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FILS

Smart devices,

and apps help

disabled kids

Warriors join Bulls,

Lakers, Celtics on

NBA’s greats list

The journey to

statehood long

for Iraq’s Kurds

Heavy rain, landslides kill

at least 92 in Bangladesh

Rain-triggered landslides bury homes; 7 missing

20:2118:4815:2211:4804:4803:1303:03

Imsak Fajr Duhr Asr Maghrib IshaShorook

By Hassan Twaha Bwambale

Avoid hypocrisy

One of the aspects of hypocrisy is to be double-faced. When a double-faced person is withyou, he praises you, but when he departs

from you, he criticizes and backbites you. This behav-ior is abhorred in all faiths. During the time ofProphet Muhammad (PBUH), there were some peo-ple who would claim to be Muslims yet actually theywere not. They employed their hypocrisy to mali-ciously tarnish the reputation of Islam.

Allah Almighty made Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)aware of their dirty motives and vile actions. He saidwhat can be translated as, “And when they meetthose who believe, they say, ‘We believe,’ but whenthey turn back to their supporters (among polythe-ists and hypocrites), they say, ‘truly, we are with you,verily, we were but mocking.’ Allah will punish themfor their mockery and give them increase in theirwrongdoing to wander blindly.” (Quran 2:14-15)

The hypocrites in whose hearts is a disease arechronically fearful. Their disease is manifested in dis-loyalty to any legitimate cause, lack of courage, lowself-confidence, dislike of team-work, and closed-mindedness. In our daily lives, we see a lot of peoplewho approach us and flatter us because they needsomething from us. But after they leave, they castaspersions on us and call us all sorts of names.

Abu Huraira narrated that Prophet Muhammad(PBUH) said, “You will find people like minerals (someare more valuable than others). Those who were thebest in the era before my advent (jahiliyya) will bethe best after reverting to Islam if they learn abouttheir religion properly. You will also find out thatamong the best people in Islam are those who usedto be staunch enemies of Islam. You will also discoverthat the worst person is the one who is double-faced,who approaches some people with one face andapproaches others with another.” (Reported by Al-Bukhari # 3,493 and Muslim # 2,526 and # 199)

Continued on Page 13

CHITTAGONG: Heavy monsoon rains andlandslides have killed at least 92 people insoutheast Bangladesh, burying many intheir homes as they slept, authorities saidyesterday. Three young children from thesame family were among those killed inthe disaster, which comes just weeks aftera cyclone battered the region anddestroyed camps housing thousands ofRohingya refugees.

Police warned that the death toll wouldlikely rise as emergency workers reachedremote parts of the Chittagong Hills,where telephone and transport links hadbeen cut. Many of the victims were frompoor tribal communities in the remote hilldistrict of Rangamati, close to the Indianborder, where 60 people were killed whenmudslides buried their homes. Onewoman described the ground sliding frombeneath their family home in the dead ofnight, sending them fleeing to a housenext door.

“A few other families also took shelterthere, but just after dawn a section of hillfell on the house. Six people are still miss-ing,” Khatiza Begum told local news web-site Bangla Tribune at Rangamati hospital.

Continued on Page 13

KUWAIT: Jordanian King Abdullah II and an accompanying delegation arrived in Kuwait yes-terday on a brotherly visit to offer congratulations to His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah on the fasting month of Ramadan. On arrival, the JordanianMonarch was received by His Highness the Amir, His Highness the Crown Prince SheikhNawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah and other top officials. — KUNA

Jordanian King in Kuwait

KUWAIT: A cannon shot is fired at Nayef Palace in Kuwait City, signaling the end of the long fasting day. Muslimsthroughout the world are marking the month of Ramadan, the holiest month in the Islamic calendar duringwhich devotees fast from dawn until dusk. — Photo by Yasser Al-Zayyat

KUWAIT: The State Minister for Cabinet Affairs andActing Minister of Information Sheikh MohammedAl-Abdullah has announced that Eid Al-Fitr holidayswill be three days if the first day of Eid falls onSunday, June 25. This indicates that June 26 andJune 27 will be holidays and work will resume onJune 28. However, if it falls on Monday, June 26,Sunday June 25 will be a rest day and Monday June26 will be declared the first day of Eid. In that case,Tuesday and Wednesday will be official holidaysand Thursday will be another rest day, as it fallsbetween two working days. Work will officiallyresume on Sunday, July 2.

BANDARBAN: Bangladeshi fire fighters search for bodies after a landslide inBandarban yesterday. — AFP

HASSAN SHAM U2 CAMP, Iraq: A massfood poisoning at a camp for the dis-placed near the northern city of Mosulkilled at least two people and sickenedover 700, Iraq’s health minister said yes-terday, becoming the latest battlegroundin the crisis engulfing Qatar and a stringof other Arab nations. A woman and agirl died and at least 200 people wererushed from the desert tent camp to hos-pitals in the nearby city of Irbil.

An Iraqi lawmaker who visited thecamp overnight and Saudi state televi-sion quickly accused a charity from Qatarof providing the tainted food. The claimscould not be independently confirmedand Qatari officials did not immediatelyanswer calls for comment. In Baghdad,Health Minister Adila Hamoud told TheAssociated Press that 752 peoplebecame ill after a meal the previousevening at the Hassan Sham U2 camp,

about 20 kilometers east of Mosul.The food was meant for an iftar, a

meal with which Muslims break theirdawn-to-dusk fasting during the holymonth of Ramadan. Hamoud said at least300 people remain in serious condition.She refused to speculate whether thepoisoning might have been intentional.Amira Abdulhaliq, from the UnitedNations’ refugee agency, said it remainsunclear at which point in preparing,packaging, transporting or distributingthe meals, the food became contaminat-ed. “So far, we have received around 800cases, around 200 have been transportedto the hospitals in Irbil,” she said.

At midday yesterday, medics weretreating patients in a large tent at theedge of the camp. About 20 to 30patients, mostly small children, lay onblankets on the floor as several more

Continued on Page 13

Mass food poisoning in Iraq

AL-KHAZIR: Iraqis staying at the Al-Khazir camp swim in a river near the camp forinternally displaced people, located between Arbil and Mosul. —AFP

WASHINGTON: Maryland and the US capital suedPresident Donald Trump yesterday, saying he is breakinglaws by raking in money from foreign governments andbusinesses at his luxury hotels and office towers.

The lawsuit said heavy spending by foreign diplomatsand embassies at the Trump International Hotel just a fewblocks from the White House, payments by foreign entitiesat his Trump Tower and Trump International Tower in NewYork, and other business operations effectively violate theUS Constitution’s ban on presidents enriching themselves

while in office. “The suit alleges that president Trump is fla-grantly violating the constitution, which explicitly barspresidents from receiving gifts or inducements from for-eign or domestic government entities,” said WashingtonAttorney General Karl Racine. “Never in the history of thiscountry have we had a president with these kinds of exten-sive business entanglements. Or a president who refused toadequately distance themselves from their holdings,”Racine said.

Continued on Page 13

Trump sued over ‘benefits’

BEIRUT: Islamic State group jihadists waged fiercebattles yesterday in their Syrian stronghold Raqa in abid to repel US-backed fighters advancing towardsthe walls of the Old City. The Kurdish and Arab fight-ers of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) enteredRaqa a week ago, after months of fighting to encirclethe northern city that has become a jihadist bastion.Since then, they have seized one neighborhood inwestern Raqa and another in the east, where theyare now battling to secure control of the Al-Senaadistrict that leads to the Old City.

Jihan Sheikh Ahmed, spokeswoman for the SDFcampaign for Raqa, said the jihadist group was put-ting up stiff resistance. “There is fierce fighting againstDaesh which is making heavy use of mines andsnipers and sometimes car bombs,” she said, using theArabic acronym for IS. She said clashes in Al-Senaawere continuing yesterday. The Syrian Observatory forHuman Rights monitor also reported heavy IS attacksagainst SDF fighters in the area. “The district is not yetcompletely secured because of the repeated jihadistattacks,” the Britain-based group said.

Observatory director Rami Abdel Rahman said thecapture of Al-Senaa would be the SDF’s “most impor-tant advance in the battle for Raqa because it bringsthem to the centre of the city.” “The main battle forRaqa will take place in the city centre,” he said. Headded that a large number of IS fighters were holedup in the Old City, where the jihadist group is alsobelieved to have dug tunnels to facilitate theirdefense of the area. Since entering Raqa on June 6,the SDF has captured the eastern neighborhood ofAl-Meshleb, as well as Al-Rumaniya in the city’s west.It is now battling to push from Al-Rumaniya intoneighboring Hatin district. — AFP

IS wages fierce

battles in Raqa

Eid holidays

L O C A LWEDNESDAY, JUNE 14, 2017

KUWAIT: His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-AhmadAl-Jaber Al-Sabah has pledged to continue his mediationefforts to reconcile GCC member states. His Highness theAmir made the pledge in remarks during reception ofChairman of the Arab and International Relations CouncilMohammad Al-Sagr at Bayan Palace.

His Highness the Amir pledged that he would not ham-pered by fatigue or any difficulties in his quest to re-estab-lish the bonds and tackle the differences among the GCCStates. “It is very difficult for us, we the generation thatestablished the GCC 34 years ago, to see some membersengage in disputes that may lead to dire consequences,”His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad said. “This aduty that I will not abandon,” he stressed, pledging to con-

tinue the efforts to tackle inter-GCC differences. HisHighness the Amir, in the efforts to reconcile the GCCcountries, had visited Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar,holding talks with the top leaders that drew muchapplause from various quarters.

Amir receives message from Moroccan KingHis Highness the Amir received at Bayan Palace yester-

day Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita. Bouritadelivered a verbal message to His Highness the Amir fromKing of Morocco Mohammed VI. The Moroccan Monarchexpressed his full support to His Highness the Amir’sefforts in defusing tension amongst Gulf countries. Themeeting was attended by First Deputy Prime Minister and

Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah and Deputy Minister of the Amiri DiwanAffairs Sheikh Ali Jarrah Al-Sabah.

Earlier yesterday, His Highness the Amir receivedSpeaker of the National Assembly Marzouq Al-Ghanemand His Highness Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammad Al-AhmadAl-Sabah. Separately, His Highness the Crown PrinceSheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah receivedGhanem, His Highness Sheikh Nasser, as well asMohammad Al-Sagr.

In other news, His Highness the Prime Minister SheikhJaber Al-Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah received Chairmanand members of the Sheikh Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-SabahJournalism Excellence Award’s Higher Organizing

Committee. The reception came on the occasion of theaward’s 10th anniversary.

Amir congratulates SheikhaHis Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber

Al-Sabah sent a cable of congratulations to Sheikha DanaNasser Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah after Dartmouth Collegeawarded her with Doctorate of Humane Letters. His Highnessthe Amir commended Sheikha Dana for award, wishing hersuccess in the service of Kuwait at regional and internationallevels. His Highness the Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah and National Assembly SpeakerMarzouq Al-Ghanim also sent cables of congratulations toSheikha Dana Al-Sabah. —KUNA

KUWAIT: His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah meets with Chairman of the Arab andInternational Relations Council Mohammad Al-Sagr.

KUWAIT: His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah meets with Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita.—Amiri Diwan and KUNA photos

His Highness the Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabahmeets with His Highness Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammad Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah.

His Highness the Premier Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah meets with Chairman and members of the SheikhMubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah Journalism Excellence Award’s Higher Organizing Committee.

Amir vows to carry on with mediation efforts

KUWAIT: National Assembly Speaker Marzouq Al-Ghanem meets withRussian Ambassador to the country Alexey Solomatin. —KUNA

Speaker meets withRussian envoy

KUWAIT: National Assembly Speaker Marzouq Al-Ghanem met yesterday with RussianAmbassador to Kuwait Alexey Solomatin. During the meeting, the Russian ambassadorconveyed the willingness of the Russian parliament to coordinate with the KuwaitiNational Assembly regarding issues and subjects to be addressed during the 137th Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) due in Saint Petersburg in October. MP Salah Khurshid was pres-ent at the meeting. —KUNA

KUWAIT: Minister of Amiri DiwanAffairs Sheikh Nasser Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah underlinedinevitability of materializing vision ofHis Highness the Amir Sheikh SabahAl-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, the NewKuwait 2035, especially in regards toislands and Silk City projects. Thiscame during a public panel organizedby Kuwait Journalists’ Association atDar Al-Athar Al-Islamiyyah last night.

Highlighting vitality of both proj-ects to local economy, opening vistasof cooperation with world countriesand maintaining regional security,Sheikh Nasser, also head of the teamtasked with activating the 2035vision, said the islands’ projectstemmed from the region’s geogra-phy and strategic position.

This project would also contributeto helping other countries improvetheir respective infrastructure andfacilities, as well as sea trade, he said,signaling out Iran and Iraq as impor-tant regional countries to Kuwait.The north of the Gulf area wouldturn into an exceptional free tradezone; a fertile environment to attractinvestments, he noted, pointing outthat that Kuwait was, and still, enjoysa “port culture” all the way backwhen it was a stop for mail deliveryto Basra in 1775.

He added that Kuwait is fully ready

to cooperate with Iraq and Iran on alllevels with a view to developingregional economy and trade, as wellas achieving peace. In this vein,Sheikh Nasser pointed out, “We are ingood terms with our brothers in Iraqin this regard,” adding that Kuwait’sMubarak Port and Iraq’s Faw Portwould “cooperate not compete.” Healso revealed that he recently metwith Iranian Ambassador to Kuwait AliEnayati, during which the possibilityof Tehran’s contribution to the islands’project was discussed.

Meanwhile, member of generalpolicies and administrative develop-ment committee at the SupremeCouncil for Planning Adnan Al-Baharsaid the Hong Kong-simulated islands’project will be under Kuwait’s sover-eignty, yet legislatively, financially andadministratively independent.

The ambitious projects are antici-pated to bring about an economicand trade shift in Kuwait that will inturn would contribute to HisHighness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah’s vision oftransforming Kuwait into an interna-tional financial and trade hub. Theprojects are also part of the state’s2017 developmental plan of fiveobjectives and seven pillars through164 projects, 30 of which deemedstrategic. —KUNA

KUWAIT: Kuwait’s Deputy Premier and InteriorMinister Sheikh Khaled Jarrah Al-Sabah called onsenior officials Monday to be vigilant vis-a-vis cir-cumstances facing the region. Sheikh Khaled

made the remarks during a visit to the SpecialForces Camp, where he had an iftar meal with thepersonnel, a usual gesture among leadership andofficers of the ministry aimed at strengthening

social bonds, the ministry said in a statement.Sheikh Khaled commended the special forces

for their dedication, and said their achievementswere attributed to instructions and vision of His

Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah. The minister expressed gratitudefor His Highness the Amir, His Highness theCrown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber

Al-Sabah and His Highness the Prime MinisterSheikh Jaber Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah fortheir support of the Ministry’s personnel, andappreciation of their sacrifices. —KUNA

Interior Minister urges officers to be vigilant against regional circumstances

KUWAIT: Deputy Premier and Interior Minister Sheikh Khaled Jarrah Al-Sabah and ministry officials pose for a group photo dur-ing a visit to the Special Forces Camp. —KUNA

Deputy Premier and Interior Minister Sheikh Khaled Jarrah Al-Sabah greetsofficers during the visit.

Materializing 2035 vision inevitable: Diwan Minister

A general view of people attending the public panel on ‘NewKuwait 2035.’ —KUNA photos

KUWAIT: Minister of Amiri Diwan AffairsSheikh Nasser Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah speaks during the public panel .

Adnan Al-Bahar speaksduring the panel.

L O C A L

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 14, 2017

CrimeR e p o r t

Child molester arrested

KUWAIT: A bedoon in his twenties was arrested for molest-ing three children after luring them from schools and in frontof their homes. Farwaniya detectives moved after crimeswere committed against three Egyptian girls, and were ableto arrest him. The crimes took place at the end of the schoolyear, and were discovered when an Egyptian man took his12-year-old daughter to Andalus police station and toldthem she was kidnapped and raped by a man she does notknow, who brought her back to school and then escaped.Few days later, another Egyptian complained against a manwho raped his daughter in front of the building where shelives, while a third Egyptian said his 11-year-old daughter wasraped by a man, and he could not catch him, though he wasable to determine his features. Detectives moved swiftly andwere able to arrest him, and he was identified by the fatherwho saw him. Investigations are underway.

Prince kidnaps children

A Gulf prince is wanted by the Interpol after he kid-napped his son and daughter from his Kuwaiti ex-wife,and escaped to a Gulf country. A source said the citi-zen who was divorced by the prince after having twochildren from him, and has custody for both, allowedher husband to take them out and bring them back atthe end of the day but he did not, so she informedpolice. Police investigations revealed that the princehad left the country with the children, so he wascharged with kidnapping. The Interpol was asked toarrest him and bring the two children back.

Homicide investigation

Farwaniya prosecution placed the name of an Indian man onthe wanted list, as there have doubts that he may have killedhis wife. A security source said the reason behind the crimemay be his wife’s infidelity, as the apartment they lived in isshared by another man. There were signs of violence on thewoman’s body which suggests a fight had taken place. Theroommate called police after finding the woman’s dead bodyin the house which was recovered by the coroner.

—Translated from Arabic press

Newsi n b r i e f

France supportsKuwait’s efforts

PARIS: France affirmed yesterday its support to Kuwait’sefforts in defusing tension amongst Gulf countries. A state-ment by the French Foreign Ministry stated that France hasclose relations with the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC)states and all other partners in the region. It stressed thatit is necessary to deescalate Gulf tensions and to meethopes and expectations of the Gulf people. His Highnessthe Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah dis-cussed with France’s President Emmanuel Macron onMonday by phone bilateral ties, issues of common interestand latest regional developments. —KUNA

Plane damaged

KUWAIT: A Kuwait Airways plane suffered minor damagewhen the tow bar from a push-back tractor snapped caus-ing the vehicle to hit the aircraft, the company said in astatement. No one was hurt. “All passengers were safely off-loaded” and are all safe, the company added. KuwaitAirways Airbus 320, which was bound to Trivandrum, India,suffered some minor damage to its underside area, itadded. An investigation is underway to know cause of thebreak in the tow bar, it added. Kuwait Airways remainscommitted to safety is fully compliant with Kuwait’sDirectorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and interna-tional safety regulations, it affirmed. —KUNA

Israeli schemes

CAIRO: Kuwait on Monday called on Arab and Africannations to work together and stand in face of Israelnomination for membership in the UN SecurityCouncil (2019-2020). This came in a statement by theadvisor at the Kuwaiti permanent mission at the ArabLeague, Mohammad Nahi Al-Alati, following anextraordinary session of the Council of the ArabLeague. It was dedicated for discussing the Palestiniancause an Israel’s mounting infiltration in Africa. Themeeting was held upon a request by the State ofPalestine, with support from the Arab States includingKuwait, Alati confirmed, indicating that mechanismswere being worked out for joint Arab-African actionagainst the Israeli schemes to occupy a seat in theUNSC, in elections due in 2018. He also confirmed thatthe conferees discussed Israel’s schemes in Africa andprospected consequences in the event Israel has wona UNSC seat. —-KUNA

KUWAIT: Smart electronic devices andapplications could be a curse for children,but they are a blessing for peers with spe-cial needs. Numerous studies have shedlights on the grave impacts of electronicdevices, smart phones and tablets, on chil-

dren’s health and behavior, but for childrenwith special needs, they have proved to beinstrumental in helping them better com-municate and integrate into the society.

When Mohammad Omar, a 10-year-oldKuwaiti boy, was two years and eightmonths, he was diagnosed with autismspectrum disorder, ASD, which includes a

wide range, “a spectrum,” of symptoms,skills, and levels of disability such as diffi-culty communicating and interacting withothers; and repetitive behaviors as well aslimited interests or activities. Directly afterthe diagnosis, his family started a longtreatment journey at home and abroad.

Firstly, Omar was sent to the UnitedStates where he stayed for two yearsreceiving intensified therapy sessions,each takes up to eight hours a day. Thenhe was transferred to a specialized med-ical center in the United Arab Emirates tocomplete treatment. Upon returninghome, his family employed to a specialdoctor to help the child develop requiredskills for his everyday life.

“Since his conceptions 10 years ago, Ihave never heard the voice of my son,” tear-ful mother Sara Jarragh said. “To communi-cate with him, we restored to sign lan-guage and then moved to photo cards. Butwhen he was in the United Arab Emirates,one of his doctors advised us to use a smartapplication to help Omar express himself,his needs and communicate with others.”

She pointed out that the application canbe downloaded and installed on smartphones and other electronic devices suchas tablets. This application includes manysections which cover different aspects oflife such as colors, shapes, animals, plants,and people, from which Omar chooseswhat he wants to build a sentence whichthe app loudly utters on his behalf. “Thisapp has become the voice of voiceless peo-ple,” Jarragh said, describing the app as “amajor breakthrough.”

Jarragh said that she has read about thenegative impacts of electronic devices onchildren, but the use of electronic deviceswas a blessing for the case of her son. “Iwould continue using such kind of apps tillI hear the voice of my son,” she stressed.

Spina BifidaAli Al-Hadi has a bit different story from

that of Omar. Hadi, two years and a halfKuwaiti boy, was diagnosed with SpinaBifida which is a birth defect where there isincomplete closing of the backbone andmembranes around the spinal cord.

His mother, Ghadeer Baqer, uses smartdevices applications and social networkingsites to spread awareness about SpinaBifida which few people know anythingabout and offer counseling and help topregnant mothers whose fetus was diag-nosed as having the same illness.

“These applications and sites have alsohelped me create a community for familieswith Spina Bifida children to support eachother,” Baqer said. She has also used theelectronic devices to show Al-Hadi videoclips of other Spina Bifida peers and howthey take their medications and use assis-tive devices to help them walk and livetheir daily life.

“I wanted to ease some of his emotionalsuffering and to show him that he is notthe sole child going through this difficultsituation,” she said. Baqer, however, saidthat she is not for using electronic devicesfor playing and entertainment at this age.

“At this age, real-world playing, talkingwith family members and acquiring cogni-tive and physical skills are greatly betterthan being glued in front of screens of elec-tronic devices,” she said. “He is fond of carsand knew the Arabic and English names ofdifferent vehicles, cars and trucks. He alsoloves animals and dinosaurs and likes mak-ing shapes with clay.”

To blameBut Pediatrics and Emergency

Consultant Dr Abdullah Shamsah beggedto differ. Despite some positive and usefulusage of electronic devices, he believes

that these devices are to blame for thesteadily growth children’s learning difficul-ties, hypertension, speech delay, isolation,obesity, lethargy, nervousness, and a heapof other psychological, physical and behav-ioral disorders.

“Taking into account the graveness ofthe problem, I have recently written a post(on social networking sites) about my planto hold a symposium for parents to raiseawareness and warn them about the neg-ative impacts of such devices and howwork out solutions and create alterna-tives,” he said.

“The idea was greatly welcomed by ahuge number of followers, many of whomexpressed willingness to volunteer to helporganize this symposium and provide moreadvices and specialized information aboutthe psychological and social effects of theelectronic devices on children.”

He went on to say “after my first meetingwith volunteers, the idea evolved from aone-time symposium to an integrated cam-paign, themed device-free time.” The cam-paign attracted a slew of doctors, special-ists, technicians and administrators andparents and sets set of goals and executiveplans, he said. “These people are eager towork to educate parents, educators andraise children awareness about the dangersand negative impacts of the excessive useof smart devices on both children and theirfamilies,” he clarified.

He pointed out that the campaignersseek to spread awareness through socialnetworking sites, seminars, workshops,courses as well as visits to schools and civilsocieties. He noted that the successachieved by the campaign in its first activi-ty last month, which included lectures for anumber of specialists and workshops forchildren to learn how to enjoy their timeaway from smart devices. —KUNA

Smart devices, apps help disabled

children to overcome challenges

Local animal

shelter K’S PATH

announces closure

KUWAIT: Local animal welfare organization K’S PATHannounced yesterday that it will be closing down as ofDecember 2017. In a statement sent to the media,Sheikha Fatima Mubarak Al-Sabah, the Chairperson ofKuwait Society for the Protection of Animals and TheirHabitat (K’S PATH) announced the decision, noting thatall the remaining animals in the K’S PATH shelter inWafra will be either adopted out in Kuwait or rehomedabroad and that no animals would be put to death.

No specific details were given for the closure or infor-mation on what will happen to the shelter in Wafra. Inthe statement, Sheikha Fatima indicated that the deci-sion “was made based on the knowledge that Kuwait’sanimals and environment will be cared for by compas-sionate people in the community” and referenced thenew animal protection and environment laws.

K’S PATH has provided welfare services for thou-sands of animals, organized beach cleanups, providedvolunteer opportunities and educational programsand initiatives to reduce feral street cat and stray dogpopulations. Sheikha Fatima Mubarak Al-Sabah

By A Saleh

KUWAIT: Presided by minister Dr Jamal Al-Harbi,the Ministry of Health’s undersecretaries councilheld a meeting yesterday where they decided toinclude cardiac services, tumors, dental fittingsand knee surgeries in the new tender for theretirees health insurance project ‘Afya.’ The coun-cil’s secretary general and assistant undersecretaryfor services affairs Dr Mahmoud Al-Abdul Hadi saidthat the new tender will be offered for public bid-ding soon. Commenting on plans to increaseexpats health services’ fees, Abdul Hadi re-affirmedthe statements made by minister Harbi aboutimposing the increase on visiting expats first.

KAC boardChairman of the parliament’s committee

formed to investigate the resignation of KuwaitAirway’s former board chairperson Rasha Al-Roumi, MP Khalil Al-Saleh said that the committeewill meet again today in order to continue theinvestigation in the presence of Minister of SocialAffairs and Minister of State for Economic AffairsHind Al-Sabeeh.

Geographical limitationsMinister of Education and Higher Education

Dr Mohammed Al-Fares said that the ministryfailed to hire more than 105 Palestinian teachersfor the coming school year due to what hedescribed as ‘geographical limitations’. Faresadded that many of the applicants rejected thecontracts on grounds that the salaries paid to

expatriate teachers were way below bar. Faressaid that a future plan will be set to provide learn-ing opportunities for all high school graduates inhigher education facilities and institutions.Academically, Fares stressed that the ministrywas currently consulting with Saudi Arabia’snational center for educational development tomake use of the kingdom’s experience.

ConnectionThe private education directorate seeks to

become electronically connected and to automateall transactions and procedures done with theMinistry of Education (MOE) and the ManpowerPublic Authority, said informed sources noting thatall Arab, foreign and bilingual private schools wereurged to provide the directorate with full dataabout their staffs. The sources said that the schoolsreceived letters from the directorate’s directorSanad Al-Mutairi demanding the data to be sent inhard copies as well as electronic ones.

Penal measuresThe Public Authority for the Disabled Affairs’

deputy director for educational and rehabilitationservices Majed Al-Saleh said that all Arab and for-eign schools, nurseries and other institutions certi-fied by the authority had been notified to correctremarks made by inspection teams within amonth in order to avoid further penal measuresthat might go as far as license withdrawal. Salehexplained that some of the remarks were madeabout the location and suggested finding alterna-tive ones.

Dozen evacuated

from burning house

By Hanan Al-Saadoun

KUWAIT: A fire broke out in a house in Al-Qurain,said security sources noting that firemen fromQurain and Mubarak Al-Kabeer rushed to thescene and rescued 12 people who were trappedby the flames. The fire, which had started in thefirst floor, was controlled. A fireman was injured inthe process.

Fatal crashA stateless person died when his vehicle collid-

ed into a light post along the Fifth Ring Road, saidsecurity sources. A case was filed to determine thecircumstances which led to the accident.

SorceryCriminal investigation detectives arrested

an expat for practicing fraud, sorcery and vice,said security sources. Case papers indicate thatdetectives had been tipped off concerning thesuspect ’s activities. When they raided hishouse, detectives found large sums of moneyhe admitted to collecting from women he hadlured into his house to get sorcery services.

Expired foodHawally municipality inspection teams

raided an unlicensed warehouse in Salmiyawhere expired food items were stored. Teamleader Riyadh Al-Rabee noted that 5,663 kilo-grams of expired dairy products and juiceswere confiscated and destroyed. Rabee addedthat the store was also fined for dealing inexpired food and for operating without alicense.

New services included in

retirees health insurance

Court adjourns case of

woman accused of joining IS

By Meshaal Al-Enezi

KUWAIT: The criminal court yesterday rejected arequest to release a Kuwaiti young womanaccused of joining the Islamic State (IS) in Sinai,Egypt. Security sources said that the girl’s case wasadjourned to hear the defense final argument.During an earlier hearing, the 21-year-old womanpled not guilty to the accusations, claiming thatshe was ‘deceived’ into going to Egypt where shewas promised a happy life, but instead was kepthostage inside a house where its keepers calledher father and demanded a ransom for her release.

Mobile trucksHead of the Municipal Council’s legal and

financial affairs committee Ali Al-Moussa extend-ed his congratulations to all citizens on passing

the mobile trucks regulations chart. “This chartwas jointly approved by the council and KuwaitMunicipality’s executive body to support youngpeople wishing to start their own businesses,” heunderlined. Moussa said that the chart includedonly 11 activities for which those trucks could belicensed. The chart also limited the locations ofthese trucks in parks, seafronts, beaches, festivityareas, camping and chalet areas, sports clubs,agricultural areas, highways, border centers, thescrap and the used cars markets. Meanwhile,Chairman of the board of the food public authori-ty Essa Al-Kandari stressed that the authority willbe responsible for issuing the health licenses andsetting the conditions of those trucks. Kandarialso stressed that the authority will be responsi-ble for issuing health certificates for the ownersand operators.

KUWAIT: Ooredoo, Kuwait’s fastest network, celebratedgergian with hundreds of kids in collaboration with DayOut summer and a musical performance by Sons ofYusuf music band in Jumeirah Hotel. The celebrationincluded a performance by the band which gained pop-ularity for its Kuwaiti-infused hip-hop tunes that arepopular with the young generation. Ooredoo reiteratedits commitment to celebrating events that matter to dif-ferent segments of community, noting that the choiceto collaborate with Sons of Yusuf comes in alignmentwith its deep-rooted values of supporting local talent.

Ooredoo also distributed gergian boxes which wereassembled by children and volunteers during the com-pany’s volunteer program gergian assembly eventwhich took place last week. A big portion of the boxeswas distributed in children’s hospital wards acrossKuwait over the weekend. Earlier this month, Ooredookicked off its Ramadan program of activities with dis-tributing hundreds of meals to the needy workersacross Kuwait City with Ooredoo’s volunteer programtruck. This is in addition to a distribution center in thecompany’s Ramadan tent, located across the head officeon Soor Street. The initiatives were executed byOoredoo’s own volunteer program members, led by thecompany’s Corporate Communications department.

Additionally, Ooredoo held an Iftar feast for the chil-dren of the Kuwait Down Syndrome Center and theirparents and the attending staff as part of its communityoutreach and corporate social responsibility, sharing the

festive spirits of the holy month. Ooredoo has previous-ly collaborated with a number of entities in Kuwait, suchas Abdullah Al Nouri institution to aid Syrian refugees indifferent part of the world, in addition its collaborationwith the ‘Kiswat Al Khair’ campaign to distribute clothesfor needy families during the holy month.

Also Ooredoo representatives has conducted a visitto ‘Yadawi’ centre to give the volunteers a comprehen-sive idea about how to recycle waste, sort, and reuse it

in manufacturing children toys to be donated to chil-dren in need. The program will include participationfrom similar groups. Ooredoo reiterated its commit-ment to empowering youth and supporting groups thatfocus on volunteer work, and expressed its pride in part-nering with reputable organizations throughout themonth of Ramadan to encourage volunteerwork.Empowering youth is among Ooredoo’s top priori-ties through its CSR strategy.

Ooredoo with Day Out summer

camp for kids celebrates gergian

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 14, 20174

ABK staff during the ghabqa.

ABK holds ghabqa for employees in celebration ofthe Holy Month and marking its 50th anniversary

KUWAIT: On the occasion of the Holy Month of Ramadanand the bank’s 50th anniversary, Al-Ahli Bank of Kuwait(ABK) held a ghabqa for its employees to celebrate thesetwo joyous events in the midst of a fun-filled atmosphere.The ghabqa was held on June 7, 2017 at the JumeirahMessilah Beach Hotel with Group CEO Michel Accad open-ing the evening with a warm message to all staff.

The event was set up to reflect a 50th anniversarytheme, and featured delightful entertainment with a Jazzband followed by a gergian band, along with a selfiestand, and a sketch artist, provided for ABK staff and man-agement to take home pictures as keepsakes.

The bank also held a series of exciting draws as a meansof rewarding its staff members. Prizes included travel tick-ets to top destinations such as Paris, London, Barcelona,Egypt, India and Dubai, in addition to the latest TV’s andmobile phones. The highlight of the evening was the granddraw for a GMC car, where Ahmad Fadel, a member of theRetail Banking Division team was announced the winner ofthe grand prize. The employee ghabqa is one of a series ofevents rolled out by the Bank in recognition of the Holymonth. A few of the Bank’s main initiatives this month wasthe provision of the Holy Quran in braille to the visuallyimpaired, the distribution of food packages to the under-privileged, gergian celebration with Down Syndrome chil-dren, and sponsorship of the Kuwait Youth BasketballRamadan Tournament.

Grand prize winner Ahmed Fadel with ABK’s Executive Management.

Ghabqa MC Humood Adel. ABK staff during the ghabqa. Traditional Band at the ghabqa.

Organizers of the ghabqa with Michel Accad (ABK Group CEO) and Fawzy Al-Thunayan (GM Board Affairs at ABK). ABK staff during the ghabqa.

L O C A LWEDNESDAY, JUNE 14, 2017

Photo of the day

KUWAIT: Kuwaitis shop at a market during the holy month of Ramadan in downtown Kuwait City on June 12, 2017. — Photo by Yasser Al-Zayyat

KUWAIT: The Commercial Bank of Kuwait (CBK) participated in a gergian ceremony organized by the FarwaniyaGovernorate recently by the Farah nursing home as part of its activities during the holy month of Ramadan.

KUWAIT: Kuwait Finance House (KFH)held a ceremony to honor top highschool graduates in Kuwait for theyear 2016-2017 in the scientific, arts,special needs divisions in addition tothe Students of the Institute ofReligious Studies. This honoringemanates from KFH’s endeavors torecognize the distinguished studentswhile part of the bank’s social respon-sibility, since education plays a promi-nent role in the comprehensivedevelopment.

KFH congratulated the top stu-dents and their parents for this suc-cess urging the students to continue

their achievement and to deliberatelychoose the specialization that suitsthem while contributes in achievingthe goal of working towards develop-ment, prosperity and a knowledge-based society. The honoring encom-passed 11 male and female studentswho were awarded appreciation cer-tificates and cash prizes to be deposit-ed in their bank accounts.

The honorees are: Wafaa Saed,top student in Kuwait-science divi-sion, Munerah Mubarak Al-Ghareeb,top Kuwaiti student- science divi-sion, Raghad Abu Raya, top studentin Kuwait-arts division, Hussa

Aosaimi, top Kuwaiti student-artsdivision, Ali Othman Al-Ali, top stu-dent in Kuwait- the Institute ofReligious Studies, Shaymaa Al-Asaousi and Heba Al-Ali, top Kuwaitistudent- the Institute of ReligiousStudies, Basma Al-Saeidi, top stu-dent in Kuwait- special needs/ artsdivision, and Rashed Al-Ajmi, ReemSultan, Abdulwahhab Abo Shaiba,top Kuwaiti students- specialneeds/science division. The studentsand their parents hailed KFH initia-tive indicating this reflects the pio-neering role of the bank in assum-ing the social responsibility.

KUWAIT: In line with its social initia-tives during Ramadan to promote thespirit of giving during this holymonth in accordance with the Kuwaittradition Al-Sayer Group Holding cel-ebrated gergian with the children. Aspart of the ongoing CSR efforts Al-Sayer visited Kuwait Palliative CareCentre to share the happiness andblessings of Ramadan with different

segments of the society such as thepatients who suffer from chronic andnon-curable diseases.

Al-Sayer Group CorporateExcellence Department on this occa-sion conducted many fun activitiesincluding games, quiz sessions, tradi-tional dancing, a face painting, andhenna sessions with the children andtheir families and distributed gifts

among joyful audience. The teamfrom Al-Sayer consisted of representa-tives from CSR, Employee Events,Occupational Health and Safety alongwith the event organizer First Step anonprofit organization, who sharedquality time with the children andtheir parents at the hospital and alsoengaged with elderly citizens to cre-ate positive and relaxed atmosphere.

KFH honors top highschool grads in Kuwait

KUWAIT: KFH officials pose with the honorees and their parents.

Al-Sayer Group Holdingcelebrates gergian

Initiative to spread happiness and care

KUWAIT: Team members from Al-Sayer, First Step, Kuwait Palliative Care Centre pose for a group picture.

Children engage in fun activities.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 14, 2017

Rodman returns to N Korea, hoping ‘to open door’Secret Service doesn’t have White House tapes

Page 9 Page 12

Erdogan slams ‘inhumane’ isolation of QatarUS envoy to Qatar to step down l Saudis offer ‘aid’ to Qatar

ISTANBUL: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan yesterdayslammed the economic and political isolation of Qatar as inhumaneand contrary to Islamic values after key Gulf states broke off ties withAnkara’s ally. “Taking action to isolate a country in all areas is inhumaneand un-Islamic,” Erdogan said in televised comments to his party inAnkara, after Saudi Arabia, UAE and Bahrain broke off relations withQatar on June 5, accusing it of supporting “terrorism”.

In his strongest comments yet on the crisis, Erdogan added thatQatar was a country “on which a death sentenced had in some waybeen pronounced”. The crisis has put Turkey in a delicate position asAnkara regards Qatar as its chief ally in the Gulf but is also keen tomaintain its improving relations with the key regional power SaudiArabia. Turkey also is eager to maintain workable relations with Iran,Saudi Arabia’s foe with whom Doha’s critics say Qatar maintainedexcessively close ties. Erdogan added he would hold three-way phonetalks on the crisis later with French President Emmanuel Macron andQatar’s emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani. The move by Saudiand its allies came shortly after US President Donald Trump visitedRiyadh, with some analysts saying the US leader had emboldened theSaudi leadership. Earlier, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglusaid that Erdogan would hold talks on the crisis with Trump in thecoming days.

Erdogan vehemently rejected the accusations - already stronglydenied by Doha - that Qatar supports terrorism, arguing the countryhad been a staunch opponent of Islamic State (IS) jihadists. “Qatar is acountry which, like Turkey, has adopted the most resolute stanceagainst Daesh (IS),” said Erdogan. “Let’s stop fooling ourselves.” Strikinga careful balance, Erdogan stopped short of directly criticizing SaudiArabia’s actions but called on Saudi King Salman to show leadershipby solving the crisis. “I think that as the elder statesman of the Gulf, theking of Saudi Arabia should solve this affair and show leadership,” saidErdogan.

Turkey’s parliament last week approved deploying troops to aTurkish base in Qatar in what was seen as a show of support for itsembattled ally. The agreement does not contain any specific numberof troops to be stationed in the base, or when. The curbs placed ongas-rich Qatar have ranged from bans on flag-carrier Qatar Airwaysusing airspace of the countries involved to Saudi Arabia suspendingsubscription sales and renewals to a Qatar-linked sports broadcaster.

US ambassador quitsMeanwhile, the US ambassador to Qatar said yesterday she is leav-

ing her post in Doha, in the midst of the worst diplomatic crisis involv-ing America’s Gulf allies in years. “This month, I end my 3 years as USAmbassador to #Qatar. It has been the greatest honor of my life and I’llmiss this great country,” Dana Shell Smith said on Twitter yesterday.Shell Smith did not say why she was stepping down, if she was stayingwithin the diplomatic service or who would replace her. Many USambassadors leave their posts after serving around three years. ShellSmith was appointed ambassador to the Gulf emirate by BarackObama in 2014. Last month she appeared to express dissatisfactionwith political events back home in another message posted on socialmedia. She took to Twitter in the hours after Trump’s dramatic sackingof FBI director James Comey, tweeting: “Increasingly difficult to wakeup overseas to news from home, knowing I will spend today explain-ing our democracy and institutions.” Qatar is home to Al-Udeid, thelargest US airbase in the region, which houses around 10,000 troops.

In Washington, Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister insisted there’s noblockade on Qatar and said his country will provide food and medicalaid if needed. Adel Al-Jubeir said yesterday before a meeting withSecretary of State Rex Tillerson that Qatar’s ports and airports areopen. He said Saudi Arabia has merely denied Qatar use of its airspace,which he said is his country’s sovereign right.

Jubeir said Qatar can move goods in and out “whenever theywant”. He says Saudi Arabia has allowed families to move betweencountries. Still, Jubeir says Saudi Arabia is willing to provide food andmedical supplies through the King Salman Center, a Saudi humanitari-an agency. Saudi Arabia has closed Qatar’s sole land border and joinedother countries in cutting off sea traffic, leading panicked residents tostockpile food. On Monday, Qatar denounced the sanctions imposedagainst Doha by Saudi Arabia and its allies as “unfair” and “illegal”, asBritain announced talks to try to resolve the crisis. “Whatever relates toour foreign affairs... no one has the right to discuss,” Foreign MinisterSheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani told reporters during avisit to Paris. He called for “dialogue based on clear foundations” overaccusations that Qatar supports extremist groups. “Qatar is willing tosit and negotiate about whatever is related to Gulf security,” he added.

In London, British foreign minister Boris Johnson called for calmand said he would meet this week with his counterparts from SaudiArabia, Kuwait and the UAE. “I have urged all sides to refrain from anyfurther escalation and to engage in mediation efforts,” he said. Whilepraising Qatar’s restraint during the crisis, he added: “In finding a reso-lution, I call on Qatar to take seriously their neighbors’ concerns. Qataris a partner of the UK in the fight against terrorism but they urgentlyneed to do more to address support for extremist groups, building onthe steps they have already taken to tackle funding to those groups.” InParis, Sheikh Mohammed, who is on a European tour to drum up sup-port for Qatar, said his country had no idea what had provoked themove against it. “It’s not about Iran or Al-Jazeera,” he said, referring tothe Qatar-based broadcaster. “We have no clue about the real reasons.”But he supported moves by Kuwait to act as a mediator in the dispute“with the help of friendly countries such as the United States,” headded. Sheikh Mohammed’s courting of Europe - he has also visitedGermany and Russia in recent days - though did not go down well inparts of the Gulf.

UAE’s foreign minister Anwar Gargash took to Twitter on Mondayto claim Qatar had sought to “internationalize the crisis with its broth-ers”. And in Kuwait, which has not joined its neighbors in actingagainst Qatar, foreign minister Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled Al-Sabahwarned that the crisis “may lead to undesirable consequences,” accord-ing to a quote on state news agency Kuna.

‘Illegal blockade’ In Doha, Qatar Airways called on the UN’s aviation body to

declare the Gulf boycott against the carrier “illegal” and a violation ofa 1944 convention on international air transport. In televised inter-views on Monday, Qatar Airways outspoken CEO Akbar Al-Bakercalled the move an “illegal blockade” and urged the United Nations’civil aviation branch to intervene. Qatar Airways has made Doha aglobal hub in just a few years, but industry analysts say banning itfrom Gulf states’ airspace could threaten its position as a majortranscontinental carrier.

Al-Baker also criticized US President Donald Trump for comments

he has made linking Qatar to supporting terror. “I think that PresidentTrump’s comment about my country is ill-placed, ill-informed, and Ican again repeat that I’m very disappointed in him.” Qatar announcedMonday that it had launched direct shipping services to ports inOman in a bid to bypass the Gulf “blockade”. Saudi Arabia has closedthe Qatari peninsula’s only land border, threatening imports of bothfresh food and raw materials needed to complete a $200 billion infra-structure project for the 2022 football World Cup. However, onesource told AFP on Monday that Qatar’s World Cup preparations con-tinue “as normal”. Yesterday, Morocco announced it would send foodby plane to Qatar. —Agencies

WASHINGTON: US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson shake hands with Saudi Foreign Minister Adel Al-Jubeir yesterday, shortly before their private meeting at the US Department of State.

ANKARA: Turkish President and Chairman of theJustice and Development Party (AK Party) RecepTayyip Erdogan delivers a speech during AKParty’s group meeting at the Grand NationalAssembly of Turkey yesterday. —AFP Photos

WASHINGTON: They came to praisePresident Donald Trump, not focus onthe controversies engulfing him. One byone, Trump’s Cabinet members assem-bled around the table spoke effusivelyabout the president as he sat beaming,soaking it all in at the first formal gather-ing of his most senior officials at theWhite House on Monday. The lavishingof praise and adulation contrasted withthe storm enveloping the president as hestruggles with myriad crises, including aninvestigation into possible ties betweenhis election campaign and Russian med-dling in the race.

For him, the meeting was a welcomerendering of what he feels are majoraccomplishments ignored by his detrac-tors, even though major legislativeachievements have eluded him thus far.There was no one more gushing thanWhite House chief of staff Reince Priebus,who is frequently the target of criticismfrom long-time Trump advisers and isoften see as just one misstep away frombeing ousted, even though rumors of his

departure have all proved to be prema-ture. “On behalf of the entire senior staffaround you, Mr. President, we thank youfor the honor and the blessing thatyou’ve given us to serve your agendaand the American people and we’re con-tinuing to work very hard every day toaccomplish those goals,” Priebus said.

Trump used the meeting to try toshow a sense of momentum for hisagenda after weeks of being engulfed incontroversy over his May 9 firing of FBIDirector James Comey, who was headingthe Russia investigation. “We’ve beenabout as active as you can possibly beand at a just about record pace,” he said.“In just a very short time we are seeingamazing results. People are surprised. It’skicking in very fast.”

But one of his greatest adversaries,Senate Democratic leader ChuckSchumer, put together a mock video of ameeting with his staff with aides praisingSchumer. “Michelle, how’d my hair lookcoming out of the gym this morning?”Schumer asks, turning to one staffer. “You

have great hair. Nobody has better hairthan you,” Michelle said.

Priebus was not alone in using theopportunity to praise Trump. “It is thegreatest privilege of my life to serve asvice president. The president is keepinghis word to the American people,” saidVice President Mike Pence. AgricultureSecretary Sonny Perdue, noting the com-ments from other officials who said theyhad recently been abroad, noted wryly:“While we are bragging about interna-tional travel I just got back fromMississippi and they like you there.”

US Ambassador to the UnitedNations Nikki Haley, who as governor ofSouth Carolina had endorsed Trumpopponent Marco Rubio last year, called it“a new day at the United Nations” withTrump in power. “We now have a verystrong voice. People know what theUnited States is for. They know what weare against. And they see us in a newway across the board. I think the interna-tional community knows we are back,”she said. —Reuters

At Trump’s Cabinet meeting, flattery is flavor of the day

WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump laughs during a Cabinet meeting on Monday in the CabinetRoom of the White House. —AP

KANO, Nigeria: Uche’s real journey had yet tobegin but he had already spent four days in thenorthern Nigerian city of Kano after travelling onpublic buses and potholed roads from Imo state inthe southeast. He planned to go to Agadez, a tran-sit town on the southern edge of the Saharadesert in central Niger, take a truck to Sebha, insouthwestern Libya, and from there to the capitalTripoli, and then to Italy or Spain.

But his contact, who was supposed to drivehim and three women across Nigeria’s northernborder, was arrested on suspicion of people smug-gling. “His house had been under surveillance,”explains the 38-year-old electrician in Kano’sbustling Sabon Gari district. “The movement ofthe three women in and out of the house height-ened the suspicion of the security agents whoraided the house.” Uche, a stocky man in fadedjeans, white sneakers and a white and blue stripedT-shirt, appears unfazed by the setback. “I’ll hangaround in Kano until I find another facilitator whocan link me up with a contact in Agadez,” he says.

Little deterrent With its market, blocks of overcrowded flats,

beer parlors and brothels, Sabon Gari is a chaoticplace that is becoming a frequent target for raidsagainst smugglers who transport human cargo tothe Mediterranean Sea that laps Africa’s northernshores. Europe, though, is pushing back againstundocumented economic migrants from westAfrica like Uche, or the young women trafficked tosell sex in its major cities. Numbers are down on2015, when more than a million irregular migrantsand refugees, most of them fleeing Syria’s brutalcivil war, risked their lives at sea to reach Europe.

From Jan 1 to May 24 last year, 193,333 peoplecrossed to Italy, Greece, Cyprus and Spain in rick-ety fishing boats and overloaded inflatabledinghies, the International Organization forMigration says. This year, only 60,521 have madethe journey in the same period. But the centralMediterranean smuggling route from Libya is nowthe busiest after a 2016 deal with Turkey to tacklethe Aegean route. A total of 50,267 have made itto Italy, up from 36,184 last year, the IOM says.

The route has also become more deadly: 1,442people have been lost at sea so far comparedwith 982 in the same period in 2016. “There’s nolonger a ‘migration season’,” says Fathi Al-Far, whoruns a reception center in the Libyan coastal townof Zawiya. “People are now leaving at any time,even in winter.”

Speaking out Africa has long viewed irregular migration as

Europe’s problem and acceptable as long asremittances flowed. But Africa’s leaders areincreasingly speaking out, as Europe’s diplomatsand politicians try to stop the boats from coming.There has been talk of deals with the nomadic

tribes policing Libya’s lawless desert frontiers andplans to build holding centers for Africans sentback after reaching Europe. Nigeria hasannounced a crackdown on illegal immigrationand people smuggling; Niger has threatenedsmugglers with 30 years in jail and raided “con-nection houses” in Agadez.

Some see a link with a European Union offer ofЄ1.8 billion ($2 billion) in economic developmentfunding for countries that show they are tacklingirregular migration. For Richard Danziger, theIOM’s regional director for west and central Africa,the “large shift in attitude and policies” amongAfrican governments has been significant. “Nowthere’s a real realization that the human cost isnot something that’s acceptable, whether it’sdrowning in the Mediterranean or dying in thedesert,” he says.

Security threat Last year, 37,724 undocumented migrants reg-

istered in Italy and Greece were Nigerian, nearlythree times more than the next biggest groupfrom Guinea. Uche’s profile is typical: he wants abetter life, away from an economy deep in reces-sion and where decades of oil profits and corrup-tion have benefited few. The flow of migrants,undeterred by the arduous journey and risksinvolved, is unlikely to stop unless conflict, pover-ty and other root causes such as population pres-sures are addressed.

Many of those who end up in Agadez in Niger,either bound for Libya and dangerous sea cross-ings, or after aborted attempts to reach Europe,are physically exhausted, sick from malaria andhunger, and suffering psychological problems.Law enforcement agencies see irregular migrationand people smuggling as a security threatbecause of the increasing involvement of criminalnetworks, and the money at stake.

The EU law enforcement agency Europol hassaid criminal networks made between 3 and 6 bil-lion euros from migrant smuggling in 2015. Butrevenue dropped by nearly Є2 billion in 2016because of the drop in numbers of irregularmigrants arriving in the EU and a fall in fees paidto smugglers. The head of the EU’s border andcoastguard agency Frontex, Fabrice Leggeri,believes communication is key to debunking themyths that smugglers tell migrants about a newlife in Europe. “Either you die in the Mediterraneanor you arrive in Europe under extremelydeplorable conditions,” he tells AFP. “It’s not the ElDorado that the smugglers describe.”

But despite the increased efforts, from borderpolice to maritime patrols, there is concern thatnot enough is being done. The sea crossing is noweven seen as the least risky part of the journey giv-en the number of EU vessels on patrol, which pickup migrants and take them to Europe to beprocessed. Migrants are being sent back to their

home countries from Libya as part of a more regu-lar, assisted-return program but officials concedemany of them will try again.

At the same time, there is recognition thatwhere it exists, there is poor enforcement of anti-trafficking legislation and little deterrent in sourcecountries. Conviction rates are low and agenciessuch as Nigeria’s National Agency for theProhibition of Trafficking in Persons are under-funded and under-staffed. Africa’s priorities areoften elsewhere.

