baseball

Page 40
THE FIRST ENGLISH LANGUAGE DAILY IN FREE KUWAIT
Established in 1977 / www.arabtimesonline.com

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 5, 2017 / RAJAB 8, 1438 AH emergency number 112 NO. 16433 44 PAGES 150 FILS

Amir condemns bombings in St Petersburg

30-year term eyed Toll to 14

Kuwait to raise debt

ceiling, borrow more
Suspected gas attack KUWAIT CITY, April 4,
(Agencies): His Highness the
Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad
Al-Jaber Al-Sabah on Monday
sent a cable of condolences to
Russian President Vladimir

kills dozens in Syria

KUWAIT CITY, April 4, (Agencies): Kuwait will increase
its public debt ceiling to 20 billion dinars ($65.62 billion)
from 10 billion and increase the maximum maturity of the
bonds it can issue to 30 years from 10, the minister of -
nance told reporters on Tuesday.
The government also plans to introduce sukuk as one of
its available debt instruments, Finance Minister Anas Al-
Saleh said.
Kuwait sold $8 billion of ve- and 10-year bonds in
March, its rst international bond sale. Gulf neighbours in-
cluding Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Oman, have successfully
sold longer-dated debt over the past few months.
Kuwait will maintain presence in
the international bonds and sukuks
markets according to a well-calculat-
ed strategy, simultaneously with eco-
nomic and nancial reforms, spear-
headed by the State, said the minister
who also underlined privatization as a
strategic option among the measures
to shore up the economy and diver-
sify nancial resources and income.
Noting that the second phase of the
Al-Saleh multi-stage reforming process is cur-
rently in execution, the minister indicated that he was look-
ing forward to constructive cooperation with the parliament
to carry on with the reforms.
In a statement at the forum session earlier Tuesday, he
stressed on the necessity to maintain the process of reforms
Continued on Page 37
Iraqi man loses 14 relatives
UN expanding
civilian camps
MOSUL/ERBIL, Iraq, April 4, (Agencies): The
United Nations said on Tuesday it was expanding
camps for people eeing Mosul, as air strikes re-
sumed on Islamic State positions in Iraqs second
largest city.
More than 300,000 people have ed Mosul since
the start of the US-backed campaign in October, the
ofce of the UN Humanitarian Coordinator in Iraq
said in a statement.
Before the operation to drive Islamic State from
the city began, Mosul had a population of about
a million and half, split about evenly between the
areas east and west of the Tigris river that runs
through the middle.
Iraqi forces captured the eastern side in January
and in February launched a second phase to take
the western side, with air and ground support from
a US-led coalition.
They are now battling to take the northwestern
part, but the civilian death toll has mounted in the
old city, where the militants are dug in amongst
residents.
More people are expected to ee the ghting and
camps for the displaced north and east of Mosul are
expanding, the UN statement said.
Air strikes on the city by the Iraqi air force re-
sumed on Tuesday as the sky cleared after several
days of bad weather, the Iraqi military said.
The Iraqi air force carried out at least three air
strikes in western Mosul, killing several dozens of
Islamic State ghters, according to Iraqi military
statements on Tuesday.
A number of Islamic State commanders were
killed in an air strike on a position in Hay al-Tanak,
a stronghold of the group, they said.
Among those killed were commanders in charge
of booby traps, of Arab suicide ghters and child
recruitment, the statement added, without identi-
fying them by name. The two other strikes killed
militants and destroyed weapons and vehicles.
Islamic State media outlets did not mention the
strikes.
A Reuters TV crew saw dozens of people ee-
ing their homes near or across the frontline, brav-
ing sniper and mortar re, while a helicopter strafed
positions further north.
Shells were falling on us and there is no food,
no water, no electricity, said Hamda Bakheet, a
woman in her mid-sixties from the Nablus district,
adding that the militants were ring on people who
leave the city.
Bakheet said one of her sons was killed when
the Islamists rst overran Mosul and the other was
Continued on Page 37
UN war crimes investigators launch probe
This photo provided on April 4, 2017 by the Syrian anti-government activist group Edlib Media Center, which has been authenticated
based on its contents and other AP reporting, shows children following a suspected chemical attack, at a makeshift hospital, in the town
of Khan Sheikhoun, northern Idlib province, Syria. Chemical attack killed dozens of people, activists said, describing the attack as among
the worst in the countrys six-year civil war. (AP)
France seeks Security Council meeting
BEIRUT, April 4, (RTRS): A
suspected Syrian government
chemical attack killed scores of
people, including children, in the
northwestern province of Idlib
on Tuesday, a monitoring group,
medics and rescue workers in the
rebel-held area said.
The Syrian military denied responsibil-
ity and said it would never use chemical
weapons.
The head of the health authority in rebel-
held Idlib said more than 50 people had been
killed and 300 wounded. The Union of Med-
ical Care Organizations, a coalition of inter-
national aid agencies that funds hospitals in
Syria, said at least 100 people had died.
The British-based Syrian Observatory for
Human Rights said the attack killed at least
58 people and was believed to have been car-
ried out by Syrian government jets. It caused
many people to choke, and some to foam at
the mouth.
Director Rami Abdulrahman told Reuters
the assessment that Syrian government war-
planes were to blame was based on several
factors such as the type of aircraft, including
Sukhoi 22 jets, that carried out the raid.
We deny completely the use of any
chemical or toxic material in Khan Sheik-
houn town today and the army has not used
nor will use in any place or time neither in
past or in future, the Syrian army command
said in a statement.
The Russian Defence Ministry said its air-
craft had not carried out the attack. The UN
Security Council was expected to meet on
Wednesday to discuss the incident.
Reuters photographs showed people
breathing through oxygen masks and wear-
ing protection suits, while others carried
the bodies of dead children, and corpses
wrapped in blankets lined up on the ground.
Activists in northern Syria circulated pic-
tures on social media showing a man with
foam around his mouth, and rescue workers
hosing down almost-naked children squirm-
ing on the oor.
Mounzer Khalil, head of Idlibs health au-
thority, said hospitals in the province were
overowing with victims.
This morning, at 6:30 a.m., warplanes
targeted Khan Sheikhoun with gases, be-
lieved to be sarin and chlorine, he told a
news conference.
Warplanes later struck near a medical
point where victims of the attack were re-
ceiving treatment, the Observatory and civil
defence workers said.
The civil defence, also known as the
White Helmets - a rescue service that oper-
ates in opposition areas - said jets struck one
of its centres in the area and the nearby medi-
cal point.
The incident reported at Khan Sheikhoun
would be the deadliest chemical attack in
Syria since sarin gas killed hundreds of ci-
vilians in Ghouta near Damascus in August
2013. Western states said the Syrian govern-
ment was responsible for that attack. Damas-
cus blamed rebels.
The White House called the attack an
intolerable act and said President Donald
Trump was alarmed by the reports. French
President Francois Hollande directly blamed
Syrian government forces and said President
Bashar al-Assads allies were emboldening
him to act with impunity.
Assad has enjoyed staunch military back-
ing from Iran and Russia in the war.
Britain said he would be guilty of a war
crime if it were proved his regime was re-
sponsible. The UN envoy for Syria said the
horric chemical attack had come from
the air.
A series of investigations by the United
Nations and the Organisation for the Prohi-
bition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) found
that various parties in the Syrian war had
used chlorine, sulfur mustard gas and sarin.
A joint UN-OPCW report published in
October said government forces used chlo-
rine in a toxic gas attack in Qmenas in Idlib
province in March 2015. An earlier report by
the same team blamed Syrian government
troops for chlorine attacks in Talmenes in
March 2014 and Sarmin in March 2015. It
also said Islamic State had used sulfur mus-
tard gas.
The OPCW said it had begun gathering
and analysing information from all available
sources about the suspected Khan Sheik-
houn attack.
United Nations war crimes investigators
said on Tuesday they were looking into an
alleged chemical weapons attack on a Syrian
town in Idlib as well as reports of a subse-
quent attack on a medical facility where in-
jured people were being treated.
In a statement condemning the attack that
killed scores of civilians, the UN Commis-
sion of Inquiry on Syria said that the use
of chemical weapons as well as any delib-
erate targeting of medical facilities would
amount to war crimes and serious violations
of human rights law.
It is imperative for perpetrators of such
attacks to be identied and held account-
able, said the independent panel led by Bra-
zilian expert Paulo Pinheiro.
Continued on Page 37
Putin over the victims of the
terrorist explosion in a metro
station in the Russian city of St.
Petersburg.
His Highness the Amir ex-
pressed strongest condemna-
tion of the State of Kuwait as
well as full solidarity with the
Russian people against this ter-
rorist act, which killed 14 peo-
ple and injured scores others.
His Highness the Crown
Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ah-
mad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah and
His Highness the Prime Min-
ister Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak
Al-Hamad Al-Sabah sent simi-
lar cables.
Earlier, an ofcial source at
the Foreign Ministry expressed
Kuwaits condemnation of the
terrorist bombing attacks that
targeted St Petersburg under-
ground stations in the Russian
Federation, leaving dozens of
people dead and injured.
The source voiced Kuwaits
solidarity with Russia and its
support to all measures it may
take to retain its security and
stability.
The ofcial reiterated Ku-
waits rm opposition to ter-
rorism in all its forms and
manifestations regardless of
its source and called on the
international community to re-
double efforts to eradicate the
scourge of terrorism and rid the
world of its evils.
Condolences
The source also extended
condolences to the Russian
government and people, espe-
cially families of the victims,
and wished the wounded peo-
ple speedy recovery.
A Russian suicide bomber
originally from mainly Muslim
Kyrgyzstan detonated the ex-
plosives in a St Petersburg train
carriage that killed 14 people
and wounded 50, authorities
said on Tuesday.
The suspect had radical Is-
lamist links, Russian media
cited law enforcement ofcials
as saying, raising the possibil-
ity Mondays attack could have
been inspired by Islamic State,
which has not struck a major
city in Russia before. So far,
no-one has claimed responsi-
bility for the blast.
Kyrgyz ofcials identied
the suspect as Akbarzhon Jal-
ilov, born in the city of Osh
in 1995, and Russian ofcials
conrmed his identity, saying
he had also left a bomb found
at another metro station before
it went off.
Biographical details pieced
together from social media and
Russian ofcials suggested Jal-
ilov was an fairly typical young
St Petersburg resident with an
interest in Islam as well as pop
music and martial arts but no
obvious links to militants.
His uncle, Eminzhon Jalilov,
told Reuters by telephone that
his nephew was a mosque-
attending Muslim, but that he
was not a fanatic.
The explosion in the middle
of Monday afternoon occurred
when the train was in a tunnel
deep underground, amplifying
the force of the blast. The car-
riage door was blown off, and
witnesses described seeing in-
jured passengers with bloodied
Continued on Page 37
US$/KD 0.30485/95
Euro/KD 0.3252

Trump to hear New outbreak of Yen/KD 0.0027

Newswatch
Arab viewpoint MERS in Saudi British /KD 0.3796

KUWAIT CITY: The group of 26 held a meeting at the AMMAN, Jordan, April 4, GENEVA, April 4, (RTRS): KSE +16.55 pts at closing April 4
Ten people have caught the See Page 35
office of MP Muhammad Hayef in the presence of MPs (AP): Jordans King Abdul-
Adel Al-Damkhi and Usama Al-Shahin, reports Al-Rai lah II will be able to deliver MERS coronavirus after an
daily. an Arab consensus on Mid- outbreak in a haemodialysis Dow +29.62 pts at 21:50 April 4
The daily quoting sources added the meeting com- unit in a hospital in Saudi Ara- See Page 36
east peace when he meets with
mended the recent government for what they call signal bia, the World Health Organi-
President Donald Trump at the
of positive cooperation with the parliament, noting the
White House on Wednesday, zation said on Tuesday, without Nasdaq -0.58 pts at 21:50 April 4
MPs have welcomed the decision of the Deputy Premier
and Minister of Finance Anas Al-Saleh to freeze the after a recent summit hosted by giving details of how the virus
economic reform document. the monarch renewed an Arab was able to spread within the FTSE +39.13 pts at closing April 4
They said Minister Al-Saleh had confirmed offer of recognition of Israel in hospital.
Governments readiness to deal with issues in a flexible exchange for Palestinian state- The potentially fatal Mid-
way, and that electricity tariffs might be restored to their hood. dle East Respiratory Syndrome Nikkei -172.98 pts at closing April 4
previous prices. Could the revived Arab plan, (MERS) is thought to be car-
For his part, MP Abdukareem Al-Kandari has
praised the recent approach of Government represented
coupled with Trumps stated ried by camels and comes from Gold $1,257.65 per oz (London)
eagerness to strike a deal, sig- the same family as the corona-
by Al-Salehs statement to freeze the economic reform
nal an opening for restarting virus that caused Chinas dead-
document.
stalled Israeli-Palestinian talks? ly Severe Acute Respiratory NYMEX crude $51.08 pb
He urged Government to consider civil society groups
Heres a look ahead. Syndrome (SARS) outbreak in
that include loyal and trustful economic experts with
Whats on the table? 2003. Brent crude $54.18 pb
economic activities.
At their annual summit last US President Donald Trump walks with Egyptian President Abdel Since MERS emerged in 3-month $ LIBOR rate 1.14983%
Continued on Page 37
Continued on Page 37 Fattah el-Sisi at the White House in Washington on April 3. (AP) Continued on Page 37

LOCAL
College of Education holds 1st Conference for Students of Higher Studies in Educational Admin & Planning in GCC universities
Under the patronage of Kuwait University President Prof Hussain Al-Ansari, the College of Education organized
the First Conference for Students of Higher Studies in Educational Administration and Planning in GCC universi-
ties 2016/2017.
The conference was attended by Dean of College of Higher Studies Prof Farida Al-Awadhi and Dean of College
Closing down Shuaiba Refinery to
cost KD 80m in revenue generated
Move will minimize refinery capacity of Kuwait by 50 pc
KUWAIT CITY, April
4: Recent report alleging
Shuaiba Refinery will be
sold as scrap has come as
a surprise since many
refineries around the
world have been operat-
ing for 100 years and still
functioning, says
Al-Shahed daily.
The daily quoting sources
added Shuaiba Refinery had
gone through maintenance for
roughly 44 working days in
2010 at a cost of KD 6 mil-
lion, besides the restoration of
some units and its closure will
force Kuwait to export high
quantity of oil reaching 4.5
million barrels per month and
expose the country to dispute
with OPEC.
They noted the closure of
Shuaiba Refinery will minimize
the refinery capacity of Kuwait by
50 percent in the short term and
cause shortage of petroleum prod-
ucts in the market, which will lead
ARAB TIMES, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 5, 2017
2
Top & above: some photos from the conference
of Education Prof Bader Al-Omar as well as top students in higher studies in the GCC.
Prof Al-Ansari in his speech affirmed the importance of scientific research in the development of nations, high-
lighting the keenness of Kuwait University to support and encourage scientific research.
He thanked the concerned department of the College of Education for organizing the conference.
Secure racing track circuit eyed
Jahra Governorate plans to
establish new city in the west
KUWAIT CITY, April 4: Jahra
Governor Ret. Lieutenant General
Fahad Al-Ameer declared the gov-
ernorates desire to establish a new
city in the west of Jahra, 10 km
away from the governorate, indi-
cating that the Public Authority for
Bid to resolve problems faced by doctors Housing Welfare (PAHW) will
construct low-cost housing units to
which residents of Taima area will
Dr Asousi hails ministers intervention move so that Taima areas becomes
a private residential area, reports
Al-Rai daily.
KUWAIT CITY, April 4: Dr Al-Asousi lauded the min- mance of medical crews in each Ret Lieutenant General
Consultant Endodontist Dr Yasir ister for his personal intervention program. Al-Ameer said this during an inter-
Al-Asousi has to resolve the problems doctors He declared successes and view with the daily.
commended have been facing to motivate the progress were recorded among He also announced good news for
the Minister of Kuwaiti youth doctors to make his colleagues in endodontics fans of motor sports, refusing to
Health Dr use of their capabilities and tal- refer to them as drifters and
after reviewing the protocol of
Jamal Al-Harbi ent to raise the standard of medi- instead calling them drivers with
for the steps application and activity regula-
cal profession and services in special skills. He explained that
taken to redi- Kuwait. tion related to root canal treat- Jahra Governorate, in collaboration
rect the trend of He also discussed plans ment in the National School with Kuwait Municipality, will des-
activities in the implemented within the past 7 Health Program after a painstak- ignate a secure racing track circuit Jahra Gov Al-Ameer
ministry to pro- years to promote the school ing review of factors that directly beside Jahra Graveyard for them to
mote reform Dr Yasir affect diagnosis and everything practice the sport, after the idea is
oral and dental health pro- since it will not depend on oil due
and develop- grams, which improve the sci- contributing to improve perfor- endorsed by the Municipal Council.
ment, reports Al-Anba daily. During the interview, the gover- to its fluctuating prices.
entific and practical perfor- mance. Jahra Governor Al-Ameer
nor highlighted the importance of
diversification of sources of affirmed that the governorate will
to import of large quantities of dif- lamented a decision has been made shipments of 25,000 tons of income through establishment of have the lions share in the con-
ferent types of oil products from to close down Shuaiba Refinery Premium fuel (95 octane) and industries, and not through impos- structional projects for the devel-
foreign countries. despite the plant generates KD 80 Super fuel (91 octane). They said ing and increasing charges, in opment of the infrastructure in the
They noted production at million in revenue. order to increase national income. country, which will be pivotally
Kuwait will receive the first ship- based on the Jaber Al-Ahmad
Abdullah and Ahmadi Refineries Meanwhile, sources disclosed He expressed his hope that the
can not compensate for shortage in that Kuwait Petroleum Corporation ment of Super fuel on April 15 and Silk City Project will achieve Bridge that will lead to Subbiya
oil production even if they operate (KPC) recently participated in two the second shipment of Premium growth in the country as part of area where the Silk City will be
with utmost capacity. They international tenders to import two fuel on April 21 this year. Kuwait Vision 2035, especially located.
News in Brief
Kuwait, UAE ink memo: Sabah Al-Ahmad Center for
Giftedness and Creativity (SACGC) on Tuesday endorsed
a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with UAE
Ministry of Finance designed to create a stimulating envi-
ronment for innovators.
The MoU aims at bolstering cooperation, creating an
invigorating environment for innovation, said Dr Omar
Al-Bannai, SACGC General Director in a statement.
Turning to efforts at the national level, Al-Bannai said
five academies for sponsoring talented citizens were
opened in the countrys six governorates.
Fatma Al-Nagabi, Chief Executive Officer of Innovation
at the UAE Ministry of Finance, said the memo was inked
in line with the ministrys strategy for encouraging inven-
tors.
The SACGC is affiliated to Kuwait Foundation for
Advancement of Science (KFAS), the 2017-2022 strategy
of is designed to examine citizens talents in early age and
help in increasing number of creative nationals.
The MoU is valid for one year. It is renewable accord-
ing to needs of the two parties. (KUNA)
Tunisian singer participates in concert: Tunis-
ian singer Ghaliya Bin Ali participated in an outdoor
concert at Al-Shaheed Park as part of the activities of Gulf
Youth Festival organized by LOYAC Academy for
Performing Art, reports Al-Rai daily.
Al-Roudhan excuses himself from panel:
Secretary General of the Cabinet Abdulatif Abdullah
Al-Roudhan has excused himself from the committee
which was formed by the Cabinet during its weekly meet-
ing on Monday to investigate the citizenship file, reports
Al-Rai daily.
The committee is tasked to review the circumstances
and cases of revocation, forfeiture and denaturalization in
addition to providing suitable practical solutions in that
regard and submit its findings to the Cabinet.
MoCI to develop its HQs: Ministry of Commerce and
Industry disclosed the intention to develop its headquar-
ters and branches by removing all obstacles to facilitate
transactions, reports Al-Anba daily.
In a statement on social networking site Twitter and
Instagram, the ministry said it closed two centers for com-
mercial licenses in Hawalli and Al-Thaher areas for recon-
struction with state of the art facilities.
 ARAB TIMES, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 5, 2017
LOCAL 3

KUNA photos
Left: His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah received at Bayan Palace Tuesday His Highness Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammad Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah. Right: His Highness the Amir also received at Bayan Palace
Tuesday Minister of Social Affairs and Labor as well as Minister of State for Economic Affairs Hind Al-Sabeeh who was accompanied by the president and board members of Kuwait Public Relations Association. (KUNA)

Dr Ahmad Al-Huraiji Dr Anoud Al-Sharekh Dr Saud Al-Ajmi KUNA photos

His Highness the Crown Prince receives Kuwaiti academics
His Highness the Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sa-
bah received at Bayan Palace on Tuesday Dr Anoud Al-Sharekh, who was
honored with the National Order of Merit by France.
His Highness Sheikh Nawaf also received Dr Mariam Al-Shammari, who
Dr Mariam Al-Shammari
presented to His Highness with an atlas on dermatologic diseases in Ku- and executive authorities in Kuwait.
wait. Meanwhile, His Highness the Crown Prince received Dr Ahmad Al-Hura-
Moreover, His Highness Sheikh Nawaf received Dr Saud Al-Ajmi, who iji, who attained a fellowship in blood cancer from MD Anderson Cancer
presented his Master Degree thesis on the balance between the legislative Center in Houston, Texas. (KUNA)

Kuwait hikes investment

expenditure, says finmin
KBU organizes Kuwaiti Financial Forum
KUWAIT CITY, April 4, (KUNA): The State is increasing State development scheme till 2020, has amounted to some KD 34 billion
nancial allotments for investment spending with aim of hik- (approx $111.2 billion), said the minister at the forum, patronized by His
ing growth in non-oil sectors of the national economy, said Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah and organ-
ized by Kuwait Banks Union.
the deputy premier and minister of nance. Minister Al-Saleh afrmed the States keenness on supporting banking cred-
Investment expenditure is forecast to reach 3.5 percent this year and its growth, which grew 7.2 percent per year in September.
four percent next year, said Anas Al-Saleh, in a statement at inaugural The two-day forum coincides with major economic developments namely
session of Kuwaiti Financial Forum, on Tuesday. drop of oil prices, which have resulted in lower income for regional countries.
Estimated investment spending, including private expenditure in the Al-Saleh has opined that global markets have not totally recovered from the
2008 economic crisis, with con-
tinuing high rates of unemploy-
ment, high ination, slow local Ambassador of Austria
production and prospected recur-
rence of recession.
This fragile global economic
condition has negatively affected
economies of the regional States
namely banking institutions, amid
mounting geopolitical jitters, in
addition to other emerging issues
that need to be tackled such as
money-laundering and terrorism
nancing.
Aware of the sensitive cir-
cumstances, the Central Bank of
Kuwait fully implemented Basel
reforms package between 2014
and 2015. On a wider scale, the
State of Kuwait has adopted
economic reforms plans to rem-
edy the nancial sector, boost the
private sector, diversify income,
enhance oil proceeds, rationalize
expenditure and improve govern-
ments performance, Minister Al-
Saleh said.
Kuwaits road map also aims
to tackle aws in the economic
Kuwait Society for Animal and Environmental Protec- The event sponsored by EQUATE Company was structure, through diversication
tion, in collaboration with the US Embassy in Kuwait attended by the US Ambassador to Kuwait Lawrence and increasing dependence on the
private sector. Ambassador of Iraq
recently organized a campaign to clean Sulaibikhat Silverman, his spouse and Vice-chairman of the soci-
Beach. ety Sheikha Fatmah Al-Sabah. As to the budget decit, he has
indicated that the State has with-
drawn from the general reserves,
Kuwait Today borrowed from local and external
banks.
Moreover, the CBK had issued
Prayer Timings Max Temp..........................................31C Wave height................................... ..3-6 ft bonds and sukuks worth KD 2.2
Min Temp...........................................21C Max Temp...................................... ...33C billion (some $7.3 billion) till end
Fajr ............................................... 04:13 Wind Direction ....................................SE Min Temp....................................... ...21C of the nancial year (2016-2017).
Sunrise .......................................... 05:34 Wind Speed............................12-32 km/h Wind Direction ............................... .....SE
Dohr ............................................... 11:51 Wind Speed............................15-40 km/h The issuance has risen the
Asr .................................................. 15:23 Marine Forecast Saturday, April 8 domestic debt to KD 3.8 billion
Maghrib ........................................ 18:08 StationMax Min Sea Todays Expected weather Sunny Sea state (some $12.54 billion), accounting
Isha ............................................... 19:27 Rec Exp Surf Waves Slight to moderate to 9.9 percent of the gross domes-
Ht Dirn Wave height.....................................2-4 ft
Weather South Dolphin 26 20 21 6ft SE Max Temp.........................................31C tic product for 2017, estimated
Expected weather for the next 24 hours: Umm Mudayrah 25 21 - 6ft SE Min Temp..........................................21C at KD 38.2 billion (approx $125
By Night: Fair with light to moderate Beacon M28 - - - 6ft SE Wind Direction ....................................SE billion), according to the Interna-
north westerly wind, with speed of 12-32 Beacon N6 27 19 - 6ft SE Wind Speed............................12-32 km/h tional Monetary Fund.
km/h. Qaruh Island 25 20 - 6ft SE
Umm Al-Maradem 25 20 - 6ft SE Tide times at Shuwaikh Port Local banks have subscribed in
By Day: Sunny with light to moderate 1st high tide: .................................. 16:29 the issued bonds, using nancial
freshening gradually at times north west- Sea Island Buoy - - - - -
Salmiyah 28 20 - 6ft SE 2nd high tide: ................................. 07:40 surplus, minister Al-Saleh said,
erly wind, with speed of 15-40 km/h caus- 1st low tide:.................................... 11:10
ing rising dust over open areas. 4 days forecast - Marine 2nd low tide: .................................. 00:27 adding that the State has made
Station Max Min Wednesday, April 5 Sunrise: ......................................... 05:35 record success in marketing in-
Exp Rec Expected weather Sunny Sea state Slight
Kuwait City 29 20
Sunset: .......................................... 18:08 ternational bonds worth $8 billion
to moderate
Kuwait Airport 28 19 Wave height.................................... 2-5 ft Tide times at Shuwaikh Port due to its credibility. Shedding
Abdaly 30 15 Max Temp....................................... ..29C Max temp ..........................................29C further light on the State measures
Bubyan 30 16 Min Temp........................................ ..18C Min temp ...........................................20C to maintain the economy well-be-
Jahra 31 18 Wind Direction ................................ ...NW Max Rh .............................................56%
Failaka Island 29 19 Wind Speed............................15-35 km/h Min Rh ..............................................17%
ing, the minister has indicated at
Salmiyah 28 20 Thursday, April 6 Max Wind.................................N 60 km/h the launch of the 2035 visionary
Ahmadi 28 21 Expected weather Partly cloudy Sea Total Rainfall in 24 hrs.....................0 mm strategy, in which the private sec- KUNA photos
Nuwaisib 28 19 state Slight to moderate Ambassador of Bulgaria
Wafra 31 18 Recorded yesterday at South Dolphin tor plays a key role.
Wave height.................................. ...1-4 ft Min/Max/ Air Temp ...................... 20/26C Diversifying the economic ac-
Salmy 27 14
4 days forecast - Weather
Max Temp..................................... ....31C
Min Temp...................................... ....19C
Min/Max Rel Hum ........................ 28/66%
Wind Direction/Wind Speed.....N/49 km/h
tivities remains the key for sus- HH the PM receives newly appointed diplomats
Wednesday, April 5 Wind Direction.............................VRB-SE Prev Wave Dir/Max Wave Ht ....... ....N/- ft tainability, stabilizing the current
Expected weather ..........................Sunny Wind Speed............................08-28 km/h Min/Max Sea Surface Temp ........ .....-/- C account, the State budget and His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh The meeting was attended by chair-
Max Temp...................................... ...29C Friday, April 7 Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah person of the Diwan of His Highness
Expected weather Partly cloudy + scat-
Sea Current..............................Downdraft shoring up the labor market.
Min Temp...........................................18C received at Bayan Palace Tuesday the the Prime Minister, Sheikha Etimad
Wind Direction ...................................NW tered rain Directorate General of Civil The government is determined
Wind Speed............................15-35 km/h Sea state.....................Moderate to rough Aviation, Meteorological Dept. to press ahead with full-scale eco- newly appointed Ambassadors of Aus- Khaled Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah.
Thursday, April 6 nomic and nancial reforms re- tria, Iraq, and Bulgaria. (KUNA)
Expected weather Partly cloudy
Max Temp................................ .........31C deaths gardless of status of the oil prices,
Min Temp................................. .........19C
Wind Direction ......................... ..VRB-SE
Faleh Abdul Hadi Nasser Al-Messarqai Al Akmi, 76 years old, buried on Tuesday. Condolences:
Riqqa, Block 1, Street 7, House 107, Tel: 77856766-99480760; Fatima Mohammed Abdullah,
the minister afrmed.
The forum tackles in particular 25,000 Bedouns apply for Army placement
Wind Speed...........................08-28 km/h 70 years old, buried on Tuesday. Condolences: (Men) Kaifan, Block 5, Street 51, House 1, regional States options and plans KUWAIT CITY, April 4: About 25,000 The same source added some
Friday, April 7 Tel: 60666068-50677731 (Women) Abdullah Al Mubarak, Block 3, Street 323, House 10, to cope with decline of oil prices.
Expected weather Partly cloudy + scat- Tel: 62226452; Jehad Abdullah Al-Mutawi, 54 years old, to be buried on Wednesday after
Bedouns have applied for placement Bedouns have submitted application al-
tered rain Asr prayers. Condolences: (Men) Shuwaikh, Diwan Al Qanaat, Tel: 25230412; Nasser Yousef
Bulk of the Gulf countries de- with the Ministry of Defense as volun- though they do not meet the stipulated
Max Temp..........................................33C Nasser Al-Khorafi, 69 years old, to be buried on Wednesday at 9:00 am. Condolences: (Men) pend largely on oil to secure in-
Min Temp...........................................21C Mishref, Block 4, Street 2, House 29, Tel: 25395814 (Women) Dahiyat Abdullah Al Salem, come however, Kuwait and the teers in the Army. The gure is expect- condition. He noted the committee will
Wind Direction.....................................SE Dahiyat Abdullah Al Salem, Block 4, Street 43, Avenue 43, House 21, Tel: 97730531. other states in the region have ed to rise to 40,000 within the next two review the applications of Bedoun and
Wind Speed............................15-40 km/h
Saturday, April 8 been encouraging economic di- days, reports Al-Anba daily quoting a GCC military personnel who are still in
Expected weather Sunny April 4, 2017 versication. security source. service.

LOCAL
Randa Jarrar signing some of her novels at AUK.
AUK hosts award-winning writer Jarrar
The American University of Kuwait
launches 3rd biennial literary fest
KUWAIT CITY, April 4: The Ameri-
can University of Kuwait (AUK)
launched yesterday its third biennial
literary festival by hosting Randa Jar-
rar, award-winning writer, essayist,
and translator. The festival, which
lasts for three days, also hosts award-
winning poet and novelist Sinan An-
toon. The main theme for this years
festival is migration, identity, and
cultural transformation.
Over the course of the three-day fes-
tival, both authors will present public
lectures and readings, in addition to the
festivals main roundtable which will
be held at AUK on Thursday, April 6.
Alongside Jarrar and Antoon, the festi-
val will host authors and artists includ-
ing Thurayya Al-Baqsami, Bothayna
Ways eyed to develop teacher training colleges
KUWAIT CITY, April 4: Minister of
Education and Higher Education Dr Mu-
hammad Al-Fares disclosed that recent
meetings of the senior ministry ofcials
involve ways to develop teacher training
colleges to produce excellent graduates,
reports Annahar daily.
Al-Fares stressed the importance of
admitting secondary school students with
distinguished grades in the colleges of
education. He noted the faculties mold
trainees to serve at the end of their edu-
Al-Essa, Nada Faris, and Nejoud Alya-
gout.
Randa Jarrar lived in Kuwait and left
it during the Iraqi invasion in 1990. She
is an Arab-American writer whose first
novel, A Map of Home, won several
awards including the Hopwood Award.
She is an assistant professor for crea-
tive writing at Fresno State University
in the US.
Sinan Antoon is an associate professor
at the Gallatin School of Individualized
Study at New York University where he
teaches and researches pre-modern and
modern Arabic literature and contempo-
rary Arab culture and politics. His novels
include Ijaam, and Ya Maryam which lighted the efforts being exerted by
was shortlisted for the Arabic Booker
prize in 2013.
cation and that facilities in education col-
leges should attract excellent students. He
noted a committee with members from
the Ministry of Education and College of
Education held its rst meeting about one
month ago to discuss the issue.
Meanwhile, Parliamentary Education
Committee declared support to the steps
taken by Minister Al-Fares to reform
education, noting many countries such
as Japan, Singapore, Malaysia, Finland,
Germany and UAE follow the trend.
ARAB TIMES, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 5, 2017
5
Kuwait University don calls
for multi-nation interaction
College of Science exerts efforts to cut rate of withdrawals
KUWAIT CITY, April 4,
(KUNA): Kuwait Univer-
sity seeks to interact with
academic establishments
of other countries in im-
plementation of one of its
key objectives, says the
KU president.
The university administration
makes sure that students are regu-
larly involved in scientic and
cultural occasions in and outside
Kuwait, said Dr Hussein Al-An-
sari, in a statement after inaugu-
rating peoples cultural forum,
organized by the KU.
Groups from Saudi Arabia, Bah-
rain, Oman, Palestine, Tunisia and
Algeria are taking part in the activ-
ity, displaying traditional dresses,
books and handicrafts.
Rami Tahboub, the Palestinian
Ambassador, boasted of his coun-
trys participation noting that the
pavilion displays Al-Quds ency-
clopedia, 30,000 editions of which
have been printed by the Kuwaiti
Ministry of Information. KUNA photo
Photos by the renowned Kuwaiti Al-Satlan while receiving visiting Saudi scholar Dr Al-Mutlaq.
photographer Hamed Al-Amiri are
exhibited at the forum. Some of
them depict ancient and traditional Al-Satlan meets with Saudi scholar
professions such as pearl diving.
Kuwaiti artist Hussein Al-Bazzaz Acting Chairman of the Pub- et (PBUH). ing toward accomplishing major
displays prototypes of old Kuwaiti lic Authority for Handling the Al-Satlan disclosed this at a projects to benet a large num-
dhows and visitors are served Ku- Publication of Quran, Sunnah recent meeting with the visiting ber of students. He stressed the
waiti cuisines. and Related Sciences Walid member of Fatwa Committee, agency is keen on promoting
Meanwhile, assistant Dean for Al-Satlan Tuesday afrmed the Council of Scholars and the name of Kuwait through ex-
Students Affairs at College of Sci- the agency is working hard to Advisor at Saudi Royal Court cellent services through Quran,
ence Dr Adeeba Al-Hirban high- serve as the fountain of culture Dr Abdullah Bin Mohammad Sunnah and related sciences in
and knowledge with the Quran Al-Mutlaq. line with its mission and objec-
the college to reduce the rate of with- and Sunnah of the Holy Proph- He added the agency is work- tives. (KUNA)
drawals from the college and rate of
transfers to other colleges during the ferred to other colleges from the tions of the College of Science is accompanied with their parents in
current period, especially with the
increasing number of students who
College of Science by claiming
that their move is based on the aca-
high in the labor market in both
public and private sectors.
the lecturers ofces for discussing
with them about academic related
enrolled undeservingly into the col- demic difculty they faced in the Dr Al-Hirban explained that the issues, adding that the college pro-
lege, reports Al-Qabas daily.
college. However, in reality, the Deanship of Student Affairs at the hibits this in order to avoid any
In her statement, Dr Al-Hirban
afrmed that the college and its aca- colleges that they transferred to are college opens its doors to students problems related to pressure.
demic sections encourage students actually more difcult compared and their parents to solve any prob- Dr Al-Hirban afrmed that eve-
to continue classes until they com- to the College of Science. lems related to the students, the ry student has the right to go to his/
plete their academic studies. This is Dr Al-Hirban afrmed that any academic performance, points or her lecturer on individual basis to
done through various methods such student can pass the courses of the courses or even examinations. The discuss his/her academic related
as orientation meetings, encourage- Science College provided they at- dean is ready to listen, discuss and issues without seeking the com-
ment campaigns and various work- tend the lectures, carry out revision work according to the universitys pany of others, especially since it
shops. and prepare for exams. rules and regulations. is the natural right for students of
She expressed her surprise over She stressed that, The demand She emphasized the fact that it this level who can articulate their
the fact that some students trans- for graduates from various sec- is not allowed for students to be issues without any difculty.
Oct 6, 2016

LOCAL
Kuwait playing positive DIWANIYA
role in region EU rep
Syria crisis cause for worry
BRUSSELS, April 4, (KUNA): EU High with a small group of journalists this afternoon ahead
Representative Federica Mogherini lauded of the Brussels international conference on Syria on
Tuesday the role of Kuwait in nding po- Wednesday.
I hope and wish that a country like Kuwait can play a more
litical solutions to the regional conicts. prominent role in the political mediation, said the EU foreign
We have worked with Kuwait a lot in the prepara- policy chief.
tion for this conference and we have seen an active and Mogherini said she will meet Kuwaiti First Deputy Prime
positive role that Kuwait is playing especially in try- Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Sabah Khaled
ing to bridge some of the positions in the region, she Al-Hamad Al-Sabah either today or tomorrow to discuss not
told Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) during a meeting only the humanitarian issue but also the political solution to the
Syrian conict.
She stressed that all the coun-
tries in the region have a role to
play in the political side as they
have a direct interest to see that the
conict is not further protracted.
In the moment when Inshallah
soon we will come to the end of
the conict we have to see that the
situation is managed in a reason-
able manner, she said.
I have a clear sense of the fact
that Europeans and the Gulf coun-
tries share a sense of urgency and
seriousness of the situation (in
Syria) and that it could only be
solved politically, she added.
The European Union, Germa-
ny, Kuwait, Norway, Qatar, the
United Kingdom and the United
Nations will co-chair the Brussels
Conference titled Supporting the
future of Syria and the region, on
Wednesday.
KUNA photo
Mogherini said that representa-
National Assembly Speaker Marzouq Al-Ghanim received Tuesday member of
the Saudi Council of Senior Scholars and Advisor to King Salman bin Abdulaziz tives from 70 delegations, includ-
Al-Saud, Sheikh Dr Abdullah bin Mohammad Al-Mutlaq. (KUNA) ing from the EU and the region but
also the wider international com-
munity, the United Nations, major
donors and civil society, humani-
Mubarakiya sit-in delayed tarian and development organisa-
tions, will attend the meeting.
The conference will also assess
KUWAIT CITY, April 4: In the lat- brokers held a protest denouncing where the international communi-
est development on the shop own- the decision of Real Estates Com- ty stands collectively in fullling
ers crisis at Mubarakiya Market, mittee to designate representatives commitments made at the London
their proposed strike due for to- on their behalf to facilitate the issu- Conference in February 2016 and
agree on additional efforts needed
morrow has been cancelled after a ance and renewal of broker books. to meet the needs of those affected
meeting of the delegation from the by the crisis. She said pledges for
union of shop owners with the Dep-
A Kuwaiti Folk Theatre Team Syria will be announced tomorrow
uty Prime Minister and Minister of led by Board Chairman Dr Anba and hoped that the pledges made
Finance Anas Al-Saleh, reports Al- Waleed left for Sharm el-Sheikh last year and this year for Syria
will be maintained.
Anba daily. in Egypt to take part in the Interna- Mogherini said discussions in
The daily quoting sources said tional Youth Festival, reports Al- tomorrows conference will also
they agreed to continue paying the Rai daily. focus on how the international
old rent through the court until the Dr Waleed told reporters the team community can support a lasting
Ministry of Finance completes its is representing Kuwait at the festi- political resolution to the Syrian
conict through an inclusive and
study on the contracts with compa- val with a play titled Station 50 Syrian-led political transition pro-
nies implementing the project. written by Al-Jazi Al-Sena and di- cess based on the relevant Security
Meanwhile, some real estates rected by Nassar Al-Nassar. Council resolutions.
A DIGEST OF PUBLIC OPINION
Israel has upper hand in ME issue
Arabs in quandary, crisis stays
POST 1948/1949 war between some Arab coun-
tries and the Zionist gangs, the war led to the ordeal
of Palestine which erupted following the decision by
the United Kingdom to withdraw from Palestinian
territories based on the UN Resolution No. 181 to di-
vide Palestine between the Palestinians and the Jews,
provided Jerusalem and Bethlehem remain under in-
ternational guardianship, columnist and former Di-
rector of Culture Department at the National Council
for Culture, Arts and Letters (NCCAL) Waleed Al-
Rujaib wrote for Al-Rai daily Tuesday.
In spite of the defeat inicted on the Arab nations
by the Zionist gangs, the Arab political arena was
embroiled in argument. The political powers topped
by the nationalists insisted that the Arabs must has-
ten to liberate entire Palestine, while the Arab Com-
munist and the Leftist parties, suggested the Arabs
should accept the UN Resolution No. 181 to at least
protect the remaining part of Palestine instead of los-
ing it.
In the wake the attitude propounded by the Com-
munist and the Leftist parties, the Arab nationalists
accused the former of betrayal although some of the
Communist parties in the Arab countries neighbor-
ing Palestine had turned down the division of Pales-
tine and the UN resolution in question. However, the
then war between the Arabs and the Israeli militias
dragged on until 1949.
As a matter of fact, persistent Arab/Israeli con-
ict resulted in the Palestinians losing the remain-
ing part of Palestine through the six-day war that
erupted between the two parties on June 5, 1967 dur-
ing which the Arab countries were defeated by the
fostering Israeli might. Moreover, the Arab/Israeli
struggle still persists about sev-
enty years on.
Throughout this struggle,
the Palestinians have suffered
from a lot of tragedies -- kill-
ing, destruction, arrests and il-
legal constructions for Jewish
settlers throughout Palestine to
such an extent the Palestinians
at the moment live on a small
part of their land.
Anyway, following the Pal-
Al-Rujaib
estinian tragedy, many confer- clear objectives so that everyone is aware of the
ences were held in vain to settle the dispute between
the Palestinians and the Israelis.
Not just that, this period witnessed a Palestinian/
Palestinian struggle between the Palestinian Nation-
al Authority (PNA) and the Palestinian parties and
movements who are still turning down the Israeli ex-
istence on the Palestinian territories.
This happens at a time when Israel continues to
swallow Palestinian land in a slow and steady man-
ner and no solution for the struggle can be seen.
Not only that, the Arab countries have been trans-
formed into the weakest party in the regional equa-
tion, while the Israeli inuence is steadily enhanc-
ing by virtue of the Hebrew states inuence on the
United State of America and the Western countries
at large.
This has resulted in Israel paying no attention to
international resolutions which call for settling the
Palestinian cause. Moreover, Israel continues to vio-
late the human rights of Palestinian Arabs.
During the Arab Summit which was held recently
in the Dead Sea area of Jordan, the Arab leaders have
announced in a communiqu that they support rec-
onciliation between the Arabs and Israel, provided
the latter withdraws from Arab territories that were
occupied by Israel in 1967.
This happened although the Eighth Leftist Arab
Gathering which was held recently in Tunisia to
mark the hundredth anniversary of the Palestinian
Resistance against Zionism, called for the liberation
of entire Palestine.
In the meantime, the Palestinians held celebra-
tions to mark the 41st anniversary of Land Day by
organizing popular demonstrations that resulted in
confrontations with the Israeli troops.
Meanwhile, we say that the Al-Rai daily in its
March 31 issue this month had published a news re-
port indicating the Israeli President Reuven Rivlin
saying the relationship of his country with the Arabs
and the Islamic world is steadily growing.
The Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
has conrmed that Israel shall go ahead in building
more settlements in the Palestinian territories in ad-
dition to Judaizing the City of Jerusalem and remain-
ing parts of Palestine.
Given the above, we wonder, can the decision ad-
opted by the recent Arab Summit seek more realistic
ground under the current regional and international
complicated circumstances? What about the self-
determination of the Palestinians?
And what about the Arab/Arab conicts which
have torn apart this part of the world in compliance
with the American project with the aim of building
the new Middle East? Does Palestine represent the
main Arab cause or is it high time for the Arabs to
ignore the sufferings of the Palestinian Arabs?
Also:
Many regional and international statements and
attitudes actually coincided with the so-called Arab
Spring in general and the situations in Syria in par-
ticular under some eld indications which signify
that the terrorist groups in general and the Islamic
State (IS) or the so-called DAESH in both Iraq and
Syria in particular are on the verge of nal defeat,
columnist, professor at Kuwait University Politi-
cal Science Department and former MP Dr Hassan
Abdullah Jowhar wrote for Al-Jarida daily Tues-
day.
During the Arab Summit which was held recently
in Jordan, HH the Amir described the Arab Spring
as an Arab Illusion because the spring has suc- bah Al-Salem Al-Sabah, is considered as one of the
ceeded in toppling the regimes in all countries except
Syria.
Not just that, it looks like people who were bet-
ting to bring down the regime in Syria have vanished
in thin air and this is applicable to the international
equation which was led by the US.
Having said that, Europe is currently busy in its
internal affairs and the politicians who were in-
volved in the Syrian crisis topped by the incumbent
French administration, are likely to be defeated in
the forthcoming elections.
In this context, we say the statements which
have been attributed to the US Secretary of State
Rex W. Tillerson who chose Ankara as a launch
pad to issue his statements in question in addition
to the statements issued by the US permanent envoy
to the United Nations Nikki Haley show the down-
fall of the regime of Bashar Al-Assad is no longer
ARAB TIMES, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 5, 2017
6
on Washingtons agenda. They hinted the future of
Assad will be determined by the people of Syria.
To coincide with the above statements, however,
Turkey has recently declared that its military opera-
tions or the so-called Euphrates Shield in North
Syria has ended and this means the Syrian Kurds
will dominate the conict zone in that part of Syria.
But the most signicant aspect in this context is
represented by a fact that the Syrian opposition par-
ties which called on the Syrian President to quit as
a precondition for holding the Geneva negotiations
have seemingly turned their backs on their demand
and this is a dramatic change we see when dealing
with the Syrian crisis. This will favor the incumbent
Syrian government.
A strange phenomenon has emerged lately in the
National Assembly wherein an MP or a parliamen-
tary committee proposes to prepare a long-term plan
or strategy for reform, Dr Wael Yousef Al-Mutawa
wrote for Al-Nahar daily.
In view of the current scenario in administration
of the government, I nd it very dangerous for the
Parliament to make such calls because the mandate
of the Parliament is to monitor and issue legislation,
not planning.
We have become accustomed to hearing about
proposals from the Parliament such as for xing the
lopsided population structure, transforming Kuwait
Airways Corporation into a joint stock company,
separating applied education from training, privati-
zation of sports and the most recent being the cancel-
lation of Public Authority for Transportation.
I will not rule out the issuance of the decision
by the Council of Ministers to separate applied edu-
cation from training without conducting real studies
which will indicate the results expected from such
a separation and the benets it will provide the la-
bor market. I am not blaming the MPs either, but the
problem lies in the lack of a state plan in most of the
ministries and lack of real studies that can help the
ministries take suitable decisions at suitable times.
All the abovementioned issues I highlighted re-
quire professionals and experts in the concerned eld
for preparing strategic long-term plans with crystal
direction we are moving in and how far we are in
achieving them.
Hamad International Airport in Qatar has be-
come a world landmark in terms of design, space and
advanced services, Khalid Ahmad Al-Tarrah wrote
for Al-Qabas daily.
Following the application of a new security mea-
sures and developed aviation services, the airport
will soon see implementation of electronic system
for transfer procedures of all passengers from the
gate until the plane without any human intervention.
According to an ofcial statement issued by the
airport operations sector, 60 smart machines have
been readied to be place at the entrances and 12 oth-
ers for luggage. New tenders are in the process for
increasing the number of smart machines.
The aforementioned developmental renaissance
in Qatar cannot be compared with Kuwait because
such a comparison will be frustrating. However, the
most important matter is to know the cause for the
recession experienced by Kuwait while other GCC
countries have been progressing, especially since
Kuwait was in top for many years. The recession of
Kuwait in vital elds such as development, health
and educational services, communications, land and
air borders, etc has raised confusion, especially since
the obstacles are not nancial in nature.
The Arab region is teeming with initiatives that
are aimed at developing the civil society and wom-
ens rights, Dr Hayla Hamad Al-Mukaimi wrote for
Al-Nahar daily.
Such initiatives are important, as they represent
the right direction away from the revolutions that
were proven to be incapable of defeating dictatorial
regimes after the latter managed to get revived and
rule again. We went back to the rst box where dic-
tatorial regimes are controlling everything.
The complex problem of dictatorial regimes lies
in their belief that they are capable of offering solu-
tions to every problem whether political, cultural or
economic. This is clear when we see that the mis-
sions are assigned to ignorant and unprofessional
people.
In order to ensure success of the abovementioned
initiatives in rectifying the catastrophes caused by
dictators, we need to pay attention to the terms we
use. In the struggle for enabling women to obtain
their rights, the term of womens rights should be
replaced by partnership. This actually has happened
in Kuwait and has resulted in good scores. However,
the parliamentary experience was not encouraging,
especially in the context of multimillion-dinar de-
posits and some women who presented bad exam-
ples in the issue of corruption.
We also need to differentiate between participa-
tion and partnership. Participation does not include
equality but the partnership guarantees it. The role
of women in the political eld is really distinguished
due to their special nature, specialization and experi-
ences. The special interests of women enable them to
handle specic issues. Womens political participa-
tion helps in enhancing social peace which is essen-
tial in our Arab societies.
Dr Mohammad Al-Sabah, former minister of
Foreign Affairs and son of the late Amir Sheikh Sa-
cleanest ministers among all Kuwaiti governments.
He had resigned after realizing that the political
atmosphere is polluted, Mohammad Al-Washehi
wrote for Aljarida daily.
Two days back during his participation in a lec-
ture at Budapest, the capital city of Hungary, Dr Al-
Sabah urged Iran to stop interfering in the affairs of
its Arab neighbors and tampering with their social
fabric. His speech was based on the truth and did not
need any testimonies.
I think his vision is long-term. I would like to
say to Dr Al-Sabah Look at the status of Kuwait.
Look at the stance taken by the authority concern-
ing what is happening and its support for those who
carry poisonous knife. Ignore Iran because it will not
listen to you and it will continue to pursue its goals.
Direct your speech to the Kuwaiti people.
Compiled by Zaki Taleb
 ARAB TIMES, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 5, 2017

LOCAL 7

Request to reopen doors under study: Al-Sabeeh

Focus on skilled, specialized workers in medicine, engineering fields

KUWAIT CITY, April 4: Min-
ister of Social Affairs and State
Minister for Economic Affairs
Hind Al-Sabeeh disclosed about
the legal and security measures
that Ministry of Interior is work-
ing on completing in coordina-
tion with the government of the
Islamic Republic of Pakistan to
reopen doors for Pakistani work-
ers to return to Kuwait, reports
Al-Rai daily.
She stressed that the agree-
ment between the two gov-
ernments includes bringing in
skilled and specialized workers
in the elds of medicine and en-
gineering.
Al-Sabeeh shed light on the
request to reopen doors for Paki-
stani workers to return to Kuwait,
indicating that this request is be-
ing studied in line with security
framework of the country.
She afrmed about the ongoing
cooperation in this regard with
Pakistani ofcials.
Meanwhile, ofcials from Min-
istry of Social Affairs and Labor
Media awash with rights abuse clips
KUWAIT CITY, April 4: Lately,
social media is awash with agita-
tions to defend domestic workers
rights and calls on sponsors to be
humane in their treatment since
they are also human.
The sponsors are reminded that
people engage in domestic jobs in
order to meet their needs, reports
Al-Qabas daily.
revealed that a number of young
employees of the ministry are
preparing to organize a sit-in in
front of the Minister Hind Al-Sa-
beehs ofce next Monday in pro-
test against the implementation of
ngerprint system for inspectors
in the ministry, reports Al-Nahar
daily.
They explained that the or-
Bloggers cautioned
Two striking events taking
place within the last few days
prompted the reaction of bloggers.
The rst incident involved a house-
maid who tried to commit suicide
and the fall was recorded. Another
event attracted bloggers after an
Arab media outt posted the foot-
age of a group of female workers
in a domestic workers bureau. The
ganizers of the protest have
given the fingerprint issue top
priority in their demands, in-
dicating that a group has been
formed for coordinating on
latest developments related to
their work.
They have circulated a letter,
a copy of which was obtained by
the daily. The letter includes all
current situation compels bloggers
to be conservative, especially in the
GCC countries.
Bloggers passionate about the
rights of domestic workers expose
the rate at which workers rights are
violated through incidents happen-
ing every now and then. They af-
rmed recording domestic workers
amounts to human degradation.
their demands such as the nger-
print issue, bonuses and allow-
ances.
Regarding the ngerprint sys-
tem, which has been made man-
datory for all employees to use at
the end of the working day, the
ofcials indicated that such a de-
cision is not feasible and must be
stopped indenitely.

Corruption, less concern leads

The staff making speeches at the headquarters.
MEW staff stage strike
By Muhammad Ghanim
Al-Seyassah Staff
Several employees of the Ministry of
Electricity and Water (MEW) held a sit-
in at the headquarters of the ministry to
protest against the suspension of trav-
el allowance for employees working in
distant areas and exclusion of the al-
lowance from the salary certicate.
The sit-in was attended by several
No one was hurt in the school re.
Fire destroys classroom
By Munaif Nayef
Al-Seyassah Staff
Fire broke out in one of the classrooms
of Ahmad Al-Humaidhi School in Tai-
ma area. No injuries were reported but
material losses were incurred.
According to security sources,
News in Brief
Disability no hurdle: The disabled
Kuwaiti chef Ismail Murad, who is
known as chef of aged person
refused to let his handicap overcome
his passion and went on to become one
of the most well-known chefs in the
Gulf region, reports Al-Rai daily.
In an inter-
view, Murad
who was sitting
in his wheel-
chair explained
that he has
been cooking
since the age of
12. It began
with preparing
a meal for his
fellow scout
members in Murad
schools.
He revealed that his disability was
caused by a medical error but he did
not let it ruin his life and focused on
developing his hobby of cooking, add-
ing that his wife Umm Hussain, his
five children and other family mem-
bers encouraged him to pursue a career
in cooking until he became well-
known in the field.
Kuwaiti project: Kuwaiti student
Maha Al-Hajri presented her project
my parking that deals with reserving
parking spots for vehicles in shopping
malls during the Dubai International
Government Achievements Exhibition.
The project was executed by stu-
dents from the Hafsa intermediate
MPs and board members of the labor
union for employees working in the
ministry in solidarity with the employ-
ees affected by the decision.
In response, the Minister of Electric-
ity, Water and Oil, Essam Al-Marzouq
issued direct order to reinstate the
travel allowance.
He also instructed the reinstatement
should be mentioned in the salary cer-
ticate as observed earlier.
KFSD photo
when the Control Room of Kuwait Fire
Service Directorate received informa-
tion about the classroom on re, re-
ghters rushed to the location and ex-
tinguished the re within a short time.
Investigations have been launched to
determine the cause of the re.
A case was registered.
school for girls, that won the first
place in the young merchant compe-
tition organized by Kuwaits
Manpower and Government
Restructuring Program in cooperation
with the Ministry of Education.
The competition was aimed at
encouraging youth to engage in small
enterprises and later enter the business
world, head of the small enterprises
department at the program Faris
Al-Enezi told KUNA on Tuesday.
The young merchant is held for
the third year in a row, with the partic-
ipation 450 male and female students
from 75 intermediate and high schools,
said Al-Enezi.
On her part, student Al-Hajri said
she was pleased to present her project
at one of the biggest fairs in the
Middle East.
The project aims to allow people to
save time and effort in finding a park-
ing spot in shopping malls, especially
in crowded days by booking their spot
prior to their visit, she explained.
(KUNA)
Aid for Mosul: Kuwait Red Crescent
Society (KRCS) distributed on
Tuesday 1,500 food parcels in several
liberated parts of Mosul, said an offi-
cial for the society.
The KRCS operation was carried
out in cooperation with local humani-
tarian organizations, Director of the
societys Disasters and Emergency
Department Yousef Fahad Al-Meraj
told KUNA.
to public money drain & deficit
MP threatens to grill PM
By Abubakar A. Ibrahim
Arab Times Staff
KUWAIT CITY, April
4: MP Riyadh Al-Adsani
has threatened to grill
HH the Prime Minister,
before the ruling of the
Constitutional Court, if
he does not address the
issue of what he called
waste of public money
and apply the policy of
job replacement.
He noted corruption and lack
of concern are major factors
which lead to drain of public
money and budget decit. He
stressed the nancial standing
of the nation has reached a criti-
cal point and that it is high time
for the government to diversify
its sources of income.
He says, unlike for parliaments
the current National Assembly
stands will refuse to be the rubber KUNA photo
stamp but will want to have its share The Kuwaiti Armys Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Mohammad Al-Khoder met Tuesday with visiting Chairman
in the decision-making process of the Jordanian Armys Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen Adnan Al-Qadah. During the meeting, they discussed a number
with the government on the issue of mutual issues, primarily ways of promoting and bolstering bilateral military relations, the Ministry of Defense said
of reforms. He disclosed the state in a press release. Amiri Guard Commander Brigadier Fahad Abdulrahman Al Zaid was present at the meeting.
revenue last year was estimated at
KD 12 billion and the decit KD
1.8 billion. He added, revenue from
oil was approximately KD 11 bil-
lion and from non-oil KD 1 billion,
Two GCC citizens, Kuwaiti hurt in fight
but corruption and apathy has led to
budget crisis. By Meshal Al-Sanousi rushed to the location and discovered area after they received treatment for
In the meantime, MP Marzouk Al-Seyassah Staff that a group of passersby managed to the injuries they sustained.
Al-Khalifa has presented a bill to settle the quarrel and the suspects were Meanwhile, an Egyptian expatriate
KUWAIT CITY, April 4: Two broth- taken in private vehicles to Farwaniya lodged a complaint at Farwaniya Po-
grant bedoun civil and legal rights ers of a GCC nationality and a Kuwaiti
including permanent residency, free Hospital. lice Station against a Syrian expatri-
education and medical care and a citizen sustained injuries and bruises Securitymen rushed to the hospital ate, accusing the latter of beating him,
right to own real estate. during a quarrel in Firdous area. and conducted investigations with the which resulted in injuries to his hands
In the explanatory memo, the According to security sources, when suspects to discover the quarrel was over and face. He also presented a medical
lawmaker noted the Kuwaiti Con- the Operations Room of Ministry of a long-standing dispute between them. report to indicate the injuries he sus-
Interior received information about the Necessary action was taken to refer tained. Securitymen took necessary
stitution in Article 29 states all peo-
ple are equal in human dignity and incident, securitymen and paramedics the suspects to the police station of the steps to nd and question the suspect.
in public rights and duties before
the law, without distinction to race,
origin, language, or religion. He said
the most signicant challenges we
face today are in the area of human
rights either from its legal, or moral
or civil perspective including the liv-
ing conditions and the suffering of
bedoun who are known as the state-
less people. This category includes
tens of thousands of people who are
genetically inherited to their Kuwait
home, father and grandfather and
born on its territory and buried in its
land. These are the people who have
served the nation in various ways
and who had been entrusted with the
security of the homeland. They have
shed blood for the sake of the nation
and strengthened the social fabric
among husbands, wives, mothers
and children through continuous
chronology from the fourth and fth
generations.
He added this right is indis-
pensable in accordance with the
agreements and international trea-
ties signed by the State of Kuwait,
Okayed by the National Assembly
and ratied by His Highness the
Amir to become the integral part of
the legal system of the State.
In another development the
Parliamentary Budgets and Final
Accounts Committee approved
during its Tuesday meeting the
capital expenditure appropriation
in the general state budget for the
new scal 2017/2018 mainly in the
construction sector and purchase of
machinery. This was announced by
Committee Chairman MP Adnan
AbdulSamad who said the commit-
tee will soon submit the report to
the Parliament.
He explained the estimated capi-
tal expenditure appropriations for
the new scal is approximately KD
2.8 billion with the committees res-
ervation on the KD 207 million al-
located for the Amiri Diwan to sup-
port the implementation of some
construction projects but not given
any future construction projects that
do not fall within its jurisdiction.

LOCAL
Court Cases
Expat absolved of fraud
Ruling nullified as youth
acquitted in theft attempt
By Jaber Al-Hamoud
Al-Seyassah Staff
KUWAIT CITY, April 4: The Court
of Appeals has nullified the ruling of
First Instance Court that sentenced a
youth in his 20s to three years in
prison with hard labor. The court
thereby acquitted the youth of break-
ing the outer door of a house belong-
ing to a military man in Jahra area to
commit robbery.
The case file
indicates the
owner of the
building sud-
denly discov-
ered a diesel
powered gener-
ator and other
camping materi-
als were missing
from the store.
Detectives Al-Hassawi
caught the sus-
pect in possession of stolen items and
he confessed breaking into the mili-
tary mans house to steal. The owner
identified the generator.
Lawyer Khawlah Al-Hassawi rep-
resenting the defendant countered the
investigation conducted by detectives
and argued there was no proof that
her client had actually committed the
crime, especially after he denied the
allegation against him in court.
Expat absolved: The Appeal
Circuit of the Misdemeanor Court
acquitted an expatriate who was
accused of swindling an individual
and appropriating the engine of a
Porsche car.
The Public Prosecution had
accused the suspect of double-cross-
ing the victim by fraudulently hand-
ing over to him the engine of a
Lamborghini and appropriating the
Other Voices
Sorry state of road affairs
By Ahmad Al-Sarraf
T he government did establish the Road
and Land Transport Authority three
years ago and its task is to manage and
supervise the construction of Metro and
rail lines, maintenance of road networks,
carry out technical inspection of vehicles,
issue licenses, installation and maintain
traffic signals, provide and manage park-
ing lots for vehicles and trucks, supervise
driving learning and truck weighing sta-
tions.
Almost three years have passed and the
Ministry of Public Works, the General
Traffic Department, the
Kuwait Municipality and the
Ministry of Communications
continue to oppose handing
over any powers to this
body, I mean to the Road and
Land Transport Authority.
There are rumors that the
government intends to do
away with this authority
even before it has started its
work although millions of
dinars have been spent to
form this authority.
Al-Sarraf
This is in spite of the
Cabinet approval to transfer
19 subordinate departments from the
Ministry of Public Works, the Kuwait
Municipality and the Ministry of
Communications to this authority as of
early November, including the
Department of Road Laboratories.
However, a majority of these depart-
ments have yet to be moved.
The Interior Minister has also request-
ed the Council of Ministers to assign
some of the functions of the Roads
Authority to the General Traffic
Department to prevent the overlapping of
functions between the two parties.
The Interior Ministry considers it dif-
ficult to transfer, for example, the traffic
organization and the licenses sector and
other departments to the Authority and to
keep the rest of the departments associ-
ated with it in the Interior Ministry
because this will cause severe confusion
for both parties.
In this context, MP Riyadh Al-Adasani
had submitted a parliamentary query to the
Minister of Public Works stating the Audit
News in Brief
Wall crushes worker: An
Egyptian laborer died when the wall of
a house in Naeem area fell on him,
says Al-Seyassah.
According to security sources, as
soon as the incident occurred, the vic-
tim was taken to Jahra Hospital.
However, his heart was not beating at
the time of arrival in the hospital and
doctors tried their best to resuscitate his
heart but to no avail. After exerting tre-
mendous efforts, the doctors then had
no choice but to pronounce him dead.
The corpse was referred to the
Forensics Department and a case was
registered.
Drug peddlers held: Four Asian
expatriates were arrested in Qasr area
for drug peddling and possessing
drugs, says Al-Seyassah.
According to security sources, Jahra
securitymen were patrolling Qasr area
when they saw four Asian men run as
engine of his Porsche car.
Earlier, the Misdemeanor Court
sentenced the defendant in absentia
to two-week imprisonment followed
by deportation but he appealed the
ruling, forcing the court to abstain
from issuing a punishment. The court
instead issued an undertaking with-
out guarantee obligating the defen-
dant to show good behavior for a
period of six months.
At the Appeal Circuit, the defense
counsel Lawyer Dalal Al-Mutairi
affirmed that the charges filed against
her client lack incriminating evi-
dence, adding that the evidence
brought forward by the prosecution
was inadequate and weak. She also
stressed that her client had declined
the charges from the onset of investi-
gations.
Court to respond: The Admini-
strative Court of Cassation has decid-
ed to respond to the case concerning
revocation of citizenship of Ahmad
Al-Jabr, after accepting the relin-
quishment of Al-Jabers right to
demand reinstatement of his citizen-
ship, after the government had
appealed against the verdict of the
Court of Appeals verdict which had
ordered reinstatement of Al-Jabrs
citizenship.
Al-Jabr had relinquished his right
to demand reinstatement of his citi-
zenship following the initiative of
His Highness the Amir in this regard.
However, the defense the govern-
ment refused the request of
Al-Jabr and instead insisted the court
should arbitrate on the case.
So far, the verdict of the Court of
Appeals, which ordered the reinstate-
ment of the citizenship of Al-Jabr,
still stands and is enforceable until
the government files another separate
appeal to block the ruling.
Bureau had found that the Ministry of
Public Works is not serious about imple-
menting the decision of the Council of
Ministers, which stipulates that the com-
mencement of the work of the Authority for
Roads and Land Transport is on April 1.
The MP questioned why the ministry
delayed in transferring the roads projects
to the Authority, and about the reports
that the period prescribed to address all
the roads of Kuwait is 3 years, with a
budget of 150 million dinars.
Al-Adasani also asked about a report
that the Center for Quality Control and
Inspection of the Ministry of Works does
not have the necessary
equipment or accurately fol-
lows the factories that pro-
duce asphalt mixture.
In his parliamentary
query, Al-Adasani also
asked about the percentage
of good roads which is esti-
mated to be only 23 percent,
while the remaining roads
need to be repaired or main-
tained.
Based on the above, we
have seen the government is
confused, hasty and takes
random decisions and some of the con-
cerned ministries are keen to keep the
important departments within their juris-
diction and refuse to transfer them to the
new authority, especially since some of
them are considered the hen that lays the
golden eggs.
We see any clean and self-respected
efficient person does not want to be at the
head of this disrespectful body. Hence,
we saw the resignation of Eng. Abdul
Latif Al-Dakhil as Director General of
the Authority.
Disclaimer: In yesterdays article I
mentioned the managing director of the
Kuwait Investment Authority as Farouk
Al-Zanki, the correct name is Farouk
Bastaki. And the total funds that are
under the management of the Authority
exceed $500 billion. Please excuse me.
Note: As scheduled, we shall meet
with the readers this evening at 7:00 pm
at the Al Dana Hotel.
email: habibi.enta1@gmail.com
soon as they noticed the patrol vehicle.
Securitymen chased them and man-
aged to get hold of them. They were
checked to find 20 grams of an undis-
closed drug and 150 narcotic pills
known locally as Farawla.
When questioned, the suspects con-
fessed that they were planning to sell
the drugs to their clients. The suspects
were arrested and referred with the
drugs to the Drugs Control General
Department for necessary legal action.
Hoax murder calls: When a psy-
chologically unstable 16-year-old Syrian
girl made four hoax calls to the
Operations Room of the Interior
Minister about a suicide and murder in
Farwaniya, police rushed to the spot and
discovered she used her fathers phone
to make the calls, reports Al-Rai daily.
The father has signed a pledge that
he will take care of the girl so that the
act is not repeated.
ARAB TIMES, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 5, 2017
8
KUNA photo
An anti-riot drill was organized at the Special Forces Camp affiliated to Ministry of Interior as part of the Eagle Resolve 2017 military exercise in
the presence of officials from Kuwait Army, Ministry of Interior, National Guard and Kuwait Fire Service Directorate, reports Al-Seyassah daily. The
drill involved tackling riot acts and violence, ways to combat riots and disperse rioters, demonstrate the duties of each participating anti-riot unit and
benefitting from the joint concepts and expertise of the involved units.
Sponsors abandoning workers
to their fate face strict action
Intruder stabbed five times
By Meshal Al-Sanousi
Al-Seyassah Staff and
Agencies
KUWAIT CITY, April 4:
Two Syrian expatriates
were arrested in posses-
sion of sex stimulants in
Farwaniya area.
According to security sources,
Farwaniya securitymen were patrol-
ling the area based on instructions
from Farwaniya Security Director
Major General Saleh Matar when
they suspected a vehicle with two
occupants.
After demanding the driver to pull
over, securitymen checked the details
of the two individuals to discover
they are Syrian expatriates and one
was in violation of the residency law.
Upon inspection, securitymen found
sex stimulants on them.
The two suspects were arrested
and referred to the concerned author-
ities for necessary legal action.
Meanwhile, an Indian expatriate
was arrested in Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh
area for consuming liquor.
Farwaniya securitymen were
patrolling the area when they noticed
the suspect walking unsteadily and
then running as soon as he noticed
the patrol vehicle. They caught him
to realize he was in a disoriented
state because he had consumed
liquor.
He was referred to the police sta-
tion of the area where necessary
action was taken against him.
Workers abandoned: Personnel
from the so-called Quartet
Committee formed upon a decision
issued by the Council of Ministers KUNA photos
organized a security campaign against Top and above: Some pictures taken during the drill.
labor and residence law violators in
Al-Hassawi, reports Al-Rai daily.
During the campaign the commit- Bahrain official lauds Eagles Resolve 2017 success
tee comprising personnel from the
ministries of Interior, Social Affairs The Commander-in-Chief for the and Bahrain on all levels. by April 6.
and Labor, Commerce and Industry, Bahraini military, Field Marshal For his part, Sheikh Azzam Meanwhile, an anti-riot drill was
and the Kuwait Municipality are Sheikh Khalifa bin Ahmad praised the depth of relations organized at the Special Forces
said to have arrested 15 residence Al-Khalifa praised on Tuesday the between the two countries. Camp affiliated to Ministry of
law violators and referred them to success of the military exercise Eagle Resolve 2017 is part of Interior as part of the Eagle
Eagles Resolve 2017 which is efforts to promote cooperation Resolve 2017 military exercise in
concerned authority to prepare their
deporting the country. held in Kuwait with the involve- and raise the combat readiness of the presence of officials from
ment of GCC and American the Gulf Cooperation Councils Kuwait Army, Ministry of Interior,
Punitive action will be taken
against sponsors who abandon their troops, says KUNA. countries, in order to be able to National Guard and Kuwait Fire
In a statement by Kuwaits meet regional challenges. Service Directorate, reports
employees to their fate. Moreover,
the files of their companies will be Embassy in Bahrain, Sheikh It also aims to allow participat- Al-Seyassah daily.
Khalifa, during his meeting with ing units to exchange experiences The drill involved tackling riot
frozen. Kuwaiti Ambassador to Bahrain and to standardize procedures in acts and violence, ways to com-
It has been reported one of the Sheikh Azzam Al-Sabah, stressed the military field. bat riots and disperse rioters,
persons caught by the police said he that Kuwait has the ability to orga- The drill started on March 21 demonstrate the duties of each
was charging only 250 fils for a hair- nize and run such an important with participation of units from the participating anti-riot unit and ben-
cut to earn a living. exercise. Gulf Peninsula Shield force, in efitting from the joint concepts
He also stressed on the impor-
tance of relations between Kuwait
cooperation with the United States
of America. It is scheduled to end
and expertise of the involved
units.
Intruder stabbed: An unidentified
intruder, who was stabbed by a
Kuwaiti five times, has been admit- Using the description of the vehi- young men in Zahra area due to a long- and arrest the suspect.
ted to the Jahra Hospital, reports cle provided by the victims, security- standing dispute and they began hitting
Al-Rai daily. men launched investigations to find each other, which resulted in the citizen
It has been reported the incident and arrest the suspect. fracturing his foot and the Bedoun Phone, purse stolen: An
happened when the victim surprised Meanwhile, Fintas securitymen youth sustained various injuries. unknown individual stole a Kuwaiti
the Kuwait inside his house in arrested a Kuwaiti citizen who was Both were referred to Zahra Police womans mobile phone and purse
Al-Naseem. accused of beating another in Fintas Station after they received medical from her vehicle which she had
The daily quoting the citizen said area over right of way. The suspect attention and necessary action was parked in front of a commercial com-
the intruder attempted to assault the was referred to the concerned author- taken. plex in Hawally area.
Kuwaiti, and the latter stabbed him ities for necessary legal action. Meanwhile, a Kuwaiti citizen was The woman filed a theft case at the
on various parts of his body and In addition, a Kuwaiti citizen filed stabbed in the back during a quarrel police station of the area, revealing
called the Operations Room of the a case against a Kuwaiti student of among three citizens in Jahra area. that an unknown individual broke the
back glass of her car and stole her
Interior Ministry. Yousef Al-Ali Secondary School for
Then citizen has been referred to Boys in Jahra area, accusing him of mobile phone and purse, revealing
authorities for investigation. beating his son inside the school. Kuwaiti swindled: A Kuwaiti citi- that there were no documents or
zen accused another of swindling money in her purse.
Investigations have been launched
and the student will be summoned to him of KD 3,000 under the pretext of Securitymen lifted fingerprints and
Couple attacked: An Egyptian the police station for questioning. importing sheep from Iraq. launched investigations to find and
expatriate and his wife lodged a com- According to security sources, the arrest the suspect.
citizen went to Naeem Police Station Meanwhile, a Kuwaiti citizen
plaint at Maidan Hawally Police
Station against an unknown individu- Two hurt in brawl: A Bedoun and informed securitymen about the informed the Operations Room of
al who attacked them in the area. youth sustained injuries and a Kuwaiti incident, revealing that the suspect Ministry of Interior that an unknown
According to security sources, the citizen fractured his foot during a has disappeared and is not answering individual broke the window of his
victim said the suspect was driving a quarrel between them in Zahra area. any calls. vehicle which was parked in front of
white-colored vehicle. He drove off According to security sources, the A case was registered and investi- a caf in Ardiya area. Necessary
after beating him and his wife. quarrel broke out between the two gations have been launched to find action was taken.
 ARAB TIMES, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 5, 2017

LOCAL/GULF 9

Health authorities urged to expand activities in field of research

FOCP offers full support for GCC cancer awareness

KUWAIT CITY, April 4: The Friends
of Cancer Patients (FOCP)
Organization, during the First
Combined Gulf Cancer Conference,
announced its full support for the rec-
ommendations resultant from the con-
ference, especially after the partici-
pants stressed the importance of com-
bining awareness efforts for fighting
cancer in the GCC countries.
According to a press release, FOCP
called for unification of strategy to
include every country in the area, as
well as drawing up a general frame-
work for joint work, and motivating
academic establishments and health
authorities to expand their activities in
the field of scientific research in order
to find best possible ways for treating
and preventing cancer.
The two-day conference with the
tagline Awareness Strategy: Reality
and Ambition was held on April 2-3
in Kuwait City in which several orga-
nizations and establishments involved
in fighting cancer in the GCC coun-
tries participated.
The conference also witnessed par-
ticipation of leading oncologists, psy-
chologists, social workers and special-
ists in the fields of health care, educa-
tion, nutrition and media as well as
representatives of non-profit organiza-
tions and relevant government institu-
tions in the field of education.
The FOCP delegation in the confer-
ence included Board Director of the
organization Sawsan Jafar, Secretary
General of the organization Dr Sawsan
Al-Madhi and Program Executive
Haya Maree.
The conference presented evidence-
based information concerning the role
of awareness in cancer incidence and
survival rates.
It highlighted the importance of
exchanging experiences with global,
regional and local organizations in the
development of cancer awareness and
prevention strategies.
The conference also highlighted the
role of the government, non-govern-
ment and private sectors in raising
awareness in this regard for the gen-
eral public, and providing all types of
care with the aim of improving cancer
patients quality of life.
The conference witnessed distribu-
tion of academic work documents
which expansively detailed the latest
global achievements in the aspect of
combating cancer.
About the Friends of Cancer
Patients (FOCP), it is a non-profit
charity organization founded in
September 1999 in Sharjah, the
United Arab Emirates.
Its objective is to create awareness
about the six early detectable cancers
namely breast cancer, cervical cancer,
prostate cancer, testicular cancer,
colorectal cancer, and skin cancer.
Besides its awareness mission,
FOCP is committed to helping cancer
patients and their families get through
the long and arduous journey of can-
cer treatment.
Since its inception, FOCP has pro-
vided moral and financial support to
over 3,700 patients and their families
in the United Arab Emirates, irrespec-
tive of their nationality, gender, age,
religion or ethnicity.

