28ISSUE NO: 17820

28 Pages 150 Fils

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Established 1961 The First Daily in the Arabian Gulf

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SHAABAN 25, 1440 AHTUESDAY, APRIL 30, 2019

21Kuwait, China sign 2 MoUs on Belt and Road Initiative 5 16

Sheikh Sabah reaffirms determination to continue helping stricken countries

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News in brief

Expats still visiting insurance centers

KUWAIT: Informed sources said the health ministry col-lected around KD 20.2 million from expats through healthinsurance centers from January until April 24 for first-timeresidencies and renewals. This collection is separate fromamounts collected online. They said the ministry collectedKD 9.5 million from insurance centers in January, KD 4.8million in February, KD 3.6 million in March and KD 2.3million from April 1 to 24. The sources said 2,700 to 3,500expats visit the centers daily. — A Saleh

No smartphones, watches in school

KUWAIT: The private education department of theeducation ministry issued two circulars this weekbanning students from bringing smartphones or smartwatches to school. No student may have a smart-phone or smart watch on school premises and anystudent who brings such devices to school risks hav-ing them confiscated, according to the circulars. Theannouncement comes days before private schoolsbegin end-of-year exams.

Modest dress code at Kuwait University

KUWAIT: Kuwait University students have beentold to wear “decent” clothes, as instructions wereissued to not allow students not complying with thedress code to enter the campus. The administrationpublished a poster with the list of unacceptableclothing, including transparent and short dresses,clothes with unsuitable slogans and sleevelessclothes. Shorts are banned, while male studentscannot wear necklaces or earrings. — Al-Qabas

Amir receives merit certificate from World Bank delegation

KUWAIT: HH the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah was awarded a certificate of merit yes-terday in appreciation for his role as a developmentleader and for supporting global social and economicdevelopment efforts. The honoring was held at BayanPalace as the Amir met Finance Minister Nayef Al-Hajraf, Vice-President of World Bank Group (WBG) forMiddle East and North Africa Ferid Belhaj and hisaccompanying delegation.

On this occasion, HH the Amir said: “I am delightedto receive this recognition; an exceptional honor for meand my country, from Interim President of the WorldBank Group (WBG) Kristalina Georgieva. I express mygratitude, as well as that of the Kuwaiti people for thiskind gesture coming from one of the most importantinternational organizations that cares and caters forsocioeconomic and developmental projects and pro-grams in developing countries, particularly the leastdeveloped ones, in a bid to achieve security and stabili-ty for their peoples.”

HH Sheikh Sabah said Kuwait, since joining the WBGin 1962, has contributed to helping and financing thegroup’s developmental programs to eradicate povertyand revitalize economies as much as possible out of itsdeep belief in the socioeconomic prosperity of neigh-boring countries or otherwise.

Continued on Page 24

PARIS: Kuwait’s First Deputy Prime Ministerand Defense Minister Sheikh Nasser SabahAl-Ahmad Al-Sabah yesterday discussedwith French President Emmanuel Macron anumber of issues and handed a messagefrom HH the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-AhmadAl-Jaber Al-Sabah.

During the meeting, the two sidesexchanged views on several important issuesin the region and matters of mutual interest,the Kuwait Embassy in France said. Both sidesdiscussed ways to strengthen the bilateral

relationship, especially in the fields of culture,health, environment, military and economy,within the framework of Kuwait’s 2035 vision.

Macron stressed his pride in the distin-guished relations between the two countries,and asked Sheikh Nasser to convey his greet-ings to HH the Amir. Kuwait is a strong part-ner of France through diplomatic representa-tion and humanitarian action, Macron added.He noted that his meeting with Sheikh Nasseris an opportunity to give an overview of inter-national and regional issues, especially thefight against terrorism and the situation in theNear East and Middle East. Macron thankedKuwait for its active role as a non-permanentmember of the UN Security Council. SheikhNasser also thanked the French president forhis warm welcome and expressed Kuwait’sappreciation for its distinguished relationswith France. — KUNA

Defense minister hands Macron Amir’s message

PARIS: French President Emmanuel Macron meets Kuwait’s First Deputy PrimeMinister and Defense Minister Sheikh Nasser Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah at theElysee Palace yesterday. — AFP

In this undated video grab, the chief of the Islamic State group AbuBakr Al-Baghdadi appears for the first time in five years in a propa-ganda video. — AFP

KUWAIT: HH the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah receives a merit certificate from Vice-President ofWorld Bank Group for Middle East and North Africa FeridBelhaj yesterday. — KUNA (See Page 2)

KUWAIT: HH the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah tours the Salam Palace Museum after he inau-gurated it yesterday.— Amiri Diwan (See Page 3)

Amir opens Salam Palace Museum

By B Izzak

KUWAIT: Minister of State for Economic AffairsMariam Al-Aqeel said in press statements yesterdaythat Kuwait still needs the services of expatriate man-power, adding that repeated changes to the labor lawdiscourages foreign investors. Speaking to reporters,the minister said that Kuwait needs highly qualified andskilled expatriate manpower. The minister also said thatthere is no problem in allowing expatriates working in

the country to bring their spouses to join them if theyhave the financial ability.

Aqeel said that the presence of too many single maleexpats in the country is problematic and poses one ofseveral problems related to the unbalanced demo-graphic structure of the nation. Some 3.1 million expa-triates live and work in Kuwait against around 1.4 mil-lion citizens. MPs have been pressing the governmentto reduce the number of expats to pave the way toemploy more Kuwaitis. Aqeel also defended the gov-ernment’s opposition to amending the labor law, sayingthat repeated amendments are not helpful in attractingforeign investors to the country.

Meanwhile, National Assembly Speaker MarzouqAl-Ghanem denied that he mediated for a Russianwoman currently in custody over a financial case inconnection with a fund of the Ports Authority. Ghanemsaid the issue was raised during a recent meeting withhis Russian counterpart,

Continued on Page 24

Aqeel says Kuwait needs expats; Ghanemdenies mediating for jailed Russian woman

ISTANBUL: A man held by Turkey on suspicion ofspying for the United Arab Emirates has committedsuicide by hanging himself in prison, the Istanbulprosecutor’s office said yesterday. The suspect,named as Zaki Y M Hasan, was found hanging fromthe bathroom door in his one-person cell in Silivriprison, west of Istanbul, when guards arrived to givehim food on Sunday morning, the prosecutor’s officestatement said. It said the man had been registeredin a roll-call that morning. An investigation has beenlaunched and the Istanbul forensics institute hascarried out an autopsy, the statement added.

The dead man was one of two suspects chargedwith international, political and military espionage.The pair were arrested on April 19 and had con-fessed to spying on Arab nationals, a senior Turkishofficial said at the time. UAE officials were notimmediately available for comment on the deathand there has been no official statement followingTurkey’s announcement of the arrests.Investigators are examining whether the arrival inTurkey of one of the detainees was related to themurder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi sixmonths ago.

The United Arab Emirates is a close ally ofSaudi Arabia. Relations with Turkey have beenstrained since the two Arab states launched ablockade of their Gulf neighbor, Qatar, in 2017,while Ankara supported Doha. Saudi Arabia andthe UAE also view Turkish President TayyipErdogan’s Islamist-rooted ruling AK Party as asupporter of groups like the Muslim Brotherhood,which they oppose.

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BAGHDAD: The Islamic State group’s elusivechief Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi has purportedlyappeared for the first time in five years in apropaganda video released yesterday by thejihadist organization. It is unclear when thefootage was filmed, but the man said to beBaghdadi referred to last week’s deadly attackin Sri Lanka and to the months-long fight forIS’s final bastion Baghouz, which ended inMarch. “The battle for Baghouz is over,” hesaid, sitting cross-legged on a cushion andaddressing three men whose faces have beenblurred. “God ordered us to wage ‘jihad’. He didnot order us to win,” he said.

In a segment in which the man is not on cam-era, his voice referred to the April 21 Easterattacks in Sri Lanka, which killed 253 peopleand wounded nearly 500, as “vengeance fortheir brothers in Baghouz”. The man said to beBaghdadi insisted IS’ operations against theWest were part of a “long battle”, and that ISwould continue to “take revenge” on memberswho had been killed. “There will be more tocome after this battle,” he said.

The man in the video had a long grey beardthat appeared dyed with henna and spokeslowly, often pausing for several seconds inthe middle of his sentences. He was identifiedas Baghdadi by both the SITE IntelligenceGroup, which tracks IS, and Hisham Al-Hashemi, an Iraqi expert on the group.Baghdadi, who is now 47, appeared for thefirst and last time in public in Mosul in 2014,where he declared an Islamic “caliphate” inthe swathes of territory IS then held in Syriaand Iraq. He was reported killed or injuredmultiple times since then.—AFP

IS chief refers to Sri Lanka in first video in 5 years

UAE spy suspect found hanged in Turkish prison

Amir receivesofficials, outgoing Chad envoyKUWAIT: His Highness the Amir SheikhSabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah metyesterday at Bayan Palace with DeputyPrime Minister and Interior MinisterSheikh Khaled Al-Jarrah Al-Sabah andInterior’s Ministry UndersecretaryLieutenant General Essam Salim Al-Naham. His Highness also receivedKuwait’s Minister of State for EconomicAffairs Maryam Al-Aqeel, members of ahigher committee of a ceremony for hon-oring the winners of Kuwait Prize for dis-tinguished women, and Fayez Ali Al-Mutairi, the recently re-elected directorgeneral of Arab Labor Organization. Inaddition, His Highness received Chad’soutgoing Ambassador to Kuwait AliAhmed Agbash. The meetings was attend-ed by Deputy Minister of Amiri DiwanAffairs Sheikh Ali Jarrah Al-Sabah.

Meanwhile, His Highness the Amir sent acable of condolences to President ofIndonesia Joko Widodo, expressing sin-cere grief toward the victims of floods andlandslides triggered by torrential rains inSumatra province. In the cable, HisHighness the Amir wished mercy to thedeceased and swift recovery to theinjured. His Highness the Crown Prince

Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah and His Highness the Prime MinisterSheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah sent similar cables to theIndonesian President.

In the meantime, His Highness the Amirsent a cable to US President DonaldTrump over the shooting victims in Powaynear San Diego, CA, which resulted inkilling one person and injuring two others.In the cable, His Highness the Amir voicedKuwait’s condemnation of the criminalhorrible act that targeted innocents and hewished a swift recovery to those injured.Cables of similar sentiments were sent byHis Highness the Crown Prince and HisHighness the Prime Minister to the USPresident. — KUNA

KUWAIT: The World Bank Group’s honoring of HisHighness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-JaberAl-Sabah comes in recognition of his role in supportinginternational efforts to achieve sustainable developmentand fight poverty by providing aid to some 100 devel-oping countries. The volume of Kuwaiti government aidis about 1.2 percent of its gross national income, saidGhassan Khoja, the World Bank Group ResidentRepresentative in Kuwait.

“Kuwait provides such assistance without conditionsor political interference,” Khoja said, adding thatKuwait’s assistance directly contributes to improvingliving standards of hundreds of millions of poor peoplearound the world. He said that this aid also contributesto the construction of infrastructure facilities of devel-oping countries, to enable them to achieve economicdevelopment and join global economy.

Kuwait development fundHe pointed out to the establishment of Kuwait Fund

for Arab Economic Development (KFAED) is evidenceof Kuwait’s commitment to help developing countriesby allocating part of its resources to serve develop-ment efforts. The total value of the loans provided by

KFAED since its inception exceeded $16 billion, whilethe value of grants amounted to about $7 billion, hepointed out. He further noted that Kuwait supportsmany regional and international development institu-tions, including the International DevelopmentAssociation (IDA), which isone of the most importantinstitutions in the World BankGroup, which supportsdevelopment in low-incomecountries.

Moreover, Khoja praisedHis Highness the Amir’s con-tributions to Arab and inter-national conferences by allo-cating large sums to supportsmall projects and encourag-ing entrepreneurs, as well asthe technology sector. Kuwait has been a key memberof the IDA for over 55 years, he said, adding that theWorld Bank Group recognizes the importance ofKuwait as a long-time financial contributor to theFoundation since 1977.

As one of the World Bank Group’s institutions, IDA

is one of the most effective platforms to fight poverty inthe world. As a long-standing donor to IDA during thefiscal year 2018 (July 2017-June 2018), Kuwait assistedin achieving important results, including 1.9 millionfarmers in relying on improved agricultural technology

methods and 530,000 trainedteachers, he said. Moreover,5.8 million people have accessto improved sanitation facili-ties; 18.1 million children havebeen vaccinated; social safetynet has covered 12.1 millionpeople; nine million peoplehave benefited from financingprocedures that focus on jobcreation; 8.9 million peoplewere provided with improvedelectricity; 36.8 million people

have basic health, nutrition and population services and13.2 million have access to improved water sources.

World Bank’s officeOn the World Bank’s office in Kuwait, Khoja said

that it had participated with the Kuwaiti government in

a number of technical reports and advisory services. Henoted that at the opening of the office in 2009, theWorld Bank participated in number of activities to sup-port various ministries, as well as a number of strategicprojects dealing with education and financial manage-ment, which worked to improve the social and econom-ic conditions in Kuwait.

Khoja added that Kuwait has supported the estab-lishment of several public bodies such as the Anti-Corruption Authority (Nazaha), the National Center forEducation Development, and Kuwait’s National Fund forSmall and Medium Enterprises (SMEs). He pointed tothe development of the five-year (2016-2020) WorldBank’s strategy to support the Kuwaiti government’sefforts to promote public sector reforms, encouragenon-oil businesses, create jobs, and promote the devel-opment of vital infrastructure. He said that the WorldBank’s program will focus on supporting the seven pil-lars of the Kuwaiti development plan, to be in line withHis Highness’s the Amir 2035 vision. He also underlinedthe efforts exerted by the office to intensify its role inthe region, especially in Iraq, referring to Kuwait’spledges during the Kuwait Conference forReconstruction in Iraq, held in February 2018. — KUNA

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Amir supports efforts to provide aid tosome 100 developing countries: World BankKuwait’s assistance helps improve living standards of hundreds of millions of people: Khoja

World Bank’shonoring

of Amir welldeserved

KUWAIT: His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah receives a memento from the World Bank Groupyesterday. — Amiri Diwan photos

A certificate of merit awarded by the World Bank Group to His Highness the Amir inappreciation for his role as a development leader.

His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah meets with Chad’s outgo-ing Ambassador to Kuwait Ali Ahmed Agbash.

KUWAIT: His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah meets withDeputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Sheikh Khaled Al-Jarrah Al-Sabah and Interior’sMinistry Undersecretary Lieutenant General Essam Salim Al-Naham. — Amiri Diwan photos

His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah meets with Minister of State for Economic Affairs Maryam Al-Aqeel,and members of a higher committee of a ceremony for honoring the winners of Kuwait Prize for distinguished women.

KUWAIT: His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah received at BayanPalace yesterday Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to Kuwait Hong Youngki. — KUNA

PARIS: Kuwaiti First Deputy Prime Minister andDefense Minister Sheikh Nasser Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah met yesterday with French Defense MinisterFlorence Parly, as issues of common interest were dis-

cussed. The meeting, which took place late Sunday, wasfollowed by a dinner held in honor of Sheikh Nasser andhis accompanying delegation, who are on an official visitat the invitation of Parly, Kuwait Embassy said. — KUNA

Defense Minister meets French counterpart

PARIS: Kuwaiti First Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Sheikh Nasser Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabahmeets with French Defense Minister Florence Parly. — KUNA

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Palace documents country’s history in innovative style: Official

Amir inaugurates ‘Salam Palace’ Museum;cultural edifice documenting Kuwait’s history

KUWAIT: His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-AhmadAl-Jaber Al-Sabah inaugurated the ‘Salam Palace’ Museumyesterday. Upon arriving to the venue, His Highness wasreceived by Minister of Amiri Diwan Affairs Sheikh AliJarrah Al-Sabah, as well as Abdulaziz Ishaq, Head ofFinance and Administrative Affairs of the Amiri Diwan andChairman of the Executive Committee for theEstablishment and Management of Cultural Centers. Theceremony was also attended by His Highness the CrownPrince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah,National Assembly Speaker Marzouq Al-Ghanem and HisHighness the Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah, in addition to a host of senior state offi-cials. Following a speech by Minister of Amiri DiwanAffairs, His Highness toured the Museum, where he wasbriefed with its main sections and facilities before leavingthe site just as warmly welcomed.

Innovative style The ‘Salam Palace’ Museum is a cultural edifice that

documents Kuwait’s history in an innovative style, Ishaqsaid, adding that this unique building houses a collection ofrare artifacts and preserve the national cultural heritage ofKuwait. The Museum has been designed to suit the moderngeneration provided with the latest technological displaymethods to presents the history of Kuwait and the civiliza-tions it has undergone to the visitor in a creative and inno-vative manner, without any dazzling fun, he clarified.

The Palace, which represents great historical andnational value in the hearts of Kuwait’s rulers and people,was rehabilitated upon instructions of His Highness theAmir to turn it into a museum that documents the country’shistory, Ishaq explained. The reconstruction processcomes within the concept of new cultural-oriented andhistorical dimensions by turning it into a museum compa-rable to the finest and high standers international muse-ums. It consists of four floors (basement - ground - first -second), where the basement includes an electronic libraryconnected to the Central Library of the Amiri Diwan, aswell as areas dedicated to scientific research and staffoffices, storage and service rooms plus others.

The ground floor is located on Jamal AbdelnasserStreet with a VIP entrance overlooking the Arabian GulfRoad. It also includes exhibition halls for the “History ofthe Palace” that reflects the original construction of thePalace, as well as dignitaries who visited and stayed in it.The first floor contains the museum (the history of Kuwaitthrough its rulers), which includes nine halls that tell thehistory of Kuwait since its inception, with most importantachievements made during the history of the 15 rulers ofKuwait, with a display of their collectibles and personalitems. The second floor includes a reception areas, a ban-quet hall and a central kitchen. The Palace is divided intothree main sections; the Museum of Kuwait Historythrough its rulers, the Peace Palace History Museum, andthe Museum of Civilizations that inhabited the land ofKuwait. Ishaq pointed to other sections that have beendeveloped to serve the Museum, including a special suiteto receive senior guests of the state, a digital library, edu-

cational halls for school students, and a “Courtyard” withmulti-parking.

Building’s historyConstruction of the property, which was the private

residence of Late Father Amir Sheikh Saad Al-AbdullahAl-Salem Al-Sabah, began in the late 1950s. In 1960, thebasic construction of the Palace started, coinciding withthe independence of Kuwait in 1961. At the time, Kuwaitwas in need of a guesthouse for officials visiting the coun-try and a place to hold State-level meetings and interna-tional discussions.

The ownership of the Palace transferred to the state,and converted into a guesthouse under the supervision ofthe late Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah; backthen minister of finance. The Palace received its first visitorin 1964, and then started to receive kings, emperors, andofficials who reached 166. In 2013, Sheikha Mona Al-JaberAl-Sabah proposed, after 23 years of neglect, to theMinister of Amiri Diwan Affairs, Chairman of the HigherCommittee of Cultural Centers, to create a museum thatcombines the history of Kuwait for the first time and iskept under one roof. The reconstruction process tooknearly six years that will demonstrate 300 years of undoc-umented history of Kuwait. — KUNA

KUWAIT: His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, His Highness the Crown PrinceSheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah and senior officials attend the inauguration of the ‘Salam Palace’Museum yesterday. — Amiri Diwan photos

His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah arrives to the venue.

His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah tours the museum.

His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah receives a memento from Head of Financeand Administrative Affairs of the Amiri Diwan Abdulaziz Ishaq, in presence of His Highness the Crown PrinceSheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah and National Assembly Speaker Marzouq Al-Ghanem.

His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-JaberAl-Sabah and His Highness the Crown Prince SheikhNawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah attend the inaugura-tion of the ‘Salam Palace’ Museum.

A United Nations’ certificate recognizing His Highnessthe Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah asa ‘Humanitarian Leader’ is displayed at the museum.

His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah is seen during atour around the museum.

A musical performance at the museum.Several portraits of the late Amir Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah dis-played at the museum.

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Photo of the Day

KUWAIT: A general view of Kuwait City and its suburbs. —Photo by Ali Abdullah (KUNA)

KUWAIT: A group photo during the honoring.

KUWAIT: Deputy Foreign Minister Khaled Al-Jarallahaffirmed Sunday that search for remains of missingKuwaitis in Iraq is still ongoing in accordance with UNprocedures and will not stop. Jarallah made his remarksto reporters after taking part in a ceremony to mark the25th anniversary of the International Organization forMigration’s (IOM) partnership with Kuwait. Kuwait’sforeign ministry is closely following the issue duringmeetings with its Iraqi counterpart and the InternationalFederation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies(IFRC), he added.

Meanwhile, Jarallah indi-cated that the missions andduties of the NationalCommittee for Missing andPrisoners of Wars Affairs(NCMPA) have been referredto the foreign ministry a fewdays ago. The ministry is cur-rently dealing with the issueand has contacted families ofmissing and imprisonedKuwaitis in Iraq to updatetheir data and follow details related to this subject, saidthe senior official. On Iraqi Prime Minister AdelAbdulmahdi’s visit to Kuwait, Jarallah said that no datehas been scheduled yet, affirming his country’s aspira-tion for such a visit as soon as possible due for itsimportance on both countries’ interest.

On recent tensions in the region and Kuwaiti con-cerns after Iran threatened to shut Hormuz Strait,Jarallah said his country is following these threats with“grave concern” He also affirmed Kuwait’s aspiration tokeep the region away from such tensions, wishing thatwisdom, peace, and tranquility prevail in this “vitalpart” of the world.

Kuwait, IOM tiesMeanwhile, Jarallah stressed the strategic relationship

between Kuwait and the IOM, pointing out that thisstrategic relationship is working on important humanitari-an sectors through which Kuwait has cooperated with theorganization to implement several humanitarian projects ina number of countries. “Kuwait cannot forget the impor-tant role of this international organization during the Iraqiinvasion through the issuance of many resolutions to liber-ate Kuwait,” he added. Jarallah thanked the organization

for honoring the ForeignMinistry and its officials, head-ed by Deputy Prime Ministerand Minister of Foreign AffairsSheikh Sabah Al-Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah.

In the meantime, theDirector-General of IOM,Antonio Vittorino, praisedKuwait’s continued support toall international organizations atthe UN. Vittorino noted that theorganization is pursuing close

cooperation not only in the area of policies of commonconcern such as combating human trafficking, managingborders and improving the labor market for foreign work-ers, but also to support Kuwait in achieving its humanitari-an goals. He expressed appreciation to His Highness theAmir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah and theKuwaiti Government for their assistance to IOM mission.The ceremony was marked by the selection of SheikhaBibi Nasser Al-Sabah as a goodwill ambassador as well ashonoring senior officials of the Kuwaiti Foreign Ministry.

Alleviating people sufferingIn a speech during the ceremony, Sheikh Sabah Al-

Khaled commended the IOM for alleviating suffering ofpeople facing crises in different parts of the world,adding that cooperation with international organizationsenabled Kuwait to get acquainted with its vital humani-tarian projects. Kuwait, which holds an observer status atIOM, has been committed to development, humanitarianand relief projects worldwide, he said.

Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled said the international com-munity was experiencing critical challenges whichwere affecting global peace and security. He expressed

concern over high numbers of poor and hungry people.Kuwait, he added, paid a great attention to eliminationof poverty in compliance with the UN SustainableDevelopment Goals (SDGs) with the ultimate objectiveof protecting and promoting human rights and humandignity. Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled said Kuwait sought,through its non-permanent membership in the UNSecurity Council, to highlight challenges facinghumanitarian work like displacement of people fromconflict zones. —KUNA

Search for missing Kuwaiti remains inIraq won’t stop: Foreign Ministry official

Kuwait follows up Hormuz Strait threats with grave concern: Jarallah

Kuwait commends IOM

for alleviating people’s suffering

KUWAIT: Director-General of IOM Antonio Vittorino (right) honors Deputy Foreign Minister Khaled Al-Jarallah (center), as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah looks on. —KUNA

ACK students winIEEE 2nd SYPC GCC competitionsKUWAIT: The Australian College of Kuwait (ACK)took part in the Second Students and YoungProfessional (SYP) competitions held by the Instituteof Electrical and Electronics Engineering (IEEE) andwon in two competitions. The IEEE 2nd SYPC GCCcompetition was held in Kuwait and brought togetherstudents from around the Arabian Gulf to competeagainst each other in various competitions. Two groupsof students from ACK took part in the competitionswhich were held on the 19th and 20th of April 2019.The groups competed in and were selected amongstthe winners for the Robotics competition and theProjects competition.

During the Robotics competition, the ACK teamcompeted against 14 other teams. The competition

involved designing robots to go through five arenasthat the students prepared for along with a surprise 6tharena for which the students had to design a robot towork through on the spot. The Robotics team consistedof Othman Al-Matrouk, Alaa Bouomar and AfsahAbdullah. The team was supervised by MohammedZaki, Senior Instructor of Industrial Practice.

As for the Projects competition, the ACK team com-peted against 80 other teams. The group worked todesign a medical device that would detect the vitalsigns of the wearer to catch any abnormalities such asheart attacks and diabetes strokes. The Projects teammembers were Anoud Al-Shammari, Azari Al-Yasin,Maha Fatehallah, and Shurooq Al-Kandari. This teamwas also supervised by Mohammed Zaki.

Zaki credits the students’ success where they havebeen encouraged to view the competitions as fun learn-ing activities, as opposed to purely competitive activi-ties. “I told my students; we aren’t going there to win,we are going there to enjoy and learn,” said Zaki. “Ifyou enjoy it, you will excel in it.” ACK would like tothank the IEEE for providing such a great opportunityfor its students, and also to thank the faculty and stu-dents who participated for their hard work and effort.

Kuwait signs twoMoUs with China onBelt, Road InitiativeKUWAIT: Kuwait has signed two memorandums ofunderstanding with the Chinese government on the roadand belt initiative for international cooperation in theframework of implementing its strategic vision in makingit a safe strategic corridor and a huge trade forum.

The Memorandum of Understanding was signed byKuwait’s Ambassador to China Samih Hayat on thesidelines of his chairmanship of Kuwait’s delegation tothe ëSilk Summit 2í forum on the road and belt initiativefor international cooperation, sponsored and attendedby Chinese President Xi Jinping.

The first memorandum of understanding signed withthe state’s China Development Bank is related to devel-opment, construction and consultative cooperation,whereas the second, which was signed with the StateUrban Planning Commission, is related to organizationof consultative planning, the Kuwaiti embassy in Beijingsaid in a statement yesterday.

The statement pointed out that Ambassador Hayatsigned the memorandums of understanding betweenthe governments of the two countries by directives ofthe First Deputy Prime Minister and Defense MinisterSheikh Nasser Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah,Chairman of the Supreme Planning Council and theSupreme Head of the North Economic Zone.

Meanwhile, Ambassador Hayat affirmed during theforum Kuwait’s support for the ëBelt and Roadí initia-tive, which coincides with its strategic vision of makingit a safe strategic corridor, a huge trade forum and anetwork of railways lines starting from China and end-ing in Jerusalem through Central Asia and strategiccountries. The China Development Bank is the largestgovernment development bank in the world, with morethan $200 billion in funding over 600 projects underthe Infrastructure Initiative of the Belt and RoadInitiative since its launch in 2013. —KUNA

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KUWAIT: The Ministry of Health inaugurated yesterday a forum and workshop on ‘Good Manufacturing Practices in Pharmaceutical Industry.’ Central Circle Company and Sanofiare among the largest sponsors participating in the four-day event, which is held under the patronage of Health Minister Sheikh Dr Basel Al-Sabah. The Ministry’sUndersecretary for Medical Stores and Regulatory Affairs Dr Abdullah Al-Bader attended the event.

News in brief

Six-month grace period for bedoons

KUWAIT: Health Minister Sheikh Dr Basel Al-Sabah gaveinstructions to give bedoons whose security IDs haveexpired a six-month grace period from the start of Mayuntil the end of Oct 2019, so that they can get their securi-ty IDs. Ministry Undersecretary Dr Mustafa Redha wroteto health zones asking them to exempt bedoons from pay-ing health fees at hospitals and health centers. —A Saleh

Residency investigations office open

KUWAIT: The Farwaniya residency investigations officeopened in Riggae on Sunday, April 28, the InteriorMinistry’s General Investigations Department announcedyesterday in a statement released by the ministry’sSecurity Media Department. —Hanan Al-Saadoun

Jaber Causeway opens tomorrow

KUWAIT: The Jaber Causeway is scheduled to opentomorrow, May 1. The Public Works Ministry said acelebration will be held on a manmade island, which ispart of the project. —Al-Anbaa

Palace of Justice to be demolished

KUWAIT: While preparations are being made to movejudicial departments out of the Palace of Justice to thecourts of other governorates in order to demolish it after44 years of holding court sessions in it, judicial sourcessaid it is not possible to move all court departments fromthe building unless there is an alternative in Kuwait City inparticular. The sources said articles 4 and 8 of the judici-ary law related to the administrative and government cir-cuits, comprehensive court and the cassation court saythat sessions must be held in Kuwait City. Therefore, ses-sions cannot be held elsewhere, unless the laws areamended or the state rents a building to put the courts inthem. They added that holding court sessions in any othergovernorate will make them null and void, along with thesentences issued. —Al-Jarida

KUWAIT: The Women’s Research and Studies Center(WRSC) at the College of Social Sciences at KuwaitUniversity hosted a workshop yesterday to raiseawareness on ending violence against women and girlsin Kuwait. The event took place under the patronage ofthe General Secretariat of the Supreme Council forPlanning and Development (GSSCPD), in partnershipwith UN Women and the United Nations DevelopmentProgram (UNDP) in Kuwait, and in collaboration withthe Central Statistical Bureau, and Promundo, a non-government organization that has conducted the studyin four Arab states.

The workshop drew the part icipation of DrKhaled Al-Mahdi, Secretary-General of GSSCPD, DrLubna Al-Kazi, Director WRSC, Hideko Hadzialic,Resident Representative of UNDP in Kuwait, andJosephine Moss, Coordination specialist at UNWomen. The event was held within the framework ofthe project ‘Support the State of Kuwait in the imple-mentation of SDG 5 on Gender Empowerment’ and inl ine with the 2030 Agenda for SustainableDevelopment and Kuwait’s National DevelopmentPlan (KNDP) 2015-2020.

The workshop unveiled the results of Kuwait’s first‘International Men and Gender Equality Survey’ in theMiddle East and North Africa (IMAGES MENA).Conducted in 2018, the first exercise of its kind in theGCC region focused on gender empowerment, domes-tic violence, personal experiences, and men’s andwomen’s attitudes and practices in this regard. Havingsurveyed more than 1,900 Kuwaiti men and womenaged 18-59, it is one of the most comprehensivehousehold studies in the region. The findings have con-firmed significant support for protecting women andgirls’ rights in Kuwait.

Equal rightsThe survey provides fascinating insights into the

perception of women’s economic and educationalempowerment in the country. For instance, 90 percentof women and two thirds percent of men believe wivesand husbands have equal rights to work outside thehome. On the other hand, 48 percent of men think thatshould resources be scarce, it is more important toeducate sons than daughters.

In terms of protecting women and girls’ rights, 75percent of men and 90 per-cent of women support lawsraising the minimum age ofmarriage to 18 and criminaliz-ing domestic violence. Animpressive 100 percent ofwomen and 98 percent ofmen are in favor of criminaliz-ing sexual harassment.

Examining men’s andwomen’s roles in childcare,the survey reveals that around90 percent of fathers haveattended at least one antenatal visit, and more than 75percent were present at the birth of their youngestchild. Meanwhile, 79 percent of men and 93 percent ofwomen discuss personal matters with children.

As for the perception of marriage, more than 80percent of women and 50 percent of men believe in awoman’s right to initiate divorce. However, more than80 percent of men and half of all women surveyed thinkdivorce will lead to the breakdown of society.

Ending violenceDr Khaled Mahdi, Secretary-General of GSSCPD,

said: “It is imperative that we work together to end vio-lence against women. We must tackle the root causes ofit, and adopt a systemic and comprehensive approachthat recognizes and protects women’s full and equalhuman rights. In this workshop today, we are bringingto light the results of our country’s first national surveyon ending violence against women and girls. Togetherwith the help of the WRSC, we are supporting Kuwaitin implementing the fifth objective of the UnitedNations’ Sustainable Development Goals on achieving

gender empowerment forwomen and girls.”

Hideko Hadzialic, ResidentRepresentative of UNDP inKuwait, said: “We need toenable women to live a life ofequality. Ending violenceagainst women is one ofUNDP’s priorities and part ofour mission to realizewomen’s empowerment.”

