TRUMP TO UNVEIL NEW STRATEGY ON TEHRAN IN DAYS Iran open to talks on ballistic missiles

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1 baseball Page 34 THE FIRST ENGLISH LANGUAGE DAILY IN FREE KUWAIT Established in 1977 / SUNDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2017 / MUHARRAM 18, 1439 AH emergency number 112 NO PAGES 150 FILS TRUMP TO UNVEIL NEW STRATEGY ON TEHRAN IN DAYS Iran open to talks on ballistic missiles Opinion Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, we present to you your shortcomings By Ahmed Al-Jarallah Editor-in-Chief, the Arab Times I ALWAYS reiterate these words: May Allah show mercy on the one who shows me my shortcomings. If you see or if my fellow citizens see, and they are currently listening to me, anything that is in the interest of your religion before anything else, and your country, the country of the two Holy Mosques, in which we are all its servants, you are most welcome. I reiterate that our doors are open, our telephone lines are open and our ears listen to every citizen. Based on this, King Salman bin Abdulaziz reassured the people about his policy on ruling since January 2015, through which he has been working to transform the Kingdom into new horizons in line with the current era, and in a manner that serves the Kingdom s prestige and advancement. Without a doubt, this policy has been used to build relations between the ruler and the ruled in the sense that it plays a huge role in breaking the ice between the two sides. It increases the level of people s reassurance on the course that the country is taking. This course is being interpreted now through the historic steps. All Gulf nationals regard the Kingdom as the compass of the region politically and economically the two vital aspects of countries development and prosperity. This makes every Gulf national feel that he or she is a Kuwaiti, Saudi, Emirati, Bahraini, Omani and Qatari since they can approach their leaders and talk to them about general concerns without any reservation. This is due to the inherent coherence between the social calibers of countries in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) whose internal system is based on striving towards honoring cooperation through unity from which secondary differences are overlooked in a bid to form a single identity that expresses the instinctive feelings of affinity and fondness between the nationals of the six countries. Proceeding from this conviction, I find myself concerned with what King Salman said: May Allah show mercy on the one who shows me my shortcomings, because whatever serves the Kingdom s advancement and prosperity has positive returns for all Gulf nationals from the Strait of Hormuz to Shatt al-arab (Arvand Rud). Before anything else, it is imperative to assert that the open door policy is the return to consolidation of direct relationship between the ruler and the ruled; just as the situation was at the beginning when we were building our nations. It is the policy that helped and contributed to achieving huge development steps in all aspects. However, in recent decades Continued on Page 8 ahmed@aljarallah.com Follow me on: ahmedaljarallah@gmail.com Speaker raises Knesset violations for Union talks A handout picture obtained from the twitter shows damaged vehicles on Exhibition Road, in between the Victoria and Albert (V&A) Museum, and the Natural History Museum, in London on Oct 7, following an incident in South Kensington. (AFP) Traffic scare in London Police detained a man near London s Natural History Museum on Saturday after a vehicle apparently drove into pedestrians at a busy tourist spot, injuring a number of people. Witnesses and footage posted on social media suggested the man was pinned down on the ground by passers-by near the Victoria and Albert Museum. Other Voices A police spokesman said it was too soon to say whether the incident was related to terrorism, and London Mayor Sadiq Khan said details are still emerging. The area, which includes the wide, semi-pedestrianised Exhibition Road which runs past the Science Museum, is popular with families and tourists, particularly on a Saturday afternoon. By Abubakar A. Ibrahim Arab Times Staff KUWAIT CITY, Oct 7: National Assembly Speaker Marzouq Ali Al-Ghanim met Inter- Parliamentary Union (IPU) President Saber Hossain Chowdhury in Geneva, Switzerland one week before the union s conference in Saint Petersburg, Russia. In a press statement after the meeting which was also attended by Parliamentary Division member MP Yousif Al-Fadalah, Al-Ghanim revealed they discussed several issues that should be highlighted in the upcoming conference; foremost of which are Israeli Knesset s violation of the basic principles of the union. Our meeting touched on the most important files concerning Muslims and Arabs, including Kuwaitis, which the union must take a stand against, especially the violations committed by Israeli Knesset continuously without any deterrent from international institutions and the need for these organizations to take practical steps as representatives of the people, Al- Ghanim narrated. He said they tackled the Rohingya crisis in Myanmar, indicating there has been an agreement for the Kuwaiti Parliament to present the issue as an emergency item at the Saint Petersburg conference. The speaker added they also talked about the need for coordination in the upcoming presidency of the union, considering the importance of the union as it comes after the United Nations (UN) and they share the same principles. He stressed the significance of the union in terms the need to transform from an institution that hosts everyone to one which imposes sanctions on those who violate its principles Continued on Page 8 Footage and photographs posted on Twitter showed the detained man next to a black car with its door open and its bonnet severely damaged. Witnesses reported by some media said they had heard a loud bang. An AFP reporter said crowds in the area had fled screaming in panic. Continued on Page 8 What will referendum bring for Kurds? By Harun Yahya Author IN a land home to members of myriad different faiths and ethnicities, the answer to this question when a rational, realistic and conscientious assessment is to be made is actually quite obvious: Every separation brings with it new and greater problems. Iraq s territorial integrity being compromised will also spell the suffering of the Kurds. What the Middle East needs is not drawing new borders between the peoples, but reinforcing friendships, love and brotherhood. This is why preserving the territorial integrity of Syria and Iraq is crucial. In a session attended by only 65 of its 111 members, the Northern Iraqi Parliament, which had been closed for almost two years, took the decision to hold an independence referendum on Sept 25, The people of the region were asked Do you want the Kurdistan region lying outside the authority of the Iraqi central government to become an independent state? and 92 percent of them voted Yes. However, up until a few days before the referendum, the opposition parties, different regional ethnic elements such as the Turkmens and Arabs, the Yazidis in Sinjar and Ninova, and even a substantial portion of Kurds who had voted for the KDP (the party led by Barzani) were widely and openly expressing their disapproval for the referendum. For example, Yusuf Muhammad, the Chairperson of the Parliament, of the Gorran (Change) Movement, which could be considered the main opposition party Continued on Page 8 Harun Yahya Russia claims 180 extremist kills MOSCOW, Oct 7, (Agencies): Some 120 Islamic State fighters and 60 foreign mercenaries were killed in a series of Russian air strikes in Syria over the past 24 hours, the defence ministry in Moscow said on Saturday. Puzzlingly, the ministry also said three senior IS commanders including Omar al-shishani had been confirmed dead as a result of an earlier Russian strike. Moscow reported al-shishani s death despite the fact that the Pentagon said in 2016 the notorious fighter had been killed by American troops in Iraq. A command post of the terrorists and up to 80 (IS) fighters including nine natives of the Northern Caucasus were destroyed in the area of Mayadeen, the ministry said, adding that another 40 IS fighters were killed around the town of Albu Kamal. Mayadeen is one of the Islamic State group s last bastions in Syria. In another air strike, more than 60 foreign mercenaries from the former Soviet Union, Tunisia, and Egypt were killed in the Euphrates Valley south of Deir Ezzor. The ministry said large numbers of foreign mercenaries were coming into the Syrian border town of Albu Kamal from Iraq. It also said Russian forces had killed senior IS commanders Omar al-shishani, Alaa al-din al-shishani and Salah al-din al-shishani, all natives of the Northern Caucasus. Moscow reported their deaths after taking several days to confirm the results of an earlier strike on the northern outskirts of Albu Kamal which destroyed an IS command post with more than 30 fighters including the natives of the Northern Caucasus. The Pentagon announced in March 2016 that American forces had killed Shishani, one of the most notorious faces of IS known for his thick red beard. Shishani, whose nom de guerre means Omar the Chechen, Continued on Page 8 Rouhani defends deal ANKARA/LONDON/WASHINGTON, Oct 7, (RTRS): Iran has suggested to six world powers that it may be open to talks about its ballistic missile arsenal, seeking to reduce tension over the disputed programme, Iranian and Western officials familiar with the overtures told Reuters. FATCA files sent off to US KUWAIT CITY, Oct 7: The Ministry of Finance has sent the first official list of names of Americans and Kuwaitis who also hold the US citizenship to the US Department of Revenue in compliance with the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA) based on agreement signed between the countries, reports Al-Rai daily. In this regard, the sources revealed 123 local companies have submitted reports to the Ministry of Finance in relation to the requirements of FATCA to meet the deadline of Sept 30, FATCA aims to identify Americans who operate their accounts from overseas to Continued on Page 8 Newswatch BAGHDAD: The final large fight in Iraq against the Islamic State group will take place on the border with Syria, a general in a US-led coalition against the jihadists said Saturday. He spoke two days after Iraqi forces recaptured the northern town of Hawija, the centre of one of the jihadist group s two remaining enclaves in Iraq. The next fight and the final large fight will be in the Middle Euphrates River Valley... on the Iraqi-Syrian border, Brigadier General Robert Sofge, the coalition s Deputy Commanding General, told AFP. (AFP) BAGHDAD: Thousands of Iraqi Kurdish mourners, along with Iraqi officials and world dignitaries attended on Friday the funeral of Jalal Talabani, the country s first president in a post-saddam Hussein Iraq and once a symbol on national unity. Talabani was laid to rest in Sulaimaniyah, the secondlargest city in Iraq s Kurdish region, after his casket draped in the Kurdish flag was flown back from Berlin where he died at a hospital earlier this week. From the airport in Suleimaniyah, a motorcade carried the casket to a nearby hill for burial. Crowds poured into the streets, following the funeral procession on foot, carrying flags and posters bearing Talabani s image and the emblem of the political party he founded more than three decades ago, the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan. (AP) RIYADH: The American embassy in Saudi Arabia Saturday cautioned its citizens after reports of an attack around the royal palace in the Red Sea city of Jeddah. Saudi news websites reported that security forces had foiled an attack around the Al-Salam palace that left the attacker and at least two Saudi guards killed. There was no official confirmation of the incident. (AP) Continued on Page 8 Tehran has repeatedly vowed to continue building up what it calls defensive missile capability in defiance of Western criticism, with Washington saying the Islamic Republic s stance violates its 2015 nuclear deal with the powers. But the sources said that given US President Donald Trump s threats to ditch the deal reached under his predecessor Barack Obama, Tehran had approached the powers recently about possible talks on some dimensions of its missile programme. During their meeting on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly last month, Iran told members of the (world powers) that it could discuss the missile programme to remove concerns, an Iranian source with knowledge of the meeting told Reuters on condition of anonymity. US and Western officials did not confirm the matter was discussed at the Zarif-Tillerson meeting. But two US officials said Iran had recently been keeping it alive by feeding certain media reports and via third parties such as Oman. A former US Defense Department official said Iran s overtures had reached Washington in recent weeks. Missile programme Iran has put feelers out saying it is willing to discuss its ballistic missile programme and is using contacts... officials who were holdovers from the Obama administration, the former official said. Iran s reported approach came after Trump called the nuclear accord an embarrassment and the worst deal ever negotiated. He is expected to announce soon that he will decertify the deal, a senior administration official said on Thursday. Such a step could unravel the breakthrough agreement seen by supporters as crucial to forestalling a Middle East arms race and tamping down regional tensions, since it limits Iran s ability to enrich uranium in exchange for sanctions relief. The other five powers are Britain, France, Germany, Russia and China, all of whom have reaffirmed commitment to the deal. Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif met his counterparts from the six powers, including US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson for the first time, on the fringes of the UN gathering on Sept 20. The Americans expressed their worries about Iran s missile capability and Zarif said in reply that the programme could be discussed, the Iranian source told Reuters. A US official with first-hand knowledge of dealings with the Islamic Republic said Zarif had been recycling offers that have been lying dormant on the table for some time. Trump will, meanwhile, announce new US responses to Iran s missile tests, support for terrorism and cyber operations as part of his new Iran strategy, the White House said on Friday. The president isn t looking at one piece of this. He s looking at all of the bad behavior of Continued on Page 8

2 LOCAL 2 ICJ vice president lauds Kuwait role in promoting global peace Kuwait stands against all forms of injustice: Al-Ajmi THE HAGUE, Oct 7, (KUNA): Kuwait s Minister of Justice Dr Faleh Al-Azab met Vice-President of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) Abdulqawi Yusuf Thursday evening and exchanged views on issues of international peace and justice. I was very happy to welcome to the international court of justice at The Hague His Excellency Faleh Al-Azab, the minister of justice of Kuwait, Judge Yusuf told KUNA and Kuwait TV after the meeting. We are here always delighted to exchange views with the ministers of justice from all over the world because our work is about peace and justice, he said. And since Kuwait has also been playing an extremely important role in the promotion of peace it is in the great interest for us to discuss with Kuwaiti authorities about its effort to promote peace in the world and to support also whatever effort Kuwait is undertaking, he added. On his part, Minister Al-Azab said he was honored to visit the ICJ and meet with its Vice-President. He said they praised the humanitarian role played by His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al- Sabah as well as the role of the State of Kuwait through international mediation and peace efforts whether in the Gulf or in the world. Today, from this international reference point of the ICJ, we have been honored to hear this praise, he added. After the meeting, the Kuwaiti delegation made a tour of the ICJ. Observers in the Hague note that Justice Yusuf, who hails from Somalia is a favorite candidate to become the next ICJ president when elections are held for the post in February. Earlier in the day minister Al- Azab visited the embassy of the state of Kuwait in The Hague to meet with the diplomatic staff. KUNA photos Top: Kuwaiti delegations headed by Minister of Justice pose for group photo with Vice-President of International Court of Justice (ICJ) and (above) Faleh Al-Azab presenting a memento to Abdulqawi Yusuf. Construction of 3 airports in Kuwait to cost KD 1.446b KUWAIT CITY, Oct 7: The government of Kuwait plans to work on three airports in Kuwait between 2017 to 2020, reports Al-Anba daily. The first is the Kuwait International Airport, which is carried out by a Turkish Limak Construction at a cost of KD billion. The support airport or what is called (T4) will be built at a cost of KD 60 million and the Al-Jazeera passenger terminal at a cost of KD 14 million. The total cost of construction of the three airports is KD billion. The source added the T4 and the Al-Jazeera passenger terminal are expected to be completed by mid- 2018, while the new Kuwait International Airport will be ready by The sources pointed out following the completion of these airports Kuwait expects to make a qualitative leap of the highest level in terms of services. The sources pointed out the three airports will employ a total of 5,000 workers and will have parking facilities for more than 20,000 cars. The source added a contract is expected to be signed with international companies during in the near future to manage the three airports in coordination with the regulatory authorities in the State. Accompanied He was accompanied to the ICJ by Kuwait Ambassador to the Netherlands Shamlan Al- Roumi and Yousef Al-Shumaimery, chairman of the financial committee of the PCA and observer administrative council at the PCA. The ICJ, established in 1945 under the UN Charter, began work in 1946; it is composed of fifteen judges elected to nineyear terms by the UN General Assembly and the UN Security Council. Meanwhile, Justice for all should be the motto for all people regardless of their social status; therefore, the State of Kuwait stands in support of laws and regulations on the national, regional, and international levels, said a Kuwaiti diplomat Saturday. Speaking at the sixth meeting for the legal committee of the 72nd UN General Assembly, member of the Kuwaiti delegation second secretary Mohammad Al-Ajmi said that Kuwait respected all UN and international accords that strengthened the rule of law and protected human rights. On the national level, Kuwait s constitution ensures the rights of people under the umbrella of a democracy that favors no one, affirmed the diplomat. Internationally, Al-Ajmi said that Kuwait stood against all forms of injustice and always made it paramount that the rule of law should applied on everyone. The Kuwaiti diplomat touched on the continuous Israeli violations against the Palestinian people, pointing out that this was one of the many injustices, which required a firm stance on part of the global community. KUNA photos Kuwaiti embassy in Jordan takes part in the Diplomatic Bazaar organized by Mabarrat Umm al-hussein charity society Jordan embassy takes part in charity bazaar The Kuwaiti embassy in Jordan took part on Saturday in the Diplomatic Bazaar, a charity fair whose revenues go for orphans. The embassy is keen on participating in the annual event that emphasizes solidarity and interdependence with the orphans cared for by the society, the Kuwaiti Ambassador to Jordan Hamad Al-Duaij told KUNA at the opening of the event. The Bazaar is organized by the Mabarrat Umm al-hussein charity society, chaired by Jordanian Princess Basma bint Talal who attended the opening. More than 50 embassies and consulates are taking part in this year s fair, that embodies concepts of social responsibility and enhances the spirit of the noble humanitarian work, he added. Visitors to the Kuwaiti pavilion are offered a variety of products, textiles, handmade items and foodstuff, that reflect the Kuwaiti heritage and culture, Al-Duaij said. He underlined Kuwait s commitment to backing humanitarian moves and efforts around the globe to alleviate the sufferings of the poor and the needy. Mabarrat Umm al-hussein is a charity society that has been providing free of charge shelter, education, and health care for the orphans since Price hike in gasoline saved KD 120 mln Committee approves number of draft law proposals: source KUWAIT CITY, Oct 7: The parliamentary Housing Affairs Committee has referred a draft law on increasing the rent allowance from KD 150 to KD 250 to its financial affairs counterpart to study the cost and impact on the State budget, reports Al-Rai daily quoting a parliamentary source. The source disclosed the committee also approved a number of draft laws as follows: Proposal of MP Abdullah Fahad to deduct KD 2,000 from the cost of each building in Blocks Three and Four in Al-Naseem, similar to the new housing districts. Proposal of MP Mohammad Hayef to allocate housing construction sites by the Public Authority for Housing Welfare (PAHW) to establish Quran memorization centers for men and women in new residential areas. Proposal of MP Thamer Al-Suwait to reduce the value of monthly installment for housing loan from 10 to five percent and calculate the installment based on the net salary not the gross salary stated in the salary certificate. Meanwhile, the government has recently met with members of the parliamentary committee to study the subject of interrogating HH the Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak, reports Al-Rai daily quoting parliamentary sources. Speaking on one of the points of interrogation, the government explained by increasing the gasoline prices last year the purpose was achieved and contributed to reducing the consumption of Super gasoline, which cost Ministry of Oil large sums of money. The sources pointed out the increase in the price of gasoline saved about 120 million dinars for the Treasury, based on the price of a barrel of oil at $40. The members of the committee said it is surprising because the amount saved is small and does not deserve arguments on it. The government agreed KD 120 million is small but said it will rise as oil prices rise and will save half a billion dollars in the general budget of the state, if the price of a barrel of oil reaches $50. News in Brief Medical tourism reduced by 78 percent : Minister of Health Jamal al-harbi stated the rate of medical tourism in the Ministry of Health has reduced by 78 percent. He noted specialized committee of doctors in each hospital approves of overseas treatment and not the Minister of Health or his undersecretaries, reports Al-Shahed daily. The minister admitted issuing the decision concerning the new health service fees for expatriates, indicating it has nothing to do with the development plan. He stressed the new measure will help reduce the expenses on medicine, which mainly benefited expatriates, by 330 million dinars. MoI sign contract to install cameras: Assistant Undersecretary for Engineering Sector in the Information Ministry Mish al Al-Moqalad revealed the ministry has signed a contract for the installation of security cameras within fiscal 2017/2018, reports Al-Anba daily. Speaking to the daily, Al-Moqalad said the ministry is waiting for approval from supervisory authorities to sign the contract. He added the total cost of the project is KD 470,000; indicating the security cameras will be installed at the entrances, exits, hall and television studios in a bid to enhance the security process. MPW own 9 desalination plants: Ministry of Public Works owns nine desalination plants in Sabah Al-Ahmed residential area, reports Al-Qabas daily quoting a ministerial source. He explained that it is why only five are being operated with a total capacity of 25,000 cubic meters per day. The collected water in the desert close to Block E is a mix of underground water and sewage water. The volume of the underground water that resulted from the construction activities in Block E is more than that in the other blocks because the land in that block is lower than others and is closer to the sea. Some dispose the underground water, which is discovered when digging the foundations of the buildings, by directing it towards the desert. This leads to clogging of the sewage pipes and leads to increase in the water. The source said a meeting will be held on Sunday, October 8 with the responsible official of the Public Authority for Agricultural Affairs and Fish Resources (PAAAFR) in order to discuss ways to benefit from the treated water especially since the area is in urgent need of a green belt to protect it from different weather changes.

3 LOCAL 3 ICQE provides education to 70,000 Syrian refugees Weekly roundup of Kuwait s regional humanitarian efforts KUNA photos Humanitarian Team (Insani) managed to secure fi nancial support to help schools in five areas in N. Lebanon. MoE employees urged to present their social allowance clearance of six mnts KUWAIT CITY, Oct 7: Undersecretary of Ministry of Education Dr Haitham Al-Atari urged all senior male and female officials and employees in various departments to present their social allowance clearance of six months to the employment affairs supervisor and the Department of Promotions and Bonuses in the Human Resources Sector, reports Al-Rai daily. This is based on a Cabinet decision to follow up the social status of the employees in order to avoid disbursement of undeserved money. In a circular, Dr Al-Atari stated that only the employees who receive social allowances are asked to offer the clearance. The immediate supervisor has to sign the clearance which must contain accurate information. The employees must write the names of their wives for who they receive the social allowance. They also have to mention if they are still married or if they are divorced. In case an employee has more than one wife, he has to mention their names as well. The employee has to write the names of his children for whom he receives social Kuwait Today Prayer Timings Fajr... 04:26 Sunrise... 05:44 Zohr... 11:36 Asr...14:56 Maghrib... 17:26 Isha... 18:43 Weather Expected weather for the next 24 hours: By Night: Fair and relatively humid specially over coastal areas with light to moderate south easterly wind, with speed of km/h with chance for format fog. By Day: Hot and relatively humid specially over coastal areas with light to freshening at times south easterly wind, with speed of km/h with chance for dust over some areas. Station Max Min Exp Rec Kuwait City Kuwait Airport Abdaly Bubyan Jahra Failaka Island Salmiyah Ahmadi Nuwaisib Wafra Salmy days forecast - Weather Sunday, Oct 08 Expected weather... Hot and relatively humid over coastal areas Max Temp...37C Min Temp...23C Wind Direction...VRB Wind Speed km/h Monday, Oct 09 Expected weather...hot and relatively humid specially over coastal areas Max Temp...37C Min Temp...24C Wind Direction...NE-VRB Wind Speed km/h Tuesday, Oct 10 Expected weather... Hot and relatively humid over coastal areas Max Temp...37C Min Temp...22C Wind Direction...SE-S Wind Speed km/h Wednesday, Oct 11 Expected weather...hot Max Temp...36C Min Temp...23C Wind Direction... NW Wind Speed km/h Marine Forecast Station Max Min Sea Today s Rec Exp Surf Waves Ht Dirn South Dolphin ft NW Umm Mudayrah ft NW Beacon M ft NW Beacon N ft NW Qaruh Island ft NW allowance, except for children whose social allowance has been suspended due to various reasons such as marriage of daughters, and sons above the age of 24 years and employed. Dr Al-Atari insisted that the relevant official documents which will prove the information in the clearance must be attached with the clearance. He asked employees with disabled children to get a To Whom It May Concern certificate from the Public Authority for Disabled Affairs, with details of the child s registration and the type of disability, adding that in case the disabled child receives an allowance from the Public Authority for Disabled Affairs, a certificate of To Whom It May Concern should be attached with the clearance. In such a case, the disabled child is considered as financially independent. Dr Al-Atari said female employees who receive social allowance for their children must inform the ministry if their husbands are working and earning salary of at least KD 150, in which case the disbursement of social allowance will be suspended. Umm Al-Maradem ft NW Sea Island Buoy Salmiyah ft NW 4 days forecast - Marine Sunday, Oct 08 Expected weather... Hot and relatively humid over coastal areas Sea state... Slight Wave height ft Max Temp...37C Min Temp...23C Wind Direction...VRB Wind Speed km/h Monday, Oct 09 Expected weather...hot and relatively humid specially over coastal areas Sea state...slight to moderate Wave height ft Max Temp...37C Min Temp...24C Wind Direction...NE-VRB Wind Speed km/h Tuesday, Oct 10 Expected weather... Hot and relatively humid over coastal areas Sea state...slight to moderate Wave height ft Max Temp...37C Min Temp...22C Wind Direction...SE-S Wind Speed km/h Wednesday, Oct 11 Expected weather...hot Sea state...slight to moderate Wave height ft Max Temp...36C Min Temp...23C Wind Direction... NW Wind Speed km/h Tide times at Shuwaikh Port 1st high tide:... 12:57 2nd high tide:... 00:52 1st low tide:... 19:15 2nd low tide:... 07:33 Sunrise:... 05:44 Sunset:... 17:27 Recorded yesterday at Kuwait Airport Max temp...35c Min temp...21c Max Rh...38% Min Rh...12% Max Wind...N 28 km/h Total Rainfall in 24 hrs... 0 mm Recorded yesterday at South Dolphin Min/Max/ Air Temp...26/31C Min/Max Rel Hum...20/52% Wind Direction/Wind Speed...N/38 km/h Prev Wave Dir/Max Wave Ht... N/- ft Min/Max Sea Surface Temp... -/- C Sea Current...Upwelling Directorate General of Civil Aviation, Meteorological Dept. deaths Maryam Abdul Rahman Mohammad Al Tarkeet, widow of Mohammad Ali Hasan Al Failakawi, 80 years old, buried on Saturday. Condolences: (Men) Qurain, Block 3, St 4, House 12 Tel (Women) Mubarak Al Kabeer, Block 8, St. 3, House 12. Abdul Khather Abdullah Ali Al Baloshi, 69 years old, buried on Saturday. Condolence: (Salmiya) Amman St. Huseiniyat Jamei Dar (behind Al Rashed hospital) Tel Etidal Qasem Isa, widow of Hayef Humoud Al Sanwain Al Rasheedi 70 years old, buried on Saturday. Condolence: (Men) Farwaniya, Block 2, St. 149, House 21 Tel (Women) Farwaniya, Block 2, St. 141, House 21 Tel Mohammad Zaman Mohammad Eqail Mohammad Zaman, 86 years old, to be buried on ÌSunday at 09:00 am. Condolence: (Men) Edailiya, Block 3, St. 30 Tel ( Branch of Abdul Rahman Al Asousi ), House 13 Tel (Women) Edailiya, Block 3, St. 31 ( Branch of Abdul Rahman Al Asousi ) House 2 Tel Oct 7, 2017 KUWAIT CITY, Oct 7, (KUNA): Living up to its UN-bestowed status as an International Humanitarian Center, the State of Kuwait continued to provide aid to people in Lebanon and Syria throughout the week. In Lebanon, the International Center for Quality Education (ICQE), better known as the Kuwait Charity Schools, on Friday offered education to about 70,000 Syrian refugees, the center s deputy chairman Khalil Al-Hamadi said. The number of Syrian children in the schools have been gradually on the rise since the humanitarian project was launched five years ago. They hit 13,000 last year in 27 schools in Northern Lebanon, Al- Hamadi told KUNA on the sidelines of the start of the academic year in some of the facilities under supervision of the ICQE. This year, the center aims to provide education to 20,000 pupils, he said, voicing gratitude to the charity and relief organizations and other benefactors in Kuwait and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) for their support to the project over the years. Al-Hamadi also thanked members of the Insani (Humanitarian) Team which comprises volunteers from Kuwait and the GCC. They have managed to secure financing and support to schools in five areas in Northern Lebanon this year, he said. Specialized For his part, administrative director of the ICQE in Lebanon, Mahmoud Sweyed, said the Kuwaiti charity schools provide education services through specialized educators. In addition, the center offers psychological and social support to the pupils, after the horrible conditions they witnessed due to the war at home, he added. In Tripoli, northern Lebanon, several schools being run by Kuwaiti charities began their semester, according to a Kuwaiti diplomat. Speaking to KUNA on Thursday, the diplomat in charge of humanitarian affairs at Kuwait s embassy in Beirut Mohammad Al- Khaldi said that his country was keen on aiding the needy in Lebanon. He affirmed that Kuwaiti charities were willing to seek all venues of relief aid including the education of the less fortunate. The diplomat thanked charitable Kuwaiti entities for their relentless efforts to help those seeking education, stressing that this was reflective of Kuwait s strong desire to aid people in Lebanon and worldwide. On his part, head of the Kuwaiti team for humanitarian initiatives Anan Al-Subihi emphasized that most of those seeking education at Kuwaiti operated schools were of the Syrian refugee populace. He indicated that the Kuwaiti team s main focus was to provide educational and mental support to child refugees in Lebanon, Jordan, Turkey, Yemen, and also within some regions in Syria. Meanwhile, member of the Kuwaiti International Islamic Charitable Organization s (IICO) quality education center Mustafa Alloush said that several schools in the Tripoli area were able to Dr Hwailah Quality of drinking water Omar Kutayba Alghanim, and Ms Laila Al Mutairi, during the Annual General Meeting. From left: INJAZ s board members Dari Al Bader, Abdulwahab Al Mutawa, Khalid Faisal Al Mutawa, Omar Kutayba Alghanim and Ms Laila Al Mutairi Omar Kutayba Alghanim presides over INJAZ s Kuwait AGM INJAZ Kuwait has held its Annual General Meeting on Thursday, Oct 5, at Alghanim Industries headquarters at Al Hamra Tower. Meeting was hosted by INJAZ Kuwait s Chairman Omar Kutayba Alghanim, and the company s CEO Ms Laila Al Mutairi, and was attended by members of the organization Khalid Faisal Al Mutawa, Abdulwahab Abdulrahman Al Mutawa and Dari Al Bader. The Board of Director s report was presented for the academic year ending on 30/6/2017, the report indicated that the number of participating students in the organizations leadership and entrepreneurial programs are in continuous growth. The 2017 reports showed that 11,000 students were trained with the contribution of 831 volunteers, who have provided their professional experience in the fi nancial literacy, entrepreneurship and business management fields. Financial report was also discussed during the AGM, board members also approved the reassignment of Ernst & Young and Aiban Usaimi and Partners as legal auditor for the year. With regards to INJAZ Kuwait s 2018 strategy, several initiatives were suggested by the organization, which entail increasing INJAZ Kuwait s exposure to the public PAAAFR dispatches emergency teams and private educational institutions by implementing programs for Middle school, High school, Public Authority for Applied Education and Training (PAAET), and Universities, to enhance corporate volunteering awareness in the private sector. The strategy also includes approaching more companies in the private sector and establishing an active CSR relationship to engage them in our mission, while engaging more students in its annual Company Program Competition, which is one of INJAZ-Kuwait s flagship programs, and one of its most popular programs among students and focusing on the economic concepts for business. Move to maintain beautification plants across Kuwait KUWAIT CITY, Oct 7: Public Authority for Agricultural Affairs and Fish Resources (PAAAFR) disclosed dispatching emergency teams last week for the maintenance of beautification plants in different locations across the country, reports Al-Qabas daily. A source said the activities will continue until the desired goals are Kuwait leads Arab countries KUWAIT CITY, Oct 7, (KUNA): Undersecretary of the Ministry of Electricity and Water Eng Mohammad Bushehri said Friday the World Health Organization (WHO) rated Kuwait as the top Arab country in terms of the quality of sanitation, drinking water and hygiene. WHO assessment comes in recognition of Kuwait s relentless efforts to ensure the safety of drinking water and provide the water stations and laboratories with the state-of-the-art equipment, he told reporters this evening. He commended the efforts being made by Kuwaiti engineers and technicians to ensure quality of drinking water, sanitation and hygiene through regular checks and tests. WHO is working with Kuwait and other partners around the globe to implement the Global Analysis and Assessment of Sanitation and Drinking-Water (GLAAS), Eng Bushehri pointed out. realized through the companies that handle planting and maintenance of the ornamentals. He affirmed the teams have continued cleaning and putting up date palms at various locations, covering highways and intersections along the Fourth Ring Road, Fifth Ring Road, Sixth Ring Road and Maghreb Highway. He stressed the teams are working begin the school year due to the efforts of Kuwaiti charitable organizations. Hundreds of refugees are now able to pursue education thanks to the generous Kuwaiti efforts, he affirmed. Furthermore, the Kuwaiti Al- Najat Charity held on Thursday tests for Syrian children to assess their intellectual and educational levels prior to registration in private schools. These quizzes aim to help Syrian children, who failed to get education over the past years, enroll in private schools, said Dr Abdulmohsen Al-Hwailah, the assistant undersecretary for private education at the Ministry of Education. Dr Al-Hwailah was speaking during a tour at the exam venues, schools of Al-Najat Charity, involving 1,250 Syrian boys and girls. Such help for the Syrian children is in line with guidelines of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, the top example for us as individuals and institutions particularly after His Highness has been designated as Humanitarian Leader, said Dr Al-Hwailah. according to schedule and recording observations or obstacles. He assured efforts will be intensified toward planting and maintenance of the plants, thus workers have defied the unfavorable condition in the country during summer and also overcome the problem of water shortage resulting from technical error at Al-Riqqa Water Treatment Plan. This program, launched two years ago, aims at aiding the Syrian students, who have no residency papers, or whose parents are in financial difficulty or who lack any papers proving that they have gotten education in their homeland, Syria. These pupils receive official certifications with qualification classes, enabling them to register in private schools. Al-Najat Charity, a Kuwaiti public welfare association, builds schools, gives assistance to students, citizens and foreigners, who cannot afford school fees.

4 LOCAL 4 DIWANIYA A DIGEST OF PUBLIC OPINION KU photo The Guidance and Orientation Office of the College of Science at Kuwait University held an orientation meeting for new students in the presence of the Vice-Dean for Student Affairs Dr Adeeba Al-Harban and the Head of Guidance and Orientation Offi ce Dr Mohammad Bin Sabt. Robotics key to regional development Al-Athari Govt keen to support students KUWAIT CITY, Oct 7, (KUNA): The Ministry of Education s Kuwait Robotics Center, established in 2002, is one of the leading institutes in the region dreaming of a high-tech future society. Part of the extracurricular activities organized by the ministry, the center aims at attracting those interested in the field of robotics. Speaking on the importance of this technological field, undersecretary at the Ministry of Education Dr Haitham Al-Athari said that the ministry was eager to support those interested in robotics, saying that developed nations paid attention to this field and its various applications. The center plays a vital part in developing the interest of students, affirmed Dr Al-Athari, noting that the entity was keen on sending robotics enthusiast to regional and international competition so as they could develop their skills. Delivering a similar statement, head of the center Salem Al-Kanderi said that they were one of the first bodies in the region to help focus on robotics. The center, which operates from 05:00 until 08:00 pm local-time at Rawdah area, is very keen on popularizing robotics in Kuwait, attracting all those interested in the field, affirmed Al-Kanderi. On his part, certified robotics instructor Abdulwahab Al-Qattan said that the center provided certificates for those who completed its program, revealing that the entity have helped to train around 180 internees last summer vacation. Kuwait also holds its own internationally recognized competitions, which sees the participation of various robotics teams, said Al-Qattan. On the achievements of the center, certified robotics instructor Jassem Mohammad said that that members have gained recognition from their regional and international peers, adding that the center have worked with the non-government and non-profit International Movement for Leisure Activities in Science and Technology (MILSET) in developing the skills of Kuwaiti robotics devotees. The center also partakes annual competition for the Jordan-based Arab robotics association, said Al-Kanderi. He indicated that the Kuwaiti delegation did well in these competitions, winning several gold, silver, and bronze medals. He also indicated that Kuwaiti teams have won several international awards, noting that national teams won two gold and two silver medals at the 2016 Infomatrix international competition held in Romania. Bus driver loses job Uncle s children prove costly KUWAIT CITY, Oct 7: Ministry of Education has affirmed in a press statement that it has dismissed the Egyptian bus driver who was seen in a video clip that recently went viral on social media in which a Kuwaiti citizen caught him transporting people who had nothing to do with Ministry of Education in a bus of the ministry, reports Al-Rai daily. Reportedly, the driver had finished taking students to their destinations and then he started transporting other people. When caught by the citizen, he justified by saying, They are my uncle s children, which means people from his country. The ministry affirmed its keenness to apply the rules and regulations governing work, stressing that it will not tolerate any deviation from contract commitments and provisions which the ministry signed with all companies. It revealed that it has informed the company responsible for leasing buses to transport students of public schools to warn its drivers not to use the buses for their personal matters, adding that it will reserve its right to apply contractual provisions. Savings stolen: An Egyptian expatriate lost KD 660 the savings of three months which he had intended to send to his family when an unknown person stole the money from his car, reports Al-Rai daily. According to a security source, the Egyptian man withdrew the money from the ATM branch of a local bank and went to his house in Farwaniya area to take the necessary details for making the money transfer. When he went to his car in order to go to a money exchange office, he was shocked to find the door of his car smashed and the envelope containing the amount missing. He immediately went to Farwaniya Police Station to report the incident. A theft case was registered and referred to the Investigations. Turmoil certain if secession move goes ahead Lack of rights led to referendum WE CANNOT say that the Kurdish state (alleged) cannot be predicted at the same time as a fact and inevitably coming, columnist Mohammad Hazza a Al-Mutairi wrote for Al-Qabas. However, we did not expect the Kurdistan region to move towards separation from the homeland mother, to create a new homeland! Over the past few years we had no idea that the Kurdish state was coming. We had never expected that one day the Kurds will dare to hold a referendum and challenge the Iraqi state and all neighboring countries will be hostile to the establishment of the Kurdish state. We have to take a deep breath and pause at the referendum day. It has not come from a vacuum, but it is the product of years and years of undeclared work to realize this day s dream. The Kurds have managed to exploit the failure of successive Iraqi governments have failed to impose their control on the Iraqi territories. Apart from the above, the Kurds have actually earned the confidence of many countries in the world and the Middle East in particular in just a few years, through their work on the stability of their region and cities and regions, and worked to build and modernize their infrastructure. Al-Mutairi The Kurds over the years have established what can be branded as semi-state with all the components and manifestations including the airports, ministries, army, apparatus and touristic and investment activities to attract foreign investment into the region from Europe and some Arab and Gulf states, until Erbil and Sulaymaniyah, became two international stations with an international airport for aircraft to land from various international ports. The success of the Kurds in the referendum was generated by the failure of the government in Baghdad and the fiasco of the previous governments, where the symptoms of the financial and administrative corruption prevailed during the reign of these governments and this was something horrible to such an extent the government corruption always topped the pertinent international indexes. Moreover, the consecutive Iraqi governments had failed to provide security in governorates and the cities and the Kurds were well aware of such a situation, so they used all their potential to go ahead in their project and vote in a referendum demanding separation from the Iraqi state and declare their independence. In spite of the above, we cannot forecast what will happen in the near future nor assess the shape of the Iraqi state. In other words, will the Iraqi state become like Sudan, with one state in the north and another in south of the country with a difference in terms of the nature of these states, because the prospective Iraqi state will be founded on ethnic basis and not on religious or doctrinal basis. This shall represent something new in our region. But here, we should not forget the pressure currently facing the government of Kurdistan to prevent it from taking the next step after the success in the first step. Consequently, is the question that dialogue which the Kurds demand from the Baghdad government is the sole manner of solving this crisis? What this dialogue will lead to? In this context, we have observed there are no signs to show the Kurdistan Command Council chaired by Massoud Al-Barzani comprising representatives from all of the parties in the region including the Kurdish, Arab, Turkmen, Christians and so on, will nullify the outcomes of the recent popular referendum although the latter has not been recognized by the governments of Baghdad, Tehran and Ankara. We know both Iran and Turkey at the moment enjoy significant influence inside Iraq and this was evident through the repeated storming of the North of Iraq by the Turkish military forces while chasing the fighters of the banned Turkish Labor Party. Given the above, we infer that losses for the powers who oppose the establishment of the Kurdish state, rest in the fact that these powers had refused to honor the demands of the Kurds which they had demanded prior to holding the recent referendum. This happened although, the concerned parties were in a position to reach a specific solution, but for the time being, the outcome of the referendum in question has become a reality and as such the solution to the crisis seems difficult under which it will be impossible to turn the clock back. Also: The cause of the Kurds as people and nationalism distributed over in four countries is nothing new, columnist Dr Nasser Khamees Al-Mutairi wrote for Annahar daily. The Kurds have always been dreaming to unify their ranks and build their own entity and the popular referendum for independence that was conducted recently in Kurdistan region of Iraq, falls (may be) is this Kurdish dream, but it looks like the current volatile regional circumstances and associations and various disturbing attitudes in the face of this dream are likely to result in the latter becoming a nightmare and may end in military confrontation that shall constitute a threat to the entire region. This danger was expected since the government in Erbil was insisting to arrange the referendum in question ignoring the fact that the latter shall result in two military confrontations the first with Baghdad for the latter still insists to protect the Iraqi unity and the second with Turkey because the latter has categorically turned down the outcomes of this referendum. Moreover, Ankara still threatens to take military action in the North of Iraq to abort the Kurdish project motivated by its rejection of the latter of founding an independent Kurdish state. In other words, for Turkey, the Kurdish project in the Kurdistan region of Iraq, shall encourage the Kurds of Turkey to follow the example of their Iraqi counterparts, particularly since we know that Ankara have over the years been resisting the demands of the Kurdish Labor Party of Turkey for autonomy for Kurds in Dyarbakir region of Turkey. We have observed that it looks like Israel is one of the most enthusiastic parties which is currently supporting the demands of the Kurds to found an independent Kurdish state in the North of Iraq because for Israel this prospective achievement shall constitute a major breakthrough to have access deep inside the Arab region and minimize the growing Iranian influence in Iraq. Ironically, we have observed how the officials in Tel Aviv are currently calling for granting the Kurds the right for autonomy, but in the meantime, they are rejecting to grant the same to the Palestinians who are living on Palestinian territories currently occupied by Israel. With regard to Russia, Moscow still prefers to remain silent in view of its involvement in the Syrian crisis. Moreover, Washington in turn, still fears the current Kurdish crisis is likely to draw the attention of the relevant parties away from the war against the Islamic State (IS) or the so-called DAESH. In other words, Washington fears this crisis will get the entire region involved in ethnic struggles, particularly since we know that Iran has threatened to impose sanctions on Kurdistan by closing the outlets of this region. Yesterday, a friend sent me a story In the year 2007, a businessman decided to build a wine cellar and bar next to a Baptist church in a small village in the State of Texas called Mount Vernon, Dr Ali Al-Za abi wrote for Al-Shahed daily. The members of the church launched a campaign against the wine cellar and its owner. They forwarded letters to the municipality to ban its establishment; however, the municipality s response was that the land owner is entitled to build the bar. The church members then decided to pray every night for a divine intervention in stopping the construction of the bar. When the construction work was almost complete and the bar was on the verge of opening, a lightning struck the bar and destroyed it. The church members celebrated the victory and thanked God for responding to their prayer. While the bar owner sued the church and its members, demanding compensation of $2 million under the claim that the prayer conducted by the church was the reason for the collapse of his investment, either directly or indirectly. In the court, the church denied its responsibility, referring to the study conducted by Professor Benson from Harvard University who had affirmed the irrelevance of prayer on aspects of life. When we take necessary actions for protecting our country, we do not care about what the history is going to write about us, Dr Hamoud Hattab Al-Enezi wrote for Al- Seyassah daily. What benefit will we attain if tyrants invade our country? We know quite well about the barbaric way they treat their victims. We saw it in Iraq and Syria, and we are watching what is happening to the Rohingya Muslims who are victims of a terrible genocide. Protecting the country is not a shameful process. On the contrary, it is the call of reason, courage and wisdom. We care about the coming generations that will one day clap their hands for what we did. It is said that a cotton seller cannot be consulted about issues related to wars. We all are like the cotton seller in terms of the luxurious lifestyle that we have become familiar with. Due to our nature, we are unable to provide the right opinions in issues related to security and war. Some say a blacksmith can be consulted in issues relating to wars. Our ancestors handed down Kuwait to us safe and sound. It is our turn to hand it over to our descendents in the same safe and sound way that we received. There is no place for us to feel ashamed about the political and military decisions that are taken for protecting our country. The signing of six agreements between Kuwait and Turkey particularly those related to security and defense matters is an appreciated step aimed at maintaining the security of our country. The joint defense agreement signed between the two countries is more important than any other signed agreements. The two countries represent the organs of the same body. Furthermore, I call for establishing a Turkish military base in Kuwait. Compiled by Zaki Taleb News in Brief 26 kilos food destroyed: The Public Relations Department of Kuwait Municipality disclosed that the Hawally Municipality s Emergency Team launched a campaign on restaurants and shops in Hawally areas to ensure shop owners are abiding by the municipal laws and regulations, reports Al-Anba daily. The campaign resulted in issuance of citations for 23 violations which included employing workers who did not have health certificates or had expired health certificates, putting up advertisements without permit, trespassing onto spaces beyond what was allotted, and trading expired and spoiled food items. The team confiscated and destroyed 26 kilograms of spoiled food items. In Ahmadi, the emergency team carried out a similar campaign on commercial shops, streets and public places with the aim of removing randomly erected advertisements. The campaign witnessed the issuance of 15 citations related to food and advertisement violations. Two shops were administratively closed for violating municipal rules and regulations, and 42 random advertisements were removed from streets and public places. Hysterical Asian maid: An Asian domestic worker, who was visibly hysterical, took shelter under a parked car in front of her sponsor s house in Andalus area due to unknown reasons, reports Al-Anba daily. The sponsor called the Operations Room of Ministry of Interior after noticing the weird behavior of his housemaid. He told securitymen, who came to the rescue, that he does not know the reasons why his housemaid took shelter under the car, stressing that she is always disciplined and well behaved. The maid stayed put under the vehicle until she was persuaded to come out by securitymen. She was referred for psychiatric evaluation and a report about the incident was registered. Woman assaulted by friends: A Kuwaiti woman, armed with a medical report, lodged a complaint at a police station, accusing her friends of assaulting her, reports Al-Rai daily. She said two of her friends visited her in her house and they eventually had an argument concerning a previous dispute. They then hit her before they left her house. The woman provided police with information about her two friends and a case was registered.

5 LOCAL 5 Kuwait s ALO chief calls for Arab world s sustainable dev Organization s 87th session opens CAIRO, Oct 7, (KUNA): General Director of the Arab Labor Organization (ALO) Fayez Al-Mutairi on Saturday called for effective panarab cooperation to realize sustainable development in the Arab countries. In light of fundamental developments happening in the Arab region, paramount attention must be devoted to social and economic issues, namely combating poverty, youth employment, professional training and boosting social dialogue, said Al-Mutairi (of Kuwait) during inauguration of ALO s 87th session. Top & above: Some photos from the symposium Elite group of int l specialists attend New Mowasat Hospital launches 8th Symposium on Digestive Endoscopy KUWAIT CITY, Oct 7: New Mowasat Hospital launched the Eighth Digestive Endoscopy Symposium at the Radisson Hotel recently in the presence of an elite group of international specialists in digestive tract. Consultant and Clinical Director of the Digestive Disease and Endoscopy Department at the hospital Dr Mahmoud Omar and Professor of Medicine at Kuwait University Dr Jaber Al-Ali chaired the conference. Omar pointed out that the conference aims to strengthen practical and scientific relations and build a clear vision to meet the demands of existing medical practices by discussing medical issues, research studies, opinions and ideas with the participation of a group of doctors and experts, in addition to the exchange of practical experiences. He elaborated that the symposium s seven past courses achieved a clear success which granted its prominent status. A step that initiated aspirations towards development and implementation of the hospital s strategy in providing everything that is new in the health sector, in line with its mission and objectives. Moreover, the success of the conference confirms the hospital s competency and capability in taking on this responsibility, he added. He explained that the international symposium, which is being held for the eighth time in Kuwait, will have a significant impact on the use of the new generation of endoscopes in the early detection and treatment of tumors through endoscopes as means to dispense with major surgery. He said the attendees in the conference include six of the top consultants in digestive disease, whereas Dr Jaber Al-Ali lectured on new obesity endoscopic techniques. He affirmed the invitation is open to all digestive system doctors to attend the conference; as well as pediatricians, radiologists, oncologists and general practitioners in different hospitals and clinics, in addition to members of the nursing staff. He asserted that the participation of these groups will enrich their experience and widen their knowledge, as the sessions will focus on the most significant developments in the world of digestive system disease and the time needed for patients to have endoscopes either for examination or treatment. On the other hand, Director of the hospital Dr Alexander Varghese confirmed that the symposium reflects the hospital s medical strategy in providing all that is new in the health sector. Business Development Manager in the hospital Aliaa El Sayed said, The conference earned a global standard after the endorsement of the European Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy and World Endoscopy Organization, as well as the European Accreditation Council for continuing Medical Education. News in Brief 5-member panel to conduct study: A fivemember committee has been tasked to conduct a study on granting manpower support to owners of home-based micro enterprises, reports Al-Anba daily quoting knowledgeable sources. Sources disclosed the committee members are from the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Kuwait Municipality, Ministry of Social Affairs, Public Institution for Social Security (PIFSS), and Manpower and Government Restructuring Program (MGRP). The panel held several meetings to push for final approval of the proposal which will be implemented within the next two months once approved by the five governmental authorities. KIPIC appoints Abol as Deputy CEO: Kuwait Integrated Petroleum Industries Company (KIPIC) issued an administrative circular on the appointment of Mahmoud Abdullah Abol as Deputy CEO for Financial and Administrative Affairs, replacing Khalid Al-Qaoud, reports Al-Rai daily. KIPIC lauded the tremendous efforts that Al-Qaoud exerted since the inception and launching of the company, while wishing Abol success in his new post. Info issues decisions on appointment: Information Ministry Undersecretary Tariq Al-Mazram issued several decisions on the appointment and transfer of directors and supervisors in various sectors of the ministry, reports Al-Jarida daily. In a press statement, Al-Mazram disclosed the decisions include the transfer of Yousif Al-Sera a from the Cultural Programs and Production Department and Al-Qurain Channel in the Television Sector to the Broadcasting Sector as Director of Quran Broadcasting Unit. Also, Tariq Al-Awadi was appointed Programs Supervisor in Quran Broadcasting Unit, Abdulaziz Hilal as Director of Production Department and Saoud Al-Awaihan as Director of the Training and Development Department. Attaining sustainable development in the Arab world is strategically inevitable, said Al-Mutairi, re-underscoring remedy for the high heap of social and economic problems burdening the nation widely eyed as fertile ground for mounting violence and fanaticism. ALO s session witnessed election of Iraqi Minister of Labor (Eng) Mohammad Al-Sudani as board chairman, who for his turn, delved into the issue of mounting joblessness in the Arab states, prescribing adequate investment environment for the private sector where it could be an effective partner in the process toward development. The young, he opines further, need to be encourage to take initiatives and be innovative in small and medium enterprises. According to World Bank estimates, in 2016, unemployment reached some 11.5 percent around the Arab region, much higher than most other parts of the world. However, ALO s reports put joblessness at more than 17 percent, and that the Arab states need to create 35 million job opportunities to decrease current unemployment rates to half by Conferees examined decisions of the 86th session and the 44th session of the Arab Labor Conference. They also discussed reports about overhauling labor systems in ALO s member countries, conditions of the Palestinian people, namely the workers, in the occupied territories, affirming utmost support for the Palestinians in face of inhuman practices by the Zionist entity and their struggle to determine their destiny and re-attain freedoms. They praised Kuwaiti Minister of Social Affairs and Labor Hind Al-Sebeeh for her effective efforts when she headed the Arab group during the 106 session of the International Labor Conference, held in Geneva last June. Minister says to eradicate medical tourism KUWAIT CITY, Oct 7: Minister of Health Dr Jamal Al-Harbi disclosed about the eradication of medical tourism in Ministry of Health by almost 78 percent, reports Al-Shahed daily. He indicated that the decisions in this regard will be taken by specialized committees composed of doctors in each hospital and not Minister of Health or any of the undersecretaries. The minister explained that the decision to increase the charges of health services offered to expatriates was issued by him and has nothing to do with the developmental plan.