GCC security chiefs to hold

An official addressing the conference.

meetings to promote coop

Arab group reiterates call for representation in UNSC
RIYADH, April 4,
(KUNA): GCC security
heads will hold annual
meetings to promote coop-
eration and share informa-
tion, GCC Assistant
Secretary General for
Security Affairs Majro
General Hazzaa Al Hajri
said.
Al-Hajri made the statement on
Monday on the sidelines of a meet-
ing of security chiefs in the Saudi
capital.
He noted that the meetings recom-
mendations would be submitted to
GCC interior Ministrys
Undersecretaries and then to GCC
Interior Ministers for consideration.
He stressed that GCC member states
work as one system regarding security
affair as they consider that any threat
to a GCC country s security is a threat
to all member states.
This requires promoting coopera-
tion and coordination, and sharing GCC security chiefs meeting in Riyadh.
information to safeguard stability and
security of GCC member states, he
said.
He described the current coopera-
tion in terms of exchanging informa-
tion amongst GCC states as excel-
lent, indicating that it constantly
develops in the framework of common
agreements and strategies.
Top: Bangladesh Ambassador S. M. Abul Kalam addressing the Bengali The GCC police has made great
community in Kuwait. Above: Bangladeshis observe the Genocide Day at strides and its missions are based on
the embassy. enhancing coordination, and sharing
information and data, Al-Hajri made
Martyrs honored clear.
He stressed that all officials realize
the volume of responsibility and chal-

Bangladesh Embassy lenges towards security affairs all over

the world.
He lauded developed and advanced
coordination and sharing information

marks Genocide Day among GCC states that have an impact

KUWAIT CITY, April 4: Bangladesh
Embassy in Kuwait observed Genocide
Day 2017 at the Chancery in a befit-
ting manner in presence of embassy
officials, officials of the Bangladesh
Military Contingent, Bangladesh
Biman, members of the community
and representatives of the print and
electronic media.
The program started with the recita-
tion from the Holy Quran. Special Dua
and Munajat were offered seeking
divine blessings for the souls of the
martyrs who sacrificed their lives on
March 25, 1971 and prayed for the
continued progress of the country.
One minute silence was observed in
honor of the martyrs.
The messages given by the
Honorable President, the Prime
Minister of the Peoples Republic of
Bangladesh were read out by officers
of the embassy. Mr Md Anisuzzaman,
First Secretary anchored the program.
On March 11, 2017 the Bangladeshi
Parliament during its 14th session
unanimously adopted a resolution
declaring March 25 as Genocide Day.
The discussion took place in partici-
pating from the Bangladesh communi-
ties leaders and various socio-cultural
News in Brief
KJA organises confab: The
Arab Independent Media and
Journalism Conference, which is
being organized by the Kuwait
Journalists Association (KJA), with
the cooperation with International
Federation of Journalists (IFJ), will
kickoff Wednesday, April 5 at the
Crowne Plaza Hotel under the
patronage of State Minister for
Cabinet Affairs and Acting Minister
of Information Sheikh Mohammad
Abdullah Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah.
According to a press release, a
number of discussions and seminars
related to Kuwait journalism and
several issues concerning establish-
ment of a regional mechanism for
ensuring press freedom in the Arab
world will be held during the confer-
organizations. They highlighted on
this day significantly.
His Excellency the Ambassador
S.M. Abul Kalam in his speech high-
lighted the significance of the Day.
The ambassador said that the occupa-
tion forces unleashed a sudden attack
and started killing innocent and
unarmed Bangalees on the black
night of the March 25, 1971.
They killed thousands of people in
cities and towns, including Dhaka.
The Father of the Nation
Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman
officially proclaimed the indepen-
dence of Bangladesh at the first hour
of March 26, 1971.
Bangabandhus proclamation was
spread all over the country through
telegram, tele-printers and EPR wire-
less.
The international media also had
circulated Bangabandhus proclama-
tion of independence.
Under the brave and dauntless lead-
ership of Bangabandhu, Bangladesh
earned the ultimate victory on the Dec
16, 1971 after a 9-month bloody war.
Finally the ambassador urged all to
work unitedly for the benefit of the
country.
ence.
Kuwaiti doctors welcome:
Director General of Public
Authority for the Disabled Affairs
(PADA), Dr Shafeeqa Al-Awadhi
affirmed that doors of the authority
are open for Kuwaiti doctors due to
their high-level skills, competence
and professionalism, reports
Al-Anba daily.
In response to the question con-
cerning the authoritys move to
advertise employment opportunities
in the authority in Egypt instead of
seeking citizens to occupy such
positions, Dr Al-Awadhi indicated
that the advertisement published in
Egypt was for full-time doctors to
work on daily basis.
on achieving more key security
accomplishments.
A Kuwaiti delegation headed by
Interior Ministrys Acting Assistant
Undersecretary for General Security
Affairs Major General Ibrahim
Al-Tarrah is taking part in the meet-
ing.
Meanwhile, the Arab group of
states in the United Nations has reiter-
ated call a proper representation of
Arab countries in the UN Security
Council.
Kuwait reaffirms
support for ACU
CAIRO, April 4, (KUNA): The State
of Kuwait Tuesday reaffirmed its full
support to Arab Customs Union
(ACU) and a single Arab customs law.
Speaking to KUNA on the sidelines
of the 37th meeting of Arab customs
chiefs held in Cairo, Acting Director
General of Kuwaits General
Administration of Customs Adnan
Al-Qudaibi said Kuwait is a staunch
supporter of the Arab Customs Union.
Defending a single Arab customs
law, the official said it basically stems
from the uniform customs law of the
Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).
He pointed out that during the two-
day meeting, Arab customs officials
discussed, inter alia, customs mea-
sures, information and inter-Arab tran-
sit development.
ever.
researchers from different IT security
Adnan Al-Qudaibi
The Union of Investment Companies Thursday held an
ordinary and extraordinary general assembly inside
Al-Sharrah made a PowerPoint presentation summary
of the administrative and financial report for last year,
Bahra Hall of the Kuwait Chamber of Commerce and which ended Dec 31. Board Chairman of the union
Industry. The rate of attendance was 91.4 percent with Bader Nasser Al-Subaie also presented detailed report
32 out of the total 35 member companies represented. of the role played by the Union of Investment Companies.
Secretary General of the union Professor Ramadan
Bid to prevent large bank robberies
Chasing Lazarus: a hunt for hackers
DUBAI, April 4: Kaspersky Lab has
published the results of its more-than-
financial institution in South East
Asia.
year-long investigation into the activi- After being interrupted by
ty of Lazarus a notorious hacking
group allegedly responsible for the
Kaspersky Lab products and the fol-
lowing investigation, they were set
theft of 81 million dollars from the back for another few months, and later
Central Bank of Bangladesh in 2016. decided to change their operation by
During the forensic analysis of arte- moving to Europe.
facts left by the group in South-East But here too, their attempts were
Asian and European banks, Kaspersky interrupted by Kaspersky Labs secu-
Lab has reached a deep understanding rity software
of what malicious tools the group uses detections, as well
and how it operates while attacking as the quick inci-
financial institutions, casinos, software dent response,
developers for investment companies forensic analysis,
and crypto-currency businesses around and reverse engi-
the world. neering with sup-
This knowledge has helped to inter- port from compa-
rupt at least two other operations nys top research-
which had one goal to steal a large ers.
amount of money from financial insti- Based on the
tutions. In February 2016, a group of results of the
hackers (unidentified at that time) forensic analysis Kamluk
attempted to steal $851 million, and
managed to transfer 81 million from
of these attacks,
Kaspersky Lab researchers were able
the Central Bank of Bangladesh. to reconstruct the modus operandi of
This is considered to be one of the the group.
largest, most successful cyber heists Initial compromise: A single sys-
tem inside a bank is breached either
Further investigation conducted by with remotely accessible vulnerable
code (ie on a webserver) or through a
companies including Kaspersky Lab watering hole attack through an exploit
revealed a high chance that the attacks planted on a benign website. Once
were conducted by Lazarus a noto- such a site is visited, the victims
rious cyber espionage and sabotage (bank employee) computer gets mal-
group responsible for a series of regu- ware, which brings additional compo-
lar and devastating attacks, and known nents.
for attacking manufacturing compa- Foothold established: Then the
nies, media and financial institutions group migrates to other bank hosts and
in at least 18 countries around the deploys persistent backdoors the
world since 2009. malware allows them to come and go
Although several months of silence whenever they want.
followed the Bangladesh attack, the Internal reconnaissance:
Lazarus group was still active. Subsequently the group spends days
They had been preparing for a new and weeks learning the network, and
operation to steal money from other identifying valuable resources. One
banks and, by the time they were such resource may be a backup server,
ready, they already had their foot in a where authentication information is
stored, a mail server or the whole
domain controller with keys to every
door in the company, as well as
servers storing or processing records
of financial transactions.
Deliver and steal: Finally, they
deploy special malware capable of
bypassing the internal security features
of financial software and issuing rogue
transactions on behalf of the bank.
Geography and attribution
The attacks investigated by
Kaspersky Lab researchers lasted for
weeks. However, the attackers could
operate under the radar for months.
For example, during the analysis of
the incident in South-East Asia,
experts discovered that hackers were
able to compromise the bank network
no less than seven months prior to the
day when the banks security team
requested incident response.
In fact, the group had access to the
network of that bank even before the
day of the Bangladesh incident.
According to Kaspersky Lab
records, from December 2015, mal-
ware samples relating to Lazarus
group activity appeared in financial
institutions, casinos, software develop-
ers for investment companies and
crypto-currency businesses in Korea,
Bangladesh, India, Vietnam,
Indonesia, Costa Rica, Malaysia,
Poland, Iraq, Ethiopia, Kenya, Nigeria,
Uruguay, Gabon, Thailand and several
other countries.
In preparation for operation, the
server was configured as the command
& control center for the malware.
We hope that chief executives from
banks, casinos and investment compa-
nies around the world will become
wary of the name Lazarus, said
Vitaly Kamluk, Head of Global
Research and Analysis Team APAC at
Kaspersky Lab.

INTERNATIONAL
World News Roundup
In this April 3, 2017 photo from video provided by KMOV shows damage to the roof of a box company in
St Louis after a boiler exploded and ew before crashing through the roof of a nearby laundry business.
The authorities said the explosion killed three people and injured four others. One person died in the
blast about 8 a.m. at the Loy-Lange Box Co and two others were killed when a large piece of the boiler
crashed into the nearby Faultless Healthcare Linen buildings ofce area, Fire Chief Dennis Jenkerson
said. The explosion appears to have been an accident, but investigators were trying to pinpoint what
Veterans
102-yr-old gets diploma
Vet suicide hotline
problems fixed: VA
WASHINGTON, April 4, (AP): The Department
of Veterans Affairs is telling skeptical members of
Congress that it has xed problems with its suicide
hotline that were highlighted in a critical recent in-
ternal watchdog report.
A March 20 audit by the VA inspector general
had found that nearly a third of calls to the Veterans
Crisis Line as recently as November were bounced
to back-up centers run by an outside contractor. The
rollover calls happen when phone lines are busy,
leading to possible waits of 30 minutes or more.
It was unwelcome news for VA Secretary David
Shulkin, who has made suicide prevention a signa-
ture issue in the troubled agency, riven with scandal
since reports of delays in treatment at veterans hos-
pitals last year.
Approximately veterans
take their lives each day. On
Tuesday, the VA plans to tell
the House Veterans Affairs
Committee that the most seri-
ous issues with the veterans
crisis hotline have been re-
solved.
Calls to the Veterans Crisis
Line that rolled over to back-
up centers steadily declined
Shulkin
from 31 percent in early
November, to just 0.1 percent as of March 25, ac-
cording to internal VA data submitted to Congress
and obtained by The Associated Press. That came
despite growing workloads in which weekly calls
to the hotline jumped from 10,558 in November to
13,966 last month, the VA said.
As recently as mid-December, when the IG was
nalizing its audit, the share of rollover calls had
declined close to the VAs goal of 10 percent. That
gure dropped to less than 1 percent by early Janu-
ary, according to the agency.
Crisis
The crisis hotline is the strongest it has been
since its inception in 2007, Steve Young, VAs
deputy undersecretary for health for operations and
management, says in testimony prepared for Tues-
days hearing. He described the hotline in recent
months as offering superior access for veterans
during their time of need.
Shulkin, who previously served as VAs top
health ofcial, has also described the issue as re-
solved. Fixing the Veterans Crisis Line was a criti-
cal step in keeping our commitment to veterans,
he said in a March 21 statement.
VA inspector general Michael Missal said he can-
not conrm the data, but emphasized in prepared
testimony that the Veterans Health Administration
had not implemented any of the IGs proposed im-
provements, dating back to February 2016.
Meanwhile, a 102-year-old World War II veter-
an who served with Canadian and American forces
and survived captivity by the Nazis has received his
high school diploma and overdue medals.
Sydney Cole dropped out of his Buffalo, New
York, high school in the 1930s. Rejected by the US
Army Air Corps before America entered the war,
Cole headed across the border and joined the Cana-
dian Royal Air Force.
He was discharged after the Japanese attack on
Pearl Harbor and joined the US Army in 1943.
Cole was piloting an artillery observation plane
during the Battle of the Bulge when he was shot
down in early 1945. He spent the next four months
in a German POW camp.
Cole received his diploma Friday and 10 medals,
including a Purple Heart and Bronze Medal.
In this April 2, 2017 photo, released
by Sacred Heart University, students
participate in a candlelight vigil in
memory of student Caitlin Nelson
on the schools campus in Faireld,
Conn. Police said Nelson, from Clark,
NJ, died three days after choking dur-
ing a pancake-eating contest at the
college. (AP)
America
Trump signs privacy rules repeal:
US President Donald Trump on Monday
signed a repeal of Obama-era broadband
privacy rules, the White House said, a
victory for internet service providers and a
blow to privacy advocates.
Republicans in Congress last week
narrowly passed the repeal of the privacy
rules with no Democratic support and
over the strong objections of privacy
advocates.
The signing, disclosed in White House
statement late on Monday, follows strong
criticism of the bill, which is a win for
AT&T Inc, Comcast Corp and Verizon
Communications Inc.
The bill repeals regulations adopted in
October by the Federal Communications
Commission under the Obama administra-
tion requiring internet service providers to
do more to protect customers privacy than
websites like Alphabet Incs Google or
Facebook Inc.
The rules had not yet taken effect but
would have required internet providers
to obtain consumer consent before using
precise geolocation, nancial information,
health information, childrens information
and web browsing history for advertising
and marketing.
FCC Chairman Ajit Pai praised the
repeal in a statement late on Monday for
having appropriately invalidated one part
of the Obama-era plan for regulating the in-
ternet. Those awed privacy rules, which
never went into effect, were designed to
benet one group of favored companies,
not online consumers.
Pai said the FCC would work with the
Federal Trade Commission, which oversees
websites, to restore the FTCs authority to
police internet service providers privacy
practices. (RTRS)
Bid to revive health bill: Top
White House ofcials met moderate and
conservative Republicans in the US House
of Representatives on Monday in an ef-
fort to revive a plan to repeal and replace
Obamacare.
Key members of the administration, in-
cluding Vice President Mike Pence, invited a
group of moderate Republicans known as the
Tuesday Group to the White House. Pence
then went to Capitol Hill to meet the Freedom
Caucus, a group of House conservatives who
last month derailed a healthcare bill backed
caused the cast iron boiler estimated to weigh a ton to a ton and a half to explode, Jenkerson said.
The blast occurred in a largely industrial area of south St Louis. Two injured victims were in critical condi-
tion, and one was undergoing surgery, Jenkerson said. The injured include a linen company worker who
was found pinned beneath the boiler, which Jenkerson said was roughly 4 feet in diameter and 10 feet
long (1.2 meters in diameter and 3 meters long). The boiler was used to produce steam to power the box
companys equipment. (AP)
Immigration
Dont overlook qualified Americans: Trump
Bid to prevent H-1B visa fraud
WASHINGTON, April 4, (Agen-
cies): The US Department of Home-
land Security announced steps on
Monday to prevent the fraudulent use
of H-1B visas, used by employers to
bring in specialized foreign workers
temporarily, which appeared to fall
short of President Donald Trumps
campaign promises to overhaul the
program.
A White House ofcial said Trump
may still do more on the program.
Trump had promised to end the
lottery system for H-1B visas, which
gives each applicant an equal chance
at 65,000 positions each year.
Lobbyists for businesses who rely
on H-1B visas, commonly used by the
tech sector, had expected Trump to
upend the lottery in favor of a system
that prioritized workers who are highly
skilled and would be highly paid in the
United States.
The lottery for scal year 2018
opened on Monday without changes.
The start of the lottery was seen by
those watching the issue as the unof-
cial deadline for the Trump adminis-
tration to enact H-1B visa reform, and
the failure to meet that deadline signals
that Trumps promised overhaul of the
system may be off the table or long
delayed.
More oversight is a good start, but
employers can still use the program
legally to depress wages and replace
American workers. That falls short of
the promises President Trump made to
protect American workers, said Peter
Robbio, a spokesman for Numbers
USA, a Washington-based group that
advocates for limiting immigration
into the United States.
The Trump administration has taken
other steps to crackdown on H-1B visa
abuse, such as issuing a Justice De-
partment warning to employers and
announcing plans to increase transpar-
ency on applicants.
These are important rst steps to
bring more accountability and trans-
parency to the H-1B system, a White
House ofcial said. The administra-
tion is considering several additional
options for the president to use his
existing authority to ensure federal
agencies more rigorously enforce all
aspects of the program.
Tech companies rely on the program
to bring in workers with special skills
and have lobbied for an expansion of
the number of H-1B visas awarded.
Proponents of limiting legal im-
migration, including Trumps senior
adviser Stephen Miller, have argued
the program gives jobs that Americans
could ll to foreign workers at a less
by President Donald Trump.
The White House would like to see a
revised bill come up for a vote as early as
weeks end, before the House breaks for
a spring recess, and the text of the new
proposal could be ready some time on
Tuesday, lawmakers said.
It was clear the president would be very
happy come Friday to have this passed, said
US Representative Chris Collins, a member
of the Tuesday Group and a Trump ally.
This could move fairly quickly, he said.
ARAB TIMES, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 5, 2017
Calif Senate OKs statewide
immigrant sanctuary bill
SACRAMENTO, California, April
4, (AP): California lawmakers gave
initial approval Monday to a meas-
ure that prevents law enforcement
from cooperating with federal im-
migration ofcials, a measure that
proponents said rebukes President
Donald Trump for his immigration
crackdown.
It makes California a statewide
sanctuary for many people who are
in the country illegally.
The state Senate passed the
measure on a 27-12 vote, send-
ing it to the state Assembly over
the objection of opponents who
said it endangers the public by
shielding felons from being de-
ported.
The bill, SB54, advanced after
Senate President Pro Tem Kevin
de Leon, a Democrat from Los An-
geles, amended it to let state and
local law enforcement notify Immi-
gration and Customs Enforcement
federal agents before convicted se-
rious or violent felons are released
from custody.
De Leon also stripped the bill
of a provision that would have re-
quired a two-thirds vote. Passing
the measure with a simple majority
means it wouldnt take effect until
Jan. 1, while the previous version
would have taken effect immedi-
ately.
We will cooperate with our
friends at the federal level with seri-
ous and violent felons. But we wont
cooperate or lift a nger or spend
expensive cost.
The measures announced by DHS
on Monday focus on site visits by US
authorities to employers who use H-1B
visas.
In future site visits, US Citizenship
and Immigration Services agents will
investigate incidents where an em-
ployers basic business information
cannot be validated; businesses that
have a high ratio of H-1B employees
compared with US workers; and em-
ployers petitioning for H-1B workers
who work off-site.
Meanwhile, the Trump adminis-
tration issued a stern warning to US
companies as they began applying for
coveted skilled-worker visas Monday,
Trump Pence
10
a single cent when were talking
about separating children from
their mothers, mothers from their
children, de Leon said. Thats not
who we are as a great state.
Trump in January signed an or-
der threatening to withdraw federal
grants from jurisdictions that bar
ofcials from communicating with
federal authorities about some-
ones immigration status.
By passing this today youll be
kicking the president right in the
groin, and I can imagine hes go-
ing to strike back, said Republican
Sen Jeff Stone of Temecula.
The American Civil Liberties
Union, the National Day Laborer
Organizing Network and other sup-
porters said the bill would give Cali-
fornia some of the nations strong-
est anti-deportation protections.
Lawmakers in the nations most
populous state also advanced two
other bills that attempt to impede
the presidents immigration poli-
cies. They sent the Assembly a
bill, SB6, that would provide $12
million to pay lawyers for immi-
grants facing deportation, and an-
other measure, SB31, that would
bar state ofcials from sharing
data if the federal government
creates a Muslim registry.
California is home to an estimat-
ed 2.3 million immigrants who do
not have legal authorization. San
Francisco, which is among cities
with its own sanctuary law, is suing
over Trumps executive order.
cautioning that it would investigate
and prosecute employers that overlook
qualied American workers for the
jobs.
The message came on the opening
day of applications for American em-
ployers seeking visas known as H-1B,
which are used mostly by technology
companies to bring in programmers
and other specialized workers from
other countries.
US workers should not be placed in
a disfavored status, and the department
is wholeheartedly committed to inves-
tigating and vigorously prosecuting
these claims, Tom Wheeler, acting
head of the Justice Departments Civil
Rights Division, said in a statement.
Just 10 days ago, House Speaker Paul
Ryan was forced to cancel a vote on a bill
to replace the 2010 Affordable Care Act,
popularly known as Obamacare, when it
was clear he could not deliver the votes
needed for it to pass.
The defeat was a big political setback
for Trump and fellow Republicans in
Congress who were elected on pledges
to repeal and replace former Democratic
President Barack Obamas signature
healthcare law. (RTRS)

INTERNATIONAL
US President Donald Trump and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi hold a bilateral meeting in the Cabinet Room of the White House in Washington on April 3. (AP)
Politics
GOP set for nuclear option
Senate on collision
course over Gorsuch
WASHINGTON, April 4, (Agencies): Democrats have
secured the votes to block President Donald Trumps
Supreme Court nominee under current rules, putting
the Senate on a partisan collision course over conrm-
ing Neil Gorsuch to a lifetime appointment that could
reverberate for decades.
Debate over the 49-year-old appellate judge gets un-
der way in the full Senate on Tuesday, with Republicans
and Democrats bitterly divided over the next steps.
While Democrats have the votes for a libuster, Ma-
jority Leader Mitch McConnell
is ready to lead the GOP in a uni-
lateral change in a Senate oor
procedure so signicant that it
has been dubbed the nuclear
option. The tactic if invoked
would lower the conrmation
threshold to a libuster-proof
simple majority of 51 votes in
the 100-member Senate rather
than the 60 votes currently need-
Gorsuch ed to stop delaying tactics by op-
ponents.
The likelihood of more partisan wrangling left veteran
GOP senators frustrated and hoping that Democrats
would relent in their opposition to the Colorado jurist.
The nuclear option would be damaging to the Senate,
damaging to them and damaging to the country. Maybe
a light will come on somewhere, said Sen. Lamar Alex-
ander, a Tennessee Republican.
After hours of debate Monday, the Judiciary Com-
mittee voted 11-9, along party lines, to send Gorsuchs
nomination to the full Senate, where McConnell, R-Ky.,
has vowed he will be conrmed on Friday.
Sen Chris Coons of Delaware became the key 41st
vote for the Democrats, declaring during a committee
debate that Gorsuchs conservative record showed an
activist approach to the law, often in favor of business
interests, and that he evaded questions during his conr-
mation hearings.
Coons also said that Republicans treatment of former
President Barack Obamas Supreme Court nominee,
Merrick Garland, left lasting scars after they denied him
so much as a hearing following the death of Justice An-
tonin Scalia early last year.
We are at a historic moment in the history of the
United States Senate due to actions by both parties,
Coons said. We have eroded the process for reaching
agreement and dishonored our long traditions of acting
above partisanship.
Consequences
The long-term consequences of the coming confronta-
tion could be profound, as the rules change Republicans
intend to enact would apply to future Supreme Court
nominees as well, allowing them to be voted onto the
court without any input from the minority party. And
though predicting a justices votes can be difcult, con-
rmation of the 49-year-old Gorsuch is expected to re-
store the conservative majority that existed while Scalia
was alive and that majority could be expanded in coming
decades if Republicans remain in control of the process.
Some of the more liberal justices are among the oldest on
the court, so more court openings could pop up.
For Republicans and Trump, Gorsuchs conrmation
would be a moment of triumph, a bright spot in a trou-
bled young administration thats failed on the legislative
front with the health care bill and is under investigation
over Russia connections. The nomination of Gorsuch,
by contrast, has won universal praise from Republicans,
some of whom call his appointment Trumps best move
so far as president.
Gorsuch has spent more than a decade on the federal
appeals bench in Denver where hes issued consistently
conservative rulings, and he appeared on Trumps list of
potential candidates partly generated by the Federalist
Society and Heritage Foundation during the campaign.
In the face of the libuster, Senate Majority Leader
Mitch McConnell would be expected to force a conr-
mation vote by having the Senate change its rules and
allow for a simple majority vote for conrmation of Su-
preme Court justices, a move sometimes called the nu-
clear option that Trump favors.
Scotlands First Minister Nicola Stur-
geon (left), walks with Lena Wilson,
CEO of Scottish Enterprise, to a
round table discussion at the Quadrus
Conference Center on April 3, in Men-
lo Park, California. Sturgeon took part
in a round table discussion with angel
investors led by Investing Women to
help connect Scottish female entre-
preneurs to US investors and vice
versa. (AP)
America
Sturgeon visits Calif: Scottish First
Minister Nicola Sturgeon has signed a cli-
mate change agreement with California Gov
Jerry Brown at the start of a ve-day visit
to the US that comes as Scotland considers
its independence from the United Kingdom.
In June, the UK voted to leave the Eu-
ropean Union sparking outrage in Scotland
where the majority was opposed. Sturgeon
says Scotland is planning to hold a referen-
dum on Scottish independence sometime
between fall 2018 and spring 2019.
Sturgeon tells The Associated Press Mon-
day she in the US to strengthen Scotlands
trade and business relationships with one of
its most important markets.
Sturgeon also toured Tesla Motors
Silicon Valley facility and discussed con-
necting Scottish women entrepreneurs with
American investors.
She plans to speak at Stanford University
on Tuesday before heading to New York.
(AP)
Teen pleads guilty to plot: A New
Jersey teen pleaded guilty to attempting to
provide material support to terrorists in what
media called an ISIS-inspired effort to kill
Pope Francis in 2015 during a public Mass
in Philadelphia, according to a statement by
federal prosecutors.
Santos Colon, 17, admitted on Monday
in a federal court in Camden, New Jersey,
that he attempted to conspire with a sniper to
shoot the Pope during his visit in Philadel-
phia and set off explosive devices in the
surrounding areas.
Colon engaged with someone he thought
would be the sniper from June 30 to August
14, 2015, but the person was actually an
undercover FBI employee, according to
prosecutors. The attack did not take place,
and FBI agents arrested Colon in 2015.
Colon engaged in target reconnais-
sance with an FBI condential source and
instructed the source to purchase materials
to make explosive devices, prosecutors said
in a statement on Monday.
A US citizen from Lindenwold, New
Jersey, Colon was charged as an adult with
one count of attempting to provide material
support to terrorists on Monday and faces up
to 15 years in prison.
What motivated the attempted attack was
not immediately known to Reuters. NBC
News reported that prosecutors said Colon
admitted the terror plot was inspired by the
Islamic State.
Prosecutors and the defense attorney did
not immediately respond to a request for
comment.
Colon also faces a ne of $250,000, or
Politics
Republicans sharply divided on plans key tenet
Tax overhaul a tough tussle
WASHINGTON, April 4, (AP): After
their humiliating loss on health care, Re-
publicans in Congress could use a quick
victory on a big issue. It wont be an
overhaul of the tax code.
Overhauling the tax code could prove
harder to accomplish than repealing
and replacing Barack Obamas health
law. Congressional Republicans are di-
vided on signicant issues, especially a
new tax on imports embraced by House
Speaker Paul Ryan. And the White
House is sending contradicting signals
on the new tax, adding to the uncertainty.
House Republicans also cant decide
whether to move on from health care.
Ryan canceled a scheduled vote on a
House GOP plan after it became obvious
that Republicans didnt have the votes.
This is a setback no two ways
about it, Ryan said of the loss on health
care. I will not sugarcoat this this is a
disappointing day for us.
Ryan said he will continue to work on
the issue but one of his top lieutenants on
health care, Rep Kevin Brady, R-Texas,
says he is now 100 percent focused on
a tax overhaul.
Ryan says Congress can work on both
at the same time. It wont be easy. Heres
why:
REPUBLICAN DIVIDE
House and Senate Republicans large-
ly agree on the broad outlines of a tax
overhaul. They want to lower tax rates
for individuals and corporations, and
make up the lost revenue by scaling back
tax breaks.
But they are sharply divided on a key
tenet of the House Republican plan.
The new border adjustment tax
would be applied to prots from goods
and services consumed in the US,
whether they are domestically produced
or imported. Exports would be exempt.
House GOP leaders say the tax is key
to lowering the top corporate income tax
rate from 35 percent to 20 percent.
ministration has been all over the map
But good luck nding a single Repub-
lican senator who will publicly support
the tax. Sen Rob Portman, R-Ohio, is the
latest in a long line of Republican sena-
tors to come out against the tax.
ABSENT DEMOCRATS
Senate Finance Committee Chairman
Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, says he wants to
work with Democrats to overhaul the
tax code.
A bipartisan bill would allow us to
put in place more lasting reforms and
give the overall effort additional cred-
ibility, Hatch said.
Majority Leader Mitch McConnell,
R-Kentucky, has said it is bad policy to
pass major legislation without bipartisan
support.
Without some meaningful buy-in,
you guarantee a food ght, McConnell
wrote in his memoir last year. You
twice the amount of any nancial gain or
loss from the offense, prosecutors said. No
date has been set for sentencing and the
investigation is ongoing. (RTRS)
May hearing on travel order: A US
appeals court said on Monday it would hold
a hearing in May over a Hawaii federal
judges order that blocked President Donald
Trumps revised travel restrictions on citi-
zens from six Muslim-majority countries.
ARAB TIMES, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 5, 2017
House Republican tax chief
to discuss ideas with Dems
WASHINGTON, April 4, (RTRS):
The Texas Republican spearhead-
ing tax reform efforts in the US House
of Representatives will meet with
Democrats to discuss policy ideas,
as Republicans try to secure a victory
for President Donald Trump after his
healthcare bills failure.
House Ways and Means Commit-
tee Chair Kevin Brady said the meet-
ing with his panels 16 Democratic
members will focus on ways to sim-
plify the US tax code for individuals
and stop US companies from mov-
ing production and research facilities
overseas both key House Republi-
can tax reform objectives.
At the end of the day, I dont want
to make a prediction as to where that
goes. But I think this engagements
important, Brady told reporters on
Monday. Id love to have them bring
their ideas on how we leapfrog Amer-
ica back into the lead as the most
competitive place on earth for that
new business.
The meeting is expected to take
place on Wednesday, according to
House aides.
A spokesman for Ways and Means
Democrats had no immediate com-
ment.
Brady said the meeting has noth-
ing to do with the healthcare debacle
on March 24, when the Republican-
guarantee instability and strife.
But in the House, Republicans havent
reached out to Democrats in any mean-
ingful way.
WHERES THE WHITE HOUSE?
Obviously were driving the train on
this, White House press secretary Sean
Spicer said.
But President Donald Trumps ad-
on tax reform. Trump at one point said
the House border tax is too complicated,
then said its in the mix.
Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin
told a Senate panel that there would be
no absolute tax cut for the upper class in
Trumps tax plan.
However, the plan Trump unveiled
during his presidential campaign would
provide big tax breaks to high-income
households.
Since taking ofce, Trump has prom-
ised massive tax cuts for the middle
class.
A former Treasury ofcial under
president Barack Obama says the White
House needs to stake out clear goals on
tax overhaul to guide the debate in Con-
gress.
I think its important for the adminis-
Brown Pope Francis
11
controlled House pulled legislation
to repeal and replace the healthcare
law known as Obamacare when it
became clear that Republicans would
fall short of the votes needed. Trump
blamed the failure on hardline Re-
publican conservatives who opposed
the bill and threatened to reach out to
Democrats.
But the Trump administration has
signaled an interest in nding biparti-
san support for tax reform legislation,
billed as the rst comprehensive over-
haul of the US tax code since 1986.
The White House has also shown
signs of moving away from the House
tax reform blueprint backed by Brady
and House Speaker Paul Ryan, inform-
ing Republican lawmakers on March
16 that all options were on the table.
The House blueprint, which Dem-
ocrats oppose, calls for sweeping
changes and tax cuts that would
mainly benet the wealthy. But it has
divided the business community and
Republicans over a border adjust-
ment tax provision that would impose
a 20 percent tax on imports while ex-
empting export revenues from tax.
White House ofcials told law-
makers last month that they were
seriously considering other options,
including decit-funded tax cuts and
a European-style value-added tax for
businesses.
tration to signal early the general shape
of what they would like to accomplish so
that there are fewer proposals vying for
attention, said Michael Mundaca, a for-
mer assistant Treasury secretary now at
Ernst & Young.
TAX CHANGE IS DIFFICULT
There is a reason its been 31 years
since the last time Congress rewrote
the tax code. Since then, the number of
exemptions, deductions and credits has
mushroomed. Taxpayers enjoyed $1.6
trillion in tax breaks in 2016 more
than the federal government collected in
individual income taxes.
That huge number could provide plen-
ty of tax breaks that lawmakers can scale
back so they can lower tax rates signi-
cantly. There is just one problem all
of the biggest tax breaks are very popular
and have powerful constituencies.
Nearly 34 million families claimed
the mortgage interest deduction in 2016.
That same year more than 43 million
families took advantage of a deduction
of state and local taxes.
The House Republicans tax plan
would retain the mortgage deduction and
eliminate the deduction for state and lo-
cal taxes.
The 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals
previously upheld a Seattle judges block of
Trumps rst travel order. The appeals court
did not say on Monday which three judges
would preside over the latest appeal.
Trump signed the revised ban last month,
in a bid to overcome legal problems with his
January executive order that caused chaos at
airports and sparked mass protests before its
enforcement was halted in February.
Trump has said the travel ban is needed
for national security. (RTRS)

INTERNATIONAL
World News Roundup
Brexit
Analogy sparks war of words
Gibraltar steady
against Brexit
GIBRALTAR, April 4, (Agencies): Brexit Bomb-
shell but Gibraltar will not surrender stated the
Gibraltar Panorama on Monday as the British en-
claves future took centre stage in the wrangling over
Britains break from the European Union.
Residents of the Rock on the southern tip of Spain
said they hoped for Londons support as Prime Minis-
ter Theresa Mays government negotiated the divorce.
But they also adopted a typically British stance on
the row keep calm and carry on.
Spain is going to jump at this opportunity to try
and take advantage of the situation but when it comes
to the crunch I think weve got to take one step at a
time and not overreact, be calm, said reghter Liam
Byrne, speaking in a street on
the peninsula.
Gibraltarians voted over-
whelmingly in last Junes ref-
erendum to stay as part of the
EU but Britains decision as
a whole to leave potentially
takes the overseas territory
with it.
But an EU draft position
published on Friday said any
agreement on Gibraltar had to
Howard be agreed between Britain and
Spain, which has long claimed sovereignty over the
enclave.
On Sunday a former British minister, Michael
Howard, suggested Britain would be ready to go to
war with Spain to defend the outpost a display of
saber-rattling that evoked memories of the 1982 war
with Argentina over the Falklands.
That drew a rebuke from Brian Reyes, a columnist
for the Gibraltar Chronicle, who said Howards words
helped no one.
This is a time for rm but measured diplomacy,
not war rhetoric, Reyes wrote. What we need is a
Rock-solid commitment from the UK that it will in-
clude Gibraltar in any future trade deal with the EU.
Treaty
Captured by Britain in 1704 and ceded in the 1713
Treaty of Utrecht, Gibraltar has long been a bone of
contention between London and Madrid. The border
was closed for many years during the Franco dictator-
ship.
In a 2002 referendum, Gibraltarians rejected by
98 percent a proposal for joint British-Spanish sov-
ereignty.
Once a major British military base, the territory of
33,000 people is now an off-shore nancial center
drawing funds and insurance companies with its at-
tractive tax and regulatory regime.
It has a strong avour of Britishness, with pubs
named The Gibraltar Arms and The Angry Friar.
One souvenir stall had for sale a red bag with the slo-
gan Gibraltar. British since 1704.
Gibraltar was not mentioned in Mays Article 50
letter which triggered the process to leave the bloc last
Wednesday.
Ron Westdorp, Managing Director of Gibraltar-
based fund Taler Asset Management, said the line in
the EU draft which said Spain would have a veto on
Gibraltar was not helpful.
It is upsetting in an extremely early phase of re-
negotiating these relations, he told Reuters by tel-
ephone. Retiree Alfred Medina was also suspicious of
Spains motives.
Even though I voted to leave the EU, I was ex-
pecting this from Spain and I just sincerely hope that
Britain will back us up and they will take care of us
like theyve done in the past, he said.
Meanwhile, less than a week after asking for a di-
vorce from the European Union, Britain is talking war.
The dispute over Gibraltar is a conict of words,
not weapons a matter of bellicose headlines in Brit-
ain and bemusement in Spain. But its a sign of how
rough the road ahead could be as the UK extricates
itself from the 28-nation bloc.
The rocky 2.6 sq mile (6.7 sq km) enclave at the tip
of the Iberian peninsula has been a British territory
and cause of friction between the UK and Spain
since 1713.
The latest spat was sparked by draft Brexit negoti-
ating guidelines drawn up by the EU, which said no
future agreement between Britain and the bloc would
apply to Gibraltar unless both the UK and Spain
agreed.
Territory
Ofcials in Gibraltar accused Spain of using Brexit
to force negotiations on the status of the territory,
against the wishes of the 32,000 Gibraltarians, who
overwhelmingly want to remain British.
Gibraltars chief minister, Fabian Picardo, accused
Spain of taking a predatory attitude.
Some pro-Brexit voices in Britain went even far-
ther.
Former Conservative Party leader Michael Howard
said May would defend Gibraltar as her predecessor
Margaret Thatcher did the Falkland Islands.
Howard told the BBC on Sunday that in 1982, an-
other woman prime minister sent a task force half-
way across the world to protect another small group
of British people against another Spanish-speaking
country. And Im absolutely clear that our current
woman prime minister will show the same resolve in
relation to Gibraltar as he predecessor did.
Howard spoke on the 35th anniversary of Argen-
tinas invasion of the Falklands, a South Atlantic
archipelago that has been British since 1833. Britain
retook the islands known as the Malvinas to the
Argentines in a brief war that killed 649 Argentine
troops, 255 British soldiers and three islanders.
Howards comments raised a few eyebrows in Ma-
drid. Spanish Foreign Minister Alfonso Dastis said
the Spanish government is a little surprised, actually,
by the tone that has been generated in Britain, a coun-
try traditionally known for its composure.
He told journalists that on the question of Europe
and the issue of Gibraltar, Britains traditional calm-
ness is conspicuous by its absence.
In Britain, Howards comments produced ridicule
from opponents and chest-thumping delight from
some sections of the press.
Conservative lawmaker Dominic Grieve, the head
of Parliaments Intelligence and Security Committee,
called the remarks a little bit apocalyptic. Former
Labour Foreign Secretary Jack Straw said raising the
specter of war is frankly absurd and reeks of 19th-
century jingoism.
Some newspapers, however, took the comments
as a chance to wave the Union Jack. The Daily Mail
compared the size of the British and Spanish navies,
while the Daily Telegraph quoted a rear admiral as
saying Britain could cripple Spain.
Britains Prince Charles and his wife Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, are anked by Christopher Smith, Director of the British School at Rome, (right), during their visit
A view of the bus stop in Croydon,
south London, on April 3, where a
17-year-old Iranian-Kurdish asylum
seeker was attacked by a group of
people in a suspected hate attack
on Friday March 31. Police have de-
tained some suspects in connection
with what they described as a brutal
attack on the asylum seeker who was
ghting for his life in hospital but is
starting to make a recovery, police
said Monday.(AP)
May Corrigan
Britain
May to raise hard issues: British
Prime Minister Theresa May said on
Tuesday she would raise hard issues with
Saudi Arabias leaders as domestic critics
urged her to pressure Riyadh over its war in
Yemen and human rights record.
May, who has launched a diplomatic
drive to secure trade deals after launch-
ing divorce talks with the European
Union, said she would stand up for both
human rights and her countrys national
interests in her talks in the Middle Eastern
kingdom.
Saudi Arabia is a major customer for
British defence companies, an ally in
countering terrorism and a wealthy oil-
producing nation that Mays government
hopes to win over after launching Brexit
talks late last month.
But Britains supply of aircraft, weapons
and munitions to the Saudis has come
under scrutiny because of Yemen, where a
Saudi-led coalition plays a major role in the
two-year civil war that has killed more than
10,000 people, half of them civilians.
We have no difculty in raising hard
issues with those that we meet with, be
it in Saudi Arabia or elsewhere around
the world, she told reporters in Jordan
before heading for Saudi where she is
expected to meet Crown Prince Moham-
med bin Nayef.
The strong British tradition of standing
up for human rights is there, the strong
British tradition of standing up for British
national interest is there, she said, under-
lining the importance of the two countries
trading and security ties. (RTRS)
60m euros for damage repair: Britain
will get 60 million euros (51.3 million
pounds) from the European Union to repair
damage caused by the oods last year, a
lawmaker said on Tuesday.
Britain had asked for EU support to
rebuild infrastructure damaged by heavy
rains in the winter of 2015-16. European
Parliament lawmakers will approve the
grants on Wednesday, clearing the way
for the funds to be disbursed, parliament
ofcials said.
When one member state has a problem,
others actively collaborate and help. The
UK will benet from EU solidarity despite
Brexit and the triggering of Article 50,
said the lawmaker in charge of the dos-
sier, Spanish conservative Jos Manuel
Fernandes.
Britain began last week the two-year
process of quitting the EU, but it will
remain a full member state until Brexit
occurs, sharing benets and costs of the
membership. The settlement of Britains
nancial commitments to the EU is consid-
ered one of the most contentious issues in
the negotiations.
at the institute, in Rome, on April 4. (AP)
Britain
Tourism body calls for visa-free EU travel after Brexit
Prove no deal is better
LONDON, April 4, (RTRS): British
Prime Minister Theresa May must
prove that no deal is better than a
bad deal by offering an economic
assessment on the impact of leaving
the European Union with no agree-
ment, a parliamentary committee
said on Tuesday.
Just days after May triggered the
formal divorce procedure with the
European Union, the committee,
made up of lawmakers from the
prime ministers Conservatives and
other parties, also called on the gov-
ernment to publish its contingency
planning for failing to strike a deal
after two years of talks.
May enters the unprecedented
talks with an ambitious game plan,
wanting frictionless trade and
good cooperation with the bloc
while gaining control over immigra-
tion and returning sovereignty a
wish list EU ofcials have balked at.
But she has also said she is pre-
pared to walk away from the talks
without a deal rather than accepting
a bad one, a term her government
has so far declined to elaborate on
despite fears among manufacturers
over new trade barriers if Britain has
to revert to World Trade Organiza-
tion (WTO) rules.
Without an economic impact as-
sessment of no deal and without
evidence that steps are being taken
to mitigate the damaging effect of
such an outcome, the governments
assertion that no deal is better than
a bad deal is unsubstantiated, said
Hilary Benn, chairman of the Com-
mittee on Exiting the EU.
Parliament must be in an in-
formed position to decide whether
a proposed deal is, in fact, better or
worse than no deal, he added in a
statement.
May has been reticent about what
she hopes to achieve in the talks so
as not to give her hand away.
Im very clear that we will be
working to get the best possible deal
The aid to the ood-stricken regions will
come from the EU Solidarity Fund, which
is used to help countries hit by natural dis-
asters. It is the second time that Britain has
received nancial support from the fund
since it was set up in 2002. (RTRS)
Britains Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, Patron of the Britain-Australia So-
ciety, presents Kylie Minogue with the Britain-Australia Society Award for 2016
during a private audience in the White Drawing Room at Windsor Castle, in
Berkshire, England, on April 4. (AP)
for the UK, May told Sky News.
I set out (in the formal letter to the
EU triggering Brexit) what would be
a no deal situation but I also said I
dont think thats in anybodys inter-
est.
Government ofcials, lawmakers
and analysts say privately that she
believes she has some strong cards
to play, while also hoping that EU
ofcials will favour pragmatism
over punishment.
Meanwhile, Britain should aim
to secure visa-free travel between
the UK and the European Union in
upcoming negotiations to leave the
bloc, an association of travel agents
said on Tuesday, adding that a tran-
sitional deal could also help the sec-
tor.
Britain formally began its di-
vorce from the European Union
last Wednesday, and airlines have
demanded that their sector is priori-
tised in the forthcoming two years
of negotiations to ensure there is no
disruption to ights.
The Association of British Travel
Agents (ABTA) said the mainte-
nance of visa-free travel between the
EU and UK after Brexit was among
its key priorities.
Other goals for ABTA included
the protection of Britons ability to
travel freely to Europe and beyond
and safeguards for consumer rights,
as well as stability and growth op-
portunities for British businesses.
Vital
Travel and tourism is one of the
UKs largest industries and it is vi-
tal that the Government makes sure
it can continue to thrive during and
after the negotiations, said Mark
Tanzer, Chief Executive of ABTA.
Meanwhile, just days after May
formally served the European Union
with divorce papers, a powerful af-
iction appeared to strike some in
Britain: Brexit fever.
Beside headlines about war over
the Rock in Britains Euroscep-
13 charged over attack: British police
said they had now charged 13 people on
Tuesday over a brutal attack on a teenage
asylum seeker in south London which detec-
ARAB TIMES, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 5, 2017
12
tic press, there was also enthusiasm
for an as yet unconrmed plan to
ditch European burgundy passports
and return to the sturdy blue British
passports of the past.
Readers of the Daily Telegraph
were told that while the once mighty
Royal Navy was weaker than it used
to be, it could still cripple Spain if
required.
A columnist in The Sun sug-
gested May should threaten to expel
all 125,000 Spaniards from Britain
and tax Rioja wine unless Madrid
backed off over Gibraltar, ceded to
Britain under the Treaty of Utrecht
in 1713 but which Spain wants back.
So is Brexit fever sweeping Brit-
ain?
Some people are getting a bit
overexcited and I would take every-
thing that was said over the weekend
with a massive pinch of salt, Anand
Menon, professor of European poli-
tics and foreign affairs at Kings
College in London, told Reuters.
The prime minister, an initial op-
ponent of Brexit who won the top
job in the political turmoil that fol-
lowed the referendum, now has two
years to sort out the terms of the di-
vorce before it comes into effect in
March 2019.
May, 60, has one of the toughest
tasks of any recent British prime
minister: holding Britain together in
the face of renewed Scottish inde-
pendence demands, while conduct-
ing talks with 27 other EU states
on nance, trade, security and other
issues.
Mays spokesman sought to calm
matters down, saying that what
Howard was trying to establish
was the resolve that we will have to
protect the rights of Gibraltar and its
sovereignty.
Asked if that would include ul-
timately sending a naval task force
to protect Gibraltar as Britain did to
the Falklands 35 years ago, he said:
That isnt going to happen.
tives said he was lucky to survive.
The 17-year-old Kurdish Iranian boy,
named by media as Reker Ahmed, was set
upon by a group of up to 30 people shortly
before midnight on Friday as he waited at
a bus stop with two friends near a pub in
Croydon. Police said the suspects had asked
the victim where he was from and once when
they discovered he was an asylum seeker
they chased him before launching the assault
which left him with a fractured skull and
blood clot on his brain.
Immigration has been a major political is-
sue in Britain and was one of the factors that
swayed voters to back leaving the European
Union in last years referendum in order to
have more control on the numbers coming
to the country. The Brexit vote also led to a
spike in hate crimes.
Five people, three aged 20 and two aged
24, appeared in court on Monday charged
with violent disorder over the attack on
Ahmed. Detectives said another eight,
including two boys aged 15 and 17 and a
17-year-old girl, would appear on court ac-
cused of the same offence on Tuesday.
Two men and one of the teenage boys
are additionally charged with racially ag-
gravated grievous bodily harm. Detective
Superintendent Jane Corrigan said as many
as 30 people were involved in the apparently
motiveless attack and the teenager was lucky
not have been killed. In a tweet after the at-
tack local lawmaker Gavin Barwell described
those responsible as scum while London
Mayor Sadiq Khan vowed the perpetrators
would be brought to justice. (RTRS)

INTERNATIONAL
EU
Focus on bloc entry
Bloc to keep Balkan
migrant routes closed
SOFIA, April 4, (Agencies): The European Union is
determined to stick to a deal with Turkey to stem the
ow of undocumented migrants into the bloc, European
Council President Donald Tusk said on Tuesday.
Tusk, who met Bulgarias President Rumen Radev,
welcomed Soas efforts to boost security on its south-
eastern border with Turkey to prevent migrants from
crossing. He said Brussels would provide additional
nancing if the situation worsened.
We are determined to keep routes of illegal migra-
tion in this region closed, Tusk told reporters. We re-
main committed to the full implementation of the EU-
Turkey statement.
The EU is honouring its commitments, just like we
expect Turkey to continue keeping its part of the deal.
The EU-Ankara agreement
came into force in March 2016
after more than a million refu-
gees and migrants from Syria,
Iraq, Afghanistan and beyond
reached Europe in 2015, many
crossing to Greek islands from
Turkey.
Should further difculties
arise on Bulgarias borders,
the EU has already planned
emergency funding, and stands
Tusk ready to react quickly in support
of Bulgaria, Tusk said.
Turkey has said it may cancel the migrant readmis-
sion agreement, under which it takes back people who
enter Greece through irregular routes. It was angered
after several EU states prevented Turkish politicians
from holding rallies to drum up support for plans to
give President Tayyip Erdogan new powers in a refer-
endum.
Bulgaria, the EUs poorest member, expressed con-
cern about a possible new migrant inux given that
Turkey-EU tensions are running high.
It is extremely important for us to develop good
neighbourly relations with Turkey, Radev said. At
the same time, rising tensions between the EU and Tur-
key create the greatest risk for Bulgaria.
Tusk said in Macedonia on Monday he hoped the
countrys leaders would avoid fueling ethnic tensions
and focus on advancing towards EU membership in-
stead.
The Balkan state, with a Slav majority and a large
ethnic Albanian minority, has been without a govern-
ment since December, when inconclusive elections led
to feuding over the inuence of ethnic Albanians in a
proposed coalition administration.
Tusk met President Gjorge Ivanov on Monday to
discuss ways out of the political crisis that has mired the
country since a 2015 surveillance scandal that forced
nationalist Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski to resign.
I came here with the strong message from the EU
leaders that commitment to European perspectives is
unequivocal, Tusk told reporters after meeting Ivanov.
I therefore hope that you will continue to follow this
compass and avoid anything that could further fuel ten-
sions also along ethnic lines.
In a snap election in December, the nationalist VM-
RO-DPMNE won 51 seats to the Social Democrats 49,
leaving neither able to form a government without par-
ties representing ethnic Albanians, who make up a third
of the population.
Last month Social Democrat leader Zoran Zaev
won the support of three ethnic Albanian parties after
promising them a law on wider use of Albanian lan-
guage, a deal which triggered daily protests in Skopje.
But Ivanov refused to give Zaev a mandate to form a
government.
The new government cannot be contested by any-
one, Ivanov said after meeting Tusk. A blackmailed
government is an unstable government that will only
last a short time and have damaging consequences.
The crisis is the worst since Western diplomacy
helped drag the country of 2.1 million people back from
the brink of civil war during an ethnic Albanian insur-
gency in 2001, promising it a path to membership of the
European Union and of NATO.
At an EU summit earlier last month EU leaders reit-
erated their commitment to the Balkans. Russia is try-
ing to increase its inuence in the region.
Macedonias accession into the EU and NATO has
been blocked over a name dispute with Greece, which
has a northern province also called Macedonia and re-
gards Skopjes use of the name as illegitimate.
Tusk and Ivanov also discussed Europes migrant
crisis. Macedonia was on the forefront of the crisis in
2015 when hundreds of thousands of people from Mid-
dle East, Asia and Africa crossed the Western Balkans
on their way towards Western Europe.
Portugals prime minister said Tuesday the countrys
nance minister was recently asked whether he would
be available to become the eurozones top ofcial, re-
placing Jeroen Dijsselbloem.
Antonio Costa said in an interview with Lisbons
Radio Renascenca that Portugal rejected the approach
because Finance Minister Mario Centeno is still guid-
ing the country out of its recent nancial crisis.
Costa did not say who approached Portugal nor
when, but he conrmed a report in Portuguese weekly
Expresso last weekend that said Centeno was a poten-
tial candidate to chair meetings of the 19-country euro-
zones nance ministers.
Portugal called last month for Dijsselbloem to quit
after he made what some saw as derogatory remarks
about southern EU nations.
In an interview last month with German newspaper
Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, Dijsselbloem said: I
cannot spend all my money on liquor and women and
then ask for your support, in reference to European
countries that needed state bailouts. Those countries in-
clude three from southern Europe Greece, Portugal,
and Cyprus as well as Ireland.
Dijsselbloems future is unclear after his Labor
Partys weak showing in recent Dutch elections and he
faced erce criticism in the European Parliament this
week for not attending a meeting.
Leftist German European lawmaker Fabio De Masi
called Dijsselbloem gutless for not showing up and
said his comments in the German newspaper demon-
strate his incompetence and utter lack of character.
In a letter to members of the European Parliament on
Tuesday, Dijsselbloem said his comments in the inter-
view were intended to underscore the importance of
solidarity and reciprocity within the European Union
and were not aimed at southern EU member states.
But he also expressed regret at having caused of-
fense.
Choice of words is of course personal as is the way
they are picked up, Dijsselbloem wrote. I shall be
even more careful in the future as it is never my inten-
tion to insult people.
Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri (left), shakes hands with Frances President Francois Hollande after he was honored with the medal of the Commandeur de
la Legion dHonneur at the Elysee Palace in Paris, France, on April 3. (AP)
Eneko Etxeberria, brother of Jose
Miguel Etxeberria is pictured at the site
of excavations in relation to his miss-
ing brother who disappeared in 1980,
near the village of Labrit, southwest-
ern France, Tuesday, April 4, 2017.
French authorities are searching for
the remains of a Basque militant Jose
Miguel Etxeberria alias Naparra. The
search near the village of Labrit began
after a former Spanish security agent
reportedly told a journalist recently
where the body was secretly buried,
after decades of silence. (AP)
Le Pen Rifaat
Europe
Macron favourite, voters rise: Centrist
French presidential candidate Emmanuel
Macron and far-right rival Marine Le Pen are
tied on 25 percent of the rst-round election
vote, although Macron would go on to beat
Le Pen in the second round, a Le Monde/
Cevipof opinion poll said.
The poll, which surveyed 14,300 people
between March 31 and April 2, one of the
biggest samples among the many regular
surveys, said Macron would beat Le Pen in
the May 7 second-round vote by 61 percent
to 39 percent. Conservative candidate Fran-
cois Fillon, whose campaign has been hit by
allegations that he paid his wife, a son and
daughter hundreds of thousands of euros of
public money for minimal work, would come
third in the rst-round.
That would eliminate him at that stage
along with the other remaining candidates.
It said Fillon would get 17.5 percent of
rst-round votes, unchanged from the last
poll in mid-March, while far-left candidate
Jean-Luc Melenchon was seen getting 15
percent, up 3.5 points and ahead of Socialist
candidate Benoit Hamon on 10 percent.
(RTRS)
Extremist sentenced to life: A German
court handed lengthy prison sentences Mon-
day to four Islamic extremists over plots to
bomb a train station and kill a far-right politi-
cian. The Duesseldorf regional court found
Marco G, whose surname wasnt published
in line with privacy laws, guilty of attempted
murder for placing an explosive device at the
main train station in the western city of Bonn
in December 2012.
Although the homemade bomb was dis-
covered and defused before it detonated, the
court said the 30-year-old German convert
to Islam deserved a life sentence due to the
seriousness of the crime, the dpa news agency
reported. It ruled out his release after 15
years, the usual life term in Germany.
He and three others were also found
guilty of forming a terrorist organization and
planning to kill a member of the far-right Pro
NRW party who had taken part in protests
against mosques during which caricatures of
the Muslim prophet Muhammad were shown.
(AP)
edonian President Ivanov the latest developments regarding the migrant crisis,
the political situation in Macedonia and regional issues, while thousands of Mac-
Properties tied to Rifaat seized: Span-
ish police investigating a money launder-
Germany
Govt lacks legal means to retaliate with cyber attacks
Germany dismisses Islam law
BERLIN, April 4, (RTRS): Germany
has no plans to introduce an Islam law
codifying the rights and obligations of
Muslims, a government spokesman said
on Monday, dismissing an idea oated
by allies of Chancellor Angela Merkel
ahead of federal elections in September.
Merkel, who will seek a fourth term
in what is expected to be a close-fought
ballot, has come under re for opening
Germanys doors to refugees, more than
one million of whom mostly Muslims
have entered the country over the past
two years.
Seeking to boost support for the chan-
cellors conservatives, senior Merkel
ally Julia Kloeckner stoked the integra-
tion debate at the weekend by calling for
stricter rules for Islamic preachers and a
ban on foreign funding of mosques.
Merkels spokesman Steffen Seibert
dismissed the idea, which Kloeckner
who is deputy leader of the chancel-
lors Christian Democrats (CDU) and
other senior party members want to en-
shrine in an Islam law.
Such a law is now not an issue for
government business, Seibert told a
news conference, stressing the high re-
gard Merkels ruling coalition has for
religious freedom in Germany.
While stopping short of calling for
an Islam law, Merkel said in her weekly
podcast on Saturday that refugees in
Germany must respect tolerance, open-
ness and freedom of religion.
Ban
The message backed up a less com-
promising tone on integrating migrants
that Merkel set at a CDU party confer-
ence in December, when she called for a
ban on full-face Muslim veils wherever
legally possible.
By talking tougher on integration,
Merkel is also seeking to reclaim support
her party lost last year over her refugee
policy to the anti-immigration Alterna-
tive for Germany (AfD) party, which
punished the CDU in regional elections
in 2016.
The AfD has lost voter support this
year, hurt by inghting that has sent
its ratings down to around 8 percent
from a high of 15.5 percent at the end
of 2016.
In the Netherlands, Prime Minister
Mark Rutte used a similar tactic to win
re-election this year, seizing back the ini-
tiative from anti-Islam populist rivals by
matching some of their tough rhetoric on
ing case on Tuesday raided properties and
blocked dozens of bank accounts, including
some belonging or linked to relatives of
former Syrian vice president Rifaat Assad
the exiled uncle of Syrias current leader.
Civil Guard police said the searches were
carried out in the southern coastal towns of
People march through a street in Skopje, Macedonia, on April 3. The European
Council President Donald Tusk arrived Monday to Skopje to discuss with Mac-
edonians protest peacefully for more than a month already against the designa-
tion of Albanian as a second ofcial language nationwide. (AP)
ARAB TIMES, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 5, 2017
immigration.
science ction anymore ... It is a topic of
Germanys far-left Linke party said
on Monday that NATO should be re-
placed by an alliance including Russia,
called for an end to weapons exports
as US President Donald Trump urges
more defence spending, and demanded
an end to German combat missions.
But the party did not insist on with-
drawing from NATO while presenting
its draft programme for a Sept. 24 elec-
tion as it eyes a possible red-red-green
alliance with the centre-left Social Dem-
ocrats (SPD) and Greens. The Linkes
opposition to NATO contributed to its
status as political pariah in the past.
The latest polls show the Linke on 8
percent support. Some have suggested
a three-way left-leaning alliance could
just about muster enough support for a
majority in the Bundestag lower house
of parliament. The three parties have al-
ready held talks to explore that coalition
option.
Misrepresentation
Other parties always assume that
leaving NATO is a red line for us, but
thats a misrepresentation of our posi-
tion were ghting for NATO to be
replaced by a collective security system
that involves Russia, said co-chair Kat-
ja Kipping.
Were not doing that because fully considered. The military should fo-
were great fans of (Russian President
Vladimir) Putin ... If you want peace in
Europe you need de-escalation and co-
operation with Russia ... but saying we
must denitely leave NATO isnt a red
line for us, she said.
The German government is scram-
bling to respond to a serious and growing
threat of cyber attacks, but it lacks the
legal framework to retaliate with cyber
attacks of its own, top ofcials said on
Monday.
Cybersecurity is a major concern for
Berlin as a Sept. 24 federal election ap-
proaches. German intelligence agencies
said in December Russia was seeking to
use propaganda, cyber attacks and other
means to destabilise German society be-
fore the vote .
Cyber is what keeps me up at night,
Deputy Defense Minister Katrin Suder
told reporters at an event hosted by the
Federal Academy for Security Policy, a
Marbella and Puerto Banus with the aid of
French police. They followed a request by
National Court judge Jose de la Mata who
is probing money-laundering crimes carried
out by a gang in the two towns, a court
statement said. Two of Rifaat Assads wives
and six of his sons are among the 15 people
13
government training body. This is not
immense and growing importance.
Suder said the German military was
making progress with a new cyber com-
mand that starts operations on Wednes-
day, and control over cyber functions
that had been scattered across the mili-
tary had become more centralised.
She underscored the division of re-
sponsibilities between the military and
the Interior Ministry, which is respon-
sible for domestic cyber attacks, adding
that the Bundeswehr itself would call the
police if it suffered a major cyber attack.
Retaliate
Suder said the military would only
retaliate after a large-scale attack on
Germany if parliament ordered it to.
She rejected some lawmakers concerns
about insufcient oversight of the vari-
ous governmental arms involved in cy-
bersecurity.
Existing laws apply, even in cyber-
space, she said, noting that any offen-
sive cyber measures would come as part
of military mandates that had already
been approved by parliament. The rules
are very clear and we observe them.
But Agnieszka Brugger, a member of
the pro-environment Greens who serves
on the defence committee, said the min-
istrys decision to sanction offensive
measures raised risks that had not been
cus more on defending its own weapons
and computer systems, she said.
Brugger also questioned how the new
cyber commands work would intersect
with that of the BND foreign intelligence
service, the BSI cyber security agency
and other bodies. We need a single
parliamentary control body that has the
overview of all operations. The current
fragmented legal authorities and the
multitude of actors result in grave gaps
in control, she told Reuters. Many le-
gal questions are unclear.
Andreas Koenen, head of the cyber
security directorate at the Interior Min-
istry, agreed, telling the conference that
Berlin so far lacks an adequate legal ba-
sis for counter-attacks. New legislation
was unlikely to be approved before the
September elections, he said.
No agency is explicitly empowered
to carry out such measures, he said.
We dont have a legal basis. We might
get the technical capabilities together at
the last minute.
investigated.
The judge ordered the seizure of more than
500 properties owned by Rifaat Assad and his
relatives, a court statement said. Most of them
are located in Puerto Banus, a luxury marina
in Costa del Sol. The property stock, valued
at 691 million euros ($735 million), includes
a 33-square kilometer (12.7 sq mile) estate
valued at 60 million euros.
The accounts of 76 legal entities
which include companies, trusts and funds
that were owned, administered or linked
to Rifaat Assad and his relatives were also
blocked, a court statement said. (AP)
Stricter terms for university: Lawmak-
ers from Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor
Orbans Fidesz party on Tuesday approved
a draft education bill that critics say targets a
university founded by billionaire philanthro-
pist George Soros.
The bill modies rules regulating the 28
foreign universities in Hungary. Central
European University said parts of the bill
directly target it, and could force it to close.
Orban, a former Soros scholarship
recipient, has been increasingly critical of the
Hungarian-born philanthropist, accusing him
of wanting to inuence Hungarian politics.
He said last week that CEU was cheat-
ing because it did not have a campus in
its country of origin and because it issued
diplomas recognized both in Hungary and the
United States, giving it an undue advantage
over local institutions. The CEU is accredited
in New York state but does not have a US
campus. (AP)