On behalf of UN WomenRegional Office for the Arab

States, Josephine Moss, Coordination Specialist, com-mended Kuwait and national stakeholders for theirleadership in implementing this ground-breaking studyand said: “Kuwait’s innovative approach offers a modelto other countries in the GCC region and beyond, toobtain the data to inform policies that will facilitatewomen’s full and effective participation in nationaldevelopment.

Speaking at the event, Dr Lubna Al-Kazi, Director ofWRSC, said: “Unfortunately, many women today stillface violence in their lives, therefore protecting womenand girls against violence is a social responsibility. The

findings of IMAGES MENA Kuwait shed light on aharsh reality that we need to acknowledge and prevent.The survey has been an eye opener, proving that it isimperative to implement strategies to protect women inKuwait, elevate their status and promote gender-posi-tive policies across the board.”

The workshop also provided an opportunity to learnfrom the experiences of other Arab countries whereIMAGES MENA Kuwait was conducted and explorehow they utilized the findings and recommendations forprogramming purposes. The event included a presenta-tion of WRSC’s action plan to end violence againstwomen in Kuwait.

Survey shows strong support for raising marriage age in Kuwait

Research center hosts workshop on ending violence against women and girls

Center sharesaction plan toend violence

against women KUWAIT: Dr Lubna Al-Kazi, Director of Women’s Research andStudies Center Kuwait, speaks during the workshop.

Kuwait beefsup monitoringof charity workBy Meshaal Al-Enezi

KUWAIT: Acting Social Affairs Ministry AssistantUndersecretary for Social Development Hanan Al-Hajeri warned those involved in charity work againstviolating rules and regulations of collecting donationsin order to avoid punishments, as there will not be anyleniency with any party that violates the charity law.Hajeri asked people not to hesitate in informing author-ities about any violations in collecting donations, be itat premises of NGOs, worship places or anywhere else,especially with the advent of the holy month ofRamadan next week. She said the ministry receivesinformation about violations on the hotlines 99228954and 22484776 during official working hours.

Hajeri said 30 societies out of 44 registered at theministry are participating in the 16th project of collect-ing donations, in addition to the International IslamicCharity Organization, adding that preparations for thisyear began in February with coordination with theawqaf and interior ministries, Kuwait Municipality, statesecurity and the manpower authority to check thecriminal records of those working in collecting money.She added that six teams were formed to follow charitywork, which is double the number of teams formed inprevious years, in order to cover the entire country.

She said that an initiative called “Gharemeen” (thosewho cannot pay their debts) was launched at therequest of NGOs, adding that a number of NGOsexpressed their willingness to care for prisoners,including the Ruhamaa Beinahom Takaful society.

Zain delivers ‘Ramadan Machla’through strategicpartners’ networkKUWAIT: Zain, the leading digital service provider inKuwait, delivered ‘Ramadan Machla’ (supplies) to a numberof its strategic partners of non-profit organizations, who willin turn distribute them to underprivileged families in Kuwaitduring the upcoming holy month of Ramadan.

The ‘Ramadan Machla’ initiative is one of the main pillarsof Zain’s annual Ramadan campaign, which comes in linewith the company’s Corporate Social Responsibly andSustainability strategy. Every year, Zain prepares boxes con-taining essential food supplies and delivers them through thenetwork of its strategic partners of non-profit organizations.This year, the company favored delivering vouchers insteadof the boxes to give every family the opportunity to choosespecific supplies as per their different needs.

Zain delivered the ‘Ramadan Machla’ vouchers tostrategic partners of non-profit organizations; the KuwaitRed Crescent Society (KRCS), Kuwait Food Bank, DirectAid, Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor’s Social Care

Centers, and Zakat House. The vouchers will be distrib-uted to underprivileged families in Kuwait who are inneed of support during the month of fasting. The voucherscan be used at Saveco, an all-inclusive one of-a-kind one-stop mega market, considered one of the biggest inKuwait and the region, and offers a vast range of productsand services. Zain also dedicated a day of special dealsand exclusive offers for voucher holders in collaborationwith Saveco.

Zain’s distribution plan included the delivery of thevouchers to the biggest official non-profit organizationsacross Kuwait to assure their delivery to those in needbefore the arrival of the Holy Month in order to ensure dis-advantaged families have enough quantities of the mostbasic supplies. This initiative is part of a series of programsthe company is preparing for the upcoming Holy Month ofRamadan with the aim of having a deep positive impact onthe community’s various segments, especially the most vul-nerable ones.

Zain affirmed that its social and CSSR campaign duringthe holy month of Ramadan will include an extensive array ofinitiatives and programs that focus on helping less fortunatepeople to enjoy Ramadan happily, as well as celebrating thetrue spirit the Holy month brings.

Zain’s solid Corporate Sustainability and SocialResponsibility strategy primarily focuses on the wellbeing ofthe entire nation. For this reason, the company has main-tained its support of numerous initiatives that spread aware-ness and help make a difference to people’s everyday lives.

KUWAIT: Zain delivers ‘Ramadan Machla’ to Kuwait Food Bank.

‘Suspected felony’in couple’s deathKUWAIT: The bodies of two Kuwaitis who were founddead in a chalet in the south of the country were recov-ered by the coroner. A police source said a suspectedfelony case was ordered by the prosecution as investi-gations began. Meanwhile, the body of a Kuwaitiwoman was sent to the coroner after she was founddead by firemen as they responded to a call about a firein a Jabriya house kitchen. The woman was found in her

house’s yard, and paramedics confirmed her death.

Child molester at largeA nine-year-old Egyptian girl was molested by an

unidentified person near her residence in Khaitan. Thegirl’s father complained to police. Detectives aresearching for the suspect.

HarassmentPolicemen arrested a man who harassed a Kuwaiti

woman near a Abu Al-Hasaniya cafÈ. The womancalled police and said the man was chasing her, sopolice responded and arrested the man, who wasdrinking coffee. The suspect, also a Kuwaiti, was tak-

en to the police station where the woman lodged acomplaint.

Nurse beats patientA male nurse beat a patient who suffered a stroke. The

investigator ordered the Indian man transferred to thecentral prison while waiting for court action. A policemansaid that a Kuwaiti woman in Adan told police that herdisabled Kuwaiti husband, who suffered from a strokeand was not aware of his surroundings, was beaten by amale nurse. The nurse was charged with negligence incaring for a disabled person and beating. Detectivesarrested the suspect and took him to the police station.

—Translated by Kuwait Times from Al-Rai

Pope urges hairdressers to cut gossipVATICAN CITY: Pope Francis yesterdaywelcomed hairdressers, hairstylists andbeauticians to the Vatican but warned themnot to indulge in gossip while featheringlocks or painting fingernails. “Practice yourprofession in a Christian style, treating cus-tomers with kindness and courtesy, andalways offering them a good word andencouragement,” he said.

Snip split ends and wax limbs while “avoid-ing giving in to the temptation of chatter that

easily creeps into your work environment,” heurged them during an audience in the Vatican.He said the cosmetologists should be guidedby their patron saint, Peruvian Martino dePorres, a 16th-century barber-surgeon whosemiracles include levitation, being in two placesat once, instant cures, and an ability to com-municate with animals.

De Porres, who is also the patron saint ofmixed-race people, innkeepers and publichealth workers, was a barber-surgeon inLima, an ancient trade which covered every-thing from haircuts to amputations andbloodletting. “Each of you, in your profes-sional work, can always act with righteous-ness, thus making a positive contribution tothe common good of society,” Francis said.The Argentine pontiff opened a barber shopand washrooms for the homeless in SaintPeter’s Square in 2015. — AFP

InternationalThousands gather inKabul for Afghan peace meeting US measles outbreak raises questions about immunity in adults

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TUESDAY, APRIL 30, 2019

Established 1961

PEMBA: Residents stand next to a road partially destroyed by floods after heavy downpours in Pemba after the destruction caused by Cyclone Kenneth. —AFP

PEMBA: Heavy rain battered northern Mozambiqueyesterday as residents and relief workers confronted thewidespread devastation wrought by Cyclone Kenneth,the strongest cyclone to ever hit Africa, which killed 38people and destroyed thousands of homes. Roads havebeen washed away, fields submerged and many buildingswrecked by the storm, which came weeks after CycloneIdai hit the Mozambican city of Beira, 1,000 kilometersto the south.

Cyclone Kenneth made landfall late on Thursday inCabo Delgado province, packing wind gusts of up to 220kilometers per hour. The UN Office for the Coordinationof Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) described it as thestrongest cyclone to ever lash the continent, and predict-ed further heavy rain over the coming days. “CycloneKenneth made landfall at the end of the rainy season,when river levels were already high, increasing the risk ofriver flooding,” the UN agency said in its latest update.

“Humanitarian needs in Mozambique have sky-rock-eted, and the humanitarian response will need to rapidly

scale-up.” According to figures provided by theMozambique authorities to NGOs, around 200,000people in Pemba city, the capital of Cabo Delgado, are indanger. According to a prelimi-nary toll from the NationalInstitute of DisasterManagement (INGC), 38 peo-ple have died, 39 have beeninjured, more than 23,000 peo-ple are without shelter andnearly 35,000 homes havebeen either partly or complete-ly destroyed.

‘We don’t know what we’ll do’ “The water came inside the

house and all the way to the backyard,” said SumalaCabila, 23, standing in his family home in Pemba’s work-ing-class Piquite suburb which flooded on Sunday morn-ing. As rain poured down and roads in the district

became unpassable except for 4-wheel-drive vehicles,Cabila’s sister struggled to look after her one-month-oldchild. “If it continues to rain. we don’t know what we’ll

do,” he said as waterstreamed of his slanted roof.

In Pemba, a tourist destina-tion, staff mopped up pools ofwater at a hotel and clearedtree branches out of the lobbyfountain, while laborers strug-gled to clear out the city’sdrainage system blocked byflood debris. “(We) planned tomobilize as much aid as possi-ble to Ibo and also from thereto Quissanga via Roa,” said

UN OCHA official Saviano Abreu, naming two areas out-side Pemba worst hit by storm damage and flooding.

“It was the priority for government and humanitarianorganizations, as these two areas are in urgent need.

“We managed to send one flight with World FoodProgram (WFP) supplies of rice and biscuits, and somenon-food items. But unfortunately the weather condi-tions are changing too fast and threatening the opera-tion. It’s raining again and the second flight couldn’t go.”To the north of Pemba, the town of Macomia was alsobadly hit, with homes and businesses destroyed, roofstorn off, trees and electric pylons uprooted.

“We have grave fears for the thousands of familiescurrently taking shelter under the wreckage of theirhomes. They urgently need food, water and shelter tosurvive the coming days,” said Nicholas Finney, head ofSave the Children’s response team in Mozambique. Thenorthern region hit by Cyclone Kenneth is moresparsely populated than Beira, which was hit byCyclone Idai in mid-March. But the area has also beenhard hit by deadly raids by a jihadist group over thepast 18 months that the army has been unable to con-trol. Before smashing into Mozambique, Kennethpassed by the Comoros islands. — AFP

38 killed as Mozambique floods worsen Around 200,000 people in Pemba city ‘in danger’

Cyclone Kenneth wreaks havoc, destroy homes

VATICAN CITY: Pope Francis waves to the crowd from the window of the Apostolic Palace over-looking St Peter’s square during the Regina Caeli prayer. — AFP

France moves to stemsurge in police suicidesPARIS: The French government yesterday opened a suicideprevention unit for police officers after a sharp rise in the num-ber taking their own lives since the start of this year. The movecomes as prosecutors are investigating chants by some “yel-low vest” anti-government protesters in recent weeks urgingthe police to “commit suicide,” which have prompted wide-spread public outrage.

Police unions say officers are under intense strain since theeruption of the protests last November, which have oftendegenerated into violent clashes between demonstrators andsecurity forces. So far this year 28 officers have killed them-selves, up from a total of 35 for all of last year, according tointerior ministry figures.

“We have to break the fear, break the shame, break thesilence,” Interior Minister Christophe Castaner said as heopened the prevention unit’s offices in Paris. He said officialswould also evaluate practices and procedures in the policeforces of other countries as well as in private companies.Castaner acknowledged that police suicides were linked to thephysical and emotional tolls of the work, which union officialssay have increased significantly with the demands of securingthe “yellow vest” protests.

“I don’t want to hear more about ‘this has nothing to dowith the service, it was a personal issue’,” he said. ButCastaner rejected claims that a move to let officers keep theirservice weapons at home when off duty, implemented after thedeadly 2015 terror attacks in Paris, had contributed to theincrease in suicides. “Over the past 10 years, the percentage ofgun use in cases of suicides hasn’t changed,” he said.

National police chief Eric Morvan had already raised theissue in a letter to France’s 150,000 officers earlier this month,acknowledging there had been a “dramatic sequence” of sui-cides in the force. “The human responsibility that someone hasin taking this terrible decision does not exonerate us fromours,” he wrote. In two of the most recent cases, a policemanshot himself this month at home with his service weapon inVillejuif outside Paris, and a female captain shot herself in theheart in her office in the southern city of Montpellier. — AFP

New UK rules overrape victims’ digital data spark criticism LONDON: Police are asking rape and sexualassault victims for access to their digital devicesunder new guidelines published yesterday thatprompted criticism from women’s rights campaign-ers in Britain. Officers now present victims with con-sent forms to view messages, photographs, emailsand social media accounts, with police warning thatprosecutions may not go ahead without the permis-sions. The change follows a disclosure scandal in thelegal system which saw a series of rape and sexualassault cases collapse in recent years after crucialevidence emerged at the last minute.

Assistant commissioner Nick Ephgrave, of theNational Police Chiefs’ Council, said the new“informed consent” forms would be used “propor-tionately and consistently”. He added police wereworking with victim groups and others to ensure theapproach had “the necessary balance”. “We wouldnever want victims to feel that they can’t reportcrimes because of ‘intrusion’ in their data,” Ephgravesaid in a statement.

But women’s advocates as well as privacy cam-paigners have hit out at the consent forms as overlyintrusive and argue they could deter people fromreporting crimes. “We seem to be going back to thebad old days when victims of rape are being treatedas suspects,” said Harriet Wistrich, director of theCentre for Women’s Justice. The organization said itwas preparing a legal challenge to the policy along-side privacy advocates Big Brother Watch, which hasdubbed the measures “digital strip searches”. PrimeMinister Theresa May’s spokesman said Mondaythat the issue was “complex” and police would con-duct impact assessments on the forms. — AFP

COLOMBO: Sri Lankan security officials have warnedthat Islamist militants behind Easter Sunday’s suicidebombings are planning attacks and could be dressed inuniform, as the archbishop of Colombo complainedabout insufficient security around churches. The mili-tants were targeting five locations for attacks, securitysources said.

“There could be another wave of attacks,” the headof the police ministerial security division (MSD) said ina letter to lawmakers and other officials seen byReuters yesterday. “The relevant information furthernotes that persons dressed in military uniforms andusing a van could be involved in the attacks.” Therewere no attacks on Sunday and security acrossBuddhist-majority Sri Lanka has been ramped up, withscores of suspected Islamists arrested since the April21 attacks on hotels and churches that killed more than250 people, including 40 foreign nationals.

The government has also banned women from wear-ing face veils under an emergency law that was put inplace after the attacks. There were concerns within theMuslim community that the ban could fuel tensions inthe multi-ethnic nation. But government officials said itwould help security forces identify people as a hunt forany remaining attackers and their support networkcontinues across the Indian Ocean island, which wasgripped by civil war for decades until 2009.

The Archbishop of Colombo, Malcolm Ranjith, saidthat security had not been sufficiently stepped uparound churches. “We are not satisfied with the securi-ty arrangements and urge authorities to ensure oursafety,” he told reporters. Authorities suspect membersof two little known groups - National ThawheedhJamaath (NTJ) and Jammiyathul Millathu Ibrahim - ofcarrying out the Easter attacks, though Islamic Statehas claimed responsibility.

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said a tight-knit group of people was involved, mostly close friendsand families. They spoke face-to-face, possibly toevade electronic surveillance. “They were small enoughthat they were not using normal communications,instead meeting each other,” Wickremesinghe said. Headded the coordinated bombings, the type of explo-sives used and the tightly guarded plot suggested thebombers had guidance. “ISIS has claimed, we also feltthere has to be some international links,” he said, refer-ring to Islamic State.

Authorities believe Zahran Hashim, the founder ofNTJ, was the mastermind and one of the nine suicidebombers. One military source told Reuters that fivesets of white attire commonly worn by Buddhists whenvisiting temples were recovered from a safe house inthe east, the site of a gun battle on Friday that killedZahran’s father and his two brothers. His wife anddaughter escaped an explosion with minor injuries,hospital staff and police said.

Row over police chiefMany Sri Lankans believe a deep rift between

President Maithripala Sirisena and Wickremesinghehas undermined national security. Sirisena firedWickremesinghe last year, after months of tension, onlyto be forced to reinstate him under pressure from theSupreme Court. Since then their relationship has dete-riorated further to the point where their factionsactively try to undermine each other, including notsharing security information, defense sources say.

Sirisena said yesterday he had appointedChandana Wickramaratne, the second in command atthe police, as acting police chief. Over the weekend,two sources at the president’s office told Reuters thatPujith Jayasundara, the police chief who was appoint-ed by Wickremesinghe, was refusing the president’srequest to step down for not sharing informationabout the attacks.

“Since there is an investigation into his possiblefailure in preventing the attacks, Jayasundara hasbeen sent on compulsory leave,” a source close to thepresident said. It was not immediately possible tocontact Jayasundara yesterday. The president has alsoappointed General Shantha Kottegoda as the newdefense secretary, replacing Hemasiri Fernando whoresigned after the bombings, saying that some institu-tions under him had failed.

Kottegoda, 69, army commander between 2004and 2005, was instrumental in weakening Tamil Tigerrebels by breaking away an allied group. The arch-bishop criticized the bickering at the top levels ofgovernment. “At a time when the whole country hasbeen affected by a major catastrophe, politiciansshould stop finding fault with each other,” he said.“Instead they must have broad discussion on whatsteps needed to be taken to solve this and take thiscountry out of this crisis.” — Reuters

I n t e r n a t i o n a l Tuesday, April 30, 2019

7Established 1961

Sri Lanka on alert for attacks by militants disguised in uniforms

Archbishop slams poor church security

COLOMBO: A Sri Lankan Special Task Force (STF) soldier checks a Muslim burial ground in Colombo yesterday, aweek after a series of bomb blasts targeting churches and luxury hotels on Easter Sunday in Sri Lanka. — AFP

Military spending at post-Cold War high, fueled by US, China STOCKHOLM: Global military expenditure reachedits highest level last year since the end of the ColdWar, fueled by increased spending in the UnitedStates and China, the world’s two biggest economies,a leading defense think-tank said yesterday. In itsannual report, the Stockholm International PeaceResearch Institute (SIPRI) said overall global militaryspending in 2018 hit $1.82 trillion, up 2.6 percent onthe previous year.

That is the highest figure since 1988, when suchdata first became available as the Cold War began

winding down. US military spending rose 4.6 percentlast year to reach $649 billion, leaving it still by far theworld’s biggest spender. It accounted for 36 percentof total global military expenditure, nearly equal tothe following eight biggest-spending countries com-bined, SIPRI said. China, the second biggest spender,saw military expenditure rise 5.0 percent to $250 bil-lion last year, the 24th consecutive annual increase.

“In 2018 the USA and China accounted for half ofthe world’s military spending,” Nan Tian, aresearcher with the SIPRI Arms and MilitaryExpenditure (AMEX) program, said. With PresidentDonald Trump committed to strong national defensedespite reducing US troops numbers in conflictzones such as Afghanistan, 2018 marked the firstincrease in US military spending since 2010, SIPRIsaid. His defense spending request to Congress thisyear is the largest ever in dollar terms before adjust-ment for inflation. — Reuters

Floods kill nearly40 in Indonesia BENGKULU: Floods sparked by torrential rains havekilled nearly 40 in Indonesia with a dozen more still miss-ing, officials said yesterday, marking the latest calamityfor a disaster-prone nation. Landslides and floods arecommon during the monsoon season between Octoberand April, when rains lash the vast Southeast Asian archi-pelago. Yesterday, Indonesia’s disaster agency confirmed29 deaths and said at least 13 more people were missingin Sumatra island’s Bengkulu province. A landslide trig-gered by heavy rain in neighboring Lampung provinceon Saturday also killed a family of six.

Meanwhile, flooding in and around parts of the capitalJakarta last week killed at least two people, forced morethan 2,000 to evacuate their homes and set 14 petpythons on the loose. In Bogor, a satellite city of Jakarta,residents had to contend with the prospect of comingface to face with the giant serpents, after they were setloose from a private property due to the high waters.

Six of the snakes-which were as long as four meters -

have been found, but eight were still missing, officials saidat the weekend. “If you find them please report it toauthorities or volunteers,” said Indonesian disasteragency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho. That wasnot much comfort for some Bogor residents. “We’re terri-fied to hear this,” said Samsudin, who goes by one name.“Apparently they’re very big so we want authorities tohelp us find them or take action.”

Illegal mining In Sumatra, some 12,000 residents have been evacu-

ated from water-logged Bengkulu with hundreds ofbuildings, bridges and roads damaged. Authorities haveset up temporary shelters and public kitchens for thosedisplaced by the rains. Hardest hit was Bengkulu Tengahdistrict, just outside of the provincial capital, where 22people were killed along with hundreds of livestock.Illegal coal mining was partly to blame for deadly land-slides, authorities said.

“Apart from natural factors like the heavy rain, (theflooding) was also caused by human activity thatdestroys the environment,” disaster agency head DoniMonardo told reporters in Bengkulu yesterday. Activistshave long warned deforestation from rampant mining inthe province could trigger a catastrophe. — AFP

Jihadists kill pastor, 4 others in Burkina Faso church attackOUAGADOUGOU: Gunmen killed four worshippers anda pastor in the first jihadist attack on a church in BurkinaFaso, security and local sources said yesterday, in the lat-est violence to rock the formerly peaceful west Africannation. Sunday’s raid took place in the small northern townof Silgadji near Djibo, the capital of Soum province.“Unidentified armed individuals have attacked theProtestant church in Silgadji, killing four members of thecongregation and the main pastor,” a security source said.“At least two other people are missing,” the source added.

It was the first attack on a church since jihadist vio-lence erupted in Burkina Faso in 2015. Former colonialruler France has deployed some 4,500 troops in Mali,Burkina Faso, Niger and Chad in a mission codenamedBarkhane to help local forces try to flush out jihadist

groups. “The attack happened around 1:00 pm, just asthe faithful were leaving the church at the end of theservice,” a member of the church who did not want to beidentified told AFP.

“The attackers were on motorbikes. They fired in theair before aiming at the members of the congregation,”the witness added. Burkina Faso has suffered fromincreasingly frequent and deadly attacks attributed to anumber of jihadist groups, including the Ansarul Islamgroup, the Group to Support Islam and Muslims (GSIM)and Islamic State in the Greater Sahara. The raids beganin 2015 in the north before targeting the capitalOuagadougou and other regions, notably in the east.

A total of 350 people have been killed since 2015 -mainly in hit-and-run raids - according to an AFP tally.The jihadist groups regularly target both Muslim andChristian clerics, mainly in the north. In February, aSpanish Catholic priest, Father Cesar Fernandez, waskilled in a raid attributed to jihadists in Nohao in the cen-tre of the country. He was returning from the adjoiningcountry of Togo when it happened. Fernandez, 72, hadbeen working in Africa since 1982 for the Salesians ofDon Bosco order. — AFP

BENGKULU: This aerial picture shows a general view of submerged buildings after heavy rain caused flooding inBengkulu on the Indonesian island of Sumatra. — AFP

Tuesday, April 30, 2019

8I n t e r n a t i o n a l

News in brief

Seven bodies found in US

TENNESSEE: A suspect in the killings of seven peo-ple in rural Tennessee was shot and captured bypolice after an hours-long manhunt triggered by thediscovery of the bodies in two separate homes,authorities said yesterday. Dozens of people gatheredto commemorate the victims on Sunday evening at aMethodist church in Westmoreland, a town in the areawhere the shootings occurred, according to Nashvilletelevision station FOX 17. At least two victims attend-ed the church, which had a sign for the vigil that read:“We are mourning with you.” The suspect, MichaelCummins, 25, was in custody after suffering non-lifethreatening injuries during his arrest on Saturdaynight, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation said in astatement. The search for the suspect began onSaturday evening after an emergency call led police tofour bodies in a home in Sumner County. —Reuters

11 dead in Mexico accident

MEXICO CITY: A bus rollover in northern Mexico hasleft at least 11 dead, including three children, an officialwith emergency services said yesterday. The accidenttook place in Zacatecas state early Sunday morning ona bus that transported around 40 passengers fromMexico City to the northern city of Torreon, accordingto Moises Villagrana, the head of emergency serviceswith the Zacatecas municipality of Rio Grande. “Thereare still three bodies inside the bus, but it’s possiblethat underneath it there could be more people,” hesaid, adding that the accident may have been causedby the driver falling asleep. Among the injured are fiveCentral Americans with humanitarian visas issued bythe Mexican government that are often used bymigrants seeking to reach the United States. —Reuters

Visa, MasterCard card fees

BRUSSELS: The European Union will oblige creditcard giants Visa and MasterCard to reduce their feesfor payments on transactions involving cards issuedoutside the bloc, Brussels said yesterday. The US-based firms had already committed to reduce their“inter-regional exchange fees”, but this week’s deci-sion makes the promise legally binding under EU anti-trust laws. “This, together with our January 2019decision on Mastercard’s cross-border card paymentservices, will lead to lower prices for European retail-ers to do business,” EU competition commissionerMargrethe Vestager said. According to the EuropeanCommission, the fees charged when Visa andMasterCard holders from outside the EU spend onthe continent-which had been higher than for cardsissued in member states-will be cut by an average of40 percent. —AFP

India police raid houses

NEW DELHI: Indian police said they raided the hous-es of three suspects in connection with a case con-cerning 15 people who left India to join the militantIslamic State group, a week after bombings in SriLanka that ki l led more than 250. The NationalInvestigation Agency (NIA) said it carried out search-es at the three houses in the southern state of Kerala,located near the tip of the Indian peninsula. The coor-dinated suicide bombings by Islamist militants athotels and churches in Sri Lanka on Easter Sundaysent shockwaves through the Indian Ocean islandstate that had enjoyed relative peace since a civil warended a decade ago. “These persons are suspected tohave links with some of the accused persons in thesaid case who had exited India to join the proscribedterrorist organization ISIS/Daish,” the NIA said in astatement, using other names by which Islamic State isknown. —Reuters

SYDNEY: Australia’s prime minister clashed with theleader of the opposition yesterday over tax, climatechange and national security as the rivals squared-offin a televised debate hours after a poll showed therace narrowing. The two men vying to lead Australiafor the next three years faced off over the economyand plummeting trust in politicians in a testy first tele-vised election debate yesterday.

As polls showed the race to the May 18 vote tight-ening, embattled conservative Prime Minister ScottMorrison and frontrunner Bill Shorten of the centre-left opposition Labor party traded sometimes personalbarbs as they debated the country’s future. Morrison-who faces electoral defeat less than a year after com-ing to office in a party coup-painted the oppositionleader as a poor custodian of this G20 economy.

“Who do you trust to manage a $2 trillion econo-my?” asked Morrison, framing the debate as a choicebetween the Liberal party’s continued stewardship andcostly policy changes. While Australia’s economy hasgrown solidly for more than two decades, storm cloudsare gathering and there is unease at the rising cost ofliving and vast income disparities. Tapping into thatsense of growing malaise, Shorten accused the Liberalgovernment of looking after “the top end of town”.

“There is a mood for change in Australia,” he said,promising to improve incomes and put “middle andworking class people back on top”. “Everything isgoing up in Australia except people’s wages,” he said.Morrison accused the Labor leader of not being hon-est with voters about the cost of new emissionsreduction targets and other policy changes. Formonths the polls have shown the opposition headed

for a sizeable victory, but ahead of the debate aNewspoll survey showed Labor’s lead narrowing totwo percentage points, well within the margin of error.

The campaign so far has been dominated by shrillattacks and hyperbolic accusations of impendingdoom if one side or the other wins. That tension wason full display, with cries of “rubbish” and frequentinterruptions from the candidates as moderators inPerth tried to keep the debate on track. When askedto say what they admired about the other man, thepair could offer only tepid endorsements about publicservice in parliament and on a few specific issues.

Controversial tycoon Yesterday’s poll showed the election will be closely

fought, but also underscored the complexities ofAustralia’s election system-which asks voters to rankparties by preferences and encourages voting pactsbetween major and minor parties. The poll for the firsttime counted support for controversial mining mogulClive Palmer, who has bought his way to five percentof the vote with months of ad spending worth tens ofmillions of dollars.

His populist “Make Australia Great” message can beseen on billboards and TV screens across the country,echoing the campaign waged successfully by DonaldTrump in his 2016 run for the White House. TheNewspoll predicted that 60 percent of Palmer’s sup-porters would preference Morrison’s Liberal party,boosting its showing relative to Labor. Morrison triedto distance himself from Palmer, but insisted Labor andthe Greens were a bigger risk to the Australian econo-my than the controversial millionaire. —Agencies

Political leaders trade barbs in television debate

Australian PM clashes with rival in feisty debate as poll tightens

PERTH: Australia’s Prime Minister Scott Morrison (left) and opposition leader Bill Shorten shake handsbefore the first televised leaders debate in Perth yesterday. —AFP

Spain faces weeksof coalition horse-trading after Socialist victoryMADRID: Spain faces weeks of coali-tion talks after Prime Minister PedroSanchez’s Socialists won snap electionswithout a majority, splitting the right-wing bloc but letting ultra nationalistsinto parliament. With the country set toreturn to the polls on May 26 forregional, local and European Parliamentelections, politicians’ appetite for clearcommitments was muted yesterday anda new government is not likely to beformed before June.

“We should wait and see what willhappen in the municipal elections...inmany regions and of course in theEuropean Parliament,” the president ofthe Socialist party told Spanish publicradio. “There is no hurry...we are stillcampaigning,” she added. TheSocialists came first in Sunday’s snappolls, winning 123 seats out of 350, orclose to 29 percent of the vote - shortof an absolute majority but much betterthan the 85 seats it got in the last elec-tion in 2016.

Nearest rivals the main oppositionconservative Popular Party (PP) baggedjust 66 seats compared to 137 in 2016,its worst showing in over two decades.Conservative votes were split amongtwo other parties, centre-right

Ciudadanos and ultra-nationalist Voxparty, which won just over 10 percent ofthe vote in a country that has had nofar-right party to speak of since thedeath of dictator Francisco Franco in1975. The three rightist parties togetherhave 147 seats, far from the 176-seatmajority in the 350-seat parliamentneeded to govern.

‘Enough support’ Sanchez, who came to power in June

after ousting PP prime minister MarianoRajoy in a no-confidence vote, has sev-eral options to govern. He could try torule on his own as he did during the tenmonths that he was in power with thebacking of far-left Podemos and smallerregional groupings. “We wil l try,”Deputy Prime Minister Carmen Calvotold news radio Cadena Ser.

“We think we have more thanenough support to be the rudder of thisboat which should continue its journey,”she said. The support of Podemos is agiven. The party was weakened in theelection, winning 42 seats compared to67 in 2016, and is not in a position todictate conditions. The Socialists couldrely on several other smaller regionalparties without the support of Catalanseparatists. All Sanchez would need isfor Catalan separatist lawmakers toabstain in the second round of aninvestiture vote when only a simplemajority is needed.

‘Public danger’ Sanchez could also try to form a

coalition with Podemos and the more

moderate of Catalonia’s two separatistparties, the ERC, which together wouldprovide a majority in parliament. Butthe separatists have proven unreliableallies. Sanchez was forced to call theelection after they in February joinedthe PP and Ciudadanos in opposing hisdraft 2019 budget. Conservative partieshave accused Sanchez of being a “trai-tor” for trying to engage with the sepa-ratists to try to ease tensions overCatalonia’s failed bid to break awayfrom Spain in 2017. Sanchez could alsotry to cosy up to centre-rightCiudadanos, which won 57 seats.