6 LOCAL Blogger gets 7 years jail Not guilty in drugs case By Jaber Al-Humoud Al-Seyassah Staff KUWAIT CITY, Oct 7: The Criminal Court acquitted a citizen of possessing hashish and cocaine for consumption and trafficking purpose. Defense Attorney Abdullah Al- Alanda argued that warrant issued by the Public Prosecution was not legal, because it didn t state the motive for searching and arresting his client, while the signature on the document wasn t readable. Al-Alanda He added considered the ensuing events to be illegal, because it was based on illegal procedures, indicating the act of breaking into the house of his client at night was unlawful. Blogger jailed: The Criminal Court sentenced a Kuwaiti blogger to 7 years in prison for defying the Amiri entity, reports Al-Rai daily. The accused is said to have impersonated a Bedoun man and created a fake social media account where he posted statements deemed offensive to the Amiri entity. The blogger is believed to have perpetrated the act intentionally to get even with the Bedoun and to put him in trouble due to a dispute between them. The Public Prosecution charged the blogger for defying the Amir, misusing mobile phone, and impersonating another person but he denied all accusations in court. Legitimate at last: The Family Court ordered the Ministry of Social Affairs to issue necessary document (birth certificate) and grant custody of the aforementioned document to a youth who was born out of wedlock, in a case considered to be one of a kind in Kuwait. The plaintiff lawyer stated his client does not possess any official document and has been deprived of the right to education and healthcare in Kuwait for 20 years. Meanwhile, the Civil Circuit of the Court of First Instance ordered a man to pay compensation worth KD 8,000 to his wife for beating and insulting her in public. The defense counsel of the wife Lawyer Ayed Al-Rasheedi lodged a complaint at the General Investigations Department against his client s husband for insulting and beating her in front of people, adding that she had sustained a number of injuries, which was proven by a forensic report. Marriage between dead man, maid declared null and void Two bloggers sued for defamation By Jaber Al-Hamoud Al-Seyassah Staff KUWAIT CITY, Oct 7: The Family Circuit of the Court of First Instance declared the illegality of the marriage contract between a dead Kuwaiti citizen and his housemaid, as it was signed following the issuance of a verdict that placed him under guardianship as he was suffering from dementia. The counsel to the heirs of the citizen Lawyer Ali Al-Ali explained that his clients father was more than 80 years of age when he died after a long period of suffering from diseases that prevented him from controlling his money. Based on a court verdict, he was placed under the guardianship of Public Authority for Minors Affairs. Following his death, his clients were surprised when their father s housemaid filed a lawsuit, demanding her right to the inheritance in line with a marriage contract signed between her and their father. In the lawsuit, she revealed that the marriage had lasted for one whole year before her husband died. Lawyer Al-Ali said the court verdict that placed his clients father under guardianship was issued eight years before his death due to which the marriage and everything that followed should be considered illegal. Bloggers sued: Lawyer Sa ad Al- Enezi has filed a complaint with the Public Prosecution against two twitter users for abusing his client, Sheikh Khaled Al-Abdullah, head of Amiri Ceremonials in the Amiri Diwan, reports Al-Anba daily. Al-Enezi said the tweeters used abusive tweets that go beyond the A flamingo bird cleaning its feathers as it enjoys its stay at one of the beaches in Kuwait during migration season. (Jaber Abdulkhaliq KUNA) freedom of criticism and expression. He stressed the tweets are malicious and aim to tarnish the image of his client and to discredit him within and outside Kuwait by circulating rumors. Principal acquitted: The Misdemeanor Court acquitted a female school principal in Farwaniya Governorate of beating and disgracing a student. The court rather fined the student s father KD 100 and referred the case to a competent civil court. The case file indicated the student s father sued the school principal for beating his ward and supported his claim with medical report. The principal denied all allegations against her and went ahead to file a petition against the plaintiff, and accused him of disgracing her in front of students and teachers. Defense Lawyer Fahad Al- Saeed maintained that his client was a complainant rather than an accused. He stated his client was embarrassed by the student s father in a manner that degraded her position. The lawyer argued that medical report showed the student sustained injuries in a fight with his colleagues contrary to allegations the father had made. He wondered why the man alleges the principal assaulted his son while the report was written before the incident. Hearing adjourned: The Court of Appeals has adjourned proceedings until the judicial panel responds to the request made by 21 citizens among them former and current members of parliament accused of repeating the infamous speech titled enough of frivoling by former MP Musallam Al-Barrak. The Criminal Court earlier sentenced each defendant to three years imprisonment and KD 2000 fine for repeating the infamous speech, which according to the judiciary, is offensive to the entity of His Highness the Amir of Kuwait but the verdict was suspended. All defendants denied the charges seeing two years jail term with hard labor, which former MP Al-Barrak served for the same offense. The controversial speech was given at Erada Square and the prosecution has since urged the court to issue the toughest punishment against the defendants, which is five years imprisonment with hard labor. 6 Other Voices Clock ticking for two new nations By Yousef Awadh Al-Azmi Politics is the conflict of power and not the conflict of intents, German sociologists Max Weber ( ). Is it possible to have a unity agreement between the Arab countries? Is the timing of such an idea realistic? Could there be an agreement for two or three countries to unite and become a single country, which means erasing borders from the map and highlighting a country that is based on three unmarked countries? There are fierce secessionist movements on the ground - one in the north in Kurdistan region of Iraq, and the other in the south in Yemen. The latter seems to have agreed to disagree in their movement. Even though that is the case, the movement still exists and there are people who are in support of it. In my previous article, I had stated that the Kurdistan referendum would not have taken place without a green light from the major powers. Given that the south of Yemen was an independent country before its unification with the north of Yemen took place in 1994, it is safe for me to say that, after the Kurdistan file is completed and their case is closed, the compass will turn to the south of Yemen. This is due to several reasons; most important of all is the existence of a political force that has huge influence in the local politics in south of Yemen, as well as a coalition desire among some Arab countries that wish to see its separation from the north despite its ramification within the international opinion towards secession. There is an almost-settled conviction in the hearts of the people of south that secession is the solution for the existing political and development strife. However, there are always misgivings with the north interfering in every aspect of the south I do not mean interference of a country by another. The interference that I am talking about is the kind which has no balanced internal political foothold. It could be demonstrated by swamping the south with leadership that is based on allegiances and installing people to lead without any regard for their qualifications. Naturally, in such cases, people will lose confidence and trust in their leadership in the south. As usual, denominational politics destroys. Therefore, the people of the south will end up feeling estranged in their own country and subjected to the unwise will of others. Therefore, if the Kurdish political movement, which has global support, succeeds in separating Kurdistan from Iraq and establishing an independent state, the course of the train might reach Aden. A secession referendum could be used there to determine the destiny of the south, even though it is not a necessary tool, considering that it can be replaced by measures that would lead to separation, banking on its previous independent status. Obstacles might exist in Yemen, similar to the ones that keep unfolding in Erbil. However, there is no doubt that the element of success in the south of Yemen is much greater and enjoys much more support than Arbil did, especially in terms of its porous coastline and sharing of border with countries which might protest. Nevertheless, the process of separation will proceed easily and successfully. We might wake up to the formation of two new countries. However, we should not forget that What cannot be completely attained should not be completely abandoned. twitter@alzmi1969 Al-Azmi

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8 LOCAL 8 Aim to redefine service standards Kuwait to have its first electronic passenger info service KUWAIT CITY, Oct 7: Citybus of City Group Company has unveiled its plan to launch the first of its kind electronic passenger information service in a bid to develop bus transportation in the country, according to a report published Saturday by Intelligent Transport on its website. The report revealed that this new service, from Papercast Ltd a leader in solar powered e-paper real-time passenger information systems aims to redefine service standards in the country. It will replace the traditional bus stop paper timetables with Papercast s first ever deployment of the double 32 e-paper display and onboard service information screens, with a fully integrated GTFS real-time passenger information platform. The service also includes a transit management system for improved bus arrival accuracy and service performance management. Furthermore, in another first for the country, it will also enable a brandnew mobile app in the coming year. Chief Operating Officer of City Group Company Jamil Malik said, Getting accurate service information to passengers on time is transforming the service experience in cities around the world. We are delighted to be the first to introduce this technology, not only in Kuwait but across the GCC states. We selected Papercast as they were able to provide an end-to-end solution with some of the most progressive technology we have seen. Furthermore, the Papercast e-paper displays are wireless and solar powered so we can easily install them without any power or infrastructure changes. It s also an environmentally friendly solution. Citybus is the first public transport provider to introduce solar powered e- paper technology into the GCC states, with an initial deployment on four dedicated routes serving Kuwait International Airport. What will Continued from Page 1 of Northern Iraq, stated that the Kurdistan independence referendum scheduled for Sept 25 will not have any legitimacy unless it is confirmed by a decision of the parliament. Meanwhile, some Kurdish politicians and NGO s launched an anti-referendum campaign under the slogan No for Now. The common opinion was that the referendum would not bring any new benefit for the region; on the contrary, it would spark tension and conflicts, which in turn would lead to further suffering for the people of the region. How accurate this statement is has already begun to be confirmed. By advancing deeper into Iraq in 2014 and capturing Mosul, ISIS plunged the Barzani administration directly into war. Apart from that conflict the Barzani administration faced other challenges too, such as the care of refugees coming from Syria and Iraq, being unable to receive their 17 percent oil share of from the central administration, the PKK attempting to declare autonomy in the Sinjar region, the protests sparked by economic stagnation, and internal political disputes. Barzani probably saw the referendum as a way out of these difficulties or a political maneuver; elections are to be held in Northern Iraq in early November, and Barzani wants to enter those elections as the leader who took a step towards independence. However, this is an erroneous strategy that does not take the good of the people into consideration at all. The first autonomy agreement between Baghdad and the Kurds were signed in Backed by the USA, the Kurds obtained an area under their own control in In 2005, this area acquired an official status known as the Iraqi Kurdish Regional Government (KRG). The borders were not clearly drawn during this status acquisition, and the oil-rich territories, Kirkuk in particular, remained as disputed areas. Taking advantage of the ISIS offensive in 2014, the KRG took control of Kirkuk. However, Kirkuk and Mosul have always been highly sensitive and controversial areas, in which Turkey also has the right to speak about since World War I. Moreover, these areas are not predominantly Kurdish, contrary to what the KRG claims. Attempting to incorporate Kirkuk, whose population is largely comprised of Turkmens and Arabs, into the KRG through a fait accompli is a highly dangerous step that may lead to a Turkmen-Arab-Kurdish conflict in the future. As a matter of fact, the Central Iraqi Government called the referendum decision unconstitutional and illegitimate. International organizations, including the UN and countries that are influential in the region such as the USA and Russia, did not express their support for the referendum. Turkey also objected to this referendum, voicing valid concerns. Despite all the warnings from neighboring countries, the central Iraqi government and international organizations, the Barzani administration was insistent upon the referendum decision. This seemingly implacable attitude of Barzani s prompted consequent measures and decisions that have been taken against the KRG. First, Iran and Turkey announced that they would close their border gates. Meanwhile, the Iraqi Central Government announced that they had closed Erbil s airspace to all flights. The Supreme Court of Iraq launched an investigation against those responsible for the referendum under charges of disrupting Iraq s unity and posing a risk to the security of the country. Nouri al-maliki, the Vice-President of Iraq, described the illegal referendum held by the KRG as war against the unity of the people of Iraq. It seems that this decision that was taken without even consulting or paying any heed to criticisms from Turkey, who offers financial support to the KRG so that the salaries of the Peshmerga and government officials could be paid, provides military training and equipment to the Peshmerga, and takes measures for the protection of the government and Barzani himself, will drive the KRG into an even more challenging situation. Contrary to what people have been led to believe, the referendum will not bring independence: On the contrary, it will result in the loss of the already existent achievements on the Northern Iraq s part, and what s worse, it may well pave the way for new conflicts in the ever-tumultuous Middle East. The Islamic world is certainly not in need of new conflicts; it needs to cease the ongoing bloodshed in various regions as soon as possible and to do so, it needs to achieve unity. The easiest way to establish control over these lands is to divide it into smaller pieces and set these territories upon each other in perpetual conflict, thus having them waste their energy on internecine conflict. This is what has been done in the Middle East for almost a century. Under the current circumstances, the Barzani administration does not hold sufficient political power. The tensions that will most likely escalate in the wake of the referendum may provide a favorable ground for overthrowing the Barzani government. After Barzani is overthrown, the rule of the region may conceivably pass to the PKK terrorist organization, just as it did in the Northern Syria. A commu- KMHC exempts some people from paying new medical services fees KUWAIT CITY, Oct 7: The Kuwait Mental Health Center has issued an internal circular determining the fees for health services for residents covered by the health insurance system and the cases which are exempted from paying fees, reports Al-Qabas daily. The circular mentioned the GCC citizens, non-kuwaiti wife of a Kuwaiti, active military personnel and their families, relatives of martyrs and relatives of first degree citizens serving time, prisoners and inmates of social care homes, sons and daughters of Kuwaiti women married to non-kuwaitis until they reach the adult age are exempted from paying fees. Patients with serious mental illness, communicable diseases and children with special needs born of a Kuwaiti mother, doctors working in the Ministry of Health, their spouses and children, blind people and students who are on the scholarship of the Ministry of Education are also exempted. Informed Health Ministry sources said the ministry is keen to provide all medical services to citizens and residents in accordance with the controls and procedures, and address the patient help fund and other charity organizations to bear the expenses of treatment or provide medicines for low-income resident patients. The sources added the ministry has several options for patients suffering from serious mental illnesses. The sources noted the cost of admission in the mental health center is very expensive, because the center is always overcrowded with patients of different nationalities. The sources said the ministry is planning to advise expatriate families to complete treatment of their relatives in their home countries to make room for other patients. The sources noted the ministry provides initial treatment for resident patients, but under the recent decision to increase the fees, it is unreasonable to keep them in the wards of the center for months. nist state to be established by merging Northern Iraq and Northern Syria under PKK rule will tyrannize the Muslim Kurdish population before everyone else. On top of that, a new North Korea-like communist state will be established in the Middle East, bringing all Muslim countries up against a dire threat. Kurds are doubtlessly a nation that have endured terrible ordeals in various periods throughout history, particularly under the rule of Saddam Hussein. The way to mend the wounds of these sufferings and to attain the beautiful future they deserve, however, is not through confining themselves to a smaller tract of land. Instead of becoming a small, easy target waiting to be swallowed, the rational and right thing to do is to act in league with all Muslim countries, and above all, with Turkey, who has been by their side in every time of hardship, thus being part of a powerful alliance. Speaker raises Continued from Page 1 which are linked with the principles of the UN. We hope the next president will be like Chowdhury whose statements, positions and visits have been honorable over the past three years. He went on to say, We wish that in the next conference, we will be able to heal the rift between Arabs and Muslims as there is no difference between them. Meanwhile, MP Mubarak Al-Hurais stressed the need for a Cabinet reshuffle now as there are a number of ministers who did not implement the government s work program and failed to perform their duties. On the submission of interpellation motions, he asserted the Parliament has the right to express its views about ministers who must face political accountability. He explained he is against the idea of MP Waleed Al-Tabtabaei to have a truce with the government, stressing the National Assembly must play its oversight role especially if ministers commit mistakes. He considers the truce as indication that the Assembly must remain silent over the mistakes and irregularities committed by ministers. In another development, the Legislative and Legal Affairs Committee, in cooperation with the State Audit Bureau, will organize a conference about governance in the State of Kuwait Expats to be advised to treat relatives in home countries KUNA photo HH the PM Sheikh Jaber Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah being welcomed at the airport by Sheikh Nasser Mohammad Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah. Kuwait Amir representative returns home Representative of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah returned home Saturday after chairing Kuwait s delegation to UN General Assembly s (UNGA) 72nd (legislative, financial and administrative frameworks) on Oct 10-11, The conference will focus on the following: governance of development planning, rules and principles of governance within the framework of implementing the State s development plan, governance in the roles of legislative and judicial authorities, governance in activating the roles of the State Audit Bureau, and effectiveness of oversight systems in government agencies in reducing wastage of public money and combating corruption, strengthening accountability, integrity, transparency and fight against corruption. Speakers in the conference are from various governmental bodies such as the Supreme Planning Council, Arab Planning Institute, Civil Service Commission (CSC), Kuwait University (KU), Central Bank of Kuwait (CBK), Capital Markets Authority (CMA), Kuwait Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI), Public Anti-Corruption Authority, Transparency Society and Association of Accountants, in addition to foreign experts. The conference will include a thorough review of Gulf and international experiences related to governance, followed by a discussion and exchange of views among participants and representatives of countries with experience in the field. The conference aims to shed light on the importance of governance to improve the performance of institutions and to benefit from them, especially in combating corruption and activating legislative, administrative and financial systems in the country. FATCA files Continued from Page 1 evade tax. Under the law, all financial institutions operating outside the US must report regularly to the US Department of Revenue details of financial accounts of Americans working in these institutions. The sources reported the database sent by the Finance Ministry to the US Tax Authority, includes reports of 24 banks, 38 investment funds, along with 49 investment companies, 7 insurance companies, and 5 others. The documents sent by the Finance Ministry for the years 2014, 2015 and 2016 contain 177 reports for 2014, 179 for 2015, and 183 for According to unconfirmed reports there are companies which have yet to submit the reports. The sources indicated after the deadline, the US tax authority will give the non-compliant institutions six months to justify their failure to submit the reports. If not, 30 percent of their revenues will be deducted as stipulated by the law. If these institutions fail to submit statements or give justifications for a year FATCA will freeze their accounts permanently. The sources confirmed the Finance Ministry is not concerned about disclosing the names of Kuwaitis who hold dual citizenship. Session, held in New York. His Highness the Prime Minister was received at the airport by His Highness Sheikh Nasser Mohammad Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, Acting Parliament Speaker Essa Al-Kanderi, First Deputy Premier and Foreign Minister Sheikh Sabah Khaled The sources explained the ministry is not authorized to see the reports submitted to it and that its role is limited to sending encrypted reports to the US Tax Authority. Traffic scare Continued from Page 1 Armed police were deployed to the scene and the whole area was subsequently cordoned off. The public were urged to avoid the area. Security is high in Britain after five terror attacks since March four of them in London and one in Manchester with the bloodshed claiming 35 lives. Three of the attacks in London involved the use of a vehicle to plough into pedestrians. Downing Street said Prime Minister Theresa May was being kept up to date with developments. In a statement, Khan made no mention of terrorism but said he was in close contact with Mark Rowley, the head of counter-terrorism policing, and the emergency services. London s Metropolitan Police said they were called to the scene at 2:21 pm (1321 GMT) after reports of a collision. It is believed that a number of pedestrians have been injured. A man (no further details) has been arrested at the scene, the police said in a statement. (AFP) Russia claims Continued from Page 1 came from the former Soviet state of Georgia s Pankisi Gorge region, which is populated mainly by ethnic Chechens. He fought as a Chechen rebel against Russian forces before joining the Georgian military in 2006, and fought Russian forces again in Georgia in He later resurfaced in northern Syria as the commander of a group of foreign fighters and became a senior leader within IS. Iran open Continued from Page 1 Iran, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, the White House press secretary, told reporters. Not just the nuclear deal as bad behavior, but the ballistic missile testing, destabilizing of the region, Number One state sponsor of terrorism, cyber attacks, illicit nuclear program, Sanders continued. Deal defended Iranian President Hassan Rouhani defended the nuclear deal with Western powers Saturday and said that Trump could not undermine it. Under the 2015 deal, Iran agreed to limit its disputed nuclear programme in return for the easing of economic Al-Hamad Al-Sabah, Deputy Premier and Defense Minister Sheikh Mohammad Khaled Al-Hamad Al- Sabah, Deputy Premier and Interior Minister Sheikh Ali Jarrah Al-Sabah, Deputy Premier and Finance Minister Anas Al-Saleh and senior officials. (KUNA) Continued from Page 1 and because of the countries pressing needs and responsibilities; something like a unit (crew) was formed around the ruler. The role of this crew is to convey whatever they want to be conveyed to the leader and always adorning it with positives even if not true. Nonetheless, this personal effort is not always correct. These people (crew) strive to protect their personal interests by screening the reality of an issue which happened because they neglected their role. In this regard, we are not asking any leader to emulate Omar bin Al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) who used to walk at night to inquire about the grievances of the public. Every era has its State, people and circumstances. That era is different from the one we are in, as the way of communication between people changed amid the advanced press and social communication media platforms. Everyone in this region realizes that the culture of its people is based on direct communication with the ruler and the officials without barriers. When some regional countries adopted imported models such as democracy, the opportunists took only the freedom of opinion and speech from such models. For instance in Kuwait, this selective tendency reached the point of having freedom of vulgarity and transgression of other people s dignity and honor in a bid to topple reverence of the State and the leader. It also led to the infiltration of some political factions into State establishments where they stirred institutions for their benefit. In fact, they attempted to enact laws which restrict the authority of leaders and some elites in managing public affairs. The action almost made the people of this nation lose their country as described by His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al- Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah. HH the Amir rescued the country through a series of significant decrees, the most important of which is the onevote system. Or like what happened in Bahrain where a group working in the interest of Iran masqueraded under the democratic cloak as they attempted to topple the rule and push the country into the grip of the Persian expansionsanctions. However, Trump is expected to announce soon that he will decertify the deal, a senior administration official has said, in a step that potentially could cause the accord to unravel. In the nuclear negotiations and agreement we reached issues and benefits that are not reversible. No one can turn that back, not Mr. Trump or anyone else, Rouhani said at a ceremony at Tehran University marking the start of the university academic year, according to state media. Even if 10 other Trumps are created in the world, these are not reversible. Custodian of the ism scheme. I repeat that the culture of these nations, if it gets implemented the way it was nurtured through consultations and direct meetings between the ruler and the ruled, justice which these countries were based on would have been achieved. The open door policy is what the late King Abdullah stood for. Because of that, everyone whether from Saudi Arabia or the other Gulf countries hopes for opening of more doors to convey their issues to you, the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, without any add-ons which the retinues put as we do not want them to distance you from us. Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, you were close to the voice of the people when you distanced those who were attempting to impose norms and traditions not inspired by our religion or faith. You were close to the voice of the people when you took the responsibility of standing up against the masqueraded Iranian invasion by the Houthis and the coups in Yemen; and through that, came the decisive storm to crush the Persian scheme. It was the same when you listened to the voices of half of the community in granting women the right to drive, something that resonated positively in the region and the entire world. Here, I mention the reaction of Saudi s Consultation Council member Dr Latifa Al-Sha lan who spoke on one of the satellite televisions about the decree; to an extent that she shed tears in a scene which affected everyone the viewers and presenters. Pumping young blood into the veins of the country is considered as an action that is more in response to the aspirations of the people. This is because it stands on the wisdom that always prevails over traditions using which its patrons strive to restrain the society in manner that will keep them in charge. Such often control leads to distortion of the reality related to the nature of the society, hampering the development of this great nation, which is adorned by future cloak of prosperity. This is seen in the implementation of vital decisions and mega projects both inside and outside that country as well as expansion of international alliances and relations that was crowned by the recent historic visit to the Russian Federation. It was the first visit by the Saudi king to this major country since the unification of the kingdom. This visit to Russia also serves as the foundation stone in the new Arab world, which you are working on for navigating it to safer grounds away from the series of political and security quakes and storms that have been hitting it for the past six years. All of these have been achieved in a short period of time through well studied decisions and quick responses that we seldom witnessed in the past. This means we are currently seeing the unfolding of the new Saudi Arabia. While it is preserving its principles, it is, at the same time, renewing its vision and giving itself futuristic insight. Undoubtedly, that necessitates all the voices to be heard and the doors to be opened further, further and further. Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, pardon us for many of our problems with you. The kingdom represents us. As we previously mentioned, the kingdom is the direction which other directions follow. The love you show us, your people, your country, the Gulf and its people is the same love everyone has towards you. It is what is pushing us to say that we are eager to see your doors being opened further, further and further and for your telephone to ring often, often and often so as to have direct meetings between you and your people by your orders and without barriers. Newswatch Continued from Page 1 MOSCOW: Russia s Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO), which is operated by the foreign ministry, has granted Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud an honorary doctorate on Saturday. MGIMO s scientific board has unanimously decided to confer the honorary degree on King Salman for his great contribution to the global peace and stability, as well as the cooperation between the Kingdom and Russia, the institute s Rector Anatoly Torkunov said on the occasion. For his part, the Saudi Monarch highly appreciated the honor. (KUNA) WASHINGTON: The US government has approved the sale to Saudi Arabia of the advanced Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile defense system for $15 billion, the State Department said Friday. This sale furthers US national security and foreign policy interests, and supports the long-term security of Saudi Arabia and the Gulf region in the face of Iranian and other regional threats, a statement said. (AFP)

9 INTERNATIONAL 9 World News Roundup Immigration A woman pauses at a makeshift memorial on the south end of the Las Vegas Strip, on Oct 6, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada. On Oct 1, Stephen Paddock opened fire on the crowd at the Route 91 Harvest country music festival, killing 59 people and injuring more than 500. The massacre is one of the deadliest mass shooting events in US history. (AFP) Shooting Paddock investments funded gambling, guns Help find shooter s motive LAS VEGAS, Oct 7, (RTRS): Police and FBI agents, chasing down more than 1,000 dead-end leads since a gunman killed 58 people in Las Vegas, are seeking more help from the public in solving the central mystery of their investigation the shooter s motive. Clark County Undersheriff Kevin McMahill said investigators remain largely in the dark about what drove retired real estate investor and highstakes gambler Stephen Paddock to carry out the deadliest mass shooting in modern US history. We have looked at everything, literally, to include the suspect s personal life, any political affiliation, his social behaviors, economic situation, any potential radicalization, McMahill told reporters late on Friday. We have been down each and every single one of these paths, trying to determine why, to determine who else may have known of these plans. McMahill acknowledged that Islamic State had repeat- Paddock edly claimed responsibility for the attack, but said investigators had uncovered no nexus between the Mideast-based militant group and Paddock. In an unusual bid to cast a wider net for tips, the FBI and police have arranged with communications company Clear Channel to post billboards around Las Vegas urging citizens to come forward with any information they believe might help investigators. The billboards will bear the slogan, If you know something, say something, and carry a toll-free number to an FBI hotline, said Aaron Rouse, special agent in charge of the Las Vegas FBI office. The public appeal came a day before US Vice-President Mike Pence was slated to join Mayor Carolyn Goodman and other local leaders at a City Hall commemoration for victims of the shooting, following a prayer walk through the city. President Donald Trump paid a visit to Las Vegas earlier in the week. Gunfire Paddock, 64, unleashed a torrent of gunfire onto an outdoor music festival from the windows of his 32nd-floor hotel suite overlooking the concert on Sunday night, then shot himself to death before police stormed his room. In addition to the 58 people who died, nearly 500 were injured, some by gunfire, some trampled or otherwise hurt while running for cover. Unlike so many other perpetrators of deadly mass shootings before him, Paddock left behind no suicide note, no manifesto, no recordings and no messages on social media pointing to his intent, according to police. McMahill said investigators remained certain Paddock acted alone in the shooting. But police have said they suspect he had help before the killings, based on the large number of guns, ammunition and explosives found in the hotel suite, his home, his car and a second home searched in Reno. Authorities have said that 12 of the weapons recovered from Paddock s hotel suite were equipped with socalled bump-stock devices that enable semi-automatic rifles to be operated as if they were fully automatic machineguns. Paddock s ability to fire hundreds of rounds per minute over the course of his 10-minute shooting spree was a major factor in the high casualty count, police said. To the Texas brokers who met him in 2004, Stephen Paddock was an unremarkable man looking to buy an unremarkable property near Dallas, hardly distinguishable from other casually dressed Californians who flocked to the area to make investments. After touring the 111-unit apartment complex in Mesquite, Texas, with the brokers, Paddock bought it for $8.4 million, partly with the proceeds from selling some smaller properties in Los Angeles. When he sold Central Park Apartments a decade later, he had likely made $5 million to $6 million in profits, according to financial records reviewed by Reuters. Paddock s lucrative real estate ventures, which helped underwrite his high-stakes gambling, may have also allowed him to buy tens of thousands of dollars worth of rifles and bullets in advance of his attack in Las Vegas on Sunday. Retiree A complete picture of his finances is still being assembled by investigators who are trying to fathom what drove an apparently wealthy retiree to haul 23 guns up to a hotel suite before commencing one of the deadliest shootings in US history. He was kind of a scruffy dude, said Jim Hearn, a broker who recalled showing Paddock around the complex of small, middle-class apartments in early Didn t look like he had two nickels to rub together, but he had a few million bucks in an exchange account, which was clearly real, and he did his due diligence and closed the deal. That purchase appeared to be among Paddock s most profitable investments, which included numerous smaller real estate deals in the Los Angeles area. The rent from the 111 apartments in the complex gave him more than $500,000 in net income after expenses in 2011, for example, a sales brochure prepared for potential buyers showed. He would feed some of that money into Las Vegas video poker machines, which are programmed to favor the house. The extent to which Paddock may have profited from his casino gambling was not clear. Still, Paddock was considered a high-value player, and casinos rewarded his gambling with perks that included free trips, rooms, meals and other luxuries, his brother said. He parlayed his way to the Mesquite deal from an initial investment with Eric in a duplex rental unit in North Hollywood, Los Angeles, some 20 years earlier. They saved up at their day jobs for the initial downpayment, Eric Paddock said in text messages to Reuters, dismissing online speculation their father, a convicted violent bank robber with whom they had little contact, stashed loot away for his family. Los Angeles county records show Eric Paddock bought a North Hollywood building in 1986 for $407,500. In the years that followed, Stephen Paddock bought at least five other properties in Los Angeles. He would also buy a stake in a tract in Henderson, on the edge of Las Vegas s fastgrowing sprawl, that remains undeveloped to this day. In early 2004, he sold or transferred at least three rental units in Hawthorne, near Los Angeles International Airport, according to county records. At least one of those properties had more than doubled in value since he bought it in 1992, selling for $3.2 million. Trump annuls provision: US President Donald Trump s administration annulled on Friday an Obamacare provision that obliged employer health plans to pay for contraception, potentially stripping free birth control from millions of women. The move extends to all commercial enterprises an exemption already given to religious institutions. Rights groups, physicians, Democrats and ordinary citizens were outraged, and #HandsOffMyBC was a top trending hashtag on Twitter while the American Civil Liberties Union threatened a lawsuit. But the White House insisted it was a matter of religious freedom. The ruling expands exemptions to protect moral convictions for certain entities and individuals whose health plans are subject to a mandate of contraceptive coverage under Obamacare, a note published by the US Department of Health and Human Services said. (AFP) 3 attack plotters charged: Three men have been arrested since May of last year on charges of plotting attacks in New York City for Islamic State in the summer of 2016, US prosecutors said on Friday. The planned attacks, which were thwarted by law enforcement, included detonating explosives in Manhattan s Times Square and in the city s subway, according to the office of Acting US Attorney Joon Kim in Manhattan. One of the men, 19-yearold Canadian citizen Abdulrahman El Bahnasawy, has been in US custody since May 2016, when he was arrested in New Jersey. He pleaded guilty to terrorism charges in October 2016, the prosecutors said. Talha Haroon, a 19-yearold US citizen, was arrested in Pakistan, where he lives, around September 2016, and Russell Salic, a 37-year-old citizen of the Philippines, was arrested in that country in April of this year, according to Kim s office. Prosecutors said they expected Haroon and Salic to be extradited to the United States to face the charges, which include conspiracy to commit acts of terrorism and to support a terrorist organization. If convicted of the most serious charges, they face a maximum sentence of life in prison. Lawyers for the three men could not immediately be identified. (RTRS) Software hearing set: A US House of Representatives committee said on Friday that it has scheduled a new hearing on Kaspersky Lab software as lawmakers review accusations that the Kremlin could use its Kaspersky America products to conduct espionage. Kaspersky Lab has strongly denied those allegations, which last month prompted the Trump administration to order civilian government agencies to purge the software from its networks, and agreed to send Chief Executive Eugene Kaspersky to Washington to testify before Congress. The House Committee on Science, Space and Technology announced the Oct 25 hearing a day after reports that Russian government-backed hackers stole highly classified US cyber secrets in 2015 from a National Security Agency contractor who had Kaspersky software installed on his laptop. The House science committee did not say who would be called to testify at the hearing. Eugene Kaspersky last month told Reuters that the committee had invited him to testify at a Sept 27 hearing and that he would attend if he could get an expedited visa to enter the United States. That hearing was later canceled, though the committee held a closed-door classified session on Kaspersky software on Sept 26. (RTRS) Chance for Hawaii to fight ban Calif becomes 1st sanctuary state LOS ANGELES, Oct 7, (AFP): California became the first sanctuary state for undocumented immigrants Friday, a decision criticized by the Trump administration which believes the move will compromise security. California s governor, Democrat Jerry Brown, signed the landmark legislation Senate Bill 54 (SB54) which grants better protections to people who are in the US without permission, including those who have committed crimes. It also limits cooperation between local police forces and federal authorities in operations to track down undocumented immigrants. The legislation, which will come into effect on January 1, 2018, is part of a series of laws which protect the almost 3 million undocumented immigrants living in California most of whom are from Mexico and Central America. Measure Brown insisted in his signing statement the measure will not prevent or prohibit Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) or the Department of Homeland Security from doing their own work in any way but it will stop local authorities from assisting. They are free to use their own considerable resources to enforce federal immigration law in California, he wrote, adding that the new legislation will not deny ICE access to prisons. But in a statement, ICE acting director Tom Homan responded: The governor is simply wrong. Meanwhile, a federal judge on Friday said he would give Hawaii an opportunity to make its case that it should be allowed to challenge the Trump administration s latest travel ban. US District Court Judge Derrick Watson said Hawaii would have until Tuesday morning to file a new motion. The government will have until Saturday, Oct. 14, to respond. Travel The latest travel ban removes Sudan from the list of affected countries and adds Chad and North Korea, along with several officials from the government of Venezuela. It s scheduled to take effect Oct. 18. Hawaii fought the first and second travel bans because they were illegal and unconstitutional efforts to implement the president s Muslim ban, Hawaii Attorney General Doug Chin said in a statement. Unfortunately, the third travel ban is more of the same. In related news, thousands of Salvadorans, Haitians and others now sheltered in the United States from danger in their home countries might have to leave under a crackdown the Trump administration is weighing on a program that critics slam as backdoor immigration.

10 INTERNATIONAL 10 World News Roundup Weather Rains kill 28 in C. America Deadly hurricane Nate sweeping towards US CANCÚN, Mexico, Oct 7, (Agencies): Hurricane Nate gathered strength Saturday as it swept towards the US Gulf Coast after dumping rain heavy that killed at least 28 people in Central America. New Orleans, which was ravaged by deadly Hurricane Katrina in 2005, and other US Gulf coast cities were under a hurricane warning. President Donald Trump issued an emergency declaration allowing federal emergency aid to be sent to help mitigate the storm s impact. Nate s center was located 395 kilometers southsoutheast of the mouth of the Mississippi River, the US National Hurricane Center (NHC) said at 1200 GMT. Its winds swirled at 135 kilometers (85 miles) per hour, making it a Category One hurricane on the fivelevel Saffir-Simpson scale. Nate was moving towards the northwest rapidly at 22 miles (35 kilometers) per hour, and is set to make landfall along the central US Gulf Coast late Saturday. The combination of a Landrieu dangerous storm surge and the tide will cause normally dry areas near the coast to be flooded by rising waters moving inland from the shoreline, the NHC said. The water was expected to peak at up to 2.7 meters (nine feet) above ground in some areas. New Orleans issued a mandatory curfew for Saturday from 6:00 pm (2300 GMT), and mandatory and voluntary evacuation orders were issued for certain low-lying areas. Swells expected to affect northwestern Caribbean land over the weekend are likely to cause life-threatening surf and rip current conditions, according to US forecasters. In Mexico, authorities canceled school in seven coastal towns and declared an orange alert for the northern half of Quintana Roo state. Touristic Luis Felipe Puente, Mexico s national coordinator of Civil Protection, recommended avoiding aquatic, touristic and recreational activities in Quintana Roo. Our greatest threat... is not necessarily rain, but strong winds and storm surge, said New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu. Unlike Hurricane Harvey, which dumped record amounts of rain while hovering over neighboring Texas for a week, fast-moving Nate was expected to quickly pass along a northerly path. Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards warned that while Nate was forecast to be a weak hurricane, it could still cause unexpected damage. Anyone in low-lying areas... we are urging them to prepare now, he said. In the neighboring state of Mississippi, lines formed at gas stations in areas within the potential path of the storm. Some offshore oil and gas rigs in the Gulf of Mexico were evacuated ahead of the storm s advance. Nate s tail was still wreaking havoc in Central America, where heavy rains continued causing floods. Intense rains forced thousands from their homes, uprooted trees, knocked out bridges and turned roads into rivers across a swath of the region on Thursday. We were drowning. Thank God (emergency workers) helped us. The river swelled so much it swept away our house, our pigs, our chickens it swept away everything, said Bonavide Velazquez, 60, who was evacuated from her home in southern Nicaragua. Nicaragua bore 13 of the deaths, according to Vice-President Rosario Murillo. In Costa Rica, where a national emergency was declared, 10 people died, including a three-year-old girl, after they were hit by falling trees and mudslides. Authorities warned of crocodiles that might be roaming after rivers and estuaries flooded. Three other people were killed in Honduras, and two in El Salvador. More than 30 people are listed as missing across the region. Recovering The United States is recovering from two major hurricanes: Harvey, which tore through Texas in August, and Irma, which slammed Florida in September. Another powerful storm, Hurricane Maria, ripped through the Caribbean in late September, devastating several islands, including Dominica and Puerto Rico. Central America, the Caribbean, Mexico and the southern United States experience an Atlantic hurricane season every year that runs from June to November. But 2017 is already one of the worst years on record. Costa Rican President Luis Guillermo Solis urged residents to remain vigilant, noting rains would likely resume. In Honduras, residents wondered whether they would have to flee. Norma Chavez and her two children anxiously watched a river rise outside their home in Tegucigalpa, the capital. We are worried that it will grow more and carry away the house, said Chavez, 45. Through Monday, Nate is expected to produce two to four inches (5 to 10 cm) more rain in eastern Yucatan and western Cuba and three to six inches (8 to 15 inches) in the US central Gulf Coast. About 71 percent of US Gulf of Mexico oil production and 53 percent of natural gas output is offline ahead of Nate s arrival, the US Department of the Interior s Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) said on Friday. Oil companies have evacuated staff from 66 platforms and five drilling rigs, it said. Oil production equaling 1.24 million barrels of crude per day is offline, according to BSEE. In related news, on Alabama s Dauphin Island a barrier island south of Mobile, Alabama owners hauled boats out of the water ahead of the storm s approach. The major concern was the storm surge was projected to coincide with high tide. The west end of the island floods in a good thunderstorm, said Chad Palmer, the owner of FinAtics Inshore Fishing Charters, which operates five charter boats on the barrier island. In this Sept 5 photo, Medhat Aldaabal, a 30-year-old migrant from Syria, practices ahead of a performance of Come As You Are in Berlin. The dance and theatre show deals with life as a migrant in the German capital. (AP) Syrian dancers perform show about migration in Berlin A group of Syrian dancers is going on tour across Germany with a show that tells of the plight that made them fl ee their homeland and of the hopes they have for the future. In Come as You Are directed by Berlin-based choreographer Nir de Volff the three refugees recount how the war in Syria started, their escape and journey through Europe and what it is like fi nding their dancing feet in a new country. In 10 years, Syrians will lead some German companies. Syrians will be the directors of German theatres and Syrian Construction workers build scaffolding around the London landmark Big Ben, during ongoing conservation works at the Houses of Parliament, Westminster, London on Oct 6. (AP) Vila Europe Merkel Jihadi Gran gets 10 years: A court on Friday sentenced a radicalised French woman to 10 years in prison after travelling to Syria where her son was fighting alongside Islamic State militants. Christine Riviere, 51, dubbed by investigators as Jihadi Gran, was arrested in 2014 after three trips to Syria, which she said were aimed at spending time with her son in case he was killed. Announcing the decision, the judge said Riviere had demonstrated a firm commitment to Islamic State and had contributed to strengthening the group logistically. France, like other European nations, is wrestling with how to deal with those returning from the Syrian conflict. A presidency official said last week that half of the 500 children were born there, and in total about 2,000 French nationals or residents had gone to the two countries, Instead of trying to disengage your son, it seems on the contrary that you encouraged him, the judge said. Investigators believe that Riviere s son, Tyler Vilus, climbed the Islamic State hierarchy to lead a Francophile group. (RTRS) Merkel supports coalition: German Chancellor Angela Merkel is pushing for a coalition with the Free Democratic Party and Greens, saying it s the best suited to govern the country. Speaking Saturday in Dresden to her party s youth wing, Merkel said she d hold talks with the pro-business FDP and left-leaning Greens and then present her Christian Democratic Union with a coalition proposal for approval. Merkel s conservative bloc won Sept. 24 s election with 33 percent. Merkel will talk Sunday with musicians will play in the Berlin Philharmonic orchestra, says one of the dancers, Medhat Aldaabal, swaying back and forth with closed eyes, fl anked by two other dancers as they practice on an otherwise empty stage in the German capital. He continues: In 10 years we give workshops in Syria, we will speak perfect German and travel around the world on our German passports. Aldaabal and one of the other dancers, Moufak Aldoabl, fl ed to Germany in 2015, as part of a wave of nearly 1million migrants that entered the country that year. Britain Conservative plotters told to get behind May EU braces for Brexit talks collapse BRUSSELS, Oct 7, (RTRS): As in-fighting consumes the British government, Europeans have stepped up quiet preparations for a possible collapse of Brexit talks that could see Britain crash out of the EU without a deal 18 months from now. Prime Minister Theresa May s EU counterparts still see the nodeal scenario she threatened them with as most unlikely, as they think it would hurt Britain much more than the continent. But after her faltering party conference this week and ahead of important meetings in Brussels over the next fortnight, diplomats and officials there and in big member states said they have been putting renewed focus on contingency planning for a legal limbo in March 2019 and urging businesses to do the same. German officials say that in recent months they have been spending just as much energy on how to handle that as on preparing for a negotiated solution. The BDI industry federation in the biggest EU economy warned German firms on Thursday that it would be naive not to be ready for a a very hard exit. Like May, who on Friday rejected calls from some lawmakers to resign, Michel Barnier, the European Union negotiator, says his aim is an orderly exit. But he repeatedly cautions that he also has a mandate from EU leaders to help prepare for failure and regularly tells businesses to be sure to plan for the worst. We want to be ready for all eventualities, including no deal, he told business and labour representatives after the negotiations began in July. Deal or no deal is the fundamental question, he said, after talks made little progress in August. Concern This is the growing feeling, absolutely, a senior EU official said of concerns that talks could collapse, not because Britain saw economic advantage in that, as May has warned, but because British politics could end up in domestic stalemate that could mean missing reasonable deadlines for a withdrawal treaty. For many, talk of a breakdown in talks remains part of the bluff and counter-bluff of negotiations. But what May s problems inside her own government indicate to many across the Channel is that the country is so divided it may be unable to reach a deal. You need to factor in that it s not a rational process, the senior EU official said, repeating a common view that voting for Brexit made no economic sense in the first place. So it s not unlikely that they again her Bavarian-only sister Christian Social Union party, which has been pushing for a yearly cap on migrants in response to the flood of more than 1 million asylum seekers in the past two years. Merkel says she still believes German asylum law allows for no cap but will work for an agreement with the CSU. (AP) Cease-fire sought: A member of Catalonia s separatist-led government has called for a cease-fire with Spain to decrease tensions after a disputed referendum on independence by the prosperous region that has ignited a national crisis. Thousands of anti-independence protesters waving Spanish flags, meanwhile, are gathering in Madrid for a rally on Saturday. Protestors gather holding Spanish fl ags during a demonstration against independence of Catalonia called by DENAES foundation for the Spanish Nation Defence on Oct 7, in Madrid. Spain braced for more protests despite tentative signs that the sides may be seeking to defuse the crisis after Madrid offered a fi rst apology to Catalans injured by police during their outlawed independence vote. (AFP) The third dancer, Amr Karkout, came earlier this year. In Syria they were all professional dancers. Aldaabal graduated from the Higher Institute of Drama and Art in Damascus in 2014 and traveled across Syria with a dance company. But, their skills didn t translate easily in the German capital, known for its avantgarde culture and a highly competitive and international dance scene. Dance in Syria is very homogenous and based on ballet, the softly spoken Aldaabal says in the performance as the other two dancers pirouette behind him. shy away from what are the economic imperatives and we end up cliffedging by political default. People close to Barnier s negotiating team draw attention to new legislation last month aimed at protecting the EU carbon market from a disorderly British departure and moves to force euro-denominated securities clearing from London to the continent as examples of Brussels contingency planning. It s the responsible approach. And the more it goes on like this, said one EU official of the lack of clear breakthroughs in the talks, the more we ll see of these steps. Another senior official said: There s every reason to be worried and European industry should take this more seriously. Expected May s Brexit minister, David Davis, is expected back in Brussels on Monday for a fifth round of negotiations with Barnier. But expectations among EU officials are low to nil for a breakthrough on key divorce issues that would allow EU leaders to tell May when they meet her the following week that they are willing to open talks on a future free trade accord. Lawmakers in May s Conservative Party who are trying to oust her as leader have been told to put up, shut up by the party s chief in Scotland. Others in the party warned that the uncertainty over May was damaging Brexit negotiations with the European Union. May on Friday said she would remain as leader after a former Conservative chairman said he had garnered the support of 30 lawmakers who wanted her to quit. It followed a disastrous speech at the party s conference and a snap election in June in which May lost her party s majority in parliament. Senior figures have rallied round May, but the open rebellion coincides with Britain s crucial talks with the European Union just 18 months before Britain is due to leave. EU officials and diplomats have been stepping up preparations for a collapse in Brexit negotiations while one British newspaper reported on Saturday European negotiators were increasing talks with the opposition Labour Party amid concerns May s government will flounder. Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson, who is considered a possible successor should May be forced out, told the BBC the prime minister s critics should put up, shut up and get off the stage. Santi Vila, Catalonia s regional chief for business, told Cadena SER Radio late Friday that he s pushing for a new opportunity for dialogue with Spanish authorities. We have to give it one more chance, maybe the last chance, and perhaps the only way that can happen is to start with a cease-fire, Vila said. We can all calm down and give ourselves the opportunity to not take any decisions and see Denmark set to ban the burqas COPENHAGEN, Oct 7, (RTRS): Denmark looks set to become the next European country to restrict the burqa and the niqab, worn by some Muslim women, after most parties in the Danish parliament backed some sort of ban on facial coverings. Full and partial face veils such as burqas and niqabs divide opinion across Europe, setting advocates of religious freedom against secularists and those who argue that such garments are culturally alien or a symbol of the oppression of women. Ballet, ballet, ballet... De Volff met the dancers in He was one of the thousands of people who volunteered time and money to help the new migrants fi nd their way in German society. Come as You Are is the fruition of hours of sitting together, talking, taking notes and discussing. In part, it highlights their development as performers. We are doing this to show people how much we have changed since coming to Berlin how much we have changed and developed and how many things we have learned, Aldaabal said. (AP) what channels we can open up to start a serene dialogue. The calls for prudence from within Catalonia s separatist camp come after some of its most important banks and businesses announced they were relocating their headquarters to ensure that the possible secession of the region wouldn t immediately knock them out of the European Union and its lucrative common market. Thousands of Spaniards are rallying against Catalonia s independence push in central Madrid in Plaza de Colon, turning the square into a sea of Spanish flags. Some jumped into a fountain and danced. (AP) Body parts of journo found: Danish police said on Saturday divers had found the head and the legs of Swedish journalist Kim Wall, who died in mysterious circumstances on an inventor s homemade submarine. Peter Madsen has been charged with killing the Swedish journalist who disappeared after she went on a trip with him in his submarine on Aug 10. He denies the charges. Madsen, a Dane, was arrested after his submarine sank and he was rescued. His lawyer Betina Hald Engmark told Reuters that she had been informed of the development, but had not received any material or documentation and decline further comment. (RTRS)

