CINXE.COM
Khaleej Times E-Paper: Your Digital News Source
<!DOCTYPE html> <html class="no-js" lang="en"> <head> <title>Khaleej Times E-Paper: Your Digital News Source</title> <base href="https://epaper.khaleejtimes.com/" /> <meta content="text/html; charset=utf-8" http-equiv="content-type" /> <meta http-equiv="X-UA-Compatible" content="IE=Edge"> <meta name="referrer" content="no-referrer-when-downgrade"> <meta name="application-name" content="PressReader" /> <meta name="msapplication-tooltip" content="PressReader" /> <meta name="description" content="Khaleej Times e-Edition is a complete digital version of the print edition of the Khaleej Times newspaper. This digital edition aims to help you replicate the experience that our readers enjoy as they read our print papers." /> <meta name="keywords" content="Khaleej Times E-Paper: Your Digital News Source" /> <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, height=device-height, initial-scale=1, maximum-scale=1, user-scalable=no" /> <meta name="google" content="notranslate" value="notranslate" /> <link rel="shortcut icon" href="https://r.prcdn.co/res/en-gb/g25833/t469320015/2/images/favicon.ico" /> <meta name="apple-mobile-web-app-capable" content="yes" /> <meta name="apple-touch-fullscreen" content="yes" /> <meta name="apple-mobile-web-app-status-bar-style" content="black" /> <link rel="apple-touch-icon" href="https://r.prcdn.co/res/en-gb/g25833/t469320015/2/images/touch-icon-iphone.png"> <link rel="apple-touch-icon" sizes="76x76" href="https://r.prcdn.co/res/en-gb/g25833/t469320015/2/images/touch-icon-ipad.png"> <link rel="apple-touch-icon" sizes="120x120" href="https://r.prcdn.co/res/en-gb/g25833/t469320015/2/images/touch-icon-iphone-retina.png"> <link rel="apple-touch-icon" sizes="152x152" href="https://r.prcdn.co/res/en-gb/g25833/t469320015/2/images/touch-icon-ipad-retina.png"> <meta name="msapplication-tap-highlight" content="no"> <meta name="msapplication-TileColor" content="#63a70a" /> <meta name="msapplication-navbutton-color" content="#ffffff" /> <meta name="msapplication-TileImage" content="https://r.prcdn.co/res/en-gb/g25833/t469320015/2/images/sitetile-144.png"> <meta name="msapplication-square70x70logo" content="https://r.prcdn.co/res/en-gb/g25833/t469320015/2/images/sitetile-tiny.png" /> <meta name="msapplication-square150x150logo" content="https://r.prcdn.co/res/en-gb/g25833/t469320015/2/images/sitetile-square.png" /> <meta name="msapplication-wide310x150logo" content="https://r.prcdn.co/res/en-gb/g25833/t469320015/2/images/sitetile-wide.png" /> <meta name="msapplication-square310x310logo" content="https://r.prcdn.co/res/en-gb/g25833/t469320015/2/images/sitetile-large.png" /> <script> window.version = "3.41.6-beta0002"; window.basePath = "/"; window.serviceUrl = "https://ingress.pressreader.com/se2skyservices/"; window.scriptBaseUrl = "https://r.prcdn.co/scripts/se2sky/3.41.6-beta.2/"; window.currentHostName = "epaper.khaleejtimes.com"; window.country = "SG"; </script> <script defer type='text/javascript' src='https://api.khaleejtimes.com/pressreader/api.js?v=638679547882140990'></script> </head> <body> <script> /*! For license information please see ndloader.build.min.js.LICENSE.txt */ !function(){var e={48686:function(){!function(e){var t="currentScript",i=e.getElementsByTagName("script");t in e||Object.defineProperty(e,t,{get:function(){try{throw new Error}catch(n){var e=void 0,t=(/.*at [^\(]*\((.*):.+:.+\)$/gi.exec(n.stack)||[!1])[1];for(e in i)if(i[e].src===t||"interactive"===i[e].readyState)return i[e];return null}}})}(document)}},t={};function i(n){var r=t[n];if(void 0!==r)return r.exports;var o=t[n]={exports:{}};return e[n](o,o.exports,i),o.exports}!function(){"use strict";var e,t=navigator.userAgent||"",n=function(e){e=e.toLowerCase();var t=/(chrome)[ /]([\w.]+)/.exec(e)||/(webkit)[ /]([\w.]+)/.exec(e)||/(opera)(?:.*version)?[ /]([\w.]+)/.exec(e)||/(trident)(?:.*rv:([\d.]+))?/.exec(e)||/(msie) ([\w.]+)/.exec(e)||(e.indexOf("compatible")<0?/(mozilla)(?:.*? rv:([\w.]+))?/.exec(e):null);return{browser:(null==t?void 0:t[1])||"",version:(null==t?void 0:t[2])||"0"}}(t),r={};if(n.browser&&(r[n.browser]=!0,r.version=n.version),r.webkit){r.safari=!0,r.chrome=!!t.match(/Chrome/i);var o=/(crios)[/]([\d.]+)/.exec(t.toLowerCase());(null===(e=null==o?void 0:o[1])||void 0===e?void 0:e.length)&&(r.chromeIOS=!0,r.chromeIOSVer=o[2]||"0")}r.chrome&&(r.webkit=!0),r.trident&&(r.msie=!0),r.msie&&(r.msie_mode=document.documentMode||0);var a=[/\(.*\Wwv\W/,/Android 4\..*Chrome\/30\.0\.0\.0/];r.isWebView=function(e){for(var t=0,i=a;t<i.length;t++)if(i[t].test(e))return!0;return!1}(t);var c,s={},d=navigator.userAgent;function l(){var e=[];function t(t,o,c,s){var d=function(e,t){var i=window.serviceUrl,n="https:"==window.location.protocol,o=t&&t.services&&t.services[e]||{},a=n||r(o.httpsrequired)||r(o.httpsRequired),c=o.cdnProfile,s=c&&t.cdnProfiles&&t.cdnProfiles[c];if(s&&(s.httpsBaseUrl||!a)&&(l=(a=a||r(s.httpsRequired))?s.httpsBaseUrl:s.baseUrl)){var d=i;return d.indexOf("://")>0&&(d=d.substr(d.indexOf("/",8))),"/"===l[l.length-1]&&"/"===d[0]&&(d=d.substr(1)),l+d}var l=i;return a&&(l=l.replace(/^http:\/\//i,"https://")),l}(t,c);"/"!==d[d.length-1]&&(d+="/");var m="";for(var u in o)o.hasOwnProperty(u)&&(m+=(m?"&":"?")+u+"="+o[u]);var p=d+t+m,w=(new Date).getTime(),h=function(t,i){return new Promise((function(n,r){var o="loadCallback"+e.length,c=function(t){return e.push(t),t}({name:o,url:t,optional:i,execute:function(){n(this.data)}}),s=!1;function d(){s||r("load error")}window[o]=function(t){s=!0,function(t,i){t.data=i,t.loaded=!0;for(var n=!0,r=0;r<e.length;r++){if(!(t=e[r]).loaded){if(n=!1,t.optional)continue;return}t.executed||(t.execute(),t.executed=!0,t.data=null)}console.timeStamp&&console.timeStamp("preloaded"),n&&(e=[])}(c,t),window[o]=void 0},a(function(e,t){var i=e.indexOf("?")>0?"