Together, they would form an

absolute majority but voters from bothparties would likely frown on such amove. “With Rivera no!” Socialist sup-porters chanted outside of the party’sheadquarters on Sunday night as abeaming Sanchez delivered his victoryspeech. Ciudadanos leader AlbertRivera built his campaign on disparag-ing Sanchez, criticising his attempts tonegotiate with the Catalan sepa-ratists.†Senior Ciudanos leader InesArrimadas told radio Onda Cero yes-terday her party could not ally withSanchez, calling him a “public danger,someone capable of anything” to stayin power. —AFP

MADRID: Spanish Prime Minister Pedro and Socialist Party (PSOE) candidate forPrime Minister Pedro Sanchez (center) delivers a speech during an electionnight rally in Madrid after Spain held general elections. —AFP

US measles outbreak raises questions about immunity in adultsWASHINGTON: Adults in the United States who werevaccinated against measles decades ago may need a newdose depending on when they received the shot and theirexposure risk, according to public health experts battlingthe nation’s largest outbreak since the virus was deemedeliminated in 2000. Up to 10 percent of the 695 confirmedmeasles cases in the current outbreak occurred in peoplewho received one or two doses of the vaccine, accordingto the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The figure illustrates what can happen when a largenumber of individuals, even those who have been vaccinat-ed, are exposed to the measles. CDC recommends thatpeople who are living in or traveling to outbreak areasshould check their vaccination status and consider gettinga new dose. Dr Allison Bartlett, an infectious disease expertat the University of Chicago Medicine, said the “continuedvulnerability to infection” is why high-risk adults such ashealthcare workers are routinely advised to get a seconddose of the measles vaccine if they have not had one.

But knowing your vaccination status can be tricky,

experts said. “It’s complicated and often futile because it’svery difficult to resurrect those old records,” said DrWilliam Schaffner, an infectious disease expert atVanderbilt University Medical Center. People vaccinated inthe United States since 1989 would most likely havereceived two doses of the combined measles, mumps andrubella (MMR) shot under federal guidelines, and that isstill considered the standard for protection.

Anyone vaccinated between 1963 and 1989 would likelyhave received only one dose, with many people immunized inthe earlier years receiving an inactivated version of the virus.Americans born before 1957 are considered immune as theywould have been exposed to the virus directly in an outbreak.Merck & Co Inc is the sole US provider of the MMR vaccine.The company said in a statement that it has “taken steps toincrease US supply” of the vaccine due to the current outbreak.

Highly contagiousThe measles virus is highly contagious and can cause

blindness, deafness, brain damage or death. It is currentlyspreading in outbreaks in many parts of the world.According to the World Health Organization, 95 percent ofa population needs to be vaccinated to provide “herdimmunity,” a form of indirect protection that preventsinfection in people too young or sick to be vaccinated. USpublic health officials have blamed the current outbreak inpart on rising rates of vaccine skepticism that have reducedmeasles immunity in certain communities.

For travelers to outbreak areas abroad, the CDC recom-mends adults consider getting another dose of MMRunless they have proof of receiving two prior doses, take a

blood test showing immunity, or were born before 1957. Ingeneral, the CDC says two doses of the measles vaccineshould provide 97 percent protection; one dose shouldoffer 93 percent protection. However, immunity can waneover time. This has occurred even in adults with two docu-mented doses of the vaccine, said Dr. Michael Phillips, chiefepidemiologist at NYU Langone Health, which serves partsof New York City, a hot spot in the US outbreak. —Reuters

UTAH: In this photo illustration, sterile water is preparedfor a one dose bottle of measles, mumps and rubella virusvaccine, made by MERCK, at the Salt Lake County HealthDepartment. —AFP

Map of landmines: How Brexit might help the Scottish EDINBURGH: Scott ish First Minister NicolaSturgeon’s plans to lead her nation to independence

from the United Kingdom have been muddled byBrexit, but the whirlwind at the centre of British poli-tics may yet advance her cause. Brexit has disruptedBritish politics not least because, while the UnitedKingdom as a whole voted to leave the EuropeanUnion in a 2016 referendum, the populations of twoof its four nations - Scotland and Northern Ireland -voted to stay.

Since then, Britain’s government has tied itself inknots in failed attempts to win parliament’s approval

for a deal to leave the EU, and it is now unclearwhen, how or even whether it will manage to do so.“The Brexit debacle has further undermined confi-dence in the British political system,” said MichaelKeating, professor of politics at the University ofAberdeen. “But it matters in Scotland because ofthis alternative, the independence option.” In a ref-erendum in 2014, Scots rejected leaving their 300-year-old union with England and Wales by 55 per-cent to 45. —Reuters

MUMBAI: India’s battleground state of West Bengaltook the centre stage in the fourth phase of a staggeredgeneral election yesterday after clashes broke outbetween supporters of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’sparty and a regional bloc. In West Bengal, a populouseastern state where Modi is trying to gain seats to offsetlikely losses in northern India,security forces chased awaypeople wielding sticks afterworkers from Modi’s Hindunationalist Bharatiya JanataParty (BJP) took on thosefrom regional TrinamoolCongress, police said.

An official with the ElectionCommission of India saidparamilitary forces fired ablank round inside a pollingstation in another constituen-cy in the state after a scuffle between voters and troops,who were demanding that mobile phones be kept asidewhile voting, as rules state.

There were no immediate reports of any poll-relatedinjuries in West Bengal, where at least one person waskilled and three injured during the third phase of votinglast week. The election, the world’s biggest democraticexercise with about 900 million voters, started on April 11with Modi in the lead amid heightened tension with long-time rival Pakistan. The last phase of voting is on May 19.There are a total of 545 seats in parliament’s lower house.

The BJP is in a direct, and sometimes bloody, fight inWest Bengal with Trinamool, whose chief, MamataBanerjee, is one of Modi’s biggest critics and a possibleprime ministerial candidate. The BJP holds only two of

West Bengal’s 42 parliamentary seats. “We have asked forcentral forces at all polling booths so that free and fairelections can be held in the state,” said Mukhtar AbbasNaqvi, a minister in Modi’s cabinet, referring to federalparamilitary police.

Modi told a rally in West Bengal that at least 40Trinamool state lawmakerswere in touch with him andwould leave the party aftervotes are counted on May 23.Trinamool accused Modi ofattempting to horse-trade,telling him: “Nobody will gowith you”. The party alsoalleged that federal securityforces were trying to influencevoters to back the BJP wherev-er they were deployed. MaidulIslam, a professor of political

science at Kolkata’s Centre for Studies in Social Sciences,said the stakes were high for both parties with Trinamoolhoping to be part of a federal government coalition.

In disputed Jammu and Kashmir state’s Anantnag con-stituency, which is voting in three phases due to securityconcerns, paramilitary forces fired teargas and pellets todisperse youth throwing stones at them, a police officersaid. Four persons suffered pellet injuries, of which twohad been hospitalized in Srinagar, the summer capital ofKashmir, the officer said, declining to be identified sincehe was not authorized to speak to the media.

‘Some progress’More than 128 million people are eligible to vote in this

round of the seven-phase election held across 72 seats in

nine states. The election commission said about half ofthem had voted by mid-afternoon. Modi’s coalition wonmore than 75 percent of the seats in the nine states in theprevious election, in 2014. Many of the constituencies arein Uttar Pradesh state in the north and western India’sMaharashtra, where the financial capital Mumbai is locat-ed. Uttar Pradesh elects the most lawmakers, withMaharashtra next and West Bengal third. The two formerstates are ruled by the BJP and its allies.

However, political analysts say the BJP may struggle torepeat its strong showing this time due mainly to a jobsshortage and weak farm prices, issues upon which themain opposition Congress party has seized. First-time

voter Ankita Bhavke, a college student in Mumbai, saidshe voted for economic development. “I want the countryto be at par with the best in the world,” she said. “There’sbeen some progress in the last five years.”

India’s financial markets were closed yesterday forthe election. Modi has played up his record on nationalsecurity after he sent warplanes into Pakistan in lateFebruary in response to a suicide bomb attack by anIslamist militant group based there that killed 40 Indianpolice in the disputed Kashmir region. In recent days,he has evoked the deadly Easter Sunday bombings inneighboring Sri Lanka to remind voters of the dangersIndia faces. — Reuters

I n t e r n a t i o n a l Tuesday, April 30, 2019

9Established 1961

Over 127 million go to polls in

4th phase of election

Security forces use teargas to disperse protesters in Kashmir

Violence mars voting in India eastern battleground state

MUMBAI: Indian voters wait for start of voting at a polling booth in Mumbai yesterday. Voting began for thefourth phase of India’s general parliamentary elections. — AFP

Thousands gather in Kabul for Afghan peace meeting KABUL: Thousands of tribal leaders, reli-gious figures and politicians from acrossAfghanistan gathered yesterday in Kabulamid tight security to discuss the war andAmerican efforts to forge a peace deal withthe Taleban. More than 3,000 people wereattending the rare “loya jirga”, which is beingbilled as the largest in modern Afghan history,in a bid to set possible conditions underwhich they might accept a peace settlement.

The loya jirga - literally “grand assembly”in Pashto - is being held over four days as theUS and Taleban are discussing a possible for-eign troop withdrawal from Afghanistan inexchange for a permanent ceasefire and vari-ous Taleban pledges. “We want to specify themain lines for the negotiations with theTaleban,” Afghan President Ashraf Ghani saidat the start of the summit. “We want clearadvice from all of you.”

The jirga is seen as an attempt by theAfghan government to influence the peacetalks between the US and the Taleban aimedat ending more than 17 years of conflict. Sofar, however, the talks have cut out Ghani,whom the Taleban view as a US stooge.“Come to any part of the country for talks,

why don’t you want to talk to Afghans?”Ghani said, addressing the Taleban, who haveboycotted the jirga. “We are ready to talk toyou without any preconditions.”

High-level boycotts Ghani’s government hopes the high-stakes

meeting will define Kabul’s conditions for anydeal, including the continuation of the consti-tution and the protection of women’s rights,the media, and free speech. But some promi-nent Afghans, presidential hopefuls and gov-ernment officials including the country’s chiefexecutive Abdullah Abdullah have boycottedthe assembly. They have criticized it as anattempt by Ghani to boost his standings ahead

of presidential elections slated for September.Much of Kabul was locked down yesterday,with a week-long public holiday declared forthe duration of the four-day event.

Streets across the capital were closed andhilly overlooks blocked. In the past, the Talebanhave blasted rockets at a tent hosting a loya jir-ga. In a statement, the Taleban have vowed thatany decisions or resolutions made at a loya jir-ga are “never acceptable to the real and devoutsons of this homeland”. The insurgents nowcontrol or influence about half of Afghanistan.They announced the start of their annual springoffensive early this month, despite talks withUS representatives-dashing hopes for a quickceasefire in the war-ravaged country. — AFP

KABUL: Afghan President Ashraf Ghani (center), inspects a guard of honor during the firstday of the Loya Jirga, or the consultative council in Kabul yesterday. —AFP

Hunting for fake news and trolls in Indonesia pollsJAKARTA: The first online troll I met was amiddle-aged, potbellied Indonesian man,dressed casually in jeans and sneakers. Hesaid his nickname was “Commandant”. Aheadof Indonesia’s elections this month, I and fel-low Jakarta correspondent Agustinus Beo DaCosta had spent months trying to get into theworld of fake news and propaganda that hadflooded social media in the nation of 260 mil-lion people. Long before the April 17 vote, itwas clear that social media would play amajor role in the elections.

With more than 100 million accounts,Indonesia is Facebook’s third-largest marketand a top-five market globally for its plat-forms WhatsApp and Instagram, as well asrival Twitter. We had heard that parties andcandidates had hired trolls and “buzzerteams” - so called for the online buzz theycould create - as campaign tools, and man-aged to convince Commandant to speak to usafter weeks of messaging on WhatsApp viaintermediaries. He agreed to an interview, buton condition it was conducted in a hotel roomand that we publish no details that wouldallow him to be identified.

In the end, we settled on renting a privatemeeting room in a downtown Jakarta residen-tial complex. Initially jittery, Commandantturned effusive when speaking about his teamof fifteen “cyber troops” and the dozens ofelection operations they had run together. Hetook out three phones and showed us the 250or so fake accounts he personally maintainedacross Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp,

Youtube, and Twitter. The members of histeams had around the same amount of fakeaccounts, he added.

“In one account, I pretend to be a mum soI consistently post pictures and articles aboutmoms, babies, and taking care of newborns’health to make it believable,” he said. On aFacebook and Twitter account supposedly ofa young woman living in Jakarta that heshowed, Commandant had posted almost dai-ly photos of coffees he himself drank acrossIndonesia. The accounts, which had thou-sands of followers, were rented out to politi-cians and brands targeting millenials for theirmessages, to knock down opponents ordefend against criticism, he said.

Commandant maintained that his activitieswere legal and that he did not spread fakenews, but several of the posts he showedReuters contained clear instances of disinfor-

mation. Under Indonesia’s broad internetdefamation law, creating and spreading fakenews is illegal and a jailable offense, but hold-ing social media accounts in false names isnot, unless a real person is being impersonat-ed. Social media companies however mostlybar holding accounts under false names.

Commandant said he considered his roleas handling “communications, personalbranding, and crisis management” for politi-cians and corporations. Da Costa and I laterspoke to half a dozen current and formerbuzzers, typically after 2-3 prior negotiationswith intermediaries. They said using theirpaid-for services had become the new normalin Indonesia. Political parties officially deniedhiring buzzers or trolls, but party aides andadvisers privately said their use was common,although they consistently denied the use offake news. — Reuters

BANDUNG: Indonesians participate in a protest demanding the National Commission ofElections (KPU) to be fair, as the tally of votes for the recent general election continues inWest Java yesterday. — AFP

Bangladeshjobs websiteaims to curbabuses DHAKA: Bangladesh has launched anonline job portal to help reduce high feesincurred by thousands of workers seekingemployment abroad and curb exploitativetactics used by unscrupulous brokers. Thegovernment-run website was establishedby the United Nations InternationalOrganization for Migration (IOM) andBdjobs.com, a local website, and launchedon Sunday.

The portal will connect job seekerswith the country’s licensed recruitmentagencies directly in a bid to cut out thelayers of unofficial middlemen, whoactivists say have dominated and oftenabused the system for migrant workers fordecades. “Migrants will be able to registerand identify the job that will match theirskills (and) the employers will get the bestworkers ... it (the website) is a win-win sit-uation,” said IOM’s Bangladesh deputyDimanche Sharon.

Every year, thousands of Bangladeshislook to join the 7.5 million workersalready in jobs overseas, labor activistssaid. At least 1 million secured jobs abroadin 2017 - the highest number ever record-ed by the government - with most work-ing in the construction and cleaning sec-tors in the Middle East. The government inFebruary said it was planning to sidelinerecruitment brokers who dupe or exploitworkers they send abroad by compiling alist of certified labour agents.

The current informal recruitment sys-tem involves unofficial middlemen, whodespite bringing recruiters and rural

workers together, often give false promis-es about jobs and pay to entice workersthen charge high fees that trap them indebt bondage. Bangladesh is one of themost expensive nations in the world forthose seeking to work overseas, withsome migrant workers paying fees of upto $8,500, according to the UnitedNations.

Eliminating the role of middlemen willhelp reduce the fees, said ShameemAhmed Chowdhury Noman, secretarygeneral of the Bangladesh Association ofInternational Recruiting Agencies, whichincludes majority of the licensed recruit-ment agencies. About half of the migrantworkers who depend upon brokers expe-rience some form of fraud or harassment,according to the Refugee and MigratoryMovements Research Unit, a rights group.Remittances from migrant workers arekey for Bangladesh’s economy, making upthe second-highest source of foreign cur-rency earnings after clothes manufactur-ing, government data shows.

While the country has more than 1,200licensed recruitment agencies, they arelocated mostly in cities and are out-of-reach for a huge section of job seekers,said Shakirul Islam, head of OvibashiKarmi Unnayan Program, a migrant rightsgroup. “That’s why the workers aredependent upon these middlemen toreach these recruitment agencies,” Islamtold the Thomson Reuters Foundation.“The agencies, which lack the capacity,are also dependent upon these unofficialmiddlemen to get workers.”

Migration experts and civil servantsare, however, aware of the challenges thatthey may face in their bid to replacerecruitment practices that have been run-ning for decades. “After the launch (of thewebsite), if we see problems arise, weshould sit together and make sure theproblems are solved,” said Nasrin Jahan,joint secretary of the Ministry of OverseasEmployment and Welfare. — Reuters

CHENNAI: A southern Indian state isinspecting more than 7,000 garmentfactories and spinning mills after thenational human rights watchdog raisedconcerns over “miserable” working con-ditions. India’s National Human RightsCommission (NHRC) ordered authoritiesin Tamil Nadu to act after a report bythe Thomson Reuters Foundation aboutfemale garment workers airing theirgrievances on radio stations anddemanding better conditions.

Checks for basic facilities such as toi-lets and creches for the more than500,000 mostly female workers in TamilNadu, the largest hub in India’s $40 bil-lion-a-year textile and garment industry,began in March. “We have found viola-tions and have served notices to morethan 200 factories spinning mills so far,”said Kaveri Manoharan, head of thestate’s Directorate of Industrial Safetyand Health.

“In most cases, there were too fewtoilets and hygiene was an issue. Also,creches had not been set up eventhough hundreds of women wereemployed. We have given managements

one month to fix the problem, documentit and get back to us.” Manoharan saidthere should be one toilet for every 20employees and a creche where there are30 women employed. Three radio sta-tions set up a year ago for garmentworkers and broadcast through mobilephones have been flooded with com-plaints since they went on air a yearago. Callers discuss harassment, longworking hours, poor wages and otherchallenges.

In February, the NHRC directed theTamil Nadu government to respond tothe complaints, stating that workerswere working in “miserable conditions”.It said denial of basic facilities by facto-ry owners was “a serious violation ofhuman rights”. The Commission high-lighted the complaint of a worker whowas unable to access a toilet in her fac-tory and had to use a corner of the millwhere waste cotton was dumped.“Toilets, drinking water, first aid andspecial provisions for female workersare the most crucial and primaryrequirements at the workplaces,” theNHRC said in its statement. — Reuters

Indian factories under scrutiny over ‘miserable’ conditions

Tuesday, April 30, 2019

10A n a l y s i s

Established 1961

Pak says it’s on road to major change, but few are fully persuaded

Something very significant is under way in Pakistan,the government in Islamabad would like you tobelieve. A small group of foreign journalists, Reuters

correspondents included, was given Pakistan’s new narra-tive by Prime Minister Imran Khan, its army chief GeneralQamar Javed Bajwa, and other top government officialsand generals during a visit to the country earlier thismonth. Some of the comments of the officials were forpublication, others were not, but the message remainedconsistent.

In summary, Pakistan says it is tired of conflict,opposed to extremism, open for peace talks and clampingdown on corruption. It also insists it is run by politicians,with the military partnering rather than dominating. Thatall sounds good. There is just one problem - around muchof the world many with a close understanding of the situa-tion remain highly skeptical.

In New Delhi, the view even beyond the more hawkishelements in Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s gov-ernment is that the world has seen and heard these kindsof promises before, only for Pakistan-backed Islamistgroups to attack India. That is just what India says hap-pened on Feb 14, when a suicide bombing killed 40 para-military police in India-controlled Kashmir and broughtthe two nuclear powers close to war. This was underlinedby comments to Reuters from Indian foreign ministryspokesman Raveesh Kumar for this article.

“Pakistan should take immediate, credible, irreversibleand verifiable action against terrorists and terror organiza-tions operating from territories under its control,” he said.“Pakistan follows an identical script after every terrorattack in India where ‘action’ is taken to deflect the inter-national pressure before returning to the normal situationof providing support and sanctuary to terror groups in theterritories under their control.” Certainly, Pakistan’s posi-tive talk has no chance of resonating in India while Modi’sruling Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party continues tostir up patriotic fervor during the nation’s 39-day generalelection, which ends May 19. Votes are counted May 23.

Needing friendsIslamabad urgently needs friends. Pakistani officials

say India has been lobbying to get it put on the blacklistof the Financial Action Task Force, which monitorswhether countries are doing enough to prevent moneylaundering and terrorism financing. If that happened itcould lead to sanctions, cripple Pakistan’s banking rela-tions and badly hurt its trade. The country is also close tosecuring its 13th bailout by the International MonetaryFund since the 1980s as it tries to tackle large budget andcurrent account deficits, and faces a soaring inflation ratetriggered by high oil prices and a weak Pakistani rupee.

But Pakistani officials claim the changes they are talkingabout are much more than a cosmetic makeover to headoff the IMF. Khan’s government says it is suing for peaceon all fronts. In Afghanistan, Islamabad has been key ingetting the Taleban around the table for talks with theAmericans. And Khan, in the face of rising tensions follow-ing bloody attacks by militant groups, visited Tehran andagreed last week to set up a joint rapid reaction force forthe border area with Iran. Since taking office in August,Khan has also consistently offered talks with Modi, andPakistani officials are hopeful that the Indian leader willeventually say yes if he wins a second term in office.

Northern Ireland lessonsThe Pakistan authorities insist they are cracking down

on armed militant groups on its soil, saying extremism isthe biggest threat it faces. Officials talk of a NorthernIreland-style peace and disarmament process, plus stateregulation of the 32,000 madrasas, or Islamic schools, inthe country that can easily become breeding grounds formilitants. “For the future of the country - forget outsidepressure - we will not allow armed militias to operate,”Khan told the journalists. And the government has “thetotal support of the Pakistani army and intelligence servic-es in dismantling them”, he added.

Not only that, but its military chiefs insist they reportto the prime minister - rather than the other way aroundas is often assumed by foreign diplomats and the media.The military chiefs say they want to bring 100 millionPakistanis out of grinding poverty, and that engineering abig increase in spending on education is critical to that.During the trip, the journalists were taken to an impres-sively modern-looking army school complex and, sepa-rately, a rehabilitation center for teenagers showing mili-tant tendencies. Those were both in the Swat Valley,which was overrun by the Taleban and other militantgroups only 11 years ago. The image of unity, though, wasshaken only a few days after the trip when Khanannounced a major reshuffle of his cabinet, including thereplacement of his finance minister Asad Umar, who hadbeen at the helm of the IMF talks, and the appointment ofretired Brigadier Ijaz Shah as Pakistan’s new interior min-ister. Shah, a former spy chief and close ally of the coun-try’s last military ruler, has long been accused of deepties to militant groups. —Reuters

A banner bearing the portrait of Sudanese teacher Ahmed Al-Kheir, who died from wounds suffered in detention during Bashir’s regime, hangs on a tent outside the army headquar-ters in the capital Khartoum yesterday. —AFP

Extra holidays pose dilemma for Japanese

For the Emperor’s abdication on April30, Japanese workers are enjoyingan unprecedented 10-day holiday as

a rash of special days off combine withthe traditional “Golden Week” in May. Butnot everyone is popping the champagnecorks in famously workaholic Japan. “Tobe honest, I don’t know how to spend thetime when we are suddenly given 10 daysof holidays,” said 31-year-old financeworker Seishu Sato. “If you want to gotravelling, it’s going to be crowded every-where and tour costs have surged... Imight end up staying at my parents’place,” he said.

A survey by the Asahi Shimbun dailyshowed 45 percent of Japanese “feltunhappy” about the long vacation, withonly 35 percent saying they “felt happy”.“I won’t be able to take days off. On thecontrary, we’ l l be super-busy,” saidTakeru Jo, a 46-year-old pizzeria worker.Others who have to work over the periodcomplain about childcare. “For parents inthe service sector, the 10 days of holidayis a headache. After-school care, nurs-eries - everything is closed,” tweeted onedisgruntled parent.

Many expect Tokyo and other largecities to empty as Japanese seize the rareopportunity for an overseas trip. “Most ofour tours for the holiday period were soldout last year,” said Hideki Wakamatsu, aspokesman for Nippon Travel Agency,adding that many others were on thewaiting list. As the holiday kicked off onSaturday, airports were packed and therewere long queues for Shinkansen bullettrains. Highways out of Tokyo werejammed with motorists aiming to make agetaway from the capital.

‘Love marriage’ Still, if people are curiously indiffer-

ent to the idea of extra holidays as aresult of the emperor, the imperial fami-ly remains as popular as ever. A poll bypublic broadcaster NHK found almostno one would admit to a “feel ing ofantipathy” towards the emperor with thevast majority saying they had a “positivefeeling” or “respect”. Only 22 percentvoiced indifference. This positive senti-ment has risen every year since 2003,

according to the NHK poll.Takeshi Hara, politics professor at the

Open University of Japan, said much ofthis stemmed from the imperial couple’s“welfare-related activities”. “Their atten-tion to the elderly, the disabled and thevictims of natural disasters - thoseignored by politicians in the past threedecades - has earned public support,”Hara told AFP. The fact that EmperorAkihito married his sweetheart Michiko“for love” - the first love marriage inimperial history - has also boosted hisstanding, said Hara.

But Hideto Tsuboi, from the Kyoto-based International Research Center forJapanese Studies, said one of the mainreasons for Akihito’s popularity lay in thefact that he was “conscious of theresponsibility of the post-war genera-tion” to reflect on Japan’s wartime atroci-ties. On the 73rd anniversary of the endof World War II last year, Akihito reiter-ated “deep remorse” over the war and hiscontinued wishes for peace. Unlike inmany constitutional monarchies, there isalmost no republican movement to speakof and criticism of the emperor is anathe-ma - a phenomenon known as theChrysanthemum taboo, after the throne.

Hara said that while tabloids arebeginning to dig deeper into the royals’private lives, memories of right-wingatrocities against imperial opponents“means there is pressure not to criticizethe emperor in public”. In 1961, a right-winger invaded the house of a publishingcompany’s president and stabbed hishousekeeper to death over a novel per-ceived to be critical of the imperial family.

More recently, in 1990, the then-mayorof Nagasaki was shot and injured after heremarked that Akihito’s father Hirohito waspartially responsible for World War II.However, a reminder that security needs tobe maintained was provided just daysbefore the abdication ceremonies when twoknives were found at the school desk ofJapan’s Prince Hisahito, Akihito’s grandson.

‘Highly religious nature’ While criticism of the emperor is virtu-

ally non-existent, there has been someopposition to the financing of some of theceremonies surrounding the abdicationand enthronement. More than 200Japanese citizens have filed a lawsuitagainst the government for planning to usetaxpayer money to fund the ceremonies.They say the ceremonies are religious innature and funding them from the publicpurse breaks the constitutional principleseparating religion and state. —AFP

Firm accused of coercing farmers by India group

An influential Hindu nationalistgroup with close ties to PrimeMinister Narendra Modi’s ruling

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) hasaccused PepsiCo Inc of coercing fourIndian farmers who have been sued bythe US company for allegedly infring-ing a patent. After suing four farmersfor cultivating the FC5 potato variety,grown exclusively for PepsiCo’s popu-lar Lay’s potato chips, the snack foodand drinks maker on Friday said itwants to “amicably settle” the issue.

The Purchase, New York-basedcompany said the four farmers had toeither sell their potatoes to PepsiCo orstop cultivating the FC5 potato variety.In return, PepsiCo said it would with-draw the suit filed against the farmers.Ashwani Mahajan, who heads theSwadeshi Jagran Manch, said PepsiCowas “coercing” the farmers by usinglegal action to force them to either selltheir output to the company or to stopgrowing the FC5 potato variety at all.SJM is the economic wing of RashtriyaSwayamsevak Sangh (RSS), the ideo-logical parent of Modi’s BJP.

The dispute comes at a particularlysensitive time in India, which is abouthalf-way through a 39-day staggeredgeneral election, in which its rural pop-ulation still has a dominant voice. Modiand the BJP are seeking a second termand most political strategists think theywill likely get it. “Other than coercingthese farmers, PepsiCo is also intimi-dating and exploiting them. It is a clearcase of a large MNC (multi nationalcorporation) arm-twisting India’s poorfarmers,” Mahajan told Reuters.

The federal government shouldstep in to ensure that the farmers donot get harassed by PepsiCo, he said.In response, a PepsiCo Indiaspokesman said in a statement that it“has already proposed to amicablysettle with people who were unlawful-ly using seeds of its registered vari-ety.” Adding: “The company was com-pelled to take the judicial recourse asa last resort to safeguard the largerinterest of thousands of farmers that

are engaged with its collaborativepotato farming program.”

Less moistureThe FC5 variety has a lower mois-

ture content required to make snackssuch as potato chips. PepsiCo maintainsthat it developed the FC5 variety, whichhas a lower moisture content requiredto make snacks such as potato chips,and registered the trait in 2016. In April,the company filed the lawsuit in a courtin Ahmedabad, the business hub ofGujarat, requesting the court to retrainthe four farmers from growing the FC5variety. The court has asked the farmersnot to use the variety until the nexthearing scheduled for June 12. The courtalso appointed an officer to examine theissue.

Other than filing the lawsuit, thecompany has also sought more than 10million rupees ($142,840) each from thefour farmers for alleged patent infringe-ment. PepsiCo shouldn’t have gone tothe court seeking heavy damages fromfarmers and a large corporation cannotbe allowed to take on a handful of farm-ers, Mahajan said. PepsiCo, which setup its first potato chips plant in India in1989, supplies the FC5 potato variety toa group of farmers who in turn sell theirproduce to the company at a fixedprice. The state government of Gujarathas assured the farmers that it will helpthem, Nitin Patel, deputy chief ministersaid last week.

The opposition Congress party hasalso criticized PepsiCo for suing thefarmers. “Pepsi’s decision to takeGujarat’s potato grower farmers tocourt is i l l-advised and brazenlywrong,” senior Congress party leaderAhmed Patel, who comes from Gujarat,said in a tweet. The All India KisanSabha, or All India Farmers’ Forum, hasasked the Indian government to protectthe farmers and also called for a boy-cott of Lay’s chips and PepsiCo’s otherproducts.

So far the Ministry of Agriculture &Farmers’ Welfare has not commented onthe issue. PepsiCo is the second large UScompany to face major patent infringe-ment issues in India. Stung by a long-standing intellectual property dispute,seed maker Monsanto, now owned byGerman drugmaker Bayer AG , withdrewfrom some businesses in India over a cot-ton-seed dispute with farmers. —Reuters

Sudan village seeks justice for teacher’s deathAhmed Al-Kheir’s friends and family are delighted

with the Sudanese president’s ouster but say justicewill only be served once ex-regime officials are

made to pay for the village teacher’s death in custody.“We, the family of Ahmed Al-Kheir, are very happy withthe toppling of (president Omar al-) Bashir and hisregime,” Kheir’s brother Saad told AFP at their familyhome in Khashm el-Girba, a small village in the easternprovince of Kassala along the border with Eritrea. “Webelieve that Bashir’s entire regime was responsible forAhmed’s killing.”

Kheir, 36, was arrested in late January in his village byagents of the powerful National Intelligence and SecurityService (NISS) on allegations he was one of the organizersof anti-Bashir protests in the area. Days later, Kheir’s fami-ly was told to collect his body from a local mortuary. A topofficial in Khartoum confirmed in February that Kheir haddied from wounds suffered in detention. Kheir “hadwounds on the back, legs and other parts of his body thatled to his death”, the official said.

Security agents of the NISS had launched a deadlycrackdown on protests that erupted in December inresponse to the Bashir government’s decision to triple theprice of bread. The protests swiftly mushroomed intonationwide demonstrations against Bashir’s iron-fistedrule, with protesters urging him to step down. Dozens ofpeople died in a crackdown by security forces, whilehundreds were wounded and thousands jailed. On April

11, the army finally ousted Bashir after months-longprotests that were initially led by a group of teachers,doctors and engineers.

‘Honest man’ Saad, 35, charged that senior officials of Bashir’s

regime were behind the killing of his brother. “Thegroup that came to take my brother was acting onorders from the higher ups,” he said. “Had the regime’stop officials objected, that unit would not have donesomething like this.” Kheir’s death fuelled anger againstBashir’s regime, not just in Khashm el-Girba but alsoacross Kassala and in Khartoum, where protesters heldrallies to express solidarity.

Thousands of protesters who remain encamped out-side army headquarters in central Khartoum still chant:“Blood for blood, we will not accept compensation.” Theydemand punishment for officials responsible for killingsby the regime during Bashir’s 30-year rule. Protestersoutside the army complex want the military council thattook power after Bashir’s ouster to step down, makingway for civilian rule.

Khashm el-Girba is a farming village, with one mainroad that cuts through its mud houses, many painted inpink. Kheir whose one-storey pink structure has a court-yard in the middle, was a popular teacher, colleague BakhitMohamed Ahmed said. “He was an honest man who tookpart in community functions,” he said. Ahmed recalled an

incident when Kheir returned to local authorities around30,000 pounds ($630) that had been saved from theschool’s meals-for-children program. Kheir was also amember of the Popular Congress Party, Sudan’s topIslamist party and an ally in Bashir’s government. The partylater called for a probe into all deaths during the initialweeks of protests.

‘Freedom, peace, justice’ Last week, Sudan’s acting prosecutor general Al-

Waleed Sayyed Ahmed lifted the immunity of an unspeci-fied number of NISS agents allegedly involved in Kheir’sdeath. “Those who killed him should be tried in a civiliancourt,” said Ahmed. Salah Ali Al-Nour, 55, one of Kheir’sneighbors, said the teacher had given his life for “freedom,peace, justice,” the catch-cry of the protest movement.“We hope that freedom, peace and justice will beachieved,” said Nour, his voice choking as tears swelled inhis eyes. “We want all the criminals to be punished.”