11 INTERNATIONAL 11 North Korea Philippine army artillery personnel fire 105 howitzer cannons during the turn-over ceremony of the army commanding general at Fort Bonifacio in Manila on Oct 5. Newly installed army commanding general Major General Rolando Bautista said in his speech the army hopes to end the war in Marawi at the end of October. (AFP) The wreckage of a passenger bus is seen near railway tracks after it was hit by a train at a level crossing near the town of Pokrov, some 110 kms (70 miles) east of the Russian capital. At least 16 people were killed on Oct 6, 2017 when a train slammed into a bus that had broken down on a level crossing east of Moscow, authorities said. (AFP) Europe Kremlin warns vs US restrictions: The Kremlin is warning that Moscow could respond quid pro quo if Washington restricts operations of Russian news outlets in the United States. Russian President Vladimir Putin s spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, said Friday that Russian statefunded RT television network and Sputnik news agency had come under unprecedented pressure in the US RT said it faces a US demand to register as a foreign agent and provide detailed personal data for its staff, the request it said amounts to an attempt to push it out of the US media market. Peskov warned that if the US hampers the Russian news outlets operation in violation of media freedom, actions on the basis of the principle of reciprocity can t be excluded. He added that Russia respects press freedom and treats foreign media equally. (AP) Train hits bus in Russia, 16 killed: At least 16 people were killed on Friday when a train slammed into a bus that had broken down on a level crossing east of Moscow, authorities said. The collision occurred before dawn on Friday near the town of Pokrov, some 110 kms (70 miles) from the Russian capital. According to preliminary information, 16 people, including a child, have been killed, Russia s Investigative Committee said. Other passengers, including minors, have been taken to hospital with various injuries. The number of dead and injured is being ascertained, the committee said, confirming it had opened an investigation. The regional interior ministry said the bus broke down on the level crossing. (AFP) 130 fake bomb calls in Russia: Moscow on Friday faced over 130 fake bomb calls that prompted the evacuation of some 100,000 people from shopping malls, schools, railway stations and office buildings. It was the most massive flurry of fake bomb threats since a wave of bomb hoaxes began in early September. The fake bomb threats have affected dozens of Russian cities and incurred massive economic damages. Among those targeted by the bomb calls Friday were all four Moscow airports, five railway stations, 15 shopping malls, several hotels, more than 20 schools and many other venues, the state Tass news agency said. No explosives have been found in the anonymous calls. Flights to and from Moscow weren t affected, as security agents at the airports checked for explosives without holding evacuations. The bomb calls continued until the evening, when the Luzhniki sports arena and office buildings in the Moscow City district were evacuated including the Moscow city hall legislature and the government s analytical center. (AP) Bills tied to rebel regions OK d: The Ukrainian parliament has passed hotly-disputed bills regarding the rebel-controlled eastern territories following debates interrupted by scuffles. The bills submitted by Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko have drawn fierce criticism from some lawmakers. Opponents of the bills argued that they don t assert Ukraine s control of the eastern territories strongly enough and swarmed the speaker s platform Thursday, causing the session to be adjourned. The parliament on Friday finally passed the bills, which refer to elements of the 2015 peace deal for eastern Ukraine brokered by France and Germany. The agreement signed in the Belarusian capital Peskov Nobel Prize sends nuclear message to Trump Anti-nuke ICAN wins Nobel OSLO, Norway, Oct 7, (AP): The International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) won the Nobel Peace Prize on Friday, a forceful show of support for a grassroots effort that seeks to pressure the world s nuclear powers to give up the weapons that could destroy the planet. The choice of the little-known coalition of disarmament activists put the Nobel committee again at the forefront of geopolitics at a time when fears are rising over North Korea s nuclear and missile program and the invective it has drawn from US President Donald Trump. The committee cited the tiny, Genevabased ICAN for its work that led to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons that was reached in July at the United Nations. The group has been a driving force in prevailing upon the world s nations to pledge to cooperate... in efforts to stigmatize, prohibit and eliminate nuclear weapons, Norwegian Nobel Committee chairwoman Berit Reiss-Andersen said in the announcement. More than 120 countries approved the treaty over opposition from nuclear-armed countries and their allies. In a statement issued after the Nobel was announced, the US reiterated its position that the treaty will not result in the elimination of a single nuclear weapon. The treaty requires all ratifying countries never under any circumstances to develop, test, produce, manufacture, otherwise acquire, possess or stockpile nuclear weapons or other nuclear explosive devices. It also bans any transfer or use of nuclear weapons or nuclear explosive devices and the threat to use such weapons. Weapons The nuclear powers oppose the treaty, which goes well beyond existing nonproliferation agreements, arguing that they alone should have the weapons in order to support stability in the world. The US, Britain and France said the prohibition wouldn t work and would end up disarming their nations while emboldening what US Ambassador Nikki Haley called bad actors. They instead suggest strengthening the nonproliferation treaty, which they say has made a significant dent in atomic arsenals. ICAN, a coalition of 468 nongovernmental groups from over 100 countries, says that argument is outdated. This prize is really a tribute to the tireless efforts of many millions of campaigners and concerned citizens worldwide who have, ever since the dawn of the Atomic Age, loudly protested nuclear weapons, insisting that they can serve no legitimate purpose and must be forever banished from the face of our Earth, said ICAN executive director Beatrice Fihn. The prize is likely to give new momentum to ICAN and its allies in the coming months as the group tries to achieve ratification of the treaty by 50 nations. That would allow the ban to become binding under Poroshenko international law for those countries and put nuclear-armed states in the uncomfortable position of being outliers. On Sept 20, the first day the treaty was open for signatures, 50 countries signed it and three submitted their ratifications. Three more countries have since added their names. ICAN hopes to get the 50 ratifications by the end of Norwegian Nobel Committee chairwoman Berit Reiss-Andersen noted that international prohibitions have been set on chemical and biological weapons, land mines and cluster munitions. The five original nuclear powers the US, Russia, China, Britain and France, which also are permanent members of the UN Security Council support nuclear nonproliferation but boycotted the treaty negotiations. Nuclear-armed India, Pakistan and North Korea didn t vote. Peace ICAN has its roots in Australia but was launched in Vienna in 2007, inspired largely by another Nobel peace prize-winning group, the International Campaign to Ban Landmines. The $1.1 million prize is likely to help boost ICAN s advocacy. It also organized events globally in 2015 to mark the 70th anniversaries of the attacks on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in World War II. The committee, citing nearly 15,000 nuclear weapons in the world, said the risk of nuclear weapons being used is greater than it has been for a long time. In related news, the Nobel committee spurned an opportunity to celebrate the Iran nuclear deal, but still found a way to send a message to US President Donald Trump. Trump is a stern critic of the 2015 accord, and US officials say that he intends to tell the US Congress next week that Tehran is not honoring its side of the bargain. He is also engaged in a perilous game of brinksmanship with nuclear-armed North Korea, threatening fire and fury and exchanging insults with young dictator Kim Jong Un. Some supporters of the deal had hoped the jury would honor the architects of the Iran deal and in doing so send a message to Trump about the power of diplomacy. In the end the committee chose not to provoke Trump by handing prizes to Iran s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif or former US secretary of state John Kerry. But in celebrating the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) they sent a strong message about the world s concerns over nuclear escalation. The message that has been communicated is a more subtle indirect messaging, said Melissa Dalton, a senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. It s potentially a message and an encouragement to uphold the JCPOA as a commitment that the US has made with allies to non-proliferation, she said, referring to the Iran deal. Minsk has helped reduce fighting between Russiabacked separatists and Ukrainian troops, but clashes have continued and efforts to reach a political settlement have stalled. Over 10,000 people have been killed in fighting since April (AP) Kiev rejects extradition plea: Kiev has rejected Austria s request to extradite former Olympic judo champion Peter Seisenbacher, wanted on charges of child sex abuse, Vienna said Friday. However, Ukrainian authorities have given the 57-year-old Austrian five days to leave the country, Austria s justice ministry said. The Austrian embassy in Kiev has informed us that there has been a negative extradition decision and that Mister Seisenbacher has to leave the country by Oct 12, ministry spokeswoman Britta Tichy-Martin told the Austria Press Agency. (AFP) Asia Koike leaves door open: Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike does not expect her new conservative party to pick a candidate for prime minister during the campaign for the Oct. 22 election, leaving the door open to eventually backing a lawmaker from Prime Minister Shinzo Abe s party. Koike s new Party of Hope has emerged as a serious challenge to Abe s Liberal Democratic Party supporter base, but she has said she would not personally contest the election. Abe called the snap election last month in hopes his ruling bloc would keep its majority in parliament s lower house, where it now has a two-thirds super majority. Losing a simple majority would be a major unexpected upset, but a poor performance by the LDP could put pressure on Abe to step down. Asked in an interview published on Saturday by the Asahi newspaper whether Koike s party would pick a candidate for premier from its own ranks during the election, she replied: Basically, no. The campaign kicks off formally on Oct 11. Koike, 65, a former defence minister and ex-member of Abe s LDP, told Reuters on Friday that all options were on the table regarding whom her party would back when parliament convenes to vote on a prime minister after the election. (RTRS) Malaysia arrests 8: Malaysia has arrested four foreigners and four Malaysians for suspected involvement in terrorist activities linked to Abu Sayyaf, the Islamic State and Jemaah Islamiah, the police said on Saturday. Among the foreigners arrested were three Filipinos, one of whom is a permanent resident in Malaysia, and an Albanian. The arrests were made in the states of Sabah, Selangor and Perak between Sept 27 and Oct 6. Five suspects were arrested in the Borneo state of Sabah, suspected of assisting the Abu Sayyaf militant group s infiltration into Malaysia. Police said the arrested Albanian, a law lecturer at a local public university, has contact with Islamic State. Another two arrested are former convicts, previously found guilty in 2016 of participating in terrorist activities. One was arrested under suspicion of recruiting convicts in prison and planning an attack on Muslim, Christian and Hindu places of worship in Malaysia. The suspect is also said to harbour information about a member of the Tanzim al-qaeda Malaysia, a group linked to Jemaah Islamiah, who remains at large. The other was an accomplice suspected of recruiting two Malaysians. (RTRS) Aussies give up 51K guns: Australians turned in 51,000 illegal firearms, ranging from 19th-century weapons to a rocket launcher, during a three-month amnesty that ended on Friday, and which Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said had helped avert Las Vegas-style mass shootings. The cache, representing about a fifth of illegal firearms, was collected during Australia s second amnesty since its worst ever massacre, when a lone gunman killed 35 people in the island state of Tasmania in There has not been a mass shooting since the then conservative government banned all semi-automatic rifles and semi-automatic shotguns that year, and introduced tougher background checks on gun purchases. (RTRS) US to block imports NKorea preparing long-range M-test MOSCOW, Oct 7, (Agencies): North Korea is preparing to test a long-range missile which it believes can reach the west coast of the United States, a Russian lawmaker just returned from a visit to Pyongyang was quoted as saying on Friday. A n t o n Morozov, a member of the Russian lower house of parliament s international affairs committee, and two other Russian lawmakers visited Pyongyang on Oct. 2-6, Kim Russia s RIA news agency reported. They are preparing for new tests of a long-range missile. They even gave us mathematical calculations that they believe prove that their missile can hit the west coast of the United States, RIA quoted Morozov as saying. As far as we understand, they intend to launch one more longrange missile in the near future. And in general, their mood is rather belligerent. Tensions have risen in recent weeks over North Korea s nuclear weapons and missile programs as Pyongyang has test-fired several missiles and conducted what it said was a test explosion of a hydrogen bomb as it advances toward its goal of developing a nuclear-tipped missile capable of hitting the US mainland. Morozov s comments drove up the price of US Treasury bonds, as investors, worried about the prospect of new North Korean missile tests, moved into assets the market views as a safe haven in times of uncertainty. Test Reuters was not able to independently verify Morozov s account, and he did not specify which North Korean officials had given him the information about the planned test. In Washington, a US official said that there had been indications that North Korea could be preparing for a missile test on or around Oct. 10, the anniversary of the founding of the ruling Korean Workers Party and a day after the Columbus Day holiday in the United States. The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, did not disclose the type of missile that could be tested and cautioned that North Korea in the past has not staged launches despite indications that it would. A senior CIA analyst, speaking at a conference in Washington this week, said the North Korean government likely would stage some kind of provocation on Oct. 10 but did not elaborate on what form it might take. Meanwhile, US Customs and Border Protection says it is ready to block US imports of seafood as well as any other goods produced by North Korean laborers who work in China. An Associated Press investigation tracked salmon, squid and cod processed by North Koreans working at Chinese factories and shipped to American stores, including Walmart and ALDI. The North Korean workers found in Chinese factories aren t allowed to leave, and receive only a fraction of their pay most goes straight to the North Korean state. This means that American consumers buying seafood labeled Caught in the USA, Processed in China may inadvertently be subsidizing the government of Kim Jong Un as it builds nuclear weapons, and also supporting forced labor. US Customs and Border Protection said in a statement Thursday it is reviewing the allegations and if warranted, would pursue all enforcement actions and prohibit goods from importation as appropriate. The companies that responded also vowed to investigate ties with suppliers. GOP Congressman Chris Smith from New Jersey, who has repeatedly called for tougher enforcement, said the Labor Department has already identified trafficking in 12 sectors of goods exported by China. CBP should be stopping every shipment from those sectors and now trafficking-tainted salmon too, he said.

12 INTERNATIONAL 12 World News Roundup Subcontinent Africa India questions slavery report 7 India troops killed in military chopper crash NEW DELHI, Oct 7, (AFP): An Indian military helicopter ferrying kerosene cans burst into flames Friday near the border with China, killing seven troops, the army said. The Russian-made Mi-17 V5 helicopter was carrying supplies to a border post in the mountainous district of Tawang near the border with Tibet when it caught fire at an altitude of 17,000 feet (5,200 metres). Five Indian Air Force (IAF) crew members and two army personnel were killed in the accident, a spokesman told AFP. Tawang is in the northeast Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh, which is also claimed by China. It is a strategically important border district and came briefly under Chinese control during the 1962 war between the neighbours. The Mi-17 V5, which is mainly used for military transport, is produced by Kazan Helicopters, a subsidiary of Russian Helicopters. India's air force has a high rate of crashes owing to its ageing fleet. More than 170 pilots have lost their lives over the Modi last three decades. Most of the accidents involve Soviet-era MIG planes, earning them the sobriquet "flying coffins". In July an IAF chopper crashed in the same state, killing three crew members and a soldier. That advanced light helicopter was on a rescue mission during devastating floods when it crashed due to inclement weather. Last year, a Russian-built AN-32 military transport plane went missing over the Bay of Bengal with 29 people on board. UN defends slaves estimates: The United Nations on Friday defended its new global estimates on slavery after local media reported that India's intelligence agency advised Prime Minister Narendra Modi to discredit the research, saying it may tarnish the country's image and exports. A report by International Labour Organization (ILO), the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and Australian rights group Walk Free Foundation published on Sept. 19 found more than 40 million people across the world were victims of modern day slavery last year. The report said 62 percent of those in forced marriages or forced labour such as construction or domestic work were in the Asia-Pacific region. It did not provide country-specific data. But in a memo from India's Intelligence Bureau to Modi's office, the agency questioned the report's methodology, claiming the data "has enough potential to substantially harm India's image and exports," the Indian Express reported on Wednesday. The bureau warned that "global documentation on slavery is increasingly targeting India as home to the highest number of slaves in the world," and called for a strong campaign to "discredit" the information, the newspaper report added. Bid to tackle online extremism: The European Union and India agreed Friday to step up cooperation in countering violent extremism and radicalization, particularly online, and in enhancing maritime security in the Indian Ocean and beyond. A joint declaration issued at the end of the 14th EU-India Summit said the two sides aim to deal effectively with the threat posed by foreign terrorist groups and terrorist financing. It said they were also looking forward to a resumption of exercises between EU and Indian naval ships. The two sides also discussed the crisis involving more than 500,000 Rohingya Muslims fleeing from violence in Myanmar, and called for a de-escalation of tensions and their voluntary return home in safety and dignity. The EU delegation was headed by European Council President Donald Tusk, and the Indian side by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. In a speech, Tusk referred to remaining differences in negotiations between the two sides on an ambitious free trade agreement they have been negotiating since Ceasefire ends on Oct 9 Rohingya militants: Rohingya militants whose attacks triggered an army crackdown in Myanmar's Rakhine state unleashing a huge wave of refugees said Saturday their one-month ceasefire would end in two days, but added they were open to a peace deal if the government offered it. In a statement released through its Twitter account, the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) said its unilateral truce would end at midnight on Oct 9. The statement did not include any direct threats of new violence. Myanmar's government spokesman did not respond to requests for comment Saturday but has previously said the country does not "negotiate with terrorists". Meanwhile, thousands of Islamist hardliners marched in Bangladesh's port city of Chittagong Friday calling for the government to arm Rohingya Muslim refugees fleeing a crackdown in Myanmar's troubled Rakhine state. Lankan police clash with protesters: Police in Sri Lanka clashed Friday with hundreds of supporters of the former president who were protesting plans to privatise an airport named after him, firing tear gas and water cannon and arresting 26. The $210 million airport in Mahinda Rajapakse's home town of Hambantota in the south of the island is one of several state-owned white elephants that were built under the former president and have never turned a profit. It is one of the world's least used airports, servicing just one flight a day, and Colombo has said it is considering selling it to an Indian investor. Boy dies after being hit by cricket ball: Bangladeshi boy dies at 17 after being hit by cricket ball Dhaka, Oct 7, 2017 (AFP) -A Bangladeshi teenager died in hospital in Dhaka after he was hit by a ball while umpiring a cricket match, police said on Saturday. Rafiqul Islam, 17, was declared dead at Dhaka Medical College Hospital late Friday after being rushed there in critical condition following the incident at Balur Math ground in Bangladesh's capital. "A group of youths were playing cricket in the field and the boy was the umpire. He collapsed on the field after a ball hit him in the chest," local police chief Enamul Haque told AFP. The British Royal Air Force s aerobatic team, the Red Arrows, demonstrates its skills during an airshow in Karachi, Pakistan, on Oct 5. (AP) Vehicles drive through a fl ooded stretch of a road under the busy Hebbal fl yover after a heavy downpour in Bangalore on Oct 5. (AFP) Friends and volunteers identify the dead bodies of students in a hospital after a road accident in the Mastung district of oil and gas rich Balochistan province, in the Pakistani city of Quetta on Oct 7. A speeding passenger van collided head on with a bus carrying university students and staff on Oct 7, killing 14 people and wounding 27 others in southwestern Pakistan, officials said. (AFP) Lat/Am Mexico copter crash fills 7: A Mexican military helicopter crashed on Friday in the northern state of Durango, seriously injuring one military member aboard and likely killing seven others, the defense ministry said in a statement. The helicopter, a Bell 412 model, crashed 4 kilometers (2.5 miles) northeast of the town of El Salto in the mountainous state of Durango during a training flight. The one survivor was in grave condition in hospital, while authorities are searching for the bodies of seven other military members which were presumed to be among the remains of the aircraft. Mexican ex-gov arrested: Mexican ex-governor Eugenio Hernandez, who is wanted in the United States for laundering drug money, was arrested Friday in his home state of Tamaulipas on corruption charges, prosecutors said. He joins a list of at least 20 ex-governors accused of corruption in Mexico, scandals that have badly damaged the image of the ruling Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI), from which most of them hailed. Hernandez governed Tamaulipas, which borders the US state of Texas, from 2005 to 2010 for the PRI. He is accused of embezzling public funds and laundering money. (AFP) Brazil day care fire toll 9: The death toll from a day care center fire in southeastern Brazil rose to nine on Friday as two 4-year-old girls died of burns while being treated in a hospital. A firefighter in the city of Janauba in the state of Minas Gerais said by telephone that Cecilia Davina Goncalves Dias and Yasmin Medeiros Salvino died Friday afternoon due to burns that covered most of their bodies. He said that 4-year-old Renan Nicolas Santos died Thursday night due to burns that covered 90 percent of his body. (AP) Extremism Trump sends lieutenants to Pakistan Terrorism up in Afghanistan BUCHAREST, Romania, Oct 7, (Agencies): A top official said Friday that NATO is concerned about an increase in terrorism in Afghanistan since the alliance withdrew its combat troops in We cannot underestimate what is happening in Afghanistan because after we withdrew our troops... we saw a new increase of terrorism, the president of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, Paolo Alli, told The Associated Press. Alli said the Taleban also expanded their control of parts of the country after NATO ended its combat mission in Some alliance troops remained to train and advise Afghan forces under the NATO-led Resolute Support mission. Alli s comments in Bucharest came after Kay Bailey Hutchison, the US ambassador to the alliance, said Washington would ask NATO to contribute about 1,000 additional troops to fight the resurgent Taleban. Alli said the deteriorating security situation in Afghanistan had led to Afghans fleeing the country. We have seen in the last two or three years a lot of refugees coming to Eastern Europe from Afghanistan and that (is) the effect of the Taleban taking away control of some parts of the country, he told The AP. The number of additional troops NATO sends to Afghanistan will be decided by governments. There are currently about 13,500 troops in Afghanistan, of which some 8,400 are US troops. NATO is holding a four-day Parliamentary Assembly in Bucharest where the alliance s relations with Russia and Black Sea security are among the key themes. President Donald Trump will dispatch his top diplomatic and military advisors to Pakistan in the coming weeks, turning up the heat on a nuclear-armed ally accused of harboring terror groups. Hernandez Santos Weeks after Trump angrily accused Islamabad of providing safe haven to agents of chaos, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson plans to depart for Pakistan late this month. He will be followed by Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis, according to US and Pakistani sources. The one-two punch is designed to drill home Trump s message that Pakistani state support for jihadist groups has to end, according to officials briefed on the visits. Washington has long been frustrated by Pakistan s willingness to offer crossborder safe havens to Taleban factions and armed jihadist groups fighting US troops and their Afghan allies. The relationship reached the breaking point in 2011, when president Barack Obama sent commandos into Pakistan in 2011 to kill Al- Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, who was living in a military garrison town. With little change since then, Trump came to office indicating that Washington s frustration had reached the point where something had to give. The death toll from a suicide bombing at a Shiite shrine in the country s southwest increased to 24 after four victims died at a hospital overnight, police said Saturday. A suicide bomber struck the shrine packed with worshippers in a remote village in Jhal Magsi district, about 400 kilometers (240 miles) east of Quetta in Baluchistan province on Thursday. Senior police officer Mohammad Iqbal said that more than 20 victims were still receiving treatment, some with critical wounds. The bomber detonated his explosives vest when he was stopped for a routine search by a police officer guarding the shrine. Five children, a woman and two police officers were among those killed. The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the attack. 6 die in Colombia protest: At least six farmers protesting the removal of coca crops, the base ingredient in cocaine, were killed during a confrontation in rural southwestern Colombia, President Juan Manuel Santos said on Friday. Santos ordered further investigation into the event, which took place on Thursday and also injured 19 people. The incident occurred in Narino province, near Tumaco, a key zone for coca growing. (RTRS) 4th US soldier killed US lifts sanctions against Khartoum WASHINGTON, Oct 7, (Agencies): The United States lifted long-standing sanctions against Sudan on Friday, saying it had made progress fighting terrorism and easing humanitarian distress, and also secured Khartoum's commitment not to pursue arms deals with North Korea. In a move that completes a process begun by former President Barack Obama and which was opposed by human rights groups, Presi- al-bashir dent Donald Trump removed a US trade embargo and other penalties that had effectively cut Sudan off from much of the global financial system. The US decision marked a major turnaround for the government of President Omar Hassan al-bashir, who once played host to Osama bin Laden and is wanted by the International Criminal Court on charges of orchestrating genocide in Darfur. However, Sudan will stay on the US list of state sponsors of terrorism alongside Iran and Syria which carries a ban on weapons sales and restrictions on US aid, US officials said. Sudanese officials also remain subject to United Nations sanctions for human rights abuses during the Darfur conflict, the officials said, speaking on condition of anonymity. The lifting of sanctions reflects a US assessment that Sudan has made progress in meeting Washington's demands, including cooperation on counter-terrorism, working to resolve internal conflicts and allowing more humanitarian aid into Darfur and other rebellious border areas, the officials said. 4th US soldier killed: The US military said on Friday that a fourth soldier was killed during an attack on Wednesday in Niger, raising the death toll from an incident that has thrown a spotlight on the US counterterrorism mission in the West African nation. The United States had previously announced that three US Army Special Forces soldiers had been killed and another two wounded when a joint US-Nigerien patrol came under attack near the village of Tongo Tongo. It did not disclose until Friday that a fourth soldier had been missing. Officials said his body was found by Nigerien forces on Friday morning near the site of the ambush, ending an extensive rescue and recovery mission. No group has taken responsibility for the killings, although officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, say the United States suspects a local branch of Islamic State was responsible. The US military's Africa Command declined to publicly name any group but said the American military would hunt down the insurgents. "Absolutely, we are resolved and stalwart in our efforts to go after those who attacked this joint patrol of Nigerien and US forces," said Army Colonel Mark Cheadle, a spokesman for the US military's Africa Command. UN base attacked, 3 dead: hree suspected tribal militiamen were killed and two UN soldiers slightly wounded Friday when the armed men attacked a UN military base in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, a UN source said. At around 4:00 am (0200 GMT), a group of armed men, probably Mai- Mai, attacked the MONUSCO (UN mission in the DRC) position near central Lubero, General Bernard Commins, deputy chief of the UN troops in the restive country, announced. When UN soldiers fought back, three (assaillants) were killed in exchanges of fire and one was wounded, then taken in hand by MO- NUSCO for treatment, Commins said, adding that two Blue Helmets were slightly injured. Contacted by AFP, Lubero s territorial administrator Joe Bokele, who was at the scene of the incident, confirmed the attack and the casualty toll from MONUSCO. Weah denies Taylor contacts: Liberia s Weah denies contact with ex-leader Charles Taylor Monrovia, Oct 6, 2017 (AFP) -Liberian presidential candidate George Weah on Friday denied contact with ex-leader Charles Taylor as controversy erupted over the former warlord s alleged behind-the-scenes role in the country s politics. After stepping off a helicopter on his return to the capital, Monrovia, from a nationwide tour ahead of elections on October 10, Weah categorically denied speaking with Taylor, who is serving a 50-year prison term in Britain for war crimes and crimes against humanity. I am not in contact in Charles Taylor, I repeat, I am not, Weah told AFP and France 24 journalists. The BBC quoted him this week as saying he had taken a phone call from Taylor recorded in January.

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14 INTERNATIONAL 14 World News Roundup Environment EPA may not replace CPP Obama makes fervent plea for clean energy Obama CÓRDOBA, Argentina, Oct 7, (Agencies): Former US president Barack Obama made an impassioned plea on Friday for the world to embrace clean energy and overcome climate change at a gathering of experts in Argentina. Obama told an audience of government ministers, business leaders and young environmental activists they were part of a generation with the scientific means and imagination to begin to repair the planet. This is no longer speculation, this is no longer an issue that we can put off, this is firmly in the present. If we take advantage of this critical time, we have the chance to slow and even stop a trend that could be disastrous, said Obama, who signed the Paris climate agreement that President Donald Trump has controversially signalled his intention to abandon. We cannot condemn our children and their children to a future they cannot repair, said Obama. We are the first generation to feel the impact of climate change but we re also the last generation that can do something about it. Despite pulling out of the Paris deal, he said, the good news is that the United States will hit its targets despite a different approach by the incoming administration. Because so much of what we did is now embedded in our economy and in our culture, because our states and cities, our universities, our largest companies, have made it clear that they will keep pushing forward for the sake of future generations. But Obama also warned the Paris accord would not solve the climate crisis on its own, and that as technology evolved, more ambitious targets would have to be set. If we set bolder targets then we will open the floodgates for businesses, scientists, engineers to reach the high-tech low carb investment and innovation that s needed on a scale we ve never seen before. The two-day Green Economy conference in the central city of Cordoba heard from experts including Nobel economic laureate Edmund Phelps that the global fight for clean energy rests with businesses and ordinary people because governments were lagging behind. Obama kept with the theme, saying young people in particular understand this is not just a job for politicians. We ve got to educate our friends, our families, our colleagues, and describe what s at stake. And we need to speak up in town halls, and in churches. We need to push back against those who would try to spread misinformation, and deny science. Although the internet was providing more access to knowledge that ever before, he said, if you watch Fox News you probably don t believe climate change is such a problem. Breathe If we can look beyond the daily news cycle and think about the basics, the air that our children breathe, if that is our focus and we re willing to put that above any short term interests then it won t be too late. He highlighted how the ocean was rising to threaten Miami, one of the largest cities in the US. It s very hard to build a dam around Miami because the water is coming up through the ground. It s porous, that s the reason why even on a sunny day there are parts of Miami now where you ll see a foot of water running down the street. Obama said business leaders had to be reminded that there was no contradiction between a clean environment and strong economic growth. But Phelps also warned against climate change provoking mass hysteria and leading to over-regulation, which he said would be an innovation killer. If an entrepreneur has to demonstrate to a whole bunch of government agencies that he is not going to cause any pollution, then we would lose the normal tendency of new companies and new ideas starting up, said Phelps, who was awarded the Nobel Prize in Economics in The United States is the world s second biggest producer of greenhouse gases after China and its withdrawal was seen as a body blow to the landmark 2015 agreement, which commits signatories to efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions that cause global warming. Twenty-five US corporate giants including Apple, Google and Facebook, Unilever and Levi Strauss had publicly urged the US president to stick with the Paris agreement, arguing that it offered a chance for the United States to take the lead in clean energy. Major American companies denounced his decision to pull out, including industrial and energy corporations, which have been working for years to reduce their carbon footprints. Also: WASHINGTON: The US Environmental Protection Agency has not decided whether it will replace the Clean Power Plan the centerpiece Obama-era climate change regulation after it moves to repeal it, according to a draft of the proposal seen by Reuters on Friday. The effort to undo the rule aimed at cutting emissions from power plants forms part of a broader plan by the administration of President Donald Trump to revive the US coal industry and boost domestic fossil fuels production. In the 43-page document, the EPA said the Clean Power Plan (CPP) introduced by former President Barack Obama in 2015 was illegal. It aimed to cut emissions from utilities, the largest emitters of greenhouse gases blamed by scientists for climate change, by 32 percent below 2005 levels by Under the interpretation proposed in this notice, the CPP exceeds the EPA s statutory authority and would be repealed, the proposal says. The EPA said it has not yet determined whether or when it will propose a new rule to regulate emissions from existing power plants. But the agency said it will soon to release what it calls an Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to solicit information on a potential replacement nonetheless. We can t comment on the authenticity of the document, but what we can say is that the Obama Administration pushed the bounds of their authority so far that the Supreme Court issued a stay the first in history to prevent the so-called Clean Power Plan from taking effect, said EPA spokeswoman Liz Bowman. The CPP had been challenged in court by 27 states after Obama s administration launched it in It was suspended by the DC Circuit Court of Appeals, which set a deadline of Friday for a status report from the EPA on how it plans to proceed. In this undated image taken in 2000, provided by the Palestinian Department of Antiquities, an aerial view of the excavations at Tel Es-Sakan, shows houses dating to BC (left), and fortifications from the late fourth millennium BC, south of Gaza City. (AP) This NASA photo shows US Vice- President Mike Pence as he delivers opening remarks during the National Space Council s fi rst meeting, on Oct 5, at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum s Steven F. Udvar- Hazy Center in Chantilly, Virginia. The National Space Council, chaired by Vice-President Mike Pence heard testimony from representatives from civil space, commercial space, and national security space industry representatives. (AFP) Pruitt Discovery Helgesen EPA expands Pruitt probe: The Environmental Protection Agency s (EPA) inspector-general is expanding an inquiry into Administrator Scott Pruitt s frequent taxpayer-funded travel, the watchdog office said Friday. The review will now include all travel by Pruitt through Sept 30 as the office examines whether Pruitt followed EPA travel policies and whether those policies are sufficient to prevent fraud, waste and abuse. Previously, the inspector general was focusing on Pruitt s travel to his home state of Oklahoma through July 31. A spokeswoman said Friday the scope of the review was expanded after requests by members of Congress. EPA documents show Pruitt and his staff chartered a private plane for an Aug 4 trip from Denver to Durango, Colorado, to visit the Gold King Mine, site of a spill last year. Pruitt also took three flights on governmentowned planes to New York and North Dakota and for a roundtrip between airports in Oklahoma. Letters released by EPA show the flights cost a total of $58,000 and were approved by the agency s general counsel s office. The expanded review came as The Washington Post reported Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao used government planes instead of cheaper commercial airline flights seven times in the past eight months. The revelation was the latest involving Trump administration officials use of costly private or military air travel at taxpayers expense. (AP) Niue creates marine sanctuary: The tiny Pacific island nation of Niue on Friday announced the creation of a huge marine sanctuary, saying it wanted to stop overfishing and preserve the environment for future generations. While Niue s landmass is only 260 sq kms (100 sq miles), its remote location about 2,400 kms northeast of New Zealand means it lays claim to vast tracts of ocean. The government said that 40 percent of its exclusive economic zone, about 127,000 sq kms representing an area roughly the size of Greece, would be set aside for the marine Archaeology Archaeologists may have discovered St Nick s bones Hamas levels on ancient treasure sanctuary. Premier Toke Talagi said his government wanted to stop the depletion of fish stocks and give the ocean space to heal to protect the environment for the next generation. This commitment is not a sacrifice, it is an investment in the certainty and stability of our children s future, he said. TEL ES-SAKAN, Gaza Strip, Oct 7, (AP): Palestinian and French archaeologists began excavating Gaza s earliest archaeological site nearly 20 years ago, unearthing what they believe is a rare 4,500-year-old Bronze Age settlement. But over protests that grew recently, Gaza s Hamas rulers have systematically destroyed the work since seizing power a decade ago, allowing the flattening of this hill on the southern tip of Gaza City to make way for construction projects, and later military bases. In its newest project, Hamas-supported bulldozers are flattening the last remnants of excavation. There is a clear destruction of a very important archaeological site, said Palestinian archaeology and history professor Mouin Sadeq, who led three excavations at the site along with French archaeologist Pierre de Miroschedji after its accidental discovery in I don t know why the destruction of the site was approved. Tel Es-Sakan (hill of ash) was the largest Canaanite city between Palestine and Egypt, according to Sadeq. It was named after the great amount of ash found during the excavations, which suggests the settlement was burnt either naturally or in a war. Archaeologists found the 10-hectare (25-acre) hill to be hiding a fortified settlement built centuries before pharaonic rule in Egypt, and 1,000 years before the pyramids. But the excavations stopped in 2002 due to security concerns. When calls on Hamas to stop the recent flattening intensified last month, the nearest available expert to gain access to Gaza was Jean-Baptiste Humbert, a Jerusalem-based archaeologist at the Ecole Biblique and who had excavated other sites in Gaza. Today the complete southern facade of the Tel is erased, said Humbert. In previous years, faces and ramparts on other sides were also destroyed. Now it is destroyed all around, he said. It s among the earliest sites indicating the emergence of the urban society concept in the Near East, when communities were transforming from farming villages around 4,000 BC, and it was on trade routes between Egypt and the Levant, according to Humbert. Humbert shared an aerial photo from 2000 showing patterns of walls from atop the mound. The area was the first city of Palestine to have a city wall, he said. Now, the field work you see in the photo is totally destroyed. Gaza is home to numerous ancient treasures, but politics have long complicated archaeological work. The French excavations stopped in 2002 because of a Palestinian uprising in which protesters violently clashed with Israeli troops around the nearby Netzarim settlement. Israel withdrew from Gaza in But Hamas, shunned by the West as a terrorist group, won elections and eventually drove out the Western-backed Palestinian Authority in The excavations never resumed. Unlike more extreme Islamic groups, Hamas has not deliberately destroyed antiquities for ideological reasons. But with little open space in Gaza, a fast-growing population and an economy stifled by Israeli and Egyptian blockades, Hamas officials say they have no choice but to develop the area, making archaeology a low priority. But the group has also seized ancient sites to build military training camps, including the 3,000-year-old Anthedon Harbor, parts of which were bulldozed in Temporary In 2009 and 2012, the expansion of universities destroyed the western and northern facades of Tel El-Sakan. People displaced during three wars between Hamas and Israel set up temporary dwellings on the eastern side. The southern front remained, but Hamas says it needs the land to compensate some of its senior employees, who have only received partial salaries from the cash-strapped group. When the bulldozer work started in early August, the Hamas-run Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities appealed for help. Humbert rushed to Gaza, and with the help of colleagues from Gaza s Islamic University, he succeeded in stopping the work for two weeks while the ministry and Hamas Land Authority worked to settle the dispute. We simply cannot be the generation of leaders who have taken more than they have given to this planet and left behind a debt that our children cannot pay. (AFP) Shipping, fishing killed whales: Collisions with ships or entanglements in fishing nets likely killed the 15 right whales that In this frame from NASA TV, Astronaut Mark Vande Hei works on the International Space Station on Oct 5. Hei and Randy Bresnik went out on a spacewalk to give the International Space Station s big robot arm a new hand. (AP) Jamal Abu Rida, the ministry s director of antiquities, said Tel Es-Sakan is a protected archaeological site, but that his ministry could not stop the more powerful Land Authority from destroying another 1.2 hectares (three acres). The work resumed last week. Bulldozers loaded a truck with soil that contained fragments of jars. When the workers saw Associated Press cameras, they quickly left the scene. Abu Rida said they recovered an early Bronze Age jar from the site during the most recent leveling. Fadel al-outul a Gaza archaeologist, salvaged fragments that he used to reassemble two thirds of another jar. He also found a flint knife blade. Junaid Sorosh-Wali, an official with the UN cultural agency UNESCO, inspected the damage at the site Tuesday after the bulldozers left. What happened was disastrous for the archaeology and cultural heritage in Palestine, he said. He said UNESCO had raised concerns with the relevant authorities. Amateur videos showed ramparts crumbling under the bulldozer s treads. The rampart of the southern facade was also uncovered and is slated for destruction. Also: ANKARA, Turkey: Turkish archaeologists believe they may have discovered the remains of St. Nicholas from whom the legend of Santa Claus emerged beneath a church at his birthplace in southern Turkey, an official said Thursday. St Nicholas was born and served as a bishop of what is now the Turkish Mediterranean town of Demre, near Antalya, in the 4th century. He was buried in the area formerly known as Myra, but his bones were believed to have been stolen and taken to the southern Italian town of Bari. Archaeologists, however, have recently discovered what they think is a temple below the church and now believe his remains may be lying there, Cemil Karabayram, the head of Antalya s Reliefs and Monuments authority, told The Associated Press by recently washed up on Canadian and US Atlantic shores, researchers said Thursday after an examination of their remains. The necropsies were performed on only six of the animals and a seventh continues. But the team of researchers from the Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative was confident that further study would point to the same causes of death in the others. Since June, a dozen right whales have been found dead in Canadian waters in an area of high marine and shipping traffic and extensive commercial fishing. Three more were later discovered off the coast of New England in the United States. (AFP) Norway to study shift from oil: Norway will study ways to make its economy greener and reduce dependence on oil and gas reserves that are likely to lose value amid efforts to slow climate change, Environment Minister Vidar Helgesen has said. A government commission of experts, to be appointed in coming days, will examine the nation s green competitiveness and ways to insulate western Europe s biggest oil and gas exporter from financial risks linked to climate change. Given the energy and transport revolutions, fossil energy resources will be of less value over time, Helgesen told Reuters. (RTRS)

15 Film Record 92 countries vying for foreign language Oscar Rees, Penn top Mill Valley Fest tributes, spotlights LOS ANGELES, Oct 7, (Agencies): In a festival that eschews a true set of awards, the curation of the tributes and spotlight events it holds is probably the best lens by which to understand just where its heart lies. When it comes to the Mill Valley Film Festival, which is holding its 40th gathering this year just north of San Francisco, the careful curation of its lineup of honorees and spotlight names is exactly that: a focus on unique aspects of American life, culture and society with a particular diverse angle. We really try to gauge what s happening in any given year, and hand out tributes as lifetime honors and spotlights that focus on a particular point in a person s career, says MVFF director of programming Zoe Elton. It s obviously important for any festival to present their audience with the most interesting voices out there present a range of different points of view, says Dee Rees, director of Mudbound, who will be one of the filmmakers receiving a spotlight honor this year. She s in good company: along with Rees, Spotlight honors, which consist of screenings and in-person conversations along with the award presentation, this year are going to Greta Gerwig, director-writer of Lady Bird and Breathe star Andrew Garfield. Tributes, meanwhile, are being handed out to The Big Sick s Holly Hunter; Kristin Scott Thomas, star of opening-night film Darkest Hour ; longtime festival attendee and supporter Sean Penn; and director Todd Haynes, whose Wonderstruck will make its California premiere at the festival. I ve only ever been to the Mill Valley Film Festival once before, but it was an event I will never forget, Haynes says. It was in 2007, the year the festival presented Haynes Bob Dylan film I m Not There, which was followed by a Dylan-tribute concert with a number of musicians, including Ramblin Jack Elliott, Bob Weir and Chris Isaak. It was such a trip for me to meet Ramblin Jack Elliott and to share the film with this super-engaged, but down-to-earth audience at Mill Valley, Haynes says. There is a certain unity that threads through the honorees and their films this year; at least, in a way they all strike different chords in terms of storytelling and approach. Haynes Wonderstruck jumps between time periods to focus on two young people seeking long-lost family members and idols. The Big Sick examines cultural differences and the way they can cause problems in romantic relationships, while Gerwig s autobiographical Lady Bird is about young womanhood in turn-of-the-century Sacramento. Focused Scott Thomas and Garfield are outliers of a sort in that their films are focused on British history and history-makers. But both subjects of their films Winston Churchill and a man paralyzed by polio emphasize a blend of stiff-upper-lip-ness with true Yankee adaptability, and that also makes it feel like a natural fit. Meanwhile, Rees Mudbound is a historical look at Jim Crow laws in Mississippi, and, as she notes, it s also about much more than that: Mudbound is about not being able to come home, she says. About how family can drown you; about how we are all mired together in the muck of our own dysfunctional system. Having diversity that covers not just budget, but subject matter and the demographics of the filmmaker is what makes MVFF so appealing to those in the business as well as audiences. We felt we had to come out and say, This is what we do, says Elton. We felt the more public we became with the issues we were addressing, the more we could provoke conversations. Also: LOS ANGELES: A record 92 countries have entered the race hoping to snag an Oscar for best foreign language film at next year s awards, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced on Thursday. Among the contenders that have created a buzz this year is Angelina Jolie s First They Killed My Father from Cambodia, Robin Camillo s BPM (Beats Per Minute) from France, Ziad Doueiri s The Insult from Lebanon and Joachim Trier s Thelma from Norway. Swedish art world satire The Square, directed by Ruben Ostlund, was the shock winner at the Cannes Film Festival this year and is also among the contenders. First-time entrants include Haiti ( Ayiti Mon Amour ), Lao People s Democratic Republic ( Dearest Sister ) and Syria ( Little Gandhi ). Last year s Oscar for best foreign language film went to Iranian director Asghar Farhadi s The Salesman. Farhadi boycotted the ceremony over US President Donald Trump s visa ban barring citizens of seven Muslim-majority countries, including Iran, from entering the United States. Nominations for the 90th Academy Awards will be announced on Jan 23 and the glitzy ceremony will be held on March 4 in Hollywood. Variety Features SUNDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2017 This image released by Warner Bros Pictures shows Ryan Gosling (left), and Sylvia Hoeks in a scene from Blade Runner 2049 which opened with $6.8mn in early international box office. (AP) LOS ANGELES: Blade Runner 2049 has opened with $6.8 million in its first two days at the international box office and is on track for a launch weekend of $48 million to $52 million in foreign markets. Sony disclosed the results, which came from launches on Wednesday and Thursday from about 60% of the marketplace overseas. Blade Runner 2049 saw first-place launches in the UK with $1.1 million, Russia with $804,000, and Australia with $685,000. Germany opened with $516,000. Sony and Alcon Entertainment financed the sequel, which carries a $150 million price tag. Warner Bros is handling domestic distribution with projections for a $45 million opening weekend. (RTRS) LOS ANGELES: Two men have been charged following a non-fatal double shooting on the set of Denzel Washington s The Equalizer 2 in Boston. The Quincy Police Department arrested two 18-year-olds, Dionte Martinez and Thomas Perkins, last Thursday five days after they fled the scene of the crime on Whittier Street in the city s Roxbury section. They suspects were charged with assault with intent to murder, unlawful possession of a firearm, and unlawful possession of ammunition after injuring two security guards on Saturday morning. (RTRS) LONDON: Despite concerns about the impact of streaming on movie attendance, the British box office is having a record year. The Film Distributors Association said Friday that moviegoers spent 1 billion pounds ($1.32 billion) on tickets in the first nine months of Receipts are running six percent ahead of 2016, which saw a record 1.3 billion pounds in ticket sales. The year s most popular movie so far is Beauty and the Beast, followed by Dunkirk, Despicable Me 3, Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 2 and La La Land. (AP) LOS ANGELES: Vivendi s Paris headquarters were raided by police Thursday as part of an investigation into alleged market manipulation involving its acquisition of a stake in Italian broadcaster Mediaset. The probe was launched by Milan prosecutors following a criminal complaint filed by Mediaset and its majority shareholder Film IOC in denial over drugs: Fogel Icarus exposes doping in sports Washington LONDON, Oct 7, (RTRS): The man who helped expose Russia s massive doping regime says the International Olympic Committee (IOC) is still in denial over the performance-enhancing drug use and would rather sweep it under the carpet than take meaningful action. American Bryan Fogel, director of the documentary film Icarus, told Reuters that IOC president Thomas Bach had betrayed clean athletes the world over by his failure to act decisively and that the World Anti- Doping Agency (WADA) was crippled by its mandate with no ability to take action. Russia repeated its regular denials of Fogel s accusations that it orchestrated mass doping. WADA dismissed his comments about its powers and the IOC declined to comment. Fogel had set out to make a film showing the impact of self-administered performance-enhancing drugs on his amateur cycling efforts, but during the research he was introduced to Grigory Rodchenkov, the former head of Russia s anti-doping programme. Fogel said that after a few conversations he realised he had stumbled across a story on an entirely different level as Rodchenkov gave details on the depths and complexity of doping in his homeland. What he told me, and showed me, was jaw-dropping, astonishing, frightening and worrying, Fogel told Reuters. His account, first published in the New York Times, led to the establishment of Canadian lawyer Richard McLaren s independent report for WADA, which backed up his account. Rodchenkov fled Russia and is now in hiding in the United States. He said he was in fear of his life after two other senior former Russian anti-doping officials, Nikita Kamayev and Vyacheslav Sinev, died suddenly within weeks of each other in February Last week a Russian warrant was issued for Rodchenkov s arrest. The story of Rodchenkov s relationship with Fogel and how, in fear of his life, he left his family and friends behind, is documented in the film now available on Netflix. It gives details of what it says is a massive government doping project, alleging secret service involvement and describing an intricate programme of sample-swapping and bottle-tampering at the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics. One scene shows WADA officials Olivier Niggli, Beckie Scott and Christiane Ayotte and the IOC s Athletes Commission Chair Claudia Bokel reacting with shock at Rodchenkov s account, including details of what drugs dozens of athletes had been taking. Almost 18 months on, however, Fogel is frustrated by what he considers to be a lack of meaningful action, with his main ire directed at the IOC s failure to ban Russia completely from the 2016 Rio Olympics. Fraud I quickly learned that the IOC would like nothing more than to sweep this under the carpet. Even after Richard McLaren s report proved beyond a reasonable doubt that everything Grigory had said was true and showed the scale of the fraud, the IOC wasn t willing to acknowledge it, Fogel said. To fob the decision (on banning Russia) off to the (individual sports) federations was a punch in the face to Olympic values and to every clean athlete. Their (the IOC s) goal was simply to find a way to make the problem go away. Asked about the comments, the IOC said: Mr Fogel is currently trying to promote his film and therefore we would make no response. The Olympics governing body has, however, previously tried to explain its role in the process, emphasising that McLaren s report never had the authority to bring anti-doping cases against individual athletes. The IOC is re-analysing all 254 urine samples collected from Russian athletes at Sochi, while the 63 retested blood samples collected from Russian athletes there were all negative. Berlusconi Fininvest, a holding owned by former Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi and his family, in December. (RTRS) LOS ANGELES: Transformers: The Last Knight, from Paramount Home Media Distribution, debuted at No. 1 on both national home video sales charts the week ended Bach said last month that he had not watched the Icarus film. Foden was full of praise for McLaren, who worked closely with Rodchenkov during the presentation of his evidence, but said WADA s structure and the fact that it is 50-percent funded by the IOC left it powerless. Essentially the IOC owns WADA and they (WADA) have no power - all they can do is observe and report, he said. In WADA there are good people trying to do the right thing. But you have an organisation essentially hamstrung by its mandate. They (WADA) can find a million crimes but without the authority to act they are a crippled organisation. Fogel cited the fact that 95 of the 96 athletes named by McLaren had been cleared as evidence of WADA and the IOC s failings but WADA director general Niggli told Reuters that view was a misunderstanding of the situation. It is important to keep in focus that McLaren s mandate was finding out about the system, he told Reuters. He gave us the names but he and we said from day one there probably wouldn t be enough evidence for an individual anti-doping violation. At that stage his mandate was finished but to say nothing is happening is totally wrong. Niggli also said WADA had a new set of compliance standards and the sanctions process would soon be carried out by an independent body probably the Court of Arbitration for Sport and no longer by national bodies or federations. I think that shows there is a will from both sides to do the right thing, he said. Fogel also had stinging criticism for the Russian authorities. Grigory took extraordinary risks and had to leave everything behind, he said. They ve seized his assets, tried to take his daughter s apartment that he had bought for her and they are trying to take his wife s property. Sept 30. But Warner s Wonder Woman movie, although bumped down to the No. 2 spot, remained in high demand, selling 87% as many units as the latest Transformers film in its second week of release. The No. 3 spot on NPD VideoScan s overall disc sales chart, which tracks combined DVD and Blu-ray Disc sales, went to Lionsgate s 47 Meters Down, the latest in a series of shark-attack thrillers. The film made more than $44 million in US theaters. Disney s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 came in at No. 3 on NPD s Blu-ray Disc-only sales chart and No. 5 on the overall disc sales chart. Earlier, the film spent three weeks at No. 1..(RTRS)