INTERNATIONAL
World News Roundup
Iran
Rouhanis ability limited
Arrests, a plan
to secure votes
BEIRUT, April 4, (Agencies): Hengameh Shahidi
knew the security agents were coming for her. An Ira-
nian journalist and activist, she had been tipped off by
contacts close to the government and prepared letters
for her family to post on social media in case of her
arrest, which happened on March 9.
In a hand-written letter posted on Instagram two
days later, Shahidi, 41, wrote that her arrest was part
of a project before the elections for the widespread
arrest of political activists and journalists in order to
secure votes for the candidate of their choice.
When Iranians vote for president in May, the election
will not only decide whether pragmatic President Hassan
Rouhani can remain in power, it will also test his ability
to protect his own supporters from a hardline state.
Rouhani, 68, was elected in a landslide in 2013 on a
promise to reduce Irans inter-
national isolation and increase
freedoms for its people. But
Rouhanis ability to deliver
on his promises is limited in
a country where the power of
the elected government is con-
strained by unelected hardline
authorities.
The Iranian judiciary has not
announced any charges against
Shahidi. She began a hunger
Shahidi strike immediately after her
arrest, and her health situation
has dramatically deteriorated in recent days. In a letter
posted on Twitter last weekend Shahidi wrote that she
can move around her cell only by crawling. She said
she was only four or ve days away from death.
If I die I wont accept any accusation or crime be-
cause I havent done anything, she wrote.
Since late December, at least 22 journalists and ac-
tivists have been arrested, according to the Center for
Human Rights in Iran, a New York-based research and
advocacy organisation. Many are being kept in solitary
connement without access to their family or lawyers.
Detained
Its denitely related to elections, said Hadi
Ghaemi, the director of the Center for Human Rights
in Iran, of the latest wave of arrests. Almost all of
the people who are being detained and interrogated are
people who could have an active role in mobilising the
electorate to come out and vote, which would most
likely be supporting Rouhanis re-election.
About a dozen of those arrested have been admin-
istrators of pro-reformist channels on Telegram, a so-
cial media platform used by millions of Iranians. They
were rounded up in mid-March, though some were
subsequently released.
Ghaemi said reformist Telegram channels had at-
tracted the ire of the authorities after lobbying last
year for voters to reject hardline candidates during
elections for parliament and for the body that would
select the successor to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali
Khamenei.
The intelligence and security apparatus really took
notice of the power of Telegram to connect people
and mobilise them, Ghaemi said. He added: They
are cracking down on its impact during this election.
In a letter to Rouhani in mid-March, reported by the
Iranian Students News Agency (ISNA), four reform-
ist lawmakers demanded the president explain who
was behind the wave of arrests.
The real question, they wrote, is whether the body
responsible for the arrests is the ministry of intelli-
gence or another, which, in any case, you must be the
one to answer.
Last week, Rouhani asked the minister of interior at
a cabinet meeting to look into the suspicious arrests
of a number of media activists, according to ISNA.
In her letter written before her arrest, Shahidi com-
pared the crackdown to the disputed 2009 presidential
election which kept hardline president Mahmoud Ah-
madinejad in ofce for a second term.
That vote led to the most widespread unrest since the
founding of the Islamic Republic, with hundreds of peo-
ple arrested and dozens killed. Ahmadinejads reformist
challengers, Mir-Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi,
have been under house arrest since 2011 as Irans two
highest-prole political prisoners, and the inability of
Rouhani to deliver their freedom is a disappointment for
reformers who supported him in 2013.
Wrote
Shahidi, who wrote about domestic politics and
womens rights issues as a journalist, worked for Kar-
roubi as an advisor and was jailed for several months
during the 2009 crackdown.
Human rights activists say Rouhanis administra-
tion has been more focused on his mission to reduce
Irans international isolation and improve its economy
than on securing domestic reform or freeing political
prisoners.
Rouhanis biggest achievement was a 2015 deal
with Western powers that led to the lifting of most in-
ternational nancial sanctions in exchange for curbs
on Irans nuclear programme. His government is fo-
cused now on demonstrating that the deal will bring
economic benets, which have so far been slow to
arrive.
Rouhani hasnt been wiling to stand up for politi-
cal freedom in fear that it might jeopardise his eco-
nomic plans, said Tara Sepehri Far, Iran researcher
at Human Rights Watch. She added: Rouhani and his
administration are not willing to stand up to hardliners
at the price of confrontation.
In early January, dozens of people gathered for a
rare protest outside the Evin prison in Tehran to show
solidarity with Arash Sadeghi, who had been on hun-
ger strike for more than two months to protest against
the arrest of his wife, a fellow activist. Videos of the
protest were posted on YouTube.
Meanwhile, Shahidis health continues to deterio-
rate, according to her family. In a letter to Rouhani
posted on Instagram in mid-March, she accused the
president of failing to full his promises.
You were supposed be a breath of air for the re-
formists after the suffocation of the Ahmadinejad
days, Shahidi wrote. Not to cut off their breath like
Ahmadinejad, just to reach the presidency.
Recently an Iranian-American serving an 18-year
prison sentence in Iran for collaboration with a
hostile government has been released on bail after
staging a weeks-long hunger strike protesting his im-
prisonment alongside other dual nationals targeted by
hard-liners, activists said Monday.
Robin Shahini of San Diego was freed from pris-
on in recent days on bail of 2 billion rials, which
is about $62,000, said Hadi Ghaemi, the executive
director of the New York-based Center for Human
Rights in Iran.
Its unclear whether Shahini can leave the country.
Supporters of Turkeys President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, react to his speech during a rally for the upcoming referendum, in his hometown city of Rize, in the Black
Sea region of Turkey on April 3. Turkey is heading to a contentious April 16 referendum on constitutional reforms to expand Erdogans powers. (AP)
Italian Defense Minister Roberta
Pinotti (left), shakes hands with Leba-
nese President Michel Aoun, at the
presidential palace, in Baabda, east
Beirut, Lebanon on April 3. (AP)
Merkel Hariri
Mideast
EU slams settlements: The European
Union has expressed frustration with Israel
over its demolition of Palestinian homes
in the occupied West Bank, with the EU
ambassador taking the unusual step of
reading out a joint statement denouncing
the practice.
At a meeting last week with the Israeli
foreign ministrys newly appointed direc-
tor-general, the ambassador delivered a
stern diplomatic message, saying Israel was
failing in its international legal obligations
and needed to change policy.
The issue came to a head after Israel
issued demolition orders last month against
42 homes in the Bedouin village of Khan
Al-Ahmar, east of Jerusalem, where EU
member states Belgium and Italy have
funded a school and helped build structures
for the local population of around 150.
The practice of enforcement meas-
ures such as forced transfers, evictions,
demolitions and conscations of homes
and humanitarian assets (including EU-
funded) and the obstruction of delivery
of humanitarian assistance are contrary
to Israels obligations under international
law, ambassador Lars Faaborg-Andersen
said, with envoys from all EU member
states present.
We therefore call on Israel, as the
occupying power, to meet its obligations
vis--vis the Palestinian population ...,
completely stop these demolitions and
conscations and allow full access of
humanitarian assistance.
Faaborg-Andersens intervention was rst
reported by Israels Haaretz newspaper.
A spokesman for the Israeli foreign min-
istry declined to comment on the substance
of the statement, known in diplomatic
parlance as a demarche, but said it was
delivered at a get to know you meeting
with the ministrys director-general.
The clampdown against Khan Al-
Ahmar, located in a sensitive area of the
West Bank that Israel has earmarked for
settlement expansion, is the latest in a se-
ries of demolitions that have been roundly
condemned by the EU and the United
Nations. (RTRS)
Merkel meets Hariri: Germany has
acknowledged that Lebanon bears heavy
burden due to hosting some 1.5 million
Syrian refugees.
Chancellor Angela Merkel, speaking at
a joint news conference with the visiting
Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Al-Hariri,
said the Lebanese leadership and people
bear heavy burden due to hosting more
than one million Syrian refugees. Germany
has given euro 386 million worth of aid for
Lebanon to help the country cope with the
refugees crisis, Merkel said at the news
conference before the two leaders held
discussions.
Talks with the Lebanese guest will
Turkey
Germany demands to release reporter
Nazi remarks to continue: Erdogan
ANKARA, April 4, (Agencies): Turk-
ish President Tayyip Erdogan vowed on
Tuesday to continue calling European
countries Nazi remnants and fascists
if they maintain their current attitude
against Turkey, despite repeated con-
demnation from European capitals.
They dont let my ministers make
speeches in Europe (...) Once the ref-
erendum on April 16 is over, we will
consider, everything has a price, Er-
dogan told a referendum rally in the
western city of Zonguldak.
Erdogan has repeatedly lashed out at
European countries including Germa-
ny in campaigning for the referendum,
accusing them of Nazi-like tactics
for banning his ministers from speak-
ing to rallies of Turkish voters abroad.
Meanwhile, Turkey dismissed 45
more judges and prosecutors on Mon-
day as part of investigations into last
Julys failed coup, the state-run An-
adolu agency said, meaning around
4,000 members of the judiciary have
now been purged.
Detained
Turkish authorities have detained,
sacked or dismissed more than 113,000
people from the police, military, public
service, judiciary and elsewhere since
the abortive coup over suspected ties
to U.S.-based Muslim cleric Fethullah
Gulen, whom Ankara accuses of or-
chestrating the putsch.
Gulen, who has lived in self-im-
posed exile in Pennsylvania since
1999, has denied the charge and con-
demned the coup.
Anadolu also said the High Council of
Judges and Prosecutors (HSYK) had sus-
pended a judge and an ofcial handling a
case of 29 alleged members of Gulsens
network from various media outlets, less
than a week after the judge ruled for 21 of
the suspects to be acquitted.
The case included the suspected ad-
ministrators of a Twitter whistleblower
under the pseudonym Fuat Avni, as
cover combating terrorism, conditions in
Syria and issues concerning Iran and Saudi
Arabia, Merkel added.
For his part, Al-Hariri expressed grati-
tude for the German aid and indicated his
talks with the chancellor would focus on
means to ght terrorism and extremism.
Germany, along with other member
states of the European Union, has been
discouraging Syrian refugees from settling
in Europe.
Jordans King Abdullah II meets with British Prime Minister Theresa May at a
military installation on the outskirts of Amman, Jordan on April 3. Jordans royal
court said Monday that May and Abdullah II toured a military facility, viewing a
rapid response force and joint training program. (AP)
well as other journalists.
Rights groups and some Western al-
lies fear President Tayyip Erdogan is us-
ing the coup as a pretext to stie dissent;
but the government argues the purges
are justied by the extent of the threat to
the state on July 15 when rogue soldiers
commandeered tanks and ghter jets,
killing at least 240 people.
German ofcials met Tuesday with
a German-Turkish journalist impris-
oned in Istanbul for the rst time since
his incarceration, saying he is doing
well but voicing concerns that he is
being kept in jail for political purposes
and calling for his release.
German Foreign Ministry of-
cial Michael Roth, a deputy foreign
minister, told reporters that Die Welt
correspondent Deniz Yucel met with
Consul General Georg Birgelen and
a German consulate attorney in prison.
It was the rst consular contact
Yucel has been allowed since he was
arrested on charges of producing ter-
rorist propaganda and incitement to
hatred accusations he denies. He
was taken into custody in mid-Febru-
ary after reporting on a hacker attack
on the email account of the countrys
energy minister, who is also Turkish
President Recep Tayyip Erdogans
son-in-law. Yucel was formally ar-
rested later in the month.
Roth thanked Turkey for providing
access to Yucel, and said Germany
expects to be able to continue to send
consular ofcials to meet with him and
is working to have him freed.
Refuge
Yucel had sought refuge at a Ger-
man diplomatic residence in Istanbul
for several weeks before presenting
himself for questioning.
Turkeys Foreign Ministry referred
queries on whether the consular access
would continue to the Justice Ministry.
A deal has been worked out with Turkey
in this regard. Lebanon, poor in resources,
has urged for a fundamental and viable
solution to the refugees issue, expressing
deep concern their presence in the long
run will cause serious economic and social
problems. (KUNA)
Company opens in Kurds area: In
Turkeys mainly Kurdish southeast, deeply
ARAB TIMES, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 5, 2017
14
The Justice Ministry had no immediate
comment.
Roth said Yucel is only one of more
than 100 journalists who are being de-
tained in Turkey something he said
had been brought up in talks with of-
cials there.
Rule of law, democracy and press
freedom played a large role in all con-
versations, he said. And I empha-
sized once more that its not just about
one case... but about the situation of
journalists in Turkey in general.
Kurdish militants detonated a bomb
which killed three Turkish soldiers in
southeast Turkey, a provincial gover-
nors ofce said on Tuesday, adding
that ve rebels were killed in clashes
in the region.
Operations
The violence occurred as the mili-
tary conducted operations against
Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) mili-
tants in the Uludere area of Sirnak
province, near the border with Iraq, the
governors ofce said. It did not say
when the deaths occurred.
Five Turkish soldiers were also
wounded in the remotely-detonated bomb
blast, the statement said, adding that army
operations in the area were continuing.
More than 40,000 people have been
killed in the PKKs insurgency, which
it launched against the Turkish state
in 1984. It is designated as a terrorist
group by Turkey, the United States and
European Union.
Since the collapse of a two-year
ceasere in July 2015 the mainly Kurd-
ish southeast has suffered some of the
worst violence since the conict began.
In the last ve months alone, the
Turkish armed forces have killed 886
PKK militants in southeast Turkey and
the mountains of northern Iraq where the
PKK leadership is based, the state-run
Anadolu news agency said on Sunday.
scarred by conict between state forces
and militants, a textile rm that supplies
companies across Europe plans three new
factories a rare bet the government can
deliver on a vow to regenerate the region.
The government announced a $2.8
billion investment scheme for the area in
September, hoping to win over the popula-
tion with the prospect of economic revival
before a referendum later this month on
expanding President Tayyip Erdogans
powers.
The Iskur group, a supplier to fash-
ion brands including Zara, Adidas and
Nike, sees its $100 million investment
as showing the way for other companies
from western Turkey to take advantage of
government incentives and lower wages in
the east.
Undaunted by the militant Kurdistan
Workers Partys (PKK) decades-old insur-
gency, it has been operating a $30 million
cotton thread plant outside the regions
biggest city Diyarbakir since 2014 but few
others have followed its lead.
We have opened a door in Diyarbakir,
creating an example for other investors
in the west, plant manager Ekrem Kul
told Reuters as workers tended to rows of
machines spinning thread.
Iskur halted expansion plans in 2015
with the outbreak of some of the worst
ghting since the PKK took up arms in
1984, but Kul said it revived them after the
government initiative. It aims to employ
more than 2,000 people in the new Diyar-
bakir plants, up from just 330 now.
Its optimism is rare in a region where,
according to the United Nations, the
upsurge in violence between July 2015
and December 2016 killed around 2,000
people, devastated whole neighbourhoods
and drove half a million people from their
homes. (RTRS)

INTERNATIONAL
Summit
US businesses seek action
Trump-Xi meeting
watched for clues
BEIJING, April 4, (Agencies): Chinese President
Xi Jinping probably wont give President Donald
Trump a round of golf during their rst face-to-face
meeting this week, but he may nd it worthwhile to
ensure his American counterpart does not feel like
hes leaving empty-handed.
Some view the informal venue of the summit
Thursday and Friday Trumps Mar-a-Lago estate
in Florida as a sign that neither side anticipates im-
portant outcomes. Trump, however tweeted last week
that he expects a very difcult meeting, and on Fri-
day said: Were going to get down to some very seri-
ous business, referencing what he believes is Chinas
negative impact on the US economy, especially manu-
facturing jobs.
China, for its part, has re-
mained largely sanguine about
the event, with Vice Foreign
Minister Zheng Zeguang tell-
ing reporters that both sides
look forward to a successful
meeting so that a correct direc-
tion can be set for the growth
of bilateral relations.
Like many nations, Chi-
na is still grappling with
Trumps mercurial nature
Trump after the relative transpar-
ency and predictability of
the bilateral relationship under Trumps predeces-
sor Barack Obama.Both during his campaign and
after his victory, Trump complained repeatedly
over Chinas allegedly unfair trade practices, its
perceived lack of assistance in reining in North
Koreas nuclear ambitions and its drive to cement
control over the South China Sea.
Some analysts believe Xi might be willing to hand
Trump a symbolic victory on trade to put a positive
spin on the meeting.
Xi probably cant accommodate Trump on sov-
ereignty and security issues, but he has a lot of
leeway on economics, said Robert Sutter, a China
expert at George Washington University in Wash-
ington, DC.
Yet even if Xi is able to offer Trump deliverables,
he will still have to deal with a restless US president
valuing unpredictability and seeking advantage for his
agenda going forward, Sutter said.
Deficit
Trump was seen as moving trade even more to
the forefront when he signed a pair of executive
orders Friday focused on reducing the trade deficit.
Coupled together, the orders appeared to be a sym-
bolic shot at China, which accounted for the vast
bulk $347 billion of last years $502 billion
trade deficit.
While aides insisted the timing was coincidental,
the administration touted the moves as evidence of it
taking an aggressive but analytical approach to clos-
ing a trade gap that is largely due to the inux of goods
from China.
Still, Trump told the Financial Times newspaper
that during his meeting with Xi, he doesnt want to
talk about tariffs yet, perhaps the next time we meet.
Having suffered a major blow with the failure of
health care reform, Trump will be seeking to claim
some kind of victory in his encounter with Xi, said
June Teufel Dreyer, professor of political science at
the University of Miami.
Trumps comments on trade and other issues
portend some hard bargaining, Dreyer said. She
added, however, that slowing economic growth in
China could limit Xis options for negotiating on
trade.
So the stage is set for a battle royal, Dreyer said.
Meanwhile, China continues to oppose the tough
measures demanded of it to address former close ally
North Korea, fearing a collapse of the Pyongyang re-
gime would bring a crush of refugees and possibly US
and South Korean troops on its border.
Trump told the Financial Times the US is prepared
to act alone if China does not take a tougher stand
against North Koreas nuclear program.
China has great inuence over North Korea,
Trump said. And China will either decide to help us
with North Korea, or they wont. And if they do that
will be very good for China, and if they dont it wont
be good for anyone.
Prospect
Meanwhile, although worried about the prospect of
a trade war, American businesses operating in China
nonetheless want President Trump to wring some
concessions on market access from Chinas leader Xi
Jingping when the two meet this week.
Trump warned in a tweet last week the meetings
at his Mar-a-Lago resort on Thursday and Friday will
be very difcult and American companies must be
prepared to look at other alternatives.
Trump has said he wants US companies to stop in-
vesting in China and instead create jobs at home. He
has also accused China of manipulating its currency
to boost exports.
Critics within US industry have accused China of
unfair government subsidies to its companies, and
of ooding the US market with cheap products from
steel to solar panels, while restricting foreign invest-
ment over vast swathes of the worlds second-biggest
economy.
But they also worry Trumps policies on China are
not entirely clear, with his trade team still not in place,
and may be subject to a grand bargain involving
other issues such as North Korea.
Trump is set to enter the meeting without several
key advisors, including his pick for trade negotiator,
Robert Lighthizer who has yet to be conrmed by
Congress.
His nominee as ambassador to China, Iowa Gov-
ernor Terry Branstad, has also yet to be conrmed,
while several posts in the US State Department that
formulate Asia policy remain unlled.
With this in mind, it is hard to imagine that there
will be much in the way of concrete accomplishments
at this summit, or even that there has been any signi-
cant interagency discussion on strategy leading up to
it, said Randal Phillips, Mintz Groups Beijing-based
managing partner for Asia and the former chief CIA
representative in China.
Some of the largest US companies have contributed
to the billions of dollars of foreign direct investment
that have poured into China over the past two decades,
creating hundreds of thousands of jobs.
They include tech companies like Apple, which
makes much of its iPhone in China, automakers
such as General Motors and Ford, heavy machinery
firms like Caterpillar, retailers like Starbucks and
makers of shaving foam and detergent, like Procter
& Gamble.
Philippine Army Battery Unit res a 105mm Howitzer cannon for a 21-gun salute to honor President Rodrigo Duterte dur-
ing the 120th anniversary celebration of the Philippine Army on April 4 at Fort Bonifacio in suburban Taguig city, east of
Manila, Philippines. Duterte threatened on Monday to unleash new attack aircraft and the full power of the state against
communist rebels if a new round of peace talks fails, and insisted they accept new conditions including a halt to extortion
In this undated le photo released by Xinhua News Agency, a Chinese H-6K bomber patrols the islands and reefs in the
South China Sea. The Philippines top diplomat says China remains opposed to a legally-binding code of conduct in the
disputed South China Sea even as negotiations have progressed on other elements of such a code. (AP)
Spanish King Felipe and Queen Letiz-
ia come out from the plane upon their
arrival at Haneda International Airport
in Tokyo on April 4 for a four-day state
visit to Japan. (AP)
Asia
Study of banned order OKd: Opposi-
tion politicians are criticizing a decision by
Japans Cabinet to allow schools to study
a 19th century imperial order on education
that was banned after World War II for
promoting militarism and emperor wor-
ship, saying its a sign that Prime Minister
Shinzo Abes government is becoming
more nationalistic.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide
Suga told reporters Tuesday the Imperial
Rescript on Education should be allowed as
a teaching material if it is used in line with
the constitution and the education law. The
Cabinet adopted the policy Friday.
Opposition politicians on Tuesday called
the move unconstitutional and unacceptable.
The rescript, banned in 1948, calls on
Japanese to sacrice their lives for the
emperor. It recently captured national
attention because of a political scandal
involving a school whose ultra-nationalistic
owner used it. (AP)
Duterte fires minister: Philippine
President Rodrigo Duterte has red his
interior minister for loss of trust and
condence, the most senior government
executive to be removed in a campaign to
root out corruption, two Cabinet ofcials
said on Tuesday.
The rebrand Duterte came to power 10
months ago on a platform of ghting drugs,
crime and corruption. He has removed doz-
ens of bureaucrats, two senior immigration
ofcials and a former campaign spokesman
suspected of corruption.
Duterte has dismissed Department of
Interior and Local Government Secretary,
Mr Ismael Sueno, citing loss of trust and
condence, presidential spokesman
Ernesto Abella said in a statement, adding
the sacking served as a warning to all other
presidential appointees.
Duterte made the announcement at the
end of a cabinet meeting on Monday night,
he said.
The secretary had, in fact, been
instrumental in convincing the president
to run for election, but this did not deter
the president from pursuing his drive for a
trustworthy government by addressing is-
sues like corruption, said the spokesman.
In a statement, Sueno said Duterte had
been given wrong information by those
who were salivating for his position as
interior minister.
It is his call if he wants me in his
Cabinet or not, Sueno said. But, for the
record, Mr President, I can say this with all
honesty and sincerity, I am not corrupt.
(RTRS)
Tycoon back into contention: South
Korean software mogul Ahn Cheol-soo
and to territorial claims. (AP)
Diplomacy
China wary about THAAD
Progress on Sea deal
MANILA, April 4, (RTRS): China
and Southeast Asian countries have
made progress in talks on a code of
conduct for the disputed South China
Sea, the Philippine acting foreign
minister said on Tuesday.
China claims almost the entire water-
way, through which about $5 trillion in
sea-borne goods pass every year. Bru-
nei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan
and Vietnam also have claims.
We have made good progress on
coming up with a framework for a
code on conduct with China, Philip-
pine Acting Foreign Minister Enrique
Manalo said, adding the Association
of Southeast Asian Nations (ASE-
AN) and China were more than half-
way through identifying the contents.
From a scale of 1-10, we are at
the upper level. Remember, we were
starting from zero in January. There
have been a number of elements
agreed and we would denitely have
a framework on which to embark a
serious negotiation on a code of con-
duct.
Negotiators from China and ASE-
AN have met in Indonesia and Cam-
bodia in the last two months to try
to come up with a nal draft, which
could be approved ahead of the Au-
gust meeting by Southeast Asian for-
eign ministers in Manila.
Manalo also said Manila would
hold talks with Beijing next month
to tackle issues of concern regarding
the South China Sea, including Chi-
nas militarisation of several man-
made islands in the Spratly Islands.
The bilateral mechanism is one
of two dialogues held by China with
claimant states. The other is with
Vietnam.
The United States, the Philippines
and Vietnam have protested against
Chinas militarisation of the Spratlys.
US President Donald Trump and
Chinese President Xi Jinping are ex-
pected to discuss Chinese ambitions in
the South China Sea when they meet on
Thursday and Friday at Trumps Mar-a-
Lago resort in Florida.
nese audience, and dozens of Korean-
China is steadfastly opposed to the
deployment of advanced US anti-
missile radars in South Korea be-
cause it does not know whether the
defences, intended for North Korean
missiles, are capable of tracking and
countering Beijings own nuclear
program, experts say.
Abe Duterte
Beijings resistance to the THAAD
(Terminal High Altitude Area De-
fense) anti-missile system put up
south of Seoul has become a major
thorn in bilateral ties with the United
States and is bound to be discussed at
this weeks summit meeting between
President Xi Jinping and President
Donald Trump.
While the United States says
THAAD is needed to protect Seoul
from the threat posed by North Ko-
reas growing nuclear and missile
programs, some Chinese strategists
believe it is also a threat to the viabil-
ity of Chinas nuclear deterrent.
It is clear that there is no one in
China who really knows the technical
capability of THAAD and thats part
of the problem, said Zhang Baohui,
a Hong Kong-based mainland expert
on Chinas nuclear deterrent.
THAADs full capabilities are se-
cret so there is a real knowledge gap
among Chinese strategists. If they are
misplaced, they are at least genuine
in their concern - they have to assume
a worst case scenario.
Ofcially, China says it objects to
THAAD because it will destabilise
the regional security balance.
Chinese ofcials have also ex-
pressed concern about the reported
2,000 km (1,200 mile) range of
THAADs powerful X-band radars,
which can look deep into the main-
land, rather than the systems shorter
range interceptor missiles that can
target North Koreas missiles.
Besides casting a shadow over US-
China ties, THAAD has also ruptured
the relationship between Seoul and
Beijing.
Chinese authorities have closed
dozens of Lotte retail stores on the
mainland after the South Korean con-
glomerate agreed to provide land for
the missile defence system.
There has been a sharp decline in
Chinese tourists going to South Ko-
rea, while South Korean singers and
actors have been blocked in various
ways from reaching a mainland Chi-
focused blogs suspended in China.
THAAD, never tested in a con-
ict and whose effectiveness is still
questioned by some Western experts,
is designed to intercept and destroy
ballistic missiles late in ight, either
just inside or outside the earths at-
mosphere.
clinched his centrist Peoples Party nomi-
nation to run for president on Tuesday,
roaring back into contention in the May
9 vote after abandoning his presidential
ambitions in 2012.
Ahn, 55, has taken a tougher stance on
national security than the liberal frontrun-
ner for president, Moon Jae-in, who won
his Democratic Partys nomination on
Monday, saying there should be no mistake
about the dangers presented by North
Korea.
ARAB TIMES, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 5, 2017
15
He has vowed to level the playing eld
for small business and conglomerates and
provide equal opportunity for youth from
all backgrounds to inject fresh breath into
an economy showing signs of sputtering
weighed by injustice and corruption.
Impeached former president Park Geun-
hye was dismissed last month over a cor-
ruption scandal that has implicated some
conglomerates and rocked the country for
months.
We need to elect a capable president
who can revive the economy. We need a
president who can accomplish strong and
robust national
security, Ahn said
in his acceptance
speech.
The time for
Ahn Cheol-soo is
here and the time
for Moon Jae-in is
slipping away.
Ahn was a top
contender for the
2012 presidential
election but with-
drew his candi- Cheol-soo
dacy and endorsed
Moon in a bid to unite non-conservative
voters against eventual winner Park.
Trained as a medical doctor, Ahn rose
to national fame when AhnLab, a provider
of computer antivirus software, became a
household name. (RTRS)
Spore to repatriate cleric: Singa-
pore on Monday said it would repatriate
the chief cleric of a Muslim mosque for
offensive remarks targeting Christians and
Jews, a decision that aimed to repudiate
divisive speech.
Authorities in the multi-ethnic city-state,
an outpost of stability in a region where
religious tension is not uncommon, are
sensitive to public remarks they deem
might adversely affect religious and social
harmony.
During Friday prayers on Jan. 6, the cler-
ic, Nalla Mohamed Abdul Jameel Abdul
Malik, made use of the phrase, Grant us
help against the Jews and the Christians,
the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said
on its website.
The 46-year-old, popularly known as
Nalla, admitted making the remarks,
apologised and recognised that it was
unacceptable in Singapores multi-racial
and multi-religious context, the ministry
said in a statement.
He pleaded guilty in a Singapore court,
and was ned S$4,000 ($2,862), it added.
He will be repatriated, it said. Any re-
ligious leader from any religion who makes
such statements will be held accountable
for their actions.
The government had the responsibil-
ity to act quickly and rmly to repudiate
divisive speech, even if the course of action
is sometimes difcult, it added. (RTRS)
Thailand to buy Chinese tanks: The
Thai cabinet on Tuesday approved the pur-
chase of 10 Chinese tanks worth $58 million
to replace an old US model, a government
spokesman said, the second of three planned
purchases of 49 tanks from China.
Thailand ordered 28 tanks from China
last year.
These tanks will replace the M41 tanks,
which are small and old, Sansern Kaewk-
amnerd told reporters.
Thailand has used the US M41 light
tanks since World War II, said Defense
Minister Prawit Wongsuwan.
Relations have been strengthening be-
tween China and the United States oldest
ally in Southeast Asia, particularly since
ties with the United States cooled after a
2014 coup.
In January, the cabinet also approved
13.5 billion baht ($380 million) to buy a
submarine from China and is considering
buying three more.
Elsewhere in Southeast Asia, Philippine
President Rodrigo Duterte has boasted
of his new friendship with China as he
has talked down the relationship with the
United States, despite a longstanding ter-
ritorial dispute with Beijing.
A US Navy aid unit has also been told to
leave Cambodia, the US embassy said, in
a new sign of the country loosening links
with Washington as it strengthens ties with
Beijing. (RTRS)
Refugees off agenda Ghani:
Afghanistans president said Tuesday he
did not discuss during his Australian visit
taking back asylum seekers, a prospect
that mobilized hundreds of protesters who
argued the strife-torn Central Asian country
is too dangerous for its nationals to be
forced home.
Ashraf Ghani will end the rst visit
to Australia by an Afghan president on
Wednesday.
Hundreds of protesters came to the
capital, Canberra, on Tuesday calling for
Ghanis government to end discrimination
against the Hazara ethnic minority and to
prevent the repatriation of Hazara asylum
seekers rejected by Australia.
Afghanistan signed an agreement with
Australia in 2011 to accept failed Afghan
asylum seekers. But repatriations have
since been rare and Afghan lawmakers
have spoken out against forced returns.
Ghani declined to say on Australian
Broadcasting Corp. television on Tuesday
whether he would be comfortable with
Australia returning Afghan asylum seekers.
I do not make these decisions as an
individual. I am not entitled, Ghani said.
Has the legal due process been completed
or not? What has been our treaty? because
its not subject of discussion, I dont have it on
top of my ngers, he added.
Australia has a strict policy of refusing
to allow refugees who arrive by boat to
stay. Where to send asylum seekers from
the Middle East, Asia and Africa who often
languish in Pacic island camps for years
has become a growing political headache
for the Australian government.
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull did
not mention asylum seekers in his state-
ment Tuesday on Ghanis visit.
This historic visit has ... underscored
the growing partnership between our na-
tions and has been a valuable opportunity
to discuss our ongoing security and devel-
opment cooperation, Turnbull said.
Protesters had complained that discrimi-
nation was sanctioned against Hazaras,
who account for most of Afghanistans
Shiite Muslims, and that conditions in
Afghanistan are not safe for their return.
Ghani said the 1.2 million Afghan asylum
seekers who returned from Pakistan and
Europe last year demonstrated that conditions
in his country had improved. (AP)
 ARAB TIMES, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 5, 2017

INTERNATIONAL 16

World News Roundup

Lat/Am

Venezuela rebuked

Women cry over the coffin of a relative, a victim of a deadly avalanche due to heavy rains, during a mass burial in Mocoa, Colombia on April 3. (AP)
Colombia starts to bury 273 landslide victims, search continues
Scores of decomposing cadavers were
being released for burial on Monday as
rescuers continued to search for victims of
weekend flooding and landslides that dev-
astated a city in southern Colombia, killing
at least 273 people.
Desperate families queued for blocks in
the heat to search a morgue for loved ones
who died when several rivers burst their
Subcontinent
Pakistan sends Afghans home
banks in the early hours of Saturday,
sending water, mud and debris crashing
down streets and into houses as people
slept.
Bodies wrapped in white sheets lay on
the concrete floor of the morgue as offi-
cials sought to bury them as soon as pos-
sible to avoid the spread of disease. The
government has begun vaccination against
infection.
Please speed up delivery of the bodies
because they are decomposing, said
Yadira Andrea Munoz, a 45-year-old house-
wife who expected to receive the remains of
two relatives who died in the tragedy.
But officials asked for families to be
patient.
We dont want bodies to be delivered
Bangladesh
Kaspersky obtains evidence
wrongly, said Carlos Eduardo Valdes,
head of the forensic science institute.
The death toll has ticked up during the
day as rescuers searched with dogs and
machinery in the mud-choked rubble.
Many families in Mocoa have spent
days and nights digging through the debris
with their hands despite a lack of food,
clean water and electricity. (RTRS)
$2.7 bn demand
unrealistic: Paris
PARIS, April 4, (Agencies):
France will not give in to demands
for an unrealistic 2.5 billion euro
($2.7 billion) aid package for
French Guiana, which has been
swept by social unrest, Prime
Minister Bernard Cazeneuve said
on Monday.
After the French territory in
South America was disrupted by
protests and a general strike, Paris
sent two ministers last week for
talks with a coalition representing
the demon-
strators.
The pro-
tests, which
pose a chal-
lenge to the
government in
Paris three
weeks before a
presidential
election, began
with demands
for tougher Cazeneuve
measures
against crime, but also reflect a
deeper malaise in the territory which
suffers from high unemployment.
The government offered a 1 bil-
lion euro aid plan but the protest
movement demanded an emergen-
cy 2.5 billion euro plan in talks
over the weekend.
Group rebukes Venezuela: The
Organization of American States on
Monday took its strongest measure
yet rebuking Venezuelas slide
toward authoritarianism.
Member countries of the region-
al body said that last weeks
Supreme Court ruling nullifying
the opposition-controlled Congress
was incompatible with democrat-
ic practice.
That Venezuelan court ruling
was overturned after three days
following strong international and
domestic criticism.
The Organization of American
States pledged in a statement to
continue making diplomatic efforts
to address the situation in the eco-
nomically embattled South
American country.

Lamas visit deepens
India-China dispute
GUWAHATI, India, April 4, (Agencies): India said
Tuesday that China should not interfere in its internal
affairs, as the Dalai Lama began a weeklong visit to
Indias remote northeast that Beijing has protested.
The Tibetan spiritual leader was greeted by cheer-
ing supporters as he arrived in
Arunachal Pradesh. China
claims the partly ethnically
Tibetan Himalayan state as its
own territory, and warned last
month of severe damage to
relations with India and
increased regional instability if
the Dalai Lama proceeds with
his trip.
Indian Junior Home Minister
Kiren Rijiju said Tuesday that
Dalai Lama New Delhi respects Beijings
one China policy and expects
China to accept Indias policies.
Arunachal Pradesh is an inseparable part of India
and China should not object to the Dalai Lamas visit
and interfere in Indias internal affairs, he said.
The Dalai Lama is visiting the state at the invitation
of the people of Arunachal Pradesh, Rijiju said. As a
democratic country, India cannot interfere in the reli-
gious affairs of any community, he said.
Hundreds of supporters, some waving Tibetan flags,
cheered as the Dalai Lamas motorcade entered Bomdila,
a town in Arunachal Pradesh that borders China.
The Dalai Lama had to cancel his plans to fly to the
state due to bad weather, giving people in Bomdila a
surprise chance to greet their spiritual leader.
This is the Dalai Lamas seventh visit to Arunachal
Pradesh, and his first since 2009.
change of finance ministers triggered a
Pakistan resumes repatriation: Pakistan
resumed the repatriation of Afghan refugees on
Monday, sending nearly 1,200 people back across the
heavily guarded northern Torkham border, an official
at the United Nations refugee body said.
Pakistan is home to the worlds second largest refu-
gee population, with a total of 2.5 million Afghans
living there. Many have been in Pakistan since the
Soviet invasion in 1979.
Relations between the two countries have deterio-
rated significantly in recent years. Kabul and
Islamabad blame each other for terrorist attacks on
either side of the border.
After a series of attacks in Pakistan left more than
130 people dead in February, Islamabad shut down its
border crossings with Afghanistan and began plan-
ning to build a fence along the 2,500 km (1,500 mile)
border.
Human Rights Watch has accused the UN of allow-
ing Pakistan to forcibly evict Afghan refugees in vio-
lation of international law. Rights activists say they
expect little change this year in either Pakistani poli-
cies or the inability of the Afghan government and aid
groups to support the tide.
650 tons of drugs seized: An Afghan official says
that in the past 12 months the countrys counter-nar-
cotics department has seized almost 650 tons of con-
traband drugs and alcohol.
Gen Baz Mohammad Ahmadi, deputy interior min-
ister for the counter-narcotics police, says the confis-
cated drugs include raw opium, heroin and hashish.
He says that during that same time, the police arrested
2,683 smugglers and traffickers, including 67 women.
He added that 20 policemen and 17 army soldiers
have also been arrested for drug trafficking during the
same time period. Ahmadi spoke on Tuesday as part of
his annual reports on the fight against drug trafficking.
Afghan refugees wait for a transport at
the UNHCRs Repatriation Center on
their way to Afghanistan after the bor-
der between Afghanistan and Pakistan
reopened, in Peshawar, Pakistan on
April 3. Pakistani officials said that
without the help from international
community it is hard for Pakistan to
take care of 1.5 million registered and
about as many undocumented Afghan
refugees living in Pakistan. (AP)
Zuma Kiir
Africa
Zuma must step down: South
Africas largest trade union and ally to the
ruling African National Congress (ANC)
Cosatu said on Tuesday that President
Jacob Zuma must step down after his
credit rating downgrade to junk.
The trade union said it no longer believed
in Zumas ability to lead the party and the
country, and that it would call for the alli-
ance with the ANC to restructured. (RTRS)
Vessel taken to El Hur: Pirates who
seized an Indian cargo dhow with 11 crew
members in waters off the Somali coast
have taken the vessel to El Hur, near the
port of Hobyo in Somalias semi-autono-
mous Galmudug state, a pirate leader told
Reuters on Tuesday.
Aw Kombe also said the pirates were in
touch with businessmen in Kismayu over
releasing the vessel, Al Kausar.
The identity and origin of the hijackers
was disputed, however. A Galmudug state
official said the pirates came from northern
Somalias semi-autonomous state of
Puntland while Kombe, a Puntland pirate
leader, put the blame on our friends from
Galmudug state. (RTRS)
$10K work permit fee dropped:
South Sudan has suspended plans to charge
foreign workers a $10,000 work permit
fee, the finance minister said, after criti-
cism that it would create a huge expense
for aid organisations.
War-ravaged South Sudan announced
the 100-fold hike in the fee for foreign pro-
fessionals in early March. Most such work-
ers in the young country are employees of
humanitarian groups.
The Ministry of Finance acknowledges
these significant issues ... and steps are
being taken to formulate the best way for-
ward, Finance Minister Stephen Dhieu Dau
told a news conference over the weekend.
The implementing agencies will contin-
N. Korea tied to $81m heist
WASHINGTON, April 4, (RTRS):
Cyber security firm Kaspersky Lab
on Monday said it had obtained
digital evidence that bolsters suspi-
cions by some researchers that
North Korea was involved in last
years $81 million cyber heist of
the Bangladesh central banks
account at the Federal Reserve
Bank of New York.
Russian-based Kaspersky
released a 58-page report on
Lazarus, a group linked to the heist
in Bangladesh and the 2014 attack
on Sonys Hollywood studio,
which the US government blamed
on North Korea.
Among its findings, the report
said Lazarus hackers made a direct
connection from an IP address in
North Korea to a server in Europe
that was used to control systems
infected by the group.
Kaspersky researcher Vitaly
Kamluk told Reuters by telephone
that the finding marked the first
time we have seen a direct connec-
tion between North Korea and
Lazarus, a hacking group whose
activities dating back to 2009 have
been documented by the worlds
biggest cyber security firms.
The North Korean government
has denied allegations of hacking
made by officials in Washington
and South Korea as well as security
firms.
Kamluk said he could not conclu-
sively say that Pyongyang was
behind the attacks because it was
possible the hackers went to great
effort to make it look like they were
ue with old rates charged, he said, adding
that parliament was expected to repeal the
legislation that approved the fee hike. The
previous rate was $100 per foreign worker.
The worlds youngest nation has been
embroiled in civil war since 2013, when
President Salva Kiir fired his deputy Riek
Machar, sparking a conflict that has
Britains Chancellor of the Exchequer
Philip Hammond (left), shakes hand
with Indian Finance Minister Arun
Jaitley before their delegation level
talks in New Delhi, India on April 4.
Hammond is on a two-day visit to the
country. (AP)
from North Korea, or that North
Koreans were working with others.
Still, he said that North Korean
involvement was the most likely
explanation.
Separately last month, US offi-
cials also cast suspicion on
Pyongyang. An official briefed on
the probe told Reuters in
Washington that the FBI believed
North Korea was responsible.
And Rick Ledgett, the deputy
director of the National Security
Agency, told reporters at an Aspen
Institute event on March 15 that
private sector research tying North
Korea to the Bangladesh bank heist
was strong.
If thats true, then that says to
me that the North Koreans are rob-
bing banks, Ledgett said. Thats
a big deal.
The Bangladesh Bank heist was
one in a string of financially moti-
vated cyber attacks by a division of
Lazarus dubbed Bluenoroff, the
Kaspersky report said. Targets
included banks, financial and trad-
ing companies, casinos and digital
currency businesses in at least 18
nations, the report said.
Adrian Nish, head of threat intel-
ligence with cyber security firm
BAE Systems PLC, said Kasperskys
findings were significant, even
though they did not conclusively
link Pyongyang to Lazarus.
It is significant further evi-
dence, said Nish, who led a team
at BAE that in May 2016 was the
first to link the Bangladesh heist
and the Sony hack.
increasingly split the country along ethnic
lines. (RTRS)
Armed group kills 8 in Congo:
Authorities say a brutal armed group in
southern Congo blamed for murdering a
UN team has killed at least eight people
over the weekend.
The fighters loyal to traditional leader
Kamwina Nsapu launched their attack on
Luebo late Friday. Among the victims was
the area administrators wife. Joseph Mbuyi
Mubenga said after killing his wife, the
fighters mutilated her body, decapitating
her and taking her head, hands and feet.
Mubenga told UN-backed Radio Okapi
that the attackers also set fire to adminis-
trative buildings including the prison as
well as a local convent of nuns. (AP)
$250m plan to end hunger: The
United Nations World Food Programme
(WFP) on Monday pledged $253 million to
fund a five-year plan to end hunger in
Zimbabwe, which is emerging from a dev-
astating drought that left more than 4 mil-
lion people in need of food aid last year.
An El Nino-induced drought scorched
crops and killed livestock in the southern
African nation, forcing the government to
launch an emergency appeal for food from
donors. (RTRS)
6 killed in family feud: Prose-
cutors in central Mexico say a man
was shot to death by members of a
rival clan, and his relatives later
went to the other familys house
and shot to death five men.
Prosecutors in the central state of
Puebla said Sunday the killings start-
ed in the small town of Yehualtepec
as a result of personal conflicts.
After the first man was shot to
death, a group of his relatives went
to the other familys home, forced
the five victims out of the home at
gunpoint and shot them to death in
the street. Prosecutors said they were
still investigating who was involved.
Protests rattle Ecuador:
Supporters of Ecuadorean opposi-
tion leader Guillermo Lasso gath-
ered in the streets for a second
night Monday to protest what they
consider fraud at the ballot box
that tilted a presidential runoff in
favor of his leftist rival.
Sundays razor-thin election win
by ruling party candidate Lenin
Moreno bucked the trend of right-
wing electoral victories in South
America following 15 years of leftist
domination. Even as calls from Latin
American governments congratulat-
ing Moreno poured in, Lasso, a con-
servative banker, vowed to keep up
the fight against the installation of an
illegitimate government.
Temer faces perfect storm:
Two landmark corruption trials
and the first hurdle for a crucial
pension reform mean that April
could make or break Brazilian
President Michel Temers presi-
dency, or bring it to an abrupt end.
A Supreme Court judge is due to
lift the seal on plea bargain testi-
mony that could lead to the dis-
missal of five ministers. Temers
reform of Brazils social security
system key to his plans to restore
fiscal discipline also faces a first
vote in committee by mid-April.
Paraguay house delays vote:
Thousands of protesters gathered
outside Paraguays Congress on
Monday evening in a new but peace-
ful demonstration over an unpopular
Senate vote for an amendment last
week that would allow President
Horacio Cartes to run for re-election.
Protesters clashed violently with
police last Friday, storming and
setting fire to the Congress build-
ing after a group of senators called
a special session behind closed
doors, rather than on the Senate
floor, to pass the measure.
The amendment would still
have to be approved by the lower
house, where it was expected to
have strong support. But the head
of the lower house and Cartes ally,
Hugo Velazquez, told reporters on
Monday the vote would be delayed
until the dialogue Cartes requested
took place. It is scheduled to begin
on Wednesday.
 ARAB TIMES, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 5, 2017

INTERNATIONAL 18

World News Roundup

In this photo provided by James Balog/Extreme Ice Survey, the Mendenhall glacier outside of Juneau, Alaska in 2007. (AP)

Then and now: How glaciers around the world are melting
Over the past decade, scientists and
photographers keep returning to the
worlds glaciers, watching them shrink
with each visit. Now they want others to
see how a warming planet is melting
masses of ice in a series of before-and-
after photos.
In the Geological Society of Americas
GSA Today journal , a group of ice
researchers and a photographer-film-
maker published pictures showing how
much five of the worlds glaciers have
thinned.
There is something fundamentally
compelling about the approach they take.
For all our emphasis on models and
math, seeing is still believing, said
University of Colorado ice scientist Ted
Scambos, who wasnt part of the team.
Under natural conditions, glaciers at
times melt and retreat while others grow
and advance. But measurements from
Earths 5,200 glaciers show warming
temperatures have increased the number
of melting glaciers and the speed of gla-
cial retreat, according to the study.
Scientists primarily blame man-made
global warming from the burning of coal,
oil and natural gas.
ICELAND
The Solheimajokull glacier has shriv-
eled by about 2,050 feet (625 meters)
between 2007 and 2015.
ALASKA
The forward edge of the Mendenhall
glacier outside of Juneau has receded
about 1,800 feet (550 meters) between
2007 and 2015.
SWITZERLAND
The Stein glacier has shrunk about
1,800 feet (550 meters) between 2006
and 2015.
SWITZERLAND
The Trift glacier has retreated nearly
three quarters of a mile (1.17 kilometers)
between 2006 and 2015.
PERU
Ohio State ice scientist Lonnie
Thompson has visited the Qori Kalis gla-
cier since 1974. Between 1978 and 2016,
it has shriveled 3,740 feet (1.14 kilome-
ters). Thompson described his regular
expeditions to the Peruvian glacier like
visiting a terminally ill family member.
(AP)

Geology Environment

Flood breached link Change may be symbolic

Study finds proof Trump revokes Alaska refuge rule

of the Brexit 1.0
LONDON, April 4, (Agencies): Scientists have found
evidence of how ancient Britain separated from
Europe in what they are dubbing Brexit 1.0 a
flooding event that happened in two stages thousands
of years ago.
In research published in the journal Nature
Communications on Tuesday, the scientists said they
now have proof that the opening of the Dover Strait in
the English Channel, severing the land between
Britain and France, occurred in two episodes an
initial lake spill over, followed
by catastrophic flooding.
The breaching of this land
bridge between Dover and
Calais was undeniably one of
the most important events in
British history, helping to
shape our island nations iden-
tity, said Sanjeev Gupta, a
professor at Imperial College
London who co-led the work.
When the ice age ended and
Gupta sea levels rose, flooding the
valley floor for good, Britain
lost its physical connection to the mainland, he said.
This is Brexit 1.0 the Brexit nobody voted for.
The first pieces of the puzzle came some 10 years
ago, when researchers found geophysical evidence of
giant valleys on the seafloor in the central part of
English Channel. They believed these valley networks
were evidence of a megaflood gouging out the land,
probably caused by a breach in a chalk rock ridge
joining Britain to France.
Combined
In the new study, new geophysical data collected by
colleagues in Belgium and France has been combined
with seafloor data from Britain showing evidence of
huge holes and a valley system located on the sea-
floor. This help the team establish how the chalk ridge
was breached.
The ridge acted like a huge dam and behind it was a
proglacial lake, the researchers explained. The lake over-
flowed in giant waterfalls, eroding the rock escarpment,
weakening it and eventually causing it to fail and release
huge volumes of water onto the valley floor below.
We still dont know for sure why the proglacial
lake spilt over, said Jenny Collier, a co-author of the
study from Imperials department of earth science and
engineering.
Perhaps part of the ice sheet broke off, collapsing
into the lake, causing a surge that carved a path for the
water to cascade off the chalk ridge. Maybe an earth
tremor ... further weakened the ridge and caused (it) to
collapse, releasing the megaflood that we have found
evidence for in our studies.
Either way, the scientists said, if it was not for a set
of chance geological circumstances, Britain may have
remained connected to mainland Europe, jutting out
into the sea like Denmark.
The researchers still have no exact timeline of
events, but said they now want to take and analyse
core samples of the in-filled sediments in the plunge
pools to try and pinpoint the timing of erosion and the
filling of the pools.
They cautioned, however, that this next step will be
tricky, since getting samples in the Dover Strait
means navigating huge tidal changes and the worlds
busiest shipping lane.
In this Aug 12, 2015 photo, an
Environmental Protection Agency
contractor works on the cleanup in the
aftermath of the blowout at the Gold
King Mine, overseeing water flowing
from the mine into a series of sedi-
ment retention ponds, mitigating dam-
age from the spill of toxic wastewater,
outside Silverton, Colorado. Farmers,
business owners and residents ini-
tially said they suffered $1.2 billion in
lost income, property damage and
personal injuries from the 2015 spill at
the Gold King Mine. The total now
appears to be about $420 million after
attorneys for a handful of New Mexico
property owners slashed their claims
by $780 million. (AP)
Berners Bush
Discovery
WWW inventor wins prize: Most
people who search on Google, share on
Facebook and shop on Amazon have never
heard of Sir Tim Berners-Lee. But they
might not be doing any of those things had
he not invented the World Wide Web.
Berners-Lee, 61, is this years recipient
of the A.M. Turing Award, computings
version of the Nobel Prize.
The award, announced Tuesday by the
Association for Computing Machinery,
marks another pinnacle for the British
native, who has already been knighted by
Queen Elizabeth II and named as one of
the 100 most important people of the 20th
Century by Time magazine.
Its a crowning achievement, Berners-
Lee said in an interview with The
Associated Press. But I think the award is
for the Web as a project, and the massive
international collaborative spirit of all that
have joined me to help. (AP)
Remains of pyramid discovered: A
top antiquities official says an Egyptian
excavation team has discovered the
remains of a new pyramid that dates back
to the 13th Dynasty, some 3,700 years ago.
The head of the Ancient Egyptian
Antiquities Sector, Mahmoud Afifi, said in a
statement Monday that the remains were
located north of King Sneferus bent pyra-
mid in the Dahshur royal necropolis south of
ANCHORAGE, Alaska, April 4, (AP):
The state of Alaskas toolkit for
increasing moose and caribou numbers
includes killing wolf pups in dens,
shooting wolf packs from helicopters,
and adopting liberal hunting regula-
tions that allow sportsmen to shoot
grizzlies over bait.
But when state officials wanted to
extend predator control to federal
wildlife refuges, the US Fish and
Wildlife Service said no. And after
years of saying no, the agency late last
year adopted a rule to make the denial
permanent.
Alaskas elected officials called that
an outrage and an infringement on
state rights. The dispute reached the
White House.
President Donald Trump on Monday
signed a resolution approved by the
US House and Senate to revoke a US
Fish and Wildlife Service rule banning
most predator control on Alaska ref-
uges. Alaskas lone US representative,
Republican Don Young, says Alaska
was promised it could manage game
animals. Refuge overseers have
ignored the law, he said.
Some of you will say, Oh, we
have to protect the wolf puppies,
Young told colleagues on the floor of
the House. Thats not what its about.
Its about the law.
Congress explicitly gave Alaska
authority to manage wildlife in the
Alaska Statehood Act and two more
laws, US Sen Lisa Murkowski, an
Alaska Republican, said after voting to
Cairo. Due to the bent slope of its sides, the
pyramid is believed to have been ancient
Egypts first attempt to build a smooth-sided
pyramid. The necropolis was the burial site
In this July 25, 2008 file photo, rye spikes are pictured in a field near Bad
Muenstereifel, western Germany, during the morning sun. Scientists in Germany
have for the first time mapped the entire genome of rye, a cereal known for its
hardy properties. Researchers from the Technical University of Munich and the
Leibniz-Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research announced on April
3, that the first full draft of the rye genome will be made freely available to sci-
entists worldwide. (AP)
Trump donates his first-quarter
salary to National Park Service
WASHINGTON, April 4, (RTRS):
President Donald Trump, who
made a fortune in real estate before
running for political office, has
decided to donate his first-quarter
salary of $78,333 to the National
Park Service, the White House
announced on Monday.
During the presidential cam-
paign, Trump said he would donate
his $400,000 annual salary if he
were elected.
Thats no big deal for me, he
told a town-hall style meeting in
September 2015.
revoke the rule.
Alaskas 16 national wildlife refuges
cover about 120,000 sq miles (310,800
sq kms), an area slightly smaller than
the state of New Mexico. Residents of
rural villages living a subsistence life-
style rely on refuges as hunting
grounds. So do urban sportsmen.
Critics contend Alaska officials use
unsportsmanlike techniques that
would have horrified Teddy Roosevelt,
creator of the first federal refuge, to
boost moose and caribou numbers.
Sportsmanship, however, is not a con-
sideration, according to state authori-
ties, when it comes to surgically
for courtiers and high-ranking officials. (AP)
London plans emissions fee: The
Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke,
whose agency oversees the
100-year-old protector of 417
national parks, monuments and
other sites, said he was thrilled at
Trumps decision.
We are going to dedicate and
put it against the infrastructure on
our nations battlefields, Zinke
said, appearing alongside White
House spokesman Sean Spicer at
a daily briefing. We are about
$229 million behind in deferred
maintenance on our battlefields
alone, Zinke said.
removing certain numbers of predators
to benefit prey populations.
Predators can kill more than 80 per-
cent of the moose and caribou that die
during an average year, according to
the Alaska Department of Fish and
Game.
Alaskas mandate for killing preda-
tors comes from a law passed by the
state Legislature recognizing that certain
moose, caribou, and deer populations are
especially important human food sourc-
es. When those populations drop too
low, the Alaska Board of Game, which
regulates, hunting and trapping, can
authorize intensive management.
mayor of London says drivers of the most
polluting cars will have to pay a 12.50
pound ($15.55) charge to drive in the city
in a bid to improve air quality.
Mayor Sadiq Khan says the charge will
start in April 2019 and apply to diesel cars
more than four years old and petrol cars
more than 13 years old. It will initially
cover central London, with plans to widen
the zone by 2021.
The plan aims to halve emissions of
nitrogen oxides from vehicles by 2020.
Khan said Tuesday that the air in
London is lethal and I will not stand by
and do nothing. (AP)
Bush touts AIDS programme:
Former US president George W. Bush
touted his signature aid project for Africa
during a visit to Botswana on Tuesday,
saying he hoped Washington would recog-
nise its importance in saving lives threat-
ened by AIDS.
Launched in 2003 during the first
Bush administration, PEPFAR
(Presidents Emergency Plan for AIDS
Relief), is the worlds largest provider of
AIDS-fighting medicine and has
branched out over the years to include
provision of services for cervical cancer,
which is linked to HIV infections in
women. (RTRS)
 Ridley Scott to direct WWII movie Battle of Britain

Plaza loses her mind in Ingrid Goes West teaser

LOS ANGELES, April 4, (RTRS): Aubrey Plaza goes insane in a
raucous teaser trailer for the dark comedy Ingrid Goes West, which
shows her crashing a wedding and pepper-spraying the bride, played
by Elizabeth Olsen, for not inviting her.
The trailer depicts Plazas character Ingrid Thornberg react-
ing to her mothers death and a series of self-inflicted setbacks
by moving out West to befriend her Instagram obsession Taylor
Sloane (played by Olsen). After a quick bond is forged between
these unlikeliest of friends, the facade begins to crack in both
womens lives.
Ingrid Goes West is directed by Matt Spicer and written by Spicer
and David Branson Smith. The lm, which also stars OShea Jackson
Jr., Wyatt Russell, and Billy Magnussen, premiered in competition at
the 2017 Sundance Film Festival, where it won the Waldo Salt Screen-
writing Award.
Film
Sundance and has set an Aug. 4 release.
secret agents track down Adolf Eichmann, the architect of the Holo-
Ridley Scott is in early development at Fox to direct and produce a
Battle of Britain World War II movie with Matthew Orton writing
the script.
Fox bought the project as a pitch last year and set the project up
with Scotts Fox-based Scott Free production company along with Safe
House Pictures, operated by Joby Harold and Tory Tunnell. Mat-
thew Charman, who received a best original screenplay nomination
for Bridge of Spies, is executive producing. Steve Asbell will over-
see the project for Fox.
The Battle of Britain began on July 10, 1940, as Adolf Hitlers Nazi
air force, the Luftwaffe, bombarded the British Isles through October.
British seaports and shipping lanes were the rst targets, followed by
Orton recently wrote the MGM drama Operation Finale, in which
caust. Oscar Isaac has been in talks to star.
Brooklyn star Emory Cohen is on board to co-star with Kiersey
Clemons in Blumhouse Productions Sweetheart, the latest thriller
from the team behind the upcoming supernatural suspense lm Sleight.
J.D. Dillard will direct from a script he co-wrote with his Sleight
writing partner Alex Theurer as well as Alex Hyner. Dillard, Theurer,
and Hyner will all produce along with Jason Blum and Bill Karesh.
As with all Blum pics, the logline is being kept under lock and key
only to be described as a survival-horror lm. Details behind who Co-
hen is playing are also being kept under wraps.
Production is expected to start this month.

Varietys Peter Debruge praised Plazas performance in his
Sundance review: A semi-ironic, yet still-empathetic Single White
Female for the Facebook generation, Spicers squirm-inducing direc-
torial debut understands both the pleasures and frustrations of judging
ones worth via virtual connections. If positioned correctly, its the sort
of timely satire that could click with younger audiences and further
bolster Aubrey Plazas value in the title role.
Producers are Jared Ian Goldman, Tim White, Trevor White,
Adam Mirels, Robert Mirels, and Plaza. Neon picked up the rights at
the Royal Air Force airelds and nightly attacks on London all in
preparation for an amphibious invasion of the British Isles. But the
Nazis were unable to overcome British resistance in what was the rst
major defeat for Germany in the war and the plans for the invasion,
dubbed Operation Sea Lion, were scrapped.
Scott has completed Alien: Covenant, which Fox opens May 19,
and is attached to direct two other projects Sonys All the Money
in the World, centering on the 1973 kidnapping of J. Paul Getty, and
Foxs The Cartel, an adaptation of the Don Winslow bestseller about
a corrupt NYPD detective.
Cohen earned rave reviews for his role as Bradley Coopers son
in A Place Beyond the Pines and has since had a run of roles that
included another highly touted role as Saoirse Ronans boyfriend in
the Oscar-nominated drama Brooklyn. He also recently starred as
Homer in Netixs series The OA.
Cohen has come close to several high-prole gigs, including the role
of young Han Solo that eventually went to Alden Ehrenreich. He can
be seen next in Netixs War Machine opposite Brad Pitt as well
in the prison action movie Shot Caller starring Jon Bernthal and
Nikolaj Coster-Waldau.

Variety
Features

In this image released by STX Entertainment, Gemma Arterton appears in a scene from Their Finest. (AP)

Film

Gifted unites Evans with new leading lady

LOS ANGELES: Sonys tentpole
Spider-Man: Homecoming and
New Lines horror movie It
dominated social media chatter
last week with more than 251,000
and 235,000 new conversations,
Finest blends wit, romance in WWII
according to media-measurement By Lindsey Bahr considered for the part of the hero and is stunned to Though Evans is an uncle in real life (his eldest sister
rm comScore and its PreAct realize otherwise. has three kids, ages 3, 5 and 7), he says he bonded in a
service.
Sony and Marvel presented
footage at CinemaCon on March
T heir Finest is a movie about making a movie,
specically a glossy propaganda lm meant to
bolster morale in Britain in the darkest days of the Sec-
Theyre also, late in the game, instructed that they
have to cast an American in the lm because, in addi-
different way with Mckenna: as colleagues. Evans and
Gifted director Marc Webb (The Amazing Spider-
tion to British propaganda, the government now needs Man) saw dozens of girls read for the role, and Mc-
27 for Spider-Man: Homecom- ond World War. It is also very much a movie-movie. this lm to persuade the US to help out with the war kenna stood out with her childlike charm yet old-soul
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 5, 2017

ing, offering a far deeper look
at Michael Keatons villainous
Vulture and emphasizing Tom
Hollands experiences as Spider-
Man as a high schooler who
discovers the power he possesses.
The new trailer was released on
March 28 and features Robert
Downey Jr.s Tony Stark reacting
to a particularly destructive scene
by upbraiding the youngster for
the lack of control.
Cant you just be a friendly,
neighborhood Spider-Man? says
Stark to Parker.
The movie, which will be out
on July 7, has already generated
1.5 million new conversations.
New Line released a teaser
video and poster for It on March
28, followed by a CinemaCon
presentation and trailer on March
29 ve months ahead of its
Sept. 8 opening.
Mama director Andy
Muschietti directed It, which
stars Hemlock Grove actor Bill
Skarsgard as the evil clown Pen-
nywise. Stranger Things break-
out Finn Wolfhard, Midnight
Specials Jaeden Lieberher,
Jack Dylan Grazer, Wyatt Oleff,
Chosen Jacobs, and Jeremy Ray
Taylor play some of the terrorized
children. (RTRS)
LOS ANGELES: The Late Show
host Stephen Colbert is preparing
to moonlight once again at New
Jerseys Montclair Film Festival.
The comedian, a Montclair
resident, has long been a booster
of the event, which launches its
sixth edition on April 28.
Colbert said he has a good
reason for supporting grass-roots
arts efforts.
I love local festivals because
of a local festival that started in
my hometown (Charleston, SC),
Colbert told Variety in February.
It was at the Spoleto Festival (a
performing-arts festival) that I got
my rst professional gig. It was
also the rst time I met profes-
sional performers and artists. I got
to know them and they said, You
Good-looking, nely acted, and well-told, director
Lone Scherg (An Education) has made a charming,
witty and romantic gem. It is Shakespeare in Love in
World War II.
Adapted by Gaby Chiappe from the novel Their
Finest Hour and a Half by Lissa Evans, Their Fin-
est is centered on Catrin Cole (a luminous Gemma
Arterton), a copywriter hired by the government to help
write the slop, or female dialogue, for a lm meant
to lift the spirits of a war weary citizenry. Shes a sort
of proto-Peggy Olson whose talents and thick skin get
her a place at the table alongside the men (although she
is, they make sure to hammer home, paid less than her
male counterparts).
Catrin takes the job out of necessity her husband
Ellis (Jack Huston) is a disabled and temperamental art-
ist whose bleak industrial landscapes arent selling and
thus not bringing in any money for their rent. Although
Ellis tries to talk her out of the work, Catrin comes alive
in the writers room, sparring with the egotistical lead
writer Tom Buckley (Sam Clain) as they try to meld
minds to make a compelling story out of a newspaper
account of twin sisters who stole their alcoholic fathers
boat to rescue soldiers from Dunkirk.
Its a relentlessly appealing take on the creative pro-
cess, laced with humor and insight as Tom and Catrin
bicker and banter about just who the hero should be
(a man or the woman?), and how strictly they should
adhere to the facts (not much, and, by the way, be sure
to cut out the boring parts). What ends up being put
into production, of course, is worlds away from real-
ity, but theres a lovely discovery of the truth at the
heart of the sisters heroics that eventually makes it
onto the screen.
Caiappe and Scherg pack the lm with fun side
characters and pseudo showbiz insider jokes, like
when they go out to the past-his-prime actor Ambrose
Hilliard (Bill Nighy, always the scene stealer) for the
corpse role of the drunken father whos described
as being a shipwreck of a man who is in his 60s but
looks older. Ambrose of course thinks hes being
can do this. So Ive got a real soft
spot in my heart for local creative
works organization.Colbert is
in part responsible for raising the
$3.5 million needed renovate the
young festivals new headquar-
ters- Investor Bank Film & Media
Center. Investors Bank donated
the building, which opened its
doors last Thursday.
Since its inception, the come- Keaton Colbert
efforts. The star they have in mind is a real Air Force maturity.
pilot, Carl Lundbeck (Jake Lacy) a Captain America
She might as well have an apartment, he said. Im
type with golden locks and a million dollar smile. You telling you, Ive met lesser pros in adults.
can guess how that goes. The 10-year-old actress also a regular on TVs
Designated Survivor is the kind of professional
Predictable
who asks if she can bring her stuffed seal along while
But just because some of the beats are predictable promoting her new lm. She also has a plush cat with
doesnt mean that Their Finest is ineffective quite
her at this interview, noting shes allergic to real cats.
the opposite. The elegantly composed script even be-
Mckenna says she isnt a math whiz like her charac-
gins to mirror the lm within the lm as the romantic ter in Gifted. Instead, she feels like shes gifted with
tension grows between Catrin and Tom. Both need an
a great family and amazing lifestyle.
ending, but what will it be? This experience is so wonderful and it makes me so
Clain in particular is a standout, ironically because
thankful for my life. Im gifted that I have my family
hes been made to look less glamorous than usual. His
here to support me and that Im here right now with
mousy brown hair, rounded specs and layers of tweeds Chris, she said, adding, Well, every job could be my
and wool lets his real acting heft shine through. You
last, you know?
actually believe hes the underdog. As for Evans gifts? Mckennas got that covered, too.
Without giving too much away, there is a beat
He has lots of secret talents, she said. He can tap
(youll know it when it comes) that might sour things dance! Though he still has not tap danced for me.
for some audiences, but its not enough to destroy all
Evans sheepishly admits that yes, he does tap dance.
the good thats there. Inspiring, funny and genuinely Im looking to tap dance in a movie, the actor said.
romantic, Their Finest is a solid, refreshing crowd-
I want to nd one! Maybe a nice Gene Kelly biopic.
pleaser. He can sing and he can tap dance, Mckenna de-
Their Finest, an STX Entertainment release, is
clared, putting a point on the subject like a manager
rated R by the Motion Picture Association of America might.
for some language and a scene of sexuality. Running
The two did a lot of singing on set between takes, she
time: 117 minutes. Three and a half stars out of four.
said mostly 1990s pop-rock.
Her dad grew up listening to the Presidents of the
Chris Evans glows around his new leading lady, United States of America, a band back in the 90s, Ev-
who makes no secret of her excitement at hanging out ans said, so we would sing Peaches a lot, which was
with Captain America. She gushingly talks up his tal- one of their better songs.
ents (He can tap dance!), yet is just as quick to keep Looking at Mckenna warmly, he added: She
him honest when he says something questionable. couldnt actually hear all of their songs because some
She also travels with a selection of stuffed animals, of their songs have bad words.
including a plush seal in a pink dress. Mckenna said she and her dad also love watching
Evans latest co-star is 10-year-old actress Mckenna Marvel movies together, so she already knew about
Grace. They star together in Gifted , a family drama Captain America before working with Evans.
opening Friday about an unassuming single guy raising Hes so much more than Captain America, she
his math-prodigy niece, determined not to let her bril- said. Civil War is always (playing) on the plane. And
liance interfere with her childhood. I look at it and Im like, Hey, I know him! (AP)
dian has been headlining six-gure company iSpot.tv, Universal dated after the chart is posted as new
fundraisers for the fest featuring Pictures claims the top spot in information becomes available.)
guests including Jon Stewart, spending with The Fate of the Understandably, Universal Pictures
Steve Carell and last November, Furious. focused spend toward a sports-
John Oliver. (RTRS) Ads placed for the action thriller loving audience, with portions of
had an estimated media value of the budget dedicated to airings
$6.03 million through Sunday for during the 2017 NCAA Basketball
LOS ANGELES: In this weeks 1,035 national ad airings across 42 Tournament and NBA Basketball
edition of the Variety Movie Com- networks. (Spend gures are based games. The studio also ran the
mercial Tracker, powered by the on estimates generated from March movie ad frequently across episodes
TV advertising attention analytics 27-April 2. Estimates may be up- of SportsCenter. (RTRS)

