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Page 39

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

FRIDAY-SATURDAY, APRIL 7-8, 2017 / RAJAB 10-11, 1438 AH

emergency number 112

NO. 16435

44 PAGES

150 FILS

Kuwaiti, Syrian held in Manila for IS links Possible operational planning against Kuwait MANILA, April 6, (Agencies): Philippine security forces arrested a Kuwaiti and a five-month pregnant Syrian for suspected links to Islamic State three months after they arrived, authorities said on Thursday. Kuwaiti Husayn Al-Dhafiri and Syrian Rajaf Zina had been living and working in Manila since January before they were arrested on March 25 in an upscale commercial

district, Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre told reporters. The two, wearing orange prison uniforms, were paraded in front of journalists at the National Bureau of Investigation office where they were being held. Authorities said Al-Dhafiri would be deported to Kuwait where he is suspected of bomb plots. Zina would be

deported to Qatar, from where she last came. The two were not available for comment. “We are only speculating why they are in the Philippines,” Aguirre said after immigration authorities said the two had travelled to Davao in the south and Cebu in the central Philippines. Aguirre said they had relied heavily on information

from foreign allies to detect the presence of suspected Islamic State militants. They first came to the Philippines last year on tourist visas but returned in January on working visas after a Kuwaiti manpower agency hired them, immigration authorities said. Continued on Page 37

FIGHTERS BESIEGE I.S. STRONGHOLD ... DAESH SLAUGHTERS 33

Tests point to likely sarin exposure Putin doubts US data on chemical attack that “it was determined after the autopsy that a chemical weapon was used.” Later on Thursday, the Turkish Health Ministry issued a statement saying that “according to the results of the first analysis, there were findings suggesting that the patients were exposed to chemical substance (sarin).” The statement also said the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons would also test the samples in The Hague. Turkish officials say that close to 60 victims of the attack were brought to Turkey for treatment and three of them died. Tuesday’s attack happened just 100 kms (60 miles) from the Turkish border, and the Turkish government — a close Syria maintains it didn’t use chemical weapons, instead blaming the rebels for stockpiling the deadly substance. “I stress, once again, that the Syrian Arab Army did not and will not use such weapons even against the terror- ally of Syrian rebels — set up a decontamination center at a border crossing in the province of Hatay, where the victims were initially treated before being moved to hospitals. ists who are targeting our people,” Syria’s Foreign Minister Walid Moallem told reporters in Damascus. Russia’s Defense Ministry said the toxic agents were released when a Syrian airstrike hit a rebel chemical weapons In Turkey, state-run Anadolu and the private DHA news agencies quoted Justice Minister Bekir Bozdag as saying arsenal and munitions factory on the town’s eastern outskirts. Russian President Vladimir Putin warned against apportioning blame for the attack until an investigation has been carried out. At the press conference in Damascus, Moallem also echoed that statement, saying the Syrian army bombed a warehouse belonging to al-Qaeda’s branch in Syria that contained chemical weapons. He did not say whether the government knew in advance that the warehouse contained chemical weapons. Asked whether his country would give access to a fact-finding mission over the use of chemical weapons, Moallem said: “Our experiences with international investigating committees were not encouraging, because they come out of Damascus with certain indications which then change at their headquarters.” He said Damascus wants guarantees that any investigation would be impartial and non-politicized. He also said such a committee should start from Damascus and not from Turkey. “Once we reach convincing answers we will give our answer,” he said. The area of the town is difficult to access and as more time passes in the aftermath of the attack, it will be increasingly difficult to determine exactly what happened. Turkish media have reported that World Health Organization experts took part in the autopsies of Syrian victims conducted in a hospital in the Turkish city of Adana late Wednesday. Photo by Rizk Tawfik The top humanitarian aid official Participants in ‘Eagles Resolve 2017’ drill pose together after conclusion of the exercise. — See Page 8 with the UN’s Syria office said he believes an awareness of the need to protect civilians is “sinking in” after the Khan Sheikhoun attack. Jan Egeland expressed hopes for a “watershed moment” with “all of these world leaders saying that they have again woken up to the suffering of the civilians that we see every day.” EgeThe two rival Kurdish groups issued a joint land spoke to reporters on Thursday afThe Kurds played a major role in the USERBIL, Iraq, April 6, (RTRS): Iraq’s Kurds Iraq’s unity after the militants have been oustbacked campaign to defeat Islamic State, the statement on Sunday declaring support for the ter a meeting of the UN’s humanitarian plan to hold a referendum on independence ed from Mosul. The two main Kurdish parties, the Kurdis- ultra-hardline Sunni Muslim group that over- plan of holding a referendum, leaving its ex- “task force” for Syria. this year to press their case for “the best deal” He said the world body needs a on self-determination once Islamic State is de- tan Democratic Party (KDP) and the Patriotic ran about a third of Iraq nearly three years ago. act timing to an agreement with other, smaller “green light” to reach 1 million people Kurdish groups. The militants are now fighting off Iraqi forcUnion of Kurdistan (PUK), agreed at a meetfeated, a senior Kurdish official said. Zebari described the aim as “self-determi- in hard-to-reach and besieged areas of The Kurds already run their own autono- ing on Sunday that a referendum should be es in Mosul, their last major city stronghold mous region in northern Iraq and the official, held this year, Zebari, a senior member of the in Iraq from where they declared a “caliphate” nation”, leaving open the exact nature of any the war-torn country. He also called for deal with Baghdad following the referendum 72-hour cease fires in the key zones of that also includes parts of Syria. Hoshiyar Zebari, indicated the expected ‘yes’ KDP leadership, told Reuters. While the fall of Mosul would effectively when Kurds would be likely to vote strongly fighting so aid can get in, and protection “The idea of a referendum has been re-enoutcome in a vote wouldn’t mean automatifor hospitals and evacuees who choose ergised,” Zebari, a former Iraqi foreign and end the “caliphate”, it will not solve deep divi- for independence. cally declaring independence. to leave violent areas voluntarily “It will give a strong mandate to the KurdBut with Kurdish forces also controlling finance minister, said in an interview in Erbil sions over power, land and resources between In France, Foreign Minister Jeanish leadership to engage in talks with Baghdad wider territory regained from Islamic State, on Wednesday evening, commenting on the Iraq’s Shi’ite Arab majority, and the important Marc Ayrault urged for a resumption Sunni Arab and Kurdish communities. the referendum plan adds to questions about meeting held with the PUK’s leadership. Continued on Page 37

BEIRUT, April 6, (Agencies): Turkey said Thursday that autopsies of Syrian victims from this week’s assault in Syria’s Idlib province show they were subjected to chemical weapons, as France’s foreign minister called for the prosecution of President Bashar Assad’s government amid growing international outrage over the assault that activists say killed 86 people.

DAESH down Iraq chopper

Kurds re-energise independence referendum

Continued on Page 37

Designated driver prof is driven to distraction

Newswatch WASHINGTON: The US may expand the number of airports affected by the ban against laptops and other portable electronic devices in carrying on luggage, Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly said Wednesday. He affirmed that the move is based on a specific concern. “It’s real. I think it’s getting realer, so to speak,” Kelly told the Senate Committee on Homeland Security. “We may take measures in the nottoo-distant future to expand the number of airports.” Ten airports in eight countries, which are Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Morocco, Qatar, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, are affected by this ban. Kelly said that the precautions were not taken “because of the Muslim region” but Continued on Page 37

Photo by Bassam Abu Shanab

Political activists and other citizens staged a protest in Mubarakiya area calling for a permanent shut-down of the National Assembly and referring public funds embezzlers for prosecution. — See Page 8

BOSTON, April 6, (AP): A Harvard University professor who introduced Americans to the concept of designated drivers to deter drunken driving is now taking on the deadly problem of motorists distracted by cellphones and other electronics. Jay Winsten is consulting with federal and Massachusetts officials to develop a new generation of public awareness messages. “We wanted to find out why all efforts to date to tackle distracted driving have utterly failed,” Winsten said. Distracted driving killed 3,477 people in 2015, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The Governors Highway Safety Association recently cited it as contributing to a surge in pedestrian fatalities last year. Just last week, after a crash killed 13 people in Texas, a witness said a pickup driver who collided with a minibus acknowledged he was texting; the crash is being investigated. It’s not as if Americans aren’t aware of the risks, said Winsten, director of the Center for Health Communication at Harvard’s School of Public Health. It’s just that many drivers, surveys show, are mistakenly confident in their own ability to “multitask and handle the problem,” he added. Continued on Page 37



US$/KD 0.30485/95



Euro/KD 0.3245



Yen/KD 0.0027



British £/KD 0.3801

▼ KSE -29.81 pts at closing April 6 See Page 35

▲ Dow +47.01 pts at 21:50 April 6 See Page 36

▼ Nasdaq -11.42 pts at 21:50 April 6 ▼ FTSE -28.48 pts at closing April 6 ▼ Nikkei -264.21 pts at closing April 6 ▲ Gold $1,252.50 per oz (London) ▲

NYMEX crude $51.79 per barrel



Brent crude $54.98 per barrel 3-month $ LIBOR rate 1.15039%

ARAB TIMES, FRIDAY-SATURDAY, APRIL 7-8, 2017

LOCAL

2

‘Students participation in regional, int’l contests helps hone their skills’ Decision No. 112/16 excludes any hike in school fees for 2016/17 KUWAIT CITY, April 6, (Agencies): Minister of Education and Higher Education Dr Mohammad Al-Fares affirmed the importance of students’ participation in regional and international competitions which will help in polishing their skills, developing their abilities, motivating them and providing them with opportuni-

ties to enter competitions in the future. The minister said this at Kuwait International Airport when he went to receive the five Kuwaiti students who are winners of silver and bronze medals in the physics and mathematics competitions organized by the Arab Bureau of Education for the Gulf States.

In his statement to the press, Dr Al-Fares affirmed that the achievement of these five students is testimony to the fact that their efforts did not go in vain, assuring that Ministry of Education provided every necessary support to them and facilitated their win. The minister expressed appreciation and gratitude to those in charge of the competition for the support they provided the students. He explained that, “With the ministry’s participation through its students, it has managed to achieve one of its fundamental objectives through such competitions, which is to provide opportunity for students to present their creativity in their academic spectrum”. He expressed hope that doors will be opened for students to participate in chemistry-related competitions. Dr Al-Fares dedicated this achievement to His Highness the Amir of Kuwait Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, and His Highness the Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, promising more support for similar type of activities. KUNA photo He affirmed that the ministry Minister of Education Dr Mohammad Al-Fares while he was receiving at the airport the 5 Kuwaiti students who will provide all types of capawon silver and bronze medals in physics and mathematics competitions. bilities and support on various aspects with the ambition of further participations of students from Kuwait in such international competitions. The minister revealed about a work plan which will focus on continuing such student achievements and opening bigger base KUWAIT CITY, April 6: Minister to give opportunity to other stuof Health Dr Jamal Al-Harbi has dents for competing and partici‘Justice’ to appoint new experts nominated three candidates for the pating. vacant position of the undersecretary Assistant Undersecretary for of Ministry of Health following the Private Education in the Minisresignation of the former undersecretry of Education Dr AbdulMotary Khalid Al-Sahlawi, reports Alhsin Al-Huwailah said recently Rai daily quoting sources from the “no school has the right to oblige health sector. students to buy revision notes as They revealed that these nomithe schools are required to use KUWAIT CITY, April 6: State Meanwhile, Minister of Justice nees are Head of Cardiology Unit textbooks provided by the minMinister for Cabinet Affairs and and State Minister for National Asat Mubarak Al-Kabeer Hospital and istry only”. Acting Minister of Information sembly Affairs Dr Faleh Al-Azeb Head of Kuwait Cardiologists Union He added the sector is reviewSheikh Mohammad Al-Abdullah declared that the ministry will ing regulations concerning eduDr Mohammad Zubaid, Director of Al-Sabah declared that the Civil soon start recruitment procedures cation and the prices of school Kuwait Cancer Center Dr Ahmad AlService Commission (CSC) has for appointing new experts in the uniform to prevent the exaggeraAwadi and Assistant Undersecretary approved to disburse bonuses for Experts Department based on strict tion of uniform prices. He added for Public Health Affairs Dr Majda jurists and consultants who superstandards, reports Al-Rai daily. teachers are not obliged to pay vised the parliamentary elections He said the concept of a “fullAl-Qattan. the expenses for renewal of their last November, reports Al-Rai time officer” to work in the minisThe sources expressed their surresidency or any other service daily. try for benefitting from the advanprise over the exclusion of Dr Waleed unless it is mentioned in their He indicated that the value of tages of some administrative jobs Al-Falah from the candidature especontracts with the schools. the bonuses will be the same as will be implemented. cially since he had taken up the role He called for teachers exposed that of the year 2013, revealing The minister revealed that of acting undersecretary following to the above-stated situation to that the reason for the delay in disCivil Service Commission has the resignation of Al-Sahlawi. file formal complaints for legal bursement of bonuses was routine approved the new organizational Meanwhile, Minister of Justice redress. He noted the teachers administrative procedures. structure of the Experts Departand State Minister for National Asmay contact the Directorate of The minister stressed the keenment, indicating that the new orsembly Affairs Dr Faleh Al-Azeb ness of the state to support the efganizational structure will consist Private Education or visit its ofrevealed that the new building of forts exerted by the jurists in meetof eight directors, more number of ficial website in case of any comJustice Palace will be a high internaing the requirements, serving their supervisors and nearly 56 heads plaint. tional-standard edifice befitting the homeland and ensuring justice. of departments. Concerning the fees of private image of Kuwait and its space will be schools, Al-Huwaila stressed Decision No. 112/2016 excludes three times more than the Jahra Court um Corporation (EGPC) Wednesday ies. any increase in the school fees Complex, reports Al-Anba daily. The Egyptian Ministry of Petrole- for academic year 2016/2017 or He revealed that they are work- signed the renewal of two commering on the layout of the Justice Pal- cial contracts for supply of petro- um said this agreement will facilitate an increase of more than 3 perace, adding that it will consist of two leum products and crude oil for three new horizons between the two sides cent for each term for 2017/2018. years, reports Al-Shahed daily. such as extending the period of pay- He reiterated the ministry will buildings, each with 20 floors. The deal includes supply of 1.5 ment of petroleum products to 180 take legal action against schools ❑ ❑ ❑ million tons of petroleum products days instead of 90, as well as exten- that violate regulations through

KUNA photo

Director General of Public Authority for Youth (PAY) Abdulrahman Al-Mutairi has reviewed preparations for planned celebrations of Kuwait as the ‘Capital of Arab Youth of 2017’. The event is set to kick off in mid-May under the auspices of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah. Speaking to KUNA in a statement on Wednesday, Al-Mutairi said that he revised celebration plans in detail during a meeting of the technical committee on youth affiliated to the Council of Arab Ministers of Youth and Sports. The meeting is part of preparatory meetings for the 40th session of the council and 60th session of its executive council. (KUNA)

‘New Justice Palace bldg to be of high int’l-standard’

Health minister nominates three for vacant post

Disbursement of bonus OK’d for those who supervised polls

Kuwait Petroleum Corporation (KPC) and Egyptian General Petrole-

and 2 million barrels of crude oil on monthly basis for Egyptian refiner-

sion of up to 270 days for payment of crude oil.

direct warning and followed by cancellation of license.

Photo by Rizk Taufiq

Safir Hotels & Residences, Kuwait, presented a cake (above), to the Arab Times, Thursday, on the occasion of the 40th Anniversary of the Newspaper.

Top officials at anti-graft body resign verbally

Dangerous potholes on various streets tied to widespread corruption in sector KUWAIT CITY, April 6: Dangerous potholes have emerged on various streets and roads and threaten the lives of citizens and residents. They are the result of the widespread corruption in the Roads Sector of the ministry, reports Al-Shahed daily quoting informed sources. They stressed that the reasons for this problem are the lack of monitoring during implementation of road projects, and granting tenders of road projects to small companies that do not meet the technical and legal conditions and are not capable of shouldering the responsibility of carrying out the project properly. The sources indicated that the roads will witness several problems in the coming phase such as increased number of dangerous potholes and collapses which will cost the state millions of dinars. They called for the formation of a neutral committee to list the roads that are on the verge of collapsing. Meanwhile, high-ranking officials of Kuwait Anti-Corruption Authority and head of a department have verbally submitted their resignations to the head

Al-Shahed daily photo

A pothole in the middle of the road in one of the streets.

of the authority, reports Al-Qabas daily quoting informed sources. They revealed that the resignations were presented because of the incessant conflicts in the authority as well as confusion in the work of the authority.

News in Brief ‘15,500 Kuwaitis studying in US’: US Ambassador to Kuwait Lawrence Silverman affirmed that five generations of Kuwaitis have studied in the United States (US), and almost 15,500 Kuwaitis are presently studying in top US universities in their various specialties, reports Al-Anba daily. Ambassador Silverman made the disclosure at a recent seminar organized by the US Embassy in American United School, Sabah Al-Salem Area. He reaffirmed commitment of the embassy to attract Kuwaiti students to pursue higher education in the United States with knowledge about frequently asked questions for prompt response. He indicated the embassy monitors the students at all levels to know their progress. He said the embassy has since assisted prospective students with available opportunities to further their education in over 4,000 top higher institutes in the US. ❑ ❑ ❑ Phenomenon to make Jupiter appear brighter: Earth will lie in a position between the sun and Jupiter in an astronomical phenomenon called “Jupiter at opposition” which will allow the planet to appear brighter, Kuwaiti astronomer and historian Adel Al-Sadoun announced on Thursday. Al-Sadoun added in remarks to KUNA that this phenomenon happens every 13 months, which means that it will take place again on May 7, 2018. During the course of the phenomenon, Jupiter will shine more brightly than any other star in the evening sky and it will be visible to the naked eye in the constellation Virgo, he said. Jupiter will be in its closest positions to the sun by April 8 at 666 million kilometers and it would be more shinny by midnight, he mentioned. (KUNA) ❑ ❑ ❑ Docus to cost huge budgets: The first and second economic and financial reform documents amended by Ministry of Finance and prepared in coordination with a global consultancy firm will cost huge budgets for implementation, reports Al-Shahed daily quoting informed sources. They said the second reform document is under preparation and is expected to be completed next month after receiving opinions of various economic institutions.

ARAB TIMES, FRIDAY-SATURDAY, APRIL 7-8, 2017

LOCAL

3

Al-Shall Report

Boursa Kuwait performance during week more active

Individual investors largest contributor to liquidity The bottom line is that the harmed from delay in the advanced policies is not the senior officials in the decision-making authority but 99% of the common people. Kuwait’s position now is in the middle between Venezuela and Norway. What we reviewed above is the reality of two states and is not a hypothetical analysis. What can protect Kuwait from drifting or slipping into the case of Venezuela or even some promoting to the Norwegian case is making the right decision, more importantly is its timing. There is no more time to avoid the slipping and we are left with no option but to immediately adopt the right policies.

Trading Features at Boursa Kuwait — March 2017 Kuwait Clearing Company issued its report titled “Trading Volume According to Nationality and Category” from 01/01/2017 to 31/03/2017 published on Boursa Kuwait official website. The report indicated that individuals are still the largest group, their share started to increase and they captured 53.5% of total value of purchased shares (42.5% for the first quarter 2016) and 53.1% of total value of sold shares (46.8% for the first quarter 2016). Individual investors purchased shares worth KD 1.451 billion and sold shares worth KD 1.440 billion with a net trading, purchasing, by KD 10.921 million. The second largest contributor to market liquidity is the clients’ accounts (portfolios) which captured 22.5% of total value of sold shares (17.1% in the same period of 2016) and 21.6% of total value of purchased shares (15.6% in the same period of 2016). The sector sold shares worth KD 611.718 million and purchased shares worth KD 584.695 million, thus making its net trading, more selling, by KD 27.023 million. The third contributor, is the corporations and companies sector which captured 18.3% of total value of purchased shares (33.4% in the same period of 2016) and 17.7% of total value of sold shares (26% in the same period of 2016). The sector purchased shares worth KD 496.726 million and sold shares worth KD 480.208 million with a net trading, more purchasing, by KD 16.518 million. The last contributor to liquidity is the investment funds sector which captured 6.7% of total value of sold shares (10.1% in the same period of 2016) and 6.6% of total value of purchased shares (8.5% in the same period of 2016). This sector sold shares worth KD 180.689 million and purchased shares worth KD 180.272 million, with a net trading, selling, by KD 416.8 thousand. Boursa Kuwait continues to be a domestic Boursa with the Kuwaiti investors forming the biggest trading group and sold shares worth KD 2.463 billion capturing 90.8% of total value of sold shares (85.4% in the same period of 2016) and purchased shares worth KD 2.423 billion, capturing 89.3% of total value of purchased shares (86.3% in the same period of 2016). Thus, their net trading, the only one selling, scored KD 40.080 million, which is an indicator of a receding confidence of local traders. Other investors’ share, out of total value of purchased shares, scored 7.7% (9.8% in the same period of 2016), and purchased shares worth KD 208.500 million, while their value of sold shares worth KD 173.910 million, 6.4% of total value of sold shares (11.2% in the same period of 2016). As a result, their net trading, more purchasing, scored KD 34.590 million. Share of GCC investors, out of total value of purchased shares, formed 3% (3.9% in the same period of 2016), worth KD 81.609 million, while value of sold shares formed 2.8% (3.4% in the same period of 2016), worth KD 76.118 million, their net trading, purchasing, by about KD 5.490 million. Relative distribution among nationalities changed from its previous one and became as follows: 90% for Kuwaitis, 7% for traders from other nationalities, and 2.9% for GCC traders vis-à-vis 85.9%, 10.5% and 3.6% for Kuwaitis, other nationalities and GCC traders respectively in the same period of 2016. This means that Boursa Kuwait remained a local one with the rise in the share of its investors from local traders. However, the turnout is still higher from investors mainly outside the GCC region than from the inside of the GCC region in which an overtrading of individuals is a dominant factor. Number of active accounts between the end of December 2016 and the end of March 2017 rose by 26% (compared to a decrease by -5.2% between the end of December 2015 and the end of March 2016). Number of active accounts in the end of March 2017 scored 19,652 accounts, 5.2% of total accounts, versus 18,416 accounts in the end of February 2017, 4.9% of total accounts for the same month, with a rise of 6.7% during March 2017.

Comparative Performance for Selected Stock Markets — March 2017

Photo by Bassam Abo Shanab

File photo shows traders on Boursa Kuwait floor. Thursday trading ends in red zone. — See Page 35

Monetary and Economic Indicators (October-December 2016) The Quarterly Statistical Bulletin (October - December 2016) issued by the Central Bank of Kuwait (CBK) and published on its website, provides some economic and monetary indicators that are worth following-up. We will mention some of those indicators for the purpose of documenting their development. An example is the balance of trade (commodity exports minus commodity imports) which achieved a surplus in the 4th Quarter of 2016 by KD 1.693 billion as Kuwait’s exports during this quarter scored KD 4.118 billion, of which 90.4% were oil exports. Total commodity exports for the entire year of 2016 scored about KD 13.977 billion, of which 89.6% were oil exports. Commodity imports -excluding military- during the 4th Quarter of 2016 were at KD 2.424 billion. And the value of commodity imports -excluding military- for the entire year of 2016 scored KD 9.315 billion. Balance of trade achieved a surplus in the 1st Quarter of 2016 at KD 391 million, and increased in the 2nd Quarter to KD 1.195 billion, and continued increasing to KD 1.383 billion in the 3rd Quarter. Overall, the balance of trade achieved a surplus at KD 4.662 billion in the year 2016 which is less by -33% than KD 6.964 billion achieved in 2015. Consumer prices index in 2016 achieved a positive growth by 3.2% as its average was 141.7 (in 2007=100), up from 137.3 in 2015, which comes within the reasonable limits. This growth is due to the dominating effect of housing services prices from 141.2 in 2015, to 150.8 in 2016 (+6.8%). The bulletin indicates a continuous increase in the weighted interest rates of balances on deposits from 1.641% in the 3rd Quarter to 1.643% in the 4th Quarter, (a quarterly growth rate by 0.1%). Likewise, it increased from 1.498% in 2015 to 1.624% in 2016, (a yearly increase by 8.4%). The weighted interest rates of balances on loans increased from 4.466% to 4.509%, (a quarterly growth rate by 1%). Likewise,

it increased from 4.372% in 2015 to 4.477% in 2016, (a yearly increase by 2.4%). Private sector deposits volume at local banks scored KD 33.966 billion, up from KD 33.044 billion at the end of 2015, (an increase of 2.8%). Finally, local banks’ claims on the private sector went up to KD 36.201 billion, from KD 35.302 billion in 2015, (an increase of 2.5%).

The Financial Deficit — The Venezuelan Case We received more than one comment on a paragraph in our last week report about the truth and risks of financial deficit. Some of the comments inquire about whether there will be real risks for cases as a result of delayed advanced remedy of the likely financial deficit. Although there is more than one example like Nigeria and other states in the region, though with different conditions, the Venezuelan case remains an advanced ill case although it owns the largest oil reserves in the world and is rich with other resources and topography. In its latest reports about Venezuela, the IMF displays some probable indices of its economic performance. Negative performance is a sustained case at -10% in 2016, -4.5% in 2017, -3% in 2018, and -1% in 2019. This is associated with two other more serious indices which were the main reason underlying the failure of most states. The first one is the rise of unemployment rate from 18.1% in 2016 to 26.9% in 2019, and then to 29.8% in 2021. The second index which is associated with great deterioration in the income of those still working was the inflation coupled with deteriorated exchange rate of the currency which leads to diminishing the real income. It scored 720% in 2016 and soared to 2600% in 2019 and to 4600% in 2021. Venezuela is an advanced case of catching the Dutch disease. It used oil funds to buy political loyalties. It made people, or most people, hypnotized or happy in the short term but most of them are now paying the cost through their unemployment and by being unable to obtain their basic

necessities. The threat of becoming a failing state is looming in the horizon. All of the preceding occurred because of the failure in adopting the right advanced decision. Quite the opposite happened to Norway as it adopted its advanced decision in the right timing. The public finance will continue to achieve surplus by US$ 30 billion per annum for the forthcoming 5 years. The current account also achieves surplus by 7.5% of the GDP for the next five years and unemployment rate is below 4% in the same period and finally inflation is at an average of 2.5% for the same period.

By the end of March 2017, the first quarter ended and performance during March was mixed. 7 markets out of 14 markets achieved gains and 7 markets achieved losses. We believe that the performance of March was more inclined towards being negative contrary to our expectations. The number of markets in the negative zone scored 6 up from 3 in February while 8 markets continued to achieve gains vis-à-vis their levels in the end of last year. The biggest gainer in March was the French market which gained 5.4% in one month. The German market came next by 4% gains in one month. That was achieved despite the likely risks of the elections of the next summer in both countries and despite the beginning of BREXIT negotiations between Britain and the European Union. The third winner in March was the Indian market which gained about 3.1% which ranked it in the leading position since the beginning of the year with 11.2% gains, if we exclude the gains of Kuwait’s price index which scored 22.3% since the beginning of the year. Bahrain and Boursa Kuwait — weighted index — achieved the second and third better performance since the beginning of the year with 11.1% and 8.7% gains respectively. The biggest losers in March were Dubai market which lost about -4.1% in March, and Muscat market which lost about -4%, and the weighted index for Boursa Kuwait which lost -2.5%. The strange and wrong paradox is that the weighted index of Boursa Kuwait, as we stated, was the third biggest loser in March while the price index for the same boursa was the third winner in the same month. The weighted index achieved gains equal to two and half times the gains of the weighted index in the first quarter. The two indices measure the performance of the same boursa and it is impossible for both to be correct. The summary of the first quarter performance contains indicators to adverse reflection for the oil market conditions and the geopolitical

The Weekly Performance of Boursa Kuwait The performance of Boursa Kuwait for last week was more active compared to the previous one, where all indexes showed an increase, the traded value index, the traded volume index, number of transactions index, and general index, AlShall Index (value weighted) closed at 399 points at the closing of last Thursday, showing an increase of about 10.3 points or about 2.6% compared with its level last week, and it increased by 36 points or about 9.9% compared with the closing at the end of 2016. The following tables summarize last week’s performance of Boursa Kuwait Description

Week 14 Week 13 06/04/2017 30/03/2017 Working days 5 5 AlShall index (36 Companies) 399.0 388.7 Boursa Kuwait index (price) 7,029.8 7,029.4 Value Trade (KD) 151,643,553 135,813,487 Daily average (KD) 30,328,711 27,162,697 Volume Trade (Shares) 1,794,087,273 1,300,252,800 Daily average (Shares) 358,817,455 260,050,560 Transactions 34,355 29,209 Daily average (Transactions) 6,871 5,842

Diff % 2.6% 0.01% 11.7% 38.0% 17.6%

Most Active Sectors & Companies Description Value Traded Companies KD Kuwait Finance House 13,738,679 Manazel Holding Co. K.S.C.Holding 11,946,179 Alimtiaz Investment Co. K.S.C.C 10,315,368 Ithmaar Holding Co 9,001,580 Mobile Telecom Co K.S.C (Zain) 8,539,526 Total 53,541,331 Description Value Traded Sectors KD Banks Sector 48,692,853 Financial Services Sector 46,540,716 Real Estate Sector 28,643,007 Telecommunications Sector 11,029,200 Industrials Sector 10,472,670

% of Total Market 9.1% 7.9% 6.8% 5.9% 5.6% 35.3% % of Total Market 32.1% 30.7% 18.9% 7.3% 6.9%

Al Shall Index

Week 13 30/03/2017 4 23 9 36

Week 14 06/04/2017 Increased Value (# of Companies) 16 Decreased Value (# of Companies) 8 Unchanged Value (# of Companies) 12 Total Companies 36

From March 30, 2017 to April 6, 2017

Al-Shall Index Thu Thu Company Name 06/04/2017 30/03/2017 1 The National Bank Of Kuwait 412.5 388.0 2 The Gulf Bank 207.2 199.9 3 Commercial Bank Of Kuwait 366.8 366.8 4 Al-Ahli Bank Of Kuwait 199.7 199.7 5 Kuwait International Bank 260.5 248.0 6 Ahli United Bank 396.2 405.0 7 Burgan Bank 331.0 307.2 8 Kuwait Finance House 1304.2 1277.3 Banking Sector 424.3 407.8 9 Commercial Facilities Co 132.8 132.8 10 International Financial Advisors 356.6 356.6 11 National Investments 138.4 138.4 12 Kuwait Investment Projects 1058.5 1103.1 13 Coast Investment & Development 69.7 65.6 Investment Sector 322.6 330.7 14 Kuwait Insurance Company 58.4 58.4 15 Gulf Insurance Company 313.6 313.6 16 Al-Ahleia Insurance Company 187.8 185.9 17 Warba Insurance Company 78.7 83.6 Insurance Sector 135.2 135.1 18 Kuwait Real Estate Company 111.6 108.3 19 United Realty Company 216.2 212.1

conditions on the majority of the Gulf region markets. The last four positions in the negative zone are occupied by 4 Gulf markets. The Omani market settled at the bottom by losses since the beginning of the year by -4%. The Saudi market came next to it by -2.9% losses, then Abu Dhabi market by -2.3% losses and finally Dubai market by -1.4% losses. The Japanese market and the Qatari markets shared them in the negative zone. We do not know whether April would continue the sorting process, i.e. the advanced and emerging markets would continue to score gains while the majority of the Gulf region markets would continue to score losses. It is however more likely to be with fading of the fears from the repercussions of the American presidential elections. That is to the interest of other markets. The debate continues on whether the agreement of oil producers would be extended or not which is harmful to the regional markets.

Diff % 6.3 3.7 0.0 0.0 5.0 (2.2) 7.7 2.1 4.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 (4.0) 6.3 (2.4) 0.0 0.0 1.0 (5.9) 0.1 3.0 1.9

Close 2016 362.9 195.0 349.7 196.4 214.7 361.0 283.4 1172.1 379.3 112.6 251.3 119.5 1114.2 52.6 311.7 61.7 382.1 170.9 83.6 145.0 100.1 191.7

Diff % 13.7 6.3 4.9 1.7 21.3 9.8 16.8 11.3 11.9 17.9 41.9 15.8 (5.0) 32.5 3.5 (5.3) (17.9) 9.9 (5.9) (6.8) 11.5 12.8

20 National Real Estate Company 233.9 21 Salhiah Real Estate Company 1514.2 Real Estate Sector 206.5 22 The National Industries 112.6 23 Refrigeration Industries Co 746.2 24 Gulf Cable & Electrical Industries 185.9 25 Contracting & Marine Services Co 39.1 Industrial Sector 197.3 26 Kuwait National Cinemas 941.6 27 Kuwait Hotels Company 137.5 28 The Public Warehousing Co 2522.6 29 Mobile Telecommunications Co - ZAIN 681.6 30 Safat Energy Co 16.0 Services Sector 938.6 31 Livestock Transport & Trading Co 175.0 32 Danah Aalsafat Foodstuff Company 93.1 33 Kuwait Food Co 2463.4 Food Sector 853.9 34 Sharjah Cement Co 391.6 35 Gulf Cement Co 366.9 36 Umm Al-Qaiwain Cement Industries 603.3 Non Kuwaiti Companies 240.8 General Index 399.0

233.9 1494.0 203.9 116.1 799.0 187.8 39.1 206.4 866.3 137.5 2406.1 681.6 14.8 910.7 178.3 93.1 2443.7 848.4 379.1 350.8 632.8 237.9 388.7

0.0 1.4 1.3 (3.0) (6.6) (1.0) 0.0 (4.4) 8.7 0.0 4.8 0.0 8.1 3.1 (1.9) 0.0 0.8 0.6 3.3 4.6 (4.7) 1.2 2.6

238.5 1433.4 195.8 109.0 618.1 149.9 39.1 172.4 778.4 145.8 2406.1 541.1 11.1 822.1 178.3 89.0 2561.9 887.2 358.3 302.4 551.8 222.6 363.0

(1.9) 5.6 5.5 3.3 20.7 24.0 0.0 14.4 21.0 (5.7) 4.8 26.0 44.1 14.2 (1.9) 4.6 (3.8) (3.8) 9.3 21.3 9.3 8.2 9.9

Kuwait Clearinghouse in charge of follow up

CMA sets dates for assemblies execution of decisions KUWAIT CITY, April 6: Capital Market Authority has set four new dates for the mandatory execution of decisions of general assemblies in line with international corporate actions for post transaction regulations. Implementation of the decision will begin in the second quarter of this year, reports AlJarida daily. The daily quoting a source noted execution of decisions on the current transactions are based on local ap-

proaches, and international corporate actions require fixing four dates related to distribution of cash, decrease and increase in capital. A shareholder on the first date may join in the group of those who deserve dividends, and the exit date is the day preceding the date of entry when shares buyers cannot receive any dividend or decrease and increase of capital. It is possible for registered stakeholders to be given the right of receiving divi-

dends on the due date, which is two days after the date of exit. The date of payment often falls between one and five days from the due date. The source indicated Kuwait Clearinghouse Company is in charge of follow up of execution of decisions of the general assemblies in collaboration with relevant parties along the lines of international corporate actions. ❑ ❑ ❑

An opinion poll involving 71 male and female Kuwaiti citizens was conducted with the aim of determining the reason behind Kuwait’s refusal of the increase in fees and imposition of taxes, as opposed to other GCC nationals who have accepted such measures, reports Al-Qabas daily. The daily explained that the response differed in certain aspects; however, they were concurrent in ten other aspects which were — The citizen does

not trust the government and does not consider it as ideal model. Before increasing charges and imposing taxes, the government ought to curb wastage of funds and combat corruption. If it is necessary to increase non-oil revenues, it should first start with those having the financial ability. It should increase the fees for the use of the state properties and real-estates. The parliament needs to represent common people and preserve their welfare due to which it

should reject anything that will affect the pockets of common people, knowing that populace opposition is a vested constitutional right in a country that enjoys freedom of opinion. Meanwhile, there were some who do not believe that the country’s reserves are insufficient. They accused the government of “misleading”, and demanded the continuity of the luxury standard of living because Kuwait is a wealthy country.

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Nearly 5-9 pct of people in Kuwait suffer from depression: MoH report Ministry to mark World Health Day today KUWAIT CITY, April 6, (KUNA): The Ministry of Health reported that five to nine percent of the nationals and foreign residents in Kuwait suffer from depression with the number of those affected by variant degrees of the illness amounting to 1.25 million.

Though depression is the leading cause of suicide, which is, in turn, the second leading cause of death in 15-29-year olds, specialists argue that not all senses of depression can be diagnosed as depressive disorders.

There are specific symptoms that determine diagnosing the variant forms of the illness such as anxiety, fear, and manic depression, the ministry noted in the statement that is part of an awareness campaign on the illness. The campaign includes scientific programs, specialized lectures, booklets The ministry released the figures in a statement as it prepares for and messages via the social media websites. marking the World Health Day on April 7, the high point in the World It aims to raise the public awareness about the adverse impacts of the illness Health Organization (WHO) campaign “Depression: let’s talk.” on family and society, and best treatments as well as the health service providers, notably the Psychological Medicine Hospital. The hospital cares for 68,740 people who are affected by depression due to stresses of the public life, occupation or physical diseases. In this connection, Dr Adel Al-Zayed, director of Psychological Medicine Hospital, said many chronic or diseases or accidents can lead to depression or post-traumatic disorders. “The hospital admits nearly 2,000 people with depressive disorders a year,” he said in statements to KUNA. “There is a clear distinction between a transient sense of depression which anybody could feel in case of work-related stresses or death of a dear person, and the illness that could affect a person for a long time. “Depending on the number and severity of symptoms, a depressive episode can be categorized as mild, moderate, or severe. A key distinction is also made between depression in people who have or do not have a KUNA photo history of manic episodes. “Both EPA’s Director-General Sheikh Abdulla Al-Ahmad during his visit to the Jahra Pool Reserve. types of depression can be chronic, lasting for an extended period of time with relapses, especially if they go EPA chief visits Jahra Pool Reserve untreated,” Dr Al-Zayed made clear. Kuwait and many other Arab countries have a high prevalence rate of the illness due to family and social problems, coupled with unjustifiable KUWAIT CITY, April 6, (KUNA): entific bodies in the country in a bid biodiversity in the world because it price hikes and the accelerated use of Director General of Environment to preserve them. provides suitable sanctuary for variinformation technologies including Public Authority (EPA), Sheikh Sheikh Abdullah Al-Ahmad ous types of creatures. smartphones and social media that Abdullah Ahmad Al-Mahmoud explained that the wetlands were Sheikh Abdullah Al-Ahmad declared made people solitary creatures, he Al-Sabah announced that the first formed from various water resources that the reserve will be opened for the explained. biodiversity on the wetlands of the which feed the reserve and form public by the end of this year, adding On the WHO vision for depression country exists in Jahra Pool Reserve complete wildlife. It spans on an area that the inauguration delay is due to in 2020, Dr Al-Zayed said the organi(JPR), which consists of fish, birds, of 18,000 kilometer square, and connecessary arrangements and measures zation deems the illness the leading plantations, animals and microorgansists of fresh water creatures such as to be taken for protecting the wetlands cause of ill health and disability isms in a complete wildlife circle. fish, plankton (small forms of plant of the reserve, which is considered to be worldwide. “More than 300 million In a press statement he issued durand animal life), algae, mollusca, the first of its kind in the country. people are now living with depresing his visit to the Jahra Pool Reserve, amphibian and other creatures. Meanwhile, the Director General sion, an increase of more than 18 Sheikh Abdullah Al-Ahmad affirmed He revealed about a special team in of Kuwait Institute of Scientific percent between 2005 and 2015,” he that this is the result of concentrated EPA which conducted field survey in Research (KISR) Dr Samira Omar said, citing the latest WHO estimates. efforts for protection of the habitat the last two years where various ecopraised the efforts exerted by EPA to “Lack of support for people with and consistent follow-ups. systems in the reserve were pinpointpreserve the natural habitat and biomental disorders, coupled with a fear He said the authority is conducting ed, which consist of unique diversity. diversity, and to develop a generation of stigma, prevent many from accessspecial studies of the reserve’s speHe indicated that these wetlands are which can specialize by studying and ing the treatment they need to live cies in collaboration with various sciconsidered to be important areas for observing these locations. healthy, productive lives.

‘First biodiversity on wetlands exists in JPR’

Photo by Bassam Abu Shanab

Picture of Kuwait Towers taken from a high-rise building.

Kuwait women’s cultural society hosts Australian media personnel KUWAIT CITY, April 6: Kuwait Women Cultural and Social Society recently hosted at its headquarters in Khalidiya area a press delegation from Australia comprising several journalists and press figures working for notable media houses in Australia on the start of its series of familiarization visits to Kuwait, reports Al-Rai daily. At a meeting with members of the Kuwait Women Cultural and Social Society, the delegation discussed the situation of Kuwaiti women, challenges and other issues they endure. Board members of the society, Ghada Al-Ghanim and Dr Fatma Al-Huweil gave an insight on the society’s journey since its inception and the role it plays in various aspects of women’s life. In a statement, Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) presenter Emma Alberici affirmed gaining impressive information on her visit contrary to what they imagined about Kuwait and the role played by women in its society. Alberici indicated among the most

important topics the Australian press delegation aspires to know is the issue of women rights and gender empowerment, besides knowing the part played by the country in fighting against terrorism. Deputy Director of News and Current Affairs at Australia Nine Entertainment Co Grant Williams hopes to understand the future of the country after the era of oil, and its level of interest in using renewable energy. In a press statement, board member of the society Ghada Al-Ghanim declared she presented to the visiting delegation the activities of the women’s society and projects executed so far. She explained the delegation was surprised with the condition, level of development, and social role played by Kuwaiti women. Al-Ghanim indicated foreign delegations are keen on visiting the Kuwait Women Cultural and Social Society due to its range of activities concerning women and ways of improving their way of life and dealing with challenges, affirming the society is serious about women rights advocacy.

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KUNA photos

His Highness the PM Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah while receiving the S. Korean National Assembly Speaker Chung Sye-Kyun and his accompanying delegation.

Al-Ghanim, PM receive S. Korean National Assembly Speaker National Assembly Speaker Marzouq Ali Al-Ghanim and his South Korean counterpart, Chung Sye-kyun, held official talks on Thursday on cementing bilateral ties and cooperation in various spheres. The two speakers, with company of Kuwaiti and South Korean lawmakers, discussed a number of issues of joint concern, regional and international affairs and parliamentary coordination between the two counties at

the continental and international levels. Following the talks, Al-Ghanim honored the guests with a luncheon at Sabah Al-Ahmad Building. The South Korean legislators arrived in the country late on Wednesday. Meanwhile, His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak

Al-Hamad Al-Sabah received at Seif Palace on Thursday the visiting South Korean National Assembly Speaker Chung Sye-kyun. Head of the honorary delegation MP Ali Al-Deqbasi, the head of Prime Minister’s Diwan Sheikha Etimad Khaled Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, and Kuwaiti Ambassador to South Korea Bader Al-Awadhi attended the meeting. (KUNA)

MP queries on deposits in local, foreign banks by KIA and PASS Panel discusses bills about granting special bonuses to retired army officers By Abubakar A. Ibrahim Arab Times Staff

Speaker Al-Ghanim while receiving his South Korean counterpart, Chung Sye-Kyun.

Chance for scattered rain on Friday KUWAIT CITY, April 6, (KUNA): There is a chance for scattered rain on Friday due to the presence of low-pressure wind in Kuwait’s atmosphere, said the official at the Kuwait Meteorological Department Abdulaziz Al-Qarawi. Speaking to KUNA, Al-Qarawi said that the stable weather, witnessed throughout the week, would probably change during the weekend. The weather during daytime on Friday, will register wind speed between 15 and 40 kph with the highest temperatures reach-

ing 31-33 Degrees Celsius. There will be a chance for scattered rain during the day, said Al-Qarawi, adding that Friday evening will be partially cloudy with southeastern winds of eight to 28 kph. The temperatures will be at 17 to 19 Degrees Celsius. Status of the sea will witness light to moderate waves at two to six feet. Saturday will be mostly sunny with variable southeastern winds at eight to 30 kph with high temperatures hitting 31 to 33 Degree Celsius during the day. Sea status will be light to moderate waves at one to four feet.

