Du Plessis insisted the arrangement worked perfectly for the Proteas. “The three of us play all formats and when one is not the captain, we can enjoy cricket without the extra responsibility. This way we are always fresh. “It has worked really well for us. It’s never been an issue, we continue to learn from each other and support each other.” The three captains are among only six players who are part of all three squads, the others being all-rounder JP Duminy, leg-spinner

NEW DELHI: South African team coach Russell Domingo (left) speaks as T20 captain Faf Du Plessis looks on during a press conference in New Delhi yesterday. South Africa are on a 72-day tour of India during which they play three T-20, five One-Day International (ODI) and four Test matches. — AFP Imran Tahir and 20-year-old fast bowler Kagiso ing day in and day out. And at the same time it offers an opportunity to develop younger playRabada. Domingo justified the decision to rest pace ers. “It is a win-win situation for us because it spearheads Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel from allows us to look at options and keep players the Twenty20 games to keep them fresh for the fresh at the same time.” The tourists will play a one-dayers and the Tests. “It is going to be a long practice Twenty20 match in New Delhi on tour and we have to decide how to manage our Tuesday before travelling to Dharamsala for the players,” the coach said. “It is tough to be practic- first T20 international on Friday. — AFP

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2015

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Rosberg stews as Hamilton twists knife SUZUKA: As Lewis Hamilton savours back-to-back Japanese victories and the sweetness of matching Ayrton Senna’s 41 race wins, his Mercedes team mate Nico Rosberg faces two long weeks of soul-searching. Rosberg knows he blew a golden opportunity to close the gap on world champion Hamilton in the Formula One title race on Sunday after failing to turn pole position into 25 points for the second year running at Suzuka. Hamilton lunged past Rosberg into turn one in an explosive start and roared away as the German finished second behind his nemesis, who now boasts a 48-point lead with five races left. Rosberg, warned by Mercedes bosses last year after colliding with Hamilton, was too deflated even to protest at Hamilton appearing to force him off the track at the second bend. “In turn two Lewis had the inside line and just made it stick,” Rosberg said. “That was the end of it there.” A Mercedes one-two exorcised the demons of Singapore a week earlier when the Silver Arrows suffered a mysterious loss of pace, Hamilton retiring with technical trouble and Rosberg finishing fourth. But the psychological damage Hamilton inflicted on Rosberg with his eighth victory in 14 races this year could have dealt a hammer blow to his title chances before the they resume battle at the Russian Grand Prix in Sochi in two weeks. “It was important to win but it didn’t work out,” said a dazed Rosberg. “I just need to try to win next time out.” A feud which threatened to erupt last season could rear its ugly head again if Rosberg ultimately decides he was wronged at the start. “I haven’t even seen it myself on TV,” said Rosberg when pressed on the subject. “For sure it was close, I had to avoid a collision. It’s difficult for me to comment now.” ‘Great car, great engine’ As Rosberg struggled to articulate his emotions, Hamilton also appeared lost for words. “For me to come here to a race where I used to love watching Ayrton drive and to match his wins, yeah, I can’t really describe it,” said Hamilton. “It doesn’t really feel real at

SUZUKA: Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton of Britain, back, and teammate Rico Rosberg of Germany lead the pack into turn one on race during the Japanese Formula One Grand Prix at the Suzuka Circuit in Suzuka, central Japan on Sunday, Sept 27, 2015. — AP for calling his car an “embarrassment” at the weekthe moment.” Sebastian Vettel, surprise winner in all it makes them difficult to beat.” Vettel’s title hopes were all but killed off in end. Meanwhile, Red Bull’s threat to quit Formula Singapore last week, summed up the dominance of the Mercedes after making the podium ahead of Kimi Suzuka as the German now trails Hamilton by 59 One in a row over engines could reach a tipping Raikkonen in the second Ferrari. “Obviously we knew points. “Being realistic, I think it will be very, very dif- point by the time freight begins arriving in Russia from the beginning of the season that these boys ficult (to win the championship),” he admitted. “It’s after both their cars failed to score points at Suzuka. would be difficult to beat,” the four-time world cham- probably in their hands.” McLaren’s woes will be And troubled Lotus will hope their cashflow probpion said. They’re doing a great job first of all, both of under scrutiny again in Sochi after Fernando Alonso lems ease after being locked out of their paddock them. They have a great car, a great engine and all in had his knuckles rapped by team boss Ron Dennis hospitality unit in Japan over unpaid bills. — AFP

Motor racing

Renault deal saves Lotus PARIS: French car maker Renault yesterday announced it would buy a majority stake in the Lotus Formula One motor racing team, allowing the financially stretched outfit to stave off the threat of administration in a London court. Lotus is facing legal action from HMRC, Britain’s tax authority, over unpaid taxes and was pinning its hopes on a buyout by former owners Renault to start sorting out its crippling debt and cash flow problems. The High Court in London had given Lotus until yesterday to make a deal with Renault that could potentially satisfy creditors, or face administration. At a hearing yesterday morning, lawyers for Renault and Lotus said a deal had been concluded overnight and they asked for an adjournment until Oct 7 to allow time to finalize the transaction and deal with pressing issues. Judge Colin Birss agreed to adjourn the case until Oct 7 or the next available court date after that. Lawyers for Renault told Reuters that HMRC had not been paid what it was owed yet, but would be imminently. HMRC did not oppose the adjournment. British-based Lotus, which in previous guises of Benetton and Renault won world championships with Michael Schumacher and Fernando Alonso, has struggled to keep operating normally in the current Formula One season. In Japan, the team were locked out of a hospitality unit intended for their use after failing to pay Grand Prix circuit organizers. Their mechanics had to be catered for along with staff at the VIP Paddock Club, as a favor. While there were few

details of the deal with Renault, the team’s prospects were clearly looking brighter after the announcement from the French company, which has been involved in Formula One as an engine supplier for years. Renault announced that it had signed a letter of intent on the potential acquisition of a controlling stake in Lotus with Gravity Motorsports S.a.r.l., an affiliate of Genii Capital, the Luxembourg-based firm that owns the Formula One team. “ The signature of this Letter of I ntent marks Renault ’s first step towards the projec t of a Renault Formula 1 team from the 2016 racing season, thereby extending 38 years of commitment of the brand to the world’s premier motorsport championship series,” Renault said in a statement. Lotus have faced a series of legal ac tions this season, with bailiffs impounding their cars after the Belgian Grand Prix in a dispute with former reserve Charles Pic that was later settled. Lotus missed three payments to HMRC of 905,000 pounds ($1.37 million) each in relation to income tax and national insurance contributions that were due for the months of July, August and September. In addition, a fur ther 1.4 million pounds relating to Lotus’s tax affairs between 2009 and 2014 remains outstanding, according to HMRC, although that amount is disputed and is not expected to be paid in the immediate future. Lotus also have multiple other creditors, some of whom were represented in court yesterday. — Reuters

F1: Five talking points SUZUKA: Five talking points from the Japanese Grand Prix, won by Lewis Hamilton of Mercedes: ‘Ayr’ apparent For once the swagger and the bling image melted away as Lewis Hamilton seemed genuinely awe struck at matching boyhood hero Ayrton Senna’s tally of 41 race wins in Japan. Tears welled up in his eyes on the podium, before he spoke of his joy at drawing level with the Brazilian great. I ndeed, the manner of Hamilton’s victory was almost Sennalike in its dominance. Psychological damage While Hamilton was roaring to his eighth victory in 14 races this season, spare a thought for his team mate Nico Rosberg, who failed to consolidate pole position at Suzuka for the second year in a row. Bullied at the start by Hamilton, how a deflated Rosberg reacts in Russia in two weeks is likely to determine the outcome of this year’s title race. It would be very brave to bet against Hamilton now. Oh behave, Fernando! Fernando Alonso tore strips off McLaren engineers in an astonishing rant during the Japanese Grand Prix, yelling on team radio that his car’s lack of power was “embarrassing” and like a “GP2 engine”. McLaren boss Ron Dennis took a dim view of Alonso’s

tantrum and promised to have words with the Spaniard. Alonso’s sudden vagueness over his future with McLaren despite being in the first year of a three -year contract also raised eyebrows. Pot noodle and a sandwich One of the strangest sights in Japan was cash-strapped Lotus locked out of their paddock hospitality unit in Suzuka waiting for freight, including engines, because of a row over unpaid bills. French driver Romain Grosjean was forced to chat in the rain to repor ters huddled under umbrellas, while mechanics had to make do with pot noodles and sandwiches from the staff canteen instead of their usual posh catering. Red Bull lose fizz Red Bull’s F1 future has also been plunged into doubt after team principal Christian Horner revealed that owner Dietrich Mateschitz had become “disillusioned” with the sport. The Austrian energy drink giant’s threat to walk away from the sport looks more than a hollow one with diminishing return on investment said to be to blame. With Red Bull yet to secure a competitive engine for next year after their impending split from Renault, the team’s future appears to hinge on striking a deal with Ferrari to supply their power units. — AFP

TOKYO: Surfers wait for waves at Shonan beach in Fujisawa, west of Tokyo. Baseball and softball were joined by youth-oriented sports such as surfing and skateboarding as Japanese organizers yesterday recommended five additional sports with 18 events for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. — AP

Tokyo proposes baseball, surfing for 2020 Games TOKYO: Surfing and baseball could both be included in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics after organizers yesterday announced their final list of new sports to the world governing body. The Tokyo Olympic organizers will propose five sport categories-a baseball/softball joint bid, karate, skateboarding, climbing and surfing-to the International Olympic Committee (IOC), which will formally announce new entries for the 2020 Games ahead of the 2016 Rio Olympics. The Tokyo organizers narrowed down their previous list by dropping bowling, squash and wushu, a type of martial art. Fujio Mitarai, chairman of the committee for selecting new sports, said it picked the five sports as they are popular among younger generations and have wide support in Japan. Under the Olympic reforms approved last December, the IOC has abolished the cap of 28 sports for the summer games while maintaining a limit of 10,500 athletes and 310 medal events. Host cities can propose addi-

tional events. IOC spokesman Mark Adams welcomed the Tokyo proposals, as part of the Agenda 2020 reforms. He said: “This is another concrete step forward in the implementation of Olympic Agenda 2020, showing a new, fresh and very exciting approach to the Olympic Program. “The proposal by Tokyo 2020 reflects the innovative approach of Olympic Agenda 2020, with a particular appeal to youth.” In baseball-mad Japan, the sport-dropped from the Olympics along with softball after the 2008 Beijing Games-would be a money-spinner for Tokyo organizers, worth an estimated extra $50 million in ticket sales. In their presentation to Tokyo officials, surfing officials highlighted the sport’s “sex appeal” to win over organizers, with the option of implementing cutting-edge artificial wave technology. Climbing flagged up its rugged, windswept image, while the roller sports federation promised NBA-style razzmatazz. Karate officials gathered some 720,000 signatures from

across the world to be listed, creating promotion videos showing demonstrations by top players. Local media reported yesterday Tokyo organizers plan to hold some first round baseball/softball games in Fukushima to support its recovery from the 2011 tsunami and nuclear disaster. Fukushima has two baseball stadiums with a capacity of 30,000 each, and “decontamination work was finished in both the stadiums,” a government source told the Sankei Shimbun daily. The tsunami, triggered by a 9.0-magnitude offshore earthquake on March 11, 2011, swamped the emergency power supplies at the Fukushima nuclear plant, sending its reactors into meltdown as cooling systems failed. Many of the tens of thousands of people who evacuated their homes and farms are unlikely to return owing to radiation dangers. The two stadiums are both located in Fukushima prefecture but tens of kilometers away from the “difficult-to-return zone” designated by the government. — AFP

Squash devastated by Tokyo Olympics snub TOKYO: The head of the World Squash Federation (WSF) said he was devastated for the sport’s millions of followers after squash was again overlooked for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Squash was among eight sports shortlisted for possible inclusion at the 2020 Olympics but failed to make the final list of five sports, recommended by Tokyo’s organizers yesterday. The five sports that were proposed for the 2020 Summer Games were baseball/softball, karate, skateboard, sports climbing and surfing. Squash, bowling and wushu all missed out. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) will make the final decision next year on which sports will be accepted for Tokyo, choosing from the five that were recommended. “I don’t believe we could have done more to get our message across to both the Tokyo 2020 Games hosts and the IOC how Squash could bring something special as an addition to the Program,” WSF President Narayana Ramachandran said in a statement. “I

TOKYO: Misaki Oku (right) a member of Japan’s national team, practices karate with her teammates at Kokushikan University in Tokyo. — AP

know I speak on behalf of the millions of squash players around the world for whom the opportunity of seeing their sport participate in the Olympics has been an absolute priority - and, like me, they will be heartbroken.” Squash, played in more than 185 countries, was one of three sports shortlisted for full inclusion at the Tokyo Olympics when the IOC voted on the program at its 125th Session in Buenos Aires two years ago. Wrestling won that vote for inclusion ahead of baseball/softball and squash but the losers were thrown a lifeline when the IOC later decided that future Olympic host cities could select extra sports they wanted to see contested at the Games. “However, this is not the end for squash,” added Ramachandran. “Our sport, played by vast numbers week in and week out, flourishes at every level from recreational to events around the world. “We will go from strength to strength while we continue to target participation at a future date in the Games.” — Reuters

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2015

S P ORTS

Gerrard, Galaxy end scoring drought CARSON: Coach Bruce Arena scoffed at anyone who thought he should be concerned while his LA Galaxy played a full month without scoring a goal in MLS play. One after another, his three biggest stars showed how right he was. Giovani Dos Santos, Robbie Keane and Steven Gerrard scored as the Galaxy climbed atop the overall league standings with a 3-2 victory over FC Dallas on Sunday night. Dos Santos and Keane scored in the first half before Gerrard got his first goal since his MLS debut in the 57th minute. The Galaxy ended their perplexing three-game scoreless stretch when all three of their designated players scored in the same match for the first time. “There’s been nothing wrong with us,” said Arena, whose team hadn’t scored an MLS goal since Aug. 23. “I know you guys all look at the scoreline, and

leave it at that. It’s all a bunch of (nonsense). Our team is going to score goals.” The Galaxy (14-9-8) scored just enough to move past Vancouver and the New York Red Bulls with 50 points in the Supporters’ Shield race. The Whitecaps, Red Bulls and FC Dallas all have games in hand on the defending MLS Cup champions, but that’s another target for Arena’s scorn. “There’s one team that has 50 points, and that’s us,” Arena said. “We’ve got 50 in the bank, and somebody is going to have to (catch up).” The Galaxy were thrilled to get a close-range score in the 57th minute from Gerrard, who had played eight games without a goal since his MLS debut July 17. The former England captain and Liverpool star is playing a defensive role in the Galaxy’s midfield. “I didn’t have a problem with my confidence,” Gerrard

said. “I think the goal is important for the team. We’re at the business end of the season, and it’s all about three points. It’s not about individuals and tallies and who gets what.” Michael Barrios and Atiba Harris scored for FC Dallas (14-10-5), which began the night even with the Galaxy with 47 points. Dallas has lost two straight, but has two games in hand on the Galaxy. “I’d prefer to have the points on the board,” Keane said. “I’d take the points on the board all day long over the games in hand. You have to win the games in hand.” The victory ended a strange five-week stretch without an MLS goal for the Galaxy, who went 0-2-1 and wasted the chance to take a sizable lead in the regular-season race. After a high-profile 5-1 victory over New York City FC last month, the Galaxy were shut out by San Jose, Montreal and

Real Salt Lake. Dos Santos ended the Galaxy’s 290minute scoring drought just 11 minutes in, converting a cross from Gyasi Zardes during a slick sequence of possession started by Robbie Rogers’ adroit header by the sideline. Keane then scored from the top of the penalty area with ample room to shoot after an exceptional touch by Dos Santos. The Irish captain and his Mexican teammate then celebrated by doing the nae nae. Barrios scored a strange goal all by himself later in the half, popping a header just over leaping goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts. Keane hit the crossbar twice in the second half, but Gerrard cleaned up a corner kick in the box. Harris scored rather easily in the 86th minute, but the Galaxy hung on in front of their sixth straight MLS sellout crowd at StubHub Center. — AP

Thanks to butcher - Kalinic revives ‘Batigol’ memories MILAN: Fiorentina fans were yesterday given the chance to hark back to the club’s golden period in Serie A-and it may be partly down to a butcher with a premonition. The last time ‘La Viola’ sat top of Italy’s top flight was in February 1999 when prolific Argentina striker Gabriel Batistuta, known affectionately as ‘Batigol’, was banging the goals in almost at will for the Florencebased club. On Sunday, Fiorentina confirmed their early-season promise by ending a 16-year wait to return to the top thanks to a stunning 4-1 win over Inter Milan that was inspired by a hat-trick from Croatia international striker Nikola Kalinic. Paulo Sousa’s men sit top of the table on 15 points from six games, ahead of Inter on goal difference, with champions Juventus stuck in 15th place, 10 points adrift. Fiorentina’s positive start has been widely attributed to Sousa, a former Benfica, Juventus and Inter midfielder who was

Matches on TV (Local Timings)

UEFA Champions League Barcelona v Bayer 04 beIN SPORTS 1 HD Bate Borisov v AS Roma beIN SPORTS 6 HD Maccabi v Dynamo Kyiv beIN SPORTS 9 HD Lyonnais v Valencia beIN SPORTS 5 HD FC Porto v Chelsea beIN SPORTS 3 HD Bayern Munich v Dinamo beIN SPORTS 4 HD Zenit v KAA Gent beIN SPORTS 7 HD Arsenal v Olympiacos beIN SPORTS 2 HD

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brought in to replace Vincenzo Montella when the coach was sacked last season and whose ideas are said to have breathed new life into the Viola dressing room. But for La Gazzetta dello Sport, a local butcher’s premonition may have played a role, too. In a webclip on the Italian sports daily’s website, an unnamed butcher runs out from behind his counter at a local market to approach Kalinic when he sees him strolling past with a fellow teammate last week. When he recognizes Kalinic, he calls out: “You’re the new number nine, you’re the new Batistuta eh ?” Batistuta, who retired in 2005, still has legendary status throughout Italian football and has even bigger respect among Fiorentina’s fans. He was signed for the club on the back of his performances at the 1991 Copa America and, despite never winning a scudetto with Fiorentina, went on to enjoy the best years of his career at the Stadio Artemio Franchi. Batistuta was Serie A’s top scorer in the 1994-95 season with 26 goals, and he went on to break a 30-year-old record held by Ezio Pascutti by scoring in all of the first 11 matches of the season. In 1996 Fiorentina won the Italian Cup and Supercup, but eventually the Argentinean’s ambition tempted him to move to a bigger club. Having gone close with Fiorentina in 1999, the last time they had topped the league only to finish third, Batistuta signed for Roma in time for the 2000-2001 season. It was a wise move, as Roma went on to claim only their second title and their first since 1983. Kalinic, who left Blackburn Rovers in 2011 after Sam Allardyce was sacked as manager, scored 37 goals in 87 appearances for his former club Dnipro in Ukraine before signing a four-year deal with Fiorentina this season. He has a long way to go if he is to emulate ‘Batigol’, and for the moment the 27year-old Croatian is keeping a lid on his ambitions. “This win doesn’t put us in a position to start thinking we will win the league,” he said. “For now, we’ll be taking it one day at a time.” — AFP

LEICESTER: Arsenal’s Laurent Koscielny (left) and Leicester City’s Jamie Vardy collide during their English Premier League soccer match at the King Power Stadium, Leicester, England on Saturday, Sept 26, 2015. — AP

Sanchez ‘key’ to Arsenal Euro hopes, says Walcott LONDON: Theo Walcott says Alexis Sanchez’s ability to reproduce the form that terrorized Leicester holds the key to Arsenal’s success in the Champions League. Sanchez netted a brilliant hat-trick to inspire Arsenal’s 5-2 thrashing of Leicester on Saturday. The Chile winger hadn’t scored for the Gunners since their FA Cup final win over Aston Villa in May and his early season form had been patchy as he struggled to recover from the draining experience of leading his country to the Copa America title in the closeseason. But Walcott believes the former Barcelona star’s scintillating display at Leicester proved he is back in the groove just in time for a crucial Champions League clash with Greek side Olympiakos today. “I am sure he is going to flourish now with many, many more important goals. It has been a long time coming, he knows that himself. But he is very pleased,” Walcott said. “He is a top-quality player and even when he is not scoring goals he works so hard for us. He tracks back and does a lot for the team.” Gunners boss Arsene Wenger agrees Sanchez is back to his world-class best.

“He is back to his level. He won a big competition with Chile-the Copa America-and to adjust again to a competitive level when you come back takes some time,” Wenger said. “We could see in training already a different player in the last week or two.” Emphatic Walcott was also on the scoresheet with the Gunners’ first goal as they came from behind at the King Power Stadium to end Leicester’s unbeaten run in emphatic fashion. Wenger’s side are now just three points behind Premier League leaders Manchester United, who they host next Sunday. But before that summit meeting, the north Londoners must focus on Europe as they look to revive their Champions League campaign when Olympiakos visit the Emirates Stadium. The Gunners slumped to a 2-1 defeat in their opening Group F fixture at Dinamo Zagreb, where Olivier Giroud was sent off in the first half. That loss leaves little margin for error against the Greeks, so the pressure will be on Walcott if Wenger once again deploys him as Arsenal’s

lone central striker. Walcott impressed in that position at Leicester and, with 12 goals in his last 13 Arsenal starts, he believes it was one of his best displays since a serious knee injury last year. “It will be up there since the knee injury and, before that, the Tottenham game,” he said. “I have always said I want to play up front. The manager has had faith in me and I just want to repay him.” Wenger’s side certainly won’t be able to use unfamiliarity as an excuse if they slip up against Olympiakos as they have faced the Greeks in the group stages in three of the past six Champions League campaigns. Arsenal are unbeaten in eight home games against Olympiakos, winning six and drawing two. Marco Silva’s men started their European campaign with a lackluster 3-0 home defeat against Bayern Munich. And Wenger remains confident of progress to the knockout stages as long as they win all three of their matches at the Emirates. “Mathematically we can qualify without any problem if we can produce our performances that we want at home,” he said. — AFP

FIFA’s ethics committee at the centre of Blatter-Platini storm

LIVERPOOL: Aston Villa’s Rudy Gestede (left) and Liverpool’s Martin Skrtel battle for the ball during their English Premier League soccer match at Anfield, Liverpool, England on Saturday, Sept 26, 2015. — AP

Liverpool’s players back Rodgers after Villa win LONDON: Brendan Rodgers still has the support of the Liverpool dressing room and criticism of the manager has united the squad, midfielders James Milner and Lucas said after their 3-2 win over Aston Villa eased some pressure on their beleaguered boss. Rodgers lashed out at his critics after Saturday’s game, claiming there was a conspiracy to oust from his job and condemning the “hysteria” over his future after a poor run resulted in managers such as Carlo Ancelotti and Jurgen Klopp being tipped to replace him by sections of the media. “There is a group of people that don’t want me here,” the Northern Irishman told reporters after the Villa win, which sent his side up to seventh in the Premier League table and five points behind leaders Manchester United. “I am talking about people outside of here. I think it is pretty clear. Sometimes we haven’t lost games and the hysteria around it is pretty clear. There is maybe something else going on from behind.” Milner, who scored Liverpool’s first

goal and pulled the strings in midfield alongside Lucas during a much-improved performance in which Daniel Sturridge scored for the first time since March, also lashed out at the recent criticism of his team’s form and backed Rogers to turn things around. “A lot of things that have been said are disappointing and frustrating really,” the England international said, quoted by the Liverpool Echo. “I’ve been really impressed with the manager. Preparation here is second to none. “There’s people giving criticism from outside the club but I think Manchester City have lost more games than us this season. “You have to stick together,” the 29-year-old added. Milner’s midfield partner Lucas dedicated the win to his manager. “We wanted to win for the manager,” the Brazilian said. “We know what has been said about him and we think we showed we are a group of players behind him and trying to make everything right. “We know the pressure is on him but we wanted to play the way he wants us to play, and I think we did that.” — Reuters

LAUSANNE: A criminal case in Switzerland may not be what forces Sepp Blatter from FIFA’s presidency. FIFA’s own ethics committee-which includes an investigative arm and a branch responsible for judgmentcould prompt Blatter’s suspension regardless of whether the Swiss attorney general ultimately files charges against him. The increasingly powerful committee could also derail UEFA President Michel Platini’s hopes of succeeding Blatter, making the panel a crucial body to watch amid the multiple and expanding crises shaking world football. How does it work? FIFA’s ethics committee changed significantly in 2012, when it gained the right to open inquiries without approval from the secretary general. “This was a fundamental modification that strongly reinforced it’s independence,” said a former high-level FIFA official, who requested anonymity. Committee spokesman Andreas Bantel would not comment on specifics related to Blatter or Platini over the weekend, but said the panel initiates a probe “if there is an initial suspicion,” underscoring that this applied to all FIFA officials, regardless of rank. The criteria of “initial suspicion” has almost certainly been reached with respect to Blatter, after Swiss prosecutors on Friday said he was being investigated over the 2005 sale of World Cup television rights to the Caribbean Football Union, then run by his former ally Jack Warner, a deal which had allegedly been “unfavorable for FIFA”. Platini has been questioned by Swiss investigators in connection with a murky $2 million payment he received from Blatter in 2011, allegedly made for work the Frenchman carried out for FIFA between 1999 and 2002. An inquiry by the ethics committee would not automatically trigger Blatter’s suspension, but, with the long-serving president having already committed to leaving in February, the pressure for him to stand aside could rise to unprecedented levels. Platini had been the favorite to succeed Blatter, but former FIFA insiders have said that being the subject of an open ethics probe could make it impossible for him to win the presidency.

