house to review report on ‘free visa’ tomorrow · fulfilling the rules through the website . a...

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200 FilsMonday, December 4, 2017 Issue No. 7585

P06

UAE deniesrebel missileentered itsair space

P07

‘Street war’ rocksYemen’s capital

Visa must for Qataris

P 11-14

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DT News NetworkManama

Qatari citizens and residents seeking to

visit Bahrain should apply for visa, Interior Ministry Undersecretary of Nationality, Passport and Residence Affairs said yesterday in response to queries on entry visa requirements. They can submit the applications after fulfilling the rules through the website www.evisa.gov.bh. A panel is assigned to look into special cases. Qataris living in Bahrain should visit the NPRA to meet the residency rules of Bahrain to avoid legal accountability.


His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa

received His Royal Highness Prime Minister Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa, at Sakhir Palace yesterday.

The leaders reviewed national issues which required

prompt action to enhance Bahrain’s progress and ensure its people’s welfare.

HM King Hamad hailed Bahrain’s success in making advanced strides in various development sectors, stressing the need to continue adopting programmes and plans, and to harness all

potentials and resources to fulfil the aspirations of the citizens for more national gains.

His Majesty expressed thanks and appreciation to HRH Premier, and His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince, Deputy

Supreme Commander and First Deputy Prime Minister, for the tremendous efforts they are exerting, as well as for their constant support for government action for the sake of upgrading the standard of the services for citizens and residents.

HM King Hamad lauded

the honourable achievements that Bahrainis continue to attain at various regional and international gatherings, especially in sports fields, which reflects their distinction and strenuous efforts to consolidate Bahrain’s leadership and advanced status.

King, PM review national issues

His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa with HRH Prime Minister Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa at Sakhir Palace yesterday

Muhannad Mansour/[email protected]

Manama

The House of Representatives will review

a special report on the “free visa” phenomenon tomorrow to tackle illegal employment in the country.

The report is the outcome of an eight-member investigative committee formed in March 2015 to study the increasing “free visas” and recommend

ways to eradicate it.The committee held

several rounds of discussions on the matter with Labour and Social Development, Industry, Commerce and Industry, Interior and Works, Municipalities Affairs and Urban Planning Ministries, in addition to the Labour Market Regulatory Authority (LMRA), the Central Bank of Bahrain (CBB), municipal councils of the four governorates of the Kingdom, Bahrain Chamber

for Commerce and Industry and several labour unions and societies.

Some of the solutions discussed to end the phenomenon included rationalising and lessening the issuance of work permits and commercial registrations, targeting illegal street vendors, enhancing supervision on labour camps, activating community partnership and immediate deportation of violators.

According to the MPs, the numbers of free visa workers in the country crossed 100, 000 recently, requiring urgent solutions to the issue.

Within the official efforts to tackle the problem, LMRA launched “Flexible Work Permits” in July this year, which allow certain categories of illegal workers, who meet conditions, to work and reside in the Kingdom without a sponsor.

The system benefitted around 50,000 illegal workers in the Kingdom.

The CBB also informed the committee that it’s working to promptly disable the bank accounts of workers who finished the periods mentioned in their work permits.

More details will be discussed in the presence of government representatives during the next session of the council tomorrow.

House to review report on ‘free visa’ tomorrow

11Monday, December 4, 2017

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The World Islamic Banking Conference (WIBC-

2017), the largest and most prestigious gathering of Islamic banking and finance leaders in the world, will open at ART Rotana Hotel in Amwaj Islands here today. The three-day long forum from December 4 to 6 is organised by Middle East Global Advisors, a leading financial intelligence platform, based on a strategic

partnership with the Central Bank of Bahrain.

The theme of WIBC-2017 - “Drivers of Economic Growth & Risks: Policymakers & Regulators”, is in line with the conference’s steady vision to serve as a compass for the global Islamic finance and banking industry, and is expected to draw participation from over 1300 global industry leaders, policymakers, innovators

and stakeholders, all focused on generating breakthrough insights that help navigate through the complexities of the global financial system.

Committed in its vision to innovate year-on-year, the 24th edition will focus on generating thought-leadership via an exclusive WIBC Knowledge-Sharing Series whereby a select group of industry leaders will make focused

presentations/speeches that will be followed by opening the floor to questions from the audience and a select panel of experts, who will be further discussing these key topics at length.

The exclusive series will touch upon a number of topical issues like Leveraging Islamic Capital Markets for innovative solutions that will focus on Aviation Financing,

Alternative/Renewable Energy Financing and the WIBC Islamic Economy Series focusing on developing a halal ecosystem, amongst others.

WIBC has established its reputation as the world’s largest and most influential gathering of international Islamic banking and finance leaders for over two decades. With the strategic support of

the Central Bank of Bahrain, the next generation WIBC will focus on transforming Islamic finance into a global proposition by facilitating strategic opportunities, addressing systematic challenges and connecting international market players and institutional investors to the industry’s catalysts, thought leaders, partners and institutions.

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Attend the most wondrous party.

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A BEAUTIFUL EVENINGTO ROUND OFF THE YEAR

Light Festival concludesDT News NetworkManama

The 10-day Bahrain Tourism and Exhibitions Authority

(BTEA) successfully concluded the second edition of the ‘Bahrain Light Festival’ held at Bahrain Bay yesterday. The festival began November 24.

The ‘Bahrain Light Festival’ showcased to its visitors of all ages the technical artistic dynamics by artists from France,

Japan and the United States of America, and will include remarkable performances, as well as exciting entertainment including LED Drummers, LED Hover Boarders and Neon Umbrellas.

“The ‘Bahrain Light Festival’ witnessed remarkable success in its second edition and attracted more than 80,000 visitors of all ages from Bahrain and abroad. The festival comes in-line with

the BTEA’s strategy to revive the tourism sector, attract local and international visitors and tourists from the neighbouring GCC countries, and further beyond. We look forward to hosting events of the same calibre in the near future,” said the Chief Executive Officer of BTEA, Shaikh Khaled bin Humood Al-Khalifa.

The Festival comes as part of the BTEA’s series of events

and activities that is in line with its ongoing efforts to attract tourists to the Kingdom and contribute towards the Kingdoms economy and the 2030 Economic Vision, in line with the BTEA’s long-term strategy to further develop the Kingdom’s tourism sector under the slogan of ‘Ours. Yours.’, which contributes towards the Kingdom’s economy and the 2030 Economic Vision.

Drug peddlingcase postponed

DT News [email protected]

The case of a vegetable seller, who was accused of peddling drugs in his shop, was postponed to December 31 by the

First Higher Criminal Court to hear witnesses testimonies.According to court files, the Asian national was caught

red-handed at his shop in Hoora last September while transferring BD120 worth of Marijuana. He was accused by the Public Prosecution of possessing and selling Marijuana and Hashish.

The defence attorney expressed his objection to the accusation as “no translator was assigned during the interrogation as per the Bahraini law”.

However, the judges postponed the case to December 31 and ordered to summon the witnesses involved in the case.

BTEA holds meetingDT News NetworkManama

The Bahrain Tourism and Exhibitions Authority

(BTEA) held a meeting with tourism-related entities to discuss plans and means of collaboration for the upcoming year. The meeting, held at the Bahrain International Exhibition Centre, was chaired by Chief Executive Officer of BTEA, Shaikh Khaled bin Humood Al Khalifa. Director of Tourism Marketing and Promotions at BTEA, Yousef Al Khan, representatives from the hotels, travel agencies and other tourism-related companies attended the meeting.

“BTEA aims to position itself as one of the main pillars of economic growth and social development in the Kingdom by developing a comprehensive tourism strategy to enhance the

local tourism product at the regional and global levels. It also aims to further position the tourism as a main contributor to the economy,” said Shaikh Khalid. The meeting discussed future plans of the BTEA which will contribute to the advancement of the local economy and tourism sector. The 2018 Tourism Cooperation Meeting is part of the Bahrain Tourism and Exhibitions Authority’s strategy to develop and enhance the tourism sector, which contributes to the achievement of the Kingdom’s Economic Vision 2030.

The meeting was chaired by Shaikh Khaled bin Humood Al

Khalifa

Visitors admiring a display at the Light Festival

Representative picture

Monday, December 4, 20174

Prime Minister HRH Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa received President of the National Audit Office (NAO) Hassan bin Khalifa Al-Jalahma. The President submitted 13th annual Na-tional Audit Report 2016/2017 to the Premier.

Prime Minister HRH Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa received sons and grandsons of the late Shaikh Ahmed bin Khalaf Al Asfoor. HRH the premier welcomed the contributions of Al Asfoor family to the homeland as a deep-rooted Bahraini family.

Prime Minister HRH Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa received Royal Family members, senior state officials, economic, media and press personalities and citizens, with whom he reviewed a number of issues and topics. HRH Premier lauded the key role played by the members of the Legislative Branch in raising the issues of the nation and the citizens

Education Minister Ma-jid Al Nuaimi marked the Bahraini Women’s Day as he attended Al Orooba Primary Girls’ School morning lineup in which students with special needs partici-pated as part of the ministry’s inclusion policy implemented in governmental schools aimed to provide edu-cation to all apt-to-learn children

Council of Representatives Speaker Ahmed Ibrahim Al Mulla received the Speaker of the Russian Duma Butachev Russel Borisovich and his accompanying delegation, currently on an official visit at the invitation of his Bahraini counterpart. Al Mulla praised the supportive stances of Russia and its efforts in combating terrorism, lauding the historic cooperation ties between the two friendly governments and peoples.

Council of Representatives Speaker Ahmed bin Ibrahim Al Mulla received Sudanese Ambas-sador Ibrahim Mohammed Al Hassan, wishing him success in boosting the bilateral ties in all fields. The Speaker reaffirmed the Bahraini Parliament’s support to boosting economic and agricultural cooperation with the Republic of the Sudan.

Council of Representatives Speaker Ahmed bin Ibrahim Al Mulla received researcher Jamal Ahmed Yacoub. The researcher presented a copy of his research on the role of water sprinklers in reducing the emission of toxic gases and heat in housing units in the Kingdom of Bahrain to the Speaker.

Elite Seef Residence & Hotel held the Christmas Tree Lightings on December 2 in the pres-ence of the management, guests, carol singers and performers.



His Royal Highness Prime Minister Prince

Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa yesterday asserted that increased cooperation and coordination, as well as continuous communication, have become an urgent necessity amid the rapidly unfolding developments and changes in the region. In the face of huge challenges a unified stance and vision are necessary to achieve the best for the region and its people, and ensure stability, HRH Premier said.

HRH Prime Minister made the statements as he received Royal Family members, senior state officials, economic, media and press personalities and

citizens, at the Gudaibiya Palace yesterday. A number of issues were reviewed at the meeting. HRH Premier affirmed that the Kingdom’s development march will continue unabated as the ultimate goal of the government action is to ensure security and stability for the

people, in addition to quality services that meet the needs of the citizens.

The Kingdom values highly the giving of its citizens – men and women, and will never forget those who have made sacrifices for the sake of making Bahrain a prosperous nation

in which everyone feels secure and stable, HRH Premier said.

“We are blessed with a good and generous people whose citizens are conscious and are always ready to support the nation in the face of all challenges. This is not strange, as they are the offspring of the

forefathers who had instilled in them the importance and value of patriotism,” Premier said.

HRH Prime Minister affirmed that the government will carry on its plans and programmes aimed at consolidating development and progress through

implementing development programmes across towns and villages to meet the service needs of the citizens there.

HRH Premier hailed the progress witnessed by Bahrain’s cities and villages in the construction, urban and infrastructure fields, stressing that the government will spare no effort in order to ensure the conform of the citizens and provide their needs in the housing, health and educational sectors, among others.

HRH Premier lauded the key role played by the members of the Legislative Branch in raising the issues of the nation and the citizens, praising their constant interaction with all national issues, especially those related to the kingdom’s safety and stability.

Increased cooperation need of hour, says Prime Minister

HRH Prime Minister Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa with royal family members, oficials and media personalities at Gudaibiya Palace yesterday

The British parliamentary delegation visiting Bahrain


The Foreign Affairs, Defence and National Security

Committee at the Shura Council has stressed the importance of exchange visits among legislative councils in sharing knowledge and experiences to avail international expertise in enacting laws, as well as in strengthening Bahrain’s relations with friendly countries.

This came as the committee, led by its Chairman, Dr. Mohammed Ali Al-Khuzaie, received here yesterday a delegation from the British Parliament, led by MP, Rehman Chishti, currently on a visit to the Kingdom.

Al-Khuzae stressed the depth

of the Bahrain-UK relations spanning more than 200 years, noting that relations between the two friendly countries have always been based on mutual respect and trust, as well as shared stances on various international issues, respect for countries’ sovereignty and rejection of interference in states’ internal affairs, which are priorities in the two Kingdoms’ foreign policies.

The two sides discussed areas of cooperation between the two councils, as well as mechanisms to push the existing legislative relations further towards more coordination, and stronger cooperation at the international level.

Members of the British delegation expressed sincere

thanks and appreciation to the members of the Shura Council’s Foreign Affairs, Defence and National Security Committee for their warm welcome, voicing pride in the level of freedoms and co-existence among various religions and sects in the Kingdom of Bahrain, and stressing their rejection of foreign interference in the Kingdom’s domestic affairs.

They welcomed efforts to increase cooperation and communication among the members of the legislative branches in the two friendly countries.

They lauded the great role played by the Kingdom in the region’s security and stability.

UK delegation all praise for Bahrain’s tolerance



His Royal Highness Prime Minister Prince

Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa yesterday asserted that increased cooperation and coordination, as well as continuous communication, have become an urgent necessity amid the rapidly unfolding developments and changes in the region. In the face of huge challenges a unified stance and vision are necessary to achieve the best for the region and its people, and ensure stability, HRH Premier said.

HRH Prime Minister made the statements as he received Royal Family members, senior state officials, economic, media and press personalities and

citizens, at the Gudaibiya Palace yesterday. A number of issues were reviewed at the meeting. HRH Premier affirmed that the Kingdom’s development march will continue unabated as the ultimate goal of the government action is to ensure security and stability for the

people, in addition to quality services that meet the needs of the citizens.

The Kingdom values highly the giving of its citizens – men and women, and will never forget those who have made sacrifices for the sake of making Bahrain a prosperous nation

in which everyone feels secure and stable, HRH Premier said.

“We are blessed with a good and generous people whose citizens are conscious and are always ready to support the nation in the face of all challenges. This is not strange, as they are the offspring of the

forefathers who had instilled in them the importance and value of patriotism,” Premier said.

HRH Prime Minister affirmed that the government will carry on its plans and programmes aimed at consolidating development and progress through

implementing development programmes across towns and villages to meet the service needs of the citizens there.