16 NEWS/FEATURES 16 People & Places Film Williams casts in Beasts Boyega readies for war in Pacific Rim LOS ANGELES, Oct 7, (RTRS): The uprising has begun. The first trailer for Pacific Rim Uprising wowed audiences at New York Comic-Con on Friday. We were born into a world at war. Between the monsters that destroyed our cities and the monsters we created to stop them, we thought we had sacrificed enough, John Boyega s Jake Pentecost narrates in the clip. But the war we thought we finished is just beginning, and the only thing standing in front of the apocalypse is us. From there, the action-packed preview introduces a new generation of Jaeger pilots ready to combat the evolving Kaijus and prevent humanity s extinction. The sequel picks up 10 years after the Battle of the Breach, and Boyega takes up the legacy of his father (Idris Elba s character), who sacrificed his life in the first film. The cast also includes Scott Eastwood, Jing Tian, Cailee Spaeny, Rinko Kikuchi, Burn Gorman, Adria Arjona, and Charlie Day. Pacific Rim, directed by Guillermo del Toro, starred Boyega Elba, Kikuchi, Day, Charlie Hunnam, and Robert Kazinsky. It was set in the near future with Earth at war with the Kaiju monsters that emerged from an inter-dimensional portal at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean. The pic grossed $411 million at the worldwide box office. Former The Daily Show correspondent Jessica Williams has joined the Warner Bros. sequel to Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. The studio has also cast Brontis Jodorowsky as Nicolas Flamel, known in J.K. Rowling s wizarding world as an alchemist who discovered the Elixir of Life. Other newly announced cast members include Fiona Glascott, Wolf Roth, Victoria Yeates, Derek Riddell, Poppy Corby-Tuech and Cornell S John. The untitled sequel has been dated for a release on Nov 16, David Yates, who directed Fantastic Beasts and the final four Harry Potter installments, is returning to helm the second film in the Harry Potter prequel series from a script by Harry Potter creator Rowling. She revealed a year ago that the spinoff franchise would consist of five films. Rowling, David Heyman, Steve Kloves and Lionel Wigram are producing. The film will see the return of stars Eddie Redmayne as Newt Scamander, Katherine Waterston as Tina, Alison Sudol as Queenie, Dan Fogler as Jacob, Ezra Miller as Credence, Zoe Kravitz as Leta Lestrange and Johnny Depp as Gellert Grindelwald. Previously announced additions include Callum Turner as Newt s older brother Theseus Scamander along with Jude Law as Aldus Dumbledore. Filming began in July. The first film, set in the 1920s in New York City, was released last November and grossed $814 million worldwide. Warner Bros. has not yet revealed when third, fourth and fifth films will be released. The specifics of Williams role have not been disclosed. She starred in the Netflix movie The Incredible Jessica James, which was released in July. Williams is represented by UTA and B Company. In today s film news roundup, Crispin Glover is starring in Smiley Face Killers, Mary and the Witch s Flower will open the Hawaii Film Festival, and a virtual reality advertisement is launched for Jigsaw. Ronen Rubinstein and Crispin Glover are starring in the independent horror movie Smiley Face Killers, scripted by Bret Easton Ellis, Variety has learned exclusively. Production has commenced across multiple states with Tim Hunter directing. Braxton Pope is producing with David Wulf and Ellis. Jason Miller of Silver State Productions is executive producing. Shared The film s plot has been kept largely under wraps, but is based on actual events and the conspiracy theories that have arisen on the internet as a result of serial deaths of young men that shared common characteristics. Rubinstein will play the lead. The film reteams Glover with Hunter, who directed him in River s Edge. Pope and Ellis teamed on The Canyons, the erotic thriller starring Lindsay Lohan. Mia Serafino co-stars. Garrett Coffey, Amadeus Serafini, Australian pop star Cody Simpson, and Ashley Rickards round out the cast. Rubinstein most recently appeared in the Freeform series Dead of Summer and will next be seen in Olivia Milch s independent feature Dude. Hunter is in post-production on the neo-noir feature film Looking Glass starring Nicolas Cage and Robin Tunney, which Pope also produced, as well as helming recent episodes of the Amazon original series Bosch and the CW hit show Riverdale. The 37th edition of the Hawaii International Film Festival will open Nov 2 with the animated film Mary and the Witch s Flower in Honolulu. Hiromasa Yonebayashi directed the Japanese anime film, which tells the story of a young girl named Mary who discovers a flower that grants magical powers, but only for one night. Last year, we closed with another anime film, Your Name, which was a smashing success, said Anderson Le, co-director of programming. Hawaii loves manga and anime, so we wanted to open the festival with a major Japanese anime film like Mary and the Witch s Flower, especially since it is family friendly and want to welcome audience members of all ages to experience this fun romp of a film that is reminiscent to Harry Potter. We re thrilled to present the film and to have Director Yonebayashi celebrate our festival opening night with us. IFC Midnight has taken North American rights to Ghost Stories, the supernatural thriller based on the stage production and starring Martin Freeman ( The Hobbit ). The film has its world premiere Thursday at the BFI London Film Festival. The movie was co-written and directed by Jeremy Dyson ( The League of Gentleman ) and Andy Nyman ( Death at a Funeral ). Lionsgate has the UK rights. Ghost Stories stars Nyman as Professor Goodman, a psychologist and skeptic, who has his rationality tested when he stumbles across a long-lost file containing details of three terrifying hauntings. He then embarks on a mission to find rational explanations for the ghostly happenings. This Sept 8, 2017 file photo shows a border patrol vehicle driving in front of a mural in Tecate, Mexico just beyond a border structure in Tecate, California. (AP) Chinese visual artist Ai Weiwei attends the BUILD Speaker Series to discuss his film Human Flow, at AOL Studios on Oct 6 in New York. (AP) May Variety Woods LOS ANGELES: A spokeswoman for Ralphie May says the comedian has died. He was 45. In a statement Friday, publicist Stacey Pokluda says May died of cardiac arrest. She said he had been fighting pneumonia, which caused him to cancel a few appearances in the past month. His body was found Friday morning at a private residence in Las Vegas. On Wednesday, the round-faced May was named casino comedian of the year at the Global Gaming Expo. He was booked through the rest of 2017 at Harrah s Las Vegas. May, a Tennessee native who was raised in Arkansas, parlayed a second-place finish on TV s Last Comic Standing in 2003 into TV and club appearances. His publicist said May s survivors include his wife, Lahna Turner, and children April June and August James. (AP) LOS ANGELES: Actor James Woods, who has said his conservative political views make it hard to get acting jobs, announced his retirement from acting on Friday through a press release for a property listing that was reported by the Providence Journal. According to real estate agent Allen Gammons, Woods is retiring from the entertainment industry and hopes to simplify his life by selling his many real estate holdings on both coasts. The statement from the agent said he wants to spend more time on photography, antiquing and poker. Woods owns four homes in Rhode Island. The Exeter, R.I. house is listed at $1.4 million. The 70-year-old actor is known for his roles in Casino, Videodrome, Salvador, Ghosts of Mississippi and for his voice work on Disney s Hercules, in which he voiced the villainous Hades. He later won an daytime Emmy for the role in the spin-off cartoon series. (RTRS) PHILADELPHIA: Walter Bunny Sigler, a singer, songwriter and producer who helped create The Sound of Philadelphia in the 1970s, has died. His longtime attorney, Lloyd Zane Remick, said Sigler died of a heart attack Friday at his home outside Philadelphia. He was 76. Sigler worked with Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff in developing a genre that blended soul, funk and big band styles, and cemented the city in the country s musical landscape with its lush horn ensembles and Film Adlon found a niche in H wood on her own terms Varda, 89, on her life in cinema NEW YORK, Oct 7, (AP): Agnes Varda, the 89-year-old Belgian-born filmmaking legend, emerges from her hotel room having dressed up for an evening event at Lincoln Center. She holds out the large silver heart-shaped medallion strung around her neck. I have a big heart, she says with a smile. A truer thing has never been said. Since her 1962 New Wave breakthrough, the real-time masterwork Cléo From 5 to 7, and running up until her latest, the richly ennobling road trip documentary Faces Places, Varda s much-distinguished career has been defined by a soul-searching warmth, an abiding, compassionate curiosity, and a deep desire, above all, to see. Life comes through the frame and through the stock. It s like a filter, says Varda. We filter life to make it accessible to us. We want to learn and then give to other people images, song and emotion and discovery. We are artisans. I feel I am an artist but I am a movie maker. I make a film with my hands. I love the editing, I love the mixing. It s a tool to make other people exist. It s giving understanding between people. Understanding, empathy, sharing. I think they are beautiful words. They are not ridiculous. While perhaps not as widely known outside cinephile circles as some of her French New Wave contemporaries Godard, Truffaut Varda has been a humble but titanic presence across 20th century cinema. Originally a photographer, her films have, from the fierce feminist 1985 landmark Vagabond to her tender 2009 memory sketch Beaches of Agnes, charted a more eccentric and often whimsical path. She s small in stature but her dual-toned bowl-cut hairstyle is, like her movies, immediately identifiable as her own. Beaches of Agnes, Varda thought, would be her final feature film. But then she met the now 34-year-old street artist JR, who s world renown for pasting grand portraits of photographs on huge, real-world tableaus a boy gazing over a border wall in Mexico; giant eyes on a sailing cargo ship. A smooth vocals. Gamble said Sigler was one of the most talented songwriters and producers he ever worked with, and more importantly, he was like family to us. As a performer, Sigler was known for such hits as Let the Good Times Roll & (Feel So Good). Mariska Hargitay (left), and Debra Messing pose for a photo at Messing s star ceremony at the Hollywood Walk of Fame on Oct 6 in Los Angeles. (AP) couple years ago, Varda, a fan of JR s work, met him on a Monday in Paris. They started shooting that Wednesday. He does very spectacular things, says Varda. I m more modest than he is. But we got along. I think our working couple works, no? They re perhaps the oddest couple of the year but also the most charming. In Faces Places, which opens in New York on Friday and elsewhere in the coming weeks, she and JR traverse the French countryside in a van, meeting people along the way, hearing their stories and pasting their portraits. The images leave their subjects a solitary farmer, wives of dockworkers breathless. An intuitive, improvised project became a long-running one. To pace Varda, whose eyesight has diminished, they worked one week every month for five months. We thought it would just be a summer, says JR, who dons sunglasses and a hat throughout the film, but who spoke without either while Varda was spiffing up in the next room. It s like a summer love that got extended. Listen What we had in common is that you can approach everybody anybody if you have empathy and a desire to listen, to be honest, to be open, says Varda of her co-director. We worked with four eyes. Since its debut at the Cannes Film Festival, Faces Places has left critics floored by Varda s undiminished talent and spirit. Unlike a lot of movies by older filmmakers, it s as fresh as a daisy, says Kent Jones, director of the New York Film Festival, which also screened the film. A melancholy colors Faces Places, too, in its blend of playfulness and gravity. In one scene, Varda visits the rural cemetery where the photographer Henri Cartier-Bresson is buried. JR asks if she fears death and Varda says she s looking forward to it. It s not in the film but she said because she would be afraid to do the film de trop, which means the one too much, says JR. For her, she already had her goodbye to cinema doing Beaches of Agnes. But we kind of got taken and at some point we thought: maybe we have something worth sharing. We tried to lighten. The world is such a mess, such a chaos. We decided we should not tell more about the chaos, says Varda. Maybe we are light. Maybe we like to smile. Maybe we love people so much that we want you to love them also. In November, the Academy Awards will honor Varda with a honorary Oscar, the latest in a parade of lifetime awards. It s ridiculous. I m well known but still remain poor, with poor audiences and poor box office. It s like a consolation, says Varda. My daughter says I should go. But it s the side Oscar. It s not even in February. It s in November. I think it s the Oscar of the poor. I m flattered but not that much. Varda has long been an inspirational, pioneering figure for women directors. When she began making movies, she estimates, there were three women filmmakers in France. Also: NEW YORK: Pamela Adlon jokes that she knew she wasn t going to take home an Emmy Award by her seating placement at this year s show. The co-creator, director, writer and star of FX s Better Things was nominated for lead comedic actress. She was seated near Jimmy Kimmel and Stanley Tucci, who also didn t win. Adlon found her mind wandering to a possible consolation prize: a gift basket. I tapped Tucci and was like, Do you know if nominees get like a big gift basket or whatever? He was like, I think we used to. I was like, OK, I just want to make sure. She brings that realness and perspective to Better Things, which airs on Thursday nights (10:00 pm Eastern). The semi-autobiographical series, now in its second season, is based on her life as a single mom raising three girls. Adlon works steadily in Hollywood but doesn t have the level of fame that makes her a paparazzi magnet and says she often finds herself making sacrifices to mother those around her. In a 2008 interview with National Public Radio, Gamble said he, Huff and Sigler also performed background vocals on some of their songs, including the chart-topping If You Don t Know Me by Now, recorded by Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes. His career spanned decades and saw collaborations with acts as varied as Patti LaBelle and Jay-Z. (AP) NEW YORK: Harvey Weinstein will be suspended from his film company pending an internal investigation into sexual harassment claims leveled against the Oscar winner, a source with direct knowledge of the decision said Friday. The source, who was not authorized to speak publicly, said an announcement on the suspension and investigation is expected on Friday. The decision was made by The Weinstein Co s board of directors. The New York Times reported Thursday that Weinstein has over the years reached at least eight legal settlements with women over alleged harassment. Weinstein said Thursday that he was taking a leave of absence. Leadership of The Weinstein Co is expected to be assumed by Weinstein s brother, Bob Weinstein, and David Glasser, the company s chief operating officer and president. (AP)

17 NEWS/FEATURES 17 Music Music McPherson updates sounds Thompson digs deep for Acoustic Rarities By Pablo Gorondi ichard Thompson, Acoustic Rarities R(Beeswing) Richard Thompson s Acoustic Rarities complements the Englishman s two volumes of Acoustic Classics, one from 2014 and the second released just months ago. The album is a high-quality potpourri of new recordings representing diverse facets of his career, including solo albums, songs covered first by other artists as well as his work with folk-rock pioneers Fairport Convention and ex-wife Linda Thompson. As with Bob Dylan s Bootleg Series, there s recurring disbelief that songs like the six compositions debuted here were unreleased for so long. Among these are They Tore the Hippodrome Down, an elderly gentleman s melancholy journey through a neighborhood that s changed at least as much as his circumstances, and I Must Have a March, a Threepenny Opera -style demand by a cabaret performer Thompson who hopefully has seen better days. Alexander Graham Bell resorts to a little hot jazz a la Django Reinhardt to extoll the many-sided talents of the Scottish inventor, reminding us that Edison made cylinders but Bell made records flat, earning the gratitude of LP and CD collectors everywhere. Mods and rockers would probably both claim Push and Shove, where Thompson fires off some Pete Townshend strums in mid-sixties mode. Among the reinterpretations are the agonizing Sloth, from Fairport Convention s Full House and contrasting takes on the same arc in the sky the optimistic Rainbow Over the Hill and the brutal End of the Rainbow. The album bids thee farewell with another unreleased gem, She Played Right Into My Hands, a much more cunning version of the Jagger-Richards Under My Thumb theme. Stripped to their essence, the tunes share Thompson s dazzling guitar and his finely aged baritone vocals. Thompson has been a fountainhead of brilliant songwriting for decades and the exquisite tunes on Acoustic Rarities make you yearn for much more. JD McPherson, Undivided Heart & Soul (New West Records) JD McPherson writes and performs songs steeped in the sounds of classic rock and roll, updated with thrilling sonic details that place his third album, Undivided Heart & Soul, firmly in the now. While musicians can carry virtually whole orchestras and thousands of sound effects in pocket-sized digital devices, bricks and mortar can still make a difference. After false starts and a search for direction and some assistance from Josh Homme from Queens of the Stone Age the album was made in Nashville s legendary RCA Studio B, where the Everly Brothers, Elvis Presley, Roy Orbison and Dolly Parton created some of their greatest hits. McPherson, who received much critical acclaim for his first two records, expands those albums molds instead of breaking them and each listen to Undivided Heart & Soul leads to the discovery of another benchmark, from Link Wray, the Black Keys and Dave Edmunds to the Kinks Dave Davies, Motown and even Supergrass. McPherson sings wonderfully, with a measured abandon. He doesn t over-emote to sell a song but dabs enough passion on the tracks to ensure his commitment comes through clearly. Acoustic Crying s Just a Thing You Do Closer has the drive of Summertime Blues in acoustic mode, while the lead guitar on Lucky Penny creates a squealing, overdriven fuzz that makes it immediately clear there s no good fortune in that coin. On the Lips has bursts of reverb to spare and the yearning Jubilee has an air of Amy Winehouse s version of Valerie that goes beyond the rhyming titles. Closer Let s Get Out of Here While We re Young evokes Eric Burdon and The Animals at their raw best. JD McPherson s Undivided Heart & Soul deserves your undivided attention. Dhani Harrison, In Parallel (BMG) Put away your here comes the son puns. On his album In Parallel, Dhani Harrison doesn t hide from nor does he duplicate the sounds of his late father, George Harrison. The younger Harrison builds on the legacy in a way that seems at once familiar, original and assured. To say that Harrison shouldn t have learned a thing or two from his Beatle father is ludicrous. Dhani Harrison was alive for the last 20 years of the elder Harrison s solo career, and he appeared on and also worked with veteran producer Jeff Lynne on his father s final album, Brainwashed. He also has been intimately involved in musical tributes to his father with Lynne, Tom Petty and others. Both men, veterans of George Harrison s beloved Traveling Wilburys, are thanked by Dhani Harrison in his album s liner notes. He dedicates the record to late Beatles producer George Martin. The listener would be hard-pressed not to hear the Beatlesque and Harrisonian touches on several songs, including the lead-off Never Know and All About Waiting. The latter is reminiscent of his father in subject matter and musical structure, though the pulsing beat owes more to the clubs. The closer, Admiral of Upside Down, wouldn t seem out of place on the Beatles Abbey Road, home of Here Comes the Sun. The new song s minor-key progressions, harmonies and abrupt ending sound like an homage to the 1969 album s side one closer, I Want You (She s So Heavy). Of course, influences and preferences spread well beyond his fab, familial roots. #WarOnFalse, Ulfur Resurrection and others incorporate industrial, techno or 80s dance rock, at times reminiscent of Nine Inch Nails, Depeche Mode and Eurythmics. And the sprawling, cacophonous and baroque London Water, a duet with Mereki, recalls Peter Gabriel particularly his sublime 1980s and early 90s collaborations with Kate Bush and Sinead O Connor. Don t let the comparisons fool you: Harrison is his father s son and a free agent, supremely confident as he embraces sounds across the universe. Overall, In Parallel is a sonic marvel and mystery that should reveal and reward over repeated listening. (AP) This cover image released by Beeswing shows Acoustic Rarities, a release by Richard Thompson. (AP) DJ Khaled receives the award for best collaboration during the BET Hip Hop Awards 2017 at The Fillmore Miami Beach at the Jackie Gleason Theatre on Oct 6 in Miami Beach, Florida. (AFP) Szjerdene performs with Bonobo on Day 1 of the 2017 ACL Music Festival held at Zilker Park in Austin, Texas on Oct 6. (AFP) Variety LOS ANGELES: Benedict Andrews has had a long career in Australian and European theater, staging a plethora of Shakespearean works as well as contemporary pieces. Andrews told Variety at the New York premiere of his upcoming film, Una held at the Landmark Sunshine Cinema with an after-party at Hotel Chantelle about his history with David Harrower s play Blackbird, and why he wanted to adapt it as his directorial debut. I directed the play in 2005 in Germany, so I knew the play inside and out. So having that under my belt and having the play in my bones was a great advantage, he said. I didn t want to make just a filmed version of theater. I wanted to open it up to something distinctly cinematic. The film follows the titular character (Rooney Mara), who, 15 years after the fact, confronts the man (Ben Mendelsohn) who sexually abused her as a 12-year-old. The play debuted in 2005 the same year Andrews first directed it and he says the playwright permitted him to not be too literal or didactic when adapting it for the screen. What we wanted to be truthful to is that the play sends people s moral compass spinning, he added. It invites the audience to get comfortable with two characters that it s quite uncomfortable to get close with. (RTRS) LOS ANGELES: The producer and director Harold Prince is one of Broadway s best-known names. But he never actually wanted to be a producer, to hear him tell it. I didn t want to be a producer at all, Prince affirms in the inaugural episode of Stagecraft, Variety s new theater podcast featuring in-depth interviews with the creators of the hottest shows on Broadway, Off Broadway, in London, and around the country. It was a gift horse; I couldn t look it in the mouth, he adds of the opportunity. I ended up in George Abbott s office at the age of that launched his long, storied career. Mara Music Richie for inspiration award Simone, Rage vie for Fame Prince NEW YORK, Oct 7, (Agencies): Experimental icons Radiohead and rock-activists Rage Against the Machine were nominated Thursday for the first time to enter the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, vying in a field that includes singing legend Nina Simone. Two British acts who were major cultural forces in the 1980s New Wave duo Eurythmics and the darkly emotive Kate Bush were also in the running for the first time for spots in the shrine to rock culture, which will induct its latest class on April 14 in Cleveland. Radiohead and Rage Against the Machine received nominations in their first year of eligibility 25 years after releasing their first recording often a sign of good chances at making the cut. Winners will be announced in December after voting by more than 900 artists, historians and others in the music industry, along with an online fan poll that accounts for one ballot. Radiohead emerged in the guitardriven alternative scene of the early 1990s but helped reshape the direction of rock with 1997 s OK Computer and Kid A three years later. On the albums, the Oxford, England-based band led by Thom Yorke presciently sensed the growing power of the internet, embracing electronics in the music all the while warning of technology s corrosive effects on society. Rage Against the Machine was a frontrunner in merging metal and hip-hop but became most identified with left-wing politics. With a punk spirit, Rage s frontman Zack de la Rocha and guitarist Tom Morello have vociferously attacked US foreign policy and capitalism itself, while shedding an international spotlight on the campaign of Mexico s Zapatista insurgents. The nomination of Simone comes as the Hall of Fame gradually expands the definition of rock n roll. As Ice Cube said while being inducted with gangsta rap pioneers N.W.A. last year, rock is not even a style of music but instead a spirit. Simone, who died in 2003 in France, brought a classical sensibility to Gospel and jazz to become one of the 20th century s defining singers. She was also a passionate advocate for racial equality, with civil rights songs such as Young, Gifted and Black. She has enjoyed a renewed spotlight following a 2015 Netflix documentary, What Happened, Miss Simone? Another late singer nominated for the first time was Sister Rosetta Tharpe, the Gospel singer of the 1930s and 1940s whose melodic voice and engaging stage presence influenced early rockers. Kate Bush in a later era also become a model for a generation of singers with the yelping cries of her dramatic soprano voice and an artistic approach that cared little about pop hits. Also: LOS ANGELES: The SAG-AFTRA Foundation has selected Lionel Richie as the recipient of its inaugural Recording Artists Inspiration Award. The singer-songwriter, record producer, and philanthropist is being recognized for his career achievements and charitable work. He will be recognized at the Patron of the Artists Awards celebration Nov 9 at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts in Beverly Hills. Richie has sold over 100 million records and won four Grammy Awards, an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, and the Johnny Mercer Award at the Songwriters Hall of Fame. He recently joined the judges panel for the 2017/2018 season of American Idol. In conversation with Variety s theater editor, Gordon Cox, Prince leads listeners through a career that includes landmark musicals from The Pajama Game to West Side Story to Cabaret to Sweeney Todd to The Phantom of the Opera. At 89, he s still plenty busy, having directed Prince of Broadway, the revue of his work now playing through Oct 29 at the Manhattan Theatre Club, and released a memoir, Sense of Occasion, which hit shelves last month. (RTRS) Brexit Britain hit Latin stars sing for Puerto Rico NEW YORK, Oct 7, (Agencies): Hamilton writer Lin-Manuel Miranda on Friday led a who s who of Latin stars in a new song to raise money for hurricane-ravaged Puerto Rico. Set to a joyous dance beat, Almost Like Praying over three and a half minutes features shout-outs to all 78 towns on the US Caribbean territory, where Hurricane Maria destroyed the electrical and telecommunications grids. Miranda, whose genre-merging Hamilton musical was one of Broadway s biggest hits in recent times, said proceeds from the song would go to relief efforts by the Hispanic Federation group. Jennifer Miranda Lopez, like Miranda a New Yorker of Puerto Rican origin who has been active in the hurricane response, sings lines on the song. The song also marks a rare return to recording by Gloria Estefan, the Cuban American singer who helped bring Latin pop into the US mainstream with her group Miami Sound Machine. Other contributing vocalists include Luis Fonsi, the Puerto Rican singer behind global viral hit Despacito, Panamanian legend Ruben Blades, rapper Fat Joe and the salsa chart-topper Marc Anthony, also known as Lopez s ex-husband. Allusion The lyrical refrain of Almost Like Praying is an allusion to a line in Maria from West Side Story, Broadway s memorable take on Romeo and Juliet that dramatizes the Puerto Rican experience in New York. Miranda made headlines last weekend when he savaged President Donald Trump, who had written on Twitter that Puerto Rican leaders were ungrateful and want everything to be done for them after San Juan s mayor appealed for more assistance. Miranda replied on Twitter: You re going straight to realdonaldtrump. No long lines for you. The artist stood by his comment in an appearance Friday to debut the single on NBC s Today show, saying it was unprecedented for a president to attack the victims of a natural disaster. Those were the only words I had left, and I m a guy who puts words together for a living, Miranda said. Bertrand Cantat, the French rock star who was jailed for murdering his girlfriend, takes several swipes at Brexit Britain in a new single called L Angleterre (England), which he teased on social media Friday. An excerpt posted on Twitter by the former Noir Desir frontman, who killed his girlfriend, the actress Marie Trintignant, in a Lithuanian hotel room in 2003, sparked a mixed reaction, with diehard fans trading insults with his critics. The new song, the first from an as-yet-untitled album, addresses refugees from the Arab Spring who might dream of reaching the new Eldorado of England. But with Brexit, Cantat sings, their hopes will be dashed. You can cross the (English) Channel/ You can see the end of the tunnel/ It s England my little brother / There is nothing for you there. And he mocked the British prime minister in another verse, saying Brexit had given the French ideas/ We have better than Theresa May/ And (our) cattle are better looked after a reference to the outbreak of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE), or mad-cow disease, which led to a worldwide embargo on British beef in Also: LOS ANGELES: Liam Payne and Camila Cabello will both be decking the halls this holiday season at the annual iheartradio Jingle Ball, iheartmedia announced today (Oct 5). Payne and Cabello, who have both launched solo careers in 2017, are the first two performers confirmed to appear on the tour, which will launch Nov 28 at American Airlines Center in Dallas and wrap Dec 17 at the BB&T Center in Miami. Payne who is signed to Republic as a solo artist and is still a member of the on-hiatus One Direction recently released, Strip That Down, featuring Quavo from Migos. Co-written by Ed Sheeran, the song reached No. 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 and is currently the No.1 record in US airplay, according to Mediabase.

18 18 Comic Con fans in costumes arrive for the 1st day of the 2017 New York Comic Con at the Jacob Javits Center on Oct 5, 2017 in New York. The four-day event which runs October 6-9 is the largest pop culture event on the East Coast. (AFP) Annual Michigan art competition winners announced Lincoln made of pennies among winners DETROIT, Oct 7, (AP): The winners of this year s international ArtPrize competition were announced during an event in western Michigan that s known for openness and increasingly, this year, politics. A portrait of US President Abraham Lincoln made with more than 24,000 pennies was among the top prizes Friday in the ninth annual international ArtPrize competition. A. Lincoln by Richard Schlatter was awarded one of two $200,000 prizes following a public vote in Grand Rapids, and for the other, a jury of experts selected Seitu Jones The Heartside Community Meal, which welcomed 250 residents to a 300-foot table in the city s Heartside Park last month for a healthy, locally grown meal. In all, $500,000 prizes were awarded as part of ArtPrize Nine, culled from the work of more than 1,300 artists on display since last month at more than 170 venues. They will remain open through Sunday evening. Nine years in, the open, experimental mission remains firm for the show that draws hundreds of thousands of attendees annually. It comes directly from founder Rick DeVos, grandson of multibillionaire Rich DeVos, a co-founder of direct-sales giant Amway Corp., an ArtPrize sponsor, and son of US Education Secretary Betsy DeVos. Her critics say she s hostile to public education and indifferent to civil rights, citing her push for school choice and her decision to end the Obama administration s rules for investigating allegations of on-campus sexual violence. School choice programs include charter schools, which are publicly funded but usually independently operated, and vouchers that help families cover tuition at private schools. A spokeswoman said Rick DeVos wasn t available to comment. He told The Associated Press in 2011 that organizers want to make sure everyone knows that ArtPrize can host really any type of expression. Policies The show has works critical of Betsy De- Vos and the Trump administration, including For-profit Education by Sarah Ellis, a Grand Rapids high school teacher. She says in an artist s statement that her video and installation-based piece reflects her concern over policies that harm free and quality education for all. Her video shows a hammer striking plaster casts of the ancient Greek philosopher Plato, who is quoted in the work saying, Education is teaching our children to desire the right things. Detroit artist Eric Millikin s Made of Money consists of dollar bills cut up and fashioned into portraits of great people, such as Nikola Tesla, Hedy Lamarr, Joe Louis and Edgar Allan Poe, who died penniless. Millikin said his work is designed to remind that our best people aren t always Crowds look at Richard Schlatter s ArtPrize entry A. Lincoln in Grand Rapids, Mich, on Oct 6, The entry, which was a 2-D fi nalist, won the $200,000 Public Vote Grand Prize. Each year of Lincoln pennies, from 1909 through 2017, is represented in the piece. It includes 1,681 steel pennies from 1943, which form Lincoln s shirt. (AP) rewarded with wealth, and that our wealthiest people aren t always our best. Millikin said he has long known about the DeVos family through their wealth and political connections. He recalls in particular Betsy DeVos husband, Dick DeVos, a former Amway president who unsuccessfully ran for Michigan governor in The DeVos family s support of ArtPrize kept Millikin away for the first eight years, but he saw the election of Trump and Betsy DeVos cabinet appointment as a way to make a statement. That made it a better place (to exhibit) because I m addressing a national figure, he told the AP. It s equivalent to someone... speaking up at the town hall. ArtPrize Exhibitions Director Kevin Buist said political statements including those N E W Y O R K T I M E S CROSSWORD against the DeVos family have been part of the competition since the beginning. In 2009, Anna Campbell exhibited The Seeding Trilogy, which featured drink coasters with messages calling out efforts by members of the DeVos family to fight samesex marriage. Buist said an increase in political pieces and an increasing spotlight on them is no surprise, given the current climate. Some (artists) are angry and they have a right to be angry, he said. They re using ArtPrize as a vehicle to express that and to work through really complicated and tricky issues. Of course, some of that is going to be directed toward the current administration, and some of our funders, he added. That s fine. I d be worried if that weren t happening. Conceptis Sudoku The grid must be so completed that every row, column and 3x3 box has every digit from 1 to 9 inclusive contract bridge By Steve Becker click Alcoholics Anonymous: If you know someone who can t stop drinking and would like to help them please check us out and we promise to try to help at There are no fees. This is a genuine public service. Drinking problem?: Friends of Bill W. are available to help. Totally confidential. rohsecretary@gmail.com Narcotics Anonymous: NA can help with addiction problems. Totally confidential: English/Arabic. Cancer online support group: If you are Cancer patient or family member fighting with this deadly disease, come join our online support Continued on Page 21 Challenger DIRECTIONS: Fill each square with a number, one through nine. Horizontal squares should add to totals on right. Vertical squares should add to totals on bottom. Diagonal squares through center should add to total in upper and lower right. THERE MAY BE MORE THAN ONE SOLUTION. Yesterday s solution Answer to yesterday s puzzle Today s Challenge Time 15 Minutes 0 Seconds Your Working Time Minutes Seconds Word by Word Piper Zamaar He who pays the piper can call the tune. Man yanqod al zamaar yastatei an yafred alaihi al lahen. Numbers Scratch pad 7677 Seven thousand six hundred seventy seven Sabat alaf wa seto maah wa sabah wa saboun

19 19 Mavelikara marks 15th versary and Onam Chinganilavu Photos from the event. Mavelikara Association Kuwait celebrated 15th anniversary and Onam Chinganilavu-2017 in Salmiya Indian Community School under the leadership of association President Binoy Chandran. Program was inaugurated by Director Pravasi Kshemanidhi board Ajith Kumar. The program was followed by felicitation speech by Patron Sunny Pathichira,Writer and social worker Sam Paynumoodu, Alappuzha JillaPravasi association President Rajeev Naduvilemuri, Advisory board member A.I Kurian, Ladies Wing Chairperson Mrs Dhanya Lekshmi and Playback singer Mrs Roopa Revathy. Association General Secretary Ninan John welcomed the gathering, Sangeeth Somanth program convenor delivered vote of thanks. Manoj Parimanam sovenir convenor handed over for the release of annual soveniour to Ajith Kumar (Director Pravasi Kshemanidhi board). In the name of Mavelikara Association Kuwait Ajith Kumar (Director Pravasi Kshemanidhi board) handed the memento to senior member Jacob Abraham (Roy) leaving from Kuwait after 43 years service. Program started with the prayer song by Rohit Shyam, followed by Thiruvathira,Vanchipattu, and several dance forms, Ganamela by Manu, Lekha, Rohitshyam, Rajesh Adimali, Reeba and Mohamed Sali greatly entertained the audience. Association Program was distinctively noticed with Krishnayanam a dance theme by the Birth to Death of Krishna, and Fashion Show by Red cherry group. Musical maestro by famous playback singer and Violinist Roopa Revathy,Keyboard by Sumesh Anand and Rhythmpad by Shaban gave audience a memorable event. Kerala Pravasi Welfare Association (KPWA) Kuwait Chapter organized free medical camp and expatriate welfare workshop recently, in coordination with Metro Medicals Group and Indian Doctors Forum (IDF). Inauguration function was Chaired by KPWA Mubarack Kambrath, KPWA Global Core Admin Chairman and Kuwait Chapter President. Secretary Reji Chirayath welcomed the guests and attendees whereas KPWA patron and prominent social activist in Kuwait Babuji Bathery explained the motto and aims of KPWA in detail. The event was inaugurated by Hamza Payyannur, (CEO and Vice-Chairman, Metro Medical Care) and announced percent discount for around 800+ camp attendees for next 6 months follow-up treatments. Dr Abhay Patwari (IDF), Aniyan Kunju(WKK), Raghunathan (Thanima Kuwait), Shafaz Ahamed preceded with felicitation speeches. Treasurer Anil Anad gave vote of thanks to all attendees and sponsors. Around 45 well trained and committed KPWA volunteers facilitated and supported the attendees to utilize the opportunity for free checkups and on registration fi ll-ups for NORKA and Welfare Scheme by Govt of Kerala. Dedicated volunteers were seen explaining on the doubts about the scheme throughout the day.

20 20 Photos from the event LuLu Hypermarket launches Festival of Egypt LuLu Hypermarket, the leading retailer in the region, launched the 11-day Festival of Egypt promotion at all its outlets on Oct 5. The festival was inaugurated at the Hypermarket s Al-Dajeej branch by His Excellency Yasser Atif, Ambassador of the Arab Republic of Egypt to Kuwait, along with the top management from LuLu Hypermarket, in the presence of a large crowd of shoppers and well-wishers. The Festival of Egypt, which runs from to Oct 4-14, showcases the wide diversity of Egyptian foods including specialty cheese, fresh fruits, tender vegetables, fish, meat and olives. Among the products being highlighted at the festival are luscious mangoes, oranges, strawberries, grapes,watermelons and pomegranates. A cultural extravaganza is also being held as part of the festival and features traditional music and dances of Egypt, including the famous Saidi horse-dance, zaffa the marriage procession dance and the vibrant tanoura. In addition, special magic shows and painted clowns will entertain children on the evenings of Oct 5 and 6. The promotion period will also witness several competitions, including clay modeling and a fashion show of traditional costumes for children below the age of 12. The Festival of Egypt once again reiterates LuLu Hypermarket commitment to interacting with their customers at every touch-point. The promotion also creates opportunities for people from different communities to come together and enjoy each other s cultures, cuisines and foods. Ms Manal Barakat and Mohammad Al-Otaibi, from Gulf Bank with the winners. Winners receive their prizes Gulf Bank hosts new winners of red s draw in its head office KUWAIT CITY, Oct 7: Gulf Bank was pleased to host red s ninth monthly draw winners in its head office, on Wednesday, Oct 4, 2017, where Ms Manal Barakat, Manager of red and Nassour Consumer Banking, and Mohammad Al-Otaibi, Corporate Communications Manager, greeted them and handed them the prizes. Winners names were announced on Thursday, Sept 28, 2017 in a draw that was held at the bank s head office, under the supervision of Ministry of Commerce and Industry. The red account draw resulted the announcement of three students who won prizes ranging from an iphone 7 plus to an Apple Watch and they are: Dehayyem Mesbeh Dehayyem Al-Majdi iphone 7 Plus Ali Sayed Ahmad Sharaf Al-Haddad ipad Pro Hasnaa Rabian Mutlaq Al-Subaie Apple Watch Gulf Bank s red is a dedicated account for high school, college and university students aged between 15 and 25, which does not require a minimum deposit. Each month, an iphone 7 plus, an ipad Pro, and an Apple Watch will be gifted to three lucky winners until January The next draw dates are announced as follows: October 23, 2017, November 20, 2017, January 11, In addition to the Apple prizes, students will have the opportunity to win a Fiat 500c-Model 2017 at the annual car draw, upon transferring their allowance. Also, movie tickets at all Cinescape theatres will be available for only KD 2 seven days a week. red customers can also shop from the USA or the UK with a dedicated company (edfa3ly), which provide a mail box for internet shopping services from their website 3ly.co/GulfBank red customers can now also transfer money from anyone, from any local bank into their Gulf Bank account through the all new e-pay service, which also allows customers to pay their mobile bills for Zain, Ooredoo, and Viva and buy itunes and Google Play cards, instantly using the new e-pay service available on Gulf Bank s Online Banking and Mobile Banking App. To take part in the red account draws, prospective customers can open an account at any one of Gulf Al-Deehani receiving sponsorship from Yousef Al-Ruwaieh KFH renews Kuwaiti shooter sponsorship KUWAIT CITY, Oct 7: Kuwait Finance House (KFH) renewed sponsorship of the Kuwaiti Shooter Fehaid Al-Deehani to participate in the international competitions. KFH has an extended partnership with Al-Deehani. KFH sponsorship comes as part of its long standing endeavors to support and patronize the Kuwaiti champions who raise the name of Kuwait at the international forums and global events. It also reassures the bank s ongoing commitment towards assuming social responsibility. KFH has been always committed to its society as it attaches great importance to the achievements of national talent. It sponsors their participations and motivates them for further success and winning more trophies while achieving outstanding global titles that raise the Kuwaiti flag high in regional and international competitions. It is worth noting that KFH had offered a 2 kg Gold award to the Gold Medalist Fehaid Al-Deehani in recognition of his triumph in capturing the Olympic gold medal in the Rio 2016 Olympics. Bank s 56 branches, transfer online using the Bank s App or through the bank s website at com, or call the Customer Contact Center on Strengthening customers data security NBK achieves PCIDSS v3.2 compliance KUWAIT CITY, Oct 7: National Bank of Kuwait (NBK), a financial leader in the Arab world, received the Payment Card Industry (PCI) Data Security Standards (DSS) v3.2 Certificate of Compliance from the qualified security assessors, SISA to further affirm its controls towards customers data security. The PCIDSS certification ceremony took place on Sept 28, 2017 in NBK s Head Office where the payments security specialist SISA, presented PCIDSS v3.2 certificate of compliance to Tariq Al-Osaimi, Chief Group Information Security Officer, NBK in the presence of Dimitrios Kokosioulis, NBK s General Manager Operations and Information Technology Group and other officials. Significant increase in Payment frauds poses dynamic risk to financial institutions and consumers across the world. In the face of rising data theft and intensifying regulatory scrutiny, there is a need to enforce robust security measures to reduce the prospects of threats being realized. NBK is continuously working towards improving its security posture and with being PCI-DSS v3.2 compliant, its customers, can be assured that their data and services are protected with the advanced suite of technical and operational security controls which work towards ensuring protection of customers information by imposing defense in depth approach. On the achievement of this milestone Tariq Al-Osaimi, NBK s Chief Group Information Security Officer, said this recognition endorses NBK s continuous dedication towards protecting its customers data and providing safe banking experience by deploying state-ofthe-art security solutions and highly skilled security professionals who are committed towards maintaining Bank s security posture. He further added that maintaining the safety of customer data and banking systems are one of its top priorities. Having said that, NBK exerts all efforts to upgrade its infrastructure, aspiring to stay up-to-date in the industry to provide best banking services and products to its customers without compromising safety. This certification affirms NBK s leadership in deploying the latest security technologies along with the best qualified experts and advanced programs. A photo from the event SISA representatives presenting the certificate to NBK Takes part in Jet Ski Championship in US KIB sponsors Kuwaiti Jet Ski champion Al-Fadel KUWAIT CITY, Oct 7: Kuwait International Bank (KIB) continues to offer its support and sponsorship to Kuwaiti Jet Ski champion, Abdullah Al-Fadel, who is competing in the World Jet Ski Championship held in the State of Arizona in the United States, which is set to take place Oct 6 to Oct 8. In p reparation for the championship, Al-Fadel prepared two fullyequipped watercrafts to compete in tournaments for senior professionals. On this occasion, Manager of the Corporate Communications Unit at KIB, Nawaf Najia, stated: KIB remains dedicated to supporting and fostering the talents of national athletes, such as Al-Fadel, particularly those with outstanding track records of success and prestigious achievements. We believe that we have a responsibility as national financial institution to support our country s talented athletes. We continue to strive to provide these young starts with the financial and moral support they need, to enable them to participate in international championships where we are certain they will continue to elevate Kuwait s status and profile, both regionally and internationally. Najia lauded Al-Fadel s impressive athleticism, as well as his unwavering dedication to attending a number of trainings and camps that fine-tune his skills. He also wished him success in the championship, as he continues to uphold his title as world champion which he received at last year s competition. It is worth noting that KIB has always been a firm believer in the AUB conducts blood donation drive KUWAIT CITY, Oct 7: Ahli United Bank recently conducted a successful blood donation campaign. The campaign was launched from the Bank s Head Office on Oct 3, 2017 to the benefit of the Blood Bank. The aim was to help increase their reserves and to enable the Blood Bank to perform its effective role in providing essential support for patients and those injured in need of a blood transfusion. It is worth mentioning that Ahli United Bank organized this blood donation campaign as part of its social responsibility program and to encourage employees in their humanitarian giving whilst increasing awareness of importance of supporting and sponsoring local talented athletes who are brimming with determination and a passion to succeed, and continues to encourage them to work on developing their talents and honing their skills as they proudly represent Kuwait in on the global scene. Accordingly, these sponsorships further highlight the important role that KIB s social responsibility program plays in serving the local community. the significance of this initiative. On this occasion, the Bank issued a press release and said: We are proud of this valuable humanitarian initiative as blood donation is considered an essential contribution in all societies. It added: Simply, a blood donation may help save the recipient s life. Ahli United Bank commended the excellent turnout from its employees to donate blood without whose positive involvement the campaign could not have been a success. Ahli United Bank emphasized that it is always keen to play an effective role in society and for its employees to be good role models for giving to the community.