ZURICH: File photo shows FIFA President Sepp Blatter (left) shaking hands with UEFA President Michel Platini after being re-elected following a vote to decide on the FIFA presidency in Zurich. UEFA chief Michel Platini revealed in a letter sent yesterday to 54 European UEFA federations, that a payment made to him from Blatter had been “fully declared” to authorities. — AFP Who is in charge? American prosecutor Michael Garcia led the investigative branch until last year, when it looked into bidding for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, awarded to Russia and Qatar respectively. Garcia resigned in furious protest, after what he described as the whitewashing of his findings. He was replaced by Cornel Borbely, a 36year-old former prosecutor in Zurich, who specializes in economic crimes. “I am the only one who decides when to open, conduct and close an investigation,” Borbely said in March. “I am totally independent of every FIFA member. If I wasn’t, I wouldn’t have taken this job.” The modifications made in 2012 technically give

the committee unilateral authority on the cases it takes and its scope of inquiry. Borbely’s investigative unit has six other members. The panel responsible for judgment is led by the German judge Hans-Joachim Eckert and has seven other members. Under current rules, the investigative branch can withhold the names of individuals facing inquiry. Among the most prominent sanctions leveled by the ethics committee in recent years was the lifetime suspension of Chuck Blazer, a former FIFA executive committee member whose cooperation with the FBI has been central to the US indictments against nine ex-FIFA officials and five sports marketing executives. — AFP

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2015

S P ORTS

Dinamo’s 45-match unbeaten run faces Bayern test BERLIN: Dinamo Zagreb face a huge test of their 45match unbeaten run in all competitions when they visit Bayern Munich’s Allianz Arena fortress in today’s Champions League clash. Pep Guardiola’s Bayern won all six home games in Europe last season and even eventual winners Barcelona succumbed to a 3-2 semi-final second leg defeat in Munich after brushing aside the Germans 3-0 in the first leg. Bayern scored 22 goals in Munich in last season’s Champions League, including a 7-0 drubbing of Shakhtar Donetsk in the last-16 and 6-1 quarter-final thrashing of FC Porto. Both Bayern and Dinamo won their opening Group F games this season as the Germans enjoyed a 3-0 win at Olympiakos while Zagreb produced a shock 2-1 win at home to Arsenal after Oliver Giroud’s first-half dismissal. Dinamo’s last defeat in any competition was when they were beaten 1-0 by Romanian side FC Astra Giurgiu in the Europa League’s group stages last November. Buoyed by beating the Gunners, Zagreb coach Zoran Mamic is daring to dream of beating Bayern in their own backyard after his side warmedup for the trip with a 4-1 win over NK Osijek in the Croatian league. “It’s normal to think we can play the best match in the club’s history and they can have one of the worst nights in their history,” said the Dinamo boss drily. “Everything is possible in sport. If we put in a performance like the one against Arsenal, we can get a positive result.” Bayern have won all eight of their matches since losing the pre-season German Super Cup final at

routed 5-1 at the Allianz Arena, plus two more in Saturday’s 3-0 win at Mainz. Bayern have two big matches this week as they host German rivals Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga on Sunday and their goal is clear. “The points have to remain in Munich,” said Lewandowski, referring to both matches. Having scored his 100th and 101st German league goals against Mainz, the Poland hot-shot wants to extent his purple patch against the Croatian league and cup champions. “It’s just incredible. He succeeds at everything he does at the moment. Of course we’re happy to make the most of it,” said Lahm as Lewandowski became the fastest foreigner into the Bundesliga’s exclusive club. ‘Surprise and confuse’ Certainly, Lewandowski’s purple patch even drew a rare joke out of Bayern’s director of sport Matthias Sammer amidst talk of a ‘goal-scoring crisis’ after the Poland striker ‘only’ scored twice in Mainz following his five goals. “He only scored two goals. But we’ll turn a blind eye to that,” quipped Sammer. Dinamo’s Croatia international Josip Pivaric will be one of the defenders handed the unenviable task of making sure Lewandowski has a quiet night in Munich. “We’ll do everything we can to surprise and confuse them,” said the Croatia international. “We need to play the match first and then talk about who is the better team. “Of course, they are one of the best teams in the world, but I hope today will be a great day for us.” — AFP

MUNICH: Bayern Munich’s Spanish defender Xabi Alonso (right) laughs next to Bayern Munich’s Brazilian defender Rafinha (left) during the last team training on the eve of the football Champions League Group F match between FC Bayern Munich and GNK Dinamo Zagreb at the club ground area in Munich. — AFP Wolfsburg on penalties and are targeting a fifth con- ahead of the Zagreb clash. Their Poland striker Robert secutive semi-final appearance in the Champions Lewandowski is in amazing form with seven goals in League. “If we put in our usual performance, we’ll just two games including his historic five-goal haul in take the three points,” said captain Philipp Lahm nine minutes last Tuesday, when Wolfsburg were

Barca life without Messi begins with Leverkusen MADRID: European champions Barcelona begin a two-month stretch without Lionel Messi when Bayer Leverkusen visit the Camp Nou today hoping to take advantage of the Argentine’s absence. Messi suffered a torn left knee ligament as Barca squeezed past Las Palmas 2-1 at the weekend. Luis Suarez carried the mantle after Messi’s departure with a double to ensure the Catalans got back to winning ways after being hammered 4-1 by Celta Vigo in their previous outing. And much more will be needed of Suarez and Neymar in the coming weeks as Barca’s stretched and injury-ridden squad faces up to eight games without Messi. “He is the best in the world and logically we will miss him a lot,” said midfielder Sergio Busquets. With Claudio Bravo, Thomas Vermaelen and Rafinha also sidelined by injury, coach Luis Enrique has just 15 senior outfield players to choose from in the coming weeks. “We are having a lot of bad luck with injuries, even more so when we can’t register players.” Barca are serving a one-year ban from registering new players for breaking FIFA’s rules on the signing of minors. And the club’s appeal to world football’s governing body to register one of their two summer signings, Arda Turan and Aleix Vidal, due to the injury crisis has fallen on deaf ears. “It is an extra test and motivation for our team,” said Enrique. “In these moments is when you see what we are made of and I

have no doubt that we are going to be fine.” Leverkusen have particularly bad memories of being faced with Messi’s magic as he scored five in a 7-1 humiliation the last time the Germans visited Barcelona in the last-16 back in 2012. However, the club’s sporting director Rudi Voeller claimed he wasn’t pleased to hear Messi will be out of action. “That hurts to hear, he’s always a joy to watch,” said the former Germany international. Leverkusen lead Group E after a 4-1 win over BATE Borisov on matchday one, whilst Roma held Barca 1-1 in the Italian capital. Coach Roger Schmidt left winger Kevin Kampl, ex-Manchester United and Real Madrid striker Javier Hernandez and free-kick specialist Hakan Calhanoglu out of the starting line-up as Leverkusen won 3-0 away at Werder Bremen on Saturday. Kampl came on to score the third goal after Swiss forward Admir Mehmedi and Germany Under-21 winger Julian Brandt had netted for the visitors. “We’ll give it our all in Barcelona,” said former Borussia Dortmund forward Kampl. “This is the sort of game you dream about as a footballer.” Messi’s absence may avoid embarrassment for the Germans off the field as well. Manuel Friedrich and Michal Kadlec were forced to auction the Messi shirts they received from the four-time World Player of the Year for charity by Voeller after fighting over the right to take the souvenir home three years ago. — AFP

SANT JOAN DESPI: Barcelona’s Chilean goalkeeper Claudio Bravo jumps for a ball during a training session at the Sports Center FC Barcelona Joan Gamper in Sant Joan Despi, near Barcelona on the eve of the UEFA Champions League Group E football match between FC Barcelona and Bayer Leverkusen. — AFP

Lacazette blames Lyon boss ahead of CL match

LONDON: Chelsea’s Serbian defender Branislav Ivanovic (center) takes part in a training session at Chelsea’s training ground in Stoke D’Abernon, south of London on the eve of their UEFA Champions League Group G football match against Porto. — AFP

Mourinho goes back to Porto as Chelsea seek comfort in Europe PORTO: In the midst of a frustrating start to the season, Jose Mourinho returns to Portugal today as Chelsea face his old side FC Porto in the Champions League. The London club are looking to make it two wins out of two in Group G after their straightforward 4-0 victory against Maccabi Tel-Aviv at Stamford Bridge two weeks ago, but they must improve on another poor performance in the Premier League at the weekend. Chelsea had to come from two goals down to draw 2-2 away to struggling Newcastle United on Saturday, with Brazilian duo Ramires and Willian scoring to rescue a point for the English champions. Mourinho later admitted that the first-half performance at St James’ Park was Chelsea’s worst under his management, rating it as “minus one” and adding: “When you have so many bad individual performances, it’s impossible for a team to be a team.” But as the Blues linger in 15th place having won just two of seven Premier League games, a trip to his old home is the type of fixture which tends to galvanize Mourinho. It is not the first time he has returned to Porto since leaving the Portuguese giants as a hero after leading them to Champions League glory in 2004 with a 3-0 final win against Monaco. Later that year he went back as Chelsea manager, and with John Terry as his captain, and oversaw a 2-1 group-stage defeat as the two clubs qualified for the knockout rounds. In 2007, Andriy Shevchenko’s goal secured a

1-1 draw at the Estadio do Dragao to help Chelsea to a 3-2 aggregate victory in the last 16. Mourinho would love another positive result this time with draining trips to Dynamo Kiev and Israel still to come, and he can call on the services of bruising centre-forward Diego Costa for the trip to the banks of the Douro. Costa is currently serving a suspension for violent conduct in domestic competition but he can play in Portugal, so the chances of Radamel Falcao facing the club for whom he starred between 2009 and 2011 appear slim. Casillas meets old enemy There will be other reunions, though, and Porto goalkeeper Iker Casillas will surely be determined to get one over on Mourinho after the two fell out during their time together at Real Madrid. Casillas was sidelined during Mourinho’s final months in charge in Madrid in 2013 and never really recovered, eventually leaving the Santiago Bernabeu for a new challenge with Porto this summer. He was in goal as Porto drew 2-2 away to Dynamo Kiev in their first group game, with Cameroon striker Vincent Aboubakar scoring both Porto goals in Ukraine. Porto also drew 2-2 at the weekend, throwing away a lead twice away to Moreirense, although they remain unbeaten and are top of the Portuguese league, level on points with Sporting Lisbon and two ahead of champions Benfica. —AFP

PARIS: Alexandre Lacazette looks a shadow of the player who was banging in goals for Lyon last season. In his defense, the France international has been hampered by back pain as he managed just one goal in six league games so far. But the main reason behind his lack of cutting edge, which is worrying Lyon fans ahead of today’s reception of Valencia in the Champions League (CL), lies somewhere else in the back of his mind. The 24-year-old striker feels he has been betrayed by the club he has been playing for since he was a 10-year-old boy. In an interview with L’Equipe newspaper on Monday, Lacazette said he was hurt by Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas’s decision to speak publicly about the details of their contract negotiations this summer. “Maybe things will get better after this interview,” said Lacazette, the league’s best scorer last season with 27 goals. “It affects you. You want to think about something else but you just can’t.” Lacazette was involved in tough negotiations with Aulas, who said last June he had offered a gross salary of four million euros ($4.42 million) a year to keep his star player. Lacazette, who expected more money, finally agreed on a contract extension until 2019 with an annual salary of 4.2 million euros ($4.7 million). “I would have preferred that he did just like in any negotiations,” Lacazette said. “He could have told me ‘This is too much.’ He should not have used that method that makes me look like someone I’m not.” After Aulas’ comments became public, Lacazette said he had to justify himself to his family, because his grandmother struggled to understand how he could “spit on as much money.” Lacazette, whose technical skills prompted interest from big European clubs such as Manchester City and Arsenal last season, also rued the lack of public support from coach Hubert Fournier after he missed a penalty against Gent as Lyon settled for a 1-1 draw against the Belgian side in their Champions League opener. Zenit St Petersburg hosts Gent in the group’s other match, with the Russian side looking for a second straight win. Here are some things to know about today’s Group H matches: Goalkeeping woes Zenit goalkeeper Yuri Lodygin is a man under pressure. Respected for his athleticism and acrobatic saves, Lodygin’s sometimes dubious decision making has called his place in the team into question. Against Spartak Moscow on Saturday, he was twice caught badly out of position, allowing Spartak to score and depriving Zenit of a win as the game ended 2-2. Should coach Andre Villas-Boas decide to risk a replacement for Gent’s visit today, the likely stand-in would be Mikhail Kerzhakov, signed from Anzhi

Makhachkala in June. Former Russian national team keeper Vyacheslav Malafeev, 36, is also still in Zenit’s squad but has played only three times in the last 12 months in all competitions and often appears more focused on his real estate business. Speculation over the future of VillasBoas remains a distraction too. He has said he plans to leave at the end of the season, and that he wanted to leave in the summer but was blocked by club management. Now, with Zenit eight points off the top of the Russian league following a shaky start to the season, the club’s chief executive has been forced to deny that Villas-Boas is due to be fired. No more buyings in Lyon With Nabil Fekir out for several months with a knee injury, Lyon showed its offensive limitations in a 3-1 loss at Bordeaux over the weekend. A result that highlighted the need for more firepower, although club president Jean-Michel Aulas remains satisfied with his squad. Lyon invested on new players during the offseason and Aulas does not see the need to pursue another striker as a medical joker for domestic matches, as allowed by French league’s rules. “It would be a strategic mistake,” Aulas said. “We’ve got two experienced players up front (Lacazette and Claudio Beauvue), two other emerging players (Aldo Kalulu and Maxwel

Cornet), and Rachid Ghezzal. We just need to have less injured players.” Lyon missed eight injured players against Bordeaux. Gent on the up After securing a 1-1 draw against Lyon despite finishing the game two men down, AA Gent started playing with more confidence in the Belgian league too. It beat Standard Liege 41 and last weekend the Belgian champions clinched their first away win, 3-1 at Beveren, to move joint third in the league. Against the might of Zenit striker Hulk, Gent will be without its Swedish international defender Erik Johansson who is out with a knee injury. Valencia prepared Argentina defender Lucas Orban will use his experience of the French league against Lyon. Orban played for Bordeaux at the Stade de Gerland in a 1-1 draw against Lyon two years ago and knows how gritty the French league defense can be. He has also been studying video footage of Lyon and was impressed by what “a hard team to beat” they looked. Valencia has already played two games against French league opposition this season as the Spanish side beat Monaco in the Champions League playoffs this summer. — AP

Champions League tables PARIS: Champions League tables ahead of the second round of group matches this midweek (played, won, drawn, lost, goals for, goals against, points): 1 1 1 1

1 1 0 0

0 0 0 0

0 0 1 1

4 2 0 0

0 0 2 4

3 3 0 0

Group E Leverkusen Barcelona Roma BATE

1 1 1 1

1 0 0 0

0 1 1 0

0 0 0 1

4 1 1 1

1 1 1 4

3 1 1 0

Group B PSV Eindhoven 1 VfL Wolfsburg 1 CSKA Moscow 1 Manchester United 1

1 1 0 0

0 0 0 0

0 0 1 1

2 1 0 1

1 0 1 2

3 3 0 0

Group F Bayern Munich Dinamo Zagreb Arsenal Olympiakos

1 1 1 1

1 1 0 0

0 0 0 0

0 0 1 1

3 2 1 0

0 1 2 3

3 3 0 0

Group C Atletico Madrid Benfica Astana Galatasaray

1 1 1 1

1 1 0 0

0 0 0 0

0 0 1 1

2 2 0 0

0 0 2 2

3 3 0 0

Group G Chelsea Dynamo Kiev FC Porto Maccabi Tel Aviv

1 1 1 1

1 0 0 0

0 1 1 0

0 0 0 1

4 2 2 0

0 2 2 4

3 1 1 0

Group D Sevilla Juventus Manchester City M’gladbach

1 1 1 1

1 1 0 0

0 0 0 0

0 0 1 1

3 2 1 0

0 1 2 3

3 3 0 0

Group H Zenit Gent Lyon Valencia

1 1 1 1

1 0 0 0

0 1 1 0

0 0 0 1

3 1 1 2

2 1 1 3

3 1 1 0

Group A Real Madrid PSG Malmo Shakhtar Donetsk

Mourinho goes back to Porto as Chelsea seek Europe comfort

Squash world devastated by Tokyo Olympics snub

19

17

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2015

FIFA ethics committee at the centre of Blatter-Platini storm

Page 18

DETROIT: Detroit Lions running back Joique Bell (35) loses control of the ball after crossing the goal line for a touchdown during the first half of an NFL football game against the Denver Broncos on Sunday, Sept 27, 2015. — AP

Brady joins elite club with 400 TD passes Broncos tame Lions to make it 3-0 for season LOS ANGELES: New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady on Sunday became just the fourth player to throw 400 career touchdown passes in the National Football League (NFL). Just before half-time, Brady found wide receiver Danny Amendola in the end zone from one yard as the reigning Super Bowl champion Patriots took control against the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Patriots led the Jaguars 20-3 at the interval before rolling to a commanding 51-17 victory. “It was a good day, so it’s fun to be out there,” Brady told reporters after completing 33 of 42 passes for 358 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions as New England improved to 3-0. “I think everyone enjoyed it. “It was a good performance by our offense, a good team win. It was a good week of practice. A lot of guys made plays, so I was happy. It was a great day out there for football.” Brady joins an elite club. Peyton Manning of the Denver Broncos is the all-time NFL leader with 533 touchdown passes ahead of Sunday night’s game against Detroit, followed by the retired Brett Favre (508) and Dan Marino (420). A four-time Super Bowl champion with New England, Brady started this season after a federal judge overturned a four-game suspension imposed by the NFL for his alleged role in deflating footballs during a playoff game last season. He has once again proved his value as one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time, guiding his team to a 3-0 start, and he received boisterous cheers from the Patriots crowd on Sunday as they repeatedly chanted his name. “We’ve had some great support here over the years,” Brady said of the fans. “I always say I hope we can give them something to cheer about out there. “We’ve got great fans ... It was a special day. I’ve been a part of so many great teams and played with so many great players. I’ve always said I don’t care whether we run it in or we throw it in. “As long as we score points and we’re winning, it makes it fun for me. It’s still early. There’s a lot to improve on. We get a little break here, but we come back to work, and see if we can make some improvements and try to get to 4-0.” Steelers 12, Rams 6 Ben Roethlisberger was carted off the field with a knee injury in the second half and Pittsburgh’s defense came through to give the Steelers a 12-6 victory over the St Louis Rams on Sunday. Le’Veon Bell scored from a yard out in the first half in his first game back after a suspension, but the Steelers’ focus will be on the status of their star quarterback. Roethlisberger’s leg got caught underneath him on a diving, sliding sack by Mark Barron. There was no immediate word on the extent of Roethlisberger’s injury. Will Allen’s interception with 1:56 left set up a field goal by Josh Scobee to put Pittsburgh (2-1) ahead by six points. Falcons 39, Cowboys 28 Matt Ryan and Julio Jones connected for two touchdowns and Devonta Freeman ran for 141 yards and three scores as Atlanta beat Dallas in the Cowboys’ first game without Tony Romo and Dez Bryant. Freeman’s third score early in the fourth quarter capped a rally from a trio of 14-point deficits for the Falcons (3-0), who didn’t win their third game until Week 10 last year, and Week 13 in 2013. Jones had his third straight 100yard game to start the season, finishing with 164 and a clinching 2-yard score in the fourth quarter. The Cowboys (2-1) had a six-game winning streak in the regular season broken in backup quarterback Brandon Weeden’s ninth straight loss as a starter. Weeden completed his first 16 passes to start the sea-

son, but the run ended with a second-quarter interception that turned the game in the Falcons’ favor. SEAHAWKS 26, BEARS 0 Tyler Lockett returned the second-half kickoff 105 yards for a touchdown, Russell Wilson connected with Jimmy Graham on a 30-yard TD, and the Seahawks routed the undermanned Bears. Seattle led just 6-0 at halftime, but Lockett started a huge second half as he went untouched on a perfectly executed return, the longest in franchise history. Later in the quarter, Wilson found Graham across the middle for his second touchdown catch this season. Steven Hauschka added four field goals and the Seahawks started the process of erasing an 0-2 start. Chicago (0-3) was shut out for the first time since 2002 and the fourth time since 1990. Jimmy Clausen started at quarterback in place of Jay Cutler and was 9 of 17 for 63 yards. CARDINALS 47, 49ERS 7 Carson Palmer threw for 311 yards and Arizona returned two of Colin Kaepernick’s first four passes for touchdowns. Larry Fitzgerald caught nine passes for 134 yards and two touchdowns and Chris Johnson rushed for 110 yards and two scores for the Cardinals (3-0), who won at Chicago 48-23 last week. It’s the first time the franchise has had two 40-point victories in a row since 1969 and its largest margin of victory since a 44-0 win over Houston in 1970. Kaepernick threw a careerworst four interceptions, two by Tyrann Mathieu, and finished 9 for 19 for 67 yards. BRONCOS 24, LIONS 12 Peyton Manning converted a fourth down with a 45-yard touchdown pass to Demaryius Thomas with 5 seconds left in the first half, and threw an 11-yard TD pass to Owen Daniels with 2:28 remaining to lead Denver to victory. The last time the Broncos (3-0) won their first three games was in 2013, when they reached the Super Bowl. The Lions (0-3) are off to their

worst start since 2010, when they finished 6-10. Aqib Talib blocked an extra-point kick early in the second quarter to keep Denver’s one-point lead. The Broncos later stopped a 2-point conversion run, keeping them ahead 14-12 early in the third quarter. Matthew Stafford had three turnovers, including a fumble and interception at midfield in the fourth quarter.

Bradford threw a TD pass to Ryan Mathews, who also rushed for 108 yards while starting in place of the injured DeMarco Murray. The Eagles (1-2) improved to 10-0 all-time against the Jets (2-1), who were coming off a victory at Indianapolis last Monday night. Ryan Fitzpatrick threw touchdown passes to Brandon Marshall and Jeremy Kerley, but was intercepted three times.

BILLS 41, DOLPHINS 14 Tyrod Taylor threw for 277 yards and three scores in his first NFL road start. The Bills totaled 429 yards, intercepted Ryan Tannehill three times in the first half, and led 27-0 before Miami scored late in the third quarter. Buffalo (2-1) bounced back from a dismal loss at home to New England. The Dolphins (1-2), who began the season with high hopes of ending a seven-year playoff drought, fell into last place in the AFC East with their second consecutive loss. The Bills improved to 5-2 against Miami over the past four years. They’re 18-26 against everyone else during that span. The victory was especially sweet for former Dolphins Richie Incognito and Charles Clay, who were co-captains for Buffalo.

RAIDERS 27, BROWNS 20 Derek Carr threw two touchdown passes, Latavius Murray rushed for 139 yards and Oakland ended an 11-game road losing streak. Carr connected with Andre Holmes and Seth Roberts in the first half and the Raiders (2-1) held off a late Cleveland comeback to win their first road game since Nov 17, 2013. The Browns (1-2) were driving for a tying TD in the final minute, but Charles Woodson intercepted Josh McCown with 38 seconds left Carr, who went 0-8 on the road as a rookie in 2014, finished 20 of 32 for 134 yards.

TEXANS 19, BUCCANEERS 9 Ryan Mallett threw for threw for 228 yards and a touchdown and Alfred Blue had 139 yards rushing for Houston’s first win of the season. Mallett gave Houston (1-2) the lead on a 5-yard touchdown pass to DeAndre Hopkins on the opening drive. The Buccaneers (1-2) went up 9-7 on a TD catch by Charles Sims in the second quarter. Bucs kicker Kyle Brindza, who made a 58yard field goal early in the second quarter, missed an extra point and three field goals in the second half. Jameis Winston threw for 261 yards with a touchdown and an interception for Tampa Bay. EAGLES 24, JETS 17 Darren Sproles returned a punt 89 yards for a score and added a 1-yard touchdown run for Philadelphia’s first win. Sam

NFL results/standings Atlanta 39, Dallas 28; Indianapolis 35, Tennessee 33; Oakland 27, Cleveland 20; Cincinnati 28, Baltimore 24; New England 51, Jacksonville 17; Carolina 27, New Orleans 22; Philadelphia 24, NY Jets 17; Houston 19, Tampa Bay 9; Minnesota 31, San Diego 14; Pittsburgh 12, St. Louis 6; Arizona 47, San Francisco 7; Buffalo 41, Miami 14; Seattle 26, Chicago 0; Denver 24, Detroit 12.

New England Buffalo NY Jets Miami Cincinnati Pittsburgh Cleveland Baltimore Indianapolis Tennessee Houston Jacksonville Denver Oakland Kansas City San Diego

American Football Conference AFC East W L T OTL PF 3 0 0 0 119 2 1 0 0 100 2 1 0 0 68 1 2 0 0 51 AFC North 3 0 0 0 85 2 1 0 0 76 1 2 0 0 58 0 3 0 0 70 AFC South 1 2 0 0 56 1 2 0 0 89 1 2 0 0 56 1 2 0 0 49 AFC West 3 0 0 0 74 2 1 0 0 77 1 1 0 0 51 1 2 0 0 66

PA 70 68 41 74

PCT 1.000 .667 .667 .333

56 52 72 84

1.000 .667 .333 0

Green Bay Minnesota Detroit Chicago

80 77 60 91

.333 .333 .333 .333

Carolina Atlanta Tampa Bay New Orleans

49 86 51 83

1.000 .667 .500 .333

Arizona St. Louis San Francisco Seattle

Dallas NY Giants Washington Philadelphia

National Football Conference NFC East 2 1 0 0 75 1 2 0 0 78 1 2 0 0 55 1 2 0 0 58 NFC North 2 0 0 0 58 2 1 0 0 60 0 3 0 0 56 0 3 0 0 46 NFC South 3 0 0 0 71 3 0 0 0 89 1 2 0 0 49 0 3 0 0 60 NFC West 3 0 0 0 126 1 2 0 0 50 1 2 0 0 45 1 2 0 1 74

75 72 59 63

.667 .333 .333 .333

40 50 83 105

1.000 .667 0 0

48 72 80 84

1.000 1.000 .333 0

49 67 93 61

1.000 .333 .333 .333

BENGALS 28, RAVENS 24 Andy Dalton threw a 7-yard touchdown pass to AJ Green with 2:10 left, and Cincinnati remained unbeaten. Baltimore dropped to 0-3 for the first time in team history. The Bengals (30) blew a 14-0 lead and twice trailed in the fourth quarter before Dalton brought them back by repeatedly picking apart the porous Baltimore pass defense. Dalton went 20 for 32 for 383 yards and three touchdowns. His favorite target was Green, who finished with 10 catches for a career-high 227 yards and two scores. Baltimore lost despite getting 362 yards passing from Joe Flacco, who twice connected with Steve Smith for touchdowns. Smith had 13 catches for 186 yards COLTS 35, TITANS 33 Andrew Luck threw two touchdown passes 56 seconds apart in the fourth quarter as he rallied Indianapolis. Luck improved to 7-0 against Tennessee with another stunning comeback. The Colts (1-2) trailed 27-14 before Luck got going. He drove the Colts 98 yards before hitting Phillip Dorsett on a 35-yard TD with 6:49 left. Dwight Lowery intercepted two passes by rookie Marcus Mariota, one for a 69-yard TD. The Titans (12) have lost 13 of 14 against their AFC South rival. PANTHERS 27, SAINTS 22 Cam Newton threw for 315 yards and a pair of touchdowns to tight end Greg Olsen and also ran for a score. Luke McCown, starting in place of the injured Drew Brees, completed 31 of 38 passes for 310 yards but it wasn’t enough to save the Saints (03). It was the first game Brees has missed because of injury since joining the Saints in 2006. Newton ran for a 13-yard TD on a bootleg as the Panthers started 3-0 for the first time since reaching the Super Bowl in the 2003 season. Panthers cornerback Josh Norman sealed the game with a leaping interception in the end zone with 1:09 remaining. VIKINGS 31, CHARGERS 14 Adrian Peterson plowed through San Diego’s defense for 126 yards and two touchdowns on 20 rushes in three quarters. Chad Greenway scored on a 91-yard interception return for the Vikings (2-1). The Chargers are 1-2. Rivers was pulled for Kellen Clemens midway through the fourth quarter when the deficit reached 24 points. Sacked four times for a loss of 28 yards, Rivers went 21 for 34 for 246 yards with two turnovers and took a hard hit to the midsection from Anthony Barr in the third quarter.— Agencies

GCC begins to tackle subsidy reform to ease fiscal burden

Business

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US consumer spending up 0.4%

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2015

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flydubai receives its 50th aircraft

A car for the 21st century Page 26

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PORTLAND: The Royal Dutch Shell PLC icebreaker Fennica heads up the Willamette River under protesters hanging from the St Johns Bridge on its way to Alaska in Portland. Royal Dutch Shell will cease exploration in Arctic waters off Alaska’s coast following disappointing results from an exploratory well backed by billions in investment and years of work. (Inset) Shell Oil Co President Marvin Odum gestures while speaking in Anchorage, Alaska. — AP