HRH Premier hailed the progress witnessed by Bahrain’s cities and villages in the construction, urban and infrastructure fields, stressing that the government will spare no effort in order to ensure the conform of the citizens and provide their needs in the housing, health and educational sectors, among others.

HRH Premier lauded the key role played by the members of the Legislative Branch in raising the issues of the nation and the citizens, praising their constant interaction with all national issues, especially those related to the kingdom’s safety and stability.

Increased cooperation need of hour, says Prime Minister

HRH Prime Minister Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa with royal family members, oficials and media personalities at Gudaibiya Palace yesterday

The British parliamentary delegation visiting Bahrain


The Foreign Affairs, Defence and National Security

Committee at the Shura Council has stressed the importance of exchange visits among legislative councils in sharing knowledge and experiences to avail international expertise in enacting laws, as well as in strengthening Bahrain’s relations with friendly countries.

This came as the committee, led by its Chairman, Dr. Mohammed Ali Al-Khuzaie, received here yesterday a delegation from the British Parliament, led by MP, Rehman Chishti, currently on a visit to the Kingdom.

Al-Khuzae stressed the depth

of the Bahrain-UK relations spanning more than 200 years, noting that relations between the two friendly countries have always been based on mutual respect and trust, as well as shared stances on various international issues, respect for countries’ sovereignty and rejection of interference in states’ internal affairs, which are priorities in the two Kingdoms’ foreign policies.

The two sides discussed areas of cooperation between the two councils, as well as mechanisms to push the existing legislative relations further towards more coordination, and stronger cooperation at the international level.

Members of the British delegation expressed sincere

thanks and appreciation to the members of the Shura Council’s Foreign Affairs, Defence and National Security Committee for their warm welcome, voicing pride in the level of freedoms and co-existence among various religions and sects in the Kingdom of Bahrain, and stressing their rejection of foreign interference in the Kingdom’s domestic affairs.

They welcomed efforts to increase cooperation and communication among the members of the legislative branches in the two friendly countries.

They lauded the great role played by the Kingdom in the region’s security and stability.

UK delegation all praise for Bahrain’s tolerance

6 Monday, December 4, 2017

(The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the policy or position of this newspaper.)

Prof. Odeh Al-Jayyousi

By Invitation

Although the Chinese civilization contributed many inventions like paper and compass, its contribution was

limited compared to the western technological innovations. The key question is how we can explain the re-emergence of China as a global leader in technological innovations.

China embarked on economic reform and open door policy to enhance its innovation capability and to harness the value of global innovation networks and global value chains. Moving from catching up technology policy to innovation nation and restoring China’s competitive position were founded on many enablers including sound national policies in industry an technology, institutional settings, and absorptive capacity.

Specifically, the Cultural Revolution in 1960s contributed to mainstreaming science and technology as the cornerstone of economic development. This was evident in the allocation of $48 billion to R&D which amounted to about 1.49% of GDP in 2007. This puts China as the 4th largest in R&D expenditure after USA, Japan and Germany. Besides, during 1998-2007, R&D expenditure increased about 21%. The transformation to an innovation-based industry was underpinned by investing in higher education and innovation infrastructure which includes: 1500 universities; 600 research universities; 139 national Labs; 49 science parks hosting 4000 technology-based start-ups which employ 70,000.

The shift to market-led polices in the 1980s, supported science parks which host technology firms which resulted in the emergence of technology markets and commercialization of entrepreneurships like Lenovo Group. Moreover, the 1990s, witnessed key structural changes including decentralizing the governance to the local level, allocating funds to SMEs helped to ignite a bottom-up innovation paradigm, and a national strategy of reverse brain drain to empower the nation through talent. The results in the growth of technology-based firms like sina.com, Tencent Group and Alibaba.

The 21st century witnessed a shift in innovation policy which a focus to build indigenous innovation capability through enhancing access to global innovation networks and interplay between industry and academia. The Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in manufacturing and venture capital in high tech industries provided new models of learning in corporate structure and management practices. This was enabled by market for technology policy which used technology transfer as a condition for foreign firms to enter markets through joint venture or licensing. Regional technology clusters at the local level supported technology convergence and cross-industry integration. The innovative foresight is evident in investment in emerging technologies like clean energy, next generation Internet, and new-concept vehicle.

The vision 2020 calls for innovation-oriented society that is underpinned by a sound national innovation system (NIS) that supports sustainable innovation and standard setting for both state-owned enterprises, and private entrepreneurial firms in telecom (like Huawei) which filed 1737 patents in 2008. Solar photovoltaic (PV) is an example of standard setting. In 2010, China accounted for about 50% of the world solar PV cell production. In sum, China journey in innovation is defined by cultural values, new governance, and science and technology policy. These lessons can be of value in the GCC journey of innovation.

Prof. Odeh Al-Jayyousi, Head of Innovation and Technology Management, Arabian Gulf University, Bahrain, E-mail: [email protected]

National Innovation as a transformative journey: The Chinese Model

Manama

Awadhi Electronics, the distributor of Pyrex brand

in Bahrain, announced holding Pyrex Cooking Champ.

The event will take place in Bahrain Housing Expo 2017, from December 19th to 21st at Bahrain International Exhibition and Convention Center.

Rakesh Shrivastava, Group General Manager of Al Awadhi, explained that this is the first kind of event where in we are inviting cooking enthusiasts across Bahrain to come and showcase their culinary talents.

The participants will be able to have a live cooking during the event and all the facilities like microwave ovens, ceramic hobs and Pyrex cookware.

Each participant will get an hour for their live demonstration and they shall bring their own ingredients.

During the 3 day event, the Panel of the Juries shall finalize the winners.

All the participants shall get

a certificate of participation and the winners shall be rewarded with amazing Pyrex cookware.

Register for Pyrex ‘Cooking Champ’

Abu Dhabi

Abu Dhabi yesterday denied a claim by Iran-

backed Huthi rebels that a missile fired from Yemen reached its air space or threatened a nuclear power plant set to open in 2018.

“The National Emergency Crisis and Disaster Management Authority denied claims by the Huthis in Yemen that they launched a missile today towards the airspace of the United Arab Emirates,” the

Emirati state news agency reported.

The authority sought to dampen fears that Abu Dhabi -- and specifically the Barakah nuclear plant -- was vulnerable to attack, saying the UAE “has an air defence system capable of dealing with any threat of any kind”.

The Huthi rebels earlier Sunday claimed to have hit the Barakah plant, a “strategic target”, with a cruise missile fired from Yemen.

In a statement broadcast by

their news outlet Al-Masirah, the rebels said the attack followed a “successful” November 30 missile launch against Saudi Arabia, which along with the UAE is waging a military campaign against the Huthis.

Saudi Arabia said it had intercepted the missile but an earlier Huthi attack on November 4 threatened Riyadh international airport and prompted the Saudi-led coalition to tighten an already crippling blockade on Yemen.

The Huthis’ latest claim came as their ally of three years, Yemen’s former president Ali Abdullah Saleh, threatened to bypass the Iran-backed rebels and negotiate with the Saudi-led coalition.

The Huthis’ political office accused Saleh of staging a “coup” against “an alliance he never believed in”, and warned that Saudi Arabia and its allies -- which include the UAE -- would “pay a heavy price in their own capitals”. (AFP)

UAE denies rebel missileentered its air space

The participants will be able to have a live cooking during the event


DANAT authenticates an impressive number of stonesManama

The Bahrain Institute for Pearls & Gemstones

(DANAT) held its first participation at Jewellery Arabia 2017 with approximately 600 customers with 1,356 precious jewellery items approaching DANAT during the five-day trade show for its complimentary consultation and testing services.

Collectively, thousands of diamonds and other gemstones were examined by Danat’s gemmologists on behalf of the trade and general public. Furthermore, numerous items incorporating approximately 3,500 pearls were submitted

for further testing and official certification at DANAT’s recently established laboratory.

DANAT offered a wide array of services in addition to its complementary verification and consultation services, including educational seminars by its team of expert gemmologists and globally renowned researchers and private consultants.

Commenting on the Institute’s participation, DANAT’s Chief Executive Officer, Kenneth Scarratt said, “Our success at this important jewellery affair is indicative of strong consumer and trader demand for a trusted

third-party verification and authentication partner. We’re proud also to have established an important partnership with leading industry player, Al Zain Jewellery, for whom DANAT is an official authentication and verification provider.”

Showcasing the diverse range of topics and industry needs, DANAT’s consultant, Vincent Pardieu, offered daily lectures to members of the public and exhibition visitors about the latest discoveries of blue sapphires and amphibole ruby deposits. He was joined by Peter Balogh, Managing Director of Venezuela’s Funda Prehistoria (Prehistoric Foundation).

‘Street war’ rocks Yemen’s capital asalliance crumblesSanaa

Fresh gun battles forced shops and schools to close

in Yemen’s capital Sanaa yesterday as residents warned a three-year rebel alliance was collapsing into a “street war”.

The Iran-backed Huthi rebels’ partnership with powerful ex-president Ali Abdullah Saleh appeared to have fallen apart after he reached out to a Saudi-led coalition fighting the insurgents.

The Huthis’ political office on Saturday accused Saleh of staging a “coup” against “an alliance he never believed in”.

On Sunday, Saleh loyalists cut off a number of streets in central Sanaa and deployed heavily in anticipation of Huthi attacks, as security sources said clashes had already left some 60 dead across the capital and at its international airport.

Saleh loyalists renewed a bid to seize control of Al-Jarraf district, a stronghold of the Iran-backed Huthis, while the Huthis fortified their positions with dozens of vehicles mounted with machine guns, witnesses said.

Sanaa residents said they had barricaded themselves in their homes to avoid snipers and shelling as clashes flared up around key ministries where the two sides had been working together just days before.

The education ministry

cancelled classes Sunday, normally the start of the school week, and witnesses said some bodies of those killed in previous clashes were still lying in the streets.

Iyad al-Othmani, 33, said he had not left his house for three days because of the clashes.

Mohammed Abdullah, a private sector employee, said his street had been cut off by militiamen and he was staying home to avoid checkpoints.

“Sanaa is becoming like a ghost town. There is a street war and people are holed up in their houses,” according to an activist who works with the International Organisation for

Migration in Sanaa.

‘Coup against our alliance’ Three years after they joined forces to drive the government of President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi from Sanaa, the collapse of the Huthi-Saleh alliance is a key shift in Yemen’s complex war.

Saleh ruled Yemen as president for 33 years after the 1990 unification of north and south Yemen. A longtime ally of Saudi Arabia, he waged six separate wars against the Huthis, Zaidi Shiites who hail from northern Yemen.

Saleh resigned under popular and political pressure in 2012,

ceding power to his then-vice president Hadi, who now lives in exile in Saudi Arabia.

In 2014, Saleh announced he had joined forces with the Iran-backed Huthis.

That triggered a Saudi-led Arab force to intervene to prop up Hadi’s government, an escalation in a war that has since killed more than 8,750 people and dragged the country towards what the United Nations calls the world’s worst humanitarian crisis.

On Saturday, Saleh reached out to the Saudi-led coalition, offering to “turn the page” if it lifts a crippling blockade on the country. (AP)

Kuwait parliament passes law addressing IOC, FIFA bansKuwait City

Kuwait’s parliament has approved a proposed draft

law that aims to ends the bans on the country by FIFA and the International Olympic Committee.

Lawmakers passed the bill in a special session Sunday. Minister of Youth and Sports Affair Khaled al-Roudan described the law as “an important step toward lifting the suspension off Kuwaiti sport” in a report carried by the state-run KUNA news agency.

The bill must be approved by Kuwait’s ruler, Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Sabah.

In 2015, Kuwait was banned by international sports governing bodies FIFA and the IOC from participating in sporting events after government violations of the Olympic charter and interference in its sports.

Following the ban, Kuwait filed a lawsuit against the IOC and lawsuits against members of its own Olympic committee.

Washington

President Donald Trump said Sunday in a tweet that

he never asked former FBI Director James Comey to stop investigating his ex-national security adviser Michael Flynn, issuing a fresh denial amid a shifting timeline on when he may have known that Flynn had lied to the FBI.

Trump said on Twitter before dawn, “I never asked Comey to stop investigating Flynn. Just more Fake News covering another Comey lie!” The president reiterated his version of events after Comey testified before Congress in June that Trump had asked him in a one-on-one meeting if he could see to “letting Flynn go.”

Trump shifted his story Saturday on why he fired

Flynn, lumping in the retired Army lieutenant general’s lies to the FBI along with his untruthfulness with Vice President Mike Pence. The president’s initial explanation was that Flynn had to go because he hadn’t been straight with Pence about contacts with Russian officials. (AP)

Jordanian kidnapped in southern Syria is freed, says militaryAmman

Jordan’s military says it has rescued a Jordanian civilian

who was kidnapped for ransom by an armed group in southern Syria several days ago.

The military-linked Hala Akhbar site said Sunday

that the Jordanian man had been living in southern Syria and owned a farm there. It says he was tortured by his captors.

The site says the man has returned to his family in northern Jordan.

Smoke billows in the Yemeni capital Sanaa

Danat at Jewellery Arabia

Michael Flynn

Trump says he never asked Comey to stop Flynn probe

Monday, December 4, 20178

You will surely be spoilt for choice this New Year’s Eve at

Bahrain Bay Kitchen. Tantalize your taste buds with the signature sea food offerings of Canadian lobster, Alaskan king crab, salt encrusted sea bass and Hokkaido scallops, as well as smoked BBQ wagyu short ribs, live Asian cooking station, specialties from the tandoori oven, and of course all your Arabic favorites. Make sure you leave some room to indulge from the famous chocolate fountain. Enjoy a free access to the sparkling New Year’s Eve Party at AZURE. Reservations required: 00973 1711 5500

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Blue Moon Lounge Enjoy signature cocktails and mocktails, while listening to the celebratory tunes mixed by resident DJ, all for a Hollywood-inspired party atmosphere.

New Year’s Eve

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Cut Bar & Lounge End 2017 with sipping

celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck’s signature cocktails and

mocktails, and let resident DJ set the mood for a stylish party atmosphere.

New Year’s Eve – December 31, 2017, from 6:00 pm to 2:00 am.

Reservations required: 00973 1711 5044

Party at Azure Head to the ‘coolest’ party in town at AZURE Pool this New Year’s Eve and revel in the sophisticated vibe of our exclusive pool lounge. Countdown to the New Year in chic AZURE style while you indulge in sparkling refreshments and lavish bites. Azure Party – December 31, 2017, from 9:00 pm to 2:00 am. Reservations required: 00973 1711 5500

Bahrain Bay KitchenEnjoying a lavish brunch at Bahrain Bay Kitchen is the perfect start to 2018! Explore international specialties, including fresh oysters, porcini truffle risotto, and a selection

of more than twenty international fine cheeses accompanied by Four Seasons signature homemade jams and preserves. The dessert stations provide the perfect sweet ending

on the first day of the New Year. New Year’s Day Brunch – January 1, 2018, from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm.