NEWS/FEATURES
People & Places
Film
Homecoming personal
Watts scales vision
with blockbuster gig
LOS ANGELES, April 4, (RTRS): Jon Watts knows
that Spider-Man: Homecoming represents a gargan-
tuan leap forward.
The indie director only had a two low-budget lm
credits to his name when he was tapped by Sony and
Marvel to rejuvenate the fading superhero franchise.
His previous lm, Cop Car, a well-reviewed thriller,
cost less than $1 million to produce, a fraction of what
Spider-Man: Homecoming spends on any given day
of shooting. But Watts impressed the studios with his
vision for taking Spider-Man and his alter ego Peter
Parker back to high school, focusing on what it would
be like to balance homework assignments and nding
prom dates with fending off a super powered bad guy
like the Vulture (Michael Keaton).
Watts admits that hes nerv-
ous about taking on such an
iconic character and says hes
been working around the clock
editing the lm in advance of its
July 6 release date. He becomes
the third director to oversee a
Spidey lm, following in the
footsteps of Sam Raimi, who di-
rected the rst trilogy, and Marc
Webb, the lmmaker behind the
two less successful Amazing
Watts Spider-Man movies.
Shortly before taking the
stage at CinemaCon last week to present footage from
Spider-Man: Homecoming to a crowd of theater
owners, Watts spoke with Variety about his pitch to
Marvel, John Hughes inuence, and his working rela-
tionship with Tom Holland, the new Spider-Man.
Question: How did you get the gig?
Answer: It was a very long process. Someone at
Marvel had seen Cop Car. It started as a general
meeting and in the meeting they started talking about
Spider-Man and the idea of it being a younger-centered
Spider-Man movie. I had been wanting to make a com-
ing-of-age, high school movie. I had been watching a
bunch of those movies, so I just happened to be really,
really prepared to talk about high school coming-of-age
movies. I just kept coming back to meeting after meet-
ing, and every time I came back thered be more people
in the room and more people in the room.
Q: Was that high school lm going to be autobio-
graphical?
A: A little bit, but this lm met that need.
Q: Were John Hughes lms like The Breakfast
Club and Pretty in Pink an inuence on the lm?
A: Theres a supercial inuence, but theres also the
sincerity of John Hughes and his writing that shaped this
lm. He takes his characters really seriously and isnt
afraid to be honest about what that experience is like.
Q: Were you a fan of Spider-Man before you got
the job?
A: I wouldnt say that I was a Spider-Man super
fan. Ive met those kinds of fans in doing this movie,
and I dont hold a candle. But I loved the idea of Spi-
der-Man as a kid, and I loved the Todd MacFarlane
run in the 1990s, and the rst Raimi movies were
released when I was in lm school. Those were big.
Q: What did you like about the Raimi movies?
A: I loved Sam Raimi. To see him apply his aes-
thetic to a big movie was really exciting.
Q: Did you reach out to him?
A: No, I was too nervous. I know Marc [Webb]
though from his music video days. All he said was
hang out with Stan Lee.
Q: Was it hard to go from making indie movies to
doing a huge studio blockbuster?
A: Its just about scaling up your vision, so that eve-
ryone understands what youre trying to do. Youre still
just telling a story. Even if its a massive big screen ex-
travaganza, its still a personal story youre telling.
Peter Parker, especially in this movie, is a kid who
has been picked by Tony Stark to be a part of this mas-
sive adventure in Captain AmericA: Civil War and
is really trying to prove himself. Hes never done any-
thing this big before and really doesnt want to screw
up or let anybody down. Thats exactly how I feel
about making this movie. I have no problem trying to
relate to Peter Parker, because thats what I feel like at
every moment in this process.
Q: Are you hoping to direct more Spider-Man mov-
ies?
A: All Im doing is focusing on nishing this mov-
ie. Were deep, deep, deep in [post-production], so
you just want to make this one good. Focus on one at
a time is my attitude.
Q: Was Tom Holland cast as Spider-Man before
you got the job?
A: Yeah, the announcement of us being hired was
made on the exact same day.
Q: Had you met him before you joined the project?
A: No, I met him on the set of Civil War. I met
him on the set in Peter Parkers bedroom. I had been
talking to [Captain AmericA: Civil War directors]
the Russos about what they were doing, to make sure
it wasnt radically different than what I was imag-
ining. So I had been in touch with them and then I
went on set when they were shooting the Peter Parker
and Tony Stark scene. I was sort of peaking out from
behind the camera. Then we went out to dinner and
started talking about all of our ideas.
Q: Spider-Man is becoming the Hamlet of comic
book characters. Tobey Maguire and Andrew Gareld
have all previously played it. Everyone, it seems, is go-
ing to get a crack at it. What does Tom bring to the role?
A: He is Peter Parker. Its amazing. Hes so sincere,
so sweet, and so earnest. Thats a big part of why Peter
Parker is so relatable. You feel for him. Hes trying re-
ally hard to do the right thing and very often screwing
up or getting in over his head.
I know that Tom feels like hes Peter Parker too, just
like I do. This is a huge role for him and hes trying his
best, and he can do a backip. I absolutely killed him
on set because in a lot of the other movies, a lot of the
footage is of stuntmen in the Spider-Man suit, but Tom is
so recognizable. His physicality after being in [the West
Ends] Billy Elliott gives him such a commanding con-
trol of his body that you know that its him in there versus
everyone else. I can pick Tom out of a lineup. I made him
do so much more than I probably should have. It has to
be him, because you can tell when its not.
Q: How did Michael Keaton approach Vulture?
A: Whats great about Michael is he brings so much
charisma and relatablity to this role. You want people to
be rooting for him as much as theyre rooting for Peter.
Peter Parker is sort of our ground level view of this
Marvel universe. You know what its like to be in the
penthouse with Tony Stark or have this god-like view
like Thor, and I want to show what its like for regular
people in this world. The same thing applies for the
villain. I wanted to have a character who doesnt see
himself as a villain. Hes just a regular guy in a world
that is changing very dramatically. Its interesting to
see how he adapts to it.
In this image released by Warner Bros Pictures, Michael Caine (from left), Morgan Freeman and Alan Arkin appear in a scene from Going in Style which releases
In this March 29, 2017 le photo,
Christopher Nolan, director of the up-
coming lm Dunkirk discusses the
lm during the Warner Bros Pictures
presentation at CinemaCon 2017 in
Las Vegas. (AP)
Ford Polanski
Variety
LOS ANGELES: Harrison Ford will not
face any penalties over mistakenly landing
on a taxiway at a Southern California
airport earlier this year, the actors attorney
said Monday.
Attorney Stephen Hofer wrote in
a statement that the Federal Aviation
Administration will not ne Ford and the
actor will retain his pilots license without
restriction.
The FAA conducted a full investiga-
tion into the matter, including an interview
with Mr Ford, and determined that no
administrative or enforcement action was
warranted, Hofer wrote.
Ford mistakenly landed on a taxiway at
John Wayne Airport in Orange County on
Feb 13 after ying over an American Air-
lines jet that was waiting to take off. (AP)
LOS ANGELES: Filmmaker Roman Po-
lanski on Monday lost another bid to end
his 1970s rape case without serving more
jail time when a Los Angeles judge ruled
the French-Polish director could not seek
relief from the courts while still a fugitive.
Polanski, who lives in France, failed to
advance any substantially new arguments
in the four-decade-old case involving a
13-year-old girl during a volley of recent
legal lings and a hearing in March, Supe-
rior Court Judge Scott Gordon said.
Gordon, in a 13-page written ruling, said
Polanski, 83, cannot avail himself of the
court while standing in contempt of it.
France, where Polanski was born to
Polish parents, has refused to extradite the
lmmaker, who did not travel to Los Ange-
les in 2003 to accept the Academy Award
he won for directing the World War Two
lm The Pianist.
During the March hearing Polanskis
attorney, Harland Braun, asked Gordon
to rule that his client had served his time
behind bars in 1977, when he spent 42 days
in jail while awaiting sentencing for the
rape of a 13-year-old girl. (RTRS)
NORRISTOWN, Pa: The judge in Bill
Cosbys sexual-assault trial heard argu-
ments Monday without deciding whether
the jury will hear Cosbys decade-old
testimony.
in the US on April 7. (AP)
Film
Director steps out of fantasy world and into reality
Nolan previews war epic Dunkirk
LAS VEGAS, April 4, (Agencies): Di-
rector Christopher Nolan has spent his
career bending minds (and cities) with
his lms. He works on a scale that is
stubbornly and obsessively cinematic
and it seems that no concept, be it Bat-
man or the multiverse or dreams, is too
big for the visionary lmmaker.
His latest movie, Dunkirk, out
July 21, takes him out of the fantasy
world and into reality and the storied
evacuation of Allied soldiers from that
beach in France in May and June of
1940.
Nolan spoke to The Associated
Press about Dunkirk at the recent
CinemaCon in Las Vegas, where he
was promoting his epic to theater own-
ers:
AP: Why Dunkirk?
Nolan: As a lmmaker youre al-
ways looking for a gap in cultural
movies and Dunkirk is a story Brit-
ish people are raised on. Its in our
DNA practically. But it has not been
addressed in the movies. So for me,
it was a very exciting gap. Ive spent
a number of years trying to gure out
whats the angle of approach, whats
the angle of attack for getting the story
across? So we came upon the notion
of creating a very experiential lm,
one that rather than trying to address
the politics of the situation, the geopo-
litical situation, would really put you
on the beach where 400,000 people
are trapped, surrounded by the enemy
closing in and faced with annihilation
or surrender. The fact the story ended
with neither annihilation nor surrender
makes it one of the greatest stories in
human history.
AP: How did you approach it?
Nolan: The approach is trying to
take the full experience and put the au-
dience there. What would it be like to
be on the beach? To be on a boat trying
to cross the channel? Its a huge chal-
lenge, but exactly the kind of challenge
The suburban Philadelphia judge had County Judge Steven ONeill said he
previously ruled the jury wont hear from
a woman who says Cosby gave her quaal-
udes in the 1970s. However, Montgomery
In this March 9, 2017 photo, actress and playwright Katharine Houghton, who
starred in the 1967 lm Guess Whos Coming to Dinner with Sidney Poitier,
poses for photographs in New York. The lm, which earned 10 Oscar nomina-
tions (winning two) and landed among the 100 greatest movies by the American
Film Institute, is celebrating its 50th anniversary. (AP)
ARAB TIMES, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 5, 2017
that you look for in lm.
AP: You have said the lm is less
about character than survival. Can you
explain what you mean?
Nolan: I feel like Dunkirk is such
a universal event and it involves so
many people that to try to encapsulate
the specic detail of the human experi-
ence wasnt the way to go. What we
decided to do was to really try and live
in the moment of the experience ... the
very immediate and human desire to
survive. Its the most human movie
Ive ever made because its about
the desire for survival. We wanted to
tackle that and make what I refer to as
a very present tense narrative where
youre in the moment with the charac-
ters. Youre not necessarily spending
too much time discussing who they
were before or who they will be after.
AP: This lm has been rated PG-13.
Was that a choice you made during
production?
Nolan: All of my big blockbuster
lms have been PG-13. Its a rating I
feel comfortable working with totally.
Dunkirk is not a war lm. Its a sur-
vival story and rst and foremost a
suspense lm. So while there is a high
level of intensity to it, it does not nec-
essarily concern itself with the bloody
aspects of combat, which have been so
well done in so many lms. We were
really trying to take a different ap-
proach and achieve intensity in a dif-
ferent way. I would really like lots of
different types of people to get some-
thing out of the experience.
AP: Is there any truth to the report
that the production bought a $5 million
vintage plane to crash?
Nolan: No. We used real antique
vintage planes and ew them for
the movie but we also constructed
full scale models to destroy. A lot of
money was involved but not that much
money. I would never! Obviously
never ... These planes are so beautiful
NEW YORK: Actor David Schwimmer
might still let the jury hear Cosbys own
words on the topic. (AP)
join a star-studded campaign to encourage
20
and so valuable for so many reasons
and the respect I have for them hav-
ing done this, especially now having
worked with them. The Spitre is the
most glorious machine.
AP: And you tell the story from
three points of view?
Nolan: The story needs to be told
from different points of view inter-
twined. We spend time looking at vari-
ous points of view. On the beach. In
the air. Out on the sea.
AP: Do you feel like youve evolved
at all since Interstellar?
Nolan: Its not really for me to
speak to the bigger creative issues, but
from a technical point of view, to me
Dunkirk is a story that Ive wanted
to tell for a long time but did not have
the technical expertise to be able to.
We shot the entire lm on large format
celluloid lm, which has never been
done before. With each lm weve al-
ways included some IMAX photogra-
phy, but this lm is almost entirely in
IMAX and what isnt is large format.
It should be a very strong presentation.
Also:
LOS ANGELES: British VFX company
Cinesite is reteaming with director
Duncan Jones and his Liberty Films
banner on the lm Mute for Netix,
which is now in post-production.
Described by Jones as a spiritual
sequel to his debut feature, Moon,
Mute marks his rst collaboration
with Cinesite since his 2009 breakout.
Cinesite created all visual effects for
Moon, encompassing more than 270
VFX shots, including the photo-realis-
tic CG robot Gerty, which was one of
the lms principal characters, voiced
by Kevin Spacey.
Salvador Zalvidea will serve as Ci-
nesites VFX Supervisor for the lm.
Twickenham-based The Senate is also
working on the project, which is pro-
duced by Liberty Films for Netix.
said almost every woman in his life had
been sexually harassed, prompting him to
victims to speak up.
Schwimmer, best known for playing
Ross Geller in the hit sitcom Friends,
stars in one of six short videos released on
Monday as part of the campaign #That-
sHarassment as well as being the executive
producers on the project.
The 50-year-old actor teamed up for the
project with Israeli director Sigal Avin
who last year released in her homeland
shorts based on real-life incidents of sexual
harassment.
In an interview with Cosmopolitan
magazine, both Schwimmer and Avin said
the issue was dear to their hearts due to
personal experiences. (AP)
WICHITA, Kan: A haunting rendition of
Leonard Cohens Hallelujah, sung by
an American high school student into a
wishing well in Italy, has gained a lot of
online attention.
Tiffany Ruan was on a spring trip with
a singing group from her school in Wichita,
Kansas, last week when she spotted the
well in Venice.
She tells the Wichita Eagle that she saw
her choir teacher with a group of students
singing into the well and she decided to
record a video. (AP)

NEWS/FEATURES
Music
Drake unshakeable
Unreleased 76 Evans
Trio gig intimate treat
By Pablo Gorondi
BOnilltasyEvans Trio, On A Monday Evening (Fan-
Records)
A Monday Evening is the rst release of a
1976 recording by the Bill Evans Trio, an autumn con-
cert in Wisconsin that nds the inuential pianist and
his partners in outstanding form.
Sharing the stage with bassist Eddie Gomez and
drummer Eliot Zigmund on Evans originals like Sug-
ar Plum and Time Remembered or standards like
All of You and Someday My Prince Will Come,
the leader and his ensembles improvisational bril-
liance makes this release well worth discovering.
Recorded at the University of Wisconsins Madison
Union Theater by radio DJs
who interviewed Evans then,
the sound is well-balanced,
surprisingly good mono and
feels intimate despite the large
auditorium.
The impact of Bill Evans
on jazz pianists and beyond
from Keith Jarrett to Lyle
Mays to Fred Hersch has
been described as overpower-
ing. From his contributions to
Miles Davis Kind of Blue to
Gomez
his groundbreaking trio with
Scott LaFaro and Paul Motian, Evans innovated, fas-
cinated and entertained in large measure.
Gomez, who spent over a decade with Evans, and
Zigmund, whose tenure in the 1970s was shorter but
also well regarded, provide not only imaginative sup-
port but also exceptional creative skills developing
deep musical feedback with the ringing tones of Ev-
ans piano. On the bowed (or arco) bass solo on All
of You, Gomez occasionally makes his instrument
sound like a saxophone.
Over the nearly 47 minutes in this set, Evans,
Gomez and Zigmund add a precious chapter to their
high-caliber legacy.
Jonas Kaufmann, Das Lied von der Erde
(Sony Classical)
Placido Domingo sang it with Bo Skovhus. Fritz
Wunderlich with Christa Ludwig. And now Jonas
Kaufmann with ... Jonas Kaufmann!
Gustav Mahler wrote Das Lied von der Erde (The
Song of the Earth) in 1908-9 as an orchestral setting
of six songs adapted from ancient Chinese poems. The
Austrian composer intended the vocal parts to be taken
by a tenor and mezzo-soprano (or tenor and baritone),
alternating throughout the hour-long piece.
Fit
Dozens of distinguished artists have teamed up for
recordings over the years. But apparently never did
one singer see t to take on both vocal parts himself.
Until Kaufmann.
During performances Ive often wondered why
one needs two singers, the German tenor remarks in
the album notes. Also, he confessed, Im so fond of
the songs for lower voice that I get very jealous when
listening to my baritone or mezzo colleagues.
From some singers this might sound like a frivolous
ego trip, but not with a consummate artist like Kauf-
mann. Just as one would expect, his singing on this
album is beautiful and at times deeply moving. The
tenor throws himself energetically into the strenuous
exertions of the opening drinking song, and summons
a melting tenderness for the extended closing song,
Der Abschied (The Farewell) with its haunting
nal repetitions of the word ewig (forever.)
Yet theres an inevitable lack of vocal contrast from
song to song that keeps the work from realizing its
full, shattering potential. Kaufmanns voice has dark-
ened somewhat over the years, so that in the tenor
songs he sounds almost baritonal (though the requisite
high notes are hardly stinted), while in the other songs
he lacks the depth of resonance that baritones bring.
All in all, an interesting experiment but not one
likely to be repeated anytime soon or to take the place
of other, more traditional versions. The Vienna Phil-
harmonic is conducted by Jonathan Nott.
Orchestra Baobab, Tribute To Ndiouga Di-
eng (World Circuit Records)
Senegals Orchestra Baobab honors a former band-
mate on Tribute to Ndiouga Dieng, a spicy mix of
African and Cuban tempos with no rust and a uctuat-
ing pulse.
Relying on two-saxophone leads and kora player
Abdoulaye Cissoko to partially ll in for Barthelemy
Attisso their long-time guitarist now busy with a le-
gal career the orchestras seemingly effortless abil-
ity to create irresistible dance rhythms remains intact
even after a 10-year pause.
Dieng died in November 2016 but his son Alpha has
been recruited to sing his songs. Regular vocalists Balla
Sidibe, also on timbales, and Rudy Gomis continue their
strong work, joined in exciting guest spots by Cheikh Lo
and West African megastar Thione Seck, also a Baobab
alumni, who reprises Sey, a dance-oor classic.
Formed in 1970, the bands career was revived by
the re-edition of its mouthwatering, hip-shaking Pi-
rates Choice, and they got back together in 2001.
This is just their third album since that return af-
ter the Grammy-nominated Specialist In All Styles
from 2002 and 2007s Made in Dakar and its a
wonderful addition to their rich catalog.
Its subtlety and insinuation as much as the actual
tick-tick-tock of the percussion and Charlie Ndiayes
velvety bass guitar that complete the seduction, as the
band disguises its achievements with all the skills of a
suave lover. Or, in this case, a whole orchestra of them!
Drakes album More Life spent a second week at
the top of the Billboard 200 chart on Monday, keep-
ing Britains Ed Sheeran in second place while musi-
cian Trey Songz debuted at No. 3, according to gures
from Nielsen SoundScan.
The Canadian singer-songwriter sold another
225,000 units of More Life, which last week set
a new record for streaming and proved the biggest-
selling album in the United States since Drakes last
release, Views, in 2016.
The Billboard 200 album chart tallies units from al-
bum sales, song sales (10 songs equal one album) and
streaming activity (1,500 streams equal one album).
Sheerans album Divide pulled in some 98,000
more units in its fourth week of release, and the musi-
cians single Shape of You added another 85,000 units
to keep its place at the top of the digital songs chart.
Trey Songzs album Tremaine was the only other
new release to debut in the Top 10, selling 67,000 units
to take the No. 3 spot on the Billboard 200. (Agencies)
This cover image released by Fantasy Records shows On A Monday Evening a release by Bill Evans Trio. (AP)
This cover image released by Sony Classical shows Das Lied von der Erde a release by Jonas Kaufmann. (AP)
In this Feb 13, 2005 photo, guitarist
Lonnie Brooks performs with the Chi-
cago Jazz Ensemble at the Simpson
Theatre in the Field Museum in Chi-
cago. (AP)
Variety
NEW DELHI: A music student of Kishori
Amonkar says the singer renowned for her
innovative interpretation of classical Indian
music has died.
Gandhar Bedekar says the 84-year-
old Amonkar died late Monday at her
home in central Mumbai after a brief
illness.
One of the leading lights of the Jaipur
gharana or community of musicians,
Amonkar was trained by her mother who
was also a well-known singer.
Amonkar developed her own distinctive
style, drawing on inuences from other
schools of Indian classical music. (AP)
NEW YORK: When Kendall Jenner isnt
strutting down a runway in wings, chees-
ing as Marilyn Monroe on video or ea
market shopping with Paris Jackson, you
might look for her outside.
Whether its next to a pool or on a
motorbike, enjoying the great outdoors is
one of those things the 21-year-old does
just for herself.
Im born and raised in LA. Even as
a kid I was always outside with my little
sister. We were in the mud being stupid,
the Kardashian clan member told The
Associated Press with a laugh in a recent
telephone interview from her hometown.
(AP)
NEW YORK: A new stage adaptation of
Obits
Angel Baby singer dead
Lonnie Brooks dies at 83
CHICAGO, April 4, (AP): Chica-
go blues musician Lonnie Brooks,
whose relationship with his adopted
hometown was cemented by his
hit recording of Robert Johnsons
Sweet Home Chicago, has died at
age 83.
A prolic musician known for his
intense guitar solos and raspy but
strong voice, Brooks died on Sat-
urday night, his son Ronnie Baker
Brooks said Sunday.
Brooks came to the blues by a cir-
cuitous route.
Born Lee Baker Jr. in Louisiana,
he was focused on playing the guitar
when he was noticed and invited to
Chicago by soul singer Sam Cooke
more than 50 years ago. He stayed and
changed his name to Lonnie Brooks.
He recorded a number of al-
bums for Chicago-based Alligator
Records Living Chicago Blues
series, including classics such as
Bayou Lightning, Hot Shot, and California when she was a preteen.
Lone Star Shootout. He appeared
in Dan Aykroyds lm Blues Broth-
ers 2000.
In an interview with the Chicago
Tribune in 1992, Brooks said the
blues did not come naturally to him
at rst.
Then one night, I saw Magic
Sam (Maghett) in a little blues club
George Orwells chilling dystopic novel
1984 will star Olivia Wilde, making her
Broadway debut.
Producers Sonia Friedman and Scott
Amonkar Jenner
ARAB TIMES, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 5, 2017
moting violence and misogyny.
on the South Side. He went on stage
right after hed gotten into a big ght
with his girlfriend, and it was like he
was taking it out on his guitar. I seen
how it came from the heart, so I went
home to the basement, and got into
that mood that Magic Sam had been
in, and the blues came to me, Brooks
said.
The singer of the 1960s hit Angel
Baby, a song covered by artists such
as John Lennon and Linda Ron-
stadt, has died.
Rose Hamlin, the 71-year-old lead
singer of Rosie and the Originals,
died in her sleep on March 30, ac-
cording to a post by her daughter,
Debbie Cray, on the late performers
website.
Hamlin was born Rosalie Hamlin
on July 21, 1945, in Oregon. She was
raised in Alaska before moving to
Los Angeles lm maker be-
Hamlin was 14 years old when she
penned Angel Baby, a song that
Lennon would later call one of his
all-time favorites.
Cray said Hamlin hadnt per-
formed in years over concerns for her
health, but she had taken up tending
a lovely garden, according to her
post on the website.
Rudin said Monday that the play will also
star Tom Sturridge and Tony Award-win-
ner Reed Birney. It will begin performanc-
es in May at the Hudson Theatre.
First published in 1949, Orwells classic
tale of a society run by Big Brother in
which facts are distorted and suppressed
in a cloud of newspeak has topped the
Amazon.com best-seller lists. The play
version was created by Robert Icke and
Duncan Macmillan and was nominated for
an Olivier Award.
Wildes lm credits include the Acad-
emy Award-winning drama Her, the
Golden Globe Award-nominated Rush
and the indie comedy Buddies. She
also starred in HBOs rock n roll drama
Vinyl. (AP)
21
Music
Rap anti-hero
Tupac bigger in
death than life
NEW YORK, April 4, (RTRS):
Tupac Shakurs recording career
lasted just ve years before he
was murdered in 1996, but it is
the rappers inuence from be-
yond the grave that will be cel-
ebrated when he is inducted in
the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
on Friday.
Arguably bigger in death than
he was in life, Shakur will be
only the sixth rap act to be voted
into the Hall of Fame in its 30-
year history.
The Hall
of Fame de-
scribed him as
an interna-
tional symbol
of resistance
and outlaw
spirit, an ir-
resistible con-
tradiction, a
denitive rap
anti-hero. Tupac
That is a big
claim for the Harlem-born son of
two Black Panther activists who
spent time in jail for assault and
released just four albums before
being killed at age 25 in a drive-
by shooting in Las Vegas that
has never been resolved.
Rap too has evolved, becoming
the second most popular music
genre in the United States after
rock, reecting and challenging
social inequities in its lyrics and
music videos, and inspiring sym-
posiums at prestigious universi-
ties such as Harvard.
Releases
Shakur has sold 75 million
albums, mostly from seven post-
humous releases, and although
his sales gures will never match
those of 21st century hip hop
kings like Drake, Kanye West
and The Weeknd, his inuence
remains profound.
For anyone who is serious
about learning about hip hop,
there are certain people whose
music you have to deal with and
Tupac is one of those people.
You cant say you are knowl-
edgeable about hip hop if you
dont know about Tupac, said
Todd Boyd, professor of cinema
and media studies at the Univer-
sity of Southern California.
Boyd was one of the academ-
ics who rst created the study of
hip hop culture in the American
university system in the early
1990s when it was often de-
monized by politicians for pro-
He said Shakur had an emo-
tional energy that distinguished
him from many of his contempo-
raries and transcended his skills
as a rapper or a lyricist.
When you listen to Tupac,
you feel something. He has a
strong emotional impact that I
think speaks to the fact that here
was a guy who, in my mind, was
going perhaps to be a better actor
than rapper, had he lived, Boyd
said.
Soaring
Shakurs appearance in a
hologram at the Coachella music
festival in 2012 sent sales of his
music soaring. He has also been
the subject of several documen-
taries, a Broadway play, a June
movie release All Eyez on Me
and an upcoming TV series on
Shakur and his friend-turned-
rival Biggie Smalls.
Everybody loves a mystery.
Thats a huge part of the mythos
that surrounds his death, that its
unsolved, said Richard RJ
Bond, who in March released
Tupac Assassination: The Bat-
tle for Compton, his fth docu-
mentary about Shakur.
Other than his murder, the
lieves people gravitate towards
Shakurs music today because
his observations about politics,
the media, the police and rela-
tionships are still relevant.
His themes are timeless and
universal. He talked about rela-
tionships between sons and par-
ents, between people and gov-
ernments. What he talked about
still resonates with the human
condition, Bond said.
Boyd said Shakur does not
need induction in the Rock Hall
of Fame to confer legitimacy, al-
though the honor is nice for his
fans.
When you listen to hip hop
even these days there is still a
great deal of reverence for him.
And for any member of the com-
munity who is young enough not
to have been alive when he was
around, to go back to his music
now is very important to them,
Boyd said.

Thien, Morgan, Alderman eye womens fiction prize
LONDON, April 4, (AP): Family sagas from
China and Kentucky and a sci- story of fe-
male empowerment are among six nalists for
the international Womens Prize for Fiction.
Madeleine Thiens Chinese-Canadian
journey Do Not Say We Have Nothing, C.E.
Morgans multigenerational Kentucky epic
The Sport of Kings and Naomi Aldermans
gender role-reversal thriller The Power were
all on the shortlist announced Monday.
Other contenders for the 30,000-pound
($37,000) prize are Nigerian writer Ayobami
Adebayos tale of love and loss in 1980s
Nigeria, Stay With Me; British author Linda
Grants The Dark Circle, set in a tuberculo-
sis sanatorium after World War II; and British
novelist Gwendoline Rileys portrait of a toxic
marriage, First Love.
Television executive Tessa Ross, who chairs
the judging panel, said the shortlist celebrates
narratives that are daring and intimate, that
examine the depth of human experience in
unique and compelling ways.
Founded in 1996, the prestigious prize is
open to female English-language writers from
around the world,
Several of the biggest names on the 16-book
Kuwait Writers Forum
KWA holds symposium on Translator in a Changing World
Translation makes the unknown a known
By Bader Abu Raghabah Al-Otaibi
Special to the Arab Times
KUWAIT CITY, April 4: Kuwait Writers
Association (KWA) organized a symposium
on The Translator in a Changing World on
March 29, at Sheikha Dr Suad Al-Sabah The-
atres Auditorium, at the association venue in
Al-Odailiyah area.
The symposium was moderated by Bader
Abu Raghabah Al-Otaibi, the bilingual Ku-
waiti writer and translator who welcomed the
audience and introduced the guest lecturer
Dr Tariq Abdullah Fakhrudin, the veteran
Kuwaiti translator to them.
Al-Otaibi spoke in
brief about the contribu-
tions of Dr Fakhrudin
as a multifaceted gure
and towering personali-
ty of English translation
in his native country,
Kuwait. He also talked
about Dr Fakhrudins
immense contribution
in his long and illustri-
ous career as well as his
works.
Al-Otaibi
Then, Talal Al-
Rumaidhi, the General Secretary of Kuwait
Writers Association presented a commemora-
tive plaque to Dr Fakhrudin amidst the cheers
of the audience.
Relevance
Dr Tariq Fakhrudin at the beginning of his
speech, talked about the importance and rel-
evance of translation. He also spoke at length
about the techniques and nuances of transla-
tion as well as its essence. The guest speaker
cited examples of different words and phrases
to denote the misusage of words in transla-
tion from English to Arabic and vice versa
which reects its disastrous situation among
us nowadays. He presented a comprehensive
view of the value of translation in our modern
life and also numerated the tasks of translator
in general.
The lecturer talked about various aspects
of translation and listed out some of its chal-
lenges and difculties. He explained in detail
the process of translation in different areas
where he stressed on the necessity of using
English correctly for specic purposes in such
places as government institutions at ministries
or courts to express other forms of translation.
He also pointed out to the role of technology
and its impact on translation process.
During the symposium, Dr Fakhrudin sim-
ply redened the meaning of translation in his
own way as a denition of the unknown and
makes it known as well as a simplication of
the known and makes it more understandable.
He exclusively talked about the size of the
translation industry in Kuwait and revealed
that the Kuwaiti language service market cur-
rently turns over almost KD 30 million ($100
million) per year. He also encouraged young
translators to participate in translation proj-
ects more actively, and he added they should
understand the concept of translation masterly
where the Translation industry is knowledge
based industry.
Recalled
He recalled many incidents and shared
interesting anecdotes from his own life
experiences and his style of presentation was
highly appreciated by the audience.
At the end of his presentation, Dr Fakh-
rudin answered the questions raised by the
audience through a brief but lively interactive
session.
Finally, the moderator of symposium Bader
Abu Raghabah Al-Otaibi thanked the guest
speaker Dr Tariq Abdullah Fakhrudin and
audience for their attendance and he concluded
by saying the Kuwait Writers Association is
always the home of writers and for the writers.
The symposium was well covered in the
local print and electronic media, and many
prominent Kuwaiti writers attended the event
such as Laila Al-Othman, Dr Khaleefah Al-
Weghaiyan and Muna Al-Shafei.
The guest lecturer: Dr Tariq Abdullah
Fakhrudin
The guest lecturer, Dr Tariq Abdullah
click
Alcoholics Anonymous: If you know
someone who cant stop drinking and would like
to help them please check us out and we promise
to try to help at www.aaarabia.org There are no
Devils Triangle starts with a bang and never lets up
In this le photo dated Oct 24, 2016, writer Madeleine Thien, poses for the media with her
book Do Not Say We Have Nothing during a photo-call for the 6 shortlisted authors for the
Man Booker Prize for ction in London. (AP)
Left to right: The moderator of symposium, the bilingual Kuwaiti writer Bader Abu Raghabah Al-Otaibi and the guest lecturer, the veteran
Kuwaiti translator, Dr Tariq Abdullah Fakhrudin.
Left to right: Bader Abu Raghabah Al-Otaibi, Talal Al-Rumaidhi, the General Secretary of Kuwait Writers Association and Dr Tariq Abdul-
Fakhrudin is an accomplished Kuwaiti trans-
lator, author, essayist, academic and scholar
in English language (linguist). He earned a
bachelors degree in English Literature from
Kuwait University, and then he obtained his
MA as well as PhD in Comparative Literature
from New York University. He served as a
head of the English department of Kuwait
University at the beginning of his academic
career. Later on, he served as Director of
Arab Open University, Kuwait branch.
He has delivered many lectures at several
universities worldwide such as the University
of Oxford, University of Bath, Georgetown
University, New York University, Kuwait
University and the Arab Open University,
Kuwait branch. He is uent in Arabic, Eng-
lish and French.
fees. This is a genuine public service.
Drinking problem?: Friends of Bill W. are
available to help. Totally condential. Email:
rohsecretary@gmail.com
Narcotics Anonymous: NA can help with
addiction problems. Totally confidential:
Thriller (Gallery Books), by Catherine Coul-
mond and Michaela Caine, starts with a bang
and never lets up.
Museum. The artifact is a staff claimed to
abducted and the cost of his rescue is essen-
lah Fakhrudin.
Dr Fakhrudin has several translated books
from English to Arabic and vice versa such as
Essentials of College and University Teach-
ing: A Practical Guide by Eleanor Boyle
and Harley Rothstein, Disorientations: A
Society in Flux: Kuwait in the 1950s by Peter
Lienhardt, Documents from the Age of Pearls
by Abdullah Yousef Al-Ghunaim, Historic
Veteran Kuwaiti translator Dr Tariq Abdul-
lah Fakhrudin
longlist failed to make the cut, including
Margaret Atwood, Annie Proulx and Mary
Gaitskill.
Bookmaker William Hill made Alderman
the favorite to win, followed by Adebayo.
The Devils Triangle: a Brit in the FBI
ter and J.T. Ellison
The Devils Triangle, the latest book in
Catherine Coulter and J.T. Ellisons series
featuring FBI Special Agents Nicholas Drum-
An elusive thief known as the Fox has
stolen a valuable artifact from the Topkapi
have been carried by Moses. Her clients are
a ruthless brother and sister who hide behind
a legitimate archaeological company. They
immediately recognize that the staff is a fake
and attempt to kill the Fox, but shes able to
slip away. When she arrives back home, shes
shocked to discover that her husband has been
tially sacricing her own life.
Photos of the Rulers of the Arabian Gulf
States by the Al-Diwan Al- Amiri and The
Islamist Movements and Groups in Yemen
by Falah Abdullah Al-Mudairess. And in his
eld of specialization, Dr Fakhrudin has also
conducted many researches and studies.
He has worked as a journalist and pub-
lished various articles and essays, and one of
the most signicant of which was the book re-
view that he published in Majalat Al-Kuwait
(Kuwait Magazine) in 2015 under the title of
Impressions of James Bonds Author about
Kuwait where the late famous English writer
Ian Fleming had visited it in 1960.
Dr Fakhrudin has also published profes-
sionally the English copy of Al-Kuwait
Al-Youm (The Kuwait Today), the ofcial
gazette of Kuwait.
94087800 English/Arabic.
memory during those old days by writing the
Cancer online support group: If you are
Cancer patient or family member ghting with
this deadly disease, come join our online support
group. Best way of dealing with this disease is
providing support and share our experience with
each other. There are lot of things which even
doctors cant tell so be member of this website
ARAB TIMES, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 5, 2017
22
When the Fox learns of a massive dust
storm thats killing thousands in Beijing, she
knows the phenomenon isnt natural and the
brother and sister trying to kill her are directly
involved. She calls in Drummond and Caine,
who have grappled with her in the past.
Drummond and Caine are team leaders of a
new group inside the FBI called Covert Eyes.
This mission is a perfect way to see how they
work together while uncovering the truth be-
hind a potentially dangerous weapon that can
control the weather.
The intensity of the quest to save the Fox
while also grappling with her criminal pro-
clivities and a missing husband play well into
the story, while Covert Eyes battles hordes
of goons with guns and a duo that wont
stop until they have an ancient relic that will
grant them unlimited power: the Ark of the
Covenant.
The villains could be pulled straight out of a
James Bond movie and the heroes are crafted
for readers to cheer for in all aspects of their
lives, both on and off their FBI jobs. Coulter
and Ellison are known for crafting well-told
tales of suspense, and when they combine, the
end result is dynamite.
and start sharing your experiences which may
help others. October is recognized as National
Breast Cancer Awareness Month (NBCAM). The
primary purpose is to promote self examination
and screening mammography as the most effec-
tive way to save lives by detecting breast cancer
at early stage. For more information visit: http://
ghtingwithcancer.webs.com/
Latest
Chinese Embassy notice: Documents
issued in Kuwait and to be used in China
mainland shall rst be notarized and legalised
by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Kuwait,
and then be legalised by Chinese Embassy in
Kuwait. Specic requirements and information
for document legalisation, please refer to the
website of Chinese Embassy in Kuwait.
For documents issued by member countries
of the Apostille Convention*, after getting
Apostilles from the competent authorities, they
can be used in Hong Kong SAR and Macao
SAR of China directly.
*Refer to the Convention of Abolishing the
Requirement of Legalisation for Foreign Public
Documents
Invitation to Grand Mosque: The Visits
Department is pleased to invite you to visit the
Grand Mosque, which is one of Kuwaits most
treasured religious and cultural landmarks to dis-
cover the beauty of Islamic arts and architecture.
Free guided tours are available all year round
on ofcial working days between (9-11 am) and
(5-7 pm), within a special tour program designed
to cater to the needs of different age groups. The
program is as follows:
Reception; Auditorium show; (according to
age group); Touring the Mosque; Q & A; Art
workshops; (according to age group between 5
and 18 years old); Snack break; Distribution of
the Grand Mosque publications and souvenirs;
End of tour.
According to these age groups:
Age group: 5 to 9 years old: Morning: 60 visi-
tors max; Evening: 20; 10 to 15 years: Morning:
100 visitors max; Evening: 45; 16 and above:
Morning: 140 visitors max, Evening: 105:
Tour language: Arabic- English- French; Ara-
bic (English upon prior request); Arabic- Eng-
lish- French; Arabic (English upon prior request);
Arabic- English- French: Arabic (English upon
prior request)
Rules and Regulations:
Please arrive in time for your visit.
All visitors are kindly required to abide by the
mosques dress code. Male visitors should wear
long pants. Shorts and sleeveless shirts are not
allowed. Female visitors: should wear head cover
and long loose clothing (available at the mosque).
Foods and drinks are not allowed inside the
prayer halls.
For school visits, teachers are responsible for
their students and are required to cooperate with
the staff members of the Grand Mosque.
Photography is allowed inside the Grand
Mosque (please note that disrespectful poses are
strictly prohibited).
If you would like to book a tour, please contact
us:
Tel: 22980813/ 22980815/ 22980812
Email: gmvisits@gmail.com
Fax: 22473708
Chinese Embassy notice: Please be noted
that effective starting today, the photo used in a
Chinese visa application must meet the require-
ments (For details, please visit the website of
Chinese embassy http://kw.chineseembassy.org/
eng/). Application with non-compliant photos
will not be processed.
Thank you for your attention and cooperation.
IEI Kuwait Chapter membership: The
Institution of Engineers (India), Kuwait chapter
invites all its members to update their mem-
bership information for the year 2016-17 and
actively participate in the chapter activities.
Indian engineers residing in Kuwait are welcome
to join the pool of more than 700,000 engineers
by becoming corporate or non-corporate mem-
bers of The Institution of Engineers (India). IEI,
Kuwait Chapter conducts many technical events
for the benet of its members. Please watch for
the upcoming events in your registered e-mail
or announcement in the media. The chapter has
science club activities for members children, and
ladies wing activities for the members family.
IEI, Kuwait chapter has facility to register student
members for AMIE Examination for those inter-
ested in pursuing career enrichment.
For more information and on chapter member-
ship, kindly contact IEI, Kuwait chapter ofce on
22445588 extn. 314 between 5:30 pm to 8:30 pm
(Sunday through Thursday) or through email to
ieikwt@hotmail.com. You may also contact Engr
Ashok Kumar (97275974) or Engr Karthikeyan
(99840191) for any further clarication.
Share your story with Amricani: Do you
or any of your family members, acquaintances or
friends happen to have a story with the Ameri-
can Missionary hospital in Kuwait (Mustashfa
Lemraicani) during the years from 1914-1967,
the ofcial period of offering medical services in
Kuwait?
Please share with us your story or your
event and sending it to the following email ad-
dress: Mystory@darmuseum.org.kw
Notes: 1. Please send your story only to the
above mentioned email. Story shared in Insta-
gram, Facebook or Twitter will not be consid-
ered.
Continued on Page 24

Dar Al Athar
MacGregor reveals details of Humboldt Forum
By Cinatra Fernandes
Arab Times Staff
KUWAIT CITY, April 4: Neil
MacGregor gave a fascinating lec-
ture titled A new museum for Ber-
lin revealing details of the highly
anticipated Humboldt Forum in
Berlin, scheduled to open around
the end of 2019. The talk was held
at the Yarmouk Cultural Center as
part of the Dar Al Athar Al Islami-
yyahs 22nd cultural season.
MacGregor is advisor to the
German Minister of Culture on
the planning of the Humboldt
Forum in Berlin. Previously, he
was Director of the National Gal-
lery and of the British Museum,
both in London. He has broadcast
frequently with the BBC, and
the book accompanying his radio
series in 2010, A History of the
World in 100 Objects, has been
translated into many languages.
It attempts to show, by the close
study of individual objects, the
many connections that link differ-
ent cultures and civilizations.
At the beginning of the 18th cen-
tury, the Berlin Palace, designed
by Andreas Schlter was an im-
portant secular Baroque building.
This old town palace of the Kings
and the Kaisers in the heart of
Berlin, is today being rebuilt with
a very different purpose: to house
the great collections of the cultures
of East Asia, Africa, America and
Oceania.
The story of this new museum
begins with the fall of the Berlin
Wall, a moment that changed the
world. The politics of Europe
and the world have never been
the same since and it was also a
moment that changed Germany
profoundly. The reunication of
Germany changed Berlin pro-
foundly.
Opened
Berlin was a 19th century
city conceived and built as one,
linked by the Boulevard Un-
ter den Linden running up to
the Brandenburg Gate. A city
divided in 1945 and brutally
divided after 1961, the Bran-
denburg Gate stood as a frontier
not only between West and East
Berlin, but also between the
socialist-communist world and
the capitalist world, MacGregor
remarked. It was at this frontier
that the tensions of the Cold War
were played out and this gate that
was opened after 1991 and that
became the link between the East
and the West of the city and it is
the gate that leads us down the
avenue.
With an engraving of the 19th
A new museum for Berlin to connect the past and future
Neil MacGregor delivers a lecture at the Yarmouk Cultural Center on Monday evening.
DAI Director General and co-
founder Sheikha Hussah Sabah
Al-Salem Al-Sabah
century, MacGregor illustrated
how carefully planned the city was
and how it was led and shaped by
the royal baroque city palace. The
city grew from the east to the west
and all the buildings, avenues and
new streets were designed around
the palace. With the Berlin Palace
as the Humboldt Forum, all of the
surrounding historic buildings will
re-gain their urban orientation.
A photo from the event
In 1820, the King of Prussia de- There was nothing like it any-
cided that he would build opposite where in the world. In London or
his royal palace, a great new mu- Paris, the collections were split up.
seum that would house royal col- This was one of the great cultural
lections and be open to everybody. achievements of the 19th century
In time, this expanded to become and hugely admired by every-
the extraordinary ensemble of ve body, MacGregor stated.
world-renowned museums on an The Berlin Palace, from the be-
island in River Spree on which the ginning was not like other palaces
cultures of the whole world were as it always had a museum that
put together. housed a collection of antiquities
ARAB TIMES, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 5, 2017
Photos by Rizalde Cayanan, courtesy of DAI
Neil MacGregor
and coins and sculptures that was
open to all. MacGregor shared that
it carries many historic and contra-
dictory moments that include some
bitter memories of failed revolu-
tions, to becoming the seat of the
Kaiser, the venue where wars were
proclaimed and the socialist revo-
lution began, a site of violence,
destruction in the world wars and
the nal demolition in 1950 as an
23
imperial and military aggression
which it never was. It was replaced
by the Parliament building of the
East German State. The Building
had a great deal of asbestos and
in bad condition and so after huge
protests from East Germans, it was
demolished. The valuable steel that
remained was supplied to the Burj
Khalifa in Dubai, that was coming
up at the same time.
The Humboldt Forum is going to
be built in a reconstruction of the
old 18th century baroque palace.
You will have here now, not the
seat of power or the government,
but the collections of the world.
It is as an intellectual project
without compare anywhere in the
world and is symbolically a very
powerful statement. Where once
was European power at its most
concentrated, here will now be
the cultures of the world beyond
Europe, he remarked.
Allow
The purpose of this, he pointed
out, is to allow a new understand-
ing and a new discussion of the
relationship between Europe and
the rest of the world, and also the
different cultures of the world
and how they relate to each other.
The Humboldt Forum is named
in honour of the two Berlin
brothers, Alexander and Wilhelm
von Humboldt, who in the early
nineteenth century pioneered a
new way of thinking globally
about human cultures and the
natural environment.
The new museum will include
a pedestrian passage that passes
through the building, and a repur-
posed structure and courtyards
to serve as new public places for
the city. On the side facing the
Spree, the building will feature
a modern facade. Along with
the museum galleries, there will
also be exhibition spaces, where,
drawing on all the collections of
Berlin, themes of universal inter-
est may be explored.
MacGregor presented a few ob-
jects that would be part of the Mu-
seums collection and stated that
an apt symbol of the Forum was
best scene in an object from the
Congo, a double headed dog that
has within it nails and blades. It
was used in traditional societies as
a place where the promises citizens
made to each other were recorded,
every blade and nail serving as a
mark of promise. The two heads
look towards the past and the
future, and represent the continuity
of a society that has to live with its
past however difcult and look to
its future. That is what we hope the
Humboldt Forum will be.
 ARAB TIMES, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 5, 2017

24

Ambassador Renato Pedro Villa (6th from left), with Pinoy artist Romano Roman (7th from left). #WorldClassPinoy Chefs led by Chef Henry (extreme right).

Landmark Hospitality & Maxs Operations Manager Mohammed Ismail Maxs crew and guests Chef Henry Suarez with Pinoy Arabia FM team.
(4th from right)

Filipino pride celebrated with #WorldClassPinoy

Philippine envoy graces Maxs first anniversary

By Michelle Fe Santiago
Arab Times Staff
Zumba
P hilippine Ambassador to Kuwait
Renato Pedro Villa joined
Filipinos in Kuwait in celebrat-
ing Filipino pride with hashtag
#WorldClassPinoy during the
rst anniversary of Maxs Restau-
rant in Kuwait on Monday evening
showcasing the best of the Filipino
cuisine, performers and artists, a
tting tribute to all the Filipinos in
Kuwait who have best exemplied
their world class traits and skills in
various elds.
We would like to congratulate
Maxs on its rst anniversary, a true
testament to world class Filipino cui-
sine. We are very happy that Maxs is
nally in Kuwait which is known for
its signature fried chicken that speaks
so much of distinct Filipino palate
and Maxs long tradition of quality
cuisine that dates back in 1945. Truly
world class, stated Villa.
Landmark Hospitality and Maxs
Operations Manager Mohammed
Ismail and Restaurant Manager Gilbert
Enano welcomed all the distinguished
guests to the event that included Philip-
pine Labour Attache Atty Alejandro
Padaen, Cultural Attache Alethea
Nabo, Landmark Hospitality Execu-
tives, Assistant Marketing Manager
Gilroy Britto, Brave Director Nandini
Vohra, bloggers in Kuwait and various
leaders of Filipino organisations as well
as the Pinoy Arabia FM team, Papa P.
Randy, DJ Ben, DJ Darling Dude and
DJ Spark.
Zumba class participants
Support
We would like to thank you all
for coming tonight. Thank you for Participants enjoy powerful moves and music
all your support, stated Ismail who
joined Villa in the ceremonial cutting

Gym Team, ZCrew Q8 hold retro Zumba class

of the cake.
The programme hosted by Maxxy
Santiago of The Filipino Channel, DJ
Mika and DJ Raymund of Pinoy Ara-
bia FM kicked off with an invocation
led by DJ Mika followed by the per-
formances of a wide array of Filipino
singers and dance groups. For the
opening salvo, Jumel Carvajal, a Fili-
pino tenor and stage actor rendered
an operatic piece Nessun Dorma by
Luciano Pavarotti while teen belter
Najwa Lacson entertained the crowd
with a song from the Walt Disney
movie Anastasia. Other perform-
ers were Sing Galing Duo champion
Carlo Delnado and Joanna Slayton,
JamStart lead vocalist Arcie Suyu,
Filipino Bossa Nova Queen in Ku-
wait Rowena Tinio, Voice Coach and
Singing Champ Jennifer Uy.
Two #WorldClassPinoy dance
groups -- the Next Episode Crew and
the One Groove gyrated, somer-
saulted and conquered the centrestage
with the latest dance craze to the
delight of the audience.
One of the highlights of the event
was the unveiling of the Maxs mural
by #WorldClassPinoy artist Romano
Roman, inspired from the upcoming
celebration of the Philippine Indepen-
dence Day and a tribute to the mil-
lions of Overseas Filipinos across the
globe. Romano nished the colourul
masterpiece in just two hours from
6:30 to 8:30 pm during the event.
Capping the #WorldClassPinoy
event was the sumptuous dinner
featuring the new menu of Maxs
that was also launched on that night
that included the Philippines famous
chicken and beef adobo, broiled
bangus belly, eggplant salad, chicken
BBQ on a skewer, sizzling seafood
and many more that were prepared
by #WorldClassPinoy chefs led by
Chef Henry Suarez who ew in from
Dubai for the event.
By Michelle Fe Santiago
Arab Times Staff
The Gym Team in partnership with
ZCrew Q8 and in cooperation with Fit
in Time, Nanay Eden and Pilates and
more held a Zumba class featuring
ve presenters showcasing retro 80s
music and grooves.
The event kicked off with Blanche
Bravo a certied Zumba trainer from
Edge Gym of Holiday Inn Hotel
danced and led the group to popular
80s tune. Bravo a certied Zumba
instructor and group tness trainer
is also a professional hiphop and
ballroom dancer. Mynnah Anna Ber-
nardo Dy of Champions Health Club
followed immediately with her sets of
funk music and routines. Dy a ZIN,
group tness trainer is also a profes-
sional dancer on television. Jamie
Red of Rush Gym took the stage after
Dy. Red who works for Rush Gym
women, a certied tness and Zumba
instructor took everyone to series of
high impact routines and to the music
of the 80s. Finally, Janice Capili and
Anne Pobre of Pilates and More, both
certied tness trainers and Zumba
instructors took turns to bring the
crowd on their toes with their power-
ful moves and music.
contact number.
click
Latest
Continued from Page 22
It was so entertaining to see every- rst I danced to them and had a really
one on the oor singing and dancing
to popular tunes of the 80s. Music
were so familiar that it was the very
2. Please write your story or memory
and sign it with your full name, and your
3. It will be great if you send us your
personal photos or those of the place
related to the story (optional).
Your story will be part of a new book
to be published by DAI.
I am condent that your contributions
will be an essential part of the history of
Zumba instructors
classes, I thought it was all about
great time stated Anna Banaga, a
nurse.
When I got hooked to Zumba
Amricani. Share with us!
April 7
CIGI to conduct CLP in Kuwait:
The Kuwait Chapter of CIGI, acro-
nym for Centre for Information and
Guidance India, is all set to begin its
agship program CLP (Community
Leadership Program) in Kuwait.
An introductory session to CLP was
Blu Hotel under the patronage of
Latin music but I never did expect
routines we used can be just as
entertaining and worth the workout.
conducted at Rajdhani Palace Hotel
where in more than 100 members
representing various socio-cultural
and religious organizations of Kuwait
participated. The 120 minutes presen-
tation was delivered by CIGI Senior
Resource Persons Sameer Mohammed
and Engineer Afzal Ali. The session
that briefed the scope and benets of
CLP included tips and exercises on
I would really like to be a part of that
workout again, quipped Linda Rayes,
a Lebanese Zumba fan.
Capili of Pilates and More
Womens Gym urged everyone to try
Zumba and enjoy the music as well as
the routines it offers. She outlined the
health benets of the class to regular
participants and invited everyone to
visit Pilates and more and check the
other classes they offer. Tess Badiola
of Fit in Time also explained their
presence in the event and their sup-
port to health awareness. She said
that the Electronic Muscle Stimula-
tor Fit in Time serves as alternative
workout to those who want to achieve
fast results and less time involved.
She encouraged everyone to try the
machine. Nanay Eden Restaurant, the
rst Filipino casual dining restaurant
in Kuwait also announced its ofcial
opening on April 14 and invited
everyone to try their dishes.
The Z Crew Q8 is composed of
instructors from different gyms who
come together at 8:30 am on Friday
at Chai Al Dhaha Hall of Radisson
Ida Pellaud, spouse of the Radisson
Blu Hotel General Manager Philippe
Pelaud.
leadership, creative thinking and non-
verbal communication.
The presenters detailed the CLP
program, which is scheduled to
begin on the 7th of April. A com-
prehensive course plan has been de-
signed in which the total course will
be divided into three sets namely
Continued on Page 25
 ARAB TIMES, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 5, 2017

25

Visitors to US memorial transported back in time

USs WWI centennial lures visitors to museum

KANSAS CITY, Missouri, April 4, (AP):
Crossing a glass walkway that spans a eld
of 9,000 poppies, visitors to the ofcial US
memorial to World War I are transported
to a time when tanks and air warfare were
new and the hopeful owers sprang up on
the barren, trench-dotted battleelds where
hundreds of thousands of soldiers died.
The museum, which is housed under a
tower that rises 217 feet (66 meters) into the
Kansas City skyline and is topped by a giant
ame, will be the site of a remembrance
Thursday to mark the 100-year anniversary
of the United States entering the war.
The poppies that visitors pass while
entering the museum represent the 9 mil-
lion combat deaths of the Great War, about
116,000 of them Americans. In Flanders
elds the poppies blow. Between the cross-
es, row on row, goes a famous poem about
the Belgian battleelds where hundreds
of thousands of soldiers died on the wars
Western Front.
With the centennial of the ghting draw-
ing more attention to the war, more than
200,000 visited the museum last year, an
increase of about 50 percent from three
years earlier. They included visitors from
more than 70 countries.
The sites Egyptian Revival-style
monument was erected in a burst of postwar
patriotism after $2.5 million was raised in
less than two weeks in 1919, an amount
that would be equal to about $35 million
today. Children helped, going door to door
collecting money in what was an early 20th
century story of crowdsourcing, according
to museum spokesman Mike Vietti.
Achievement
So noteworthy was the achievement that
Allied commanders from Belgium, Great
Britain, Italy, France and the US gathered in
1921 to dedicate the site. Its located across
the street from the Kansas City train station
that more than half of US troops passed
through before being shipped overseas.
When the monument was completed ve
years later, a crowd of more than 150,000 In this Feb 16, 2017 photo, a visitor leaves the National World War I Museum in Kansas City, Missouri. (Inset): Visitors stand on
turned out to hear President Calvin Coolidge a glass walkway over 9,000 poppies inside the entrance of the National World War I Museum. (AP)
speak at the dedication.
But years of deferred maintenance led
the site to be closed in 1994. A massive
$102 million transformation followed,
funded by a sales tax, bond issue and private
donations. The exterior was repaired, and
the design rm behind attractions such as
Washingtons Holocaust Memorial Museum
was tapped to create a new museum that
would tell World War Is story of assassina-
tion, empires swept away and new nations
born. The site, now known as the National
World War I Museum and Memorial, was
made ofcial in legislation that President
Barack Obama signed in 2014.
The museums collection of documents
and artifacts has a global breadth, cover-
ing the period both before and after the US
entered the war. The conict ended in 1918
with the Treaty of Versailles, though many
historians believe the treatys terms helped
set the stage for World War II a generation
later.
Among the items used to tell the complex
story of the connection between the two
wars is the tunic and cape of Paul von Hin- A docent walks past a French artillery piece at the National World War I Museum. (AP) A visitor watches a video presentation. (AP)
denburg, a German commander and national
hero who later became Germanys president
and in 1933 appointed Adolf Hitler chancel-
lor.
Visitors can also see the rapidly evolving
Museum of Manhattan
weaponry that led to widespread casualties
as commanders struggled to adapt. Theres
a British torpedo, a US-made Naval mine, a
life-size replica of a British biplane known
as the Airco DH.2 and a French Renault
tank that Vietti described as a weapon of
terror as well as a weapon of war.
One exhibit highlights the damage an
artillery shell would have done to a house
in the French countryside, while another
allows visitors to glimpse inside replicas of
the trenches where doughboys fought and
often died. In the Horizon Theater, World
War I lm footage plays on a 100-foot
(30-meter) screen above a full-scale tableau
of no mans land.
The sites original museum now hosts ro-
tating exhibitions, with the latest highlight-
ing propaganda posters.
Matthew Naylor, the president and CEO
of the museum, keeps his grandfathers
wartime shaving kit on display in his ofce.
While issued by the British, it was made in In this March 31, 2017 photo, Muslim artifacts are encased for display, during the exhibition
Germany. He noted that the two countries America to Zanzibar: Muslim Cultures Near and Far, at Childrens Museum of Manhattan
were trading partners before the war. in New York. (AP)
The fragility of world relations at the
time, Naylor said, has parallels to today that
some would say are ominous.

If You Go...
National World War I Museum and Me-
morial: 2 Memorial Drive, Kansas City,
Missouri; https://www.theworldwar.org/ .
Tuesday-Sunday, 10 am-5 pm, $16. Mu-
seum closed April 5-6 for centennial com-
memoration.

click
Latest
Continued from Page 24

Individual Development, Family Orientation

and Sociological Development.
The Individual Development set includes
various sessions that focus on personality
development, creativity & problem solving
skills, effective leadership, essential life skills,
career enhancement workshops, emotional
intelligence, spiritual psychology, motivation
and empowerment.
The Family Orientation Set includes mod-
ules on interpersonal relationship, pre-marital
counselling, child & geriatric counselling, fam-
ily improvement program, student psychology
and counselling, remote & applied parenting.
Social Development set includes sessions on
project management skills, team building,
Continued on Page 27
Youngsters interact with a display of musical instruments at the Childrens Museum of
Manhattan. (AP)
Muslim culture show a hit at Childrens Museum of Manhattan
An exhibition about Muslim cultures around ary 2018 at the Creative Discovery Muse-
the world is proving popular at the Chil- um in Chattanooga, Tennessee, followed
drens Museum of Manhattan. by a run in 2019 at the Please Touch Mu-
The museum has seen an increase in seum in Philadelphia.
visitors since the show opened, with a third As a rst-of-its-kind exhibition, the con-
of those visitors from outside the New York tent of America to Zanzibar is new for most
area. visitors, said Andrew Ackerman, the mu-
The show, called America to Zanzi- seums executive director. Many parents
bar: Muslim Cultures Near and Far, runs are eager for their children to experience
through December and will open in Febru- a broad range of cultures in a deeper way
A youngster interacts with a display on musical instruments while, Lizzy Martin (right), Di-
rector of Exhibit Development and Museum Planning at the Childrens Museum of Manhat-
tan, is interviewed at the exhibition. (AP)
than what they encounter in the media. Our New York. And they can explore ancient
exhibition helps address this need. trade routes on a camel or an Indian Ocean
The exhibition includes interactive fea- boat called a dhow.
tures like a global marketplace where chil- The exhibit is decorated with geometric
dren can pretend to buy spices from Egypt, tile designs, patterned rugs, ceramics and
ceramics from Turkey and rugs from Mo- other works of art. A 3-D installation shows
rocco. They can also weigh their catch at mosque architecture from the Maldives to
the Zanzibar sh market, smell Indonesian China.
fruits, serve Tajik tea and design outts in- The exhibit is designed for children aged
spired by West African tailors who work in 2 to 10 and their families. (AP)

All-new F-150 Raptor charges into the Middle East
KUWAIT CITY, April 4: Eagerly an-
ticipated and still unmatched by any auto
manufacturer, Ford Americas truck
leader introduces the all-new 2017
F-150 Raptor to the Middle East, adding
agility, versatility and roominess to the
toughest, smartest, most capable F-150
Raptor ever.
Developed with the DNA of a Baja
race truck, F-150 Raptor is unique
among off-road and performance vehi-
cles, with a purpose-built engine, chassis
and suspension that enables it to travel
fast over challenging desert landscapes
or crawl over rocky terrain.
Using the same high-strength, alumin-
ium alloy body and a fully boxed high-
strength steel frame as the current F-150
trucks, the 2017 Raptor is up to 227 kg
lighter than the 2014 model. Combined
with a new high-output second-gener-
ation EcoBoost engine and 10-speed
transmission, it delivers a 21 per cent
improved average torque-to-weight ratio
and a 23 per cent improvement in EPA-
rated combined fuel economy compared
with the previous generation Raptor. The
new engine produces more power with
greater efciency than the current 6.2-li-
tre V8, delivering 421 PS* at 6,000rpm
and 678 Nm of torque* at 3,750rpm.
Event focuses on raising awareness on healthy environment
Al Tijaria launches plant a tree drive
Special screening of Smurfs held
McDonalds draws smiles on childrens faces
KUWAIT CITY, April 4: It was a
night of movie magic for a special
group of children, as McDonalds
Kuwait held a private screening
of the new animated blockbuster,
Smurfs: The Lost Village. Chil-
dren from the Kuwait Association
for the Care of Children in Hospi-
tals (KACCH), the Kuwait Orphan-
age and Dasman Bilingual School
were invited to go on a fun and
exciting journey into the wonderful
world of the Smurfs, in an exclusive
screening held this past Thursday at
Marina Mall Cinescape.
The highly-anticipated lm gave
the young audience a cinematic
experience to remember, but the
evening did not end there. Follow-
ing the screening, the audience was
treated to a special movie-themed
McDonalds dining experience, fea-
turing Smurfs Happy Meals. At the
end of the evening, the children left
the screening wearing huge smiles
and with goodie bags lled with fun
gifts and Smurfs memorabilia.
Nothing makes us happier than
drawing smiles on the faces of our
youngest fans, and what better way to
do so than taking them on a journey
into the magical world of lm? said
Sherif Coutry, Marketing Director at
McDonalds Kuwait. These private
screenings have become one our most
popular community initiatives over
the past few years, and they have
proven to be a major hit with children
and families alike.
Coutry further added: The
McDonalds experience is all about
bringing joy and laughter to our
communities, and our Brand Prom-
ise is simple, easy enjoyment.
These movie screenings are simply
one way on which we deliver on
that promise.
Fords toughest, smartest, most capable truck for ultimate off-road performance
All-new 2017 F-150 Raptor
Raptor was designed to be a no-
compromise, off-road performance ma-
chine, said Thierry Sabbagh, managing
director of Ford Middle East. The 2017
Raptor is the best high-performance off-
roading pick-up truck available, and as
one of the most successful and popular
trucks in the world, represents Fords
willingness to consistently sit on top of
the truck food chain.
Toughest F-150 Raptor ever
A photo from the event.
A photo from the event
Zain employees donating blood
Zain holds 1st internal blood
donation campaign of year
KUWAIT CITY, April 4: Zain, the
leading telecommunications company
in Kuwait, recently held the rst in-
ternal Blood Drive campaign for its
employees of the year. The campaign,
held at the companys main headquar-
ters in Shuwaikh, came in partnership
with the Central Blood Bank of Ku-
wait.
Zain organizes this initiative several
times a year as part of its Corporate
Sustainability and Social Responsibil-
ity strategy towards the health sector.
The campaign also aims at encourag-
ing employees to donate blood and
save lives.
The blood drive campaign wit-
nessed positive feedback and partici-
pation from Zain employees, further
reinforcing the companys keenness
in having a productive role in social
and health activities, especially those
that contribute with saving people that
The all-new F-150 Raptor starts with
a purpose-built fully boxed frame the
backbone of the truck that is the
strongest in the F-150 line-up, featuring
more high-strength steel than the outgo-
ing Raptor.
The F-150 Raptors chiselled looks
are reminiscent of Trophy Trucks
the fastest and most powerful class of
off-road pickups. F-150 Raptor is more
than 150 mm wider than the standard
are in urgent need of blood like people
with rare blood types. Zain strives to
contribute to its community through
its numerous corporate social respon-
sibility initiatives and is pleased with
the success this particular activity has
achieved.
The company is keen to organize
internal blood drive campaigns for
employees in collaboration with the
Central Blood Bank to encourage em-
ployees to donate blood and save lives.
Zain afrmed that its contribution to
organizing internal blood drives falls
under its CSSR strategies.
Zains solid Corporate Sustainabil-
ity and Social Responsibility strategy
primarily focuses on the wellbeing of
the entire nation. For this reason, the
company has maintained its support
of numerous initiatives that spread
awareness and help make a difference
to peoples everyday lives.
F-150 for enhanced stability off-road.
The all-new F-150 Raptor also boasts its
rst-ever dual exhaust and new 17-inch
wheels with next-generation BFGo-
odrich All-Terrain tyres designed for
off-road performance.
Smartest F-150 Raptor ever
F-150 Raptor is powered by Fords
all-new, second-generation high-output
3.5-litre EcoBoost engine that produc-
es more power with greater efciency
than the outgoing 6.2-litre V8.
Within performance circles, Fords
EcoBoost engine has gained a following
among truck enthusiasts and racing
fans alike. Already robust and efcient,
Ford developed the second-generation
3.5-litre EcoBoost, which the Ford Per-
formance team then tuned specically
for the new Raptor.
Key 3.5-litre EcoBoost engine
improvements include a new twin direct
and port-fuel injection strategy, stronger
and lighter crank and valvetrain compo-
nents, a redesigned twin-turbocharger
system with electronic wastegate, and
a redesigned valvetrain and variable-
displacement oil pump.
Among the high-output EcoBoost
performance enhancements for Raptor
are more aggressive turbo compressors
KUWAIT CITY, April 4: Plant A
Tree in My Country is the latest
initiative launched by The Commer-
cial Real Estate Company Al Tijaria
as part of their We care Corpo-
rate Social Responsibility program.
This initiative is the brainchild of Al
Tijarias Chairman Abdulfatah M.
R. Marae. The event focuses on in-
creasing awareness on planting more
trees and to further plant as many
seedlings as possible in Boulevard
and across Kuwait. On April 1, 2017
the rst inaugural initiative of this
campaign was successfully held in
Boulevard.
Adwan Al Adwani, Chairman of
Al Salmiya Group for Enterprise De-
velopment has stated that this fruitful
cooperation between Al Tijaria Real
Estate Company, Al Salmiya Group
and Kuwait Institute for Scientic
Research is a result of our care in
providing a healthy environment and
safe outdoor area for families to enjoy
their best moments.
Adwani added that more than 500
seedlings were planted in differ-
ent areas in Boulevard in less than
an hour. He further appreciated the
efforts of all the volunteers in ac-
complishing this achievement which
includes the staff of Al Tijaria Real
Estate Company, afliated companys
staff, tenants such as Costa Caf,
volunteer groups such as: Loyac, Date
Palm Friends Society and Ataa Hub
Society, Accounting Club at GUST
University and Rotana Hotel staff.
Adwani also thanked Symphony
Style Hotel Kuwait for their valuable
participation in this event by offering
the volunteers light snacks and drinks
and distributing giveaways which
can be recycled and used as seedlings
once consumed.
Mrs Rawan Adnan, Marketing &
Leasing Dept Manager has stated
that Al Tijaria aims to encourage
citizens and residents to preserve
the environment and initiate similar
campaigns, through this initiative. We
look forward to being a role model for
neighboring countries and the rest of
the world in the long run.
We Care is the title chosen by
The Commercial Real Estate Com-
pany to highlight its corporate social
responsibility initiatives in alliance
with applying corporate governance
principles and as part of our responsi-
bility in saving the environment and
towards a greener future.
Al Tijaria Real Estate Company
thanked all the volunteers and em-
ployees for their valuable participa-
tion in planting the trees and making
this initiative a success.
Etihad supports
autism awareness
Abu Dhabi, UAE, April 4: Etihad
Airways, the national airline of
the United Arab Emirates (UAE),
is showing its support for Autism
Awareness Month.
Highlighting the need for increased
awareness and understanding for au-
tism, Etihad Airways joined thousands
of businesses, buildings and iconic
landmarks in Light It Up Blue a
global initiative on World Autism
Awareness Day by bathing the exte-
rior of its facilities in blue light. In the
month of April, which is recognised as
Autism Awareness Month locally and
internationally, the airline will also be
organising community and staff initia-
tives to promote autism awareness and
the UAEs socially inclusive society.
A photo from the event.
ARAB TIMES, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 5, 2017
with increased boost calibrations, cast
stainless steel manifolds and full dual
exhaust, oil-cooled pistons and more ag-
gressive engine control calibrations.
An all-new four-wheel-drive, torque-
on-demand transfer case, with advanced,
easy-to-use off-road mode driver-assist
technology, further improves Raptors
performance so it is easy to drive off-
road across varying terrain.
F-150 Raptors new transfer case,
which manages power distribution
between the front and rear wheels, com-
bines the best attributes of clutch-driven,
on-demand all-wheel drive with durable,
mechanical-locking four-wheel drive
to send power to the wheels in slippery
conditions.
The pioneering off-road driving mode
technology has evolved into an all-new
Terrain Management System that
enables the driver to select modes to
optimise driving dynamics to environ-
mental conditions from snow to mud,
sand and more.
All-new 10-speed automatic trans-
mission
The all-new 10-speed automatic
transmission, standard on the 2017
Raptor, features Auto Start-Stop and an
integrated electric pump that improve
Time for a Brake?
Renault Al Babtain launches
new after-sales campaign
KUWAIT CITY, April 4: Abdul-
mohsen Abdulaziz Al Babtain Co
the exclusive agent of Renault in the
State of Kuwait, has once again reaf-
rmed its ongoing commitment to
improving road safety by launching
a new After Sales Campaign for all
Renault owners.
The After Sales Campaign
reminds customers to maintain
their braking system on time,
and keep their family safe. The
campaign offers special discounts
that include 30% discount on parts,
15% on labor and 20% on acces-
sories, as well as, free Aircomatic
service with any repair of 30 KD
and above; to benefit from the free
Aircomatic service, the customer
should have an activated MYRE-
NAULT account.
Renault Al Babtain urges all
Renault owners to take advan-
tage of this offer and to maintain
their safety measures. Renault Al
Babtain Service Center, won Best
Customer Service Award during
the Renault Middle East Con-
vention that was held in Dubai.
Renault team offers its expertise
& assistance with every step of
customers journey.
The service center is fully
equipped with state-of-the-art tech-
nology that guarantees value, safety
and driving pleasure. Moreover,
the service center offers services
that include but are not limited to
oil change, break change, seatbelt
warming, tire pressure monitoring,
checking uid levels and transmis-
sion replacements, etc.
The After Sales Campaign is cur-
rently running in Renaults Special
Service Centers located in Al Rai
until May 4, 2017.
Royale Hayat visits AUS to
educate on healthy lifestyle
KUWAIT CITY, April 4: Under the
umbrella of Community Awareness
Program at Royale Hayat Hospital,
Dr Ahmed Al Mulla, Head of Surgery
Department and Consultant General,
Laparoscopic, Bariatric and Oncology
Surgery and a team of experts visited the
American United School on 28th March
2017 to raise awareness on health related
issues among students and teachers.
Experts from Royale Hayat Hospital
discussed medical topics such as the
risks of obesity, medical treatments and
methods of prevention, such as having a
healthy balanced diet that is low in car-
26
driving efciency. The transmissions
closer ratio between gears and Ford-
patented hydraulic control system better
optimise the power and torque curves of
the new 3.5-litre high-output EcoBoost
engine.
Raptors all-new adaptive shift
algorithms monitor more than a dozen
powertrain and driver control signals in
real time ensuring the right gear at the
right time for an engaging driving expe-
rience, including Raptors normal, sport,
weather, mud/sand, rock/crawl and Baja
modes. In addition, a high-speed, one-
way clutch allows for non-sequential
shifting. Weight savings play a key role
in improved shift performance. The
10-speed gearbox the rst from Ford
not to employ cast-iron components
uses advanced materials and alloys that
result in less weight. Additionally, an in-
tegrated torque converter/turbine clutch
helps shed around one kilogramme,
while also reducing the packaging foot-
print. By re-engineering almost every
part, Ford proudly introduces its ultimate
high-performance off-road pickup truck,
the all-new 2017 Ford F-150 Raptor,
across the Middle East now.
* As per Gulf Standardisation Organ-
isation (GSO) ratings.
Salary account
New Thuraya draw
winner announced
KUWAIT CITY, April 4: Burgan Bank,
the second largest in terms of assets, an-
nounced today Ms. Mona Ahmed Ab-
dulmohsen Al Ali as the lucky winner of
the Al Thuraya Salary Account monthly
draw. The winner was presented with a
Nissan Patrol SUV.
The draw rewards new and existing
customers who transfer their salary to
Burgan Bank by offering them a chance
to win a Nissan Patrol SUV every
month. With every KD 10 available in
the account, the customer receives one
chance to enter the draw.
The Al Thuraya account holders have
the option to hold money in Kuwaiti Di-
nar and any other major currencies and
can access other account-related services
such as standing orders, loans and credit
cards and much more.
Customers wishing to open the Al
Thuraya account can do so by simply
visiting the nearest Burgan Bank branch
and obtain all the necessary details, or
simply call the banks call center on
1804080. For further information, cus-
tomers can also visit the banks website
on www.burgan.com.
bohydrates and free of sugar to maintain
a healthy body. Students and teachers
at AUS were interactive and had the
chance to ask questions and get expert
answers regarding various health issues
and preventative medicine including
personal and hands hygiene to ght in-
fectious diseases.
During the visit, Dr Ahmed Al Mulla
highlighted the importance of Royale
Hayat Community Awareness Program
and the role it plays in educating and
encouraging the community to adapt a
healthy lifestyle.
In addition to awareness programs,
the Department of General Surgery and
Obesity Surgery, Endoscopy and On-
cology at RHH provides advanced ser-
vices to treat any related disease, such as
stomach stenosis, gastric bypass, gastric
balloon, stomach ring, stomach capsule,
restoration of obesity and cosmetic re-
constructive surgery after obesity, in
addition to many diseases related to the
gastrointestinal system, such as gall-
stones, abdominal hernia, diaphragm,
esophageal reux, diaphragm, tumors,
gastroenteritis, intestine and colon, tum-
my tucks, anal surgery, breast surgery
and surgery, and thyroid and endocrine
surgery.

