WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump drew fierce condemnation yesterday after he retweeted three anti-Muslim videos posted by the deputy head of a British far-right group who has been convicted of a hate crime. Trump’s actions drew criticism from many quarters, including the British government at 10 Downing Street, which said Trump was “wrong” to promote the group’s “hateful narratives”. The White House scrambled to limit the fallout, say- ing even if the anti-Muslim videos were misleading, Trump was pointing out a real problem. “The threat is real, and that’s what the president is talking about,” said Trump’s spokeswoman Sarah Sanders. One of the videos claims to show a Muslim beating up a Dutch boy on crutches. Another is described as showing an Islamist mob pushing a teenager of a rooftop. The veracity of both is in doubt. The third allegedly depicts a Muslim throwing down and smashing a statue of the Virgin Mary. The footage was originally posted by Jayda Fransen, deputy leader of the far-right group Britain First, which hailed Trump for his support. “THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, DONALD TRUMP, HAS RETWEETED THREE OF DEPUTY LEADER JAYDA FRANSEN’S TWITTER VIDEOS!” the group tweeted in triumph. “DONALD TRUMP HIMSELF HAS RETWEETED THESE VIDEOS AND HAS AROUND 44 MILLION FOLLOWERS! GOD BLESS YOU TRUMP! GOD BLESS AMERICA!” Fransen was found guilty last year of a hate crime after hurling abuse at a Muslim woman wearing a hijab. Britain First, which was formed in 2011 and is known for picketing outside mosques, has run and lost in several British and European parliament elections. Brendan Cox, widower of MP Jo Cox who was murdered by a rightwing extremist last year, said: “Trump has legit- imized the far right in his own country, now he’s trying to do it in ours. Spreading hatred has consequences & the president should be ashamed of himself.” David Lammy, an MP for the opposition Labour Party, said: “The president of the United States is promoting a fascist, racist, extremist hate group whose leaders have been arrested and convicted. He is no ally or friend of ours.” Stephen Doughty, another Labour MP, called the videos “highly inflammatory” and his colleague Yvette Cooper said Trump had given Fransen a “huge platform”. Opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn said the retweets were “abhorrent, dangerous and a threat.” Fransen and Britain First leader Paul Golding were due to appear in court yesterday for a pre-trial review on charges of “threatening, abusive or insulting words or behavior” over a speech she made in Belfast. Trump’s interventions in British politics and controversial foreign policy have strained the so-called “special relationship”. Continued on Page 11 THE HAGUE: In shocking scenes, a Bosnian Croat war criminal took his own life yester- day in front of UN war crimes judges, appar- ently drinking poison just after they upheld his 20-year jail term for atrocities committed during the Balkans conflict. Slobodan Praljak, 72, died in hospital, after drinking from a small brown glass bottle in full glare of the cameras at the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY). As the judges handed down their very last verdict at the court, Praljak, a former military commander of a breakaway Bosnian Croat statelet, shouted out angrily: “Praljak is not a criminal. I reject your verdict.” He then raised a small brown bottle to his lips, and tipped it into his mouth. “I just drank poison,” he said. “I am not a war criminal. I oppose this con- viction.” The hearing was quickly suspended as Praljak’s lawyer shouted out: “My client says he has taken poison.” Immediately after sentence was passed on Praljak “he drank a liquid while in court and quickly fell ill”, court spokesman Nenad Golcevski told reporters. He could not confirm what was in the bottle. Efforts were made to give the former film director some medical treatment and he was “transported to the hospi- tal where he passed,” Golcevski added. Resuming the hearing a few hours later, presid- ing judge Carmel Agius revealed Dutch authori- ties had already launched an investigation, adding “courtroom one is now a crime scene”. Hearings at the ICTY are held amid tight secu- rity, with all defendants and visitors undergoing strict searches. So it was not clear how Praljak had managed to get the bottle of liquid into the courtroom. Croatia’s Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic slammed the “injustice” of the UN tri- bunal and expressed his condolences. “His act, which we all unfortunately witnessed today, speaks mostly about the deep moral injustice towards six Croats from Bosnia and the Croatian people,” he told reporters. Continued on Page 11 ISSUE NO: 17395 32 Pages 150 Fils www.kuwaittimes.net Established 1961 The First Daily in the Arabian Gulf Amir attends Sheikh Salem Al-Ali Informatics Award Bubble or brave new world? Bitcoin breaks $11,000 barrier N Korea ‘breakthrough’ puts US within range of nuclear weapons RABI ALAWWAL 12, 1439 AH THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2017 20 8 2 Max 21º Min 14º GCC summit in Kuwait to go ahead despite row: Officials Ghanem invites govt to ‘special session’ over sports law KUWAIT: An annual summit of Gulf Arab heads of state will convene in Kuwait on Dec 5 and 6, Gulf offi- cials said yesterday, despite an ongoing dispute between some members of the group. A rift between the Gulf Cooperation Council members Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), on one side, and Qatar on the other has put this year’s annual meeting in doubt. A senior Kuwaiti official confirmed yesterday that the meeting would take place on Dec 5 and 6, but said the level of representation was not clear yet. Two Gulf diplomats also said Kuwait, which had led unsuccessful mediation efforts between the two sides, would try again to use the meeting to resolve the rift. The crisis, which began in June, revolves around alle- gations by Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt that Qatar supports terrorism, a charge Doha denies. Qatar says the four countries are trying to force Doha to fall in line with their own foreign policy views. The US-allied council was founded in 1980 as a bulwark against bigger neighbors Iran and Iraq. Bahrain said last month it will not attend the summit if Qatar does not change its policies and Qatar should have its member- ship in the six-nation group suspended. Separately, National Assembly Speaker Marzouq Al- Ghanem has invited lawmakers and the government to a special parliamentary session on Sunday in which a new FIFA-approved sports law will be drafted. In a press conference yesterday, Ghanem cited time constraints as the reason for the “immediate invitation”, revealing that the new law should take effect no later than Sunday. “I have made it clear to the government that atten- dance in this session is compulsory given the urgent nature of the issue,” the chief lawmaker said. While Ghanem refused to divulge further details, he commend- ed the government’s “outstanding efforts” to ensure that the ban on Kuwaiti sports federations is ultimately lifted. In separate remarks, Minister of Justice and Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs Faleh Al-Azab confirmed the government’s attendance in Sunday’s special ses- sion. “The government will do everything possible to ensure that the new sports law is enacted,” the minister told the press. Underlining the enormity of the issue, Minister of Commerce and Industry Khaled Al-Roudhan said the new sports law represents a significant step towards rendering the FIFA suspension null and void. Once the new sports law is drafted, Roudhan, who is also Minister of State for Youth Affairs, maintained that “substantial work remains to be done to make sure that the sports ban on Kuwait is lifted,” saying that things are headed in the right direction after some “positive feedback” from FIFA. — Agencies Bosnian war criminal dies after drinking poison in UN court drama THE HAGUE: Video-grabs taken from live footage show Croatian former general Slobodan Praljak swallowing what is believed to be poison during his judgement at the UN war crimes court yesterday. — AFP RIYADH: The swimming pool of the Mohammed bin Nayef Center for Counseling and Advice, a rehab center for militants, is seen on Oct 4, 2017. — AFP Trump pilloried for retweeting anti-Muslim videos NEW YORK: NBC News fired popu- lar “Today” show host Matt Lauer after receiving what it called a detailed com- plaint from a colleague about inappro- priate sexual behavior in the work- place, the network said yesterday. NBC News chairman Andrew Lack said that, after serious review, the complaint received on Monday night represented “a clear violation” of the company’s standards. “As a result, we’ve decided to terminate his employment,” Lack said in a statement. “While it is the first complaint about his behavior in the over twenty years he’s been at NBC News, we were also presented with reason to believe this may not have been an isolated incident.” Lauer’s agent Ken Lindner did not respond to a request for comment. The news was announced by “Today” co- anchors Savannah Guthrie and Hoda Kotb at the start of the talk show, a sta- ple of US morning television for more than six decades that, NBC says, aver- ages more than 4 million viewers. “We just learned this moments ago just this morning,” Guthrie said, visibly shaken. “As I’m sure you can imagine we are devastated.” Lack’s statement did not say who made the accusation. Lauer, 59, is married. “We are deeply sad- dened by this turn of events,” the state- ment said. “But we will face it together as a news organization - and do it in as transparent a manner as we can.” The New York Times quoted Ari Wilkenfeld, a civil rights lawyer with the firm Wilkenfeld, Herendeen & Atkinson in Washington, who said he represented the woman who made the complaint to NBC but declined to publicly identify her. Continued on Page 11 NBC fires star anchor Lauer over sexual misconduct Matt Lauer Jayda Fransen Donald Trump RIYADH: With its indoor swimming pool, sun-splashed patios and liveried staff, the Saudi complex has the trap- pings of a five-star resort, but it is actually a rehab cen- ter - for violent militants. Riyadh’s Mohammed bin Nayef Counseling and Care Center, a cushy halfway house between prison and freedom, spotlights a contro- versial Saudi strategy for tackling homegrown extrem- ists. While the global fight against terrorism is often associated with drone strikes and torture, the philoso- phy that underpins the center’s approach is that extrem- ism requires not coercion but an ideological cure. Overseen by clerics and psychologists, it works to prevent convicts who have served their sentences from returning to jihad, through what it calls religious coun- seling and ideological detoxification. “Our focus is on correcting their thoughts, their misconceptions, their deviation from Islam,” Yahya Abu Maghayed, a director at the center, said while giving AFP a golf cart tour of the sprawling, palm tree-lined complex. The convicts are housed in a series of low-slung buildings, outfitted with large-screen televisions and Continued on Page 11 Militants go to rehab at ‘5-star’ Saudi center On the occasion of the birthday of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) today, Friday Times will not be published tomorrow (Dec 1, 2017). The next issue of Kuwait Times will hit the news- stands on Sunday (Dec 3, 2017). NOTICE TO OUR READERS
Transcript
WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump drewfierce condemnation yesterday after he retweetedthree anti-Muslim videos posted by the deputy headof a British far-right group who has been convictedof a hate crime. Trump’s actions drew criticism frommany quarters, including the British government at 10Downing Street, which said Trump was “wrong” topromote the group’s “hateful narratives”.
The White House scrambled to limit the fallout, say-ing even if the anti-Muslim videos were misleading,Trump was pointing out a real problem. “The threat isreal, and that’s what the president is talking about,”said Trump’s spokeswoman Sarah Sanders. One of thevideos claims to show a Muslim beating up a Dutchboy on crutches. Another is described as showing anIslamist mob pushing a teenager of a rooftop. Theveracity of both is in doubt. The third allegedly depictsa Muslim throwing down and smashing a statue of theVirgin Mary.
The footage was originally posted by Jayda Fransen,deputy leader of the far-right group Britain First, whichhailed Trump for his support. “THE PRESIDENT OFTHE UNITED STATES, DONALD TRUMP, HASRETWEETED THREE OF DEPUTY LEADER JAYDAFRANSEN’S TWITTER VIDEOS!” the group tweetedin triumph. “DONALD TRUMP HIMSELF HASRETWEETED THESE VIDEOS AND HAS AROUND44 MILLION FOLLOWERS! GOD BLESS YOUTRUMP! GOD BLESS AMERICA!”
Fransen was found guilty last year of a hate crimeafter hurling abuse at a Muslim woman wearing a hijab.
Britain First, which was formed in 2011 and is known forpicketing outside mosques, has run and lost in severalBritish and European parliament elections. BrendanCox, widower of MP Jo Cox who was murdered by arightwing extremist last year, said: “Trump has legit-imized the far right in his own country, now he’s tryingto do it in ours. Spreading hatred has consequences &the president should be ashamed of himself.”
David Lammy, an MP for the opposition Labour Party,said: “The president of the United States is promoting afascist, racist, extremist hate group whose leaders havebeen arrested and convicted. He is no ally or friend ofours.” Stephen Doughty, another Labour MP, called thevideos “highly inflammatory” and his colleague YvetteCooper said Trump had given Fransen a “huge platform”.Opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn said the retweets were“abhorrent, dangerous and a threat.”
Fransen and Britain First leader Paul Golding were dueto appear in court yesterday for a pre-trial review oncharges of “threatening, abusive or insulting words orbehavior” over a speech she made in Belfast. Trump’sinterventions in British politics and controversial foreignpolicy have strained the so-called “special relationship”.
Continued on Page 11
THE HAGUE: In shocking scenes, a BosnianCroat war criminal took his own life yester-day in front of UN war crimes judges, appar-ently drinking poison just after they upheldhis 20-year jail term for atrocities committedduring the Balkans conflict. Slobodan Praljak,72, died in hospital, after drinking from asmall brown glass bottle in full glare of thecameras at the International Criminal Tribunalfor the former Yugoslavia (ICTY).
As the judges handed down their very lastverdict at the court, Praljak, a former militarycommander of a breakaway Bosnian Croatstatelet, shouted out angrily: “Praljak is not acriminal. I reject your verdict.” He then raiseda small brown bottle to his lips, and tipped itinto his mouth. “I just drank poison,” he said.“I am not a war criminal. I oppose this con-viction.” The hearing was quickly suspendedas Praljak’s lawyer shouted out: “My clientsays he has taken poison.”
Immediately after sentence was passed onPraljak “he drank a liquid while in court andquickly fell ill”, court spokesman NenadGolcevski told reporters. He could not confirmwhat was in the bottle. Efforts were made togive the former film director some medicaltreatment and he was “transported to the hospi-tal where he passed,” Golcevski added.
Resuming the hearing a few hours later, presid-ing judge Carmel Agius revealed Dutch authori-ties had already launched an investigation,adding “courtroom one is now a crime scene”.Hearings at the ICTY are held amid tight secu-rity, with all defendants and visitors undergoingstrict searches. So it was not clear how Praljakhad managed to get the bottle of liquid into the
courtroom. Croatia’s Prime Minister AndrejPlenkovic slammed the “injustice” of the UN tri-bunal and expressed his condolences. “His act,which we all unfortunately witnessed today,speaks mostly about the deep moral injusticetowards six Croats from Bosnia and theCroatian people,” he told reporters.
Continued on Page 11
ISSUE NO: 17395
32 Pages 150 Fils
www.kuwaittimes.net
Established 1961 The First Daily in the Arabian Gulf
Amir attends Sheikh Salem Al-Ali Informatics Award
Bubble or brave new world? Bitcoin breaks $11,000 barrier
N Korea ‘breakthrough’ puts US within range of nuclear weapons
RABI ALAWWAL 12, 1439 AHTHURSDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2017
2082
Max 21ºMin 14º
GCC summit in Kuwait to go ahead despite row: Officials
Ghanem invites govt to ‘special session’ over sports lawKUWAIT: An annual summit of Gulf Arab heads ofstate will convene in Kuwait on Dec 5 and 6, Gulf offi-cials said yesterday, despite an ongoing disputebetween some members of the group. A rift between theGulf Cooperation Council members Saudi Arabia,Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), on oneside, and Qatar on the other has put this year’s annualmeeting in doubt. A senior Kuwaiti official confirmedyesterday that the meeting would take place on Dec 5and 6, but said the level of representation was not clearyet. Two Gulf diplomats also said Kuwait, which had ledunsuccessful mediation efforts between the two sides,would try again to use the meeting to resolve the rift.
The crisis, which began in June, revolves around alle-gations by Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and Egyptthat Qatar supports terrorism, a charge Doha denies.Qatar says the four countries are trying to force Dohato fall in line with their own foreign policy views. TheUS-allied council was founded in 1980 as a bulwarkagainst bigger neighbors Iran and Iraq. Bahrain said lastmonth it will not attend the summit if Qatar does notchange its policies and Qatar should have its member-ship in the six-nation group suspended.
Separately, National Assembly Speaker Marzouq Al-Ghanem has invited lawmakers and the government to aspecial parliamentary session on Sunday in which a new
FIFA-approved sports law will be drafted. In a pressconference yesterday, Ghanem cited time constraints asthe reason for the “immediate invitation”, revealing thatthe new law should take effect no later than Sunday.
“I have made it clear to the government that atten-dance in this session is compulsory given the urgentnature of the issue,” the chief lawmaker said. WhileGhanem refused to divulge further details, he commend-ed the government’s “outstanding efforts” to ensure thatthe ban on Kuwaiti sports federations is ultimately lifted.
In separate remarks, Minister of Justice and Ministerof State for Cabinet Affairs Faleh Al-Azab confirmedthe government’s attendance in Sunday’s special ses-
sion. “The government will do everything possible toensure that the new sports law is enacted,” the ministertold the press.
Underlining the enormity of the issue, Minister ofCommerce and Industry Khaled Al-Roudhan said thenew sports law represents a significant step towardsrendering the FIFA suspension null and void. Once thenew sports law is drafted, Roudhan, who is alsoMinister of State for Youth Affairs, maintained that“substantial work remains to be done to make sure thatthe sports ban on Kuwait is lifted,” saying that thingsare headed in the right direction after some “positivefeedback” from FIFA. — Agencies
Bosnian war criminal dies after drinking poison in UN court drama
THE HAGUE: Video-grabs taken from live footage show Croatian former general SlobodanPraljak swallowing what is believed to be poison during his judgement at the UN warcrimes court yesterday. — AFP
RIYADH: The swimming pool of the Mohammed bin Nayef Center for Counseling and Advice, a rehab center formilitants, is seen on Oct 4, 2017. — AFP
Trump pilloriedfor retweeting anti-Muslim videos
NEW YORK: NBC News fired popu-lar “Today” show host Matt Lauer afterreceiving what it called a detailed com-plaint from a colleague about inappro-priate sexual behavior in the work-place, the network said yesterday. NBCNews chairman Andrew Lack said that,after serious review, the complaintreceived on Monday night represented“a clear violation” of the company’sstandards. “As a result, we’ve decidedto terminate his employment,” Lacksaid in a statement. “While it is the firstcomplaint about his behavior in theover twenty years he’s been at NBCNews, we were also presented withreason to believe this may not havebeen an isolated incident.”
Lauer’s agent Ken Lindner did notrespond to a request for comment. Thenews was announced by “Today” co-anchors Savannah Guthrie and HodaKotb at the start of the talk show, a sta-ple of US morning television for morethan six decades that, NBC says, aver-ages more than 4 million viewers. “We
just learned this moments ago just thismorning,” Guthrie said, visibly shaken.“As I’m sure you can imagine we aredevastated.” Lack’s statement did notsay who made the accusation. Lauer,59, is married. “We are deeply sad-dened by this turn of events,” the state-ment said. “But we will face it togetheras a news organization - and do it in astransparent a manner as we can.”
The New York Times quoted AriWilkenfeld, a civil rights lawyer withthe firm Wilkenfeld, Herendeen &Atkinson in Washington, who said herepresented the woman who made thecomplaint to NBC but declined topublicly identify her.
Continued on Page 11
NBC fires star anchor Lauer over sexual misconduct
Matt Lauer
Jayda FransenDonald Trump
RIYADH: With its indoor swimming pool, sun-splashedpatios and liveried staff, the Saudi complex has the trap-pings of a five-star resort, but it is actually a rehab cen-ter - for violent militants. Riyadh’s Mohammed binNayef Counseling and Care Center, a cushy halfwayhouse between prison and freedom, spotlights a contro-versial Saudi strategy for tackling homegrown extrem-
ists. While the global fight against terrorism is oftenassociated with drone strikes and torture, the philoso-phy that underpins the center’s approach is that extrem-ism requires not coercion but an ideological cure.
Overseen by clerics and psychologists, it works toprevent convicts who have served their sentences fromreturning to jihad, through what it calls religious coun-seling and ideological detoxification. “Our focus is oncorrecting their thoughts, their misconceptions, theirdeviation from Islam,” Yahya Abu Maghayed, a directorat the center, said while giving AFP a golf cart tour ofthe sprawling, palm tree-lined complex.
The convicts are housed in a series of low-slungbuildings, outfitted with large-screen televisions and
Continued on Page 11
Militants go to rehab at ‘5-star’ Saudi center
On the occasion of the birthday of ProphetMuhammad (PBUH) today, Friday Times willnot be published tomorrow (Dec 1, 2017). Thenext issue of Kuwait Times will hit the news-stands on Sunday (Dec 3, 2017).
NOTICE TO OUR READERS
L o c a l Thursday, November 30, 2017
2 Established 1961
Head of the award’s board of trustees Sheikha AydahSalem Al-Ali Al-Sabah honors His Highness the AmirSheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah.
Head of the award’s board oftrustees Sheikha Aydah SalemAl-Ali Al-Sabah delivers herspeech.
Head of the Smart Dubai OfficeDr Aisha Bin Bishr speaks dur-ing the event.
Chairman of the award’sorganizing committee BassamAl-Shimmeri.
Hassan Al-Hamadi, a memberof the award’s organizingcommittee.
Chairperson of the award’s board of trusteesSheikha Aydah Salem Al-Ali Al-Sabah hon-ors KUNA’s Chairman Sheikh Mubarak Al-Duaij Al-Ibrahim Al-Sabah.
His Highness the Amir Sheikh SabahAl-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah honorsone of the winners of the 17th SheikhSalem Al-Ali Informatics Award.
His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah honors Head of the Smart DubaiOffice Dr Aisha Bin Bishr.
His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah honors one of the winners of the 17th SheikhSalem Al-Ali Informatics Award.
His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah and other top state officials attend the 17th Sheikh Salem Al-Ali Informatics Award.
KUWAIT: His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah arrives to attend the 17th Sheikh Salem Al-Ali Informatics Awardyesterday. —Amiri Diwan photos
(From left) Sheikh Jaber Al-Abdullah Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, His Highness the Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, HisHighness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah and Speaker of the National Assembly Marzouq Al-Ghanem.
KUWAIT: His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah patronized and attended the17th Sheikh Salem Al-Ali Informatics Award held atBayan Palace yesterday. His Highness the Amir wasreceived at the event by His Highness the Crown PrinceSheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, Speakerof the National Assembly Marzouq Al-Ghanem, SheikhJaber Al-Abdullah Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, His HighnessSheikh Nasser Al-Mohammad Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, HisHighness the Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-MubarakAl-Hamad Al-Sabah, First Deputy Prime Minister andMinister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah, Deputy Prime Minister and Ministerof Defense Sheikh Mohammad Al-Khaled Al-HamadAl-Sabah, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister ofInterior Sheikh Khaled Al-Jarrah Al-Sabah, DeputyPrime Minister and Minister of Finance Anas Al-Saleh,in addition to other senior officials of the state.
Human resourcesDelivering her speech to the event, head of the
Award’s board of trustees, Sheikha Aydah Salem Al-AliAl-Sabah said that Chief of Kuwait National Guard(KNG) His Highness Sheikh Salem Al-Ali Al-Sabah waskeen on developing human resources within the infor-matics domain.
The Sheikh Salem Al-Ali Award is supported by thehighest authority in the country exemplified by thepresence of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah andHis Highness the Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf, said
Sheikha Aydah who thanked both leadership figures fortheir continuous encouragement. She affirmed that theinformatics award would continue to encourage peopleto partake in the development of the nation, the region,and the world through technology and science.
Meanwhile, the chairman of the award’s organizingcommittee Bassam Al-Shimmeri said that the event hadpushed the technological boundaries not only in Kuwaitbut also in the region andthe world. Also during hisspeech, Shimmeri touchedon an Emirati initiativenamed Smart Dubai.
This regional projectaims at making Dubaione of the happiest citiesin the region through theuse of technology, saidthe official who affirmedthat the informaticsaward was very keen toprovide assistance.
Strong commitmentSpeaking further about the initiative, head of the
Smart Dubai Office Dr Aisha Bin Bishr said that theInformatics Award honoring of the initiative showcasedKuwait’s strong commitment to the development of thetechnological sector. The official thanked His Highnessthe Amir and Sheikh Salem Al-Ali for their uncondition-
al support, saying that the honoring truly reflects thestrong ties between Kuwait and the UAE.
The highest authorities in Dubai support the plan,she affirmed, adding that some 137 and 1,129 smart ini-tiatives and services will be launched to make sure thatthe level of satisfaction amongst citizens will increasefrom 90 percent in 2016 to 95 percent by 2021.
Bin Bishr also indicated that the initiative aims mak-ing all government trans-actions in Dubai 100percent online by 2020.Meanwhile, in a speechof his own, Hassan Al-Hamadi, a member of theaward’s organizing com-mittee, said that the proj-ects were thoroughlyevaluated based on threecriteria, which are quali-ty, comprehensivenessand diversity. Herevealed that nine proj-ects scooped awards, six
of which belonged to the government sectors of theUAE, Qatar and Oman, respectively; while a pair ofSaudi-designed projects won top honors in the privatesector. A Kuwaiti civilian project also clinched anaward, Hamadi pointed out, announcing that a smartgateway project by the UAE’s interior ministry toppedthe list in the government sector.
In the private sector, a Saudi-composed informationtechnology program was chosen as the top project,while an electronic education program designed byAmar Al-Hajj and Majda Al-Doussari won the award forbest project in the civilian community category. Toclose the ceremony, His Highness the Amir bestowedupon the director general of ‘Smart Dubai’s’ OfficeAisha bin Bishr an honorary order, while His Highnessthe Amir was given a commemorative plaque in return.
KUNA chief honoredThe Sheikh Salem Al-Ali Al-Sabah Informatics
Award honored KUNA’s Chairman Sheikh Mubarak Al-Duaij Al-Ibrahim Al-Sabah for patronizing the ceremo-ny. Sheikha Aydah expressed gratitude for participantswho took part in the activities of the award’s 17th ses-sion. Sheikh Mubarak Al-Duaij noted meanwhile thatthe award is a chance to see different skills and expert-ise in the world of informatics and digital industries. Healso thanked organizers and participants alike for theirefforts to develop this vital field in Kuwait.
He added that the award is the first of its kind in theArab World and is vital to develop the use of technolo-gy in different sectors in Kuwait. Meanwhile, SheikhMubarak Al-Duaij affirmed that KUNA is continuouslysupporting the award, adding that the agency hostssome of the award’s events as well. He hoped to seemore events in the future to develop the skills of Arabyouth in the field and encourage them to make the bestout of using social media and smartphones. —KUNA
Amir patronizes, attends SheikhSalem Al-Ali Informatics Award
Sheikh Salem keen on developing human resources within informatics: Sheikha Aydah
Smart Dubaiinitiative honored
L o c a l Thursday, November 30, 2017
3Established 1961
KUWAIT: His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah received at BayanPalace yesterday His Highness the Crown PrinceSheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah. HisHighness the Amir also received His Highness thePrime Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah and First Deputy Prime Ministerand Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah. Meanwhile, HisHighness the Crown Prince received His HighnessSheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak, Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled, First Deputy Prime Minister and DefenseMinister Sheikh Mohammad Al-Khaled Al-HamadAl-Sabah, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister ofInterior Sheikh Khaled Jarrah Al-Sabah, Ministerof Commerce and Industry and Acting Minister ofState for Youth Khaled Al-Roudhan, as well asMinistry of Defense Undersecretary Sheikh AhmadMansour Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah. — KUNA
Amir, Crown Prince meet top officials
KUWAIT: His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah meets withHis Highness the Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah. — KUNA
His Highness the Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-JaberAl-Sabah meets with First Deputy Prime Minister and DefenseMinister Sheikh Mohammad Al-Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah.
His Highness the Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-JaberAl-Sabah meets with Ministry of Defense Undersecretary SheikhAhmad Mansour Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah.
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: The Ambassador of Albania Saimir Bala hosted a reception onthe occasion of his country’s national day. State officials, diplomats andmedia persons attend the event, which took place recently at RegencyHotel. — Photo by Joseph Shagra
UK-KuwaitiSteering Groupto mull boostingcooperation:OfficialKUWAIT: The biannual UK-KuwaitJoint Steering Group is set to tackle var-ious security and judiciary cooperationdossiers in its upcoming meeting inKuwait in December 6-7, a senior for-eign ministry official stated Tuesday. Instatements to reporters on the sidelinesof his participation in the Georgianembassy’s function to mark Georgia’snational day, Assistant Foreign Ministerfor European Affair Waleed Al-Khubaizidisclosed that the Kuwaiti and UK min-istries of justice were expected to ink anagreement for exchanging experienceduring the Steering Group meeting.
He also pointed out that the Kuwaitiand UK officials would mull beefing up
commercial, educational, security anddefense cooperation to reach new levels.On a separate issue, the official notedthat Deputy Foreign Minister Khaled Al-Jarallah would visit Belgium next monthto partake in the inauguration of abureau for Kuwait in the NATO HQs.During his visit, he would hold talks withEU and Belgian officials, Khubaizi said,adding that Jarallah would have a chanceto reopen Kuwait’s bid to waiverSchengen visa.
Khubaizi said that he would start anofficial visit to Italy today to representFirst Deputy Prime Minister and ForeignMinister Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah in the MediterraneanDialogue forum. He added that theKuwaiti-Italian consultation meeting atthe level of senior officials would be heldduring his stay in Italy. The confereeswould discuss preparation for thesupreme joint committee meeting, he said.
On Kuwaiti-Georgian relations,Khubaizi said the diplomatic relationsbetween the two countries dated back to1992. He unveiled that Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled is expected to pay a visit toGeorgia in the near future to headKuwait’s delegation of the joint Kuwaiti-Georgian committee meeting. — KUNA
KUWAIT: The Ambassador of Georgia to Kuwait Roland Beridze (left) and Assistant ForeignMinister for European Affair Waleed Al-Khubaizi cut the cake during a reception hosted tocelebrate Georgia’s independence day. — Photo by Joseph Shagra
Thursday, November 30, 2017
4L o c a l
Established 1961
Photo of the Day
KUWAIT: A group of students participate in a recent campaign to clean up the Sulaibekhat beach. —KUNA
KUWAIT: In an atmosphere of joy and happiness, an artsand crafts exhibition was held yesterday in Kuwait withthe participation of 45 Arab and foreign diplomatic mis-
sions. The National Council for Culture, Arts and Letters(NCCAL) and the International Women’s Group (IWG)organized the event. — KUNA
L o c a l Thursday, November 30, 2017
5Established 1961
On Tuesday, meteorologist Issa Ramadan saidrains will begin to descend on Kuwait and contin-ue until today, as cold weather arrives in Kuwait.A little rain fell this week to free us from the sum-mer heat. But, are we ready for it? Rain is beauti-ful in most countries of the civilized world, whichhave many ways to deal with it regardless of theamount, except here in Kuwait. Rain is a problemfor all of us, except for those who use the wetstreets to race, which is really frightening.
Rainfall is undoubtedly cool, but in March, theunderpass on the intersection of Mangaf andSabahiya on Fahaheel Road was deluged due tothe rains, causing severe damage to many vehi-cles. More than 10 vacuum tanks worked on suc-tion operations under the bridge. The fire depart-ment lifted out more than 26 vehicles submergedin the underpass. It was said at the time that thecause of rainwater collecting in the underpasswas due to a drainage malfunction. Question: Isthis issue fully addressed, so that the problemdoes not recur?
The director of the public information depart-ment at the fire department said at the time thatthe department had received more than 30 callsinvolving car accidents - most of them about sub-merged vehicles. He said the department used allits resources to deal with the accidents caused bythe rainstorm.
The problem is that the beautiful rain revealsfaults in road maintenance. In 2014, the rains sawserious and dangerous road accidents thatcaused the asphalt to erode, panicking drivers.This problem left vehicles under heavy shellingfrom loose gravel. It was good business for someas repair and replacement of windshieldsincreased - especially since the price of a wind-shield is at least KD 15 and higher.
In 2015, the interior ministry received morethan 2,000 calls during a short rainstorm, rangingfrom inquiry to assistance. The storm halted navi-gation at Shuwaikh and Shuaiba ports. This is bigfor a small country. A lack of awareness amongthe public is one reason for this mess and igno-rance. The requirements of security and personalsafety are essential.
I see some people thirsting for rain because ofthe length of the summer and extreme heat, butthis does not mean going out amid a storm. Thesolution is that the ministry of interior and the firedepartment need to provide messages of aware-ness and serious warnings to people explainingwhat to do during storms and heavy rain.
Even auto insurance companies should have aneffective role, as the submersion of cars is harmfulto drivers. I do not know if a car sinking in rain-water is covered by insurance companies or not.The protection of people and their propertiesfrom the possible damage of storms and rain isthe duty of state agencies, and public awarenessis one of the means that must be taken intoaccount.
KUWAIT: Archive photos showing activities held during previous Gulf Popular Heritage Festivals. —KUNA
Kuwaiti ambassador confident Amir’seffort will lead to bridging GCC gaps
GCC needs unity at this critical phase to face challenges: Sheikh AzzamBy A Saleh
KUWAIT: Dean of the Diplomatic Corps andKuwait’s Ambassador to Bahrain Sheikh Azzam Al-Sabah said international powers have an agreementto resolve regional political disputes on a win-winbasis, which is clearly evident in Syria and is likely tobe used in other parts of the Middle East. SheikhAzzam expressed hope that such a policy will suc-ceed in stopping bloodshed, killing and displacementin various parts of the region.
“The GCC is one of the entities that needs consol-idation and unity the mostat this crit ical phase toface various chal lengesand be up to its effectivepol i t ical and economicresponsibilities,” he said inan interview with Bahrainidaily ‘Al-Watan,’ express-ing his trust that effortsexerted by His Highnessthe Amir of Kuwait SheikhSabah Al-Ahmad Al-JaberAl-Sabah will succeed inuniting and protecting GCC and bridging the gaps.“The region is currently witnessing an arms racewhich would only lead into endless drainage of itswealth and powers in the long run, as this is usuallydone at the expense of development, economy andhuman existence,” Sheikh Azzam added.
Responding to a question about GCC-Iran rela-tions, Sheikh Azzam stressed that GCC states seekgood relations with Iran to make it a partner in cre-ating regional peace and development. “This is why
Tehran has to take positive steps towards buildingtrust and showing good intentions based on interna-tional laws and relations,” he said, underscoring thatSaudi Arabia is a strategic cornerstone in the regionand has played a major role in maintaining regionalstability.
First hearingThe Court of Cassation set Sunday for the first
hearing of a petition challenging an appeal’s courtverdict which sentenced 67 opposition figures,including sitting and former MPs, to prison for
storming the NationalAssembly bui lding sixyears ago. In other news,the Court of Misdemeanoryesterday sentenced a realestate company owner tofour years in jail after hewas found guilty of fraud incases f i led by investorswho bought propert iesoutside through his compa-ny in deals that turned outlater to be fake.
Fingerprint devicesDeputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Anas
Al-Saleh again denied reports that the cost ofimporting fingerprint devices will be KD 67 million.Responding to an inquiry filed by MP Adel Al-Damkhi , Saleh stressed that Civi l ServiceCommission’s decision to use fingerprint systems atvarious government bodies to register staff atten-dance did not cost most of these bodies extra sums
and stressed that the estimated cost of these deviceswill be only KD 2.2 million.
Saleh explained that the fingerprint devices need-ed for the education ministry would cost KD832,000, in addition to KD 650,000 for the Awqafministry and KD 770,000 for the health ministry. Headded that the finance ministry’s role is only to pro-vide the needed sums and monitor how they arespent. He also noted that the names of the companiescontracted to supply and install those devices areavailable in various ministries.
Free gasWithin its strategic plans, Kuwait Oil Company
(KOC) predicts producing one billion cubic feet offree gas by 2022-2023. It said that the productionrate of light oil and gas will remain at 40,000 barrelsand 100 million cubic feet of gas respectively oncethe Jurassic gas fields to the north are developed. Inits annual report, KOC also noted that it aspires todevelop heavy oil reservoirs in the north by gettingthe needed technology and training company staff onusing it to reach a daily production of 60,000 bar-rels from Al-Ratqa field by 2018, in addition to25,000 barrels a day from Um Naga field.
Reports requiredA government report advised relevant bodies con-
cerned with managing public debts to regularlyreport developments to both legislators and the pub-lic. The report also stressed that such regular reportswill enhance transparency as well as accountability ofpublic officials in the event of making any mistakes.
In addition, the report explained that the aim ofsuch reports will be to ensure that public debts are
managed according to thegoals set and approved bylawmakers and executives.“The reports should becomprehensive to allowauditors to assess how farborrowing would succeedin achieving its goals,” thereport states, stressingthe need that the reportsshould include statisticsabout foreign outf lowsand local debts.
Khaitan infrastructureA committee entrusted
with developing the infrastructure in blocks 3 and 4in Khaitan met at the Ministry of Public Works(MPW) premises and was chaired by undersecretaryAwatif Al-Ghunaim, who said that the committee dis-cussed a detailed report about the contract of build-ing and maintaining the roads and rain drainage inthe area.
Ghunaim said that MPW coordinates with otherministries on providing current and future servicesneeded for the project, expecting to offer its tenderfor public bidding by the first quarter of 2019. Sheadded that the project’s total area is 154 hectares,including 1,448 plots of 400 sq m each. She addedthat public buildings will also be built over an area of3.168 hectares, including a park, a power plant, abank, stores, a clinic, a department store and amosque. “The area will also include around 30 kilo-meters of roads, in addition to rain drainage gridsand manholes,” Ghunaim said.
KUWAIT: The Ministry of Interior’s (MOI) relationsand security media department yesterday said thatvarious security sectors had finished preparations forthe camping season with the aim of maintaining securi-
ty and fighting campers’ negative practices. In collabo-ration with the civil defense, an awareness campaignwill be launched in three phases at the northern camp-ing areas in Jahra, southern camping areas in Ahmadiand in the central area.
Special lectures and seminars will be held forcampers to enhance their security as well as environ-mental awareness about precautions to be used to pre-vent campfires and maintain cleanliness. The depart-ment urged campers to avoid camping near militaryzones, oil facilities, high voltage power lines and nearhighways and to carry their civil IDs at all times, avoidleaving camps unguarded with their valuables inside,avoid reckless driving and leaving campfires on whilesleeping. Campers were also urged to keep first aid
kits handy, avoid using shotguns to hunt birds, or theuse of fireworks, while also preventing minors fromdriving.
Municipality campaignsFarwaniya municipality cleaning teams leader
Mubarak Al-Khurainej said that 2,020 cubic meters ofwaste and 12 abandoned and scrap vehicles wereremoved from Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh, Sabah Al-Nasser,Abdullah Al-Mubarak and Dajeej. He added that13,001 cubic meters of wastes and an abandoned vehi-cle were removed from Ferdous, Andalus and Ardhiyaindustrial area. In addition, 1,826 cubic meters of wasteand five abandoned vehicles were removed fromFarwaniya, Omariya, Rabiya, Ashbeliya and Rehab.
Jordanian Kinghonors Kuwaitimilitary attache AMMAN: Jordanian King Abdullah II honored yester-day military attache at the Kuwaiti embassy BrigadierGeneral Turki Al-Meshal with the military medal of thesecond degree. Kuwaiti Ambassador to Jordan DrHamad Al-Duaij said that the honoring reflected thestrong ties linking the two countries. The Kuwaiti diplo-mat also lauded the role played by the military staff atKuwait’s embassy, affirming that Brigadier GeneralMeshal made his country proud. Meanwhile, BrigadierGeneral Meshal said that he was very honored to havereceived the medal from the Jordanian King, addingthat he dedicated this achievement to the Kuwaiti peo-ple and leadership. —KUNA AMMAN: Jordan’s Army Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Mahmoud Fraihat (right) awards military attache at the
Kuwaiti embassy Brigadier General Turki Al-Meshal with the military medal of the second degree. —KUNA
KUWAIT: The Gulf Popular Heritage Festival will kick offtomorrow at the Sabah Al-Ahmad Heritage Village, asseveral heritage activities will take place for three months.Visitors of this edition of the annual festival will enjoynew expansions and developments recently executed inthe village. These include new buildings for entertainment,tourism and cultural events, as well an old Kuwaiti townwith all details, big theater and new rest areas.
The village is perfect for all family members as itincludes lakes, green spaces, cinemas, restaurants, coffeeshops, museums and a hotel. The festival’s deputy supervi-sor and head of competitions committee Sheikh SabahFahad Sabah Al-Nasser Al-Sabah said yesterday that theevent is seeing growing number of visitors each year,adding that the village is now fully prepared for the open-ing tomorrow. He noted that the festival will also includecompetitions for different types of camels, horses, birdsand others, focusing on speed, color and beauty. —KUNA
Gulf heritage festival kicks off tomorrow
Arms racedrains
region’s wealth
InternationalIslamic State silent on Egypt massacre
Page 7Pope preaches forgiveness in landmark mass Page 9
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2017
JUBA: Fifty people were killed in raids by a tribal militiain eastern South Sudan, a local official said yesterday, thelatest in a series of attacks between rival communities.Dut Achuek, a state minister, said eight people died in anattack on Monday in Jonglei state, while a follow-up raidon Tuesday left “23 women killed and... 19 men killed.”Most of the victims were civilians whose homes wereburned and livestock stolen, Achuek said. Both attacks,by armed men from the Murle ethnic group, targetedDinkas living in villages around 150 kilometers north ofBor, the state capital.
Kudumoc Nyakurono, information minister for neigh-boring Boma state, confirmed the involvement of Murlemilitia from the area. “We know that these youth wentthere from Boma State,” he said, adding that investiga-tions were underway to work out the exact circum-stances of the attacks. Rival pastoralist communities inSouth Sudan have a long and bloody history of tit-for-tatraids in which cattle are rustled and property looted, andwomen are commonly raped and children abducted,
adding fuel to revenge attacks. In one of the worst suchcases, over 3,000 people were killed when members of awell-armed Nuer mili-tia attacked the Murlein 2012.
Civil war in SouthSudan is generatingunseen levels ofdomestic violence,according to a studyreleased yesterdayshowing a reportedincrease in the brutali-ty and frequency ofassaults. Tens of thou-sands of people havebeen killed and a thirdof the East African country’s 12 million residents havebeen forced to flee since civil war broke out in 2013.More than half of the South Sudanese women inter-
viewed said they have suffered domestic abuse in theirlives, according to the study by George Washington
University (GW) and theInternational RescueCommittee.
But in wartime, theassaults have grown morebrutal and frequent, theytold researchers. Most of thevictims pointed to their hus-bands or partners as theculprit, while a third saidthey had suffered violenceas part of warfare such asduring raids or in refugeecamps. Overall, the rates ofviolence against women in
South Sudan was double the global average and amongthe highest in the world, the research found. “We aretired of being raped,” one woman was quoted as saying.