Reservations required: 00973 1711 5500

Alba bags Bahrain-US free trade award

Manama

Aluminium Bahrain (Alba) announced receiving the inaugural Bahrain-US Free

Trade Agreement (FTA) Award. The award by Bahrain’s Economic

Development Board (EDB) in cooperation with the American Chamber of Commerce and the US Bahrain Business Council aims to distinguish the American and Bahraini companies that are part of the FTA between the two countries.

Alba’s Chief Executive Officer Tim Murray, along with Shawqi Al Hashmi Director Line 6 Smelter Project and Engineering, received the award during a reception held in Washington, D.C., USA on Thursday.

Crown Prince, Deputy Supreme Commander and First Deputy Prime Minister His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa graced this special reception, which was attended by Bahraini and American officials.

Speaking on this accolade, Alba’s CEO, Tim Murray said: “We greatly appreciate the Leadership of the Kingdom of Bahrain for their unwavering commitment towards nurturing bilateral trade ties that will boost the Kingdom’s economic progress.”

Crown Prince, Deputy Supreme Commander and First Deputy Prime Minister His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa and Aluminium Bahrain Chief Executive Officer at the Bahrain-US Free Trade Agreement (FTA) Award reception organised in Washington, D.C., USA on Thursday.

Xi says will not close door to global internetWuzhen

Chinese President Xi Jinping said yesterday

the country will not close its door to the global internet, but that cyber sovereignty is key in its vision of internet development.

Xi’s comments were read by Huang Kunming, head of the Chinese Communist Party’s publicity department at the country’s largest public cyber policy forum in Wuzhen in eastern China.

“The development of China’s cyberspace is entering a fast lane...China’s doors will only become more and more open,” said Xi in the note.

Cyber sovereignty is the idea that states should be permitted to manage and contain their own internet without external interference.

China’s Communist Party has tightened cyber regulation in the past year, formalizing new rules that require firms to store data locally and censor tools that allow users to subvert the Great Firewall.

In June, China introduced

a new national cybersecurity law that requires foreign firms to store data locally and submit to data surveillance measures.

Cyber regulators say the laws are in line with international rules, and that they are designed to protect personal privacy and counter attacks on core infrastructure. Business groups say the rules unfairly target foreign firms.

China has advocated strongly for a larger role in global internet governance.

“China stands ready to develop new rules and systems of internet governance to serve all parties and counteract current imbalances,” said Wang Huning, a member of the Communist Party standing committee at the event on Sunday. The conference, which is overseen by the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) invited foreign executives, Apple Inc’s CEO Tim Cook and Google Inc chief Sundar Pichai as well as a Facebook Inc executive. (Reuters)

BUSINESSMonday, December 4, 2017 9Car park with 1,250 spaces at Bahrain Financial HarbourManama

Bahrain Financial Harbour Holding Company has

opened a new multi-storey car park on Friday with 1,250 spaces to meet the needs of tenants and visitors at Harbour Towers-West.

In a statement, the Company said that the new car park ‘Car Park West’ has a covered

walkway that leads to the main entrance of Harbour Towers - West. Besides, a ‘lollipop man’ shall be employed by the company to stop vehicle traffic to assist pedestrians cross the street safely,

The number of Tenant staff who already park at Bahrain Financial Harbour is around 2,900 per day. This new car

park, according to Bahrain Financial Harbour, will enable Harbours Tower - West Tenants to park closer to their office and reduce the time taken to work. The number of visitors to Harbour Gate has increased sharply to 1,800 to 2,200 per day following the arrival of the Bahrain Investors Centre at Harbour Gate within

Bahrain Financial Harbour. It is intended that the entire ground floor of the new car park will be made available for visitors.

The new Car Park West provides easier access on to King Faisal Highway for those going west towards Seef without the need to circumvent the entire Bahrain Financial Harbour estate.

UAE Exchange, SADAD to launch self-service kiosks

UAE Exchange announced its partnership with the payment gateway firm SADAD in Bahrain to provide 24/7 international and domestic money trans-fer service through self-service kiosks countrywide. The launch event was held at Downtown Rotana, Manama, in the presence of senior officials from SADAD and UAE Exchange, and other busi-ness partners, associates and customers of the UAE Exchange brand.

The self-service kiosks will facil-itate round-the-clock money transfers and provide a wide range of bill payment solutions for utility providers in Bahrain.

Customers using the self-service kiosks for money transfer will be required to first register themselves and their beneficiaries with UAE Exchange as part of the brand’s Know Your Customer (KYC) policies.

“The self-service kiosks are not only an innovative, convenient and incred-ibly secure way for customers to transfer money home but also, add to the credentials of UAE Exchange brand as a fintech innovator. We are also extremely thankful to the Central Bank of Bahrain for their sup-port and guidance right through our journey,”

- Promoth Manghat, Chief Executive Officer,

UAE Exchange Group.

“SADAD is pleased to partner with UAE Exchange to explore new ways for customers to conveniently access financial transactions,”

- Shaikh Ali Abdulla Hamad Isa Al Khalifa,

Chairman, SADAD.

“The kiosks are designed for ease of use coupled with maximum security, and allow pre-registered customers to send money any time, with just a few simple taps on the kiosks’ touch-screens,”

- Vineesh Kumar, Executive Director & General Manager, UAE Exchange in Bahrain.

UAE Exchange Group CEO Promoth Manghat with SADAD Chairman Shaikh Ali Abdulla Hamad Isa Al Khalifa

Manama

Gulf Air has signed an agreement with Thales

to equip the airline’s new, incoming 12 Airbus A320Neo and 17 A321Neo aircraft with a cockpit package of Thales avionics solutions including the TopFlight and Flight Management System (FMS).

With 70 per cent market share on the Airbus A320Neo and A330Neo families, TopFlight FMS remains the most successful flight

management system in the world. Customers appreciate its specific features notably “what you see is what you fly” technology and temporary flight plan capability. TopFlight FMS provides pilots with highly reliable navigational information, displayed in a simple manner especially suited to heavy air traffic conditions.

Gulf Air Deputy Chief Executive Officer, Captain Waleed Abdulhameed Al Alawi said: “We are selecting the best

systems to support our incoming fleet - ensuring the best capabilities for our operations and, ultimately, the best possible passenger experience.”

Eric Huber, Thales VP and general manager of avionics services worldwide said: “Our avionics products benefits have been repeatedly acknowledged as providing an operational edge for pilots through better trajectory management, as numerous selections in 2017 confirm it.”

Above, Alain Correia - Thales Country Director for Bahrain, Pierre Rozec - Thales Avionics Regional Sales Manager, Eric Huber – Vice President, General Manager Thales Avionics ASW, Captain Waleed Abdulhameed Al Alawi, Gulf Air Deputy Chief Executive Officer, Jamal Abdulrahman Hashim – Gulf Air Chief Technical Officer, François Piolet – Vice President Thales Avionics EUMEA, and Yannick Lefebvre, Thales Avionics MEA Account Director.

Gulf Air, Thales announce deal

Credit card details stolenCredit card details of

many UAE residents have been stolen and the central bank has asked financial institutions to inform customers and cancel the cards.

“Please note that these details have been compromised and thus, contact the persons mentioned in the enclosed list if they are your customers, and take the required action

to cancel the relevant credit cards,” said a circular sent by the UAE Central Bank to local and foreign banks and finance companies operating in the UAE.Sources told Khaleej Times that credit card details of around 250 customers have been compromised. The central bank details showed that all the cardholders are based in Dubai. However, the issuing

banks were not mentioned in the curricular. The curricular - sent to banks on November 29, 2017 - contains credit card numbers, email addresses and mobile numbers of the affected customers.

Some residents shared their stories on Reditt regarding card frauds they faced at shopping malls, petrol pumps and online stores. (Zawya)

BUSINESS Monday, December 4 , 201710

COUNTRY/CURRENCIES SELLBUY

Rates are for indication purpose only. For firm rates or for currencies not listed above please call Bahrain Financing Company. Telephone: 17228888, Website: www.bfc.com.bh

COUNTRY 1 US DLR 1 UK STG 1 SFR 100 YEN

BAHRAIN 0.3770 0.5738 0.3799 0.3354

KUWAIT 0.2855 32.0873 0.2877 0.2540

OMAN 0.3849 0.3820 0.3878 0.3425

QATAR 3.6420 3.6143 3.6699 3.2405

UAE 3.6730 3.6451 3.7011 3.2681

SAUDI 3.7500 3.7215 3.7787 3.3366

AUSTRALIA 0.2920 0.2896BANGLADESH 0.00483 0.00458CANADA 0.3018 0.2985DENMARK 0.0627 EGYPT 0.0241 0.0218EURO 0.4501 0.4476HONGKONG 0.04970 0.04930INDIA 0.00582 0.00585INDONESIA 0.00003017 0.00002855IRAN TUMAN 0.00010964 IRAQI DINAR 0.000300 JAPAN 0.00352 0.003450JORDAN 0.5362 0.5354KOREA 0.00039646 KUWAIT 1.254 1.254MALAYSIA 0.0938 0.0936NEW ZEALAND 0.2616 0.2616NORWAY 0.0481 NEPAL 0.00395 0.00365OMAN 0.98220 0.98340PAKISTAN 0.00366 0.00358PHILIPPINES 0.00758 0.00747QATAR 0.10386 0.10381SAUDI ARABIA 0.10065 0.10071SINGAPORE 0.2834 0.2814SOUTH AFRICA 0.02850 0.02840SRI LANKA 0.00283 0.00246SWEDISH 0.0479 SWITZERLAND 0.3891 0.3861SYRIA 0.001740 0.0018TAIWAN 0.013100 THAILAND 0.011730 0.011710TURKEY 0.1024 UNITED KINGDOM 0.5076 0.5047UNITED ARAB EMIRATES 0.102850 0.102870UNITED STATES OF AMERICA 0.37790 0.37800YUAN 0.056800 0.056800

Manama

Al Salam Bank-Bahrain has rolled out a unique offer on

its range of Visa credit and prepaid cards, the bank said in a statement.

The promotion, which runs from 30th November 2017 to 15th January 2018, is valid for every transaction made by using Al Salam Bank’s Visa card abroad and will automatically give a chance to earn up to BD5 per transactions on their spending abroad.

Commenting on the move, Mohammed Buhijji, Head of Retail

Banking, said: “As part of this promotion, we are bringing our existing and new Visa cardholders with an easy and direct usage campaign by giving them an opportunity for a chance to earn valuable cash prizes - The more you use your card abroad, the more your chances of winning.”

“We will announce the “Top 11 customers” having the highest number of card swipes as the winners of cash prizes worth up to BD5 per transaction abroad,” he added.

Al Salam Bank launchesWinter Cards promotion

Mohammed Buhijji - Head of Retail Banking

Dubai

Saudi Arabia’s stock market rose for an eighth straight

day in active trade yesterday, climbing above technical resistance, as sentiment was helped by hopes for an end to the conflict in Yemen.

Former Yemeni president Ali Abdullah Saleh said on Saturday he was ready for a “new page” in ties with the Saudi-led coalition fighting in Yemen if it stopped attacks on his country, in a move that could pave the way to end nearly three years of war.

The Saudi stock index gained 1.2 per cent to 7,089 points. It rose above resistance around 7,000 points, which has capped the market since mid-October and roughly coincides with the 200-day average, now at 7,014 points.

A clean break of the resistance - two straight daily closes - would point up to around 7,250 points, according to the height of the former downtrend channel dating back to mid-October.

“Recently the main force affecting the market has been geopolitics - it’s not surprising

that the market rises when the outlook appears to improve,” said Hisham Tuffaha, vice-president for asset management at Mulkia Investment in Riyadh.

Rising stocks outnumbered losers by 173 to nine. Four of the 10 biggestpcage gainers were cement stocks, long beaten down by the slump in the Saudi construction industry; they could benefit if Yemen starts to rebuild, fuelling demand for cement.

A monthly Reuters poll of leading Middle East fund managers, published on Thursday, showed them on balance positive towards Saudi Arabia; 46pc now expect to raise allocations to Saudi stocks in the next three months and none to cut them, the most bullish bias since July.

Meanwhile, Qatar’s index rose 0.6pc with drilling rig provider Gulf International Services jumping 4.7pc.

Real estate firm Ezdan Holding, which has plunged this year and is rated junk by credit rating agency

Standard & Poor‘s, continued a rebound that began in late November, surging 6.3pc.

The stock market dropped last week after equity index compiler MSCI said that because of poor liquidity in the foreign exchange market, it might shift to using offshore exchange rates to value Qatari equities - which could potentially lead to cuts in weightings of Qatari stocks in MSCI’s emerging market index.

MSCI said it would take feedback from the investment community on the proposed currency shift until Dec. 1, and would announce its final decision by Dec. 5.

Qatar’s central bank responded by saying it was

committed to providing all the currency requirements of investors at onshore rates, and in recent days the riyal has begun to stabilise offshore, raising hopes that the central bank has done enough to prevent MSCI from making the change.

Egypt’s index gained 0.9pc as real estate firm Talaat Mopstafa surged 2.8pc to 10.25 Egyptian pounds. The company said it expected sales of 13 billion pounds ($735 million) this year and record sales in 2018; Naeem Brokerage kept a “buy” rating on the stock with a target price of 11.40 pounds.

United Arab Emirates and Omani markets were closed for public holidays. (Reuters)

Yemen helps Saudi rise for eighth day

Closing BellSAUDI climbed 1.2pc to 7,089 points.

QATAR rose 0.6pc to 7,757 points.

EGYPT gained 0.9pc to 14,714 points.

KUWAIT gained 0.3pc to 6,214 points.

BAHRAIN fell 0.3pc to 1,280 points.

Representative picture


Your stronger banking partner.For more than a decade, we at Al Salam Bank-Bahrain transcend the boundaries of possibilities and build new paradigms, offering dynamic and innovative Shari’a-compliant products and financial solutions tailored to meet our increasingly diverse clients in Retail Banking, Private Banking, Corporate Banking, Investment Banking and Treasury Services.

Explore your infinite possibilities and discover how you can grow with Al Salam Bank-Bahrain.

The Tree of Life (Shajarat-al-Hayat) stands strong, lusciously covered in green leaves in the heart of the Arabian Desert surrounded by kilometres of sand. Located 2 kilometres from Jebel Dukhan in the Kingdom of Bahrain, the 9.75m high Prosopis cineraria tree is approximated to be 400 years old.

Licensed and regulated as an Islamic Retail Bank by the Central Bank of Bahrain

alsalambahrain.com17 005500Follow us on

Dynamic. Diversified. Differentiated.