Nationwide, protest leaders are calling for Bashir andhis regime officials to be held accountable for crimes com-mitted during his rule. “We are not seeking retaliatorymeasures... but we want to rebuild our justice system tohold them accountable,” said Amjad Farid, a spokesman forthe protest movement. Bashir himself, who was initiallydetained by the new ruling military council, has beentransferred to the capital’s Kober prison, according to afamily source. —AFP

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KUWAIT: Gulf Bank K.S.C .P. (“The Bank”)recorded a net profit of KD 11.8 million in the firstquarter of 2019, an increase of 9 percent over thesame quarter in 2018. The Bank’s return on assetsimproved from 0.77 percent in the first quarter of2018 to 0.81 percent and return on equity grewfrom 7.4 percent to 7.7 percent.

Compared with 31st March 2018, total assetsincreased by 2.3 percent to KD 5.8 billion, loansand advances to customers climbed 1.8 percent toKD 3.9 billion, customer deposits grew by 1.1 per-cent to KD 3.6 billion, and shareholders’ equityincreased by 4.8 percent to KD 614 million.

The improvement in Net profit was driven pri-marily by lower credit provisions / impairmentsof KD 8.0 million offset by lower non-interestincome of KD 1.8 million, higher staff expensesof KD 1.8 million, higher depreciation expense ofKD 0.8 million, and a KD 2.8 million provisionrelated to a service disruption that was previ-ously disclosed.

Commenting on the results, Omar KutaybaAlghanim, Gulf Bank’s Chairman said: “I’m pleasedto announce that the Bank started the year posi-tively with an increase of 9 percent in our firstquarter net profit compared to the same period oflast year. I am also happy to inform our investorsabout the inclusion of Gulf Bank shares within theFTSE-Russel emerging markets index during itsMarch review. This inclusion will attract moreregional and international investors to support theliquidity and attractiveness of Gulf Bank’s shares.”

On March 11 th , 2019 , Gul f Bank he ld i t sAnnual General Meeting and obtained approvalfrom its shareholders to pay cash dividends of 10fils per share.

“A” credit ratings Gulf Bank continues to be well recognized in

terms of i ts credit worthiness and f inancialstrength internationally as it is rated “A” by all fourleading credit rating agencies.

Fitch: “A+” rating with a “Stable” outlookS&P Global Ratings: “A-” rating with a “Stable”

outlookMoody’s Investor Services: “A3” rating with a

“Positive” outlookCapital Intelligence: “A-” rating with a “Stable”

outlook.

Corporate activitiesDuring the first quarter of 2019, Gulf Bank held

several corporate activities. At the start of theyear, the Bank held its annual draw for its Al-

Danah account at The Avenues Mall, awarding alucky winner with the grand prize of KD1,000,000. A similar youth-driven event was heldat The Murouj complex for its Kuwaiti Salaryaccount holders and another lucky customer wona total of KD 250,000. Moreover, Gulf Bank host-ed its second annual WISE Investment Forum atthe Four Seasons hotel Kuwait and discussed withits guests global and regional market outlook for2019.

As part of its commitment to empowering theyouth of Kuwait, and the continued Kuwaitizationof the private sector, Gulf Bank was the PlatinumSponsor of the 2019 edition of the Manpower andGovernment Restructuring Program (MGRP)Career Fair during which the Bank conducted onthe ground screenings, as well as interviews ofpotential employees offering employment con-tracts to Kuwaitis on the same day. In line with thesame commitment, Gulf Bank showcased a first-of- its-kind virtual recruitment experience at the21st edition of Gulf University for Science andTechnology’s (GUST) Career Fair.

Commenting on the bank’s continued commit-ment to social responsibility, Alghanim said, “Thisyear, we’re determined to continue our drive forsustainability by supporting initiatives focused onyouth, health and environment.” Sustainability hastaken a lead in Gulf Bank’s success and continuedto play an integral role in its corporate socialresponsibility initiatives. The Bank’s participationin the Qout Market highlighted its focus on theenvironment by hosting a unique planting work-shop. In addition, Gulf Bank set up an innovativeoutdoor recycling station to encourage recycling.The Bank also joined the Global Earth Hour move-

ment, highlighting the issue of climate change bygoing dark and turning off all unnecessary lightingat its Head Office and several of its branches.

AppreciationAlghanim continued to say, “I would like to

thank everyone that contributed to these results.I’d also like to convey my deepest appreciation toour shareholders and the Central Bank of Kuwaitfor their continued support. I especially want tothank our customers for their loyalty and reiterate

our commitment to place them at the center ofeverything we do.”

Gulf Bank is one of the leading conventionalbanks in Kuwait with total assets of KD 5.8 billionfor year ended 31 March 2019. The Bank providesa broad offering of consumer banking, wholesalebanking, treasury, and financial services throughits large network of 58 branches and more than200 ATMs in Kuwait. The Bank was founded in1960 and is listed on the Kuwait Stock Exchange(Boursa Kuwait) since 1984.

Kuwait’s project awards remained low in 2018, hampered by delays 1412 13

BusinessEstablished 1961

TUESDAY, APRIL 30, 2019

VIVA reports KD 66.6 million of revenues for first quarter 2019

Boursa Kuwait highlights new market developments in panel discussion

Omar Kutayba Alghanim

Gulf Bank records a net profit of KD 11.8 million for Q1 2019

Net profit grows 9% in Q1 2019 vs Q1 2018 l Total assets increase to KD 5.8bn

KUWAIT: Project awards declined for the third consecu-tive year in 2018, with only KD1.7 billion in awards, thelowest since 2009. This is less than half of the KD3.8 bil-lion in awards planned at the beginning of 2018. Awards in2018 were hindered by numerous delays, setbacks, andcancellations. Kuwait has attempted to make progresswith its public-private-partnership (PPP) program, whichhas suffered from structural, technical, legal and financingissues. Setbacks in 2018 may also be attributed to therestructuring of Kuwait Authority for Partnership Project’s(KAPP), along with a review of the Public Authority forRoads and Transportation’s (PART) mandate.

A decent start to the yearThe outlook for project awards is expected to improve

as some of last year’s delayed projects are rolled over into2019, as further rescheduling is becoming difficult amid anincreased urgency surrounding power and water, androad-work projects. Awards are expected to be in thevicinity of KD4.4 billion in 2019, to be driven mainly bymajor construction projects, as well as overdue projects inthe transport and power and water sectors. The pace ofawards in 2019 so far has been promising, with a total ofKD 0.7 billion contracts as of April. However, given thelow execution rate of recent years, this number (KD4.4billion) still looks optimistic. Moreover, Kuwait’s trackrecord for delivering on PPPs has been weak, and thepressure to deliver is rising, given their importance toKuwait’s development plans and vision 2035.

The transport sector is expected to see large awards in2019, with KD73 million awarded so far and KD1.4 billionstill in the pipeline. Many of these projects were post-poned from 2018 due to structural issues with PART, theauthority responsible for executing road works and trans-port projects. These projects have become of pressingconcern, and have been the subject of political pressure,as maintenance and upkeep of the country’s transportinfrastructure becomes increasingly overdue. For this rea-

son, the chance of delays or cancellations in this sector islow. Notable planned projects include the Ministry ofPublic Works Northern and Southern regional roads, cur-rently under bid evaluation and due to be awarded soon,with a combined value of KD 405 million and the DGCAairport expansion phase 1, valued at KD 150 million.

ConstructionThe construction sector is expected to be the largest

contributor to total estimated awards in 2019, with KD523 million awarded in 1Q19, and an additional KD 1.1 bil-lion planned for the remainder of the year. Among theawards was the Al-Jahra low cost housing city, valued atKD 432 million. This is one of the anticipated projects ofthe Public Authority for Housing Welfare (PAHW), whichhas been tasked to meet the growing demand for afford-able low-cost housing. The project will consist of 9,800units over 830 hectares, and is expected to be completedin 2030. Other notable construction projects planned forlater in the year include the MPW Mubarak Al-Kabeerseaport project and the MOH Ibn Sina Hospital, with acombined value of KD 439 million. These projects are cur-rently in the main contract pre-qualification stage, and willlikely be tendered soon. With a growing population, andwith the development of various energy-intensive projectsas part of Kuwait’s development plan, the demand for utili-ties is projected to grow significantly. These projectsinclude the construction of new housing cities, in addition

to plans for new petrochemical and industrial facilities. The Ministry of Energy and Water expects demand for

electricity to increase by 17 gigawatts by 2030. It followsthat plans for expanding current power/water plants, thecommissioning of new integrated facilities, as well asrenewable energy projects, have become increasinglyimportant for the state in meeting current and future utilitydemand. Yet, the risk of delays is still present given theexperience of recent years.

While no awards have taken place in this sector so farin 2019, KD 0.8 billion in projects are expected to beawarded later this year, most notable of which is the KD0.4 billion Al Dibdibah Solar Power Plant in ShagayaRenewable Energy Complex, currently under bidding anddue to be awarded soon. In addition, despite still being inthe early (planning) stage, KAPP has made progress on itstwo major planned IWPPs, the Al-Zour North and the Al-Khiran IWPPs. Firms were invited to express interest lastNovember, and KAPP is in the process of appointing atransaction advisor for both projects, after which the pro-curement process is expected to begin. Al-Zour North isexpected in 3Q19, while Al-Khiran is expected in 2020. In

addition, MEW will commission its own, ‘Al-Nuwaiseeb 1’IWPP, expected to be awarded in 2020.

Oil, gas and chemicalsAlthough the focus this year will be on projects in other

sectors, the oil and gas sector saw the awarding on April 1of the KOC - New Gas Export Pipeline, at a contract val-ue of KD 144 million. A further KD 432 million in plannedoil and gas projects are to be awarded later this year. Thechemical sector on the other hand, having been dormantfor many years, is expected to receive a major boost in2020 with the implementation of the much-awaited Al-Zour petrochemical complex, valued at KD 3 billion anddelayed from 2018 due to technical and financing set-backs. This sector has been burdened in recent years byrepeated changes in leadership, which makes the outlookfor the oil, gas, and chemical sector somewhat uncertain.On a positive note, the recent approval by the Council ofMinisters for the Kuwait Petroleum Corporation to obtaina KD 16 billion loan to finance its strategic plans over thenext five years should support project activity in this sec-tor in over the next few years.

B u s i n e s s

12 Established 1961

NBK economic report

Tuesday, April 30, 2019

EXCHANGE RATES

AL-MUZAINI EXCHANGE CO.

EUROPEAN & AMERICAN COUNTRIESUS Dollar Transfer 305.000Euro 345.110Sterling Pound 398.480Canadian dollar 229.240Turkish lira 52.630Swiss Franc 303.630US Dollar Buying 303.800

ASIAN COUNTRIESJapanese Yen 2.729Indian Rupees 4.379Pakistani Rupees 2.187Srilankan Rupees 1.743Nepali Rupees 2.737Singapore Dollar 225.760Hongkong Dollar 38.875Bangladesh Taka 3.603Philippine Peso 5.893Thai Baht 9.616Malaysian ringgit 78.005

GCC COUNTRIESSaudi Riyal 81.388Qatari Riyal 83.826Omani Riyal 792.723Bahraini Dinar 810.420UAE Dirham 83.095

ARAB COUNTRIESEgyptian Pound - Cash 20.850

DOLLARCO EXCHANGE CO. LTD

BAHRAIN EXCHANGE COMPANY WLL

Egyptian Pound - Transfer 17.726Yemen Riyal/for 1000 1.225Tunisian Dinar 105.170Jordanian Dinar 430.670Lebanese Lira/for 1000 2.033Syrian Lira 0.000Morocco Dirham 32.344

Rate for Transfer Selling RateUS Dollar 304.840Canadian Dollar 228.350Sterling Pound 95.450Euro 344.725Swiss Frank 307.490Bahrain Dinar 810.685UAE Dirhams 83.400Qatari Riyals 84.640Saudi Riyals 82.185Jordanian Dinar 431.245Egyptian Pound 17.628Sri Lankan Rupees 1.744Indian Rupees 4.412Pakistani Rupees 2.160Bangladesh Taka 3.618Philippines Pesso 5.851Cyprus pound 18.135Japanese Yen 3.725Syrian Pound 1.595Nepalese Rupees 2.758Malaysian Ringgit 75.435Chinese Yuan Renminbi 45.805

CURRENCY BUY SELLEurope

British Pound 0.388018 0.402918Czech Korune 0.005256 0.014566Danish Krone 0.041597 0.046597Euro 0. 333695 0.347395Georgian Lari 0.132435 0.132435Hungarian 0.001151 0.001341Norwegian Krone 0.031208 0.036408Romanian Leu 0.065474 0.082324Russian ruble 0.004733 0.004733Slovakia 0.009141 0.019141Swedish Krona 0.028177 0.033177Swiss Franc 0.293361 0.304361

AustralasiaAustralian Dollar 0.207048 0.219048New Zealand Dollar 0.197625 0.207125

AmericaCanadian Dollar 0.221755 0.230755US Dollars 0.301200 0.306500US Dollars Mint 0.301700 0.306500

AsiaBangladesh Taka 0.003033 0.003834

Chinese Yuan 0.043895 0.047395Hong Kong Dollar 0.037152 0.039902Indian Rupee 0.003840 0.004612Indonesian Rupiah 0.000017 0.000023Japanese Yen 0.002654 0.002834Korean Won 0.000252 0.000257Malaysian Ringgit 0.070293 0.076293Nepalese Rupee 0.002687 0.003027Pakistan Rupee 0.001514 0.002284Philippine Peso 0.005823 0.006123Singapore Dollar 0.219069 0.229069Sri Lankan Rupee 0.001404 0.001984Taiwan 0.010191 0.010371Thai Baht 0.009225 0.009775Vietnamese Dong 0.00013 0.00013

ArabBahraini Dinar 0.795243 0.811743Egyptian Pound 0.017782 0.020382Iranian Riyal 0.000084 0.000086Iraqi Dinar 0.000210 0.000270Jordanian Dinar 0.425704 0.434704Kuwaiti Dinar 1.000000 1.000000Lebanese Pound 0.000157 0.000257Moroccan Dirhams 0.021290 0.045290Omani Riyal 0.786669 0.792349Qatar Riyal 0.079568 0.084508Saudi Riyal 0.080327 0.081627Syrian Pound 0.001296 0.001515Tunisian Dinar 0.097044 0.106044Turkish Lira 0.045608 0.057108UAE Dirhams 0.081697 0.083397Yemeni Riyal 0.000993 0.001073

Thai Bhat 10.550Turkish Lira 54.575Singapore dollars 225.511

Kuwait’s project awards remained low in 2018, hampered by delays

PPP program suffered from structural, technical, legal and financing issues

GCC oil exportsprojected toimprove slightlyto 2.1% in 2019KUWAIT: In the best of times, countries in theMiddle East, North Africa, Afghanistan, and Pakistan(MENAP) region would face a formidable task ofcreating jobs for the millions of young people enter-ing the workforce. Now, they must tackle this chal-lenge amid a slowing global economy, volatile oilprices, and uncertainty around trade tensions.

A steadfast commitment to reforms that buildresilience and help secure higher and more inclusiveprivate-sector-led growth is more urgent than ever.

Growth in oil exporters is projected to remainsubdued relative to 2018. Although growth in theGulf Cooperation Council (GCC) is projected toimprove slightly to 2.1 percent in 2019 from 2 percentin 2018, a sharp decline in Iran’s economic activity(of 6 percent) amid sanctions results in a mere 0.4percent rate of growth for 2019 for the region’s oil-exporting countries.

Meanwhile, growth for oil importers is projectedto slow from 4.2 percent in 2018 to 3.6 percent thisyear, reflecting the slowing global economy anddomestic factors. However, this aggregate projectiondoes not reflect the wide variation among oil-importing countries. Egypt, for instance, continues toperform strongly, while weak growth in Pakistanweighs on the region’s aggregate growth rate.

One key development that will shape the region’seconomic outlook is oil price volatility, which recentlyreached levels not seen since the shocks of 2014-15.This trend may continue amid uncertainties aroundglobal trade tensions, Iran sanctions, and the OPEC+production strategy. Other risks to the region include

geopolitical risks, security concerns, and uncertaintysurrounding global financial conditions.

Lower oil prices with bouts of volatility and aslower pace of fiscal consolidation will weigh onfiscal balances in oil-exporting countries. At thesame time, there are indications that governmentspending may no longer be able to boost growth asit could when oil prices and investment were high,and the external environment was strong. This com-bination underscores the need to resume fiscal con-solidation while sustaining growth. Anchoring fiscalpolicy, including government spending, in a medi-um-term framework would help insulate economiesfrom rapid and pronounced oil price swings and

gradually rebuild fiscal space.Public debt ratios have continued to rise in sev-

eral oil-importing countries in recent years despitefiscal consolidation efforts. In fact, debt ratios haveincreased by 20 percent of GDP on average since2008, with two-thirds of countries carrying publicdebt of at least 70 percent of GDP, a level associat-ed with a higher risk of debt distress. And as thechart below shows, the debt levels for some coun-tries, such as Egypt, Jordan and Lebanon, exceed80 percent of GDP, limiting the fiscal space neededfor critical social and infrastructure spending, andleaving economies vulnerable to less favorablefinancial conditions.

Iran inflation could reach40% this year as economyshrinks further: IMFDUBAI: Iran’s economy is expected to shrink for the second con-secutive year and inflation could reach 40 percent, an InternationalMonetary Fund senior official said, as the country copes with theimpact of tighter sanctions imposed by the United States.

Washington, which re-imposed sanctions against Iran’s oilexports last November, this month demanded buyers of Iranianoil to stop purchases by May or face sanctions, ending six monthsof waivers which allowed Iran’s eight biggest buyers to continueimporting limited volumes.

Iran’s economy shrank by 3.9 percent last year, according toIMF estimates, and is expected to shrink by 6 percent in 2019,Jihad Azour, director of the IMF’s Middle East and Central Asiadepartment, told Reuters adding, however, that the projectionpreceded the latest elimination of waivers. “Clearly the re-impo-sition of sanctions and the removal of the waivers will have addi-tional negative impact on the Iranian economy both in terms ofgrowth and in terms of inflation, where inflation could reach 40percent or even more this year,” he said.

US sanctions against Iran have denied its government morethan $10 billion in oil revenue, a US official said earlier this month.The Iranian currency, the rial, lost more than 60 percent last year,disrupting Iran’s foreign trade and boosting annual inflation.

The Iranian rial official rate is set at 42,000 rials to the US dol-lar, but its market rate stood at around 144,000 against the USdollar on Sunday, according to foreign exchange websiteBonbast.com Iran should work to eliminate the gap that currentlyexists between the market exchange rate and the officialexchange rate, said Azour. “By aligning the market and officialrates this will help tame and control inflation and will reducepressure on the exchange rate.”

The currency’s slide, from levels around 43,000 at the end oflast year, has eroded the value of ordinary Iranians’ savings, trig-gering panic buying of dollars. The weak currency and gallopinginflation have been a complaint of sporadic street protests sincelate 2017. — Reuters

IMF Country Focus

B u s i n e s s Tuesday, April 30, 2019

13

BENGALURU: Major central banks are done tighteningpolicy, according to a majority of economists polled byReuters, with the growth outlook wilting across devel-oped and emerging economies along with scantprospects for a surge in inflation. While that is largelyreflected in bond markets, with major sovereign bondyields falling this year, global equities have rallied, andthe S&P 500 index is near record highs after its beststart this year in more than three decades.

One striking conclusion from the latest surveys ofover 500 economists from around the world, coveringmore than 40 economies, was not just a toning down ofthe economic outlook, but a clear shift away from long-held optimistic views.

Although economists who answered an additionalquestion were split on whether a deeper global eco-nomic downturn was more likely than a synchronizedrebound, this year’s growth outlook was downgraded orleft unchanged for 38 of the countries polled. “Therecent weakness of global growth will persist for muchlonger than is commonly assumed. A dovish turn bycentral banks and stimulus in China will not be enoughto boost world GDP growth from its current slow pace,”noted Jennifer McKeown, head of global economics atCapital Economics.

“Disappointing economic performance will leaveinflation very low and cause monetary policy to be loos-ened almost across the board. But we do not see thisprompting any meaningful recovery until 2021.” Globalgrowth was forecast to average 3.4 percent this year,the lowest since polling began for 2019 almost twoyears ago. The most optimistic prediction was also moremodest than at the start of the year.

The 2020 forecast held at 3.4 percent, the joint low-est since Reuters began polling on it. However, the 2019consensus was a touch higher than the InternationalMonetary Fund’s latest view of 3.3 percent.

The risk of an escalation of the US-China trade warand prospects of Britain exiting the European Union with-out a deal - two of the more prominent threats that initial-ly drove the current slowdown - have eased. Yet mostmajor central banks have been hinting at a move awayfrom hiking rates, and nearly 60 percent of more than 200economists who answered a separate question said theywere confident the global tightening cycle was over.

On Thursday, the Bank of Japan dispelled any doubtabout its commitment to ultra-loose policies andSweden’s central bank said a forecast interest rate hikewould come slightly later than it had planned.

The US Federal Reserve is done raising rates until atleast the end of next year, with about a third of econo-mists polled predicting at least one rate cut by then.

With eurozone economic growth and inflationprospects dimming, the European Central Bank mayhave missed its opportunity to raise rates before thenext downturn.

“The ECB blames the eurozone weakness on a slow-down in China and concerns about the trade war. TheFed, meanwhile, pointed the finger to Europe and Chinaas the main drags on US growth. But with everyonelooking across the border for a scapegoat, someonemust inevitably be watching the wrong space,” notedElwin de Groot, head of macro strategy at Rabobank.“One could speculate that the central banks are point-ing the finger just because they have little confidencethat their actions are effective.”

Growth forecasts for developed economies - includ-ing Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Britain, Japan,Australia, the United States and Canada - for this yearand next weakened.

It was not very different for emerging marketeconomies, despite efforts from policymakers to boostsluggish growth. Economic growth in major economiesfrom Asia to Africa to Latin America was predicted tolose more momentum.

Although India is still expected to be the fastest-growing major economy, growth predictions were low-ered compared with the previous poll.

“Looser fiscal and monetary policy should help tocushion the impact of weaker export demand on growthin emerging Asia.

Nevertheless, regional growth this year is still likelyto slow to its weakest rate in a decade,” added CapitalEconomics’ McKeown. — Reuters

Tightening cycle over, slower ride for globalgrowth ahead

VIVA reports KD 66.6 million of revenues for first quarter 2019

US-China trade talks nearing decisive momentWASHINGTON: Trade talks between the world’sdominant economies are in the decisive phase thatwill determine whether a final agreement is possible,US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said yester-day of negotiations with China. Mnuchin and USTrade Representative Robert Lighthizer travel toBeijing this week for another round of talks withChinese negotiators starting Tuesday, and they willmeet next week in Washington to try to finalize adeal that President Donald Trump has demanded torepair what he calls and unfair and unbalanced rela-

tionship. “I think there’s a strong desire from bothsides to see if we can wrap this up or move on,”Mnuchin said in an interview on Fox BusinessNetwork. “We hope within the next two rounds —in China and in DC — to be at the point where wecan either recommend to the president we have adeal or make a recommendation that we don’t.”

Trump imposed steep punitive tariffs on morethan $250 billion in imports from China, and Beijinghas retaliated with duties on $110 billion in USgoods. US businesses nationwide report that thetariffs are raising costs on key inputs for production,and the uncertainty is causing them to delay invest-ments and hiring.

However, Mnuchin again defended Trump’saggressive trade policies, saying “tariffs have been abig part of getting people to the negotiating table.The president’s objective is make sure we have fairand balanced trade.” — AFP

Net profit reaches KD 9.6 millionKUWAIT: Kuwait Telecommunications Company (VIVA),Kuwait’s fastest-growing and most developed telecomoperator, announced the financial results for the first quar-ter of the period ended 31 March 2019; whereby VIVA’srevenues reached KD 66.6 million whereas the net profitreached KD 9.6 million during the first quarter in 2019.

Commenting on the Q1-2019 financial results, DrMahmoud Ahmed Abdulrahman, VIVA’s Chairman said:“Despite the continued competition witnessed in theKuwaiti telecom market, VIVA was able to achieve goodlevels of revenues as well as enhanced the operational effi-ciency to ensure generating positive return to our share-holders. VIVA achieved these results due to an integratedmanagement approach by a highly professional team thatreinforces VIVA’s substantial and positive role as a leadingtelecommunications company that always provides intelli-gent communications solutions to satisfy the needs of itscustomers and meet their needs.”

He added: “VIVA was able to achieve revenue of KD66.6 million during Q1- 2019 compared to KD 77.6 millionfor the same period last year. Also, VIVA managed toachieve positive earnings for its shareholders as a result ofthe commitment to elevate the quality of customer serviceand improving the operational efficiency”.

On his part, Eng Maziad Nasser Al-Harbi, VIVA’s CEOsaid: “During Q1-2019 VIVA achieved a good levels of itsrevenues and profitability in addition to strengthen itsleadership in the telecom market; in line with its plan to

launch the fifth generation 5G network in the near future inKuwait, to be one of the first telecommunications compa-nies in the Middle East to introduce this service to its cus-tomers to match the world’s largest companies in this field.It is noteworthy to mention that VIVA won recently “thethird place as Best Company in the Middle East in InvestorRelations for 2018 and the first in Kuwait to be the“Leading Corporate in Investor Relation of 2018” accord-ing to MEIRA and Best Network Development Award forBest Network Development in the Middle East and NorthAfrica at the 5G MENA Awards 2018.

He added: “We will continue our efforts to implement

our strategy to enhance our competitiveness and furthergrowth and success in the Kuwaiti telecom market bylaunching a unique and innovative portfolio of services,products and offerings that are in line with the technologi-cal development and customer needs and requirements”.

Commenting on VIVA Financial Results Al-Harbiadded: “The Company’s revenues declined in Q1-2019 toreach KD 66.6 million compared to Revenues of KD 77.6million during Q1-2018. The reason for the decline is thatthe comparative period of 2018 witnessed extraordinarypromotions resulted in high increase in the revenue.Currently and during 2019, VIVA has adopted a balancedoperating policy in its marketing strategy to focus on thequality, which is reflected in the financial and operationalefficiency of the company.

Despite this decline in revenues during Q1-2019, VIVArecorded a growth of 4.2 percent in its EBITDA to reach aKD 18.7 million with EBITDA margin of 28 percent duringthe first quarter of 2019 compared to 23 percent in the firstquarter of 2018. As a result, VIVA reported a net profit ofKD 9.6 million (earnings per share of 19 fils) during thefirst quarter of 2019 with a profit margin of 14.5 percent.VIVA’s customer base reached approximately 2.04 millionat the end of March 2019.

On his part, Mohammed Bin AbdulMohsen Al-Assaf,VIVA’s CFO, said: “VIVA’s financial results reflected itsability to compete, sustained revenues and maintain itsposition as the second largest telecom operator in theKuwaiti market in term of revenues in the telecom sector.Due to VIVA’s secure financial policy we continued toimplement the cost reduction program adopted by thecompany during the previous year to reach the bestresults to enhance profitability by adopting a balancedand effective financial policy in operating and capitalexpenditures. To shed the light on the financial positionof the company as of 31 March 2019, Al-Assaf Added:The Total assets at the end of the period reached KD331.8 million where total shareholders’ equity reachedKD 181.6 million, with a book value per share of 364Kuwaiti fils. In addition, VIVA has strong financial sol-vency position, which is considered to be the best acrossthe Middle East telecoms companies.

First Quarter201918.7

First Quarter22019

9.6First Quarter M201919

22

March 31019.04

KD Million

EBITDAKD Million

Net ProfitKuwaiti fils

SubEPSMillion

bscribers

Asia Express Exchange rebranded as LuLu ExchangeMUSCAT: Asia Express Exchange, the leading financial servicescompany in the Sultanate of Oman has announced its rebrandingas LuLu Exchange at a gala ceremony held at Sheraton Oman onSunday. The name change brings all companies of LuLu FinancialGroup under the LuLu Exchange brand in the GCC.

The new brand name and logo was revealed by Sultan bin Salimbin Said Al-Habsi, Deputy Chairman, Central Bank of Oman in thepresence of Munu Mahawar, Ambassador of India to Oman, AdeebAhamed, Managing Director, LuLu Exchange, Sheikh MohammedHamed Ali Al-Ghazali, Director, LuLu Exchange and other digni-taries. Officials from the Royal Oman Police, Oman Chamber ofCommerce and Ministry of Manpower also graced the function.

“As a brand that the world trusts, the new name changeembodies our vision to make the lives of our customers better,easier and more meaningful. We would like to thank the CentralBank of Oman for allowing us this name change. We are sure thatthe residents of Oman will welcome this move, as with their lovefor our brand,” said Adeeb Ahamed, MD, LuLu Exchange.

“The operations of the company will continue as is and we willcontinue offering the enhanced financial services that our cus-tomers trust. The refreshed brand and visual identity is an excitingchange for us and marks a strategic pivot in our future direction asa financial services company.”

The newly branded LuLu Exchange, which has 32 branchesacross Oman has over the years emerged as a preferred exchangehouse providing fast and reliable money transfer worldwide andforeign exchange services to a cross-section of society, poweredby a robust network, reputed partners and high standards of cus-tomer care.

LuLu Exchange is part of LuLu Financial Group which is anISO 9001:2015 certified global financial services enterprise thathas its global headquarters in Abu Dhabi and operates more than180 branches across several GCC countries such as Oman, Kuwait,Qatar, Bahrain as well as India, Bangladesh, Philippines,Seychelles, Hong Kong and Malaysia.

LuLu Exchange is also at the forefront of technological innova-tion and is currently working on its mobile app which will havevarious features including instant online transactions, paymenttracking in real time and payment history, among others.

Dr Mahmoud AhmedAbdulrahman

Eng Maziad Nasser Al-Harbi

Tuesday, April 30, 2019

14B u s i n e s s

Established 1961

Huawei announces first quarter 2019 business resultsKUWAIT: Huawei announced its business results for the firstquarter of 2019. In Q1 of this year, Huawei generatedCNY179.7 billion in revenue, an increase of 39 percent year-on-year. The company’s net profit margin in Q1 2019 wasabout 8 percent, slightly higher than the same period last year.Huawei maintained its focus on ICT infrastructure and smartdevices, and continued to boost the efficiency and quality ofits operations, which has helped contribute to its solid per-formance in Q1 2019. 2019 will be a year of large-scaledeployment of 5G around the world, meaning that Huawei’sCarrier Business Group has unprecedented opportunities forgrowth. By the end of March 2019, Huawei had signed 40commercial contracts for 5G with leading global carriers, andhad shipped more than 70,000 5G base stations to marketsaround the world.

Also in Q1 2019, Huawei’s Enterprise Business Grouplaunched its Digital Platform and its new “Huawei Inside”strategy. Huawei is committed to building the foundations ofa digital China and the core of a digital world by deliveringthe Digital Platform along with ubiquitous connectivity andpervasive intelligence. Huawei’s Enterprise Business Groupalso deployed the world’s first 5G-enabled Wi-Fi 6 accesspoint. As of the end of Q1 2019, Huawei had shipped moreWi-Fi 6 products than any other company worldwide.

Huawei’s Consumer Business Group continues to createvalue for consumers with its innovative products. Its corestrategy is to deliver an intelligent experience to consumersacross all scenarios. In Q1 2019, Huawei shipped 59 millionsmartphones. In other business segments like PCs, wearables,and smart home, Huawei has been welcomed by global con-sumers for its leading, innovative products and superior userexperiences. Huawei Cloud remains committed to innovation.It aims to build the best possible hybrid cloud, provide full-stack AI solutions for intelligent industries, and make inclusiveAI a reality. More than one million enterprise users anddevelopers have chosen to work with Huawei Cloud. In Q1,Huawei Cloud services were launched in Singapore, andHuawei Cloud released its AI model market. Huawei Cloud’sone-stop-shop AI development platform - ModelArts - camefirst in both image classification training and inference in theStanford DAWNBench deep learning competition.

KUWAIT: Boursa Kuwait recently participated in apanel discussion, jointly hosted by the Capital MarketsAuthority and the leading equity index compiler S&PDow Jones Indices (S&P DJI) at the JW MarriottHotel Kuwait City, with the objective of raisinginvestor awareness about the benefits of marketindices for institutional investors. Speaking on the‘Indices and Passive Investing’ panel, Noura Al-Abdulkareem, Acting Head of Markets, Boursa Kuwait,highlighted new developments in the Kuwaiti capitalmarket, including upcoming market reclassifications.

Al-Abdulkareem shed light on Boursa Kuwait’songoing efforts to developing a sound capital marketthat offers promising opportunities to local and for-eign institutional investors. Driven by its ambitiousmarket development strategy, the company hasfocused on infrastructural upgrades, regulatoryreforms, and diversification of offerings to improvethe business environment, expand its issuer andinvestor bases, and increase the depth and breadth ofits products.