“We met with the chiefs and raised our concerns - wehave had no response yet.” But half of the women whoreported suffering harm said they kept it to themselvesrather than seek medical help or support. Researchersattribute their silence to stigma and distrust in the legalsystem. “If there is ever going to be long-term peace inSouth Sudan, violence against women and girls must beaddressed,” said Mary Ellsberg, lead researcher of thestudy and director of GW’s Global Women’s Institute, in astatement.
South Sudan gained independence from Sudan in2011 after protracted bloodshed, then fell into civil warin late 2013. The study, which included interviews withabout 2,700 women and men, shows a need to supple-ment aid such as food and medical supplies withdomestic violence prevention, the researchers said.Globally, one in three women is estimated to haveexperienced violence by an intimate partner or sexualviolence by others, according to World HealthOrganization estimates.—Agencies
50 dead in South Sudan tribal raidsS Sudan war seeps into homes, spurring domestic violence
Hamas’ weapons may block path to Palestinian unityGAZA: Their faces covered with black bal-aclavas, AK-47s in hand, militants fromHamas’s armed wing have become a famil-iar presence in the Gaza Strip-and formany that remains a key problem. Hamas,the Islamist movement that has run theGaza Strip for a decade, has been seekingto end its long feud with Palestinian presi-dent Mahmud Abbas’s Fatah, but its power-ful armed wing may prove to be a deal-breaker.
The Palestinian Authority is due to takecontrol of Gaza by Friday under a reconcili-ation agreement signed in October, butHamas is flatly refusing to disarm. Securitycontrol could derail the long-awaitedaccord, with Abbas warning he will notaccept a situation akin to Hezbollah inLebanon, where the Shiite group’s militiawields major power. “The weapons of theresistance are a red line that is non-debat-able,” Khalil Al-Hayya, deputy head ofHamas in Gaza, said at a press conferenceon Monday.
“These weapons will be moved to theWest Bank to fight the (Israeli) occupation.It is our right to resist the occupation untilit ends.” The size and strength of Hamas’sarmed wing, the Ezzedine Al-QassamBrigades, has been a source of speculation.Hamas, which seized control of Gaza in2007 in a near civil war with Fatah, doesnot comment on such details. Al-Qassammembership has been estimated at20,000-25,000 - roughly the size of the
Czech Republic’s active military personnel,according to figures cited by the WorldBank. Before a devastating 2014 war withIsrael, militant groups in Gaza werebelieved to have a total of some 10,000rockets, including 6,000 for Hamas, anIsraeli military analysis at the time said.
‘With flowers, with roses’ Most were short- and medium-range
rockets with a range of between 20 and45 kilometers (about 12 to 28 miles), theanalysis said. But there were also a num-ber of longer-range rockets that couldreach up to 200 kilometers, it said. It isthought that around half to two-thirds ofthe rockets were fired during the war, saidNeri Zilber of the Washington Institute forNear East Policy, who often writes ondefense issues.
Zilber said it is believed that rocketarsenals in Gaza have since been rebuilt toaround 10,000 - though with a greaterfocus on shorter-range weapons since theyare more difficult for Israel’s missile-defense system to shoot down. Beyondthose and small arms, militants in the GazaStrip are thought to have other weaponsincluding rocket-propelled grenades, hesaid. Many were likely smuggled throughtunnels. In August, Hamas’s leader in GazaYahya Sinwar said newly improved rela-tions with Iran had made it the “biggestsupporter” of Hamas’s military wing.
The weapons are key to Hamas’s ideol-ogy, with officials from the group, labeled aterrorist organization by the United Statesand the European Union, saying they areneeded for defense against Israel.
It does not recognize Israel-unlike theAbbas-led Palestine LiberationOrganization-and has fought three warsagainst it since taking power in the Gaza
Strip. “When Israel occupied Palestine,Israel did not come with flowers, with ros-es,” said Gaza-based academic Asad AbuShark. “We have to have arms in order todefend.” Israel says that Hamas is deter-mined to attack it, and in October its forcesblew up a tunnel stretching from Gaza intoits territory, resulting in the deaths of 12Palestinian militants. Such tunnels havebeen previously used for attacks.
‘Division will remain’ But Hamas’s armed resistance has
recently run up against other pressures inthe Palestinian enclave of some two million
people. Under an Israeli blockade for morethan a decade and with its border withEgypt kept largely closed in recent years,Gaza has seen worsening humanitarianconditions. Abbas has piled further pres-sure with punitive measures againstHamas, including cutting electricity pay-ments, worsening an already severe powershortage. Hamas has sought help fromCairo-hoping to have the Rafah borderwith Egypt opened-and has faced pres-sure to pursue reconciliation in return. Adeal mediated by Egypt was signed onOctober 12, though it lacks details onsecurity control.—AFP
Indian serial thief steals 120 hotel TVsNEW DELHI: Indian police have detained a manwho stole 120 TV sets from hotels over four months,officials said yesterday. Vasudev Nanaiah bookedinto budget hotels in states across southern Indiawith oversized bags to put the televisions in when heleft. If the room television did not fit his bag, the 34-year-old Nanaiah would go out to a local market tobuy a bigger suitcase, police alleged. Hotel staffnever suspected him as he was very well behaved.Nanaiah also paid a small advance sum and told staffhe would be staying for several days but generallyleft early, Chetan Singh Rathor, deputy commission-er of Bangalore police said.
“We arrested him earlier this month when hewas trying to sell TV sets to a shopkeeper, whoalerted the police,” he added. The police say thatthey recovered around 20 stolen TVs and foundthat he had left about two dozen cases in neighbor-ing Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh states believedto have been used in the theft of about 100 otherTVs over the past four months. Nanaiah told offi-cials that he stole TVs because it was “relativelylow risk and easy”, according to police. “He saidthat his recent thefts went to fund his lawyer andlegal fees for previous TV theft charges in differentcourts,” Rathor said.— AFP
YUMBE: A South Sudanese refugee washes clothes at the Bidibidi refugee settlement in the Northern District of Yumbe, Uganda. The vast Bidibidi settle-ment in far northern Uganda has sprung up over the past year as people flood out of South Sudan, fleeing civil war and severe food shortages. —AFP
Report shows increase in
brutality
BEIT HANUN: A Palestinian boy walks past the damaged minaret of amosque in Beit Hanun in the northern Gaza Strip, which was damagedduring the 50-day war between Israel and Hamas militants in the sum-mer of 2014. —AFP
I n t e r n a t i o n a l Thursday, November 30, 2017
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IS silent on Egypt massacre decried even by supporters
Gunmen massacre more than 300 worshippers
Established 1961
News in briefBulgaria, Iran face off SOFIA: Bulgaria said yesterday that an aircraft takingits prime minister and former king to Saudi Arabia wasdenied permission by Iran to enter its airspace, forcingthem to fly via Iraq. “The refusal is inexplicable,”Bulgarian Foreign Minister Ekaterina Zaharieva wasquoted by Bulgarian media as saying from Riyadh a dayafter the incident. She said Iran’s ambassador in Sofiahas been summoned for an explanation. Iran had initial-ly given the flight permission before it took off, she said.The plane was carrying former king Simeon SaxeCoburg, Prime Minister Boyko Borisov, Zaharieva andfour other ministers. It was the first visit by a Bulgarianprime minister to Saudi Arabia since the former commu-nist country, now a member of the European Union, andthe kingdom established relations 20 years ago.
Israel bars Swiss diplomats JERUSALEM: Israel will refuse Swiss diplomats accessto the Gaza Strip until further notice after recent meet-ings were held with Hamas leaders, an Israeli officialsaid yesterday. Defense Minister Avigdor Liebermanissued the order to prevent the diplomats from travel-ling to the Palestinian enclave from Israeli territory, theofficial said on condition of anonymity. The order willremain in place “until clarifications occur,” said the offi-cial, without providing further details. Israel controls allaccess into Gaza apart from the strip’s sole crossingwith Egypt. On Tuesday, Switzerland’s envoy to thePalestinian Authority, Julien Thoni, met Hamas’s chief inthe Gaza Strip, Yahya Sinwar. At least one other recentmeeting was also held with Hamas leaders. Hamas, theIslamist movement that has controlled the Gaza Stripfor a decade, is considered a terrorist organization bythe United States and European Union.
Salman pleads ‘not guilty’DUBAI: Bahrain’s jailed Shiite opposition leader SheikhAli Salman pleaded not guilty yesterday to newcharges of working with the kingdom’s Gulf rival Qatarto overthrow the Sunni minority government. The trialcomes amid a bitter diplomatic spat now approachingits seventh month pitting Bahrain and its allies againstQatar, which is accused of being too close to Iran.Salman, who has been behind bars since 2014 serving anine-year sentence on charges of inciting hatred, hadrefused to appear in court for a first planned hearing inthe new trial on Monday. “Sheikh Ali denied the chargesleveled against him,” a judicial source said. The court setthe next hearing for December 28. Salman and twomembers of his banned Al-Wefaq movement, HassanSultan and Ali Al-Aswad-neither of them in custody-arecharged with “communicating with a foreign state tocommit acts hostile to the state of Bahrain”.
4 Cameroon troops killed YAOUNDE: Four Cameroonian soldiers were killed bysuspected separatists in a restive English-speakingregion yesterday, army and government sources said.“Four soldiers were killed around 2am around Mamfe,”a city in the country’s Southwest Region, according toan army source. “They murdered our soldiers. If that’snot terrorism, what is it?” the source said angrily. Thedeaths were confirmed by a government source,although the circumstances were not given. The blood-shed is the latest episode in an escalating crisis in theSouthwest and Northwest regions, home to a largeminority of English-speakers in the francophone-majority nation. Eight members of the security forceshave been killed this month alone.
CAIRO: The gunmen who massacred more than 300worshippers in an Egyptian mosque made no effort toconceal their identity-they showed up raising the blackbanner of the self-styled “Islamic State”, authorities andwitnesses said. The group’s militants had previouslywarned the North Sinai mosque associated with Sufis toend the mystical practices IS calls heretical, even visit-ing the mosque in person a few weeks before theattack, a Sufi sheikh said.
But almost a week after the Friday massacre, IS hasyet to claim the attack in a sign, officials and analystssay, that their gunmen might have gone too far even bythe extremists’ standards. For all the indiscriminate car-nage IS has perpe-trated on almost everycontinent, neverbefore has an attackshocked even its sup-porters who nowinsist the group isinnocent. As the scaleof the attack perco-lated in jihadist socialmedia channels, pro-IS users denied thegroup’s involvement.
Every militantgroup known to oper-ate in Egypt, including the Al-Qaeda-linked Jund Al-Islam in Sinai that opposes IS, condemned the mas-sacre. IS supporters on social media were livid when apurported audio recording of wireless communicationsbetween an IS member boasting about the attack, andanother noting down details, spread on pro Al-QaedaTelegram channels.
IS supporters in denialIS had targeted mosques before-usually Shiite-and
Sufis. The jihadists bombed a Manchester concert onMay 22 in which they were certain to kill children whohad come to watch pop star Ariane Grande perform. Atthe time, British jihadist Omar Hussein-who may havebeen killed in the takeover of the group’s erstwhile cap-
ital of Raqa in Syria- said killing “disbeliever” childrenrested comfortably on his conscience. “As for the killingof little girls then it is permissible 2 kill the kuffaar asthey kill us,” he wrote in response to an AFP query.
But the attack on the Egyptian mosque, packed dur-ing communal Friday prayers with hundreds of worship-pers, Sufis and non-Sufis, appears to have been a steptoo far for IS supporters. At least 27 children died in themassacre. “Something of this scale, that killed more than‘just Sufis’ would be hard to justify,” said analystAmarnath Amarasingam, senior research fellow withcounter terrorism group ISD Global. “It could be thatthe Egyptian or Sinai context makes this kind of attack
more abhorrent and makesthe group less likely to earnlocal support,” said aWestern official.
After the attack, anotherjihadist who regularlydefends IS atrocities flatlydenied IS involvement. “Notat all . Your analysis iswrong. You’ve been influ-enced by media reports,” hewrote in a messageresponding to an AFPquery. IS in Egypt, based inthe north of the Sinai penin-
sula bordering Israel and the Gaza Strip, has killedhundreds of security personnel in attacks, and morethan a hundred Christians in church bombings andshootings over the past year.
“It does appear to be in line with a gradual shiftover the last four years,” said another Western official.IS went “from a violent campaign by the terrorists inSinai that was very local... and in the beginning carefulnot to alienate the local population... to something thatseems to be much more affected by global jihadi moti-vations of Daesh,” the official said, referring to IS witha derogatory Arabic acronym. Egyptian PresidentAbdel Fattah al-Sisi has warned that IS foreign fighterswill try to settle in his region as they lose ground inIraq and Syria.
No central agreement But it may have been a local initiative by the increas-
ingly pressed jihadists in Sinai that was badly receivedby IS’s leadership in Iraq and Syria, a third Westernofficial said. It is “possible that the attack was coordi-nated without central agreement. Hence the absence ofa claim,” said the diplomat. Another possibility is that itwas an attack meant to send a message to Sufis and vil-lagers seen as pro-government, without granting it theimprimatur of an official IS claim. The Western officialsagreed to speak to AFP on condition of anonymity.Hassan Hassan, a leading expert on IS, said the jihadistshad called the Sufis “taghuts” in a publication, a wordused in the Koran to describe the devil and tyrants.“Nothing is off limits when they call them taghut,” said
Hassan, a senior fellow at the TIMEP think tank andauthor of the book “ISIS: Inside the Army of Terror”.
IS fighters, however, had gone too far in the past andbeen punished for it, he said. “When they killed the Al-Shaitat, they removed the (attackers) after that,” he saidof a 2014 massacre of up to 700 tribesmen in Syria’seastern Deir Ezzor region. “Either because they wantedto distance themselves from it or they thought theywent to far,” Hassan said. Still, with IS’s media operationcontinuing to baffle observers, it remains possible butunlikely that the group may yet claim the attack. Afteran attack on a military toll booth south of Cairo in June,IS issued a claim three weeks later-not through theusual statement on its Telegram accounts but in itsweekly Nabaa newsletter.— AFP
Islamic Statehas yet to claim the
responsibilityEL-ARISH: Photo shows the Rawda mosque, roughly 40 kilometers west of the North Sinai capital ofEl-Arish, after a gun and bombing attack. —AFP
With N Korea missilereach global, focus falls on defensesWASHINGTON: North Korea’s latest rocket launch saw itshoot an intercontinental ballistic missile higher than everbefore, prompting US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis towarn that Pyongyang could soon threaten “everywhere inthe world.” The worrying assessment once again calls intoquestion America’s anti-missile capabilities, and whether itand its allies can protect themselves from the threat of anuclear-tipped ICBM.
How high?Defense officials did not elaborate on Mattis’s remark
about the missile’s elevation, but on July 4, in a test thatKim Jong-Un called a gift for the “American bastards,” aNorth Korean rocket soared to an altitude of 2,802 kilome-ters and flew 933 kilometers. According to David Wright, aco-director and senior scientist at the Union of ConcernedScientists, news reports the missile reached more than4,500 kilometers in altitude would give it a massiverange.”If these numbers are correct, then if flown on a stan-dard trajectory rather than this lofted trajectory, this missilewould have a range of more than 13,000 kilometers (8,100miles),” Wright wrote on his organization’s blog. “Such amissile would have more than enough range to reachWashington, DC, and in fact any part of the continentalUnited States.” After the July 4 launch, experts had saidAlaska was in range, so the latest test marks a dramatic andrapid increase in North Korea’s potential reach.
Missile defensesThe United States has spent decades and billions of
dollars developing technologies to stop an incoming ballis-tic missile, and the US military still has faith these systemscan protect against a North Korean missile attack. “The(South Korea)-US alliance remains confident that we canstill defend against any North Korean threat,” Pentagonspokesman Colonel Rob Manning said shortly afterTuesday’s launch. America and its allies have several tech-nologies at their disposal, none of which is infallible. Totake out an ICBM, America has the Ground-based
Midcourse Defense (GMD) system at its disposal.Installed at Fort Greely, about 100 miles outside
Fairbanks in Alaska, and California’s Vandenberg Air ForceBase, the GMD can hit an incoming missile in space. It wasput to the test in May, when the military successfullylaunched a GMD interceptor from the California base. Themissile blasted outside Earth’s atmosphere and smashedinto a dummy ICBM target, destroying it in a direct colli-sion. But the GMD system has had a checkered record inprevious tests-failing in earlier launches against slower-moving targets-and it could be overwhelmed by a barrageof incoming missiles.
What other defenses? Aside from the GMD, the United States and its allies also
have at their disposal what is known as the Aegis BallisticMissile Defense System (AEGIS). The ship-based system’s
highly sensitive radars and sensors feed ICBM-tracking data tothe GMD facilities in California and Alaska, and AEGIS is itselfcapable of intercepting shorter-range missiles. Some experts saythe AEGIS system may also one day have a limited ability tointercept ICBMs. In the meantime, the US military this year begandeploying the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD)system to South Korea, capable of destroying short, medium andintermediate-range missiles in their final phase of flight. Thatmove infuriated China, which has argued the deploymentwould further destabilize the situation on the Korean penin-sula. The US and its allies South Korea and Japan also havePatriot Advanced Capability-3 interceptor batteries. Butthese are designed to protect against a regional threat andwould have limited effect against an ICBM. In Europe,nations have an array of missile defenses but these are pri-marily focused against shorter range missiles that couldcome from Russia or the Middle East. —AFP
PAJU: South Korean army’s K-55 self-propelled howitzers take a position at a military training field inthe border city of Paju yesterday. —AFP
‘We are in danger’: Translators left behind to TalebanKABUL: The Taleban have tried to killZainullah, a former translator for the FrenchArmy, twice already, he says, warning thatthe insurgents have expanded their territoryin Afghanistan to just five minutes from hisdoor. He and fellow translators who onceaided international forces say they areincreasingly fearful, with the Taleban nowcontrolling or influencing some 40 percent ofAfghanistan’s 407 districts.
“We are in danger,” says another, Bashir,who served the French Army for four years.“Nobody knows when but it’s going to hap-pen one day, for the situation is gettingworse. They will get us.” Last Wednesday,Zainullah was wounded in a suicide motorcy-cle attack in front of his home just north ofKabul, as he spoke to a NATO patrol. One ofthe soldiers was killed, and several otherswounded. Zainullah, 28, said he was sure thebomber had wanted to kill two birds with onestone: the Westerners, and him.
It was their second attempt, he said. InJune he received a threatening phone calland, shortly after, was shot in his garden by
two gunmen on motorbikes. More telephonethreats have followed, voices speaking to himin the accents of Kandahar, the Taleban’sbirthplace in Afghanistan’s south. Previouslyhe felt safe at home. “There were no Talebanhere. Now they are in the (neighboring) vil-lage,” just a five minute drive away. Zainullahspoke to the police. He displayed the officialcomplaint he made, stored in a plastic bagwith his translator contracts and pay stubsfrom the NATO-controlled InternationalSecurity Assistance Force (ISAF). He evenhas his access badges to the French bases inKabul and in Surobi.
“The district police chief told me, ‘We knowyou’ve been targeted but we can’t protect you.We don’t have enough guards. You are nothigh profile people.’ He was sorry,” Zainullahsaid. Embattled police are themselves increas-ingly targeted in devastating attacks and shorton time and resources. “Of course, we don’thave enough forces to protect every individualbut we are doing our best,” says Abdul Fatah, asenior police official in Kapisa, an unstableprovince north of the capital where Frenchtroops once had a heavy presence. He spokegenerally as he was not involved in Zainullah’scase. There are 152 Afghans, mainly formertranslators but also cooks, drivers, mechanicsand others who worked for international forces,whose requests for relocation have beenrejected by France, according to their lawyer
Caroline Decroix, based in Paris. One hundredothers have seen theirs accepted. They livenow in France with their families, 371 people intotal. Among those denied, many have goneclandestinely to Turkey, Europe or neighboringcountries, says Bashir.
Infidels and spies “The insurgents, they call us infidels, or
spies,” Bashir explained. He said he hadbecome so paranoid that he was even suspi-cious of his own tribe, people he grew upwith who, even unintentionally, could divulgeinformation leading the Taleban to him.”I’vechanged my address many times,” he said,adding that virtually none of his fellow trans-lators can live in their own villages any more.Some even travel wearing burqas to disguisethemselves, he said. “We feel we didn’t makethe right choice. We are left behind.” HajjiMirdad Mijrabi, an MP for Kapisa, confirmedthe climate of fear. “Almost all the inter-preters had to take their families out of theprovinces to live in Kabul and in city centers,where they are jobless... They hardly survivein the cities,” he said. Zainullah says he doesnot have the means to keep moving. His olderbrother worked as a translator for Britishtroops and now lives in the UK with his fami-ly. Zainullah’s relatives are panicked. “Myfather told me, ‘We wish you had neverworked with the coalition.’ It hurts, it’s disap-
pointing.” In early October, the Council ofState, France’s highest court, found that therehad been a “miscalculation” in the manage-ment of some of the translators’ applicationsfor relocation packages. “Zainullah has beenwaiting for protection for two years and hasnot received an answer,” says the lawyerDecroix, who claims to receive “alarminginformation almost daily” from Afghanistan.She hopes the Council of State’s ruling willprompt the government to “finally realise theshortcomings and flaws of the relocationmechanism”. —AFP
KABUL: Zainullah, a 28-year-oldAfghan who was working as aninterpreter with French troops,talks to an AFP reporter duringan interview in Kabul. —AFP
Thursday, November 30, 2017
8I n t e r n a t i o n a l
Established 1961
SEOUL: North Korea said it successfully tested a newintercontinental ballistic missile yesterday in a “break-through” that puts the US mainland within range of itsnuclear weapons whose warheads could withstand re-entry to the Earth’s atmosphere. North Korea’s first missiletest since mid-September came a week after US PresidentDonald Trump put North Korea back on a US list of coun-tries it says support terrorism, allowing it to impose moresanctions.
North Korea, which also conducted its sixth and largestnuclear test in September, has tested dozens of ballisticmissiles under its leader,Kim Jong Un, in defianceof international sanctions.The latest was the highestand longest any NorthKorean missile had flown,landing in the sea nearJapan. North Korea saidthe new missile reached analtitude of about 4,475 km- more than 10 times theheight of the InternationalSpace Station - and flew950 km during its 53-minute flight.
“After watching the successful launch of the new typeICBM Hwasong-15, Kim Jong Un declared with pride thatnow we have finally realized the great historic cause ofcompleting the state nuclear force, the cause of building arocket power,” according to a statement read by a televi-sion presenter. State media said the missile was launchedfrom a newly developed vehicle and that the warheadcould withstand the pressure of re-entering the atmos-phere. Kim personally guided the missile test and said thenew launcher was “impeccable”, state media said. Hedescribed the new vehicle as a “breakthrough”.
North Korea also described itself as a “responsiblenuclear power”, saying its strategic weapons were devel-oped to defend itself from “the US imperialists’ nuclearblackmail policy and nuclear threat”. The UN SecurityCouncil was scheduled to meet to discuss the launch.Many nuclear experts say the North has yet to prove it hasmastered all technical hurdles, including the ability todeliver a heavy nuclear warhead reliably atop an ICBM,but it was likely that it soon would. “We don’t have to likeit, but we’re going to have to learn to live with NorthKorea’s ability to target the United States with nuclearweapons,” said Jeffrey Lewis, head of the East AsiaNonproliferation Program at the Middlebury Institute ofStrategic Studies.
‘Threaten everywhere’US, Japanese and South Korean officials all agreed the
missile, which landed within Japan’s exclusive economiczone, was likely an ICBM. The test did not pose a threat tothe United States, its territories or allies, the Pentagon said.“It went higher, frankly, than any previous shot they’vetaken, a research and development effort on their part tocontinue building ballistic missiles that can threaten every-where in the world, basically,” US Defense Secretary JimMattis told reporters at the White House.
Trump spoke by phone with Japanese Prime MinisterShinzo Abe and SouthKorean President MoonJae-In, with all three reaf-firming their commitmentto combat the NorthKorean threat. “It is a sit-uation that we will han-dle,” Trump told reporters.Trump, who was briefedon the missile while it wasin flight, said it did notchange his administra-tion’s approach to NorthKorea, which has includednew curbs to hurt trade
between China and North Korea. Abe and Moon, in a sep-arate telephone call, said they would “no longer tolerate”North Korea’s increasing threats and would tighten sanc-tions, the South’s presidential office said.
All optionsWashington has said repeatedly that all options, includ-
ing military ones, are on the table in dealing with NorthKorea while stressing its desire for a peaceful solution.“Diplomatic options remain viable and open, for now,” USSecretary of State Rex Tillerson said. Other than enforcingexisting UN sanctions, “the international community musttake additional measures to enhance maritime security,including the right to interdict maritime traffic” travellingto North Korea, Tillerson said in a statement.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres strongly con-demned the launch. “This is a clear violation of SecurityCouncil resolutions and shows complete disregard for theunited view of the international community,” hisspokesman said in a statement. China, North Korea’s lonemajor ally, expressed “grave concern” at the test, whilecalling for all sides to act cautiously. In Moscow, Kremlinspokesman Dmitry Peskov also urged all sides to staycalm, saying this was necessary to avoid a worst-case sce-nario on the Korean peninsula.
US East Coast in range?The new Hwasong-15, named after the planet Mars, was
a more advanced version of an ICBM tested twice in July,North Korea said. It was designed to carry a “super-largeheavy warhead”. Based on its trajectory and distance, themissile would have a range of more than 13,000 km (8,100miles) - more than enough to reach Washington D.C. andthe rest of the United States, the US-based Union ofConcerned Scientists said. However, it was unclear howheavy a payload the missile was carrying, and it wasuncertain if it could carry a large nuclear warhead that far,the nonprofit science advocacy group added.
Minutes after the North fired the missile, South Korea’smilitary said it conducted a missile-firing test in response.Moon said the launch had been anticipated. There was nochoice but for countries to keep applying pressure, headded. “The situation could get out of control if NorthKorea perfects its ICBM technology,” Moon said after a
national security council meeting. “North Korea shouldn’tmiscalculate the situation and threaten South Korea with anuclear weapon, which could elicit a possible pre-emptivestrike by the United States.”
The test comes less than three months before SouthKorea hosts the Winter Olympics at a resort just 80 kmfrom the heavily fortified border with the North. NorthKorea has said its weapons programs are a necessarydefense against US plans to invade. The United States,which has 28,500 troops in South Korea as a legacy of the1950-53 Korean war, denies any such intention.
Last week, North Korea denounced Trump’s decisionto relist it as a state sponsor of terrorism, calling it a “seri-ous provocation and violent infringement”. Trump hastraded insults and threats with Kim and warned inSeptember that the United States would have no choicebut to “totally destroy” North Korea if forced to defenditself or its allies.— Reuters
Kim Jong Un declares N Korea a nuclear power
New ICBM puts US mainland within the range
News in brief
‘Butt selfie’ at templeBANGKOK: Thai authorities have fined two Americantourists for public indecency for posing for a “butt selfie”in front of a famous Buddhist temple, police said yester-day. The two, who police identified as Joseph Dasilva, 38,and Travis Dasilva, 36, were arrested late on Tuesday atan airport in the capital, Bangkok. They were each fined5,000 baht ($154) for baring their buttocks for a picturetaken last week at Bangkok’s Wat Arun, or Temple of theDawn. “The two American citizens have admitted takingthe picture,” district police chief Jaruphat Thongkomolsaid. While Thailand has a reputation for racy night life,the predominantly Buddhist country is deeply conserva-tive and revealing clothing is frowned upon while publicnudity is considered offensive.
Passenger train derails MADRID: A passenger train derailed in the Spanishprovince of Seville yesterday, leaving 21 people injured,one seriously, according to the Andalusia emergencyservices. The medium-distance train was travellingbetween Malaga and Seville and slid off the tracks in themunicipality of Arahal due to adverse conditions causedby heavy rain, a spokeswoman for the national transporterRenfe said. Andalusia emergency services said earlieryesterday that they had attended more than 100 incidentscaused by severe weather conditions in the Seville region,mostly on the roads. Four people were killed and 47 injuredafter a train derailed in Galicia in northwestern Spain lastyear while some 80 people were killed in Spain’s worst raildisaster in decades when a high-speed train went off thetracks and slammed into a wall, also in Galicia.
Turkey hunts 333 soldiers ISTANBUL: Turkish police have launched raids in 49cities to detain over 300 soldiers accused of links to thegroup blamed for last year’s attempted coup, state mediareported yesterday. The Istanbul public prosecutor issuedarrest warrants for 360 people as part of a probe into fol-lowers of US-based Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen in theTurkish armed forces, state-run news agency Anadolusaid. Those targeted include 333 soldiers, as well as 27civilians suspected of being so-called “secret imams” whoare alleged to be in charge of Gulenists in the military.Two of the soldiers were detained in the northern city ofZonguldak, Anadolu said. It said they will be taken toIstanbul where the investigation into the Gulen “struc-ture” in the military is taking place. Of the 360 sought, 216were soldiers on active duty, the private Dogan newsagency said. Seven of the suspects sought are pilots.
US ‘serial killer’ nabbed TAMPA: US police arrested a suspected serial killer onTuesday who faces charges of murdering four peopleover a period of several weeks in Tampa, Florida. Themurders took place between October 9 and November 14in a seven-block area of the city’s working-class SeminoleHeights neighborhood, prompting the offer of a $100,000reward for information to help solve the case. HowellEmmanuel Donaldson III, aged 24, was arrested afterpolice received a tip that he had a firearm at aMcDonald’s fast food restaurant where he worked. PoliceChief Brian Dugan said Donaldson handed a co-worker ahandgun and left the McDonald’s to go to a check-cash-ing business.
Trump, Democrats spar; government shutdown loomsWASHINGTON: US President DonaldTrump clashed with Democratic leaders indramatic fashion Tuesday, heaping pres-sure on Congress to craft a compromiseon federal spending or face a cripplinggovernment shutdown in 10 days. Hoursafter the president suggested a fundingdeal with Democrats may be impossible,House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi andtop Senate Democrat Chuck Schumerpulled out of a planned White Housemeeting with Trump that they said wouldbe fruitless.
“Given that the president doesn’t see adeal between Democrats and the WhiteHouse, we believe the best path forward isto continue negotiating with ourRepublican counterparts in Congress
instead,” the pair said in a statement.Trump shot back that he was not surprisedthe Democrats rejected his offer, sayingthey were “very far apart” on severalissues like immigration. “They’ve been alltalk and they’ve been no action. And nowit’s even worse, now it’s not even talk,”Trump declared during the meeting, whichwent ahead with Republican congressionalleaders-an empty chair on either side ofthe president underscoring the absence oftheir Democratic counterparts.
Later, after a new North Korean missilelaunch, Trump said on Twitter: “it’s moreimportant than ever to fund our gov’t &military! Dems shouldn’t hold troop fund-ing hostage for amnesty & illegal immigra-tion. I ran on stopping illegal immigrationand won big. They can’t now threaten ashutdown to get their demands.” The rarepublic rejection of White House talksratcheted up tensions in Washington overa 2018 spending bill that must pass by aDecember 8 deadline, and served as astinging rebuke to a president who oftenmocks his rivals on Twitter.—AFP
Anger in UK over reported Brexit divorce packageLONDON: Brexiteers and europhiles reacted angrily toreports yesterday that Britain will pay up to 55 billioneuros to leave the European Union, putting pressure onBritish negotiators ahead of key talks. London andBrussels have agreed that Britain will pay between 45 and55 billion euros ($53-63 billion), according to the DailyTelegraph. The Financial Times reported Britain wouldcover EU liabilities worth as much as 100 billion euros, butwhen structured as net payments over many decades thatcould drop to less than half that amount.
EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier refused to confirmthe reports, calling them “rumors”. “There is a subject onwhich we are continuing to work-despite the claims orrumors in the press today, that’s the issue of financialengagements,” he told a security conference in Berlin. Pro-Brexit supporters reacted with anger to the reports, withleading campaigner Nigel Farage calling the reported fig-ure “utterly unacceptable”. “For a sum of this magnitude tobe agreed in return for nothing more than a promise of adecent settlement on trade represents a complete and totalsellout,” he wrote in the Daily Telegraph.
Meanwhile, pro-EU Labor lawmaker Chuka Umunnasaid the government’s apparent climbdown dispelled pro-Brexit campaign claims. “This is a whopping great symbolfor the impossibility on delivering Brexit on the terms itwas sold to the British people,” he told BBC Radio 4’sToday program. Investors were more optimistic that thereports heralded a breakthrough, sending the pound 0.5percent higher against the dollar, a two-month high. Thenewspapers said negotiators, headed on the British side byleading Brexit official Olly Robbins, reached the under-standing at meetings in Brussels last week.
Deal ‘is there’An agreement would be a major breakthrough as
Britain prepares for an EU summit in December where it is
hoping to get the go-ahead to start the next phase of talkson future trade ties with the EU. It would leave two majorareas on which the two sides still do not agree-expatriatecitizens’ rights after Brexit and the future of the Irish bor-der. “The deal on the money is there,” a senior sourceinvolved in the negotiations told the Telegraph. “It’s nowthe ECJ (European Court of Justice) question and NorthernIreland that are the outstanding issues ahead of theCouncil,” the source said. One key area of contention iswhether the 3.2 million EU citizens living in Britain will con-tinue to be allowed to appeal to ECJ jurisdiction or if theirrights will be governed by British courts, as London insists.
So far both sides have avoided publicly declaring aclear-cut number for what Britain owes the rest of the EU.Prime Minister Theresa May had offered to cover Britain’scontributions to its budget in 2019 and 2020 - a total ofaround 20 billion euros. That pledge was reportedly dou-bled to 40 billion euros at a ministerial meeting in Londonlast week. The Telegraph quoted an EU source withknowledge of the talks said the text of the financial agree-ment would allow a “low figure” to be generated for theBritish public but would also give the EU the certainty it islooking for. Asked about the reports, a spokesman forBritain’s Department for Exiting the European Union said“intensive talks” are taking place in Brussels this week, anddid not address the divorce bill directly. —AFP
Missile lands in Japan exclusive economic zone
North Korea’s official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) shows the test-fire of the intercontinental ballistic missileHwasong-14 at an undisclosed location. —AFP
Fractured French Right struggles PARIS: A year ago, France’s conservatives appeared head-ed for the presidency. Now the French right is more frac-tured than at almost any point in the modern-day FifthRepublic, leaving one clear winner: President EmmanuelMacron, a centrist. Over the weekend, a group of Macron-friendly lawmakers cemented their split from the centre-right The Republicans party, forming a new party, Agir(Act). In a further blow to The Republicans, three otherparty heavyweights defected to Macron’s Republic on theMove party.
This comes at a time the far-right National Front partyis riven by internal divisions and fighting a new rival move-ment set up by one of its own. In two weeks, TheRepublicans will elect a new party chief. The task of who-ever wins will be to heal divisions and rebuild a partyblown apart by Macron’s election triumph. “The Right is inthe process of breaking apart ... if this goes on we will bein opposition for 20 years,” Mael de Calan, a rising star inThe Republicans and candidate for party leader, told tele-vision channel France 2.
De Calan hit out at those deserting the party. He alsosaid the frontrunner in the party leadership race, 42-year-old Laurent Wauquiez, was advocating policies that wouldpush The Republicans too far to the right-an outcomewhich could prompt others to leave. Macron, 39, dynamitedFrance’s traditional political landscape in the summer, win-ning the presidency without ever having held office beforeand securing a commanding majority in parliament with aparty just over a year old. Macron poached cabinet minis-ters from both the Socialist Party and The Republicans,leaving both scrambling for an answer to the former invest-ment banker’s stunning rise to power. The Socialists of for-mer President Francois Hollande were particularly hurt.
“Macron destroyed the Left with the presidential elec-tion and now the target is the Right,” said Frederic Dabi ofpollster Ifop. Both far-left ‘France Unbowed’ leader Jean-Luc Melenchon and far-right National Front chief MarineLe Pen are viewed as stronger opponents to Macron, anOdoxa poll showed at the weekend. —AFP
BERLIN: The EU’s chief negotiator for Brexit Michel Barniergestures as he gives a speech during the DeutscherArbeitgebertag congress of German Employers’Associations (BDA) yesterday in Berlin. — AFP
WASHINGTON: US Senate Minority Leader Sen Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and HouseMinority Leader Rep Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) participate in a news conference at theDemocratic National Committee headquarters in Washington, DC. —AFP
I n t e r n a t i o n a l Thursday, November 30, 2017
9
YANGON: Pope Francis called on Myanmar’s top Buddhistmonks to conquer “prejudice and hatred” in a country rav-aged by communal divisions, after holding the nation’s first-ever papal mass attended by 150,000 Catholics yesterday.The pontiff’s four-day visit has so far been marked by hisavoidance in public of the crisis in northern Rakhine state andMyanmar’s treatment of its Rohingya Muslim community.
Pope Francis has previously spoken out strongly indefense of the Muslim group, whom the UN and US sayare victims of an ethnic cleansing campaign by Myanmar’smilitary that has driven 620,000 of them into Bangladeshsince late August. “If weare to be united, as is ourpurpose, we need to sur-mount all forms of misun-derstanding, intolerance,prejudice and hatred,” thepope told the orange-robed monks ofMyanmar’s highestBuddhist body, called theSangha Maha Nayka.
Radical monks haveplayed a key role in fanningIslamaphobia in Myanmarand hardening attitudestowards the Rohingya. In recent months the Sangha hasmoved to rein them in, especially in banning sermons byWirathu-a monk whose vitriolic rants were widely dissemi-nated via social media. Welcoming the pope Sangha chair-man, Kumarabhivamsa, who oversees Myanmar’s estimated600,000 monks, expressed sadness at “extremism and ter-rorism” conducted in the name of religion.
Latin songs by nunsEarlier yesterday the pope delivered a message of for-
giveness in an open-air mass before a sea of Catholics inYangon, many wearing colorful costumes from the coun-try’s myriad ethnic groups.
”I never dreamed I would see him in my lifetime,” saidMeo, an 81-year-old from the Akha minority in Shan state.A choir of Myanmar nuns sang in Latin, accompanied byorgan music, as Francis delivered a homily urging compas-sion-opening his speech with “minglabar”, Burmese for“hello”.”I can see that the Church here is alive,” he said ofa Catholic community numbering around 700,000 — atiny fraction of the country’s 51 million people. The pontiff
noted that many Myanmarpeople “bear the woundsof violence, wounds bothvisible and invisible”. Buthe urged his audience toforgo anger and respondwith “forgiveness andcompassion”.
His visit has been asmuch political as religiousin a country on the defen-sive after the global out-rage over the plight of theRohingya. He held privatetalks with both civilian
leader Aung San Suu Kyi and the powerful army chief MinAung Hlaing, who are part of a delicate power-sharingarrangement as the country emerges from decades of jun-ta rule. His caution so far will bring relief to Myanmar’sCatholic leaders, who had urged the pontiff not to wadeinto the treacherous issue for fear of sparking a backlashfrom Buddhist hardliners. Even the mention of the nameRohingya is incendiary to many among the majority-Buddhist population, who deny the group are a distinctminority and insist on calling them “Bengalis”.
Diplomatic danceReactions to the pope’s handling of the issue have been
mixed, with some Rohingya expressing disappointmentthat he did not directly confront his hosts in public on theirsuffering or even mention their name. But Kyaw Min, a for-
mer MP and prominent Rohingya activist, said he under-stood the pressures the pope was under and applaudedhis nuanced approach. “He said there were some peoplewho have been bullied and need to get their rights ... thiswas about the Rohingya,” Kyaw Min said.—AFP
Pope appeals to Buddhist monks to overcome ‘intolerance and hatred’
Radical monks accused of fanning Islamaphobia
Established 1961
News in brief
Police foil school attackSYDNEY: Two teenagers have been charged with planningan attack using guns and explosives on a Australian schooland police said yesterday they intended to kill multiplepeople. The plot targeting the school in South Australia’sfruit-producing Riverland region, northeast of Adelaide,came to the attention of authorities earlier this month andthe two young men were arrested soon afterwards.Detective Superintendent Des Bray said they were accusedof planning “an attack at a school involving the use offirearms and explosives which could have led to multipledeaths”. “There is no doubt in my mind that we prevented acatastrophe,” he said. “We believe most likely the attackwould have occurred, if not stopped, before the end of thecurrent school term (in mid-December).” The two boys-aged 16 and 18 - are in custody, with the younger onecharged with a count of solicit to murder, while the olderone faces threatening to kill offences. The
15 rebels die in clashMANILA: Fifteen suspected communist guerrillas includ-ing six women have been killed in a gunbattle, thePhilippine military said yesterday, days after PresidentRodrigo Duterte called off peace talks. Duterte last weekvowed to go to war with the rebels and threatened to cate-gorize them a “terrorist” group over deadly attacks againstsoldiers and police. Late Tuesday residents reported seeingarmed men boarding a van and a truck in the town ofNasugbu 65 kilometers south of Manila, prompting author-ities to send troops, said local military spokesman ColonelTeody Toribio. When soldiers tried to flag down the vehi-cles on a highway, a gunbattle broke out that left 15 sus-pected guerrillas dead, including a female university stu-dent, while five soldiers were wounded, added Toribio. Onesuspect was captured while an undetermined numberescaped. Thirteen firearms were recovered, he said.Regional military chief Brigadier General Ernesto Ravinasaid the operation was “anchored on the pronouncement ofthe president on the termination of peace talks”.
Cyclone Cempaka kills 19 JAKARTA: A tropical cyclone which hit Indonesia’s mainisland of Java has triggered severe flooding and landslideswhich left 19 dead, an official said yesterday. Landslidesclaimed 15 lives in east and central Java, while four othersperished in floods unleashed by Cyclone Cempaka.“Thousands of homes, hectares of agricultural land and pub-lic facilities are also flooded,” said Sutopo Purwo Nugroho,spokesman for Indonesia’s disaster agency. The destructionfrom the cyclone comes as the rumbling Mount Agung vol-cano on the neighboring resort island of Bali threatens toerupt, forcing tens of thousands to flee their homes.Cempaka is expected to move away from Indonesia laterThursday, but more flooding and landslides could follow inits wake, the agency said, adding that it urgently needs blan-kets, clothes and inflatable boats. Indonesia is prone to natu-ral disasters and is often hit by floods and landslides.