The World Islamic Banking Conference (WIBC-

2017), the largest and most prestigious gathering of Islamic banking and finance leaders in the world, will open at ART Rotana Hotel in Amwaj Islands here today. The three-day long forum from December 4 to 6 is organised by Middle East Global Advisors, a leading financial intelligence platform, based on a strategic

partnership with the Central Bank of Bahrain.

The theme of WIBC-2017 - “Drivers of Economic Growth & Risks: Policymakers & Regulators”, is in line with the conference’s steady vision to serve as a compass for the global Islamic finance and banking industry, and is expected to draw participation from over 1300 global industry leaders, policymakers, innovators

and stakeholders, all focused on generating breakthrough insights that help navigate through the complexities of the global financial system.

Committed in its vision to innovate year-on-year, the 24th edition will focus on generating thought-leadership via an exclusive WIBC Knowledge-Sharing Series whereby a select group of industry leaders will make focused

presentations/speeches that will be followed by opening the floor to questions from the audience and a select panel of experts, who will be further discussing these key topics at length.

The exclusive series will touch upon a number of topical issues like Leveraging Islamic Capital Markets for innovative solutions that will focus on Aviation Financing,

Alternative/Renewable Energy Financing and the WIBC Islamic Economy Series focusing on developing a halal ecosystem, amongst others.

WIBC has established its reputation as the world’s largest and most influential gathering of international Islamic banking and finance leaders for over two decades. With the strategic support of

the Central Bank of Bahrain, the next generation WIBC will focus on transforming Islamic finance into a global proposition by facilitating strategic opportunities, addressing systematic challenges and connecting international market players and institutional investors to the industry’s catalysts, thought leaders, partners and institutions.

An intense panel discussion at WIBC 2016

12 Monday, December 4, 201724th WORLD ISLAMIC BANKING CONFERENCE

WIBC has emerged into a global spectacle that has brought some of the sharpest minds under one roof, attracting a wide array of speakers from across the globe. Gathering of global subject matter experts at WIBC will help the audience understand the dynamics of the industry in transition. The event includes WIBC Knowledge-Sharing Series whereby a select group of industry lead-ers will make focused presentations and speeches on various topics. Here are some highlights from interviews conducted with speakers of the conferences.

• The significance of the World Islamic Banking Conference, its contribution in shaping the Islamic Banking landscape & the key issues the conference aims to highlight

Bahrain 24th World Islamic Banking Conference, the largest and most prestigious gathering of finance leaders in the world, will cover multiple and timely topics to strengthen Islamic banking, ranging from Islamic capital market of Sukuk and bonds, through digital banking, Islamic asset management, Sharia issues, market size, regulation, financial inclusion and the future vision.

• The key challenges the Islamic Banking sector faces and a brief summary on what you will talk about in your panel

Despite its vast growth, Islamic banking is facing multiple challenges including a slow penetration in Muslim minority countries because of different jurisdictions, regulation and Shari’a complications. The Islamic banking industry lacks consistency in its product structures, investment practices, and Shari’a harmonisation. These have adversely affects its trustworthiness, status, perception and regulation capabilities at a global level.

I will talk on financial inclusion, the theme of capitalization on Wagf capital and Islamic microfinance to promote financial inclusion in Islamic countries. Waqf - a legal and religious institution wherein a person dedicates some of his properties as charity- and other non market-oriented microfinance tools, e.g. Zakah and Sadaqa can best fulfil the function of micro financing for a certain clients’ segment, but not as guarantee for market-based microfinance. Although some believe that institutions can

combine charitable instruments with profit- based ones, to cover individual and group defaults of repayment, I believe that charity models are not suitable for destitute poor entering into a lucrative microfinance system to start with, as charity based lending give clients a forged notion that microfinance is cheap and non-refundable money. Wagf can only be integrated with the institutional lending, via a system of ‘clients’ graduation’ from charity-based finance to market-based one, but with some cautions. In general, charity models should not be integrated with market-oriented microfinance because they create sort of ‘margin distortions’ in the microfinance market. Wagf, may be used to provide technical skills or trainings to the economically-active poor, as Wagf, compared to Sadagat and Zakat, is more stable and sustainable once it is implemented.

• Bahrain as an economic hub and as a backdrop for the conference, and your perspective on how it’s viewed in the international arena.

No doubt that Bahrain is a hub of Islamic finance and has a long history of sharing in regulating, accommodating and harnessing this type of finance. The existences of AAOFI, finance regulator across the word, as well as other Islamic finance institutions in Manama, have placed Bahrain not only as a leader in the global international Islamic finance services, but also at the forefront of the international Islamic financial services industry.

Name of Speaker: Badr El Din A. Ibrahim, Senior Microfinance Consultant, Arab Gulf Fund for Development (AGFUND) Session: Sustainable, Equitable and Inclusive Growth -Enhancing financial inclu-sion through Islamic Finance

World Islamic Banking Conference, its contribution in shaping the Islamic Banking landscape & the key issues the conference aims to highlight

For the past 24 years, World Islamic Banking Conference (WIBC) has grown its reputation as the most popular and prestigious brand in the global Islamic finance and banking industry. The conference has been on a continuous successful upward trend, creating and providing a robust industry platform, to help Islamic financial institutions benchmark against themselves and conventional players in the industry.

Every year, this significant event brings together financial and banking professionals from across the globe under one roof to discuss challenges faced by the industry and obtain expert advice from financial gurus.

The key challenges the Islamic Banking sector faces and a brief summary on what you will talk about in your panel

The major challenge faced by Islamic banking is to sustain and maintain higher profit margins and ROEs because of stiff competition among Islamic banks and conventional players. For example, in the GCC international banks operate with Islamic window, but vice-versa is not true for Islamic banks.

Other challenges facing Islamic banking is standardization and regulation as per Sharia perspective, optimizing operational efficiency,

adopting new technologies.During the panel discussion, we will highlight

the challenges faced by Islamic banks, provide a brief overview on how digital banking practices can help solve some of these challenges by showcasing its benefits to banks and customers.

Bahrain as an economic hub and as a backdrop for the conference, and your perspective on how it’s viewed in the international arena

Bahrain has thrived as one of the Gulf’s financial hub for several decades, because of its advanced regulatory framework, educated workforce and relatively low-cost environment. With a large number of international banks and financial institutions operating within the kingdom, the country is considered as a financial hotspot in the international banking arena.

WIBC is co-hosted by the Central Bank of Bahrain is viewed by Islamic bankers as a must-attend conference which attracts delegates from around the world. The country is also the first FinTech hub in the Middle East and Africa region.

Name of Speaker: Esam Alkheshnam, Chief Executive Officer, International Turnkey Systems (ITS)

Session: Digital Banking- Harnessing Digital Technologies to Stay Competitive and Address Evolving Customer Preferences

Name of Speaker: Stuart Hutton, Chief Investment Officer, Simply Ethical

Session: Islamic Asset management

So, what will drive economic growth in 2018?With the banking industry in the depth of

high levels of disruption following a decade of balance sheet repair, the World Islamic Banking Conference in Bahrain could not come at a better time! Its focus on innovation, impact, leadership, and inclusion will cover a multitude of areas across this industry and the growing important role it must play here in the GCC, as well as globally.

With Bahrain successfully highlighting itself as a leading light in pioneering start-ups, as well as financial supporting many of the needed fresh looks at the financial services industry, there could not be a better place to see this take place. We see fintech being a major player in this development, moving through its disruption stage to now being the future face of financial service delivery in the era of millennials.

Other important areas the conference will cover include capital markets, the broader economic impact, sustainability, and how new horizons can be visualised for Islamic Finance.

Amongst many of the challenges we are

facing is the development of the Islamic Asset management sector, providing both accessibility, inclusion and outcome focus to cultivate this alongside the ever-growing responsible investment market. I am delighted too be leading a discussion at the WIBC 2017 on this matter with some of the leading experts in this area from the region and further afield.

Whether this is a revolution or evolution, there is no doubt we are seeing the most significant changes in our industry ever witnessed. However, we are only just at the edge of this, and with increasing engagement with Artificial Intelligence, Big data, Internet of Things and even robotics, it will be the banking industry that will need to lead through financing this and being part of it.

It is a space to watch very closely!

“We are proud to spon-sor the World Islamic

Banking Conference. The event aims to provide a shared plat-form for the Islamic

Banking and Finance industry professionals

i n the region to deliberate at length on key challenges and opportunities affecting the industry. The event, among other things, will deliver the latest advances in technology, thought leadership and intel-ligence. We hope the 24th edition of the conference continues to add great value to critical issues in the global arena of Islamic Banking.”

-Abdul Hakeem Alkhayyat, Managing Director & CEO, KFH Bahrain

“While the Gulf region is expe-riencing low economic con-fidence as a whole, Islamic finance as an area has remained relatively insulated.

It is a key priority for us at Bahrain Islamic Bank to improve

the perception of Islamic banking and as a smaller segment we are well positioned to adopt evolving technology and mobile banking versus many traditional banks. We are proud to sponsor the 24th World Islamic Banking Conference that provides industry leaders with a suitable platform to gener-ate thought-provoking insights that might prove to be critical in shaping the future of the industry.”

Hassan Amin Jarrar, CEO, Bahrain Islamic Bank

13Monday, December 4, 201724th WORLD ISLAMIC BANKING CONFERENCE

Telephone : +973 1751 0000 Facsimile : +973 1751 0051 | P.O. Box 1001 Manama, Kingdom of Bahrain www.ibdarbank.comLicensed by the Central Bank of Bahrain as an Islamic wholesale bank

We focus on the creation of sustainable value by reaching out to investors across the globe. Leveraging pioneering technologies allows us to use data to better shape strategies that meet the real needs of today’s investor. We are driven by the expectations of our connected world; elevating the banking experience while responsibly investing to ensure the Islamic banking industry remains a driver of positive change for generations to come. Based in the Kingdom of Bahrain, a burgeoning FinTech epicenter, Ibdar Bank is leading Islamic investment banking into a bright new era.

LEADING THE TRANSFORMATION IN ISLAMIC INVESTMENT BANKING

Ibdar Bank is one of the largest Islamic investment banks

in Bahrain, engaged in real estate, aviation, private equity, capital markets and investment advisory activities. The Bank is strengthened by a diversified regional shareholder base including names such as Kuwait Finance House, Kuwait Investment Company, Bahrain Islamic Bank, and the Islamic Corporation for the Development of the Private Sector. Ibdar is a contemporary Bank that seeks to add value to the lives of global

Muslims, and as such is aggressively expanding its global footprint with investments in the GCC, US, UK and Africa. Excerpts from an interview with the Chief Executive Officer of Ibdar Bank, Ayman Sejiny.

What is the Bank’s current strategic focus?

In addition to aviation and real estate activities, the Bank is focusing on Sukuks, capital markets and treasury

management, as well as advisory. We are looking

to expand in the UK and the USA and exploring, while trying to further u n d e r s t a n d the European markets.

I believe FinTech is going to be one of the

biggest drivers of change in the new

Islamic banking era, and its emergence

w i l l

have a substantial impact, both socially and economically, in many parts of the world. Therefore, the Bank is planning to undertake a digital transformation in order to leverage FinTech capabilities. Fintech has the capacity, not only to improve the customer banking experience by offering greater user friendliness, but also to bring the 2 billion financially excluded individuals globally into the banking system. As well as facilitating financial inclusion, FinTech provides access to potential investors across the globe. FinTech also reduces human error, overall costs, allows better usage of data for shaping effective strategies, and greatly enhances back office operations

Having successfully executed USD 277 million in aviation transactions since the establishment of the Bank’s aviation platform in 2014, Ibdar Bank will continue to expand its aviation activities. Our transactions include an award-winning deal with multinational aerospace and transportation company

Bombardier, where Ibdar pioneered the first ever Shari’ah-compliant transaction in Africa’s aviation sector’s history.

What does it take to build a well-diversified investment platform?

Investors must be given the choice from a myriad of investment opportunities that cater to a diverse risk appetite, including low, medium and high risk investments and across a wide range of sectors.

What Challenges do you think the Islamic Financials Services Industry will face in the coming decade?

To keep abreast of innovation Islamic institutions must be ready to adapt to change fast, and this will be problematic for many institutions. Particularly because the structure of many legacy Islamic financial institutions is hierarchical and silos based which does not support agility. Banks must design organizational structures in order to be more agile, and embrace a culture of

transparency, collaboration and change.

Why do you think Bahrain is a good choice as the location for the WIBC?

Bahrain is a welcoming country for businesses. It has a supportive leadership that is facilitating innovative investment opportunities in the country, particularly in the area of FinTech, whereby the CBB has created a sandbox that will position Bahrain as a front runner in the field. The Islamic financial services industry is of systemic importance for the Kingdom of Bahrain and the leadership of the Kingdom understand this as underscored by the CBB’s continued support, and the great effort undertaken by the Economic Development Board (EDB) in order to establish Bahrain at the centre of Islamic FinTech. The more exchange and consultancy that is established between government agencies and the private sector, the better the results that will materialize will be. At this point, time-to-market is of the essence and the faster authorities react

cross-divisions with approvals to support the sector the better is the chance to manifest the Kingdom of Bahrain as a centre of excellence and a reference point in the Islamic world.

What does responsible investment principles mean to Ibdar Bank?

Ibdar Bank’s investment philosophy and strategy is aligned with the United Nation’s 6 Principles of Responsible Investment, namely that Environmental, Social and Governance Issues such as climate change and human rights should be considered alongside the traditional financial factors when undertaking investments. Sustainability is an important issue for Ibdar and we endeavour to undertake investments that add sustainable social and economic value to the communities in which we operate or invest in. We have a duty to invest ethically across the globe and act in the best long term interest of our stakeholders.

Ibdar Bank: Investing Ethically Across the globe

Ayman Sejiny, Chief Executive Officer, Ibdar Bank

14 Monday, December 4, 201724th WORLD ISLAMIC BANKING CONFERENCE

The 24th World Islamic Banking Conference is coming to Bahrain at a time when both

the financial services industry and the GCC region are going through a period of intense change. The Kingdom of Bahrain, again host to this prestigious occasion in the annual calendar of Islamic Banking events, is itself going through a period of economic transformation with a focus and emphasis being placed on the creation of an ecosystem that can incubate and drive innovation in the technology and financial technology - or FinTech – segments.

This backdrop will provide context to the event, which features a complimentary agenda that will bring focus, debate, and thought leadership to bear on the current challenges and opportunities in the Islamic Banking industry. Its objectives include addressing how

innovation and transformative initiatives can be used to introduce new products, drive customer engagement and take-up, and deliver operational improvement and cost efficiencies.

Much attention is being placed on the customer experience delivered by retail banking products and - in an age when information is

shared and opinions are formed quickly based on the consumption of content that is delivered digitally across mobile, web and social channels – the importance of understanding customer requirements, their sentiment, and the journey they take when interacting with your products makes curating digital content a more important factor than ever before.