Kuwait Today Prayer Timings Fajr ........................................................ 04:10 Sunrise ................................................... 05:31 Zohr ........................................................ 11:50 Asr ........................................................... 15:23 Maghrib ................................................. 18:10 Isha ........................................................ 19:28

Weather Expected weather for the next 24 hours: By Night: Partly cloudy with light to moderate south easterly wind, with speed of 15-35 km/h with a chance for scattered rain. By Day: Partly cloudy with light variable wind changing to light to moderate south easterly wind, with speed of 08-30 km/h with speed of 08-30 km/h with a chance for light rain. Station Max Min Exp Rec Kuwait City 31 20 Kuwait Airport 31 15 Abdaly 31 14 Bubyan 31 16 Jahra 32 18 Failaka Island 30 17 Salmiyah 30 21 Ahmadi 27 20 Nuwaisib 29 17 Wafra 31 17 Salmy 29 16 4 days forecast - Weather Friday, April 07 Expected weatherPartly cloudy + scattered rain Max Temp................................................... 32C Min Temp.................................................... 20C Wind Direction ..............................................SE Wind Speed .....................................12-35 km/h Saturday, April 08 Expected weather .........................Mostly sunny Max Temp................................................... 33C Min Temp.................................................... 20C Wind Direction ........................................... VRB Wind Speed .....................................06-22 km/h Sunday, April 09 Expected weather .........................Mostly sunny Max Temp................................................... 33C Min Temp.................................................... 21C Wind Direction ..................................... VRB-SE Wind Speed .....................................08-30 km/h Monday, April 10 Expected weather . Clouds to increase + raising dust Max Temp................................................... 30C Min Temp.................................................... 22C Wind Direction .......................................SE-NW Wind Speed .....................................20-45 km/h Marine Forecast Station Max Min Sea Today’s Exp Rec Surf Waves Ht Dirn South Dolphin 28 18 21 4 ft NW Umm Mudayrah 25 20 - 4 ft NW

Beacon M28 Beacon N6 26 18 - 4 ft NW Qaruh Island 26 20 - 4 ft NW Umm Al-Maradim 26 20 - 4 ft NW Sea Island Buo Salmiyah 30 21 - 4 ft NW 4 days forecast - Marine Friday, April 07 Expected weatherPartly cloudy + scattered rain Sea state ............................. Slight to moderate Wave height.............................................. 2-5 ft Max Temp................................................... 32C Min Temp.................................................... 20C Wind Direction ..............................................SE Wind Speed .....................................12-35 km/h Saturday, April 08 Expected weather .........................Mostly sunny Sea state ..................................................Slight Wave height.............................................. 1-2 ft Max Temp................................................... 33C Min Temp.................................................... 20C Wind Direction ........................................... VRB Wind Speed .....................................06-22 km/h Sunday, April 09 Expected weather .........................Mostly sunny Sea state ............................. Slight to moderate Wave height.............................................. 1-4 ft Max Temp................................................... 33C Min Temp.................................................... 21C Wind Direction ..................................... VRB-SE Wind Speed .....................................08-30 km/h Monday, April 10 Expected weather . Clouds to increase + raising dust Sea state ............................. Moderate to rough Wave height.............................................. 3-6 ft Max Temp................................................... 30C Min Temp.................................................... 22C Wind Direction .......................................SE-NW Wind Speed .....................................20-45 km/h Tide times at Shuwaikh Port 1st high tide: .............................................08:59 2nd high tide: ............................................19:07 1st low tide:...............................................13:44 2nd low tide: .............................................03:20 Sunrise: 05:31 Sunset: .....................................................18:09 Recorded yesterday at Kuwait Airport Max temp .................................................... 29C Min temp ..................................................... 18C Max Rh ...................................................... 55% Min Rh ....................................................... 17% Max Wind.......................................... N 43 km/h Total Rainfall in 24 hrs ..............................0 mm Recorded yesterday at South Dolphin Min/Max/ Air Temp ................................ 18/28C Min/Max Rel Hum ................................. 24/73% Wind Direction/Wind Speed...........NW/39 km/h Prev Wave Dir/Max Wave Ht .................... N/3 ft Min/Max Sea Surface Temp .......................-/- C Sea Current ...................................... Downdraft — Directorate General of Civil Aviation, Meteorological Dept.

deaths Sakeena Hasan Ali Al-Shamali, 99 years old, buried on Thursday. Condolences: (Men) Da’iya, Block 4, Hamza Street, House Hamza, House 18, Huseiniyat Al Shamali, Tel: 22551361. (Women) Rumaithiya, Block 10, Maath Bin Jabal, Avenue 103, House 1, Tel: 97508559. Abdul Hameed Hamad Mayouf Bouqrass, 87 years old, buried on Thursday. Condolences: (Men) Kaifan, Block 1, Street 11, House 2, Tel: 99333316. (Women) Sala, Block 3, Street 315, House 23. Sheikha Ibrahim Ahmad Al-Tameemi, 72 years old, widow of Hashim Ahmad Saleh Al-Eidan, buried on Thursday. Condolences: (Men) East Ahmadi, Block 3, Street 5, Avenue 2, House 37, Tel: 97144406 / 99141231. (Women) Qurain, Block 1, Street 37, House 36, Tel: 98936666. Ruqaya Mohammad Abdullah Al-Sayafi, 67 years old, to be buried on Thursday. Condolences: (Men) Mansouriya, Al Husainiya Al Abassiya, Tel: 94921442. (Women) Adan, Block 6, Street 4, House 6. Badriya Mohammad Abdul Aziz Al-Enzi, 73 years old, buried on Thursday. Condolences: (Men) Nuzha, Block 3, Abdul Rahman Al Faris Street, House 50, Tel: 99, Tel: 99709014. (Women) Mishref, Block 6, Abdul Rahman Yousef Al Zeben Street, House 8, Tel: 99859898. Aysha Nasser Husein Al-Hilali, 85 years old, widow of Mohammad Abdullah Al-Tartoom, buried on Thursday. Condolences: Faiha, Block 3, Street 36, House 3, Tel: 66662808 / 99213718--99492077. Zainab Abdullah Ali Baland, 80 years old, widow of Ali Taqi Ghloom Taqi, buried on Thursday. Condolences: (Men) Maidan Hawally, Al Husainiya Al Ashkinaniya, Tel: 60022444. (Women) Beinad Al Gar, Huseiniyat Sayed Ali Al Musawi, Tel: 99464408. Hani Abdul Kareem Jawad Al-Sheshtari, 57 years old, buried on Thursday. Condolences: (Men) West Mishref, Al Wazzan Mosque, Tel: 66779611. (Women) Dasma, Diwan Al Zalzali, Tel: 99859984. Saleh Ali Mohammad Al-Mashmoum, 86 years old, to be buried on Friday at 09:00. Condolences: (Men) Mansouriya, Huseiniyat Al Mashmoum, Block 2, Street 25, House 8, Tel: 99699555. (Women) Shuhada, Block 5, Street 513, House 67, Tel: 99620455.

April 6, 2017

KUWAIT CITY, April 6: MP Safa’a AlHashem has presented a parliamentary query to the Minister for Social Affairs and Labor, Minister of State for Economic Affairs, Hind Al-Sabeeh on deposits in local and foreign banks by the Kuwait Investment Authority (KIA) and Public Authority for Social Security (PASS). She noted the Kuwait Investment Authority, the Public Authority for Social Security and the Central Bank of Kuwait have reported financial surpluses and this money is deposited in local and overseas banks on short- and long-term basis. The lawmaker has asked for a statement from the minister on the size of the funds deposited in local and foreign banks over the past five years, the interest accrued and the currency of deposits. She also wants to know on what criteria the investments were deposited and how the banks for deposits were chosen. She also wants to know about the investment policies pursued by these institutions in investing their surpluses? Meanwhile, the Financial and Economic Affairs Committee of the National Assembly Thursday discussed the bills about granting special bonuses to retired military of non-commissioned officers and individuals by the ministers of Defense, Finance and Cabinet Affairs. Speaking to reporters after the meeting committee member MP Saleh Ashour stressed the government is clear and explicit in its opinion over the reservation about any increase whatsoever including the salaries at the moment because of the budget deficit. He explained the Decision No. 495/2008 specifies a section of military personnel who were referred for retirement and given special bonus KD 250 — particularly to those who have spent 20 years or more and which was not applicable to individuals and noncommissioned officers from the rank of Captain and below. He quoted the Finance Minister, Anas Al-Saleh as saying the government will study the financial aspect to include these people in the decision and the government will come out with a final by next Monday. Ashour added the report of the Finance Committee will be ready for next session after the government gives a final nod on the issue. He explained the estimated cost for 13,685 military personnel after liberation until the end of 2014 was KD 40 million per year. He added the government next Monday will submit the value on the Decision No. 495/2008 and decide its position on the increases that involve 800 military personnel in the Defense Ministry, 500 in the Interior Ministry, 265 in the National Guard and 160 in the Fire Services Directorate.

The delegation member from College of Engineering and Petroleum at KU posing during the visit to Sabah Al-Salem University City Project.

KU’s college visits Sabah Al-Salem University City Project A delegation from College of Engineering and Petroleum at Kuwait University led by the Dean Prof Abdulatif Al-Khalaifa Wednesday

visited Sabah Al Salem University City Project. The aim of the visit was to explore the latest updates and

developments in the facilities and building structures of the college at the new Shaddadiya campus.

A photo from the awareness campaign about smoking and its negative effects on the health of smokers and non-smokers within the university and environment.

KU’s Safety Division launches awareness drive against smoking The Safety Division (Medical Clinics) of the Department of Security and Safety at Kuwait University, in coordination with Ministry of Health’s Health Awareness Committee of Capital Health Zone – (No Smoking Clinic), Wednesday launched an awareness cam-

paign at Shuwaikh Campus about smoking and its negative effects on the health of smokers and nonsmokers within the university and environment. Director of Security and Safety Department Khaled Al-Yaqout stressed the keenness of the de-

Belarus, Kuwait seek to up trade MINSK, April 6, (KUNA): Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Belarus to the UAE with concurrent accreditation to Kuwait Roman Golovchenko met with Deputy Director General of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Kuwait Hamad Al-Omar on April 4, the press service of the Belarusian Ministry of Foreign Affairs told BelTA. During the meeting Roman Golovchenko and Hamad Al-Omar exchanged opinions about concrete ways of raising Belarus-Ku-

wait trade, including visits of representatives of the business circles, participation of Belarusian and Kuwaiti businessmen in specialized expos. The sides discussed the current state and prospects of advancing BelarusianKuwaiti trade and economic cooperation. The same day the Belarusian ambassador met with Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs for European Countries of Kuwait Walid Al-Khubaizi. The sides discussed the entire range of items on the bilateral agenda, focusing on trade and economic cooperation.

partment to participate in such positive campaigns to increase awareness among students and visitors about the dangers of smoking on health. The campaign was organized under the theme of “Together towards a learning environment free of smoking”

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‘Terrorism main threat to Arab world, need to drain sources’ ‘Protect children from social media dangers’ TUNIS, April 6, (Agencies): Terrorism is the main threat to Arab peoples, it must be confronted and its swamps drained, said Kuwait’s Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Sheikh Khaled Al-Jarrah Al-Sabah on Wednesday. His remarks came during a speech at the launch of the 34th meeting of Arab Interior Ministers’ Council here, where he also called for adopting a unified strategy to protect children in the Arab world from online and social media dangers.

MoI photos

Pictures taken at the launching of the landing craft.

Kuwait receives landing craft Deputy Chief of General Staff of Kuwait Army Lieutenant General Sheikh Abdullah Al-Nawaf participated in the official inauguration of the 64-meter Kuwaiti landing craft and high-speed protection vessel “Al Safar” at the headquarters of Abu Dhabi Shipbuilding Company. This comes in line with an agreement signed between Ministry of Defense and the company for construction of landing crafts and ships.

The inaugural event was attended by the acting Ambassador of Kuwait to United Arab Emirates Abdullah Al-Salem, Head of Kuwaiti Naval Forces Major General Khaled Al-Kandari, CEO of Abu Dhabi Shipbuilding Company Khaled Al Mazrouei among other officials. Sheikh Al-Nawaf affirmed the keenness of Ministry of Defense to bolster its military efficiency particularly the Naval Forces.

Man, woman die in accident By Munaif Nayef Al-Seyassah Staff KUWAIT CITY, April 6: An employee of Ministry of Interior — a Kuwaiti citizen in his 20s — died when his vehicle toppled on Abdali Road while he was heading to work. According to security sources, when the Operations Room of Ministry of Interior received information about the accident, securitymen rushed to the location with

paramedics to discover the victim is an officer of Ministry of Interior. The corpse was referred to the Forensics Department and a case was registered. Meanwhile, a 21-year-old Kuwaiti woman died while two Kuwaiti citizens and an Asian expatriate sustained injuries when three vehicles collided in Hadiya area. Paramedics referred the injured victims to the nearest hospital while the corpse was referred to the Forensics Department. A case was registered.

In this regard, Sheikh Khaled Al-Jarrah pointed to a regional conference hosted recently by Kuwait and resulted in a number of significant educational, security-related and legislative recommendations. The Council’s one-day meeting discussed a number of issues, mainly illegal drugs, the fight against terrorism and extremism. Tunisian Interior Minister Hedi Majdoub, in opening remarks of the session, said regional and global circumstances are on the rise in terms of security, which required efforts and levels of cooperation and coordination among Arab countries to double. “Extremist and terrorist phenomena could not be eradicated unless a joint Arab effort was in place,” he said, adding “hardline groups saw an opportunity for expansion through feeding off armed conflicts in the Arab world, in addition to utilizing technology to lure in and recruit more human elements”. Further pan-Arab cooperation and coordination in fighting terrorism and holding an annual “week” to spread awareness against extremism threats were the main recommendations of 34th meeting of Arab Interior Ministers’ Council. The meeting, which concluded earlier Wednesday, urged in its final communique the extensification of awareness programs on dangers of extremism and terrorism in the Arab world. The Council also endorsed bestowing Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman Bin Abdulaziz

KUNA photo

Kuwait’s Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Sheikh Mohammad Al-Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah in talks with Chief of Staff of the Greek Army, Admiral Evangelos Apostolakis.

Defence minister meets Greek army chief Kuwait’s Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Sheikh Mohammad Al-Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah met on Thursday with visiting Chief of Staff of the Greek Army, Admiral Evangelos Apostolakis, and his accompanying delegation.

During the meeting, they discussed issues of mutual concern, in addition to military bilateral cooperation and ways to enhance it, a statement by Kuwait’s Ministry of Defense said. The meeting was attended by

Kuwait’s Army Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Mohammad Khaled Al-Kheder and the Deputy Army Chief of Staff for Operations and Plans Authority Major General Ahmad Abdulwahab Al-Omairi. (KUNA)

of Saudi Arabia with Prince Naif Medal for Arab Security for the monarch’s pioneering role in supporting Arab and Islamic causes, as well as efforts in preserving world peace and security. The Council also ratified strategies on combating narcotics and illegal drugs, combating terrorism, traffic safety, civil defense and intellectual security. Deputy Premier and Interior Minister Sheikh Khaled Al-Jarrah Al-Sabah headed Kuwait’s delegation to the meeting.

Meanwhile, Interpol Secretary General Jurgen Stock said the world policing body stood ready to support the Arab Interior Ministers Council in the joint fight against terrorism and organized crime. Addressing the meeting attended by more than 20 Ministers, Secretary General Stock said ‘wahdaa’ — which means unity in English — was vital in harmonising national, regional and international law enforcement efforts. Mr Stock also underlined the need for frontline officers to have

access to Interpol’s I-24/7 communications system and global databases, which can act as an ‘early warning system’ against terrorists and crime threats. “Whether it is to combat the flow of terrorism linked with DAESH or with any active terrorist entities, Interpol stands ready to support its Arab membership in our joint fight,” said Secretary General Stock, who also highlighted the need for the skills and experience of police officers from the region to be shared alongside those from around the world.

ARAB TIMES, FRIDAY-SATURDAY, APRIL 7-8, 2017

LOCAL

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DIWANIYA A DIGEST OF PUBLIC OPINION ‘Islamists seek cohesion in society’

Focus on citizens, homeland

KUNA photo

The 12th session of the Arab Ministerial Electricity Council in progress.

‘Joint power grid to open new vistas for Arab co-op’ Kuwait calls for technology transfer CAIRO, April 6, (KUNA): Arab power ministers on Thursday urged for bolstering cooperation among regional states in the energy, water and food sectors.

KUNA documents final days of the 2017 spring camping season. (Ahmad Srour — KUNA)

Other Voices

‘Practice what you preach’ After the man replied, the father put a hand in his pockets, pulled out t is easy to keep advising others some dollar bills, looked at his wife especially our children and suborand nodded negatively. It meant he dinates especially those who are less did not have sufficient money’. fortunate than us. Chaplin continued saying: ‘At this Almost all of us need those around point, my father took a $20 bill from us to be sincere and honest in their his pocket and dropped it on the words and actions; organized in their ground, tapped the man in front on work, committed to their appointhis shoulder and told him he had ments; but how often do we practice dropped the money’. what we preach? It is very easy to ‘The man looked straight into my advise but difficult to father’s eyes and said, practice. “Thank you sir,” his eyes Perhaps one of the filled with tears. He then most difficult things in bent down and picked life is to raise children the money from the and be a role model to ground. He had to do this them. For example we because he did not want may ask our children the man to feel embarthat smoking is injurious rassed in front of his to health, but how often children and not deprive do we give up this bad them the pleasure of life habit? We tell our chilthey have been waiting dren that we must never for such a long time.’ tell lies and be punctual Al-Sarraf Once the family but how many times entered the circus tent, have we proven that we are totally my father left the place and we did not honest and have been punctual and buy the tickets for ourselves. Since adhered to our commitments? that day I have been proud of my Well-known comedian Charlie father for what he had done. It was the Chaplin said: ‘When I was a boy my most wonderful circus that had ever father took me to a circus that came to come to town, although I did not see it. our town. We were in a queue and in We congratulate preacher Tarek the same queue a couple with their six Suwaidan because his son is a member children was also waiting to buy tickof the Canadian and American Board ets. Their tattered clothes, although of Psychiatry. We also congratulate clean, meant they were poor. preacher Salman Al-Ouda whose son ‘The children looked very happy got a Doctorate from the University of and were waiting to enter the circus, Pittsburgh in the United States, we discussing among themselves what also ‘congratulate’ the sons of other they would soon see. The father preachers who have embraced jihad. asked the man at the counter how ❑ ❑ ❑ much it would cost him to buy tickets email: [email protected] for the children.

By Ahmad Al-Sarraf

I

News in Brief KISR earns ISO: Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research (KISR) has earned the ISO/17025 certificate for best laboratory tests. KISR said in a statement on Thursday that the ISO recognition came following intensive efforts, culminated with establishment of a special laboratory to study persistent organic pollutants. Researchers at KISR had studied and analyzed samples of such pollutants, sent in by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). The ISO/17025 certificate recognizes competence to carry out tests and/or calibrations, including sampling. It covers testing and calibration performed using standard methods, nonstandard methods and laboratorydeveloped methods. (KUNA) ❑ ❑ ❑ Ties boost eyed: Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs and Acting Minister of Information Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah on Thursday held talks with the Lebanese charge d’affaires Maher Al-Khair on means of boosting bilateral relations.

Minister Mohammad Abdullah, during reception of the charge de’affaires at his bureau at Seif Palace, lauded the distinctive ties between the two brotherly countries and peoples. He expressed aspiration to promote the Kuwaiti-Lebanese relations further and “open new horizons for mutual and fruitful cooperation” between Beirut and Kuwait City. (KUNA) ❑ ❑ ❑

‘Running in loss’: The closure of Al-Shuaiba Refinery was planned since 2004 based on the recommendation of an international advisor, reports Al-Shahed daily quoting informed sources. They revealed that the cost for import of gasoline is 148 fils per liter, and this import will continue until 2019. The sources revealed about an offer from some Asian and African countries as well as an American company to buy the equipments of Al-Shuaiba Refinery as scrap. They indicated that the officials have not accounted since 2011 the losses resulted from Al-Shuaiba Refinery, which reached $892 million.

The Arab Ministerial Electricity Council, in a statement at conclusion of its 12th session, urged relevant authorities in the Arab states to examine a draft strategy on renewable energy in these countries and report back in two months, pending final review at the executive bureau. The council lauded cooperation with the International Organization of Renewable Energy and tentatively agreed on holding the second ministerial meeting in 2018. Earlier today, Kuwaiti Minister of Oil, Electricity and Water Issam Abdulmohsen Al-Marzouq, who chaired the session, affirmed on its sidelines significance of the joint Arab project, the power grid. The joint Arab grid will “open new horizons for boosting greater inter-Arab economic cooperation and boosting the economies at the national levels,” he said in a statement to KUNA The common project had been launched in line with instructions by the top leaders during the 2009 Kuwait-hosted summit. In his address to the session, Minister Al-Marzouq emphasized significance of technology transfer for development in Arab nations.

Technology Masterminding modern technology can be through cooperation with regional and international organizations and executing national overhaul schemes, said the minister in a statement as he chaired the 12th session of the Arab Ministerial Electricity Council. He called for dedicating attention to rationalizing power consumption and raising efficiency of the power installations, as part of the approach to upgrade the power sector in the Arab world. Minister Al-Marzouq indicated that the Arab strategy for developing renewable energy (2010-2030) that had been adopted by the Arab leaders would be among the main topics of the session deliberations. A great deal of accomplishments have been made in the Arab electricity grid venture, he said, however the Kuwaiti official stopped short of elaborating. In 2016, Egypt and Saudi Arabia agreed on linking their electricity grid during 2017. The two countries had accomplished 14,000 megawatts in the electricity interconnection project, which primarily aims to boost the electricity-generating capacity of both countries. The Arab power grid is projected to cost $1.5 billion and aims to exchange 3,000 megawatt through direct electrical lines. It includes construction of a 1,370 kms link between Egypt and Saudi Arabia. The link will include a 25 kms subsea cable, which will cross the Gulf of Aqaba. Also within framework of the session, 14 Arab countries signed a MoU for establishing an Arab common market for electricity. The MoU was approved by the Council of the Arab League (Foreign Ministers) last September. The document was signed by the UAE, Bahrain, Algeria, Saudi Arabia, the Sudan, Iraq, Oman, Qatar, the Comoros, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, Yemen and Kuwait, on the sidelines of the session.

“WHEN the Islamic current of Kuwait in 1981 decided to take part in the political and parliamentary process, it was actually motivated by its belief in the significance of the role that can be played by the Legislative Power and its impact on the country’s public life,” columnist and former MP Mubarak Al-Duwailah wrote for Al-Qabas daily. “As a matter of fact, this block from day one of its involvement in the political and parliamentary action had actually adopted a clear cut Islamic and nationalistic line. In this context, we recall the strong attitude that was adopted by the Islamic current during that time to deal with the then government project to revise the Constitution. “The bloc was determined to move outside the then Parliament to form the popular committees in a prelude to constitute a public opinion to oppose the government project in question. Hence in coordination with other blocs it unified its ranks to revoke and nullify the project and this is what exactly happened. “During the term of the 1985 National Assembly, the Islamic current continued its march on the same lines. In this context, we recall how this current post the declaration of the outcomes of the then parliamentary elections Ahmad Al-Saadoun and Jassem Al-Khorafi declared their intentions to contest for the post of Speaker, and how the bloc’s representatives paid a visit to Al-Khorafi who had distinguished relations with the bloc, and persuaded him that the phase required the election of Al-Saadoun as Speaker of the then National Assembly. “As such, we regrettably told him that the bloc prefers to nominate Al-Saadoun for this post. However, Al-Khorafi was convinced, and decided not to contest and instead accepted the ministerial portfolio (minister of finance) that was offered to him by the then government. “During the term of the 1985 National Assembly, the Islamic current participated in grilling the then powerful Minister of Justice Sheikh Salman Al-Duaij Al-Duwailah although it played the role of a balanced opposition. “Meanwhile, we say during the tenure of the 1992 National Assembly, the Islamic current was actually in a position to compete for the post of the Speaker, but refrained from nominating any MP for this post because the current preferred to stay away because it did not want anyone to say it won the post because of government support and would help create some parliamentary/parliamentary conflicts. Moreover, our decision had paved the way for Al-Saadoun to be elected Speaker because the Islamic current had actually supported Al-Saadoun and not his competitor Abdulaziz Al-Adsani. “In 1992, the Islamic current for the first time joined the then government. However, in spite of our participation in the government, our attitudes were always based on protecting people’s interests, although the current played its supervisory role properly and this was evident through the interpellation that was filed by the MPs of this current against the then minister of education. “Apart from the above, the current played its role in exposing some discrepancies in the weapons deals and succeeded to put an end to corruption. Furthermore, the Islamic current, played a significant role during the tenures of 1996 and 1999 parliaments respectively by grilling many ministers and formed the biggest ‘Opposition Bloc’ or the socalled ‘Islamic Bloc’. “Not just that, the current spared no efforts to serve the interests of both the citizens and the homeland and remained always committed to its method to such an extent, it sacrifice the post of deputy premier that was taken over by the then member of the current Dr Ismail Al-Shatti who refused to resign from the government after opposing the proposal on the redistributing the election constituencies. This led to the dismissal of Dr Al-Shatti from the current. “Meanwhile, we look at how the Islamic current participated along with the other political currents in the country in the sit-ins at the Al-Irada Square to demand the resignation of the then government because we know the people are aware of the volume of every current in the country. “However, the then prime minister resigned as a result and the Islamic Constitutional Movement (ICM) was responsible. Not just that, the Islamic current continued to adopt the honorable attitudes and called for organizing peaceful demonstration following the issuance of the ‘one man one vote’ decree. “Nowadays, the current is looking for national interests through mutual understanding with the government and through constitutional practices. If it so happens the current will not hesitate to support the efforts and the ideas for postponing or resorting to constitutional tools if the postponement is aimed at serving the interests of the citizens and the homeland.”

Also: “London was recently shocked by the fierce terrorist attack that claimed the lives of five people and left behind a trail of injuries,” columnist Abdulaziz Khuraibet wrote for Al-Shahed daily. “Following the attack, British Prime Minister Theresa May issued a statement saying the person who carried out the terrorist operation is a British citizen who was born in the UK. She hinted the perpetrator was seemingly affected by the Islamic State (IS) or the so called ‘DAESH’ ideology. “However, while we vehemently denounce and condemn this type of terrorist operations, we would like to say that the operation in question, actually emphasizes what we have mentioned before that terrorism has no religion and doesn’t belong to a specific religion or a specific country, rather terrorism is an extremist and aggressive behavior linked to the psychology of the suspect based on the latter’s grudge and hatred against humanity. “In other words, these men are the owners of a subverting thought which preaches hatred and terrorism. This thought satisfies the suspects and keep up with their own convictions and this means the thought doesn’t belong to any balanced human being, because the owners of this thought suffer from mental disorders. “Such being the case, it is unfair to attribute this thought to any specific religion or country, but to the people who have deviated from their course and those who suffer from mental disorders in addition

to those who bear grudge and hatred against humanity. “Such being the case, we have observed how the people everywhere have suffered from terrorism. In this context, look at the massacres of the Muslims in Burma (Myanmar) — killing, burning and genocide by the terrorist groups against the innocent people. “It is needless to say we are condemning and denouncing terrorism irrespective who is behind this menace, be they individuals, groups, or States, because terrorism doesn’t actually cannot be differentiated between the peoples because people irrespective of their belonging have been targeted and this constitutes a threat to entire humanity.” ❑





“Government is planning to impose Value Added Tax (VAT) of 5 percent on the companies and shops that make sales of KD 30,000 per year or KD 82 per day,” columnist Muhammad Jassem Al-Medairas wrote for Al-Shahed daily. “Customers will pay the ultimate price if the tax is imposed on companies and shops but it will boost the state coffers in the form of generating extra national income. We are reminded that Kuwait has no right to reject VAT system, because it is part of the GCC agreement but each country has the liberty to enforce the law based on its own set of conditions. “We recommend the Government to provide shops with different cubicles for citizens and the youth in particular to rent or buy at low prices or easy installments, as part of measures to support Kuwait youths who do not have enough funds to start private projects, while rescuing them from exploiters and profiteers.” ❑





“Amending Law No. 20/1981 concerning establishing a section at the Court of First Instance for handling administrative disputes (Administrative Court) as a measure to eliminate the lacuna associated with barring the court from hearing cases related to paragraph 5 of Article 1, is in order,” Tareq Abdullah Al-Eidan wrote for Al-Qabas daily. “The proposal aims at giving citizens the right of complaint in the legal courts against denaturalization, withdrawal and loss of citizenship in the future. The only surprising thing is the objection of government to the amendments, citing unconstitutionality as an excuse. The government had rejected the parliamentary amendments in 1981 in terms of barring the Administrative Court from hearing citizenship cases and other contents of restraints enacted on Nov 3, 1982. The then Minister of Justice Salman Al-Duaij was the sole voice of dissent, representing the government. “Personally, I don’t believe the amendment violates the Constitution. I don’t see citizenship cases as being prerogative to the leadership. The reasons include the fact that the founding fathers of the Constitution included Article 27, which stipulates that Kuwait citizenship is determined by law, so it can’t be withdrawn or removed outside the confine of that law.” ❑





“If the most important member of the Citizenship Committee, who is the most experienced and knowledgeable in that regard, gives up his membership during the first meeting of that committee, then it means there is an error in the composition of the committee,” Talal Al-Saeed wrote for Al-Seyassah daily. “The Citizenship Committee is not the same as the committees of the 1960s. It is not an investigative committee that is responsible for judicial arrest. It is an advisory committee to lay down clear concepts for the next stage. The most important member, who is a leading counsel to one of the people whose citizenships were withdrawn, has resigned. “We wonder how he was nominated in the first place. Why did he accept the nomination? If he held on to his previous opinion, it is a disaster. If he decides to forgo opinion, it is a more serious disaster! It appears the committee is a stillbirth, or at least nobody will trust its decisions and figure out whether they are binding or just aimed to calm the nerves.” ❑





“If we think a little, we will find that the common characteristics of the major countries in the world are education, industrial advancement, scientific research, respect for time and perfection towards work,” Abdulrahman Al-Awwad wrote for Al-Sabah daily. “All of the abovementioned factors and essential differences are achieved by good use of human resources. Education is the foundation for the rapid development of any state. Scientific research is the most important product of good education which contributed to development of countries and achieving profits that exceed the income of oil countries. “Lately, Kuwait has started catching up with scientific researches by encouraging and supporting them, knowing that it constitutes the main source for development. This was highlighted in the speech delivered by the Director of Kuwait University Dr Hassan Al-Ansari during the inauguration of the First Scientific Seminar for Students of Higher Education.” ❑





“When racism is referred as patriotism, nothing can be changed in this regard. Even if we add colors and embellishments to these terms, it will remain rotten on the inside,” Dana Nasrallah wrote for Al-Rai daily. “I have been following up the skirmishes and discussions that emerge from time to time. They may be different in content but share one element – inability to understand the mentality of the spokesperson. I do not know the reason behind our constant endeavor to write off others in an attempt to demonstrate our preferences? Why has corruption spread in our society and why are we hesitating the following the example of other societies? “In short, we defend those who are similar to us and we disregard those who are different from us. The situations are always same even if the characters and reactions are different. “Considering the examples of G8, citizenship revocation, the Kuwaiti citizen who took the video of an Ethiopian housemaid falling and explosion of Al-Sadiq Mosque and so on, we choose to turn our eyes away from the core of the issues, which can be solved by repeated referral to the Public Prosecution or by banning books that are about them.”

— Compiled by Zaki Taleb

ARAB TIMES, FRIDAY-SATURDAY, APRIL 7-8, 2017

LOCAL

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Court Cases Man acquitted of theft

Send patient for treatment abroad, court orders MoH By Jaber Al-Hamoud Al-Seyassah Staff KUWAIT CITY, April 6: The Court of Cassation issued a one-of-a-kind ruling in favor of an individual who was aggrieved by the decision taken by Ministry of Health to refuse sending him for overseas medical treatment. The court ordered the ministry to refer the patient for overseas treatment at the expense of the ministry since the latter is unable to provide the necessary treatment. Representing the plaintiff was Lawyer Abdulmohsen Al-Qattan, who appealed Al-Qattan against the verdict of the Court of Appeals that had overturned the verdict issued by the Court of First Instance Court’s verdict which had granted the Kuwaiti citizen the right to undergo medical treatment in overseas hospitals at the expense of the state. Lawyer Al-Qattan explained that his client was involved in a traffic accident and was referred to Farwaniya Hospital for treatment of the injuries he sustained especially to his leg. He was later referred to Al-Razi Hospital after the surgery carried out in Farwaniya Hospital resulted in complications. The doctors in Al-Razi Hospital committed malpractice, which prompted his client

to sue and demand to be referred overseas for treatment. However, the ministry rejected his application. Due to the inability of the ministry to provide necessary treatment required for the victim, the court ordered the ministry to refer him for overseas treatment at the ministry’s expense. ❑ ❑ ❑ Man acquitted: The Criminal Court acquitted an individual who was accused of impersonating police officers and kidnapping and robbing another individual after the latter finished his Asr prayer in Khaitan area. According to the case file, the victim had just finished Asr prayers and was on his way to his workplace when he was stopped by two individuals on a public road who claimed to be police detectives. They asked for his civil ID but then dragged him into their car and drove off to a distant place where they demanded him to empty his pockets. They stole KD 250 from his wallet and threw the victim and his wallet out of the vehicle before they drove off. Lawyer Mohammad Al-Khaldi, who represented the suspect, called for invalidation of the arrest procedures due to lack of an arrest warrant from the Public Prosecution, adding that the statements of the arresting officer lacked incriminating evidences against his client. He said the victim could not have identified the suspect within five minutes when he was in a terrified state during the alleged kidnapping and robbery.

KUNA photo

Troops using camouflage tactics to avoid the enemy eye as the joint GCC military exercise ends Thursday, April 6, 2017. Army Chief Lt Gen Mohammad Al-Khader praised the participating forces from various countries.

Kuwaiti sentenced to life in prison for killing his friend Egyptian acquitted in ruler libel case By Jaber Al-Hamoud Al-Seyassah Staff

Photo by Abu Shanab

Activist Aisha Al-Rushaed holding placards in Arabic at the protest.

Activists protest in Mubarakiya

Call to shut Parliament By Abdul Nasser Al-Aslami Al-Seyassah Staff KUWAIT CITY, April 6, (KUNA): Several political activists and citizens Thursday organized a public protest in Mubarakiya area to demand permanent proscription of the National Assembly, with placards petitioning for the referral of public funds embezzlers to prosecution and suspension of citizenship law amendment, in addition to Cabinet dissolution. Prominent woman political activist Aisha Al-Rushaed commended the political leadership under HH the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, and called on him— as a father who usually considers the masses in his decisions— to shut the National Assembly permanently. She said the citizens of Kuwait are fed up with the Parliament, which signifies a failed democracy in the country. She noted troublemaking only draws the country backward and that citizens are eager to see Kuwait restored to its lost glory and reclaim its leadership role among peers— as in the past. She stressed the protesters were trying to send a message to remind the National

Assembly that citizens elected them, and the same citizens are the ones to send them off. She required the lawmakers to mention what they have achieved since assuming the position except flexing muscles over political interests. She observed some lawmakers are exploiting citizens on the issue of citizenship law amendment “but thank God the judiciary has the final say over the issue.” She said the lawmakers are expected to represent the constituents rather than seeking selfish interests and promoting foreign agenda. She indicated “citizens possess the power but lawmakers keep underrating what they can do, thinking they can only complain without taking action”. She suggested a section of the National Assembly should be converted to a hotel and the other part should serve as a Consultative Council where competent Kuwaiti youths could deliberate on matters concerning the country “since we have many competent youths with great minds.” “The Cabinet has also failed citizens, as they conspire with lawmakers to destroy the country. We don’t want them anymore, because they are no better than the lawmakers. Let them go. We shall be better off with the Advisory Council (Al-Shura Council)”, AlRushaed stressed.

News in Brief Dousari promoted: The Cabinet has approved the Amiri decree No. 77/2017 for promoting Major General Mahmoud AlDousari as the Undersecretary of Ministry of Interior in place of ret. Lieutenant General Sulaiman Al-Fahad who has been appointed as a consultant to the minister, reports AlRai daily. ❑





Sheep mauled: Several owners of farms in Salmi complain of losing sheep in the area possibly eaten by wild dogs or wolves, reports Al-Anba daily. The daily added, several of them now make use of the sniffer dogs to ward off wild animals, especially after dark. However, no complaints have been filed at police stations.







Girl molested: A bedoun girl has filed a complaint with the Sulaibiya Police Station accusing an Arab doctor working at the Sulaibiya Medical Center of molesting her during examination, reports Al-Shahed daily. Although the doctor has been released because of contradictory statements of the girl, a travel ban has been slapped on him until completion of investigation.







Sportsman assaulted: Police are looking for six people for severely beating the water polo player of Al-Arabi Club Mohammad Najm and causing him a deep cut on his head, reports Al-Rai daily. The player said he was driving along a road in the Capital governorate when three people driving in another car swerved at

him; he avoided the collision with the car and almost hit the pavement. Following this he blew the car horn and the three youths in the car took it as an offence. Najm said he as he approached the Dasma area, he saw the three people following him and later realized there were three others in another car. When he stopped the car, the six youths started beating him with metal objects and then drove off leaving him in a pool of blood. The player was rushed to the Amiri hospital.







Citizen stabbed: A Kuwaiti citizen was stabbed in the head by a Bedoun man during a quarrel between them on Jahra Road, says Al-Seyassah. According to sources, when the Operations Room of Ministry of Interior received information from Jahra Hospital about a Kuwaiti patient admitted in the Intensive Care Unit due to stab wound in his head, securitymen rushed to the hospital and checked with the doctors to discover the victim’s condition is stable. They discovered that the victim was taken to the hospital by the driver of Japanesemade vehicle. The witness provided securitymen with the number plate of the suspect, using which securitymen managed to identify the suspect. They also discovered that the cause of the quarrel between the Bedoun suspect and the Kuwaiti patient was over “right of way” on the road. Investigations have been launched to find and arrest the suspect.

KUWAIT CITY, April 6: The Court of Appeals upheld the ruling of the Court of First Instance that sentenced a Kuwaiti man who allegedly killed his friend inside an apartment in Salmiya area to life imprisonment. The case file indicated the culprit took out a gun and shot down his compatriot friend. The victim was rushed to hospital for possible resuscitation but gave up the ghost upon reaching the hospital after losing too much blood. Detectives later arrested the suspect who confessed to the crime. Investigation revealed the duo was close friends and the sad event had resulted from a disagreement. ❑





Egyptian acquitted: The Cassation Court upheld the verdict issued by the Court of Appeals which acquitted an Egyptian expatriate against whom a State Security case was filed for allegedly offending the entity of His Highness the Amir of Kuwait and other state symbols through some posts on his Twitter account. It is worth mentioning that the defense counsel demanded the referral of his client for psychiatric treatment, as the psychiatric report affirmed that he was “crazy and not responsible for his actions”. According to the case file, the internal security apparatus was alerted by the suspect’s posts on his Twitter account through which he offended the entity of the leadership, state symbols and the people of Kuwait. He also published photographs of the late Iraqi president Saddam Hussein, praising and glorifying him. The suspect had also posted pictures of the private parts of his body. The security teams conducted investigations to identify him. Armed with an arrest warrant from Public Prosecution, they arrested him and confiscated his mobile phone. The suspect denied putting up those posts and claimed his account was hacked. Security teams affirmed through investigations that his account was never tampered with. ❑ ❑ ❑ Not guilty in rape: The Criminal Court acquitted an individual who was accused of raping, threatening and incapacitating the plaintiff. The defense counsel Lawyer Mohammad Khaleel Al-Qattan explained that the Public Prosecution, during the trial, failed to convince the court about the actual incident, as the only testimony that the prosecution based its case on was the victim’s statement. He stressed that his client did not have any weapon to threaten and subdue the victim. Lawyer Al-Qattan revealed that the procedures taken to arrest his client were not based on an arrest warrant issued by the Public Prosecution, due to which the entire case can be deemed as invalid. ❑ ❑ ❑ Travel ban: According to statistics issued by the Ministry of Justice, 14,274 people were banned from travel in just one month (January 2017), reports Annahar daily. During the same month 11,553 search and arrest warrants were issued by the Ministry of Interior, reports the daily.

KUNA photos

Top and above: Pictures taken during the drill.

‘Eagles Resolve 2017’ drill concludes KUWAIT CITY, April 6, (KUNA): In the final field activity for the military exercise “Eagles Resolve 2017” drill, Kuwait’s Army Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Mohammad Khaled Al-Kheder expressed keennness on increasing combat skills for participating Kuwaiti and GCC personnel in face of potential extneral dangers. ❑





Kuwaiti killed: A Kuwaiti died on the spot after he lost control of his vehicle and crashed into a crane driven by a Pakistani, reports AlRai daily. The corpse has been referred to Forensics and the Pakistani who is also injured to the Adan Hospital. In another unrelated accident, a young Kuwaiti riding a motorbike died on the spot after crashing into a car on the Arabian Gulf Street, the daily added. ❑ ❑ ❑ Woman found dead: A 1962-born Kuwaiti woman died of natural

A statement releated by Kuwait’s military, on Thursday, quoted General Al-Kheder as hailing the participating forces for “unifying some military concepts and boosting their cooperation and coordination” in the field. The “Eagles Resolve 2017” drill kicked off mid-March, under patronage of Kuwait’s Deputy Prime Min-

ister and Defense Minister Sheikh Mohammad Al-Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah, with participation of forces from the GCC states, the United States of America, in addition to the Al-Jazeera (Peninsula) Shield Force. The drill, first launched in Bahrain in 1999, aims to promote unity and coordination among the involved forces to counter terrorism.

causes inside her house in Adaliya area. According to security sources, when the Operations Room of Ministry of Interior received information about the death of the woman, securitymen rushed to the location with paramedics to discover the woman is a Kuwaiti citizen. Her corpse was referred to the Forensics Department. A case of natural death was registered. ❑ ❑ ❑

licit affair with him and sending her explicit messages and pictures. After she provided securitymen with the suspect’s mobile number, they carried out investigations to discover he is a Syrian expatriate living in Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh area. A case of immoral instigation was filed against him and necessary steps were taken for his arrest. Meanwhile, a Kuwaiti woman lodged a complaint at Salmiya Police Station against an unknown individual, who was driving a Jeep, accusing him of stalking her after she refused to take his mobile number. Necessary action was taken to find and arrest him.

Women harassed: A 33-year old Kuwaiti woman accused a Syrian expatriate of calling her at night, attempting to convince her into an il-

ARAB TIMES, FRIDAY-SATURDAY, APRIL 7-8, 2017

LOCAL/GULF

9

Historical area lost in history

Al-Shuaiba town fondly remembered by Kuwaitis KUWAIT CITY, April 6, (KUNA): Reminiscing about the past is a unique trait that human beings share as a species and this process is especially true when it comes to places and areas people used to visit or live in the “good ol’days”. The new generation of Kuwaitis perhaps have no prior knowledge on the existence of Al-Shuaiba town, but if one asked an elderly person, he or she might have a clue about the area, which existed prior to 1976. The town — abandoned some 40 years ago due to proximity to oil installations — was amongst

KUNA photo

A Cultural Club in Shuaiba town in 1966

the chief areas in Al-Qsoor region, which includes Fahaheel, Mangaf, Fintas, Funaitees, and Abu Hlaifa. According to researcher Sultan Al-Bahli in his book (Al-Shuaiba Town), people populated the area prior to the spread of Islam. The tribe of Banu Tamim have settled in the region during the era known as the age of Jahiliya (ignorance). Speaking about the modern era of the town, located around 48 kms south of Kuwaiti City, historian Adel Al-Sadoun told KUNA that Al-Shuaiba town was founded 1770. Many famed Kuwaiti families,

such as Al-Majdali, Al-Saqer, AlSallal, and others, called Al-Shuaiba town their “home”, said AlSadoun who noted that the name of the area was derived from the waterways resulting from rainfall. Throughout the years, Shuaiba town was mentioned prominently in the writings of Arab and foreign travelers and officials between the 1800s and early 1900s. The most famous person to dwell in the town was Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah who is the son of late Amir and founder of the modern Kuwaiti State, Sheikh Mubarak Al-Sabah, also known as

Mubarak Al-Kabeer (Mubarak the Great). The first chief of the town was Mohammad Al-Gassab whose name was mentioned in an official correspondence between Sheikh Mubarak and Major-General Sir Percy Zachariah Cox, a British Indian Army officer and Colonial Office administrator in the Middle East. Before it was abandoned, the population of Al-Shuaiba town reached 10,000 people in 1960; however, locals started to leave town by the mid-1970s, leading to another story about a town lost in history.

UAE council decides to implement environ plan with immediate effect Council for Climate Change holds second meeting

KUNA photo

A Health Center in the old Shuaiba area

KUNA photo

An old portrait of a diwaniya in Shuaiba town

The hunt for dawn of APTs

A 20-year-old cyberattack in US that remains relevant DUBAI, April 6: Kaspersky Lab and Kings College London researchers, looking for a link between a modern threat actor and the Moonlight Maze attacks that targeted the Pentagon, NASA and more in the late 1990s, have unearthed samples, logs and artefacts belonging to the ancient Advanced Persistent Treat (APT). The findings show that a backdoor used in 1998 by Moonlight Maze to tunnel information out of victim networks connects to a Guerrero-Saade backdoor used by Turla in 2011 and possibly as recently as 2017. If the link between Turla and Moonlight Maze is proven, it would place the evolved threat actor alongside the Equation Group in terms of its longevity, as some of Equation’s command-and-control servers date back to 1996. Contemporary reports on Moonlight Maze show how, starting from 1996, US military and government networks, as well as universities, research institutions and even the Department of Energy began detecting breaches in their systems. In 1998, the FBI and the Department of Defense launched a massive investigation. The story became public in 1999, but much of the evidence has remained classified, leaving the details of Moonlight Maze shrouded in myth and secrecy. Over the years, original investigators in three different countries have stated that Moonlight Maze evolved into Turla, a Russian-speaking threat actor also known as Snake, Uroburos, Venomous Bear, and Krypton. Turla is conventionally believed to have been active since 2007.

The ‘Cupboard Samples’ In 2016, while researching his book, Rise of the Machines, Thomas Rid of Kings College London tracked down a former system administrator whose organization’s server had been hijacked as a proxy by the Moonlight Maze attackers. This server, ‘HRTest’, had been used to launch attacks on the US. The now-retired IT professional had kept the original server and copies of everything relating to the attacks, and handed it to Kings College and Kaspersky Lab for fur-

ther analysis. Kaspersky Lab researchers, Juan Andres Guerrero-Saade and Costin Raiu, together with Thomas Rid and Danny Moore from Kings College, spent nine months undertaking a detailed technical analysis of these samples. They reconstructed the attackers’ operations, tools, and techniques, and conducted a parallel investigation to see if they could prove the claimed connection with Turla. Moonlight Maze was an opensource Unix-based attack targeting Solaris systems, and the findings show that it made use of a backdoor based on LOKI2 (a program released in 1996 that enables users to extract data via covert channels). This led the researchers to take a second look at some rare Linux samples used by Turla that Kaspersky Lab had discovered in 2014. Named Penquin Turla, these samples are also based on LOKI2. Further, the re-analysis showed that all of them use code created between 1999 and 2004.