Shell pulls the plug on Arctic exploration Withdrawal from search for Alaskan oil to cost further $4.1bn LONDON: Royal Dutch Shell said yesterday it was halting its search for oil off the Alaskan coast, with environmentalists claiming a huge victory in their battle to protect local wildlife. The Anglo-Dutch energy giant said in a statement that its Burger J well in the Chukchi Sea, off the northwest coast of Alaska, did not warrant further exploration owing to insufficient oil and gas being located and because of regulatory uncertainties. Shell, describing its decision to pull out of Alaska as “disappointing”, added that its withdrawal would cost it $4.1 billion (3.7 billion euros), heaping further pressure on a company and sector hit by sliding oil prices. The energy titan, which began drilling in July after US President Barack Obama approved the explo-

ration, said Alaska remained an area of major importance for US energy supply. With this in mind, Greenpeace urged Obama to ban all energy companies from launching drilling projects in the region. “Big oil has sustained an unmitigated defeat,” Greenpeace’s UK executive director John Sauven said in a statement. “Now President Obama should use his remaining months in office to say that no other oil company will be licensed to drill in the American Arctic.” Greenpeace’s petition to “Save the Arctic” has seven million signatures from around the globe, including a number of high-profile celebrities. “They had a budget of billions, we had a movement of millions,” noted Sauven in

Foreigners boost Egypt; Gulf mixed as it opens after Eid MIDEAST STOCK MARKETS DUBAI: Egypt’s stock market climbed on the back of buying by foreign investors as it reopened yesterday after a long Eid AlAdha holiday, while Gulf bourses were narrowly mixed as oil prices stayed low. The main Cairo index rose 0.9 percent from last Tuesday’s close to finish at 7,409 points in active trade, with exchange data showing Arab and non-Arab foreign investors were net buyers. The rise was technically bullish as it confirmed a positive short-term reversal pattern for the market, which has been in a downtrend since February. The index’s rise above the early September peak of 7,324 points triggered a bullish right triangle formed by the highs and lows since late August; the height of the pattern points the index up to the 8,000-point area in coming weeks. Amer Group surged 5.4 percent after saying it had won regulatory approval for a previously announced plan to split into two companies, which it said would create more business opportunities and boost trading in its shares. A new firm, Porto, would handle projects including resorts and spas. Commercial International Bank (CIB) added 2.0 percent to 54.01 Egyptian pounds in its highest trading volume in nearly three months. In a report on Sunday, NBK Capital maintained a “buy” call on the stock with a fair value of 64.40 pounds. It

said that although depreciation of the Egyptian pound, pending government reforms and the feasibility of economic development projects remained risks for CIB, it was attractively valued at 1.6 times its projected book value in 2017. A third index constituent, Arab Cotton Ginning, also buoyed the market, rising 3.7 percent. The mood was much less enthusiastic in the oil exporting Gulf, as Brent crude dropped 2.0 percent to below $48 a barrel on concern about a weak global economic outlook. Dubai’s index slipped 0.8 percent as trading continued to focus on low-priced, speculative shares favoured by local retail investors. As more investors returned from their Eid holidays, trading volume rose from Sunday, when it was the smallest since April 2013, but it was still low. GFH Financial, the most heavily traded stock, fell 0.2 percent. Blue chip Emaar Properties lost 1.1 percent. Abu Dhabi’s index gained 0.5 percent but this was mainly because of a 5.9 percent jump in thinly traded Abu Dhabi National Energy Co, which stayed inside its trading range of the past month. Six of the 10 most heavily traded stocks were lower. Kuwait’s market resumed trading after its break for Eid and its index edged up 0.2 percent, with activity concentrated in secondtier stocks. Investors Holding, the most heavily traded, surged 7.4 percent. — Reuters

reference to the money invested by Shell in the failed project. “The ‘unpredictable regulatory environment’ that forced Shell out of the Arctic is otherwise known as massive pressure from more than seven million people. “For three years we faced them down, and the people won,” he added. Friends of the Earth chief executive Craig Bennett called yesterday’s announcement “wonderful news for the people and wildlife of the Arctic region, but it must become a turning point in the fight to prevent catastrophic climate change”. “Just think what the seven billion dollars Shell spent in the Arctic could have done for our climate and energy system if it had been invested in solar, wind and tidal power, rather than being wasted on looking for yet more oil,”

he said. Environmental groups oppose drilling in the Arctic owing to the vulnerability of animals already struggling to survive because of melting sea ice, as well as the risk that a spill could pose to the region. In 2010, the explosion of the BP-leased Deepwater Horizon rig in the Gulf of Mexico killed 11 people and spewed 4.9 million barrels of oil into the ocean. High costs Shell said its Burger J well would be sealed, adding that it would “cease further exploration activity in offshore Alaska for the foreseeable future”. It cited “the high costs associated with the project” and the “challenging and unpredictable federal regulatory environment in offshore Alaska” for its decision to withdraw. It

comes as Shell is splashing £47 billion ($73 billion, 67 billion euros) on a mega-takeover of British rival BG Group, while saving cash in the long run by slashing the Anglo-Dutch company’s headcount by 6,500. Shell had put its Alaskan drilling plans on hold in 2013 after a series of embarrassing problems with two rigs. One, the Kulluk, washed ashore after breaking loose from towing vessels in stormy seas in southern Alaska in January that year. Another, the Noble Discoverer, was recently cited by the US Coast Guard for numerous safety and operational deficiencies. The US Geological Survey said in 2008 that within the Arctic circle there are 90 billion barrels of oil and vast quantities of natural gas waiting to be tapped, most of it offshore. — AFP

iPhone 6s breaks sales record LOS ANGELES: Apple said it sold more than 13 million new iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus devices, a new company record, just three days after hitting retail channels last Friday in the US and 11 other countries. The company’s marketing spiel for the new devices claimed that “ The only thing that’s changed is everything,” and Apple fans evidently turned out in droves across the globe to snap up the smartphones, which come in come in silver, gold, space gray and new “rose gold” finish. Two weeks ago, Apple had said pre-order data indicated the iPhone 6s models were on pace to top last year’s 10 million record for the iPhone 6 launch. Some analysts had speculated that might mean 6s sales would be flat compared with a year ago, but the company’s latest smartphones again beat expectations. Both iPhone 6s models include a new “3D Touch” feature, which lets users “peek” at items like an email message using fingertip pressure, and a 12-megapixel camera capable of capturing 4K Ultra HD video. See More:Apple Debuts iPhone 6s, iPhone 6s Plus with ‘3D Touch,’ 4K Video One feature Apple didn’t change was screen size. The iPhone 6s and 6s Plus have the same 4.7- and 5.5-inch displays, respectively, as the prior-generation iPhone 6 and 6 Plus. The iPhone 6s starts at $199 and the Plus size starts at $299 (with a two-year wireless contract). Apple also has a new monthly payment program for customers who want a trade-in option on future models for monthly pricing starting at $32 and $37 respectively. The company said iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus will be available in more than 40 additional countries beginning Oct. 9 including Italy, Mexico,

LOS ANGELES: A customer pays cash for his Apple iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus smartphones at the Apple store at The Grove in Los Angeles. — AP Russia, Spain and Taiwan. The new iPhones will be available in over 130 countries by the end of the year. Apple said that sales completed by Saturday, Sept. 26, will be included in the company’s 2015 fourth fiscal quarter results, while sales completed on Sunday, Sept. 27, will be attributed to fiscal Q1 2016 results. The initial markets where the

iPhone 6s and 6s Plus went on sale were the US, Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, New Zealand, Puerto Rico, Singapore and the UK. The tech giant has become heavily reliant on the iPhone: Sales of the smartphones account for two-thirds of Apple revenue. — Reuters

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2015

BUSINESS Al-Tijari announces winners of Al-Najma mega draw, weekly draw KUWAIT: Commercial Bank of Kuwait held the Al-Najma mega draw and weekly draw yesterday. The draw was held under the supervision of the Ministry of Commerce & Industry represented by Abdulaziz Ashkanani The winner for Eid Al-Adha mega draw: Tahani Abdulrazaq Al-Bedewi — KD 100000

GCC begins to tackle subsidy reform to ease fiscal burden Energy subsidies face headwinds from low oil prices NBK ECONOMIC UPDATE

The winners of the Al-Najma daily draw are: Mohammad Saleem Mohammad — KD 7000, Safaa Abdullah Al-Abdul Ghafour — KD 7000, Mohammad Obaid Mahmoud —KD 7000. The Commercial Bank of Kuwait announces the biggest daily draw in Kuwait with the launch of the new Najma account. Customers of the bank can now enjoy a KD 7,000 daily prize which is the highest in the country and another 4 mega prizes during the year worth KD 100,000 each on different occasions: The National Day, Eid Al-Fitr, Eid AlAdha and on the 19th of June which is the date of the bank’s establishment. With a minimum balance of KD 500, customers will be eligible for the daily draw provided that the money is in the account one week prior to the daily draw or 2 months prior to the mega draw. In addition, for each KD 25 a customer can get one chance for winning instead of KD 50. Commercial Bank of Kuwait takes this opportunity to congratulate all lucky winners and also extends appreciation to the Ministry of Commerce and Industry for their effective supervision of the draws which were conducted in an orderly and organized manner.

US dollar remains at KD 0.302 against dinar KUWAIT: The exchange rate of the US dollar against the Kuwaiti dinar remained at KD 0.302, also the euro at KD 0.338 when compared to last Tuesday prices, Central Bank of Kuwait said yesterday. In its daily bulletin, the central bank noted that the exchange rate of the sterling decreased to KD 0.459, as well as the Swiss Franc reached KD 0.308, while the Japanese yen was unchanged at KD 0.002. The index for the US dollar was near its highest peak in five weeks with its purchase increasing in light of the economic growth data showed in the second quarter of this year. The purchase frenzy also was due to confirmation from the President of the Federal Reserve Janet Yellen in which she noted that the American economy was on the correct path to increase interest rates by next December. —KUNA KUWAIT: For decades, GCC countries have had some of the world’s most generous energy subsidies. With oil prices reaching new lows, authorities are increasingly turning to subsidy reform to help reduce large fiscal deficits. The cost of GCC energy subsidies have long been perceived as unsustainable in the long-term as has the strong growth in energy demand. Fiscal deficits are expected across the GCC as oil prices dropped below $50/bbl; this is well below the breakeven price of most GCC countries. While most GCC countries can finance deficits for some time with substantial sovereign wealth funds, moves to rationalize budgets remain critical in the medium to long term. GCC countries have already started trimming government expenditures in part by introducing cuts in energy subsidies to alleviate the fiscal burden. According to IMF estimates, energy subsidies in 2015 in the GCC range from 1.1 percent of GDP in Oman to 4.6 percent in Saudi Arabia (KSA).While the recent drop in oil prices has reduced the cost of energy subsidies, the negative impact on oil revenues has been larger. For example, Bahrain’s subsidy bill shot up from 17 percent to 34 percent of oil revenues and KSA’s from 11 percent to 20 percent between 2013 and 2015. While the primary objectives of energy subsidies is to redistribute hydrocarbon wealth, promote industrial growth and improve the standards of living of GCC citizens, they also bolster wasteful energy consumption, deplete oil resources and reduce oil revenues, not to forget the environmental damage linked to excessive energy consumption. However, there are other more effective means to redistribute the hydrocarbon wealth in an effort to improve standards of living, and boost economic growth, integration and equality. Energy consumption Low energy prices placed all six GCC countries among the top ten energy consuming countries on a per capita basis in the world, with Qatar topping the list at around 18,500 kg of oil equivalent per capita (koe/capita). Subsidies for gasoline and electricity constitute the biggest chunk of the energy subsidies. Gasoline prices in the GCC are heavily subsidized and among the lowest worldwide. Prices in KSA are the lowest in the GCC at $0.16 per liter, followed by Kuwait, Bahrain

and Qatar at $0.23, $0.27 and $0.27 per liter respectively. Gasoline prices in Oman and the UAE are the highest in the GCC at $0.31 and $0.47 per liter, though they too remain well below gasoline prices charged in the US, China and Turkey. The latter has the most expensive gasoline at $2.54 per liter. GCC countries started lifting gasoline and diesel subsidies, though steps remain timid and small relative to the size of the GCC energy subsidies. In May 2014, Qatar raised diesel prices by 50 percent, followed by Bahrain and Kuwait in early 2015. Most recently, Dubai lifted subsidies on gasoline and diesel prices. Prices would be set by the government but linked to international market prices. Despite IMF recommendations, KSA remains the exception, showing no intention so far of deregulating fuel prices. Electricity subsidies constitute almost half of the energy subsidy bill, with heavy reliance on natural gas as a main resource for production. As per the General Subsidies Initiative, established in 2005 by the International Institute of Sustainable Development and dedicated to analyzing subsidies, GCC electricity production has grown at an average of 7 percent annually between 1999 and 2008. As demand for electricity continues to grow, most of the GCC countries cannot sustain the high reliance on cheap natural gas for long and hence are facing higher production costs as the electricity prices to consumers remain low. Electricity prices in Kuwait have been fixed at $0.007 per kWh since 1966, although the Electricity Policy Research Group at the University of Cambridge estimated the cost of electricity production at $0.14 per kWh, or 20times higher. The electricity price in KSA is slightly higher at $0.013 per kWh. In January 2015, Abu Dhabi increased electricity tariffs by 40 percent for expats from 15 fils/kWh to 21 fils/kWh for consumption of up to 20kWh. For nationals, electricity tariffs remain highly subsidized. The residential sector is the biggest consumer of electricity in the GCC along with the commercial and public services sectors, rendering subsidy cuts more difficult. With the exception of Qatar and the UAE, more than 50 percent of the electricity supply is consumed by the residential sector. Kuwait residential sector consumes 58 percent of the total electricity supply versus only 17 percent for the industrial sector.

Unfortunately, in developing countries, spending on energy subsidies is higher than spending on productive social sectors like education and healthcare. Iran’s energy subsidy bill reached 15 percent of GDP in 2013 versus expenditures on healthcare and education of less than 4 percent of GDP, respectively. KSA’s energy subsidies to GDP reached 4.6 percent, more than double its expenditures on healthcare. The IMF has estimated a broader measure of energy subsidy costs, one that includes the environmental cost (environmental tax). By this measure, energy subsidies include the direct fiscal cost plus a tax for the negative externalities of energy consumption, like air pollution, traffic and car accidents. The IMF estimates the GCC energy subsidies in 2015 to be around $59 billion compared to a post environmental tax subsidy of $175 billion. Impact of energy price reform Calls by the IMF and other international organizations urging GCC governments to introduce subsidy reforms have intensified following the sustained oil price drop. Given that energy subsidies in the GCC make up a significant share of government expenditures, the advantages of subsidy cuts are multiple; the main benefit is a direct positive fiscal impact from lower expenditures and higher oil revenues as more energy sources would be available for exports. Other benefits include the more efficient use of energy resources, the developments of sustainable sources of clean energy, as well as a number of multiple environmental benefits such as cleaner air. The social impact of energy reforms and subsidy cuts is large as well. With more income to spare, GCC governments can focus on improving the quality of education; tailoring education to better meet the needs of the private sector can reduce the reliance on the government sector as the primary employer and on high-skilled expatriate labor. A subsidy reform initiative is more likely to be successful if subsidy cuts are combined with a compensation scheme to the households. Indeed, the IMF’s recommendations are for governments to include compensation to the most vulnerable households in the form of a direct cash transfer. Subsidy cuts should also be gradual, phased in over several years to limit the negative impact on economic activity and household welfare.

UAE lowers domestic gasoline prices in Oct DUBAI: The United Arab Emirates will lower domestic prices for gasoline in October, the ministry of energy said yesterday. The price of a litre of octane 95 gasoline will fall 8.7 percent to 1.79 dirhams ($0.4874) at the start of October compared with 1.96 dirhams in September, the ministry said on its Twitter account. The domestic diesel price will rise to 1.89 dirhams in October from 1.86 dirhams in September, the ministry said. In July, the UAE said it would raise domestic prices for gasoline and cut them for diesel in a politically sensitive reform designed to save it money and encourage fuel efficiency. —Reuters

Abu Dhabi fund may spurn Malaysia RHB rights issue KUALA LUMPUR/ABU DHABI: Abu Dhabi state fund Aabar Investments may refuse to invest in a 2.5 billion ringgit ($565 million) rights issue by RHB Capital in a sign of disappointment among Gulf investors with economic and political instability in Malaysia. RHB, Malaysia’s fourth largest bank by assets, announced the rights issue in April to support its growth and meet regulatory requirements for capital. Aabar owns about 21 percent of the bank. But three sources with knowledge of the matter told Reuters in the last few days that Aabar was unlikely to buy into the offer, at least partly because it was disappointed by the performance of its investment in RHB as Malaysia’s currency and financial markets sag. “Aabar isn’t too happy with their investment in RHB and they aren’t going to subscribe,” said a Malaysian investment banker who is in contact with RHB, declining to be named because of commercial sensitivities. Spokesmen for Aabar and RHB declined to comment. —Reuters

EXCHANGE RATES Al-Muzaini Exchange Co. Japanese Yen Indian Rupees Pakistani Rupees Srilankan Rupees Nepali Rupees Singapore Dollar Hongkong Dollar Bangladesh Taka Philippine Peso Thai Baht

Saudi Riyal Qatari Riyal Omani Riyal Bahraini Dinar UAE Dirham

ASIAN COUNTRIES 2.524 4.604 2.898 2.161 2.852 215.870 39.054 3.890 6.506 8.483 GCC COUNTRIES 80.750 83.180 786.510 804.170 82.443

ARAB COUNTRIES Egyptian Pound - Cash 40.820 Egyptian Pound - Transfer 38.678 Yemen Riyal/for 1000 1.413 Tunisian Dinar 155.840 Jordanian Dinar 426.870 Lebanese Lira/for 1000 2.018 Syrian Lira 2.158 Morocco Dirham 31.724 EUROPEAN & AMERICAN COUNTRIES US Dollar Transfer 302.650 Euro 343.810 Sterling Pound 471.680 Canadian dollar 229.800 Turkish lira 100.320 Swiss Franc 313.950 Australian dollar 218.660 US Dollar Buying 301.450

GOLD 226.690 116.040 58.700

20 gram 10 gram 5 gram

UAE Exchange Centre WLL COUNTRY Australian Dollar Canadian Dollar Swiss Franc Euro US Dollar Sterling Pound Japanese Yen Bangladesh Taka Indian Rupee Sri Lankan Rupee Nepali Rupee Pakistani Rupee UAE Dirhams Bahraini Dinar Egyptian Pound Jordanian Dinar Omani Riyal Qatari Riyal Saudi Riyal

SELL DRAFT 195.69 231.84 317.29 345.54 302.85 469.68 2.56 3.888 4.560 2.182 2.850 2.898 0.08240 0.8048 0.03857 0.4307 0.7864 0.08350 0.08078

SELL CASH

Dollarco Exchange Co. Ltd Rate for Transfer US Dollar Canadian Dollar Sterling Pound Euro Swiss Frank Bahrain Dinar UAE Dirhams Qatari Riyals Saudi Riyals

Selling Rate 302.900 230.445 467.985 343.905 294.310 803.930 82.765 90.745 81.500

Jordanian Dinar Egyptian Pound Sri Lankan Rupees Indian Rupees Pakistani Rupees Bangladesh Taka Philippines Pesso Cyprus pound Japanese Yen Syrian Pound Nepalese Rupees Malaysian Ringgit Chinese Yuan Renminbi Thai Bhat Turkish Lira

426.815 38.572 2.174 4.555 2.902 3.885 6.470 576.925 3.515 2.600 3.840 71.050 47.895 9.395 99.160

Bahrain Exchange Company COUNTRY British Pound Czech Korune Danish Krone Euro Norwegian Krone Romanian Leu Slovakia Swedish Krona Swiss Franc Turkish Lira

Australian Dollar New Zealand Dollar

Canadian Dollar US Dollars US Dollars Mint

SELL CASH Europe 0.453830 0.004466 0.041474 0.333256 0.031621 0.086975 0.009044 0.032032 0.302673 0.096742

SELLDRAFT 0.462830 0.016466 0.046474 0.341256 0.036821 0.086975 0.019044 0.037032 0.312873 0.10742

Australasia 0.204385 0.187237

0.215885 0.196737

America 0.222051 0.299100 0.299600

0.230551 0.303600 0.303600

Bangladesh Taka Chinese Yuan Hong Kong Dollar Indian upee Indonesian Rupiah Japanese Yen Kenyan Shilling Korean Won Malaysian Ringgit Nepalese Rupee Pakistan Rupee Philippine Peso Sierra Leone Singapore Dollar South African Rand Sri Lankan Rupee Taiwan Thai Baht

Asia 0.003508 0.046063 0.037020 0.004404 0.000017 0.002436 0.003151 0.000244 0.067176 0.002905 0.002840 0.006334 0.000067 0.209430 0.015817 0.001863 0.009580 0.008146

0.004108 0.049563 0.039770 0.004794 0.000023 0.002616 0.003151 0.000259 0.073176 0.003075 0.003120 0.006614 0.000073 0.215430 0.024317 0.002443 0.009760 0.008696

Bahraini Dinar Egyptian Pound Iranian Riyal Iraqi Dinar Jordanian Dinar Kuwaiti Dinar Lebanese Pound Moroccan Dirhams Nigerian Naira Omani Riyal Qatar Riyal Saudi Riyal Syrian Pound Tunisian Dinar Turkish Lira UAE Dirhams Yemeni Riyal

Arab 0.797037 0.037883 0.000084 0.000198 0.423643 1.000000 0.000152 0.020527 0.001251 0.781112 0.082570 0.080217 0.001285 0.151331 0.096742 0.081569 0.001370

0.805037 0.040713 0.000085 0.000258 0.431143 1.000000 0.000252 0.044527 0.001886 0.786792 0.083783 0.080917 0.001505 0.159331 0.107042 0.082718 0.001450

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2015

BUSINESS

US consumer spending up 0.4%, pending home sales fall in Aug The Alcoa logo in the lobby of Alcoa’s headquarters in Pittsburgh. —AP

Alcoa to split into two companies by 2016 H2 CHICAGO: Alcoa Inc, which has been hurt by falling prices for aluminum, its core product, said yesterday it would split into two publicly traded entities as its traditional operations and higher-value and automotive businesses were diverging and no longer compatible. In premarket trading, shares of the company were up 6.8 percent at $9.70. A ballooning aluminum surplus has hurt Alcoa’s traditional smelting business, causing prices to sink and deepening the industry’s worst crisis in years. Still, the company has bet on growth from higher-margin titanium and high-strength aluminum sales to the aerospace industry, citing a growing order book for airplane production and renewed global spending on automobiles. Josh Sullivan, an analyst with Sterne Agee CRT, said Alcoa had already been in the process of a transition, including its recent acquisition of RTI International Metals. “The commodity business was a significant drag, not only on valuation but on the resources of the company,” Sullivan said. One question arising from the split would be how Alcoa’s debt and pension liabilities will be divided between the two companies, Sullivan said. Efforts by the world’s third-largest producer of aluminum to address these diverging trends resulted in conflicting messages for investors, according to sources close to the company. The split is expected to be completed in the second half of 2016 and the legacy aluminum firm will retain the name Alcoa, the company said. Chief Executive Officer Klaus Kleinfeld will be chief executive of the new, unnamed entity and will remain chairman of Alcoa throughout the transition period. “We believe both entities have gotten into a shape that they are competitive and sizeable and they can stand on their own,” Kleinfeld told Reuters. The company did not provide a timeline for choosing a CEO for Alcoa after the split. The division of the company does not need to be approved by shareholders, sources familiar with the matter said. —Reuters

China industrial profits fell sharply in August BEIJING: Profits at China’s major industrial companies saw their biggest declines in four years last month, official data showed yesterday, the latest sign of weakness in the world’s second-largest economy. The figures came after a string of poor data showing the slowing pace of the traditional drivers of China’s growth sent shockwaves through markets worldwide. Profits at a range of large firms declined by almost nine percent last month compared to the same period in 2014, the country’s statistics office said. The profit falls at a range of companies with annual revenues of more than 20 million yuan were the biggest in about four years, Bloomberg News said. “Market demand for industrial products was rather weak,” said He Ping, an analyst at China’s National Bureau of Statistics. Months of declines in China’s stock markets have caused “the boost of return on investment to profit to wane sharply”, He added. China’s economy expanded 7.3 percent last year, the weakest pace in almost 25 years. The government has vowed to rebalance the economy away from reliance on exports and government investment towards domestic consumption as a driver of growth. The industrial profit figures exclude firms in China’s service sector, which analysts say will increase in importance under such a rebalancing. But Xu Yating, an economist with IHS Global Insight, warned that the dent in industrial profit could broaden to affect consumer goods makers. “The headline profit growth is unlikely to improve in the short term and the downstream sectors will be affected in the long-run if China’s economic growth continues to slide and drag on domestic consumption,” Xu said in a report. —AFP

Indonesia hopes rejoining OPEC will help ease reliance on oil traders JAKARTA: Indonesia hopes its return to OPEC in December will bring Asia’s top gasoline importer closer to the world’s main oil producers and ease its reliance on a small group of traders for supplies, the country’s energy minister told Reuters yesterday. The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries is expected to approve Indonesia’s request to reactivate its full membership at the group’s next meeting on Dec. 4, making the Southeast Asian country the group’s only net crude oil importer. Indonesia was the only Asian OPEC member for nearly 50 years before leaving the group at the start of 2009 just after oil prices had hit record highs, and with rising domestic demand and falling production having turned it into a net oil buyer. Energy Minister Sudirman Said said he believed the decision to suspend its membership allowed “some people to take advantage” of Indonesia being cut off from top oil producers. “And then we had to depend almost 100 percent on a small group that was dominating supply to the country. That was something we wanted to break up,” Said said without elaborating. “If we are in the middle of the core activities (of OPEC members), core discussions, our position will be better.” Indonesia, until recently, had obtained nearly all of its foreign crude and oil products from trading company Petral, a unit of state-owned oil and gas firm Pertamina that is being disbanded as part of efforts to clean up the grafttainted oil sector. A separate unit within Pertamina is now handling the energy trading. Indonesia hopes reactivating its OPEC membership will help enhance relationships with top oil producers, potentially leading to long-term oil supply agreements and much needed investment in the country’s energy infrastructure. —Reuters

WASHINGTON: US consumer spending rose at a healthy rate in August, while income growth slowed after a big jump in July. Consumer spending advanced 0.4 percent compared to July, when spending also increased by 0.4 percent, the Commerce Department said yesterday. In both months, the figures reflected strong gains in purchases of durable goods such as autos. Consumer spending accounts for two-thirds of economic activity, and the latest result supports expectations for it to remain strong in the second half of this year. That should help serve as a buffer against a global slowdown that has hurt American manufacturers. “Overall consumer spending remains robust and highlights a solid employment backdrop,” said Bricklin Dwyer, an economist at BNP Paribas. “We expect

firm spending ahead as employment remains solid and wages begin to accelerate.” Fewer Americans signed contracts to buy homes in August, as pending sales slumped amid broader concerns about the US stock market and global economy. The National Association of Realtors says its seasonally adjusted pending home sales index fell 1.4 percent to 109.4 last month. Signed contracts to purchase homes have climbed a healthy 6.1 percent over the past 12 months, aided by steady job growth and low mortgage rates. But the August figured indicate that home sales lack the stamina to keep accelerating. Uncertainty in the financial markets and rising prices for homes are stirring doubts about affordability for many would-be buyers. Pending sales are a

barometer of future purchases. A lag of a month or two usually exists between a contract and a completed sale. Sal Guatieri, senior economist at BMO Capital Markets, said that the spending gains were broad, with consumers getting a boost in spending power from falling energy prices. He predicted that spending in the current July-September quarter would remain robust at an annual rate above 3 percent. Personal income was up 0.3 percent in August, helped by another solid increase in wages and salaries. The result follows a 0.5 percent income gain in July, which had been the best showing in eight months. The government on Friday issued its final estimate for overall economic growth for the spring, saying the gross domestic produc t expanded at an

annual rate of 3.9 percent in the AprilJune quarter. That’s a strong rebound from an anemic rate of 0.6 percent in the January-March period. Much of that bounce back reflects a surge in consumer spending, which grew at a 3.6 percent rate in the spring, double the rate in the winter. Economists believe that overall growth has slowed to something around 2.2 percent to 2.5 percent in the current quar ter. Yet they expec t a modest acceleration in the final three months of this year, believing that strong gains in employment will provide people with more money to spend. The slowdown in income growth in August meant that that the saving rate slipped a bit to 4.6 percent of af ter-tax incomes, down from 4.7 percent in July. —Agencies

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2015

BUSINESS

European shares led lower by Glencore, VW LONDON: European shares fell yesterday, with miner Glencore seeing nearly a quarter of its value wiped out by debt concerns and carmaker Volkswagen , which has been hit by an emissions data scandal, extending losses. The pan-European FTSEurofirst 300 index was down 1.1 percent, while the euro zone’s blue-chip Euro STOXX 50 index fell 1.65 percent, with both markets retreating after rising by around 3 percent on Friday. European stock markets have steadily lost ground from peaks reached in April, partly due to concerns about an economic slowdown in China. “Overall sentiment remains negative for now while there is much talk about a squeeze on earnings and lower economic growth in the months ahead,” said Peregrine & Black senior sales trader Markus Huber. Over the weekend International Monetary Fund head Christine Lagarde said the IMF was likely to

revise downwards its estimates for global economic growth due to slower expansions in emerging economies. Glencore fell 21 percent after a bearish Investec note questioning the mining group’s value given its high level of debt and the continued slump in metal prices. The stock was set for its worst one-day drop ever. Volkswagen shares were among the worst performers in Europe, falling 5.7 percent to their lowest levels in 4 years after two German newspapers reported on Sunday that the carmaker’s own staff and one of its suppliers warned years ago about software designed to thwart emissions tests. VW shares have fallen by more than 30 percent over the last week after the company acknowledged installing software in diesel engines designed to hide their emissions of toxic gasses. Spain’s benchmark IBEX index

outperformed with a 0.55 percent decline, after Catalan secessionist won a majority of seats in a regional vote but were not seen to have a clear mandate to push for independence. Spanish banks outperformed their European peers, led by gains in Sabadell and Bankinter, helped by plans by Spain to change tax rules for Deferred Tax Assets (DTAs), a move the government said would strengthens their solvency. Vodafone fell 3.9 percent after the mobile phone group said it had ended talks with Liberty Global about exchanging assets to better compete in Europe’s converging telecoms and media markets. However, there were signs elsewhere that merger activity remained alive, with SAB Miller shares rising 2.7 percent after the Sunday Times newspaper reported that AnheuserBusch InBev SA could bid about $106 billion for SABMiller within days.