‘Delivery men’ Ahmad used to drive migrants in his truck in

the searing heat across the dunes from Agadez toSebha twice every month. The 30 passengers eachpaid him 50,000 naira (about Є150). “I have madegood money from the business. I own a house andother possessions. But in recent times things havechanged. The authorities have come down hard,”he says. Drivers now risk being spotted by aerialpatrols, having their vehicle impounded andgoing to jail, he says. But he maintains he has notdone anything wrong. “We are just delivery menpaid for our service,” he says.

Others involved in smuggling along thisroute do it out of necessity in a desperatelypoor, remote region where there is little or noalternative employment. The bribes paid to themilitary escorts of the convoys that leaveAgadez, as well as to police and army check-points through the desert, boost meagre ornon-existent salaries. In Libya, where law andorder has broken down since dictatorMuammar Gaddafi was toppled in 2011, formerpolicemen have skippered migrant boats.

Gritty determination Security analysts who study the Sahel say peo-

ple are just another commodity for those whohave long been involved in smuggling drugs,weapons and other goods. But while there is noclear evidence that extends to any of the violentextremists, there are fears about what may hap-pen if peoples’ only source of income is takenaway. Poverty is a major factor in radicalizationand Islamist groups operating in the region, suchas Boko Haram or Al-Qaeda in the IslamicMaghreb, willingly accept the disaffected.

Above all, the biggest fight is against thedetermination of desperate people with noth-ing to lose. “Maybe I’ll die but it’s better to tryto cross (the deser t) than to stay in theGambia,” says Ibrahim Kamara, recovering inAgadez after breaking his leg in a road accidenton a previous attempt. “I’ve got no job thereand no wife because I’ve got no money,” the 37-year-old adds. For Uche, in Kano, the rewardsare worth the risk. “People keep saying it (theroute) is dangerous but I’m ready to try myluck,” he says. — AFP

AL-LAFFA, Sudan: It was Efrem Desta’syearning for freedom that made him flee hishome country of Eritrea and enter Sudanillegally, hoping that he could later make itto Europe. But he and a group of fellowmigrants were abducted by SudaneseBedouin Rashaida tribesmen after theycrossed into east Sudan near Al-Laffa village.“We fled Eritrea because we wanted free-dom, but when we got here we were cap-tured by Rashaida,” said Desta, 20, speakingin his native Tigrinya language. “After fivedays in captivity, we were rescued.”

Sudanese security forces, who havestepped up their patrols along the 600-kmfrontier with Eritrea in a bid to curb migrantsmuggling, freed the group. They werefound handcuffed and in chains, securityofficers said, and have now joined nearly30,000 other refugees in Wadi Sherifaycamp, a vast conglomerate of thatched hutsand dusty tracks near the border.

Most of the rescued Eritreans say theyfled their country to escape military con-scription, but some do admit leaving to seekbetter jobs abroad. Sudanese police andagents of the powerful National Intelligenceand Security Service (NISS) say dozens ofEritreans try to enter Sudan illegally everyday. “There are many ways they enter,including walking along the river Gash,” onesecurity officer told an AFP correspondentwho toured border areas of Kasala state atthe beginning of May. The migrants crossinto Sudan on foot after walking for days orin some cases even weeks.

Key transit point “They usually travel at night and hide out

during the day in farms, plantations andforests,” the officer said, pointing to a patchof trees lining the dry riverbed. AlthoughSyrians fleeing their brutal civil war fuel thecurrent migration crisis, experts say thereare also many Eritreans trying to reachEurope. “An estimated 100,000 migrantstravelled across Sudan in 2016, the bulk ofthem being Eritreans,” said Asfand Waqar,analyst at the International Organization ofMigration (IOM).

Sudan, in the Horn of Africa, is a key tran-sit point on the migrant route to Europe.From Kasala the Eritreans travel acrossSudan to Libya or Egypt. Smugglers thencram them aboard rickety boats for perilousMediterranean voyages aimed at reachinglandfall in Europe. In summer, the longwindswept cross-border Gash riverbedcomes alive at night with the march ofmigrants. “We still don’t do night patrols, soit’s easy for them to move during the hoursof darkness,” the security officer said.

Behind him under the scorching middaysun, a group of machinegun-toting borderguards crossed the riverbed in pick-uptrucks to begin a patrol. Officers say thattheir boosted presence along the borderhad also helped them catch several peoplesmugglers. “The smugglers, who are mostlyEritrean, have excellent networks and high-tech communications gear,” another securityofficer said. “They know more about us thanwe know about them.” — AFP

Sudan boosts border patrols

to curb people smuggling

I N T E R N AT I O N A LWEDNESDAY, JUNE 14, 2017

WARSAW: The migrants pouring into Europe havechanged routes: The crossing between Turkey andGreece is practically closed, but ever greater num-bers are risking their lives to cross theMediterranean between Libya and Italy. A criminalindustry has flourished, while the European Unionhas beefed up its border agency Frontex to try tocheck the mass migration. Frontex is at once bothgood cop and bad cop, rescuing migrants from sink-ing boats but also dropping them off at welcomecentres where they risk being sent back home.Frontex head Fabrice Leggeri summed up the situa-tion in an interview with AFP.

Who are the migrants? On the shores of Greece there are now “80 or 100

people who arrive every day, whereas we had 2,500a day” before the agreement with Turkey, saidLeggeri. Among those who arrive from Africa via thecentral Mediterranean and Libya, whose number isup by more than 40 percent, most come from westAfrica. They are Senegalese, Guineans, Nigerians. In2016 they totalled 180,000. They are mainly econom-ic migrants and include many young men but alsofamilies and young women. Nigerian women are

often exploited as prostitutes in Europe. “It’s not thepoorest who leave, because they have to be able topay the smugglers,” said Leggeri.

According to the International Organization forMigration (IOM), of the more than one million peo-ple who made it to Europe in 2015, 850,000 crossedinto Greece via the Aegean Sea. More than half camefrom Syria and most of the rest from Afghanistanand Iraq. Following a landmark EU-Turkey accord inMarch 2016, the total number arriving in Europe bysea fell that year to around 363,000, IOM figuresshow. But as the number of arrivals in Greecedropped, the figures arriving from north Africa start-ed to grow. By mid-April 2017, “some 36,000migrants had arrived in Italy since the beginning ofthe year, or an increase of 43 percent over the sameperiod last year,” according to Frontex.

Who are the smugglers? At the beginning of the most dangerous leg of

the trip across the Sahara, the migrants are trans-ported by Tuareg or Tebu nomads, for whom it is atraditional commercial activity, Leggeri said. TheMediterranean crossing however is run by criminalnetworks, both big and small, as well as lone smug-

glers. At the bottom of the ladder there are pettycrooks, sometimes migrants themselves, whobecome the skippers of the small overloaded boatsto pay for their own crossing, according to Leggeri.Then there are the middlemen who collect the mon-ey and organize the trip but who do not board. Theirbosses are the network chiefs who “likely includepeople who previously worked in the police force” inLibya, Leggeri said.

How much money is involved? Coming up with an estimate is not easy but

according to a recent report by the EU’s lawenforcement agency Europol, gangs smugglingmigrants to or within Europe raked in Є4.7 billion-5.7 billion in 2015. But those profits dropped bynearly two billion euros last year. The major traffick-ers use money earned smuggling migrants toundertake other criminal activities that require aninitial investment, “be it drug trafficking, arms traf-ficking, or even terrorism financing - we can’texclude it,” Leggeri said. The funds are sometimesmoved openly through money transfer serviceWestern Union, especially in west Africa. In eastAfrica, traffickers more often use “hawala”, an infor-

mal system of payment based on trust that is farmore difficult to trace than bank transfers.

What are the main routes? Migrants from west Africa begin by taking the

bus, Leggeri said. The territory of the EconomicCommunity of West African States (ECOWAS) issomewhat similar to the visa-free Schengen zone, asindividuals can travel freely within it for a modest feeof around Є20. Once the migrants arrive in Niamey,capital of Niger, the illegal activity begins and theymust fork out up to 150 euros each to reach thenorth of the country and the Libyan border.

Then comes the crossing which can cost up toЄ1,000, depending on the boat. Individuals can, forexample, pay Є300 for a place on an inflatable boat,but those journeys are particularly risky. The eastAfrica route - which originates from the Horn ofAfrica and is taken by Eritreans, Somalis andEthiopians - is more expensive. The journey is organ-ized by national criminal gangs that work together,so a Sudanese network, for example, will hand overits clients to a Libyan network at the border. “There,the fee can run to 3,000 euros, from the Horn ofAfrica all the way to Italy,” Leggeri said. — AFP

African migrants aim for

Europe, whatever the risk

Migrant influx shifting but no let-up: Frontex

KASSALA, Sudan: Members of the Sudanese border security patrol the Sudan-Eritreaborder for smugglers and illegal migrants near this eastern Sudanese border townon May 2, 2017. — AFP

AGADEZ, Niger: As Africa’s smuggling capital,a dusty city in central Niger has found its localfootball team boosted by an unexpected influxof new players: Migrants in limbo awaiting pas-sage to Europe. Located on the edge of theSahara, Agadez is a major transit point formigrants hoping to travel north to seek workin either Libya or Algeria or to try to risk thehazardous boat journey to Europe. But hun-dreds have been stuck here after running outof money, or have returned after a first failed

attempt to get to Europe. Cooling their heels,many of them turn to what they know best -playing football. And here that means playingfor Nassara Agadez, a team in Niger’s seconddivision. “The president of the club promisedme that he will get me to Europe,” said 16-year-old Mohamed Diaby, a talented Ivorian whotrained with a leading football institute inAbidjan, Ivory Coast’s main city. “I didn’t want tostay on in Ivory Coast, there are too many peo-ple” there trying to earn a living through foot-

ball, he said. “I told myself: I will make my lifeelsewhere.”

Salary and accommodation The club’s president Bachir Ama, a one-time

fixer who used to transport migrants to Libya,promised to pay Diaby’s passage to Europe if heplayed for the club for one season. And Diaby isnot the only one making the most of his skills inthis arid transport hub. There are eight migrantson the team: four Nigerians and four Ivorians,who earn salaries of up to 100,000 CFA francs($170) and also get accommodation. At the localstadium, around 30 players are training on abrand-new Astroturf pitch, a gift from the gov-ernment to mark Niger’s national day.

“These are people who came on the way toLibya or Algeria but were stranded here,” Amasays. “They need work and as football is their pro-fession, so they have come to us to play.” And inAgadez, they have a wide pool to choose fromgiven the huge numbers crossing Niger: In 2016,the International Organization for Migration(IOM) counted some 335,000 migrants headingnorth and another 111,000 going the other way.

A footballing odyssey The club is one of the best in the Agadez

region and players hoping to join must pass a tri-al. Recruiting only “the best”, Nassara have beat-en all of their regional rivals and entered the final16 of the Niger Cup. Many youngsters are keen totry their luck, one of whom is 16-year-old Toya-seTunchi Bondo from Liberia. He spent a day train-ing with the club but was not taken on as theseason’s transfer and recruitment window hadalready closed. “It feels good to play,” says Bondo,a defensive midfielder who has been taken in bythe IOM. “All I do is sleep and wait.” — AFP

Migrants power Niger football club

AGADEZ, Niger: Ivory Coast’s Mohamed Diaby, 16, who left Abidjan for Agadez in Niger, trainswith players of the Nassara Agadez football club during a session on May 4, 2017. — AFP

BENIN CITY, Nigeria: In Benin City,Nigeria’s capital of illegal migration, noone says the word “prostitution”. Theword on the street for the young girlswho leave for Italy or France is “hus-tling”. About 37,500 Nigerians arrived inItaly by boat in 2016, more than fromany other African country, and most ofthem were from the southern city, thecapital of Edo state. The InternationalOrganization for Migration (IOM) hasrecorded an explosion in the number ofNigerian women trafficked into Europe.

In 2013, there were 433 but the fol-lowing year, it rose to nearly 5,000. Therewas a “substantial increase” in “more eas-ily-manipulated” under-age victims, theIOM says. Most are destined for sexualslavery. “Why Edo? Why Benin City? I amtrying to understand and it gives me aheadache,” says Sister Bibiana, who helpsyoung women when they return fromEurope, voluntarily or otherwise. “Butthey’re itching to go back.”

‘Like Jesus’ The benevolent smile of Jesus radi-

ates down on the meeting room ofSister Bibiana’s small charity in BeninCity. “In Europe, people are good peo-ple. They are l ike Jesus,” says onewoman, Miracle, explaining why she leftNigeria in 2012. “I pray to God every day.I ask him to find me a way to go back.”Miracle returned from Italy two yearsago. The story she tells is sketchy. Sheclaims only to have been a sex workerfor a few weeks before being rescued.But the nun who knows her backgroundinsists Miracle was a prostitute from

when she arrived in Europe until thetime she left.

The women, who come from poorbackgrounds with little education, donot have the means to get to Italy. Butin Benin City, “cartels” of human traffick-ers are everywhere. Women need onlyfind a “madame” to organize the trip andget false papers, with the promise of ajob. Some believe they will becomehairdressers, others that they will behigh-class prostitutes in big hotels. Fewask questions.

Once in Europe, they find themselveson the streets of Palermo or Paris, sell-ing sex for between five and 10 euros($5.50-$11) a time to pay back a debt ofЄ50,000-60,000 ($55,000-$66,000).Divinity went to Dubai rather than Italy.She says her debt was “only” Є15,000and going overseas had been a long-held dream. “All my life, I’ve dreamt totravel abroad and see the world,” saysDivinity, who was 18 when she left.

But she later realized she would neverbe free of the people who trafficked herand decided to go to the police. Theauthorities didn’t want to know. She’snow back on the streets of Benin City,where poverty and evangelical churchesmix with Western Union money transferbureaus, where parents pick up moneysent by children who left to “hustle”abroad. Among those who “failed” tomake it in Europe, many go back ontothe streets when they get home withtraumatic tales about seeing dozens ofclients per night along country roads, the“sexual practices of white people” andsleeping rough in railway stations. —AFP

Ticket to Europe? Nigeria

girls lured into sex slavery

I N T E R N AT I O N A LWEDNESDAY, JUNE 14, 2017

CHILPANCINGO, Mexico: A Mexican photojournalist works during a protestby police officers in Guerrero state on May 31, 2017. —AFP

CHILPANCINGO, Mexico: After drug cartelthugs kidnapped him and threatened to burnhim alive, Mexican journalist Jorge Martinezwas so traumatized he couldn’t leave thehouse. He and six colleagues were returninghome after covering a police operation in theviolent southern state of Guerrero on May 13when some 100 masked gunmen from LaFamilia cartel hijacked their cars. The narcosended up letting them go after about 15 min-utes. But it took Martinez, 44, two weeks to gooutside again.

“Maybe it’s just nerves, but I feel like peopleare following me,” he almost whispered into thephone at the time, afraid to come out for aninterview. Two days after the kidnapping,another journalist - noted crime reporter andAFP contributor Javier Valdez - was shot deadin broad daylight in the state of Sinaloa, sceneof some of Mexico’s most brutal drug violence.It was one of the highest-profile attacks target-ing journalists in Mexico - a country where thephenomenon has become almost banal.

Journalists face harrowing risks to cover thebloody wars between Mexico’s rival cartels andthe army, which have left a trail of tens of thou-sands of mangled bodies and hundreds ofmass graves in their wake. Reporters take theirlives in their hands when they write anythingthat could be perceived as threatening, or evenunflattering, by narcos or the corrupt govern-ment officials in bed with them. Watchdoggroup Reporters Without Borders ranks Mexicoas the most dangerous country in the world forjournalists after Syria and Afghanistan.

Since 2006, when the government first sentthe military to fight the cartels, nearly 100 jour-nalists have been killed, more than 20 have dis-appeared and more than 200 have beenassaulted by drug traffickers. For survivors, thescars are not always visible. Many Mexicancrime reporters suffer from Post-TraumaticStress Disorder, or PTSD. For some, it is because

they have been victims of the violence. For oth-ers, it is the impact of bearing daily witness toit. A study last year involving 246 journalistsfound that 41 percent had PTSD symptoms.Seventy-seven percent had symptoms of anxi-ety, and 42 percent of depression.

Flawed protection program Alejandro Ortiz is a 26-year-old reporter for

W Radio in Chilpancingo, the capital ofGuerrero and a hot spot in Mexico’s war ondrugs. Dark and muscular, he smiles nervouslyas he tells stories about the four times he hasbeen attacked by cartel thugs. He’s been kid-napped, tied up, beaten and had a gun put tohis head. He suffers recurring nightmares andanxiety. But he says he’s determined not to letthe narcos win. “We all know being a journalistis a high-risk profession in Mexico. Being one inGuerrero is that much worse,” he told AFP.Reporters here earn as little as $150 a month.

Eric Chavelas, the leader of a local journal-ists’ association, estimates 30 percent of his col-leagues suffer from PTSD. “We’ve been sound-ing the alarm for years. We don’t know whereto turn” for psychological help, he said. Expertssay most journalists with PTSD do not get treat-ment. Ezequiel Flores, a 40-year-old correspon-dent for the newsweekly Proceso, had to stopreporting on the ground after being roughedup and receiving death threats.

He used to cover the region around Iguala,where 43 students were abducted in 2014 bycorrupt police who are accused of handingthem over to drug gang thugs who allegedlymassacred them. “Every day you documenttragedy after tragedy after tragedy, and youcan’t or don’t know how to evacuate all thisstuff that you accumulate,” he said. The govern-ment has created a protection program forthreatened journalists, but it has failed to stopthe violence. Five journalists have been killedthis year.

Journalists bear invisible scars of Mexico drug war

CARACAS: Short of newspapers,Venezuelans are getting updates abouttheir country’s deadly political crisislive - acted out by reporters on the busto work. Maria Gabriela Fernandez andDereck Blanco stand on board inside ablack frame. “El Bus TV,” reads a signover their heads. “Good morning every-one. First, the news.” It’s less comfort-able than a TV studio - they have tohold onto the rail with one hand tostop themselves from falling when thedilapidated bus brakes.

But it’s one way of escaping govern-ment censorship. “The idea came fromthe need to break away from the newscircus in this country,” the group’s cre-ative editor Claudia Lizardo told AFP.“To bring people truthful news througha mass transport system: the bus.”

Crisis in three minutes In three minutes, Fernandez and

Blanco deliver news on health, safety,sports, entertainment and, naturally,economics and politics in a countrystricken by food shortages and deadlyriots. Clashes at daily protests bydemonstrators calling for PresidentNicolas Maduro to quit have left 66people dead since April 1, prosecutorssay. Police fire tear gas and water can-nons at protesters who hurl rocks andpetrol bombs. The Bus TV team digs

out original angles to bring home thedrama of the protests, which are notbroadcast on state television.

“Each tear gas canister costs $40. Atthe black market exchange rate, that is200,000 bolivars, or a whole month’ssalary,” Blanco tells the audience of pas-sengers. “Economic news now: a kilo ofchicken wings costs 9,700 bolivars. AVenezuelan on a minimum wage mustwork a day and a half to buy it.”

Opening people’s eyesBlanco is a presenter on a national

television channel but also does Bus TVout of frustration at being under offi-cial “pressure” not to cover certain sub-jects on air. “It is a challenge,” he says.“Journalists have to reinvent them-selves so that the news can reach thepeople.” The team hop on and off busesaround Caracas, with the permission ofthe drivers who often let them on with-out paying a fare. Bus TV is spreading,says Laura Castillo, the show’s produc-er. There is a team working in the west-ern industrial city of Valencia andanother in Puerto La Cruz in the east.“It is a marvelous idea. I like it whenthings are said clearly, without aggres-sion,” said passenger Glenda Guerrero,a 68-year-old housewife. “I think it isimportant for them to report to uswhat it is happening, to open our eyes.”

State censorshipThe six-member Bus TV group of

journalists and performing artists start-ed its shows on May 28 - the 10thanniversary of a dark day for Venezuela’sindependent media. On that day in2007, Maduro’s late predecessor HugoChavez shut down the country’s oldestbroadcaster, Radio Caracas Television,for its critical coverage of him. LikeChavez before him, Maduro - himself aformer bus driver - accuses the privatemedia of being part of a capitalist con-spiracy against his socialist leadership.

The Venezuelan media rights groupEspacio Publico and the NationalJournalists’ Union accuse the govern-ment of censoring media that carry cov-erage critical of it. The government tookthe Spanish-language edition of CNNtelevision news off air this year. Thegroups say scores of newspapers haveshut down because the authorities aredenying them paper to print on. Thecountry’s leading newspaper El Nacionaland prominent news website La Patillahave been sued. Others have beenbought up by businesses loyal to thegovernment, Espacio Publico says. “Thegovernment has won the arm-wrestleover controlling the media,” says Castillo.“You can get news on social media, butnot everyone has access to those and alot of what you find there is just rumors.”

Attacks on reporters Media rights group Reporters

Without Borders ranks Venezuela a dis-mal 137th out of 180 countries for pressfreedom. The journalists’ union hascounted more than 200 attacks againstreporters during the past two and a halfmonths of protests. Maduro has fanned

the protests by proposing to reform theconstitution, “without consultingVenezuelans in a referendum,” Blancoand Fernandez report, wrapping uptheir bulletin. Passengers applaud asthe presenters sign off. “Meanwhile, thebakeries still have no bread. Thank youfor watching, this is Bus TV.” —AFP

Venezuelans watch news bulletins acted live on bus

CARACAS: Venezuela’s attorneygeneral on Monday said intelli-gence officials had threatenedand harassed her family after sheopenly challenged PresidentNicolas Maduro over the coun-try’s political crisis. A staunch fig-ure of the ruling party, AttorneyGeneral Luisa Ortega has beenbranded a traitor for becomingthe highest public official tobreak ranks with Maduro. Shehas accused him and his allies ofacting unconstitutionally in theirstandoff against the oppositionin recent months of deadly anti-government protests.

Last week, she filed a chal-lenge against his effort to rewritethe constitution, branding itundemocratic. The court dis-missed the appeal on Monday.Ortega said members of her fam-ily had received threatening tele-phone calls and had beenharassed and pursued. “I hold theexecutive responsible for anyinjury or attack that my familymight suffer,” she said in an inter-view with Union Radio. “This is amatter that must be resolvedwith me, not with my family,” shesaid. “They are being pursued bypatrols that appear to be fromSEBIN,” she added about thestate intelligence service. “Theyare sending them messagesdirectly from SEBIN, whichanswers to the government.”Although Ortega, 59, said sheherself had not received threats,some government officials havesaid on television that sheshould be imprisoned.

Constitutional struggle Maduro is accused of control-

ling the Supreme Court, whichhas fended off numerous legaland legislative moves againsthim over the past year and a half.Clashes at daily protests bydemonstrators call ing forMaduro to quit have left 67 peo-ple dead since April 1, prosecu-tors say. The latest casualty was a49-year-old man who diedMonday night in the Caribbeancity of La Guaira, prosecutorssaid, without clarifying the cir-cumstances. The oppositiondeputy Jose Manuel Olivares

said he died after being suffocat-ed by tear gas.

Violent riots also occurred inthe afternoon in Caracas, wherehooded protesters partially setoff an administrative building ofthe TSJ. Protesters blame Madurofor an economic crisis that hascaused desperate shortages offood and medicine in the oil-richcountry. Maduro says the crisis isa US-backed conspiracy. He haslaunched moves to set up anelected assembly to reform theconstitution in response to theprotests, but his opponents say

that is a ploy to cling to power. Asurvey by pollster Datanalisisindicated that 85 percent ofVenezuelans opposed that plan.The president retains the publicbacking of the military.

Legal battles Analysts said last week that

Or tega’s su i t could bui ldbridges between the opposi-tion and disgruntled officialsand widen d iv is ions inMaduro’s camp, making it hard-er for him to stay in power. But

the court on Monday rejectedher appeal as “incompetent”.That ruling “removes any doubtabout the absence of judicialremedies” for the political crisis,said constitutional law expertJose Ignacio Hernandez. “It is aclear attempt to discredit theattorney general.”

Ortega responded to the rul-ing by upping the ante - andthe political tension. She pre-sented a further legal challengeaiming to fire 13 of the court’sjudges, who she argued werenamed without her approval.

Her motion challenges a con-troversial decision in 2015 toname the judges, whom theopposition says are biased infavor of Maduro. A dozen coun-tries expressed “deep concern”about Ortega’s “harassment”,prosecutors sa id, inc ludingArgent ina, Chi le, Colombia ,Portugal and Paraguay.

Scuffles outside court The pres ident is res ist ing

calls for elections to replacehim, vowing to continue the

“socialist revolution” of his latepredecessor Hugo Chavez .Opponents of M aduro hadgone to the court earlier to tryto add their names to the list ofplaintiffs in Ortega’s lawsuit,but were kept away by militarypolice. Anti- and pro-govern-ment ac t iv is ts exchangedblows outside the court in thelatest in more than two monthsof street unrest.

Parliament was set to discussprocedures for appointing newjudges to the Supreme Courtyesterday, whi le opposit ion

leaders are calling for a returnto the streets today. “They donot want the people to demon-strate against the constitutionalassembly. Look at how manypeople reject it,” said one youngdemonstrator, Maria Rodriguez.“Get away, the streets belong tothe people, not to the bour-geoisie,” yelled a rival supporterdressed in the traditional red ofChavez supporters and holdinga copy of the constitution in hishand. “What there is here is rev-olution.” —AFP

Venezuela attorney general says officials threatened her family

Opposition leaders calling for return to streets

CARACAS: Anti-government demonstrators attack the administration headquarters of theSupreme Court of Justice as part of protests against President Nicolas Maduro on Monday. —AFP

WASHINGTON: From the incompre-hensible “covfefe” to a post labelingfired FBI director James Comey a “leak-er,” President Donald Trump’s tweetswould be preserved as presidentialrecords if a Democratic lawmaker’sproposed COVFEFE Act becomes law.Representative Mike Quigley of Illinoisintroduced on Monday the“Communications Over Various FeedsElectronically For Engagement” Actthat would amend the PresidentialRecords Act and require the NationalArchives to store presidential tweetsand other social media interactions.

“If the president is going to take tosocial media to make sudden publicpolicy proclamations, we must ensurethat these statements are document-ed and preserved for future reference,”

Quigley, a member of the House intel-ligence committee, said in a state-ment. “Tweets are powerful, and thepresident must be held accountablefor every post.” The law would bar theprolifically tweeting president fromdeleting his posts, as he has some-times done. This has inspired websitesarchiving his erased tweets.

White House spokesman SeanSpicer said last week that Trump’stweets “are considered official state-ments by the president of the UnitedStates.” The White House did notimmediately reply to a request forcomment on the proposed legislation.Trump, who has more than 32 millionfollowers on Twitter for his 8-year-oldpersonal @realDonaldTrump profile, isknown for messages on the social

media site that are sometimes riddledwith spelling and grammar mistakes.

Trump famously sent a tweet at12:06 a.m. ET (0406 GMT) on May 31that said: “Despite the constant nega-tive press covfefe.” The messageremained on the Internet for hours,spurring a wave of speculation aboutwhat Trump intended to say. The mes-sage was later deleted. Trump’s nextcommunication that day at 6:09 a.m.ET (1009 GMT ) made light of thetweet, saying: “Who can figure out thetrue meaning of “covfefe”??? Enjoy!”Spicer, asked at a news briefing at thetime whether people should be con-cerned about the covfefe tweet, said,“no” and added, “I think the presidentand a small group of people knowexactly what he meant.” —Reuters

US COVFEFE Act would preserve Trump tweets

CARACAS: Laura Castillo (left), Maria Gabriela Fernandez (center) andDereck Blanco (right) give a presentation of Bus TV news on June 6,2017. —AFP

WASHINGTON: The US Secret Service said Monday it does nothave any audio recordings or transcripts of US President DonaldTrump’s White House conversations. After Trump again intimat-ed last week that he could have recorded his controversial dis-cussions with fired FBI director James Comey, it remainedunclear if that claim was true. The issue could be crucial for thepresident amid allegations - though not formal accusations -that he has sought to obstruct the investigation into possiblecollusion by his advisors in Russian interference in last year’spresidential election.

The Secret Service, which protects the president and his fam-ily, maintained a secret taping system for the White House in theeras of John F Kennedy and Richard Nixon. But in response to aFreedom of Information Act request from The Wall StreetJournal, the agency said it did not have any such records for theTrump administration. “It appears, from a review of SecretService’s main indices, that there are not records pertaining toyour request,” the agency told the Journal in a letter.

On May 12, three days after he fired Comey, Trump suggest-

ed in a tweet that he had recorded their private discussions withComey. The claim came in response to reports, since confirmed,that Comey himself had kept detailed notes on those discus-sions in which, he alleges, Trump demanded a pledge of loyaltyand pressed the then-FBI director to pull off on an investigationinto Trump’s former national security advisor Michael Flynn.“James Comey better hope that there are no ‘tapes’ of our con-versations before he starts leaking to the press!” Trump wrote.

On Friday, after explosive testimony from Comey in Congressrepeated the claims that Trump pressured him over Flynn,Trump responded angrily, calling Comey a liar. Asked byreporters if he had tapes of their conversations to support hisclaim, Trump replied demurely, “I’ll tell you about that maybe inthe very near future.” That left open the possibility that otherWhite House staff, or Trump himself, could have been involvedin recording their talks, if anyone. Members of Congressionalcommittees investigating Russian meddling in the election haveshown interest in whether Trump did tape his White House con-versations with Comey or anyone else. —AFP

Secret Service doesn’t have White House tapes

I N T E R N AT I O N A LWEDNESDAY, JUNE 14, 2017

GAZA CITY: Hamas this week marks 10years since taking power in Gaza withthe Palestinian enclave at risk of conflictand facing electricity blackouts, povertyand Israel’s blockade, analysts and offi-cials say. The situation is likely to be fur-ther complicated by the Saudi-led diplo-matic row with Qatar, which has been amajor donor to the Gaza Strip but maybe forced to reduce its support due tothe dispute. Divisions remain deepbetween the Islamist movement Hamasand Palestinian president MahmudAbbas’s Fatah, based in the occupiedWest Bank, with reconciliation betweenthe two rivals seemingly a long way off.

“It’s the Gazans who pay the price,”said rights activist Hamdi Shaqura, withnearly half of the population unem-ployed and more than three-quartersdependent on humanitarian aid. Hamashas run Gaza since June 15, 2007, havingseized it in a near civil war from Fatah fol-lowing a dispute over parliamentaryelections won by the Islamist movement.Hamas and other Palestinian militantgroups in Gaza have since fought three

wars with Israel. Israel’s blockade of thestrip, now more than a decade old, hasheavily damaged Gaza’s economy, whilethe enclave’s crossing with Egypt hasremained largely closed in recent yearsas well. Egypt has also destroyed most ofthe tunnels Gazans used for smugglingto and from the Sinai peninsula. Addingto those woes, Abbas’ PalestinianAuthority has taken steps many analystssay are designed to pressure Hamas,including salary cuts for PA employees inGaza and slashed electricity payments,further worsening an already severepower shortage.

‘Big loser is us’ Those moves have come as Gazans

observe the Muslim holy month ofRamadan and as the summer heat setsin. “People can no longer buy or sell,” saidNahed Abu Salem, who runs a candyshop in the Jabalia refugee camp, withcuts to civil servants’ salaries taking a hiton the economy. Ayed Hassouna, a 34-year-old coffee seller, says he spends 300shekels ($85) every day on a generator to

operate a bean-grinding machine, mak-ing his business unprofitable. “In anycase, we can’t produce anything withoutelectricity,” he said.

Many analysts say the situation couldfurther worsen in the enclave of some twomillion people squeezed between Egypt,Israel and the Mediterranean Sea. In thepast, Hamas backer Qatar has regularlystepped in with financial assistance. ButQatar now faces a diplomatic crisis, withSaudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates,Bahrain and others cutting ties after accus-ing it of supporting extremist groups.

“ The big loser is us,” said AhmedYousef, a senior Hamas member who hasbeen a pragmatic voice within theIslamist movement labelled a terroristorganization by Israel, the United Statesand the European Union. “It is us who aregoing to pay the price.” Hamas hassought to soften its image in recentmonths with a new policy documentsomewhat easing its stance on Israelwhile still not recognizing the country.

But it has also faced increasing isola-tion. Relations with Egypt deteriorated

after the 2013 ouster of Islamist presi-dent Mohamed Morsi by Egypt’s thenarmy chief and now President AbdelFattah Al-Sisi. It also lost Syria’s supportduring the Arab Spring uprisings.

‘It has to decide’ Gazans are left to endure the fallout.

They have been receiving three to fourhours of electricity per day, but Abbas’reported decision to slash payments hasled Israel to reduce supplies. When thattakes effect, the strip will be left witharound two or three hours per day.Concerns have been raised for hospitalsand infrastructure such as water treatmentfacilities - already at risk. The InternationalCommittee of the Red Cross has warnedof the possibility of a “systemic collapse”.

For Yousef, it amounts to a situationwhere, for many young people, “it’s bet-ter to die than live”. Young people cametogether for protests against electricityshortages in January, including one inwhich thousands in northern Gazawalked to the local headquarters of theelectricity company. Hamas security

forces fired warning shots and madearrests as they dispersed the protesters.Whether the tensions will lead to anoth-er escalation between Hamas and Israelis a question constantly being posed.

While UN officials have called for Israelto lift its blockade, citing deterioratingconditions, Israel says it is needed to stopHamas from obtaining weapons or materi-als used to make them. “It cannot be thatHamas collects taxes from the residents ofGaza, and these taxes go to tunnels, torockets, not to the development of Gaza,to the development of the electricity sec-tor, to the water sector, and now it has todecide what it wants,” Israeli DefenceMinister Avigdor Lieberman said Monday.

Hamas says it must defend itself inthe face of Israel’s overwhelming powerand that the blockade stops it fromimporting needed material while stiflingits economy. Mukhaimer Abu Saada, apolitical scientist in Gaza, said he doesnot see the blockade being lifted untilHamas gives up power in the strip. But,for him, Hamas agreeing to do so could“avoid more catastrophes”. — AFP

Gaza Strip in peril as Hamas marks decade in power

BAGHDAD: Many Iraqi Kurds hailed lastweek’s announcement of a September refer-endum on independence as historic, butmajor obstacles will remain on the path tostatehood after an expected landslide “yes”.The autonomous region is still at war with theIslamic State group, it hosts a displaced popu-lation of more than a million and its oncepromising economy has taken a double hitfrom conflict and low oil prices. The northernregion’s leader, Massud Barzani, announcedon June 7 that a referendum would be held inKurdish areas of Iraq on Sept 25 to ask voters ifthey want a separate state.

The vote is non-binding, but sets thewheels in motion for an independent statethat has been gestating since Iraq’s Kurdsgained autonomy from Baghdad on the backof the 1991 Gulf War. Hoshyar Zebari, a for-mer foreign minister of Iraq and a seniornegotiator in Kurdistan’s independenceprocess, described the decision as signifyingthat the Kurds had “crossed the Rubicon”, thepoint of no return. Besides obvious securityand economic challenges that need to beovercome for any viable state project, theother necessary conditions are internal unityand external assent.

Neither is guaranteed. “The two biggestobstacles to Kurdistan’s independence arethe question of its boundaries with Iraq andinternational recognition,” analyst NathanielRibkin said. “If no agreement is reached withBaghdad on borders, many countries will bereluctant to recognize a unilateral declara-tion of independence,” said Ribkin, managingeditor of the Inside Iraqi Politics newsletter.Iraqi Kurdistan’s most powerful neighbors

Turkey and Iran, which have their ownKurdish minorities and support one of theautonomous region’s two main rival parties,have spoken against the referendum.

US guarantees Tehran warned it could “only lead to new

problems” while Turkey, through which IraqiKurdish oil is being exported, called the deci-sion to organize the referendum “irresponsi-ble” and a “grave mistake”. Baghdad, muchlike the Kurdish region’s key US ally, hasreacted relatively tamely by stressing theneed to comply with the constitution andreaffirming its commitment to Iraq’s territori-al integrity. The official reactions are as pre-dictable as the referendum itself, which theKurdish administration had promised wouldbe held after Mosul is retaken, but the moredistant prospect of secession is already beingdiscussed by all sides.

The federal government has already setup a committee to discuss the shape of rela-tions between Baghdad and a future, inde-pendent Kurdistan. Turkey has expressedstrong displeasure at the date of the referen-dum but may ultimately not be completelyhostile to Kurdish independence in Iraq ifthis can help it contain Kurdish separatism athome. Washington also objected to the tim-ing of the vote, but has repeatedlyexpressed its support for the principle ofself-determination.

“Without ironclad US security guarantees,an independent Kurdistan is unlikely to sur-vive,” Amberin Zaman, a fellow at the US-based Wilson Center, wrote in a recent paperon the issue. Iraqi Kurdish leaders enjoy

strong support in Congress and appear to betaking the bet that Washington will be prag-matic and endorse a fait accompli, as it did aquarter of a century ago when the Kurdsused a US-enforced no-fly zone to startbuilding their institutions.

Ready or notBut Iraq’s roughly five million Kurds do

not all agree between themselves on thereferendum, whose announcement prompt-ed some suspicious reactions internally. Theregion is in political limbo. Barzani’s man-date as regional president expired nearlytwo years ago and parliament was suspend-ed a few weeks later. The administration runby the Barzani clan is struggling to paysalaries and faces strong opposition, includ-ing from two parties that argued that a ref-erendum should come after parliamentaryand presidential polls.

“The referendum could serve as a lifeboatfor ruling Kurdish parties that have failed togovern effectively,” said Yerevan Saeed, ananalyst and research associate at the DC-based Arab Gulf Institute. “Unless there is aform of Kurdish unity, I don’t see any viablepath towards Kurdish independence,” hesaid. While both the internal and broadercontext seem far from propitious, the idealmoment may never come, and some arguethat the prospect of independence might bewhat the Kurds need to overcome their cur-rent difficulties. “It is up to their leaders tobury the hatchet and to ensure that thisdream for which so many Kurds have laiddown their lives is finally translated into reali-ty,” Zaman said. —AFP

Journey to statehood long for Iraq Kurds

LONDON: Prime Minister Theresa May soughtto strike a deal with a Northern IrishProtestant party to save her premiership yes-terday as she came under intense pressure tosoften her approach to Brexit days before for-mal EU divorce talks. May’s botched electiongamble, which saw her lose her parliamentarymajority, left her so weakened that supportersof closer ties with the European Union pub-licly demanded she take a more consensualand business friendly approach to Brexit.

In an attempt to avoid a second electionthat could deepen the worst political turmoil

in Britain since last June’s shock vote to leavethe European Union, May apologized to herConservative Party’s lawmakers, who said theywould leave her in power - for now. “She said:‘I’m the person who got us into this mess andI’m the one who is going to get us out of it’,”said one Conservative lawmaker who attend-ed Monday’s meeting. “She said she will serveus as long as we want her.”

To stay in government, May must strike adeal with the Democratic Unionist Party(DUP), a small eurosceptic Northern Irish partywith 10 parliamentary seats. DUP leaderArlene Foster arrived for talks with May. Shewaved but did not say anything as she wentinto Downing Street. She looked at her watchand ignored a question from a reporter who

asked: “What is your price?” “The deal will be done,” said Jon Tonge, pro-

fessor of politics at Liverpool University.“Basically it will be Theresa May signingcheques for the foreseeable future or amonthly direct debit, as it were, into NorthernIreland’s coffers.” “The DUP may never have thepolitical arithmetic so favorable again so likethe Conservatives, the DUP will want to avoidanother election and will want to keep drink-ing in the political free bar that is available toit,” Tonge said.

But a deal with the DUP would risk destabi-

lizing the political balance in Northern Irelandby increasing the influence of pro-Britishunionists who have struggled for years withIrish Catholic nationalists who want NorthernIreland to join a united Ireland. While theDUP are deeply eurosceptic, they havebalked at some of the practical implicationsof a so-call hard Brexit - including a potentialloss of a “fr ictionless border ” with theRepublic of Ireland - and talks will touch onefforts to minimize the potential damage toNorthern Ireland.

With formal EU divorce talks due nextweek, May headed to France yesterday tomeet Emmanuel Macron, who last monthswept to victory in the presidential election.During the campaign, May cast herself as the

only leader competent enough to navigatethe tortuous Brexit negotiations that willshape the future of the United Kingdom andits $2.5 trillion economy. Jeremy Corbyn,leader of the opposition Labour Party, whichsaw its number of parliamentary seats andshare of the vote increase, said there couldbe another election this year or early in2018 after Thursday’s vote produced noclear winner.

Brexit Civil War?May, who ahead of the June referendum

supported remaining in the EU, has promisedto start the formal Brexit talks next week butopponents of a sharp break with the EU tookher woes as a chance to push back againsther strategy. Before the election, May pro-posed a clean break from the EU, involvingwithdrawal from Europe’s single market, lim-its on immigration and a bespoke customsdeal with the EU.

Brexit minister David Davis has insisted theapproach to the EU divorce had not changed,but at the meeting with lawmakers onMonday, May recognised that a broader con-sensus needed to be built for Brexit and madeclear she would listen to all wings of the partyon the issue. Scottish Conservative leaderRuth Davidson said the government shouldput economic growth at the heart of its Brexitstrategy, while some senior ministers havepushed for less focus on immigration andmore on jobs.

The Daily Telegraph reported cabinet min-isters have opened back-channel talks to sen-ior Labour lawmakers to secure a cross-partyagreement on Brexit. When asked about theDaily Telegraph article, Michael Gove, a min-ister who campaigned for Brexit, told ITV:“This is news to me.” William Hague, a formerleader of the Conservative Party, called forbusiness groups and lawmakers from all par-ties to be brought in to agree a national posi-tion on Brexit.

May’s weakness means she must now listento all shades of opinion on Brexit as she goesinto Britain’s most complex negotiations sinceWorld War Two. But May faces a difficult bal-ancing act: Divisions over Europe helped sinkthe premierships of Margaret Thatcher, JohnMajor and David Cameron, and many of herlawmakers and party membership support asharp break with the EU. “The Tory civil war onthe EU which has ripped it apart since theMaastricht rebellions of the early 1990s, andwhich the referendum was supposed to solve,is now raging again,” said Chris Grey, an aca-demic who specializes in Brexit at RoyalHolloway in London. — Reuters

THE HAGUE: Two former Serbian intelli-gence chiefs played a major role in runningdeath squads that terrorized Bosnia andCroatia in the bloody 1990s Balkans wars, aUN court heard yesterday. Jovica Stanisic,66, and Franko Simatovic, 67, are back incourt on four charges of crimes againsthumanity and a war crimes charge aftertheir acquittal in 2013 was overturned.“These accused made these crimes happenthrough their direction and unflaggingsupport to the Serb forces who committedthem,” UN prosecutor Douglas Stringer toldjudges in The Hague.

Stringer said the accused “repeatedlydeployed their... units in attack operationsin Croatia and Bosnia where many crimesof persecution, murder and expulsion werecommitted.” “The evidence will show thatthis relentless pattern continued for overfour years and that the accused supportedand advanced it every step along the way,”he said, as the two men listened attentively,with Stanisic occasionally shaking his head.

Stanisic and Simatovic ’s acquittalbefore the International Criminal Tribunalfor the former Yugoslavia ( IC T Y )unleashed a storm of protest and wasoverturned in 2015 after prosecutorsappealed. The two men were ordered toreturn to the tribunal in The Hague to facea retrial on the same charges.

Death squads Stanisic, the former head of Serbia’s old

state security service and a key figure in theregime of Slobodan Milosevic, and his deputySimatovic now stand accused once again oforganising, financing and supplying paramili-tary groups. These groups cut a swathe of ter-ror and destruction across Croatia and Bosniaduring the conflicts that erupted amid thecollapse of Yugoslavia. They included an eliteunit dubbed the “Red Berets” and the fearedparamilitary outfit run by Zeljko “Arkan”Raznatovic, called “Arkan’s Tigers”.

The death squads attacked towns andmurdered Croats, Muslims and other non-Serbs to force them out of large areas, seek-ing to establish a Serb-run state, prosecu-tors alleged, seeking life sentences for bothmen in the original trial which opened in2008. UN prosecutors maintain thatStanisic and Simatovic were part of a jointcriminal enterprise that included the lateSerbian president Milosevic and BosnianSerb leader Radovan Karadzic.

Stringer on Tuesday made a pointed ref-erence to Milosevic - who died in 2006 dur-ing his own genocide and warcrimes trial inthe ICTY’s custody. “The substantial powersand authority wielded by Stanisic emanat-ed not only from his position as head of theSerbian (security service) but also from thetrust and confidence placed in him byMilosevic,” the prosecutor said. — AFP

MUNICH: A German police officer was criti-cally wounded and two passers-by hurtyesterday when a lone gunman fired shotsat a commuter rail station near the Germancity of Munich before being injured himselfand detained, police said. A Munich policespokesman told reporters there was noindication of a “political or religious” motivebehind the morning rush hour incident.“The sole male perpetrator was motivatedby personal reasons,” said spokesmanMarcus da Gloria Martins.

Police identified the gunman as a 37-year-old German national, whose criminalrecord showed only one charge for posses-sion of a small quantity of marijuana in2014. Martins said the man had tried topush at least one police officer in front ofan incoming train at an S-Bahn station inUnterfoehring, a northeastern suburb ofthe Bavarian city. A scuffle ensued during

which the assailant snatched an officer’sgun and fired. “The police officer was shotin the head and critically injured,” Martinssaid. She is 26 years old.

Two other people at the station, oneGerman and one Romanian, were seriouslywounded and are being treated in localhospitals but their lives were not believedto be in danger. “The assailant was arrested.He was also injured. There are no indica-tions of further perpetrators,” police tweet-ed. The officers had been called to thescene when a fight broke out among sever-al people on a train, witnesses said.

The train was stopped at theUnterfoehring station and the brawlerswere hauled out by police, leading to theescalation. The station is on a busy lineleading to and from Munich’s main interna-tional airport. Travellers were diverted toanother rail line after the shooting. — AFP

Under pressure over Brexit, May meets ‘kingmakers’ DUP

PM to travel to France, meet Macron

LONDON: Britain’s Prime Minister Theresa May leaves 10 Downing Street in central Londonyesterday, ahead of a planned trip to Paris to meet the French president and following a meet-ing with the leadership of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP). — AFP

THE HAGUE: Former Serbian intelligence chiefs, Jovica Stanisic (left) and FrankoSimatovic (right) appear in court as they go back on trial yesterday before the UnitedNations Mechanism for International Criminal Tribunal. — AFP

Serbian ex-spy chiefs had ‘key role in Balkans wars’

MUNICH: Police officers secure the area around a commuter rail station inUnterfoehring, where shots were fired yesterday. — AFP

Gunman injures three at German rail station

BEIJING: Panama’s Vice President and Foreign Minister Isabel de Saint Maloshakes hands with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi during a joint press briefingafter the two signed a joint communique agreeing to establish diplomatic rela-tions yesterday. — AFP

I N T E R N AT I O N A LWEDNESDAY, JUNE 14, 2017

SEOUL: Flamboyant former NBA starDennis Rodman arrived in North Koreayesterday after saying he wants to “openthe door” to the regime and claiming thatUS President Donald Trump would bepleased with his mission. Sporting abaseball cap, sunglasses, multiple facialpiercings and a black t-shirt emblazonedwith the logo of sponsor PotCoin - a cryp-tocurrency for the legal cannabis indus-try - Rodman was greeted at Pyongyangairport by sports vice -minister SonKwang Ho and journalists.

“I’m just trying to open the door,” theeccentric ex-Chicago Bulls power forwardtold reporters at Beijing airport beforeboarding his Air Koryo flight. Askedwhether he had spoken with Trumpabout his trip, Rodman said: “I’m prettysure he’s pretty much happy with the factthat I’m over here trying to accomplishsomething that we both need.” Rodman’strip to North Korea is at least his fifth.Most recently in 2014 he attracted a del-uge of criticism after being filmedsinging happy birthday to his “friend for

life”, leader Kim Jong-Un. The latest visitcomes amid high tensions betweenWashington and Pyongyang which is cur-rently holding four Americans - followinga series of missile tests by the North,which have triggered tightened UN sanc-tions. The 56-year-old NBA Hall of Famer,who was heavily criticized for failing toraise the plight of a jailed US missionaryon a previous trip, said discussingdetained US citizens was “not my pur-pose right now”.

The player nicknamed “The Worm” isone of the few Westerners to have metKim, who took over following the deathof his father Kim Jong-Il in 2011. It is notclear whether Rodman, who once datedMadonna and was married to model andactress Carmen Electra, will be meetingKim Jong-Un during the current trip orwhat its exact purpose is. He said inBeijing his aim is to try to “bring sports toNorth Korea”. Rodman has met Kim onsome but not all of his previous trips. Hehas previously described his visits -including one in 2013 with the Harlem

Globetrotters - as “basketball diplomacy”but has been roundly criticised for failingto raise human rights issues. A seniorTrump administration official told FoxNews Rodman was going to the North “asa private citizen”.

Unlikely relationship Rodman, who is known as much for his

piercings, ever-changing hair colors andoff-court antics as his basketball skills, hasdeveloped an unlikely relationship withthe North Korean leader since making hisfirst trip there in 2013. The bombasticplayer - who once wore a wedding dressto promote one of his books - also knowsTrump, having appeared as a contestanton his reality television show “CelebrityApprentice”. Trump called Rodman “smart”for his 2013 trip to North Korea, Politicoreported at the time. “The world is blow-ing up around us. Maybe Dennis is a lotbetter than what we have,” Trump wasquoted as saying. “Dennis is not a stupidguy. He’s smart in many ways; he’s verystreet-wise.” — AFP

WASHINGTON: Pentagon chief Jim Mattis toldlawmakers yesterday he was “shocked” by thestate of the US military’s readiness, blaminglegal budget caps and the grind of 16 years ofconstant war. The defense secretary also warnedthat North Korea has become the most urgentthreat to peace and security, and said - withoutgiving details - that America must do things dif-ferently in Afghanistan.

Pointing to Obama-era budget caps knownas sequestration, Mattis said limits on militaryspending have left troops at greater risk andblocked important new programs - even thoughthe defense budget is already greater than thatof the next seven countries combined. “I retiredfrom military service three months after seques-tration took effect,” Mattis, a former Marine gen-eral, told the House Armed Services Committee.

“Four years later, I returned to theDepartment (of Defense), and I have beenshocked by what I’ve seen about our readinessto fight... No enemy in the field has done more

to harm the readiness of our military thansequestration.” Mattis was addressing lawmakersseeking additional information about PresidentDonald Trump’s proposed 2018 budget. Hewants to slash State Department spending butgive a significant boost to the Pentagon’s vastbudget, although it falls short of the historicspending bonanza sought by more hawkishRepublicans.

The Pentagon has called for $574 billion ingeneral defense funding, with an additional $65billion for supplemental wartime spending - fora total of $639 billion. That represents a morethan $50 billion increase - about 10 percent -over 2017 funding levels for the base budget,although it amounts to only about three percentover projections previously envisioned by theObama administration.

Committee Chairman Congressman MacThornberry and other Republicans bemoanedthe increase as insufficient. “We have spent sixyears just getting by, asking more and more of

those who serve, and putting off the choicesthat have to be made. We cannot keep pilingmissions on our service members without ensur-ing they have all they need to succeed,”Thornberry said. Although many Democrats onthe committee agree, they worry where themoney will come from, given the Trump admin-istration’s pressure to cut taxes.

Afghanistan and N Korea Mattis pointed to the war in Afghanistan,

which has dragged on since late 2001 with noend in sight, as exacting a heavy price. Suchcampaigns have “exhausted our equipmentfaster than planned. Congress and theDepartment (of Defense) could not anticipatethe accumulated wear and tear of years of con-tinuous combat use,” he said. Lawmakersrepeatedly asked Mattis for an update onAfghanistan, and about whether Trump willdeploy thousands more troops to help Afghanpartners reverse a stalemate against the resur-gent Taleban.

“We’ve got to do things differently,” Mattisacknowledged, noting only that anyAfghanistan decision would come “soon”. Aheadof the four-hour hearing, Mattis also warnedthat North Korea poses the most urgent threatto international peace and security, calling theregime’s weapons program a “clear and presentdanger” to all. In written testimony, he saidPyongyang is increasing the pace and scope ofits nuclear weapons program that leader KimJong-Un wants to be capable of delivering abomb on the United States.