&":"?";return e+i+"callback="+t}(t,o),d,d)}))}(p,s);if(h.then((function(){l.addTiming(t,"resolved",(new Date).getTime()-w)}),(function(){l.addTiming(t,"rejected",(new Date).getTime()-w)})),"preload"===t)h=h.then(n);else{var f=i();f&&(f[t]=h,h.catch((function(){delete f[t]})))}return h}function i(){return window._preload}function n(e){var t=i();if(t&&e){for(var n in e)e.hasOwnProperty(n)&&!t.hasOwnProperty(n)&&(t[n]=e[n]);return t}throw"reseted"}function r(e){return!0===e||"true"===e}function o(e){return e&&function(){this.onload=null,this.onerror=null,e.apply(this,arguments)}}function a(e,t,i){return c("script",{async:!0,defer:!0,type:"text/javascript",onload:o(t),onerror:o(i),src:e}),this}function c(e,t){var i=document.createElement(e);for(var e in t)t.hasOwnProperty(e)&&(i[e]=t[e]);document.getElementsByTagName("head")[0].appendChild(i)}this.loadPreset=function(e,i){if(a(e.lib,(function(){l.addTiming("lib")})),e.lib=null,a(e.script,(function(){l.addTiming("lib")})),e.script=null,e.accessToken){window._preload={};var n={accessToken:e.accessToken};l.setPreload(t("preload",n,null,!0)),function(e){var i=e&&e.res;i&&t("res",{id:i.id,locale:i.locale,ts:i.ts,version:2},e,!0)}(e.clientConfig)}e.css&&c("link",{type:"text/css",rel:"stylesheet",href:e.css})}}r.webkit&&(s.iPad=!!d.match(/iPad/i)||d.includes("Mac")&&"ontouchend"in document,s.iPhone=!(!d.match(/iPhone/i)&&!d.match(/iPod/i)),s.android=!!d.match(/Android/i)),s.blackBerry=!!d.match(/BlackBerry/i),s.playBook=!!d.match(/PlayBook/i),s.win8compatible=!!d.match(/Windows NT 6.2/i)||!!d.match(/Windows NT 6.3/i),s.current=(c=null,function(e,t){for(var i=0,n=Object.getOwnPropertyNames(e);i<n.length;i++){var r=n[i];if(!1===t(e[r],r))break}}(s,(function(e,t){var i=!!e;return i&&(c=t),!i})),c),s.mobile=/(android|bb\d+|meego).+mobile|avantgo|bada\/|blackberry|blazer|compal|elaine|fennec|hiptop|iemobile|ip(hone|od)|iris|kindle|lge |maemo|midp|mmp|mobile.+firefox|netfront|opera m(ob|in)i|palm( os)?|phone|p(ixi|re)\/|plucker|pocket|psp|series(4|6)0|symbian|treo|up\.(browser|link)|vodafone|wap|windows ce|xda|xiino/i.test(d)||/1207|6310|6590|3gso|4thp|50[1-6]i|770s|802s|a wa|abac|ac(er|oo|s-)|ai(ko|rn)|al(av|ca|co)|amoi|an(ex|ny|yw)|aptu|ar(ch|go)|as(te|us)|attw|au(di|-m|r |s )|avan|be(ck|ll|nq)|bi(lb|rd)|bl(ac|az)|br(e|v)w|bumb|bw-(n|u)|c55\/|capi|ccwa|cdm-|cell|chtm|cldc|cmd-|co(mp|nd)|craw|da(it|ll|ng)|dbte|dc-s|devi|dica|dmob|do(c|p)o|ds(12|-d)|el(49|ai)|em(l2|ul)|er(ic|k0)|esl8|ez([4-7]0|os|wa|ze)|fetc|fly(-|_)|g1 u|g560|gene|gf-5|g-mo|go(\.w|od)|gr(ad|un)|haie|hcit|hd-(m|p|t)|hei-|hi(pt|ta)|hp( i|ip)|hs-c|ht(c(-| |_|a|g|p|s|t)|tp)|hu(aw|tc)|i-(20|go|ma)|i230|iac( |-|\/)|ibro|idea|ig01|ikom|im1k|inno|ipaq|iris|ja(t|v)a|jbro|jemu|jigs|kddi|keji|kgt( |\/)|klon|kpt |kwc-|kyo(c|k)|le(no|xi)|lg( g|\/(k|l|u)|50|54|-[a-w])|libw|lynx|m1-w|m3ga|m50\/|ma(te|ui|xo)|mc(01|21|ca)|m-cr|me(rc|ri)|mi(o8|oa|ts)|mmef|mo(01|02|bi|de|do|t(-| |o|v)|zz)|mt(50|p1|v )|mwbp|mywa|n10[0-2]|n20[2-3]|n30(0|2)|n50(0|2|5)|n7(0(0|1)|10)|ne((c|m)-|on|tf|wf|wg|wt)|nok(6|i)|nzph|o2im|op(ti|wv)|oran|owg1|p800|pan(a|d|t)|pdxg|pg(13|-([1-8]|c))|phil|pire|pl(ay|uc)|pn-2|po(ck|rt|se)|prox|psio|pt-g|qa-a|qc(07|12|21|32|60|-[2-7]|i-)|qtek|r380|r600|raks|rim9|ro(ve|zo)|s55\/|sa(ge|ma|mm|ms|ny|va)|sc(01|h-|oo|p-)|sdk\/|se(c(-|0|1)|47|mc|nd|ri)|sgh-|shar|sie(-|m)|sk-0|sl(45|id)|sm(al|ar|b3|it|t5)|so(ft|ny)|sp(01|h-|v-|v )|sy(01|mb)|t2(18|50)|t6(00|10|18)|ta(gt|lk)|tcl-|tdg-|tel(i|m)|tim-|t-mo|to(pl|sh)|ts(70|m-|m3|m5)|tx-9|up(\.b|g1|si)|utst|v400|v750|veri|vi(rg|te)|vk(40|5[0-3]|-v)|vm40|voda|vulc|vx(52|53|60|61|70|80|81|83|85|98)|w3c(-| )|webc|whit|wi(g |nc|nw)|wmlb|wonu|x700|yas-|your|zeto|zte-/i.test(d.substring(0,4)),r.playBook=s.playBook,r.android=s.android,r.iOS=s.iPad||s.iPhone,i(48686),l.navigationStart=window.performance&&window.performance.timing&&window.performance.timing.navigationStart||(new Date).getTime(),l.executionStart=(new Date).getTime(),l.getPreload=function(){return this._preloadPromise||window._preload&&Promise.resolve(window._preload)||Promise.reject()},l.setPreload=function(e){return this._preloadPromise=e},l.addTiming=function(e,t,i){return this.addJsonTiming({category:"Loader",variable:e,label:t,duration:i||(new Date).getTime()-l.executionStart}),this},l.addJsonTiming=function(e){(this._tacks||(this._tacks=[])).push(e)},l.isMobileView=function(){return s.mobile&&(e=window.innerWidth||document.documentElement.clientWidth||document.body.clientWidth,t=window.innerHeight,e<480||t<480);var e,t},self&&(self.NDLoader=l)}()}(); </script> <script> var preset = {"css":"/res/en-gb/g25833/t469320015/2/WebResource.ashx?style=style-core.css$nd-core.css$style-pageview.css$style-textview.css$style-radio.css$datepicker.css$style-se-core.css$homepage.css$overlay.css$style-core-override.css$se-style.css$zeropage.css$style-se-branding.scss$style-app-be.css$introjs.css&caching=1&v=00010101000000000","lib":"https://r.prcdn.co/scripts/se2sky/3.41.6-beta.2/viewer.libs.build.min.js","script":"https://r.prcdn.co/scripts/se2sky/3.41.6-beta.2/viewer.nolibs.build.min.js","clientConfig":{"res":{"id":25833,"locale":"en-GB","ts":"5250364872829917904"},"cdnProfiles":{"default":{"baseUrl":"http://s.prcdn.co/","httpsBaseUrl":"https://s.prcdn.co/","httpsRequired":"true"}},"services":{"toc":{"cdnProfile":"default"},"layout":{"cdnProfile":"default"},"res":{"cdnProfile":"default","id":25833,"locale":"en-GB","ts":"5250364872829917904"},"TopNewsFeed":{"concurrency":"1"},"purchase":{"httpsrequired":"false"},"auth":{"httpsrequired":"true"},"ExternalAuth":{"httpsrequired":"true"}}}}; var mobileViewSupported = true; var mobileViewForced = true; if (mobileViewForced || (mobileViewSupported && NDLoader.isMobileView())) { preset.lib = 'https://r.prcdn.co/scripts/se2sky/3.41.6-beta.2/app.libs.build.min.js'; preset.script = 'https://r.prcdn.co/scripts/se2sky/3.41.6-beta.2/app.nolibs.build.min.js'; } new NDLoader().loadPreset(preset); </script> </body> </html>