Dollar rises on rate hike talk An uptick in US economic growth increased expectations the Federal Reserve will raise interest rates by year-end and supported the dollar yesterday, while Shanghai recouped early losses despite more disappointing China data. Dealers will closely watch the release of key US data this week, including employment, that will provide a better idea of when the central bank will announce lift-off. Thursday will also see the Bank of Japan release its Tankan survey of business confidence, with analysts forecasting a dip in reaction to China’s growth slowdown which has rattled global markets. St Louis Fed chief James Bullard on Friday raised the prospect of a lift in US borrowing costs when he said he would “like to get going”. His comments reinforced the view that monetary policy would be tightened before 2016. Fed boss Janet Yellen said Thursday she expects a hike by year-end, pointing to recent strong data. On Friday the Commerce Department said the US economy grew 3.9 percent in April-June, up from the 3.7 percent originally stated thanks to a boost in investment and consumer spending. Attention will now turn to next Friday’s non-farm payrolls results, with a strong figure likely to reinforce calls for an early rate move. On forex markets the dollar rose against most emerging currencies. The Malaysian ringgit lost 0.45 percent, Taiwan’s dollar shed 0.29 percent and the Thai

baht was 0.31 percent lower. However, the Indian rupee and Indonesia’s ringgit edged up slightly from morning selling. ‘Super-sensitive’ The euro also weakened, to $1.1168 from $1.1202 in New York. However, the greenback eased to 120.26 yen from 120.49 yen Friday as uncertainty on trading floors led investors into safe-haven assets. Stock markets were mostly in the red on the prospect of higher US interest rates-which would hurt investment in the region-and fears over China’s long-running woes, which have sent world markets tumbling for weeks. On Wall Street Friday the Dow ended slightly higher but the S&P 500 and Nasdaq retreated. “Everyone is super-sensitive to China at the moment,” Chris Weston, chief market strategist at IG, told Bloomberg TV. In Asia Monday Tokyo ended 1.32 percent lower as the stronger yen weighed on exporters, while in late trade Singapore was 1.34 percent down. Manila ended 1.47 percent lower, Jakarta shed 2.11 percent and Bangkok was 1.79 percent down. However, Sydney added 1.42 percent by the end of the day. Hong Kong, Seoul and Taipei were closed for public holidays. Shanghai staged a recovery after a morning sell-off, ending 0.27 percent higher despite data showing China’s crucial industrial companies saw profits fall 8.8 percent in August-hit by last month’s shock yuan devaluation, weak demand and plunging stocks. — Agencies

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2015

BUSINESS

A car for the 21st century D

uring the 1990s, the global automotive market was still coming to grips with the need for a vehicle which would contribute to reduced emissions, and minimize the impact on the environment. The situation was ripe for change and a new approach to developing a successful mass-produced environmentally friendly vehicle.

Prius concept car

Takeshi Uchiyamada

Akihiro Wada

Sandstorm

Polar bear on ice drift

Greenland

Global environmental imbalance The Industrial Revolution drastically changed man’s relationship with nature-and not for the better. Our modern life style is powered by fossil fuels-petroleum, coal and natural gas. The concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere alone has increased about 40% since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution. Massive release of CO2 and other greenhouse gases such as methane are producing runaway climate change, with global temperatures projected to rise as much as 4.8 degree Celsius or more by the end of the century. Global warming is a primary cause of extreme climatic changes everywhere. It is said that Global warming will result in an extreme increase in high temperature, heat waves, and increase in heavy rain. In recent years, we have seen events such as powerful sand and dust storms in the Arabian Peninsula and North Africa, and these are signs that signal even more trouble on the horizon. Dust, itself contributes to global climate change. Desertification is another threatnot just in the Middle East and North Africa-but worldwide. In Brazil, for example, large parts of the Amazon rainforest may soon turn into desert, with drastically increasing deforestation. A rise in sea levels caused by global warming is becoming a serious issue. As the polar ice caps melt, it leads to thawing of glacier and tundra and rising ocean levels due to thermal expansion of the oceans. Polar bears moreover are on the verge of extinction. Some small island countries in the South Pacific are already affected

by the rising seas, with developed areas sinking, as coastal outlines change shape. Venice is already at risk of being inundated by the end of the century due to the sea. Cars -The problem or the solution? Cars are one of the problems contributing to this global environmental imbalance due to their emissions. But they can also be a solution. Facing severe environmental problems such as global warming, it became necessary to create a new kind of car. As one of the pioneers of eco-technology, Toyota was quick to recognize the severity of the environmental challenges facing the world and decided to take up this challenge. Top secret project-”G21” The Prius project began in the early 1990s. In 1993, Toyota created G21, a project researching future generation cars for the 21stcentury. In January 1994, Takeshi Uchiyamada was appointed to head G21. He would later become chief engineer for the Prius. His first step was to set up a team with 10 engineers specializing in areas such as engine, chassis, body design and production technology. The activities of the G21 team were known only to a few and carried out on an executive office floor completely separate from the rest of the company. Rumors spread throughout the company about “a mysterious team working on a mysterious project”. Not one-and-a-half times, but double Later in 1994, Ak ihiro Wada became Executive Vice President for Research and Development and Chief Executive for the G21 Project. Uchiyamada had originally targeted an increase in fuel efficiency one and a half times better using direct fuel injection and a new transmission. Wada realized that this goal, ambitious as it might seem, was not enough. What was needed was double the fuel efficiency, and he insisted that the project would be cancelled immediately if this could not

be achieved. For Uchiyamada and his team, that meant creating a totally new kind of technology-the hybrid power system. Of course, it wasn’t called a hybrid back then. When the concept car debuted in the fall of 1995, it was powered by something known as the TOYOTA Energy Management System-a dual motor system with an electric motor assisting a gasoline engine. Searching for a name for this car, Toyota decided on “Prius” which is the Latin adverb for “prior”-”coming before”, an appropriate choice since this was well before the environmental movement went mainstream. The technology was there. The design and engineering concepts were ready. The next step was manufacturing and marketing. The team set a target date just two years ahead-1997. The story was about to begin. The Prius Concept Car introduced in 1995, with a capacitor to store electrical energy. Worldwide Appeal & Environmental Impact In 1997, Toyota introduced the world’s first mass produced hybrid vehicle-the Prius-offering much better fuel economy than any other vehicle powered by a gasoline engine. Prius surprised the world. The idea of the Prius has caught on since then. In 2008, there were a million new Priuses on the road. By 2013, it was three million, indicating that the new eco-technology had gone mainstream and was no longer just something for a few environmentally conscious progressives-but rather the best choice for just about everyone. Hybrids are clearly becoming more and more popular. By July of 2015, Toyota had sold more than 8 million hybrids globally-which meant about 58 million tons less CO2 in the atmosphere. Whether it is Nor th America, Europe and Asia, a new lifestyle is evolving globally and more people are signing on to buy the Prius hybrid.

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2015

BUSINESS

flydubai receives its 50th aircraft Delivery marks the fulfilment of airline’s vision set out in 2008 KUWAIT: Dubai-based flydubai received its 50th aircraft. The delivery of the Boeing NextGeneration 737-800 completes the order the airline made at the Farnborough Air Show in 2008. Commenting on the completion of the order, Ghaith Al-Ghaith, Chief Executive Officer, flydubai said: “In the six years since flydubai was launched we have built a network of 94 destinations with new cities joining all the time. We have benefitted from being located in Dubai, an

international centre for business. flydubai has supported Dubai’s commercial and tourism sectors by opening up 67 new routes that did not previously have direct air links to Dubai. We are recognized by our passengers for providing reliable travel services and have helped to change the way people travel across our network. This aircraft represents the fulfilment of the vision set for the airline in 2008. It has been a remarkable journey.” flydubai made a historic order for the

largest single-aisle aircraft in the Middle East totalling 111 Boeing aircraft. The airline will receive 11 Next-Generation 737-800 between 2016 and 2017, followed by 100 737 MAX between 2017 and 2023. “flydubai’s growth has been nothing short of remarkable,” said Boeing Commercial Airplanes President and CEO Ray Conner. “In a span of just six years, flydubai has built a 50 strong fleet and a rapidly expanding network. We are extremely proud of our partner-

ship with flydubai and the confidence and trust it continues to place in Boeing’s present and future single-aisle airplanes.” The decision to choose the Boeing 737 model to form the fleet was due to its reliability, safety and fuel efficiency. Photo Caption (photo of the team): James Vial, Senior Vice President, Flight Operations at flydubai with Captains Wilhelm Guna and Alan Hopps, Alan Smith and Solomon Yimer from Engineering and Maintenance, and

Jocelyn Duff from Network Control receiving flydubai’s 50th aircraft at Boeing Field, Seattle. Photo Caption (the aircraft): flydubai’s 50th aircraft departing Seattle for Dubai. The aircraft took off from Boeing Field, made a stop in Keflav?k International Airport in Iceland, and then flew on to Amman for the seats and InFlight Entertainment System to be fitted. It completed its journey to Dubai and arrived during Eid.

ABK launches program to make banking simpler for customers KUWAIT: ABK has launched its strategic campaign “Simpler Banking” as part of a series of enhancements to make life easier and simpler for customers, in line with the Bank’s vision of “Reimagining a Simpler Bank”.

Michel Accad, CEO at ABK said: “We want our customers to enjoy a ‘simpler banking experience’. We have worked hard to ensure this is achieved across all touch points in the bank. We have

already achieved successes in areas such as new account opening, where one can open an account in minutes with just a couple of signatures. And soon, our customers will be able to open up an account in any of our branch and then walk out minutes later with their debit card in hand.” “Personal loan application is another area where we’ve identified opportunities for improvement and simplicity, with fast turnaround times and a streamlined documentation process” he added. ABK is also making it easier for customers to get cash through the expansion of its ATM network. The bank has increased the number of ATMs located outside of branches by 58% in the past 8 months. By the end of 2015 the Bankis planning to double the number of offsite ABK ATMs in Kuwait. Plans are also underway to further improve and simplify the Bank’s products, services and delivery channels, and customers will experience continued enhancements in their dealings with ABK in the months ahead. In closing Mr. Accad said: ”The Bank looks forward to making its vision of “Reimagining a Simpler Bank” a reality. This vision is further reinforced by ABK’s core values of Transparency, Integrity, Simplicity and Excellence, which will be setting new standards in service quality and customer experience.

KAMCO employees participate In innovation workshop series KUWAIT: KAMCO Investment Company - a leading investment company with one of the largest AUMs in the region, and winner of the prestigious Kuwait Asset Manager of the Year Award 2015 - participated in a highly experiential and activity-oriented workshop series to promote innovative thinking in employees. The Kuwait Foundation for the Advancement of Sciences (KFAS) organized the workshop series. The workshop series, held for select employees, provided them with inno-

Farouq Al-Oumi, Resources Officer

Acting

Chief

vative solutions and techniques to apply within the organization. The workshops included lectures and team exercises that promoted innovation in different forms. The Human Resource Management and Development Department at KAMCO strategically selected some of its employees to attend the workshops relevant to their position and department within the organization. Farouq Al-Oumi, Acting Chief Resources Officer, said, “We believe that the innovation workshop series, held in collaboration with KFAS, is essential towards promoting innovative and ingenious thinking within our organizational culture and operations. These educational workshop series

reflect KAMCO’s continuous strive to enhance our human resource training strategy and corporate social responsibility initiatives. We support employee education, promote synergy and enhance innovative thinking to improve overall employee and organizational satisfaction.” “We would like to recognize the outstanding effort made by KFAS to support KAMCO’s human resource training strategy. KFAS has continued its support of the private sector through human resource development workshops and activities,” added Al-Oumi. KAMCO Investment Company is a premier investment company based in Kuwait that is regulated by the Capital Markets Authority with one of the largest private sector AUMs in the region. Established in 1998 and listed on the Kuwait Stock Exchange (KSE) in 2003, KAMCO is a subsidiary of United Gulf Bank (UGB) and the asset management and investment banking arm of Kuwait Projects Holding Company (KIPCO). It has become a leading regional company within its sector offering innovative products and services for its clients, holding over $12 billion of client AUM and over 82 of successfully completed investment banking transactions worth over $12 billion as of 31 December 2014. After many years of conducting business in Kuwait’s dynamic investment industry, KAMCO has successfully established a robust reputation for solidity, characterized by its prudent, conservative investment philosophy and spirit of transparency which has consistently commanded the goodwill of a wide patron-base. The company will further aggressively build upon its core competencies to offer MENA-wide investment management consultancy and services, backed by its proven track-record in stringent risk mitigation, investment product innovation, and a cautious investment approach towards local, regional and international capital markets.

Nissan Patrol breaks another Guinness World Records Title KUWAIT: The Nissan Patrol, dubbed the “Hero of All Terrains in Life”, has again proved its toughness and versatility by setting a GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS(tm) title for the fastest time to ascend a 100 meter sand dune by a production car. The Patrol climbed the imposing dune in Jordan’s Wadi Rum in a staggering time of 4.9 seconds to break the GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS title fora second time. The Nissan Patrol also holds the GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS title for the ‘heaviest object pulled by any production vehicle’, set at Sharjah International Airport, UAE. An unmodified production Nissan Patrol pulled a cargo plane weighing 170.9 tons, inclusive of fuel and cargo, for over 50 meters smashing the previous record by 15 tons. Nissan Middle East managing director Samir Cherfan, says: “The Nissan Patrol has again proved that there are no conditions it can’t tackle and conquer. We believe that this latest award shows the Nissan Patrol is one of the best production cars for off-roading and dune bashing on the market.” This latest extraordinary feat by Nissan’s “Hero of All Terrains in Life”, yet again bears testimony to the superiority of the Nissan Patrol when going off-road in the challenging conditions in the Middle East. “The first Nissan Patrol in the Middle East arrived in Kuwait in 1956 and now its status in the region is nothing short of iconic. While loyalty to the Nissan Patrol stretches back decades, we are expanding to a new audience all the time as the record number of vehicles leaving the showrooms indicates. Whether towing a huge plane or scaling a sand dune in a record time, our GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS titles show that we continue to deliver on our promise of

‘Innovation that Excites,” concluded Cherfan. An off-roading instructor piloted the Nissan Patrol up the 100 meter dune in order to successfully gain the world record in 4.9 seconds. Achieving such a feat in a record breaking short time reflects the highly advanced technology and innovation incorporated within the Nissan Patrol. The Nissan Patrol’s reputation as a highlycapable, durable and reliable off-roader is second-to-none in the Middle East market. Many of what are now the world’s leading automotive technologies made their debut with the Nissan

Patrol. They include its Hydraulic Body Motion Control System(HBMC), which keeps the car flatter with less body roll during lane-changing and cornering, while delivering excellent stability on rugged and sandy tracks. The Patrol also includes an All-Mode 4x4 system, which allows the driver to quickly switch between four drive modes - sand, on-road, snow and rock - with the mere flick of a switch. Its Hill Start Assist and Hill Descent Control functions also can be selected easily with the touch of a button for braking on slope road surfaces.

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2015

technology

Modern Etiquette: Caution required when dealing with email NEW YORK: Like it or not, we all are responsible for our own communication. Email evokes almost unprecedented cultural and generational challenges. Why, you ask? Because the primary caveat in communicating effectively is that what you “hear” is more important than what I think I’ve said. We have four generations actively engaged in the workplace, and our workplace is indeed global. A baby boomer is easily turned off by undue familiarity, as are individuals from countries more formal than the United States. Mallory Fix, who teaches English as a Second Language at the University of Pennsylvania, says, “Email etiquette does vary across the globe, especially in ways to address the receiver, the directness of

the message, and the closing.” Here are the concerns this columnist hears most often: Always use a salutation and a closing. Based on your relationship, only you can decide whether deference dictates a “Dear Professor” or “Good morning, Dr Weber.” One colleague of mine received an email greeting from a student of “Hey, Lou,” and then proceeded to ask him for a reference. Bad idea! For your career’s sake, make sure you get the name and title right. In the situation above, the man was a full professor, entitled to more than a modicum of respect. Furthermore, his first name was Dennis! Avoid trendy abbreviations and be careful of emoticons. They may be misunderstood and thus not clearly convey your meaning. Don’t confuse email

with texting or IM. Email is more formal than that. Use complete sentences, correct grammar, correct punctuation, and capitalization. Yet subject lines should be as efficient as a tweet, concisely stating what’s important and relevant. Make sure your subject lines distinguish you from a hacker or a scammer by being current and germane. For example, “Change in Tuesday lunch meeting.” If a subject changes, change the header! Remember that email is no place for stream of consciousness ruminations, so be direct, clear, and succinct. Respond in full sentences. When you have a long list of comments, put them in a single Word document attachment, or number the points so that the recipient knows you got everything. When

there is a succession of emails, indicate “1 of 4,” for example. No time to respond fully to a long email? Reply to the sender that you received the email and indicate when you will be responding. Nothing is more discouraging than feeling ignored. Just because something can be forwarded doesn’t mean it should be. Remember, too, that a recipient can forward your email, and you have no control at that point. Patience is a virtue. Not every email gets delivered. This happens more frequently than we would like to admit. Offer people the same grace that you would like to receive on email responses. Pick up the phone if you don’t hear back after a couple of tries. It’s not fair to assume

that, for example, your email must be treated as top of the list, especially dealing with attorneys and physicians. Sometimes postal mail and faxes arrive at an office before your email. Unless it’s an emergency, responses should be taken in order. Remember that the person reading your email has only the words on the screen. Now think about how much our tone of voice impacts our message, so beware of sarcasm. Consider, for example, how many ways we can interpret even the simple word, “please.” For me, the “E” in email represents two essential reminders. First: edit, edit, edit to be sure all your facts, grammar and punctuation are correct. Second: Email is eternal. Just ask Hillary Clinton. —Reuters

India PM makes rock star appearance at Facebook Modi promoting his Digital India drive

Honor 7 - product review guidelines KUWAIT: The device is one honor’s flagship products and set to spice up mobileinternet experiences with its forwardthinking design, innovative smart functions and groundbreaking multimedia capabilities. To ensure you get the most out of the honor 7during your trial, kindly refer to the product features and tests1outlined below. If you have any questions or would like to consider the device for a product award please feel free to contact the parties below. Elegant design With a full metallic body ceramic-coated trough precision sand-blasting, the honor 7 evokes an unmistakably premium feel, both in terms of touch and appearance. Available in mystery gray or fantasy silver, the device is built with the stylish and elegant in mind. The 5.2-inch handset is also specially crafted to allow

camera meanwhile, which also includes a flash and panorama function, will ensure you look you best for those selfie’s or groufie’s, even in low-light conditions. Test 1:Take a photo with the honor 7 in a dimly lit restaurant or nightclub or at a concert and compare the quality of the photos to those taken by an iPhone 6 Plus in the same location. - Test 2:Take a selfieor groufiewith the honor 7’s frontfacing camera and its soft-focus feature activated. Compare to a similar photo taken with the Samsung S6. Also: Try using the honor 7’s front-facing camera to take a wide-angle selfieor groufieagainst a landscape backdrop in panorama mode. Fantasy filters from far and wide The honor 7’s Personalized Filter function allows for one photo to be used as a filter for another. - Test: Access the photo you wish to filter from the Camera or Gallery application. Then select “Edit” followed by “Filter” and create a new filter, which gives you the option to superimpose another image on to the one being edited. Light-painting mode Anyone can take creative lighting effects photos with the honor 7’s Light Painting function. Complete with four preset modes - Car Light Trails, Light Graffiti, Silky Water and Star Track - the honor 7is sure to bring out the artist in you. - Test: Select “Light Painting”from the camera app and select your desired preset, such as Car lights, which captures the trails of light made by moving cars in the night.

for speedy and seamless single-handed operation. Single-touch fingerprint sensor The honor 7’s metallic fingerprint sensor - the first of its kind - blends seamlessly in to the body of the device. Placed on the rear panel for easy access, the sensor also breaks new ground in terms of functionality with an unlocking speed of only 0.5 seconds - one the fastest fingerprint recording speeds in the market - and support for swipe gestures. Test 1 - After registering your fingerprint, activate the fingerprint touch control sensor under “Fingerprint ID” in the settings menu. You’ll now be able to answer calls simply by touching and holding the sensor, and more easily take selfies with one hand by briefly holding down on the sensor. Swiping down on the sensor meanwhile reveals the notification panel, where you can double-tap the sensor to clear all outstanding entries at once. - Test 2: Unlock the device by placing your thumb on the power button and resting your index finger on the fingerprint sensor. Compare this to the fingerprint-ID unlocking process of the iPhone 6 Plus. High-performance camera Put you best face forward with the honor 7’s camera’s personalized 10-level beauty enhancement setting, which automatically reduces blemishes and imperfections, and balances skin tones. The device’s wide-angle front-facing

Screen-based gestures The honor 7 has been packed with numerous smart gestures in addition to those assigned to the fingerprint sensor. These include the ability to quickly snap a screenshot by tapping twice on the device’s screen with your knuckle, or access your favorite applications in locked-mode by drawing a pre-designated letter on the screen. - Test 1: Tapthe honor 7’s screen with your knuckle twice for an instant screenshot. - Test 2: Access the “Draw” feature from “Motion control” under the Settings menu to view or change the letter-to-application mapping. Then lock the phone and access your desired application by drawing the designated letter on the screen. Handy smart key Through a new smart key located on the left-hand-side of the device, users can quickly conduct web searches on the go.- Test: Activate the Google search function by holding down the smart key. Smart voice Whether you have your hands full or simply can’t recall where you placed your device, the honor 7 has you covered with its wealth of voice-activated commands. - Test 1: Activate the voice wakeup feature under “Smart Assistance” in the Settings menu and set your wakeup keyword. Now try waking the phone using your keyword and asking it to call one of your contacts. - Test 2: Place the honor 7 on the other side of the room you’re in. Now use your keyword and ask: “ Where are you?” Listen as the device calls out to you.