“The regime’s provocative actions, manifestlyillegal under international law, have not abateddespite United Nations’ censure and sanctions,”Mattis said. The defense secretary also warnedof a return to “Great Power competition,” wherecountries like Russia and China gain militaryassertiveness and place long-held global securi-ty protocol at risk. “Both Russia and China objectto key aspects of the international order sopainstakingly built since the end of World War II,”he said.

Pyongyang has test-fired a string of missilesthis year, building on launches and nuclear teststhat have ratcheted up tensions over its quest todevelop weapons capable of hitting the UnitedStates - something Trump has vowed “won’thappen”. But Mattis and his top military officer,General Joe Dunford, said any military actionagainst North Korea would have disastrous con-sequences for the peninsula. “It would be a warlike nothing we have seen since 1953,” Mattissaid about the end of the Korean War. — AFP

Mattis ‘shocked’ by state of US military readiness

Pentagon chief warns on North Korea

BEIJING: China delivered another diplomat-ic punch to Taiwan yesterday by establish-ing relations with Panama at the expense ofTaipei, further isolating the island’s Beijing-sceptic government. China, which considersself-ruled Taiwan a renegade province wait-ing to be reunited with the mainland, hasbeen infuriated by President Tsai Ing-wen’srefusal to acknowledge the island is part of“one China”, unlike her predecessor Ma Ying-jeou. Panama is the third country to switchallegiances to China since Tsai’s DemocraticProgressive Party was swept to power lastyear, China’s nationalistic Global Timesreported, warning more would follow in a“domino effect”. “This is the cost the Tsaiadministration needs to pay,” the newspapersaid in an editorial.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and hisPanamanian counterpart Isabel Saint Malode Alvarado toasted with champagne inBeijing after signing a communique formal-izing the establishment of diplomatic rela-tions while angering Taiwan. “This is a his-toric moment, China-Panama relations haveopened a new chapter,” Wang said, addingthat Panama’s decision was in “completeaccordance” with its people’s interests and“in keeping with the times”.

Saint Malo said Panama and China hadmade an “important step” and started a“new page in our strategic relations”. Afterdecades of siding with Taiwan, Panama now“recognizes that there is only one China inthe world” and that Taiwan is part ofChinese territory, said the joint commu-nique. While the Central American countryis small, the Panama Canal is a crucial gate-way for global trade between the Pacificand Atlantic oceans.

‘Teach a lesson’ The latest move infuriated Taiwan,

which is still recognized by around 20mostly small and economically weak coun-tries, including Haiti, Tuvalu and BurkinaFaso. “Beijing’s action has impacted thestable cross-strait status quo. This is unac-ceptable for the Taiwanese people and wewill not sit back and watch our country’sinterests being repeatedly threatened andchallenged,” Tsai told reporters in Taipei.“As the president, maintaining nationalsovereignty is my biggest responsibility.Greater challenge will bring stronger will.Taiwanese people’s faith should not andwill not be defeated easily. We will not beshaken.”

Diplomatic tussles between Taiwan andBeijing eased under the island’s previousBeijing-friendly government, but relationshave deteriorated since Tsai took office.China “is seeking to undermine PresidentTsai while intimidating Taiwan by narrow-ing its international space,” said MichaelCole, Taipei-based senior fellow with theChina Policy Institute at the University ofNottingham.Cross-strait tensions havebeen further exacerbated by a highlyunusual call from Tsai to congratulate thenUS President-elect Donald Trump. Trumpquestioned Washington’s policy towardsthe island, including its decision to not for-mally recognize its government, but laterreiterated Washington’s One China policy.“I think the phone call has reinforcedBeijing’s determination to teach Taiwan alesson,” said Willy Lam, an expert on poli-tics at the Chinese University of HongKong. — AFP

China delivers diplomatic punchto Taiwan by winning over Panama

MARAWI CITY, Philippines: Fighting in MarawiCity in the southern Philippines entered itsfourth week yesterday with military officialsconceding that troops were struggling toloosen the grip of Islamist fighters on down-town precincts despite relentless bombing.Military spokesman Brigadier General RestitutoPadilla said the urban terrain was hamperingthe army’s progress because the rebels had

hunkered down in built-up neighborhoods,many of them with civilians they had taken ashuman shields.

Hundreds of other civilians were still trappedin the ruins of the town and - facing capture,starvation or bombardment from above - sever-al have braved sniper fire to dash across abridge to safety. Some were shot dead, a fewmade it alive. Asked when the fighting would

end, Padilla said: “I can’t give you an estimatebecause of compounding developments facedby ground commanders.”

The military had set Monday, the Philippines’independence day, as a target date to flush outthe militants, both local and foreign fighterswho have pledged allegiance to Islamic State.Flags were raised at ceremony in the town onthe insurgency-plagued island of Mindanao,but heavy gunfire resumed early on Tuesday,and the military continued to target the mili-tants with mortars and helicopter-mountedmachineguns.

President Rodrigo Duterte, who declaredmartial law in Mindanao on May 23 - hours afterseveral hundred fighters overran parts of thetown and tried to seal it off to create an Islamiccaliphate - did not show at any independenceday events. Duterte is best known for a brutalwar on drugs since he took office a year ago, andhe has suggested that funding for the Islamistmilitants came from the narcotics trade. Somemedia reports highlighted the absence of thepresident at a time of serious conflict, but aspokesman said he was tired and needed to rest.

The Philippines has been fighting twin insur-gencies from Maoist-led rebels and Muslim sep-aratists in the south for nearly 50 years. Criticssay military action is not enough to bring peaceto a region that has long suffered from politicalneglect and poverty. — Reuters

Philippines army struggles as city siege enters fourth week

Military rejects IS claim it occupies 2/3 of Marawi

MARAWI, Philippines: Philippine soldiers patrol a deserted street in this city on the southernisland of Mindanao yesterday. — AFP

Rodman returns to N Korea, hoping ‘to open door’

PYONGYANG: Former NBA basketball star Dennis Rodman (center) poses withhis entourage upon arrival at Sunan International Airport yesterday. — AFP

WASHINGTON: Bangladesh’s deputy con-sul general in New York was indicted onMonday on charges of labor traffickingand assault for forcing his servant to workwithout pay through threats and intimi-dation, a New York City prosecutor said.Mohammed Shaheldul Islam has limiteddiplomatic immunity and was ordered tosurrender his passport when he appearedbefore Queens Supreme Court JusticeDaniel Lewis, said Queens DistrictAttorney Richard Brown in a statement.Bail was set at $50,000 bond or $25,000cash. He faces up to 15 years in prison ifconvicted.

According to the indictment, Islambrought another Bangladeshi,Mohammed Amin, to New York between2012 and 2013 to work as a householdhelp for Islam and his family. “Soon afterMr. Amin’s arrival, the defendant allegedlytook his passport and required the man towork 18 hours a day ... Even though Mr.Amin had a contract which outlines hiscompensation, it is alleged he was neverpaid for his work,” the statement said. “Ifthe victim disobeyed the defendant’sorders, Mr. Amin was allegedly physicallyassaulted by the defendant, who eitherstruck him with his hand or sometimeswith a wooden shoe,” it said.

A spokesman for the Bangladeshembassy in Washington said it believedAmin had filed the case in bad faith andthe allegations were “fabricated” and“baseless”. “It may be noted that Mr. Islam

decided to cancel Mr. Amin’s contract andwas preparing to send him back toBangladesh due to his irresponsible acts,”Shamim Ahmad, the spokesman, said.“We hope the court will give its verdict inthe matter judiciously,” he said.

Shameem Ahsan, the consul general ofBangladesh, told Reuters over the tele-phone from New York that Amin disap-peared on May 17, 2016 and the very nextday the consulate informed the U.S. statedepartment office in New York. “It is sur-prising for us that after 13 months he hasappeared with these allegations, why didhe not raise this issue earlier,” he said.

According to the charges, Amin’s onlyform of income came from tips fromguests at parties and a “miniscule”amount of money Islam sent to Amin’sfamily in Bangladesh. On several occa-sions when Amin sought to leave, Islamhit him and threatened to harm his moth-er and young son in Bangladesh, thestatement said. On occasion, Islam alsostated that he would have Amin’s college-age daughter “shamed” if he did not con-tinue to work as his servant, the state-ment said. The statement did not makeclear what Islam meant by shaming.

The statement also said that in 2014,shortly after an Indian diplomat in NewYork was charged with labor trafficking,Islam wrote a check for Amin’s cash-tipearnings that the latter then had todeposit in a bank account to create theappearance of a paycheck. — Reuters

B’desh diplomat in NY charged with labor trafficking, assault

WASHINGTON: Defense Secretary Jim Mattis listens on Capitol Hill yesterday while testifyingbefore the Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on the Pentagon’s budget. — AP

N E W SWEDNESDAY, JUNE 14, 2017

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District police chief Sayed Tariqul Hasan said most ofthe landslides happened before dawn yesterday. “Someof them were sleeping in their houses on hillsides whenthe landslides occurred,” he said. Police and localauthorities ordered the evacuation of thousands of peo-ple living in slums at the base of hills in the neighboringdistrict of Chittagong, where 26 people have been con-firmed dead.

At least 126 people were killed in that district when amassive landslide buried a village a decade ago. In thelatest incident six people were killed in the nearby dis-trict of Bandarban, among them three children buriedby a landslide as they slept in their home. Authoritieshave opened 18 shelters in the worst-hit hill districts,where 4,500 people have been evacuated, disastermanagement and relief minister Mofazzal HossainChowdhury Maya told reporters.

‘Constant fear’ Reaz Ahmed, head of the Department of Disaster

Management, said disaster response teams had beendeployed but had not yet been able to reach all theaffected areas. “Once the rains are over, we’ll get a fullpicture of the damage and get the recovery work in fullswing,” he added. The monsoon rains came two weeks

after Cyclone Mora smashed into Bangladesh’s south-east, killing at least eight people and damaging tens ofthousands of homes. Rohingya leader MohammadAnam said the latest rains had further worsened condi-tions in camps that were badly hit by the cyclone. “We’reliving in constant fear of landslides,” he said.

Around 300,000 Rohingya, a mainly Muslim statelessethnic minority, are living in camps in southeasternBangladesh after fleeing persecution in Myanmar.Heavy monsoon rains also pounded the capital Dhakaand the port city of Chittagong in the district of thesame name, disrupting traffic for hours and floodingkey roads and business districts. A ferry sank in the RiverBuriganga in Dhaka on Monday evening with an esti-mated 100 passengers aboard, police said, adding allthe passengers had managed to swim ashore.

Among the victims in Rangamati district were atleast four soldiers who had been sent to clear roadsafter an earlier landslide. Thousands of troops are sta-tioned in Rangamati, where a tribal insurgency ragedfor two decades, and which still suffers sporadic vio-lence. “The soldiers were sent to clear roads hit by land-slide in Manikchhari town when they were themselvesburied by a second landslide,” armed forces spokesmanLieutenant Colonel Rashidul Hassan said. “They fell 30feet from the main road,” he said, adding one soldierwas missing and 10 injured, five critically. — AFP

Heavy rain, landslides kill at least 92...

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Muhammad Bin Zaid narrated that some peopleadmitted in front of his grandfather, Abdullah Bin Amru(one of Prophet Muhammad’s companions), that when-ever they entered in the palaces of their kings and rulersthey would praise them, but once they were out of theirpalaces, they would criticize and sometimes abuse them.Abdullah Bin Amru informed him that dissemblance andflattery were regarded as hypocrisy during the time ofProphet Muhammad (PBUH).” (Reported by Imam Al-Bukhari # 7,178 and Ibn Maajah in his Saheeh # 3, 975)

Whoever wants to be successful on earth and ulti-mately gain felicity in the hereafter should be honestabout his beliefs and opinions. If you meet a ruler or anyperson holding an influential position, don’t praise himinsincerely, only to abuse and accuse him after you leavehis presence. Unfortunately, some people cheaply anddishonestly flatter rulers in anticipation of employment,positions or some sort of benefit. Deceiving people inanticipation of getting some benefits from them is anindication of disbelief in Allah’s power and belief thathumans can single-handedly confer benefits and avertevil, regardless of Allah’s will.

We should understand that everything is in the handsof Allah. True believers are not sycophants and oppor-tunists, but have strong and confident personalities.They are virtuous and righteous regardless of what peo-ple think of and say about them. Hudhaifa (ProphetMuhammad’s companion and confidante) narrated thatProphet Muhammad (PBUH) said, “Do not be a minion,in that you would say, ‘If people do good deeds we willdo like them and if they treat others unjustly we will dothe same.’

But rather settle yourselves (on righteousness andvirtue); when people do good deeds, do like them. Butwhen they go astray, do not follow them. Likewise, avoidinjustice and wrongdoing.” (Reported by Imam At-Tirmidhi # 2,007). As we strive to our utmost to be sin-cere in Ramadan, avoiding dissemblance and all vices,we should try our best to quit hypocrisy and upholdthese lessons until we die - with the help of Allah.

Courtesy of the TIES Center: The TIES Center is a socialand educational hub for expats in Kuwait whose motto is:Tolerance, Information, Empowerment, Solidarity. For moreinformation, please call 252301015/6 or log onto:www.tiescenter.net

Avoid hypocrisy

Continued from Page 1

serious cases were being ferried away by ambulances.At least one new patient was brought in during the day.Most of those afflicted were suffering from stomachcramps and dehydration, resulting from vomiting anddiarrhea. Iraqi lawmaker Raad Al-Dahlaki, who chairs theparliament’s immigration and displacement committeeand who visited the camp overnight, said the meal con-tained rice, a bean sauce, meat, yoghurt and water. Heput the number of sickened people at 850.

Al-Dahlaki said the food was distributed by a Qatarinon-governmental organization, a charity known asRAF. He added that Iraqi officials were to meet thosefrom the organization later. The Doha-based charity didnot immediately respond to requests for comment. At ajoint press conference later in the camp, Irbil policechief Abdulhaleq Talaat said seven people were arrestedin connection with the incident. Irbil Governor NawzadHadi said only one person a child - had died. The differ-ent death tolls could not immediately be reconciled.

Talaat and Hadi said the food was prepared in an Irbilrestaurant by a local NGO, Ain El Muhtajeen, under adonation by RAF. Dr Sabur Ahmed, head of Irbil chil-dren’s hospital, said 22 children remained in hospitalwhile the rest have been discharged. On Twitter, Saudistate television accused RAF of supplying the taintedmeals and posted images it said showed the camp’schildren “poisoned by the terrorist Qatari RAF organiza-tion.” Since a diplomatic crisis between Qatar and otherArab nations led by Saudi Arabia began June 5, Arabmedia across the greater Persian Gulf have dailyunleashed a series of highly critical reports on Qatar.

Those reports include highly provocative storiesabout Qatar allegedly trying to undermine regionalsecurity, often presented without attribution or evi-dence. RAF is the acronym for the Qatar-based Thani BinAbdullah Al Thani Foundation for HumanitarianServices, a charity that collects donations to do aid workaround the world, including providing meals to needyfamilies during the holy fasting month of Ramadan.Qatari government officials also did not immediatelyrespond to a request for comment.

RAF is also among 12 organizations and 59 peopleput on what Saudi, Emirati and Bahraini officialsdescribed as a list of terror entities and individuals onFriday. On Qatari state television meanwhile, a repeat-edly aired program has discussed how the ongoingdiplomatic dispute has stopped it from providing mealsto Syrian refugees at a major camp in Jordan. TheHassan Sham U2 camp houses thousands who have fledtheir homes in and around Mosul after a US-backedIraqi offensive was launched to dislodge the IslamicState group from the city last October. According to theUN refugee agency, it is home to 6,235 people.

Iraq’s second-largest city, Mosul, fell to IS in thesummer of 2014 as the militants swept over much ofthe country’s northern and western areas. Weeks later,the head of the Sunni extremist group, Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi, announced the formation of a self-styledcaliphate in Iraq and Syria from the pulpit of a Mosulmosque. Months after the start of the Iraqi offensive,IS militants now only control a handful of neighbor-hoods in and around the Old City, located west of theTigris River, which divides Mosul into its western andeastern sector. — AP

Mass food poisoning in Iraq

Continued from Page 1

The suit says that despite billionaire Trump havingplaced his extensive business holdings in a trust after hewas elected president, he still owns the properties and iswell-aware of the money they are earning him. “Althoughhe formed a trust to hold his business assets, he may obtaindistributions from his trust at any time,” it said.

Corruption ‘firewall’ The suit detailed the popularity of the opulent Trump

International Hotel with foreign officials since his January20 inauguration, alleging that the hotel “has specificallymarketed itself to the diplomatic community.” It pointed tonews reports of Asian and Middle Eastern diplomats sayingthey will go there to impress the president. Kuwait held itsnational day celebration at the hotel, and Saudi Arabia hasspent hundreds of thousands of dollars there, the suitclaims.

In New York, Trump Tower leases space to the Chinesegovernment-controlled bank ICBC and Trump World Towerand other properties also focus on foreign clients, including

Russians, it said. The suit also alleged that Trump benefitsfrom foreign distribution payments for his “The Apprentice”reality TV show and generally from the international realestate projects of the Trump Organization. Those benefitsviolate the US Constitution’s “emoluments clauses”, whichban US officials from taking gifts or other benefits from for-eign governments, the suit argues.

“The emolument clauses are a firewall against presiden-tial corruption,” said Maryland Attorney General Brian Frosh.“He’s going to have to answer in court.” The focus on TrumpInternational Hotel stems in part from businesses inWashington and Maryland, some partly owned by the localgovernments, complaining that its link to the presidenteffectively gives it an unfair competitive advantage. Thelawsuit followed an earlier similar complaint by Citizens forResponsibility and Ethics in Washington, filed on January23 in New York federal district court. On Friday the JusticeDepartment asked the court to drop that complaint, sayingCitizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington had nogrounds to sue because it had not experienced any loss inrelation to Trump. — AFP

Trump sued over ‘benefits’

THE LEADING INDEPENDENTDAILY IN THE ARABIAN GULF

ESTABLISHED 1961

Founder and Publisher YOUSUF S. AL-ALYAN

Editor-in-ChiefABD AL-RAHMAN AL-ALYAN

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All articles appearing on these pages arethe personal opinion of the writers. KuwaitTimes takes no responsibility for viewsexpressed therein. Kuwait Times invitesreaders to voice their opinions. Please sendsubmissions via email to: opinion@kuwait-times.net or via snail mail to PO Box 1301Safat, Kuwait. The editor reserves the rightto edit any submission as necessary.

A N A L Y S I SWEDNESDAY, JUNE 14, 2017

The Gaza Strip, run by Islamist movement Hamasfor the past 10 years, is a poverty-stricken andovercrowded Palestinian coastal enclave. It is fac-

ing a strict Israeli blockade, while its border with Egypthas also been largely closed in recent years. Hamas isconsidered a terrorist group by Israel, the UnitedStates and the European Union.

Cramped enclaveSituated on the Mediterranean coast, between Israel

and Egypt, the Gaza Strip is home to around two millionPalestinians. They live in a cramped area of just 362square kilometers, making it one of the most denselypopulated territories on the planet. After the Arab-Israeli war of 1948-1949 and the formation of theJewish state of Israel, Gaza came under Egyptian admin-istration, but was never annexed. Israel seized the terri-tory from Egypt during the June 1967 Six-Day War.

Shut-in On September 12, 2005, Israel pulled out all of its

soldiers and settlers from Gaza in a unilateral movewhich ended 38 years of occupation. In the summerof 2006, following the capture of a soldier by militantsfrom Hamas, Israel imposed a blockade on Gaza whichwas tightened a year later after the Islamists forciblyousted troops loyal to Palestinian president MahmudAbbas’s Fatah faction. Since the ousting of Egypt’sIslamist president Mohamed Morsi in 2013, the onlyentrance to Gaza not controlled by Israel, Rafah, hasbeen almost completely closed by Cairo.

45 percent unemployment According to the World Bank, Gaza’s GDP losses

caused by the blockade are estimated at more than 50percent. The Gaza Strip has almost no industry, and itsuffers from a chronic lack of water and fuel.Unemployment stands at 45 percent and more thantwo thirds of the population depends on humanitari-an aid.

String of Israeli operationsOn February 27-March 3, 2008, Israel carried out

operation “Hot Winter” following the death of an Israelifrom rocket fire from Gaza. More than 120 Palestinianswere killed. Unrest continued-Gaza rocket fire andIsraeli attacks-in which hundreds of Palestinians werekilled until a truce was concluded in June. OnDecember 27, Israel launched a vast air offensive-”Operation Cast Lead”-in a bid to put an end toPalestinian rocket fire. On January 18, 2009 a ceasefirecame into force to end the Israeli operation, in which1,400 Palestinians and 13 Israelis were killed.Beginning November 14, 2012, Israel’s “Operation Pillarof Defence” was launched with a missile strike that killstop Hamas commander Ahmed Jaabari. In the ensur-ing eight-day flare-up, 177 Palestinians and six Israeliswere killed before an Egypt-brokered truce takeseffect. On July 8, 2014, Israel launched “OperationProtective Edge” against Gaza with the aim of endingrocket fire and destroying smuggling and militant tun-nels dug from the enclave. The war left 2,251 dead onthe Palestinian side and 74 on the Israeli side.

Islamic Jihad The radical Palestinian movement Islamic Jihad is

the enclave’s second biggest force after Hamas.Founded early in the 1980s in the wake of the IslamicRevolution in Iran, a close ally and ideological inspira-tion, it is devoted to armed action. In May, Islamic Jihadrejected Hamas’s new policy of somewhat easing itsstand on Israel and accepting the establishment of aPalestinian state limited to the 1967 borders.—AFP

Focus

Gaza, Palestinian

territory ravaged

by wars, poverty

Friend or foe? Taiwan’s disappearing allies

Panama walking out on its relationship with Taiwan toestablish ties with rival China is the latest in a spateof diplomatic dumping that is leaving Taipei increas-

ingly isolated. Beijing still sees self-ruling Taiwan as part ofits territory to be reunified, while the democratic islandviews itself as a sovereign country, although it has neverformally declared independence. The governments inTaipei and Beijing insist that countries can only recognizeone of them as legitimate and for years they have kept atally of their supporters.

Most states have sided with Beijing, and the num-bers doing so have swelled as China’s global financialand political clout has grown. But a dwindling bandof nations still formally recognize Taiwan-mainlydeveloping countries in Africa, Latin America, thePacific and the Caribbean. The diplomatic tug-of-warenjoyed a hiatus between 2008 and 2016, whenTaiwan’s then-president Ma Ying-jeou called off thecompetition and nurtured closer ties with the main-land. But since China-sceptic leader Tsai Ing-wen cameto power last year, cross-strait relations have wors-ened dramatically and erstwhile friends have startedto jump ship. Only 20 states, including the Vatican,now officially recognize Taiwan, with predictions thatnumber will shrink further.

Recent departures In December 2016 the small African nation of Sao Tome

and Principe severed ties with Taiwan, acknowledgingChina’s “increasingly important” international role, asBeijing pumped billions of dollars into the continent. InMarch that year, China announced it was to resume tieswith Gambia, after the West African country broke off rela-tions with Taiwan in 2013 citing “strategic national interest”.

Prior to that, Malawi had been the last ally to jump ship,in 2008, one of nine that switched under former Taiwanpresident Chen Shui-bian. After Chen took the helm in2000, cross-strait relations hit rock bottom because of hispromotion of the island’s independence. The other allieslost during his eight-year term were Macedonia, Liberia,Dominica, Vanuatu, Grenada, Senegal, Chad and CostaRica. Chen established new ties with three small countries-Kiribati, Nauru and St Lucia-bringing the total number offormal friends to 23 by the time Ma took office in 2008.

Forever friends?Taiwan now has just two allies in Africa-Burkina Faso

and Swaziland. In central and south America, Taiwancounts Belize, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala,Haiti, Honduras, Nicaragua, Paraguay as official allies.Chen’s ties with Kiribati, Nauru and St Lucia still stand,

along with the Marshall Islands, Palau, the Solomon Islandsand Tuvalu in the Pacific. The Caribbean nations of St Kittsand Nevis and St Vincent also still have formal ties.

Partnerships in questionThe Vatican is widely seen as Taiwan’s most powerful

remaining ally-its only one in Europe-but there have beensigns Beijing is working towards resuming relations withthe Holy See. Although there are an estimated 12 millionCatholics in China, there have been no diplomatic relationsbetween the Vatican and Beijing since 1951. China is suspi-cious of religion and the “official” Catholic Church is run bythe government-controlled Chinese Catholic PatrioticAssociation-but there is also an “underground” Churchwhich swears allegiance only to the pope.

State-sanctioned bishops in China are chosen by theassociation, while the Vatican insists on its right to appointall the Catholic Church’s bishops. However, the head of theCatholic Church in Hong Kong said last year the Chinesegovernment was willing to reach an “understanding” withthe Vatican over the issue, although it is expected to be alengthy process. According to Taiwan’s local media andsome of the island’s lawmakers, other allies rumored to beconsidering switching ties are El Salvador, Guatemala,Honduras, Nicaragua and Paraguay. — AFP

Tired, traumatized Iraqi mothers unable to breastfeedBy Layal Abou Rahal

Wazira rocks her tiny baby pleading-ly but he is inconsolable, cryingfor the milk his mother can nei-

ther produce herself nor buy in a campnear the Iraqi battleground city of Mosul.“He’s been crying since the moment he wasborn. He only stops when he’s so exhaustedthat he falls asleep,” the 24-year-old Iraqimother said, sheltering her baby Rakanfrom the scorching sun with a piece ofwhite cloth. “I cannot breastfeed him and Ifeel he’s never satisfied. There’s no goodfood to eat and no money to buy baby for-mula,” she said, sitting outside one of theclinics in Khazir camp.

The camp southeast of Mosul, whereIraqi forces are deep into the eighth monthof a massive operation against the IslamicState jihadist group, is crammed witharound 32,000 people displaced from thewar-torn city.Conditions in Khazir, one ofthe largest-but not the worst-displacementcamps around Mosul are difficult.Temperatures soaring past the 110-Fahrenheit mark add to Rakan’s discomfort.“Sometimes I pound the biscuits they giveus at the camp into powder and mix themwith water to try to feed him by force,” saidthe young mother, her face partly coveredby a black veil.

A few yards down the queue, Marwa isalso waiting for her turn to take her eight-month-old daughter to a doctor. The 25-year-old mother, who fled west Mosul withher family two weeks earlier, already hadno maternal milk to give Maryam fivemonths ago.”These past few months mademe very tired, we kept moving from houseto house until we finally managed to getout,” she said. “I was sick and couldn’t feedher anymore.”

As elite forces retake the city one neigh-borhood at a time, civilians often used ashuman shields by the jihadists stay coopedup in their homes-at risk from shelling anddwindling food supplies-until their area isretaken. The line of haggard-looking moth-ers holding their wailing babies curledaround the clinic run by the InternationalMedical Corps, a US-based charity.

StressNeshmeel Diller, one of the doctors at

the clinic, said she examined up to 80women in a single day. “Seventy percent ofthem complain of their inability to breast-feed and of their children always being

hungry and crying all the time,” she said.“The psychological condition of thesemothers and the hormonal changescaused by anxiety and depression, the lackof privacy and physical comfort as well asof balanced nutrition... all these factorsconverge to affect their ability to breast-feed,” Diller said.

She added that the pressure of life inthe camp often meant that mothers wouldlose the patience to repeat their attempts.Doctors Without Borders (MSF), anothermedical charity, said it was also monitor-

ing the impact of high lactation failurerates on nutrition among the displacedchild population. More than 800,000 peo-ple have been forced from their homessince the start of the Mosul operation lastOctober. Most experienced traumatizingliving conditions under the ruthless rule ofIS for close to three years, risked their livestrying to flee and now face a very uncer-tain future.

“Stress is a major factor affecting themothers of our little patients. Stress affectsbreastfeeding more than a mother’s own

nutritional status or physical health,” MSF’smedical coordinator in Iraq, EvgeniaZelikova said. “We do notice an increase inmalnutrition among babies whose mothersare no longer able to breastfeed,” she said.“This is because formula milk is often hardto come by or extremely expensive inbesieged areas of Mosul and in the camps.”The UN Children’s Fund said it had noticeda spike in malnutrition among the mostrecently displaced children and had begundistributing a peanut-based supplementamong affected populations. — AFP

HASAN SHAM, Iraq: An Iraqi woman carries a child at the Hasan Sham camp for internally displaced people. Tired and trauma-tized, Iraqi mothers who fled Mosul struggle to breastfeed or buy baby formula milk for their babies. — AFP

GAZA: A Palestinian family eats dinner by candle-light at their makeshift home in the Rafah refugeecamp, in the southern Gaza Strip, during a poweroutage. — AFP

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 14, 2017

STUTTGART: Roger Federer will begin his grasscourt campaign and bidfor an eighth Wimbledon crown at Stuttgart on Wednesday insistingthat he’s rested enough. The Swiss veteran has taken the last twomonths off after what he described as a surprisingly successful start to

the year that resulted in victory at the Australian Open andthen the Indian Wells-Miami Masters double. “I was terri-

bly surprised to win the Australian Open and to back itup and win the sunshine double in Indian Wells andMiami was a complete surprise to me,” Federer said.

Although 35, he has been in fine form during his limitedactivity this year, losing only once-a shock reverse to

Russian Evgeny Donskoy, then ranked 116, in Dubai. Andwhile his own resurgence this year has taken him aback,

Federer insists that Rafael Nadal’s return to claycourtdominance was not so unexpected. “I think Rafa win-ning the French Open is less of a surprise because he’ddone it nine times before,” he said.—AFP

MILAN: Sassuolo coach Eusebio Di Francesco moved a step closer to tak-ing over at Roma after the clubs agreed a compensation package, reportsyesterday said. Roma have been looking for a new coach since LucianoSpalletti left last week to join fellow Serie A outfit Inter Milan. But DiFrancesco, a former midfielder with Roma, has been a long-time target forthe capital club and, according to reports, could be officially appointedtoday. Last year, Di Franceso extended his Sassuolo contract to 2019 butSky Sport claim a compensation deal now has been agreedwith Roma. Di Francesco joined Sassuaolo in 2012 andsteered them to the 2013 Serie B title. Although he wassacked in January 2014 following a run of poor results, DiFrancesco was brought back just two months later andhas since kept Sassuolo in Serie A. He made 168 appear-ances for Roma before taking a role as team manager atthe club following his playing retirement, beforeembarking on his coaching career in 2008 withVirtus Lanciano in the Italian third tier. —AFP

BEIJING: International Olympic Committee officials voiced confidenceon Tuesday that Beijing’s venues for the 2022 Winter Games will beready on time after they inspected some sites. IOC coordination com-mission chairman Alexander Zhukov said after a two-day visit thatorganisers had made “good progress” in preparations. Committeemembers inspected four different sites, including existing venues suchas the Wukesong Sports Centre and the location of the new NationalSpeed Skating Oval expected to be completed by 2019. While they didnot visit all the venues, Zhukov said: “We know that their level of main-tenance is high, and we are confident in their ability to host events.”China sealed its place on the world stage as an emerging superpowerwith the 2008 summer Games, which were estimated to have cost thecountry around $40 billion. Beijing’s willingness to spend big helped itwin its bid to host the 2022 Winter Games, beating European cities thatwithdrew due to cost concerns. The executive vice president of theBeijing 2022 committee, Zhang Jiandong, said ground levelling workhas begun for the speed skating venue. —AFP

IOC confident Beijing will

be ready for 2022 Games

S P O RT S

Di Francesco edges

towards Roma post

Federer done resting,

begins Wimbledon prep

KUWAIT: Sheikh Salman cutting the ribbon to open the diwaniya named after him. Sheikh Salman being awarded the first KOC medal.

Shafi Al-Hajiri being honored. Sheikh Salman with Sheikh Fahad Al-Jaber (R) and Shafi Al-Hajiri (L).

Duaij Al-Otaibi is honored.

By Abdellatif Sharaa

KUWAIT: President of the Civil AviationDirectorate General Sheikh Salman SabahAl-Salem Al-Humoud Al-Sabah was hon-ored by the Kuwait Olympic Committee(KOC) on Sunday evening. The event wasattended by KOC President Sheikh FahadAl-Jaber Al-Ali Al-Sabah, KOC Vice-presi-dent Sheikh Fawaz Al-Mishal Al-Sabah,Secretary Shafi Al-Hajiri, President ofKuwait and Arab Shooting FederationsEng Duaij Khalaf Al-Otaibi along with anumber of member federations.

The honoring that took place at thecommittee premises was in recognition ofSheikh Salman Al-Humoud’s efforts inserving the sports movement and washanded the Olympic Committee medal,which is given for the first time. The com-mittee’s former Vice-president Eng DuaijAl-Otaibi was also honored in thediwaniya that was named after SheikhSalman Al-Humoud Al-Sabah.

Sheikh Salman thanked KuwaitOlympic Committee president and mem-bers for this move. He lauded the majorsupport given by HH the Amir SheikhSabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, HHthe Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-AhmadAl-Jaber and HH the Prime Minister

Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah to Youth and Athletes. He alsocalled for consolidating efforts for thesake of Kuwait sports and getting overstruggles and differences, and havingKuwait interest on top.

Sheikh Salman lauded the role ofCommerce and Industry Minister, ActingState Minister for Youth Affairs Khalid Al-Roudhan, and Public Authority for SportsDirector General Sheikh Ahmad Al-Mansour in advancing the sports move-ment.

Al-Humoud said “success in sportsdepends on the state’s strategy success insupporting schools and universities activ-ities in all areas so that we can reach ourgoals.” He said the state spares no effort insupporting sports through building facili-ties or participating in internationalevents. He called for closing the files ofthe sports crises the country had sufferedduring recent years and led to the inter-national suspension of Kuwait sports.

Al-Humoud said “I was honored tohave participated in the achievementsthe sport of shooting had made at all lev-els and having Kuwait flag high in all are-nas be it local, regional or international.

Sheikh Salman Al-Humoud said Kuwaitis among the most countries spending on

sports under the directions of HH theAmir and political leadership to removeall obstacles that face Kuwait athletes.

Meanwhile, President of Kuwait andArab Shooting Federations Eng DuaijKhalaf Al-Otaibi wished Commerce andIndustry Minister, State Minister for YouthAffairs in lifting the Kuwait sports suspen-sion at the international level.

He said as for the sport of shooting “wewere able to remove the suspensionthrough a ruling by the Court ofArbitration for Sports (CAS), and we areparticipating under the flag of the state ofKuwait.

Al-Otaibi lauded the support of HH theAmir, HH the Crown Prince and HH thePrime Minister, who despite the suspen-sion, we are still receiving support that isunmatched by many international federa-tions be it at the level of facilities, trainers,and training camps.

He also lauded the efforts of PASDirector General Sheikh Ahmad Al-Mansour Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah andhis support to the sport of shooting. Hesaid the honoring of Sheikh Salman isactually an honoring of the shootingsport community, as he is the founder ofthe shooting sport in Kuwait.

It’s on again, mates. The 35th America’s Cupmatch will be another showdown betweenOracle Team USA and Emirates Team New

Zealand, a rematch of the epic 2013 regattathat was decided by one of the greatest come-backs - and collapses - in sports.

Emirates Team New Zealand earned its spotin the finals of sailing’s marquee regatta whenit sped away from Sweden’s Artemis Racing onBermuda’s Great Sound on Monday to clinchthe challenger finals at 5-2.

It’s almost as if it were preordained that thescrappy Kiwis, now led by unflappable 26-year-old helmsman Peter Burling, would onceagain face the powerhouse US squad ownedby Silicon Valley maverick Larry Ellison, skip-pered by nails-tough Australian Jimmy Spithilland featuring few Americans on the race crew.

“We definitely feel like we’re in great shapeto take on Oracle now,” Burling said.

The match starts Saturday with Races 1 and2. Oracle Team USA needs to win seven racesto keep the oldest trophy in internationalsports. Because Oracle won a bonus point bywinning the qualifiers, Team New Zealandmust win eight races.

In 2013, Oracle Team USA started at minus-2 after being penalized in the biggest cheatingscandal in America’s Cup history. It still won.Emirates Team New Zealand reached matchpoint at 8-1 on San Francisco Bay. It had a biglead in what could have been the clinchingrace, but the breeze died and the time limitexpired. Later that day, Oracle Team USAbegan an eight-race winning streak thatallowed it to retain the Auld Mug.

On Monday in the challenger finals, a firstattempt at Race 7 was abandoned at the 25-minute time limit with the boats crawling inbarely a knot of wind. In freshening breeze a

few hours later, the Kiwis dominated. Theyfinally won a start against Artemis skipperNathan Outteridge. Their 50-foot catamaranrose up on hydrofoils and showed its incredi-ble speed in a 56-second, wire-to-wire victory.There were subdued celebrations aboard theKiwi cat until a magnum of champagne arrived. Grinder-trimmer Blair Tuke, who teamed withBurling to win Olympic gold and silver medals,popped the cork and sprayed his mates.

Their focus has to shift immediately to try-ing to atone for the mind-blowing loss in 2013.“That’s why we came to Bermuda, that’s whatwe’re here to do is bring that Cup back hometo New Zealand,” said Burling, who replacedthe fired Dean Barker after the 2013 collapse.“We feel like we’ve had an incredibly toughroad to get here. We’ve gone through a lot ofadversity with the things like the capsize andsome tough races here and there. But one

thing about this team is they’ve dug superdeep to get us to this point, keep making theboat go faster while fixing the things thatwe’ve broken.”

The Kiwis capsized last Tuesday, throwingthree sailors into the water and extensivelydamaging their catamaran. They came backtwo days later and clinched their semifinalagainst Britain. Oracle Team USA beat TeamNew Zealand twice in the round-robins.

Artemis, led by Olympic gold medalistsOutteridge of Australia and Iain Percy ofBritain, looked good in practice races earlierthis spring but didn’t find its stride until late inthe trials. It rebounded from a 3-1 deficit towin four straight races against SoftBankTeamJapan to win its challenger semifinal, but toomany unforced errors cost it against the Kiwis.Among them was Outteridge falling over-board in Race 3 on Saturday.

It’s a bittersweet departure for Artemis. Ithad to regroup after the tragic death ofAndrew “Bart” Simpson - Percy’s partner inwinning Olympic gold and silver medals -when its 72-foot catamaran broke apart onSan Francisco Bay in May 2013.

Percy said the sailors were “hugely disap-pointed. We felt we could go all the way thistime, and we haven’t.” But, he added, “We haveclimbed a huge, huge mountain together andgot ourselves to a point where I think every-one can see undeniably we are right up therewith the best of this great sport of sailing. Sowe do take pride from that.”

Team New Zealand f irst won theAmerica’s Cup in 1995, with Russell Couttsskippering a 5-0 victory against DennisConner off San Diego. It defended in 2000,lost it in 2003 and reached the match againin 2007 before losing. —AP

Kiwis clinch spot against Oracle Team in America’s Cup

Kuwait Olympic Committee honours Sheikh Salman Al-Humoud

p15_Layout 1 6/13/17 6:07 PM Page 1

S P O RT SWEDNESDAY, JUNE 14, 2017

RUGBY

TOKYO: ‘Build it and they will come.’ At leastthat’s the theory, according to the movie, Fieldof Dreams. But when your “field” is thousandsof square miles of inhospitable desert terrainand your potential competitors are scatteredfar and wide across the globe and there is avanishingly small local fanbase, just how doyou “build” a sport? And even if you couldanswer those questions there remains one lastproblem: who will do the building?

In terms of building a platform foroff-roadmotorsport within the Middle East, manyindependent observers agree that Nissandeserves the credit for undertaking the heavylifting. Perhaps the most obvious manifesta-tion of this commitment is Nissan’s longstand-ing sponsorship of the event now known asthe Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge Powered byNissan. The company’s support for this iconicrace goes all the way back to its early years asthe UAE Desert Challenge. Nissan, howeverhas been involved in motorsport in the MiddleEast region since before the inception of thisgruelling test of man and machine and indeedthe company’s global motorsport heritage canbe traced back to the 1930s, the decade inwhich it was created.

IN THE BEGINNINGIt was in 1936 that Japan’s first purpose

built motor racing circuit was created, theshort-lived Tamagawa Speedway. Nissanentered its first ever motorsport event in thefirst race meeting held there using a car builtout-of-hours by employees and based on aproduction vehicle. In the race, they werebeaten by a car built in a local machine shop, asituation that did not sit well with Nissan’sfounding President YoshisukeAikawa who wasin attendance. His disapproval of the defeatled to the creation of the Datsun Sorts NL75,fitted with a 750cc DOHC engine completewith supercharger. This car, which triumphedat the next race meeting held at Tamagawa, isnow considered to have been Nissan’s first“works” competition vehicle.

AN INTERNATIONAL DEBUTThe advent of the second world war sig-

nalled the start of a two decades long hiatusfor Nissan from competitive motorsport, butthe company came back with a bang in 1958.In that year, two Datsun 210s named nick-named ‘Fuji’ and ‘Sakura’ were entered into anevent in Australia, which at the time wasdubbed”the world’s cruellest rally.” TheMobilgasTrial was a 16,000km event that tookcompetitors around the circumference of

Australia at a time before the continent’s sur-faced road network had been completed. Thisfact, combined with unseasonal rains whichturned the dirt roads into muddy tracks, effec-tively made it, in part, an off-road event. Thesefactorsperhaps account for the 50% attritionrate among a field that included works entriesfrom Volkswagen, Skoda and Toyota amongothers. BothDatsuns, however, completed thetrial in 19 days and took a first and a fourthplace in the up-to 1000cc class. You could saythis was Nissan’s first desert rally, as the routetook drivers across stretches of the unforgiv-ing and unsurfaced Nulaboor desert. The factthat both cars completed the event, suggeststhat there really is something in the DNA ofNissan that has always produced rugged,durable cars capable of soaking up tremen-dous punishment.

BLUEBIRD TAKES FIRST OUTRIGHT WINThepublicity and resulting sales benefits of

motorsport were made clear to Nissanthrough its successful participation in the1958 Mobilgas Trial and slowly but surely thecarmaker began to ramp up its presence onthe international motorsport scene. A firstappearance in 1963 at the East AfricanSafariRally - then one of the “Big Three” along withthe British RAC and Monte Carlorallies - didnot produce instant success. However, beforethe decade was finished Nissan would tri-umph in its classat the Safari Rally, which atthe time was considered the ultimate off roadtest of a vehicle. In 1970, Nissan fully estab-lished its presence as a formidable force onthe international rallying scene by winning theSafari Rally outright in the by-now fully devel-oped Datsun Bluebird 1600 SSS.The followingyear Nissan consolidated that position, win-ning the event outright again, but this timewith aDatsun 240Z. By the mid-1970s it wasthe Nissan Violet that carried the flag for thecompany in international rallies, achievingmajor successes, especially in the Safari Rallywhich it won outright five times.

NISMO CONSOLIDATES NISSAN’S MOTORSPORT DNA

Since that those first heady days of off-roadsuccess , Nissan has kept its foot firmly plantedon the accelerator in terms of both circuit rac-ing and rallying participation, helped in nosmall part by the creation of its NISMO divisionin 1984.

The genesis of NISMO was a small Japanesecarmaker named Prince. In 1964, two yearsbefore it was acquired by Nissan, Prince like

many of its competitors wanted to exploit theestablished connection between success inmotorsport and success in retail sales.Consequently, its engineers were given thetask of somehow fitting a 2.0 litre, in-line 6-cylinder engine from its large Gloria sedaninto its much smaller Skyline model.Somehow, they managed it, which immedi-ately vastly increased the power-to-weightratio of the little car. The engineers quicklyrealised they had created something withhuge motorsport potential. They gave it thename Prince Skyline 2000GT (S54) but in orderfor it to be eligible to compete in the GT II raceat the 1964 Japanese Grand Prix meeting atSuzuka, they needed to build 100 productionexamples in advance of the race. That meantburning the midnight oil to get all the carsready in time, but they made it with only a dayor so to spare.

On it first outing at that race, this apparent-ly ordinary little 4 door family car earned itselfa place in the hearts of all Japanese motor-sport enthusiasts by pluckily taking on themight of a fully race-bred and already highlydeveloped Porsche 904 Carrera GTS. It was aDavid and Goliath battle which the Germancontender ultimately won but not before aSkyline briefly held the lead, and with Skylinestaking all the places from 2nd to 6th.

In 1966 Nissan acquired Prince and theSkyline model was absorbed into its line-up.Over the following two decades Nissan steadi-ly developed its motorsport abilities in thefields of rallying, touring cars and enduranceracing, with operations split into two depart-ments, one handling the development andbuilding of “works” or factory cars and the oth-er building cars for private customers.

In 1984, the decision was taken to mergethese two operations, which resulted in thecreation of the wholly owned, but separateNissan subsidiary, Nissan MotorsportsInternational Co. Ltd, abbreviated to NISMO.

NISMO got involved at Le Mans soon afterthe company was created, and has at differenttimes continued the pursuit of this most elu-sive of crowns, adopting novel technicalapproaches including different drivetrain con-figurations and radical aerodynamic solutionsin the various GT and Prototype cars it hasentered. This approach - creative, innovative,helping shape the very future of motorsport -is fundamental to NISMO’s DNA.

MIDDLE EAST’S OFF-ROAD SCENE TAKES FLIGHT

Here in the Middle East, Nissan has been

on the scene selling cars since the 1950s - atime when there simply was no motorsportto speak of in the Gulf region. Little by little,however, an embryonic off-road scene grewout of the fun drivers were having takingtheir four wheel dr ive vehiclesinto thedeser t and eventual ly an FIAsanctionedMiddle East Rally Championshipwas created in 1984. It was through thischampionship that Mohammed BenSulayem enjoyed the huge success whichal lowed him to found the UAE Deser tChal lenge in 1991. As chairman of theorganising committee he has steered theevent to the point where it has a global rep-utation in the motorsport world. Through itscommitted sponsorship of the event, Nissanhas played a significant role in providing thelong-term investment platform and behind-the-scenes support which has enabled theDesert Challenge to flourish.

“Nissan’s commitment to motorsports inthe Middle East is intrinsically linked to ourdesire to create vehicles which serve theneeds of our customers in what is one of theharshest motoring environments on theplanet, but it is also born out of a broaderwish to support the overall development of

the region” said Fadi Ghosn, Nissan MiddleEast’s Chief Marketing Officer. “The desert isan unforgiving place, so our off-road vehi-cles must be rugged, durable and reliable.Rallying is an incredible test bed for compo-nents and our works prepared Patrols pro-vide us with invaluable data which enablesus to build better cars for our customers. Butequally, by encouraging motorsport in theMiddle East we feel that we are promotingthe region in the eyes of the world. Over theyears the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge hasbrought world-famous motorsport legendssuch as Carlos Sainz, Ari Vatenan and thelate Colin McRae to the UAE. The presence ofsuch figures here all helps to showcase thecountry as a wonderful place to visit. In thisway, we feel we are playing a wider role inassisting in the development of the MiddleEast’s economy.”

In addition to the financial backing whichhelps guarantee the viability of the event,Nissan Patrols are the Abu Dhabi DesertChallenge’s official vehicle, being used inthe preparation phase by the organisers tomap out the course to be followed by theparticipants, as well as during the race itselfas support vehicles.

Nissan powers Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge for 14th consecutive year.

Adel Hussein Abdulla won the 2016 FIA T2 World Championship in his Nissan Patrol.

Nissan’s commitment to ME off-road motorsport remains unrivalled

SYDNEY: Australian Olympic swimming great GrantHackett has blamed excessive drinking and anxietyattacks for a series of unsavoury incidents that badly tar-nished his reputation. The 37-year-old sought help formental health issues in February after being arrested athis parents’ home following a family bust-up. He thenwent missing for several days, sparking fears for his safe-ty. He said he had been in a bad place mentally anddrinking excessively as he opened up yesterday for thefirst time since then.

“I was in a bad place, I suffer from pretty bad anxietyand ended up drinking. I drank too much at my parents’house and got into an argument with my dad,” he toldKIIS commercial radio.

Several weeks earlier, he had got in a fight with hisbrother, who was trying to help him recognise he hadproblems. It left him with a black eye. “I wasn’t in a goodspace for a couple of months and he came over to myhouse and I was refusing that help, I didn’t want him tocome in and when I get in that state of mind I get quitereclusive,” Hackett said. “He wanted to come in, I didn’twant him to come in. I was trying to push him out andwe got into a push-and-shove and he whacked me withhis weak arm, so I’d hate to see him (hit me) with hisstrong arm.” Hackett said the incident at his parents’home-in which they feared for their safety-had terrifiedhim, and prompted him to seek help after admitting hehit “rock bottom”.

“I was deep down in that ditch and hit rock bottom,”he said. “When I got arrested I thought, ‘This is it, I’ve hadenough of this’. “I get anxiety, I haven’t handled the pastfew years very well in bits and pieces. Ever since I wentthrough that divorce and all the publicity that followed.”

Hackett retired after the 2008 Beijing Olympics, hav-ing won the 1500m freestyle at both the 2000 Sydneyand 2004 Athens Games. He also claimed four worldtitles in the 30-length event.

But he quickly ran into problems with a messy divorceand allegations he smashed up his Melbourne home in2011. Then in 2014, he checked into a US rehabilitationclinic to treat an addiction to sleeping pills.

He came out of six years of troubled retirement in2014 in a bid to make the Rio Games, but narrowlymissed out on a berth and after the Olympic trials in2016, hit the headlines again with a public meltdown ona plane.—AFP

SWIMMING

Hackett blames drinking

and anxiety for woes

DUNEDIN: The British and Irish Lions stum-bled to a 23-22 defeat to the OtagoHighlanders yesterday as they suffered thesecond loss of their tour ahead of nextweek’s first Test against the All Blacks.

The Lions finally found their attackingmojo, scoring three tries to two-more thandoubling their try tally so far-but lost froma winning position through a late penalty.

“Unfortunately, some big moments wedidn’t nail allowed them back into thegame,” coach Warren Gatland said after histeam led 22-13 mid-way through the sec-ond half. “We needed some strong gamemanagement to close the game down.We’ve taken a little bit of a step backwardsbut we have to learn from those moments.”

The Lions now have two wins and twolosses after four outings on their gruelling10-match New Zealand tour, with the firstTest in Auckland looming a week onSaturday. The match was played at break-neck pace in front of a capacity 27,000crowd at Forsyth Barr stadium, with bothsides attempting to run the ball under thecovered roof. It resulted in a chaotic scram-ble in the final minutes, when replacementfly-half Marty Banks potted a penalty togive the Highlanders a one-point edge.

Elliot Daly attempted to return fire buthis long-range penalty effort fell just short,before centre Jonathan Joseph’s knock-onafter the siren dashed hopes of a last-gaspcomeback. The loss against a Highlanders

side missing seven players on internationalduty was a disappointment for Gatland’smen, who were looking to build momen-tum after beating the CanterburyCrusaders on Saturday.

They also have concerns over lockCourtney Lawes, who went off in the firsthalf with head knock. Fullback Stuart Hoggearlier departed the tour after suffering afacial fracture against the Crusaders.

HAKA-FREE ZONE The Lions showed attacking intent, with

captain Sam Warburton among the try-scorers as he fights to secure his Test spotafter a run of injuries.

While disappointed the Lions conceded

12 penalties, Warburton said the matchshould help instill some discipline as thetourists build to the three-Test seriesagainst the world champion All Blacks.

“We’re going to learn a lot more from agame where we lose by one point than wewin by 60,” he said. “We can mature a bit asa squad and work on those key moments.”

The Highlanders decided against per-forming a haka before the match and wereinstead led out by a piper before captainLuke Whitelock handed Warburton a giantclaymore sword. The hosts tested fullbackJared Payne under the high ball early buthe proved up to the challenge, promptingthem to send the ball wide.

After a penalty apiece, All Black WaisakeNaholo scored the first try after MalakaiFekitoa broke the Lions’ defensive line andflanker Gareth Evans off-loaded as he wasbeing crashed to the ground.

