SUBSCRIPTION MONDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2015 MUHARRAM 13, 1437 AH www.kuwaittimes.net Project 189: Assad: Syria Working kids Manchester Reflecting must ‘eradicate given a path rivals draw 0-0 aspirations of terror’ for off Lebanon’s in derby lacking domestic5 helpers political7 deal streets14 attacking20 edge Mosque bombers retract Min 20º confessions, deny charges Max 38º High Tide 10:48 & 22:57 Amir lauds security operations • Speaker hosts MPs, ministers Low Tide 04:37 & 17:05 40 PAGES NO: 16678 150 FILS By B Izzak and Agencies KUWAIT: Suspects in the bombing of the Imam Al- Sadeq Mosque yesterday told the appeals court that they were not guilty and retracted their confessions made in the criminal court, which sentenced seven of them to death. The top suspect, Abdulrahman Sabah, the alleged driver of the bomber, told the appeals court in the first hearing that the confessions they made were extracted from them under torture. Sabah also said that he had not seen the explosives belt although he had told the criminal court that he had brought it from near the Saudi border and given it to the Saudi bomber who blew himself in the mosque, killing 26 people and wounding 227 others. Sabah also KUWAIT: National Assembly Speaker Marzouq Al-Ghanem hosts a traditional dinner banquet for members of parliament and the Cabinet yesterday. — Photo by Yasser Al-Zayyat retracted that he had driven the bomber to the mosque to carry out the suicide attack. The criminal court had sentenced Sabah and six oth- ers to death, five of them in absentia. The court also Cheap oil pushes state firms to market sentenced eight other suspects to jail terms ranging DUBAI: The Gulf’s state-linked firms are plans and look to markets to share the fruition will have the most coherent Oman Electricity Transmission Co from two to 15 years. They include five of the seven being forced to wean themselves off financial burden. economic justification and be more issued a $1 billion debut bond in May, women involved in the case. The remaining 14 other direct government funding, and focus “The future, as we see it, are projects likely to require standalone financing. while Aluminium Bahrain will use the suspects were acquitted. The other suspect who more on capital markets and private that connect to private investment,” This points to a greater need for project capital markets to part-fund its $3.5 bil- received the death sentence, Fahd Faraj, described as investment, to push ahead with proj- Abdullah bin Mohammed Al-Nuaimi, finance,” said Andy Cairns, global head lion smelter expansion. But the change the leader of the Islamic State in Kuwait, also denied ects in an era of cheap oil. In the previ- the United Arab Emirates’ Minister of of debt origination and distribution at is also occurring at some of the region’s that he had any links with the terrorist group which ous several years of high oil prices, Public Works, told Reuters. This could National Bank of Abu Dhabi. largest enterprises. In the past, utility claimed responsibility for the suicide bombing. The building projects from universities to be a boon for bankers, who have long So far the shift is most evident in the Saudi Electricity Co used the market to court set Oct 29 for the next session and summoned the soccer stadiums were funded entirely wanted to play a bigger role in arrang- smaller Gulf Arab nations which lack fund power plant construction but also investigating officer to hear his testimony. by the public purse. That is changing as ing financing packages for Gulf govern- huge cash reserves but have big proj- received regular contributions from the Meanwhile, HH the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al- governments scale back non-essential ments. “Projects that do come to ects in the pipeline: Oman and Bahrain. Continued on Page 13 Jaber Al-Sabah received yesterday at Bayan Palace Continued on Page 13 LOCAL MONDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2015 Pakistan school denies pneumonia death By Meshal Al-Enezi KUWAIT: The principal of Pakistan National English School in Hawally strongly denied that any student of the school died of pneumonia. He said two of the school kids had died of other causes. He explained that one of the kids had just returned from Pakistan as he was sick while the second, the son of a teacher of another school, was reported dead by his own mother. The principal also explained that MOH had examined the school kids and denied the spread of any epidemic amongst them. Notably, a num- ber of parents had gathered outside the school inquiring about rumors in this regard. The school administration stressed that the school was safe and that tomorrow would be a normal school day. Welfare of SMEs The acting manpower authority manager, KUWAIT: His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah receives Abdullah Al-Motoutah said ever since its establish- Chairman of the Public Anti-Corruption Authority Abdulrahman