Singaporean charged SINGAPORE: A Singaporean activist was charged yester-day for organizing public protests without a permit, spark-ing calls for the tightly controlled city-state to stop treatingpeaceful demonstrations as crimes. Jolovan Wham, 37,appeared in court accused of organizing three smallprotests between November last year and July. Thesewere a candlelight vigil outside a prison for a death rowconvict, a protest on a subway train and a demonstrationat which a Hong Kong democracy activist spoke via videolink. Police described Wham in a statement as “recalci-trant” and said he had “repeatedly shown blatant disre-gard for the law”. While it is one of Asia’s safest andwealthiest countries, Singapore has faced criticism for itstough laws. It is illegal to hold a public protest in most ofSingapore without police approval, but permits are rarelygranted and the only place where demonstrations can beheld without one is the corner of one downtown park.People convicted of organizing such protests face a fineof up to Sg$5,000 ($3,713).
Pope preaches forgiveness in
landmark mass
YANGON: Pope Francis (centre right) presents a gift to Bhaddanta Kumarabhivasma (centre left), Chairman ofstate Sanga Maha Nayaka Committee, during their meeting in Yangon yesterday. —AFP
Bangladesh’s priest disappearance casts pall over pope visit
DHAKA: A Catholic priest has disappeared in Bangladesh,police said yesterday, as the Muslim-majority countrystepped up security ahead of a landmark visit by PopeFrancis that follows a rise in Islamist attacks on religiousminorities. Walter William Rosario, a 40-year-old priestand headmaster of a Catholic school, went missing onMonday in a village in northern Bangladesh where sus-pected Islamist extremists last year hacked a Catholic gro-cer to death. Gerves Rosario, bishop of the nearby city ofRajshahi, said he believed the priest had been kidnappedand that Catholics in the region were deeply worried. “Hewas organizing for around 300 Catholics to travel toDhaka to see the Pope and attend his holy mass. But hisdisappearance has marred their joy. They don’t want to goto Dhaka any more,” he said.
News of his disappearance comes as Bangladesh tight-ens security in the capital Dhaka ahead of the arrivaltoday of the first pontiff to visit Bangladesh in more thanthree decades. Police in Natore district said they hadlaunched a major search for Rosario after his familyreported him missing. “He has been missing since lateMonday. His mobile has been switched off,” local policechief Biplob Bijoy Talukder said. The family received aphone call from someone using the missing man’s numberto demand a ransom, but Talukder said police believedthis was a hoax. They have not ruled out the possibilityhe was abducted by Islamist extremists, who have carriedout attacks on religious minorities in the region in the pastfour years.
‘Our joy is gone’Since 2015 at least three Christians, including two con-
verts from Islam, have been hacked to death in attacksblamed on the militant Jamayetul Mujahideen Bangladesh(JMB). Bikash Hubert Rebeiro, the priest in Bonpara villagewhere Rosario grew up, described him as a “good man”whose disappearance had cast a pall over the pope’s visit.“Our joy is gone,” he told AFP by phone. “Everyone in thevillage is shocked. His elderly mother has being crying non
stop.” Rebeiro said Rosario’s family was friendly with therelatives of Sunil Gomes, the Catholic grocer murderedoutside his shop last year. Christians make up less than 0.5percent of Bangladesh’s 160 million people and have forcenturies lived in harmony alongside the Muslim majority.
But community leaders say a rise in Islamist extremismhas strained relations. Bangladesh authorities have esca-lated security in Christian areas of Dhaka in recent days astens of thousands descend on the capital for an open-airmass on Friday. On Tuesday police said they had killedthree suspected Islamist militants in a raid on a housewhere they found hand grenades, pistols and bomb-mak-ing materials. “The pope’s visit is a matter of honor for us.We are organizing the highest level of security for him,”
police spokeswoman Sahely Ferdous said. The three-dayvisit will be dominated by the plight of more than 620,000Rohingya Muslims who have f led ethnic unrest inMyanmar and taken refuge in Bangladesh. Their arrivalhas added to the huge challenges already facing thepoor, overpopulated country, which has seen a substan-tial rise in Islamist extremism in recent years. In July lastyear Islamist militants stormed a Dhaka cafe and massa-cred 22 hostages including 18 foreigners in an attackclaimed by the Islamic State group. The government hasdenied the international group’s involvement. Since theattack, security forces have killed more than 70 allegedmilitants in a crackdown condemned by rights activistsand opposition parties.—AFP
DHAKA: Bangladeshi nuns and Christian devotees leave after a mass service at the Holy Rosarychurch in Dhaka yesterday. —AFP
Outcry as Beijing evicts migrants onto cold streetsBEIJING: Two dozen police swept throughthe pitch-black frigid hallways of tenementbuildings in a ramshackle neighborhood ofnorthern Beijing, posting eviction noticeson every door with heavy thumps of theirfists. The blunt warning gave residents justsix hours to pack up and leave, as part of acity-wide campaign that has thrownthrongs of migrant workers onto the freez-ing streets in recent days.
The harsh tactics have sparked a publicoutcry, but officials have argued that theyare taking people out of unsafe homes inthe wake of a fire that killed 19 peopleincluding eight children earlier this month.Bulldozers and diggers have torn downbuildings deemed to be fire hazards,reducing swathes of neighborhoods torubble. When Pi Village resident XiangShaoping arrived at his home, he found ajarring message on the door. “If you havenot left the premises, moved out and com-pletely emptied the space by 6:00 pm, allyour belongings will be considered forfeit-ed, and you will be responsible for all con-sequences,” read the letter posted aroundnoon on Monday, without an official seal.
Xiang, a construction worker from
Sichuan province, paid 700 yuan ($105) amonth for his two-room flat-all he couldafford as he struggled to support his wifeand three children on an income of 4,000yuan ($600) a month. He moved there inSeptember after authorities kicked migrantsout of his former and more central resi-dence. “If this house is unfit to live in, youshould have told us before we moved in, ornot let them build it in the first place,” hesaid. “China is saying on the internationalstage that it’s improved human rights, butdo we low-end people have any rights?”
‘Act mercilessly’ The labor of hundreds of millions of
migrants who moved from China’s country-side to its cities has fuelled the economicboom in recent decades, though legallythey are not allowed access to social serv-ices outside their home towns. But authori-ties in overcrowded Beijing have been get-ting rid of many of them for the past yearas they seek to cap its population at 23million by 2020 and demolish 40 millionsquare metres of illegal structures.
The deadly apartment fire promptedofficials to intensify the evictions with a40-day campaign to clear Beijing of safetythreats. Authorities do not say how manypeople have been evicted in recent days,but the scope of the operation and demoli-tions likely affected tens of thousands.Critics say the campaign pushes for rapidgentrification and targets the “low-endpopulation”, a term used in past official
documents. Beijing mayor Cai Qi hasdenied such intentions.
Online video footage showed WangYongxian, the top official of Beijing’s Fengtaidistrict, urging cadres to “act hard, merci-lessly, and quickly” and charge those whoresist with the crime of “endangering publicsafety”. “Demolish what you can demolishtoday, don’t wait until tomorrow,” he said.“Tonight there could be another fire.” Last
Friday more than 100 scholars, lawyers andartists signed an open letter to authoritiesprotesting at the evictions, calling them a“serious violation of human rights”. Internetcensors have since deleted it as well as pho-tos and comments about the fire’s aftermath.Pi Village is some 50 kilometers from thefire’s location, but authorities still shut offwater, power and heat there without expla-nation on the day of the blaze. —AFP
BEIJING: A man cycle past buildings which were destroyed by the municipali-ty on the outskirts of Beijing. —AFP
Stifled by the Internet and 24-hour news channels as wellas political pressures, Algeria’s independent press bornonly 25 years ago is struggling in a crisis that has alreadykilled off dozens of titles. Algeria’s “democratic spring”that followed widespread protests in Oct 1988 put an endto a quarter century of single party rule and a statemonopoly of the media, with independent newspapersemerging on the scene.
Some of them have built up large circulations and arestill going, such as the Arabic-language Echorouk and El-Khabar and French-language papers El-Watan, Liberteand Le Soir d’Algerie. But since 2014, 26 dailies and 34weeklies have vanished, Communications Minister DjamelKaouane said last month. The sales figures of the remain-ing 140 daily and weekly papers have slumped, and totalcirculation of the dailies has declined by 40-60 percent inthe past five years, according to a study by AlgiersUniversity professor Redouane Boudjemaa.
For El-Khabar, as a leading example, circulation ran ashigh as 1.2 million in 2000 and has since plunged to thecurrent figure of around 200,000 a day, said a formerchief of the daily, Ali Djeri. Boudjemaa said the launch ofhigh-speed Internet access in Algeria since 2014 hassparked an explosion in smartphone and tablet computersales, while “the number of readers of the printed presshas crumbled”.
Newspapers have failed to adapt to their readership
jumping ship to the free contents of online media, he said.As for lifeline advertising, the lion’s share has migrated tothe rising number of private television channels, especiallythose offering round-the-clock news. The government haspromised to unblock next year a six-million-euro ($7-mil-lion) rescue fund for “financially troubled” media that hasbeen frozen since the start of the decade because of dis-
putes between management and journalists. However,rights and press freedom activists accuse the authorities ofputting an economic squeeze on papers through institu-tional ads that the communications ministry says accountfor 20 percent of the advertising sector.
Advertising a political ‘tool’“Public” advertising for administrative and state-run
companies is managed by ANEP, an agency which criticssay is used as a tool to reward or sanctions newspapersaccording to political criteria. Hadda Hazem, director ofEl-Fadjr newspaper, staged a week-long hunger strike thismonth in protest at her newspaper being “asphyxiated”and deprived of advertising following critical remarksabout President Abdelaziz Bouteflika she had made onFrench television. Several other publications have com-plained of similar treatment and called for the end to thestate agency’s monopoly over institutional advertising. El-Watan director Omar Belhouchet said private companieshave also come under pressure over their advertising allo-cations because their businesses often depend on main-taining good relations with the authorities. “Since thepresidential election of 2014, the paper’s private advertis-ing revenues have fallen by 60 percent,” Belhouchet, whoopposed a fourth term for Bouteflika, told AFP.
His paper’s circulation has fallen to 90,000 from morethan 160,000 in 2012, and it has had to hike its cover priceby 50 percent in the past three years because of thedecline in advertising revenues. Media watchdogReporters Without Borders (RSF), which ranks Algeria134rd out of 180 countries on its press freedom index,charged in June that the North African country used“harassment” and “threats” to pressure journalists. —AFP
Thursday, November 30, 2017
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Why the US shouldn’t send arms to Ukraine The US National Security Council is reported to be on the vergeof recommending the export of $47 million worth of defensivearms to Ukraine. The package will reportedly include a cache ofJavelin anti-tank missiles, weapons that would reliably and effi-ciently disable the hundreds of tanks that the Russian-supportedseparatists in the country’s east have acquired since the conflictbegan.
To advocates who believe that sending weapons to theUkrainian government will bloody Russia’s nose and sendPresident Vladimir Putin a message, this pending decision couldn’thave come soon enough. Arming Kiev is a popular prescriptionsupported by top military officers and many lawmakers in bothparties. Popular, however, doesn’t mean smart. Opening upAmerica’s stockpile to Ukraine is not in Washington’s nationalsecurity interest. In fact, it is bound to make a conflict that is most-ly frozen into a more deadly one and it complicates any reason-able chance of a diplomatic resolution.
While it may be uncomfortable to admit, the political orienta-tion of Ukraine and how Ukrainians choose to manage (or mis-manage) their economy and political system doesn’t directly affectthe United States. As Rajan Menon and William Ruger wrote inForeign Affairs magazine last month, “Ukraine matters more toRussia than it does to the United States.”
To Washington, Ukraine is a post-Soviet state whose oli-garchic politics and systemic corruption have severely handi-capped the country’s economic outlook. US security interests inEurope are not wedded to whether Kiev succeeds in establishinga more democratic and accountable form of government. At best,Ukraine is a peripheral country that the United States doesn’thave a treaty obligation to defend if its territory is invaded.
Integral puzzle To Putin, however, Ukraine is an integral puzzle in his grand
strategy of making Russia as relevant a global player as it wasduring the Cold War. A wholesale Westernization of Ukrainianpolitics, from associations with the European Union (EU) to apossible membership in NATO, would destroy that ambition andruin a significant portion of Putin’s political legacy.
Indeed, the possibility of Ukraine increasing its trade relation-ship and political direction with the United States and Europe wasenough of a national security threat to Putin that he was willing todeploy Russian soldiers, paratroopers, and special forces onUkrainian territory to carve out a zone of influence there. Putin’sbelief that a Russian-friendly Ukraine is a national security imper-ative for Moscow won’t be changed by a couple dozen anti-tankmissiles from the United States.
The second concern for the Trump administration is how Putinmight respond to any escalation. As former National SecurityCouncil official Charles Kupchan argued in the Washington Post:“The notion that Russian President Vladimir Putin would give uphis hold on Donbass [Eastern Ukraine] if a few more Russianscome home in body bags is to dramatically misread the Kremlin.”Yet this false assumption is what undergirds the arguments fromproponents of lethal assistance to the Ukrainians.
Ruthless It’s impossible to understand why some US legislators are so
confident that Moscow will react in the way they expect. Thethree-and-a-half year long war has shown that Russia is ruthlessin escalating its involvement and investment in the conflict to pre-vent a military victory for Kiev. In fact, to expect that Moscowwould respond to more Russian casualties by suing for a peacesettlement is to ignore completely how Putin has behaved sinceRussia’s 2014 invasion of Ukraine.
When separatist units in Donetsk and Luhansk were losingground to pro-Kiev forces early in the war, Russia came to theirrescue. In the summer of 2014, when pro-Ukrainian troops wereretaking towns that Kiev previously lost, columns of Russiantanks, artillery, heavy weapons, and soldiers crossed the borderinto Ukraine to ensure that there were no more Ukrainian territo-rial advances in strategic areas. When the stalemated battle in thecity of Ilovaisk was slowly moving Kiev’s way, conventionalRussian soldiers and weapons were fast-tracked to the frontline inwhat would turn out to be one of the deadliest days for Ukrainiantroops in the war.
Months later, when the separatists were in jeopardy of retreat-ing from the strategic town of Delbatseve, Russian tanks weredeployed and quickly forced an undermanned, disorganized,demoralized, and tired contingent of Kiev forces to withdraw.There’s no reason to think that Putin would respond less violentlynow if Washington sent defense shipments to Ukraine.
The most negative impact of additional US involvement is thatit will likely spoil Moscow’s willingness to cooperate on aUkrainian peacekeeping proposal. While Moscow has insistedthat the 2014 and 2015 Minsk protocols are the only way the warin Ukraine can end peacefully, Putin has openly acknowledgedthat there may need to be greater international involvement if thatpeace is to be sustainable. He broached the subject of deployingUN troops along the contact line this September and even agreedto explore greater access to peacekeepers in separatist-con-trolled territory after a call with German Chancellor AngelaMerkel. The concept is now being discussed within the Trumpadministration and between the US and Russian special envoys tothe conflict, suggesting sincerity on the Russian side.
A White House authorization to send equipment to Kiev couldstop that dialogue. It’s difficult to understand why the UnitedStates would escalate the war when there may finally be an open-ing to explore a UN-enforced cessation of hostilities that couldlead to a political settlement to the conflict. The Russians couldrespond to increased US involvement in Ukraine in other waystoo. Moscow could, for example, use its veto power in the UNSecurity Council to block US-led efforts to stop North Korea’snuclear program. Putin could expand military and intelligencecooperation with Iran to undermine the Trump administration’spolicy of containing Iranian expansionism. —Reuters
Algeria independent press fears for survival
Delhi can learn from other cities to clear smogDelhi must adopt anti-pollution steps taken by other megacitieslike Beijing and Mexico City if the Indian metropolis is to getserious about tackling its annual smog crisis, experts say. A toxiccloud covered India’s capital, New Delhi, and surrounding areasthis month, causing respiratory problems among residents andleading to school closures, flight cancellations and the declara-tion of a public health emergency. The causes of the probleminclude the poor quality of diesel used to generate electricityand to power the vehicles clogging the streets, dust and smokethrown out by a thriving construction industry, and biomass andkerosene used by the poor for heating and cooking.
Stubble-burning on farmland around the city, described bylocal officials this month as a “gas chamber”, is also cited byexperts as a major cause. “At the moment, Delhi is the most pol-luted city in the world in terms of air quality,” SarahColenbrander, a researcher at the London-based InternationalInstitute for Environment and Development, told the ThomsonReuters Foundation. Similar to other megacities, poorer residentsare often worst-hit by air pollution, as they are most likely to livealong busy highways or near power plants. They also tend totake jobs that are done outside, like street vending or labouring,providing little relief from the toxic fumes.
Making a startDelhi residents breathe in three times as many fine particles
that cause the greatest risk to health than the people of Beijing,another city notorious for high pollution levels that has begunto make strides in tackling its air problems. The Chinese capital- which is home to about 22 million people compared to Delhi’s18 million - still suffers from chronic pollution and congestion.But Beijing officials have created an air pollution action planushering in strict traffic curbs and regulations on the city’s con-struction industry from November until March.
By limiting building work across and around GreaterBeijing, dust levels have fallen, said Mukesh Khare, professorof environmental engineering at the Indian Institute ofTechnology (IIT). Delhi officials also took action to stop con-struction when pollution levels rose this month, but they actedafter the smog arrived not before, as Beijing now does. “Thestructure of Beijing city, though much larger than Delhi, issimilar,” said Khare, an expert in urban air pollution. “Beijinghas very successfully tackled this issue. It is do-able for Indiaas well.”
Beijing leaders and city administrators are, however, free totake action against pollution spikes without having to worryabout political consequences or possible court action, he not-ed. For every $1 spent on improving air quality in cities, $30 isreturned to an economy, said Khare. Despite this, Indianauthorities have failed to get the message across to the poorabout the health risks and causes of air pollution, he said.
Stop the gridlockLists of the world’s most polluted cities are usually dominated
by Indian and Chinese cities. But 25 years ago, Mexico Citywould always rank near the top. Over the past decade, the high-altitude city - which still suffers from pollution and congestion -has tried different and unique ways to improve life for the 21 mil-lion people in its metropolitan region.
Efforts to boost mobility in Mexico City really took off afterthe roll-out of a plan to connect the airport with the city center -a journey of about 6.5 km that used to take more than threehours - by expanding its bus rapid transit system, said JemilahMagnusson of the Institute for Transportation and DevelopmentPolicy in New York. Fixing that problem showed people the rela-tive ease and potential benefits of enlarging the city’s limitedpublic transport network, she said.
Mexico City has also created more bicycle lanes alongside apopular bike-sharing scheme. And it has introduced ground-breaking parking reforms, including restricting the amount ofparking buildings can provide, whereas before they wererequired to offer a minimum. This measure aims to discouragethe use of cars and free up more space for housing, making itcheaper.
‘Things will get worse’As Delhi’s air quality deteriorated this month, authorities tried
using fire trucks to spray water to keep dust and other air parti-
cles down, halting construction work, increasing car parkingcharges, and implementing an emergency odd-even license platepolicy to limit the use of private vehicles. The effect was limited,but experts say there are other short-term measures that couldbe taken by Delhi officials to stop the smog in future.
As in most Indian cities, the vast majority of residents do notdrive cars, so improving the bus and pedestrian infrastructurewould help, alongside implementing a bike-sharing scheme,introducing a permanent odd-even system, parking reforms andbasic street redesign, experts said. Connecting low-incomehouseholds to the electricity grid would also ease pollutionproblems, coupled with providing cleaner energy alternativeslike solar lamps.
Longer term, a national environment agency should be estab-lished with the power to make quick decisions on pollution con-trol and to punish states for inaction, said IIT’s Khare. Delhiwould also benefit from large-scale investment in a mass transitsystem and the creation of an air pollution action plan usingforecasts provided by the Indian meteorological department toprevent smog, experts said.
Meanwhile, the central government should enforce existinganti-pollution regulations and standards, and push for a shift tomore energy-efficient and cleaner vehicles, they said. “If wedon’t have a good action plan, things will get worse becauseDelhi is increasingly a growing city (and) our economy is gettingbetter and better,” said Khare. —Reuters
P.O.Box 1301 Safat,13014 Kuwait.E MAIL :[email protected]: www.kuwaittimes.net
Established 1961 The First Daily in The Arabian Gulf
Calls for end to monopoly
on institutional advertising
An Indian man signs a billboard during a signature campaign against pollution in New Delhi on Nov 27, 2017. —AFP
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It is not the first time that defendants have takentheir own lives at the ICTY. Former Croatian Serbleader Milan Babic killed himself at the UN detentioncenter in 2006, after another Croatian Serb, SlavkoDokmanovic, in 1998.
In the complex ruling, the judges upheld the jailterms against all six defendants, including a 25-yearsentence imposed on Jadranko Prlic, the former primeminister of the breakaway Bosnian Croat statelet,known as Herzog-Bosna. Praljak was specificallycharged with ordering the destruction of Mostar’s 16th-century bridge in November 1993, which judges in thefirst trial had said “caused disproportionate damage tothe Muslim civilian population”. A symbol of Bosnia’sdevastation in the war, the Ottoman-era bridge was lat-er rebuilt. But in their ruling, the judges in fact allowedpart of Praljak’s appeal, saying the bridge had been “amilitary target at the time of the attack”. They alsooverturned some of his convictions, but refused toreduce his overall sentence.
The bloody 1992-1995 war in Bosnia, in which100,000 people died and 2.2 million were displaced,mainly pitted Bosnian Muslims against Bosnian Serbs,but also saw some brutal fighting between Bosnian
Muslims and Bosnian Croats after an initial alliance fellapart. The appeal judges said all six men, who had beenfound guilty of taking part in a scheme to removeBosnian Muslims from the territory, “remained convict-ed of numerous and very serious crimes.”
In statements sure to anger Zagreb, the judgesupheld the original trial finding that the men had beenpart of a joint criminal enterprise whose “ultimate pur-pose was shared” by late Croatian president FranjoTudjman, and other leaders. The aim of the scheme wasto set up “a Croatian entity that reconstituted area bor-ders and that facilitated the reunification of theCroatian people”.
Following the verdict, Croatian President KolindaGrabar-Kotarovic interrupted an official visit to Icelandto return for talks. A 20-year term was upheld againstformer military leader Milivoj Petkovic, 68, while a 16-year sentence was confirmed against ex-military policechief Valentin Coric, 61, and 10 years for former policeofficial Berislav Pusic, 65.
Yesterday’s verdict comes a week after the judgesimposed a life sentence on former Bosnian Serb militarycommander Ratko Mladic, whose ruthlessness in theconflict earned him the title the “Butcher of Bosnia”. Hisjudgement had also descended into confusion when heaccused the judges of lying and had to be draggedaway into a nearby room to watch the end of the pro-ceedings. The ICTY charged Prlic and his co-defen-dants in 2004. The six surrendered with Croatia underpressure to comply with the court in return for joiningthe European Union. The ICTY closes its doors on Dec31, having indicted and dealt with 161 people. — AFP
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Fransen was found guilty last year of a hate crimeafter hurling abuse at a Muslim woman wearing a hijab.Britain First, which was formed in 2011 and is known forpicketing outside mosques, has run and lost in severalBritish and European parliament elections. BrendanCox, widower of MP Jo Cox who was murdered by arightwing extremist last year, said: “Trump has legit-imized the far right in his own country, now he’s tryingto do it in ours. Spreading hatred has consequences &the president should be ashamed of himself.”
David Lammy, an MP for the opposition LabourParty, said: “The president of the United States is pro-moting a fascist, racist, extremist hate group whose
leaders have been arrested and convicted. He is no allyor friend of ours.” Stephen Doughty, another LabourMP, called the videos “highly inflammatory” and his col-league Yvette Cooper said Trump had given Fransen a“huge platform”. Opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn saidthe retweets were “abhorrent, dangerous and a threat.”
Fransen and Britain First leader Paul Golding weredue to appear in court on Wednesday for a pre-trialreview on charges of “threatening, abusive or insultingwords or behavior” over a speech she made in Belfast.Trump’s interventions in British politics and controver-sial foreign policy have strained the so-called “specialrelationship”. He has infuriated British authorities withhis tweets on terrorism in Britain, including highly publi-cized run-ins with London’s Muslim mayor Sadiq Khan.
Yesterday’s retweets were part of an early morningburst in which Trump again dismissed CNN as “FakeNews” and insisted the US economy was in “recordterritory” by many measures. Trump also said consumerconfidence was at an all-time high. “I guess somebodylikes me (my policies)!” the president wrote. — AFP
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“My client and I met with representatives fromNBC’s Human Resources and Legal Departments at 6pm on Monday for an interview that lasted severalhours. Our impression at this point is that NBC actedquickly, as all companies should, when confrontedwith credible allegations of sexual misconduct in theworkplace,” Wilkenfeld said in a story published bythe Times yesterday. The law firm representingLauer’s accuser did not immediately respond to arequest for comment.
The complaint said the sexual misconduct occurredwhile Lauer and the female colleague were covering the2014 Sochi winter Olympics in Russia, NBC Newsreporter Stephanie Gosk said on-air. The misconductcontinued after the Games, Gosk said. An NBC repre-sentative did not respond to a request for more details.Fellow NBC News anchor Willie Geist, who hosts the“Today” show’s Sunday program, told MSNBC’s“Morning Joe” that he was stunned, especially givenLauer’s role. “Matt Lauer is the most powerful personat NBC News, arguably,” Geist said, referring to Laueras a friend and mentor who he said had always led byexample on the show’s set.
US President Donald Trump responded with mes-sages on Twitter calling for some of Lauer’s colleaguesto be fired too, and adding to his recent attacks againstmultiple US news outlets for their reporting on hisadministration. “Wow,” Trump wrote about the Lauerannouncement. “But when will the top executives atNBC & Comcast be fired for putting out so much FakeNews. Check out Andy Lack’s past!” he added, withoutfurther explanation. An NBC spokeswoman did notrespond to questions about Trump’s comments.
During the 2016 presidential campaign, then-Republican candidate Trump was accused by 13 womenwho publicly said that in the past he had physicallytouched them inappropriately in some way, the
Washington Post reported. Trump denied the accusa-tions, accused rival Democrats and the media of asmear campaign, and went on to win the election.
Trump was also famously embarrassed in the finalstretch of last year’s presidential campaign by therelease of audio in which he is heard boasting that hisfame allows him to grab women’s genitals and get awaywith it. At the time he acknowledged the veracity of theso-called “Access Hollywood” tape and apologizedpublicly. It was initially thought the revelation couldderail his bid for the White House. Trump has sincechanged his tone, and told a Republican senator shortlyafter his election victory that “we don’t think it was myvoice”, the New York Times reported yesterday, quot-ing a person familiar with that conversation. And Trumphas continued to suggest that the voice on the tape wasnot his, the Times said, quoting three people close tothe president.
Just last week, Lauer co-hosted with Guthrie NBC’sThanksgiving Day coverage of the Macy’s parade inManhattan. Since Lauer took over the anchor chair in1997, “Today” has dominated morning show ratings. Itearned $509 million in advertising revenue last year, morethan any other morning show, New York-based analystsKantar Media said. Lauer signed a two-year deal in 2016that would pay him $20 million per year, according toFortune Magazine. He joined “Today” in Jan 1994 and hasinterviewed presidents George Bush and Barack Obamaand broadcast from seven Olympic games.
There were reports that journalists from multipleoutlets had been investigating complaints againstLauer. Elizabeth Wagmeister and Ramin Setoodeh, twoVariety reporters, said they had been working formonths on a story about sexual harassment allegationsby multiple women against Lauer. “NBC was aware thatVariety was working on a bombshell story about sexualharassment allegations against Matt Lauer,” Setoodehwrote on Twitter.
“This is not a Hollywood media problem, this is aproblem across all industries including the US gov-ernment,” said Bob Bakish, CEO of Viacom Inc, whenasked about the Matt Lauer firing, at the BusinessInsider IGNITION Conference in New York yester-day. “Secondly, this is not a US problem, it is a globalproblem.” — Agencies
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king-size beds, all framed by manicured lawns. Manylinked to groups such as Al-Qaeda and the Taleban walkaround freely in flowing white robes, and have access toa spacious gym, a banquet hall and furnished apart-ments reserved for visits from spouses. “We make the‘beneficiaries’ feel they are normal people and still havea chance - a chance to return to society,” AbuMaghayed said, insisting the center refrained from call-ing them prisoners or inmates.
Saudi Arabia, long accused of exporting its ultracon-servative Wahhabist Sunni doctrine around the world, isitself a victim of domestic terror attacks. Crown PrinceMohammed bin Salman, who has sought to roll back theinfluence of the ultra-conservative religious establish-ment, this week jump-started a 41-nation military coali-tion to combat Islamist extremism, vowing to wipe ter-rorism from the face of the Earth.
But the rehab facility, founded in 2004, is one of thecenterpieces of Saudi Arabia’s strategy to expunge vio-lent extremism at home. It claims to have treated morethan 3,300 men convicted of terrorism-related crimes,including repatriated Guantanamo Bay detainees. Thecenter boasts of a “success rate of 86 percent”, AbuMaghayed said, measured by those men who did notreturn to jihad for at least a decade after graduatingfrom the center. Of the remainder, he said, most onlyshowed signs of “deviant behavior” and only a minus-cule number relapsed into violent jihad.
An American terrorism expert who has closely stud-ied the Saudi program said the recidivism rate was high-er, pointing out media reports of graduates from thecenter who have showed up on battlefronts. “Saudis are
to be applauded for trying something different - theywere one of the first to try a ‘talking cure’ for terrorists,”John Horgan, another expert at Georgia StateUniversity, told AFP. “(But) without greater transparencyabout its participants... it’s impossible to know what val-ue added, if any, this program brings in reducing thethreat of re-engagement in terrorism.”
AFP was given a chance to interview “beneficiaries”if they agreed, but when two bearded, gym-buffed menwere approached in their living quarters, they declinedto talk. Critics say there is a moral hazard of treatingmilitants, many with blood on their hands, with lavishfacilities and financial incentives. But Saudi officials saythe threat of sanction is always hanging over them.Those who refuse to reform after a minimum stay ofthree months at the center are returned to “the judicialprocess”, Abu Maghayed said.
But more than coercion, the center pushes forincreasing familial bonds, encouraging marriage andchildren, a psychological tether meant to make it harderto return to violent ways. “You cannot counter terrorismby force,” said Ali Al-Afnan, an educational psychologyspecialist at the center. “Only ideas can fight ideas.” Thecenter uses art therapy as one of its tools. Comparisonsbetween portraits in the early days of incarceration andthose at later stages are used as a metric to studyinmates’ frame of mind.
Abu Maghayed showed AFP one early painting,which he said depicted a gloomy “Guantanamo mentali-ty” - with splashes of orange, the color of jumpsuits atthe infamous prison. Another canvas painted weeks latershowed bold brushstrokes and sparks of color, depictinghope. As Afnan spoke to AFP, he fielded an abrupt tele-phone call from a former “beneficiary” who once trav-elled to Afghanistan to fight alongside the Taleban. Nowmarried and with children, he was seeking advice fromAfnan over returning to university for a graduate pro-gram. “This man is our role model,” Afnan said afterhanging up. “A shining example of how people deserve asecond chance.” — AFP
Militants go to rehab at ‘5-star’...
RIYADH: Senior Saudi Arabian prince Miteb binAbdullah, once seen as a leading contender to thethrone, was freed after agreeing to pay over $1 billionto settle corruption allegations against him, a Saudiofficial said yesterday. Miteb, 65, son of the late KingAbdullah and former head of the elite National Guard,was among dozens of royal family members, high offi-cials and senior businessmen rounded up this month ina crackdown on graft that has strengthened the powerof Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
The official, who is involved in the crackdown andspoke on condition of anonymity, said Miteb wasreleased on Tuesday after reaching “an acceptable set-tlement agreement”. The official said he believed theagreed sum to be the equivalent of over $1 billion. “It isunderstood that the settlement included admitting cor-ruption involving known cases,” the official said, with-out giving details. According to the official, PrinceMiteb was accused of embezzlement, hiring ghostemployees and awarding contracts to his own firms,including a deal for walkie-talkies and bulletproof mili-tary gear.
Prince Miteb is the first senior figure known to bereleased among those detained. Around 200 people intotal have been questioned in the crackdown, authori-ties said earlier this month. The allegations, whichinclude kickbacks, inflating government contracts,extortion and bribery, could not be independently veri-fied. Saudi authorities, who estimate they could eventu-ally recover around $100 billion of illicit funds, havebeen working on reaching agreements with suspectsdetained at Riyadh’s luxurious Ritz Carlton hotel, askingthem to hand over assets and cash in return for theirfreedom.
Apart from Miteb, the Saudi official said that at leastthree other suspects had finalized settlement agree-ments and that the public prosecutor had decided torelease several individuals. The prosecutor has decidedto put at least five people on trial, the official said with-out disclosing their identities. The fate of billionairePrince Alwaleed bin Talal, chairman of investment firmKingdom Holding and one of Saudi Arabia’s mostprominent international businessmen, was not known.
Kingdom issued a statement earlier this month say-ing it was continuing to operate normally but has notresponded to queries about his status since he wasdetained early this month. Two Saudi sources toldReuters that Prince Alwaleed has so far refused toreach a settlement and had asked for access to hislawyer in order to fight allegations against him.Relatives, his lawyer and officials in his office could notbe contacted to comment. — Reuters
Saudi prince freed in$1bn settlementagreement
WELLINGTON: Ben Stokes’s arrival in New Zealandon a “private” trip has been viewed with suspicion inneighbouring Australia, where pundits smelled a plot torecall the exiled cricketer to England’s Ashes squad.New Zealand-born Stokes was omitted from England’stouring party following his arrest on suspicion of caus-ing actual bodily harm in an incident outside a Bristolnightclub in September.
He remains suspended by the England and Walescricket board (ECB), pending the result of a policeinvestigation. Stokesgreeted his parents aftertouching down atChristchurch airport yes-terday but batted awayquestions from a mediathrong about his hopesof a quick Ashes recall.
He also stayed silenton a possible plan toplay for Canterbury afterthe provincial siderevealed on Tuesday ithad been in talks withhim about a possible short-term deal. “Working on mygolf swing,” Stokes quipped, when asked by a reporterabout bringing cricket gear with him.
“Just looking forward to seeing mum and dad,” hesaid. “Just catch up with everyone I haven’t seen in along time.” Australia hold a 1-0 lead in the five-test
Ashes after beating England in the opener in Brisbaneon Monday. The second Test starts in Adelaide onSaturday.
England distanced itself from Stokes’s return to thecountry of his birth, with the ECB saying on Tuesdaythat it was a “private” trip to see his parents and organ-ised outside of its auspices. However, British mediareported that the ECB had given Stokes a “no objectioncertificate” as early as last week to allow him to play inNew Zealand.
ECB director of crick-et Andrew Straussoffered no update onStokes during a mediabriefing on Monday,prompting accusations ofa cover-up from formerAustralia opener MichaelSlater.
“Of course (Strauss)knew that Ben Stokeswas going to Canterburyto play,” the ChannelNine pundit told Sky
Sports Radio. “Of course he knew because he wasgoing to give a tick. He might as well come and join theEngland squad now.
“If you’re allowing him to play cricket, you’re allow-ing him to play cricket. They have the power and obvi-ously it tells us the stance they’re taking with him.”
WORLD CLASS CRICKETERThe news of Stokes’s arrival Down Under was
encouraging to his fellow England all-rounder ChrisWoakes, however. “Ben’s a world class cricketer andhe’d make any team in the world better so it’d be silly ofus to not open it up for him to come into the squad,” hetold BBC radio. Canterbury coach Gary Stead toldAustralian radio the province’s board would meet todiscuss Stokes yestersday but there was no guaranteethe 26-year-old would play.
“Ultimately, if our board says ‘no’, it won’t happen,”he told RSN927. “From my point of view I think if youget someone like that then let’s do it.” New Zealandcoach Mike Hesson, who has been preparing his teamfor the home series against West Indies, also welcomedthe prospect of Stokes turning out for Canterbury.
“From a cricket point of view he’s a world class play-er and would add a lot of talent to the competition,” hetold local media. “If it improves the standard of thecompetition, which I’m sure it will, then great.”
But former New Zealand cricketer and Canterburystalwart Peter Fulton struck a note of dissent, compar-ing Stokes’s situation with Ken McClure, a local playerwho voluntarily stood down last week after pleadingguilty to an assault charge during a pre-season trip.
“You’ve obviously got someone else, a youngCanterbury player, who’s been dealing with some-thing similar,” Fulton told local media. “It’s not any-thing Canterbury would ideally like to be associatedwith.” —Reuters
Thursday, November 30, 2017S p o r t s
Established 1961
New Zealand trip Stokes suspicion in Australia
Private trip viewed dimly
in Australia
All-rounder declines to comment on cricket
12
WELLINGTON: The West Indies harbour hopes oftheir first away win over New Zealand in 22 years asthe loss of Tim Southee and BJ Watling put pressureon the Blacks Caps ahead of tomorrowy’s first Test inWellington.
Without strike bowler Southee, and a lack of expe-rience among the New Zealand middle order batsmen,West Indies captain Jason Holder sees the key to suc-cess as the swift removal of senior batsmen KaneWilliamson and Ross Taylor. New Zealand are return-ing to the Test arena after an eight-month break whilethe battle-hardened West Indies are coming off a 2-1series loss to England, including a dramatic victory atHeadingley, and a 1-0 win over Zimbabwe.
“We’ve been on the road together for a while (and)we’re doing some good things but we need to bepushing the consistency button more to keep headingin that upward direction,” Holder said. New Zealandhave delayed making a decision on whether LockieFerguson, with his extreme pace, or the consistentMatt Henry will replace the 57-Test new-ball bowlerSouthee, who will miss the Test due to the impendingbirth of his second child.
Tom Blundell has already been confirmed to makehis debut as wicketkeeper with Watling failing torecover from a thigh injury. New Zealand coach MikeHesson expects whoever wins the toss at the BasinReserve to bowl.
“Same as always,” he said when viewing a wicketthat was greenish on Wednesday but expected tobrown off before the Test begins. “Everyone gets a bitexcited about that. I always think it’s a bowl first uphere anyway but it’s always a good cricket wicket.”
BEING PATIENT Unlike the West Indies, who have had a recent diet
of Test cricket, New Zealand are fresh from a limitedovers series in India and have not worn their whitessince the 1-0 series loss to South Africa in March.Openers Jeet Raval and Tom Latham did play for NewZealand A in the West Indies warm-up match withRaval’s unbeaten 32 in the second innings their bestscore.
Ferguson, who could replace Southee, used hispace to worry the West Indies with figures of five for67 and two for 24. The tourists dominated the firsttwo days of that match, posting 451 for nine declaredwhen they batted first, with Shai Hope posting 110while Sunil Ambris, pushing for his first Test selection,made 157. But in their second innings they were rolledfor 186 with Kraigg Braithwaite’s unbeaten 88 the onlyscore of note. With Watling out of contention and amiddle order of Henry Nicholls, Mitchell Santner, Colinde Grandhomme and Blundell having only 35 Testsand 48 innings among them, the West Indies quickswill be keen to make early inroads. Holder said theywill be formulating plans to remove Williamson andTaylor cheaply.
“We know the calibre player both of them are. It’sjust a matter of us being patient and sticking to ourplans. Over the next few days, we’ll sit down and havesome discussion around those two players,” he said.“I think they’re their main players, but you can’t ruleout a guy like Tom Latham. He’s done well in the pastfor New Zealand and he’s carrying some current formas well.”
The West Indies have not tasted a Test victory inNew Zealand since February 1995 when they won byan innings and 322 runs at the Basin Reserve on theback of a 660 for five declared first innings headed byBrian Lara (147) and Jimmy Adams (151). — AFP
Windies target Williamson, Taylor to end 22-year N Zealand drought
BIRMINGHAM: File photo taken on August 19, 2017shows England’s Ben Stokes preparing to bowl duringplay on day 3 of the first Test cricket match betweenEngland and the West Indies at Edgbaston. — AFP
NEW DELHI: India’s competition watchdog on yes-terday fined the country’s powerful cricket governingbody $8 million over a multi-billion dollar broadcast-ing deal for the Indian Premier League. TheCompetition Commission ruled that the Board ofControl for Cricket in India, the world’s wealthiestnational cricket body, abused its position by agreeingto broadcasters’ demands that it would not allow arival to the IPL. The commission ordered the BCCI to
pay 520 million rupees ($8 million) within 60 days.Sony Pictures Networks has held the rights since
the IPL started in 2008. But in a major coup, RupertMurdoch’s Star India channel in September boughtthe rights for 2018-22 for $2.55 billion-a 150 percentincrease on the previous deal-confirming the leagueas one of the world’s hottest sports properties.
The anti-trust commission made an initial rulingin 2013 that the BCCI’s deal with Sony was illegalbecause of a clause which prevented the BCCI fromallowing any other 20-over league to compete withthe IPL. The cricket body won a court order forcinga review of the case. But the commission’s new rul-ing came to the same conclusion and ordered thesame fine.
The BCCI had pleaded that bidders for the televi-sion deal had insisted on the no-competition clause.“BCCI has not provided any justification as to how
this self-imposed restriction of not organising, sanc-tioning, approving or supporting another T20 cricketevent that will be competing with IPL, is connected tothe interest of cricket,” the competition commissionsaid however. The commission said that “in theabsence of any plausible explanation” it had foundthat the clause was intended to “enhance the com-mercial interest of the bidders of broadcasting rights”and the revenues received by BCCI. In addition tothe fine, the commission said the BCCI must not placeany “blanket restriction” on the organisation of pro-fessional leagues to rival the IPL.
