SUBSCRIPTION WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2015 SAFAR 6, 1437 AH www.kuwaittimes.net US ambassador Attacks revive Charlie Sheen Qatar first lavishes praise debate on admits he is to qualify on US-Kuwaiti encryption, HIV positive to for Asian Cup, relations4 surveillance27 stop37 blackmail Iran20 win 5 killed as rains, flash Min 16º Max 27º floods hit Saudi coast High Tide 02:29 & 17:08 Low Tide Residents urged to stay indoors; schools closed 10:10 & 22:18 40 PAGES NO: 16701 150 FILS RIYADH: Severe weather along Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea coast claimed five lives yesterday, including three chil- Kuwait rules dren who drowned, and closed schools and universities, the country’s Civil Defense said. An 11-year-old child pave way for drowned in the western province of Yanbu, apparently due to a valley flooding. Another child, whose age was not disclosed, died after being swept by floodwaters in more sukuk the northwestern province of Hail. A third child was confirmed dead after drowning in area on the outskirts LONDON: New rules from the Capital Market of Jeddah, the Civil Defense authority said. Two other Authority of Kuwait (CMA) could reinvigorate the people died when they were electrocuted by a lamp- country’s stalled sukuk market and open the door post in the coastal city. for issuance by corporations in 2016, Fitch Ratings Civil Defense rescue crews are searching for another says. But it is uncertain how the rules will be child that is missing in Hail, while a third was rescued received by issuers and investors and how effective from a flooded valley there. “We are all pained today by the implementation will be. The lack of a special- the loss of our children’s lives in accidents and various ized legal framework for sukuk has been a key fac- areas after being swept away by the floodwaters,” the tor in the limited issuance in Kuwait over the past civil defense authority said in a tweet. A picture posted few years and the new rules could therefore be a by the agency showed water over the wheels of cars in significant step. They provide a broad framework, one Jeddah location, but elsewhere it covered only the setting out general terms and structure of sukuk, feet of firefighters. The government urged Jeddah resi- requirements for appointing trustees and setting dents to stay home, and gave children there a day off up special purpose vehicles as well as rules on gov- school yesterday and today. ernance and ensuring sharia compliance. “The next few hours will see more moderate rains in There are requirements for a credit rating for public issuance and the need for approval by the Jeddah and its northern areas,” said Hussein Al-Qahtani, CMA and the Central Bank of Kuwait. The rules also a weather department spokesman. Even heavier rains cover perpetual sukuk issuances and update fell in the northwestern city of Tabuk, near Jordan, Kuwait’s regime for traditional bond issuance. As where 46 mm were recorded since Monday, Qahtani well as the lack of a regulatory regime, corporate said. Following cool winds, moderate to heavy rains sukuk issuance has also been limited due to the would today move east to the Riyadh region and other sector’s heavy reliance on bank lending, helped by areas, he told Al-Ekhbaria television news channel. strong liquidity. Floods killed 123 people in Jeddah in 2009, and about 10 people two years later. Continued on Page 13 JEDDAH: A man pushes his car in floodwaters following heavy rainfall in this Saudi port city yesterday. — AFP Continued on Page 13 GCC expresses solidarity with France France, Russia hit IS • Moscow confirms bomb downed jet RIYADH/PARIS/MOSCOW: Gulf foreign tion,” said GCC Secretary General ministers expressed solidarity with Abdullatif Al-Zayani. Sports tribunal France yesterday after attacks claimed by The statement came at a ministerial the Islamic State group killed at least 129 meeting to prepare for the GCC’s annual rejects Kuwait people in Paris. “The ministers affirmed summit in December. The GCC includes the support of the Gulf Cooperation the monarchies of Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Council to France and her friendly people the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait shooting appeal at this difficult moment,” the six-nation and Oman. Since Sept 2014, French war- bloc’s secretary general said in a state- planes based in the Gulf have been flying IOC slams interference ment after a meeting in the Saudi capital. missions against the extremist Islamic LAUSANNE: The international sports tribunal yester- Friday’s shootings and suicide blasts “will State group in Iraq. France extended its day dismissed accusations made by a Kuwaiti chal- only reinforce the determination of attacks on IS to Syria in September this lenger when longstanding International Shooting France and the entire world to continue year. Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the UAE Federation (ISSF) president Olegario Vazquez Rana to combat terrorism and uproot these also carried out air strikes against IS in won reelection in 2014. Sheikh Salman Al-Sabah, organizations hostile to human civiliza- Continued on Page 13 KUWAIT: Oil Minister Ali Al-Omair (left) speaks to Prime Minister HH Sheikh Kuwait’s Information Minister and former head of the Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah during a session at the National Assembly yester- Asian Shooting Confederation, had alleged “a number day. — Photo by Yasser Al-Zayyat of violations” when Mexican Rana won the vote, said a Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) statement. But a CAS panel “was unable to find sufficient evi- Nod to more incentives dence that the rule violations alleged by Sheikh Salman took place, and in addition, could not find any indication of how certain alleged failures could have for special needs people affected, or did affect, the validity of the election.” Rana, an 80-year-old business tycoon and former By B Izzak ate studies can continue to receive the Olympic competitor, has led the international shoot- assistance until the age of 45. ing federation since 1980 and is also a longstanding KUWAIT: The National Assembly yester- Another amendment stipulates to cut International Olympic Committee member. Sheikh day approved several amendments to the service period for disabled people to Salman was an ISSF vice president when he sought to the law governing people with special be allowed to seek retirement to 15 years oust Rana in the vote in Dec 2014. Shooting is one of needs, granting them more financial and for males and just 10 years for females. The the most popular sports in Kuwait. other incentives. The new amendments pension for retired disabled people can be Separately, the IOC athletes’ commission has con- stipulate granting such people a monthly as high as 100 percent of their last salary. demned attempts by Kuwaiti authorities to prevent assistance of not less than KD 300 per During the debate, MPs called for adopt- athletes from competing in qualifying events for next month, according to the degree of their ing stringent measures to examine people RIYADH: Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Adel Al-Jubeir (center) and Abdullatif year’s Olympics. Kuwait’s national Olympic committee Al-Zayani (right) Secretary General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) escort disability, until the age of 21. People who for disability and to apply penalties in the was suspended by the IOC last month for government continue their university studies will law against those who illegally receive Kuwait’s Foreign Minister Sheikh Sabah Al-Khalid Al-Sabah (left) and Qatari interference. Foreign Minister Khalid Al-Attiyah (second right) upon their arrival to attend the enjoy the assistance until the age of 28. benefits intended for disabled people. Continued on Page 13 Disabled people who go for postgradu- Continued on Page 13 ordinary meeting of 137th session of the GCC yesterday. — AFP Iran army simulates response to IS attack TEHRAN: Iran’s army conducted exercises yesterday Muslims who denounce Shiites as apostates. close to its border with Afghanistan designed to simulate On Monday, General Ahmad Reza Pourdastan, the how it would respond if “terrorist groups” such as the army’s head of ground forces, announced the 40 kilo- Islamic State organization mounted an attack. The opera- metre limit on the borders with Iraq and Afghanistan, tion in the northeastern province of Khorasan came a day which if breached would trigger action. “We have after a military commander said IS would be “neutralized” strongly warned that if any action is taken (by IS), it will if it breached a 40 km zone approaching Iran’s borders. face a decisive response from Iranian armed forces and Tanks, helicopters and planes took part in yesterday’s we will do the same in Afghanistan,” Pourdastan said. manoeuvres, the ISNA news agency reported. “Before the enemy reaches borders, its actions will be The exercise followed IS attacks that killed 129 people neutralized.” in Paris last week. “One aim of the exercise was to practice His comments came after Iraq’s Foreign Minister Ibrahim methods and means to confront the possible actions of Al-Jaafari said intelligence sources showed Iran was among terrorist groups at the borders,” said General Amir Reza countries IS planned to attack. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Azarban, an army commander in the province. Iran, the Corps, which is independent of the army, has advisory mis- TORBAT-E-JAM, Iran: A general view shows an explosion as Iranian soldiers participate in military manoeu- major Shiite power in the Middle East, is heavily involved sions in Iraq and Syria at the invitation of the Baghdad and vres on the outskirts of this northeastern Iranian town near Mashhad yesterday.