Al-Nimash at Bayan ment in 2013, the authority had been concerned Palace yesterday who presented His Highness with a copy of the bi-annual report on KUWAIT: HH the Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah meets with the owners of small and medium projects fighting corruption since issuance of its executive legislations on 29/3/2015. —KUNA National Assembly Speaker Marzouq Al-Ghanim at Bayan Palace yesterday. —KUNA and that Mubarak Al-Kabeer labor department had been allocated to serve them. Amir, Crown Prince receive top officials KUWAIT: His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah received yesterday at Bayan Palace His Highness the Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah. HH the Amir also received National Assembly Speaker Marzouq Al- Ghanim and First Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah. HH the Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al- Sabah met National Assembly Speaker Marzouq Al-Ghanim at Bayan Palace yesterday. HH the Crown Prince also received HH the Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah who had just returned home from France following an official visit. He then met First Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah, Deputy Premier and Interior Minister Sheikh Mohammad Al-Khaled Al-Hamad Al- Sabah, Deputy Premier and Defense Minister Sheikh Khaled Al- Jarrah Al-Sabah and Deputy Premier and Finance Minister Anas Al-Saleh. The Crown Prince also received Minister of Information and Minister of State for Youth Affairs Sheikh Salman Sabah Al-Salem Al-Humoud Al-Sabah and Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs and Acting Minister of Electricity and Water Sheikh Mohammad Al- Abdullah Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah. HH the Crown Prince also met Minister of Social Affairs and KUWAIT: Anxious parents arrive at the Pakistan KUWAIT: HH the Crown Prince receives Minister of Information and Minister of State for Youth Affairs Labor and Minister of State for Planning and Development Hind National English School office. Al-Sabeeh. —KUNA Sheikh Salman Sabah Al-Salem Al-Humoud Al-Sabah yesterday.— KUNA PM’s visit will further cement Kuwait-French ties: Legislator By Ahmad Al-Mazyad Foreign Affairs Committee, indicated that dynamic interaction between the two PARIS: Chairman of the parliamentary countries had begun in the cultural realm, French-Kuwaiti Friendship Committee Axel namely with establishment of the Kuwait- Poniatowski has lauded the outcome of the France Cultural Institute, in 2012. recent visit by His Highness the Prime Such dynamism continued in the educa- Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al- tional field, with establishment of the inde- Hamad Al-Sabah to France, noting that it pendent French department at Kuwait would further cement the distinctive part- University in 2014, in addition to including, nership between the two friendly countries on testing basis, the French language in the in various areas. Kuwaiti teaching curriculum beginning this In an interview, the leading French legis- year, as well as the plan to build a branch of lator said the visit by HH the Premier, who the renowned French University, the was accompanied by a high-level delega- Sorbonne, in Kuwait. tion grouping political and economic leaders, depicted Business ties the solid and excellent rela- At the economic level, tions between Kuwait and Poniatowski called for France. Moreover, it was of increasing commercial particular significance for it exchanges between the two coincided with the 50th sides, noting existing invest- anniversary of the Kuwait- ment opportunities in the France diplomatic relations. two countries. There is a consensus Affirming the approach to between the two sides lure foreign entrepreneurs, regarding issues that “concern including Kuwaitis, to launch us under current conditions in businesses in the European the Middle East; such crises nation, he underscored the warrant that states closely recently-signed taxation coordinate among them- accord, intended to serve selves,” Poniatowski said. He Axel Poniatowski this purpose. The “French lauded the Kuwait-France investments’ week,” organ- cooperation against the militant group, the ized by the French Embassy in Kuwait in so-called “Islamic State in Iraq and the October, was part of such efforts. In turn, Levant” (ISIL) and terrorism in general. His Highness the Premier’s visit helped in The Prime Minister’s mission in France encouraging the Kuwaiti businessmen to was an opportunity for “us to re-affirm our explore investment opportunities in the support for the Kuwaiti authorities in our European country. joint conflict against this peril,” he said, Moreover, he lauded the two countries’ alluding to the June terrorist bombing of initial agreement to establish a joint fund Imam Al-Sadiq mosque in the Kuwaiti capi- to finance small and medium French com- tal, which “was the bloodiest attack in panies in the strategic industries.