The BCCI made no immediate comment on thefine. But the ruling is a new blow to the body that hasbeen managed by a panel appointed by the SupremeCourt in 2016 to reform it. The BCCI has in recentyears been riven by infighting and allegations ofshady dealings. —AFP
India cricket board fined $8 million by anti-trust panel
ADELAIDE: Australian coach DarrenLehmann says he can’t envisage everslapping a curfew on his players, whowere “grown men”, after England optedto ban their team being out after mid-night. The England decision followedJonny Bairstow’s headbutt on Australianopener Cameron Bancroft in a Perth barlate last month, which only came to lightover the weekend.
It came with sensitivity within theEngland camp about off-field behaviourafter the controversy surrounding sus-pended star all-rounder Ben Stokes, whois facing a police inquiry into a fight out-side a Bristol nightclub in SeptemberLehmann said it was not something hewould consider. “We wouldn’t have cur-fews but that’s our decision and that
(having them) is theirs,” he told reportersin Adelaide late Tuesday ahead of thesecond Test starting Saturday.
“We have faith in the blokes to do theright thing. They’re grown men, they’readults.” Former Australian captain andselector Greg Chappell suggested cur-fews were ineffective. “If someone isdetermined to get out and do silly thingsthey’re probably going to do it whetherthere’s a curfew or not,” he toldMelbourne radio station SEN.
“Curfews are pretty useless really. Ifyou treat people like adults, most ofthem will behave like adults. Those whodon’t probably don’t last very long.”England cricket chief Andrew Strausswas cited by cricket.com.au on Tuesdayas saying there was no drinking culturein his team, but he imposed a midnightcurfew on the five-Test Ashes tourregardless. In laying down the law afterthe Bairstow incident, he said his players“need to be smarter”. “That’s the reality,they are adults, intelligent adults, and attimes they are not using that intelligencein the right way,” he said. “It is a distrac-tion to the team and none of us want thatdistraction.” Despite the Stokes contro-versy and the Bairstow incident, Strauss
insisted the team were “good, honest,hardworking cricketers”.
“They’ve done some great things in
an England shirt and I will back them onthat to the hilt because I know them,” hesaid. — AFP
Aussie ‘adults’ don’t need curfew:Lehmann
Darren Lehmann
MELBOURNE: Australia spinnerNathan Lyon threw down the gauntlet toEngland’s batsmen yesterday, challeng-ing them to hit him out of the attack atAdelaide Oval in the second Ashes Test.
The 30-year-old has returned to hisformer home ground in top form aheadof the Test, which starts on Saturday,after taking five wickets in Australia’seasy win at the Gabba. Lyon took on abig workload in the series-opener butbowled with impressive economy, con-ceding less than 2.5 runs an over to stiflethe tourists’ scoring.
With none of England’s batsmen tak-ing the attack to the offspinner at theGabba, Lyon invited them to go on theoffensive at Adelaide Oval, where hehelped bowl Australia to victory againstSouth Africa a year ago.
“I think if they did do that, it does
definitely play into my hands,” Lyontold reporters at the stadium. “I like itwhen opposition guys try to attack meand try to whack me out of the attack.“But it’s a part of the game ... No doubtEngland will come prepared and they’llhave a different plan for me comparedto what they had in the first test. But itis what it is.
“It’s about adapting, it’s about enjoy-ing the challenge and embracing thegame of cricket.” Lyon was criticised inthe leadup to the Gabba test for sayinghe hoped Australia could end careersduring the Ashes series, including that ofhis former club team mate and Englandcaptain Joe Root.
The plain spoken offspinner was moregenerous yesterday, saying Root’s teamwere a “classy” side and that theYorkshireman’s bowlers would befavoured by the conditions in the firstday-night Ashes Test.
“I think with the pink ball, it’s going tosuit their bowlers,” said Lyon. “We knowthey’re going to come back bigger andbetter and stronger. “It’s not going to bea walk in the park ... We need to makesure that we respect them.”
Born in rural New South Wales, Lyonwas famously a groundsman at AdelaideOval before being fast-tracked into thetest team, so he knows the venue well.
Drop-in wickets are now used at theground since a major refurbishment from2012-13 and the pitch for Saturday islikely to feature a layer of grass to slowthe wear of the pink ball. Lyon, however,was relishing the prospect of more turnand bounce in Adelaide after extractingplenty from the surprisingly slow and
spongy Gabba pitch.“Damian Hough in my book is proba-
bly one of the best curators in the world.So, I had a look briefly at it then. It lookspretty exciting,” he said. “I’ve never seena bad one here if I’m being brutally hon-est. It’ll spin and bounce, (that’s) alwaysgood.” — Reuters
Lyon challengesEngland’s batsmen to go after him
Nathan Lyon
PHILADELPHIA: Chris Tierney and Marc-Edouard Vlasicscored even-strength goals, and Joe Thornton added apower-play tally as the San Jose Sharks opened a four-game road trip with a 3-1 win over the slumpingPhiladelphia Flyers on Tuesday night at the Wells FargoCenter. Goaltender Aaron Dell, who filled in for injuredstarter Martin Jones, stopped 22 shots for the Sharks. SanJose extended its points streak to five games (3-0-2).Claude Giroux scored for the Flyers, who lost for the ninthconsecutive time (0-4-5). The Flyers have blown leads inseven of those nine games, including a 1-0 lead against theSharks. The Flyers are riding their longest losing streaksince the 2007-08 season, when they lost 10 in a row andstill made the playoffs.
PANTHERS 5,RANGERS 4
Florida squandered athree-goal lead, butDenis Malgin’s goal with1:09 remaining proved tobe the difference in avictory against NewYork. Aleksander Barkov,Jamie McGinn andMicheal Haley staked thePanthers to a 3-0 lead inthe first period. Jonathan Huburdeau had the Panthers’fourth goal. James Reimer earned the win by making 33saves. Chris Kreider recorded two goals and an assist,Pavel Buchnevich had a goal and two assists, and DavidDesharnais had three assists for New York. J.T. Millerhad the Rangers’ other goal. Ondrej Pavelec took theloss in relief despite stopping 19 of 21 shots afterreplacing Henrik Lundqvist during the first period.
ISLANDERS 5, CANUCKS 2Five players scored for New York, which remained
red-hot with a victory over Vancouver. Andrew Ladd,Calvin de Haan, Jordan Eberle, Andres Lee and JohnTavares collected the goals for the Islanders, who havewon four straight and seven of eight. New York is alsounbeaten in regulation at home (8-0-2). Islandersgoalie Jaroslav Halak recorded 23 saves. Thomas Vanekand Bo Horvat scored for the Canucks, who have lostthree straight (0-2-1) and five of seven (2-3-2). GoalieAnders Nilsson made 31 saves.
LIGHTNING 2, SABRES 0Andrei Vasilevskiy made 34 saves to lead Tampa Bay
over Buffalo. It was the second shutout of the seasonand the sixth of his career for Vasilevskiy, who leads theNHL in wins with 16. Defensemen Mikhail Sergachevand Dan Girardi scored for the Lightning, who snappeda two-game losing streak. Robin Lehner made 24 savesfor the Sabres, whose struggles continued. Buffalo hasone win in its past 10 games.
BLUE JACKETS 3, HURRICANES 2 (SO)Cam Atkinson and Artemi Panarin scored in a
shootout and Columbus defeated Carolina. Blue Jacketsgoaltender Joonas Korpisalo stopped both Carolina
shots in the shootout and finished with 29 saves. JoshAnderson scored his team-leading ninth goal of theseason in the first period, and Zach Werenski had thelone goal in the second period that gave the BlueJackets a 2-1 lead. Hurricanes left winger Brock McGinntied it at 2 at 10:09 of the third period with a high blastfor his sixth goal of the season. Noah Hanifin scored aCarolina goal in the first period and Scott Darling fin-ished with 36 saves.
KINGS 4, RED WINGS 1Anze Kopitar scored twice, including the eventual
game winner, and set up another as Los Angeles ralliedfor a victory overDetroit. Dustin Brownand Adrian Kempe alsoscored for the Kings,who won successivegames for the first timesince a three-game win-ning streak in October.Jonathan Quick made 23saves. Mike Greenscored for the RedWings, who have lostfive straight (0-2-3).Detroit also dropped to
.500 (4-4-4) on home ice this season.
PREDATORS 3, BLACKHAWKS 2In their first trip to Bridgestone Arena since getting
swept by Nashville in last season’s Western Conferenceplayoffs, Chicago was once again stymied by PekkaRinne. The Nashville goalie turned away 37 shots,including at least five point-blank chances, to lead histeam to victory. Austin Watson, Filip Forsberg andRoman Josi scored for the Predators and TommyWingels and Lance Bouma had the Blackhawks’ goals.
OILERS 3, COYOTES 2 (OT)Matt Benning scored with 5:35 left in regulation to
tie the game, and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins scored on abreakaway with 39.8 seconds left in overtime to liftEdmonton past Arizona. Zack Kassian scored in the firstperiod for Edmonton. Benning also had an assist.Christian Fischer scored in the first period and OliverEkman-Larsson scored in the second for the Coyotes,and Max Domi had two assists.
MAPLE LEAFS 4, FLAMES 1Roman Polak, Nikita Zaitsev, Nazem Kadri and Leo
Komarov scored as Toronto topped Calgary. MapleLeafs goalie Frederik Andersen made 19 saves toimprove his record to 14-7-1. Michael Stone scored thelone goal of the game for the Flames, who will have achance to avenge the loss when the same two teamsmeet in Toronto on Dec. 6. Netminder Mike Smith didhis best to keep the Flames in the game by stopping 26of 29 shots he faced.
STARS 3, GOLDEN KNIGHTS 0Radek Faksa scored his first career hat trick and Ben
Bishop stopped 34 shots for his second shutout of theseason as Dallas defeated Vegas. The loss snapped afive-game win streak and also an eight-game home winstreak for the Golden Knights, both of which had tiedthe NHL record for a team in its inaugural season. The
Stars snapped a four-game road losing streak and wonfor the fourth time in five games. Dallas also became thefirst team to shut out Vegas, which entered the contestsecond in the NHL in scoring with an average of 3.7goals per game. — Reuters
Thursday, November 30, 2017S p o r t s
Established 1961
Sharks open four-game road trip with 3-1 win over slumping Flyers
Central DivisionLas Vegas 15 7 1 81 69 31Los Angeles 14 8 3 73 57 31San Jose 13 8 2 61 51 28Calgary 13 10 1 70 76 27Vancouver 11 10 4 68 73 26Anaheim 10 10 4 65 73 24Edmonton 10 13 2 67 81 22Arizona 6 17 4 66 98 16Note: Overtime losses (OT) worth 1 pt and not included in loss col-umn (L)
Detroit 1, Los Angeles 4; Las Vegas 0, Dallas 3; Calgary 1, Toronto 4; Edmonton 3, Arizona 2 (OT); Nashville 3, Chicago 2; Buffalo 0, TampaBay 2; NY Islanders 5, Vancouver 2; NY Rangers 4, Florida 5; Philadelphia 1, San Jose 3; Columbus 3, Carolina 2 (SO).
Andrei made 34 saves to
lead Tampa Bay
New York remains red-hot with victory over Vancouver
13
MOSCOW: Andrei and his fellow Russian footballhooligans flew to France for the Euro 2016 tourna-ment with only one goal in mind: to give England’ssupporters a good kicking before the World Cup.
“It was like winning against Brazil in football,”Andrei told AFP of the orchestrated violence. “Itwas our last chance to show ourselves before theWorld Cup because we knew Putin would crackdown hard to make sure nothing like that happensin Russia,” he added, speaking on condition that hislast name is withheld for his personal safety.
The headline-grabbing brawls in the southernFrench city of Marseille in June 2016 were bloody.The clashes on the streets of the touristy old portneighbourhood left 35 people-mainly Englandfans-injured, a handful of them seriously.
There were more ugly scenes when nearly 200Russians rushed the English supporters’ sectionduring their teams’ 1-1 draw at the StadeVelodrome. It was the worst violence to hit inter-national football since the 1998 World Cup, alsoheld in France.
KINGS OF THUG WORLD The Russians’ hatred for the English stemmed in
part from their bitter 2010 battle for the right tohost next year’s edition of the global competition-England’s high hopes were crushed by Russia.
The World Cup draw will be held in the StateKremlin Palace tomorrow and once the groups fallinto place, there is nothing preventing the twonations from facing each other again on the pitch.
But the fighting was also driven by the Russians’desire to take the crown of the world’s toughestthugs away from the English, traditionally seen asthe original football hooligans. “Those guys werekings in the 1990s before the police took action,”Andrei said.
“In Marseille, the English behaved very provoca-tively, but they had become soft by that point. All theRussians came down to Marseille specifically toshow the English who we were.”—AFP
Putin takes fight to hooligans ahead of World Cup
PHILADELPHIA: Joe Thornton #19 of the San Jose Sharks heads for the net as Ivan Provorov #9 of thePhiladelphia Flyers defends at Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia. — AFP
LOS ANGELES: Kevin Love scored a season-high 38 points,LeBron James was tossed from the game, and Dwyane Wadeput a hurting on his old team in the Cleveland Cavaliers’ 108-97 win over the Miami Heat on Tuesday. Love added ninerebounds and shot 14 of 17 from the foul line in 26 minutes.The Cavs, who led the game by as many as 34 points, havewon nine straight for their longest regular-season winningstreak since Jan. 15-Feb. 5, 2015. James was ejected with 1:59left in the third quarter for arguing a non-call with refereeKane Fitzgerald. James screamed at Fitzgerald for not calling afoul against Hassan Whiteside on James’ drive to the hoop.James, who was ejected for the first time in his career, finishedwith 21 points, 12 rebounds, six assists and five steals. Wade,who like James once starred with the Heat, scored 17 points offthe Cleveland bench. Dion Waiters led Miami with 21 points.
WIZARDS 92, TIMBERWOLVES 89Otto Porter Jr scored 22 points, including the go-ahead
jump shot with 25 seconds remaining, to give Washington acome-from-behind win. Porter scored 17 of his points in thesecond half as Washington erased a 13-point deficit and wonfor the second time in six games. Leading scorer Bradley Bealwas held to eight points on 2-of-11 shooting, but the benchwas pivotal with the Wizards missing John Wall for the secondstraight game due to an injured knee. Karl-Anthony Townshad 20 points and 17 rebounds to post his league-leading 17thdouble-double for the Timberwolves. Making his second NBAstart in place of injured Minnesota point guard Jeff Teague,Tyus Jones had season highs of 12 points and seven assists.
SUNS 104, BULLS 99Devin Booker scored 33 points and TJ Warren added 25 as
Phoenix snapped a three-game losing streak. Tyler Ulis fin-ished with 14 points for the Suns, who built a 15-point lead inthe fourth quarter and then had to hold on to beat the Bullsfor the second time in nine days. Alex Len grabbed 18rebounds for the Suns to go along with 13 points. JustinHoliday led the Bulls with 25 points. Kris Dunn scored 24points for Chicago, which dropped its sixth straight game.
BUCKS 112, KINGS 87Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 19 of his game-high 32
points in the third quarter, and Milwaukee also got contribu-tions from Khris Middleton and Eric Bledsoe in a win over
Sacramento. Bledsoe amassed 21 points and five assists, andMiddleton had 12 points and four rebounds for the Bucks,who continued their recent domination of the Kings.Milwaukee has won three straight against Sacramento by anaverage of 21 points per game. The Kings, coming off a sea-son-best 55 percent shooting in a 110-106 road win over theGolden State Warriors on Monday, made only 5 of 20 shots inthe second quarter and only 7 of 24 in the third while beingoutscored 60-33 over the middle two quarters. GarrettTemple led Sacramento with 18 points.
JAZZ 106, NUGGETS 77Derrick Favors scored 24 points on 12-of-16 shooting and
collected nine rebounds to lead Utah’s rout of Denver.Donovan Mitchell scored 16 points and Jonas Jerebko added15 for the Jazz. Utah won its third straight game after hold-ing the Nuggets to just 28 second-half points, a season-lowfor a Jazz opponent. Utah guard Rodney Hood did not playbecause of ankle soreness. Gary Harris had 18 points to leadDenver. Kenneth Faried added 11 points and eightrebounds.—Reuters
CLEVELAND: LeBron James #23 of the Cleveland Cavaliers drives between Dion Waiters #11 and JoshRichardson #0 of the Miami Heat during the second half at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland. — AFP
Utah 106, Denver 77; Sacramento 87, Milwaukee 112; Chicago 99, Phoenix 104;Minnesota 89, Washington 92; Cleveland 108, Miami 97.
TOKYO: Sumo grand champion Harumafuji announcedhe would retire yesterday to take responsibility forinjuring a junior wrestler in an incident that has threat-ened to taint the image of Japan’s national sport just asit was regaining popularity.
The 33-year-old Mongolian-born “yokozuna” (grandchampion) had already apologised earlier this monthafter media reported he had beaten junior wrestlerTakanoiwa while drinking at a restaurant-bar with oth-er wrestlers.
“As ‘yokozuka’ I feel responsible for injuringTakanoiwa and so will retire from today,” a stern-facedHarumafuji told a news conference carried live by sev-eral Japanese broadcasters in Fukuoka, southern Japan,site of the most recent tour-nament. “I apologise from myheart to the people, sumofans, the Japan SumoAssociation, to supporters ofmy ‘stable’ (gym) and my‘oyakata’ (coach) and hiswife for causing such trou-ble.” Harumafuji gave nodetails of the incident-stillunder investigation bypolice-which media reportssaid occurred when he got angry because the youngerwrestler was checking his smartphone after being chas-tised for a bad attitude.
Takanoiwa, 27, did not take part in the latest tourna-ment due to his injuries, which the sumo associationsaid included a fractured skull and concussion. “I hadheard that he was lacking in manners and civility andthought it was my duty as a senior wrestler to correctand teach him,” Harumafuji said. “But I went too far,” hesaid, adding that the incident did not occur because hehad been drinking.
The incident has highlighted sumo’s struggle toreform harsh conditions that can breed violence in itsclosed, hierarchical world, although some wrestlers say
there have been improvements in the decade since atrainee was beaten to death.
“Sumo, recognising its responsibility as the sportwith the longest history in Japan, must stamp out vio-lence so that the expectations of the people, includingyouth, are not again betrayed,” Education MinisterYoshimasa Hayashi, whose ministry oversees sports,said in a parliamentary committee meeting.
STRUGGLE WITH VIOLENCEThe head of an advisory body to the JSA, the
Yokozuna Deliberation Council, had said this week theaffair warranted “extremely harsh punishment” but didnot issue a final decision because both the JSA and
police were still investigat-ing.
“There is almost nodoubting that an act of vio-lence was carried out,”Masato Kitamura, chairmanof the panel, told a newsconference after a councilmeeting on Monday.
“The general feeling with-in the council is that a strictdisciplinary measure is
required,” he added.A former oyakata was sentenced to five years in
prison in 2010 after a court found he had orderedwrestlers to beat 17-year-old trainee Takashi Saito,who had tried to run away, in 2007. Saito died from hisinjuries. Mongolian yokozuna Asashoryu, who oftenfound himself at odds with sumo authorities over hisbehaviour, quit the sport that same year after a probeinto reports of a drunken scuffle in Tokyo.
Those incidents and increased competition fromother sports eroded the popularity of sumo, in whichgiant wrestlers clad in silk loin-cloths seek to topple,throw or push each other out of a raised ring.
However, January’s promotion of Japanese wrestler
Kisenosato to grand champion, the first home-grownyokozuna in 19 years, helped to rebuild the sport’s fanbase. Harumafuji, one of many Mongolian wrestlers todominate sumo in recent years, started his career inJapan at the age of 16 and was promoted to yokozunain 2012. He has won nine grand tournaments in all.
Reflecting on his 17-year career in sumo, Harumafujisaid: “I really love sumo. The way of sumo is not simplyto be strong, but through sumo... I wanted to inspire the
people and give them courage and hope.The assault affair has grabbed headlines since the
news broke earlier this month and on Wednesday wasthe second top news story on public broadcaster NHK,after the launch of a North Korean ballistic missile thatsplashed down near Japan.
Harumafuji’s retirement leaves three yokozunaincluding fellow Mongolian Hakuho, but two have beensidelined by injuries. —Reuters
Thursday, November 30, 2017S p o r t s
Established 1961
Grand champion Harumafuji retires over assault incident
Minister urges ancient sport to eradicate violence
Harumafuji attacked junior wrestler in bar
14
DAZAIFU: Mongolian-born yokozuna, or grand champion, Harumafuji leaves the room after a press conference toannounce his retirement in Dazaifu. — AFP
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia make their return to the WorldCup finals for the first time since 2006 aiming torecapture the country’s glory days. The Saudisreached the knockout phase in their first appearanceat the tournament in the United States in 1994 whenSaeed Owairan’s 80-yard run culminated in a remark-able goal against Belgium that helped take the countryinto the last 16.
Saudi Arabia’s fortunes at the World Cup have beendiminishing ever since, however, with none of theirappearances in 1998, 2002 — when they werethrashed 8-1 by Germany-and 2006 seeing themadvance beyond the group phase.
The last decade witnessed a marked decline, withthe Saudi team failing to make a sustained impact atany level until Bert van Marwijk took over as coach in2015, with the Dutchman rebuilding confidence andsteering them to Russia.
Van Marwijk’s side was built on the foundations ofthe Riyadh-based Al Hilal club, where Osama Hawsawiis an imposing presence in defence, and AbdullahOtayf controls midfield alongside the creative fulcrumof Salman Al Faraj and Salem Al Dawsari.
None of the squad that qualified for the World Cupfinals plays professionally outside Saudi Arabia, withAl Nassr and Al Ahli from the domestic league alsocontributing key players such as Yahya Al Shehri andTaisir Al Jassim.
But the Dutchman was ousted from his role justdays after qualification was sealed when he failed toagree an extension to his contract and he wasreplaced by Argentina’s Edgardo Bauza.
Bauza, who was fired by Argentina during their dif-ficult qualifying campaign, was sacked by SaudiArabia after five matches in charge. He had made adisappointing start to his tenure, losing friendlies toPortugal and Bulgaria in November.
The Saudi football federation said on Wednesdaythat they were “working on finishing the details withanother manager to replace Bauza and lead thenational team in the World Cup in Russia.” — Reuters
S Arabia target return to past glories in Russia BERLIN: World champions Germany expect nothing
less than a fifth World Cup triumph in Russia next year,with coach Joachim Loew pointing to an abundance ofplayer choices as his main weapon. The Germans arereaping the healthy rewards of their 15-year-old youthinvestment plan with more than three dozen high-cali-bre contenders vying for a place in Loew’s World Cupsquad. His team no longer depends solely on a spine of2014 World Cup winners such as Manuel Neuer, Toni
Kroos, Mats Hummels, Sami Khedira and ThomasMueller. Having rested many of those stalwarts for nextyear’s tournament, a second-string Germany oozedclass as they won the Confederations Cup in July tostake claims for inclusion in the World Cup squadheading to Russia a year later.
With young guns, including Timo Werner, JoshuaKimmich, Emre Can and Leroy Sane earning regularstarts along with players like Lars Stindl and SandroWagner, the Germans also recorded a perfect qualifica-tion campaign with 10 wins in as many games.
They have also notched a 21-game unbeaten runsince their Euro 2016 semi-final defeat to France. “Onlywe as world champions have something to lose inRussia,” Loew said. “We have a very big goal and thatis to defend the title.”
Loew, in charge since 2006, had always wanted atleast two equally skilled players for each position and
he is guaranteed that wish for next year. First choicekeeper Neuer will be back from injury early next yearbut even without him, Loew has top options with ParisSt Germain’s Kevin Trapp and Barcelona’s Marc Andreter Stegen among others.
His backline is equally crowded with talent, withJoshua Kimmich quickly emerging as retired PhilippLahm’s successor in the rightback position, albeit withan attacking edge. Germany’s midfield reads like a“Who’s Who” of top European football with a dozenplayers, including rising star Leon Goretzka as well asIlkay Guendogan, back from injury, vying for half thosespots.
The 21-year-old Werner will lead the attack with thestriker having pushed past Mario Gomez in the peckingorder, with seven goals in 10 internationals as Germanyset out to become the first team to retain the title sinceBrazil in 1962. — Reuters
Germany brimming with confidence ahead of title defence
MOSCOW: A picture taken yesterday shows a figure of Zabivaka, the official mascot for the 2018 FIFA WorldCup, at Manezhnaya square in downtown Moscow. — AFP
RIO DE JANEIRO: Argentina came close to endingtheir long trophy drought by reaching the World Cupfinal in Brazil ago but there has been little progresssince then and the burden of improvement is now firm-ly on the shoulders of new coach Jorge Sampaoli.
The South Americans went down to an extra-timegoal against Germany in the showpiece match at theMaracana in 2014 and then followed that heart-break-ing loss with two consecutive defeats in the finals ofthe 2015 and 2016 Copa America.
Their last major success was the Copa America in1993 but if three finals in three years from 2014 mademost Argentines think the trophy drought would soonend, the South American qualifiers provided a rudeawakening.
Qualifying for next year’s tournament was a strug-gle, only made possible by Lionel Messi’s last-gasphat-trick in the final game against Ecuador. A five-timeWorld Player of the Year, Messi is the enigma at theheart of Argentina’s long run of disappointment.
The Barcelona forward has appeared disillusionedplaying for his country, retiring from international foot-ball in 2016 only to reverse his decision soon after. Heis the first name on the team sheet but if Argentina areto add to the World Cups they won in 1978 and 1986he will need support from his ageing team mates, par-ticularly up front.
Argentina struggled to score in the qualifiers, net-ting just 19 goals in 18 qualifiers, with only Boliviascoring fewer. Since taking over in May, Sampaoli hasdropped the team’s other proven scorer, GonzaloHiguain; Juventus’ Paulo Dybala has yet to score in 12internationals; and Sergio Aguero, Manchester City’srecord scorer, has spent much of his time on the bench.
Those decisions have heaped more pressure onthe former Chile manager, who became Argentina’sthird coach in three years when he replacedEdgardo Bauza. They have won just four of theireight games in Sampaoli’s tenure and, most worry-ingly, only one of their competitive fixtures, that 3-1win over Ecuador. —Reuters
MOSCOW: World Cup hosts Russia, the lowest-rankedteam in next year’s tournament, hope to get past thegroup stage for the first time in post-Soviet history but,with a tepid attack, inconsistent goalkeeping and stiffcompetition, the odds are slim.
The country, competing as Russia and the SovietUnion, has made 10 World Cup appearances and willhost the tournament for the first time next June and July.
In their three appearances since the collapse of theSoviet Union, in 1994, 2002 and 2014, Russia havefailed to reach the knockout stage. Doing so on hometurf at the 2018 tournament would represent a signifi-cant accomplishment for Stanislav Cherchesov’s side.
Appointed manager after Russia’s early exit from the2016 European championship, Cherchesov has fewoptions to add depth to the team.
Unlike other teams in the World Cup finals, Russiahave not had the chance to gauge their strength inqualifying, relying on international friendlies to preparefor the tournament.
Critics say Russian players, most of whom play intheir country’s domestic league, have been cocoonedfrom high-calibre competition, hindering their develop-ment. Russia are heavily dependent on game-changingsaves by veteran goalkeeper and captain Igor Akinfeev,who has a chequered history in international matches.At the 2014 World Cup, a jittery Akinfeev fumbled theball on a harmless shot to give South Korea a goal anda 1-1 draw, a gaffe that contributed to Russia’s group-stage exit without a win.
The team will be looking for a spark from strikersAlexander Kokorin and Fedor Smolov, who lead theRussian Premier League scoring list this season withnine and eight goals respectively.
Kokorin, who plays for Zenit St Petersburg, seems tohave regained his form after recently being recalled tothe national team for the first time in nearly a year. The26-year-old had been excluded over poor play andparticipation in a champagne-fuelled party in Monacoafter Russia crashed out of the Euros. — Reuters
As lowest-ranked team, WCup hosts Russia hope for upset
Argentina aim to end trophydrought butgoals a problem
Modric accused of tax fraudMADRID: Real Madrid midfielder Luka Modric becamethe latest football star in Spain accused by prosecutors ofcommitting tax fraud on revenue from his image rights, acourt filing revealed yesterday.
Prosecutors believe the Croatian, whose wife Vadja isalso cited in the accusation, evaded 870,728 euros ($1.03million) in 2013 and 2014 via a shell company set up inLuxembourg.
However, that figure could rise once details of financialholdings belonging to the player in the Isle of Man arerevealed to Spanish authorities. Modric, 32, joined Madridfrom Tottenham Hotspur for a reported fee of £30 million($40 million) in 2012.
He is just the latest in a series of star players based inSpain to be accused of tax fraud on income related toimage rights in the past few years. On Tuesday, Madridleft-back Marcelo admitted to a 490,917 euro tax fraudvia his image rights in 2013.—AFP
S p o r t s Thursday, November 30, 2017
15
LONDON: Manchester United cut Manchester City’slead at the top of the Premier League to five points asAshley Young inspired a 4-2 win against Watford, whileTottenham’s fading title hopes were extinguished by a2-1 defeat at Leicester on Tuesday. Young’s first Unitedgoals since May 2016 were followed by an AnthonyMartial strike as United produced a scintillating firsthalf at Vicarage Road. United’s third consecutive leaguewin was only secured after a late wobble as TroyDeeney and Abdoulaye Doucoure struck for Watfordbefore Jesse Lingard settledthe visitors’ nerves with afine solo effort. “It was aneasy match to win comfort-ably, but at 3-2 the game isin the balance,” United man-ager Jose Mourinho said.“We should be smokingcigars but then we were introuble before Jesse Lingardhad the initiative to kill thegame.” Although Unitedhave closed the gap on City,Pep Guardiola’s side, looking to make it 12 successiveleague victories, can reestablish their eight-point leadwhen they host Southampton on Wednesday.
Having provoked the Lewis Dunk own goal thatclinched United’s win over Brighton on Saturday, Youngopened the scoring against his old club in the 19thminute. Picked out on the edge of the Watford penaltyarea by Lingard’s pass, Young smashed his shot into thebottom corner. Young wasn’t finished yet and the wing-back doubled United’s lead with another sumptuousstrike six minutes later as his 25-yard free-kick flashedpast Watford goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes.
Martial netted United’s third in the 32nd minute witha cool finish from Romelu Lukaku’s pass for his eighthgoal of the season. Deeney’s 77th-minute penalty,awarded for Marcos Rojo’s foul on Roberto Pereyra,was followed by Doucoure’s strike in the 84th minute,
but Lingard notched United’s fourth two minutes later.At the King Power Stadium, Tottenham succumbed
to a damaging defeat that leaves them with just one winin their last five league games. England left-back DannyRose was back in the Tottenham team after beingdropped for their previous two league games.
But Rose’s presence did little for Tottenham, who fellbehind in the 13th minute when Jamie Vardy bagged his100th career league goal. The Leicester striker’s mile-stone moment arrived with a superb volleyed finish from
Marc Albrighton’s pass.Riyad Mahrez made it twomajestic strikes for Leicesterin first half stoppage-timewhen the Algeria wingerdrilled an unstoppable shotinto the top corner.
IMMEDIATE IMPACT Tottenham winger Erik
Lamela came on for his firstappearance in 13 monthsand made an immediate
impact as his pass teed up Harry Kane to blast in his16th club goal of the season in the 79th minute.
But Mauricio Pochettino’s fifth-placed team couldn’tmuster an equaliser and last season’s runners-upremain 13 points behind City. “The first half was a poorperformance and it was difficult to get back into thegame,” Pochettino said. “We feel very disappointed. Westarted the game not in the right way. We need toimprove the way we start.” Crystal Palace missed achance to move off the bottom of the table as RoyHodgson’s side settled for a 0-0 draw at rivals Brighton.
Palace would have climbed to 18th place with a win,but they were unable to break down Brighton in thefirst Premier League meeting between clubs who havea fierce rivalry despite being separated by 45 miles. Intheir first meeting for over four years, south LondonersPalace picked up their first away league point this sea-
son, while south coast-based Brighton are now withouta win in their last three league games.
West Bromwich Albion blew a two-goal lead asNewcastle rescued a 2-2 draw at the Hawthorns toleave the relegation-threatened hosts without a win in12 league games. West Brom forward Hal Robson-Kanubroke the deadlock in first half stoppage-time when he
nodded in his first goal since August.Sam Field got the second in the 56th minute, finish-
ing off Matt Phillips’ cross for his first Albion goal. ButCiaran Clark’s header reduced the deficit three minuteslater and Newcastle avoided a fifth consecutive defeatthanks to a Jonny Evans own goal from Matt Ritchie’s83rd-minute free-kick. —AFP
Young sparkles as United close gap, Spurs’ title bid in tatters
Guardiola looking to make it 12 successive league victories
Established 1961
CAPE TOWN: Egypt have finally found their HolyGrail, overcoming the disappointment of decades ofheartbreaking failure to reach the World Cup finals forthe first time since 1990.
Qualifying had become an obsessive weight on theteam, whose repeated failures in the World Cup camein stark contrast to their record-breaking achieve-ments in the African Nations Cup, where they repeat-edly won the continental championship.
Egypt reached the African playoffs for the lastWorld Cup but a 6-1 hammering in Ghana proved yetanother huge setback and when they were paired withthe Ghanaians again in qualifying for the 2018 finals,more disappointment was anticipated.
But Ghana started the campaign poorly, includingbeing beaten 2-0 in Alexandria, and Egypt were ableto keep their noses in front in the group, even afterlosing in Uganda and producing unconvincing dis-plays in their last two home matches.
Giddy celebrations followed after qualification wassecured with one game to play, with Mohamed Salahtucking away a late penalty to beat Congo 2-1 at homeand avoid having to go to Ghana in their last match totry and secure a World Cup place.
Liverpool’s Salah was the talisman of the cam-paign, ending as the leading scorer in the Africanpreliminaries with five goals. He is among a growingcontingent of English-based players in the side,including Ahmed Elmohamady of Aston Vil la,Mohamed Elneny of Arsenal, Ahmed Hegazy fromWest Bromwich Albion and the promising RamadanSobhi of Stoke City. —Reuters
Disappointment ends as Egypt discover Holy Grail
It was an easy match to win comfortably
DOHA: All eyes will be on the 2018 FIFA World Cupdraw in Russia tomorrow, as the build up to the world’sbiggest sporting event continues. As always, beIN willhave you covered from every angle through its unri-valled coverage of the draw live from the State KremlinPalace in the heart of the country’s capital.
This edition of the draw will be a historic one with
the inclusion of Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia and SaudiArabia. The qualification of four Arab countries is anachievement unprecedented in the 88-year history ofthe tournament.
A total of 32 teams will be placed in four pots basedon their world rankings. Pot 1 will include the seven bestteams in the world along with host nation Russia. Pot 2will feature the next best eight teams, and so on. A teamwill then be drawn from each pot, making up eightgroups.
beIN will bring you all the action as it happens withits live and unparalleled coverage available in three dif-ferent languages. On beIN SPORTS HD11, you can
catch Jan AageFjortoft, David Platt and TrevorFranciswho will join presenter Angus Scott in theEnglish studio starting at 5 pm Mecca time. Arabic cov-erage will be on beIN SPORTS HD1 with French onHD14. On digital, make sure to follow beIN’s Instagrampage, which will upload a story that takes you throughevery step of the journey from start to finish. beIN willprovide fans with 360-degree coverage from the heartof all the action, including an exclusive look behind the
scenes. Updates can also be found on beIN’s othersocial media platforms including Facebook and Twitter,as well as on the main website and mobile application.
Visit beIN.net/subscribe and pick one of numerousbeIN packages to ensure you don’t miss a thing. Thatincludes the beIN elite package, which brings you freeCONNECT subscription, beIN’s over the top (OTT)offering which allows viewers to get all the latestupdates anytime and anywhere.
Four Arab countries to feature in FIFA World Cup draw
LEICESTER: Leicester City’s English midfielder Demarai Gray (L) vies with Tottenham Hotspur’s English mid-fielder Dele Alli by Leicester City’s Danish goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel during the Premier League footballmatch.— AFP
Resurgent Spain showing signs of a reconquista in RussiaBARCELONA: Spain’s dramatic fall from champions to agroup stage exit was one of the main stories of the lastWorld Cup but under Julen Lopetegui they look more likethe side that won three straight international tournamentsbetween 2008 and 2012. The old guard of Xavi Hernandez,Xabi Alonso and Iker Casillas, who led Spain to their onlyWorld Cup success in 2010 but had to suffer the team’s fallfrom grace at the 2014 finals in Brazil, are gone though thebackbone of their triumph remains. Andres Iniesta, SergioBusquets, David Silva, Sergio Ramos and Gerard Piquebring a wealth of major tournament experience toLopetegui’s side, which has been revitalised by a new gen-eration of talent including Isco, Thiago Alcantara, AlvaroMorata plus Real Madrid hotshot Marco Asensio.
Lopetegui was the outside choice to succeed Vicentedel Bosque in 2016 due to his limited experience, earningthe job on the strength of his achievements with the under-21 side he led to glory at the 2013 EuropeanChampionship.
He has proved an inspired choice, however, building anew-look team with a potent mix of experience andyouthful hunger which swaggered its way through qualify-ing, winning nine out of 10 games, scoring 36 times andremaining unbeaten.—Reuters
For the first time in history
LISBON: European champions Portugalcan be expected to be cautious, efficientand dependent on Cristiano Ronaldo atthe World Cup, and they will be making noapologies for that. With the likes ofRicardo Quaresma, Bernardo Silva, Nani,Joao Moutinho, and Goncalo Guedes tocall on-not to mention the five-timesworld player of the year-there is no short-age of flair in the squad.
But proudly pragmatic coach FernandoSantos prefers efficiency to entertainmentand with only one defeat in 24 competitivematches since he took over in September2014, not to mention the Euro 2016 title inthe bag, he makes a persuasive case.
“You can only win the European cham-pionship and the World Cup by playingwell. The concept of what is pretty or notis something else,” he told Reuters in an
interview earlier this year. At Euro 2016,his charges they drew all three groupstage matches, beat Croatia in extra-time,squeezed past Poland on penalties andfinally overcame Wales and France.
After beginning their qualifying cam-paign for Russia with a 2-0 defeat inSwitzerland, but they ground out ninesuccessive wins to finish top of theirgroup on goal difference, beating theSwiss by the same score in their finalgame. Fifteen of their goals came fromRonaldo who will be competing in hisfourth and, at the age of 33, possibly finalWorld Cup. Portugal remain hugelydepended on the Madeira-born forward,who is their most capped player, with 145appearances, and their record scorer with79 goals.
With his insistence on taking every freekick and penalty, and his often angryreactions when team mates fail to passhim the ball, Ronaldo is can appear to be aburden for his team. But statistics suggestotherwise.
Since he made his international debutin 2003, Portugal have reached twoEuropean championship finals, one semi-final, one quarter-final and a World Cupsemi-final, a remarkable performance for arelatively small country. — Reuters
Portugal still cautious, efficient,dependent onRonaldo
ZURICH: One of the finest generationsof players Switzerland has ever pro-duced will be at its peak at the WorldCup in Russia, raising hopes that theteam can reach the last eight of a majortournament after a wait of more than60 years.
Players such as Ricardo Rodriguez,Fabian Schaer, Xherdan Shaqiri, GranitXhaka and Haris Seferovic are all in theirmid-twenties and already have experi-ence at a World Cup and a Europeanchampionship behind them.
Swiss football is now reaping therewards of the hard work done in youthdevelopment a decade ago which tappedinto the potential offered by second-generation immigrants, many from theformer Yugoslavia.
The first signs were there in 2009when Switzerland improbably won theworld under-17 championship in Nigeria,and three members of that squad-Rodriguez, Xhaka and Seferovic- areregulars in the current team.
Meanwhile, the old defensive tacticswhich bored fans rigid at the 2006 and
2010 World Cups have been thrown outof the window. Coach Vladimir Petkovic,himself born in Sarajevo, always sets outto dominate the opposition, whoeverthey maybe. Doubts remain, however.Although Switzerland won 10 out of their12 World Cup qualifiers, they were flat-tered by being in a group which includedAndorra, Faroe Islands, Latvia and aHungarian side which imploded duringthe campaign. They were soundly beatenby Portugal in Lisbon in one of the onlyqualifiers that offered a genuinely stiffchallenge and needed a hugely contro-versial penalty to scrape past NorthernIreland 1-0 on aggregate in their play-off. Xhaka, their midfield general knownas Little Einstein, has a worrying tenden-cy for misplaced passes and red cards,captain Stephan Lichtsteiner is perma-nently on a short fuse and striker HarisSeferovic often misfires.
The Swiss have reached the last 16 attheir last two major tournaments buthave not made the quarter-finals sincethe 1954 World Cup which the countryhosted. — Reuters
Swiss generation approachingits peak but doubts remain
Sport
BANGKOK: Syria and Al-Hilal player Omar Khrbin (R) receives the Asian FootballConfederation Men’s Player of the Year award at the AFC Annual Awards in Bangkokyesterday. — AFP
BANGKOK: Australia and Sky Blue FC player Samantha Kerr (R) receives the AsianFootball Confederation Women’s Player of the Year award at the AFC Annual Awards inBangkok yesterday. — AFP
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Established 1961
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2017
Khrbin named Asia’s Player of the Year
LONDON: West Bromwich Albion yesterday appointed AlanPardew as their new manager following the sacking of TonyPulis as the Chinese-owned club seek to pull away from thePremier League danger zone. The former West Ham,Newcastle and Crystal Palace boss has agreed a two-and-a-half-year contract at the club, languishing just two pointsabove the relegation places.
The West Midlands club sacked Pulis last week after theywent 10 Premier League games without a win-the fifth mana-gerial casualty in the English top flight this season.
Pardew, who took Crystal Palace to the FA Cup final in May2016, has not managed since being sacked by the SelhurstPark club just seven months later. “I’m thrilled with the oppor-tunity Albion have provided and looking forward to getting towork with what I consider to be a talented group of players,”Pardew told the club’s official website.
“The immediate challenge will be to get the results we needto pull ourselves up the table. But I’m aware that while I’mjoining one of the great, traditional clubs of English football, itis one determined to go forward in the Premier League.” “It’san exciting opportunity to play a part in that ambition.”
The 56-year-old, who is adding his former assistant atNewcastle, John Carver, to his backroom staff at TheHawthorns, had widely been expected to be named Albion’snew manager and he takes over with the club winless in theirpast 13 games in all competitions. The Baggies threw away a2-0 lead to draw 2-2 with Newcastle on Tuesday, althoughPardew was not in attendance. Chairman John Williams saidAlbion’s board had reached a unanimous decision to appointPardew following a thorough recruitment process.