21 21 Somalia book fair offers respite from bombs Turkey should follow West s lead on rights: Pamuk NEW YORK, Oct 7, (RTRS): Turkey under President Recep Tayyip Erdogan needs more Westernization, and not less, to bolster dwindling free speech rights and a wobbly democracy, Nobel Prize-winning author Orhan Pamuk said on Tuesday. Pamuk, 65, also said in an online chat in the Reuters Global Markets Forum that he laments much modernization and saw his stories, including his 10th novel published last year, The Red-Haired Woman as focused on the personal costs people pay for discarding traditions in the rush to adapt to the ways of 21st century. The following are edited excerpts: Question: Is Turkey, often described as a bridge between West and East, click Continued from Page 18 group. Best way of dealing with this disease is providing support and share our experience with each other. There are lot of things which even doctors can t tell so be member of this website and start sharing your experiences which may help others. October is recognized as National Breast Cancer Awareness Month (NBCAM). The primary purpose is to promote self examination and screening mammography as the most effective way to save lives by detecting breast cancer at early stage. For more information visit: becoming too Westernized? Answer: The lack of free speech is so grave that we definitely need to be more friendly with the West and Europe. I am not worried about too much Westernization, especially in these days when government is trying to push us away from Western values. Q: Do you see gentrification in Istanbul and other Western influence in Turkey as threats or positives to Turkey s identity? A: I actually do not want to bring East and West together. I essentially want to write poetic, literary observations about the lives of the people in and around Istanbul. And since Istanbul is made up of things from the West, and modernity, and also things that come BSK from traditional cultures, and East, readers think my intention is to bridge them. Actually, there are things from East and West that are already harmoniously together in Istanbul. All I do is invent stories about them. Q: How is that theme in The Red- Haired Woman? A: My main character carries the weight of having an idealist political father, while he is more busy with making money. I have many friends like that... They are troubled by moral issues like the ones I discussed in this book. Individuality versus belonging to community... Or economic development and comforts of modernity versus preserving the past than the old architecture and culture. My books are always about how to be modern without losing your identity. Q: It is Nobel award season. How did your win in 2006 affect you? A: My books were already translated to 46 languages before I won the Nobel prize. Now my books are translated into 63 languages. The prize may have helped. It definitely brought me new readers and some diplomatic responsibility of representing my country. Long associated with pirates, famine and bombs, Somalia showed a different face to the world recently as it welcomed foreign writers for the first time to its annual book fair. The event took place for the third time in the scarred seaside capital Mogadishu, but until now security was too precarious for overseas authors to take part. Their participation is a sign that things are changing as government troops, backed by African Union peacekeepers, claw back territory from Islamist insurgents in the Horn of Africa country. Still, there were 60 guards on duty outside the hotel where the book fair was taking place, as well as plainclothes security inside. In 2015, authors were afraid, but now security has improved, said organizer Mohamed Diini. But authors are not yet brave (enough) to write or present books on the chaos of the country. Somalia has been riven by civil war since 1991, when clan-based warlords overthrew a dictator and then turned on each other. Although the Islamist al Shebab militia was pushed out of the capital in 2011, it continues to mount almost daily bomb attacks and assassinations. That didn t stop 31 authors, including a Rwandan, three Kenyans and a British doctoral student, from presenting their books, Diini said. Fartumo Kusow, a Somali-Canadian fiction writer who holds dual nationality, made her first trip home in 27 years. It s like the country has been hit by an earthquake. No building is where it is meant to be, she said sadly. The landscape by the sea is different. Latest Q8BBall Season 13: Q8BBall is beginning our 13th season with Boys U13 (ages 10-13) and U17 (ages 14-17). We train three times a week and play regular games throughout the year with schools and clubs. In June 2018, we plan to travel for camp and tournaments in the US. Contact Coach T for information. Indian Embassy notice: Indian nationals are issued Emergency Certificates (EC) to facilitate their one-way travel to India due to urgency or deportation, under the circumstances of loss of passport or non-retrieval of passport from their sponsors in Kuwait. Since it is illegal to hold two travel documents in India at the same time, the concerned passport has to be cancelled before an Emergency Certificate (EC) is issued to an Indian national. At times, Indian nationals who are either detained or due for deportation may not have their passports with them. They apply for travel documents (Emergency Certificate) either directly or through Kuwait Police. In such cases, ECs are issued to them after cancelling their passports. However, in certain cases, they recover their passports later and travel on those passports which already stand cancelled in data available with immigration authorities in India. These passports are immediately seized by Immigration authorities in India. This results in much harassment and inconvenience to these Indian travelers, whose passports are seized. They are also liable to pay penalties as per the law. Indian Embassy advises all Indian nationals that if an EC is issued to anyone of them, that implies that his/her passport has been cancelled and that he/ she should travel only on the EC issued to him/her. Chess coaching, round robin: Registrations are open for chess coaching and the summer round robin Challenger Series. Send your name Civil ID no., mobile number, age, rating to saviosgomes@gmail.com with CCR in the subject. No entry fee. Invitation to Grand Mosque: The Visits Department is pleased to invite you to visit the Grand Mosque, which is one of Kuwait s most treasured religious and cultural landmarks to discover the beauty of Islamic arts and architecture. Free guided tours are available all year round on official working days between (9-11 am) and (5-7 pm), within a special tour program designed to cater to the needs of different age groups. The program is as follows: Reception; Auditorium show; (according to age group); Touring the Mosque; Q & A; Art workshops; (according to age group between 5 and 18 years old); Snack break; Distribution of the Grand Mosque publications and souvenirs; End of tour. According to these age groups: Age group: 5 to 9 years old: Morning: 60 visitors max; Evening: 20; 10 to 15 years: Morning: 100 visitors max; Evening: 45; 16 and above: Morning: 140 visitors max, Evening: 105: Tour language: Arabic- English- French; Arabic (English upon prior request); Arabic- English- French; Arabic (English upon prior request); Arabic- English- French: Arabic (English upon prior request) Rules and Regulations: Please arrive in time for your visit. All visitors are kindly required to abide by the mosque s dress code. Male visitors should wear long pants. Shorts and sleeveless shirts are not allowed. Female visitors: should wear head cover and long loose clothing (available at the mosque). Foods and drinks are not allowed inside the prayer halls. For school visits, teachers are responsible for their students and are required to cooperate with the staff members of the Grand Mosque. Photography is allowed inside the Grand Mosque (please note that disrespectful poses are strictly prohibited). If you would like to book a tour, please contact us: Tel: / / gmvisits@gmail.com Fax: Continued on Page 22 Photos from the trip German scholarship students visit Germany As a Partner School of the German Government, every year a number of students of German at the British School of Kuwait are awarded a three-week scholarship in Germany, organised by the Goethe Institut. The scholarships are only offered to dedicated, hard-working students. This year s three proud recipients were Narrayan Raam Sankar, Martin Nakouzi and Alya Aly. In August 2017 they travelled to Schwäbisch Hall in Baden Württemberg, where they took part in a number of cultural and sightseeing activities, as well as German language classes. Highlights included city tours of Stuttgart, Heidelberg and Nürnberg, a visit to the Mercedes Benz museum, lessons in traditional dancing, cooking classes and a tasting session sampling local German cuisine. Later in 2017, the students will have the opportunity to sit German language examinations as proof of their progress. The scholarships mark the end of yet another successful year of cooperation between the German Government and the British School of Kuwait. BSK looks forward to further collaborations during the academic year Cohen poems to be published in final book Ivana Trump explores marriage to Donald in book NEW YORK, Oct 7, (Agencies): A new book from Donald Trump s first wife pulls back the curtain on a tumultuous period of the president s life, including the messy divorce that was splashed across New York s tabloids for weeks. Ivana Trump, who was married to the real estate magnate from 1977 to 1992, writes in Raising Trump that she knew her marriage was over soon after a day in December This young blonde woman approached me out of the blue and said I m Marla and I love your husband. Do you? writes Ivana Trump. I said Get lost. I love my husband. It was unladylike but I was in shock. Trump s public affair with Marla Maples spawned the infamous Best Sex I ve Ever Had headline in the New York Post in After divorcing his first wife, Trump married Maples in Raising Trump is set to be released next week. The Associated Press purchased an early copy. In the book, Ivana writes glowingly about her marriage to Trump and her prominent role at the Trump Organization. But then she unburdens herself about the heartache that Trump s affair with Maples caused her and the couple s three children, Donald Jr, Ivanka and Eric. Donald Jr didn t speak to his father for a year after the split. I can only shake my head at how it insane it was, Ivana Trump writes. I couldn t turn on the television without hearing my name. But she and the president have returned to far warmer terms. She writes that they speak about once a week and that she encourages him to keep using Twitter. She said in a CBS News interview this week that she was offered the post of ambassador to the Czech Republic, her native country, but turned it down because she already has a perfect life. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the ambassadorship post. Much of the book is spent recounting Ivana Trump s childhood in Europe, her burgeoning modeling career in New York and Trump s courtship. She writes that, at their first meeting, Trump secured her and friends a table at a hot Manhattan restaurant, paid the check and chauffeured her back to her hotel in a giant Cadillac. Langdon is back in danger Brown talks religion, science and his new novel NEW YORK, Oct 7, (AP): Dan Brown is once again taking on the big questions. Will God survive science? asks the author of the blockbuster The Da Vinci Code and other philosophical-religious thrillers during a recent interview. His new novel is Origin, already a chart-topper on Amazon.com, and for Brown fans a familiar blend of travelogue, history, conspiracies and whodunit, with asides on everything from the poetry of William Blake to the rise and fall of fascism in Spain. Brown protagonist Robert Langdon, a Harvard symbologist, is in Spain and back in danger. A former student, Edmond Kirsch, has been assassinated just as he s ready to unveil a scientific-technological breakthrough that he promises will bring about the downfall of Western religion and revolutionize how people think of life and death. Langdon, with the help of a prince s wayward lover and a voice of artificial intelligence named Winston, attempts to find out what Kirsch had planned. The Da Vinci Code outraged church officials and scholars with such suggestions as Jesus and Mary married and had children. My instincts told me that Donald was smart and funny an all-america good guy, Ivana Trump writes. Her children also contribute passages to the book, and Ivana Trump muses that her former husband may not be the only Trump to call the White House home. Maybe in fifteen years, she could run for president? she writes about her daughter, Ivanka, before musing about her own possible title. First Lady? Holds no appeal for me personally. First Mother? That could work. Also: NEW YORK: The final poems of Leonard Cohen, completed days before the legendary songwriter died, will be published in an anthology next year, his estate announced late Friday. Entitled The Flame, the volume will include Cohen s unpublished poems as well as his prose pieces and illustrations and lyrics to his three final albums. Explaining the metaphor in the title, Robert Kory, who was Cohen s manager, said that the Montreal-born artist had finished The Flame days before his death and it reveals to all the intensity of his inner fire. During the final months of his life, Leonard had a singular focus completing this book taken largely from his Brown acknowledged that the controversy led him to avoid larger religious questions in his follow-up novel, The Lost Symbol, but his skepticism remains. A native and longtime resident of New Hampshire, he remembered visiting Boston s Museum of Science as a boy and being confused by the theory of evolution and how it contradicted the story of Adam and Eve. Back home, Brown asked a priest about the differences. This guy said, Nice boys don t ask that question. I did what every little boy does, I started asking the questions, he says. I gravitated towards science. Faith became difficult for me. Brown has the time and money to research his settings firsthand and spent extensive time in Spain over the past few years. The country appeals to him, he said, because of its blend of old and new, of supercomputers and deep roots in Western religion. The violent police actions against Catalans voting on independence were heartbreaking but didn t shock him; the fault lines of Spanish culture were the reason he wanted to write about it. Speaking from a sky-high floor of a midtown Manhattan hotel, looking out on the city on a sunny fall afternoon, the 53-year-old Brown also discussed his feelings about technology, the response to his books and the future of Robert Langdon. On kids and their digital devices The miracles for kids today they have nothing to do with Noah s Ark. They have to do with an operating system. When I was a kid, the miracles of my life were the resurrection, a candlelight service on New Year s Eve, the virgin birth and the three wise men. Things have changed a lot and it takes numerous amounts of magic to impress on a child that something is special because they have something special every day of their lives. On what his friends in the clergy think of his book (They) would fall into three categories: Those that essentially say, We re going to have to agree to disagree. Those who would say, Hey, this is actually a really interesting dialogue. It s making me think about religion in a new and exciting way. Thank you. And those who essentially say, We can t be friends anymore. You know what those are outliers. The primary reaction I get, from atheists to the deeply devout, is that the dialogue is critical. unpublished poems and selections from his notebooks, Kory said in a statement. The flame and how our culture threatened its extinction was a central concern, he said. The book, which has US, Canadian and British publishers, will come out in October Cohen died in November 2016 at age 82, just weeks after he released his last album, You Want It Darker, whose lyrics reflect heavily on death, spirituality and his place in the universe. While he became best known for meditative tunes such as Hallelujah and So Long, Marianne as well as the quirkier First We Take Manhattan On why he s never written about eastern religion I spent some time in India and thought I might write about Hinduism. But it s so far removed from my experience I couldn t even get my mind around it to write about it. Christianity, Judaism and Islam share a Gospel, and it s the one I grew up with... Hinduism is not monotheistic; that s my tradition. And this is a religion of many beliefs. I can t decide whether it feels more advanced or less advanced. It s just so different. On why he may write a book that doesn t include Langdon I think Langdon wouldn t mind a vacation. He s had a tough few years. He s the man I wish I could be, clearly. He has a knack for falling into fascinating situations. He s far more daring than I am. I probably would run away from most of those adventures. On why he s an optimist We have plenty of technologies we could use to destroy the planet and we don t. There s more love on this planet than hate, there s more creativity than destructive power. I know it s a strange day to be saying that, but there is more love than hate by exponential factors and we ll find a way to express that. Cohen turned to music relatively late, in his 30s, after establishing a literary career. Cohen published poetry collections including Flowers for Hitler and two novels the latter of which, 1966 s Beautiful Losers, incorporated indigenous mythology and became a classic of Canadian counterculture. The book announcement comes ahead of a memorial concert planned next month in Montreal for the anniversary of his death. Artists including Elvis Costello and Sting are set to perform at the Nov 6 tribute, which will be attended by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

22 22 h o r o s c o p e By Jacqueline Bigar Happy birthday for Sunday, October 8, 2017: This year you express a preference to relate more deeply to others on a one-on-one level. You find that you gain a better understanding of people this way. If you are single, you quickly will be able to tell whether someone is serious about you. You could meet the right person this year. If you are attached, the two of you sometimes have difficulty saying what you want. Try to get over these periods, as it is important to communicate your needs. GEMINI can give you a lesson in getting past your shyness. The Stars Show the Kind of Day You ll Have: 5-Dynamic; 4-Positive; 3-Average; 2-So-so; 1-Difficult. Capricorn - (Dec 22 - Jan 19) **** You could feel as if you are forgetting your priorities, as you might be so entertained by a child or new friend. Someone at a distance seeks you out, and this person might be irked that he or she has not heard from you. Be smart and apologize. Tonight: Be more childlike. This Week: You will greet even more success than you have up until now. Aquarius - (Jan 20 - Feb 18) ***** You could be in a situation where you want to see more of a loved one who usually is not available or around. Make time for this person, even if it means changing your plans or disappointing someone else. Relax with the moment. Tonight: Pay bills first, then decide. This Week: You might desire a change to your routine. Pisces - (Feb 19 - Mar 20) **** A phone call gives you a lot to consider. A loved one might be difficult at best. This person might want to go out and do something adventurous. Go with the flow and embrace the moment. Know that you will be happier as a result. Tonight: Make a special meal at home. This Week: You have the ability to understand others better. Aries - (Mar 21 - Apr 19) **** You might be withdrawn or tired. Someone at a distance could be difficult and/ or depressed and hold you up. You ll feel obligated to help this person work through his or her mood. Once you free yourself up, go off and enjoy yourself. Tonight: Express gentleness. This Week: You could witness a financial change in the next few weeks. Taurus - (Apr 20 - May 20) **** Your smile seems to save the moment, if not the day. You might prefer to have a conversation rather than a quarrel. Know that a solution can be found, especially one relating to a personal issue. Express your willingness to negotiate. Tonight: Let someone else pick up the tab. This Week: Others want to please you. Gemini - (May 21 - June 20) ** You could feel off when you wake up. You are very likely to roll over and give in to more sleep. Resting up and relaxing will prove to be a wise decision. Late today, you might get a sneak peek of what the next few days offer. Tonight: Make the most of the moment. This Week: Friends and loved ones follow your lead. Cancer - (June 21 - July 22) **** You might push for a change of pace or decide to do something very different. You will enjoy yourself no matter what you do. Don t allow a conversation to become heated. Give the other party space, and respect his or her opinions. Tonight: Go for a good night s sleep. This Week: Your workload could become a lot heavier. Leo - (July 23 - Aug 22) *** All eyes follow you. Understand that your sense of direction might be necessary to complete plans. Check in with an older relative or friend. A responsibility calls, and you cannot avoid responding. A child might feel neglected. Tonight: Lighten up the moment. This Week: Pressure builds around your home. Virgo - (Aug 23 - Sept 22) ***** Reach out to others. Refuse to stand on ceremony with someone. Once you distance yourself from the situation, you ll gain a new perspective on where the other party is coming from. Accept differences of opinion, and pressure will ease up. Tonight: Out on the town. This Week: Your ability to communicate seems much more appealing. Libra - (Sept 23 - Oct 22) **** You might find it difficult to get going and/or join a group of friends. Even if you need to change your plans, make this day about spending time with a loved one without having disruptions. It is important to spend quality time with this person. Tonight: Play it low-key. This Week: Expect to be rewarded in the near future for a job well done. Scorpio - (Oct 23 - Nov 21) *** You need to make an effort to touch base with key family members and loved ones. Gather everyone together for an early dinner or movie. You might feel a bit financially strapped, or as if you would like to have others contribute to the cost. Just ask. Tonight: Allow the party to go on. This Week: You enter one of your luckiest periods beginning Tuesday. Sagittarius - (Nov 22 - Dec 21) *** You could feel down or a little uptight. As a result, you might prefer to go off by yourself, spend some time at the gym and/ or get into a favorite pastime. A friend will make a point of seeking you out; make plans to visit this person soon. Tonight: Be responsive. This Week: You have a lot of ground to cover. Born today: Actor Nick Cannon (1980), actor Chevy Chase (1943), guitarist Johnny Ramone (1948) home decor indoor gardening beauty tips taste buds curtain wrap epidendrum ciliare cornstarch face cleanser yogurt parfait Supplies: Ribbon roll Silk flower Safety pin Glue gun Instructions: Glue the safety pin to the back of the fl ower making it into a brooch, and set aside. Wrap sheer ribbon around the curtain panel and tie, leaving tails about a foot long. Pin the fl ower brooch at the knot. Epidendrum ciliare is a small epiphytic orchid native to Central America and South America to Brazil. The pseudobulbs are oblong and compressed, with 1-2 leathery leaves. The plant rarely reaches over 11 inches (28 cm) tall. The infl orescence is an erect cluster of waxy fragrant fl owers with long linear greenish-yellow sepals with a lobed and fringed white lip. Site: Does best in intermediate to warm conditions with partial shade. Temperature: Tolerant. Water: During the growing season, they require plenty of water and fresh air. Ingredients: 2 tbs cornstarch 2 tbs glycerin 1/2 c water Instructions: Mix ingredients until smooth. Heat in a small double boiler pan Heat until thick and clear; it will have the consistency of pudding. Do not boil. Cool completely, Use in place of soap to cleanse your skin. Ingredients: Mixed fresh berries Yoghurt Granola Method: Layer yogurt, berries and granola into a cup and serve. Dear Abby Man s slovenliness grows from peeve to a problem By Abigail Van Buren Dear Abby: I dearly love my husband. We ve been married 33 years. We have raised three productive citizens, have five beautiful grandchildren and live in the heartland of America. Like most couples, we ve had our ups and downs. My problem is my husband is a slob. He always has been, but it s getting worse. He works. I stayed home and raised our kids and made the house a home. He brings home the bacon, does the yard work, takes out the trash and fixes things (on his own terms). I pay the bills, clean the house, cook dinner, and do anything else that needs doing (schedule doctor s appointments, etc.). He thinks that because he doesn t beat me, we have a good marriage. I have a serious issue with his messiness. I am just about ready to chuck him to the door. I ve tried talking to him about it, but we always end up arguing. He says I treat him Abigail like a child (well... truth be told, he s ACTING like one). I have explained to him why I need him to pick up after himself, but he takes it as a personal affront and storms off. I m at my wits end. What can I do to fix this? Tidy spouse in Ohio Dear tidy: To be honest, I m not sure that at this point you can fi x this. You and your husband have had an unwritten contract for 33 years, in which his job was to bring home the bacon, do yard work, take out the trash and fi x things when he gets around to it. Yours was to perform the duties of a traditional housewife by doing all the things you described. Your husband s sloppiness may be the legacy of a mother who never taught him to keep his room clean, and your own failure to put your foot down during the fi rst years of your marriage. Of course, you could always stop picking up after him. But if you do, I m afraid the mess will reach proportions you not he will be unable to tolerate. Dear Abby: I am a 50-year-old woman who has just learned that my first boyfriend, John, was killed in a freak shooting accident shortly after he graduated from our high school more than 30 years ago. He was 18 and I was 16 when we dated. After graduation he moved away to attend college. John was killed when his friend dropped a rifle that discharged. I have just learned that John s parents are alive and still live in the same home. Should I send some kind of sympathy card to them now? I truly cared for John and thought he had lost interest in me when I didn t hear from him any longer. My mother says I shouldn t remind his parents of his death, but I think they d like to know how fondly I remember him. What should I do? Never knew in Georgia Dear never knew: Write John s parents a short note telling them exactly what you told me. Do not worry about reminding them about their son s death. They are aware of it every single day, and I am sure that knowing you took the time to write will touch their hearts. Dear Abby is written by Abigail Van Buren, also known as Jeanne Phillips, and was founded by her mother, Pauline Phillips. Contact Dear Abby at com or P.O. Box 69440, Los Angeles, CA (Source: Universal Uclick) click Latest Continued from Page 21 Oct 10 Indian Embassy notice: On Tuesday, Oct 10, 2017 at 1630 hours, Indian Embassy will release for sale the Ramayana stamps to the members of our community. All interested are welcome. Oct 16 IEI Technical seminar: The Institution of Engineers (India), Kuwait chapter is pleased to inform that they are organizing a Technical Photos from the event ICSK Junior holds workshop on Personality Development what s on today emergency TIES Center events: TIES Center announces following events Tajweed and Recitation: Learn and practice the art of reciting the Holy Quran (tajweed). The instructor will also answer questions related to the meaning of the Arabic words and verses. Every Sunday & 10 11:30am; every 5-6:30pm. The TIES Center is the social and educational hub for English Speaking expats in Kuwait. For more information, please call or info@tiescenter. net or visit IPC Islamic Courses: Say: O my Lord, let me grow in knowledge. IPC is offering Islamic courses in English (for ladies only). Muslims and non-muslims are welcome. 1. Tilawa Surah Ar-Rad and Surah Ibrahim Sundays at 5:30-7:00 pm; 2. Principles of Tafsir (part 2) - Sundays at 7:00-8:30 pm; 3. Tajweed 3 - Tuesday, at 5:30-7:00 pm; 4. Jesus in Surah Mariam Who dares to teach must never cease to learn. John Cotton Dana An interactive, informative and interesting training course in Personality Development was conducted for the teaching and non-teaching staff of ICSK Junior on Sept 23 and 30, The objective of the course was provide a new perspective about various personalities that would in turn help the teachers to understand behavioral traits and inherent qualities of pupils. Praveen Madhavan of Project Seers, a professional expert, well versed in corporate training and project management was the resource person of eminence. Mrs Sherly Dennis, Principal ICSK Junior introduced Praveen Madhavan and praised his willingness to train the teachers of ICSK Junior and urged the participants to make best use of the course and provide the best and positive Site for checking travel ban (part 2) - Tuesdays at 7:00-8:30 pm. Instructor: Sr Zeinab Hassan Ashry Place: IPC - Women Section Al-Rawdah, Area 3, Street 30, House 12, opp 4th Ring Road. ipc_sch@yahoo.com, Telephone: St Paul s Church weekly activities: English worship services on Fridays at am and on Sundays at 6.30 pm. The Friday English service has separate sessions for children and youth. A A flyer of the event Mandarin language speaking congregations meets separately on Fridays at am in the Youth Centre at St Paul s. A combined service with the English and Mandarin language congregations is held on the first Friday of every month. A family service is held on the second Friday of every month with presentations from different organs of the church. The Church of Pakistan has services in English every Thursday at St Paul s at 5.35 pm and for Urdu language speaking members every Friday at Diwaniya of the NECK Centre, Kuwait teaching learning experience for their students. The two hour sessions consisted of well paced presentations and in the core session, Don Lowry model of 4 different personality types, namely; Orange, Gold, Blue, Green was introduced. The workshop concluded with a lively question and answer session. A memento was presented to Praveen Madhavan by Mrs Sherly Dennis, Principal ICSK Junior and Mrs C. Sheeja, Vice-Principal. number 112 Civil ID info: City at 5.45 pm. Please contact Fr Michael Mbona on mobile or call at Church house on or to chaplain@stpaulskuwait.com or mrmbona@gmail.com For Mandarin speaking congregation contact Revd Zhu Peijin on and her address is greenolivettc@hotmail.com Contact person: Fr Michael Mbona Mobile: mrmbona@ gmail.com Redeemed Christian Church: The Redeemed Christian Church of God (HOD Parish) worship in English. Celebration Service: Friday 9 am 11 am; Divine encounter: Sunday, 6:30 pm 8:30 pm; Digging Deep (Bible studies): Tuesday, 6:30 pm 8:30 pm; Night vigil every last Friday of the month from 10 pm. Venue: New Mishref. For more information and direction please call , rccghouseofdavidq8@gmail.com seminar on Oct 16, 2017, Monday at Kuwait Society of Engineers Auditorium, Bneid Al Gar, Kuwait. The topics of the seminar are Total Productive Maintenance by Engr Santhosh Kumar Shenoy, KNPC and Industrial Safety by Milton Edward Dana, Team Leader, BV. The registration will start at 6:30 pm followed by seminar at 7:00 pm. We cordially invite IEI Kuwait chapter members and ladies wing members to attend this health seminar. IEI, Kuwait chapter solicit the support of all the members and request their participation to enhance technical knowledge. All those who are interested to attend the seminar are requested to confirm their participation by registering through to ieikwt@ hotmail.com or by contacting Engr Mohandas Kamath, Ph: or Engr Thomas John, Ph: Continued on Page 23

23 23 Health Drug shortages possible Orthorexia: Healthy eating ends up making you sick PARIS, Oct 7, (Agencies): People, it seems, have never been so afraid of their food and, say some experts, an obsession with healthy eating may paradoxically be endangering lives. Twenty-nine-year-old Frenchwoman Sabrina Debusquat recounts how, over 18 months, she became a vegetarian, then a vegan eschewing eggs, dairy products and even honey before becoming a raw foodist who avoided all cooked foods, and ultimately decided to eat just fruit. It was only when her deeply worried boyfriend found clumps of her hair in the bathroom sink and confronted her with the evidence that she realised that she was on a downward path. I thought I held the truth to food and health, which would allow me to live as long as possible, said Debusquat. I wanted to get to some kind of pure state. In the end my body overruled my mind. For some specialists, the problem is a modern eating disorder called orthorexia nervosa. Someone suffering from orthorexia is imprisoned by a range of rules which they impose on themselves, said Patrick Denoux, a professor in intercultural psychology at the University of Toulouse- Jean Jaures. These very strict self-enforced laws isolate the individual from social food gatherings and in extreme cases, can also endanger health. Paris nutritionist Sophie Ortega said she had one patient who was going blind due to deficiency of vitamin B12, which is needed to make red-blood cells. B12 is not made by the body, and most people get what they need from animal-derived foods such as eggs, dairy products, meat or fish or from supplements. A pure, unbending vegan, her patient even refused to take the supplements, said Ortega. It was as if she preferred to lose her sight... rather than betray her commitment to animals. The term orthorexia nervosa was coined in the 1990s by the then alternative medicine practitioner Steven Bratman, a San Francisco-based physician. To be clear, orthorexia is not an interest in healthy eating it s when enthusiasm becomes a pathological obsession, which leads to social isolation, psychological disturbance and even physical harm. In other words, as Bratman said in a co-authored book in 2000, it s a disease disguised as a virtue. But as is often the case in disorders that may have complex psychological causes, there is a strong debate as to whether the condition really exists. The term is trending in Western societies, prompting some experts to wonder whether it is being fanned by cyber-chondria self-diagnosis on the internet. Orthorexia is not part of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, set down by mental health professionals in the United States that is also widely used as a benchmark elsewhere. The fifth edition of this bible, published in 2013, includes anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa, but not orthorexia. The term orthorexia was proposed as a commonly used term but it is not medically recognised, said Pierre Dechelotte, head of nutrition at Rouen University Hospital in northern France and head of a research unit investigating the link between the brain and the intestines in food behaviour. Even so, says Dechelotte, it has a home in the family of restrictive food-related disorders but it s not on the radar screen. Alain Perroud, a psychiatrist who has worked in France and Switzerland over the course of a 30-year career, says orthorexia is much closer to a phobia than to a food disorder. Also: NEW YORK: The Food and Drug Administration on Friday warned that US drug shortages are possible because power outages in Puerto Rico have stopped or limited production at many medicine factories there. Nearly 10 percent of the medicines used by Americans, plus numerous medical devices, are made in Puerto Rico, which lost most electricity when it was hit hard by Hurricane Maria about two weeks ago. FDA Commissioner Dr Scott Gottlieb said in a statement that the agency is working to prevent shortages of about 40 crucial medicines. He has declined to identify those medicines but said Friday that the FDA would disclose any shortages if they occur; drug shortages are routinely listed on the FDA s website. We re keeping a close watch on the most critical medical products, Gottlieb said. A flyer of the event Children s brain cells change by internet site ROME, Oct 7, (AFP): Internet pornography changes children s brain cells, says American neurosurgeon Donald Hilton. At a world congress this week in Rome on the sexual dangers facing children in the digital world, Hilton warned against the devastating effects of violent pornographic web clips on young brains, in an interview with AFP. His concern is shared by Pope Francis, who on Friday received the 150 experts of the congress at the Vatican and urged the world to take action. Following are three questions Hilton, from the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio, answered on the issue. Question: What happens in a child s brain when viewing large amounts of pornographic web films? Answer: Our brain cells change with learning. Addictive learning sculpts the brain in a very damaging way and we can become very set in certain behaviours and tastes. When there is a reward like pornography, that s a specially powerful printing process. The brain doesn t forget that. A 12-year-old who sees hardcore porn is going to say Wow that was amazing. Sometimes children may be frightened, but the fascination overcomes the fright eventually. One thing our brain wants is novelty, change. It wants a different face, a different body shape. Boys, and increasingly girls, are struggling with porn. There is a lot of scientific evidence that sex can, and in particular internet porn, be addictive. It s like a blackjack game, it s a different set of cards every time. Q: Will they necessarily want to imitate what they see? A: Porn is destroying the ability to feel emotion. Ninety-three percent of boys and 62 percent of girls under the age of 18 have been exposed to internet pornography. And a review of the 250 most popular pornographic films found that 88 percent of the scenes contain physical aggression towards women. Men also get to the point where real women are just bad porn and they are more interested in porn than having a relationship with a real woman. And virtual-reality porn films are arriving with fantastic new technology used for simulators. It s quite expensive but a lot of porn producers are really investing in this right now. I believe the porno-fied culture is affecting everybody. click Latest Continued from Page 22 Oct 20 OnaThanima 2017: Onathanima 2017, the most notable expatriate cultural fest in Kuwait, will take place on 20th October 2017 at Indian Central School, Abbasiya. Thirteenth National Tug-O-War championship in the auspices of Thanima also will be organized along with Onathanima. It is the Largest Tug-O- War championship in the Gulf Region. The Teams, which are interested to take part in the championship, have to contact on Nos.: / Oct 29 Study in Canada exhibition: Organized by the Embassy of Canada, the 12th annual Edu-Canada Middle East and North Africa (MENA) Tour will be visiting Kuwait from Oct 29-30, Representatives of around 10 leading Canadian institutions will be available to meet students, parents, teachers and guidance counsellors to present the advantages of studying in Canada. On Sunday, Oct 29, 2017 at 6:00 pm a Study in Canada exhibition will be held at Symphony Style Hotel, Symphony Style Mall, Arabian Gulf road, Salmiya, for potential students and their parents to attend. For more information: Call: Nov 10 Keraleeyam-2017 postponed: The Executive Committee of Kala(Art) Kuwait deeply regret to inform that the Keraleeyam-2017 scheduled to be held at Community Hall, Abbassiya at 4:00 pm on Sept 15, has been postponed due to some administrative issues and this event is now rescheduled to be held on Nov 10, 2017 at Indian Community School, Khaithan. In view of postponement of this program, all other events subject to Keraleeyam-2017, such as handing over of the Kala (Art) Kuwait Sambasivan Award to Vasanthkumar and his performance of the story Aneesya as decided earlier will be held on Nov 10, 2017 itself, as informed by Kala (Art) Kuwait President Samkutty Thomas and General Secretary Sunil Kumar. Nov 24 Q8 Open Quiz: IIT IIM Alumnia Association presents Q8 Open Quiz Prelims for school participation has begun! Finals Friday, Nov 24. Invitation to all schools to participate for prelims, please contact: gsec@iitiimkuwait.com; Mobile no: General KPWA Norka : Kuwait Malayali Pravasi s are requested to utilise this opportunity to know about the initiatives NORKA is taking under Kerala Govt. Officials explained that they are trying to achieve the goal of reaching to all expatriates for relocation and rehabilitation projects by state govt. KPWA is readily supporting all useful leads taken by Expatriate body in Kerala. Continued on Page 24

24 24 Ross, Daly enroll in Teachers Malkovich joins Bullock in Bird Box; eyes Berg s Mile LOS ANGELES, Oct 7, (RTRS): John Malkovich is looking to stay busy with two big projects on his line-up. He s signed on to star opposite Sandra Bullock in Netflix s Bird Box. Sources also tell Variety that he s also in talks to join Mark Wahlberg in Mile 22 at STX. If a deal closes on Mile 22, Malkovich would shoot that film after finishing Birdbox. Susanne Bier is directing Bird Box from a script by Arrival writer Eric Heisserer. The story follows a woman and a pair of children who are blindfolded, and make their way through a post-apocalyptic setting along a river. Dylan Clark is producing with Chris Morgan and Clayton Townsend. The film was developed by Scott Stuber at Universal, before he moved to Netflix to head its feature film division. Details about Malkovich s role are currently unknown. Peter Berg is directing Mile 22 from a script by Graham Roland. The film follows a CIA agent (Wahlberg) stationed in Indonesia who is tasked with transporting a compromised informant from the center of the city to an awaiting getaway plane at an airport 22 miles away. It is unknown who Malkovich will play in the movie. Malkovich, who recently signed with WME, was most recently seen in Louis C. K. s I Love You, Daddy, which premiered at the Toronto Film Festival. Comedians Jeff Ross and Andrew Daly have booked guest star roles on the second half of the second season of TV Land s ensemble comedy Teachers, Variety has learned exclusively. Ross, who is best known as the Roastmaster General, will play a fire marshal who comes to Fillmore Elementary School after asbestos is found in Mrs Adler s (Kathryn Renee Thomas) trailer. And he will find himself in an extra comical situation when he walks in on Ms Bennigan (Katie O Brien) in the bathroom more than once. Daly will play a police officer visiting the school for an anti-drug presentation but ends up in an opposites attract scenario with Ms Feldman (Cate Freedman). Daly was most recently seen on sister network Comedy Central s Review. Coming from improv group the Katydids who created the series, executive produce it and also star in it, Teachers tells the story of a group of elementary school teachers who are mold the minds of the youth by day but still struggle with getting their own lives together also by day. The second half of season two will see Ms Bennigan still naively pursuing Hot Dad (guest star Ryan Caltagirone), while Ms Couch slouch Watson (Kate Lambert) is in an unexpected relationship and Mrs Adler and Ms Feldman are dealing with a serial pooper around the school. Meanwhile, Ms Snap (Katy Colloton) finds the school s forgotten library, and Ms Cannon (Caitlin Barlow) discovers an artistic prodigy. Teachers will also journey back to the 1940s for one special episode this season. Reel One Entertainment has picked up the rights to author Philip K. Dick s Second Variety, with David Titcher ( Houdini and Doyle ) adapting the novella for television. Reel One has also added British drama executive Dominic Schreiber to its ranks as it pushes further into scripted series, an initiative announced earlier this year when Adam Fratto ( Cleverman ) joined the company. Projects based on sci-fi writer Philip K. Dick s work are in vogue, with Bladerunner 2049 well reviewed, and Amazon and Channel 4 anthology series Electric Dreams bowing on the small screen. Second Variety follows events after the US develops a military weapon with artificial intelligence to defeat its adversaries but finds that the lethal killing machines eventually take on a life of their own and threaten to wipe out humanity. On the big screen, it was adapted in 1995 as Peter Weller movie Screamers. What s exciting is the prescience of Dick s novella, Fratto told Variety. What he grapples with here is the military and what happens when military technology gets out of control. In today s roundup, Hulu shares the first teaser trailer for Marvel s Runaways, Disney Channel announces the hire of a new executive, and more. Hulu has released the first teaser trailer for its new series Marvel s Runaways. The series focuses on six teenagers who can t stand each other but must cooperate to fight their evil parents. On Nov 21, the first three episodes of the 10-episode series will be released on Hulu. Disney Channels Worldwide has announced the appointment of Dina Hillier as vice-president, original series, Disney Channel. Hillier will work alongside Jonas Agin, vice-president, original series, Disney Channel, to develop live-action series for various distribution platforms She will report to Adam Bonnett, executive vice-president, original programming, Disney Channels Worldwide. From , Hillier worked in an executive position at Sony Pictures Television, where she held roles in current programming and comedy development. She has been an advisory board member of the ATX Television Festival since tv highlights A flyer of the event A flyer of the event click General Continued from Page 23 KPWA is trying to establish a global network for expatriate Keralates regardless to religion, politics, caste and creed. Its operating successfully in 8 countries and all districts in Kerala for Ex NRIs. Please contact Mubarack Kambrath (President) Reji Chirayath (Secretary) Susan Mathew (Office Secretary) Sebastian Vathukkadan (Vice-President) Rasheed Puthukkulangara (Core Admin) Ravi Pangode (Core Admin) Suresh Kumar (Mahboula Area Coordinator) Anoop (Mangaf Area Coordinator) Sivadasan (Mahboula Area Coordinator) Santhosh Kozhikkode (Fahaheel Area Coordinator) Saleem Koduvally (Mahboula Area Coordinator) Share your story with Amricani: Do you or any of your family members, acquaintances or friends happen to have a story with the American Missionary hospital in Kuwait (Mustashfa Lemraicani) during the years from , the official period of offering medical services in Kuwait? Please share with us your story or your memory during those old days by writing the event and sending it to the following address: Mystory@darmuseum.org.kw Notes: 1. Please send your story only to the above mentioned . Story shared in Instagram, Facebook or Twitter will not be considered. 2. Please write your story or memory and sign it with your full name, and your contact number. 3. It will be great if you send us your personal photos or those of the place related to the story (optional). Your story will be part of a new book to be published by DAI. I am confident that your contributions will be an essential part of the history of Amricani. Share with us! KIFF anti-drugs campaign: As part of the Fraternity fest, Kuwait India Fraternity Forum (KIFF) is conducting Anti-Drugs Campaign among Indians living in Kuwait. According to the available statistics of Indian Embassy, 60% of the convicted Indians in Kuwaiti Jails are arrested on drug-related cases. The recent cases of death and captives of Indian drug abusers is a threatening news. To defend and to campaign against such social crisis by protecting individuals as well as the society has become obligatory. In this current situation, Kuwait India Fraternity Forum is conducting campaign by distributing handouts, conducting counseling, seminars etc. to educate the Indians living in Kuwait informed President Saifudheen Nalakath in a press release. For more details contact: or at kiffkuwait@gmail.com. NYF offers free yoga classes: NYF Kuwait offers free yoga, breathing, meditation and reiki classes by a well-experienced female yoga teacher for all age groups. Classes are given on the basis of different health problems, stress and other problems by different techniques. Contact: Cinema Cinema programme from Thursday 05/10/2017 to Wednesday 11/10/2017 American Made :15 (Daily Exc Mon, Sat) 13:30, 00:15 (Fri, Sat) Avenues 00:40 Horoub Idtirari Grand Hamra 3 14:00, 16:15, 18:30, 20:45 23:30 (Thu, Fri) Grand Gate 5 14:30, 16:30, 18:45, 21:15 23:30 (Thu, Fri) Blade Runner :35, 21:55 11:30, 11:50, 14:30, 14:50, 17:30, 17:50, 20:30, 20:55, 23:30, 23:55, 12:20, 15:20, 18:20, 21:20, 00:20 (Daily Exc Mon) 14:30, 14:50, 17:30, 17:50, 20:30, 20:55, 23:30, 23:55, 15:20, 18:20, 21:20, 00:20 (Fri) Bairaq 17:00 12:00, 15:00, 20:15, 23:15 (Daily Exc Mon) 15:00, 20:15, 23:15 (Fri) Fanar 11:45, 13:00, 14:45, 17:50, 21:00, 22:15, 00:05 (Daily Exc Mon) 14:45, 17:50, 21:00, 22:15, 00:05 (Fri) Muhalab 11:30, 14:30, 17:30, 20:30, 22:00, 23:30 (Daily Exc Mon) 14:30, 17:30, 20:30, 22:00, 23:30 (Fri) Sharqia 12:00, 15:00, 18:00, 21:00, 00:05 (Daily Exc Mon) 15:00, 18:00, 21:00, 00:05 (Fri) Avenues 13:55, 21:25, 15:15, 21:15 11:30, 11:35, 14:25, 14:30, 17:25, 17:30, 20:30, 23:15, 23:30 (Daily Exc Thu, Mon) 12:15, 18:15, 00:15 (Daily Exc Mon) 11:30, 11:35, 14:25, 14:30, 17:25, 20:30, click 23:15, 23:30 (Thu) 14:25, 14:30, 17:25, 17:30, 20:30, 23:15, 23:30, 18:15, 00:15 (Fri) Laila 22:15 Marina 14:00, 17:00, 20:00, 23:00 Grand Hamra 2 00:45 (Thu, Fri) Grand Hamra 5 15:15, 18:15, 21:30 00:30 (Thu, Fri) Grand Hamra 6 16:00, 19:15, 22:30 Grand Gate 2 14:00, 17:00, 20:00 23:15 (Thu, Fri) Cage Dive :55, 16:05, 20:15, 22:10, 23:55 (Daily Exc Mon) 16:05, 20:15, 22:10, 23:55 (Fri) Fanar 15:15, 22:45, 01:15 Avenues 21:05, 22:50, 00:55 Marina 12:15, 23:15, 01:00 (Daily Exc Mon) 23:15, 01:00 (Fri) Grand Hamra 8 18:45, 22:00 Grand Gate 6 14:45, 17:15, 19:00, 21:00, 23:00 00:45 (Thu, Fri) Chef (Hindi Film) :35 Ajial 15:45, 18:45, 21:45 Fanar 12:30, 17:00, 19:45 (Daily Exc Mon) 17:00, 19:45 (Fri) El Khaleya (Arabic Film) :05, 00:05 Sharqia 18:45 Avenues 14:35, 20:10 Flatliners :15, 15:30, 17:45, 20:05, 22:20, 00:35 (Daily Exc Mon) 15:30, 17:45, 20:05, 22:20, 00:35 (Fri) Fanar 00:30 Avenues 22:10, 00:30 Grand Gate 3 14:45, 17:00, 19:15, 21:30 23:45 (Thu, Fri) Nick Off Duty Grand Hamra 2 14:45, 17:30, 19:45, 22:15 Grand Gate 4 20:15, 22:45 Home Again :35, 13:55, 18:05 (Daily Exc Mon) 13:55, 18:05 (Fri) Grand Hamra 4 15:00, 17:00, 19:00, 21:00 23:00 (Thu, Fri) Grand Gate 7 20:30, 22:45 It :50 Kingsman: The Golden Circle :00, 18:45, 21:40, 00:25 (Daily Exc Sat, Mon) 13:10, 16:00, 18:45, 21:40, 00:25 (Sat) 18:45, 21:40, 00:25 (Mon) Avenues 17:15, 20:25 Grand Hamra 7 14:00, 16:45, 19:30, 22:15 01:00 (Thu, Fri) Grand Gate 8 14:00, 16:45, 19:30, 22:15 Mark Felt: The Man Who Brought Down The White House :15, 00:30 Avenues 12:25, 22:45 (Daily Exc Mon) 22:45 (Fri) My Little Pony: The Movie :00, 14:15, 16:35, 18:50 (Daily Exc Mon) 14:15, 16:35, 18:50 (Fri) Ajial 18:15 Bairaq 17:15 (Daily Exc Thu, Sat) 13:00, 17:15 (Thu, Sat) Fanar 17:15 (Wed, Sun, Tue) 12:45, 15:00, 17:15 (Thu, Sat) 15:00, 17:15 (Fri, Mon) Muhalab 15:15, 17:30 (Daily Exc Sat) Sharqia 13:00, 15:15, 17:30 (Sat) 16:30 (Wed, Sun, Tue) 14:15, 16:30 (Thu, Fri Mon) 11:45, 14:15, 16:30 (Sat) Avenues 13:10, 15:25, 17:40, 19:55 (Daily Exc Mon) 15:25, 17:40, 19:55 (Fri) Marina 14:30, 18:45 Grand Hamra 8 14:15, 16:30 Grand Gate 7 14:15, 16:15, 18:15 Njandukalude Nattil Oridavela (Malayalam Film) :35 (Thu) Ajial 15:30, 18:30 (Thu) Plaza 15:30, 18:30 (Thu) Petraa: Bawabet Al Zaman (Arabic Film) :45, 15:05, 17:25, 19:45, 22:00, 00:15 (Daily Exc Mon) 15:05, 17:25, 19:45, 22:00, 00:15 (Fri) Bairaq 13:00, 21:30, 23:45 (Daily Exc Thu, Mon, Sat) 21:30, 23:45 (Thu, Fri, Sat) Fanar 20:00 Sharqia 11:45, 21:30 (Daily Exc Mon, Sat) 21:30 (Fri, Sat) Avenues 11:30, 13:40, 15:55, 18:10, 20:40, 23:00 (Daily Exc Mon) 13:40, 15:55, 18:10, 20:40, 23:00 (Fri) Solo (Malayalam Film) :35 (Daily Exc Thu) Ajial 15:30, 18:30, 21:30 (Daily Exc Thu) 21:30 (Thu) Plaza 15:30, 18:30, 21:30 (Daily Exc Thu) 21:30 (Thu) The Foreigner :45, 12:30, 13:30, 14:00, 14:40, 15:40, 16:15, 16:55, 17:55, 18:30, 19:10, 20:10, 20:45, 21:35, 22:30, 23:00, 23:50, 00:45, 01:10 (Daily Exc Mon) 12:05, 14:20, 19:35, 00:55 (Daily Exc Thu, Mon) 14:20, 19:35, 00:55 (Thu, Fri) 13:30, 14:00, 14:40, 15:40, 16:15, 16:55, 17:55, 18:30, 19:10, 20:10, 20:45, 21:35, 22:30, 23:00, 23:50, 00:45, 01:10 (Fri) Ajial 16:00, 20:30, 22:45 Bairaq 12:30, 14:45, 18:00, 20:00, 22:15, 00:30 (Daily Exc Mon) 14:45, 18:00, 20:00, 22:15, 00:30 (Fri) Fanar 12:15, 13:15, 14:30, 15:30, 17:45, 20:15, 21:30, 22:30, 23:45, 00:45 (Wed, Sun, Tue) 13:15, 15:30, 17:45, 20:15, 21:30, 22:30, 23:45, 00:45 (Thu, Sat) 13:30, 15:45, 17:55, 20:15, 21:30, 22:30, 23:45, 00:45 (Fri) 12:15, 13:15, 15:30, 17:45, 20:15, 21:30, 22:30, 23:45, 00:45 (Mon) Muhalab 12:00, 13:00, 14:15, 16:45, 19:00, 19:45, 21:15, 23:45, 01:00 (Daily Exc Mon, Sat) 14:15, 16:45, 19:00, 19:45, 21:15, 23:45, 01:00 (Fri) 12:00, 14:15, 16:45, 19:00, 19:45, 21:15, 23:45, 01:00 (Sat) Sharqia 11:30, 13:40, 14:15, 15:50, 18:00, 20:15, 22:30, 23:45, 00:45 (Wed, Sun, Tue) 11:30, 13:40, 15:50, 18:00, 20:15, 22:30, 23:45, 00:45 (Thu, Sat, Mon) 13:40, 15:50, 18:00, 20:15, 22:30, 23:45, 00:45 (Fri) Avenues 11:40, 17:00, 19:10, 00:25 (Daily Exc Thu, Mon) 11:45, 12:00, 13:15, 14:00, 14:15, 15:30, 16:15, 16:30, 17:45, 18:30, 18:45, 20:00, 21:00, 21:45, 22:15, 23:35, 00:05, 00:35 (Daily Exc Mon) 17:00, 19:10, 00:25 (Thu, Fri) 14:00, 14:15, 15:30, 16:15, 16:30, 17:45, 18:30, 18:45, 20:00, 21:00, 21:45, 22:15, 23:35, 00:05, 00:35 (Fri) Laila 15:45, 20:00 Marina 11:45, 13:00, 15:15, 17:30, 19:45, 21:00, 22:00, 00:15 (Daily Exc Mon) 15:15, 17:30, 19:45, 21:00, 22:00, 00:15 (Fri) Grand Hamra 1 14:30, 17:15, 20:00, 22:30 00:45 (Thu, Fri) Grand Hamra GC 15:00, 17:30, 20:00, 22:30 01:00 (Thu, Fri) Grand Gate 1 14:15, 16:30, 19:15, 21:45 00:15 (Thu, Fri) Grand Gate GC 15:00, 17:30, 20:00, 22:30 01:00 (Thu, Fri) The LEGO Ninjago Movie :45, 16:55 (Daily Exc Mon) 13:50, 14:45, 16:55 (Fri) Avenues 14:50 Grand Gate 4 14:00, 16:00, 18:00 The Son Of Bigfoot :40, 13:40, 15:45, 18:00, 20:00 (Daily Exc Mon) 13:40, 15:45, 18:00, 20:00 (Fri) Bairaq 15:15, 19:30 Fanar 16:00, 18:00, 19:30 (Daily Exc Mon) 14:00, 16:00, 18:00, 19:30 (Fri) Avenues 12:45, 16:55, 19:00 (Daily Exc Thu, Mon) 12:45, 16:55, 17:30, 19:00 (Thu) 16:55, 19:00 (Fri) Laila 18:00 Marina 16:45 Victoria And Abdul :05 Wind River :30, 21:25, 23:35 (Daily Exc Mon) 21:25, 23:35 (Fri) Avenues 01:10 Karuppan (Tamil Film) Ajial 16:00, 19:00 (Thu) Solo (Tamil Film) Ajial 16:00, 19:00, 22:00 (Daily Exc Thu) 22:00 (Thu) IMAX Imax film programme at The Scientific Center Sunday Showtime Available for Groups 09:30 am Flying Monsters 3D 10:30 am 07:30 pm A Beautiful Planet 3D 11:30 am 06:30 pm, 09:30 pm Journey to Space 3D 12:30 pm Humpback Whales 3D 05:30 pm Kenya: Animal Kingdom 3D 08:30 pm Monday Showtime Available for Groups 09:30 am A Beautiful Planet 3D 10:30 am 05:30 pm, 07:30 pm Humpback Whales 3D 11:30 am 09:30 pm Flying Monsters 3D 12:30 pm, 06:30 pm Journey to Space 3D 08:30 pm Tuesday Showtime Available for Groups 09:30 am Journey to Space 3D 10:30 am 04:30 pm Flying Monsters 3D 11:30 am 09:30 pm A Beautiful Planet 3D 12:30 pm, 02:30 pm, 05:30 pm, 08:30 pm Kenya: Animal Kingdom 3D 01:30 pm Humpback Whales 3D 03:30 pm, 06:30 pm Secret Ocean 3D 07:30 pm Wednesday Showtime Available for Groups 09:30 am Flying Monsters 3D 10:30 am 05:30 pm A Beautiful Planet 3D 11:30 am 06:30 pm, 09:30 pm Humpback Whales 3D 12:30 pm Kenya: Animal Kingdom 3D 07:30 pm Journey to Space 3D 08:30 pm Thursday Showtime Available for Groups 09:30 am A Beautiful Planet 3D 10:30 am 07:30 pm Flying Monsters 3D 11:30 am 06:30 pm, 09:30 pm Kenya: Animal Kingdom 3D 12:30 pm Journey to Space 3D 05:30 pm Humpback Whales 3D 08:30 pm Friday A Beautiful Planet 3D 02:30 pm, 06:30 pm, 09:30 pm Journey to Space 3D 03:30 pm Humpback Whales 3D 04:30 pm Secret Ocean 3D 05:30 pm Kenya: Animal Kingdom 3D 07:30 pm Flying Monsters 3D 08:30 pm Saturday Showtime Available for Groups 09:30 am Flying Monsters 3D 10:30 am 05:30 pm, 07:30 pm A Beautiful Planet 3D 11:30 am 03:30 pm, 08:30 pm Journey to Space 3D 12:30 pm, 06:30 pm, 09:30 pm Humpback Whales 3D 01:30 pm Kenya: Animal Kingdom 3D 02:30 pm Secret Ocean 3D 04:30 pm Notes: All films are in Arabic. For English, headsets are available upon request. Film schedule is subject to changes without notice. For information call or visit