Attributed Remarkably, this code is still being used in attacks. It was spotted in the wild in 2011 when it was found in an attack on defense contractor Ruag in Switzerland that has been attributed to Turla. Then, in March 2017, Kaspersky Lab researchers discovered a new sample of the Penquin Turla backdoor submitted from a system in Germany. It is possible that Turla uses the old code for attacks on highly secure entities that might be harder to breach using its more standard Windows toolset. “In the late 1990s, no-one foresaw the reach and persistence of a coordinated cyberespionage campaign. We need to ask ourselves why it is that attackers are still able to successfully leverage ancient code in modern attacks. The analysis of the Moonlight Maze samples is not just a fascinating archaeological study; it is also a reminder that well-resourced adversaries aren’t going anywhere, it’s up to us to defend systems with skills to match,” said Juan Andres GuerreroSaade, Senior Security Researcher, Global Research and Analysis Team Kaspersky Lab. The newly unearthed Moonlight Maze files reveal many fascinating details about how the attacks were conducted using a complex network of proxies, and the high level of skills and tools used by the attackers.

DUBAI, April 6: The second meeting of the UAE Council for Climate Change and Environment, presided over by His Excellency Dr Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, Minister of Climate Change and Environment, has decided to implement its national environmental plan with immediate effect. The plan was approved at the Council’s first meeting in January 2017. The meeting reviewed the action plan and the implementation mechanisms of each of its focus areas for the next four years. The focus areas include climate change, green development, green financing, coordination of municipal affairs, environmental coordination, partnership with private sector, capacity building, awareness, education, and international relations. In addition, the participants discussed the biodiversity strategy of the UAE National Climate Change Plan, the UAE Green Agenda, the National Environmental Awareness and Education Strategy, as well as community and local agriculture priorities. Various programs and initiatives for 2017 in support of the UAE Green Growth Strategy were also on the agenda. The Council also discussed the outcomes of the national plan adopted at the first meeting, the most important of which is to reduce and adapt to the impacts of climate change by setting clear targets for reducing harmful emissions and carbon footprint. Promote Al Zeyoudi said: “The agenda of the UAE Council for Climate Change and Environment stems from the UAE leadership’s vision to adopt best international practices to promote sustainable lifestyle in the country.” He added: “We have discussed the mechanisms for implementing the Council’s national environmental plan for the next four years to contribute to the UAE’s relentless efforts to identify solutions to pressing current and future environmental challenges. Cooperation with the private sector is essential to instill a culture of sustainability among the country’s citizens and residents, and to preserve our environment for future generations.” The national environmental plan includes the preparation and implementation of a national strategy to facilitate better adaptation to climate change, a lowcarbon development program in collaboration with the private sector, and various measures related to the UAE Green Agenda. The meeting drew the participation of senior officials from

Dr Thani Al Zeyoudi

Photos from the UAE Council for Climate Change and Environment’s second meeting.

MoH warns housing allowance beneficiaries

GCC prepares Interpol blacklist of wanted fugitives KUWAIT CITY, April 6: An “Interpol blacklist” has been prepared to prevent movement of wanted fugitives within GCC countries, reports Al-Seyassah daily quoting Al-Hayat newspaper. Assistant Secretary-General of GCC for Security Affairs Major General Hazza Al-Hajri said the level of coordination and exchange of intelligence and information among the GCC member states has reached advanced encouraging levels that have helped in realizing a number of security achievements and foiling several attempts to hinder such cooperation. In his speech during a meeting held at the GCC SecretariatGeneral headquarters in Riyadh on Tuesday in the presence of GCC se-

curity leadership, Al-Hajri revealed that the GCC Police, the headquarters of which is in Abu Dhabi, has finished connecting the security systems of GCC states. He indicated that some of the GCC Police activities include the exchange of intelligence regarding criminals and wanted persons, following the establishment of an organizational system and integrated database. ❑ ❑ ❑ Ministry of Health has warned its Kuwaiti and GCC doctors and pharmacists, who are beneficiaries of housing allowance, against negligence in updating their marital status in order to avoid accumulation of debts that might arise in the

future which they might not be able to pay, reports Al-Shahed daily. Assistant Undersecretary for Administration Affairs Marzouq Al-Rushaidi sent a circular to all beneficiaries of housing allowance, stating that the allowance will be suspended for these doctors and pharmacists if any of the following situations are proven to be true — They own a private residence. They have secured a real-estate loan from Kuwait Credit Bank. They have been allotted a plot by Public Authority for Housing Welfare. Their marital status has changed. If the husband of a doctor or pharmacist obtains a house or gets housing allowance from their workplace of either public sector or private sector.

several ministries in the UAE. These included Yacoub Yousef Al Hosani, Assistant Minister for International Organization Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Engineer Ibrahim Al Wahabi Assistant Undersecretary at the Ministry of Infrastructure Development, Abdulla Sultan Alfan Alshamsi, Assistant Undersecretary for Industrial Affairs at the Ministry of Economy, Khalid Ali Al Bustani, Assistant Undersecretary for International Financial Relations at the Ministry of Finance, and Engineer Fatima Mohammed Al Foora Al Shamsi, Assistant Undersecretary for Electricity and Water Affairs at the Ministry of Energy. Local authorities were represented by Razan Khalifa Al Mubarak, Secretary-General of Environment

Agency — Abu Dhabi, Khalifa Mohammad Al Mazrouei, Undersecretary at the Department of Municipal Affairs and Transport of Abu Dhabi, Hussain Nasser Lootah, Director-General of Dubai Municipality, Ahmed Butti Muhairbi, Secretary-General at the Supreme Council for Taqah — Dubai, Salem Mohammed Al Naqbi, Head of the Sharjah Department of Municipal Affairs and Agriculture, Hana Saif Al Suwaidi, Chairperson of the Sharjah Environment and Protected Areas Authority, Abdul Rahman Mohammed Al Nuaimi, Director-General of Ajman Municipality and Planning Department, Engineer Khalid Mueen Al Hosani, Executive Director of the Public Health and Environment Sector at Ajman Municipality and Planning Department, Munther Moham-

med bin Shekar, Director-General of Ras Al Khaimah Municipality, Obaid Sultan Towarish, Acting Director-General of Umm Al Quwain Municipality, Engineer Yousef Jassem Al-Mansouri, Deputy Director of the Department of Planning and Survey — Umm Al Quwain, Engineer Mohammed Saif Al Afkham, Director-General of Fujairah Municipality, and Engineer Hassan Salem Al Yamahi, Director-General of Dibba Fujairah Municipality. Private sector representatives included Essa Abdulla Al Ghurair, Chairman of Al Ghurair Resources, Dr Dalya Al Muthanna, President and CEO of GE Gulf, May Ibrahim Bumajeed, Group Head of Marketing and Corporate Communications at National Bank of Abu Dhabi, and Ibrahim Al Zu’bi, Head of Sustainability at Majid Al Futtaim Group.

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World News Roundup Extremism Terror suspect held in Vegas

Bomb suspect seeks change of trial venue NEW YORK, April 6, (AP): A man accused of setting off bombs in New Jersey and New York seven months ago, injuring dozens of people, asked a judge on Wednesday to move his trial to Vermont to avoid the possibility potential jurors have been influenced by prejudicial publicity about the case. Lawyers for Ahmad Khan Rahimi, an Afghanistanborn US citizen, said in court papers he would get a fairer trial in Burlington, Vermont. They said an expert analysis shows that media coverage of his case in Manhattan newspapers was twice as heavy as occurred in Washington, DC, and five times as much as in Burlington publications. Rahimi, who lived with his family in Elizabeth, New Jersey, is charged with detonating a pipe bomb along a charity race in Seaside Park, New Jersey, and planting two pressure cooker bombs in Manhattan on Sept 17. One device did not explode. The other one detonated in the Chelsea neighborhood, injuring 30 people. Rahimi, who has pleaded not guilty, is detained without bail. Defense lawyers say their analysis shows that about 90 Rahimi percent of respondents to their survey were aware of Rahimi’s case and that those who answered questions had a “comparatively strong presumption of guilt.” They said a high number of the respondents said they were in the Chelsea neighborhood at the time of the attacks or knew someone who was. The lawyers wrote that prejudicial information that reached some respondents included reports of a confession, a near singular focus on Rahimi, inflammatory information and demonization of Rahimi as a terrorist. They also cited numerous statements by the government and tweets by former US Attorney Preet Bharara about Rahimi and other aspects of his prosecution. Prosecutors declined to comment. Rahimi was hospitalized for weeks for treatment of wounds suffered in a police shootout during his Sept 19 capture outside a bar in Linden, New Jersey. In New Jersey, he is charged with attempted murder for the gunbattle with five officers. His Manhattan federal trial is scheduled for October. Lawyers in terrorism cases over the past few decades in Manhattan have frequently asked judges for a change of venue. None has been granted. Typically, the judges assume the potential jury pool has heard of the event and questions possible jurors individually to ensure they can still be fair. ❑ ❑ ❑ Man held on terror, weapon charges: A Las Vegas man who has been free on bail for three months while fighting explosives and firearms charges was arrested late Wednesday on counts of terrorism and possession of weapons of mass destruction, authorities said. Nicolai Howard Mork’s defense attorney, Nicholas Woolridge, expressed shock at the two new charges against his 40-year-old client in Nevada state court, and the $8 million bail amount set by a judge who issued a warrant for his arrest. Mork had posted $220,000 bail following his arrest in December. Mork was taken into custody at one of his homes in a southern Las Vegas neighborhood after police evacuated residents from several nearby homes, police Sgt Jeff Clark said. He called the evacuations a precautionary move. Mork legally possessed materials commonly used for targets that can explode when shot during firearms target practice, his lawyer said, Woolridge said similar devices are commercially available and not prohibited under federal law. Deputy Las Vegas Police Chief Chris Jones declined to specify the materials that police seized Dec 29 with a search warrant at Mork’s home. Mork was arrested at the time on charges that he illegally possessed explosives, a silencer and a gun with a serial number removed. “The manner in which this individual was using these materials was not for legal purposes,” Jones said. “These substances could be used in the manufacture of powerful explosive devices. The more you use, the larger the device, the more destructive it’s going to be.” Chief Deputy Clark County District Attorney Jacob Villani said the chemicals were strong enough to penetrate a military tank, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported. ❑ ❑ ❑ ‘Man wanted to fight for IS’: An 18-year-old South Carolina man told an undercover FBI agent he thought was an Islamic State recruiter that he wanted to fight for the terrorist organization and torture an American on a propaganda video, authorities said. Zakaryia Abdin was arrested last week at the airport in Charleston as he tried to board a plane to Jordan. A grand jury indicted him Tuesday on a charge of providing material support to a terrorist organization. If convicted, he could face up to 20 years in prison. It wasn’t Abdin’s first scrape with the law. Two years ago, authorities said he wanted to rob a gun store to get weapons to kill soldiers as revenge for American military action in the Middle East. He was arrested before the robbery, and a parole board last May agreed to his early release. Abdin was aware federal authorities were watching him. He told the undercover agent if he couldn’t get to the Middle East to fight, he would be willing to attack a site in the US He praised the Florida man who killed 49 people last year in a terror attack at a nightclub, according to the FBI statement released after Abdin’s indictment. Abdin said he wanted his face shown if he got to torture an American hostage because “I want to be the one to send the message because they know who I am,” according to the FBI statement. ❑ ❑ ❑ Judge lets attorneys withdraw: A federal judge says he is reluctantly granting the request from defense attorneys to withdraw from the case of a Kansas man accused of plotting to bomb an apartment complex filled with Somali immigrants. US District Judge Eric Melgren said Wednesday new court-appointed counsel would be selected for Patrick Stein while he continues efforts to hire his own private attorney. Stein and co-defendants Gavin Wright and Curtis Allen are accused of conspiring to detonate truck bombs at an apartment complex where Somali immigrants live in Garden City, Kansas. Stein told the judge his court-appointed attorneys have limited criminal experience to handle a case of this magnitude when the rest of his life is on the line. He says lawyers quoted him prices between $100,000 and $1 million to represent him.

Las Vegas police and SWAT officers surround a home of Nicolai Howard Mork as they clear the property on April 5, in Las Vegas. Mork, who had been free on bail for three months while fighting explosives and firearms charges, was arrested late Wednesday on counts of terrorism and possession of weapons of

mass destruction, authorities said. Mork was taken into custody at one of his homes in a southern Las Vegas neighborhood after police evacuated residents from several nearby homes. (AP)

Hack Complex challenges prompt rethink on recruitment

FBI may ease cyber agents entry

In this Jan 21, 2008 file photo, Mexican federal police officers escort Alfredo Beltran Leyva, known as ‘El Mochomo’, after his arrest upon his arrival to Mexico City’s airport. Beltran Leyva, the once-powerful Mexican drug cartel leader and associate of Joaquin ‘El Chapo’ Guzman has been sentenced to life in a US prison. Alfredo Beltran Leyva was sentenced on April 5, after pleading guilty in February to charges his multibillion-dollar operation smuggled tons of cocaine and methamphetamine into the United States. Leyva was also ordered by US District Judge Richard Leon in Washington to forfeit $529 million, the Justice Department said. Since the 1990s, the Beltran Leyva Organization, together with the Sinaloa Cartel, directed a drug transportation network that shipped tons of cocaine and methamphetamines into the United States, US law enforcement officials said. At its peak, the Beltran Leyva Organization dominated drug trafficking in western Mexico and was responsible for ‘countless murders,’ they said. (AP)

Li

WASHINGTON, April 6, (AP): Aspiring federal agents who can hack a computer with ease but can’t shoot their way out of a paper bag could soon find the FBI to be more welcoming. In a series of recent speeches, FBI Director James Comey has hinted the bureau may adjust its hiring requirements to attract top-notch cyber recruits, the better to compete with private sector companies who can lure the sharpest technical minds with huge salary offers. He’s floated the idea of scrapping a requirement that agents who leave the FBI but want to return after two years must re-enroll in the bureau’s storied but arduous Quantico, Virginia, training academy. He’s also lamented, half-jokingly, that otherwise qualified applicants may be discouraged from applying because of a fondness for marijuana. “We will find people of integrity who are really smart, who know cyber — and can’t do a pushup. Or we’ll find people, maybe they can do a pushup, they’re smart and they can do cyber — but they want to smoke weed on the way to the interview,” the FBI director has said. The rethinking on recruitment comes as the FBI confronts increasingly complex cyber challenges, including crippling state-sponsored attacks, and as it’s racing to develop more sophisticated techniques for combating internet-based threats. Law enforcement has struggled to break into encrypted cellphones of criminal suspects and the Justice Department sued Apple last year after agents could not access a locked iPhone used by a mass shooter in San Bernardino, California. Though an unidentified third-party vendor ultimately came forward with a tool to open the phone, law enforcement officials remain concerned about electronic ter-

rorism recruitment that occurs through encrypted channels and out of sight of investigators. Even crimes that investigators have tackled for decades, like child pornography, have grown more complicated as suspects trade images through hidden internet browsers that shield their locations and identities. The Justice Department has been developing ways through bulk hacking to uncover the users’ locations, though defendants have repeatedly — and with some success — challenged the use of that tactic. “The world’s not coming back. The old school stuff that I did 20, 30 years ago in the State Police and the FBI, all those crimes nowadays have a major cyber component to it,” said Robert Anderson, a retired FBI executive assistant director who oversaw cyber investigations.

Talent Comey has suggested the FBI may need to build its own university to groom cyber talent and questioned whether every member of a cyber squad actually needs to be a gun-carrying agent. “Our minds are open to all of these things because we are seeking a talent — talent in a pool that is increasingly small. So, you’re going to see us experiment with a number of different approaches to this,” Comey said last week at a gathering of the Intelligence and National Security Alliance. He’s floated different possible solutions, but he’s returned several times to the idea of waiving the requirement that people who want to return to the FBI after two years outside the bureau re-enroll in Quantico. “Our people leave, go to the private sector, discover it’s a soulless, empty way to live — and then they realize, ‘My life is empty, I need moral content in my work,’” Comey said, light-heartedly and to laughter, in a recent speech

at the University of Texas at Austin.

Also: HAMILTON, Ontario: A Canadian man accused in a massive hack of Yahoo emails said Wednesday he’ll live with his parents and forgo access to phones and any electronic equipment if he’s allowed out on bail. Officials allege that Karim Baratov poses an “extremely high flight risk” because of his alleged ties to Russian agents. But his lawyer Amedeo DiCarlo said that Baratov has never been to Russia and he will not flee if freed on bail. Baratov arrived in court for his bail wearing a black shirt and sweat pants with his legs shackled. His parents provided him with a dress jacket. “Flight risk is the issue,” DiCarlo told reporters after arriving at the courthouse in a chauffeured Rolls Royce. “We are going to have measures put in place so that is not going to happen.” Baratov’s parents have agreed to act as their son’s sureties. His father, Akhmet Tokbergenov, has agreed to turn off the internet in the family home if the court requests it. “Believe me I will create such conditions that even jail will look like paradise to him,” Tokbergenov said in court through a Russian interpreter. Baratov, 22, said he registered an internet business in 2014 that made about $81,000 ($110,000 Canadian) that year registering websites, renting web spaces and preventing hack attempts on web servers. He said he made less in in 2015 and 2016. He was not asked directly about the allegations against him. US law enforcement officials call Baratov a “hacker-for-hire” paid by Russian Federal Security Service members. He has Kazakh origins, arriving in Canada in 2007 and becoming a citizen in 2011.

Shapiro

America Murder suspect raises $35m bail: A California woman accused of killing the father of her two children was expected to be released from jail Thursday after posting an unprecedented $35 million bail raised by wealthy friends, family and business associates with ties to China. Tiffany Li, 31, is backed by a consortium of people tied to her mother who have raised $4 million cash and pledged $61 million in San Francisco Bay Area property. California courts require twice the bail amount if property is used instead of cash. Li’s attorney Geoff Carr says Li and her mother were born in China, where the mother was financially successful in the construction industry. Carr says Li and her mother are naturalized U.S. citizens. Carr said all defendants except those accused of death penalty-eligible crimes are entitled to “reasonable bail.” The $35 million bail is the highest ever in San Mateo County’s history, a county official said. (AP) ❑ ❑ ❑

raigned Wednesday on charges including conspiracy, theft by deception and participating in a corrupt organization and then was committed for a mental health evaluation, state Attorney General Josh Shapiro said. “Audrey Huff was the money mule in this Jamaican lottery scam,” Shapiro said in a statement. “She got the cash in the mail from elderly victims throughout the country. She knew this was a terrible scam.”

The victims, who ranged in age from 74 to 90, were contacted by strangers posing as lottery, bank or Internal Revenue Service officials. The victims, from Arizona, California, Massachusetts, Minnesota and South Carolina, mailed money to Huff, who then wired it in nearly 300 transfers to other people in Jamaica. (AP) ❑ ❑ ❑

Woman accused of bilking elderly: A woman has been charged with being a money mule who sent $295,000 to Jamaican conspirators after elderly people in several states were persuaded to send her the money in a lottery scam. Audrey Huff, of Pittsburgh, was ar-

A family gathers beneath blossoming trees along Kelly Drive on a spring afternoon in Philadelphia on April 5. (AP)

Business raided in visa probe: Federal authorities on Wednesday raided a Los Angeles-area business suspected of cheating the US government visa program to obtain green cards for wealthy Chinese investors. Investigators searched the office of the California Investment Immigration Fund in San Gabriel as part of the fraud investigation. Under a US government program, foreign investors who commit at least half a million dollars to job-creating projects in designated areas can apply to obtain green cards. (AP) The California fund sought green cards for more than 100 Chinese investors for construction projects that were never built, according to federal court filings. “As a result of the fraudulent scheme, many foreign nationals were able to improperly obtain US green cards through the EB-5 visa program, even though those foreigners did not in fact truly invest in US businesses, nor were new American jobs created,” FBI Special Agent Gary Chen wrote in the papers. Chen also wrote that some of the $50 million raised through the scheme was refunded to investors while their immigration applications were pending or used to buy personal homes for Victoria Chan, an attorney, and her father Tat Chan, who ran the fund. In some instances, the fund fronted the money for people who were not legitimate investors, he wrote. (AP)

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Defense Secretary Jim Mattis and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi stand for the playing of the Egyptian national anthem at the Pentagon on April 5. (AP)

HealthCare

Security

‘No bill vote’

Pence plays down shake-up as routine

Deal elusive as House to take Easter ‘break’

Trump drops Bannon from NSC

WASHINGTON, April 6, (AP): The White House and House Republicans appear short of a last-ditch deal on their long-promised repeal of Barack Obama’s healthcare law. And in an unexpected twist, “Obamacare” — never very popular — seems to be rising in public opinion polls. “There’s no suggestion we should be changing our flights,” moderate Rep Chris Collins, R-N.Y., said Wednesday afternoon, a day before lawmakers were slated to leave Washington for their two-week recess. “We’re going home ... without a deal.” From the party’s right flank, Freedom Caucus member Rep Mark Sanford of South Carolina said: “I’ve heard nothing of substance at this point that would break the logjam.” The Thursday schedule from House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., delivered the hard truth — no health bill vote. Two weeks ago, House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., was forced to call off a floor vote on a GOP measure to repeal much of the Obama-era Affordable Care Act, or ACA. The GOP legislation replacing it would have scaled back the federal role in health care, covering 24 million fewer people over time, while also cutting taxes for upper-income earners. Then as now, deep differObama ences among hardliners and moderates impeded the Republican march. Each side blames the other. The congressional recess could drain more momentum from the repeal drive although many Republicans say individually they’re not giving up. Meanwhile, weeks of truth-or-consequences debate on Capitol Hill may be shifting public attitudes on the ACA, which has remained divisive since Democrats passed it in 2010 without any Republican support. Gallup said this week that the law gained majority approval for the first time, with 55 percent supporting it and 41 percent disapproving. It was the first majority for “Obamacare” since Gallup started asking the question in the same format in November 2012. It marked a major shift from five months ago when 42 percent approved and 53 percent disapproved.

Repeal Another nonpartisan survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation found relief that Congress has not managed to repeal the health law. It showed that 3 in 4 Americans want the Trump administration to make the law work. About 2 in 3 said they were glad the House GOP bill didn’t pass. But people split evenly between wanting to keep or repeal the statute. Unwelcome fallout from translating the GOP vision into practical policy seems to be contributing to the party’s difficulty selling its plans. For example, experts said the latest idea floated this week would raise premiums for people with medical problems. Roughed out in negotiations between the White House and leaders of the conservative Freedom Caucus, the idea would allow states to seek waivers of two ACA requirements. One, known as community rating, forbids insurers from charging higher premiums on account of people’s medical problems or pre-existing conditions. The other is the essential health benefits provision that spells out categories of benefits all insurance plans must cover. Conservatives who want the federal government out of healthcare argue that those provisions have driven up premiums and decreased choice. The idea is to put states back in charge of insurance rules, reasoning that that would increase the availability of plans with lower premiums, attractive to younger, healthier customers. But health care industry consultant Robert Laszewski said it would also open a “back door” to a system where the sick can get priced out of coverage. “It’s hard for me to believe that any state would take us back ... when it comes to the protections that consumers have for pre-existing conditions,” Laszewski said. “There is no doubt that Obamacare as a system is not working very well, but nobody wants to go backward.”

US President Donald Trump and Jordan’s King Abdullah II walk to their news conference in the Rose Garden at the White House in Washington on April 5. (AP)

Sutton

Giuliani

America Contractors couldn’t boycott Israel: The Kansas House approved a bill that would prohibit the state from awarding contracts to companies that are participating in any boycott of Israel. The House passed the measure Wednesday on a 116-9 vote. Similar policies in 17 states are intended to slow a Boycott, Divest and Sanction, or BDS, movement backed by pro-Palestinian freedom groups . Supporters of the movement say it’s a way to promote Palestinian human rights, but pro-Israeli groups call it discrimination. Supporters contend the laws don’t prohibit free speech because individuals and companies can still criticize Israel, or they can boycott it as long as they’re not vying for the state’s business. But the state shouldn’t “subsidize or reward discriminatory behavior,” said Jacob Millner, Midwest regional director and senior policy analyst for the Israel Project. Republican state Rep. William Sutton, who has called the boycotts an “economic attack” on Israel, said the bill would protect Kansas’ trading relationship with the Middle Eastern country. But pro-Palestinian groups believe the law discriminates against businesses for their political speech. Palestine Legal staff attorney Rahul Saksena said the US has a long history of boycotts protected by the First Amendment. Palestine Legal defends people in the US who speak out in support of Palestine. Saksena said the organization is considering challenging the laws. (AP) ❑ ❑ ❑

Giuliani role details sought: A US judge on Wednesday ordered that he be given more detail about former New York City mayor Rudolph Giuliani and another lawyer’s representation of a Turkish gold trader charged with conspiring to violate US sanctions against Iran. US District Judge Richard Berman in Manhattan said he needed extra information to ensure that conflicts of interest did not prevent Giuliani and and former US Attorney General Michael Mukasey from effectively representing Reza Zarrab, who is in US custody. Zarrab is accused of conspiring to conduct illegal transactions through US banks on

WASHINGTON, April 5, (Agencies): US President Donald Trump removed his chief strategist Steve Bannon from the National Security Council on Wednesday, reversing his controversial decision early this year to give a political adviser an unprecedented role in security discussions. Trump’s overhaul of the NSC, confirmed by a White House official, also elevated General Joseph Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and Dan Coats, the director of National Intelligence who heads all 17 US intelligence agencies. The official said the change moves the NSC “back to its core function of what it’s supposed to do.” It also appears to mark a victory for national security adviser H.R. McMaster, who had told some national security experts he felt he was in a “battle to the death” with Bannon and others on the White House staff. Vice — President Mike Pence said Bannon would continue to play an important role in policy and played down the shake-up as routine. “This is just a natural evolution to ensure the National Security Council is organized in a way that best serves the president in resolving and making those difficult decisions,” Pence said on Fox News. Bannon said in a statement he had succeeded in returning the NSC back to its traditional role of coordinating foreign policy rather than running it. He cited president Barack Obama’s national security adviser, Susan Rice, for why he advocated a change. “Susan Rice operationalized the NSC during the last administration so I was put on NSC to ensure it was ‘de-operationalized.’ General McMaster has NSC back to its proper function,” he said. Trump’s White House team has grappled with infighting and intrigue that has hobbled his young presidency. In recent days, several other senior US foreign policy and national security officials have said the mechanisms for shaping the Trump administration’s response to pressing challenges such as Syria, North Korea and Iran still were not in place. behalf of Iran’s government. Prosecutors said in a court filing last week that eight of the US banks involved in the case were clients of Giuliani or Mukasey’s law firms, and Giuliani’s firm was a registered agent of Turkey, posing potential

Critics of Bannon’s role on the NSC said it gave too much weight in decision-making to someone who lacked foreign policy expertise. Bannon, who was chief executive of Trump’s presidential campaign in the months leading to his election in November, in some respects represents Trump’s “America First” nationalistic voice, helping fuel his anti-Washington fervor and pushing for the president to part ways at times with mainstream Republicans. Before joining the Trump administration, Bannon headed Breitbart News, a right-wing website. US Representative Adam Schiff, ranking Democrat on the House of Representatives Intelligence Committee, called the shift in the NSC a positive step that will help McMaster “gain control over a body that was being politicized by Bannon’s involvement.” “As the administration’s policy over North Korea, China, Russia and Syria continues to drift, we can only hope this shake-up brings some level of strategic vision to the body,” he said. Bannon’s removal from the NSC was a potential setback for his sphere of influence in the Trump White House, where he has a voice in most major decisions. But a Trump confidant said Bannon remained as influential as ever. “He is still involved in everything and still has the full confidence of the president but to be fair he can only do so much stuff,” the confidant said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Departure The White House official said Bannon was no longer needed on the NSC after the departure of Trump’s first national security adviser, Michael Flynn. Flynn was forced to resign on Feb 13 over his contacts with Russia’s ambassador to the United States, Sergei Kislyak, prior to Trump taking office on Jan 20. The official said Bannon had been placed on the NSC originally as a check on Flynn and had only attended one of the NSC’s regular meetings. The official dismissed questions conflicts. Benjamin Brafman, an attorney for Zarrab, said at a court hearing on Tuesday that Giuliani and Mukasey were working on a “diplomatic solution” to the case and would not represent Zarrab in court.

A couple walks through the Empty Sky Memorial at sunset at Liberty State Park on April 5, in Jersey City, New Jersey. (AP)

about a power struggle between Bannon and McMaster, saying they shared the same world view. However, two current national security officials rejected the White House explanation, noting that two months have passed since Flynn’s departure. McMaster, they said, speaking on the condition of anonymity, also has dueled with Bannon and others over direct access to Trump; the future of deputy national security adviser K.T. McFarland, a former Fox News commentator; intelligence director Ezra Cohen-Watnick, a Flynn appointee; and other staffing decisions.

Also: UNITED NATIONS: The UN Security Council will visit Washington later this month and meet President Donald Trump at the White House, a council diplomat said Wednesday. During the April 24 visit the 15 members of the UN’s most powerful body will also meet congressional leaders, the diplomat said, speaking on condition of anonymity because the trip hasn’t been officially announced. Council members have also asked for a briefing by White House envoy Jason Greenblatt, who is charged with trying to restart Israeli-Palestinian peace talks that collapsed over two years ago, the diplomat said. Two issues certain to be on the agenda during the meetings, in addition to global hotspots including Syria and North Korea, are reports that Trump wants major cuts to the UN budget and reforms at the United Nations. US Ambassador Nikki Haley, who holds the rotating Security Council presidency this month, has been outspoken in demanding reforms at the United Nations, which she has called “stale.” The administration is doing a review of all 16 UN peacekeeping missions, which have an annual budget of nearly $8 billion, seeking to cut costs and improve their effectiveness. The diplomat said Haley, who is also a member of Trump’s Cabinet, arranged the council visit. Giuliani, who has advised US President Donald Trump, and Mukasey traveled to Turkey in late February to meet with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan about the case. Brafman said Tuesday that Mukasey discussed the trip in advance with US Attorney General Jeff Sessions. (RTRS) ❑ ❑ ❑

Thumbs up for Air Force nom: The Senate Armed Services Committee has given its approval to President Donald Trump’s nominee for Air Force secretary. The GOP-led panel voted 22-5 Wednesday to favorably report Heather Wilson’s nomination to the full Senate for consideration. Wilson, a former member of Congress, faced sharp criticism from several Democrats on the committee during her confirmation hearing last week. They questioned her work as a defense industry consultant and a conversation she had a decade ago with a federal prosecutor during a corruption probe. Wilson told the panel she did nothing improper. To avoid potential conflicts of interest, Wilson has committed to selling stocks she holds in more than a dozen companies that have Defense Department contracts. If confirmed, Wilson would be the first Air Force Academy graduate to hold the position. (AP)

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World News Roundup

Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II, and Prince Andrew, Duke of York (on her right), during a ceremonial presentation of the Guidon to the Royal Lancers at Windsor Castle, in Berkshire, England on April 5. (AP)

Britain

Scotland

Tusk, May in talks

‘UK PM doing nothing to break impasse’

British PM heads for ‘electoral test’

Sturgeon won’t call unilateral vote

LONDON, April 6, (Agencies): Prime Minister Theresa May unleashed a scathing attack on Britain’s main opposition party on Thursday, launching a campaign for local elections next month that will be the biggest electoral test so far of her leadership and her plan to leave the EU. Pressing home her advantage over Labour in opinion polls, she told voters to choose between the “competence” of her Conservatives or the “chaos” of the rest in the May 4 elections when voters across Britain will elect thousands of local authority councillors and six new mayors. The ballot will also show whether opposition Labour has managed to defy the opinion polls, where the party’s standing has sunk since veteran lawmaker Jeremy Corbyn took over 18 months ago to lead the Corbyn party further to the left. With little formal opposition in parliament, May, who has yet to face election after being appointed prime minister following Britain’s referendum on EU membership, has been able to claim much of the political centre ground – something she must try to maintain before parliamentary elections in 2020. “When you look at it closely, these local elections present a clear and informative choice: the competence of a strong Conservative council, focused on the priorities of local people, keeping local taxes down and delivering high quality local services,” she told supporters in the central city of Nottingham. “Or the chaos and disarray of the rest – political parties motivated not by what is best for local areas, but what best for their own partisan political interest, and without a plan for our country or our local communities – just a recipe for chaos and failure.”

Intervene May also said the government is prepared to intervene in consumer markets to reduce costs for billpayers. She has highlighted energy as one sector that she says is not working for consumers. With May’s Conservatives 18 points ahead of Labour in polls, the prime minister said the opposition was out of touch with the concerns of the British people and had betrayed the Jewish community by only suspending a leftist former London mayor for saying Adolf Hitler had supported Zionism. Under pressure from his own lawmakers for pulling Labour away from the centre ground from where it won three elections under Tony Blair, Corbyn has also launched Labour’s local election campaign, saying the party was spurred by anger about the Conservatives “running our country down”. Meanwhile, European Council President Donald Tusk met Britain’s leader for talks Thursday about the U.K.’s departure from the EU, a day after the European Parliament laid out tough guidelines for the divorce negotiations. Tusk was greeted by May outside 10 Downing St. in London ahead of the bilateral meeting. The talks come as both sides are settling on their negotiating positions. The European Parliament on Wednesday backed the bloc’s chief negotiator in demanding Britain pay as much as 60 billion euros ($64 billion) for outstanding commitments. EU lawmakers also called for phased negotiations, in which divorce terms are settled before a new trade deal is secured. Britain wants the two strands to go hand-in-hand.

Britain’s Prime Minister Theresa May listens to a question during a visit to Calverton Village Hall in Calverton, central England on April 6, where she launched the Conservative Party’s local election campaign on Thursday. (AP)

Prince Charles

Camilla

Britain UK Royals in Austria: Prince Charles of Britain and his wife, Camilla, have arrived for a two-day visit to Austria that is scheduled to include a meal at a wine tavern and meetings with government leaders. The royal couple landed in Vienna on Wednesday as part of a three-country European tour that started in Romania and then led to Italy, where Charles and Camilla met with Pope Francis. They were scheduled to meet with Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen and Chancellor Christian Kern later in the day. (AP) ❑ ❑ ❑

UK firms to publish pay data: The British government has introduced new rules aimed at eliminating a gender pay gap that sees men earn almost a fifth more than women. By April 2018, public- and private-sector companies that employ 250 people or more will have to disclose figures including the median wage for both men and women and the overall gender pay gap. Firms are also supposed to produce a plan to narrow the gap. The first figures were published Thursday. The government says Britain’s pay gap is a record-low 18.1 percent, but should be eliminated altogether. Britain says it is one of the first countries to introduce mandatory pay-gap reporting. It does not go as far as Iceland, which plans to make employers prove they offer equal pay regardless of gender, ethnicity, sexuality or nationality. (AP) ❑ ❑ ❑

UNITED NATIONS, April 6, (AP): Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon says Britain’s prime minister is doing nothing to break an impasse over Scotland’s future after Brexit, but she ruled out holding a referendum on independence without the British government’s support. Prime Minister Theresa May has rejected Sturgeon’s request for a legally binding vote on independence within two years. Sturgeon could ignore her and call a consultative vote, but she told The Associated Press in an interview that a new referendum “should be on the same basis as the last referendum in Scotland, which was by agreement and consensus.” Britain as a whole voted in June to leave the European Union — but in Scotland, the vote was 62-38 percent to remain. That has reignited the issue of independence, which had seemed to be settled after Scots rejected a break with the United Kingdom in a 2014 referendum. Sturgeon says the decision to leave the EU has changed things fundamentally, and Scottish voters must not be forced out of the bloc against their will. She wants a referendum to be held between the fall of 2018 and spring of 2019, before Britain leaves the European Union but when details of the divorce are clear. Scotland’s Edinburgh-based parliament has backed that call, but May says now is not the time for another vote. Speaking Wednesday during a trip to the United States to drum up support for Scottish businesses, Sturgeon said May’s position is “not a sustainable one.”

the United States in April 2015 against the wishes of her school, the court said. The case will have implications for any parent who wishes to take a child out of an English school without permission. “Unauthorised absences have a disruptive effect, not only on the individual child

“Simply saying, ‘Now is not the time’ only takes you so far before you have to answer the question, well when is the time?” she said. “I might put forward the timescale I think makes sense, and if she doesn’t agree with that then we should discuss what the alternative might be. I’ll set out in due course the steps I intend to take next.” Sturgeon said she put forward compromises “but we haven’t had any sign from the UK government that they want to meet us halfway.” Independence is a long-cherished goal of Sturgeon’s Scottish National Party, but pushing for a new referendum is a major political gamble for the 46-year-old leader.

Uncertainty Sturgeon said an independent Scotland should be a member of the EU, but there is uncertainty about how quickly it could reapply and regain membership. If Scotland is inside the bloc and the rest of the UK out, that could threaten the currently frictionless border between England and Scotland. “Scotland and England should always trade freely with each other,” Sturgeon said. “It’s in our mutual benefit. But I want that as well as trade within the (EU) single market because that is so important to Scotland’s interests.” Sturgeon, who has been a critic of Donald Trump, said she would agree to meet the US president and try to build on the already strong relationship between Scotland and the United States. But she also said she strongly believes it’s important “to stand up

but also on the work of other pupils,” said Brenda Hale, deputy president of the Supreme Court. Platt had refused to pay a 120 pound ($150) fine from the local authority for taking his daughter, who was nearly aged seven at the time, on holiday against the

wishes of her school on the Isle of Wight just off the English south coast. (RTRS) ❑ ❑ ❑

Stuffed menagerie recovered: A British burglar who stole 18 stuffed animals including lions, a giraffe and a snarling chimpanzee in a top hat and tie has received a suspended jail sentence, police said on Wednesday. The loot, which also included a stuffed rhinoceros, a crocodile, a sloth, a zebra, a penguin and a pink flamingo, belonged to a licensed taxidermy company and was worth about 100,000 pounds ($124,850) in total, police said. Jason Hopwood, 47, had pleaded guilty to burglary and fraudulent use of a registration plate. He was sentenced to 21 months in jail, suspended for two years, and ordered to do 200 hours of community service work. (RTRS) ❑ ❑ ❑

Trump wins privacy rights case: A

Top UK Court rules against father: Britain’s Supreme Court on Thursday ruled against a father who took his daughter on an unauthorised holiday during term-time, saying parents needed to act within school regulations. Jon Platt acted unlawfully when he took his daughter on a trip to Disney World in

and champion values that we hold dear and not allow a diplomatic silence to get in the way of doing that.” Trump’s mother came from Scotland’s Western Isles and he has often touted his Scottish ancestry. His corporation owns golf resorts in Scotland. But Sturgeon revoked Trump’s honorary status as a business ambassador for Scotland in 2015 after he proposed a ban on Muslims entering the United States — and she told the Scottish parliament in November that she stood by that criticism. Sturgeon said she has no objection to the golf courses and welcomes US investment. She stressed, however, that “the fact that Donald Trump owns golf courses in Scotland does not mean that if I disagree with him on a matter of policy or a matter of principle that I will not say that.” “But I would seek to operate in a way that is respectful and constructive,” she said. Sturgeon said she is sure “the president has policy disagreements with me,” as he will with many other governments. But “as first minister of Scotland, I’m not going to decline to meet president Trump,” she said. “What I’m very keen to stress is that regardless of who occupies the office of president or first minister at any given time, the relationship between Scotland and the United States is a strong one,” Sturgeon said. “It’s very longstanding. It spans family, culture, business, and part of our purpose here in the United States is to strengthen, to build on that relationship.”

Marie Christine Princess Michael of Kent is followed by the museum’s DirectorGeneral Gergely Prohle as she arrives at the presentation of the Hungarian version of her book The Queen Of Four Kingdoms in Petofi Literary Museum in Budapest, Hungary on April 5. (AP)

grandmother who had sued a luxury Scottish golf resort founded by US President Donald Trump for breaching her privacy by photographing her urinating on the course, lost her case on Wednesday. Rohan Beyts, a long-term opponent of the Trump International Golf Links (TIGL) on the northeastern coast of Scotland, had sought 3,000 pounds ($3,745) in damages at the Edinburgh Sheriff Court over the incident last year which she said had left her shocked and upset. (RTRS)

ARAB TIMES, FRIDAY-SATURDAY, APRIL 7-8, 2017

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13

France Macron holds onto narrow lead

Fillon wants united Europe, not Frexit PARIS, April 6, (Agencies): Conservative French presidential candidate Francois Fillon is campaigning for a tougher, more united Europe that can defend itself against violent extremists and unfair trade — and warns that a “Frexit” would lead to chaos and the death of the EU. Most of the 11 French presidential candidates are skeptical about the 28-nation European Union, amid growing nationalist sentiment around Europe and Britain’s pending exit from the bloc, called Brexit. Some, like far-right French presidential candidate Marine Le Pen, even support “Frexit” — a French departure from the EU. But Fillon argued Thursday the EU is “indispensable to ensure the French, and all Europeans, security and economic prosperity.” Fillon warned that Le Pen’s proposals to leave the EU and the shared euro currency “would be assured chaos, and the implosion of Europe.” If France were to quit the EU — founded 60 years ago to prevent future world wars — the bloc would likely collapse. Fillon was once the frontrunner in the French presidential race but corruption allegaFillon tions have hurt his chances in the two-round April 23-May 7 election. Fillon acknowledged that the “Brussels machine” has become too powerful and that the bloc has become too heavily regulated and needs to “recreate itself.” So he proposed tougher protection for the EU’s external borders and said EU members should align their asylum and deportation practices. He also said Europe should defend itself against trade threats, arguing for tougher EU rules against possible trade dumping and tax evasion by US or Asian companies.

A Hungarian police officer patrols the enlarged transit zone set up for migrants at the country’s southern border with Serbia near Tompa, 169 kms southeast of Budapest, Hungary on April 6. (AP)

Minister says officer fired for abusing migrants Hungary’s interior minister says a police officer has been fired for abusing migrants, the first such decision after repeated reports by human rights advocates about cases of ill-treatment. Interior Minister Sandor Pinter did

Gap A separate Elabe poll published on Wednesday evening showed Melenchon up 2 points on a week ago, also at 17 percent, and also narrowing the gap with Fillon, who was up 1 point at 19 percent. It had Le Pen and Macron on 23.5 percent each. Both polls showed Macron beating Le Pen comfortably in the second round. A political showman who excoriates establishment politicians with his rapid-fire discourse, Melenchon was seen by pollsters as the most convincing performer in the four-hour TV debate on Tuesday night that was watched by more than 6 million people. He clashed with Le Pen during the debate over her focus on the tensions created by religion in politics, but his policies advocating greater worker protection, and his hostility to the European Union in its current form, are similar to hers. He would also pull France out of NATO and called during the debate for the debt of troubled euro zone states to be effectively written off to allow massive new investment to spur growth. Founder of the “France Unbowed” party, he has split the left-wing vote and turned the Socialists into also-rans after five years of rule by Socialist President Francois Hollande marked by high unemployment and low economic growth. Pollsters say Melenchon is gaining votes from Hamon, who is struggling to stay above a 10 percent rating in the polls, but he is also getting votes from further afield. Gianni Pierson, 38, from the staunchly conservative town of Provins where Fillon campaigned on Wednesday, had traditionally voted on the right, and plumped for ex-president Nicolas Sarkozy at the last election in 2012. Partly as a result of losing his job as a salesman, he has turned more to the left – first Hamon, but now, he told Reuters, “almost made my choice for Melenchon” after being inspired by his performance in debates. In a potential boost for Hamon though, Socialist Finance Minister Michel Sapin confirmed on Thursday that he would vote for the party’s official candidate. Some other senior Socialists, including Jean-Yves Le Drian have jumped ship to join Macron. The 39-year-old ex-banker was until 2016 a minister on the Socialist government, but is running as an independent having formed his own political movement called En Marche! (Onwards!)

Rights Watch. On Thursday, Pinter visited a newly expanded container camp on the border with Serbia, where all asylumseekers older than 14 have to wait for a decision on their asylum requests.

The measure is part of new rules in place since March 21 meant to complement razor-wire fences Hungary built on the Serbian and Croatian borders to stop the flow of migrants. (AP)

Russia

Competition “We are in a world of competition where each defends its interests tooth and nail. We should do the same,” he told reporters in Paris. Pledging to boost French defense spending, he said European countries should stop assuming that NATO or the US will defend Europe. Several of the 11 candidates argue either for a “Frexit” — a French departure from the EU — or some other reduced role for the EU. Rival independent candidate Emmanuel Macron, seen as the front-runner in the presidential race, says the EU needs to defend its common ideals of peace, prosperity and freedom. He wants the EU to stand up to those who “openly want a weakening of Europe: Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin, as well as the main authoritarian leaders of the Middle East.” The top two vote-getters on the April 23 presidential ballot will go into a presidential runoff on May 7. Meanwhile, far-left candidate Jean-Luc Melenchon is threatening to turn France’s presidential election into a four-way race, the latest opinion polls show, confirming a surge of support for him after a strong showing in a TV debate this week. Two polls conducted after a televised debate among candidates on Tuesday night showed the 65-year-old Communist party-backed candidate just a percentage point or two behind third-placed conservative Francois Fillon in an unpredictable contest in which over a third of voters are still undecided. A Harris Interactive poll published on Thursday showed centrist Emmanuel Macron holding onto a narrow first round lead over far-right leader Marine Le Pen, with the two frontrunners on 25 and 24 percent respectively. The two-stage election will be held on April 23 and May 7. With just over two weeks to go until voting starts, the big move, however, was the surge by Melenchon, a veteran campaigner of the far left. Intentions to vote for him climbed to 17 percent in the first round, up from 13.5 percent two weeks ago, while Fillon, whose campaign has struggled as he faced nepotism allegations, saw his score hold steady at 18 percent.

not provide details of the dismissal. Until now, the government had said that investigations have not confirmed any instances of abuse by police despite several reports by groups like Doctors Without Borders and Human

Bomber executed amateurish attack: experts

Explosives found during police raid

French President Francois Hollande (left), congratulates former Italian president of the council of ministers Enrico Letta after awarding him with the Commander of the Legion of Honour medal at the Elysee presidential palace in Paris, France on April 5. (AP)

Tillerson

Lavrov

Europe Tillerson to visit Russia: Russia voiced hope Wednesday that US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson’s planned visit next week will help improve relations between the former Cold War foes. The Russian Foreign Ministry said Tillerson’s talks next Wednesday with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will focus on the fight against terrorism, various regional conflicts including Syria and Ukraine, tensions around North Korea and nuclear arms control. The US State Department said Tillerson will meet with Lavrov and other Russian officials to “discuss Ukraine, counterterrorism efforts, bilateral relations and other issues, including the DPRK (North Korea) and Syria.” “This trip is part of our effort to maintain direct lines of communication with senior Russian officials and to ensure US views are clearly conveyed, including on next steps in Minsk implementation,” the department said, referring to a 2015 Minsk peace agreement for eastern Ukraine. The Russian Foreign Ministry blamed Barack Obama’s administration for a “deep crisis” in Russia-US relations and said Russia welcomes the Trump administration’s declared intention to mend the rift. (AP) ❑ ❑ ❑

ST PETERSBURG, April 6, (RTRS): Russian authorities raided a residential building in St Petersburg on Thursday and found explosives similar to those used by a suicide bomber who this week blew up a metro carriage killing 14 people, two security sources said. The discovery of the explosives raises the possibility that a string of bomb attacks was being planned in the city involving a group of plotters. The explosives were discovered when security officials raided an apartment building in the city. They detained several people, according to a neighbour who saw the detentions taking place. Russian investigators said they had detained several suspected accomplices of Akbarzhon Jalilov, born in mainly Muslim Kyrgyzstan, who is the suspected bomber in Monday’s metro blast. It was not immediately clear if the suspected accomplices were the same people detained at the apartment building. Security officials searching the apartment complex where the men were detained also found an explosive device there. Bomb disposal experts made the device safe after evacuating people living in apartments on two stairwells. “We were told: the house is mined, get out quickly,” one woman, who only gave her name as Tatiana and lives in the building, told Reuters. Another resident, who gave his name only as Anatoly, said he had seen police detain four young men occupying an eighth floor apartment next to his own. Vasily, another neighbour, said that “many people” had lived in the apartment and the detainees looked to be around 30. The two security sources said that the explosives discovered at the building, in the east of the city, bore similarities to a bomb which was found on Monday inside a fire extinguisher at St Petersburg’s Ploshchad Vosstaniya metro station. cow annexing Crimea from Kiev in 2014 and backing separatist rebels in the east of the country. The West has sided with Ukraine, where

That bomb did not detonate. State investigators said they believed the device had been left at Ploshchad Vosstaniya by Jalilov before he went on to another part of the subway network and detonated another bomb he was carrying. One of the security sources said the explosives found in the apartment building on Thursday was “was exactly like” the unexploded bomb found at the metro station. A second security source said that the quantities of explosives at the apartment and in the unexploded bomb were similar. Russian is still reeling after the Monday attack which took place on the day Russian President Vladimir Putin was visiting St Petersburg, his home city.