“Alan brings the experience of more than 300 PremierLeague games and the kind of dynamic leadership from whichour club can benefit,” he said. “We were impressed with whathe had to say and what he has to offer and we are looking for-ward to an exciting new era under his charge.” Pardew, thePremier League manager of the year in 2012, has a history ofexplosive touchline bustups. In 2014, when Newcastle boss, hewas fined and given a formal warning for headbutting anopposition player and he had a furious row with Arsenal bossArsene Wenger during his time at West Ham. — AFP
West Brom appoint Pardew as manager
BANGKOK: Omar Khrbin became the first playerfrom Syria to be crowned Asia’s Player of the Yearyesterday when the Al Hilal striker was presentedwith the Asian Football Confederation’s most presti-gious individual award.
The 23-year-old claimed the title ahead of lastyear’s winner, Omar Abdulrahman of the United ArabEmirates, and China’s Wu Lei, who missed out forthe second year in a row. Khrbin has had an impres-sive season, scoring 10 times in the Asian ChampionsLeague to finish as the tournament’s top scorerwhile also playing a major role as his war-torn
nation narrowly missed out on qualifying for theirfirst-ever World Cup. “We play and fight to bringhappiness to our people, this is our main target,”said Khrbin. “We have determination when we playfootball, but this is stronger when we have peoplewho are very hungry for happiness and joy.
“From here I would like to promise Syria fans wewill bring happiness and joy for them at the AsianCup finals next year because our people deserve tobe happy.” The award was some consolation after AlHilal finished as runners-up to Japan’s Urawa RedDiamonds in the Asian Champions League final last
weekend, while Syria’s World Cup hopes were endedby Australia in a playoff.
Australia’s Samantha Kerr took the women’saward to make up for the disappointment of notbeing nominated for the global award by the game’sgoverning body, FIFA, earlier in the year. Kerr, whoplays club football for Perth Glory in Australia andSky Blue in the United States, finished ahead ofJapan’s Saki Kumagai and Sung Hyang-sim of NorthKorea.
“A lot of Australians have previously won theaward, so I’m very humbled to win not only because
the Australians have done well but also because it’s agreat award and I ’m very excited,” said Kerr.Tottenham Hotspur ’s Son Heung-min won theInternational Player of the Year title, which is pre-sented to players from the confederation who playoutside the continent, for the second time in threeyears.
Japan took both of the coaching awards, withTakafumi Hori claiming the men’s award after guid-ing Urawa to their first Asian Champions Leaguetitle in a decade, while Japan national team coachTakakura Asako took the women’s award. — Reuters
Australia’s Samantha Kerr took the women’s award
LONDON: Everton have appointed Sam Allardyceas their new manager, ending a long hunt since theysacked Ronald Koeman last month, the British pressreported yesterday.
The Daily Mail reported Allardyce had signed an18-month deal and quoted owner Farhad Moshiri assaying: “We need a strong leader, he gives us that.”
The former England boss ruled himself out of therunning earlier this month, saying he did not feel theToffees were convinced he was the right man.
But after Everton’s pursuit of Watford boss Marco
Silva was met with a firm rebuttal from VicarageRoad, the club returned to Allardyce.
This will be the 10th English club managerial posi-tion of the 63-year-old’s career, with Allardyce mostrecently having guided Crystal Palace to safety lastseason. When he left Selhurst Park in May, Allardycesaid he had no ambitions to take another managerialjob but the chance to turn around the fortunes of theMerseyside club has apparently lured him back.
Everton are 17th in the table, two points ahead ofWest Ham in 18th. David Unsworth has been in tem-porary charge since Koeman was sacked on October23 and the under-23s boss had made clear his desireto take on the job permanently. But during his seven-game tenure Everton have lost five and won just one.
Everton invested heavily following last season’simpressive seventh-place finish.
Allardyce has previously led Palace andSunderland to safety from precarious situations. Hisachievements at the Stadium of Light earned him his
dream job with England but that turned sour afteronly one match, with Allardyce stepping down inSeptember 2016 following a newspaper sting. — AFP
Everton appoint Allardyce as boss: Reports
Sam Allardyce
BRUSSELS: La Liga, which runs the top two divi-sions of Spanish soccer, believes it can close the gapin revenues between it and the English PremierLeague in the next 10 years with an ambitious planto expand its international audience.
Javier Tebas, La Liga’s president, said the PremierLeague earned about 40 percent more that theSpanish league, which draws in some 1.7 billion euros($2 billion) a year in television rights. “I have nodoubt that within 10 years we will practically beequal to the Premier League or at least within 10
percent,” he said at the opening of a La Liga office inBrussels.
The main difference for now was that the Britishmarket itself was bigger than Spain’s. “On an interna-tional level there is less of a difference, but that’s ourmain objective-to get closer to the Premier League,”Tebas said. La Liga, which already dominates inLatin America, has now set its sights on gainingground in key markets China, India and the UnitedStates, with another eye focused on Africa.
In the past four years, it has set up offices inShanghai, Delhi, New York, Johannesburg and Dubaiand had representatives in over 40 countries. It hasalso changed the times of fixtures, so that one matchwas played earlier to catch viewers in Asia and onelate on Sunday for an audience in the Americas.
Tebas said La Liga’s biggest advantage relative tothe Premier League was the quality of its clubs andplayers. Barcelona’s Lionel Messi and Real Madrid’sCristiano Ronaldo have won the Ballon d’Or forworld’s best player for the past nine years and theirclubs the Champions League for the past four years,with Atletico Madrid also in the final twice.
“This is an aspect we’re working on. We didn’thave a strategy before,” Tebas said. La Liga was alsolooking into the possibility of playing one or two ofits 380 matches per season outside Spain, noting thesuccess of a pre-season Barcelona-Real Madridgame in Miami in July.
“We are thinking about it... The first match abroadwould probably be in the United States,” Tebas said,adding he hoped a first such match could take placewithin two years. While La Liga dreams of greaterforeign riches, Tebas expressed concern that compe-tition in Europe was being skewed by what he calledstate-owned clubs, singling out Qatar-owned Paris StGermain.
Tebas said the French club could not have paidthe world-record 222 million euro fee to buy strikerNeymar from Barcelona with their own funds, withstate capital distorting the market.
If European governing body UEFA did not takemeasures by the end of 2017, Tebas said La Ligawould address its complaint to the EuropeanCommission, which governs competition issuesacross the bloc. — Reuters
La Liga aims to close incomegap withPremier League
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HYDERABAD: Ivanka Trump yesterday pushed busi-ness leaders to change their attitudes toward womenat an Indian summit where she has drawn mixedreviews amid criticism over her White House role andclothes brand. US President Donald Trump’s eldestdaughter stole the show at the summit in Hyderabad,where Indian officials feted the 36-year-old presi-dential adviser with a grand reception usual lyreserved for heads of state.
Trump, in her biggest foreign mission yet, urgedIndia to seize the untapped potential in women andpromoted growing ties between the US and the SouthAsia powerhouse in a keynote speech on Tuesdaybefore Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
She returned to the theme yesterday, stressingbusinesses needed to stop thinking about genderconsiderations in the workplace as “women’s issues”.
“We are half the population so we need to startthinking about them as critical issues. We’re seeing anexplosion in women entrepreneurs,” Trump said.
Many attendees at the three-day GlobalEntrepreneurship Summit embraced her message,including calls for India to boost its woefully low rateof female employment in the fast growing economy.
“She is one of the most powerful women in theworld at the moment so whatever she says does havean impact,” said Indian social entrepreneur NishitaManne. The tech hub of Hyderabad, home to the
Indian operations of Google, Facebook and Amazon,was bowled over by Trump’s star power, decking thecity in festive lights, colorful murals and billboardsbearing her image.
“Ivanka Trump has arockstar quality. Sheoozes glamour andclass,” 19-year-old stu-dent Raj Shekhar toldAFP in the southernIndian city. “She has litup our city with herpresence. She has putHyderabad on the globalmap.”
Too much politics The visit was clouded
by US media reportsquestioning Trump’s clothing line and its supply chainas well as a snub by Rex Tillerson, the US secretaryof state, who has reportedly refused to send seniorstaff with Trump to India. Trump had “failed toaddress the brutal reality (that) clothes and shoesproduced by her brand’s suppliers, which outsourceall their production overseas, are often manufacturedunder abusive conditions,” Robert Weissman, head ofUS-based nonprofit Public Citizen, posted on Twitter.
Others questioned Trump’s credentials to lead such asummit, disapproving of some overt political messag-ing about her father’s presidency in scripted remarks.“I felt she has been talking more about politics than
the real issues thatwomen entrepreneurshave to face. We are notinterested in Americanpolitics or her father’spolicies,” NormaUazengisa, an entrepre-neur from Namibia,said.
A US business-woman, who asked notto be named, said: “Ifeel I can’t relate to heras an entrepreneurbecause I don’t think
she has faced any real obstacles in her life.”But start-up founder Upasana Makati said it was
crucial to “focus on the positives and leave aside thecontroversies for once”. “Her coming here meanseveryone is talking about women and entrepreneur-ship. A dialogue has been set in motion which in itselfis a great start,” she told AFP. Trump left India yes-terday after a tour of a historic fort built by medievalrulers on the outskirts of Hyderabad. —AFP
Trump’s daughter pushes business leaders to change attitude towards women
Ivanka a ‘rockstar’ in India, despite flakHYDERABAD: (Left to right) Karen Quintos, Chief customer officer of Dell EMC, Cherie Blair, Founder of Cherie Blair foundation for women, K T Rama Rao, Minister for IT E&C, Industries and Commerce of Telangana, Ivanka Trump, Advisor to US President and ChandaKochhar, Managing Director and CEO of ICICI Bank limited during a panel discussion at the Global Entrepreneurship Summit at the Hyderabad Convention Centre yesterday.—AFP
BusinessEstablished 1961
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2017
A shot in thearm for US,
India ties
VIENNA: OPEC and Russia look set to pro-long oil supply cuts until the end of 2018 thisweek while signaling that they may review thedeal when they meet again in June if the mar-ket overheats. With oil prices rallying above$60 per barrel, Russia has questioned thewisdom of extending existing cuts of 1.8 mil-lion barrels per day (bpd) until the end of nextyear as such a move could prompt a spike inUS production. Russia needs much lower oilprices to balance its budget than OPEC’sleader Saudi Arabia, which is preparing astock market listing for national energy cham-pion Aramco next year and would hence ben-efit from pricier crude.
Six ministers from OPEC and non-OPECoil producers including Saudi Arabia andRussia were meeting in Vienna yesterday -one day ahead of a full OPEC gathering - toreview recommendations by their delegates.On Tuesday, a joint OPEC/non-OPEC com-
mittee recommended extending cuts until theend of 2018 with an option of reviewing thearrangement at the next OPEC meeting inJune, three sources from the Organization ofthe Petroleum Exporting Countries said.
“In reality it would be only a three-monthtrue extension with the review in June,” saidOlivier Jakob from Petromatrix consultancy.The existing cuts expire in March. BenchmarkBrent and US crude prices declined yesterdayfor a third consecutive day although Brentremained above $63. The United ArabEmirates energy minister said on the eve of ameeting of OPEC and its allies on extendingan oil production cap that he is hopeful a dealwill be reached.
“I am optimistic that this group of commit-ted countries will come up hopefully todaywith a decision that is good for the market,”UAE Energy Minister Suhail Al-Mazrouei saidyesterday in Vienna. Twenty four countriesagreed at the end of last year to limit theircrude output, which has led to a recovery ofoil prices that fell under $30 per barrel at thebeginning of 2016.
The deal that reduced production by 1.8million barrels per day has already been givenmore time once, and discussions are aboutextending it beyond March 2018. Mazrouei,who met with his Saudi and Kuwaiti counter-
parts earlier yesterday, did not comment onhis discussions. Gulf nations traditionally meetahead of OPEC meetings to agree a commonpolicy. “We need to meet, there’s nothing Ican tell you now. We need to wait for themeeting,” he told journalists, referring to theimportant technical meeting to be held yester-day afternoon. That meeting involving minis-ters from several nations, including major pro-ducers Saudi Arabia and Russia, was due togive a recommendation for the main gatheringtoday. Saudi Arabia may have difficulty, how-ever, in convincing Russia to agree to extendthe production cuts to the end of 2018, asMoscow has made it known it feels the rise inthe price of oil is mostly benefitting US com-panies. Iraqi Oil Minister Jabar Al-Luaibi toldreporters yesterday he also supported a nine-month extension. Saudi Energy MinisterKhalid Al-Falih told the opening of the moni-toring meeting yesterday that cuts needed tobe extended as the rebalancing of oil marketswas not yet complete.
Novak told reporters after meeting Falih:“We understand that we need to take furthersteps to rebalance the market ... We have acommon understanding (with Falih).”
Debate on Nigeria, LibyaTwo sources familiar with OPEC talks said
the group may debate capping Nigerian andLibyan output at 1.8 million bpd and 1 millionbpd respectively, having exempted the twocountries so far due to unrest and lower-than-normal production volumes. The productioncuts have been in place since the start of 2017and helped halve an excess of global oilstocks although those remain at 140 millionbarrels above the five-year average, accord-ing to OPEC.
Russia has signalled it wants to understandbetter how producers will exit from the cutsas it needs to provide guidance to its private
and state energy companies. “It is important ... to work out a strategy
which we will follow from April 2018,” Novaktold the monitoring committee. Iraq’s Luaibisaid there had been little discussion so far onany exit strategy.
Some Russian producers includingRosneft, run by an ally of President VladimirPutin, Igor Sechin, have questioned therationale of prolonging the cuts, saying it willlead to a loss of market share to US firms,which are not reducing output. OPEC, whichcomprises 14 countries, —Agencies
OPEC, Russia set for oil cut extension
VIENNA: (Left to right): Russian energy minister Alexander Novak, Kuwaitís Oil minister Essam Al-Marzouk,OPEC Secretary General Mohammed Barkindo and OPEC Conference President Saudi Arabia’s EnergyMinister Khaled Al-Falih attend the informal meeting of the OPEC yesterday.—AFP
HYDERABAD: Ivanka Trump speaks during a panel dis-cussion at the Global Entrepreneurship Summit inHyderabad yesterday.—AFP
Thursday, November 30, 2017
18B u s i n e s s
Established 1961
EXCHANGE RATES
Al-Muzaini Exchange Co.
ASIAN COUNTRIESJapanese Yen 2.714Indian Rupees 4.695Pakistani Rupees 2.866Srilankan Rupees 1.965Nepali Rupees 2.923Singapore Dollar 225.620Hongkong Dollar 38.761Bangladesh Taka 3.577Philippine Peso 6.009Thai Baht 9.301
Japanese Yen 3.705Syrian Pound 1.590Nepalese Rupees 2.926Malaysian Ringgit 74.385Chinese Yuan Renminbi 46.200Thai Bhat 10.230Turkish Lira 77.050
German inflation outstrips forecasts in NovemberFRANKFURT AM MAIN: Inflation in Germanygrew faster than expected in November, officialdata showed yesterday, welcome news for theEuropean Central Bank as it begins to wind downits price growth-stoking policies. Prices inEurope’s largest economy increased 1.8 percentyear-on-year, federal statistics authority Destatissaid in preliminary figures, slightly faster than the1.7-percent pace predicted by analysts and the 1.6percent recorded in October.
Energy costs grew the fastest, at 3.7 percent,while food costs grew 3.2 percent.
There were slower price increases for servicesand home rental costs. Inflation also picked up to1.8 percent when measured using the ECB’s pre-ferred yardstick, the harmonized index of con-sumer prices, from 1.5 percent last month. Centralbank policymakers target price growth of close to,but below 2.0 percent, believed to be most favor-able to growth.
The ECB has intervened massively in theeurozone economy in pursuit of its goal, with his-
toric low interest rates, cheap loans to banks andtens of billions of euros in government and corpo-rate bond purchases per month. The schemes areintended to pump cash through the financial sys-tem and into the real economy of businesses andhouseholds.
Economic growth has picked up in the 19-nation single currency area since the centralbank’s unprecedented measures, prompting it to
announce last month that it will halve its monthlybond-buying from January, to 30 billion euros($35.5 billion).
Critics, especially in Germany, have longwarned that too much easy money risks creatingbubbles in some economic sectors and softeningthe market discipline that would usually preventstates, companies and households from borrowingtoo much. —AFP
BARCELONA: Small Catalan firms are moving theirheadquarters outside of the region or setting up par-allel companies to skirt a boycott of goods fromCatalonia by Spaniards angry over its separatist push.While tensions have eased somewhat since Spain’scentral government last month took direct control ofthe northeast region and has scheduled regional elec-tions in December, many businesses in Catalonia stillfeel the need to guard against uncertainty.
The head of a small family-run wine and spiritsbusiness said he believes setting up a duplicate dis-tribution firm for his goods in Madrid was the rightmove. His company’s sales have plunged by over 30percent since Cataloniawent ahead with abanned referendum onOctober 1 followed bythe Catalan parliamentunilaterally declaringindependence.
The new distributioncompany allows him toslap his products-which continue to bemade in Catalonia-witha Madrid address thathe hopes will help salesrecover. “We won’t sellanymore if we don’t do this,” said the businessman,who like other executives in Catalonia did not wantto be identified due to the sensitivity of the inde-pendence issue.
“This is a decision you take when you have noother choice,” he told AFP. Over 2,700 companieshave moved their headquarters outside of Cataloniasince the referendum because of the uncertaintycaused by the separatist drive and the boycott cam-paign, according to Spain’s commercial registrar’soffice.
The moves are mainly administrative for now, butmany fear the companies could eventually relocatestaff and production outside of the region as well.While the departure of listed multinationals, includ-ing Catalonia’s two big banks, Caixabank andSabadell, have grabbed the media spotlight, the exo-dus also includes small and medium sized firms.
‘Never happened’ In an upscale Barcelona neighborhood a small drug
distribution company with just 12 employees has accel-erated a move of its headquarters which had alreadybeen planned to Seville, the capital of the southwesternregion of Andalusia.
The company says its sales in Andalusia, where itearns the bulk of its turnover, have dropped 10-20 per-cent since the referendum. “Patients say ‘give me aproduct that is not Catalan’. This has never happenedbefore,” the company’s director told AFP.
The headquarters move also aims to ensure the com-pany remains within the European Union’s legal frame-
work if Catalonia were tobecome independent oneday. “We would go bank-rupt because the medi-cines we import would besubject to customsduties,” the director said.
The majority of firmsthat have changed theirheadquarters were “afraidof a boycott”, said EnricRius, a tax expert whohas helped several com-panies make the move.But he also pointed out
that these are not complete relocations. The companies“keep factories, the management and jobs” in Catalonia,he said.
‘Anger and pain’“If it affected me, I would leave but for now my busi-
ness does not feel the effects,” said Francisco Castillo,the head of a transport firm near Barcelona “Business isslow though, no one makes decisions, buys machines, inthis context,” he added.
The decision to move headquarters is not always wellreceived in Catalonia.
Aleix Pons i Coll, the vice president of mutual insur-ance firm Previsio, said he felt “anger and pain” whenCatalonia’s two big banks announced last month thatthey were moving their headquarters out of the region.
Previsio used to work closely with the two lendersbut is now looking into other options, he said at his
company’s headquarters in Terrasa, about 30 kilometers(18 miles) north of Barcelona.
“Even reluctantly we may decide to no longer workwith (banks) that leave, and to focus on those thatremain,” said Pon i Coll. He said he started to supportindependence in 2010 after Spain’s Constitutional Courtannulled parts of a statute that had granted Cataloniagreater autonomy.
‘Political pressure’A decree passed by Spain’s central government in
early October that makes it easier for companies tomove their headquarters out of Catalonia has also
fuelled resentment in the region. But Madrid appears tobe sending mixed signals. During a visit to Barcelonalast week, Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy urged busi-nesses not to abandon Catalonia. “We see clearly thatthere was political pressure. How can we tell them not togo when everything was done for them to do so,” saidPons i Coll.
Few expect the regional elections called forDecember 21 in Catalonia will lead companies to movetheir headquarters back to the region. “There is a per-ception that this society will continue to ignore laws,and that is dangerous for business activity,” said thehead of the drug distribution company. —AFP
Small Catalan firms forced to move out of region
Bid to skirt boycott of goods by angry Spaniards
Businesses still guarded against
uncertainty
Greece claimssuccess in secondmarket testATHENS: Greece said yesterday a success-ful swap of bonds means the thrice bailedout nation has now passed another test oninternational debt markets ahead of its debtsupport exit next year.
“The bond swap was very successful,”government spokesman DimitrisTzanakopoulos told reporters.
“It was the second successful marketexit...which aimed to reprofile Greek debtand render it more easily negotiable ininternational markets,” he said. In July,Athens made a symbolic return to debt mar-kets after a three-year hiatus, selling threebillion euros worth of five-year bonds.
This month it was seeking to swap near-ly 30 billion euros ($36 billion) in debt,consisting of bonds of many differentmaturities issued as part of the 2012 write-down of its bonds as part of its secondinternational bailout. Around 25.5 out of29.6 billion euros were exchanged, a vol-untary participation rate of 86.1 percent,Tzanakopoulos said. —AFP
BARCELONA: This file photo taken on October 03, 2017 shows people walking past a closed store duringa general strike in Catalonia called by Catalan unions in Barcelona. More than 2,700 companies havemoved their headquarters out of Catalonia and the list continues to grow, including small and mediumenterprises. —AFP
Mexico getsnew centralbank chiefMEXICO CITY: Mexico’s presidentnamed US-trained policymaker AlejandroDiaz de Leon to head the central bankTuesday, a figure analysts said would likelycontinue the hawkish policies of widelyrespected incumbent Agustin Carstens.
Carstens, who led the Bank of Mexicofor nearly eight years, is leaving onDecember 1 to head the Bank forInternational Settlements in Switzerland,
dubbed the “central bank of centralbanks.”
News of his departure had rattled themarkets, as he was seen as a steady handat the tiller-weathering the global financialcrisis and Donald Trump’s election as USpresident, which battered the Mexicanpeso because of his threats to scrap theNorth American Free Trade Agreement.
But Diaz de Leon, currently Carstens’sdeputy governor, is seen as a choice ofcontinuity.
The 47-year-old economist, who has amaster’s degree in public policy from Yale,first joined the central bank in 1991, andhas also worked at the finance ministryand Mexico’s development bank for inter-national trade, President Enrique PenaNieto’s office said in a statement. —AFP
BERLIN: Social Democratic Party (SPD) Chairman Martin Schulz (center) speaks to jour-nalists on the sidelines of the Deutscher Arbeitgebertag congress of German Employers’Associations (BDA) yesterday in Berlin. —AFP
Lloyds to cut 49 branches, adding to record closures across BritainLONDON: Lloyds Banking Group is clos-ing 49 branches of Lloyds Bank and HalifaxBank of Scotland citing more customersbanking online, it said yesterday. The clo-sures at Britain’s biggest mortgage lenderfollow 100 announced in April involving 325job cuts. They will involve 99 job losses, theUnite workers union said. Earlier this yearLloyds also announced plans to reducesome branches to just two staff with tabletcomputers. It has more than 2,000 branch-es across the UK and employs approxi-mately 75,000.
The bank said that while branches remaina key part of the service, footfal l hasdeclined in recent years. “Customers areincreasingly choosing to use digital andmobile channels for their everyday bankingneeds,” a spokesman said.
Banks across Britain are set to close arecord 762 branches this year, Reutersreported in August, moves which have beenmet with criticism for depriving customers ofaccess to in-person services.
“The news today will not be welcomed bystaff or the customers left with no access tolocal banking,” said Rob MacGregor, nation-al officer at Unite. Lloyds shares fell onTuesday after the Bank of England’s stresstests, an annual health check on lenders.
Lloyds passed the test but shares in Lloyds,one of the banks most exposed to the UKeconomy, suffered after the central bankwarned that a hard Brexit could be costly.The shares rebounded yesterday and stoodup 3.29 percent at 13:09 GMT. — Reuters
WASHINGTON: The US economy grewfaster than initially thought in the thirdquarter, notching its quickest pace in threeyears, as increases in business investment ininventories and equipment offset a modera-tion in consumer spending. Gross domesticproduct expanded at a 3.3 percent annualrate in the third quarter also boosted by arebound in government spending, theCommerce Department said in its secondGDP estimate yesterday.
That was the fastest pace since thethird quarter of 2014 and a pickupfrom the second quarter’s 3.1 percentrate. The economy was previouslyreported to have grown at a 3.0 per-cent pace in the July-September peri-od. It was the first time since 2014that the economy experienced growthof 3 percent or more for two straightquarters.
The growth pace, however, likelyexaggerates the health of the economyas inventories, goods yet to be sold,contributed 0.8 percentage point tothird-quarter GDP growth - up from thepreviously reported 0.73 percentage point.Excluding inventory investment, the econo-my grew at a 2.5 percent rate. When meas-ured from the income side, output alsoexpanded at a 2.5 percent rate. The govern-ment said after-tax corporate profits surgedat a 5.8 percent rate last quarter after risingat only a 0.1 percent pace in the secondquarter.
Economists polled by Reuters hadexpected that third-quarter GDP growth
would be raised to a 3.2 percent rate. Thebrisk growth pace strengthens the case forthe Federal Reserve to raise interest ratesnext month. The US central bank hasincreased borrowing costs twice this year.
Prices for US Treasuries were tradinglower, while the dollar rose marginally. USstock index futures were higher. The eco-nomic recovery since the 2007-2009 reces-sion is now in its eighth year and showinglittle signs of fatigue. The economy is being
powered by a tightening labor market,which has largely maintained a strong per-formance that started during formerPresident Barack Obama’s first term.
Economists see a modest boost togrowth from efforts by President DonaldTrump and his fellow Republicans inCongress to push through a broad packageof tax cuts, including slashing the corpo-rate income tax rate to 20 percent from 35percent. Trump wants lower taxes to liftannual GDP growth to 3 percent on a sus-
tained basis. The fiscal stimulus would,however, come when the economy is at fullemployment.
Consumer spending Businesses accumulated inventories at a
$39.0 billion pace in the third quarter,instead of the previously reported $35.8billion rate. That suggests inventories couldbe a drag on growth in the fourth quarter.Data on Tuesday showed a drop in whole-
sale and retail inventories inOctober, leading economists toslash their fourth-quarter GDPgrowth estimates.
Growth in consumer spending,which accounts for more than two-thirds of the US economy, wasrevised down to a 2.3 percent ratein the third quarter from the previ-ously reported 2.4 percent pace.Consumer spending increased at arobust 3.3 percent rate in the sec-ond quarter. The deceleration inconsumer spending likely reflects
the impact of Hurricanes Harvey and Irma,which struck Texas and Florida during thequarter. Spending also is being constrainedby sluggish wage growth, which is forcinghouseholds to dip into their savings to fundpurchases. The saving rate was lowered to3.3 percent in the third quarter from thepreviously reported 3.4 percent. Economistssay savings cannot drive consumer spendingindefinitely, which has left many to expectquarterly GDP growth to slow. Growth inbusiness investment in equipment was
raised to a 10.4 percent pace, the fastestgrowth pace in three years, from the previ-ously reported 8.6 percent rate. Businessspending has been buoyed by expectationsof hefty corporate tax cuts.
Investment in nonresidential structuresfell at a 6.8 percent pace in the third quarter,the biggest drop since the fourth quarter of2015, instead of the previously estimated 5.2
percent rate. That is largely because of aslowdown in spending on oil and gas welldrilling. Growth in government spendingwas raised to a 0.4 percent rate.Government outlays were previouslyreported to have declined at a 0.1 percentpace in the third quarter. Governmentspending had contracted for two consecu-tive quarters. — Reuters
B u s i n e s s Thursday, November 30, 2017
19Established 1961
Consumer spending trimmed
US Q3 economic growth fastest in three years
Inventories, business account for upward GDP revision
NEW YORK: People shop at a retail outlet in New York. US consumer spendingincreased at a robust 3.3 percent rate in the second quarter.
LONDON: Lloyds Banking Group is closing 49 branches of Lloyds Bankand Halifax Bank of Scotland citing more customers banking online, itsaid yesterday.
Chipotle seeks turnaround expertto replace Ellsas CEONEW YORK: Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc co-founderSteve Ells said yesterday he would step down as chiefexecutive, succumbing to pressure from investors afterfailing to turn around the burrito chain from a string offood safety lapses. The company said it was searchingfor a “new leader with demonstrated turnaroundexpertise” to replace Ells, who will stay on as execu-tive chairman.
Chipotle’s shares, which have more than halved invalue since the first reports of a major e-coli outbreaklinked to its restaurants in October 2015, rose 4.7 per-cent to $299.38 in premarket trading yesterday.“Bringing in a new CEO is the right thing to do for allour stakeholders,” Ells said in a statement. “Simply put,we need to execute better to ensure our future suc-cess.” Ells has held or shared the chief executive’s rolesince founding Chipotle in 1993, attracting investmentfrom McDonald’s Corp before taking it public in ablockbuster 2006 stock market launch.
Years of double-digit sales growth stalled, however,after the e-coli outbreak, which spread across severalstates, affecting more than 50 people. The companywas also subsequently hit by cases of salmonella poi-soning and norovirus stomach bugs, which made it the
subject of chat show hosts’ jokes and kept diners away.Ells has led the company on his own since Decemberof last year when co-CEO Monty Moran steppeddown amid intense pressure from investors includingWilliam Ackman, whose Pershing Square CapitalManagement LP is Chipotle’s biggest investor.
That same month Chipotle named four new direc-tors to its board, including Pershing Square partner AliNamvar and Matthew Paull, a Pershing Square adviso-ry board member and former McDonald’s chief finan-cial officer. A group of investors in March withdrew aproposal to split the chairman and CEO roles after thecompany vowed to strengthen the lead director posi-tion held by Neil Flanzraich, who has been an inde-pendent director since September 2014.
“This news is unexpected given the recent moves tostreamline the CEO position, but is an absolutely criti-cal, important next chapter for Chipotle, which hasbeen struggling to recover sales under Ells,” MizuhoSecurities USA analyst Jeremy Scott wrote in a note.
“We believe the move today will help to restoreconfidence in the board, the activist, and in thestock.” Chipotle said it had formed a search commit-tee comprised of directors Robin Hickenlooper andPershing Square’s Namvar, as well as Ells, to identifya new CEO.
Prior to yesterday’s announcement, some analystshad floated Panera Bread founder Ron Shaich as apotential replacement for Ells.
Shaich recently announced he would step down asPanera CEO on Jan. 1, but remain as chairman to workon strategy, communications and acquisitions for thebakery-cafe chain. Given Shaich’s role at Panera,Bernstein analyst Sara Senatore said it seemed unlike-ly that he would jump to rival Chipotle. — Reuters
AUB announces Al Hassad weekly draw winnersKUWAIT: Ahli United Bank recently conductedits Al Hassad Islamic account weekly draw,Kuwait’s leading Shariah compliant rewards pro-gram that offers a broad range of prizes to thelargest number of winners, yesterday. Theaccount provides 26 weekly prizes that are com-prised of KD 25,000 as a grand prize and 25 oth-er prizes valued at KD 1,000 each.
AUB also offers four quarterly prizes that arevalued at KD 250,000 to each winner allowingthem to achieve their dreams of travel l ing,studying abroad, or owning their dream home orcar. On th is occas ion Ahl i Uni ted Bankannounced, “With this draw, we are adding 26new winners and prizes to the Al Hassad Islamicaccount whereby, the total number of winnersannually will include more than 13:00”. Theweekly grand prize winner of KD 25,000 ReemMohammed Soud.
25 other winners won prizes of KD 1,000 andare as fol lows: Hussain Al i Al Muhanna,Mohammad Saeid Aliamhi, Saleh Ibrahim Jarkhi,Ohoud Yaqoub Alayyaf, Eatedal AbsulrazzaqHasan, Ahmed Habib Qambar, Ali Almutawai,Ahmad Aldaai j , Lulwa Alqenei , Hossein Al iMohammad, Saswsan Mohd Waleed, WadhhaMohammad Alajmi, Sarah Rashed Altukhaim,Munerah Abdulmohsen Abalkjeel , ZeyadMoayyed Alresheed, Al i Hasan Alajmi ,
Mohammad Saad Alazmi, Khaled Marzooq AlOtibi, Mahmood Khamis Al Sabbagh, GeorgiosFotiou, Dhasiya Hussain, Hammed Ahmad AlShaikh, Jamal Abdulla Al Kooheji, MohammadAbdul la Mohammad, Mohamed Abdul laMohamad.
Al Hassad Islamic account’s customers inKuwait and Bahrain are eligible to participate inthe draw in line with the program’s terms andconditions. Ahli United Bank added, “There areincreased opportunities that await our currentcustomers and those who are interested in open-ing an Al Hassad Islamic account to benefit fromthe wide range of prizes and opportunit iesoffered this year.”
Individual customers can open their accountswith a minimum deposit of KD 100, qualifyingthem to enter the draw. For every KD 50 deposit-ed in the account, customers are given one chanceto enter the quarterly draw. They must have heldthe minimum deposit requirement for at least twoweeks prior to the draw date. The more depositsmade, the higher the chances of winning on aweekly basis. For more information on Ahli UnitedBank’s products and services, customers are invit-ed to visit any of the Bank’s branches or dial thecustomer service ‘Hayakum’ log on the Bank’swebsite www.ahliunited.com.kw
Lonmin to cut social, discretionary spending tosave cashJOHANNESBURG/LONDON: Troubledplatinum producer Lonmin plans to cutspending on social and labor projectsand freeze “non-critical” recruitment,part of an array of measures to savecash, according to an unpublished pres-entation reviewed by Reuters. The SouthAfrican miner, not for the first time, isfacing an uncertain future after earlierthis month delaying annual financialresults pending conclusion of a businessreview, a move that sent its shares down30 percent in a single day.
In the presentation to stakeholdersearlier this month, the company sig-naled it would stop all discretionaryspending and save 250 million rand($18.3 million) via energy and water ini-tiatives. It also reiterated plans to cutcapital spending. Cutting expenditureon social and labor plans - called SLPsin South Africa - could be problematicas mining companies are required tomeet certain obligations to provide
housing and other services to the com-munities around their shafts to maintaintheir operating licenses.
In September, Lonmin said it hadbeen informed by South Africa’s depart-ment of mineral resources that it hadfailed to meet some social and laborobligations, although the companyadded it did not think its operatinglicense was in jeopardy.
Lonmin spent 270.8 million rand onsocial and labor plans during the 2016financial year, the last year for which ithas provided full details. “The law pro-vides for a review of SLP plans depend-ing on the prevailing business environ-ment - called a section 102 process -and this is discussed with the regulator,”Lonmin spokeswoman Wendy Tlou saidin response to Reuters questions.
“We are in the process of engagingwith the Department of MineralResources with regards to the proposedadjustments to the plan and only oncethose are completed and agreed upon,would we have an idea of impact.” Shealso said “non-critical recruitment”involved “positions we can delay or dowithout for some time compared to criti-cal roles that you may need immediatelyfor operational reasons.”
Lonmin, which has been forced to tapinvestors three times since 2009, isunder pressure on a range of fronts.“The confidential presentation Lonminpresented to stakeholders does not painta pretty picture,” said one attendee, whodeclined to be named. — Reuters
Thursday, November 30, 2017
20B u s i n e s s
Established 1961
LONDON: Signs of progress with US tax cutsand Europe’s Brexit negotiations brought freshhighs for world stocks yesterday while bitcointopped $10,000 in a frenzy for cryptocurrencies.
Britain’s pound was also in focus, rising to$1.34 for the first time since October on reportsthat Britain has offered as much as 50 billioneuros ($59.2 billion) — most of what theEuropean Union wants-to settle a Brexit “divorcebill”. Sterling’s strength did push London’s FTSEinto the red, but elsewhere the mood was almostexclusively upbeat, particularly in bank stocksafter the soon-to-be head of the Federal Reservesaid some regulations could be scaled back.
Meanwhile, the S&P and Dow were set to
open higher yesterday, fueled by investor opti-mism after more progress was made on US taxlegislation and hints of lighter regulation in thebanking sector.US Senate Republicans onTuesday rammed forward the bill, which corpo-rate America is hoping will slash business taxrates,in an abrupt, partisan committee vote thatset up a full vote by the Senate as soon as today.Some details remained unsettled and Democratswere left furious about a lack of discussion on abill that could add an estimated $1.4 trillion to the$20 trillion national debt over 10 years. “Futuresare showing the S&P could be up about 2 pointsfrom where it closed yesterday. That’s probablyjust simply carry through from the very bullish
day we had yesterday,” said Randy Frederick,vice president of trading and derivatives forCharles Schwab in Austin, Texas.
Current Fed chair Janet Yellen said, in remarksprepared for delivery to Congress on Wednesday,that a strengthening economy will warrant contin-ued rate increases. In what may be one of her lastpublic appearances before leaving the Fed chair,Yellen said asset values were “high by historicalstandards, but overall vulnerabilities in the finan-cial sector appear moderate.”
Germany’s DAX, France’s CAC, Milan andMadrid were all up between 0.6 and 1.3 percentand MSCI’s all-country world index was at yetanother record peak after all four major Wall
Street indexes notched up new highs onTuesday. They were expected to be inconsolidation mode when U.S. tradingresumes. Revised Q3 GDP figures andinflation data will be vying for attentionwith the ongoing tug-of-war over DonaldTrump’s tax cut plans.
“It seems to me markets are still tradingon the theory that the glass is half full,” saidfund manager Hermes’ chief economist NeilWilliams. Asian share markets had not quiteas jubilant, checked by caution over the lat-est missile test by North Korea and con-cerns at recent softness in Chinese shares.MSCI’s broadest index of Asia-Pacificshares outside Japan barely budged fromwhere it started the day, while China’s bluechip index ended flat having slipped asmuch as 1 percent at one point.
Among the better performers, Japan’sNikkei added 0.5 percent, while Australia’smain index rose 0.45 percent. The prospectsfor a US tax cut seemed to improve afterSenate Republicans rammed forward theirbill in a partisan committee vote that set upa full vote by the Senate as soon asThursday, although details of the measureremained unsettled.
But Republican leaders conceded thatthey have yet to round up the votes neededfor passage in the Senate, where they hold anarrow 52-48 majority. Some analysts, how-ever, did warn of the risks of unintendedconsequences if the package was passed.“Tax cuts will mainly boost the demand sideof the economy at a time when the economyhas little spare capacity,” said JeremyLawson, chief economist at Standard LifeInvestments.
“For that reason, the package will prima-
rily bring forward activity with most of thestimulus eventually offset by the FederalReserve lifting interest rates more quickly.”Fed chair nominee Jerome Powell, in hisSenate confirmation hearing on Tuesday,said the case for a December rate hike wascoming together.
Powell also hinted at a lighter touch forbank regulation, saying current rules werealready tough enough. The S&P financialsector soared 2.6 percent in reaction, itsbiggest daily gain since March 1. Thathelped the Dow climb 1.09 percent, whilethe S&P 500 rose 0.99 percent and theNasdaq added 0.49 percent.
Adding to the bullish mood was datashowing US consumer confidence surged toa near 17-year high in November, whilehome prices rose sharply in September,which should underpin consumer spending.Eurozone government bond yields edgedhigher meanwhile as the first instalments ofGerman state inflation data pointed toanother uptick for Europe’s largest econo-my, which should bolster the ECB’s move towind down its stimulus.
“In recent months we have seen coreinflation dropping, and that has been identi-fied by the ECB as a key measure,” said INGstrategist Martin van Vliet.
It all helped the euro reassert its recentdominance over the dollar. The euro climbedas far as $1.1882 and against a basket of cur-rencies the dollar at 93.241 and not far off atwo-month trough touched on Monday.
The dollar was stronger against the yenat 111.63 yen and away from a 10-week lowof 110.85, while the pound’s jump on atrade-weighted basis was 1.4 percent, itsbest since April. —Reuters
Stocks surge, pound up as Britain coughs up
TOKYO: This file photo taken on April 7, 2017 shows a man walking past asignboard informing customers that Bitcoin can be used for payment at astore in Tokyo. —AFP
SINGAPORE: Bitcoin broke throughthe $10,000 barrier for the first timeyesterday as it extends a stratosphericrise that has delighted investors butsparked fears of a bubble.
The virtual currency hit a high of$10,903 in Asia, according toBloomberg News, about 14 times itsvalue at the start of the year. Thebreakthrough is the latest in a spectac-ular run for the online money dubbed“digital gold” by its advocates, whichbegan life in 2009 as a bit of encryptedsoftware supposedly written by anunknown coder with a Japanese-sound-ing name.
Bitcoin, which was valued at just afew US cents when it was launched, hasno legal exchange rate, no central bankbacking it and is traded on specialistplatforms.
What began as the preserve of com-puter nerds and financial experts hasgained a following among a broadergroup seeking alternatives to traditionalinvestments, while it has been used topay for items from a pint in a Londonpub to a manicure.
The virtual currency has attracted asmuch anger as praise, however. Theboss of JP Morgan Chase labelled it afraud, while China has closed downBitcoin trading platforms and SouthKorea this week expressed concern itcould lead young investors to becomeembroiled in fraud.
It got a big boost last month whenexchange giant CME Group announcedit would launch a futures marketplacefor Bitcoin, which has not been listed ona major bourse before.
The announcement sparked a surgein its value-it has risen 50 percent sinceOctober alone. The current market val-ue of Bitcoin is now around $180 billion,according to Coinmarketcap.com, whichtracks the market capitalisations ofcryptocurrencies. That puts it withintouching distance of Coca-Cola, whichis worth $195 billion. But the spectacu-lar rate of growth, which has seen itincrease in value from a 2017 low of$752 in mid-January, has also triggeredconcerns, with critics noting the curren-
cy has suffered wild swings in the past. “This is a bubble and there is a lot of
froth. This is going to be the biggestbubble of our lifetimes,” warned hedgefund manager Mike Novogratz at acryptocurrency conference Tuesday inNew York.
