ISSUE NO: 17972

28 Pages 150 Fils

www.kuwaittimes.net

Established 1961 The First Daily in the Arabian Gulf

RABIA ALAWWAL 3, 1441 AHTHURSDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2019

Panels elect office bearers as MP Hashem warns of grilling

Mullah on the march: Pak cleric takes on Imran Khan

Kremlin-backed falcon project sparks fears of smuggling

‘Africa’s greatest’ Eto’o eyesmove into management

Max 33ºMin 22º

News in brief

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Kuwait, US, Gulf sanction Hezbollah-Iran network

Pointing to Iraq, Lebanon, Khamenei recalls how Iran put down unrestKUWAIT/WASHINGTON: The United States andsix Gulf allies including Kuwait announced sanctionsyesterday on 25 entities associated with Iran’s IslamicRevolutionary Guard Corps and Lebanon’s Hezbollah,in a move to tighten controls on both group’s finances.The sanctions were set by Riyadh-based TerroristFinancing Targeting Center (TFTC), a two-year-oldgroup that includes Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait,Oman, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates in additionto the United States.

Kuwait’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a state-ment yesterday that the enlistment came as part ofKuwait’s efforts to combat terrorism and dry up itsresources. The decision in this respect was taken by theministry’s commission “for implementing relevantSecurity Council resolutions under the UN Chapter VIIconcerning the combat of terrorism and barring prolif-eration of weapons of mass destruction”. Necessarymeasures will be taken in line with Kuwait’s constitu-tion, its laws and local regulations through the compe-tent authority of the state, in implementation ofSecurity Council resolution 1373/2991 issued underChapter VII of the UN charter.

They targeted companies supporting the BasijResistance Force, a subordinate group of theRevolutionary Guard, that the US Treasury Departmentsaid are used “to oppress domestic opposition withbrutal displays of violence” and supply fighters toregional conflicts. Among the 25 are Iranian BankMellat and mining, manufacturing and investment firmsthat allegedly support the Basij. Four of those listedwere individuals running Hezbollah’s operations in Iraq,the Treasury said. All 25 have previously been named inUS Treasury sanctions announced in 2018.

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KUWAIT: HH the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah meets KingAbdullah II of Jordan yesterday. — KUNA

DOHA: Kuwaiti Foreign Minister Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabahdelivers a message from HH the Amir to Qatari Amir Sheikh Tamim bin HamadAl-Thani yesterday. — KUNA

Amir meets Jordan King, sends message to Qatar Amir

KUWAIT: HH the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah yesterday held official talks with KingAbdullah II of Jordan. Talks were held in presence of HHthe Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, HH the Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-MubarakAl-Hamad Al-Sabah and senior state officials from bothcountries. The two sides addressed the distinctivebrotherly relationships that bind their countries andpeople, Minister of Amiri Diwan Affairs Sheikh Ali Al-

Jarrah Al-Sabah said.They also discussed the latest regional and interna-

tional developments, ways to boost their ties in all fieldsand expand their cooperation in favor of their joint inter-ests, he said. The Kuwaiti-Jordanian talks also tackledsignificant issues of joint interest such as unifying theirpolitical stands and finding ways to strengthen themarch of joint Arab action, added Sheikh Ali. The twoArab leaders also expressed a desire to further their

joint cooperation and coordination on all levels, said thesenior official. Meanwhile, the envoy of HH the Amir,Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister SheikhSabah Al-Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah yesterday deliv-ered a message from HH the Amir to Qatari Amir SheikhTamim bin Hamad Al-Thani. The message tackled frater-nal relations and ways of promoting and developingthem in all fields, issues of mutual interest and the latestregional and international developments. — KUNA

Kuwait names envoy to Palestine

KUWAIT: Palestinian Ambassador to Kuwait RamiTahboub announced yesterday that HH the AmirSheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah issued anAmiri decree appointing Ambassador Aziz RuhayemAl-Daihani as the non-resident ambassador ofKuwait to the State of Palestine. Tahboub addedPalestine welcomed the appointment of Daihani.

Saudi to stage women’s wrestling

RIYADH: The first ever women’s wrestling matchin Saudi Arabia will be held today, organizers said,the latest unlikely event staged in the kingdom as itattempts to shrug off an ultraconservative image.World Wrestling Entertainment Inc (WWE) saidthat its “superstars” Natalya and Lacey Evans willface off in the pay-per-view event which will alsofeature former boxing champion Tyson Fury as hetakes on Braun Strowman. The bout at King FahdStadium will be an incongruous scene in a countrywhere women are generally obliged to wear theblack “abaya” cloak. — AFP

Informant to reap huge reward

WASHINGTON: An informant who provided cru-cial details on the movements of Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi, the Islamic State leader killed in a UScommando raid, is likely to scoop up some or all of a$25 million reward, the Washington Post reportedyesterday. The Post said the informant was a well-placed IS operative who facilitated Baghdadi’smovements around Syria and helped oversee theconstruction of his Syrian hideout. The Post said theinformant was at the scene as the raid unfolded, andwas exfiltrated two days later with his family. — AFP

Gender neutral emojis hit screens

SAN FRANCISCO: Apple has put out new genderneutral emojis of most of its people icons - includingpunks, clowns and zombies - as part of an update toits mobile operating system. The tech giant hasoffered growing numbers of inclusive emoji designsin recent years, putting out a range of skin tonesand occupations, with Google’s Android publishingits own non-binary faces in May. A wheelchair,guide dog and a flexing prosthetic arm are amongApple’s latest batch - put out on Monday with theiOS 13.2 upgrade - that users can slip into messagesto get their points across. — AFP

CLEVELAND: A domestic worker has accused aKuwaiti family of human trafficking in the United States.The worker, from Gambia, escaped from her employers’apartment in Cleveland, Ohio, after calling a human traf-ficking advocate and the police. The woman, whosename has not been released, told police that she had

been sold to a family in Kuwait, held captive for fouryears and then brought to America to take care of thefamily’s elderly relative, according to local police reports.

That family had traveled to Cleveland on Aug 12,2019 so the elderly woman could receive treatment atCleveland Clinic, says a report posted onCleveland.com, quoting police reports. The familyallegedly locked the woman in an apartment inCleveland for two months, according to her statementsto police. She also told officers that the family wouldlock her in a bedroom in the apartment when they left,and did not allow her to talk to anyone when theywere in public.

After escaping, the woman called a friend, who

helped her report her case to the National HumanTrafficking Hotline, and then to police. Cleveland policewent to the apartment where the woman said she washeld and found nothing inside, but noted the apartmentsmelled of hookah.

Cleveland police contacted the Cleveland RapeCrisis Center, which helped find the woman a tempo-rary place to live. Officers said while they were takingher to that location, she started receiving several callsfrom the family, local news websites reported. Thewoman also told police she feared for her life, and thatshe would be killed if she was returned to the familyfrom Kuwait or her family in Africa. Investigations areongoing in the case.

Maid accuses Kuwaiti family in US of human trafficking

HERZLIYA: In this file photo taken on Aug 28, 2016, an Israeli woman uses her iPhonein front of the building housing the Israeli NSO group near Tel Aviv. — AFP

ANKARA: President of Turkey and leader of Turkey’s ruling Justice and Development(AK) Party Recep Tayyip Erdogan waves during AK’s parliamentary group meeting atthe Grand National Assembly of Turkey yesterday. — AFP

SAN FRANCISCO: WhatsApp onTuesday sued Israeli technology firmNSO Group, accusing it of using theFacebook-owned messaging service toconduct cyberespionage on journalists,human rights activists and others. Thesuit filed in a California federal courtcontended that NSO Group tried toinfect approximately 1,400 “targetdevices” with malicious software to stealvaluable information from those usingthe messaging app.

WhatsApp head Will Cathcart saidthe lawsuit was filed after an investiga-

tion showed the Israeli firm’s role thecyberattack, despite its denials. “NSOGroup claims they responsibly servegovernments, but we found more than100 human rights defenders and journal-ists targeted in an attack last May. Thisabuse must be stopped,” Cathcart saidon Twitter.

The lawsuit said the software devel-oped by NSO known as Pegasus wasdesigned to be remotely installed tohijack devices using the Android, iOS,and BlackBerry operating systems. Thecomplaint said the attackers “reverse-engineered the WhatsApp app anddeveloped a program to enable them toemulate legitimate WhatsApp networktraffic in order to transmit maliciouscode” to take over the devices.

“While their attack was highlysophisticated, their attempts to cover

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WhatsApp sues Israeli firm over cyberespionage

WASHINGTON: Armenia rejoiced butTurkey was furious yesterday after theUS House of Representatives passed ahistoric resolution recognizing masskillings of Armenians a century ago asgenocide. With tensions already highover Turkey’s assault on Kurdish-con-trolled areas of northern Syria, US law-makers voted 405 to 11 on Tuesday insupport of the measure to “commemo-rate the Armenian Genocide throughofficial recognition and remembrance.”

The move was a first for the USCongress, where similar measures withsuch direct language have been intro-

duced for decades but never passed. Theresolution says the killing of 1.5 millionArmenians by the Ottoman Empirebetween 1915 and 1923 amounted togenocide, a claim recognized by some30 countries. Turkey strongly denies theaccusation of genocide and says thatboth Armenians and Turks died as aresult of World War I. It puts the deathtoll in the hundreds of thousands.

Ankara was swift to condemn themeasure, summoning the Americanambassador and calling the vote a“meaningless political step”.

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US House recognizesArmenian ‘genocide’

L o c a l Thursday, October 31, 2019

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Kuwait Amir sees off JordanKing after fraternal visit

KUWAIT: His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-AhmadAl-Jaber Al-Sabah welcomes King Abdullah II of Jordan.

—Amiri Diwan photosHis Highness the Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-AhmadAl-Jaber Al-Sabah welcomes King Abdullah II of Jordan.

His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah welcomes King Abdullah IIof Jordan.

His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah welcomes Jordan’s Ministerof Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Ayman Al-Safadi.

KUWAIT: King Abdullah II of Jordan and his accom-panying delegation departed Kuwait yesterday aftera fraternal visit to the country. The Jordanianmonarch was seen off at the airport by His Highness

the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah,His Highness the Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, His Highness the PrimeMinister Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-

Sabah, and senior state officials. Upon his arrival toKuwait, King Abdullah II was welcomed at the airportby His Highness the Amir, His Highness the CrownPrince, His Highness the Prime Minister and several

other senior state officials. The Jordanian King’saccompanying delegation included Minister ofForeign Affairs and Expatriates Ayman Al-Safadi anda number of senior officials. — KUNA

KUWAIT: His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah meets with the outgoing Ambassador of Iraq to Kuwait Alaa’ MajeedAl-Hashimy, in attendance of His Highness the Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah. — Amiri Diwan photos

His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah meets with HisHighness the Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah.

KUWAIT: His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah received yesterday at theAmiri Airport His Highness the Crown Prince SheikhNawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah. His Highnessalso received His Highness the Prime Minister

Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah. HisHighness the Amir, in attendance of His Highness theCrown Prince, a lso received the outgoingAmbassador of Iraq to Kuwait Alaa’ Majeed Al-Hashimy. Minister of Amiri Diwan Affairs Sheikh Ali

Al-Jarrah Al-Sabah also attended the meeting.In other news, His Highness the Amir Sheikh

Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah addressed acable of condolences to South Korean PresidentMoon Jae-in on demise of h is mother. Their

Highnesses the Crown Prince and Prime Minister,Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah andSheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabahrespectively, addressed cables of identical contentto the South Korean president. — KUNA

Kuwait Amir receives Crown Prince, Premier

KUWAIT: His Highness the Amir SheikhSabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabahreceived a written letter from MalaysianPrime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad,included an invitation to attend the ‘KualaLumpur Conference’ to be held December20-21. An envoy of Malaysian Prime Ministerhanded the letter to Minister of Amiri DiwanAffairs Sheikh Ali Jarrah Al-Sabah. His

Highness the Amir also received a writtenletter from President of Guinea-Bissau JoseMario Vaz on bilateral relations between thetwo countries in all fields. Guinea-Bissau’sAmbassador to the Kingdom of SaudiArabia and Non-Resident Envoy to Kuwait,Mamadou Sano, handed the letter toMinister of Amiri Diwan Affairs Sheikh AliJarrah Al-Sabah. — KUNA

Amir receives lettersfrom Malaysian PM,Guinea-Bissau president

Minister of Amiri Diwan Affairs Sheikh Ali Jarrah Al-Sabah meets with theMalaysian delegation.—Amiri Diwan photos

KUWAIT: Minister of Amiri Diwan Affairs Sheikh Ali Jarrah Al-Sabah receivesthe letter from Guinea-Bissau’s Ambassador to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabiaand Non-Resident Envoy to Kuwait, Mamadou Sano.

KUWAIT: Minister of Information and Minister of Statefor Youth Affairs Mohammad Al-Jabri on Tuesdaystressed keenness on coordination between the Kuwaitiand Turkish governments on several issues, mainly jointrelief projects. Speaking in remarks to reporters on thesidelines of an event held by the Turkish embassy tomark the 96th anniversary of the Republic of Turkey,Jabri said coordination and consultation between thetwo sides include all vital domains, mainly the humani-tarian ones. He described the Kuwaiti-Turkish ties asdeep-rooted, saying they are supported by HisHighness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-JaberAl-Sabah and Turkish President Recep TayyipErdogan.

The Kuwaiti minister extolled the relations betweenthe two countries, noting that they are growing particu-larly in the commercial, economic and cultural fields.Kuwait’s relief campaigns and programs continue inTurkey, as food and financial assistance are provided tothe Syrian refugees living in Turkey. Kuwaiti-fundedschools and towns are constructed in Turkey to accom-modate the needy. Kuwait’s humanitarian acts in Turkeyalso cover surgical operations and medications offeredto poor people. —KUNA

Kuwait, Turkey coordinate on relief projects: Minister

KUWAIT: Ambassador of the Republic of Turkey Ayse Hilal Sayan Koytak (center) andKuwait’s Minister of Information and Minister of State for Youth Affairs MohammadAl-Jabri (right) cut the cake during the ceremony.—Photos by Yasser Al-Zayyat

His Highness Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammad Al-Sabah attends the reception.

L o c a l Tuesday, October 31, 2019

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Kuwait, US sign career coachingagreement for Kuwaiti graduates

Ministers discuss US-KuwaitBusiness CouncilRIYADH: Kuwaiti Finance Minister DrNayef Al-Hajraf discussed with USTreasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin yes-terday many common topics, includingthe launch of the Kuwaiti-AmericanBusiness Council. Dr Hajraf said after themeeting, held on the sidelines of theFuture Investment Initiative in Riyadh,that the Kuwaiti-American BusinessCouncil was announced last week inWashington. The business council wouldbe a platform for Kuwaiti businessmen tomeet with their American counterparts toaccomplish common interests, he added.

Kuwait and the US have extremelystrong ties, Hajraf stressed. Such oppor-tunities are taken to emphasize Kuwait’sstrategic interests and to communicatewith countries that have strategic ties

with Kuwait, and certainly America is anexcellent ally, as they are keen to takesuch opportunities to emphasize vitalties, he said. He underlined Kuwait’sefforts to support the international com-munity’s efforts in combatting financingterrorism, stressing that Kuwait is com-mitted to the international community incombating it, which is unrelated to reli-gion, homeland nor history, but ascourge facing humanity. Kuwait hasbeen supporting international efforts inthe fight against terrorism, emphasizingtheir discussions with the US side, espe-cially since there is a conference that willbe held in Melbourne with the AustralianMinisters of Finance next week to com-plement the Paris Conference held lastyear, he underscored. —KUNA

WASHINGTON: The Kuwait Foundation forthe Advancement of Sciences (KFAS) signedTuesday with the US-based Institute ofInternational Education (IIE) an agreementto provide career coaching, job readiness,and skills development services for KuwaitGraduates Program (KGP) fellows. Theagreement was signed by KFAS’ Director-General Dr Adnan Shihab-Eldin and IIE’sPresident Allan Goodman. The deal aims atincreasing the employability and competi-tiveness for Optional Practical Training(OPT) opportunities at leading global com-panies in the United States. “Today, we areentering a new phase having found a part-ner in the Institute of InternationalEducation,” Shihab-Eldin said in a speech atthe signing ceremony, held at the KuwaitCulture Office in Washington DC. “Theobjective of the program is to provideopportunities for Kuwaiti fresh graduates toget professional experience before theyreturn home and work in US companies thatare relevant to their work when they returnto Kuwait,” he added. “The program is partof our effort to ensure that young Kuwaitisare provided with opportunities andresources that foster their personal andprofessional development,” said the Kuwaitisenior official. He also noted that “webelieve we have a very good agreement. Wehave high expectations. And I believe thatwe will exceed our expectations.”

Shihab-Eldin thanked Kuwaiti HigherEducation Ministry’s Undersecretary DrSobeeh Al-Mukhaizim, and Director of theKuwait Cultural Office Dr Aseel Al-Awadhi.He also thanked Kuwaiti Ambassador to theUS Sheikh Salem Al-Sabah, noting “he is thepatron of this idea and his presence with us

today reassures us that he will be monitoringthis program.” Meanwhile, Goodman said,“What you’ve designed is a model of inno-vation for what happens after students grad-uate to make sure that they have a meaning-ful professional experience while they areable to remain in the US.”

“We, the American people, are verygrateful that you entrusted your students toour care,” he added. “The US is very muchthe beneficiary of your students,” hestressed. “It’s an honor to be serving yourstudents.” In the meantime, Sheikh Salem Al-Sabah said, “There is no bigger emphasisthan what my government has put on edu-cating our young men and women.”

“My government has put a lot of effort onthis,” he affirmed, noting, “it is a number onepriority for our government to educate ouryouth and there is no better gift that we cangive our young people than to educatethem.” He also mentioned, “the US is thepremier destination for our students, wherethrough this program we are giving ouryoung men and women work experiencealso in the US because my government has aplan that’s called plan 2035 and that is build-ing our economy.” The Kuwaiti diplomat alsoadded that “we need our young men andwomen to be capable and ready to meet thenew challenges that are ahead.”

“Now, with this agreement with IIE, wefound the right partner to do the right thingand we are full of hope that this program isgoing to be a success,” he remarked. Heindicated that, “this is the beginning of aprogram that hopefully would grow toencompass a large number of students. Welook forward toward the day when they gohome not only equipped with their degrees

but also with the experience to build themodern Kuwait that we aspire to.”

Dr Awadhi expressed deepest gratitudefor IIE’s interest “to train our distinguishedstudents who graduated from prestigiousuniversities here in the US.” She noted thestudents that will be trained under theagreement “are the best students that wehave and it comes as a great opportunity forthem to be trained in US companies whenthey finish their academic studies in the USbefore they leave to Kuwait to be integratedin the workforce there.”

“We in the cultural office are eager to seethe fruits of this agreement and we promiseto do our best to turn it into a success,” sheremarked. Meanwhile, Dr Shihab-Eldin saidthat with this agreement signed, youngKuwaiti graduates from the US would havethe opportunity for job training in successfullarge business scale companies. “Hopefully,that means they have a head start when theystart a job, whether it’s with a government orwith private sector in Kuwait,” said theKuwaiti senior official. The message to thosestudents is “you are being provided with thegolden opportunity, if you take advantage ofit you will see remarkable change in yourcareer, so don’t lose it, don’t be distracted.Be persevere for one year and you will seeyou will be rewarded ten times as much,” hestressed.

Goodman said meanwhile that this agree-ment is a “model for how exchange andscholarship programs ought to finish theirfinal years for the students in the UnitedStates, so we think it will teach many coun-tries, inspire many countries for the wisdomthat this new program now represents.”Sheikh Salem Al-Sabah thanked the Kuwait

Ministry of Higher Education, KFAS, and IIEfor signing this “very important agreementthat will give our distinguished students theopportunity to work in some US companiesto attain professional expertise that wouldbe added to their education.”

“We, in Kuwait, have the 2035 Vision thatrequires us to equip our new generation toplay a role in developing our beloved coun-try and take it to advanced position,” hesaid. He added that “this agreement isimportant in the sense that we would addprofessional experience to our students’education.” Dr Awadhi also said that sheextends her “deepest thanks to KFAS “forgiving utmost attention to providing trainingopportunities to our graduates in the US.”

“These are valuable opportunities for ourdistinguished students to be trained in UScompanies or institutions before theyengage in work in Kuwait after they gradu-

ate from the most prestigious US universi-ties,” she said. She added, “I also extend mythanks to the Kuwait Ministry of HigherEducation Undersecretary Dr Almukhaizimfor studying this project and we promise ourstudents that we will back every effort enti-tled with their education and training.”

The Kuwait Graduates Program is a threeyear partnership between IIE, KFAS, KuwaitMinistry of Higher Education and KuwaitCultural Office (KCO) in Washington, DC,where IIE will be working with Kuwaiti stu-dents in their senior year to place them intoOptional Practical Training (OPT) opportu-nities for one year upon graduation, and willbe working closely with KCO to ensure thesuccess of the program. The program willequip students with career, critical skills,knowledge, and guidance that would play acrucial role in increasing job placement ratesfor recent graduates. — KUNA

WASHINGTON: KFAS’ Director-General Dr Adnan Shihab-Eldin ( left ) and I IE’sPresident Allan Goodman sign the agreement.— KUNA

K U W A I T: O f f i c i a l s a t t e n d t h e Ku w a i t S m a r t G r i d C o n f e r e n c e a n dExhibition. —Photo by Yasser Al-Zayyat

KUWAIT: Kuwaiti Minister of Oil andMinister of Electricity and Water KhalidAl-Fadel said yesterday there is now apressing need to use smart grids tolaunch mega development projects.Addressing Kuwait Smart GridConference and Exhibition, the ministersaid in a speech delivered on behalf ofhim by Assistant Undersecretary of theMinistry of Electricity for Smart GridsJassem Al-Nouri that the event aims atsaving power, promoting economicopenings and reducing carbon emis-sions. He added that power consumptionhit 14,420 megawatts in the summer of2019, up 3.7 percent.

The minister underlined the signifi-cance of finding new ways and detailedstudies for the management of smartgrids, pointing out the ministry’s interestin saving power through available tech-nological methods. The smart grid refersto next generation power grids, withmulti-directional flows of electricity andinformation to make a wide distributednetwork. Through smart grid, the power

system becomes smart by communicat-ing, sensing, controlling and applyingintelligence. Advances in power elec-tronics and communication, and empha-sis on renewable energy, as well as con-sumer participation in both productionand consumption of electricity are themajor drivers in making the power sys-tem a Smart Grid.

Kuwait Smart Grid Conference andExhibition offers a unique platformfor exchanging knowledge andexpertise about latest power and gridtechnologies , with a focus on thesmart grid technology, smart powergenerat ion , renewable so lut ions ,energy efficiency and smart metering.Kuwait Smart Grid Conference andExhibition will bring together industrystakeholders, government authorities,research and innovation institutes,regional and global experts and solu-tion providers discussing and evaluat-ing the way forward and the future ofthe grid and metering infrastructure inthe GCC region. — KUNA

Kuwait’s power consumptionup 3.7% in summer

Thursday, October 31, 2019

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Photo of the Day

Zain: 10 entrepreneurs headingto the second phase of ZGI 5

KUWAIT: A seagull flies as Kuwait Towers are seen in the background. — Photo by Yasser Al-Zayyat

KUWAIT: Zain, the leading digital service provider inKuwait, announced the names of the finalists who will takepart in the second phase of the Zain Great Idea (ZGI) techstartup accelerator program in its fifth edition during theSuper Saturday pitch event held at Four Seasons HotelKuwait last weekend.

Nearly 100 participants who took part in the first phaseof the program - the ZGI boot camp - pitched their proj-ects and ideas to the judging panel, who in return selected10 finalists that will take part in the second phase, theinternational accelerator program in San Francisco.

Zain announced the 10 finalists: Faisal Al Basri - Mezan,Yousef Al-Husainy - Baims, Abdulwahab Al-Refaei -Cybersys, Reem Al-Farhan - CTC, Rawan Al-Sabah - TheCapital, Mishari Ameen - Touch point, Dalal Al-Qattan -That Designs, Fahad Al-Baghli - The Wish List, Majed Al-Hamlan - Blue Outdoors, Mohamed Al-Raqem -WellbiiON.

The judging panel consisted of nine experts and spe-cialists of various business fields, including Abdullah Al-Hassawi, Asset management, Portfolio management,Financial modeling, Technical analysis, and equity reportsspecialist, Hisham Al-Bosaty, Startups Investor andGroup Treasurer at EFG Hermes Holding, Maryam Saif,Chief Inclusion and Diversity Officer at Zain Group,Abdulaziz Hayat, Angel Investor, Former AssociateVenture Capital at Faith Capital, Board Member atHarvard Business School Club Kuwait Chapter, AtefAbdulmajeed, Private Equity and Venture CapitalSpecialist at KFH Capital , Saud Al-Subaie, ChiefOperating Officer at AlSayer Facilities Company, SadeghZobeidi - CPLP, MBA, Director of the Center forProfessional Advancement and Continuing Education(PACE) at Gulf University for Science and Technology(GUST), Saleh Al-Shaya, Startups Investor andAlternative Investment at Rasameel Investment Company,Dakheel Al-Dakheel, Executive Vice PresidentAlternative Investment at Rasameel Investment Company.

The first phase of the program, the ZGI boot camp,lasted for 4 weeks at the company’s main headquarters,where the participants learned about the tech startup cul-ture and workings from leading mentors from StanfordUniversity, IE Business school, entrepreneurs and regionaland international venture capital firms. Speakers includedAbdulaziz Al-Loughani, cofounder and Managing Partnerat Faith Capital, Pedram Mokrian - professor at StanfordUniversity, Al-Harith Al-Atawi - cofounder and ChiefExecutive Officer of onegcc, Paris de L’Etraz - DirectorVenture Lab, IE Business School, Dr Naif Al-Mutawa -

Founder and Clinical Director of Soor Center forProfessional Therapy and Assessment, Dr Abdullah Al-Mutawa - owner of Rijeemy for food and nutrition consult-ing company, Khaled Al-Mutawa - owner of Pogi for cod-ing, Samer Baqer - Ghalia Tech company for advertising,Atef Abdulmajeed - Private Equity and Venture Capitalspecialist at KFH Capital, Saud Al Subaie - ChiefOperating Officer at Al-Sayer Facilities Company.

ZGI was first launched in 2010 as a Corporate SocialResponsibility initiative designed to support the youth intomaking their entrepreneurial dreams come true. Zain wasthe first in the region to launch such a comprehensive pro-gram of this kind. Then, throughout nearly 10 wonderfulyears, the company embraced over 500 entrepreneurs,travelled to 4 countries, and helped nearly 70 of thebrightest Kuwaiti minds accelerate their ideas into activeand thriving SMEs in the market.

Throughout four successful past editions, ZGI empow-ered, trained, and invested in hundreds of creative anddriven Kuwaiti youth, of which many now own thrivingand active Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs)to this day. Encouraging and providing the properresources for the local entrepreneurial community is a toppriority for Zain, as the company is keen on contributingto the further progress of Kuwait’s economic and nationaldevelopment. ZGI is established by Zain in associationwith Brilliant Lab, a startup Accelerator Service fromKuwait, and Mind The Bridge, a global organizationbridging the world through entrepreneurship educationfor startups, enterprises and investors to succeed in glob-al markets. Mind The Bridge is based in Silicon Valley withoffices in San Francisco and London.

The latest edition of the program features an all-newphase to the program: Co-developing. After Zain GreatIdea is over, finalists will get full access to Zain’s cross-functional team to help them get the most out of theirnewly accelerated startup. ZGI’s entrepreneurs will be ableto get consultations, mentoring, deals, tactics/strategies,and more from Zain specialists in various areas that areessential to any business, including sales, marketing, com-munications, legal, networks, IT, and more.

Zain is well aware of the crucial role played by privatesector organizations in supporting social and economicsustainability projects. Springing from its growing com-mitment towards practicing its social responsibility, thecompany is committed to printing a positive print throughall its activities. This has led Zain to embrace the mostinfluential issues in the community, including the supportof youth, entrepreneurship, and innovation.

KUWAIT: The qualified projects’ teams moving to phase 2.

L o c a l Thursday, October 31, 2019

5

By B Izzak

KUWAIT: Various newly-elected nationalassembly panels yesterday elected theirheads and rapporteurs as pro-govern-ment lawmakers consolidated their con-trol over key committees. The legal andlegislative committee, which must clear alldraft laws before concerned panels coulddebate them, elected MP Khaled Al-Shatti as its chairman and MPMohammad Al-Dallal as its rapporteur.Interior and Defense committee, which isexpected to debate the crucial law onstateless or bedoons, elected MP AskarAl-Enezi as its president while MP

Abdullah Al-Kandari was elected rappor-teur. The Budgets Committee re-electedMPs Adnan Abdulsamad and Riyadh Al-Adasani as its chief and rapporteur whilethe educational committee elected MPsAwadah Al-Awdah and Khalil Abul as thechairman and rapporteur.

MP Ahmad Al-Fadhl was re-electedhead of the Priorities Committee withOsama Al-Shaheen as its rapporteurwhile opposition MPs Abdulkarim Al-Kandari and Abdullah Fahhad wereentrusted with the head and rapporteurof the foreign relations panel.

The financial and economic affairscommittee was reported to have elected

MP Safa Al-Hashem as its head and MPSaleh Ashour as a rapporteur. Assemblypanels are crucial because they debatedraft laws before they could be sent tothe floor for debate and on many occa-sions are assigned to investigate certainsensitive issues.

Meanwhile, Minister of Public Worksand Housing Jenan Bushehri yesterdaydenied accusations by her griller MPOmar Al-Tabtabai that she has “bribed”a number of lawmakers with appoint-ments in ministries under her to win theirsupport in the grilling. Tabtabai had filedto grill the minister over alleged viola-tions and failure to repair roads affected

by floods caused by heavy rains lastyear. The minister said that she willprove with documents that these allega-tions are baseless, adding that she willalso prove how she safeguards publicfunds at the two ministries under her.Tabtabai said that in his grilling he willshow how public funds are squandered.

The debate of the grilling of Bushehriand another one against Finance MinisterNayef Al-Hajraf has been delayed untilthe assembly session on November 12.MP Hashem said that there will be lots ofsurprises during the debate of the twogrillings and hinted that the governmentmay abandon some ministers.

Panels elect office bearers asMP Hashem warns of grilling

Minister Bushehri denies allegation by griller

By A Saleh

KUWAIT: Director of the Kuwait GeneralAdministration of Customs Jamal Al-Jalawi yester-day launched a number of interactive e-serviceson the authority’s website, such as company regis-tration. The new services were launched in a spe-cial ceremony held at the customs headquarters inShuwaikh. Border affairs general coordinator andhead of the automation and security systems teamTalal Al-Eidan stressed that the customs depart-ment always interacts with the latest technologicaldevelopments made by business associates withthe aim of accelerating work process and improv-ing business environments in Kuwait. Eidan addedthat the website includes guidelines explaining thesteps to be followed to register companies andupload the needed documents to be verified andused in each transaction.

In other news, the Ministry of Health (MoH)yesterday issued an administrative decision form-ing a special medical committee at the generalmedical council to facilitate examining cases thatneed referral to specialized medical committees atvarious hospitals and the medical council.According to the decision, the committee will beresponsible for reviewing retirement recommenda-tions made by hospitals specialized committeesbefore referring them to the social security agency.

The committee will, upon request from one ofthe state’s bodies, also review medical recommen-dations referred by the medical council and longsick leaves issued by public and private hospitals.In addition, the committee will also look into com-plaints made by patients examined by the medicalcouncil or those referred by MoH, review disabili-ty reports made by various hospitals and medicalcenters as well as endorse sick leaves issued out-side Kuwait.

Customs launchese-services

By Meshaal Al-Enezi

KUWAIT: Kuwait Municipality allocat-ed 20 sites where co-operative societiesand other parties can provide servicesfor campers during the upcoming camp-ing season. This came during a meetingfor the municipality’s committee forstudying and updating the locationstemporary allocated for camping yester-day. The meeting was held to discussallowing various co-ops to have mini-markets at campsites. The meeting washeaded by deputy director forFarwaniya and Mubarak Al-Kabeeraffairs Fahd Al-Shetaili and representa-tives from Abdullah Al-Mubarak,Ishbiliya, Ardiya, Andalus, Sabah Al-Nasser, Jahra, Naeem, Naseem, Saad Al-Abdullah and Abdali co-ops, in additionto the livestock society.

In other news, the Capital committeeat the Municipal Council yesterdayapproved a proposal by ChairmanHassan Kamal concerning amending thecouncil’s decision pertaining commercialactivities at the Sharq seafront (fish mar-ket). The committee also approved pro-posals on licensing temporary shades foryards outside restaurants and cafes andallocating a location to build a mosque inDoha. It postponed discussing the can-cellation of unused allocations on FailakaIsland until further concerned bodiesattend the meeting. In another municipalconcern, the head of the environmentcommittee at the Municipal CouncilMaha Al-Baghli yesterday met cleaningmanagers from various governorates todiscuss preparations to hold a jointworkshop to discuss amending cleaningregulations in various areas.

KUWAIT: While the State Audit Bureaureported that there are non-Kuwaitipatients who still receive treatment andleaving hospitals without paying any fees,the health ministry said in case of non-payment of deposit and treatment fees, thepatient signs an undertaking to pay thefees, while the interior ministry is told toban the travel of expats who do not pay.

The Audit Bureau also confirmed thecontinuation of weak supervision by theministry over health insurance income theconcerned company deposited at theCentral Bank, which reached around KD147 million in the 2017-2018 and 2018-2019 fiscal years. The ministry said theonline system is being implemented andis linked with the interior ministry, man-power authority and PACI, in addition tothe finance ministry through K-net, sosupervision is now complete over thecollection of income from health insur-

ance. The bureau said despite the delayin implementing the procedure by theministry for many years, the bureauappreciates its activation due to its effectin avoiding previous shortcomings andhave tight oversight over collection ofhealth insurance.

