Happy National/Liberation Days to all

Transcription

1 tennis Page 39 THE FIRST ENGLISH LANGUAGE DAILY IN FREE KUWAIT Established in 1977 / FRIDAY-SATURDAY-SUNDAY, FEBRUARY , 2017 / JUMADA AL AWWAL , 1438 AH emergency number 112 NO PAGES 150 FILS Happy National/Liberation Days to all There will be no issue of the Arab Times on Saturday and Sunday. The next issue of the Arab Times will appear on Monday morning. See you then Other Voices US$/KD /45 Alf mabrook! By Lawrence Silverman US Ambassador to Kuwait I WARMLY congratulate the Government and people of Kuwait on the 56th anniversary of their independence and the 26th anniversary of liberation. The United States is proud to have contributed to the liberation of Kuwait and remains proud today to be a partner in a close, strategic and growing bilateral relationship. We made a commitment to Kuwait s liberation, and we helped make that a reality in Our commitment to Kuwait s defense demonstrated then continues to the present day. The United States is continuing to deliver and provide training for the capabilities that enable Kuwait s Armed Forces to deter as well as to defend against those that would seek to do harm to the nation. In the recent telephone call between President Trump and His Highness, the Amir, the President reaffirmed this strong defense partnership. I believe the US partnership with Kuwait is as mutually beneficial to our peoples now as it was back in in many ways. Silverman Euro/KD Yen/KD British /KD KSE pts at closing Feb 23 See Page 35 Dow pts at 21:45 Feb 23 See Page 36 Nasdaq pts at 21:45 Feb 23 FTSE pts at closing Feb 23 Nikkei pts at closing Feb 23 Gold $1, per oz (London) NYMEX crude $54.34 pb Brent crude $56.51 pb 3-month $ LIBOR rate % The Strategic Dialogue that the United States and Kuwait inaugurated last October in Washington will help us enhance the already close defense, economic, educational and cultural ties between our two nations. The United States and Kuwait agree that our partnership should produce practical results for our citizens. Our leaders have also agreed on the importance of strengthening bilateral economic and education at cooperation, building on the progress achieved at the Strategic Dialogue. Trade and investment between our two countries are growing; we hope that will spur both growth and innovation. More than 15,500 Kuwaiti students are studying in America. Each day those students bring their own unique set of experiences to our classrooms, lecture halls, and college student groups as their parents and grandparents did earlier. Our policy of welcoming these students to our country has not changed. These students are bringing home what they learned in America to help forge Kuwait s future. I believe in the future of close US-Kuwaiti cooperation not only in education, but in the fields of science and healthcare as well. Even as America s hospitals continue to provide excellent care to Kuwaiti patients, US health institutions provide support and training as Kuwait expands its own healthcare infrastructure. Since arriving here late last September, I have been inspired by the enduring spirit and determination of Kuwaitis who draw from their history to take on a leadership role in a region facing significant challenges. Kuwait has been appropriately recognized as a regional leader in meeting humanitarian challenges. In this way, Kuwait is investing Continued on Page 37 College Board tightens security of SAT exam BOSTON/LONDON, Feb 23, (RTRS): The owner of the SAT college-entrance exam, which has been plagued by a raft of cheating incidents overseas, outlined new security measures but stopped short of remedying the test s biggest vulnerability. The New York-based College Board said the steps include reducing the number of times the test is given outside the United States and increasing the auditing of test centers. But the not-for-profit organization did not say it would end its practice of reusing test forms overseas that were initially given in the United States the source of many of its security lapses in recent years. As Reuters reported last year, the College Board has failed to stop a widespread and known security problem. Asian test-preparation companies are gathering questions and reading passages from past SAT exams, and then giving their clients that material to practice upon. The questions later show up on SAT exams administered overseas, giving an unfair advantage to students who have seen them. The news agency also found that the College Board knowingly had administered some exams overseas that it knew had leaked. Full coverage of the cheating epidemic can be read here: investigates/section/cheat-sheet/ The problems caused by recycling tests overseas recurred as recently as last month. In its announcement, the College Board Continued on Page 37 Newswatch KUWAIT CITY: Subsidies Committee chaired by Undersecretary at the Ministry of Finance Khalifa Hamada has retained the current prices of three energy products for March, reports Al-Rai daily. The committee decided to keep the prices of Benzene, Diesel and Kerosene for February without making any changes in that regard, indicating the price of 110 fils per liter of Benzene was retained with Super (85 fils per liter), Premium (105 fils per liter), and Ultra (165 fils per liter) as determined by Cabinet last October. A reliable source was quoted as saying KPC recommended the subsidies committee to increase the price of Diesel and Kerosene next month to 120 fils per liter but the latter rejected the idea to avoid a possible inflation. Continued on Page 37 Speed replacement of expatriate advisers, MP urges government Emaar Properties joined the leadership and people of the UAE to express its warm felicitations to Kuwait on the occasion of the country s National Day with the iconic Burj Khalifa draped in the colours of Kuwait s National Flag. The celebrations on February 24 and 25, the Kuwait National Day, will witness the 828 metres (2,716.5 ft) Burj Khalifa illuminated using Kuwait s National Flag colours in a strong demonstration of solidarity and warmth with the leadership and people of Kuwait. The illuminated displays will be held every 30 minutes from 7:45 to 11.45: pm. Burj Khalifa features At the Top, Burj Khalifa SKY, at 555 metres (1,821 ft) high, which holds the Guinness World Record for the Highest Observation Deck. The tour also includes a stop-over at Level 125 that serves as a tribute to Arab arts and culture. Visitors can also tour At the Top, Burj Khalifa on Level 124. Iraqis enter Mosul airport MOSUL AIRPORT, Iraq, Feb 23, (AFP): Iraqi forces on Thursday thrust into Mosul airport on the southern edge of the jihadist stronghold for the first time since the Islamic State group overran the region in Backed by jets, helicopter gunships and drones, forces blitzed their way across open areas south of Mosul and entered the airport compound, apparently meeting limited resistance but strafing the area for suspected snipers. Right now thank God we re inside Mosul airport and in front of its terminal. Our troops are liberating it, Hisham Abdul Kadhem, a commander in the interior ministry s Rapid Response units, told AFP inside the airport. Little was left standing inside the perimeter and what used to be the runway was littered with dirt and rubble. Most buildings were completely levelled but Iraqi forces celebrated the latest landmark in the four-month-old offensive to retake Mosul. While Iraqi forces were not yet deployed in the northern part of the sprawling airport compound and sappers cautiously scanned the site for explosive devices, IS jihadists appeared to offer limited resistance. As Iraqi forces approached the airport moments earlier, attack helicopters fired rockets at an old sugar factory that stands next to the perimeter wall, sending a cloud of ash floating across the area. As they moved past the factory, an explosive device detonated next to the convoy s lead vehicle. It sent soldiers running back away from the blast but nobody was injured. The push on the airport was launched at dawn and Iraqi forces Conceptual design of the War Memorial pending approval by US Federal authorities. See Page 3 stormed it within hours from the southwest. The regional command said elite forces from the Counter-Terrorism Service were simultaneously attacking the neighbouring Ghazlani military base, where some of them were stationed before IS seized Mosul in June Control of the base and airport would set government forces up to enter Mosul neighbourhoods on the west bank of the Tigris, a month after declaring full control of the east bank. All of the city s bridges across the river are damaged. The US-led coalition has played a key role in supporting Iraqi forces with air strikes and advisers on the ground, and on Thursday US forces were seen on the front lines. The American troops are not supposed to be doing the actual fighting but in recent weeks have got so close to the front that they have come under attack, coalition spokesman Colonel John Dorrian said. They have come under fire at different times, they have returned fire at different times, in and around Mosul, Dorrian told reporters on Wednesday. He declined to say if there had been any US casualties in the attacks, but an unnamed official later told CNN that several personnel had been evacuated from the battlefield. The latest push to retake Mosul, the country s second city and the last stronghold of the jihadists in Iraq, was launched on Sunday and involves thousands of security personnel. They started closing in on the airport four days ago. It is Nationals first By Abubakar A. Ibrahim Arab Times Staff KUWAIT CITY, Feb 23: MP Khalil Al-Saleh praised Minister of Commerce and Industry and State Minister for Youth Affairs Khalid Al-Roudan for terminating the services of all expatriate advisers who were replaced with Kuwaitis. He urged other ministers to take a similar step in order to empower national workers. He asserted the government must implement the Kuwaitization policy and the first step is to appoint nationals in decision-making bodies. He asked the Council of Ministers to adopt a resolution instructing ministries and other government institutions to speed up the appointment of Kuwaiti advisers in place of expatriates. He emphasized the need for the government to lead the way in addressing the lopsided population issue. He added that correcting loopholes in the appointment procedures has become necessary due to the long list of citizens waiting for jobs. Meanwhile, the Business Environment Improvement and Small Enterprises Committee in the Parliament on Thursday approved the proposal to increase the capital of Kuwait Industrial Bank portfolio by KD 150 million which will be reimbursed by Kuwait Investment Authority (KIA) and the Ministry of Finance. Speaking to the press after the meeting, committee member MP Osama Al-Shaheen disclosed the legal duration of the portfolio s work is supposed to end this year but the panel agreed to extend the period for another 20 years. Continued on Page 37 Earth planets could hold life WASHINGTON, Feb 23, (KUNA): NASA has announced the discovery of seven exoplanets that it says are comparable to the size of Earth, and may also hold water. At a news conference Wednesday, astronomers said the planets temperate nature means they have the potential to support life. The planets are closely aligned and all orbit the same star the TRAPPIST-1 which is 40 light years away, astronomers explained. TRAPPIST-1 is believed to provide just enough energy to keep the planets warm, despite it providing 200 times less light than the Sun, astronomers noted. Continued on Page 37 Details Page 18