Renewed The attack has put renewed focus on the large number of emigres from mostly Muslim central Asian states, who have moved to Russia to work. Meanwhile, the Russian suicide bomber who killed 14 people in an attack on a St Petersburg metro train conducted an amateurish, semi-bungled operation, probably with guidance but no direct support from outside backers, five security experts who reviewed publicly available evidence from the blast site told Reuters. That unexploded bomb, according to the experts who reviewed a photograph of it in Russian media, was a low-tech homemade device, made locally with sugar and other readily available ingredients, and an improvised, non-commercial detonator. This lack of sophistication points to a person, or persons, operating with limited resources but some guidance as to how to assemble an explosive similar to the kind used by militant groups such as Islamic State, the experts said. That supports the theory that Russia is facing a new kind of threat, from violent Islamists who blend into society and are not part of established jihadi groups, and are therefore much harder Russia intervened after a Moscow-allied president was toppled by street protests demanding an end to corruption and closer EU ties. Russia denies direct military

EU bids to cut roaming costs: The European Union has completed its legislative work to cut costly mobile-phone roaming costs in the bloc ahead of the summer holidays. EU Commission Vice President Andrus Ansip said Thursday that as of 15 June “people will be able to switch on mobile services, especially data, without fear of high bills while travelling in the EU.” The EU legislature had its final vote on how much operators may charge each other for using their networks to provide roaming services, which should cut costs substantially. Up to now, EU citizens have to pay hefty costs to use roaming facilities when they visit or work in other member states. It was long seen as an impediment to creating a seamless market among the member states. (AP) ❑ ❑ ❑

Visa-free travel for Ukrainians: The European Parliament on Thursday supported easing travel rules for Ukrainians, driving on a Western integration viewed with great suspicion by Moscow. Ukraine has been the scene of the worst confrontation between Russia and the West in Europe since the Cold War with Mos-

for security agencies to track down. “It suggests they were a fairly amateur organisation that wanted to do something but didn’t have the contacts, money or the wherewithal to go and get some high-grade explosive,” said a former Western defence official with experience of working with improvised explosive devices in the Middle East. The Western official and other people interviewed for this article spoke on condition of anonymity due to the ongoing investigation into Monday’s attack. A Russian security service officer said the bomb was made using methods brought to Russia from Syria, and the explosive was known as “chocolate” because of its brown colour. “In contrast to the typical mixtures previously made (in Russia), Islamic State use sugar and the explosive has this earthy colour,” he said, adding that it was likely “other people” were behind Jalilov’s actions. Russian media have cited law enforcement officials as saying Jalilov had radical Islamist links, raising the possibility that his attack was inspired by Islamic State, which has never struck a major Russian city. Russia’s Investigative Committee, the state body leading the investigation, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. So far, no-one has claimed responsibility for the blast, but Russia has been on alert for attacks in response to its actions in Syria, where it is supporting troops loyal to President Bashar alAssad against Western-backed armed groups as well as hardline Islamists. Islamic State has repeatedly threatened revenge and been linked to attacks elsewhere in Europe. If it is confirmed that the metro attack was linked to radical Islamists, it could provoke anger among some Russians at Moscow’s decision to intervene in Syria, a year before an election which President Vladimir Putin is expected to win. involvement in its southern neighbour. European lawmakers voted 521 to 75 to grant Ukrainians holding biometric passports the right to visit for up to 90 days for tourism, business or visiting relatives and friends. “Great day for the people of Europe and Ukraine,” said Anna Maria Corazza Bildt, a Swedish member of the Parliament. The visa waiver, which does not give Ukrainians the right to work in the EU, is expected to take effect this summer. (RTRS) ❑ ❑ ❑

Italy’s govt stability shaken: A shock

From left: Unknown, Muhammad Shahid Raza, chairman of the British Muslim Forum, Ali Raza Rizvi, Cardinal Vincent Nichols, Archbishop of Westminster, Pope Francis, Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran, President of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue, Sayed Ali Abbas Razawi, Shaykh Ibrahim Moira, pose for a family photo on the occasion of their meeting, at the Vatican on April 5. The pontiff met Wednesday with four British imams two weeks after the London extremist attack, part of his efforts to encourage Muslim leaders who renounce using religion to justify violence. (AP)

vote by members of Italian Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni’s coalition is threatening the stability of his four-month-old government and to stymie negotiations for a new electoral law. Members of the coalition broke ranks in a secret ballot to elect a member of another party to a key parliamentary committee on Wednesday. It was Gentiloni’s worst setback since he took office in December and bode poorly for the future, political commentators said. La Stampa daily spoke of a “wind of crisis” buffeting the government that could affect its staying power until the next scheduled national elections next year. La Repubblica said the result had left the government “trembling” and “on the edge of a crisis”. Gentiloni has been struggling to keep his faction-ridden Democratic Party (PD) together since he took office, and the setback could affect the timing of agreement on a new electoral law ahead of the next national polls. (RTRS)

ARAB TIMES, FRIDAY-SATURDAY, APRIL 7-8, 2017

INTERNATIONAL

14

World News Roundup Mideast Israeli soldier killed

‘Hamas executes’ 3 Palestinians in Gaza GAZA, April 6, (RTRS): Gaza’s ruling Hamas movement executed three Palestinians on Thursday convicted of collaborating with Israel, hanging the men during a campaign to persuade any Israeli-recruited agents to come forward in return for more lenient punishment. Hamas leaders and officials, along with the heads of Gaza clans and local security chiefs, watched the execution in the courtyard of the enclave’s main police headquarters. The Hamas-run Interior Ministry said the men, aged 32, 42 and 55, were convicted of treason and spying for hostile foreign parties and had provided information that helped Israel track and kill Palestinians, including leaders of militant factions. Their trials were conducted by Hamas-run security courts in the past two years and they were put to death after all legal procedures were exhausted, the ministry said. Since seizing control of Gaza from Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’s Fatah party in 2007, Hamasrun courts have sentenced 106 Abbas people to death and executed 22 of them, Palestinian and international rights groups say. New York-based Human Rights Watch condemned Thursday’s hangings. “Hamas authorities will never achieve true security or stability through firing squads or by the gallows, but rather through respect for international norms and the rule of law.” Sarah Leah Whitson, executive director of the group’s Middle East division, said in a statement.

Israeli security forces prepare to remove a vehicle after a car ramming attack not far from the Israeli settlement of Ofra near the West Bank city of Ramallah, on April 6. A Palestinian was apprehended after he rammed his vehicle into a group of people in the West Bank on Thursday morning, killing one Israeli and injuring another, the Israeli military said. (AP)

Morocco

Armed Hamas issued a public ultimatum for “collaborators” to turn themselves in after the killing last month of Mazen Fuqaha, a senior leader of its armed wing, accusing Israel or its local agents of assassinating him. Punishment would be softened for those who surrender and they would remain anonymous, Hamas said, holding out the prospect of protecting their families from the stigma attached in Gaza to cooperating with Israel. Hamas, which has arrested an unknown number of suspects in the investigation of Fuqaha’s death, has not said if anyone has taken up the offer. Suggesting that Fuqaha was assassinated as a result of internal rivalries, Israeli Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman said in public remarks that Hamas should look at its own people to find the killers. Hamas officials said Lieberman was attempting to obscure Israel’s role in the death. Over the years, Israel has established a network of contacts in the Palestinian territories, using a combination of pressure and sweeteners to entice Palestinians to divulge intelligence. Palestinian and International Human Rights groups have repeatedly condemned death penalty, and urged Hamas and the Palestinian Authority to suspend it. Palestinian law says President Mahmoud Abbas, who has no actual control over Gaza, has the final word on whether executions can be carried out. ❑ ❑ ❑ Palestinian kills Israeli soldier: The Israeli military said a car driven by a Palestinian deliberately rammed two Israeli soldiers, killing one and injuring the other, in the occupied West Bank on Thursday. The death brings to 39 the number of Israelis killed in a wave of Palestinian street attacks that began in October 2015, while at least 242 Palestinians have been killed in Israel and the Palestinian Territories over the past 18 months. The driver was detained after the incident near the Jewish settlement of Ofra, the army said in a statement. Witnesses told Israeli media that as he approached a bus stop, he accelerated and directed the vehicle at two soldiers waiting there. Israeli government development of settlements in the West Bank has been a focus of friction with Palestinians and contributed to the breakdown of peace talks. Israel disputes the view that the settlements are illegal, and argues it has biblical and historical ties to the land. Israel says at least 162 of the Palestinians killed had launched stabbing, shooting or ramming attacks. Others died during clashes and protests. Israel has accused the Palestinian leadership of inciting the violence. The Palestinian Authority, which exercises limited self-rule in the occupied West Bank, denies incitement and charges that in many cases, Israel has used excessive force in thwarting attackers armed with rudimentary weapons. Photos from the scene of Thursday’s incident showed the driver, bound, blindfolded and guarded by a soldier, seated next to his damaged car, in the undergrowth behind the bus stop. The vehicle had Palestinian licence plates. ❑ ❑ ❑ Palestinians struggle for treatment: For many patients suffering from life-threatening diseases in the Gaza Strip, treatment in neighbouring Israel or the occupied West Bank is a much sought-after option. But Israel tightly restricts Palestinian passage from the Gaza Strip, one of its bitterest enemies. Although it exempts from the ban Gazans seeking “life-saving or life-changing medical treatment” if it is unavailable in the territory, crossing the border isn’t easy. Gaza, an enclave of two million Palestinians ruled by the anti-Israel Hamas movement, suffers from a chronic shortage of hospital beds, medical equipment and specialist physicians, says Ashraf al-Qidra, a spokesman for Gaza’s Health Ministry. Egypt, Gaza’s neighbour to the south, is an option for those seeking medical checks, not urgent surgery, and patients who are barred from entering Israel. But the Egyptian government is at odds with Hamas and keeps its own frontier with the Palestinian territory largely closed. It opens the crossing once every 40 days, for a few days each time. Qidra said at least half those who apply for treatment in Israel or the occupied West Bank are turned down by Israeli authorities. “Should we have the proper medications and equipment, our doctors would be capable of handling the treatment of many patients,” Qidra told Reuters. “The ban not only worsens health conditions of those patients but some had actually died waiting.” Gaza human rights groups say Israeli security at the crossing with the territory sometimes question patients in an attempt to gather intelligence or recruit them as informers.

Islamists lose key post

Moroccan king names new cabinet

Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan addresses his supporters during a referendum rally in Bursa, Turkey, on April 5. Erdogan has blamed a suspected chemical attack that killed at least 72 people in northern Syria on the Syrian regime and has accused the world of not speaking out against the attack. (AP)

Rouhani

Raisi

Mideast Iran cleric to run in polls: A bloc of conservative Iranian political parties has nominated a powerful cleric as their candidate to run in next month’s presidential election to try to unseat the moderate Hassan Rouhani, Iran’s state news agency IRNA said. Seeking to regain the presidency by stopping Rouhani winning a second fouryear term, Iran’s powerful hardliners have been gearing up for a showdown in the May 19 vote. Until next week’s registration period for nominees is closed, it will not be confirmed that Ebrahim Raisi is the main conservative challenger. But Raisi is an ally of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and analysts believe his nomination has been approved by Khamenei. (RTRS) ❑ ❑ ❑ Germany probes 20 Turks: German authorities are investigating 20 Turkish citizens on suspicion of conducting espionage in Germany, a newspaper reported on Thursday. Die Welt said it received the information in an official government response to a question about the issue filed by Sevim Dagdelen, a German lawmaker with the hard left party Die Linke. Tensions are running high between the two NATO allies ahead of a referendum in Turkey next month that proposes expanding the powers of President Tayyip Erdogan. Berlin infuriated Ankara after cancelling several campaign rallies by Turkish ministers in Germany, drawing accusations from Turkey of “Nazi” tactics. (RTRS) ❑ ❑ ❑

RABAT, April 6, (Agencies): After six months of post-election deadlock, Morocco’s King Mohammed VI named a new cabinet led by the main Islamist party, which lost a key ministry after protracted negotiations with rivals in the ruling coalition. The Islamist Justice and Development (PJD) party won elections in October, but the formation of a government was delayed during wrangling with parties who critics say were too close to royalists uneasy with sharing power with Islamists. Under Moroccan law no party can win an outright majority in the 395seat parliament, making coalition governments a necessity in a system where the king holds ultimate power despite ceding some authority during protests in 2011. The PJD’s Saad Eddine El Othmani, a former foreign minister, was appointed premier last month by the king to replace PJD leader Abdelilah Benkirane, after his efforts to form a government had been frustrated. The new cabinet includes members from six political parties. The PJD, the National Rally of Independents (RNI), the Popular Movement (MP), and the Party of Progress and Socialism (PPS) were in the last government.

Conflict Also part of the new cabinet are the Constitutional Union (UC) and the Socialist Union of Popular Forces (USFP), whose participation became a source of conflict between Islamists and the rival RNI party, led by a close friend of the king. MAP state news agency said several key ministerial posts remain unchanged and under the control of the RNI, which clashed with the PJD during party talks over its insistence on including the USFP in the coalition. The PJD had resisted under Benkirane. Aziz Akhannouch, RNI leader and a

tants, before the F-16 jets carried out their strikes. One Turkish soldier was wounded in the clash and taken to hospital for treatment. (RTRS) ❑ ❑ ❑

close friend of the king, remains Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries. RNI members Mohammed Boussaid and Moulay Hafid Elalamy remain heads of the Ministry of Finance and Economy and Ministry of Trade and Industry, respectively. Abdelouafi Laftit, former governor of Rabat and opponent of the PJD, was named Minister of Interior. Former interior minister, Mohammed Hassad, whose tenure saw a testy relationship with Benkirane, was appointed Minister of Education. The PJD lost its control of the key Ministry of Justice and Public Freedoms, previously led by Mustafa Ramid, who had been critical of the security service’s record during his days as a lawyer and human right activist. He will remain as Minister of State in charge of human rights. Distance Critics say since the 2011 reforms, royalists have tried to push back Islamist influence. Dismissing claims of royal interference, the palace says the king maintains an equal distance from all parties. At the heart of the months-long political crisis were questions about the future direction of the PJD, the region’s last remaining Islamist party in power after the Arab Spring, and its relations with the palace. Last month, members of the PJD’s national council met to discuss the party’s next steps following the replacement of Benkirane. As party members gathered, Othmani’s modest arrival was eclipsed by Benkirane, who received a hero’s welcome. For some members of the PJD, Benkirane’s removal was a reflection of resentment toward him personally by other leaders, wary of his charisma. Benkirane has said his party is living through a tough moment because of divisions over what some party members described in the local media as Othmani’s failure to fully consult

E. Libyan forces fight with rivals: East Libyan forces said on Wednesday they had carried out air strikes and a ground attack on an air base controlled by rivals from the western city of Misrata,

Stayed Some members of the past PJD-led government stayed in the Cabinet such as Economy Minister Mohamed Boussaid. Nasser Bourita, a former delegate to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, is the new foreign minister. Mohamed Aujar, former permanent representative of Morocco to the United Nations in Geneva, is the new justice minister. To form a government coalition, El Othmani forged an alliance with conservative, socialist and pro-market parties. Together, they hold 240 seats in the 395-seat lower house of Parliament.

prompting a pledge of retaliation from the government in Tripoli. Tamanhent air base, near the city of Sabha, is on a frontline between loose armed alliances based in eastern and western Libya that have been vying for power in an on-off conflict since 2014. The eastern-based Libyan National Army (LNA) has been gaining ground in recent months and had committed to pursuing opponents in the desert region north and east of Sabha after losing and recapturing two key oil ports last month. “The General Command announced today the launch of military ground operations to liberate Tamanhent base ... with the participation of the air force,” said LNA spokesman Ahmed al-Mismari. (RTRS) ❑ ❑ ❑

Jordan-Saudi rail link proposed:

Turkey, Kurds fight kills 8: Turkish F-16 warplanes launched air strikes on Kurdish militants in southeast Turkey on Wednesday, killing eight of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) fighters, a provincial governor’s office said. PKK militants had opened fire on Turkish soldiers at a military outpost near the Iraqi border in the mountainous Cukurca area, triggering a clash between the two sides, the Hakkari governor’s office said in a statement. It said the Turkish military had sent a drone to the area which located the mili-

with the party’s leadership on the cabinet makeup. “Whatever may be said about Benkirane now regarding how he approached negotiations, he did maintain a certain advantage in that he refused ... any position that would weaken his party’s agenda,” said Intissar Fakir, editor-in-chief of Carnegie’s Sada Journal. Abdelali Hamieddine, member of the PJD’s general secretariat posted in a tweet before Wednesday’s cabinet announcement that a certain “critical distance from Othmani’s government is needed”. The government, named in a ceremony in the Rabat royal palace, consists of 39 ministers, state ministers and state secretaries, and includes nine women. It is headed by Prime Minister Saadeddine El Othmani, whose moderate Islamist Party of Justice and Development won parliamentary elections in October. El Othmani was named last month to end a protracted crisis that had left Morocco, a U.S. ally in North Africa, without a government. Key defense, security and religious affairs posts were given to people with no party affiliation but who are close to the king.

Former Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (center rear), gives a press conference in Tehran, Iran, on April 5. Ahmadinejad said Wednesday he would support his former vice-president and ally Hamid Baghaei in May’s presidential election. Presidential candidates must sign up by April 11 and if vetted by the Guardians Council, they can begin campaigning. (AP)

Israel’s transport minister proposed on Wednesday linking its freight railway network with Jordan and Saudi Arabia and said he presented the idea to US President Donald Trump’s Middle East envoy last month. Under the proposal, goods could travel by rail from Israel’s Mediterranean port of Haifa through Jordan to Saudi Arabia’s Gulf port of Dammam via Jordan. Yisrael Katz, who also serves as Israel’s intelligence minister, declined at a news conference to say whether Arab states had agreed to join his initiative. (RTRS)

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Spain’s King Felipe (center left), and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe (center right), attend a signing ceremony at Akasaka Palace state guesthouse in Tokyo, Japan, on April 6. (AP)

Maritime

Diplomacy

Duterte may visit isles

Trade, Pyongyang pose challenges

Philippines to occupy, fortify Spratly Islands

Trump presses China on N. Korea

MANILA, Philippines, April 6, (Agencies): Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte said Thursday he has ordered the military to occupy and fortify all Philippine-held Islands in the disputed South China Sea to assert the country’s claims amid what he says is a race to control territory in the area. “We tried to be friends with everybody but we have to maintain our jurisdiction now, at least the areas under our control,” he said during a visit to a military camp in western Palawan province. Duterte said he has ordered the armed forces to occupy and place Philippine flags on all islands, reefs and shoals controlled by the Philippines. “There are about nine or 10 islands there, we have to fortify,” he said. “I must build bunkers there or houses and provisions for habitation.” Duterte said he may visit Duterte one of the islands, Pag-asa, to plant a Philippine flag on Independence Day. Money has been budgeted to repair the runway on Pag-asa, home to a small fishing community and Filipino troops, he added. Since taking office in June, Duterte has worked to mend ties with China that were strained under his predecessor over the territorial disputes. An impeachment complaint has been filed against him that cites, among other things, his alleged failure to protest China’s territorial expansion in the South China Sea. Rival claimants, including the Philippines and Vietnam, have expressed alarm over Beijing’s building of artificial islands in the disputed region. “It looks like there’s a race to grab islands,” Duterte said. “What is ours now, we should get and make a strong point that it is ours.” Duterte, who on the campaign trail joked that would jet ski to a Chinese man-made island in the South China Sea to reinforce Manila’s claim, said on Thursday he may visit a Philippine-controlled island to raise the national flag. Duterte’s plan is unlikely to sit well with China, which lays claim to almost all the South China Sea, despite a fast-warming relationship between the two sides in recent months.

WASHINGTON, Apirl 6, (AP): Warning the US could act alone, President Donald Trump has vowed to deliver an ultimatum to Chinese leader Xi Jinping to rein in North Korea when the two men come face-to-face for the first time this week. But Trump’s early retreat on Taiwan already has chipped away at his standing with Beijing, and another bluff could leave him looking the way he hates most: Weak. While Trump enters first US-Chinese summit short on foreign policy experience, he may have advantages to help him succeed where past presidents have failed. Trump’s candor and unpredictability, combined with his veiled threats of possible sanctions on Chinese banks and even US military action against North Korea, could provide him new leverage with Beijing. But if he’s bluffing, and Xi calls him on it, that might prove damaging in future negotiations with China or in building a united front against North Korea’s nuclear and missile programs. The two-day meeting at Trump’s Florida estate, Mar-a-Lago, starts Thursday after yet another North Korean provocation: the latest test-launch of a ballistic missile. Although US officials said the launch was a failure and didn’t threaten North America, it underscored North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s intent to advance his weaponry in defiance of international law. The North may also be preparing for another nuclear test. Trump warned this week, “If China is not going to solve North Korea, we will.” He didn’t elaborate, but his administration is looking at sanctions against Chinese banks and companies that provide North Korea access to the international financial system, a move strongly backed by Congress. And on a recent trip to Asia, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson reminded the region that the US also retains the option of preemptive military force. Trump discussed the issue Wednes-

Reefs The Philippines occupies nine “features”, or islands and reefs, in the South China Sea, including a World War II-vintage transport ship which ran aground on Second Thomas Shoal in the late 1990s. Duterte told reporters he would visit the island of Thitu, the largest of the Philippine-controlled Spratly Islands, and build a barracks for servicemen operating in the area. “In the coming Independence Day, I may go to Pagasa island to raise the flag there,” Duterte told reporters, using the local name for Thitu. The Philippines marks 119th year of independence from more than three centuries of Spanish rule on June 12. Thitu is close to Subi Reef, one of seven man-made islands in the Spratlys that China is accused of militarising with surface-to-air missiles, among other armaments. Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Vietnam and Taiwan also have claims in the strategic waters. Duterte’s comment made at a military base on Palawan island, near the disputed waters, came two days after Manila’s acting foreign minister said China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations had made progress on a framework for a code of conduct in the South China Sea. Duterte announced his “separation” from the United States in October, declaring he had realigned with China as the two agreed to resolve their South China Sea dispute through talks. His efforts to engage China, months after a tribunal in the Hague ruled that Beijing did not have historic rights to the South China Sea, marks an astonishing reversal in foreign policy since he took office on June 30.

A Muslim protester holds a banner during a rally near the Malacanang presidential palace in Manila, Philippines on April 6. The Philippine government and communist rebels have resumed peace talks in the Netherlands aimed at ending one of Asia’s longest-running insurgencies. (AP)

Abe

Trump

Asia Japan reforms stir memories: A push for patriotic content on the ethics syllabus on Japanese schools is rekindling fears that children will be taught to take a less criticial view of the country’s militarist past and a more submissive attitude to government. The campaign to put patriotism back in schools has been a key part of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s agenda since his first one-year term from 2006, when parliament revised a law setting out the goals of education to include nurturing “love of country” and respect for tradition and culture. That and amending the country’s postwar, pacifist constitution have been key goals for Abe and many conservatives in his ruling Liberal Democratic Party. The most recent flashpoint was sparked this week when top government spokesman Yoshihide Suga said schools were free to use the 1890 Imperial Rescript on Education, which also stresses Confucian values such as filial piety, as teaching material. In the charter, Emperor Meiji exhorted subjects to “offer yourselves courageously to the State; and thus guard and maintain the prosperity of Our Imperial Throne coeval with heaven and earth”. It was rejected after World War Two as having functioned as an incubator for militarism. (RTRS) ❑ ❑ ❑

China cancels Aussies’ trip: China canceled a visit by Australian lawmakers to meet law enforcement officials after Australia joined 10 other countries in signing a letter questioning Beijing’s treatment of human rights lawyers. Craig Kelly, chairman of the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Law Enforcement, said Thursday he had not been given details of why he could not lead his three committee colleagues on the trip. The journey to Beijing, Shenzhen, Guangzhou and Hong Kong was to have started on Wednesday. “The Chinese said they can’t accommodate us at this time,” Kelly told the AP. “The reasons for that are not clear.” Australian Broadcasting Corp reported the weeklong trip was cancelled because Beijing was offended by Australia signing a letter to Chinese Minister for Public Security Guo Shengkun that questions

China’s treatment of human rights lawyers. Damien Kingsbury, a Deakin University expert on international politics, described the cancellation as a “fairly blunt message”

day with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. The White House said Trump “made clear that the United States will continue to strengthen its ability to deter and defend itself and its allies with the full range of its military capabilities.” Susan Thornton, the top US diplomat for East Asia, on Wednesday called North Korea “an urgent and global threat.” And it’s no longer one that just affects US allies like South Korea and Japan, and the tens of thousands of American forces stationed in each. North Korea could develop a nucleartipped missile that can strike America within a few years. As that danger nears, Trump’s diplomacy with Xi will only grow in importance.

War Trump “is making it seem like we are prepared to go to war or use military action ... and I don’t think that is going to be viable,” said Kurt Campbell, top US diplomat for the region during former president Barack Obama’s first term. The devastation could be dramatic. South Korea’s capital, Seoul, lies within retaliatory range of North Korean artillery and missiles. “The key about using leverage in negotiation is that you have to be credible,” Campbell said. Of Trump’s ultimatum, he said, “I think the Chinese are likely to see through this.” In his two-and-a-half-months in office, Trump has backed off on one sensitive issue with China: Taiwan. As president-elect, Trump said he didn’t feel “bound” by existing US policy toward the self-governing island that China considers part of its territory, demanding concessions from Beijing in trade and other areas. Within weeks, Trump reaffirmed Washington’s commitment to the 4-decade-old “one China” policy, smoothing the way for a February phone call with Xi. Trump holds his first meeting with and agreed that the human rights letter was the most likely trigger. The controversy comes during tense diplomatic times in the Sino-Australian

In this April 4 photo, a North Korean soldier points his weapon while standing with other soldiers in Sinuiju, North Korea, as seen from across the Yalu River in Dandong in northeastern China’s Liaoning province. North Korea fired a missile on Wednesday, a day before the first meeting between US President Donald Trump and his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping. (AP)

Xi Jinping facing pressure to deliver trade concessions for some of his most fervent supporters and prevent a crisis with North Korea from spiraling out of control. Trump promised during the 2016 campaign to stop what he called the theft of American jobs by China and rebuild the country’s manufacturing base. Many blue-collar workers helped propel him to his unexpected election victory on Nov 8 and Trump wants to deliver for them. The Republican president tweeted last week that the United States could no longer tolerate massive trade deficits and job losses and that his meeting with Xi “will be a very difficult one.” Trump, a former real estate magnate is still finding his footing in the White House and has yet to spell out a strategy for what his advisers called a trade relationship based on “the principal of reciprocity.” White House officials have set low expectations for the meeting, saying it will set the foundation for future dealings. US labor leaders say Trump needs to take a direct, unambiguous tone in his talks with Xi. “President Trump needs to come away from the meeting with concrete deliverables that will restore production and employment here in the US in those sectors that have been ravaged by China’s predatory and protectionist practices,” said Holly Hart, legislative director for the United Steelworkers union. International Association of Machinists President Robert Martinez said the United States continued to lose manufacturing jobs to the Chinese, saying: “It’s time to bring our jobs home now.” Some Democratic lawmakers were eager to pounce on Trump on trade. “We are eager to understand your plans to correct our current China trade policies and steer a new course,” said Democratic US Representative Jim McGovern of Massachusetts. relationship. (AP) ❑





‘US ties won’t be harmed’: Taiwan said Thursday that it is confident its relations with the US won’t be harmed when President Donald Trump holds his first summit with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping this week, citing assurances from the US side. Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Eleanor Wang said at a news conference that the government was in close contact with Washington and was assured the island’s interests would not be harmed. “We are deeply concerned with the TrumpXi meeting, prior to which we have been in full communication with the US side to ensure that the interests of the Republic of China are not affected,” Wang was quoted as saying by the official Central News Agency. The Republic of China is the formal name of Taiwan’s government, which was transplanted to the island amid the Chinese civil war in 1949. While Trump earlier said he didn’t feel “bound” by existing US policy toward the self-governing island that China considers part of its territory, he later reaffirmed Washington’s commitment to the 4-decadeold “One China” policy, smoothing the way for a February phone call with Xi. That back-down and Trump’s unpredictability have raised concerns among some China watchers that he might use Taiwan as a bargaining chip in seeking concessions from China. (AP)

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World News Roundup Africa 17 dead in Zimbabwe

S. Sudan refugees ‘flee’ into Uganda

This photo shows the flooded streets of the North Island town of Edgecumbe in New Zealand on April 6. People used jet boats and tractors to help rescue about 2,000 residents after a river burst through a concrete levee Thursday, flooding hundreds of homes and businesses. (AP)

Thousands evacuated in New Zealand amid Cyclone Debbie floods Rescue workers used tractors and boats to evacuate thousands of people at the top of New Zealand’s North Island on Thursday as flood waters from ex-Cyclone Debbie surged in what meteorologists said was a once-in-500 year event. The effects of the former category 4 storm, one level shy of the most powerful category 5, were also still being felt in Australia more than a week after the cyclone

pounded Australia’s Queensland state with the town of Rockhampton flooded. Scores of roads were closed or blocked by landslips across New Zealand’s North Island following two days of heavy rainfall caused by the tailwind of Cyclone Debbie. The storm killed six people in Australia, smashed tourist resorts, brought down power lines and shut coal mines. No deaths have been reported in New

Zealand, but authorities continued to search for a man reported missing in a swollen river. “There’s still a risk of loss of life,” New Zealand Deputy Prime Minister Paula Bennett told reporters in Wellington as rescue workers raced to evacuate the town of Edgecumbe in the Bay of Plenty. “Under no circumstances should people be looking at going back at the moment,” she said. “The message must be really clear

Asia

to people right now: Get out and stay out.” New Zealand’s mountainous terrain makes its roads susceptible to landslides and many regions are still recovering from November’s 7.8-magnitude quake. Kaikoura, the coastal holiday town at the epicentre of that quake, was shut off from the rest of the country for the second time in six months as connecting roads were again hit by landslips. (RTRS)

Subcontinent

King signs constitution

Bid to win Trump support







Thai king signs constitution: Thailand’s king signed a new constitution in a ceremony on Thursday, an essential step towards holding an election that the military government has promised to restore democracy after a 2014 coup. In a nationwide broadcast, King Maha Vajiralongkorn was seen signing the document, giving it royal endorsement and setting in motion a process for Thailand’s next general election, expected late next year. “The constitution of the Kingdom of Thailand is promulgated,” an officer with the Royal Scribes Bureau said at the ceremony, on behalf of the King. “May the Thai people be united in following and protecting the constitution to maintain democracy and their sovereignty.” The constitution is Thailand’s 20th since the end of absolute monarchy in 1932 and critics of army rule say it will still give the generals a powerful say over Thai politics for years, if not decades. It replaces an interim constitution put in place after the 2014 coup. ❑





Thailand arrest Japanese woman: Thai police said Wednesday that they have arrested a Japanese woman wanted for allegedly running a multimilliondollar pyramid investment scheme in her homeland. Setsuko Yamabe persuaded victims to invest 700 million yen ($6.3 million) in a fund that she claimed would lend to companies and earn a high rate of return, Immigration Department chief Lt Gen Nutthorn Prawsunthorn said. Yamabe’s investors would then recruit additional investors in the fashion of a multilevel marketing scheme, he said.







Jonas quits as MP: South

Possible terror attack in Gallipoli: Australia SYDNEY, April 6, (Agencies): Australia said on Thursday it had received information that terrorists may be planning to attack a World War One commemoration service at Gallipoli in Turkey later in the month. Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said in a statement that Turkish authorities were aware of the information “and traditionally provide a high level of protective security around Anzac Day commemorations on the peninsula”. Anzac Day, on April 25, marks the first major battle involving troops from Australia and New Zealand in Gallipoli, Turkey in 1915. Hundreds of Australians and New Zealanders make a pilTehan grimage to the site every year for a military dawn service. “The Australian government has received information to suggest terrorists may seek to target ANZAC Day commemorations on the Gallipoli Peninsula,” Bishop said in an emailed statement. Dan Tehan, Australia’s minister for veteran affairs, said intelligence gathered did not indicate a specific plan, but rather a general aim. Australia updated its travel advice for Turkey on Thursday, but did not change its statement that recommends visitors exercise a high degree of caution in the country and reconsider the need to visit Ankara and Istanbul. New Zealand Foreign Minister Murray McCully also urged the country’s citizens to avoid travel to Ankara and Istanbul, while also recommending caution in Gallipoli and elsewhere in Turkey. Despite urging Australians to reconsider any plans to attend the annual event, Tehan said he was confident Turkey would ensure sufficient security.

NGOMOROMO, Uganda, April 6, (Agencies): Hundreds of South Sudanese refugees fled into Uganda for a second day on Wednesday, bearing further grim testimony of an attack by government forces on the border town of Pajok in which at least 17 people were killed, according to a Reuters tally. Some were shot as they tried to flee. Others had their throats slit before their bodies were strung up from door frames. Two children were run down by a car. The testimony from the refugees, more than 3,000 of whom have gathered just inside the Ugandan border, offers a Machar glimpse of the brutality of a three-year civil war ripping apart the world’s youngest nation. The government denies its Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) forces target civilians and said Monday’s operation in Pajok, a town of more than 10,000 people 15 km (10 miles) north of the Ugandan border, was to flush out rebel guerrillas. Reports that its soldiers had killed residents were untrue, SPLA deputy spokesman Colonel Santo Domic Chol said. His troops had orders to refrain from entering and taking over Pajok, he said. “This is not true. It is just a manufactured campaign against the SPLA. Some people are not happy, because the SPLA flushed out bandits and rebels who have been controlling Pajok for the last two years,” he told Reuters by phone. South Sudan, which split away from Sudan in 2011 after decades of conflict, has been mired in civil war since President Salva Kiir sacked his vice-president Riek Machar in 2013.

Kabul dangles ‘lithium’ Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama greets devotees at the Buddha Park in Bomdila, Arunachal Pradesh, India on April 5. (AP)

Lat/Am Censure of judges sought: Venezuela’s opposition-controlled congress is moving to officially censure the seven Supreme Court judges who issued a ruling last week nullifying the lawmaker body. Opposition lawmakers began the process on Wednesday. The court rolled back its initial decision over the weekend after three days of political tumult. But opposition leaders say that is not enough. Any decision congress reaches will be purely symbolic, as it has been neutered by the ruling socialist party and does not have the power to actually replace judges. Caracas saw anti-government protests on Tuesday that left 11 injured. Another rally is called for Thursday. Lawmakers said Wednesday that the judges must be recalled because they supported an attempted coup. Socialist leaders fired back that it was lawmakers who were attempting a “congressional coup.” (AP) ❑ ❑ ❑ Gunmen kill 9 in Sao Paulo: Police say gunmen have shot and killed nine people in separate shootings in two different neighborhoods of Brazil’s biggest city. The Sao Paulo state Public Safety Department says the killings took place Tuesday night in the low-income districts of Jacana and Campo Limpo. Two gunmen on a motorcycle drove up to a bar in Jacana and opened fire, killing seven men and injuring three others. Gunmen on a motorcycle killed two men riding a motorcycle in Campo Limpo about seven miles away. (AP) ❑ ❑ ❑

Mayor vows to stop Lula: Sao Paulo Mayor Joao Doria said he would do everything possible to stop leftist former president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva from regaining the presidency, but Doria stopped short of saying he would run in presidential elections next year. An ex-businessman, Doria has seen his poll numbers rise fast for a possible presidential run. Yet he said he remains loyal to his political mentor, Sao Paulo Governor Geraldo Alckmin, who has made it clear he wants to contest the presidency. Doria swept to an unprecedented firstround victory in October’s municipal elections. He is widely seen as a strong presidential candidate among Brazilians disillusioned with traditional politicians. (RTRS) ❑ ❑ ❑ Shooting hurts 2 Americans: The Mexican Navy says marines were involved in three shootouts in the border city of Reynosa that killed two suspected gunmen, but said that they were not involved in a fourth shooting that injured two civilians. El Manana newspaper reported the two wounded civilians were US citizens. Reynosa is across the border from

KABUL, Afghanistan, April 6, (Agencies): The Afghan government is trying to grab the attention of President Donald Trump and gain greater US support by dangling its massive and untouched wealth of minerals, including lithium, the silvery metal used in mobile phone and computer batteries that is considered essential to modern life. But tapping into that wealth, which also includes coal, copper, rare earths and far more that estimates say could be worth from $1 trillion to $3 trillion, is likely a long way off. Security has worsened in Afghanistan the past year, with Taleban insurgents seizing territory and inflicting increasing casualties on Afghan forces. The regions with the greatest lithium deposits, for example, are currently too dangerous to enter. So far, Trump’s policy on Afghanistan remains unknown. He has said little about America’s longest-running war, beyond saying on the campaign trail that he wishes the United States were not involved in Afghanistan. Last month, the top US military commander called for an increase in American forces to help bring security, a call Kabul enthusiastically backed. But the White House has not said which direction it will go — toward beefing up the American role, drawing it down further or something else entirely. There are currently around 8,400 US troops in the country, involved in training Afghan forces and in counter-terrorism operations. Kabul clearly hopes the promise of mineral wealth will entice Trump into making a greater commitment. “Afghanistan can be an appropriate place for US industry, and specifically the mining sector, to look at opportunities for investment” because so few potential deposits have been mined, said Mohammad Humayon Qayoumi, chief adviser to Afghan president on infrastructure, human capital and technology. President Ashraf Ghani spoke with McAllen, Texas. The US Embassy in Mexico City said it was aware of reports of “a shooting incident involving a US citizen near the border” but did not confirm the victims’ nationalities because of privacy considerations. Navy officials said Wednesday that

Lula

Doria

Trump in December, and they discussed the mineral wealth. “There was a quite good matter of interest from President Trump’s administration,” Qayoumi said. The two leaders spoke again in February for the first time since the inauguration in talks that focused on the security situation. ❑





The Dalai Lama consecrated a Buddhist monastery on Thursday in India’s remote northeast, amid Chinese warnings that the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader’s visit to a disputed border region would damage bilateral relations with India. Nearly 10,000 people, some of them from neighboring Bhutan, greeted the Dalai Lama at the Thubchok Gatsel Ling Monastery in Tawang district in the state of Arunachal Pradesh, Indian official Jemba Tshering said. The visit to Arunachal Pradesh, which China also claims as its territory, has raised tensions between the nuclear-armed Asian neighbors. China’s Foreign Ministry has said the visit “severely harms China’s interests and the China-India relationship,” while India has cautioned Beijing to stay out of its internal affairs. ❑





A Muslim man beaten by a mob that accused him of transporting cows for slaughter has died in western India, police said Wednesday, in the latest violence by Hindu vigilante groups enraged over treatment of the animal they consider sacred. Pehlu Khan died late Tuesday of injuries sustained when he and 14 other men were brutally beaten three days earlier in Rajasthan state, police said. Hindus, who form 80 percent of India’s 1.3 billion population, consider cows to be sacred and for many eating beef is taboo. In many Indian states, the slaughtering of cows and selling of beef is either restricted or banned. marines came under fire at three points in the city. Marines returned fire in the third incident and killed two armed people in a vehicle. (AP) ❑ ❑ ❑

Lasso to dispute tallies: Conservative candidate Guillermo Lasso says his campaign for the presidency of Ecuador detected irregularities at almost 2,000 polling tables where his opponent handily won in Sunday’s presidential runoff. Lasso, in a press conference Wednesday, presented the strongest argument yet backing up his claims that ruling-party candidate Lenin Moreno won the election through fraud. The Lasso campaign said it detected irregularities such as missing signatures, inverted results and incorrect tallies at 1,795 of the almost 40,000 voting acts processed nationwide. (AP)

Africa’s former deputy finance minister Mcebisi Jonas has resigned as a member of parliament, a week after President Jacob Zuma sacked him from the cabinet, the African National Congress said on Thursday. Jonas was fired alongside finance minister Pravin Gordhan in a cabinet shake-up that triggered a credit ratings downgrade and rocked markets. The ruling ANC party has backed Zuma, and rejected calls for him to resign. “Comrade Jonas has served both as Deputy Minister and MP with absolute distinction and dedication,” the office of the ANC Chief Whip said in a statement. Jonas was an outspoken critic of government corruption. ❑





17 die in Zimbabwe crash: Zimbabwe police say as many as 17 people are feared dead after a bus went up in flames Wednesday night after colliding with a truck. Police spokeswoman Charity Charamba said Thursday that more than 40 other people suffered serious injuries. She says people were trapped in the bus and died before help could arrive. Charamba says the bus was travelling to neighboring South Africa from the capital, Harare. Road accidents are common in Zimbabwe, with many attributed to bad roads and speeding. ❑





Dog saves wedding party: Officials say a dog at a Nigerian wedding party grappled with a suicide bomber until her explosives detonated, killing the animal as well. Buba Ahmed of Belbelo village, near the northeastern city of Maiduguri, says guests are grateful that the dog sacrificed itself to save their lives. He says the teenage bomber was on the outskirts of a gathering where most villagers were attending a wedding ceremony when the dog pounced on her Sunday morning. ❑





Nigerian ex-oil min charged: Former Nigerian oil minister Diezani Alison-Madueke, who held the post for five years between 2010-15, has been charged with money laundering, the country’s financial crimes agency said on Wednesday. Three members of the National Electoral Commission (INEC) “allegedly received bribes” from the minister ahead of the 2015 general election, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) said in a statement. One charge read at the Federal High Court in Lagos stated that Alison-Madueke and the officials “conspired among yourselves to directly take possession of 264.9 million naira ($867,813)” on or about March 27, 2015, contrary to money laundering laws.

ARAB TIMES, FRIDAY-SATURDAY, APRIL 7-8, 2017

INTERNATIONAL

18

World News Roundup

Debris sits atop bracing that had been holding a five-foot wide concrete wall as the cutter heads of a massive tunneling machine are fully visible as it completes boring for the State Route 99 highway on April 4, under Seattle. After tunneling more than 9,000 feet and building an outer tunnel wall as it moved forward, the boring machine finished digging what will be a two-mile, double-decker traffic tunnel to replace the Alaskan Way viaduct, damaged in an earthquake in 2001. (Inset): A worker claps his hands as he sits between the cutting blades of the world’s largest tunnel-boring machine. (AP)

Tunnel

Climate

Seattle project ‘milestone’

Trump boosts coal as China cuts emissions

Tunnel machine ends long, troubled journey

Top polluters take divergent paths

SEATTLE, April 6 (AP): The world’s largest tunnelboring machine broke through a concrete wall beneath Seattle on Tuesday to reach the end of its long, troubled journey, a milestone in a multibillion-dollar project to replace an aging highway hugging the city’s waterfront. Critics of the effort to build an underground roadway called it an overpriced endeavor that would collapse under the weight of its ambition and mounting costs. For a while, they looked to be right as the machine, known as Bertha, broke down soon after it started drilling in 2013 and didn’t crank up again until last year. Bertha has finally capped its 1.75-mile (3-kilometer) journey, which the state Transportation Department and some Murray media live-streamed online. Social media users posted memes about the time it took to reach this moment, when the giant machine cut through the final pieces of concrete in a 5-foot wall, filling the air with dust. “Today is a major construction milestone in our plan to reclaim Seattle’s waterfront,” Mayor Ed Murray said. “We will build a waterfront for pedestrians, transit and sensible car trips without a freeway wall casting a shadow over our vision of a well-connected 21st century city.” Crews will break down Bertha as others prepare the inside of the tunnel to handle double-decker lanes of a $3.1 billion underground highway project that will replace the Alaskan Way Viaduct, which was damaged in a 2001 earthquake. The tunnel is set to open in 2019, three years behind schedule. Proponents say the viaduct will no longer wall off Puget Sound. Some conservative lawmakers slammed the project as an expensive vanity project, and environmentalists objected to building another highway in Seattle.