I am delighted to be able to participate in the Digital Banking panel discussion along with industry colleagues including well-respected CIOs and the leaders of technology companies operating in this segment. In this discussion we will address the importance of the customer journey, and how Islamic Financial Institutions can develop digital banking strategies that will enable them to attract and retain customers, and grow market share across their retail portfolio.

Islamic banking and finance is continuously expanding across the globe encompassing

most of the Muslim world; developing and emerging market countries. There is a need to bring together leading Islamic banking researchers, practitioners, bankers to exchange and share their experiences about all aspects of Islamic Banking, Finance and Investment at one forum. To bridge the connection between countries and economies, WIBC plays a vital role by providing the premier interdisciplinary forum for policy makers, practitioners, bankers and corporates to present and discuss the most recent innovations, trends, and concerns, practical challenges encountered and the solutions adopted in the field of Islamic Banking, Finance and Investment.

Since the inception of Islamic banking across jurisdiction, Islamic banking has

shown a significant growth and development and it is expected that this superior growth will be continued. However, Islamic banks are also finding it challenging to cope with the evolving global banking environment and making appropriate rules and regulations to cope with these changes while still remaining competitive with their conventional

counterparts. Additionally, the industry lacks consistency in product structures and investment practices that adversely affects its growth capabilities.

Bahrain has been hub for Islamic banking industry and is a centre for many reputed Islamic banks for decades. As a member of GCC and prominent market place for Islamic banking, having a conference in Bahrain will have a profound impact that will be observed is the exchange of knowledge and skills between nations. Conferences and meetings also unite people with common interests and goals to increase awareness for a cause and through this event, Islamic banking community will bring global harmony in standards and structures for further development of the industry as the event is represented by all the major markets with different school of thoughts, policies and framework.

The significance of the WIBC, its contribution in shaping the Islamic banking landscape & the key issues the conference aims to highlight: WIBC is one of the important yearly gatherings which undoubtedly plays a key role in facilitating dialogue among international industry leaders on shaping the future of the Islamic finance industry. It serves as a platform for groundbreaking discussions on how to transition to the next stage of the industry development, and how the industry should adapt to the new dynamics of global finance to achieve sustainable growth. The key challenges the Islamic banking sector faces and a brief summary on what you will talk about in your panel: The lack of available expertise, compliance with new regulations, geopolitical and market conditions are all key challenges that are facing the industry and need to be addressed, but in our session, we will be focusing on the technology advancements and fintech revolution or what we call the fourth industrial revolution and address the digital transformation that is on the top of every Islamic financial institution priority list. Bahrain as an economic hub and as a backdrop for the conference, and your perspective on how it’s viewed in the international arena: Bahrain is a mature finance centre in the Gulf, and is considered one of the main hubs for Islamic finance due to its extensive heritage and progressive approach to the industry. As a pioneer in Islamic finance regulations and the home of some of the most important standard-setting institutions in the global Sharia-compliant arena such as AAOIFI, Bahrain, with no doubt, is at the forefront of the international Islamic financial services industry.

The participation in the World Islamic Banking Conference is an important

opportunity for exchanging views on current developments in the Islamic finance sector and to get and keep close contact to stakeholders from the banking, insurance and capital market industry as well as from the supervisory side. Important for the Islamic finance sector is the development of harmonized regulation, particularly after BaFin licensed the first 100 % sharia compliance bank 2 years ago and applied for membership in the IFSB board.

Supervisory standards concerning the sector are very eligible, regarding many issues as booking of the investment portfolio on behalf of clients (balance or off-balance assets) depending on the client’s, or as the board members’ accountability

for compliance with Islamic banking standards. Specific regulation regarding Islamic finance is not in place in many jurisdictions. There is a strong conflict between the principle on paying dividends to clients when assets have realized profits only on the one hand and the clients’

interest to get earnings that are guaranteed.There is a huge perspective for the sector to

grow in future. In Europe, businesses in Europe is still very locally oriented, in UK the real estate market is of relevance for the sector; different background of Islamic people in European’s countries as UK, France and Germany.

Bahrain tries to reduce dependency from petroleum and to establish a financial hub in the framework of strong competition with other areas. This development is very comprehensible. It is of extreme importance to establish in the same way strong supervisory structures to avoid any infringements of supervisory standards including regulations on money maundering and terrorism financing, which would harm the country’s reputation.

Name of Speaker: Mohammed Kateeb, Group Chairman & CEO, Path Solutions


Name of Speaker: Andrew Sims, Chief Executive Officer, NEC Payments


Name of Speaker: Peter Kruschel, Director, Banking Supervision, Federal Financial Supervisory Authority (BaFin)

Session: New Horizons for Islamic Finance

Name of Speaker: Khalid Al Kayed, Chief Executive Officer, Bank Nizwa

Session: Session 6A: Sustainable, Equitable and Inclusive Growth -Enhancing financial inclusion through Islamic Finance

“The Central Bank of Bahrain takes great pride in supporting the 24th World Islamic Banking Conference to be held on 4-6 December in Bahrain. WIBC has a track record of presenting topical issues every year. Some of the key topics this year will be the moral question in finance, the impact of Fintech and new trends in Shari’ah governance. The deceleration in growth of Islamic finance worldwide, continued tightening of regulations and Fintech provide a significant opportunity to the most efficient and technology savvy players to gain market share at the expense of their less efficient conventional and Shari’ah compliant competitors. The WIBC will witness a gathering of global subject matter experts who will help the audience understand the dynamics of an industry in transition.

It will also provide an excellent networking opportunity to individuals and a platform for companies to exhibit their services.”

Khalid Hamad Abdul-Rahman Hamad, Executive Director of Banking Supervision, Central Bank of Bahrain & Chairman,

International Islamic Financial Market (IIFM)

“Given the economic uncertainties, the Islamic economy sector has displayed a strong appetite for diversification. The time is now more than ever to facilitate thought-leadership amongst indus-try leaders and regulators by means of shared platform. In this relation, Khaleeji Commercial Bank is proud to be spon-soring the 24th World Islamic Banking Conference – an event that has time and

again established itself as the leading compass for the Islamic finance industry.”

Tawfeeq Mohamed Bastaki – Acting CEO/Chief Risk Officer, Khaleeji Commercial Bank

Los Angeles

Actress Julia Roberts says she tries to avoid meeting her fans in person as

she feels shy. Despite having spent years in the public eye, Roberts says she never knows what to say when she meets a fan, reports femalefirst.co.uk.

“I don’t hate it, but I try to avoid it,” She told Hello! magazine.

“I don’t think I’m very good in that interaction,” she added. (IANS)

Hollywood actress Kate Winslet has revealed that she auditioned to play Rose

in ‘Titanic’ opposite Matthew McConaughey.She revealed in an interview, where Winslet

was quizzed with a series of rapid-fire questions about the classic movie, which celebrated its 20th

anniversary this year.The host asked, “Paramount wanted Matthew

McConaughey for the role of Jack but [James] Cameron insisted on Leo, how would that have

changed things?” To which, Winslet replied, “I auditioned with Matthew -isn’t that weird? Never

said that in public before!!”Adding, “I did, yes, I did. I auditioned with

Matthew, which was completely fantastic. It just wouldn’t have been the whole ‘Jack and Rose, Kate and Leo’ thing.”

Christian Bale, Billy Crudup, and Johnny Depp also auditioned for the role of Jack. (TOI)

Los Angeles

Singer Ed Sheeran is not disappointed at missing out on a Grammy nomination in

the Album of the Year and Song of the Year categories.

During an appearance on the Ellen DeGeneres talk show, the singer, who scored the Grammy for his song “Thinking out loud”, said ‘maybe this year isn’t my year’, reports billboard.com.

“My outlook on it is some years you have your year and some years you don’t have your year,” he added.

DeGeneres did not accept that explanation, and said: “That song (‘Shape of you’) did not leave my head, I mean, ever.”

To this Sheeran responded: “But that’s the point. That’s where you win. That’s where the validation comes from. You actually see people enjoying the songs. I’d rather have a lifetime of people coming up to me and saying... ‘This song is my wedding song,’ or ‘this song was my first kiss’.” (IANS)

Pitbull‏ @pitbullWork hard and stay humble


December 4, 1969

Jay Z

Rapper whose first hit, “Dead Presidents,” became an international success, and he has since won 19 Grammy Awards and sold over 75 million albums worldwide.

Los Angeles

Australian actress-DJ-model Ruby

Rose says she wants to do a duet with singer

Taylor Swift.Rose is so impressed

with her vocals in the movie that she wants to persuade Swift to collaborate with her one day, reports femalefirst.co.uk.

“Taylor if you are watching this, which I’m sure you are of course, you’ve got nothing else to do,” Rose told Yahoo7. (IANS)

WINTER WONDERLAND HOLIDAY VILLAGE Date: December 15 &16, 22 & 23, 3:00 pm - 6:00 pmVenue: Al Khayma (Tent)

Revel in the joys of the holiday season with a special Christmas village. Enjoy a variety of festive offerings including a sweet and savory Christmas buffet, holiday movie classics, Ritz-Kids activi-ties and much more. Santa Claus will also be there for a special warm and jolly welcome all the way from the North Pole.

RITZ GOURMET TAKEAWAYSDate: December 1-31, Venue: The Ritz Gourmet Lounge

The Ritz Gourmet Lounge offers a selection of gourmet desserts and festive hampers filled with heavenly delights like minced pies, specialty cookies, chocolates and much more. Roasted turkey to-go family din-ners can also be ordered beginning December 2. Orders must be placed at least 72 hours in advance.

FESTIVE AFTERNOON TEA Date: December 2 - 26, 3:00 pm -7:00 pm Venue: The Lobby Lounge

Tea time at The Ritz-Carlton is always grand and the festive season makes it more special. Enjoy traditional scones and pastries with your favorite tea vari-ety complemented by a selection of festive treats – an excellent opportunity to spend picture perfect #RCMemories with family and friends.

BUBBLY CHRISTMAS AFTERNOON TEADate: December 2 - 30, 3:00 pm - 6:00 pm Venue: The Ritz Gourmet Lounge

Take pleasure in all the sweet treats of a traditional afternoon tea with a twist. A selection of freshly made scones and carefully baked gourmet cakes will be served alongside your favorite cup of tea or glass of bubbly.

GRAND CHRISTMAS BRUNCHDate: Monday, December 25, 12:30 pm-4:30 pmVenue: Grand Foyer

Indulge in a festive celebration of culi-nary delights highlighted by our chefs’ splendid creations - from live cooking and carving stations, a large seafood and prime rib corner to a delectable spread of heavenly desserts. The grand occasion elevates with live musical entertainment, festive activities, and a special visit from Santa Claus.

NEW YEAR’S EVE CELEBRATION: STUDIO 54Date: Sunday, December 31, 8:00 pm-2:00 am Venue: Al Noor Ballroom

Countdown to 2018 and celebrate with a throwback to the 1970s era of glam-our, fashion and indulgence. Join us as we transform our 9,000 square-foot Al Noor Ballroom into the famous Studio 54 complete with disco lights, party favors, an indulgent buffet, live enter-tainment and performances. Dress is black tie or festive party dress.

BAHRAIN NATIONAL DAYDate: December 16Venue: Bahrain Bay Kitchen

Bahrain National Day Brunch at Bahrain Bay Kitchen: Traditional Bahraini theme.Buffet will have authentic Bahraini food items, local music entertainment and the staff will be dressed in the tradi-tional Bahraini clothingSignature traditional dishes will be available such as: Bahraini ghouzi, prawn mmawwash, Bahraini date cheese cake. Serving Hours: 12:30 pm – 3:30 pm.Bahrain National Day at AlHosh – Kids For All Seasons Club: Endless fun activities such as Bahrain national flag cookie decoration, fashion show for best Bahrain national dress, Piñata, Olympic games, face painting, henna tattoo, Bahrain flag making, arts and crafts, parade.Wolfgang Puck Restaurants: The chefs at our Wolfgang Puck restaurants have prepared a sweet surprise accompany-ing every lavish meal on 16th and 17th December. If you are a fan of our for-ever favorite Sticky Toffee Date Cake, come and join us at CUT by Wolfgang Puck for lunch and dinner or at re/ Asian Cuisine by Wolfgang Puck for dinner and enjoy the complimentary cake.

BAHRAINI FARMERS MARKETDate : 2nd December 2017 to 31st March 2018Venue : BUDAIYA BOTANICAL GARDENS Bahrain Farmers Market targets pro-moting Bahrain’s agricultural prod-ucts and highlighting the development taking place in Bahrain’s agricultural sector. It also aims to contribute to improving the Bahraini farmers’ income through a marketing sys-tem prepared by the Agriculture and Marine Resources to assist in meeting the farmers’ aspirations.

KOREAN FILM FESTIVALDate : 6th December 2017 to 27th December 2017Venue : Seef mall - Seef I cinema complex The 4th edition of the Korean Film

Festival kicks off its program in December 2017 every Wednesday evening at 7:00pm at Hall no. 13 at Cinema Complex I at Seef mall. The movies are as follows:

- December 6th: Take Off - A 2009 sports/Drama production, part of the “Take off” film series, starring Ha Jung-woo and Lee Eun-sung.

- December 13, 2017: The Berlin File: a 2013 thriller/drama starring Ryoo Seung-bom and Jun Ji-hoon. The movie was awarded the Baeksang Arts Award for Best Leading Actor in a Film. Jong-seong (Jung-woo Ha), a North Korean ghost agent, interrupts an illegal arms sale in Berlin. A notori-ous North Korean agent tests the loyal-ties of everyone involved as Jong-Seong prepares to make the ultimate sacrifice.

- December 20th, 2017: The Fatal Encounter: a 2014 South Korean Thriller Fantasy film based on a real-life assassination attempt on King Jeongjo.- December 27th, 2017: 200 Pounds Beauty, a 2006 Melodramatic film about a famous pop singer decides to have full-body plastic surgery to change her look and the deep mean-ings of inner beauty.All movies will play at Theatre 13 at Seef mall Cinema Complex “Seef I” at 7:00pm. Entry is free and open for everyone.

FOUR SEASONS HOTEL FESTIVITIESDate: Till December 31, 2017Venue: Four Seasons

Turkey To Go: Bring the sophisticat-ed flavours from the celebrated Four Seasons restaurant home with this memorable feast, and spend more time out of the kitchen with your loved ones this Thanksgiving. Available for home delivery or pick up.Roast Turkey: With chestnut stuffing, turkey sauce, cranberry chutney, mash potato, Brussels sprouts and carrots. - BD 80++ for 8 people.Honey Baked Spiral Ham: With mashed potato, roasted vegetables and apple sauce - BD 45++ for 8 to 10 people.Roast Beef: With mashed potato, roast-ed vegetables and rosemary sauce- Starting from BD 20++ per kg (per kg serves 4 to 5 people).For orders: +973 17115500

CELEBRATING “MANAMA CAPITAL OF ARAB WOMEN 2017”

Date : 6 December 2017, 6:00pm Venue : Art Centre

Coinciding with Bahraini Women’s Day festivities, the Bahrain Authority for Culture and Antiquities celebrates Manama Capital of Arab Women 2017 through a cultural program that features an art exhibition showcas-ing works by select female artists and a fashion show which highlights the various traditional female garments of Arab women throughout history.