h o
By Jacqueline Bigar
Happy birthday for Wednesday, April 5, 2017:
imagination. The decision you make now could
be very different from what you initially had
thought possible. You will be much happier
This year you get past many obstacles because with the results. Tonight: Let your hair down.
of your resourcefulness. You also express an
unusual magnetism that attracts others and
helps solve problems. If you are single, youll Aquarius - (Jan
have several potential suitors appear. To make
***** Your buoyant personality might be
a good choice, you need to decide what type of
relationship you want. If you are attached, the challenging to a loved one. A matter involving
two of you seem to grow because of a more property could develop an explosive quality if
you are not careful. In any case, allow others
positive attitude that emanates from your
sweetie. You naturally reect back the good the freedom of self-expression without judging
them. Tonight: At a favorite haunt.
vibes. LEO helps you to lighten up when you
are down.
The Stars Show the Kind of Day Youll
Have: 5-Dynamic; 4-Positive; 3-Average;
Pisces - (Feb 19 - Mar 20)
2-So-so; 1-Difcult **** Speak your mind. Be willing to de-
tach and take a more complete look at what is
Capricorn - (Dec 22 - Jan 19) happening. You are likely to hear some strong
opinions. You have a lot on your mind, which
**** You might want to reconsider a deci- might block you from being as innovative as
sion involving your personal life. Apply your you can be. Tonight: Survey the possibilities.
home decor
embroidered wall art
Step 1: Use a seam ripper to open the bag along
the seams, so youre left with a at piece of fabric.
Hand-wash, and press with an iron.
Step 2: Embroider the words and images as de-
sired, matching your embroidery oss to the bags
colors.
Step 3: Center your bag on a blank canvas
board-choose a board that allows for at least two
inches of the bags fabric to wrap around all sides.
Apply Shurtape double-sided carpet tape to the
boards side and back
Step 4: Tightly wrap the bag around the board,
pressing it rmly against the tape; then trim away
any excess fabric along the back. Add picture-
hanging hardware to the back of the board (if de-
sired) and display.
Dear Abby
Wife is looking for a
way out of marriage
By Abigail Van Buren
Dear Abby: I have been married for three years. We are
both retired. Five months after the wedding, my husband let
me know that he wasnt interested in being intimate anymore.
We no longer share a bedroom. Hes overweight, not in the
best of health, and refuses to change his diet or exercise.
I feel like I am living with a very nice male friend. Other
than the lack of affection, he isnt a bad person and he pays
all the bills. I did state clearly to him be-
fore we were married what I was look-
ing for in a husband, and he agreed to
everything I said. Although I am lonely,
I would never cheat on him.
I have been thinking about an exit
plan. We pray every night and attend
church together. He refuses to con-
sider any type of marriage counseling.
Im not stressed, but I know I must get
out of here. Any suggestions on how to
save this marriage?
Abigail Van Buren The exit plan
Dear exit: The answer to your question is no. You
made clear to your husband that being intimate in a
marriage was important to you. You say he agreed
to everything. Because that was not the truth and
you were misled, consult an attorney to nd out if the
marriage can be annulled.
Dear Abby: My husband and I have been married for 10
years. We are both in our 50s. Six months ago, I found him
with nail polish on his toes. When I asked him about it, he
explained that it started in his 20s when a girlfriend painted
his toes, and he liked it. He has been painting his toes ever
since. He said he doesnt wear polish all the time, but he does
it for himself and he likes how it looks. I asked if he was a
cross-dresser, and he assured me he isnt.
Im not sure how I should feel about this. Im writing for
opinions from you and others. I cant turn to my friends be-
cause I dont want this to become small-town gossip.
Painted in New Jersey
Dear painted: You asked for an opinion, so heres
mine. Frankly, Im surprised it has taken you 10
years to notice this. Because your husband enjoys
painting his toenails, look the other way and dont
obsess about it. We all have quirks, and what hes
doing is harmless.
P.S. I have it on good authority that he isnt the
only man who does it.
Dear Abby: I am estranged from my son because he
changed his last name when he married. He did it over my
objection. Reportedly, his wifes parents tried to dissuade
them from doing it, too. The explanation we were given was
they need to have the same last name to feel like a family.
I suppose our last name was not acceptable, although they
claimed they had nothing against it.
I tried to compromise and suggested my son use a hyphen-
ated name. They agreed to it, but changed their minds after
the wedding. I suspect that their reason was they want their
children to have a different last name than ours.
What is your take on this? Am I overreacting by wanting
to have nothing to do with them?
Mom of another name
Dear mom: Yes, you are overreacting. If you keep
this up, your grandchildren will miss out on a loving
grandma. It is possible that your son and his wife
preferred a name that was less ethnic or easier to
spell. Hyphenating names can create problems
especially if it continues into the next generation.
Dear Abby is written by Abigail Van Buren, also
known as Jeanne Phillips, and was founded by
her mother, Pauline Phillips. Contact Dear Abby
at www.DearAbby.com or P.O. Box 69440, Los
Angeles, CA 90069.
(Source: Universal Uclick)
r o
Aries - (Mar 21 - Apr 19)
**** You might have been concerned about a
certain amount of confusion. However, youll see
20 - Feb 18)
how easily others can let go of their views and be
ready to listen. Seize the moment, and allow your
creativity to take the lead. Tonight: Allow more fun
to happen; take a midweek break.
Taurus - (Apr 20 - May 20)
*** You might have misheard what some-
one said. Avoid misrepresenting the facts, and
move forward with a conversation even it feels
somewhat awkward. You are likely to present
an idea that will make others stop and think.
Listen to the feedback. Tonight: Make week-
end plans.
Gemini - (May 21 - June 20)
**** Confusion surrounds communication.
indoor gardening
amaryllis
Amaryllis scientic name is Hippeastrum_ hybrids
Amaryllis is an easy bulb to grow. Its enormous
cluster of trumpet-shape blooms may require stak-
ing to keep them upright, but blooms may last for
up to 6 weeks.
Keep the plant cool (60-65F) while in bloom but
slightly warmer at other times when it is actively
growing. It needs bright light and evenly moist soil,
except when it is dormant.
Force the bulb to go dormant in late summer or
early fall by withholding water and placing it in a
cool, dry location for a couple of months. Resume
watering and move it to a warm spot to force new
growth
whats on today
Site for checking travel ban www.kuwaitcourts.gov.kw/mojweb/NGeneral/Main.jsp
Springtime Music: Dar Al-Athar
Al-Islamiyyah will open 22nd cultural
season 2016/2017 today at Al-Yarmouk
Cultural Centre, Yarmouk, Block 3,
Street 3 with organ and choir concert
Springtime Music by Cantores Maiores
choir at 07:00 pm. Dr Valentina Maria
Baginska, music director, conductor,
organ soloist will lead the choir while
Kinga Masternak will be on piano. Or-
gan recital will include Claude Balbastre
(1724-1799) Prelude and Fugue in D
Minor; Felix Mendelssohm (1809-1847)
Sonata in D Minor, Choral, Andante
sostenuto, Allegro molto, Fugue Sos-
tenuto, Finale Andante. Marian Sawa
(1937-2005) Taneczne Obrazki; Fran-
co Castelli (*1939) Toccata in C Mi-
nor. Entrance is free.
Fresh at Dar Al Funoon: Dar Al
Funoon is presenting exhibition titled
Fresh by Karim Ghidinelli until April 22
Karim Ghidinelli was born in Brescia,
Italy. He received his Bachelors and
Masters degrees at Savannah College
of Art & Design, Savannah, GA. He has
widely exhibited in the United States of
America and Europe. For the third time,
Ghidinelli will present his most recent
work at Dar Al Funoon. Karim lives and
works in New York, USA.
Artists statement: Fresh, as in re-
newed, innovative and free. Freshness
as the liberation from stagnant and re-
dundant policies and tendencies. Fresh
as positive, peaceful and meaningful
evolution. In this ever certain world of
absolute truths and populist totalitari-
anism. I offer no answer, merely the
honesty of my journey, my reections
and dilemmas, Id rather continue to
ask, than attempt an overly simplistic
answer.
click
Latest
Continued from Page 25
effective communication, public speaking
and presentation skills, conict resolution,
social psychology and behavior modeling
techniques.
The course will span over 12 months
with 3-hour sessions held on the rst
Friday of every month. Prominent speakers
from India and other GCC chapters will be
addressing the sessions. Various live sce-
narios, workshops and practical approaches
will be among the methodologies used
during the classes.
The venue of the program will be
announced later. Registration and other
detailed information are available on 9904
2276 and 9725 8324.
The session began with the Quran
recitation by CIGI visionary Ashraf
Mohammed followed by the welcome
speech and introduction of speakers by
Chief Coordinator Abdul Azeez. Vice
President Faseehullah presided over the
function. The Chairman of CIGI Kuwait
s c
You might try very hard to keep everyone clear of
the apparent impending problems. What you say
has more impact than you realize. Expect an appro-
priate response from the others involved. Tonight:
Out and about with loved ones.
Cancer - (June 21 - July 22)
**** Curb a tendency to focus on one specif-
ic detail and let it consume you. Stop and take
in the big picture. You might see yet another
perspective of what is going on. You will be
a lot happier once you gain some clarity and
understanding. Tonight: Dinner for two.
Leo - (July 23 - Aug 22)
**** You might feel momentarily confused ear-
ly in the day. Dont worry youll clear up prob-
lems much more easily than you thought possible.
You might need to detach in order to see the big
picture. As a result, you will gain more understand-
ing. Tonight: Do whatever you want.
beauty tips
shave smartly
Shaving can irritate dry skin. As you shave unwant-
ed hair, youre also scraping off natural oils.
The best time to shave is after you shower.
Hairs are softer and more pliable after bathing,
making shaving easier.
Always use a shaving cream or gel, and shave in
the direction the hair is growing to protect your skin.
Make sure the razor is sharp. A dull razor blade
can cause additional irritation. Change your razor
blades often. If you are using a blade youve used
before, soak it in rubbing alcohol to clean it.
A yer of the event.
A yer of the event.
Chapter - Dr Amir Ahmed inaugurated biology, astronomy, chemistry, physics,
the session and Abdul Gafoor delivered optics, and math, Muslim scholars like
the vote of thanks. Ibn Haythem, Ibn Hayyan, Al-Fazari,
and others, made significant contribu-
April 15 tions to their fields.
DAI Experience Science: Scientists Experience Science is a special
from the Islamic world helped build programme led by Dr B (Dr Bahareh
the foundation of todays science. In Azizi), whos planned some pretty cool
ARAB TIMES, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 5, 2017
27
o p e
Virgo - (Aug 23 - Sept 22): **** Others observe your performance.
You might wonder what would be best to do
under the present circumstances. A partner
**** Read between the lines. Maintain a or loved one is likely to offer his or her
laidback attitude. You might not like a lot of feedback. Prepare to change your style if
what you are hearing, but listen carefully
before you respond. Someone else will make a
necessary. Tonight: You are a force to be
dealt with wherever you are.
strong impression on you and also might help
others view a situation differently. Tonight:
Not to be found.
Sagittarius - (Nov 22 - Dec
21)
Libra - (Sept 23 - Oct 22) **** Balance your needs and responsibilities
with others. Take news with a grain of salt. Pace
**** You know where you are going and yourself, and get as much done as possible. Once
what you need to do. Overthinking tends to
make you nervous. Relax, know what you
you free up some time, youll feel more adventur-
ous. Be careful with a partner who always thinks
want, and then zero in on your goal. Joint - he or she is right. Tonight: Out late.
nancial matters could be involved in a project
or decision. Ask questions, if need be. Tonight:
Where your friends are. Born today: Actress Bette Davis (1908),
actor Michael Moriarty (1941), singer/song-
Scorpio - (Oct 23 - Nov 21) writer Pharrell Williams (1973)
taste buds
mango ice candy
Ingredients: 2 ripe mangoes, peeled and mashed,
1-1/2 cups evaporated or fresh milk, 1/2 cup water,
1/2 cup rened sugar, 15 pcs Ice candy cellophane
Ice Candy wrapper.
Procedure:
Wash, peel and mash mangoes and place on a
deep bowl.
Add all remaining ingredients in a bowl, stir well
until sugar dissolves.
Prepare your ice candy wrapper, funnel, and a
ladle.
Insert the tip of the funnel in cellophane and hold
tight.
Ladle mango mixture into the cellophane leaving
at least 2 inches for sealing.
Twist the cellophane to seal the mixture and knot
tightly.
Repeat the same procedure until all wrapped.
Freeze ice candy overnight before serving.
emergency number 112
Civil ID info: 1889988
Gallery hours Sunday to Thursday:
10:00 am-1:00 pm and 4:00-8:00 pm.
Saturday: by appointment. Getting To
The Gallery A1-Watiah, Behbehani
Compound, House No. 28. For further
information call +965 2243 3183. web-
site: www.daralfunoon-kwcom.
Bridge game: Bridge tournament is
being held every Sunday and Wednes-
day at 20:00 hours, played at the Grad-
uates Club, next to Kuwait Engineer-
ing Society. Interested Bridge pairs
or individual players please contact
Mohammed Merchant, Tel: 24815622,
24841158, 99612287.
Fathers Love Intl Ministries:
Have you had a challenging week?
Want to hear something different for a
change? Something positive and ener-
gizing? At FLIM, you will find all this and
much more ... Love, laugher, life and
liberty. You will find a community of
God-loving believers, who come every
Friday, Saturday, Monday and
Wednesday to praise and worship
together. There always a word of bless-
ing and edification for everyone who
comes to the Fathers House. So, dont
be left out! Come join the family! You
will be restored, received, renewed and
greatly rewarded!
Fathers Love Encounter Service on
Friday at 11:00 am to 2:00 pm
African service on Saturday at 7:00
pm to 9:00 pm
Empowerment Services on Monday
at 6:30 pm 8:30 pm
Tamil Service on Wednesday at 7:00
pm to 9:00 pm
Please call 66020972, 99874730,
51003531
experiments that include strawberry
DNA, Oreo moon phases, and bending
light! Designed for children ages 10-13,
each Experience Science 90 minute ses-
sion (3:30 - 5 pm), which will be held at
the Yarmouk Cultural Centre, includes
a look at the role of Muslim scientists
in a specific field, whats happening in
that field today and a couple of hands-on
experiments.
Week One (April 15): Human Biology
and DNA
Week Two (April 22): Astronomy
Week Three (April 29): Chemistry and
Alchemy
Week Four (May 6): Optics and Physics
Week Six (May 13): Family Day at
Amricani
To register your 10-13-year-old for this
programme, please visit the museum shop
at either the Yarmouk or Amricani cultural
centres. Spaces are limited; to register,
email: education@darmuseum.org.kw
General
NYF offers free yoga classes: NYF
Kuwait offers free yoga, breathing, medita-
tion and reiki classes by a well-experienced
female yoga teacher for all age groups.
Classes are given on the basis of different
health problems, stress and other problems
by different techniques. Contact: 99315825.
 ARAB TIMES, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 5, 2017

28

Couch slouch
Ivanka to speak with CBS

Turkish dramas continue

to sell despite local turmoil
LOS ANGELES, April 4, (RTRS): Undeterred
by local turbulence, Turkish TV dramas con-
tinue to expand their global footprint. Netix
recently nabbed more than 400 hours of dizi,
as the shows are known locally, and local hits
such as Insider, produced by Ay Yapim, and
Kanal Ds Wounded Love continue selling
solidly around the globe.
Paradoxically the countrys post-coup at-
tempt climate has been conducive to more for-
eign production companies coming in, thanks
in part to the roughly 17% drop in the Turkish
lira value against the US dollar being seen as
a positive. In January, LA-based Karga Seven
Pictures (Hunting Hitler), which is owned by
Red Arrow, opened an Istanbul ofce to churn
out Turkish content. Endemol Shine Group,
which opened an outpost in 2014, is a big local
player, as is Fox.
According to the Istanbul Chamber of Com-
merce, annual revenue from overseas sales of
Turkish TV shows surpassed $350 million in
October, up from $300 million in 2015.
For us the Turkish market is denitely
growing, says Prentiss Fraser, exec VP and
managing director at Fox Networks Group
Content Distribution. The company is launch-
ing six titles at MipTV, including local hit
Second Chance, about a woman starting
over after her husband disappears without a
trace.
There are some indications that the Turkish
TV boom could be peaking, with fewer smash
hit shows among the multitude being churned
out. But experts say the phenomenon that has
made Turkey the second-largest exporter of
scripted TV content after the US is still in full
swing. The market starting to evolve toward
the OTT sphere.
In January the rst Turkish streaming series,
titled Masum (Innocent), launched on local
platform BluTV. About six months earlier
Netix launched in Turkey in partnership with
local telco Vodafone, after buying a mega
package of local content for worldwide play
from Eccho Rights. Netix is expected to soon
announce its rst Turkish original.
At MipTV Ay Yapim will launch its rst
OTT original, Phi, about a celebrity psy-
chiatrist who is a compulsive womanizer. The
show is being touted as the rst in a new wave
of edgier Turkish TV fare. It will be interesting
to see how the launch of Netix and Amazon
Prime as well as local streaming platforms in
Turkey could impact the market.
Meanwhile, in the latest instance of a shift
from exporting ready-made TV shows toward
formats for remakes, a Hindi-language adapta-
tion of Turkeys female empowerment megahit
Fatmagul premiered April 3 on Foxs Star
India pay-TV network. And a Spanish redo of
psychological thriller The End will soon air
in Spain on Telecinco.
Turkish serials are still going strong. In
Latin America they are hotter than ever. In
Chile, Peru, Panama, and Uruguay last year at
least four out the top 15 shows in all catego-
ries were Turkish, while not a single one was
American.
Timur Savci, head of shingle TIMS, which
spearheaded the countrys TV boom with
Magnicent Century, and other small-screen
execs say that the ratings system introduced
in Turkey in 2012, using high-consumer TV
households as its base, has become a stum-
bling block. Having that audience segment
as reference constrains creativity by favoring
repetitive storylines, and long running times,
they claim. This in turn is making it more
challenging for Turkish producers to export
their content, Savci says.
Ivanka Trump will be interviewed by
CBS This Morning co-host Gayle King
in her rst television interview since being Mermaid Hales Parcells greets children as she performs at the Virginia Beach, Virginia on April 3. The aquarium presents a mermaid show
named Assistant to the President, CBS News one night each week during the month of April. (AP)
announced on Monday.
King will interview Ivanka on Tuesday in
Washington, with the interview airing this
Wednesday during This Morning between
Mental health burden growing across the world
7 a.m. and 9 a.m. A preview of the interview
will be presented Tuesday night on the CBS
Evening News With Scott Pelley and on
CBSN, CBS News 24/7 digital streaming
Experts urge huge expansion of online therapy
news network.
She is expected to discuss her ofcial White LONDON, April 4, (Agencies): A massive be a major part of the answer. and generic narcotic painkillers has agreed to
House staff role and what she hopes to accom- and growing mental health burden across Through a proactive approach we can cre- pay the US government $35 million to resolve
plish in her new position. Ivanka is President the world can only be tackled successfully ate an additional virtual system of care which a probe of its distribution of those drugs.
Donald Trumps eldest daughter and was with a major expansion of online psychiatric could build capacity, improve the quality of Mallinckrodt PLC said Monday it has
recently named to the new position within her resources such as virtual clinics and web-based care and make mental health care more effec- reached an agreement with the US Drug
fathers administration, which will see her take psychotherapies, specialists said on Tuesday. tive, he told the ECP. Enforcement Administration and the US at-
up an ofce in the West Wing as well as get- With resources tight and the global mental Web-based psychological treatments such torneys for the Eastern District of Michigan
ting a top-secret security clearance. health system only serving around 10 percent as online cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) and Northern District of New York. The deal
of patients even now, specialists speaking at have proven effective in several conditions is subject to further review and approval by the
the European Congress on Psychiatry (ECP) including depression and anxiety. Krausz said DEA and Justice Department.
United Shades of America with W. Kamau said the web is the only option for signi?cant there is also potential for online CBT to be
Bell returns to CNN April 30, Variety can extra treatment capacity. modied for conditions such as post-traumatic
reveal exclusively. The World Health Organization (WHO) said stress disorder (PTSD). WELLINGTON, New Zealand: An outbreak
In the rst episode of the new season, W. last week mental disorders in particular Online assessments, web-based psycho- of typhoid fever among a church community
Kamau Bell delves into the lives of immigrants depression are now the leading cause of ill therapies,... and online research strategies will in New Zealand has caused one death and left
and refugees, and he interviews white national- health and disability worldwide. signicantly change the eld, he told the at least 14 other people hospitalized, health
ist Richard Spencer, who tells the host, I Rates of depression have risen by more than congress. authorities said Tuesday.
want to bathe in white privilege. 18 percent since 2005, the WHO says, and a Technologies like virtual reality and A person who traveled to the Pacic Islands
In other episodes, Bell, a native of Chicago, lack of support for mental health combined arti?cial intelligence can also be used in certain recently apparently contracted the disease
will return there to speak with politicians, resi- with a common fear of stigma means many do therapies for anxiety, and various online games there then spread it to others in New Zealand,
dents and gang members about myths and the not get the treatment they need. and apps are being developed to support treat- Health Minister Jonathan Coleman said.
realities regarding violence in that city. Hell Michael Krausz, a professor of psychiatry at ment of depression in children. Most of the cases began emerging last week,
also visit Muslims in Michigan, the Appala- the University of British Columbia in Canada, and Coleman said authorities dont believe
chian region, Standing Rock, San Franciscos and a leading specialist at the World Psychiat- Also: the disease has been spread through water
Chinatown, and Puerto Rico. ric Association, said E-mental health should TRENTON, NJ: A top maker of brand-name contamination.

tv highlights
Cinema
Cinema programme from Thursday 30/03/2017 to Wednesday 05/04/2017

Akher Deek Fe Masr (Arabic Film) 01:00 (Thu, Fri) 360 3 11:45 (No Fri) Fanar 1 17:45 13:30, 15:30, 20:00, Monday
14:45, 17:30, 20:30, 23:15 Marina 3 00:05 22:00, 00:05
Sharqia 1 13:15 (No Fri) Kong: Skull Island Showtime Available for Groups 09:30 am
Ajial 4 15:45, 21:15 Avenues 10 11:45 (No Fri) Grand Hamra 8 14:30, 16:45, 19:30, 22:15
20:00, 22:15 A Beautiful Planet 3D 10:30 am
Sharqia 2 23:00 18:30 (Thu) 17:00, 21:45, 00:05 Grand Gate 3 14:30, 16:30, 18:30,
Fanar 3 21:30, 23:45 05:30 pm, 07:30 pm
Muhalab 1 14:30 360 5 13:00 (No Fri) 20:30, 22:30
Marina 1 22:15 Collide Humpback Whales 3D 11:30 am
Muhalab 2 19:30 (No Fri, Sat, Mon) 15:30, 20:30, 22:45, 01:00 00:30 (Thu, Fri)
Avenues 1 13:15 (No Fri) 09:30 pm
22:30 Sharqia 3 19:45 360 13 14:15, 16:30, 21:15
15:30, 17:45, 20:00, Hebbuli (Kannada Film) Flying Monsters 3D 12:30 pm, 06:30 pm
Fanar 2 14:15, 19:15 Muhalab 3 22:00, 00:05 Grand Hamra 4 15:15, 17:30, 20:00, 22:30
22:15, 00:30
Marina 1 15:15, 19:45 Fanar 4 23:45 Grand Gate 6 14:00, 16:15, 18:45, 21:15 Avenues 8 18:30 Journey to Space 3D 08:30 pm
Avenues 4 12:45 (No Fri)
Avenues 2 12:15 (No Fri) Marina 1 13:15 (No Fri) 23:30 (Thu, Fri) 360 14 21:30
17:45 (No Mon)
14:45, 19:45, 22:15, 00:45 17:45, 00:30
Tuesday
22:00 Power Rangers Smurfs: The Lost Village
Avenues 4 15:15, 00:15 Avenues 9 19:15, 21:15, 23:15, 01:15 Showtime Available for Groups 09:30 am
360 8 12:15 (No Fri)
14:30, 16:45, 19:00,
Avenues 8 13:30, 16:00 360 2 11:45 (No Fri) Fanar 2 16:45 (Arabic Film) Journey to Space 3D 10:30 am
Avenues 11 00:05 14:15, 16:15, 18:15, Avenues 2 17:15 Avenues 9 13:15 (No Fri) 04:30 pm
21:15, 23:30 360 7 12:15 (No Fri)
360 9 15:00, 19:45 20:15, 22:15, 00:15 Avenues 10 19:15 15:15, 17:15 Flying Monsters 3D 11:30 am
14:45, 17:15, 19:45, Al-Kout 2 23:45 360 5 17:45 360 4 12:00 (No Fri) 09:30 pm
Al-Kout 2 11:45 (No Fri) 22:15, 00:45
16:45, 21:30 Grand Gate 7 20:15, 22:15 360 14 11:30 (Sat) 14:00, 16:00, 18:00, A Beautiful Planet 3D 12:30 pm, 02:30 pm,
360 9 12:30 (No Fri) 16:00 (No Thu, Fri, Mon)
Bairaq 3 18:00, 20:45, 23:15 00:15 (Thu, Fri) 20:00, 22:00 05:30 pm, 08:30 pm
17:15 360 15 14:15, 19:15
Laila 20:15 Bairaq 3 12:00 (No Fri) Kenya: Animal Kingdom 3D 01:30 pm
360 13 11:45 (No Fri) Sleepless Grand Hamra 5 19:45, 22:30 14:00, 16:00 Humpback Whales 3D 03:30 pm, 06:30 pm
Dont Knock Twice 18:45, 23:30 00:45 (Thu, Fri)
Muhalab 2 11:30 (No Fri) Ajial 3 17:00 Secret Ocean 3D 07:30 pm
360 14 18:45 (No Thu, Fri, Mon)
Grand Gate 8 14:45, 17:15, 19:15, 01:00 Grand Hamra 7 14:30, 17:00, 19:30, 22:00 19:00, 21:00 (Thu)
360 15 11:30 (No Fri)
21:15, 23:15 16:45, 21:45, 00:15 Avenues 7 16:15 Grand Gate 7 14:15, 16:15, 18:15 Wednesday
Avenues 8 11:30 (No Fri)
Safra 5 Njoom (Arabic Film)
Al-Kout 2 14:15, 19:00 Logan Showtime Available for Groups 09:30 am
Daylights End 00:15 Fanar 5 12:00 (No Fri) Flying Monsters 3D 10:30 am
Bairaq 2 17:30
Sharqia 1 15:30, 17:45, 00:30 Grand Gate 4 14:15, 16:45, 19:30, 22:00 360 14 14:00 (Fri, Sat) 14:00, 16:00, 18:00, Avenues 10 14:15 05:30 pm
Fanar 2 12:00 (No Fri) 00:30 20:00, 22:00, 00:05 360 4 00:05
A Beautiful Planet 3D 11:30 am
21:45, 00:05 Max Steel Grand Hamra 3 15:00, 17:00, 19:00, 21:00 Avenues 3 12:15 (No Fri)
06:30 pm, 09:30 pm
Avenues 7 11:45 (No Fri) 23:00 (Thu, Fri) 14:30, 16:45, 19:00, The Windmill Massacre
Grand Hamra 1 14:15, 16:15, 18:15, Humpback Whales 3D 12:30 pm
14:00, 18:15, 20:30, 20:15, 22:15 21:15, 23:30 360 6 17:30
Guru (Telugu Film) Avenues 4 20:00 Kenya: Animal Kingdom 3D 07:30 pm
22:45, 01:00 01:00 (Thu, Fri)
360 6 12:45 (No Fri) Grand Gate 5 14:45, 16:45, 19:00, Muhalab 2 13:30, 16:30 (Fri) 360 9 22:00, 00:05 Hamah (Kuwaiti Film) Journey to Space 3D 08:30 pm
15:00, 19:30, 21:45, 00:05 360 11 13:15 (No Fri) 360 14 15:30 (Thu)
21:00, 23:00 19:30 (Fri, Sat, Mon) Thursday
Al-Kout 4 12:45 (No Fri) Fanar 3 15:30 (Fri) 15:30, 17:45, 20:00, 17:00 (Thu, Fri)
15:00, 21:45, 00:05 Get Out 22:15, 00:30 Showtime Available for Groups 09:30 am
18:30 (Fri, Mon)
Sharqia 3 12:30 (No Fri) Ajial 2 15:30, 18:30, Al-Kout 3 12:30 (No Fri) Honey Bee2: Celebrations A Beautiful Planet 3D 10:30 am
Smurfs: The Lost Village 14:45, 21:45, 00:05 14:30, 16:30, 18:30, (Malayalam Film) 07:30 pm
21:30 (No Thu)
Sharqia 2 13:00 (No Fri) Muhalab 1 12:15 (No Fri) 20:30, 22:30, 00:30 360 14 18:30 (Thu, Fri, Mon) Flying Monsters 3D 11:30 am
15:00, 17:00, 19:00, 21:00 17:00, 22:15, 00:30 Life Bairaq 2 11:30 (No Fri) Plaza 15:45, 21:30 (Thu) 06:30 pm, 09:30 pm
Muhalab 3 12:00 (No Fri) Fanar 1 13:00 (No Fri) 18:45 Kenya: Animal Kingdom 3D 12:30 pm
14:00, 16:00, 18:00, 20:00 Journey to Space 3D 05:30 pm
Fanar 4 11:45 (No Fri)
15:15, 20:00, 22:15, 00:30 How to find us Ajial 1 15:45 (No Fri)
Marina 2 12:45 (No Fri) 18:45, 21:45 Humpback Whales 3D 08:30 pm
13:45, 15:45, 17:45, 15:00, 17:15, 19:30, 1. 360 Zahraa Area, South Surra, 6th Ring Road, corner of
19:45, 21:45 21:45, 00:05 King Faisal Highway Dora (Tamil Film) Friday
Marina 3 12:00 (No Fri) Avenues 5 21:00 (No Fri) 2. Ajial Ajial Complex, Fahaheel Plaza 15:45 (No Thu) A Beautiful Planet 3D 02:30 pm, 06:30 pm,
14:00, 16:00, 20:00, 22:00 23:15 3. Al Bairaq Between Jaber Al Ali East & Al Agalia West Ajial 4 18:30 (No Thu) 09:30 pm
18:00 (No Thu) Avenues 6 11:30 (No Fri) 4. Al Fanar Al Fanar Complex, Salem Al Mubarak Street, near Journey to Space 3D 03:30 pm
Avenues 5 13:00 (No Fri) 13:30, 15:45, 18:00, Sultan Center, Salmiya Kavan (Tamil Film) Humpback Whales 3D 04:30 pm
15:00, 17:00 20:15, 22:30, 00:45 5. Al Kout Al-Kout Complex, at the end of the Coastal Road, Plaza 21:30 (No Thu) Secret Ocean 3D 05:30 pm
19:00 (No Tue) 360 1 12:30 (No Fri) Ajial 3 19:00, 22:00 (No Thu)
Fahaheel Kenya: Animal Kingdom 3D 07:30 pm
Avenues 11 12:00 (No Fri) 14:45, 17:00, 19:15, 6. Al Muhalab Al Muhalab Complex, Behind Hawally Clinic, Hawally Flying Monsters 3D 08:30 pm
14:00, 16:00, 18:00, 21:30, 23:45
7. Al Sharqiya Arabian Gulf Street, Souq Sharq, near the Amiri Hospital Loot 2 (Nepali Film)
20:00, 22:00 360 10 20:15, 22:30, 00:45 Saturday
360 10 12:15 (No Fri) 360 12 01:00
8. Laila Gallery Salem Al Mubarak Street, near Sultan Center, Salmiya Ajial 1 16:00 (Fri)
14:15, 16:15, 18:15 9. Marina Marina Mall, Between Salem Al Mubarak Street & Showtime Available for Groups 09:30 am
Al-Kout 1 22:00, 00:15
Arabian Gulf Street, Salmiya
Katamarayudu (Telugu Film)
360 12 13:00 (No Fri) Al-Kout 4 17:15, 19:30 Flying Monsters 3D 10:30 am
10. Metro Metro Complex, Farwaniya, near Crowne Plaza Hotel & Ajial 2 15:30, 18:30, 21:30 (Thu) 05:30 pm, 07:30 pm
15:00, 17:00, 19:00, Laila 22:30
21:00, 23:00 Grand Hamra 2 14:15, 16:30, 19:15, 21:45 Farwaniya Garden A Beautiful Planet 3D 11:30 am
Al-Kout 1 12:00 (No Fri) 00:00 (Thu, Fri) 11. Plaza Salem Al Mubarak Street, near Sultan Center, Salmiya IMAX 03:30 pm, 08:30 pm
14:00, 16:00, 18:00, 20:00 Grand Hamra GC 15:00, 17:30, 20:00, 22:30 12. The Avenues The Avenues Mall, Al Reggai near Al Rai, 5th Ring Imax film programme at The Scientific Journey to Space 3D 12:30 pm, 06:30 pm,
Bairaq 1 13:00 (No Fri) 01:00 (Thu, Fri) Road & Ghazali Road Intersection Center 09:30 pm
15:00, 17:00, 19:00, Grand Gate 2 14:15, 16:30, 19:15, 21:30 NB: Friday no show before 1:30 pm Humpback Whales 3D 01:30 pm
21:00, 23:00 23:45 (Thu, Fri) Sunday
Regular show KD3:000; 3D-Digital KD3.500; VIP show Kenya: Animal Kingdom 3D 02:30 pm
Laila 16:15, 18:15 KD6.000. On Monday, price is KD1.500 except Digital movies. Showtime Available for Groups 09:30 am Secret Ocean 3D 04:30 pm
Grand Hamra 5 14:45, 17:15 Naam Shabana (Hindi Film) Flying Monsters 3D 10:30 am
Grand Hamra 6 14:00, 16:00, 18:00,
Cinescape cinema movies inquiries and Fax Back hotline 1803456 07:30 pm Notes: All films are in Arabic. For
Sharqia 3 17:00
20:00, 22:00 Muhalab 1 19:15 13. The Scientific Center IMAX Opp Holiday Inn, Salmiya, Gulf Road A Beautiful Planet 3D 11:30 am English, headsets are available upon
Grand Gate 1 14:00, 16:00, 18:00, Muhalab 2 13:30, 16:30 (No Fri) 06:30 pm, 09:30 pm request. Film schedule is subject to chang-
14. Grand Al-Hamra Grand Al-Hamra, tel: 22270333, www.grand cinemas.com Journey to Space 3D 12:30 pm es without notice.
20:00, 22:15 Fanar 3 12:45, 15:30 (No Fri)
Grand Gate GC 15:00, 17:00, 19:00, 18:30 (No Fri, Mon) 15. Grand Gate Grand Gate, tel: 22056464, www.grandcinemas.com Humpback Whales 3D 05:30 pm For information call 1 848 888 or visit
21:00, 23:00 Avenues 8 21:30 Kenya: Animal Kingdom 3D 08:30 pm www.tsck.org.kw

HEALTH
Patients with rare, aggressive, virus-linked skin cancer respond to immunotherapy
High blood sugar may up prostate cancer death risk
WASHINGTON, DC, April 4: Cancers sweet
tooth may play a role in increasing the risk of
lethal prostate cancers, according to research-
ers at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Cen-
ter and the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School
of Public Health. The ndings are preliminary
results from a review of data collected among
more than 5,000 men enrolled in the Athero-
sclerosis Risk in Communities Study, a pro-
spective national study of heart disease that
began in 1987. In addition to tracking heart
disease risk factors, data were collected on
three tests, or biomarkers, that measure glucose
levels in the blood. The tests included glucose
levels after fasting; the A1c test, a measure of
how much hemoglobin in the blood has been
tagged with glucose; and the glycated albumin
test, a measure of albumin protein molecules
that have bonded with glucose in the blood.
Previous studies have shown inconsistent
results for the association between hypergly-
cemia, or high blood sugar levels, and prostate
cancer death depending whether fasting glu-
cose or the A1c test was used to measure glu-
cose. The reasons why hyperglycemia may be
linked with prostate cancer death are not well-
understood, but the researchers say it may pro-
mote how cancer cells multiply and proliferate.
We wanted to understand why different bio-
markers of glucose had different associations
with prostate cancer death, says Michael Mar-
rone, pre-doctoral student at the Johns Hopkins
Bloomberg School of Public Health.
To do that, the researchers used all three bio-
markers to better classify normal blood sugar
levels and hyperglycemia. The researchers
analyzed survival time of 5,276 men between
1990 and 1992 through the end of 2012, total-
ing 96,617 person-years, a factor that reects
the accumulation of participants follow-up vis-
its with study coordinators. Analyzing the data,
the researchers found that 69 men had died of
prostate cancer by 2012. Nine of them had low
glycemia, ve were in the normal range, 30 had
high levels of one of the three glycemia tests,
16 registered high on two tests, and three were
high on all three tests. Six men had previously
diagnosed diabetes. Men who were classied
as hyperglycemic on all three of the tests had
nearly ve times increased risk of prostate
cancer death, compared with men who were
classied as normal on all three glycemia tests.
Men classied as hyperglycemic using one of
the tests had twice the risk of dying of prostate
cancer compared to men who were classied as
normal on the three tests. The researchers also
found a higher risk of prostate cancer death in
men who registered hyperglycemic on two of
the tests, although the result was not statisti-
cally signicant.
Similar trends were found between African-
American and Caucasian men. The results sup-
port ndings of similar previous studies, but
the investigators caution that the small size of
the group limits their ability to draw denitive
conclusions.
We need to explore glycemia further in larg-
er groups of men, so that we can tease out the
molecular mechanisms of these potential links
between glucose levels and prostate cancer,
says Corinne Joshu, PhD, assistant professor of
epidemiology in the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg
School of Public Health and member of the
Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center.
More than a year into an international clini-
cal trial of the immunotherapy drug nivolumab
(anti-PD-1), researchers report that more than
half of a small group of patients with an aggres-
sive and rare form of skin cancer called Merkel
cell carcinoma (MCC) have responded to the
drug.
Preliminary results from the clinical trial
ARAB TIMES, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 5, 2017
including 25 patients with MCC show eight
complete responses, meaning elimination of all
detectable tumors lasting at least 30 days, and
eight partial responses, meaning approximately
50 percent reduction in tumors, as of the data
analysis in February 2017. The patients were
part of a large clinical trial underway at more
than 30 hospitals in the US and internationally
studying the use of nivolumab in patients with
a variety of virus-linked cancers.
We saw responses in patients with ad-
vanced MCC who received previous chemo-
therapy for their disease, as well as those who
were receiving nivolumab as their rst treat-
ment, says Suzanne Topalian, MD, professor
of surgery and oncology at the Johns Hopkins
Bloomberg~Kimmel Institute and the lead in-
vestigator for the clinical trial. She noted that
the researchers spotted responses in patients
berg-Kimmel Institute, says that physicians
tumors as early as eight weeks after the start of
treatment with nivolumab.
The effects of treatment were long lasting in
most patients, and median rates of overall and
disease-free survival have not yet been reached
among these patients. There were no deaths
among the 25 patients after a median follow-up
period of 51 weeks, and 20 of them experienced
side effects that included fatigue, diarrhea and
29
itching. Most side effects were mild.
In an early clinical trial of 113 patients with
advanced cancers, including those of the breast,
lung, bladder, head and neck, colorectal, prostate,
kidney and melanoma, an experimental immuno-
therapy drug called CPI-444 that targets a chemi-
cal pathway in tumor cells controlled by adenos-
ine may help keep patients cancers in check.
With a median follow-up time of 16 weeks, 23
of 37 patients evaluated thus far have not experi-
enced worsening disease, and they are continuing
to receive immunotherapy treatment. Some of the
patients are receiving CPI-444 alone, and some
are receiving the drug with an additional immu-
notherapy drug called atezolizumab.
Leisha Emens, MD, PhD, associate profes-
sor of oncology at the Johns Hopkins Bloom-
leading the group of 11 participating hospitals
in the US, including The Johns Hopkins Hospi-
tal, and Australia, are nding that some patients
receiving either CPI-444 alone or in combina-
tion with atezolizumab are experiencing control
of tumor growth. Notably, says Emens, some
of the patients who have responded to CPI-444
were previously treated with immunotherapy.
 China, Cherry Coke, and the Oracle of Omaha
Coca-Cola is featuring a different
kind of celebrity on its cans in Chi-
na: Warren Buffett.
While Buffett is admired and
thought of as a folksy straight talker
in the US where Coke is based,
employing an 86-year-old billion-
aire to sell sodas in the US would
be a tough sell for even the most
savvy Madison Avenue marketing
rm, even with Buffetts voracious
appetite for Cokes.
Its a different story in China,
Market Movements
Change
GERMANY - DAX +25.14
FRANCE - CAC 40 +15.22
EUROPE - Euro Stoxx 50 +8.72
PHILIPPINES - All Shares +47.14
INDIA - Sensex +289.72
HONG KONG - Hang Seng +149.89
Saudi hires banks for debut US dollar benchmark sukuk
LONDON, April 4, (RTRS): The King-
dom of Saudi Arabia has mandated Citi-
group, HSBC and JP Morgan as global
coordinators to arrange xed income
meetings ahead of a debut US dollar
benchmark sukuk offering across ve
and 10-year maturities, according to a
lead.
The meetings will take place in Abu
Dhabi, Dubai and London, commencing
April 9.
BNP Paribas, Deutsche Bank and
NCB Capital, along with the global co-
ordinators, are mandated as joint lead
managers and bookrunners for the Reg
S/144A trade. The sovereign is rated A1
by Moodys and A+ by Fitch.
Meanwhile, Saudi Aramco has ex-
tended the bookbuilding process for its
debut local currency sukuk by one day
beyond the original deadline of April
3, sources familiar with the matter said
on Tuesday. The books are expected to
close on Tuesday, with nal allocations
likely to take place on Wednesday, said
a banker working on the deal.
The reason behind the extension is
that some accounts needed extra time to
obtain internal approval before placing
their orders. The size of the deal is likely
to be between $2 billion- and $4 billion-
equivalent, the banker added.
The sukuk is Aramcos rst attempt
to diversify its funding sources in an era
of low international oil prices. The oil
giant, which Saudi ofcials have valued
at over $2 trillion, is preparing to sell
up to 5 percent of its shares in an ini-
tial public offer expected to take place
in 2018.
Aramco started gathering orders for
its debut sukuk part of a 37.5 billion
riyal ($10 billion) programme on
March 27, a document issued by the
banks leading the transaction showed.
According to the original timeline,
the last date for orders and allocations
was expected to be April 3, with settle-
ment expected on April 9.
The oating rate Islamic bond has a
seven-year maturity and offers 25 basis
points over the six-month Saudi Arabian
Interbank Offered Rate (SAIBOR).
Alinma Investment, HSBC Saudi
Airline to purchase at least 30 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft
Irans Aseman Airlines signs deal to buy Boeing jets
DUBAI/PARIS, April 4, (RTRS): Irans
Aseman Airlines has signed a tentative
deal to buy at least 30 Boeing 737 MAX
jets, in the rst new business with the
US planemaker since President Don-
ald Trump took ofce vowing to take a
tougher stance towards Iran.
Owned by Irans civil service pension
foundation but managed as a private
company, Aseman is Irans third-largest
airline by active eet size, according to
the CAPA consultancy.
Irans ofcial Islamic Republic News
Agency said on Tuesday representatives
of Aseman and Boeing had signed an
agreement in Tehran covering as many
as 60 jets, including options, after a year
of negotiations.
Boeing described the deal as a
memorandum of agreement, mean-
ing it is only outline for the time be-
ing and subject to government ap-
provals. It covers plans for Aseman
to buy 30 aircraft with options for a
further 30, it added.
If completed, the main part of the deal
for 30 jets would be worth $3.4 billion at
list prices, though airlines typically pay
around half that.
Boeing has already agreed to sell 80
aircraft to ag carrier IranAir under a
deal between Tehran and major powers
that led to the lifting of most sanctions
in return for curbs on its nuclear technol-
ogy development activities.
Trump has said he opposes the nu-
clear sanctions pact, but has not stated a
public view on the aircraft deals reached
under the accord, which the US aero-
space industry says would support his
agenda for protecting US manufacturing
jobs.
Washington last month imposed sep-
arate sanctions on 25 Iranian individuals
Gold imports surge as Turks IRS to use private debt collectors amid huge telephone scam
heed Erdogans call, vote looms WASHINGTON,
IRS is resuming the use of private debt of what they collect.
collectors amid a wave of telephone
ISTANBUL, April 4, (RTRS): Turkish
gold imports rose 17-fold to 28.2 tonnes
in March, as Turks looking to hedge cur-
rency risk ahead of a referendum in two
weeks time followed President Tayyip
Erdogans calls to buy gold instead of
dollars.
After the sharpest falls in the Turkish
lira since the 2008 nancial crisis last
November, Erdogan called on Turks to
sell dollars and buy lira or gold to prop
up the local currency. Gold imports have
been rising year-on-year ever since.
People have started opting for gold
rather than foreign currencies, said
where Cherry Coke went on sale
for the rst time last month. And on
limited-edition cans sitting on store
shelves today in China is the beam-
ing face of the Oracle of Omaha.
Business leaders in China tend
to have an outsized following, in
some cases greater than that of
sports stars, according to Shaun
Rein, founder of the China Market
Research Group.
And like in the US, Buffett is also
seen as a non-corrupt, down-to-
04.-04-2017
Closing pts
12,282.34 AUSTRALIA - All Ordinaries
5,101.13 JAPAN - Nikkei
3,481.66 S. KOREA - KRX 100
4,460.56
29,910.22
24,261.48
Aramco extends bookbuilding by one day for Islamic bond
LSE CEO in Saudi
as part of May visit
LONDON/DUBAI, April 4, (RTRS):
London Stock Exchanges CEO Xavier
Rolet will meet Saudi ofcials in Riyadh
as part of a visit by British Prime Minis-
ter Theresa May, a spokeswoman for the
exchange said on Tuesday.
The LSE and other top stock ex-
changes are pitching to win a slice of
state oil company Saudi Aramcos ini-
tial public offering, expected to be the
worlds largest.
Winning a share of the Aramco listing
would be a boost for the LSE, which has
seen few listings since Britains vote to
leave the European Union and needs to
convince investors it has a solid growth
strategy following the collapse of its
proposed merger with Deutsche Boerse.
Aramco is expected to list a small
portion of its shares on the Saudi stock
market, with the rest likely to go to one,
two or possibly three of the worlds big-
gest exchanges.
The IPO, expected in 2018, could be
worth around $100 billion, Saudi of-
cials have said.
Rolet will attend a roundtable discus-
sion which Prime Minister May will
host at the Saudi stock exchange on
Tuesday, a spokesman for the prime
ministers ofce conrmed. tween light and heavy crude glob-
He met earlier on Tuesday with Saudi
energy minister Khalid al-Falih, people
familiar with the matter said.
May arrived in the Saudi capital on
Tuesday, ofcial Saudi state news agen-
cy, SPA reported.
New York, Hong Kong, Singapore,
Tokyo and Toronto are also seeking
to win a slice of the Aramco IPO and
Saudi ofcials have been meeting with
exchanges to decide where the shares
should be traded.
Arabia, NCB Capital and Riyad Capital
are the joint lead coordinators. They are
joined by GIB Capital, Samba Capital
and Saudi Fransi Capital in dealer roles.
In this le photo, the rst of the large Boeing 737 MAX 9 models, Boeings newest commercial airplane, sits outside
its production plant, in Renton, Washington. Boeing Co announced on April 4 that it has signed a new, $3 billion
deal with Irans Aseman Airlines for 30 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft. Chicago-based Boeing said the deal includes
purchase rights for an additional 30 737 MAX aircraft. (AP)
and entities following a ballistic missile
test. Iran retaliated with its own sanc-
tions.
In a statement on the Aseman deal,
Boeing cited US Department of Com-
merce data suggesting an aerospace
sale of this magnitude creates or sustains
approximately 18,000 jobs in the United
States.
Boeing deliveries to Aseman would
start in 2022, although the US plane-
maker must rst apply for licences from
the US Treasury allowing it to proceed
April 4, (AP): The mer. The rms can keep up to 25 percent ers, she said.
To combat fraud, the IRS says it is million people have received unsolicited and Customs Enforcement. They told
Mehmet Ali Yildirimturk, a gold spe-
cialist in Istanbuls Grand Bazaar, add-
ing that a moderate recovery in the lira
had also made gold more affordable
again.
Gold imports to Turkey rose almost
eightfold to 36.7 tonnes in December af-
ter Erdogans calls, their highest month-
ly level in just over two years, accord-
ing to data from the Precious Mines and
Metals Markets of the Istanbul bourse.
Prices in Turkey surged from 132 lira
($36) for 24-carat gold in January to
153 lira in February. On Tuesday, gold
prices were around 148 liras.
earth kind of person in China, an-
other selling point, Rein said.
Buffett is so well known in China,
when his Berkshire Hathaway be-
gan streaming its annual meeting
online last year, it was translated
real-time into Mandarin Chinese.
Buffett is also an admirer of the
economic prowess of China. Berk-
shire Hathaway, in addition to be-
ing Cokes biggest shareholder,
owns nearly 10 percent of Chinese
car maker BYD Co. (AP)
Business
Change Closing pts
-13.90 5,895.80
-172.98 18,810.25
-20.88 4,352.84
Seeking higher revenues, Saudi
sets out stall for light crude oil
Kingdom plans to change oil pricing for European customers
DUBAI, April 4, (RTRS):
Despite OPECs oil output
curbs, Saudi Arabia has
been offering its customers
more light crudes while cut-
ting heavy grades, a trend
that could increase as the
kingdom wants to maxim-
ise revenue and needs more
heavy oil to power its own
reneries.
This trend, if sustained, will im-
pact rening margins particularly
in Asia, and narrow the spread be-
and heavy grades.
ally, industry sources and analysts
said.
That would be bad news for sophis-
ticated reners, which value heavy
grades because the lower cost of such
oil results in higher margins, and good
news for older, simpler plants that gen-
erally need light, sweet crude.
Saudi Arabia cut the April prices of
light crude it sells to Asia for the rst
time in three months in an effort to
shore up demand. The spread between
Arab Light and Heavy was at $2.45 a
barrel, the narrowest since September.
Before the OPEC output pact, in
mid-November 2016, Brent futures for
delivery in June 2017 were trading at a
with the sale.
Boeing continues to follow the lead
of the US government with regards to
working with Irans airlines and any and
all contracts with Irans airlines are con-
tingent upon US government approval,
it said.
In December the European Union
banned Aseman from ying to the EU
due to safety concerns, highlighting
gaps in Irans ageing eet following de-
cades of sanctions.
The latest deal comes as Iranian Pres-
Since the fall of 2013, more than 1.9 agents for the IRS or US Immigration
scams in which fake government agents
tell innocent taxpayers to pay up or face
jail, the tax agency announced Tuesday.
The IRS stopped using private debt
collectors in 2009 after the agency deter-
mined that IRS employees could better
do the work. But Congress passed a law
in 2015 requiring the IRS to restart the
program.
The IRS says it will soon start turn-
ing over the accounts of 100 taxpayers a
week to four private debt collectors. The
program will grow to 1,000 accounts a
week for each rm by the end of sum-
At least one jet fuel cargo
meant for export from Qatar
has been disrupted after Qa-
targas unexpectedly shut its
146,000 barrel-per-day con-
densate splitter at the Ras
Laffan renery over the week-
end, industry sources said.
The cargo was meant for
loading to PetroChina but has
been disrupted, one of the
sources familiar with the mat-
ter said, declining to say if the
premium of around $4 per barrel over
Oman futures. That has since narrowed
to around $1.25.
The Organization of the Petroleum
Exporting Countries, Russia and a
number of other producers pledged to
cut output by about 1.8 million barrels
per day (bpd) from Jan 1, the rst curb
in eight years, to boost prices and erode
a glut.
OPEC is discussing whether to ex-
tend the pact beyond June.
Saudi Arabia, the worlds top oil
exporter, accounts for some 40 percent
of the pledged OPEC curbs and has re-
duced output by more than 500,000 bpd
to slightly below 10 million bpd, with
cuts concentrated mainly in medium
able to reners because they are eas-
Those cuts, and increasing output of
US shale oil, have increased the price
of Middle Eastern heavy crudes for
Asian delivery, making it economical
for traders to ship crude from Rus-
sia, the Atlantic Basin and the United
States to Asia.
Most of the heavier Saudi grades
comes from offshore elds - mainly Sa-
faniya, Manifa and Zuluf, which makes
production costly compared to other
Middle Eastern producers such as Iran
and Iraq, industry sources said.
You have to meet local demand
rst, and domestic reneries in Saudi
Arabia need the heavy grades, one in-
dustry source said.
To sell the heavy grades at a com-
ident Hassan Rouhanis government
strives to highlight improvements re-
sulting from the nuclear pact in the run-
up to May presidential elections. So far
IranAir has received three new Airbus
jets under the deal.
Rouhani is likely to run a campaign
highlighting economic benets of the
nuclear deal, which opened Iran to for-
eign investment. But Supreme Leader
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has said
Rouhani must do more to improve the
economy.
Callers worked off scripts posing as
sending letters to taxpayers alerting them
that their accounts are being turned over
to private debt collectors. The private
companies will then send letters to the
taxpayers before calling them.
The IRS remains extremely con-
cerned about the many con artists out
there who masquerade as IRS employees
or contractors, said Mary Beth Murphy,
who heads the small business and self-
employed division at the IRS.
We urge everyone to be on the look-
out for scammers who might use this
program as a cover to swindle taxpay-
Qatar jet fuel cargo disrupted
cargo had been delayed or
cancelled.
No other details of the cargo
were immediately available.
Qatar Petroleum and Pet-
roChina were not immediately
available for comment.
The No. 1 splitter could be
shut for up to 15 days.
A splitter processes deodor-
ized eld condensate (DFC)
and low sulphur eld conden-
sate to extract mostly naphtha
petitive price against other producers,
you would be producing at higher cost
but selling at low prot.
Saudi Arabia produces a range of
crudes ranging from Arab Extra Light
to Arab Heavy. It has nine reneries
with processing capacity of about 2.9
million bpd, of which just above 1 mil-
lion bpd of rening power runs on me-
dium and heavy grades.
Strategically, if they have to cut
back a little they would prefer to cut
back the expensive offshore production
and sustain the lighter crudes, said Sa-
dad al-Husseini, an energy consultant
and former senior executive at state oil
giant Saudi Aramco.
Light, sweet crudes are more valu-
due to poor growth as they focused on
ier to process, while heavier and sour
grades often trade at a discount.
Saudi Arabia burns more crude in
summer for power generation, on aver-
age using 700,000 bpd for electricity to
keep the population cool in the hottest
months from May to August.
Saudi Arabia, the worlds top oil
exporter, plans to change the way it
prices oil for Europe from July, indus-
try sources said, in an effort to increase
the appeal of Saudi crude by making it
easier for customers to hedge.
State oil giant Saudi Aramco will
start pricing its European exports
against the ICE settlement for the Brent
benchmark after years of pricing its oil
against the Brent Weighted Average
Govt commissioned review
Saudi Oger awaits PwC
project review findings
DUBAI, April 4, (RTRS): Saudi
Oger is still waiting for the outcome
of a government-commissioned
review into its billions of dollars
of projects in the kingdom, which
could help determine the struggling
construction groups future, bank-
ing sources say.
The ndings also keenly
awaited by banks in the kingdom
owed about 13 billion riyals ($3.47
billion) were due to be shared
with Saudi Oger before the end of
January, according to the sources.
After dominating the Saudi con-
struction market for years, Saudi
Oger, owned by the family of Leba-
nese Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri,
began to ounder as a result of cuts
in government spending and pay-
ment delays.
The government appointed Price-
waterhouseCoopers (PwC) to con-
duct the review focusing on Saudi
Ogers major projects in the king-
dom and examining claims about
how much it is owed by the gov-
ernment, said the sources, who are
familiar with the matter.
The review is likely to determine
how much the company will receive
in outstanding payments, as well as
whether it will continue working on
the projects, they said.
PwC, the Ministry of Finance
and Saudi Oger did not respond to
requests for comment.
The company is not believed to
have been a beneciary of recent
moves by the government to pay
telephone calls from fake government
agents, according to the inspector gen-
eral for tax administration. The callers
demand money, saying the victim owes
unpaid taxes. To date, over 10,300 vic-
tims have paid more than $55 million to
the criminals. The IRS has said the scam
is so widespread that multiple criminal
organizations are taking part.
In October, the Justice Department
announced charges against 61 defen-
dants in the United States and abroad in
connection with call center operations
based in India.
and middle distillates includ-
ing jet fuel and diesel.
Qatar Petroleum offered
prompt condensate for April
loading through private nego-
tiations. Qatargas, the worlds
largest liqueed natural gas
producer began operations at
its second condensate splitter
Ras Laffan 2 last year,
doubling the Gulf states ca-
pacity to process condensate.
(RTRS)
(BWAVE), the sources said.
Both price references are part of the
Brent benchmark used to price much
of the worlds crude. The move, which
takes effect on July 1, will allow buyers
of Saudi crude in Europe to hedge bet-
ter, the sources said.
The Saudis are switching to the
settlement as BWAVE is difcult
to hedge, said one industry source
briefed on the matter who declined to
be identied.
Two other industry sources con-
rmed the planned changed from July
1.
The European market, long domi-
nated by Russian oil supplies, has been
neglected by major OPEC producers
expanding Asian markets.
But as Russia moved aggressively
into Asian markets and with a growing
oil glut intensifying the ght for cus-
tomers, OPEC members such as Saudi
Arabia and Iraq ramped up sales to Eu-
rope, taking on former Russian custom-
ers such as Poland and Sweden.
In late 2015, Kuwait began pricing
its European exports against another
part of the Brent benchmark, dated
Brent, after years of following Saudi
Arabia in pricing oil against BWAVE.
The move was aimed at making its
crude more competitive as oil produc-
ers ght for market share.
BWAVE is also used by Iran, while
Iraq uses dated Brent.
some of the debts it owed to private
sector rms, said one of the sources.
One source estimated Oger was
owed about 30 billion riyals by the
government and that many of its
building projects, which constitute
the bulk of its business, have been
inactive for the past six months or
more as the companys cashow
had run down. Maintenance projects
are the exception, and the company
has continued to work on these, the
source said.
The company has been struggling
to meet bank payments since its ac-
counts were frozen by authorities af-
ter several lenders took legal action
against it, the sources said.
Alawwal Bank and Banque Saudi
Fransi had recently joined National
Commercial Bank (NCB) and Sam-
ba Financial Group in seeking court
orders demanding payment.
The sources were unsure which
projects were included in the re-
view but, according to Saudi Ogers
website, among the major schemes
it is involved in are the King Abdu-
laziz Center for World Culture, the
King Abdullah Financial District
in Riyadh and the King Abdullah
International Conference Center in
Jeddah.
The sources said one outcome
of the review could involve the
government making sufcient pay-
ments to the company to allow it to
continue working on the projects
until completion, at which point
Saudi Oger would be wound down.
unsuspecting victims that they had failed
to pay taxes or were at risk of deporta-
tion, and that a fast payment was needed
to get out of trouble.
Murphy offered several tips to detect
con artists.
No one will hear from a private col-
lection rm unless they have unpaid
tax debts going back several years and
theyve already heard from IRS multiple
times about this debt, she said. We
dont collect taxes on iTunes cards or
gift cards, and we dont do it with ag-
gressive, threatening phone calls.
 ARAB TIMES, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 5, 2017
BUSINESS 31

Utah Supreme Court rules against Tesla in push to sell cars
Teslas push to sell its all-electric vehicles in
Utah hit another roadblock Monday when the
state Supreme Court upheld a decision by Utah
licensing ofcials to deny the automaker a li-
cense to sell new cars.
Tesla had argued that a state law barring car
manufacturers from owning dealerships didnt
apply to the company. Tesla sells its cars direct-
ly to customers rather than using independent
dealerships, something Tesla attorneys argued
is vital to their business.
Tesla must sell its own cars because a sale
In this le photo,
shows the Tesla
Motors showroom in
Salt Lake City. The
depends on convincing customers that electric company that Tesla set up to sell cars in the Utah Supreme Court
cars are better than those with a gas engine. state, called Tesla UT. Tesla UT applied for an has ruled against
The company also argued that Utah law doesnt auto dealer license, and because Tesla UT is Tesla in a push to sell
block car makers from selling directly, it only wholly owned by Tesla, state licensing ofcials its sleek, all-electric
blocks car makers from owning a dealership were correct in a 2015 decision denying the li- vehicles in the state.
thats set up as a franchise. cense, the justices wrote. The court said in an
In the decision Monday, Supreme Court jus- In a statement, Tesla said the ruling was dis- opinion issued on
tices didnt address whether Utah law blocks a appointing for Tesla and all Utah consumers Apirl 3, that Utahs
car maker from selling its vehicles directly or interested in consumer choice, free markets, State Tax Commis-
whether its vital for the car maker to sell its own and sustainable energy. The company said it sion was correct in a
product. will pursue all options in Utah and will continue 2015 decision denying
The justices instead focused on a subsidiary offering service in Utah for Tesla cars. (AP) Tesla a license to tell
its cars in Utah. (AP)

Slower growth could jeopardize financial and social stability of some countries

IMF chief warns slowing productivity risks living standards drop

WASHINGTON, April 4, (RTRS):
Living standards around the world
could fall unless governments invest
more in research and education that
can help revive weak productivity
growth, International Monetary Fund
Managing Director Christine Lagarde
warned on Monday.
Lagarde said in a speech in Wash-
ington that the private sector alone
will not be able to generate enough
innovation to lift productivity to ac-
ceptable levels without government
help.
Her remarks were accompanied by
release of an IMF study that found
that the 2008-2009 nancial crisis
and deep recession played a bigger
role in slowing productivity than
previously thought, stiing global de-
mand and investment.
Another decade of weak produc-
tivity growth would seriously under-
mine the rise in global living stand-
ards, Lagarde told an audience at the
American Enterprise Institute, a pro-
business think tank in Washington.
Slower growth could also jeop-
ardize the nancial and social stabil-
ity of some countries by making it
more difcult to reduce excessive in-
equality and sustain private debt and
public obligations, she added.
Economists have long viewed
productivity gains as essential for
sustaining higher wages and liv-
ing standards, but have struggled to
explain a protracted slowdown in
productivity growth since the early
2000s.
Lagarde said the post-crisis reces-
sion has left a permanent scar on
output per worker and total factor
productivity, a broad measure of in-
novation that includes both labor and
capital inputs.
We estimate that, if total factor
productivity growth had followed its
pre-crisis trend, overall GDP in ad-
vanced economies would be about 5
percent higher today, Lagarde said.
That would be the equivalent of add-
ing another Japan and more to
the global economy.
She said that all governments
should do more to unleash entrepre-
neurial energy, including cutting bar-
riers to competition, investing in edu-
cation and providing tax incentives
for research and development.
IMF warns domestic politics could derail key Ukraine reforms
KIEV, April 4, (RTRS): The Inter-
national Monetary Fund warned on
Tuesday that Ukraines domestic
politics could derail vital reforms
such as raising the pension age and
tackling corruption that are needed
to crank up economic growth and
tame high public debt.
The Fund released $1 billion to
Kiev this week as part of a $17.5
billion aid-for-reforms bailout for the
Ukrainian economy, which plunged
into recession following the Rus-
sian annexation of Crimea in 2014
and the outbreak of separatist vio-
lence.
The extra funds paved the way
for the central bank to deliver an
immediate boon to investors by cut-
ting the amount of foreign currency
businesses are required to sell to
One thing is clear: we need more
innovation, not less. Market forces
alone will not be able to deliver that
boost, because innovation and inven-
tion are to some degree public goods.
Lagarde said smartphone tech-
50 percent of their overseas earn-
ings from 65 percent.
Ukraines international backers
have mixed praise for the countrys
return to macroeconomic stability
with criticism for Kievs stop-start
progress on tackling entrenched
corruption and modernising its laws
and institutions.
Prime Minister Volodymyr Groys-
man, who took power a year ago
after the previous government col-
lapsed, has a thin parliament ma-
jority and has been unable so far to
pass pension and land reforms that
are resisted by a noisy opposition.
Flagship anti-corruption schemes
have also struggled to get off the
ground or been sabotaged by vest-
ed interests, most recently in the
case of a law forcing public ofcials
nologies have hugely beneted from
large-scale state spending on devel-
oping the internet and global posi-
tioning satellite system, while defense
spending often creates new technolo-
gies that have civilian uses.
and lawmakers to disclose their as-
sets online.
The main risks on the domestic
side stem from reform delays due
to the narrow majority of the gov-
erning coalition in parliament and
possible policy reversals as key
reforms face strong pushback from
vested interests, said an IMF re-
port.
Kiev expects three further aid
tranches this year worth $4.5 billion
in total. So far, counting the $1 bil-
lion disbursed on Monday, it has re-
ceived $8.38 billion under the pro-
gramme launched in March 2015.
Ukraine has one of the highest
levels of pension spending in Eu-
rope, while having one of the low-
est levels of average pension ben-
ets, providing an old-age income
She cited IMF research last year
showing that an increase of private
research spending by 40 percent in
advanced economies could increase
their GDP by 5 percent in the long
term.
of slightly more than $2 per day, the
IMF said.
Ukraine has as many pensioners
as workers who pay into the pen-
sion system and many people shirk
paying pension contributions. That
means Ukraines pension decit is
estimated at 6 percent of GDP, the
IMF said.
The government has asked for
more time to implement pension re-
forms, promising to do so by Janu-
ary next year.
The IMF had delayed its deci-
sion on disbursing new aid from
March to assess the impact of an
economic blockade Kiev imposed
on separatist-held territory. It now
expects the economy to grow by 2
percent, down from an earlier esti-
mate of 2.9 percent.
Lagarde said a critical improve-
ment in education and worker retrain-
ing programs was needed to aid those
displaced by the effects of techno-
logical change, trade and structural
reforms.