The bureau said it is not sure whatwas spent on treatment abroad, withamounts exceeding KD 1 billion over 18years due to not settling documents andnot having medical reviews for most ofthem to make sure the invoices are cor-rect. This is in violation of ministerialdecisions in this regard, as expenses oftreatment abroad exceed the availablefinances, which accumulated debts toforeign hospitals along with the inabilityto pay them, reaching $301 million at theWashington health office. The ministryalso did not follow planned programs tosend patients abroad. — Al-Rai

20 mini-market locationsapproved for campsites

Travel ban on expats notpaying treatment charges

InternationalMullah on the march: Pakistani cleric takes on PM Imran Khan New impeachment witness rocks White House

Page 9

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2019

BASRA: Iraqi medical students wave national flags and lift placards as they rally in front of their faculty at the University of Basra in the southern city yesterday in support of Iraq’s anti-government demonstrations. — AFP

BAGHDAD: The future of Iraq’s embattled premier was inthe hands of his onetime parliamentary backers yesterday,as they deliberated over his ouster after mass anti-govern-ment protests that have left over 240 dead. Massive ralliesbroke out in Iraq’s capital and south this month againstcorruption and unemployment, spiralling into angry callsfor a total overhaul of the political system. Demonstratorswere waiting to see whether the first fruit of their struggle- the ouster of Prime Minister Adel Abdel Mahdi - wasfinally within reach. “Isn’t it the people who have the pow-er? Isn’t it the people who put them all there?” asked pro-testor Athir Malek, 39. He had come from Diwaniyah, 200kilometers further south, to join the biggest rallies so far inBaghdad’s Tahrir Square, where celebration was in the air.Youssef, 33 expressed optimism late Tuesday as he spenthis sixth straight night in the square. “They said we would-n’t be able to do anything. But even if we change onename, now we have a voice,” he said.

Parliament has demanded that the premier appear“immediately” for questioning amid speculation he willface a no-confidence vote. But protestor Malek retainedsome skepticism. “They’ll replace Abdel Mahdi with some-one else just like him,” he told AFP. Abdel Mahdi, 78, cameto power last year through a tenuous partnership between

populist cleric Moqtada al-Sadr and powerful paramilitarychief Hadi al-Ameri. But the kingmakers’ alliance has sincedrifted apart. The protests exposed more clearly than everthe rift between Ameri and Sadr’s powerful Saeroon bloc,the biggest in parliament, which has backed the demon-strators. The Hashed Al-Shaabi paramilitary force’s politi-cal arm Fatah, headed by Ameri, is the second-biggest blocand has so far backed the government. Several Hashedoffices were torched in southern Iraq last week, furtherstraining ties between the two.

‘Back to square one’ But Sadr extended a hand to Ameri late Tuesday, invit-

ing him to coordinate on a no-confidence vote in AbdelMahdi and using Twitter to urge the premier to “Get out!”Hours later, Ameri announced he and Sadr would “worktogether to achieve the people’s demands” - hinting hemay agree to a vote on the premier’s future. Sadr took toTwitter again yesterday to pile on the pressure, warningthat failing to oust Abdel Mahdi would “turn Iraq intoSyria or Yemen,” both engulfed in bloody wars. While thepremier’s departure would be seen as a “victory” fordemonstrators, it would “give protests a break but notbreak them,” said Maria Fantappie, an Iraq analyst at the

International Crisis Group. Demonstrators have demandeddeep-rooted reforms, including a new constitution, areworked electoral law and mass resignations from a gov-ernment they see as corrupt. Fantappie cautioned that“even an election with the same election law would bringsame figures into parliament and the same process as lastyear in selecting the prime minister, which puts you onceagain at square one.” As rumors swirled that AbdelMahdi’s days were numbered, people rallied at centralBaghdad’s Tahrir Square for a seventh consecutive dayyesterday.

Despite violence that has left more than 240 peopledead and more than 8,000 wounded, they have defiedorders to clear the streets. The largest numbers yet - tensof thousands - flooded Tahrir overnight amid blaringhorns, fireworks and loud Iraqi music. Demonstrators haveshrugged off a litany of government reform plans and piledthe pressure on Iraq’s entrenched political class, sayingthey want to “weed them all out”. “They should all quit andwe should have a national salvation government,” said AlaaKhdeir, 63.

‘Take back everything’ Since the US-led invasion that toppled dictator Saddam

Hussein in 2003, Iraq’s political system has been grippedby clientelism, corruption and sectarianism. That meansgetting a job in government - by far the country’s biggestemployer - is often secured with bribes or connections.The country is ranked by Transparency International asthe 12th most corrupt in the world.

Anger at the state of affairs had been swelling amongthe youth, who make up 60 percent of Iraq’s nearly 40 mil-lion people. Youth unemployment stands at 25 percent,while one in five live below the poverty line, despite thevast oil wealth of OPEC’s second-largest crude producer.Inequality has been a major rallying cry for protestors.

An initial six-day wave of demonstrations broke out onOctober 1 but was met with violence that left 157 peopledead, mostly protesters in Baghdad.

The demonstrations resumed on October 24, withclashes breaking out in the south and heavy use of teargas canisters in Baghdad, leaving another 85 dead. Theyincluded at least one protester killed overnight in theShiite holy city of Karbala, according to the Iraqi HumanRights Commission. But the threat of violence did not pre-vent 55-year-old Hussein Nuri returning to Tahrir Squareyesterday. “We want to take back everything they stole,”he said.—AFP

Iraqi PM’s future on the lineDemonstrators smell change; protests leave over 240 dead

Page 8

BEIRUT: Thousands of the world’s most wanted jihadistsremain a security hot potato for Syria’s Kurds, even afterWashington announced the death of their elusive “caliph” AbuBakr Al-Baghdadi. A Turkish attack on northeastern Syria inearly October sparked fears the Islamic State group suspectscould break out en masse as their Kurdish guards were calledup to the front. A Turkish-Russian truce deal signed onOctober 22 has since largely halted that offensive, but the fateof suspected Baghdadi followers remains uncertain. This iswhat we know:

How manyAccording to the Kurdish administration, there are around

12,000 suspected IS fighters in the custody of Kurdish securi-ty forces across northeastern Syria. At least 2,500 of them arenon-Iraqi foreigners of more than 50 different nationalities.Tunisia is thought to have the biggest contingent. Officials inParis say 60 to 70 French nationals are among those held. Therest are around 4,000 Syrians and roughly the same numberof Iraqis.

WhereThe fighters, who were detained mostly in the course of

operations led by Kurdish forces and backed by the US-ledcoalition against IS, are detained in at least seven facilities. TheKurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces do not reveal the exactlocations but some of them are known, including in Roj, inDashisha, Jerkin, Navkur and Derik. Given the high value ofsome of the detainees, the security levels at these facilities ispoor. “They are only buildings” and not heavily fortified, saidone top official.

BreakoutsAfter Baghdadi was announced killed on Sunday, SDF com-

mander-in-chief Mazloum Abdi warned IS fighters still at large

would seek revenge. “This is why anything is possible, includingattacks on prisons,” he said. His warning comes after dozens ofIS prisoners were reported to have escaped when the long-threatened Turkish invasion became reality. Last week,Washington’s special envoy for Syria James Jeffrey toldCongress “over 100” IS prisoners had escaped and theirwhereabouts were unknown. On Friday, Defense SecretaryMark Esper said Kurdish forces had managed to “recollect”dozens of IS prisoners who had escaped during the Turkishassault. The Kurds had for months been saying that any offen-sive would make guarding foreign prisoners “a second priority”.

TransfersTurkey’s invasion has lent some added urgency, however, to

the search for a solution for these prisoners, whom the Kurdswarn they cannot keep, let alone prosecute. Western govern-ments such as France have been reluctant to take them back,for lack of a clear legal framework and fears of a public back-lash. France and other governments have sought instead totransfer some of them to neighboring Iraq. Apparently antici-pating the risk of jailbreaks, the United States took control oftwo of the most high-profile IS detainees in the early hours ofthe Turkish offensive and spirited them out of the country.

IS relativesThe detained fighters have thousands of relatives - mostly

women and children - held in other facilities, such as the infa-mous Al-Hol camp, which is so overcrowded guards are strug-gling to control riots. Another major facility housing so-called“IS families” is Ain Issa, which has found itself in the heart ofthe battlefield and from which around 800 people escaped inOctober, Kurdish authorities say. Some of them are sincethought to have been reintegrated in the camp, others to havecrossed over to the Turkish side of the front line, and several tohave joined up with IS cells operating in the area.

Resurgence?Whether large-scale jailbreaks are prevented or not, any

redeployment of SDF fighters away from the detention facili-ties would create a security vacuum for IS to fill in the area.The past few months have seen an increase in the number andscope of attacks by IS sleeper cells, that never stopped beingactive after the jihadist group lost the final fragment of its oncesprawling “caliphate” in March.—AFP

IS prisoners inN East Syria: What we know

RIYADH: Wall Street titans smiled and schmoozed at aSaudi investment conference widely shunned last yearover a critic’s murder, but as wariness lingers some dele-gates kept their name cards discreetly out of sight.Thousands of policy-makers and executives from over 30countries packed into Riyadh’s Ritz-Carlton hotel,bedecked with frescoed ceilings and glittering chande-liers, for the three-day Future Investment Initiatve (FII)that opened Tuesday.

It was a striking contrast with last year’s summit, whichwas largely filled with delegates from Arab countries -many from Saudi Arabia itself - as the fallout over dissi-dent journalist Jamal Khashoggi’s murder inside the Saudiconsulate in Istanbul triggered mass cancellations byWestern executives. “Most notable are the people whocame for the inaugural FII (in 2017), boycotted the secondand now have returned for the third,” an American financeexecutive said, declining to be named.

“It’s like they are giving their stamp of approval, sayingto others: ‘It’s okay to come back to Saudi’.” He referredspecifically to American asset management companyBlackrock’s chief executive Larry Fink and StephenSchwarzman, head of private equity firm Blackstone, whoparticipated in panels cheerleading Saudi reforms.

Others endorsing Crown Prince Mohammed binSalman included an all-star lineup of speakers, fromIndian tycoon Mukesh Ambani to Prime MinisterNarendra Modi and Brazil’s President Jair Bolsonaro. Butdespite the ebullient mood on the stage, many delegateswere squeamish about being named in media interviews,in a sign of the lingering reputational risk of doing busi-ness in Saudi Arabia. Some sought to fly under the radar,flipping their name cards behind their coats or hidingthem behind their ties. Some even appeared hesitant toshare their business cards with journalists. The Saudiorganizers also sought to avoid media scrutiny, banning

journalists with cameras from entering the main confer-ence hall and from a gala dinner organized for delegates.“The sanctions threat over Saudi’s human rights record iscurrently over, but reputational costs are ongoing,” RyanBohl, of the US geopolitical think tank Stratfor said. “Mostcompanies have made the judgment whether they will beaffected or endure those costs. Those that don’t wantthose risks are staying away.”

Khashoggi’s murder plunged Saudi Arabia into a publicrelations crisis, forcing companies with ties to the king-dom to find a balance between maintaining their reputa-tions and their business considerations. Many of thoseattending this year are Wall Street financiers chasing apotential windfall from the upcoming stock market listingof state-owned oil giant Aramco, the world’s most prof-itable company. “There is massive potential,” an executivefrom a Singapore-based manufacturer of engineeringequipment told AFP.

“This is Saudi Arabia and Aramco - there is nothingbigger.” But this year’s FII has few names from the world’slargest technology companies or from Hollywood, keyareas of Saudi investment. —AFP

Saudi ‘Davos indesert’: Glitz, smiles,hidden name cards

RIYADH: Delegates chat near a robot during the FutureInvestment Initiative (FII) forum at the King Abdulaziz ConferenceCentre in Saudi Arabia’s capital Riyadh yesterday. —AFP

PARIS: President Emmanuel Macron has urgedFrance’s Muslim community to step up the fightagainst “separatism” as he toughened his rhetoricagainst Islamic radicalism in the wake of a deadlyattack. Macron, a centrist whose main political rival athome is far-right leader Marine Le Pen, has sought toshow he is serious in cracking down on Islamic radi-calism in France following the October 3 attack by aMuslim convert at Paris police headquarters that leftfour staff dead.

In a pre-recorded interview with RTL radio broad-cast on Monday, Macron said he planned to fight,alongside Muslim leaders, against religious sectarian-ism and resistance among some French Muslims tointegrate. “It is a fact that a form of separatism hastaken root in some places in our Republic, in otherwords a desire to not live together and to not be in theRepublic,” he said. “It is in the name of a religion,namely Islam,” he said.

Hours after Macron’s comments, an octogenarianshot and seriously wounded two other men, in theirseventies, who surprised him as he was trying to setfire to the door of a mosque in Bayonne in southwestFrance. The man was arrested later near his home.After the incident, Interior Minister ChristopheCastaner offered his “solidarity and support to theMuslim community.” Macron on Monday hosted rep-resentatives of the French Council of the Muslim Faith(CFCM) to press for joint efforts between the govern-ment and Muslims to crack down on radicalism.

Castaner, who attended that meeting, told AFPMacron had urged the CFCM leaders to “fight along-side the state” against sectarianism and Islamism. Thepresident told them he wanted to see a “change inrhythm” from the council, to wage a genuine fightagainst radicalism. CFCM Vice President AnouarKbibech, who was present at the Elysee talks, said thecouncil would now make “very strong announce-ments” on the fight against radicalism at an extraordi-nary meeting called for Tuesday.

There has been an ongoing debate in France inrecent years about the role of Islam in a republic builton staunchly secular values where Muslims now makeup some 10 percent of the population. The controver-sy intensified following a string of deadly attacks car-ried out by Islamist militants in 2015, including themassacres at the Charlie Hebo satirical magazine andBataclan music venue.

The October 3 killings by Mickael Harpon, a 45-year-old computer expert who converted to Islam adecade ago and adopted increasingly radical beliefs,has again laid bare the tensions. Eager not to be out-flanked by the National Rally (RN) of Le Pen, Macronafter the killings gave a tough speech where he vowed“an unrelenting fight in the face of Islamist terrorism”.He called on all of France to build “a society in a stateof vigilance” in order to overcome what he termed the“Islamist hydra”. — AFP

Macron takes aim at Islamic ‘separatism’

I n t e r n a t i o n a l Thursday, October 31, 2019

7

GENEVA: Syrian government and opposition negotiatorssat face-to-face yesterday to launch a committee taskedwith amending the country’s constitution, a meeting hailedby the UN as marking “a new chapter” for the war-tornnation. The United Nations-brokered constitutional reviewcommittee includes 150 delegates - divided equally amongPresident Bashar Al-Assad’s government, the oppositionand civil society.

Hopes remain dim that the group will reach a break-through towards a political resolution to Syria’s eight-yearconflict, which has killed more than 370,000 people. ButUN Syria envoy Geir Pedersen said the meeting amountedto “a historic moment” and “a new chapter for Syria”. “Iknow that it is not easy for all of you to be here together,”Pedersen said, conceding that “the road ahead will not beeasy.” Experts have argued that Assad — whose forceshave made major gains against the opposition - has littleto lose at the talks and will walk away before making anysignificant compromises.

His lead negotiator Ahmad Kuzbari praised the coun-try’s existing charter as “a modern constitution.” “But thisdoes not prevent us from meeting to consider possibleamendments, or changes to the current constitution, andputting a new constitution in place, one that... effects posi-tive change,” he added. In opening remarks that alsoincluded tough rhetoric against those battling Assad,Kuzbari insisted that Syrian forces would continue fightingregardless of ongoing diplomacy.

“We have been fighting terrorism before the meeting,and we will wage this battle during the meeting and after-wards, until we liberate every inch of our nation’s preciousland,” he said. The head of the opposition delegation, HadiAlbahra, described the meeting as “a first step on a long

path to recovery.” “We all know that 150 people meetingtoday in this room have diverging opinions,” he said. “Butafter eight painful years of suffering in Syria we came hereto look for similarities.”

Following yesterday’s ceremony, meetings betweenthe 150 will take place before a smaller group of 45 dele-gates will begin work drafting the constitution. There isno deadline for the process and Pedersen said the aimwould be to reach consensus on all issues. Where that isnot possible, changes would only be made with a 75-per-cent majority vote in the committee to avoid having anyone side dictate the results. Constitutional review is acentral part of the UN’s peace plan for Syria, which wasdefined by Security Council resolution 2254, adopted inDecember 2015. The resolution also calls for UN-super-vised elections.

In another development, Syria’s army and police yester-day called on Kurdish fighters and security forces in north-east Syria to join their ranks following a Turkish cross-bor-der incursion, state media said. The appeal comes afterregime troops deployed along parts of Syria’s northeasternborder in a deal with Kurdish authorities to help stave offthe Turkish offensive, launched October 9. It is the largestSyrian army deployment in the area since 2012.

A separate ceasefire agreement reached betweenAnkara and Damascus-backer Moscow last week provid-ed for members of the Kurdish-led Syrian DemocraticForces to withdraw from the border and solidified thepresence of pro-government forces there. “The generalcommand of the armed forces is ready to welcome mem-bers of SDF units who are willing to join its ranks,” said aSyrian defense ministry statement carried by state newsagency SANA. — Agencies

Syria govt and opposition open ‘historic’ constitutional review

Damascus calls on Kurdish forces to join army, police

AD DARBASIYAH: Syrian Kurdish Asayish internal security forces and Russian military police patrol thetown of Darbasiyah in Syria’s northeastern Hasakeh province along the Syria-Turkey border. — AFP

Iraq’s Moqtada Sadr: Cleric and kingmakerBAGHDAD: Whether in protests, elections, secret negotia-tions or government formations, one man always seems tohave the last word in Iraq’s tumultuous political scene:sharp-tongued cleric Moqtada Sadr. The onetime militia-man has earned himself a cult-like following in Iraq whichhe can mobilize with a single tweet to crown-or bringdown-a government. He appeared to do just that thisweek, endorsing mass protests in Iraq that have demandedthe collapse of a government he himself brought to poweronly a year ago.

Mind-boggling politicking is par for the course whenit comes to Sadr, said Renad Mansour of the London-based Chatham House think-tank. “He was concernedwith how the government he formed had failed so hedecided to take it down,” said Mansour. “He’s a guy whohas multiple sides: an anthropologist who goes with thestreet, making him inconsistent over the years.” Sadr, 46,was born in the southern Iraqi town of Kufa to a familywith deep political roots.

His father, Mohammad Sadeq al-Sadr, who was assassi-nated in 1999, was one of Iraq’s most respected Shiiteclerics and a fierce opponent of Saddam Hussein’s regime.Moqtada Sadr is also related to Mohammad Baqer al-Sadr, the prominent thinker who was executed by Saddamin 1980. This legacy fuelled the younger Sadr’s fire, and hesaw his opportunity in Saddam’s 2003 ouster by a US-ledinvasion-which he also opposed with his Mehdi Army.Sadr virtually disappeared in 2006, spending the next few

years studying to become a cleric in Iran’s Qom beforereturning to Iraq’s holy city of Najaf in 2011.

Ruling reformist As he returned to public life, Sadr began railing against

corruption and its main symbol in Iraq: Baghdad’s once-exclusive “Green Zone” which hosts government officesand embassies. In 2016, he held weekly Friday protestsagainst graft in a country considered the 12th most corruptin the world, according to Transparency International. Sadrregularly dispatched his critiques to his more than600,000 followers on Twitter. But after years as a self-

styled opposition, his Saeroon bloc won the largest shareof parliament’s 329 seats in elections last year. To form amajority, he allied with the next-biggest bloc Fatah, thepolitical arm of the Hashed al-Shaabi paramilitary force,and brought Adel Abdel Mahdi as premier.

“Sadr presents himself as an anti-establishmentchampion of reform and a populist voice of the millionswho have been let down by the system,” said FanarHaddad, an expert at Singapore University’s MiddleEast Institute. “But the fact remains that the Sadristshave been an integral part of the political classes andhave had no shortage of ministerial posts and high rank-ing public office,” he added.

That contradiction has been strained by the protests,which put Sadr and the Hashed on opposite sides of theswelling anti-government movement. More than 240people were killed and thousands wounded in rallies thaterupted on October 1 in anger at unemployment and cor-ruption before evolving into calls for regime change. Amidthe protests, several Hashed offices were torched in south-ern Iraq in what observers said was an escalation of therivalry between Sadr and the Hashed. But in a slick about-face, Sadr invited Fatah chief Hadi Al-Ameri late Tuesdayto jointly drop their support for Abdel Mahdi.

Their apparent rapprochement came hours after Sadrreturned from Iran, a country with which he has complexties. His family was long opposed to the theocratic rulingsystem there and Sadr even visited its regional foe Riyadhin 2017. He shocked many when he travelled to Tehran inSeptember, meeting both supreme leader Ayatollah AliKhamenei and commander of the elite Quds Force of Iran’sIslamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Major General QasemSoleimani. An observer who was tracking the visit said itwas sparked by fears for his life. — AFP

PARIS: French President Emmanuel Macron (right)embraces former French Prime Minister Manuel Valls (2ndright), as President of the Central Jewish Consistory ofParis Joel Mergui (2nd left) embraces former FrenchInterior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve during the officialinauguration of the European Center for Judaism (CentreEuropeen Du Judaisme) in Paris. — AFP

BAGHDAD: Iraqi men work in front of posters bearing the por-traits of Iraqi Shiite cleric and political leader Moqtada Al-Sadr (top), Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani (center), and Imam Ali,the cousin of Prophet Mohammed (PBUH) in the capitalBaghdad’s eastern Sadr City district. — AFP

Grievances underlying the Lebanese protestsBEIRUT: An unprecedented protest movement has grippedLebanon for almost two weeks, demanding an overhaul of apolitical class viewed as incompetent and corrupt. Anannounced tax on calls made through free phone applicationssparked the demonstrations, but that was just the latest in along list of economic grievances that have spurred exasperat-ed Lebanese to protest. Here are some of them:

Poor servicesResidents in Lebanon complain of unmaintained roads and

inadequate public transport, as well as endless power cuts.Most Lebanese pay two bills for their power - the first to anailing state electricity company, and the second to expensiveprivate generators for the three to 12 hours each day whenmains supply cuts out. Consultancy firm McKinsey ranked thecountry’s electricity supply fourth from bottom in the world,following Haiti, Nigeria and Yemen, in a report covering 2017and 2018. Reforms to the electricity sector have not beenimplemented since the end of the 1975-1990 civil war. A newelectricity plan was approved in March but has not beenimplemented. Many say they are fed up with paying the statefor intermittent tap water they describe as undrinkable. Mostalso pay for drinking water and private tankers to deliverwater when pipes run dry.

Poverty and unemploymentMore than 25 percent of Lebanon lives in poverty, the

World Bank says. Unemployment stood at 10 percent in2012, according to official figures, though many claim thereal number is higher. It estimated that 200,000 Lebanesehave been pushed into poverty as a result of the eight-yearcivil war in neighboring Syria. An additional 250,000 to300,000 Lebanese citizens are estimated to have becomeunemployed, most of them unskilled young people. In thenorthern city of Tripoli, which has emerged as a nerve cen-tre of the protests, 57 percent of the population live at orbelow the poverty line, according to a 2015 study by theUnited Nations. More than a quarter of the city’s residentssuffer extreme poverty, it said.

InequalityInequality has been a major rallying call of the protesters.

The top one percent of the population make nearly 25 per-cent of national income while the bottom 50 percent make lit-tle more than 10 percent, according to the World InequalityDatabase.

CorruptionLebanon ranked 138th out of 175 countries in

Transparency International’s 2018 corruption index, with dif-ferent sectarian leaders accused of running demi-fiefdoms.

Dollar shortageIn recent weeks it has become difficult to withdraw dollars

from ATMs, despite the Lebanese pound being pegged to thegreenback. Unofficial money exchangers have been sellingdollars for far above the fixed rate of 1,500 pounds.

Stalling growthGrowth in Lebanon has plummeted in the wake of endless

political deadlock in recent years, compounded by the 2011breakout of civil war in neighboring Syria. It stood at around0.2 percent in 2018, far below growth of more than 10 percentin 2009. It is expected to remain stagnant this year, accordingto the International Monetary Fund.

Colossal debtEconomists are deeply concerned by the country’s crip-

pling debt of $86 billion. This equates to roughly 150 percentof gross domestic product, one of the highest rates world-wide. Eighty percent of that debt is owed to Lebanon’s cen-tral bank and local banks.

DeficitLebanon adopted its first budget in 12 years last year. But by

the end of 2018, it had failed to make good on a promise todonors to reduce its budget deficit, which reached a record $6.2billion - over 11 percent of GDP. This year’s budget, adopted sev-en months late, aims to reduce the deficit to 7.6 percent of GDP.Saad Hariri, who resigned as prime minister Tuesday, promisedlast week after days of protests to reduce it to 0.6 of GDP underthe 2020 budget. Economists said this was unrealistic.

Blocked aidIn July, parliament passed an austerity budget as part of

conditions to unlock $11 billion in aid pledged at a conferencein Paris last year. But with no real progress made on reformssince, the financial aid has been held up. Lebanon hasreceived only part of the aid promised at several previousconferences, after it failed to honor its promises to bringabout substantial economic change. — AFP

At least 42 perish in Cameroon landslideYAOUNDE: At least 42 people were killed after theirhouses were swept away Tuesday in a landslidecaused by torrential rain in the western Camerooncity of Bafoussam, state media reported, showingimages of rescuers desperately sifting through rubblefor survivors. “Searches are ongoing. We fear thereare further deaths,” a senior local official told AFP oncondition of anonymity as nightfall neared.

A total of 42 bodies were taken to the hospital inthe city, according to an official statement read onCameroon Radio Television (CRTV). Media reportshad earlier spoken of about 30 dead, with the radioreporting that four pregnant women were among thevictims. Pictures of the tragedy in Bafouassam postedon social media showed ramshackle houses havingcrumbled into the ochre-colored terrain and men cladin hard hats digging away at piles of mud in thesearch for survivors.

“The houses that collapsed were built on the sideof a hill in a risk zone,” said the local official in theWest Region, of which Bafoussam is the capital, some300 kilometers northwest of the capital Yaounde. Hesaid the landslide was caused by torrential rains thathave fallen in the country over the past few days aswell as the wider region, with neighboring CentralAfrican Republic and Nigeria also seriously hit.Cameroon President Paul Biya offered his condo-lences to families of the victims in a message broad-cast on CRTV.

Landslides are quite exceptional in the areaalthough further south they are less rare in the rainyseason, notably in the English-speaking southwest. Itwas in the southwestern coastal resort town of Limbethat five people died in a landslide following floodingin July last year. Neighboring Central AfricanRepublic, already mired in a brutal civil war, is reelingfrom 10 days of torrential rain which have plungedswathes of the country underwater, creating a newemergency in one of the world’s poorest nations.

Tens of thousands of people have been left home-less after the CAR’s largest river, the Oubangui, burstits banks at the height of the country’s worst floods indecades which have left parts of the capital Banguisubmerged, prompting authorities to warn of the riskof cholera. Several agrarian states in anotherCameroon neighbor, Nigeria, have also been hit byflooding. A torrential downpour Monday alloweddozens of inmates to escape from prison in the centralstate of Kogi. — AFP

BEIRUT: Lebanese protesters sit in a makeshift camp dur-ing anti-governmental demonstrations in the centre of thecapital Beirut yesterday. — AFP

LONDON: The fate of Britain’s departure from theEuropean Union could be decided in a Dec 12 electionafter Prime Minister Boris Johnson finally won parliamen-tary approval for a gamble that he hopes will break thedeadlock over Brexit. Johnson, who has failed to deliveron his “do or die” promise that Britain would leave thebloc on Oct 31, secured the election agreement just hoursafter the EU granted a third delay to Brexit. The firstChristmas election in Britain since 1923 will be one of thehardest to call in years. Brexit has variously fatigued,enthused and enraged swathes of voters while erodingloyalties to the two major parties.

When Johnson’s predecessor, Theresa May, bet on anearly election in 2017, she lost her slender majority inparliament - a failure that ultimately prevented her fromratifying her Brexit deal in parliament and sank her politi-cal career. More voters switched between the two mainparties at the 2017 election than in any ballot dating backto 1966, research by the British Election Study showed.

“It’s time to unite the country and get Brexit done,”Johnson told a meeting of Conservative lawmakers onTuesday night shortly after securing the election tocheers from a parliament he has accused of stopping himfrom delivering the divorce. The election result, due to beannounced in the early hours of Friday the 13th, coulddecide the ultimate fate of Brexit after almost four yearsof almost continuous political commotion in London thathas shocked both investors and allies.

Johnson, 55, hopes to win a majority to push throughthe last-minute Brexit deal he struck this month with theEuropean Union while his main opponent, Labour leaderJeremy Corbyn, is pitching a socialist government and

another EU referendum. If no party wins conclusively, thefuture of Brexit will be thrown up in the air again withoptions ranging from a tumultuous no-deal exit to anoth-er referendum that could scupper the whole divorce.

Election gambleA five-year flurry of two historic referendums - on

Scottish independence in 2014 and Brexit in 2016 - andtwo national elections in 2015 and 2017 delivered oftenunexpected results that ushered in political crises. TheConservatives are ahead of Labor by an average of about10 percentage points in polls this month, indicating amajority in the 650-seat parliament for Johnson, though

pollsters admit their models are imperfect with turnout akey variable. The election pitches two of the most uncon-ventional British politicians of recent years against eachother. Both have been repeatedly written off by oppo-nents and both offer starkly different visions for theworld’s fifth largest economy.

Corbyn, a 70-year-old campaigner who won theLabor leadership in 2015 against the odds, offers a radicalsocialist alternative to the Western capitalist consensuscomplete with sweeping nationalization and higher taxa-tion on financiers. “A Labor government will be on yourside, while Boris Johnson’s Conservatives - who think

they’re born to rule - will only look after the privilegedfew,” Corbyn said. Johnson, a New York-born formermayor of London who was hailed by the U.S. president asBritain’s Donald Trump, has pledged to use Brexit tomake the United Kingdom the most prosperous economyin Europe by 2050. — Reuters

Thursday, October 31, 2019

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

Established 1961

LONDON: A pro-Brexit banner is seen outside the Houses of Parliament in London yesterday. Britain’s politicalleaders tested their election pitches yesterday after parliament backed Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s bid for apre-Christmas poll aimed at breaking the years-long Brexit impasse. — AFP

Johnson: Let’s get

Brexit done

First December election since 1923

UK PM gambles on election to decide the fate of Brexit

Baghdadi’sdeath ‘doesn’tfeel like’ justiceyet: Yazidis SHARYA CAMP: Islamic State leaderAbu Bakr Al-Baghdadi’s death willmean nothing to 19-year-old rape vic-tim Jamila unless the Islamic State mili-tants who enslaved her are brought tojustice. Jamila, who asked not to beidentified by her last name, is one ofthousands of women from the Yazidiminority religion who were kidnappedand raped by IS after it mounted anassault on the Yazidi homeland in north-ern Iraq in August 2014.

“Even if Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi isdead, it doesn’t mean Islamic State isdead,” Jamila told Reuters outside thetent that is now her temporary home inthe Sharya camp for displaced Yazidisin Iraq’s Kurdistan Region. “This doesn’tfeel like justice yet,” she said. “I wantthe men who took me, who raped me, tostand trial. And I want to have my voiceheard in court. I want to face them incourt ... Without proper trials, his deathhas no meaning.” Baghdadi, who hadled IS since 2010, detonated a suicidevest after being cornered in a raid by

US special forces in northwest Syria,US President Donald Trump announcedon Sunday.

Inspired by his edicts to enslave andslaughter Yazidis, whom IS regard asinfidels, his followers shot, beheadedand kidnapped thousands in a rampagewhich the United Nations called agenocidal campaign against them.Along with thousands of other womenand children, Jamila said she wasenslaved by the militants and kept incaptivity for five months in the city ofMosul along with her sister. She wasjust 14 when she was seized. But herproblems did not end after she and hersister managed to escape when, shesaid, their guards were high on drugs.

“When I first came back, I had anervous breakdown and psychologicalproblems for two years, so I couldn’t goto school,” she said. Now instead ofworking or catching up on her years oflost schooling, she looks after her moth-er, with whom she shares her crampedtent at the camp. “My mother can’t walkand has health problems so I have tostay and take care of her because myolder siblings are in Germany,” she said.

No plans to go homeThe prospect of going home to Sinjar

in northern Iraq is not an option for Jamila,and many others. The city still lies in ruinfour years after the IS onslaught, and sus-picion runs deep in the ethnically mixedarea. “Sinjar is completely destroyed. Even

if we could go back, I wouldn’t want tobecause we’d be surrounded by the sameArab neighbors who all joined IS in thefirst place, and helped them kill us(Yazidis),” she said. Thousands of men arebeing tried in Iraqi courts for their ties toIS. Iraq has so far not allowed victims totestify in court, something communityleaders and human rights groups saywould go a long way in the healingprocess.

“It is deplorable that not a single vic-

tim of Islamic State’s horrific abusesincluding sexual slavery has gotten theirday in court,” said Belkis Wille, IraqResearcher for Human Rights Watch.“Iraq’s justice system is designed toallow the state to exact mass revengeagainst suspects, not provide realaccountability for victims.” For some ofthe nearly 17,000 Yazidis at the Sharyacamp, Baghdadi’s death was a first stepin that direction though they fear the ISfighters who are still alive. — Reuters

WASHINGTON: This screen shot of US President Donald Trump Twitter account shows apicture of a dog that helped capture the Leader of ISIS Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi. — AFP

Chile’s protests flare back upas reformsfall shortSANTIAGO: Chileans took to thestreets again yesterday, pouring bythe thousands into plazas and shut-ting down main boulevards in a signthat government promises of reformcontinued to fall short. Police inarmored trucks watched over thegathering masses. The night before,vandals wreaked havoc nearby, loot-ing, setting fires and sowing chaosamid a melee of sirens, protestersbanging pots and heavy black smoke.

President Sebastian Pinera’s newlyappointed spokeswoman KarlaRubilar condemned the previousnight’s mayhem, saying it did notreflect the wishes of the majority.“The violence is over-taking thelegitimate demands of the socialmovement,” Rubilar told reporters.She called on all Chileans, from soc-cer players to cultural icons, to rejectthe rioting. Days earlier, more than amillion Chileans marched peacefullyagainst inequality in Santiago, thelargest protest since Chile’s return todemocracy in 1990.

The continuing unrest in Chile fol-lows a week of riots, arson andprotests over inequality that haveresulted in at least 18 dead and 7,000arrested, prosecutors said. Chileanbusinesses lost more than $1.4 billion.The city’s metro suffered nearly$400 million in damages. Pilar Zofoli,a 30-year-old schoolteacher, said the

violence and destruction to publicspaces and services was making lifemiserable for Santiago’s workingclass. “I support this cause, but Idon’t like the way things are going,”she said. “In the end, this affects us,not the rich.”