2 LOCAL 2 Kuwait Embassy in Jordan ceremony for celebrating the National Days. Kuwaiti Ambassador Hafeeth Al-Ajmi, senior Qatari officials during the reception. Ambassador to Belgium Jasim Al-Budaiwi during the Kuwait National Day reception. Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Sheikh Thamer cutting the ceremonial cake. Kuwaiti Ambassador Abdulrahman Al-Otaibi, Jamila Al-Otaibi and Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike. KUNA photos Kuwait Embassy in Pakistan ceremony for celebrating the National Days. Kuwaiti missions continue National Days celebrations On the occasion of National Days festivities Coptic and Armenian Churches congratulate Kuwaiti leadership KUWAIT CITY, Feb 23: The Coptic Church and Armenian Church in Kuwait congratulate Kuwaiti leadership and citizens on the occasion of the National Days festivities saying His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah is an outstanding leader in the region who s leading the country successfully to the Promised Land of peaceful co-existence, with wisdom, love and security, reports Al-Seyassah daily. Archbishop of the Coptic Orthodox for Metropolitan Jerusalem and Near East Dr Anba Antonios sent heartfelt congratulatory messages to His Highness the Amir, His Highness the Crown Prince, His Highness the Prime Minister, cabinet ministers, lawmakers and the citizens of Kuwait on occasion of the National Days. He wished everybody sustainable success, growth, and development. He prayed for Almighty God s protection of the country against all evil. In his message, leader of the Coptic Orthodox Church in Kuwait Bishop Bigol Peshawa Al-Anba commended His Highness the Amir for rare humanitarian support he extends to all Arabs and none Arabs facing difficulties. He beseeched God Almighty to bless Kuwait and her citizens with safety and security, and also prayed for peace in the nooks and crannies of the Arab world. Bishop of Armenian Orthodox in Kuwait Mases Zoboyan also congratulated His Highness the Amir, His Highness the Crown Prince, His Highness the Prime Minister, political leaders and Kuwaitis on the occasion of the Independence and Liberation Days. He lauded the Amir for the wisdom and political acumen by which he pilots the country s affairs among the comity of nations and within the region and beyond. He stressed the Amir is exceptionally tolerant and with strong passion for dialogue and listening to contrary opinions from opposing sides. He stated the Amir is a great leader worthy of emulation by everyone, because his excellent personality makes it possible for over 100 nationalities to live peacefully in the country. Amir congratulated KUWAIT CITY, Feb 23, (KUNA): Kuwaiti embassies, consulates, and diplomatic missions abroad continued Thursday to celebrate Kuwait s 56th National Day, 26th Liberation Anniversary, and 11th occasion of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah s rule of the country. The ambassador to Romania, Talal Mansour Al-Hajri, held a reception in the capital hosting senior officials, legislators, diplomats and VIPs. He addressed congratulations to His Highness the Amir, His Highness the Crown Prince and the Kuwaiti government on the happy occasions. Moreover he underscored the 54-year relationship bonding the nation with the State of Kuwait noting the mutual desire to enhance further these bonds. In Brussels, the Kuwaiti diplomatic mission organized a similar activity hosting a representative of the Royal Palace and other leading figures. Ambassador Shamlan Al-Roumi expressed his pleasure on the Kuwaiti national occasions noting the distinctive ties between Kuwait and Holland. In Germany, the mission followed suit, with the event distinguished with performance by a troupe from Kuwait s National Council for Culture, Arts and Letters. Ambassador Munther Al-Issa noted that Kuwait has been living an ongoing democratic celebration since 54 years ago, when the first legislative council was elected. Kuwaiti General Consul to Guangzhou, China, Malek Al-Wazzan, arranged an identical activity, hosting elite figures, noting that Kuwait and China have been bonded with relations since 46 years ago. In Tokyo, the Kuwaiti Embassy held a large reception, which brought some 900 guests in an atmosphere of happiness and harmony. State Ministers for Foreign Affairs Kentaro Sonoura, Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike and other high-ranking officials, political and military figures, businessmen, academics, diplomats, and media figures as well as representatives of the Japan-Kuwait Society attended the ceremony. Speech In his speech at the reception, Sonoura expressed his pleasure with the development of the relationship between Kuwait and Japan over the past 56 years. Just as the visit clearly indicates, we see steady progress in our relationship in various fields such as politics, economics and culture, through mutual visits of high-ranking officials and various public and private people-to-people exchanges, the official noted. On his part, Kuwaiti Ambassador to Japan Abdulrahman Al-Otaibi emphasized that the Kuwaiti-Japanese relations have been on a steady upward trend. This entails us to intensify our efforts in order to achieve the sought objectives highlighted by both countries officials during their repeated meetings, said the Ambassador. He took the chance to explain Kuwait s Vision 2035, which included several programs and strategic mega projects designed to achieve the highest development possible in order to raise Kuwait s ranking to the top 30 countries by In Riyadh, the Kuwaiti embassy held celebrations under the supervision of Ambassador Sheikh Thamer Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah with the attendance of senior Saudi officials as well as Arab and foreign diplomats. The Kuwaiti embassy in Jakarta, Indonesia, held a reception yesterday celebrating the national occasions with the event being attended by scores of local officials as well as Arab and foreign diplomats. In Doha, Qatar, the Kuwaiti embassy held similar celebrations. Attended by senior Qatari officials as well as Arab and foreign diplomats, the celebrations in Qatar reflected the strong ties binding Kuwait and the rest of the region and the world, said Kuwaiti Ambassador Hafeeth Al-Ajmi. While delivering a speech to the large gathering of ambassadors, diplomats, parliamentarians, journalists, business, and cultural personalities, Kuwaiti Ambassador to Belgium Jasim Al-Budaiwi lauded during the occasions the relations linking Kuwait with Belgium, the EU, and NATO, saying his country was looking forward to further enhance relations with those sides. In Islamabad, Ambassador to Pakistan Nassar Al-Mutairi hosted a reception, which gathered dozens of Pakistani ministers, senators, ambassadors of many countries and other high officials. Addressing the gathering Al-Mutairi said: On this jubilant and happy occasion, I would like to avail this opportunity to extend my sincere felicitation and benediction to His Highness the Amir, His Highness the Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah and to the government and the people of the State of Kuwait. I pray to Allah almighty to perpetuate the blessings of peace and stability on my country, he said. In Ulaanbaatar, Ambassador to Mongolia Khaled Yatim Al-Fadhli hosted a reception where Mongolian Minister of Foreign Relations Tsend Munkh-Orgil led dozens of well-wishers. In Amman, Ambassador to Jordan Dr Hamad Al-Du aij hosted a reception which brought together a large number of Jordanian ministers, lawmakers and public figures, as well as ambassadors of many countries. In Vienna, Kuwait Ambassador to Austria Mohammad Sadeq Ma rafi hosted a reception to mark the occasion with dozens of wellwishers attending. National Days celebration India congratulates Kuwait KUWAIT CITY, Feb 23: On the occasion of the National Day and the Liberation Day of Kuwait, Hon ble President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee and Hon ble Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi have extended warm greetings and heartiest felicitations to HH the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, Amir, HH the Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah, and the friendly people of Kuwait. The Indian leaders have conveyed that the two countries have enjoyed close and friendly relations Kuwait Today Prayer Timings Fajr... 05:00 Sunrise... 06:19 Dohr... 12:01 Asr... 15:17 Maghreb... 17:44 Isha... 17:01 Weather Expected weather for the next 24 hours: By Night: Clouds will decrease gradually with light to moderate easterly changing to north westerly wind, with speed of km/h with a chance for scattered rain By Day: Cloudy to partly cloudy with light to moderate freshening gradually at times easterly to south easterly wind, with speed of km/h with a chance for rain that might be thundery at times Station Max Min Exp Rec Kuwait City Kuwait Airport Abdaly Bubyan Jahra Failaka Island Salmiyah Ahmadi Nuwaisib Wafra Salmy days forecast - Weather Friday, Feb 24 Expected weather... Sunny Max Temp...23C Min Temp...08C Wind Direction... NW Wind Speed km/h Saturday, Feb 25 Expected weather... Sunny Max Temp...24C Min Temp...07C Wind Direction... NW Wind Speed km/h Sunday, Feb 26 Expected weather... Sunny Max Temp...25C Min Temp...07C Wind Direction... NW Wind Speed km/h Monday, Feb 27 Expected weather... Sunny + scattered clouds Max Temp...25C Min Temp...06C Wind Direction...NW-VRB Wind Speed km/h Marine Forecast Station Max Min Sea Today s Exp Rec Surf Waves Ht Direction South Dolphin ft W Umm Mudayrah ft W Beacon M Beacon N ft W Qaruh Island ft W based on millennia-old cultural and economic exchanges marked by extensive people-to-people contacts and that the mutual beneficial comprehensive partnership encompassing various spheres of engagement will continue to further diversify and strengthen in the years to come. They expressed best wishes for the continued progress and prosperity of the friendly people of the State of Kuwait. Indian Embassy joins members of Indian Community in greeting and extending best wishes to each and every one Kuwaiti national. Umm Al-Maradim ft W Sea Island Buo Salmiyah ft W 4 days forecast - Marine Friday, Feb 24 Expected weather... Sunny Sea state... Moderate to rough at times Wave height ft Max Temp...23C Min Temp...08C Wind Direction... NW Wind Speed km/h Saturday, Feb 25 Expected weather... Sunny Sea state... Moderate to rough at times Wave height ft Max Temp...24C Min Temp...07C Wind Direction... NW Wind Speed km/h Sunday, Feb 26 Expected weather... Sunny Sea state... Slight to moderate Wave height ft Max Temp...25C Min Temp...073C Wind Direction... NW Wind Speed km/h Monday, Feb 27 Expected weather... Sunny + scattered clouds Sea state... Slight to moderate Wave height ft Max Temp...25C Min Temp...06C Wind Direction...NW-VRB Wind Speed km/h Tide times at Shuwaikh Port 1st high tide:... 10:58 2nd high tide:... 21:06 1st low tide:... 15:24 2nd low tide:... 05:13 Sunrise:... 06:19 Sunset:... 17:43 Recorded yesterday at Kuwait Airport Max temp...21c Min temp...05c Max Rh... 47% Min Rh... 20% Max Wind...SE 21 km/h Total Rainfall in 24 hrs... 0 mm Recorded yesterday at South Dolphin Min/Max/ Air Temp...13/20 0C Min/Max Rel Hum... 31/69% Wind Direction/Wind Speed...SE/20 km/h Prev Wave Dir/Max Wave Ht...N/- ft Min/Max Sea Surface Temp... -/- C Sea Current... Downdraft Directorate General of Civil Aviation, Meteorological Dept. deaths Tareq Sultan Ali Al-Sultan Al-Samhan, 58 years old, buried. Condolences: (Men) Hateen, Block 2, Street 17, House 98, Diwan Abdulaziz Al Samhan, Tel: , (Women) Rehab, Block 1, Street 24, House 14, Tel: ; Hessah Mutlaq Saad Al-Suaid, 86 years old widow of Mubarak Bilal Saad, to be buried on Friday after Asr prayers. Condolences: Yarmouk, Block 4, Street 3, House 22, Tel: / / ; Ali Saad Hamad Alkhudher, 81 years old, buried. Condolences: (Men) Rawda, Block 4, Street 45, House 18A, Tel: , (Men) Shamiya, Block 8, Sakina Bint Al Hussain Street, House 21, Tel: ; Javad Ahmad Mohammed Al Attiya, 73 years old, buried. Condolences: (Men) Mansouriya, Block 2, Street 28, House 8, Hussainiya Al Abbassiya, Tel: , (Women) Jabriya, Block 10, Street 12, House 7, only afternoon, Tel: ; Maryam Abdullah Abdulatif Al Omar, 69 years old wife of Abdulrazzaq Ali Al-Baijan, buried. Condolences: (Men) Daiya, Block 4, Hamza Street, House 23, Diwan Al Omar, Tel: , (Women) Mishref, Block 2, Street 2, House 30, Tel: ; Bassam Abdulmutalib Javad Ahmad, 38 years old, buried. Condolences: (Men) Mansouriya, Hussainiya Al Awhad, Tel: , (Women) Surra, Block 3, Ali Bin Abi Talib Street, House 26; Ajrah Saad Mubarak Al-Azmi, 90 years old widow of Saoud Eid Mubarak, buried. Condolences: Jaber Al Ali, Block 4, Street 10, House 9, Tel: / ; Asma Adnan Fadhel Al Salman, 29 years old, buried. Condolences: (Men) Riggae, Imam Al Mahdi Mosque, Tel: , (Women) South Khaitan, Block 3, Street 94, House 172, Tel: ; Hessah Ibrahim Abdulrahman Al Saikhan, 65 years old widow of Sulaiman Rashed Abdulaziz, Al Saikhan, to be buried on Friday after Asr prayers. Condolences: (Men) Bayan, Block 9, First Street, Avenue 8, House 20, Tel: , (Women) Bayan, Block 2, Street 2, House 23, Tel: Feb 23, 2017