MENLO PARK: Standing side-byside with Mark Zuckerberg, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a rock star appearance at Facebook on Sunday, advocating for the political power of social media. An invitation-only audience jumped to its feet, cheering and snapping photos as Modi strode into a sun-splashed courtyard with Zuckerberg-sporting a jacket and tie for the occasion, in a sartorial about-face for the typically casual campus. “To leaders all over the world; you are not going to gain by running away from social media,” said the tech-savvy premier during a town hall-style question and answer session. “The strength of social media today is that it can tell governments where they are going wrong and give them an opportunity to do a course correction.” “You will gain from joining it. You need real time information,” said the 65-year-old Modi, who has 30 million fans on Facebook and tweets multiple times a day. Modi used the hour-long session to promote his Digital India drive and promote the country as a place worthy of tourists, investments, and entrepreneurs with visions of disruptive technology start-ups. Choked up with emotion But he also shared some candid moments with Zuckerberg, who told of finding inspiration to persevere with Facebook during a journey to India while Modi himself choked up while speaking of his mother. Zuckerberg pointed out his parents in the audience before asking Modi about his own mother. Modi’s mother is more than 90 years old, and his father is no longer living. The prime minister recounted coming from a poor family, selling tea at a rail station as a boy. “It is hard to imagine that a tea seller has actually become the leader of the world’s biggest democracy,” Modi said. “When we were small, what we used to do to get by,” he continued, pausing at times to recompose himself. “We used to go to neighbors houses, clean dishes, fill water, do

hard chores. You can imagine what a mother had to do to raise her children.” In steps of Steve Jobs Zuckerberg, meanwhile, opened the chat by telling of a time, about a decade ago, when Facebook was going through a “rough patch” and there were thoughts of selling the startup. He said he visited one of his mentors, late Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, who told him to travel to a certain temple in India. “I went,

lages to the Internet with fiber optic cable, and the mighty challenge of attaining equality for women in India. “If we want to achieve our economic goals, we cannot do that if we imprison 50 percent of our population inside their houses,” he said in answer to a question. “We have to achieve one thing; to bring women into decision making,” said Modi, who playfully noted that while most religions portray deities as male, India has no shortage of goddesses.

the city of San Jose in Silicon Valley. It is the first time since 1982 that a prime minister of India has visited the West Coast of the United States. Modi also visited Google’s main campus in nearby Mountain View, where he and Google announced a collaboration to provide wireless Internet at railway stations in India, with a goal of connecting 500 by the end of next year. “Just like I did years ago, thousands of young Indians walk through Chennai Central every day,

CALIFORNIA: People watch a large television screen at Arena Green East Park as they come to see Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s appearance at the SAP Center in San Jose, Calif on Sunday, Sept 27, 2015. Modi touted the power of social media and his own goals for developing India’s tech economy, speaking to a global audience from a “town hall” meeting at the headquarters of the world’s largest social network. —AP and travelled for almost a month,” Zuckerberg recounted. “Seeing the people and how people connected, reinforced what we were doing and is something I’ve always remembered.” Points touched on by Modi during the exchange included the hope of connecting all of India’s vil-

Google Internet on rails Modi’s stop at Facebook was part of a tour of Silicon Valley, ahead of the UN General Assembly where he will meet US President Barack Obama on Monday. Late Sunday, he was later to star at an event attended by some 18,000 people in a convention center in

eager to learn, to explore and to seek oppor tunity,” India-born Google chief executive Sundar Pichai said in a blog post. “It’s my hope that this Wi-Fi project will make all these things a little easier.” Nearly one billion people in India don’t have access to the Internet, according to Pichai. —AFP

Digital Infrastructure and Internet of things KUWAIT: With IDC forecasting global Smart City ICT spend to exceed $1 trillion in 2025, and related investments in the world’s emerging economies (including the Middle East) tipped to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 15% over the coming five years, it is little surprise that the Smart City concept is currently one of the hottest topics in the region. And while high-profile Smart City initiatives such as Masdar City in Abu Dhabi, Lusail City in Qatar, and King Abdullah Economic City in Saudi Arabia may hog the headlines, it is the digital infrastructure that underpins these developments that will be the true harbinger of change. Key to the success of that digital infrastructure is the rapidly emerging ‘Internet of Things’ (IoT). You’ve almost certainly heard of IoT before, but you may still not be entirely sure what it all means. That’s perfectly understandable, as confusion currently reigns over the exact terminology, but with IDC forecasting IoT-related spending in the Middle East to expand at a five-yearCAGR of 21.9% to total $10.28 billion by 2018, it’s about time we made things a little clearer. At IDC, we define the Internet of Things as “a network of networks of uniquely identifiable endpoints that communicate without human interaction via IP connectivity.” Still confused? Well, think of those “uniquely identifiable endpoints” as the “things” - or in other words, the smartphones, tablets, sensors, wearables, GPS trackers, RFID readers, and NFC devices that are beavering away all around us at pretty much any given point in time. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Any device or “thing” that can transmit information and execute actions based on analysis of that information is included within the IoT ecosystem. And that’s a lot “things” - 9.1 billion at the last count and expected to top 28 billion by 2020. These “things” communicate in autonomous or semiautonomous networks, and the relevant data can be processed locally on individual devices or sent to local control modules or central locations for processing. A simple example is the intelligent systems that regulate buildings’ lighting conditions based on factors such as weather and occupancy. So what does this all have to do with the spread

of Smart Cities? In short, everything. Smart Cities represent the latest in a long line of diversification efforts being undertaken by countries across the GCC as they look to position themselves as digital economies. And of the various ICT investments announced in recent years, Smart Cities have proven to be the most significant due to their ability to enhance the image of their host countries. This is essential for winning the confidence of global business investors, and is also a key consideration for the organizing committees of prestigious global events. And when one considers the almost-limitless potential applications of IoT solutions, it is clear to

Jyoti Lalchandani see why they are increasingly being considered as one of the most important building blocks of a Smart City’s digital infrastructure. The technology plays a vital role in enabling the smooth running of everyday Smart City functions due to its ability to intelligently trigger relatively simple actions such as taking a meter reading or turning on a switch without the need for human intervention. And these relatively simple actions eventually result in the provision of citizen-centric services that ultimately benefit the city’s inhabitants. At a more complex level, IoT represents the culmination of elements such as intelligent infrastructure management, cloud, mobility, big data analytics, and social business. These elements collectively

enable the implementation of a wide range of Smart City solutions that are scalable and easy to manage. Smart buildings, smart grids, waste processing, connected roads, home automation, security and surveillance, emergency management - these are all critical solutions that all have their foundations firmly entrenched in the Internet of Things. In the case of smart buildings, for example, connected sensors are installed in buildings to gather data about lighting, heating, cooling, movement, and use of space. The information gathered allows the building management systems (BMS) to automatically make any necessary changes. Recorded sensor data can also be analyzed in order to design subsequent buildings and systems that are even more ecofriendly. Needless to say, the benefits of smart buildings are further magnified when deployed within large-scale, purpose-built Smart Cities. Looking further into the future, the concept of connected roads is one that is certain to be incorporated into Smart City developments right across the region. These initiatives make use of intelligent transportation systems (ITSs) that are based on location-intelligence and location-awareness indicators embedded into mobile networks. Leveraging interconnected sensors to monitor and automate traffic-related functions, ITSs take care of traffic management, ensure road safety, and effectively handle traffic incidents. They can also play a hugely valuable role in coordinating multimodal transport, managing energy efficiency, generating real-time data on road conditions, and even assisting automated vehicles with navigation. IoT may be a relatively new concept, but we are already feeling the beneficial consequences of its existence in our day-to-day lives, often without even realizing. Over the coming years, more and more of us will find ourselves living, working, or simply just socializing in the growing number of Smart Cities that are rising up across the region. And whether it’s something as simple as turning the office lights off in the evening or as complex as helping the occupants of a driverless car reach work on time the next morning, you can be sure that the Internet of Things will have had a crucial hand it making it all happen.

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2015

H E A LT H & S C I E N C E 300 million elderly not receiving long-term care GENEVA: More than half the world’s elderly lack access to long-term care, the International Labor Organization said in a report yesterday condemning the “deplorable” situation facing a rapidly ageing population. A new report from the UN agency showed that some 300 million people over the age of 65 cannot easily access long-term care when needed. Despite the ballooning need of the elderly for longterm care, yesterday’s report showed most countries were ignoring or under-prioritizing their needs. “This deplorable situation is reflected in the very low public LTC (long term care) expenditure, which amounts to less than 1.0 percent of GDP on average globally,” study author Xenia Scheil-Adlung said in a statement. The ILO report charged that “discrimination and negative attitudes towards older persons” were a big part of the problem. “Ageism is a global phenomenon that is sometimes even laid down in regulations and legislation, for example higher costs or unfavorable conditions of certain insurance policies for older persons, or being refused for specific medical services due to age,” it said. Only 5.6 percent of the world’s population lives in countries, including Germany and Japan that provide universal long-term care. A full 48 percent of the global population meanwhile is not protected by national legislation on longterm care, while another 46.3 percent are largely excluded from coverage due to narrow regulations that limit benefits to the poorest. In Africa, more than 90 percent of the elderly have no access to long-term care when they need it. But even the most “generous” countries, found in Europe, spend only two percent or less of their GDP on long-term care, the ILO report said. This forces many older people living in even some of the world’s richest countries to pay for up to 100 percent of their care from their own pockets. “Persons in need should not face financial hardship and an increased risk of poverty due to the financial consequences of accessing care,” the report said. The study showed that the world would need 13.6 million more care workers to cover the needs of the elderly. —AFP

Gene test finds which breast cancer patients can skip chemo ‘I’ve had chemotherapy. It’s not pretty’ DURHAM, North Carolina: Many women with earlystage breast cancer can skip chemotherapy without hurting their odds of beating the disease - good news from a major study that shows the value of a gene-activity test to gauge each patient’s risk. The test accurately identified a group of women whose cancers are so likely to respond to hormone-blocking drugs that adding chemo would do little if any good while exposing them to side effects and other health risks. In the study, women who skipped chemo based on the test had less than a 1 percent chance of cancer recurring far away, such as the liver or lungs, within the next five years. “You can’t do better than that,” said the study leader, Dr Joseph Sparano of Montefiore Medical Center in New York. An independent expert, Dr Clifford Hudis of New York’s Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, agreed. “There is really no chance that chemotherapy could make that number better,” he said. Using the gene test “lets us focus our chemotherapy more on the higher risk patients who do benefit” and spare others the ordeal. The study was sponsored by the National Cancer Institute. Results were published online Monday by the New England Journal of Medicine and discussed at the European Cancer Congress in Vienna. The study involved the most common type of breast cancer - early stage, without spread to lymph nodes; hormone-positive, meaning the tumor’s growth is fueled by estrogen or progesterone; and not the type that the drug Herceptin targets. Each year, more than 100,000 women in the United States alone are diagnosed with this. Therapy treatment The usual treatment is surgery followed by years of a hormone-blocking drug. But many women also are urged to have chemo, to help kill any stray cancer cells that may have spread beyond the breast and could seed a new cancer later. Doctors know that most of these

domly assigned to get hormone therapy alone or to add chemo. Results on these groups are not yet ready - the study is continuing. But independent monitors recommended the results on the low-risk group be released, because it was clear that adding chemo would not improve their fate. After five years, about 99 percent had not relapsed, and 98 percent were alive. About 94 percent were free of any invasive cancer, including new cancers at other sites or in the opposite breast.

DURHAM, North Carolina: File photo shows chemotherapy is administered to a cancer patient via intravenous drip in Durham, NC. — AP women don’t need chemo but there are no great ways to tell who can safely skip it. A California company, Genomic Health Inc, has sold a test called Oncotype DX since 2004 to help gauge this risk. The test measures the activity of genes that control cell growth, and others that indicate a likely response to hormone therapy treatment. Past studies have looked at how women classified as low, intermediate or high risk by the test have fared. The new study is the first to assign women treatments based on their scores and track recurrence rates. Of the 10,253 women in the study, 16 percent were classified as low risk, 67 percent as intermediate and 17 percent as high risk for recurrence by the test. The highrisk group was given chemotherapy and hormoneblocking drugs. Women in the middle group were ran-

Feared complications “These patients who had low risk scores by Oncotype did extraordinarily well at five years,” said Dr Hope Rugo, a breast cancer specialist at the University of California, San Francisco, with no role in the study. “There is no chance that for these patients, that chemotherapy would have any benefit.” Dr Karen Beckerman, a New York City obstetrician diagnosed with breast cancer in 2011, said she was advised to have chemo but feared complications. A doctor suggested the gene test and she scored very low for recurrence risk. “I was convinced that there was no indication for chemotherapy. I was thrilled not to have to have it,” and has been fine since then, she said. Mary Lou Smith, a breast cancer survivor and advocate who helped design the trial for ECOG, the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group, which ran it, said she thought women “would be thrilled” to skip chemo. “Patients love the idea of a test” to help reduce uncertainty about treatment, she said. “I’ve had chemotherapy. It’s not pretty.” The test costs $4,175, which Medicare and many insurers cover. Others besides Oncotype DX also are on the market, and Hudis said he hopes the new study will encourage more, to compete on price and accuracy. “The future is bright” for gene tests to more precisely guide treatment, he said. — AP

Nonprofits seek Supreme Court review of contraceptives case WASHINGTON: Religion, birth control and President Barack Obama’s health care overhaul are about to collide at the Supreme Court yet again. Faith-affiliated charities, colleges and hospitals that oppose some or all contraception as immoral are battling the administration over rules that allow them to opt out of covering the contraceptives for women that are among a range of preventive services required to be in health plans at no extra cost. The religious-oriented nonprofit groups say the accommodation provided by the administration does not go far enough because they remain complicit in providing government-approved contraceptives to women covered by their plans, though the groups are not on the hook financially. A new federal appeals court ruling is the first to agree with the nonprofits, after seven other appellate panels sided with the administration. Such disagreements among lower courts often are a trigger for consideration by the Supreme Court. If the Supreme Court takes up the matter in its term that begins in October, it would be the fourth high court case stemming from the health care overhaul that Obama signed into law in 2010. The high court has twice preserved the law, but has allowed some for-profit employers with religious objections to refuse to pay for contraceptives for women. Houses of worship and other religious institutions whose primary purpose is to spread the faith are exempt from the requirement to offer birth control. For other religious-affiliated nonprofit groups such as hospitals and schools, the administration argues that the accommodation creates a generous moral and financial buffer between religious objectors and funding birth control. The nonprofit groups just have to raise their hands and say that paying for any or all of the 20 devices and methods approved by government regulators would violate their religious beliefs. Arrange the coverage To do so, they must fill out a government document or otherwise notify the government so that their insurers or third-party administrators can take on the responsibility of paying for the birth control. The employer does not have to arrange the coverage or pay for it. Insurers get reimbursed by the government through credits against fees owed under other parts of the health law. But dozens of colleges, hospitals, charities and other organizations have said in lawsuits they still are being forced to participate in an effort

to provide coverage for contraceptives, including some which they claim amount to abortion. The government may impose fines on groups that do not comply. Mark Rienzi, who has represented some of the nonprofits, said the government is asking the groups to do more than just raise their hands. “Everyone’s claim is, ‘I can’t do it on the form and in the way that lets you use my plan to give out the stuff. I can’t be involved,’” Rienzi said. The government has other ways of providing the contraceptives, he said. Appeals courts in Chicago, Cincinnati, Ohio, Denver, New Orleans, New York, Philadelphia and Washington, DC, have dismissed those claims. But the 8th US Circuit Court of Appeals in St Louis decided otherwise in a case involving several nonprofit groups in Missouri, including CNS International Ministries of Bethel and Heartland Christian College of Newark. Religious exercise “In light of CNS and HCC’s sincerely held religious beliefs, we conclude that compelling their participation in the accommodation process by threat of severe monetary penalty is a substantial burden on their exercise of religion,” Judge Roger Wollman wrote for a unanimous three-judge panel in its decision Sept 17. Wollman said the groups probably have a right under the federal Religious Freedom Restoration Act to refuse to comply with the regulations. Seven appeals already are pending at the Supreme Court; the justices could decide by the end of October whether to hear one or more of those. The earlier appellate rulings found that the administration’s rules removed the organizations from providing contraceptives and turned the process over to third parties. Far from burdening their religious exercise, the rules allowed the groups to wash their hands of any involvement, wrote Judge Richard Posner of the Chicago-based 7th US Circuit Court of Appeals. The administration has strenuously opposed the appeals, arguing in part that there is no reason to take up the issue because no appeals court had disagreed. That changed with the 8th Circuit ruling. But the administration also has contended that the accommodation does not violate the nonprofits’ religious rights. Even if the Supreme Court rejects that argument, the administration has said in court papers, the justices should determine that the system for getting contraceptives to women covered by the groups’ insurance plans is the most effective and efficient way to do so. — AP

WASHINGTON: In this March 25, 2015, file photo, protestors one wearing a birth control pills costume participate in a demonstration in front of the Supreme Court. — AP

PARIS: Heavy smog surrounds the Eiffel Tower. — AP

City of Blight: polluted Paris asks if it’s time to dump diesel PARIS: Guidebooks rarely mention it, but Paris is one of the most polluted cities in the rich world. The Eiffel Tower is periodically shrouded in smog, and there’s one key culprit: France’s disproportionately heavy reliance on diesel fuel. Critics are increasingly questioning the need for diesel vehicles, especially after last week’s discovery that Volkswagen tricked drivers worldwide into thinking their diesel engines were much cleaner than they really are. Paris’ diesel-driven pollution problem is especially embarrassing for a city that’s trying to be environmentally exemplary as it prepares to host crucial UN talks in two months on reducing emissions. City authorities banned all traffic from central Paris on Sunday and are trying to gradually forbid diesel altogether, as they try to clean up the capital’s image. But a nationwide crackdown on diesel remains taboo. And elsewhere in Europe where the majority of cars run on diesel engines versus just one-seventh worldwide few are raising the alarm. “We must stop lying to the French by inciting them to buy so-called environmentally friendly cars,” Emmanuelle Cosse, head of France’s green party Europe Ecologie-les Verts, said last week. “Clean diesel doesn’t exist.” Public buses Diesel engines emit about the same levels of carbon dioxide, the gas that causes global warming, as gasoline-fueled engines. The problem with diesel comes down to public health: Its engines emit several times more nitrogen oxides than do gasoline engines. That pollution is linked to asthma, bronchitis and increased risk of heart problems, and the World Health Organization’s France-based cancer agency says diesel fumes can cause lung cancer. But European consumers prefer diesel cars because they’re cheaper to fuel and maintain. In France, that’s because of decadesold tax breaks and regulations that stretch from the factory floor to the gas pump and

that the government is reluctant to lift despite growing evidence of health risks. Most trucks, public buses and municipal vehicles run on diesel, too. Dismantling France’s deep and complex dependence on diesel could cost jobs and money in an economy with little maneuvering room. Governments left and right have legislated in favor of diesel since the 1960s, and industry officials fear ending the tax breaks and subsidies would drive consumers away from French cars at a time when the country is struggling to stay globally competitive. “It makes no sense to abandon diesel,” said Julie Hamez of French consumer group 40 Million Drivers. “We need to concentrate on what can be done with better technology” to reduce its damage to health and the environment. The European Automobile Manufacturers Association is pushing such technology, arguing that modern diesel cars are as clean, or cleaner, than gasoline counterparts. Similar accusations But the Volkswagen scandal has raised new questions about carmakers’ efforts to make less-pollutant engines. Other carmakers have faced similar accusations - including France’s own Renault, among seven companies fined by US environmental authorities in 1998 for cheating on emissions tests. The former head of France’s national air pollution agency Airparif, Jean-Felix Bernard, said he hopes the Volkswagen revelations prompt tougher European pollution rules - and especially tougher enforcement. “We knew that air pollution has a very large cost for global public health, several hundred billion (dollars), we know that this provokes several hundred thousand deaths,” he said. “There can be a very large economic cost when big companies are having fun by rigging the figures.” French Environment Minister Segolene Royal, trying to be “exemplary” ahead of the UN climate change talks in Paris, ordered random checks on 100 French cars to ensure they’re not

deceiving emissions monitors. France woke up to its diesel problem after Paris was choked with rough pollution spells over the past two years, prompting the city government to briefly restrict car use. At one point, Paris registered higher levels of nitrogen oxides than smoggy Beijing. Paris and its suburbs have few factories left - meaning the main source of that pollution was its cars, according to the Airparif monitoring agency. French diesel use has fallen slightly in recent years, but most cars still use diesel, according to a French Senate report. An environment ranking by nonprofit group Soot-Free Cities lists Paris last among 23 European cities. Mayor Anne Hidalgo wants to “eradicate diesel” by 2020, and is already taking steps in that direction. Next year all big trucks and buses made before 2001 and all cars made before 1997 will be banned from the city. Possible ‘adjustment’ But she’s saddled with nearly 300 diesel buses ordered by her predecessor that are just entering service - and will be driving on Paris roads until 2030. And fellow Socialists in the national government do not share her antipathy toward diesel, in part because of concerns that phasing it out would hit the poor hardest. “When we encouraged diesel for years, when you have millions of families driving on diesel, millions of workers who go to work in their diesel cars, it’s not from one day to the next that you can punish them because they made these choices, and they don’t have money to replace their cars,” Environment Minister Royal said recently. She speaks of a possible “adjustment” to the tax breaks for diesel, but so far her plans for reducing reliance on diesel remain voluntary and up to mayors to pursue. “Most people see their city through new eyes,” Hidalgo, the Paris mayor, said of the no-car day that she plans to hold again next year. “Yes, we can function in a way other than cars 24 hours on 24 ... We have to reconquer spaces for pedestrians.” — AP

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TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2015

Study: Global warming, evolution are clipping bees’ tongues

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah: Earth’s shadow obscures the view of a so-called supermoon during a lunar eclipse over the LDS Temple in Salt Lake City, Utah, Sunday. The rare confluence has prompted such widespread fear of an impending apocalypse that the Mormon Church was compelled to issue a statement cautioning the faithful to not get caught up in speculation about a major calamity. It’s the first time the events have made a twin appearance since 1982 and they won’t again until 2033. — AP

WASHINGTON: Global warming and evolution are reshaping the bodies of some American bumblebees, a new study finds. The tongues of two Rocky Mountains species of bumblebees are about one-quarter shorter than they were 40 years ago, evolving that way because climate change altered the buffet of wildflowers they normally feed from, according to a study published Thursday in the journal Science. In one of these species, the tongue had been half the size of the bee’s body - the equivalent of a human tongue going down to the waist. But because the flowers where the long tongue is required have dwindled, the bees didn’t need that much tongue. Keeping long tongues requires bees use more energy, so the bees evolved a shorter tongue that allows them to sample a wider variety of flowers, said study lead author Nicole Miller-Struttmann at the State University of New York, Old Westbury. While biologists have tracked how global warming has altered the developmental, migration, timing and other behavior in plants and animals, what makes this study unusual is the physical changes in the bees, said study coauthor Candace Galen at the University of Missouri. “It speaks to the magnitude of the change of the climate that it’s affecting the evolution of the organisms,” Galen said. “It’s a beautiful demonstration of adaptive evolution.” Sydney Cameron at the University of Illinois wasn’t part of

the study, but praised it as well conducted and significant for the ecosystem of mountain flowers. The team of biologists studied the bees on three isolated mountaintops in the Rockies, where they had been the most dominant species around. Not so much anymore, Miller-Struttmann said. The longer tongued of the two bees, the golden belted bumblebee, shrank from 50 percent of all the bees to 20 percent, she said. Because these were so isolated and so high - more than 10,000 feet - pesticides and pathogens, often blamed for bee declines, weren’t a problem, the scientists said. Something else had to be an issue. They compared the bees to those of 40 years ago or more and found the tongues dramatically shorter. They also found that the temperature in the area had warmed by about 3.6 degrees since the 1960s and the type and amount of flowers had changed. At first, the scientists figured the flowers were evolving with the bees, as often happens over long time periods in nature, but MillerStruttmann said that’s not the case. “The silver lining is that (the bees) are evolving very quickly,” Miller-Struttmann said. “The story may not be as rosy for the flowers.” Galen worries that without long-tongued bees, some flowers will falter. Also, she said shorter tongue bees often “cheat” and bite a hole in the flower’s side, which doesn’t help the plant spread its seeds. — AP

Hip implant maker claims surgical funder inflated patients’ bills NEW YORK: A unit of Johnson & Johnson that makes artificial hips has accused a surgical funding company of seeking excessive profits from financing surgery for patients suing over the devices. The claim by DePuy Orthopaedics marks the first time that a device maker in the multibillion-dollar litigation over faulty hip replacements has publicly raised concerns about the controversial business of surgical funding, which has increasingly become a part of mass litigation over medical devices. Surgical funders essentially invest in operations on injured plaintiffs. If a litigant can’t afford surgery to correct problems allegedly caused by medical devices, the funders will step in to purchase medical bills at a deep discount from physicians, hospitals and others who have provided care to the patient. When the patient’s lawsuit settles, the funder reaps a profit by placing a lien on the settlement for the full amount of the patient’s surgical bill. Following a Reuters report about the role of Texas-based medical funder Medstar in pelvic mesh litigation, DePuy Orthopaedics has raised new questions about Medstar in litigation over its all-metal ASR hip implants. In an Aug 31 filing in federal court in Toledo, Ohio, the defendant asked the court to compel MedStar to turn over more information about the liens, so it can investigate whether the funder schemed to “artificially inflate damages claims.” According to DePuy, MedStar submitted claims for nearly $1.5 million for 11 surgeries that should have cost no more than $336,000. DePuy contends MedStar is attempting to collect twice as much as it paid to acquire the medical bills and four times what DePuy considers a reasonable cost for the patients’ care. Medical providers DePuy’s filing cites the Reuters report on MedStar’s actions in the mesh litigation. Because of an unusual feature of DePuy’s settlement, MedStar is seeking payment directly from DePuy, rather than from the 11 patients whose hipreplacement surgery it funded. DePuy says it needs access to the funder’s records before it will pay. If the claims are ultimately determined to be improper, DePuy might refuse to pay, possibly leaving plaintiffs on the hook for the full cost of their medical care. MedStar founder Dan Christensen said his claims in the DePuy hip implant litigation are “usual, customary and reasonable.” According to Christensen, a medical pricing expert retained by MedStar deemed the bills it submitted to DePuy to be within four percent of typical hip replacement

charges. He also said medical providers, and not MedStar, determine such charges. Last month Reuters reported that in cases involving pelvic mesh, another medical device that is the target of mass litigation, funders’ liens on patients’ settlements sometimes spiraled to as much as 10 times what private insurers or government programs like Medicaid would pay for the same procedures. In such cases, patients wind up recovering much less from settlements than they might have if funders weren’t involved. Patients who rely on medical funders tend to be uninsured or unable to afford cash deductibles or out-ofnetwork fees charged by their doctors. In the pelvic mesh litigation, manufacturers American Medical Systems, Johnson & Johnson’s Ethicon subsidiary, Boston Scientific and CR Bard obtained records and deposition testimony on the Texas-based surgical funder MedStar after learning a MedStar representative was soliciting physicians to perform mesh removal surgery. Multiple requests DePuy agreed in 2013 to pay about $2.5 billion to settle approximately 8,000 personal injury suits over ASR hip implants. The company had previously recalled the metalon-metal devices in 2010, after patients alleged they caused pain and joint dislocation and could even damage the central nervous system, thyroid and heart. The average base payment per case was about $250,000. DePuy also agreed to pay health insurers’ liens for hip implant revision surgery directly so the costs would not come out of plaintiffs’ recoveries. That provision explains why MedStar submitted its liens to the defendant. Texas attorney Tom Rhodes, whose law firm represents seven of the hip patients whose surgery was funded by MedStar, said his clients turned to MedStar because their preferred surgeons would not accept their insurance and would not operate at the reimbursement rate DePuy offered. All of the MedStar-funded plaintiffs received treatment from the same San Antonio medical providers. The surgeon, Dennis Gutzman, did not respond to a request for comment faxed to his office. The other four plaintiffs who used MedStar funding are represented by Watts Guerra. That firm did not respond to multiple requests for comment. Christensen said that if DePuy does not pay MedStar’s liens, he will have “no other choice” but to demand payment from the patients whose surgery his company funded, an outcome he described as “extremely unfair.”A spokesman for DePuy’s parent company, Johnson & Johnson, declined to comment. — AP

BANGALORE, India: This handout photograph obtained from the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) yesterday, shows ASTROSAT, India’s first dedicated space observatory, at the ISRO Satellite Centre. — AFP

With eyes on space, India launches ‘mini-Hubble’ NEW DELHI: India launched its first space research observatory and several US satellites yesterday, part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s drive to expand his country’s influence in the competitive, $300 billion global space industry. The observatory, named ASTROSAT, will help Indian scientists intensify space exploration efforts by studying distant celestial objects and conduct deeper analyses of star systems. “This launch ... is important for astronomical sciences,” Harsh Vardhan, India’s minister for earth sciences, said in a statement. “We look forward to prospective research.” The simultaneous launch of six other satellites, four of which were for the United States, came hours before a scheduled meeting between Modi and US President Barack Obama. Modi is bullish about India’s space research program and has repeatedly lauded the efforts of his scientists, who last year scored big on the global stage when their low-cost Mars mission entered the red planet’s orbit on its very first attempt. Despite the recent successes, the growth of India’s space pro-

gram has been stymied by lack of heavier launchers and slow execution of missions - during 2007-2012, only about half of the planned 60 missions were accomplished. In December, India successfully tested a new, more powerful rocket - the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) Mark III - that can put heavier payloads into space, but it is not yet operational. ASTROSAT is seen as a smaller version of NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope that was launched in 1990. It will be able to detect objects in multiple wavelengths such as X-rays, but with far lower precision than Hubble, said Mayank Vahia of the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research. “This will bring little commercial advantage but will show India’s new capability in space research,” said Vahia, whose institute made three of the five scientific instruments aboard ASTROSAT. The ASTROSAT instruments will transmit data to a control centre in the southern city of Bangalore that will manage the satellite during its five-year mission life. — Reuters

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2015

W H AT ’ S O N

Eid Al-Adha Celebration at Indonesia Masjid in Kuwait

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ndonesian Ambassador Tatang Razak was among hundreds of Indonesians living in Kuwait who celebrated the Eid Al-Adha 1436 H in a ceremony held at Indonesian Masjid of Riggae on 24 September 2015. Several activities were conducted during the celebration, namely praying Eid and social gathering among communities and the children competition of public speaking on religious theme. Preacher Haidar Assegaf reminded the congregation that the meaning of Eid Al-Adha is how we could sacrifice the most beloved thing for the sake of Allah. This is important as it shows how we express our love to Allah. Ambassador Tatang Razak in his remark

before the audiences said that for the Indonesian in Kuwait it is important to show the true image of Indonesian Muslim who can contribute to the materialization of Islam as ‘rahmatan lil alamin.’ As part of the celebration, there was also children competition of public speaking on religious theme, namely: obeying the parents, love al-Qur’an and Islam brotherhood. This competition gained much appreciation for it gives the children the opportunity to present themselves before the public and boost their confidence. As inherent part of community gathering, the traditional culinary products were also served during this event. The most anticipated ones are bakso and gulai.