Joseph hit straight back with a scythingrun that left Highlanders fullback RichardBuckman flailing, locking up the scores 10-10 at the break. Scottish winger TommySeymour put the Lions into the lead justafter the restart, beating Fekitoa in the airas he tried to gather Naholo’s cross-fieldkick. Warburton then gave the tourists athird try after a dominant Lions scrum, onlyfor Highlander Liam Coltman to retaliatefrom a lineout drive. That reduced thearrears to 22-20, and Owen Farrell missed achance to give the Lions some breathingspace with a penalty from out wide.

But Banks made no mistake after theHighlanders won a scrum penalty, coollyslotting over the posts to put the hostsahead 23-22 with eight minutes to go.

Daly’s ambitious kick from 56 metres felljust short before Joseph’s mistake endedthe match, a harsh result for the try-scorer,who was one of the Lions’ standouts. TheLions’ next tour match is against the MaoriAll Blacks in Rotorua on Saturday, with thefirst Test in Auckland a week later. — AFP

Late penalty sinks stuttering Lions

DUNEDIN: Highlanders winger Tevita Li, center right, makes a run down field against the British and Irish Lions during theirgame in Dunedin, New Zealand, yesterday. The Highlanders defeated the Lions 23-22. — AP

S P O RT SWEDNESDAY, JUNE 14, 2017

BASEBALL

PITTSBURGH: Jameson Taillon pitched five score-less innings on his return from treatments for testic-ular cancer to help the Pittsburgh Pirates beat theColorado Rockies 7-2 in Major League Baseball onMonday night. Taillon (3-1) allowed five hits, walkedtwo and struck out five. The 25-year-old had surgeryMay 8, four days after losing to the Reds atCincinnati, then made three rehab starts in theminor leagues. Josh Harrison hit a two-run homerun, his eighth, in the first inning off Kyle Freeland(7-4). Harrison, David Freese and Jose Osuna eachhad two hits for the Pirates. Freeland, a rookie, lostfor the first time in seven road starts by giving upfive runs (four earned) and nine hits in 5 2/3 innings.Freeland failed to pitch the past the sixth inning forjust the second time in his last 10 starts and alloweda home run in a sixth consecutive outing.

METS 6, CUBS 1Jacob deGrom pitched a five-hitter and Asdrubal

Cabrera atoned for an embarrassing error by liningtwo home runs and turning four double plays as theMets beat the Cubs. DeGrom (5-3) threw the Mets’first complete game of the season as New York wonits fourth in a row. Still under .500 but gettinghealthier, the Mets started a key two-week stretchwhere they face 14 straight games against teamsthat reached the NL playoffs last year. The Cubsdropped to 31-32 with their ninth straight road loss- the World Series champions haven’t won awayfrom Wrigley Field in a month during their worstroad skid since 2012. Mets star outfielder YoenisCespedes left the game because of a sore left heel.He went 1 for 3 before being pulled. On Saturday,Cespedes hit a grand slam at Atlanta in his return

from a six-week stint on the disabled list. He hadbeen out with a strained left hamstring, and alsohad been nagged by trouble with his quadriceps.John Lackey (4-7) fell to 0-4 in five starts.

BRAVES 11, NATIONALS 10Tyler Flowers hit a go-ahead three-run home run

off Matt Albers in the ninth inning as Atlanta camefrom three runs down to beat Washington and snapa three-game skid. Flowers had been hitless in hisfirst four at-bats before he took Albers’ fastball to theopposite field and into the Nationals bullpen. MattAdams hit a pair of homers, including one off starterStephen Strasburg. The Nationals’ ace gave up sixruns and three homers. Adams’ second homer, a soloshot, was the first of five runs scored against aNationals bullpen that blew its 11th save and secondduring a four-game losing streak. Albers (2-1)allowed the final three runs in the ninth after enter-ing to work out of an eighth-inning jam. Atlanta’sbullpen allowed two runs over 5 and 2/3 innings.Jason Motte (1-0) pitched a scoreless eighth and JimJohnson allowed a run but completed the ninth forhis 13th save.

RED SOX 6, PHILLIES 5, 11 inningsDustin Pedroia singled home the winning run in

the 11th inning to lift the Red Sox to a win over thePhillies. Pablo Sandoval opened the inning with asingle off Casey Fein (0-1). Deven Marrero pinch-ranand moved up on a sacrifice. After Mookie Betts wasintentionally walked, Pedroia hit a ground single toright and Marrero beat the throw from AaronAltherr with a headfirst slide on a close play. HanleyRamirez had tied the game 5-5 in the eighth with a

homer. Betts had four hits with three doubles and asingle, and Andrew Benintendi also hit a solo homerfor Boston, which has won three of four. TommyJoseph had a two-run single and former Red Soxplayer Daniel Nava three hits for the Phillies, whohave lost 10 of their last 12 games in Fenway Park.Matt Barnes (5-2) pitched two scoreless innings ofrelief with five strikeouts.

WHITE SOX 10, ORIOLES 7Kevan Smith hit his first career home run, Avisail

Garcia celebrated his 26th birthday with three RBIsand the White Sox beat the Orioles. The White Soxopened a four-game series on a strong note afterdropping nine of 11 and handed the Orioles theirfifth straight loss. Smith set the tone with a two-rundrive in the second against Wade Miley (2-4) and fin-ished with a career-best three RBIs. Garcia added anRBI double in a four-run third and drove in twomore with a single in the fourth to give Chicago an8-2 lead. Matt Davidson had an RBI single and solohomer. Melky Cabrera had three of Chicago’s 14 hits.Jose Abreu added a single, a ground-rule doubleand scored twice. Jake Petricka (1-0) pitched one-hitball over 2 1/3 innings after Mike Pelfrey struggled,and the White Sox picked up the win after a 2-7road trip.

MARINERS 14, TWINS 3Nelson Cruz drove in four runs and Mitch

Haniger had four hits as the Seattle Mariners starteda series against Minnesota with a football score forthe second time in a week to beat the Twins.Danny Valencia and Mike Zunino hit back-to-backhome runs in the eighth inning, the fifth such featfor the Mariners this season. Yovani Gallardo (3-6)sailed through six innings with the excess sup-port, allowing three runs and seven hits. Twinsrookie Adalberto Mejia (1-2) struggled from thestart, allowing nine hits and nine runs and leavingwith two outs in the fourth inning. The first twobatters in the lineup, Ben Gamel and Haniger,reached base and eventually scored all threetimes they faced Mejia.

RANGERS 6, ASTROS 1Yu Darvish pitched seven solid innings and

Nomar Mazara hit a three-run homer to give theRangers a win over the Astros. Darvish (6-4)allowed one hit and one run with three walks. Heinduced a season-best 12 groundball outs. TheRangers went up 2-0 on back-to-back triples byRougned Odor and Joey Gallo in the third inning.The Astros got an RBI single by Alex Bregman inthe fifth, but a run-scoring double by AdrianBeltre gave the Rangers some insurance in thesixth inning. Mazara provided more cushion withhis shot to straightaway center field off DayanDiaz with two outs in the eighth to make it 6-1.Houston starter Joe Musgrove (4-5) allowed fivehits and two runs in 4 2/3 innings. — AP

American LeagueEastern Division

W L PCT GBNY Yankees 38 23 .623 -Boston 35 28 .556 4Tampa Bay 34 32 .515 6.5Baltimore 31 31 .500 7.5Toronto 31 32 .492 8

Central DivisionMinnesota 32 28 .533 -Cleveland 31 29 .517 1Detroit 30 32 .484 3Kansas City 28 34 .452 5Chicago White Sox 27 35 .435 6

Western DivisionHouston 44 21 .677 -LA Angels 33 34 .493 12Seattle 32 33 .492 12Texas 31 32 .492 12Oakland 27 36 .429 16

National LeagueEastern Division

Washington 38 25 .603 -NY Mets 29 33 .468 8.5Atlanta 28 35 .444 10Miami 27 35 .435 10.5Philadelphia 21 41 .339 16.5

Central DivisionMilwaukee 33 31 .516 -Chicago Cubs 31 32 .492 1.5St. Louis 29 32 .475 2.5Cincinnati 29 34 .460 3.5Pittsburgh 29 35 .453 4

Western DivisionColorado 41 25 .621 -LA Dodgers 39 25 .609 1Arizona 39 26 .600 1.5San Francisco 26 39 .400 14.5San Diego 25 40 .385 15.5

MLB results/standings

San Diego 9, Cincinnati 3; NY Yankees 5, La Angels 3; Chicago White Sox 10, Baltimore 7; Seattle 14, Minnesota 3;Texas 6, Houston 1; NY Mets 6, Chicago Cubs 1; Boston 6, Philadelphia 5 (11 innings); Atlanta 11, Washington 10;Pittsburgh 7, Colorado 2.

Taillon leads Pirates over Rockies in comeback game

BOSTON: Deven Marrero #17 of the Boston Red Sox score in eleven innings on a hit by Dustin Pedroia #15 of the Boston Red Sox as Andrew Knapp #34 of the Philadelphia Phillies fields a late throw at Fenway Park on Monday inBoston, Massachusetts. — AFP

ERIN: Jon Rahm left his first US Openwith a gold medal for being the low ama-teur and no guarantees except for spon-sor exemptions to play in six PGA Tourevents in two months.

That was one year ago, and even forRahm, it’s hard to believe how far the 22-year-old Spaniard has come. A year afterhis final event as an amateur, Rahm is oneof the favorites at Erin Hills. He is No. 10 inthe world - only Tiger Woods and SergioGarcia were ranked higher at a youngerage. Along with winning at Torrey Pineswith an eagle on his final hole, Rahmchallenged Dustin Johnson in Mexicoand scared him in Match Play whenJohnson was on his three-tournamentwinning streak.

Oakmont now seems like far morethan a year ago. “It’s truly amazing to meto just look how things have changed,”

Rahm said Monday. “The future was sounknown. There were so many optionsdepending on how I did. To see how I’veaccomplished my goals on such a fastpace ... of course, I wanted to be top 10 inthe world someday. I didn’t believe Icould win, give myself chances to winWorld Golf Championships, get into thetop 10 in the same year.”

He doesn’t lack any of the skillsrequired to be among the best in theworld. He certainly doesn’t lack for confi-dence. But there was that moment at theUS Open last summer at Oakmont whenRahm felt he gave the toughest test ingolf a little too much credit.

“I teed off a little too on the defensiveside, tried to respect the golf course toomuch and not playing as aggressive as Idid,” Rahm said. He made a few badswings after a second rain delay that cost

him five shots, and he opened with a 76.Rahm has such passion for how he playsthat his emotion can get the best of him.It also can spur him on, and he bouncedback with a 69 to make the cut, and twosolid rounds on the weekend (72 -70) totie for 23rd. And that unknown futurewas cleared up quickly.

In his first tournament as a pro, heshot 64 at Congressional - which hashosted three US Opens - and was leadingthe Quicken Loans National. Rahmwound up in a tie for third, and he waswell on his way to securing a PGA Tourcard for the following season.

But it was the way he finished atCongressional, and a month later in theCanadian Open, that showed why he issuch a threat no matter where he plays.He was trailing Billy Hurley, who still hadmore holes to play, and Rahm was in

deep rough. This was no time to take abig risk and cost himself spots on theleaderboard when he needed a high fin-ish toward getting a tour card. “A lot ofpeople might have laid up or tried to givethemselves a better chance to make par,finish second or get almost all the moneyneeded to take the card,” he said. “I wasn’tthinking about the card at that point. All Ihad in mind was winning the tourna-ment. Same in Canada, when I hit theshot in 18, it was a 5-iron. I took it right atit. I didn’t hesitate. “When I’m playing, Idon’t think of anything else than doingthe best I can do to win a tournament.”

Erin Hills is a different test thanOakmont, a traditional course that hashosted the US Open a record nine times.Erin Hills opened only 11 years ago, amassive course in Wisconsin farmlandwith generous fairways, elevation and

shaved slopes around the green. There isplenty of hay, thick and knee-high, for thereally wayward shots.

Rahm didn’t bother going in thereMonday. “There’s no need to injure mywrist before I tee off,” he said. But heliked what he saw. It’s a big course, andhe has power to spare. He sees holeswhere he can attack, and Rahm knowsno other way. “It’s not the usual US Opengolf course, the US Open classic setup,”Rahm said. “It ’s more similar toChambers Bay. And actually, I absolutelylove the golf course. It’s a very long golfcourse, big greens, a little different towhat it played last year. It gives you a lotof opportunities to hit the pin. You canbe really creative. And I believe it will bea really fun week.”

The last year has been nothing shortof a joy ride. — AP

Rahm goes from low amateur to top contender at US Open

BANGKOK: Thailand hailed AriyaJutanugarn as their new sporting heroyesterday as she finally secured her placeon top of the world rankings-a week afterbeing wrongly named number one.

The 21-year-old overcame that disap-pointment to sink a monster 25-footbirdie putt in a playoff on Sunday to takethe Manulife LPGA Classic in breathtak-ing style and ensure a fairytale finish to arollercoaster week.

The win in Canada came a week afterthe LPGA said Ariya would take over thetop ranking from Lydia Ko, only for her tobe informed when the rankings werepublished a day later that an embarrass-ing miscalculation had been made andthat she was still 0.01 points behind theNew Zealander.

The weekend’s victory put her eleva-tion to number one beyond doubt and itwas duly confirmed when the new rank-ings were released on Monday, sparkingcelebrations back home.

Thailand has a long golfing historybut Ariya made history by being the firstThai, male or female, to reach the top ofthe world rankings.

Pictures of a beaming Ariya-known byher nickname “May” back home-wereemblazoned across most Thai newspaperfront pages yesterday.

“May is world’s number one, she hasmade history for Thai golfers,” read thefront page headline of Thairath, thecountry’s largest selling newspaper.

“She fought hard to claim her success,”junta chief Prayut Chan-O-Cha toldreporters. “Her family were dedicated,they struggled and sacrificed.”

Much of the coverage focused on thefinancial sacrifices Ariya’s family made soshe and her older sister Moriya, the worldnumber 46, could turn pro.

Ariya first showed an interest in golf atthe age of five when her father openedan equipment shop at a Bangkok drivingrange. Worried she might distract cus-tomers, Ariya’s dad gave her some clubsto play with, local media reported.

From then on both she and Moriyawere hooked. As they progressed

through their teens the family sold theirhouse and car to raise enough funds.

It was a gamble that paid off. Ariya haswon some $3.9 million in career earningswhile her sister has racked up $1.6 mil-lion. Many Thais left messages of supporton social media after Ariya’s number onespot was confirmed.

“You have written a new chapter inThailand’s sporting history,” wrote oneFacebook user. “You have won the heartsof all Thais.” Ariya’s struggles and successmirrors that of Thailand’s other greatfemale sporting star-badminton playerRatchanok Intanon. She has also toppedthe world rankings during her career andfirst picked up a racket at a badmintoncentre where her parents worked as acleaner and driver. —AFP

GOLF

Thailand hails new hero as Ariya makes history

CAMBRIDGE: Ariya Jutanugarn ofThailand with the trophy after sinkingher birdie putt on the 1st playoff holeto win during the final round of theManulife LPGA Classic at Whistle BearGolf Club on Monday in Cambridge,Canada. — AFP

CRICKET

CARDIFF: England captain Eoin Morgansaid yesterday there was a “chance”Jonny Bairstow could replace the strug-gling Jason Roy for the ChampionsTrophy semi-final against Pakistan inCardiff today. And Morgan insisted hewould have “no worries” about Bairstowopening-something he has yet to do ininternational cricket. Morgan would notconfirm his XI at yesterday’s pre-matchpress conference in Cardiff but said therewas “a chance we could make a change”.Surrey opener Roy has averaged just 6.37from eight ODI innings this season, witha mere two double-figure scores.

Morgan had been staunch in his sup-port of Roy before the ChampionsTrophy started, saying: “The decisionremains the same throughout the tour-

nament...he’ll definitely play.” However,that backing has softened in the light ofRoy’s repeated failures and Morgan,fresh from his impressive 87 in England’sgroup win over Australia, indicatedTuesday the team could not afford to‘carry’ anyone as they went in search of afirst major ODI tournament triumph.

‘BUSINESS END’ “I mentioned after the last game

that we’re getting to the business end ofthe tournament and we need to produceresults, so it’s important that we getwhat we feel is our best XI to win thetournament out tomorrow (Wednesday)in order to win the game,” said Morgan.

Bairstow, in marked contrast to Roy,has scored three fifties in his last four

ODI innings when standing in for othersin England’s top order. Although he’s yetto open in ODI cricket, Test wicket-keep-er Bairstow’s highest List A score of 174,for Yorkshire against Durham last month,at the top of the order.

“Jonny’s qualities are that he’s a fan-tastic batsman,” Morgan said. “I think hisbest attribute, certainly in white-ballcricket over the last year and a half, hasbeen his relentless attitude to score runsregardless of the situation.”

Morgan cited Bairstow’s unbeaten 83in England’s ODI series-clinching winover New Zealand at Chester-le-Street in2015 as proof of the 27-year-old’s abilityto rise to the occasion. “One innings hedid play for us won us a series, againstNew Zealand, a match-winning knock up

at Durham two years ago sums him up,”Middlesex left-hander Morgan said.

“He came from playing for Yorkshire,straight into the squad having played nopart in the series, and he produces amatch-winning knock. So I think his all-round ability is as good as we have in thesquad. “But, like I’ve mentioned before,it’s a very difficult team to get into andyou’ve just got to wait for your chance,”he added. “I’d have no worries if he hasto open the batting...If Jonny does getthe opportunity, I’m sure he’ll take it withboth hands.” Pakistan coach MickeyArthur said he would be glad if Roy wasleft out. “I was particularly worried thatRoy hadn’t fired yet because I think he’svery close to something quite good,” saidArthur. “So if he’s not playing, that

wouldn’t be too bad.” But the SouthAfrican, who denied using “mind games”,was well aware of Bairstow’s quality, hav-ing seen him score an unbeaten 61 onhis Headingley home ground in a four-wicket ODI victory against Pakistan lastyear. Bairstow was only called into theEngland side shortly before the startafter Jos Buttler suffered a hamstringinjury in the warm-up.

“He wasn’t supposed to play half anhour before the game, got roped in forButtler, and got man-of-the-match,recalled Arthur. “So that was an incredi-ble performance. “The only thing I willsay, I know that Bairstow has opened atcounty level, he’s never done it interna-tionally, and I think that’s a different ballgame.” —AFP

Morgan drops Bairstow hint ahead of Pakistan semi-final

S P O RT SWEDNESDAY, JUNE 14, 2017

CARDIFF: Pakistan captain Sarfraz Ahmedhopes the team’s “high confidence” in Cardiff willstand them in good stead when they return tothe Welsh capital to face England in aChampions Trophy semi-final today.

It will be Pakistan’s second key match atSophia Gardens in a matter of days after a tensethree-wicket victory over Sri Lanka there onMonday saw them into the last four of a tourna-ment featuring the world’s top eight one-dayinternational (ODI) sides.

Pakistan, chasing a seemingly modest 237 forvictory, were on the brink of defeat at 137 forsix. But Sarfraz made Sri Lanka pay for droppinghim twice with a superb 61 not out and receivedexcellent support from Mohammad Amir (28 notout) in a decisive and unbroken eighth-wicketstand of 75. It was Sarfraz’s second impressiveinnings at Cardiff after the wicket-keeper’s 90 onthe same ground last year saw Pakistan chasedown a target of 303 against England in a four-wicket win that prevented a 5-0 ODI serieswhitewash.

“We played the last ODI here. We win thattime, we chased 300, so definitely our confi-dence is very high playing in Cardiff,” Sarfraz toldreporters after Monday’s nailbiting triumph.

‘POSITIVE CRICKET’ England, however, have arguably

improved their white-ball game even moresince that series.

They’ve won 11 of their last 12 matches atthis level, a far cry from their woeful first-roundexit at the 2015 World Cup, and Eoin Morgan’smen were the only side to exit the group stageof the Champions Trophy with a perfect playedthree, won three, record.

“England is a very good team, a very, verygood team,” said Sarfraz of the tournamenthosts. “If you are playing a world-class team,definitely, you play more positive cricket, so wewill do so against England,” he added. But SriLanka might well have won had they dismissedSarfraz, with Thisara Perera guilty of dropping asimple catch at mid-on when he had made 38.“If we had held those catches, it would havebeen a different story,” said Sri Lanka captainAngelo Mathews.

Pakistan certainly made far harder work thanthey ought to have done of getting to theknockout stage in a winner-takes-all clash giventhey held Sri Lanka to 236 all out, with pacemenJunaid Khan (three for 40) and Hasan Ali (threefor 43) doing the bulk of the damage.

“I think it’s a great win today, and credit goesto the bowlers, who bowled really well at a cru-cial time,” said Sarfraz. “Yes, there is a little bit ofconcern about the middle order batting, but wewill sort out the problems.”

A two-day turnaround does not leave muchtime to address such issues but, then again,Pakistan only needed three days to bounce backfrom a 124-run thrashing by arch-rivals and title-

holders India in their tournament opener beforedefeating top-ranked South Africa.

ROY WORRY If Pakistan have middle-order concerns,

the big decision facing England is whether todrop opener Jason Roy, whose latest lowscore against Australia means he has nowmanaged just 51 runs in eight ODI inningsthis season. Morgan, previously unstinting inhis praise of Surrey batsman Roy, was notquite so effusive after a win at Edgbaston onSunday where England slumped to 35 forthree before their captain’s 87 and BenStokes’s 102 not out bailed them out, with theduo sharing a stand of 159.

“It’s unfortunate that Jason didn’t get runs,”said Morgan. “We revisit it every game, every-body’s position, whether it can be changedaround, can we do anything better?”

England do have the in-form Jonny Bairstowwaiting in the wings. Although he has neveropened in ODIs, Bairstow did make 174 at thetop of the order for Yorkshire against Durham ina domestic 50-over match this season.

Roy apart, England appear to have all basescovered as they go in search of their first majorODI tournament title, with key fast bowlerMark Wood summing up their mood by saying:“It’s great to be part of a team with so manygame-changers ... so many match-winners,with bat or ball.” — AFP

Sarfraz hopes Cardiff run continues in England s-final

DHAKA: As the city’s 18 million inhabitantswill attest, Dhaka - the densely populatedcapital of Bangladesh - is known as the “traf-fic capital of the world” for good reason.

Expect roads there to be deserted atabout 3:30 pm local time tomorrow,though. “A journey that would take onehour to get to your destination, will takefive minutes,” predicted Habibul Bashar,one of Dhaka’s more famous residents.

Bashar is the former captain and cur-rently a national selector of Bangladesh’scricket team, which will be taking part inthe biggest game in its history tomorrow.“The Tigers” - as the team is also known -play India in Birmingham, England, in asemifinal match in the ICC ChampionsTrophy, one of the world’s leading crickettournaments.

“This is big, very big,” Bashar said. “Themost important day of Bangladeshi cricketever. This is what we have been dreamingfor.” Once regarded as the minnows of high-level cricket, Bangladesh’s players are on aremarkable journey to the top of the game.At the Champions Trophy, they managed tofinish - partly by luck, partly by skill - above2015 World Cup finalists Australia and NewZealand in group play to qualify for the semi-finals of an ICC tournament for the first time.

Cricket is Bangladesh’s most importantsport - “the people, they eat and sleepcricket; they do everything for cricket,”Bashar says - so the country with a popula-tion of 160 million cannot wait for tomor-row. “Literally, when a cricket match is hap-pening, there’s nothing else in Bangladesh,”Bashar said in a phone interview fromDhaka after returning from the ChampionsTrophy. “I think no one will miss this. Eachand everyone will see this game.”

Bangladesh was only granted full mem-bership of the ICC, cricket’s governing

body, in 2000, which allowed the countryto play matches against the world’s topteams on a more regular basis.

There have been some dark days sincethen: They went nearly five years (May1999-March 2004) without a victory in one-day cricket, a run that took in 45 losses andtwo no results because of washouts. Butbeing exposed to the game’s best players,combined with improved domestic struc-tures and coaching, saw Bangladesh gradu-ally pick up significant wins here and there.

An ODI win over Australia in Cardiff in2005, when Bashar was captain; a group-stage victory over India - under the leader-ship of Bashar - at the 2007 Cricket WorldCup that helped the team reach the SuperEights; a first overseas Test series successover a top-tier team, against West Indies in2009; the famous group-stage win overEngland at the 2015 Cricket World Cup asthe Tigers reached the quarterfinals.

On Friday, Bangladesh beat NewZealand in Cardiff, Wales, to give itself achance of qualification to the last four ofthe Champions Trophy and progress wassealed by Australia losing to England inBirmingham the following day.

“I think everyone has contributed towhat we are today,” Bangladesh captainMashrafe Mortaza said. “The whole nationwill be with us, as they were in our desper-ate times and good times.”

These days, players like Shakib Al Hasan,Tamim Iqbal, Mushfiqur Rahim,Mahmudullah and Mortaza are establishednames even to the average cricket fan - andicons to kids in Bangladesh. Shakib andMahmudullah put on a national-recordpartnership of 224 in the win over NewZealand. “This is one of the big things; inBangladesh, everyone wants to play cricketnow,” Bashar said. — AP

NEW DELHI: Anil Kumble’s termas India coach looks set to beextended until the end of theWest Indies tour next month, atop official said Monday. TheBoard of Control for Cricket inIndia (BCCI) advertised for a headcoach in May with Kumble’s one-year deal due to expire at the endof the Champions Trophy inEngland this week.

The first one-day internationalin the West Indies just 10 daysaway with Kumble in the mix forthe post along with former Indiaopening batsman VirenderSehwag and Australian coach TomMoody, according to mediareports.

But BCCI official Vinod Rai saida special panel overseeing theselection was yet to decide ifsomeone else will take the reins.

“Since it has got delayed, AnilKumble, subject to his acceptance,will be there till the West Indiestour,” Rai, who is chairman of the

Committee of Administrators, toldreporters on Monday.

India will play five one-day inter-nationals in the Caribbean startingJune 23, with a Twenty20 interna-tional wrapping up the trip on July 9.

Rumours of a rift betweenIndian skipper Virat Kohli andKumble were reported to bebehind the BCCI throwing openthe position. Former India greatsSachin Tendulkar, Sourav Gangulyand VVS Laxman have been taskedwith selecting the next coach.

Rai, whose special committeewas assigned by the SupremeCourt to oversee the scandal-rid-den cricket board, dismissed alle-gations of a spat between Kumbleand Kohli.

“There is no question of anycontroversy... We discussed withKohli, we discussed with Kumbleand neither of them confirmed towhat has come out of mediareports,” said Rai.

Rai’s committee has also been

dogged by controversy. One of itshigh-profile members, historianRamachandra Guha, resigned

earVlier this month, citing thecommittee’s mishandling of theKumble situation. —AFP

LONDON: AB de Villiers will captainSouth Africa in their three-matchTwenty20 series against England, teamofficials announced yesterday.

De Villiers takes over from Faf duPlessis, who has returned home, follow-ing South Africa’s group-stage exit fromthe Champions Trophy, to attend thebirth of his first child.

However, the senior batsman isexpected back in time for the first of fourTests against England at Lord’s startingon July 6 — a series de Villiers is set tomiss as he takes a break from the longestinternational format.

De Villiers, South Africa’s one-day inter-national captain, will skipper the Proteas inthree T20s against England inSouthampton, Taunton and Cardiff startingon July 21. He will be in charge of a 14-man squad, without several Proteas regu-lars and one man yet to make his T20international debut in all-rounder DwainePretorius.

Cricket South Africa selector LindaZondi said: “I would like to thank FarhaanBehardien for leading the side so ably inthe recent series against Sri Lanka.

“We are indeed fortunate in the quali-ty of our team leaders, and Farhaanremains very much part of this group.”

Test players Hashim Amla, Quinton deKock, JP Duminy and Kagiso Rabada haveall been rested for the Twenty20 series asSouth Africa try to make sure their keyplayers remain fresh on a lengthy three-month tour of England.

“We have also been impressed as apanel by the quality of players comingthrough our franchise and South Africa Asystem and we are ready to give furtheropportunities to Andile Phehlukwayo,Mangaliso Mosehle, Jon-Jon Smuts andDane Paterson-who all made their debutsin the recent series against Sri Lanka,”Zondi added.

South Africa Twenty20 squad to playEngland AB de Villiers (capt), FarhaanBehardien, Reeza Hendricks, Imran Tahir,David Miller, Morne Morkel, Chris Morris,Mangaliso Mosehle (wkt), Wayne Parnell,Dane Paterson, Andile Phehlukwayo,Dwaine Pretorius, Tabraiz Shamsi, Jon-Jon Smuts.

FixturesJune 21: 1st T20 International,

Southampton (1730 GMT)June 23: 2nd T20 International,

Taunton (1600 GMT)June 25: 3rd T20 International, Cardiff

(1330 GMT). — AFP

De Villiers to lead SA in England T20 series

CARDIFF: Pakistan’s Sarfraz Ahmed plays a shot during the ICC Champions Trophy match between Sri Lanka and Pakistan in Cardiff onMonday. — AFP

CARDIFF: This is a Friday June 9, 2017 file photo of Bangladesh’s Mosaddek Hossain,center, as he celebrates with his teammates after taking the wicket of New Zealand’sJames Neesham during the ICC Champions Trophy, Group A cricket match betweenNew Zealand and Bangladesh, at Sophia Gardens, Cardiff, Wales, The cricket-madcountry of Bangladesh will play its biggest ever game when the team takes on Indiain the Champions Trophy semifinals tomorrow. — AP

Cricket fever grips Bangladesh

Anil Kumble set to remain India coach for Windies tour

Anil Kumble

ZAGREB: Luka Modric will swap his football kit for asuit yesterday as he appears in the witness box totestify in a multi-million-euro corruption trialagainst Dinamo Zagreb’s ex chairman.

The 31-year-old star midfielder is to give evi-dence at the trial of controversial Zdravko Mamic,considered the most powerful man in Croatian foot-ball. Mamic is being tried along with three others:his brother and former Dinamo Zagreb coach ZoranMamic, former club director Damir Vrbanovic, and atax inspector.

They were charged last year with abuse of powerand graft that cost the former Croatian championsmore than 15 million euros ($17.6 million), and thestate 1.5 million euros.

Most of the money-more than 12 million euros-was illegally acquired by the Mamic brothers, saidthe indictment. The cash was allegedly embezzledthrough fictitious deals related to player transfers.

Modric is expected to testify over the details ofhis 2008 transfer from Dinamo to Tottenham

Hotspur. From there he joined Real Madrid in 2012.His testimony given to prosecutors in Zagreb in2015 could be embarrassing for the Mamic broth-ers. “I acted as I was told, to withdraw cash and giveit to them,” Modric told the prosecutors, accordingto the Jutarnji list newspaper. He explained that hepaid them some seven million euros, as instructed,from the nine million that arrived in his bankaccount from Dinamo. Another Croatian interna-tional, Liverpool defender Dejan Lovren, will followas a witness today. The 27-year-old is expected tobe questioned over his 2010 transfer from Dinamoto French side Lyon.

‘FAKERS AND MANIPULATORS’ The trial has attracted huge interest from media

and residents in the eastern city of Osijek, where it isbeing held, reportedly to avoid Mamic’s influenceon judges in the capital Zagreb.

Mamic’s connections extend into many spheresof Croatian public life and he donated to the elec-

tion campaign of President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic. Most Croatian football fans consider himthe real boss of the Croatian Football Federationand believe its formal chief Davor Suker is merelyMamic’s puppet. The magnate has bragged tomedia about feeling like a “Hollywood star” in Osijekbecause local people regularly approach to greethim. Since the trial opened in April under strictsecurity, Mamic lived up to his controversial reputa-tion, easily losing his temper and trying to turn theprocess into a performance.

The indictment is the “most disgusting lie I’veheard in my life” and the trial “a politically-riggedprocess”, he said, lambasting the anti-corruptionprosecutors as “fakers and manipulators”. Stateattorneys were even allocated extra protection afterMamic verbally attacked one of them.

“What the fuck are you laughing at!” he shoutedat Sven Miskovic in the courthouse, prompting awarning from the judge while his lawyer tried tocalm him down, local media reported.

‘MODERN DINAMO CREATOR’ Judge Darko Kruslin has often warned and

threatened him with fines over his behaviour. Butunlike the other suspects, he regularly attends thetrial. “I’m not a criminal, I’m the creator of a modernDinamo. With my arrival to the club the fight againstcorruption began,” Mamic told local media.

Dinamo have won 18 national championshipssince the former Yugoslav republic declared inde-pendence in 1991. Witness Modric, who grew up asa refugee child in Zadar on the Dalmatian coast, ishighly popular in Croatia where he has a reputationfor modesty.

He was only six when Croatia’s independencewar broke out, and although Zadar was heavilybombed his football skills in the corridors of arefugee hotel and in cratered car parks did not gounnoticed. Mamic’s trial is a major one for Croatianfootball, which is known for the success of itsnational team but also hooliganism and poor infra-structure. — AFP

Modric appears as star witness in Croatia graft trial

S P O RT SWEDNESDAY, JUNE 14, 2017

SOCCER

NHL

MELBOURNE: The world’s number one teamBrazil demolished Australia 4-0 fired by a DiegoSouza goal after just 12 seconds in their interna-tional friendly in Melbourne yesterday. TheSocceroos held the five-times World Cup cham-pions to 1-0 at half-time but the dazzlingBrazilians ripped apart the home defence withthree second-half goals.

Souza, who replaced injured striker GabrielJesus, scored twice with other goals fromdefender Thiago Silva and substitute Taison withhis first international goal.

Brazil bounced back spectacularly from their1-0 loss to Argentina at the same venue onFriday with captain for the night Liverpool’sPhilippe Coutinho and Chelsea’s David Luiz out-standing for the South Americans. Brazil, whichdid not bring stars Neymar, Marcelo, Dani Alvesor Roberto Firmino to Melbourne, still had fartoo much firepower for the Socceroos. Brazil gotoff to a stunning start with a goal after just 12seconds when defender Bailey Wright ditheredand gave away the ball to Giuliano. Giulianosent Diego Souza through to beat goalkeeperMitch Langerak for his first international goal.

But after the catastrophic start, the Socceroossettled down with their passing improved fromlast week’s World Cup 3-2 qualifier win overSaudi Arabia. Coutinho, Brazil’s ninth captainsince Tite became manager, troubled theAustralians with his deft close skills and touch,while Luiz was rock solid as the holding mid-fielder in front of the back three. The Braziliansmade it 2-0 just after the hour when Luiz’s thun-derous header from Coutinho’s corner came offthe bar for Silva to nod home amongst a crowdof players in the six-yard box.

Langerak saved with his legs to deny Souzafrom scoring when Mark Milligan gave away

possession to substitute Willian as Brazil turnedthe screws on the Socceroos.

Coutinho and Luiz, Brazil’s two most influen-tial players, were substituted minutes apartbefore substitute Taison scored his first interna-tional goal. After exquisite interplay by Willian,Paulinho back-heeled the ball into Taison’s pathto slot home.

Souza had a free header off corner in thethird minute of stoppage time to round off thescoring for Brazil. It was a sobering farewell forthe Australians, who leave today for Russia andthe Confederations Cup where they face

Germany in their first game on June 19.“I guess the first half, apart from the first

action where we conceded a silly goal, I thoughtit wasn’t too bad,” Australia coach AngePostecoglou said. “The second half, I’ll takeresponsibility. We made a lot of changes andlooked disjointed and they took advantage ofthat. And we conceded two from set pieceswhich we hadn’t done for a while.”

Brazil, who were the first time to qualify fornext year’s World Cup finals in Russia, will faceEcuador in Porto Alegre on August 31 in theirnext World Cup qualifier. — AFP

Souza’s quickfire goal sparks

Brazil to win over Australia

MEXICO CITY: Bruce Arena has managedthe tricky task of establishing a sense ofcalm along with urgency within the US soc-cer team. It’s quite a contrast to the frustra-tion and futility at the end of JurgenKlinsmann’s coaching reign last November.

Of course, climbing from last to third inthe final round of World Cup qualifying haseased pressure immensely. “We haven’t lostyet this year since Bruce has had the team,”US Soccer Federation President Sunil Gulatisaid Monday, a day after a 1-1 draw withMexico at Azteca Stadium. “So whateverhas gotten us there, whatever occasion orbonding that’s led to a change, that’s a pos-itive, and certainly Bruce has to receive a lotof credit.” Now 65, Arena is a member of theUS National Soccer Hall of Fame. Hecoached the national team from 1998-2006, leading the Americans to the 2002World Cup quarterfinals in their best resultsince the first tournament in 1930.

Klinsmann was fired after a 2-1 homeloss to Mexico and a 4-0 fiasco at CostaRica. The rebound in qualifying under thewitty and sarcastic Arena began with a 6-0home win over Honduras and a 1-1 tie atPanama. It continued with a 2-0 home vic-tory over Trinidad and Tobago lastThursday in Colorado and the draw againstEl Tri - just the third point the Americanshave gained at Azteca.

“I’m not going to compare the currentsituation to any previous situations. I don’tthink that is appropriate. But I think thatclearly the team has responded to some ofthe things that Bruce has outlined and isdoing, and that’s what we were hoping for,”Gulati said. “I think it’s probably a lot of littlethings and not any one thing.

“Obviously when you’re on the field andin camp and the team starts to believeeven before they’ve played a game thatthey’re capable of playing better and ofwinning, that helps. And then when you goout and see results that come from that,from following the path he’s laid out, that

obviously gives people a lot of confidencenot only in Bruce but in themselves and inthe team.” On the sidewalk outside EstadioNacional in San Jose, Costa Rica, last fall,U.S. captain Michael Bradley said self-exam-ination and urgency was needed. Speakingin Azteca’s tunnel on Sunday night, Bradleydiagnosed what had gone wrong.

“It was just a case at the end of last yearwhere a few too many areas started to drop,and I think Bruce has done a very good jobof coming in and just little by little workingat getting every - just raising the level acrossthe board,” he said. “And obviously a big partof it is this idea of team, of spirit, of mentali-ty, of (guts) and understanding that we havegood players, we have a good team, butwe’re not good enough to just step on thefield and think that things are going to takecare of themselves.”

Arena’s biggest personnel changes wereto add left back Jorge Villafana, who wasoverlooked by Klinsmann, and to bringback midfielder Darlington Nagbe,dropped by Klinsmann in a spat for refus-ing an invitation to a training camp aheadof exhibition games last October.

Arena used 20 of the 26 players on hisroster in the last two qualifiers, changingseven starters because of the 7,820-footaltitude and the short recovery time.

“When you have the confidence of themanager to put you in a game like this, itmeans everything, obviously,” said BradGuzan, who started against Mexico in placeof No. 1 goalkeeper Tim Howard. “We’vegot a lot of good guys in our group, not justthe guys that are here on this trip, but guysback home, and I think ultimately that’sgoing to make our team stronger.”

Arena shifted from a 4-4-2 formationagainst Trinidad to a five-man back lineagainst Mexico, a tactic he settled on in thewinter, and had players practice daily oncethe most recent training camp opened May29. He wouldn’t try to explain how he creat-ed confidence. — AP

SUNRISE: The Florida Panthers went intothis offseason with a very specific planregarding what they thought they wantedfor the team’s next head coach. Then theymet with Bob Boughner. And their planchanged on the spot.

Boughner was introduced Monday asthe Panthers’ 15th coach in 24 years - andthe fifth to hold the job since 2011. It’s thefirst time Boughner has gotten the reins ofan NHL team, and he comes to Florida afterspending the last two years as an assistantcoach under former Panthers coach PeterDeBoer in San Jose.

“I think we have a lot of great pieceshere to build something special in SouthFlorida,” Boughner said.

General manager Dale Tallon saidBoughner sees the game in a modern wayand is the right leader to get the Panthersback toward competing for the Stanley Cup.Tallon said the Panthers quickly decidedafter interviewing Boughner that he wasthe pick, and went forward with the rest oftheir lengthy search anyway - no one know-ing those subsequent talks were in vain.

“Of all the interviews and of all the peo-ple, Bob Boughner impressed us like noone else,” Tallon said. “All the years I’ve beenin the business interviewing coaches, firingcoaches, meeting coaches, Bob was themost prepared. His performance, his prepa-ration, his passion knocked us out of the

park. It really did. It was incredible to see.”Added Panthers President Matthew

Caldwell: “He blew us away. He’s the right fit forus.” DeBoer said the Sharks hated to seeBoughner leave. “This is a terrific opportunity forBob to become a head coach in the NationalHockey League and one that he deserves,”Sharks general manager Doug Wilson said.

Boughner is the fifth coach to be hiredsince the regular season ended, a list thatincludes the Vegas Golden Knights choos-ing Gerard Gallant as their first coach.Gallant was fired by the Panthers early thispast season, getting replaced by then-gen-eral manager Tom Rowe. But Florida neverfound the same form it had a year ago onthe way to the Atlantic Division title, andmissed the playoffs by 14 points.

That led to the Panthers going back towhat has worked in the past: Tallon square-ly in charge again as general manager, andhis first major move of the offseason isbringing in a 46-year-old - he shared the icewith Panthers free agent forward JaromirJagr both as a teammate and an opponent- to take over a team that believes it shouldbe right back in the playoff mix next spring.

Panthers captain Derek Mackenzie saidplayers had no doubt Tallon would make theright call. “Given the makeup of our teamand knowing the way he played, I think it’skind of the perfect combination for ourteam right now,” Mackenzie said.— AP

KUWAIT: The championshipmatch to decide the winner ofthe ‘Women Football Tournament’is scheduled to take place tonightat the Jaber Al -AhmadInternational Stadium. The finalgame k icks of f at 9 pm andawards ceremony will take placeat 10 pm. For easy access to thestadium, please enter throughgate number three.

The event is being held underthe patronage of and in the pres-ence of H.E. Khaled Nasser Al-Roudan, Minister of Commerceand Industry and Acting Ministerof State for Youth Affairs. The tour-nament is organized by EightyPercent, a socially driven sportscompany established by threeyoung Kuwaiti women dedicatedto sports and fitness.

Gulf Bank was pleased to spon-sor the tournament as part of itsseries of events during the HolyMonth of Ramadan. The tourna-

ment encourages women to incor-porate playing sports as part ofleading an active and healthylifestyle. Gulf Bank is also support-ing and conducting several otheractivities. These include the distri-bution foodstuff boxes in collabo-ration with Saveco, the KuwaitFood Bank, and LOYAC.

Staff from the Bank are also cur-rently visiting to hospitals to cele-brate “Girgi’an” with children, andholding “Girgi ’an” celebrationswith other health institutions andspecial needs schools. Earlier inthe month, the Bank launched awell-received Ramadan-themedtelevision commercial, which canbe viewed on the Gulf BankYouTube channel.

To find out more about GulfBank’s initiatives please visit one ofGulf Bank’s 56 branches; visit thebank’s bilingual website at www.e-gulfbank.com, or see its socialmedia channels.

‘Women Football Tournament’

Championship match tonight

MELBOURNE: Diego Andrade (L) of Brazil scores his second goal during the friendly interna-tional football match between Brazil and Australia in Melbourne yesterday. — AFP

MEXICO CITY: United States coach Bruce Arena, center, celebrate with ChristianPulisic, left, as Michael Bradley salutes supporters at the end of a World Cup soccerqualifying match at the Azteca Stadium in Mexico City, Sunday. — AP

Bruce Arena rebuilds US

confidence after Klinsmann

Panthers new coach Bob Boughner

says team’s future is bright

16Late penalty

sinks stuttering

Irish Lions

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 14, 201717

Thailand hails

new hero as Ariya

makes history

Souza’s quickfire goal sparks Brazil to win over AustraliaPage 19

OAKLAND: Golden State Warriors players, coaches and owners pose for photos after Game 5 of basketball’sNBA Finals against the Cleveland Cavaliers in Oakland, Calif., Monday. The Warriors won 129-120 to win theNBA championship. — AP

OAKLAND: As a fresh NBA champions cap sat a tad off-kilter on his head, Kevin Durant embraced motherWanda. Then he moved across the podium and huggedStephen Curry before accepting his shiny MVP trophy,holding out his arms and hoisting it for everyone to see.

From the Bay all the way to OKC. Durant capped hisspectacular first season with the Warriors by bringinghome that coveted NBA championship he joinedGolden State last July so determined to get. He scored39 points in a fast-and-furious, Finals-clinching 129-120victory over LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliersin Game 5 on Monday night.

“You can talk about whatever you want to talk about,but nobody comes in and cares about the game orloves the game as much as I do or works as hard as do Iat the basketball game. You can talk about whateverhappens on the outside, but inside those lines, I cometo bring it every day,” Durant said. “I work hard, I believein myself, I believe in the game, I respect the game, Ilove the game, and I knew at some point in my life thatit will come around for me.”

Stephen Curry added 34 points, 10 assists and sixrebounds as Golden State closed out its second title inthree years after squandering a 3-1 lead a year ago. Thatstung ever since, and even Durant understood, becausehe gave up the same lead to the Warriors a round earlierwith Oklahoma City.

James, who in 2012 with Miami beat the Thunder inDurant’s only other Finals, wound up with 41 points, 13rebounds and eight assists. “I left everything on thefloor every game,” James said after averaging a triple-double in his eighth Finals.

Kyrie Irving followed up his 40-point gem in Game 4with 26 points but shot 9 for 22. This time, King Jamesgave way to KD, who was the NBA Finals MVP 10 yearsafter being picked second in the NBA draft behind GregOden. Durant drove left, right and down the middle,knocked down 3-pointers, dished and dunked. He hit a17-foot fadeaway over James early in the fourth quarter,then assisted on a 3-pointer by Andre Iguodala the nexttime down as the Warriors pulled away.

Iguodala, the 2015 Finals MVP, came up big againwith his 2017 postseason-best 20 points off the benchin a testy, tightly called finale to this trilogy Finals thateveryone had stamped on the calendar from themoment Durant departed Oklahoma City to join Curryand Co. last July.

The Warriors won in 2015 before the Cavs made theirhistoric comeback last year. Then it was Golden State’stime again, with Durant as the prized addition. Sure, theWarriors missed becoming the first undefeated champi-on, but 16-1 still gave Golden State the best winningpercentage of any title team at .941.

Durant shot 14 for 20 and Curry - the two-time reign-ing MVP who took a backseat as the new big star gotacclimated - finished off a brilliant postseason. Not tomention a healthy one after his 2016 injuries. Greenstayed on the court in a game that featured three tech-nicals on one play 3:08 before halftime. David Westfought for the ball with Irving, then they got tangled upand Tristan Thompson entered the fray and he and Westwent at each other face-to-face. West, Thompson andJ.R. Smith received techs after a replay review. Greenhad sat out this very game a year ago, suspendedbecause of flagrant foul point accumulation. He had 10points, 12 rebounds and five assists in this clincher.

With a much-improved bench led by Iguodala, JaValeMcGee, Shaun Livingston and West, that “Strength InNumbers” slogan that has become such a staple thepast two seasons shined all season long, from Durant’s19-game absence late in the regular season with a leftknee injury to assistant coach Mike Brown stepping infor 11 postseason games to lead the way while SteveKerr was ailing.

Golden State used a 28-4 second-quarter run to takecharge - just after it appeared Durant should have beencalled for a third foul on a basket by James - and got tocelebrate right at home in Oakland surrounded by adeafening home crowd waving yellow rally towels andholding up phones to shoot video and photos as thefinal minute of the clock ticked away.

The Warriors became the first Bay Area team to cap-ture a championship at home since the A’s finished theLos Angeles Dodgers in Game 5 of the 1974 WorldSeries.

A year ago, these Warriors fell short after a record-setting season that included a 24-0 start and 73 victo-ries at the end to break the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls’ winsmark. Then they got Durant, who after the buzzersounded did a little shake with Curry on the courtbefore they slapped hands several times.

“I’m happy for him,” Curry said. “You’ve got to callKevin Durant a champ now.” — AP

Durant, Curry leadWarriors to NBA title

WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump says apprentice-ships could match workers with millions of open jobs, buthe’s reluctant to devote more taxpayer money to the effort.Instead, Trump and Labor Secretary Alex Acosta say theadministration is focused on getting universities and privatecompanies to pair up and pay the cost of such learn-to-earnarrangements.

The president has accepted a challenge fromSalesforce.com CEO Marc Benioff to create 5 million appren-ticeships over five years. Now, as part of a week-longapprenticeship push, he is visiting Waukesha CountyTechnical College in Wisconsin Tuesday with his daughter,Ivanka, as well as Acosta and Wisconsin Gov Scott Walker.“Apprenticeships are going to be a big, big factor in ourcountry,” Trump said during his first-ever full Cabinet meet-ing Monday. “There are millions of good jobs that lead togreat careers, jobs that do not require a four-year degree orthe massive debt that often comes with those four-yeardegrees and even two-year degrees.”

Idea welcome Many employers and economists - and Republicans and

Democrats - welcome the idea of apprenticeships as a wayto train people with specific skills for particular jobs thatemployers say they can’t fill at time of historically low unem-

ployment. The most recent budget for the federal govern-ment passed with about $90 million for apprenticeships,and Trump so far isn’t proposing adding more.

But the Trump administration, like President BarackObama’s, says there’s a need that can be met with a changein the American attitude toward vocational education andapprenticeships. A November 2016 report by Obama’sCommerce Department found that “apprenticeships are notfully understood in the United States, especially” by employ-ers, who tend to use apprentices for a few, hard-to -fill posi-tions” but not as widely as they could. The shortages forspecifically-trained workers cut across multiple job sectorsbeyond Trump’s beloved construction trades. There areshortages in agriculture, manufacturing, information tech-nology and health care.

“There aren’t enough people to fill the jobs and the peo-ple applying don’t have the skills necessary,” said ConorSmyth, spokesman for the Wisconsin Technical CollegeSystem, where President and Ivanka Trump, Acosta andWalker were visiting. That’s where apprenticeship comes in.Participants get on-the-job training while going to school,sometimes with companies footing the bill.

IBM, for example, participates in a six-year program calledP-TECH. Students in 60 schools across six states begin in highschool, when they get a paid internship, earn an associate’s

degree and get first-in-line consideration for jobs from 250participating employers. It relies on funds outside theapprenticeship program - a challenge in that the Trumpbudget plan would cut spending overall on job training. Theprogram uses $1.2 billion in federal funding provided underthe Perkins Career and Technical Education Act passed in2006, said P-TECH co-founder Stan Litow.

“This really demonstrates what you can do with appren-ticeships with existing dollars,” Litow said. Eric Haban, 35,started as a youth apprentice junior in high school and thencompleted a four-year program at Lakeshore TechnicalCollege in Wisconsin, the first state in the country to pass alaw establishing apprenticeship programs in 1911. At theschool, Haban learned to be a machinist for LDI Industries,which makes hydraulic components and lubricating equip-ment. “It really gave me a jump start to get into a field that Ihad no prior experience in,” Haban said.

Few and far betweenApprenticeships are few and far between. Of the 146 mil-

lion jobs in the United States, about 3.5 percent - or slightlymore than a half-million - were filled by active apprentices in2016. Filling millions more jobs through apprenticeshipswould require the government to massively ramp up itsefforts. “Scaling is the big issue,” said Robert Lerman, a fellow

at the Urban Institute. Another complication: only about halfof apprentices finish their multi-year programs, Lerman said.Fewer than 50,000 people including 11,104 in the militarycompleted their apprenticeships in 2016, according to LaborDepartment. The Trump administration has yet to spell outhow it would close the completion gap. Acosta said Mondaythat the policy would revolve around encouraging morepartnerships between business and schools rather thanincreasing the $90 million the federal government currentlydevotes to apprenticeships. “I want to challenge theassumption that the only way to move policy is to increasegovernment spending,” Acosta said at the Monday WhiteHouse news briefing. “We should measure success based onoutcomes and not simply based on spending.”