Reflect “This is a historic moment in our state’s transportation history,” said Washington Gov. Jay Inslee, adding that it was a time “to reflect on the incredible level of innovation and skill needed to get to this point.” Republican state Sen. Michael Baumgartner of Spokane, a member of the Transportation Committee, called the project “a tragedy of errors.” “Only in bonkers, leftist Seattle would an absurdly stupid project that’s massively behind schedule and over cost, would finishing be considered a success,” he told The Associated Press. Bertha had only drilled about 1,000 feet (305 meters) of its 9,270-foot (2,826-meter) trek when it hit a steel pipe and ground to halt in December 2013. Crews dug a pit to reach the machine so it could be pulled out and repaired. Exactly what caused Bertha to stop drilling will be the subject of litigation between the state and the contractor. The removal of water near the pit sparked concerns about the ground in the area settling and posing a danger to pipes, buildings and roadways. Some businesses reported cracked walls, and monitors detected ground movement near the pit. Officials ultimately decided the movement stemmed from activity in the pit and natural causes. After being shut down for more than two years for repairs, Bertha began digging again in 2015. Officials also expressed concern when a barge carrying excavated soil began to tip and dropped material into the water. The spill posed a hazard to tunnel workers and the public. The courts will decide who will pay for the hundreds of millions of dollars of cost overruns and delays. Seattle Tunnel Partners and its insurance companies sued in 2015, claiming the state was at fault for Bertha’s breakdown. The Department of Transportation responded with its own lawsuit, seeking unspecified damages because of the delays caused by the breakdown.

In this Jan 25, 2012 file photo, former astronaut and Sen John Glenn poses for a photo during an interview at his office in Columbus, Ohio. Glenn died on Dec 8, 2016 at age 95. (AP)

Whitson

Kelly

Discovery Final goodbye for Glenn: Final funeral rites for astronaut John Glenn took place Thursday at Arlington National Cemetery. His family and invited guests, including astronauts and dignitaries, said goodbye to the first American to orbit Earth at a small private service at the Old Post Chapel. In Glenn’s honor, President Donald Trump has ordered flags at federal entities and institutions flown at half-staff Thursday, his press secretary tweeted, and Ohio Gov John Kasich has done the same at public grounds and buildings across Glenn’s home state. There was a public outpouring of admiration for the former fighter pilot, historymaking astronaut and longtime Democratic US senator from small-town Ohio after he died on Dec 8 at age 95. Thousands of mourners visited his flagdraped casket as it lay in repose at the Ohio Statehouse for a longer period than assassinated President Abraham Lincoln and others in history. (AP)







3 extra months in orbit: The world’s oldest and most experienced spacewoman is getting three extra months in orbit. NASA announced Wednesday that astronaut Peggy Whitson will remain on the International Space Station until September. The 57-year-old astronaut arrived last November and was supposed to return to Earth in June. But under an agreement between NASA and the Russian Space Agency, she’ll stay another three months and take advantage of an empty seat on a Soyuz capsule in the fall. This mission — her third — will now last close to 10 months. Scientists are eager to monitor any changes to her body, to add to the knowledge gained from retired astronaut Scott Kelly’s recent one-year flight. The two men she flew up with in November — France’s Thomas Pesquet and Russia’s Oleg Novitskiy — will return in June without her. Whitson has already spent more time in space than any other woman, counting all her missions, and just last week set a record for the most spacewalks by a woman, with eight. (AP) ❑





WASHINGTON, April 6, (Agencies): For years, cutting carbon emissions to stave off the worst impacts of climate change was routinely near the top of the agenda at talks between the leaders of the United States and China. Not anymore. As President Donald Trump hosts President Xi Jinping at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida this week, the world’s two largest economies and carbon polluters are taking dramatically divergent paths on climate policy. The Chinese government recently canceled construction of more than 100 new coal-fired power plants and plans to invest at least $360 billion in green energy projects by 2020. It is a building boom expected to create an estimated 13 million jobs. China already leads the world in total installed solar and wind capacity. Trump, who has said global warming is a hoax perpetrated by the Chinese to hurt the US economy, signed an executive order last week that aims to roll back Obama-era policies regulating carbon emissions. He has pledged to reverse decades of decline in coal mining, which now accounts for fewer than 75,000 US jobs. “Clean energy is the next, largest global market,” said Barbara Finamore, Asia director at the Natural Resources Defense Council, a US-based environmental group. “The US risks losing out.” With Trump threatening to pull out of the Paris climate accord negotiated by the Obama administration, Xi is poised to become the world’s foremost leader on climate change. Signed by nearly 200 nations, the 2014 agreement calls for holding global temperature increases to no more than 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) in hopes of prevent-

Europe’s 1st cave fish found: A German man who goes diving underground for a hobby has discovered what scientists say is Europe’s first known cave fish. Spelunker Joachim Kreiselmaier chanced upon the fish in August 2015 while exploring the Danube-Aach cave system in southern Germany. It resembled stone loaches found in nearby rivers, but with smaller eyes, longer whisker-like barbels, larger nostrils

ing devastating droughts, storms and sea level rise. Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, in January, Xi called the Paris accord a “hard-won achievement” and urged signatories to “stick to it.” The White House declined to comment Wednesday on whether climate change will even be mentioned at Mara-Lago. US officials are instead expected to focus on enlisting China’s cooperation on curbing the North Korean nuclear threat. While China eclipsed the United States as the world’s top carbon polluter more than a decade ago, it is also now outpacing the US in transitioning to a cleaner energy portfolio. China is currently generating about 20 percent of its electricity from renewable sources, compared to about 13 percent in the US. China still burns more coal than any other nation, but its consumption of the dirtiest fossil fuel fell in 2016 for a third consecutive year. An analysis by Greenpeace of data from the Chinese National Energy Administration showed an expected corresponding decrease in China’s carbon dioxide emissions of 1 percent in 2017, in what would be the fourth straight year of zero growth or a decline. That puts China on track to meet its 2030 target under the Paris accord as much as one decade early. “Given the absolute lack of leadership from the Trump administration, China is seeing a stronger role both in its self-interest as a country threatened by the impacts of climate change, and also as a diplomatic opportunity in the vacuum left by Trump’s retrograde position,” said Lauri Myllyvirta, a senior coal campaigner for Greenpeace in Beijing. and almost no color on its body. In an article published Monday in the journal Current Biology, scientists from the University of Constance who studied the fish concluded that it is a genetically distinct species. (AP)







Icebergs drifts into ship lanes: More than 400 icebergs have drifted into the North

In this March 15, 2017 photo, a cave fish swims in an aquarium at the University of Constance, Germany. A German man who goes underground diving for a hobby has discovered what scientists say is Europe’s first known cave fish. (AP)

In China’s capital, Trump’s public statements doubting that human activity is the primary cause of global warming are greeted with a mixture of bemusement and worry.

Also: WASHINGTON: A coalition of 17 US states filed a legal challenge on Wednesday against efforts by President Donald Trump’s administration to roll back climate change regulations, deepening a political rift over his emerging energy policies. Led by New York state, the coalition said the administration has a legal duty to regulate emissions of the gases scientists believe cause global climate change. “The law is clear: the EPA must limit carbon pollution from power plants,” New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman said in a statement announcing the challenge. Trump signed an executive order last week targeting climate change regulations ushered in by former president Barack Obama, saying they hinder US energy production and jobs without providing meaningful environmental benefits. The order’s main target was Obama’s Clean Power Plan, a law that would require states to slash carbon dioxide emissions from power plants, but which was never implemented because it was challenged in court by 26 Republican-led states. Trump’s order directed the Environmental Protection Agency to review the regulation to decide whether to “suspend, rescind, or revise it.” Shortly after, EPA filed a legal motion asking the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit to delay ongoing court proceedings on the regulation to allow for the review. Atlantic shipping lanes over the past week in an unusually large swarm for this early in the season, forcing vessels to slow to a crawl or take detours of hundreds of miles. Experts are attributing it to uncommonly strong counter-clockwise winds that are drawing the icebergs south, and perhaps also global warming, which is accelerating the process by which chunks of the Greenland ice sheet break off and float away. As of Monday, there were about 450 icebergs near the Grand Banks of Newfoundland, up from 37 a week earlier, according to the US Coast Guard’s International Ice Patrol in New London, Connecticut. Those kinds of numbers are usually not seen until late May or early June. The average for this time of year is about 80. In the waters close to where the Titanic went down in 1912, the icebergs are forcing ships to take precautions. Instead of cutting straight across the ocean, trans-Atlantic vessels are taking detours that can add around 400 miles to the trip. That’s a day and a half of added travel time for many large cargo ships. Close to the Newfoundland coast, cargo ships owned by Oceanex are throttling way back to 3 or 4 knots as they make their way to their homeport in St John’s, which can add up to a day to the trip, said executive chairman, Capt Sid Hynes. One ship was pulled out of service for repairs after hitting a chunk of ice, he said. “It makes everything more expensive,” Hynes said Wednesday. “You’re burning more fuel, it’s taking a longer time, and it’s hard on the equipment.” He called it a “very unusual year. (AP)

Bale, Adams circling McKay’s Dick Cheney biopic

Film

‘Name’ draws modern love film from ancient poem LOS ANGELES, April 6, (RTRS): A thousand-year-old Japanese poem inspired filmmaker Makoto Shinkai to create “Your Name,” an animated story that weaves love and time travel into what he called a message of hope for Japanese millennials. “Your Name” (Kimi No Na Wa) follows Mitsuha, a young girl fed up with living in an idyllic rural Japanese village, and Taki, a teenage boy in Tokyo. The two find themselves waking up randomly in each other’s bodies. Shinkai, speaking in Japanese, told Reuters that he drew from poet Ono no Komachi’s words written centuries ago in which she described meeting a lover in a dream and waking up feeling sad. In “Your Name,” Taki and Mitsuha live each other’s lives, leaving notes on their cell phones of their experiences, but when Taki tries to find Mitsuha, his fate takes a fantastical turn as time bends into alternate realities. The film opens in US theaters on Friday after topping the Japanese box office in 2016 with nearly $215 million, according to film tracker BoxOfficeMojo.com. Shinkai, 44, the filmmaker behind 2013’s “The Garden of Words,” said he wanted to make a movie aimed at younger Japanese audiences

in which “they can believe in their future.” “I created this movie hoping that younger audiences would believe that ‘maybe there is the one in my life I might have not met yet but hopefully will see tomorrow or in the future,’” he said. The juxtaposition of Mitsuha’s rural, traditional lifestyle with Taki’s modern city life was something Shinkai said he drew from his own life, growing up in a small village and later moving to Tokyo, a city that he said “feels like almost a different country” within Japan.

Common “I think it is one of the common themes for many Japanese people to choose where to live, Tokyo or their hometown,” he said. Shinkai has been hailed as the successor to animator Hayao Miyazaki, the Studio Ghibli co-founder behind films such as “Howl’s Moving Castle” and “Spirited Away.” But Shinkai said that while he was “honored and flattered” by the comparison, “people are overestimating me.” “Miyazaki has a great talent, but I really struggle every time I create a new film and am far from Miyazaki,” he said. “At the same time, I’m younger than him so I intend to make more

animation films, which cannot be the same as his but created in a different way for my audience.”

Also: LOS ANGELES: After diving into the economic crisis of 2008, “The Big Short’s” Adam McKay is taking aim at one of Washington’s most polarizing figures. Sources tell Variety that Christian Bale, Steve Carell, and Amy Adams are in talks to star in McKay’s untitled Dick Cheney biopic for Paramount. Sources say Bale is on board to play the former vice president, Carell would portray Donald Rumsfeld, and Adams would play Lynne Cheney. McKay’s Gary Sanchez Productions and Brad Pitt’s Plan B is on board to produce. McKay will direct from his own screenplay with the studio and producers aiming to shoot the movie in the spring for an awards-season push, similar to “Big Short.” Producers are Pitt, Dede Gardner, and Jeremy Kleiner through Plan B along McKay and his Gary Sanchez partners, Will Ferrell and Kevin Messick.

FRIDAY-SATURDAY, APRIL 7-8, 2017

Features

Variety

In this image released by Fox Searchlight Pictures, McKenna Grace appears in a scene from ‘Gifted’. (AP)

Film Producer encourages women to pursue STEM careers LOS ANGELES: Disney’s blockbuster “Beauty and the Beast” has topped the $900 million mark at the worldwide box office after less than four weeks in release. The studio noted that “Beauty and the Beast” has also become only the 26th movie in history to cross the $400 million threshold domestically with $401.1 million as of Tuesday and another $498.9 million internationally. China is the top international grosser at $83.3 million, followed by the UK with $66.8 million, Brazil at $32.3 million and South Korea at $30.7 million. “Beauty and the Beast” is now the 42nd highest worldwide grosser, having eclipsed the entire run of 2005’s “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire” at $897 million. It’s likely that it will become the 29th movie to gross $1 billion worldwide. Disney’s “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” is the most recent film to cross that milestone. (RTRS) ❑ ❑ ❑

LOS ANGELES: Hollywood publicist Josh Raffel has joined the White House Office of American Innovation. Raffel, 32, previously represented Jared Kushner’s Kushner Companies when he worked for Hiltzik Strategies. Kushner, Donald Trump’s son-in-law, has been tasked with injecting ideas from the business world into the federal bureaucracy. Hope Hicks, another Hiltzik veteran, is part of the Trump administration’s communications team. After leaving Hiltzik in 2015, Raffel ran communications for Blumhouse Productions, the producer of horror hits such as “The Purge” and “Insidious.” In a business studded with profane and controlling mouthpieces, he is well respected among entertainment journalists for his sane, sensible style and his wit. Raffel confirmed his new job to Variety, but declined to offer additional comment. (RTRS) ❑ ❑ ❑

PHOENIX: A Phoenix-area teen is asking actress Emma Stone to be his prom date with an elaborate “La La Land” parody video . Arcadia High School student Jacob Staudenmaier filmed his so-called “prom-posal” in the style of the opening song from Stone’s Oscar-winning film, which features a dance number in a traffic-filled

Math film ‘Gifted’ a mixed equation By Jocelyn Noveck here are several positive factors in the mixed T equation that is “Gifted,” starring Chris Evans and the appealing 10-year-old Mckenna Grace: A brilliant and precocious yet sweetly empathetic young girl. A devoted and decidedly hunky father figure. And then there’s math itself, presented not as a refuge for social misfits, but as an exciting and elegant pursuit. Unfortunately, a movie about mathematical formulas relies way too much on moviemaking formula, and the result is way less than the sum of its parts. Indeed, “Gifted,” directed by Marc Webb, often feels like the incomplete shell of a movie, with the guts and connective tissue missing. This is hardly the fault of the cast, which also features the welcome (but underused) presence of Octavia Spencer, and the estimable Scottish actress Lindsay Duncan. Rather, it seems due to the waytoo-obvious dialogue and often unconvincing plot twists, not to mention a courtroom subplot that is, strangely, rarely interesting. We meet Frank (Evans) and 7-year-old Mary (Grace) as the two are readying for her first day of school. Until now, Frank, Mary’s uncle who has been raising her since she was a baby, has home-schooled her, but that well has run dry. Mary, a child prodigy, is not excited for school, and one can see why: the children are asked simple addition questions, but Mary shows an ability to do complex multiplication in her head. Immediately, the teacher, Bonnie (Jenny Slate) knows she has a gifted child on her hands. Mary has a caring disposition and a sweet smile, but also a dry wit when bantering with Frank. When Mary’s teacher approaches Frank after school that first day, the girl whispers: “Oh, it’s my teacher. She probably wants to remind me what one plus one is.” When the school principal suggests — almost orders — that Frank enroll Mary in a school for gifted children, Frank insists otherwise. He has some knowledge from his own family of what it’s like to live as a prodigy, cut off from a normal social life. He wants Mary to have friends and playdates.

Los Angeles highway. He enlisted dozens of classmates and a few teachers to help with the video. Stone grew up in Scottsdale, a fact Staudenmaier mentions in the lyrics of his prom request. Staudenmaier says asking Stone to prom started out as a joke. He says he has a backup date in case the actress doesn’t see his video. (AP) ❑ ❑ ❑

In marches Frank’s mother, Evelyn (Duncan), a hard-edged Brit (and former mathematician herself) who has clear ideas of what she wants for Mary: a life of productivity, brilliance, academic fame. She brings Mary up to MIT, to show off the girl’s mathematical brain. Most importantly, she sues Frank for custody. The first courtroom scene comes abruptly, with no real buildup. Then, the dialogue is so superficial that it just doesn’t feel real. The same problem wends through all the courtroom scenes.

Bright As the plot unfolds, there’s the occasional bright moment, usually thanks to Mary’s wit (And Mckenna’s genuine screen presence). One of the most amusing moments comes when teacher Bonnie, against her judgment, falls into bed with Frank after an evening of drinking. Mary, who’s supposed to be visiting neighbor Roberta (Spencer), sneaks into the apartment to grab something and runs right into Bonnie, who’s clutching a sheet around her naked body. The young girl’s knowing look — and especially her three-word response — is priceless. More courtroom fighting comes, and once again, both plot and dialogue prove themselves overly simplistic and in some cases, simply not believable. This is especially true in a final twist that feels utterly tacked on, to miraculously tie up the plot’s loose ends. That’s a shame, because the sensitive performances here deserved a better vehicle. Nonetheless, there will surely come a moment deep in the film when your eyes will moisten, because, hey, is anyone totally immune to a happy moment between an adult, a child and a one-eyed cat? It’s too bad that by then, the whole thing feels just a little over-calculated. “Gifted,” a Fox Searchlight release, is rated PG-13 by the Motion Picture Association of America for “thematic elements, language and some suggestive material.” Running time: 101 minutes. Two stars out of four.

LOS ANGELES: Legendary has

Stone

Kushner

tapped veteran scribe Eric Roth to write the “Dune” reboot. “Arrival” and “Sicario” filmmaker Denis Villeneuve is directing the movie. Legendary closed a deal with the Frank Herbert estate last Thanksgiving for his iconic novel, granting the studio rights to not only films, but also TV projects on

Also: LOS ANGELES: Chris Evans, Jenny Slate, and Octavia Spencer were joined by their 10-year-old costar, Mckenna Grace, on the red carpet for the premiere of “Gifted” on Tuesday evening at Pacific Theaters at the Grove in Los Angeles. The starlet’s adoration for her fellow cast and crew members was unmistakeable, especially Grace’s fondness for director Marc Webb. As soon as she spotted the filmmaker on the carpet, she clung to his side between interviews. “Working with him was so fun,” Grace said. “He’s a really understanding director. If you want to try a scene in a different way, you can. He’s always okay with that.” Grace portrays Mary, a seven-year-old math prodigy who masters calculus before first grade. In addition to Grace, the intellectual forces in the film are primary women; Slate portrays Mary’s math teacher and Jona Xiao plays an MIT math student. In a society where women and girls are often underrepresented in the fields of mathematics and science, producer Andy Cohen said he hopes “Gifted” fosters the idea that it is simply normal for women to be involved in these industries. “Normally, if you see movies about math and science it’s with some mad genius, where they’re brilliant, but troubled somehow,” Cohen explained. “We’re trying to represent the fact that normal people can be really good at this — especially little girls and women — and hopefully that message gets out there and it doesn’t become a big moment anymore. It just becomes normal.” Although “Gifted” helps to represent positive images of women, Evans still had some cautionary advice for youth, like Grace, who are growing up in a transitional social and political climate. “Be diligent about looking for the truth,” Evans said. “We all have the internet and I think it’s bringing us all together more than it’s tearing us apart, but there’s also a landscape of disingenuous, false news. I think anyone who has an opinion and is passionate about a subject, make sure you’re getting your information from the right places.” (RTRS)

the sci-fi property. The projects would be produced by Villeneuve, Mary Parent and Cale Boyter, with Brian Herbert, Byron Merritt, Thomas Tull and Kim Herbert serving as executive producers. Kevin J. Anderson will serve as a creative consultant. Set in the distant future, “Dune” follows Paul Atreides, whose

family assumes control of the desert planet Arrakis. As the only producer of a highly valuable resource, jurisdiction over Arrakis is contested among competing noble families. After Paul and his family are betrayed, the story explores themes of politics, religion, and man’s relationship to nature, as Paul leads a rebellion to restore his family’s reign. (RTRS)

ARAB TIMES, FRIDAY-SATURDAY, APRIL 7-8, 2017

NEWS/FEATURES

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People & Places Film Death-trap genre film

‘Thrill and dazzle’ in combat drama Mine By Owen Gleiberman ine,’ starring Armie Hammer as a US Marine ‘M sergeant trapped in the desert on top of a land mine (if he lifts his left foot, it will blow), is a drama that pretends to be a serious consideration of war, and even a philosophical rumination on freedom and existence. Yet it really belongs to that quirky, death-trap genre that’s been gaining in popularity lately — call it the Thriller About Someone Who Gets Stuck in One Place. Other examples of the form include the Blake Lively shark-peril suspense drama “The Shallows” (or its far superior progenitor, “Open Water”), the Ryan Reynolds-in-a-coffin thriller “Buried,” the RobertRedford-cast-away-on-a-sailboat art film “All Is Lost,” and the drama that’s probably the granddaddy of them all: the haunting and ingenious 1955 “Alfred Hitchcock Presents” episode “Breakdown” (one of the 20 episodes of that series Hitchcock directed himself), in which a heartless businessman, paralyzed after an auto accident, has to try to get someone’s attention without moving a muscle. (Leave it to Hitchcock, the greatest poet of Hammer cinematic action movement of the 20th century, to find the poetry of immobility.) Since the premise of the genre is that the audience, in effect, gets trapped right along with the victim/ protagonist, the challenge confronting a movie like “Mine” is two-fold: Can it hold our attention without turning claustrophobic and monotonous? And can it bring off that feat and stay plausible? “Mine” fails on both counts. It was written and directed by a pair of Italian filmmakers who bill themselves as “Fabio & Fabio” (that stands for Fabio Guaglione and Fabio Resinaro), and in this, their not-so-fabio first feature, the two obviously conceived the entire project as a minimalist yet showy audition film: “Just look at how much we can thrill and dazzle you when our hero doesn’t even move!” Actually, not so much. The Fabios appear to have some talent, but not a lot of common sense. They’ve made a landmine suspense thriller with a few heart-in-the-throat, hair-trigger moments, but “Mine” is so eager to be a “metaphor” (it’s a little Beckett, a little Tarantino, a little Lifetime channel) that it’s the film’s pretension that winds up exploding in your face.

Brad Pitt arrives at the Los Angeles premiere of ‘The Lost City of Z’ at the ArcLight Hollywood on April 5. (AP)

Film Arnie won’t star in ‘Expendables 4’ without Sly

Exciting The opening sequence is taut and exciting, though with a portent of the falseness to come. Mike (Hammer), a Marine sniper who has been in combat for a little over three months (the film is set in an unspecified country that suggests Iraq or somewhere in North Africa), is scouting a target along with his best buddy and good-ol’-boy spotter, Tommy (Tom Cullen). The man he’s assigned to take down is some sort of elegant silver-bearded terrorist superstar the US has been tracking for ages. Mike’s got him in his sights, but the target has come out of hiding for a secret wedding in the middle of the desert (the bride appears to be his daughter). Even as the redneck Tommy says “Send it!” (i.e., fire the death shot), Mike hesitates; to him, it seems blasphemous to disrupt the ceremony. Frankly, I couldn’t understand why he didn’t send the bullet either. (Would he have declined to take out Osama bin Laden in similar circumstances?) That Fabio & Fabio are working this hard to establish that their American sniper is also a good liberal is a cheap sop to the audience, and a sign that these filmmakers are more advanced in kinesthetics than in the art of reality. The botched assassination results in the two escaping into the desert, and by the time they reach a metal sign, lying in the sand, that has Arabic writing and a skull and crossbones on it, it’s an indication that they’ve entered a field laced with land mines. The two are fast running out of water; should they risk walking across the field to get to the village that lies over the next dune? The reckless Tommy figures he’ll try, and within moments he has stepped on a mine and gotten his legs blown off. (If you don’t favor movies in which you’re asked to stare at bloody stumps, skip this one.) Then Mike takes his own fateful step. He feels the mine lock under his foot, and from that moment on he’s trapped, unable to save his friend or himself. But as long as he doesn’t move, he’ll live.

Terrible The movie’s title, which is terrible, is a pun: It means land mine, but it also means “mine” as in... Mike using this experience to find his inner self (or something). Standing on that mine, he ties an ax to his bootlace to drag Tommy’s radio over, and once he gets on the phone, the military operator on the other end is so heartless and indifferent (“What about your mission, sergeant?”) that it’s like something out of a “Rambo” sequel: the voice of the corporate war machine. It will be 52 hours before a convoy can come by Mike’s way and rescue him, and the first question that pops into your mind is: How will he sleep on one foot? Actually, he won’t sleep at all. He’s too busy sweating, pondering, enduring a sand storm, eating a live scorpion, and flashing back to the life he left behind (which includes a deeply cliche backstory about his abusive father). He also interacts with a saintly Berber (Clint Dyer) from the nearby village who comes upon Mike and decides to use the land-mine situation to teach him life lessons. The Berber is able to walk over the mine field in a criss-cross pattern that makes it look like he knows just where the mines are buried. But then he reveals that he doesn’t; it’s all in his attitude! Which is another way of saying that the character, who is referred to even in the credits simply as “the Berber,” is one more Magical Negro. He’s like a version of Friday in a castaway movie where Robinson Crusoe can’t move. You can see why Armie Hammer wanted to star in this movie; on paper, it looks like a showpiece role. But Hammer, who can be such a fine and fascinating actor when he’s got well-written dialogue to chew on (“The Social Network,” “The Birth of a Nation,” the upcoming breakout Sundance drama “Call Me Be Your Name”), has a way of vanishing inside his placid good looks in mediocre movies. That’s what happens in “Mine.” He conveys the anguish of Mike’s desperation convincingly, but the character is so strong and decent that he rarely seems more than a vessel. What’s missing from the movie — and from Hammer’s performance — is that crucial note of fear, so that’s missing from the audience’s reaction as well. And without it, it’s doubtful that many people will want to sit through a movie that makes us feel like we’re standing in one place, just waiting for something to blow up. (RTRS)

‘Void’ sci-fi mystical horror By Dennis Harvey

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Actress Charlize Theron poses during the premiere of ‘Fast and Furious 8’ in Paris on April 5. (AP)

Hathaway

Evans

Variety TORONTO: Anne Hathaway has ventured back into independent cinema to star in one of the quirkiest films of the year, “Colossal”, which she refuses to categorise. “I think it’s all genres and none”, she said, in a viewpoint similar to how she sees her role in the movie. “The thing I loved about Gloria was she’s just a mess, she’s human, she’s lost, and smart, and sweet, and compassionate and foolish, and just really, really alive and figuring it out”, Hathaway said. In “Colossal”, Hathaway stars as Gloria, whose life is spiralling out of control after her drinking gets too much for her boyfriend, played by Dan Stevens, and she finds herself having to return to her hometown from New York. There, she reconnects with an old friend of hers, Oscar, played by Jason Sudeikis. However, when a monster begins a rampage through Seoul, Gloria begins to believe that the monster’s life is connected to hers. (RTRS) ❑ ❑ ❑

riter-directors Jeremy Gillespie and Steven Kostanski started out in Winnipeg film collective Astron-6, whose first features “Manborg” and “Father’s Day” were subversively funny low-budget genre send-ups of dystopian-future action cheese and bad-taste gore horror, respectively. There’s nothing spoofy about their latest, however. “The Void” plays its tale of one hectic night’s bloody peril at a rural hospital relatively straight, which is not to say there’s anything straightforward about the story these Canadians have cooked up. Indeed, after a promising start, this enterprising but overstuffed endeavor drifts increasingly into a muddled scifi mystical horror hybrid that only gets more confusing as it grows more thematically ambitious. At least its failings aren’t formulaic ones — or perhaps they’re the fault of jamming in more fantastic-cinema formula than one modestly scaled film can support. “The Void,” which Screen Media opens on thirty-odd US screens April 7 after a successful festival-circuit run, is a bit of a mess. But in an era when stab-by-numbers remakes and sequels dominate big-screen horror, this resourceful, polished indie merits some admiration simply for trying to do more than it can pull off — not to mention more than most undiscriminating horror fans ask for these days. The opening finds a couple terrified youths fleeing an isolated house, pursued by two men. The girl never makes it past the lawn, as the latter duo dole her out a nasty, fiery death. The wounded boy manages to escape into the surrounding forest. He’s soon found by the side of the road by local cop Dan Carter (Aaron Poole), who at first assumes James (Evan Stern) is

from a script by Capp with Johnny James Fiore and Grant Harling, who both also star in the film. “Reach” will shoot this month in Los Angeles.

just some drunk kid, then realizes he requires serious medical attention. Unfortunately, nearest facility March County Hospital is barely open, with just a skeleton crew packing things up for a move to a new building in the wake of a damaging fire. In addition to senior staffer Dr. Powell (Kenneth Walsh), there’s a couple nurses (including Kathleen Munroe as the wife Dan has been separated from since their child died), a hapless intern (Ellen Wong’s Kim), and very few patients, including a nearlydue pregnant woman (Grace Munro). It doesn’t take long after Dan and James’ arrival for all hell to break loose. Initial stages include violent psychotic episodes and creature mutations, as well as the re-surfacing of the initial homicidal duo (Daniel Fathers, Mik Byskov), who it turns out are actually trying to stop further outbreaks of psychosis, mutation, and who knows what else. With so many terrors within, the logical recourse would be to get as far as way as possible. Alas, the hospital is now surrounded by silent figures clad in what looks like a compromise between KKK robes and hazmat suits. They’re a presence quite ominous enough to dissuade the protagonists’ thoughts of escape, even before they all pull out giant kitchen knives.

Progress Things escalate so quickly and effectively in this early progress that, for at least its first half hour, “The Void” is not only exciting, but has the excitement of a movie whose next moves are anyone’s guess. Too bad that the direction it eventually heads is farther and farther into the imaginative ozone, even as characters wade deeper into the hospital’s bowels. There they discover Dr. Powell has been “defying …,” as The story centers on Clayton’s character divulging to a pro-suicide support group that he plans on killing himself. Although his first attempt is botched, he is deter-

LOS ANGELES: Actor Chris Evans, known for playing superheroes Captain America and The Human Torch, takes on a different kind of role in his latest film “Gifted”, and spoke about being a celebrity in the digital age while promoting the film. Evans, who got into an argument on Twitter with right-wing activist and former Ku Klux Klan leader David Duke earlier this year, explained that the heightened scrutiny people in the public eye experience causes them to be more cautious about what they say. He felt differently, saying, “If you do or say something, it’s very easy to take little snippets of that and blast that out there without knowing the whole story, so it enables a lot of people to misbehave”. (RTRS) ❑ ❑ ❑ LOS ANGELES: Garrett Clayton, Jordan Doww and Joey Bragg (Disney’s “Liv and Maddie”) are starring in the feature film “Reach,” a high school dramedy about bullies and the power of friendship. Maria Capp is producing along with Autumn Bailey and Charles Box. Jarret Tarnol (“See You in Valhalla”) will direct

Eloy Martinez de la Pera Celada (left), curator of the exhibition, and Salvatore Gervasi, director of Expo Fondation Bolle (right), pose next to a portrait of Audrey Hepburn and two dresses of the Countess von Galen created by Hubert de Givenchy, during the presentation of the exhibition ‘Audrey Hepburn & Hubert de Givenchy: une elegante amitie’ (Audrey Hepburn & Hubert Givenchy: An elegant friendship) in Morges, Switzerland, on April 5, 2017. The exhibition will take place from May 20 to Sept 17, 2017, at the Expo Fondation Bolle in Morges. (AP)

well as death and nature, via nightmarish “experiments” that have opened a portal into another dimension. These sequences retain some atmospheric expertise, as well as providing a few nice climactic cosmicpsychedelic effects. But as it lurches into more Lovecraftian territory, the screenplay becomes an increasingly muddled mix of sci-fi mystical horror whose too many underdeveloped ideas reduce one another’s potency. Perhaps Kostanski and Gillespie got carried away piling on ways to showcase their separate additional skill sets — which include prosthetic makeup and digital FX design, art direction, even music composing. Whatever the reason, somewhere they lost track of the basic cogency required to keep suspense taut and the audience reasonably oriented.

Also: LOS ANGELES: Arnold Schwarzenegger may not be back for “The Expendables 4.” The actor told EW that he will not star in the actioner without Sylvester Stallone, who is reportedly leaving the franchise. “There is no ‘Expendables’ without Sly,” the former governor said. “I would never do the movie without him, no.” According to multiple reports — first reported by Deadline — Stallone is departing “The Expendables” after he and Nu Image/Millennium chief Avi Lerner could not agree on the direction of the new film, including its director and script. In addition to starring in the series as Barney Ross, Stallone also co-wrote the first three films with creator Dave Callaham and directed 2010’s original “The Expendables.” (RTRS) mined to find a way to escape his suffering. (RTRS) ❑ ❑ ❑

LOS ANGELES: Jeremy Renner and Hannibal Buress are in negotiations to join Ed Helms in the New Line comedy “Tag,” sources tell Variety. Jeff Tomsic is on board to direct from a script by Mark Steilen and Rob McKittrick. Todd Garner, Steilen, and Sean Robins are producing. The film is based on a true story featured in the Wall Street Journal about a group of friends who have been playing a no-holdsbarred version of the children’s game Tag for the last 30 years. Details of Renner and Buress’ roles are currently unknown, other than the fact that they will be part of the core group of friends. (RTRS) ❑ ❑ ❑ LOS ANGELES: Warner Bros. took the top spot on the national home video sales charts for the week ended April 2 with “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them,” the fantasy spinoff of the “Harry Potter” series that earned more than $230 million in US theaters and in excess of $800 million globally. The film, produced and written by “Harry Potter” creator J.K. Rowling, debuted at No. 1 on both the NPD VideoScan overall disc sales chart, which tracks combined DVD and Blu-ray Disc sales, and NPD’s dedicated Blu-ray Disc sales chart. (RTRS)

ARAB TIMES, FRIDAY-SATURDAY, APRIL 7-8, 2017

NEWS/FEATURES

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In this Aug 28, 2016 file photo, a mural honoring the late Prince adorns a building in the Uptown area of Minneapolis. (AP)

In this April 22, 2016 file photo, Scott Wing and his wife Gina Easley, view Prince’s Purple Rain outfit that is on display at the Minnesota History Center in St Paul, Minn. (AP)

In this April 4, 2017 photo, a memorial fence at Prince’s Paisley Park provides fans an opportunity to leave memorials in Chanhassen, Minn. (AP)

In this April 4, 2017 photo, two women walk past graffiti memorials to the late Prince that mark the Riley Creek underpass which has become the new graffiti bridge in Chanhassen, Minn. Fans have been marking it since the rock star’s death from an accidental overdose on April 21. (AP)

Music

Music

Letterman replaces Young

A Minneapolis-area pilgrimage a yr after his death

Jackson among trio to join Hall of Fame

Concerts, tours celebrate Prince

NASHVILLE, Tenn, April 6, (AP): Country star Alan Jackson, actor-singer-guitarist Jerry Reed and songwriter Don Schlitz will be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame later this year. Their selection was announced Wednesday. Jackson, 58, from Newnan, Georgia, broke out in 1990 with his neo-traditional style of honky-tonk country music that earned him several multiplatinum records. His hit songs include “Chattahoochee,” “She’s Got the Rhythm (And I Got the Blues)” and “Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning).” Jackson, with his signature white hat, said during the press conference that his dad’s wooden radio inspired him to write “Chasin’ That Neon Rainbow,” one of his first singles. The radio is now in an exhibit at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, along Jackson with a pair of water skis he wore for the music video for “Chattahoochee.” “I’ll be in the Hall of Fame with Daddy Gene’s radio and my water skis and some blue jeans with holes in them,” Jackson said. The singer-songwriter earned two Grammy Awards and was named entertainer of the year three times by the Country Music Association. Over the course of his 25-year career, he’s the second most nominated artist in CMA history with 81 nominations and has had more than 30 No. 1 country hits. “This is about the last dream on the list, right here,” Jackson said. Reed, from Atlanta, Georgia, became a popular country star in the 1960s with his fingerstyle picking that earned him the nickname “Guitar Man.” which became the title of one of his signature songs. His hits include Grammy-winning “When You’re Hot, You’re Hot” and “Amos Moses.”

Successful After regularly appearing on Glen Campbell’s TV show, he started a successful career in Hollywood. He starred opposite Burt Reynolds in the “Smokey and the Bandit” films and appeared in Adam Sandler’s “The Waterboy.” He died in 2008 at 71. His daughters Seidina Hubbard and Lottie Zavala spoke on his behalf Wednesday. Schlitz, 64, from Durham, North Carolina, has written dozens of top country hits including “The Gambler,” “On The Other Hand,” “Forever and Ever, Amen,” “The Greatest” and “When You Say Nothing At All.” His songs were cut by Kenny Rogers, Randy Travis, Mary Chapin Carpenter, The Judds, Tanya Tucker and more. He has won three CMA song of the year awards and two Grammy Awards, and has been inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. “I will never be able to believe that I deserve this, unless I receive it as a representative of my family, my mentors, my collaborators, my promoters and my friends,” Schlitz said. “That’s the only way I can deal with this.” ❑ ❑ ❑ David Letterman will replace an ailing Neil Young as the person inducting Pearl Jam into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame on Friday. According to a statement from the hall, Young “is regrettably no longer able to induct Pearl Jam” due to illness and is “thrilled” that former TV talk-show host Letterman will substitute. Pearl Jam made its “Late Show with David Letterman” debut in 1996 with a version of “Hail, Hail.” In addition to Pearl Jam, the new rock class incudes the late rapper Tupac Shakur, ELO, Journey, Nile Rodgers, Joan Baez and Yes. The ceremony will be held at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. The Hall of Fame is located in Cleveland.

By Leanne Italie rince’s hometown of Minneapolis P offers many places where fans can pay homage on the anniversary of his

Laxmi Narayan Tripathi (from left), Tina Brown and Barkha Dutt attend the opening night of the 8th Annual Women in the World Summit at the David H. Koch Theater on April 5 in New York. (AP)

Bichir

Manilow

Variety CAMBRIDGE, Mass: Nobel literature laureate Toni Morrison is collecting another prestigious prize. The Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist is scheduled to be presented with the American Academy of Arts and Sciences’ Emerson-Thoreau Medal. The prize was established in 1958 and is awarded to individuals to recognize a lifetime of literary achievements. Previous recipients include Robert Frost, T.S. Eliot, Katherine Anne Porter, Saul Bellow, Norman Mailer and Philip Roth. Morrison was set to receive her medal Thursday evening at the Academy’s headquarters in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Academy President Jonathan Fanton says Morrison was selected “for her excellence in the humanities.” Her nomination calls her “an overwhelming figure in American and world literature.” (AP) ❑ ❑ ❑

LOS ANGELES: Demian Bichir has been cast in New Line’s horror-thriller “The Nun,” a spinoff movie based on the demonic character in “The Conjuring 2” with British director Corin Hardy on board. The studio began developing “The Nun” last June, shortly after “The Conjuring 2” opened. Producers are James Wan, who directed the two “Conjuring” movies and produced the sequel, and Peter Safran, who produced both movies. The current script for “The Nun” is written by Gary Dauberman and Wan. The demon nun came to life in “The Conjuring 2” from a painting by Patrick Wilson’s paranormal investigator Ed Warren and later attacked Vera Farmiga’s Lorraine Warren. “The Conjuring 2” deals with the 1977 case of demonic possession of an 11-year-old British girl, played by Madison Wolfe. (RTRS) ❑ ❑ ❑ LOS ANGELES: Barry Manilow has finally lowered his guard on his personal life and revealed that he is gay. In an interview with People, the 73-yearold music icon — who created hits like

death, from his favorite record store to the humble house used in his Oscarwinning “Purple Rain” film. Paisley Park, his massive, gleaming white studio and performance complex, was turned into a museum soon after his death on April 21, 2016. A “celebration” planned there for April 20-23 with panel discussions, concerts and tours is mostly sold out. But don’t worry, there’s plenty more to see. This is a must, even if it’s just a drive-by to see the sprawling place rise up from the flatlands in Chanhassen, an easy 20-mile drive from downtown Minneapolis. Guided tours average 70 minutes and include rooms where Prince created some of his biggest hits. The museum is a work in progress, with a recently added room displaying costumes and other artifacts from his “Lovesexy” album and tour. Optional add-ons include a VIP tour of extra rooms, a photo opportunity, Friday night dance party and Sunday brunch featuring some of his favorite foods. Much has been made of Prince’s Paisley Park-shaped urn. It was moved from the main atrium at the family’s request to a frosted high-walled fixture above a little kitchen where he sometimes watched TV. Photos and video are strictly prohibited on all tours. This downtown club in a former Greyhound bus depot remains a hub for Prince fans and an indie rock hot spot. There are guided tours, though most were sold out ahead of the April 21st anniversary. A separate entrance and fee gets you inside the club where Prince played several times, including his first time in 1981 when it was called Sam’s and in 1983 when he unveiled a longer version of his ballad “Purple “Copacabana” — not only revealed his sexual orientation, but that he’s married to Garry Kief. Kief is Manilow’s manager, business partner, and president of Barry Manilow Productions. The two married in Palm Springs in 2014. Manilow revealed that he kept his sexu-

Rain.” That gig was recorded, including the mega-hit that became his signature and other songs used in the film. Brick walls outside are adorned with painted, white stars for other artists who played there. Prince’s star stands out in gold. Prince frequented the Electric Fetus record store. He visited just days before he died, on Record Store Day, April 16, tweeting: “fetus, thanx 4 the tunes! Rocked stevie’s talking book all the way home! #RecordStoreDay,” to which Electric Fetus replied: “Thanks 4 coming in today and for supporting indie record stores year-round!”

Program His final tweet, April 18, was another nod to Electric Fetus, promoting the written program for his “Piano & Microphone” tour. The tweet displayed the program’s cover and said, simply: “electricfetus.com.” When the store opened in 1968, National Lampoon magazine singled it out for the worst name of a business. But it remains an indie hub for audiophiles — including vinyl-lovers — and drew grieving fans when Prince died. There are some beauties. Downtown near 10th Street and Marquette Avenue, a five-story, whitepainted wall of musical notes is where Prince shot some of his first publicity photos at age 18. At the time, it was home to Schmitt Music Company, which sold sheet music, pianos and organs. The musical notes are from a piece for piano by French composer Maurice Ravel. Not far from Paisley Park, at Chanhassen Cinema, 570 Market St., is a huge purple portrait of Prince by muralist Graham Hoete. He told WCCO-TV he did it at the request of Minnesotans who saw photos of a Prince mural he painted in Sydney, Australia, where he lived. Another purple portrait, complete with a white dove like the ones Prince ality quiet because he was worried how his fans would take it. (RTRS) ❑ ❑ ❑

LOS ANGELES: PepsiCo pulled a commercial featuring model Kendall Jenner on Wednesday after the ad prompted outrage

kept at Paisley, was created by Bloomington, Minnesota, graffiti artist Rock “Cyfi” Martinez. It’s in an alley on one wall of the Sencha Tea Bar, 2601 Hennepin Ave. S., in the funky Uptown district Prince shouted out in song. Prince’s famous Purple House residence in the woods of Lake Riley in Chanhassen was bulldozed more than a decade ago, but the simple “Purple Rain” home used in the movie stands, empty and a bit worse for wear. Head to 3420 Snelling Ave. in Minneapolis’ Longfellow neighborhood for a look at the outside. Prince never lived here but his character “The Kid” came of age within its walls in the 1984 film. Some purple flowers were tucked into the mailbox on a recent visit. Other Prince-related houses are around, as are some of his old schools, studios where he recorded and other hangouts. The Minnesota History Center will display one of Prince’s purple outfits from “Purple Rain” and handwritten lyrics to an unreleased song during the anniversary week. The city’s visitor’s bureau has compiled a map. The famous marked-up railroad crossing from “Graffiti Bridge,” his 1990 sequel to “Purple Rain,” was replaced in 1991 by a popular bicycle and running path in suburban Eden Prairie. The bridge — covered with messages dating to the 1960s — had a heady, counterculture feel. The movie led Prince fans to add their own graffiti. But the replacement bike path is pristine. After Prince’s death, devastated fans left farewell messages in black marker and purple spray paint on a highway underpass near Paisley Park, using the “love” symbol he created for himself. Getting there is tricky. Cross the busy highway leading to Paisley Park at the exit side of the parking lot, look for a West 78th Street sign and turn toward a walking path. The tunnel is marked Riley Creek. (AP) and ridicule from those who said it trivialized rights protests and public unrest in the United States. The ad, released late on Tuesday, shows the fashion celebrity and reality TV star in a photo shoot when she sees protesters marching. Removing her wig and makeup, Jenner joins the crowd and hands a baseball cap-wearing police officer a can of Pepsi, prompting him to smile while marchers cheer and hug. “Pepsi was trying to project a global message of unity, peace and understanding,” the company said in a statement. “Clearly we missed the mark, and we apologize. We did not intend to make light of any serious issue. (RTRS) ❑ ❑ ❑

NEW YORK: First the Obamas, now the

Songwriter Don Schlitz (left), and singer and songwriter Alan Jackson pose after it was announced on April 5, in Nashville, Tenn, that they are the 2017 inductees into the Country Music Hall of Fame along with the late singer and songwriter Jerry Reed. (AP)

Bidens. Former vice-president Joe Biden and his wife, Dr Jill Biden, have book deals. Flatiron Books told The Associated Press on Wednesday that it will release two books by Joe Biden and one by Jill. Joe Biden’s first book will “explore one momentous year,” when his son Beau died in 2015 and his agonized decision against running for president. Biden has said recently that he regrets his choice and believes he could have defeated Republican Donald Trump, who pulled off a stunning upset against the Democratic candidate, Hillary Clinton. (AP)

ARAB TIMES, FRIDAY-SATURDAY, APRIL 7-8, 2017

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Eatery blends creative tasting menu with gracious hospitality

NY’s Eleven Madison Park voted world’s best restaurant MELBOURNE, April 6, (RTRS): New York’s Eleven Madison Park nabbed the top prize at the World’s 50 Best Restaurants on Wednesday, only the second non-European restaurant to win the gong. The restaurant overlooking Madison Square Park was praised for its sense of fun in blending a creative tasting menu with gracious hospitality. It rose from third place last year, overtaking Italy’s Osteria Francescana and Spain’s El Celler de Can Roca.