US trade deficit falls in Feb as 93 pct of Quebecers oppose raise

exports increase to 2-year high
Slowing domestic demand weighs on imports
WASHINGTON, April 4,
(RTRS): The US trade de-
cit fell more than expected
in February as exports in-
creased to a two-year high
and slowing domestic de-
mand weighed on imports.
The narrowing in the trade gap
comes as the Trump administra-
tion is pushing ahead with its
agenda for fair trade and bringing
back manufacturing jobs to the
United States as it seeks to boost
economic growth.
The Commerce Department said
on Tuesday the trade decit de-
clined 9.6 percent to $43.6 billion.
Januarys trade shortfall was revised
slightly down to $48.2 billion from
$48.5 billion. The politically sensi-
tive US-China trade decit dropped
26.6 percent to $23.0 billion in Feb-
ruary.
The decline in the US-China trade
decit comes ahead of Chinese Presi-
dent Xi Jinpings visit later this week.
President Donald Trump has declared
China the grand champions of cur-
rency manipulation.
The U.S has its work cut out for it
if it is going to try to alter the pattern
of trade that has developed between
China and US companies over the last
10 to 20 years, said Chris Rupkey,
chief economist at MUFG Union Bank
in New York.
American workers might want
something done on this, but US com-
panies certainly do not want to see a
shift in the globalization trend.
Economists polled by Reuters had
forecast the trade gap falling to $44.8
billion in February.
When adjusted for ination, the
decit decreased to $59.7 billion, with
exports of goods the highest on record
as an earlier drag from a strong dollar
fades. The real trade decit was $65.1
billion in January.
The dollar was trading marginally
higher against a basket of currencies,
while prices for US Treasuries were
lower. US stocks were little changed.
Despite the decline in the real trade
decit, trade will probably be either
neutral or impose a small drag on gross
Cash flow and credit scores key for getting bank loans
Ask Brianna: Can I start a business if I have student debt?
Ask Brianna is a Q&A column from
NerdWallet for 20-somethings or any-
one else starting out. Im here to help
you manage your money, nd a job and
pay off student loans all the real-
world stuff no one taught us how to do
in college. Send your questions about
postgrad life to askbrianna@nerdwal-
let.com.
Q: Id love to start my own business,
but Im still paying off student loans.
Will I be able to I become an entrepre-
neur?
A: Starting a business is tempting
for so many reasons: You can be your
own boss, set your own hours, create
something from scratch maybe even
change the world.
But businesses have startup costs,
and most grads are already in the red.
In 2015, about 7 in 10 college gradu-
ates left school with student loan debt,
an average of $30,100, the Institute for
College Access & Success reports. Stu-
In this Feb 23, 2015 le photo, container ships wait to
be unloaded at the Port of Los Angeles. The US trade
decit declined sharply in Feb 2017 as imports from
China fell by a record amount and American exports
domestic product in the rst quarter af-
ter subtracting 1.82 percentage points
from fourth-quarter growth.
In addition to trade, weak consumer
spending also likely constrained the
economy in the rst three months of
the year. The Atlanta Federal Reserve
is forecasting GDP rising at a 1.2 per-
cent rate in the rst quarter, a decelera-
tion from the 2.1 percent pace logged
in the October-December period.
The government is eyeing trade as a
vehicle to lift annual economic growth
to 4 percent and boost the manufactur-
ing sector. Trump last Friday ordered a
study into the causes of US trade de-
cits and a clamp-down on import duty
evasion.
Trump also wants to renegotiate the
North American Free Trade Agree-
ment (NAFTA), which was signed in
1994 by the United States, Canada and
Mexico.
The US is an economy that is at full
employment and facing challenges of
low productivity growth and slowing
labor force growth, which implies that
dent loan payments eat into your cash
ow, and a history of missed payments
will affect your credit score. Banks
look at both cash ow and credit scores
when evaluating small-business loan
applicants, says Jay DesMarteau, head
of small-business banking at TD Bank.
This doesnt mean you need to
shelve your small-business plan until
youve paid off those student loans,
but youll need to manage your debt
burden thoughtfully and strategically.
Heres how.
Lower your student debt bills
Cash ow is king when youre start-
ing a business, and cutting your month-
ly student loan bill is one way to free
up money. The federal governments
income-driven repayment plans can
provide relief by capping your federal
loan payments at a percentage of your
income. You must apply on student-
loans.gov and recertify your eligibility
every year.
rose for a third straight month. The decit fell to $43.6
billion in Feb 9.6 percent below January decit of $48.2
billion, the Commerce Department reported on March
4. (AP)
growing US demand will increasingly
spill over into the global economy
and result in a wider trade decit over
time, said John Ryding, chief econo-
mist at RDQ Economics in New York.
In February, exports of goods and
services increased 0.2 percent to
$192.9 billion, the highest level since
December 2014. Exports were lifted
by gains in the shipments of automo-
biles and parts, which were the highest
since July 2014.
Exports of industrial supplies and
materials were the highest since De-
cember 2015. There was an 8.0 percent
jump in exports to the European Un-
ion, with goods shipped to Germany
surging 8.6 percent. Exports to the
United Kingdom soared 17.3 percent
and Japan also bought more goods
from the United States.
However, exports to China fell 2.7
percent and Mexico saw a 7.1 percent
drop in goods shipped from the United
States.
Imports of goods and services fell
1.8 percent to $236.4 billion amid de-
Reducing payments on private stu-
dent loans requires other strategies. If
youre working full time and have a
credit score in the mid-600s or higher,
you may be able to renance your stu-
dent debt.
Youd get a lower interest rate, but
lenders will want to see that youll
be able to pay them back easily. That
makes renancing a good option for
people whose business is currently
a side gig or is already consistently
generating enough income to cover all
expenses comfortably, including debt
obligations. That can be difcult in the
early stages.
Never miss a loan payment
Make all your student loan payments
on time so you build a sterling credit
score. Lenders will use it when con-
sidering whether youre eligible for a
small-business loan.
Nicole Beltz, 28, didnt fall behind
on her bills when she started a business
clines in imports of cell phones and
motor vehicles. Imports had risen in
recent months, in part on higher oil
prices. There was a drop in crude oil
imports in February.
Some of the decline in imports
in February likely reects slower
consumer spending. Data on Friday
showed real consumer spending de-
creased for a second straight month
in February, the rst back-to-back
monthly decline since April 2009.
Still, food imports hit a record high
in February and imports of capital
goods were the highest in nearly two
years.
Imports of goods from China tum-
bled a record $8.6 billion to $32.8 bil-
lion in February, a 20.8 percent drop
from January.
The nation also saw a decline in
goods shipped from the European Un-
ion, Canada and Japan.
The trade decit with Germany was
the smallest since January 2013. The
trade gap with Mexico jumped 46 per-
cent to $5.8 billion.
a year and a half after graduating from
Delaware Valley University in Doyles-
town, Pennsylvania. She continued
to pay down her $20,000 student loan
balance and used personal savings to
build her business, Serendipity Shops.
She budgeted around her monthly loan
payment like she did for every other
unavoidable expense.
The school loan was never really an
issue, she says. You just factor it in.
Evaluate the market and make a plan
Before you commit to your business
idea full time, nd free or cheap ways
to test whether theres a market for it.
When youre ready, write a business
plan that includes projected sales and
revenue.
Many businesses fail because they
miscalculated their likely expenses and
revenue, says Bob Godlasky, direc-
tor of academic mentoring at Orange
County Score, part of a national volun-
teer business mentoring network.
Bombardier big pay hikes
spark protests, Trudeau ire
MONTREAL/OTTAWA, April 4,
(RTRS): Canadian plane and train
maker Bombardier Inc tried to con-
tain a public relations debacle on
Monday after protests and a dress-
ing down by Prime Minister Justin
Trudeau over hefty executive pay
hikes just weeks after its latest gov-
ernment loan.
Bombardier, which has received
more than $1 billion in federal and
provincial government aid since
2015, awarded its top ve executives
and board chairman raises of up to
50 percent for 2016.
The pay hikes, disclosed in public
lings last week, sparked protests
outside Bombardiers Montreal
headquarters on Sunday and calls
by opposition leaders for a company
freeze on executive compensation.
Bombardier retreated on Sunday,
saying that more than 50 percent
of the total planned compensation
will be deferred until 2020 and will
be payable only if the company
achieves performance goals. Execu-
tive Chairman Pierre Beaudoin also
renounced his raise on Friday.
We didnt do a good job of com-
municating it, Chief Executive
Alain Bellemare told a Quebec radio
show on Monday. If you look at it
at face value, I can understand why
people were so angry, so unhappy.
The compensation packages for
the executives and the board chair-
man included salary, bonuses and
stock options. The company was
able to defer part of the raises be-
cause the remuneration tied to op-
tions is forward dating, a spokesman
said on Monday.
Bellemare said the pay was need-
ed to retain top talent.
But Quebec and Canadian gov-
ernment ofcials said they were not
surprised by the public anger against
Bombardier, which announced plans
in 2016 to lay off more than 14,000
people in the province and globally
over two years.
Bombardier, which was forced to
consider bankruptcy in 2015 after
facing a cash crunch while develop-
ing two new planes, received a $1
billion investment from Quebec in
its CSeries 110-130 seat jet program.
Airbus, Samsung & others firms
lobby Trump team on investment
WASHINGTON, April 4, (AP): At a time
of public skepticism about globalization, a
dozen CEOs from foreign-based compa-
nies with big US operations meet Tuesday
with Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin,
Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross and
congressional leaders to talk up the ben-
ets of foreign investment.
Executives from Airbus Americas,
Panasonic Corp of North America, Sam-
sung Electronics America and other rms
will make the case for policies they say
will keep foreign rms coming to Amer-
ica.
Were all facing a much stronger pop- sa. Under the North America Free Trade
ulist environment, said Nancy McLer- Agreement, which Trump wants to rene-
non, president of the Organization for In-
ternational Investment, which organized
the meetings. We want to ensure that
foreign investment in the United States is
not a blind spot.
Preliminary numbers from the Com-
merce Department show that foreign-
based companies invested $396 billion
into their US operations last year, up 12
percent from 2015. Those companies
employ 6.4 million workers in the United
States.
President Donald Trump is pursuing
Last February, it received C$372.5
million in loans from Ottawa.
They didnt realize what im-
pact it would have on the popula-
tion and on the elected ofcials as
well, Quebec Economy Minister
Dominique Anglade told reporters at
a Montreal aviation conference.
A poll by French-language net-
work Quebecor Media showed that
93 percent of Quebecers opposed the
raises.
This should have been managed
by Bombardier internally, said a
Quebec aviation industry executive,
who requested anonymity because
of the sensitive nature of the topic.
Quebecers nanced a piece of the
CSeries, they feel like Bombar-
dier belongs to them. So they were
shocked.
Speaking in Parliament on Mon-
day, Trudeau criticized the compa-
nys planned compensation hikes for
its senior executives.
Were obviously not pleased
with the decision that Bombardier
made around its remuneration for its
executives, Trudeau said in Parlia-
ment. But were happy to see them
make decisions that are xing that
for Quebecers and Canadians con-
dence.
Trudeau had given a more muted
response when pressed on the issue
last Thursday, saying: We respect
the free market and choices compa-
nies will make, but we also have a
responsibility to ensure the invest-
ments we make with taxpayers
dollars are leading to good jobs and
growth.
While Bombardiers nancial
situation has improved since 2015,
with the company setting a 2018
breakeven target, the company is
still burning cash as it ramps up pro-
duction of its agship CSeries jet
and works to bring a new business
jet, the Global 7000, to market.
Bombardier is doing a lot better,
but they are not out of the woods yet,
so they still need the government
to be looking at them favorably,
said one transportation analyst who
spoke on condition of anonymity be-
cause he is not authorized to talk to
the media.
what he calls an America First eco-
nomic agenda and has spoken of tearing
up trade agreements and imposing taxes
on companies that move out of the United
States, produce goods in another country,
then export back to the US
Joseph Taylor, CEO of Panasonic
North America notes that complicated
global supply chains make it harder to
dene products as Made in America or
Made in China.
Often, components are produced in
several countries, then shipped to the
United States for assembly. Or vice ver-
gotiate, many manufacturers set up opera-
tions in the United States and Mexico and
ship components across the borders.
Our supply chain extends to Japan to
Spain to Mexico, Taylor said. You cant
just say, We can do everything in one
country.
Barry Eccleston, CEO of Airbus Amer-
icas, says the populist backlash against
free trade creates an uncertainty about
where trade and other economic policies
are headed. Businesses like certainty, he
said. My CFO likes certainty.
 ARAB TIMES, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 5, 2017

BUSINESS 32

This le photo shows a

Charter Communications
van in St Louis. Now
Charter wont have to compete with other cable companies now
cable giant Charter wont
have to compete with Federal regulators are letting had agreed to extend its net- regime, the FCC said Monday point of mandating a network
other cable companies Charter out of a requirement that work to areas where there is that Charter can instead build buildout where there is al-
in new areas. Federal would have forced it to compete already a broadband provider. in areas where there isnt high- ready service. The reversal is
telecom regulators have with other broadband providers This requirement was enacted speed internet already. the latest in a slew of meas-
tweaked a condition of its and possibly cut prices. because most US households The agencys new chair- ures at the FCC that benet
deal to buy Time Warner The decision relaxes one dont have a choice for high- man, Ajit Pai, says getting the telecom industry.
Cable. They had said of the conditions imposed on speed home internet. Greater more Americans online Pai said in a statement Mon-
Charter would have to Charter when it absorbed Time competition could lower prices. whats called closing the day that the previous buildout
compete with another Warner Cable and represents But smaller cable companies digital divide is important requirement had not been in
fast-internet provider for another sign that the countrys worried about that competition to him. He wants to cut regula- the public interest and was
1 million customers. Now telecom cop is tilting in favor of and asked the Federal Commu- tions to encourage broadband against the goal of promoting
they can build in areas the industry it monitors. nications Commission to revisit companies to expand their greater Internet access for all
that dont have fast inter- Charter Communications the requirement. Under a new networks and doesnt see the Americans. (AP)
net. (AP)

GCC markets quarterly report

National Bank of Kuwait

Equities underperform in Q1 as Kuwait rallies

R egional markets had an unimpressive start to the
year, underperforming international markets, though
Kuwait bucked the trend with a strong rally. The GCC
MSCI total return index advanced a mere 0.6% on the
quarter, dragged down by a weak showing for the Saudi
market. Performance was mixed among other regional
markets, with Kuwait putting in a stellar performance.
Total GCC market capitalization stood at $946 billion at
the end of the quarter, having lost $6 billion during 1Q17.
Internationally, most equity markets continued their
post US election rally, buoyed by an improving outlook.
US markets were making new highs and the S&P 500
and the DJIA were up 6.1% and 5.2%, respectively, in
anticipation of upcoming business-friendly policies in the
US. Markets were also buoyed by a more hawkish Fed,
which raised rates in March, well before earlier expecta-
tions; it is now looking to hike rates two or three more
times in 2017. Markets took that as further conrmation
of a more positive outlook. European equities took their
cue from US markets and advanced 7% in 1Q17 despite
a less dovish ECB stance and boosted by positive data
from the eurozone.
Emerging markets (EM) rebounded following a poor
showing in 4Q16 as ows to EMs picked up. The MSCI
EM index was up a strong 7.8% outperforming the MSCI
World, which closed up 5.6%. Improved economic out-
looks in most of these markets boosted equities. Mean-
while, fears of more protectionist US trade policies,
which were behind most of the sell-off in 4Q16, appear
to have abated for now. Emerging markets, along with
other risky asset classes, also benetted from the contin-
ued ow of positive data from advanced economies. Ac-
cording to the IIF, capital ows to EMs have recovered
notably. Net portfolio EM inows totaled $31 billion in
the rst two months of the year compared to outows of
$25 billion in 4Q16.
Regional markets were mixed but underperformed
overall, dragged down by Saudi Arabia. Saudi equi-
ties gave back some of the strong gains seen in 4Q16,
weighing on regional indices. MSCI GCC was up 0.6%
in 1Q17. While a record international bond sale in 4Q16
triggered a rally and helped abate concerns over domestic
liquidity, focus seems to have shifted back to the fun-
damentals. The low oil price environment continued
to weigh on Saudi growth, with recent data pointing to
further softness. Corporate earnings in 2016 continued
to reect weakness, with prots down 6% y/y. Earnings
also appeared to surprise to the downside; prots of 69
companies were 16% lower than analyst estimates.
Meanwhile, Kuwait equities saw a strong 1Q17, stand-
ing out as one of the best performing markets thus far
this year. The value-weighted index was up 8.7%, its
best quarter in over six years. A hefty pick up in trad-
ing volumes was at least as noteworthy. Daily volumes
reached levels not seen since the nancial crisis and aver-
aged more than double 4Q16. The immediate catalyst for
the rally may have been the October 2016 acquisition of
Americana by a UAE investor, which appeared to inject
much needed optimism in the market. Equities may have
also been helped by expected changes in the composi-
tion of some frontier market indices which could boost
Kuwaits weight in them.
Kuwaits rally comes after years of lagging the re-
gion despite solid economic fundamentals. Kuwait has
enjoyed relative stability on the political arena, which
paved the way for faster reform and project implementa-
tion. Thanks to its strong nancial position, Kuwait has
also experienced a milder scal adjustment than other
GCC countries. As such, there has been no slowdown
in nonoil growth in 2015-2016. This has been reected
in corporate prots, which fared better than GCC peers.
Indeed, earnings announcements surprised on the upside
by 5% in 1Q17.
Other markets, for the most part, lacked any direction. The
boost GCC equities got from the OPEC deal to cut output
late last year faded by 1Q17. Corporate earnings for 2016
were disappointing in most cases, especially for Qatar. Prof-
its of 42 listed Qatari corporates were down 12% while a
sample of 18 companies announced earnings 27% lower than
analyst estimates. Even the second tranche upgrade by FTSE
to EM status in mid-March failed to provide a sustainable
lift. By contrast, Bahraini corporate earnings were positive,
with a sample of 37 companies seeing growth of 14%. The
Bahraini market was up 11%.
With the exception of Saudis Tadawul, market activ-
ity picked up. The daily traded value averaged $1.5 billion,
slightly lower than in 4Q16. Kuwait saw a big jump in turn-
over. The daily traded value in Qatar was also up a strong
54% driven primarily by the FTSE upgrade. GCC markets
also saw a reversal of the outows that followed the US elec-
tions in line with EMs. According to EFG Hermes, net in-
ows to the region averaged $223 million per month in the
rst two months of 2017 compared to a monthly average of
$167 million in the 4Q16. The Qatari market accounted for
the bulk of this reversal on the FTSE upgrade. Kuwait also
saw a pickup in net foreign inows in January.
Valuations for GCC markets are looking more expen-
sive but remain underpriced compared to EMs. Price-to-
earnings per share (P/EPS) for most GCC markets were
up compared to 4Q16. However, with global emerging
markets at a P/EPS of 19.4, GCC markets remain rela-
tively cheap.
Regional markets, lacking a catalyst of their own, will
continue to be driven by international markets and oil.
Progress in the US on passing tax reform and infrastruc-
ture spending will be closely watched, while monetary
policy in advanced markets will continue to be a key fo-
cus for investors. In Europe, elections in France and Ger-
many, and Brexit talks will continue to affect sentiment.
In the GCC, markets will continue to follow scal adjust-
ments and progress on structural reform closely.

Offer on maintenance services

GCC banks should adapt fast with
disruptive technologies: Marmore
Study highlights potential impact of Blockchain tech on various sectors
KUWAIT CITY, April 4:
Marmore MENA Intelli-
gence, a research subsid-
iary of the Kuwait Financial
Centre Markaz, recently
rolled out its report From
Bitcoin to Blockchain. In
this release, Marmore fath-
oms the potential impact of
the Blockchain technology
on various sectors in the
GCC region.
Reading along the lines of Fi-
nancial Times, Blockchain is a
data-recording structure that moth-
ers a shared ledger that is distrib-
uted among networked computers,
allowing users to make and verify
transactions immediately, elimi-
nating any interference from a cen-
tral authority. New transactions are
cross-checked by the network and,
when approved as valid, are added
to the Blockchain.
The traditional payment model
ropes in a third party, trusted by
everybody, to be involved in a
transaction. Blockchain puts that
model to a test by eliminating the
centralized system and replacing
it with a system that is widely dis-
tributed and secured by cryptog-
raphy. Transactions that happen
on the Blockchain network are
public, allowing anyone to join
the network and verify the trans-
actions.
Banks and financial compa-
nies are exploring Blockchain to
tide their day-to-day challenges.
Many technology pundits and
bankers had projected that even
though Bitcoin could possibly be
restricted to a few thousands on
the internet, the underlying tech-
nology The Block Chain
holds a huge potential in real-
world scenarios. The concept of
decentralization that Blockchain
promises has creased the brows of
several central bankers, who are
also increasingly becoming re-
ceptive to the idea of incorporat-
ing Blockchain to their systems.
Although overnight adoption is
unlikely, we envisage Blockchain
being used in some form or other
to carry on regular transactions
over the next 57 years.
The GCC region, traditionally,
has lagged behind in adopting
disruptive technologies. Lack of
a robust start-up environment and
difficulty in mirroring the suc-
cess of global start-ups have been
threatening the potential of the
GCC region.
Given the deance to change,
coupled with the absence of a ro-
bust framework, it is too early for
investments in Blockchain to befall
in the GCC region. The argument
that nothing noteworthy is happen-
ing in the GCC region fails to hold
water.
Dubai, through its Dubai Future
Foundation (DFF) of emerging
technologies, has been hitting the
top of the list by nurturing and de-
veloping latest technologies.
The objective of the DFF is to
ring in new technologies for the
government and bureaucratic ser-
vices. Dubais approach is new in
that it dares to defy its traditional
nature of simply serving as a hub
and is actually bent on leveraging
on new technologies for catering to
the needs of the state.
The DFFs Dubai Future Ac-
celerators program, for instance,
has singled out 30 companies and
has given them 3 months devel-
opment time and access to mil-
lions of dollars of venture capital
to put their technologies to a test
with local government authori-
ties. Two key projects Hyper-
loop, a high-speed transportation
system, and a Blockchain project
developed by Consensys were
economically buttressed by the
program.
Dubai recently steered a series
of pilots, through its Global Block-
voice and a free computer inspec-
chain Council, on using Blockchain
in the following areas health re-
cords, managing conict diamonds,
land title transfer, business registra-
tion, digital wills, tourism engage-
ment, and shipping.
Dubai has lofty ambitions of
creating smart cities, and these
are likely to deliver stacks of data
daily. Tracing the progress of the
Blockchain technology, it is not
easy for anyone to question its
capability of handling the pool of
data.
Blockchains can be put to use in
almost any form of record keeping,
agreement, contract, or register.
Recently, the UK government has
started probing the use the Block-
chain for public services lending
credibility to the fact that Block-
chain is primed to move into main-
stream.
The below table outlines, without
baring their potential applicability
for the GCC region, just a few ways
the Blockchains are being used or
could be put to use in the times
ahead.
Northern Gulf launches its
new pre-summer promotion
KUWAIT CITY, April 4: Get your
car ready, because here comes the
summer heat! As the summer sea-
son draws closer, and in line with
its strategy to ensure the best after
sale services that ensure the peace of
mind for consumers during the hot
weather, Hyundai Northern Gulf has
launched a new offer.
The summer promotion includes
maintenance services in addition
to a 30% discount on the total in-
tion of which includes engine per-
formance, the brake system, the air
conditioning and cooling system,
and the electrical, lighting and
safety system.
The offer is valid from April 2-7,
2017 and is applicable to all Hyun-
dai car models from the year 2014 or
older. This offer will allow Hyundai
customers to prepare their cars for
the summer and the heat it brings
with it so that they can enjoy peace
of mind during the hot weather.
Customers can now enjoy the ad-
vanced services that are available
every day of the week from 7:30 am
until 6 pm at the Hyundai Service
Centers located in Al Ahmadi, Shu-
waikh, and Al Jahra.
Commenting on this offer, a
spokesman at the service center said,
Northern Gulf takes great pride in
launching this summer promotion
that aims to provide the best there
is to offer to customers in terms of
services and maintenance for Hyun-
dai cars. One of our strongest goals
tomer regardless of whether before
A yer of Northern Gulf promotion
is to ensure that our customers are
satised and comfortable with our
services and products, therefore, we
have developed this offer to ensure
that they can enjoy the summer sea-
son by offering them peace of mind.
This is on top of the benet of own-
ing a car that enjoys only the highest
of quality and modern design. It is in
appreciation of our customers great
loyalty that we continuously strive to
develop promotions that meet their
requirements to provide customers
with what they deserve.
This offer is a reflection of
Northern Gulfs constant efforts
to provide customers only with the
best there is to offer. It also por-
trays their desire to provide the
highest level of quality in terms of
products and services that aim to
earn customer satisfaction there-
fore strengthening its position
amongst competitors whilst offer-
ing consumers the latest incentives
and cars that are characterized by
futuristic design, state-of-the-art
technology and much more.
There is also signicant effort
towards elevating the quality of ser-
vice through employing additional
sales experts, having a larger number
of available spare parts and deliver-
ing them for repair to garages, offer-
ing competitive prices, launching ex-
clusive offers at premium prices and
providing spare parts centers in key
industrial areas.
In addition to its unique marketing
campaigns, Northern Gulf continu-
ously strives to offer new promo-
tions and surprises to its consumers
and worldwide fans of Hyundai cars.
It consistently goes the extra mile
to ensure customer satisfaction and
to provide the opportunity to own a
Hyundai car at an attractive price.
The company also endeavors to
build Hyundais reputation as a suc-
cessful, leading automotive compa-
ny that manages to compete against
other companies that have long since
established their positioning. The
promotions developed are always
in line with Hyundais philosophy
of prioritizing the needs of the cus-
or after the purchase.
 ARAB TIMES, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 5, 2017

BUSINESS 33

Transneft could raise oil exports to Belarus from April
Russias Transneft has the tech-
nical capacity to pump 24 million
tonnes of oil to Belarus this year
and could start pumping addi-
tional volumes from April, an of-
cial at the oil pipeline monopoly
told Reuters on Tuesday.
On Monday, Russia agreed
to restore oil supplies to Belarus
to 24 million tonnes after Minsk
said it would pay off debt owed
to Russian natural gas exporter
Gazprom.
Transneft could pump extra
oil if it receives requests from oil
companies, Igor Demin said.
While most companies have
already planned April exports
and booked vessels for the ship-
ments, Demin said some still had
resources that they could export
to Belarus this month.
To do so, Russias Energy Min-
istry must issue additional alloca-
tions for exports to Belarus above
the current quota. Transneft also
must receive a message from
Belarusian reneries that they are
able to process 20 million tonnes
of crude oil in the April-December
period, Demin said.
Russian companies have an
allocation to export 4 million
tonnes of crude oil to Belarus
in April-June. Russia earlier
cut rst-quarter oil supply plans
to four million tonnes from a
planned 4.5 million due to a dis-
pute over natural gas. (RTRS)
Alan Howard raises over $700 mln for his new fund sources
British hedge fund manager Alan
Howard has raised more than
$700 million from outside investors
for a new fund that he will solely
manage, two sources with knowl-
edge of the matter told Reuters.
One of the sources said the
AH fund, which started trading on
March 1, had raised an additional
$2 billion from the main fund at
Howards rm, Brevan Howard
Asset Management. Hedge fund
rms that launch new funds some-
times move money from existing
funds as well as raising cash from
investors externally.
The AH Fund seeks a minimum
$50 million investment from each
investor, documents led with
US regulator the Securities and
Exchange Commission showed.
That is far bigger than the average
hedge fund investment per investor
of $1.9 million, according to data
from global industry tracker Preqin.
A spokesman for Brevan How-
ard declined to comment. How-
ards new fund, which is named
after his initials, will charge a man-
agement fee of 0.75 percent and
a performance fee of 30 percent.
The product which is still
open to new investment - has
been launched at a time when
Brevan Howard, which manages
$14.6 billion, has seen an asset
decline of around $22 billion since
2012, from a combination of losses
and client withdrawals. (RTRS)

Car and tech firms racing to secure slice of market

Mercedes joins forces with Bosch to develop self-driving taxis

FRANKFURT, April 4, (RTRS): Mer-
cedes-Benz owner Daimler and sup-
plier Robert Bosch are teaming up to
develop self-driving cars in an alliance
aimed at accelerating the production of
robo-taxis.
The pact between the worlds larg-
est maker of premium cars and the
worlds largest automotive supplier
forms a powerful counterweight to
new auto industry players like ride-
hailing rms Uber and Didi which are
also working on self-driving cars.
Technology companies and carmak-
ers are striving to adjust to a shifting
landscape in the auto industry as con-
sumers increasingly use smartphones
to locate, hail and rent vehicles, rather
than going out and buying cars.
The alliance not only marks an end
to Daimlers efforts to develop an au-
tonomous car largely on its own, but
moves the auto industrys ambitions
beyond simply developing prototype
vehicles towards industrial-scale pro-
duction of self-driving cars.
Financial terms were not disclosed
of the deal between the two German
companies, which was announced on
Tuesday.
Bosch which was founded in
1886, the same year that Mercedes
founder Carl Benz patented the motor-
car will develop software and algo-
rithms needed for autonomous driving
together with the carmaker.
The deal will help the automotive
man Sachs said last year.
Daimler is focusing its efforts on the
app-based car-sharing and ride-hailing
sector dominated by Chinas Didi, and
US-based Uber and Lyft. Like autono-
mous cars, this market is a big global
growth area and is expected to expand
by 28 percent a year to 2030, accord-
ing to consultancy McKinsey.
Within a specied area of town,
customers will be able to order an auto-
mated shared car via their smartphone.
The vehicle will then make its way au-
tonomously to the user, Daimler said.
The idea behind it is that the vehicle
should come to the driver rather than
the other way round.
The cutthroat competition to launch
self-driven cars has forced carmakers
In this Feb 2, le photo, the logo of Mercedes is photographed at the annual to shift strategy from an evolutionary
news conference at the companys headquarters in Stuttgart, Germany. (AP) toward a revolutionary approach.
Instead of evolving driver assistance
supplier make ground in a competi- it had rst envisaged the commercial systems to achieve full autonomy,
tive autonomous driving system sector launch of automated taxis, or robo- carmakers are now experimenting
where rivals Continental and Delphi taxis. with radical car designs combined
ZF and others have also made heavy The prime objective of the project with software-driven development
investments. is to achieve the production-ready de- which has led to alliances with tech-
For Daimler and its Mercedes di- velopment of a driving system which nology companies.
vision, teaming up with Bosch helps Mercedes-Benzs arch rival BMW
them throw more engineering resourc- will allow cars to drive fully autono- teamed up with Israeli autonomous ve-
es at autonomous cars, allowing them mously in the city, Daimler said in a hicle tech company Mobileye and chip
to speed up the process of creating a statement on Tuesday. maker Intel last year to develop new
production-ready system for autono- The market for advanced driver as- technology that could put autonomous
mous cars by several years. sistance systems and autonomous ve- cars on the road by 2021.
The autonomous system will now be hicles is expected to grow from about Intel has since agreed to buy Israeli
ready by the beginning of next decade, $3 billion in 2015 to $96 billion in autonomous vehicle technology rm
Daimler said, without disclosing when 2025 and $290 billion in 2035, Gold- Mobileye for $15.3 billion, a deal
which followed Qualcomms $47 bil-
lion move to acquire Dutch automotive
chip supplier NXP.
Before deciding to partner with
Bosch, Mercedes-Benz had two engi-
neering teams working on autonomous
vehicles. One took an evolutionary ap-
proach, upgrading the capabilities of
conventional vehicles, while the other
team took a more radical approach to
the cars design.
Cars which do not rely on any
driver input have a different architec-
ture and sensor setup, with more radar
and cameras, Christoph von Hugo, a
senior Mercedes-Benz safety manager,
told Reuters at a recent event to present
safety systems.
The current Mercedes E-Class can
cruise without driver input on high-
ways, keeping the distance to the car
in front and staying in lane using a sys-
tem which has level 2 autonomy.
Full autonomy known as an
eyes off, brains off or level 5 sys-
tem does away with even the need
for a steering wheel.
We dont want to wait until level 3
has arrived before we start with level
4/5. That will be too late, von Hugo
said, adding that the prospect of new
revenue streams from maintaining
eets of robo-taxis was a big motivat-
ing factor for doubling up the carmak-
ers R&D efforts.
Autonomous vehicles came closer
to road-going reality after Google
unveiled a prototype car which it de-
veloped with the help of Bosch back
in 2012. Mercedes-Benz responded by
developing an S-class limousine that
drove 103 kms (64 miles) between
the German towns of Mannheim and
Pforzheim a year later.
Real commercial applications for
autonomous cars will start to take off
between 2020 and 2025, Ola Kaelleni-
us, Daimler board member and head of
Group Research and Mercedes-Benz
Cars development told Reuters last
month.
If you take the robo-taxi, you start
perhaps in a city or several cities or areas
of cities, and then you grow from there,
he said. The key is to get to something
that you can commercialise, scale up.
The systems and hardware ex-
pertise provided by Bosch will help
Mercedes-Benz make autonomous car
technology which can be produced in
large numbers.
Bosch is already one of the worlds
largest suppliers of advanced driver as-
sistance systems (ADAS) and recently
announced an alliance with US tech
rm Nvidia to develop a self-driving
computer for production cars. Mer-
cedes-Benz and auto supplier ZF also
have separate alliances with Nvidia.
The Bosch-Daimler alliance will
rely on high-denition mapping sys-
tems provided by HERE, the digital
mapping rm owned by BMW, Mer-
cedes, Audi and Intel.

Companys expansion, borrowing hit

Rosneft hopes Iranian rulings All euro business should be

can help it beat EU sanctions
LONDON/MOSCOW,
4, (RTRS): Russian oil major
Rosneft hopes to benet from
April

European court rulings that have

allowed some Iranian banks to
escape from European Union
sanctions.
Russias largest oil rm has
been subject to sanctions since
2014, following Russias an-
nexation of Ukraines Crimea
region. Chief Executive Igor
Sechin, a close ally of Russian
President Vladimir Putin, is him-
self under sanctions.
Sanctions complicate fund-
raising for the state-run Ros-
neft and have prevented West-
ern companies from helping it
develop deepwater, shale and
Arctic oil deposits, including a
large venture with Exxon Mo-
bil.
Rosneft is attempting to an-
nul EU sanctions in the Euro-
pean General Court, following
a ruling by the European Court
of Justice that the matter can be
heard in Brussels.
Rosneft is challenging the
legality of sanctions, saying
the General Court set a prec-
edent when it annulled some
EU sanctions against Iranian
banks. The decision was later
confirmed by the European
Court of Justice.
Rosneft said the Iranian banks
had successfully challenged
sanctions intended to curb Irans
nuclear programme because
there was no evidence of wrong-
doing by the banks.
The General Court had rec-
ognised that the banks were not
involved in Tehrans nuclear
activities, Rosneft said in legal
arguments.
Rosneft is hoping to benet
from a similar attitude to sanc-
tions imposed over Ukraine. The
oil rm said it had not com-
mitted any illegal actions in any
jurisdiction, including Ukraine,
and has nothing to do with the
Ukrainian crisis.
In 2014, the European Court
of Justice struck down an EU
decision to freeze the assets of
Irans central bank, a measure
put in place prevent Iran devel-
oping nuclear weapons.
Last year, Irans Bank Mellat
also won a case that its assets
should not have been frozen. It
argued that it was not linked to
Irans nuclear programme.
The EU council said it could
not comment on the case in the
General Court (Case T-715/14)
as it was still ongoing. The
timing of its ruling was not im-
mediately known.
Sarosh Zaiwalla, a lawyer
who represented Bank Mellat
in its case against the EU, said
there were parallels with Ros-
nefts position.
The EU has not been able so
far to produce any evidence that
Rosneft ... was involved in or
supported in any way the conict
in Ukraine, he said.
In 2016, an EU court ruled
that EU sanctions on Bank Mel-
lat were imposed illegally be-
cause of lack of evidence of any
involvement by Mellat in Irans
nuclear programme, Zaiwalla
said.
moved from London: Weber
Top lawmaker says block should protect interests of EU financial hubs
STRASBOURG, April 4, (RTRS): All nancial business But with Brexit, the case for London maintaining its leading role in euro-
denominated business has become weaker.
denominated in euros should be moved from London to
People expect that we do the euro business and all the business which is linked
the European Union after Britain leaves the bloc, an EU to the euro on European soil, Manfred Weber, who heads the conservative group-
lawmaker said on Tuesday.
ing, the largest in the European Parliament, told a news conference in Strasbourg.
London is the worlds leading nancial centre for the clearing of deriva- Weber, an ally of German Chancellor Angela Merkel, said that it was not con-
tives denominated in euros, a lucrative business that the European Central ceivable that after Brexit business conducted in euros should remain in London.
Bank had tried in vain two years ago to relocate to the eurozone. He added that the bloc should protect the interests of EU nancial hubs, like Par-
is, Frankfurt, Dublin and Amsterdam.
Weber declined to answer specic
questions on whether this would
involve the moving of clearing of
euro-denominated derivatives.
The European Commission could
propose a forced relocation from Lon-
don to the European Union of the clear-
ing business in legislative proposals on
derivatives that are upcoming.
But the EU executive has so far
refrained from taking a clear posi-
tion on the issue, which could sour
Brexit talks.
The ECB considers it crucial to have
the clearing business in the euro zone
to facilitate the supervision of activities
that could endanger nancial stability
if not properly monitored.
Weber said his remarks on relo-
cating business from London were
general but added they were about
European supervision, the Euro-
pean Banking Authority (EBA) and
defending European jobs.
No reference was made to the relo-
cation of nancial business in the draft
Brexit resolution that the European
Parliament will adopt on Wednesday.

Banks will not quit France if Job creation in

France leaves euro Le Pen
PARIS, April 4, (RTRS): Investors
will not pull their money from France
if it leaves the euro, according to Ma-
rine Le Pen, the far-right presidential
candidate who pledges to call a refer-
endum and restore the national franc
currency if elected.
In an interview on Sud Radio and
TV channel Public Senat, Le Pen said
that, if elected on May 7, she would
open talks with the rest of the Europe-
an Union and organise a referendum
within six months.
At the end of the six months, it
will be the French people who de-
cide, she said, adding that this would
allow France to see the outcome of
elections in Germany and Italy too.
Theres so much liquidity in the
world that they are not going to pull
their chips out of France, above all
when France will once again be back
on the road of economic growth, said
the leader of the anti-immigrant, anti-
European Union and anti-euro Na-
tional Front party.
They are worried because they
know they will no longer be able to
make the prots they made previ-
ously... The world has changed and
thats whats worrying them. The
world is moving away from free trade
and laisser faire policy.
Financial sector supervisors from
the European Central Bank have
asked banks to keep all scenarios in
mind including how they would re-
spond to a Le Pen win and/or the mar-
ket impact that could follow any bet-
ter-than-expected score in round one.
Le Pen is predicted by opinion
polls to make it through the April
23 first round to the May 7 vote that
pits the two highest scoring candi-
dates against each other. They show
her losing the decider to favourite
Emmanuel Macron, who is staunch-
ly pro-euro.
One of Le Pens agship promises
is to take France out of what she called
the prison of European Union poli-
tics and the currency that 19 of the 28
EU countries share.
She has said she will negotiate to
restore French national sovereignty
and, if unhappy with the way those
talks go, call a referendum where
French voters decide on EU and euro
membership.
In Tuesdays interview she sig-
nalled that that referendum would be
called either way, within six or seven
months.
There will be a referendum in any
case, she said, adding that, assum-
ing she was president, she would step
down if her proposal in that popular
vote was not supported.
Elderly men shout slogans during a protest in Athens on April 4. About 3,000 pensioners marched through the
Greek capital to protest years of cuts to their pensions under the countrys bailout commitments. (AP)
Greek pensioners protest against cuts
ATHENS, April 4, (RTRS): Thou-
sands of elderly Greeks protested
peacefully on Tuesday against
more pension cuts, as cash-
strapped Greece remained locked
in talks with lenders on further
austerity and unpopular labour re-
forms.
Pension cuts have been a regu-
lar feature of austerity drives to
ensure that financial aid con-
tinues to the indebted country.
Greece has needed three multi-
billion bailouts since 2010 to
stave off bankruptcy.
Greece is now negotiating new
cuts to keep its latest 86 billion-
euro ($91.54 billion) bailout.
They would represent the 12th
reduction in pensions in seven
years, a controversial issue for
Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras,
whose Syriza party vowed to
More austerity looms
fight austerity when it was elect-
ed to office in 2015.
Tsipras has betrayed us, said
Stelios Vitzilaios as he marched
with about another 4,000 pen-
sioners through Athens with the
aid of a walking stick. He start-
ed work at the age of 14, and
now takes a 550-euro pension a
month, 100 euros less than pre-
crisis levels.
Pensioners in the country are of-
ten the sole means of support in a
household, where a quarter of the
workforce is jobless.
Several said their pensions
were financially supporting un-
employed adult members of their
family and that they scrimped on
food.
We have cut everything. We
only eat beans, said Triainos Soft-
sis, 82. His 800-euro pension was
cut to 650 euro during the crisis,
and now, he says, he nancially
supports two children and grand-
children.
Greece has agreed to cut pension
spending after its current bailout
expires in 2018. It has sought to
implement the cuts gradually, over
two or three years. But Germany
and the International Monetary
Fund want them implemented in
2019, sources said.
Greeces nance and labour
ministers were due to y to Brus-
sels on Tuesday for consultations
with lenders, hoping to wrap up a
long-delayed bailout review that
will unlock more aid before repay-
ments loom this summer.
One placard summed up the
mood at Tuesdays demonstration:
Dont slash pensions. Go slash
your throats.
Spain increase
MADRID, April 4, (RTRS): The number
of people registering as jobless in Spain
fell last month and job creation increased
as an economic revival that has cut un-
employment by a third from the peak hit
during a ve-year recession continued.
Labour Ministry data on Tuesday
showed the number of workers signing
onto the social security system, a mea-
sure of job creation, rose 0.91 percent
from the previous month, the biggest rise
on record for the month of March. The
number of people registering as jobless
fell by 1.29 percent from a month earlier.
But at 18 percent in February Spain
still has the highest unemployment rate
in the European Union after Greece,
and even though 48,599 fewer people
registered as jobless in March, 3.7 mil-
lion people remained out of work.
Moreover, nearly 90 percent of new
employment was contracted under tem-
porary terms which make it hard for
people to take on big nancial commit-
ments like a mortgage as they can be red
at short notice. Unemployment fell in the
construction, services and industry sec-
tors, but rose in agriculture.
Among people under 25 years old,
unemployment fell 13.7 percent year-
on-year, more sharply than among
other age groups, signalling a recovery
in one of the highest youth unemploy-
ment rates in Europe.
 ARAB TIMES, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 5, 2017

BUSINESS 34

Ayotte joins News Corp board Name: Kuwait Sharia Bloomberg Todays Todays closing Prev closing % 1-week 3-month YTD 12-month 24-month
Index name ticker value as of value value change change change change change change
Compatible Indices Kuwait Sharia Compatible Index - Composite AMIC April 4, 2017 179.18 178.41 0.43% -1.44% 5.98% 7.37% 18.53% -3.41%
Former New Hampshire Sen Kelly Ayotte is joining the board of Kuwait Sharia Compatible Index - Kuwait Only AMIC April 4, 2017 170.42 169.61 0.48% -1.43% 5.15% 6.64% 16.11% -6.16%
Rupert Murdochs News Corp. The media company announced Providers: Al Madar Finance & Kuwait Sharia Compatible Index - Active
Kuwait Sharia Compatible Index - Banking Sector
AMIC
AMIC
April 4, 2017
April 4, 2017
98.50
275.78
98.32
272.61
0.19%
1.16%
-0.56%
-5.11%
21.16%
2.29%
24.11%
3.62%
43.66%
12.02%
12.48%
-15.04%
Ayottes addition to the board Monday. Kuwait Sharia Compatible Index - Investment Sector AMIC April 4, 2017 57.38 57.31 0.12% -0.29% 16.97% 22.14% 32.72% -9.81%
Murdoch, the companys CEO, is praising Ayottes addition to Investment Co. Kuwait Sharia Compatible Index - Insurance Sector AMIC April 4, 2017 23.06 23.25 -0.82% 0.83% 45.28% 46.24% 32.37% -14.38%
the board, saying shell bring invaluable leadership and strategic Kuwait Sharia Compatible Index - Real Estate Sector AMIC April 4, 2017 52.91 52.49 0.81% -0.21% 6.02% 8.54% 12.96% -5.85%
planning skills. Ayotte says News Corp plays an important role Description: Index of Sharia Kuwait Sharia Compatible Index - Industrial Sector AMIC April 4, 2017 148.97 149.61 -0.43% -1.83% 22.32% 22.91% 22.10% 5.53%
Kuwait Sharia Compatible Index - Services Sector AMIC April 4, 2017 210.04 209.84 0.10% 0.79% 4.66% 6.39% 23.24% -0.36%
in keeping people informed and delivering value for investors. Kuwait Sharia Compatible Index - Food Sector AMIC April 4, 2017 366.50 365.87 0.17% 3.42% -3.61% -3.59% -0.79% -9.47%
Ayotte, a Republican, lost her seat in the US Senate last fall
compatible companies traded on Kuwait Sharia Compatible Index - Islamic Sector AMIC April 4, 2017 139.45 138.40 0.76% -3.88% 6.98% 8.09% 21.18% -3.98%
Kuwait Sharia Compatible Index - Non Kuwaiti Sector AMIC April 4, 2017 537.73 539.69 -0.36% -1.70% 22.11% 21.29% 84.06% 109.21%
to former Gov Maggie Hassan, a Democrat. Shes since been the KSE Kuwait Stock Exchange Index - Price KWSEIDX April 4, 2017 7,015.78 6,999.23 0.24% -0.51% 21.22% 22.05% 34.87% 12.77%
helping President Donald Trumps Supreme Court nominee, Neil S&P 500 SPX April 3, 2017 2,358.84 2,362.72 -0.16% 0.74% 4.47% 5.36% 13.80% 14.12%
Gorsuch, through the conrmation process. (AP) Website: www.almadar-fi.com DJ Islamic Index. DJIM April 3, 2017 3,120.85 3,128.62 -0.25% 0.04% 6.78% 7.37% 10.65% 6.28%

Thefts add to steep challenges facing state-run company

Brazils black market pipeline: Gangs hijack Petrobras oil, fuel

RIO DE JANEIRO, April 4, (RTRS): In
September, police investigating a wave
of killings in the northern Rio de Janeiro
suburbs followed a tip to the isolated
scrubland near the massive Duque de
Caxias oil renery.
Police presumed the killings were
linked to turf battles between criminal
gangs in the run-up to municipal elec-
tions the following month.
They found a different explanation
buried beneath the grass: a system of
tubes to siphon fuel from underground
pipelines leading from the renery,
owned by state-run oil company Petro-
bras.
Some of the killings, police said, were
part of a power struggle between rival
gangs earnings millions of dollars a year
from stealing crude oil, diesel and gaso-
line and selling it on a thriving black
market.
The discovery highlighted a fast-
growing criminal enterprise in Brazils
oil heartland, between Rio de Janeiro
and Sao Paulo. From just one recorded
incident in 2014, the number of thefts
and attempted thefts from Petrobras rose
to 14 in 2015 before jumping ve-
fold to 73 last year, the company told
Reuters.
The racket is part of a larger crime
wave in Brazil, and especially Rio, amid
the countrys worst recession on record.
Investigators believe the oil and fuel
thefts were masterminded by the citys
powerful militias often made up of
retired or off-duty cops as they seek
to move away from terror and violence to
lower-prole crimes following a crack-
down by authorities in recent years.
The thieves methods range from
hijacking tanker trucks to tapping the
companys more than 11,000 kms of
pipelines and processing stolen crude
at their own secret reneries.
Not even Petrobras knows exactly
how much is being stolen, said Giniton
Lages, the Rio police chief who led the
investigation at Duque de Caxias. Its
a huge business, moving millions of
reais.
While oil theft often with environ-
mental damage from the accompanying
spills is commonplace in regions like
the Niger Delta of Nigeria, it has not tra-
ditionally been a problem in Brazil.
The thefts add to the steep chal-
lenges facing Petroleo Brasileiro SA, as
the Rio-based rm is formally known.
Amid weak oil prices, the company is
scaling back under new CEO Pedro Par-
ente and trying to emerge from a $100
million pile of debt.
For the past three years, the state-run
company has been hit by a sprawling in-
vestigation into corruption and political
kickbacks in its dealings with construc-
tion rms.
Police suspect corruption in the oil
thefts as well. The taps and pipes near
the Duque de Caxias renery were so
precisely engineered that investigators
concluded the thieves must have had
help from inside Petrobras.
They knew what type of fuel was
inside each pipe and what was the ideal
point to place a tap without the change
of pressure in the tube raising the atten-
tion of the companys security system,
Lages said.
Petrobras, whose production of about
2.8 million barrels a day makes it one of
the worlds top 10 oil companies, said it
was working with police to identify any
employees or ex-employees that may
have been involved in the crimes.
In 2016, there was a startling in-
crease in theft from our pipelines, said
Rodrigo Spagnolo, head of pipeline
maintenance at Transpetro, Petrobras
transport subsidiary.
The company, however, said the rob-
beries had no material impact on its
earnings. Petrobras reported revenues of
$81 billion last year.
The militias in Rio de Janeiro
emerged to combat drug gangs in the
citys violent hillside favelas. But they
evolved into criminal organizations
preying on those impoverished commu-
nities, controlling everything from real
estate and electricity to cable TV. Some
of the leaders entered local politics.
In the wake of high-prole killings at
the end of the last decade prompting
a government crackdown the militia
have maintained a lower prole, said
Ignacio Cano, a professor at the state
university of Rio de Janeiro and a mem-
ber of its Laboratory for the Analysis of
Violence.
Stealing fuel was not typically a
crime associated with militia, but they
must see an opportunity for making mil-
lions, he said. Its unusual for them to
operate outside the territory they con-
trol.
Most oil and fuel thefts reported by
Petrobras in 2016 took place on the
populous Sao Paulo-Rio de Janeiro axis,
which groups ve of the companys big-
gest reneries.
In Rio de Janeiro, thefts tripled last
year to 33. Five of the incidents caused
oil spills, Petrobras said.
Police arrested 13 people for the
Duque de Caxias renery scam, includ-
ing two military police ofcers. A judge
has issued warrants for 26 others.
The gang, set up in June 2015, stole
14 million litres (3.6 million gallons)
of fuel last year, worth an estimated 33
million reais ($11 million), prosecutors
said.
Police believe the Rio branch of the
gang was headed by Caxias Denilson
Silva Pessanha, a former city council-
lor in Duque de Caxias and the owner
of illegal gasoline stations. Such service
stations, operating without a license or a
distribution contract with a fuel supplier,
have become more common in Brazilian
cities in recent years.

As Delhi hikes minimum wage, trade Innovative financing sours

unions urge Indian states to follow
India, Britain talk up post-Brexit trade prospects
NEW DELHI, April 4, of over three million workers.
We hope that other states will fol-
(RTRS): A historic move low too, he added.
to raise the minimum wage Activists called on the Delhi gov-
of millions of Delhis poor- ernment to now focus on introducing
legislation to punish employers found
est workers by almost 40
to be paying less than the minimum
percent should be extended wage, saying this amounted to forced
to other parts of the country
labour and required strict penalties.
to ght exploitation, trade Minimum wage rates in India are
unions and rights groups determined by both federal and state
said on Tuesday. authorities and apply to 45 profes-
sions including agricultural work-
The ruling Aam Aadmi Party in ers, miners, construction workers,
Delhi hiked the minimum wage
government cleaners and security
rate for unskilled, semi-skilled guards.
and skilled workers by 37 percent The rates which are based on
last month - making the capital the the cost of housing, clothes, food, ed-
highest minimum wage provider to ucation and electricity vary across
Indias working class population. states, but have remained grossly
Activists said of Indias 36 states inadequate for decades, say trade
and union territories, Delhi was the unionists.
only one to follow through on rec- The wage hike in Delhi applies to
the National Capital Territory, which
ommendations made by the labour
ministry in 1957 and the Supreme includes the capital and its environs
Court in 1991 that states review and covers a population of more
minimum wage rates at least every than 16 million people, many of
ve years. whom work in low wage jobs.
The Delhi government has shown Under the new rules which came
the will to bring about a positive into effect on March 3, an unskilled
change in the lives of our work- worker will be entitled to a monthly
force, said Anurag Saxena from the salary of 13,350 rupees ($205), a
Centre of Indian Trade Unions, a na- semi-skilled worker 14,698 rupees
tional movement with a membership ($225) and a skilled labourer 16,183
rupees ($250).
That it took us nearly 60 years to
implement those recommendations is
quite telling on the treatment meted
out to our countrys workforce, said
Ramendra Kumar from the Trade
Union Coordination Centre.
Also:
NEW DELHI: India and Britain on
Tuesday talked up their prospects of
developing a new trading relation-
ship, as their nance ministers met
to prepare for the United Kingdoms
exit from the European Union.
British nance Minister Philip
Hammond ew in to New Delhi for
talks with Indian counterpart Arun
Jaitley, days after Prime Minister
Theresa May triggered the formal
start of the Brexit process.
Hammond played down the risks
of a so-called hard Brexit, in which
Britain would lose access to the mar-
kets of the blocs other 27 nations if
the two sides cannot reach a consen-
sus deal within a two-year deadline.
We have made the decision that
we will not be part of the structure of
the European Union, but weve also
made very clear that we want to ne-
gotiate the maximum possible open
trade relationship with the European
Union, Hammond told a news con-
ference after a joint economic and
dairy giant in Chinas NW
ZHANGWU, China, April 4,
(RTRS): The crisis at Huishan
Dairy, one of Chinas biggest
dairy companies, is a stark re-
minder of what can lurk in the
dark corners of corporate China,
where rapid growth can go hand
nancial dialogue. in hand with tangled nances and
We hope to be able to negotiate a heavy debt.
deep and special relationship with the China Huishan Dairy Holdings
European Union that will allow us to Co Ltd embraced what its execu-
go on trading and investing in each tives called innovative nanc-
others economy, but at the same ing, from the sale and leaseback
of its cows, to selling wealth
time allow us to rebuild our relation-
ships with our partners and allies management products for rich
investors nancial antics that
around the world. seem incongruous with the dusty
May received a cool reception on elds, tin-roofed sheds and plastic
her rst visit to India last November, greenhouses of Zhangwu county
with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in northeast China.
stressing the importance not only of Now it is battling swollen li-
trade but also of freedom of move- abilities, a short-term debt squeeze
ment for his countrys skilled work- and considerable unwanted atten-
ers. tion. After a late 2016 short-sell-
Hammond later told UK journal- ing attack, it saw an 85 percent
ists that Mays goal of reducing im- drop in its shares in a single day
migration to below 100,000 people last month, wiping $4 billion off
per year would not have an adverse its value and triggering a stock
suspension.
affect on Indian skilled workers and
students seeking to go to Britain. It has reported a key nance ex-
ecutive missing.
That was a long-term target, he
said: We know that our economy to- Its misfortunes are a reminder
that even as banks bad debt num-
day has a signicant dependence on bers stabilise, there remain many
migrant labour and will continue to question marks over the quality
do so for some time to come. of their balance sheets. Those ex-
Sixty percent of work visas were posed to Huishan include Industri-
granted by Britain to Indian nationals al and Commercial Bank of China,
more than all other countries com- Agricultural Bank of China, re-
bined while the number of Indians gional lenders, leasing companies
studying in the UK was rising again and online loans rms.
after a crackdown on bogus courses, When you move down to the
he added.
local lenders in less developed
provinces and counties, there
could be hundreds and thousands
of similar cases to Huishan, albeit
at a smaller scale, said Shawlin
Chaw, Control Risks analyst fo-
cused on Greater China.
In 2013, retail investors ocked
to Huishans $1.3 billion Hong
Kong listing, which was priced at
the top of its forecast range.
The provincial government was
vocal in its support.
Next year, we can all go to
work at Huishan Dairy! Liaoning
government slogans proclaimed, in
reference to the promised creation
of tens of thousands of local jobs.
Now that Huishan has missed
debt payments, that same govern-
ment has brokered meetings be-
tween the dairy and its 23 creditor
banks, including big names such
as Bank of China Ltd, AgBank
and Ping An Bank Co Ltd.
Local ofcials declined to com-
ment for this story.
Falling milk prices and rising
feed costs had caused problems
for the region, local farmers said.
This year is the worst Ive
seen for the dairy cattle industry,
said Shan Jiawu, a dairy farmer
in Zhangwu, who has been in the
business for over a decade.
Around the county where Huis-
han has dozens of farms, guards at
two of three operations visited by
Reuters said the farms were func-
tioning normally, though reporters
were not allowed in. A third was
shut.

investment funds
Funds Fund Manager Valuation
Net Asset Prev NAV Valued date
Prev NAV Dated Currency Funds Fund Manager Valuation
Net Asset Prev NAV Valued date
Prev NAV Dated Currency
Value (NAV) Value (NAV)

National Bank of Kuwait Index Funds GCC Large Cap Index Fund Global Weekly March 23, 2017 KD 1.202 1.183 March 9, 2017
Equity Funds Al-Mamoun Fund A Global Weekly March 23, 2017 KD 0.655 0.647 March 9, 2017
Money Market Funds
Watani KD Money Market Fund II NBK Capital Weekly March 28, 2017 KD 1.024 1.022 Jan 17, 2017 Al-Mamoun Fund B Global Weekly March 23, 2017 KD 0.655 0.647 March 9, 2017
Watani USD Money Market Fund NBK Global Asset Management Co. Ltd. Weekly March 28, 2017 USD 10.190 10.182 Jan 17, 2017 GCC Large Cap Fund Global Bi-weekly March 21, 2017 USD 144.580 144.080 March 7, 2017
Watani KD Money Market Fund (Acc Al-Noor Fund Global Bi-weekly Jan 31, 2017 SAR 197.090 197.090 Jan 24, 2017
to Islamic Shariah principles) II NBK Global Asset Management Co. Ltd. Weekly March 28, 2017 KD 1.022 1.020 Jan 17, 2017 Global Saudi Equity Fund Global Bi-weekly March 21, 2017 SAR 203.290 206.020 March 7, 2017
Watani USD Money Market Fund (Acc Money Market Funds Global Money Market Fund Global Weekly Nov 20, 2016 USD 1.160
to Islamic Shariah principles) II NBK Global Asset Management Co. Ltd. Weekly March 28, 2017 USD 10.069 Sectoral Funds EPADI Fund Global Weekly March 21, 2017 USD 107.050 107.850 March 7, 2017
NBK Kuwait Equity Fund Watani Investment Co. Weekly March 23, 2017 KD 0.670 Islamic Funds Global GCC Islamic Fund Global Weekly March 21, 2017 USD 99.020 98.670 March 7, 2017
Gulf Equity Investment Fund Watani Investment Co. Weekly March 23, 2017 USD 10.105 Al-Durra Islamic Fund Global Monthly March 23, 2017 KD 1.202 1.182 March 9, 2017

Gulf Bank Kuwait Finance & Investment Co (KFIC)
Al Bashaer GCC Equity Fund Kwt. Fin. & Inv. Co. & Gulf Fin. House Monthly Feb 28, 2017 USD 7.070 7.082 Jan 31, 2017 Al Wasm Fund KFIC Weekly March 16, 2017 KD 0.420 0.421 Feb 15, 2017
Coast Fund Coast Investment & Dev. Co. Monthly Feb 28, 2017 KD 0.672 0.652 Jan 31, 2017 Al Bashaer GCC Equity Fund KFIC Monthly Feb 28, 2017 USD 7.073 6.853 Dec 31, 2016
Sanaya Dow Jones Kuwait Index Fund Industrial & Financial Investment Co. Weekly Jan 26, 2017 KD 0.561 0.561 Dec 30, 2016
Markaz Capital Preservation Program 1 Monthly Feb 28, 2017 KD 0.912 0.917 Dec 31, 2016
Markaz Capital Preservation Program 2 Monthly Feb 28, 2017 KD 0.942 0.940 Dec 31, 2016
KAMCO
KAMCO Investment Fund KAMCO Monthly Jan 31, 2017 KD 1.065 0.889 Nov 30, 2016
Markaz Gulf Real Estate Fund Bi-annual Feb 28, 2017 KD 1.417 1.418 Jan 31, 2017
KAMCO GCC Opportunities Fund KAMCO Monthly July 31, 2016 USD 115.890 114.380 Feb 29, 2016

KAMCO MENA Plus Fixed Income Fund KAMCO Jan 31, 2017 USD 12.551 10.260 Dec 31, 2016
Al Ahli Bank KAMCO Real Estate Yield Fund KAMCO Jan 31, 2017 USD 10.220 10.270 Dec 30, 2016
Al Ahli Gulf Fund Al Ahli Bank Monthly Feb 28, 2017 KD 0.893 0.892 Jan 31, 2017 Kuwait Education Fund KAMCO Quartely Sept 30, 2016 KD 1.457
Al Ahli Kuwaiti Fund Al Ahli Bank Monthly Feb 28, 2017 KD 0.818 0.824 Jan 31, 2017

Wafra International Investment Co.

Burgan Bank Wafra Equity Fund Wafra Co. Monthly Feb 28, 2017 KD 0.902 0.911 Jan 31, 2017
Burgan Equity Fund Burgan Bank Monthly March 26, 2017 KD 1.809 1.794 Feb 26, 2017 Wafra Bond Fund Wafra Co. Monthly Feb 28, 2017 KD 1.034 1.032 Jan 31, 2017
Masaref Investment Fund ISKAN Weekly Feb 28, 2017 KD 0.816 0.817 Jan 31, 2017
Fajir Islamic Fund Wafra Co. Monthly Feb 28, 2017 KD 0.675 0.695 Jan 31, 2017
Boubyan Bank
Boubyan KD Money Market Fund Boubyan Bank Weekly March 28, 2017 KD 1.062 1.061 Feb 28, 2017
Boubyan KD Money Market Fund II Boubyan Bank Weekly March 28, 2017 KD 1.009 1.006 Feb 28, 2017 Shuaa Capital Co.
Emirates Gateway Fund Shuaa Capital Weekly Feb 7, 2017 AED 15.110 15.070 Jan 31, 2017
The Arab Gateway Fund Shuaa Capital Weekly Feb 7, 2017 USD 28.160 29.040 Jan 31, 2017
Boubyan Capital Investment Co.
Boubyan USD Liquidity Fund Boubyan Capital Investment Co March 28, 2017 USD 10.190 10.180 Feb 28, 2017
Boubyan Multi-Asset Holding Fund Boubyan Bank Feb 28, 2017 USD 10.250 10.125 Jan 31, 2017 Al Aman Investment
Al Aman Islamic Fund Al Aman Investment Weekly Dec 31, 2016 KD 0.342 0.322 Nov 1, 2016

Kuwait Investment Co.
Local Fund Al Raed Fund Kuwait Investment Co Weekly March 23, 2017 KD 1.014 1.001 March 16, 2017 Tharwa Investment Co.
Kuwait Investment Fund Kuwait Investment Co Weekly Feb 28, 2017 KD 0.695 0.696 Jan 31, 2017 Tharwa Investment Fund Tharwa Investment Co Weekly March 13, 2017 KD 1.379 1.406 Dec 31, 2016
Al Hilal Fund Kuwait Investment Co Monthly Feb 28, 2017 KD 0.541 0.541 Feb 13, 2017 Tharwa Arab Investment Fund Tharwa Investment Co Bi-weekly July 31, 2016 USD 1.977 2.251 June 30, 2016
Al Atheer Fund Kuwait Investment Co Weekly Feb 28, 2017 KD 1.089 1.112 Jan 31, 2017 Tharwa World Fund Tharwa Investment Co Monthly March 31, 2016 USD 1.024 0.986 March 15, 2016
International Global Bond Fund Kuwait Investment Co Weekly March 22, 2017 USD 24.510 24.210 March 15, 2017 Tharwa Islamic Fund Tharwa Investment Co Monthly March 13, 2017 KD 0.571 0.590 Dec 31, 2016
Diversified Fund Kuwait Investment Co Weekly March 22, 2017 USD 18.550 18.530 March 15, 2017
European Fund Kuwait Investment Co Weekly Jan 31, 2017 Euro 19.890 19.820 Dec 30, 2016 Bank Al-Bilad
Pacific Equity Fund Kuwait Investment Co Weekly March 22, 2017 USD 29.430 29.200 March 15, 2017 Al Seef Fund Bank Al-Bilad Daily March 15, 2017 KD 0.422 0.415 March 1, 2017
North American Equity Fund Kuwait Investment Co Tw. Monthly Feb 28, 2017 USD 18.100 17.570 Jan 31, 2017

Commercial International Bank

National Investment Co. (NIC) CIB Money Market Fund (Osoul) CI Asset Management Weekly April 4, 2017 EGP 286.450 286.030 March 30, 2017
Al-Wataniya Fund NIC Monthly Feb 28, 2017 KD 0.613 0.630 Jan 31, 2017
CIB II Equity (Isthethmar) CI Asset Management Weekly April 4, 2017 EGP 143.730 141.400 March 30, 2017
Al-Darij Fund NIC Monthly Feb 28, 2017 KD 0.355 0.361 Jan 31, 2017
CIB and Faisal Islamic Al Aman CI Asset Management Weekly April 4, 2017 EGP 8.830 80.840 March 30, 2017
Mawarid Fund NIC Monthly Feb 28, 2017 KD 0.513 0.515 Jan 31, 2017
Hemaya CI Asset Management Weekly April 2, 2017 EGP 172.460 169.020 March 1, 2017
Zajil Fund NIC Monthly Feb 28, 2017 KD 0.744 0.749 Jan 31, 2017
Thabat CI Asset Management Weekly April 4, 2017 EGP 168.760 167.840 March 30, 2017
Al Mada Investment Fund NIC Weekly Feb 28, 2017 USD 0.773 0.779 Jan 31, 2017
Takamol CI Asset Management Weekly April 4, 2017 EGP 138.240 137.140 March 30, 2017

Misr El Mostakbel CI Asset Management Weekly April 2, 2017 EGP 24.850 24.880 March 27, 2017
Kuwait Financial Centre (Markaz)
Mumtaz Fund Kuwait Financial Center Weekly March 16, 2017 KD 4.036 4.023 March 9, 2017
MIDAF Kuwait Financial Center Weekly March 16, 2017 KD 3.083 3.075 March 9, 2017
Noor Financial Investment Co.
Noor Islamic Fund Noor Financial Investment Co Monthly Feb 29, 2016 KD 0.613 0.645 Dec 31, 2015
Islamic Fund Kuwait Financial Center Weekly March 16, 2017 KD 1.572 1.565 March 9, 2017

Markaz Arabian Fund Kuwait Financial Center Weekly Nov 10, 2016 KD 2.990 2.920 Nov 3, 2016
FORSA Financial Fund Kuwait Financial Center Monthly Feb 28, 2017 KD 0.972 0.996 Jan 31, 2017 Al Zumorroda Investment Co.
Real Estate Fund Kuwait Financial Center Monthly Feb 28, 2017 KD 1.412 1.419 Jan 31, 2017 Zumorroda GCC Fund Al Zumorroda Investment Co Monthly Jan 31, 2016 KD 0.481 0.543 Dec 31, 2015
Markaz Fixed Income Fund Kuwait Financial Center Monthly March 16, 2017 USD 11.490 11.470 March 9, 2017
Mawazeen International Fund Kuwait Financial Center Weekly March 19, 2017 USD 9.140 9.070 March 12, 2017 KFH Capital Investment Co.
Markaz MENA Islamic Fund Kuwait Financial Center Weekly March 16, 2017 USD 10.640 10.720 Feb 28, 2017 Muthanna Islamic Index Fund (MUDX) KFH Capital Investment Company Daily Feb 28, 2017 KD 0.357 0.354 Jan 31, 2017
Muthanna GCC Islamic Banks Fund KFH Capital Investment Company Daily Feb 28, 2017 KD 0.683 0.673 Jan 31, 2017
Kuwait & Middle East Financial & Inv. Co. Baitak GCC Fund KFH Capital Investment Company Weekly Feb 28, 2017 KD 0.916 0.957 Jan 31, 2017
Al Rouyah Fund KMEFIC Monthly Feb 28, 2017 KD 1.414 1.434 Jan 31, 2017
Gulf Gate Fund KMEFIC Monthly Oct 31, 2016 KD 0.944 0.918 Sept 30, 2016 CapCorp Investment Co.
CapCorp Local Fund CapCorp Investment Company Weekly Feb 28, 2017 KD 0.941 0.962 Jan 31, 2017
Global Investment House

BUSINESS
Abu Dhabis Taqa gets lifeline from state utility
Abu Dhabis state utility tightened
its grip on loss-making Abu Dhabi
National Energy Company (Taqa)
by boosting its stake to 74 per-
cent, days after it granted land that
could potentially wipe out the
energy companys losses.
It is not the first time cash-rich
Abu Dhabi has stepped in to
rescue a state-linked company.
In 2011, it bailed out struggling
developer Aldar Properties.
Like some other energy com-
Kuwaits index gains in
choppy trade, volume up
KFH climbs 10 fils; Americana flat
By John Mathews
Arab Times Staff
KUWAIT CITY, April 4:
Kuwait stocks pulled high-
er on Tuesday stemming
the two-day retreat. The
bourse rose 16.55 pts in
choppy trade to 7,015.78
points helped by buying in
select counters even as the
sentiment remained broad-
ly mixed.
The KSX 15 gauge climbed 5.23
pts to 948.46 points taking the
months gains to 14 pts while
weighted index edged 1.43 pts
higher. The volume turnover
meanwhile slipped after rising in
last three sessions. 290.28 million
shares changed hands a 8.8 pct
fall from Monday.
The sectors closed mostly in green.
Oil and gas outshone the rest with
0.71 pct gain whereas healthcare
tripped 3.22 percent, the worst per-
former of the day. Volume wise, real
estate clocked the highest market
share of 42.3 pct while financial ser-
vices stood next with 34.12 pct con-
tribution.
In the individual shares, Kuwait
Finance House gained 10 fils on back
of 5.8 million shares and Commercial
Bank of Kuwait followed suit to wind
up at 435 fils. Kuwait National
Cinema Co jumped 60 fils with razor
thin trading volume.
Zain was unchanged at 460 fils off
slight early highs and Ooredoo too
did not budge from its earlier close of
KD 1.120. Kuwait
Telecommunications Co (VIVA) was
down 10 fils at 900 fils and logistics
major Agility climbed 10 fils to 650
fils.
Burgan Bank added 5 fils with
brisk trading while Gulf Bank of
Kuwait closed flat. The banks Q4
net profit rose 7.8 pct to KD 10.14 m
and during 2016, profits was to 10.1
pct to KD 42.94 mln.
The market opened weak and see-
sawed in early trade. The main index
slipped to days lowest level of
6,986.66 pts and headed north amid
spurt in buying. It drifted lower in
choppy trade thereafter and bounced
in the final minutes to peak at 7,017.5
pts before closing with modest gains.
Top gainer of the day, Argan Real
Estate Co soared 16.28 pct to 200 fils
while KBMMC climbed 7.94 pct to
stand next. NCCI slid 9 percent, the
steepest decliner of the day and
Taamer topped the volume with 17.8
Mideast stocks
Egypt buoyed by foreign buyers
Abu Dhabi leads regional markets
DUBAI, April 4, (RTRS): Stock mar-
kets in the Middle East rose on
Tuesday with Abu Dhabi gaining the
most, buoyed by heavy trade in the
shares of a newly merged bank while
buying from foreign funds boosted
Egypt.
Shares of recently merged First
Abu Dhabi Bank jumped 4.8 percent
in very heavy trade, helping lift Abu
Dhabis index 1.8 percent.
Shares of Abu Dhabi National
Energy, however, retreated 5.3 per-
cent as investors booked profits after
they had soared 24 percent since
Sunday.
On Tuesday, TAQA said govern-
ment-run utility company Abu Dhabi
Water & Electricity Authority
(Adwea) has raised its stake in the
energy company to 74 percent from
52.38 percent.
Dubais index extended on the 1.4
percent gains made on Monday to
add 0.6 percent supported by gains in
large and mid-sized shares.
Builder of the tallest tower in the
world, Emaar Properties added 1.2
percent and Dubai Islamic Bank rose
1.8 percent.
In Qatar, the index rose 0.5 per-
cent, recovering from some of the
small losses made earlier in the day.
Shares of Islamic lender Masraf Al
Rayan jumped 3.2 percent; on
Monday they fell 3.0 percent as its
shares went ex-dividend.
But shares of Qatar International
Islamic Bank dropped 4.5 percent as
they went ex-dividend on Tuesday.
Egypts index added a further 1.6
percent to 13,265 points with a little
panies, Taqa has been reeling
from losses resulting from low
commodity prices.
The oil explorer and power sup-
plier on Tuesday said Abu Dhabi
Water & Electricity Authority
(Adwea) had raised its stake to 74
percent from 52.38 percent.
Adwea bought a 21.67 percent
stake in Taqa held by the Fund for
the Support of Farm Owners, a
spokesman for Taqa said.
The move came after Adwea
million shares.
Reflecting the days upswing, the
winners outnumbered the losers. 48
stocks advanced whereas 37 closed
lower. Of the 136 counters active on
Tuesday, 51 closed flat. 6,262 deals
worth KD 25.42 million were trans-
acted a 0.16 pct rise in value from
the day before.
National Industries Group was
unchanged at 122 fils while Gulf
Cable gave up 5 fils to end at 465 fils.
Kuwait Cement Co rose 5 fils to 490
fils and Kuwait Portland Cement
gained 10 fils. Heavy Engineering
Industries and Shipbuilding Co was
flat at 222 fils.
Kuwait Food Co ( Americana)
stood pat at KD 2.500 with thin vol-
ume and Kuwait Foundry Co climbed
15 fils to 325 fils. Boubyan
Petrochemical Co dipped 10 fils and
NCCI followed suit to close at 100
fils. Equipment Holding Co inched 1
fil into green
Jazeera Airways was unchanged at
570 fils and ALAFCO took in 2 fils
before settling at 246 fils. Metal and
Recycling Co and Shuaba Paper
Industries were down 5 fils each at 72
fils and 420 fils respectively.
Humansoft Holding gained 40 fils
and Automated Systems Co stagnat-
ed at 275 fils. ATC slid 70 fils to 879
fils and Napesco held the ground at
KD 1.220.
Flat
Burgan Well Drilling Co was up 4
fils at 88 fils and Combined Group
Contracting Co was flat at 510 fils.
Al Qurain Petrochemical Co slipped
5 fils and KCPC dipped 10 fils to 174
fils. PAPCO was unchanged at 110
fils
Yiaco dropped 20 fils to 250 fils
and Al Rai Media Group paused at
176 fils. Mezzan Holding Co and
Zimah Holding were stalled at KD
1.020 and 59 fils respectively. Kuwait
and Gulf Link Transport Co inched 1
fil up and KGL Logistics Co closed
flat.
National Bank of Kuwait was
unchanged at 860 fils off early lows
and Kuwait International Bank was
up 4 fils and 244 fils. Al Ahli Bank
pulled up from a shallow trough to
close unchanged at 305 fils .
Boubyan Bank rose 5 fils to 410
fils rebounding from slight fall in the
day before and Warba Bank followed
suit to wind up at 260 fils. Ahli
United Bank dropped 10 fils to 445
fils extending Mondays downtick.
KIPCO and Kuwait Investment Co
were flat at 500 fils and 100 fils
respectively whereas Coast
Investment Co inched 1 fil up on
over two-thirds of the shares closing
higher.
Some positive momentum is
building in the market again mainly
because of inflow from foreign funds,
and the market may test technical
resistance at the January peak of
13,544 points, said a Cairo based
technical trader.
Exchange data showed foreign
funds were net buyers on Tuesday by
a wide margin. Stocks, favoured by
those international funds, outper-
formed with Commercial
International Bank adding 2.7 per-
cent.
Palm Hills Development rose 1.3
percent. Analysts at Prime Holding
have increased their valuation of the
company by 14 percent mainly
because of an appreciation in price of
the companys inventory and expect-
ed new unit launches.
The analysts also said they were
positive on the short term cash flow
of the company although they are
cautious on the demand outlook,
especially on the premium real estate
market.
A slowdown in sales activity is
imminent and sooner than expected,
with second quarter 2017 marking
the official slowdown starting point
in our view, as the current unit prices
have appreciated to the level of
demand elasticity ignition, said
Prime Holding.
Saudi Arabias index edged up 0.3
percent in the lowest daily traded
volume since mid-September.
Number of gaining and declining
shares were equal at 66.
ARAB TIMES, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 5, 2017
35
transferred land to Taqa valued at
18.7 billion dirhams ($5.1 billion)
after Taqa reported a full-year
2016 loss of 18.55 billion dirhams.
At the date of transfer, Taqa
recorded the fair value of lease-
hold land at 18.7 billion dirhams,
under property plant and equip-
ment, with a corresponding
amount recorded as an equity
contribution from Adwea, Taqas
financial statements showed.
(RTRS)
back of 12.5 million shares. Securities
House Co took in 1 fil and Securities
Group Co paused at 99 fils.
KAMCO and KMEFIC were flat at
90 fils and 30.5 fils respectively
while Tamdeen Investment Co
slipped 5 fils. Bayan Investment and
Al Deera Holding added 1.5 fils each
whereas Aayan inched 1 fil lower.
Sokouk Holding eased 0.5 fils to
46.5 fils and Al Mal edged 0.5 fils
higher. Ektittab Holding clipped 1 fil
and Amwal gave up 5 fils. Ahleia
Insurance Co rose 5 fils and Warba
Insurance Co closed flat.
Kuwait Real Estate Co and United
Real Estate Co paused at 67 fils and
104 fils respectively whereas
National Real Estate Co took in 2 fils.
Mabanee Co was unchanged at 830
fils and Mazaya Holding added 2 fils.
The market has been mixed so far
during the week and has shed 14 pts
in last three sessions. It had gained
238 points during whole of March
and is trading 22 pct higher year-to-
date. KSE, with 208 listed compa-
nies, is the second largest bourse in
the region.
In the bourse related news, Al
Mazaya Holding net profits soared
31.7 pct to KD 2.59 million in last
quarter of 2016 while profits rose 10
pct to KD 10.25 million during the
fiscal year of 2016. The board has
recommended an annual cash divi-
dend of 8% or 8 fils per share.
Gulf Glass Manufacturing Cos
fourth quarter net profit dipped o
64% in KD 14,000 from KD 39,000
in same period last year. During the
fiscal year of 2016, profits was down
48 percent to KD 1.21 million from
KD 2.34 mln in the previous year.
Al Mowasat Health Care has post-
ed KD 1.8 million profits during the
fourth quarter of 2016 and for the
fiscal year of 2016, earnings rose
35.3 pct to KD 4.52 million from the
year before. The board of directors
has recommended a dividend payout
of 20% or 20 fils per share.
Injazzat Real Estate Development
has posted a net profit of KD 550,000
in the last quarter of 2016 and during
the fiscal year of 2016, the bank
earned KD 3.2 million. The board has
recommended a cash dividend of 5%
or 5 fils per share for FY 2016.
Ajial Real Estate Entertainment
Company (AREEC) net losses nar-
rowed by 22.7 pct to KD 888,620
from KD 1.15 million in Q4 of 2115.
The annual profits in 2016 clocked
KD 1.5 million and the board has
recommended the distribution of cash
dividends at 5% of capital.
Dairy and juice producer National
Agriculture Development jumped 4.0
percent, after it fell 2.1 percent the
previous session.
The two listed real estate invest-
ment trusts - a security which pro-
vides investors with an extremely
liquid stake in real estate - were some
of the main laggards. Al Jazira REIT
lost 2.9 percent and was the worst
performer on Tuesday and Riyad
REIT fell 1.8 percent.
Saudi Arabia
The index edged down 0.3 per-
cent to 6,968 points.
Dubai
The index added 0.6 percent to
3,560 points.
Abu Dhabi
The index rose 1.8 percent to
4,549 points.
Qatar
The index edged up 0.5 percent
to 10,392 points.
Kuwait
The index added 0.2 percent to
7,016 points.
Egypt
The index rose 1.6 percent to
13,265 points.
Oman
The index rose 0.5 percent to
5,623 points.
Bahrain
The index edged up 0.05 percent
to 1,349 points.
 ARAB TIMES, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 5, 2017