3 LOCAL 3 NDSWM Conceptual design of the war memorial pending approval by US Federal authorities. Operation Desert Storm story needs to be heard now more than ever: Stump Memorial to honor fallen, educate future generations By Cinatra Fernandes Arab Times Staff Operation Desert Storm, the military operation by the US-led coalition, succeeded in expelling Iraqi forces occupying Kuwait in While the trauma of the Iraqi occupation and the Gulf War has been seared into the memory of Kuwait, Scott C. Stump, who served as an infantryman with I Marine Expeditionary Force during ODS, is working to ensure that the service and sacrifice of the many soldiers who fought in this war are not forgotten. Stump is the chairman, president and chief executive officer of the National Desert Storm War Memorial Association. In this interview with the Arab Times, he discusses his efforts to construct a memorial in Washington, D.C. that will not only memorialize the fallen, but also educate Americans and future generations of this important historical event. Arab Times: Can you start by giving us a brief background of the National Desert Storm War Memorial Association? What is the mission of your organization? How does it operate? Scott Stump: The National Desert Storm War Memorial Association was something I initiated over 6 years ago. I came to the realization that many people had forgotten how important Operation Desert Storm was, what it accomplished, and those who died in Kuwait as well as on the battlefield. I recruited other likeminded Veterans to join me and assemble a team to accomplish our mission. Our mission is very simple: To erect the National Desert Storm Memorial in Washington, D.C. to remember all who served and died back in We operate as a Federally (US) Recognized Non-Profit, comprised of a 100% volunteer (Non-Paid) Team. AT: Are you working with or do you receive support from any Kuwaiti institutions and entities? SS: From the beginning I felt that it was essential to inform the Kuwaiti Government of our plans for this memorial. This was out of courtesy and respect for the Government and people of Kuwait. Desert Storm was such an important, albeit tragic event in Kuwait s history. Everyone in Kuwait was effected in one way or another. This is their memorial as well and we have to make sure that the story through the memorial is told properly. I am honored to have the privilege of working with and communicating with Ambassador Al-Sabah and the wonderful staff at The Embassy of the State of Kuwait in Washington, D.C. for over the past 3 years or so. AT: How is Desert Storm perceived by Americans today? What are the sentiments that veterans and civilians have towards it? Biography Scott C. Stump is Chairman of the Board, President, and Chief Executive Officer of the National Desert Storm War Memorial Association a federally recognized organization. He assumed the role on July 30, As CEO, Scott leads an all-volunteer Executive Leadership Team focused on the sole mission of constructing the National Desert Storm War Stump Memorial in Washington, D.C. Under his leadership tremendous progress has been made in achieving this goal, including securing federal authorization by law, to build the memorial on federal land, as well as a recommendation for an Area I location from the Secretary of the Interior. He also SS: A large number of Americans tend to overlook Desert Storm and how important it was. Some have the misconception that it was this video game war where nobody died. Veterans tend to have a much better understanding of Desert Storm. They appreciate the fact that over 600,000 Americans served, over 300 died, as well as the fact that a coalition of 33 other countries came together to do the right thing and liberate Kuwait after a murderous and horrific 7-month occupation. AT: What is the purpose of war memorials today? How do you ensure they are not seen as glorifying war? SS: The purpose of memorials in my opinion is two-fold. First to memorialize and remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice. The second purpose is to educate. Future generations need to learn and understand virtues such as sacrifice, service, courage, and to keep those virtues alive 50, 100, 200 years from now. 20 Million people visit Washington, D.C. every year. Many from other countries. My hope is that these global citizens will keep the memory and spirit of Operation Desert Storm alive for many years to come. Hopefully, if they reside in one of the coalition countries, they will be able to feel a sense of pride in knowing that their country was a very important part of a very important mission the Liberation of Kuwait! AT: Why is now the right time to build this memorial? SS: It s been 26 years since the Victory of Desert Storm. The time is now! In 2017 we find ourselves in a very negative and divisive world the story of Operation Desert Storm needs to be heard now more than ever. The coming together of these 34 leads the $25 Million Capital Campaign and continues to work with the various federal commissions while successfully navigating the 24- step process for memorials set in place and outlined by the Commemorative Works Act. He has testified before Congress as well as various federal commissions on multiple occasions while at the same time building strong and effective working relationships with these important and valuable partners. Prior to his position with NDSWM, Scott worked fifteen years in the financial services industry and has spent the past six years as a serial entrepreneur. He holds a Bachelor s of Science Degree in Criminology from Indiana State University. Scott served with the United States Marine Corps as an infantryman during Operation Desert Storm as part of the First Marine Expeditionary Force. Scott resides in Waynesville, North Carolina with his wife Robin and two teenage children. countries from 5-continents to do as President George H. W. Bush said, what is right, what is just, and what is moral. We also want to make sure that the majority of our Veterans will still be alive to visit the memorial in person and know that the world has not forgotten this epic event. AT: What stage of progress is it in presently? SS: We have currently narrowed down the final location to the final top two possibilities. We hope to have the final location by May or June of this year. This follows an exhaustive process to obtain permission to build the memorial on federal land in Washington. On May 28th 2014 Congress voted in support of constructing the memorial, while the President signed into law the authorization on December 19th We hope to complete the process sometime in AT: Why does the US government not fund the building of the memorial? How do these undertakings usually work? SS: We decided to not go the route of seeking federal funding for the memorial. This decision was based on wanting to be good stewards and not encumbering the U.S. Taxpayer with our project. We felt it was important to do this on our own, for our own. Some memorials seek federal funding which as you can imagine, increases the duration of the project and also complicates the entire process. AT: Can you give us details about the proposed design? SS: The proposed design came about through the hard work and efforts of Randy Schumacher of CSO Architects in Indianapolis, IN. It was Randy s creative genius which developed the left-hook design after eliciting input from Vet- erans and family members of Veterans over several months. We also want to incorporate aspects of the Kuwaiti desert landscape which will set this memorial apart from all others and reflect the Middle Eastern geography and topography where this war was fought. AT: What are the challenges you face as an organisation? SS: Our challenges are probably no different than those of any other non-profit all-volunteer organizations. Finding people who have a passion for our mission and are willing to work as hard as if they were being paid, is the number one challenge that I, along with our team continue to face. Most everyone thinks what we are doing is great, and they jump in with both feet. Even though I warn them that what we are doing is not easy and requires a lot of dedication and effort, once they find out how difficult the work really is, they tend to disappear rather quickly. Also, like most other non-profits we have to constantly work hard to raise the funding to cover all of our costs associated with the building of the memorial such as the site selection, engineering and design costs which will only grow larger. AT: If you had to estimate, how long do you suppose it would take for the monument to be built? SS: We would like to have the memorial completed and dedicated sometime in Many things are out of our control, especially when dealing with the various commissions and various governmental agencies. However, we feel that this timeline is realistic based on where we are currently due to the amount of progress, we have achieved thus far, which is significant. AT: In what ways can people support the memorial? SS: There are several ways people can support the memorial. First of all, they can help us spread the word so that everyone in Kuwait and around the globe are aware of what we are doing. As President George H. W. Bush stated a week after Kuwait was liberated, this was a victory not just for the U.S. but for the Kuwaitis, the coalition, and the world. Good triumphed over evil and this can never be forgotten. Also, since we are 100% privately funded, people who are so inclined may donate to the memorial effort at: ndswm.org or by mail: NDSWM P.O. Box Washington, D.C.,

4 LOCAL 4 French Language Dept at Arts College holds Francophone Evening Photos from the event Department of French Language and Culture at the College of Arts recently organized Francophone Evening inside the Islamic Antiquities Dar in Yarmouk. The event happened under the auspices of Sheikha Hessah Sabah Al-Salem. Other officials present included Coordinator General for the event- Dean of the College of Arts Professor Suad Al-Abdulwahab, acting Chairman of French Department Dr Yaqoub Al-Shammari, Vice Dean for Academic Affairs Professor Abdul-Hadi Al-Ajmi, other members of the department s academic staff and students. Kuwait counting on Al-Harbi for turnaround in health sector: Al-Azb Health Minister possesses strong vision on reforms By Abdul-Rahman Al-Shammari and Marwa Al-Bahrawi Al-Seyassah Staff KUWAIT CITY, Feb 23: The country is counting on the Minister of Health Dr Jamal Al-Harbi for a turnaround in the health sector, especially as he is a medical practitioner and considered one of the most competent citizen, said the Minister of Justice Dr Faleh Al-Azb. Speaking on whether or not the Health Minister tendered resignation, Dr Al-Azb said he was not aware of such development and did not have any official information in that regard. He noted Dr Al-Harbi possesses a strong vision on reform and administration. Meanwhile, Dr Al-Harbi continued the acts of reform Farwaniya, Capital Governorates hold Farhat Watan By Fares Al-Abadan Al-Seyassah Staff KUWAIT CITY, Feb 23: The society development centers of Farwaniya and Capital Governorates organized an event titled Farhat Watan (Happiness of a Nation) for celebrating the Independence Day and Liberation Day of Kuwait. On this occasion, Undersecretary of Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor Dr Matar Al-Mutairi said the country and its people this year are celebrating the 56th Independence Day of Kuwait, 26th Liberation Day of Kuwait as well as the 11th anniversary of reign of His Highness the Amir of Kuwait Sheikh Sabah Al- Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah. He stressed that the National Days celebrations are dear to every citizen, and reflect their patriotic feelings towards the state which is keen about upholding their rights. Dr Al-Mutairi affirmed that the State of Kuwait will always put citizens on top of its priorities. in his ministry by issuing some decisions to reshuffle some senior officials and restructure the sectors. He removed supervision of the health regions and citizens service from the Office of the Undersecretary Dr Khalid Al-Sahlawi and went ahead to restructure the supervision of assistant undersecretaries on the sectors, affecting the medical specialization institutes and general committees. The minister now leaves only four sectors under the Office of Undersecretary, which include Public Relations and Media, Overseas Medical Treatment, health offices abroad, and Legal Consultancy. Assistant Undersecretary for Legal Affairs now oversees five sectors, including the technical, primary health care, old people medical services, school health and health regions, while the Assistant Undersecretary for Medical Services now deals with the medical licenses, vocational health, medical enhancement and general medical council. Also, the Assistant Undersecretary for Planning and Quality Control now takes charge of seven sectors, covering