Susan Helper, former chief economist at the CommerceDepartment, said it would likely require more than $90 mil-lion a year to cover the administrative costs of increasing thenumber of apprentices. But Helper, currently a professor atCase Western University, noted that how federal funds arespent on apprenticeship programs also matters. Tax breaksmight do little to expand the number of apprenticeships,since the major barriers involve the upfront costs of startingan apprenticeship program that helps groups of smalleremployers and the community colleges often involved inapprenticeship programs. —AP

BusinessWEDNESDAY, JUNE 14, 2017

Pound tumbles as election

sows uncertaintyPage 24

Attorneys General hopes

to force Trump financial

disclosuresPage 25

Lauded to loathed:

Who’s afraid of

George Soros?Tycoon Mallya denies charges at London hearingPage 23Page 22

BEIJING: A general view shows a construction site on the outskirts of Beijing. — AFP

Trump to tout apprenticeships President hopes this will fill the job gap

BRUSSELS: The EU unveiled plans yesterday togive itself new powers over London’s bankingbusiness after Brexit in a blow to the city’ssupremacy as a global financial hub. The draftlaw unveiled by European Commission vice-pres-ident Valdis Dombrovskis will empower Europeto decide if post-Brexit London has the right tohost financial market “clearing houses” that dealin euros, the EU’s single currency.

Clearing houses are a key part of the financialsystem’s plumbing, with trillions of euros beinghandled every year, mostly out of London. “As weface the departure of the largest EU financial cen-tre, we need to make certain adjustments to ourrules to ensure that our efforts remain on track,”Dombrovskis said in a statement. The draft law isweaker than the forced relocation of euro clear-ing initially feared by London, in a sign that theEU does not want to overtly offend Britain onlydays after Prime Minister Theresa May embar-rassingly lost her majority in British elections.

The issue of whether euro clearing houses canremain in the British capital is set to be one of themost contentious issues when Britain negotiatesits future trade relationship with the EU after itsdeparture. Britain has jealously guarded domi-nance of the clearing house sector in Europe andwon an EU court decision in 2015 against theEuropean Central Bank in order to keep hostingthe euro deals.

Still, under the draft law, vaunted financial

firms such as the London Stock Exchange standat risk of a forced move of their euro clearingbusiness to a bloc country. “We are giving ESMAmore powers to regulate European counter par-ties,” an EU official said, in reference to the Paris-

based European Securities and MarketsAuthority. With the proposal, “the door remainsopen to the forced relocation” of clearing housesconsidered at risk of causing severe damage tothe EU economy, another source said. — AFP

EU seeks post-Brexit powers

over London finance hub

LONDON: Britain’s Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union (Brexit Minister) DavidDavis arrives to attend a Cabinet meeting at 10 Downing Street. — AFP

MUMBAI: India should use excess landheld by government agencies to meet itsgoal of providing housing for all by 2022,experts and activists said, as the countrystruggles with rising conflicts over land forindustry, infrastructure and its citizens.The government recently launched along-delayed process to sell 2,000 acres ofunused land belonging to unprofitablestate-owned enterprises - known in Indiaas public sector undertakings (PSUs).

The railways, ports, aviation anddefence ministries also hold vast tracts ofsurplus land. A portion of this land held bythe government must be given to statesto build housing for poor and low-incomegroups to meet India’s goal of Housing forAll by 2022, experts and activists said. “Thegovernment says finding land is thebiggest problem for affordable housing,but the government is sitting on so muchland that is lying idle,” said ShivaniChaudhry, executive director at NewDelhi-based advocacy group Housing andLand Rights Network.

“PSUs could easily work with the min-istry of housing to see how best toaddress this issue, but they would rathermonetise the land in other ways.” India’sstate-owned enterprises hold more than 1million acres of surplus land, according to

some estimates. Government enterprisesthemselves are unsure how much landthey have, said Samar Lahiry, a formeradviser to the government’s planningcommission. “India has sufficient land forall uses, including housing, if we use ourexisting resources with prudence,” Lahirysaid. “We need to evaluate land use andtake stock of land that is locked up withPSUs. Using idle land for vital civic infra-structure such as hospitals, roads andaffordable housing is important, given thecontentious nature of land acquisition.”

Urban poor Some of these surplus government-

held lands have been encroached uponby the urban poor struggling with a lackof affordable housing. Government com-mittees over the years have failed to selloff these lands because of a lack of clearguidelines, inadequate records and a lackof coordination between various min-istries. A spokesman for the ministry ofhousing said plans to create a land bankare on track. “The government has askedPSUs how much unused land they have.Once there is a clear idea of how muchland there is, the government will draw upa plan for its use,” A A Rao told theThomson Reuters Foundation. — Reuters

India’s excess land is

enough for housing

B U S I N E S SWEDNESDAY, JUNE 14, 2017

EXCHANGE RATES

Al-Muzaini Exchange Co.

ASIAN COUNTRIESJapanese Yen 2.773Indian Rupees 4.726Pkistani Rupees 2.899Srilankan Rupees 1.984Nepali Rupees 2.956Singapore Dollar 220.860Hongkong Dollar 39.992Bangladesh Taka 3.751Philippine Peso 6.151Thai Baht 8.945

GCC COUNTRIESSaudi Riyal 81.094Qatari Riyal 83.523Omani Riyal 789.761Bahraini Dinar 807.490UAE Dirham 82.795

ARAB COUNTRIESEgyptian Pound - Cash 19.300Egyptian Pound - Transfer 16.726Yemen Riyal/for 1000 1.221Tunisian Dinar 126.360Jordanian Dinar 428.630Lebanese Lira/for 1000 2.026Syrian Lira 2.167Morocco Dirham 31.656

EUROPEAN & AMERICAN COUNTRIESUS Dollar Transfer 303.900Euro 344.320Sterling Pound 393.700Canadian dollar 226.690Turkish lira 87.130

Dollarco Exchange Co. Ltd

BAHRAIN EXCHANGE COMPANY WLL

Swiss Franc 317.220Australian Dollar 230.660US Dollar Buying 302.700

GOLD20 Gram 261.98010 Gram 133.9105 Gram 67.800

Rate for Transfr Selling RateUS Dollar 303.900Canadian Dolla 226.475Sterling Pound 388.545Euro 342.155Swiss Frank 295.810Bahrain Dinar 806.040UAE Dirhams 83.135Qatari Riyals 84.355Saudi Riyals 81.935Jordanian Dinar 428.545Egyptian Pound 16.923Sri Lankan Rupees 1.988Indian Rupees 4.725Pakistani Rupees 2.898Bangladesh Taka 3.772Philippines Pesso 6.140Cyprus pound 167.715Japanese Yen 3.755Syrian Pound 2.420Nepalese Rupees 3.962Malaysian Ringgit 72.080

CURRENCY BUY SELLEurope

British Pound 0.380616 0.390616Czech Korune 0.004990 0.016990Danish Krone 0.041735 0.046735Euro 0. 335219 0.344219Norwegian Krone 0.031780 0.036980Romanian Leu 0.074603 0.074603Slovakia 0.009092 0.019092Swedish Krona 0.030830 0.035830Swiss Franc 0.307471 0.318471Turkish Lira 0.080681 0.090981

AustralasiaAustralian Dollar 0.220634 0.232634New Zealand Dollar 0.211843 0.221843

AmericaCanadian Dollar 0.220545 0.229545Georgina Lari 0.137257 0.137415US Dollars 0.300150 0.304550US Dollars Mint 0.300650 0.304550

AsiaBangladesh Taka 0.003381 0.003969Chinese Yuan 0.043304 0.046804Hong Kong Dollar 0.036934 0.039684

Indian Rupee 0.004275 0.004963Indonesian Rupiah 0.000018 0.000024Japanese Yen 0.002673 0.002853Kenyan Shilling 0.002939 0.002939Korean Won 0.000259 0.000274Malaysian Ringgit 0.067172 0.073172Nepalese Rupee 0.002976 0.003146Pakistan Rupee 0.002714 0.003004Philippine Peso 0.006030 0.006330Sierra Leone 0.000037 0.000043Singapore Dollar 0.214391 0.224391South African Rand 0.017573 0.026073Sri Lankan Rupee 0.001606 0.002188Taiwan 0.009950 0.010130Thai Baht 0.008585 0.009135

ArabBahraini Dinar 0.799606 0.808106Egyptian Pound 0.013995 0.019903Iranian Riyal 0.000084 0.000085Iraqi Dinar 0.000190 0.000250Jordanian Dinar 0.423764 0.432764Kuwaiti Dinar 1.000000 1.000000Lebanese Pound 0.000151 0.00251Moroccan Dirhams 0.019785 0.043785Nigerian Naira 0.000334 0.000969Omani Riyal 0.783839 0.789519Qatar Riyal 0.079280 0.084220Saudi Riyal 0.080047 0.081347Syrian Pound 0.001290 0.001510Tunisian Dinar 0.121479 0.129479Turkish Lira 0.080681 0.090981UAE Dirhams 0.081411 0.083111Yemeni Riyal 0.000989 0.001069

Chinese Yuan Renminbi 45.135Thai Bhat 9.910Turkish Lira 86.480

Kuwait: Non-oil activity maintains solid growth amid mild fiscal adjustment

NBK ECONOMIC UPDATE

WASHINGTON: Falling food and energyprices helped keep US wholesale infla-tion flat in May, in another sign of slack-ening price pressures, the LaborDepartment reported yesterday. The newfigures come as the US central bankbegins a two-day monetary policy meet-ing, with the Federal Reserve widelyexpected to raise the key interest rate forthe second time this year despite signs ofa cooling economy.

Policymakers said last month theybelieved the weakness in the economylikely was “transitory” and a rate hikewould be appropriate “soon,” althoughthey also promised to wait for confirma-tion the recovery has resumed beforeincreasing the benchmark lending rate.The Producer Price Index, which meas-ures input costs from the seller’s perspec-tive, was unchanged in May, downsharply from April’s 0.5 percent jump.The result matched analyst expectations.

For the latest 12 months, PPI was up2.4 percent, down a tenth of a percent-age point from last month’s reading.Energy prices continued to see sharpdeclines, dropping three percent, asgasoline prices plunged 11.2 percent, thelargest drop since February 2016. Foodprices meanwhile fell 0.2 percent in themonth. Car prices also posted a big

decline, amid flagging car sales, falling1.4 percent from April.

“The drop in new car sales in recentmonths clearly has worried automakers,who have responded with the biggest one-month price cut since July 2009,” IanShepherdson of Pantheon Macroeconomicssaid. However, services showed persistentsigns of rising prices, up 2.1 percent com-pared to May 2016, the largest increase intwo and a half years.

Excluding the more volatile categoriesfood, fuel and trade services, PPI slipped0.1 percent for the month, while the 12-month rate was up 2.1 percent,unchanged from last month.Shepherdson said costs for services weredriving up “core” PPI, excluding food andfuel, which gained 0.3 percent for themonth and was up 2.1 percent over May2016. Core goods and services prices aretrending higher, he said in a researchnote, and while “Neither are yet veryalarming ...further sustained increaseswould be unwelcome.”

The May consumer price report is dueout Wednesday, which last monthshowed a 12-month rate of 2.2 percent,two-tenths below PPI. Chris Low of FTNFinancial said, “There is plenty of leewayfor wholesale prices to rise faster thanconsumer prices. — AFP

US wholesale prices flat in May on low food, energy

KUWAIT: Non-oil activity has remained resilientsince oil prices began retreating in 2014, thanksin large part to a strong projects pipeline andrelatively limited fiscal adjustment. We expectnon-oil growth to improve slightly to 3.5-4% in2017 and 2018. Inflation is also expected toremain largely in check as pressures from hous-ing rent ease, and despite some upward pres-sures from subsidy cuts.

Meanwhile, the fiscal deficit should narrow in2017 and 2018 as oil prices improve and someadditional fiscal adjustment is implemented.Despite healthy non-oil activity, overall GDPgrowth is expected to take a hit in 2017 asKuwait continues to apply cuts to crude oil pro-duction agreed upon in conjunction with otherOPEC members. Those cuts, which are aimed atsupporting oil prices, are expected to reduceKuwait’s average crude output by 7-8% in 2017.Overall GDP is likely to shrink by around 2.4% in2017, before returning to positive growth of3.2% in 2018.

Government project activity remains healthyCapital spending has increasingly been driv-

ing non-oil economic activity, with the imple-mentation pace holding up relatively well after aclear pick up in 2014. Project awards werehealthy in 1Q17 at KD 1.4 billion according toMEED Projects. The figure is similar to the quar-terly average in 2016. Another KD 6.2 billion inprojects are in the bidding stage and could beawarded in 2017. The projects pipeline remainssolid, given the government’s commitment to itsdevelopment plan. The government remainscommitted to an ambitious capital spendingprogram. Indeed, the Kuwait National

Development Plan (KNDP) was re-launched in1Q17 under the “New Kuwait” slogan. The plan,also dubbed Kuwait Vision 2035. It seeks totransform the country into a financial, culturaland trade leader. The plan brings together anumber of ongoing initiatives into a renewedand more comprehensive vision for the coun-try’s development, which includes structural andfiscal reforms as well as capital spending plans.

The KNDP targets investment of KD 34 billionthrough 2020, about a third of which will comefrom the private sector. A number of schemes arebeing implemented as public-private partnershipprojects (PPP), including the Al-Zour North andKhairan integrated power generation and waterdesalination projects. As a result of the infrastruc-ture investment push, aggregate investment isexpected to continue to see healthy growth.Expenditures on gross capital formation grew by13% in 2015 and could see real growth of 8-9%on average in 2017 and 2018. This could furtherpush up the share of investment in the economyto 23%, the highest level recorded in over 20years, and up from 19% in 2015.

Consumer sector has slowed The consumer sector has long been a robust

and reliable source of growth in Kuwait. Thisbegan to change in 2015 and 2016, followingthe persistent decline in oil prices when house-holds took a more cautious view of the econo-my. The sector continues to be supported bysteady growth in employment and salaries, par-ticularly in the government sector and amongKuwaiti households.

Consumer spending continued to moderatein 1Q17, but maintained a decent pace. The val-ue of point-of-sale transactions grew by 7.1%y/y; while slower than the double-digit growthrates recorded in previous years, the pace heldup relatively well thanks to steady growth inemployment and wages (Chart 6). Householdborrowing also moderated over the last year;growth in consumer debt eased to 6.7% y/y inMarch 2017 (Chart 7).

Most of the weakness in the sector has comefrom lower consumer confidence. Ara’s index hasbeen on a declining trend for over four years. Itfell more rapidly in 2016 after the governmenthiked fuel prices and while it has since recoveredsomewhat from those levels, it remains relativelysubdued (Chart 8). The index stood at 104 inApril, surpassing the 100 mark for the first timein nine months.

Employment growth among Kuwaiti nation-als remains relatively healthy. While there hasbeen a slowdown in private employment, this isdue to the clampdown on “phantom employ-ment”, which has resulted in a drop in reportedemployment numbers since mid-2015. However,employment of nationals in the public sector

continued to see robust growth of around 3.5%in 2016. Meanwhile, expatriate employmentmaintained healthy growth of 5.6%.

Credit growth has remained healthyCredit growth has remained relatively healthy

boosted by the resilience of non-oil GDP and thepace of capital spending, though a large corpo-rate repayment in 4Q16 has distorted the figures(Chart 4). Credit growth in March stood at 3.6%y/y. Gains were seen across a number of sectorsled by “oil & gas”. Growth in “productive” sectors(excluding real estate and securities lending)accelerated to a robust 9.6% y/y reflectingprogress in Kuwait’s projects pipeline.

Real estate prices appear to stabilize Activity in the real estate market continued to

decline year-on-year for the third consecutiveyear, but there are some early signs of stabiliza-tion. Sales during the 12 months through April2017 were off by 22% y/y (Chart 9). Most of therecent weakness has come from the investmentand commercial sectors. Meanwhile, activity in

the residential sector has been improving. Thenumber of transactions in the sector during thethree months through April 2017 was up 22% y/y.

Prices have also been showing signs of stabi-lizing, as reflected in NBK’s real estate priceindices. Prices experienced an orderly correctionduring the last two years of around 18-20% fromthe highs in the residential and investment sec-tors. However, since the middle of 2016, NBK’sprice indices indicate that real estate values havebeen holding.

Inflation rose following the rise in fuel prices

Inflation eased in recent months after impactof the September 2016 hike in fuel prices fadedand growth in housing rent began to moderate.Inflation eased to 2.6% y/y in March comparedto its peak at 3.8% y/y in September 2016.Declining housing inflation was a welcomedevelopment, and comes after four years ofaccelerating price growth in the sector.Weakness in the real estate market no doubtbegan to makes itself felt. Rent inflation wentfrom a recent high of 7.3% y/y in mid-2016 to4.3% this past March.

Fiscal deficits will persist, but to remain manageable

While oil prices have improved over the lastyear, the Ministry of Finance is expected to con-tinue to register a deficit in the medium-term.With the price of oil expected to stay around$55-60 per barrel in 2017 and 2018, a deficit of19% of GDP is expected in FY16/17, after themandatory allocation to the Future GenerationsFund (FGF). The deficit is likely to narrow toaround 14% of GDP in FY17/18and to 12% inFY18/19 as oil prices improve and additional fis-cal reforms are implemented.

Since oil prices began to decline in 2014, thegovernment has taken a number of stepstowards fiscal adjustment. A package of fiscalreforms was approved by the cabinet a year ago,including energy and water subsidy cuts, andthe introduction of a corporate income tax and avalue added tax (VAT). The National Assembly(NA) approved increases in electricity and watertariffs beginning in 2017. New taxes, includingthe VAT, are unlikely before 2019. We estimatethat these reforms will reduce the deficit byaround 5-6% of GDP by 2020, excluding theimpact of higher oil prices.

The government reduced governmentspending by around 15% in FY15/16.Government spending is likely to have returnedto positive growth in FY16/17. Spending duringthe first eight months of FY16/17 was aboveexpectations at 98% of the pro-rated budget,indicating growth of 1.5%. The FY17/18 draftbudget, which awaits National Assemblyapproval, projects expenditure growth of 5.3%;we think it will be slightly lower at around 4%.

In March 2017, the government approvedincreases in electricity and water tariffs thatwere significantly lower than those mandatedin legislation passed in May 2016. The subsidycuts, to be introduced this year, will increasethe electricity rates to 3-5 fils per kilowatt-hour (kWh) for the various sectors from thecurrent 2 fils. Water tariffs will rise to KD 2 per1,000 imperial gallons from the current KD 0.8.We estimate that the revenue increase fromthe new utility prices will be around KD 0.2bil-lion or 0.6% of GDP.

LONDON: Indian tycoon Vijay Mallya yes-terday insisted he was innocent as heappeared at a court in London over anextradition request from India, where he isaccused of fraud. “I deny all allegations thathave been made and I will continue todeny them,” the flamboyant financier, whoco-owns Formula One team Force India,said outside the court. “I have not eludedany court. If it is my lawful duty to be here,I’m happy to be here,” he added. “I’ve givenenough evidence to prove my case.”

Ben Watson, Mallya’s representative, toldthe preliminary hearing that his client couldface a second extradition request, includinga “separate set of charges”. Mallya fled Indiain March 2016 owing more than $1 billionafter defaulting on loan payments to state-owned banks and allegedly misusing thefunds. India submitted an extraditionrequest to Britain in early February afterinvestigators demanded the 61-year-old bebrought home to face charges.

Mallya, known for his lavish lifestyle,made Kingfisher beer a global brand andran a now-defunct airline with the samename. He stepped down as the director ofthe Indian Premier League cricket teamRoyal Challengers Bangalore last year.Mallya caused a stir last week when heattended India’s cricket match against SouthAfrica in London, where Indian fans met himwith shouts of “chor, chor” (thief, thief).

His financial dealings are being investi-gated by the federal Central Bureau ofInvestigation and the EnforcementDirectorate, a financial crimes agency. Mallyawas once known as the “King of Good Times”but dropped off India’s most wealthy list in2014, engulfed by the massive debts of hisgrounded carrier Kingfisher Airlines. Mallya,who now lives in a sprawling $15 million (13million euro) mansion in England’s county ofHertfordshire, has denied absconding andhas criticized the media for what he hascalled a “witch hunt”. — AFP

Indian tycoon Mallya denies charges at London hearing

LONDON: Indian tycoon Vijay Mallya leaves court in central London yesterday. —AFP

NEW YORK: In this Saturday, May 20, 2017, photo, boxes of the Aldi food marketchain’s Millville Raisin Bran are on display in a purple box similar to the versionsmade by Kellogg and Post, at an Aldi store. —AP

JOHANNESBURG: Credit ratings agencyMoody’s yesterday said it had downgradeda slew of top South African banks, insurersand local authorities prompted by fears overthe country’s worsening financial position. Itslashed the creditworthiness of the fivelargest banks-FirstRand, Standard, Nedbank,Investec and Absa-to just one notch abovejunk status, all with a negative outlook.

“The primary driver for today’s ratingdowngrades is the challenging operatingenvironment in South Africa, characterizedby a pronounced economic slowdown,and weakening institutional strength,”Moody’s said in a statement. Insurers OldMutual, MMI Group, Guardrisk andStandard Insurance were all downgradedone notch to either Baa2 or Baa3 — thelowest investment-grade level. “Recentpolitical developments suggest a weaken-ing of the country’s institutional strengthwhich casts doubt over the strength andsustainability of the recovery in growth,”said the statement.

Moody’s was likely referring to PresidentJacob Zuma’s shock purge of critical minis-ters in March, including respected financeminister Pravin Gordhan. The move prompt-

ed Fitch and Standard and Poor’s, the othertwo main global ratings agencies, to down-grade South Africa’s sovereign debt to junkstatus. It also led to outrage amongst theopposition and part of Zuma’s own rulingAfrican National Congress (ANC), with tensof thousands taking to the streets todemand the president’s resignation.

Moody’s currently has South African gov-ernment debt rated at Baa3 — one notchabove junk status-with a negative outlook.On Tuesday Moody’s also announced that ithad downgraded the creditworthiness of 10South African regional governments andlocal authorities by one notch-including thecities of Pretoria, Johannesburg and CapeTown. “While (the cities) have comparativelyrich economic bases, sound financials andgood governance practices, Moody’sexpects that reduced growth prospects inthe medium-term will put pressure on theiroverall financial performances,” it said.

Moody’s announcements will pile pres-sure on Finance Minister Malusi Gigaba whois facing criticism after the economy enteredrecession-its first since 2009 — with anunexpected 0.7 percent contraction in thefirst quarter. — AFP

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 14, 2017

B U S I N E S S

BUDAPEST: Hungary ’s parliamentapproved yesterday a crackdown on for-eign-backed civil society groups despitean international outcry, in a move seenas targeting US billionaire George Soros.A new law, passed by 130 votes to 44,will force groups receiving more than24,000 euros ($26,000) annually in over-seas funding to register as a “foreign-sup-ported organization”, or risk closure fornon-compliance.

They will also have to use the label “for-eign-supported organization” on theirwebsites, press releases and other publi-cations. The government of populist pre-mier Viktor Orban says the measures areaimed at improving transparency as wellas fighting money laundering and terror-ism funding. But the EuropeanCommission and the United Nations havecondemned the law, with experts sayingit could “discriminate against and delegit-

imize” non-governmental organizations(NGOs). Two prominent NGOs said theywould boycott the law and take the mat-ter to the constitutional court and theEuropean Court of Human Rights inStrasbourg. “One of the fundamental pil-lars of a strong democracy is a strongindependent civil society,” said MartaPardavi of the Hungarian HelsinkiCommittee (HHC), a local refugee rightsgroup. The Hungarian Civil LibertiesUnion also said it would “not comply withthe requirements of an unlawful law”.

Amnesty International meanwhilecalled the measures “a vicious and calcu-lated assault” on civil groups critical ofOrban’s hardline policies. The organiza-tion said the move resembled legislationintroduced in Russia in 2012 requiringforeign NGOs to register as “foreignagents”. The Hungarian law marks a hard-ening of frontlines in Orban’s battle with

foreign-funded NGOs, in particular thosereceiving support from Hungarian-bornemigre Soros.

Fake-civil groups Government-backed billboard and

media campaigns have targeted the phi-lanthropist, while a questionnaire sent tohouseholds nationwide urged support forthe registration of foreign-funded NGOs.In January, a senior official from Orban’sruling Fidesz party said the “Soros empire’sfake-civil groups” should be “swept out” ofHungary for attacking the government’santi-immigration line. Earlier this monththe EU’s rights watchdog VeniceCommission said the NGO bill was “exces-sive” despite pursuing “legitimate aims”,and urged the government to consultlocal civil society groups. It also accused“some state authorities” of staging a “viru-lent” campaign against NGOs. — AFP

Hungary passes tough anti-foreign NGO law

VIENNA: From his New York home, US financier-cum-philanthropist George Soros has manufac-tured Europe’s migration crisis, backed a coup inMacedonia and sponsored protests in Hungary.At least that’s what his detractors say, and thereare many.

From the Kremlin via Skopje to the power cor-ridors of Washington, the Hungarian-born Jewishemigre is the favourite bete noire of nationalistsaround the globe. Listed by Forbes magazine asthe world’s 29th richest man, Soros and his OpenSociety Foundations (OSF) stand accused of polit-ical meddling by seeking to push a liberal, multi-cultural agenda. Nations like Poland that oncebestowed the 86-year-old with their highest civil-ian honours are now calling him an enemy of thestate who wants to destroy their sovereignty.

The attacks have been particularly virulent inhis birth country Hungary, which on Tuesday isset to pass a controversial anti-NGO bill seen asdirectly targeting the OSF. “To go on what youread and hear these days, Soros seems to be

responsible for every political upheaval,” saidGerman political analyst Ulf Brunnbauer. “Hemakes an excellent scapegoat for increasinglyauthoritarian regimes as someone who’s invest-ed a lot of money into philanthropy and repre-sents capitalism.”

Another Hungarian law hastily approved inApril threatens to shut down the Soros-foundedCentral European University (CEU) in Budapest.Across Hungary, government-backed billboardshave popped up showing the magnate as a pup-peteer pulling the strings of an opposition politi-cian, a motif associated with anti-Semitic con-spiracy theories.

“His (religious) background is irrelevant to thecentral issue, which is that an increasing numberof governments... see Soros’s networks as a threatto democracy,” Zoltan Kovacs, the spokesman ofpopulist premier Viktor Orban, wrote in a recentblog post entitled “Myths and facts aboutHungary and George Soros”. Orban-a one-timerecipient of a Soros scholarship-has accused his

former benefactor of using “predator” NGOs toflood Europe with Muslim refugees and create a“transnational empire”.

‘Gift to my enemies’ Born in Budapest in 1930, Soros survived both

the Nazi and Soviet occupation before eventuallymoving to the US where he made his fortunefrom hedge funds. His dealings were not withoutcontroversy. In 1992, the Wall Street traderbecame known as “the man who broke the bankof England” when his aggressive speculationagainst the sterling sent it crashing out of theEuropean exchange mechanism. He also has a2002 conviction of insider trading in France, a ver-dict he described as a “gift to my enemies”.Marked by his experience of totalitarian regimes-”I have seen the damage done when societiessuccumb to the fear of the ‘other’,” he wrote in theNew York Times in March-Soros created his foun-dation in 1984 to help countries move from com-munism toward democracy. — AFP

Lauded to loathed: Who’s

afraid of George Soros?The world has a new puppetmaster

Moody’s downgrades top

S African banks, insurers

PARIS: French Prime Minister EdouardPhilippe said yesterday there is a verystrong possibility that France will miss itsdeficit target for this year because of theprevious government’s lax spending.France has been aiming to bring thedeficit down to 2.8 percent of grossdomestic product (GDP) this year, belowthe 3.0 percent threshold required byeurozone rules. But Philippe told francein-fo radio there was “an extremely high risk”that the government would fail to do so.

“Before becoming prime minister, I hadmy doubts. Now that I am prime minister, Ihave even greater doubts,” he said.Philippe blamed budget-busting spendingby the previous government underFrancois Hollande in the run-up to thisyear’s presidential election which sweptEmmanuel Macron into the presidency. Hesaid it “can quite easily happen” in themonths before an election that a govern-ment “lets a certain amount of tough deci-

sions slide, and then it is up to others tomanage this”.

Philippe said France’s government audi-tors, the Cour des Comptes, is to submit areport in July which will determine“whether we are on a path to 2.8 percentor whether we are higher”. In the event ofan overshoot, Philippe said there “wouldbe a whole series of measures” to get thedeficit back on track, but he added thatthere were no plans for a formal correctivemini-budget later in the year.

The EU Commission already warnedParis last month over its deficit, saying itbelieved France’s 2017 shortfall wouldcome in at above 3.0 percent of GDP.Yesterday, EU Economics CommissionerPierre Moscovici called on Macron toensure the deficit comes back into line asof this year. “France must restore its credi-bility as far as reforms are concerned,”Moscovici told the German media groupFunke in an interview. — AFP

France will likely miss

2017 deficit target: PM

SKOPJE: This file photo taken on March 20, 2017 in Skopje shows People holding banners against US financier-cum-philan-thropist George Soros during a demonstration against a deal between Social Democrats and the Albanian Democratic Union forIntegration, for a law making Albanian the second official language. — AFP

LE HAVRE: French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe casts his electronic vote at apolling station during the first round of legislative elections on June 11. — AFP

BUDAPEST: Austrian President Alexander van der Bellen (L) and his Hungariancounterpart Janos Ader (R) listen to their national anthems in front of the presi-dential palace of Buda Castle yesterday prior to their official meeting. — AFP

WASHINGTON: China is a step closer toallowing imports of US beef for the firsttime in almost 14 years. The United Statesand China have agreed on final details of adeal to allow the imports, the AgricultureDepartment said Monday. The agreementis one part of a bilateral agreementreached following President DonaldTrump’s meeting with Chinese PresidentXi Jinping in April. China imposed a banon American beef in 2003 after a case ofmad-cow disease, a ban that remained inplace despite extensive efforts by theBush and Obama administrations to get itremoved. Before the ban, the UnitedStates was China’s largest supplier ofimported beef.

In exchange for China opening itsborders to US beef, the US would allowthe sale of cooked Chinese poultry.USDA said that China is requiring that

any beef imported from the US musthave been born, raised and slaughteredin the United States or imported fromCanada or Mexico and raised andslaughtered here. I t could also beimported from Canada or Mexico andslaughtered in the US.

The beef also has to be derived fromcattle less than 30 months old and trace-able to the US birth farm or first place ofresidence or port of entry. All of the pre-cautions lessen the risk of bovine spongi-form encephalopathy, or mad cow dis-ease. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue,Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, TreasurySecretary Steven Mnuchin and US TradeRepresentative Robert Lighthizer allpraised the deal in a statement. “I have nodoubt that as soon as the Chinese peopleget a taste of American beef, they’ll wantmore of it,” Perdue said. —AP

China moves step closer to

resuming US beef imports

CONAKRY: Footage of Guinea’s PresidentAlpha Conde, 79, berating and mockingstudents has morphed into a nationaldebate about his conduct, forcing the gov-ernment to repeat a promise to provideuniversity-goers with tablet computers.Tensions began at a student forum held onJune 1, when Conde ranted at a booingsection of young attendees, accusing themof throwing a tantrum for jumping up anddown while chanting “Tablets! Tablets!”

Conde made a “one student, one tablet”campaign promise during a 2015 presiden-tial election that has yet to materialize,with youth groups saying it embodiesanother failure by his administration toaddress holes in education financing. Butwhat has really incensed Guineans is awidely shared video showing Conde’s reac-tion to the students’ cries, with both sidesaccusing the other of disrespect in a socie-ty where deference to elders is expected.

“I would like to offer my excuses for therude behaviour of these people, who arenot representative of Guinea’s youth,”Conde says to attending international dig-nitaries, before turning his wrath on thestudents. “I was a student before you, wemade Africa proud of us. You are like babygoats. ‘Tablets’, tablets’,” he mocks. “Likebaby goats!”

The expression he uses-”sauter commeun cabri” (jump like a baby goat) is a nod toFrench president Charles De Gaulle, whoused it to mean someone making a bigfuss for nothing. Conde goes to say thetablets are “not a right”, even for students

in the United States and France, calling hisaudience “unworthy” of the devices, beforethreatening to cancel the policy entirely.

“You can jump up and down and shoutuntil tomorrow, it doesn’t bother me,”Conde declares, jabbing with his finger, hisvoice raised in anger. Tensions were sohigh at the People’s Palace in Conakry thatthe vice-rector of Lansana ConteUniversity, an establishment close to thecapital, had a heart attack on the spot anddied. A rector from another university washospitalized following the incident.

‘Family argument’ Although tensions have calmed and

the government has attempted to makeamends, students are not letting go easily.“Nobody is asking him anything becausenow we have understood. He has not kepta promise since he took power,” saidMamadou Soumare, a medical student. OnFacebook, commenters such as GuirambaKoikoi Kalivogui told Conde “a promise is adebt,” urging him to “have the courage topay for the tablets.” Others noted a lack ofrespect on the students’ side, whilenonetheless calling on Conde to do as hehad promised. The presidency announcedlast week that Conde had gathered hishigher education minister and advisors fora comprehensive meeting on the distribu-tion of tablets to universities. AdvisorTibou Kamara described a “family argu-ment” that had got out of hand, describingConde as a “father” who had failed to handover a “present”. — AFP

Tablet revolt: Guinea prez’s

rant ignites student debate

B U S I N E S SWEDNESDAY, JUNE 14, 2017

HONG KONG: The pound wallowed near two-month lows yesterday, unable to sustain astrong recovery from last week’s shock elec-tion that saw Britain’s ruling Conservativeslose their majority, throwing the country intouncertainty, days before key Brexit talks. WhilePrime Minister Theresa May looked to counteranger within her party by apologising andtelling MPs “I got us into this mess, and I’mgoing to get us out”, there are doubts abouther future in Downing Street.

May had called the vote in a bid tostrengthen her majority, and her bargainingpower, before going into the EU exit talks set

for June 19. Now she must rely on the supportof Northern Ireland’s Democratic UnionistParty. Greg McKenna, chief market strategistat AxiTrader, said: “The political uncertainty isunhelpful given Brexit talks are about to beginin the next week.”

He added that “sterling came underrenewed pressure as a result” of the newlyformed government’s refusal to soften itsapproach to the discussions. “Why the gov-ernment wouldn’t use the election for a reset Ijust don’t know.” In Asian trade the poundbought $1.2690, up from New York trade butwell off levels around $1.29 seen before the

election. The currency’s “near-term directionwill continue to be driven by the post-electionfallout, but the prospects look increasinglygloomy as the possibility of another Tory lead-ership vacuum enters the picture at preciselythe wrong time for the UK,” said StephenInnes, senior trader at OANDA.

Fed, Sessions in view On equity markets, technology firms failed

to bounce back from the previous day’s sell-off that was sparked by a rout in the sectoron Wall Street Friday while Samsung was flatin Seoul. The losses came after the Nasdaq

suffered another slump as Apple andAmazon took a beating, with analystswondering whether the selling is downto profit-taking or the start of a broadretreat after all US indices hit recordslast week.

Broader markets fared slightly betterafter Monday’s steep losses. Tokyo fin-ished marginally lower but Shanghaiclosed up 0.4 percent and Hong Konggained 0.3 percent in the afternoon.Sydney gained 1.7 percent and Seouljumped 0.7 percent, while Wellingtonand Taipei were also up. Traders are nowawaiting the end of the Federal Reserve’slatest policy meeting. While anotherinterest rate hike is widely expected, thebank’s post-meeting statement will bescanned for some forward guidance andclues about future movements.

Also, US Attorney General JeffSessions is due to testify yesterday tothe Senate Intelligence Committee as itprobes Russian meddling in last year’selection and Moscow’s links to under-fire President Donald Trump. Attentionhas focused on Sessions as reports swirlthat he may have had more meetingswith Russian officials during the cam-paign last year than the two he hasinformed authorit ies of. In earlyEuropean trade London, Frankfurt andParis each rose 0.3 percent.

Wall Street tech sell-offElsewhere, Japan’s benchmark Nikkei

index slipped yesterday in response toWall Street’s technology sell-off, withmarket heavyweight SoftBank falling fora second day. US technology giants

including Apple and Netflix Monday suf-fered another bruising session in NewYork which analysts attributed to profit-taking. “The upward trend in earnings forUS technology companies isn’t likely tochange, but with those stocks in for aspeedy correction, it’s hard to buy theirJapanese peers,” said Shoichi Arisawa, anequity analyst with Iwai CosmoSecurities. “But the downside will remainsupported as well, with stocks of compa-nies with a domestic business focus thathave solid earnings like retailers andbuilders continually on the rise,” he toldBloomberg News.

Investors were also cautious ahead ofthe start of a US Federal Reserve meetinglater yesterday. The Nikkei 225 indexedged down 0.05 percent, or 9.83 points,to close at 19,898.75. But the broaderTopix index of all first-section issues rose0.12 percent, or 1.96 points, to 1,593.51.SoftBank lost 1.62 percent to 9,078 yenfollowing a report it has reached anagreement to merge its Indian e-com-merce unit Snapdeal with rival Flipkart,with Softbank to own 20 percent of themerged firm.

Japan Display, which supplies screensfor Apple’s iPhone, dropped 2.39 percentto 204 yen while electronics giantKyocera slipped 0.78 percent to 6,344yen. Automakers lost ground, with Nissanfalling 0.18 percent to 1,075 yen whileToyota ticked down 0.10 percent to 5,874yen. Banking giant Mitsubishi UFJ was up0.09 percent at 734 yen. The dollarfetched 110.03 yen, against 109.91 inNew York and 110.28 yen in Tokyo earlierMonday. — Agencies

Pound tumbles as election sows uncertainty

b u s i n e s sWEDNESDAY, JUNE 14, 2017

BANGKOK: Thailand’s junta chief said yesterday hewould invoke his ‘absolute powers’ to clear hurdlesholding up a multi-billion-dollar deal with China tobuild a high-speed railway. The two countries, whoare increasingly close friends, have agreed to laythe track that will ultimately cut through the Laos’border to Thailand’s south. Beijing’s big plan is tolink the southern Chinese city of Kunming by railwith Singapore and work has already begun on theline in Laos.

But the deal with Thailand has been beset bydelays, including a tussle over the initial loan termsfrom Beijing. More recently construction has been

set back by a Thai law limiting the number of for-eign nationals who can work as engineers andarchitects on mega-projects inside the kingdom.Yesterday Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha saidhe would force through the deal, if necessary usingArticle 44 a self-granted law dubbed an absolutepower by critics.

“The government must solve the problem oth-erwise it will hit snags or legal issues and it willlook like the government can’t achieve anything,”he told reporters. Article 44 is a controversial pow-er Prayut granted himself to make any executivedecision in the name of national security. He has

used the law on a raft of issues, from sacking offi-cials to raiding a controversial temple, to deputiz-ing all soldiers with policing powers. His govern-ment defends it as a needed tool that bypassesThailand’s sclerotic bureaucracy. But critics say it isa vivid illustration of the junta’s unaccountablepowers. Prayut’s comments will be a comfort toBeijing. The rail deal with China is one of thebiggest foreign investment projects in Thailand inyears and is part of China’s huge regional infra-structure drive.

The first stage of the Thai railway, a high-speedline between Bangkok and the north eastern

province of Nakhon Ratchasima, is alone worth179 billion baht .The vast majority of technicalexpertise will come from Chinese engineers, some-thing that may disgruntle Thai construction firmsthat stand to lose out. Under junta rule Bangkokhas become more comfortable with Beijing,splurging billions on Chinese arms and welcominginvestment from the regional superpower.Washington’s relationship with Bangkok cooledunder the previous administration of BarackObama over the junta’s rights abuses. But DonaldTrump has signaled relations may be rebooted byinviting Prayut to visit the White House. —AFP

Thai junta vows to force through China railway

WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump, accompanied by, from left, Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson DefenseSecretary Jim Mattis, smile during a Cabinet meeting, Monday, June 12, 2017, in the Cabinet Room of the White House. — AP

WASHINGTON: The attorneys general ofMaryland and the District of Columbia hope a lit-tle-known clause in the Constitution will forcePresident Donald Trump to separate himself fromhis businesses and release his tax returns and oth-er financial information, contending in a lawsuithe is corruptible to foreign governments whomake payments to his businesses from aroundthe world. The emoluments clause bars the presi-dent and other government employees fromaccepting foreign gifts and payments withoutcongressional approval.

A lawsuit filed in federal court in Maryland onMonday alleges he is violating the Constitution byaccepting payments from foreign governments.“We’re concerned that foreign governments arecoming to the Trump businesses with a single pur-pose of currying special favor from the presidentof the United States so that their interest can get ahigher priority than the interest of the Americanpeople,” District of Columbia Attorney General KarlRacine said at a news conference announcing thelawsuit. “If that’s not a harm to every American citi-zen and every resident in the District of Columbiaand Maryland, I don’t know what is.”

Unique status Trump’s unique status as both president and

the financial beneficiary of his global businessempire raised questions about the emolumentsclause of the Constitution even before he tookoffice. Trump and his attorneys argue the clausedoes not cover fair-value transactions, such ashotel room payments and real estate sales. Theattorneys general aren’t the first to sue Trumpover emoluments. Just days after Trump’s inaugu-ration in January, the government watchdog

Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics inWashington filed a federal lawsuit in the SouthernDistrict of New York. Since then, a restaurantgroup and two individuals in the hotel industryhave joined as plaintiffs.

The Justice Department said Friday that thoseplaintiffs did not suffer in any way and had nostanding to sue, and that it was unconstitutionalto sue the president in his official capacity. WhiteHouse press secretary Sean Spicer noted thatresponse at a White House briefing Monday. “Thislawsuit today is just another iteration of the casethat was filed by that group CREW, filed actuallyby the same lawyers,” Spicer said. “So it’s not hardto conclude that partisan politics may be one ofthe motivations behind the suit.” But the twoDemocratic attorneys general say their lawsuit isunique, because they are suing as sovereign enti-ties on behalf of residents of Maryland andWashington, DC They say the Trump Hotel in thenation’s capital affects business in theWashington area.

Maryland Attorney General Brian Frosh alsounderscored that the framers of Constitutionincluded the clause for good reason. “If the JusticeDepartment is right, the emoluments clause hasno meaning whatsoever,” Frosh said. “The presi-dent can stand over here with his president of theUnited States hat and he’s not allowed to takepayments, but he takes a step over here and putson his businessman hat they can funnel as muchmoney to him as they want. You got no emolu-ments clause there, and it’s absolutely clear thatthe framers of the Constitution intended that toprotect us from presidential corruption.” The twoattorneys general also hope the case will build arecord against Trump through the discovery

process in the court case. Frosh said the presidenthas discussed some of his business dealings onthe campaign trail, noting Trump’s mention that astate-owned Chinese bank has office space inTrump Tower in New York.

Emoluments clause“He bragged about that on the campaign trail,”

Frosh said. “I don’t think he’s giving it them forfree, and there are many sources that have givenus information about the payments that he hasreceived. We’ll have a lot more after we get dis-covery.” Racine noted that the emoluments clausehasn’t been tested by the Supreme Court or fed-eral circuit courts. “And we think that our case willalso further develop the record and the law forthe court, which obviously will ultimately be thefinal arbiter, a necessary cog in the check-and-bal-ance wheel,” Racine said.

The lawsuit also focuses on the fact thatTrump chose to retain ownership of his companywhen he became president. Trump said he wasshifting assets into a trust managed by his sonsto eliminate potential conflicts of interest. If afederal judge allows the case to proceed, Racineand Frosh say they will demand copies of Trump’spersonal tax returns in court to gauge the extentof his foreign business dealings. “Mr Trump isunique in American history in violating the emol-uments clause,” Frosh said. “There is no otherpresident whose domestic and foreign invest-ments, the entanglements, have been so boundup with our policy and our interests, and he is theonly president who has refused to disclose theextent of his holdings and interests, so, yes, it willbe a subject of our lawsuit. We will be seekingthat information.”— AP

Attorneys Gen hopes to force Trump financial disclosures

Purpose of currying special favor

TOKYO: A Japanese court yesterday gave thegreen light to switch on two more nuclear reac-tors despite heavy public opposition, in the lat-est victory for the government’s pro-atomicpush. Local residents lost their bid for an injunc-tion to block the re-firing of the No 3 and No 4reactors at the Genkai nuclear plant in south-western Japan on safety grounds, according to adistrict court official. The site, operated byKyushu Electric Power, lies some 100 kilometersnorth of Kumamoto prefecture which was hit bya deadly earthquake last year.

Residents unsuccessfully argued that the util-ity had not taken enough measures to preventan accident linked to a natural disaster. Therestarts are not likely to happen for at least sev-eral months. The court ruling comes a week afteranother utility switched on a reactor at theTakahama plant in Fukui prefecture, some 350kilometers west of Tokyo, bringing the numberof running reactors in Japan to five. Dozensmore in the country still remain offline. Japanshut down all of its atomic reactors after a pow-erful earthquake in March 2011 spawned a hugetsunami that led to meltdowns at the Fukushimanuclear plant.

It was the world’s worst nuclear accident sinceChernobyl in 1986. Since then, just a handful ofreactors have come back online due to publicopposition and as legal cases work their waythrough the courts. However, Prime MinisterShinzo Abe has aggressively promoted nuclearenergy, calling it essential to powering the world’sthird-largest economy. Much of the public remains

wary of nuclear power after the disaster atFukushima spewed radiation over a large area andforced tens of thousands to leave their homes,with some unlikely to ever return. Last week,

Japan’s nuclear energy agency said five employ-ees were exposed to dangerously high levels ofradiation after a bag containing plutonium brokeapart during a routine inspection. —AFP

Japan court clears way for nuclear reactor restarts

NEW YORK: General Electric’s Jeff Immelt isstepping down after 16 years as CEO of theiconic conglomerate, having succeeded inrepositioning the company as a producerof large industrial products but failing tofully revive its lagging stock price. JohnFlannery, president and CEO of the GE’shealth care unit, will take over as CEO inAugust, the company said Monday.

Immelt took the helm in 2001 from leg-endary CEO Jack Welch. After the financialcrisis, he sharply pared down the financialservices business that Welsh had built upand went on a spending spree to acquirebusinesses in the power and oil and gassectors. During his tenure Immelt also dis-posed of GE’s appliance unit and the NBCtelevision business. The 61-year-old Immeltwill stay on as chairman until his retirementfrom the position at the end of the year,with the 55-year-old Flannery steppinginto the role after that.

GE traces its roots to 1878, when inven-tor Thomas Edison formed the EdisonElectric Light Co. in New York City after hav-ing opened his famous laboratory in MenloPark, New Jersey. The next year, Edisoninvented the first successful incandescentelectric lamp. Recent reports say GE is con-sidering selling the lighting business,which could fetch about $500 million.While GE credits Immelt with improving itsfinancial performance and its focus, GE’sstock price has trailed the market with himas CEO. The stock was worth a bit less than$40 on Immelt’s first day in 2001, with theUS in the middle of a recession. The stockbriefly rose above $40 in 2007, just aheadof the economic crisis. It sank as low as$6.66 in March 2009 in the depth of the cri-sis, and closed at $27.94 a share Friday.

Large exposure Analyst Robert McCarthy at Stifel

Nicolaus wrote in a note to clients that the

timing of the change in leadership was“unsurprising since the serial underperfor-mance of the stock.” GE said the moveswere part of its succession plan. Aninvestor who bought $1,000 in GE stockwhen Immelt took over would have $1,243today, including dividends. The sameamount invested in the S&P 500 indexwould be worth $3,206 today. GE’s stockrose 4.1 percent to $29.10 in afternoontrading Monday. Immelt spent the secondhalf of his time as CEO returning the com-pany to its less-risky industrial roots. In2007, GE’s finance arm accounted for about55 percent of its profits, but its large expo-sure to commercial real estate left it vulner-able during the financial crisis.

Immelt instead focused on productslike energy-generating windmills, gas tur-bines power plants, online medical recordsand energy saving equipment for electricalgrids as a source of new profits. GE madebig acquisitions under Immelt to bring newbusiness and technologies to GE. The com-pany acquired the power business ofFrance’s Alstom three years ago. GE onMonday received US antitrust approval tocombine its oil and gas operations withBaker Hughes, potentially creating an oilservices powerhouse with more than $32billion in revenue. The approval is condi-tioned on GE selling its Water and ProcessTechnologies business.

GE also remains one of the world’sbiggest producers of jet engines. Flanneryis a longtime General Electric executive,starting his career at GE Capital in 1987. Hebecame president and CEO of the compa-ny’s equity unit in 2002 and eventuallyjoined the health care division in 2014,focusing on advanced technologies. Inaddition, Chief Financial Officer JeffBornstein was named vice chair and KieranMurphy was named president and CEO ofGE Healthcare to succeed Flannery. —AP

Immelt alters GE’s businessmodel, not its stock price

SAGA: Residents seeking to suspend the operation of No 3 and No 4 reactors of Kyushu ElectricPower’s Genkai nuclear plant hold a banner while heading to the Saga District Court. — AFP

HAVANA: Cuba’s best friends in the USused to be a smattering of Washington pol-icy wonks and leftists who sent donatedschool buses and computers to the com-munist-led island. Five months into theTrump administration, Cuba has a new setof American defenders: a coalition of high-tech firms, farming interests, travel compa-nies and young Cuban-Americans throwninto action by the looming announcementof a new Cuba policy.

On the opposite side, hard-line mem-bers of Miami’s Cuban exile communitywho suddenly have a direct line into theWhite House through Cuban-AmericanRepublican members of Congress and theadministration. President Donald Trumpplanned to announce the new policy onFriday in Miami but had not yet decided allthe details, according to a White House offi-cial who spoke on condition of anonymityin order to discuss internal deliberations.The US Embassy in Havana will remainopen, but Americans can expect actions bythe departments of State, Treasury andHomeland Security to ban US trade withany Cuban entity linked to the military.

Also planned: A reduction in the num-ber of categories for which Americans donot need US government licenses to go toCuba. The US will demand greater internetaccess and the release of prisoners andreturn of American fugitives in Cuba.President Barack Obama’s repeal of thespecial Cuban immigration privilegesknown as wet-foot/dry-foot will notchange, the official said.”If this were a tradi-tional policy environment, we’d be havinggreat success,” said Collin Laverty, head ofone of the biggest Cuba travel companiesand a consultant for US corporations seek-ing business in Cuba.

Political deal“We’re certainly winning the debate for

public opinion and in foreign policy circles,but unfortunately it appears that it’ll come

down to a backroom political deal betweenthe president and Cuban-American mem-bers of Congress.”The most prominent fig-ures still seeking a reversal in the openingare Sen. Marco Rubio and Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart, both Cuban-Americans. The Trumpgovernment wants to maintain good rela-tions with both Rubio, who sits on theSenate committee investigating Trump’srelations with Russia, and Diaz-Balart, amember of the powerful HouseAppropriations Committee.

Laverty is one of the most prominentfigures in the new pro-Cuba lobby, whichhas been furiously tweeting and writingletters to the White House in a last-minuterush to sell the Trump administration onthe benefits of the friendly relations estab-lished by President Barack Obama on Dec17, 2014. A particular focus is savingObama’s easing of US travel to Cuba, whichtripled the number of American travelers tothe island and pumped tens of millions ofdollars into the island’s private hospitalitysector.”Thousands of Americans are visitingCuba and fueling the fastest growth in itsprivate sector since 1959,” CubaOne, agroup of young pro-engagement Cuban-Americans, wrote in an open letter toTrump Monday.

After months of public silence, Airbnblast week released a report on its activitiesin Cuba, which have put $40 million intothe hands of private bed-and-breakfastowners since the online lodging giantbecame the first major US company intoCuba in the wake of Obama’s declaration ofdetente. Google, which installed servers onthe island to speed Cuban internet servicelast year, spoke out for the first timeMonday in favor of maintainingrelations.”Google has played a formativerole in the first chapter of Cuba’s connectiv-ity story, but this is just the beginning,”Brett Perlmutter, head of strategy andoperations for Google Cuba, said at a con-ference in Miami on Monday. — AP

Cuba hardliners, US defenders battle over new Trump policy

b u s i n e s sWEDNESDAY, JUNE 14, 2017

KUWAIT: NBK recognizes and responds to the lifestyleneeds of all its customers. Now during the month ofRamadan, customers traveling to Saudi Arabia can get a

free prepaid card in Saudi Riyals.“NBK meets customers wherethey need banking - eitherlocally, regionally or interna-tionally,” explained MohammedAl Othman, Deputy GeneralManager- Consumer BankingGroup, National Bank of Kuwait.“When you travel for Hajj orUmrah, we want to help makethe trip as smooth as possible,providing a Saudi Riyal PrepaidCard helps our customers meetall their needs while also con-trolling their spending.”