‘Crazy numbers’ Stephen Innes, of forex broker
Oanda in Singapore, warned of “crazynumbers” and added: “I’m a little bitfearful that retail traders are jumping inunder the false guise of this will run onforever. “We know things never go in astraight line.” But other commentatorswere more positive, saying the unit’ssurging popularity will attract cash fromtraditional investors, such as hedge fundsand asset managers.
“I think the momentum is still verymuch to the upside,” Kay Van-Petersen,macro and crypto strategist with SaxoBank in Singapore, told AFP.
He said it could still suffer pullbacks,but predicted it would be worth$50,000 to $100,000 in the next six to18 months. Transactions happen whenheavily encrypted codes are passedacross a computer network. Bitcoinand other virtual currencies useblockchain, which records transactionsthat are updated in real time on anonline ledger and maintained by a net-work of computers.
But it has not been without controver-sy. In one of the most high-profile scan-dals, major Tokyo-based Bitcoinexchange MtGox collapsed in 2014 afteradmitting that 850,000 coins-wortharound $480 million at the time-had dis-appeared from its vaults.
Bitcoin’s use on the underground SilkRoad website, where users could use itto buy drugs and guns, was also pre-sented as proof it was a bad thing.
While analysts expect the currency tosuffer falls, they are betting it will pros-per in the long term and see the CMElaunch as the next big test.
“If it survives the CME, there is noreason why it won’t continue to risehigher,” Greg McKenna, chief marketstrategist at AxiTrader, said. —AFP
Bubble or brave new world? Bitcoin breaks $10,000 barrier
B u s i n e s s Thursday, November 30, 2017
21Established 1961
Kuwait’s Jazeera Airways sets course for Kochi, Ahmedabad
KUWAIT: Jazeera Airways, Kuwait’s leadinglow-cost airline, operating regionally and inter-nationally, is proud to announce its plans forfurther expansion into India. Following a suc-cessful launch in Hyderabad in November,Jazeera Airways will now fly toAhmedabad and Kochi starting January17th and 18th respectively. With theincrease in operations to India, theaward winning carrier is now able tosupport the travel needs of over920,000 Indians residing in Kuwait.
Rohit Ramachandran, CEO of JazeeraAirways said, “This is a major strategicmove for us to extend our network intoIndia and provide greater choice andvalue for the Indian community inKuwait and broader GCC. We have beendelighted with how well our new opera-tions to Hyderabad, Kochi andAhmedabad have been received both in Indiaand the wider Middle East region. The decisionto invest further in India comes from the risingdemand of Indian expats visiting their friendsand families, as well as the large interest ofKuwaiti travelers in exploring new destinations
for tourism and medical visits.”Located in western India, Gujarat’s major
city, Ahmedabad has emerged as an importanteconomic and industrial hub in India. The citywas selected as one of the hundred Indian cities
to be developed under Government of India’sflagship Smart Cities Mission and in July 2017,the Historic City of Ahmedabad or OldAhmedabad, was declared as India’s firstUNESCO World Heritage City.
Known as the center of the world for spice
trade, Kochi is a major port city on the south-west coast and district in Kerala. The state isrenowned for tourism ranging from the famousBackwaters - a chain of lagoons, rivers andcanals; to the archaeological landmarks of
museums, ancient palaces and forts.More importantly, Kerala has been fastdeveloping into a world-class healthcarecenter and is known as the hub ofAyurveda. Jazeera Airways will operatethree flights on Wednesdays, Fridaysand Sundays to and from Ahmedabadstarting January 17th departing00.05am from Kuwait arriving06.00am, ensuring a quick and efficientjourney. Kochi flights will operate fourtimes a week on Mondays, Tuesdays,Thursdays and Sundays departing at12.45 pm from Kuwait and arriving at20.10pm in Kochi International Airport.
Passengers can enjoy a baggage allowanceof 30kg for Economy class and 50kg perBusiness class passenger. Travelers can startbooking flights now via Jazeera’s website -Jazeeraairways.com, through the Jazeera app,or from all travel agents.
Strategic move
by low-costcarrier
Expansion continues with two new direct routes on Jan 17, 18
Brazil’s economy firms, shifting political landscape ahead of pollsRIO DE JANEIRO: After a torrid couple ofyears, Brazil’s battered economy is expectedto confirm signs of recovery this week, shift-ing the ground under the already unpre-dictable 2018 general elections.
Today, the IGBE state statistics office willrelease October unemployment figures. GoAssociados consultants expect the seventhmonthly fall to 12.1 percent, down from arecord high 13.7 percent in the first quarterof this year. Then tomorrow, the IBGE will
announce GDP numbers for the third quar-ter. A Bloomberg survey of 31 economistspredicts 0.3 percent growth over the previ-ous quarter, the third consecutive quarterlyincrease in output.
This would put some meat on the recov-ery from Brazil’s worst recession in historywhich saw GDP shrink 3.5 percent in 2015and 3.6 percent in 2016. It also injects anintriguing new element into the run-up tothe October 2018 presidential and legislativeelections. So far, polls have been dominatedby leftwinger Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, atwo-term ex-president who has been con-victed of corruption. Some way behind himin second place is rightwing firebrand andformer army officer Jair Bolsonaro.
The mood is firmly anti-establishment.But if the economy recovers enough, ana-lysts say, voters might be less keen to go forradical options. They might instead put theirfaith in more centrist candidates espousing acontinuation of market reforms pushed bythe unpopular current leader Michel Temer.
Carlos Langoni, a former Central Bankchairman, says the strength of the recovery
remains uncertain, but it’s already sure“there is no risk of slipping back” intorecession.
That plus the potential for joblessnessfalling below the psychologically importantbarrier of 10 percent could be “critical onthe eve of the electoral process.”
A better economy “would be a majorargument” for the currently weak centristcandidates and those tied to Temer’sattempts at pension reform and other aus-terity measures.
For sure, Brazilians are a long way rightnow from embracing the Temer agenda. He’sthe most unpopular president on record andhis centerpiece policy of scaling back pen-sions is floundering in Congress. Besides, acorruption scandal has tainted much of thepolitical elite-
Temer himself being twice charged withcrimes-making a revolt at the polls morelikely. But Brazilians are not necessarily in anideological mood and may be persuaded tovote on their pocketbooks, says Langoni,who is now at the Getulio Vargas Foundationin Rio de Janeiro. — AFP
KUWAIT: Diversifying savingscan help protect against risks andeconomic downturns. Not all sav-ings options are equal as some,limit access to the amount savedfor months or even years. To pro-vide greater flexibility and acces-sibility, National Bank of Kuwaitnow offers ‘Notice Accounts’ forits Premium Banking customersthat allow access to savings viawithdrawal notices.
NBK Notice Accounts are idealfor customers with saving goals whilst stillneeding flexibility to withdraw funds ifrequired. With an NBK Notice Account, cus-tomers earn interest on their savings every 30days, 60 days or 90 days depending on the
selected Notice Account type.There are 3 types on NoticeAccounts: 35 days, 65 days or 95days’ Notice Account. In addition,customers are still having the flexi-bility to have these funds availablein case of an emergency or unex-pected expenses such as mainte-nance on your car or house.
“Today’s customers needgreater flexibility to deposit andwithdraw from their accounts aspart of their regular banking
options,” said Amal Al-Duwaisan, SeniorManager Consumer Banking Group, NationalBank of Kuwait. Al-Duwaisan has added that“NBK’s Notice Account allows customers tosave while earning interest and also have the
flexibility of withdrawal without being penal-ized.” Customers earn a higher interest rateunlike standard savings accounts while at thesame time continuing to have flexible accessto their capital. The NBK Notice Account istailored to the needs of Premium Banking cus-tomers, providing them with a flexible savingsaccount for ease of deposit at any time, with-drawal with advance notice as well as obtain-ing high interest savings benefits..
“We’ve combined some of the best fea-tures of a fixed term deposit, i.e. higher inter-est rates, with the accessibility of a standardsavings account to create Notice Accounts,”said Al Duwaisan. “Customers can earn ahigher interest rate but decide which noticeperiod - 35 days, 65 days or 95 days - worksbest for their budget and planning.”
How does it work? Simply visit any of ourlocal NBK branches to open a Notice Accountwith a minimum balance of KD 5,000. Thereare three notice periods to choose from: 35 and65 days earn at 1.500 percent interest rate and95 days at 1.625 percent interest rate. To with-draw, ask the officer to establish the withdrawalnotice, not less than 35 days before making thewithdrawal and/ or closing the account.
Savings can also be added to the account atany time by visiting any of the NBK branchesor through NBK Online Banking; also cus-tomers can establish Standing Orders to theirNotice Account. This product is free ofcharges. Terms and conditions apply. To learn
more, our valued customers can visit any localNBK branch, speak to their RelationshipManager or can call the NBK call center on1801801. They can also invite to visit theaward-winning website, nbk.com to get moredetails regarding this savings product.
Greater flexibility with NBK’s ‘Notice Account’ savings deposit option
Amal Al-Duwaisan
The Port Fund achieves success despitechallengesKUWAIT: KGL Investment Company (KGLI)announced the successful exit of The Port Fundinvestments doubling its Fund’s capital from$188 million to $380 million and generating anannual return of 10 percent over 10 years. TheFund is a private equity fund focused on portand related logistics opportunities in emergingmarkets. The Fund has consistently outper-formed its industry peers despite unpredictableand uncertain market conditions, including thefinancial crisis in 2008 and the Arab spring in2011, when the majority of private equity fundsexperienced substantial losses or at best devalu-ation. Due to the outstanding performance, theFund’s returns have been ranked, with its man-agement, amongst the top performing Fundsworldwide.
Commenting on the Fund successful exit,Marsha Lazareva, The Port Fund Director, andVice Chairman and CEO of KGL InvestmentCompany, said: “We are immensely proud of theextraordinary effort of our team of dedicatedinvestment professionals for achieving suchsuperior returns for our investors”.
She added, “I would like to express my sin-cere gratitude to KGL Investment’s Board ofDirectors for their prudent guidance and consis-tent support during this turbulent time andwould like to sincerely thank our investors andpartners for their patience and loyalty. Our busi-ness is built on integrity and transparency andwe are proud to have put our investors’ interest
first and succeeded in our aim to realize thehighest possible return.” Lazareva further elabo-rated that the successful Exit of the Fund whichhas achieved investors significant profit return,will factually end all unreasonable allegationsagainst KGL Investment Company, The PortFund and their management teams. She stated:“these allegations were based on falsified andunsubstantiated information and fabrications bysome of those who were unhappy with the suc-cess of The Port Fund, and by completing theExit process, these allegations fell apart andproven to be false.” Lazareva pointed out thatthe Fund’s successful Exit, provides objectivevindication and thereby proves that the allega-tions against the Port Fund are entirely false:“Far from being defrauded or even sufferinginvestment losses, our investors have enjoyedsignificant returns on their investments. Thisfact is irrefutably demonstrated by today’s deal,which crystallizes those gains”. She clarifiesthat “the Fund has always operated in compli-ance with its guiding documents and governinglaws, its Private Placement Memorandum, thelaws of the Cayman Islands and its LimitedPartnership Agreement”.
Lazareva ended: “Despite all the challengeswe have faced, our sincere and professionalefforts have paid off. Our investors’ trust andsupport were the main drive that empoweredour strong will to exceed their expectations;today, we are even more determined to buildupon this success and introduce tailor-madequality funds in the coming period to be the firstchoice of investors for successful and profitableinvestment”.
KFH continuesto serve electronically, through airport branch KUWAIT: Kuwait Finance House (KFH)announced that it is ready to fulfill its commit-ments towards its clients during the holiday.The bank will continue to offer various servic-es for its clients in Kuwait and overseasthrough its website that offers over 150 eser-vices, in addition to the 24/7 airport branchand other service channels that provide clientswith necessary services round the clock.
Moreover, the Call Center will be ready toreceive calls from clients throughout the day,and will work relentlessly to overcome anyproblems that might face clients in Kuwait andoverseas. In addition, KFH continues to offerits IVR service on 1803333 that is availablethroughout the day. Clients can call to makeaccount transactions, ask for financial transac-tion, pay bills, purchase cards to recharge cellphone, and other services.
Further, clients can take advantage ofKFH’s ATM machines (Shamel) that are avail-able at most of the branches in vital locations.KFH offers Mobi Baitok vehicles that serve asmobile branches that allow people to depositand withdraw cash in addition to other usualtransactions.
KFH has additional technical privileges,such as allowing clients to conduct basicbanking operations through smart phones onkfhonline application. KFH has recently
launched a new e-service that allows KFHcustomer subscribed to KFH’s SMS Baitaknotification service to receive Push message-type notifications - in addition to the regularSMS notifications - onto their smartphones.KFH’s e-Banking customers who are also SMSBaitak subscribers will be able to register to -and receive - the Push messages for free viathe KFH Online Smartphone app, and will alsobe able to receive and view the Push mes-sages using the smartphone apps.
BEIJING: China yesterday warned it wouldtake the “necessary measures” to protect itsbusinesses after the United States launched anew trade probe into China’s possible alu-minium dumping.
The investigation into imports of aluminiumsheet worth hundreds of millions of dollars ayear was an unusually aggressive move by theUnited States. For the first time since 1991, theUS Commerce Department said it launchedthe investigation on its own initiative, ratherthan responding to a request from a US com-pany. “This practice by the US side is veryrare in the history of international trade,”
China’s Ministry of Commerce said in a state-ment. “China expresses strong dissatisfactiontowards the tendency of trade protectionismdisplayed by the United States.” The USCommerce Department said Tuesday itopened the probe into possible dumping andinappropriate subsidies of common alloy alu-minium sheet from China, which may be harm-ing US industry. “President Trump made itclear from day one that unfair trade practiceswill not be tolerated under this administration,and today we take one more step in fulfillingthat promise,” Commerce Secretary WilburRoss said in a statement. — AFP
China warns of retaliation after fresh US trade probe
Thursday, November 30, 2017
22Te c h n o l o g y
Established 1961
Hackers could get even nastier in 2018: ResearchersWASHINGTON: After a year marked by devastating cyber-attacks and breaches, online attackers are expected tobecome even more destructive in 2018, security researcherssaid yesterday.
A report by the security firm McAfee said the ransomwareoutbreaks of 2017 offer just a taste of what’s to come as hackersdevelop new strategies and “business models.”
McAfee researchers said that as ransomware profitabilityfades in the face of new defenses, hackers will turn to new kindsof attacks that could involve damage or disruption of computersand networks. Attackers will also look to target wealthy individ-uals and aim at connected devices which offer less security thancomputers and smartphones. “The evolution of ransomware in2017 should remind us of how aggressively a threat can reinventitself as attackers dramatically innovate and adjust to the suc-cessful efforts of defenders,” said Steve Grobman, McAfee’schief technology officer.
McAfee also predicted wider use of cyber attacks “as aservice,” allowing more hackers for hire to have an impact.
Raj Samani, chief scientist at McAfee, said the events of 2017showed how easy it is to commercialize hacking services. “Suchattacks could be sold to parties seeking to paralyze national,political and business rivals,” Samani said.
McAfee’s 2018 Threats Predictions Report also said privacyis likely to be eroded further as consumer data-including datainvolving children-is gathered and marketed by device makers.
“Connected home device manufacturers and serviceproviders will seek to overcome thin profit margins by gatheringmore of our personal data-with or without our agreement-turn-ing the home into a corporate store front,” the McAfee reportsaid. The report said parents “will become aware of notable cor-porate abuses of digital content generated by children,” as partof this effort to boost profitability. —AFP
Robot could also be used in workplaces, disaster areas and outer space
Toyota unveils humanoid robot that mirrors user
TOKYO: Japanese auto giant Toyota yesterday show-cased a humanoid robot that can mirror its user’smovements, a product it says has uses as varied as eld-erly care and disaster response. The T-HR3 can be con-trolled by a wearable system that allows users to oper-ate the entire robot in real-time by simply moving theirown limbs.
It is one of the main attractions at the InternationalRobot Exhibition thatopened in Tokyo yester-day. Toyota’s new robotis the latest in dozens ofhumanoid models thathave been developedrecently thanks to rapidtechnological advances,especially in artificialintelligence.
“We are thinkingabout using this mainlyfor home elderly care anddaily life support,”Akifumi Tamaoki, head ofToyota’s Partner Robot division, told AFP.
“Technically, this robot could also be used in work-places, disaster areas and outer space.” Robot-makerssee big potential for their use in Japan, where the numberof elderly people is rapidly growing, causing labourshortages in a country that strictly controls immigration.
The T-HR3 has 32 joints and boasts smooth human-like movements. It can also balance itself in one-legged
poses. Sensors on the robot can detect how much forceit should exert on humans or objects.
A head-mounted display allows the user to see fromthe perspective of the black-and-white prototype, whichis 1.54 metres (5.1 feet) tall and weighs 75 kilograms (165pounds). Toyota has no immediate plans to sell the T-HR3, whose development costs were not disclosed.
In 2004, the company unveiled a trumpet-playingrobot-its first humanoidmachine-in a bid to catchup with robot technologyfrontrunners like Hondaand Sony.
Three years later, thecarmaker made anotherrobot that could play theviolin as part of an effortto develop futuristicmachines capable ofassisting humans inJapan’s greying society.
The country’s mostfamous robot is arguably
Asimo, an astronaut-looking humanoid developed byHonda which has been hired out as an office servant andhas even popped up to offer toasts at Japanese diplomaticfunctions. Separately, Japan’s SoftBank has also developeda talking human-like robot called “Pepper”, which hasbeen introduced into workplaces around the world. —AFP
T-HR3 can be controlled by a
wearable system
Your HUAWEI Mate 10 gets toknow you better over time!At home, in the car, on the street, in the office, our eyesare always on our smartphones. And it’s so hard to putthem down because we rely on them to do many things.Our smartphones became more of a necessity than anaccessory: we touch them more than 2617 times, usethem for more than 4 hours, and check them more than47 times a day!
Knowing how much we rely on our smartphones,Huawei designed the HUAWEI Mate 10, embedding artifi-cial intelligence and a powerful processor to allow thephone to learn everything about you, and thus offer you afaster and smoother experience. Let’s find out how theHUAWEI Mate 10 learns everything about you!
The HUAWEI Mate 10 comes with an advanced tech-nology inside; we’re talking about the world’s first artifi-cial intelligence processor, the Kirin 970, built to deliver anever-seen-before performance once it gets to know youvery well. In fact, this new processor is endowed withadvanced technological features: machine learning anddeep learning. Thanks to these features, your phonelearns and builds a model of your behavior as you use itevery day; it understands your behavior and learns yourpreferences: what are the games you like to play, what areyour favorite apps, at what time of the day and how manytimes you use these apps, etc.
Once the phone gets to know all this data, it starts topredict your behavior and allocate the CPU, GPU andother resources to your mostly used apps, to offer you anultimate performance that is 25 percent faster than itspredecessors The more the device learns about you, thefaster experience it will provide you. And when it learnsabout the apps you use the least or do not need, it com-presses them in the memory and save more space to keepyour device ready for a fast performance at any time ofthe day.
Build fast, fix later: Speed hurts quality at TeslaSAN FRANCISCO: After Tesla’s Model S sedans and ModelX SUVs roll off the company’s Fremont, California assemblyline, the electric vehicles usually make another stop - forrepairs, nine current and former employees have told Reuters.The luxury cars regularly require fixes before they can leavethe factory, according to the workers. Quality checks haveroutinely revealed defects in more than 90 percent of Model Sand Model X vehicles inspected after assembly, these individ-uals said, citing figures from Tesla’s internal tracking system asrecently as October. Some of these people told Reuters ofseeing problems as far back as 2012.
Tesla Inc said its quality control process is unusually rigor-ous, designed to flag and correct the tiniest imperfections. Itdeclined to provide post-assembly defect rates to Reuters orcomment on those cited by employees. The world’s most effi-cient automakers, such as Toyota , average post-manufactur-ing fixes on fewer than 10 percent of their cars, according toindustry experts. Getting quality right during initial assemblyis crucial, they said, because repairs waste time and money.
At Tesla “so much goes into rework after the car is done ...that’s where their money is being spent,” a former Tesla super-visor said.
The Silicon Valley automaker said the majority of its post-assembly defects are minor and resolved in a matter of min-utes. Tesla has enthralled consumers with sleek designs, cleantechnology and legendary acceleration on its pricey cars. AConsumer Reports survey found 91 percent of Tesla ownerswould buy again.
Still, the magazine and market researcher J D Power havedinged the company on quality, citing troubles such as faultydoor handles and body panel gaps. Bernstein analyst A M(Toni) Sacconaghi, Jr. test-drove one of the company’s newModel 3 sedans earlier this month, writing that the fit and fin-ish were “relatively poor.” Tesla owners have complained on
web forums of annoying rattles, buggy software and poorseals that allow rainwater to seep into the interior or trunk.
Auto industry experts say the company’s survival nowdepends on its ability to crank out high-quality cars in volumeas it begins to build its first mass-market car, the Model 3,which starts at $35,000. Tesla has never turned an annualprofit and is burning through $1 billion a quarter. That isunsustainable without fresh cash or a big increase in sales tomainstream customers who may prove less forgiving of poten-tial defects.
“We’ve never doubted Tesla’s ability to make excitingproducts with top specifications, but there’s a differencebetween unveiling something and then actually making it per-fectly in large volume. Tesla has not perfected the latter yet,”Morningstar analyst David Whiston wrote earlier this month.
Musk has vowed Tesla would become “the best manufac-turer on Earth,” helped by a new, highly automated assemblyline and a simpler design for the Model 3. However, productionwoes have slowed deliveries of the much-anticipated sedan.
Snags are normal with any new launch. But chronic defectswith Tesla’s established Models S and X show a company stillstruggling to master basic manufacturing, workers said.Known as “kickbacks” within Tesla, these vehicles have glitch-es as minor as dents and scratches to more complex troublessuch as malfunctioning seats. Easy fixes are made swiftly onthe factory floor, workers said. Trickier cases head to one ofTesla’s outdoor parking lots to await repair. The backlog inone of those two lots, dubbed the “yard,” has exceeded 2,000vehicles at times, workers told Reuters.
Tesla denied to Reuters that such “repair lots” exist.Reuters interviewed nine current and former Tesla employees,including a former senior manager, with experience in assem-bly, quality control and repairs on Model S and Model X. Allrequested anonymity because the company required them tosign non-disclosure agreements. Four of the people were firedfor cause, including two last month as part of a mass dismissalof hundreds of workers for what Tesla said was poor perform-ance. Sacked workers who spoke with Reuters denied theywere poor performers.
People with knowledge of Tesla’s internal quality datashared those figures with Reuters. The news agency wasunable to confirm the information independently. Defects
included “doors not closing, material trim, missing parts, allkinds of stuff. Loose objects, water leaks, you name it,” anoth-er former supervisor said. “We’ve been building a Model Ssince 2012. How do we still have water leaks?”
Defect-freeTesla disputed workers’ portrayal of the automaker as
struggling to produce defect-free vehicles. A spokespersondescribed a rigorous process that requires all cars to passmore than 500 inspections and tests. Any reworking of carsafter assembly reflects the company’s commitment to quality,the spokesperson said. “Our goal is to produce perfect carsfor every customer,” Tesla said in a statement. “Therefore, wereview every vehicle for even the smallest refinement. Mostcustomers would never notice the work that is done post pro-
duction, but we care about even a fraction of a millimeter bodygap difference or a slight paint gloss texture. We then feedthese improvements back to production in a pursuit of perfec-tion.” Employees who worked on Model S and Model Xdescribed pressure to keep the assembly line moving, evenwhen problems emerged. Some told of batches of cars beingsent through with parts missing - windshields in one case,bumpers in another - because there were none on hand. Theunderstanding, they said, was that these and other flaws wouldbe fixed later.
Quality inspectors would sometimes find more defects thanthose reported by workers in the internal tracking systemwhen a car came off the line. “We’d see two issues, that’s pret-ty good. But then we’d dig in and there would be like 15 or20,” one person said. —Reuters
LOS ANGELES: People take a ride on the electric Arcimoto, a three-wheel Utility Vehicle, outside the TechnologyPavilion at the 2017 LA Auto Show on Tuesday in Los Angeles, California, days before the event opens to thepublic running from tomorrow. —AFP
TOKYO: Third-generation humanoid robot T-HR3 (R) developed by Japan’s auto maker Toyota holds arubber ball as it mirrors its operator’s (L) movements at the International Robot Exhibition 2017 in Tokyoyesterday.—AFP
MOUNANA: “We are all sick. It’s our health,and we are being conned,” Moise Massalasays angrily. The 82-year-old is a retired geo-chemist who used to work in a uranium mine inGabon owned by French nuclear giant Areva.He and hundreds of other former workers saythey fell ill from their work to extract the urani-um-a source of nuclear power and warheads,but toxic and potentially carcinogenic.
The miners worked for an Areva sub-sidiary-the Compagnie des mines d’uraniumde Franceville, better known by its abbrevia-tion of COMUF. Over 38 years, the mineextracted some 26,000 tonnes of uraniumnear Mounana, southeastern Gabon, beforeclosing in 1999 after the global price of urani-um fell and the seam of ore began to thin. Bythe end of 2016, 367 former workers had diedfrom “pulmonary respiratory infections”linked to working in the mine, according toMATRAC, a campaign group gathering 1,618former employees.
The surviving miners, many of them old andsick, have unsuccessfully demanded compen-sation for 12 years in the belief they wereexposed to dangerous levels of uranium con-tamination. Areva, a multi-billion-dollar busi-ness majority-owned by the French state, hasrepeatedly denied that it has any case toanswer. “No occupational disease relat-ed to exposure to ionising radiation” hasever been detected, it says.
‘Many serious diseases’ An internal company mail dating from
2015, seen by AFP and independentlyverified, acknowledges that the companywas aware many of its former employeeshad developed serious ailments. In themail, Areva’s health director, PierreLaroche, wrote that “many serious dis-eases have been detected among formeremployees, for example contagioustuberculosis”.
For former workers, this proves the com-pany’s liability and justifies their claims forcompensation, even if it does not legallyprove all their illnesses are directly linked to
excessive levels of uranium exposure. Thefirm has refused to give payouts to the vastmajority of its employees, apart from com-pensation payments in 2011 to the families in
France of two French former mine workerswho died of lung cancer.
The company has repeatedly argued it wasdifficult to establish if the rate of cancer cases
among former miners was greater than thoseoccurring in the wider population. “That therewas radioactivity in Mounana is a reality. (But)to what degree and to what extent the workers
were affected, it will be very difficult toestablish,” a former senior executive ofthe mine told AFP, on condition ofanonymity. In similar disputes elsewherein the world, experts acknowledge thedifficulty of pinning cancer and respira-tory diseases on nuclear exposure atwork. Smoking and other “lifestyle”habits could, for instance, be a cause.
Areva has been under pressure tocompensate its employees for more thana decade. In 2007, French NGOsSherpa and Medecins du Monde(Doctors of the World) carried out fieldsurveys in Mounana and in Niger,
another Areva uranium mining site. They pub-lished a report denouncing what theydescribed as high rates of cancer among for-mer employees. — AFP
H e a l t h Thursday, November 30, 2017
23Established 1961
Toxic and potentially
carcinogenic
For Gabon’s sick uranium miners, a long quest for compensation
Report revealsbear factsabout the YetiPARIS: Legend-slaying scientistsyesterday dismantled the myth ofthe abominable snowman, the tower-ing yet furtive half-human rumoredfor centuries to inhabit inaccessiblereaches of the Himalayas. It turnsout, they report in the Royal Societyjournal Proceedings B, that thelong-sought creature, also known asYeti, is in fact a bear. Or three dif-ferent bears, to be precise: the Asianblack, the Tibetan brown andHimalayan brown.
Each of these sub-species inhab-its different niches on the roof theworld, and all of them have probablybeen mistaken at one time or anotherfor the “Wild Man of the Snows,” thescientists said. “Our findings strong-ly suggest that the biological under-pinnings of the Yeti legend can befound in local bears,” said lead sci-entist Charlotte Lindqvist, associateprofessor at the University of BuffaloCollege of Arts and Sciences.
The study is not the first to reducethe myth to bear facts, but it doesamass an unprecedented wealth ofgenetic evidence gleaned from bone,tooth, skin, hair and fecal samplespreviously attributed to the crypticcreatures. The artifacts-from privatecollections and museums around theworld, including a monastic relic saidto come from a Yeti paw-were, inreality, the remains of 23 distinctbears, they found.
Lindqvist and her team recon-structed the complete mitochondrialgenomes of each specimen, leadingto important discoveries about theregion’s beleaguered carnivores andtheir evolut ionary back story.“Brown bears roaming the high alti-tudes of the Tibetan Plateau, and
brown bears in the westernHimalayan mountains, appear tobelong to two separate populations,”she said. “The split occurred about650,000 years ago, during a periodof glaciation.”
‘Man-bear’ snowman The two sub-species have proba-
bly remained isolated from oneanother ever since despite their rela-t ive proximity, she speculated.Today, the Himalayan brown bear-Ursus arctos isabellinus-is listed as“crit ical ly endangered” on theInternational Union for theConservation of Nature’s Red List.Its reddish-brown fur is lighter incolor than the darker Tibetan brownbear, which also sports a white collararound its neck.
Throughout the 20th century, fas-cination in the West-notably in theUnited States and Britain-with theYeti legend remained intense. In abook chronicling his trek across theLhagba La pass near Mount Everestin 1921, Lieutenant-Colonel CharlesHoward-Bury describes “tracksrather like those of a barefoot man.”He attributed them to a large wolfloping through soft snow, but hissherpa guides said they were left bya “metoh-kangi” , or “man-bearsnowman”. The report by a RoyalGeographical Society member in1925 of a human-like figure crossinga high-altitude glacier further fuelleddistant imaginations.
At least two expeditions weremounted in the 1950s in search ofthe already legendary creatures,turning up footprints and hair speci-mens, with claims of sightings con-tinuing throughout the second halfof the century. “Scientific work canhelp explore myths such as the Yeti,”Lindqvist said charitably. “Even ifthere is no proof for the existence ofcryptids”-creatures whose exis-tence remain disputed-”it is impos-sible to completely rule out thatthey live,” she added. “People love amystery.” — AFP
MOUNANA: Rolland Mayombo, a former Franceville Uranium Mines, Companies minerwho claims Health problems due to Uranium Mining activities looks on. — AFP
Despite the cold weather and rain,Kuwait’s Miami band performed aconcert recently at the conclusion
of the Modern Heritage Festival organizedby LOYAC’s Academy of Performance Arts(LAPA) at the Shaheed Park.
The band started the concert with aspeech in which they expressing heartiestcondolences to the Egyptian people on
the victims killed in the recent terroristattack in Sinai, then played and sangKuwait’s national anthem before perform-ing a verity of songs. Speaking at the con-clusion ceremony, Al-Shaheed Park’sManager Yousif A-Bu’aijan stressed thatthe festival would not be the last one andthat it was just the beginning of many yetto come.
Thursday, November 30, 2017
24W h a t ’ s O n
Established 1961
Under the auspices of the Ambassador of the EgyptianRepublic Tariq Mahmoud Mustafa Al-Qoni, the EighthFestival of Egyptian Products kicked off recently at
Salmiya Co-Operative Society.During his opening speech, Abdulrahman Al-Sharah
Chairman of the Board of Salmiya Co-Operative Society toldthe press that the festival comes from the depth of brotherlyrelations between the two brotherly countries, which haveovercome all barriers where Kuwait is keen to play its nation-al role in increasing Egyptian imports to Kuwait to supportthe Egyptian economy.
Sharah thanked the Egyptian Ambassador to Kuwait forhosting the festival. He also thanked the Egyptian broadcasterof the Egyptian TV Mohamed Abbas, the Stars of EgyptianSport, the players Ahmed Nakhla and Shouqi Al-Saeed.
He stressed “I would like to emphasize that the SalmiyaSociety is keen to ensure the safety and quality of all prod-ucts before entering the society and offering them for sale.”Adding that the Salmiya Co-Operative Society was the firstone to ban the selling of some Egyptian products since theministerial decision six months ago, like onions, lettuce, guava,potatoes, tomatoes and strawberries “All Egyptian productsparticipating in the festival, whether food or consumptionhave nothing to do with some products that have beenbanned.”
Sharah added “The Egyptian Products Festival comes forthe eighth year in a row, and the association organizes annu-ally festivals for Arab products for the purpose of supportingthem. Soon we will have the sixth festival of Saudi products.”He also stressed on this occasion the full support of youngKuwaiti entrepreneurs and SMEs and he will hold marketingfestivals for them in the upcoming days.
Former KeralaChief MinisterinauguratesOICC awardnight
Oommen Chandy, former ChiefMinister of Kerala andKushboo Sundar, AICC
spokesperson delivered inspiringspeeches at the ‘Puraksara Sandhya2017’ (award night) organized byOverseas Indian Cultural Congress(OICC-Kuwait) November 23, 2017 atRamada Hotel, Riggae, Kuwait.
In the cultural meeting chaired byPresident Varghese Puthukulangara,Chandy inaugurated the awards nightby lighting the traditional lamp.Puthukulangara, in his presidentialnote explained about the services ofOICC-Kuwait, for the welfare of theIndian expatriate community as a
whole. In his inaugural address Chandybriefed about the recent politicaldevelopments in Kerala and the diffi-culties that the common men face fol-lowing demonetization and introduc-tion of GST by the central government.
Khushboo Sundar, an actor-turnedpolitician, currently being the AICCspokesperson, in her address, criti-cized the India government for impos-ing new regulations that were not infavor of the people. Indian EmbassySecond Secretary U.S. Sibi,Mariyamma Oommen, wife of OommenChandy and KPCC Member FilsonMathew felicitated the occasion.
Adeeb Ahmad, CEO, LuluExchange was honored with the first
“Business Excellence Award” ofOICC-Kuwait. Chandy handed theaward, while Khushboo handed theLetter of Achievement and K GAbraham, Managing Director, NBTCadorned him with a ponnada. GlobalSecretary M A Hilal read the letter ofAchievement. In his thanking speech,Adeeb Ahmed praised the humanitari-an services of OICC-Kuwait andwished all success and support totheir activities.
OICC-Kuwait bid farewell to theretiring M A. Hilal, Global CommitteeSecretary, by honoring him with amemento. Global Committee MemberRajan Daniel and OICC AlappuzhaDistrict President Christopher Daniel
were also honored with ponnada, onthe happy occasion of their 70th birthanniversary.
The declaration of distributing500 wheelchairs for the needy inKerala was one of the major high-l ights of the program. For this“Karunya Sparsam “initiatives, OICCofficials of 14 districts handed overtheir contribution to OommenChandy directly on the stage.
Further, six valued supporters andwell-wishers of OICC Kuwait werehonored with mementos by Chandy.They were Suresh C Pil lai, SibyMalakal, Bard Al-Samoa MedicalCentre, Global International GeneralTrading and Contracting Co, HamzaPayyannur and NSH. The floor wasthen handed to the conveners BinuChempalayam and Suresh Mathur forthe prize distribution to the winners ofTalent Hunt competition (Rangotslv)held in last May, through Khushboo.Cultural programs staged by studentswere also an added attraction to themega event. General Secretary B SPillai welcomed the audience whileVarghese Maramon proposed a voteof thanks. Philip Varghese and NishaManoj did excellent compeering.
Miami band concert concludes LAPA’s Modern Heritage Festival
8th Egyptian products festival kicksoff at Salmiya Co-Operative Society
‘The Glory ofChristmas’ concerttomorrow
The region is getting ready to welcome the springof Christmas tide as the sweet bells ring in theevergreen cadence of the celebration. Men’s
Voice and Choral Society - Kuwait, the renownedChristian musicale in Kuwait since 2001 always markthe beginning of the Christmas Carols in Kuwait. Thisgroup is now all set to present their 17th AnnualChristmas Music Concert “The Glory of Christmas” forall the music lovers of the region tomorrow at 6:30 Pmat Smart Indian School (New Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan),Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh, Kuwait. They will bring the harmo-ny of western classics, hymns and the melodies ofMalayalam songs. Every music lover is cordially invitedto this musical concert. All musical lovers are cordiallyinvited to attend this program. For more details visithttps://www.facebook.com/mensvoicekuwait [email protected].
TV Thursday, November 30, 2017
25Established 1961
01:15 Avengers Grimm02:40 6 Ways To Sundown04:25 The Legend Of Zorro06:35 Avengers Grimm08:00 Drop Zone09:45 In The Heart Of The Sea11:50 Virtual Revolution13:25 The Legend Of Zorro15:35 Operation Chromite17:30 Bloodsport19:05 The Last Witch Hunter20:50 The Huntsman: Winter’s War22:50 Road House
00:15 EastEnders00:45 Bad Move01:15 Poldark02:10 The Durrells03:05 Top Of The Lake04:10 Doctors04:40 EastEnders05:10 The Durrells06:00 Doctors06:30 Doctors07:00 EastEnders07:30 The Coroner08:20 Doctor Who09:15 Doctors09:45 EastEnders10:15 The Coroner11:00 New Tricks11:50 Doctor Who12:40 Call The Midwife13:35 Doctors14:10 EastEnders14:40 The Coroner15:30 Doctor Who16:15 Call The Midwife17:10 New Tricks18:00 Doctors18:30 EastEnders19:05 The Coroner20:00 Holby City21:00 Bad Move21:30 Agatha Raisin22:20 Last Tango In Halifax23:10 Doctors23:40 EastEnders
00:00 Leah Remini: Scientology AndThe Aftermath01:00 Escaping Polygamy02:00 Celebrity Ghost Stories03:00 My Haunted Vacation04:00 Leah Remini: Scientology AndThe Aftermath05:00 Escaping Polygamy06:00 Celebrity Ghost Stories07:00 Homicide Hunter08:00 Crimes That Shook Britain09:00 It Takes A Killer09:30 It Takes A Killer10:00 Homicide Hunter11:00 Who Was I? My Past Lives12:00 Who Was I? My Past Lives13:00 Who Was I? My Past Lives14:00 Murder In-Law15:00 It Takes A Killer15:30 It Takes A Killer16:00 Crimes That Shook Britain17:00 The First 4818:00 The First 4819:00 Hatton Garden Heist: One LastJob20:00 It Takes A Killer20:30 It Takes A Killer21:00 Homicide Hunter22:00 Crimes That Shook Britain23:00 It Takes A Killer23:30 It Takes A Killer
00:05 Workaholics00:30 Another Period00:55 Another Period01:20 Another Period01:45 The Half Hour02:10 Broad City02:35 Real Husbands Of Hollywood03:00 The Daily Show With TrevorNoah03:25 The Half Hour03:50 Broad City04:15 Kroll Show04:40 Key And Peele05:05 Important Things WithDemitri Martin05:30 Disaster Date05:55 Ridiculousness Arabia06:20 The Dude Perfect Show06:45 The Dude Perfect Show07:10 Life Or Debt07:55 Impractical Jokers UK08:25 Disaster Date08:50 Workaholics09:15 Kroll Show09:40 Key And Peele10:05 Important Things WithDemitri Martin10:30 The Dude Perfect Show10:55 The Dude Perfect Show11:20 Disaster Date11:45 Ridiculousness Arabia12:10 Impractical Jokers12:35 Life Or Debt13:15 Key And Peele13:40 Impractical Jokers UK14:10 Disaster Date14:35 Workaholics15:00 Friends15:25 Kroll Show15:50 Comedy Central PresentsComedy 3alwagef16:25 Impractical Jokers16:50 Workaholics
17:15 Impractical Jokers UK17:45 Disaster Date18:10 Ridiculousness Arabia18:35 The Dude Perfect Show19:00 The Dude Perfect Show19:25 Impractical Jokers19:50 Friends20:12 Friends20:35 Real Husbands Of Hollywood21:00 The Daily Show With TrevorNoah21:30 Nightcap22:00 Teachers22:25 Detroiters22:50 Chappelle’s Show23:15 Real Husbands Of Hollywood23:40 The Daily Show With TrevorNoah
00:30 Pick A Puppy00:55 Pick A Puppy01:20 How To Build... Everything01:45 How To Build... Everything02:10 Outrageous Acts Of Psych02:35 Outrageous Acts Of Psych03:00 Ultimate Survival03:50 Now That’s Funny04:40 How It’s Made05:05 How It’s Made05:30 Pick A Puppy05:55 Pick A Puppy06:20 Invent It Rich07:00 Pick A Puppy07:25 Pick A Puppy07:50 Storm Chasers08:40 How It’s Made09:05 How It’s Made09:30 Invent It Rich10:20 Ultimate Survival11:10 Weather Gone Viral12:00 Last Frontiersmen12:50 How It’s Made13:15 How It’s Made13:40 Invent It Rich14:30 Pick A Puppy14:55 Pick A Puppy15:20 Storm Chasers16:10 Ultimate Survival17:00 Weather Gone Viral17:50 Last Frontiersmen18:40 Invent It Rich19:30 How It’s Made19:55 How It’s Made20:20 Now That’s Funny21:10 Weather Gone Viral22:00 Last Frontiersmen22:50 Ultimate Survival23:40 Storm Chasers
00:50 Obsession: Dark Desires01:45 Murder Calls02:40 Killing Richard Glossip03:35 Six Degrees Of Murder04:30 Obsession: Dark Desires05:25 Young, Hot & Crooked05:50 Young, Hot & Crooked06:20 I Almost Got Away With It07:10 Swamp Murders08:00 Momsters: When Moms GoBad08:25 Disappeared09:15 Momsters: When Moms GoBad09:40 Young, Hot & Crooked10:10 Swamp Murders11:05 Suspicion12:00 Grave Secrets12:55 Disappeared13:50 I Almost Got Away With It14:45 Swamp Murders15:40 Suspicion16:35 Evil Stepmothers17:30 Disappeared18:25 Young, Hot & Crooked18:50 Young, Hot & Crooked19:20 I Almost Got Away With It20:15 Swamp Murders21:10 Suspicion22:05 The Perfect Murder23:00 Six Degrees Of Murder23:55 The Perfect Murder
00:05 Disney Mickey Mouse00:10 Sabrina Secrets Of A TeenageWitch00:35 Binny And The Ghost01:00 Hank Zipzer01:25 Alex & Co.01:45 Disney Mickey Mouse01:50 Evermoor Chronicles02:15 Sabrina Secrets Of A TeenageWitch02:40 Sabrina Secrets Of A TeenageWitch03:05 Binny And The Ghost03:30 Binny And The Ghost03:55 Hank Zipzer04:15 Disney Mickey Mouse04:20 Hank Zipzer04:45 Alex & Co.05:10 Alex & Co.05:35 Sabrina Secrets Of A TeenageWitch06:00 Sabrina Secrets Of A TeenageWitch06:25 Binny And The Ghost06:45 Disney Mickey Mouse06:50 Rolling With The Ronks07:00 Jessie07:25 Tangled: The Series07:50 Tsum Tsum Shorts07:55 Hotel Transylvania: The Series08:20 Elena Of Avalor08:45 Bunk’d09:10 Stuck In The Middle09:35 Miraculous Tales Of Ladybug& Cat Noir10:00 Miraculous Tales Of Ladybug& Cat Noir10:25 Lolirock10:50 Lolirock11:15 Sabrina Secrets Of A TeenageWitch11:40 Sabrina Secrets Of A TeenageWitch12:05 Hank Zipzer12:30 Alex & Co.12:55 Alex & Co.13:20 Lolirock13:45 Lolirock14:10 Miraculous Tales Of Ladybug& Cat Noir14:35 Miraculous Tales Of Ladybug& Cat Noir15:00 The Zhuzhus15:15 K.C. Undercover15:40 Stuck In The Middle16:05 Disney Mickey Mouse16:10 Elena Of Avalor16:35 Bizaardvark17:00 Tangled: The Series17:25 Descendants Wicked World17:30 Bunk’d17:55 K.C. Undercover18:20 Miraculous Tales Of Ladybug& Cat Noir18:45 Hotel Transylvania: The Series19:10 Star Wars Forces Of Destiny19:15 Stuck In The Middle19:40 Girl Meets World20:05 Disney Mickey Mouse20:10 Liv And Maddie20:35 Jessie
21:00 Tangled: The Series21:25 K.C. Undercover21:50 Hotel Transylvania: The Series22:15 Bizaardvark22:40 Bunk’d23:05 Rolling With The Ronks23:20 Miraculous Tales Of Ladybug& Cat Noir23:45 Lolirock
00:20 Unbungalievable00:35 Loopdidoo00:55 Henry Hugglemonster01:15 Calimero01:30 Art Attack01:55 Henry Hugglemonster02:05 Loopdidoo02:20 Henry Hugglemonster02:35 Calimero02:50 Henry Hugglemonster03:05 Art Attack03:30 The Hive03:40 Loopdidoo03:55 Henry Hugglemonster04:10 Art Attack04:35 Loopdidoo04:50 Calimero05:05 Art Attack05:30 Henry Hugglemonster05:45 Henry Hugglemonster06:00 Art Attack06:30 Henry Hugglemonster06:45 Loopdidoo07:00 Henry Hugglemonster07:15 Calimero07:30 Loopdidoo07:45 Henry Hugglemonster08:00 P-King Duckling08:30 Puppy Dog Pals09:00 Mickey And The RoadsterRacers09:30 Sofia The First10:00 Vampirina10:30 PJ Masks11:00 Sheriff Callie’s Wild West12:00 The Lion Guard13:00 Sofia The First14:00 PJ Masks14:30 PJ Masks15:00 P-King Duckling15:30 Puppy Dog Pals16:30 The Lion Guard17:00 The Lion Guard17:30 Doc McStuffins18:00 Doc McStuffins18:30 Sofia The First19:00 Sofia The First19:30 Mickey And The RoadsterRacers20:30 P-King Duckling21:00 PJ Masks22:00 Vampirina23:00 P-King Duckling23:30 Minnie’s Bow-Toons23:35 Sofia The First: The Curse...