accreditation, quality control, training, development, National Health Information Center, medical development office, Regional Office for Patients Safety Assurance, information systems, planning and followup, while the minister now oversees citizens service sector directly. Chairman of Kuwait Nursing Association Bandar Al- Enezi has denied reports of strike held by members of the nursing staff, affirming that the association will express its demands and requirements using legal methods and holding a strike will be the last option, reports Al-Anba daily. He stressed that the demands of the association will be within the interests and rights of nurses, affirming that the association will not intervene in any other political matters. Al-Enezi commended the Undersecretary of Ministry of Health Dr Khalid Al-Sahlawi for his support towards the nursing staff, especially with the latest decision to give two-day weekly offs to Kuwaiti nurses. He indicated that meetings will be held between the association and leaders of the ministry next phase to solve all the problems and obstacles that nursing staff of both genders face. Second Vice-Chairman of Kuwait Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) Abdulwahab Muhammad Al-Wazan on Monday received Executive Chairman of Kuwait International Automobile Club Essa Hamza Al-Failakawi, representative of the International Federation Rani Wahbi and Director for International Relations Muhammad Al-Hamdan. They tackled the enforcement of Transport International Routers (TIR) in line with the decision of the fi nance ministers and customs directors in GCC countries. Al-Failakawi pointed out the TIR is implemented in most countries around the world, explaining that it facilitates transportation of goods. He added the implementation of TIR will contribute to ongoing efforts in raising the classification of Kuwait according to the international Logistic Criteria. No monitoring on participating firms Kuwait real-estate organizers commit breach with impunity KUWAIT CITY, Feb 23: Organizers of real-estate exhibitions in Kuwait have been committing violations of various kinds due to lack of any impediment or deterrent measures by concerned authorities, reports Al- Shahed daily quoting sources. They lamented that the increasing number of such exhibitions has led to overwhelming chaos that is very difficult to contain under the absence of any kind of monitoring on the participating companies or licensing of the organizers of these exhibitions. The sources revealed that about five exhibitions were organized in defiance to the Ministry of Commerce and Industry and exhibitors were brought together without the approval of the concerned monitoring authorities. The sources went on to reveal that several cases of cheating and swindling have occurred in some of these exhibitions, such as about 420 clients have not been able to recover the monies they invested in buying lands in Turkey, Egypt, and Bosnia and Herzegovina through these exhibitions. Meanwhile, the real-estate organizing institute affiliated to Dubai Land Department has obliged realestate brokers to obtain official permit before marketing any real-estate outside the country. They stressed the need for the brokers to meet a number of conditions such as presenting a copy of property ownership certified by the UAE embassy and Ministry of Foreign Affairs and translated into Arabic in addition to a letter from the concerned country on the mechanism of ownership of that real estate. Employees of the Connections Department at Ministry of Electricity and Water have requested their office in Subhan to be furnished, saying it lacks certain amenities and hinders their official activities, reports Al-Anba daily. The employees disclosed that furnishing was partially done and the location served as a store before it was transformed to an independent department. They stressed the place is spacious but shortage of services scares the employees when they think of their fate during the summer. They declared the heat wave and sandstorm are likely to affect the building. The most notable of their problems is foul odor emanating from unequipped toilets and the Technical Services Department tried to deal with the major problem but the employees were afraid the odor could resurface later when the temperature reaches its peak, they lamented. Another problem raised was the obscurity of the main gate from the highway that amounts to danger, indicating the nature of the place is so bad that flying stone scenario is inevitable and this could affect their cars. They have since requested danger allowance to cater for the problem.

5 LOCAL 5 MP proposes amending law to allow citizenship to Kuwaitis expat wives Provision should be applicable even if wife is bedoun KUNA photo KRCS chairman Dr Hilal Al-Sayer during his meeting with Djibouti s Ambassador to Kuwait Mohammad Ali-Moumen. Al-Sayer holds meet with Djibouti s envoy Kuwait Red Crescent Society (KRCS) fi rmly supports all efforts that run parallel to the society s foreign policy, which is based on benevolence and philanthropy, KRCS Chairman Dr Hilal Al-Sayer said on Thursday. Speaking to KUNA after meeting with Djibouti s Ambassador to Kuwait Mohammad Ali Moumen, Al-Sayer said that KRCS is willing and ready to work with humanitarian organizations in the Northeastern African nation. Meanwhile, the Djiboutian envoy told KUNA that his country highly appreciates Kuwait s humanitarian efforts that have mitigated the affliction of the human race. He also applauded KRCS for its support of impoverished nations across the African continent, noting that an aid package earmarked for Djibouti is in the works. On the meeting, Moumen pointed out that he was acquainted with humanitarian endeavors KRCS has undertaken across large swathes of the globe. Govt economic reforms debate on March 14 MP reveals 3 files on agenda to be discussed on March 7th KUWAIT CITY, Feb 23: Head of parliament s Priorities Committee MP Thamer Al-Swait revealed that the committee has listed three files in its agenda to be discussed during the March 7th meeting, which are the Abdullah Bay, report of the Defense and Interior Affairs Committee on the citizenship law, and report of the Legal Affairs and Legislation Committee on the juvenile law, reports Al-Qabas daily. In his statement, MP Al-Swait explained that the March 14th session has been allocated for discussing the government s economic reform document, the decision of Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor concerning social aid, and the report of the Finance Committee regarding the charges and fees for using public utilities and services, which consist of fuel, electricity and water, as well as the report of the Interior and Defense Committee concerning review of constituencies. Meanwhile, a member of the parliament s Priorities Committee MP Mohammad Al-Dallal revealed that initial agreement has been reached concerning including the amendment of the juvenile law and Abdullah Bay in the agenda along with the government s work plan, which the National Assembly Speaker Marzouq Al-Ghanim is due to endorse in order for it to be listed in the agenda of the next session. Minister of Justice and State Minister for National Assembly Affairs Faleh Al-Azeb affirmed that the issue related to amending the law on cancelation of increased fuel, electricity and water prices will not be listed in the agenda of the coming parliamentary session on March 7th, reports Al-Shahed daily. He indicated that the law will be listed in the agenda of the March 14th session following discussions on the government s economic reform document. Al-Azeb said, due to the link between the amendment to the aforementioned law and the economic reform document, they decided to postpone discussions on the amendment to after the economic reform document is discussed. KUWAIT CITY, Feb 23: MP Marzouq Al-Khalifa has submitted a proposal to amend Section 2 of Article 8 in the Amiri Decree No. 15/1959 concerning Kuwaiti citizenship in order to allow issuance of citizenship to expatriate women married to Kuwaiti men and have children, reports Al-Anba daily. He proposed that, in cases where the marriage is terminated by death of the Kuwaiti husband, the expatriate wife has children from the deceased, and she managed to maintain her legal residency in Kuwait for at least five years since the day of her marriage, the expatriate wife should be granted Kuwaiti citizenship, even if she did not show interest in becoming a citizen prior to her husband s demise. Al-Khalifa indicated that this provision should be applicable even if the wife is a Bedoun resident of Kuwait. He explained that Section 1 of Article 8 in the Amiri Decree No. 15/1959 on Kuwaiti citizenship requires the expatriate wife to declare her interest in becoming a Kuwaiti citizen before the marriage ends through death. According to Al-Khalifa, this condition of declaring intention is unjustified and an unnecessary requirement, considering that the woman has become a widow, is a resident of Kuwait and has children in this country. This makes her a vital pillar of the family tie from every aspect. There is no reason behind depriving a widow of Kuwaiti nationality and separating her from her children, especially after the death of her Kuwaiti husband. Al-Khalifa proposed the cancellation of the condition requiring expatriate women with children to declare her intention of becoming a Kuwaiti citizen in case of the death of their husband. He also suggested introducing a new subsection which does not differentiate between a wife of a certain nationality and one without nationality. The Kuwaiti-Japanese Businesspersons Committee on Monday held its fi rst meeting for the year, presided over by head of the Kuwaiti team Tareq Bader Salem Al-Mutawa. The meeting was a preparatory procedure for the 21st annual general assembly of the committee slated for October in Kuwait. The members deliberated on issues to be included in the agenda for 200,000 travelled on holidays KUWAIT CITY, Feb 23: The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has disclosed that the number of travelers from Kuwait International Airport to spend the national holidays abroad from Wednesday to Sunday reached 200,000 on 300 flights of various airlines. In a statement to the press, the DGCA said the destinations of most travelers include Turkey, Dubai, Sharm elsheikh and Cairo. It also affirmed the readiness of all security units in the airport to facilitate procedures and ensure the comfort and safety of passengers, while calling for cooperation of everyone to prevent congestions particularly during peak hours. the forthcoming annual general assembly such as the economy, investment collaboration, sources of energy and renewable energy. Other issues discussed were cooperation in the medical fi eld, collaborative efforts to promote small and medium enterprises, support and guide for patent owners, smart city and improving the communication systems. Oct 6, 2016