NBK Saudi Riyals PrepaidCard protects customers againstfuture conversion rate fluctua-

tions, offering the same safety and security as all NBKcards. Customers will also receive valuable offers and pro-motions. You can apply for your NBK Saudi Riyals PrepaidCard through NBK Online Banking, NBK Call Center orthrough our branch network, and your card will be deliv-ered to your door step, free of charge. The issuance fee willbe waived during the holy month of Ramadan. NBKaccount holders will have flexible and convenient access to

use the Saudi Riyals Prepaid Card when shopping online, atPOS machines and at ATMs in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia towithdraw cash. Important features of the card include:

l Purchase protection l Fraud protection l SMS servicel NBK Secure Shoppingl Avoid currency fluctuationsl Convenience of spending in chosen currency, without

the hassle of currency conversions l Better budgetary controll More convenient and safer than cash

NBK offers Saudi Riyal Prepaid

Card free during Ramadan

Mohammed Al Othman

KUWAIT: JAZEERA Airways, the first private airline inKuwait and the Middle East, celebrated the annualRamadan children’s tradition by distributing beautifullydesigned Girgian boxes to children and families at JazeeraAirway’s Check-in counters and the baggage zone.

As part of a well-established Kuwaiti tradition, youngpassengers en-route to their different destinations sharedin the joy of candy and sweets’ giveaways aimed at spread-ing smiles all around during the most special time of theyear. Additionally, as part of the airline’s yearly observanceof the Holy month of Ramadan, key areas such as Gate Band the baggage zone have been decorated to delivermessages portraying a spirit of giving and kindness.

Commenting on this initiative, Mr. Rohit Ramachandran,Chief Executive Officer at Jazeera Airways said: “Girgean isa special occasion for us and we feel privileged to pass on athis rich heritage to our passengers and their children whowill carry on this wonderful Kuwaiti tradition in the future.Small acts of kindness and generosity are a powerfulreminder of the positive impact we can all have in society.On behalf of Jazeera Airways, we wish Kuwait and its peo-ple a blessed Ramadan.” As a catalyst for positive change inKuwait, Jazeera Airways’ annual Girgean celebrationscomes as part of its continued Corporate SocialResponsibility strategy that aims to engage with and con-tribute to all segments of the Kuwaiti society.

Jazeera Airways celebrates

Gergian with its passengers

KUWAIT: Burgan Bank announcedyesterday the free ‘Eideya’ deliveryservice provided to Premier Bankingcustomers in collaboration with‘Qiblah’ concierge services. This serviceenables Premier Banking customers to

receive new bank notes before the Eidholidays at their offices or homes,avoiding the hassle of waiting in thebranches at that time of the year.

To request this service, Premiercustomers can simply contact Qiblah

concierge services starting 9 am until4 pm, by calling 22317755 or emailingBurganpremier@qiblah.com.kw torequest the amount of Eid moneyrequired and state their address inorder for the concierge messenger todeliver it accordingly. The service isavailable from June 14th till June 21st2017. The Eideya delivery service ispart of the bank’s wide range of valu-able privileges and benefits that areespecially designated for its Premiercustomers.

Additionally, the bank’s collabora-tion with ‘Qiblah’ concierge servicesstems from its commitment to sup-port its customers’ every day require-ments with an unmatched personal-ized experience. Burgan Bank’sPremier customers can avail instantconcierge services from a selected listof more than 20 services such as travelbookings, airport transfers, visa assis-tance, party planning, valet parkersand others. The free concierge servic-es were introduced as part of thebank’s wide range of valuable privi-leges and benefits that are especiallydesignated for its Premier customers.

Burgan Bank offers free Eideya delivery

service to premier banking customers

WASHINGTON: The Trump adminis-tration has a backup plan to keep thegovernment from defaulting on itsfinancial obligations even if Congressmisses an August deadline to raisethe debt limit, Treasury SecretarySteven Mnuchin told a congressionalpanel Monday.

Mnuchin had previously set anAugust deadline for the federal govern-ment to avoid a catastrophic default.Mnuchin said he still prefers thatCongress increase the government’sauthority to borrow before lawmakersleave on a five-week break in August.However, he said he is “comfortable”that the Treasury Department can meetthe government’s financial obligationsthrough the start of September. Privateanalysts say Mnuchin probably haseven greater leeway.

Slowdown in revenues “If for whatever reason Congress

does not act before August we dohave back up plans that we can fundthe government,” Mnuchin said with-out elaborating. “So I want to make itclear that that is not the timeframethat would create a serious problem.”The federal government technically hitthe debt limit in March, but Treasuryhas been using accounting stepsknown as “extraordinary measures” toavoid a default.

Shortly before Mnuchin testified, aWashington think tank projected thatdespite the slowdown in revenues, thegovernment will have enough cash topay its bills until October or November.The Bipartisan Policy Center says thatrevenue results from this month’s quar-terly tax payments could clarify thedeadline, but for now it forecasts thatMnuchin has sufficient maneuveringroom to keep the government solventinto the fall. The policy center says a bigOct. 2 payment into the military retire-ment trust fund could trigger default.

As of Friday, the Treasury had a cashbalance of $148 billion, down from$204 billion a month ago. The nationaldebt is nearly $20 trillion, includingmoney owed to several federal pro-grams. Raising the debt limit hasbecome a politically-charged vote inCongress, even though economistsbelieve that an unprecedented defaultwould catastrophic for the economy.Republicans, who control Congress andthe White House, are struggling tocome up with a strategy to raise thedebt limit, with some GOP membersdemanding spending cuts in exchangefor their vote.

But since Republicans have manymembers who simply refuse to votefor a debt increase, GOP leaders suchas Speaker Paul Ryan of Wisconsinmay have no choice but to seek help

from Democrats, who are demandingthat any debt limit hike be “clean” ofGOP add-ons. Lawmakers are trying todeal with the debt limit while at thesame time a House panel is beginningwork on spending bills to fund thegovernment.

Also Monday, Republicans control-ling the House took the first steps toapprove President Donald Trump’s bigbudget increase for veterans’ healthcare and the Pentagon. A HouseAppropriations panel got the processunder way with voice vote approval ofan $89 billion spending bill for theDepartment of Veterans Affairs andPentagon construction projects. Thebill would give the VA a 5 percentbudget hike for the budget yearbeginning in October as the agencyworks to improve wait times and cor-rect other problems.

Reviving parochial projectsThe Defense Department, mean-

while, would receive a $2 billion, 10percent increase for military construc-tion projects at bases in both the USand abroad. The measure also funds$439 million worth of projects such asbarracks and target ranges not request-ed by the administration, which couldopen Republicans up to charges theyare reviving parochial projects knownas earmarks. —AP

Trump has plan if debt

limit not up by August

SEOUL: Hyundai Motor Co is playing catch-up in the fast-growing sport utility vehiclemarket with its first subcompact SUV tar-geting Europe and North America. TheSouth Korean automaker said Tuesday thatthe Kona will go on sale this month in SouthKorea before it launches in Europe andNorth America. Hyundai Motor has longfocused on the Sonata and other sedans,which helped build it a reputation in theWest as a maker of cars that are excellentvalue. But in recent years, most growth inglobal auto markets, especially in China, hascome from SUVs. Hyundai’s deterioratingprofitability and missing of its annual salestargets in recent years were attributed to itsfailure to respond to rising global demandfor SUVs.

Hyundai arrived late but now plans toincrease its bet on SUVs. With the launch ofthe Kona, Hyundai is seeking a slice of thesubcompact SUV market - the fastest-grow-

ing sector in the auto market. The sectorsnowballed by nearly 10 times from 2010 to2016, Hyundai said, citing data from IHSAutomotive. This year, the segment’s annualgrowth rate is expected to be 19 percent.

Hyundai Motor has only four SUV line-

ups, including Creta, a subcompact SUV tar-geting emerging markets. Tucson and SantaFe cater to buyers seeking medium andlarge SUVs. The company plans to expandits SUV models by 2020 by adding mini SUVand executive vehicles, among others.

Before the summer of next year, it willlaunch a fuel-cell SUV and electric Kona.

Sales of Kona would be crucial to helpcounter Hyundai’s eroding auto sales thisyear in the US and China, where a backlashagainst South Korea’s deployment of a USanti-missile system hurt Korean businesses.In the domestic market, Hyundai has a chal-lenge of having to restore its image follow-ing massive government-led recalls. Kona,equipped with a 1.6-liter gasoline or dieselengine, will compete with SsangyongMotor’s Tivoli, the leader in the subcompactSUV sector in South Korea. Showing theimportance of the Kona to the SouthKorean automaker, Chung Eui Sun,Hyundai’s vice chairman and son of itschairman, took the stage Tuesday at alaunching event north of Seoul. Namedafter a district in Hawaii, the Kona continuesHyundai’s tradition of naming a vehicleafter a particular region. —AP

Casino industry ramps

effort to repeal

sports betting ban

LAS VEGAS: The casino industry’s largest lobbyinggroup in the US is ramping up its efforts to repeal a25-year-old federal law that bans sports betting inmost states. The American Gaming Association onMonday announced the creation of a coalition involv-ing organizations of attorneys general and police, pol-icymakers and others to advocate for the repeal of theban that the industry says has fueled the $150 billionillegal sports betting market.

“The American Gaming Association believes a per-fect storm is aligning and now is the time to repeal afailing law,” Geoff Freeman, the association’s presidentand CEO, said during the announcement. He cited arecent survey commissioned by the organization thatfound there is strong bipartisan support nationwidefor legal sports betting, as well as Oxford Economicsresearch showing that legalizing sports betting in theUS could support more than 150,000 jobs.

The Professional and Amateur Sports ProtectionAct of 1992 bans sports betting in every state exceptDelaware, Montana, Nevada and Oregon. Legal sportsgambling is allowed in those states because they hadapproved some form of wagering before the federallaw went into effect. Congress gave New Jersey a one-time opportunity to become the fifth state before theban was enacted, but the state failed to pass a sportsbetting law in the required time window. The state hasasked the US Supreme Court to hear arguments infavor of legalizing sports betting and expects a deci-sion by the end of the month.

The survey commissioned by the association foundthat 57 percent of independents, 58 of Republicansand 52 of Democrats support ending the ban.

Freeman said the group has hosted sessions withmembers of Congress to show the technology fromEuropean companies specialized in data integrity thatthat wasn’t available when the ban was enacted.

“They are tracking ... how much is being bet, who isbetting it, where the bet is taking place, what is thebetting history of these individuals, what games arethey betting on, who’s playing in those games, who’scoaching those games, who are the trainers in thosegames, who are the officials in those games,” Freemansaid. “All of that input goes into these algorithms thatthey built so that it is very easy for them to identifywhen there is an anomaly.”

The association has also met with the playersunions of the NFL, NBA, NHL and MLB. The executivedirectors of those unions have met multiple timesover the past several months to discuss the challengesthat legalized sports betting could create for players,including potentially being put under pressure for anyfixing of matches.

NFL Players Association spokesman George Atallahsaid the executive directors have discussed the issueof legalized sports betting multiple times, with theconversations centering on “protecting the integrity ofour respective sports.” —AP

Hyundai catching-up with subcompact SUV

t e c h n o l o g yWEDNESDAY, JUNE 14, 2017

LOS ANGELES: Ubisoft’s blockbuster “Assassin’sCreed” video game is heading for Egypt, takingthe serial’s storyline back to an ancient world andoverhauling play to reignite its top franchise. TheFrench video game star took last year off afterhitting the market with annual releases andboasting overall sales of more than 110 millioncopies of the game since it first launched in 2007.

A cooling in fan interest appeared to prompt astep back, and an investment by Ubisoft to revi-talize it was unveiled at a press event Mondayahead of the opening of the ElectronicEntertainment Expo (E3) in Los Angeles. Work on“Assassin’s Creed: Origins” began nearly fouryears ago, and included overhauling the combatsystem and building artificial intelligence into allof the non-player characters, according to gameproducer Julien Laferriere.

Every character has a “life” of its own, tendingto work, worship, family, meals and other dailyroutines that players can take into account whileon missions, an early glimpse at the gameshowed. Players are also free to explore a virtualversion of all of Egypt in 49 BC, during the rise ofCleopatra to the throne. “It is a part of world his-tory we have wanted to do for a long time,”Laferriere said. “We wanted to be as authentic as

we could.” Players get to climb pyramids, explorebeneath the Sphinx, and learn the origins of thebrotherhood of assassins, whose deadly fightwith the order of Templars is at the core of thefranchise that segues from one generation ofmaster assassin to another. “Fans will have a frontrow seat to the formation of the brotherhood,”Laferriere promised. Ubisoft hopes Origins willenergize long-time fans and win new players atthe start of the story in a game that has becomefodder for books and films. Versions of Originstailored for play on Xbox One, PlayStation 4 andWindows-powered personal computers will bereleased on October 27.

South Park and Mario “Assassin’s Creed” was among a diverse line-

up Ubisoft is showing off this week at E3. Ubisoftofferings spanned genres, from action shooterssuch as “Far Cry 5,” to sports, dance, piracy, aspace monkey, and virtual reality. A “FracturedBut Whole” based on an irreverent South Parkanimated television series opens with well-known children characters obsessed with beingsuper heroes sneaking into a strip club to solvethe mystery of a missing cat. Their weaponsinclude flatulence and firecrackers.

“The South Park universe doesn’t take itselftoo seriously, so you can be satirical,” game direc-tor Jason Schroeder told AFP while providing apeek at the game, which also releases onOctober 17. “You can take the notion of some-thing like a strip club and turn it on its head.”Nintendo legend Shigeru Miyamoto joinedUbisoft chief executive Yves Guillemot on stageat a press event to unveil an innovative alliancewith Nintendo to unite its zany “Rabbids” withbeloved “Mario” in a game. “I have been excitedto see what kind of humor the Rabbids couldbring to the Mario world,” Miyamoto saidthrough an interpreter.

Getting into heads The game maker continued its tradition of

embracing hardware innovations, showing offgames crafted for Nintendo’s hot-selling andtough to find Switch consoles as well as thebudding virtual reality gear market. “We havebeen experimenting with virtual reality for sev-eral year,” said Ubisoft partnerships vice presi-dent Chris Early. “Though it is not taking off asfast as any of us would like, it is providingsome great learning about what it means forhaving fun.” — AFP

‘Assassin’s Creed’ heading for Egypt to reignite gamers

DUBAI: Centrify, the leader in securing hybridenterprises through the power of identity services,today announced enhancements to the CentrifyIdentity Platform that deliver local administratorpassword management for Macs and comprehen-sive Mac application management and softwaredistribution via turnkey integration with the Munkiopen source solution. These new capabilitiesenable Mac administrators to solve critical chal-lenges by implementing best practices for control-ling privileged access on Macs while at the sametime simplifying management of Mac endpoints.

“Our latest security capabilities extend sharedaccount password management (SAPM) fromservers, network devices, Windows and Linux end-points to Mac, while at the same time simplifyingMac application management with Munki supportthat enables users to install applications withoutknowing the admin password,” said Bill Mann, chiefproduct officer at Centrify. “The Centrify IdentityPlatform secures Mac endpoints as well as Windowsand Linux with our market leading Identity-as-a-Service (IDaaS) and privileged identity manage-ment (PIM) solutions that help stop breaches acrossendpoints, infrastructure and apps.”

Control Shared PasswordsIt is common for organizations to maintain

administrative accounts on their users’ Macs anduse the same admin password across all Macs. Thisintroduces risk, because inevitably the password isshared with an end user who needs to install appli-cations on their Mac, or is known by admins wholeave the company. These users and ex-employeesnow have full administrative privilege across everyMac. This leaves an organization highly susceptibleto breaches that start on Mac endpoints, anddemands a solution that enables organizations tominimize and centrally control access to Macadministrative accounts, just like they do forWindows and Linux endpoints, servers and net-work devices.

The Centrify Identity Platform closes this gap insecurity with local administrator password manage-ment (LAPM) for Mac that enables administrators togenerate a unique administrator password for eachMac. With Centrify, organizations are eliminatingthe sharing of a single Mac admin password acrossan entire organization. The solution can be enabledfor all Macs enrolled in the cloud-based manage-ment service, ensuring support for remote

machines as well as thoseon the corporate network.Authorized admins cancheck out the admin pass-word, and the rotation ofthe admin password isautomated. Who accessedwhat and when is fullyaudited across Macadministrative access andall other endpoints andinfrastructure and avail-able through comprehen-sive reporting.

Eliminate Admin Access End users cannot install software without local

admin rights. However, local admin rights meanyour end users-or anyone who compromises theiraccounts-are privileged users on their Mac. Thisincreases your attack surface and makes end-points an effective target for malware and rogueapplications. By seamlessly combining theCentrify Identity Platform with the open sourceMunki solution - the leading Mac app and patch

management solution - your end users can installand manage applications without local adminrights.

Munki’s open-source toolset provides a richApple App Store like end user experience, wherethe specific apps an organization approves areavailable for seamless installation. Centrify simpli-fies the Munki setup, management, security andongoing support to make it easier for organiza-tions to deploy and operate their own enterpriseMac app store. Additionally, Centrify ’s cloud-based app repository extends Munki to remoteMac users regardless of their location or status onthe corporate network.

Controlling access to shared administrativepasswords for endpoints and eliminating theneed for local admin rights to install software onMacs are established PIM best practices. A recentForrester study found a direct correlationbetween the number of PIM best practices anorganization has implemented and the number ofsecurity incidents it encounters. The CentrifyIdentity Platform now makes it easy for organiza-tions to extend best practices to Mac in order tostop breaches that start on endpoints.

Centrify enables organizations to stop breaches that start on Mac endpoints

By Dermot O’Connell, Vice President,OEM and IOT solutions, Dell EMCEMEA

The accumulation of greenhousegases (GHGs) in our atmospherehas led to noticeable changes in

natural systems. Ocean acidification andincreasing ocean temperatures are dam-aging marine ecosystems. Each year, atleast eight million tons of plastics findtheir way into the ocean - which isequivalent to dumping the contents ofone binlorry into the ocean everyminute.Further still, the increased fre-quency and severity of extreme weatherevents are putting many more at greaterrisk, irrespective of location. We all knowthat to limit the likelihood of disruptiveand potentially catastrophic change toour climate and ecosystems, public andprivate institutions across the planet willneed to develop and implement mitiga-tion and adaptation strategies. Asatmospheric levels of greenhouse gasesrise, however, it’s become widely accept-ed that mitigating adverse impacts willbecome more challenging, complex andcostly. This bleak outlook needs to serveas a call to action for governments, busi-nesses and the general public alike to dotheir part to enact change.

Where to start? Let’s look with the retail sector. Did

you know that the retail sector, includ-ing supermarkets, is one of the largestusers of F-gas (fluorinated greenhousegas) refrigerants? That’s something thatwe can change and without a complexsolution. We’ve all heard the hype aboutthe Internet of Things and how cool it isthat your fridge can tell you when you’reout of milk. Now, what if the millions ofrefrigerated trains, trucks and storagecentres used in the cold chain processby supermarkets to transport and storefood could tell you when they neededto be on to keep food fresh? Surprise!They can.

IoT sensors can be used to monitorthe refrigeration units needed to trans-port and store food around the world tokeep it fresh. The sensors can track thetemperature in units, lowering the levelof energy or units needed in conjunctionwith how cold the food needs to be andhow much food is currently stored. Theycan also track how long food has beenout of refrigeration and how quickly itneeds to be put back in before it spoilsand creates unnecessary waste.

How does it work? Have a look at IMS Evolves’ cutting

edge Cold Chain Logistics process as anexample. The food retail industry admitsthat supply chain complexity has meantit is easier and safer to chill all food tothe lowest temperature required (bymeat) meaning an extensive annualover-chill. However, by integrating thedata from the existing machine sensorswith supply chain and merchandise sys-tems as well as the fridge control sys-tems, each machine can be automatical-ly set at the temperature to suit the spe-cific contents, removing instances ofover-chilling. The ‘always on’ nature ofthis approach ensures that eventhroughout the course of normal busi-ness when products are moved aroundthe store, the right temperature for theright product is sustained automatically.

The result is that IMS is able to signifi-cantly reduce excess energy consump-tion, minimise food waste and improvecustomer experience. In addition, withsmart cold chains, a higher quality prod-uct can be achieved, resulting in a bettercustomer experience. In manufacturingand processing environments, consis-tency of both ingredients quantities andenvironmental factors can be regulatedand the available data from each stageof the process united to ensure the high-est quality, most profitable end productevery time.

Take dairy products for example,many of us have come face to face withan unappetising watery yogurt, but feware aware this a familiar bi-product ofover-chilling squeezing the product,that can be eliminated bya smarter coldchain. The possibilities for IoT are end-less but it ’s important that to thinkbeyond the obvious smart cities appli-cations and think about how you canchange your business and your productfor the better - for the customer andeven for the world.

Connecting the cold chain process isonly one example of how businesses canmake a positive impact on their cus-tomers’ experience and on the environ-ment.It’s important to look at all optionsto reduce the effect that businesses canhave on the physical world - alternativeshipping methods can be deployed, sus-tainable packaging can be used, compo-nents can be recycled. While we can’t fixglobal warming with just a few sensors,as more organisations realise the capa-bilities of IoT, it’s at least one small stepfor man in the pursuit of change.

Connecting the cold economy totackle issues of warming world

Bill Mann

LOS ANGELES: Nintendo co-Representative Director and Creative Fellow Shigeru Miyamoto, left, and Ubisoft Co-founder and CEO Yves Guillemottalk about ‘Mario Rabbids Kingdom Battle’ on stage during the Ubisoft E3 conference at the Orpheum Theater in Los Angeles, California.

LOS ANGELES: Sony on Monday showedoff rich, action-packed new PlayStation 4video games, some for virtual reality, as itdefended its crown as the top-selling new-generation console. The company focusedon blockbuster games and intriguing newtitles for PS4 at a press event on the eve ofthe opening of the major ElectronicEntertainment Expo here. There was nomention of the Xbox One X consoleunveiled a day earlier by rival Microsoft in aheightened challenge to PS4.

“PlayStation is home to all the biggestand best game franchises in the world,”Sony Interactive Entertainment worldwidestudios chairman Shawn Layden said dur-

ing a rapid-fire presentation of video trail-ers. The line-up included the first“Uncharted” game to feature a heroine inplace of the “Nathan Drake” hero, a “God ofWar” sequel with a mighty father-sontheme, and a pulse-pounding title starring“Spiderman” of Marvel Comics fame. Theevent also unveiled a version of the hit fan-tasy role-playing game “Skyrim” tailored forplay on PlayStation virtual reality gear.

“It ’s all about gaming,” Layden said.“Every year, we continue to push the enve-lope of imagination, storytelling, and tech-nology.” PlayStation has had success inkeeping the focus on gamers and whatthey like. PS4 models include a “Pro” con-

sole for powering ultra-high definition 4Kgraphics, and the entire line of consolessyncs with PlayStation VR gear. Sony hassold more than 60.4 million PS4 consolessince they hit the market in November of2013, the company revealed on Monday.

More virtual reality A PlayStation ‘ecosystem’ that includes

online game communities, content andservices had more than 70 million monthlyactive users as of the end of March, accord-ing to Sony. “The PS4 platform is in itsprime, with the industry’s best lineup ofexclusive and partner titles slated torelease this year, taking full advantage ofthe power of the PS4 system,” SonyInteractive Entertainment global chiefexecutive Andrew House said.

PlayStation plans to expand services,software, and virtual reality offerings, hesaid. Microsoft unveiled its Xbox One X onSunday, billing it as the most powerfulvideo console ever made, and escalating abattle with market king PlayStation. The$499 product was built with the muscle forseamless play on ultra-high definition 4Ktelevisions and will be available worldwideon November 7, according to Xbox teamleader Phil Spencer. Meanwhile, PS 4 Pro ispriced at $399 and other models of theconsole can be bought for less.

Microsoft also showed off cominggames, an array tailored for exclusive playon Xbox One consoles, but it remained tobe seen if there is enough unique contentto get lots of people to buy the higher-priced hardware. Independent publisherstend to make blockbuster titles availablefor play on Xbox, PlayStation and personalcomputer hardware in an effort to sell cre-

ations to as broad an audience as possible. Game play on 4K screens, whether on

televisions or personal computer monitors,is expected to be among themes at E3 thisweek. Sony PlayStation 4 has dominatedthe latest generation of consoles, out-selling Xbox One two to one, according toindustry trackers. PlayStation has alsobecome the prime driver of revenue andprofit at the Japan-based entertainmentgiant Sony, executives say.

Nintendo’s recently launched Switchhas been a winner, with fans snapping upthe console and a “Legend of Zelda” gamethat has become a must-play title for fans.Demand for Switch consoles has been sointense since its launch early this year thatthe consoles are tough to find in storesand Nintendo has reportedly doubledproduction. Switch launched at the startof March and some 2.74 million were soldbythe end of that month, according toNintendo. —AFP

LOS ANGELES: Game enthusiasts and industry personnel attend the SonyPlaystation E3 showcase before the start of the conference at the Shrine Auditoriumin Los Angeles, California. — AFP photos

LOS ANGELES: Shawn Layden, Presidentof Sony Interactive EntertainmentAmerica, speaks on stage.

Sony fires at Xbox with arsenal of big PS4 games

H E A LT H & S C I E NC EWEDNESDAY, JUNE 14, 2017

LUAND: Angola’s ruling par ty hasbowed to public criticism of a proposedlaw banning all abortions and insteadaccepted a revised bill allowing termi-nations in cases of rape or maternalhealth risk. The about-turn follows arare rally in March when roughly 200demonstrators protested against the

proposed bill under heavy police sur-veillance in the capital Luanda. “Wehave decided to listen to the pressurefrom society,” the president of the rulingMPLA party ’s parliamentary caucus,Virgilio de Fontes Pereira, told reporterson Monday. The initial draft penal codebrought before parliament in February

would have punished anyone who hadan abortion or performed one with upto 10 years in jail with exceptions in cas-es of rape or risk to the mother’s health.But the draft code was strengthenedafter lobbying by church leaders led tothe removal of the limited exemptions,triggering a fierce public debate. Ninety

percent of Angolans are Christian. The harshest version of the law was

sharply criticized by President JoseEduardo dos Santos’ daughter Isabel,reported to be the richest woman inAfr ica. Isabel dos Santos used herInstagram social media account todenounce the “cr iminal izat ion of

women”. Angola , which has beenruled by Dos Santos since 1979, isupdating a penal code which datesback to 1886 the Portuguese colonialera. “When the life of the mother is atstake. when there is a rape, we canimagine lifting the law’s ban,” said DeFontes Pereira.—AFP

Angola backs down on total abortion ban

AFGHANISTAN : A view over the lake from a birdwatching tower at the Kol-e Hashmat Khan wetland in the outskirts of Kabul. A rare Afghanmarsh that was once a royal hunting ground is set to come under the official protection of the UN environment agency, with the aim of savinghundreds of migratory bird species. —AFP

KABUL: A rare Afghan marsh that was once aroyal hunting ground is set to come under theofficial protection of the UN environmentagency, with the aim of saving hundreds ofmigratory bird species. On the long, arid jour-ney to the Caucasus and Siberia, across theHindu Kush massif, the Kol-e-Hashmat Khanwetlands outside Kabul provide sanctuary forthe thousands of storks, egrets, pelicans andflamingos that head north every spring fromsouthern India.

But after 40 years of conflict and neglect, theirhabitat is being threatened by the growth in newhomes, irrigation systems, rubbish and globalwarming which is gradually changing the localenvironment. Now the UN has designated thewetlands a conservation site, the Afghan gov-ernment said on Sunday, as it also looks to helppreserve the water supply of the capital. “Thereare probably more than 300 or 400 species thatpass through, though without an accurate countit is hard to be sure,” says Andrew Scanlon, headof the United Nations Environment Program(UNEP) in Afghanistan. They are migratory birdsand “tourists” who stay for a very short period oftime to find food, he adds. At daybreak, the marshcomes alive with the morning chatter of the birdshungry for breakfast. Binoculars in hand, Scanlonstands atop a tower that dominates the landscape.In the distance is the silhouette of Bala Hissar, anancient fortress that defended the city for cen-turies. Opposite, mud houses and sturdierdwellings made from bricks seem to spring up atrandom, hurrily erected during wars for tides ofrefugees and displaced people.

It was once a favored place for royals to gohunting, though Scanlon stresses any activitywould have been carried out “in a sustainableway”. But with the invasion of the Soviet army in1979 and the succession of conflicts afterwards,including the civil war in the early 1990s,Afghans were preoccupied by their own survivaland the environment suffered. War saw themarshes more or less abandoned until 2005,Scanlon explains.

Everybody is guiltyScanlon says that land grabbing was com-

mon in the chaos of the 90s as Afghans foughtfor survival. The marshes became a sanctuary,providing safe haven and water. As Afghanistan’spopulation swelled with the return of refugeesafter the Taliban were toppled in 2001, he saysthe situation became a “tragedy of the com-mons”. The phrase refers to an economic theoryin which individuals act in their own self-interesttowards a shared resource but against the com-mon good.

“Everyone is taking a piece to survive but alltogether this is a tragedy, it’s no one’s fault buteverybody is guilty,” he says. Taking advantage ofthe chaos, factional and party leaders built hous-es on the water’s edge. According to the UN,about 50 hectares of wild land were taken over,which the Afghan environmental protectionagency, created in 2005, is now trying to recover.

“Some politicians are reluctant” to act, butattitudes are changing, said Muhibullah Fazli,the agency’s biodiversity expert. The mostimportant thing, he says, is to educate local resi-dents. “The problem is the people taking theircattle to graze or cutting the reed, local peoplealso pour their garbage in the river, they don’tknow the scientific value of this area,” he said.Together with Qargha reservoir, Kol-e-HashmatKhan, a marsh some eight meters deep at itscentre, is one of Kabul’s two water sources.

But experts are already worried about its

falling water levels. NGO Afghanistan YouthsGreens was ordered by UNEP to organize wastecollection and educate the villagers who willcontinue to live on the shores. “At the beginningpeople didn’t accept us but finally we managed

to convince them,” says the organization’s direc-tor Mohammad Shafaq. “I told them what theHoly Koran has said,” adds Fazli. “Birds are a com-munity just like yours... they need a habitat andthey need food.”—AFP

War-torn Kabul becomes

a protected site for birds

Eavesdropping on fish sex

PARIS: Scientists unveiled yesterday aunique new method for counting stocks ofthreatened fish eavesdropping on theirlove calls when the fish gather in massivemating throngs. Using underwater micro-phones and mathematical models,researchers from the US and Mexico wereable to estimate population numbers forthe Gulf corvina, a popular eating fish fromMexico’s Gulf of California.

About two million corvina gather everyspring for a frenzied breeding session in ashallow estuary of the Colorado River Delta,bringing the entire adult population to anarea less than one percent of its usualhome range. When the males start callingto attract mates, the sound is “deafening”,said researchers from the University ofTexas Marine Science Institute (UTMSI). Atabout 192 decibels, the sound could dam-age human eardrums on land. “It’s louderthan a rock concert,” study co-author BradErisman said in a statement issued by theUTMSI. “It’s louder than standing less than ameter from a chainsaw.”

Unfortunately for the corvinas, the callsannounce their presence to fishermen whogather for a seasonal frenzy of their own:netting more than a million fish in aboutthree weeks. But now the sound may beused to save the fish, which are listed as“vulnerable” on the International Union forConservation of Nature’s Red List of threat-ened species. Though population numbers

have been hard to determine, there is evi-dence that landed fish are getting smallerand smaller, a sign of overfishing, theresearchers said, which happens when fishof a species are caught faster than they canreproduce.

Herrings, sardines, sturgeonsAccurate population numbers are essen-

tial for setting sustainable fishing limits. But itis nearly impossible to get a headcount forfish, often flitting about in deep or murkywaters, and many estimates are based onunreliable fisheries data. The new techniqueinvolves a mathematical model for determin-ing stock density from the levels of soundthe fish generate while spawning. Using thismethod, the team calculated there were over1.5 million corvina at the height of theirannual “spawning aggregation”, a collectivemass of more than 2,000 tones.

Their technique is inexpensive and notintrusive, the researchers said, and can beadapted for other species that form similarspawning groups and produce matingsounds. These include herrings, sardines,cod and haddock, croakers, groupers, seabass, snappers, catfish and sturgeons. Itmay be particularly useful for determiningthe remaining stock of endangered totoa-ba, a large fish also from the Gulf ofCalifornia, whose swim bladder is believedin China to hold medicinal powers, theteam said.—AFP

SAN JOSE: Thousands of animal lovers packed amajor San Jose avenue Sunday, many with pupsin tow, to celebrate Costa Rica’s new animal cru-elty law and its fines and jail time for violators.Bikers, animal rights activists and many animallovers were on hand dancing to traditional tunesto support the law, signed this month by theCentral American nation’s President LuisGuillermo Solis. “We have got to demand thatthere be no more impunity; that whoever abus-es an animal be punished,” Solis said, raisingcheers from the crowd.

The parade marshal for the day was Duke, adog that became well known in local media aftersomeone hacked him with a machete and lefthim for dead. In another grim case, localteenagers seriously injured a toucan, pummelingits bill with stones. “We have just seen too manyhorrific acts against animals. So it’s time that wehave a law to ensure that they are punished,” saidAntonio Pacheco, who turned up with hissweater-wearing schnauzer Tony in tow.Cockfighting and dog fights also have been out-lawed, and can earn criminals jail time.—AFP

Costa Rica says no

to animal cruelty

UN designates wetlands as conservation site

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian customs offi-cers have seized almost 300 kilograms ofpangolin scales being smuggled through themain airport, officials said yesterday. The288-kilogram haul was found at KualaLumpur International Airport last Friday in 12boxes labeled as oyster shells on the waybill.The scales worth around 3.69 million ringgitarrived from Ghana on a Turkish Airlinesflight, the customs department said in astatement.

Authorities are investigating. The scales ofthe endangered pangolin, the world’s mostheavily trafficked mammal, are highly prizedin Vietnam and China where they are mis-

leadingly touted as having medicinal proper-ties. Malaysia last month made its largesthaul of such scales, 712 kilograms estimatedto be worth more than nine million ringgit.

Pangolins are indigenous to the junglesof Indonesia, parts of Malaysia and areas ofsouthern Thailand, and their meat is con-sidered a delicacy in China. Four pangolinspecies can also be found in Africa.Increasingly they are smuggled toSoutheast Asia from Africa, but the majori-ty goes to China. Soaring demand has seenan estimated one mill ion pangolinsplucked from Asian and African forestsover the past decade.—AFP

Malaysia seizes pangolin scales

MALAYSIA : The photo shows seized pangolin scales during a press conference at theMalaysian Customs Complex in Sepang. Malaysian customs officers have seized almost300 kilograms of pangolin scales being smuggled through the main airport.—AFP

SAN JOSE: A woman takes a selfie with a dog as she joins thousands of people celebratingin the streets of San Jose.—AFP

PHNOM PENH: An Australian nurse deniedrunning an illegal surrogacy service inCambodia when her trial began Yesterday,the first case of its kind in the country thatrecently banned the practice. TammyDavis-Charles, 49, was arrested in lateNovember with two Cambodians andaccused of recruiting foreign couples andCambodian surrogate mothers to a clinicin the capital Phnom Penh.

The detentions came just two weeksafter Cambodia moved to outlaw the sur-rogacy industry, which critics say exploitspoor women, after a similar ban in neigh-boring Thailand pushed the businessacross its borders. The trio were alsocharged with faking documents to obtainbirth certificates for the newborns. In courton Yesterday Davis-Charles said she playedno part in arranging surrogacies. Insteadshe said her role was limited to providingmedical care to a total of 23 surrogatemothers who carried babies for 18Australian and five American couples.

“They find the clinic” by themselves, shesaid of the would-be foreign parents,adding that she was also not involved inthe recruitment of Cambodian surrogates.The nurse said she received $8,000 fromeach couple while received around$10,000. All of the infants were born andmoved out of Cambodia before her arrest,she added. Davis-Charles, who is fromMelbourne, told the court she left Thailandmore than a year ago after Bangkok out-

lawed commercial surrogacy and movedto Cambodia, which at the time lacked reg-ulations on the industry. Two surrogatemothers testified in court on Yesterday toreceiving $10,000 from Tammy.

Surrogate mother Hor Vanday said shegave birth to a baby girl who was whiskedaway for a foreign couple. “I did not see theface of the baby, but I know her father tookher away,” she recalled. She added that shedid not miss the child as she knew it wasnever hers. Thailand for years hostedSoutheast Asia’s most thriving unregulatedsurrogacy industry that was particularlypopular with same-sex couples. But severalscandals in 2014 including tussles overcustody spurred the government to barforeigners from using Thai surrogates.

Surrogacy consultants say Laos, a poorand opaque communist country to thenorth, has since emerged as the nextfrontier for the “rent a womb” business inthe wake of the recent bans byCambodia, Thailand, Nepal and India. Anumber of Laos-linked surrogacy agen-cies and IVF clinics have cropped up inrecent months, according to consultancygroup Families Through Surrogacy. A Thaiman was recently arrested for smugglingfrozen sperm between the two countries.Some offer to carry out the embryo trans-fer in Laos and then provide pregnancycare for the surrogate in Thai land, awealthier country with vastly superiormedical facilities.—AFP

Australian nurse denies running

illegal surrogacy in Cambodia

WHO: Maldives, Bhutan

have eliminated measlesNEW DELHI : The World Health Organizationsaid yesterday that Bhutan and the Maldiveshave eliminated measles, becoming the firstcountries in their region to stop the highly con-tagious disease. The Maldives has not reportedany case of indigenous measles since 2009, andBhutan since 2012, WHO said. “WHO commendsthem for this momentous public health achieve-ment,” said Poonam Khetrapal Singh, regionaldirector of WHO Southeast Asia. Bhutan and theMaldives launched immunization programsaround 40 years ago with a strategy of mass vac-cination of high-risk populations.

“The strongest political commitment, along-side the concerted efforts of health workers, offi-

cials and partners at all levels, has helpedachieve this landmark success,” Singh said. WHOhas set a deadline of 2020 for the elimination ofmeasles in the 11 countries that it categorizes asthe Southeast Asian region.The region has avert-ed an estimated 620,000 measles deaths in 2016alone following vaccinations carried out by the11 member countries, a WHO statement said.Last year, North and South America weredeclared free of measles, but last month an out-break was reported in Minnesota. Measles, a viraldisease which is spread through coughing andsneezing, can lead to pneumonia, brain inflam-mation, hospitalization or death, mainly amongchildren.—AP

HEALTH & SCIENCEWEDNESDAY, JUNE 14, 2017

CALIFORNIA: The water in Bridalveil Creek rushes through boulders at Yosemite National Park, California. —AP

YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK: Massive waterfallsin Yosemite National Park and rivers raging inmountains throughout the western UnitedStates are thundering with greater force thanthey have for years and proving deadly as warmweather melts the deepest mountain snowpackin recent memory. Record snowfall on toweringWestern peaks this winter virtually eliminatedCalifornia’s five-year drought and it is now melt-ing rapidly.

But it has contributed to at least 14 riverdeaths and prompted officials to close sectionsof rivers popular with swimmers, rafters and fish-ing enthusiasts. In Utah and Wyoming, somerivers gorged by heavy winter snowfall have overflown their banks, and rivers in Utah are expect-ed to remain dangerously swollen with icymountain runoff for several more weeks. Thesheer beauty of the rivers is their draw and repre-sents a big danger to people who decide to beatthe heat by swimming or rafting with littleawareness of the risks posed by the raging water.

This year’s velocity and force of the MercedRiver that runs through Yosemite Valley is similarto a runaway freight train, said Moose Mutlow ofthe Yosemite Swift Water Rescue Team. “You stepout in front of it, it’s going to take you,” he said.“You’re not going to stop that, and that’s whatpeople need to get their heads around.” Heavystorms this winter covered the central SierraNevada mountains with snow that remains attwice its normal level for this time of year. Whileofficials celebrated an end to drought in much ofCalifornia, the snowmelt is so dangerous thatpark rangers fear its impact on the crowded parkthat drew a record five million people last year,when four people drowned.

So far this year, one 50-year-old man isbelieved to have drowned at Yosemite afterfalling into the Merced River from a winding trail.His body has not been found. One of Yosemite’sdeadliest days was in 2011, when three youngchurch group visitors were swept to their deathsover the 317-foot Vernal Fall. Elsewhere inCalifornia, there have been at least 11 drowningssince the snowpack started melting in May. Atthe San Joaquin River near Fresno, 18-year-oldNeng Thao drowned last month swimming inthe river during a picnic with his family daysbefore he was set to graduate as the valedictori-an of his high school.

Power of water And six people have died in the rugged Tule

River south of Yosemite. Some drowned, butothers suffered injuries suggesting their bodieswere beaten to death by the river water slam-ming them against the riverbed. “The force ofthat water pounds people into rocks and sendsthem over waterfalls,” said Eric LaPrice, a USForest Service district ranger at the GiantSequoia National Monument in centralCalifornia. At the Kern River in central California,officials last month updated a sign warning thatthat 280 people have died in it since 1968. Thesign is already outdated, with four more drown-ings since then. And in northern Utah, a 4-year-old girl playing at the side of the Provo River fellfrom a boulder into the water last month. Hermother and a man who was nearby jumped in totry to save the girl. All three drowned, illustratinghow quickly one tragedy can multiply. “As littleas six inches of water can actually sweep anadult away at the rate of speed that the water is

traveling,” said Chris Crowley, emergency man-ager for the county where Park City is located. InReno, Nevada, rising temperatures that haveaccelerated snowpack melting prompted offi-cials to erect a sign next to the Truckee Riverwarning people to stay away from it.

In Idaho, snowpack at double normal levelshave prompted warnings from officials thatdensely populated areas near the Boise Rivercould flood. And in Wyoming, officials haveplaced sandbags and flood barriers to protecthomes and public infrastructure from rivers andstreams swollen with the snowmelt. On his firsttrip to Yosemite, cartoonist Andy Runton, 42,steered clear of the turbulent Merced River. Hetook a selfie at a safe distance from a grassymeadow with Yosemite Falls far behind him.Within a few hours of entering the park, Runtonsaid the sweeping vistas and raging waterfallshad left a lifelong impression. “You can see thepower of the water,” Runton said. “You can feel it.Nature doesn’t slow down.”—AP

Rivers turn dangerous as

days warm, snow thaws

CHICAGO: Researchers tried a big servingof food psychology and a dollop of trickeryto get diners to eat their vegetables. And itworked. Veggies given names like “zestyginger-turmeric sweet potatoes” and “twist-ed citrus-glazed carrots” were more popu-lar than those prepared exactly the sameway but with plainer, more healthful-sounding labels. Diners more often said “nothanks” when the food had labels like “low-fat,” “reduced-sodium” or “sugar-free.”

More diners chose the fancy-nameditems, and selected larger portions of themtoo in the experiment last fall at a StanfordUniversity cafeteria. “While it may seem likea good idea to emphasize the healthinessof vegetables, doing so may actually back-fire,” said lead author Bradley Turnwald, agraduate student in psychology. Otherresearch has shown that people tend tothink of healthful sounding food as lesstasty, so the aim was to make it sound asgood as more indulgent, fattening fare.

Researchers from Stanford’s psychologydepartment tested the idea as a way toimprove eating habits and make a dent inthe growing obesity epidemic. “This novel,low-cost intervention could easily beimplemented in cafeterias, restaurants, andconsumer products to increase selection ofhealthier options,” they said. The resultswere published Monday JAMA InternalMedicine. The study was done over 46 days

last fall. Lunchtime vegetable offeringswere given different labels on differentdays. For example, on one day diners couldchoose “dynamite chili and tangy lime-sea-soned beets.

“On other days the same item waslabeled “lighter-choice beets with noadded sugar,” “high antioxidant beets,” orsimply “beets.”Almost one-third of the near-ly 28,000 diners chose a vegetable offeringduring the study. The tasty-sounding offer-ing was the most popular, selected byabout 220 diners on average on days it wasoffered, compared with about 175 dinerswho chose the simple-label vegetable. Thehealthy-sounding labels were the leastpopular. Diners also served themselves big-ger portions of the tasty-sounding vegeta-bles than of the other choices.

Turnwald emphasized that “there wasno deception”, all labels accuratelydescribed the vegetables, although dinersweren’t told that the different-soundingchoices were the exact same item. Theresults illustrate “the interesting advantageto indulgent labeling,” he said. Dr. StephenCook, a University of Rochester childhoodobesity researcher, called the study encour-aging and said some high school cafeteriashave also tried different labels to influencehealthy eating. “It shouldn’t be a surprise tous because marketing people have beendoing this for years,” Cook said.—AP

Fancy names may

boost healthy dining

NEW YORK: The photo shows roasted carrot hummus with crudite and pita chips atthe Institute of Culinary Education.—AP

It’s in the genes: Songbirds

really do sing their own tune

PARIS: How do baby birds learn the songunique to their species? Is it drilled intotheir tiny brains by their parents, or dothey hatch pre-programmed? On Monday,researchers offered intriguing evidencethat the distinct melodies of at least somesongbirds are encoded in their genes.Flycatchers taken from the nest as eggs,then hatched and raised by a foster familyfrom a different species, consistently har-bored a lifelong preference for the tell-tale tune of their genetic kindred, a studyhas found.

This can only mean one thing: the abil-ity to distinguish between songs is innate,not taught, said study co-author DavidWheatcroft of Uppsala University inSweden. “Song discrimination dependson genetic inherited factors,” he said. Forscientists, bird song is a model for study-ing the behavioral, neural and geneticmechanisms that drive vocal learning theability to absorb and reproduce language,whether human or animal.

Songbirds are able from an early age to

distinguish between the chants of theirown species and those of others.Researchers have long been trying tounravel whether this ability is inborn orlearnt, the age old Nature Vs Nurturedebate. For the latest study, Wheatcroftand colleague Anna Qvarnstrom swappedeggs in the nests of two f lycatcherspecies, pied and collared. The infantswere isolated from bird sound until 12days after hatching. They were thenplayed recordings of their biologicalspecies’ song, and the tune of the parentsthat raised them.

The baby birds reacted more to theirown species’ call, the team found. This wasmeasured by how much they chirped tobeg for food, how often they looking up atthe nest opening, and how much theymoved around. “Nestlings discriminatesongs... even when they have been raisedcompletely by parents from the otherspecies,” concluded Wheatcroft.”This showsthat song discrimination does not dependon early experience or learning.” —AFP AT SEA: Dolphins jump in the Mediterranean sea.—AFP

W H AT ’ S ONWEDNESDAY, JUNE 14, 2017

—Photos by Salma Abdulla

ABCK celebratesRamadan with

an IftarThe American Business Council Kuwait (ABCK) hosted an

Iftar with their members and invited Kuwaitis who hadgraduated from universities in the United States on

Monday evening at the Millennium Hotel and ConventionCentre in Salmiya. Dr Juliet Dinkha, Chair of ABCK, welcomedthe members and distinguished guests to the Iftar and talkedabout the long history of Kuwaitis who were educated in theUnited States.

Alumni from the University of the Pacific, University ofMiami, University of Dayton, Arizona State University,University of Chicago and West Virginia University wereamong the many guests. Representing the alumni fromUniversity of the Pacific was Eng. Faisal Al-Ragom, President ofthe Alumni Club, representing the University of Miami was DrAnwar Al-Naki, President of the Alumni Club, and ReyadhAlrabeah, and representing University of Dayton was HussainAl-Barimi, President of the Alumni Club.

ABCK also had the pleasure of having as a guest JassimQabazard, graduate of the class of 1972 from the University ofthe Pacific. Eng. Wael Al-Omar, a graduate of the University ofthe Pacific, Head of Department of Ministry of Justice was alsoa distinguished guest.

By Tammy Asad

More than 40 crafters including those whoknit, crochet, do needlepoint, cross stitch,embroidery and other needle crafts gath-

ered to celebrate Worldwide Knit in Public Day(WWKIPD). Begun in 2005 by Danielle Landes as away to bring knitters together in public, the eventis celebrated globally. Thanks to the efforts ofKuwait Crafters and organizer Bharti Chopra,Kuwait has officially taken part in WWKIP Day forthe past three years. The Kuwait version of theWWKIPD has grown from eight attendees to morethan three dozen who gathered on Saturday, June10, 2017 at the Boulevard shopping mall to cele-brate fiber arts and the joy of crafting with others.

Saturday’s event brought crafters of manynationalities and different backgrounds, agesfrom 8 to 60+, together under one roof for the

love of knitting, crocheting, and stitching. The Knitin Public Day slogan of “better living throughstitching together” reinforces the well-document-ed benefits of crafting such as alleviating stress,anxiety and depression. It is also a means of show-ing the general public that crafting can be a com-munity activity in a very distinct way.

Children can also benefit from learning needlecrafts like knitting or crochet, which have beendemonstrated to help with fine motor skills,reducing stress and even learning things like cod-ing due to the ability to read patterns. Each Knit inPublic event is organized by volunteers. KuwaitCrafters is proud to host this event and waspleased this year to welcome local entrepreneursand small businesses Needles and Yarn, Zephyr,Whiskers and Yarn and Made by Mrs Q as prizesponsors. Crafters can learn more by searching forKuwait Crafters on Facebook or Ravelry.

Kuwait celebrates Worldwide Knit in Public Day

W H AT ’ S ONWEDNESDAY, JUNE 14, 2017

Kuwait Finance House (KFH) hosted its annualGhabqa for media members as a token of apprecia-tion for their efforts and instrumental role in

enriching the media and the economy. Also, the Ghabqacomes as part of the bank’s keenness to strengthen com-munication with media outlets. The media Ghabqa wit-nessed remarkable attendance of journalists and

reporters from different media types; print, broadcast anddigital media, along with a number of public relationsand social media personalities.

The media Ghabqa included a range of excitingactivities held in an interactive environment. It comesas one of KFH CSR initiatives for the holy month ofRamadan. Present at the event from KFH were Executive

Manager Group Public Relations and Media, YousefAbdullah Al-Ruwaieh, Manager Media and GovernmentRelations, Mohammed Al-Fares in addition to the Mediaand PR team.

Mohammed Al-Fares welcomed everyone to theGhabqa and congratulated them on the occasion ofRamadan. He extended the bank’s thanks and gratitude

for their efforts in the media, yet hailed their importantrole in tracking news and highlighting different issues ofinterest to the society. He added that KFH attaches greatinterest in the media industry that has witnessed a para-digm shift while keeping abreast of technology and elec-tronic developments. He said that KFH considers mediamembers as partners in success.

