SUBSCRIPTION MONDAY, DECEMBER 12, 2016 RABI AL-AWWAL 13, 1438 AH www.kuwaittimes.net Russia Syrian army At least 160 Kuwait Times new tourist advances in killed as infographic: hotspot for Aleppo, loses Nigeria church NBA Power Kuwaitis Palmyra to IS collapses Rankings 4Amir tells8 new11 Assembly18 Min 06º spending cuts inevitable Max 17º High Tide 10:55 & 22:01 Ghanem reelected speaker, Kandari deputy • Opposition shut out Low Tide 04:25 & 16:18 40 PAGES NO: 17078 150 FILS KUWAIT: HH the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah and HH the Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah pose for a group photo with members of the new National Assembly yesterday. — Amiri Diwan By B Izzak Islamist MP Jamaan Al-Harbash, by a sin- gle vote. All the three losing opposition KUWAIT: HH the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al- MPs strongly lashed out at the govern- Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah told the new ment for siding with their opponents. National Assembly’s inaugural session In his speech, the Amir said that the that cuts in public spending are sharp fall in oil revenues has created a “inevitable” and require sacrifices to face huge deficit in the state budget and that the sharp slide in oil revenues. there is no other option but to take effec- Meanwhile, former pro-government tive measures to rectify the shortfall. “I speaker Marzouq Al-Ghanem was am confident that the Assembly and all reelected in a stunning fashion by secur- citizens are aware that cutting public SEE PAGES 2 & 3 ing 48 votes against a combined 17 votes spending has become inevitable through for his two opposition competitors - MPs well-studied measures,” the Amir said. Abdullah Al-Roumi and Shuaib Al- A majority of the lawmakers who won Muwaizri. in the Nov 26 election have vowed to Surprisingly, Ghanem obtained more reject any government austerity meas- votes in this Assembly with a strong ures that could impose new financial opposition presence compared to the 38 burdens on Kuwaiti citizens. The previous votes he obtained in the previous Assembly was dissolved over a dispute Assembly, which was described as a rub- between the government and the berstamp of the government. The gov- Assembly for raising petrol prices. As a Newly-elected Speaker Marzouq Al-Ghanem speaks ernment also scored another win when result, the Assembly was dissolved and Mr Bader Al-Kharafi (second right), Mr Ali Thunayan Al-Ghanem (center) and after his election during the opening session of the Essa Al-Kandari was elected deputy snap elections were called. Sheikh Meshary Al-Afasy (second left) applaud the election of Marzouq Al- Assembly. — Photo by Yasser Al-Zayyat speaker, defeating his opposition rival, Continued on Page 13 Ghanem as speaker. Cairo church bombing kills 25 Kuwait, Amir condemn attack CAIRO: A bomb blast tore through a of Egypt’s population, have been previous- church near Cairo’s Coptic cathedral dur- ly targeted in attacks. At least 31 people Gulf states take ing a service yesterday, killing at least 25 were also wounded in the blast, the health people in the deadliest attack in recent ministry said, as the attack drew condem- shine off cushy memory on Egypt’s Christian minority. nation from political and religious leaders There was no immediate claim of responsi- and led President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi to government jobs bility for the bombing but Coptic declare three days of national mourning. Christians, who make up about 10 percent Continued on Page 13 DOHA: Ahmed, a Qatari civil servant, used to arrive at his office at a government ministry in Doha late ISTANBUL: Turkish police officers carry the coffins of comrades during a funeral in the morning and leave for home after lunch, col- ceremony at Istanbul’s police headquarters yesterday, a day after twin bombings lecting a monthly salary of 40,000 rials ($11,000) killed 38 people near a football stadium. — AFP and a generous housing and travel allowance. But last month a government official made a surprise spot check on the ministry’s offices and found Turkey defiant as Kurdish dozens of employees absent. “Punctuality is a duty,” said a letter Ahmed received from the minis- group claims twin blasts ter’s office. “Qatar expects the best of its citizens.” For a country whose tiny population is the Kuwait, Amir condemn bombings world’s wealthiest per capita and which sits upon ISTANBUL: A defiant President Recep Most of the dead were police officers, its largest natural gas reserves, increasing the pro- Tayyip Erdogan yesterday vowed to fight who accounted for 30 of the victims. ductivity of its 90,000 public employees might terror “to the end” as a Kurdish militant Seven civilians also died, along with one seem like a needless task. But it is part of a trend group claimed twin attacks that ripped person whose identity was unclear, offi- across the Gulf as economies there try to lessen through Istanbul, killing 38 people, mostly cials said. Around 150 people were the burden of costly public sectors. Gulf states police. The bloodshed, which took place wounded in the blasts. The carnage have for decades used their energy wealth to pro- late on Saturday, saw a car bomb explod- prompted a sharp response from vide millions of citizens with cushy government ing outside the home stadium of football Erdogan, who vowed Ankara would “fight jobs, part of a social contract that rewards educa- CAIRO: Protesters shout slogans as they gather outside the Saint Peter and Saint giants Besiktas and less than a minute lat- the scourge of terrorism right to the end”. tional attainment with employment for life.