25 US Commerce Department slaps more duties on Bombardier Qatar reserves, liquidity rebound The US Commerce Department said Friday that it is imposing more duties on Canada s Bombardier C series aircraft, charging that the Canadian company is selling the planes in America below cost. The 80 percent duty comes on top of duties of nearly 220 percent Commerce announced last month. The case is a victory for US rival Boeing Co. The US says Montreal-based Bombardier used unfair government subsidies to sell jets at artificially low prices in the United States. The United States is committed to free, fair and reciprocal trade with Canada, but this is not our idea of a properly functioning trading relationship, Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said. Specifically, Boeing charges that Bombardier last year sold Delta Air Lines 75 CS100 aircraft for less than it cost to build them. But Delta has said Boeing did not even make the 100-seat jets it needed. These anti-dumping duties on Bombardier s C Series aircraft unfairly target Canada s highly innovative aerospace sector and its more than 200,000 workers_and put at risk the almost 23,000 US jobs that depend on Bombardier and its suppliers, said Chrystia Freeland, Canada s foreign affairs minister. Boeing is manipulating the US trade remedy system to prevent Bombardier s new aircraft, the C Series, from entering the US market. Bombardier charged that the decision represents an egregious overreach and misapplication of the US trade laws in an apparent attempt to block the C Series aircraft from entering the US market, irrespective of the negative impacts to the US aerospace industry, US jobs, US airlines, and the US flying public. (AP) The Qatar central bank s international reserves and foreign currency liquidity rebounded in August after falling steeply for two months because of sanctions imposed by other Arab states, official data showed on Thursday. The reserves and liquidity, a measure of the central bank s ability to support the riyal currency, recovered to $39.0 billion in August from $36.1 billion in July. In May, just before the sanctions, they had stood at $45.8 billion. The central bank did not say why they rebounded, but bankers believe the government may have used money from Qatar s sovereign wealth fund to replenish the reserves. The central bank s holdings of foreign securities continued shrinking in August but its balances with foreign banks rose sharply. (RTRS) Market Movements Change Closing pts JAPAN - Nikkei , S. KOREA - KRX , PHILIPPINES - All Shares , INDIA - Sensex , HONG KONG - Hang Seng , Change Closing pts AUSTRALIA - All Ordinaries , GERMANY - DAX , FRANCE - CAC , EUROPE - Euro Stoxx , Business Russia, Saudi ink deals worth $2.1 billion Falih hopes for consensus on oil deal before Nov meet MOSCOW, Oct 7, (Agencies): Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) has inked with Saudi Arabia s Public Investment Fund (PIF) business deals worth $2.1 billion, Itar-Tass news agency said on Saturday. Itar-Tass quoted fund s Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Kirill Dmitriev as saying that the RDIF and PIF agreed on establishing a $1 billion fund for investment in energy and another of equal value for technology enterprise. Moreover, the sovereign Saudi fund would earmark $100 million for investment in Russia s infrastructure, namely in railways in Saint Petersburg and construction highways in the capital. The news agency quoted experts as saying that the visit to the nation by Saudi King Salman opened the door wide for mega Saudi investments in Russia, thirsty for such enterprises in light of western curbs on the nation. Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia hopes to reach a consensus with Russia and other major oil producers on the future of a global deal to cut oil output before an OPEC meeting in November, Energy Minister Khalid al-falih said on Friday. Falih was speaking in Moscow two days after Russian President Vladimir Putin said it was possible that the supply reduction deal, which is due to expire in March, could run to the end of next year, although Russia has not made any commitment. Saudi Arabia has made no firm pledge to extend the deal, but Falih said on Thursday his country was flexible regarding Moscow s suggestion. I am looking forward to reaching a consensus, working with you in the next few weeks before we have the Nov 30 meeting, Falih told his Russian counterpart Alexander Novak. As satisfied as we are with the progress made, I think you agree that our job is not done and there are still uncertainties and headwinds on global oil markets, he said. We have to keep our eyes clearly on the road and our hands on the wheel. Saudi Arabia and Russia helped secure a deal between the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and 10 rival suppliers to cut output from January this year until the end of March 2018 in an effort to reduce a supply glut on world markets and prop up prices. Market cap gains reach KD 400 mln during week Boursa ends with mixed performance Boursa Kuwait weekly report Bayan Investment Co Boursa Kuwait ended last week with mixed performance. The Price Index closed at 6, points, down by 0.26% from the week before closing, the Weighted Index increased by 1.76% after closing at points, whereas the KSX-15 Index closed at 1, points up by 3.14%. Furthermore, last week s average daily turnover decreased by 45.04%, compared to the preceding week, reaching K.D million, whereas trading volume average was million shares, recording an increase of 56.79%. The fluctuation witnessed by Boursa Kuwait during the last week came in parallel with the optimism state witnessed by the investment arena in the market after the official promotion of Boursa Kuwait to the Secondary Emerging market by FTSE Russell, which was reflected on the performance of the Weighted and KSX-15 indices, to realize good growth by the end of the week, supported by the active purchasing operations that concentrated on the leading and operational stocks, while the Price Index continued recording losses for the third consecutive week, however limited, in light of the continued quick speculations for profit collection, that the small-cap stocks were subject to, which formed a pressure factor on the Index and pushed it to decline by the end of the week. The market capitalization s gains for Boursa Kuwait during the last five sessions reached K.D. 400 million, as it reached by the end of last week K.D billion, up by 1.38% compared to its level in a week earlier, where it reached K.D billion. On an annual level, the market cap gains for the listed companies in the Primary Market since the beginning of the year reached 15.21% compared to its value at end of 2016, where it was K.D billion. (Note: The market cap for the listed companies in the Primary Market is calculated based on the average number of outstanding shares as per the latest available financial statements). As per the daily trading activity for the Boursa; the market initiated the week s trading with mixed closings to the three indices, amid a noticeable growth in the three trading levels, especially the value which increased by approximately 79%, as both of the Weighted and KSX-15 indices were able to realize increases in light of the active purchasing trend that targeted a number of leading stocks in the market, while the Price Index dropped in light of the continued profit collection operations on some small-cap stocks that witnessed a clear growth during the previous weeks. The second session witnessed a continued fluctuation of the three indices, as the Price Index was able to join KSX-15 Index in the green zone after a limited fluctuated performance with an upward trend, while the Weighted Index declined slightly by the end of the session; such performance came amid a decreased trading activity compared to the previous session, where the cash liquidity dropped by around 37%, and the volume declined by 22%. The fluctuation continued to be in control over the closings of the market indices in the mid-week session, as the Price Index s performance dropped due to the selling pressures that targeted some low-priced and idle stocks, especially at the end of the session and the auction period, while the purchasing and collection operations witnessed by the leading stocks contributed in pushing the Weighted and KSX-15 indices to close in the green zone, amid a noticeable improvement in the market cash liquidity levels. On Wednesday s session, the three market indices were able to realize gains for the first time since the beginning of the week, as a result to the collection movement executed by the investment groups, and the continued purchasing activity on the heavy stocks, amid continued increase in the trading activity on both levels, the value and the volume. On the end of week session, the fluctuation returned once again, as the Weighted and KSX-15 indices closed in the green zone supported by the continued purchasing operations that targeted some heavy stocks, which enhanced the weekly gains of the indices, while the profit collection operations returned to push the Price Index to close in the red zone. For the annual performance, the Price Index ended last week recording 15.90% annual gain compared to its closing in 2016, while the Weighted Index increased by 15.31%, and the KSX-15 recorded 16.24% growth. Sectors Indices Seven of Boursa Kuwait s sectors ended last week in the green zone, four recorded declines, whereas the Health Care sector s index closed with no change from the week before. Last week s highest gainer was the Insurance sector, achieving 1.73% growth rate as its index closed at 1, points. Whereas, in the second place, the Real Estate sector s index closed at points recording 1.45% increase. The Banks sector came in third as its index achieved 1.35% growth, ending the week at points. On the other hand, the Technology sector headed the losers list as its index declined by 4.12% to end the week s activity at points, followed by the Industrial sector, as its index closed at 1, points at a loss of 2.97%. The Consumer Services sector was the least declining as its index closed at points with a 0.49% decrease. Sectors Activity The Financial Services sector dominated a total trade volume of around million shares changing hands during last week, representing 43.28% of the total market trading volume. The Banks sector was second in terms of trading volume as the sector s traded shares were 21.55% of last week s total trading volume, with a total of around million shares. On the other hand, the Banks sector s stocks were the highest traded in terms of value; with a turnover of around K.D million or 40.40% of last week s total market trading value. The Telecommunications sector took the second place as the sector s last week turnover was approx. K.D million representing 25.62% of the total market trading value. For more information, please visit our website: Price of the barrel will depend on future growth and demand for oil China teapots : The new importers of oil By Kamel Al-Harami Independent Oil Analyst They appeared in Singapore two weeks ago to contract and attempt to buy 2.5 million barrels per day, which is the official quota of oil imports granted to them by the government. Teapots are the new oil traders that are trying to find a place in the Chinese oil market in order to become the largest importer of oil 8.8 million barrels per day. They have a current refinery capacity of 12 million barrels, which will reach 18 million in a few years and could lead to huge surplus of petroleum products in the coming years. The independent Chinese importers have signed some deals for the import of crude oil including from Kuwait. They are trying to compete with the government-owned companies and trying to find their niche in the market, such that this huge industry will be the biggest importers as well as consumers in the world. With their presence and their attempt to secure some exports deals with the USA shale oil producers, which are seeking new buyers for their oil, they now seem to be marking their presence as consistent suppliers far from the main oil producers in the Arabian Gulf region. They are giving the new potential buyers the security of Al-Harami supply and sweet type of crude oil at competitive prices alongside international transparentlyquoted prices. The Singapore oil conference was very different this year. The price of barrel was the only topic discussed during the conference. About 75 percent of them believe the oil prices will not go forward this year or next to reach $60 level. The main concern was focused on OPEC members and how long they can sacrifice their volumes and investments for the sake of shale oil and whether they can remain united. Meanwhile, some stated that the current growth, demand for oil from China, and the current OPEC reduction cuts could lead to some imbalance in the market mainly due to lack of investments of more than $1 trillion by international oil companies. This could lead to hardening of the price of a barrel without exceeding $70 level. Yet, this still is not good enough to create some sort of cash surplus for OPEC countries. The price of the barrel will depend on the future growth and demand for oil. If it can jump over two or three million barrels by 2019, then the China teapots and shale oil producers will be the ones to benefit the most from the Singapore meeting, as both exporters and importers will survive for years to come. naftikuwaiti@yahoo.com

26 BUSINESS 26 Boeing boosts tech investment in hybrid, autonomous planes Canada jobless rate steady at 9-year low Boeing is beefing up its investments in autonomous and electric hybrid planes in anticipation that aviation could be primed for as much disruption as virtually every other sector. The aerospace giant has announced a series of recent tech-focused investments, unveiling plans Thursday to acquire autonomous aviation company Aurora Flight Sciences Corporation, as well as a stake in Zunum Aero, which works on hybrid electric planes. Many of the technologies such as unmanned flying taxis sound space age, but the latest deals are a sign they may not be as far off as they seem. Boeing did not disclose financial terms for either investment. The aerospace industry is going to be changing, Boeing chief technology offi cer Greg Hyslop said in a conference call with journalists. The Aurora purchase builds on Boeing s work with the company on commercial and military equipment. Today s commercial airplanes already employ sophisticated computer systems that have automated key aspects of flying. But Aurora aims to go far beyond that, aspiring to a completely autonomous fl ight, from take-off to landing. A robot, with the aid of artificial intelligence, could back up a pilot by depressing the pedals, taking control in emergency situations or even landing the plane. In May, Aurora, collaborating with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, successfully tested its automated co-pilot system on a Boeing commercial plane. (AFP) Canada s unemployment rate held steady at a nine-year low of 6.2 percent in September, the government statistical agency said Friday. The rate is the same as that for August and matches an October 2008 low before the global financial crisis triggered a brief recession. A September gain of 112,000 full-time jobs was mostly offset by a decline in parttime work, Statistics Canada said. This resulted in a net increase of 10,000 jobs or 0.1 percent, which was almost in line with analysts forecast of 14,000 new jobs, but not enough to move the jobless rate. According to Statistics Canada, employment increased for people aged 55 and older, while it fell among men aged 25 to 54. Notably, people aged 65 and older saw the fastest employment growth rate among major demographic groups, rising 9.1 percent. For the second consecutive month, Ontario was the lone province to see a notable employment gain driven by hiring in wholesale and retail trade, and in educational services. (AFP) global economic update National Bank of Kuwait Growth steady enough for cbanks to adjust course Going into the fourth quarter, the world economy and international markets appear to be on a steady, little changed, track. Stocks are moving up, making or nearing new highs in some cases (US, Germany, UK). Interest rates may be trending gradually and slowly higher, though they are lower than at the beginning of the year in some advanced economies. The USD remains under pressure, especially against the euro, and oil prices have stabilized somewhat in recent weeks, though they are lower on the year, and analysts are divided on their direction ahead. Volatility in stocks, which had drifted lower all year, remains near record lows. It did move up significantly in August and September following political uncertainties in the US, North Korean threats, hurricanes and the like, but it has since returned to its lows. The Fed, after raising rates twice this year, is ready to raise them once more this December or perhaps early next year. It is also signaling, via its dot plot chart, that it expects three further moves up next year. This position is supported by steady growth in the US, tightening labor markets, and inflation that appears to be headed toward 2% according to the Fed. Beyond supporting the Fed s sanguine interest rate outlook, the environment was finally deemed ripe for a long-overdue reduction in the Fed s balance sheet. Recall that the Fed s balance sheet went from under $1 trillion prior to 2008, to the current $4.3 trillion. At its September FOMC meeting, the Fed confirmed its well-telegraphed plans to start reducing its holdings of Treasuries and mortgage-backed securities. At the pace announced by the Fed, it will take three years (October 2020) to bring the balance sheet down to $2.8 trillion, still three times the size of the balance sheet of The Fed, of course, wants to be extremely cautious, and may alter that schedule in either direction, depending on circumstances. Nonetheless, the very slow reduction in the Fed s balance sheet should initially have little impact on interest rates; and it is likely the Fed may try to fine tune things should rates rise unduly. Markets should get more concerned when, and if, other central banks start following suit (ECB, BOE). The latter still seems a way off for the time being. With the Fed about to start this tapering, the 10-year Treasury note stands at 2.3%, 10 bps lower than in January 2017, and still well above 10-year Bunds yielding 45 bps. The USD, which was famously supposed to rise further this year, went down and did not seem to benefit much from the favorable yield spreads above. Some of the factors weighing against the USD were: better world and European economics, thus shifting ECB expectations to more hawkish (very relative), and US politics. The latter, after a bout of strong Trump-related optimism for aggressive growth stimulus and tax cuts, is still seen as a plus, but these expectations have been revised to the downside. The Trump administration has so far been unable to pass any major legislation, raising doubts about future successes. The USD is trading near 1.18 to the euro, and many analysts have revised their end-of-year forecasts, suggesting the euro s rise has run its course for now. The turmoil in Spain, following the Catalan referendum weighed on the euro as well. Revived reform prospects in the US (taxes, budget, and health care) will likely need to be advanced in order to relieve some of the pressure on the USD. Higher rates would also help, though the financial markets do not quite believe the Fed that four rate hikes are forthcoming between now and December On US taxes, after months of anticipation, the Trump administration outlined its plans for a major tax overhaul, which would significantly reduce taxes on businesses and some individuals. The proposal would cut the corporate tax rate to 20% from 35% and reduce the top rate for individuals. More details should be forthcoming and the markets will be focusing on the ability of the Congressional majority to pass anything significant (this year). Consensus and IMF projections for world growth this year are about 3-3.5%. The US is expected to grow 2-2.5%, the eurozone a little under 2.0%, China 6.5%-plus, and Japan 1-1.5%. They all posted over 2% growth y/y in the second quarter of the year, with China posting 6.9%. Countries seem to be in line with expectations if not somewhat above. The Chinese are trying to control debt while leaving growth intact; so far, so good. The EU has surprised on the better side this year, leading many to believe that the extraeasy ECB stance is about to end. The ECB, of course, is still conducting QE; it is buying 60 billion euros worth of bonds each month through December After that, the ECB is expected to taper the monthly amount purchased gradually over Oil prices, after dividing forecasters in mid-year between bulls and bears, seem to be stabilizing nicely above $50 per barrel (Brent basis) and are actually showing signs of further strength for the year-end. We still expect prices will average $55 pb this year. After weighing somewhat on GCC equities, oil prices could be a bit of a plus ahead. We see stronger oil demand, and stronger OPEC/non- OPEC resolve shoring up prices. In that light, GCC equity markets have perked up somewhat recently, also aided by less austerity as well as by the recent upgrade of Kuwait to emerging market status by FTSE (and perhaps down the road by MSCI). KSA equities are on track for the same upgrade, though their turn seems to have been delayed by six months to March Qatar remains, of course, under pressure, given the diplomatic row within the GCC that shows no signs of relief ahead. Turning point for beleaguered sector Bankrupt US retailers begin to catch a break NEW YORK, Oct 7, (RTRS): An unexpected helping hand from creditors, landlords and vendors is allowing more US retailers to stay in business following bankruptcy with most of their stores and employees in the fold. The new approach marks a turning point for the beleaguered sector, which has seen at least 19 brick-and-mortar retail chains shut down the bulk of their operations since Until this year, most bankrupt retailers, including American Apparel, Sports Authority and The Limited, were dismantled during their bankruptcy process. Investors and companies acquired their intellectual property and other assets, but refused to take on their business as a going concern because they saw little value in assuming costly store leases. Instead, they often opted to revamp some of the battered brands online. However, several creditors, landlords and vendors now see more value left in some retailers, and are seizing on an opportunity to minimize their own losses in the retail rout. This could spell a slowdown in the decline in brick-and-mortar retail jobs, which fell by more than 100,000 this year, as more than 6,000 stores shuttered under increasing pressure from competition among traditional retailers as well as e-commerce firms such as Amazon.com Inc. We re seeing a set of situations come together in which the constituencies have more interest in the retailer surviving than not, said Holly Etlin, a managing director at AlixPartners LLP, a consulting firm that worked on the bankruptcy of Gymboree. Interest Jeans company True Religion Apparel Inc and perfume wholesaler and retailer Perfumania Holdings Inc are set to emerge from bankruptcy with at least some of their stores in operation, according to interviews with bankruptcy attorneys and a Reuters review of financial information of more than 15 retailers shared with bankruptcy courts. These chains will follow a path blazed by Payless ShoeSource, which in August emerged from bankruptcy while keeping more than 3,400 out of its 4,200 stores worldwide, and preserving 19,000 of its 22,000 employees. Last month, teen clothing shop rue21 Inc and children s apparel chain Gymboree Corp came out of bankruptcy in similar fashion, preserving much of their store footprints and employee headcount. Most of these retailers were owned by private equity firms, which saddled them with debt in a risky bid to juice returns. But in bankruptcy talks, the chains are arguing successfully that they can generate enough cash to withstand the sector s woes if their debt mountains are slashed and payment obligations eased. Creditors, landlords and vendors are more receptive to this approach, because their own financial projections show that liquidations would result in a limited recovery of what they are owed, according to interviews with debt investors and bankruptcy court filings. Investment Had rue21 liquidated, for example, many loan holders would have seen almost the entire value of their investment wiped out by the end of its five-month bankruptcy process, according to bankruptcy court filings and people familiar with the matter. This new reality offers grounds for optimism for Toys R Us Inc, which last month became the largest retail bankruptcy in 13 years. The biggest US specialty toy retailer plans to emerge from Chapter 11 bankruptcy with many of its about 1,600 stores, employing 64,000 people, remaining open. Toys R Us plans to argue that its annual cash flow of roughly $800 million would make it viable if its $5.2 billion in debt is significantly reduced, according to court papers and people familiar with the matter. If a retailer s brand is strong enough and its operations can be improved, creditors see greater value in forgiving some of their debt in exchange for equity stakes, rather than recouping pennies on the dollar in a liquidation. David Tawil, president at distressed-focused hedge fund Maglan Capital, said it makes sense for creditors to extend new money, often at high interest rates, in exchange for a fully restructured balance sheet and a better business plan. Otherwise, there may be a very, very steep haircut (in the value of the debt) to be taken upon a liquidation, Tawil said. For example, a group of Gymboree investors, including distressed debt-oriented hedge fund Brigade Capital Management LP and buyout firm Searchlight Capital Partners LP, agreed to keep it in business by writing off most of their term loan and investing another $95 million, in exchange for equity ownership, court filings showed. Storms impact US job market; trade seen to bolster economy WASHINGTON, Oct 7, (Agencies): The number of Americans filing for unemployment benefits fell more than expected last week, but the continued impact of Hurricanes Harvey and Irma on the data made it difficult to get a clear picture of the labor market. Other data on Thursday pointed to underlying economic strength despite the weather-related disruptions. The trade deficit narrowed in August as exports of goods and services rose to more than a 2-1/2- year high. Orders for core capital goods were stronger in August than previously reported. The reports suggested that trade and business spending on equipment could help to offset some of the anticipated drag on third-quarter economic growth from the storms. Initial claims for state unemployment benefits dropped 12,000 to a seasonally adjusted 260,000 for the week ended Sept. 30, the Labor Department said. Harvey and Irma along with Hurricane Maria affected claims for Texas, Florida, Georgia, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, a Labor Department official said. Economists had forecast claims falling to 265,000 in the latest week. Claims shot up from a low of 236,000 in late August, hitting an almost three-year high of 298,000 at the start of September. As a result, Harvey and Irma are expected to cut into job growth in September. According to a Reuters survey of economists, the Labor Department s closely watched employment report on Friday will likely show that nonfarm payrolls increased by 90,000 jobs last month after rising by 156,000 in August. The labor market disruptions are expected to be temporary, with the job market generally remaining strong. Claims have now been below the 300,000 threshold, which is associated with a robust labor market, for 135 consecutive weeks. That is the longest such stretch since 1970, when the labor market was smaller. The dollar firmed against a basket of currencies, while prices for US Treasuries fell. Stocks on Wall Street rose, with the three main US Federal budget deficit rises to $668 bln: CBO Focus must be on improving situation of middle class: Lagarde US tax overhaul desperately needed : IMF WASHINGTON, Oct 7, (AFP): IMF chief Christine Lagarde on Friday urged the United States to proceed with a tax overhaul, saying it was desperately needed to boost growth in the world s largest economy. Tax reform is a must. Tax reform in the US is imperative, Lagarde said on CNBC. It has to be simpler. It has to be at lower corporate rates, she added. It has to eliminate all the exemptions and the exonerations and the various exceptions that make the system so complicated. The remarks come as the World Bank and International Monetary Fund prepare to stage their annual meetings with member countries next week in Washington. Republican leaders last month unveiled plans for a sweeping tax indexes hitting fresh record highs. In a separate report on Thursday, the Commerce Department said the US trade gap declined 2.7 percent to $42.4 billion, the smallest since September When adjusted for inflation, the trade deficit was little changed at $61.8 billion. The so-called real trade deficit average for July and August was below the second-quarter average of $62.4 billion. That suggests trade could contribute to gross domestic product in the third quarter and help to soften the economic blow of the hurricanes, which are expected to cut at least six-tenths of a percentage point from economic growth in the third quarter. Trade added twotenths of a percentage point to the second quarter s 3.1 percent annualized growth pace. Growth estimates for the third quarter are as low as a 1.8 percent rate. In August, exports of goods and services increased 0.4 percent to $195.3 billion, the highest level since December Exports to China increased 8.8 percent. Imports of goods and services dipped 0.1 percent to $237.7 billion in August, with imports of industrial supplies and materials hitting their lowest level since November overhaul, which would be the fi rst in more than 30 years and calls for slashing corporate rates and simplifying deductions available to individuals. Opposition Democrats and other critics have denounced the plan as a giveaway to the rich which will balloon deficits and cost many trillions in revenue over the coming decades. The White House has said the plan aims to reduce the middleclass tax burden and will pay for itself by promoting growth. However, Lagarde said the plan was still too embryonic for a defi nitive assessment and was likely to change over the course of the legislative process. Still, she cautioned that ultimately the plan should favor middle-class taxpayers while avoiding adding to Imports of goods from China rose 5.1 percent to a record high. The politically sensitive US-China trade deficit increased 4.0 percent to $34.9 billion in August, the highest level since September In another report, the Commerce Department said orders for nondefense capital goods excluding aircraft seen as a measure of business spending plans jumped 1.1 percent in August instead of the 0.9 percent increase reported last month. Gross Shipments of these so-called core capital goods, which are used to calculate business equipment spending in the gross domestic product report, shot up 1.1 percent instead of the previously reported 0.7 percent rise. Strong business spending on equipment is helping to underpin manufacturing, which makes up about 12 percent of the US economy. Business investment in equipment grew at its fastest pace in nearly two years in the second quarter. Trends in capital goods shipments point to a pickup in business equipment investment in the third quarter, and the strength of orders suggests this may be sustained toward the end of the year, said John Ryding, chief economist at RDQ mounting US sovereign debt. It has to focus on improving the situation of the middle class and be conducive to more labor, said Lagarde. It should not increase the deficit. It should not drive to yet more debt into the future. Lagarde hailed the amazing current US economic recovery, which she said was the longest since the mid-19th century. She said the US would benefi t from investment in infrastructure and from immigration reform, which could increase the pool of available skilled labor. That should be conducive to more growth and you add to that the appropriate degree of deregulation so that the red tape and the bureaucracy do not hamper growth, she said. Those are good principles. Economics in New York. In a separate report, the federal government ran a $668 billion budget deficit for the just-completed 2017 fiscal year, according to a new government report. That s $82 billion more red ink than the government produced last year. The Congressional Budget Office based its findings on preliminary Treasury reports. The worsening deficit picture comes as Congress digs into its pockets for tens of billions of dollars more for hurricane relief. Lawmakers are also working toward a round of tax cuts that could add $1.5 trillion in debt over 10 years on top of already grim projections. Washington isn t focusing much on the deficit these days, following the lead of President Donald Trump. The president has ruled out cuts to big benefit programs that drive the deficit s growth, and Congress has rejected most of Trump s other spending cuts. The national debt is $20 trillion and CBO projects it would grow to about $30 trillion within 10 years. Many analysts, including CBO, worry that the nation s deficit path is unsustainable and will harm the economy by sopping up investment and pushing up interest rates.

27 BUSINESS 27 Forbes launches French edition Toyota set to build new Auris in UK Business magazine Forbes, famous for its annual ranking of the world s wealthiest, is launching a French edition to chart President Emmanuel Macron s progress in turning his country into a startup nation. Forbes is a fortnightly magazine but the French-language edition, which will hit newsstands Friday, will be published only every three months. The first issue will retrace the 100-year history of the publication and look ahead to the next 100 through interviews with business magnates including Microsoft founder Bill Gates, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and French internet billionaire Xavier Niel. France has a reputation for being a place where it is difficult to do business and for being sniffy towards the self-made. Forbes first stuck a toe in the market last year by launching a French-language website. Many people say France is becoming the startup nation and the discourse is changing. We have a president who is promoting entrepreneurship and free enterprise, Dominique Busso, the media entrepreneur behind the venture, told AFP. The French magazine is being produced under licence from Forbes. (AFP) Japanese carmaker Toyota intends to build its next generation Auris car at its British car plant on the assumption that the government will secure a transitional Brexit deal, two sources familiar with the matter told Reuters. The fi nal decision is due to be made by the end of the year, according to the sources and a government briefing document released to Reuters under a freedom of information request. The new Auris would keep one of Britain s biggest car plants operating, secure thousands of jobs and provide a welcome endorsement to Prime Minister Theresa May. Toyota builds the current generation of Auris hatchbacks at its Burnaston plant, with the run due to end in around 2021, but fi rms make model decisions up to three years in advance partly to organise supply chains. Qatar economic update Qatar National Bank Toyota UK management have a working assumption that the UK will retain the next generation Auris because it is too early to determine the nature of the trading relationship with the EU, one of the two sources familiar with the matter told Reuters. The fi nal decision will be made by Toyota s board by the end of the year and announced shortly afterwards, the sources told Reuters. (RTRS) Economy remains strongest in MENA region Qatar s economy remains one of the strongest in the Middle East and North Africa region despite the blockade by some neighbouring countries. Hydrocarbon exports have continued uninterrupted, new trade routes have been established and the authorities are eager to attain a higher degree of economic selfsufficiency. While the blockade initially disrupted some economic activity, its impact has dissipated. Over the medium-term, we expect the Qatari economy will prove resilient. Domestic industries will benefit from increased self-reliance while the government s plans to expand liquefied natural gas (LNG) production and a renewed drive to attract international tourists will drive future growth. The blockade has impacted two main sectors of the economy. The first and most direct impact has been through trade. In the immediate aftermath of the blockade, imports declined in June and remained subdued in July. But by August, the latest trade data available, imports rebounded 40%, almost returning to their preblockade level and reflecting the quick adjustment in finding new sources of imports and establishing new trade routes. The recent opening of Hamad port, already one of the largest ports in the region, has been critical to supporting imports through the blockade. The banking sector is the second sector affected. Uncertainty in the immediate aftermath of the blockade triggered some deposit outflows from Qatar s banking sector. However, these outflows have dissipated in subsequent months and as the IMF stated in a recent report, The impact on banks balance sheets was mitigated by liquidity injections by the Qatar Central Bank and increased public sector deposits. Overall, the banking sector remains resilient with high asset quality and strong capitalisation. The government remains comfortably resourced with over 250% of GDP in public assets. In fact, compared to the other countries in the region, Qatar ranks second behind Kuwait in terms of total net foreign assets as a percentage of GDP, giving it one of the strongest balance sheets amongst its peers. Hence, in the short term, the shock of the blockade is fading. In the medium term, we expect the blockade could actually be positive for Qatar. Certain domestic industries are set to benefit from the trade vacuum created by the blockade. For example, a number of private sector initiatives to make Qatar more self-dependent in food production have been launched, such as largescale dairy and poultry farms. Local production of other goods is also likely to be encouraged by the blockade and by government support in response to the blockade. Transportation and logistics firms will gradually benefit through an increase in trade volumes arriving directly in Qatar at the new Hamad Port. Finally, as a result of the decline in visitors to Qatar from the blockade countries, the authorities have launched a renewed drive to attract international tourists. Visa restrictions have been lifted and new hotels and other tourism projects have been launched. However, the most important factor supporting Qatar s medium-term outlook is the government s plans to expand LNG production. In July, after the blockade started, the authorities followed up on a previous commitment to raise gas production by announcing a second increase in LNG output. This brought the total expected increase in LNG production to 30% in five to seven years. Such a proposal will likely entail a multi-billion dollar investment in new pipeline and other infrastructure to extract the additional gas as well as large facilities to process the gas, such as liquefied natural gas trains. To ensure production is brought online in five to seven years time, the authorities will need to initiate this construction in the near future. This would have important spill over effects into the rest of the economy, drawing in foreign workers, which in turn, would raise demand for housing, goods and services. In short, a boost in gas production would likely herald a new phase in Qatar s economic development 2 Spanish banks mull moving HQ out of Catalonia Huawei, KDIPA launch ICT Skill Competition Kuwait university students registered Officials attend the function Group photo from event By Michelle Fe Santiago Arab Times Staff KUWAIT CITY, Oct 7: Huawei Technologies Kuwait, a leading global Information and Communication Technology solutions provider, launched on Thursday at the Huawei headquarters at Al Hamra Tower the local edition of its global ICT Skill Competition 2017, in a strategic partnership with Kuwait Direct Promotion Investment Authority (KDIPA). The ICT Skill Competition 2017 which is open to all university students seeks to identify and nurture Kuwait s finest ICT talent fostering the development of the young leaders of tomorrow responsible for driving the country s digital transformation. The nationwide competition is held in line with Huawei s commitment to support Kuwait s 2035 vision aimed at fueling the growth of key sectors and industries and advancing digitalization. The opening ceremony was attended by senior officials from KDIPA, the Embassy of China to the State of Kuwait, Kuwait University, American University of Kuwait, American University of the Middle East, Australian College of Kuwait, media representatives and Huawei Technologies Kuwait executive management. The competition, launched for the very first time in Kuwait this year, is a critical initiative for enhancing the quality of future ICT professionals, a key pillar in Kuwait s agenda of building a knowledge-based economy. The competition increases national ICT competitiveness and contributes to local communities. We are very proud to launch this competition aiming to spearhead innovation and advance the ICT skills of the local population, in close collaboration with KDIPA, leading Kuwait universities and other stakeholders. We wish the technology leaders of tomorrow every success and congratulate them for being at the forefront of innovation as Kuwait enters a new digital era, stated Trevor Liu, Huawei Technologies Kuwait CEO. Students from Kuwait s leading universities have registered for the competition and more are expected to enlist in the coming days. All candidates will undergo rigorous tests. Fifteen among them will then compete in Kuwait s finals that will take place between November 5-10,2017. Kuwait s three finalists will be given the opportunity to travel to Huawei s Headquarter in Shenzhen, China, where the final stage of the competition will take place between December 11-15, The most exceptional team of achievers will be awarded US$ 30,000 cash prize, the next two teams will claim second place and three teams will be awarded third place. The next seven teams will receive Excellence Prizes, while 6 tutors and 5 academic institutions will also be awarded with the Excellent Tutor and Best Academy Prizes. Winners of the Kuwait Finals will be granted traineeship or employment opportunities with Huawei, as part of its Enterprise Business Group, where they will be exposed to a combination of innovative technologies, including cloud computing, Software-Defined Networking (SDN), Big Data, and Internet of Things (IoT) and interact with ICT experts from different industries such as government, oil & gas and banking. All Competition winners will be rewarded with Huawei s latest laptops and smartphones. The competition is still open for registration. Interested students may register online on www. huaweiacad.com until October 10, Gas Natural moves HQ from Catalonia MADRID, Oct 7, (Agencies): Two of Spain s biggest banks, Sabadell and Caixabank, are considering moving their headquarters out of Catalonia, a sign that the wealthy region s push for independence from Spain could scare away big business. The board of Banco Sabadell, Spain s fifth-largest bank, was holding an extraordinary meeting on Thursday to consider whether to move from the city of Sabadell, the bank said in a statement. El Pais newspaper reported that Sabadell had decided to shift its legal base to Alicante. There was no immediate confirmation from the bank. Spain s third-biggest lender, Caixabank, also may move its headquarters, now in Barcelona, Catalonia s capital, a source with knowledge of the matter told Reuters on Thursday. That would require a shareholder meeting, but the bank is also studying simpler solutions, such as a temporary transfer. Catalonia s Parliament was planning to declare independence on Monday, after a banned referendum marred by violence last weekend. That plan was cast into doubt on Thursday when Spain s Constitutional Court ordered that Monday s session of the Catalan Parliament be suspended. The political crisis was generating uncertainty that is paralysing all investment projects in Catalonia, Spanish Economy Minister Luis de Guindos told Reuters on Thursday. Government plans to sell a stake in staterun lender Bankia have also been put off because of the uncertainty, de Guindos said. Madrid will look at the placement again once the Catalan situation had been resolved, he said. However, Catalonia s planned unilateral declaration of independence has not had any impact on Spain s overall economic output, de Guindos said, reiterating that he expected growth of more than 3 percent this year. Financial markets have been shaken this week by fears that secession would undermine the eurozone s fourth-biggest economy, dealing a heavy blow to Spain s finances and sending the Catalan economy into a tailspin. Catalonia is a centre of industry and tourism that accounts for a fifth of Spain s economy, a production base for major multinationals from Volkswagen to Nestle, and home to Europe s fastest-growing sea port. Meanwhile, Spanish utility company Gas Natural said Friday it will move its legal headquarters from Barcelona to Madrid, the latest firm to leave Catalonia after the regional leaders threatened to declare independence. The energy company said it was making the move because of the legal uncertainty provoked by the social and political events that have taken place in recent weeks in Catalonia. The goal is to maintain the normal functioning of the company in order to protect its interests, those of its customers, employees, creditors and shareholders, the company said in a statement. Gas Natural, Spain s third largest distributor of gas and electricity, said its headquarters would remain in Madrid as long as this situation persists. The announcement comes after the government on Friday passed a decree to allow companies to move their legal headquarters quicker from one region to another.

28 BUSINESS 28 Royal Mail prepared to challenge Renault wants half its cars to be electric Britain s Royal Mail will use all legal options at its disposal to halt a strike by postal workers this month, it said on Thursday after the industry union announced the action over a pensions dispute. The Communications Workers Union (CWU) said the 48-hour strike would begin at 1000 GMT on Oct 19 and would involve about 111,000 postal workers. Royal Mail said it is committed to further talks to reach an agreement as a matter of urgency but that there are no grounds for industrial action. We believe any strike action before the dispute resolution procedures have been followed would be unlawful, a spokesman said after a company statement raised the prospect of taking the matter to the courts. Royal Mail will use all legal options at its disposal, including applying to the High Court for an injunction to prevent industrial action. the company said. The company added that it would contact the CWU to invoke the external mediation process under dispute resolution procedures agreed with the union in The mediation process could extend beyond Christmas, it said. Royal Mail has about 142,000 UK employees and the CWU said on Tuesday that 73 percent of workers voted in the strike ballot, with 89 percent of its members voting for industrial action. (RTRS) French carmaker Renault said Friday that half of its models will be electric or hybrid by 2022 and it s investing heavily in robo-vehicles with increasing degrees of autonomy. A strategic plan released Friday aims to boost Renault annual revenues to 70 billion euros ($82.2 billion) by 2022 from 51 billion euros last year, in part through an effort to double sales outside its traditional markets in Europe especially Russia and China. The plans refl ect the vision laid out last month by the Renault Nissan Mitsubishi alliance, the world s No. 1 carmaker by sales. Many of Renault s new aims depend on saving money through sharing platforms and development with Nissan and Mitsubishi. CEO Carlos Ghosn said Renault is aiming to sell more than 5 million vehicles annually by 2022 from 3.2 million last year. The plan relies in part on boosting low-cost car production in emerging markets, notably with the Dacia Logan and Kwid mini- SUV. As regulators crack down on emissions from combustion engines and as drivers seek cars that can do more by themselves, Ghosn wants to position Renault as a major player in mass-market electric and driverless cars. (AP) Study examining impact of infotainment Technology crammed into cars worsens driver distraction Europe stands for fair trade EU targets China with tough new rules on cheap imports STRASBOURG, France, Oct 7, (Agencies): The EU reached a landmark agreement on Monday on tough new rules against cheap imports in a move that risks embittering already tense relations with Beijing. The European Commission, EU national governments and MEPs had been in talks since July on new rules to calculate import duties and curb unfair trading practises, especially from China. Europe stands for open and fair trade, but we are not naive free traders. Today we strengthened our anti-dumping rules, European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker said. Juncker insisted that the measure was not about any country in particular, and simply about making sure that we have the means to take action against unfair competition. But the EU has been under intense pressure from big industry in Europe to keep strong trade defense measures due to China s public subsidies and excess production, especially in steel and other metals. We believe that the changes agreed today to the legislation strengthen EU s trade defence instruments and will ensure that our European industry will be well equipped to deal with the unfair competition they face from dumped and subsidised imports..., EU Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmstroem said after talks ended in the eastern French city of Strasbourg. The new measures are intended to offset the consequences of granting China socalled market economy status at the Word Trade Organization that will make it more difficult to prove illegal trade practices by Beijing. The topic is so sensitive that China shocked the EU at a summit in June by refusing to endorse a joint statement on climate change out of dissatisfaction on the status issue. When China joined the World Trade Organization in 2001, it was written into the terms of the deal that member states could treat it as a non-market economy for 15 years. Under this regime, the EU and other WTO powers retained powers to unilaterally establish fast and tough anti-dumping rules without infringing WTO rules. The deadline passed late last year, but the European Union intended to grant the new status once these new rules were in place. Beijing has said previously that the refusal to grant China market economy status is an example of covert protectionism and double standards by the West. The Commission, member states and EU lawmakers agreed on Tuesday to treat all World Trade Organization members the same in determining whether they are dumping products. Under normal circumstances, dumping will mean selling below domestic prices, but the EU will make exceptions for cases of significant market distortions, allowing investigators to compare export prices with international benchmarks. The Commission has said it would produce reports on major countries where it suspects such distortions prevail. For the time being, however, it will produce only one. China will come out first, said a Commission official who requested not to be named. There is no clear plan to do other reports than for China. It is resource-intensive, the official continued, adding that the absence of a report on a given country did not mean EU producers could not point to distortions there. The official did not rule out reports on other countries in the future. EU officials have regularly said that, despite the changes for anti-dumping cases, China is not a market economy. Of 32 trade investigations the Commission is carrying out, 22 feature Chinese imports. Trading The European Union and many of China s other trading partners have debated whether to treat China as a market economy, which Beijing says was its right at the end of 2016, some 15 years after it joined the WTO. The EU kicked off discussions early in 2016 and held public consultations, gathering over 5,000 opinions on how to handle trade complaints against China. The Commission concluded it could not retain the current practice of considering China as a non-market economy and comparing Chinese export prices with those from another country, such as the United States. But critics have said that Chinese businesses are subject to excessive state intervention with artificially low domestic prices, threatening to expose European markets to more dumping. EU steelmakers association Eurofer, which has brought a series of trade complaints against Chinese imports, said the new EU agreement was important, but that it wanted to see how it worked in practice. Czech Airlines back in Czech hands PRAGUE, Oct 7, (AFP): Czech air company Travel Service said Friday it would take over Czech Airlines (CSA) after buying a 44-percent stake from Korean Air and almost 20 percent from the Czech state. Travel Service currently owns 34 percent of CSA shares. After the transactions, it will become a majority percent owner of CSA, Travel Service spokeswoman Vladimira Dufkova said. The state would have five days to reconsider the sale of its stake. If it decided not to sell, Travel Service will own percent of the airline. WASHINGTON, Oct 7, (AP): The infotainment technology that automakers are cramming into the dashboard of new vehicles is making drivers take their eyes off the road and hands off the wheel for dangerously long periods of time, an AAA study says. The study released Thursday is the latest by University of Utah professor David Strayer, who has been examining the impact of infotainment systems on safety for AAA s Foundation for Traffic Safety since Past studies also identified problems, but Strayer said the explosion of technology has made things worse. Automakers now include more options to allow drivers to use social media, and text. The technology is also becoming more complicated to use. Cars used to have a few buttons and knobs. Some vehicles now have as many as 50 buttons on the steering wheel and dashboard that are multifunctional. There are touch screens, voice commands, writing pads, headsup displays on windshields and mirrors and 3-D computer-generated images. It s adding more and more layers of complexity and information at drivers fingertips without often considering whether it s a good idea to put it at their fingertips, Strayer said. That complexity increases the overall amount of time drivers spend trying to use the systems. The auto industry says the new systems are better alternatives for drivers than mobile phones and navigation devices that were not designed to be used while driving. The vehicle-integrated systems are designed to be used in the driving environment and require driver attention that is comparable to tuning the radio or adjusting climate controls, which have always been considered baseline acceptable behaviors while driving, said Wade Newton, a spokesman for the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers. But Jake Nelson, AAA s director for traffic safety advocacy and research, said drivers testing all 30 of the 2017 model year cars and light trucks took their eyes off the road and hands off the wheel while using infotainment systems. The test drivers used voice commands, touch screens and other interactive technologies to make calls, send texts, tune the radio or program navigation all while driving. Clearly automakers haven t worked hard enough to make the systems quick and easy to use, Nelson said. Researchers rated 23 of the 30 vehicles very high or high in terms of the attention they demanded from drivers. Seven were rated moderate. None required a low amount of attention to use. Programming a destination into invehicle GPS navigation systems was the most distracting activity, taking drivers an average of 40 seconds to The goal of the acquisition is to build a strong air company running a fleet of planes, said Jiri Simane, board chairman at Travel Service, whose 49 planes fly under the SmartWings brand. South Korean flag carrier, Korean Air, bought its 44-percent stake in the then lossmaking CSA for 2.64 million euros ($3.08 million) from the Czech state in With a fleet of 18 planes, Czech Airlines has undergone restructuring under Korean Air and Travel Service after years in the red. In 2016, it posted net profit equivalent to almost 10 million euros. UK car sales skid lower in September on poor consumer confidence LONDON, Oct 7, (AFP): Political and economic uncertainty, not least from Brexit, sent sales of new cars in Britain falling sharply in September, data showed on Thursday. New car sales fell 9.3 percent year-on-year to 426,170 vehicles in September, industry body the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) said in a statement. It is the fi rst time in six years that new registrations fell in September, a month in which a change in number plates usually buoys the automobile industry. However, this has not been the case this year amid fallout from Britain s decision to quit the European Union. September is always a barometer of the health of the UK new car market, so this decline will cause considerable concern, said SMMT head Mike Hawes. Business and political uncertainty is reducing buyer confidence, with consumers and businesses more likely to delay big-ticket purchases, he said. Confusion around government air quality plans may also have contributed to the decline, Hawes continued. Under a change in UK tax rules that came into effect in April, all new cars except for those with zero carbon dioxide emissions are now subject to an annual fl atrate charge. Previously, low-emission models had also been exempt. complete the task. At 25 mph (40 kph), a car can travel the length of four football fields during the time it takes to enter a destination. Previous research has shown that drivers who remove their eyes from the road for just two seconds double their risk for a crash. Under pressure from the industry, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in 2012 issued voluntary safety guidelines to automakers for dashboard technology instead of enforceable safety standards. The guidelines recommend that automakers lock out the ability to program navigation systems while a car is moving. However, the ability to program navigation while driving was available in 12 vehicles in the study. The guidelines also recommend automakers prevent drivers from texting while driving, but three-quarters of the vehicles tested permit drivers to text while the car is moving. Texting was the second-most distracting task performed by test drivers. Drivers looked away from the road less when using voice commands, but Demand for petrol-fuelled cars fell 1.2 percent in September, while diesel tumbled 21.7 percent. Sales of alternatively fuelled vehicles, including electric and hybrid cars, surged 41 percent, the industry data showed. Looking at the nine months to September, total new car sales were down 3.9 percent from the year-earlier period. The best-selling car in Britain last month was the Nissan Qashqai, followed by the Volkswagen Golf, with the Ford Fiesta in third place. As infl ation rises and confi dence plummets, consumers have been just as unwilling to spend on goods for inside their homes as they have been to splash out on new cars. that safety benefit was offset by the increased amount of time drivers spent interacting with the systems. AAA said drivers should use infotainment technologies only for legitimate emergencies or urgent, driving-related purposes. It also urged automakers to block the ability to program navigation systems or send texts while driving. Automakers should also design infotainment systems so that they require no more attention to use than listening to the radio or an audiobook, it said. The new headquarters of La Caixa - Caixabank are pictured in Valencia on Oct 7. La Caixa - Caixabank Catalonia s biggest lender shifted its legal headquarters out of Catalonia due to the uncertainty caused by the referendum vote outlawed by Madrid and the announcement by Catalan Government of a possible declaration of independence. (AFP) Furniture retailer DFS announced on Thursday that its annual pretax profit sank 22.3 percent, causing shares to fall four percent in late afternoon trading. British home improvement retailer Topps Tiles meanwhile issued a profi t warning on Wednesday, blaming the slowing house market and consumer demand. The DFS results are proof of the pudding that the cost of living squeeze is already starting to weigh on consumption, commented analyst Jasper Lawler at London Capital Group. British households purchasing power has been dented by the rising cost of imports after last year s Brexit referendum vote, which sent the pound slumping. Nearly 70 percent of US adults say they want the new technologies in their vehicles, but only 24 percent feel that the technology already works perfectly, according to an opinion survey conducted for AAA. Drivers want technology that is safe and easy to use, said Marshall Doney, AAA s president and CEO, but many of the features added to infotainment systems today have resulted in overly complex and sometimes frustrating user experiences for drivers. Out of the doldrums, investment boom set to boost French growth Forecast lifts economic growth to 1.8 pct PARIS, Oct 7, (Agencies): Surging investment has put the French economy on course for its best growth since 2011 this year, the INSEE official statistics agency said on Thursday, slightly raising its Sale of fighter jets to Austria Airbus chief warns of stiffer penalties from bribery probe TOULOUSE, France, Oct 7, (AFP): Airbus CEO Tom Enders has warned that the aircraft manufacturer could face significant penalties relating to ongoing corruption probes including one into the sale of fighter jets to Austria. We are currently being investigated for alleged breaches of anti-bribery and anti-corruption laws, Enders wrote in a letter to employees seen by AFP. We are in this situation because we decided last year to disclose the issues we had ourselves uncovered to government authorities and investigation agencies, he said, adding: This was the right course of action. This is going to be a long process and there are potentially serious consequences including significant penalties to the company, Enders said. An Airbus business unit in Paris reportedly built a network of shell companies linked to London-based Vector Aerospace, formerly the group s aircraft maintenance subsidiary. Its system allowed the group to make bribes to decision-makers in Austria while Vienna was considering its purchase of Eurofighter military jets, German news magazine Der Spiegel reported Friday, culminating in a 15-aircraft deal worth about 1.7 billion euros ($2 billion). Opened Inquiries have also been opened in France and Britain, on suspicion of corruption in Airbus s UK-based civil aviation arm. Without citing sources, Der Spiegel also reported that prosecutors were preparing charges against unidentified suspects over the Austria case. Internal investigators stumbled across more than 100 possibly corrupt payments in the threedigit millions, the magazine reported, citing anonymous sources. But Hildegard Baeumler-Hoesl, a state prosecutor in Munich, told AFP earlier Friday that investigators had little evidence so far of corruption. Bavarian investigators have been looking into the Airbus since 2012, and the corruption probe over the sale of jets to Austria will soon be over, she said. An Airbus spokesperson told AFP that the Spiegel report was not based on any declaration or disclosure by the public prosecutor. Austrian authorities are also investigating Airbus after bringing charges in February, claiming the company paid out 183 million to 1.1 billion euros in under-the-table commissions. Austrian Defence Minister Hans Peter Doskozil accused Airbus and the Eurofighter consortium deliberately misleading Vienna about the purchase price, delivery times and technical equipment of the 18 Eurofighter jets. Last month, Airbus denied the accusations, with a lawyer for the company calling them factitious and legally groundless. As the process unfolds we are likely to face frequent media coverage, Enders said in his letter to employees, while also warning against leaks and attempts by individuals with vested interests to discredit top management by spreading false allegations. earlier estimate. INSEE forecast the economy would now grow 1.8 percent this year, finally leaving behind the low growth rates of around 1.0 percent that France has struggled to break out of in recent years. The forecast topped INSEE s estimate of 1.6 percent in June and also exceeded the 1.7 percent the government is expecting. INSEE also said it expected the economy to cruise ahead at a quarterly growth rate of 0.5 percent through to the end of the year, logging five consecutive quarters at that rate. Households and companies were ramping up investment due to low interest rates and relatively high business confidence, lifting the overall economic outlook, INSEE said in a quarterly report. French business confidence has surged since President Emmanuel Macron won election in May on a reform agenda, while French companies have also benefited from a broader rebound in euro zone economies. Household investment primarily new home purchases would hit an 11-year high of 5.0 percent this year while business investment would reach 3.9 percent as companies expand capacity to keep up with growing demand, IN- SEE estimated. As tourist numbers recover following several tough years with global trade improving, exports were seen rebounding in the second half of the year despite the euro s strength, with the euro up by some 11 percent so far this year against the dollar. However, strong imports, fuelled by firm demand at home, would mean that overall foreign trade would remain a slight drag on the economy, though less than in recent years. Consumer spending growth would ease as inflation ate into households purchasing power, INSEE said, predicting consumer prices would rise 1.0 percent this year compared with only 0.2 percent last year. On the labour market, private sector payrolls were seen growing by 208,000 this year, although growth slow towards the end of the year as the government reins in subsidised jobs. The overall improvement would bring the jobless rate down to 9.4 percent by the end of the year, compared with 10 percent at the end of last year. The increase, by two tenths of a percentage point, brings INSEE s forecast into line with the latest predictions made by ministers. INSEE now expects the French economy to expand by 0.5 percent quarter-on-quarter in both the third and fourth quarters. With the French economy having expanded at around a tepid 1.0 percent rate in recent years, an acceleration to 1.8 percent growth would represent a considerable improvement. Business surveys have shown a new sense of optimism in the French economy since the election of Emmanuel Macron as president in June, and his government has pushed through a labour reform which it hopes will spur further activity. Insee sees business investment accelerating to a 3.9 increase this year, from 3.4 percent in Households are also expected to increase their investments by 5 percent this year, the highest rate since An improvement in the growth rate to 1.8 percent will also be welcomed by the government as it will make it easier to meet its pledge to Brussels to squeeze the nation s public deficit under the EU limit of 3.0 percent this year. The objective is 2.9 percent.