BUSINESS 36

BP to cut about 5 mln pounds from CEOs pay
BP Plc has agreed to cut about
5 million pounds ($6.24 million)
from Chief Executive Bob Dud-
leys maximum pay for the next
three years in a bid to avoid a
shareholder revolt, Sky News
said on Monday, citing people
briefed on the matter.
Sky News said that Dudleys
maximum annual pay over the next
three years will now be about 12.2
million pounds ($15.22 million) in-
cluding his salary, an annual bonus
of 3.3 million pounds and a long-
term share incentive plan award
worth up to 7.4 million pounds. The
previous package was worth up to
17.4 million pounds including the
matching share awards.
The report said the company
had decided to reduce Dudleys
maximum long-term incentive
plan award from seven times his
1.48 million pounds basic salary to
ve times. According to the report,
Dudleys annual bonus will remain
UK grocery prices jump 2.3 pct in 12 weeks
constant at a maximum of 225 per- British grocery prices jumped the nal three months of 2016, pound to slide, pushing up the
cent of his salary. The framework 2.3 percent year-on-year in the ending more than two years of price of imports, while prices of
will also apply to other top BP direc- 12 weeks to March 26, as the falling costs. certain key commodities have
tors between 2017 and 2019. plunge in the pound following Ination shows no signs of also risen.
BP has seen shareholder oppo- last years Brexit vote forced abating, said Fraser McKevitt, The British Retail Consortium
sition to high executive pay since higher the cost of staples includ- head of retail and consumer in- has said shoppers are cutting
last April, when a majority of inves- ing butter, sh, tea and skincare. sight at Kantar Worldpanel. back non-essential spending to
tors in BP voted down the oil com- Market researcher Kantar Rising prices cost the average counter higher food costs, show-
panys plan to pay Dudley a $19.6 Worldpanel said the latest in- household an additional 21.31 ing the pressures starting to
million remuneration package, re- crease was up from the 1.4 pounds ($26.52) during the past build on consumers who helped
ecting outrage over the proposed percent rise recorded in the 12 12 weeks, McKevitt said. the economy withstand the
remuneration after the oil compa- weeks to Feb 26. Food prices Britains vote last June to leave Brexit shock in the initial months.
ny posted losses. (RTRS) started to edge up in Britain in the European Union caused the (RTRS)

the bottomline Wall Street flat as investors

SAN FRANCISCO: Federal regulators count on its website. Spend more than

nervy ahead of Trump-Xi meet

have ordered Wells Fargo to pay $5.4
million and reinstate a former banker
who reported suspected fraudulent
behavior in 2010.
The US Department of Labors
Occupational Safety and Health
Administration says the banker lost his
job at a Wells Fargo branch in the Los
Angeles area after reporting suspected
fraud committed by two people he
supervised.
Wells Fargo spokesman Vince
Scanlon says the bank plans to appeal
the preliminary order and ask for a full
hearing because it disagrees with the
ndings.
OSHA officials say the $5.4 mil-
lion includes the whistleblowers
back pay, compensatory damages and
legal fees. (AP)
Tom McCarthy and Sherman is in
NEW YORK: Shares of Staples Inc.
jumped Tuesday on reports that the
ofce supply chain is exploring a sale
less than a year after it scrapped a $6.3
billion merger with rival Ofce Depot.
The Wall Street Journal reports
that the company is in early talks with
private-equity bidders. Staples said it
has no comment on the report.
The stock rose $1.18, or 13.6 per-
cent, to $9.84 in morning trading. (AP)
NEWARK: Danone will sell its Stony-
eld Farms business to gain approval
from the US for a $12.5 billion buyout
of Denvers WhiteWave Foods, dou-
bling the size of the French companys
business in North America.
The Justice Department said it
would approve the deal if Stonyeld
were sold, citing the potential for
reduced competition in the organic
milk market. The department had
been particularly concerned about a
long-term strategic partnership and
supply and licensing deals between
Danone S.A. and CROPP Coopera-
tive, a WhiteWave rival. The Justice
Department believed that the sale
of Stonyeld Farms to an independ-
ent buyer would cut the ties between
Danone and CROPP, and maintain
competition. (AP)
ST LOUIS: The nations largest coal
producer, Peabody Energy Corp,
said Monday that it has emerged from
bankruptcy protection after a year.
The St Louis Company said it
reduced costs and slashed its debt load
by more than $5 billion in the past
year.
CEO Glenn Kellow said that the
company has the size and assets in-
cluding a wide geographic reach to
be competitive. Peabody will aim to
further reduce debt and return cash to
shareholders, he said.
Demand for coal has weakened as
utilities switch to cheaper natural gas for
electricity generation. The downturn has
led to thousands of job losses and devas-
tated mining communities. (AP)
AUSTIN, Texas: The company
behind the Veg-O-Matic and other
household products now wants to slice
and dice the stock market and sell 5
million shares of Ronco Brands for
$6 each.
Just like in the infomercials Ronco
uses to sell gadgets like the Pocket
Fisherman, theres more to this deal.
Act now to express interest in the
minimum $120 investment for 20
shares.
But for investments over $1,000,
Ronco will throw in a 20 percent dis-
$5,000 and get a Ronco Rotisserie
too. (AP)
LOS ANGELES: Blumhouse Televi-
sion has set up shop with ITV Studios,
which has bought a 45% stake in Jason
Blums growing TV production arm.
The deal calls for Blumhouse and
ITV Studios to set up an autonomous
studio operation focusing on what
Blumhouse described as dark genre
programming for global audiences.
Among Blumhouses high-prole
projects is the limited series Secure
and Hold: The Last Days of Roger
Ailes about the downfall of Roger
Ailes at Fox News, based on Gabriel
Shermans biography The Loudest
Voice in the Room. Blumhouse said
the project shepherded by lmmaker
development at Showtime. (RTRS)
LONDON: British nanotechnology
company Nanoco Group Plc cut its
full-year expectations saying sales
have not materialised in the second
half.
Shares in the company were down
18 percent at 29.37 pence at 07:14
GMT, after falling as much as 22
percent, near an 8-year low.
The company, which specialises
in quantum dots, said it is currently
engaged with nine OEMs (original
equipment manufacturers) on 14 dif-
ferent programmes but is awaiting its
rst commercial sales.
Quantum dots are semiconductor
nanocrystals that are 10,000 times ner
than a human hair and can convert
electrical energy into light and be
manipulated to produce precise colours
in display. (RTRS)
BRUSSELS: The European Unions
competition watchdog is examining a
new plan, presented by Britain, which
is meant to address concerns that
Royal Bank of Scotland might gain
advantages through its state bailout.
The European Commission had
ordered RBS, one of Europes biggest
nancial services groups, to sell its
led some to question whether he will
Williams and Glyn unit to satisfy the
concerns over state aid, but the bank
struggled to nd a buyer.
Britains Treasury proposed an
alternative under which RBS would
help other banks move into the market
for small business customers. The new
measures are likely to cost 750 million
pounds and reduce RBS earnings.
EU Competition Commissioner
Margrethe Vestager said Tuesday that
we can only accept this proposal if it
has the same positive effect on compe-
tition as the divestment of Williams &
Glyn. (AP)
TOKYO/PARIS/LONDON: Toshiba
has been forced to buy out French
utility Engie from a project to build
three nuclear reactors in Moorside,
northwest England, adding to strains
on the Japanese companys nances
and to uncertainty over the project.
Engie said on Tuesday it was
exercising its right to sell its 40
percent stake in the NuGen venture
to Toshiba following the bankruptcy
of the Japanese rms Westinghouse
unit. Toshiba will pay 15.3 billion yen
($138.5 million) for the stake.
Toshiba is now the sole owner of
NuGen, but has said it is looking
for more investors to join the $15-20
billion project or to sell out altogether.
(RTRS)
European shares down following drop on Asian bourses
LONDON, April 4,
(RTRS): European shares
edged lower on Tuesday,
after falls on Asian bourses,
and low-risk government
debt yields fell as political
risks from a meeting be-
tween the US and Chinese
leaders to the French presi-
dential election kept inves-
tors on edge.
Wall Street also looked set to
open in the red, according to index
futures .
The dollar edged up against a
basket of major currencies but lost
half a percent against the safe-hav-
en Japanese yen. Gold, another as-
set sought in uncertain times, hit a
one-week high.
In emerging markets, the South Af-
rican rand fell more than 1 percent
against the dollar and bank shares fell
after S&P Global cut the countrys
credit rating to junk on Monday.
The pan-European STOXX 600
share index gave up early gains and was
last down 0.1 percent, after falling from
a 16-month high on Monday.
Britains FTSE 100 index, however,
rose 0.4 percent.
Shares have hit record highs across
the globe in recent months, partly in
anticipation of US President Donald
Trump cutting taxes, easing regulation
and raising infrastructure spending in
the worlds largest economy.
However, Trumps struggles to push
other legislation through Congress has
be able to fully make good on his cam-
paign pledges.
In Asia, automaker stocks, which
helped pull Wall Street down on Mon-
day after sub-par US car sales data,
were the main drag on Tokyo shares on
Tuesday; the Nikkei fell 0.9 percent to
a 10-week low.
MSCIs broadest index of Asia-Pacif-
ic shares outside Japan fell 0.4 percent,
having hit a 21-month high last week.
The dollar inched up 0.1 percent
against its currency basket but fell to as
low 110.24 yen.
The euro fell 0.2 percent to $1.0650
and sterling fell 0.4 percent to $1.2432.
The Australian dollar was 0.7 percent
weaker at $0.7546 after the central bank
held rates steady at a record low 1.5
percent as expected, and said growth in
household borrowing, largely for hous-
ing, was outpacing rises in household
income.
US
US stocks were little changed on
Tuesday, trading in a tight range, as
investors fretted over the ability of
President Donald Trump to deliver on
his policy plans, and ahead of his poten-
tially tense meeting with Chinese Presi-
dent Xi Jinping.
The industrial and material stocks
got a boost after Trump said the US in-
frastructure bill may top $1 trillion and
that his administration was working on
a major haircut on the Dodd-Frank
banking regulation, rekindling some of
his campaign promises.
But, the gains were neither sufcient
or last long enough to offset a drop in
nancials and technology stocks.
The market rally that was sparked
by Trumps pro-business policy plans
has cooled of late, following legislative
setbacks that led investors to question
whether the president would be able to
deliver on his promises.
Adding to investor nervousness is
Trumps upcoming meeting with Xi,
one which the US president expects
will be a very difcult one, according
to his tweet last week. He has held out
the possibility of using trade as a lever
to secure Chinas cooperation against
North Korea at the Thursday-Friday
meeting.
At 12:44 p.m. ET (1644 GMT), the
Dow Jones Industrial Average was
up 25.32 points, or 0.12 percent, at
20,675.53, the S&P 500 was down 1.25
points, or 0.05 percent, at 2,357.59 and
the Nasdaq Composite was down 1.36
points, or 0.02 percent, at 5,893.32.
Of the 11 major S&P sectors, four
were lower, two gained and the rest
were little changed. The energy index
was up 0.4 percent, helped by higher oil
prices.
The biggest drag on the S&P and the
Nasdaq was Nvidia , which dropped 5.6
percent to $102.24 after Pacic Crest
downgraded the chipmakers stock.
Staples was the biggest percentage
gainer on the S&P with a 10 percent
gain. Reuters reported that the ofce
supplies retailer was exploring a sale.
Declining issues outnumbered ad-
vancers on the NYSE by 1,542 to 1,277.
On the Nasdaq, 1,489 issues fell and
1,242 advanced.
The S&P 500 index showed six 52-
week highs and six lows, while the Nas-
daq recorded 29 highs and 34 lows.
UK
British shares outperformed Euro-
pean peers on Tuesday, helped by the
energy and industrials sectors, while
supermarket rms Sainsbury and Mor-
rison fell on poor sales data.
The FTSE 100 ended up 0.5 per-
cent, outperforming the more hesitant
Europe-wide STOXX 600 index, which
inched up 0.2 percent.
The British index was little changed
after PMI data showed British construc-
tion growth slowed in March.
Precious metal miners Randgold Re-
sources and Fresnillo were among the
top gainers, up 1.6 to 2.8 percent, as
gold prices hit a one-month high.
Distributor and outsourcer Bunzl
rose 1.2 percent after it said it bought
two safety workwear businesses: ML
Kishigo in the United States and Neri
in Italy.
Supermarkets Morrison and Sains-
bury fell 2.8 percent and 2.2 percent re-
spectively after Kantar Worldpanel data
showed their sales struggled in the rst
quarter while discount competitors Aldi
and Lidl performed strongly.
South Africa exposed stocks Investec
and Old Mutual rose 0.6 percent and 0.1
percent respectively, recovering from
earlier losses due to credit ratings agen-
cy S&Ps downgrade of the African
country to sub-investment grade.
GKN, which makes engines and
components for cars, was down 2 per-
cent, tracking Europe-wide losses in the
auto sector, fell 1 percent.
Among mid-caps, meanwhile, valve
maker Rotork was up 4.4 percent and
set for its best day in four months.
JP Morgan upgraded the rm, which
is exposed to a recovery in oil and gas
markets, to overweight, saying its
earnings power had increased.
Europe
The muted start to the second quarter
continued on Tuesday with European
shares ending a choppy session slightly
in positive territory as gains in oil-relat-
ed stocks and miners more than offset
weakness in the autos sector.
The pan-European STOXX 600 in-
dex ended up 0.2 percent, while the re-
sources-heavy FTSE 100 outperformed
and was up 0.5 percent.
Heading into Q2 theres a lot on the
table. Theres a lot of currency risk go-
ing on at the moment, which is causing
a bit of market uncertainty, especially
in the FTSE and the Euro STOXX 50,
said John Moore, trader at Berkeley
Capital, referring to Europes blue chip
index.
Autos were the biggest sectoral los-
ers, down 0.6 percent, with Schaefer,
Peugeot and Volkswagen leading the
sector lower.
Figures for US sales of new vehicles
in March at major carmakers came in
below market expectations while inves-
tor worries over the outlook for diesel
vehicles has cast a cloud over European
auto stocks.
Banking stocks were also under the
cosh, falling 0.4 percent. Spains Ban-
co Popular extended its slide from the
previous session, taking losses over
the past two sessions to more than 11
percent after the lender announced a re-
statement on Monday and said that its
CEO is to step down.
Oil stocks were among standout sec-
toral gainers, however, rising around 1
percent, rebounding from losses in the
previous session as oil prices rose to a
near one-month high on expectations of
a drawdown in US crude and product
inventories. Likewise, basic resources
stocks rose 1.5 percent.
Asia
Asian stock markets were mostly
lower on Tuesday after disappoint-
ing US car sales data contributed to a
bleak day on Wall Street. Investors
are cautiously awaiting President Don-
ald Trumps meeting with the Chinese
president later this week.
Japans Nikkei 225 fell 0.9 percent
to 18,810.25 as the yen gained against
the US dollar. South Koreas Kospi
slipped 0.3 percent to 2,161.10. Aus-
tralias S&P/ASX 200 fell 0.3 percent
to 5,856.60. Southeast Asian shares
were mixed. Markets in Hong Kong
and Shanghai were closed for public
holidays.
Automakers including Ford and
General Motors reported disappointing
sales for March in a sign that does not
bode well for US consumer spending.
US auto sales fell for a third straight
month, by 1.6 percent to just over 1.55
million vehicles, as passenger car sales
dropped. Analysts had expected a small
increase.
Investors reduced their holdings of
automakers following weak March
sales reports. In Seoul, South Korea,
Hyundai Motors stock dropped 2.9
percent while its smaller afliate Kia
Motors lost 1.4 percent. In Tokyo, Hon-
da Motors stock fell 2.7 percent and
Toyota Motor dropped 1 percent.
Shares in the troubled Japanese com-
pany sank 9 percent on Tuesday after
national broadcaster NHK reported, cit-
ing an unidentied person, that the com-
pany may need extra nancial support
to cover its losses. Its US nuclear unit
Westinghouse Electric led for bank-
ruptcy protection last week.
Oil
Oil prices rose on Tuesday as expec-
tations of a drawdown in US crude and
product inventories outweighed news of
higher Libyan production.
Benchmark Brent crude oil was up 50
cents at $53.62 a barrel by 1350 GMT.
US light crude was 35 cents higher at
$50.59 a barrel.
Both benchmarks recovered from
four-month lows last week on expec-
tations that the Organization of the
Petroleum Exporting Countries would
manage to tighten supply by cutting
production under a deal agreed at the
end of last year.
Demand is picking up ahead of sum-
mer in key markets, including the Unit-
ed States, the worlds biggest oil con-
sumer, where analysts forecast industry
data this week will show a decline in oil
inventories.
US crude stocks probably declined
last week after rising for two consecu-
tive weeks, and rened product inven-
tories were also expected to have fallen,
a Reuters survey showed.
Gold
Gold prices hit a one-month high on
Tuesday, boosted by a lower dollar after
US economic data persuaded investors
to reassess the idea of an imminent Fed
rate hike, while security concerns rose
following a bomb blast in Russia the
previous day.
Spot gold was up 0.2 percent at
$1,255.9 an ounce by 1350 GMT after
touching $1,261.15, its highest since
February 27. US gold futures climbed
0.3 percent to $1,257.8.
The US Institute for Supply Manage-
ment said its index of national factory
activity fell to 57.2 in March from 57.7
in February, while automakers report-
ed a 1.6 percent drop in US sales last
month.
The dollars gains could be coming
to an end. It has been rising and thats
a headwind for the US economy, said
Marex Spectron analyst Guy Wolf.

exchange rates April 4

US dollar Sterling pound Euro Japanese yen Swiss franc Canadian dollar Swedish krona Saudi riyal UAE dirham Bahraini dinar Omani riyal
Cash Draft Transfer Cash Draft Transfer Cash Draft Transfer Cash Draft Transfer Cash Draft Transfer Cash Draft Transfer Cash Draft Transfer Cash Draft Transfer Cash Draft Transfer Cash Draft Transfer Cash Draft Transfer
BEC Buy .301750 .303500 .303500 .378489 .377489 .377489 .321205 .321205 .321205 .002734 .002734 .002734 .301657 .302657 .302657 .221161 .219161 .219161 .029458 .029458 .029458 .079993 .080493 .080493 .081357 .081300 .081300 .799929 .799428 .799428 .783320 .777819 .777819
Sell .306150 .305850 .305850 .388489 .387089 .387089 .330205 .328305 .328305 .002914 .002914 .002914 .312657 .309657 .309657 .230161 .229161 .229161 .034458 .034458 .034458 .081293 .081133 .081133 .083057 .082750 .082750 .808429 .807928 .807928 .789000 .788819 .788819
Muzaini Sell .304650 .305850 .305850 .385980 .385980 .327870 .327870 .002697 .002697 .302970 .302970 .230510 .230510 .081654 .081654 .083356 .083356 .813070 .813070 .795218 .795218
Dollarco Sell .306000 .305500 .305500 .386000 .384717 .384717 .330000 .327087 .327087 .003500 .003690 .003690 .310000 .309220 .309220 .235000 .233480 .233480 .083000 .082500 .082500 .084000 .083680 .083680 .813000 .810915 .810915
Commercial Bank Buy .301000 .304450 .304450 .381000 .382191 .382191 .323000 .324300 .324300 .002837 .002837 .306000 .306109 .306109 .224000 .225454 .225454 .033372 .033372 .077000 .080741 .080741 .082149 .082421 .082421 .800355 .803169 .803169 .784615 .786308 .786308
Sell .306800 .306550 .306550 .389000 .384828 .384828 .333000 .326537 .326537 .002871 .002871 .315000 .308233 .308233 .235000 .227019 .227019 .033603 .033603 .083000 .081301 .081301 .082975 .082993 .082993 .808399 .808742 .808742 .792501 .791764 .791764
Gulf Bank Buy .304450 .304450 .304450 .378070 .378070 .378070 .320830 .320830 .320830 .002810 .002810 .002810 .308020 .308020 .308020 .222680 .222680 .222680 .033320 .033320 .033320 .080170 .080170 .080170 .081890 .081890 .081890 .797750 .797750 .797750 .781220 .781220 .781220
Sell .306550 .306550 .306550 .389790 .389790 .389790 .330720 .330720 .330720 .002890 .002890 .002890 .317690 .317690 .317690 .229520 .229520 .229520 .034340 .034340 .034340 .081890 .081890 .081890 .083600 .083600 .083600 .814380 .814380 .814380 .797480 .797480 .797480
NBK Buy .303700 .303700 .375890 .375890 .323290 .323290 .002863 .002863 .307200 .307200 .225290 .225290 .033320 .033320 .080610 .080610 .082340 .082340 .801620 .801620 .785390 .785390
Sell .306800 .306800 .386170 .386170 .333030 .333030 .002895 .002895 .310750 .310750 .227610 .227610 .033630 .033630 .081310 .081310 .083030 .083030 .808570 .808570 .791970 .791970
Burgan Bank Buy .303200 .303200 .372069 .372069 .320585 .320585 .002792 .002792 .307446 .307446 .225799 .225799 .033837 .033837 .080340 .080340 .082054 .082054 .799406 .799406 .782777 .782777
Sell .307300 .307300 .392484 .392484 .338196 .338196 .002946 .002946 .309736 .309736 .227450 .227450 .034084 .034084 .081115 .081115 .082850 .082850 .807107 .807107 .790274 .790274
ABK Buy .301950 .304450 .304450 .377740 .381110 .381110 .321580 .324450 .324450 .002729 .002729 .303430 .303430 .228110 .228110 .338800 .338800 .079750 .080460 .080460 .082637 .082420 .082420 .800590 .800590 .786930 .786930
Sell .308050 .306550 .306550 .387830 .385630 .385630 .330540 .328650 .328650 .002761 .002761 .307680 .307680 .230820 .230820 .346200 .346200 .082480 .082000 .082000 .083467 .083800 .083800 .815750 .815750 .799850 .799850
KFH Buy .302490 .303200 .303200 .362625 .368024 .368024 .312805 .318087 .318087 .002776 .002776 .305609 .305609 .224967 .224967 .033368 .033368 .080090 .080518 .080518 .081786 .082223 .082223 .794037 .801697 .801697 .777623 .785047 .785047
Sell .308020 .306300 .306300 .398639 .390287 .390287 .346368 .336777 .336777 .002933 .002933 .311255 .311255 .228483 .228483 .033799 .033799 .081861 .081369 .081369 .083591 .083088 .083088 .816600 .808785 .808785 .799556 .791970 .791970
KBE Sell .306250 .306250 .380900 .380900 .332100 .332100 .082810 .082810 .806500 .806500
Danish krone Indian rupee Pakistani rupee Sri Lanka rupee Bangladesh taka Philippine peso Australian dollar Hong Kong dollar Singapore dollar Jordanian dinar Egyptian pound
Cash Draft Transfer Cash Draft Transfer Cash Draft Transfer Cash Draft Transfer Cash Draft Transfer Cash Draft Transfer Cash Draft Transfer Cash Draft Transfer Cash Draft Transfer Cash Draft Transfer Cash Draft Transfer
BEC Buy .040530 .040529 .040529 .000030 .004461 .004461 .002697 .002869 .002869 .001651 .002020 .002020 .003383 .003827 .003827 .006142 .005800 .005800 .224322 .222322 .222322 .037033 .036532 .036532 .213951 .214951 .214951 .423775 .422147 .422147 .017442 .021482 .021482
Sell .045530 .045529 .045529 .004184 .004537 .004537 .002987 .002901 .002901 .002231 .002062 .002062 .003967 .003871 .003871 .006442 .006267 .006267 .236322 .235322 .235322 .039783 .039632 .039632 .223951 .220951 .220951 .432775 .429647 .429647 .024695 .022251 .022251
Muzaini Sell .004578 .004578 .002917 .002917 .002062 .002062 .003853 .003853 .006156 .006156 .039456 .039456 .215040 .215040 .431200 .431200 .023900 .017300 .017300
Dollarco Sell .004650 .004568 .004568 .003100 .002917 .002917 .002300 .002022 .002022 .004150 .003854 .003854 .006350 .006082 .006082 .435000 .432620 .432620 .023000 .019476 .019476
Commercial Bank Buy .044221 .044221 .004000 .002000 .005000 .229000 .228750 .228750 .038936 .038936 .216649 .216649 .420000 .016000
Sell .044749 .044749 .006500 .004547 .004547 .002923 .002923 .003500 .002065 .002065 .003897 .003897 .007900 .006315 .006315 .235000 .231477 .231477 .039400 .039400 .219232 .219232 .434000 .432199 .432199 .024000 .034598 .034598
Gulf Bank Buy .043920 .043920 .043920 .230110 .230110 .230110 .038790 .038790 .038790 .214770 .214770 .214770
Sell .045260 .045260 .045260 .004660 .004660 .004660 .002960 .002960 .002960 .002090 .002090 .002090 .003940 .003940 .003940 .006370 .006370 .006370 .234790 .234790 .234790 .039570 .039570 .039570 .221340 .221340 .221340 .435960 .435960 .435960 .034920 .034920 .034920
NBK Buy .044130 .044130 .004470 .004470 .002010 .002010 .006090 .006090 .232450 .232450 .216640 .216640 .424370 .424370 .033890 .033890
Sell .045080 .045080 .004650 .004650 .002950 .002950 .002080 .002080 .006260 .006260 .235440 .235440 .219340 .219340 .431750 .431750 .034430 .034430
Burgan Bank Buy .043536 .043536 .004399 .004399 .002829 .002829 .002044 .002044 .003838 .003838 .006239 .006239 .228040 .228040 .218767 .218767 .424741 .424741 .033796 .033796
Sell .045929 .045929 .004667 .004667 .003003 .003003 .002066 .002066 .003894 .003894 .006321 .006321 .229778 .229778 .220417 .220417 .428904 .428904 .034417 .034417
ABK Buy .043540 .043540 .004652 .004652 .231160 .231160 .039110 .039110 .217710 .217710 .428480 .428480
Sell .044650 .044650 .004763 .004763 .003003 .003003 .002132 .002132 .006683 .006683 .234220 .234220 .039560 .039560 .220280 .220280 .435740 .435740 .018290 .018290
KFH Buy .044029 .044029 .004492 .004492 .002868 .002868 .002033 .002033 .003802 .003802 .006148 .006148 .231898 .231898 .216405 .216405 .424743 .424743 .017393 .017393
Sell .044901 .044901 .004632 .004632 .002934 .002934 .002078 .002078 .003914 .003914 .006328 .006328 .235376 .235376 .219743 .219743 .429924 .429924 .017702 .017702
KBE Sell .004594 .004594 .002901 .002901 .002057 .002057 .003873 .003873 .006211 .006211 .017995 .017995
Cyprus pound Yemeni riyal Thai baht South African rand Korean won Syrian pound Iranian Riyal Lebanese pound Malaysian ringgit Indonesian rupiah New Zealand dollar
Cash Draft Transfer Cash Draft Transfer Cash Draft Transfer Cash Draft Transfer Cash Draft Transfer Cash Draft Transfer Cash Draft Transfer Cash Draft Transfer Cash Draft Transfer Cash Draft Transfer Cash Draft Transfer
BEC Buy .001374 .001364 .001364 .008291 .008230 .008230 .016426 .000255 .001286 .001285 .001285 .000084 .000147 .000181 .000181 .068677 .067416 .067416 .000019 .000018 .000018 .215304 .213304 .213304
Sell .001454 .001464 .001464 .008841 .008645 .008645 .024926 .000270 .001506 .001505 .001505 .000085 .000247 .000201 .000201 .074677 .074416 .074416 .000025 .000025 .000025 .224804 .224304 .224304
Muzaini Sell .001229 .001229 .008601 .008601 .002182 .002182 .002040 .002040 .068841 .068841
Dollarco Sell .695000 .167990 .167990 .009000 .009715 .009715 .000980 .002425 .002425 .076000 .069500 .069500
Gulf Bank Buy .215310 .215310 .215310
Sell .022540 .022540 .022540 .000020 .000020 .000020 .219690 .219690 .219690
ABK Buy .212340 .212340
Sell .216090 .216090
KFH Buy .001199 .001199 .008485 .008485 .000197 .000197 .070853 .070853
Sell .001229 .001229 .008803 .008803 .000206 .000206 .071672 .071672
KBE Sell .001550 .001550 .002377 .002377

travellers cheques US dollar Sterling Euro local gold Gold 999 kg Gold 999 10 tola Gold ounce Gold gm 22k Gold gm 21k Gold gm 18k 100 gm 999 10 gm 999
BEC .3058500 .3870890 .3283054 BEC All rates in KD per unit of
Commercial Bank .3065500 .3848280 .3265370 Muzaini Exchange 12,347.610 1,459.890 394.500 11.330 10.810 9.270 130.300
.3065500 .3897900 .3307200
foreign currency
Gulf Bank
Al-Ahli Bank .3065500 .3856300 .3286500

INTERNATIONAL
Yemen govt forces prepare to move on port
DUBAI, April 4, (Agencies): Yemeni
government forces and their Arab al-
lies are massing north and south of the
Houthi-held Red Sea port of Hodeidah
despite United Nations and aid groups
warnings that a military operation
there would put millions of civilians
at risk.
Hodeidah port and province is con-
trolled by the Iran-aligned Houthis and
has been the entry point for 70 percent
of Yemens food supplies as well as
humanitarian aid.
The country has been torn by more
than two years of civil war that pits
the armed Houthi group against the
government of President Abd-Rabbu
Mansour Hadi, which is backed by a
Saudi-led Arab alliance. More than
10,000 people have been killed in the
conict and hunger is widespread.
Local officials said that Hadis
Kuwait to raise
Continued from Page 1
and privatization, along with safe-
guarding rights of personnel serving
in the sectors that would be privatized.
He afrmed the approach to tackle
defects in the State budget which
dropped to KD 21 billion (some $69
billion), years ago, to KD 18 billion
($58.8 billion).
Budget of the scal year (2016-
2016) posted fall of current spending
by KD 1.1 bilion (some $3.4 billion),
he said, reiterating the approach to
boost investment spending and the
banking sectors contribution to fund-
ing development ventures.
Kuwait Direct Investment Promo-
tion Authority has already drawn KD
600 million ($1.9 billion) worth of
enterprises. Kuwait Authority for Part-
nership Projects (KAPP), which also
plays a key role in bolstering presence
of the private sector in the national
economy, currently has 12 projects,
due to be privatized.
Among these projects is the rst Al-
Zor power plant, he said, indicating
that a foreign investor is allowed to
30 percent of stakes in such ventures,
while the government retains 20 per-
cent. The remaining 50 percent shares
are allotted for public subscription.
Amir condemns
Continued from Page 1
and blackened bodies.
State investigative authorities said
fragments of the body of the suspect
had been found among the dead, indi-
cating that he was a suicide bomber.
From the genetic evidence and the
surveillance cameras there is reason to
believe that the person behind the ter-
rorist act in the train carriage was the
same one who left a bag with an explo-
sive device at the Ploshchad Vosstan-
iya station, they said in a statement.
Russia has been on alert against
attacks in reprisal for its military in-
tervention in Syria, where Moscows
forces have been supporting troops
loyal to President Bashar al-Assad
against Western-backed armed groups
as well as the hardline Islamic State
(IS) which grew out of the conict.
IS, now under attack by all sides
in Syrias multi-faceted war, has re-
peatedly threatened revenge and been
linked to recent bombings elsewhere
in Europe.
If it is conrmed that the metro
bomber was linked to radical Islamists,
it could provoke anger among some
Russians at Moscows decision to in-
tervene in Syria, a year before an elec-
tion which President Vladimir Putin is
expected to win.
Ofcials said they were treating the
blast as an act of terrorism, but there
was no ofcial conrmation of any
link to Islamist radicals.
Suspected gas
Continued from Page 1
Turkey, which backs the anti-Assad
opposition, said the attack could derail
Russian-backed diplomatic efforts to
shore up a ceasere.
Turkeys state-run Anadolu news
agency said 15 people hurt in the at-
tack, mostly women and children, had
been taken to Turkey.
Footage from Turkeys Dogan
news agency showed at least four
people being brought out of ambu-
lances on stretchers in the Turkish
border town of Reyhanli by medical
staff wearing face masks. One was a
young boy.
An ofcial at the Turkish Health
Ministry said Turkeys disaster man-
agement agency was rst scanning
those arriving for chemical weap-
ons, then decontaminating them from
chemicals before they could be taken
to hospital.
Idlib province contains the larg-
est populated area controlled by anti-
Assad rebels - both nationalist Free
Syrian Army groups and powerful Is-
lamist factions including the former al
Qaeda-linked Nusra Front.
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan
and Russian President Vladimir Putin
discussed the suspected attack, Turk-
ish presidential sources said. They said
the two leaders had also emphasised
the importance of maintaining the
much-violated Syrian ceasere.
Idlibs population has ballooned,
with thousands of fighters and ci-
vilians shuttled out of Aleppo city
and areas around Damascus that the
government has retaken in recent
months as Assad has gained the up-
per hand in the war.
The United States has also launched
a spate of air strikes in Idlib this year,
targeting jihadist insurgents.
Following the 2013 attack, Syria
Agencies say military op would put civilians at risk
government, building on recent gains
that included capturing the coffee
export hub of al-Mokha in February,
has amassed two recently-trained
brigades one in Midi about 230
km (140 miles) north of Hodeidah
near the border with Saudi Arabia,
and another outside al-Khoukha re-
gion, some 130 km (80 miles) south
of the city.
Government forces will have to
cross large areas of Houthi-held terri-
tory from both sides as the movement
still controls the most populated areas
in Western Yemen, including the capi-
tal Sanaa, and the regions surrounding
the port city.
Mohsen Khasrof, a senior military
ofcial in President Abd Rabbu Man-
sour Hadis Aden-based government,
said it was only a matter of time for
an attack on Hodeidah to start after the
Syrians risk all in flight from Raqqa
AIN ISSA, Syria, April 4, (RTRS):
People from Raqqa are eeing their
city under cover of night as US-
backed forces close in on the Islamic
State stronghold, running a gauntlet of
mineelds and hostile ghters instead
of risking death in a major battle ex-
pected to begin soon.
Islamic State has used threats and
coercion to stop people leaving, forc-
ibly returning some to the city in an
apparent effort to use them as human
shields against the looming assault
by the US-backed Syrian Democratic
Forces.
At a camp north of Raqqa, Syrians
who escaped the city in the last few
days say Islamic State checkpoints
are now disappearing as ghters either
leave for the front lines or withdraw to
strongholds to the south.
There are no longer checkpoints.
There were before, but they evacu-
ated, said Abdullah Hamad Ali, who
escaped Raqqa on Saturday night by
foot, guided by a smuggler to whom
he paid $2,100 to get his family out of
the city.
We walked through farmland
planted with mines, he told Reuters at
the camp in Ain Issa, a town around 45
km (30 miles) north of Raqqa where
more than 3,000 people from the city
are sheltering in SDF-held territory.
The assault on Raqqa promises to be
a dening moment in the US-led war
against Islamic State in Iraq and Syria.
Along with the Iraqi armys campaign
to drive Islamic State out of Mosul, it
threatens to deal a major blow to the
militants.
It is unclear how many people re-
main in Raqqa, Islamic States Syr-
ian base of operations for more than
three years and a major symbol of the
cross-border caliphate in Iraq and
Syria. The citys population has been
estimated at 200,000 before the recent
departures.
The US-led coalition and SDF are
still expecting a tough ght. Islamic
State has been digging fortications
and trenches in the city in readiness for
an attack which the Kurdish YPG mili-
tia has said will begin in April.
As civilians struggle to leave, Islam-
ic State is doing its best to stop them.
The jihadists have executed at least
one man for smuggling families out of
Raqqa, said Abdullah Shabaan, a for-
mer resident who ed earlier this year
but remains in contact with people in
the city. He said he had given up trying
to get relatives out of Raqqa for now
because of the risks.
Fighters at remaining Islamic State
checkpoints on roads out of the city
joined the international Chemical
Weapons Convention under a US-Rus-
sian deal, averting the threat of US-led
military intervention.
Under the deal, Syria agreed to give
up its toxic arsenal and surrendered
1,300 tonnes of toxic weapons and in-
dustrial chemicals to the international
community for destruction.
UN-OPCW investigators found,
however, that it continued to use chlo-
rine, which is widely available and
difcult to trace, in so-called barrel
bombs, dropped from helicopters.
Although chlorine is not a banned
substance, the use of any chemical is
banned under 1997 Chemical Weap-
ons Convention, to which Syria is a
member.
Damascus has repeatedly denied
using such weapons during the six-
year war, which has killed hundreds
of thousands and created the worlds
worst refugee crisis.
Frances foreign minister called on
Tuesday for an emergency meeting of
the United Nations Security Council
after what he said was a disgusting
gas attack on Syrias rebel-held Idlib
province.
The Syrian Observatory for Human
Rights, a British-based war monitor,
said a suspected chemical attack by
Syrian government or Russian jets
killed at least 58 people, including 11
children, in the rebel-held northwest-
ern province of Idlib.
A new and particularly serious
chemical attack took place this morn-
ing in Idlib province. The rst infor-
mation suggests a large number of
victims, including children. I condemn
this disgusting act, Jean-Marc Ayrault
said in a statement.
In the face of such serious actions
that threaten international security, I
ask for everyone not to shirk their re-
sponsibilities. With this in mind, I ask
for an emergency meeting of the UN
Security Council, he added.
It was not immediately clear what
action France, a permanent member
of the Security Council, wanted to be
taken.
United Nations rejected coalition de-
mands that it take steps to ensure that
no weapons reach the Houthis through
it.
The political decision of liberating
Hodeidah has been taken and military
preparations have been completed,
only the timing remains to be decid-
ed, he told Reuters by telephone.
The Houthis have also preparing
their defences.
Tens of thousands of our ghters
from the tribes have answered the call
of (the Houthi leader) Abdel-Malek al-
Houthi, deputy spokesman of forces
ghting alongside the Houthis, Aziz
Rached, told Yemeni news agency
Khabar on Tuesday.
Food deliveries have been cut by
more than half with nearly 3.3 mil-
lion people including 2.1 million
children - acutely malnourished, the
IS digging in to defend stronghold
Jared Kushner, US President Donald Trumps son-in-law and senior adviser, arrives at the Ministry of Defense, in
Baghdad, Iraq on April 3. (AP)
have been asking children rather than
their parents where they are going in
an effort to catch them out, said Ali
Mohamad, speaking at the Ain Issa
camp. People found heading to SDF
areas have been sent back into Raqqa
and their drivers detained.
Barricades and fortications have
been erected in the city.
The situation in Raqqa was ter-
rible, said Mostafa al-Ahmad, who
also left Raqqa on Sunday for Ain Issa.
The SDF is the one advancing, so we
thought, lets just go over to them and
get it over with, he said.
Many in Raqqa are hoping to see the
back of Islamic State, which has im-
posed an ultra-hardline interpretation
of Islam and brought foreign militants
from all over the world to their city.
Many of those foreigners have now
gone, according to residents.
But Islamic State has been whipping
up fear of the alternative, for months
telling people in Raqqa that the YPG
was coming to commit atrocities
against them, said one resident, speak-
ing via the internet from the predomi-
nantly Arab city.
The SDF dismisses this as IS pro-
Trump to hear
Continued from Page 1
week, Arab leaders renewed an of-
fer they rst made to Israel in 2002
recognition by dozens of Arab and
Muslim nations in exchange for allow-
ing the creation of a Palestinian state
in the West Bank, Gaza Strip and east
Jerusalem. Israel has balked, among
other things, at the envisioned scope of
withdrawal from the lands it captured
in 1967 and unsuccessfully sought to
renegotiate the initial proposal.
With the summit declaration to back
his case, Jordans king will be able to
tell Trump that Arab leaders are serious
about achieving what Jordans foreign
minister, Ayman Safadi, described as
the historic reconciliation between Is-
rael and the whole Arab world.
But the king will couple the enticing
prospect of regional peace with a warn-
ing. Jordan argues that the decades-old
Israeli-Palestinian conict remains at
the root of regional turmoil and that,
if allowed to fester, it will undercut the
Trump administrations Mideast goals
of containing Iran and defeating Islam-
ic State extremists.
Will Trump engage?
Trumps international envoy, Ja-
son Greenblatt, told Arab leaders on
the sidelines of last weeks summit in
Jordan that the US president has a per-
sonal interest in achieving an Israeli-
Palestinian deal and that he believes it
is doable.
Trump hasnt said what kind of
agreement he seeks, but appears to
have backed away from initial sugges-
tions that he could envision alterna-
tives to the globally backed two-state
solution that has been supported by
previous US presidents.
For now, Trump envoys are trying
to get Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu to curb settlement con-
struction on war-won lands and ease
economic restrictions on Palestinians
a traditional US move when trying
to restart Israeli-Palestinian talks.
United Nations says.
The coalition of Gulf Arab countries
might still be waiting for a go-ahead
from its Western allies the launch the
Hodeidah offensive, Yemeni govern-
ment sources said.
It was unclear whether US President
Donald Trumps administration would
approve such a move. His predeces-
sor, Barack Obama had been wary of
any operations involving the port and
last year rejected a proposal to assist
its Gulf allies in a push to take control
of it.
The Saudi-led coalition has accused
the Houthis of using the port to smug-
gle weapons and ammunition and has
been calling on UN to post monitors at
the port which had been damaged by
coalition air strikes. Houthi movement
denied the claims.
The United Nations check ships
paganda designed to discourage the
people of Raqqa from eeing to SDF-
held areas.
Islamic State has added to the panic
in other ways.
Its warning that the Tabqa Dam, 40
km (25 miles) up river, was in danger
of collapse triggered panic in the city.
Many rushed to high ground to escape
a ood that never came.
The scare led thousands to sleep in
the desert hills on the citys outskirts,
according to three former residents of
Raqqa who had heard the details.
Islamic State said the US-led coali-
tion had bombed the dam, which is un-
der IS control. Both the SDF and US-
led coalition denied that, and say there
is no danger of collapse.
The growing intensity of coalition
air strikes has been another big worry
in the city. The Syrian Observatory for
Human Rights has reported a spike in
civilian deaths from air strikes in the
Raqqa area in March.
In one incident, it said 33 people
were killed at a school near Raqqa. The
coalition says militants were killed.
Residents say Islamic State military
positions including weapons stores
Greenblatt also won praise from
Palestinian ofcials, who say he was
surprisingly open to their concerns
during his recent listening tour in the
region.
A rare opening?
Early on, Trump positioned himself
as a staunch Israel supporter, eliciting
alarm in parts of the Arab world and
cheers among Israeli hard-liners.
The administration has since tried
to adjust the balance on some issues,
seeking a settlement slowdown and
holding off on a promise to move the
US Embassy in Israel to contested Je-
rusalem. US ally Jordan, custodian of a
major Muslim-run shrine in Jerusalem,
has warned such a move would fuel
extremism.
Some argue that recent events could
create an opening for resuming Israeli-
Palestinian negotiations despite
perceptions that the Trump White
House hasnt formulated a clear Mid-
east strategy.
Trumps personal interest in a deal
contrasts with his predecessor Barack
Obamas more hands-off approach,
and the current presidents amicable
relationship with Netanyahu could
give him greater leverage with Israel,
said Jordanian analyst Musa Shteiwi.
Another key ingredient broad
Arab support for negotiations will
be delivered by Jordans king on
Wednesday.
There is an opening, said Shteiwi,
head of the Center for Strategic Stud-
ies, a think tank at Jordan University.
We should be cautiously optimistic.
What does Jordan want?
The White House meeting will af-
rm the kings traditional role as Mid-
east mediator and raise his prole as an
arbiter of Arab consensus.
Jordan seeks a solid US promise that
Washington will try to revive peace ef-
forts, most importantly by persuading
Israel to engage in credible talks on
Palestinian statehood, said a govern-
ment ofcial who spoke on condition
of anonymity because he was not au-
thorized to talk to reporters about dip-
lomatic efforts.
ARAB TIMES, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 5, 2017
heading to Hodeidah in Djibouti while
passing through the Bab al-Mandab
Strait, but Hadis government says the
system was awed.
The United Nations says coalition
air strikes have hampered humanitarian
operations to import food and fuel sup-
plies. Five cranes at the port have been
destroyed, forcing dozens of ships to wait
offshore their turn to dock.
Food deliveries have been cut by
more than half with nearly 3.3 mil-
lion people including 2.1 million
children acutely malnourished, the
United Nations says.
Also:
RIYADH: Secretary General of the
Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Ab-
dul-Latif bin Rashid Al-Zayani re-
ceived on Tuesday in Riyadh his new
special envoy to Yemen Madkhal Al-
have been placed near civilian build-
ings, including a bakery that was hit in
recent weeks.
Prices are meanwhile sky-rocketing
due to an ever tightening siege. Bridg-
es across the Euphrates River, which
borders Raqqa to the south, have all
been destroyed. Produce is brought
across the river by boat, and costs four
times what it used to.
People in contact with relations in
the city say they are asking to be sent
money just to survive. Its too expen-
sive to buy food these days, said Raed
Bani Amer, who spoke to his family in
Raqqa in recent days.
Mazen Hasoun, an activist from
Raqqa in Europe who is in touch with
friends and relatives in the city, said
the militants were busy digging trench-
es, even in the backstreets.
A well-known Saudi cleric was
among the foreign members of the
group no longer seen in the city, said
one resident, who had heard the news
from his father.
I hear the Sheikh is busy with the
Mujahideen on the front lines, he
said. He has no time to deliver ser-
mons these days.
There have been no serious Israeli-
Palestinian talks since gaps widened
with Netanyahus 2009 election. Ne-
tanyahu hasnt formally reneged on the
principle of a two-state solution, but
has stopped short of mentioning it in
recent weeks, and most of his Cabinet
members oppose the idea.
What about Israel?
Netanyahu reportedly told Cabinet
ministers last week that its impor-
tant for Israel to show goodwill and
not be seen by Trump as an obsta-
cle to any US initiative. Still, talks
with the US on slowing settlement
construction havent led to results
and Israel last week approved a new
settlement the first in 20 years
billed by Netanyahu as keeping a
previous promise to settlers. At the
same time, Netanyahu reportedly
proposed unilateral Israeli construc-
tion limits.
Netanyahu envoy Michael Oren,
who recently met with Greenblatt,
said on Monday that Israel wants Arab
states to take concrete steps to show
that they are not just talking about
peace, but actually mean it.
This would include aspects of nor-
malization, Oren said, but did not
elaborate. He described a process of
mutual goodwill gestures that could
gradually lead to a peace agreement.
What else will come up?
Another important issue for Jordan
will be the ght against the Islamic
State group, which controls territory
in neighboring Iraq and Syria. The
militants have shown with a series of
recent attacks that they pose an inter-
nal and external threat to pro-Western
Jordan.
Jordan has been part of a US-led
military coalition against IS for the
past two years, hosting Western mili-
tary trainers and carrying out airstrikes
against IS targets. A senior White
House ofcial last week portrayed
Jordan as a critical US partner in the
ght against the extremists.
Jordanian and US interests appear to
converge, with both seeking to step up
the anti-IS campaign.
37
Hathali.
During the meeting, Al-Zayani con-
gratulated Al-Hathali on his new post,
wishing him success in his mission, a
statement by the General Secretariat
said.
They also discussed recent po-
litical, humanitarian and security
updates in Yemen, in addition to
ways to enhance regional and inter-
national efforts to push the political
process forward in accordance with
the GCC initiative, outputs of the
national dialogue and the Security
Councils resolution No. 2216, the
statement added.
During a recent meeting in Ri-
yadh, the GCC ministerial council
approved Saudi Arabias nomina-
tion for Madkhal Al-Hathali as the
GCC Secretary Generals special en-
voy to Yemen.
New outbreak
Continued from Page 1
September 2012, 1,935 cases have
been conrmed and there have been
at least 690 related deaths, WHO said.
The latest outbreak, at Wadi al-Da-
wasir in Riyadh province, began at the
end of February, when a 32-year-old
woman and a 31-year-old man showed
symptoms. They were hospitalised in
the rst few days of March, and both
were conrmed to have MERS on
March 4.
UN expanding
Continued from Page 1
accused of being a renegade and
jailed a year ago. I hope the army will
free him soon.
Body
He rst found the body of his neph-
ew. Then as rescue workers pulled
more and more bodies out of the pile
of concrete that was once his sisters
home in western Mosul, it was too
much for Mahmoud Salem Ismail. He
collapsed next to the body bags on the
ground.
Some people were burned, some
were cut in half, Ismail said this week,
recounting the March 17 blast in which
his sister Bushra and 14 of his relatives
died. I saw my sister. Her face blue
but her body was ne.
The March 17 explosion that lev-
elled the building in the district of New
Mosul killed more than 100 people as
Iraqi forces were battling Islamic State
group militants in the area. The US-led
coalition acknowledged there was an
airstrike against the building. But US
military ofcials have said the muni-
tions used were not enough to bring
down the structure and have suggested
IS militants herded people inside, boo-
by-trapped the building and then lured
an airstrike.
Newswatch
Continued from Page 1
KUWAIT CITY: The National
Seismic Network at Kuwait
Institute for Scientific Research
recorded a 4.1 magnitude earth-
quake north of Kuwait and Al-Fao
in the Iraqi zone, reports Al-Rai
daily.
KUWAIT CITY: Iraq has an-
nounced that a Kuwaiti ghter jet
violated Iraqi airspace by seven
kilometers over Safwan border
area towards Basra, reports Al-
Seyassah daily.
Iraqi media outts gathered the
information from director of the
area Taleb Khalil Al-Hassouna
who said, The Kuwaiti ghter
jet, around 8:30 am of April 3,
violated Iraqi airspace by seven
kilometers.
He revealed that the incident
created panic among the Iraqi
residents when they heard the
loud noise, which sounded like an
explosion, from the sky, declaring
that the aircraft hung at a close
distance from the ground.
KUWAIT CITY: Minister of
Social Affairs and Labor and
Minister of State for Economic
Affairs Hind Al-Sabeeh has
made a decree forming a new
board of directors Kuwait
Airways, with Samie Fahad
Al-Rasheed as chairman.
The decision also includes the
appointment of Faleh Abdullah
Al-Reqba as deputy chairman,
and Iman Al-Humaidan,
Ibrahim Al-Khuzam,
Mohammad Al-Hilal, Tareq
Al-Wazzan, Wafaa Al-Othman
as board members.
Under the fresh decree, the new
board will remain in office for
only three years. (KUNA)
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia:
British Prime Minister Theresa
May arrived in Saudi Arabia on
Tuesday to strengthen bilateral
ties and increase trade with the
largest Arab economy as it con-
tinues to spend heavily on defense
and an ongoing war in Yemen.
The prime minister arrived in
the OPEC powerhouse following
talks in the neighboring kingdom
of Jordan.
The British government said
May will emphasize her countrys
close partnership with Saudi
Arabia, including on counterter-
rorism cooperation. Before travel-
ing to Saudi Arabia, May noted
that intelligence received in the
past from Saudi Arabia saved
potentially hundreds of lives in
the UK. (AP)
 ARAB TIMES, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 5, 2017

LEISURE 38

Shermans Lagoon By J.P. Toomey

N E W Y O R K T I M E S CROSSWORD

Mutts By Patrick McDonnell

Hagar The Horrible By Chris Browne

Beetle Bailey By Mort Walker

Scratch pad

odds n ends
DHEKELIA, Cyprus: The top
law enforcement ofcial for Brit-
ains two military bases on Cy-
prus said Monday that a year-
long crackdown on illegal bird
trapping inside the bases has
resulted in a record number of
Garfield By Jim Davis arrests and prosecutions.
Police Chief Constable Chris
Eyre pushed back against criti-
cism from conservationists that
base authorities havent done
enough to keep the islands
birds from falling prey to unau-
thorized trappers.
Eyre said some 78 court
cases have been initiated and
more than 1,000 nets have
been seized in the past year
by the team of a dozen ofcers
who patrol a ring range thats
notorious for trapping because
it lies along an established mi-
gratory bird route.
More than 3,000 birds caught
in the nets were also released,
he said
Baby Blues By Rick Kirkman & Jerry Scott Jonathan Hall, a spokesman
for the Royal Society for the
Protection of Birds, agreed that
the bases have done well. But
to counter industrial scale trap-
ping, authorities must also re-
move acacia trees that provide
perfect cover for trappers nets.
The trapping of small migrato-
ry birds known locally as am-
belopoulia feeds a lucrative
underground trade among some
restaurants that serve them as a
delicacy. Conservationists say
the trade is the worth millions.
Eyre said a plate of a dozen
pickled or grilled birds can fetch
60 euros ($64.)
Some Cypriots argue that
In this March 29, 2017 photo, Siberian tigers destined for a zoo in war-torn Syria trapping has been part of island
and rescued by Animals Lebanon, an animal rights group, lie inside a cage in Aley,
Conceptis Sudoku Challenger east of Beirut, Lebanon. The tiger cubs which were transported from Ukraine, were
trapped in unmarked maggot-infested crate in Beiruts airport for almost a week,
culture for centuries and that the
volume of birds caught does not
harm migratory patterns. (AP)
where they could not stand or move and were forced to urinate and defecate on
The grid must be so completed that every row, column each other according to Animals Lebanon. (AP)
and 3x3 box has every digit from 1 to 9 inclusive RENO, Nev: Wild horse advo-
cates in Nevada scored a vic-

contract bridge
tory Monday in an ongoing legal
DIRECTIONS: battle with rural interests they
Fill each square say want to round up federally
with a number, one protected mustangs across the
By Steve Becker West and sell them for slaugh-
through nine.
ter.
Horizontal The 9th US Circuit Court of
squares should Appeals in San Francisco de-
add to totals on nied an appeal by the Nevada
right. Association of Counties and
Vertical squares Nevada Farm Bureau Federa-
tion representing ranchers and
should add to others who argue overpopulated
totals on bottom. herds are damaging the range
Diagonal and robbing livestock of forage.
squares through The decision upholds an ear-
center should add lier ruling by a federal judge in
Yesterdays solution Reno who dismissed their law-
to total in upper
suit in 2015 seeking to force the
and lower right. US Bureau of Land Manage-
ment to expedite widespread
THERE MAY BE roundups across Nevada.
MORE THAN ONE The 10th US Circuit Court
SOLUTION. of Appeals in Denver upheld a
similar decision in Wyoming in
October.
Todays Challenge In both cases, the American
Time 7 Minutes Wild Horse Campaign and oth-
Answer to yesterdays puzzle 18 Seconds ers argued the courts have no
Your Working authority to order the agency to
Time __ Minutes gather horses in violation of the
US Wild Free-Roaming Horses
__ Seconds and Burros Act. (AP)

Word by Word

Peace Selm
If you want peace, be prepared for war.
Etha aradta al selm fakon ala estidad le al
harb.

Numbers

7522 Seven thousand five hundred

twenty two
Sabat alaf wa khamso maah
wa ethnan wa eshroun
Tomorrow: Prudence and Common Sense
 ARAB TIMES, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 5, 2017

SPORTS 39

Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Middle East

Bahrains Al-Khalifa hopes strong performance will inspire locals

BAHRAIN, April 4: Bahraini driver Isa
S. Al Khalifa is hopeful a best-in-class
performance in the upcoming nale of
Season 8 of the Porsche GT3 Cup Chal-
lenge Middle East will not only put him
in contention for silverware, but also
inspire local drivers to try their hand in
future editions of the series.
Round 6 of the regions most com-
petitive and professional motor racing
competition powers into Bahrain for a
thrilling conclusion to a season which
has been dened by close competition
and the development of a new genera-
tion of local competitors. Honing the
raw talents of aspiring racers has been
a hallmark of a series which prepares
to wrap up an impressive eighth edition
with a two-race showcase nale as part
of the Formula 1 Bahrain Grand Prix
on the 15th and 16th of April. While his
own interests and ambitions for success
in the Bronze category, where he cur-
rently sits second, are front of mind, Isa
S. Al Khalifa, is hopeful that fellow driv-
ers from the region will be following his
progress in the nal round with curiosity.
The thrill of racing and the development
of his own skills have been major moti-
vators for the Bahraini competitor who
CAR RACING
has impressed in his debut season in the
series. He is hoping however, that his ef-
forts will have greater meaning for the
growth of motorsport in his own country
and across the region.
Speaking ahead of the conclusion to
Season 8 of the Porsche GT3 Cup Chal-
lenge Middle East, Isa S. Al Khalifa said,
I came into this season of the Porsche
GT3 Cup Challenge Middle East with
my only racing experience being from
karting. I was nervous, but excited, and
knew that making the step up from a go-
kart to a Porsche GT3 Cup car would
be a tough but vital progression in my
racing career. This series allows driv-
ers like myself to experience the thrill
and enjoyment of a professional racing
series whilst learning in controlled and
structured environment. Ive already
surprised myself this season, and with
my teams help managed to achieve
some great results. I am currently sitting
second in the Bronze category, which
contains some very experienced drivers,
and this is a massive condence boost
for me in my rst season of competition.
Of course I would love to be able to win
the title in my debut season but I know
I have a long way to go, and just being
able to be in this position at this nal
stage of the season is a huge achieve-
ment in itself.
He added, I would love to be able
to inspire other drivers like myself from
around the Middle East that have a pas-
sion for racing or karting. It would be
great to make others aware that there is a
pathway to professional racing, and this
is a great platform to get started. Im hop-
ing that a lot of young drivers will see me
compete in the nal round in Bahrain as
part of the Formula One Grand Prix, and
this will encourage them to follow their
dreams, just like I have done! Drivers
spanning more than ten nations, includ-
ing host nation Bahrain, the United Arab
Emirates and the Kingdom of Saudi Ara-
bia are expected to line up next month
and enjoy the racing experience of a
lifetime as part of the Bahrain Grand
Prix weekend. Competing across multi-
ple categories and over the challenging
5.4km GP circuit at Sakhir, the Middle
Easts top drivers will line up in front of
passionate racing fans, and from behind
the wheel of the powerful Porsche 911
GT3 Cup for what is set to be a thrilling
conclusion to Season 8 of the series.
As excitement builds for the nale.
Walter Lechner, founder and head of
Lechner Racing, the organisers of the
Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge, said the se-
ries wants to grow its role in developing
local motor racers even further, Eight
seasons of competition and Porsche GT3
Cup Challenge continues to go from
strength to strength, building the skills
of new racers in the Middle East. This
year has set a new standard for excite-
ment and were hopeful that young fans
following the series live at the tracks, in
the newspapers, magazines, through our
feature length TV show airing across
the region, and the highlights packages
we create for social media, are excited
by what they see. We all know this is a
region which is passionate about motor-
sport, but we want to get more people
actively participating in it.
Our series is about development
through racing opportunity. Our driv-
ers spend hours and hours testing on the
best tracks in the Middle East where we
analyse their performance and help them
rene their skills. Then they put their tal-
ents to the test in the races which give
us some of the most entertaining motor
racing in the region. Over the years we
have helped develop some of the best
racers from this region but there are a
huge number of young drivers out there
who we can help develop. Hopefully this
last round inspires them to get involved
in Season 9 which will be starting later
this year.
The involvement of the Porsche GT3
Cup Challenge Middle East in the Bah-
rain Grand Prix weekend will act as a
huge boost for local motorsport with
some of the best regional drivers being
given a rare opportunity to showcase
their talents while sharing the stage with
the current stars of Formula 1.

Al-Attiyah extends advantage

Sunderland wins stage to regain bike lead
QASR AL SARAB, UAE,
April 4: Qatars Nasser
Saleh Al-Attiyah stormed
to a fourth successive stage
victory in the car category
at the Abu Dhabi Desert
Challenge powered by Nis-
san, as Dubai-based Sam
Winners on the podium Sunderland won the motor-
cycle special to regain the
advantage on two wheels on
Event lived up to expectation Tuesday.
Starting sixth on the road for
the 288.73km passage along gatch
Chargers sink Gladiators tracks and through the towering
dunes of the UAE, Sunderland de-

to win Inter Club tourney livered another stunning perfor-

mance on his factory Red Bull KTM
450 Rally and now holds an advan-

KUWAIT CITY, April 4: The Third
IBAK Inter Club Badminton Tourna-
ment 2017, billed as the clash of the
clubs lived up to the expectation of
the spectators.
The test of the best among the best
badminton clubs in Kuwait turned out
to be a spectacle for badminton lovers.
The summit clash to decide the
champions was a see-saw battle in
which upsets ruled the day.
Finally the tie was settled in the
Mixed Doubles match when one of the
IBAK coaching module trainees Ni-
yathi Pradeep and her coach Ilayaraja
paired to beat Shaina and Chandram-
ouli in straight sets.
This is how the IBAK Chargers be-
came the champions defeating IBAK
Gladiators in nals.
Men Doubles One Elibin Francis
and Ilaya Raja beat Sayooj Ajayaku-
mar Bibin Mathew 19-21, 21-11; in the
Men Doubles Two Sarin Joseph and
Aneef Latheef beat Yashin Bose and
Dr Tamer Rafat 16-21, 21-15, 13-21;
in the Men Doubles Three Subin Joy
and Subin Varghese beat Arif Aktar
BADMINTON
and Vikas Singh 21-10, 21-14.
In the Veterans Doubles Dr Mani-
mara Chozhan and Bader Kallipar-
ambil beat Faheem Contractor and Dr
Tamer Rafat 21-15 21-18.
In the Mixed Doubles Niyathi
Pradeep and Ilaya Raja beat Shaina
Ajayakumar and Chandra Mouli 21-12
21-5.
Eight teams from the top badminton
clubs in Kuwait took part in the com-
Best of the Rest
Sri Lanka beat Bangladesh:
Kusal Perera hit 77 runs off 53 deliv-
eries to propel Sri Lanka to a six-
wicket win over Bangladesh in the
first of their two Twenty20 interna-
tionals on Tuesday.
Bangladesh captain Mashrafe
Mortaza won the toss and elected to
bat first, with his team going on to
make 155 for six wickets in 20 overs.
Mosaddek Hossain top-scored for the
tourists with an unbeaten 34.
Lasith Malinga took two wickets
for Sri Lanka.
Sri Lanka reached its target with
seven deliveries to spare.
Perera helped Sri Lanka get a good
start to its chase, sharing 65 runs at a
run rate of 10 per over with captain
Upul Tharanga. (AP)
Gold Coast counts down: Just
days after floods devastated nearby
cities and towns, one of Australias
most popular tourist destinations is
marking the one-year countdown to
the Commonwealth Games.
The quadrennial event may be
shrouded in uncertainty after Durban
was stripped of the hosting rights to
the 2022 edition, but organizers on the
Gold Coast are confident the estimat-
ed $1.8 billion investment in the
games and infrastructure will help
revitalize the countrys fastest-grow-
ing region.
Olympic hurdles champion Sally
Pearson is a Gold Coast local and will
be the main ambassador of the April
4-15 games, which run through the
local school-holiday period to ensure
as many of the 1.2 million tickets are
sold as possible.
petition which was held in a round rob-
in cum knock-out format. The teams
were: IBAK Chargers, IBCK, IBAK
Gladiators, Kerala Badminton As-
sociation, IBAK Vikings, Abbassiya
Tuskers, Crossre Mangaf and Bavans
Badminton Club.
The teams were ranked and pooled
into two groups of four each. The four
teams then took part in a round robin
format to decide the seminalists; the
top two teams from each group going
through.
The top team from Group A met the
second team from Group B and vice
versa. The league format produced
some wonderful hard fought matches
and in the end IBAK Chargers and
Crossre Mangaf, emerged num-
ber 1 and 2 respectively in Group A
while the IBAK Gladiators and IBCK
emerged number 1 and 2 respectively
in Group B.
The stage was then set for an excit-
ing battle and the matches were moved
to the synthetic court; the rst of its
kind in Kuwait. The court was provid-
ed by the Kuwait Badminton Federa-
tion, courtesy, the BAC (Badminton
Asia Confederation).
All the players were excited play on
the synthetic surface which improves
court movement and grip. The battle
for glory produced some mouth-water-
ing badminton skills.
The tie team format comprised of
5 matches (2 Open Mens Doubles, 1
Mens Advanced Doubles, 1 Mixed
Doubles, 1 Mens Above 40 Doubles).
The IBAK chargers proved too
strong for IBCK and emerged victori-
ous in the 1st seminal while the IBAK
Gladiators managed to upset the better
fancied team of Crossre Mangaf.
Im not just running for myself,
said Pearson, the 2012 Olympic 100-
meter hurdles gold medalist, Im run-
ning for my whole city. (AP)
Coach detained in Spain: Spanish
police investigating match-fixing said
Tuesday they have detained the coach
of a third-division club that lost 12-0
to Barcelonas B team over the
weekend.
Eldense coach Filippo Vito di
Pierro, who is Italian, was detained
Monday in the small eastern city of
Elda. Authorities detained him after
interrogating some Eldense players
following a complaint made by the
clubs president.
The coach has denied any wrong-
doing. (AP)
Two-Metre Peter retires:
Former New Zealand batsman Peter
Fulton retired on Tuesday after a
16-year first-class career that was
highlighted by two stints in the inter-
national arena.
The towering 38-year-old, nick-
named Two-Metre Peter, made his
first class debut in the 2000/01 domes-
tic season and played 121 times for
Canterbury, 66 of which were as cap-
tain.
Fulton made his international
debut in a one-dayer in 2004 against
Bangladesh and had a roller-coaster
ride for New Zealand, making the
test side in 2006 as a middle-order
batsmen and accumulating just 10
appearances in nearly four years
before dropping out of contention.
(RTRS)
RALLYING
Acting Director General of Public Authority for Sports Dr Hamoud Al Fuleiteh with Mohammad Barjar
tage of 3min 06.7sec over Chilean
rider Pablo Quintanilla. Dr Al-Fuleiteh meets head of Asia-Pac Deaf Sports Confederation
Frenchman Pierre Alexandre Renet
knew it would never be easy to open Acting Director General of Public Authority for Sports requirements for enduring the success of the tourna-
the road with such top class competi- (PAS) Dr Hamoud Al-Fuleiteh met the Head of Asia- ments.
tion and the Husqvarna rider nished the Pacic Deaf Sports Confederation Mohammad Barjar. He indicated that the authority will start coordinating
Al-Ain Water-backed stage in fth and During the meeting, Dr Al-Fuleiteh afrmed the au- with other concerned bodies for hosting the champion-
thoritys support to the development of sport sector ship.
holds a similar position in the rankings
for people with hearing disabilities. He praised the Also present in the meeting was the Board member
behind the leading duo, KTMs Mat- support rendered by the confederation in hosting the of Asia-Pacic Deaf Sports Confederation Haidar Sha,
thias Walkner and Hondas Paolo Gon- 2019 Asian Championship for the Deaf as well as the who praised the attention and constant support that Ku-
calves. Emirati Mohammed Al-Balooshi 2018 Asian Championship for Bowling by providing all waits sport sector of the deaf receives.
climbed to seventh position.
Sunderland said: It was a good day. I
started back in sixth and I caught all the
guys before the refuel, which I was real-
ly happy about. At the start I couldnt see
everyone after the start and I started to
feel a little nervous so see whether I was
catching them or not. You dont know.
I got to the refuel and I saw them just
before me. After that it was good and I
kind of cruised back. It was a bit windy
out there. It all looks the same. There are
thousands of dunes. You recognise land-
marks from before and bits and pieces,
but it gives you no advantage because
every dune is different. I feel happy. I
felt fast this morning.
Al-Attiyah and French co-driver
Matthieu Baumel stormed to the car
stage win in cooler and windier condi-
tions in their Overdrive Racing Toyota
Hilux. The Qatari now heads Abu Dha-
bi Racings Sheikh Khalid Al-Qassimi
by 39min 38sec with two days remain-
ing.
Today, the same, said Al-Attiyah.
The car is working very well - a per-
fect stage for us. There is no advantage
to coming here before. This is the de-
sert. It is always changing. Saying that,
it was much cooler today in the car. We
do not have air conditioning. We saw
51 degrees yesterday. Today was better
and it also gives more performance from
the engine. Two days to go, but we will
drive at the same pace. Its a good pace. Photo by Gonzalo Etcheverry
Al-Qassimi was upbeat after his rst Rashid Al Habtoor
four days in the new Peugeot 3008
DKR. It was not easy terrain and the or- Habtoor Polo, Mahra winners in opening day
ganisers told me to go a certain way and
we got stuck over there. We did not lose Habtoor Polo and Mahra Polo be- by 9 goals to 3.5 and Habtoor Habtoor: 3-1/ 6-2/ 7-3/ 7-4
much time and deated the tyres. It was gan the Dubai Cup, the last tourna- Polo achieving a 7 goals to 4 vic- The Dubai Cup, held by four
very difcult to drive in that area. We
ment of the Dubai Polo Gold Cup tory against Dr A-Bangash. In both teams from 6-8 goals handicap, will
lost some time until we found the route. Series 2017, in the best way by matches, winners took control of continue next Wednesday at the Al
After passing the bivouac we made a winning their respective matches the game from the very beginning Habtoor Polo Resort.
mistake when we took a different line against Dr A-Bangash and Wolves. and kept a great polo level to guar- Starting at 4:00 pm, Wolves Polo
and we drove inside the fence. We made It was a very attractive double ac- antee a deserved victory. will play against Dr A-Bangash and
another mistake about 50km from the tion day at the Al Habtoor Polo Re- Matches progression: from 5:00 pm Habtoor Polo will face
end. It was windy and we went off the sort with Mahra defeating Wolves Mahra: 4-1.5/ 5-1.5/ 8-2.5/ 9-3.5 Mahra.
piste that you could see. You could not
see the track and we tried to nd a better
way. We are still second overall today
and for the rally. Many oddly enough from Pakistan
LA Olympics drive gets lots of likes
PARIS, April 4, (AP): More than a million Facebook number of shady vendors offer bundles of fake likes,
users like the idea of hosting the 2024 Olympic Games many of which come from the countries like Pakistan
in Los Angeles. Many of them, oddly enough, from Pa-
and Bangladesh. Some advertisers have complained of
kistan. inadvertently racking up fake likes under some cir-
A report prepared for The Associated Press says most
cumstances.
of LAs likes have come in the past six weeks from far
The AP asked Socialbakers to examine both the Paris
away from Southern California.
The fan growth evolution for the LA2024 Facebook and Los Angeles Olympic campaigns Facebook pages.
page does seem suspicious, said analyst Michaela By the end of 2016, Los Angeles had 209,000 or so
Branova, whose Prague, Czech Republic-based rm,
Socialbakers, drew up the report. Countries such as OLYMPICS
Bangladesh and Pakistan suddenly spike from almost
zero to tens of thousands of fans within a few days in likes, nearly all of which came from the United States,
February.
according to Socialbakers. Paris had 62,000 or so fans,
A spokesman for the LA campaign, Jeff Millman,
80 percent of which came from France.
would not comment Monday on the teams social media
strategy. By last week both sides gures had grown. Paris
There are a variety of possible explanations for the Facebook page tripled its following, but four out of ve
surge. Media attention can draw people to a Facebook endorsements came from France, with many of the oth-
ers originating in Algeria and Tunisia, former French
page. Facebook advertising campaigns can be tailored
Stephan Scott makes his nal ap- to boost the number of likes a page receives, while a colonies.
proach into Moreeb.
 ARAB TIMES, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 5, 2017

SPORTS 40

The winners of the title cup Technology team with the General Manager and CEO of the company and director of Technology Department of the company.