“ Paul Coptic Orthodox Church in the Abbasiya neighborhood after it was targeted er, a suicide attacker blew himself up by a Continued on Page 13 group of police at a nearby park. Continued on Page 13 by an explosion yesterday. — AFP LOCAL MONDAY, DECEMBER 12, 2016 KUWAIT: Marzouq Al-Ghanem is congratulated after being elected Marzouq Al-Ghanem shakes his father Ali Thunaiyan Al-Ghanem’s A general view of the first regular session of the National Assembly’s 15th Legislative Term. Speaker of the National Assembly. — Photos by Yasser Al-Zayyat hand after being elected as speaker. Kuwait Times Deputy Editor-in-Chief Dr Ziad Al-Alyan MP Shuwaib Al-Muwaizri speaks during the session. MP Abdulkareem Al-Kandari reacts during the session. US Ambassador to Kuwait Lawrence Silverman (center) (center) attends the session. attends the opening session. MP Safaa Al-Hashem arrives to attend the opening Deputy Speaker Essa Al-Kandari (left) and MP MP Abdullah Al-Roumi (top right) gestures during the Top police and army officials attend the session. session. Talal Al-Sahli attend the session. session. Amir congratulates Ghanem, Kandari Harshani calls for applying constitution KUWAIT: His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad and 2009, and also in 2012, Ghanem was Speaker of the cables to the Deputy Speaker. immediate economic reforms to achieve development, Al-Jaber Al-Sabah sent yesterday a cable of congratula- 2013 parliament. and the importance of full cooperation between the leg- tions to Marzouq Ali Al-Ghanem for being elected His Highness the Amir also sent a congratulatory cable Fighting corruption islative and executive authorities to provide better condi- Parliament Speaker, wishing him all the best. His Highness Sunday to MP Essa Al-Kandari. In the cable, His Highness In a speech before the speaker’s election, the National tions for citizens and protect the law. the Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al- the Amir expressed his most congratulations to Kandari Assembly’s senior MP Hamad Al-Harshani said that apply- Harshani affirmed the important role played by the two Sabah and His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber for being elected as Deputy Speaker of the National ing the laws and terms of the Kuwaiti constitution and authorities in determining Kuwait’s international policy Al-Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah sent similar cables. Assembly. punishing those who violate the law are vital to create sta- and develop cooperation with the Gulf countries. He not- Born in 1968, Ghanem earned a BA in mechanical engi- His Highness also wished the new Deputy Speaker all bility in the country. ed that the current assembly will exert huge efforts to face neering and held the post of Boubyan Petrochemicals the best of luck on his mission to contribute to serving Fighting corruption is a must to overcome the current the regional economic and security challenges that may chairman. He was also a board member at the Egypt the country and boosting its status on regional and unstable economic conditions in Kuwait, said Harshani in affect Kuwait. Meanwhile, he spoke of unresolved issues Kuwait Holding Company, the Building Materials international levels. Meanwhile, His Highness the Crown a speech at the National Assembly’s first ordinary session facing Kuwaitis including health services, developing edu- Company and Global Telecom. Elected MP in 2006, 2008 Prince and His Highness the Prime Minister sent similar of the 15th legislative term. He also stressed the need for cation and housing requests. — KUNA Profiles of the new Cabinet’s members KUWAIT: His Highness the Prime Minister Kuwait Petroleum Corporation and chief of 2002 and 2007 before occupying the univer- Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Hamad Al- operations at Kuwait Petroleum International. sity general secretariat post in 2016. Sabah has formed the 34th government of • Faleh Al-Azb, the minister of justice, had • Mohammad Al-Jabri, the minister of the State of Kuwait since 1962 and the sixth served in the investigations department at awqaf and Islamic affairs, born in 1974, since he has occupied the premiership post the interior ministry and as an advisor at the served at Kuwait Airways, became parliament in December 2011.