Stressing on Boursa Kuwait’s relentless commit-ment to transforming itself as an attractive destinationfor investment, Al-Abdulkareem said the stockexchange has placed significant emphasis on provid-ing investors with liquid and transparent benchmarksof the different markets, to enable them to track and

grow their investments. She said the inclusion ofBoursa Kuwait in the FTSE Russell Emerging MarketsIndex in May 2018 and the forthcoming market statusreclassifications by S&P DJI and the global indexcompiler MSCI are a true reflection of the company’scommitment to all market participants.

MSCI has announced that it will consider the re-classification of Boursa Kuwait’s market status in its2019 Annual Market Classification Review set to takeplace in June. If approved, the Exchange’s status willbe upgraded from the current Frontier Market to theEmerging Market in 2020. The company is also gear-ing up for the inclusion of its index to S&P Dow JonesIndices’ Global Equity Indices with the EmergingMarket status later this year.

As part of its market development plans, the com-pany has also launched several initiatives, including anew rulebook, which helped the company specify newthree-tiered market segments, In addition, the compa-ny has introduced the Over-the-Counter (OTC) trad-ing platform to enable investors to trade unlistedsecurities with greater transparency. Furthermore,Boursa Kuwait has recently launched a trading plat-form for Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs), intro-duced the trade at last session, and stock swaps andtender offer facilities as part of its third phase of mar-ket developments.

CMA, S&P Dow Jones aim to raise awareness about benefits of market indices

Boursa Kuwait highlights new market developments in panel discussion

Today is the last date to enter Al-Danah’s second quarterly draw of 2019KUWAIT: Gulf Bank has announced that today, 30April 2019, is the last date for customers to open an AlDanah account or increase their deposits for entry intoAl-Danah’s second quarterly draw of the year, whichwill be held on 26 June 2019, for the prize of KD250,000.

The third quarterly draw for the prize of KD500,000 on 25 September 2019. The final Al-Danahdraw for KD 1,000,000, will be held on 16 January2020, where the Al-Danah millionaire will beannounced at a live event. Open an account now ordeposit more to increase your chances to win in theupcoming draws, including weekly draws of 5 winners

that receive KD 1,000 each! Al-Danah offers a number of unique services to cus-

tomers, including the Al-Danah Deposit Only ATMcard, which allows account holders to deposit moneyinto their accounts at their convenience. Account hold-ers can also calculate their chances of winning thedraws through the ‘Al-Danah Chances’ calculator avail-able on the Gulf Bank website and app.

Gulf Bank’s Al-Danah account is open to Kuwaiti andnon-Kuwaiti residents of Kuwait. Customers require aminimum of KD 200 to open an account and the sameamount should be maintained for customers to be eligi-ble for the upcoming Al-Danah draws. If the customer’saccount balance falls below KD 200 at any given time, aKD 2 fee will be charged to their account monthly untilthe minimum balance is met. Customers who open anaccount and/or deposit more will enter the weekly drawwithin two days. To take part in the Al-Danah 2019upcoming quarterly and yearly draws, customers mustmeet the required hold period for each draw.

The Al-Danah draws are all approved by and held inthe presence of a representative from the Ministry ofCommerce. Furthermore, Gulf Bank have partneredwith Ernst and Young Kuwait (EY) with reference to

“Al-Danah Prize Draw” system in order to assist inassessing processes, technical controls consideringrelevant parameters and provide recommendations in-line with industry leading practices. The study wasconducted in line with industry standards and controlrequirements relevant to similar prize draw schemeswherein, a detailed review of prize draw managementsystem along with draw scheme parameters, dataextraction for draw, filtration of customers as perdefined business criteria and necessary system inter-actions was conducted to advise on any potentialareas of improvements.

KAICO service team named ‘Best After Sales Service Provider’ in ME by Eicher KUWAIT: Kuwait Automotive Imports Company, KaicoAl Shaya & Al Sagar, the authorized distributors ofEicher trucks and buses in Kuwait, has been named the“Best after Sales Service Provider” in the Middle East byEicher international office in India during the MTechannual competition.

Kaico achieved this award as a result to series of initia-tives and improvements implemented to improve its prod-ucts and services which resulted in a significant growth incustomer numbers in 2018.

Kaico’s service team is reliably & qualified to not onlydiagnose any error, but also repair it from the first time,thus increasing customer confidence in the service levelprovided.

The MTech annual competition was held with partici-pants from 50 countries with a total number of 2263 of the

best technicians from the Middle East, Africa and South Asiaregions. And the award was added to a long list of regionalawards for Kaico which first started operating in 1936.

The company has received this award after its diligentefforts and investing heavily obtaining the latest technolo-gies, such as various maintenance departments, thermalspray paint rooms and numerous outdoor mobile services.

Kaico has witnessed a record growth in vehicles salesand after sales service since 2009, and has been the author-ized distributer of Eicher in Kuwait since the year 2000.

On the occasion of the award, Ashish Tandon, GeneralManager of Kaico stated: “The Company provides topquality maintenance services to our customers and weare proud to receive this prestigious award whichreflects our ongoing efforts to achieve the best servicefor our customers.”

And added “The professional services we have intro-duced in recent years have increased the efficiency andquality of our work, which has led to faster and more effi-cient service to our customers, with a focus on the continu-ous development of our business fundamentals. We believethat investing in our certified technicians and their skills is akey factor to stay in line with the rapid development in thefield of trucks and vehicles. This award is a testament totheir hard work and commitment. “

The year 2019 witnessed significant successes for

Kaico, which included huge improvements in the speed ofvehicle maintenance, while the Rapid Service Workshopensured the completion of simple vehicle maintenance asquickly as possible, such as the installation and repair ofcar bumpers and glass windows to ensure that vehiclesreturn to the roads in no time.

“Commitment to our customers is part of our culture inKaico and this competition is one of the many ways inwhich professionals are encouraged to develop their skills,”said Mohammed Abu Eloun, senior executive manager-after sales. Also added “Our Company owns the latesttechnology & advanced workshops in the middle east andGCC region in order to provide our customers with thebest after-sales experience.

Gopalakrishnan, spare parts manager stated “Eichertrucks and buses parts are readily available for all fleetrequirements. And our TCO (total cost of ownership) ismost competitive in Kuwait. Additionally we provide over96 percent uptime for all our customers.”

Kaico is keen to connect with its customers through itsdigital platforms, build a strong relationship with them toensure that their needs are better met, and offer specialprices on services and guidance to interested customers.These efforts result in high customer satisfaction, and are amain key factor in the company winning the award for bestafter-sales service provider in the Middle East.

AUB announces Chat Room service at The Avenue branch KUWAIT: AUB launched Video Text Chat Room Service at theAvenues Branch, providing customers a privacy space for voiceor video chatting with the bank customer service staff, and toget appropriate guidance on any inquiries or needs. This ispart of the Bank’s drive to introduce new technology and serv-ices to support the evolving financial needs of its customers.

Ranjan Sen, General Manager of Retail Banking at AhliUnited Bank, specified: “The Chat Room service provided to thecustomers at The Avenues Branch will give the customer accessto the Bank for enquiring about any products, services or cam-paigns. Huda Al-Madani, General Manager of DigitalTransformation and Alternative channels at Ahli United Bankspecified that this service is part of the development of AUB -Avenues Branch, which recently opened and being one of themost advanced branches in the region.

The Avenues branch, in Phase 4, has the advantage of astrategic location and an iconic design in a way that permits theintroduction of new technologies in the future. The Branch pro-vides customers with an instant e-banking experience througha wide range of innovative financial solutions and self-servicebanking that provide customers ample time in an atmosphere ofprivacy and convenience.

The Avenues Branch also enables customers to control theirbanking transactions using the most advanced ATMs and cab-ins, taking advantage of the availability of customer service staffin the branch. Al-Madani added: “This strategy will be followedby launching more interactive and innovative services through-out the channels and within the framework of the digital trans-formation to build a unified and convenient banking experiencewith AUB.”

Special discountat Cozmo for Burgan Bank’s BuBa customers KUWAIT: Bringing its little customers more opportuni-ties to enjoy the best seasonal activities and entertain-ment in Kuwait, Burgan Bank announced its latest part-nership with leading family destination, Cozmo. The latestoffer presents numerous discount packages at any of thenine branches of Cozmo.

Cozmo Entertainment offers exciting games and activ-ities such as a video games arcade, children competitions,and their very own Bowling alley. It serves as a popularchoice for events, birthday parties, all-inclusive within thepromotional offer. BuBa Account customers will enjoy a20 percent extra credit when paying a minimum chargeof KD 5 at the Cozmo Arcades and other attractions, 20percent discount at Cozmo bowling and when hostingbirthday parties at Cozmo.

The “BuBa Kids Account” aims at providing creativesolutions for parents who want to earn more from theirsavings for their children and at the same time enjoy awide range of benefits. The BuBa Kids Account is a sav-ings account, with the minimum opening balance of KD10. Children, up to 14 years old, will also enjoy specialoffers and promotions throughout the year as well asattractive discounts at selected merchants across Kuwait.

W h a t ’ s O n Tuesday, April 30, 2019

15Established 1961

In tandem with its commitment to embracing digitalization andleading the way in meeting the growing demands for onlinedigital users in Kuwait, Ooredoo Kuwait in collaboration with

Blink Kuwait, the leading gaming console and accessories com-pany in Kuwait, organized the Ooredoo and Blink Gaming tour-nament last weekend at Ooredoo’s headquarters in Kuwait City.Gaming enthusiasts competed in Kuwait’s ultimate competitionfor gamers in high octane battles in Fortnite, Mario Kart 8 andForza. Valuable prizes were awarded to the top 3 winners.

Mohamad Eid Zakaria won the first place and was awardedwith a KD 600 voucher from Blink, and one year membershipin the ProPing service powered by FASTtelco; MohamadMajed Al-Zoghbi won the second place and was awarded witha KD 400 voucher from Blink, and a six month membership inthe ProPing service powered by FASTtelco; and Mohamad Aliwon the third place and was awarded with a KD 200 voucherfrom Blink, and a three month membership in the ProPingservice powered by FASTtelco. In addition to the tournament,FASTtelco, a subsidiary of Ooredoo Kuwait launched its newservice from Shamel Home, prices for ProPing; which is a tai-lor-made service for gaming enthusiasts that start at KD 22per month.

ProPing has been tailor-made for gaming enthusiasts, who

need fast, reliable, and consistent internet service, with speedsreaching 100 mbps, providing an unparalleled gaming experi-ence. Customers will be able to add more service in addition torouters with competitive prices. Commenting on the Ooredooand Blink Gaming Tournament, Nouf Al-Meshaan, Director ofMarketing at Ooredoo Kuwait said, “Ooredoo continues to proveits commitment to embrace digitalization and leads the way inmeeting the growing demands for online digital services inKuwait, especially in the fast-paced telecom industry where cus-tomers need reliable, consistent, and fast internet. This is espe-cially crucial nowadays when digital entertainment content iswitnessing substantial growth in the region due to the risingpopularity of smart devices, as well as the increase in gamingand streaming.”

Al-Meshaan added that this new service perfectly comple-ments the company’s core values of caring, connecting and chal-lenging, while also upholding its commitment to providing cus-tomers with services and plans that match their expectations andlifestyle at home. Ooredoo also provided exclusive packagesfrom both FASTtelco and Blink which include comprehensiveand exclusive gaming solutions that cater to the needs of differ-ent tiers of gamers at competitive prices which will beannounced today and for a limited time only.

Gaming enthusiasts participate in Ooredoo, Blink Gaming tournament

H e a l t h Tuesday, April 30, 2019

16

PARIS: The Chinese giant salamander, thelargest amphibian in the world, is not cute.Weighing as much as an adult human, it hasslimy brown skin, a giant mouth curled to agormless grin, and puny, mistrustful eyes. It isalso one of the world’s most endangeredspecies. And yet, unlike its compatriot the giantpanda, the giant salamander rarely makes thenews. Why do some animals strike a chord withhumans, prompting them to donate millionstowards their conservation, while others drawlittle more than disgust?

And is a sad-eyed panda really worth savingmore than a slimy salamander? Size, intelli-gence, behavior, rarity, how closely an animalresembles the human form-all play a part in ourreaction to various endangered creatures. “Oneof the biggest factors is ‘cuteness’: physicalcharacteristics such as big eyes and soft fea-tures that elicit our parental instincts becausethey remind us of human infants,” Hal Herzog,emeritus professor at West Carolina University’sDepartment of Psychology, told AFP.

An expert in human-animal relationships,

Herzog said the dark rings around pandas’ eyestriggered humans nurturing instincts. “Comparethat to the Chinese giant salamander,” he said.“Google it. It looks like a six-foot-long, 150-pound bag of brown slime with beady littleeyes.” The salamanders are a vital part of theirecosystem, just as worms are essential to soilhealth around the steams and lakes they live in-which is just about everywhere. Yet, like mag-gots, rats and snakes, the main instinct theyinspire in humans is revulsion.

Learned disgust According to Graham Davey, a specialist in

phobias from the University of Sussex’s Schoolof Psychology, we learn to revile certain crea-tures at a young age. “Disgust is a learned emo-tion. Babies are not born with it... it’s probablytransmitted socially, culturally and within fami-lies,” he said. Some animals are reviled due totheir resemblance to “primary disgusting things”such as mucus or faeces, Davey said, while oth-ers are perceived-rightly or wrongly-to pose adirect danger to the beholder.

“In terms of threat to humankind, disease andillness are bigger than being attacked by an ani-mal,” he said. This might explain why most of usdon’t find lions and bears repellant-they arecovered with the same type of soft fur that coatcuddly toys for children, even if it might be bet-ter to avoid one in real life.

An orca by any other name As with most things, popular culture has a huge

effect on how society perceives animals. Whereasthe movie “Free Willy” prompted a wave of sym-pathy for the protection of endangered orcas,“Arachnophobia” hardly helped spiders’ cause.See also: “Jaws” for sharks. Even the depiction offictional creatures can have a knock-on effect onpublic perception towards certain animals. Takethe main being in “Alien”, for example. “Seeing theone from the first film that had that mucus-ydrawl dripping from the alien’s mouth... sensi-tizes people to disgusting things,” Davey said.Nor is it just the public at large who are liable to“speciesism”, or discrimination against otherspecies in favor of our own. —AFP

Cute or creepy: Why humans love some species, loathe others

Physical characteristics elicit parental instincts

FRANCE: In this file photo female panda Huan Huan eats bamboo inside her enclo-sure at the Beauval Zoo in Saint-Aignan-sur-Cher, central France. — AFP

Tuesday, April 30, 2019

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CROSSWORD 2196

ACROSS1. Goddess of the dead and queen of the

underworld.4. Lean dried meat pounded fine and

mixed with melted fat.12. (computer science) A computer that is

running software that allows users toleave messages and access informa-tion of general interest.

15. A unit of surface area equal to 100square meters.

16. A salt or ester of propenoic acid.17. Made warm or hot.18. English theoretical physicist who

applied relativity theory to quantummechanics and predicted the existenceof antimatter and the positron (1902-1984).

20. Any cone-shaped artifact.22. A radioactive element of the actinide

series.23. 100 thebe equal 1 pula.25. A silvery ductile metallic element found

primarily in bauxite.26. A city in northern India.27. Club consisting of a heavy stick (often

bamboo) bound with iron.29. The space between two lines or planes

that intersect.31. Any of numerous local fertility and

nature deities worshipped by ancientSemitic peoples.

32. An associate degree in applied science.33. An implement used to propel or steer a

boat.34. The compass point that is one point

east of due south.35. The Oceanic language spoken by the

Maori people in New Zealand.37. Cattle that are reared for their meat.39. Narrow wood or metal or plastic run-

ners used for gliding over snow.43. American prizefighter who won the

world heavyweight championshipthree times (born in 1942).

44. A white metallic element that burnswith a brilliant light.

45. English writer and a central member ofthe Fabian Society (1858-1943).

48. A constellation in the southern hemi-sphere near Telescopium and Norma.

49. One of two pieces of armor platehanging from the fauld to protect theupper thighs.

52. The Tibeto-Burman language spokenin the Dali region of Yunnan.

54. 1 species.56. The capital and largest city of Jordan.57. A city in east central Texas.59. A town and port in northwestern Israel

in the eastern Mediterranean.60. (Greek mythology) A maiden seduced

by Zeus.61. By chance.64. Of heavy boots.67. (Babylonian) God of storms and wind.68. Deciduous South African tree having

large odd-pinnate leaves and profusefragrant orange-yellow flowers.

71. (Phoenician and Philistine) God of agri-culture and the earth.

75. An ester of adenosine that is convertedto ATP for energy storage.

76. United States writer of hard-boileddetective fiction (1894-1961).

80. Plant with an elongated head of broadstalked leaves resembling celery.

81. Japanese ornamental tree with fragrantwhite or pink blossoms and small yel-low fruits.

82. (of time) Having passed or slipped by.83. A condition requiring relief.84. A river in north central Switzerland that

runs northeast into the Rhine.85. French architect who introduced the

mansard roof (1598-1666).86. Type genus of the Alcidae comprising

solely the razorbill.

DOWN1. Relating to the deepest parts of the

ocean (below 6000 meters).2. Any plant of the genus Erica.3. (Irish) The sea personified.4. An ancient board game resembling

backgammon.5. An international organization of

European countries formed afterWorld War II to reduce trade barriersand increase cooperation among itsmembers.

6. A form of address for a man.7. An ancient city is southern Greece.8. The United Nations agency concerned

with the interests of labor.9. (astronomy) An indistinct surface fea-

ture of Mars once thought to be a sys-tem of channels.

10. Spider monkeys.11. A colorless odorless gaseous element

that give a red glow in a vacuum tube.12. God of wealth and love.13. United States baseball player (born

1925).14. An advantageous purchase.19. Essential oil or perfume obtained from

flowers.21. Wasting of the body during a chronic

disease.24. African tree having an exceedingly

thick trunk and fruit that resembles agourd and has an edible pulp calledmonkey bread.

28. Chinese Taoist sect claiming to followthe teaching of Lao-tzu but also incor-porating pantheism and sorcery.

30. A genus of tropical and subtropicalOld World climbers or shrubs or trees.

36. The mission in San Antonio where in1836 Mexican forces under SantaAnna besieged and massacredAmerican rebels who were fighting tomake Texas independent of Mexico.

38. A heavy ductile magnetic metallic ele-ment.

40. The Mongol people living the the cen-tral and eastern parts of OuterMongolia.

41. Of or relating to Iraq or its people orculture.

42. American dwarf fan palms.46. The fluid (red in vertebrates) that is

pumped by the heart.47. A soft silvery metallic element of the

alkali earth group.50. Silkworm moths.51. Eruption on a mucous membrane (as

the inside of the mouth) occurring as asymptom of a disease.

53. Inspired by a feeling of fearful wonder-ment or reverence.

55. Large and brightly colored handker-chief.

58. Reed pipe with finger holes on whichthe melody is played.

62. A soft silvery metallic element.63. A salesman who travels to call on cus-

tomers.65. Having undesirable or negative quali-

ties.66. Anthropologist and linguist.69. The content of cognition.70. Flat tableland with steep edges.72. A Gaelic-speaking Celt in Ireland or

Scotland or the Isle of Man.73. An organization of countries formed in

1961 to agree on a common policy forthe sale of petroleum.

74. A quantity of no importance.77. A flat wing-shaped process or winglike

part of an organism.78. A widely distributed system of free and

fixed macrophages derived from bonemarrow.

79. (astronomy) A measure of time definedby Earth's orbital motion.

Yesterday’s SolutionDaily Sudoku

Wordsearch Puzzle Yesterday’s Solution

Tuesday, April 30, 2019

18S t a r s

Established 1961

Yesterday’s Solution

You find yourself trying to break out of old patterns today. Anythingnew and different catches your eye and at least makes you take a second look.Work mates find you talkative and open to suggestions. They like listening to younow because you come up with good ideas. Stay away from shopping today.Spending money isn’t your best option now. You may find that you buy withoutthinking. Get out in the yard and do something you like this hopefully nice Spring,Aries. Try to take it just a little easier although your mind is running ninety-to-nothing and you feel you can’t get it all done.

Aries (March 21-April 19)

STAR TRACK

Be careful you don’t have a run in with police officers in the form of a traf-fic ticket or some other infraction. You want this to be a great day not one that ismarred with having to visit a judge. You want education but not in this manner, Taurus.You’re thinking of redecorating your home now but may not be ready to buy the paintyet. This is the start of a new life’s cycle for you. It’ll be more hectic later. Take sometime to enjoy and celebrate this day now.

Taurus (April 20-May 20)

Work hard and work smart now. This is a time of mental and physicalenergy just when you’re getting the best ideas for new projects. You want to helpothers on a larger than life basis which might take you into charity work or somethingthat impacts people on a larger, more humane scale. Along with the thoughts abouthow to help others, you find yourself more aware of your needs as well. Love is a big-gie. Romance is too. Love making is a need that you should participate in later tonightwith that right person. Philanthropy is in your heart and should be in your job as well.

Cancer (June 21-July 22)

Leo (July 23-August 22)

Right now you’re realizing why you’ve had more than the usual disagree-ment this month. Even that isn’t a distraction from what you’re considering now.People seem to watch your every move at work. You feel like a bug under a micro-scope but it’s not a bother at this time. That’s because you’ve finally figured out, you’reworth their time. If they weren’t watching what you’re doing, then there’d be no argu-ment. You’re someone worth watching, Virgo. You go! Take some time to yourself afterthis revelation and enjoy.

Virgo (August 23-September 22)

You need to be respected and you have a need for others to like what youdo no matter the project. This is understandable at work because your boss has to likeyour work but this isn’t a necessity elsewhere. Others don’t live your life for you. Theones that count will give you the accolades you crave because they love you andprobably have the same standards you possess. They’re heaping praise on you is wor-thy, Libra. Others don’t matter. Pat yourself on the back because you’re the one thatmatters most and keep on, keeping on.

Libra (September 23-October 22)

Get your work done as quickly and silently as you can and get home. It’stime to reassess your living situation. Solitude is your best friend right now. It providesyou with the ability to look your work situation over as well as any life experience tosee how to best use it to make your life better. While doing so you can assist others aswell. Unusual ideas come which involve helping those who can’t help themselves or onthe technology front. Scorpio, you’re making huge strides for helping humanity now.

Scorpio (October 23-November 21)

You go from spiritual, thoughtful research yesterday, to wanting what ittakes to create a materialistic environment for you today. You don’t mind

working hard and you don’t appreciate any kind of tomfoolery when it comes to mak-ing money now. On the other hand, it’s a great time to be working with others andworking period, Sagittarius. You like being able to see what you invent come tofruition right before your eyes and making money from it is even better. Others let youknow how much they appreciate you. This feels good to you.

Sagittarius (November 22-December 21)

Capricorn (December 22-January 19)

Feeling emotional over events that’s happened is not in your mindsetthough the reasons for it are showing up more today. You’re not in the mood. Youdon’t want to have to forgive anyone, especially not yourself. So, you push it to theback of your mind like Scarlett Ohara in “Gone with the Wind.” You’ll take care of ittomorrow, you think, Pisces. Others haven’t realized you’re in this mode and seekyou out for the counseling on their lives they generally get from you. If only theyknew how you felt deep down in your soul now.

Pisces (February 19-March 20)

You could spend this day giving advice to those in need. It’s not that youmind doing so. It’s just that you have work to do also. Your managerial expertise isbeing noticed today by others at work. You’re persuasive and draw co workersthoughts to you now, Aquarius. Your ideas and words create a nicer work place andgive workers the need to make you like their work. This is a good quality to have. Tellthem what they’re doing for you and the company. It’ll promote more good will andwillingness to follow your lead. You can use this same tactic at home when you need tobe noticed.

Aquarius (January 20- February 18)

You’ll find yourself more assertive today. Perhaps it’s because you meetsomeone who sets the hairs on the back of your neck on end. This person won’t seemto have any redeeming qualities and you don’t feel like giving him or her a secondchance. Thankfully, this isn’t around chosen friends but it’s almost as bad because it’s atwork. Keep your cool. Be cordial and try not to show your disgust. You have energyand drive with just the right amount of being able to channel that drive without makingpeople think you’re too pushy. Leo, you know what you want and how to get it.

Friends and family are known and seen as the only real riches available toman, as thought by you. But, and this is a big but, you realize in your mind that moneyand material success of most kinds can help you with showing love to others. Besidesthat, you love pitting yourself against something hard in order to see how smart youreally are, Capricorn. That is measured by your success in financial matters. Othersknow how intelligent you are. You don’t mind sharing the wealth if you make it with thehelp of those for whom you care. That’s where you are today Ambition is in full forceright now along with a true need for those you help to realize and give you the respectyou deserve. A word of warning is that children rarely do.

You’re at your mental best as you already know. Mental acuity has youdiscerning what you need to keep and what you need to toss giving you a better pic-ture of life in general. Work benefits by this knowledge you’ve gained. Keep yourhead down and keep busy working. Take time off later this evening to enjoy. Goahead with your ideas of getting yourself into better shape physically. You know yourmental faculties are fine. Add more and better foods to your diet. Get some air andwalk for exercise and thinking. Take a walk too with your lover for a romantic eveningas well.

Gemini (May 21-June 20)

TUESDAY, APRIL 30, 2019

Established 1961

Lifestyle

This picture shows people enjoying their visit at the team lab borderless museum of Tokyo. Collective teamLab, known internationally for their innovative “digital art” that combines projections, sound and carefully designed spaces to createimmersive experiences. — AFP

Buena Vista SocialClub’s Portuondo blows final roundof kisses

As revolutions go, the emergence ofCuban music collective Buena VistaSocial Club was certainly a peaceful

one-but it sent cultural shockwaves stillvibrating today. It is more than 20 yearssince the ensemble of mostly elderly musi-cians burst onto the scene in the mid-1990s, going on to win a Grammy and sellmillions of albums globally. But one of itslast original living legends, 88-year-oldsinger Omara Portuondo, is still on theroad-enchanting audiences worldwide withher lush vocals.

“I feel very honored to be able to takeour culture, our music, to the entire world,”she told AFP in Spanish prior to the NewYork date of her “Last Kiss/Ultimo Beso”world tour, cast as her final global hurrah.“The Cuban music, the essence of beingCuban, the way we make our music andhow people receive it with so much fervor... we have to travel the world,” said theoctogenarian, whose skin remains smoothand luminous against her crimson paintedlips. Gracing the stage to wild applause at acandlelit Manhattan cabaret-style club,Portuondo played a set of Cuban classicsmarked by pulsating Afro-Caribbeanrhythms and warm, sensuous melodies,including the beloved “Guantanamera.”

Power of music The Buena Vista ensemble’s principal

musicians came from Cuba’s pre-revolu-tionary musical old guard-coaxed out ofretirement by Cuban star Juan de MarcosGonzalez, the World Circuit’s Nick Goldand American guitarist Ry Cooder. Namedafter a Havana members’ only venue, theBuena Vista Social Club became a globalhousehold name after putting out the even-tual best-selling Cuban album of all time.

The 1997 eponymous work, recorded injust six days, exported a colorful portrait ofCuba infused with lust and sizzle-in sharpcontrast to the dreary image of FidelCastro’s communist nation crafted by thecapitalist West. Shrugging off questionsover US-Cuba tensions-which thawed inrecent years, only to frost over again underUS President Donald Trump-Portuondoremains defiant: “Nothing can stop music.”

‘Paints with music’ It appears nothing can stop the Cuban

diva, either. Donning a long white gownwith a sheer red floral overlay, she shim-mied in her seat as she brought her audi-ence in New York to its feet. Asked howshe’s managed to keep performing decadesafter most hunker down for their twilight

years, Portuondo raised her eyebrows atthe suggestion she might be consideredold. “I feel like I’m 15!” she laughed, sayingthat her fountain of youth is simply beingborn in Cuba.

“We are hot, we love rhythm, joy, life,”she said of her brethren. That sensibility,she added, has ensured the staying powerof the Buena Vista Social Club-whose storyhas been immortalized in several documen-taries including one by the acclaimedGerman director Wim Wenders. Sporting ashiny red bow in her hair and gold hoopearrings, Portuondo’s steamy voiceremained clear as ever, accompanied by thekeys of another Cuban star, pianist RobertoFonseca.

In his youth Fonseca attended a concertof the legend-who has worked the likes ofEdith Piaf, Nat King Cole, Herbie Hancockand Chucho Valdes-and approached herafterwards to share his aspiration to playwith her. Today, the pair share a flirty butfamilial relationship with chemistry as pal-pable offstage as on. “Now my dream hascome true,” 44-year-old Fonseca told AFP.“Playing with her, I’m learning a lot ofthings,” he said, adding Portuondo “paintswith music.” “It gives you a lot of knowl-edge about music; gives you a lot of knowl-edge about your own culture.”

Ever-young The Buena Vista Social Club performed

its farewell “Adios” tour several years agounder the name “Orquesta Buena VistaSocial Club,” given the dwindling numbersof veteran performers and an infusion ofyoung talent. But even if her “Last Kiss”tour truly is her ultimate, Portuondoappears set to keep performing until theend, even if only in her beloved Cuba-stillher favorite spot to play.

“Hello babies!” she crooned to cheersto kick off her Manhattan concert. WhenFonseca, who plays beside her and turnsher pages, told the crowd halfwaythrough Portuondo’s set the singer wouldtake a break, she gave off airs of sur-prise. As he led her offstage the enrap-tured audience whistled in delight, theanimated Portuondo continuing to clapto the beat of conga drums, her hips nev-er ceasing to sway. — AFP

In a slick Moscow loft, dozens of graphicdesigners peer at computers, compiling thelatest scenes of “Fantasy Patrol”, a cartoon

produced by Russia’s Parovoz animation studio.With its Netflix contracts, state-owned Parovoz-which means locomotive in Russian-is at theforefront of a resurgence of the country’s anima-tion industry. But, for some observers, the revivalcomes at the expense of a tradition for innova-tion dating back to the Soviet-era heyday.Russian authorities have invested heavily in theanimation sector in recent years, after it, likeothers, was left in ruins following the breakup ofthe Soviet Union in 1991.

Parovoz is part of a state media holding andhas grown from around 20 to 300 employees.Its animated series are shown in 55 countries.Chief executive Anton Smetankin, who co-launched the studio in 2014, said it had “a prod-uct for every market”. Last year, two Parovozproductions were bought by the US-basedstreaming service Netflix-one of them, “Leo andTig”, is about the adventures of a tiger and leop-ard in Siberia. “We have taken the best from theRussian school (of animation),” said artisticdirector Yevgeny Golovin. “All of our films arefull of kindness and can be watched by childrenof all ages.” The studio also signed two con-tracts with China and had several of its projectsdubbed and adapted for the Chinese market.Today they are shown on four of China’s topstreaming channels whose total users are esti-mated to number 1.5 billion a month.

From the ashes Soviet animators won global repute for their

creativity but the sector has seen mixed for-tunes since then. Soyuzmultfi lm, a studiolaunched in the 1930s which made many of theSoviet Union’s animated greats, faced fundingproblems in the 1990s and lost control of itsback catalogue.

In 2011, then prime minister Vladimir Putinstepped in to try to restore the Russian anima-tion industry to its former glory. By the early2000s, Soyuzmultfilm had been reorganized and

was again a state company. The governmentreturned the distribution rights for its classicsback to the studio and invested about $14 millionover five years.

‘Masha and the Bear’ effect But it is a cartoon series produced by a pri-

vate Russian studio, Animaccord, that hasproven a big international commercial hit. Since2009, “Masha and the Bear” about a mischie-vous little girl and an amicable, retired circusbear has been viewed dozens of billions of timeson YouTube alone, as well as been broadcast in100 countries, and has inspired several spin-offs.“Our theme, which revolves around the relation-ship of a child and an adult, is universal,”Animaccord CEO Vladimir Gorbulya told AFP.

“There is a good amount of humor and thingsto reflect upon for viewers of both age cate-gories.” Encouraged by the global success ofthe computer-animated duo, the Russian gov-ernment has continued to boost support for theindustry, announcing massive subsidies and, in

2017, tax reductions. “There is a desire to makesure our children look at animated films with ournational cultural codes, our mentality, our lan-guage and culture,” said Irina Mastusova, whoheads the Russian animation association. Shenoted that the Russian animation sector was stillrelatively up-and-coming, with around 3,000employees.

Commercial ‘propaganda’ ? The government attention is in line with

Moscow’s increasing efforts to inject conserva-tive, patriotic values avowed by the Kremlin intothe cultural sphere. Smetankin, of the Parovozstudio, conceded that animation was part ofRussia’s drive for “soft power” abroad, a form ofcultural diplomacy to explain Moscow’s view ofthe world, especially at a time of tensions withthe West. In November, Britain’s The Timesnewspaper cited experts in a report who called“Masha and the Bear” a form of “propaganda”,saying that “feisty but plucky” Masha “punchesabove her weight” while the bear’s sanguinecharacter painted Russia in a positive light.