6 LOCAL 6 DIWANIYA A DIGEST OF PUBLIC OPINION KUNA photo First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah received separately Thursday the newly appointed Ambassadors of Iraq and Swaziland, Ala Majid Al-Hashimi and Sujta Dlamini, respectively. The meetings were attended by Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Khaled Suleiman Al-Jarallah in addition to the senior officials at the foreign ministry. (KUNA) Tusk lauds Kuwaiti efforts to boost democratic values Other Voices Opportunities for a few Obstacle in moral reforms By Ahmad Al-Sarraf How did a group of politicians of ill-repute and lack of understanding, especially those affiliated to religious parties, manage to come to power and succeeded in getting closer to the government? The answer lies in two key factors and other less important factors. The first factor lies in the ignorance of most senior officials or rather they ignore the risk imposed by these people on society and the peaceful co-existence. The government has handed over many vital departments in the state institutions to these people, particularly the Ministry of Education and as a result these people have succeeded in becoming influential because of the army of those officials who support their ideas. The second fact is related to the fortunes they have amassed and their success in functioning in various fields, not to mention their personal wealth which has given them the power at the personal and organizational level. A few days ago, MP Ahmad Al-Fadhel told the National Assembly there are two lawmakers who have benefited from the Patients Relief Fund which has opened 150 stores and restaurants licensed by the Ministry of Health free of charge and rented them to the two MPs, and perhaps to others. Three days later, MP Adel Al-Damkhi, a member of a wellknown religious party, and former president of the Human Rights Association, who succeeded in muting its voice after taking it over from the weak liberals admitted to the press that he has invested in the shops of the Patients Relief Fund by helping a company, in which he owns 34 percent shares to invest in 19 shops out of Need to foster ties with EU Al-Sarraf News in Brief MoI clarifies report: General Department of Public Relations and Media Security in Ministry of Interior clarified that the audio clip circulating on social media of a dispatch message sent from the ministry s Operations Room to all police personnel in which they were urged to be careful and take extra precaution, was sent more than one year ago. In a press statement issued by Ministry of Interior, the department affirmed that the security personnel are the vigilant eyes of the nation with the aim of preserving peace and security in this country. It urged users of social media to avoid provoking unnecessary chaos by spreading baseless and false news and rumors, stressing the need for them to verify any news they receive before they send it to others in order to preserve the social security and stability of the country. Principal insulted: A young Kuwaiti citizen insulted the Deputy Principal of a girls secondary school in Mishref area when he came to collect one of his relatives from the school, says Al-Seyassah daily. According to the police report, the deputy principal went to the police station of the area and filed a case against the 150 and that was more than 10 years ago. The question or a number of questions that arise here goes like this: Is it really investment or benefit? Why investment right was given to these two MPs in particular? Was it done through bidding? Do the officials in the Fund believe in the principle of transparency? Why did they accept too little for their charity society while their friends belonging to their party get the lion s share of the income from these shops in the form of rent, in vital locations, electricity, water and free services, and why they have ignored the reports of the Audit Bureau which has accused the Ministry of Health of depriving the state of millions of dinars by failing to collect one penny from the Fund in exchange for rent, electricity and other services provided to these shops? Why the Board of the Fund, all bearded men ignored the calls from the Ministry of Finance for four years that the Ministry of Health should vacate the shops and other facilities in all hospitals and open bidding for all? What is the difference between them and others, as long as they are all religious? We expect the other MP, who has invested in the shops of the Fund to reveal his name. He knows that we know him as one of the main figures who stands against the process of reform of ethics of the people of Kuwait, which were very good before he was somehow granted the Kuwaiti nationality. Note: Supposedly, logically and religiously, the Islamists, especially who belong to religious parties, are much virtuous than others, but in reality most of them are just the opposite, just look around you. habibi.enta1@gmail.com the suspect, accusing him of humiliating an employee while on duty and insulting her at her workplace. Investigations have been launched to find and arrest the youth as well as to determine the circumstances surrounding the incident. Hashish seized: An Arab expatriate was arrested at Kuwait International Airport for attempting to smuggle two pieces of hashish into the country, says Al-Seyassah daily. According to sources, customs officers were security check of the luggage of the arriving passengers when they came across the bag of an Arab expatriate in which they found a plastic pack containing a substance which they suspected was hashish. When they questioned the Arab expat, he confessed that it is hashish and he was planning to sell it. He was arrested and referred with the hashish to the concerned authorities for necessary legal action. Meanwhile, an Asian expatriate was arrested at Kuwait International Airport for attempting to smuggle narcotic pills into the country. After customs officers found the narcotic pills inside his bag, they questioned the suspect, who confessed that he was planning to sell them to his clients in Kuwait. BRUSSELS, Feb 23, (KUNA): The President of the European Council Donald Tusk has praised Kuwait s efforts to enhance democratic values and freedoms, pointing out that, this made Kuwait a unique state in the region. This came during the presentation ceremony of the credential letter of Kuwait s ambassador to the European Union (EU) Jassim Al-Budaiwi Wednesday evening. Ambassador Al-Budaiwi in a statement to KUNA said that he conveyed the greetings of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, to Tusk, and his wishes of more progress and prosperity to the EU member states. Tusk emphasized on the importance of EU-Kuwaiti relations and lauded the international prestige and respect for the State of Kuwait, especially in its multiple efforts in many areas, most notably humanity. Al-Budaiwi praised the progress in Kuwaiti-European relations as evident from the recent signing of the cooperation agreement that includes multiple areas to strengthen and activate these relations, including political, security and economic fields, and the training of Kuwaiti cadres in many European institutions. The Kuwaiti envoy added that the coming period will witness the exchange of high-level visits between Kuwait and the EU that will contribute to strengthening further the bilateral relations and open up new prospects for cooperation between the two sides. Meanwhile, the General Secretariat of the Supreme Council for Planning and Development (GSSCPD) signed on Thursday a deal with Canada s Ottawa University to lay out a development strategy for the years The agreement with a Canadian government center affiliated with Ottawa University also aims to reshape development plans, GSSCPD s Secretary-General Khaled Mehdi told the press, as he spoke of how well-versed the Canadian school is in this field. Meanwhile, Eric Champion, an official at the Canadian government center, said that the crux of the center s work is to assist the government to bring development plans to fruition. Barrak sent for checkup KUWAIT CITY, Feb 23: The General Department of Correctional Institutions has referred former MP Musallam Al-Barrak to the Forensic Medicine Department at the request of the investigator for medical examination to get a certified medical report on the extent of injuries he may have sustained during the assault on him a few days ago inside the Central Prison, reports Al-Rai daily. According to sources, Al-Barrak was accompanied by security forces from the correctional institutions and the Special Forces personnel. The sources added, according to the initial report there are no fractures but a small bruise above the eyebrow. Mutual respect to strengthen ties Kuwait, Iraq must boost trade SINCE the issue of the Kuwait/Iraq borders has been duly settled by the UN Security Council Resolution No. 833 of 1993 and the topic of organizing navigation in the Abdullah Bay was settled via the agreement that was concluded between the State of Kuwait and Iraq in 2012, it is needless to say our vision for the future relations with Iraq should be based on farsightedness columnist Dr Hamed Al-Humoud wrote for Al-Qabas daily. In other words our relations with Baghdad should not rely only on the agreements and think that Iraq has changed since many political powers are currently competing inside Iraq and this means one of these powers is likely to exploit the question of the Iraqi/Kuwaiti relations for selfish narrow interests. In this context, we elucidate that Iraq not long ago was ruled by a dictator who was capable of imposing specific orders and even toy with the emotions of the Iraqis towards the State of Kuwait. In other words, Iraq in spite of its internal problems has been transformed into a democratic system as a result of struggles among the current competing political powers. Of course when I say we have to adopt farsightedness in dealing with Iraq, I don t mean these visions should contribute to the political process of Iraq, but what I mean is this vision should contribute to the formation of the Iraqi vision in their relations with Kuwait and this can be realized by promoting the Kuwait goodwill towards Iraq. However, this Kuwaiti goodwill cannot be promoted inside Iraq through media campaigns but in an indirect manner by increasing investments inside Iraq by the Kuwaiti private sector as well as by boosting spiritual relations between a big denomination of the Kuwaiti citizens with the Iraqi holy places, given the fact the room is still open to promote the Kuwaiti goodwill among the Iraqis. In the meantime, we have to keep in mind that promoting goodwill falls within our attempts to efficiently boost the Kuwaiti/Iraqi relations and this means we have to understand the history of modern Iraq and Al-Humoud the accompanying tragedies which the Iraqis were subjected to. In this connection, we say the torment of the Iraqis increased following the downfall of the royal regime in Iraq in Moreover, the torment doubled during the reign of Saddam Hussein from 1979 to Under the rule of Saddam Hussein, Iraq in 1980 found itself involved in the Iraq/Iran war which was fought over eight years and which claimed thousands of lives and injured and displaced millions of Iraqis. We in Kuwait also suffered from Saddam Hussein s injustice for seven months. Given the above, we infer that the Iraqis for thirty-seven years have harvested nothing except wars to such an extent we venture to say the only peaceful period in Iraq during this thirty-seven years was during which the United Nations imposed economic sanctions on Baghdad although during the period of the sanctions even the Iraqi professors were not in a position to earn daily bread for their families. Anyway, the Iraqi ruler who always played tricks no longer exists. In other words, the rulers who used to cheat the people through fabrications of some borders with its neighboring countries has vanished and we at the moment are before another Iraq. In other words, the Kuwaitis and the Iraqis must be reciprocal at the political, cultural and economic levels which are currently open before the two parties. In this connection, I was pleased indeed to see the Kuwaiti novelist Ismail Fahd Ismail being honored in the City of Basra, Iraq. Speaking of the Kuwaiti vision for 2035 which aims among other things to transform the State of Kuwait into a financial and commercial hub, we suggest this vision should also keep in mind the significance of boosting economic cooperation between the State of Kuwait and Iraq, particularly since we know that the latter is eagerly looking forward to benefit from the Kuwaiti experience in the field of commercial and banking services. Also: It looks like that the United States of America has currently embarked on a new cold and sectarian war in the Middle East region, columnist Hesham Al-Diwan wrote for Al-Shahed daily. In other words, Washington at the moment is planning to create a new cold war in this part of the world to supersede the cold war which lasted for more than five decades between the former East Camp led by the erstwhile Soviet Union and the West Camp led by the United States of America. During that period, however, the two camps were divided by the domination of the potentials of the entire world between them, given the fact that this development surfaced post World War II seemingly dictated by the US fear of the promotion of the communist thought in the world. Such being the case, Washington vehemently encountered this thought everywhere including inside the US and this was realized in many ways including exposure, blackmail, trials for those who embraced this thought to such an extent Washington even sidelined many Congressmen, prominent businessmen, artists, writers, industrialists, media men and the unionists. Speaking of the cold war, this term was actually used to describe a state of struggle, tension and rivalry that governed the relations between the then two superpowers and their allies and it lasted from the mid-1940s until the beginning of 1990s. For the time being, however, it seems the US is planning to establish an Arab-Islamic sectarian military alliance in the Middle East on