29 BUSINESS 29 Brazil inflation drops Google to use balloons for Puerto Rico services Infl ation in Brazil continued to slow in September, the government statistics offi ce said Friday, with a year-on-year price gain of 2.54 percent. The consumer price index climbed 0.16 percent, down from August, when it rose 0.19 percent, according to the IGBE statistics offi ce, as the country slowly exists from its worst recession on record. In the fi rst nine months of the year prices rose 1.78 percent, the lowest level in September since 1998 and well below the 5.51 percent of the same period last year. Markets expect 3.38 percent price increases for this year, meaning the government will easily beat its target of 4.5 percent infl ation. That s a sharp contrast with the percent infl ation in 2015 and 6.2 percent at the end of The trend has freed the bank to relax rates and try to spur Latin America s largest economy. (AFP) The US Federal Communications Commission said late on Friday it had approved Alphabet Inc s application to provide emergency cellular service to Puerto Rico through balloons. In the aftermath of Hurricane Maria, Puerto Rico has struggled to regain communications services. The FCC said on Friday that 83 percent of cell sites remain out of service, while wireless communications company are deploying temporary sites. Alphabet, which announced its Project Loon in 2013 to use solar-powered, high-altitude balloons to provide internet service in remote regions, said in an FCC filing it was working to support licensed mobile carriers restoration of limited communications capability in Puerto Rico. Earlier on Friday, FCC Chairman Ajit Pai announced he was forming a Hurricane Recovery Task Force with an emphasis on addressing challenges facing Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands. It is critical that we adopt a coordinated and comprehensive approach to support the rebuilding of communications infrastructure and restoration of communications services, Pai said in statement. Separately, Puerto Rico Governor Ricardo Rossello said in a Twitter posting late on Friday that he had a great initial conversation tonight. Teams are now talking; exploring opportunities. Next steps soon to follow. (RTRS) Changes in India s tax laws to ease burden on small businesses GST designed to transform economy into single market NEW DELHI, Oct 7, (AFP): India announced a slew of changes to its tax laws Friday in a bid to ease the burden on small and medium businesses, which have suffered the most since the introduction of a new national tax earlier Chinese factory employs North Korean labourers in slave-like condition Wall-Mart stops fish imports from N.Korea-linked plant This picture taken on Sept 1, 2017 shows Indian workers passing by under construction residential buildings by Jaypee group in Noida, a suburb of New Delhi. Hundreds of homebuyers on Sept 3, petitioned India s top court to challenge the country s insolvency law, their lawyer said, amid fears that bad loan problems are spilling over to hurt ordinary people. (AFP) Philippines PAL agrees to pay $117m to govt MANILA, Oct 7, (AFP): Flag carrier Philippine Airlines said Friday it will pay the government six billion pesos ($117 million) after President Rodrigo Duterte threatened to cut off its access to Manila airport over alleged unpaid landing and other fees. Duterte had given the airline a Friday deadline to pay arrears. The (Department of Transportation) has accepted the offer of PAL to pay in full the six billion-peso claims of the (Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines/Manila International Airport Authority, a joint statement said. One of the overriding reasons why PAL agreed to settle is to manifest its trust and confidence in President Duterte s administration, the statement said. The airline also committed to keep all transactions updated and current with the aviation and airport authorities, it added. On Sept 26 Duterte said he had told PAL chairman and billionaire Lucio Tan: You are using government buildings, airport, you have back debts for the use of the runway that you have not paid. I said, You solve the problem yourself. I will give you 10 days. Pay it. If not I will close it down. No more airport. this year. The good and services tax (GST), which came into effect on July 1, was designed to replace more than a dozen state and national levies and transform India s $2 trillion economy into a single market for the first time. Previously state-owned PAL was sold off in 1992, and the government said the fees were waived when the airline was government-owned. Despite an increase in low-cost competitors, PAL still has the largest fleet in the Philippines and is the only local carrier to fly to North America and Europe. In June it said it planned to increase its fleet serving smaller islands in the archipelagic nation. PAL s parent company, PAL Holdings, suffered a net loss of 501 million pesos for the three months to June due to higher fuel costs and aircraft lease charges. First proposed in 2006, it got the backing of most economists as being long overdue and was hailed as the biggest tax reform since independence. But despite the government s good intentions, many have slammed the authorities for creating a highly complex system that has added several layers of bureaucracy and hurt businesses. Smaller enterprises which provide a third of the country s GDP have been particularly critical of the massive changes rippling through India s economy, fearing they will be unable to comply. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley admitted to reporters in Delhi Friday that the tax burden on smaller companies has been low but the compliance burden has been high. The medium and small companies should remain in the tax net but we will relax their compliance burden, he said. Under the changes, companies with annual revenues of less than $15 million ($230,000) will need to file taxes once a quarter instead of every month. The government has also reduced tax rates on products such as unbranded savoury snacks, roti and unbranded ayurvedic and homeopathy medicines, to the lowest rate of five percent. Compliances are something that have really hit the small traders very, very hard, Anita Rastogi, partner at consulting firm PwC told AFP. The changes they ve done were needed. But they haven t done enough. India s economic growth slowed to a three-year low of 5.7 percent in the first quarter, putting pressure on Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the run up to national elections. Small shops and businesses make up a sizable chunk of the voter base. NEW YORK, Oct 7, (AFP): Wal-Mart said Thursday it no longer imports fish from a Chinese factory that employed North Koreans after a report said the US retailer may have inadvertently subsidized the nuclear-armed state. Wal-Mart barred suppliers from using fish from a facility in Hunchun, one of several in the eastern Chinese city that were reported to employ North Korean laborers in slave-like conditions. Wal-Mart gave the Hunchun facility a red rating after it did not cooperate with a company investigation into labor problems, said Wal-Mart spokeswoman Marilee McInnis. The welfare and dignity of workers is very important to us, and we are working in several ways to help combat the use of forced labor in global supply chains, McInnis said in an . We have a system in place to assess suppliers disclosed factories for compliance with our standards and take appropriate action when we do identify issues that need to be addressed. Combatting forced labor is a complex problem that no one company, industry, or government can tackle alone, she said, adding Wal-Mart was working with industry groups, governments, other retailers and NGOs to create lasting, sustainable change. Conditions under which North Korean laborers work at the plant were uncovered in an investigation by the Associated Press. German supermarket chain Aldi, Benefi ciary of the shares not specifi ed More than $500 mln in bank share transferred on Thai king s behalf BANGKOK, Oct 7, (Agencies): The financial arm of Thailand s ultra-rich monarchy has transferred bank shares worth more than $500 million on behalf of King Maha Vajiralongkorn, according to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The SEC filing said the Crown Property Bureau, which manages the multibillion dollar assets of the royal family, had reduced its shares in Siam Commercial Bank by 3.33 percent on Oct 2. That stake is worth 16.9 billion baht ($505 million) based on Friday s closing share price of 151 baht. The beneficiary of the shares was not specified but the move was carried out on the King s behalf, the filing said. The CPB, who now has a percent stake in the bank, did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The opaque agency does not declare its wealth but analysts estimate it manages between $30-60 billion in assets, making Thai royals among the richest in the world. The CPB s financial portfolio ranges from massive property ownership to investments in major companies, such as which the article said also has imported seafood from Hunchun factories employing North Koreans, did not respond to questions from AFP. American companies and companies that operate in the US are barred from doing business with North Korea or with people from the country AP said Hunchun was part of a broader effort by Pyongyang to disperse tens of thousands of workers around the world in various industries, bringing in an estimated $200 to $500 million annually and bolstering North Korea s nuclear program. Shipping records showed that more than 100 cargo containers with more than 2,000 tons of salmon, snow crab and other fish were sent to the US and Canada from factories where North Koreans worked, AP said. Workers at the plant are not allowed to leave the compounds without permission and have no access to telephones or . As much as 70 percent of their pay is taken by the North Korean government, the article said. In late September, the US Treasury Department imposed sanctions on eight North Korean banks and 26 executives, targeting North Koreans working as representatives of North Korean banks in China, Russia, Libya and the United Arab Emirates. The sanctions were the latest in a series of penalties by the US and the United Nations aimed at choking off Pyongyang s nuclear program. Siam Commercial Bank and Siam Cement Company. Like all things regarding Thailand s secrecy-shrouded monarchy, scrutiny of the CPB is curbed by a draconian defamation law that shields the royal family from criticism. The transfers come after legal amendments passed in July gave King Maha Vajiralongkorn, who took the throne one year ago after the death of his father, direct control over a committee that oversees the CPB. Under the previous law, the committee s chairman was the finance minister, a move meant to ensure some semblance of government oversight. The move was the latest in a series of steps by the new monarch to consolidate his control over the palace bureaucracy. All media based in Thailand must self-censor when reporting on the monarchy to avoid violating the lese majeste law. The filing by the Crown Property Bureau did not identify the ultimate beneficiary of the shares, nor did it indicate if any money had been paid for the shares. The transfer took place on Oct 2, the filing said. investment funds Funds Fund Manager Valuation Valued date Currency Net Asset Prev NAV Prev NAV Dated Value (NAV) National Bank of Kuwait Money Market Funds Watani KD Money Market Fund II NBK Capital Weekly Sept 26, 2017 KD Sept 19, 2017 Watani USD Money Market Fund NBK Global Asset Management Co. Ltd. Weekly Sept 26, 2017 USD Sept 19, 2017 Watani KD Money Market Fund (Acc to Islamic Shariah principles) II NBK Global Asset Management Co. Ltd. Weekly Sept 26, 2017 KD Sept 19, 2017 Watani USD Money Market Fund (Acc to Islamic Shariah principles) II NBK Global Asset Management Co. Ltd. Weekly Sept 26, 2017 USD Sept 19, 2017 NBK Kuwait Equity Fund Watani Investment Co. Weekly Sept 20, 2017 KD Sept 14, 2017 Gulf Equity Investment Fund Watani Investment Co. Weekly Sept 20, 2017 USD Sept 14, 2017 Regional Bond and Sukuk Investment Fund NBK Capital Weekly Sept 14, 2017 USD Sept 7, 2017 Gulf Bank Al Basha er GCC Equity Fund Kwt. Fin. & Inv. Co. & Gulf Fin. House Monthly Sept 30, 2017 USD Aug 30, 2017 Coast Fund Coast Investment & Dev. Co. Monthly Sept 30, 2017 KD Aug 30, 2017 Sanaya Dow Jones Kuwait Index Fund Industrial & Financial Investment Co. Weekly Jan 26, 2017 KD Dec 30, 2016 Markaz Capital Preservation Program 1 Monthly Feb 28, 2017 KD Dec 31, 2016 Markaz Capital Preservation Program 2 Monthly Feb 28, 2017 KD Dec 31, 2016 Markaz Real Estate Fund Bi-annual Aug 31, 2017 KD July 31, 2017 Al Ahli Bank Al Ahli Gulf Fund Al Ahli Bank Monthly Aug 31, 2017 KD July 31, 2017 Al Ahli Kuwaiti Fund Al Ahli Bank Monthly Aug 31, 2017 KD July 31, 2017 Burgan Bank Burgan Equity Fund Burgan Bank Monthly Aug 31, 2017 KD July 31, 2017 Boubyan Bank Boubyan KD Money Market Fund Boubyan Bank Weekly Oct 3, 2017 KD Sept 26, 2017 Boubyan KD Money Market Fund II Boubyan Bank Weekly Oct 3, 2017 KD Sept 26, 2017 Boubyan Capital Investment Co. Boubyan USD Liquidity Fund Boubyan Capital Investment Co Oct 3, 2017 USD Sept 26, 2017 Boubyan Multi-Asset Holding Fund Boubyan Bank Sept 30, 2017 USD Aug 31, 2017 Kuwait Investment Co. Local Fund Al Raed Fund Kuwait Investment Co Weekly Sept 30, 2017 KD Sept 28, 2017 Kuwait Investment Fund Kuwait Investment Co Weekly Sept 28, 2017 KD Aug 31, 2017 Al Hilal Fund Kuwait Investment Co Monthly Oct 2, 2017 KD Sept 25, 2017 Al Atheer Fund Kuwait Investment Co Weekly Sept 30, 2017 KD Aug 31, 2017 International Global Bond Fund Kuwait Investment Co Weekly Sept 27, 2017 USD Sept 20, 2017 Diversified Fund Kuwait Investment Co Weekly Sept 27, 2017 USD Sept 20, 2017 European Fund Kuwait Investment Co Weekly Aug 31, 2017 Euro July 30, 2017 Pacific Equity Fund Kuwait Investment Co Weekly Sept 27, 2017 USD Sept 20, 2017 North American Equity Fund Kuwait Investment Co Tw. Monthly Aug 31, 2017 USD July 30, 2017 National Investment Co. (NIC) Al-Wataniya Fund NIC Monthly Sept 30, 2017 KD Aug 30, 2017 Al-Darij Fund NIC Monthly Sept 30, 2017 KD Aug 30, 2017 Mawarid Fund NIC Monthly Aug 30, 2017 KD July 31, 2017 Zajil Fund NIC Monthly Aug 30, 2017 KD July 31, 2017 Al Mada Investment Fund NIC Weekly Aug 30, 2017 USD July 31, 2017 Kuwait Financial Centre (Markaz) Mumtaz Fund Kuwait Financial Center Weekly Sept 28, 2017 KD Sept 21, 2017 MIDAF Kuwait Financial Center Weekly Sept 28, 2017 KD Sept 21, 2017 Islamic Fund Kuwait Financial Center Weekly Sept 28, 2017 KD Sept 21, 2017 Markaz Arabian Fund Kuwait Financial Center Weekly Nov 10, 2016 KD Nov 3, 2016 FORSA Financial Fund Kuwait Financial Center Monthly Aug 31, 2017 KD June 30, 2017 Real Estate Fund Kuwait Financial Center Monthly Aug 31, 2017 KD June 30, 2017 Markaz Fixed Income Fund Kuwait Financial Center Monthly Sept 28, 2017 USD Sept 21, 2017 Mawazeen International Fund Kuwait Financial Center Weekly March 26, 2017 USD March 19, 2017 Markaz MENA Islamic Fund Kuwait Financial Center Weekly Sept 21, 2017 USD Sept 21, 2017 Funds Fund Manager Valuation Valued date Currency Net Asset Prev NAV Prev NAV Dated Value (NAV) Kuwait & Middle East Financial & Inv. Co. Al Rou yah Fund KMEFIC Monthly Sept 30, 2017 KD Aug 31, 2017 Gulf Gate Fund KMEFIC Monthly Oct 31, 2016 KD Sept 30, 2016 Global Investment House Index Funds GCC Large Cap Index Fund Global Weekly Sept 28, 2017 KD Sept 20, 2017 Equity Funds Al-Mamoun Fund A Global Weekly Sept 28, 2017 KD Sept 20, 2017 Al-Mamoun Fund B Global Weekly Sept 28, 2017 KD Sept 20, 2017 GCC Large Cap Fund Global Bi-weekly Oct 3, 2017 USD Sept 26, 2017 Global Saudi Equity Fund Global Bi-weekly Oct 3, 2017 SAR Oct 1, 2017 Sectoral Funds EPADI Fund Global Weekly Sept 26, 2017 USD Sept 19, 2017 Islamic Funds Global GCC Islamic Fund Global Weekly Sept 26, 2017 USD Sept 19, 2017 Al-Durra Islamic Fund Global Monthly Sept 28, 2017 KD Sept 20, 2017 Kuwait Finance & Investment Co (KFIC) Al Wasm Fund KFIC Weekly Oct 4, 2017 KD Sept 30, 2017 Al Basha er GCC Equity Fund KFIC Monthly Sept 30, 2017 USD Aug 31, 2017 KAMCO KAMCO Investment Fund KAMCO Monthly Sept 28, 2017 KD Aug 30, 2017 KAMCO GCC Opportunities Fund KAMCO Monthly July 31, 2016 USD Feb 29, 2016 KAMCO MENA Plus Fixed Income Fund KAMCO March 31, 2017 USD Jan 31, 2017 KAMCO Real Estate Yield Fund KAMCO Sept 30, 2017 USD Aug 31, 2017 Kuwait Education Fund KAMCO Quartely Sept 30, 2016 KD Wafra International Investment Co. Wafra Equity Fund Wafra Co. Monthly Sept 30, 2017 KD Aug 31, 2017 Wafra Bond Fund Wafra Co. Monthly Sept 30, 2017 KD Aug 31, 2017 Masaref Investment Fund ISKAN Weekly Sept 30, 2017 KD Aug 31, 2017 Fajir Islamic Fund Wafra Co. Monthly Sept 30, 2017 KD Aug 31, 2017 Al Aman Investment Al Aman Islamic Fund Al Aman Investment Weekly Sept 30, 2017 KD Aug 31, 2017 Tharwa Investment Co. Tharwa Investment Fund Tharwa Investment Co Weekly Sept 30, 2017 KD Sept 14, 2017 Tharwa Islamic Fund Tharwa Investment Co Monthly Sept 30, 2017 KD Sept 14, 2017 Bank Al-Bilad Al Seef Fund Bank Al-Bilad Daily Oct 1, 2017 KD Sept 27, 2017 Commercial International Bank CIB Money Market Fund (Osoul) CI Asset Management Weekly Oct 5, 2017 EGP Oct 3, 2017 CIB II Equity (Isthethmar) CI Asset Management Weekly Oct 4, 2017 EGP Oct 2, 2017 CIB and Faisal Islamic Al Aman CI Asset Management Weekly Oct 4, 2017 EGP Oct 2, 2017 Hemaya CI Asset Management Weekly Oct 1, 2017 EGP Sept 5, 2017 Thabat CI Asset Management Weekly Oct 4, 2017 EGP Oct 2, 2017 Takamol CI Asset Management Weekly Oct 4, 2017 EGP Oct 2, 2017 Misr El Mostakbel CI Asset Management Weekly Oct 1, 2017 EGP Sept 10, 2017 KFH Capital Investment Co. Muthanna Islamic Index Fund (MUDX) KFH Capital Investment Co Daily Aug 31, 2017 KD Feb 28, 2017 Muthanna GCC Islamic banks Fund KFH Capital Investment Co Daily Aug 31, 2017 KD Feb 28, 2017 Baitak GCC Fund KFH Capital Investment Co Weekly June 29, 2017 KD Feb 28, 2017 Noor Financial Investment Co. Noor Islamic Fund Noor Financial Investment Co Monthly Feb 29, 2016 KD Dec 31, 2015 CapCorp Investment Co. CapCorp Local Fund CapCorp Investment Company Weekly Sept 28, 2017 KD Aug 30, 2017

30 BUSINESS 30 Netflix raising US prices by 10 pct for most popular plan Tesla delays truck launch Netflix is raising the price for its most popular US video streaming plan by 10 percent a move that could boost its profits but slow the subscriber growth that drives its stock price. The change announced Thursday affects most of Netflix s 53 million US subscribers. Netflix will now charge $11 per month instead of $10 for a plan that includes HD and allows up people to simultaneously watch programs on two different internet-connected devices. The price for another plan that includes ultra-high definition, or 4K, video, is going up by 17 percent, to $14 from $12 a month. A plan that limits all subscribers to one screen at a time without high-definition will remain at $8 a month. The increase would be the first in two years for Netflix, although it won t seem that way for millions of subscribers. That s because Netflix temporarily froze its rates for long-time subscribers the last two times it raised its prices, delaying the most recent increases until the second half of last year for them. Netflix isn t giving anyone a break this time around. It will start ing notifications about the new prices to affected subscribers Oct 19, giving them 30 days to accept the higher rates, switch to a cheaper plan or cancel the service. (AP) Tesla said Friday it was delaying the planned launch of its electric transport truck, diverting resources to step up production of its Model 3 sedan and to produce batteries for storm-ravaged Puerto Rico. The electric carmaker s chief executive Elon Musk announced the news on Twitter, pushing back the launch of its semi-truck which had been set to be unveiled Oct 26 in California. The news comes after a slower-thanexpected debut for Tesla s Model 3, the $35,000 sedan half the price of earlier models which aims to bring electric vehicles to a broader market. The company said earlier this week it had received some 450,000 pre-orders for the Model 3 but that production has been hobbled by a bottleneck in manufacturing subsystems. Tesla Semi unveil now Nov 16, Musk tweeted Friday. Diverting resources to fix Model 3 bottlenecks & increase battery production for Puerto Rico & other affected areas. (AFP) S&P 500 breaks record run on jobs data, drug chain drop Dollar, debt yields fall on N. Korea missile test report A video board displays the day s number after the closing bell of the Dow Industrial Average at the New York Stock Exchange on Oct 6, in New York. Wall Street stocks retreated from records after the September jobs report showed the US lost 33,000 jobs last month as hurricanes crimped economic activity in several states. (AFP) Commodities Weekly AMSTERDAM, Oct 7, (RTRS): Oil prices fell more than two percent on Friday, ending Brent s longest multi-week rally in 16 months following profit taking and the return of oversupply concerns. Benchmark Brent crude futures were down $1.38 at $55.62 a barrel, set for a 1.8 percent loss on the week and snapping a five-week winning streak that was the longest since June US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude was at$49.29, down $1.50 on the day. It closed the week down more than 4 percent, the biggest weekly loss in four months. Russia on Friday clarified remarks made by President Vladimir Putin about the oil market earlier this week, saying he did not propose extending a global oil output cut deal but said he recognised it was a possibility. The prospect of extended oil production cuts by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and other producers led by Russia had supported prices in recent sessions. Saudi Arabia s energy minister said on Thursday he was flexible about prolonging the productioncurbing pact until the end of However, concerns linger about growing US crude exports, incentivised by a hefty WTI discount to Brent prices. We have a couple of bearish factors like a new record for US crude exports, the reopening of Libya s biggest oilfield, a new year high in US crude production and the recent strength of the US dollar, said Frank Schallenberger, head of commodity research at LBBW in Stuttgart. A stronger dollar also led to further losses in the oil market on Friday. The dollar hit a 10-week Gold hits 2-month low Oil ends multi-week rally as glut concerns resurface high after data showing the largest gain in US wages since December 2016 bolstered bets on an interest rate hike by year-end. I expect Brent to drop below $55 a barrel and WTI below $50 in the next couple of days, Schallenberger said. US government data showed this week that crude exports had risen to a record of nearly 2 million barrels per day. Investors were also wary of tropical storm Nate shutting down some oil production in the Gulf of Mexico ahead of its expected arrival in the area as a hurricane on Sunday. The biggest impact (from Nate) could be on gasoline prices, depending on how many refineries are forced to shut down. But I don t think we will see another bull run, Schallenberger said. In the Gulf of Mexico, BP and Chevron were shutting production at all platforms, while Royal Dutch Shell and Anadarko Petroleum suspended some activity. Exxon Mobil, Statoil and other producers have withdrawn personnel. Meanwhile, gold slid to twomonth lows on Friday as an upbeat reading of the US unemployment rate and wage growth last month supported expectations for a further US interest rate hike in December, pushing the dollar and Treasury yields higher. Traders looked past data showing the first drop in US employment in seven years as other indicators suggested the jobs market was improving. Spot gold was at $1, an ounce at 1310 GMT, down 0.2 percent, having earlier dipped to a low of $1,263.26, its weakest since early August. US December gold futures were down $5.70 at $1, NEW YORK, Oct 7, (Agencies): The S&P 500 eased on Friday, ending a six-day run of record highs as the first monthly decline in US nonfarm jobs in seven years dampened sentiment and pharmacy shares fell on Amazon competition fears. The Nasdaq ended up for a ninth straight day, however, and set its sixth straight record high close, its longest such streak since seven records in February. Walgreens Boots Alliance and CVS Health fell and were among the biggest drags on the S&P 500 after a CNBC report that Amazon was close to a decision on selling prescription drugs. Walgreens shares dropped 4.9 percent and CVS was down 4.9 percent, while Amazon shares rose 0.9 percent. The Labor Department s closely watched jobs report showed nonfarm payrolls fell by 33,000 in September as hurricanes Harvey and Irma left displaced workers temporarily unemployed and delayed hiring. A bright spot was a better-than-expected rise in average wages. It s been amazing how resilient our US stock market has been, going up on no news or bad news, so there s no surprise on a day where most people feel it was a mixed jobs report at best that the market actually is reacting in a way that makes sense, said Jake Dollarhide, chief executive officer of Longbow Asset Management in Tulsa, Oklahoma. It s a logical move for this illogical stock market. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 1.72 points, or 0.01 percent, to end at 22,773.67, the S&P 500 lost 2.74 points, or 0.11 percent, to 2, and the Nasdaq Composite added 4.82 points, or 0.07 percent, to 6, The benchmark s slight decline follow a six-day run of record closing highs, its longest since The CBOE Volatility index, Wall Street s fear gauge, bounced sharply after setting a record low close in the previous session. For the week, the S&P 500 rose 1.2 percent, the Dow added 1.6 percent and the Nasdaq gained 1.5 percent. Adding to the day s worries was a report that North Korea is preparing to test a long-range missile. S&P energy index declined 0.8 percent as oil prices fell amid a bout of profit taking and the return of oversupply worries. Shares of Costco dropped 6 percent after the warehouse club retailer reported a fall in gross margins. The stock was the biggest drag on the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq. Declining issues outnumbered advancing ones on the NYSE by a to-1 ratio; on Nasdaq, a 1.11-to-1 ratio favored decliners. Wall St Week Ahead Cos rally as corporate America looks for ways to maintain margins, productivity Tax-cut plan prompts funds to bet on automation NEW YORK, Oct 7, (RTRS): The Trump administration s plan to cut corporate taxes may add more fuel to the already hot rally in the shares of automation companies. Fund managers from Columbia Threadneedle Investments, Hodges Capital and Hood Capital say that they expect that companies will use part of their tax savings to invest in high-cost machines that will allow them to reduce labor costs over time. That would be a boon for companies such as Cognex Corp, which makes socalled machine vision systems that are used to quickly sort and fill orders in e- commerce warehouses, and Faro Technologies Inc, which makes three-dimensional measuring tools that can help lower labor costs on aerospace assembly lines. Cognex shares touched a 52-week high on Friday, while Faro shares at $38.20 were closing in on their year-high of $40.60 reached in August. Scarcity of capital is the thing that keeps companies from spending money when it makes sense to do so. Investing in automation would be something that pays for itself quickly, said Matt Litfin, a portfolio manager of the $4.8-billion Columbia Acorn fund, who owns shares of Cognex. Shares of the company are up 80 percent year-to-date. About 5.7 billion shares changed hands on US exchanges. That compares with the 6.2 billion daily average for the past 20 trading days, according to Thomson Reuters data. The US dollar tumbled and debt yields pared sharp gains on Friday on a report that North Korea is preparing to test a long-range missile, reversing earlier jumps after US jobs data for September raised the likelihood of an interest rate hike in December. A Russian lawmaker just returned from a visit to Pyongyang was quoted by Russia s RIA news agency as saying that North Korea believes the missile can reach the US West Coast. The market is getting more nervous about the prospect of some kind of a conflict, said Boris Schlossberg, managing director of FX strategy at BK Asset Management in New York. If they do something over the weekend, even if it s a mild test, I m sure we re going to open up a with little bit of risk aversion on Monday. The dollar index fell 0.17 percent. The euro rebounded 0.2 percent to $1.1733, while the Japanese yen reversed course to strengthen 0.16 percent at per dollar. Automation companies have rallied overall this year as corporate America looks for ways to maintain margins and productivity at a time when wages are rising and unemployment is low. The $1.4 billion Robo Global Robotics and Automation Index ETF, which includes a mix of large-cap companies such as Rockwell Automation and Intuitive Surgical, is up over 35 percent for the year to date, nearly triple the 13.5-percent gain in the broad S&P 500 index. Numerous fund holdings are up over 90 percent for the year to date, including drone manufacturer AeroVironment Inc, gear manufacturer Harmonic Drive Systems Inc, and laser company IPG Photonics Corp. Large-cap automation companies, such as Rockwell Automation Inc and Emerson Electric Co, have also posted solid returns so far this year, though smaller-cap companies have seen larger share price gains overall. The Robo ETF has posted positive inflows every week since President Donald Trump s November election, partly due to investor anticipation of a corporate tax cut. Investors have sent $461 million into the fund since early August, when the Trump administration began publicly discussing its plans to cut the top corporate tax rates to 20 The dollar and government debt yields had jumped earlier on strong gains in average hourly wages, which suggested the pace of inflation could quicken closer to the Federal Reserve s target of 2 percent. US employment fell in September for the first time in seven years as Hurricanes Harvey and Irma temporarily displaced workers and delayed hiring, the latest sign the storms undercut economic activity in the third quarter. Average hourly earnings increased 12 cents, or 0.5 percent, after rising 0.2 percent in August. The gains came as nonfarm payrolls fell by 33,000 jobs last month against expectations of a 90,0000 gain. The yield on two-year US Treasury notes soared to their highest in nine years, while the dollar hit an almost three-month high against the Japanese yen and almost a two-month high against the euro. The jump in average hourly earnings surprised investors who were aware the headline employment number would be distorted by the hurricanes, said Win Thin, head of emerging markets currency strategy at Brown Brothers Harriman in New York. percent, from 35 percent. Prominent Republican senators such as Bob Corker and Rand Paul have criticized the Trump administration s plan for its potential to increase the federal deficit, leaving its passage far from certain. Yet fund managers say that they see gains in automation companies continuing regardless of whether a tax bill passes. Even eight years after the financial crisis, companies are still very focused on their bottom lines and maintaining efficiency and productivity as much as possible, said Eric Marshall, a portfolio manager of the $743-million Hodges Small Cap fund. Middleby Corp, which makes smart ovens and other kitchen equipment used in restaurant chains such as Panera Bread, will likely benefit as companies look for ways to reduce labor costs as more states raise the minimum wage, he said. Shares of Middleby are flat for the year, in part due to slow sales of its Viking line of high-end ovens after the company had to recall some freestanding gas ranges that turned on by themselves with customers unable to turn them off. Hodges said that despite the overhang, the company looks poised to continue to grow as restaurants expand and high real-estate prices prompt more homeowners to upgrade their kitchens. This is the missing piece in the Fed s puzzle, he said. The dollar rally is back on track and should continue next week. Benchmark 10-year notes fell 5/32 in price to yield percent, paring gains that earlier had sent yields above 2.4 percent. The pan-european FTSEurofirst 300 index lost 0.37 percent to close at 1,530.83, while MSCI s gauge of stocks across the globe shed 0.07 percent. Asian markets rallied Friday with Hong Kong hitting a 10-year high after another record close on Wall Street following more buoyant US data and hopes for tax reform, which has also boosted the dollar. And the rally extended into Asia, where Tokyo s Nikkei ended 0.3 percent up at a more than two-year high, while Hong Kong added 0.3 percent to finish at its highest level since the end of Sydney put on one percent and Singapore climbed 0.5 percent, with Manila 0.5 percent higher. The move into riskier assets has also hit safe-haven gold, which has fallen more than six percent from the oneyear high hit a month ago. BEC Muzaini Dollarco Commercial Bank Gulf Bank NBK Burgan Bank ABK KFH KBE BEC Muzaini Dollarco Commercial Bank Gulf Bank NBK Burgan Bank ABK KFH KBE BEC Muzaini Dollarco Gulf Bank ABK KFH KBE exchange rates Oct 7 Buy Buy Buy Buy Buy Buy Buy Buy Buy Buy Buy Buy Buy Buy Buy Buy Buy Buy US dollar Danish krone Cyprus pound Sterling pound Indian rupee Yemeni riyal travellers cheques US dollar Sterling Euro local gold BEC Commercial Bank Gulf Bank Al-Ahli Bank BEC Muzaini Exchange Euro Pakistani rupee Thai baht Japanese yen Sri Lanka rupee South African rand Swiss franc Bangladesh taka Korean won Gold 999 kg 12, Canadian dollar Philippine peso Syrian pound Gold tola 1, Gold ounce Swedish krona Australian dollar Iranian Riyal Gold gm 22k Saudi riyal Gold gm 21k Hong Kong dollar Lebanese pound Gold gm 18k UAE dirham Singapore dollar Malaysian ringgit gm Bahraini dinar gm Jordanian dinar Indonesian rupiah Omani riyal Egyptian pound New Zealand dollar All rates in KD per unit of foreign currency

31 SPORTS 31 FBC holds 88th regular badminton tournament By Michelle Fe Santiago Arab Times Staff KUWAIT CITY, Oct 7: The Filipino Badminton Committee in Kuwait (FBC) opened its 88th regular tournament on Friday at the Kuwait Disabled Sports Club in Hawally with a number of exciting and power-packed matches that included veteran and amateur players in various categories. Meanwhile, FBC simultaneously held on Friday the Winner-Take-All Novice 1 and Novice 3 categories one day tournament. Here are the winners: Novice 1 Mix Doubles Champion: Jolly Ni & Mujib Rahman Runner-up: Jimmy Carandang & Arman Ochoa Novice 3 Mix Doubles Champion: Edward Gardose & Marc Carandang Runner-up: Erick Torno & Michael Moral FBC President Jimmy Carandang is inviting all badminton enthusiasts to join every Friday in the regular tournament from 8 am to 1 pm. On the other hand, FBC Singles and adults/kids badminton coaching/tutorial and court rental are from 2 pm to 5 pm. For inquiries please call FBC new hotline numbers or (Viber/ WhatsApp) or visit the Kuwait Disabled Sports Club in Hawally. Regular tournament participants Level C. Regular tournament participants Level D. Neal lifts Golden Knights to 2-1 victory over Dallas Stars N1 winners N3 winners October birthday celebrants. NHL Results/Standings WASHINGTON, Oct 7, (RTRS): Results and standings from the NHL games on Friday. Las Vegas 2 Dallas 1 Tampa Bay 5 Florida 3 Western Conference Central Division W L OTL GF GA Pts Chicago Colorado St Louis Nashville Dallas Minnesota Winnipeg Pacific Division W L OTL GF GA Pts Edmonton Los Angeles Anaheim Las Vegas Vancouver Arizona San Jose Calgary DALLAS, Oct 7, (AP): James Neal scored twice in the third period Friday night, rallying the Golden Knights to a 2-1 victory over the Dallas Stars in the debut of the first major pro sports franchise in Las Vegas. The expansion team was playing five days after the shooting that killed 58 people in Las Vegas, and the Dallas players honored the desert city by forming a line next to their Vegas counterparts before the national anthem. With the video board reading Viva Las Vegas above the players, the public address announcer said Dallas stands with Vegas and those affected by the horrifying tragedy. Marc-Andre Fleury stopped 45 of 46 shots to help the Golden Knights become the first expansion to open with a victory since the Ottawa Senators in They also spoiled coach Ken Hitchcock s return to Dallas 18 years after he directed the franchise s only Stanley Cup title. Both of Neal s goals came against Kari Lehtonen after Ben Bishop left with an apparent facial injury after taking a puck to the mask. Bishop had stopped all 19 shots in his Dallas debut after coming over in a trade with Los Angeles and signing a long-term contract with the Stars. A former Dallas player and expected to be a top offensive threat for the Golden Knights, Neal beat a screened Lehtonen between the legs midway through the third period for Columbus 5 NY Islanders 0 Eastern Conference Atlantic Division W L OTL GF GA Pts Toronto Tampa Bay Detroit Boston Montreal Ottawa Buffalo Florida Metropolitan Division W L OTL GF GA Pts Columbus Washington Philadelphia Pittsburgh New Jersey Carolina NY Rangers Note: Overtime losses (OTL) are worth one point in the standings and are not included in the loss column (L). Stamkos has key assists as Lightning top Panthers Sergei Bobrovsky #72 of the Columbus Blue Jackets makes a save as Josh Bailey # 12 of the New York Islanders sets a screen during the third period on Oct 6, at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio. (AFP) ICE HOCKEY the tying goal. The go-ahead goal came in transition when Neal got the puck past from Lehtonen from his knees with 2:44 remaining. Lehtonen shared the job with Antti Niemi the past two seasons, and the Stars made it clear in the offseason they were going a new direction at goalie. Tyler Seguin opened the scoring late in the second period when he redirected a pass from Devin Shore past Marc-Andre Fleury, a threetime Stanley Cup winner with Pittsburgh before being unprotected in the expansion draft. The Stars had plenty to celebrate as well, marking 25 seasons since moving from Minnesota with plenty of highlights while three-time golf major winner Jordan Spieth and former Dallas Cowboys quarterbackturned-broadcaster Tony Romo watched from a suite. The biggest pregame roar came when Hitchcock was introduced, right after a highlight reel that included Brett Hull s Stanley Cupwinning goal when Hitchcock was behind the bench in Technically, it s the 24th season for the Dallas Stars because of the lockout that wiped out the season. They moved from Minnesota for the season. Blue Jackets 5, Islanders 0 In Columbus, Ohio, Pierre-Luc Dubois scored in his NHL debut and Sergei Bobrovsky made 29 saves in the Columbus Blue Jackets victory over the New York Islanders in season opener for both teams. Rookie Sonny Milano scored 1:07 into the game, and the 19-year-old Dubois made it 5-0 midway through the second period. Cam Atkinson, Ryan Murray and Zach Werenski also scored, newcomer Artemi Panarin had three assists, and Alexander Wennberg added two assists. Islanders starter Thomas Greiss made 21 saves before being pulled after giving up Dubois goal. Jaroslav Halak stopped all 11 shots he faced in relief. With all of the offensive opportunities created by the Blue Jackets, it could have been worse. Columbus scored on its first shot of the season when Oliver Bjorkstrand shoveled the puck out from the back wall to Milano for a 10-footer that he snapped past Greiss. Lightning 5, Panthers 3 In Tampa, Florida, Steven Stamkos set up Stamkos the go-ahead goal in his return from a right knee injury as Tampa Bay beat Florida in their opener. Stamkos missed the final 65 games last season with a torn meniscus in the knee, an injury that required surgery. He sent a pass from the left circle through the slot to Vladislav Namestnikov, who put Tampa Bay up 3-2 from near the post 59 seconds into the final period during a power play. Ondrej Palat had two goals, and Brayden Point and Nikita Kucherov also scored for the Lightning. Andrei Vasilevskiy made 33 saves. Florida got goals from Connor Brickley Mark Pysyk and Jonathan Huberdeau, and Roberto Luongo stopped 20 shots. New Panthers Bob Boughner took the loss in his NHL coaching debut. NFL Roundup LeBron sidelined Retired McGrady back with Magic MIAMI, Oct 7, (RTRS): NBA All-Star and Naismith Basketball Hall of Famer Tracy McGrady will join the front office of the Orlando Magic as special assistant to CEO Alex Martins, the team announced Friday. McGrady played for the Magic from 2000 to 2004, making the All-Star Game all four seasons. The team said the 38-yearold McGrady will be available to players and coaches on and off the court, will assist and advise the executive team in several areas and will help with promotion, marketing and community relations activities for the Lakeland Magic of the NBA G League. McGrady played in 295 games (294 starts) during his four seasons with the Magic, averaging 28.1 points, 7.0 rebounds, 5.2 assists and 1.53 steals. Cleveland Cavaliers star LeBron James was scheduled to sit out Friday night s preseason game against the Indiana Pacers due to his left ankle injury, the team announced. James suffered the injury during a practice on Sept 27 when he stepped on the foot of rookie forward Cedi Osman. James returned to practice Thursday and coach Tyronn Lue said it was possible that James might play against the Pacers. But the Cavaliers opted against playing James for precautionary reasons. Sacramento Kings rookie forward Harry Giles will miss at least half the season due to his ongoing knee issues, the club announced. Giles will be sidelined through at least January to make sure his knees are healthy before he plays in his first NBA game. According to the Kings, the training staff will focus on a measured and sustained progression plan designed to improve physical strength in his surgically repaired knees.