00:20 Street Outlaws01:05 Rancher, Farmer, Fisherman02:45 Breaking Magic03:10 Diesel Brothers04:00 Alaska: The Last Frontier04:50 Alaska: The Last Frontier05:35 How Do They Do It?06:00 Gold Divers06:45 Street Outlaws07:30 Diesel Brothers08:15 Deadliest Catch09:47 How Do They Do It?10:10 Rancher, Farmer, Fisherman11:50 Breaking Magic12:15 Breaking Magic12:40 Baggage Battles13:10 Alaska: The Last Frontier13:55 Gold Divers14:40 Gold Divers15:25 Diesel Brothers16:10 Street Outlaws17:00 How Do They Do It?17:25 How Do They Do It?17:50 Baggage Battles18:20 Container Wars18:50 Deadliest Catch19:40 How Do They Do It?20:10 How Do They Do It?20:35 How Do They Do It?21:50 Treasure Quest: Snake Island22:40 The Wheel: Survival Games23:30 Diesel Brothers
06:00 Disney1106:25 Supa Strikas06:50 Marvel’s Spider-Man07:15 Right Now Kapow07:40 Disney Mickey Mouse07:45 Mech-X408:10 Gamer’s Guide To PrettyMuch Everything08:35 Gamer’s Guide To PrettyMuch Everything09:00 Supa Strikas09:25 Supa Strikas09:50 Walk The Prank10:20 Walk The Prank10:45 Gravity Falls11:10 Gravity Falls11:35 Lab Rats12:00 Lab Rats12:25 Two More Eggs12:30 Phineas & Ferb12:55 Phineas & Ferb13:20 Zeke And Luther13:45 Zeke And Luther14:10 Disney Mickey Mouse14:15 Gamer’s Guide To PrettyMuch Everything14:40 Gravity Falls15:05 Lab Rats15:30 Milo Murphy’s Law15:55 Star Wars: The FreemakerAdventures16:20 Two More Eggs16:25 Walk The Prank16:50 Penn Zero: Part Time Hero17:15 Mech-X417:40 Marvel’s Spider-Man18:05 Supa Strikas18:30 Marvel’s Ant-Man18:35 Disney1119:00 Penn Zero: Part Time Hero19:25 Right Now Kapow19:50 Marvel’s Rocket And Groot19:55 Mech-X420:20 Walk The Prank20:45 Star Wars: The FreemakerAdventures21:10 Gravity Falls21:35 Marvel’s Rocket And Groot21:40 Disney Mickey Mouse21:45 Lab Rats22:10 Lab Rats22:35 Phineas & Ferb23:00 Programmes Start At 6:00am
00:10 Keeping Up With TheKardashians01:50 E! News02:50 Celebrity Style Story03:20 Celebrity Style Story03:50 Revenge Body With KhloeKardashian
04:40 Revenge Body With KhloeKardashian05:30 Celebrity Style Story06:00 La Clippers Dance Squad06:55 E! News07:10 Hollywood Medium WithTyler Henry08:10 E! News: Daily Pop09:10 Keeping Up With TheKardashians12:00 E! News12:15 Botched13:10 Botched14:05 Botched15:00 E! News15:15 E! News: Daily Pop16:15 Keeping Up With TheKardashians17:10 The Platinum Life18:05 The Platinum Life19:00 E! News20:00 WAGs La21:00 Fashion Police22:00 WAGs La23:00 E! News23:15 The Platinum Life
00:00 Chopped01:00 Bakers vs. Fakers02:00 Diners, Drive-Ins And Dives02:30 Diners, Drive-Ins And Dives03:00 Man Fire Food03:30 Man Fire Food04:00 Chopped05:00 Guy’s Grocery Games06:00 Barefoot Contessa06:25 Barefoot Contessa06:50 Anna Olson: Fresh07:15 The Kitchen08:05 The Pioneer Woman08:30 The Pioneer Woman08:55 Siba’s Table09:25 Siba’s Table09:55 Bake With Anna Olson10:25 Bake With Anna Olson10:55 The Kitchen11:45 Cooking For Real12:10 The Pioneer Woman12:35 The Pioneer Woman13:00 Siba’s Table13:30 Siba’s Table14:00 Diners, Drive-Ins And Dives14:30 Diners, Drive-Ins And Dives15:00 Chopped16:00 The Kitchen17:00 Bake With Anna Olson17:30 Bake With Anna Olson18:00 Chopped19:00 Iron Chef America20:00 Patti Labelle’s Place20:30 Patti Labelle’s Place21:00 Private Chef21:30 Private Chef22:00 Diners, Drive-Ins And Dives22:30 Diners, Drive-Ins And Dives23:00 Chopped
00:10 Who’s Doing The Dishes?01:00 Emmerdale01:30 Coronation Street02:00 Coronation Street02:30 The Chase03:25 I’m A Celebrity...Get Me OutOf Here!04:25 The Jonathan Ross Show05:15 Murdoch Mysteries06:10 Who’s Doing The Dishes?07:05 The Chase08:00 I’m A Celebrity...Get Me OutOf Here!09:00 The Jonathan Ross Show10:00 Murdoch Mysteries10:55 Who’s Doing The Dishes?11:50 The Chase12:45 Emmerdale13:15 Coronation Street14:15 Who’s Doing The Dishes?15:10 The Chase16:00 I’m A Celebrity...Get Me OutOf Here!17:00 Tonight At The LondonPalladium17:50 Murdoch Mysteries18:45 Emmerdale19:15 Coronation Street20:10 The Chase21:00 I’m A Celebrity...Get Me OutOf Here!22:00 Tonight At The LondonPalladium22:50 Emmerdale23:15 Coronation Street23:40 Coronation Street
00:00 Engineering Disasters01:00 America’s Book Of Secrets02:00 Engineering An Empire03:50 Ancient Aliens04:40 How The States Got TheirShapes05:30 Engineering Disasters06:20 America’s Book Of Secrets07:10 The Universe08:00 Engineering An Empire10:00 Ancient Aliens11:00 How The States Got TheirShapes11:30 How The States Got TheirShapes12:00 Engineering Disasters13:00 America’s Book Of Secrets14:00 Engineering An Empire16:00 Ancient Aliens17:00 How The States Got TheirShapes17:30 How The States Got TheirShapes18:00 The Universe19:00 America’s Book Of Secrets20:00 Command Decisions20:30 Command Decisions21:00 Missing In Alaska22:00 Ancient Aliens23:00 Clash Of The Gods
00:20 Fifth Gear01:10 Ultimate Soldier Challenge02:00 Swamp People02:50 Counting Cars03:15 American Pickers04:05 Swamp People05:00 Swamp People06:00 Ultimate Wheels06:50 American Pickers07:40 Counting Cars08:05 Counting Cars08:30 Pawn Stars08:55 Pawn Stars09:20 Aussie Pickers10:10 Ax Men11:00 Fifth Gear11:50 American Pickers12:40 Counting Cars13:05 Counting Cars13:30 Time Team14:20 Swamp People15:10 Alone16:00 American Pickers16:50 Counting Cars
17:15 Counting Cars17:40 Swamp People18:30 Alone19:20 Mountain Men20:10 Pawn Stars20:35 Pawn Stars21:00 WW2 Treasure Hunters21:50 The Warfighters22:40 Time Team23:30 Alone
00:45 Eat Street01:10 Route Awakening01:40 David Rocco’s Dolce India02:05 Sinful Sweets02:35 Angelo’s Outdoor Kitchen03:00 Lee Chan’s World Food Tour03:30 Lee Chan’s World Food Tour03:55 Places We Go04:25 Places We Go04:50 Miguel’s Feasts05:20 Miguel’s Feasts05:45 Route Awakening06:15 Valentine Warner EatsScandinavia06:40 Valentine Warner EatsScandinavia07:10 David Rocco’s Dolce India07:35 Sinful Sweets08:05 Angelo’s Outdoor Kitchen08:30 Lee Chan’s World Food Tour09:00 Lee Chan’s World Food Tour09:25 Places We Go09:55 Places We Go10:20 Miguel’s Feasts10:50 Miguel’s Feasts11:15 Route Awakening11:45 Valentine Warner EatsScandinavia12:10 Valentine Warner EatsScandinavia12:40 David Rocco’s Dolce India13:05 Sinful Sweets13:35 Angelo’s Outdoor Kitchen14:00 Lee Chan’s World Food Tour14:30 Lee Chan’s World Food Tour14:55 Places We Go15:25 Places We Go15:50 Miguel’s Feasts16:20 Miguel’s Feasts16:45 John Torode’s MalaysianAdventure17:15 Valentine Warner EatsScandinavia17:40 Valentine Warner EatsScandinavia18:10 Restoration Man
00:10 Battleground Brothers01:00 Disaster Earth02:00 Disaster Earth03:00 The Long Road Home04:00 Battleground Brothers05:00 Family Guns06:00 Live Free Or Die07:00 Science Of Stupid07:30 Science Of Stupid08:00 Route Awakening08:30 Route Awakening09:00 Family Guns10:00 Machine Impossible11:00 Planes That Changed TheWorld12:00 China’s Ghost Army13:00 Live Free Or Die14:00 Route Awakening14:30 Route Awakening15:00 Science Of Stupid15:30 Science Of Stupid16:00 Machine Impossible17:00 Planes That Changed TheWorld18:00 Airport Security: ColombiaS2.519:00 Science Of Stupid19:30 Science Of Stupid20:00 Machine Impossible20:50 Planes That Changed TheWorld21:40 Airport Security: ColombiaS2.522:30 Science Of Stupid22:55 Science Of Stupid23:20 Route Awakening23:45 Route Awakening
00:20 Attack Of The Big Cats01:10 Monster Fish02:00 Ultimate Predator02:50 Prehistoric Predators03:45 World’s Weirdest PetsCompilation04:40 Make You Laugh Out Loud05:35 Ultimate Predator06:30 Prehistoric Predators07:25 World’s Weirdest PetsCompilation08:20 Make You Laugh Out Loud09:15 Dr. K’s Exotic Animal ER10:10 Caught In The Act11:05 Wild Sri Lanka: ParadiseIsland12:00 Shark Men12:55 America’s Deadliest13:50 Prehistoric Predators14:45 Freaks & Creeps15:40 Make You Laugh Out Loud16:35 Wild Japan: Snow Monkeys17:30 Caught In The Act18:25 Dr Oakley: Yukon Vet
00:12 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles00:36 Rabbids Invasion01:00 Rabbids Invasion01:24 Sanjay And Craig01:48 Sanjay And Craig02:12 Winx Club02:36 Winx Club03:00 Harvey Beaks03:24 Harvey Beaks03:48 The Loud House04:12 The Loud House04:36 Breadwinners05:00 Breadwinners05:24 Get Blake05:48 SpongeBob SquarePants06:12 SpongeBob SquarePants06:36 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles07:00 The Loud House07:24 Rabbids Invasion07:48 Get Blake08:12 Harvey Beaks08:36 Sanjay And Craig09:00 Rank The Prank09:24 Harvey Beaks09:48 100 Things To Do Before HighSchool10:12 Game Shakers10:36 Regal Academy11:00 Winx Club11:24 SpongeBob SquarePants11:48 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles12:12 The Loud House12:36 Rabbids Invasion13:00 Breadwinners13:24 Sanjay And Craig13:48 Nicky, Ricky, Dicky & Dawn14:12 I Am Frankie14:36 100 Things To Do Before HighSchool
15:00 Hunter Street15:24 School Of Rock15:48 SpongeBob SquarePants16:12 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles16:36 The Loud House17:00 Sanjay And Craig17:24 I Am Frankie17:48 Hunter Street18:12 Henry Danger18:36 Nicky, Ricky, Dicky & Dawn19:00 School Of Rock19:24 Game Shakers19:48 The Thundermans20:12 SpongeBob SquarePants20:36 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles21:00 The Loud House21:24 Sanjay And Craig21:48 Rabbids Invasion22:12 Breadwinners22:36 Harvey Beaks23:00 SpongeBob SquarePants23:24 SpongeBob SquarePants23:48 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
00:15 Shimmer And Shine00:39 Shimmer And Shine01:01 Max & Ruby01:25 Ben & Holly’s Little Kingdom01:36 Ben & Holly’s Little Kingdom01:47 The Day Henry Met01:52 The Day Henry Met01:57 Blaze And The MonsterMachines02:19 Blaze And The MonsterMachines02:40 Zack & Quack03:01 Shimmer And Shine03:23 Nella The Princess Knight03:35 Paw Patrol03:58 Little Charmers04:10 Ben & Holly’s Little Kingdom04:22 Dora The Explorer04:44 Max & Ruby05:06 The Day Henry Met05:11 Nella The Princess Knight05:35 Shimmer And Shine05:59 Wallykazam!06:21 Zack & Quack06:32 The Day Henry Met06:38 Blaze And The MonsterMachines07:00 Rusty Rivets07:13 Paw Patrol07:37 Dora The Explorer08:00 Nella The Princess Knight08:21 Bubble Guppies08:44 Blaze And The MonsterMachines09:07 Paw Patrol09:30 Shimmer And Shine09:53 Nella The Princess Knight10:15 The Day Henry Met10:22 Paw Patrol10:45 Rusty Rivets11:05 Wallykazam!11:28 Bubble Guppies11:52 Team Umizoomi12:15 Shimmer And Shine13:01 Max & Ruby13:25 Ben & Holly’s Little Kingdom13:47 The Day Henry Met13:57 Blaze And The MonsterMachines14:40 Zack & Quack15:01 Shimmer And Shine15:23 Nella The Princess Knight15:35 Paw Patrol15:58 Little Charmers16:10 Ben & Holly’s Little Kingdom16:22 Dora The Explorer16:44 Max & Ruby17:06 The Day Henry Met17:11 Nella The Princess Knight17:35 Shimmer And Shine17:59 Wallykazam!18:21 Zack & Quack18:32 The Day Henry Met18:38 Blaze And The MonsterMachines19:00 Rusty Rivets19:12 Paw Patrol19:37 Dora The Explorer20:00 Nella The Princess Knight20:21 Bubble Guppies20:44 Blaze And The MonsterMachines21:07 Paw Patrol21:30 Shimmer And Shine21:53 Nella The Princess Knight22:15 The Day Henry Met22:22 Paw Patrol22:45 Rusty Rivets23:05 Wallykazam!23:28 Bubble Guppies23:52 Team Umizoomi
01:40 Black Beauty03:10 The Tale Of Despereaux05:00 Curious George06:30 Monte Carlo08:20 Black Beauty09:50 Pet Pals In Windland11:15 The Tale Of Despereaux13:05 Hey Arnold! The Movie14:25 Inside Out16:05 Step Dogs17:35 Mostly Ghostly: One Night InDoom House19:05 Pan21:00 Hey Arnold! The Movie22:20 Inside Out
01:30 Wiener Dog03:00 Welcome Home RoscoeJenkins04:55 Made In America06:50 Don Verdean08:30 Summer Villa10:00 Hard Promises11:40 Made In America13:35 Don Verdean15:15 Once I Was A Beehive17:15 Joe Somebody18:55 When In Rome20:30 No Stranger Than Love22:05 The Brothers Grimsby23:30 Alfie
00:10 Once Upon A Time In America04:00 12 Angry Men05:45 The Zero Theorem07:45 Goal!09:45 The Better Angels11:25 12 Angry Men13:10 127 Hours14:50 The Flying Scotsman16:40 Rushmore18:20 Lorenzo’s Oil20:35 The Kite Runner22:45 In America
00:15 Freddy Frogface01:45 Moomin And MidsummerMadness03:05 Funny Little Cars04:10 Space Dogs 2: Adventure ToThe Moon
05:40 A.R.C.H.I.E.07:15 Two Buddies And A Badger08:45 Hotel For Dogs10:30 Micropolis12:00 The Adventures Of TheAmerican Rabbit13:30 Moomin And MidsummerMadness14:50 Funny Little Cars15:55 Turbo: A Power RangersMovie17:40 Micropolis19:05 Ethel & Ernest20:50 Izzie’s Way Home22:15 Turbo: A Power RangersMovie23:55 Hotel For Dogs
00:35 Troy03:20 This Means War05:00 The Boxtrolls06:45 Forces Of Nature08:35 Before We Go10:20 The Express12:35 This Means War14:20 Valentine’s Day16:30 We Bought A Zoo18:40 Dracula Untold20:20 Due Date22:00 Sex And The City The Movie
00:40 Mythbusters01:30 How Do They Do It?01:55 Food Factory USA02:20 American Titans03:10 Smash Lab04:00 Prototype This04:48 Mythbusters05:36 How Do They Do It?06:00 Food Factory USA06:24 American Titans07:12 Smash Lab08:00 How Do They Do It?08:26 Prototype This09:14 Mythbusters10:02 Smash Lab10:50 How Do They Do It?11:14 Food Factory USA11:38 American Titans12:26 Prototype This13:14 Mythbusters14:02 How Do They Do It?14:26 Food Factory USA14:50 Smash Lab15:38 Prototype This16:26 American Titans17:14 Mythbusters18:02 Smash Lab18:50 Prototype This19:40 Mythbusters20:30 Telescope21:20 How Do They Do It?21:45 Food Factory USA22:10 Smash Lab23:00 Telescope23:50 Prototype This
00:00 Cedar Cove03:00 MAFS: The First Year04:00 The Fashion Fund05:00 Fashion Star06:00 Cedar Cove09:00 MAFS: The First Year10:00 The Fashion Fund11:00 Fashion Star12:00 Cedar Cove15:00 MAFS: The First Year16:00 The Fashion Fund17:00 Fashion Star18:00 Married At First Sight20:00 Mom vs. Matchmaker21:00 MAFS: The First Year22:00 The Fashion Fund23:00 Fashion Star
00:20 Dr Christian Will See YouNow01:05 Botched Up Bodies01:50 Bizarre ER02:35 Oprah: Where Are TheyNow?03:20 Baby Changes Everything04:05 Twirl Life04:50 Ultimate Shopper05:35 Say Yes To The Dress UK06:00 Obsessive CompulsiveCleaners06:45 Outdaughtered: Busby Quints07:30 Say Yes To The Dress UK08:15 Baby Changes Everything09:00 Cake Boss09:25 Twirl Life10:10 Obsessive CompulsiveCleaners10:55 Kid Tycoons11:40 Oprah: Where Are TheyNow?12:25 Say Yes To The Dress UK13:10 Say Yes To The Dress13:55 Little Miss Atlanta14:40 Outdaughtered: Busby Quints15:25 My Kid’s Obsession16:10 Love, Lust Or Run16:35 Cake Boss17:00 Oprah: Where Are TheyNow?17:50 Obsessive CompulsiveCleaners18:50 Ultimate Shopper19:40 Say Yes To The Dress UK20:10 Cake Boss20:35 Cake Boss21:00 Say Yes To The Dress UK21:25 Say Yes To The Dress UK21:50 90 Day Fianc?: Happily EverAfter?22:40 Say Yes To The Dress23:30 90 Day Fianc?: Happily EverAfter?
00:00 The Road Less Travelled01:00 The Road Less Travelled02:00 Mysteries At The Museum03:00 Expedition Unknown04:00 Expedition Unknown Special05:00 The Road Less Travelled06:00 Bizarre Foods: DeliciousDestinations06:30 Bizarre Foods: DeliciousDestinations07:00 Mysteries At The Museum08:00 House Hunters International10:00 The Treehouse Guys11:00 Hotel Impossible12:00 Mysteries At The Museum13:00 Expedition Unknown14:00 House Hunters International14:30 House Hunters International15:00 House Hunters International15:30 House Hunters International16:00 Flippin’ RVs17:00 The Treehouse Guys18:00 Bizarre Foods: DeliciousDestinations19:00 Bizarre Foods With AndrewZimmern20:00 House Hunters International20:30 House Hunters International
The opposition and blockage you may be experiencing this morning aretemporary—really. Cool it and let this one pass. Jot down inventive ideas that come toyour mind today as you will have an opportunity to discuss the ideas with a trustedfriend later today. The convention center, a lecture hall or some other place for a presen-tation could be in order today and you, along with several other work partners, want tohear the message. Follow your instincts and you will not go wrong today. When younotice a need for assisting another, you are quick to either give help or find help. This is agood time to teach and advertise your favorite charity. You throw yourself into helpingother people grow and prosper. Good luck surrounds you this evening.
Aries (March 21-April 19)
STAR TRACK
This is a period when you take your work more seriously than usual. Thereis a lot of energy available and you are determined to get things scheduled and organ-ized. The nail that sticks up is hammered down now. Law, politics, education, travel andreligion are some of the areas where an emotionally charged drama may be played.Seeing both sides of an issue and figuring out resolutions to opposing views take on agreater importance. You can really use your mind to make clear choices and thinkthrough situations. Some negotiations may be in order. A new cycle also begins thathelps you with the progress of your work. This cycle involves relationships, social con-nections and the arts—in a more leading role than in the past.
Taurus (April 20-May 20)
You are relentless about cutting through appearances and finding theessential in situations. This could involve legal or financial matters. A height-
ened interest in getting things organized into a rational system is a part of this. There ismuch mental busywork. A time of good fortune will begin to open up in a very naturalway. It will become easy to see the path you decide to take. Because of new opportunities,you may find yourself energized and ready to participate. With your determination to suc-ceed, the time will soon be right to take the lead. You may be able to enjoy and value yourown life situation or feel especially kind towards a friend or loved one this evening. If theweather is good, you might enjoy a walk with a loved one after the evening meal.
Gemini (May 21-June 20)
This is a challenging day in that there is much to be accomplished. You maybe especially dynamic and assertive just now. You are helpful with co-
workers and, if asked, can give plenty of suggestions or ideas to others. Right now, the keyto career moves involves tending to nagging details—whatever you have neglected andput off before today. Take a deep breath and dig in to the work at hand. A good work eth-ic is rewarded. Do your share to ensure smooth sailing on the job. Attention to matters ofefficiency is important. There is a lot of energy available to push forward with your per-sonal plans this afternoon. Close relationships offer a lot of potential for growth thisevening. You are able to create many healings with your input.
Cancer (June 21-July 22)
Leo (July 23-August 22)
You have an urge to strike out on your own in a new direction, to take onnew challenges no matter what the risks. You can be bold, perhaps headstrong and impa-tient. This is a period emphasizing an enhanced sense of personal possibility and potential.There is tremendous psychological growth, which can lead to great personal success, ifyou follow through with it. You might also find that you will put on the pounds if you arenot careful. There is a bout of philosophy or even a little religion now that could have anenormous effect on your career during this time. Lasting values can guide you now; youare opening up avenues that have remained blocked. There is support all around you forwhatever you want to accomplish.
Virgo (August 23-September 22)
Keep a positive outlook through a challenging dilemma in the workplace thismorning. You may not have all the facts at this time so make sure you remove any judg-ments. Give yourself time and you will have the answers you need. Your intuition is strongand it can guide you accurately in making forecasts or decisions. Hard work and goingbeyond the call of duty are par for the course today. Friendships and involvement in groupactivities play a more important part for you this afternoon. Friends are our only true richesand the satisfaction that comes from accomplishing things in cooperation with others issomething no one can take away from you. A good conversation with those you love ispossible this evening
Libra (September 23-October 22)
This is a good time to concentrate on your career goals. Your organizationalabilities and sense of responsibility will be what guides you and proves successful. Yourcareer could assume a more determined and solid form. There is certainly an abundance ofpaperwork to wade through today. You may think that few people recognize your effortsor accomplishments but instead, there are people that know and appreciate your work.You should, however, throw your efforts into work you really love doing. A majority ofplanets in the past have pointed to some sort of comfort zone for you. Now, you will findyourself seeking more challenging and outgoing projects. You enjoy sharing quality time
with a loved one this evening.
Scorpio (October 23-November 21)
Expressing your views regarding some subject matter may be a bit touchytoday. You have a sense for power, wealth and passion. Yours is indeed a
passionate life. You are not at all superficial and you always seem to get to the heart ofthings. This is good for business and politics but your words and actions can sometimes beconstrued as insensitive; listen and learn. You will succeed best if you ask for feedbackfrom those with whom you have been teaching or helping. Be wise in your communicationwith others by agreeing to disagree occasionally. There is a strong sense that new thingsneed experiencing. You may be planning your next vacation—the fun is in the prep work.For the time being you might consider a stay-vacation.
Sagittarius (November 22-December 21)
Capricorn (December 22-January 19)
This is a great time to work and be with others. An authority figure mayseek you out as just the person for a particular job. This is a busy but
rewarding workday. Fondness and appreciation for the past and for your roots in life takeon a greater importance. A co-worker friend may have recently done research on his orher family history and is willing to give you suggestions of how to go about this research.You could make plans to meet at a library this weekend or some day after work to gainthat information. Making your home situation more attractive plays a part in this and thesale or purchase of real estate could bring you much gain before this cycle ends. There is achance to have a special time with someone you love. This is a positive time.
Pisces (February 19-March 20)
Someone important or in authority may put a damper on your ideas. Sinceyou are good at creative thinking, there are many more ideas where these came from. Takethis as an opportunity to reassess and revamp your thinking. Listen carefully, there may ormay not be important points to ponder. Your efforts will not go unnoticed. Your work envi-ronment is usually the most practical of environments. You can manipulate every situationand put it to good use. Emotions are seldom a priority and you are always very practicaland ambitious. Your career is central to everything you do. Farsighted and traditional, youenjoy success and the successful. Obtaining and exchanging information takes on moreemotional significance for you now.
Aquarius (January 20- February 18)
CROSSWORD 1773
ACROSS1. A gradual decline (in size or strength orpower or number).4. Malayan tree bearing spiny red fruit.12. A federally chartered savings bank.15. A river in north central Switzerland thatruns northeast into the Rhine.16. A device that controls amount of lightadmitted.17. South American wood sorrel cultivatedfor its edible tubers.18. A metallic element of the rare earthgroup.19. A chain of coral and volcanic islands inMicronesia halfway between New Guineaand Japan.20. Annual grass of Europe and NorthAfrica.21. Sink below the surface.24. A genus of Bothidae.26. A person who rests.28. The act of pursuing.30. A trivalent metallic element of the rareearth group.31. Of or relating to chaetae (setae or bris-tles).36. A port city in southwestern Croatia onthe Adriatic.39. Brass that looks like gold.40. English essayist (1775-1834).41. The event of dying or departure fromlife.44. A magician or sorcerer of ancient times.45. A public promotion of some product orservice.47. Move about aimlessly or without anydestination, often in search of food oremployment.49. Angular distance above the horizon(especially of a celestial object).50. Austrian physician who tried to treatdiseases with a form of hypnotism (1734-1815).53. The way in which someone or some-thing is composed.55. A colorless and odorless inert gas.56. Not very intelligent or interested in cul-ture.58. A river in north central Switzerland thatruns northeast into the Rhine.60. An ester of adenosine that is convertedto ATP for energy storage.61. A heavy brittle metallic element of theplatinum group.62. A very poisonous metallic element thathas three allotropic forms.63. A small pellet fired from an air rifle orBB gun.64. A river that rises in France and flowsnortheast across Belgium and empties intothe North Sea.68. A port city in southwestern Iran.72. A white metallic element that burns witha brilliant light.73. Any of a group of antidepressant drugsthat inhibit the action of monoamine oxi-dase in the brain and so allow monoaminesto accumulate.74. An ancient Hebrew unit of dry measureequal to about a bushel.76. Fiddler crabs.77. Someone who engages in arbitrage(who purchases securities in one market forimmediate resale in another in the hope ofprofiting from the price differential).79. A cut of pork ribs with much of themeat trimmed off.81. The 22nd letter of the Greek alphabet.82. A piece of furniture that provides aplace to sleep.
83. One of the three prairie provinces incentral Canada.84. The fatty flesh of eel.
DOWN1. Informal terms for a meal.2. Used as a Hindi courtesy title.3. A nonmetallic largely pentavalent heavyvolatile corrosive dark brown liquid ele-ment belonging to the halogens.4. Any of 12 kings of ancient Egypt between1315 and 1090 BC.5. Remote and separate physically orsocially.6. Formed or united into a whole.7. Having or covered with protective barbsor quills or spines or thorns etc..8. A reptile genus of Iguanidae.9. A large cask especially one holding avolume equivalent to 2 butts or 252 gals.10. A member of a North American Plainspeople (now living in Oklahoma andWyoming).11. A strip of land projecting into a body ofwater.12. A linear unit of length equal to 12 inchesor a third of a yard.13. Singing jazz.14. A Chadic language spoken south ofLake Chad.22. (Norse mythology) God of poetry andmusic.23. Genus of tropical Asiatic trees havinglarge solitary flowers.25. Swelling from excessive accumulationof serous fluid in tissue.27. Date used in reckoning dates before thesupposed year Christ was born.29. Ground snakes.32. A human limb.33. A one-piece cloak worn by men inancient Rome.34. (zoology) Pertaining to alulae.35. A surface coating for ceramics orporcelain.37. The sixth month of the civil year.38. The ermine in its brown summer coatwith black-tipped tail.42. Protective covering made of metal andused in combat.43. Australian shrubs and small trees withevergreen usually spiny leaves and denseclusters of showy flowers.46. An abnormal new mass of tissue thatserves no purpose.48. A woman sahib.51. Title for the former hereditary monarchof Iran.52. (from a combination of MOdulate andDEModulate) Electronic equipment con-sisting of a device used to connect comput-ers by a telephone line.54. A metabolic acid found in yeast and liv-er cells.57. Old master of the Venetian school(1490-1576).59. Advance evidence for.65. The work of caring for or attending tosomeone or something.66. Amino acid that is formed in the liverand converted into dopamine in the brain.67. Biennial Eurasian plant usually having aswollen edible root.69. A small cake leavened with yeast.70. A dull persistent (usually moderatelyintense) pain.71. Horny plate covering and protectingpart of the dorsal surface of the digits.75. In favor of (an action or proposal etc.).78. A bachelor's degree in religion.80. A state in New England.
Yesterday’s Solution
Yesterday’s SolutionDaily SuDoku
Wordsearch Puzzle
You should find everything running in a smooth manner today. Ideas andinteraction with authority figures may be in the forecast. Working with
rather than against the flow should be easy to do. Outer circumstances and the flow ofevents make it easy for you to make clear decisions—see the road ahead and move for-ward. Things seem to fall into place—progress is easy. Be careful not to overextend.Sometimes you say yes too quickly and may hastily try to get too many things accom-plished at once. Give yourself time to consider the long-term consequences. Partnerships,personal relationships or the social scene in general can have a very decided influence onyour career and workplace. You will gain from networking.
The support you need for whatever you want to accomplish is now available.This is the time to make your request. You could gain attention with superiors
or in relation to your work. As you work to enhance the value of your service, you willenhance your job potential. You may find that you enjoy your job or the responsibility itentails more than usual. Circumstances may stimulate the pleasure of your life situationnow. Your ethics deepen, providing you with a better sense of discrimination. That pur-chasing eye of yours is fine-tuned; others may find you selecting the best buys. This is thetime of year you enjoy shopping and a view in several shop windows will give you an ideaof where you want to shop in the near future. Lists are good.
Yesterday’s Solution
Thursday, November 30, 2017
26S t a r s
Established 1961
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ClassifiedsThursday, November 30, 2017
112
Automatedenquiry about
the Civil ID card is1889988
Established 1961
SITUATION WANTED CHANGE OF NAMEI, Neeraj Kumar S/oSubhash Chander, holder ofIndian Passport J5752152 &Civil ID No. 285092011066has changed my name toNeeraj Makan hereinafter inall my dealings and docu-ments. (C 5363)
Accounting service: Firmheaded by 16 year experi-ence chartered accountant.Accounting, Vat, A/R, A/P,Inventory, FinancialReports, Projections etc.Contact: 97769970. (C 5364)26-11-2017
Directorate General of Civil Aviation Home Page (www.kuwait-airport.com.kw)
Thursday, November 30, 2017L i f e s t y l e G o s s i p
Established 1961 28
he chart-topping American star and the Australian billionaire - who were engaged fromJanuary to October 2016 - quietly entered into a settlement agreement a few months ago,which meant that Mariah secured a few million dollars and her engagement ring, accord-ing to TheBlast.com. The blonde beauty was initially seeking a settlement deal worth an
eye-watering $50 million, but their eventual agreement was reportedly worth considerably lessthan that. Mariah has continued to wear her engagement ring over recent months, but the beauti-ful-looking item is worth less than the $10 million that has been widely reported, with her overallsettlement package said to be valued between $5 and $10 million. Mariah based part of her settle-ment claim on the fact that she uprooted her life and moved to Los Angeles to be with the busi-nessman. She also accused James of doing something awful to her assistant while on a yacht inGreece, which ultimately caused her to cancel part of her money-spinning South American tour.This comes shortly after Mariah - who has twins Moroccan and Monroe, both six, with her ex-husband Nick Cannon - cancelled three more days of her Christmas tour. The 48-year-old singerannounced she was pulling the plug on a few of her upcoming performances earlier this month dueto an upper respiratory infection. And Mariah subsequently took to social media to announce sheis scrapping even more gigs from her ‘All I Want For Christmas Is You World tour’ because she hasbeen told by medical experts she needs “a few extra days of rest”. She recently wrote on herInstagram account: “I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving with loved ones; it’s certainlynice to remember what we are grateful for! Like most, I’m thankful for my overall health... for whichI need a bit more time to get right. Doctors have ordered a few extra days of rest before I canfinally fly to New York and take the stage for my Christmas Tour (sic).”
T
Pamela Andersonhas sent Kim afaux fur coat
he former ‘Baywatch’ star - who is an animal activist andvegan - is determined to persuade the 36-year-old reali-ty TV beauty to ditch animal skins once and for all nextyear and, in a bid to kick-start her cruelty-free way of
life, has given her a coral eco-fur jacket that she custom-designedespecially for her with Russian manufacturer Only Me. Sheaccompanied the gift with a letter in which she wished Kim andher family a happy festive season before she advised her that herfans would “admire” her more if she dropped fur from herwardrobe. The letter said: “Happy holidays from France! “In thespirit of the season, please accept this coral hip-length faux-minkcoat, made especially for you by my partners at Only Me Eco Furin Russia. As we all ponder New Year’s resolutions, won’t you con-sider making a meaningful one to stop wearing fur? You’d be set-ting a trendy, compassionate example...“...Also this fall, Gucci announced that it would stop using real furbecause it’s “out-dated”—joining Giorgio Armani, Ralph Lauren,BCBG Max Azria, Calvin Klein, and other stylish brands that haveshed fur. “Kim, I know your young fans would admire you andyour brand even more if you dropped fur. I hope you and yourfamily have a wonderful holiday!” This isn’t the first time the 50-year-old actress has penned the ‘Keeping Up With theKardashians’ star a letter as she wrote to her in September urgingher to omit animal skin, including leather, fur, feathers and suede,from her wardrobe and to show more compassion to the creaturesbeing slaughtered for fashion - but she ignored her. Pamela hasworked closely with the animal rights organisation PETA (Peoplefor the Ethical Treatment of Animals) for many years and, duringthat time, has agreed to strip off and flash the flesh for some eye-catching campaigns.
T
Carey reaches a financialsettlement with fiance
he 35-year-old actress shared her first-ever on-screen kiss with Ryan in the 2002 romanticcomedy movie ‘Van Wilder’, and Sophia has nothing but fond memories of her experience ofworking with the Canadian star. She shared: “That was my first job. “Truly I just rememberRyan Reynolds being the most professional and kind and courteous man. You want to talk
about good men in Hollywood - aces all around. Such a good human being.” Ryan even offered hisinexperienced co-star some tips to help her succeed in the movie business. And looking back on theexperience, Sophia feels grateful towards Ryan. She told ‘Entertainment Tonight’: “To walk in as anactor and have your first on-screen kiss with somebody, and not know what’s going on ... I saidsomething about it being my first day and he was like, ‘Here’s a few things you need to know,’ andgave me just little technical tips that were so helpful, [which] put me completely at ease. And yeah,he’s just the best.” Since they starred together in the movie, Ryan has emerged as one of the mostsought-after actors in Hollywood. And Sophia is delighted to see the success he’s enjoyed in hiscareer, while she’s also pleased to see him happily married to actress Blake Lively, with whom he hasdaughters James, two, and 13-month-old Ines. She said: “Over all the years that I’ve seen him andI’ve watched his career, he’ll be like, ‘I just saw you on this and you were great.’ “And I’m like, ‘I sawthis movie and I loved it.’ To watch him become this incredibly happy dad ... I don’t know, he’s one ofthose people that I really root for. It’s crazy to think that it’s been that long.”
T
Sophia Bush says Ryan Reynolds
is one of the ‘good men’
he 36-year-old singer sought an emergency order of protection earlierthis month after she split from her fiance, but according to The Blast, shevoluntarily motioned to have it vacated on Monday in Illinois, and ajudge signed it off. In return, the 37-year-old wrestling commentator
agreed to not go back to Jennifer’s house. Under the terms of the order, Davidwas not entitled to spend time with the former couple’s son, eight-year-old DavidJr., until their next court date, and any time he did get with the youngster requiredwritten approval from the ‘Spotlight’ singer. David doesn’t view the quashing ofthe order as a “victory”, but the pair are now planning to work together on whatis best for their son. A source told People magazine: “This wasn’t a victory forDavid. Jennifer dropped the order so they could remove the matter from thecourtroom and work together to do what is best for their child.” According to theinsider, Jennifer is still acting as primary caregiver for David Jr. and paying for anychildcare costs that arise. The decision to drop the order comes shortly after the‘Dreamgirls’ star agreed to modify it so David could have his son forThanksgiving, though the sportsman had initially had a request for the order to bethrown out denied in court.
T
Jennifer Hudsondrops restraining order
Wilson doesn’tconsider herself to
be beautiful
he 37-year-old actress has admitted she thinks her‘Pitch Perfect 3’ co-stars, who include the likes ofBrittany Snow, Ruby Rose, Hailee Steinfeld and AnnaKendrick, are “gorgeous” - but she doesn’t put her-
self in the same category. The Australian star said: “Everyoneis so different looking and I think that’s great but I think allthe girls, I’ll take myself out, they’re so beautiful and they’reall so gorgeous.” But Rebel revealed she loves working withthe glamorous girls, because she also finds them to beimmensely fun and kind people. She told Yahoo Be: “They allhave a light that shines through and I think that’s why we haveso much fun working together, because they’re beautifulinside and out.” Meanwhile, Rebel has previously claimed thatbeing curvier than the typical Hollywood star has actuallyhelped her career. To prove her point, Rebel recalled a storyabout writing her first play, when she cast a heavier actressalongside her who was eliciting more laughter from the audi-ence than she was. She shared: “I was like: ‘Oh. That girl’sgetting a lot of laughs, a lot easier than me. What is it?’Because I don’t think there’s much difference in talent. “And Iremember distinctly thinking: ‘I think it’s because she’s fatter.’And then, I don’t know if it was mega-conscious, but Ithought: ‘How can I get more laughs? Maybe if I was a bitfatter ...’ And then suddenly I was fatter, and doing comedy.”Rebel also admitted to being in two minds about whether tolose weight. She previously said: “Oh yeah! I’ll take sixmonths off, and just do a total transformation. But then, somany people go: ‘Don’t you do it!’ But I think: ‘Why not?’”