the pretext of halting the Iranian expansion in this part of the world. In this context, we say this international coalition was formed against the former Iraqi president Saddam Hussein in the name of curbing Saddam s expansionist ambitions and founding an Arab coalition to contradict this slogan that was adopted by the Al-Baath Party of Iraq which said One Arab Nation with an Eternal Message given the fact Al-Baath Party was founded by the Syrian political activist Michel Aflaq. However, it was earlier reported that Aflaq had embraced Islam just before his death. Anyway, curbing of Saddam Hussein s ambitions and project, had required that the latter should wage a war on Iran and eventually commit the crime of invading Kuwait alleging the liberation of Palestine will be through Kuwait. However, during the period of thirteen years from 1990 up to 2003, Saddam Hussein created a reason for the US to black out the entire Gulf region and eventually pushed it to make concessions to Israel and closed an eye to the latter s project of founding a pure Jewish State in Palestine. Now the foundation of a new military alliance will be directed against Iran in favor of Israel. We say the above, although we concede that there are some silly and chronic sectarian struggles that have nothing to do with the religion in the region. In the meantime, we have to concede that both Turkey and Iran are looking forward to restore their influence in the Middle East region. This serious rivalry among the States in this part of the world to possess sophisticated military weapons which has coincided with the appearance of some terrorist organization which are promoting Islamic slogan in addition to such a state of security turmoil which currently prevails in the region represent a part and parcel of the US project in the region which shall eventually serve the interests of Israel. Given the above, we wonder, if we in this part of the world are in need of a new war even if it is tinted with sectarianism, but the question is who will benefit from it. We are exposed to administrative, technical and medical slackness. Sadly, a similar situation is witnessed in sports sector with regard to our youth. It s mandatory to consider the physical and fitness status of youths participating in outdoor games in extreme cold weather, columnist Tareq Idris wrote for Al Seyassah daily. There is no doubt the tragic loss of late Faisal Talal Al-Mutairi (may God have mercy on him) without identifying the circumstances of his death or his health condition during a training match and injury sustained by another youth known as Al-Rushaidi require pondering over to make sure a comprehensive medical supervision of the clubs and sports arena is available not only in official games but training sessions. There s need to provide highlyexperienced doctors to diagnose illnesses that have negative impact on sports. Public Authority for Sports knows the importance of health and medical treatment for all categories of youth and we urge concerned authorities to conduct medical checkup on all members of the sports team to avoid recurrence of tragedy. What is the use of the KD 42 million accruable to the government as revenues from court verdicts or legal fees if the Ministry of Justice cannot collect it due to the fact that the affected people have left the country, it is difficult to trace their addresses or the execution orders are missing from the civil number and several other reasons cited by the parliament s Budget Committee, Waleed Ibrahim Al-Ahmad wrote for Al-Rai daily. What is the use of the seized precious stones worth $40 million (five pieces of diamonds seized since 2007) and other precious items worth KD 73,000 over which the Ministry of Justice did not act on time?! Let us extend further in a more comprehensive manner by asking about the forgotten national wealth. This will make us ask about the observations contained in the State Audit Bureau s report of 2014/2015 fiscal year. It revealed wastage of a huge amount of money that is far beyond all the subsidies. Several government departments and agencies failed to collect an outstanding amount of over KD 3 million, which was around $10 million, according to a report published in Al-Rai newspaper on August 18, 2016!!! After years of hard rule in many parts of the Arab world, the soft political movement has begun work in drawing a reasonable and acceptable end to the wars that failed to achieve their objectives, Abdulmohsen Yousef wrote for Al-Qabas daily. With the newly-elected US President Donald Trump in power to lead the US policy, a wave of fresh air has swept among the conflicting parties which might help some parties to bolster their political work under the impression that it will perhaps be beneficial in the next negotiations among the conflicting parties. The rush of President Trump to lead the US policy will not continue for long, especially with the obstacles that his administration is facing that the accusations he leveled against the US media. Perhaps, the hesitation of Trump to carry out his threat of ousting 11 million illegal residents might weaken his internal credibility as well as his manner of dealing with the European Union. All of the aforementioned factors make the US rush to set the Middle East on fire with new wars an untimely credible matter. In consideration of that, we find the move taken by Arabs is wise as well as the intense deliberation among the parties, especially after making sure that self-diplomacy and lack of dependence on others represent the true hope in finding good solutions that will be accepted by all parties. Every new minister in the government was chosen without considering their lack of sufficient political experience which will qualify them to deal with the situation in their ministry. This is the same problem that Minister of Health is facing in his ministry, Talal Al-Saeed wrote for Al-Seyassah daily. All new ministers seem to think that blowing all issues out of proportion is the way to reform and solving of problems in Kuwait. With the speed of changes and reshuffles in the ministries, each minister first pushes back his predecessors before imposing his vision. It will then be time for him to prepare for leaving the ministry, which then receives another minister of the same kind who does the same things. In this way, they end up wasting time and not realizing any achievements in that ministry. The minister might be qualified for his career, and might have clean hands and reformative goals but all these qualifications are not enough compared to political experience which he needs in order to deal with the reality. He needs to benefit from the existing experiences and then impose his vision. Every new minister first becomes Saddamist in either dismissing people or referring them for retirement. Compiled by Zaki Taleb

7 LOCAL 7 Court Cases 10-year-jail upheld Court fines Kuwaiti blogger in envoy s defamation case By Jaber Al-Hamoud Al-Seyassah Staff KUWAIT CITY, Feb 23: The Misdemeanor Court has convicted the Kuwaiti owner of the Twitter account economy center, fining him KD 5,000 for offending a Kuwaiti ambassador by accusing him of being involved in the infamous case known as multimillion-dinar deposits. Representing the ambassador was Lawyer Ibrahim Muhammad Al- Kandari, who sued the Twitter user for posting false allegations on his Twitter account to claim that his client is involved in the multimillion-dinar deposit case. Meanwhile, the Criminal Court sentenced Al-Kandari two employees of Ministry of Interior to five-year imprisonment and termination from their jobs, a businesswoman to five-year imprisonment and an Egyptian consultant to seven-year imprisonment, and fined others KD 80,000 each due to their involvement in smuggling wanted individuals out of the country and receiving money for their services. 10-yr-jail upheld: The Court of Cassation presided over by Judge Ahmad Al-Ajeel rejected an appeal filed by a Kuwaiti citizen who used to work in Kuwait Municipality and was accused of financing terrorism by collecting donations for DAESH terrorist organization, and taking part in fights in Syria and Iraq for DAESH. The court upheld the verdict issued by the Court of Appeals, which sentenced the defendant to ten-year imprisonment and a fine of $30,000 or equivalent amount in Kuwaiti dinars. The Public Prosecution accused the citizen of joining a banned organization (DAESH). He also convinced others to join DAESH and collected money to fund the group. The prosecution also accused him of fighting on the side of the banned group against Iraq and Syria without the permission from the Government of Kuwait. This act was considered to be hostile against foreign countries and could jeopardize Kuwait s relations with those countries. Earlier, the lower court had acquitted the citizen from the charges of joining the banned group, and it refrained from issuing verdict on the other charges leveled against him. 3 years for forgery: The Court of Appeals presided over by Judge Sa ad Mutawali upheld the verdict issued by the Court of First Instance, which sentenced a lawyer, who was accused of forging an official document, to threeyear imprisonment and payment of KD 500 for suspension of the verdict execution until the final ruling. The lawyer was accused of forging official document in form of fake power of attorney, which he claimed was issued by Ministry of Justice. He used the document with the concerned staff and filled wrong information in the document, claiming ownership of a trading company that deals with renting and leasing of land and real-estate properties. He was also accused of using a license issued by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry which had been canceled. Divorce dispute: Lawyer Mubarak Al-Khashab on behalf of a client (husband) filed lawsuit imploring a court to order the divorcee of his client (the defendant) to pay temporary compensation of KD5001 for not abiding by a court order issued in favor of the plaintiff. Lawyer Al-Khashab presented vital documents to establish the fact that his client was denied the right to see his children several times. KUNA photo Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Sheikh Khaled Al-Jarrah Al-Sabah during his meeting with Bahrain s Deputy Interior Minister Lieutenant General Adel Khalifa Al-Fadhel. Kuwait, Bahrain in security talks Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Sheikh Khaled Al-Jarrah Al- Sabah has discussed with Bahrain s Deputy Interior Minister Lieutenant General Adel Khalifa Al-Fadhel issues of bilateral interest. The Ministry of Interior said in a statement on Thursday Minister Sheikh Khaled discussed with Lieut Gen Al-Fadhel bases of security cooperation between the two brotherly News in Brief Military ties talks: Army Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Mohammad Al-Khodher held talks with Brigadier- General David San Clemente, Chief of US Office of Military Cooperation, Defense Ministry announced Wednesday. The two sides discussed a number of important subjects of joint interest, including ways to enhance and strengthen Kuwaiti-US military cooperation, Moral Guidance and Public Relations Department of Defense Ministry Al-Khodher said in a statement. The talks were attended by Major-General Ahmad Abdulwahab Al-Amiri, Army Deputy Chief of Staff for planning in the Kuwaiti Army. (KUNA) Six rifles found: Six assault rifles (Kalashnikov), bullets and parts of weapons were found discarded in Jahra desert area, says Al-Seyassah. According to security sources, when the Operations Room of Ministry of Interior received information from a citizen who came across the discarded weapons, some of which were partially burnt, securitymen rushed to the location to discover the weapons were six assault rifles (Kalashnikov), bullets and a paper bag containing parts of weapons. Officers from the Bomb Squad were summoned to deal with the weapons. They also combed the area to find any other discarded weapons but did not come across more of the kind. Necessary action was taken. countries, regional and Gulf security issues. Lieut Gen Al-Fadhel conveyed greetings of the Kingdom of Bahrain to the State of Kuwait, namely the leadership, the government and the people on the occasion of the national days. He also affirmed harmony of the two GCC states toward various affairs, pondered during the meeting. (KUNA) Probe ordered 1 dies in mishap By Meshal Al-Sanousi Al-Seyassah Staff KUWAIT CITY, Feb 23: A Kuwaiti citizen died and another sustained injuries when two vehicles collided on Salmi Road. According to security sources, when