KFC Brings the Taste of Mexico to the Region TEXMEX Box Master adds South American flavor to range of wraps

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exican cuisine lovers in the UAE are now able to enjoy the very best South American flavor experience readily available from the high street thanks to KFC. The world’s number one name in chicken restaurants has just added the ‘TEXMEX ‘to its popular Box Master offerings, meaning that customers don’t have to travel to Mexico to get the Mexican taste... they can savor it at KFC right here and now. Expanding on KFC’s popular wrapped meal range, the TEXMEX comprises a delicious chicken fillet prepared with KFC’s famous zinger recipe, two slices of melt-in-

the-mouth nacho cheese, juicy sliced tomato and crisp shredded lettuce, all wrapped in a warm toasted tortilla. Topping it all off is more cheese and a rich,

smooth layer of new avocado sauce, providing the ultimate combination of Mexican flavors in each mouthwatering, delectable bite.

The TEXMEX is the latest product in KFC’s array of wrapped food offerings, with the company pioneering the wrapper concept in the Middle East through its launch of the ‘Toasted Twister’ more than 10 years ago. This was followed by the ‘Box Master’ in 2013, which rapidly established itself as a number one choice with its secret recipe or spicy zinger recipe chicken fillet, cheese, lettuce and tomato, all topped with pepper mayo and encased in a tortilla. The new TEXMEX is expected to be just as big a hit with customers who are keen to expand their taste horizons and enjoy an exotic new take on an existing firm

favorite. With the new TEXMEX, KFC is aiming to harness a segment of consumers whose adventurous palates are given confidence with the brand’s market-leading position, its commitment to only using the freshest ingredients and its prime focus on creating the ultimate customer experience with every one of its products. KFC wants its customers to have the very best ‘TEXMEX’ Box Master promotion. The company is promising a great deal of fun for adults and kids around the launch of its new wrap at all its KFC stores across the region, with a big Mexican surprise in the offing!

TSC announces winners of ‘Back to School’ campaign

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he Sultan Center (TSC) announced the winners of its ‘Back to School’ campaign for TSC Rewards Card holders that ran from August 11th till 31st across all TSC Sultan stores. Any TSC Rewards card holder who spent KD 25 or more on Back to Schools supplies were automatically entered into a draw to win the latest laptops and TSC Gift vouchers. Commenting on the campaign, Mohammed Jalloul - TSC Rewards Program Manager at TSC said: - “It was indeed an exciting promotional campaign just in time for the Back to School

season and our customers were excited to take part in this promotion, and have an opportunity to win laptops and vouchers just in time for the start of the new academic year. TSC is committed to providing our reward cards customers with ongoing promotions that are exclusively designed to cater to our customers, while providing a unique shopping experience,” Jalloul stated. TSC has long positioned itself as the favorite shopping destination for the Back to School season offering a wide selection of products ranging from trendy and fashionable back-

packs, notebooks, stationary sets, to calculators, coloring pens and computers. At TSC customers can be assured to find the latest and trendiest school supplies that will take students back to school in style. Campaign’s winners are: Mona Yousif Khalifah, Amany Naji Masoud, Ahmad Jabeer AlNabhan, Hamida Salem AL Enezi, Ahmed Mustafa Khalil, Mohamed Attiya Ayas, Heyam Mubarak Al Wafry, Mohd Yousef Damerji and Eman Khaled Buhamrah. TSC congratulates all winners and participants in this year’s Back to School Promotion.

Tulu Koota to distribute merit scholarships on Tulu Parba Day

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ulu Koota has announced a merit cum means scholarship to be distributed on this year’s Tulu Parba which will be held at the American International School Auditorium, Maidan Hawally, on 30th October 2015. Applications are accepted from minimum one year valid members’ children studying either in State of Kuwait or in India, scoring high grades at class 10 or 12 board examination held during academic year 20142015. Candidates obtaining high grades but not eligible for merit cum means scholarship shall be honored with merit certificate and medal. Tulu Koota Kuwait firmly believes in the great value of education and is strongly committed to helping needy students to achieve their educational goals. To submit copies of marks sheets and proof of income with the application, contact Tulukoota Kuwait Welfare officer Chandrahas Shetty: 55941955. Also you can email the details to [email protected]. For further information please contact: Wilson D’Souza on 97875789.

ICSK Amman conducts orientation program

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he Indian Community School, Amman conducted an orientation program for the parents of class X students on 12th September, 2015 from 6-7 pm. The program was based on CBSE Evaluation Pattern, CCE (Continuous Comprehensive Evaluation). Principal Rajesh Nair addressed the gathering by giving tips and guidelines on how to prepare students for Summative Assessments. He specified the importance of Summative Assessments and its passing criteria. Dr Mary Isaac, Vice-Principal gave a presentation on CCE in detail. After the presentation, there was an interactive session during which the queries from parents were clarified by the principal. parents appreciated the efforts taken by the school in organizing the orientation program.

W H AT ’ S O N

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2015

The Ambassador of Pakistan to Kuwait Muhammad Aslam Khan hosted an open house on the occasion of Eid Al-Adha at his residence. Cross section of the Pakistani community attended the event. —Photos by Joseph Shagra

Exclusive Discounts at Royale Hayat for Gulf Bank’s Priority Banking Customers

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ulf Bank announced that its Priority Banking customers can get exclusive discounts of up to 15 percent for treatments at Royale Hayat Hospital in Jabriya and Royale Hayat Clinic in Mahboula. This latest offer from the bank is valid until 31st December 2015. At Royale Hayat Hospital in Jabriya, Gulf Bank’s priority banking customers will enjoy 15 percent discount for Birthing, Gynecology, Family Clinic, Diagnostic Imaging and a 10 percent discount for Cosmesurge, while at the Royale Hayat Clinic in Mahboula, customers will enjoy a 15 percent discounts for Dental,

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Cosmesurge, Pediatrics and Gynecology. Gulf Bank is committed to offering its Priority clients with added value benefits and privileges in addition to a wide range of financial and investment products and Banking services. To take advantage of this latest exclusive offer, customers should identify themselves and use their Gulf Bank Visa Infinite, World MasterCard, Platinum MasterCard, and Platinum Visa when booking and paying for appointments at Royale Hayat. For more information about Gulf Bank’s exclusive campaign with Royale Hayat, or about the bank’s latest

products and services, visit the Bank’s bilingual website www.e-gulfbank.com, or one of Gulf Bank’s 58 branches, or call the Customer Contact Center on 1805805 for assistance and guidance.

uwait University’s General Secretariat organized a reception yesterday on the occasion of Eid Al-Adha. Kuwait University officials, including Director Dr Hussein Al-Ansari attended the event which took place at the Sabah Al-Salem Theater in Khalidiya.

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2015

TV PROGRAMS

00:20 01:10 02:00 02:50 03:40 04:05 04:30 05:00 05:30 06:00 06:50 07:40 08:30 08:55 09:20 09:45 10:10 10:35 11:25 12:15 13:05 13:30 13:55 14:20 15:10 16:00 16:50 17:15 17:40 18:30 19:20 20:10 20:35 21:00 21:50 22:40 23:30

Misfit Garage Deadliest Catch Outback Truckers Manhunt With Joel Lambert Auction Kings Auction Hunters Baggage Battles Dallas Car Sharks How Do They Do It? Ice Cold Gold World’s Top 5 Misfit Garage Auction Kings Auction Hunters Baggage Battles Dallas Car Sharks How Do They Do It? Deadliest Catch Outback Truckers Manhunt With Joel Lambert Auction Kings Auction Hunters Baggage Battles Ice Cold Gold World’s Top 5 Misfit Garage Dallas Car Sharks How Do They Do It? Marooned With Ed Stafford Dual Survival Survive That! Auction Hunters Baggage Battles Marooned With Ed Stafford Dual Survival River Monsters Amish Mafia

00:00 Violetta 00:45 The Hive 00:50 Sabrina: Secrets Of A Teenage Witch 01:15 Sabrina: Secrets Of A Teenage Witch 01:40 Wolfblood 02:05 Wolfblood 02:30 Violetta 03:15 The Hive 03:20 Sabrina: Secrets Of A Teenage Witch 03:45 Sabrina: Secrets Of A Teenage Witch 04:10 Wolfblood 04:35 Wolfblood 05:00 Violetta 05:45 The Hive 05:50 Mouk 06:00 Lolirock 06:25 Hank Zipzer 06:50 Girl Meets World 07:15 H2O: Just Add Water 07:40 Jessie 08:05 Wizards Of Waverly Place 08:30 Wizards Of Waverly Place 08:55 Sabrina: Secrets Of A Teenage Witch 09:20 Sabrina: Secrets Of A Teenage Witch 09:45 Austin & Ally 10:10 Austin & Ally 10:35 Wizards Of Waverly Place 11:00 Wizards Of Waverly Place 11:25 Jessie 11:50 Jessie 12:20 Hank Zipzer 12:45 Hank Zipzer 13:10 Good Luck Charlie 13:35 Good Luck Charlie 14:00 Dog With A Blog 14:30 H2O: Just Add Water 14:55 H2O: Just Add Water 15:20 Liv And Maddie 15:45 Jessie 16:10 Violetta 17:00 The Next Step 17:25 Liv And Maddie 17:50 Jessie 18:15 I Didn’t Do It 18:40 Gravity Falls 19:05 H2O: Just Add Water 19:30 Violetta 20:20 The Next Step 20:45 Good Luck Charlie 21:10 Good Luck Charlie 21:35 Wizards Of Waverly Place 22:00 Binny And The Ghost 22:25 Sabrina: Secrets Of A Teenage Witch 22:50 Sabrina: Secrets Of A Teenage Witch 23:10 Wolfblood 23:35 Wolfblood

00:00 Emmy Award Shows 00:55 The Grace Helbig Show 01:25 Kourtney And Khloe Take The Hamptons 02:20 E! News 03:15 Escape Club 04:10 THS 05:05 THS 06:00 Kourtney And Kim Take Miami 06:55 Keeping Up With The Kardashians 07:50 Style Star 08:20 E! News 09:15 Giuliana & Bill 10:15 Giuliana & Bill 11:10 #RichKids Of Beverly Hills 11:35 #RichKids Of Beverly Hills 12:05 E! News 13:05 Dash Dolls 14:05 Fashion Bloggers 14:30 Emmy Award Shows 15:00 Keeping Up With The Kardashians 16:00 Keeping Up With The Kardashians 17:00 Giuliana & Bill 18:00 The Grace Helbig Show 18:30 TMI 19:00 WAGs 20:00 Hollywood Cycle 21:00 Keeping Up With The Kardashians 22:00 Fashion Police 23:00 Dash Dolls

00:00 Chopped 01:00 Food Court Wars 02:00 Mystery Diners 02:30 Mystery Diners 03:00 Man Fire Food 03:30 Man Fire Food 04:00 Kitchen Casino 05:00 Chopped 06:00 Guy’s Grocery Games 07:00 Man Fire Food 07:30 Man Fire Food 08:00 Chopped 09:00 Guy’s Grocery Games 10:00 The Kitchen 11:00 Barefoot Contessa - Back To Basics 11:30 Barefoot Contessa - Back To Basics 12:00 Chopped 13:00 Guy’s Big Bite 13:30 Guy’s Big Bite 14:00 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 14:30 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 15:00 Man Fire Food

15:30 16:00 17:00 18:00 18:30 19:00 20:00 21:00 21:30 22:00 22:30 23:00 23:30

Man Fire Food Chopped The Kitchen Siba’s Table Siba’s Table Chopped Kitchen Casino Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives Man Fire Food Man Fire Food Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives

00:40 Come Dine With Me Ireland 01:05 May The Best House Win 02:00 Emmerdale 02:25 Emmerdale 02:55 Coronation Street 03:25 Keep It In The Family 04:20 Tricked 05:15 Murdoch Mysteries 06:10 May The Best House Win 07:05 Coronation Street 07:30 Keep It In The Family 08:25 Tricked 09:20 The Doctor Blake Mysteries 10:15 Come Dine With Me Ireland 10:40 The Chase 11:35 May The Best House Win 12:30 Murdoch Mysteries 13:25 Emmerdale 13:50 Come Dine With Me Ireland 14:15 Coronation Street 14:40 The Chase 15:35 Sunday Night At The Palladium 16:30 Doc Martin 17:25 Shetland 18:20 Murdoch Mysteries 19:10 Coronation Street 19:35 Sunday Night At The Palladium 20:30 Doc Martin 21:25 Shetland 22:20 Coronation Street 22:50 Emmerdale 23:15 Murdoch Mysteries

00:10 Megastructures 01:00 Building Wild 02:00 Cabin Fever 02:55 Megastructures 03:50 Megastructures 04:45 Bad Trip 05:40 Alien Deep With Bob Ballard 06:35 Taiwan: Island Of Fish 07:30 Megacities 08:25 Great Migrations 09:20 Bad Trip 10:15 Ultimate Survival Alaska 11:10 Richard Hammond’s Wildest Weather 12:05 Wicked Tuna 13:00 Great Migrations 14:00 Megacities 15:00 Taiwan: Island Of Fish 16:00 Ultimate Survival Alaska 17:00 Richard Hammond’s Wildest Weather 18:00 Wicked Tuna 19:00 Taiwan: Island Of Fish 20:00 Ultimate Survival Alaska 20:50 Richard Hammond’s Wildest Weather 21:40 Wicked Tuna 22:30 Taiwan: Island Of Fish 23:20 Alien Deep With Bob Ballard

01:00 Last Week Tonight With John Oliver 04:30 The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon 07:00 Late Night With Seth Meyers 09:30 Manhattan Love Story 10:00 Benched 11:00 The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon 14:30 Manhattan Love Story 15:00 Benched 17:00 Late Night With Seth Meyers 18:00 The Simpsons 19:00 Manhattan Love Story 19:30 Benched 20:00 The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon 21:30 The Nightly Show With Larry Wilmore 23:30 Late Night With Seth Meyers

00:00 Show 02:00 08:00 09:00 12:00 12:30 13:00 14:00

American Horror Story: Freak Quantico Drop Dead Diva Quantico Emmerdale Coronation Street The Ellen DeGeneres Show Drop Dead Diva

16:00 16:30 17:00 18:00 19:00 21:00 23:00

Emmerdale Coronation Street The Ellen DeGeneres Show Drop Dead Diva The Voice Blood & Oil American Crime

01:00 03:00 04:00 05:00 07:00 07:30 09:00 10:00 10:30 11:00 14:00 16:00 19:00 21:00

Good Morning America Better Call Saul House Of Cards Good Morning America Emmerdale Coronation Street Criminal Minds Emmerdale Coronation Street The Ellen DeGeneres Show Live Good Morning America Criminal Minds Criminal Minds Witches Of East End

00:00 02:00 04:00 06:00 08:00 10:00 12:00 14:00 16:00 18:00 20:00 22:00

Brick Mansions Rites Of Passage Battle Of The Damned Left Behind Gone In Sixty Seconds Aeon Flux The Legend Of Hercules A Stranger In Paradise Brick Mansions Desperate Measures Android Cop Star Trek

00:00 02:00 04:00 06:00 08:00 10:00 12:00 14:00 16:00 18:00 20:00 22:00

Rites Of Passage-18 Battle Of The Damned-PG15 Left Behind-PG15 Gone In Sixty Seconds Aeon Flux-PG15 The Legend Of Hercules A Stranger In Paradise-PG15 Brick Mansions-PG15 Desperate Measures-PG15 Android Cop-PG15 Star Trek-PG15 Rush Hour 2-PG15

00:00 High Fidelity 02:00 Liar, Liar 04:00 The Best Man Holiday 06:15 Life With Mikey 08:00 The Naked Gun: From The Files Of Police Squad 09:45 The Best Man Holiday 12:00 Liar, Liar 14:00 The Hot Flashes 16:00 The Naked Gun: From The Files Of Police Squad 18:00 Moms’ Night Out 20:00 The First Time 22:00 Save The Date

01:00 InSight-PG15 03:00 The Double-PG15 05:00 Ashes-PG15 07:00 The Citizen-PG15 08:45 Dawn Rider-PG15 10:30 Ashes-PG15 12:30 For Greater Glory-PG15 15:00 Atlas Shrugged Part 2: The Strike-PG15 17:00 Dawn Rider-PG15 19:00 Mr. Pip-PG15 21:00 Parkland-PG15 23:00 Enemy-18

01:30 Odeio O Dia Dos Namorados 03:30 Phantom 05:30 Jodorowsky’s Dune 07:30 The Nightmare Before Christmas 09:00 Temptation: Confessions Of A Marriage Counselor 11:00 Phantom 12:45 Inescapable 14:30 The Joy Luck Club 17:00 Temptation: Confessions Of A Marriage Counselor 19:00 Frank 21:00 The Grand Budapest Hotel 23:00 He Got Game

01:00 A Long Way Down-PG15 03:00 The Trouble With Bliss-PG15 04:45 The Book Thief-PG15

07:00 09:00 11:00 13:00 15:00 17:00 19:00 21:00 23:00

Chef-PG15 The Single Moms Club A Promise-PG15 The Giver-PG15 United Passions-PG15 The Single Moms Club Begin Again-PG15 Wish I Was Here-PG15 The Conjuring-18

01:00 The Olsen Gang In Deep Trouble 02:45 Worms 04:30 The Elf Who Stole Christmas 06:00 Daddy I’m A Zombie 08:00 Hiroku: Defenders Of Gaia 10:00 The Happets 11:30 Goat Story 2 13:00 Worms 14:30 Moomins And The Comet Chase 16:00 True Story Of Puss’n Boots 18:00 The Happets 20:00 Jelly T 22:00 Moomins And The Comet Chase 23:30 True Story Of Puss’n Boots

00:00 The Equalizer-18 02:15 Man Of Tai Chi-PG15 04:00 Quartet-PG15 06:00 Marvel’s Hulk vs. Thor & Wolverine-PG 08:00 Percy Jackson: Sea Of Monsters-PG 10:00 Grace Unplugged-PG 11:45 Bears-PG 13:15 The Hobbit: The Desolation Of Smaug-PG 16:15 Percy Jackson: Sea Of Monsters-PG 18:15 Enough Said-PG15 20:00 The Monuments Men-PG15 22:00 Bad Words-18

01:30 03:00 04:30 06:15 08:00 09:45 11:30 13:15 15:00 16:30 18:15 20:00 21:45 23:15

In The Dark Wreckers A Good Man In Africa Inferno Grave Encounters Henry’s Crime Inside Out The Duchess The Station Agent Last Orders Roger Dodger Dedication Struck By Lightning Speak

00:00 Grey’s Anatomy 01:00 MasterChef - The Professionals 02:00 Private Practice 03:00 Private Practice 04:00 Grey’s Anatomy 05:00 Cougar Town 05:30 Cougar Town 06:00 The Simpsons 06:30 The Simpsons 07:00 Lost 08:00 Grey’s Anatomy 09:00 MasterChef - The Professionals 10:00 Private Practice 11:00 Private Practice 12:00 Grey’s Anatomy 13:00 Cougar Town 13:30 Cougar Town 14:00 The Simpsons 14:30 The Simpsons 15:00 Lost 16:00 Grey’s Anatomy 17:00 MasterChef - The Professionals 18:00 Revenge 19:00 Revenge 20:00 Bones 21:00 Scrubs 21:30 Scrubs 22:00 The Simpsons 22:30 The Simpsons 23:00 Lost

00:00 00:30 01:00 01:30 02:00 03:00 04:00 04:30 05:00 06:00 06:30 07:00

American Restoration American Restoration Pawn Stars Pawn Stars American Pickers The World Wars Shipping Wars Shipping Wars American Pickers American Restoration American Restoration Ice Road Truckers

08:00 09:00 09:30 10:00 11:00 11:30 12:00 13:00 13:30 14:00 14:30 15:00 15:30 16:00 16:30 17:00 18:00 18:30 19:00 19:30 20:00 20:30 21:00 22:00 22:30 23:00 23:30

Alone Duck Dynasty Duck Dynasty American Restoration Counting Cars Counting Cars American Pickers Storage Wars Storage Wars Pawn Stars Pawn Stars Shipping Wars Shipping Wars Pawn Stars Pawn Stars American Pickers Pawn Stars Pawn Stars Storage Wars Storage Wars Duck Dynasty Duck Dynasty American Pickers Storage Wars Storage Wars Storage Wars: New York Storage Wars: New York

01:00 Body And Soul 02:45 Innocent 04:15 True Heart 05:45 Still Life: A Three Pines Mystery 07:15 Alexander The Great 09:30 Separate Tables 11:10 Saved! 12:40 Bound For Glory 15:05 Big Screen 15:20 Music Of The Heart 17:25 Earthbound 19:00 The Woods 20:30 Dead Man Walking 22:30 Fargo 00:05 Reservoir Dogs

01:20 Grojband 01:42 Grojband 02:05 Total Drama World Tour 02:50 Teen Titans Go! 03:10 Grojband 03:35 Grojband 04:00 Regular Show 04:50 Uncle Grandpa 05:00 Uncle Grandpa 05:10 New Adventure Time 05:20 Adventure Time 05:35 New Clarence 05:46 Clarence 06:00 The Amazing World Of Gumball 06:20 Ben 10 07:10 Ninjago Master Of Spinjitzu New 07:30 Regular Show 07:41 Regular Show 07:55 Dreamworks Dragons: Defenders Of Berk 08:20 Total Drama World Tour 08:40 Johnny Test 09:30 Steven Universe 09:50 Uncle Grandpa 10:15 Teen Titans Go! 10:27 Teen Titans Go! 10:40 Regular Show 11:25 New Adventure Time 11:35 Adventure Time 12:10 Steven Universe 12:35 Total Drama World Tour 13:00 Ben 10: Omniverse 13:45 Ninjago Master Of Spinjitzu New 14:10 Matt Hatter New 14:30 Teen Titans Go! 15:20 New Clarence 15:31 Clarence 15:40 Regular Show 16:30 New Adventure Time 16:40 Adventure Time 16:50 The Amazing World Of Gumball 17:15 Uncle Grandpa 17:40 Steven Universe 18:00 Teen Titans Go! 18:50 Ben 10: Omniverse 19:40 Adventure Time 20:25 Johnny Test 21:10 Regular Show 21:55 Total Drama World Tour 22:40 Grojband 23:25 Transformers: Robots In Disguise 23:50 Regular Show 00:35 Johnny Test

01:06 How It’s Made 01:29 How Do They Do It? 02:16 Outrageous Acts Of Psych 02:40 Outrageous Acts Of Psych 03:03 Through The Wormhole With Morgan Freeman 03:50 How The Universe Works 04:37 How It’s Made

RUSH HOUR 2 OSN MOVIES ACTION HD

RITES OF PASSAGE ON OSN MOVIES ACTION HD 05:00 How It’s Made 05:23 Mythbusters 06:08 You Have Been Warned 06:53 Nyc: Inside Out 07:38 Food Factory 08:23 Redesign My Brain 09:08 Through The Wormhole With Morgan Freeman 09:53 How Do They Do It? 10:38 You Have Been Warned 11:23 Nyc: Inside Out 12:10 How It’s Made 12:34 How It’s Made 12:57 Redesign My Brain 13:44 Through The Wormhole With Morgan Freeman 14:31 You Have Been Warned 15:18 How The Universe Works 16:05 Mythbusters 16:50 The Big Brain Theory 17:40 Food Factory 18:25 How It’s Made 19:15 How Do They Do It? 20:00 The Big Brain Theory 20:45 Through The Wormhole With Morgan Freeman 21:35 How The Universe Works 22:20 Mythbusters 23:08 The Big Brain Theory 23:55 Food Factory 00:42 How It’s Made

01:10 Henry Hugglemonster 01:20 Calimero 01:35 Zou 01:45 Loopdidoo 02:00 Art Attack 02:25 Henry Hugglemonster 02:35 Calimero 02:50 Zou 03:00 Loopdidoo 03:15 Art Attack 03:35 Henry Hugglemonster 03:50 Calimero 04:00 Zou 04:15 Loopdidoo 04:35 Art Attack 05:00 Calimero 05:10 Zou 05:25 Jake And The Never Land Pirates 05:55 Sofia The First 06:20 Doc McStuffins 06:45 Loopdidoo 07:00 Limon And Oli 07:10 Sheriff Callie’s Wild West

07:35 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 08:00 Sofia The First 08:30 Doc McStuffins 08:55 Miles From Tomorrow 09:25 Jake And The Neverland Pirates 09:55 Loopdidoo 10:10 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 10:35 Sheriff Callie’s Wild West 11:00 Sofia The First 11:30 Henry Hugglemonster 12:00 Doc McStuffins 12:30 Nina Needs To Go 12:35 Zou 12:50 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 13:15 Sofia The First 13:45 Jake And The Never Land Pirates 14:10 Lilo & Stitch 14:40 Adventures Of The Gummi Bears 15:05 Chip n Dale Rescue Rangers 15:35 Ducktales 16:00 Miles From Tomorrow 16:30 Sofia The First 16:55 Doc McStuffins 17:15 Jake And The Neverland Pirates 17:35 Sheriff Callie’s Wild West 18:05 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 18:35 Sofia The First 19:00 Adventures Of The Gummi Bears 19:25 Chip n Dale Rescue Rangers 19:55 Ducktales 20:20 Lilo & Stitch 20:50 Zou 21:05 Henry Hugglemonster 21:20 Calimero 21:35 Zou 21:50 Loopdidoo 22:05 Art Attack 22:30 Henry Hugglemonster 22:45 Calimero 23:00 Zou 23:15 Loopdidoo 23:30 Art Attack 23:55 Henry Hugglemonster 00:05 Calimero 00:20 Zou 00:30 Loopdidoo 00:45 Art Attack

04:00 The 7D 04:10 Randy Cunningham: 9th Grade Ninja 04:35 Mini Ninjas

05:00 05:25 05:50 06:15 06:40 07:05 07:30 08:00 08:25 08:50 09:15 09:45 10:10 10:35 11:00 11:25 11:50 12:20 12:50 12:55 13:20 13:45 14:10 14:35 15:00 15:25 15:55 16:20 16:45 17:10 17:40 Gong 18:05 18:30 19:00 19:25 19:50 20:10 20:20

Phineas And Ferb Mighty Med Lab Rats Supa Strikas Penn Zero: Part Time Hero Kickin’ It Super Matrak Boyster Mini Ninjas The 7D Mighty Med Lab Rats Phineas And Ferb Phineas And Ferb Supa Strikas Kickin’ It Zeke & Luther Camp Lakebottom Cars Toons Ultimate Spider-Man Lab Rats Boyster The 7D Penn Zero: Part Time Hero Mighty Med Supa Strikas Kickin’ It Lab Rats: Bionic Island Kirby Buckets Phineas And Ferb Japaneezi Going Going Super Matrak Ultimate Spider-Man Lab Rats Kickin’ It Phineas And Ferb Phineas And Ferb Boyster

01:45 72 Dangerous Animals Australia 02:40 World’s Deadliest 03:35 Top Cats 04:30 Dangerous Encounters 05:25 72 Dangerous Animals Australia 06:20 Man And The Wild 07:15 Animals Gone Wild 08:10 America The Wild 09:05 Swamp Men 10:00 Monster Fish 10:55 Brutal Killers 11:50 Dangerous Encounters 12:45 72 Dangerous Animals Australia 13:40 Kenny And Zoltan’s Venom Quest 14:35 Animals Gone Wild 15:30 America The Wild 16:25 Swamp Men 17:20 72 Dangerous Animals Australia 18:10 Kenny And Zoltan’s Venom Quest 19:00 Animals Gone Wild 19:50 America The Wild 20:40 Swamp Men 21:30 Monster Fish 22:20 Brutal Killers 23:10 Dangerous Encounters 00:00 Dragon’s Feast 00:50 Africa’s Deadliest