Protests over a hike in metro faresspun out of control earlier this month,prompting Pinera to pledge sweepingsocial and economic reforms, and toupend his cabinet. Chile, the world’stop copper producer, has long boast-ed one of Latin America’s most pros-perous free-market economies. Aplummeting copper price and globaltrade tensions, however, have draggedon the export-dependent economyand exposed entrenched inequality.

Smoke, fireA putrid blend of smoldering fire

from an overnight blaze downtownand tear gas hung heavily overSantiago through much of Tuesday.Chileans in business attire woremakeshift masks or wet towels overtheir faces as they headed to andfrom work. Many schools and busi-nesses remained closed, or shut early.Catalina Barrera, an 18-year-old highschool student, said she felt Pinera’sannouncements had missed the mark.The protests would go on, she said.

“If, after that massive march onFriday, we get nothing but a cabinetchange in which they continue tonominate more of the same people,then violence is our only option,” shesaid. Students, unions and othersocial groups have joined the Chileprotests in massive numbers, but aleader or spokesperson has yet toemerge. — Reuters

SANTIAGO: Demonstrators clash with riot police during a protest against thegovernment’s economic policies in Santiago. — AFP

New impeachment witness rocks the White HouseWASHINGTON: A decorated Iraq War veteranrocked the White House Tuesday with devastatingtestimony on Donald Trump’s alleged extortion ofUkraine as Democrats laid out plans for the publicphase of the impeachment inquiry threatening hispresidency. The Democratic-led House is investi-gating Trump over his bid to pressure Ukraine intodigging up dirt on election rival Joe Biden - andaccusations he conditioned nearly $400 million inmilitary aid on the political favor.

National Security Council Ukraine expertLieutenant Colonel Alexander Vindman said inwritten testimony for his closed-door depositionhe witnessed Trump and a senior diplomat pres-suring Ukraine for that help. In explosive preparedtestimony, Vindman recounted listening to Trumppressure Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyon the now infamous July 25 phone call thatsparked the impeachment probe. His openingstatement, released late Monday, offers some ofthe strongest evidence yet for accusations thatTrump abused his office and broke election law togain Kiev’s support for his re-election.

Decorated war veteranVindman arrived on Capitol Hill Tuesday in full

military dress uniform, as Trump blasted him onTwitter as a “Never Trumper” - his label forRepublicans who fundamentally oppose the pres-ident. “How many more Never Trumpers will beallowed to testify about a perfectly appropriatephone call,” he asked. “Was he on the same callthat I was? Can’t be possible!” Republicansmobilized to undercut Vindman’s credibility,questioning his loyalty by noting he moved to theUS from the Soviet Union at the age of three andsuggesting he is part of an effort by the USnational security bureaucracy to undermineTrump. “Donald Trump is innocent. The deepstate is guilty,” said Republican lawmaker MattGaetz, one of the president’s most stridentdefenders in Congress.

First White House witness The first White House official to testify and a

Purple Heart recipient after being wounded inIraq, Vindman has proved a much more difficultwitness for Republicans to dismiss, however, thanprevious civilian government figures. The veteran,who ignored White House orders to defy a con-gressional subpoena to testify, said alarm bellsrang during a July 10 meeting with Ambassador tothe European Union Gordon Sondland and a Kievofficial. Vindland said Sondland pressured the offi-cial to open corruption investigations into adebunked conspiracy theory that Ukraine helpedDemocrats against Trump in the 2016 election.

He also pushed for a probe into Biden overlinks between the Democrat’s son and a Ukraineenergy company, Burisma. “Following this meeting,there was a scheduled debriefing during whichAmb. Sondland emphasized the importance thatUkraine deliver the investigations into the 2016election, the Bidens and Burisma,” Vindman said. “Istated to Amb Sondland that his statements wereinappropriate, that the request to investigateBiden and his son had nothing to do with nationalsecurity,” he added. Vindland confirmed the pub-lic record of the Trump-Zelensky call, in whichTrump responded to Zelensky’s request for mili-tary aid by asking for “a favor though” beforepressing for the investigations of the 2016 storyand the Bidens. — AFP

London fire service criticizedin high-rise firetragedy reportLONDON: The emergency response to a2017 high-rise fire that killed 71 people inLondon had “serious shortcomings”, Britishmedia said on Tuesday, quoting an officialreport into the tragedy. The long-awaitedassessment into the Grenfell Tower fire is dueto be published today and indicated fewerpeople would have died had London FireBrigade been better prepared.

The June 14, 2017 inferno at the 24-storeyresidential block in west London was Britain’sdeadliest domestic fire since World War II andprompted widespread outrage. Several mediaorganizations said the report says the fire ser-vice’s readiness for such a blaze was “gravelyinadequate” and that its response sufferedfrom “systemic” failures.

It also accused LFB commissioner DanyCotton of “remarkable insensitivity” after shetold the inquiry she would not have done any-thing differently on the night. “I identify anumber of serious shortcomings in theresponse of the LFB, both in the operation ofthe control room and on the incident ground,”wrote inquiry head Martin Moore-Bick. “It isright to recognize that those shortcomingswere for the most part systemic in nature,” hestated, according to the domestic PressAssociation news agency. A public inquiry intothe fire began in May 2018, led by retired HighCourt judge Moore-Bick, and is expected totake evidence in two phases. — AFP

I n t e r n a t i o n a l Thursday, October 31, 2019

9

Iranians say Malaysia banks close their accounts; US sanctions bite

WASHINGTON: Facebook came under fresh criti-cism Tuesday for its hands-off approach to politicalspeech, as a group of employees and US lawmakerscalled on the social network to fact-check politi-cians spreading misinformation. A letter fromemployees urged the company to crack down on“civic misinformation,” saying the spread ofdebunked claims is a “threat to what FB stands for.”

“We strongly object to this policy as it stands. Itdoesn’t protect voices, but instead allows politiciansto weaponize our platform by targeting people whobelieve that content posted by political figures istrustworthy,” said the letter first obtained by TheNew York Times, which said more than 250 employ-ees had endorsed it.

At the same time, US lawmakers critical ofFacebook stepped up their calls to revisit its policy,which exempts comments and paid ads on the plat-form from fact-checking - an issue that has becomeheated with President Donald Trump’s online adsusing what some called “provably false” claims.“Facebook’s new ads policy allows politicians to rundemonstrably false advertising on its platform. Idon’t think that’s right,” said Senator Mark Warner, aVirginia Democrat who added that he sent a letterto Facebook chief executive Mark Zuckerberg call-ing on him “to reverse this decision.”

Other Democrats joined the effort, welcoming theletter from Facebook employees. “Being a politicianshouldn’t be a license to lie - especially to spreadhatred. If Facebook employees get it so shouldZuckerberg,” tweeted Senator Richard Blumenthal.Those comments were echoed by Senator and pres-idential hopeful Elizabeth Warren, who tweeted:“Facebook’s own employees know just how danger-ous their policy allowing politicians to lie in politicalads will be for our democracy.

Mark Zuckerberg should listen to them - and Iapplaud their brave efforts to hold their own com-pany accountable.” Some Democrats have chal-lenged Facebook’s policy by running their own falseads, and one California entrepreneur announced hewould run for governor of the state to be immunefrom fact-checking.

Not an arbiter Facebook said in response to an AFP query

about the controversy that the social media giant’sculture was “built on openness so we appreciate ouremployees voicing their thoughts on this importanttopic.” “We remain committed to not censoringpolitical speech, and we will continue exploringadditional steps we can take to bring increasedtransparency to political ads,” it said in a statement.Zuckerberg earlier this month articulated Facebook’spolicy, saying it is based on a long tradition ofallowing free expression.

“I don’t think most people want to live in a worldwhere you can only post things that tech companiesjudge to be 100 percent true,” he said. The policy atFacebook, and a similar approach from other plat-forms such as Twitter, creates a challenge for onlinefirms seeking to avoid the role of being an “arbiter”of truth and entering the fray of politics.

Nina Jankowicz, a disinformation fellow at theWilson Center, a Washington think tank, saidFacebook has a unique responsibility to root outfalse information because of its scale and its abilityto allow advertisers to use “microtargeting” of users.“If they don’t want to be involved in fact-checking,they shouldn’t take that content,” Jankowicz said.“They have become the world’s biggest gatekeeperand they need to shoulder that responsibility.”

Contentious decisions Other analysts say the question is more complex

with various standards for different media: broad-cast television, for example, is not allowed to rejectspecific political ads, but cable outlets may, andinternet platforms are not subject to specific regula-tions. Shannon McGregor, a University of Utah pro-fessor specializing in political communication, saidFacebook would run into a thicket of problems if itsought to verify ads and other statements from can-didates and politicians. The current standard “leavesthem open to criticism, but that is the policy thatmakes the most sense,” McGregor said.

“I don’t think we want private companies likeFacebook and Twitter making decisions on whatspeech is allowed or not allowed.” Darrell West,head of the Brookings Institution’s Center forTechnology Innovation, said social media firms arestruggling for the right guidelines to handle thesecontroversies. “Technology firms increasingly arebeing asked to police national conversationsbecause of their central communications role,” Westsaid. “This puts them in the middle of many con-tentious decisions (with) no real guidelines on howto make decisions.” — AFP

Facebook takes more criticism for enabling political falsehoods

US sanctions having a far-reaching impact on Iran citizens

SRINAGAR: Unidentified gunmen shot dead fivemigrant laborers in Indian-administered Kashmir,police said yesterday, in the bloodiest incident sinceNew Delhi moved to strip the region of its autonomy.The killings in southern Kulgam district, some 70kilometers south of the main city Srinagar, came asIndia allowed a group of mostly far-right EuropeanUnion parliamentarians to visit the region where ten-sions have soared since New Delhi began a clamp-down on August 5. A police official told AFP anunknown number of gunmen, believed to be rebels,barged into an accommodation rented by the sixlaborers late Tuesday and shot one of them dead onthe spot.

They later took five others out of the residence andshot them with automatic rifles some distance from thebuilding, killing four and wounding one. “He is criticaland undergoing treatment at a hospital,” a local policeofficial said of the wounded laborer, speaking on con-dition of anonymity. Another top police official saidthe victims were from the eastern Indian state of WestBengal, and that additional government forces wererushed to the area to track the attackers.

No group has taken responsibility for the attack,but police in the past have accused militants of tar-geting non-locals in a campaign allegedly aimed atdriving them from the region. A non-local truck driverwas shot dead on Monday by gunmen while he wasferrying apples in the Himalayan valley’s southernregion. Five truck drivers and businessmen from otherIndian states, who were associated with valley’s vitalapple trade, have been killed in recent weeks.

New Delhi in August controversially stripped thedisputed region of its decades-old semi-autonomousstatus, which barred non-residents from buying landand taking government jobs. Kashmir is dividedbetween India and Pakistan, with most residentsdemanding either independence or a merger withPakistan. The region has been in armed rebellion for thepast 30 years, with New Delhi accusing Pakistan oftraining and arming scores of militant groups active inthe area. Before stripping its autonomy, India sent tensof thousands of additional troops to join a 500,000-strong force in the region and imposed a weeks-longsecurity and communication lockdown. — AFP

KUALA LUMPUR: Banks in Malaysia are closing theaccounts of Iranian individuals and companies, nearly adozen affected people said, in a sign that US sanctions arehaving a far-reaching impact on citizens of the Islamicrepublic. Although Malaysian banks seemed to be morecautious in dealing with Iranians than those elsewhere,some Iranians and one embassy official said, there were“mass closures” in the Southeast Asian country in recentmonths.

The banks were being “more Catholic than the Pope”,said university lecturer Behrang Samadi, who is among anestimated 10,000 Iranians living in Malaysia and learnt inAugust that his bank, CIMB, would close his 14-year-oldaccount. “In Western countries, there is no problem open-

ing bank accounts,” he added. “They are only sensitiveabout money transfers, especially in big amounts.”

Samadi said he withdrew his money soon after the bankwarned him of the closure within a month’s time, though hewas still able to access his account online on Sunday.Despite Washington’s sanctions over Iran’s nuclear pro-gram imposed late last year, Malaysia has kept up gooddiplomatic ties with Tehran, and last week, their leadersdiscussed ways to further strengthen ties. It was not clearif the account closures were linked to the tracking of atanker of Iranian fuel oil offshore Malaysia this year, adevelopment that annoyed the United States.

The US State Department did not immediately respondto a request for comment. A spokesman for Malaysia’s

prime minister did not respond to Reuters’ questions.Many Iranians said they knew of dozens of compatriotswho had received notices from CIMB and RHB Bank. “Weregret to inform (you) that we are unable to continue thebanking relationship,” CIMB said in identical noticesreviewed by Reuters. The banks did not state a reason, butsome individuals said bank officials attributed the move totighter scrutiny after the sanctions.

CIMB and RHB declined to comment. Malaysia’s centralbank directed queries to the Association of Banks inMalaysia, which declined to comment. Such mattersdepended on individual banks’ own risk appetite andassessment, the central bank said this month in an emailresponse to one Iranian’s complaint that was viewed by

Reuters. But a July notification on the central bank’s web-site refers to a statement by the Financial Action TaskForce urging “enhanced due diligence” on Iranians bymembers of the global money laundering watchdog.

Iran’s embassy in Kuala Lumpur said it was working toresolve the issue. “We hope that by goodwill and coopera-tion of the Malaysian officials, the negotiations will yield apositive result,” it told Reuters in an email last week,adding that Iranian companies had also been affected. Fornow, Iranians in the Malaysian capital have been left won-dering how to pay school fees or hospital bills. “Without abank account we need to use the ancient techniques,keeping money under the pillow or in teapots,” said one ofthem, who sought anonymity. “It’s not fair.” — Reuters

Mullah on the march: Pakistani cleric takes on PM Imran Khan ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan facesthe first major challenge to his leadership as a grey-beard-ed, orange-turbaned rival he calls “Maulana Diesel”marches to Islamabad with thousands of Islamists hopingto bring down the government. Maulana Fazlur Rehman -one of the country’s most seasoned political operators -has dominated the airwaves in recent days with his calls tounseat his old adversary Khan.

The prime minister, he says, did not win last year’s elec-tion, but was “selected” by the powerful security estab-lishment - a suggestion denied by Khan, but spread widelyby Pakistan’s opposition since even before the July 2018election. “This movement will continue until the end of thisgovernment,” Rehman told reporters ahead of the march.“There is no other way... to bring Pakistan back on thedemocratic path.”

Rehman, who heads the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F) -one of the country’s largest Islamist parties - has beenleading supporters from across Pakistan for days on a“Azadi (Freedom) March” towards Islamabad, with tens ofthousands expected to converge on the capital. He saysthey will arrive by October 31, but so far has refused toclarify what happens next. It is a scenario Khan himself isfamiliar with. As opposition leader in 2014 he organizedmonths of mass protests in Islamabad that failed in a bid tobring down the government.

With the ability to mobilize tens of thousands ofmadrassa students, JUI-F protests have a history of stir-ring unrest, and authorities are sealing off the capital’sdiplomatic enclave with shipping containers. A violentcrackdown risks sparking a wider backlash in the Muslim-majority country, where mainstream politicians have longtried to keep the conservative right on side.

Bad bloodRehman’s bad blood with Khan runs deep. Khan ran on

an anti-corruption agenda in 2018 and called out“Maulana Diesel”, as he dubbed him, for his alleged partic-ipation in graft involving fuel licenses. Rehman, in turn,refers to the former World Cup-winning cricketer as “theJew”- citing his first marriage to Jemima Goldsmith, alongwith incoherent anti-Semitic conspiracies. Rehman, amaulana (cleric) whose orange turban sports a traditional

pattern from his northwest hometown, lost his parliamen-tary seat in 2018 to a candidate from Khan’s PakistanTehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) party.

Still smarting from that loss, Rehman has chosen thismoment carefully. Khan’s government has been underpressure for months as anger simmers over the dire stateof the economy. Unemployment, double-digit inflation, andrising utility costs have hit ordinary Pakistanis hard -issues other opposition parties have also railed against -and Rehman has been eager to exploit the unhappinessduring the march. As the protest moved toward the capitalthis week, traders across the country launched a two-daystrike, piling further pressure on Khan.

‘Cheated’ The cleric insists that Khan needs to be removed from

office, and a new “free and fair” election held. But heremains vague about how he aims to achieve their goals.That lack of substance has led some observers to suggestRehman’s protest is more a salve for his ego after the

humiliating election drubbing. “He’s been left out of agame and he thinks he’s been cheated out of his rightfulplace,” said columnist Arifa Noor. “The (economy) is moreof a stick to beat the government with.” Rehman has rotat-ed in and out of successive governments for decades, forg-ing alliances with both Islamist and secular parties whileenjoying occasional support from the military establish-ment. He was once a hardline Islamist and anti-Americanfirebrand, calling for the implementation of Shariah lawpublically backing the Afghan Taleban, but more recentlyhas tried to rebrand as a moderate.

That has not stopped him from dismissing the attack onNobel prize laureate Malala Yousfazi in 2012 as a fabricat-ed conspiracy, and protesting the exoneration of Asia Bibi- a Christian woman at the centre of Pakistan’s most high-profile blasphemy case. Whether the march ends in vio-lence or not, it has undeniably thrust Rehman back into thespotlight after suggestions he was increasingly becomingirrelevant. “When was the last time the maulana dominatedthe news agenda this much?” asked Noor. — AFP

LAHORE: Activists and supporters of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam party gather during an anti-government ‘Azadi March’towards Islamabad, in Lahore yesterday. — AFP

Gunmen kill five migrant workers in Kashmir as EU lawmakers visit

In Vietnam ‘Billionaire Village’, migrant’s cash can buy a palaceDO THANH: Vietnam’s “Billionaire Village” doesn’t soundlike a place people would want to leave, but at least threeof the 39 victims found in the back of a lorry in Britain lastweek set off from there in search of their fortunes. A billiondong may only be around $43,000, but in the rural, north-ern-central Vietnamese town of Do Thanh, the money goesa long way, and even farmers live in palatial mansions, paidfor with money sent back by family members workingabroad. “70-80% of the villas here have been built withremittances,” said Nguyen Van Ha, chairman of the rural,rice-farming commune in Nghe An province.

“If you work in Vietnam earning dong, it would take along time to build a big house like this,” Ha said, gesturingto the large, multi-storey villas flanking the town hall. InDo Thanh, even the majestic, renaissance-style churchtowering over the plush, neighboring villas was built withremittance money donated by the Catholic community.Many other victims are believed to come from outside thetown, in the surrounding district of Yen Thanh. In the1980s, Do Thanh used to be one of the district’s poorestvillages, according to state media.

One resident, 19-year-old Bui Thi Nhung, is thought byher family to be among the dead. She left a trail of mes-sages on her social media account documenting her jour-ney through Europe in the days before she boarded thefated vehicle. Deputy Foreign Minister Nguyen QuocCuong told Reuters on Tuesday the nationality of the vic-tims had not been officially confirmed but that Vietnamand Britain were “trying to speed up identification of thebodies”. The grisly discovery last week on an industrialestate near London, a magnet for Vietnamese migrants, hasshone a spotlight on people smugglers bringing the poorof Asia, Africa and the Middle East on perilous journeys tothe West. In Vietnam, poor job prospects, encouragementby authorities, smuggling gangs, environmental disastersand government pressure on Catholics are all factorspushing people to leave.

Remittance riseBut even though the cost of getting to Europe can run

into thousands of dollars for migrants ready to pay for aso-called “VIP” service, they believe they can makeenough money to justify the risk. “We know that many res-idents of this district are living in Britain, but we have noidea what they do there to earn all this money to sendback home,” Ha said.

Overseas workers sent nearly $16 billion in remittancesto Vietnam in 2018, more than double the Southeast Asiancountry’s trade surplus for the same period, according to

World Bank data that showed remittances had risen 130%over the last decade. In Nghe An and neighboring Ha Tinhprovince, official policy supports the legal export of labor.Nghe An province alone rakes in some $255 million annu-ally from its overseas citizens, according to state media.“The remittance figures might be higher than reported asmoney transferred through unofficial ways, such as cash oras physical consumer goods, is not counted,” said NguyenTri Hieu, a Hanoi-based economist and former governmentadviser. Many of the same networks which smuggle peoplealso smuggle cash, in return for commission.

Weed and nailsAbout 70 percent of Vietnamese trafficking cases in

Britain between 2009 and 2016 were related to laborexploitation, with migrants lured into jobs growingcannabis illegally and working in nail salons, Britain saidlast year. But many find legal work too, including in Europe,the United States and closer to home in Japan, Taiwan andneighboring Laos. In Nghe An, which borders Laos, GDPper capita stands at $1,636, well below Vietnam’s nationalaverage of $2,540. “I didn’t have enough money to goabroad so I went to Saigon instead,” said Bui Van Diep, awelder, using the old name for Ho Chi Minh City.

He lives in a small shack in Do Thanh. His cousin, BuiChung lives in a large, gleaming villa next door - withenough space leftover to park his jet black BMW. BuiChung left Do Thanh for Britain in 2007, and when hereturned home he built his house and started a steel trad-ing business. “I went from Vietnam to France legally, butfrom France to the UK illegally inside a container truck,”said Chung. “I chose to go to the UK because the salary isvery good and so many people from Do Thanh had alreadylived there.” Chung worked in a cannabis farm in Britain,and at a Vietnamese-run nail salon where he said heearned around 500 pounds ($640) a week. “TheVietnamese community living there help newcomers tofind jobs,” Chung said. “That’s why many people aroundhere are willing to even sell their land to raise enoughmoney to go.” — Reuters

MAGSAYSAY: Photo shows a general view of the damagedtown hall after a 6.6 magnitude earthquake hit Magsaysay,in southern island of Mindanao. — AFP

Thursday, October 31, 2019

10A n a l y s i s

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India’s defenses eat away at farmlandalong Pakistan border

When half a dozen trucks loaded with con-struction material screeched to a halt ontheir farms, Baryam Singh and fellow resi-

dents in the Indian village of Bobiya sensed they weresoon going to lose more land to the military. The farm-ers chased away the contractors and laborers withprotests and threats of deflated tyres, knowing it wasonly a temporary reprieve. “The military infrastructurehas been growing in our village and our farmlands areshrinking,” Singh told the Thomson ReutersFoundation, as other farmers sitting around him nod-ded. “More than 50 percent of our agricultural land isunder military lockdown,” he said of the village on theborder with Pakistan.

Over the past 15 years, the Indian army and thecountry’s Border Security Force (BSF) have beenacquiring land to fortify defenses in the border dis-tricts of Jammu and Kashmir, according to the BorderWelfare Committee, a local organization campaigningfor the rights of border residents. Both India andPakistan administer the disputed state of Kashmir inpart while claiming it in full.

The fertile land where Jammu and Kashmir meetsPakistan has become dotted with barbed wire andlandmines, leaving hundreds of farmers cut off fromtheir farms, often with no warning or compensation,said Bobiya villagers. “This is adding to the economicdistress of farmers who don’t have alternative sourcesof livelihood,” said Singh.

After India revoked the autonomy of its portion ofKashmir in August, farmers in border areas now fearlosing even more of their land to the military, accordingto ID Khajuria, an activist who heads up the Jammuand Kashmir Forum for Peace and Territorial Integrity.With India bringing Jammu and Kashmir deeper intoits fold, the central government will have greater powerto seize territory in the border regions in the name ofnational security, he warned. “The local elected politi-cal representatives will now have a very limited say inthe functioning of the (Jammu and Kashmir) govern-ment,” Khajuria said.

Jammu divisional commissioner Sanjeev Verma saidthat all farmers in Jammu province would eventually bepaid for their land. “Whatever new agricultural land isbeing acquired, the farmers will get financial compen-sation,” he said in a phone interview. Some havealready been compensated, he added, though hedeclined to specify how many.

‘I am landless now’The defense system includes a fence of about 900

km in length that sits several kilometres into India fromthe border, slicing through villages and leaving vasttracts of farmland on the other side of the fencetowards Pakistan. India’s government is also workingon a “Wall of Defence” along the border between Indiaand Pakistan, according to the Border Security Force.The project consists of a 10-m-high mud embankmentto protect residents of India’s border villages from fre-quent ceasefire violations that both sides blame oneach other. There are also plans to install high-techsurveillance systems to plug gaps where physical sur-veillance is not possible, India’s ministry of homeaffairs announced last year.

Members of the Border Welfare Committee - whichis based in the city of Kathua - said that thousands ofhectares of Indian farmland now sit untouched on theother side of the fence. Technically, farmers can still getto their land, but the checkpoints in the fence areopened only during specific times of day and farmershave to walk for hours to reach their fields, explainedBharat Bhushan Sharma, the committee’s vice president.Even if they do manage to successfully cultivate theircrops, “there is always a threat of cross-border fire”,said Sharma, who is also head of Bobiya village. “Andthen (they) can’t protect their crops from wild animals.”

Committee president Nanak Chand, 87, said helost almost eight hectares of land to the fence whenit was first built in 2004. “Three months ago, the mil-itary acquired the remaining two hectares of farm-land as well,” he said. “I am landless now.” Chandwas given 3 million rupees ($42,000) as compensa-tion, which he says is not enough to buy himself anequivalent piece of land in a peaceful part of thecountry. Khajuria agreed, saying that “with develop-ers and businessmen from other states rushing toJammu and Kashmir, land prices are likely to soarand it would make it difficult for poor border resi-dents to buy land in peaceful areas”. In Dec 2018,Chand filed a petition with the Jammu and KashmirHigh Court on behalf of farmers living in the borderareas of the affected districts. — Reuters

The petition called for the government to pay rentfor farmland on the Pakistan side of the fence and pro-

The death of Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi this week will notmark the end of Islamic state, nor US military effortsagainst Islamist militancy in the Middle East and

beyond. But coming against the backdrop of the US with-drawal from Syria and growing Pentagon preoccupationwith great-power rivals such as China, it may mark the endof an era in US foreign and military policy.

As late as summer 2014, as IS fighters seized hugeswathes of Iraq and Syria, many in the US government stillviewed such groups as America’s preeminent nationalsecurity threat and Washington’s number one priority.Russia’s seizure of Crimea and the beginning of its war inUkraine the same year, however, were already beginning toshift that focus - a process that has since accelerated.Even in the Middle East, America’s actions and the dynam-ics of wider conflicts are now defined by great power andother geopolitical factors, with the fight against militantgroups - even those that might wish to threaten the West -now simply one of multiple competing priorities.

Where once its planners, arms manufacturers andstrategic thinkers were focused on failed states, impro-vised explosive devices and nation-building, the Pentagon’is now much more focused on hypersonic missiles, cyber,space and potential continental-level wars. Whether theUnited States will fare any better in these confrontationsthan its Middle East “forever wars”, however, remains anopen question.

ParadoxThe defeat of Islamic State and Baghdadi’s death point

to the paradox of US power since well before September11, 2001. Throughout that period, the United States hasbeen able to strike and send forces often almost wherever

it chooses across a huge swathe of the planet. Its tacticshave evolved - sending large numbers of soldiers to Iraqand Afghanistan rarely broke the back of those insurgen-cies as expected. But through drones, air strikes, specialoperations forces and local allies, the United States hasbeen able to push back but never quite defeat its extremistenemies as expected.

It would perhaps be a mistake to say America and itsmilitary feel humbled by their experience of the “war onterror”. They have become accustomed - and distressedby - frequent attrition and the feeling they have failed towin. But they have also become accustomed to access tooverwhelming firepower, instantaneous communicationscoupled with surveillance and intelligence and oftenfriendly local forces. Even when casualties have ratchetedup to thousands over time, they have almost never beentaken at the rate of more than a handful in a single day.

That, of course, is very different from the experience ofIraqi, Kurdish and other forces caught up particularly inthe brutal early stages of Islamic State’s expansion, orevents such as the battle to retake Mosul or the Taliban’srepeated attacks in Kabul and elsewhere that have oftenkilled more than 100 in a single incident. By one estimate,up to 500,000 people have died in conflicts associatedwith the “war on terror” - which has cost the US up to $6trillion in direct and indirect costs. Those financial costshave dwindled substantially since the withdrawal of majorUS ground forces. As Turkey’s intervention in Syria makesclear, however, the region’s wars may if anything get morebloody with the US departure. Russia has made it clear itwill willingly provide arms and diplomatic support for bru-tal governments, and proxy confrontations between Iranand its various nearby enemies continues to intensify. The

latter confrontation may yet pull the United States backinto the Gulf - albeit unwillingly, given mounting US con-cerns elsewhere.

ConcernsDespite concerns over Russia and Europe - as well as

Islamist militancy around the world including Africa andAsia - the Pentagon clearly believes the next war it mustprepare for most would be in the Pacific. How likely ashooting conflict with Beijing truly is remains unclear - butif it happened, it could well be the most devastating warthe United States has faced since World War Two.

It would certainly be a very different conflict than theUnited States has become used to. US drones that haveoperated with impunity for almost two decades wouldstruggle in the face of sophisticated air defences. Someofficials openly argue that America’s aircraft carrierswould be vulnerable to Chinese long-range missile strikes- but others believe that with land bases also likely target-ed, America’s mobile carrier strike fleets might yet proveamongst its most, not least resilient assets. The US MarineCorps arguably takes such worries one step further, train-ing to use its short take-off F-35 fighters from tiny islandsand atolls, worrying that little else may be able to survive ifwar should really come. The primary stated purpose ofAmerica’s growing military presence is to ensure it doesn’t,and that China feels deterred from pushing its growingmilitary footprint too far, for example by moving onTaiwan. Given its collapsing Mideast clout, particularlywith its Kurdish allies, the United States will be glad itkilled Baghdadi when it did. But the future is uncertain, andmay yet pose more dangers to America and the world thatanything Islamic State could ever truly offer. — Reuters

A picture taken on Oct 28, 2019, shows Syrian artist Aziz Al-Asmar (center) posing with relatives near a mural he painted in the town of Binnish in the northwestern Idlibprovince, depicting US president Donald Trump directing the “play” of killing Islamic State (IS) group’s leader Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi in Syria. — AFP

Baghdadi death end of an era for ‘war on terror’

Trump reelection fight to be most perilous in decades

Elections are often described as a horse race butwhen Donald Trump seeks his second term in 12months, it’s going to look more like a monster car

demolition derby. One of the most divisive presidents inUS history, fighting impeachment in a Congress para-lyzed by partisanship, will go before an electorate splitdown the middle on Nov 3, 2020. Democrats remain along way from choosing Trump’s opponent. The field ofrecord size and diversity includes two African Americans,half a dozen women, an openly gay man and two top can-didates seeking to move the United States dramaticallyto the left.

But one thing unites them: Desire to humiliate formerreal estate tycoon Trump into becoming only the fourthone-term president since World War II. One leadDemocratic contender, centrist former vice president JoeBiden, says a “battle for the soul of America” is under-way. To which Trump says: Democrats want to “destroyour country”.

And with US intelligence warning that Russia seeks torepeat its 2016 dirty tricks campaign, the possibility ofthe contest ending in genuine crisis cannot be discount-ed. “You really have to stretch to find an election as com-bustible and unpredictable as this one,” Allan Lichtman,distinguished professor of history at American University,said. “There are very few analogues.”

Battle of the bases Trump’s fate matters to the globe. Trade disputes with

China and the European Union, the future of NATO, USentanglements in the Middle East and Afghanistan, Iran’snuclear program, the North Korean nuclear standoff, theParis climate accord - there’s a near endless list of majorissues that depend on whether or not Trump’s “Americafirst” agenda gets another four years. But good luck toanyone trying to predict results.

Polls show Trump down against every seriousDemocratic candidate. His approval rate is stuck in thelow 40 percent range, where it has been most of hispresidency. Yet this unpopular president shocked manyexperts when he defeated heavily favored Hillary Clintonin 2016. And polls this October by Moody’s Analyticsshow he could repeat the feat, once again losing the pop-ular vote but easily winning the all-important electoralcollege vote by focusing on strategically positionedstrongholds.

Charles Franklin, director of the Marquette LawSchool Pol l , says the depth and f irmness of

Republican-Democratic divisions nationwide meanthere’s little middle ground to play for. “Support forthe president is intense with his base and oppositionis, if anything, more intense,” he said. “The group towatch,” he said, is the small slice of voters who saythey “somewhat approve” of the president. A shift to“somewhat disapprove” could be “a danger signal tothe Trump campaign.”

Impeachment wild card Impeachment could yet throw all those considerations

out the window. Trump is accused by Democrats of with-holding military aid to compel Ukraine to mount anembarrassing corruption probe against Biden - in otherwords using US foreign policy for his personal politicalbenefit. Trump dismisses the case as cooked up, butCongressional investigators have heard a steady flow ofdamaging evidence.

A vote to impeach in the Democratic-controlled lowerhouse is seen as near inevitable. Trump would then facetrial in the Republican-led Senate. Conviction still seemshighly unlikely. Yet even without being removed fromoffice, a House vote to impeach would indelibly markTrump’s record. Only two presidents have been success-fully impeached before and at minimum the scandalwould fuel bitterness across the country, with unpre-dictable consequences.

Impeachment aside, the quantity of variables one yearfrom voting day is already dizzying. — AFP

‘Vamos to Victory’: Trump Spanish ads skirt immigration, warn of socialism

US President Donald Trump’s re-election campaignhas run more than 3,000 Facebook ads in Englishasking for support to curb illegal immigration in the

past six months, often asking people to sign online peti-tions to “deport illegals”. But Republican Trump’s morethan 1,200 Facebook ads in Spanish during the same peri-od hardly mention his signature campaign promise to betough on immigration. Instead, they warn that Democratswant Venezuela-style socialism and advertise “Latinos forTrump” merchandise, according to a Reuters review ofmore than 69,000 of Trump’s Facebook ads since May.

Venezuela is mired in an economic crisis and the Trumpadministration is using sanctions to try to force socialistPresident Nicolas Maduro from power. “Do you approveof socialism? Yes or no?” reads the Spanish-language textof several ads. Others tout a strong US economy or bash

prominent leftist Democratic Representatives AlexandriaOcasio-Cortez and Ilhan Omar.

The contrast suggests a high-stakes balancing act forTrump ahead of the November 2020 election as he tries tofire up his white Republican base, which applauds histough stance on immigration, while also courting Latinovoters, who could be the largest minority voting bloc nextyear. Trump, despite his divisive rhetoric calling Mexicans“murderers” and “rapists”, won nearly a third of the Latinovote in the 2016 election. And 29 percent of Latinosapprove of Trump’s performance in office, according to aReuters/Ipsos poll conducted between July andSeptember, though that is lower than 39 percent approvalamong all Americans.