The studio rejected the depiction, pointingout that the cartoon was made without govern-ment funding. Larisa Malyukova, a culturereporter for the independent Novaya Gazetanewspaper, said that government support pri-oritized commercial success, rather than inno-vative and poetic projects of the kind thatmade Soviet animators famous. “The cultureministry pays less and less attention to originalanimation,” she said.

“This worries artists, since this is what, atleast in Russia, is a laboratory that creates newtalent.” Joel Chapron, a Russian film expert forthe Cannes Festival for two decades, agreed thatRussia’s animation was changing. “Before, thelegacy of animation in Russia was associatedwith prodigies and big names. Today, nobodyknows who the authors are.” — AFP

Cuban singer Omara Portuondo speaksduring an interview with AFP in New YorkCity. — AFP

Revamped Russian animationgoes for global audiences

State-owned Parovoz animation studio CEOAnton Smetankin poses in Moscow in the stu-dio which, with its Netflix contracts, is at theforefront of a resurgence of the country’s ani-mation industry. — AFP photos

Employees work at the state-owned Parovoz animation studio in Moscow.

L i f e s t y l e Tuesday, April 30, 2019

20 Established 1961

G o s s i p

icole Scherzinger is on a “mission” to make more music this year. Thepop beauty - who is best known for being the lead singer of ThePussycat Dolls - is desperate to release some fresh songs in 2019 andshow the world what a serious artist she is. Speaking to online publi-

cation #Legend Magazine, she said: “I wish they were more educated on my tal-ents. The best way that I love to communicate is through song so I’m making it amission to get more music to create more this year and share with my fans.” Theformer ‘X Former’ judge hasn’t released a single under her own moniker since2014’s ‘Bang’ but in 2018 she did feature on The Black Eyed Peas single ‘Wings’. Inthe interview, Nicole also described that her perfect day would involve her “medi-

tating” and participating in “high-intensity workout” sessions. She said: “I think Iwould have to start my day meditating, praying and getting a sweat on whetherit’s a run, whether it’s hot yoga or doing some high-intensity workout.” Nicole, 40,also revealed that to wind down, she would throw in a trip to the beach so shecould walk in the sand and go for a “candlelight, beautiful” dinner somewhere. Shesaid: “I love the beach. I love anywhere near the water so if I could be sun kissedwalking in the sand, playing in the ocean I would love that. “And then I don’tknow a candlelight beautiful dinner somewhere.”

Scherzinger is on a ‘mission’to make new music this year N

Osbourne announcesrescheduled ‘No

More Tours 2’ dateszzy Osbourne has announced his rescheduled‘No More Tours 2’ dates. The ‘Paranoid’ hitmak-er was forced to postpone all of his shows afterbattling an infection in his hand, a lengthy war

with pneumonia, and most recently having fallen in hishome and “dislodged metal rods” in his body from a previ-ous injury. However, after a recent health update from hisson Jack Osbourne - who quipped that the 70-year-oldrocker is “back to being his cynical old self” - the formerBlack Sabbath star has confirmed a six-week run, kickingoff at Nottingham’s Motorpoint Arena on January 31,2020, and wrapping in Zurich on March 16, 2020. He said:“I’m really looking forward to getting back to Europe forthese shows. Thank you to all the fans for sticking with meand waiting for the new dates to be announced. I can’twait to see you all next year.” The tour, to replace theshows originally scheduled for earlier this year, alsoinclude dates in Dublin, Ireland, Manchester, Newcastle,The O2 in London, Glasgow and a hometown gig inBirmingham. The ‘War Pigs’ singer will then head toGermany, Finland, Sweden, Austria, Czech Republic, Italy,and Switzerland. The latest rescheduled dates come afterOzzy - who is married to Sharon Osbourne - confirmedhis North American dates, which will kick off in February2020. Asked how is dad is doing, Jack said recently: “He’sdoing good, yeah. He’s back to being his cynical old self.It’s always a good sign when he’s complaining about mun-dane things, you know he’s good. He’s back to normalwhen everything on TV sucks, and when everything in thehouse is broken. You know, he’s in a good spot.” Ticketsremain valid for all rescheduled tour dates, with theexception of the now cancelled Barcelona and Frankfurtshows, with refunds for the latter two shows available atthe point of purchase.

O

Marina has no ego now

op star Marina says she has “lost” herego now. The 33-year-old singer has justreleased her new album ‘Love + Fear’,which is her first studio effort since

2015’s ‘Froot’ and the first record released under hernew singular Marina moniker as her previous threerecords were credited to Marina and the Diamonds.As well as dropping her old stage name, Marina -whose real name is Marina Diamandis - hasdropped her ego about her music, even though herattitude shift worried her at first. In an interviewwith Gay Times magazine, she said: “A lot of mymotives were coming from a place of ego asopposed to creativity or love, but then I lost thatfeeling and it worried me because I thought allartists have big egos, or at least really good ones do.I thought, if I don’t have that feeling anymore,maybe it means I’m not a good artist and I shouldjust stop.” ‘Love + Fear’ - which features the song‘Baby’, her collaboration with her boyfriend JackPatterson’s band Clean Bandit - is split into twoeight-song collections, with each collection explor-ing psychologist Elisabeth Kubler-Ross’ theory thathumans are only capable of experiencing those twoemotions. Marina has also toned down her “stylized”image now she is older and more comfortable inherself. She said: “A shift took place and it just feltlike that identity had taken over, everything stoppedfeeling fun. I just didn’t feel comfortable any morewith this very stylised persona that I was buildingwith my imagery.” The ‘Primadonna’ hitmaker alsoopened up about her attitude to online trolls, andclaims many men want to hurl abuse at strongwomen because they want to “silence” them. Shesaid: “When a woman uses her voice in public orspeaks up, men send abuse to that female figure.What matter is you’re saying something, and theybasically want to silence you.”

Paylor Swift went to “cat school” for her role inthe upcoming ‘Cats’ film. The 29-year-oldsinger will play the flirty feline Bombalurina inthe live-action adaptation of Andrew Lloyd

Webber’s iconic stage musical, which also stars the likes ofIdris Elba James Corden, Rebel Wilson and Dame JudiDench. And the 2019 TIME 100 honoree has revealed thatshe knew she had to portray her character in the much-anticipated movie because she is “obsessed” with ownfeline friends and she has spilled that she even went to akitty class on set, which taught her how to act like a felineas much as she “possibly could”. She told TIME’s ‘ThreeThings That Have Influenced Me’ series: “I have Cats, I’mobsessed with them. They’re just a real joy to live with.And I love my cats so much that when a role came up in amovie called ‘Cats’, I just thought like I’ve gotta do this.Like this is my calling in life, to do this for the ladies. “Andso I went to cat school which they have on set, readilyavailable for us and learned how to be as much like a catas I possibly could and yeah cats are just really cool.” The‘ME’ hitmaker - who has pet pussies Olivia Benson,Meredith Grey and Benjamin Button of her own - alsoreally “respects” her animals because they’re “capable ofdealing with their own life”. She added: “They’re reallygreat. They’re very dignified. They’re very independent.They’re very capable of dealing with their own life. And ifyou fit into that on that day, they’ll make some time foryou. Maybe. I just really respect it.”

Swift went to‘cat school’ for film role

ily Collins worked with a “dialect coach” to prepare forher role in ‘Tolkien’. The 30-year-old actress - who livesin Los Angeles - plays Edith Bratt in the much-anticipat-ed biographical drama about English writer-and-acade-

mic J. R. R. Tolkien, famous for penning ‘The Hobbit’ and ‘The Lordof the Rings’. Lily - whose father is English musician Phil Collins,whilst her mother is his ex-wife, American Jill Tavelman - had towork on losing her Californian accent for her upcoming role becauseshe wanted her voice to be “absolutely spot-on” and felt an “extralevel of pressure” to get the voice of Tolkien’s lover and later wifecorrect. In an interview with The Observer newspaper, Lily - whowas born in England - said: “She [my character] was very creativeand very passionate and driven, and he was intellectually stimulatedby her. At that time women of her status and in her position weren’treally afforded the opportunity to seek higher. But she encouragedhim to continue on his path. It’s very selfless, and, at times, heart-breaking. “I did worry that people were going to be like, ‘Well, she isactually British, her accent should really be better. There’s an extralevel of pressure. I worked with a dialect coach as I needed it to beabsolutely spot-on.” Lily accepts that many people think she hasonly made it as an actress because of her Genesis star dad Phil, sheinsists her success has come from her own hard work because shewanted to “carve” her own “path” because it would make the endresult “so much more worth it”. She added: “I’m so proud of my fam-ily, but I have also worked really hard to carve my own path and tonot have that define me. “I did get told that I could have other waysin but I never wanted to give anyone the opportunity to say, ‘Well,she only got X or Y because of that.’ I knew it would take longer todo it on my own, but it would be so much more worth it.” Lily alsostars in the film alongside Nicholas Hoult - who plays Tolkien - ColmMeaney, Derek Jacobi and Anthony Boyle.

Collins worked with ‘dialect coach’ for Tolkien

L

Colin Farrelljoins sci-fi film

Voyagersolin Farrell has joined the cast of new sci-fi film ‘Voyagers’. The 42-year-old actorhas been announced for Neil Burger’s lat-est project along with Tye Sheridan, Lily-

Rose Depp - the daughter of Johnny Depp andVanessa Paradis - and Fionn Whitehead. Accordingto reports, talks are also ongoing with ‘Game ofThrones’ star Isaac Hempstead Wright, ChanteAdams, Kelvin Harrison Jr and Madison Hu. The newmovie tells the story of 30 youngsters who are senton a mission as part of a multi-generational missionto populate a new planet. However, things go awryafter the captain is mysteriously killed and the youngcrew are left alone leading to the young crew toform separate tribes and regressing to primalinstincts of survival. The story seemingly has similar-ities to William Golding’s literary classic ‘Lord of theFlies. The novel - which was released in 1954 andhas been adapted into a film on three occasions -tells the story of class of British school children whoare left stranded on an uninhabited tropical islandand must survive without the help of any adults.AGC Studios and Thunder Road are developing theproject which will start filming in Romania in earlyJune.

Jonas Brothers leadfirst wave of artists

confirmed for Capital’sSummertime Ball

he Jonas Brothers will play their first UK showin almost a decade at Capital’s SummertimeBall. The pop trio - comprised of brothersKevin, Nick and Joe Jonas - will perform at the

annual one-day music extravaganza at Wembley Stadiumon June 8, a day after the release of their eagerly-awaitednew album ‘Happiness Begins’. The siblings - who last per-formed in the British capital on their world tour in 2009 -made their huge comeback with the single ‘Sucker’ inMarch and they followed the instant hit up with recentalbum track ‘Cool’. The announcement was made on the‘Capital Breakfast show with Roman Kemp’ yesterday,where it was also confirmed that Mark Ronson, Halsey,Ellie Goulding, 5 Seconds of Summer and Khalid are play-ing the event. More artists will be confirmed today onRoman’s early morning show on UK radio station CapitalFM. Several billboards were placed around the UK teasingthe news, with a ‘Ball Board’ texted in to the show to helpRoman Kemp, Vick Hope and Sonny Jay unveil the star-studded bill live on air. Ashley Tabor OBE, Founder &Executive President of Global, said: “Today we kicked offour massive reveal week on the brand-new nationalCapital Breakfast show, by announcing some of the world’sbiggest artists for Capital’s Summertime Ball. “We’rethrilled that listeners could take part in the reveal by find-ing our ‘ball boards’ around the UK with the names of theperformers on them, lots of fun! “We’re only just gettingstarted and we can’t wait to reveal yet more huge acts forthe UK’s hottest summer party on Capital Breakfast withRoman Kemp tomorrow morning!” The likes of ShawnMendes, Camila Cabello, Charlie Puth and Rita Ora playedthe Summertime Ball in 2018. Listeners are advised to tunein to ‘Capital Breakfast’ from 6am to find out who else ison the bill. They can also follow @CapitalOfficial and#CapitalSTB on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram andSnapchat for the latest news. — Bang Showbiz

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Tuesday, April 30, 2019L i f e s t y l e Fe a t u r e s

Established 1961 T

21

Bollywood actors Amitabh Bachchan (right), wife Jaya and daughter-in-law AishwaryaRai Bachchan (left) pose for a picture after casting their vote at a polling station duringthe fourth phase of general election in Mumbai yesterday. — AFP photos

Indian Bollywood actor Aamir Khan (right) along with his wife and film director Kiran Rao. Indian Bollywood actor Prem Chopra.

Billionaires and Bollywood stars urged Indians to goout and vote as they took their turn with Mumbai’smillions of slum dwellers yesterday to cast ballots

in the world’s biggest election. India’s film and financecapital took center stage in the fourth of seven rounds ofthe mammoth democratic exercise due to wrap up onMay 19 with results expected four days later. At least40,000 police and security personnel were deployedacross the megacity of 20 million people while workerswere given a holiday to vote for Mumbai’s six lawmak-ers. Twenty-six of the 10,000 polling stations werestaffed by women only.

Media scrums were set up at the stations whereIndia’s richest man, Mukesh Ambani, Bollywood super-stars including Amitabh Bachchan and Aamir Khan, aswell as Indian cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar voted. “It’sa very proud and happy day for all of us today. Happyvoting day everyone,” Bollywood superstar Aamir Khansaid alongside his director wife Kiran Rao at a school inthe plush Bandra area. “This is the moment that matters....Every vote is a voice that counts,” tweeted PriyankaChopra Jonas, husband of US star Nick Jonas, alongsidea selfie of herself showing indelible ink on her finger nail.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya JanataParty (BJP) and their partners Shiv Sena, a Hindu chau-vinist party, together won all of Mumbai’s seats at the lastelections in 2014. They also won all but a handful of seatsin Maharashtra state, of which Mumbai is the capital.Now former MP Priya Dutt, a member of one of India’smost famous acting families, is trying to make a come-back for the opposition Congress party in the city.Actress Urmila Matondkar is also running for Congress.

Tycoon backs Congress candidate The concerns of the rich and famous-Ambani and his

family live in 27-storey luxury high-rise-were far fromthe ordinary voters in line however. “The most pressingissue for Mumbaikars is unemployment and rising costsof living,” shop trader Jignesh Shah told AFP as hequeued in the suburb of Chembur. “As a middle classfamily it gets really difficult when real estate costs are sohigh and transportation is a mess,” the 56-year-oldadded. About 60 percent of Mumbai’s population live inslums. At the other end of the wealth spectrum, Ambanihas raised eyebrows by backing the opposition Congresscandidate in his Mumbai constituency, although the BJPis not standing in that seat.

Ambani has regularly spoken in support of Modi’s BJPgovernment and the Reliance Industries tycoon’s son,Anant Ambani, attended a recent Modi rally. Yesterday’svoting in nine states will be particularly crucial for Modi’schances of securing a second term after his landslide winin 2014. More than three dozen seats were at stake in

Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan states, alltraditional BJP Hindu strongholds.

Defeats suffered by the ruling party in three recentstate elections have raised Congress hopes that it can eatinto the government’s majority. Modi’s party won 282 ofthe 543 seats contested last time but analysts say thiselection will be closer. Congress has hit out at Modi’shandling of the economy, the failure to produce promisedjobs and massive debt in rural India which has seen thou-sands of farmers commit suicide. The 68-year-old primeminister, still seen as the frontrunner, has increasinglyrelied on his tough security stance and his nationalistcredentials.

At a rally in Mumbai on Friday, Modi said only his BJPgovernment can guarantee safety for the city, the sceneof militant attacks 10 years ago. “Modi is confident thosewho strike with terror on this city will be hunted down.That is how a city and that is how a country is run,” saidthe prime minister who has given himself the nickname of“the watchman”. Heavy security has been deployedacross the country for the election and police baton-charged rival BJP and followers of the regional TrinamoolCongress party in West Bengal state, officials said.

Fighting broke out in the Asansol constituency oversecurity at polling booths, said Amit Jyoti Bhattacharya,a spokesman for the state election commission.Trinamool Congress activists surrounded the car oflocal BJP candidate Babul Supriya and smashed itswindows. “Police used batons to control the situation,”the spokesman added. — AFP

Ateenaged actor who appeared in anaward-winning film about child crimi-nals in Naples has been stabbed in the

Italian organized crime stronghold, mediareported yesterday. Ukranian 18-year oldArtem Tkachuk played one of the gun-wield-ing, drug-peddling teens in “Piranhas”, basedon a novel by renowned investigative journalistand mafia expert Roberto Saviano. Tkachukwas attacked by a so-called “baby gang” in theearly hours after a night out last week with afriend, national dailies said.

The actor was stabbed twice while hisfriend was beaten. Neither suffered life-threat-ening injuries. Police believe the youngster mayhave been set upon because of his role in thefilm, which won the Silver Bear for BestScreenplay at the 69th Berlin film festival inFebruary and is coming to European cinemasthis summer. Italy’s far-right League party isbacking a bill to tackle the baby-gang phe-nomenon, which would lower the age of crimi-nal responsibility in the country from 14 to 12.

According to the National Observatory on

Childhood and Adolescence, 6.5 percent ofyoungsters in Naples-home to the fearedCamorra crime group-belong to baby gangs.Anti-mafia author Saviano has lived underarmed guard since publishing his internationalbestseller “Gomorrah” in 2006. — AFP

Actor from young mobster film stabbed in Naples

In this file photo actor Artem Tkachuk (left)and cast member pose on the red carpet

ahead of the screening for the film ‘Piranhas’(La Paranza dei Bambini) at the 69th

Berlinale film festival in Berlin. — AFP

The rich and famous vote in India’s election

Indian Bollywood actor Ranveer Singh.

Indian Bollywood actress Vidya Balan. Indian Bollywood actress DeepikaPadukone.

Indian Bollywood actorShahrukh Khan (right)

arrives along with his wifeand film producer GauriKhan (left) and their son

AbRam (center).

Indian Bollywood actress and National Congress candi-date for Mumbai north constituency Urmila Matondkar.

Indian Bollywood actor Salman Khan. Indian Bollywood actor and film directorAjay Devgn.

Tuesday, April 30, 2019

Fe a t u r e s

Established 1961 22L i f e s t y l e

A pond full of red-eared sliders at the Live Turtle and Tortoise Museum in Singapore. — AFP photos A snapping turtle in its pen at the Live Turtle and TortoiseMuseum.

Children playing with red-eared sliders at the Live

Turtle and Tortoise Museum.

Red-eared sliders sunbathing at the Live Turtle and Tortoise Museum.A sulcata tortoise roaming around a grass patch in the LiveTurtle and Tortoise Museum.

Israeli singer Netta Barzilai, who won last year’sEurovision song contest, said yesterday that calls toboycott this year’s event in Tel Aviv amount to

“spreading darkness.” Due to Barzilai’s victory last yearin Portugal with her #MeToo-inspired song “Toy”, a per-formance that included clucking sounds and chicken-likedance moves, Israel hosts this year’s competition fromMay 14-18. There have been calls from artists such asPink Floyd’s Roger Waters and British singer Peter

Gabriel to move the competition to another country overIsrael’s treatment of the Palestinians.

Waters has also called on Madonna to abandon plansto perform at Eurovision. While carefully avoiding delv-ing into politics, Barzilai, 26, argued that calls for a boy-cott went against the purpose of the competition. “Beingon the same stage no matter what your religion is-yourethnicity, your color-from all these countries, all thesecultures combined together, this is a festival of light,” she

told foreign journalists in Jerusalem.“For people to boycott light is spreading darkness, is

doing the exact opposite thing, and that’s why I thinkthey might be going against their own beliefs.” Askedwhether she would perform for Palestinians, Barzilai said:“I wasn’t invited, but if my singing could solve problems,I would go.” Barzilai declined to comment on Israel’srecent elections, which saw right-wing Prime MinisterBenjamin Netanyahu win a fifth term. “When I will say

my political opinion, I will bring hearts apart instead ofbringing them together,” she said. Israel has occupied theWest Bank since the 1967 Six-Day War. It has alsofought three wars with Hamas, the Palestinian Islamistmovement that rules the Gaza Strip, since 2008 and hasblockaded the enclave for more than a decade. — AFP

Israeli Eurovision champ says boycott calls spread ‘darkness’

Hundreds of turtles and tortoises, including rare andendangered species, face an uncertain future aftertheir Singapore sanctuary-a Guinness World

Record holder-was forced to relocate due to governmentredevelopment plans. At its peak around 1,000 of thecreatures were housed at The Live Turtle and TortoiseMuseum, which opened in 2001 at popular tourist spotChinese Gardens. It also showcased specimens and mem-orabilia such as figurines and stuffed toys.

While the venture built up a loyal following, there hadbeen criticism online of the conditions the reptiles werekept in. Authorities decided to repurpose the area, andevicted them — leaving owner Connie Tan scrambling tofind and finance a new location. “I gave up quite a lot forthis, and it’s tough. My son’s university education feeshave gone into keeping this place alive,” explains Tan,whose father created the original museum, securing theGuinness World Record for the “largest collection of tor-toise and turtle items”.

She spent Sg$250,000 ($185,000) on the new venuebut was only able to secure a short two-year lease andconceded the venture is running low on funds-a situationthat has raised concerns about the long-term future forthe turtles and tortoises. Tan has battled hard to keep themuseum going, even seeking out help from Prime MinisterLee Hsien Loong on social media when she needed moretime to find a suitable location.

Endangered species During the move, she closed her event management

business to house the turtles and tortoises at her office,leaving her temporarily without an income. Today thereare around 700 turtles at the new site in Yishun, a resi-dential area far from Singapore’s main leisure and

tourism hotspots. The collection of animals has beenamassed by the Tan family for more than 40 years. Manyof the reptiles were pets that were rescued after theowners abandoned them.

“Tortoises may not react to you as much as how dogscan do, but they do have the ability to communicate withyou if you pay attention to them. So, those people who’dlike to buy turtles and tortoises, you must be ready toaccept them for who they are,” she explains. Tan saysthere are around 50 different species including some thatare facing extinction such as the Reeves’ Turtle, which isused in Chinese Traditional Medicine and has been over-hunted in the wild.

It is classed as endangered on the International Unionfor Conservation of Nature’s “Red List of ThreatenedSpecies”. The museum also houses African spurred tor-toises and Indian star tortoises-often taken from the wildfor the exotic pet trade-both are classed by the IUCN as“vulnerable”. Despite the challenges, Tan hopes visitorsupport will ensure her project’s survival. The 48-year-oldsays: “Friends of the museum have been generous withtheir donations, and I’ve started receiving visitors fromplaces as far away as Russia, Poland, and even Israel.” Sheadds: “It does give me hope for the future.” — AFP

A soft-shelled turtle in its enclosure at the Live Turtle andTortoise Museum in Singapore.

Crawling to extinction:Singapore turtle

haven fights for life

Xiao Hei, an Aldabra giant tortoise, in its enclosure at the LiveTurtle and Tortoise Museum.

Live Turtle and Tortoise Museum owner Connie Tan interacting with a sulcata tortoise in themuseum.

A child playing with a sulcata tortoise at theLive Turtle and Tortoise Museum, while othervisitors look on.

This picture taken shows Live Turtle andTortoise Museum owner Connie Tan posingfor a photo in front of a display cabinet oftortoise memorabilia.

Red-eared sliders sunbathing at the Live Turtle and Tortoise Museum.

Directorate General of Civil Aviation Home Page (www.kuwait-airport.com.kw)

DIAL161 FOR AIRPORT INFORMATION

Arrival Flights on Tuesday 30/4/2019Airlines Flt Route TimeJZR 254 Amman 00:05JAI 572 Mumbai 00:15THY 766 ISL 00:30JZR 734 Cairo 00:50THY 772 Istanbul 00:50JZR 722 Alexandria 00:55PGT 858 Istanbul 01:00KAC 102 London 01:20DLH 625 Dammam 01:25RJA 642 Amman 01:35UAE 853 Dubai 01:45THY 764 Istanbul 01:50IGO 1757 Kochi 01:55ETH 620 Addis Ababa 02:15KLM 446 Bahrain 02:30GFA 211 Bahrain 02:30QTR 1086 Doha 02:40OMA 643 Muscat 02:55MSR 612 Cairo 03:05RBG 211 Luxor 03:05KKK 1268 Istanbul 03:05ETD 305 Abu Dhabi 03:05MSR 606 Luxor 03:10QTR 1076 Doha 04:00LMU 5510 Cairo 04:00KAC 414 Bangkok 04:00IGO 1751 Chennai 04:10KAC 418 Manila 04:25KAC 784 Jeddah 04:30JZR 716 Sohag 04:40UAE 873 Dubai 04:55FDB 069 Dubai 05:00KAC 382 Delhi 05:05THY 770 Istanbul 05:10JZR 404 Hyderabad 05:10KAC 1544 Cairo 05:10DHX 170 Bahrain 05:20JZR 112 Doha 05:25KAC 346 Ahmedabad 05:30KAC 332 Trivandrum 05:40JZR 402 Mumbai 06:05KAC 362 Colombo 06:10KAC 284 Dhaka 06:10KAC 302 Mumbai 06:25THY 6376 Istanbul 06:30KAC 678 Dubai 06:55BAW 157 London 07:05KAC 204 Lahore 07:10JZR 708 Luxor 07:15KAC 358 Kochi 07:35KAC 354 Bengaluru 07:35FEG 241 Alexandria 07:40FDB 053 Dubai 07:50KAC 384 Delhi 08:00KAC 304 Mumbai 08:20UAE 855 Dubai 08:35ETD 301 Abu Dhabi 09:05ABY 125 Sharjah 09:05QTR 1070 Doha 09:30IGO 1753 Ahmedabad 09:40IRA 675 Lar 09:40FDB 055 Dubai 09:40JZR 410 Delhi 10:00SVA 512 Riyadh 10:00KAC 624 Doha 10:40GFA 213 Bahrain 10:40JZR 122 Dubai 11:10JZR 116 Doha 11:10QTR 1074 Doha 11:35MEA 404 Beirut 11:55KAC 614 Bahrain 12:25SAW 701 Damascus 12:30JZR 714 Sohag 12:35UAE 871 Dubai 12:50JZR 142 Al Najaf 12:50KAC 742 Dammam 12:50

MSR 610 Cairo 13:10AXB 393 Kozhikode 13:15QTR 1078 Doha 13:35KAC 774 Riyadh 14:00FDB 059 Dubai 14:20KAC 672 Dubai 14:25KAC 286 Dhaka 14:30GFA 221 Bahrain 14:40KAC 618 Doha 14:40SVA 500 Jeddah 14:45KAC 692 Muscat 14:55KNE 529 Jeddah 15:05KAC 788 Jeddah 15:10ETD 303 Abu Dhabi 15:15FEG 441 Asyut 15:25JZR 222 Riyadh 15:30OMA 645 Muscat 15:35KAC 562 Amman 15:35UAE 857 Dubai 15:45JZR 732 Cairo 15:50SYR 341 Damascus 16:00JZR 152 Mashhad 16:00KAC 118 New York 16:05ABY 127 Sharjah 16:05KAC 516 Tehran 16:20JZR 212 Jeddah 16:25KAC 502 Beirut 16:30KAC 542 Cairo 16:30QTR 1072 Doha 16:35FDB 051 Dubai 16:40JZR 612 Tbilisi 17:10JZR 114 Doha 17:10SVA 510 Riyadh 17:15GFA 215 Bahrain 17:30JZR 214 Jeddah 17:45UAE 875 Dubai 18:00FDB 063 Dubai 18:15JZR 124 Dubai 18:20QTR 1080 Doha 18:30RJA 640 Amman 19:00KAC 744 Dammam 19:00ABY 123 Sharjah 19:25RBG 555 Alexandria 19:25NIA 0161 Cairo 19:30GFA 217 Bahrain 19:30KAC 156 Istanbul 19:30KAC 616 Bahrain 19:30FDB 057 Dubai 19:50KAC 776 Riyadh 19:50JZR 106 Bahrain 20:00KAC 620 Doha 20:15OMA 647 Muscat 20:20KAC 546 Cairo 20:30QTR 1088 Doha 20:35KAC 166 Rome 20:35KAC 674 Dubai 20:35DLH 624 Frankfurt 20:45ICV 675 Luxembourg 21:15KAC 172 Frankfurt 21:15ETD 307 Abu Dhabi 21:20ALK 229 Colombo 21:20MEA 402 Beirut 21:20KAC 168 Paris 21:30UAE 859 Dubai 21:35GFA 219 Bahrain 21:45KLM 445 Amsterdam 21:50KAC 564 Amman 21:55QTR 1082 Doha 22:05ETD 309 Abu Dhabi 22:15AIC 987 Chennai/Hyderabad 22:25RBG 213 Sohag 22:30KAC 786 Jeddah 22:45BBC 043 Dhaka 23:00MSC 501 Alexandria 23:05JZR 128 Dubai 23:15JZR 254 Amman 23:40FDB 071 Dubai 23:45

Departure Flights on Tuesday 30/4/2019Airlines Flt Route TimeAIC 976 Goa/Chennai 00:05MSC 502 Alexandria 00:05FDB 072 Dubai 00:40JZR 409 Delhi 00:50JZR 707 Luxor 01:00JAI 571 Mumbai 01:15JZR 111 Doha 01:45KAC 677 Dubai 01:50KAC 285 Dhaka 01:55KAC 417 Manila 02:20DLH 625 Frankfurt 02:25THY 773 Istanbul 02:30PGT 859 Istanbul 02:30IGO 1758 Kochi 02:55THY 767 ISL 03:05ETH 621 Addis Ababa 03:05UAE 854 Dubai 03:40RBG 212 Sohag 03:45KLM 446 Amsterdam 03:55OMA 644 Muscat 03:55THY 765 Istanbul 04:00QTR 1087 Doha 04:00KKK 1269 Istanbul 04:00ETD 306 Abu Dhabi 04:05MSR 607 Luxor 04:10MSR 613 Cairo 04:15LMU 5511 Cairo 05:00IGO 1752 Chennai 05:10QTR 1077 Doha 05:30FDB 070 Dubai 05:50JZR 713 Sohag 06:15JZR 121 Dubai 06:35THY 771 Istanbul 06:40KAC 623 Doha 06:50UAE 874 Dubai 06:50KAC 167 Paris 07:10RJA 643 Amman 07:15GFA 212 Bahrain 07:15JZR 115 Doha 07:30KAC 171 Frankfurt 08:10KAC 165 Rome 08:20THY 6376 Dubai/Istanbul 08:35FEG 442 Asyut 08:40FDB 054 Dubai 08:50KAC 501 Beirut 09:00KAC 613 Bahrain 09:05KAC 787 Jeddah 09:05JZR 731 Cairo 09:10BAW 156 London 09:15KAC 691 Muscat 09:20JZR 141 Al Najaf 09:25KAC 541 Cairo 09:30KAC 561 Amman 09:40KAC 671 Dubai 09:45KAC 741 Dammam 09:45ABY 126 Sharjah 09:45KAC 101 London 09:45JZR 151 Mashhad 09:50UAE 856 Dubai 10:00KAC 773 Riyadh 10:10ETD 302 Abu Dhabi 10:10KAC 617 Doha 10:35FDB 056 Dubai 10:35JZR 211 Jeddah 10:40IRA 674 Lar 10:40IGO 1754 Ahmedabad 10:40KAC 155 Istanbul 10:45QTR 1071 Doha 10:45SVA 513 Riyadh 11:00JZR 611 Tbilisi 11:10KAC 117 New York 11:25GFA 214 Bahrain 11:25KAC 515 Tehran 12:00JZR 213 Jeddah 12:00JZR 221 Riyadh 12:00MEA 405 Beirut 12:55

QTR 1075 Doha 13:00KAC 545 Cairo 13:30JZR 113 Doha 13:30SAW 702 Damascus 13:30JZR 123 Dubai 13:40MSR 611 Cairo 14:10UAE 872 Dubai 14:15AXB 394 Kozhikode 14:15QTR 1079 Doha 15:00FDB 060 Dubai 15:10GFA 222 Bahrain 15:25KAC 673 Dubai 15:40SVA 501 Jeddah 15:45KAC 775 Riyadh 15:50KAC 743 Dammam 15:55KNE 530 Jeddah 16:00KAC 615 Bahrain 16:05KAC 563 Amman 16:10KAC 619 Doha 16:10ETD 304 Abu Dhabi 16:20FEG 342 Sohag 16:25OMA 646 Muscat 16:35KAC 785 Jeddah 16:40ABY 128 Sharjah 16:45JZR 105 Bahrain 16:55SYR 342 Damascus 17:00FDB 052 Dubai 17:40UAE 858 Dubai 17:45KAC 283 Dhaka 17:45QTR 1073 Doha 17:50KAC 343 Chennai 18:00KAC 331 Trivandrum 18:00JZR 733 Cairo 18:10SVA 511 Riyadh 18:15JZR 253 Amman 18:15GFA 216 Bahrain 18:20JZR 127 Dubai 18:35JZR 501 Lahore 18:40JZR 403 Hyderabad 18:40KAC 381 Delhi 18:55FDB 064 Dubai 19:20JZR 721 Alexandria 19:20UAE 876 Dubai 19:30QTR 1081 Doha 19:55RJA 641 Amman 20:00RBG 556 Alexandria 20:05ABY 124 Sharjah 20:05GFA 218 Bahrain 20:15NIA 0162 Cairo 20:30FDB 058 Dubai 20:35KAC 301 Mumbai 20:35KAC 353 Bengaluru 20:55JZR 401 Mumbai 20:55KAC 357 Kochi 21:00OMA 648 Muscat 21:20DLH 624 Dammam 21:30DHX 171 Bahrain 21:50QTR 1089 Doha 22:00ETD 308 Abu Dhabi 22:10KAC 1543 Cairo 22:15KAC 205 Islamabad 22:15MEA 403 Beirut 22:20ALK 230 Colombo 22:25GFA 220 Bahrain 22:30KAC 303 Mumbai 22:30KAC 383 Delhi 22:30ICV 675 Hong Kong 22:45KLM 445 Bahrain 22:50KAC 783 Jeddah 22:55UAE 860 Dubai 23:00KAC 411 Bangkok 23:00ETD 310 Abu Dhabi 23:05RBG 214 Sohag 23:10KAC 795 Madinah 23:15QTR 1083 Doha 23:25

ClassifiedsTuesday, April 30, 2019

Sabah Hospital 24812000

Amiri Hospital 22450005

Maternity Hospital 24843100

Mubarak Al-Kabir Hospital 25312700

Chest Hospital 24849400

Farwaniya Hospital 24892010

Adan Hospital 23940620

Ibn Sina Hospital 24840300

Al-Razi Hospital 24846000

Physiotherapy Hospital 24874330/9

Kaizen center 25716707

Rawda 22517733

Adaliya 22517144

Khaldiya 24848075

Kaifan 24849807

Shamiya 24848913

Shuwaikh 24814507

Abdullah Salem 22549134

Nuzha 22526804

Industrial Shuwaikh 24814764

Qadsiya 22515088

Dasmah 22532265

Bneid Al-Gar 22531908

Shaab 22518752

Qibla 22459381

Ayoun Al-Qibla 22451082

Mirqab 22456536

Sharq 22465401

Salmiya 25746401

Kuwait Airways 171Jazeera Airways 177Wataniya Airways 22 066 536Turkish Airlines 1884918American Airlines 22087425 22087426Jet Airways 22924455FlyDubai 22414400Qatar Airways 22423888KLM 22425747Royal Jordanian 22418064/5/6British Airways 22425635Air France 22430224Emirates 22921555Air India 22456700Air India EXPRESS 22438185/4 Sri Lanka Airlines 22424444Egypt Air 22421578Swiss Air 22421516Saudia 22426306Middle East Airlines` 22423073Lufthansa 22422493PIA 22421044Bangladesh Airlines 22452977/8Indian Airlines 22456700Oman Air 22958787Turkish Airlines 22453820/1Aeroflot 22404838/9

Airlines

CHANGE OF NAME

I, Mustafa SabbirVirpurwala father ofHusaina, holder of IndianPassport No. M4642603,issued at Kuwait on21/01/2015, permanent res-ident of Bhawani pethVishal apts 3rd floor Pune,India and presently resid-ing at Salmiya, block 10,building no. 13, Kuwait dohereby change my daugh-ter name from Husaina toHusaina MustafaVirpurwala, with immediateeffect. (C 5521)

30-4-2019

I, Deepthi Thankachanpassport holder No.T0309013 hereby changename as it appears in mypassport from given name:

Deepthi Thankachan tosurname: Thankachan andgiven name: Deepthi for allfuture purposes. (C 5519)

I, Sajan Rajasekharan NairIndian Passport holder No.L1429316 issued in Kuwaithereby change name as itappears in my Passportfrom given name: SajanRajasekharan Nair to sur-name: Nair and given name:Sajan Rajasekharan for allfuture purposes. (5520)

29-4-2019

By this did, I undersignedKuldeep Singh (new name)S/o Ram Singh, previouslycalled Kuldip Singh S/oRam Singh, resident ofward no. 7, Cinema Chowk,Hajipur road, Dasuya,Punjab. (C 5518)

26-4-2019

Tuesday, April 30, 2019N e w s

Established 1961 24

World’s largest falcon hospital caring for Emirati heritage

Continued from Page 1

Thus, Kuwait established the Kuwait Fund for ArabEconomic Development in 1961, which since then haslargely contributed to financing projects in more than120 countries, the Amir said.