KFH hosts Ramadan Ghabqa for media

Mohammed Al-FaresYousef Abdullah Al-Ruwaieh

T V PR O G R A M SWEDNESDAY, JUNE 14, 2017

00:30 Tekken: Kazuya's Revenge 02:15 Dr. No 04:15 Beyond Redemption 06:00 Taken 3 08:00 Tekken: Kazuya's Revenge 09:45 Beyond Redemption 11:30 Dr. No 13:30 Taken 3 15:30 The Tower 17:45 Black Rose 19:15 Die Hard 21:30 Rivers Nine 23:15 Momentum

00:45 America's Cutest Pets 01:40 Up Close And Dangerous 02:35 Tanked 03:25 Killer Iq: Lion vs Hyena 04:15 Dr. Jeff: Rocky Mountain Vet 05:02 Untamed China With Nigel Marven 05:49 Up Close And Dangerous 06:36 Gorilla School 07:00 Gorilla School 07:25 Dr. Jeff: Rocky Mountain Vet 08:15 Up Close And Dangerous 09:10 Killer Iq: Lion vs Hyena 10:05 Tanked 11:00 Dr. Jeff: Rocky Mountain Vet 11:55 America's Cutest Pets 12:50 Up Close And Dangerous 13:45 Untamed China With Nigel Marven 14:40 Killer Iq: Lion vs Hyena 15:35 Tanked 16:30 Untamed China With Nigel Marven 17:25 Dr. Jeff: Rocky Mountain Vet 18:20 League Of Monkeys 19:15 Tanked 20:10 Dr. Jeff: Rocky Mountain Vet 22:00 League Of Monkeys 22:55 Killer Iq: Lion vs Hyena 23:50 Untamed China With Nigel Marven

00:10 Doctors 00:40 Prime Suspect: Tennison 01:30 Spooks 02:20 Spooks 03:15 Doctors 03:45 Doctors 04:15 Prime Suspect: Tennison 05:05 The Musketeers

06:00 Father Brown 06:50 Doctors 07:50 New Tricks 08:45 The Musketeers 09:40 Father Brown 10:30 Doctors 11:35 New Tricks 12:30 The Musketeers 13:25 Father Brown 14:15 Doctors 15:15 New Tricks 16:10 The Musketeers 17:10 Father Brown 18:00 Doctors 18:30 EastEnders 19:00 New Tricks 20:00 Kat & Alfie: Redwater 21:00 Maigret 22:35 The Kettering Incident 23:30 Doctors

00:00 It Takes A Killer 00:30 It Takes A Killer 01:00 Fred Dinenage: Murder Casebook 02:00 Bill Cosby: The Women Speak 03:00 It Takes A Killer 03:30 It Takes A Killer 04:30 It Takes A Killer 05:00 Fred Dinenage: Murder Casebook 06:00 I Love You...But I Lied 07:00 I Love You...But I Lied 08:00 Evil Up Close 09:00 Crimes That Shook Britain 10:00 Homicide Hunter 11:00 Nightmare In Suburbia 12:00 Nightmare In Suburbia 13:00 I Love You...But I Lied 14:00 Evil Up Close 15:00 Homicide Hunter 16:00 Robbie Coltrane's Critical Evidence 17:00 Nightmare In Suburbia 18:00 Nightmare In Suburbia 19:00 Evil Up Close 20:00 Crimes That Shook Britain 21:00 Homicide Hunter 22:00 My Haunted House 23:00 Paranormal State 23:30 Paranormal State

00:05 Brotherhood 00:30 Brotherhood 00:55 Impractical Jokers 01:20 Impractical Jokers 01:45 Lip Sync Battle 02:10 Disorderly Conduct: Video OnPatrol 03:00 The Daily Show With Trevor Noah 03:25 Life Or Debt 04:15 Disaster Date 04:40 Disaster Date 05:05 Disorderly Conduct: Video OnPatrol 05:55 Bondi Ink. 06:50 Catch A Contractor 07:40 Lip Sync Battle 08:30 Disorderly Conduct: Video OnPatrol

09:20 Sweat Inc. 10:10 Bondi Ink. 11:00 Life Or Debt 11:50 Bondi Ink. 12:40 Disaster Date 13:05 Disaster Date 13:30 Lip Sync Battle 14:20 Bondi Ink. 15:10 Catch A Contractor 16:00 Sweat Inc. 16:55 The Jim Gaffigan Show 17:25 The Jim Gaffigan Show 17:50 Frankenfood 18:15 Frankenfood 18:39 Impractical Jokers 19:03 Disaster Date 19:27 Lip Sync Battle 19:50 Lip Sync Battle 20:13 Disaster Date 20:37 Disaster Date 21:00 The Daily Show With Trevor Noah 21:30 The President Show 22:00 The Jim Gaffigan Show 22:25 The Jim Gaffigan Show 22:50 Tosh.0 23:15 Lip Sync Battle 23:40 The Daily Show With Trevor Noah

00:30 Nextworld 01:20 Guinness World RecordsSmashed New Zealand 01:45 Guinness World RecordsSmashed New Zealand 02:10 Guinness World RecordsSmashed UK 03:00 What Happened Next? 03:25 What Happened Next? 03:50 Bear Grylls: Born Survivor 04:40 How It's Made 05:05 How It's Made 05:30 Storm Chasers 06:20 Mythbusters 07:00 Kenny The Shark 07:25 Bear Grylls Survival School 07:50 America's Cutest Pets 08:40 How It's Made 09:05 How It's Made 09:30 Nextworld 10:20 Mythbusters 11:10 America's Cutest Pets 12:00 Bear Grylls: Born Survivor 12:50 How It's Made 13:15 How It's Made 13:40 Storm Chasers 14:30 Kenny The Shark 14:55 Bear Grylls Survival School 15:20 America's Cutest Pets 16:10 Nextworld 17:00 Bondi Vet

17:50 Everest: Beyond The Limit 18:40 What Happened Next? 19:05 What Happened Next? 19:30 How It's Made 19:55 How It's Made 20:20 Mythbusters 21:10 Bondi Vet 22:00 Everest: Beyond The Limit 22:50 What Happened Next? 23:15 What Happened Next? 23:40 Bear Grylls: Born Survivor

00:30 Six Degrees Of Murder 01:20 Casey Anthony: An AmericanMurder Mystery 02:10 Grave Secrets 03:00 Who Killed Jane Doe? 03:48 I Almost Got Away With It 04:36 California Investigator 05:01 California Investigator 05:24 Deadly Affairs 06:12 Southern Fried Homicide 07:00 The Locator 07:25 The Locator 07:50 I Almost Got Away With It 08:40 California Investigator 09:05 California Investigator 09:30 Deadly Affairs 10:20 Southern Fried Homicide 11:10 Betrayed 12:00 The Locator 12:25 The Locator 12:50 I Almost Got Away With It 13:40 California Investigator 14:05 California Investigator 14:30 Deadly Affairs 15:20 Southern Fried Homicide 16:10 The Detectives Club: New Orleans 17:00 The Locator 17:25 The Locator 17:50 I Almost Got Away With It 18:40 California Investigator 19:05 California Investigator 19:30 Deadly Affairs 20:20 Southern Fried Homicide 21:10 Vanity Fair Confidential 22:00 Betrayed 22:50 Murder Chose Me 23:40 Grave Secrets

00:00 Henry Hugglemonster 00:15 Calimero 00:30 Art Attack 00:55 Zou 01:05 Loopdidoo 01:20 Henry Hugglemonster 01:35 Calimero 01:50 Zou 02:05 Art Attack 02:30 The Hive 02:40 Loopdidoo 02:55 Henry Hugglemonster 03:10 Art Attack 03:35 Loopdidoo 03:50 Calimero 04:05 Art Attack

04:30 Henry Hugglemonster 04:45 Zou 05:00 Art Attack 05:30 Henry Hugglemonster 05:45 Loopdidoo 06:00 Zou 06:15 Calimero 06:30 Loopdidoo 06:45 Henry Hugglemonster 07:00 My Friends Tigger & Pooh 07:25 Sofia The First 07:50 The Lion Guard 08:15 PJ Masks 08:40 Jake And The Never Land Pirates 09:05 Goldie & Bear 09:35 The Lion Guard 10:00 Sofia The First 10:30 Mickey And The Roadster Racers 11:00 Little Mermaid 11:25 My Friends Tigger & Pooh 11:50 Sheriff Callie's Wild West 12:15 Gummi Bears 12:40 Miles From Tomorrow 13:10 Mickey And The Roadster Racers 13:35 PJ Masks 14:00 My Friends Tigger & Pooh 14:30 The Lion Guard 14:55 Unbungalievable 15:00 Goldie & Bear 15:30 PJ Masks 15:55 Sofia The First 16:20 My Friends Tigger & Pooh 16:50 Doc McStuffins 17:15 The Lion Guard 17:40 Jake And The Never Land Pirates 18:05 PJ Masks 18:35 Mickey And The Roadster Racers 19:05 PJ Masks 19:35 PJ Masks 20:05 Goldie & Bear 20:35 My Friends Tigger & Pooh 21:00 Gummi Bears 21:25 Sofia The First 21:50 Minnie's Bow-Toons 22:00 Little Mermaid 22:30 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 22:55 PJ Masks 23:20 Henry Hugglemonster 23:35 The Hive 23:45 Loopdidoo

00:20 Street Outlaws 01:10 The Island With Bear Grylls 02:00 The Wheel: Survival Games 02:50 Running Wild With Bear Grylls 03:40 Misfit Garage 04:30 Container Wars 05:00 How Do They Do It?

05:30 How Do They Do It? 06:00 Gold Divers 06:50 Street Outlaws 07:40 Misfit Garage 08:30 What On Earth? 09:20 Garage Gold 09:45 How Do They Do It? 10:10 How Do They Do It? 10:35 The Island With Bear Grylls 11:25 The Wheel: Survival Games 12:15 Life After: Chernobyl 13:05 How Do They Do It? 13:30 Garage Gold 13:55 Container Wars 14:20 Gold Rush 15:10 What On Earth? 16:00 Gold Divers 16:50 Misfit Garage 17:40 Street Outlaws 18:30 How Do They Do It? 18:55 How Do They Do It? 19:20 What On Earth? 20:10 Container Wars 20:35 Container Wars 21:00 Abandoned Engineering 21:50 Man vs Weird 22:40 Incredible Engineering Blunders:Fixed 23:30 Misfit Garage

06:00 Right Now Kapow 06:25 Disney11 06:50 Penn Zero: Part Time Hero 07:15 Milo Murphy's Law 07:25 Danger Mouse 07:40 Supa Strikas 08:10 K.C. Undercover 08:35 Counterfeit Cat 09:00 Lab Rats 09:25 Lab Rats 09:50 Future-Worm! 10:20 Pair Of Kings 10:45 Pair Of Kings 11:10 Danger Mouse 11:35 Supa Strikas 12:00 Supa Strikas 12:30 Gravity Falls 12:55 Annedroids 13:20 Atomic Puppet 13:45 Star vs The Forces Of Evil 14:10 Disney Mickey Mouse 14:15 Mighty Med 14:40 Kirby Buckets 15:05 Lab Rats: Bionic Island 15:30 Gamer's Guide To Pretty MuchEverything 15:55 Right Now Kapow 16:25 K.C. Undercover 16:50 Disney11 17:15 Mech-X4 17:40 Milo Murphy's Law 18:05 Disney Mickey Mouse 18:10 Gravity Falls 18:35 Mighty Med 19:00 Atomic Puppet 19:25 Gamer's Guide To Pretty MuchEverything 19:55 K.C. Undercover 20:20 Mech-X4 20:45 Disney11

21:10 Walk The Prank 21:35 Disney Mickey Mouse 21:40 Disney Mickey Mouse 21:45 Marvel's Guardians Of The Galaxy 22:10 Ultimate Spider-Man 22:35 Boyster 23:00 Programmes Start At 6:00am KSA

00:05 Hollywood Medium With TylerHenry 00:55 Hollywood Medium With TylerHenry 01:50 E! News 02:50 Celebrity Style Story 03:50 Hollywood & Football 05:30 Celebrity Style Story 06:00 La Clippers Dance Squad 06:55 E! News 07:10 La Clippers Dance Squad 08:10 E! News: Daily Pop 09:10 WAGs 10:05 WAGs 11:00 WAGs 12:00 E! News 12:15 Second Wives Club 13:10 Second Wives Club 14:05 Second Wives Club 15:00 E! News 15:15 E! News: Daily Pop 16:15 Keeping Up With The Kardashians 18:05 Keeping Up With The Kardashians 19:00 E! News 20:00 Botched 21:00 Botched 22:00 Botched 23:00 E! News 23:15 Hollywood Medium With TylerHenry

00:00 Diners, Drive-Ins And Dives 00:30 Diners, Drive-Ins And Dives 01:00 Man Fire Food 01:30 Man Fire Food 02:00 Diners, Drive-Ins And Dives 02:30 Diners, Drive-Ins And Dives 03:00 Man Fire Food 03:30 Man Fire Food 04:00 Chopped 05:00 Guy's Grocery Games 06:00 Barefoot Contessa: Back To Basics 06:30 Barefoot Contessa: Back To Basics 07:00 The Kitchen 08:00 The Pioneer Woman 08:30 The Pioneer Woman 09:00 Siba's Table 09:30 Siba's Table 10:00 Bake With Anna Olson

11:00 The Kitchen 12:00 The Pioneer Woman 12:30 The Pioneer Woman 13:00 Siba's Table 13:30 Siba's Table 14:00 Diners, Drive-Ins And Dives 14:30 Diners, Drive-Ins And Dives 15:00 Chopped 16:00 The Kitchen 17:00 Bake With Anna Olson 17:30 Bake With Anna Olson 18:00 Chopped 19:00 Guy's Grocery Games 20:00 Chopped 21:00 Kids BBQ Championship 22:00 The Big Eat - Middle East 22:30 Diners, Drive-Ins And Dives 23:00 Chopped

00:10 Pick Me! 01:00 Emmerdale 01:30 Coronation Street 02:00 Coronation Street 02:30 Who's Doing The Dishes? 03:25 Grantchester 04:20 The Trials Of Jimmy Rose 05:15 Masterpiece With Alan Titchmarsh 06:10 Pick Me! 07:05 Who's Doing The Dishes? 08:00 Grantchester 09:00 The Trials Of Jimmy Rose 10:00 Masterpiece With Alan Titchmarsh 10:55 Pick Me! 11:50 Who's Doing The Dishes? 12:45 Emmerdale 13:15 Coronation Street 13:45 Coronation Street 14:15 Pick Me! 15:10 Who's Doing The Dishes? 16:00 This Is England '86 16:55 Safe House 17:50 Masterpiece With Alan Titchmarsh 18:45 Emmerdale 19:15 Coronation Street 19:45 Coronation Street 20:10 Who's Doing The Dishes? 21:00 This Is England '86 21:55 Safe House 22:50 Emmerdale 23:15 Coronation Street 23:40 Coronation Street

00:20 Ultimate Soldier Challenge 01:10 Alone 02:00 Swamp People 02:50 Storage Wars 03:15 American Pickers 04:05 Pawn Stars 05:00 Mountain Men 06:00 Leepu And Pitbull 06:50 Duck Dynasty 07:15 Duck Dynasty 07:40 Counting Cars 08:05 Counting Cars 08:30 Pawn Stars 08:55 Pawn Stars 09:20 Storage Wars 09:45 Storage Wars 10:10 American Pickers 11:00 Pirate Treasure Of The KnightsTemplar 11:50 Duck Dynasty 12:15 Duck Dynasty 12:40 Swamp People 13:30 Ax Men 14:20 Mountain Men 15:10 Leepu And Pitbull 16:00 Storage Wars 16:25 Storage Wars 16:50 Pawn Stars 17:15 Pawn Stars 17:40 Alone 18:30 Swamp People 19:20 Mountain Men 20:10 American Pickers 21:00 Detroit Steel 21:50 Forged In Fire 22:40 Britain's Bloodiest Dynasty 23:30 American Pickers

00:15 Places We Go 00:45 Eat Street 01:10 David Rocco's Dolce Vita 01:40 David Rocco's Dolce Vita 02:05 Straight To The Source: KoreanFood 02:35 Mega Food 03:30 Rustic Adventures Italy 03:55 Miguel's Feasts 04:25 Miguel's Feasts 04:50 Andy And Ben Eat Australia 05:20 What's For Sale? 05:45 What's For Sale? 06:15 Charlie Luxton's Homes By TheSea 07:10 David Rocco's Dolce Vita 07:35 Straight To The Source: KoreanFood 08:05 Mega Food 09:00 Rustic Adventures Italy 09:25 Miguel's Feasts 09:55 Miguel's Feasts 10:20 Andy And Ben Eat Australia 10:50 What's For Sale? 11:15 What's For Sale? 11:45 Straight To The Source: KoreanFood 12:10 A Is For Apple 12:40 A Is For Apple 13:05 Ariana's Persian Kitchen 13:35 Ariana's Persian Kitchen 14:00 Straight To The Source: KoreanFood 14:30 Mega Food 15:25 Miguel's Feasts 15:50 Miguel's Feasts 16:20 Island Hunter 17:15 What's For Sale? 17:40 What's For Sale? 18:10 Charlie Luxton's Homes By TheSea 19:05 Miguel's Feasts 19:30 Miguel's Feasts 20:00 Island Hunter 21:00 What's For Sale? 21:30 What's For Sale? 22:00 Charlie Luxton's Homes By TheSea 22:55 Ariana's Persian Kitchen 23:20 Ariana's Persian Kitchen 23:50 Mega Food

00:10 Monster Fish 01:00 Wicked Tuna: North vs South 02:00 Air Crash Investigation 03:00 Explorer 04:00 Monster Fish 05:00 Showdown Of The Unbeatables 06:00 Science Of Stupid 06:30 Science Of Stupid 07:00 Dog Whisperer 08:00 Evacuate Earth 09:00 Showdown Of The Unbeatables 10:00 Cesar Millan's Dog Nation 11:00 Beast Hunter 12:00 I Wouldn't Go In There 13:00 Science Of Stupid 13:30 Science Of Stupid 14:00 Evacuate Earth 15:00 Dog Whisperer

16:00 Cesar Millan's Dog Nation 17:00 Russia's Mystery Files 18:00 I Wouldn't Go In There 19:00 Evacuate Earth 20:00 Cesar Millan's Dog Nation 20:50 Russia's Mystery Files 21:40 I Wouldn't Go In There 22:30 Evacuate Earth 23:20 Science Of Stupid 23:45 Science Of Stupid

00:20 Original Fight Club 01:10 Dr. K's Exotic Animal ER 02:00 Kings Of The Kill 02:50 Monster Fish 03:45 Hooked 04:40 Savage Kingdom 05:35 Kings Of The Kill 06:30 Monster Fish 07:25 Hooked 08:20 Savage Kingdom 09:15 Battle Of The Swamp Dragons 10:10 Wild Case Files 11:05 Animal Fight Club 4.5 12:00 Call Of The Baby Beluga 12:55 Planet Carnivore: Perfect Killers 13:50 Monster Fish 14:45 Monster Fish 15:40 Deadly Instincts 16:35 Turf War- Lions And Hippos 17:30 Wild 24 18:25 Animal Fight Club 4.5 19:20 Monster Fish 20:10 Deadly Instincts 21:00 Turf War- Lions And Hippos 21:50 Wild 24 22:40 Animal Fight Club 4.5 23:30 Call Of The Baby Beluga

00:05 Max Keeble's Big Move 01:35 Pirates Code: The Adventures OfMickey Matson 03:15 The Wild 04:40 The Hunchback Of Notre Dame II 05:50 Max Keeble's Big Move 07:20 Pirates Code: The Adventures OfMickey Matson 09:00 Nancy Drew 10:40 The Wild 12:05 Home On The Range 13:30 Frankenweenie 15:00 Gnomeo & Juliet 16:30 Snow Dogs 18:15 Hannah Montana Movie 20:00 True Heart 21:40 Gnomeo & Juliet 23:05 Frankenweenie

01:15 The To Do List 03:00 The Duff 04:45 Perfect Match 06:15 Ride 08:00 The Duff 09:45 Perfect Match 11:30 Ride 13:15 The Beautician And The Beast 15:00 Once Upon A Crime 16:45 Love, Rosie 18:30 7 Chinese Brothers 20:15 Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo 22:00 Barbershop 2: Back In Business 23:45 The Hot Chick

00:00 We Are Many 02:00 The Blind Side 04:15 The Theory Of Everything 06:30 Jappeloup 08:45 We Are Many 10:45 The Theory Of Everything 12:45 Quiz Show 15:00 The Blind Side 17:15 The Sting 19:30 And Justice For All 21:30 The Manchurian Candidate 23:45 Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon

00:00 Mamma Moo And Crow 01:30 Lego: Scooby Doo HauntedHollywood 03:00 Ducktales: The Movie 04:30 Winnie The Pooh 06:00 The Heart Of The Oak 07:30 Robosapien: Rebooted 09:15 The Adventures Of Don Quixote 11:00 Marco Macaco 12:30 Mamma Moo And Crow 14:00 Capture The Flag 15:45 The Adventures Of Don Quixote 17:30 Frog Kingdom 19:00 Yugo & Lala 2 20:30 Capture The Flag 22:15 Robosapien: Rebooted 23:45 Frog Kingdom

00:15 Concussion 02:15 War Of The Worlds 04:15 Goosebumps 06:00 Concussion 08:00 Steve Jobs 10:00 Paddington 11:45 War Of The Worlds 13:45 Concussion 15:45 The Intern 17:45 Sherlock Holmes 20:00 Erin Brockovich 22:15 Inception

00:30 How Do They Do It? 00:55 Food Factory 01:20 Strangest Weather On Earth 02:10 NASA's Unexplained Files 03:00 Secret Space Escapes 03:48 Race To Escape 04:36 Strangest Weather On Earth 05:24 Mythbusters 06:12 How Do They Do It? 06:36 Food Factory 07:00 How Do They Do It? 07:26 Race To Escape 08:14 Mythbusters 09:02 NASA's Unexplained Files 09:50 Secret Space Escapes 10:38 Strangest Weather On Earth 11:26 Race To Escape 12:14 Mythbusters 13:02 NASA's Unexplained Files 13:50 Secret Space Escapes 14:38 Race To Escape 15:26 Strangest Weather On Earth 16:14 NASA's Unexplained Files 17:02 Secret Space Escapes 17:50 How Do They Do It? 18:15 Food Factory 18:40 Mythbusters 19:30 Invent It Rich 20:20 NASA's Unexplained Files 21:10 Fire In The Sky 22:00 Invent It Rich 22:50 Race To Escape 23:40 Mythbusters

00:20 Body Bizarre 01:10 Monsters Inside Me 02:00 Cake Boss 02:25 Cake Boss 02:50 Say Yes To The Dress 03:15 Say Yes To The Dress 03:35 Outdaughtered: Busby Quints 04:20 Little People, Big World 04:45 Little People, Big World 05:10 Toddlers & Tiaras 06:00 Obsessive Compulsive Cleaners 06:50 Oprah: Where Are They Now? 07:40 Oprah's Lifeclass 08:30 Little People, Big World 08:55 Little People, Big World 09:20 Suddenly Rich 10:10 Say Yes To The Dress 10:35 Say Yes To The Dress 11:00 Cake Boss 11:25 Cake Boss 11:50 Obsessive Compulsive Cleaners 12:40 Outdaughtered: Busby Quints 13:30 Cake Boss 13:55 Cake Boss 14:20 Oprah: Where Are They Now? 15:10 Toddlers & Tiaras 16:00 Little People, Big World 16:25 Little People, Big World 16:50 Suddenly Rich 17:40 Say Yes To The Dress 18:05 Say Yes To The Dress 18:30 Oprah: Where Are They Now? 19:20 Cake Boss 19:45 Cake Boss 20:10 Obsessive Compulsive Cleaners 21:00 My 600lb Life 22:40 The Rarest Boy In The World 23:30 My 600lb Life

00:00 Bizarre Foods America 01:00 Mysteries At The Monument 02:00 Going RV 02:30 Big Time RV 03:00 Booze Traveler 04:00 Bizarre Foods: DeliciousDestinations 04:30 Bizarre Foods: DeliciousDestinations 05:00 Bizarre Foods America 06:00 Mysteries At The Monument 07:00 House Hunters International 09:00 Going RV 09:30 Big Time RV 10:00 Hotel Impossible 11:00 Mysteries At The Monument 12:00 Texas Flip And Move 13:00 House Hunters International 15:00 Going RV 15:30 Big Time RV 16:00 Texas Flip And Move 17:00 Hotel Impossible THE BLIND SIDE ON OSN MOVIES FESTIVAL

CONCUSSION ON OSN MOVIES HD

TAKEN 3 ON OSN MOVIES ACTION

ClassifiedsWEDNESDAY, JUNE 14, 2017

KNCC PROGRAMME FROM THURSDAY TO THURSDAY(08/06/2017 TO 15/06/2017)

SHARQIA-1Taht Al Tarabeza (Re-Release) 10:00 PMLaf Wa Dawaran (Re-Release) 12:15 AM

SHARQIA-2 Seats-428Min 30 Sana (Re-Release) 9:30 PMAL FERAN (KUWAITI) 12:30 AM

SHARQIA-3MINIONS (Re Release) 9:45 PMKING ARTHUR: LEGEND OF THE SWORD 11:45 PM

MUHALAB-1Laf Wa Dawaran (Re-Release) 9:30 PMKING ARTHUR: LEGEND OF THE SWORD 11:45 PM

MUHALAB-2RAABTA (Hindi) 9:45 PMAL FERAN (KUWAITI) 12:45 AM

MUHALAB-3Ashan Khargen (Re-Release) 10:00 PMMin 30 Sana (Re-Release) 12:15 AM

FANAR-1RAABTA (Hindi) 9:30 PMRAABTA (Hindi) 12:30 AM

FANAR-2DIARY OF A WIMPY KID: THE LONG HAUL 10:30 PMTaht Al Tarabeza (Re-Release) 12:30 AM

FANAR-3KING ARTHUR: LEGEND OF THE SWORD 9:45 PMLaf Wa Dawaran (Re-Release) 12:15 AM

FANAR-4Min 30 Sana (Re-Release) 9:30 PMALIEN: COVENANT 12:30 AMFANAR-5AL FERAN (KUWAITI) 10:00 PMAL FERAN (KUWAITI) 11:30 PMAL FERAN (KUWAITI) 1:00 AM

MARINA-1Laf Wa Dawaran (Re-Release) 9:30 PMKING ARTHUR: LEGEND OF THE SWORD 12:15 AMMARINA-2Taht Al Tarabeza (Re-Release) 9:45 PMAshan Khargen (Re-Release) 12:30 AM

MARINA-3DIARY OF A WIMPY KID: THE LONG HAUL 10:00 PMMin 30 Sana (Re-Release) 12:05 AM

AVENUES-1YO-KAI WATCH: The Movie 9:30 PMALIEN: COVENANT 11:30 PM

AVENUES-2MINIONS(Re Release)-3D-4DX 10:00 PMKING ARTHUR: LEGEND OF THE SWORD (3D-4DX) 12:05 AM

AVENUES-3THE BOSS BABY 10:30 PMHERE ALONE 12:30 AM

AVENUES-4ALIEN: COVENANT 10:15 PMLaf Wa Dawaran (Re-Release) 12:45 AM

AVENUES-5KING ARTHUR: LEGEND OF THE SWORD 9:45 PMDIARY OF A WIMPY KID: THE LONG HAUL 12:15 AM

AVENUES-6AL FERAN (KUWAITI) 10:00 PMMin 30 Sana (Re-Release) 11:30 PMAVENUES-7Ashan Khargen (Re-Release) 9:30 PMLaf Wa Dawaran (Re-Release) 11:45 PM

AVENUES-8DIARY OF A WIMPY KID: THE LONG HAUL 10:15 PMTaht Al Tarabeza (Re-Release) 12:30 AM

AVENUES-9RAABTA (Hindi) 9:45 PM

THE EXCEPTION 12:45 AM

360º- 1KING ARTHUR: LEGEND OF THE SWORD 9:45 PMKING ARTHUR: LEGEND OF THE SWORD 12:30 AM

360º- 2Taht Al Tarabeza (Re-Release) 10:15 PMALIEN: COVENANT 12:45 AM

360º- 3AL FERAN (KUWAITI) 9:45 PMAL FERAN (KUWAITI) 11:15 PMAshan Khargen (Re-Release) 12:45 AM

AL-KOUT.1Ashan Khargen (Re-Release) 9:30 PMMin 30 Sana (Re-Release) 11:45 PM

AL-KOUT.2AL FERAN (KUWAITI) 9:45 PMAL FERAN (KUWAITI) 11:15 PMAL FERAN (KUWAITI) 12:45 AM

AL-KOUT.3Laf Wa Dawaran (Re-Release) 10:15 PMKING ARTHUR: LEGEND OF THE SWORD 12:30 AMAL-KOUT.4Safra 5 Njoom (Kuwaiti Film) (Re-Release 10:00 PMTaht Al Tarabeza (Re-Release) 12:05 AM

BAIRAQ-1MINIONS (Re Release) 9:45 PMTHE BOSS BABY 11:45 PM

BAIRAQ-2DIARY OF A WIMPY KID: THE LONG HAUL 10:00 PMDIARY OF A WIMPY KID: THE LONG HAUL 12:05 AM

BAIRAQ-3RAABTA (Hindi) 9:30 PMAL FERAN (KUWAITI) 12:30 AM

PRAYER TIMINGSFajr: 03:13

Shorook: 04:49

Duhr: 11:48

Asr: 15:22

Maghrib: 18:48

Isha: 20:21

LOST

I, Ayesha Jaffar, EshbeliaBlock 4 street 429 buildingno. 48, hereby inviting to thenotice of the public that mycertificate of BCOM examina-tion 2014 with registrationno. FFALBS0003 of CalicutUniversity have beenirrecoverably lost duringtransit from India to Kuwaitas such I intend to apply forthe duplicate certificate. Ifanybody happens to get theoriginals may kindly sendthe same or intimate theundersigned or the universi-ty. Ayesha Jaffar S/d.(C 5321)

14-6-2017

Directorate General of Civil Aviation Home Page (www.kuwait-airport.com.kw)

DIAL161 FOR AIRPORT INFORMATION

Arrival Flights on Wednesday 14/6/2017Airlines Flt Route TimeJZR 553 Alexandria 00:15KAC 786 Jeddah 00:30KAC 102 London 00:55DLH 635 Doha 01:00JZR 539 Cairo 01:20MSR 618 Alexandria 01:35RJA 642 Amman 01:45KLM 446 Bahrain 02:05QTR 1086 Doha 02:05PGT 830 Istanbul 02:10ETH 620 Addis Ababa 02:15GFA 211 Bahrain 02:15ICV 856 Luxembourg 02:45KAC 418 Manila 02:50OMA 643 Muscat 03:05ETD 305 Abu Dhabi 03:10MSR 612 Cairo 03:15KAC 382 Delhi 03:15QTR 1076 Doha 03:40KAC 544 Cairo 03:50KAC 796 Madinah 03:55CEB 018 Manila 04:00KAC 346 Ahmedabad 04:15KAC 358 Kochi 04:50FEG 931 Alexandria 05:00KAC 784 Jeddah 05:00THY 770 Istanbul 05:05DHX 170 Bahrain 05:10KAC 344 Chennai 05:30KAC 332 Trivandrum 05:40KAC 362 Colombo 05:50BAW 157 London 06:05THY 6562 Istanbul 06:15KAC 284 Dhaka 06:35KAC 206 Islamabad 06:40KAC 302 Mumbai 06:55JZR 1541 Cairo 07:10KAC 384 Delhi 08:00UAE 855 Dubai 08:25ETD 301 Abu Dhabi 08:55ABY 125 Sharjah 09:00IRC 6511 ABD 09:10QTR 1070 Doha 09:20IRA 665 Shiraz 09:25FDB 055 Dubai 09:40AXB 189 Delhi 09:45MSC 415 Sohag 10:15GFA 213 Bahrain 10:40MEA 404 Beirut 10:55SYR 341 Damascus 11:00AXB 889 Mangalore/Bahrain 11:05JZR 561 Sohag 11:10KAC 742 Dammam 11:45IAW 157 Al Najaf 12:00KAC 774 Riyadh 12:45THY 766 Istanbul 12:50FEG 953 Asyut 12:55MSR 610 Cairo 13:00KAC 514 Tehran 13:10

CLX 792 Luxembourg 13:15KAC 662 Abu Dhabi 13:15KNE 529 Jeddah 13:40KAC 672 Dubai 13:55IRC 6521 Lamerd 14:00QTR 1078 Doha 14:05KNE 231 Riyadh 14:10SVA 500 Jeddah 14:15GFA 221 Bahrain 14:15KAC 364 Colombo 14:15KAC 618 Doha 14:20KAC 788 Jeddah 14:55KAC 304 Mumbai 14:55KAC 692 Muscat 14:55ETD 303 Abu Dhabi 15:05KNE 683 Madinah 15:05OMA 645 Muscat 15:10KAC 502 Beirut 15:25KAC 412 Bangkok 15:30ABY 127 Sharjah 15:35UAE 857 Dubai 15:45SAW 705 Damascus 15:50SVA 504 Madinah 16:00RJA 640 Amman 16:00MSR E70 Sharm el-Sheikh 16:10QTR 1072 Doha 16:15FDB 051 Dubai 16:15JZR 535 Cairo 16:20KAC 118 New York 16:25JZR 787 Riyadh 16:35JZR 1777 Jeddah 16:35NIA 361 Alexandria 16:50AZQ 4565 Baghdad 17:00KAC 542 Cairo 17:05SVA 510 Riyadh 17:15GFA 215 Bahrain 17:30JZR 777 Jeddah 17:35JZR 177 Dubai 17:45QTR 1080 Doha 18:05KAC 616 Bahrain 18:20MSR 620 Cairo 18:30KAC 512 Mashhad 18:40GFA 217 Bahrain 19:05UAE 875 Dubai 19:05ABY 123 Sharjah 19:20KAC 154 Istanbul 19:30KAC 674 Dubai 19:40KAC 776 Riyadh 19:50FDB 057 Dubai 19:50KAC 620 Doha 19:50KAC 104 London 20:00OMA 647 Muscat 20:05KNE 381 Taif 20:10DLH 634 Frankfurt 20:15MEA 402 Beirut 20:15QTR 1088 Doha 20:35JZR 702 Taif 20:55KAC 564 Amman 21:00ETD 307 Dhabi 21:10KLM 445 Amsterdam 21:15

ALK 229 Colombo 21:15UAE 859 Dubai 21:15GFA 219 Bahrain 21:50QTR 1082 Doha 22:00ETD 309 Abu Dhabi 22:10AIC 975 Goa 22:25BBC 043 Dhaka 22:30JZR 241 Amman 22:55MSR 2614 Cairo 23:30FDB 071 Dubai 23:35

Departure Flights on Wednesday 14/6/2017Airlines Flt Route TimeAIC 988 Hyderabad/Chennai 00:05JZR 1540 Cairo 00:20JAI 573 Mumbai 00:30MSC 406 Sohag 00:30FDB 072 Dubai 00:30MSR 2615 Cairo 00:30KAC 363 Colombo 01:55DLH 635 Frankfurt 02:00MSR 619 Alexandria 02:35ETH 621 Addis Ababa 03:05PGT 831 Istanbul 03:10KLM 446 Amsterdam 03:30OMA 644 Muscat 04:05QTR 1087 Doha 04:10ETD 306 Abu Dhabi 04:10MSR 613 Cairo 04:15KAC 417 Manila 04:20JZR 560 Sohag 04:45KAC 103 ondon 05:00CEB 019 Manila 05:30QTR 1077 Doha 05:35KAC 303 Mumbai 5:50FEG 954 Asyut 05:55RJA 643 Amman 06:25THY 771 Istanbul 06:25GFA 212 Bahrain 06:50KAC 501 Beirut 07:50KAC 171 Frankfurt 07:50THY 6562 Hanoi 08:15BAW 156 London 08:20KAC 741 Riyadh 08:35KAC 513 Tehran 08:45KAC 661 Abu Dhabi 08:45KAC 101 London 09:00KAC 671 Dubai 09:15KAC 787 Jeddah 09:15KAC 117 New York 09:15KAC 691 Muscat 09:30JZR 534 Cairo 09:30ABY 126 Sharjah 09:40UAE 856 Dubai 09:50KAC 541 Cairo 10:00ETD 302 Abu Dhabi 10:00IRC 6522 Lamerd 10:00KAC 617 Doha 10:15IRA 664 Shiraz 10:25KAC 153 Istanbul 10:30QTR 1071 Doha 10:35FDB 056 Dubai 10:35

JZR 1776 Jeddah 11:00AXB 190 Delhi 11:05MSC 416 Sohag 11:15GFA 214 Bahrain 11:35MEA 405 Beirut 11:55JZR 776 Jeddah 12:00SYR 342 Latakia 12:00AXB 890 Mangalore 12:05KAC 511 Mashhad 12:45IAW 158 Al Najaf 13:00JZR 786 Riyadh 13:10JZR 176 Dubai 13:10THY 767 Istanbul 13:45FEG 932 Alexandria 13:55MSR 611 Cairo 14:00CLX 792 Hanoi 14:30IRC 6512 ABD 14:50KAC 673 Dubai 15:00KNE 382 Taif 15:00GFA 222 Bahrain 15:00KAC 615 Bahrain 15:10QTR 1079 Doha 15:15KAC 563 Amman 15:40SVA 501 Jeddah 15:45KNE 530 Jeddah 15:55KAC 619 Doha 16:00JZR 701 Madinah 16:00KAC 775 Riyadh 16:05OMA 646 Muscat 16:10ABY 128 Sharjah 16:15ETD 304 Abu Dhabi 16:20SAW 706 Damascus 16:50MSR 576 Sharm el-Sheikh 16:50RJA 641 Amman 16:55SVA 505 Madinah 16:55FDB 052 Dubai 17:05KAC 503 Beirut 17:15JZR 266 Beirut 17:15JZR 552 Alexandria 17:25QTR 1073 Doha 17:25JZR 240 Amman 17:30KAC 361 Colombo 17:35KAC 357 Kochi 17:40UAE 858 Dubai 17:40KAC 381 Delhi 17:50NIA 362 Alexandria 17:50KAC 343 Chennai 18:00KAC 283 Dhaka 18:00SVA 511 Riyadh 18:15GFA 216 Bahrain 18:20JZR 538 Cairo 18:30KAC 785 Jeddah 18:45AZQ 4566 GYD 19:00QTR 1081 Doha 19:15MSR 621 Cairo 19:30GFA 218 Bahrain 19:50ABY 124 Sharjah 20:00FDB 058 Dubai 20:30UAE 876 Dubai 20:35KAC 331 Trivandrum 20:35

ACCOMMODATION

Sharing accommodation ForFilipino Bachelor ONLYFarwaniya block 1, near gulf­mart. Available on June 25,

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Contact 94418396 or94033908 (12-6-2017)

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 14, 2017

In taking care of business, it is important to stay focused. There is a senseof emotional coolness or detachment at the personal level. It is ideas that

count for you now, more than narrowly personal concerns-and you may have little tol-erance for people who do not function at this level. You do not waste words today ascommunications tend to be short and to the point. Take time to be specific and ask forfeedback so that you can be sure you were clear in your instructions to others. Take careof every last detail by proofing, or if possible, exchanging your work with someone elseand proofing the other's work. Develop and use your critical faculties. You are deter-mined to complete your tasks. This evening is an excellent time to relax by music.

Aries (March 21-April 19)

STAR TRACK

Inventions, in particular in communications, perhaps by updating com-puters and electronics, may be a path of temptation to move into some type of newprofession. There are clear perspectives into your present reality, making situations easi-er to understand. You are tolerant and accepting of differences and have good insightsinto problems. Independent, you like to promote and compromise and otherwise showyour desire and abilities to understand others. You may be unconventional in matters ofphilosophy and religion-always finding new ways to get past the fluff. You must under-stand, however, that your insights into truth and the eternal make you a loner at times.You seek to understand situations by finding new ways to better conditions.

Taurus (April 20-May 20)

This is a time of good fortune when things open up in a very natural wayfor you. Opportunities are plenty and you may find yourself wanting and able to doalmost anything. This is one of those days that everything blends together and resultsare the best they can be. Now . . . Here are some real opportunities to complete andwork out difficulties and projects that require both long-term effort and a high degreeof discipline. This is also a day that is good for most job-related events. You could repre-sent or speak for your company at this time. Any personal matters you want to accom-plish or business matters that need tending will also certainly end in positive ways.Tonight would be a good time to pal around with some of your friends-maybe sports.

You are in control of your day, especially when interacting with superi-ors. You may find that you enjoy your job or the responsibility it requires. It is ideasthat count for you now, more than narrowly personal concerns. You are at your mostpractical when it comes to dealing and working with others. You know just what todo and can act without haste. Your ideal dream is a private one and heaven is as closeas work and family. The romantic in you struggles against the frontier spirit that oftenmoves you to action. You will continue to develop a knack for organizing things andpeople as a sense of ambition and practicality deepens. Work, achievement andambition mean a lot to you now-show off your skills.

Cancer (June 21-July 22)

Your dreams and ideals are very important to you. You may be morefocused on your goals now than ever before. You busy yourself putting those plans ofyours to work. You will notice that you have become more focused in your work lately.This afternoon, when you show up early for a family get-together, they may be sur-prised as well as pleased that you broke free from your projects in order to be withthem. You are intuitively learning your limits as well as implementing a balance in yourlife. There is time this evening for making a few special plans that will help you com-plete one or two of your goals. You may find yourself putting your whole heart intomaking your dreams and ideals a reality. Much can be accomplished without stress.

Saying or writing with style comes natural to you these days. Newwords to increase your vocabulary expertise can be a fun activity between you and afriend or co-worker. Your ability to discriminate real breakthroughs and spot newtrends makes you able to work in areas that are at the very fringe of technology aswell as psychology. You love all that is new and different and electronics, computers,communication-in fact, everything electrical is where your attention stays focusedmost of this day. There is a desire for variety this evening, particularly where it appliesto romantic experience and artistic tastes. A sociable, congenial, slightly frivolous ori-entation sets in now. You will enjoy the interaction of friends tonight.

Virgo (August 23-September 22)

Your career could assume a much more determined and solid form. Thisis a real time to buckle down and firm up your career goals. Your own ambition anddrive are strong. You are able to use good reasonable thinking and make good choic-es. You can get a faster push forward by taking the right kind of action; you are posi-tive and attentive. By working at a steady pace you will make a lot of progress. Thisafternoon you may find yourself advising or guiding another. Your spontaneity andunpredictability make you interesting to a group gathering this evening. You areindependent and the way you come across to others creates an opportunity to teachand guide. You find some time to enjoy some simple exercise before retiring tonight.

Libra (September 23-October 22)

You may find that a particular project is just not your cup of tea this morn-ing. You take your turn and may have the opportunity to suggest a rotation routine sothat you are not always called on to do things you do not want to do every day. A goodsport attitude may be all-important just now. Outwardly you are intense and passionateand this quality is so essential to your character that all else revolves around it. This is whatmakes you popular when your work or personal partners want to move forward and getthings accomplished. This afternoon you and your neighbors may decide that this nextweekend would be perfect for a cookout. A meeting will be productive and allow every-one to pick what to bring, whose house and the theme or fun activities to enjoy.

Scorpio (October 23-November 21)

You are in tune with the practical issues in the workplace today. A firmsense of direction will help get you to your destination. This is a great

time to be working in groups. You may be sought after as a guide or leader. You couldbe most persuasive with others and charismatic in speech and communication. Youcould come up with new solutions or inventions, and it is good that you are willing tolisten to the ideas of others. It is ideas that count for you now, more than narrowly per-sonal concerns. Family needs are important and there is no question about attendinga family event this evening. Praise and support encourages a loved one to achieve thebest. You are the cheerleader and the inspiration for your family and friends.

Sagittarius (November 22-December 21)

Be satisfied with the ordinary and usual for now. Novel ideas or insightscould be more damaging than useful. There is hectic emotional energy prevailing, butit is only temporary. After the workday is over, you could be tempted to relieve stressby purchasing some items. There is a greater appreciation for things of value and theidea of value itself is in order. This could be a period of great material gain; it is certain-ly a time when material things have a great deal of importance for you. If you are on abudget, give yourself twenty-four hours before making your final purchase decision.You may be helpful to a friend or close relative this evening. You are able to find the

real truth about a questionable situation.

Capricorn (December 22-January 19)

Your successful optimism is obvious and therefore, catching. You see pos-itive results from your hard work today. Family, home, relatives and real

estate play a big part in your life now. Perhaps you have been planning a move andsomeone calls with information on just the right home for you. You work to show off yourskills and you enjoy the praise you receive. This time marks a change of direction for you,away from the material and glitter, toward inner needs and security. Your intuition isstrong and can guide you accurately in making forecasts or decisions; allow this to workfor you. You will find yourself more concerned with maintaining and strengthening yourposition, rather than pushing outward. These next few months are for friends.

Pisces (February 19-March 20)

Anyone who tries to get you to play with words is in for a big surprise.Your mind cuts right through all the window dressing and gets right down to thequick. Before anyone knows it, you have the heart of the matter out front for everyoneto see. You would make a great investigator, either in scientific research or undercoverwork. It makes no difference. Your ability to get to the point is all but phenomenal. Youcan talk and put into words areas of the psychological that others would not touch.You have an urge to put out to sea and to somehow get past what separates and intothat which unites or ties things together. Your drive to make dreams real keeps youworking for your vision and goals. Consider volunteer work this week.

Aquarius (January 20- February 18)

CROSSWORD 1636

ACROSS1. A lyric poet.5. A mountain peak in the Andes in Bolivia

(21,391 feet high).11. A piece of information about circumstances

that exist or events that have occurred.15. A particular geographical region of indefinite

boundary (usually serving some special pur-pose or distinguished by its people or cultureor geography).

16. Grammatical number category referring totwo or more items or units.

17. Large sweet juicy hybrid between tangerineand grapefruit having a thick wrinkled skin.

18. The state of being decayed or destroyed.19. An island in the Aegean Sea in the Saronic

Gulf.20. Concerning those not members of the clergy.21. A rechargeable battery with a nickel cathode

and a cadmium anode.23. (prefix) Coming after.25. (informal) Being satisfactory or in satisfactory

condition.26. A collection of objects laid on top of each oth-

er.28. An industrial city in the Donets Basin.31. The ratio of the circumference to the diameter

of a circle.33. Hormone secreted by the posterior pituitary

gland (trade name Pitressin) and also bynerve endings in the hypothalamus.

34. A white soft metallic element that tarnishesreadily.

35. Small genus of Australian shrubs or trees.38. (informal) Of the highest quality.40. Type genus of the family Arcidae.42. Either extremity of something that has length.43. Antibacterial drug (trade name Nydrazid)

used to treat tuberculosis.44. An accidental hole that allows something (flu-

id or light etc.) to enter or escape.46. A name for the Old Testament God as translit-

erated from the Hebrew YHVH.48. An area of ground used for some particular

purpose (such as building or farming).52. (Akkadian) God of wisdom.53. A very prickly woody vine of the eastern

United States growing in tangled masseshaving tough round stems with shiny leath-ery leaves and small greenish flowers fol-lowed by clusters of inedible shiny blackberries.

54. Relating to or like or divided into areolae.56. An ancient Hebrew unit of dry measure equal

to about a bushel.57. A highly unstable radioactive element (the

heaviest of the halogen series).59. In such a manner as could not be otherwise.60. (Babylonian) God of wisdom and agriculture

and patron of scribes and schools.63. A loose sleeveless outer garment made from

aba cloth.67. The capital city of Vietnam.69. (Babylonian) God of storms and wind.72. Large high frilly cap with a full crown.74. Loose temporary stitches.76. A white metallic element that burns with a

brilliant light.77. Fermented alcoholic beverage similar to but

heavier than beer.78. Chop cut from a hog.81. An open box attached to a long pole handle.82. A major school of Buddhism teaching person-

al salvation through one's own efforts.83. A federal agency established to regulate the

release of new foods and health-relatedproducts.

DOWN1. An outlying farm building for storing grain or

animal feed and housing farm animals.2. Wild sheep of northern Africa.3. The German state.4. Fairly small terrestrial ferns of tropical America.5. A health resort near a spring or at the seaside.6. A city in northwestern Syria.7. A native or inhabitant of Yugoslavia.8. Bristlelike process near the tip of the antenna of

certain flies.9. A blanket that is used as a cloak or shawl.10. A flat wing-shaped process or winglike part of

an organism.11. A family of languages of the Fula people of

west Africa in the sub-Sahara regions fromSenegal to Chad.

12. Title for a civil or military leader (especially inTurkey).

13. (Greek mythology) The Muse of history.14. A metallic tapping sound.22. An informal term for a father.24. Warm-blooded egg-laying vertebrates charac-

terized by feathers and forelimbs modified aswings.

27. A Thraco-Phrygian language spoken by theancient inhabitants of Phrygia and nowextinct--preserved only in a few inscriptions.

29. Tall fan palm of Africa and India and Malaysiayielding a hard wood and sweet sap that is asource of palm wine and sugar.

30. Of or relating to near the ear.32. A mass of ice and snow that permanently cov-

ers a large area of land (e.g., the polar regionsor a mountain peak).

36. The cardinal number that is the sum of eightand one.

37. Large scissors with strong blades.39. The 3rd planet from the sun.41. Long-legged spotted cat of Africa and south-

western Asia having nonretractile claws.45. Cubes of meat marinated and cooked on a

skewer usually with vegetables.47. Naked freshwater or marine or parasitic proto-

zoa that form temporary pseudopods forfeeding and locomotion.

49. A colorless and odorless inert gas.50. A compartment in front of a motor vehicle

where driver sits.51. A Russian river.55. A soft heavy toxic malleable metallic element.58. Obsolete terms for legal insanity.61. A coffee cake flavored with orange rind and

raisins and almonds.62. A metal spike with a hole for a rope.64. A cord fastened around the neck with an

ornamental clasp and worn as a necktie.65. In bed.66. The 11th letter of the Hebrew alphabet.68. A law passed by US Congress to prevent

employees from being injured or contractingdiseases in the course of their employment.

70. Harsh or corrosive in tone.71. A Chadic language spoken south of Lake

Chad.73. Hawaiian dish of taro root pounded to a paste

and often allowed to ferment.75. A federal agency established to coordinate

programs aimed at reducing pollution andprotecting the environment.

79. A radioactive gaseous element formed by thedisintegration of radium.

80. A substance produced by the hypothalamusthat is capable of accelerating the secretionof a given hormone by the anterior pituitarygland.