Building on that support will be key to win increasinglydiverse states, including Arizona and Florida. But Hispanicsare less likely than non-Hispanic whites to support Trump’simmigration policies, such as his now-abandoned practiceof separating families detained at the US-Mexico border.Among Latinos who consider immigration the most press-ing political issue - above healthcare and the economy -about four in 10 support conservative policies such astightening border security, compared to eight in 10 amongnon-Hispanic whites, according to the Reuters/Ipsos poll.

Given the split nature of the issue, leaving immigrationout of Spanish-language ads could be wise for Trump, saidMike Madrid, a Republican political strategist in

Sacramento, California. But for 28-year-old IT workerJeremiah Espinoza in Houston, who dislikes Trump’s immi-gration stance, the ads - whether in English or Spanish -are toxic anyway. Espinoza blocked an English-language“Latinos for Trump” ad when it appeared on his Facebookfeed a few days after a gunman killed 22 people, most ofthem Hispanic, in El Paso, Texas in August. “I think it ispretty cruel in general,” Espinoza said of Trump’s immigra-tion policy, particularly separating families.

Spanish is widely spoken among America’s roughly 60million Hispanics. Spanish speakers make up about 10 per-cent of the US electorate, with large numbers in battle-ground states such as Arizona and Florida. Trump, alreadyrunning the largest digital advertising operation in the2020 campaign, has run more ads in Spanish than all of the18 Democratic presidential contenders combined, accord-ing to the Reuters analysis of Facebook ad data, which wasgathered by computer scientists at the Tandon School ofEngineering at New York University. Democrats, led by USSenator Elizabeth Warren, are also running ads in Spanish.But unlike Trump, their messages mirror English-languageads, often lauding the contributions of immigrants and call-ing out Trump’s immigration policies as divisive or racist.Latinos historically skew Democratic in presidential elec-tions but some Latinos believe that Trump’s economicpolicies and positions on issues such as abortion reflecttheir conservative values. — Reuters

France outshines Germany as eurozone gloom deepensPARIS/BERLIN: Strong domestic stimulusis helping France shrug off a global slow-down even as export-dependent Germanyheads closer to a recession, starkly divergentdata on the euro zone’s two leadingeconomies showed yesterday.

France saw national output rise 0.3 per-cent in the third quarter - defying forecastsfor slightly slower growth - as unemploymentin Germany rose faster than expected and itschambers of commerce warned that exportswould shrink next year for the first time sincethe financial crisis as world trade frictionmounts. The contrast in national fortunes wasunderlined as incoming European CentralBank chief Christine Lagarde doubled downon her predecessor Mario Draghi’s calls onGermany to use some of its budget surplusto invest in growth-enhancing measures.

“Those that have the room for manoeuvre,those that have a budget surplus, that’s to sayGermany, the Netherlands, why not use thatbudget surplus and invest in infrastructure? ...Why not invest in education, why not investin innovation, to allow for a better re-balanc-ing?” she told France’s RTL broadcaster.

France’s economy, which has long reliedmore on domestic consumption than that ofits northern neighbor, got a boost fromPresident Emmanuel Macron’s injection of 10

billion euros in stimulus to quell the “yellowvest” protests this year. Most of that moneywent on boosting benefits for minimum-wage earning workers. Paris has also said itwould cut taxes by more than 10 billioneuros in total next year. “At the same time,measures enacted in recent years .. havecontributed to make the French labor marketmore flexible and have lowered labor costsfor corporates,” JP Morgan’s Raphael Brun-Aguerre said of reforms begun underMacron’s predecessor Francois Hollande andpursued by him.

“Huge challenge”A separate read-out by the European

Commission in Brussels showed that eco-nomic sentiment across the 19-country euro-zone as a whole deteriorated in October fora second straight month as pessimism inindustry spread to services and consumers.A breakdown showed that sentiment fell inGermany for the second straight month andto its lowest level in more than six years.France also saw a small dip but remainedabove the eurozone average. The Germanyeconomy shrank 0.1 percent in the secondquarter, and third-quarter output figuresnext month are expected to show anotherfall, putting the country in recession by thestandard definition. — Reuters

S&P Affirms Gulf Bank rating at ‘A-’ with ‘Stable’ Outlook

Consumers prop up US economy as business spending retrenches

Zahran: KFH is on track in promoting synergy among the Group’s banks1412 13

Established 1961

TURIN: People walk past the logo of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) at the Fiat Mirafiori car plant in Turin, northern Italy. Fiat Chrysler, Peugeot are in talks to create a $50 billion entity. — AFP

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2019

MILAN: Fiat Chrysler and Groupe PSA, the maker ofPeugeot and Citroen cars, announced yesterday theywere in merger talks that could propel them into thetop ranks as the world’s fourth largest automaker.Italian-US carmaker Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA)confirmed in a statement that “there are ongoing dis-cussions aimed at creating one of the world’s leadingmobility groups” with France’s PSA after reports of thetalks began to circulate.

The statement and a similar one from PSA offeredno additional details. A person with knowledge of thematter told AFP on Tuesday that a merger-which isnot guaranteed-would create a firm valued at about$50 billion. A merger would bring PSA access to thelucrative US market, while finally fulfilling the long-held goal of ex-FCA head Sergio Marchionne, whodied last year, to merge the carmaker with another inorder to survive escalating costs and global pressureto roll out electric vehicles.

The tie-up would make the new automaker thefourth largest in terms of sales behind Volkswagen,Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi and Toyota, and wouldcombine a host of well-known brands from Alfa Romeo,Jeep and Dodge to Citroen, Opel and Peugeot.

The negotiations come four months after talks tomerge FCA with Renault broke down, a potential dealscuppered in part by resistance from the French gov-ernment, which owns a stake in Renault as it does PSA.Analyst Michael Hewson at CMC Markets UK cau-tioned in a note yesterday that political pressure fromParis could again be an obstacle, given that the Frenchgovernment holds an approximately 12 percent stake inPSA. “It is hard not to see that this attempt by Fiatmight well go the same way as the failed Renaultattempt earlier this year,” wrote Hewson. “Business andgovernment always make uncomfortable bedfellows.”

Under the FCA-PSA merger, Carlos Tavares, thechief executive of Peugeot’s parent, Groupe PSA, would

lead the company as CEO while John Elkann, chairmanof FCA, would be chairman, the source said.Discussions between the automakers are ongoing, thesource said, confirming details first published in theWall Street Journal.

According to Bloomberg News, FCA’s board ofdirectors was expected to hold an emergency meetingyesterday.

Consolidation A merger of the two groups would bring under one

roof Alfa Romeo, Chrysler, Citroen, Dodge, DS, Jeep,Lancia, Maserati, Opel, Peugeot and Vauxhall, whilecombining the strengths of the two groups.

Despite its Italian origins with Fiat, FCA does nothave a very strong position in Europe compared toPSA with its French and German mass market brands.The company is also behind others in bringing electriccars to market, and investing in nascent forms of mobil-

ity such as self-driving cars.PSA on the other hand is absent from the massive

US market, where truck sales prevail and where FCAhas Chrysler plus the Jeep, Dodge and Ram brands.“Both FCA and PSA need an alliance,” MarcoBentivogli, head of the Italian trade union Fim-Cisl, saidlate on Tuesday when reports of merger talks firstbegan to circulate.

“This is not the first time Elkann and Tavares havespoken,” he added. PSA posted a new record for rev-enues of 74 billion euros ($82 billion) in 2018 whileFCA reported 110 billion euros in revenue.

The French group has a market capitalization of22.54 billion euros on the Paris Stock Exchange,while FCA is valued at just over $28 billion on WallStreet and 20.74 billion euros in Milan. FCA shares inMilan raced over 9 percent higher in morning trad-ing. Meanwhile, PSA shares climbed more than 6percent in Paris. — AFP

PARIS: French Junior Minister for Economyand Finance Agnes Pannier-Runacherleaves the Elysee palace in Paris after theweekly cabinet meeting yesterday. — AFP

Tie-up to make fourth largest automaker in the world

Fiat Chrysler, Peugeot look to form car giant

Aramco IPO willbe crown prince’s decision: MinisterRIYADH: The timing of the highly antic-ipated stock market debut of Saudienergy colossus Aramco will be dictatedby Crown Prince Mohammed binSalman, the kingdom’s energy ministersaid yesterday.

Aramco was expected to launch thefirst part of a two-stage IPO earlier inOctober, but the process has beendelayed, reportedly due to the prince’sdissatisfaction with the valuation of thefirm, which had been hoped to reach $2trillion. The long-awaited initial publicoffering will now happen on December 11on the Riyadh stock market, Saudi-ownedAl-Arabiya television said on Tuesday.

Aramco did not confirm the reportand Energy Minister Prince Abdulazizbin Salman side-stepped the detailswhen he spoke at a major investmentconference in Riyadh where the listinghas been a topic of discussion. “I hate

this time around to disappoint the media,because I’m not going to talk aboutOPEC or what we should do, and I’m notgoing to talk about the IPO,” he said tolaughs from the audience of policy-mak-ers and top executives.

“It’s going to come soon... but it willcome at the right time with the rightapproach, and definitely with the rightdecision. And it will be a Saudi decisionfirst and foremost, specifically PrinceMohammed’s decis ion,” he added.Prince Abdulaziz is the half-brother ofthe crown prince, whose ambit iousreform plans for the kingdom’s economylargely rest on the anticipated $100 bil-lion windfall from the Aramco listing.After an initial listing on the domesticstock exchange, Aramco is believed tobe planning to sell the rest of a plannedtranche of five percent of the firm on aninternational bourse. “The Saudis’ cur-rent objective is to raise $100 billionthrough the IPO process, even if thatmeans ultimately selling up to 10 per-cent of the company to outsideinvestors,” Energy Intelligence said in areport this week. It cited sources assaying they expect the Saudis to settleon a valuation of $1.6 trillion to $1.7 tril-lion for the firm. — AFP

Volkswagen confident despitebraking car marketFRANKFURT: German car giant Volkswagensaid yesterday it was confident of hitting finan-cial targets despite a lower unit sales outlook,warning “vehicle markets will contract fasterthan previously anticipated in many regions”.The Wolfsburg-based group now expectsdeliveries to match 2018’s level, rather than theslight growth forecast until now, after unit salesfell 1.5 percent in the year to September ataround eight million.

A global growth slowdown triggered bytrade wars and Brexit uncertainty has hit thecar industry particularly hard, while VW’sAsian sales were dragged down by a three-percent fall in the vital Chinese market. “Thebest of the party is over” for the car sector,finance chief Frank Witter told journalists in atelephone conference.

Worldwide demand has fallen around fivepercent, Witter said, prompting VW to slashits production plans for this year by 900,000vehicles.

But in January-September, net profits at thegroup grew 19 percent, to 11.2 billion euros($12.5 billion). Sales income added 6.9 percent,reaching 186.6 billion euros, making for anoperating profit up 24.5 percent, at 13.5 billion.

Performance was “good... amid a challeng-ing market environment,” Witter said, addinghe was “optimistic that we will achieve ourfull-year targets”. The sprawling 12-brand

group is confident of increasing revenue “asmuch as” five percent year-on-year, and keep-ing its closely-watched operating profit marginbetween 6.5 and 7.5 percent, compared with7.3 percent last year.

SUVs ramping up “VW was able to clearly beat market

expectations for revenue and profits,” LBBWanalyst Frank Schwope commented. “Whilevarious carmakers and parts suppliers had toissue profit warnings in recent months, VW isbursting with strength.”

Witter reported that “above all, we’regrowing in the highly profitable SUV seg-ment,” helping pump up the group’s operatingmargin to 7.9 percent in January-September.

Around one-third of the group’s vehicles soldso far this year have been SUVs. The flagshipVW brand managed to increase revenue fivepercent while selling the same number of cars,and plans to roll out its all-electric new ID.3range beginning later this year. Meanwhile, thegroup suffered lower charges related to thecompany’s “dieselgate” emissions cheatingscandal dating back to 2015.

In January-September 2018, the diesel bur-den reached 2.4 billion euros, falling to 1.3 bil-lion over the same period this year. A majorelement in 2019’s total was a 535-million-eurofine Stuttgart prosecutors issued in May tosports car subsidiary Porsche over so-called“defeat devices”, designed to cheat regulatoryemissions tests. — AFP

KUWAIT: S&P Global Ratings has affirmed Gulf Bank’sIssuer Credit rating at A-/A-2 with a Stable outlook.According to the recently published S&P Global Ratingscommentary, the ratings reflect Gulf Bank’s sound marketposition as the fourth-largest commercial bank in Kuwait,and factors in the Bank’s improving revenue mix andbusiness stability. The stable outlook on Gulf Bank bal-ances S&P’s view that the Bank’s business and financialprofiles will remain resilient over the next 12-24 months.This is owing to the Bank’s adequate capitalization andgood asset quality.

Commenting on S&P’s credit rating announcement,Dalal Al-Dousari, Gulf Bank’s Head of InvestorRelations said: “We are very pleased to receive theaffirmation of our Bank’s Issuer Credit Rating at “A-”with a “Stable” outlook by S&P Global Ratings. “This isan international acknowledgement of Gulf Bank’s sus-tained improvement in asset quality and profitability,

solid capitalization andsound market position,”added Al-Dousari.

Gulf Bank continues tobe well recognized in termsof its credit worthiness andfinancial strength interna-tionally as it is rated “A” byall four leading credit rat-ing agencies. In addition toS&P’s recent affirmation,Gulf Bank has a Long-termIDR of “A+” with a “Stable”Outlook by Fitch Ratings, aLong-Term Deposits Rating of “A3” with a “Positive”Outlook by Moody’s Investor Services and a Long-termForeign Currency Rating of “A+” with a “Stable” Outlookby Capital Intelligence Ratings.

B u s i n e s s

12 Established 1961

Thursday, October 31, 2019

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Credit Suisse doubles third-quarter profitZURICH: Credit Suisse said yesterday it more thandoubled its third quarter net profit, largely due to itswealth management activities, and despite losses inits investment bank unit. Switzerland’s secondlargest bank said its net profit soared 108 percent inthe third quarter year-on-year to 881 million Swissfrancs ($888 million, 798 million euros) despite a“challenging environment”.

Net revenue meanwhile swelled nine percent to5.3 billion Swiss francs, it said. The results beat theexpectations of analysts polled by the AWP financialnews agency, who on average anticipated net profitsof 776 million francs on revenues of 5.1 billion.

But investors did not appear impressed with theresults, with the bank’s share price plunging bynearly 2.5 percent to 12.40 Swiss francs a piece inlate morning trading as the Swiss stock exchange’smain SMI index remained basically flat. During thethree-month period, Credit Suisse’s investment bankunit meanwhile suffered a pre-tax loss of 15 million,compared to a 70-million-profit a year earlier, asthe sector was “impacted by continued challengingmarket conditions”. — AFP

Dalal Al-Dousari

S&P Affirms Gulf Bank rating at ‘A-’ with ‘Stable’ outlook

Ratings reflect Gulf Bank’s sound market position

VIVA trade-in program reportshigh turnout at all storesKUWAIT: VIVA, a world-class digital leader pro-viding innovative services and platforms to cus-tomers and enabling the digital transformation inKuwait , and a subsidiary of STC Group,

announced that the recently launched VIVATrade-in program has reported high turnoutacross all VIVA stores.

This exciting program grants both existing andnew postpaid customers a great experience andthe opportunity to replace and upgrade their oldiPhone with a new iPhone of their choice. OldiPhone devices include iPhone 7+ and beyond,and can be replaced with iPhone 8+ and beyond,as well as 2019 models. The VIVA trade-in pro-gram has a value further than a mere simple dis-count on new VIVA Postpaid plans. It helps thecustomers saving the planet, recycling old andunused devices, eliminating clutter in their homeand preserving the environment.

KIGALI: Rwanda’s Minister of Trade and Industry Soraya Hakuziyaremye (second left),Rwanda’s Prime Minister Edouard Ngirente (third right) and Michaella Rugwizangoga (right),CEO of Volkswagen Rwanda, pose aside of Volkswagen’s first imported electric vehicle “e-Golf” during its launching ceremony in Kigali, Rwanda, on Tuesday. — AFP

This file photo shows then International Monetary Fund chief Christine Lagarde (right)and the President of the Deutsche Bundesbank (German Central Bank) Jens Weidmannattending a conference on “Global Outlook and Policy Priorities” at the Goethe univer-sity in Frankfurt am Main, western Germany. — AFP

Deutsche Bank headed forpainful 2019after Q3 lossFRANKFURT: Germany’s biggestlender Deutsche Bank appeared headedfor a historic loss in 2019 yesterday as arestructuring weighed on its third-quar-ter earnings, although bosses insist theirharsh medicine is taking effect. Thegroup lost 859 million euros ($954 mil-lion) in July-September, down from aprofit of 211 million last year.

That brought its net losses in the yearto September to a whopping 3.9 billioneuros. And there is little sign of the cav-alry arriving in the fourth quarter, asDeutsche continues to suffer from lowinterest rates, market volatility and itsongoing restructuring plan.

The consensus among economistssurveyed by Bloomberg is that lossescould grow to 4.3 billion euros byDecember 31. “We’re planning andworking towards a breakeven or a betteryear” in 2020, finance chief James vonMoltke told reporters in a telephoneconference.

Over the full year 2018, Deutschescraped together a meager profit of 300million euros, following three successiveyears of losses. Its worst-ever year camein 2016, when it lost 6.8 billion euros,mostly related to its investment bank’s

activities in the years around the finan-cial crisis.

Shrinking investment bank Once the Deutsche flagship, the

investment bank has since become aburden on the group. It is planned to behit most heavily in chief executiveChristian Sewing’s restructuring planannounced in July. Across the wholebank, around 18,000 staff-one-fifth ofthe total-are set to depart by 2022.

Share trading activities, which hadturned unprofitable and required bigcapital reserves, have already fallenaway at the investment bank. But eventhe remaining activities, largely in bondtrading and issuance and currency trad-ing, saw profits fall 13 percent year-on-year in the third quarter.

Deutsche cannot at present comparewith the glowing performances notchedup by American rivals like JP Morgan orGoldman Sachs. “You expect somedegree of revenue loss when you’reinvolved in a significant repositioning ofthe company,” CFO von Moltke said.Deutsche’s worldwide revenues also fellsharply in July-September, losing 15 per-cent to reach 5.3 billion euros.

Despite the losses, chief executiveSewing highlighted that the so-called“core bank” of four businesses Deutscheplans to maintain into the future wasprofitable.

His reimagined lender should refocusits activities on Europe and its corporatebank, where it serves clients rangingfrom Germany’s “Mittelstand” small- andmedium-sized firms to multinationals list-ed on the blue-chip DAX index. — AFP

Carmaker tie-ups and break-upsPARIS: With US-Italian auto giant FiatChrysler and France’s Groupe PSA in mergertalks, here is a look at other major auto tie-updeals-or attempted deals-since the 1990s.

Fiat, Renault tie-up aborted In May 2019 Fiat Chrysler presented a pro-

posal for a 50/50 merger with French leaderRenault that would have created the world’sthird-largest automaker. But Fiat abruptly with-drew the offer in June, frustrated with tensionsbetween Renault’s executives and the Frenchstate, which holds a 15 percent stake in thecompany and double the voting rights. Renault’spartners in Japan’s Nissan were also furious athaving been kept in the dark about the plan.

Renault-Nissan, tensions In 1999 Renault acquired a 36.8 percent

stake in Nissan, which was close to bankrupt-cy, and the Romanian brand Dacia. Renaultboss Carlos Ghosn succeeded in pulling thethree together and became head of all ofthem in 2005.

A cross-shareholding deal put 43 percent ofNissan’s shares in Renault’s hands, while theJapanese group owns 15 percent of Renault. In2016 Nissan threw a lifeline to scandal-hitMitsubishi Motors, buying a 34 percent stakegiving it effective control. Under Ghosn theRenault-Nissan-Mitsubishi alliance became thetop-selling carmaker in 2017 with 10.6 millionvehicles worldwide. The auto chief’s arrest inTokyo in November 2018 on multiple chargesof financial misconduct was a major blow to thealready tense alliance, leading to a major lead-ership overhaul.

PSA buys Opel In 2017 France’s PSA-which owns the

Peugeot, Citroen and DS brands-said that itwould buy General Motors’ European sub-sidiary, which includes Opel and Vauxhall, tocreate the second-biggest European

automaker behind Volkswagen. PSA immedi-ately embarked on a major overhaul thathelped the business book its first profit in2018 after years of losses.

Fiat rescues Chrysler In 2009 Fiat struck a deal to rescue Chrysler

by starting to purchase shares in the US group,originally taking a 20-percent stake in the thirdlargest US automaker. In 2014, when Fiatalready owned 58.5 percent of Chrysler, it saidit would buy up the remainder for $4.35-billion.The company became Fiat ChryslerAutomobiles (FCA). While it was strugglingitself in 2000, Fiat agreed to hand over 20 per-cent of its shares to US giant General Motorsbut GM bailed out of the deal in 2005.

Volvo: Ford, then Geely In 1999, when Ford was the most profitable

US automaker, it bought Sweden’s storied Volvobrand for $6.45 billion. A few years later, how-ever, a combination of Japanese competitionand rising oil and steel prices convinced Fordthat it was time to look for a new buyer. — AFP

Woolworths underpaid staff by up to $200mSYDNEY: Woolworths Group Ltd said it hadunderpaid thousands of supermarket workersfor years and will need to repay as much asA$300 million ($200 million), the latest andmost high-profile company to be caught up inwage scandals across corporate Australia. Theadmission from the country’s biggest companyby revenue prompted a government agency tosay it would investigate Woolworths, as well asa call from an opposition politician for a parlia-mentary inquiry into what he called “wagetheft” in Australia.

The underpayment of workers has emergedas a hot-button issue this year but Woolworths’disclosure is the biggest by far, increasing theodds that the government will be promptedinto more action. Woolworths said a routineinternal review found the salaries it had paid toabout 5,700 permanent employees failed totake into account an allowance for overtimewhich they should have received under indus-trial laws. “We’re unequivocally sorry and we’regoing to repay the money, no questions asked,”said Woolworths CEO Brad Banducci on anearnings call, overshadowing a robust rise infirst-quarter sales.

Woolworths added that the underpaymentsmay date back to 2010, and said it would con-tact staff who had left. It plans to start makingthe repayments by the end of the year.

The grocery giant estimates it will have torepay between A$200 million and A$300 mil-lion. At the top end of the range, the amount isequivalent to around A$52,600 per person.

Government agency the Fair WorkOmbudsman said it was “shocked that yet

another large, publicly listed company has ...admitted to breaching Australia’s workplacelaws on a massive scale”.

It will investigate Woolworths, which report-ed the breach itself and “hold them to account”,it added. Shadow industrial relations ministerTony Burke of the center-left Labor party saidin a statement he wanted a parliamentaryinquiry into “the reasons for wage and super-annuation theft, the cost of wage theft to theeconomy, the best means of uncovering anddeterring such theft, and the taxation treatmentof those affected.” “While Woolworths hastoday come forward and committed to payingits workers what they’re owed, it should nothave taken this long to uncover these under-payments,” the statement said.

A spate of scandalsOther companies embroiled in wage scan-

dals this year include Super Retail Group Ltd, aseller of auto, sports and outdoor goods. It saidin February it had underpaid managers byA$43 million, an acknowledgement that forced

the departure of its CEO.Since then, one of Australia’s best-known

celebrity chefs, George Calombaris, admittedto underpaying restaurant staff nearly A$8 mil-lion while jeweler Michael Hill International Ltdhas said it underpaid staff A$25 million. Retailconglomerate Wesfarmers said this month thatabout 6,000 staff at its industrial and safetybusiness were underpaid by about $15 millionsince 2010, while its Bunnings unit last monthsaid there was a payroll issue relating to pen-sion payments.

Business groups have argued that because thewage system is complex, they shouldn’t be penal-ized for errors. Some of the companies caught upin underpayment problems have also blamedsoftware or technical errors. The AustralianIndustry Group, a group representing more than60,000 companies, said in a discussion paper thisweek there was an important distinction between“employers that have made genuine mistakeswhich have led to miscalculations and underpay-ments, and employers that deliberately underpaytheir employees.” — Reuters

WASHINGTON: US economic growth slowed lessthan expected in the third quarter as declining businessinvestment was offset by resilient consumer spendingand a rebound in exports, further allaying financial mar-ket fears of a recession.

The Commerce Department’s report yesterday was,however, unlikely to discourage the Federal Reservefrom cutting interest rates again amid lingering threatsto the longest expansion on record from uncertaintyover trade policy, slowing global growth and Britain’simminent departure from the European Union. TheTrump administration’s trade war with China has erod-ed business confidence, contributing to the secondstraight quarterly contraction in business investment.The fading stimulus from last year’s $1.5 trillion tax cutpackage is also casting a shadow on the expansion,now in its 11th year.

The GDP report, which was published hours beforeFed officials wrapped-up a two-day policy meeting,showed the overall trend in inflation remaining moder-ate last quarter.

The US central bank was expected to cut interestrates for the third time this year yesterday. The Fed cutrates in September after reducing borrowing costs inJuly for the first time since 2008.

“Nothing in today’s report will surprise the Fed,”said Sal Guatieri, a senior economist at BMO CapitalMarkets in Toronto. “The capital expenditure crunchstemming from the trade war will motivate a third ratecut. However, a still-sturdy consumer could give reasonfor pause at future meetings.” Gross domestic productincreased at a 1.9 percent annualized rate in the thirdquarter, also as businesses maintained a steady pace ofinventory accumulation and the housing marketrebounded after contracting for six straight quarters,the government said in its advance estimate of GDP.

The economy grew at a 2.0 percent pace in theApril-June period. Economists estimate the speed atwhich the economy can grow over a long period with-out igniting inflation at between 1.7 percent and 2.0percent. Economists polled by Reuters had forecastGDP increasing at a 1.6 percent rate in the July-September quarter. Recession fears have subsided in

recent months. President Donald Trump this monthannounced a truce in the trade war with China, delayingadditional tariffs that were due in October. A Trumpadministration official said on Tuesday the interim tradeagreement might not be ready for signing in Chile nextmonth as expected.

Despite last quarter’s better-than-expected per-formance, the economy is expected to again miss theWhite House’s ambitious goal of 3.0 percent annualgrowth this year. It grew 2.9 percent last year.

The dollar firmed to a session high against a basketof currencies after the data, while US Treasury pricesfell. US stock index futures rose.

Healthy consumer spendingGrowth in consumer spending, which accounts for

more than two-thirds of US economic activity, slowedto a still-healthy 2.9 percent rate last quarter aftersurging at a 4.6 percent pace in the second quarter,the fastest since the fourth quarter of 2017. Consumerspending is being powered by the lowest unemploy-ment rate in nearly 50 years. But some economists arestarting to question the resilience of the consumerafter retail sales fell in September for the first time inseven months.

Consumer confidence has also been trending lowerand wage growth is stalling. Income at the disposal ofhouseholds rose at a 4.5 percent rate in the third quar-ter compared to a 4.8 percent pace in the prior period.Concerns about the health of the consumer were high-lighted by a separate report yesterday showing privatepayrolls increased by 125,000 jobs in October after ris-ing 93,000 in September. Job gains have been slowingthis year, but still remain enough to keep up withgrowth in the working-age population. Trade tensionsare undercutting business investment, which fell at a 3.0percent rate in the third quarter, the sharpest contrac-tion in more than 3-1/2 years, after falling at a 1.0 per-cent rate in the second quarter. It was pulled down bydeclines in spending on equipment and nonresidentialstructures such as mining exploration, shafts and wells.

Design problems at aerospace giant Boeing havealso hurt business investment. The world’s largest

planemaker last week reported a 53 percent drop inquarterly profit because of the grounding of its best-selling 737 MAX jets. The planes were pulled out ofservice in March following fatal crashes in Indonesiaand Ethiopia. The rebound in exports blunted a surge inimports, leading to a narrowing in the trade deficit.Trade subtracted a negligible 0.08 percentage pointfrom GDP growth in the third quarter after cutting 0.68percentage point in the prior period.

US private employment growth showed modestacceleration in October on the strength of service-sec-tor gains, but goods producers cut jobs for a secondstraight month, a report by a payrolls processorshowed yesterday. Employers added 125,000 jobs lastmonth, the ADP National Employment Report showed,

slightly topping the median forecast in a Reuters pollfor a gain of 120,000 jobs. The increase came as pri-vate payrolls growth in September was revised down toa four-month low of 93,000 from an originally reported135,000 increase. The report is jointly developed withMoody’s Analytics.

All of the gains in October came from the service sec-tor, which added 138,000 jobs, while production jobs fellby 13,000 as the manufacturing, construction and naturalresources sectors each lost about 4,000 positions. “Jobgrowth has throttled way back over the past year. Thejob slowdown is most pronounced at manufacturers andsmall companies,” said Mark Zandi, chief economist atMoody’s Analytics. “If hiring weakens any further, unem-ployment will begin to rise.” — Reuters

B u s i n e s s Thursday, October 31, 2019

13Established 1961

US Q3 GDP increases at 1.9% rate, but business investment declines

Consumers prop up US economy as business spending retrenches

NEW YORK CITY: In this file photo, people walk past the Oculus, designed by Spanish architect SantiagoCalatrava, and One World Trade Center (right), at World Trade Center in New York City. American consumerswere less optimistic about the US economy in the near term in October as confidence slipped for the third con-secutive month. — AFP

Supermarket chain Woolworths says it underpaid workers as much as $200 million since 2010.

Bolsonaro says would like to see Brazil an OPEC memberRIYADH: Brazilian President JairBolsonaro said yesterday that he wouldlike Brazil to join the Organization of thePetroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), amove that would add the most significantnew producer to the oil cartel for years.OPEC groups top exporter Saudi Arabiaand 13 other countries and since 2017 hashad a deal with several non-member pro-ducers, excluding Brazil, to limit supplyand bolster prices. “I personally wouldvery much like Brazil to become a mem-ber of OPEC,” Bolsonaro said at an

investment conference in Riyadh.Brazil would be the most significant

producer to join OPEC, founded in 1960,for years. Its current output would makeit OPEC’s third-largest producer, farabove that of recent new OPEC memberssuch as Congo and Equatorial Guinea.The Brazilian president said he wouldhave to consult with his economy andenergy ministers to ensure they could fol-low through if a decision was made.

Output has been rising rapidly in Brazilfrom offshore fields and productionsurged by 220,000 barrels per day (bpd)in August to a record 3.1 million bpd,according to the International EnergyAgency. That would make Brazil thethird-largest OPEC producer after SaudiArabia and Iraq. OPEC has seen a num-ber of smaller producers leave and jointhe group in recent years. Ecuador isplanning to exit in 2020, following Qatarwhich quit this year. Equatorial Guineajoined in 2017 and Congo became amember last year. —Reuters

Workers at riskin S Korea’s dangerousshipyards GEOJE: Park Chol-hee was working theholiday shift at Samsung Heavy Industries’Geoje shipyard on Labor Day, 2017, whena giant crane collided with another andcrashed to ground, killing six people,including Park’s younger brother. “It wasas if a bomb was dropped,” Park said.“Bodies were too damaged to describe.”Park and his brother Sung-woo wereamong nearly 1,500 subcontractedemployees - 90 percent of the shipyardworkforce that day - building an oil andgas platform for French energy giant Total.

All six killed and 25 workers who wereinjured were subcontractors, who receivelower pay, fewer employment protectionsand less training compared to full-timeemployees. Samsung and other bigKorean conglomerates acknowledge they

rely increasingly heavily on subcontrac-tors and temporary workers to cut costsand increase labor flexibility, but theybear little responsibility for workplaceaccidents, according to interviews withabout two dozen workers, subcontractorexecutives and experts.

And according to a 2018 government-commissioned report, lenient sentencesfor companies and officials are hamper-ing attempts to reduce occupationalaccidents in South Korea, which has thethird worst industrial safety recordamong countries in the Organization ofEconomic Cooperation and Development(OECD). More than two years after SouthKorea’s worst shipyard accident in atleast a decade, Park says he is sufferingfrom depression and post-traumaticstress disorder which worsened after acourt in May ruled that no Samsung offi-cials will serve jail time over the accident.In an emailed response to Reuters’ ques-tions, Samsung Heavy said it regrettedthe casualties caused by the accident butcould not elaborate further because ofthe appeal trial. Samsung’s email sign-offs read: “Safety is the No.1 value inmanagement. — Reuters

Wall Street dips as focus shifts to FedNEW YORK: Wall Street struggled for direc-tion yesterday as investors geared up for a pol-icy decision by the Federal Reserve later in theday. The central bank was widely expected tocut interest rates for the third time this year tocounter any fallout from a protracted US-Chinatrade war on the domestic economy. After amodestly higher open, US stocks slipped intothe red. The interest rate sensitive banking sub-sector shed 0.6 percent. Five of the 11 majorS&P 500 sectors were lower, with losses in thefinancial sector weighing the most.

Traders have fully priced in a quarter per-centage point rate cut, up from a nearly 40percent chance a month earlier. Hopes of a ratecut and optimism around trade talks hadpushed the benchmark S&P 500 to recordhighs in the last two sessions. “Certainly a rate

cut is widely factored in,” said Scott Brown,chief economist at Raymond James in St.Petersburg, Florida. “Most people are lookingfor some sort of a hint that this will likely be itfor a while.”

A Commerce Department report showedUS economic growth slowed less than expect-ed in the third quarter as declining businessinvestment was offset by resilient consumerspending and a rebound in exports, furtherallaying financial market fears of a recession.

Nearly half of the S&P 500 companies haveposted quarterly results so far, of which 77.1percent have beaten profit estimates. Still, ana-lysts are expecting a 1.9 percent drop in third-quarter earnings, according to Refinitiv data.

General Electric Co jumped 10 percent afterthe industrial conglomerate beat quarterlyprofit estimates and raised its cash forecast forthe year. Yum Brands Inc slid 9.8 percent afterit missed quarterly profit expectations, hit by awrite down in the value of its investment indelivery company GrubHub and unrelentingtroubles at its Pizza Hut chain.

Shares of tech heavyweights Apple Inc andFacebook Inc also fell marginally ahead of theirearnings reports after markets close. At 9:59

a.m. ET the Dow Jones Industrial Average wasdown 11.51 points, or 0.04 percent, at27,059.91, the S&P 500 was down 2.84 points,or 0.09 percent, at 3,034.05 and the NasdaqComposite was down 9.97 points, or 0.12 per-cent, at 8,266.88.

Among other stocks, Mattel Inc surgednearly 17 percent after the US toymakerreported a surprise jump in quarterly revenueon higher demand for newer models of its flag-ship Barbie brand and dolls based on Koreanpop-sensation BTS. Johnson & Johnson rose2.5 percent as the company said 15 new testsfound no asbestos in a bottle of baby powderthat the US Food and Drug Administration saystested positive for trace amounts of asbestos.FDA said it stands by its finding.