the Operations Room of Ministry of Interior received information about the accident on Salmi Road, securitymen, paramedics and firefighters rushed to the location and pulled out the victims from the vehicles to discover one had died while the other sustained serious injuries. The corpse was referred to the Forensics Department and the injured victim was referred to the nearest hospital. The vehicles were removed from the road and the traffic was organized. Investigations have been launched to determine the cause of the accident. Meanwhile, the corpse of an Asian has been referred to Forensics to identify the cause of death, reports Al-Shahed daily. The corpse was washed ashore on a beach in Sharq. However, the Al-Rai daily said the victim drowned while swimming. Family rescued: Six individuals including four children were rescued from a house in Mubarak Al-Kabeer area after fire broke out in the basement of the house. Some of the victims suffered from smoke inhalation and were treated at the site, says Al-Seyassah daily. Keeping the beat steady... Marwas and Al-Ahjalah folkloric Kuwaiti percussions. (Ahmad Srour KUNA) Man charging huge sums for helping get licences nabbed By Munaif Nayef and Mishal Al-Sanousi Al-Seyassah Staff and Agencies KUWAIT CITY, Feb 23: The body of a Bangladeshi taxi driver who suffered a heart attack at the entrance to his apartment in Khaitan area and died in hospital was referred to forensics for autopsy. Sources said the late taxi driver collapsed in front of his apartment and became unconscious as he closed for the day. He was rushed to the Intensive Care Unit of Farwaniya Hospital by friends but doctors pronounced him dead on arrival. The remains were deposited to Forensics for autopsy. Also, the Operations Room of the Interior Ministry received report about a citizen who tripped and died inside his house in Jahra area. Acting on information, police and paramedics to went to the scene, examined the body and referred it to forensics for autopsy. He s also believed to have suffered a heart attack. Driving licences: An unidentified individual, who works as the mandoub (representative) and typist of a state institution, was arrested for forging documents particularly for changing designations in order to facilitate issuance of driving licenses for individuals, for which he received KD 500 KD 800 from each individual. In a press statement issued by Ministry of Interior, the General Department for Residency Affairs received information about the activities of the suspect, and carried out investigations, which confirmed the information. After coordinating with the concerned authorities and checking the signatures on the applications, it was discovered that they have no information about them. When the suspect was arrested and questioned, he confessed to forging the documents to change the designations. He was referred to the concerned authorities for necessary legal action. Drugs gang busted: A gang of four individuals who tried to smuggle illicit drugs into the country via sea was arrested by Marine Border Security Sector at the General Department of Coast Guard. Public Relations and Security Media of the Interior Ministry stated the gang was located by radar of the security system while lifting substances from the regional waters that seemed to be narcotics. The suspects were arrested in possession of 103 pieces of illicit drugs and referred to concerned authorities for necessary action. Meanwhile, detectives from the General Department of Residency Affairs arrested two expatriates for forgery. The first suspect who works for the traffic department forged stamps of the department to facilitate transaction illegally with his accomplice. The duo was referred to the concerned authority after admitting the crime. Bootleggers held: Two Asian men were arrested for running a liquor factory in Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh area, says Al-Seyassah. According to security sources, Kuwaiti, B desh cabbie die of heart attack Photos by Bassam Abu Shanab Top and above: Pictures taken during the carnival on Gulf Road. Carnival kicks off National Days fest The seaside Arabian Gulf Road on Thursday witnessed a colorful carnival marking the State of Kuwait National Days. Large crowds of citizens showed up at the center of the celebration; Kuwait Towers. State institutions, departments and private companies contributed to the event with various creative statutes and miniature shapes depicting the national and liberation days and the martyrs sacrifices. The celebration coincided with moderate weather of cool breeze at the beachfront location. (KUNA) 2 held for stealing from worshippers cars KUWAIT CITY, Feb 23: Two Egyptian expatriates were arrested for vehicles that were parked near mosques in Sharq area during prayer times. In a press statement issued by Ministry of Interior, the General Department of Public Relations and Media Security of the ministry explained that the police station of the area received a number of complaints from worshippers about theft of electronic components from their vehicles while they were praying in mosques. Immediately, the General Investigations Department of Capital Governorate formed a team to conduct investigations and monitor the mosques during the prayer times. While some members of the team were monitoring a mosque in the area, they noticed a man approach a parked vehicle and use a tool to break the glass of the vehicle. They immediately arrested him and checked his details to discover he is an Egyptian expatriate. When interrogated, he confessed to committing several such crimes and revealed the identity of his accomplice who received the stolen electronic components, reprogrammed them and sold them. After the second suspect was arrested, both were referred to the concerned authorities for necessary legal action. when Farwaniya securitymen received information about two Asian men who were using their apartment to manufacture liquor, a team was formed for investigations. After confirming the information and taking necessary measures, securitymen raided the apartment and arrested the suspects as well as confiscated number of barrels of locallymanufactured liquor. When questioned, the suspects confessed that they have been running the liquor business for almost six months. They were referred with the confiscated liquor barrels to the concerned authorities for necessary legal action. Meanwhile, Farwaniya securitymen arrested a drunken Indian expatriate in Khaitan area. At the time of the arrest, he was wearing an inner vest and a lungi. Kidnapped girl rescued: Police foiled the attempt of an unidentified person to kidnap an unidentified Kuwaiti woman, whose age has not been given, reports Al-Rai daily. The daily added, the suspect kidnapped the woman from in front of her house. The father who witnessed the incident followed the kidnapper and continued chasing the man and at the same time remained in contact with the police. Police took over the chase from the King Fahd Expressway and continued pursuing the man and forced him to pull over. The girl was rescued and handed over to the father and the suspect, whose identity has not been disclosed, was taken to the Mina Abdullah Police Station for interrogation. Stewardess sacked: An unidentified Gulf Airlines Company is said to have sacked one of the female cabin crews for misconduct aboard the aircraft, reports Al-Shahed daily. The daily said several people complained against the suspect because of her behavior such as taking selfie with passengers and exposing her private part.

8 LOCAL 8 Al-Shall Report Boursa Kuwait performance during week less active January real estate market liquidity drops Local Real Estate Market January 2017 The latest available data by the Ministry of Justice -Real Estate Registration and Authentications Department- indicate drop in the real estate market liquidity in January 2017 vis-a-vis December 2016 liquidity. Total value of contracts and agencies trading during the first month of 2017 scored KD million, which is less in value by -38.8% than the value in December 2016, which was worth KD million. It also dropped by -15.5% compared with January 2016 liquidity. Trading during January 2017 was distributed among KD million for contracts and about KD 5.9 million for agencies, says Al- Shall Economic Report prepared by Al-Shall Consulting Co headed by Jassem Al-Saadoun. Real estate deals during this month scored 386 deals and were distributed between 368 contracts and about 18 agencies. The highest share percentage of deals went to Al Ahmadi Governorate by 112 deals representing about 29% of the total number of real estate deals. Al Farwaniya Governorate came second by 79 deals representing about 20.5%. The lowest share went to Al Jahra Governorate by 22 deals representing about 5.7% of the total. Value of private residential trading scored KD 83.4 million, down by about -9.5% compared with KD 92.1 million in December 2016 but increased in its contribution, representing 45%, of total real estate trading vis-a-vis 30.4% in December The monthly average value for private residence trading in the last 12 months scored about KD 84.6 million. This means that trading value in January 2017 was lower by -1.4% compared with the average. The number of deals for this activity also dropped to 257 deals versus 302 deals in December Therefore, the average value per deal of private residence activity scored about KD thousand (KD thousand in January 2016), a drop by -8.3%. Investment residence activity dropped to about KD 67.7 million, a drop by -0.8%, vis-à-vis KD 68.2 million in December But its percentage out of total liquidity rose to about 36.5% (22.5% in December 2016). Monthly trading average value of investment residence during 12 months scored KD 68.9 million. This means that trading value in January was less by -1.8% than the 12 months average. But number of deals increased 116 (102 deals in December 2016). Therefore, the average value per deal for investment to residence scored KD thousand (KD thousand in December 2016) a drop by -12.8%. Commercial activity trading value dropped to about KD 34.3 million, a drop by -76%, compared with December 2016 when it scored KD million. Its percentage out of total real estate trading value dropped to 18.5% (47.1% in December 2016). Average value of commercial activity trading in 12 months scored KD 50.5 million, which is lower than January trading value by -32.2% compared with the last 12 months average. It scored 13 deals (12 deals in December). Therefore, the average value per deal for the commercial activity scored about KD 2. 6 million in January 2017 (KD 5.6 million for January 2016), a drop by -52.6%. When comparing January 2017 trading with January 2016, we note a decline in the real estate market liquidity from about KD million to KD million, i.e %. The investment residence activity by -32% while the commercial activity liquidity rose by 23.2%, and the drop involved the private residential activity by -7.9%. Oil and Weapons Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) issued a report on February 20, 2017 about its estimates of armament deals in the world titled: Increase in the Armament Contracts Value supported by Increased Demand in the ME and Asia. The report contains an expressive graph displaying the demand on weapons between 1950 and 2016 in two eras. The first was from the mid- 1960s until the beginnings of 1980s. The second is between 2003 and until 2016 during which demand on weapons intensified coinciding with substantial increase in oil prices. The largest importers, excluding India which is a big regional power, are oil producers. The Gulf countries are the largest importers in Asia. Algeria is the largest importer in Africa and Nigeria is the largest importer in the Sub-Sahara Africa. Mexico is the Photo by Bassam Abo Shanab File photo shows traders on Boursa Kuwait floor. Thursday trading ends in green. See Page 35 largest importer of weapons in the two Americas. The report stated that weapons exports increased by 8.4% in the period vis-à-vis the period During this period oil prices preserved levels at above US$ 100 per barrel for more than 3 years. Their outcome was increase in weapons import to the ME by 86% (10 times the global average). This reflects the deviation extent of consuming financial resources which has become scarce and directing them to only one element of national security, the military. Expenses of that part have abundant corruption and one of its main goals is to buy the satisfaction of weapon exporting countries at the account of the other internal security