01:40 02:30 03:00 03:30 04:00 04:25 05:15 06:05 06:55 07:20 07:45 08:10 08:35 09:25 09:50 10:40 11:30 Now? 12:20 13:10 13:35 14:00 14:50 15:40 16:05 16:30 17:20 18:10 19:00 19:50 20:40 21:05 21:30 22:20 23:10

Craft Wars Jon & Kate Plus 8 Little People, Big World Cake Boss Say Yes To The Dress Shopping Is My Life Toddlers & Tiaras My Five Wives My Big Fat Fabulous Life My Big Fat Fabulous Life Jon & Kate Plus 8 Little People, Big World Sister Wives Cake Boss Dare To Wear Shopping Is My Life Oprah: Where Are They Iyanla: Fix My Life Jon & Kate Plus 8 Little People, Big World Toddlers & Tiaras Sister Wives Cake Boss Say Yes To The Dress Craft Wars Randy’s Wedding Rescue Shopping Is My Life Food Hospital The Day I Almost Died Long Island Medium Long Island Medium Return To Amish Food Hospital The Day I Almost Died

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2015

i n f o r m at i o n For labor-related inquiries and complaints: Call MSAL hotline 128

INTERNATIONAL CALLS GOVERNORATE

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Fintas

23900322

PRIVATE CLINICS Ophthalmologists Dr. Abidallah Al-Mansoor 25622444 Dr. Samy Al-Rabeea 25752222 Dr. Masoma Habeeb 25321171 Dr. Mubarak Al-Ajmy 25739999 Dr. Mohsen Abel 25757700 Dr Adnan Hasan Alwayl 25732223 Dr. Abdallah Al-Baghly 25732223 Ear, Nose & Throat (ENT) Dr. Ahmed Fouad Mouner 24555050 Ext 510 Dr. Abdallah Al-Ali 25644660 Dr. Abd Al-Hameed Al-Taweel 25646478 Dr. Sanad Al-Fathalah 25311996 Dr. Mohammad Al-Daaory 25731988 Dr. Ismail Al-Fodary 22620166 Dr. Mahmoud Al-Booz 25651426 General Practitioners Dr. Mohamme Y Majidi 24555050 Ext 123 Dr. Yousef Al-Omar 24719312 Dr. Tarek Al-Mikhazeem 23926920 Dr. Kathem Maarafi 25730465 Dr. Abdallah Ahmad Eyadah 25655528 Dr. Nabeel Al-Ayoobi 24577781 Dr. Dina Abidallah Al-Refae 25333501 Urologists Dr. Ali Naser Al-Serfy 22641534 Dr. Fawzi Taher Abul 22639955 Dr. Khaleel Abidallah Al-Awadi 22616660 Dr. Adel Al-Hunayan FRCS (C) 25313120 Dr. Leons Joseph 66703427 Psychologists /Psychotherapists

Paediatricians

Plastic Surgeons Dr. Mohammad Al-Khalaf

22547272

Dr. Khaled Hamadi

Dr. Abdal-Redha Lari

22617700

Dr. Abd Al-Aziz Al-Rashed

Dr. Abdel Quttainah

25625030/60

Family Doctor Dr Divya Damodar

23729596/23729581

Psychiatrists Dr. Esam Al-Ansari

22635047

Dr Eisa M. Al-Balhan DrAdrian arbe

23729596/23729581

Dr. Verginia s.Marin

2572-6666 ext 8321

Dr. Fozeya Ali Al-Qatan

22655539

Dr. Majeda Khalefa Aliytami

25343406

Dr. Ahmad Al-Khooly

25739272

Dr. Salem soso

22618787 General Surgeons

Dr. Amer Zawaz Al-Amer

22610044

Dr. Mohammad Yousef Basher

25327148

Internists, Chest & Heart Dr. Adnan Ebil

22639939

Dr. Mousa Khadada

22666300

Dr. Latefa Al-Duweisan

25728004

Dr. Nadem Al-Ghabra

25355515

Dr. Mobarak Aldoub

24726446

Dr Nasser Behbehani

25654300/3

Soor Center Tel: 2290-1677 Fax: 2290 1688

[email protected] www.soorcenter.com

25340300

Dr. Zahra Qabazard

25710444

Dr. Sohail Qamar

22621099

Dr. Snaa Maaroof

25713514

Dr. Pradip Gujare

23713100

Dr. Zacharias Mathew

24334282

Dermatology

22613623/0

Gynaecologists & Obstetricians

25665898

Dr. Mohammed Salam Bern University

23845955 3729596/3729581

Dr. Shamah Al-Matar

22641071/2

Dr. Anesah Al-Rasheed

22562226

Dr. Abidallah Al-Amer

22561444

Dr. Faysal Al-Fozan

22619557

Dr. Abdallateef Al-Katrash

22525888

Dr. Abidallah Al-Duweisan

25653755

Dr. Bader Al-Ansari

25620111

Neurologists Dr. Sohal Najem Al-Shemeri

25633324

Dr. Jasem Mola Hassan

25345875

Gastrologists Dr. Sami Aman

22636464

Dr. Mohammad Al-Shamaly

25322030

Dr. Foad Abidallah Al-Ali

22633135

Kaizen center 25716707

Dr. Abd Al-Naser Al-Othman

Noor Clinic 23845955

25339330

Dr. Ahmad Al-Ansari 25658888 Dr. Kamal Al-Shomr 25329924 Physiotherapists & VD Dr. Deyaa Shehab

25722291

Dr. Musaed Faraj Khamees

Dentists Dr Anil Thomas

Endocrinologist

22666288

Rheumatologists: Dr. Adel Al-Awadi

25330060

Dr. Khaled Al-Jarallah

25722290

Internist, Chest & Heart DR.Mohammes Akkad

24555050 Ext 210

Dr. Mohammad Zubaid MB, ChB, FRCPC, PACC Assistant Professor Of Medicine Head, Division of Cardiology Mubarak Al-Kabeer Hospital 25339667 Consultant Cardiologist Dr. Farida Al-Habib MD, PH.D, FACC Inaya German Medical Center Te: 2575077 Fax: 25723123

2611555-2622555

William Schuilenberg, RPC 2290-1677 Zaina Al Zabin, M.Sc. 2290-1677

Holland (Netherlands) 0031

Taiwan

00886

Honduras

00504

Tanzania

00255

Hong Kong

00852

Thailand

0066

Hungary

0036

Toga

00228

Ibiza (Spain)

0034

Tonga

00676

Iceland

00354

Tokelau

00690

India

0091

Trinidad

001868

Indian Ocean

00873

Tunisia

00216

Indonesia

0062

Turkey

0090

Iran

0098

Tuvalu

00688

Iraq

00964

Uganda

00256

Ireland

00353

Ukraine

00380

Italy

0039

United Arab Emirates 00976

Ivory Coast

00225

United Kingdom

0044

Jamaica

001876

Uruguay

00598

Japan

0081

USA

001

Jordan

00962

Uzbekistan

00998

Kazakhstan

007

Vanuatu

00678

Kenya

00254

Venezuela

00582

Kiribati

00686

Vietnam

0084

Kuwait

00965

Virgin Islands UK

001284

Kyrgyzstan

00996

Virgin Islands US

001340

Laos

00856

Wales (UK)

0044

Latvia

00371

Yemen

00967

Lebanon

00961

Yugoslavia

00381

Liberia

00231

Zambia

00260

Libya

00218

Zimbabwe

00263

Lithuania

00370

34

stars

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2015

CROSSWORD 1034 STAR TRACK Aries (March 21-April 19) Controlling your emotions continues to be an uphill battle today as the Moon moves through your sign and forms disquieting aspects with several planets including warrior Mars. Unfortunately, talking about your feelings may stir up even more tension at first because there’s no way to pretend that something is okay when it’s not. Regardless of the potential drama, address whatever is bothering you now instead of waiting until the anxiety is even greater. Just make sure that you’re not looking for trouble when you share what’s on your mind. Stick to the facts for the happiest results. Taurus (April 20-May 20) Someone’s provocative words can quickly escalate a simple discussion into a full-blown argument. You are a tough adversary, especially if you’re defending a personal belief. Nevertheless, you probably won’t convince your opponent that you’re right and a conflict will only widen the gulf between you. Take the high road and absolutely avoid confrontation by refusing to partake in a verbal attack. Current differences aren’t as significant as they seem; thankfully, this time around interpersonal stress settles down on its own.

Gemini (May 21-June 20)

ACROSS 1. White crystalline compound used as a food additive to enhance flavor. 4. A Sudanese sorghum having exceptionally large soft white grains. 12. What you can repeat immediately after perceiving it. 15. Aromatic bulb used as seasoning. 16. Large hawk of the northern hemisphere that feeds chiefly on small rodents and is beneficial to farmers. 17. The 21st letter of the Greek alphabet. 18. German tennis player who won seven women's singles titles at Wimbledon (born in 1969). 20. Powdery starch from certain sago palms. 21. Of or relating to or near the nares. 23. Lost temporarily. 26. Harsh or corrosive in tone. 27. An ancient city on the Nile in Egypt. 31. A colorless element that is one of the six inert gasses. 32. Extremely pleasant in a gentle way. 35. The state or quality of being widely honored and acclaimed. 40. A genus of Ploceidae. 42. A flat wing-shaped process or winglike part of an organism. 43. The 11th letter of the Greek alphabet. 46. A correctional institution used to detain persons who are in the lawful custody of the government (either accused persons awaiting trial or convicted persons serving a sentence). 47. United States playwright who collaborated with Russel Crouse on several musicals (1889-1931). 50. The elapsed time it takes for light (or radio signals) to travel between the Earth and a celestial object. 52. An intensely radioactive metallic element that occurs in minute amounts in uranium ores. 53. Extract of the heartwood of Acacia catechu used for dying and tanning and preserving fishnets and sails. 54. A Cox-2 inhibitor (trade name Celebrex) that relieves pain without harming the digestive tract. 57. Port city on southern Honshu on Osaka Bay. 58. Wasting time. 60. Suggestive of the supernatural. 61. One thousand grams. 62. A promotional statement (as found on the dust jackets of books). 64. A city in east central Texas. 70. Suitable for formal occasions. 73. (Irish) Mother of the ancient Irish gods. 76. The capital and largest city of Bangladesh. 77. An informal term for a father. 78. The quantity broken. 80. A compartment in front of a motor vehicle where driver sits. 81. The compass point midway between east and southeast. 82. Of a vivid red to reddish-orange color. 83. A loose sleeveless outer garment made from aba cloth. DOWN 1. Molten rock in the earth's crust. 2. Large spreading Old World tree having large leaves and globose clusters of greenish-yellow flowers and long seed pods that clatter in the wind. 3. A brittle transparent solid with irregular atomic structure. 4. A radioactive element of the alkalimetal group discovered as a disintegra-

tion product of actinium. 5. A red fluorescent dye resulting from the action of bromine on fluorescein. 6. Two items of the same kind. 7. Animal reproductive body consisting of an ovum or embryo together with nutritive and protective envelopes. 8. The 17th letter of the Greek alphabet. 9. Being nine more than forty. 10. Small often spiny insectivorous mammal of Madagascar. 11. Title for a civil or military leader (especially in Turkey). 12. Having an agreeably pungent taste. 13. Of or relating to or characteristic of Thailand of its people. 14. Moderate in type or degree or effect or force. 19. A stroke of luck. 22. Disparaging terms for the common people. 24. A river in north central Switzerland that runs northeast into the Rhine. 25. An extension at the end and at right angles to the main building. 28. (Old Testament) In Judeo-Christian mythology. 29. A city in northwest Texas south of Amarillo. 30. Informal abbreviation of `representative'. 33. Someone who admires a young woman. 34. A splendid assemblage (especially of famous people). 36. A name that has been assumed temporarily. 37. A blanket that is used as a cloak or shawl. 38. Pompous or pretentious talk or writing. 39. A basketball shot made with one hand from a position under or beside the basket (and usually banked off the backboard). 41. An official prosecutor for a judicial district. 44. A person of unquestioning obedience. 45. The univalent unsaturated organic radical C3H5. 48. British slang. 49. A narcotic that is considered a hard drug. 51. A brittle silver-white metalloid element that is related to selenium and sulfur. 55. United States baseball player (born 1925). 56. (Old Testament) Wife of Isaac and mother of Jacob and Esau. 59. A person who owns or operates oil wells. 63. Mammary gland of bovids (cows and sheep and goats). 65. Type genus of the Anatidae. 66. (of a young animal) Abandoned by its mother and raised by hand. 67. A member of a rural Finnish people living in eastern Russia. 68. A primeval personification of air and breath. 69. The basic unit of money in Bangladesh. 71. Someone who works (or provides workers) during a strike. 72. A island in the Netherlands Antilles that is the top of an extinct volcano. 74. A mature blood cell that contains hemoglobin to carry oxygen to the bodily tissues. 75. Tag the base runner to get him out. 79. A rare silvery (usually trivalent) metallic element.

Your perceptions may be slightly warped today making it wise to consciously delay an important discussion. Attempting to sidestep a painful topic makes you nervous until a relatively careless comment pushes your buttons and all bets are off. A temper tantrum empowers you to blow off some stream today, but it won’t make anyone feel better in the long run. Instead of inadvertently provoking others for all the wrong reasons, set your sarcasm aside and simply speak from your heart.

Cancer (June 21-July 22) You’re a force to be reckoned with today, especially if someone tries to play the authority card to gain control over you. At other times you might actually choose to remain quiet and acquiesce to people’s demands, but now you’re ready to tenaciously fight to maintain your boundaries. It’s healthy to let everyone know where you stand as long as you don’t take your resistance too far. Claim your power but not at anyone else’s expense.

Leo (July 23-August 22) You sincerely appreciate the love and support from your friends and family. However, you don’t like it when someone meddles in your business, especially if you are adamant about your current goals. Your patience is burning on a short fuse today and your reaction to outside interference may be too swift. Be firm in your demeanor, but keep in mind that breaking rank could further incite unwanted conflict. Take a deep breath and think twice before you respond. There isn’t any reason to burn bridges when you still have rivers to cross. Virgo (August 23-September 22)

Libra (September 23-October 22) It’s a wonder that people can be so insistent with pushing their personal agendas that they don’t even realize they’re being offensive. On the other hand, you’re overly concerned that someone else may think you’re the one that’s being too aggressive. Surprisingly, those closest to you might be much more cooperative if you spend more time and energy describing exactly what you need now. Establishing clear boundaries isn’t rude behavior; a little personal space is exactly what’s required for healthy relationships.

Scorpio (October 23-November 21) You may feel as if you’re back into the swing of things now that the Moon is working her way through your 6th House of Routine. Nevertheless, her conjunction with incorrigible Uranus today is anything but a stabilizing influence. Although you might be yearning to try something completely new, it’s reassuring to know you can still be successful by falling back on an old habit. Don’t worry about what anyone else thinks; the opinions of others are less important than the results of your actions. The proof is in the pudding. Sagittarius (November 22-December 21) A current wave of confidence refuels your freewheeling approach to life, yet you may be jumping the gun and feeling the optimism a few days too soon. It’s not that anything is wrong with your present circumstances; it’s just that you still have more work to complete before you can harvest the fruits of your labor. Positive thinking is surely a vital part of your current strategy; just don’t ignore reality in the process.

Capricorn (December 22-January 19) You’re tempted to pick up and move somewhere else, even if you must re-evaluate the potential difficulties you might face. Whether or not relocation is even a tiny bit feasible now, unrelenting responsibilities increase your desire to escape. Nevertheless, it’s not a great time to make drastic changes that destabilize your domestic life. Instead, resolve minor problems as they occur; think cosmically, act locally.

Aquarius (January 20- February 18) Your thoughts are spinning around in circles today, and you simply can’t predict how busy you will be for the next few weeks. But even if you are anticipating what’s next with all systems on standby, you still can’t instantaneously jump forward to where you want to be. You must move into your future step by step, one day at a time, and right now that means clearing any lingering obstacles in your path, real or imagined. A clean slate makes room for your new dreams to come true.

Pisces (February 19-March 20)

You prefer to have all the details in place, but something can go slightly awry today. Unfortunately, you may be caught off-guard if a friend or coworker leads you down the garden path. Rather than overreacting, practice the art of compassion, instead. In fact, a simple misunderstanding might have set the whole thing into motion. Once you know the source of the error, you can quickly correct it and get your day back on track.

Your self-esteem grows stronger day by day, but you may be so confident now that you take on more than you can manage. It’s easier to see the possibilities in each moment than to stick with the boring facts. However, it’s not useful to you or anyone else if you forecast blue skies when it’s smarter to carry an umbrella. Karma comes around quickly today, so minimize any setbacks by making certain your goals are realistic. Believing in yourself works wonders now as long as your plans are practical and your intentions pure.

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Review

This photo released by 20th Century Fox shows Matt Damon in a scene from the film, ‘The Martian.’ — AP photos

Actors Kristen Wiig, left, Kate Mara and Sebastian Stan attend a special screening of ‘The Martian’ during the New York Film Festival on Sunday in New York.

Damon charms as stranded astronaut in ‘The Martian’

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ithout Matt Damon, the solitary fight for survival on Mars would be lonely indeed. Alone on screen for most of his scenes as an astronaut stranded on the red planet, the Oscar-nominated actor is the winning heart of Ridley Scott’s epic space adventure, “The Martian.” With Damon’s charm center stage, Scott has crafted an exciting, hopeful story about humanity at its best: The brightest minds working together for a common goal that bridges international borders and forges a feeling of unity. Affable and intelligent, playful and determined, Damon’s Mark Watney is so endearing and entertaining as a narrator and subject, it’s easy to see why the world would want to save him. The story begins with Watney accidentally left behind during a NASA mission to Mars. When a fierce storm forces an emergency evacuation from the planet, he disappears in the chaos and is presumed dead. He isn’t, of course, and as his fellow astronauts mourn him during their months-long journey back to Earth and NASA officials struggle with how to explain his death to the public, Watney wakes up, injured and alone. But he’s incredibly optimistic and resilient. He fixes his wound with minor surgery and immediately goes about

prolonging his survival, knowing it could be years before a manned spacecraft returns to Mars. He puts his skills as a botanist and engineer to work, devising a way to grow crops in the arid soil and make water by burning hydrogen. He rewires old equipment from a past Mars mission in hopes of communicating with NASA. Sleeping quarters Watney is curious and talkative, keeping himself company by narrating his every move. He tracks his obstacles and progress in daily video logs. He chats to himself in footage from the helmet cam in his spacesuit, cracking jokes he knows no one can hear. Seeing his efforts through various camera perspectives - the helmet cam, a bunk cam inside his sleeping quarters, a dashboard camera inside his space rover and the video diaries where he appears to talk directly to the audience - adds visual interest, though Damon would probably be just as magnetic talking to a hand-held camera in an empty room. Meanwhile, NASA director Teddy Sanders (Jeff Daniels at his most clinical) and Mars mission chief Vincent Kapoor (Chiwetel Ejiofor) learn through satellite photos that

Watney is alive. As NASA spokeswoman Annie Montrose (a miscast Kristin Wiig) scrambles to protect the agency’s public image, the men strategize how to bring the stranded astronaut home. “The Martian” unfolds in three settings, all spectacularly realized by production designer Arthur Max. There’s life on Earth, set inside NASA’s sterile Houston headquarters and the lively Jet Propulsion Laboratory; and life on Mars, a dusty, red, rocky expanse where nothing lives (which filmmakers actually found in Jordan). Then there’s life aboard the film’s elegant spacecraft, from the rugged rover Watney uses to explore Mars to the Enterprise-inspired ship that carries his fellow crewmembers and their commander, Melissa Lewis (Jessica Chastain).

stream readers would be interested at all,” he said. With Scott at the helm and Damon leading the cast, “The Martian” is accessible and beautiful, cinematically and intellectually. Even though it’s a big Hollywood production, Watney’s survival really does seem in question, and audiences will want to join the international crowds on screen in cheering for his rescue. “The Martian,” a 20th Century Fox release, is rated PG-13 by the Motion Picture Association of America for “some strong language, injury images, and brief nudity.” Running time: 141 minutes. Three and a half stars out of four. MPAA Definition of PG-13: Parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13. — AP

Hollywood production Unlike other recent big-screen space trips, the science here is presented simply enough that no suspension of disbelief or quantum leap through the time-space continuum is necessary. It all seems plausible, and author Andy Weir, upon whose novel the film is based, insists it is, calling it “a technical book for technical people.” “I had no idea main-

Jackie Chan’s ‘Kung Fu Yoga’ begins shooting in Dubai

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irector Stanley Tong has commenced principal photography at Dubai locations on “Kung Fu Yoga.” The film, starring Jackie Chan, is the first under the China-India co-production agreement that was signed in September 2014. Filming will conclude on Oct 30 and is expected to shoot at Indian locations at a later schedule. The film is a co-production between China’s Taihe Entertainment and Shinework Media, and India’s Viacom 18. UAE production services company AlKatraz Productions is handling the Dubai shoot logistics and the film has the support of the Dubai Film and TV Commission. Some 100 international crew members as well as local crews are involved in the production that will feature several car chases. “We are greatly looking forward to filming parts of ‘Kung Fu Yoga’ in Dubai, and the locations we have selected perfectly complement the scenes we are shooting here,” Tong said. “Dubai’s iconic skyscrapers and attractions are recognized around the world, and we are excited to work closely with Dubai Film and TV Commission to ensure an enjoyable and successful filming time in Dubai.”

“We are very excited to welcome Jackie Chan and the team to Dubai,” Jamal Al Sharif, chairman of Dubai Film and TV Commission said. “The UAE is becoming an increasingly popular destination for Hollywood and Bollywood productions, and the filming of ‘Kung Fu Yoga’ in Dubai is another major boost for our film industry.” Justin Lin’s “Star Trek Beyond” is another high profile international production that will shoot soon in the United Arab Emirates. Viacom 18 is a joint venture between US media conglomerate Viacom and India’s Network 18 Group. Taihe runs several film, television and music production companies in China. Shinework produces world cinema programs for the China Movie Channel and plays an assisting role for the State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film & Television and the Film Bureau to promote international cultural communication between China and the world. — Reuters

In this image released by Sony Pictures, Joseph Gordon-Levitt portrays Philippe Petite in a scene from, ‘The Walk.’ — AP

Brazil Rock in Rio

‘The Walk’ earns its keep with spectacular third act

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Katy Perry performs at the Rock in Rio music festival in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, yesterday. — AP photos

A-HA performing on the last day of Rock in Rio Music Festival - Rio de Janeiro.

Aluna Francis of the Aluna George band perfoms at the Rock in Rio music festival.

an a great third act make a great film? Conventional wisdom would say no. It’s silly to spell out, but beginnings and middles are important, too. But if you’re going to nail one section, the end isn’t a bad place to start. The audience leaves invigorated, and, in a best case scenario, has already forgotten the slog it took to get there. “The Walk,” a fictionalized rendering of Philippe Petit’s 1974 high-wire stroll between the World Trade Center towers, doesn’t entirely disprove the rule, but it certainly makes a seductive case. Director Robert Zemeckis and cinematographer Dariusz Wolski have made a truly extraordinary and breathtaking 40 minutes of cinema, preceded by a mostly forgettable, cloyingly whimsical hour and change. The stunt, which the gang refers to as “the coup,” is one for the cinematic ages. Zemeckis and Wolski take the camera to unprecedented angles to make you feel like you are really standing between the 110 story towers. It’s an undeniable, sweaty-palmed thrill walking above the clouds with Petit (played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt), full of tension and triumph. The final sequence could have been enough for a film, but “The Walk” is more conventional than it might seem. It languishes for too long on origins of Petit’s obsession with wirewalking and the high rise towers, playing up his quirkiness and eccentricities for whimsy, not the story. Manic showiness The beginning is shot like a fever dream of top hats, circus tents and unicycles. And, of course, there are the requisite underdeveloped characters - a curmudgeonly mentor (Ben Kingsley) and supportive girlfriend (Charlotte Le Bon) - to accompany him along the way. Gordon-Levitt, sporting fake blue eyes and a thick French accent, embraces the manic showiness and near sociopathy of Petit - an artist with complete tunnel vision. It’s an interesting, all-out performance that still doesn’t go much deeper than surface level. That’s because the film would rather treat this real life oddity like a fanciful fairy tale. Everyone seems like a character out of “Alice in Wonderland.” Structurally, the film chooses to let Petit narrate his own story, literally from the top of the Statue of Liberty with the

towers gleaming in the background. Though most likely know the outcome, this post game voiceover strips away some of the inherent drama, and looks fairly cheesy, too. That’s why it’s such a relief when the coup begins in earnest. Everything takes a turn for the dramatic - even the music. Beyond the walk itself, the joy of the third act comes not from trying to comprehend the why, but in documenting the how of it all. The energy even gets an adrenaline boost when James Badge Dale enters the frame as JP, a magnetic, French-speaking New Yorker who brings an authentic levity and vitality to the film not a minute too soon. Cinematic purpose Clement Sibony stands out in the supporting cast as Petit’s closest ally, and Ce0sar Domboy is fun, too, as a math whiz who’s deathly afraid of heights. Le Bon, though lovely and restrained, gets eaten by the over-the-topness of everything else. The band of weirdos trope starts to wear thin, too, even though the caricatures are somewhat true to real life. “The Walk” isn’t nearly as elegant, grand, or informative as James Marsh’s 2008 documentary masterpiece “Man on Wire,” but that doesn’t make it redundant or unnecessary -”The Walk” serves its cinematic purpose by showing you something that you’ve never seen before, from perspectives that seem as impossible as the stunt itself. Zemeckis just chose for too long to luxuriate in the fantasy of it all, when the reality was more than enough. “The Walk,” a Sony Pictures Entertainment release, is rated PG by the Motion Picture Association of America for “thematic elements involving perilous situations, and for some nudity, language, brief drug references and smoking.” Running time: 123 minutes. Two and a half stars out of four. — AP

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2015

lifestyle G o s s i p

Verne Troyer: I’d love to appear in another Austin Powers movie V

erne Troyer would “love” to make another ‘Austin Powers’ movie. The 46-year-old actor starred as Mini-Me in the comedy franchise and has revealed he would be eager to reprise the role alongside Mike Myers. Speaking exclusively to BANG Showbiz, Verne said: “I would love to make another film. I’ve just heard rumours. Someone was telling me earlier that Mike announced it was going to happen in the next couple of years, but I don’t know. I haven’t heard anything.” Verne -

who’s subsequently starred in an array of movies, including a cameo role in the British comedy ‘Convenience’ admitted he’ll forever be associated with the role of MiniMe. He shared: “I’m always going to be known for Mini Me and it’s fine. It’s really the role that got me started and put me on the map and where I am today.” Meanwhile, Verne also revealed his friendship with Ray Panthaki was key to him securing a cameo role in ‘Convenience’. He said: “Basically I got involved because of Ray Panthaki, he’s the

producer and also stars in the movie. “I’ve been friends with him for six or seven years. He rang me up and asked me if I wanted to do a cameo and I said, ‘Yeah, I’m all in.’” ‘Convenience’ is in cinemas October 2 and On Demand/DVD October 5.