THE LAND OF DILMUN, WHERE THE SUN RISESDate : 5 December 2017 - 11 March 2018Venue : The Hermitage State Museum The Bahrain Authority for Culture and Antiquities showcases significant Dilmun artifacts from the permanent collection of the Bahrain National Museum at the Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg, one of world’s larg-est museums, that shed light on life in Dilmun between the 3rd and 1st mil-lennium BCE.Attachments area

FESTIVE SEASON AT THE GULF HOTEL

Date: Ongoing Venue: The Gulf Hotel Bahrain Convention & Spa

Our festivities began with the light-ing of the Christmas tree in the hotel lobby. This marks the beginning of the Christmas and New Year celebrations and everyone is invited to witness the ceremonial lighting! Get mesmerized as this year our team has merged both the festive traditions and the unique Arabic culture presenting the ultimate season bliss. From a traditional Arabic gingerbread house to the fusion of the festive Arabic village! The festivities is about giving and sharing, this season we are collecting festive wishes for the charity program called “Smile of Bahrain”, we hope to collect as much wishes for the organi-zation and we look forward to your kindness to help those children with cancer make their dreams come true.

An uplifting slew of flavors to cel-ebrate the spirit of the season have been crafted by the culinary team for the Christmas Eve dinner and the Christmas day brunch.

On 24th December we are offering 3 yuletide options for your Christmas Eve dinner. From the traditions of the Vigilia di Natale in Italy at our La Pergola Italian restaurant, to the pano-ramic view of the Juffair Skyline at Fusions restaurant to the lavish buffet in Al Waha, all featuring the finest delicacies from sumptuous starters of the hamachi sashimi, zucchini carpac-cio and to the main course of the well-loved stuffed turkey roulade that will get the guests in the festive mood.

Our Christmas day brunch promis-es to be filled with all the traditional Christmas trimmings and a treat for all ages at The Gulf Convention Center for only BD 32 net. The Christmas day brunch presents the festive spread of our 10 award winning outlets, featuring exotic festive menus from rock lobster and the red snapper to start with, and followed by a tableau of flavours.

Tickets is a must.

If you’re planning to party at home this Christmas, leave the cooking with us! Christmas plum puddings, mulled wine and turkey are available for order!:

Ring in the New Year at The Gulf Hotel Bahrain, as we present to you for the first time live at The Gulf Convention Center, Beauty and the Beats! Featuring an all-female group internationally renowned for a great & diverse night with music beats from the 70’s, 80’s, 90’s, top 100 hits, deep house, house and pop. BD 55 net per person, inclu-sive of a lavish buffet spread of delec-table dessert with apple and cranberry lattice tart, chocolate hazelnut, cream cheese puffs, ricotta tart with chocolate and kumquats and almond macaroon galette for the finishing.

Featuring jazz saxophone player Miss S, to the throbbing beats of Percussionist Ms. Dee and the soulful voice of Ms. Lady S.! This in addition to the vibrant and gorgeous DJ (DJANE – NC), who will be spinning her groove mix-com-pilations till the wee hours of the party!

In addition you can also choose your celebration from Al Waha restaurant for a guaranteed New Year’s gour-met that that will keep your stom-ach delighted till 2018! To the special New Year ala carte menus from Royal Thai, China Garden, Sato and Takth Jamsheed.

You can also choose to delight your loved one to a New Year ’s Eve roman-tic moment at Fusions, Raosi By Vineet, La Pergola and our all exclusive balcony at Royal Thai.

For a more pub style new year’s wel-come, dance your heart out at the dance floor with our DJ’s famous tracks at Sherlock Holmes and Typhoon.

For further information or bookings please call: +973 17 713000


HOW TO REACH US “Out & About’, a

ready reckoner for the events taking place

on the island, is published from Friday to Tuesday. To be

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Monday, December 4, 2017 17

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CROSSWORDYESTERDAY’S SOLUTION

Your star today

Across Down

YESTERDAY’S SOLUTION

How to play: Place a number in the empty boxes in such a way that each row across, each column down and each 9-box square contains all of the numbers from one to nine.

(Mar 21st - Apr 20th)

(Apr 21st - May 21st)

(May 22nd - Jun 21st)

(June 22nd - July 23rd)

(July 24th - Aug 23rd)

(Aug 24th - Sep 23rd)

(Sep 24th - Oct 23rd)

(Oct 24th - Nov 22nd)

(Nov 23rd - Dec 21st)

(Dec 22nd- Jan 20th)

(Jan 21st - Feb 19th)

(Feb 20th - Mar 20th)

A separation from the special someone in your life, perhaps because of a minor disagreement, could have you feeling melancholy today. You could receive an invitation to a get-together but be unlikely to want to go. You’re feeling more reserved and introverted than usual.

A touch of melancholy and moodiness might have you feeling distanced from your entourage and so you could throw yourself into solitary activities. Your concentration may not be what it should be. Get out and take a long walk or treat yourself to a meal at your favourite restaurant. Your mood will pass by tomorrow. You need to get through today!You feel romantic and sexy today, but you won’t have the opportunity to do anything about it. You may be temporarily separated from the special someone in your life, or a potential romantic partner might not be available. Cheer yourself up by shopping or reading or watching movies.

Today you may extend an invitation to someone close to visit you in your home, but don’t count on the person being able to make it. Something may come up. Disappointment could make you melancholy, but don’t let it get the better of you. Invite someone else or channel that energy into creative or artistic projects. That way you can enjoy the day anyway.

News of illness or employment problems on the part of someone you care about can have you feeling a bit down in the dumps today. A warm, loving letter or call from someone far away might cheer you. This is a good day to write newsy letters or visit or call people you haven’t heard from in a long time. Don’t let sad news or a bad mood get the better of you.

Overspending on luxury items might have you feeling the need to tighten your belt a little. This could make you feel downhearted. Don’t blame yourself too much. We all do this from time to time. Get out of the dumps by getting together with a close friend or lover. Go to a play, concert, or movie. Make time for any projects you have in the works.

Minor family problems might make you gloomy today. Perhaps a family member is away, or there may have been some petty squabbles in your household. Others might want to invite friends over, but you may not feel all that sociable. Throw yourself into projects of your own. It could give you a feeling of accomplishment.

The illness of a relative or neighbour might have you feeling downhearted today. The news is likely secondhand, so it might not be as bad as reported. Work may be slow on your own projects, as you could have a temporary mental block about what to do next. Perhaps you should put them aside for now. Once they’re out of your conscious thoughts, the solution may come spontaneously.

Group activities or get-togethers with friends may not go as well as usual today. You’re feeling more reserved and perhaps preoccupied about a friend or romantic partner with whom you might be on the outs. Oddly enough, getting out with others is probably the best therapy in spite of your increased shyness. Maybe the best thing to do is to go out alone where people congregate.

Friends or groups could make excessive demands on your time today. As a generous and service-oriented person, you tend to go along with what others want. This is OK, but you’re not serving anyone by letting them step over the line. You can also delegate. Keep busy, but don’t overextend yourself. You need to save some energy for tomorrow.

Though you’re usually outgoing, today you might feel more shy and reserved, perhaps because of melancholy thoughts about love or friendship. Someone you care about may be away and you miss him or her. People may try to take unfair advantage of you. Because you’re feeling especially vulnerable, you’re more likely to let them do it. Be discriminating.

Information regarding spiritual or philosophical matters that may not be all that trustworthy may come your way. Don’t take what you hear today at face value. A close friend or lover may be far away, and you could feel lonely. The best way to get through the separation is to keep busy, perhaps with study, research, or artistic activities.

1- Pie nut; 6- Lady of the house; 11- Concorde, e.g.; 14- A Bell for ___; 15- Form of lyrical poem; 16- Chinese “way”; 17- ___ Gras; 18- Antique auto; 19- Compass dir.; 20- Fills to the gills; 22- Do ___ a Waltz?; 24- Pride woman; 28- Pertaining to the eyes; 29- Nearly; 30- Ohio city; 32- Hammer part; 33- Late bloomer?; 35- Mrs. Dick Tracy; 39- Roadside rests; 40- Once around the track; 41- Chicago mayor Emanuel; 42- Zaire’s Mobutu ___ Seko; 43- Social gathering; 45- Switch ending; 46-Wynonna’s mom; 48- Bivalve mollusk; 50- Cramps, e.g.; 53- Billboards, some say; 54- Milo of “Barbarella”; 55- Columbus’s birthplace; 57- Persian Gulf fed.; 58- Jewelled crown worn by women; 60- Souvenir; 65- Hearst kidnap grp.; 66- ___ my case; 67- Nary a soul; 68- Sound booster; 69- Take to the ice; 70- Have a feeling about;

1- She played Mindy; 2- Author Le Shan; 3- Jalopy; 4- Besides; 5- Sounds; 6- Confronts; 7- Basilica area; 8- Crash wherever convenient; 9- Citrus cooler; 10- Republic in S North America; 11- Pittsburgh product; 12- Capital city of Yemen; 13- ___ is human...; 21- “The ThinMan” pooch; 23- Woman who hunts; 24- ___ lazuli; 25- Actress Graff; 26- Signs; 27- Malarkey; 28- Bruins legend; 30- Maker of Pong; 31- Retained; 34- Shut with force; 36- Keep an ___ the ground; 37- Blacksmith, at times; 38- Campfire treat; 43- Not neg.; 44- Spoollike toy; 47- Fine fiddles; 49- Pines; 50- March man; 51- Sacred song; 52- Lots; 53- Related on the mother’s side; 55- Greek goddess of the earth; 56- Prefix for while; 59- Annoy; 61- Fair-hiring abbr.; 62- Actor Chaney; 63- ___ and outs; 64- So-so grade;

BEETLE BAILEYR

#PollToday

For more, catch us online at: www.newsofbahrain.com

/nobonline/newsofbahrain

Monday, December 4, 2017 19

Seoul

North Korea yesterday blasted the United

States and South Korea as “warmongers” on the eve of their largest-ever joint air exercise, saying it could trigger a nuclear war.

The comments came as White House National Security Advisor H.R McMaster warned of the “increasing” possibility of war with the impoverished but nuclear-armed North.

The five-day Vigilant Ace drill -- involving some 230 aircraft including F-22

Raptor stealth jet fighters -- begins Monday, five days after the North test-fired an intercontinental ballistic missile believed capable of hitting the US mainland in a fresh challenge to President Donald Trump.

The North’s ruling party Rodong newspaper slammed the upcoming drill.

“It is an open, all-out provocation against the DPRK, which may lead to a nuclear war any moment,” it said in an editorial yesterday, using the North’s official name. (AFP)

Seoul

Thirteen people were killed and two were

missing after a fishing boat collided with a tanker off South Korea’s west coast and capsized early yesterday, the country’s coastguard said.

The Seonchang-1 fishing boat was carrying 20 passengers on a fishing tour as well as two sailors when it crashed with the 336-tonne fuel tanker at around 6am local time at sea near the port city of Incheon.

Thirteen people were found dead or died after being sent

to hospitals. Seven others were being treated at hospitals while two -- including the captain of the boat -- remained missing, according to the coastguard.

No casualties or injuries were reported among those on board the tanker.

TV footage showed the fishing boat sinking beneath churning waves while rescue divers searched around the deck, part of which was still visible above the water.

All of the passengers were wearing life jackets but many appeared to have suffered hypothermia, Seoul’s Yonhap news agency said. (AFP)

“I knew that if in the official speech-es I would have used that word (Rohingya), they would have closed the door in our faces. But (in public) I described situations, rights, said that no one should be excluded, (the right to) citizenship, in order to allow myself to go further in the private meetings,”

The Philippines suspended a landmark public vaccina-tion programme for the potentially deadly dengue virus after its manufacturer warned it could worsen the disease in some cases.

Pope Francis defends Rohingya silence on Myanmar trip. Do you think he did the right thing?

Yes No Cant Say

NKorea blasts US-South drill

13 dead in S Korea boat crash

Pope Francis

Philippines suspends vaccination programme

6 dead as blast hits Afghan rallyAt least six people were killed when a suicide bomb-er drove a motorcycle into a crowd at a political rally in the eastern Afghan city of Jalalabad.

A Christmas market was evacuated in the German city of Potsdam on Friday after a nail-packed device was found in a nearby shop.

For the first time since the end of the Cold War, sirens blared across Hawaii in an effort to prepare residents for a possible nuclear attack from North Korea.

Explosive found near German Xmas market

Hawaii tests nuclear warning system

An incredible bond

With their absolute loyalty, great senses and fast move-ments, dogs have been used as companions and colleagues for soldiers worldwide. And this touching picture captures the incredible bond between an army dog and its handler. Duo Duo, a military dog in eastern China, sat up to salute its handler Wang Xudong who was about to retire.

South Korean police officers and rescue workers carry a victim of a boat capsizing at a port in Incheon, South Korea.

New York

An irate hit-and-run driver mowed down six

people, killing one, after a knife fight outside a Queens hookah bar yesterday morning, according to police and a witness.

Cops found at least one person dead after the violent fracas outside XS NYC at 129th St. and Liberty Ave. just before 5am in South Ozone Park.

Police believe two stabbing victims who showed up at a hospital after the fight were hurt in the melee.

A passing motorist spotted a woman trying to hold back a member of the brawling

bunch while driving by. He pulled over to get a closer look moments before the motorist gunned it for the mass of people.

“He was going after someone. That’s why the girl was holding him back,” said witness Ozzie Rogers, adding that the man ultimately broke free.

“The girl is yelling ‘Stop, stop. No, no,’ when this car just comes from nowhere and hits the whole group,” Rogers said.

“The bodies went flying. The car was going really fast, at least 50 mph on the sidewalk.”

Another witness saw the

driver slam into a parked car before careening toward the victims.

“You could hear the car hitting the bodies,” the second witness said.

Two additional crash victims were rushed to Jamaica Hospital in critical condition, cops said. The extent of the injuries for the stabbed duo was not known.

Police, who are trying to determine how the stabbings are related to the ploughed car, have taken one person into custody, but have not yet made an arrest. This person is not the driver of the car, who remains on the loose, police said. (nydailynews)

1 killed, 5 hurt in brawl outside NY bar

Mexico City

A last-ditch attempt to save the world’s most

endangered marine mammal, the vaquita, by taking them into human care has been abandoned. The chances that this rare species of porpoise will become extinct are now extremely high, researchers have warned.