“We get to help people celebrate some of the most important moments in their lives or give them the grace to forget something for a moment,” said co-owner Will Guidara on receiving the top gong with Swiss-born chef Daniel Humm. The restaurant, has just extended its lease for another 20 years and will close for three months for an overhaul. “We’re about to embark on a completely new journey,” Guidara

told reporters, calling the prize a fitting end to the first phase of Eleven Madison’s journey. Since the inception of the award in 2002, California’s French Laundry is the only other non-European establishment to claim the top prize. It won in 2003 and 2004. The top 10 included two Peruvian restaurants, Central, which slipped to no.5 from fourth place last year, and Maido which climbed to no. 8 from 13.

Peru is becoming a dining hot spot as the country has so many terrains at different altitudes for creative chefs to gather ingredients, one of the voters for the award, German food writer Christoph Teuner, told Reuters. The only Asian restaurant in the top 10 was Bangkok’s Gaggan, where owner-chef Gaggan Anand has created a modern take on his native Indian cuisine by deconstructing favourites like samosas and tikka masala. Spain continued to dominate the

line-up with three restaurants in the top 10, including Mugaritz, while France had only one in the top 10 Mirazur in the south-eastern town of Menton. Rounding out the top 10 was Vienna’s Steirereck, housed in a glass cube, where freshwater mountain fish is cooked at the table in hot beeswax. The list was created by William Reed Business Media, and the gongs are now as coveted as Michelin stars. Danish restaurant Noma, in the top 10 for nine successive years

Food

and winner of the award four-times, dropped out of the list as chef Rene Redzepi has closed the restaurant while moving it to a new venue in Copenhagen. There are no criteria for putting a restaurant on the list, which is based on a poll of more than 1,000 chefs, food critics and other industry insiders spread across 26 regions. Each member gets 10 votes and at least four of those votes have to be for restaurants outside their region.

Craft Gifts and treats

Tips to get creative with Easter baskets By Leanne Italie

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This Jan 27, 2017 photo shows sole meuniere in New York. (AP)

Dish needs attention to detail

Sole Meuniere: improving on perfection By Sara Moulton

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ulia Child was able to remember the single most decisive moment in her life with photographic clarity. It was her first bite of her first meal in France, a fish dish called Sole Meuniere. That first forkful, she wrote, was “a morsel of perfection,” and it set her on the path to become the Julia we’d come to know and love. Though it is indeed a classic of French cuisine, Sole Meuniere — a filet of fish dipped in flour, then sauteed in butter — isn’t terribly complicated. But it’s one of those dishes that really benefits from attention to detail. And in the interest of improving on “perfection,” I’ve added a few new details. Let’s start with the fish. Julia was served Dover sole. Thick, firm and delicious, Dover sole is widely available in Europe, but not in the United States. In fact, much of the “sole” sold on these shores isn’t sole at all but a kind of flounder ... and much of that

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is endangered due to overfishing and should be avoided. So opt for Pacific flounder or Pacific sole or just reach for any firm-fleshed white fish that is not endangered. Still, most white fish, even Dover sole, is a tad bland. Accordingly, Sole Meuniere is always finished with a little pick-me-up of lemon and salt. This recipe starts with acid and salt in the form of a salty buttermilk brine, which deeply preseasons the fish. Typically, sole meuniere calls for all-purpose flour, but if you can find “instantized” flour, aka Wondra, grab it. The fish is crispier when it’s coated with Wondra. Two important final notes: Wait until the pan is almost smoking before adding the fish, and don’t flour the fish until the last minute, which will prevent it from becoming gummy. Given that we’ve added capers and lemon slices to this version, it’s more properly called Sole Grenobloise than Sole Meuniere. Whatever, it’s delish. to visit the Grand Mosque, which is one of Kuwait’s most treasured religious and cultural landmarks to discover the beauty of Islamic arts and architecture. Free guided tours are available all year round on official working days between (9-11 am) and (5-7 pm), within a special tour program designed to cater to the needs of different age groups. The program is as follows: Reception; Auditorium show; (according to age group); Touring the Mosque; Q & A; Art workshops; (according to age group – between 5 and 18 years old); Snack break; Distribution of the Grand

Sole Meuniere Start to finish: 30 minutes plus 1 to 3 hours marinating time Servings: 4 1 cup buttermilk 1 teaspoon Kosher salt 1-1/4 to 1-1/2 pounds firm white fish fillets 1 small lemon 3 to 4 tablespoons vegetable oil 1/2 cup instantized flour 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into several pieces 1 tablespoon drained capers Chopped fresh parsley for garnish

In a re-sealable plastic bag combine the buttermilk and salt and stir with a small whisk or fork until the salt is dissolved. Add the fish fillets, making sure they are coated with the buttermilk, seal the bag and place it in the refrigerator. Let the fish marinate for at least 1 hour and preferably 3 hours. While the fish is marinating, cut off the top and the bottom of the lemon. Place it on the cutting board cut-side Mosque publications and souvenirs; End of tour. According to these age groups: Age group: 5 to 9 years old: Morning: 60 visitors max; Evening: 20; 10 to 15 years: Morning: 100 visitors max; Evening: 45; 16 and above: Morning: 140 visitors max, Evening: 105: Tour language: Arabic- EnglishFrench; Arabic (English upon prior request); Arabic- English- French; Arabic (English upon prior request); ArabicEnglish- French: Arabic (English upon prior request) Rules and Regulations:

Narcotics Anonymous: NA can help with addiction problems. Totally confidential: 94087800 English/Arabic. ❑ ❑ ❑ Cancer online support group: If you are Cancer patient or family member fighting with this deadly disease, come join our online support group. Best way of dealing with this disease is providing support and share our experience with each other. There are lot of things which even doctors can’t tell so be member of this website and start sharing your experiences which may help others. October is recognized as National Breast Cancer Awareness Month (NBCAM). The primary purpose is to promote self examination and screening mammography as the most effective way to save lives by detecting breast cancer at early stage. For more information visit: http:// fightingwithcancer.webs.com/

Latest Invitation to Grand Mosque: The Visits Department is pleased to invite you

down. Starting at the top, following the curve of the lemon, cut off the rind and the pith. Working over a small bowl to catch any juice, cut between the membranes to separate the lemon into segments. Reserve both the segments and the juice. In a large nonstick skillet heat half the oil over medium-high heat. Remove half the fish from the buttermilk, letting the excess drip off, and dip it in the flour, coating it on all sides and shaking off the excess. Add it to the pan and cook it until golden on both sides and just cooked through, about 3 minutes total. Transfer the fish to a platter and cover it loosely with foil. Repeat the procedure with the remaining oil and fish. Discard any oil left in the pan. Add the butter, the capers and a hefty pinch of salt to the skillet and cook over medium heat, swirling the butter, until it is golden. Add the lemon segments and cook, 2 to 3 minutes. Pour the sauce over the fish, sprinkle with the parsley and eat right away. (AP) ■ Please arrive in time for your visit. ■ All visitors are kindly required to abide by the mosque’s dress code. Male visitors should wear long pants. Shorts and sleeveless shirts are not allowed. Female visitors: should wear head cover and long loose clothing (available at the mosque). ■ Foods and drinks are not allowed inside the prayer halls. ■ For school visits, teachers are responsible for their students and are required to cooperate with the staff members of the Grand Mosque. ■ Photography is allowed inside the Grand Mosque (please note that disrespectful poses are strictly prohibited). If you would like to book a tour, please contact us: Tel: 22980813/ 22980815/ 22980812 Email: [email protected] Fax: 22473708 April 11

‘Byproducts of Development’:

Olivia and Francis Himes

Waves of Brazil in Kuwait The Embassy of Brazil in Kuwait in cooperation with Dar Al Athar Al-Islamiyyah will present ‘Waves of Brazil’ with Olivia and

Francis Hime on Sunday, April 9 at 7:00 pm at the Yarmouk Cultural Center, Yarmouk, Block 3, Street 3.

The Sultan Gallery will hold preview of ‘Byproducts Of Development’ by Abdullah Al-Mutari on Tuesday, April 11 from 7-9 pm. Focusing on the impact industrial expansion has had on the bodies and identities of youth in the region, “Byproducts of Development” utilizes found materials, both digital and physical, to portray a theory of cultural transformation. The show aims to draw attention to the physiological repercussions of rapid urbanization; linking the effects of oil industry to noticeable changes in the body. Additionally, digital connectivity is scrutinized as a locus of change, prompting shifts in self-image and methods of self-actualization that mirror the drastic changes in local landscapes. Male fragility is positioned as a reaction to, as well as a consequence of, rapid development, with youth caught between a changing ecology and digital

ith Easter coming up, it’s time to start plotting how to best your kid baskets from last year. Get creative with popcorn Is there anything more versatile than popcorn? You can chocofy it, caramelize it or dye it in your favorite Easter hues. Try putting in jellybeans or other Easter candy for added color, and mini marshmallows for added texture. There’s no end to the mixes and flavor combinations. This is your chance to get beyond the usual and have some fun. An abundance of recipes already exist on the internet. The site Twosisterscrafting. com used salted sweet cream, primary color jellybeans and pastel sprinkles for an Easter feel. Make some carrots Or at least carrot shapes. Look for packs of carrot-shaped cello bags at craft and other stores and have at it. Fill them with Reese’s pieces or fish-shaped crackers for a carrot orange look, or just fill them with anything you want because the carrot shape is still fun for little kids. Cello-wrapped carrot cargo fits nicely with just about anything else you might want to include in kid Easter baskets. If you’re going for the real-carrot feel, added a little green ribbon at the top. Ditch the basket Forget the traditional basket and fill a dump truck, inflatable wading pool or toy shopping cart with gifts and treats. Kids often ditch a basic basket but would have loads of fun with these receptacles as something extra. A pull wagon would work, or a cartoon- or character-themed bucket filled with matching items. One creative soul on Pinterest made good use of a clear vinyl rain umbrella, laying down a bed of iridescent plastic Easter grass on the inside and nestling toys and treats on top. Others used baseball caps as the catchall. One twist for what goes inside: Put a chocolate kiss in a plastic egg with a slip of paper that details something you love about the basket recipient, suggests Sherry Richert Belul of the gift site SimplyCelebrate.net. Lia Griffith, a DIY crafter and designer, made a cute, sturdy Easter basket out of upcycled brown paper grocery bags using a woven design. The project takes four to five bags.

influences. This is Abdullah Al-Mutairi’s first solo show. April 15

DAI Experience Science: Scientists from the Islamic world helped build the foundation of today’s science. In biology, astronomy, chemistry, physics, optics, and math, Muslim scholars like Ibn Haythem, Ibn Hayyan, Al-Fazari, and others, made significant contributions to their fields. Experience Science is a special programme led by “Dr B” (Dr Bahareh Azizi), who’s planned some pretty cool experiments that include strawberry DNA, Oreo moon phases, and bending light! Designed for children ages 10-13, each Experience Science 90 minute session (3:30 - 5 pm), which will be held at the Yarmouk Cultural Centre, includes a look at the role of Muslim scientists in a specific field, what’s happening in that field today and a couple of hands-on experiments. Week One (April 15): Human Biology and DNA Week Two (April 22): Astronomy Week Three (April 29): Chemistry and Alchemy Week Four (May 6): Optics and Physics Week Six (May 13): Family Day at Amricani To register your 10-13-year-old for this programme, please visit the museum shop at either the Yarmouk or Amricani cultural centres. Spaces are limited; to register, email: education@ darmuseum.org.kw April 28

Buntara Sangha – ‘Buntaayana’: Buntara Sangha Kuwait will be organizing its Mega event of the year ‘Buntaayana 2017’ on Friday, April 28, 2017 at Cambridge English School Auditorium Mangaf, Makka Street, Al

This undated photo shows an upcycled DIY Easter basket made from four brown paper grocery bags cut into strips and woven together. (AP)

Reach for string You know those string eggs made by soaking yarn or embroidery thread in diluted glue, homemade paste or sugar water, then wrapping it around a water balloon before popping for a lattice look? Take that an extra step for Easter. One idea: Open up a wide hole and create an Easter diorama, or keep it simple using Easter grass and a large chocolate bunny. Or take on a favorite theme, such as icy blue and white for “Frozen.” Use bright yellow string and your big gap as the wide open mouth of a candy-filled Minion. Head to Pinterest for inspiration. Add bits of ribbon trim or blingy faux jewels. Peeps on sticks There are oh so many things to do with these Easter evergreens as the peeps at Peeps come up with new types and flavors every year. There are oh so many things to do with these Easter evergreens as the peeps at Peeps come up with new types and flavors every year. Try poking them with chocolatedipped and embellished pretzels, or pairing them with other easily pokable treats using kebab skewers. One health-conscious pinner paired Peeps on a stick with strawberries and chunks of colorful fruit. Wrap your Peeps on sticks in cello and add a colorful tie or ribbon. If playing with melted chocolate and sprinkles isn’t your thing, make a bouquet of Peeps on sticks and arrange them in a vase or basket with Easter grass and other treats. (AP) Mangaf, Kuwait. Prominent Writer and researcher Dr Indira Hegde will grace the occasion as chief guest. The highlight of the event will be the Badaguthittu style Yakshagana Show from the famous artists from Northern Costal Karnataka for the first time in Kuwait. Famous Yakshagana Artist Theerthahalli Gopal Acharya, Subramanya Hegde Yelaguppa, Sridhar Bhat Kaasaragodu, Ashok Bhat Siddapura, Ramakrishana Hillur will be performing first time in Kuwait. Prashanth Shetty famously known as “Chitra Mithra” will perform rapid art performance along with music and dance. Variety entertainment artist Ashok Polali with Vishwas Gurupura will be presenting unique dances and melodious songs. Young emerging talent Saiheel Rai will be hosting the entire event. For further information, one can contact: Yadunath Alva – 99558231, Uday Kumar Shetty – 66071763, Jaysheel Shetty – 65582402 Praveen Kumar Shetty – 50278788, NiranjanMalli – 60392127, Shodhan Shetty – 65945161, Sandesh Kumar Shetty – 6008 1181 or Email on: managing@ kuwaitbunts.org May 3

YMCA Kuwait Ecumenical Quiz: YMCA Kuwait is conducting the 5th Annual Bible Quiz for the members from all the churches in Kuwait on Wednesday, May 3, 2017 at Light House Church, NECK from 6:30pm onwards. The sections of the Bible based on which the quiz is going to be conducted are all Chapters from book of Genesis, Zachariah, Luke and Revelation. The first three winners will be presented with ever rolling trophies and medals. First winner — Mariam Ever Rolling Trophy, second winner — Dr

Continued on Page 23

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Event to present culture of eastern India

Maurya Kala to organize Maurya Manch 2017 on May 5 KUWAIT CITY, April 6: Maurya Kala Parisar, Kuwait is presenting its biennial event, a cultural evening “Maurya Manch 2017” on Friday, May 5, at Indian Embassy auditorium. Depiction of culture of eastern India along with an entertaining variety show is the theme. Last year on Jan 15, 2016, Maurya Manch had celebrated its 20 years by inviting a special guest Anand Kumar, founder and head of “Ramanujan School of Mathematics”. The school runs evening classes for mathematics and “Super30” which selects 30 meritorious talents from among the economically backward sections of the society and shapes them for India’s most prestigious institution – the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT). The event was attended by Association members, students and parents and received coverage in newspapers in Kuwait and in India. Continuing the tradition this year’s guest will be Padma Shri Dr C. P. Thakur, from Bihar who revolutionized the concept of treatment of Kala-azar and is recognized as an international authority in this field, author of many books on medicine and winner of Dr B. C. Roy National Award, Indian Medical Coun-

cil. HE Sunil Jain, The Ambassador of India to Kuwait has agreed to attend the event. In the last 21 years, Maurya Kala Parisar has strived to bring glimpses of region’s history and culture both ancient and modern to the Indian Diaspora in Kuwait. It is a challenge to do it while maintaining the fun quotient to keep the audience entertained and engaged. Therefore, Maurya Manch 2017 will also be a mix of culture heritage of the region along with entertainment inspired by most popular hindi film music and dance. Last year stage performances included the representation of the 1942 Quit India movement with performers representing the heroes ‘Sahid Smarak at Patna’ to the song ‘Kar chale ham fida’, dances by kids on a medley of songs like ‘Aao Bachon tumhen dikhayein’, ‘mohe panghat pe’, ‘Tukur Tukur’ and ‘Sorry Sorry’, which was followed by energetic dances by ladies on ‘koi sehri babu’ and ‘o meri Jethani’. Anand Kumar, Chief Guest had quipped, “A treat to watch, can’t believe not presented by professionals. I’m surprised and thrilled people away from their land of birth are able to maintain and spread their culture.” This year there will be dance, play and mu-

A file photo of earlier event

sic along with quizzes on the region, presentation of Dinkar Poetry by student winners and display of paintings by students on the region. Maurya Kala Parisar, founded in the year 1995 and registered with Indian Embassy in Kuwait is a highly active association of people from the Indian states of Bihar and Jharkhand. It is dedicated to promote arts, culture and heritage of the region through events and activities of interest to Indian Community in Kuwait. It conducted a highly successful event 4th Ethnic Food Festival for all families from Indian Community this year on Jan 27, 2017. The day witnessed weather disruptions but Maurya Kala was able to bring the event due to the support of the participants who presented exotic dishes from Eastern Region of India. It also organized its 3rd Dinkar Poetry Awards in collaboration with Indian Embassy on Oct 14, 2016. Shubashis Goldar, Deputy Chief of Mission Embassy of India Kuwait initiated a new program by the Embassy to felicitate one student from each of the Indian Schools in Kuwait for Academic Excellence in Hindi. He also praised the efforts by Maurya Kala Parisar to hold Dinkar Poetry Awards.

Events click Latest Continued from Page 22 A.T. Varghese and Family Ever Rolling Trophy and third winner — Mathew Eapen and Family Ever Rolling Trophy. YMCA Kuwait cordially invites all members and families to attend the program. For more information please contact Mathew Varkey (Convener) Mob# 99876828.

Art ‘Fresh’ at Dar Al Funoon: Dar Al Funoon is presenting exhibition titled ‘Fresh’ by Karim Ghidinelli until April 22 Karim Ghidinelli was born in Brescia, Italy. He received his Bachelors and Masters degrees at Savannah College of Art & Design, Savannah, GA. He has widely exhibited in the United States of America and Europe. For the third time, Ghidinelli will present his most recent work at Dar Al Funoon. Karim lives and works in New York, USA. Artist’s statement: Fresh, as in renewed, innovative and free. Freshness as the liberation from stagnant and redundant policies and tendencies. Fresh as positive, peaceful and meaningful evolution. In this ever certain world of absolute truths and populist totalitarianism. I offer no answer, merely the honesty of my journey, my reflections and dilemmas, I’d rather continue to ask, than attempt an overly simplistic answer. Gallery hours Sunday to Thursday: 10:00 am-1:00 pm and 4:00-8:00 pm. Saturday: by appointment. Getting To The Gallery A1-Watiah, Behbehani Compound, House No. 28. For further information call +965 2243 3183. website: www.daralfunoon-kwcom.

General IEI Kuwait Chapter membership: The Institution of Engineers (India), Kuwait chapter invites all its members to update their membership information for the year 2016-17 and actively participate in the chapter activities. Indian engineers residing in Kuwait are welcome to join the pool of Continued on Page 24

A flyer of the event.

A flyer of the event.

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Photos from the event

Cirque de la vie: a fantastic display of talent at KES

click General Continued from Page 23 more than 700,000 engineers by becoming corporate or non-corporate members of The Institution of Engineers (India). IEI, Kuwait Chapter conducts many technical events for the benefit of its members. Please watch for the upcoming events in your registered e-mail or announcement in the media. The chapter has science club activities for member’s children, and ladies wing activities for the member’s family. IEI, Kuwait chapter has facility to register student members for AMIE Examination for those interested in pursuing career enrichment. For more information and on chapter membership, kindly contact IEI, Kuwait chapter office on 22445588 extn. 314 between 5:30 pm to 8:30 pm (Sunday through Thursday) or through email to [email protected]. You may also contact Engr Ashok Kumar (97275974) or Engr Karthikeyan (99840191) for any further clarification. ❑ ❑ ❑

Kuwait English School’s production Cirque de la vie, was a unique show that creatively incorporated a huge array of performances. It showcased the many talents of senior students and staff and ran for two sell-out nights on Sunday 2nd and Monday the 3rd of April. The concert was a collaboration between the Music, Drama and the Art/DT departments and involved over 150 students. The acting and dancing was driven by Mrs Marie Naylor and Miss Jenny Dunne and the music by Mr Michael Hassan, Mr Stephen Tarry and Ms Donna Clarke. Led by three professional and entertaining student compères, Khaled Al Foudari,

Jessy Hallak and Atena Moradfar, each item was introduced with aplomb. There was a superb variety of performances, ranging from contemporary dance numbers, comic sketches, tragedy monologues, choirs, vocal and instrumental ensembles, bands, and soloists, something for everyone to enjoy and never a dull moment. The theatrics were further enhanced by wonderful costume design, lighting effects and creative props. Highlights of Act 1 included a dynamic dance troupe performing to Justin Timberlake’s ‘Can’t stop the feeling’ and the hilarious comedy skit ‘Two Soups’. It also featured vocal soloist Sara Shuhaiber and

dancer Louis Barras-Hargan. Musical highlights were the string orchestra and rousing numbers from the band. This half concluded with the a cappella choir’s energised rendition of ‘Hamba Lulu’ by Mike Brewer. Act 2 showcased more phenomenal acts including a fantastic Charlie Chaplin Routine, a Parisian dance number ‘Don’t cry for Louie’ and the winner of the KES talent show 2017, Rani Madi playing the Spanish guitar. The night concluded with the full cast on stage for an upbeat interpretation of the well known song ‘Gimme Some Lovin’. A wonderful end to a wonderful evening, which saw the audience burst into a standing ovation.

Mrs Rhoda Muhmood MBE, School Director, Mrs Rula Al Saddah, Mrs Naela Al Saddah and Mrs Janet Carew, Senior school Principal, conveyed everyone’s thoughts when thanking students, staff and parents for all their hard work saying that the students “inspired all of us with their perfection”. Huge congratulations must go to Mrs Naylor, Miss Dunne, Ms Clarke and Mr Hassan and everyone else involved for their dedication and hard work in producing such wonderful and memorable nights. However the final note must be for the students: well done for giving us a truly phenomenal show.

Share your story with Amricani: Do you or any of your family members, acquaintances or friends happen to have a story with the American Missionary hospital in Kuwait (Mustashfa Lemraicani) during the years from 1914-1967, the official period of offering medical services in Kuwait? Please share with us your story or your memory during those old days by writing the event and sending it to the following email address: [email protected] Notes: 1. Please send your story only to the above mentioned email. Story shared in Instagram, Facebook or Twitter will not be considered. 2. Please write your story or memory and sign it with your full name, and your contact number. 3. It will be great if you send us your personal photos or those of the place related to the story (optional). Your story will be part of a new book to be published by DAI. I am confident that your contributions will be an essential part of the history of Amricani. Share with us! ❑ ❑ ❑

KIFF anti-drugs campaign: As part of the Fraternity fest, Kuwait India Fraternity Forum (KIFF) is conducting Anti-Drugs Campaign among Indians living in Kuwait. According to the available statistics of Indian Embassy, 60% of the convicted Indians in Kuwaiti Jails are arrested on drug-related cases. The recent cases of death and captives of Indian drug abusers is a threatening news. To defend and to campaign against such social crisis by protecting individuals as well as the society has become obligatory. In this current situation, Kuwait India Fraternity Forum is conducting campaign by distributing handouts, conducting counseling, seminars etc. to educate the Indians living in Kuwait informed President Saifudheen Nalakath in a press release. For more details contact: 55062071 or email at [email protected]. ❑ ❑ ❑

NYF offers free yoga classes: NYF Kuwait offers free yoga, breathing, meditation and reiki classes by a well-experienced female yoga teacher for all age groups. Classes are given on the basis of different health problems, stress and other problems by different techniques. Contact: 99315825. ❑





Photos from the event.

ICSK Junior holds Nursery Graduation Day ICSK Junior held the Nursery Graduation Day March 15 in the school premises. 235 proud and bubbly children graduated to class I. The esteemed guest Dr Subramaniam Neelamani, Senior Research Scientist with Coastal Management Program, Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research, graced the occasion. The ceremony was well attended by the parents and well wishers. The programme commenced with the recitation of the Verses from the Holy Quran followed by the Indian and Kuwait National Anthems. The auspicious lamp of knowledge was

lit by the distinguished guest escorted by Principal Incharge, Mrs Sherly Dennis and Vice-Principal, Mrs Sheeja C. Mrs Sherly Dennis welcomed the gathering. She addressed about the importance of parenting and highlighted on the behaviour of parents towards their children such as spending quality time, listening to kids with patience, respect towards kids and being a role model to their kids. The UKG choir enthralled the audience with a melodious song which was followed by a foot tapping dance by the LKG Students.

Chief Guest Dr S Neelamani spoke about the role of parents in helping children bloom and grow and congratulated the graduates in reaching a very memorable milestone of learning. The graduates expressed their gratitude to the teachers for their support, guidance and encouragement extended throughout the year. Vice-Principal, Mrs Sheeja rendered the vote of thanks. She appreciated and thanked the entire team for their hard work, dedication and commitment towards making the event a memorable one!!!

Leadership Excellence Course: The Leadership Excellence Course (LEC) is a course modeled on the Seerah of Rasoolullah who is the best model of leadership for all mankind. The LEC focuses on the lessons that we can learn from the Seerah of Rasoolullah and see how we can apply them in our lives to become winners in this world and the next. The objectives of the course are 1. Understand what leadership is from the Seerah of Rasoolullah and how to apply it in our lives today 2. Understand the purpose of our lives and learn to live that purpose with confidence 3. Understand the importance of connecting to Allah and learn how to do it 4. Understand how to leverage your strengths and overcome weaknesses 5. Understand how to

articulate your life goal and create a road map to achieve it. For more information please visit www.leckuwait.com or call 99514995 / 66363310. ❑ ❑ ❑

Kuwait both socially and professionally? Then please get in touch with us. We would like to invite you to register with the Ugandans in Kuwait (UIK) association, an informal organization of Ugandans living and working in Kuwait. The purpose of this exercise is to get together as Ugandans and to consider taking the first steps to establishing a more formal organisation. This association is voluntary. It is designed to create a forum for Ugandans in Kuwait to foster a sense of community, to communicate more effectively with each other and to encourage Ugandans out here to work together. We are also planning a celebration to mark 50 years of Ugandan’s Independence this year. If you have any questions regarding this association or if you are interested in registering, then please send us an

AWL registration: If you would like to join the American Women’s League (AWL), please call 99039723 or 94067999 or email: kuwaitawl@ yahoo.com. All American women and wives of Americans are welcomed. ❑ ❑ ❑

Ugandans register with UIK: Are you a Ugandan living and working in Kuwait? Would you like to get in touch with other Ugandans in

email at [email protected]. We hope to hear from you soon. ❑ ❑ ❑

Free drum music classes: Free professional drum music classes are available at Salmiya for all age groups from beginners to advanced by a well experienced drum teacher. For more details: 94974295. ❑ ❑ ❑

Indian Embassy SPDC notice: Attention of all Indian associations/Indian schools in Kuwait is once again drawn to Scholarship Programme for Diaspora Children (SPDC) which was introduced by Government of India in the academic year 20062007 with the objective to make higher education in India accessible to the children of overseas Indians and promote India as a centre for higher studies. Under the scheme, 100 PIO/NRI students were awarded scholarship of up to US$ 4,000 per annum for undergraduate courses in Engineering, Technology, Humanities, Liberal Arts, Commerce, Management, Journalism, Hotel Management, Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and some other courses. The scheme is open to NRIs/PIOs from over 40 countries (including Kuwait) having substantial Indian Diaspora population. The Scheme was revamped and launched in July 2016. Under the revamped Scheme, number of Continued on Page 28

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Program offers more fully featured online DVR than rival services

YouTube TV has some nifty features … big drawbacks NEW YORK, April 6, (AP): YouTube TV, Google’s new streaming package of about 40 television channels, is the tech industry’s latest bid to get cable-shunning millennials to pay for live TV over the internet. It offers intriguing advantages over rivals, but it remains hobbled by a limited channel selection. Don’t confuse the YouTube service, which debuts Wednesday, with Netflix, Amazon Prime and other streaming offerings. Like similar efforts from Sony, Dish and AT&T’s DirecTV , YouTube TV primarily aims to let you channel surf over the internet, not to stream from an online library of shows and movies. So these internet-cable services can offer live programming, especially sports. But they also come with some serious drawbacks. While these services are typically cheaper than traditional cable or satellite services, people haven’t been signing up in droves. Google is targeting viewers who have never subscribed to cable or satellite TV and are just as happy to get all their video from the internet; getting them to cough up $35 a month could be a hard sell. Google aims to lure subscribers with more sophisticated program search, personalized recommendations and a more fully featured online DVR than rival services offer. But it faces many of the limitations its rivals have. YouTube TV, for instance, features staples such as ESPN and major broadcast networks, but lacks key networks such as PBS, CNN and Comedy Central. And it will initially be only available in a handful of major US cities because media rights are still stuck in the 20th century. What you get ... And what you don’t YouTube TV offers plenty of live sports, one of the chief reasons people stick with cable.

Twitter creates ‘lite’ version for data-starved users

FB to use photo-matching to block repeat ‘revenge’ SAN FRANCISCO, April 6, (RTRS): Facebook Inc is adding tools on Wednesday to make it easier for users to report so-called “revenge …” and to automatically prevent the images from being shared again once they have been banned, the company said. “Revenge …” refers to the sharing of sexually explicit images on the internet, without the consent of the people depicted in the pictures, in order to extort or humiliate them. The practice disproportionately affects women, who are sometimes targeted by former partners. Facebook has been sued in the United States and elsewhere by people who said it should have done more to prevent the practice. The company in 2015 made clear that images “shared in revenge” were forbidden, and users have long had the ability to report posts as violating the terms of service. Beginning on Wednesday, users of the world’s largest social network should see an option to report a picture as inappropriate

specifically because it is a “… photo of me,” Facebook said in a statement. The company also said it was launching an automated process to prevent the repeat sharing of banned images. Photo-matching software will keep the pictures off the core Facebook network as well as off its Instagram and Messenger services, it said. Users who share “revenge …” may see their accounts disabled, the company said. Facing criticism, the company last year met representatives from more than 150 women’s safety organizations and decided it needed to do more, Antigone Davis, global head of safety at Facebook, said in a phone interview. A specially trained group of Facebook employees will provide human review of each reported image, Davis said. The process to prevent repeat sharing requires Facebook to retain the banned pictures in a database, although the images are blurred and only a small number of employees have access to the database, the

company said.

Pick a team, and the service automatically records all the televised games it can find. Available channels include ESPN, Big Ten and sports networks from Comcast, Fox and CBS — but not Turner networks such as TBS and others that aired the bulk of March Madness. New York

Mets fans won’t get baseball games on SNY. YouTube also has the youth-oriented Freeform and CW networks; its rivals lack The CW. AMC is coming in a few weeks, so you’ll have to wait to catch up on the just-ended season of “The Walking Dead.”

Since most channel numbers and names are meaningless in a digital world, YouTube TV arranges live channels by topic, starting with broadcast networks, sports, youth-oriented channels, then everything else. Subscriptions are initially limited to New York, Los Angeles,

Also: SAN FRANCISCO: Twitter Inc is launching a faster version of its mobile service on Wednesday aimed at people with sporadic connections or little data on their smartphone plans, hoping to pick up users in harder-to-reach emerging markets. The company calls the version Twitter Lite and it will be aimed largely at users outside the United States. Twitter Lite works through a web browser, not a stand-alone phone application, but its appearance and functionality are nearly identical to what app users experience, according to a preview shown to Reuters. The launch comes on the heels of similar products from other US tech firms. Facebook Inc released Facebook Lite in 2015 and on Tuesday, Alphabet Inc’s YouTube unveiled a low-data mobile app designed for India.

Chicago, Philadelphia and the San Francisco Bay Area — all locations where YouTube could get rights to local ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC stations. Search party As you’d expect from Google, search is one of YouTube’s big selling points. Its rivals already offer search by shows and sometimes by actors; YouTube adds topical searches, such as “aliens” or “road trips.” Unfortunately, it’s still a work in progress. A search for “nerd comedy” brings up “The Big Bang Theory,” but “comedy about nerds” does not. And a search for “Modern Family episode on basketball” doesn’t bring up the episode titled “Basketball.” YouTube could also stand to take a cue from TiVo recorders and let you automatically record all programs featuring, say, Jennifer Lawrence, including her talk-show appearances. You can search for Jennifer Lawrence, but you need to go through the results and choose shows to record individually — too much work for a service that promises simplicity. About your privacy This being Google, your viewing and search histories might be mined for targeted advertising. You can suspend tracking in the settings, though that will hinder personalized recommendations. (It’s too early to tell if that’s a loss or not, though some of the early recommendations have been spot on.) You can share your subscription with five friends or relatives in your household, with three simultaneous streams allowed. No need to share passwords; they sign in with their own Google accounts.

Travel

The National September 11 Memorial and the Oculus are depicted in the New York City section of the Gulliver’s Gate exhibit on April 5 in New York. (AP)

The Seine river, the Champs-Elysees, and the Eiffel Tower are depicted in the Europe section of Gulliver’s Gate exhibit. (AP)

Saint Basil’s Cathedral and the Kremlin are depicted in the Europe section. (AP)

The Taj Mahal is depicted in the Asia section. (AP)

Exhibit will be tweaked periodically to keep it up-to-date

Gulliver’s Gate: Tiny landmarks near Times Square NEW YORK, April 6, (AP): A new attraction called Gulliver’s Gate opens just off Times Square this week depicting 100 world landmarks in miniature. The indoor 49,000-square-foot display includes scale models of structures, cities and landscapes from the Brooklyn Bridge and the Eiffel Tower to the pyramids of Egypt and China’s Forbidden City, along with the Taj Mahal, Makkah, Niagara Falls and Rio de Janeiro’s Christ the Redeemer statue on a hill overlooking the beach. Many of the structures are remarkably detailed, like one of Grand Central that includes the famous New York train terminal’s cathedral windows, opalescent clock and zodiac symbols outlined on its green ceiling. Another section of the display shows a New England scene, trees ablaze with autumn colors next to a snowy mountain. The attraction is named for the 18th-century novel “Gulliver’s Travels,” which told the story of a man shipwrecked on an island inhabited by tiny people. Gulliver’s Gate scenes are filled with little toy-like people and vehicles, but the attraction has one other thing in common with “Gulliver’s Travels.” The book was a satire, and Gulliver’s Gate offers a few humorous winks at real-world scenarios and pop culture, like a traffic jam in St. Petersburg,

The Beatles crossing Abby Road are depicted in the Europe section. (AP)

Russia, and a Manhattan scene of mayhem with a body sprawled on the ground near an ambulance with flashing lights. You’ll also find graffiti in several different languages and see the Beatles crossing Abbey Road. Gulliver’s Gate has a surprisingly old-

school feel, more like a traditional museum diorama or model train exhibition than the high-tech, video-driven installations found in many newer attractions these days. There are just a couple of small video screen components along with a few moving parts in each area,

including balloons, boats and depictions of a concert in England that will alternate between Adele and the Beatles. Gulliver’s Gate chief marketing officer Jason Hackett described the experience as uniquely “forward-looking and nostalgic,” with intergenerational appeal. Hackett says the exhibit will be tweaked periodically to keep it up-to-date. One lastminute addition was a tiny model of the “Fearless Girl” statue that recently appeared in Manhattan’s financial district across from the famous charging bull sculpture. Visitors will be able to access an app on their phones to help identify what they’re looking at. In addition to the hefty $36 admission ($27 for seniors and kids ages 3 to 12), there are a couple of pricey add-ons. For $44, you can step inside a scanner to create a 3-D model of yourself. The model takes three weeks to complete but you can have it placed in the display alongside the other little people. For $145, you can get the scan, have your tiny model placed in the display and get an action figure-sized model mailed to you. Gulliver’s Gate is located on West 44th Street near several Broadway theaters and Carmine’s, an Italian restaurant popular with tourists. It’s one of several new attractions opening in the Times Square area this year. Opry City Stage, an entertainment complex devoted to

country music and Southern culture, opens this summer. The NFL Experience Times Square will showcase pro football when it opens in November. And National Geographic encounter: Ocean Odyssey launches this fall. Gulliver’s Gate co-founder Eiran Gazit is behind a similar attraction in Israel that depicts that country’s landmarks.

Also: PHILADELPHIA: Philadelphia’s Museum of the American Revolution says it has exceeded its $150 million fundraising effort, just weeks before it opens to the public. A $2.5 million gift from Comcast and The Aileen K. and Brian L. Roberts Foundation put the fundraising campaign at $152 million. The gift was made in honor of the museum’s architect Robert A.M. Stern, and the museum’s rotunda will be renamed in his honor. The museum says the gift highlights the “incredible contributions” Stern has made to Philadelphia’s cityscape, including the master plan of the Navy Yard and the Comcast Center. The collection of art, immersive exhibits and objects from the Revolutionary Era opens April 19 — the anniversary of the opening battles in 1775. One of the main exhibits will be Washington’s headquarters tent used in the years after Valley Forge.

ARAB TIMES, FRIDAY-SATURDAY, APRIL 7-8, 2017

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HPS plays important role in easing anxieties in patients

Happiness in hospitals help patients in speedy recovery Question and Answer with the Play Team at Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children (GOSH) Caroline Allan, Erin Hanna and Sarah Stevens: Question: Why is it important to promote happiness in hospitals? Answer: Play and happiness is especially important in a hospital as it makes children and young people (CYP) feel at home, and easing anxieties will promote a positive patient experience and aid them in a speedy recovery. Also, in line with Article 31 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) (UNICEF n.d.), children and young people under the age of 18 years should have opportunity to play and join recreational and artistic activities; a commitment that is vital even if a child is being treated in hospital. Q: In your role as a Healthcare Play Specialist (HPS), how do you promote happiness in hospitals? A: Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) is committed to putting “The Child First and Always” (Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust 2017), as a HPS we relieve anxiety by providing normalising play and therapeutic play activities, such as arts and crafts, sensory play and medical play. By doing this we allow the child to make informed choices and control around their medical care and proce-

GOSH Play Team — Caroline Allan, Erin Hanna and Sarah Stevens

dures. We also have a responsibility to provide an age and stage appropriate play environment in the play room and at the patients’ bedside in accordance to the Healthcare Play Specialist Education Trust (2015). Q: Tell us about your role as a HPS at GOSH. A: There are four International and Private Patient (IPP) wards at GOSH that are covered by members of the Play Team, which includes HPS’ and Play Workers. The role is varied due to the different specialities of the patients and their admission length. Our role is to use play to prepare

children for an array of procedures and to provide distraction during these procedures. We work alongside the large Multi-Disciplinary Team (MDT) to provide the best care for the child. Q: How is specialised play different to general play? A: HPS provides specialised therapeutic play for a variety of reasons. We can help make sense of a patients ‘condition or treatment by using medical and clinical play to act out hospital experiences. An example of this could be placing a nasogastric tube or cannula on a doll a teddy bear with the patient to understand experiences they have

had or may be having whilst in hospital. Through assessment, we use play to maintain and further their development whilst in a hospital setting. General play is used by both the HPS and Play Workers to normalise their environment and experiences. This will consist of play activities that they enjoy at home or their usual surroundings, and can involve messy play, construction toys and role play. General play is usually child led, whereas specialised therapeutic play has a purpose. Q: How is working as a HPS different in the International and Private Patients ward at GOSH? A: As the title implies, we work with a lot of patients from overseas, with the majority travelling from the Arabian Gulf. The basis of play is generally understood as play is its own universal language (Play Scotland 2017). We make assessments on a daily basis; these assessments allow us to make informed choices in regards to developmentally appropriate play for each patient. Q: What areas of the child’s health does play help most with? A: The World Health Organization (WHO) (2014) defines health as a “state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.” However, as play providers we know

that this is not the whole picture and we also meet the patients’ environmental, emotional and spiritual health. ■ Physical Health — we have links with Physiotherapists and Occupational Therapists to help CYP to achieve their goals, for example; standing, walking and fine motor skills. ■ Mental Health — play helps CYP to reduce anxieties that they may have from being in a new environment. ■ Social Health — this is how we relate to others and form relationships, this can be done through group work, interacting with the patients’ peers and taking part in activities e.g. Hospital School, Activity Centre and Young People’s Forum (YPF). ■ Environmental Health — play areas on each ward should promote the happiness and the healing process. The National Association of Health Play Specialists (NAHPS) (2013) says that play areas on wards should be safe and inclusive for all patients, parents and siblings. Within IPP, we do not have a designated sensory space, but are fortunate to have portable sensory trolleys to transform their bed space into a sensory environment. ■ Spiritual Health — as HPS’ we celebrate all cultural festivals with activities on the ward. This can then be developed with individual patients to

embrace their identity in their world. ■ Emotional Health — is about being happy, self-confident, self-aware and resilient (Help Guide nd). We believe this links to all the other aspects of health as laughter is the best medicine and promotes happiness. Q: What benefits have you seen first-hand from therapeutic play? A:We see the benefits of therapeutic play every day by seeing responses from patients that have enjoyed our play service either through group play, individual sessions or specified therapeutic play techniques. We also receive feedback forms from patients and families. Q: For parents who have an ill child, how can Play Specialists support? A: At GOSH, we believe that the child comes first and always (Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust 2017), and with that in mind, the people that know them best are their parents. When patients are admitted in IPP, we make sure we involve the parents in their child’s play to ensure that they are aware of the play strategies we use; and they allow us to understand the child’s needs and inform us of their child’s likes and dislikes. We are one team in regards to the child’s overall health, wellbeing and happiness.

Luxury meets athletic performance, transformative technology

New E-Class Coupé arrives in Kuwait

Etihad Airways Manager Tourism and Corporate Partner Marketing Marica Attorresi flanked by the airline’s inflight chefs and cabin crew (left to right), Yazan Abu Ghazaleh, Rebecca Durrant, Edwina Moore, Jessica Ward and Wei Sern Tan on the red carpet at The World’s 50 Best Restaurants Awards in Melbourne, Australia.

Partners with Tourism Australia

Etihad plays host to world 50 best chefs in Australia KUWAIT CITY, April 6: Many of the world’s best chefs and culinary media have experienced Etihad Airways’ award-winning hospitality on their way to Australia for this week’s announcement of The World’s 50 Best Restaurants. As the Official Airline Partner of the 2017 event, Etihad Airways has had the honour of flying some of the biggest names in global gastronomy to Melbourne — the widely acclaimed food capital of Australia — to participate in the week-long programme. The airline has also co-hosted hundreds of international and Australian chefs, food media and influencers at a range of culinary events held in the Victorian capital, at Official Hotel QT Melbourne where guests have enjoyed beverages normally served exclusively in Etihad Airways’ Premium Lounges. At the finale — The World’s 50 Best Restaurants Awards gala event — guests were given a taste of flying on board an Etihad Airways’ Airbus A380 aircraft through an innovative interactive 360-degree technology platform. Guests were also invited to #TasteTheWorld, removing pieces of chocolate from a specially made edible map of the globe, for a chance to win two Business Class tickets to anywhere on the airline’s global network. Patrick Pierce, Etihad Airways’ Vice President of Marketing Partnerships, said the airline’s partnership with Tourism Australia and The World’s 50 Best Restaurants had proven to be a valuable investment. “The World’s 50 Best Restaurants program has given us an unprecedented opportunity to showcase the quality of our food and beverage offering and unique approach to hospitality to some of the biggest names and influencers in the culinary world today. “Their feedback about the experience has been extremely positive, which is a huge inspiration for the airline’s hospitality team to continue the current momentum. Spotlight “The partnership has also shone an international spotlight on the richness of Australia’s extraordinary culinary tourism offering. Already one of the most popular destinations in our network, the worldwide exposure generated by The World’s 50 Best program will enhance its already-great appeal and strengthen our position as the airline of choice to and from Australia.” John O’Sullivan, Tourism Australia Managing Director, said: “Etihad Airways has been an incredibly enthusiastic supporter of our Restaurant Australia program and the natural choice as our international

airline partner for The World’s 50 Best Restaurants. “The airline clearly shares the same ethos as ours when it comes to world-class food. Many of the chefs and media whom Etihad Airways flew to Australia for this event have commented on the quality of the airline’s dining experience, both on board the aircraft and on the ground in its airport lounges.” Etihad Airways offers its guests an onboard dining experience which is unique among the world’s airlines. Its innovative approach to hospitality is inspired by the world’s best restaurants and cutting-edge culinary and beverage trends. In its First Class cabins, Etihad Airways’ professional Inflight Chefs, many with fine-dining experience, use their expert culinary skills to deliver a highly personalised à la carte dining experience, tailored to each guest’s taste. With an onboard pantry of fresh ingredients, they are able to go ‘off menu’ to offer guests a sumptuous made-to-order meal. In Business Class, specialist Food and Beverage Managers oversee the preparation and service of a contemporary, healthy à la carte and dine anytime menu. Etihad Airways currently has 235 Inflight Chefs and 495 Food and Beverage Managers, offering its premium cabin guests a hospitality experience for which the airline is widely considered the world’s best. Guests The airline also has the finest collection of airport lounges in the world, reflecting its commitment to providing guests aspirational hospitality experiences on the ground as well as in the air. Premium Lounges are located in Abu Dhabi, Dublin, London Heathrow, Los Angeles, Manchester, Melbourne, New York JFK, Paris, Sydney, and Washington DC. In its flagship First Class Lounge and Spa at Abu Dhabi International Airport, the Executive Chef has a long and distinguished career with leading hotels including The RitzCarlton, Shangri-La, and InterContinental. With his team of Sous Chefs, Demi Chefs, and Chef de Partie, they create haute cuisine which is served in an elegant and expansive à la carte dining area. Menus, which are changed frequently, feature a choice of Arabian, Indian and international cuisine made to order at any time of day. The kitchen prepares everything in-house using the freshest, locally sourced, seasonal produce. Etihad Airways’ partnership with Tourism Australia for The World’s 50 Best Restaurants 2017 deepens the airline’s existing five-year, $30 million investment in Australian tourism, which was signed in 2015.