Health insurer Centene Corp gained 6.4percent after WellCare Health Plans, whichit is buying, posted third quarter earningswell ahead of Wall Street targets. Decliningissues outnumbered advancers for a 1.61-to-1 ratio on the NYSE and a 1.75-to-1 ratio onthe Nasdaq. The S&P index recorded fournew 52-week highs and no new lows, whilethe Nasdaq recorded 27 new highs and 34new lows. — Reuters

SEOUL: Park Chol-hee, whose brother was killed in a crane collapse in 2017 at aSamsung shipyard, poses for photographs in Seoul. — Reuters

Boubyan Bank rolls out digital assistant Msa3edKUWAIT: Boubyan Bank has successfullyrolled out its Digital Assistant (Msa3ed) withWhatsApp Business API in Kuwait. This wasachieved in collaboration with Infobip, aglobal leader in omnichannel engagement, asa part of the bank’s constant efforts towardsproviding excellent services and a uniquebanking experience to customers.

Abdulla Al-Tuwaijri, the bank’s DeputyCEO, stated: “Now, Msa3ed can respond toall customers and non-customers’ inquiriesvia WhatsApp using Boubyan Bank’s verifiedWhatsApp number 1820082 and they willfind answers to all their queries.

“Carrying out banking functions on thego and having 24/7 support is a valuablebenefit for Boubyan Bank’s customers andwill provide a further unparalleled digitalexperience for both financial and non-finan-cial needs”, he added.

Al-Tuwaijri went on to add: “ThroughWhatsApp, Msa3ed will provide customerswith quick responses to many inquiries and isset to allow customers to explore the bank’svarious products and services, locate bankbranches, convert currencies and very soonto add more services for customers such asaccount balance check, last five transactions

from the account, share IBAN and more.

Simple Service Al-Tuwaijri stated that chatting with

Msa3ed (the first Chatbot in Kuwait) viaWhatsApp is very simple same as anyWhatsApp chat conversation between twonormal persons.

“As is the case with other services ofBoubyan Bank, the new service enjoys thehighest levels of information security.WhatsApp messages are encrypted and thegreen badge next to the Boubyan Bankname in the chat window ensures customersare engaging with a business verif iedaccount, ensuring a secure and reliablecommunication between customers and theBank”, Al-Tuwaijri explained.

Al-Tuwaijri concluded: “At Boubyan, weaim to create innovative solutions that help

reinforce our relationship with customers,and provide an outstanding level of servicefor them, and being the most used chat app inthe world, WhatsApp is the one channel thatcustomers already trust and enjoy.”

Kemal Keco, Infobip’s MENA RegionalManager, stated that he was delighted toenable WhatsApp Business API for BoubyanBank in support of its digital transformationcreating a seamless digital banking environ-ment for its customers. “Keeping up with newtrends in digital communication is a challengemany businesses face, but also a crucial partof enhancing customer experience. We arethrilled that Boubyan Bank turned this chal-lenge into an opportunity to deliver even bet-ter banking services to their customers”,Kemal added.

He went on to add: “At Infobip, we aim tocreate innovative solutions that help busi-nesses continuously improve customerengagement - and being the most used chatapps in the world, WhatsApp is the one chan-nel that customer already trust and enjoy.”

Infobip powers enterprises to deliver mes-sages across any channel, any device, at any-time and anywhere worldwide. Infobip’s tech-nology creates seamless mobile interactionsbetween businesses and people as well assimplifying the integration of almost all com-munication capabilities. Infobip offers itsservices through 60 offices around the globewith the capacity to reach over six billionmobile devices in 190+ countries. The com-pany serves and partners with leading mobileoperators, messaging apps, banks, social net-works, tech companies, and aggregators.

KUWAIT: Shadi Zahran, Acting GroupChief Executive Officer (GCEO) & GroupChief Financial Officer (GCFO) at KuwaitFinance House (KFH) said that KFH Groupreported net profit of KD 190.5 millionuntil end of Q3 2019 for KFH Shareholderscompared to KD 169.1 million for the sameperiod last year represent an increase of12.7 percent.

He added in the third quarter 2019 earn-ings conference call for Kuwait FinanceHouse Group that total Financing Incomefor Q3 this year reached KD 701.2 millionan increase of 10.2 percent and NetOperating Income for Q3 this year reachedKD 393.0 million with a growth of 7.0 per-cent compared to the same period lastyear. Cost to Income Ratio dropped toreach 36.1 percent for as at the end of Q3-2019, compared to 37.7 percent for thesame period last year.

Earnings per Share for the third quarterof 2019 reached 27.67 fils, compared to24.58 fils for the same period last year i.e.an increase of 12.6 percent.

Zahran said that: “Our double-digitgrowth in net profits and the bank’s positivefinancial indicators are results of the suc-cessful sustainability strategy of focusingon core banking activities, exiting non-strategic investments, and improved assetsquality. Also, the ongoing increase in netoperating income backed by the increased

operating income and controlled costs hada positive impact on net profit.”

“We are on track in promoting synergyamong the Group’s banks in line with thestrategies aimed to utilize the strength ofthe markets we operate in.” He confirmed.

Zahran pointed out that “KFH is a majorplayer in financing mega projects and sup-porting the National Development Plan,Kuwait Vision 2035 to transform the coun-try into a regional and global financial andcommercial hub. We financed many projectsincluding energy, water, power, infrastruc-ture and construction. We also have a globalleading role in Sukuk issuances for local andinternational companies and governments. “

Meanwhile, he said that KFH Capitallaunched the first REIT Fund to be listed inBoursa Kuwait with a capital of up to KD100 million with monthly distributions todiversify investment opportunities for itscustomers, by providing new tools that con-tribute to achieving profitable returns andtake advantage of market developmentslocally and regionally.

Regarding the financial performance,Zahran said that Net Operating income atKD 393.0 million increased by KD 25.6 mil-lion or 7.0 percent compared to Sept-18,and the increase is mainly from theInvestment Income by KD 43.1 million offsetby the decrease in NFI by KD 9.2 million.The increase in investment income by KD

43.1 million is mainly attributable to finaliza-tion of projects and divestments which ledto increase in investment income to totaloperating income to reach 15.6 percentcompared to 9.0 percent last year.

He added that cost to income ratioimproved by a further 157bps to reach 36.11percent. Displaying an improved efficiencyand optimized operating expenses.

Qualitative moveOn his part, Fahad Al-Mukhaizeem,

Group Chief Strategy Officer (GCSO) saidthat GDP growth in Kuwait is expected topick up in 2020 to reach 3.1 percent after abit of a slowdown expected in 2019. TheConsumer Price Index (CPI) is expected toreach 1.8 percent in 2019 as the IMFexpects inflation to increase to 3 percent in2020. He added that Fitch recently affirmedKuwait Finance House’s (KFH) Long-TermIssuer Default Rating (IDR) at ‘A+’ with aStable Outlook. Fitch has also affirmed thebank’s Viability Rating (VR) at ‘bb+’.

“KFH won Best Islamic FinancialInstitution in the world for 2019 fromGlobal Finance which confirms KFH’s lead-ership and success globally,” Al-Mukhaizeem mentioned.

He continued: “Currently KFH’s branchnetwork exceeded 509 branches aroundthe world, thus continuing our key

strengths which include Strategic distribu-tion channels in addition to our robustfinancial performance.”

Al-Mukhaizeem explained that: “Thesuccess of the digital transformation strate-gy in the Group, pointing to a qualitativemove in rolling out digital financial solu-tions, such as the self-service banking serv-ices and AI-enabled robotics. KFHlaunched the first ever Mobile Deposit ofCheques service to customers where theycan simply log into their KFH mobile app,go to the cheque deposit menu and take apicture of both sides of the cheque usingtheir smart phone camera. The funds willthen be deposited directly into theiraccounts through the KFH Online app.”

“KFH also succeeded in enhancing secu-rity and data analysis, upgrading the infra-structure and e-service platforms in orderto improve customer experience whichbecomes a strategic factor in continuing oractually in confronting the challenges ofdigitalization and adapting to fast-pacedand competitive environments in the bank-ing sector in accordance with the higheststandards. KFH aims to expand its opera-tions in the Middle East and Europe throughthe services of the “digital bank” in Turkeyand the “Jazeel” platform in Bahrain, in addi-tion to the modern, sophisticated and highlyefficient online services,” he added.

Sustainability & growthShadi Zahran answered a question about

the driver behind the growth in investmentincome: “The divestment, the group made isaround KD 75 million and that broughtprofit of gain of almost KD 25 million versuslast year for the same period only KD 6 mil-lion, so mainly coming from the divestment.AUB-merger and acquisition: “With regardsto merger and acquisition, everything is dis-closed in the market, as well as to the regu-lators and we don’t have any other updates.Once we have updates it will be disclosed inthe market.”

Shadi Zahran answered a question onmain reasons for increase in cash and otherasset: “Reason for increase in cash as youknow reflecting the balance sheet develop-ment increase when we had increase indeposits by KD 1.5 billion for the ninemonths compared to December, as you seethe development in the financing receivableis 1.8 percent, and if you exclude theTurkish Lira devaluation it is 2.9 percent,and then the Sukuk, so KFH always is athealthy liquidity position.”

Answering a question if the decrease infunding cost achieved in 3Q19 sustainable,Zahran said: “The net financing margin issustainable and started actually to improveas compared to first and second quarter,and I explained the reasons behind thedecrease cost of funds.”

Zahran answered a question about thereason behind the increase in deposits, say-ing that “the increase in deposits KFH wit-nessed in the first half and continued in the3rd quarter, it came from all subsidiarieswith no exception... all banking and as I saidthe largest portion is just reflecting the con-fidence from our depositors and that’s whatwe used to have a growth in our deposits.However, this year the additional incrementalon that came from our investments in the... orreflecting the results in investments of digi-talization mainly in Turkey we have very suc-cessful -digital- experience in digital bank-ing in Turkey and as well in Bahrain (Jazeel).”

B u s i n e s s Thursday, October 31, 2019

14 Established 1961

Zahran: KFH is on track in promoting synergy among the Group’s banks

Q3 2019 earnings conference call

Shadi Zahran

Abdulla Al-Tuwaijri

Fahad Al-Mukhaizeem

• Al-Mukhaizeem: The success of the digital transforma-tion strategy in the Group is a qualitative move in rollingout digital financial solutions

• KFH succeeded in enhancing security and dataanalysis, upgrading the infrastructure

• KFH aims to expand its operations in the Middle Eastand Europe

• KFH is a major player in financing mega projects andsupporting the National Development Plan

Ooredoo Kuwait, Burgan Bankcollaborate forstaff offers KUWAIT: Ooredoo Kuwait and BurganBank provided Ooredoo Kuwaitemployees with exclusive offers over aspan of a week by a placing a specialbooth at Ooredoo Kuwait headquartersin Kuwait City. Ooredoo Kuwait employ-ees enjoyed exclusive offers on a myriadof Burgan Bank products which includedQatar Airways Prepaid Cards,MasterCard Titanium Credit Cards, VisaSignature Credit Cards, and TimeDeposits. A draw was also held in whichOoredoo Kuwait employees won QatarAirways prepaid cards from BurganBank topped with KD 50.

Ooredoo Corporate CommunicationSenior Director Mijbil Al-Ayoub com-mented on this by lauding Burgan Bank’sefforts in providing Ooredoo employeeswith exclusive offers. He stated “We areproud to have Burgan Bank providingour employees with their leading prod-ucts and services”.

Commenting on this collaboration,Haneen Alrumaihi, Assistant GeneralManager- Marketing and ProductDevelopment from Burgan Bank said“We are very happy that we got thechance to showcase our bank’s prod-ucts and services to the employees ofOoredoo, we had direct access to themwhich allowed us to listen and talk toour customers, thus enhancing anddeepening our relationship with them. Iwould like to sincerely thank the man-

agement of Ooredoo for their hospitali-ty and the opportunity given to us tointeract with their employees andunderstand their needs”

It is worth mentioning that OoredooKuwait employees benefit from a widerange of exclusive offers and discountsfrom numerous companies in Kuwait onan annual basis.

Sony sees H1 net profit drop but lifts full-yearforecastTOKYO: Japan’s Sony said yesterday half-year net profit fell nearly 15 percent, but itupgraded its annual forecast on solid growthin its image-sensor and music sectors.

The PlayStation manufacturer said netprofit dropped 14.9 percent to 340 billion yen($3.12 billion) for April-September, andtipped annual net profits of 540 billion yen,compared with an earlier 500 billion yenforecast. The company said it saw sales jumpin the image-sensor sector, thanks to agrowth in demand due to mobile phones.

“We think the demand will continue togrow also for the next fiscal year with theincrease of smart phones with multiple lensesand large-sized sensors,” CFO Hiroki Totokisaid. Hideki Yasuda, an analyst at AceResearch Institute in Tokyo, also said before

the results were announced that “demand forimage sensors is expected to grow further”due to the reasons Totoki explained.

“Sales of image sensors remain strong,”Yasuda told AFP. Sony currently operatesfour image sensor plants in Japan and is look-ing to increase production capacity by March2021. “In order to respond to the demandafter March 2021, we decided to invest insteps into the construction of a new plant inNagasaki” in southern Japan, Totoki said.

Music business sales rose Last week, the CEO of US hedge fund

Third Point, which holds a key stake in theJapanese conglomerate, reportedly expressedfrustration at its rejection of a proposal tospin off its semiconductor operations includ-ing image sensors. Sales for Sony’s musicbusiness also rose, the firm said yesterday,helped by its integration of EMI MusicPublishing and an increase in streaming rev-enues. “The streaming business is enjoyinghigh sales growth,” the CFO said, addingsales for the movie sector were brisk.

“‘Spider-Man: Far From Home,’ whichbecame Sony’s record smash hit movie byearning more than 1.1 billion dollars at theinternational box office, contributed to the

movie sales.” Sony’s half-year sales dipped 2.1 percent

to 4.04 trillion yen while operating profitjumped 17.3 percent to 510 billion yen. Sonyhas spent years struggling to recover fromdeep financial trouble, a process that entailedaggressive restructuring, the loss of thou-sands of jobs, and the sale of business unitsand assets. It has seen a slowdown in itsgames and network businesses, and has saidit expects revenue from the core sector tosag owing to a continued fall in game hard-ware sales, and the cost of developing a next-generation console. In the six-month period,the company posted a drop in sales for thesector, citing a decline in both software andPlayStation 4 hardware sales.

“Sales of PS4 consoles, which had spear-headed the company’s recovery, are slowingdown further as users’ interest is now shiftingto PS5,” Yasuda said. “Sales of its electronicsproducts remain weak due to tough competi-tion in the global market,” he added.

The firm said earlier this month its next-generation PlayStation 5 console, whichwill be equipped with new immersive fea-tures, would launch for the 2020 holidayseason. — AFP

Mijbil Al-Ayoub

Haneen Alrumaihi

Thursday, October 31, 2019

15W h a t ’ s O n

Established 1961

Burgan Bank, one of the leading contrib-utors to social inclusion in Kuwait, isproud to announce its support to

Autism Partnership Kuwait (APK) for therehabilitation and treatment of children withAutism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Driven bythe aim to improve the lives of children withautism spectrum disorders by aiding theirsuccessful integration into society, BurganBank signed a partnership agreement withAutism Partnership Kuwait for the secondconsecutive year 2019-2020.

This ongoing initiative falls in line withBurgan Bank’s commitment to support manyhumanitarian causes that reinforce its role asa catalyst for positive change in society.Through the partnership with AutismPartnership Kuwait, Burgan Bank aims to raiseawareness about the seriousness of autismand highlight the importance of early diagno-

sis and early intervention. Going beyond tra-ditional banking operations and a strong per-formance, we strive to play an active andinspiring role within the community by sup-porting core causes that will make a lastingdifference.

Hessa Hussain Al-Najadah, Manager-External Affairs at Burgan Bank said: “We arevery proud of this unique partnership that hasextended for the second year in a row. AutismPartnership Kuwait (APK) is one of the mostprominent centers that care for children withautism, in the Arab region and Kuwait. APKprovides high quality treatment for childrenwith Autism and is managed by highly quali-fied specialists and consultants.

Burgan Bank, through its care, seeks toalleviate the emotional and financial burdenon the parents to help their children continuethe journey of rehabilitation and treatment

inside the center. The ongoing fundingensures the continuity of the treatment serv-ices that would sustain their advancement andcontribute to the social inclusion of the chil-dren with their peers in society.”

“We are pleased to renew our partnershipwith Burgan Bank; one of the most importantsupporter of Autism Partnership Kuwait inspecific and autism cause in general. Theobjective of our partnership is to help raiseautism awareness and highlight the impor-tance of early diagnosis and intervention.Based on our great belief that each childdeserves to have a meaningful life, togetherwith Burgan Bank, we organize fun activitiesfor children and their families throughout theyear, giving our children the opportunity tointegrate with their peers in the community”said Heidy Abdel Gawad, Senior MarketingManager, Autism Partnership Kuwait.

By renewing our partnership with BurganBank, we emphasize our support to childrenwho receive treatment at our center and theirfamilies, aiming to reduce the financial andemotional burdens on parents and secure abetter future for their children”. Added HeidyAbdel Gawad, Senior Marketing Manager,Autism Partnership -Kuwait

Autism Partnership Kuwait provides a widerange of services for children with ASD andtheir families, in addition to nationwideawareness campaigns, workshops and coursesthat can benefit specialists as well for profes-sionals involved in the treatment and educa-tion of children with Autism SpectrumDisorders (ASD). Autism Partnership Kuwaitis the only branch in the Arab and Middle Eastregion that represents Autism PartnershipFoundation in the United States among nineother global branches.

It is worth mentioning that Burgan Bankhad previously sponsored ‘The 2016 AutismWalkathon’ organized by AutismPartnership Kuwait. The event was held toemphasize the value of voluntary work,highlighting autism cause and the inclusionof children with autism in the community.Burgan Bank’s support to this initiative fallsunder its recently launched full-fledgedcommunity program entitled ‘ENGAGE’ -Together to be the change. This programsheds light on important aspects affectingevery segment of the society by promotingsocial welfare through educational, cultural,social and health initiatives. Burgan Bank’sapproach to ‘ENGAGE’ begins with a vitalprinciple that as a Kuwaiti financial institu-tion, its conduct and policies should bealigned with the needs and interests of theKuwaiti society.

Burgan Bank supports ‘autism partnership Kuwait’ for the second consecutive year

ACK holds third annual blood drive

As a part of its corporate social responsibility, theOccupational Health and Safety (OHS) Departmentat the Australian College of Kuwait (ACK) organ-

ized the 3rd annual blood drive. The campaign entitled“Every Drop Matters,” was held from the 15th to the 17thof October, 2019 and was sponsored by Online Instituteand ACK MyPrint.

Following with the success of the previous blood drivesheld by ACK over the past two years, this year’s blooddrive was extended to 3 days to meet the popular demand.The objective of the event was to propagate the signifi-cance of blood donation in saving lives, and to generateawareness about receiving and donating blood from dif-ferent blood types. In order to do so, the event wasthemed with “Every Drop Matters.”

The event included different activities to raise awarenessregarding blood donation, and these activities were organ-ized by volunteering students under the guidance of MariamAl-Maraghi, Healthy and Safety Business DevelopmentManager, at ACK. During the first activity, donors were wel-comed with an interactive quiz matching each blood typewith the types they could donate from and to.

The event was massively successful in attracting donorswhich included ACK students, staff and alumni. Overall, theCentral Blood Bank of Kuwait collected a total of 260blood bags from the event; however, donors who werewilling to donate before the screening were a total of 304people. Showing her gratitude to those who made the suc-cess of the event possible, Al-Maraghi said “The rank ofhumanitarian is a rank only a few can achieve, and ourdear students and staff were able to achieve it through thiscampaign”. ACK would like to thank its community forparticipation. The drive would not have been successfulwithout the collaboration of departments and volunteeringstudents who were an added value to the event.

Kuwait Medicines Information Center organizing campaign

Kuwait Medicines Information Center at theFaculty of Pharmacy, Kuwait University, hasannounced launching an awareness campaign

with the intent to prevent medication poisoning. Inwhich the campaign will take place from Thursday 31stof October till Saturday 2nd of November, from 10 am to10 pm at 360 Mall - Main Atrium.

This campaign comes within the framework of KuwaitMedicines Information Center’s keenness to educate thecommunity about the hazards of unintentional medica-tion poisoning among children in Kuwait and the propermethods that should be adopted to prevent such casesfrom happening. Furthermore, this campaign will alsooffer beneficial training for visitors, which include firstaid and CPR training demonstration, in collaborationwith the Kuwaiti Board of Pediatrics.

In this regard Dr Bedoor Qabazard, an AssistantProfessor in the Department of Pharmacology andTherapeutics and the Head of the Campaign at theFaculty of Pharmacy, Kuwait University, stated:“Through this campaign we seek to raise awareness inthe community on how to deal with cases of medicationpoisoning and ways to prevent them. This step comes toaddress the rapidly growing cases of medication poison-ing that the ER in government hospitals have receivedrecently. The reason for these rampant cases of medica-tion poisoning is attributed to poor storage conditions ofmedicines at home, which allows the child to easilyaccess the medications and consume them.”

Qabazard then added: “We hope that this initiative willhelp us in preventing incidents of medication poisoning.

As we intend to raise aware-ness among visitors on how tokeep medicines stored safelyat home, and how to resusci-tate the child. As well as,enabling visitors to be moremindful of the importance ofmedication-safety.”

From her end, TheCampaign Coordinator DrEman Abahussin confirmedthat this campaign came afterseveral researches that con-firmed the importance ofawareness-raising as a pre-cautionary strategy to pro-tect children from the hazard

of medication poisoning and its complications on thechild’s physical or psychological state.

Also, this campaign tackles the economic aspect thathas to do with reducing the economic cost to the statedue to hospitalization, secondary to medication poison-ing. Dr Abahussin also emphasized the importance ofworking hand in hand to make Kuwait free of medicationpoisoning incidents among children by 2030, and tomake our homes safe for our children at all times in linewith Goal 3 on health and Goal 11 to make our cities safeand other goals of the 2030 Agenda for SustainableDevelopment.

Kuwait Medicines Information Center (KU - MIC)urges the public to visit its booth at 360 Mall to learnmore about the details of the campaign and be part ofthe change. Moreover, (KU - MIC) expressed its grati-tude to Advanced Technology Company, Al Mojil DrugCompany, and Tamdeen Company for their generoussponsorship in hosting the event. As well as, the volun-teers, pharmacists and students of the Faculty ofPharmacy at Kuwait University, and thanked the KuwaitiBoard of Pediatricians.

Dr. Bedoor Qabazard

PAAET’s director office recently organized a special ceremony to honor a number of outgoing senior officials who had concludedtheir tenures. The ceremony was attended by director, Dr. Ali Al-Mudhaf, deputy director for financial and administrative affairs,Hajraf Al-Hajraf, deputy director for assisting academic services, Dr. Jassem Al-Tunaib, deputy director for training affairs, TareqAl-Omairi, deputy director for planning, Dr. Fatima Al-Kandary and a number of PAAET officials.

H e a l t h & S c i e n c e Thursday, October 31, 2019

16

Climate-fuelled flooding to imperil 300 million by 2050

PARIS: Coastal areas currently home to 300 millionpeople will be vulnerable by 2050 to flooding madeworse by climate change, no matter how aggressivelyhumanity curbs carbon emissions, scientists havewarned. In the second half of the 21st century andbeyond, however, choices made today will determinewhether the global coastlines on maps today will remainrecognizable to future generations, they reported in thejournal Nature Communications.

Destructive storm surges fuelled by increasinglypowerful cyclones and rising seas will hit Asia hardest,according to the study. More than two-thirds of thepopulations at risk are in China, Bangladesh, India,Vietnam, Indonesia and Thailand. In each of severaldozen major cities — including Bangkok, Hong Kong,Shanghai, Taizhou, Surabaya, Dhaka, Mumbai, Ho ChiMinh City and Osaka — millions will find themselves inflood zones.

Using a form of artificial intelligence known as neuralnetworks, the new research corrects ground elevationdata that has up to now vastly underestimated theextent to which coastal zones are subject to floodingduring high tide or major storms. “Sea-level projectionshave not changed,” said co-author Ben Strauss, chiefscientist and CEO of Climate Central, a US-based non-profit research group. “But when we use our new eleva-tion data, we find far more people living in vulnerableareas than we previously understood,” Strauss said.

With the global population set to increase by two

billion by 2050 and another billion by 2100 — mostly incoastal megacities — even greater numbers of peoplewill be forced to adapt or move out of harm’s way.Already today, more than 100 million people live belowhigh tide levels, the study found. Some are protected bydikes and levees, but most are not.

Rising tides, sinking cities “Climate change has the potential to reshape cities,

economies, coastlines and entire global regions withinour lifetime,” said lead author and Climate Central sci-entist Scott Kulp. “As the tideline rises higher than theground people call home, nations will increasinglyconfront questions about whether, how much and howlong coastal defenses can protect them.” Even a rapid

drop today in greenhouse gas emissions will havescant impact on the course of sea level rise in thecoming decades.

“Sea level responds slowly to warming, just like icedoesn’t all melt when you unplug you freezer,” Strausssaid. “But as we get late into the century, the cumula-tive difference between high and low pollution scenar-ios gets much bigger.” Many factors conspire tothreaten populations living within a few meters of sealevel. One is the expansion of water as it warms and,more recently, ice sheets atop Greenland andAntarctica that have shed more than 430 billion tonsper year over the last decade. Since 2006, the waterlinehas gone up nearly four millimeters a year, a pace thatcould increase 100-fold going into the 22nd century ifcarbon emissions continue unabated, the UNIntergovernmental Panel for Climate Change (IPCC)warned in a major report last month. If global warmingis capped below two degrees Celsius — the corner-stone goal of the Paris climate treaty — sea level is pro-jected to rise about half a meter by 2100. At currentrates of carbon pollution, however, the increase wouldbe nearly twice as much. A second ingredient is tropicalstorms — typhoons, cyclones or hurricanes — ampli-fied by a warming atmosphere.

Rooftops and trees “It doesn’t take a big rise in sea level to lead to

catastrophic problems,” said Bruce Glavovic, a pro-

fessor at Massey University in New Zealand who wasnot involved in the study. “Sea level rise is not a slowonset problem — it’s a crisis of extreme weatherevents.” Major storms that until recently occurredonce a century will, by 2050, happen on average oncea year in many places, especially in the tropics, theIPCC report found.

Annual coastal f lood damage is projected toincrease 100 to 1,000-fold by 2100, it said. Finally,many of the one billion people living at less than ninemeters above sea level today are in urban areas literal-ly sinking under their own weight. Researchers study-ing the impact of rising seas on human settlementshave long known that the Shuttle Radar TopographyMission (SRTM) data provided freely by NASA has afairly wide margin of error.

But about five years ago Kulp and Strauss realizedthat — compared to more accurate data for the USgathered by laser-based systems on aircraft — SRTMwas systematically showing elevations to be higher thanthey actually were. A big part of the problem was thatthe NASA system mistook rooftops and trees forground level. “It turns out that for most of the globalcoast we didn’t know the height of the ground beneathour feet,” Strauss said. Jean-Pascal van Ypersele, a pro-fessor of climatology at Belgium’s Universite Catholiquede Louvain and a former IPCC vice-chair, said the newmethod represented “very significant progress” inunderstanding the risks posed by rising seas. — AFP

Increasingly powerful cyclones and rising seas will hit Asia hardest

Climate changehas the

potential toreshape cities

Thursday, October 31, 2019

17

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CROSSWORD 2347

ACROSS1. Take in solid food.4. A flask for carrying water.11. The Fate who spins the thread of life.15. Psychoactive substance present in mari-

juana.16. Provided with something intended to

increase its beauty or distinction.17. Chief port of Yemen.18. A period of time spent sleeping.19. A person who travels through the water

by swimming.21. The blood group whose red cells carry

both the A and B antigens.23. A substances that colors metals.25. A river in north central Switzerland that

runs northeast into the Rhine.26. Jordan's port.31. A Chadic language spoken south of Lake

Chad.33. An endorsement.36. Fallow deer.38. Injured by bites or stings.41. Evergreen trees and shrubs having oily

one-seeded fruits.43. 36th President of the United States.44. Small creeping evergreen shrubs.46. The driver of a team of horses doing

hauling.48. Japanese mathematical physicist who

proposed that nuclear forces are medi-ated by massive particles called mesonswhich are analogous to the photon inmediating electromagnetic forces (1907-1981).

49. Octopuses and paper nautilus.50. The capital and largest city of Yemen.53. (Greek mythology) The Titaness who was

mother of Helios and Selene and Eos inancient mythology.

54. (computer science) American StandardCode for Information Interchange.

57. A proportion multiplied by 100.58. French anthropologist who studied the

craniums and brains of different races ofpeople.

62. Round-tailed muskrat.65. Being one more than seven.66. A genus of Scolopacidae.69. Not widely known.70. English prelate noted for his pessimistic

sermons and articles (1860-1954).71. Undergo resorption.72. A visual representation of an object or

scene or person produced on a surface.73. Of a quality, as in.74. Talks a great deal about uninteresting

topics.75. A small cake leavened with yeast.

DOWN1. An inactive volcano in Sicily.2. According to the Old Testament he was a

pagan king of Israel and husband ofJezebel (9th century BC).

3. A protocol developed for the internet toget data from one network device toanother.

4. A small tent used as a dressing roombeside the sea or a swimming pool.

5. A city in southern Turkey on the SeyhanRiver.

6. Someone legally empowered to witnesssignatures and certify a document'svalidity and to take depositions.

7. Hormone released by the hypothalamusthat controls the release of thyroid-stim-ulating hormone from the anterior pitu-itary.

8. The Uralic language spoken by theYeniseian people.

9. Suggestive of the supernatural.10. A yellow trivalent metallic element of the

rare earth group.11. Italian chemist noted for work on poly-

mers (1903-1979).12. The sensation that results when olfactory

receptors in the nose are stimulated byparticular chemicals in gaseous form.

13. Not far distant in time or space or degreeor circumstances.

14. (prefix) In front of or before in space.20. Someone who works (or provides work-

ers) during a strike.22. A Chadic language spoken south of Lake

Chad.24. The eighth month of the Hindu calendar.27. Calculator consisting of a cord with

attached cords.28. A protective covering for a knife or

sword.29. To fix or set securely or deeply.30. Indras's thunderbolt.32. A formal expression of praise.34. Japanese stringed instrument that resem-

bles a zither.35. Selected as the best.37. Of or being the lowest female voice.39. A state in the United States in the central

Pacific on the Hawaiian Islands.40. A rare silvery (usually trivalent) metallic

element.42. Naked freshwater or marine or parasitic

protozoa that form temporarypseudopods for feeding and locomotion.

45. Converted into a gas or vapor.47. A cut of pork ribs with much of the meat

trimmed off.51. South American cavy.52. Placed crosswise.55. A French river that flows through the

heart of Paris and then northward intothe English Channel.

56. Expandable metal or wooden wedgeused by printers to lock up a form withina chase.

59. Port city on southern Honshu on OsakaBay.

60. Long pod containing small beans andsweetish edible pulp.

61. A particular environment or walk of life.63. A large mass of ice floating at sea.64. Open-heart surgery in which the rib cage

is opened and a section of a blood vesselis grafted from the aorta to the coronaryartery to bypass the blocked section ofthe coronary artery and improve theblood supply to the heart.

67. An easy return of a tennis ball in a higharc.

68. A self-funded retirement plan that allowsyou to contribute a limited yearly sumtoward your retirement.

Yesterday’s SolutionDaily Sudoku

Wordsearch Puzzle Yesterday’s Solution

Thursday, October 31, 2019

18S t a r s

Established 1961

Yesterday’s Solution

Mental organization and discipline may fall apart or be challenged at thistime. This is a busy day and the input from others may cause you to change your plansand just follow the feelings of the day. Phone calls to or from a loved one at this time willfind you guiding or advising. Others sense an interest in their welfare when they arenear you. You are eloquent in communication skills and it is possible for you to smoothout a difficult situation with just your sense of humor. Chances are your social skillsmean that you are popular with almost everyone and the evening may be full of oppor-tunities to be with neighbors, friends or loved ones in a social gathering of sorts.

Aries (March 21-April 19)

STAR TRACK

You are up early this morning, cleaning and preparing for an eveningof fun with friends. Some activity like a progressive dinner, or, just snacks, sand-wiches and some card games may be enjoyed. You may, in fact, have been prepar-ing for this get-together for some time. The workday runs fairly well but you lookforward to the closing of the day. You may learn a bit of wisdom in the workplace.You tend to see the people at work in a different light . . . Practical, necessary andwithout judgment. A no-nonsense application to the day cuts right through to themost important and quickly accomplishes what is necessary.

Taurus (April 20-May 20)

You may find yourself frustrated today. Patience . . . Remember, some ofus just do not understand the universal rule: what goes around will come around. Youcould be standing in long lines today or driving on a crowded highway—patience isimportant. You could find yourself getting overemotional. Close relationships have abig impact on your life and old or discontented relationships will be transformed orperhaps even ended—new ones will come on like gangbusters. Those of you who arenot involved with a love partner will have many opportunities opening up to you now.Your love life becomes fast-paced. A partner has a mesmerizing impact on you .

Cancer (June 21-July 22)

Leo (July 23-August 22)

You are coming into a period of change concerning your values. There issome indecision on your part. Losing sight of the practical and the mundane can moveyou toward a more artistic vent, but might not be so good for the bankbook. There is aneed for caution and practicality on the material and financial level. There are newaccomplishments now as well as new insights and breakthroughs in organization anddetermination. There is a revolution within the established order, when new ideas andways to do and use things become clear. You may find yourself being put to good useby your friends this afternoon. Some activities that start out rather tediously end upwith lots of fun experiences and good memories. Do you keep a diary?

Virgo (August 23-September 22)

Communicating your message to others is at a high just now. You are suc-cessful in your efforts to round people up and organize a group. Timing is importantand those around you should find you most insightful. You find that you can really useyour mind to make clear choices and think things through. You make your way throughideas, concepts and your ability to communicate and express them to others. A strongneed for nurturing is a bigger than usual element in your life. You may feel the need tocare for others or to have them care for you—perhaps on a public rather than privatelevel. This could involve some volunteer service. You have needs and you sense theneeds of others: fitting the two together well makes it work.