Sheikh Sabah added that Kuwait has also co-part-nered with many global developmental institutions,mainly the WBG, with which Kuwait is honored to beone of the most cooperative countries. HH the Amirreaffirmed determination to continue on the path ofhelping countries plagued with natural disasters andhuman tragedies.

Addressing the reception, Belhaj said he was veryhappy to represent the World Bank Group in honoringHH the Amir in appreciation for his key role in support-ing economic and social development worldwidethrough aid to more than 100 countries. He saidKuwait, under the wise leadership of HH the Amir, isplaying a significant role in safeguarding stability inMiddle East and North Africa by means of bankrollingdevelopment in regional countries. He added that thehonoring of the Amir came due to Kuwait’s contribu-tions to several regional and international institutions,including the WBG’s International DevelopmentAssociation.

The WBG’s vice president said his delegation,together with partners in Kuwait, will celebrate 10years since the opening of the WBG’s office in Kuwait,which has helped in the promotion of relationsbetween Kuwait and the WBG. In this context, hevoiced much thanks to the Kuwaiti government for its

unlimited backing of the office. Belhaj echoed appreci-ation to the Kuwaiti government and people for sup-porting international efforts in economic and socialsustainable development, and eradicating povertyworldwide. He concluded by saying he was honored togift HH the Amir, on behalf of the WBG President, aWBG shield in recognition of his efforts in the socialdomain and international cooperation against poverty.

The reception was attended by Minister of AmiriDiwan Affairs Sheikh Ali Jarrah Al-Sabah. Following theevent, the vice president of the WBG said he was hon-ored to meet HH the Amir, which was an opportunity tomake use of his experience and discuss a set of issuesand subjects, mainly WBG-Kuwait cooperation. Hailingthis cooperation as deep-rooted, he vowed that his bankwould continue this cooperation positively, especiallyregarding the role of Kuwait and HH the Amir in bolster-ing regional and global economy and development.

Meanwhile, the WBG’s Executive Director and Deanof the Board of Executive Directors Merza HussainHasan said in a statement following the meeting withHH the Amir that a memorial shield was given to theAmir from the WBG. He said on behalf of the WBGpresident, Belhaj presented the Amir with the shield asa sign of thanks and gratitude to the leading roleplayed by HH the Amir and Kuwait in sustainabledevelopment.

He added that Kuwait has helped in many WBGprojects aiming at wiping out poverty, improving serv-ices and providing basic services, mainly power, water,sanitation, education and health, to many people andmore than 100 countries. Hasan noted that the honor-ing of HH the Amir reflected the WBG’s appreciation ofSheikh Sabah for his efforts in providing a dignified lifeto those people and taking them out of poverty. Heconcluded by saying that he is very proud to honor HHthe Amir for the first time in appreciation for his inter-nationally recognized efforts. — KUNA

Amir receives meritcertificate...

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but he said that he told her that the Kuwaiti judici-ary is independent and fair and that any requestsshould be made directly to the judge through lawyers.Ghanem called on the press and all media outlets notto cite him for saying anything unless he makes state-ments directly to reporters or through official releases.

In other Assembly news, MPs Riyadh Al-Adasani,

Adel Al-Damkhi and Mohammad Al-Dallal reiteratedyesterday that their grilling of Information MinisterMohammad Al-Jabri is in line with the constitutionand Kuwaiti laws. Responding to a request by theminister to clarify certain parts of the grilling, thelawmakers insisted that the grilling is very clear andthe minister’s request is an attempt to escapeaccountability. The lawmakers also insisted that theywill make public during the debate a large number ofviolations committed by Jabri. The grilling is on theagenda of today’s session, but the debate could bedelayed for two weeks if the minister demands so.The Assembly is also due to debate a grilling againstMinister of State for Cabinet Affairs Anas Al-Salehover alleged violations.

Aqeel says Kuwait needs expats...

Continued from Page 1

Turkey has not identified the nationality of eitherdetainee but Turkish state broadcaster TRT’s Arabicservice said both were Palestinians and carriedPalestinian passports. Hasan was a 55-year-old retiredmajor general and a senior intelligence official, TRT saidon its website. In an interview with Saudi-owned Al-Arabiya TV, a man who identified himself as Hasan’s sonsaid his father had gone to Turkey to search for a joband the family had lost contact with him on April 7. “Wewere surprised that he was suddenly arrested after thefalse accusations against him,” the son Youssef said.

He said he wanted Hasan’s body sent home andurged Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and world

powers to investigate his father’s death. “I want the cre-ation of a specialized medical committee, including atrusted Palestinian doctor who can go there and do theautopsy on my father’s corpse in order to find the truthhimself,” he said. A woman who identified herself asHasan’s sister in the same interview said she was certainher brother would not have committed suicide.

Khashoggi, a Washington Post columnist and criticof Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, waskilled in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on Oct 2 by ateam of Saudi operatives, provoking an internationaloutcry. According to the senior Turkish official, one ofthe two men arrived in Turkey in October, days afterKhashoggi was killed, while the other arrived later tohelp his colleague. The Saudi public prosecutor hasindicted 11 unidentified suspects on charges of orderingand committing the crime, including five who could facethe death penalty. Erdogan has urged the United Statesto put its weight behind the investigation into theKhashoggi killing and not to set the matter asidebecause of its ties with Riyadh. — Reuters

UAE spy suspect found hanged in...

ABU DHABI: When a falcon in the GulfArab countries falls sick, the owners ofthese much-loved and expensive huntingbirds know where to take them: Theworld’s largest falcon hospital, in AbuDhabi. “It’s their baby, they want the bestfor it,” said hospital director MargitMuller, a German veterinarian with over25 years of experience in treating fal-cons. “Sometimes when the falcons havean accident at night, the owners will sitthere for hours into the early morning.”

The birds are more than pets and thepractice is more than a sport. Falconry isan important part of the cultural desertheritage of Arabs of the United ArabEmirates and neighboring countries suchas Saudi Arabia going back thousands ofyears. “The Bedouin used falcons to huntmeat ... so the falcon was essential toensure the survival of the Bedouin’s fam-ily,” said Muller. “(The birds) have alwaysbeen considered like the children of thefamily and this remains until today.”

With flight speeds exceeding 300 km

an hour, falcons can suffer seriousinjuries as they collide with prey, mis-judge a landing or ingest infected meat.The government-supported Abu DhabiFalcon Hospital is the world’s main cen-ter for falcon medicine, research andtraining. Its subsidized prices meanspeople of all income levels can use itsfalcon care, Muller said. “Nowadays fal-conry is one of the very few opportuni-ties for the former Bedouin to reconnectto their past,” she said.

Falcons are recognized internationallyas endangered and only captive bred fal-cons can be legally owned in the UAE.Hunting in the UAE outside a few specialreserves is illegal, so owners train theirbirds using meat and then fly them tocountries like Pakistan, Morocco and thecentral Asian region during coldermonths. The UAE issues falcons theirown passports and the birds travel withtheir owners in airplane cabins, some-times dozens at a time for specific hunt-ing trips. — Reuters

An Emirati man inspects a houbara bustard hunted by a falcon at the Al-Marzoonhunting reserve, 60 km south of Madinat Zayed, in this Feb 1, 2016 file photo. — AFP

JAKARTA: Indonesia is considering a plan to move itscapital away from sprawling megalopolis Jakarta, offi-cials said yesterday, but any jump to a new city couldstill be years away. The idea of moving Indonesia’sseat of government from an urban conglomeration ofnearly 30 million people with some of the world’sworst traffic jams has stretched on for decades. Low-lying Jakarta is also prone to annual flooding and isone of the world’s fastest sinking cities due to exces-sive groundwater extraction.

On Monday, urban planning minister BambangBrodjonegoro said the long-stalled relocation planwon approval from President Joko Widodo whofavored moving the capital away from Indonesia’smost populous Java island. Jakarta, which suffersbillions of dollars in annual congestion-and-floodlinked economic losses, would remain the country’sfinancial hub. “(Widodo) decided on ... the option torelocate the capital,” Brodjonegoro said after a cab-inet meeting.

In a statement before the meeting, Widodoexpressed support for the idea, but he did not give analternate location or a timeline for any move. “In thefuture, would Jakarta be able to carry the double bur-den of being both the center of government and itsbusiness center?” he asked in the statement. “If weprepare well from the very beginning, this great (relo-cation) idea could be realized,” he added. During hisre-election campaign, Widodo pledged to spreadeconomic growth more evenly in the nation of 260million. He won a second term this month, accordingto unofficial poll results. Local media have reportedthat a possible new capital would be Palangkarayacity on the island of Borneo. — AFP

Indonesia eyes moving capital from Jakarta

DUBAI: Major opposition and activist figures who werestripped of Bahraini citizenship are not among hundreds ofpeople whose nationality will be restored under anamnesty announced last week, a Reuters review of the listshows. Bahrain, which hosts the US Navy’s fleet in theregion, was the only Gulf Arab state to have experiencedmajor unrest during the 2011 “Arab Spring” of regional

protests, which it quashed with the help of Saudi Arabia.The country has seen periodic clashes between pro-

testers and security forces, who have been targeted byseveral bomb attacks. The government denies repressingthe opposition and says it is protecting national securityfrom groups it calls terrorists backed by Iran. Since theprotests it has prosecuted hundreds of activists in masstrials, banned the main opposition groups and revoked cit-izenship from around 1,000 nationals.

Bahrain’s Interior Ministry on Saturday issued a list of551 people regaining citizenship under a decree from KingHamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa, which a government spokesper-son said aimed to give them “an opportunity to rehabilitatethemselves”. The spokesperson said the government hasbegun the process of reinstatement for those on the list,adding that “court decisions to revoke citizenship are tak-en to ensure safety and security throughout Bahrain”.

Those identified were mainly from Shiite families,activists told Reuters. But prominent figures such as Isa

Qassim, the spiritual leader of the kingdom’s Shiite majori-ty, were not on the list. Qassim’s citizenship was revoked in2016. The government subsequently allowed him to travelto Britain for medical care, and he moved from there toIran. Most of the country’s leading opposition figures andrights activists are imprisoned or have fled abroad.

The Britain-based activist group the Bahrain Institute forRights and Democracy (BIRD) said Bahrain has stripped atleast 990 people of their citizenship since 2012. “Sinceamendments to the anti-terror law were passed in 2014, theuse of revocation of citizenship has increased dramatically,in many cases targeting journalists, human rights defendersand critics of the government,” BIRD’s director SayedAhmed Al-Wadaei told Reuters on Sunday. A prominentactivist, he was stripped of his citizenship in 2015.

Reuters spoke to one person on the list who had previ-ously been jailed for membership of a terrorist group andpossession of weapons, and who for safety reasons askednot to be identified.— Reuters

Major opposition figures not among those given back Bahrain citizenship

In this aerial view, officials measure a giant teddy bear 20 meters long and weighing 4 tons, which entered the Guinness Book of World Records as the biggest of its kind on Sunday in Xonacatlan in Mexico. — AFP

Tuesday, April 30, 2019S p o r t s

Zobrist, Chicago Cubs outlast Diamondbacks in 15 innings

25

Donaldson’s 3-run homer lifts Braves over RockiesPHOENIX: Kris Bryant and Willson Contreras homered, andBen Zobrist broke a tie with a two-run double in a three-run15th inning as the Chicago Cubs outlasted the ArizonaDiamondbacks for a 6-5 victory on Sunday in Phoenix.Tyler Chatwood, the Cubs’ seventh pitcher, doubled to thefence in right-center field with one out in the 15th inning offMatt Andriese (3-2) and took third on Albert Almora Jr.’ssingle to center. Zobrist, who entered the game in a double-switch in the 11th inning, doubled into the right field cornerand took third on the throw to home, which failed to beatAlmora. Bryant followed with a sacrifice fly. David Peraltasingled with two outs in the 15th off Kyle Ryan beforeChristian Walker doubled, and pinch hitter Caleb Joseph hita two-run single to make it 6-5. Cubs right-hander AllenWebster entered and got Nick Ahmed to fly out to thewarning track in left field for his first career save.

NATIONALS 7, PADRES 6 (11 INNINGS)Matt Adams led off the last of the 11th with a homer off

Matt Wisler as host Washington came back from a 6-0deficit to beat San Diego, avoiding a three-game sweep.Juan Soto (age 20), Victor Robles (20) and CarterKieboom (21) all hit homers for the Nationals. Washingtonbecame the first team to have three players under the ageof 22 hit a homer in the same game, according to EliasSports. Fernando Tatis Jr., who turned 20 in January, had acareer-high three hits for the Padres but left the game inthe last of the 10th with an injury.

BRAVES 8, ROCKIES 7Third baseman Josh Donaldson slammed a three-run

homer with two outs in the eighth inning to lift host Atlantato victory over Colorado. Tyler Flowers and Ozzie Albiesreached on singles against Seunghwan Oh, and Donaldsonhammered a 1-1 pitch deep in the right field stands for hisfifth home run. The victory allowed the Braves to salvageone game in the weekend series and end Colorado’s eight-game winning streak in games played in Atlanta. Albieshad three hits and a pair of home runs, and FreddieFreeman added two hits and his fifth homer. Ian Desmondand Daniel Murphy went deep for Colorado.

METS 5, BREWERS 2Steven Matz pitched seven strong innings, and New

York scored three late runs to beat visiting Milwaukee tosalvage the finale of a three-game series. ReigningNational League MVP Christian Yelich of the Brewers leftthe game with lower back discomfort following the top ofthe fifth inning. The Mets lost second baseman RobinsonCano when he was hit on the hand by a pitch in the firstinning. Matz (3-1) allowed two runs on five hits while strik-ing out four without a walk, after the Brewers had bestedMets starters Jacob deGrom and Noah Syndergaard in thefirst two games of the series. Mike Moustakas homered forMilwaukee in defeat.

YANKEES 11, GIANTS 5Gary Sanchez and Gleyber Torres each hit two-run

homers, and visiting New York blasted San Francisco tocomplete a three-game sweep. Sanchez hit his secondhomer since returning from a calf injury-and eighth over-all-in the sixth to put the Yankees up 8-0. Sanchez’s 430-foot blast helped the Yankees improve to 6-1 on their nine-game trip and win for the 11th time in 13 games. NewYork’s latest win was marred by two more injuries. Secondbaseman DJ LeMahieu exited in the third due to right kneeinflammation, and third baseman Gio Urshela exited two

innings later when he was hit by a pitch on his left hand.

RAYS 5, RED SOX 2Tyler Glasnow pitched effectively into the seventh

inning as Tampa Bay scored early off Chris Sale and beathost Boston. Glasnow (5-0) allowed two runs on six hits in6 2/3 innings and joined Seattle’s Marco Gonzales as thesecond five-game winner in the majors. The 25-year-oldright-hander struck out nine, walked one and threw 102pitches while his fastball averaged 96.1 mph. DanielRobertson hit a two-run homer in the first inning, andYandy Diaz had a two-run triple in the second as the Rayscompleted the sweep of the rain-shortened two-gameseries. Sale (0-5) completed seven innings for the first timesince July 11, allowing four runs (two earned) and four hits.

BLUE JAYS 5, A’S 4 (11 INNINGS)Justin Smoak singled in the winning run as Toronto ral-

lied for four runs in the bottom of the 11th to stun visitingOakland, sweeping the three-game series and the six-game season series. Eric Sogard, a former member of theAthletics, homered to lead off the bottom of the first. Itwas his third homer of the season and his second homer tolead off the game of the series and of his career. He fin-ished a triple shy of the cycle. Marcus Semien and KhrisDavis had two hits apiece for the A’s, who blew a 4-1 leadentering the bottom of the 11th inning to lose for the eighthtime in 12 games.

DODGERS 7, PIRATES 6Cody Bellinger hit a home run, and Max Muncy drove in

the tying and go-ahead runs as Los Angeles extended itswinning streak to four games by beating visiting Pittsburghto earn a three-game series sweep. Bellinger hit his 14thhome run, matching a major league record before the startMay. The Brewers’ Christian Yelich also has 14 home runs.Albert Pujols (2006) and Alex Rodriguez (2007) also sharethe mark. The Pirates’ Melky Cabrera hit home runs in hisfirst two at-bats of the game, the fifth multi-homer game ofhis career and his first since July of 2015 as a member of theChicago White Sox. Cabrera entered with just one homerun on the season. He finished with four hits.

ASTROS 4, INDIANS 1Robinson Chirinos walloped a three-run home run to

cap a turnaround seventh inning, and Houston earned asplit of its four-game series against visiting Cleveland.Chirinos drilled a first-pitch fastball from Indians right-hander Carlos Carrasco (2-3) over the train tracks aboveleft field and out of the park, his 426-foot blast snapping a1-1 tie the Astros secured just one pitch earlier. Carrascowas dominant through six innings before suddenly comingundone with two outs. Astros left-hander Wade Mileyworked 5 2/3 innings and allowed one run on six hits andtwo walks. Reliever Framber Valdez (1-1) earned the winwith two shutout innings, and Ryan Pressly struck out twoin the ninth to pick up his second save of the season.

ANGELS 7, ROYALS 3Matt Harvey pitched seven strong innings, and Albert

Pujols passed another legend as Los Angeles defeatedhost Kansas City. Harvey (1-2) gave up just one run on twohits, and the run scored without the benefit of a hit. It wasHarvey’s longest outing since Aug. 11, 2018, when hepitched seven innings against Arizona in a no-decision. Forthe second time in three games, Pujols passed a baseballicon in a career statistic. With a two-run double in the first,

Pujols eclipsed Barry Bonds for third place all time with1,997 RBIs. Pujols had moved into fourth on Friday, pass-ing Lou Gehrig. He passed Babe Ruth on April 20.

WHITE SOX 4, TIGERS 1Reynaldo Lopez struck out a career-high 14 over six

innings to boost host Chicago over Detroit to win for thethird time in its past five games en route to sweeping theabbreviated, two-game series. Relievers Jace Fry, KelvinHerrera and Alex Colome struck out six in three innings ofscoreless relief, as White Sox pitching set a franchiserecord and tied the major league mark for a nine-inninggame with 20 strikeouts in the combined two-hitter.Chicago is the seventh team to post 20. Lopez (2-3) domi-nated the Tigers behind an effective, four-seam fastball. Hegave up one unearned run on two hits-including only onefor extra bases-and walked three while recording at leasttwo strikeouts in each inning.

TWINS 4, ORIOLES 1Max Kepler and Byron Buxton both homered, and

Minnesota completed a three-game sweep of visitingBaltimore. The Twins, who smacked five homers in each ofthe first two games of the series, hit 23 in their six gamesagainst Baltimore this season and won them all. This couldend the season series between the two teams. One gamewas postponed because of weather and could be made up,if it has playoff implications. Kepler hit homers in his finaltwo at-bats in Saturday’s win and then led off the first with ahomer on the first pitch of the game from Baltimore starterDylan Bundy. Chris Davis homered off Gibson in the seventhfor Baltimore’s lone run. It was Davis’ third of the season.

RANGERS 14, MARINERS 1Hunter Pence had three hits and four RBIs to lead visit-

ing Texas to a blowout win against Seattle to earn a splitof the four-game series. Danny Santana and Shin-Soo

Choo also had three hits each, and Elvis Andrus, NomarMazara, and Logan Forsythe had two hits apiece for theRangers, whose other win in the series was 15-1 onSaturday after getting outscored 19-6 in the first twogames. Pence and Andrus hit two-run homers in the thirdinning, Forsythe hit a three-run blast in the eighth andChoo clubbed a solo shot in the ninth. Daniel Vogelbachand Dee Gordon had two hits each for the Mariners, whocommitted seven errors in the past two games.

CARDINALS 5, REDS 2Jack Flaherty allowed four hits over seven shutout

innings as host St. Louis secured a series victory overCincinnati. St Louis’ Yadier Molina had a two-run single inthe eighth inning to extend his hitting streak to 15 games.Dexter Fowler ripped an RBI double, and Jose Martinezhad a run-scoring single for the Cardinals, who recordedtheir seventh victory in eight outings. Scott Scheblerripped a two-run double with two outs in the ninth inningfor the Reds, who have dropped back-to-back contests tofall to 4-10 on the road. Derek Dietrich was unable to con-tinue the rally, as he lined out to first base to end the gameand hand John Gant his second save of the season.

PHILLIES 5, MARLINS 1Zach Eflin pitched his first complete game since 2016,

and Jean Segura, back in the lineup one day after beingbeaned, had three hits to lead host Philadelphia overMiami. Segura went 3-for-4, including an RBI triple, rais-ing his batting average to .347. He also scored two runs,after being removed from Saturday’s game after being hitin the batting helmet by a Trevor Richards 90 mph fastball.Eflin (3-3), who threw 77 of his 107 pitches for strikes,struck out three and walked none. He scattered seven hits-all singles-as the Phillies won for the fourth time in theirpast five games. Miguel Rojas drove in the lone run for theMarlins, who lost their third in a row. — Reuters

PHOENIX: Kris Bryant #17 of the Chicago Cubs hits a sacrifice fly against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the15th inning of the MLB game at Chase Field in Phoenix, Arizona. — AFP

BAKU: Lewis Hamilton has warned Ferrari toshape up and mount a serious title challengeafter his Mercedes team swept the first fourraces of the season.

The defending five-time world champion, whofinished second behind his Mercedes team-mateValtteri Bottas in Sunday’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix,said the Italian team need to fight back hard tostay in contention to avert a similar Mercedes pro-cession in next month’s Spanish Grand Prix.

“Until they start to perform at the level we arenow, then this is how it’s going to be,” saidHamilton, who slipped a point behind champi-onship leader Bottas on Sunday when Mercedescollected a record season-opening fourth straightone-two.

“We definitely didn’t expect to have this level ofperformance, but I am glad we do ... I think theteam is out-performing itself. They’re going tohave to pick it up if they want to fight us.”

Ferrari’s four-time champion Sebastian Vettelf in ished third and his team-mate Char lesLeclerc fifth.

“He is right,” said Vettel, who has not tastedvictory since last year’s Belgian Grand Prix. “Weneed to pick it up. We need stronger pace. It is assimple as that. “It’s like a Rubik’s cube where youhave to have everything in the right order. Wehave a good car, but we’re not using it to get theresults we should be getting.”

Ferrari’s optimism after dominating pre-seasontesting in Spain seems a distant memory afterSunday’s race and they badly need to rediscovertheir winning in Catalonia. Hamilton said he alsowants a new display unit in his cockpit after losingtime in a Virtual Safety Car (VSC) period, fallingfrom two seconds behind Bottas to 3.6 seconds.

“It’s all fine margins,” said Hamilton. “Valtteridid a better job in qualifying, which put him inpole position. Then, at the start, another fine mar-gin for him, which I will have to work on...”“There’s some things to fix on the dash to makesure it doesn’t happen again-just technical stuff,nothing major... But again it’s all part of the finemargins that make the difference.” — AFP

Hamilton tellsFerrari to shape up

LOS ANGELES: Australia’s Minjee Lee pulled awayfrom the field with a closing round of three-under 68 tocapture the LA Open by four strokes and earn her fifthcareer USLPGA Tour title. The 22-year-old from Perthfinished at 14-under 270, four strokes ahead of runner-up Kim Sei-young of South Korea. Lee collected$225,000 in first place prize money and boosted hercareer earnings to $5.32 million, making her the thirdhighest winning Australian overall in purse money.

In terms of victories only Karrie Webb, with 41, JanStephenson (16) and Rachel Hetherington (eight) havemore titles by an Aussie.

Lee started her fourth round on Sunday with a one-stroke lead over Denmark’s Nanna Koerstz Madsenwho stumbled to a five-over 76. “I was just going to

carry on playing my game,” said Lee. “I had a couple ofbirdies opportunities coming in so I didn’t get riled up.

“I have been hitting it solid and playing solid so thisone feels pretty good.” Kim had one of the best roundsof the day with a 66 but it wasn’t enough to catch Lee.Americans Annie Park, with a 67, and Morgan Presseltied for third at nine-under, five shots adrift of Lee.

Madsen, who was seeking to become the first fromDenmark to win on the Tour, finished in a tie for 13th.Lee, who was the only player to shoot all four rounds inthe 60s, made two birdies on a bogey-free front nine.She rebounded from a bogey at No. 11 with birdies atthe 13th and 18th.

The win comes at a time when she is playing some ofher best golf. Lee tied for third in Hawaii last week afterconsecutive second-place finishes in February. Shehadn’t won since May of 2018 at the VolvikChampionship.

“For the rest of year I want to try and get a couplemore wins,” she said. South Korea’s Amy Yang fired thelow round of the day and equalled the low round of thetournament, shooting a bogey-free 64 to finish tied forfifth along with four others, including Park In-bee andworld No. 1 Ko Jin-young of South Korea (69). — AFP

Australia’s Lee roars to victory at LA Open

LOS ANGELES: Minjee Lee of Australia poses with the winner’s trophy during the HUGEL-AIR PREMIA LA Open atWilshire Country Club in Los Angeles, California. — AFP

CAPE TOWN: The decision on Caster Semenya’s chal-lenge to continue competing without any restrictions willbe announced by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS)at 1000 GMT tomorrow.

The double Olympic 800m champion is challenging thesport’s governing body, International Association ofAthletics Federations (IAAF), over its decision to restricttestosterone levels in female runners.

The IAAF wants the South African and other femaleathletes with differences of sexual development (DSD) totake testosterone blockers. Under the new rules, which willapply to women events between 400 metres to the mile,athletes classed as having DSDs must reduce their bloodtestosterone level to below five (5) nmol/L for a period ofsix months before they can compete. They must thenmaintain it below that level continuously.

Semenya, 28, has been waiting since February followingher appeal against an IAAF regulation, which said femaleathletes classed as having DSDs gain an unfair advantagedue to their higher testosterone levels.

Testosterone is a hormone that increases muscle mass,strength and haemoglobin - which affects endurance. CAShad been due to announce its decision in March but post-poned it several times.

Semenya’s dominance of the middle distances has beenlabelled unfair by many of her competitors but the pro-posed restrictions have also been branded as discrimina-tory. Several expert witness were called by both sides dur-ing a five-day hearing presided by three judges at CAS’sheadquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland in February.Semenya won 1,500m and 5,000m golds at the SouthAfrican Athletics Championships over the past few days.Should her appeal be unsuccessful, Semenya would haveto meet the IAAF requirements to keep running in the 800and 1500 metres, but they would not apply were she tostep up to 5,000.

Last month, Semenya said in a statement releasedthrough her lawyers that she wanted to differentiate hercase from those of transgender athletes who were bornmale. “Ms Semenya is a woman. There is no debate orquestion about this and the IAAF does not dispute this,”the statement said. “She was born a woman, raised awoman, socialised as a woman and has competed as awoman her entire life. “Ms Semenya does not wish toundergo medical intervention to change who she is andhow she was born. She wants to compete naturally.”

The IAAF has previously said it is confident of the legal,scientific and ethical basis for the regulations and expectsCAS to reject Semenya’s appeal. — Reuters

Semenya decisionto be announcedby CAS tomorrow

Tuesday, April 30, 2019S p o r t s

26

Pakistan great Wasim not discounting spearhead Amir

Pakistan bowler’s dubious catch sparks debateKARACHI: Legendary paceman Wasim Akram cau-tioned against discounting Mohammad Amir ahead ofnext month’s World Cup, saying Pakistan’s pace spear-head would return to form following a disappointingstring of performances at the crease.

The 27-year-old Amir was left off Pakistan’s prelimi-nary World Cup squad but has a chance to force hisway back into the final 15 if he does well in the five-match one-day international series against Englandstarting from May 8.

All teams have until May 23 to change their WorldCup squads. Missing the upcoming World Cup wouldlikely serve as another crippling setback for the youngbowler’s career after he missed the tournament in both2011 and 2015 due to an embarrassing five-year banover match fixing.

Since returning to competition, Amir has fallen into arut after guiding Pakistan in a dramatic win over Indiain the Champions trophy final in June 2017 — with justfour wickets in 14 matches. However, Wasim said he stillbelieved Amir could stage a comeback.