KUWAIT CITY, April 6: Mohammed Albisher, Director of Abdul Rahman Albisher & Zaid Alkazemi Co announced the arrival of new E-Class Coupé to Kuwait and its availability at its Shuwaikh Showoom. The new EClass Coupé with its expressive coupéesque proportions, clear and sensual design and long-distance comfort for four people, combines the beauty and classic virtues of a grand tourer with state-of-the-art technology. It offers the groundbreaking intelligence of the EClass family with Apple CarPlay smartphone integration, Widescreen Cockpit and the latest driver assistance systems & powerful engines guaranteeing a sporty and agile driving experience. “Larger than its predecessor in every dimension and packed with a full array of high-tech features, the new E Class Coupé is an exciting addition to the successful E Class family, and proof the coupé variety is alive and well at Mercedes-Benz. With clean body sides, unbridled power and a beautifully sporty yet smooth package, we are sure this is a model that will prove popular in Kuwait”, said Michael Ruehle, General Manager, A.R. Albisher & Z. Alkazemi Company, the authorised general distributor of Mercedes-Benz in Kuwait. The E-Class Coupé marks a new step in the evolution of the Mercedes-Benz design philosophy by fusing the charm and technological superiority of the sedan with a sportier and sleeker profile. With its flawless proportions, the new Coupé exhibits a puristic, surfaceaccentuated design with reduced lines and sensual forms. The vehicle’s coupé design is characterised by a distinctive front end with low-positioned sports grille and central star, a long bonnet with powerdomes, a rearward-shifted, squat greenhouse and a muscular rear end. World premiere: welcome feature of tail lamp Equally typical of a Mercedes coupé are the two-part, extremely flat LED tail lamps, which, in combination with LED Multibeam headlamps, celebrate the world premiere of a welcome feature. When the vehicle is opened, the taillight LEDs illuminate successively from the centre of the vehicle outwards. Upon locking the vehicle, the light sequence runs in the opposite direction. Both are additionally combined with an up and down dimming feature. Sporty, luxurious interior with refined details The interior of the new E-Class Coupé embodies the synthesis of sporty emotion and luxurious intelligence. Positioned in the driver’s direct field of vision, the instrument cluster shows virtual instruments, which can be selected by the driver in three different styles, “Classic”, “Sport” and “Progressive”, depending on which information and views the driver considers relevant. Touch Control buttons in the steering wheel enable the driver to control the instrument cluster and multimedia system using finger swipes without having to take their hands off the steering wheel. The avant-garde yet highly luxurious seats in the Coupé take their cue from the sedan. The sporty individual-seat characteristics find their distinctive impression in all four seats. A wealth of extremely high-grade design details bear witness to the superlative standard of a sporty luxury coupé. High-grade materials and contemporary colour landscapes come together to create a sporty, modernluxury. The attractive appointments in yacht blue in combination with macchiato beige lend the vehicle a cool, sophisticated yachting look. The new E-Class Coupé will also offer a choice of two new innovative, lightwood trim packages in open-pore and high-gloss finishes. The AMG Line, with its unique features, such as front and rear bumpers and side skirts and larger AMG Styling wheels, will come as standard. The dots in the diamond radiator grille are chrome-plated, while the brake discs on the front axle are perforated. The interior boasts a vast range of features such as seats in high-grade Artico/Dinamica in black with grey contrasting topstitching, the Seat Comfort package and an AMG

New Mercedes-Benz E-Class Coupé

The interiors of E-Class Coupé

Loulwa Al-Ayoubi from Burgan Bank with Najla Al-Jeraiwi and Noura Al-Hajeri.

2-day fest open for all

Burgan Bank TRI Festival KUWAIT CITY, April 6: Burgan Bank announced its sponsorship of the two-day sporting festival ‘Burgan Bank TRI Festival’, which will take place at Al Corniche Club on April 21 and 22. The ‘Big Weekend’ encourages the participation of all communities and is part of the Bank’s ongoing commitment to encourage sports, a healthier lifestyle and support athletes’ passion for running, swimming, and cycling. Divided into four categories, the festival, which is the first of its kind, is aimed at encouraging children and adults alike to train and participate in sports competitions. The competitions categories are Junior Aquathlons for kids aged 6-12, a full Triathlon for pro and amateur athletes, a Sprint Triathlon which is a shorter version for enthusiasts, and Team Relay for groups. The event is aimed at providing sports and fitness outlets for both adults and children to explore. The festival also contains entertaining program filled with

many activities and draws. The Bank’s efforts in supporting sports activities is part of its corporate social responsibility towards its communities to help spread health awareness amid rising rates of obesity and related illnesses. Burgan Bank aims to position the country as a leading destination for sports activities while supporting healthier lifestyles among all age groups. Burgan Bank is proud to engage in community-driven interactions, which further reinforces its leadership and social dedication to the wellbeing of the society. It is worth mentioning that Burgan Bank’s support to this initiative falls under its recently launched full-fledged community program entitled ‘ENGAGE’ – Together to be the change. This program sheds light on important aspects affecting every segment of the society by promoting social welfare through educational, cultural, social and health.

leather sports steering wheel. Additional personalization options come courtesy of the Night package with a host of design details in high-gloss black and tinted side windows. Larger and more luxurious With a length of 4826 mm, a width

of 1860 mm and a height of 1430 mm, the new E-Class Coupé clearly outstrips its predecessor in terms of length, width and height. The principal beneficiary of the wider track, with 1605 mm at the front (+67 mm) and 1609 mm at the rear (+68 mm), is the driving dynamics.

The significantly larger footprint compared with the previous model benefits passengers with extra spaciousness and comfort. Suspension — sporty comfort The suspension on the new E-Class Coupé offers agile driving pleasure on winding roads together with exceptional ride comfort. The Coupé comes as standard with Direct Control suspension. In the interests of a sporty look, the suspension is 15 millimetres lower than on the sedan and is tuned for comfort with an amplitude-dependent damping system. Alternatively, the new E-Class Coupé can be equipped with multi-chamber air suspension, including all-round roll/ pitch/heave stabilisation. The three chambers of different size in the spring struts of the rear axle and two in the spring struts of the front axle make it possible to control the hardness of the suspension in three stages. In this way, occupants enjoy soft basic suspension, along with the secure feeling of good handling stability at higher speeds. Dynamic Select — choose your own driving characteristics The Dynamic Select system not only makes it possible to select the suspension characteristics in combination with Dynamic Body Control and Air Body Control, but it also enables the driver to influence other vehicle settings — such as the throttle response, ECO start/stop function, shift points of the automatic transmission and more. Depending on the equipment level, Dynamic Select provides the following transmission modes: Comfort, ECO, Sport, Sport + and Individual. “Individual” allows the driver to configure their own preferred transmission modes. E-Class innovations on board As a member of the current E-Class family, the new Coupé pushes technological boundaries and is significantly more intelligent than its predecessor. It comes with all the features of the E-Class, the most intelligent executive sedan. Active Brake Assist comes as standard. It is able to warn the driver of an imminent collision, provide optimum support with emergency braking and, if necessary, also autonomously apply the brakes. In addition to slower-moving, stopping or stationary vehicles, it can also detect pedestrians crossing in the danger zone ahead of the vehicle. The new E Class Coupé is available in Kuwait at Albisher & Alkazemi Co’s Mercedes-Benz Showroom from April onwards. Please call 24950000 to book a test drive, or visit the showroom.

ARAB TIMES, FRIDAY-SATURDAY, APRIL 7-8, 2017

27

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By Jacqueline Bigar Happy birthday for Friday, April 7, 2017: This year you open up to many new approaches and solutions. You learn to appreciate the fact that you might not be right all the time, or rather, that some people are just more knowledgeable about certain topics than you are. If you are single, you become more accepting. Now through September is an excellent time for meeting someone with whom a close bond is possible. If you are attached, the two of you enjoy a much better relationship with greater understanding. You often can be found chatting away the day together. VIRGO can be very fussy. The Stars Show the Kind of Day You’ll Have: 5-Dynamic; 4-Positive; 3-Average; 2-So-so; 1-Difficult

Capricorn - (Dec 22 - Jan 19) **** You might be in the mood to initiate some unusual changes. Share your ideas with

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several people whom you respect and from whom you would like to get feedback. You might not be seeing all the opportunities that are being presented. Tonight: Where you can listen to music.

Aquarius - (Jan

20 - Feb 18)

**** A partner often voices his or her concern about your choices. Though you might feel as if you are being criticized, this person really does want the best for you. Try not to personalize anyone’s comments. Tonight: Evaluate the quality of a longtime friendship or relationship.

Pisces - (Feb 19 - Mar 20) **** The Moon in your opposite sign promises many admirers and sudden flirtations, though you probably aren’t considering what you want in a relationship. Others find you to be receptive yet challenging, in that when you believe something, you are hard to budge. To-

home decor

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night: TGIF!

Aries - (Mar 21 - Apr 19) *** Your spontaneity transforms a personal matter, allowing you to focus more on work and/or normal daily issues. You can brainstorm all you want, but your energy levels mark your interactions. You might be slowing down. Think “weekend.” Tonight: Meet up with friends.

Taurus - (Apr 20 - May 20) **** Know that you need to clear out some work and hassles before the weekend. Take news with a grain of salt, especially if it affects your ability to get through your day more quickly. Invite friends to join you later in the afternoon. Tonight: Discuss the week’s news.

Gemini - (May 21 - June 20)

c

o

**** Listen to feedback, and then decide what is most important to you. Someone you meet could be quite challenging. A friend will support you in achieving much more than you thought was possible. Listen to your inner voice, and you can’t go wrong. Tonight: Play it low-key.

Cancer - (June 21 - July 22) **** Keep communicating more of what you feel. Others will hear you and respond. You might be more upbeat than you have been in a while. Though you might be clearing out a responsibility or two, do not forget to return several important calls. Tonight: Hang out at a favorite haunt.

Leo - (July 23 - Aug 22) **** You generally are a bit flamboyant. You could be winding down from one of those periods in which you really put yourself out. Slow down and make it OK not to

indoor gardening

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be Mr. or Ms. Personality today. Tonight: Take some much-needed personal time for yourself.

Virgo - (Aug 23 - Sept 22): **** You feel energized and content. In fact, though you often step back and play a less dominant role, this pattern will not hold true today. You will succeed by putting your best foot forward. Know that you are on the way to a solution. Tonight: Do what you want.

Libra - (Sept 23 - Oct 22) *** Use today to wrap up some projects; however, if you feel uncertain about something, don’t hesitate to ask questions and get some feedback. Time is your friend; you can let these projects stay on the back burner a little longer, if need be. Tonight: Keep it intimate and quiet.

beauty tips

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Scorpio - (Oct 23 - Nov 21) ***** Wherever you go, you are greeted as if you are the most honored guest. People surround you. Some of them want to share their ideas, while others might just ask a question or two. A brainstorming session is likely to end on an upbeat note. Tonight: Celebrate the moment.

Sagittarius - (Nov 22 - Dec 21) **** You have been eyeing an important matter closely, and you have looked at the issue several different ways. The time has come to take a stand. You might not get others to head in the direction you desire, but you will energize the moment. Tonight: Among the crowds.







Born today: Musician Ravi Shankar (1920), actor/martial artist Jackie Chan (1954), actor Russell Crowe (1964)

taste buds

fork & spoon door pulls

arrowhead vine

apple face mask

polvoron

Fashion these sturdy handles from two same-size serving pieces. Step 1: Flip one facedown, then following the package directions, apply bonding glue to the flat end of a one-inch aluminum screw post Quickly press the post to the base of the flatware’s handle (approximately a half inch from the end), and hold until a bond forms. Let dry for 20 minutes. Step 2: At the serving end of the utensil, find the flattest point to glue on a second post (approximately two inches in from the end). Let dry, then repeat for second utensil. Step 3: Remove your existing cabinet hardware and drill new holes, if necessary, to correspond with the posts. Finish by screwing flatware into place from the inside of the doors.

Arrowhead vine scientific name is Syngonium podophyllum Arrowhead vine is a lush foliage plant that holds its variegation well in low light. Young plants usually remain compact mounds of foliage in various shades of green, bronze, and pink. As plants age, they develop more of a vining growth habit. Cut them back to keep them compact, or train them onto a moss pole. Arrowhead vine grows well in low to medium light with average room temperature. Keep the soil evenly moist. It is sometimes called nephthytis.

Method: ■ Take an apple and boil it in water. ■ Let it cool, then remove the seeds from it, and mash the apple. ■ Now add one teaspoonful of milk powder and one teaspoonful of honey in it. ■ Keep it on your face for 15 minutes and then rinse it off. Advantage: Use this pack daily. As apples are rich in vitamins, they help in fighting against the wrinkles and will give you a wrinkle free face! Once wrinkles start appearing, it is difficult to get rid of them. However, you can prevent your skin from deteriorating by taking care of your skin from now on. For those of you, who do not have wrinkles till date, take extra precautions.

Ingredients: 2 cups all-purpose flour (or cake flour), 1 cup sugar, 1 cup powdered milk, 1/2 cup melted butter Procedures : 1. Toast flour in a skillet over moderate heat for 10 to 15 minutes or until light brown, stirring constantly. Add powdered milk (or infant formula, it works too!), toss for another 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let it cool. 2. If desired, transfer to a large bowl. Add in sugar and melted butter. Mix thoroughly until it has about the consistency of damp sand. 3. Use a round or oval polvoron molder and shape them into compact bite-size cakes. 4. Wrap them in tissue or Japanese paper

Dear Abby Man trying to find self is not ready for dating By Abigail Van Buren Dear Abby: I was married for more than 20 years. My ex and I divorced five years ago. During that time I stayed busy focusing on my children and their needs. About seven months ago I met a nice guy. We saw each other for about five months, then out of nowhere, he broke things off. I was devastated. He said his reason for the breakup was “he needed time to find himself.” He was recently divorced and has sole custody of his kids. He has been under a great deal of stress and started seeing a therapist a couple of months ago. I understand why he needs this time, but I also wish he would let me help. He said he wants to remain friends. I avoided contact with Abigail Van Buren him for several weeks, but now I am drawn back to him. My friends keep telling me to forget him, but I can’t get him off my mind. We talk almost daily and have even gotten together again a couple of times. I keep telling myself all the reasons it won’t work. Should I run away, stay friends only, or hope to work things out? — Hopeless romantic in Wisconsin Dear hopeless romantic: When a man says he “needs time to find himself” and breaks things off, it usually means he’s no longer interested or ready for the kind of relationship you’re looking for. This man is newly divorced and parenting solo, so he has as much on his plate as he can handle right now. That he’s seeing a therapist is a wise move, so give him credit for that. But the kind of problems he is trying to work through are not ones you can “help” him with. At a later date things may work out, but clearly not now. A friendship may be possible, but only if you are strong enough to disengage emotionally until he is ready — which could take a very long time. ❑ ❑ ❑ Dear Abby: I have noticed a trend at children’s birthday parties. The children aren’t opening their presents at the party. Instead, the parents collect the gifts and take them home for the child to open later. To me, this seems rude and inconsiderate to the children who are attending the party. Part of the enjoyment of giving a gift is seeing the recipient’s response. Please let me know the rule of etiquette in this matter. Am I correct in thinking that presents should be opened at children’s birthday parties in front of their guests? — Gift etiquette Dear G.E.: No rule of etiquette decrees that gifts “must” be opened at the birthday party. Because this trend bothers you, ask the parent of the birthday child why she or he has chosen to have the gifts opened afterward, because there may be more than one reason for it. One that occurs to me might be that it’s a way of preventing embarrassment on the part of children who might not be able to afford a gift as expensive as some of the other children’s. ❑ ❑ ❑ Dear Abby is written by Abigail Van Buren, also known as Jeanne Phillips, and was founded by her mother, Pauline Phillips. Contact Dear Abby at www.DearAbby.com or P.O. Box 69440, Los Angeles, CA 90069. (Source: Universal Uclick)

what’s on today

emergency number 112

Civil ID info: 1889988

Site for checking travel ban www.kuwaitcourts.gov.kw/mojweb/NGeneral/Main.jsp FRIDAY ■ Scrabble sessions are back: Scrabble sessions are back for all to come, learn and play with us at Better Books, Salmiyah, Bldg 19, next to Badur Travel, opposite the Ministry of Private Education, on Friday afternoons from 2:30-5:30 pm. Inviting all kids aged 8 and above to join me and play competitively with me Rohaina. Classes are held every Saturday from 12-1.30 pm. Bknelled, Euphuize, Waqf, Zooeae are some of the lovely words and there are 200,000 more you can learn with us. But the fun part is playing this wonderful game competitively. So come and see us and call me @66634224, Rohaina Tanweer. ❑ ❑ ❑ ■ FBC tournament: Filipino Badminton Committee (FBC) is inviting all badminton enthusiast in Kuwait to join their regular badminton tournament being held every Friday from 8 am to 7 pm at Kuwait Disabled Sports Club, Bin Khaldoun Hawalli. Over 10 badminton courts are now available for badminton practices and tournament and it is open for all nationalities and from different badminton organizations. Exclusiveprivate court are also available on per hour rental. For more information, please contact Dr Chie Umandap – 97197268 ❑ ❑ ❑

A flyer of the event.

■ Arnis/Eskrima training: EskrimadorKuwait a member of Cacoy Doce Pares World Federation now opens a new batch of training. Learn the Philippine national sports, which is Arnis/Eskrima with the authentic style and techniques. Training schedule will be every Friday from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm @ Kaifan Sports Complex-Karate Gym. Text or call #50292148-Herms. ❑ ❑ ❑ ■ Free IFRA coaching classes: Indian Football Referees Association (IFRA) will be starting free refresher/coaching classes for existing referees, new recruits, those aspiring to be referees and even those who would like to learn about the laws of the game at IEAS – Salmiya (Don Bosco). Classes will be from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm every Friday. Those interested may call 99519439 or get in touch with any IFRA member for registration. ❑ ❑ ❑ ■ Tagalog Khutba for Filipinos: The Ministry of Awqaf, Islam Presentation Committee, & Kuwait Philippine Cultural Center (KPC Center) invites all Filipino Muslim & Muslima to hear Khutba (Sermon) in Tagalog every Friday at Marzouq Al-Badr Mosque, Abu Bakr Al-Siddeeq St (at the back of Ambassador Supermarket and SM Supermarket, near Salhiya Police Station & Kuwait Airways Bldg) in Kuwait City. There will be a community started and lunch after Friday prayers at KPC Center in Farwaniya. For further information, please call KPC Center, Tel 4712574.

A flyer of the event.

SATURDAY ■ EduEX 2017 Education Fair: The EduEX 2017 Education Fair will take place Saturday, April 08-Monday, April 10, 2017, at Kuwait International Fairgrounds – Hall 7 from 9.30 am-1.30 pm,

4.30 pm - 9.30 pm. The fair will include representatives from 25 US colleges and universities who will provide information about their schools and answer questions from students and parents about educational opportunities in the United States.

The following universities will attend the event: Temple University; Colorado State University, Fort Collins; Indiana University, Bloomington; Kansas State University; Virginia Tech; University of Missouri, Columbia; Wayne State University; Portland State University; West Virginia University; Loyola University of Chicago; University of Oklahoma; NewSchool of Architecture & Design, San Diego; University of Kentucky; Missouri University of Science & Technology; University of Dayton; Saginaw Valley State University; University of Oregon; St. Cloud State University; Southern Illinois University – Carbondale; University of California-Irvine (UCI); University of Colorado, Boulder; University of California-Davis; University of South Florida; University of Central Florida; and Savannah College of Art and Design. EducationUSA Advisers will be present at the fair to answer students’ questions about higher education in the US, including the admissions process. US Embassy Consular Officers will also be present to answer questions about the student visa application process. Additional information about the fair can be found at www.KUWAIT-EDUEX. com For more information about studying in the United States please visit http:// www.educationusa.state.gov/. Visit us @ Kuwait.uscmbassy.gov ❑ ❑ ❑ ■ Venalthanima 2017: The purpose driven annual camp for students — Venalthanima 2017 — a three day personality development & leadership training workshop organized by Thanima, the socio-cultural group active in Kuwait, is gearing up for an explosion this year too with one and only aim of a total educational experience much more than a recreation. A respite from school & siblings and a departure from the pressures of normal life, Venalthanima is here once again to drive the participants to a world of their dreams. This year’s theme is ‘Back to Books’. Inter-active and activity oriented training sessions by experts on diverse topics, outdoor activities etc, are part of the camp. Renowned Human/personality development trainers will lead various sessions along with a team of experts. Participants will be divided into 3 groups based on their age — Sub Juniors (Class 4 & 5), Juniors (Class 6-8) and Seniors ( Class 9-12). The number of participants will be limited to 50 in each Group on a first-come first-serve basis, in order to give maximum personal attention to each participant. The camp is scheduled to be from May 4-6, 2017 (Thur-Sat) at Thanima Centre, Julaiah. Those who look forward to a fantabulous camping experience to develop their independence, self-esteem and a long lasting friendship amongst each other, pursue new interests, develop fitness & sports skills, are invited to register at the earliest at www.thanimakuwait.com/vtapps/ until April 10, 2017, subject to seat availability. For more details, please contact Alex Varghese (General Convener – M 96004319), Mrs Beena Paul (Jt Convener – M. 66637801), Pratapan Nair (Jt Convener M: 66243243) or any Thanima Hardcore members.

ARAB TIMES, FRIDAY-SATURDAY, APRIL 7-8, 2017

28

Couch slouch Roberts helps expand charity telecast

I don’t think O’Reilly did anything wrong: Trump LOS ANGELES, April 6, (Agencies): President Donald Trump, speaking to The New York Times in an interview from the Oval Office, defended Fox News host Bill O’Reilly, after reports surfaced that O’Reilly and Fox News settled five claims accusing him of sexual harassment. “I think he’s a person I know well — he is a good person,” Trump said, according to the Times. “I think he shouldn’t have settled; personally I think he shouldn’t have settled. Because you should have taken it all the way. I don’t think Bill did anything wrong.” In the wake of the sexual harassment allegations, advertisers have been defecting from O’Reilly’s show, “The O’Reilly Factor.” Trump has been a guest on O’Reilly’s show multiple times, and the Fox News host interviewed him during Fox’s pregame show before this year’s Super Bowl. O’Reilly has denied the allegations, according to a statement from 21st Century Fox. He also said that he believes he is vulnerable to such claims as a public figure. Groups like the National Organization for Women have called for an independent investigation of the news network. In the wake of the claims, dozens of advertisers have decided not to advertise on O’Reilly’s show. Trump himself was the subject of multiple claims of sexual harassment during the campaign, and he denied them. ❑ ❑ ❑ In today’s TV news roundup, Adam Devine has been selected to host the MTV Movie & TV Awards, while Britney Spears will be honored with the first Radio Disney Music Awards Icon Award, and more. Adam Devine, star of the Comedy Central series “Workaholics” and recent film “Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates,” has been selected to host the 2017 MTV Movie & TV Awards. This year marks the first time the awards show will feature television categories as well as film The expanded show will air live from the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles on May 7 at 8 pm ET/PT. Britney Spears will receive the first-ever Radio Disney Music Awards ‘Icon’ Award at the April 29 awards ceremony at the Microsoft Theatre in Los Angeles. The new award is designed to recognize an artist whose music resonates with multiple generations of Radio Disney fans and whose career transcends popular culture. Spears is a multiplatinum artist who has released six No. 1 albums and sold nearly 150 million records worldwide. Voting for the RDMA awards will remain open until April 9. WE tv announced that “Million Dollar Matchmaker” starring Patti Stanger has been renewed for a second season including ten hour-long episodes. The unscripted show fea-

tures Stanger attempting to help millionaires find true love. It is produced by Thinkfactory Media. John Goodwin has been named head of communications for The Weather Group. The position includes overseeing all corporate and network media relations, public affairs, and social media. Previously, Goodwin was vice president of The Harold Group, a Washington, DC-based public affairs firm. NBC has expanded its May 25 Red Nose Day offerings to include 2 hours of additional programming leading up to the hour-long “Red Nose Day Special” at 10 pm hosted by Chris Hardwick. At 8 pm, celebrities will participate in “Celebrity Ninja Warrior for Red Nose Day.” After being paired with ninjas and coachs, the celebrities, including Stephen Amell, Derek Hough and Erika Christensen, will confront up to six obstacles designed to test their physical abilities. At 9 pm, Academy Award-winner Julia Roberts will travel to Kenya to help Bear Gryllis deliver life-saving vaccines to a remote village in “Running Wild with Bear Gryllis for Red Nose Day.” The special at 10 pm features a variety of musical acts, comedy and films to highlight Red Nose Day’s mission: to harness the power of entertainment to raise money to help alleviate child poverty. ❑ ❑ ❑ NBC is expanding its Red Nose Day charity programming with help from Julia Roberts and other stars. The network said Wednesday that its primetime schedule on May 25 will be devoted to the Comic Relief fundraiser for children in need. “Running Wild with Bear Grylls for Red Nose Day,” with Roberts joining the host in Africa, will air at 9 pm EDT. A celebrity edition of “American Ninja Warrior” with Derek Hough, Natalie Morales and others will precede it at 8 pm EDT. The night will be capped by NBC’s third annual “The Red Nose Day Special,” hosted from 10-11 p.m. EDT by Chris Hardwick. “Red Nose Day’s effort to lift children out of poverty is centered around heart and humanity, and we’re excited to create a night of programming that reflects this,” said Paul Telegdy, president of NBC Entertainment’s alternative and reality show group. Roberts and Grylls will show how donations are helping people in Nairobi, Kenya, with other segments addressing how children in the United States and other countries are being helped. Entertainment is key as well for Red Nose Day. The roster of stars has yet to be announced, but past specials included Celine Dion, Bono, Will Ferrell and Ludacris.

A flyer of the event.

click General Continued from Page 24 scholarships has been enhanced from 100 to 150 with introduction of 50 scholarships for children of Indian workers employed in the Emigration Check Required (ECR) countries. The Scheme is now applicable to four categories of applicants: (i) Persons of Indian Origin (ii) Non-Resident Indians (iii) Children of Indian workers working in ECR countries (including Kuwait). (iv) Children of Indian workers in ECR countries - studying in India

The institutions that are covered under this Scheme are: (i) NITs, IIITs, Schools of Planning and Architecture (ii) “A” Grade institutions accredited by National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) and recognised by University Grants Commission (UGC). (iii) Other institutions covered under Direct Admission of Students Abroad (DASA) scheme. Income criteria will be applicable to all four categories. Applicants will seek scholarships after they obtain admission in the approved list of educational institutions. Applications are required to be submitted online at SPDC portal - http://spdcindia.gov.in/login/ index.php. Last date for submission of applications was extended till Oct 14, 2016. Nodal officer for SPDC is P. Bharadwaj, Deputy Secretary (OIA-II), Ministry of External Affairs, New Delhi, Tel: 00-91-11-24197952, Email:

[email protected]





Experience Science for Adults: Registration is now open for Experience Science for Adults. Why should kids have all the fun?! The five week programme will be held on Saturday from 10:00 am-11:30 am at the Yarmouk Cultural Centre. Registration is limited to 16. You may register at either the Amricani Cultural Centre, Sunday to Thursday 10:00-3:00 or the Yarmouk Cultural Centre, Sunday to Thursday 10:00-6:00. For more information, please email:[email protected] ❑ ❑ ❑ Bridge game: Bridge tournament is being held every Sunday and Wednesday at 20:00 hours, played at the Graduates Club, next to Kuwait Engineering Society. Interested Bridge pairs or individual players please contact Mohammed Merchant, Tel: 24815622, 24841158, 99612287.

tv highlights Cinema Cinema programme from Thursday 06/04/2017 to Wednesday 12/04/2017

Aftermath Sharqia 1

12:00 (No Fri) 14:00, 18:00, 22:00 Sharqia 3 00:45 Muhalab 1 11:45 (No Fri) 13:45, 18:30, 20:30, 22:30, 00:30 Fanar 3 12:00 (No Fri) 14:00, 16:00, 20:00 Fanar 4 22:15, 00:15 Marina 1 12:00 (No Fri) 14:00, 16:00, 22:00, 00:05 Avenues 4 01:15 Avenues 10 12:30 (No Fri) 14:45, 17:00, 19:15 Avenues 11 22:00, 00:05 360° 8 11:30 (No Fri) 13:45, 16:00, 18:15, 20:30, 22:45, 01:00 360° 9 01:15 Al-Kout 1 23:30 Al-Kout 4 13:00 (No Fri) 17:00, 21:00 Grand Hamra 4 14:30, 16:30, 18:30, 20:30, 22:30 00:45 (Thu, Fri) Grand Hamra GC 15:00, 17:30, 20:00, 22:30 01:00 (Thu, Fri) Grand Gate 2 14:30, 17:00, 19:15, 21:30 23:45 (Thu, Fri) Grand Gate GC 15:00, 17:30, 20:00, 22:30 01:00 (Thu, Fri)

Eat Local Sharqia 1 Fanar 3 Fanar 5 Avenues 7 360° 2 360° 12 Al-Kout 4 Grand Hamra 6 Grand Gate 7

16:00, 20:00, 00:05 18:00, 22:00, 00:05 01:00 15:15, 21:45, 23:45 15:30, 20:00, 00:15 23:00, 01:00 15:00, 19:00, 23:00, 01:00 22:00 00:00 (Thu, Fri) 14:15, 16:15, 18:15, 20:15, 22:15 00:15 (Thu, Fri)

Smurfs: The Lost Village Sharqia 2 Muhalab 3 Fanar 4 Marina 3 Avenues 2 Avenues 5 Avenues 11 360° 10 360° 12 360° 15

11:30 (No Fri) 13:30, 15:30, 17:30, 19:30, 21:30 12:00 (No Fri) 16:00, 20:00, 22:00 12:15 (No Fri) 14:15, 16:15, 18:15, 20:15 11:45 (No Fri) 13:45, 15:45, 19:45, 21:45 14:15, 16:15, 18:15, 20:15 13:00 (No Fri) 15:00, 17:00, 19:00 12:00 (No Fri) 14:00, 16:00, 18:00, 20:00 12:15 (No Fri) 14:15, 16:15, 18:15 13:00, 17:00 (No Fri) 15:00, 19:00, 21:00 13:15 (No Fri) 15:15, 17:15, 19:15

Al-Kout 1

11:30 (No Fri) 13:30, 15:30, 17:30, 19:30, 21:30 Al-Kout 3 12:30 (No Fri) 14:30 Bairaq 1 13:00 (No Fri) 15:00, 17:00, 19:00, 21:00, 23:00 Laila 18:30, 20:30 (No Wed) Ajial 3 19:00 Grand Hamra 5 14:45, 16:45 Grand Hamra 6 14:00, 16:00, 18:00, 20:00 Grand Gate 1 14:00, 16:00, 18:00, 20:00, 22:15

Max Steel Grand Hamra 3 14:15, 18:15, 20:15, 22:15 01:00 (Thu, Fri) Grand Gate 6 14:45, 16:45, 19:00, 21:00, 23:00

Kong: Skull Island Sharqia 2 Muhalab 1 Muhalab 2 Fanar 1 Avenues 2 Avenues 4 Avenues 9 Avenues 10 360° 5 360° 7 360° 13 360° 15 Bairaq 2 Grand Gate 4

23:30 15:45 23:00 13:15 (No Fri) 17:45 11:45 (No Fri) 22:15, 00:45 22:45 19:30 21:30, 00:05 18:45 12:00 (No Fri) 14:30, 17:00, 22:15, 00:45 19:30 (No Fri, Sat, Mon) 11:30 (No Fri) 16:15, 18:45, 23:30 21:15, 23:45 16:45 14:15, 16:45, 19:30, 22:00

Going In Style Sharqia 3 Muhalab 2 Muhalab 3 Fanar 2 Marina 2 Avenues 4 Avenues 5 Avenues 6 360° 1 360° 9 360° 10 Al-Kout 2

12:45 (No Fri) 14:45, 16:45, 18:45, 20:45, 22:45 13:00 (No Fri) 15:00, 17:00, 19:00, 21:00 00:05 11:45 (No Fri) 13:45, 15:45, 17:45, 19:45, 21:45, 23:45 12:15 (No Fri) 14:15, 16:15, 18:15, 20:15, 22:15, 00:15 11:45 (No Fri) 13:45, 16:00, 18:15 21:00, 23:15 11:30 (No Fri) 13:30, 15:45, 18:00, 20:15, 22:30, 00:45 12:30 (No Fri) 14:45, 17:00, 19:15, 21:30, 23:45 11:45 (No Fri) 14:00, 16:30, 18:45 20:15, 22:30, 00:45 12:00 (No Fri) 14:00, 16:00, 18:00,

20:00, 22:00, 00:05 12:45 (No Fri) 14:45 Bairaq 3 20:00, 22:00, 00:05 Grand Hamra 1 15:00, 17:00, 19:00, 21:00 23:00 (Thu, Fri) Grand Gate 5 14:00, 16:15, 18:45, 21:15 23:30 (Thu, Fri) Bairaq 2

Smurfs: The Lost Village (Arabic Film) Muhalab 3 Fanar 5

14:00, 18:00 13:00 (No Fri) 15:00, 17:00 17:45 13:15 (No Fri) 15:15, 17:15 12:00 (No Fri) 14:00, 16:00, 18:00, 20:00, 22:00 12:00 (No Fri) 14:00, 16:00, 18:00 17:00, 21:00

Marina 3 Avenues 9 360° 4

Bairaq 3 Ajial 3

Get Out Fanar 1 Marina 3 Avenues 3 Avenues 9 360° 3

15:45, 22:30 23:45 14:30 22:15, 00:30 11:45 (No Fri) 14:15, 16:30, 18:45, 21:00, 23:15 Grand Hamra 2 15:15, 17:45, 20:00, 22:15

Safra 5 Njoom (Arabic Film) Fanar 5 Avenues 3 Avenues 4 360° 9 360° 11

Al-Kout 3 Bairaq 2 Grand Gate 8

Power Rangers Grand Hamra 5 19:15, 21:45

Akher Deek Fe Masr (Arabic Film) Fanar 1 Avenues 1 360° 6

Bairaq 2

13:30 (Fri) 20:15, 00:30 13:30, 17:45, 20:00, 22:15, 00:30 12:15 (No Fri) 14:30, 16:45, 19:00, 21:15, 23:30 21:15

19:00, 21:00, 23:00 12:15 (No Fri) 16:45, 19:00, 21:15, 23:30 20:30 (No Thu) 21:00, 23:15 13:15 (No Fri) 15:30, 17:45, 20:00, 22:15, 00:30 16:30, 18:30, 20:30, 22:30, 00:30 19:15, 23:30 14:30, 16:30, 18:30, 20:30, 22:45

Mahbas (Solitaire) Marina 1 Avenues 8 360° 14

18:00, 20:00 18:45, 20:45, 22:45 17:45 (No Mon) 19:45, 21:45 Laila 16:30, 22:30 (No Wed) Grand Hamra 3 16:15 Grand Hamra 7 17:45 Grand Hamra 8 19:30

Collide

How to find us

Avenues 1 360° 5 360° 14

Yabani Asly Grand Hamra 7 15:45, 19:45, 22:00 00:15 (Thu, Fri) Grand Gate 3 14:45, 17:15, 19:15, 21:15, 23:15

Les Malheurs De Sophie Avenues 7 360° 5

Cinescape cinema movies inquiries and Fax Back hotline 1803456

13. The Scientific Center – IMAX Opp Holiday Inn, Salmiya, Gulf Road 14. Grand Al-Hamra Grand Al-Hamra, tel: 22270333, www.grand cinemas.com 15. Grand Gate Grand Gate, tel: 22056464, www.grandcinemas.com

13:00 (No Fri) 17:15, 19:30 12:00 (No Fri) 14:15, 16:30, 21:30

Salt And Fire Avenues 8 360° 2 360° 4

12:45 (No Fri) 14:45, 16:45, 00:45 13:30, 17:45, 22:00 00:05

Kaatru Veliyidai (Tamil Film) 360° 7 Plaza Ajial 4

19:30 (Fri, Sat, Mon) 15:30, 18:30, 21:30 (No Thu) 16:00, 19:00, 22:00 (No Thu)

Life 360° 13 360° 14

14:00, 21:15 13:30 (Fri, Sat) 23:45 Grand Hamra 8 15:30, 17:30, 22:30

Naam Shabana (Hindi Film) Ajial 2

1. 360°

Zahra’a Area, South Surra, 6th Ring Road, corner of King Faisal Highway 2. Ajial Ajial Complex, Fahaheel 3. Al Bairaq Between Jaber Al Ali East & Al Agalia West 4. Al Fanar Al Fanar Complex, Salem Al Mubarak Street, near Sultan Center, Salmiya 5. Al Kout Al-Kout Complex, at the end of the Coastal Road, Fahaheel 6. Al Muhalab Al Muhalab Complex, Behind Hawally Clinic, Hawally 7. Al Sharqiya Arabian Gulf Street, Souq Sharq, near the Amiri Hospital 8. Laila Gallery Salem Al Mubarak Street, near Sultan Center, Salmiya 9. Marina Marina Mall, Between Salem Al Mubarak Street & Arabian Gulf Street, Salmiya 10. Metro Metro Complex, Farwaniya, near Crowne Plaza Hotel & Farwaniya Garden 11. Plaza Salem Al Mubarak Street, near Sultan Center, Salmiya 12. The Avenues The Avenues Mall, Al Reggai near Al Rai, 5th Ring Road & Ghazali Road Intersection NB: Friday no show before 1:30 pm Regular show KD3:000; 3D-Digital — KD3.500; VIP show — KD6.000. ‘On Monday, price is KD1.500 except Digital movies.

11:30 (No Fri) 15:45 23:45 11:30 (Sat) 15:45 (No Mon)

15:45 (No Fri) 18:45, 21:45

Loot 2 (Nepali Film) Ajial 2

16:00 (Fri)

Kavan (Tamil Film) Plaza Ajial 4

15:30, 21:30 (Thu) 16:00, 19:00, 22:00 (Thu)

Angamaly Diaries (Malayalam Film) Plaza Ajial 1

18:30 (Thu) 15:30, 18:30, 21:30

IMAX Imax film programme at The Scientific Center

Sunday Showtime Available for Groups Flying Monsters 3D

09:30 am 10:30 am 07:30 pm A Beautiful Planet 3D 11:30 am 06:30 pm, 09:30 pm Journey to Space 3D 12:30 pm Humpback Whales 3D 05:30 pm Kenya: Animal Kingdom 3D 08:30 pm

Monday

Showtime Available for Groups 09:30 am A Beautiful Planet 3D 10:30 am 05:30 pm, 07:30 pm Humpback Whales 3D 11:30 am 09:30 pm Flying Monsters 3D 12:30 pm, 06:30 pm Journey to Space 3D 08:30 pm

Tuesday Showtime Available for Groups Journey to Space 3D

09:30 am 10:30 am 04:30 pm Flying Monsters 3D 11:30 am 09:30 pm A Beautiful Planet 3D 12:30 pm, 02:30 pm, 05:30 pm, 08:30 pm Kenya: Animal Kingdom 3D 01:30 pm Humpback Whales 3D 03:30 pm, 06:30 pm Secret Ocean 3D 07:30 pm

Wednesday Showtime Available for Groups Flying Monsters 3D

09:30 am 10:30 am 05:30 pm A Beautiful Planet 3D 11:30 am 06:30 pm, 09:30 pm Humpback Whales 3D 12:30 pm Kenya: Animal Kingdom 3D 07:30 pm Journey to Space 3D 08:30 pm

Thursday Showtime Available for Groups A Beautiful Planet 3D

09:30 am 10:30 am 07:30 pm Flying Monsters 3D 11:30 am 06:30 pm, 09:30 pm Kenya: Animal Kingdom 3D 12:30 pm Journey to Space 3D 05:30 pm Humpback Whales 3D 08:30 pm

Friday A Beautiful Planet 3D 02:30 pm, 06:30 pm, 09:30 pm Journey to Space 3D 03:30 pm Humpback Whales 3D 04:30 pm Secret Ocean 3D 05:30 pm Kenya: Animal Kingdom 3D 07:30 pm Flying Monsters 3D 08:30 pm

Saturday Showtime Available for Groups 09:30 am Flying Monsters 3D 10:30 am 05:30 pm, 07:30 pm A Beautiful Planet 3D 11:30 am 03:30 pm, 08:30 pm Journey to Space 3D 12:30 pm, 06:30 pm, 09:30 pm Humpback Whales 3D 01:30 pm Kenya: Animal Kingdom 3D 02:30 pm Secret Ocean 3D 04:30 pm Notes: All films are in Arabic. For English, headsets are available upon request. Film schedule is subject to changes without notice. For information call 1 848 888 or visit www.tsck.org.kw

ARAB TIMES, FRIDAY-SATURDAY, APRIL 7-8, 2017

HEALTH

29

FDA approves more drugs, and faster, than Europe, study says

Weight swings may be risky for overweight heart patients CHICAGO, April 6, (AP): Losing and regaining weight repeatedly may be dangerous for overweight heart patients, a study suggests. Heart attacks, strokes and death were more common in patients whose weight changed the most over four years. For some, weight changes might have reflected yo-yo dieting, which some previous studies have suggested may be unhealthy for people without heart problems. That means a hefty but stable weight might be healthier than losing but repeatedly regaining extra pounds. But big weight fluctuations in heart patients studied could also have been unintentional and a possible sign of serious illness that would explain the results, the researchers and outside experts said. Doctors not involved in the study called it interesting but not proof that “yo-yo” weight changes are risky for overweight heart patients. Regardless, the recommendation from New York University cardiolo-

gist and lead author, Dr Sripal Bangalore, echoes standard advice for anyone who’s overweight: “Lose weight but try to keep that weight off.” The study was published Wednesday in the New England Journal of Medicine. It’s an analysis of about 9,500 patients involved in a different study that didn’t examine reasons for weight changes. Weight was measured an average of 12 times over four years and some patients lost and regained several pounds in between each measurement. Among the 1,900 patients with the biggest weight changes, 37 percent had fatal or non-fatal heart attacks, strokes or other heart trouble during the study. That compared with 22 percent of the 1,900 patients whose weight changed the least. Weight changes in the highest-risk group averaged about 10 pounds (5 kilograms) over four years. In the lowest-risk group, weight changes averaged less than 2 pounds (0.9 kilogram) over the same period. Deaths totaled almost 500 and were more common in patients with the biggest weight

swings. Most patients lost and regained weight repeatedly, but the researchers didn’t calculate health risks based on the number of times weight changed. Weight fluctuations in normal-weight patients were not linked with heart problems or deaths. University of Colorado heart specialist Dr Robert Eckel called it an interesting study, but said it doesn’t prove that weight changes were dangerous. He also said a major limitation is not knowing if weight loss-regain was intentional. Dr Clyde Yancy, cardiology chief at Northwestern University’s medical school in Chicago, said there’s no clear biological explanation for how yo-yoing weight might cause harm and that the study results could be merely due to chance. ❑ ❑ ❑ Contrary to some political claims, the US Food and Drug Administration approved more drugs, and two to three months faster on average, than Europe-

nal of Medicine.

Also: PAYNESVILLE, Liberia: Bulldoz-

In this Jan 20, 2010 file photo, a waist is measured during an obesity prevention study in Chicago. (AP)

an regulators did in recent years, new research shows. “It’s an urban myth” that the FDA is slower than other countries to clear promising treatments for patients, said

the agency’s longtime cancer drugs chief, Dr Richard Pazdur. He had no role in the approval rate research, which was published Wednesday in the New England Jour-

ers cleared the remains of a once busy Ebola treatment unit in Liberia on Wednesday, as healthcare workers, officials and some who were treated there gathered to mark the center’s last day and official decommissioning. Music echoed near the gathering at the former ELWA Treatment Center in Paynesville, Liberia, the largest center in the country during the 2014-2015 outbreak of the virus that killed more than 4,800 people in this West African country. The virus’ surge in West Africa two years ago was Ebola’s deadliest ever. About 11,300 people died starting in December 2013, mostly in Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone. The World Health Organization declared an end to the outbreak in June 2016. Physician’s assistant Jianjay Moore-Potter, 40, was among the healthcare workers who gathered to pay tribute to their time at the center.