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Maria Grazia Chiuri to receivethe Swarovski Award for Positive Change
he 53-year-old fashion designer is set to be honoured with theaccolade at the star-studded bash in partnership with Swarovski,which will take place at London’s Albert Hall on Monday(04.12.17), for her contribution to women’s empowerment in the
fashion industry, as she is the first female to hold the title of CreativeDirector at Dior. And the creative mastermind - who previously helmed theItalian fashion house Valentino - is “delighted” to be selected for the gong,which she hopes will inspire other women. Maria said: “I am delighted andvery honoured to receive the Swarovski Award for Positive Change. Thefeminist movement that has been mine for the longest time has finally strucka resonant chord in society, and this recognition sends a powerful messageto all women battling on a daily basis.” Maria is the second figure in thebusiness to receive the honour, which was presented for the first time in2016 to the late Franca Sozzani. And the mogul thinks her award is the per-fect time to pay tribute to the Editor-in-Chief at Vogue Italia, who tragical-ly passed away last year aged 66 years old. Maria added: “It also offers atimely opportunity to pay tribute to Franca Sozzani who, last year, was therecipient of the very first award.” And the British Fashion Council believeMaria’s deserves the title because of her “determination” to encouragefemales to “believe in themselves”, and for being a “great inspiration” topeople across the globe. Dame Natalie Massenet - who is the Chairman ofBFC - said: “ With this award, Maria Grazia will be celebrated for her suc-cessful creative achievements, her contribution to female empowermentwithin fashion and her determination to encourage women of future gener-ations to believe in themselves. The positive impact she has had on thefashion and global communities makes her a great inspiration to all of us.”
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Jennifer Lawrenceturns mean in public
he Oscar-winning actress is widely regarded as one of Hollywood’smost down-to-earth stars, but Jennifer freely concedes that her attitudetowards people changes as soon as she’s in a public space. Speaking toAdam Sandler for Variety magazine’s Actors on Actors series, Jennifer
explained: “Once I enter a public place I become incredibly rude, I turn into ahuge ass. “That’s kind of like my only way of defending myself [from fan atten-tion].” During their chat, the 27-year-old actress demonstrated her icy glare andfinger wag, which she uses when fans approach her in public. She revealed too,that she has no qualms about declining to pose for selfies with her fans. Jennifersaid: “That’s like my only defence. One of my best friends is Amy Schumer. I takemy dog to the park all the time, Central Park. As soon as I meet her in the park,we’re f***ed.” Meanwhile, Jennifer previously claimed that people pay too muchattention to her and what she’s doing with her life. The ‘Mother!’ star believes sheis understood by the public, but she thinks they ought to find other things tointerest themselves with, rather than focusing on her career and personal life. Shesaid in 2016: “I don’t feel like I’m misunderstood. I feel like I’m over-paid-atten-tion-to. “I’m not trying to be a GIF. I’m not trying to be a picked-up-on-Twitterquote. All I’m trying to do is act. And I have to promote these movies. And I am, atthe end of the day, I guess, a f***ing lunatic. So if you record what I’m saying, it’sgonna be goofy. “What do I do? What do I do? I’m just a girl, sitting in front ofthe world and asking them to forgive her for speaking.”
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L i f e s t y l e Thursday, November 30, 2017
29Established 1961
G o s s i p
he 36-year-old actress announced she was taking her romancewith her 33-year-old beau to the next step earlier this week, and asthe couple’s wedding ceremony at Windsor Castle next year is fastapproaching, Meghan intends to secure a dual nationality as a UK
and US citizen. However, a spokesperson for the former ‘Suits’ star thinks it is“too early to say” whether Meghan will be granted the dual nationality. Andeven if Meghan is granted both, the process to become a UK citizen isbelieved to be a painstakingly long process, which is believed to take a num-ber of years to confirm, CNN has reported. But that is not the only new titleMeghan is set to land herself, as she is rumoured to be given named theDuchess of Sussex once her and her fiancÈ are married. And to stick withtradition in the UK, Harry is also expected to be handed a new moniker onhis wedding day, with the Duke of Sussex regarded as the most likely choice,although the alternatives include the likes of Clarence, Connaught, Windsor,Albany, and Cumberland. However, many of those names have an inauspi-cious history, meaning Sussex is now rumoured to be the favoured option forthe grandson of Queen Elizabeth II. Speaking previously about Meghan andHarry’s potential future titles, Charles Kidd - who is the editor of Debrett’sPeerage & Baronetage - said: “They’re quite limited in the titles that areavailable. The Duke of Sussex is the front-runner without any doubt.” But inthe unlikely event that Harry opts to decline the offer of a title, Meghanwould be known as HRH Princess Henry of Wales - a moniker derived byHarry’s actual name.
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Meghan Markle to get a UK citizenship
he 32-year-old actress - who has daughters Alma, five, and Maya,eight months, with her husband Yaron Versano - is proud of howmuch her movie ‘Wonder Woman’ has touched a broad spectrum ofpeople but she also finds it “overwhelming” to think about how big
the film became. She said of the fandom: “I get really emotional and excitedwhen it’s little kids. To them, I’m not Gal. To them, I’m Diana. I’m WonderWoman. “It’s funny how this movie was so broad, touched different people,different ages, different cultures. “I got photos from people that I work with orfriends that their grandparents went to see it with their wheelchair and every-thing. It’s been really overwhelming.” But Gal - who plays the titular characterand her alter ego, Diana Prince, in the DC comics franchise - admitted the suc-cess and scale of the movie hasn’t truly sunk in for her yet as it’s too soon.Speaking to Kumail Nanjiani for Variety’s Actors on Actors series, she said:“Right now, in the eye of the storm, I enjoy it and I appreciate the amazingfeedback. “But I think that it’s going to take me time to really digest and realisewhat’s happening.” And Gal hopes the success of ‘Wonder Woman’ will lead tomore female-driven movies being commissioned. She said: “Having two girls, Ican only hope that this is not just a trend. Now, because we did well at the boxoffice, I hope that there’s going to be more female-led stories that everyonecan enjoy because at the end of the day, I enjoyed so many male-led stories.We’re talking about representation, so on Earth there’s 50-50 men andwomen, and it should be the same on film, on TV, on everywhere.”
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Gadot gets ‘emotional andexcited’ by young fans
he 29-year-old singer has admitted she finds it tough to switchoff from the demands of her day-to-day life at night and, as aresult, she gets markedly less sleep each evening than the aver-age person. She shared: “I have a lot of trouble switching off.
Even when I get home early, which means before 1am, I start binge-watching shows or documentaries, which I love. “I can’t go straight tobed. As a matter of fact, I only sleep three or four hours a night.” The‘Diamonds’ singer regards the likes of Whitney Houston, Mariah Careyand Tina Turner to be among the biggest inspirations in her own life. Butperhaps surprisingly, Rihanna has also taken inspiration from the latePrincess Diana - and in particular, the so-called revenge dress she woreto the Serpentine Gallery’s summer party in 1994, shortly after it emergedPrince Charles had been unfaithful to her. The fashion-conscious star toldFrench Vogue magazine: “Every time a man cheats on you or treats youbadly, you need a revenge dress. Every woman knows that. “But whetherher choice of this knockdown dress was conscious or not, I am touchedby the idea that even Princess Diana could suffer like any ordinarywoman. This Diana Bad B***h moment blew me away.”
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Rihanna onlysleeps for ‘three orfour hours a night’
he 50-year-old actress - who received the FilmTribute honour at this year’s Gotham Awards,which took place at New York’s Cipriani WallStreet on November 27 - has admitted her career
choice surprised her mother, Janelle, and late father Antonybecause their jobs were completely different. Speaking toE! News, the ‘Australia’ star said: “I came from a father whowas a psychologist and a biochemist and a mother who wasa nurse educator, so they were like, ‘Actor? What are youtalking about?’ They were thrown by that.” And though herfamily questioned her dream occupation, they “never deval-ued” her decision and supported her. She continued: “But atthe same time they never devalued it. They let me follow mypath, which was very self-motivating.” And Nicole hasinsisted she will give her daughters Faith, six, and Sunday,nine - who she has with her husband Keith Urban - as wellas 22-year-old Connor and Isabella Cruise, 24, - who shehas from her previous relationship with Tom Cruise - andthe same encouragement with their future and allow them to“be what they want”. She said: “I want to see them be whatthey want, what they’re passionate about”. Meanwhile,Nicole believes there is a “big change” happening in theentertainment industry, following the sexual harassment andassault accusations made against film moguls includingHarvey Weinstein, and she thinks it is “crazy” how unbal-anced the business is. She explained: “There’s big changehappening right now and we can feel it. Hopefully the peo-ple that are following us will be the recipients of thatchange. But it’s still only in the beginning process of it hap-pening. In terms of our industry and women, statistically it’sstill crazy how it’s not balanced at all. “As much as we sayit’s for our daughters, everyone prospers when there’sequality. We take care of each other.”
Kidman’s parents
were ‘thrown’ by
her desire to act
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he 22-year-old model missed out on gracing the runway in the lingerie giant’s annual fashion show,which took place in Shanghai, China, last week, but that didn’t stop the blonde-haired beauty fromsupporting her 21-year-old sibling and “all [her] angelic friends” when the catwalk show recentlyaired on CBS. Gigi posted an image of Bella strutting along the platform in a black lace bra and
matching angel wings on her Instagram Story, which lasts on the photo-sharing site for 24 hours. The cap-tions emblazoned across the image, read: “Excited to watch my gorg lil sis (so proud @bellahadid) and all myangelic friends tonight #vsfs “HUGE LOVE to all the girls and the whole VS team!! (sic).” Gigi - who is cur-rently dating ‘Pillowtalk’ hitmaker Zayn Malik - continued to praise the entire team behind the fashionextravaganza for their “hard work” over the last 12 months, which she believes needs to be celebrated. Shecontinued: “A year of prep and hard work deserves celebration!!!!!!! “(Even though u never stop and you’llalready be planning ‘18 tomorrow morning if not already @ed_razek) (sic).” Gigi was forced to pull out ofappearing in the brand’s fashion show just days before with no explanation. At the time she tweeted: “I’m sobummed I won’t be able to make it to China this year. Love my VS family, and will be with all my girls in spir-it!! Can’t wait to tune in with everyone to see the beautiful show I know it will be, and already can’t wait fornext year! :) x (sic)” However, it has since been reported the star was unable to take part in the showbecause she had been refused a visa, after she posted a video that was deemed offensive on Instagram.
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Gigi Hadid is ‘so proud’of sister Bella
he 27-year-old singer recently split from Selena after 10 monthsof dating, and he has now decided to remove any trace of his ex-girlfriend from his page on the photo-sharing website. TheCanadian star previously had a number of sweet snaps of Selena
on his page, including one dating back to April this year in which she isseen clutching his face and giving him a kiss on the cheek. By contrast,Selena - who recently rekindled her romance with Justin Bieber - still has aseries of pictures featuring her ex on her own Instagram page. Among thepictures still appearing on Selena’s Instagram is one of her first red carpetappearance alongside The Weeknd at the Met Gala in May. The Weeknd’sdecision to remove Selena from his Instagram account came shortly after itwas reported that her family are “still getting comfortable” with the idea ofher reuniting with Justin. Selena and the ‘Sorry’ musician recently decidedto give their relationship another try, having ended their five-year on/offromance in 2015. But while the high-profile duo seem happier than evertogether, Selena’s family are said to be less than thrilled with the idea.Speaking after the Thanksgiving holiday, an insider explained: “They bothspent Thanksgiving with their families. Justin went to Canada and Selenawas in Texas. They are still doing really well together, but they agreed itwas best for them to be with their families for the holiday. “Selena felt itwas too soon for Justin to come to Texas with her. Her family is still gettingcomfortable with the idea of them back together.”.
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Weeknd deletes all of his Instagramposts of Selena Gomez
he 36-year-old businesswoman and DJ waved goodbye to her realityshow ‘The Simple Life’ - which she starred on alongside Nicole Richiefrom 2003 to 2007 - a decade ago, and whilst she “doesn’t even feel likethe same person” that once graced television screens, she does admit the
experience on the show has helped make her the business mogul she is today. Shesaid: “I look back and I don’t even feel like I’m the same person anymore. I’ve reallygrown and just became an adult, learning and having a lot of life lessons. It reallyshaped me into the person I am today, where my priorities are not about having funand going to parties. It’s more about giving back, using my voice for those in needof it, and also my business, my family, my relationship, my boyfriend, my pets andmy friends. That’s all that matters to me.” Despite speaking fondly of her days as areality star, Paris doesn’t think she’ll ever return to the platform, as her “priorities”are so different now. Speaking to the December issue of Ocean Drive magazine, shesaid: “‘The Simple Life’ was just so iconic and one of a kind that you can’t replicatethat. I can’t see it going better than that show. My priorities are different. I’m run-ning a huge business and I’m traveling. I don’t really have time to do a bunch offake drama on a reality show.” And although she might have closed the door on herreality tv career for good, that doesn’t mean she doesn’t enjoy to reminisce, as sheand her boyfriend Chris Zylka love to binge old episodes of ‘The Simple Life’.
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Hilton credits reality TV
for ‘shaping’ her
Thursday, November 30, 2017L i f e s t y l e Fe a t u r e s
Established 1961 30
Jay-Z led the Grammy race Tuesday with eight nomina-tions, followed closely by fellow rapper Kendrick Lamarwith seven, in a striking embrace of hip-hop for the music
industry’s top prizes. Jay-Z, who has won an impressive 21Grammys over his career but has never before been nominat-ed in a major category as a solo artist, is up for Album of theYear for his “4:44” as well as for Record and Song of the Year.
“4:44” marked a return to music by the 47-year-old multi-millionaire after years focused on business ventures. Thealbum put on display an unusually vulnerable Jay-Z, whoacknowledged his infidelity to wife Beyonce, revealed hismother’s closet struggles asa lesbian and tackled thestate of US race relations.Lamar’s seven nominationscame for “DAMN.,” analbum which switched backto a more traditional hip-hop style after the 30-year-old Los Angelesnative’s experiments withjazz, electronica and spo-ken word.
Bruno Mars, the fun-loving funk revivalist, alsofared well with six nodsincluding Album of the Year for his “24K Magic.” “Despacito,”the viral hit that tied for the most weeks ever on top of the USsingles chart despite being in Spanish, was nominated bothfor Record of the Year, which recognizes the overall perform-ance, and Song of the Year, which honors the songwriter. If ittriumphs, “Despacito” would again make history as the firstsong in a language other than English to win in either catego-ry since Italian songwriter Domenico Modugno’s “Nel BluDipinto Di Blu”-popularly known as “Volare” after its chorus-at the very first Grammys in 1959. The Recording Academy,which consists of more than 13,000 music professionals, willvote to decide the winners who will be unveiled at the annualGrammys gala on January 28. The ceremony will take place inNew York, Jay-Z’s hometown, to mark the awards’ 60th edi-
tion after 14 years in Los Angeles. The awards mark the firsttime that the majority of nominations for Album of the Year,the most prestigious prize, hail from the world of hip-hop. Thebreakthrough comes after years of criticism about how littlethe entertainment industry recognizes African Americanartists. In the past, only two rap-dominated albums have wonAlbum of the Year.
In 2016, Lamar’s “To Pimp a Butterfly”-a widely acclaimedalbum that featured an unofficial anthem of the Black LivesMatter movement-controversially lost to Taylor Swift’s“1989.” And at the last Grammys in February, Adele expressed
embarrassment over win-ning Album of the Year for“25” over Beyonce’s exper-imental and narrative-rich“Lemonade.”
This time, Swift wasonly nominated in two sidecategories, although herchart-topping new“Reputation” came out toolate for consideration forAlbum of the Year. EdSheeran, who has enjoyednominations annually since2013, was also shut out in
the major categories despite the strong commercial perform-ance of his latest album “Divide.”
And Katy Perry, the world’s most followed person onTwitter, was completely absent as her latest album “Witness”struggled to match the impact of her earlier hits. Among otherrappers, Childish Gambino-the stage-name of comedianDonald Glover who infuses funk and psychedelic R&B into hiship-hop-is up for Album of the Year and Record of the Year.Lorde is the only woman in contention for Album of the Yearwith “Melodrama,” the 21-year-old New Zealander’s sopho-more work, a dance-pop exploration of the challenges ofadulthood. The contenders for Best New Artist include thequickly emerging young singers Alessia Cara and Khalid, whoare also nominated for Song of the Year for the anti-suicide
track “1-800-273-8255”-the title refers to a US telephonehelpline.
Also up for Best New Artist are the fast-charging rapperLil Uzi Vert, prolific songwriter turned breakout pop star JuliaMichaels and the innovative R&B singer SZA. In classicalmusic, Dmitri Hvorostovsky-the Russian baritone and sexsymbol of the operatic world-received a nomination a weekafter his death at age 55 from a brain tumor. — AFP
Jay-Z leads Grammy nods as hip-hop dominates
This file photo taken on September 15, 2017 shows Jay-Z per-forming during Day 1 of The Meadows Music & Arts Festival atCiti Field in New York. — AFP photos
This file photo taken on April 16, 2017 shows US hip hop singerKendrick Lamar performing at the Coachella Valley Music AndArts Festival in Indio.
Bruno Marsperformingduring the59th AnnualGrammymusic Awardsin LosAngeles.
Lorde
Flamenco fusionists
break into Grammy
world category
Two Spanish-born musicians with modern takeson flamenco were separately nominatedTuesday for the Grammy for Best World Music
Album, breaking into a category long dominated by asmall pool. Vicente Amigo and Concha Buika, whohave both been on the scene for two decades, areamong five contenders for the prize to be unveiled onJanuary 28 in New York as part of the music indus-try’s annual gala.
Amigo was nominated for “Memoria de losSentidos” (“Memory of the Senses”), a return to tradi-tional flamenco by the Seville guitarist who has collab-orated with Sting and Algerian rai star Khaled.“Memoria de los Sentidos” earlier in November wonthe Latin Grammy for Best Flamenco Album at theSpanish- and Portuguese-language music awards inLas Vegas. Buika, also a past Latin Grammy winner,incorporates flamenco but brings in a range of influ-ences including African rhythms and jazz. Born inMallorca to parents from Equatorial Guinea, Buika-who often goes only by one name-was nominated for“Para Mi” (“For Me”), a succinct album of five emo-tionally rich songs.
Also enjoying a nomination for the first time wasAnat Cohen, a New York-based Israeli clarinetist whoset out to explore choro, the early Brazilian popularmusic that emerged in the 19th century at the sametime as jazz was forming in New Orleans. She wasnominated for “Rosa Dos Ventos” (“Wind Rose”), acollaboration with an ensemble calling itself the TrioBrasiliero. Cohen was separately nominated for BestLatin Jazz Album for work with another Brazilian musi-cian, seven-string guitarist Marcello Goncalves.
Among the artists who have become favorite nomi-nees for Best World Music Album is Tinariwen, theensemble of Tuareg musicians from northern Mali whohave frequently teamed up with Western rock artistsand in recent years recorded outside their conflict-hithomeland. Tinariwen, which won Best World MusicAlbum in 2012, was nominated this time for “Elwan”(“Elephants”), which blends heavy guitars and Saharanrhythms with appearances by indie artist Kurt Vile andalternative rockers Mark Lanegan and Alain Johannes,who have both played with Queens of the Stone Age.
The South African all-male choral group LadysmithBlack Mambazo, which has won four Grammys, wasnominated for “Shaka Zulu Revisited: 30th AnniversaryCelebration.” The album revisits its successful “ShakaZulu” album released in 1987, just after the group roseto international prominence by appearing on folk-rocklegend Paul Simon’s “Graceland.” — AFP
This file phototaken on April
14, 2009 showsSpanish singerConcha Buika
performingwith Cuban
musicianChucho Valdes
at AmadeoRoldan
Theater inHavana. — AFP
ABritish aspiring actress who hassued Harvey Weinstein over analleged sexual assault in France
suggested Tuesday the disgraced produc-er’s assistant turned a blind eye to his mis-conduct. Speaking at a press conferencein New York, Kadian Noble said that inMay 2016, she confided to one of theHollywood mogul’s assistants that he hadsexually assaulted her two years earlier ata hotel during the Cannes film festival.
“She said to me I should write a letterto him. She kept reassuring me that he’s agood man and he’s been so good to her,that I should put in the letter everything Ifeel and that she would ensure that lettergets to him,” Noble said. The 31-year-oldadded it was then that she realizedWeinstein had “so much wall built uparound him” that she “had no chance.” Itwas the first time an accuser has castblame on a member of Weinstein’sentourage, although others have men-tioned being left alone in hotel roomswith him.
More than 100 women have come for-ward since October to accuse Weinsteinof bullying and degrading behavior overthe past 40 years, from intimidation torape. When contacted by AFP about
Noble’s accusations, Weinstein’s formerassistant-who no longer works for theWeinstein Company, according to itswebsite-did not respond.
Noble filed the civil lawsuit in NewYork on Monday under a sex traffickinglaw which relates to acts committed byUS citizens overseas. Weinstein is accusedof groping Noble, pulling her into hishotel bathroom and forcing her to performa sex act on him, telling her that “every-thing will be taken care of for you if yourelax.” Noble is seeking unspecified dam-ages, accusing Weinstein of being able “toforce or coerce” her into sexual activity inhis hotel room by promising to find her afilm role and to use his influence on herbehalf. Her lawyer Jeff Herman said he willinform French authorities of the incident inCannes, but said: “We’re not pursuing anycriminal case.” A statement issued onbehalf of Weinstein repeated his denial ofallegations against him.
Scourge The 65-year-old filmmaker has
already been expelled from the Academyof Motion Picture Arts and Sciences,which runs the Oscars, and has resignedfrom the Producers Guild of America. He
also parted ways with The WeinsteinCompany, the production house he andhis brother Bob co-founded, and wassuspended by the British Academy ofFilm and Television Arts.
Noble is also suing The WeinsteinCompany and Bob, alleging they wereaware of Weinstein’s behaviour and ofcontributing to his foreign travel torecruit women into “forced or coercedsexual encounters”. Two women-ledinvestor groups are interested in takingover The Weinstein Company-which is onthe verge of bankruptcy-with a figure inthe region of $275 million reportedly onthe table.
The DGA had condemned the“scourge” of sexual harassment when itannounced disciplinary action againstWeinstein in October, calling for a zero-tolerance approach to abuses of power.“This isn’t about one person. We mustrecognise sexual harassment is endemicin our society, and painfully, in our indus-try. We believe that every individual hasthe right to a safe workplace,” the guildsaid. “For far too long, many have notspoken out-directors, agents, crew, exec-utives, performers, producers, writers.This shameful code of complicity must bebroken.” Police in New York, LosAngeles, Beverly Hills and London haveconfirmed that they are investigating alle-gations of sexual assault made againstWeinstein. — AFP
Actress says Weinstein’s assistantturned blind eye to assault
Indonesia’s metalhead presidentreceived a thrash-worthy present fromhis Danish counterpart Wednesday.
Joko Widodo, better known as Jokowi, waspresented with the recently launched, re-mastered box set of US heavy metal bandMetallica’s 1986 album “Master ofPuppets”. The 56-year-old Jokowi is awell-known Metallica fan-several yearsago he received a signed guitar from theband’s bassist Robert Trujillo.
A spokesman said Indonesia’s leaderwas “pleasantly surprised” by the unusualdiplomatic gift from Danish counterpartLars Lokke Rasmussen, who was in Jakartaon an official visit. The box set was signedby Metallica drummer and Danish native
Lars Ulrich. “Indonesia’s president @jokowiseemed eager to dig into his diplomatic giftfrom Denmark: A #MasterOfPuppets boxsigned by #heavymetal fans’ all-timefavorite (sic) drummer @larsulrich,”Rasmussen wrote on Twitter.
But Jokowi may not be able to keep it, aspoliticians have to report gifts to graft-rid-dled Indonesia’s Corruption EradicationCommission (KPK). The instrument Jokowigot from Trujillo is now displayed in a KPKgallery and considered a state asset. “TheKPK will decide whether the presidentshould return the gift or if he can keep it,”his spokesman said Wednesday. And whatdid Rasmussen get in return? A traditionalIndonesian dagger called a rencong. — AFP
Metalhead Indonesian prez gets thrash-worthy
gift from Danish PM
IndonesianPresident JokoWidodo (L) displaysa box set ofMetallica’s Master ofPuppets, a gift fromDanish PrimeMinister Lars LokkeRasmussen during awelcoming ceremony at thepresidential palacein Bogor, West Javaprovince. — AFP
Bruce Springsteen on Tuesdayannounced four more months ofintimate concerts on Broadway after
his initial run triggered massive interest —and wide disappointment among fans whocouldn’t get tickets.
The rock legend, who for decades hassold out arenas with his adrenaline-fueledmarathon performances, said he wouldextend his residency at the 960-seatWalter Kerr Theatre from February 28 toJune 30. Springsteen opened the showson October 3 and already extended once,until February 3, with tickets selling outnearly instantly.
The 68-year-old balladeer of working-class America set prices at $75 to $800— but tickets immediately reappeared onresale sites at much higher prices. As ofTuesday, the cheapest ticket on resale site
StubHub was $1,449 — significantly high-er than Broadway’s most coveted theaterseats including those for “Hamilton” andBette Midler’s revival of “Hello, Dolly!”Springsteen has tried to reduce scalpingthrough a new verification system byTicketmaster, which asks fans to sign upand uses algorithms to determine the like-lihood that they will attend before provid-ing a code to allow purchases.
In light of the number of fans who wereunable to buy tickets initially, the ticketingcompany said it would not start a newverification round, instead sending codesto fans who already signed up.Springsteen has said he was inspired tocreate a more intimate concert experienceafter he played a somber private show atthe White House as a gift from departingPresident Barack Obama to staff. — AFP
Bruce Springsteen, extends
smash-hit Broadway run
This file photo taken onSeptember 30, 2017 shows
Bruce Springsteen performing during the closing
ceremony of the InvictusGames 2017 at Air Canada
Centre in Toronto. — AFP
Breakthroughcomes after years
of criticism
British actress Kadian Noble, who has fileda lawsuit against Harvey Weinstein, BobWeinstein and The Weinstein Company LLC(TWC) accusing the movie producer ofcommitting sex acts upon her in a hotelroom in France, speaks at a news confer-ence in New York. — AFP
L i f e s t y l e Thursday, November 30, 2017
31Established 1961
Fe a t u r e s
A poster speaking on repealing New York’s dance prohibition is seen hangingoutside a bar in New York City. — AFP
This file photo taken on February 06, 2012 shows a man exiting the Charles DickensMuseum based in a house where the British novelist lived in central London.
This file photo taken on February 06, 2012 shows visitors looking around the diningroom of the Charles Dickens Museum.
A collection of early editions of novels written by British author Charles Dickens at theCharles Dickens Museum. — AFP photos
The Dickens Museum in London got intothe festive spirit yesterday, unveiling its“A Christmas Carol” exhibition centered
on the novelist’s famous tale of Scrooge and theghosts of Christmas. The book helped “crystal-lize” the way Britons celebrate Christmas andcarried a strong social message after a scathingreport on child labor that deeply shockedCharles Dickens, curators said.
The exhibition is housed in a Victorianbuilding where the author and his family livedbetween 1837 and 1840 — and where hepenned several classics including “Oliver Twist”and “The Pickwick Papers”. The museum holdsover 100,000 Dickens-related items includefurniture, personal effects, paintings, prints,photographs, letters and manuscripts. “AChristmas Carol” was written in six weeks in1843 and is considered a charming tale with aheart-warming ending. But it is also a story
about child labour, at a time when poverty-induced misery had reached record levels-andhad pushed Dickens to put pen to paper,according to the museum’s director, CindySughrue.
‘Highlight the cause’ “It really shocked him and he pledged he
was going to do something to highlight thecause and the sentiment that children deservedmore than this,” she said. Dickens, who himselfwas forced to stop attending school and workas a child while his father was imprisoned fordebts, consistently took up in his books thecause of the weakest. “Every work he wrotethere was a little bit of his own story and hisown experience,” Sughrue said, labeling him a“social reform campaigner”.
“A Christmas Carol” recounts the redemp-tion of Ebenezer Scrooge, a mean-spirited,
miserly old man who tries to make the lives ofhis employees and family miserable. However,he is visited on Christmas Eve by the spirit ofhis dead partner, Jacob Marley, as well as theghosts of Christmas past, present and future,which all helps him see the error of his ways.Cherishing the spirit of sharing and simplepleasures like a fire-side family meal, the storywas an immediate success.
Frankie Kubicki, the exhibition’s curator, saidalthough Dickens did not “invent” how theBritish celebrate Christmas, he helped “crys-tallise it”. “He hits the zeitgeist and the feelingwithin the 1830s and 40s of a nostalgia forChristmas, of this idea of wanting to celebrate itwithin a new urban context,” he added. Theexhibition, which runs until February 25, alsoincludes costumes of the forthcoming movie“The Man who invented Christmas”, which willhit British cinema screens later this week. — AFP
Dickens Museum captures Christmas spirit with new exhibition
A copy of Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol,” belonging to former US President Franklin D. Roosevelt,is seen during a preview of holiday decorations in the Library of the White House in Washington, DC.
Mumbai cafe owner Boman Kohinoor,arguably India’s biggest fan of theBritish royal family, wants Prince Harry
and Meghan Markle to honeymoon in India andhave lots of children. The 95-year-old, who metHarry’s older brother William and wifeCatherine when the royal couple visited India’scommercial capital last year, said he wasdelighted to hear news of the engagement.
“I wish them a very long and happy marriedlife. And may all their troubles be little ones,”the sprightly nonagenarian told AFP atMumbai’s famous Britannia & Company restau-rant where his love of British royalty is plain tosee. On one wall hangs a large framed photo-graph of Queen Elizabeth II, next to a portraitof Indian independence hero Mahatma Gandhi.
Attached to a banister on the second floor ofthe cafe, which dishes up lip-smacking Parsiand Irani cuisine, is a giant cardboard cut-outof a grinning William and Kate, their armslinked. Kohinoor spent around 10 minutes withthe Duke and Duchess of Cambridge at
Mumbai’s Taj Mahal Palace hotel in April 2016after they became aware of a social media cam-paign encouraging them to meet him.
Kohinoor, clutching a photo of the three of
them from that meeting, said he now hoped tomeet Harry, 33, and American actress Markle,36, after they get married at Windsor Castlenext spring. “I hope they will visit me or I willinvite them to visit me. My invitation is open forall of the royal family,” he explained, adding thathe would serve them Britannia’s famous berrypulao, a popular Parsi dish.
‘Cheaper by the dozen!’Mumbai’s Parsi settlers were Zoroastrians
from Persia. In Britannia, which was opened byKohinoor’s father in 1923, the Union Jack hangsalongside the Indian tricolour and the flag ofIran. Kohinoor, who has written regular lettersto Queen Elizabeth over the years and wouldlike the return of British colonial rule in India,encouraged Harry and Meghan to spend theirhoneymoon there. “There are many places theycan visit. We have got one of the wonders ofthe world, the Taj Mahal,” he said, adding hewas “very excited” about the prospect ofwatching the wedding on television.
Kohinoor, who makes no attempt to hide hisdislike of Harry’s father and heir to the thronePrince Charles, said he was not overly familiarwith Markle’s work but was aware she isAmerican and divorced.
He said he was convinced she would “makea good wife”. “Mrs Simpson was American andshe was also a divorcee but it doesn’t matter.
What matters is that they should be happytogether,” he said, referring to Wallis Simpsonwho married King Edward VIII after he abdi-cated in 1936. Kohinoor, who has a grand-daughter named after Harry’s mother PrincessDiana, advised the prince and Markle to haveseveral children. “It will be cheaper by thedozen!” he laughed. — AFP
Royal fan urges Harry, Meghanto have India honeymoon, many kids
Indian restaurateur Boman Kohinoor with Britain’s Prince William and his wife Kate. — AFP photosIndian restaurateur Boman Kohinoor, 93, anardent fan of the British royal family, standsinside the Britannia & Co. restaurant in Mumbaion April 8, 2016, ahead of the royal visit ofBritain’s Prince William and his wife Kate.
Japan and China have more of the world’s bestrestaurants than anywhere else, according to theLa Liste ranking, which will be published next
week. Although the French-based list will declare GuySavoy’s flagship Paris riverside restaurant the best inthe world for the second year running-and Frenchcooking dominates the top 100 — the big trend is theclimb of Chinese haute cuisine.
“The rise and rise of China is the big story,” saidJorg Zipprick, who crunched the numbers for the“guide of guides”, which was set up as a “more scien-tific and reliable” rival three years ago to the British-based 50 Best Restaurants. Japan still tops the countrytable with 138 restaurants in the top 1,000 of theFrench classification-which aggregates reviews fromguides, newspapers and websites includingTripAdvisor-but China is closing the gap fast with 123.“Up to now China has been one of the most difficultcountries to get data from,” Zipprick told AFP, but aboom in local gastronomic guides has changed all that.“Asia has a lot more restaurants than Europe and it isonly logical that La Liste will reflect that,” he added.
Mao’s favourite dish Tokyo institution Kyubey, whose sushi is renowned
for being both “extraordinary and reasonably priced”,took third spot after Le Bernardin, a New York fishrestaurant run by Emmy award-winning US televisionchef Eric Ripert. Two other restaurants in the Japanesecapital made the top 20, the minuscule Kyo Aji andFrench chef Joel Robuchon’s plush dining room in areconstructed French chateau.
They were followed by the highest-placed Chineserestaurant, the Huai Yang Fu at Andingmen in Beijing-whose specialty is a roast pork dish adored byChairman Mao. While there is no dramatic change atthe summit of the list, there were three newcomers tothe top 10, including The French Laundry, a formersaloon in California’s Napa Valley which “KitchenConfidential” author Anthony Bourdain has called “the
best restaurant in the world, period”. It shared analmost perfect mark of 99 out of 100 with La Vagued’Or in the French Riviera resort of Saint Tropez andMartin Berasategui’s restaurant in the village ofLasarte in Spain’s Basque country.
Plankton sorbet Another of the big climbers was Aponiente at the
other end of Spain, where diners cleanse their palateswith a plankton sorbet. The Andalusian fish specialistin El Puerto de Santa Maria jumped 200 places on theback of getting a third Michelin star. For the first timea Canadian restaurant, Alo in Toronto, has entered thetop 100, while the Turkish female chef Aylin Yazicioglumakes the grade for her highly-rated Istanbul restau-rant, Nicole.
New York’s Eleven Madison Park, which was first inthe 50 Best Restaurants ranking in 2017, made the topfive of La Liste. But the two lists differ widely beyondthat-although they roughly agree that El Celler deCan Roca in Girona, Spain; Osteria Francescana in
Modena, Italy, as well Alain Ducasse and Le Bernardinrepresent more or less the summit of the culinary arts.La Liste’s aggregator of the 1,000 top-rated restau-rants in the world is modeled on the world tennisrankings and the Shanghai Ranking for universities.
While Japan, China, France and the United Statestop the league for having the highest number of bestrestaurants, Switzerland with 38 for a population ofeight million, has the highest per capital rating.Zipprick said its database-which is available as asmartphone app-now includes 16,000 eateries acrossthe world which it classifies from haute cuisine to low-er-priced “Food Gems”. Superstar chef GordonRamsay’s flagship London restaurant remained thehighest-rated British table, pipping L’Enclume, whichoperates in a former blacksmith’s forge in Cumbria,northwest England. This year’s winners will be formal-ly announced at a banquet in Paris on Monday, with40 of the world’s leading chefs also invited to meetFrench President Emmanuel Macron at his ElyseePalace residence. — AFP
New York’s mayor on Mondaysigned into law the repeal of a91-year-old piece of legisla-
tion that had technically banned danc-ing in thousands of bars, clubs andrestaurants in the city. The city councilvoted overwhelmingly on October 31to axe the law, which had come intoeffect in 1926 during Prohibition andwhich campaigners decried as racist,saying it was used initially to crackdown on Harlem’s jazz clubs, whereblacks and whites mixed.
Campaigners say it was also usedhistorically to target Hispanics andmembers of the LGBT community.In the 1990s, mayor Rudy Giulianiused the law to get tough on clubsin his fight against crime. “It’s 2017and this law just didn’t make sense.Nightlife is part of the New Yorkmelting pot that brings peopletogether,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio.“We want to be a city where peoplecan work hard, and enjoy their city’snightlife without arcane bans on
dancing.” Although the law wasrarely enforced in recent years, itrequired public spaces that sell foodand drink to acquire near impossi-ble-to-obtain permits to authorizedancing indoors or risk a fine. Yetonly around 100 of New York’smore than 22,000 bars, restaurantsand clubs had the elusive permit.Brooklyn Democratic councilmanRafael Espinal led the charge torepeal the law, saying it unfairly dis-criminated against small businesses.
“Artist, musicians, businessesowners, workers and everyday NewYorkers looking to let loose will nolonger have to fear the dance policewill shut down their favorite ven-ues,” he said Monday. A search isalso now on for a “nightlife mayor”who can liaise between city hall,residents and the city’s multi-billion-dollar nightlife industry, in order tosupport a safe nightlife scene thatsupports 300,000 jobs and attractstourists far and wide. — AFP
Mayor signs repeal of New York dancing ban
Japan, China dominate list of world’s top restaurants
‘Niqab Squad’ takes aim at face veil prejudice
Artists of the Canadian entertainment company “Cirque du Soleil” perform as part of the “Soda Stereo Sep7imo Dia” program during the premier in Mexico City. — AFP
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2017
Established 1961
Lifestyle
Riding a horse or nailing an archery target is tough atthe best of times-it’s even harder when you’re wearinga niqab. But that isn’t about to stop a group of
Indonesian women who have banded together to combatprejudice against the face-covering veil, which has been atthe centre of a heated global debate over religious freedomand women’s rights.
The “Niqab Squad” meets to recite the Koran or, at onerecent gathering, mounted horses and tried their glovedhands at archery, activities endorsed by the ProphetMohammed (PBUH). Janariah, a 19-year-old group member,had never ridden a horse before but she gave it a whirl in herflowing black veil, as other niqab-wearing novices fired offarrows with suction-cup tips. “It’s not really difficult,” insist-ed Janariah, who like many Indonesians goes by name, asshe giggled and tried to keep her animal on track in the blaz-ing Jakarta sun. “Even running is okay. If you’re used to it,it’s comfortable. The most important thing is that you don’tsee it (niqab) as a burden and you’ve got to be patient.”
‘Weird looks’ Although the body covering garment with narrow slits to
see through is common in ultra-conservative Saudi Arabiaand some other Gulf states, they’re rare in Indonesia, wherearound 90 percent of its 255 million people have traditional-ly followed a moderate form of Islam. Recently, a privateIslamic high school on the main island Java was reprimandedby local officials after pictures went viral online that showeda classroom of female students wearing niqab. The veils vio-lated a national regulation on acceptable school uniforms.
Seeking out other women facing discrimination online,Indadari Mindrayanti founded the squad this year afterswitching from hijab-a headscarf that leaves the face visible-to the more restrictive niqab in 2016. The twice-divorced
Mindrayanti - who was once married to an Indonesian soapopera celebrity - saw it was a way to be more pious but thedecision hasn’t gone over well with her family or people onthe street who often give her “weird looks”.
She saw it was a way to be more pious but the decisionhasn’t gone over well with her family or people on the streetwho often give her “weird looks”. “It’s hard to expect peo-ple to talk to you. They look kind of afraid,” the 34-year-old
told AFP at a mosque in Indonesia’s sprawling capital.“Walking on the street sometimes I get comments like‘Wow, there’s a ninja’ or ‘uh, very scary,’ uncomfortablecomments like that.” Some of the group’s fast-growingmembership of 3,000 women in Indonesia, as well asMalaysia, Taiwan and South Africa, say they’ve beenlabeled as extremists and are regularly asked questionssuch as “why are you dressed like a terrorist?”
Ideological battle Mindrayanti felt the stares when she went to France
seeking treatment for a skin condition this year. France wasthe first European country to ban the full-face veil in publicspaces and a bitter ideological battle is raging acrossEurope and in North America over whether the niqab, andmore restrictive burqa, are key to religious freedom or anaffront to women’s rights.
Last month, Canada’s Quebec province prohibited gov-ernment workers and anyone receiving public services fromcovering their face, which critics said unfairly targets Muslimwomen who wear a niqab. “Our goal is that we want to unitedifferences, even within Islam itself,” said Mario, who wasinvolved in organizing the squad’s horse riding and archeryevent. “There are different views even in Islam...and theprophet wants us all to unite.”
Still, some critics see the niqab as symbolic of a growingreligious conservatism that is being exported to Indonesiavia Saudi Arabia and other stricter Islamic countries.Worries about Indonesia’s religious tolerance soared whenJakarta’s Christian governor was jailed for two years in Mayon blasphemy charges. “We have to respect women whowear niqab but they cannot claim it’s the best practice of thereligion because it is a product of the Arabs,” said ZuhairiMisrawi, head of the Muslim Moderate Society.
Niqab Squad’s founder, however, says she will keep try-ing to win over skeptics by speaking to them in a gentle,friendly voice to let people know her intentions are good,even if they’re puzzled by her appearance. “The niqab does-n’t prevent us from socializing with anyone, even if they arenot Muslim,” Mindrayanti added. “We can be a good ambas-sadors of Muslims in front of non-Muslims...(and) those whodon’t understand Islam and only know it from what they seein the media.” — AFP
Indonesian Muslim women pose for a photograph after participating in archery and horse riding lessons. (Center) An Indonesian Muslim woman riding a horse in Bekasi. (Right) Two Indonesian Muslim women stretching prior to taking archery lesson.
Indonesian Muslim women participate in an archery lesson in Bekasi. - AFP photos