Libra (September 23-October 22)

You could be most persuasive with others and expressive in speech.People listen to what you have to say. The situation is a natural for self-expression.Listening to the other person, you may be able to add to your own ideas and thoughts.A good conversation with loved ones this afternoon is fun. An outgoing and veryexpressive cycle of experience has begun. Now more than ever, you want to beadmired and create things like poetry or music that stirs their hearts. This is child’s play;this is romance; this is taking a chance. There is a yearning to broaden horizons andreach for the ultimate at this time in your life.

Scorpio (October 23-November 21)

Ideas and interaction with older people may be in the works thisThursday. Working with, rather than against, the energies should be easy

to do now. You communicate with exquisite skill. There are plenty of people willing tohelp you in whatever you want to accomplish; put them to work. An eccentric relativeattracts some notice this afternoon. Your home and your family scene are likely to be ina state of change just now. This may mean moving, preparing for a new addition to thefamily or a late summer cleanup project. High-tech equipment invades the domesticenvironment somehow.

Sagittarius (November 22-December 21)

Capricorn (December 22-January 19)

You do not mind getting your hands dirty and you do not mind hard work,especially if it is in an area that can help you make a positive difference. Extra effort intoany business project adds a touch of class to your work situation. The secret to yourprofessional success is in the planning. Good jobs, contracts, sales, upgrades, etc., don’tjust fall into our laps—without the personal responsibility for making things happen,you would never grow. Everything conspires to reveal you at your most elegant, partic-ularly in social situations this afternoon. You will have a grasp for new ideas as well asthe ability to present or communicate these to others. This day is a natural for self-expression and lends itself to your particular ideas.

Pisces (February 19-March 20)

There is an emphasis on improving communications. There is the possibili-ty of learning new software programs for your work computer. Also, there

may be some type of robot or mechanical device that appears to be productive. All ofthis can help your work flow as well as increase your financial wellbeing. If you are insales, you will find a new communications program worth your time and technically,worth your evaluation. There is an expression of ideas and the connections betweenthings, places and people. Amazing little creatures in nature may be what are mimickedin this new communication tool.

Aquarius (January 20- February 18)

You will use your creative abilities to the utmost today. Showing off yourtalents will add a special touch to your work, as well as bring you the respect that youso often seek. You express a knack for organizing things and people, as a sense ofambition and practicality takes hold. Work, achievement and ambition are the thingsthat mean a lot to you now. You enjoy your work and may discover that a co-worker iswilling to lend a helping hand when you are overloaded. This could mean that you are inmost any type of profession. You may alternate between feeling energized andexhausted. This evening seems to be your time—enjoyment of friends, food and life ingeneral is good.

Ideals and a sense of belonging to something bigger than the merely per-sonal become a greater focus in your life at this time. You attach more

importance to friendships and taking part in group activities that center on idealisticgoals. Quick answers, great wit and a surplus of insights and solutions are accessible.You can write and communicate with real originality. Inventions and breakthroughs arepossible today. This afternoon you may find yourself working with music, color, fabricand the arts—whatever is beautiful and genial. You would make a superb decorator ofhomes and, in general, all kinds of environments.

Your innate sense of responsibility, or the actual duties that come yourway, may prevent you from fulfilling your own real desires. For some reason you mayfind difficulty in moving forward with your work, but patience will win out over anyfrustration you may be feeling. Your knack for public relations can place you in per-sonnel management, retail sales, or advertising. You can be effective when others needcounseling and may find your skills very important when it comes to an unhappy cus-tomer. Compliments from higher-ups or superiors are very important to you. Yourconfidence is likely to increase and you may feel much more optimistic. There is stilltime for some fun activity with loved ones this evening.

Gemini (May 21-June 20)

Thur

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2019

Established 1961

Lifestyle

King penguins are seen at Volunteer Point, north of Stanley in the Falkland Islands (Malvinas), a British Overseas Territory in the South Atlantic Ocean. — AFP (See Page 22)

Aprequel series to global TV phenomenon“Game of Thrones” has been ordered,WarnerMedia announced Tuesday, as it

set out launch details for its new HBO Maxstreaming service. The new show in George RRMartin’s fictional world of Westeros will takeplace 300 years prior to fantasy epic “Thrones”and will be called “House of the Dragon.” Theseries will be based on the book “Fire andBlood,” which tells the story of the murderous,dragon-breeding Targaryen family.

“It’s my pleasure to announce today that weare ordering ‘House of the Dragon’ straight toseries for HBO,” Casey Bloys, president of pro-gramming, told a Los Angeles launch event forHBO Max. “It tells the story of House Targaryenand the early days of Westeros.” “Thrones,”known for its graphic violence and sex as wellas its unprecedented budget and productionvalues, ended its eight-season run earlier thisyear with 59 Emmys-a record for a drama orcomedy at television’s equivalent of the Oscars.

The new prequel has been co-created byMartin and Ryan Condal (“Colony”), who willwrite the 10-episode series and serve asshowrunner alongside Miguel Sapochnik.

Sapochnik directed multiple “Game of Thrones”episodes including the Emmy-winning “Battle ofthe Bastards.” HBO Max, WarnerMedia’s newNetflix rival, will launch in the United States inMay, and will cost $14.99 per month, it was alsorevealed.

The platform will feature original showsincluding a Ridley Scott sci-fi and exclusivestreaming rights to satirical cartoon “SouthPark.” It will offer around 10,000 hours of con-tent at launch, including all 23 “South Park” sea-sons and three new seasons to follow.

Part of the zeitgeistOriginal shows will be largely released on a

weekly basis, rather than dropped in one go forbinge-watching, because “we like creating cul-tural impact,” said HBO Max COO Kevin Reilly.“Our creators also see the difference in rollingout shows gradually and letting them breathe,”Reilly said. “HBO hits like ‘Succession’ and‘Chernobyl’ became part of the zeitgeist with aweekly release schedule, rather than fadingquickly after a binge and burn.”

Original content will see Scott produce anddirect new sci-fi series “Raised by Wolves,”

about “two androids tasked with raising humanchildren on a mysterious virgin planet.” Twonew DC superhero series-anthology show“Strange Adventures” and a series inspired by“Green Lantern”-will be overseen by GregBerlanti (“Arrow”). Another DC-themed show,comedy “DC Super Hero High,” was announcedfrom Elizabeth Banks (“Charlie’s Angels”), whileMindy Kaling oversees a new college room-mates-themed comedy.

The platform will feature from launch alibrary including “Friends”-described by Reillyas “the pinnacle of streaming titles” thanks toboth its original network audience andGeneration Z newcomers-and popular sitcom“The Big Bang Theory.” Existing HBO sub-scribers will have immediate access to HBOMax at no extra charge.

Next great chapterHBO Max users will be able to “follow” other

users’ profiles on the platform, to give them rec-ommendations based on what “talent and influ-encers” enjoy. In previously announced content,JJ Abrams appeared on stage to confirm his sci-fi “Demimonde” is in the works. Jason Batemanwill produce and star in Stephen King adapta-tion “The Outsider,” while “Fleabag” creatorPhoebe Waller-Bridge will produce and star incomedy “Run.”

“Downton Abbey” creator Julian Felloweswill oversee “The Gilded Age” set in New York,while “The Wire” maker David Simon will adaptPhilip Roth novel “The Plot Against America.”The presentation ended with Bloys’ surpriseannouncement of “the next great chapter inGeorge’s saga.” No details of the “Thrones”prequel’s launch date were announced. Thenews comes hours after reports in theHollywood press that another, separate “Gameof Thrones” prequel starring Naomi Watts hadbeen cancelled.

A pilot had been made but HBO decided notto take the show to a full series, it was reported.HBO did not confirm the news. As many as five“Thrones” successor series have been put intoearly stages of development by HBO, but beforeTuesday’s announcement only the reportedlyscrapped Watts pilot had entered production,and none had received a full series order. — AFP

The Terminator has come a long waysince Arnold Schwarzenegger firstportrayed the cyborg assassin in

James Cameron’s 1984 sci-fi classic. “Ineach movie, the Terminator is a little bitdifferent-there’s a certain evolution,”Schwarzenegger told AFP. But the char-acter’s latest incarnation in “Terminator:Dark Fate,” out on Friday, still comes as asurprise-he is now a drapery salesman.

“The first Terminator was just crushingeverything and destroying everything.The second one was the protector,” saidthe actor, 72. “Now I have grown a con-science in this one.” But fans can restassured that, even if he has become morehuman, the Terminator is a long way fromlaying down his weapons. The ingredientsthat made the original movie and itsacclaimed sequel “Terminator 2:Judgment Day” such hits remain in place-breathless chases, spectacular shoot-outsand fight scenes laden with state-of-the-art special effects.

Glossing over the other, poorlyreceived sequels and spin-offs that cameafter “T2,” the latest film also reconnectswith another key element from the firsttwo films-Linda Hamilton, more angrythan ever in her role as Sarah Connor.Most of the film takes place in 2022, but itbegins where “Terminator 2” left off in1991 — Connor has just prevented thefuture eradication of the human race bymachines equipped with artificial intelli-gence known as Skynet.

‘You’re just afraid’For Hamilton, the decision to return to

this iconic role 28 years later was not aneasy one. She told AFP how she had longsince built a comfortable life for herselfaway from big Hollywood productions. “Ittook me a long time to agree to do it,” shesaid. “I eventually started going, ‘You’rejust afraid.’ “And when I’m afraid, then Ihave to do it.” More than letting down theaudience, “I was afraid I was going to dis-appoint Sarah Connor,” admittedHamilton, 63.

“All these years I sort of felt like thefirst two films were very complete andresisted doing any more, largely becauseJim Cameron wasn’t involved.” Cameron

returns not just as a producer for “DarkFate” but also participated in writing thescript, while Tim Miller (“Deadpool”)directs. Desperate and aimless, “SarahConnor is no longer human,” saidHamilton. “And the Arnold character ismore human-I like that flip.” Anxious notto reveal plot details, Hamilton said thatbeyond its action scenes, the film-like itspredecessors-is about “what is it thatmakes us human.”

Testosterone The film sees Connor find a new raison

d’etre in protecting young Dani Ramos(Natalia Reyes), who is being pursued bythe most sophisticated-yet Terminatorfrom the future (Gabriel Luna). A human“augmented” by technology and also sentfrom the future, played by MackenzieDavis, is also part of the chase. ForHamilton, signing back up meant a year ofstrenuous physical training-and the evenmore unpleasant experience of takingtestosterone prescribed by her doctor tohelp her build muscle.

“There came a day where I was angryabout something and I couldn’t sleep andmy blood pressure is spiking and I’mkind of flying off the handle. And, I’mlike, ‘This is the hormones talking,’”Hamilton recalled. “If this is what it feelslike to be a man, forget it!” Former “MrUniverse” winner Schwarzenegger, whocontinues to train every day, had it easi-er. “It’s not as if I have to start all overagain,” he told AFP.

For him, the main challenge was actingin front of green screens used to latergenerate computer-driven special effects.“It gets a little bit more tedious, becauseyou’re now working a lot of times withstuff that doesn’t exist,” he said. “So whenyou have a Hummer fly towards you,when you’re inside the airplane andyou’re crashing, it was really never there.”

While Schwarzenegger has beenrepeating “I’ll be back”-his famous linefrom the original-since 1984, it is Hamiltonwho steals the phrase in “Dark Fate.” Butwill either of them sign up for moreTerminator films? “If the fans want to seemore of me, they will make the voices beheard... It’s kind of like in politics-the peo-ple should decide,” joked the former gov-ernor of California. “It depends on howthis movie performs-it’s a really veryexpensive film,” said Hamilton, adding thatthe film was envisioned as the start of anew trilogy. “I might be back.” — AFP

In this file photo a giant Iron Throne is on display ahead of the ‘Game of Thrones’ eighth and final seasonat Radio City Music Hall in New York city. — AFP

L i f e s t y l e Thursday, October 31, 2019

20 Established 1961

Fa s h i o n

By Nawara Fattahova

Fashion designers from different countries gatheredagain at the biggest fashion event in Qatar ‘HeyaArabian Fashion Exhibition’ that took place onOctober 23. This was the 16th edition of this suc-

cessful fashion event, which became popular in the region.It was held at the Doha Exhibition and Convention Center(DECC). Heya Arabian Fashion Exhibition is set to bring aseries of events showcasing the latest in Arabian and mod-est designs from more than 250 brands around the globe,as well as inspiring discussions on the business of fashion,latest trends, beauty, textiles, and sustainable fashion. Thelaunching ceremony was attended by model Halima Adenas special guest of the event.

Qatar Airways, the partner of Heya flew Halima Adenand other international guests and media personnel to theevent. Flying with Qatar Airways was a great experienceas they provided best services onboard and on ground.Also the aircraft was equipped with latest technology toensure maximum comfort for passengers. Day one saw aninspiring line-up of designers who exhibited their latestcreations with spectacular fashion shows including; Debajand Al Baccarat Fashion, as well as Malo Italy, FaggioliAtelier, Atelier C Firenze and Positivity Couture.

The opening show was followed by a celebrity talk withHalima Aden, the first hijab-wearing model. In collabora-tion with Narges Raiss, contributing editor for Harper’sBazaar, Grazia Arabia and Esquire Qatar, Aden participat-ed in the ‘Celebrity talk: Breaking boundaries, a history offirsts’, where she shared her journey to success and therise of modest fashion on the international fashion scene.Day one also included a presentation by Cosmoprof, fol-lowed by hosting a talk in collaboration with Jeannie Lee,Head of Buyers at Galleries Lafayette, and ChristopherFink, VCUArts Chair of Fashion, on: ‘The InternationalFashion Scene in Parallelism to the Arabian Vogue’. Theday concluded with a fashion show including designers;Tahani Al Otaibi, Apple Wang, Al Marya, Bebe Collection,Sweet Dolce, Lialy Line and Kyra.

Around 70 percent of the exhibitors were from Qatar.Kuwait had the largest number of international partici-pants with many Kuwait female designers. Basayel Stylefrom Kuwait participated in Heya from the first time. “Iparticipate with different styles of Dara’as and occasiondresses. I only make one or two pieces of each design tokeep it unique. Heya is one of the biggest fashion events inthe region, so I’m keen on participating every year,” Hudatold Kuwait Times. Hanadi Al-Hinedi the designer andowner of Miss Dress Boutique from Kuwait also partici-pated in Heya. “Heya is the most popular fashion exhibitionin Doha, so I always participate in both editions; winterand summer every year. And due to the high interest ofparticipants, the organizers only chose the best. Duringeach edition I design suitable designs for that season,” shepointed out.

Thursday, October 31, 2019L i f e s t y l e Fa s h i o n

Established 1961 21

Khawla Al-Khater from Khawla Al-Khater HauteCouture from Qatar was been participating in Heyaexhibition since its first edition. Samiha Jamali thedesigner and owner of S-Cycle also from Qatar partici-pated for the second time. “I’m displaying over 57pieces including only 12 pieces from the old collection.Now I’ve made a capsule collection suitable for thewinter and travel season. Leather is in now, so I includ-ed it in my designs. My pieces include Abayas, dresses,shorts, and tops that can be worn under Abaya. Mydesigns are suitable for all occasions and all nationali-ties. Furthermore I designed special accessories likegloves and other accessories to match the Abayas,” shestated.

Modest fashion, workshops and moreManal from Moda Mania participated for the fourth

time, whereas Atelier.c Firenze, an Italian brand partici-pated for the first time in Heya exhibition. On the sec-ond day, visitors enjoyed an array of fashion-forwardevents including a beauty workshop presented byBioskinspa with tips on skincare, a workshop byVCUArts Qatar, and a workshop by the Ministry of

Commerce and Industry. In addition to the workshops,day two also showcased a talk by Elsbeth Blekkenhorstfrom Elisabietta fashion brand on ‘How to create yourown online fashion brand’.

Other workshops included skin care tips and facialwhitening techniques, top three techniques on how toeffectively use an eyeliner, student testimonies, creativemakeup, your skin at 20s, 30s, 40s, and beyond, andwomen empowerment. Besides, fashion shows wereheld, in addition to awarding ceremonies and Tajmeel’sAnnual Graduation. Held annually, Heya sheds limelighton the largest display of Arabian designers. With morethan 250 brands of abayas and modest fashion designs,the event offers visitors an assortment of unique collec-tions, from high-street apparel, couture and luxury, tothe latest modest evening gowns, leather accessories aswell as perfumery and make-up.

This edition will also showcase haute couture mod-est fashion from 11 different countries, representingfour continents including neighboring countries Kuwaitand Oman as well as India, Turkey, Lebanon, Morocco,China, Indonesia, Italy and Georgia. Heya is deliveredby Design Creationz with the support of QNTC as partof its efforts to empower the private sector to attractand host global events. The event is delivered byDesign Creationz, with the support of the QatarNational Tourism Council (QNTC), as part of its effortto empower the private sector to attract and host glob-al events.

The 16th edition of the exhibition has collaboratedwith several key partners and high-profile stakeholdersin Qatar, the region and globally including a partnershipwith Virginia Commonwealth University - Qatar(VCUQ), one of the best fashion schools in the world,Qatar Business Incubation Center (QBIC), BedayaCenter, Maison de Joelle, W Doha, Tajmeel Academy,Intercontinental Doha the City, VCUArts Qatar, BioskinSpa, Qatar Red Crescent, Primary Health CareCorporation (PHCC), IDAM, H.E.N.K.S and Kaafe.

Halima Aden

Thursday, October 31, 2019Fe a t u r e s

Established 1961 22L i f e s t y l e

Waddling up the beach in single file,their heads held high with an almostself-important demeanor, king pen-

guins are a major draw in the Falkland Islands’tourism industry. Their fluffy brown chicks arenearly fearless of humans, meaning tourists atVolunteer Point, a peninsula on East FalklandIsland, might get almost close enough to touchone. “We’re the furthest location north in theworld that you can see king penguins,” saidTony Heathman, a former sheep farmer whohas spent the last 16 years taking tour groupsto Volunteer Point, where a thousand pairs ofthe islands’ signature species go to breed.

“We get lots and lots of people who... loveto come here and get as close to the king pen-guins as they possibly can,” the 70-year-oldtold AFP. Kings are just one of five penguinspecies in the Falklands, alongside the wacky-looking rockhoppers which have yellow tasselssprouting from the side of their heads, gen-toos, macaronis and the burrowing magellan-ics. The Falklands have incredibly rich biodi-versity, including more than 25 species ofwhales and dolphins, but it is the guaranteedability to get up close with penguins thatmakes it a particularly enticing destination.

Tourism is a growing industry in theFalklands despite their remote location in theSouth Atlantic some 480 kilometers offArgentina and occasional political and eco-nomic hostility from Buenos Aires. In 2018,there was a 6.3 percent increase in touristarrivals and a 29.4 percent surge in touristexpenditure to almost £8.8 million. “One of thekey attractions for us was the king penguins atVolunteer Point, so we saw plenty of those,”said Flavia Tang, 29, from London, who camefor a week with her partner.

Volunteer Point is one of the islands’ mostpopular destinations, accessible from the capi-tal Stanley by a three-hour ride in a four-wheel drive vehicle, including 11 miles ofbumpy, boggy, off-road track. The peninsula isalso home to gentoos and magellanic pen-guins-known locally as jackasses because oftheir braying-like call-as well as oystercatch-ers, South American terns and ruddy-headedgeese.

Like a Hitchcock film Another of the Falklands’ stunning locations

for wildlife watching is Kidney Island, whererockhoppers use their claws and beaks to helpthem get to the top of cliffs where they willmate. In order to see the birds, visitors musttrek a half hour through tall, three-meter tus-sac grass while avoiding ground bird nests. Buta bird called the sooty shearwater is whatmakes the island truly unique.

“Kidney Island is home to 140,000 breed-ing pairs of sooty shearwaters that are justrafting off the coast here ready to come in,”Denise Blake, the Falklands government’s envi-

ronmental officer, told AFP during a visit to theoutlying island. “So as night falls you really seethem swooping in over the heads a bit like theHitchcock movie where all the birds start cir-cling in: It’s incredible for that.” While manynature-lovers head to places such asAntarctica and South Georgia, an island in theSouth Atlantic, Sally Ellis, the manager atInternational Tours and Travel, feels theFalklands are a better option.

“Antarctica and South Georgia are nothingcompared to the variety and accessibility ofwildlife in the Falkland Islands and it costsabout a quarter,” she said, adding that therewas nearly a “guarantee” to see whateverwildlife is desired. Beyond birds the endan-gered sei whale is found off the coast of theFalklands while the distinctive black and whiteCommerson’s dolphins swim near Yorke Bayand Gypsy Cove.

Leap of faithIn addition to nature watching, adventure

tourism is also growing on the islands, whereenterprising locals are branching into theindustry. Tom and Jane Chater recentlylaunched a business offering helicopter tripsand tours. The married couple is hoping toattract some of the 60,000 people a year whoarrive in the Falklands from cruise ships byoffering the chance to explore the islands fromtheir four-seater Robinson R-44 helicopter.“It’s been a very busy and exciting time forus,” said Tom Chater, 43. “It’s something wethought about for a long time,” added 46-year-old Jane. “It’s a leap of faith but we’rekeen to see how it works out.” — AFP

The king motions for the white falcon tobe brought closer and reaches out tostroke its chest, smiling as the bird

blindly swivels its head, a hood covering itseyes. Russia’s Vladimir Putin this monthengaged in some falcon diplomacy on aMiddle East tour, gifting prized gyrfalcons toSaudi King Salman and Emirati Crown PrinceMohammed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, a falconryenthusiast.

In Russia, however, Arab interest in fal-cons has a dark side, with out-of-controlpoaching and smuggling to the Gulf region,where they find an eager market thanks todeep-rooted hunting traditions. Gyrfalcons,the largest species of the predator onceprized by Russia’s tsars, breed in northernclimates and are sought after for their sizeand intelligence. Now a massive Kremlin-backed project to breed and export gyrfal-cons, or gyrs, has alarmed scientists as a pos-sible future scheme to smuggle wild birds.

Forbidden fruit Gyrs are not endangered, but trade in the

birds and their cross-border shipmentrequire permission from the Convention onInternational Trade in Endangered Species(CITES). They are protected in Russia, wherethe illegal capture of gyrs can lead to a four-year prison term. Poachers lure falcons tosnares with live bait, then swaddle and hoodthem. Smugglers stuff the birds into oldradios, car seats, or even down their trousers,before boarding a plane or crossing the bor-der by car, according to official reports.

Many of the birds do not survive the tripto the Gulf. Others die from disease in thedesert climate, but enough reach buyers-notat fairs but at invitation-only sales in privatehomes, says US-based breeder Brad Wood,

who sells falcons to Arab clients. “Wild-trapped gyrs are the forbidden fruit” andfetch up to $100,000, he said. “Most of usbreeders know that many young Russian gyrshave been smuggled from Russia to theMiddle East” to hunt and breed, often to pro-duce heat-resistant hybrids.

Gyr specialist Yevgeny Lobkov saidpoaching on an “industrial scale” has gone onfor decades in Russia’s far-easternKamchatka region, where a higher percent-age of gyrs are white, fetching higher prices.Lobkov estimated that hundreds are takenevery year from Kamchatka, where he works.Poachers are well-equipped and work out inthe open, parking their cars along majorroads. Smuggling cases rarely reach trial. In2013 a man was caught by Russian customswith 29 birds but disappeared after theUnited Arab Emirates (UAE) embassy paidhis bail, local media reported.

Factory farm Russia’s environment ministry in October

announced that a new centre will be built inKamchatka with the goal of breeding 1,000

gyrfalcons a year, with plans for five more to“replenish Russian gyr populations” decimat-ed by poaching. A facility this size would bethe biggest in the world, effectively a “factoryfarm”, said UK-based biologist and falconbreeder Nick Fox, who has worked in theGulf region. Kremlin spokesman DmitryPeskov praised the centre as “fantastic”, call-ing it a “business project”-which suggests thefalcons will be exported to the Gulf.

Emirati Environment Minister Thani al-Zeyoudi told the Russian RT channel lastmonth that construction will start “in thecoming months” in what he called a “partner-ship” with Russia. Shukhrat Razakov, who isset to head the new centre, handled the twowhite birds on Putin’s Gulf trip. But for afacility of such size and government involve-ment, the project is mysterious, with the envi-ronment ministry declining to provide detailswhen contacted by AFP. Several Russianornithologists said it could adversely affectendemic falcons’ gene pool.

Falcon contraband Internationally, commercial trade of gyrfal-

cons is allowed only of birds bred in CITES-registered facilities. It is not clear where theKamchatka centre would get such birds.Razakov also runs a breeding facility inKyrgyzstan, where 200 gyrfalcons were flownin from the Emirates in 2017, according to itsInstagram account. He owns the Muras facili-ty, which is not CITES-registered, withRashid Al Kindi of the UAE and Russian OlegSharykin, who runs a cement business,according to the Kyrgyz justice ministry.

The company has no website, and did notrespond to questions sent via Instagram. Fox,the UK breeder who worked on falcon con-servation in Kyrgyzstan, has not heard ofMuras, but called the Central Asian state a“perfect place for bending CITES regula-tions”. Sergei Ganusevich, a gyrfalcon spe-cialist who advises Russian customs on smug-gled birds, said the new centre will likely belaunched with birds from Kyrgyzstan, in viola-tion of CITES rules. He called the project“corruption-prone, environmentally danger-ous and biologically unfounded.”

If Razakov’s gyrfalcons are indeed nativesof Kamchatka, they can only be contraband as

“there have never been legal shipments ofgyrfalcons from Russia.” If the gyrs are fromelsewhere, Ganusevich said bringing them toKamchatka would introduce their genes tothe native local birds, which goes against con-servation ideals. Ganusevich added that locat-ing a breeding centre in rugged Kamchatkasmells like a plan to “launder” more desirablewild birds from local nature.

A known smuggling trick is using fakeexport papers to pass off wild falcons as birdsfrom breeding facilities. Russia is the onlycountry that has failed to stop the smugglingof wild gyrfalcons, said Ganusevich, who hassent two letters to Putin protesting theplanned breeding centre. Instead of buildinghuge falcon farms, “all you need to do is toeradicate poaching and contraband, and thegyrfalcon will be fine,” he said. — AFP

Alexander Borodin, chief of a falcon centre ofthe All-Russian Research Institute ofEnvironmental Protection, holds a peregrinefalcon in Moscow.

A northern goshawk is seen in an enclosure ata falcon centre.

A picture shows a gyrfalcon at a falcon centreof the All-Russian Research Institute ofEnvironmental Protection in Moscow.

A saker is seen in an enclosure at a falconcentre. — AFP photos

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

DIAL161 FOR AIRPORT INFORMATION

Arrival Flights on Thursday 31/10/2019Airlines Flt Route TimeIGO 1757 Kochi 00:10THY 772 Istanbul 00:20JZR 254 Amman 00:20QTR 8276 ZAZ 00:20DLH 625 Dammam 00:50KAC 102 London 00:50JZR 734 Cairo 01:00KAC 504 Beirut 01:00JZR 722 Alexandria 01:00RJA 642 Amman 01:20UAE 853 Dubai 01:40KLM 446 Bahrain 01:45PGT 828 Istanbul 02:00ETH 620 Addis Ababa 02:15KAC 156 Istanbul 02:35QTR 1086 Doha 02:40PGT 860 Istanbul 02:50GFA 211 Bahrain 02:50OMA 643 Muscat 03:05ETD 305 Abu Dhabi 03:05JZR 406 Kochi 03:05MSR 612 Cairo 03:15KAC 418 Manila 03:20QTR 1076 Doha 03:30RBG 1559 Alexandria 03:45OHY 352 Istanbul 04:00LMU 510 Cairo 04:00KAC 382 Delhi 04:05IGO 1751 Chennai 04:10DHX 170 Bahrain 04:25MSR 0516 Cairo 04:25KAC 784 Jeddah 04:25JZR 404 Hyderabad 04:50FDB 069 Dubai 05:05IGO 1759 Delhi 05:10THY 770 Istanbul 05:20JZR 402 Mumbai 05:25KAC 344 Chennai 05:30JZR 112 Doha 05:50KAC 552 Cairo 05:50KAC 362 Colombo 06:05BAW 157 London 06:10JZR 702 Asyut 06:10KAC 284 Dhaka 06:15JZR 714 Sohag 06:20KAC 678 Dubai 06:40KAC 106 London 06:40KAC 206 Islamabad 06:50KAC 302 Mumbai 07:00JZR 408 Ahmedabad 07:05IRA 601 Tehran 07:10IGO 1766 Mumbai 07:10QTR 8511 Doha 07:15FDB 053 Dubai 07:50QTR 1084 Doha 08:00KAC 354 Bengaluru 08:00KAC 352 Kochi 08:05KAC 332 Trivandrum 08:05KAC 384 Delhi 08:10UAE 855 Dubai 08:25ETD 301 Abu Dhabi 08:50ABY 125 Sharjah 09:00OMA 641 Muscat 09:00GFA 209 Bahrain 09:05QTR 1070 Doha 09:20GOW 061 CNN 09:30IGO 1753 Ahmedabad 09:40FDB 055 Dubai 09:40JZR 410 Delhi 09:50IRA 675 Lar 09:55SVA 512 Riyadh 10:00IAW 157A Al Najaf 10:00GFA 213 Bahrain 10:40MEA 404 Beirut 10:55OMS 223 Muscat 11:00QTR 1074 Doha 11:00SYR 341 Damascus 11:00JZR 1342 Al Najaf 11:20NIA 1407 Sohag 11:35JZR 122 Dubai 11:45AHY 119 Baku 12:05JZR 252 Amman 12:20THY 766 Istanbul 12:30KAC 614 Bahrain 12:30MSR 610 Cairo 12:45UAE 871 Dubai 12:45AXB 393 Kozhikode 13:10

KAC 774 Riyadh 13:35JZR 212 Jeddah 13:45IRA 607 Mashhad 13:55ZAV 4133 BSR 14:00UAE 877 Dubai 14:00KAC 672 Dubai 14:00KAC 662 Abu Dhabi 14:00KNE 231 Riyadh 14:10SVA 500 Jeddah 14:15GFA 221 Bahrain 14:15FDB 059 Dubai 14:20QTR 1078 Doha 14:25KAC 792 Madinah 14:40KAC 304 Mumbai 14:45JZR 222 Riyadh 14:45KAC 618 Doha 14:50KAC 562 Amman 14:50KAC 788 Jeddah 14:55KAC 118 New York 15:00KNE 529 Jeddah 15:05KAC 412 Bangkok 15:10ETD 303 Abu Dhabi 15:15OMA 645 Muscat 15:20ABY 127 Sharjah 15:35UAE 857 Dubai 15:45KAC 546 Cairo 15:50KNE 531 Jeddah 16:05FDB 051 Dubai 16:10JZR 732 Cairo 16:10QTR 1072 Doha 16:15KAC 502 Beirut 16:15KAC 198 Baku 16:20FEG 241 Alexandria 16:45SAW 705 Damascus 17:00JZR 116 Doha 17:05SVA 510 Riyadh 17:15GFA 215 Bahrain 17:30JZR 214 Jeddah 17:35JZR 124 Dubai 17:40JZR 104 Bahrain 18:00QTR 1080 Doha 18:10KAC 158 Istanbul 18:10JZR 612 Tbilisi 18:15JZR 302 Istanbul 18:20MSR 620 Cairo 18:30IRA 667 Esfahan 19:00FDB 063 Dubai 19:05RJA 640 Amman 19:05GFA 217 Bahrain 19:05UAE 875 Dubai 19:05ABY 123 Sharjah 19:20KAC 744 Dammam 19:25NIA 161 Cairo 19:30KAC 616 Bahrain 19:40KAC 674 Dubai 19:45KAC 776 Riyadh 19:45FDB 057 Dubai 19:50KNE 381 Taif 20:00KAC 174 Munich 20:00OMA 647 Muscat 20:05NIA 1505 Asyut 20:10DLH 624 Frankfurt 20:10MEA 402 Beirut 20:15JZR 126 Dubai 20:20RBG 213 Sohag 20:30KAC 620 Doha 20:30QTR 8446 LGG 20:40QTR 1088 Doha 20:40KLM 445 Amsterdam 21:00ETD 307 Abu Dhabi 21:10UAE 859 Dubai 21:15ALK 229 Colombo 21:15KAC 168 Paris 21:20THY 764 Istanbul 21:30KAC 164 MXP 21:40KAC 676 Dubai 21:45GFA 219 Bahrain 21:50KAC 564 Amman 21:55QTR 1082 Doha 22:05ETD 309 Abu Dhabi 22:15KAC 786 Jeddah 22:20AIC 981 Chennai/Ahmedabad 22:25RBG 555 Alexandria 22:30JZR 128 Dubai 22:50GEC 8486 Frankfurt 22:55BBC 043 Dhaka 23:00MSC 501 Alexandria 23:10MSC 415 Sohag 23:15MSR 614 Cairo 23:30

Departure Flights on Thursday 31/10/2019Airlines Flt Route TimeAIC 976 Goa/Chennai 00:05JZR 713 Sohag 00:10MSC 406 Sohag 00:15MSR 615 Cairo 00:30JZR 409 Delhi 01:10IGO 1758 Kochi 01:10KAC 677 Dubai 01:50THY 773 Istanbul 01:50DLH 625 Frankfurt 01:50QTR 8276 Doha 01:50KAC 417 Manila 02:00JZR 111 Doha 02:10THY 765 Istanbul 02:50PGT 829 Istanbul 02:59ETH 621 Addis Ababa 03:05KLM 446 Amsterdam 03:10UAE 854 Dubai 03:30ETD 306 Abu Dhabi 04:00OMA 644 Muscat 04:05QTR 1087 Doha 04:15MSR 613 Cairo 04:15PGT 861 Istanbul 04:20RBG 1550 Alexandria 04:25ZAV 4132 BSR 05:00QTR 1077 Doha 05:00LMU 511 Cairo 05:00OHY 351 Istanbul 05:00IGO 1752 Chennai 05:10KAC 303 Mumbai 05:15MSR 0517 Mumbai 05:25FDB 070 Dubai 06:00IGO 1765 Delhi 06:10THY 771 Istanbul 06:30GFA 212 Bahrain 06:50RJA 643 Amman 07:00JZR 251 Amman 07:10JZR 121 Dubai 07:15KAC 167 Paris 07:15BAW 156 London 07:40KAC 173 Munich 07:45KAC 413 Bangkok 07:45JZR 211 Jeddah 08:00JZR 1341 Al Najaf 08:00IGO 1767 Mumbai 08:10IRA 606 Mashhad 08:10FDB 054 Dubai 08:35KAC 163 MXP 08:35KAC 545 Cairo 08:50KAC 501 Beirut 08:50KAC 561 Amman 08:55KAC 613 Bahrain 09:00QTR 8512 Doha 09:00KAC 117 New York 09:05QTR 1085 Doha 09:10KAC 791 Madinah 09:10KAC 787 Jeddah 09:15KAC 671 Dubai 09:15KAC 661 Abu Dhabi 09:25KAC 157 Istanbul 09:35KAC 773 Riyadh 09:40ABY 126 Sharjah 09:40JZR 731 Cairo 09:45UAE 856 Dubai 09:50JZR 301 Istanbul 09:55ETD 302 Abu Dhabi 09:55OMA 642 Muscat 10:00KAC 101 London 10:05GFA 210 Bahrain 10:05KAC 197 Baku 10:10GOW 062 CNN 10:30QTR 1071 Doha 10:30KAC 617 Doha 10:40FDB 056 Dubai 10:40IGO 1754 Ahmedabad 10:40IRA 668 Mashhad 10:55SVA 513 Riyadh 10:55IAW 158A Al Najaf 11:00JZR 221 Riyadh 11:20GFA 214 Bahrain 11:35OMS 224 Muscat 11:40MEA 405 Beirut 11:55SYR 342 Damascus 12:00JZR 213 Jeddah 12:05QTR 1075 Doha 12:10JZR 611 Tbilisi 12:20