Boyner looking to sell up to 60% of online retailer fied. Both Boyner and Unlu & Co declined to comment. “A strategic partnership of between 40 and 60 percent is being considered,” one of the sources said, adding that the enterprise value-to-sales ratio for the transaction could be between 1 to 1.5. That would put the online retailer’s enterprise value — a measure of value that includes debt — at up to 600 million lira ($161 million),

Turkish retailer Boyner Holding is looking to sell up to 60 percent of its online fashion site, Morhipo. com, and has mandated brokerage Unlu & Co to advise on the sale, two sources familiar with the matter said. Four companies, including a large Middle Eastern retailer, have shown interest in the deal, which would see Boyner sell 40 to 60 percent of the e-commerce site, the sources said, declining to be identi-

Market Movements GERMANY FRANCE

- DAX - CAC 40

Change Closing pts +13.35 12,230.89 +29.59 5,121.44

EUROPE

- Euro Stoxx 50

+16.99

3,489.57

based on its annual turnover of up to 400 million lira. Private equity funds have also shown interest in the company, the other source said. Bringing in an outside investor could help Morhipo.com in an competitive domestic market that includes rivals Hepsiburada.com, in which Dubai-based private equity firm Abraaj Capital holds a stake, and Trendyol. (RTRS)

06-04-2017 INDIA PHILIPPINES HONG KONG S. KOREA JAPAN AUSTRALIA

-

QIA sells stake in Santander Brasil worth $737 mln

Sensex All Shares Hang Seng KRX 100 Nikkei All Ordinaries

Change Closing pts -46.90 29,927.34 -2.96 4,508.81 -127.08 24,273.72 -18.42 4,330.32 -264.21 18,597.06 -18.60

Qatar Investment Authority’s sold about 2.5 percent of Banco Santander Brasil SA for 2.3 billion reais ($737 million) in a restricted offering after banks exercised an option to buy extra units, the bank said on Thursday. Investors paid 25 reais each for the 80 million units initially offered — a blend of Santander Brasil’s common and preferred shares — as well as for the extra allotment of 12 million units, the

bank said in a statement to the Brazilian market regulator. QIA and banks underwriting the deal had suggested a price of 27 reais per unit, three people with direct knowledge of the deal said, but investors baulked at the price and pushed for a lower level. The units shed as much as 5.2 percent on Wednesday on news of the investor pushback, falling to 26.13 reais, the lowest since late December. The stock has shed 15

percent since March 27, the day before the offering was announced. Investors placed bids worth 2.5 times to three times the amount of units in Brazil’s fourth biggest bank on offer, the sources said. The deal was the latest equity follow-on offering in Brazil this year, underscoring how government efforts to cut spending and pull the economy out of a threeyear recession have rekindled investor confidence. (RTRS)

Business

Cartel trying to help market rebalance, ease oversupply

Traders bet their oil storage assets that OPEC cuts will work LONDON, April 6, (RTRS): The jury is still out on whether OPEC can rein in a global oil glut but top commodity traders are betting it can by selling stakes in storage tank businesses that profited from oversupply. Since January, Glencore, Vitol and Gunvor have completed or have been seeking to sell parts of their holdings in storage firms. Vitol’s deal was agreed in October, before the Nov 30 announcement by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries that it would cut output from Jan 1. Vitol’s deal was completed in January, and others have lined up sales since. “The traders picked the right time to sell,” Jean-François Lambert of Lambert Commodities consultancy said, adding an oil price recovery and prospects for a more balanced market were partly behind the timing, alongside factors such as freeing up cash to trade. “If you have an opportunity to sell assets to lighten your balance sheet without losing control then you do it,” he said. The five top traders, who also include Mercuria and Trafigura, expect OPEC to extend output cuts into the second half of 2017, which would help draw down global inventories. When inventories are plentiful, the oil price for future delivery tends to be above the price for prompt delivery, a state known as contango, when it pays to be in the storage business, taking fees and selling stored oil forward at a profit. This has been the situation since mid-2014. At times, the prompt price was more than $1 less than a barrel for delivery a month later. With an abundance of crude supplies, trading houses could book easy profits by buying crude and storing it after selling it forward.

Conference “Contango is a very basic play. It’s lazy,” Trafigura’s co-head of risk Ben Luckock said, speaking during a commodities conference. “But I think you’ve seen contango has come out of the market.” As stockpiles draw down, the oil price for prompt delivery tends to trade above future prices, a condition known as backwardation. At this point, oil cannot be sold forward at a quick profit and the storage business loses its lustre. Till now, there have been few clear signs that OPEC and non-OPEC cuts of 1.8 million barrels per day (bpd) were working, with global stockpiles stubbornly high, according to US data and International Energy Agency (IEA) figures. But some analysts are starting to

see a shift. “Examining less visible — but still reported — inventories shows about a 72 million barrel of total oil draws globally since end-January. We expect this to gain momentum,” Morgan Stanley said in a research note last week. Oil trader Pierre Andurand of Andurand Capital Management, speaking to CNBC last week, went further, saying he expected “sustainable backwardation” by late summer. The oil futures market was in backwardation, almost continuously, from early 2011 to mid-2014. Then it switched into contango as Brent crude tumbled from more than $100 a barrel. By the start of 2016, it had fallen below $30. Capitalising on this market price structure, in mid-2015, Vitol bought its partner’s 50 percent stake in infrastructure and storage firm VTTI for $830 million. Then in October 2016, it agreed to sell 50 percent to Buckeye Partners for $1.15 billion, completing that deal in January.

Price The oil futures market has yet to slip into backwardation since OPEC began its cuts. But it came close in February when the price for the front-month Brent was $56.66 a barrel, settled at 16 cents less than the contract for delivery seven months later. The spread has since widened again to about 80 cents between the front-month contract and sevenmonth Brent. That could change if, as some OPEC officials suggest, cuts by the group and its non-OPEC partners are extended beyond June and prices climb. If it does, Glencore’s sale of a 51 percent stake in its global oil products storage business for $775 million to Chinese conglomerate HNA last week would look prescient. Gunvor, meanwhile, is selling a share in a Rotterdam storage facility, while Trafigura is working on its IPO in privately owned Puma Energy, a venture with Angola’s state-run Sonangol Holdings LDA and investment company Cochan Holdings. But not everyone is convinced a return to backwardation will be sustained, as US shale oil producers have ramped up output, filling some of the gap left by OPEC and its partners. “While over the next couple of months backwardation may temporarily come back ... we see a strong comeback of US shale supplies joining in on many long-planned supply additions in the Atlantic Basin,” David Wech of JBC Energy consultancy said.

Sanalla defends NOC’s legitimacy

National Oil Corp working for all Libyans: chairman VIENNA, April 6, (RTRS): The head of Libya’s National Oil Corp (NOC) defended the organisation on Thursday against repeated challenges to its legitimacy, saying it was working for all Libyans rather than any particular faction. His comments to reporters in Vienna come as the Tripoli-based corporation faces a slew of challenges from various political and armed groups in Libya trying to lay claim to the country’s vast oil wealth. “I think everybody in the country understood that NOC is working for the whole nation and not one faction or illegitimate faction,” Mustafa Sanalla said, adding that the corporation was the “glue” holding Libya together. Last month, the head of an eastern breakaway NOC said he could no longer comply with a unification deal agreed last year with the original NOC in Tripoli. On Thursday, a spokesman for the breakaway NOC in Benghazi said it had held an emergency meeting a day earlier to discuss the Tripoli NOC and “the transgression it carries out in monopolising the sale of oil”. Sanalla said contracts with international oil companies were protected by the United Nations. UN resolutions that remain in place have foiled past attempts by eastern factions to sell oil independently. In another challenge, the UNbacked government in Tripoli issued a decree in March to strip

the NOC of some of its powers, including the approval and cancellation of contracts. Sanalla has asked the government to withdraw the resolution, saying that only the House of Representatives, Libya’s legislature, has the power to make such changes. The political tests come against a backdrop of security threats by various militant and unarmed groups that have hindered OPEC member Libya’s oil production. The most recent incident was a week-long shutdown of the Sharara oilfield, Libya’s largest, after an unknown group blocked a pipeline linking it to the Zawiya oil terminal. The field, which restarted on April 2, is now producing 215,000 barrels per day (bpd), Sanalla said. Libya’s national output stands at 693,000 bpd and further increases at Sharara could help drive it to 800,000 bpd by the end of April and to 1.1 million bpd by August, if security and budgetary conditions allow, Sanalla said. He also commented on a deal that the NOC signed with Russia’s Rosneft in February, which he said covered future upstream and midstream cooperation as well as an oil offtake agreement. Sanalla said the pricing of oil exported from Libya by Rosneft would be the same as for the NOC’s other foreign partners. “We sell oil with the same formula, the same prices,” he said.

Iran struggles to expand crude exports as sea storage cleared Wary investors seen constraining new output gains a very light grade of crude. With no more stocks at sea, Iran has lost a vital resource that had propped up exports. “We do think that (floating storage) has been the primary cause of the boost in exports,” Energy Aspects analyst Richard Mallinson said, adding that now Since the easing of international sanctions in January 2016, Iran tried to floating storage had ended total exports of crude and condensate were likely make up for lost sales by releasing millions of barrels parked on tankers to slip. “We see a very difficult path for Iran to raise crude output until it can get offshore. Tanker tracking and oil sources said Iran had sold its last stocks from the the Western expertise and investment back into the upstream, which has been floating storage in the past two weeks. Much of the oil stored was condensate, notably slow to materialise,” he added. After Western sanctions were eased, Iran’s output jumped from about 2.9 million barrels per day (bpd) to about 3.6 million bpd in June. But it has barely risen since fluctuating between 3.6 million and 3.7 million bpd - even though Iran fought hard with fellow OPEC members to be excluded from production cuts that came into effect on Jan. 1 and will last till June. The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries pledged to reduce output by about 1.2 million bpd, but Iran was allowed a small increase to compensate for years of isolation. Yet it has produced less in the past three months than it was allowed. Iranian Oil Minister Bijan Zanganeh said last month Tehran was prepared to produce 3.8 million bpd if OPEC agreed to extend cuts to the second half of 2016, effectively signalling there was little hope of a steep rise in Iranian output. Prior to the lifting of sanctions, Iran stored unsold oil on ships, which peaked in 2015 at 40 million barrels on around 25 tankers. The country has up to 60 oil tankers in In this file photo, a gas production facility is seen at Ras port some 2 billion cubic feet of gas per day from the its fleet. Laffan, Qatar. State-run Qatar Petroleum said that it North Field. Qatar is a small but wealthy member of Iran’s drawdown of floating storplans to boost production from a vast underwater natu- OPEC that generates most of its income from natural age gathered pace in September. By ral gas field by 10 percent giving it the capacity to ex- gas rather than crude oil. (AP) the start of 2017, Iran still held an estimated 16 million barrels of oil on ships. Since then, they have emptied. Islamic State capitalised on wheat corruption While the EU and United Nations lifted sanctions on Iran over its nuclear programme more than a year ago, the United States has held separate measures in place and President Donald Trump’s administration has Romania and Ukraine was brought into BAGHDAD, April 6, (RTRS): Two accusing the minister of corruption. promised a tough line. Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi has Iraq through Saudi Arabia and Turkey years ago, corruption was so rampant in This has increased concerns Iraq’s wheat procurement programme promised to tackle corruption in a po- disguised as a local harvest and sold to among Western banks about offerthat even Islamic State militants cashed litical system that doles out positions the state at a premium. ing finance to Iran, slowing energy Islamic State militants were also in in by smuggling the strategic commod- along ethnic and sectarian lines, creatinvestment decisions. on this corruption, said Sudani, conity across the border from Syria with ing powerful patronage networks. French oil company Total said in Tackling the problem in the Trade firming long-held suspicions that the the suspected collusion of Trade MinFebruary it planned a final investMinistry will be an especially daunting group was smuggling wheat from Syria istry officials. ment decision on a $2 billion gas The man who cracked down on that task, even though it recently imposed to Iraqi buyers. project in Iran by the summer, but The group smuggled in about network says the ministry, which just new regulations such as staggering payannounced new measures to fight graft ments to suppliers to prevent secret deals. 180,000 tonnes, working with Iraqi said this hinged on a renewal of US Sudani, now the labour minister, traders and storing wheat in silos in Anand is charged with ensuring Iraq’s sanctions waivers. food security, still has a long way to said real change will come only with an bar province, Babel and Abu Ghraib. “The uncertainty over the US poTrade Ministry officials were acgo before it can tackle the deep-rooted overhaul of the tendering system that sition on further sanctions is casting would eliminate shady companies that cused of both helping Islamic State sell problem. a huge shadow on the oil trade with “We need to educate people, starting strike kickback deals with all levels of the wheat and tipping off militants who Iran,” said Paddy Rodgers, chief exattacked a silo as it was being investifrom children at school, about the risks ministry employees. ecutive of tanker company Euronav. “The glitch in the tender process is gated by the authorities for illegal supof corruption and to create a society In addition, the oil minister’s efthat rejects this phenomenon,” Labour the dependence on obscure companies plies, Sudani said. forts to secure deals with Western “We referred director generals for Minister Mohammed al-Sudani told that are not specialised. Not proper firms has run into internal opposicompanies. There are big companies investigation and also some employReuters in an interview. tion in Iran, which holds the world’s Nicknamed “Mr Clean” for his ef- who are well known. There is a de- ees. Some were dismissed, others were fourth biggest oil reserves. The plans fined,” Sudani said. forts to fight corruption, Sudani served pendence on middlemen,” he said. have now been postponed until after Iraq is one of the world’s biggest im“There were director generals who as acting trade minister in 2015. a May presidential election. His predecessor, Trade Minister Mi- were involved. Even the employee porters of wheat and rice. Even former “Iran needs billions of dollars of las Mohammed Abdul Kareem, went who takes samples from the ship takes Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein underinvestment to boost crude oil prostood any serious disruptions in supinto hiding after Iraq issued an arrest bribes.” duction and natural gas capacity,” Sudani took on major corruption plies could create a backlash. warrant for him and his brother dursaid Mehdi Varzi, a former official He started a food-rationing system ing an investigation into bribes, illegal cases when he ran the ministry, and at state-run National Iranian Oil benefits, and the misuse of his position. conditions that led to those scandals as a response to United Nations ecoCompany and now an independent Abdul Kareem has said the allega- are still in place, such as government nomic sanctions following Iraq’s invaconsultant. tions were not based on solid evidence. payments of high premiums to local sion of Kuwait in 1990. “Most of the fields were discovSudani said that system had not been Abdul Kareem’s bodyguards are farmers. ered many decades ago and are way The Trade Ministry discovered an properly inspected since Saddam was awaiting trial on charges of killing a beyond their production capacity,” toppled in 2003, leaving it vulnerable Trade Ministry adviser who colleagues elaborate wheat-smuggling operation. he said. About 600,000 tonnes of wheat from to widespread corruption. said had been about to hand over files

LONDON, April 6, (RTRS): Iran has sold all the oil it had stored for years at sea and Tehran is now struggling to keep exports growing as it grapples with production constraints, shipping and oil sources say.

Iraq min calls for war against graft

DSI to talk with banks about existing debt, new facilities – CEO DUBAI, April 6, (RTRS): Dubai’s Drake & Scull International (DSI) plans to begin talks with banks in May about its existing debt and seek financial backing for new projects, Chief Executive Wael Allan told Reuters on Thursday. The builder has sent non-disclosure agreements to its lenders and will continue to do so until mid-April, Allan said in a phone interview. DSI aims to discuss the rescheduling of payments on existing debt in light of slower market conditions, and to seek support

for its 2017-2021 business plan, he said. The company will also seek support for bonding facilities, which are financial tools such as bid bonds or performance bonds related to construction projects, and cash facilities to back new projects, he said. DSI appointed PricewaterhouseCoopers in December as a strategic and financial advisor to assist with “examining the company’s capital structure and financial liabilities”. Allan’s comments come after sources told Reuters DSI had distributed

non-disclosure agreements to its major lenders this week to discuss its strategy and recapitalisation plans. The company has faced a depressed Gulf construction market as governments rein in spending on infrastructure due to lower oil revenue. It has reported worsening earnings in nine of its last 11 quarters. DSI reported a 2016 net loss of 786.9 million dirhams and in February proposed reducing its share capital by up to 50 percent. It also proposed a rights issue of 500

million dirhams in equity to a strategic shareholder. The company has a $120 million Islamic bond which matures in 2019. The sukuk was issued in 2014 and underwritten by Al Hilal Bank, Emirates NBD, Mashreq and Noor Bank. DSI announced in November it was reviewing its business to address market challenges which could lead to a withdrawal from some markets, retrenching on civil works in Saudi Arabia and a more conservative stance on recovering certain receivables.

ARAB TIMES, FRIDAY-SATURDAY, APRIL 7-8, 2017

BUSINESS

31

with Brexit, location of derivatives clearing is key issue The European Commission will reflect carefully on the location of euro-denominated derivatives clearing, a business mostly done in London now and that will be outside the EU when Britain leaves the bloc, the EU executive’s vice president said on Thursday. Speaking to an audience of finance experts in Malta, Valdis Dombrovskis said a key issue that the Commission will have to analyse is how to deal with a market that is of great importance for EU’s

financial stability but will be mostly outside the EU after Brexit. “This will surely be a matter of important reflection in the coming months and years,” Dombrovskis said, noting that the EU regulatory framework for derivatives clearing was working well and was there to stay. “An area in which Brexit will profoundly change the EU’s financial landscape is central clearing of derivatives,” Dombrovskis added, but stopped short of saying clearly

that clearing should be relocated from London, as urged by the European Central Bank and EU lawmakers. The European Commission could suggest a forced relocation from London to the European Union of the clearing business when it reviews the rules on derivatives in June. But the EU executive has so far refrained from taking a clear position on the issue, which could sour Brexit talks. (RTRS)

average US 30-year mortgage rate falls to 4.10 percent Long-term US mortgage rates fell this week for a third straight week, approaching their low points for the year. Mortgage buyer Freddie Mac said Thursday the rate on 30-year fixed-rate home loans declined to 4.10 percent from 4.14 percent last week. That brought the benchmark rate close to its 2017 low of 4.09 percent reached on Jan. 19. The 30-year rate stood at 3.59 percent a year ago and averaged 3.65 percent in 2016, the lowest level in records dating to 1971. The rate on 15-year

mortgages eased to 3.36 percent from 3.39 percent last week. The Federal Reserve raised its key interest rate last month for only the third time since 2006, reflecting a consistently solid US economy. Still, some economists don’t expect higher interest rates to slow home sales until later this year. Investors will be looking toward the jobs data for March, to be issued by the government Friday, for an indication of whether the economic strength is being sustained. With

unemployment at a healthy 4.7 percent, the report is expected to show that employers added 178,000 jobs last month, according to a survey of economists by the data provider FactSet. To calculate average mortgage rates, Freddie Mac surveys lenders across the country between Monday and Wednesday each week. The average doesn’t include extra fees, known as points, which most borrowers must pay to get the lowest rates. One point equals 1 percent of the loan amount. (AP)

Jobless claims post biggest drop in nearly 2 yrs US labor market remains in solid shape WASHINGTON, April 6, (RTRS): New applications for US unemployment benefits recorded their biggest drop in nearly two years last week, pointing to a further tightening in the labor market. Initial claims for state unemployment benefits declined 25,000 to a seasonally adjusted 234,000 for the week ended April 1, the Labor Department said on Thursday. The drop was the largest since the week ending April 25, 2015, and unwound recent increases that had lifted claims to a three-month high. “The lower jobless claims filings show the economy continues to show improvement which is important news with the long expansion expected to eventually tire somewhere down the line given its longevity,” said Chris Rupkey, chief economist at MUFG Union Bank in New York. Claims have now been below 300,000, a threshold associated with a healthy labor market, for 109 straight weeks. That is the longest such stretch since 1970, when the labor market was smaller. The labor market is currently near full employment.

Economists had forecast first-time applications for jobless benefits falling to 250,000 last week. The four-week moving average of claims, considered a better measure of labor market trends as it irons out week-to-week volatility, fell 4,500 to 250,000 last week. The dollar was little changed against a basket of currencies as were prices for US Treasuries. US stocks were trading marginally higher. Last week’s claims data has no bearing on March’s employment report, which is scheduled for release on Friday. Claims rose during the survey week for March nonfarm payrolls, suggesting some moderation in the pace of job growth after two straight months of gains in excess of 230,000. “The claims data suggest that the labor market remains in solid shape. But it does look like things weakened around the reference week for the March employment report,” said Daniel Silver, economist at JPMorgan in New York. Also pointing to some pullback in job gains, global outplacement consultancy Challenger, Gray & Christmas reported on Thursday that US-based employers announced 43,310 job cuts in March, up 17 percent from February. Most of the layoffs were in the retail, telecommunications and education sectors.

Move could lead to higher rates on many consumer and business loans

Fed minutes show talk of paring bond holdings WASHINGTON, April 6, (AP): Federal Reserve officials last month discussed the possibility of reducing their enormous portfolio of bond holdings later this year, sooner than many investors have been expecting. The Fed’s bond holdings have kept downward pressure on interest rates. If its policy committee chose to start reducing those holdings, even at a likely gradual pace, it could lead eventually to higher rates on many consumer and business loans. Concern about that possibility contributed to a selloff of stocks Wednesday afternoon after the minutes of the Fed’s March meeting were released. The minutes showed that Fed officials received a staff briefing on managing its $4.5 trillion bond portfolio. That portfolio has risen four-fold since the financial crisis erupted in 2008 as the Fed has taken extraordinary steps to keep long-term rates low to support economic growth. No decisions about the bond holdings were made at last month’s meeting, at which the Fed announced a modest increase in its benchmark short-term rate. But the minutes indicated a general view among Fed of-

ficials that if the economy remained solid as expected, a change in their policy of keeping the holdings unchanged “would likely be appropriate later this year.” “The FOMC minutes were clear that officials are contemplating beginning to address the balance sheet,” said Win Thin, an economist at Brown Brothers Harriman. Paul Ashworth, chief US economist at Capital Economics, said he thought any reduction in the Fed’s bond holdings wouldn’t occur until December. By then, Ashworth thinks the Fed will have raised its benchmark rate three more times. The minutes said one approach for reducing the holdings that was discussed would be to suspend the reinvestment of at least some of the holdings of Treasury bonds and mortgage-backed securities as they mature. The Fed has been reinvesting those maturing bonds to keep from shrinking its holdings and thereby exerting upward pressure on long-term rates. “Many participants emphasized that reducing the size of the balance sheet should be conducted in a passive and predictable manner,” the minutes said.

It added that any decisions should be conveyed to markets before being implemented. Last week, William Dudley, president of the Fed’s regional bank in New York, suggested in an interview on Bloomberg television that the Fed might decide to take a pause in raising its key short-term rate once it begins trimming its bond holdings. The Fed has been keeping the level of its balance sheet steady at $4.5 trillion, compared with less than $1 trillion before the financial crisis. Financial markets have been watching for any Fed signal on the timing of reductions in the bond holdings. The minutes showed that Fed officials grappled during their discussions with two big uncertainties facing the US economy: Whether it would be safe to let inflation rise faster for a while and how to assess the effects of President Donald Trump’s ambitious economic stimulus plans. The rate increase the Fed announced last month was its second in three months. There was less agreement over the issues of inflation and Trump’s economic plans. The minutes showed that

several Fed officials thought Trump’s stimulus plans wouldn’t likely begin before next year. The minutes said that because of the “substantial uncertainties” about the outlines of the program that might eventually emerge from Congress, about half the Fed officials had included no assumptions about Trump’s efforts in their economic forecasts. Most believed Trump’s plans had the potential to boost growth. But some said there were also downside risks from a possible adverse economic reaction resulting from Trump’s measures to limit immigration and increase trade barriers to protect American workers. The expectation of tax cuts and deregulation has sent stock prices rising since Trump’s November election victory. The minutes showed that the rise in stock prices was discussed by Fed officials, with some viewing the price level as “quite high relative to standard valuation measures” for stock prices. On inflation, the minutes showed that some officials worried that if unemployment, now at a low 4.7 percent, fell further, it could pose a “significant upside risk” of higher inflation.

Other Voices ‘Keep a positive outlook’

Tips to manage heavy workload without experiencing a burnout By Dr Sajed Al-Abdali Consultant, Occupational Medicine

CHANCES are, if you’re in a professional job, your workload will get heavy at times. When this happens, you don’t have to feel like you’re trapped under an overwhelming pile of tasks and to-do lists. You have the choice and the power to speak truth to yourself so that you can strive to accomplish big things at work. Below are a few pointers to help you come through the crazy, busy times without experiencing burnout: 1. Keep a Positive Outlook Allowing yourself to think about the difficulty or unfairness of your situation accomplishes nothing. You simply can’t afford to take the time to dwell on thoughts that leave you feeling powerless or resentful. Put your effort into solving each problem and make sure your thinking is actionoriented. 2. Don’t Engage in Fruitless Conversation If your conversations or meetings are not directed at keeping you on task and on moving in a positive direction, cut them out. Your time is too valuable to be caught up in complaining or engaging in the blame game. Use your time to brainstorm solutions instead. 3. Put First Things First Make sure you know your priorities so that you can stay focused on the task. When you’re busy, you may be presented with opportunities and potential commitments that you just can’t fit into your loaded schedule. When something new comes across your desk, evaluate its importance considering your goals and priorities. Don’t be afraid to say no up front. Otherwise, you may add stress to your already packed life, and you’ll risk letting people down if you don’t have enough time to fulfill those obligations. 4. Get Your Rest You may think that staying up late to get more done will put you further ahead,

but the opposite is true. Shorting yourself on sleep is counterproductive. When you make sure to get sufficient rest, you’ll be more alert and able to accomplish more. The reality is that when you’re exhausted, it will take you much longer to have your work done, and you’ll be more prone to make costly or time-consuming mistakes. 5. Remember to Share Sometimes when you’re very busy, it’s easy to believe that you must get it all done yourself. When you have the ability to delegate tasks, do it. You may find that people appreciate the opportunity to step up to the plate and show you what they can do when you come to them with powerful requests. Not only that, but you’ll be able to capitalize on the strengths of others and free yourself to focus on the things that matter most or you do best. 6. Schedule Time to Recharge You are not a machine. When you have to go through the a tough schedule, make sure you plan some time after to help you regain your balance. Whether you plan a short trip, a spa day, or a day at the gym, you need to take time just for you after a busy season. If you try to press from one task to another without coming up for breath, sooner or later you’ll break down. 7. Aim for Sustainability Work was not meant to be a series of never-ending sprints. If you want to be productive over the long haul, you need a consistently sustainable workload. There may be seasons of intensity, but they should only last for a short time. When your schedule seems to be consistently overloaded, it’s time to talk with people who can help you make some changes. 8. Keep Calm and Carry On When your workload threatens to become overwhelming, remember to keep the right frame of mind. You can control your outlook and stay positive. By seeing your schedule as an opportunity to shine, you’ll be able to remain focused and calm. If the job seems too big, make powerful requests of others to get valuable support.

Signs point away from US president labeling China currency manipulator WASHINGTON, April 6, (RTRS): US President Donald Trump looks unlikely to formally declare China a currency manipulator next week just days after meeting Chinese President Xi Jinping, foreign exchange policy experts say, leaving a vocal Trump campaign pledge unmet, at least for now. The US Treasury would have to radically change its definitions of currency manipulation in order to squeeze China into that label for its next report due April 14, said these experts, several of whom contributed to past Treasury analysis of foreign exchange practices. But over time, the Trump administration may consider changes to the Obama administration’s currency definitions as the Treasury gains staff. “It would be hard to come up with a credible standard that would catch China in the net,” said

David Dollar, a former US Treasury economic liaison to China who is now a senior fellow at the Washington-based Brookings Institution. Trump pledged to label China a currency manipulator on the first day of his administration, but so far has refrained. A trade and customs enforcement law enacted last year set out three criteria for identifying manipulation among major trading partners: a “material” global current account surplus, a “significant” bilateral trade surplus with the United States, and persistent one-way intervention in foreign exchange markets. The Treasury is required to demand special talks with any country meeting all three thresholds aimed at correcting an undervalued currency, with penalties such as exclusion from US government procurement contracts available after a year.

In this file photo, road construction begins along California interstate 215 north in San Bernadino County. President Donald Trump disparaged his predecessor’s economic stimulus spending Tuesday as a windfall for social programs and said he is unaware of anything built from the money steered to infrastructure. (AP)

‘Plan will focus on trying to entice more private investment’

Democrats object to Trump infra plan’s direction

ECB calls for tougher regulation of large foreign bank branches VALLETTA, April 6, (RTRS): The European Central Bank has proposed that large branches of foreign banks in the European Union be subject to tighter regulation and capital requirements, a move that would increase US and Asian lenders’ costs and also hit British banks after Brexit. The ECB proposal to European Union states, seen by Reuters, says that a draft piece of legislation on foreign bank regulation already under discussion among the 28 EU members should be toughened further. The draft rules, proposed by the EU executive commission in November, require foreign lenders with a major presence in the EU to combine their businesses in the region into a separately capitalised holding company. The proposal is aimed at ensuring that foreign banks classed as globally systemic lenders or those with at least 30 billion euros of assets in the EU are able to sustain significant losses without support from their headquarters. It has already been met with strong opposition from non-EU banks who say it would significantly raise the cost and bureaucracy of operating in the EU. But now the ECB is proposing the law goes further and requires branches of foreign banks to be included in the EU holding company, a move that would likely raise foreign lenders’ capital requirements. The draft law had exempted branches. The ECB said it was making the proposal more comprehensive as it was concerned that the draft law could lead to “regulatory arbitrage” where banks booked important transactions in branches in order to reduce

the level of assets that would be subject to the holding company’s capital requirements. The changes it proposes would also bring the draft EU law in line with similar rules faced by large foreign banks in the US, it said. Currently, big lenders such as Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan Chase, Bank of America or the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, carry out significant operations through branches in the EU rather than subsidiaries, the paper said, meaning the capital reserves they keep inside the bloc are lower, posing a higher risk to financial stability. The ECB is also proposing that the holding companies be regulated by whoever supervises the largest individual entity within the group, which in practice would most often be the ECB. This would mark a broadening of the central bank’s supervisory reach, partly at the expense of national securities watchdogs inside the EU. The proposal, that was drafted together with the EU’s banking liquidation body, the Single Resolution Board, is also aimed at facilitating the SRB task of preparing resolution plans for banks operating in the EU, so that in case they fail, their creditors’ funds can be used to prop them up, instead of taxpayers’ money. EU envoys last week had a first exchange of views on the paper, dated March 28. The issue may be discussed at a regular meeting of the bloc’s finance ministers in Malta on Friday and Saturday although it is not formally on the agenda.

WASHINGTON, April 6, (AP): Democrats had hoped the one big policy area they could find common ground with President Donald Trump on was infrastructure, but they don’t like what they’re hearing from administration officials about the transportation portion of the plan that’s still in the works. Trump has promised to generate $1 trillion in infrastructure spending over 10 years. With two of his other top campaign pledges in trouble — an effort to repeal and replace the Obama administration health care law has failed so far, and without savings to the government from health care changes there may not be enough money to pay for lowering tax rates — infrastructure appeared to be an area ripe for bipartisan compromise. But some Democrats say they worry that Trump’s plan will focus on trying to entice more private investment in transportation projects and reduce regulations that require environmental reviews and community consultation on projects rather than providing more government money to repair, replace and expand the nation’s transportation network. Reps. Peter DeFazio of Oregon and Eleanor Holmes Norton of the District of Columbia, two top Democrats on the House transportation committee, sent a letter Wednesday to Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao objecting to comments she made last week about the failure to fix the nation’s crumbling transportation system. “The problem is not money. It’s the delays caused by government permitting processes that hold up projects for years, even decades, making them risky investments,” Chao said. She reiterated the statement Wednesday in a speech to the American Association of Port Authorities. Congress has already directed the Transportation Department in bills passed in 2012 and 2015 to take dozens of steps to “streamline” regulations holding up projects. A recent report by the department’s inspector general found that work on a majority of the 42 actions required under the 2012 law had been completed, but implementation has been delayed so that the actions can be revised to take into account conflicting or additional requirements of the 2015 law.

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BUSINESS

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global air travel demand up in Feb Global demand for air travel rose 4.8 percent in February, thanks to lower fares and improving economies, with no major impact from an attempted U.S. travel ban, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) said on Thursday. Tourism bodies have warned that travel to the United States could slow this year due to a perception that it is less welcoming to travellers than before. “Although we remain concerned over the impact of any travel restrictions or

closing of borders, we have not seen the attempted U.S. ban on travel from six countries translate into an identifiable traffic trend,” IATA Director General Alexandre de Juniac said in a statement on Thursday. Middle Eastern carriers, among the most affected by the attempted travel restrictions, saw demand rise 9.5 percent in February, said IATA, which represents nearly 265 airlines accounting for 83 percent of global air traffic. (RTRS)

Ryanair to pivot growth away from UK for next 2 years due to Brexit Ryanair, Europe’s largest airline by passenger numbers, plans to pivot its growth away from Britain over the next two years as it fears the lack of clarity over Brexit will cause major travel disruption and hit demand. Airlines such as Ryanair and rival easyJet have urged the British government to put aviation at the front of the queue when negotiating its EU exit because they need to finalise their 2019 summer schedules in the first half of next year.

Airlines based in the EU have the right to fly to, from and within any country in the bloc thanks to the single aviation market created in the 1990s, meaning Britain has just two years to renegotiate access or come up with an alternative system. “Ryanair is pivoting its growth away from the UK,” Finance Director Neil Sorahan told reporters in London, adding that the airline had planned to grow by about 15 percent in the UK last year but had instead posted growth of about 6

percent. “Brexit will inevitably lead to a slowdown in growth in the UK. We haven’t seen it yet, but we believe it will lead to a slowdown in growth in both the UK and the EU, as both parties have to deal with a completely new scenario.” Sorahan added that the growth may slow more sharply as we get closer to the end of the two-year divorce process, unless the government can provide greater certainty as to how airlines will be able to operate in the future. (RTRS)

Speedy acquittals testament to prosecution case — lawyer

Former Barclays traders acquitted in UK’s 4th Libor trial LONDON, April 6, (RTRS): Two former junior Barclays traders have been unanimously acquitted by a London jury of conspiring to rig Libor benchmark interest rates in a blow to the UK Serious Fraud Office (SFO). Ryan Reich, a 35-year-old American, and Greek national Stylianos Contogoulas, 45, walked free after their second trial on a single charge of conspiracy to defraud. The first jury to examine their case could not reach a verdict last year, although four Barclays co-defendants were jailed. The verdicts in London’s fourth Libor trial bring to eight the number of defendants cleared in a five-year criminal inquiry into whether bankers were dishonest when they manipulated benchmark rates up to 12 years ago. Five have been convicted. The jury found Reich not guilty within hours of being sent to consider its verdict on Wednesday after a sixweek trial. Reporting restrictions were imposed until Contogoulas was acquitted on Thursday. Reich, who came to Southwark Crown Court to support Contogoulas, said he was saddened it had taken eight years to prove that, as a 24-yearold trader, he had done his job honestly, appropriately and according to the rules at the time. “I cannot help but note that this trial was the first time that any jury has

actually been asked to consider whether as a matter of fact any trader deliberately broke the rules or caused false Libor (rates) to be submitted,” he said in a nod to the judge’s directions to the jury. Standing on Southwark Crown Court’s steps, Contogoulas said simply: “I just want to go home to my wife and kids.” Jurors stepped up to shake his hand. “If you see Reich, wish him well,” said one. SFO prosecutor Emma Deacon declined to comment. The SFO noted the acquittals in a brief statement. Barclays was the first of 11 banks and brokerages to pay hefty fines for Libor-related misconduct in 2012, sparking a political backlash that forced out senior executives including former CEO Bob Diamond, prompted the SFO investigation and brought in new laws to criminalise rate rigging. Some lawyers say the unpredictable nature of criminal prosecutions and the English jury trial system means the SFO, which has been dogged by speculation that Prime Minister Theresa May might merge it into a national crime-fighting body, should not be judged by its latest loss or win. The agency has been praised by some lawmakers for clinching a handful of corporate plea deals that include a 671 million pound ($840 million) deferred prosecution agreement with

Ethical, safety concerns remain

How artificial life spawned a bln-dollar global industry LONDON, April 6, (RTRS): Scientists are getting closer to building life from scratch and technology pioneers are taking notice, with record sums moving into a field that could deliver novel drugs, materials, chemicals and even perfumes. Despite ethical and safety concerns, investors are attracted by synthetic biology’s wide market potential and the plummeting cost of DNA synthesis, which is industrialising the writing of the genetic code that determines how organisms function. While existing biotechnology is already used to make medicines like insulin and genetically modified crops, synthesizing whole genes or genomes gives an opportunity for far more extensive changes. Matt Ocko, a Silicon Valley venture capitalist whose past investments include Facebook, Uber and Zynga , believes the emerging industry has passed the “epiphany” moment needed to prove it can deliver economic value. “Synthetic biology companies are now becoming more like the disruptive, industrial-scale value propositions that define any technology business,” he said. “The things that sustain and accelerate this industry are today more effective, lower cost, more precise and more repeatable. That makes it easier to extract disruptive value.” Ocko, whose Data Collective firm has invested in companies including organism design firm Gingko Bioworks and bioengineer Zymergen, is not alone.

Wave Other tech veterans backing the new wave of “synbio” start-ups include Jerry Yang, Marc Andreessen, Peter Thiel and Eric Schmidt, famous for their roles at Yahoo, Netscape, PayPal and Google respectively. Experts meeting in London this week said the science toolkit was improving fast and the cost of synthesising DNA was now 100 times cheaper than in 2003, although uncertainties remain about regulation and the public’s appetite for tinkering with life. The global conference hosted by Imperial College London, bringing together scientists and money people, comes four weeks after researchers announced they were close to building a complete artificial genome for baker’s yeast. This ambitious project has brought complex artificial life a big step closer because yeast is a eukaryote, an organism whose cells contain a nucleus, just like human cells. The yeast work shows how DNA can be manipulated on a large scale, with genetic code increasingly treated like a programming language in which binary 1s and 0s are replaced by DNA’s four chemical building blocks, abbreviated as A, T, G, C.

A growing emphasis on computing is closing the gap between biology and traditional tech, even though this is an area that remains unpredictable, variable and complex. “The intersection of biology and technology is a difficult place to be because of different cultures and languages, but I think we are breaking through some of those barriers,” said Thomas Bostick, former head of the US Army Corps of Engineers who now leads biotech firm Intrexon’s environment unit. The idea that engineering life can be broken down into data and coding is part of the appeal for tech investors. “DNA is seen as the next programmable matter and that is what a lot of the Silicon Valley investors are excited about,” said John Cumbers, founder of synthetic biology network SynBioBeta.

Power “They’ve witnessed the power of software over the last 25 years and they are looking for the next big thing.” Data from SynBioBeta shows a record $1.21 billion was invested in the sector worldwide in 2016, a threefold increase from five years earlier, while the number of firms in the sector has almost doubled to 411. A range of companies are springing up, from those producing new chemicals for industry to providers of DNA synthesis and related software, like US-based Twist Bioscience and Britain’s Synthace. Work is also advancing by leaps and bounds in the complementary area of gene editing now being embraced by many of the world’s top drugmakers. The current product focus represents a change of tack from the first widely tipped application of synthetic biology in making biofuels from engineered algae. In the event, algal biofuel proved a lot harder to scale up than expected and a tumbling oil price during the Great Recession of the late 2000s undercut the business model. Drew Endy of Stanford University believes the case for using synthetic biology to take on gasoline never stacked up. “Why would you bank your whole platform on a bulk highvolume, low-price, low-margin product? It’s baffling, not strategic,” he said. Today’s synbio firms are looking at more niche and expensive products, such as potent painkillers and cancer medicines made in yeast cells - or fabrics with novel properties, although some have only reached demonstration stage. California-based Bolt Threads recently debuted a limited edition $314 necktie made from yeast-derived spider’s silk and Japanese rival Spiber has made a concept piece spider-silk parka jacket.

Thousands of UK companies to report gender pay gap under new law LONDON, April 6, (RTRS): Britain has become one of the first countries to require large firms to report pay discrepancies between male and female employees under a law that came into effect on Thursday - as part of a push to promote gender equality in the workplace. The pay gap between British men and women is at a record low, the government said, with women earning 18 percent less than men in the UK in 2016. Closing Britain’s pay gap could add 150 billion pounds ($187 billion) to the country’s annual gross domestic product by 2025, accord-

ing to consulting firm McKinsey Global Institute. The new regulations will cover companies with at least 250 workers - which equates to more than 15 million employees or almost half of Britain’s workforce, the government said. Employers must also reveal pay gaps in bonus payments and publish the proportion of male and female staff across each salary bracket, among other requirements. “We have more women in work, more women-led businesses than ever before and the highest proportion of women on the boards of our

biggest companies,” said Minister for Women and Equalities Justine Greening in a statement. “This has helped us to narrow the gender pay gap to a record 18.1 percent - but we want to eliminate it completely.” Other countries to introduce mandatory gender pay gap reporting include Australia, which passed similar legislation in 2012, and Germany, where a forthcoming law will affect companies that have more than 500 employees. The government said the new law was part of a longer term scheme to support women in the

workplace, including investing five million pounds ($6.2 million) to help parents return to work, providing 30 hours of free childcare, and introducing shared parental leave. Women’s rights group Fawcett Society said they “strongly welcome” the gender pay gap reporting legislation. “Employers should see it as an opportunity not a threat. Through gender pay gap reporting they can address the productivity gap and get the best person for the job at the right level,” Sam Smethers, chief executive of Fawcett Society said in a statement.

Rolls-Royce over widespread bribery in January. But Jonathan Pickworth, a lawyer at White & Case which was not involved in the case, said the speedy acquittal “tells us all we need to know about what the jury thought of the prosecution case”. The SFO had alleged Reich and Contogoulas plotted with other Barclays staff between June 2005 and September 2007 to skew Libor (London interbank offered rate), a benchmark for rates on around $450

trillion of financial contracts and loans worldwide. The jury was presented with computer messages that Reich and Contogoulas sent to the bank’s Libor submitters, responsible for sending the bank’s daily cost of borrowing estimates to the banking industry association that administered Libor at the time, requesting preferential rates. But the men denied dishonesty, arguing that their bosses had condoned such requests, that they had communicated openly and that banks had com-

monly submitted rates with a commercial bias — a practice tolerated by senior industry figures at the time. Reich told the court that it was only at his trial, some 10 years after the events, that he was told Libor submitters were not allowed to take financial interests into consideration. During the trial the SFO’s only banking industry expert admitted he had broken court rules by sending texts and emails to contacts, while giving evidence in court, to check he was answering basic questions correctly.

Prosecution witness John Ewan, the former Libor manager of the British Bankers’ Association that oversaw Libor, also conceded that a bank did not break Libor rules at the time if it submitted any rate within a permissible market range. Matthew Frankland, a lawyer at Byrne and Partners who acted for one of the former Barclays bankers convicted last year, said he was “actively considering” whether new disclosures in the retrial might prompt a fresh appeal.

Brexit places Britain in an agriculture quota quandary Suppliers may see a chance to increase their market GENEVA/BRUSSELS, April 6, (RTRS): Brexit has created an administrative and diplomatic minefield for Britain by triggering a reworking of its relations in the most contentious area of international trade — agriculture. To stand on its own after it leaves the European Union, Britain needs a document setting out its own commitments at the World Trade Organization, the bedrock of global trade. Britain’s membership terms are currently included in EU’s, so it needs to disentangle itself, with less than two years on the clock. While Britain can simply replicate the EU’s tariffs, the copy-and-paste method does not work for agriculture, where EU imports are limited by 128 “quotas”, often allocated to particular suppliers. Imports of goods such as meat, cereals, fruit, milk, wine and vegetables that are not covered by a quota are subject to a much higher import tariff. Unless Britain agrees what share of

each EU quota it will take, and what tariffs apply for some 2,000 agricultural products, businesses will be flying blind. It is all supposed to be done within the two years of Brexit negotiations. Without an agreement, Britain would be in uncharted waters and might have to unilaterally announce its plans, at the risk of angering farm lobbies at home or abroad. Suppliers will want the current EU quotas to be shared out between Britain and the other 27 EU nations, and some may see it as a chance to increase the size of their market. Brazil, for example, might want to sell Britain more sugar, Thailand more rice and Switzerland more chocolate. The EU itself may also seek to cut its own quotas to reflect Britain’s leaving. “It’s going to have to be in place, not the day before Brexit but a year before Brexit because exporters and importers will want to know when they’re entering contracts,” said Alan Matthews, emeritus professor of European agriculture at Trinity College, Dublin. Under WTO rules, nobody can stop Britain putting forward new membership terms, but diplomats say the quotas represent a pressure point for

squeezing out concessions. If they felt Britain had damaged their interests, they could respond with a trade dispute and potential sanctions. Indonesia has already tabled a formal question to ask how the quotas will be handled, prompting China, Russia, the United States and Argentina to signal their interest too.

Soften No WTO partner will accept less than the current EU offer and in most cases will want more. If Britain did not agree to take on part of the EU quotas to soften that blow, it would anger EU members with which it plans a free trade pact. It would also risk higher food costs for British consumers, already a hot issue due to a weaker pound after the Brexit vote. The EU quotas cannot be easily shared out according to market size. Many are not fully used, many need translation from euros into pounds, and exporters may argue that they are being penalised because dividing the market reduces their flexibility. One strong claim for a share of the British market will come from New Zealand, since it has 80 percent of the

EU’s 284,000 tonne tariff-free lamb quota and Britain takes almost half the lamb it ships to the EU. But if Britain opens up too much, it might cause a backlash among British farmers and also give away bargaining chips that can be used in future negotiations, said Chris Downes, trade expert at Brussels-based consultancy ECCO. “A more defensive approach is probable and will, whatever the UK’s intention, likely be disputed,” Downes wrote in a paper. In a further complication, Britain needs to prepare for the possibility that it fails to reach a new trade deal with the EU. In such a scenario, France and Ireland would join China, Canada and Brazil in the fight for a slice of the British market. British farmers would have no share of the EU’s quota and suddenly face huge tariffs for selling into the EU — at rates equivalent to over 60 percent for its Scottish beef, 50 percent for its Welsh lamb or 40 percent for its cheddar. And New Zealand lamb would continue to flow in, oversupplying the British market.

Miners say they are saving jobs, creating different roles

Big miners have trouble joining technology revolution SANTIAGO/LONDON, April 6, (RTRS): Mining companies chasing the kind of technological breakthroughs made long ago in the manufacture of cars and mobile phones have unveiled eye-catching innovations ranging from vast drills and remotecontrolled trucks to second-by-second data analysis. Behind the scenes, however, there has so far been limited progress towards a transformation the companies say is more and more vital to their survival. They are being jolted into action by volatile commodity prices and the increasing difficulty and danger of accessing remaining reserves in hot, narrow seams several kilometres below ground. “There’s a big awakening in mining. The time is ripe for things to begin to change,” Anglo American’s head of technology development Donovan Waller said by telephone. A major obstacle is the massive upfront cost for innovation that firms such as Anglo, BHP Billiton and Rio Tinto

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