Competition brings all employees together in friendly environment

Technology wins Ooredoo Cup Washington beats Marlins,

KUWAIT CITY, April 4:
Ooredoo, Kuwaits fastest net-
work, conclued its third Ooredoo
Cup football tournament on
Orioles defeat Blue Jays
Sunday in Hassan Abul Sports
Center in Dasma. The tournament, Bud wins on his debut as Colorado manager
which started two weeks ago, saw
with the victory of the Technology
team against Sales 6 goals to 1. WASHINGTON, April 4, which Wilmer Flores initially was Hellickson (1-0) pitched into the
called out. sixth, allowing a run and six hits, and he
The competition brought all (AP): Adam Linds first New York took advantage of five also contributed his RBI triple in the
employees together in a friendly swing as a member of the walks by a shaky Braves bullpen in a sixth. Right fielder Scott Schebler failed
environment away from the office Nationals resulted in a six-run bottom of the seventh that last- to make a diving catch of his two-out
life. This comes in alignment with ed 35 minutes. Curtis Granderson had liner, letting the ball get by him as
Ooredoos core values of caring, pinch-hit, go-ahead, two- a sacrifice fly and Lucas Duda busted Hellickson chugged across an infield
connecting and challenging, and run homer in the seventh the game open with a three-run double turned muddy by several innings of rain.
the companys philosophy of inning while Bryce Harper off Eric OFlaherty. Jeanmar Gomez gave up Scooter
investing in its employees who are Hansel Robles (1-0) worked a per- Gennetts two-out, two-run homer in
went deep on opening day fect inning for the win. Ian Krol (0-1) the ninth before retiring Billy Hamilton
the cornerstone of the establish- for the fifth time in his was the loser.
Best player based on public opinion Best goalkeeper Muhammad Al- on a routine fly for the save.
ment. Khaled Al-Saba from Sales sector Nuemaat from Technology sector
Aside from awarding the first young career, leading Red Sox 5, Pirates 3 Dodgers 14, Padres 3
Washington past the Miami In Boston, Rookie Andrew Benintendi In Los Angeles, Joc Pederson
two winning teams, the company hit a three-run homer off Gerrit Cole launched a grand slam as the Dodgers
CEO and General Manager Sheikh Marlins 4-2 on Monday. (0-1) that capped a backed Clayton Kershaw with a fran-
Mohammed bin Abdullah Al Stephen Strasburg (1-0) earned five-run fifth chise-record four home runs on open-
Thani awarded a number of the the win, allowing two runs and six inning as Boston ing day.
tournaments distinguished play- hits in seven innings, pitching out began its post- Pederson drove in five runs while
ers: Samir Abdulraouf from Sales of the stretch the whole way. It David Ortiz era. Yasmani Grandal homered twice and
won the Top Scorer Award; Rick Porcello Corey Seager added a three-run shot.
Mohammed Al-Nuaimat from (1-0) gave up Kershaw (1-0) allowed two runs
Technology won the Best BASEBALL three runs and six one earned and two hits in seven
hits in 6-1/3 innings, struck out eight and walked
Goalkeeper Award; Khaled innings while none in his seventh consecutive open-
Al-Sabaa from B2B Sales won the was his return to action after miss- striking out five. ing day start.
Best Player Award; and Issa ing last September and the play- Craig Kimbrel Indians 8, Rangers 5
Haidar from Technolgy won the offs with a right elbow injury. Lind retired Starling In Arlington, Texas, Abraham
Fair Play Award. Matt Wieters singled ahead of Marte on a game- Almonte singled in the go-ahead run in
The tournament included 16 Linds drive off David Phelps (0-1) ending popup with two on for the save. a three-run ninth as Cleveland won the
teams from the companys differ- that made it 3-2. Rockies 7, Brewers 5 opener of its AL title defense.
ent departments, with players from Orioles 3, Blue Jays 2 In Milwaukee, Bud Black won his Making his first opening-day start
across the organization including Top goal scorer Sameer Abdul General Manager and CEO Sheikh In Baltimore, Mark Trumbo hom- debut as Colorado manager while for Texas, Yu Darvish had a 5-1 lead
the companys CEO Sheikh Raouf from Sales sector Muhammad Abdullah Al-Thani hon- ered off Jason Grilli (0-1) with two Greg Holland got a save in his first behind Rougned Odor, who homered
Mohammed bin Abdullah Al oring Mansour Abul, the Director of outs in the 11th inning in a rematch of game with the Rockies. twice and drove in four runs.
Hassan Abul Sports Center last years AL wild card playoff, won Mark Reynolds homered, had three Edwin Encarnacion tied the score
Thani, in addition to heads of other Ooredoos Corporate RBIs and scored the tying run in a 5-5 with an eighth-inning homer off
departments and units. The tourna- Communications Director Mijbil by Toronto 5-2 on an 11th-inning
home run by Edwin Encarnacion. two-run seventh following two defen- Matt Bush as the Indians went ahead
ment also included players work- Alayoub said: Were happy to upper management in a friendly sive lapses by Milwaukee. against Sam Dyson. Carlos Santana
setting, and a chance for employ- Tyler Wilson (1-0), the fourth
ing in Ooredoos head office from organize this event for the third Baltimore reliever, pitched one shut- Milwaukees Junior Guerra left his added an RBI double and scored on
other organizations, such as consecutive year here in Ooredoo ees to enjoy a friendly atmosphere out inning in the 25th Camden Yards first opening-day start in the big Michael Brantleys single.
Huawei, FASTtelco, Phono, as Kuwait. The tournament aims to with their families. He noted that opener. leagues after three innings with a Astros 3, Mariners 0
well as the security officers in the fortify the brotherly relationship the games include a number of strained right calf, grimacing as he In Houston, Dallas Keuchel (1-0)
Mets 6, Braves 0 broke out of the batters box after lay-
building. During the halftime between Ooredoo staff across the awards for best player voted by In New York, Noah Syndergaard allowed two hits over seven innings
breaks throughout the tournament, organization, and is an embodi- the audience, in addition to best ing down a bunt. The right-hander will while Luke Gregerson and Ken Giles
struck out seven over six sharp innings go on the disabled list.
Ooredoo held raffle draws for the ment of our core values of caring supporter. The event comes as part in his first opening day start for New completed the three-hitter and Houston
audience, giving away prizes such and connecting. of Ooredoos year-long plan of York before leaving with a blister Twins 7, Royals 1 won its fifth straight opener.
as smartphones, smart watches and internal activities, aiming to In Minneapolis, Miguel Sano hom- George Springer became Houstons
He added that the tournament is while Asdrubal Cabrera snapped a
ered and drew the third bases-loaded first player since Terry Puhl in 1980 to
gaming consoles. a great opportunity for employees engage employees and entertain seventh-inning tie with a single as the
Mets broke through following a piv- walk during a dreadful seventh inning lead off the first game with a home
Commenting on this event, to interact with the companys them. for Kansas Citys bullpen as the Twins run. Carlos Correa homered and drove
otal replay reversal at the plate in
won an opener for the first time in nine in two runs. Felix Hernandez (0-1),
years. making his 10th opening day start,
Ervin Santana (1-0) gave up two allowed two runs and five hits while
MLB Scoreboard hits and two walks while striking out striking out six in five innings before
three over seven innings, aided by two leaving with tightness in a groin.
diving catches of sinking line drives Athletics 4, Angels 2
by center fielder Byron Buxton. In Oakland, California, Khris Davis
WASHINGTON, April 4, (Agencies): Results Philadelphia 1 0 1.000 - HOME RUNS: Odor, Rougned, 2; 11 tied Yasmani, 3; Grichuk, Randal, 3; Reynolds, Matt Strahm (0-1) and Travis Wood hit a go-ahead homer in the sixth and
from the MLB games on Monday: Washington 1 0 1.000 - at 1. Mark, 3; Seager, Corey, 3; 6 tied at 2. allowed four runners while recording connected again leading off the eighth
Oakland 4 LA Angels 2 Atlanta 0 1 0 1 STOLEN BASES: Bogaerts, Xander, 2; HITS: Cabrera, Asdrubal, 3; Freeman, only one out.
Houston 3 Seattle 0 Miami 0 1 0 1 Almonte, Abraham, 1; Bregman, Alex, 1; Freddie, 3; Kendrick, Howie, 3; Mathis, Jeff, to lead Oakland past Anaheim.
Cleveland 8 Texas 5 Cain, Lorenzo, 1; Gallo, Joey, 1; Kiermaier, 3; Nunez, Eduardo, 3; Pollock, A.J., 3; Phillies 4, Reds 3 Davis had just the second multi-
Central Division
Minnesota 7 Kansas City 1 Kevin, 1. Turner, Justin, 3; 18 tied at 2. In Cincinnati, Cesar Hernandez homer game on opening day in
Philadelphia 4 Cincinnati 3 W L PCT GB PITCHING: Archer, Chris, 1-0; Keuchel, DOUBLES: Shaw, Travis, 2; Turner, opened the Phillies season with a Oakland history Jason Giambi did
LA Dodgers 14 San Diego 3 St Louis 1 0 1.000 - Dallas, 1-0; Miller, Andrew, 1-0; Porcello, Justin, 2; 23 tied at 1.
Chicago Cubs 0 1 0 1
homer on Cincinnatis eighth pitch it in 2000 to back Kendall
Baltimore 3 Toronto (11 Innings) 2 Rick, 1-0; Santana, Ervin, 1-0; Wilson, Tyler, TRIPLES: Freeman, Freddie, 1; Hamilton,
Colorado 7 Milwaukee 5 Cincinnati 0 1 0 1 1-0. Billy, 1; Hellickson, Jeremy, 1; Mathis, Jeff, 1; while Jeremy Hellickson drove in a Graveman (1-0). The right-hander
Boston 5 Pittsburgh 3 Milwaukee 0 1 0 1 ERA: Allen, Cody, 0.00; Belisle, Matt, Panik, Joe, 1. run with his first career triple. struck out seven over six innings.
NY Mets 6 Atlanta 0 Pittsburgh 0 1 0 1 0.00; Biagini, Joe, 0.00; Brach, Brad, 0.00; HOME RUNS: Bumgarner, Madison, 2;
Washington 4 Miami 2 Western Division Britton, Zach, 0.00; Colome, Alex, 0.00; Grandal, Yasmani, 2; 12 tied at 1.
MLB Standings Farquhar, Danny, 0.00; Fien, Casey, 0.00; STOLEN BASES: Diaz, Aledmys, 2;
W L PCT GB Nunez, Eduardo, 2; Blackmon, Charlie, 1;
American League Giles, Ken, 0.00; Givens, Mychal, 0.00;
Arizona 1 0 1.000 - Broxton, Keon, 1; Cabrera, Asdrubal, 1;
Gregerson, Luke, 0.00; Holder, Jonathan,
Eastern Division Colorado 1 0 1.000 - Eaton, Adam, 1; Flores, Wilmer, 1; Santana,
0.00; Keuchel, Dallas, 0.00; Kimbrel, Craig,
W L PCT GB LA Dodgers 1 0 1.000 - Domingo, 1; Turner, Trea, 1.
0.00; Kintzler, Brandon, 0.00; Layne,
Baltimore 1 0 1.000 - San Diego 0 1 0 1 Tommy, 0.00; Miller, Andrew, 0.00; Minor, PITCHING: Estevez, Carlos, 1-0;
Boston 1 0 1.000 - San Francisco 0 1 0 1 Mike, 0.00; Pazos, James, 0.00; Shreve, Hellickson, Jeremy, 1-0; Kershaw, Clayton,
Tampa Bay 1 0 1.000 - MLB Leaders Chasen, 0.00; Smith, Joe, 0.00; Warren, 1-0; Oh, Seung-Hwan, 1-0; Robles, Hansel,
NY Yankees 0 1 0 1 American League Adam, 0.00; Wilson, Tyler, 0.00; 1 tied at 1-0; Rodney, Fernando, 1-0; Strasburg,
Toronto 0 1 0 1 1.29. Stephen, 1-0.
Central Division BATTING: Castro, Starlin, .750; Headley, STRIKEOUTS: Duffy, Danny, 8; ERA: Barnes, Jacob, 0.00; Diaz, Miguel,
Chase, .750; Morrison, Logan, .750; Castro, Hernandez, Felix, 6; Kluber, Corey, 6; 0.00; Dunn, Mike, 0.00; Edwards, C.J., 0.00;
W L PCT GB Jason, .667; Kiermaier, Kevin, .667; Polanco, Gsellman, Robert, 0.00; Holland, Greg,
Cleveland 1 0 1.000 - Archer, Chris, 5; Porcello, Rick, 5; Darvish,
Jorge, .667; Donaldson, Josh, .600; Pearce, Yu, 4; Estrada, Marco, 4; Gausman, Kevin, 4; 0.00; Hoover, J.J., 0.00; Hudson, Daniel,
Minnesota 1 0 1.000 - Steve, .600; 9 tied at .500. 0.00; Iglesias, Raisel, 0.00; Lorenzen,
Chicago White Sox 0 0 0 0-1/2 Keuchel, Dallas, 4; 4 tied at 3.
RUNS: Almonte, Abraham, 2; Michael, 0.00; Martinez, Carlos, 0.00;
Detroit 0 0 0 0-1/2 Encarnacion, Edwin, 2; Headley, Chase, 2; National League Nicasio, Juan, 0.00; Oberg, Scott, 0.00;
Kansas City 0 1 0 1 Kiermaier, Kevin, 2; Odor, Rougned, 2; Sano, BATTING: Freeman, Freddie, .750; Ramos, Edubray, 0.00; Ramirez, Jose,
Western Division Miguel, 2; 19 tied at 1. Mathis, Jeff, .750; Nunez, Eduardo, .750; 0.00; Rivero, Felipe, 0.00; Robles, Hansel,
W L PCT GB RBI: Odor, Rougned, 4; Benintendi, Arenado, Nolan, .667; Molina, Yadier, .667; 0.00; Stammen, Craig, 0.00; Storen, Drew,
Houston 1 0 1.000 - Andrew, 3; Longoria, Evan, 3; Morrison, Reynolds, Mark, .667; Schwarber, Kyle, .667; 0.00; Syndergaard, Noah, 0.00; Teheran,
Oakland 1 0 1.000 - Logan, 3; Castro, Jason, 2; Correa, Carlos, 4 tied at .600. Julio, 0.00; Torres, Carlos, 0.00; Treinen,
LA Angels 0 1 0 1 2; Ramirez, Jose, 2; Sano, Miguel, 2; RUNS: Arenado, Nolan, 2; Bumgarner, Blake, 0.00; Uehara, Koji, 0.00; Ziegler,
Seattle 0 1 0 1 Trumbo, Mark, 2; 16 tied at 1. Madison, 2; Forsythe, Logan, 2; Galvis, Brad, 0.00.
Texas 0 1 0 1 HITS: Castro, Starlin, 3; Donaldson, Josh, Freddy, 2; Gonzalez, Adrian, 2; Grandal, STRIKEOUTS: Bumgarner, Madison,
National League 3; Headley, Chase, 3; Morrison, Logan, 3; Yasmani, 2; Kershaw, Clayton, 2; Pollock, 11; Martinez, Carlos, 10; Kershaw,
Pearce, Steve, 3; 17 tied at 2. A.J., 2; Reynolds, Mark, 2; Turner, Justin, 2; Clayton, 8; Gray, Jon, 7; Lester, Jon, 7;
Eastern Division DOUBLES: Santana, Carlos, 2; 11 tied at 1. Wolters, Tony, 2; 14 tied at 1. Syndergaard, Noah, 7; Feldman, Scott, 6;
W L PCT GB TRIPLES: Andrus, Elvis, 1; Bradley Jr., RBI: Pederson, Joc, 5; Contreras, Teheran, Julio, 6; Volquez, Edinson, 6; 2 Houston Astros starting pitcher Dallas Keuchel delivers in the second
NY Mets 1 0 1.000 - Jackie, 1. Willson, 3; Duda, Lucas, 3; Grandal, tied at 4. inning of a baseball game against the Seattle Mariners on April 3, in
Houston. (AP)
 ARAB TIMES, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 5, 2017

SPORTS 41

Players disappointed, disagree with shortsighted decision

NHL ices Olympics, says no to 2018 Games in S. Korea

WASHINGTON, April 4, (AP): The
NHL announced Monday that it will
not participate in the 2018 Winter
Olympics in South Korea, refusing
for the rst time in 20 years to halt its
season for three weeks so its stars can
chase gold for their home countries.
From Alex Ovechkin and Jonathan
Toews to Connor McDavid and Hen-
rik Lundqvist, the worlds best players
called playing in the Olympics impor-
tant. The league decided otherwise.
Commissioner Gary Bettman and
Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly in-
formed the NHL Players Association
that the matter was ofcially closed
after weeks of speculation.
The NHLPA said in a statement
that players are extraordinarily disap-
pointed and adamantly disagree with
the NHLs shortsighted decision.
The NHL had allowed its players
to participate in the past ve Olym-
pics dating to 1998, giving the Winter
Games pro-level star power akin to the
NBA players who participate in the
Summer Olympics.
The league said no meaningful dia-
logue had emerged in talks with the
NHLPA, International Olympic Com-
mittee and International Ice Hockey
Federation.
Even after the IIHF had agreed to
pay for players travel and insurance
costs when the IOC refused, the NHL
had been looking for more concessions
that were believed to include market-
ing opportunities tied to the games.
The IOC said Tuesday it feels very
sorry for the athletes, but could not
give the NHL special favors.
The IOC, which distributes 90 per-
cent of its revenue for the development
of sport in the world, obviously can-
not treat a national commercial league
better than not-for-prot international
sports federations which are develop-
ing sport globally, the Olympic body
said in a statement.
The league wanted the matter re-
solved before the playoffs begin April
12.
The leagues efforts to blame oth-
ers for its decision is as unfortunate as
the decision itself, the NHLPA said.
NHL players are patriotic and they
do not take this lightly. A decent re-
spect for the opinions of the players
matters. This is the NHLs decision,
and its alone.
Toronto Maple Leafs coach Mike
Babcock, who led Canada to consecu-
tive Olympic gold medals in 2010 and
2014, said, Im just going to tell you
Im disappointed.
Players immediately blasted the de-
cision. Montreal Canadiens goaltender
Carey Price, who played in Sochi
under Babcock, called it very disap-
pointing and said it was short-chang-
ing younger players who hadnt got to
experience it before.
Disappointing news, (the NHL)
wont be part of the Olympics 2018. A
huge opportunity to market the game that, while the overwhelming major-
at the biggest stage is wasted, tweeted ity of our clubs are adamantly opposed
Lundqvist, the New York Rangers to disrupting the 2017-18 NHL season
goaltender who won the 2006 Olympic for purposes of accommodating Olym-
gold medal with Sweden. pic participation by some NHL play-
But most of all, disappointing for ers, we were open to hearing from any
all the players that cant be part of the of the other parties who might have an
most special adventure in sports. interest in the issue, the NHL said.
Former NHL forward Brandon Instead, the IOC has now expressed
the position that the NHLs participa-
tion in Beijing in 2022 is conditioned
OLYMPICS on our participation in South Korea in
2018. And the NHLPA has now pub-
licly conrmed that it has no interest or
Prust, whos now playing in Germany, intention of engaging in any discussion
tweeted: Way to ruin the sport of that might make Olympic participation ticipating in the 2018 Olympics.
hockey even more Gary #Olympics. more attractive to the clubs.
Its going to do more damage to The world hockey bodys secretary
this sport than people realize, and general, Horst Lichtner, was brieng
whoever made that decision obviously Winter Games federations on Tues-
doesnt know what they are doing, day in a previously scheduled meet-
Ottawa Senators captain Erik Karlsson ing at an Olympic sports conference in
said. Aarhus, Denmark.
The NHL and NHLPA teamed up on It is a pity but it is not a surprise,
the return of the World Cup of Hockey ski federation president Gian Franco
last fall and had made strides on grow- Kasper told The Associated Press.
ing the sport internationally, including Kasper, who represents winter
games in China and Sweden later this sports on the IOC executive board,
year. added: There might be some players
The NHL has not ruled out partici- who dont care what the NHL says.
pating in the 2022 Olympics in Beijing, The league has cited the 13-hour
though the IIHF and IOC had indicated difference from Pyeongchang to the
that could be conditional on the NHL Eastern time zone as one of its con-
going to South Korea. For now, the cerns. There was a 13-hour difference
league is making its 2017-18 schedule to Nagano in 1998, six to Turin in 2006
without a break for the Olympics. and nine to Sochi in 2014. Team own-
We have previously made clear ers have long complained that stop-
ping the NHL season every four years
wasnt worth it and they have been
wary of injuries to star players.
Still, many players expressed a
strong desire to go, and Ovechkin has
said he plans to go regardless of NHL
participation.
I think the players know its very
important for us to represent our coun-
tries, the Washington Capitals star
said last month. Everybody wants to
go there.
The NHL has not decided whether
to allow teams to make decisions on a
case-by-case basis about players par-
and Olympic viewers will tune in to
If Alex Ovechkin and Braden Holt-
by and Nick Backstrom tell us, We
want to go play for our country, how
am I going to say no? Capitals owner
Ted Leonsis said in February. I might
get ned, I might get punished in some
way, but I feel Im in partnership with
Nick and Braden and Alex.
It was not immediately clear how the
United States, Canada and other coun-
tries will ll Olympic rosters, though
national federations have already be-
gun planning for this possibility.
We have to remember that some of
the greatest Olympic moments didnt
involve NHL players at all, IIHF
President Rene Fasel said in a state-
ment.
Hockey Canada said Monday that
the NHLs statement was not what it
was hoping for but will not change
Olympic preparation.
We knew it was a very real pos-
sibility for many months and certainly
respect the decision of the NHL,
USA Hockey executive director Dave
Ogrean said.
The good news is that because of
our grassroots efforts over the course
of many years, our player pool is as
deep as it has ever been and we fully
expect to eld a team that will play for
a medal.
NBC Sports, which televises both
the Olympics and the NHL in the US,
said it was condent that hockey fans
watch the unique style of play that
occurs at the Olympic Winter Games
when athletes are competing for their
country.
Months ago, the league offered the
NHLPA a deal allowing Olympic par-
ticipation in exchange for a three-year
extension of the collective bargaining
agreement.
Players turned that down. Carolina
Hurricanes defenseman Justin Faulk,
who represented the United States
in Sochi, said he didnt think players
should give up anything to go in 2018.
Were not going to give up some-
thing ridiculous, Faulk said recently.
Im sure they would take anything
thats ridiculous for the Olympics. Its
kind of like making a bad trade, and
they would do it and were not going
to do it.

Montreal clinches Atlantic

Division title, Artturi shines
Red Wings down Senators
SUNRISE, Florida, April
4, (AP): Artturi Lehkonen
scored twice in the third
period and had an assist to
help the Montreal Cana-
diens clinch the Atlantic Di-
vision title with a 4-1 victory
over the Florida Panthers on
Monday night.
Andrew Shaw and Alexander
Radulov also scored for the Ca-
nadiens while Charlie Lindgren
stopped 31 shots in his second NHL
start.
Jonathan Marchessault scored for
Florida and Reto Berra nished with
27 saves. Lehkonen put Montreal ahead
2-1 at 1:27 of the third as he beat Berra
with a rising shot from between the cir-
cles high to the glove side. He made it Montreal Canadiens goaltender Charlie Lindgren (40) makes a glove save
a two-goal game when he followed Paul on a shot by the Florida Panthers during the third period of an NHL hockey
Byrons breakaway attempt by knocking game on April 3, in Sunrise, Florida. The Canadiens defeated the Panthers
in the rebound for his 16th with 3:11 re- 4-1. (AP)
Florida Panthers defenseman Alex Petrovic (6) defends against Montreal Canadiens right wing Alexander Radulov maining.
(47) as he skates with the puck during the second period of an NHL hockey game on April 3, in Sunrise, Florida. Red Wings 5, Senators 4, SO
(AP) In Detroit, Evgeni Svechnikov scored
the only goal of the shootout in his NHL
LA, Paris share 2024 Oly plans
debut, lifting Detroit past Ottawa. AARHUS, Denmark, April 4, (AP): a break from the big picture talk of
NHL Results/Standings In the seventh round of the tiebreaker, Los Angeles and Paris made a
direct appeal Tuesday to Olympic
also choosing a 2028 host when
IOC members meet on Sept 13.
sports leaders in their bids to host We understand that without the
ICE HOCKEY the 2024 Games amid the ongo- federations there are no competi-
WASHINGTON, April 4, (RTRS): Results and standings from the NHL games on Monday: ing politics of possibly awarding tions, LA 2024 bid chairman Ca-
Montreal 4 Florida 1 Detroit 5 Senators (SO) 4 Svechnikov went to his backhand and hosting rights for 2028 at the sey Wasserman told The Associ-
Toronto 4 Buffalo 2 slid the puck between the pads of Ottawa same time. ated Press on Tuesday ahead his
In the rst of three campaign teams meeting with sports ofcials.
Western Conference Eastern Conference goalie Craig Anderson. events this year, the two 2024 Our job is to give them the greatest
Central Division Atlantic Division
W L OTL GF GA PTS W L OTL GF GA PTS Tomas Tatar had a goal and an assist Olympic candidates focused on platform to host the ultimate compe-
Chicago 50 22 7 239 202 107 Montreal 46 24 9 220 192 101 while Frans Nielsen, Gustav Nyquist small details in their plans that are tition in what we think is one of the
Minnesota 46 25 8 254 201 100 Toronto 39 24 15 242 228 93 and Dylan Larkin all scored in regulation key to athletes and organizers greatest cities in the world.
Ottawa 41 27 10 203 208 92
St Louis 43 28 7 219 204 93 Boston 43 30 6 228 207 92 for Detroit. Nick Jensen had two assists
Nashville 40 28 11 231 217 91 Tampa Bay 39 29 10 222 218 88
Winnipeg 37 35 7 237 249 81 Florida 33 35 11 202 231 77
and Petr Mrazek stopped 41 shots.
Dallas 32 36 11 213 250 75 Buffalo 32 35 12 197 229 76 Kyle Turris and Fredrik Claesson Senators. Andersen made 18 saves for the Maple
Colorado 21 54 3 154 264 45 Detroit 32 35 12 201 238 76 scored 4:09 apart in the third period to Maple Leafs 4, Sabres 2 Leafs in their fourth straight win. The
Pacic Division Metropolitan Division In Buffalo, New York, Auston Mat- victory vaulted Toronto (39-24-15) one
W L OTL GF GA PTS W L OTL GF GA PTS level the score for the Senators, who
Anaheim 43 23 13 212 196 99 Washington 52 18 8 254 178 112 pulled into a tie with Boston for third thews scored his 39th goal to set the point ahead of Ottawa and Boston for
Pittsburgh 48 19 11 266 221 107 record for most by an American-born second-place in the Atlantic Division.
Edmonton 44 25 9 231 200 97
Columbus 49 21 8 239 180 106 place in the Atlantic Division. Ottawa is
San Jose 44 28 7 213 195 95 NY Rangers 47 26 6 252 213 100 technically ahead at the moment with a rookie and Toronto moved closer to Jack Eichel and Ryan OReilly scored
Calgary 44 31 4 220 214 92 NY Islanders 37 29 12 228 237 86
Los Angeles 37 34 7 188 191 81 Carolina 35 29 14 204 220 84 game in hand on the Bruins. clinching its second playoff berth in 12 for Buffalo. Robin Lehner was pulled af-
Vancouver 30 39 9 174 228 69 Philadelphia 38 33 8 212 229 84 Erik Karlsson had a goal and an as- seasons. Nazem Kadri had a goal and an ter giving up three goals on ve shots in
Arizona 29 41 9 190 251 67 New Jersey 27 37 14 175 229 68 sist while Alexandre Burows also scored assist while James van Rimedsyk and the rst ve minutes and Anders Nillson
Note: Overtime losses (OTL) are worth one point in the standings and are not included in the loss column (L) and Turris also had two assists for the Leo Komarov also scored. Frederick stopped 32 of the 33 shots he faced.

Detroit Lions sign free agent linebacker Bellore

Bradys jersey stolen again, this time in fun at Fenway Park

BOSTON, April 4, (Agencies): Tom
Bradys Super Bowl jersey was stolen
again this time by Rob Gronkowski
in full view of 37,000 screaming Red
Sox fans.
The New England Patriots quar-
terback was showing off the recently
re-acquired uniform top during the
pregame ceremony on opening day
at Fenway Park on Monday when
Gronkowski ripped it out of his hands.
Brady chased him around the ineld
and playfully tackled him in right eld.
The Patriots said it was the same
jersey that had been stolen out of their
locker room in Houston after the Su-
per Bowl victory over the Atlanta Fal-
cons in February.
That was awesome seeing those
guys out there, said Boston outelder
Andrew Benintendi, whose three-run
homer propelled the Red Sox to a 5-3
victory over the Pirates in a rematch of
the rst World Series, in 1903. I grew
up watching them and still do. It was
cool to see them all out there.
Brady got the jersey back at owner
Robert Krafts home in suburban
Brookline earlier Monday. It took
an international trip, Kraft said in
the video that was tweeted out on the
teams account.
The Patriots brought all ve of their
Vince Lombardi trophies out for the
rst pitch ceremony, coming out from
behind a giant American ag draped
over the Green Monster. Joining
Brady, Gronk and Kraft were James
White, who scored the winning touch-
down in the Super Bowl in overtime,
and fellow running back Dion Lewis.
The other players wore their blue
uniform tops, but Brady walked out in
the white one from the Super Bowl be-
fore he pulled it off and began waving
it around. Gronkowski jumped behind
him and snatched it away.
It was fun. They were kind of mak-
ing fun of the whole jersey-taking
thing, said Red Sox outelder Jackie
Bradley Jr, who started the winning
burst with a fth-inning triple. It
was good seeing some champions out
FOOTBALL
there. And they denitely know a lot
about winning.
Brady threw out the rst pitch to
Red Sox star Dustin Pedroia like
the Patriots quarterback, the longest
tenured player on his team before
the two embraced. Even the Pirates en-
joyed the pregame shenanigans.
It was pretty hard not to, said
Pittsburgh starter Gerrit Cole. Tom
Brady is on the eld, and hes tackling
Gronk. Its a pretty special environ-
ment. Ill probably forget everything
after the fourth inning.
The Patriots tweeted a video earlier searching the property of Mexican me- running backs visit with the New
on Monday showing Kraft presenting dia executive Martin Mauricio Ortega. England Patriots ended without a
his star with two No. 12 Super Bowl He has not been charged. deal being struck, multiple outlets re-
jerseys that had been missing. (An- ported.
other had disappeared after the 2015 The visit was Petersons second
Adrian Peterson remains on the since the Vikings released him March
Super Bowl.) Kraft thanked the au-
lookout for an NFL home. 9. He previously visited the Seattle
thorities who found the jerseys while The former Minnesota Vikings Seahawks.
The Washington Redskins agreed
to terms on a one-year deal with free
agent inside linebacker Zach Brown.
Brown enjoyed a Pro Bowl sea-
son with the Buffalo Bills in 2016,
collecting a team-high 149 tackles
that ranked second in the NFL. The
27-year-old also had four sacks, one
interception and two forced fumbles.
comes to Detroit after spending the
Former NFL coach Rex Ryan will
join ESPNs Sunday NFL Count-
down in September, the network an-
nounced.
The former Buffalo Bills and New
York Jets head coach also will con-
tribute to SportsCenter, ESPN Ra-
dio and other ESPN platforms.
The New York Daily News report-
ed last month that Ryans contract is
In this photo taken Dec 26, 2016, then-Detroit Lions wide receiver Anquan for multiple years.
Boldin (80) gains yardage after catching a pass during an NFL football
team in ve seasons. He appeared in
game against the Dallas Cowboys, in Arlington, Texas. Boldin, Malcolm
Jenkins of the Philadelphia Eagles and other players were meeting with The NFL and HBO agreed to extend
members of Congress this week to push for legislation that leads to im- the run of Hard Knocks, a behind-
proved relationships between minority communities and local police. (AP) the-scenes reality television show of
the leagues training camps.
According to Sports Business Jour-
nal, Hard Knocks will remain on
HBO for at least the next four seasons.
Mississippi quarterback Chad Kel-
ly exited schools Pro Day after only
12 throws after aggravating an injury
to his throwing wrist. The injury is
considered a short-term issue and Kel-
ly told teams he plans to throw again
on April 22, less than a week prior to
the 2017 NFL Draft.
The Detroit Lions signed free agent
linebacker Nick Bellore to add depth
at the position.
The 6-foot-1, 250-pound Bellore
previous two seasons with the San
Francisco 49ers. He appeared in 14
games (10 starts) last season and to-
taled 83 tackles, one sack, one inter-
ception, ve pass defenses, one forced
fumble and one fumble recovery.
The Minnesota Vikings signed
punter Ryan Quigley, the team an-
nounced.
Quigley will be joining his fourth
six games and averaged 44.5 yards
per punt last season with the Arizona
Cardinals.

SPORTS
Costa peps up Chelsea
ahead of Man City clash
Liverpools Mane season hangs in balance
LONDON, April 4, (RTRS):
Chelsea top scorer Diego
Costa believes the Premier
League leaders can effec-
tively end Manchester Citys
title hopes when the two sides
meet at Stamford Bridge on
Wednesday.
The alternative scenario, that
fourth-placed City could win and
help Tottenham Hotspur close the
gap at the top to four points, does
not bear thinking about for the
Spain international.
The hosts are seven points clear of
Spurs, and 11 ahead of City, who drew
2-2 at Arsenal on Sunday after twice
taking the lead.
But Saturdays surprise 2-1 home
defeat to lowly Crystal Palace has re-
vived hopes elsewhere that Chelsea
could be vulnerable.
That rst home defeat since Septem-
ber was also a wake-up call for Anto-
nio Contes side, who have looked title
certainties.
Now is not the time to let ourselves
down, Costa, who has scored 17
league goals this season but only four
since Christmas, told ESPN Brazil.
We should keep our heads up and
think ahead for the next game since it
will be very important.
This game against City will be a
six-point affair since if we win...they
will (effectively) be out of the title race
while we keep the advantage.
Both sides will be looking back to
last year for comfort, with Chelsea
winning 3-1 at the Etihad in December
while City won 3-0 at Stamford Bridge
last April against an off-form home
side with very little to play for.
Sergio Aguero scored a hat-trick
then and was also on the scoresheet
against Arsenal, with manager Pep
Guardiola staying hopeful.
We know what we have to do
against Chelsea. We head back to Man-
chester to prepare and then back down
to London, said the Spaniard, whose
side have lost only one of their last six
Premier League games in London.
Chelsea hope to have wing-back
Victor Moses back in action after a calf
injury ruled him out at the weekend.
Spurs, still without injured striker
Harry Kane, can put more pressure
on Chelsea when they travel to rele-
gation-threatened Swansea City, who
have never beaten them in the Premier
League and are now a point above the
drop zone. Third-placed Liverpool are
at home to Bournemouth while sixth-
placed Arsenal, with a top four place
now looking a long shot, entertain
West Ham United.
Liverpool forward Sadio Mane is out
of Wednesdays Premier League clash
against Bournemouth with a knee in-
jury that could sideline him for the rest
of the season, manager Juergen Klopp
said on Tuesday.
Mane picked up the injury in Liv-
erpools 3-1 win over Everton on Sat-
urday. A prolonged absence for the
Senegal international could have far-
reaching consequences for his teams
chances of nishing in the top four.
The 24-year-olds departure to the
African Nations Cup in January co-
incided with Liverpools worst run of
results all season the club won just
one of seven games in all competitions
without him.
Its not 100 percent clear. We have
to wait a little bit. I can say for sure
he wont be available for tomorrow,
Klopp told a news conference on Tues-
day. The knee is swollen. We wait for
the nal assessment. Its possible (his
season could be over) but why should I
say that now?
Arsenals Francis Coquelin (left),
kicks the ball in front of Manchester
Citys David Silva during the English
Premier League soccer match be-
tween Arsenal and Manchester City
at the Emirates Stadium in London
on April 2. (AP)
Chelseas Gary Cahill, heads the
ball under pressure from Crystal
Palaces Christian Benteke during
their English Premier League soc-
cer match between Chelsea and
Crystal Palace at Stamford Bridge
Stadium in London on April 1. (AP)
Liverpool will also be without skip-
per Jordan Henderson and midelder
Adam Lallana for the visit of Bour-
nemouth, but forward Daniel Sturridge
is back in training for the rst time
since the start of February.
Striker Divock Origi came off the
bench to score Liverpools third goal
against Everton, and Klopp indicated
that the Belgium international could
start on Wednesday. As long as we
have 11 players to start then everything
is ne, he added. Its good to have rst time earlier this season, emerging
Divock. The season is long. Hes a very
important option for us now.
Bournemouth, who are 11th in the
table, seven points above the relegation
zone, beat third-placed Liverpool 4-3
in the reverse xture in December, and
Klopp said his team had learnt a valu-
able lesson from that defeat.
We learned a lot. One situation
changed the game. We felt too con-
dent in a specic moment. It was our
responsibility. We are responsible for
all the results. You learn the hard way,
Klopp said.
They have 34 points. They are still
ghting. They have no points to waste,
we have no points to waste.
West Ham United midelder Mi-
chail Antonio and striker Diafra Sakho
are expected to feature in Wednesdays
Premier League trip to Arsenal, man-
ager Slaven Bilic has said.
Antonio, the clubs top scorer this
season with nine goals, has recov-
ered from a hamstring injury suffered
Swansea vs Spurs beIN SPORTS 7 HD
21:45 local
Hull vs Middlesbrough beIN SPORTS 8 HD
21:45 local
Southampton vs Palace beIN SPORTS 13
HD
21:45 local
Chelsea vs City beIN SPORTS 11 HD
22:00 local
Liverpool vs Bournemouth beIN SPORTS
4 HD
22:00 local
against Leicester last month, while
Sakho returned to training last week af-
ter four months out with a back injury.
Mikey (Antonio) is available for to-
morrow night and well decide today if
hes going to start, Bilic told in a news
conference on Tuesday.
Diafra (Sakho) is back and when
you talk to him he says he is ready. He
was out for a long time, had a back op-
eration, and looks good.
Diafra may be on the bench tomor-
row. I havent decided yet, but he is
very, very close.
After West Ham lost their fourth
consecutive league game at Hull City
on Saturday, the clubs owners felt
compelled to issue a statement say-
ing they had 100 percent faith in the
manager.
Bilic was pleased to receive the vote
of condence and reiterated that he was
not worried about his future at the club.
I dont have to read the papers to
know my relationship with the board,
the 48-year-old Croatian added. Its
nice to hear it but I know I have the
condence of the board. When I wasnt
worried before, Im not relieved now.
West Ham, who are currently 14th in
the league, have won four of their 15
away games this season.
Bournemouth midelder Andrew
Surman is out of Wednesdays Premier
League game at Liverpool and could
miss the rest of the season, something
manager Eddie Howe described as a se-
rious blow to the tiny south coast club.
Surman, who has made 22 appear-
ances this season, was forced off with a
knee injury in Saturdays goalless draw
with local rivals Southampton.
Andrew Surman will denitely be
out and thats a blow for us. Its hard to
say right now, but that could be his sea-
son, Howe told reporters on Tuesday.
Bournemouth, who are 11th in the
table on 34 points and unbeaten in
their last four games, travel to Aneld
to take on third-placed Liverpool on
Wednesday.
Bournemouth beat Liverpool for the
suspension for insulting a linesman,
as 4-3 victors after a thrilling encounter
at the Vitality Stadium in December,
but their last two visits to Aneld have
ended in narrow 1-0 defeats.
Liverpool will be a really tough test
for us, Howe added.
We respect them and their manager.
Weve done okay at Aneld in recent
games. The home game against Liver-
pool was arguably our standout game
of the season so far, but its of no rel-
evance now. This is a new game.
The Liverpool match marks the start
of a tough run of xtures for Bour-
nemouth, who host leaders Chelsea on
Saturday before travelling to second-
placed Tottenham Hotspur a week
later, but Howe said his team was up to
the challenge.
We want to gather as many points
as we can. The challenges in our next
three games are tough, but ones we
have to relish. Were in a good place at
the moment. Were also aware of how
quickly things can change in football.
Barq Al-Tahreer, Humur Ein and Al-Sharq complete podium
The horse Barq Al-Tahreer from
Al-Tahreer Stable won the Capital
Governor Thabet Muhanna Horse
Racing Cup, after coming rst in the
1,800-meter race.
The second place was taken by
the horse Humur Ein from Aweedh
Al-Mutairi Stable, and third place
was taken by the horse Al-Sharq
from Al-Muraikhi Stable.
The winners were honored by Di-
rector of Capital Governors Ofce
Nasser Behbehani, and Head of the
Board of Trustees of the Arab Horse
Barca face free-falling Sevilla
MADRID, April 4, (AP): Lionel
Messi is back, and just in time.
Fully rested after the international
break and a yellow-card suspension,
Messi returns to Barcelonas team
for the decisive Spanish League
match against Sevilla.
Messi will be playing his rst
game in nearly two weeks when Bar-
celona resumes its pursuit of league
leader Real Madrid at the Camp Nou.
Barcelona is two points behind Ma-
drid, which plays at Leganes.
We saw Messi practice at the
highest level, Barcelona coach Luis
Enrique said. The mini break that he
had was very positive.
Messis last game was on March
23 with Argentina in World Cup
qualifying, a 1-0 win over Chile with
a penalty kick converted by the play-
maker. But he didnt play in the na-
tional teams 2-0 loss to Bolivia ve
days later because of a four-game
we were going to get past Leices-
FC Barcelonas players attend a training session at the Sports Center FC
Barcelona Joan Gamper in Sant Joan Despi, Spain on April 4. FC Barce-
lona will play against Sevilla during a Spanish La Liga soccer match on
Wednesday. (AP)
ARAB TIMES, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 5, 2017
A winner receiving the trophy
Center (Bait Al Arab) Alaa Al-Roumi.
The Bait Al-Arab Horseracing Cup
for purebred Arabian horses was
won by the horse Seif Al-Wawan
from Abdullah Al-Ajmi Stable after
it took rst place in the 1,600-meter
race, followed by the horse Wahaj
Sanati from Heshan Al-Ajmi Stable
in second place and the horse Am-
bassador Al-Nami from Ibrahim Al-
Mutairi Stable in third.
In the 1000-meter race of the
cup sponsored by the Hunting and
Equestrian Club for all categories,
Messi returns
then missed Barcelonas 4-1 win at
Granada over the weekend.
Messi is the Spanish Leagues
leading scorer with 25 goals and
has 41 overall this season from 40
matches.
The 29-year-old Argentine has not
gone two consecutive games without
scoring since early September. He
has scored 10 times in his last nine
league games.
Neymar and Luis Suarez, who led
Barcelona against Granada, are also
expected to play, when Barcelona
will try to win its sixth straight match
against Sevilla.
Sevilla enters the match endur-
ing its worst moment of the season,
coming off ve consecutive games
without a win. Among the setbacks
was the disappointing elimination to
Leicester in the last 16 of the Cham-
pions League.
Its not easy. We all thought that
self 10 points off the lead, in fourth
easily beat Leganes, that doesnt ex-
edine Zidane said.
the league and has scored at least a
42
the horse Anbar from Al-Nimsha
Stable came rst, followed by the
horse Kalkaji also from Al-Nimsha
Stable in second place and the
horse Ezz Nayef from Nayef Al-Da-
bous Stable in third.
In the 2,200-meter race, the
horse Omniyah from Al-Nimsha
Stable came rst to win the cup
sponsored by club, followed by the
horse Shaqraa from Dasman Stable
in second place and the horse Mu-
rawij from Al-Surour Stable in third
place.
Barca vs Sevilla beIN SPORTS 3 HD
20:30 local
Alaves vs Osasuna beIN SPORTS 12 HD
21:30 local
Leganes vs Real beIN SPORTS 3 HD
22:00 local
Eibar vs Palmas beIN SPORTS 3 HD
20:30 local (Thursday)
Valencia vs Celta beIN SPORTS 3 HD
22:30 local (Thursday)
ter. Its difcult for us to accept it,
Sevilla forward Stevan Jovetic said.
We have to nd a way to recover.
We are the same team that we were
ve matches ago, when we were
in second place. We need to win a
match by two or three goals to regain
our condence.
Sevilla was ghting for the league
title not long ago, but now it sees it-
place and already having to worry
about qualifying for the top Euro-
pean club competition next season.
Maybe the elimination against
Leicester affected them, Luis En-
rique said. Its not their best mo-
ment, not their best dynamic, but
they remain a difcult rival.
Madrid, which has a game in hand,
faces a Leganes squad that has drawn
its last three matches and is strug-
gling to avoid returning to the sec-
ond division next season. It is 17th in
the 20-team standings, only one spot
above the relegation zone.
No one should think that we will
ist in football, Madrid coach Zin-
Madrid has won four in a row in
goal in its last 50 games in all com-
petitions.

SPORTS
North Carolina could
be considered again
WINSTON-SALEM, NC, April 4,
(RTRS): The National Collegiate
Athletic Association said on Tuesday
it will again consider allowing North
Carolina to host championship games
after the state replaced a law it deemed
discriminatory against lesbian, gay,
bisexual and transgender (LGBT)
people.
The NCAA had stripped North Car-
olina of championship events to pro-
test the law, which required transgen-
der people to use bathrooms matching
the sex on their birth certicate rather
than their gender identity and limited
protection against discrimination of
LGBT people.
Last week, state legislators in Ra-
leigh passed a new law that repealed
the bathroom measure. But they also
banned cities from enacting their own
anti-discrimination protections for
LGBT people until 2020 and perma-
nently blocked local legal protections
for transgender people in restrooms.
The NCAA said those restrictions
concerned its board of governors, who
had preferred a full repeal of the year-
old law known as House Bill 2.
A majority of the board reluctantly
voted to permit the state to be consid-
ered for championship games in light
of the new measure, the NCAA said.
This new law has minimally
achieved a situation where we believe
NCAA championships may be con-
ducted in a nondiscriminatory environ-
ment, the governing body for US col-
lege athletics said in a statement.
The announcement came hours
after the North Carolina Tar Heels
mens basketball team clinched the na-
tional title Monday night. Coach Roy
Williams had opposed HB 2, which
prompted the NCAA to move two
rounds of the Division I mens tourna-
ment out of hoops-crazed North Caro-
lina.
Critics of the new law, signed by
Democratic Governor Roy Cooper af-
ter being approved by the Republican-
controlled legislature on Thursday,
called the NCAAs announcement
disappointing. They argue the state
is continuing to discriminate against
LGBT people with a measure they
have dubbed HB2.0.
After drawing a line in the sand and
calling for repeal of HB 2, the NCAA
simply let North Carolina lawmakers
off the hook, Human Rights Cam-
paign President Chad Grifn said in a
statement.
NBA Standings
WASHINGTON, April 4, (RTRS): Standings from the NBA on Monday
Eastern Conference
Atlantic Division
W L
Boston 50 27
Toronto 47 30
NY Knicks 29 48
Philadelphia 28 49
Brooklyn 18 59
Central Division
W L
Cleveland 49 27
Milwaukee 40 37
Chicago 38 39
Indiana 37 40
Detroit 35 42
Southeast Division
W L
Washington 46 31
Atlanta 39 38
Miami 37 40
Charlotte 36 41
Orlando 27 50
Inter CL hopes evaporate
MILAN, April 4, (AP): Inter Mi-
lans hopes of sneaking into the
Champions League all but evapo-
rated Monday as it lost 2-1 at home
to Sampdoria in Serie A.
Fabio Quagliarellas late penalty
left Inter sixth, nine points behind
third-placed Napoli and the nal
qualifying position for Europes
premier club competition.
There are eight matches remain-
ing.
We missed an opportunity, Inter
coach Stefano Pioli. Unfortunately
after Samp equalized we stopped
played and thinking as a team. We
should have stayed organized and
compact, instead we panicked ... an
error we paid for dearly.
Now we just have to think about
ensuring that at the end of the sea-
son our situation in the table is better
than it is now.
Inter could also miss out on Eu-
rope altogether as, although it occu-
pies the last qualifying spot for the
Europa League, it is just one point
above AC Milan. The two Milan
teams face off in the derby on April
15.
It was Sampdorias rst victory
over Inter at San Siro in more than
20 years.
This year we have got great
results, said Sampdoria coach
Marco Giampaolo, who conrmed
he would sign a new contract on
Wednesday. So much so that one
of my close friends told me I should
nd an excuse to leave, because cer-
tain achievements are difcult to
repeat.
Joking apart, this victory gives
us a lot of prestige. I asked the lads
to conrm they are growing, that
they are reducing the gap to the big
teams and they did that. They were
really good.
Inter took the lead in the 35th min-
ute when a corner was played short
for Antonio Candreva to cross into
the area and Danilo DAmbrosios
volley was deected into the bottom
right corner.
Sampdoria hit the post twice
in the rst half and got a deserved
Wolves snap Blazers winning run
Towns stars
MINNEAPOLIS, April 4,
(AP): As Karl-Anthony
Towns powered through
Portlands smaller front-
court, the Trail Blazers
found out just how much
theyre going to miss big
man Jusuf Nurkic down
the stretch.
Towns had 34 points and 12
rebounds as the Minnesota Tim-
berwolves snapped Portlands six-
game winning streak with a 110-
109 victory over the Trail Blazers
BASKETBALL
on Monday night.
It was the second game for Portland
without Nurkic, who galvanized the
team after coming over in a trade from
Denver at the deadline.
He will miss at least the rest of the
NBA regular season with a fractured
right leg, leaving the Blazers to battle
big frontcourts in San Antonio, Utah
and one more time against Minnesota
without him and just a 1-1/2-game
cushion on Denver for the eighth seed
in the Western Conference.
Theres a lot of good bigs out there
and were thin right now. Weve got
Meyers (Leonard) and (Al-Farouq
Aminu), whos not really a ve, C.J.
McCollum said. So were in a tough
position, but its not an excuse. Weve
got to go out there and play and make
the best of it.
Damian Lillard scored 25 points but
made just 7 of 21 shots, including 3
of 11 3-pointers. His potential game-
winning pull-up jumper at the buzzer
glanced off the rim.
Andrew Wiggins scored 29 points
and Ricky Rubio had 11 points, 16 as-
sists and seven rebounds for the Tim-
berwolves, who bounced back from
an ugly home loss to Sacramento that
eliminated them from postseason con-
tention on Saturday.
Theyre playing small, we have a
big who can guard smalls and play like
PCT GB
.649 - Utah
.610 3 Oklahoma City
.377 21 Portland
.364 22 Denver
.234 32 Minnesota
PCT GB
.645 - Golden State
.519 9-1/2 LA Clippers
.494 11-1/2 Sacramento
.481 12-1/2 LA Lakers
.455 14-1/2 Phoenix
PCT GB
.597 - San Antonio
.506 7 Houston
.481 9 Memphis
.468 10 New Orleans
.351 19 Dallas
Celta continues recovery
Inter Milans Ivan Perisic goes for
an acrobatic kick during a Serie A
soccer match between Inter Milan
and Sampdoria, at the San Siro
Stadium in Milan, Italy, on April 3.
(AP)
equalizer ve minutes after the
break. Matias Silvestres header was
going into the bottom left corner but
Patrik Schick got the nal touch.
Marcelo Brozovic had kept Schick
onside and the Inter midelder was
at fault for Sampdorias winner ve
minutes from time when he handled
Ricky Alvarezs free kick.
Quagliarella powerfully struck
the resulting penalty into the roof of
the net.
Inter captain Mauro Icardi had
wasted a golden opportunity in the
72nd, blasting over from close range
against his former club.
Genoa forward Mauricio Pinilla
has been banned for ve matches for
hitting a referee.
Pinilla was sent off during Ge-
noas 5-0 Serie A loss to Atalanta
for two quick bookings the rst
for a tackle on visiting goalkeeper
Etrit Berisha and the second for his
protests.
The leagues disciplinary com-
mission, which announced the sanc-
tion on Tuesday, says after being
shown the rst yellow card Pinilla
directed offensive expressions to
the referee accompanied by a mean-
ingful and clear gesture with his
arm.
It adds that after Pinilla was sent
off he approached the referee with
a threatening and intimidating at-
ARAB TIMES, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 5, 2017
43
Houston Rockets Lou Williams (left), looks to pass the ball around the defense of Phoenix Suns Ronnie Price during the second half of an NBA basketball
game on April 2, in Phoenix. The Rockets defeated the Suns 123-116. (AP)
a big at the other end, Rubio said of The Blazers beat lowly Phoenix in onds to go. But the historical stats and hero-
Towns. Thats big for us. their rst game without Nurkic and We just had a hard time, Lil- ics have somewhat overshadowed one
Aminu scored 20 points and Maurice went super-small on Monday against lard said. Guys competed hard on other Westbrook transformation: The
Harkless had 17 points, eight rebounds the Wolves with Aminu and Harkless him. We made it as hard as we could national perception he wasnt a good
and a big block of a Rubio drive that seeing some time at center. on him, but hes very good and hes teammate. There were questions about
gave the Blazers the ball back with 4.9 The sleek lineup put the Blazers in going to score points. Thats what Westbrook the teammate when Kevin
seconds to play. control with a 34-point second quarter, happened.Russell Westbrook has Durant left for Golden State in free
Lillard got a clean look, but couldnt but the 7-foot (2.13-meters) Towns been stacking up triple-doubles like agency last summer. Then the huge
knock it down and Portland missed a had his way in the fourth. He scored no one in half a century and producing questions about what kind of team
golden chance to pad its lead on Den- 14 points in the period, including a big late in games like few players in recent would the Thunder have with West-
ver in a tense race. dunk for a 110-106 lead with 35 sec- memory. brook as their unquestioned leader.
As the NBA season winds down, so many races are undecided
WASHINGTON, April 4, (AP): The Rockets magic number for Portlands six-game winning streak
Western Conference
Northwest Division With just over a week left in the clinching the No. 3 spot is 1, and the was snapped in Minnesota on Mon-
W L PCT GB NBA regular season, theres still a only mystery is if MVP candidate day, though the Trail Blazers still
47 30 .610 - ton to be decided before the playoff James Harden will get some rest. ... own the No. 8 spot for now. ... Den-
43 33 .566 3-1/2 eld is set. The Jazz are in the playoffs for the ver still has to go to Houston, plus
38 39 .494 9
36 40 .474 10-1/2 With just over a week left in the rst time since 2012 and now have plays Oklahoma City twice in the
31 45 .408 15-1/2 NBA regular season, theres still a to hold off the Clippers in order to nal three games. ... New Orleans is
Pacic Division ton to be decided before the playoff host Game 1 of the postseason for alive only in the mathematical sense.
W L PCT GB eld is set. the rst time since 2001, when John East no. 7
63 14 .818 -
47 31 .603 16-1/2 In the East, four spots remain Stockton and Karl Malone were still Chicago (38-39)
30 47 .390 33 unclaimed. In the West, two are up starters in Utah. ... The Clippers won Miami (37-40)
22 55 .286 41 for grabs. And while some seedings the season series against Utah 3-1, Indiana (37-40)
22 56 .282 41-1/2 look wrapped up, none are ofcially big if tiebreakers are needed. Charlotte (36-41)
Southwest Division
W L PCT GB clinched. East no. 5 Detroit (35-42)
59 17 .776 - Want drama? Its not hard to nd. Milwaukee (40-37) The Bulls wont play another
52 25 .675 7-1/2 To be in competition like this, Atlanta (39-38) playoff team until the playoffs, if
42 35 .545 17-1/2 its a privilege, Miami coach Erik Milwaukees schedule is brutal they get in. Chicagos nal ve
33 44 .429 26-1/2
32 44 .421 27 Spoelstra said. with four road games in the nal games are at New York, at Phila-
Monday was a most-needed day ve, including ones at Oklahoma delphia, at Brooklyn, then home
for most of the NBA to catch its City, Indiana and Boston teams for Orlando and home for Brooklyn
breath. The league always tries to all playing for something. ... Atlanta again. ... Miami goes to Charlotte
avoid scheduling games on the day took the season series 3-0, but the on Wednesday, in an enormous
of the NCAA mens championship Hawks have a three-game, four-day game for both teams. ... Indianas
game and would have done so this stretch this week that goes Boston, next two games are against play-
year if a Portland-Minnesota game
didnt have to be postponed because
of oor conditions earlier this sea-
son.
at Cleveland, Cleveland.
Rest of the West
Oklahoma City (43-33)
Memphis (42-35)
off-bound Toronto and Milwau-
kee, and the Pacers go to Orlando
on Saturday to face former coach
Frank Vogel. ... All ve of Char-
titude ... hitting him with slaps on Things pick up in earnest again Portland (38-39) lottes remaining opponents are
Tuesday. Denver (36-40) playoff-bound or hoping. ... Detroit
his arm and right hand and direct- New Orleans (33-44) needs a miracle.
ing other threatening expressions to So to get ready for the nal nine
days of the season, heres a primer The Thunder are in, the Grizzlies To the lottery
him. are on the brink of getting in, and New York, Philadelphia, Orlan-
The 33-year-old Chile forward is on playoff chases.
Top of the East the No. 6 seed might come down to do, Brooklyn, Dallas, Minnesota,
on loan from Atalanta. Boston (50-27) the winner of the Oklahoma City at Sacramento, the Los Angeles Lakers
Meanwhile, Italian forward Gi- Cleveland (49-27) Memphis game on Wednesday. ... and Phoenix have been eliminated.
useppe Rossi scored a hat trick to The Celtics host the Cavaliers on
lead Celta Vigo to a comfortable 3-1 Wednesday, with the winner assured
win over Las Palmas in the Spanish of leaving that night with the No. 1
League on Monday. spot in the East standings. If Cleve-
land wins, it essentially becomes
two victories since the defending
SOCCER champions will also own the head-
to-head tiebreaker with Boston. ...
Rossi, who was born and brought LeBron James got his rst ring in
2012 as a No. 2 seed in the East with
up in America, scored twice in the
rst half and once in the second to Miami, so its not as if hell be de-
terred even if the Cavs dont get that
give Celta its rst win in three home
games at Balaidos Stadium. Las Pal- top spot. ... Boston is trending up,
going 9-2 in its past 11 games. The
mas goal was scored by Pedro Bi- Cavs have nine wins in their past 20
gas near the end.
games.
With the hat trick, his rst in the Best of the West
Spanish League, Rossi matched his Golden State (63-14)
total of goals for the rest of the sea- San Antonio (59-17)
son. The Warriors have won 11
More than anything, the three straight, might get Kevin Durant
points were important to keep our back this weekend and face only one
playoff-bound team in the nal ve
dream alive of making it to the Eu- Derwer Nuggets, Gary Harris (14) defends against Miami Heats
ropean competitions, Rossi said. games. Its only a matter of time be- Goran Dragic (7) during the second half of an NBA basketball game
fore Golden State wraps up the No. on April 2 in Miami. The Nuggets defeated the Heat 116-113. (AP)
We played a very good match.
The result moved the hosts to 1 seed in the West and home-court
advantage throughout the playoffs.
10th place with 41 points from 28
... San Antonio cant be caught for
matches. Celta still has a game in No. 2, and coach Gregg Popovich
hand against league leader Real has two full weeks to get his players
Madrid. rested and his rotation ready.
It was the second consecutive vic- East no. 3
tory for Celta after a string of four Toronto (47-30)
straight league games without a win. Washington (46-31)
Las Palmas, which hasnt won Toronto took the season series
an away game since the rst round 2-1, so its like the Raptors have a
against Valencia, stayed 12th in the two-game lead with ve left. But the
20-team standings with 35 points Raptors play four of their last ve on
from 29 matches. the road, and still dont have Kyle
Las Palmas complained of a goal Lowry back from wrist surgery. ...
disallowed for offside that could Washington still has to play Miami
twice, Detroit and Charlotte, teams
have tied the game at 1-1 in the rst
very desperate right now to get in. ...
half. Celta scored its second goal a Both the Raptors and Wizards have
few moments later. wrapped up home-court advantage
Celta visits Valencia in the next for the Eastern Conference quarter-
round, while Las Palmas plays at nals.
Eibar. West no. 3-4-5 Cleveland Cavaliers coach Tyronn Lue yells instructions to players
On Wednesday, Madrid is at rel- Houston (52-25) during the second half of the teams NBA basketball game against the
egation-wary Leganes and second- Utah (47-30) Indiana Pacers on April 2, in Cleveland. The Cavaliers won 135-130
place Barcelona hosts fourth-place Los Angeles Clippers (47-31) in double overtime. (AP)
Sevilla.
 ARAB TIMES, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 5, 2017 44
wednesday (all times are kuwait local)

PRIME TIME

Sports
08:15 bundesliga special .................... bein sports 5hd
09:15 futsal spanish cup ..................... bein sports 7hd
10:00 man u vs everton/soccer ........... bein sports 2hd
10:45 monaco vs lille ......................... bein sports 6hd
13:30 footballs greatest-pirlo ............ bein sports 4hd
14:00 squash world cup ................... bein sports 10hd
17:00 wta charlston/tennis ............... bein sports 10hd
18:30 nba inside stuff ....................... bein sports 13hd

Latest sports scores at http://sports.arabtimesonline.com

The football team of Gulf Bank have qualified for the finals of the Kuwait Banking Clubs football league after achieving 29 points. They will compete against the winning team of the qualifying match between the teams of Boubyan
Bank and Kuwait Finance House in the finals to battle for the 2017 league championship title. Pictured are the Gulf Bank football team.

Late run lifts N. Carolina to NCAA title
Redemption
GLENDALE, Ariz, April
4, (AP): Its OK, Carolina,
you can open your eyes. An
unwatchable game turned
into a beautiful night for
the Tar Heels, who turned
a free-throw contest into a
championship theyve been
waiting an entire year to
celebrate.
Justin Jackson delivered the go-
ahead 3-point play with 1:40 left
Monday and North Carolina pulled
away for a 71-65 win over Gonzaga
that washed away a years worth
of heartache.
It was, in North Carolinas words, a
redemption tour filled with extra
time on the practice court and the
weight room, all fueled by a devastat-
ing loss in last years title game on
Kris Jenkins 3-point dagger at the
buzzer for Villanova.
Just unreal that we get a second
chance at this, junior Theo Pinson
said, recounting a pre-game conversa-
tion with teammate Joel Berry II. Not
a lot of people can say they can do
that. I told him, Were about to take
this thing. Im about to give every-
thing I got. I knew he would, too, We
just didnt want to come up short
again.
But to say everything went right for
Roy Williams team at this Final Four
would be less than the truth.
The Tar Heels (33-7) followed a
terrible-shooting night in the semifinal
with an equally ice-cold performance
in the final going 4 for 27 from
3-point land and 26 for 73 overall.
Gonzaga, helped by 8 straight points
from Nigel Williams-Goss, took a
2-point lead with 1:52 left, but the next
possession was the game-changer.
Jackson took a zinger of a pass
under the basket from Pinson and con-
verted the shot, then the ensuing free
throw to take the lead for good.
Moments later, Williams-Goss twisted
an ankle and could not elevate for a
jumper that wouldve given the
Bulldogs the lead.
BASKETBALL
Isaiah Hicks made a basket to push
the lead to 3, then Kennedy Meeks, in
foul trouble all night (who wasnt?),
blocked Williams-Goss shot and
Jackson got a slam on the other end to
put some icing on title No. 6 for the
Tar Heels.
Williams got his third champion-
ship, putting him one ahead of his
mentor, Dean Smith, and now behind
only John Wooden, Mike Krzyzewski
and Adolph Rupp.
I think of Coach Smith, theres no
question, Williams said. I dont
think I should be mentioned in the
same sentence with him. But we got the best officials in the entire country, That was probably on me, Few title game.
three because Ive got these guys with
me and thats all I care about right now
and insisting they did a fine job. said. From my angle, it didnt look We broke the glass ceiling every-
He might have wanted further like an out of bounds situation or I one said we couldnt break, junior
my guys. review on the scrum with 50 seconds would have called a review. Thats forward Johnathan Williams said.
Berry recovered from ankle injuries left. The refs were taking heat on tough to hear. And North Carolina got over a
to lead the Tar Heels, but needed 19 social media for calling a held ball, The Bulldogs (37-2), the Cinderella- hump that, at times this season, felt
shots for his 22 points. Jackson had 16 which gave possession to the Tar turned-Godzilla team from the small like a mountain.
but went 0 for 9 from 3. Overall, the
Heels, on a pile-up underneath the school in the West Coast Conference, They wanted redemption,
Tar Heels actually shot a percentage
Carolina basket. It set up the Hicks tried to keep the big picture in mind. Williams said. I put it on the locker
point worse than they did in Saturday
nights win over Oregon. layup to put Carolina ahead by 3. One Twenty years ago, this sort of run at room up on the board one of the
Thank goodness for free throws. problem: Meeks right hand looks to that sort of place looked virtually things we had to be tonight was tough
They went 15 for 26 from the line be very much touching out of bounds impossible. With less than 2 minutes enough. I think this group was tough
and, in many corners, this game will while hes trying to rip away the ball. left, they had the lead in the national enough tonight.
be remembered for these three men:
Michael Stephens, Verne Harris and
Mike Eades, the referees who called
27 fouls in the second half, completely
busted up the flow of the game and
sent Meeks, Gonzagas 7-footers
Przemek Karnowski and Zach Collins,
and a host of others to the bench in
foul trouble.
The game featured 52 free throws.
Both teams were in the bonus with 13
minutes left. Somehow, Collins was
the only player to foul out.
Most bizarre sequence: With 8:02 left,
Berry got called for a foul for (maybe)
making contact with Karnowski and
stripping the ball from the big mans
hands. But as Karnowski was flailing
after the ball, he inadvertently grabbed
Berry around the neck. After a long
delay, the refs called Karnowski for a
flagrant foul of his own.
Im not going to talk about refs,
Karnowski said. It was just a physical
game. Zags coach Mark Few handled
it with class, calling the refs three of

Left: North Carolinas Justin Jackson (44) reacts after making a shot during the second half in the finals of the
Final Four NCAA college basketball tournament against Gonzaga on April 3, in Glendale, Arizona. (Right):
Gonzagas Zach Collins (32) dunks during the first half in the finals of the Final Four NCAA college basketball
tournament on Monday, in Glendale, Arizona. (AP)

French juniors
join I. Coast
CAPE TOWN, April 4,
(RTRS): The Ivory Coast
have persuaded two French
junior internationals to
switch allegiance and play
for them, strengthening
their squad for the resump-
tion of World Cup qualifi-
ers later in the year, the
countrys football federa-
tion has said.
The Olympique Lyonnais
striker Maxwel Cornet, 20,
and Udinese midfielder
Seko Fofana, 21, join for-
mer England international
Wilfried Zaha as players
who have been recruited by
the Ivorian federation in
recent months.
Cornet is Ivorian born
while Fofana, who had a
loan spell at Fulham, was
born in Paris but his par-
ents hail from the Ivory
Coast.

THE FIRST ENGLISH LANGUAGE DAILY IN FREE KUWAIT Published by: Arab Times Publishing House

Editor-in-Chief Editorial Office: Telephone: 24813566 & 24849144 Advertising: Tel: 1838281 Ext: 175 Annual Subscriptions:
Individuals KD 45/- Companies and Official Tel: 24919620
AHMED AL JARALLAH Airport Road, Shuwaikh Fax: 24818267 Fax: 24911307
Departments KD 75 Airmail charges extra for over- Fax: 24839487
P.O. Box 2270, 13023 Safat, Kuwait E-mail: arabtimes@arabtimesonline.com E-mail: advt@arabtimesonline.com seas