Diesel confirms one final Fast and Furious trilogy

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in Diesel says that the ‘Fast and Furious’ franchise will end after “one final trilogy”. The 48-year-old actor and producer is currently working on finding a director for the eighth movie in the series and revealed that he will bow out after three more films. Writing on Facebook, Vin said: “ Universal has been so good to me and so trusting of the vision... they have been like family... I promised the studio I would deliver one last Trilogy to end the saga.” While it has been claimed that producers are struggling to find a director for the upcoming eighth movie in the franchise, Vin insisted he is just being picky because he wants to deliver the best film possible for the fans. He explained: “The fans of the Fast & Furious SAGA are the best fans in the world... Since I became the Producer in 2008, you have been with me every step of the way... literally giving me feedback that proved invaluable. Thank you. “My producing partner Neal would love for me to just sign off on a director, but this is too special a franchise, so these matters have to be very carefully handled. To be clear, NO ONE has been offered to helm Fast 8 yet... let alone seen a script (sic).”

Lea Seydoux:

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it Harington agreed to star in ‘Spooks: The Greater Good’ because it felt “relevant” to his own life. The 28-year-old actor - who stars alongside Peter Firth and Jennifer Ehle in the British spy film - said he was eager to work on the movie because it’s so distinct from the other projects he’s been working on lately, including the popular fantasy drama series ‘Game of Thrones’. He explained: “One of the major reasons why I really wanted to take this role, not only because it had an exciting script, it had pace, it was fun. “But also I’ve spent a lot of time in a fantasy realm or in a very archaic place in a lot of the work I’ve done on screen. So for me, this is a time when I’m still

Spectre is political

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ea Seydoux thinks ‘Spectre’ has “political” undertones. The 30-year-old actress - who’s been cast in the role of Dr Madeleine Swann in the new Sam Mendesdirected movie - has revealed he on-screen character is the product of a “feminist” mindset. She shared: “My character Madeleine Swann is a rebel. She’s the daughter of an assassin and her father [Mr White, Bond’s former adversary in ‘Casino Royale’ and ‘Quantum of Solace’] is the key to unlocking many of the mysteries in this plot. “The Bond girl was a stereotype Bond girl, very sexy, but while Madeleine sleeps with Bond this time it’s different. She doesn’t need him or wait for him to save her.” Lea said that unlike prior Bond girls, her character stands on an equal footing to the secret agent. She told the Mail on Sunday newspaper: “It’s almost political this film. The producers really thought through the project in a feminist way. My character is Bond’s equal. She doesn’t need Bond, she doesn’t want to be part of his world. “I think this is what’s new in the film. It’s not what you expect from a Bond film. It’s a much more intense, complex and deep relationship.”

Jackman eyes Tom Hardy for Wolverine role

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ugh Jackman wants Tom Hardy to play the next Wolverine. The 46-year-old actor, who has played the superhero since 2000, announced earlier this year his upcoming appearance in ‘Wolverine 3’ will be his last, but he’s already been eyeing up people take his place and believes the ‘Legend’ star, 38, will be the best person to take over the Adamantium claws. Asked who he thinks should take over the role, he said: “I haven’t really given it a lot of thought. I’ve been asked that question a lot, and I’m always like, ‘I don’t wanna make it too easy on the studio to replace me,’ you know?” He added to MTV News: “He’s younger than me for sure. I think Tom Hardy would be a great Wolverine.” And is seems Tom would be the best fit for the role as he received rave reviews for his portrayal of nasty villain Bane in ‘The Dark Knight Rises’ in 2012. Meanwhile, Hugh - who broke hearts around the globe when he announced his decision to step down from the role of Wolverine in May this year - will star in the upcoming sequel of the movie but it’s not known whether he will reprise the iconic role in the 2016 ‘X-Men: Apocalypse’ as of yet.-Bang Showbiz

Harington reveals the attraction of Spooks: The Greater Good enjoying action sequences.” Kit admitted it was “refreshing” for him to take on a different type of role. He said: “I still enjoy the physical aspect of acting and doing my own stunts and this way I could hold a gun and to read a script and speak dialogue which is a bit more relevant to who I am and who I am in life; it’s quite refreshing.” ‘Spooks: The Greater Good’ is available now on Blu-Ray and DVD, courtesy of Entertainment One.

Pierce Brosnan: My version of James Bond was less sexist

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ierce Brosnan thinks his version of James Bond was less “sexist and misogynistic” than earlier incarnations. The 62-year-old actor - who starred as the iconic secret agent in four films, from 1995 to 2002 - has defended his version of Bond, suggesting he was more forward-thinking than prior incarnations. Pierce said: “I never thought of him like that. I saw him as a solitary, enigmatic character.” However, he does, to some extent, agree with Daniel Craig’s recent claim that Bond is “very lonely”. He told Digital Spy: “I saw him as a fellow who carries a certain amount of pain and angst. Deep down as someone who’s quite troubled, and solitary - [though] Ian Fleming really doesn’t give you a lot to hang your hat on. “There’s a lovely sequence in [novel ‘Casino Royale’] where Bond is on a flight to Amsterdam and there is terrible turbulence and he’s shaking in his shoes, from turbulence. ‘The drink, the drink, give me the drink’.” Last month, meanwhile, Pierce revealed he would welcome a gay James Bond - but doesn’t think it’ll ever happen. Asked if he could picture a gay Bond, Pierce said: “Sure. Why not? “Actually, I don’t know how it would work. I don’t think [producer Barbara Broccoli] would allow a gay Bond to happen in her lifetime. But it would certainly make for interesting viewing.”

Redmayne’s acting ambitions

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ddie Redmayne didn’t know he wanted to be an actor until he was 19. The 33-year-old star enjoyed being on stage when he was younger but admits it wasn’t a life-long dream to make it his profession. He said: “I enjoyed it growing up but it was only when I was about 18 or 19 and did a production of ‘Cabaret’ at the Edinburgh Festival that I knew I wanted to make acting my career.” And the Oscar-winning star still feels like a “kid play-acting” and compared making movies to going on holiday. He added: “The odd thing about this profession is that you still feel like a kid play-acting. There’s this sense of makebelieve and wonder to it that stays with you. “Making movies is a bit like being on a summer holiday where you meet people, become friends and then perhaps go away and never meet again.” Eddie is incredibly “grateful” for all his career success as he never had ambitions to be such a “big star”. He told HELLO! magazine: “I never set myself any specific goals or had ambitions of becoming a big star. “I’m only interested in being part of good films, working with talented people and making the most of those experiences. I’m very grateful. Overall, it’s a very good time in my life.”

Washington tries to quit acting ‘all the time’

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erry Washington claims she tries to quit acting “all the time.” The ‘Scandal’ star admits she often thinks about walking away from her Hollywood career. She said: “I try to quit acting all the time! Not necessarily the show, it’s not that I would ever walk away from ‘Scandal,’ but at times I am like, ‘Eh, I’m done with this acting thing.’ But being able to tell the story brings me back.” Kerry credits the show’s creator Shonda Rhimes for helping her to juggle motherhood and her career. The brunette beauty, who has 16-month-old daughter Isabella with husband Nnamdi Asomugha, feels lucky to have a boss “who really understands” her need to be present at home as well as on set. Asked whether being a working mother is overwhelming, the 38-year-old actress said: “Well, last season was my first real experience of working with Isabelle. Honestly, it’s no joke! It’s the real deal. “Shonda Rhimes is a wonderful role model. One of the greatest things about having her as a boss is that she is a woman who really understands. She’s a mother and has four shows, along with three kids.” Meanwhile, Kerry, who quietly got married in June 2013, says her honeymoon was the best holiday she has ever taken. She told InTouch Weekly magazine: “I always say my favorite weeks in my life so far are my honeymoon and doing ‘Saturday Night Live’ - not counting every second with my kid.”

lifestyle

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2015

F a s h i o n

Fashion crowd applauds US open winner Pennetta at Ferragamo A

calm is permeating many Milan runways, as designers tone down the colors and focus on form, creating quieter moments that nonetheless have much to contemplate. As with any trend, it wasn’t unanimous and there were some unbridled fashion moments. Here are some highlights from the fifth day of Milan Fashion Week previews of womenswear looks for next spring and summer:

Heroine’s welcome US Open winner Flavia Pennetta got a spontaneous round of applause from the front row of Ferragamo on Sunday, the fifth day of Milan Fashion Week. The all-Italian final game between Pennetta and fellow Puglia-native Roberta Vinci captivated the nation, and Pennetta, who has announced her retirement, is being feted as a national star. Pennetta, wearing a red Ferragamo lace dress and knit shawl, fielded half a dozen TV interviews before the show, delaying slightly the start. Backstage, designer Massimiliano Giornetti gave her a big hug and laughed that he had heard the applause from behind the scenes. Giornetti said he is a long-time friend and fan of Pennetta’s, and has dressed her for sporting events in the past. “I was in Los Angeles when Flavia was playing the US Open. I was like texting every five minutes to Flavia because I am a big, super fan,” Giornetti said. Dolce&Gabbana Dolce&Gabbana’s exuberant collection for next summer paid homage to their native Italy, from Palermo in the south to Verona in the north, giving the country a muchneeded ego boost. Some of the most eye-catching, spirited looks celebrated Italy’s 1950s and 1960s heyday, when Audrey Heburn scooted around Rome in a scarf and Dean Martin crooned “That’s amore.” Designers Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana dubbed the collection “Italy is Love,” a turn on the Martin phraseology, and while there were many nostalgic skirted sundresses and crocheted suits, they also created more contemporary looks. The theater was set up to look like a market, and models casually overtook one other as if they were out for a stroll. Every once in a while, one stopped to take a selfie, as if to underline the of-the moment nature of the collection. In the ultimate social media-fashion hookup, the pictures were immediately posted to Instagram and flashed on screens hanging in the theater. Amid the romantic pageantry, there were sheer ruched silk dresses with built-in bra tops and body-hugging ruffled sundresses featuring black graphic strokes. With a wink to the past, the duo created high-waist polka dot bikinis, long lacy caftans with sequin appliques of long-ago seaside performers, and pretty 1950 sundresses. Models wore turbans and tiaras, as well as profusely bejeweled sunglasses fit for any diva, even if only of her town’s market, and carried Dolce&Gabbana shopping bags along with purses shaped like cameras or simple shopping baskets. The grand finale featured a parade of silken mini dresses with painted tributes to Italy’s many great cities and sites, from Roma to Pisa and Portofino to Taormina - fashion postcards celebrating the best of a country that is beloved but still seeing its way out of economic doldrums.

central motif of the collection. Speaking backstage before the show, Fontana called it “democratic fashion. Dash is a brand of washing detergent very popular in Italy.” The media-savvy young designers, whose 5-year-old brand is known for its easy-to-share motifs, got the goahead from Procter & Gamble, owners of the Dash brand, to use the image in their collection. It shows up on go-go boots paired with a jacket with faux ink-spots, as handstitched sequins logo on tank dresses and as jewelry. Many garments bear fake stains from coffee, ketchup and egg, that sometimes have a camouflage effect. They pair insisted the product placement wasn’t promotional. “It’s inspiration. We used something used by real people, and added some value to the fashion,” Fontana said. Missoni Missoni went tribal for next summer, with bold stripes and zig-zags, veering from disciplined black-and-white to explosions of color. Angela Missoni said before the show that the collection goes back to roots: “Missoni roots in graphics, and the root of humanity, so I went back to Africa.” She combined dark tones of browns and blacks with red, fuchsia together with pink, or yellows with blues and greens. The silhouette expresses the freedom of the looks. The dresses were fluid, both A-line and straight, while the pants were wide suggesting skirts or slim cigarette trouser. They were often worn with long, trailing ribbed knitwear that was nearly transparent. Long scarves are criss-crossed over the front and tied in the back to create a shrug. Missoni said that for her, the ideal Missoni woman is ageless. “When I can manage to dress, not always, but when I can manage to dress my daughters and their girlfriends, my girlfriends and my mother’s girlfriends, this makes me so happy and I think I have achieved,” she said. “Missoni is not about age but about your spirit.” At Missoni, fashion is a family business and taking a front-row spot was Johnny, the family bulldog, who spent most of the show napping.

Tennis players Flavia Pennetta and Fabio Fognini arrive at the show for fashion house Giorgio Armani. — AP/AFP photos

Marni Marni’s looks for next season are post-pop art graphic, featuring architectural shapes, big shapes and bold, contrasting monotones. With its oversized structural silhouette, big polka dots and graphic prints, the collection would make a great coloring book - except then you’d miss all the textures: fur, satin, velvet and sequins. Pants are super-wide with an added element, a sort of wing or fin down the outside seam, as if they were a 1950s Cadillac. They are worn with layered tops, like a canary yellow apron-top with black straps over a forest green T-shirt. Dresses were layered, often in unorthodox color combinations and with bold cutouts: a royal blue dress was worn over a yellow-perforated tunic topping a final red layer. When long, sleeves hung exaggeratedly over the hands. Sometimes contrasting sequins peeked out of the hemline cutouts, creating a sculptural effect. Handbags, in unusual shapes like a folded tulip, have chunky chains that can be wrapped around the wrist like bracelets. A big bow sits on the shoulder in larger cross-body models integrated as part of the geometry. Square-toed shoes finish the looks. — AP

Ferragamo Massimiliano Giornetti’s collection for Salvatore Ferragamo is simplicity itself, an expression of quiet. Giornetti took inspiration from timeless portraits of women in pensive, solitary moments, which hung backstage as a story board, and deduced from them the gently folded fabric, the soft ruffles and the draping that characterized the collection. A white shirt was gathered gently along the neckline at with the same broad border at the short sleeves for a modern, structural look. It paired with a high-waist shiny black skirt. Big ruffles softened the silhouette of sundresses and tiered dresses were easy and laidback. Prints were absent, with the color pallet bringing vibrancy to the looks, black-and-white, contrasted by rust, blue, pink and green. While past Giornetti collections focused on Italian craftsmanship, the designer said this one explored a sense of lifestyle, and finding a balance between contrasts. “It was what I was really looking for, a sense of lightness and a sense of simplicity,” Giornetti said. “It is a collection much more about construction and less about surfaces.” The looks were finished with big dangling pearl earrings and matching pendant that swung gently with each step. Shoes were colorful and flat, including closed-toe sandals. Bags were mostly small shoulder bags. Au jour le jour Splat! Ketchup on your cocktail dress? Ink on your trousers? Egg on your face? Mirko Fontana and Diego Marquez, the designers behind the au jour le jour label, have designed the answer, and it lies in a pop image of the popular laundry detergent Dash, which they made the Models wear creations for Dolce&Gabbana women’s Spring-Summer 2016 collection, part of the Milan Fashion Week, unveiled in Milan, Italy, Sunday.

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2015

lifestyle F a s h i o n

Models present creations for fashion house Salvatore Ferragamo.

Five to watch as fashion set sashays over to Paris T

he fashion spotlight swings to Paris on today, giving the weary glitterati a final glimpse of summeror what they will be wearing when it returnsbefore boots and coats season sets in. After New York, London and Milan, Paris will today open its round of ready-to-wear collections for Spring/Summer 2016, with plenty of surprises in store over nine days of shows.

Courreges: Back to the future The brand known for its futuristic fashion in the 1960s, with geometric lines, lavish use of PVC, metal and plastic, is back. The iconic French house was taken over by advertising executives Jacques Bungert and Frederic Torloting in 2011 who appointed two new artistic designers, Arnaud Vaillant and Sebastien Meyer, in May. The return of the brand created by former engineer Andre Courreges to the catwalk is timely: black-and-white geometric designs that could have been inspired by him have been hot on the runways for several seasons. It is also the latest example of efforts to revive a legendary fashion brand: Schiaparelli returned to Paris catwalks in 2014 after lying dormant for 60 years. So what comes after the Space Age

for Courreges? All will be revealed when its latest collection hits the runway on Wednesday.

Wang’s final hurrah at Balenciaga American designer Alexander Wang will reveal his final collection for French fashion house Balenciaga next Friday. Wang and Balenciaga announced they were going their separate ways in July, after three years of collaboration and the house has yet to announce his replacement. Wang, 31, is considered one of the most successful American designers of his generation. Born in California to Taiwanese parents he launched his own label-a mix of relaxed chic and streetwise edge-in 2007 when he was just 23. Rihanna, Lady Gaga and power couple Kim Kardashian and Kanye West are fans of his designs. Wang will be devoting himself to his own label, which celebrated its 10th anniversary during New York’s fashion week. Olsen sisters in Paris Celebrity twins Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, 29,

who went from child TV stars to respected stylists and businesswomen, have chosen to present the Spring/Summer collection for their brand The Row in Paris this year, instead of New York. Givenchy did the reverse this year, choosing New York over Paris to present its ready-to-wear collection there for the first time.

Eiffel Tower slips into a shimmery number Local government officials in Paris are trying to get more involved in fashion week and the City of Light has been covered in posters declaring: “Fashion loves Paris”. The Eiffel Tower is also getting a special makeover for the occasion, and will dress up with a special light show every night from Wednesday. Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo “is very aware of the economic impact of the presence of some 5,000 people in fashion from across the world... as well as the importance of the Paris Fashion Week for the image of the city,” said Stephane Wargnier, a fashion communications specialist who carried out a study on the

economic impact of fashion weeks for the municipality.

Pamela Anderson’s vegan shoes Some people stand in the darkness, while others prefer to stand in vegan shoes. Ex-Baywatch star Pamela Anderson knows this to be true, and has collaborated with French designer Amelie Pichard on a collection of seven shoes made without any animal material. The shoes will be presented to buyers in Paris and half of all profits will go to the Pamela Anderson Foundation, which lobbies for animal rights. — AFP

Models present creations for fashion house Missoni.

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2015

lifestyle F a s h i o n

Fashion blogger and designer Winonah de Jong, the wife of football player Nigel de Jong, poses in her showroom during the women Spring / Summer 2016 Milan’s Fashion Week. — AFP photos

A model poses in the showroom of fashion blogger and designer Winonah de Jong.

From WAG to blogger to designer: Fashion’s new normal

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ove over Victoria Beckham, there is a new WAG on the fashion block. Winonah de Jong, wife of AC Milan’s Dutch midfielder Nigel de Jong, says she is realizing a “little girl’s dream” after making the leap from blogging about fashion to designing her own line of clothes. Inevitably some will suspect a vanity project, an overspill from the surplus millions splashing around in football. And the bombastic publicity material for the launch of the “Winonah” line at Milan fashion week does nothing to dispel such scepticism. The Surinam-born 34-year-old is described as an “exotic beauty with an innate sense of style” as well as a “Dutch celebrity, style icon, trendsetter and social media star”. The description of her new line might make you think it is aimed exclusively at WAGs-Wives and Girlfriends, the dismissive term coined in Britain for the usually glamorous partners of millionaire footballers. The collection is, they say, one that “doesn’t shy away from daring colors, cuts, openings and captivating transparencies, or unexpected slits for a stunning red carpet arrival”. In person however Milan’s newest designer could not seem further removed from the caricature of an egotistical, empty-headed footballer’s wife. She likes dressing up and admits her evening wear will be beyond most people’s reach. “But I am also quite tomboyish and I am a mother. Sometimes I just want to wear jeans and a Tshirt. I think you will find something for everyone in the collection.”

Models wear creations for Au Jour Le Jour women’s Spring-Summer 2016 collection.

Winonah says her husband-more than her 150,000 followers on Instagram-influenced her decision to take the plunge into a sector which already has too many producers chasing too few wealthy customers. “He is the one who said, ‘you need to do it. It is your dream’,” Winonah told AFP at the Milan showroom where she is showcasing the small “capsule” collection with which she has launched her company. The mother of two is not totally unqualified. She graduated from a Dutch fashion college, albeit having specialized in retail management and textiles rather than design. She says her standing on social media did not make her believe she could emulate Victoria Beckham’s success. But she acknowledges it helped in terms of giving her confidence that there is a market for her vision. “My fans would really love to see a product that I made, that I designed,” she says. Of Beckham, she adds: “I respect her a lot because she worked her way up and she is very good at what she is doing.” Fashion addict Nigel de Jong’s 2012 switch from Manchester City to AC Milan put Winonah in reach of the support she needed. “I met the right people, I met the right manufacturer and now the dream has come to reality,” she said. The manufacturer is Maison M, a company which produces clothes for other designer labels and is also han-

dling the Winonah sales operation. Company CEO Matteo Speggiari says deals have been struck to get the range into upmarket boutiques in a number of countries. “Winonah is very simple,” he says. “She has a clear target, so it is fantastic to work with her.” On the field, Nigel de Jong’s reputation is as one of the toughest midfield enforcers in the game, collecting nicknames like “The Destroyer” and “Lawnmower.” Off it, he is an articulate and successful businessman with a luxury car dealership in Hamburg - a business he acquired in his early 20s when he was playing for the German club. That equips him to counsel his wife on finances but he does not interfere too much on questions like the cut of the kangaroo leather bra-bustier that features in the collection. “Sometimes I give her opinions but she does not take them ... maybe if it was a menswear line she would.” De Jong sees parallels between fashion and football. “As a professional athlete I know how it is to achieve some of the goals and dreams you had as a little kid,” he said. “Since the moment I met her she was always into clothes, into fashion. Sometimes she made me crazy about the whole fashion addict kind of thing. “So it was only logical... that she made her own brand, and she did it.”— AFP

Models present creations for fashion house Marni.

Milan fashion week top ten trends

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op ten trends from the Spring/Summer 2016 womenswear collections at Milan fashion week, which wrapped up yesterday:

Gucci’s geek chic rules Alessandro M ichele led the way with a second acclaimed collection for Gucci. Michele’s woman - feisty, kooky and independent-dresses to please herself. The influence of Michele’s vision was felt across almost every other collection. Mullets are back Not the short-at-the-front, long-at-the-back hairstyle favored by 1980s footballers: rather skirts and dress cut asymmetrically to given evening wear a lighter, rockier feel. See Peter Dundas at Roberto Cavalli.

So are legs The asymmetric trend, the younger mini-friendly turn of many lines and Dolce and Gabbana’s retro beachwear all point to 2016’s must-have accessory being a good pair of pins. How do we know? Giorgio Armani told us so. Gowns are gone Haute couture mega gowns are enjoying a moment on the celebrity red carpet courtesy of Rihanna and co. But weighty, fulllength evening wear was a rare breed in in Milan. The end of ready-to-wear glamour? Light is right Etro’s ballet-themed collection made the point most blatantly but light-as-a-feather fabrics were everywhere, from billowing dress trains to the bows adorning flat sandals. Good time to be in

the sheer organza business. Diaphanous disconnect The visible nipple count hit a new high as the likes of Anna Molinari at Blumarine embraced tops so see-through they begged the question: “Really?” Giamba deployed strategic stars and hearts to keep things demure. Bomber command 2016’s on-the-move woman needs a jacket that can be thrown on quickly: hence the bomber versions at Marco de Vincenzo, Etro, Cavalli and Versace, whose military-inspired tailoring was hailed as a welcome move away from the brand’s overt sexiness Big glasses are good Gucci featured jewel-encrusted glasses so big the models

were all rubbing their tiny noses backstage. At Emilio Pucci the oversized eyewear resembled scuba masks. Dolce and Gabbana gave the look a 1950s twist. All clogged up Cheetah-print clogs anyone? Bottega Veneta is your place. In line with the ‘dressing for ourselves’ mood, flats predominated, from strappy sandals to peep-toe booties, sometimes adorned by fur and feather. The great outdoors Max Mara headed for the ocean, numerous collections had a beachwear feel and Bottega Veneta’s Tomas Maier declared: “I want to be in the open air.” 2016 is going to be a year for getting out and about. — AFP

Fashion crowd applauds US open winner Pennetta at Ferragamo

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Dogs, big and small, and some in tandem or with their owner, participate in the 7th annual Surf City Surf Dog contest in Huntington Beach, California yesterday. — AFP

Microbrew trend in Holy Land turns water to hummus beer I

n an industrial zone among the hills of Galilee in northern Israel, a ponytailed sociologist with an intolerance for gluten explained what he was up to: beer made with chickpeas and dates. “It’s a very Middle Eastern food,” 52-year-old Bryan Meadan said of his gluten-free beer made with chickpeas, familiar to most through hummus and falafel. “Local beer with local products.” In the part of the world where Jesus is believed to have turned water to wine, enterprising Israelis are opting for beerlocal, craft beer that often has a regional twist. The microbrew movement taking hold in many countries, showing drinkers that a pint can mean more than bland lager, has been embraced in Israel as well. A wide range of local producers now have a firm foothold in the market. Meadan, who pursued his love of brewing by first doing it at home, has a particularly niche operation, producing beer that is both gluten-free and made with chickpeas, dates and buckwheat. Others have pursued a broader audience while emphasizing their products’ local connection. Drinking may not be the first thing that comes to mind when Jerusalem is mentioned, but a recent beer festival in the city drew thousands-some who came to party and listen to live music, but others to try the craft beers on offer. Microbrew booths handed out tastings in tiny plastic cups, with customers savoring the flavor as connoisseurs would with fine wine. While overseeing his crowded

booth at the festival, Ofer Ronen, co-owner of Srigim brewery, said he believed craft beers were growing in popularity because drinkers were beginning to see them as high in quality. “It’s unfiltered, unpasteurized, very fresh,” said Ronen. “That’s why the taste is very powerful.” Ronen had been working in a high-tech job before trading bytes for beers four years ago.

‘National pride’ The numbers support what seems to be obvious when visiting Israel’s bars and restaurants, where local craft beers often share menu space with the high-volume Goldstar and Maccabee brews. Craft beer consumption has been on the rise, with microbrews expanding to cover five percent of the market from essentially nothing only several years ago, according to figures from London-based research firm Euromonitor International. As of 2014, there were some 32 craft beer breweries, though six main ones, Euromonitor said. “The leading domestic boutique breweries producing craft beer made waves in the market during the last few years,” Lois Berman, head of research at Euromonitor, wrote in response to questions from AFP. “The popularity of these craft beers increased significantly amongst local beer drinkers, driven by taste refinement and national pride.” The Palestinians, too, have been producing their own

Foreigners drink beer during a beer festival in Jerusalem.

beer. In the West Bank, the Taybeh brewery opened about a decade ago, while locally produced Shepherds beer recently entered the market.

‘Hey Ju-Boy!’ In Israel, David Cohen was a microbrew pioneer when he opened Dancing Camel nine years ago. He now operates one of the country’s main craft breweries. He also has two of his own pubs in Tel Aviv, one of which is at the brewery itself, with couches set up near copper-clad brewing tanks. Cohen, a former New Yorker and ex-accountant who moved to Israel 12 years ago, produces 20 different beers over the course of the year. One of his ingredients is date honey. Another is juniper berries, which are used in his “Hey Ju-Boy!” beer-a play on the name he was frequently called while growing up Jewish in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. “It’s fantastic,” the 52-year-old said of the way the craft beer industry has grown in Israel. “Personally I didn’t know when I opened the brewery how gratifying it would be to be sitting in a movement... of craft beer and to actually be able to participate in it and help shape exactly what direction it went in.” For Meadan, his small gluten-free brewery in Karmiel is only just getting off the ground. He has chosen a slogan appropriate for beer produced in the Middle East: “Gluten intolerance is the only intolerance we tolerate.” Gluten is contained in grains used in other beers, such as wheat and barley. Purists would not classify certain of his brews as beers in the traditional sense, but Meadan said his main goal was to produce a gluten-free product, no matter what you call it. He and others spoke of a spirit of camaraderie in Israel’s craft beer community, with new participants helping spread the word and inform the public about the differences between their product and large-scale brews. “It’s a really tight community,” Meadan said. “When you need something, you have someone to turn to.” — AFP

Employees make non gluten-beer at the Meadan Brewing in the northern Israeli city of Karmiel. — AFP photos