Yesterday’s Solution

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Gemini (May 21-June 20)

Leo (July 23-August 22)

inf or m at ionWEDNESDAY, JUNE 14, 2017

Ahmadi Sama Safwan Fahaeel Makka St 23915883Abu Halaifa Abu Halaifa-Coastal Rd 23715414Danat Al-Sultan Mahboula Block 1, Coastal Rd 23726558

Jahra Modern Jahra Jahra-Block 3 Lot 1 24575518Madina Munawara Jahra-Block 92 24566622

Capital Ahlam Fahad Al-Salem St 22436184Khaldiya Coop Khaldiya Coop 24833967

Farwaniya New Shifa Farwaniya Block 40 24734000Ferdous Coop Ferdous Coop 24881201Modern Safwan Old Kheitan Block 11 24726638

Hawally Tariq Salmiya-Hamad Mubarak St 25726265Hana Salmiya-Amman St 25647075Ikhlas Hawally-Beirut St 22625999Hawally & Rawdha Hawally & Rawdha Coop 22564549Ghadeer Jabriya-Block 1A 25340559Kindy Jabriya-Block 3B 25326554Ibn Al-Nafis Salmiya-Hamad Mubarak St 25721264Mishrif Coop Mishrif Coop 25380581Salwa Coop Salwa Coop 25628241

Ophthalmologists

Dr. Abidallah Al-Mansoor 25622444

Dr. Samy Al-Rabeea 25752222

Dr. Masoma Habeeb 25321171

Dr. Mubarak Al-Ajmy 25739999

Dr. Mohsen Abel 25757700

Dr Adnan Hasan Alwayl 25732223

Dr. Abdallah Al-Baghly 25732223

Ear, Nose & Throat (ENT)

Dr. Ahmed Fouad Mouner 24555050 Ext 510

Dr. Abdallah Al-Ali 25644660

Dr. Abd Al-Hameed Al-Taweel 25646478

Dr. Sanad Al-Fathalah 25311996

Dr. Mohammad Al-Daaory 25731988

Dr. Ismail Al-Fodary 22620166

Dr. Mahmoud Al-Booz 25651426

General Practitioners

Dr. Mohamme Y Majidi 24555050 Ext 123

Dr. Yousef Al-Omar 24719312

Dr. Tarek Al-Mikhazeem 23926920

Dr. Kathem Maarafi 25730465

Dr. Abdallah Ahmad Eyadah 25655528

Dr. Nabeel Al-Ayoobi 24577781

Dr. Dina Abidallah Al-Refae 25333501

Urologists

Dr. Ali Naser Al-Serfy 22641534

Dr. Fawzi Taher Abul 22639955

Dr. Khaleel Abidallah Al-Awadi 22616660

Dr. Adel Al-Hunayan FRCS (C) 25313120

Dr. Leons Joseph 66703427

For labor-related inquiries and complaints:

Call MSAL hotline 128

Sabah Hospital 24812000

Amiri Hospital 22450005

Maternity Hospital 24843100

Mubarak Al-Kabir Hospital 25312700

Chest Hospital 24849400

Farwaniya Hospital 24892010

Adan Hospital 23940620

Ibn Sina Hospital 24840300

Al-Razi Hospital 24846000

Physiotherapy Hospital 24874330/9

Kaizen center 25716707

Rawda 22517733

Adaliya 22517144

Khaldiya 24848075

Kaifan 24849807

Shamiya 24848913

Shuwaikh 24814507

Abdullah Salem 22549134

Nuzha 22526804

Industrial Shuwaikh 24814764

Qadsiya 22515088

Dasmah 22532265

Bneid Al-Gar 22531908

Shaab 22518752

Qibla 22459381

Ayoun Al-Qibla 22451082

Mirqab 22456536

Sharq 22465401

Salmiya 25746401

Jabriya 25316254

Maidan Hawally 25623444

Bayan 25388462

Mishref 25381200

W Hawally 22630786

Sabah 24810221

Jahra 24770319

New Jahra 24575755

West Jahra 24772608

South Jahra 24775066

North Jahra 24775992

North Jleeb 24311795

Ardhiya 24884079

Firdous 24892674

Omariya 24719048

N Khaitan 24710044

Fintas 23900322

GOVERNORATE PHARMACY ADDRESS PHONE

Plastic Surgeons

Dr. Mohammad Al-Khalaf 22547272

Dr. Abdal-Redha Lari 22617700

Dr. Abdel Quttainah 25625030/60

Family Doctor

Dr Divya Damodar 23729596/23729581

Psychiatrists

Dr. Esam Al-Ansari 22635047

Dr Eisa M. Al-Balhan 22613623/0

Gynaecologists & Obstetricians

DrAdrian arbe 23729596/23729581

Dr. Verginia s.Marin 2572-6666 ext 8321

Dr. Fozeya Ali Al-Qatan 22655539

Dr. Majeda Khalefa Aliytami 25343406

Dr. Ahmad Al-Khooly 25739272

Dr. Salem soso 22618787

General Surgeons

Dr. Amer Zawaz Al-Amer 22610044

Dr. Mohammad Yousef Basher 25327148

Internists, Chest & Heart

Dr. Adnan Ebil 22639939

Dr. Mousa Khadada 22666300

Dr. Latefa Al-Duweisan 25728004

Dr. Nadem Al-Ghabra 25355515

Dr. Mobarak Aldoub 24726446

Dr Nasser Behbehani 25654300/3

Paediatricians

Dr. Khaled Hamadi 25665898

Dr. Abd Al-Aziz Al-Rashed 25340300

Dr. Zahra Qabazard 25710444

Dr. Sohail Qamar 22621099

Dr. Snaa Maaroof 25713514

Dr. Pradip Gujare 23713100

Dr. Zacharias Mathew 24334282

Dermatology

Dr. Mohammed Salam Bern University 23845955

Dentists

Dr Anil Thomas 3729596/3729581

Dr. Shamah Al-Matar 22641071/2

Dr. Anesah Al-Rasheed 22562226

Dr. Abidallah Al-Amer 22561444

Dr. Faysal Al-Fozan 22619557

Dr. Abdallateef Al-Katrash 22525888

Dr. Abidallah Al-Duweisan 25653755

Dr. Bader Al-Ansari 25620111

Neurologists

Dr. Sohal Najem Al-Shemeri 25633324

Dr. Jasem Mola Hassan 25345875

Gastrologists

Dr. Sami Aman 22636464

Dr. Mohammad Al-Shamaly 25322030

Dr. Foad Abidallah Al-Ali 22633135

Endocrinologist

Dr. Abd Al-Naser Al-Othman 25339330

Dr. Ahmad Al-Ansari 25658888

Dr. Kamal Al-Shomr 25329924

Physiotherapists & VD

Dr. Deyaa Shehab 25722291

Dr. Musaed Faraj Khamees 22666288

Rheumatologists:

Dr. Adel Al-Awadi 25330060

Dr. Khaled Al-Jarallah 25722290

Internist, Chest & Heart

DR.Mohammes Akkad 24555050 Ext 210

Dr. Mohammad Zubaid MB, ChB, FRCPC, PACC Assistant Professor Of Medicine Head, Division of Cardiology Mubarak Al-Kabeer Hospital 25339667

Consultant Cardiologist

Dr. Farida Al-Habib 2611555-2622555 MD, PH.D, FACC

Inaya German Medical Center Te: 2575077 Fax: 25723123

Soor CenterTel: 2290-1677Fax: 2290 1688

info@soorcenter.comwww.soorcenter.com

Psychologists/Psychotherapists

PRIVATE CLINICS

William Schuilenberg, RPC 2290-1677Zaina Al Zabin, M.Sc. 2290-1677

Kaizen center25716707

Noor Clinic23845955

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WEDNESDAY, JUNE 14, 2017

l if e s t y l eG O S S I P

Carole King is to release her iconic 'Tapestry: Live At Hyde Park' con-cert on CD, DVD and digitally. The 75-year-old music legend per-formed her seminal album 'Tapestry' live for the first time ever when

she headlined Barclaycard presents British Summer Time Hyde Park inLondon in July last year. The 'It's Too Late' hitmaker - who was playing herfirst concert in the UK for 27 years - was welcomed onto the stage by avideo tribute that included messages from Sir Elton John and Tom Hanksas her thousands of fans cheered wildly. In the clip that was broadcast, the70-year-old 'Tiny Dancer' hitmaker said of the star: "She's the quintessen-tial singer/songwriter. I can't thank her enough because without her Iwould have never wanted to write songs. I always wanted to write songslike Gerry Goffin and Carole King." Hanks, 60, added: "There wasn't awoman on the planet earth that, sometimes even your mum, who didn't

take 'Tapestry' and hold the album to their heart and say, 'This is real.'"Now fans will be able to relive the live show, a moment in musical history,with the release of the package, which includes the entire concert andCarole herself giving fans an insight into the making her esteemed secondrecord. Acknowledging the 45 years that have passed since the album'soriginal release, King said at the concert: "So, this is what 74 looks like ...I'm old but I want you to know I'm OK with it." King's set was watched by ahost of stars including One Direction's Niall Horan, Suki Waterhouse,Georgia May Jagger and her sister Lizzie Jagger, Dominic Cooper, KellyJones, Mel C and Will Young. 'Tapestry: Live At Hyde Park', which is beingreleased via Legacy Recordings, a division of Sony Music Entertainment,and Rockingale Records on September 1.

Carole King announces Tapestry:Live At Hyde Park release

Eddie Vedder reportedly signed acheque for around £22,000 to contin-ue Pearl Jam's concert after the cur-

few at Dublin's 3Arena on Friday night. The'Better Man' hitmakers ended up doing amighty 32 songs at the show and a fan hasclaimed the 52-year-old rocker paid thestaggering amount to perform beyond the11pm time limit. Eddie is believed to havewalked off stage briefly to sort out themoney before continuing to perform therest of the set, which included Bob Dylancovers. A fan wrote on the group's forumon PearlJam.com: "A lad who works at the3Arena said Eddie walked off stage andsigned a cheque for 25,000 (£22,000) so hecould keep playing." Meanwhile, the rockstar recently revealed Beatles legend SirPaul McCartney, 74, once punched him inthe face by mistake when they were outdrinking in a busy bar in Seattle,

Washington, but he didn't mind his idolcoming into contact with him and makinghim bleed. Speaking on SiriusXM on thenew channel dedicated to the 'Let It Be' hit-makers, simply called The Beatles Channel,Eddie shared: "He kind of was illustratinghow he hit this guy, and when he did that,he shot out his left arm as if he was hittingthis guy, and I was standing there, and I gothit. "He hit me! He didn't quite pull backthe punch, you see." On how he didn't wantthe moment to fade, he added: "I think Iremember tasting a bit of blood. He got meright on the side of the [face]. "I rememberit hurt for a few days, and I rememberwhen it went away, and when the painfinally subsided and the swelling wentdown, I kind of missed it."

Eddie Vedder pays £22K for Pearl Jam to play past curfew?

Ed Sheeran toperform intimategig for Capital

Ed Sheeran is to perform an intimate gig atKOKO London in Camden on June 20. The 26-year-old flame-haired hunk will perform at the

venue, which holds just 1,410, for what will be one ofthe smallest shows he's played in a very long time.The show is part of the second gig in the 'Capital UpClose with Coca-Cola' series, which only Capital lis-teners will be able to win tickets to by listening tothe radio station. The 'Supermarket Flowers' hitmak-er is looking forward to performing in the British cap-ital amid his extensive world tour in support of hisrecord-breaking album 'Divide', as it feels like home.Ed said: "I love London, it's like coming home. I'maway a lot at the moment with the tour and I alwaysmiss the UK. The fans are incredible and I can't waitto play for Capital listeners at such an intimate ven-ue." Ashley Tabor, founder & executive president ofGlobal, said: "Ed Sheeran is an incredible talent andone of the biggest artists on the planet. He sells outarenas all over the world, so to have him perform insuch an intimate setting just for Capital listeners isvery special. We created 'Capital Up Close' to give hitmusic fans the chance to see the world's biggestartists up close and personal, kicking it off last yearwith none other than Justin Timberlake. This is goingto be another incredible show!"

The Lounge Kittens say Status Quo's Francis Rossi waslike a "fatherly figure" when they supported the leg-endary rockers last year. The comedy rock trio - com-

prised of Jenny Deacon, Timia Gwendoline and ZanLawther - got the chance to perform on the 'Rockin' AllOver the World' hitmakers' 'Last Night Of The Electrics Tour'in December and have heaped praise on the 68-year-oldsinger and guitarist who looked after them as if they werehis daughters and encouraged them before they went onstage. Speaking exclusively to BANG Showbiz at DownloadFestival at Donington Park, Leicestershire on Sunday Zan -said: "They were just lovely people. Francis [Rossi] is a bit ofa fan. He was like this father figure on the tour. He wouldpop up and he keeps a lot of time for himself and obvious-ly Rick wasn't there and he passed just after the tour fin-ished. "Francis would be there when you wouldn't expectit. "Moments before we were going on stage at The O2,Francis appeared and was like, 'I'm really p***ed off girls

there is not enough people out there to see you, they areall in the band.'" When they performed at The O2 inLondon, which seats 20,000 people, Francis apologized tothem about the small amount of people who turned up tosee them, but they were happy to even be performing atthe famous venue. The pink-haired beauty said: "Evenwhen there are only 10 people in The O2 it is still lots ofpeople. We were fine. "He was there and ushering youonto the stage like he's got your back. Lovely guys." Thegirls were gutted that Status Quo's late rhythm guitaristRick Parfitt, who died last Christmas Eve at the age of 68 asa result of a severe infection, was too unwell to perform onthe tour and even more so when he passed away shortlyafter the tour ended. Zan added: "He was too unwell forthe tour and he died the day after, it was a shame. But hispresence was there."

The Lounge Kittens: Rossi waslike fatherly figure on tour

Selena Gomez hopes sampling TalkingHeads on 'Bad Liar' has introducedher fans to the legendary new wave

band. The 24-year-old pop beauty receivedpermission from the group's lead singerDavid Byrne, 65, to use Tina Weymouth'sclassic bassline from their 1977 hit 'PsychoKiller' on the song and is thrilled that theyliked how it turned out. Asked about thetrack, she said: "It was just kind of one ofthose moments where it happened.'Psycho Killer' is an amazing song and the

bass line is totally separate from what theactual song is, but it is one of the thosethings where it either works or it doesn'twork. And luckily, in this case, I think itcame out really well, and it did it justice.And I really hope that some of my fans whomaybe weren't really familiar with that kindof music would be introduced to that. So, itwas exciting." The 'It Ain't Me' hitmaker haspromised her fans - who are known asSelenators - that new tunes are "coming forsure" as she is making headway in the stu-dio. She said: "I spent a year in the studio,and now I'm putting all of these piecestogether, and it's coming a lot faster thanpeople think. But that's what makes itgreat, because there's a little mystery to it,and it sounds so separate from everythingelse I 've done. I mean, from the Kygorecord, to 'Bad Liar' and the next thingthat's after 'Bad Liar' is so separate fromthat, it's just me trying to figure out whereit's gonna go. And I don't really have a setplan, but a lot of new music is coming forsure." The brunette beauty - who is dating'Starboy' rapper The Weeknd - has admit-ted she needed some space to work outwhat she enjoys most in life as an actress,singer and as executive producer on hitNetflix series '13 Reasons Why'. She toldiHeartRadio: "I kind of hovered away a littlebit because I really tried to find the balancein my life. I think it's really important for meto figure out what makes me happy, and Idon't really want to be all over the place. "Iwant to pick the things that I'm passionateabout, and I want to make them great, andI think that's where I'm at in my life and inmy career. So, I take the moments formyself."

Gomez hopes Bad Liar introduces

fans to Talking Heads

Aerosmith close

Download Festival

Aerosmith's Steven Tyler closed Download Festivalwith the support of his daughter Liv Tyler onSunday night. The legendary rockers performed

their biggest hits including 'Love in an Elevator' and'Dude Looks Like a Lady' as the 39-year-old beauty sungalong with her fiance Dave Gardner, 12-year-old sonMilo - whom she has with ex-husband RoystonLangdon - and her stepson Gray, nine, from the side ofthe main stage. The actress - who also has childrenSailor, two and Lula-Rose, 11 months, with Dave -attempted to go incognito by rocking blacked outshades, but Steven kept going over and singing to hisdaughter. During the two-hour set of 18 songs, Steven,69, dedicated 1973 classic 'Dream On' to the peoplewho lost their lives and were affected by the terroristattacks in London and Manchester. He said: "It is amaz-ing how quickly a dream can turn into a nightmare,right? I'm so sorry for the nightmares England has gonethrough lately. Not to mention the ones that we all gothrough daily. But, remember when you dream gooddreams, they are good for the whole world. Aerosmithis dreaming with. Dream on baby." Meanwhile, guitaristJoe Perry, 66, was on form and looked in good healthdespite last July's stage collapse mid-concert, afterwhich he was hospitalized for dehydration and exhaus-tion. Highlights of the set included power ballad 'I Don'tWant to Miss a Thing' as the clouds darkened the nightsky and the finale of 'Walk This Way', which everyonewas waiting for. The only thing missing to wrap up agreat weekend of live music at the festival at DoningtonPark in Leicestershire, was a big fireworks display at theend of their set, like Biffy Clyro had on Saturday night.Earlier on in the day, heavy metal icons Slayer, Opethand Clutch were among those who performed on theZippo Encore stage. Throughout the festival fans wereable to purchase their own official Download lighter atthe Zippo Encore Area.

Nicki Minajteases new music

Nicki Minaj has teased she has new music comingthis month. The 34-year-old rapper hasn't releaseda studio album since 2014's 'The Pinkprint', and

although she has had a range of singles this year including'Changed It' and 'Frauds', the star has teased she has bigplans for the rest of June. Speaking to DJ Whoo Kid on his'Whoolywood Shuffle' show on Shade 45, Nicki simply said:"June is going to be a huge month for music, that's all I'mgoing to say." Meanwhile, it was revealed last month thatthe 'Anaconda' hitmaker was teaming up with Katy Perryto record a song called 'Soft Lips' for Calvin Harris' nextalbum. And whilst all three artists have history with fellowmusician Taylor Swift, sources insist the track won't beabout the 'Blank Space' hitmaker. Calvin dated Taylor for 15months until June last year, Katy famously fell out with herin 2012 after the blonde beauty claimed she pinched herbacking dancers and Nicki had Twitter beef with her overthe lack of black artists nominated for MTV Video MusicAwards in 2015. Of the song, which will no doubt be a bighit, an insider said: "Nicki and Katy Perry have already beenteasing 'Soft Lips' on social media. Although lyrically thesong is not obviously about Taylor, it's no coincidence thatthese three artists all have come together. They have allhad high-profile run-ins with Taylor and it won't have goneunnoticed by her." And the 'Super Bass' musician was alsoforced to make changes to her 'No Frauds' music video inMarch after footage she shot on Westminster Bridge inLondon was deemed inappropriate after the tragic newsthat three people were killed on the iconic landmark whena terrorist drove a car into pedestrians just one day afterNicki's shoot. A source said: "When everybody involved inthe project heard the news they were devastated andthought it would be in bad taste to feature it. "The otherLondon scenes will remain, but it's highly doubtful thebridge footage will make the cut."

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 14, 2017

G O S S I P

l if e s t y l e

Iain Glen's latest film 'My Cousin Rachel' will keep you"guessing". The 'Game of Thrones' star is starring along-side Rachel Weisz, 47, in the new film by Roger Miller

which is based around the 1951 novel by Daphne DuMaurier and Iain, who plays Nick Kendall, says the story will"keep you guessing" in a good way. Speaking to websiteCollider, the 55-year-old actor said: "Your relationship toRachel, played so brilliantly by Rachel Weisz, changesthroughout. You become entranced and enticed by thisexotic creature that comes in and turns things upsidedown and you spend the rest of the film thinking 'I've got a

hold of it. I know what's going on. Wait, no I don't.' That'sthe psychological thriller that's at the heart of Daphne DuMaurier's writing." The film follows young EnglishmanPhilip (Sam Claflin) who plots revenge against his mysteri-ous cousin Rachel believing that she murdered hisguardian. But his feelings become complicated as he findshimself falling under the beguiling spell of her charms andIain claims the audience will also jump between liking thecharacter and not trusting her. Iain said: "I knew that shewas the great mistress of irresolution where nothing wouldbecome concrete and you'd be suspended throughout.

"But in amongst that you feel like you understand and thatyou've just been given a clue which leads you to one con-clusion. "But then before you know it, you're beingdragged back into another conclusion. Rachel does thatvery well because you feel for her at times. "You feel herhurt sometimes, and then you feel her vulnerability butthen you think she's being manipulative. "She plays it outvery subtly throughout so that you're kept guessing."

Iain Glen: My Cousin Rachel keeps you guessing

'Deadpool 2' has added Shiori Kutsuna to the cast.The 24-year-old actress is to star alongside RyanReynolds who is reprising his role as the wise-

cracking anti-hero in sequel to the 2016 box office hit.Kutsuna - who starred in Lee Sang-il's 2013 remake of ClintEastwood's 'Unforgiven' - has been cast in an as-yetunknown role, but her character is believed to be key tothe action flick's plot. 'The Strain' star Jack Kesy recentlyjoined the project as a main villain, believed to be BlackTom, an Irish mutant who wreaked havoc in the 'X-Men'comics as he had the ability to manipulate energy throughplants and nature. Josh Brolin is also on board the projectand has been cast as Cable, whilst Stefan Kapacic willreprise his role as Colossus and Brianna Hildebrand returnsas teenage psychic Negasonic Teenage Warhead. Morena

Baccarin will also return as Deadpool's love interestVanessa Carlysle, and Leslie Uggams will reprise her role asBlind Al. When the 73-year-old actress was previouslyasked if she has a role in the second instalment, Leslie sim-ply replied: "Definitely." Also recently cast for 'Deadpool 2'is 'Atlanta' star Zazie Beetz, who will play the role ofDomino, a mutant who has developed telekinetic powers.David Leitch will direct the upcoming film in replace of TimMiller who helmed the first movie from a script penned bythe returning Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick. 'Deadpool 2' isscheduled to be released on June 1 next year. Kutsuna willsoon be seen in comedy 'Oh Lucy!' alongside Josh Hartnettand a few months ago she wrapped shooting on crimedrama 'The Outsider', which also stars Jared Leto.

Shiori Kutsuna cast in Deadpool 2

Chris Evans gotmisty-eyed reading

script for Gifted

Chris Evans got "misty-eyed" reading the scriptfor 'Gifted'. The 36-year-old actor admitted hischaracter Frank Adler - who cares for his niece,

a mathematical genius - is very different to bothhimself and his most famous alter ego, CaptainAmerica, but he could relate to having a "complex"family to deal with. He told Time Out magazine:"This is the kind of movie I would go and see. When Iread it I got a little misty-eyed. "I have a very big, col-orful family who are complex at times. With friendsyou can always say 'get off' but with family you haveto make it work. "Captain America is so selfless andnoble. Frank is a little bit more of a gorilla. "He bot-tles up his feelings. That's very much not like me soit's fun to play the opposite." Meanwhile, Chris' long-running contract with the Marvel CinematicUniverse is due to end after two more movies, andthough he's looking forward to not having any "pro-fessional obligation" to stick to, he is expecting moretears when the time comes to say goodbye to hischaracter. He said: "It's exciting to not have any pro-fessional obligation but it has been a wonderfulsense of job security. "There will be tears when Ihave to hang up the suit." Like many Marvel charac-ters, there is a huge array of Captain America-themed merchandise available, and while Chrisadmitted it was initially "weird" seeing his face onlunchboxes and pyjama sets, his mother is an avidcollector. He said: "It was weird at first but now it'sold hat. My mother has all of it. Her attic has turnedinto a museum of 'Captain America' memorabilia."

Richard Gere:'Pretty Woman

still has its magic'

Richard Gere thinks 'Pretty Woman' had a special"magic" to it. The 67-year-old actor - who played busi-nessman Edward Lewis in the 1990 romantic comedy

alongside Julia Roberts as his lover Vivian Ward - admittedthe iconic movie isn't always "in his life", but he is regularlyasked about it, and he believes its enduring popularity isdown to a quality that can't be easily replicated. Whenasked if he hated talking about 'Pretty Woman', he said: "No,I am OK with it, I only talk about it in interviews. It is not inmy life all the time. It has lasted because there is a magic toit that you can't repeat, it was a magic that came from thattime, that place and the people involved. When it comes tochoosing his roles, Richard - who was previously married toCindy Crawford and Carey Lowell and has dated PriscillaPresley and Kim Basinger - compared the process to "fallingin love" because it is just as instinctive. He told the Metronewspaper: "You're just drawn to it. It's like falling in love -you can't say why, you can just feel it." And the actor rel-ished the chance to portray small time operator NormanOppenheimer in 2016 political drama 'Norman: TheModerate Rise and Tragic Fall of a New York Fixer' because itwas such an unexpected role to be offered. He admitted:"With Norman I was surprised they asked me, it's not anobvious piece of casting. Everything about Norman is emo-tionally, physically and psychologically opposite to me. But Iwas like, 'OK, if you are open to trying to figure out how tomake this then I am too'." But when it comes down toHollywood success, Richard believes "luck" is just as vital afactor as talent. He said: "You have to have a certain amountof talent of or you are a non-starter but there is an enor-mous amount of luck. I don't think it's something you canactually make. In Buddhism we say 'causes and conditions'.You can't force it."

O'Shea Jackson Jrto star in Dock

O'Shea Jackson Jr is set to star in 'Dock'. The 26-year-old actor - who is the son of rapper and fellowmovie star Ice Cube - landed his big break in 2015

starring in 'Straight Outta Compton' and the dark-hairedhunk will continue to make waves in the film industry as heportrays the lead role of the baseball pitcher Dock Ellis inthe upcoming biopic penned by Joseph Poach. Accordingto Empire Online, O'Shea's upcoming project will see himdepict the real life story of the late New York Yankeessportsman - who died in 2008 aged 63 - and his battleagainst racism in the Major League Baseball during the1960s and 1970s. And the creative team believe O'Shea isthe "perfect fit" to play the titular role. Speaking about theforthcoming project, producer David Permut, who will bebacking the film with The Firm's Jeff Kwatinetz - said: "JoeyPoach's script is one of the most heartfelt, honest andemotional pieces of material I've read in years, and I thinkthe complexities of the character are a perfect fit forO'Shea." O'Shea's 47-year-old father - whose real name isO'Shea Jackson Senior - is also set to be on hand to pro-duce the movie as he will be involved via his entertain-ment company Cube Vision. However, the productionteam are still searching for a film director to jump on boardand help to create the movie, which is why a release datehas yet to be confirmed. O'Shea is set for a busy year aheadas he stars in the comedy production 'Ingrid Goes West',which is set for release in November this year, as well as the'Godzilla' follow-up that is slated to be released on March22, 2019.

Washingtonwants superhero

movie role

Kerry Washington wants to do another super-hero movie. The 40-year-old actress previouslystarred as Alicia Masters in 2005's 'Fantastic

Four' and its 2007 sequel 'Fantastic Four: Rise of theSilver Surfer', and has said she'd "love" the opportu-nity to "break new ground" by telling a story which"hasn't been told". She said: "I would definitely beopen to doing another superhero movie. My compa-ny is actually working right now on a comic bookmovie that's not a superhero movie, but it is a comicbook movie. It's about a teenage girl. But I ... youknow, I'm really open. I'm really open. I feel like thelandscape is so open in terms of, you know, castingagainst type when it comes to you know to evengender, race, so I'd love to do it. I'd love to be a partof another franchise like that. I'd love to kind ofbreak new ground and tell a new story that hasn'tbeen told, so I'd love to do it." And the 'Confirmation'actress insisted she is a "fan" of superhero moviesbecause they help "get to the core of our humanity"by presenting individuals who are thought to be"the best versions of humans". She added toScreenRant.com: "I feel like the thing about comicsand animated films are because somehow we aresuspending our disbelief because to enter into analternate universe, we're able to get to the core ofour humanity. I don't know how that is, but whenyou take humans beings out of the question or kindof push them to the side, so how our themes withbeing the best versions of humans you can becomemore clear, so I'm into it. I love it. I'm a fan."

Salma Hayek's world was rocked when her dog diedand Donald Trump won the Republican nomination -events which mirrored the script of 'Beatriz at Dinner'.

The 50-year-old actress plays the titular Beatriz in her latestmovie, directed by Miguel Arteta and written by MikeWhite, and she explained that certain moments in theworld and her life gave her a deeper understanding of thewriter and the brilliance he'd created. Salma's belovednine-year-old German Shepherd Mozart was shot dead byher neighbor in February 2016 after the pooch ran ontothe person's land which is adjacent to the star'sWashington state ranch where she lives with her husbandFrancois-Henri Pinault. Recalling how her canine was killedin an interview with Collider.com, she said: "Mike wrotethis script before Trump won the Republican nominationbut so many things that have happened in my life and inthe world starting happening after I read this script. Trump

wins the nomination and then my neighbor kills my dogand it all goes back to Beatriz for me. But the way thepolice and everyone around me behaved after my dog wasshot I remember calling [director Miguel Arteta] and sob-bing and saying to him, 'I am discovering a whole newAmerica that makes me think that Trump is going to win.' "Describing Mike as a "visionary", Salma also referenced ascene in which John Lithgow's character Doug Stuttsboasts of a safari trip - pointing out he later saw a photo ofPresident Trump's sons with a dead leopard on a hunt oftheir own. She added: "I read all of this a year and a halfago. My birthday is in September, so this would have beenSeptember 2015 when I read it and one after another all ofthese things have happened in America and in my life thatwere in the script."

Death of Hayek's dogmirrored new movie's plot

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 14, 2017

l if e s t y l eM U S I C & M O V I E S

Before Burning Man and Bonnaroo, Coachella andLollapalooza, Glastonbury and Governors Island,there was Monterey Pop. Fifty years ago this week,

the three-day concert south of San Francisco became thecenterpiece of the "Summer of Love" and paved the wayfor today's popular festivals. The Monterey InternationalPop Festival created the template for giving emergingartists exposure alongside blockbuster bands while show-casing different genres of music in outdoor settings. JohnPhillips of The Mamas & the Papas came up with the ideafor three days of music with proceeds going to charitablecauses. He brought in Grammy-winning record producerLou Adler, promoter Alan Pariser and publicist Derek Taylor,who worked with the Beatles. The festival was planned injust seven weeks with the goal of validating rock music asan art form in the same way that jazz and folk were regard-ed in 1967.

"The focus was the music and how to present it in thebest possible way," Adler said recently at the GrammyMuseum in Los Angeles. "The byproduct of that was thefeeling that took place in Monterey - love and flowers."Organizers sought out the best musicians, sound and light-ing systems and food "in order to lift the level of what rock'n roll should be," Adler said. They signed on JeffersonAirplane, The Who, the Grateful Dead, the Jimi HendrixExperience, Simon & Garfunkel, Big Brother and theHolding Company featuring Janis Joplin, Otis Redding, RaviShankar, and The Mamas & the Papas.

Drug-related problems"We sort of had our pick," Adler recalled, noting no one

booked acts that far out at the time. It was Shankar's intro-duction to an American audience, and the Indian sitar play-er was the only one who got paid, Adler said. He received$3,000, while the others had their flights and hotelscomped. "Everybody just wanted to play and that's whythey signed on," Adler said. Below the single stage thathosted 32 acts was a 24-hour cafe serving the artists steakand lobster. The organizers also set up a first-aid clinic forconcertgoers and help for drug-related problems.

"If the artist is happy and the audience is comfortable,then that's a start," Adler said. "If the audience can giveback to the performer, then that's a chemistry that is hardto beat." Adler's favorite performance was by soul singer

Redding, who died six months later in a plane crash.Redding was backed by Booker T. and the MGs. BandleaderBooker T Jones was 22 and "an innocent guy" at the time,he recalled. "There we were in our green mohair suits andties and our white shirts and there was everybody else withlong hair and smoking," Jones said by phone from hisNevada home. "I had never smoked stuff before. There's allthis stuff in the air. I got the contact high."

Destroying guitars and amplifiersJones and his band were escorted to the show by the

Hells Angels motorcycle gang. "I remember the musicimpressing me," he said. "We'd only been doing R&B. Ilearned to love rock 'n roll during that time." Backstage, theera's peace and love vibe didn't extend to Hendrix andPete Townshend of The Who. Both were known for destroy-ing guitars and amplifiers. Adler recalled that neither want-ed the other to perform first, so Phillips flipped a coin. TheWho won.

"Hendrix jumped upon a table and said, 'OK, you little(expletive)," Adler recalled. "No matter what you do, I'll dosomething that burns you.'" Aware that The Who plannedan explosive finale, Hendrix capped his set with a version

of "Wild Thing," kneeling over his guitar and setting it onfire before smashing it repeatedly and tossing the remainsinto the crowd. Not all the biggest names of the day playedMonterey. The list of cancellations and no shows wasequally impressive, including the Rolling Stones (MickJagger and Keith Richards couldn't get work visas becauseof drug arrests), the Beatles, the Beach Boys, the Kinks, andBob Dylan.

Festival's golden anniversaryTwo years later, Adler got a call asking if he wanted to

help put together Woodstock on a farm in upstate NewYork . He decl ined. Held at the Monterey CountyFairgrounds, attendance numbers vary from 25,000 to90,000 people, easily tripling the county's population. Itwas a one-time only event because by the next yearthings had changed. Adler cites money issues and "angrypeople who didn't like that hippies were in their town."The festival is featured at the Grammy Museum in a newexhibit called "Music, Love and Flowers 1967" that runsthrough Oct 22. Monterey Pop spawned an eponymousnonprofit foundation that donates to musical andhumanitarian efforts in the names of the festival's origi-nal performers. Its money comes from video and audioprofits generated by the festival.

The festival's golden anniversary will be celebrated June16-18 at the Monterey Fairgrounds. The lineup includesthree acts that played the original: Eric Burdon and theAnimals, Booker T Stax Revue and Phil Lesh. Others artistsinclude Leon Bridges, Gary Clark Jr, The Head and theHeart, Jack Johnson and Norah Jones (Shankar's daughter).Three-day tickets cost from $295 to $695 for a VIP package.The original prices ranged from $3 to $6.50. Fifty years lat-er, Adler is in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, having workedwith some of music's biggest names. Today, the white-haired, beret-wearing 83-year-old is best known as JackNicholson's seatmate at Los Angeles Lakers games. He reg-ularly attends Coachella in the Southern California desert,still imbued with the easygoing spirit of Monterey. "I could-n't have asked for more," Adler said. "We're still talkingabout it." — AP

In this June 17, 1967 photo is the scene on the football field at Monterey PeninsulaCollege where over 20,000 people camped during the Monterey Pop Festival inMonterey, Calif. — AP photos

In this June 17, 1967 photo is the scene on the footballfield at Monterey Peninsula College where over 20,000people camped during the Monterey Pop Festival inMonterey, Calif.

In this June 18, 1967 photo, Pete Townshend of The Whosmashes his guitar after their per formance at theMonterey Pop Festival in Monterey, Calif.

In this June 18, 1967 file photo, Jimi Hendrix per-forms at the Monterey Pop Festival in Monterey,Calif.

In this June 18, 1967 photo, Roger Daltry,left, and Keith Moon, right, of The Whoperform at the Monterey Pop Festival inMonterey, Calif.

In this June 16, 1967 photo, co-producer JohnPhillips, left, talks with Alan Pariser, right, at theMonterey Pop Festival in Monterey, Calif.

Backstage beefs, onstage magic:Monterey Pop 50 years later

In this June 17, 1967 photo shows two women at theMonterey Pop Festival in Monterey, Calif.

The first track from a posthumous albumof punk pioneer and Suicide singer AlanVega was released on Monday, featur-

ing his signature style of abrasive nihilism.Vega's wife and artistic collaborator LizLamere said the album, "IT," would follow onJuly 14 to mark the anniversary of his deathlast year at age 78. The first single, "DTM," fea-tures Vega reciting a stream-of-conscious setof dark thoughts from "goodbye dreams" to"living in the home sewer."

"DTM-Dead to me," he repeatedly statesover a grinding guitar and jarringly incessantbeat. Vega found inspiration for the album by"religiously consuming global news and tak-ing frequent late-night walks alone through-out the streets of downtown New York,"Lamere said in a statement. "He understoodwe can't control much of what happens to us,or in our world, but we have free will and the

power to go on and stand for what webelieve in," she said in a statement. Vega andhis band Suicide were one of the defining ifcontroversial voices of the US underground inthe 1970s and were credited with populariz-ing the term "punk."

Initially with no songs in any traditionalsense, Vega would pound a cheap keyboardand shout aggressively at small New York clubsas he physically confronted the audience, whooften pelted him with chairs. Vega proved tobe an inspiration for gloomy post-punk rockersin both the United States and Europe but alsohas been cited as an influence by more main-stream musicians including Bruce Springsteen.Vega was prolific in his solo work but sloweddown after a stroke in 2012. His last album was2010's "Sniper," full of gloomy ambient effectsby Vega and the French musician and directorMarc Hurtado. — AFP

Late punk pioneer Alan

Vega's album due next month The recording of Dan Auerbach's new solo albumwas so magical he wanted to film the process,which included him collaborating with some of

the most veteran session musicians of all time. ButAuerbach also felt that he needed to keep his recipesafe. "We filmed it, but I didn't like it. I mean, I don't liketo give up my secret sauce. But at the same time, it feltso special, I wanted to document it," Auerbach said in arecent interview. "Waiting On a Song" was recordedlast summer in Auerbach's studio in Nashville,Tennessee, featuring musicians like Rock & Roll Hall ofFamer Duane Eddy, 14-time Grammy winner JerryDouglas and Johnny Cash's former bass player DaveRoe. The Black Keys leader and producer approachedsongwriting differently this time, adopting the normalstyle in Nashville.

He called the switch "life-changing." "We got intothis schedule where we'd write Monday throughWednesday, and we'd record Thursday throughSaturday every week," he said. "It was really amazing.And I sort of haven't stopped. ... It's just something I'mplanning on keeping a part of my diet." In an interviewwith The Associated Press, Auerbach - a nine-timeGrammy winner - discussed the making of his secondsolo album, which was released this month andincludes musicians such as David "Fergie" Ferguson,John Prine, Bobby Wood and Gene Chrisman of theMemphis Boys, Pat McLaughlin, Kenny Malone andRuss Pahl.

Associated Press: Did you feel any pressurewhile working with those seasoned acts?

Auerbach: I think you kind of rise to the occasionor you don't get it done. ... Because we're all there toserve the song, that's what's most important, andthat's kind of the common thread between all of us.

AP: How did being in Nashville shape thealbum?

Auerbach: (Nashville) supports the music busi-ness, whether you like the music or not, it's the musicbusiness there. So it affords a lot of musicians to livecomfortably in Nashville and I get to benefit from thatbecause all those guys are there and I get to tap intothat energy and do some really creative recording atmy studio with these guys who love it.

AP: You moved to Nashville from Ohio in 2010.Do you plan to stay for a while?

Auerbach: I don't ever wanna leave. They had ahard time getting me here (to New York).

AP: The album has an old-school soul and R&Bfeel, especially "Stand By My Girl."

Auerbach: I mean, Bobby Wood and GeneChrisman who play on the record played on "NaturalWoman" by Aretha (Franklin), "I'm in Love" by WilsonPickett, "Son of a Preacher Man" by Dusty Springfield -some of the greatest soul records of all-time. That's thething, it doesn't sound like it, it is it. Those guys are thesound of those records - it's them. It's hard to kind ofsometimes wrap my head around it. Like, what you'rehearing doesn't sound like a style, it is the root of thestyle, because the guys who invented it are playing it(on my album). It was kind of a trip when you're therehaving Duane Eddy play a guitar solo and it's like,'Man, that sounds like (Duane Eddy). Oh man, it isDuane Eddy.' (Laughs.)

AP: It's just that most people don't know theirnames.

Auerbach: Of course, and that's always how it'sbeen. In actuality when you look at most of therecords that have been popular in the history ofAmerican music, it's really just a handful of musiciansthat made all those records. Motown/Stax, WreckingCrew, Philly, there were just little camps that made allthese records, and I'm just lucky to have a few of thoseguys in my stable now that work at the studio all thetime and have become a part of my process.

AP: How are you balancing your bands theBlack Keys and the Arcs, solo stuff and also produc-ing for others?

Auerbach: ... I just work all the time. But it's easybecause I like it. I have the studio down the street frommy house. I have all these great people. It's a joy really.I love it. It's my hobby and my profession. — AP

This file photo taken on April 17, 2008 showsAlan Vega performing at the John Varvatos 315Bowery opening party to benefit VH1 save themusic in New York City. — AFP

In this May 15, 2017 photo, Dan Auerbach posesfor a portrait in New York to promote his soloalbum, "Waiting On a Song." — AP

Auerbach taps veteran acts inNashville for solo album

Superhero movie "Wonder Woman"maintained its lead at the NorthAmerican box office over the

weekend pulling in $58.5 million andburying newcomer "The Mummy,"industry figures showed. The action filmstarring Gal Gadot has grossed animpressive $206.3 million in domesticticket sales in two weeks, placing it inthe top tier of movies that have man-aged to maintain such a lead at the boxoffice. Gadot, of the "Fast and Furious"series, plays an Amazonian goddess-princess-superhero whose lasso,bracelet and tiara have magical powers.Universal's "The Mummy," starring TomCruise, placed second, falling well belowindustry expectations.

Industry tracker Exhibitor Relationssaid the movie, the latest revival of theoriginal "Mummy" made in 1932, tookin a disappointing $31.7 million in itsfirst weekend. The film, which cost$125 million, has been widely pannedby critics. It managed nonetheless tomake a strong showing overseas,

grossing $141.8 million in ticket salesin 63 international markets, the largestopening ever for a Cruise film, accord-ing to Boxofficemojo.com. In third onNor th American screens wasDreamWorks Animation's "CaptainUnderpants," based on the popularchildren's books by Dav Pilkey. Thefilm, which tells the story of two stu-dents who hypnotize a school principalto believe he is a superhero, took in$12.2 million for the weekend.

Next was Disney's "Pirates of theCaribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales," thelatest installment in the popular fran-chise starring Johnny Depp as a dread-locked pirate, at $10.7 million. Fifthspot went to another Disney produc-tion, "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2," at$6.3 million. The lighthearted taleabout misfit space adventurers playedby Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, BradleyCooper and Vin Diesel has taken inmore than $366 million domesticallysince it opened on May 5. — AFP

'Wonder Woman' buries 'The Mummy' at box office

This image released by Warner Bros Pictures shows ChrisPine, left, and Gal Gadot in a scene from, "WonderWoman." — AP

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 14, 2017

l if e s t y l eF E A T U R E

This photograph shows a general view of the Refuge of Tongerlo Abbey, home of Royal tapestry manufacturers De Wit in Mechelen. — AFP photos

Specialist restorers work on an old tapestry at the Royal ManufacturersDe Wit in Mechelen.

Bobbins of thread lie arranged in order ready to be used in the restora-tion of old tapestries.

The painstaking job of restoring some of the world'sfinest ancient tapestries, stitch by stitch, is not for thehighly strung or restless. Returning to its former glory

the kind of creation that adorns a cathedral wall or is dis-played at a world-renowned museum can take more than ayear for tapestry restorers at Royal Manufacturers De Wit.Tucked away in an elegant medieval monks' residence inBelgium, head restorer Veerle De Wachter and her white-coat-ed, all-female team of 15 labor away with needle and thread,adding thousands of stitches to a single piece. "Someone whois nervous or excitable would never manage it," she tells AFP,seated in front of a vast wall stacked with bundles of thread, acolorful reminder of the days when the company produced itsown tapestries.

The work calls for a demanding degree of focus, knowl-edge of fabrics and thoroughness, she adds. "You need a calmperson, who can work in a concentrated manner withoutbeing distracted with what's going on around them." As wellas the traditional meticulous craftsmanship, resuscitating thefaded scenes and preparing them for the future ravages oftime requires modern technology.

Million-dollar project Museums such as the Louvre in Paris, the Metropolitan

Museum of Art in New York and the Hermitage in SaintPetersburg entrust the restorers with their finest pieces in cot-ton and silk, some with strands of silver and gold. Based in thenorthern Flemish town of Mechelen, the Royal ManufacturersDe Wit was founded 1889 and is currently the biggest restorerof old tapestries in the world, based on the value of the piecesit restores. These have included legendary works like "The Ladyand the Unicorn", a series of six tapestries woven in wool andsilk in Flanders in the Middle Ages, on display at the Clunymuseum in Paris. There is also a collection of 29 enormous tap-estries from Saint John's Co-Cathedral in Malta which therestorers have been gradually working through over the pastdozen years in a project estimated at around one million dol-lars. Difficult to transport due to their enormity, the 17th centu-ry Flemish tapestries have been sent to Royal ManufacturersDe Wit in pairs. First cleaned of dust, the artworks are thenwashed with an enormous spraying machine. Only once theyare dried do the restorers set about their work.

New techniques Restoration overtook tapestry making as the mainstay of

the business about 40 years ago. "At the end of the 1970sweaving workshops had a very hard time because tapestrieswere too expensive and no longer in fashion," says Yvan MaesDe Wit, great-grandson of the firm's founder, accounting forthe shift towards restoring and conserving historic tapestries.The company came up with new cleaning techniques, using acombination of suction and spraying to protect the fibresagainst strain. Washing dyed cloth is a very risky step in therestoration process, as cotton often frays and silk disintegratesover time and in light.

'Luminous, infinite' colorsThe restorers have also had to develop expertise in remov-

ing huge tapestries from their hanging places, a delicate taskgiven their size, weight and fragility. De Wit recalls the stressof a "very dangerous operation", to remove a nine-meter by14-metre (30-foot by 46-foot) tapestry suspended 25 metershigh in the entry hall of the United Nations building in NewYork, using "gigantic scaffolding". Meanwhile, his team ofrestorers, silently hunched over their work, seated on benchesin a vast white room, is known, above all, for having an "eyefor color".

The company makes its own silk and cotton threads tomatch the original historic colors as closely as possible. "In theindustry, you can't find the right colors," says De Wachter. "Sowe have to dye them ourselves in our laboratory, with colorswhich have a high luminosity. That way we can produce infi-nite combinations." — AFP

Bobbins of thread lie arranged in order ready to beused in the restoration of old tapestries.

A specialist restorer works on an old tapestry. A specialist restorer works on an old tapestry.

Bringing ancient tapestriesback to life in Belgium

'In the industry, you can't find the right colors'

Restored tapestries are displayed at the Royal Manufacturers De Wit.

Restored tapestries are displayed at the Royal Manufacturers De Wit.

An old tapestry is cleaned at the Royal Manufacturers De Wit.A specialist restorer threads a needle asshe works on an old tapestry.

A specialist restorer works on an old tapes-try.

A specialistrestorer works on

an old tapestry.

Girlfriend cooks dead tarantulain toastie and serves to boyfriend

A woman stuffed a dead tarantula inside herboyfriend's cheese toastie. The Mirror Online reportsKirsty Matthews was making her boyfriend DanielBrookes a cheese, pepperoni, ham, jalapenos and chillisauce crusty sandwich, before she decided to spicethings up a little by adding the huge spider to themeal. Although zebra tarantulas are edible, Danielwasn't expecting his toastie to have the unique flavor itdid and merrily munched on the savory snack beforeopening up the slices to find the squashed spiderinside. He then rushed to the bathroom to be sick. It'snot known whether couple stayed together followingKirsty's prank.

Group of streakers fined for running past children's park

A group of British tourists have been fined for strippingand running through the streets of Majorca. The groupof about 20 men left their hotel stark naked, ranthrough the streets of Palmanova and went for a swimin the sea before they then ran back to their establish-ment. Some wore hats and sunglasses to hide theiridentity as they covered their private parts with theirhands, while other opted to let it all hang loose, theMetro newspaper reports. Their route took them passeda children's park and 18 of the men were fined forexposing themselves in public after being trackeddown by the police. According to the newspaper themen paid the fine and apologized.

Children embarrassed byparents colorful clothing

More than half of children are embarrassed by theirmum and dad's clothing choice, according to a newpoll. The charity chain Oxfam found that socks with san-dals, eccentric hats and wearing leggings on schoolruns is a no go for the children, The Sun reports. Someof the children also said they cannot bear to be seenwith their parents if they are wearing bright clothing orCrocs. Oxfam did the survey as part of its Dressed ByThe Kids fundraiser on June 16 which aims at makingchildren put adults in bizarre get-ups.

Man builds home out of McDonald's rubbish A former waste management worker has creativelybuilt his own home using McDonald's food wrappersand plastic bottles. The Sun newspaper reports AngusCarnie turned the rubbish into materials to build histwo-bedroom home near Dundee. Speaking to thepaper Angus, 55, said: "People thought I was bonkersbut I said 'I'll manage - I'm Scottish'." The price Anguspaid overall for his new home was roughly around£15,000 - a massive reduction from current propertieson the market. Angus reportedly started the produc-tion on his ideal home after surviving a brain tumorscare.—Bang Showbiz

Bizarre News

39WEDNESDAY, JUNE 14, 2017

Bringing ancient tapestriesback to

life in Belgium

Chinese artist Liu Bolin takes part in a performance with trash pickup by children on beaches, at the headquarters of the Surf Rider Foundation association in Biarritz, southwestern France. — AFP

Atiny portrait which Pablo Picasso set into a ring toappease his lover Dora Maar after an argument will gounder the hammer at Sotheby's London auction house

next week. The piece of jewelry was created by the greatSpanish artist after he berated Maar for convincing him totrade an artwork for a ruby ring, prompting her to throw itinto the River Seine.

While Maar later searched unsuccessfully for the discardedring, Picasso went to work on creating a replacement with aminiature portrait of his muse which he set into a ring encir-cled with flowers. "Picasso has depicted a world on a scale sointimate you can hold an entire artistic vision on your finger,"said Thomas Bompard of Sotheby's London. Despite their rela-tionship breaking down, Maar kept the ring until her death in1997. It is expected to fetch up to £500,000 (RM2.6 million)when it is auctioned on June 21. French artist Maar was influ-ential in Picasso's life as he responded to the Spanish Civil War,most famously with his "Guernica" mural following the bomb-ing of the town.

In his "Femme en pleurs" portrait, of a weeping woman fol-lowing the devastating bombing raids, Picasso depicts a dis-traught Maar. His muse became "the tragic embodiment ofhuman suffering, her highly strung temperament fitting her

for this role", as Picasso depicted war-torn Europe, accordingto a recent exhibition of Picasso's work at London's NationalPortrait Gallery. Picasso continued seeing other lovers duringhis relationship with Maar and the pair separated in 1946. Lastmonth one of Picasso's portraits of Maar, "Femme assise, robe

bleue", sold for US$45 million at Christie's in New York. Back in2006 his "Dora Maar au chat" portrait fetched US$95.21 mil-lion at Sotheby's in New York. — AP

Picasso's tiny apology portrait for lover to go on sale

A model poses with an oval shaped ring designed by Pablo Picasso, during a photocall at Sotheby's auction housein London. — AFP photos

Acollection of letters written by Albert Einstein is set togo to auction next week, offering a new glimpse at theNobel-winning physicist's views on God, McCarthyism

and what was then the newly established state of Israel. Thefive original letters, dated 1951 to 1954 and signed byEinstein, reveal a witty and sensitive side of the esteemed sci-entist. They were sent to quantum physicist David Bohm, acolleague who fled the United States for Brazil in 1951 afterrefusing to testify about his links to the Communist Party tothe House Un-American Activities Committee.

Bohm's widow's estate put the documents on the blockafter she passed away last year. One of the yellowing pages,bearing Einstein's signature and embossed seal, and a hand-written general relativity equation, opens at $8,000 and isexpected to sell for at least twice that. In all, the collection isexpected to fetch over $20,000. Einstein and Bohm becamefriends when they both worked at Princeton University. Theirletters touch on quantum physics, the nature of the divineand Bohm's miserable time in Brazil.

'The present state of mind'"If God has created the world his primary worry was cer-

tainly not to make its understanding easy for us," Einsteinassured Bohm in February 1954, a year before his death. Inanother letter from February 1953, Einstein compares "thepresent state of mind" of America gripped by McCarthyistanti-Communism to the paranoia in Germany in the early 20thcentury under Kaiser Wilhelm II. Republican Sen JosephMcCarthy in the 1950s led a hunt for alleged communist trai-tors he believed worked in the government and the army.

Bohm, who left the United States in the midst of the so-called Red Scare, conveyed dismay and displeasure about liv-ing in Brazil, where he was working at the University of SaoPaulo. He said he had trouble adjusting to the local food.Einstein, then 75, offers sympathy to his younger colleague forthe "instability of your belly, a matter where I have myselfextended experience." He suggested getting a good cook.

Einstein said the foreseeable future didn't portend a "morereasonable political attitude" in the United States, and thatBohm ought to hold out in Brazil until he gets citizenshipbefore leaving for a more "intellectual atmosphere."

One idea that came up was relocating to Israel, which haddeclared independence in 1948. But despite Einstein's ties toIsrael's Hebrew University, he believed the country offered

limited opportunities. Einstein himself declined an offer in1952 to become Israel's president, though he served remotelyon the Hebrew University's first Board of Governors and lefthis papers to the school in his will. "Israel is intellectuallyactive and interesting but has very narrow possibilities," theNobel laureate wrote. "And to go there with the intention toleave on the first occasion would be regrettable."

Nothing extraordinaryDespite Einstein's counsel, Bohm, who was Jewish, left

Brazil for Israel in 1955, where he taught at Haifa's TechnionInstitute of Technology for two years. There he met his wife,Sarah Woolfson. They married in 1956. A year later the couplemoved to the United Kingdom, where Bohm taught at BristolUniversity until his death in 1992. Mrs Bohm returned to Israelafter her husband's death and resided in Jerusalem. She diedin April 2016 and her estate put her husband's letters fromEinstein up for sale at Winner's auction house in Jerusalem.

Roni Grosz, curator of the Albert Einstein Archives atHebrew University in Jerusalem, home to the world's largestcollection of Einstein material, said copies of the Bohm letterswere already in the archive and that there was "nothingextraordinary" about them. But he said anything connected toEinstein tends to generate interest. "There's today tremendousinterest in all things Einstein. Einstein documents, letters,drafts are being on sale all the time," he said. "There's barely amonth that passes with no Einstein documents in auction orin sale." The auction, which includes copies of other letterssent by Einstein and correspondence by fellow Nobel laureateLouis de Broglie, will be held on June 20, though early bids arebeing accepted online. — AP

Einstein letters on McCarthy, Israel go up for auction

This photo provided by Winner’s AuctionHouse shows a letter of Albert Einstein toProfessor David Bohm from 1954. — AP