They had hoped to catch a few of the planet’s last 30 vaquitas – which are only found in one small area of the Gulf of California – and protect them in a sanctuary where they could breed safely. But last month, the $4m (£3m) rescue plan by an international team of more than 60 scientists and divers ran into trouble after only a few days, when the

first vaquita they caught had to be released when it began to display dangerous signs of stress.

Shortly after that, a second vaquita was caught but died

a few hours after capture. The team then decided that catching any more animals presented too much risk to the species and further attempts were suspended. (theguardian)

$4mn Vaquita porpoise rescue plan abandoned

Scientists release a six-month-old vaquita porpoise calf into the Gulf of Mexico.

Police stand guard at the scene

Monday, December 4, 2017 SPORTS20

the World’s Strongest Teenager

New Jersey

Most days, Naomi Kutin, a high school junior from New Jersey, is a mere teenage mortal.

“Normally, my mind is on school, friends, my phone, social media, stuff like that,” she said. “But when I lift, I put it all to the side, and all I care about is that bar in front of me.”

During weekend powerlifting competitions, when the crowd is revved up and that bar is loaded with hundreds of pounds — Naomi squats 321 pounds and dead lifts 365 pounds — she turns into Supergirl.

It was Supergirl who stalked up to a heavily laden bar on a recent Sunday morning during a powerlifting competition in New Jersey.

“This is Naomi Kutin, the strongest teenager in the world in both the squat and the dead lift,” said the announcer, Geno Biancheri, the charismatic tournament M.C. known as the Pirate of Powerlifting for his heavy metal ringmaster style.

Naomi squatted more than 300 pounds in a preliminary lift. “That’s twice her body weight, as her opener,” Mr. Biancheri said.

Naomi started lifting competitively when she was 8 and quickly began setting national and world records in adult powerlifting categories. By 9, as a wispy 88-pounder competing in the 97-pound weight class, she squatted 215 pounds to break a world record held by a 44-year-old German woman.

Naomi is now 16, but her slim build makes her heavy lifts look even more incredible, and early on she gained the Supergirl nickname as a sweet description for a diminutive athlete. But the name has expanded into an intensely competitive alter ego for an otherwise shy and unassuming teenager.

“In school plays, I get stage fright, but I don’t have stage fright in powerlifting, even if I’m in front of hundreds of people,” said Naomi, whose modern Orthodox Jewish family follows strict religious rules.

While she must wear modest attire at her all-

girls Yeshiva in Teaneck, her powerlifting outfit includes a singlet and T-shirt, as well as colorfully striped knee socks, always mismatched, and bright red high-tops.

To work herself into an adrenaline-fueled zone of concentration at the recent Sunday competition, she paced behind the lifting area, with heavy metal blasting on her headphones.

“I hate it — I only listen to it before I lift,” said Naomi, who approaches the bar with yells, growls, staccato breathing and pumping arms. It is an unexpected preparatory ritual from a teenage girl who spends her weekdays studying the Talmud.

Naomi often competes alongside her 14-year-old brother, Ari, and their father, Ed Kutin, both of whom are also accomplished lifters. Her mother, Neshama, assumes the role of manager. During the recent competition, Ms. Kutin cheered on her family and joked about her superstrong children shirking chores.

“They’re lifting in the 300- to 350-pound range, but you should be there when I ask them to carry in the packages,” she said.

In truth, she said, they are helpful. Years ago, Naomi helped with the groceries by carrying a 60-pound bag of dog food out of the supermarket. A bystander called it too heavy a load for a child.

“I told him, ‘We’re fine, you have no idea who she is,’” Ms. Kutin recalled. As a child, Naomi was a standout in karate and could beat the local boys at push-ups and other strength exercises. Her father, a longtime powerlifter, asked her to join his

lifting workouts.“She said, ‘I

thought you’d never ask me,’” Ms. Kutin recalled.

The family ran it by their rabbi, since it is an unconventional activity for Orthodox girls. And then Naomi was off and lifting.

Too young for a gym membership, Naomi worked out with Mr. Kutin’s weights in the basement next to the washer and dryer.

Mr. Kutin taught Naomi basic techniques and grounded her in the rudiments of athletic motivation: the first three “Rocky” movies.

“We thought when she first started that it’d be a kid fad, that she’d quit within three months,” Ms. Kutin said recently as the family trained in their cramped basement.

On the wall was her hand-scrawled sign — “No Fear” — next to a Jewish calendar. (nytimes)

Naomi started lifting

competitively when she was 8 and quickly began setting national and

world records in adult powerlift-ing categories.

By 9, as a wispy 88-pounder

competing in the 97-pound weight class,

she squatted 215

pounds to break a world record held by a 44-year-old

German woman

Naomi Kutin

Monday, December 4, 2017 21SPORTS

India tighten grip after Kohli doubleNew Delhi

The drama that unfolded in the second session

of day two of the third Test match between India and Sri Lanka wasn’t a pretty sight. While Virat Kohli entertained the 15,000 strong yesterday crowd at the Feroz Shah Kotla with a marathon knock of 243, unfortunately the Indian skipper’s innings was overshadowed by the play being halted repeatedly owing to poor air quality in the area, which eventually led to India declaring their first innings prematurely at 536 for 7.

But India didn’t let up, snaring two quick wickets before Angelo Mathews (57*) kept one end tight to take Sri Lanka to 131 for three at stumps on day two, trailing India by 405 runs.

Before the start of day, all the talk was about Kohli scalping yet another milestone with a double century. It didn’t really matter that he was still 44 runs away - and it actually didn’t,

as Kohli surpassed Brian Lara as captain with most 200 plus scores in the first session for his sixth double century.

The Sri Lankan bowlers would have hoped to ride on the late momentum provided by Lakshan Sandakan who had scalped Murali Vijay and Ajinkya Rahane on day one, but all that hope was dashed by Rohit Sharma who scored at a fair clip to allow Kohli to settle. Kohli eventually reached the milestone pulling one to midwicket taking a couple to reach his sixth double century in just over 17 months, as India went past the 450-run mark. Soon after, Sharma got to his eighth Test fifty with a six over the bowler’s head.

But at the stroke of lunch, Sharma went after a wide one from Sandakan and the delivery took the bottom edge of the bat to wicketkeeper Niroshan Dickwella, handing the left-arm spinner his third wicket of

the match. The Kohli-Sharma association yielded 135 runs for the fifth wicket.

There was certain haze over the stadium right from the morning, but with the sun

not coming out in the post-lunch session, Sri Lanka players led by Chandimal protested to the on-field umpires Nigell Long and Joel W i l s o n a b o u t playing

conditions. It all started with SL players

taking to the field post-lunch wearing masks and

roughly after 30 minutes in to play, Gamage looked in trouble and play was halted for 13 minutes. Play resumed after the umpires got in to a huddle with

the skippers, but India lost Ravichandran A s h w i n

i m m e d i a t e l y . (TOI)

Brathwaite leads Windies battle for survivalWellington

Kraigg Brathwaite was eyeing his seventh

century as he led the West Indies survival effort after Tom Blundell’s debut ton put New Zealand in a seemingly unbeatable position in the first Test in Wellington yesterday.

Brathwaite was unbeaten on 79 as the tourists reached 214 for two at stumps on day three. Shai Hope was not out 21.

After trailing by 386 runs in the first innings, they still require a further 172 to make New Zealand bat again.

The target appeared monumental, but Brathwaite has the memory of the West Indies’ last tour of New Zealand to know it is not impossible.

In the first Test on the 2013 tour they were 396 in arrears when forced to follow on.

A Marlon Samuels double century took them to 507 in their second innings on the fifth day and New Zealand ran out of time chasing a target of 112 to win.

Brathwaite, who was on that tour but not required for that Test, played confidently against the New Zealand attack.

He featured in a 72-run partnership with Kieran Powell (40) for the first wicket, a 94-run stand with Shimron Hetmyer (66) for the second wicket and has added a further 48 with Hope.

- Expensive Wagner -Hetmyer, only 20 and playing just his fourth Test, easily bettered his previous best 25 against Pakistan seven months ago.

Matt Henry, who toiled without success in the West Indies first innings, took both wickets while first innings destroyer Neil Wagner proved expensive with none for 89.

After 19 wickets fell on the first two days of the Test, there were only two on day three as the wicket browned off from the green cover on day one when the West Indies were rolled for 134 in their first innings.

However there were signs in the final hour that the wicket was starting to take turn which would put more focus on spinners for the remainder of the game.

New Zealand resumed the day at 447-9 and added 73 runs before declaring shortly before lunch with Blundell celebrating his call up to the New Zealand Test team with an unbeaten 107 on debut.

He took 10 off the opening over of the day by Miguel Cummins and continued to pile on the pressure for another 21.4 overs while Boult staunchly defied his tail-end status to hold up the other end. (AFP)

BRIEF SCOREWest Indies 134 and 214 for 2 (Brathwaite 79*, Hetmyer 66, Hope 21*) trail New Zealand 520 for 9 dec. (Blundell 107*, de Grandhomme 105, Taylor 93, Nicholls 67) by 172 runs

Shaun Marsh puts Australia in control Adelaide

England face a battle to stay in the second Ashes Test

after a Shaun Marsh century put Australia in command on day two in Adelaide.

Marsh ended on 126 not out, taking Australia to 442-8 declared with the help of Tim Paine (57) and Pat Cummins (44).

England spent 149 overs in the field after winning the toss and when they came to bat, facing an Australia attack

armed with a pink ball under the floodlights, it seemed like a recipe for the top order to be blown away.

The tourists lost Mark Stoneman, lbw to Mitchell Starc for 18, before rain arrived to wipe almost 19 overs off the day.

England closed on 29-1, 413 behind, with Alastair Cook on 11 and James Vince yet to score.

With Australia 1-0 up after a 10-wicket win in Brisbane, it is no exaggeration to say England’s hopes of retaining the Ashes are already under huge threat, especially as the next Test comes in Perth, where England have not won since 1978.

This Test, the first day-

nighter in Ashes history, was earmarked as a must-win for England in their bid to defend the urn.

The pink ball, floodlights and often-wet weather seemed ideal to be exploited by the likes of James Anderson and Stuart Broad.

But after Joe Root became the first captain in 25 years to field first at the Adelaide Oval, England bowled poorly on day one and paid the price on day two. Though England improved on their first-day display, they spent most of Sunday in the field. (BBC)

BRIEF SCOREEngland 1 for 29 (Cook 11*, Vince 0*) trail Australia 8 for 442 dec (Marsh 126*, Paine 57, Khawaja 53, Overton 3-105) by 413 runs

BRIEF SCORESri Lanka 131 for 3 (Mathews 57*, Chandimal 25*) trail India 536 for 7 dec (Kohli 243, Vijay 155, Rohit 65, Sandakan 4-167) by 405 runs

Virat Kohli plays a shot (Picture courtesy: newindianexpress)

Kraigg Brathwaite plays a shot

Shawn Marsh plays a shot


India tighten grip after Kohli doubleNew Delhi

The drama that unfolded in the second session

of day two of the third Test match between India and Sri Lanka wasn’t a pretty sight. While Virat Kohli entertained the 15,000 strong yesterday crowd at the Feroz Shah Kotla with a marathon knock of 243, unfortunately the Indian skipper’s innings was overshadowed by the play being halted repeatedly owing to poor air quality in the area, which eventually led to India declaring their first innings prematurely at 536 for 7.

But India didn’t let up, snaring two quick wickets before Angelo Mathews (57*) kept one end tight to take Sri Lanka to 131 for three at stumps on day two, trailing India by 405 runs.

Before the start of day, all the talk was about Kohli scalping yet another milestone with a double century. It didn’t really matter that he was still 44 runs away - and it actually didn’t,

as Kohli surpassed Brian Lara as captain with most 200 plus scores in the first session for his sixth double century.

The Sri Lankan bowlers would have hoped to ride on the late momentum provided by Lakshan Sandakan who had scalped Murali Vijay and Ajinkya Rahane on day one, but all that hope was dashed by Rohit Sharma who scored at a fair clip to allow Kohli to settle. Kohli eventually reached the milestone pulling one to midwicket taking a couple to reach his sixth double century in just over 17 months, as India went past the 450-run mark. Soon after, Sharma got to his eighth Test fifty with a six over the bowler’s head.

But at the stroke of lunch, Sharma went after a wide one from Sandakan and the delivery took the bottom edge of the bat to wicketkeeper Niroshan Dickwella, handing the left-arm spinner his third wicket of

the match. The Kohli-Sharma association yielded 135 runs for the fifth wicket.

There was certain haze over the stadium right from the morning, but with the sun

not coming out in the post-lunch session, Sri Lanka players led by Chandimal protested to the on-field umpires Nigell Long and Joel W i l s o n a b o u t playing

conditions. It all started with SL players

taking to the field post-lunch wearing masks and

roughly after 30 minutes in to play, Gamage looked in trouble and play was halted for 13 minutes. Play resumed after the umpires got in to a huddle with

the skippers, but India lost Ravichandran A s h w i n

i m m e d i a t e l y . (TOI)

Brathwaite leads Windies battle for survivalWellington

Kraigg Brathwaite was eyeing his seventh

century as he led the West Indies survival effort after Tom Blundell’s debut ton put New Zealand in a seemingly unbeatable position in the first Test in Wellington yesterday.

Brathwaite was unbeaten on 79 as the tourists reached 214 for two at stumps on day three. Shai Hope was not out 21.

After trailing by 386 runs in the first innings, they still require a further 172 to make New Zealand bat again.

The target appeared monumental, but Brathwaite has the memory of the West Indies’ last tour of New Zealand to know it is not impossible.

In the first Test on the 2013 tour they were 396 in arrears when forced to follow on.

A Marlon Samuels double century took them to 507 in their second innings on the fifth day and New Zealand ran out of time chasing a target of 112 to win.

Brathwaite, who was on that tour but not required for that Test, played confidently against the New Zealand attack.

He featured in a 72-run partnership with Kieran Powell (40) for the first wicket, a 94-run stand with Shimron Hetmyer (66) for the second wicket and has added a further 48 with Hope.

- Expensive Wagner -Hetmyer, only 20 and playing just his fourth Test, easily bettered his previous best 25 against Pakistan seven months ago.

Matt Henry, who toiled without success in the West Indies first innings, took both wickets while first innings destroyer Neil Wagner proved expensive with none for 89.

After 19 wickets fell on the first two days of the Test, there were only two on day three as the wicket browned off from the green cover on day one when the West Indies were rolled for 134 in their first innings.

However there were signs in the final hour that the wicket was starting to take turn which would put more focus on spinners for the remainder of the game.

New Zealand resumed the day at 447-9 and added 73 runs before declaring shortly before lunch with Blundell celebrating his call up to the New Zealand Test team with an unbeaten 107 on debut.

He took 10 off the opening over of the day by Miguel Cummins and continued to pile on the pressure for another 21.4 overs while Boult staunchly defied his tail-end status to hold up the other end. (AFP)

BRIEF SCOREWest Indies 134 and 214 for 2 (Brathwaite 79*, Hetmyer 66, Hope 21*) trail New Zealand 520 for 9 dec. (Blundell 107*, de Grandhomme 105, Taylor 93, Nicholls 67) by 172 runs

Shaun Marsh puts Australia in control Adelaide

England face a battle to stay in the second Ashes Test

after a Shaun Marsh century put Australia in command on day two in Adelaide.

Marsh ended on 126 not out, taking Australia to 442-8 declared with the help of Tim Paine (57) and Pat Cummins (44).

England spent 149 overs in the field after winning the toss and when they came to bat, facing an Australia attack

armed with a pink ball under the floodlights, it seemed like a recipe for the top order to be blown away.

The tourists lost Mark Stoneman, lbw to Mitchell Starc for 18, before rain arrived to wipe almost 19 overs off the day.

England closed on 29-1, 413 behind, with Alastair Cook on 11 and James Vince yet to score.

With Australia 1-0 up after a 10-wicket win in Brisbane, it is no exaggeration to say England’s hopes of retaining the Ashes are already under huge threat, especially as the next Test comes in Perth, where England have not won since 1978.

This Test, the first day-

nighter in Ashes history, was earmarked as a must-win for England in their bid to defend the urn.

The pink ball, floodlights and often-wet weather seemed ideal to be exploited by the likes of James Anderson and Stuart Broad.

But after Joe Root became the first captain in 25 years to field first at the Adelaide Oval, England bowled poorly on day one and paid the price on day two. Though England improved on their first-day display, they spent most of Sunday in the field. (BBC)

BRIEF SCOREEngland 1 for 29 (Cook 11*, Vince 0*) trail Australia 8 for 442 dec (Marsh 126*, Paine 57, Khawaja 53, Overton 3-105) by 413 runs

BRIEF SCORESri Lanka 131 for 3 (Mathews 57*, Chandimal 25*) trail India 536 for 7 dec (Kohli 243, Vijay 155, Rohit 65, Sandakan 4-167) by 405 runs

Virat Kohli plays a shot (Picture courtesy: newindianexpress)

Kraigg Brathwaite plays a shot

Shawn Marsh plays a shot

Monday, December 4, 2017 SPORTS22

McGregor’s coach Kavanagh praisesEgypt’s Ahmed AmirManama

John Kavanagh has issued an appreciation supporting

Ahmed Amir, from the lightweight division of Brave Combat Federation. John Kavanagh is the head trainer and mentor of UFC champion and MMA superstar, Conor McGregor.

Ahmed Amir scored a historic victory against Erik Carlsson at Brave 9: The Kingdom of Champions. Ahmed Amir is from Egypt but trains at Kuwait. Earlier this year Ahmed had visited KHK MMA gym in Bahrain.

Kavanagh was in Bahrain as a coach and a guest during the 2017 Brave International Combat Week. In his previous fight, Ahmed defeated Kevin Koldobsky by way of technical submission. Kevin also trains alongside Conor McGregor at SBG Ireland under the veteran coach John Kavanagh.

“Ahmed Amir showed amazing heart and

determination. Erik Carlsson also deserves appreciation, his battle with Amir was the show’s best fight,” mentioned Kavanagh.

Coach Kavanagh’s words were just one of the many compliments Amir had received after winning a post-fight performance bonus. Ahmed

Amir had already declared that he will focus on his growth in the sport to ultimately reach out to become the champion at Brave Combat Federation.

Woods struggles as bogeys slow his comebackBahamas

A troublesome start dominated by bogeys

proved costly for Tiger Woods as he struggled to a three-over par 75 in the third round of the Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas on Saturday.

After two strong rounds put the former world number one in contention for his first win since 2013, Woods recorded four of his five bogeys in the first seven holes to slip to 10th at four-under 212, 10 strokes behind leader Charley Hoffman.

Woods, in his first tournament in nearly 10 months following spinal fusion surgery, said he had some bad breaks on Saturday and that his game was better than his

scorecard suggested.“Anything I did right

ended up in a bad spot, then everything I did wrong, it was really bad,” Woods told NBC television.

”I’ve got to keep fighting and that is one thing I have always done in my entire career. That’s keep fighting and try and post the best number I possibly could. “I really didn’t feel I was that far off. That’s the crazy part ... I just ended up in bad spots after good shots.”

Only in the closing five holes, where Woods twice had birdies and narrowly missed a third at the last, did the 41-year-old show he could again be a factor at the elite 18-man event that features eight of the world’s top 10. (Reuters)

Jenson Button to race Super GT series in Japan next yearLondon

Jenson Button will drive in the Super GT series in Japan next year, his first

full-time drive since 2016.Button appeared to have retired from

F1 after a disappointing final season with McLaren, when he achieved a best finishing position of sixth.

But the Brit stayed on as a reserve driver and replaced Fernando Alonso at the Monaco Grand Prix when the Spaniard opted to drive the famous Indy 500 instead.

Button always insisted he would return to motor racing, even though he did not want to get back into an F1 car, and has now made his decision about next year.

“I’ll be racing for Honda and have a contract to race with Honda in Super GT in 2018,” Button said.

“It’s been a dream for the last couple of years, I love the category.

“I did one race in Suzuka this year, and it got me very excited.

“I’m very excited about the new season. There’s a lot of testing to be done to feel comfortable and hopefully improve the package and go out next year and be

competitive.”Button drove for Team Mugen in the

GT500 series at Suzuka in 2017, finishing 12th, but there has been no confirmation

of whether he will rejoin the team who have previously supplied Honda engines to F1 before pulling out in 2000. (express.co.uk)

Ferrari warns F1: Take our quit threat seriouslyLondon

Ferrari chairman Sergio Marchionne insists the

Italian company is serious about its threat to withdraw from Formula One if Liberty Media does not change its plans for the sport’s immediate future.

Ferrari issued the warning in early November after Liberty outlined its blueprint for the next cycle of engine regulations, set to start in 2021. The sport’s new owners, who took control in early 2017, are believed to be considering ways to redistribute prize money among F1’s teams, while also looking at how to enforce a cost cap to address the c u r r e n t disparity in

performance between teams on the grid.

At the time, Marchionne questioned whether Liberty Media’s plans were in line with F1’s DNA, saying: “If we change the sandbox to the point where it becomes an unrecognisable sandbox, I don’t want to play anymore.”

Though Ferrari’s sister brand Alfa Romeo has just confirmed its return to Formula One next year as

title sponsor for Sauber, Marchionne says it would be unwise for people to underestimate

his original declaration.

(espn.in)

Ahmed Amir at KHK MMA Gym in Bahrain

Sergio Marchionne

Tiger Woods

Jenson Button (file pic)


© GRAPHIC NEWS

GROUP C

GROUP E GROUP F

FranceAustraliaPeruDenmark

BrazilSwitzerlandCosta RicaSerbia

GermanyMexicoSwedenSouth Korea

BelgiumPanamaTunisiaEngland

GROUP G

GROUP DArgentinaIcelandCroatiaNigeria

PolandSenegalColombiaJapan

GROUP H

RUSSIA, JUNE 14 - JULY 15

Venue VenueJun/Jul JulROUND OF 16Sochi

KazanMoscow

Nizhny

303011

A1C1B1D1

----

B2D2A2C2

Source: FIFAWORLD CUP FINALSunday, July 15 Luzhniki Stadium, Moscow

1234

ROUND OF 16Samara

Rostov-on-DonSaint Petersburg

Moscow

2233

E1G1F1H1

----

F2H2E2G2

5678

Jul JulQUARTER-FINALSNizhnyKazanSochi

Samara

6677

W1W5W3W7

----

W2W6W4W8

1234

SEMI-FINALSSaint Petersburg

Moscow1011

W1W3

--

W2W4

THIRD-PLACE PLAY-OFFSaint Petersburg14

12

GROUP A GROUP BRussiaSaudi ArabiaEgyptUruguay

PortugalSpainMoroccoIran

Utd win Arsenal thriller

Umtiti sidelined for eight weeksBarcelona

Barcelona will be without centre back Samuel Umtiti for eight weeks, the La Liga leaders said on Saturday, after the France

international tore a hamstring in the 2-2 draw with Celta Vigo, meaning he will miss the game at Real Madrid on Dec. 23.

Umtiti’s injury means Barca will have to rely on the injury-prone Thomas Vermaelen to partner Gerard Pique until Javier Mascherano returns from a hamstring problem midway through December.

Vermaelen, who came on to replace Umtiti against Celta, has only started one league game this season.

Umtiti sustained the injury at a crucial stage of the game as he tried to keep up with Celta forward Iago Aspas, who raced towards goal unchallenged to lay on a pass for Maxi Gomez to equalise in the 70th minute.

“Losing Samuel right now is a big loss, he was in excellent form,” said Barca coach Ernesto Valverde.

“The injury cost us the goal, it was an accumulation of catastrophes, conceding the equaliser and the injury.” (Reuters)

Real Madrid held to draw

Barcelona

Sergio Ramos was sent off for a record 19th time in La

Liga as Real Madrid drew 0-0 Athletic Bilbao and failed to take advantage of Barcelona’s earlier slip.

Real remain eight points behind Barcelona, who were held 2-2 by Celta Vigo at the Camp Nou earlier in the day.

Karim Benzema and Cristiano Ronaldo both hit the woodwork but Bilbao stood firm to the delight of the San Mames crowd.

As frustration continued to

grow in Real ranks, skipper Ramos -- who was cautioned in the first half -- was sent off four minutes from time for a rash challenge on Aritz Aduriz.

It was the 24th time in all competitions that Ramos has seen a red card in his career.

Real named the same side that had beaten Juventus in the Champions League final in June. But Real’s sparkle has faded since that memorable night in Cardiff and Ronaldo and company were unable to break down stubborn Bilbao hosts. (espn.in)

London

Jesse Lingard scored twice but Paul Pogba was sent

off as Manchester United beat Arsenal 3-1 in a breathless match at the Emirates Stadium.

United were ahead after only four minutes when Laurent Koscienly’s crossfield pass was cut out by Antonio Valencia, who played a one-two with Pogba and beat Petr Cech.

Arsenal’s Alexis Sanchez saw a free kick blocked before the visitors doubled their advantage after only 11 minutes.

This time, Romelu Lukaku stole the ball from Shkodran Mustafi, who wanted too much time, and played a pass to Anthony Martial, whose flick freed Lingard to finish low into the corner.

Mustafi had to be substituted after picking up a

knock in that incident, with Alex Iwobi coming on, and Arsenal were soon under pressure again when Lukaku found space out wide but Nacho Monreal cleared.

The home side almost found a way back into the game with 20 minutes gone when, from a corner, Alexandre Lacazette saw his effort roll agonisingly wide of the post.

With the half-hour approaching, Mesut Ozil dinked a free kick towards the far post where Ashley Young cleared off the line, and two minutes later Lacazette came even closer when, after De Gea had saved his first shot, his second hit keeper and then bar.

Granit Xhaka picked up the pieces only for his sidefooted effort to fly fractionally wide, and with three minutes of the first half remaining Aaron Ramsey was denied by a

superb Nemanja Matic block.There was still time for De

Gea to make another great save before the half was over, tipping away one-handed after the ball cannoned off Lukaku following an Arsenal free kick.

But less than five minutes into the second period, Arsenal had the goal their pressure deserved, Lacazette lashing in after Sanchez and Ramsey had opened up the United defence.

Back came United, who were within an ace of restoring their two-goal lead when Cech made a fine save to deny Lingard, the ball looping back off a post and Arsenal breaking to fashion a chance for Iwobi that De Gea stopped.

After 56 minutes Arsenal looked certain to level when Lacazette’s low shot was superbly saved by De Gea

and Sanchez, following up, was somehow denied by the keeper.

But seven minutes later United were two clear again, Pogba played in on the right by Lingard and going past Laurent Koscielny to square for Lingard, running on, to tap home.

With 67 minutes on the clock, United boss Jose Mourinho made his first change, bringing on Ander Herrera for Anthony Martial, while Arsene Wenger brought on former United forward Danny Welbeck for Granit Xhaka.

After 74 minutes, his and Arsenal’s hopes were boosted when Pogba was shown a straight red card for a stamp on Hector Bellerin, who had fouled Ashley Young moments earlier, ruling him out of the forthcoming Manchester derby. (espn.in)

Manchester United’s Jesse Lingard

Highlight from Real Madrid v Athletico Bilbao match

Manchester

Manchester City left it late for the third

game in a row as they beat West Ham United 2-1 at the Etihad Stadium thanks to David Silva’s strike and extended their Premier League lead.

City’s winning run in the division now stands at 13

games, equalling the record set

by Chelsea in 2016-17 and

Arsenal in 2001-02,

a n d

saw them re-establish an eight-point advantage.

The leaders all but monopolised possession in the early stages and, after they had worked a short corner, Raheem Sterling appealed in vain for a penalty after going to ground inside the area. Fabian Delph ventured forward to fire in an optimistic effort from range that was blocked before, with five minutes gone, Eliaquim Mangala headed over from a corner.

City had shown vulnerability from set pieces in their narrow home win over Southampton and did so again when a West Ham corner was flicked on but turned over the top by the stretching Michail Antonio.

Back at the other end, Kevin De Bruyne found Silva, but he was unable to pick out Leroy Sane inside the area.

But West Ham were getting the ball into the City box when they could, a low Arthur Masuaku cross eluding Antonio and being gathered by

home keeper Ederson.With 25 minutes gone, De Bruyne

and Delph created a shooting chance for Silva, whose 25-yarder demanded

the game’s first real save from Adrian.Sterling then fired well over from

outside the box as one or two signs of frustration began to show among Guardiola’s players.

Ten minutes before the break City had another scare when Manuel Lanzini thumped an angled shot that was pushed around the post by Ederson. But David Moyes’ side were looking comfortable against a strangely lethargic home side who were struggling to find a spark.

The visitors were forced into a substitution just before the break when Cheikhou Kouyate, who looked to have pulled a muscle, was replaced by Diafra Sakho.

But they took the lead on the stroke of half time when City’s problems at corners were exploited as Cresswell’s bending cross was headed powerfully in by Angelo Ogbonna.

Guardiola made a half-time change, replacing Danilo with Gabriel Jesus, but it was the Hammers who had the first attempt of the second period when Masuaku’s bouncing effort was gathered by Ederson. (espn.in)

SPORTS

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Utd win Arsenal thrillerP23

City leave it late to beat West Ham

Manchester City’s David Silva acrobatically puts City 2-1 ahead (Picture courtesy: theguardian)

Manchester City’s David Silva celebrates (Picture courtesy: theguardian)

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