NIA 1506 Asyut 12:35AHY 120 Baku 13:05JZR 123 Dubai 13:10JZR 115 Doha 13:25MSR 611 Cairo 13:45THY 767 Istanbul 14:00AXB 394 Kozhikode 14:10UAE 872 Dubai 14:15IRA 666 Esfahan 14:55KAC 673 Dubai 15:00KNE 382 Taif 15:00GFA 222 Bahrain 15:00JZR 103 Bahrain 15:05FDB 060 Dubai 15:05QTR 1079 Doha 15:30UAE 878 Dubai 15:30SVA 501 Jeddah 15:45JZR 125 Dubai 15:50KNE 530 Jeddah 15:55KAC 563 Amman 16:00KAC 775 Riyadh 16:05KAC 743 Dammam 16:05KAC 615 Bahrain 16:10ABY 128 Sharjah 16:15KAC 785 Jeddah 16:20ETD 304 Abu Dhabi 16:20OMA 646 Muscat 16:20KAC 619 Doha 16:25KNE 532 Jeddah 16:55KAC 675 Dubai 17:00FDB 052 Dubai 17:10QTR 1073 Doha 17:25KAC 151 Istanbul 17:35KAC 503 Beirut 17:40KAC 283 Dhaka 17:40UAE 858 Dubai 17:40FEG 242 Alexandria 17:45KAC 343 Chennai 17:50KAC 381 Delhi 17:55SAW 706 Damascus 18:00JZR 721 Alexandria 18:15SVA 511 Riyadh 18:15JZR 127 Dubai 18:20GFA 216 Bahrain 18:20JZR 403 Hyderabad 18:25JZR 715 Sohag 18:30JZR 733 Cairo 18:35JZR 745 Sharm el-Sheikh 18:50JZR 253 Amman 19:10QTR 1081 Doha 19:20MSR 621 Cairo 19:30KAC 691 Muscat 19:35FDB 064 Dubai 19:45GFA 218 Bahrain 19:50IRA 600 Tehran 20:00ABY 124 Sharjah 20:00KAC 357 Kochi 20:05RJA 641 Amman 20:05NIA 162 Cairo 20:30FDB 058 Dubai 20:30JZR 401 Mumbai 20:30UAE 876 Dubai 20:35KAC 353 Bengaluru 20:50KNE 232 Riyadh 20:50DLH 624 Dammam 20:55KAC 333 Trivandrum 21:05OMA 648 Muscat 21:05NIA 1506 Sohag 21:10RBG 214 Sohag 21:10MEA 403 Beirut 21:15KAC 301 Mumbai 21:25DHX 171 Bahrain 21:50QTR 1089 Doha 21:50KAC 203 Lahore 22:00KLM 445 Bahrain 22:10ETD 308 Abu Dhabi 22:15ALK 230 Colombo 22:20KAC 383 Delhi 22:35UAE 860 Dubai 22:35GFA 220 Bahrain 22:50KAC 783 Jeddah 22:55KAC 551 Cairo 23:00ETD 310 Abu Dhabi 23:05RBG 556 Alexandria 23:10QTR 8447 Doha 23:10QTR 1083 Doha 23:20

ClassifiedsThursday, October 31, 2019

Sabah Hospital 24812000

Amiri Hospital 22450005

Maternity Hospital 24843100

Mubarak Al-Kabir Hospital 25312700

Chest Hospital 24849400

Farwaniya Hospital 24892010

Adan Hospital 23940620

Ibn Sina Hospital 24840300

Al-Razi Hospital 24846000

Physiotherapy Hospital 24874330/9

Kaizen center 25716707

Rawda 22517733

Adaliya 22517144

Khaldiya 24848075

Kaifan 24849807

Shamiya 24848913

Shuwaikh 24814507

Abdullah Salem 22549134

Nuzha 22526804

Industrial Shuwaikh 24814764

Qadsiya 22515088

Dasmah 22532265

Bneid Al-Gar 22531908

Shaab 22518752

Qibla 22459381

Ayoun Al-Qibla 22451082

Mirqab 22456536

Sharq 22465401

Salmiya 25746401

112

Automated enquiry about theCivilID card is 1889988

CHANGE OF NAME

MATRIMONIAL

I Farooq Mohammed S/oMohammed Khaja R/oFarwaniyah Block No. 3, streetNo. 30, Avenue No. 4621, firstfloor, room No. 3. Henceforth Ichange my son name fromHusain to Husain FarooqMohammed. (C 5468)

I Merl Elizebeth Mathew(Mathilunkal House KuttapuzhaTiruvalla Pathanamthitta Kerala)holder of Indian Passport No.Z5184743 issued at Kuwait on30-01-2019 presently residingat Kuwait do hereby declarethat henceforth my name willbe read as given name: MerylElizabeth Mathew. Objections ifand may be forwarded toEmbassy of India, DiplomaticEnclave, Safat, Arabian Gulf St,Kuwait city, 13015. (C 5469)30-10-2019

I Mohammed IshaqMohammed Yousuf holder of

32 year old Goan Catholic boylooking for suitable GoanCatholic life partner. He hasgraduated in industrial engi-neering from a reputed univer-sity in the US. He is currentlyemployed in Kuwait and look-ing forward to settle down verysoon. He is 5’10” tall, fair andgood looking. If you think youare the right match please con-tact at 96765696 ASAP. Email:if8016037@gmail.com (C 5454)10-10-2019

Indian Passport No. R8275312having permanent address “LIGColony 36/4, Kurla (W), PipeRoad, Mumbai - 400070,Maharashtra.” Residing inKuwait at present, herebydeclare that henceforth myname will be read as Givenname: Mohammed YousufMohammed Ishaq. (C 5467)28-10-2019

Thursday, October 31, 2019N e w s

Established 1961 24

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“The TFTC’s coordinated disruption of the financialnetworks used by the Iranian regime to fund terrorism is apowerful demonstration of Gulf unity,” said US TreasurySecretary Steven Mnuchin in a statement. “This actiondemonstrates the unified position of the Gulf nations andthe United States that Iran will not be allowed to escalateits malign activity in the region,” said Mnuchin, whoaddressed a business forum in Riyadh yesterday.

Earlier this month, Financial Action Task Force (FATF)- the international body that sets standards on combat-ing terrorist financing - said it had given Iran the finaldeadline of Feb 2020 to comply with internationalnorms, after which it would urge members to applycounter-measures. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeoyesterday welcomed the move by Paris-based FATF,saying in a statement that the Revolutionary Guard“continues to engage in large-scale, illicit, financingschemes to fund its malign activities”.

In a related development, Iran’s supreme leader yester-day accused the United States and Saudi Arabia of stokingunrest in Lebanon and Iraq, saying Tehran understood thesituation in those countries because it had had to suppresssimilar foreign interference at home. “The US and Westernintelligence services, with the financial backing of reac-tionary countries in the region, are spreading turmoil,”Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was quoted by his official websiteas telling graduating army cadets.

Khamenei urged protesters to seek changes in a lawfulway in Iraq and Lebanon, where Iran has powerful alliesamong Shiite government factions. “The enemy wants todisrupt the legal framework. When in a country there is nolegal framework and a vacuum is created, no positiveaction can be taken,” he added.

The Americans and Western intelligence services“backed by the money of some reactionary countries inthe region are causing turmoil... to destroy security”, hesaid. “I seize this opportunity to tell those who care aboutIraq and Lebanon to remedy insecurity as their priority,”Khamenei said, without elaborating. “The biggest damagethat enemies can inflict on a country is to deprive thatcountry of security.”

In an apparent warning, Khamenei praised Iran’s crack-down against street protests at home in 2018. “They (USand Saudi Arabia) had similar plans for our dear country,but fortunately the people... came out in time and thearmed forces were ready and that plot was neutralized,”Khamenei said, in a reference to the protests which wereput down by security forces while authorities held pro-government rallies.

Iran’s weeks-long unrest in 2017-2018 began as protestsabout economic hardship and corruption but grew into politi-cal rallies, some of which criticized Khamenei by name. Theywere the boldest challenge to Iran’s leadership since 2009,when security forces crushed a pro-reform uprising andkilled dozens of protesters.

“Our advice has always been to call for peace and(stopping) interference by foreign forces in these coun-tries (Iraq and Lebanon),” President Hassan Rouhani’schief of staff Mahmoud Vaezi was quoted as saying earlierby state media. The United States, Saudi Arabia and Israelwere riding a wave of popular demands and providingthose forces with financial support, he added. — Agencies

Kuwait, US, Gulfsanction Hezbollah...

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their tracks were not entirely successful,” Cathcartsaid in an opinion piece published in the WashingtonPost, noting that the investigation found internet-host-ing services and accounts associated with NSO. Thesuit calls on court to order NSO Group to stop anysuch attacks and asks for unspecified damages.

WhatsApp in May called on users to upgrade theapplication to plug a security hole that allowed for theinjection of sophisticated malware that could be usedfor spying at the messaging app used by 1.5 billionpeople around the world. The malicious code wastransmitted through WhatsApp servers from aboutApril 29 to May 10, targeting devices of attorneys,journalists, human rights activists, political dissidents,diplomats, and other senior foreign government offi-cials, according to the complaint.

“A user would receive what appeared to be a videocall, but this was not a normal call,” Cathcart said of the

cyberattack. “After the phone rang, the attacker secret-ly transmitted malicious code in an effort to infect thevictim’s phone with spyware. The person did not evenhave to answer the call.”

The NSO Group came to prominence in 2016 whenresearchers accused it of helping spy on an activist inthe United Arab Emirates. Its best-known product isPegasus, a highly invasive tool that can reportedlyswitch on a target’s phone camera and microphone, andaccess data on it. The firm has been adamant that itonly licenses its software to governments for “fightingcrime and terror” and that it investigates credible alle-gations of misuse, but activists argue the technologyhas been instead used for human rights abuses.

Danna Ingleton of Amnesty International said theresults of the WhatsApp investigation “underscore thatNSO Group continues to profit from its spyware prod-ucts being used to intimidate, track, and punish scoresof human rights defenders across the globe, includingthe Kingdom of Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates andMexico”. Ingleton said Amnesty and other groups areseeking in the Israeli courts to block NSO for export-ing the technology. “WhatsApp deserves credit fortheir tough stance against these malicious attacks,including their efforts to hold NSO to account in thecourts,” she said. — AFP

WhatsApp sues Israeli firm over...

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“This step which was taken is worthless and we do notrecognize it,” Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogansaid in a televised speech. “A country whose history is fullof the stain of genocide and slavery neither has the right tosay anything nor to lecture Turkey,” he said. Ties betweenWashington and NATO member Turkey have beenstrained by Ankara’s offensive against Kurdish fighters innorthern Syria, which came after US forces withdrew fromthe area.

The House also passed a measure on Tuesday imposingsanctions on senior Turkish officials involved in the Syriaoffensive. The international recognition of the killings asgenocide has long been the top priority of Armenia’s for-eign policy, supported by vigorous campaigning byArmenian diasporas around the world.

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan hailed theHouse move, tweeting that it was a “bold step towardsserving truth and historical #justice that also offers com-fort to millions of descendants of the Armenian Genocidesurvivors.” The Armenian foreign ministry said the resolu-tion was of “profound significance” and thanked US law-makers for “their overwhelming commitment to truth, jus-tice, humanity and solidarity, and to universal values ofhuman rights.”

The sentiment was shared by Armenians on the streetsof the capital Yerevan. “I am so happy that the US has

finally recognised the Armenian genocide,” said 69-year-old cobbler Koryun Hakobyan. “Other countries will nowfollow suit.” The hilltop genocide memorial that domi-nates Yerevan’s skyline draws hundreds of thousands onApril 24 each year to mark the anniversary of the start ofthe tragedy.

In April 2015, on the centenary of the killings, theArmenian Church conferred sainthood on victims of themassacres. Kim Kardashian, the US reality star who is aprominent member of the Armenian diaspora and visitedYerevan for the 2015 anniversary, hailed the Washingtonvote on social media. “WOW LOOK AT THESE INCRED-IBLE NUMBERS!!! THE U.S. JUST RECOGNIZED THEARMENIAN GENOCIDE!!!!” she wrote in a Tweet to her62 million followers.

Turkey’s foreign ministry suggested the House meas-ure was the result of domestic politics in the UnitedStates, where people of Armenian origin numberbetween 500,000 and 1.5 million. “Its sole addresseesare the Armenian lobby and anti-Turkey groups,” theministry said. In 2017, newly inaugurated US PresidentDonald Trump criticized the killings as “one of the worstmass atrocities of the 20th century”, but in keeping withlongstanding US practice he stopped short of using theword genocide.

Before being elected in 2008, Trump’s predecessorBarack Obama had pledged to recognize the killings asgenocide, but ultimately did not do so during his two termsin office. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Tuesday thatthe truth of the “staggering crime” had been denied toooften. “Today, let us clearly state the facts on the floor ofthis House to be etched forever into the CongressionalRecord: The barbarism committed against the Armenianpeople was a genocide.”— AFP

US Houserecognizes...

NABATIYEH, Lebanon: In the protests sweepingLebanon, nothing is sacred. Political leaders, who a fewweeks ago enjoyed the loyal support of core followersdespite worsening economic conditions, are now thetarget of many of those people’s ire. That show of irrev-erence towards senior figures who have long com-manded respect has broken taboos, setting thesedemonstrations apart from previous waves of dissent.

Saad Al-Hariri stepped down as prime minister onTuesday in the face of mass protests fuelled by resent-ment against the ruling elite, whom people blame forthe dire state of the economy. The son-in-law ofPresident Michel Aoun, Gebran Bassil, who is also for-eign minister, has become a figure of ridicule amongmany on the streets of the capital Beirut.

Hezbollah, the heavily armed Shiite group widelyrecognized as the most powerful force in the country,has not been spared. Chants against its leader SayyedHassan Nasrallah would have been unthinkable lastmonth. Now they are common. In Nabatiyeh, a mainlyShiite town in the south of the country, protesters haveset their sights on Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, one

of Lebanon’s most powerful politicians whose AmalMovement dominates the area.

“I have come down to protest to bring down Berriwho is a symbol of corruption,” said Koussay Charara, aShiite teacher who was one of thousands of peopleoccupying the town square and surrounding streets.When hundreds of protesters chanted against Berri inone of the town’s main streets, residents say they wereattacked by groups of baton-wielding mobs believed tobe supporters of Amal and its ally Hezbollah. At leasteight people were hurt, some of whom were hospitalized.

In other places in Nabatiyeh and elsewhere in thesouth, posters of Berri that adorned government build-ings were damaged by angry demonstrators. The politi-cian himself has sided with protesters, telling MPs fromhis party last week that the crowds had achieved someof the changes that Amal itself had been demanding fordecades. A source within Amal said the tens of thou-sands of people taking to the streets had made legiti-mate demands for greater transparency, accountabilityand action against corruption. “The Amal movementand its leader were not surprised by the social explo-

sion that took place,” he said.That explosion is pitting people once aligned in a sin-

gle faction against each other, adding to the sense ofchaos in Lebanese towns and cities. In Nabatiyeh, thosebacking Berri chanted their support. “With our blood andlives we offer ourselves as a sacrifice for you Nabih,” theyshouted. New posters appeared of the smiling politician,accompanied by the words “We are With You”.

Some Amal and Hezbollah supporters wearing blackclothes and carrying sticks and pipes attacked anddestroyed the anti-government protest camp in Beirut,believing the protesters were tarnishing their leaderNasrallah. It was the most serious strife in the capitalsince 2008, when Hezbollah fighters seized control in abrief eruption of armed conflict with Lebanese adver-saries loyal to Hariri and his allies.

Analysts are taking particular note of dissent in thesouth of Lebanon, because of the political dominancelong enjoyed there by Amal and Hezbollah. “There aremore daring voices in the south. Demonstrations werebreaking the previous taboos in politics,” saidMohanad Hage Ali of the Carnegie Middle East Center.

The north has not been spared either. In the mostlySunni Muslim city of Tripoli, one of Lebanon’s poorest,protesters turned on their leaders by burning tyres neara villa owned by former Sunni prime minister NajibMikati. “You are one of them!” they chanted, referringto the political elite they despise.

Ali Omar, a Sunni university teacher, said that a briefwalk around Tripoli was more than enough proof thatparliamentarians and Sunni leaders had done nothingfor the city over the years. “Go look in the city and seethe unemployment rate, look at the electricity ... go tothe social security offices, look at the roads with theirpotholes, at the oppression.”

Tripoli has seen some of the biggest, liveliest demon-strations of the past two weeks. People have gathereddaily in the city square, chanting and dancing deep intothe night. Omar said people were sick of spending theirlives asking for favors or begging officials for their basicrights. “Where are all these taxes going? Into their bankaccounts,” he said. “For 30 years we’ve been screaming... that half the youth are unemployed. What do we haveto do for you to hear us?” — Reuters

Lebanon protesters turn on leaders, breaking taboos

CAIRO: Egypt’s public prosecutor has ordered the deten-tion of a ticket collector after one of two vendors heallegedly told to get off a moving train because they hadno tickets died jumping from a carriage. The incident earlyon Monday near the Nile Delta city of Tanta sparked out-rage among social media users, many of whom saw it as anexample of how the authorities treat poor people as wellas the use of harsh, military-style discipline.

The ticket collector, Magdi Ibrahim, “opened the doorand asked them to pay, or submit their IDs for a (police)report, or get off the train,” the public prosecutor said in astatement late on Tuesday. The two men jumped, and one,Mohamed Eid, was decapitated by the train, while the oth-er, Ahmed Samir, “suffered abrasions and bruises in differ-ent parts of his body”, the statement said.

Ibrahim has been ordered to remain in custody for fourdays pending investigations on charges of “committing

actions that endangered the safety of two train passengersand led to the death of one of them”, it added. He deniedthe accusations, and said he had tried to prevent the menjumping, the statement said.

Transport Minister Kamel Al-Wazir said the men hadjumped as the train was driving through a disused stationand that Eid had fallen between the train and a platform.He told MBC Masr that Eid’s family would be given100,000 Egyptian pounds ($6,200) in compensation aswell as a job for a relative at the Railway Authority, and20,000 pounds for Samir.

The Railway Authority said the two men were vendorswho declined to pay for tickets and jumped from the trainwhen it slowed down. It made no mention of Ibrahimordering them off the train. On social media, users shared apost reading: “How much is the ticket? = Your life!”, andthe Arabic hashtag meaning “the ticket martyr” was trend-ing on Facebook and Twitter.

Some blamed Wazir, a former army general who tookthe post after a deadly train crash that left more than 20dead at Cairo’s main station in February, or linked theincident to an austerity drive under President Adel FattahAl-Sisi. The Railway Authority has said it is working on“an urgent and immediate rehabilitation and training pro-gram” for all railway staff who have direct contact withthe public.— Reuters

Ticket collector held after ordering men off moving train

BEIRUT: A Lebanese protester walks draped in a national flag along the Fuad Chehab Avenue, near the Martyrs’ Square, in the center of the capital on Tuesday. — AFP

Sulaibikhat SportsClub wins LiberationBoxing Championshipfor juniorsBy Abdellatif Sharaa

KUWAIT: Sulaibikhat Sports Club won first place inthe Liberation Boxing Championship for juniors, as itgot five gold and one bronze medals, while Jahra box-ers took second place with one gold and four silver.Qurain and Fahaheel clubs won one gold, two silver andthree bronze landing them in third place. The champi-onship saw 63 boxers distributed over 10 various cate-gories. The championship closing ceremony wasattended by Chairman of Kuwait Boxing FederationMohammad Mansi and several board members.

Mohammad Mansi appreciated the participationof 11 clubs in the first championship of the seasonand said “we have seen strong competitions in vari-ous categories during the championship which con-firms the interest of all clubs”, and “this makes usoptimistic towards a bright future of the game in thefew coming years”.

He said the return of Jahra club to boxing and get-

ting second place will give the game an importantpush at all levels.

He said the championship was good as far as the

technical level and physical preparation of most play-ers, and he appreciated the efforts that brought sev-eral talents in boxing.

MIAMI: In a game marred by an injury to star Atlantapoint guard Trae Young, the Miami Heat and JimmyButler defeated the visiting Hawks 112-97 on Tuesdaynight. Atlanta’s John Collins led all scorers with 30points. Miami rookie Tyler Herro had 19 of his 29 pointsin the second quarter, and Butler — making his Heatdebut — added 21 points. Goran Dragic also had 21points for Miami. Young, who entered the game rankedsecond in the NBA in scoring (34 points per game) andtied for fifth in assists (9.0), injured his right ankle with9:57 left in the second quarter and did not return.Shortly after the injury, the Hawks announced Youngsustained a sprained right ankle and would not returnto the game. ESPN reported that X-rays taken immedi-ately after Young left the court were negative and thatthe team is optimistic the injury is not serious.

According to the report, Young will undergo an MRIexam soon.

LAKERS 120, GRIZZLIES 91Anthony Davis scored 40 points and grabbed 20

rebounds in 31 minutes, and host Los Angeles used athird-quarter burst to roll past Memphis for its thirdstraight win. Davis set a franchise record for freethrows made by hitting 26 of 27 attempts, converting 18in the third quarter to spark a 22-0 run that allowed theLakers to blow away the Grizzlies. Memphis failed toscore in the final 5:47 of the third. Davis, who was 7 of17 from the floor, played despite a sore shoulder he hurtin a Sunday win over the Charlotte Hornets. He exhibit-ed discomfort throughout the game but played throughit. LeBron James had 23 points and eight assists for the

Lakers. Rookie point guard Ja Morant scored 16 pointsand Jonas Valanciunas had 14 points and 11 reboundsfor the Grizzlies.

MAVERICKS 109, NUGGETS 106Tim Hardaway Jr. and Maxi Kleber scored 14 points

apiece off the bench, Kristaps Porzingis had 10 points and14 rebounds, and visiting Dallas beat Denver. Luka Doncic

was held to 12 points but nine Mavericks players scored indouble figures in handing the Nuggets their first loss ofthe season. Paul Millsap had 23 points and eight rebounds,Will Barton had 19 points and 11 boards, and Nikola Jokichad 10 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists for Denver.Jamal Murray and Gary Harris had 16 points each for theNuggets, who lost the lead two minutes into the fourthquarter and never recovered. — Reuters

S p o r t s Thursday, October 31, 2019

25Established 1961

NBA results/standings Eastern Conference

Atlantic Division W L PCT GBPhiladelphia 3 0 1.000 -Toronto 3 1 .750 0.5Boston 2 1 .667 1Brooklyn 1 2 .333 2New York 1 3 .250 2.5 Central DivisionMilwaukee 2 1 .667 -Detroit 2 2 .500 0.5Cleveland 1 2 .333 1Chicago 1 3 .250 1.5Indiana 0 3 .000 2 Southeast DivisionMiami 3 1 .750 -Atlanta 2 2 .500 1Orlando 1 2 .333 1.5Washington 1 2 .333 1.5Charlotte 1 3 .250 2

Western ConferenceNorthwest Division

W L PCT GBMinnesota 3 0 1.000 -Utah 3 1 .750 0.5Denver 3 1 .750 0.5Portland 2 2 .500 1.5Oklahoma City 1 3 .250 2.5 Pacific DivisionLA Clippers 3 1 .750 -LA Lakers 3 1 .750 -Phoenix 2 2 .500 1Golden State 1 2 .333 1.5Sacramento 0 4 .000 3 Southwest DivisionSan Antonio 3 0 1.000 -Dallas 3 1 .750 0.5Houston 2 1 .667 1Memphis 1 3 .250 2.5New Orleans 0 4 .000 3.5

Defiant governorsays Olympicmarathon shouldstay in TokyoTOKYO: Tokyo’s governor insisted yesterday shestill wants to see the Olympic marathon held in thecapital next year, despite plans to move the event tonorthern Japan over heat concerns. The location ofthe marathon and race-walking events in next year’s2020 Summer Games has become a major stickingpoint between Tokyo officials and the InternationalOlympics Committee (IOC).

The body said earlier this month it would proposeshifting the events to Sapporo in northern Japanafter disastrous scenes at the Doha world champi-onships where dozens of athletes needed medicalattention in hot and humid conditions.

Last week, the chair of the IOC’s coordinationcommission John Coates, made clear the decision tomove the events was final, but Tokyo officials havenot backed down. “Let me clearly speak as theleader of the host city and the representative of thepeople of Tokyo, it is my wish for marathon and racewalk to be held in Tokyo,” Governor Yuriko Koikesaid at the start of a three-day meeting between IOCofficials, Tokyo government and 2020 organisers.

Koike noted IOC chief Thomas Bach after an IOCexecutive meeting on October 3 said he had neverseen a host city so well prepared. The plan to movethe events came two weeks later and was a “tremen-dous shock” to Tokyo, she said. “This proposal wasmade with no explanation at all to the Tokyo govern-ment or the Tokyo metropolitan assembly until the lastmoment.” She said angry local residents had calledthe local government asking about the decision.

PUBLIC ANGER There have been reports suggesting Tokyo wants

to see the events start at 5am, or even earlier, as away to keep them in the city. But Coates again yes-terday described the move as a done deal.

“This was a decision that was taken quickly. It wasa decision that was taken as consequences of whatwe saw in Doha,” he said. Coates said he was inTokyo “to explain to her (Koike) the reasons, thedetailed reasons for those changes.” “We absolutelyrecognise and we are so very thankful to the peopleof Tokyo,” he added. Speaking to reporters after-wards Koike said “mutual trust” was indispensablefor a successful Games, and said there were “no plansto spend Tokyo taxpayer money for another venue”.

Part of the anger over the decision appears tostem from the IOC’s abrupt announcement, whichcame without prior consultation with either Tokyo orSapporo officials. The marathon is generally consid-ered one of the key events of the Olympics, with itsroute carefully designed to show off landmarks in thehost city. It is also one of the few opportunities forordinary citizens to see an Olympic event for free,and is seen as an important way to drive engagementwith the Games.

The proposed move has thrown up various ques-tions, including who will bear the additional costs ofthe decision. Koike’s party Tomin First, the biggestforce in the Tokyo Assembly, estimates the venuemove will cost an extra 34 billion yen ($315 million),including expenses to build temporary facilities andlay mass-media transmission lines. Local media hassaid Tokyo organisers plan to demand the IOCshoulder those extra expenses. — AFP

Visiting Hawks lose point guard Young, then lose to Miami Heat

Mavericks lean on bench late, edge Nuggets

MIAMI: Tyler Herro #14 of the Miami Heat shoots the ball against the Atlanta Hawks at American AirlinesArena in Miami, Florida. — AFP

13th KuwaitOpen Bowling for men, womenbegins todayBy Abdellatif Sharaa

KUWAIT: Kuwait Bowling Center willbe the venue today for the launch ofthe 13th Kuwait Open Bowling for menand women, which is the last round inthe international league this year. Thecompetition will see an elite group ofworld champions, professionals andinternationally ranked players from var-ious countries.

The number of players who con-firmed their participation so far is morethan hundred, to compete for top placein 2019, with a total prizes of $218,000,

$50,000 of which is for top place.The open contests of three cate-

gories men, women and juniors which isfor Kuwaitis only.

It is known that the internationalleague which allows professionals andamateurs to participate, has worldchampionships and open tournamentsand trophies, and has very good interna-tional reputation, and prizes must not beless than $200,000. The league this yearhas 13 competitions around the world,three of which are for women only, andmost of them are organized in the UnitedStates, the strongest country in theworld in addition to the Amir of QatarCup, Lucky Larson Masters in Sweden,Kuwait and Thailand Open.

The international league is held withjoint supervision since 2011, betweenprofessional bowlers association and theinternational bowling federation headedby Sheikh Talal Al-Mohammad.

The Americans currently dominatethe men’s and women’s internationalleague, with Jacob Butturff tops the men

standings with 1,240 points, followed byA.J. Johnson with 1,088 points and KyleSherman with 1,076.

The women’s l i s t i s headed by

Danielle McEwan with 2192 pointsfollowed by Liz Johson with 2,084and Indonesia’s Tannya Roumimperwith 1,720.

KUWAIT: Chairman of Boxing Federation Mohammad Mansi and Chairman of Jahra Club Nawaf Judayed withSulaibikhat boxers.

NBK sponsorsBattle FitnessFestivalKUWAIT: National Bank of Kuwait(NBK) is the main sponsor of BattleFitness Festival Fitness Festival, for thesecond year. The festival takes place onthe 1st and the 2nd of November at theGreen Island-Gulf road. This year, NBKpartnered with Omniya Project manage-ment to provide recycling containers tocollect plastic during the two days event.All visitors are requested to be part ofthis awareness initiative and encouragerecycling in Kuwait.

The sponsorship of the Battle FitnessFestival comes in line with NBK’s commit-ment to support youths’ health. Thissponsorship aims to spread physicalawareness and attract youth to partici-pate in sporting events.

Talal Al-Turki, NBK Public RelationsManager, said: “NBK’s sponsorship tothis sports event comes in line with thebank’s customary and ongoing spirit ofcorporate citizenship as well as the vitalrole it plays in supporting youth and theirhealth. NBK always strives to empoweryouth to realize their potentials, providingdifferent supportive opportunities”.“NBK will be having an interactive boothto engage with the visitors through thecompetitions and activities organized andannounced on the banks social media

channels”, Al-Turki added. “The purposeof this event is to increase fitness aware-ness for all Kuwait citizens. This eventsheds light on the potential of youth inregards to fitness and sport awareness”.

The Battle Fitness Festival FitnessFestival will include sports challenges thatare expected to attract more than 2,000spectators as well as more than 2,500 ath-letes from around the world. The competi-tions in this festival comprised a range ofphysical challenges that depend on thestrength, flexibility and endurance. All ofwhich contribute to raise the spirit of posi-tive competition among student circles.NBK has always considered supportingyouth an essential part of its social andphilanthropic outreach which comes in linewith the bank’s commitment to encourage

a merit-based system in health, educationand environment that promotes the bestand the brightest the country has to offer.

Talal Al-Turki

Thursday, October 31, 2019S p o r t s

26

BRISBANE: David Warner and Steve Smith each smashedhalf-centuries as Australia hammered Sri Lanka by ninewickets to win the second Twenty20 in Brisbane yesterdayand wrap up the series.

It was another massive wake-up call for the SriLankans, who arrived in Australia on the back of a 3-0series win against Pakistan but have now been outplayedtwice, after being crushed by 134 runs in Adelaide onSunday. They must now regroup for the third and finalmatch in Melbourne on Friday. Warner and Smith cametogether after Aaron Finch was caught down the leg sideoff Lasith Malinga for a golden duck, and the pair pro-duced a batting masterclass. Warner was unbeaten on 60and Smith not out 53.

Chasing 118 to win after Sri Lanka were restricted to 117all out off 19 overs, they reached their target with 42 ballsto spare. “The bowlers did a terrific job, we bowled in theright areas and created chances and restricted them to 117,which wasn’t enough on this wicket,” said Smith. “It’s niceand easy batting at the other end from Davy,” he added.“He’s doing a terrific job. Played beautifully the other dayand backed it up tonight as well.” Warner scored his first-ever T20 century when Australia crushed Sri Lanka onSunday, and he brought that scintillating form intoBrisbane. In his first knock in the short format at interna-tional level since 2016, Smith was also firing — producingsome glorious drives and clever singles as he and Warnerraced each other to see who could make 50 first. Theexplosive Warner won the battle, with his 14th T20 half-century coming off 30 balls, with seven fours. Smith soonfollowed, grabbing his third 50, off 32 balls, with six bound-aries. There was nothing the Sri Lankan bowlers could doagainst such quality batsmen, who were never troubled.

MORE RESPONSIBLE “It’s a tough side and I think with this kind of batting

line-up our score wasn’t enough,” said Sri Lanka skipperMalinga. “We didn’t get the score we expected and thebatsmen will have to be more responsible. Shot selection isnot that great and we didn’t get any partnerships in themiddle overs.” Two wickets from the towering BillyStanlake, in for Mitchell Starc who was attending his

brother’s wedding, and a brace each for Ashton Agar,Adam Zampa and Pat Cummins kept Sri Lanka in checkafter they won the toss and batted.

Australia got an early breakthrough in the second overwhen Kusal Mendis was run out after a mix-up withDanushka Gunathilaka, who called for a run after hittingthe ball then didn’t move. He attempted to make amends byopening his bat, clubbing a huge six off Stanlake, beforehis luck ran out and he was clean-bowled by the lankypaceman for 21. Spinner Agar then enticed rising star

Avishka Fernando into a big hit when on 17 and he skied itstraight to Cummins, who took a difficult catch. WhenNiroshan Dickwella fell to Cummins for five, Sri Lankabegan to crumble. Kusal Perera chopped onto his stumpson 27 and Dasun Shanaka went for just one, feathering acatch to wicketkeeper Alex Carey off Stanlake. It left themin deep trouble at 75 for six after 11.2 overs and the wick-ets kept tumbling as Australia tightened the screws. AfterSri Lanka in Melbourne, Australia face Pakistan in threeT20s in Sydney, Canberra and Perth. — AFP

Warner and Smith on fire as Australia thump Sri Lanka

Wrap up the series with second Twenty20 win in Brisbane

Protests in Bangladesh over captainShakib’s ban DHAKA: Hundreds of supporters of Bangladesh’scricket captain Shakib Al Hasan protested yesterdayafter he was banned for two years by the sport’s gov-erning body for not declaring attempts to bribe him.