32 SPORTS 32 Ferrari s Vettel alongside on front row, Bottas 2nd fastest but has grid penalty Dominant Hamilton seizes Suzuka pole with record lap SUZUKA, Japan, Oct 7, (RTRS): Formula One leader Lewis Hamilton smashed the Suzuka track record to seize a dominant Japanese Grand Prix pole position on Saturday with Ferrari rival Sebastian Vettel lining up alongside on the front row. The Mercedes driver produced a stunning fastest lap of one minute and seconds for his first pole at the 5.8km track and 71st of his career. The time shattered seven times world champion Michael Schumacher s previous outright best at the circuit by 1.6 seconds. Incredible, said the Briton, in post-qualifying interviews conducted by his former McLaren team mate Jenson Button in front of Hamilton the crowd. It s been a really good day and every lap was fantastic. It s my first time. I m running out of opportunities to get this pole, so I was like I ve got to make sure I make it stick today, added the Briton, who was on pole in Japan at Fuji in 2007 for McLaren. His team mate Valtteri Bottas was second quickest, seconds adrift but drops five places down the grid due to an unscheduled gearbox change. The penalty will elevate Vettel to the front row of the grid, putting the two title contenders side by side for Sunday s heavyweight battle between multiple champions. Hamilton, who leads the German by 34 points with just five races to go, brushed aside a suggestion about how aggressive Vettel might be into the first corner. I don t know. He won t be any more aggressive than I am, said the triple champion. I ve got eight metres. I need to make sure I keep the eight metres that I have and get a good start. Starts have generally been strong this year. Vettel, a four times world champion, needs a big result this weekend to close the gap after suffering successive setbacks to his bid for a fifth title. I m reasonably happy, he said. I tried everything on the last run, I knew I had to take a bit more risk...i would have loved to have been a bit MOTOR RACING quicker but it s quite amazing with the new cars around here. I love the track. Saturday was Hamilton s 10th pole of the season and marked a convincing return to the top of the timesheets for Mercedes after the champions struggled for pace at the last two races in Singapore and Malaysia. Australian Daniel Ricciardo set the fourth-fastest time ahead of Red Bull team-mate Max Verstappen, winner in Malaysia last weekend. The pair will fill the second row but were about a second off Hamilton s pace. Kimi Raikkonen, who will also drop five places on the grid for an unscheduled gearbox change after a crash in Saturday morning s final practice session, set the sixth fastest time. Esteban Ocon was seventh-quickest for Force India ahead of Mexican team-mate Sergio Perez, Williams Felipe Massa and Fernando Alonso, who Al-Ghanim, Al-Roudhan congratulate Sattam winning post Al-Sahli elected Asian Sports Press Union prez Kuwait s Sattam Al-Sahli newly elected president of the Asian Sports Press Union. completed the top 10 for McLaren. The Spaniard, though, went into qualifying with a 35-place grid penalty after his team installed a fresh Honda power unit in his car overnight, exceeding his permitted allocation for Halep secures top ranking, Rafa-Kyrgios in Beijing final Goffin through to 2nd straight Japan Open fi nal the season. He was one of five drivers to have gone into qualifying carrying grid penalties, the others being Renault s Jolyon Palmer and Toro Rosso s Carlos Sainz. KUWAIT CITY, Oct 7, (KUNA): Sattam Al-Sahli of Kuwait was elected uncontested as President of the Asian Sports Press Union in the Pakistani capital on Friday. Al-Sahli was declared the new president after two rivals, one from South Korea and the other from Pakistan, pulled out their nominations. The new president in a statement expressed gratitude to the union member states for their confidence in him. The voting involved representatives of 30 Asian states, observers from three European countries and Gianni Merlo, the outgoing president. National Assembly Speaker Marzouq Al-Ghanim on Friday addressed a cable to Sattam Al-Sahli, expressing congratulations for winning by acclamation the presidency post of the Asian Sports Press Union. Election of Al-Sahli without opposition reflects highesteem status of the Kuwaiti sports and confidence in the media personality, Sattam Al-Sahli, said speaker Al-Ghanim, who also expressed good wishes to him. Minister of Commerce and Industry and Acting Minister of State for Youth, Khaled Al-Roudhan, congratulated Sattam Al-Sahli of Kuwait for winning Asian Sports Press Union presidency post on Friday. Al-Sahli is an experienced sport journalist and this would enable him to develop the union, Al-Roudhan said in a statement. Al-Sahli s victory reflected Kuwait s media role at regional and international levels, he said. Al-Sahli was elected uncontested during elections held in Pakistan s capital, Islamabad, earlier today. He was declared the new president after two rivals, one from South Korea and the other from Pakistan, pulled out their nominations. Frenchman Romain Grosjean crashed his Haas at the twisty Esses section at the start of the lap, bringing out the red flags with a little over a minute to go in the session s opening phase. Japanese GP Grid SUZUKA, Japan, Oct 7, (AFP): The starting grid for Sunday s Japanese Grand Prix following the fi nal qualifying sessions on Saturday: 1st row Lewis Hamilton (GBR/Mercedes) Sebastian Vettel (GER/Ferrari) 2nd row Daniel Ricciardo (AUS/Red Bull) Max Verstappen (NED/Red Bull) 3rd row Esteban Ocon (FRA/Force India) Sergio Perez (MEX/Force India) 4th row Valtteri Bottas (FIN/Mercedes) Felipe Massa (BRA/Williams) 5th row Stoffel Vandoorne (BEL/ McLaren) Nico Hülkenberg (GER/Renault) 6th row Kimi Raikkonen (FIN/Ferrari) Kevin Magnussen (DEN/Haas) 7th row Romain Grosjean (FRA/Haas) Pierre Gasly (FRA/Toro Rosso) 8th row Lance Stroll (CAN/Williams) Marcus Ericsson (SWE/Sauber) 9th row Pascal Wehrlein (GER/Sauber) Jolyon Palmer (GBR/Renault) 10th row Carlos Sainz (ESP/Toro Rosso) Fernando Alonso (ESP/ McLaren) BEIJING, Oct 7, (AP): Simona Halep will take over the top ranking after reaching the China Open final on Saturday, and Rafael Nadal will play Nick Kyrgios for the men s title. Halep beat French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko 6-2, 6-4, ensuring that when the WTA rankings are Simona Halep of Romania returns a ball from Jelena Ostapenko of Lativa during a women s singles semifi nal match in the China Open tennis tournament at the Diamond Court in Beijing, China, on Oct 7. (AP) Birmingham not fully compliant CGames chiefs reopen 2022 bidding contest LONDON, Oct 7, (AFP): The bidding contest for the 2022 Commonwealth Games was reopened on Friday after a proposal from the English city of Birmingham was declared not fully compliant. Birmingham, the sole candidate, stepped into the ring when in March the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) stripped the South African city of Durban of the right to stage the four-yearly showpiece for failing to meet key obligations. The British government had g i v e n Birmingham its official backing at the end of September and would have been the major funder, with Birmingham City Council contributing 25 percent of the costs. However, the Martin CGF issued a statement following a two-day meeting of their executive board in Sri Lanka stating that Birmingham would be given further time to make their proposals compliant but also that other bidders would be welcomed. The CGF did not state publicly what the problems with the dossier were. I must congratulate the Birmingham bid team for the work that has been undertaken in preparing a comprehensive proposal for 2022, said CGF president Louise Martin. We have carefully reviewed the bids and updates received as part of the ongoing 2022 candidate city process and have agreed noting the challenging timescales and no fully compliant bid that further time should be given to all interested parties to enable the submission of fully compliant proposals. The Birmingham team reacted calmly to the decision and said they had been expecting bumps in the road due to the short timescale. CGAMES We expected a period of discussion and negotiation with the CGF following submission and we await further clarification from the CGF about the next steps, a spokesman said. Durban had originally secured the right to host the Games in 2015 after Canadian city Edmonton dropped out and other potential bids from Cardiff and Singapore failed to materialise. Once Durban was stripped of the Games, Birmingham competed with Liverpool to be England s nominated bidder, which was confirmed on Sept 29. Bids from Victoria in Canada, Adelaide in Australia and Kuala Lumpur, which successfully hosted the 1998 edition, never saw the light of day. updated on Monday she will be the first women s No. 1 from Romania. Halep could have reached No. 1 earlier but was upset in the French Open final by Ostapenko in their first career meeting. Of course it s the best moment in my life, and I want just to keep it, Halep said in Beijing. And I have a few more dreams in my career. I tell you one, only one. To win a Grand Slam. Halep only had to reach the final this week and not lose to Elina Svitolina of Ukraine in the final to knock Garbine Muguruza from the top spot. Muguruza retired during her opening match on Monday because of a cold. Top-seeded Nadal defeated thirdseeded Grigor Dimitrov of Bulgaria 6-3, 4-6, 6-1 in the semifinals, his tourleading 60th match win. Dimitrov s only victory against the Spaniard in 10 matches came last year in the China Open quarter-finals. On Saturday, his backhand cross-court winner secured the second set, on a second set point, on Nadal s serve in the 10th game. But Nadal took immediate control of the third set, racing to 4-0. TENNIS Kyrgios didn t drop his serve in ousting second-seeded Alexander Zverev of Germany 6-3, 7-5 in the other semi. The Australian had an impressive 70 percent first-serve percentage and posted 11 aces to none for Zverev, who is normally known for his serving prowess. Nadal and Kyrgios are tied at two matches apiece in their head-to-head, but the Australian won their latest outing in August in straight sets in the Cincinnati quarter-finals. Nadal is one of three players, along with Roger Federer and Zverev, to win five titles this year. He won the China Open 12 years ago. It s very important for me to continue with the positive feelings after winning the US Open, Nadal said. To be back here and be in the final with that very tough draw I had since the beginning is a great effort. Looking for her second title of the year after winning in Madrid, Halep will play Caroline Garcia of France in the Beijing final. Garcia beat Petra Kvitova 6-3, 7-5 in the second semifinal. Ostapenko entered the semis without dropping a set. But Halep dominated the first set, breaking Ostapenko s serve in the first game at love. She cemented her lead with another break in the seventh game for 5-2 to serve out the set. In the second, Halep surrendered a 3-2 lead with a service break in the sixth game, but went on to break serve again in the ninth. At 40-0 in the final game, Halep won with a clean forehand winner down the line. Garcia, who saved a match point against Svitolina, is on a 10-match winning streak. Garcia lost in straight sets to Halep in the Montreal quarterfinals in their last meeting. That s the kind of match I want to play, against the top players, Garcia said of Sunday s final against Halep. She s a very tricky player. In Tokyo, David Goffin reached a second straight Japan Open final and will meet Adrian Mannarino, who beat top-seeded Marin Cilic on Saturday. Goffin won a tense baseline battle with Diego Schwartzman 7-6 (3), 7-6 (6), while Mannarino won 6-7 (5), 6-4, 6-0 in his first career win against a topfive opponent. Rafael Nadal of Spain hits a return during his men s singles semifi nal match against Grigor Dimitrov of Bulgaria at the China Open tennis tournament in Beijing on Oct 7. (AFP) WADA lifts suspension of LA lab Brazil s Nuzman provisionally suspended ZURICH, Oct 7, (Agencies): Brazil s national Olympic committee (COB) and its head Carlos Nuzman were provisionally suspended by the International Olympic Committee on Friday, a day after the 75-year-old was arrested in Rio de Janeiro in connection with a corruption investigation. However, the IOC said in a statement Brazilian athletes would not be affected and Team Brazil would be able to take part at next year s Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang. Nuzman, a former IOC member and now honorary member, is accused of arranging more than $2 million in bribes to get the IOC to pick Rio de Janeiro as host of the 2016 Olympic Games and faces Nuzman allegations including corruption and money-laundering. He has denied any wrongdoing. Rio was awarded the Games in 2009, successfully bidding against Chicago, Tokyo and Madrid. The IOC said Nuzman would provisionally lose all the rights, prerogatives and functions deriving from his IOC status and that he would be withdrawn from the coordination commission for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. The COB was suspended because it was responsible for Rio s bid to stage the Games, the IOC said. As a result, subsidies and payments from the IOC have been frozen. The COB in Rio de Janeiro said it did not immediately have any comment to make when contacted by Reuters. The decision was welcomed by IOC member Richard Peterkin, who has repeatedly criticised the IOC leadership in recent months for its handling of several corruption cases involving members. The Brazilian national Olympic committee will meet on Wednesday to discuss its suspension by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) following the arrest of Carlos Nuzman, head of the Brazilian committee, in connection with a corruption scandal. In a statement on Friday, the Brazilian Olympic committee said it would convene on Oct 11 at 2:30 pm local time (1730 GMT). Nuzman, a former IOC member and now honorary member, is accused of arranging more than $2 million in bribes to swing votes bringing the 2016 Olympic Games to Rio de Janeiro. Meanwhile, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) said on Friday it has lifted a three-month partial suspension of the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Olympic Analytical Laboratory. The laboratory, which had continued to carry out its regular anti-doping activities, is no longer required to obtain a second opinion prior to reporting adverse analytical findings for four specific prohibited substances, WADA OLYMPICS said in a statement. UCLA s lab was suspended in June from analyzing glucocorticoids prednisolone and prednisone and the anabolic steroids boldenone and boldione after WADA s quality assessment procedures identified non-conformities with best practice, the anti-doping agency said at the time. WADA from time to time suspends accredited laboratories that do not meet established standards. The French anti-doping laboratory of Chatenay-Malabry, where disgraced American cyclist Lance Armstrong s samples had been tested, last month was provisionally suspended by WADA. The suspension was imposed due to analytical issues self-reported to WADA by the laboratory, the agency said in a statement, without elaborating. Also: ZURICH: Organizers of Alpine skiing at the 2022 Beijing Olympics are ahead of schedule creating three courses on two mountains. Course designer Bernhard Russi said Friday one of the courses is completely ideal for individual and team events in parallel racing. The team event debuts at the Pyeongchang Olympics in February. Men s and women s individual events are a likely proposal for the Olympic program four years later. Russi was updating team leaders on 2022 Winter Games plans at International Ski Federation preseason meetings. All three new courses have been cleared at Xiaohaituo, 90 kms (55 miles) from Beijing. Earth-moving works should start within weeks, the veteran Swiss designer said. Kuwaiti comes 2nd in US Jet Ski Championship in Arizona KUWAIT CITY, Oct 7, (KUNA): Kuwaiti jet skier Yousef Al-Abdulrazzaq won second place at the US Jet Ski Marathon in Lake Havasu, KUNA photo Kuwaiti jet skier Yousef Al-Abdulrazzaq. Arizona, for non-modified stock category. Al-Abdulrazzaq told KUNA in a phone interview that he was very pleased to achieve this advanced positon, which allowed him to lift the flag of Kuwait at this international competition. He added that his decision to participate in this competition, organized by International Jet Sports JET SKIING Boating Association (IJSBA), came shortly after winning UIM World Aqua bike champion recently. He praised both the government and private sectors for all the support he was given. The Kuwaiti racer Al-Abdulrazzaq is registered in the Guinness World Records for winning the world title for three years running.

33 SPORTS 33 Bangladesh trail Proteas by 426 runs Rabada takes South Africa to brink of series victory BLOEMFONTEIN, South Africa, Oct 7, (AFP): South Africa s fast bowlers ripped through Bangladesh s batting as the home side gained a massive 426-run first innings lead on the second day of the second and final Test at Mangaung Oval on Saturday. Bangladesh were bowled out for 147 in reply to South Africa s 573 for four declared. The hosts enforced the follow-on and Bangladesh were seven for no wicket when bad light stopped play. Kagiso Rabada took five for 33 and new ball partner Duanne Olivier claimed three for 40. Only wicketkeeper Liton Das, with a careerbest 70, offered prolonged resistance to the pace barrage as the gulf between the sides in South African conditions was ruthlessly exposed. Bangladesh s dismal showing was in stark contrast to the ease with which South Africa s batsmen dominated the visiting bowlers. Hashim Amla and captain Faf du Plessis completed centuries before South Africa declared. Amla (132) and Du Plessis (135 not out) became the third and fourth centurions of the innings. They joined Dean Elgar and Aiden Markram, who made centuries on the first day. Amla s 28th Test hundred took him past CRICKET Kuwait Police Futsal Team headed by Colonel Waleed Al-Shihab pose for a group photo. Kuwait Police Futsal Team resume training in Netherlands former captain Graeme Smith on South Africa s all-time century-makers list, behind only Jacques Kallis, who made 45. The only previous occasion on which South Africa scored four centuries in an innings was against the West Indies in a high-scoring draw in St John s in 2004/05. Du Plessis hit his seventh Test century his first in 19 innings going back to a day-night Test against Australia in Adelaide in November Soumya Sarkar was the first Bangladeshi to fall, going too far across his stumps in the seventh over to be bowled behind his legs by Rabada. Mominul Haque gloved a legside catch to wicketkeeper Quinton de Kock off Olivier before Bangladesh captain Mushfiqur Rahim fell to a sensational diving catch by Temba Bavuma at gully off Olivier. Bangladesh s misery continued when Mahmudullah sparred at a lifting ball from Parnell and was caught behind. Opening batsman Imrul Kayes was 26 not out at tea but was caught behind off Rabada three balls after the interval. Das played with spirit and struck 13 boundaries in a 77-ball innings before an attempted pull shot against Rabada looped behind the slips for Du Plessis to run back and hold the catch. South Africa bowler Kagiso Rabada delivers the ball during the second day of the second Test cricket match between South Africa and Bangladesh in Bloemfontein on Oct 7. (AFP) Scoreboard BLOEMFONTEIN, South Africa, Oct 7, (AFP): Scores at close of play on the second day of the second Test between South Africa and Bangladesh at the Mangaung Oval on Saturday: BANGLADESH, second innings Imrul Kayes not out... 6 Soumya Sarkar not out... 1 Extras... 0 Total (0 wkts, 1.2 overs)... 7 Bowling: Rabada , Olivier BANGLADESH, first innings Imrul Kayes c De Kock b Rabada Soumya Sarkar b Rabada... 9 Mominul Haque c De Kock b Olivier... 4 Mushfiqur Rahim c Bavuma b Olivier... 7 Mahmudullah c De Kock b Parnell... 4 Liton Das c Du Plessis b Rabada Sabbir Rahman c Parnell b Rabada... 0 Taijul Islam b Olivier Rubel Hossain b Rabada Mustafizur Rahman c Markram b Maharaj... 0 Subashis Roy not out... 2 Extras (lb3)... 3 Total (42.5 overs) Fall of wickets: 1-13 (Sarkar), 2-26 (Mominul), 3-36 (Rahim), 4-49 (Mahmudullah), 5-61 (Kayes), 6-65 (Sabbir), (Taijul), (Das), (Mustafizur) Bowling: Rabada , Olivier , Parnell , Maharaj , Phehlukwayo SOUTH AFRICA, first innings D. Elgar c M. Rahman b Subashis Roy A. Markram b Rubel Hossain H. Amla b Subashis Roy T. Bavuma c Liton Das b Subashis Roy... 7 F. du Plessis not out Q. de Kock not out Extras (b4, lb2, nb1, w8) Total (4 wkts declared, 120 overs) Fall of wickets: (Elgar), (Markram), (Bavuma), (Amla) Bowling: Mustafizur Rahman (1nb, 2w), Subashis Roy (1w), Rubel Hossain (1w), Soumya Sarkar , Taijul Islam , Mahmudullah , Mominul Haque , Sabbir Rahman Did not bat: A. Phehlukwayo, K. Maharaj, W. Parnell, K. Rabada, D. Olivier Match situation: Bangladesh trail by 419 runs with ten wickets remaining in the second innings Toss: Bangladesh Umpires: Kumar Dharmasena (SRI), Bruce Oxenford (AUS) TV umpire: Chris Gaffaney (NZL) Match referee: Ranjan Madugalle (SRI) Pakistan fight to avoid defeat Karunaratne 196 lifts Sri Lanka DUBAI, Oct 7, (AFP): Sri Lankan opener Dimuth Karunaratne hit a career best 196 which left Pakistan fighting to avoid defeat in the second day-night Test in Dubai on Saturday. Karunaratne missed a double hundred by four runs but lifted Sri Lanka to an imposing 482 in their first innings before Pakistan finished the second day at 51-0, still trailing by 431 runs. Openers Sami Aslam (30 not out) and Shan Masood (15 not out) negotiated the 18 overs under light without any major trouble but Pakistan still need 231 to avoid the follow on. That leaves Pakistan in a spot of bother to square the series after losing the first Test by 21 runs in Abu Dhabi and, more importantly, save their sevenyear unbeaten series record in the United Arab Emirates. It was another brilliant display by the Sri Lankan batsmen led by left-hander Karunaratne. Karunaratne deserved a double hundred during a marathon nine hour stay at the crease but he was unluckily dismissed, playing onto legspinner Yasir Shah just before dinner. Karunaratne hit 19 boundaries and a six, improving on his previous best Test score of 186 made against the West Indies at Galle two CRICKET Karunaratne years ago. When on 143 he brought up his 3,000th run in his 44th Test, the 12th Sri Lankan to reach that milestone. Shah took in a marathon 55.5 overs of hard work and toil on a flat Dubai stadium pitch. His haul makes him the only spinner ever to take five or more wickets in five consecutive Tests. England s Sydney Barnes holds the record for most consecutive five wicket hauls with seven in as many Tests. Australia s Charlie Turner and Englishman Alec Bedser had six consecutive five-fours but all three were fast bowlers. Karunaratne added 146 with skipper Dinesh Chandimal (62) for the fourth wicket before another 88 were put on for the fifth between him and Niroshan Dickwella, who made a rapid 52. As if that was not enough, Karunaratne put on 59 for the sixth wicket with Dilruwan Perera, who scored a polished 58. Resuming at 254-3, Sri Lanka lost Chandimal to a leg before decision off Shah. Chandimal knocked six boundaries in another enterprising knock which followed his unbeaten 155 in the first Test. Dickwella s assured knock had five boundaries before he edged pacer Mohammad Abbas to wicketkeeper Sarfraz Ahmed while Perera smashed seven boundaries before becoming Shah s fifth wicket his 13th five wicket haul in 28 Tests. Abbas then had Suranga Lakmal for eight to finish with while Shah ended the innings by dismissing Nuwan Pradeep for nought. Pakistan s miseries were compounded in the morning when pace spearhead Mohammad Amir walked off the field after a recurring shin injury sustained late on Friday. He managed to bowl just three overs in the day. Scoreboard SRI LANKA 1st innings (overnight 254-3) D. Karunaratne b Shah K. Silva c Ahmed b Shah S. Samarawickrama c and b Amir K. Mendis c Shafiq b Shah... 1 D. Chandimal lbw b Shah N. Dickwella c Ahmed b Abbas D. Perera b Shah R. Herath not out S. Lakmal lbw b Abbas... 8 L. Gamage st Ahmed b Shah... 1 N. Pradeep c Shafiq b Shah... 0 Extras: (b1, lb 3, nb 5, w 3) Total: (all out; overs) Fall of wickets: 1-63 (Silva), (Samarawickrama), (Mendis), (Chandimal), (Dickwella), (Karunaratne), (Perera), (Lakmal), (Gamage) Bowling: Amir , Abbas (1nb), Riaz (4nb), Shah , Shafiq (3w), Sohail PAKISTAN Ist innings Shan Masood not out...15 Sami Aslam not out...30 Extras: (b4, lb2)...6 Total: (for no loss; 18 overs)...51 Bowling: Lakmal , Pradeep , Gamage , Perera , Herath Still to bat: Azhar Ali, Asad Shafiq, Babar Azam, Haris Sohail, Sarfraz Ahmed, Mohammad Amir, Yasir Shah, Wahab Riaz, Mohammad Abbas Match situation: Pakistan need to score 231 to avoid follow-on after Sri Lanka piled up 482 Toss: Sri Lanka Umpires: Nigel Llong (ENG) and Richard Kettleborough (ENG) TV umpire: Sundaram Ravi (IND) Match referee: Andy Pycroft (ZIM) Kuwait Police Futsal Team have resumed training in their camp in the Netherlands ahead of the World Futsal Championship which will be held in Netherlands on Oct Two teams representing Ministry of Interior at the world event are over-35 and under-35 age groups. The delegation led by Colonel Waleed Al-Shihab arrived at the camp last Wednesday. Colonel Al-Shihab affirmed that the participation of both teams in the championship is due to the significance that the Board Chairman of Kuwait Police Sport Association Major General Abdullah Al-Muhanna attaches to the need for increased interaction and improvement of the standard of the game. He stressed that participating in international competitions will sharpen the skills of the players who are among the best globally. Colonel Al-Shihab assured that this championship is different from those of the past in terms of excellent preparations, due to which he hoped the players will prove their mettle as they have always been doing in similar championships. He expressed profound gratitude and appreciation to the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Sheikh Khalid Al-Jarrah Al-Sabah, Undersecretary Lieutenant General Mahmoud Al-Dousari and Board Chairman of Kuwait Police Sport Association Major General Abdullah Al-Muhanna for their relentless support. Yadav inspires India to big win in rain-hit T20 Hosts beat Australia by 9 wickets Indian cricket captain Virat Kohli bats during their fi rst T20 cricket match against Australia in Ranchi, India on Oct 7. (AP) Alaphilippe finishes 2nd, Moscon 3rd Nibali captures second Giro di Lombardia title COMO, Italy, Oct 7, (AFP): Italy s Vincenzo Nibali won the Giro di Lombardia, the final one-day classic of the season, for the second time on Saturday in a race overshadowed by the spectacular crash of Belgium s Laurens De Plus. Bahrein rider Nibali finished half a minute ahead of France s Julian Alaphilippe in a drama-filled 247km ride between Bergamo and Como in northern Italy. Italian Gianni Moscon crossed in third. This is really the cherry on the cake for me to close the season, said Nibali. The Shark, as the Sicilian is known, CYCLING added to the title he won in the fifth of the year s five prestigious Monument races two years ago. Crossing the line on the banks of the northern Italian lakes the 32-year-old drew a 50 with his fingers for the total number of his victories. Nibali has been in good form this season, finishing second to Chris Froome at last month s Vuelta a Espana having come third in May s Giro d Italia two of the three Grand Tours. I was hoping because after so many podiums I really wanted a win, said the Sicilian. These roads I know, I train here often. I knew it was tough but today my team was perfect despite (Franco) Pellizzotti and (Enrico) Gasparotto not being the best. On the descent towards Lake Como some 40km from home, Quick Step rider De Plus crashed after taking a corner badly, tumbling over the top of a barrier and falling into the void before apparently landing on grassy ground relatively unhurt. The Belgian rider had been alone in pursuit of race leader Mikaël Chérel of France when he came a cropper. We ve spoken to Laurens De Plus, who luckily has no serious injury, his team confirmed adding that the rider had been taken to hospital. The 22-year-old was competing for the second time in the race after also being forced to quit last year. Nibali hung onto the tailwind of Nibali France s Thibaut Pinot on the Civiglio the climb towards the Alps starting in Como and the penultimate difficulty of the race. The 27-year-old Pinot attacked three times on the climb but Nibali crept up near the summit and pulled ahead on the descent. The Italian increased his lead on the final climb towards San Fermo della Battaglia, flying over the summit with a 40-second advantage on his pursuers. I m disappointed but don t have any regrets, said FDJ rider Pinot, who crossed in fifth. It s a pity I was riding well, I had a super team behind me, but I m come back next season with more motivation and a more adapted programme. CRICKET RANCHI, India, Oct 7, (AFP): Spinner Kuldeep Yadav led an inspired bowling effort to help India down Australia by nine wickets in the rain-shortened first Twenty20 international in Ranchi on Saturday. Chasing a revised target of 48 runs in six overs, the hosts achieved the win with three balls to spare. Opener Shikhar Dhawan, on 15, and skipper Virat Kohli, on 22, remained unbeaten. But it was left-arm wrist spinner Yadav who set up India s 1-0 lead in the three-match series as he returned figures of 2-16 to restrict Australia to in 18.4 overs when rain stopped play for about two hours. Opener Aaron Finch s 30-ball 42 was the only bright spark for the David Warner-led side. Australia were jolted ahead of the clash with regular skipper Steve Smith forced out of the series with a shoulder injury. In reply, the hosts lost Rohit Sharma early after the opener was bowled by paceman Nathan Coulter-Nile for 11. He hit a four and a six during his seven-ball stay. The left-right batting combination of Dhawan and Kohli then took the attack to the opposition as they hit six boundaries between them to ensure a big win. Earlier the Indian bowlers never allowed the opposition batsmen to get going after being put into bat. Fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah backed up Yadav s efforts with two strikes. Warner was out in the first over after chopping a seaming delivery from fast bowler Bhuvneshwar Kumar onto his stumps. He made eight with the help of two boundaries. Finch then put together a 47-run secondwicket stand with Glenn Maxwell to raise hopes of an Australian recovery but spinners soon turned on the heat. Leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal got Maxwell for 17 and Yadav bowled Finch in the 10th over to rattle the visitors top order. Bowlers kept coming on to get wickets at regular intervals to flatten the Australian batting. The second T20 is scheduled on Tuesday in Guwahati. Scoreboard AUSTRALIA D. Warner b Kumar...8 A. Finch b Yadav...42 G. Maxwell c Bumrah b Chahal...17 T. Head b Pandya...9 M. Henriques b Yadav...8 D. Christian run out (Kohli)...9 T. Paine b Bumrah...17 N. Coulter-Nile b Bumrah...1 A. Tye not out...0 A. Zampa not out...4 Extras (lb1, w2)...3 Total (8 wickets; 18.4 overs) Fall of wickets: 1-8 (Warner), 2-55 (Maxwell), 3-76 (Finch), 4-87 (Henriques), 5-89 (Head), (Paine), (Coulter-Nile), (Christian) Did not bat: J. Behrendorff Bowling: Kumar , Bumrah (w1), Pandya , Chahal (w1), Yadav INDIA (revised target of 48 in 6 overs) R. Sharma b Coulter-Nile...11 S. Dhawan not out...15 V. Kohli not out...22 Extras (lb1)...1 Total (1 wicket; 5.3 overs)...49 Fall of wickets: 1-11 (Sharma) Did not bat: M. Pandey, K. Jadhav, M.S. Dhoni, H. Pandya, K. Yadav, Y. Chahal, J. Bumrah, B. Kumar Bowling: Behrendorff , Coulter-Nile , Tye , Zampa , Christian Toss: India Result: India beat Australia by 9 wickets in rain-hit tie Series: India lead the three-match series 1-0 Umpires: Nitin Menon (IND) and Chettithody Shamshuddin (IND) TV Umpire: Anil Chaudhary (IND) Match Referee: Sir Richie Richardson (WIS)

34 SPORTS 34 Indians, Astros on the brink of finals Cubs draw 1st blood vs N s LOS ANGELES, Oct 7, (AFP): The Cleveland Indians overcame a five-run deficit to edge the New York Yankees 9-8 in a 13-inning marathon to seize a 2-0 lead in their Major League Baseball playoff series. Yan Gomes applied the dramatic final touches with a run-batted-in single in the bottom of the 13th on Friday, giving the Indians their biggest playoff comeback in history and moving them to one win away from advancing to the American League Championship series. I am speechless. That was victory right there, a shivering Gomes said after being doused with a bucket of icecold sports drink. I will take it every day. Game three of the best-of-five series is Sunday in New York, giving the players just one day to recover after Friday s extended showdown in Cleveland that lasted more than five hours. In other American League action, Carlos Correa smashed a homer and drove in four runs to power Houston over Boston 8-2, pushing the Astros to the brink of advancing to the next round. Houston seized a 2-0 lead with game three set for Sunday in Boston. In Cleveland, the Indians Austin Jackson led off the bottom of the 13th by drawing a walk from Yankees pitcher Dellin Betances, and then stealing second base. Gomes then worked the count to 3-2, and hit a hard chopper down the third base line past infielder Ronald Torreyes for the winning run. The understatement of the year Cleveland Indians Yan Gomes hits a game-winning RBI-single in the 13th inning of Game 2 of baseball s American League Division Series against the New York Yankees on Oct 6 in Cleveland. Austin Jackson scored on the play. The Indians won 9-8. (AP) would be to say there was a lot going on in that game, Indians manager Terry Francona said. There was so many things that happened that if we don t do one of them, we probably lose. Josh Tomlin, the last of eight Cleveland pitchers, pitched two scoreless innings to get the win. Gary Sanchez, Aaron Hicks and Greg Bird homered for the Yankees, who squandered an 8-3 lead. Behind by five runs, the Indians got a grand slam from Francisco Lindor off Chad Green in the sixth inning to cut it to 8-7, and Jay Bruce s solo home run lead off the eighth and tied it at 8-8. Cleveland starter Corey Kluber had his worst outing of the year, giving up six runs in 2-2/3 innings. Indians designated hitter Edwin Encarnacion had to leave the game in the first inning with a right ankle sprain. In Houston, the Astros jumped ahead 2-0 in the first inning when Jose Altuve smacked a two-out single to left field and Correa homered to left field. BASEBALL The Red Sox responded in the second inning when Chris Young doubled, stole third base and scored on Jackie Bradley s single up the middle, slicing the Astros lead in half. Houston stretched the edge to 4-1 in the third when George Springer led off with a solo homer, Alex Bregman followed with a double and scored on an Altuve single to left field, prompting Boston to replace starting pitcher Drew Pomeranz. Houston surged ahead 8-1 in the sixth before Boston tacked on a run in the ninth. Elsewhere, Anthony Rizzo had a pair of two-out RBI hits and Kyle Hendricks pitched seven scoreless innings as the reigning World Series champion Chicago Cubs beat the Washington Nationals 3-0 in Game One of the National League division series. Hendricks allowed two hits, struck out six while throwing 106 pitches. Washington s Stephen Strasburg held the Cubs hitless for 5-2/3 innings before allowing a pair of unearned runs in the sixth. Strasburg allowed three hits and struck out 10 in seven innings. Kris Bryant ended Strasburg s no-hit bid with an RBI single that scored Javier Baez, who reached on an error by third baseman Anthony Rendon. In the late game, Clayton Kershaw recorded the first postseason home win of his career as the Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the Arizona Diamondbacks 9-5 in the opening game of their best-of-five NL series. KUWAIT CITY, Oct 7: Former players of Egypt s national football team and Al-Ahli Football Club Walid Salah El-Din and Khalid Bibo expressed their disappointment concerning the absence of Kuwait s national team in the international arena. They insisted that this is unacceptable and disappointing for everyone because the team always plays an effective role in the competitions that it participates. The former stars said this in a statement they issued during their visit to Kuwait for participating in the football festival organized by Al-Ahli Football Academy in Kuwait. Khalid Bibo said Kuwait s national team has good players within its ranks and is a big part of the history of Gulf, Arab, Asian and international competitions, insisting that their absence in competitions has disappointed everyone. He added, However, we hope the problem will be solved as soon as possible so that fans are not deprived from enjoying the superb performances of the Al- Azraq. Bibo revealed his sadness about the non-participation of Kuwaiti clubs in international competitions, affirming that the Kuwait Premier League is one of The crowd welcomes Walid Salah El-Din and Khaled Bibo. Al-Ahli Academy players have bright future: Bibo Kuwait ban unacceptable, disappointing the strongest leagues with a huge following in the region. When asked about his viewpoint about Al-Ahli Football Academy, he said is happy to be in Kuwait and praised the warm welcome he received from the management of the academy and fans. Bibo revealed that the academy has some good players within its ranks who have a bright future Walid with fans. ahead, stressing that the presence of Walid Salah El-Din within the technical administration of the academy will produce fruitful results for the players because Walid is one the best coaches in the field of academies. He said football has become an investment due to which they can no longer depend on talents alone like in the past when clubs depended on the talents and skills of the players, adding that academies now have a big role in identifying talents as early as possible and then nurturing those talents and preparing them to join clubs. When asked about the chances of Egypt qualifying for the World Cup 2018 in Russia, Bibo indicated that the chances are very high and within the reach of the players, adding, We will not depend on others results. Regardless of others results, by winning against Congo and Ghana, we will be in the World Cup. On his part, Walid Salah El- Din, who is the technical supervisor of Al-Ahli Football Academy in Kuwait, said it is sad that Al-Azraq is absent in international competitions. He indicated that everyone is confident that Kuwait sports will return with a bang very soon back to their old glory. Regarding the technical performance of the academy players, Walid said they are still in the early stages of the season but despite that there are many talented players who have bright future in big clubs. He thanked the club officials especially Mohammed Othman for his support to the players and catering for their requirements.

35 SPORTS 35 Spain shrug off crisis to qualify for WC PARIS, Oct 7, (AFP): Heavyweights Spain qualified for the 2018 World Cup with a routine 3-0 home win over Albania, but Serbia must wait to seal to their place following a 3-2 loss in Austria. Rodrigo, Isco and Thiago Alcantara all scored inside the first 30 minutes in Alicante as the 2010 world champions locked up top spot in Group G as Italy were surprisingly held to a 1-1 draw by Macedonia in Turin. Barcelona defender Gerard Pique was greeted with a mixture of jeers and applause on his Isco 92nd international appearance just days after voting in a referendum on Catalan independence deemed illegal by the Spanish SOCCER government and blighted by police violence. We had to concentrate solely on football, coach Julen Lopetegui told Spanish TV station Teledeporte. It has been a difficult, complicated week and fortunately we managed to do that in a very, very good first 30 minutes. Four-time World Cup winners Italy are destined for the November play-offs after Macedonian substitute Aleksandar Trajkovski s 77thminute equaliser cancelled out a first-half goal by veteran defender Giorgio Chiellini. There s still one match left and then we ll think about the play-offs. We hope to get some players back, said Italy coach Gian Piero Ventura, whose squad has been depleted by a raft of injuries. Serbia missed out on a chance to wrap up qualification from Group D with a match to spare as Louis Schaub struck a minute from time to give Austria victory in Vienna. Serbia, who could have sealed Serbia made to wait as Macedonia hold Italy Spain s Saul Niguez (left), jumps for the ball with Albania s Armando Sadiku during the World Cup Group G qualifying soccer match between Spain and Albania at the Rico Perez Stadium in Alicante, Spain on Oct 6. (AP) Elsabeth Black of Canada (left), Morgan Hurd of The United States of America (center), and Elena Eremina of Russia (right), pose with their medals during the women s individual all-around final of the Artistic Gymnastics World Championships on Oct 6, at Olympic Stadium in Montreal, Canada. (AFP) Stunning worlds debut Hurd wins all-round gold MONTREAL, Oct 7, (AFP): US teenager Morgan Hurd snatched a surprise women s all-around gold on Friday at the injury-hit World Artistic Gymnastics Championships. The bespectacled 16-year-old, who was born in China and adopted as a toddler, followed in the footsteps of celebrated compatriot Simone Biles ably shouldering US hopes after national champion Ragan Smith withdrew minutes before the competition with an ankle injury. It was a stunning World Championships debut for Hurd, who was sixth at the P&G Championships in August but GYMNASTICS secured a place on the four-woman US team for the championships at a selection camp in September. It s crazy that I was even competing here, Hurd said. To think that I won is just the most surreal feeling in the world. Hurd won with a total of points, denying home hope Ellie Black of Canada who took silver with Russian Elena Eremina was third with , with Mai Murukami narrowly missing the podium with a total of Hurd sealed the win with her final routine, the floor exercise, erasing a deficit of two-tenths of a point to surpass Black. It was a disappointment to fans at the 1976 Olympic venue, but Black became the first Canadian gymnast, man or woman, to win an Olympic or world all-around medal. Hurd continued a long streak of success for US women in all-around competition. An American woman has won every Olympic or world all-around title since Hurd opened the competition by scoring on the vault, which put her in fourth. She was tied with Black for the lead after the second rotation, earning on the parallel bars. A on balance beam left her in second going into the final rotation, and her floor exercise score of despite stepping out of bounds on her third tumbling run was enough. The competition lacked the top four finishers form last year s Rio Games. Two competitors touted as favorites going into the week were also absent Smith and Romania s Laris Iordache. Smith left on crutches after hurting herself warming up for her opening vault. USA Gymnastics said she was taken to hospital for X-rays. Iordache, a two-time world allaround medalist, tore an Achilles tendon warming up for floor exercise before qualifying on Wednesday three days after Japanese superstar Kohei Uchimura pulled out of the men s qualifying with torn ligament in his ankle. In Uchimura s absence, China s Xiao Ruoteng won the men s all-around title on Thursday. US down India in U-17 WC opener NEW DELHI, Oct 7, (AP): When US players walked onto the field for their opener at the Under-17 World Cup against India in New Delhi, they were greeted by India Prime Minister Narendra Modi, dressed in white, in front of a crowd of 46,312. I think it was amazing. I know walking out of the tunnel I had a smile on my face, US defender Chris Durkin said after scoring the second goal in the Americans 3-0 victory Friday. It presented a tough game for us, because I could tell the Indian players were obviously very confident. Josh Sargent converted a penalty kick in the first half, and Chris Durkin and Andrew Carleton added goals in the second. We didn t play great, to be fair. I think we can play much better, US coach John Hackworth said. Our execution wasn t good in the final third. a spot in Russia with victory, led through an early Luka Milivojevic goal but fell behind as Austria replied through efforts from Guido Burgstaller and Marko Arnautovic. Manchester United midfielder Nemanja Matic had levelled on 83 minutes before Schaub s winner, but Serbia can still advance by defeating Georgia in their final qualifier in Belgrade on Monday. Tom Lawrence scored his first international goal to earn Wales a vital 1-0 victory in Georgia and keep them firmly in the hunt for a finals berth. The Derby County forward rifled in the winner four minutes after halftime in Tbilisi as Chris Coleman s team stayed a point clear of thirdplaced Republic of Ireland. South Africa get vital victory Iwobi starts as Nigeria book WC spot ABUJA, Oct 7, (AFP): Arsenal forward Alex Iwobi sent Nigeria to the 2018 World Cup finals with the winning goal in a 1-0 African qualifying victory over Zambia on Saturday. The Super Eagles became the first African team to advance to Russia after taking an unassailable lead atop Group B. It will be their sixth World Cup finals appearance. Substitute Iwobi blasted home from a pullback by Shehu Abdullahi 17 minutes from time to secure qualification. In a high tempo first half, Zambia thought they had taken the lead when Augustin Mulenga bundled home but SOCCER his 23rd minute effort was disallowed for offside. In the 36th minute, Zambia striker Alex Ngonga, whose pace troubled the Nigeria defence throughout, forced goalkeeper Ikechukwu Ezenwa to parry the ball behind for a corner. The Super Eagles peppered the Zambian goal with shots in the closing minutes of the first half, but skipper Mikel Obi, Odion Ighalo and Moses Simon all failed to trouble Zambian goalkeeper Kennedy Mweene. Nigeria were the brighter of the two teams after the break as Wilfred Ndidi saw his looping header pushed away by Mweene. The Eagles carved out the better chances, although Zambia looked dangerous on the counter attack until Iwobi The Irish brushed Moldova aside 2-0 in Dublin through a first-half brace from Daryl Murphy and now face Wales at home in a final-round showdown with first place in the group still in play. All we can do is work hard and take care of our business. We have a huge test on Monday night against the Republic of Ireland. We have a game plan and we will see where it settled the affair and sent Nigeria to the World Cup finals. Percy Tau starred for a muchchanged and much-improved South Africa in a crucial 3-1 victory over Burkina Faso in a 2018 World Cup Africa zone qualifier in Soweto. The diminutive winger scored the first goal after 48 seconds, played a role in the second, and created the third with a cheeky back-heel at Soccer City stadium. South Africa won with a team showing eight changes from that which suffered a shock 2-1 home defeat by Cape takes us, Coleman told Sky Sports. Serbia head the section on 18 points with Wales, aiming to reach the World Cup for the first time since 1958, second on 17 and Ireland another point further back. Iceland took a huge step towards a maiden World Cup appearance with an impressive 3-0 win over Turkey in Eskisehir that leaves the hosts all but out of the running. Verde in Durban last month. Back-to-back losses to Cape Verde and the annulling of a win against Senegal over match manipulation by a Ghanaian referee left South Africa desperate for maximum points. Despite the win, South Africa remain bottom of Group D and needing home and away victories over Senegal in November to have a chance of winning the group and qualifying. Burkina Faso and Cape Verde have six points, Senegal five and South Africa four ahead of a match between the Burkina Faso s Patrick Malo (right), tackles South Africa s Kamohelo Mokotjo during the FIFA World Cup 2018 qualifying football match at Soccer City Stadium on Oct 7, in Johannesburg. (AFP) Johann Gudmundsson, Birkir Bjarnason and Kari Arnason scored as Iceland pulled two points clear of Croatia at the top of Group I after the latter were held to a disappointing 1-1 draw at home to eliminated Finland. Ukraine are level on 17 points with Croatia following a 2-0 win away to Kosovo and host the Croats in Kiev on Monday. Norway to pay male, female int ls equally STOCKHOLM, Oct 7, (RTRS): A new agreement between Norway s football association and the country s international players will lead to men and women receive the same fi nancial compensation for representing their country, with the men making a financial contribution to the women s team. In what players union boss Joachim Walltin believes to be the fi rst deal of its kind, the Norwegian FA has announced that it is almost doubling the remuneration pot for the women, from 3.1 million Norwegian crowns ($388,000) to a total of 6 million crowns. This includes a contribution of 550,000 crowns by the male players, money they currently receive for commercial activities undertaken as part of the national teams. Norway is a country where equal standing is very important for us, so I think it is good for the country and for the sport, Walltin added. Norway s equality deal comes at a time when the disparity between the money and conditions of male and female players is a topical issue. Denmark recently cancelled a home women s friendly against Netherlands due to a dispute over money, and Irish female players were told to change into their tracksuits in toilets as their kit had to be shared with under-age teams. In Denmark they are still negotiating and in the US things have improved, but we might be the only country where they are treated equally, Halltin said. National team winger Caroline Graham Hansen took to Instagram to thank her male colleagues for their donation. Thank you for making this step for female athletes. For showing equality and helping us all, making it a bit easier, to chase our dreams, she wrote alongside a picture of the men s side. Walltin said the details were still to be ironed out but that it was likely that female players would receive a monthly sum dependent on how many national team squads they took part in, while the men would receive their money annually. Cape Verdeans and Senegalese in Praia later Saturday. A Tau header gave South Africa the perfect start and he later avoided going offside, allowing Themba Zwane to score, before Sibusiso Vilakazi made it 3-0 in first-half stoppage time. Surprisingly, subdued Burkina Faso could have been five goals behind before Alain Traore scored a consolation goal direct from a free-kick on 87 minutes. Ivory Coast rode their luck as they crept closer to a fourth consecutive World Cup appearance by drawing 0-0 away to Mali in a 2018 Africa zone qualifier. In a scrappy game, Mali created most of the clear-cut chances and came closest to breaking the deadlock when an Adama Niane shot rattled the crossbar during the second half. Several Ivorians were yellow carded for fouls and time wasting, including English Premier League defenders Eric Bailly of Manchester United and Serge Aurier of Tottenham Hotspur. Ivory Coast lead Group C with eight points from five matches, two points more than Morocco, who host Gabon in Rabat on Saturday. A victory for the Moroccans would lift them to the top of the table ahead of a final-round fixture in the Ivory Coast next month. Only group winners in Africa qualify for the 2018 World Cup in Russia. Ivory Coast were among the African qualifiers for the 2006, 2010 and 2014 World Cups, but never progressed beyond the first round. Morocco, who are guided by France-born former Ivory Coast coach Herve Renard, hope to reach the finals for the first time since Another eight qualifiers are scheduled for Saturday with the possibilities that Nigeria and Tunisia could become the first African qualifiers.

36 PRIME TIME sunday (all times are kuwait local) 07:45 iran vs guinea/soccer... bein sports 6hd 08:32 wta china open/tennis... bein sports 9hd 10:05 cameroon vs algeria/soccer... bein sports 2hd 13:00 libya vs dr congo/soccer... bein sports 3hd 14:30 chile vs england/soccer... bein sports 13hd 16:30 safrica vs burkina/soccer... bein sports 2hd 18:30 newcastle vs liverpool/soccer... bein sports 2hd 21:30 basel vs benfica/soccer... bein sports 9hd 36 Sports Latest sports scores at Walid Salah El-Din and Khaled Bibo pose with players of Al-Ahli Academy. See Page 34 US edge closer to World Cup Mexico sink Trinidad sational early barrage that left Panama reeling. Pulisic opened the scoring on eight minutes and beautifully set up strike partner Jozy Altidore to make it two and compound a nightmare start for Panama, who now look destined to settle for a play-off match against either Syria or Australia to land a World Cup place for the first time in their history. Honduras, whose match in Costa Rica was put back a day because of adverse weather, also remain in the hunt in the North and Central America Panama goalkeeper Jaime Penedo (1), blocks a shot by United States Bobby Wood (9), as Panama s Roman Torres (5), watches during the fi rst half of a World Cup qualifying soccer match on Oct 6, in Orlando, Fla. (AP) and Caribbean region (CONCACAF). For the Americans, however, a win against bottom of the hexagonal table Trinidad and Tobago on Tuesday will SOCCER seal their ticket for an eighth consecutive finals and even a point should do it. The game in Trinidad won t be easy but we are in a good position now, said US manager Bruce Arena. It won t be easy, it will be challenging. We faced challenging conditions in Honduras and Panama so we will be ready. Trinidad are out but will be a handful. Trinidad and Tobago seized a lead against Mexico in San Luis Potosi before the regional powerhouse roared back for a 3-1 victory. The result left Mexico on 21 points and on course for a record haul of 24 if it can beat Honduras in San Pedro Sula on Tuesday. Trinidad and Tobago s Shahdon Winchester put the visitors ahead in the 66th minute. With El Tri struggling to find momentum it looked as if defeat was a possibility. Manager Juan Carlos Osorio sent in Carlos Vela, Oribe Peralta and Hirving Lozano in the second half and Lozano grabbed an equalizer that energized Mexico. Javier Chicharito Hernandez put the hosts ahead before Hector Herrera added a third goal in injury time. In Orlando, the tension was palpable Blockade poses no risk to Qatar WC LONDON, Oct 7, (AP): The regional blockade on Qatar poses no risk to the 2022 World Cup going ahead, the tournament head said on Friday, maintaining that logistical obstacles are being overcome and building work is continuing with only minimal cost increases. The energy-rich nation s land border and its air and sea routes have been closed off for four months since Bahrain, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates launched an economic boycott. It has forced World Cup organizers to find alternative sources for materials to complete the venues being used by the region s first major soccer tournament. We have come under criticism and attack over the years, but we have always faced our critics, Qatar World Cup supreme committee secretary general Hassan Al Thawadi told The Associated Press. Our projects are going ahead as scheduled. This (blockade) is no risk in relation to the hosting of the World Cup. The diplomatic crisis that has torn apart the Gulf Cooperation Council stems from allegations Qatar supports for extremist groups in the region, charges denied by Doha. When Qatar s sole land border with Saudi Arabia was closed and sea traffic cut off, World Cup organizers were forced to instigate their Plan B, including brining in supplies from Turkey. The Qataris express confidence FIFA is not exploring a Plan B of its own for an alternate 2022 host. Every project has contingency plans and we have had contingency plans in place from the very start, Al Thawadi said in an interview during a visit to London to attend a summit staged by the Doha-based sports organization, Aspire Academy. Once the blockade came into play we contacted the main contractors, we put in place alternative supply chains, we sourced alternative materials from alternate suppliers. Only the Khalifa International Stadium, which will also host the world track championships in 2019, has been completed. Qatar is building another seven stadiums for use by 32 teams at the tournament in five years. I m very happy to say that our project scale is on time and there is no significant impact on our projects, Al Thawadi said. As of today we haven t seen a significant impact on the cost. There might have been some minimal increase in terms of establishing alternative supply chains but these have been absorbed very, very quickly and been normalized as these supply chains have been put in place. ORLANDO, Oct 7, (AFP): Christian Pulisic fired the United States to a 4-0 win over Panama on Friday that saw the Americans inch closer to a 2018 World Cup berth. The brilliant 19-year-old scored one goal and made another in a senas Panama arrived in Orlando a point ahead of the United States who had earned just one point from their prior two matches. Arena needed his side to heap early pressure onto a Panama side who have been notoriously difficult to break down, conceding just five goals in their prior matches of the six-nation final round of qualifying. Pulisic s youthful, skillful exuberance proved the key to unlocking the most miserly of backlines. Bobby Wood, who was given the start ahead of veteran Clint Dempsey, led the line with Altidore. And it was the former Sunderland striker who went close early on when his close range shot was charged down before Wood shot inches wide soon after. Pulisic settled any US nerves with a brilliant display in the eighth. Altidore flicked the ball on and after the Dortmund star escaped the challenge of Roman Torres, and Pulisic rounded Jaime Penedo and slid home from a tight angle. Pulisic impressed again in the 19th, picking up the ball on the left wing and firing in a cross that was tapped in by Altidore. The outcome was sealed in the 43rd. Wood was tripped in the area by Armando Cooper and Altidore stepped up and chipped the ball down the middle. Pulisic left the field to an ovation in the 56th before Wood capped his industrious night with a well-taken strike. It was a bad night, Gomez said. They were totally superior, excellent. It could have been worse it could have been United States Christian Pulisic (10) celebrates after scoring a goal against Panama during the fi rst half of a World Cup qualifying soccer match on Oct 6, in Orlando, Fla. (AP) THE FIRST ENGLISH LANGUAGE DAILY IN FREE KUWAIT Published by: Arab Times Publishing House Editor-in-Chief AHMED AL JARALLAH Editorial Office: Airport Road, Shuwaikh P.O. Box 2270, Safat, Kuwait Telephone: & Fax: arabtimes@arabtimesonline.com Advertising: Tel: Ext: 175 Fax: advt@arabtimesonline. Annual Subscriptions: Individuals KD 45/- Companies and Official Departments KD 75 Airmail charges extra for overseas Tel: Fax: