SUBSCRIPTION TUESDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2016 MUHARRAM 17, 1438 AH www.kuwaittimes.net Kuwaiti explorer Austria to Aleppo to the Westbrook, to participate in tear down Ivy League: Adams power trips to North, Hitler’s Doctor preps Thunder past South Poles4 birth house7 for14 end of war Timberwolves17 Election fever grips Kuwait as Min 19º snap elections set for Nov 26 Max 39º High Tide 00:27 & 13:35 Political groups, tribes to name candidates soon Low Tide 07:18 & 19:33 40 PAGES NO: 17023 150 FILS By B Izzak Iraq forces launch Mosul offensive KUWAIT: Snap National Assembly elections will be held on Nov 26, according to a decision by the Cabinet yes- AL-SHURA, Iraq: Iraqi forces advanced yesterday after terday, a day after HH the Amir dissolved the Assembly launching an offensive aimed at retaking Mosul and over a row over the hike in petrol prices. The Cabinet’s dealing a death blow to the Islamic State group’s decision will be issued in an Amiri decree and published “caliphate” in the city where it was declared two years in the official gazette Kuwait Al-Youm to signal the start ago. The start of the long-awaited assault raised deep of the 40-day election campaign to elect 50 new mem- concerns for hundreds of thousands of civilians bers to the Assembly. trapped in Iraq’s second-largest city, with aid groups Under the election law, the Amiri decree must be warning of a massive humanitarian crisis. published in the official gazette at least one month Some 30,000 federal forces are leading the offen- before the election date. Registration of candidates sive, backed by air and ground support from a 60- will start after the publication for 10 days, and with- nation US-led coalition, in what is expected to be a drawal from the race will remain open until four days long and difficult assault on IS’ last major Iraqi strong- before the election date. Candidates must be Kuwaiti hold. Iraqi forces could be seen readying weapons citizens by birth and at least 30 years of age on the day and ammunitions as columns of armored vehicles of the polls. headed towards Mosul from the town of Al-Shura, Almost all outgoing Assembly members are expect- some 45 km south of the city. ed to seek reelection. So far, only Salafist MP The Pentagon described the operation as a “deci- Abdulrahman Al-Jeeran said he is not contesting sive moment” in the fight against IS but the US-led because the Salafist group has unanimously elected ex- coalition’s top commander warned it could last weeks minister and former lawmaker Ahmad Baqer to contest or more. Iraqi Prime Minister Haider Al-Abadi in the second constituency. The three Cabinet ministers announced the beginning of the assault in a televised who are elected MPs - Public Works Minister Ali Al- address in the early hours of yesterday. “Today I Omair, Communications and Municipality Minister Essa declare the start of these victorious operations to free Al-Kandari and Awqaf and Justice Minister Yaqoub Al- you from the violence and terrorism of Daesh (IS),” Sane - submitted their resignations in order to be able Abadi said. IS seized control of large parts of Iraq and to contest the polls. Their resignations were accepted neighboring Syria in mid-2014, declaring a cross-bor- by the Cabinet. Under Kuwaiti law, the 16-member der “caliphate” and committing widespread atrocities. Cabinet must include at least one elected member from The militants have suffered a string of territorial the Assembly. defeats this year in both countries, and the retaking of This year’s election is expected to attract huge atten- Mosul would all but end the group’s presence in Iraq tion and witness heated races after many opposition as a land-holding force. Iraqi forces have been closing groups said they will field candidates after boycotting in on Mosul in recent weeks but the battle launched the previous two polls in protest against the change in yesterday could be the toughest yet in the fight the voting system. The Islamic Constitutional against IS. KHAZER, Iraq: Kurdish security forces take up a position as they fight overlooking Islamic State-controlled Movement, the Kuwaiti arm of the Muslim Brotherhood, Continued on Page 13 villages surrounding Mosul yesterday. — AP said it will name its candidates this week. Continued on Page 13 News Russia announces brief Aleppo truce in brief Court to look into Air strikes flatten buildings • EU warns of ‘war crimes’ DNA law Dec 21 ALEPPO: Russia yesterday announced an needed to be longer to allow the deliv- KUWAIT: The Constitutional Court yesterday set Dec 21 as eight-hour “humanitarian” ceasefire in ery of humanitarian aid. In the latest vio- the date to look into constitutional challenges to the DNA Aleppo later this week, as the EU warned lence, dozens of civilians including 12 Envoy: Top Filipino drug law. On June 13, the court received challenges to the law that the Syrian regime’s Moscow-backed members of the same family were killed from citizens questioning the constitutionality of the bill. assault on the city could amount to war in heavy bombardment of rebel-held On July 1, 2015, the National Assembly passed the 13-arti- crimes. The United Nations and European eastern sectors of the embattled city, a kingpin arrested in UAE cle law making DNA testing mandatory for all people in Union welcomed the announcement, monitoring group said. DUBAI: A man named by Philippines’ Espinosa and his father had been Kuwait, with the aim of establishing a comprehensive data- but said the planned pause in fighting Continued on Page 13 base to be used to identify criminals and terrorists. People president as a major drug kingpin was warned by Philippines President who refuse to take the test face a jail term of a maximum of arrested in the capital of the United Rodrigo Duterte they faced potentially one year and a fine of up to KD 10,000, or one of the two Arab Emirates after apparently fleeing being shot on sight if they didn’t turn penalties. According to Article 11, the law applies to citi- his country, a Filipino diplomat said themselves in. zens, expats and anybody who enters the country. yesterday. Rolando “Kerwin” Espinosa Jr It’s part of Duterte’s deadly crack- was arrested Sunday night in an apart- down on illegal drugs in his southeast ment in Abu Dhabi, Ambassador Asian country that’s seen more than Kuwait among 24 teams in Constancio Vingno Jr told AP. Abu 1,300 suspects killed in gunbattles Asian football cup draw Dhabi investigators used intelligence with police - an average of 36 killings a KUWAIT: Kuwait is among 24 football teams in the gathered by the Philippine National day since he took office on June 30. draw for the qualifying rounds of the Asian Football Police to locate Espinosa, Vingno said. Human rights group criticize the cam- Confederation’s (AFC) Asian Football Cup, the Kuwait He said that his country hopes to extra- paign as condoning extrajudicial Football Association (KFA) said. In a press statement dite Espinosa soon. killings. Vingno said it was unclear if released yesterday, the association said it received an Filipino media quoted local police anyone else would face charges over official statement from the AFC on teams participat- as saying an overseas Filipino worker Espinosa hiding in the UAE. Emirati ing in the final qualifying rounds to be held in the tipped off authorities. An Interpol red officials did not immediately comment UAE in 2019. The Kuwaiti team was among the best notice for Espinosa, the son of a mayor on his arrest. However, Vingno stressed third-place winners, said KFA. AFC will announce the also accused of being a drug kingpin, that Espinosa’s arrest shouldn’t be tak- time of the draw later, the statement added. says he is wanted on drug and en as a stain on the reputation of the ALEPPO: Members of the Syrian Civil Defense, known as the White Helmets, carry the weapons charges. It wasn’t clear if he 600,000 Filipinos working across the body of a girl dug out from the rubble of a destroyed building following air strikes in had a lawyer. Vingno said Espinosa UAE. “It should not reflect on the peo- Finance ministry to only hadn’t requested consular assistance. ple we are,” he said. — AP use e-stamps from Dec the rebel-held Qatarji neighborhood of this northern Syrian city yesterday.— AFP DUBAI: Kuwait’s Ministry of Finance will stop dealing with traditional stamps and change to electronic ones from December, a step in line with the ministry’s goal to mod- Trump ramps up voter fraud ernize all financial services and transactions, the ministry’s Undersecretary Khalifa Hamada said yesterday. The offi- claim, slams women accusers cial’s statement to KUNA came during his participation at GITEX Technology Week in Dubai. Hamada added that the WASHINGTON: Republican candidate a number of Republicans over his allega- new electronic system will be applied with best standards Donald Trump said yesterday he expected tions of election fraud. Some of them have and will facilitate data extraction. The ministry is going widespread voter fraud in the Nov 8 US urged him publicly to show proof or drop ahead with some other projects, namely the state’s unified presidential election, ramping up his warn- the assertions. Early voting and voting by electronic payment systems that aim at collecting fines ing of a rigged election without providing mail have begun in many states.