The ban on the 32-year-old superstar wasannounced Tuesday by the International CricketCouncil (ICC), which suspended one year of the pun-ishment after Shakib “accepted three charges ofbreaching the ICC Anti-Corruption Code”.

Shakib made a public appeal for support afterbeing banned, unleashing a flood of angry anti-ICCsocial media posts from his fans. Police said about700 people took to the streets in Shakib’s hometownof Magura, demanding the ICC revoke the ban whichcame on the eve of Bangladesh’s departure for a tourof India. “The protesters shouted slogans andmarched along a highway. They also formed a humanchain as part of their action against the ICC deci-sion,” said Saiful Islam, police chief in the westerntown. Protesters carried placards saying that Shakibwas the victim of a “conspiracy”. Smaller protestswere held in the capital Dhaka, police said. The Testand T20 captain accepted charges that he had failedto disclose details of approaches made over a tri-nation series between Bangladesh, Sri Lanka andZimbabwe in 2018 as well as the 2018 Indian PremierLeague (IPL).

Shakib will be eligible to return from October 29next year but he is ruled out of the T20 World Cup inAustralia which starts October 8.

“Those who have supported me over the years, Ihope they, the fans, Bangladesh Cricket Board, thegovernment, the journalists will continue to supportme in my bad and good time,” Shakib told reportersafter the ban was announced.

“I am hopeful I will come back to cricket soon. Iwill be stronger and will perform my responsibilitieswith more sincerity,” he said. Shakib, who hasplayed 56 Tests, 206 ODIs and 76 Twenty20 inter-nationals, is Bangladesh’s biggest sporting hero andhas regularly topped the ICC rankings for all-rounders since 2009.

At this year’s World Cup in England, Shakibscored more than 600 runs and picked up 11 wickets.He also became the fastest cricketer to reach 5,000runs and 250 wickets in one-day internationals.

After the ban, Shakib stepped down from theMCC World Cricket committee, which said it was“sorry” to lose him but supported his resignation,which was “the right decision”. Bangladesh’s newTwenty20 captain Mahmudullah said he had fullsympathy for Shakib.

“We all are sad for him because we know howimportant a player he is for the team,” Mahmudullahsaid before leaving for India for the tour. “Maybe hemade a mistake. But he did not commit any crime. Westill support Shakib. We will continue to love him theway we used to,” he said.

Bangladesh Cricket Board president NazmulHassan said Shakib’s suspension was “shocking” ashe was the team’s centrepiece. “We have no substi-tute (for Shakib)... I was angry when I first heardabout it and asked why he didn’t inform me. Weplanned our India tour keeping Shakib in the team,”Nazmul told reporters. Bangladesh will play twoTests and three T20 internationals in its Indian tourthat starts November 3. — AFP

SCOREBOARD

Sri LankaD. Gunathilaka b Stanlake 21K. Mendis run out (Agar) 1A. Fernando c Cummins b Agar 17K. Perera b Agar 27 N. Dickwella c Turner b Cummins 5 D. Shanaka c Carey b Stanlake 1W. Hasaranga st Carey b Zampa 10I. Udana c Richardson b Cummins 10L. Sandakan run out (Cummins) 10 L. Malinga st Carey b Zampa 9N. Pradeep not out 2Extras (lb1, w3) 4Total (all out, 19 overs) 117Fall of wickets: 5-1 (Mendis), 2-29 (Gunathilaka), 3-53(Fernando), 4-65 (Dickwella), 5-75 (Perera), 6-75(Shanaka), 7-93 (Hasaranga), 8-98 (Udana). 9-109(Malinga), 10-117 (Sandakan) Bowling: Stanlake 4-0-23-2, Richardson 3-0-17-0,Cummins 4-0-29-2, Zampa 4-0-20-2, Agar 4-0-27-2.

AustraliaA. Finch c Perera b Malinga 0D. Warner not out 60 S.Smith not out 53Extras (lb2, w3) 5Total (one wickets, 13 overs) 118Fall of wickets: 1-1 (Finch)Did not bat: G. Maxwell, A. Turner, A. Carey, A. Agar, P.Cummins, M. Starc, K. Richardson, A. ZampaBowling: Malinga 3-0-23-1, Pradeep 3-0-26-0,Sandakan 4-0-33-0, Hasaranga 1-0-18-0, Udana 2-0-16-0.

Result: Australia won by nine wickets

Full scoreboard in the second Twenty20 internationalbetween Australia and Sri Lanka in Brisbane yesterday:

Aussie Keightley appointment as England women’s cricket coachLONDON: Former Australian international LisaKeightley became the first woman to be appoint-ed full-time coach of the England women’s cricketteam yesterday the England and Wales CricketBoard (ECB) announced.

The 48-year-old who played nine Tests and 85One Day Internationals succeeds Mark Robinsonand will take up her post in January. Keightley —who coached the England Women’s Academybetween 2011 and 2015 — takes over a team thatlike their male counterparts are world championsin the 50 over format. “I’m massively excited. It’s ahuge opportunity,” said Keightley, who went on towin the World Cup as a player in her swansongseason in 2005. “It’s a team full of world-classplayers and to be given the chance to work withsome of the players who I worked with a fewyears ago is really exciting.

“I can’t wait to get started and see where wecan get to. “England are the current 50-overworld champions and they made it to the final ofthe last ICC Women’s T20 World Cup. “They’re avery competitive side and they wouldn’t be in bigmatches like that if they didn’t have a reallystrong group of players who can perform on thebig stage.”

Former Austra l ian men’s coach DarrenLehmann welcomed her appointment tweeting:“Great news” Keightley — who is presentlycoaching the Perth Scorchers in the Women’sBig Bash in Australia — will step down from herro le as head coach of Hundred franchiseLondon Spirit.

Clare Connor, the ECB managing director ofwomen’s cricket, said Keightley had impressed theselection panel with her vision. “Lisa was thestand-out candidate from a varied and highly tal-ented group of applicants,” said Connor.

“The interview panel were unanimouslyimpressed by Lisa’s demonstration of her suitabil-ity for the role, her impressive knowledge of thegame and her passion for coaching and develop-ing players.

“She outl ined clear plans as to how shebelieves she can take the team and this groupof players forward. — AFP

NBK AnnualWalkathon KUWAIT: National Bank of Kuwait (NBK)announced the launch of its 25th Annual Walkathontitled “One Step Can Change Your Life” on the 7thDecember 2019.

Participants can register for this event startingfrom Friday 1st of November, online, throughNBKWalkathon.com. NBK will be giving away twonew Renault cars from Al Babtain Group as thegrand prizes during the Walkathon along with manyother valuable prizes. Referees assigned by theKuwait Amateur Athletic Federation (KAAF) will bepresent to arbitrate the race. The first ten winnersfrom each of the ten categories will be rewardedwith valuable cash prizes.

“As part of the bank’sdedication to corporatesocial responsibi l i ty,NBK regularly supportsevents which encouragehealthier l i festyle formembers of the commu-nity”, said Manal AlMattar, NBK Publ icRelat ions- AssistantGeneral Manager.“NBK’s annualwa lka thon event i s ama jor component o fthe bank ’s corpora te

social responsibility program. Over the years, ithas garnered huge success and public recogni-t ion as being one of the much awaited andanticipated nationwide health and entertain-ment-related activity.”

“NBK looks forward to welcoming participantsand giving away many exciting prizes. TheWalkathon event will host various functions, activi-ties and competitions”, she added. Ten winners willbe selected from each category of participants. Thewalk for both the female and male participants willstart from the Green Island on the Gulf Road to theShuwaikh Beach Park, parallel to the Gulf Road, nextto KPC building for a distance of 11 Km.

Also, NBK opened a racing category for partici-pants aged 60 years old and above in addition tothe special needs category to encourage a healthi-er lifestyle among all members of the society. NBKstrongly supports sporting events and encouragessporting activities as means to promote a healthierand more active lifestyle for members of the com-munity. Throughout the years, NBK also organizedseveral social awareness programs including edu-cational, environmental, health and many otheractive initiatives.

BRISBANE: Australia’s David Warner (L) runs between the wickets next to Kusal Perera of Sri Lanka during theTwenty20 match between Australia and Sri Lankia at the Gabba in Brisbane yesterday. — AFP

Manal Al Mattar

CHIBA: File photo shows Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland checks a line at the 17th hole green during the finalround of the PGA ZOZO Championship golf tournament at the Narashino Country Club in Inzai, Chiba prefecture onOctober 28, 2019. — AFP

‘Motivated’ McIlroy headlines loaded WGC field in ShanghaiSHANGHAI: World number two Rory McIlroy said hisstrongest season in years has “motivated” him to recapturegolf’s top ranking, as he leads a field packed with Majorwinners into this week’s WGC-HSBC Champions inShanghai. Asia’s biggest event tees off today without worldnumber one Brooks Koepka, out with a knee strain, nor arejuvenated Tiger Woods, who electrified golf with arecord-tying 82nd PGA Tour win in Japan on Monday.

But an event dubbed “Asia’s Major” still features plentyof star power including 15 past Major winners such asJustin Rose, Bubba Watson, Sergio Garcia, Phil Mickelson,Jordan Spieth, Patrick Reed, and Adam Scott.

But few are playing as well as McIlroy, the 2019 FedExCup champion and PGA Tour Player of the Year, who wonthe Tour Championship event in August and tied for thirdbehind Woods at the Zozo Championship in Japan twodays ago. The 30-year-old Northern Irishman’s stellar sea-son has propelled him up the world golf rankings, andalthough a victory in Shanghai won’t push him past theabsent Koepka, McIlroy said he’s not finished.

“I want to get as many world ranking points as I possi-bly can and try to close that gap on No. 1,” he said atSheshan International Golf Club. “So you know, prettymotivated coming into the week.” That motivation might

have been juiced by Koepka, who this month dismissed thenotion of a burgeoning rivalry by pointing out thatMcIlroy hadn’t won a Major in five years. McIlroy, who lastsat on golf’s pinnacle four years ago, subsequently playeddown the comments, saying that Koepka had a point, andthat the two were “good friends”.

McIlroy burst into golf’s top ranks with four Majorsbefore the age of 25, but a succession of younger starseclipsed him. “But if I play well the next few weeks, youknow, I’ll have a great platform going into next year. I’veachieved most things that I’ve wanted to this year,” he saidin Shanghai. “I’m happy with where everything is, andyeah, just want to finish the year off strongly because I feelthe year that I’ve had deserves a finish like that.” The$10.25 million Shanghai event, with a winner’s prize of $1.7million, is the third and final leg of the PGA Tour’s Asianswing, after the Zozo Championship and the CJ Cup inSouth Korea the week before. In Japan, McIlroy led thefield in par-five scoring, which should serve him well onthe lengthy Sheshan course, widely considered one of thetoughest on the Tour. Also in the mix in are a slew of pastHSBC winners including Xander Schauffele, who beat cur-rent PGA Tour driving distance leader Tony Finau in anexciting playoff duel last year. Schauffele, however, arrivedin Shanghai badly under the weather and expressed somedoubts about much strength he would have.

Rose, Watson, Garcia, Francesco Molinari andMickelson also have tasted success in Shanghai .Another to watch is 2016 winner Hideki Matsuyama,whose mojo is working after finishing second to Woodson home soil in Japan at the weekend and third in Koreathe week before. — AFP

S p o r t s Thursday, October 31, 2019

27

Bonino’s hat trick carries Predators past Blackhawks

NASHVILLE: Nick Bonino scored three goals for histhird career hat trick, and the Nashville Predatorspulled away for a 3-0 win over the visiting ChicagoBlackhawks on Tuesday night. Pekka Rinne stopped all20 shots he faced for his second consecutive shutoutand the 57th of his career. Nashville improved its sea-son-high winning streak to four games in a row.

The Blackhawks were blanked for the second time inthree games. They allowed 51 shots but stayed withinreach for the majority of the game because goaltenderRobin Lehner made 48 saves, five off his career high.Rocco Grimaldi assisted on all three of Bonino’s goals.Craig Smith had two assists, and Dante Fabbro had one.

DUCKS 7, JETS 4Troy Terry and Derek Grant scored 1:10 apart to

take control of what was a tie game as host Anaheimused a four-goal outburst in the second period to rallyand take down Winnipeg. Ducks veterans Ryan Getzlafand Adam Henrique also scored in the second period asAnaheim set a season high for goals scored. Jets goalieConnor Hellebuyck was pulled from the game afterGrant scored the Ducks’ fourth goal of the second peri-od. A total of five goals were scored by both teams inthe second period with four of them coming in a chaot-ic 2:52 span. Nikolaj Ehlers scored a pair of goals forthe Jets, who were coming off a victory over theCalgary Flames in the outdoor Heritage Classic buthave now lost five times in their past seven games.

PENGUINS 7, FLYERS 1Seven Pittsburgh players scored, and the Penguins

rode a four-goal first period to a walloping of visitingPhiladelphia. Dominik Kahun, Sidney Crosby andDominik Simon each had a goal and two assists, and thePenguins also got goals from Justin Schultz, JaredMcCann, Jake Guentzel and Zach Aston-Reese in win-ning their second straight game and seventh in theirpast 10. Pittsburgh goaltender Matt Murray, coming offa shutout, gave up one goal on 30 shots. OskarLindblom scored for the Flyers, who lost their second ina row.

HURRICANES 2, FLAMES 1Andrei Svechnikov scored twice in the third period,

including one on a surprising maneuver, as Carolinatopped Calgary in Raleigh, N.C., to finish one of the

best Octobers in team history. Svechnikov’s winninggoal came on a power play with 7:25 remaining. It washis second straight two-goal game. The Hurricanesimproved to 8-3-1 to match their most victories andpoints in October in franchise history. Svechnikov’s firstgoal was unorthodox as he scooped the puck and heldit on his stick from behind the net, taking a lacrosse-style shot and putting the puck past Calgary goalieDavid Rittich.

RED WINGS 3, OILERS 1Jimmy Howard made 31 saves, and Detroit scored

twice midway through the first period to defeat visit-ing Edmonton, snapping an eight-game losing streak.Dylan Larkin, Patrik Nemeth and Filip Hronek scoredfor Detroit, which had seven regulation defeats andone overtime loss during the skid. The Red Wings alsowon at Little Caesars Arena for the first time sincetheir home opener. Leon Draisaitl scored his 10th goalof the season for the Oilers, while Mikko Koskinenstopped 25 shots.

CAPITALS 4, MAPLE LEAFS 3 (OT)Alex Ovechkin scored his second goal of the game

on a power play at 4:00 of overtime, and visitingWashington defeated Toronto. The Maple Leafs hadkilled off William Nylander’s tripping penalty in over-time, but Mitch Marner took a high-sticking penalty.This time, Ovechkin, who also had two assists, firedhome his 11th goal of the season from the left circle.

John Carlson also scored twice for the Capitals, andNicklas Backstrom added two assists. Auston Matthewshad two goals and an assist for the Maple Leafs.Andreas Johnsson also scored.

STARS 6, WILD 3Alexander Radulov had a hat trick and an assist, and

Tyler Seguin and Joe Pavelski each added a goal andtwo assists as host Dallas rallied from a 3-0 second-period deficit with six consecutive goals to defeatMinnesota. Roope Hintz also scored a goal while MiroHeiskanen added two assists for Dallas, which won forthe fourth time in five games. Anton Khudobin, takingover for Ben Bishop after the first period, finished with11 saves for the Stars. Bishop stopped eight of the 10shots he faced before Dallas coach Jim Montgomerypulled him. Eric Staal had a goal and an assist while

Jason Zucker and Ryan Suter also scored forMinnesota. Alex Stalock finished with 31 saves.

BRUINS 5, SHARKS 1Boston scored two first-period power-play goals

against the league’s top penalty-killing unit and neverlooked back, dominating visiting San Jose. DavidPastrnak and David Krejci scored on the man advan-tage, and Charlie Coyle, Chris Wagner and BrandonCarlo added even-strength tallies as the Bruins wontheir fourth straight. Pastrnak extended his pointsstreak to 10 games (12 goals, 12 assists), and BradMarchand had an assist to increase his run to 11 straight(seven goals, 14 assists). Krejci also had an assist in hisfirst game off the injured list. Brent Burns scored a goal,and Martin Jones made 36 saves for the Sharks, whoare on a 1-4-1 skid. Entering the contest, San Jose had

killed 93.2 percent of its short-handed situations.Boston’s power play was No. 2 in the league, scoring on32.4 percent of its chances.

RANGERS 4, LIGHTNING 1Filip Chytil and Adam Fox scored within a five-

minute span late in the third period — Fox’s goal beingthe first of his career — as host New York earned amuch-needed victory over Tampa Bay. Kaapo Kakkoscored on the power play in the second period andRyan Strome added an empty-netter with 45.2 secondsleft in the third for the Rangers, who won for just thesecond time in the past eight games (2-5-1). GoalieAlexandar Georgiev made 29 saves. Nikita Kucherovscored in the first for the Lightning, who have lost twostraight and three of four (1-2-1). Andrei Vasilevskiyrecorded 38 saves. — Reuters

ANAHEIM: Rickard Rakell #67 of the Anaheim Ducks controls the puck in front of Connor Hellebuyck #37of the Winnipeg Jets during the first period of a game at Honda Center in Anaheim, California. — AFP

Hurricanes’ Svechnikov scores both goals to beat Flames

LONDON: Frank Lampard’s strategy of rewardingyouth and discarding Chelsea’s pattern of loaning themout has paid dividends and cheered disgruntled fans,says rising midfielder star Mason Mount. Mount, 20,and 21-year-old Fikayo Tomori had the good fortune toplay under Lampard at Derby County where they wereloaned out last season by Chelsea’s then-mangerMaurizio Sarri.

Both of them have now become regulars in theChelsea line-up this term as Lampard — who washired when Sarri left to take over at Juventus — hasunearthed a rich seam of young talent with strikerTammy Abraham and Callum Hudson-Odoi amongthem. Sarri was criticised by Chelsea fans for overlook-ing home-grown talent such as Ruben Loftus-Cheek— who had sparkled for England at the 2018 WorldCup — and Hudson-Odoi a chance. Mount — whohas now won four England caps — told The DailyTelegraph Chelsea playing legend Lampard’s knowl-edge of the club and its youth system had been a bonusfor the young players.

“It does help having an English manager knowing allthe young English players coming through the acade-my, knowing what we are about and having that confi-dence in us to perform,” said Mount.

Chelsea’s form has improved markedly since theiropening day 4-0 humbling by Manchester United andare on a seven match winning run. Mount says this jus-tifies not only Lampard’s selection policy — he has toldthe young players that it is not down to the transfer banimposed on the club — but also the fans desire to seeyoung English talent on display. “It was such a bigmoment for the manager coming back,” he said. “Wecan feel that goodwill from the fans, 100 per cent. “It’ssomething they’ve been calling for a long time, youngEnglish players coming through and doing well for theclub. “We can feel it on the pitch and we want to givethat extra yard for the fans.” Tomori, who like Mountwas a member of the Chelsea side that won the 2016FA Youth Cup, has taken longer than Mount to becomea first team regular this season.

“I was basically seeing my friends playing forChelsea and I was close so it spurred me on to keepworking hard every day and keep training well,” saidthe Canada-born defender. “We all talk to each otherand on the Champions League nights, we are like ‘wow,we are playing in the Champions League’.

“Stuff like that keeps us motivated and it meanswhen the game comes we want to play well and win. Atthe moment it’s working for us.” Mount, who persistedat Chelsea despite his father’s advice to leave, becamethe first academy graduate form the London club sinceJohn Terry to claim a regular first team spot. He saidthat having so many young players brought anotherquality to the team. “Having all the players around andthe fact we are doing it together, we probably are feed-ing off each other and it’s giving us that fearlessnessgoing into games,” said Mount.

“There is pressure playing for a massive club andyou’ve got stuff to prove, but I think coming throughwith a lot of similar faces who you have known growingup, it does help a lot.” — AFP

Youth flyinghigh at Chelseaunder Lampard

MADRID: Lionel Messi made it clear he is fit and back tohis scintillating best by tearing apart Real Valladolid onTuesday in a thumping 5-1 victory for Barcelona. Messiscored another spell-binding free-kick at Camp Nou afterhis sumptuous pass had already teed up Arturo Vidal forBarca’s second. He then drove home his second late onbefore sliding through Luis Suarez to make it five.

Yet in truth his two goals and two assists were just thestart of it, the defining moments of another mesmeric all-round performance that was dotted with flicks, passes anddribbles, not to mention two humiliating nutmegs.

“I don’t know what more I can say,” said Barcelonacoach Ernesto Valverde. “There were wonders coming outof his foot,” said Valladolid’s Michel. “You can onlyapplaud and enjoy it.” Valladolid had threatened to make agame of it when Kiko Olivas benefitted from a rare Marc-Andre ter Stegen error to equalise, after Clement Lenglethad struck in the second minute.

But with Messi in this sort of mood, the result never feltin doubt as victory sent Barcelona back to the top of LaLiga, after Atletico Madrid were held to a 1-1 draw byAlaves a couple of hours before.

Valverde’s side have now won seven consecutivematches in all competitions, a run that began by beatingVillarreal on September 24, when Messi returned frominjury to make his first start of the season.

He has needed time, admitting earlier this month he wasstill short of sharpness even as goals flew in against Sevilla,Eibar and Slavia Prague. But this display sent a resound-ing message that Messi is back to his best even if Valverdefeels there is more to come.

“He is still getting back to full fitness,” Valverde said.“But he is getting better and better.” Valladolid were per-haps unfortunate the 32-year-old was fresh after the post-poned Clasico on Saturday meant Barcelona and RealMadrid were given the weekend off.

It meant this was the first game at Camp Nou since vio-lent protests broke out across Catalonia after nine pro-independence leaders were sentenced to imprisonment onOctober 21. Giant yellow banners with ‘Independencia’and ‘Llibertat’ written across them were unfurled beforekick-off but there was no sign of unrest. Instead, the moodturned celebratory as Messi got to work.

It was his free-kick that Valladolid made a mess ofclearing, as Sergi Guardiola lashed the ball against JoaquinFernandez and Lenglet reacted fastest, his shot deflectingin before two minutes were on the clock.

The procession was briefly halted when Ter Stegen,perhaps unsighted, slapped a cross straight into the shin ofOlivas but the remaining 30 minutes of the first halfbelonged to Messi. He switched the ball for Frenkie deJong to slightly overhit a pass for Arturo Vidal and thenreplicated the Dutchman’s effort but did it better, this timepicking out Vidal perfectly to score at the back post.

Five minutes later he sent a free-kick curling away fromJordi Masip, who scuttled across his line but could neverreach the ball as it nestled in the top right-hand corner.Messi flicked one through the legs of Oscar Plano, whothrew his head back and for a moment stopped dead infrustration. Then it was Guardiola’s turn, only this time thenutmeg doubled up as a pass. After half-time, Ansu Fati,

making his last appearance before turning 17, should havetucked away a Messi pass before two goals in the 75th and77th minutes put Valladolid out of sight. Messi cushionedIvan Rakitic’s cute pass on his thigh and drove it into thecorner and then slid in Suarez, who finished for his eighthgoal of the season. In injury time, Messi should have hadhis hat-trick but curled wide of the left post when heseemed certain to score. It might have been his first mis-take all night. Atletico Madrid could have done with adrop of Messi’s attacking inspiration as they were held to adisappointing draw by Alaves.

Alvaro Morata came off the bench to score his third goalin as many games but Lucas Perez hit a stunning lateequaliser at Menizorrotza to ensure a tight contest betweentwo of La Liga’s most stubborn defences ended all square.Atletico sit third, two points behind Barcelona and level withGranada, having played one game more. — AFP

TOKYO: South Africa prop Vincent Kochis relishing the prospect of facing Saracensteam-mate Mako Vunipola when theSpringboks play England in the World Cupfinal on Saturday.

English and European championsSaracens have supplied several keyEngland players including captain OwenFarrell, powerhouse lock Maro Itoje andnumber eight Billy Vunipola. Saracens arealso the club behind two-thirds ofEngland’s likely starting front row in hook-er Jamie George and loosehead prop MakoVunipola, Billy’s brother.

But they have also played a pivotal rolein the development of Springbok front-rowKoch, who has been making a huge impactoff the bench at this World Cup as part ofSouth Africa coach Rassie Erasmus’s tacti-cal plan to ensure the team maintains thescrum dominance that is key to their game-plan. “Moving to Saracens was quite a bigdecision for me,” the 29-year-old Kochtold reporters at South Africa’s hotel inTokyo yesterday. “As a player I have grownquite a lot. They have worked on me to tryand make the perfect player.

“Over the last three years they have

made me work harder and prepare betterfor big games,” he added. “Mako, I havescrummed quite a lot against him in train-ing... It is a bit different, it’s not a trainingfield, it’s a big Test so I’m quite excitedabout that.”

England dethroned reigning world cham-pions New Zealand with a stunning 19-7semi-final win, whereas the Springboksground out a 19-16 victory over Wales intheir last-four clash. “We have played them(England) four times in the last 18 monthsand it is a draw,” said South Africa forwardscoach Matt Proudfoot.

“They were very efficient and verypowerful against New Zealand, the trend-setters. We need to match that intensity. Itwasn’t just brute force, there was veryintelligent play from their pack,” he added.

“Up front I think they’re a lot more con-fident in what they’re doing. In terms oftheir efficiency of execution, it’s a lot bet-ter. “For myself, I am very pleased with ourpack’s performance.” Proudfoot, however,summed up the scale of South Africa’s taskby saying of England’s win over the AllBlacks: “It was a great game to watch. Gee,it was a great game.” Victory in Yokohama

on Saturday would mean South Africa hadwon the World Cup for the third time aftertheir 1995 triumph on home soil and a winover England in the 2007 final in Paris.

“I think South Africa as a country hasgot a lot of challenges,” said Proudfoot.“We are resilient people. What 1995 meantcreated a new opportunity for people in

South Africa.” Springbok lock Lood deJager agreed before sounding a warningnote. “1995 had a massive impact and Ithink it will (winning the World Cup) have amassive impact,” said the towering secondrow. “But we can’t get caught up in that,we’ve got 80 minutes against a world-classteam coming up.” — AFP

Saracens’ Koch, Vunipola scrumface-to-face in World Cup final

YOKOHAMA: File photo taken on October 27, 2019, shows South Africa’s headcoach Rassie Erasmus talks to his players before the Japan 2019 RugbyWorld Cup semi-f inal match between Wales and South Afr ica at theInternational Stadium Yokohama in Yokohama.— AFP

Messi fit and firingin Barca demolitionof Valladolid

Matches on TV (Local Timings)

SPANISH LEAGUESD Eibar v Villarreal CF 21:00beIN SPORTSReal Mallorca v Osasuna 21:00beIN SPORTSGetafe CF v Granada CF 23:15beIN SPORTSAC Milan v spal 23:00beIN SPORTS

ITALIAN CALCIO LEAGUEAC Milan v Spal 23:00beIN SPORTS

SportVisiting Hawks lose point guard Young, then lose to Miami Heat

Warner and Smith on fire as Australia thump S Lanka

Saracens’ Koch, Vunipola scrum face-to-face in World Cup final2725 26

Established 1961

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2019

Astros one win away from title One-game winner-take all showdown for 115th World Series championship

HOUSTON: Stephen Strasburg baffled Houston’s bat-ters and Anthony Rendon drove in five runs to powerthe Washington Nationals over the Astros 7-2 Tuesday,forcing a one-game winner-take all showdown for the115th World Series championship.

Washington pulled level at 3-3 in Major LeagueBaseball’s best-of-seven final, setting up a seventhgame today to decide the title.

Strasburg allowed two runs on five hits over 8 1/3masterful innings while walking two and striking outseven Houston batters, improving to 5-0 in the playoffsafter an 18-6 season.

“Big pitchers do what he did,” said Nationals man-ager Dave Martinez. “I told him, ‘You were tremendous.You picked us up and because of you we’re going togame seven’,” added Martinez, who was ejected late onafter a disputed call.

Washington’s Juan Soto and Adam Eaton blastedsolo home runs in the fifth inning and Houston nativeRendon hit a two-run homer in the seventh and a two-run double in the ninth.

“Rendon stepped up big,” Martinez said. That wasenough run production for the Nationals thanks toStrasburg mystifying the Houston hitters who had pro-duced 19 runs over the prior three games.

“I saw an incredible pitcher,” Astros manager A.J.Hinch said. “He was really good. We didn’t put a lot ofstress on him.” Strasburg had been tipping his pitchesto Houston hitters in the first inning, when AlexBregman homered off him, but Martinez solved theproblem. “I said, ‘You’re tipping you’re pitches. Weneed to fix it,’” Martinez said. “After that he was lightsout.” Strasburg began to wiggle his glove to throw theAstros off. “Started shaking my glove so they didn’tknow what I was throwing. Obviously, they look forcertain things,” Strasburg said. “It’s something that hasburned me in the past and they burned me there in thefirst. “It’s just a part of the game. You’ve got to do yourbest to stay consistent in your delivery on each pitch.”Martinez became the first World Series manager eject-ed since Atlanta’s Bobby Cox in 1996, needing to berestrained from angrily confronting umpires after a

controversial call in the seventh inning.“I’m not going to criticize the umpires about any-

thing,” Martinez said. “I don’t really want to make thisabout me and take away from what the boys did. Itwas a judgement call. I don’t want to make it aboutone play.”

The Nationals, who improved to 4-0 in playoff elimi-nation games this month, will start three-time Cy YoungAward winner Max Scherzer in game seven after neckspasms kept him out of game five. Fellow right-handerZack Greinke will start for Houston.

“We have a great opportunity to play a game sev-en in the World Series in our ballpark,” Hinch said.But a World Series in which Houston was one of theheaviest favorites in years has turned into a historicepic, the first World Series with road teams winningthe first six games.

“It’s weird,” Martinez said. “You can’t explain it.” TheAstros will try for their second title in three seasonswhile the Nationals seek the first crown in their fran-chise’s 50-year history. It would also be the first World

Series title for Washington since 1924.Houston’s Justin Verlander, who won a season-best

21 games, surrendered three runs on five hits to sufferthe loss and remain winless in seven career WorldSeries starts, the most of any pitcher without a win. His0-6 record is the all-time worst World Series mark.

Washington clung to a 3-2 lead in the seventh whencontroversy struck. Nationals shortstop Trea Turnerwas called out for interference on first baseman YuliGurriel and the decision was upheld after a 4 1/2-minute video review. It would cost Washington a runwhen Rendon smashed a homer to left field.

After the inning, Martinez angrily moved toward theumpires, bench coach Chip Hale restraining him. ButMartinez yelled until home plate umpire Sam Holbrookejected him, leaving Hale to take the team to the finish.

Rendon’s two-run homer put Washington ahead 5-2and his two-run double in the ninth added more insur-ance runs.

Jose Altuve’s 25-game streak of reaching base safelywas ended by Strasburg’s supreme effort. —AFP

HOUSTON: Adam Eaton #2 of the Washington Nationals is hit by the pitch against the Houston Astros during the ninth inning in Game Six of the 2019 World Series at Minute Maid Park in Houston, Texas. — AFP

PARIS: Samuel Eto’o is convinced that he is the bestAfrican footballer of all time and is now targeting moresuccess as a coach, the Cameroon great told AFP in anexclusive interview. The 38-year-old is pondering his nextstep after hanging up his boots in early September, bring-ing the curtain down on his playing days with a brief spellturning out for Qatar Sports Club.

“There comes a point where you have to look for otherchallenges. That is what I have chosen to do. I have had awonderful career,” Eto’o told AFP during a visit to Paris.

His career spanned more than 20 years in which he won18 major trophies, including two Champions Leagues withBarcelona and another with Inter Milan. He also won theAfrica Cup of Nations twice with Cameroon as well asOlympic gold in 2000.

One prize that did get away from him, however, was theBallon d’Or. Liberia’s George Weah, in 1995, remains theonly African to have claimed that award, but that does notchange Eto’o’s belief that he is the best player to havecome out of the continent.

“I don’t need to lay claim to anything, it’s just a fact.Whether you accept it or not, it’s a fact,” he said, as frankand outspoken as ever. “Everyone is entitled to their opin-ion. You know, as an African, you are always being judged.What is unacceptable is that the first people to do it arealways the Africans. They can’t take anything away fromme because I am proud to be African.

“When I look at where I came from and how far I got, Itell myself that I am entitled to be proud. That doesn’tmean I am big-headed, far from it. It is just that, in thisworld, people like puppets and I don’t accept being one.”

Eto’o also turned out for the likes of Real Madrid andChelsea, but for all he won in the game, it is his first majortitle with his country that sticks out when asked for hisfondest memory.

“I would say my first Africa Cup of Nations (in 2000),because it was my first AFCON, an unforgettable moment,and I had come away from the 1998 World Cup in Francewith the hope of making history,” he said.

“I wasn’t a starter in that magnificent team but in theend I worked my way into the side and contributed. It is abeautiful memory.” Eto’o also went to four World Cups butnever got beyond the group stage with the Indomitable

Lions. “I told myself that, eventually, with all the magnifi-cent players I played alongside for Cameroon, we couldhave won the World Cup,” he said.

“It wasn’t to be. That is the only trophy I didn’t manageto win but I had some unforgettable moments with thatteam.” Part of a golden generation that featured RigobertSong, the late Marc-Vivien Foe and Geremi, Eto’o believeshe has left a legacy by helping bring through the next gen-eration. Ajax goalkeeper Andre Onana is one player tohave emerged from the Eto’o Foundation.

He has also been asked to do work for theConfederation of African Football, but he says it is only amatter of time before he returns to football in a morehands-on role. “I know my next challenge will be to win atleast as much as a coach as I did as a player,” he said.

“I would like to coach in Europe, and then one dayreturn to Africa and win there. I don’t know how to lose.

“I am lucky to have made history at different clubs. Ihave a lot more doors open to me than others, but youneed to be prepared. “I want to learn, have all the qualifi-cations, understand how things work either in my ownbusinesses or in my future career, in order to come back in12 or 24 months and start a new career, which I hope willbe just as beautiful.” But having won the ChampionsLeague playing for both Pep Guardiola and JoseMourinho, whose style is he more likely to be replicate?

“I am a fan of Guardiola. I love football and I think it’simportant to win in style.—AFP

Eto’o, best African footballer of all time eyes move into management

Samuel Eto’o