“We can’t discount Amir from the World Cup,”Wasim told AFP. “Amir would have been my first choicefor the World Cup considering English conditionswhere he performs well.” Wasim went on to say thatAmir had both youth and the experience of competingat the highest levels of the sport on his side, includinginternational Tests and English county cricket.

“I am confident that he will do well once his rhythmis back,” said Wasim, a veteran of five World Cups in1987, 1992, 1996, 1999 and 2003. Pakistan’s preliminaryWorld Cup squad is largely comprised of young play-ers, with only a handful of veterans-Sarfraz and HarisSohail, who played in 2015, as well as Shoaib Malik,who played in 2007, and Mohammad Hafeez, who took

part in the 2007 and 2011 tournaments.Wasim added that big events are won with a mixture

of youth and experience. “I am all for youth but experi-ence has no substitute, so we should mix youth withexperience,” said Wasim who guided Amir during thePakistan Super League earlier this year.

“He is a good learner so I hope things will comegood for him sooner than later because Pakistan teamneeds him.” Pakistan is set to play three one-daymatches against county teams before taking onEngland in the five-match ODI series from May 5.

The squad will then kick off two warm-up WorldCup games against Afghanistan on May 24 andBangladesh on May 26, before taking on the WestIndies in their first World Cup match in Nottingham onMay 31. All 10 teams will play each other in the firststage, with the top four playing the semi-finals.

Meanwhile, Pakistan bowler Hasan Ali was at thecentre of controversy after he claimed a catch despiteapparently dropping the ball in their opening tourmatch against Kent. The tourists comfortably beat thecounty side by 100 runs after amassing 358 for seven intheir 50 overs on Saturday.

Kent were 176-3 in reply in the 30th over when AlexBlake, on 89, skied a return catch to Ali, who was bowl-ing. Video footage emerged on Monday that showedthe seamer appeared to floor the catch.

But Ali continued his celebration as the ball lay onthe ground and the batsman was not given a reprieveby the umpire.

The laws of cricket state that a catch is completedonly when “a fielder obtains complete control over boththe ball and his/her own movement”. The image ofPakistani cricket was damaged by a spot-fixing contro-versy that blighted their England tour in 2010, with

three players handed bans from the game.Pakistan announced yesterday that veteran batsman

Shoaib Malik has returned home to deal with a person-al issue but is expected to rejoin the team in 10 days’time. “The PCB will not be making any further com-

ments and fully expects all concerned to respectShoaib’s privacy,” the Pakistan Cricket Board said in astatement. Pakistan are playing one Twenty20 matchand five one-day internationals against England beforethe start of the World Cup in late May. — AFP

Wasim Akram seen sharing some tips to Sri Lankan players.

LONDON: England batsman Alex Hales willnot feature at the World Cup after beingwithdrawn from all international squads fol-lowing an off-field incident not related tocricket, the England and Wales Cricket Boardsaid yesterday.

Hales was included in the 15-man prelimi-nary World Cup squad for the tournament inEngland and Wales but it emerged last weekthat he had been sanctioned under the ECB’sdisciplinary policy for a second time.

A report in the Guardian newspaper saidthe hard-hitting batsman was serving a banfrom cricket for recreational drug use. Aspokesman for Hales on Friday confirmed theNottinghamshire batsman had been suspend-ed “following an off-field incident last year”.

An ECB statement yesterday said: “AlexHales has been withdrawn from all Englandsquads ahead of the international season.”Hales’s latest misdemeanour comes just a fewmonths after he was suspended and fined bythe ECB for his part in a street brawl in Bristolalso involving Ben Stokes in September 2017.

The 30-year-old has been stood downfrom this Friday’s one-off one-day interna-

tional against Ireland in Malahide, theupcoming limited-overs matches againstPakistan and the World Cup.

Ashley Giles, ECB managing director ofEngland Men’s Cricket, said: “We havethought long and hard about this deci-sion. “We have worked hard to create theright environment around the Englandteam and need to consider what is in the

best interests of the team, to ensure theyare free from any distractions and able tofocus on being successful on the pitch. “Iwant to make it clear this is not the end ofAlex’s career as an England player.” Haleshas played 11 Tests, 70 one-day interna-tionals and 60 Twenty20 internationalsbut is now regarded as a white-ball spe-cialist. —AFP

Hales withdrawn from England WCup squad

Alex Hales

LONDON: Tottenham, Chelsea, Arsenaland Manchester United all failed to mustera win for the second consecutive PremierLeague weekend as the contenders for aplace in next season’s Champions Leaguestumble towards the finish line.

Spurs, in third place behind runawaypacesetters Manchester City andLiverpool, are best-placed to secure afourth straight season of ChampionsLeague football . Their 1-0 win overBrighton on Tuesday is the only time in thepast 10 games involving the four sides thatone of them has won.

Chelsea are in pole position for fourth,two points ahead of Arsenal, with United’schances now looking slim-they are a pointbehind Arsenal with a significantly inferiorgoal difference. AFP Sports looks at whyall four have hit the wall as the seasonreaches its climax.

Tottenham - 70 pointsA first defeat at the club’s new stadium,

against West Ham on Saturday, meansSpurs have now lost 12 times in the leaguethis season. Yet it has still been a cam-paign of overachievement by MauricioPochettino’s men. Despite not signing asingle player, spending most of the seasonat their temporary home of Wembley, andlosing talismanic striker Harry Kane fortwo prolonged spells through injury, Spursare still the best of the rest in the PremierLeague behind City and Liverpool andhave reached the Champions Leaguesemi-finals.

“The stress and the fatigue arrived, Weare competing with circumstances that

are not the best,” admitted Pochettinoafter a sixth defeat in 10 league games.Spurs’ skeleton squad have understand-ably ran out of gas, but thanks to theprofligacy of their rivals, one more winfrom their f inal two games againstBournemouth and Everton will guaranteemuch-needed Champions League cashagain next season.

Chelsea - 68 pointsMaurizio Sarri launched an uncharacter-

istically staunch defence of his first seasonin charge at Stamford Bridge after a 1-1draw away to United on Sunday consoli-dated his side’s place in the top four.

“We played the final in the League Cup,we are fighting for the top four, we are inthe semi-finals of the Europa League. Ithink we have done a good season.”

Sarri has had his troubles this season.He publicly criticised his players’ mentalityfollowed capitulations on the road atArsenal, Bournemouth and Everton, whilehis demand for the loan signing of GonzaloHiguain in January has reaped precious lit-tle reward.

Worse could come, with Eden Hazardreportedly closing in on a summer moveto Real Madrid and the club currentlybanned from signing any new players toreplace the Belgian for the next two trans-fer windows. Therefore, it is all the moreimperative that Chelsea get back in theChampions League next season.

Arsenal - 66 pointsMuch of the good work done by Unai

Emery over nine months to rebuild the

Gunners in the first season since ArseneWenger’s departure has come undone overthree defeats to Crystal Palace, Wolves andLeicester in eight days.

The defensive issues that doggedWenger’s final years in charge still need tobe resolved, while Emery constantly chopsand changes his formation and personnel inmidfield and attack.

A three-time Europa League winnerwith Sevilla, that competition may nowprove Arsenal’s best route back to theChampions League but a tough tie againstEmery’s old side Valencia awaits in thesemi-finals.

Manchester United - 65 pointsDespite a run of seven defeats in nine

games, United remarkably still had a goodchance of hauling themselves into the topfour had they held onto an early leadagainst Chelsea on Sunday.

However, United’s current malaise ispersonified by a dramatic dip in form forgoalkeeper David de Gea, who has sooften been his side’s saviour in recent sea-sons. The Spaniard was at fault for MarcosAlonso’s equaliser, which secured Chelseaa point and left Ole Gunnar Solskjaeradmitting his side now have a “mountain toclimb”. A trip to hapless Huddersfield andCardiff’s visit to Old Trafford on the finalday of the season at least offer an excellentchance to lift the mood heading into thesummer.

“We need to focus on our two games,win games again,” said Solskjaer, but a bigrebuilding job remains ahead for theNorwegian. — AFP

Premier League top-four contenders limp towards line

Rohit Sharma

KOLKATA: Mumbai Indians skipperRohit Sharma was yesterday docked 15percent of his match fee for hitting thestumps with his bat following his dismissalin a highly charged Indian PremierLeague game.

The India batsman smashed threeboundaries before being adjudged lbw inMumbai’s mammoth chase of 233 againstKolkata Knight Riders, and vented hisfrustration on the stumps at the non-strik-er’s end on Sunday.

Sharma, who has led Mumbai to three

IPL titles, believed he had edged theincoming delivery from paceman HarryGurney and reviewed the umpire’s call.But the ‘snickometer’ technology, whichanalyses noise, suggested the ball missedthe bat and the decision was upheld, witha dejected Sharma having words with theumpire as well as hitting the stumps.Mumbai lost the match by 34 runs despitea 34-ball 91 by Hardik Pandya at Kolkata’sEden Gardens. The world’s most popularTwenty20 league ends on May 12 withthe final in Hyderabad. — AFP

Sharma fined for hitting stumps

Bangladesh captain tells fansto ease World Cup ‘hype’DHAKA: Bangladesh skipper MashrafeMortaza yesterday called on the coun-try’s fans to douse their expectations forthe World Cup and avoid puttingunwanted pressure on the team.

After Bangladesh’s appearance at theChampions Trophy semi-finals two yearsago and the Asia Cup final last year,national hopes of a winning streak at theWorld Cup have skyrocketed.

But the 35-year-old captain called forcalm ahead of the team’s departure for awarm-up tournament in Ireland, beforethe World Cup starts on May 30 inEngland and Wales. “You are saying thisis our best ever team, but that’s notimportant,” said Mashrafe.

“We went to the Asia Cup with thesame team but could not win it. We

played in the Champions Trophy semi-final, we had the same team. So there isno need to create hype,” he pleaded.“The best team does not always win,”added Mashrafe, who said the players donot need the “extra pressure on us” andthat he preferred to believe in “luck”.

Mashrafe said there should be nopublic pressure to win or even reach thesemi-finals. “If you ask the ex-playersand analysts they will tell you we are notamong the favourites. If we can do some-thing, people’s attitude towards us willchange.” Bangladesh won 13 one-dayinternationals last year. Among the WorldCup countries, only India and Englanddid better. Bangladesh open their WorldCup campaign against South Africa atthe Oval, London, on June 2. —AFP

S p o r t s Tuesday, April 30, 2019

27

BERLIN: Bayern Munich coach Niko Kovac hailed a“crazy” Bundesliga title race after his side missed thechance to pull away from rivals Borussia Dortmund with adramatic 1-1 draw at lowly Nuremberg on Sunday.

A late penalty miss from Tim Leibold spared Bayernfrom a humiliating defeat, before Kingsley Coman missed agolden opportunity to win the game at the other end. “It isamazing what happened in the last five minutes there,”Kovac told Sky.

“The Bundesliga is just crazy, we saw that yesterdayand today.” Bayern had the chance to go four points clearat the top of the table with three games to go after titlerivals Borussia Dortmund lost 4-2 to Schalke on Saturday.

Yet there was another twist in the tale on Sunday, as adisciplined Nuremberg side kept Bayern at bay for longperiods to earn a well-deserved point and keepDortmund’s title hopes alive. “We knew that we had a bigchance today, so the atmosphere wasn’t that great in thedressing room after the game, but it is still all to play for,”Bayern’s David Alaba told Sky.

Bayern looked nervous from the outset, and nearly wentbehind when goalkeeper Sven Ulreich misjudged a back-pass from Mats Hummels in the first half. Matheus Pereiraput Nuremberg ahead with a brilliant strike from the edgeof the area in the 48th minute.

Serge Gnabry grabbed a scrappy equaliser with 15minutes to go, scuffing the ball over the goalkeeperChristian Mathenia at the far post.

Kovac denied that there had been a disagreement withColombian midfielder James Rodriguez, who was substi-tuted off just 15 minutes after being brought on in the sec-

ond half. The Bayern coach said that Rodriguez, withwhom he has had a rocky relationship in the past, hadpicked up a calf strain.

It was Rodriguez’s replacement Alphonso Davies whogave away the late penalty with a handball. Yet Leiboldstruck the ball against the post to deny Nuremberg anunlikely and valuable win in the relegation fight.

Bayern are now two points ahead of Dortmund withthree games to go. They face a tough trip to RB Leipzig intwo weeks’ time before hosting top-four side EintrachtFrankfurt on the last day of the season.

“We are one more point ahead now, but the situationhasn’t really changed. We need to pick up seven pointsfrom the last three games,” said Kovac. In Sunday’s earliergame, Hoffenheim goalkeeper Oliver Baumann fluffed tworoutine saves as his side lost 4-1 to Wolfsburg and missedthe chance to move within a point of the top four.

The usually reliable Baumann was beaten at his nearpost by Wout Weghorst and Maximilian Arnold asWolfsburg came from behind to win. Hoffenheim’s AndrejKramaric missed a penalty after Adam Szalai had giventhem the lead, and Wolfsburg’s William curled in a superbequaliser.

Baumann’s mistakes, and a late second goal forWeghorst sealed the win for Wolfsburg, which brings themto within a point of Hoffenheim in eighth. “It is reallyannoying because I saved pretty much everything else,”Baumann told Sky.

Julian Nagelsmann’s side remain on course for a EuropaLeague berth in seventh, but are four points adrift of thetop four. — AFP

Bayern survive penalty drama as Nuremberg keep Dortmund in title hunt

Late penalty miss from Tim Leibold spared Bayern from humiliating defeat

NUREMBERG: Bayern Munich’s midfielder Serge Gnabry (R) scores past Nuremberg’s defender Robert Bauerduring the German first division Bundesliga football match Nuremberg v FC Bayern Munich in Nuremberg,southern Germany. — AFP

PARIS: The football boots with whichPaul Pogba effectively won the WorldCup for France last year were sold for30,000 euros ($33,470) at a Paris auc-tion yesterday. The Manchester Unitedmidfielder, who scored France’s thirdgoal in the 4-2 victory over Croatia,had donated them to a French charitywhich helps high school students fromtough areas.

Christie’s auction house had hopedthat the boots would go for between35,000 and 50,000 euros. Pogba, whogrew up on a deprived estate in theParis suburbs, also donated the Franceshirt he wore during the team’s victoryover Iceland in the Euro 2016 quarter

final, in which he also scored. It sold for4,000 euros-four times the estimation.And another shirt which he wore in a2017 World Cup qualification gameagainst Holland went for three times itsestimate at 3,000 euros.

The gifted midfielder’s uneven formfor Manchester United has made him atarget for criticism, which may explainwhy a shirt he wore for the club in agame against West Ham in 2017 onlysold for 400 euros.

And a number of other shirts did notsell at all, including one he wore for theItalian club Juventus in their ChampionsLeague victory over Manchester City in2015. — AFP

Ajax fear no-oneas they huntunlikely Europeanglory: OnanaAMSTERDAM: Ajax goalkeeper Andre Onanasays that the flamboyant European dreamersaren’t afraid of anyone as they prepare to con-tinue their wild ride in the Champions Leaguewith the first leg of their semi-final at TottenhamHotspur today.

Four times European champions Ajax arehunting their first major continental triumphsince Patrick Kluivert downed AC Milan in the1995 final and have warmed hearts with athrilling run to the last four that has recalled theglory days of Johan Cruyff and Total Football.

Next up are Spurs, who Ajax meet after dis-patching reigning European champions RealMadrid and Juventus-tipped by many to win thewhole thing after signing Cristiano Ronaldo-with thrilling displays that enchanted footballfans across the continent.

“After beating Juventus and Real Madridyou’re not afraid of anyone,” Onana said in an

interview with AFP. “They (Spurs) are a verygood team. They have very good players, espe-cially on the counter where they can createproblems for us. But it’s up to us to handle thesesituations.”

Cameroon international Onana has been afixture between the sticks as the Dutch giantshunt a historic treble that Ajax have not com-pleted since Cruyff’s 1972 heyday, when theywon the second of three consecutive EuropeanCups and combined that with the Dutch Cupand league title.

They are also top of the Eredivisie, althoughlevel on points with PSV Eindhoven, and take onWillem II in next month’s domestic cup final.Asked by AFP if he expected Ajax to go so farin Europe, Onana said: “To be honest no! It’s myfirst season in the Champions League, and whenwe qualified for the group stage it was alreadylike ‘wow’.”

Ajax’s continental campaign kicked offagainst Austrians Sturm Graz way back in July,the first of three qualifying rounds they had tonegotiate before making the groups. “We saidto ourselves, there are six matches, let’s see ifwe can hang on to the Europa League!”

Instead Ajax finished comfortably second inGroup E, unbeaten and only two points behindeventual group winner Bayern Munich, and nowhave a realistic chance of joining the Bavarianson five European Cups after turning on the style

in the knockout rounds. “It’s the philosophy ofthe club and it’s important for us to stay true toit: control the game, keep possession... it’s clearthat fans have been enjoying watching it, and wehave fun playing it,” says Onana.

Ajax have extra motivation going into theirclash at the new Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, asthey know that this is the last chance for thisgroup of players to shock everyone and snatchthe biggest prize in football.

Star midfielder Frenkie De Jong will leave forBarcelona in the summer for an initial 75 millioneuros ($89 million), while centre-back Matthijsde Ligt, who sent Juventus packing with a bulletheader in the quarter finals, could follow histeammate to Catalonia.

After knocking out Real, coach Franck DeBoer admitted that forwards Hakim Ziyech andDavid Neres and Onana would also all be tar-geted by Europe’s biggest clubs come the endof the season, and the stopper wants to sign offthis era with the perfect parting gift after miss-ing out on the Europa League to ManchesterUnited in 2017.

“It’s clear that this is our objective. Notjust for the goal in and of itself, but for us,because after this season, there will be a lot ofplayers who will leave,” says Onana. “It isimportant for us to do something big. If thatmeans winning the treble, well that will besimply beautiful.” — AFP

Barrie helps Avs down Sharks to even seriesSAN JOSE: Tyson Barrie netted one goal andtwo assists, while Nathan MacKinnon andGabriel Landeskog both collected one goal andone assist as the visiting Colorado Avalancheevened their second-round Stanley Cup playoffseries with a 4-3 win over the San Jose Sharkson Sunday.

Avalanche goalie Philipp Grubauer made 31saves to backstop his team to a victory that leftthe best-of-seven series tied at one win apiece.Game 3 will be in Denver today.

With his team trailing 1-0 after the first peri-od, Landeskog pulled the Avalanche even with anifty deflection at 8:21 of the second frame.Shortly after his team killed a penalty, Barrieused his great skating ability to elude a checkbefore sending a point shot that Landeskogdeflected from the doorstep.

Then it was Barrie’s turn to light the lampwith his first NHL playoff goal and put his teamahead for good. Sharks goalie Martin Jonesstopped a point shot, but the rebound caromedall the way to Barrie at the right circle, and hejust got enough with his one-timer into the topcorner to put the Avs ahead 2-1 at 16:31 of thesecond period.

That set the stage for a thrilling third period.Former Shark Matt Nieto scored for theAvalanche to make it 3-1 just past the midwaypoint of the final period, pushing the puck overthe line as Brenden Dillon thought he’d pulled itfrom harm’s way off the goal line behind Jones.It was Nieto’s third goal of the playoffs,

But Brent Burns pulled the Sharks within onewith 4:34 left in regulation, sending a shot thatricocheted off Barrie’s stick and into theColorado goal. The tally came moments afterBurns’ point shot hit Alexander Kerfoot’s skate,knocking the blade off and leaving theAvalanche temporarily with only four ableskaters.

MacKinnon’s empty netter with 62 secondson the clock made it a 4-2 game and eventuallybecame the game winner, because Burns scoredwith 10 seconds remaining to round out thescoring and cap a three-point game.

MacKinnon and Rantanen have each collect-ed at least one point in six straight playoffgames. Evander Kane also scored for theSharks, who received a 28-save performancefrom Jones.

Warren Foegele and Nino Niederreiter

scored 48 seconds apart in the openingmoments of the third period of Game 2 of theEastern Conference semifinals Sunday afternoonfor the visiting Carolina Hurricanes, who beatthe New York Islanders 2-1 to take a 2-0 serieslead at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y.

The Hurricanes, who won 1-0 in overtime ofGame 1 on Friday, have won four straight playoffgames since falling behind the WashingtonCapitals 3-2 in the first round. Carolina returnshome to host Game 3 Wednesday night inRaleigh, N.C.

Foegele took a long pass from LucasWallmark and fired a shot past Robin Lehnerand off the far post just 17 seconds into thethird. Niederreiter, a former member of theIslanders, redirected Teuvo Teravainen’s shotjust 48 seconds later.

Curtis McElhinney, playing for the first timesince Apr. 6, earned the win by stopping all 17shots he faced in relief of Petr Mrazek, who leftwith a lower-body injury early in the secondperiod. Mrazek made nine saves.

Mathew Barzal scored in the first for theIslanders. Lehner recorded 16 saves.

The Islanders scored their first goal of theseries in unusual fashion during a power playin the first. Barzal was credited with the goalwhen his pass across the crease, which wasintended for Josh Bailey, ticked off the skate ofHurricanes defenseman Jaccob Slavin and skit-tered past Mrazek with 6:43 remaining. The

Hurricanes had 1:25 of 5-on-3 action early inthe second, when Jordan Eberle and ScottMayfield were each whistled for slashing. ButCarolina recorded just three shots during thepower play.

The Hurricanes, who lost defenseman Trevorvan Riemsdyk when he took a hit from Islandersright winger Cal Clutterbuck during the game’sfirst series, absorbed another big loss whenMrazek left 6:27 into the second. Mrazek, whoappeared to be hurt lunging for a save on a shotby Leo Komarov a little more than two minutesinto the period, smashed his stick against theboards as he left the ice.

McElhinney was tested immediately by theIslanders, who had the first five shots followingMrazek’s exit. He turned back consecutivepoint-blank opportunities by Matt Martin andMayfield shortly before the midway point ofthe period.

The Islanders, who had two goals waved offin Friday’s loss, had another waved off with 14.2seconds left in the second, when Devon Toewshad his shot deflected by McElhinney beforekicking the puck into the net as he skatedbehind the cage.

The Islanders suffered another near-misswith 7:32 left in the third, when Eberle’s shotbanged off the crossbar and bounced into thecrease but never crossed the goal line. RyanPulock hit the post with about a minuteremaining. — Reuters

Zidane apologisesafter Madrid lose to struggling RayoMADRID: Zinedine Zidane apologised andsaid he wished Real Madrid’s miserable sea-son would end now after they were beatenby 19th-placed Rayo Vallecano on Sunday.Madrid’s response to Barcelona winning thetitle on Saturday night was to slip to a 1-0defeat at Vallecas and fall 18 points behindLa Liga’s newly-crowned champions.

Zidane took over knowing Madrid’s titlechallenge was all-but extinguished but thedifference on Barca then was 12 pointswhile catching Atletico Madrid, now nineahead, seemed achievable.

Adri Embarba’s penalty, given afterconsultation with VAR, was enough forRayo, who move to within six points of sur-vival, with three games left to play. “Todaywe did nothing,” Zidane said. “From minuteone until the end, at all levels. Sometimesyou cannot score but today we did noteven create chances, did not play at all.

“We must be very angry. I am angry,because the image we gave off today wasbad. I am responsible for this as well, notjust the players. But we have to apologisefor our performance today, all of us.”

The gap widens between them andBarcelona, whose players had been danc-ing on the pitch at Camp Nou the nightbefore and posing for photos with theirchildren after wrapping up a fourth LaLiga title in five years.

Asked if he would like the season to endnow, Zidane said: “Yes, but we have to playthese three games and do something differ-ent. We cannot end like this. “It is about meas well, today what I did in the shape of the

team, it didn’t work at all. We must respectfootball and what this club represents.”

Not since March 31 has anyone exceptKarim Benzema, out with a hamstringinjury, scored for Madrid, who createdprecious few chances against a Rayo sidethat have conceded 62 goals this term. Noside in the division has shipped more.

Zidane said last week that the leaguewould be the club’s first priority fromAugust but, even with new signings andfresh motivation, it could prove difficult toflick the switch. Madrid’s winning habit haslong-been lost.

Rayo’s last victory over Real at Vallecaswas in 1997, by the same scoreline, and thistime they were without their top scorer too,Raul de Tomas, who is on loan from Madridand ineligible to face his parent club.

Zidane handed Gareth Bale anotherchance but he struggled to impress whileThibaut Courtois made his first start underthe Frenchman, in ahead of Keylor Navas.Rayo won their penalty in the 23rd minueas referee Pablo Gonzalez took advicefrom VAR before judging Jesus Vallejo tohave hauled down Javi Guerra in the box.Embarba made no mistake.

Madrid wanted their own spot-kickwhen Mariano Diaz took a tumble from acorner but Gonzalez was unmoved, and thesecond half was surprisingly comfortablefor Rayo. Bale’s free-kick was palmed awayby Garcia while Zidane threw on BrahimDiaz, Lucas Vazquez and Isco in search ofsome inspiration. It never came.

Beneath Madrid, La Liga’s lastChampions League spot remains up forgrabs after Valencia, Sevilla and Getafe allendured surprise defeats earlier onSunday. Valencia lost 1-0 at home to Eibarwhile Sevilla were beaten by the samescoreline away to struggling Girona, whosevictory could prove crucial in their fightagainst relegation. — AFP

Pogba’s World Cup winningboots sell for 30,000 euros

PARIS: A pair of shoes worn by French midfielder Paul Pogba on July 15, 2018 duringthe World Cup 2018 final match is displayed at Christies auction house in Paris, threedays before being auctioned to benefit “Les Ètoiles de la Source”, a charitable organi-sation working towards better integration for underprivileged children. — AFP

SAN JOSE: Goalie Martin Jones #31 of the San Jose Sharks makes a save with his padagainst the Colorado Avalanche in Game Two of the Western Conference Second Round dur-ing the 2019 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at SAP Center. — AFP

SportAustralia’s Lee roars to victory at LA Open

Hales withdrawn from England WCup squad

Bayern survive penalty drama as Nuremberg keep Dortmund in title hunt2725 26

TUESDAY, APRIL 30, 2019

Warriors edge Rockets 104-100WASHINGTON: Kevin Durant scored 35 points to lead thedefending champion Golden State Warriors over Houston104-100 Sunday while Boston ripped Milwaukee in theopeners of their NBA second-round playoff matchups.

Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson, each playingdespite right ankle injuries, scored 18 and 13 pointsrespectively while Andre Iguodala and Draymond Greeneach added 14 as the Warriors jumped ahead in the best-of-seven Western Conference playoff series.

James Harden led Houston with 35 points while EricGordon added 27 and Chris Paul contributed 17 in a losingcause, the Rockets hitting only 41.9 percent from the floor.

“We just made them shoot tough shots,” Durant said. “Ithink our defense won this game.”

At Milwaukee, Kyrie Irving and Al Horford sparked theBoston Celtics to a 112-90 victory. Irving had game highs

of 26 points and 11 assists while Horford scored 20 points,grabbed 11 rebounds and blocked three shots.

The Warriors had lost their two prior playoff homegames to the Los Angeles Clippers before escaping thefirst round, but hung on down the stretch to halt thatunwanted streak. Curry sank a 3-pointer to give theWarriors a five-point lead with 25 seconds remaining, butHarden answered with a dunk with lift the Rockets within103-100 with 21 seconds remaining. Houston forced aturnover but Harden missed a 3-pointer and Paul got therebound but then made a turnover and was ejected after atechnical foul with four seconds remaining, Curry sinking afree throw to create the final victory margin.

“Just getting more opportunities,” Durant said of hisperformance. “We’ve got to win every matchup. We’llbring the focus again Tuesday (for game two).”

HORFORD QUIETS GIANNIS Boston’s Horford led a solid Celtics defensive effort that

shut down Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo.“We came out and made a statement,” Irving said. “We

guarded Giannis really tough. We stayed very physicalwith him. He’s so good around the rim, that mid-rangearea, we had to keep him out of there. I think we did agreat job.” Antetokounmpo led the Bucks with 22 pointsand grabbed eight rebounds, but much of his productioncame late when Milwaukee was already in a 20-point hole.

The Celtics, seeded fourth in the Eastern Conferenceagainst the club with the NBA’s best record at 60-22, shot54 percent against the league’s toughest defensive squad.

Boston unleashed a 32-9 run in the third quarter,Horford scoring 11 in the spurt, to seize an 86-65 lead.

While the host Bucks made one unsuccessful run early

in the fourth quarter, they never threatened to erase thatlead as they had done with a 15-point deficit in the firsthalf. “Just coming out playing very aggressive, playingpoised, understanding they are very tough to beat on theirhome floor,” Irving said when asked about the key toBoston’s success.

“It’s our preparation, our focus and being there for oneanother. This is the time you show why you go through theups and downs of the regular season.”

The Bucks, the NBA’s third-best scoring club, shot only34.8 percent for the game. Antetokounmpo went 7-for-21from the floor but was denied inside position by Boston’svaried defensive schemes. The Greek star’s teammatescould not step up and offset his lost production whenasked by the Celtics, who dropped two of three regular-season meetings with Milwaukee. — AFP

Celtics baffle Bucks in NBA playoffs

OAKLAND: Andre Iguodala #9 of the Golden State Warriors goes for jumpball James Harden #13 of the Houston Rockets during Game One of the Western Conference Semi-Finals of the 2019 NBA Playoffs at ORACLE Arena in Oakland, California. — AFP

Van Dijk wins PFA player of year awardLONDON: Liverpool centre-back Virgil van Dijk wasnamed as England’s PFA Player of the Year for 2019 onSunday. Van Dijk succeeded Liverpool team-mateMohamed Salah in winning the award, voted for by hisfellow players and saw off competition fromManchester City striker Raheem Sterling.

But Sterling, 24, was named the ProfessionalFootballers’ Association Young Player of the Year, fol-lowing on from City colleague Leroy Sane. Van Dijkjoined Liverpool from Southampton for £75 million($97 million, 87 million euros) in January 2018. The 27-year-old Dutchman has been an ever-present forLiverpool in their bid to dethrone City as PremierLeague champions this season, with Sterling’s side onepoint clear of the Reds at the top of the table with justtwo games left to play. Van Dijk has starred in a hugelyimproved Liverpool defence that has kept 20 cleansheets and conceded a mere 20 goals in the currentcampaign.

“It’s pretty difficult to put into words,” said VanDijk, the first defender to win the award sinceChelsea’s John Terry 14 years ago. “I think it’s the high-est honour you can get as a player to get voted player

of the year by the players you play against every week.It’s special. I’m very proud and honoured to receive it.”

Van Dijk, who also has a Champions League semi-final against Barcelona to look forward to this week,added: “If you see the standard of strikers or playmak-ers we have in the league, it’s unbelievable.”

England international Sterling has been praisedboth for his on-field performances and a willingnessto speak out about football’s continuing problemswith racism. Arsenal Women forward VivianneMiedema won the Women’s Player of the Year awardafter scoring 22 times to lead the Gunners to theirfirst title since 2012, with her and Van Dijk completinga Dutch double.

The north London side were crowned championswith a 4-0 win away to Brighton on Sunday. Miedemawas also nominated for the Young Player of the Yearaward won by Manchester City forward GeorgiaStanway.

Miedema said: “I’m obviously really proud to repre-sent my team here. I think we’ve had an amazing year,especially with winning the league today.” Meanwhile,the PFA’s special achievement award went toManchester City and England captain Steph Houghton.

The 31-year-old defender is set to skipper theLionesses at this year’s World Cup in France. ButHoughton has said she could miss the tournament inorder to care for her husband, former Liverpool mid-fielder Stephen Darby, who was diagnosed withmotor neurone disease last year. Darby, however, isdetermined Houghton takes her place in manager PhilNeville’s squad. — AFP Virgil van Dijk

Raheem Sterling namedplayer of the season by football writersLONDON: Raheem Sterling was named the 2019 footballer ofthe year by the Football Writers’ Association yesterday hoursafter missing out on the players’ player of the year award. TheManchester City and England forward topped the poll of the400-strong FWA membership as a clear winner, with 62 per-cent of the votes, more than 100 ahead of Liverpool defenderVirgil Van Dijk.

Sterling’s team-mate Sergio Aguero was in third place. OnSunday, Sterling, 24, lost out to Van Dijk in the battle for theProfessional Footballers’ Association award but was announcedPFA young player of the year.

Sterling has been a key man in Pep Guardiola’s side as theybattle with Liverpool for the Premier League title and hasreceived praise for the strong stance he has taken againstracism in the game, having himself been subjected to abuse.

Sterling has scored 29 goals for club and country, including ahat-trick for England in the opening Euro 2020 qualifier againstthe Czech Republic at Wembley, while also helping GarethSouthgate’s young squad reach this summer’s Nations LeagueFinals. Manchester City’s England forward Nikita Parris won thewomen’s footballer of the year award. — AFP