elements which are more important politically, socially and economically. Misdistribution of financial resources coincides with a drop in their outcome by 55% since the fall of This doubles the deterioration speed of the other national security components which are necessities such as jobs, education, health, etc. in addition to reconstruction of what wars have destroyed, which is the most important source of Eastern European spring and Arab spring. The irony is that peace is subject to the desire of the big powers to achieve it. The largest exporters of weaponry are the USA which increased its exports by 21% from Its share of weapons exports constitutes 33% of global exports and 50% of its exports go to the Middle East. Russia s share about 23% of global exports. These two big powers rely heavily in activating their economies on the outcome of weapons exports. It s necessary to different when making their decisions between both interest or the interest of importers of weapons, it makes sense not to be at the side benefit of others. In the 1970s, all benefits or funds resulting from the rise in oil prices returned to consuming countries in the form of financing costs of the region s wars and rebuild what war destroyed in There is still time to give priority to other elements of national security, i.e. stopping repetition of the last century sins; however, the brace of time is not that long. Its decision is regional and not the weapon exporters. As long as the region does not know its interest, priority is for weapon exporters interests even at the expense of the region s destruction. Boursa Kuwait Liquidity To complete our previous report on liquidity trends, Boursa Kuwait liquidity totaled in 39 working days, since the beginning of the New Year and until the end of last week, scored about KD billion, or about 69.5% of total liquidity in The daily average trading value scored about KD 51.2 million, less by about 4% than the daily average trading value in 34 working days. Also, it dropped by 5% below the daily average for January 2017 (i.e. 22 working days). While it increased by about 4.4 times compared with the daily trading average value for 2016 and about 3.2 times compared to the daily trading average value for 2015, but the liquidity in the recent days was a significant decrease. Liquidity trends since the beginning of the year indicate that half of listed companies did not get except 2.9% only of that liquidity, including 50 companies got about 0.2% only of that liquidity and 6 companies remained without any trading. As for liquid companies, 13 companies of them whose market value is equal to 1.2% only of the value of listed companies, got 19.2% of the boursa liquidity. This means that the high liquidity activity still deprives about half of the listed companies from it. On the contrary, it strongly goes to valueless companies, which is an unhealthy condition. The distribution of liquidity among the 4 categories of companies were as follow: The Highest 10% in Liquidity: 18 listed companies contributed by 41.8% to Boursa Kuwait value while they took by about 53.2% of the boursa value, including 12 big companies which contributed by about 40.9% of the bourse value and got about 76.6% of the liquidity of that category, and 6 small companies that took 23.4% of the liquidity of that category and whose market value did not exceed 0.9% of the value of all boursa companies. While some big companies obtained high deserved liquidity, deviation is still significant towards small companies; this matter should be monitored. The Top 10% in Market Value: that category contributed 70.7% of the boursa value and took 31.7% of its liquidity. However, they contained obvious liquidity deviation for 10 companies which captured about 91.4% of the liquidity of that category leaving approximately 8.6% of that category liquidity for 8 other large companies. The Lowest 01% in Market Value: they contributed by 0.3% to the boursa value but obtained 2.9% of bourse liquidity. 7 companies within that category captured 98.5% liquidity of that category, while 11 other small companies got only 1.5% of the category liquidity. That liquidity deviation in this category suggests a very high dose of speculation on some of its companies. Boursa Kuwait Sectors Liquidity: there are 5 active sectors in the boursa that contribute 87.2% to its value and got 91.2% of liquidity suggesting consistency between liquidity and the weight of those sectors in the bourse value. But within those sectors there was deviation in the direction of liquidity. The financial services sector received 26.3% of bourse liquidity, equivalent to about 2.6 times its contribution to its value. The real estate sector got 21.6% of bourse liquidity which equals 2.7 times its contribution to its value. The two sectors are speculative ones. Al-Shall Index Thu Thu Diff Close Diff Company Name 23/02/ /02/2017 % 2016 % 1 The National Bank Of Kuwait The Gulf Bank Commercial Bank Of Kuwait (5.0) Al-Ahli Bank Of Kuwait Kuwait International Bank Ahli United Bank Burgan Bank Kuwait Finance House (1.8) Banking Sector (0.5) Commercial Facilities Co (1.1) International Financial Advisors (5.1) National Investments (2.8) Kuwait Investment Projects (1.9) Coast Investment & Development (12.3) Investment Sector (2.6) Kuwait Insurance Company Gulf Insurance Company (10.4) 16 Al-Ahleia Insurance Company Warba Insurance Company Insurance Sector Kuwait Real Estate Company (2.5) United Realty Company The banking sector got 21.4% of boursa liquidity which accounts for 48.3% only of its contribution to its value. This means its share of liquidity is less than half of its contribution to value. The banking sector is the more disciplined, more solvent and the most beneficiary from rising assets prices. The remaining seven sectors, liquid and illiquid, all acquired liquidity ratios close to their contribution to the boursa value. Al Ahli Bank of Kuwait (ABK) Financial Results FY 2016 Al Ahli Bank of Kuwait announced results of its operations for the year ending December 31, 2016 which showed that the bank s net incomes, after deducting taxes, scored about KD 32.5 million, up by KD 2.1 million, or by 7.1%, compared with KD 30.4 million in This rise in the net profits is mainly due to a drop in total value of provisions by 14.6% and the rise in operational profits prior to deducting provisions by 2.4%, as a result of increasing in total operational incomes by a value higher than the increase in total expenditures. The following graph displays development in profits level relevant to the bank s shareholders during the period ( ). In details, total operational incomes increased to KD million compared with KD million, i.e. increased about KD 19 million, or by 14.8%. This resulted from increase in the item of net interests incomes by KD 14.8 million to KD million compared with KD 94.4 million in Likewise, item of net incomes from commissions and fees increased by KD 5.1 million to KD 30.3 million compared with KD 25.2 million. While the item of profits dividend incomes dropped by KD 1.3 million and scored KD 2.2 million compared with KD 3.5 million. Total operational expenses increased by less than the rise in operational incomes by KD 16.9 million and scored KD 58.1 million compared with KD 41.2 million in 2015, as a result of increase in all items of operational expenses. While total provisions decreased by KD 9 million, or by 14.6% as mentioned, and scored KD 52.4 million compared with KD 61.4 million. Therefore, the net profit margin dropped to 22% compared with 23.6% in 2015, due to the rise in total operational incomes by a higher value than the rise in bank s net incomes. Total bank assets scored KD billion, decreased by 1.7%, compared with KD billion in the end of Item of investments securities decreased by KD million, or by 30.8%, and scored KD million (5.6% of total assets) vis-à-vis KD million (7.9% of total assets) in the end of December Item of loans and advances also decreased by about KD 17.8 million and scored KD billion (70.7% of total assets) versus KD billion (69.9% of total assets) in the end of Percentage of loans and advances to deposits and other balances increased to about 83.3% compared with 82.5%. Figures indicate that the bank s liabilities (without calculating total equity) decreased by KD 73.6 million, or by 1.9%, and scored KD billion compared with KD billion in the end of Percentage of total liabilities to total assets scored 87% compared with 87.2% in Analysis of the bank s financial statements indicates that most bank profitability indexes scored increases compared with the end of Return on average equities relevant to the bank share holders (ROE) increased to 5.8% from 5.5%. Likewise, the return on average of bank s capital (ROC) also increased to 20.1% from 18.8%. While the return on average of bank s assets (ROA) decreased slightly to 0.75% from 0.77%. (EPS) increased to 20 fils compared with 19 fils. (P/E) scored 15 times -improved- compared with 19.7 times, due to the rise in EPS by 5.3%, against a drop in the market price by 20%. (P/B) scored 0.9% compared with 1.1% in The bank announced it would distribute cash dividends by 11% of the nominal share value, or 11 fils per share, this means the share achieved cash yield by 3.7% on the closing price in the end of 2016, at 300 fils per share. The cash distribution reached 10% compares to 2015 the bank increased the level of its distribution. The Weekly Performance of Boursa Kuwait The performance of Boursa Kuwait for last week was less active compared to the previous one, where all indexes showed a decrease, the traded value index, the traded volume index, number of transactions index, and the general index. AlShall Index (value weighted) closed at points at the closing of last Thursday, showing a decrease of about 2.5 points or about 0.6% compared with its level last week, while it increased by 44.9 points or about 12.4% compared with the end of Description Week 8 Week 7 Diff 23/02/ /02/2017 % Working days 5 5 AlShall index (36 Companies) % Boursa Kuwait index (price) 6, , % Value Trade (KD) 183,860, ,848,393 Daily average (KD) 36,772,121 56,569, % Volume Trade (Shares) 1,823,762,629 2,847,515,681 Daily average (Shares) 364,752, ,503, % Transactions 38,320 53,454 Daily average (Transactions) 7,664 10, % Most Active Sectors & Companies Description Value Traded % of Total Companies KD Market Mobile Telecom Co K.S.C (Zain) 17,286, % Agility Public Warehousing Company 15,766, % Kuwait International Bank 9,074, % Ithmaar Holding Co 7,893, % Kuwait Remal Real Estate Co. K.S.C.C 7,805, % Total 57,826, % Description Value Traded % Of Total Sectors KD Market Banks Sector 50,217, % Real Estate Sector 41,725, % Financial Services Sector 34,113, % Industrials Sector 25,608, % Telecommunications Sector 19,827, % Al Shall Index Week 8 Week 7 23/02/ /02/2017 Increased Value (# of Companies) Decreased Value (# of Companies) 17 8 Unchanged Value (# of Companies) 5 9 Total Companies /12/ /12/2015 Change (Thousand KD) (Thousand KD) Value % Total Assets 4,284,813 4,359,064 (74,251) -1.7% Total liabilities 3,729,010 3,802,605 (73,595) -1.9% Equity Attributable to the equity holders of the bank 555, ,600 (443) -0.1% Total Operating Incomes and Net gain from business combination 147, ,537 10, % Total Operating Expenses 58,088 41,186 16, % Total Provision 52,439 61,429 (8,990) -14.6% Taxation 4,478 3, % Net income 32,512 30,368 2, % Ratios Return on Average Assets (ROA) 0.75% 0.77% Return on Average Equity Relevant To The Bank Shareholder (ROE) 5.8% 5.5% Return on Capital (ROC) 20.1% 18.8% Earnings per share (EPS) (Fils) % Closing price (Fils) (75) -20.0% Price to Earnings Per Share Multiplies (P/E) Price to Book Value Multiplies (P/B) From Feb 16, 2017 to Feb 23, National Real Estate Company (6.8) Salhiah Real Estate Company (2.5) Real Estate Sector (3.1) The National Industries (2.6) Refrigeration Industries Co Gulf Cable & Electrical Industries (1.8) Contracting & Marine Services Co (8.1) 39.1 (9.5) Industrial Sector (0.1) Kuwait National Cinemas Kuwait Hotels Company (7.2) 28 The Public Warehousing Co (3.1) Mobile Telecommunications Co - ZAIN (4.0) Safat Energy Co (7.0) Services Sector (2.9) Livestock Transport & Trading Co Danah Aalsafat Foodstuff Company Kuwait Food Co Food Sector Sharjah Cement Co Gulf Cement Co (3.3) Umm Al-Qaiwain Cement Industries Non Kuwaiti Companies (0.7) General Index (0.6)

9 LOCAL/GULF 9 Two neighbors prepare to resume output from shared fields Chevron names Saudi veteran to head Kuwait operations KUWAIT CITY, Feb 23: Chevron Corp appointed veteran Saudi Arabian executive Ahmad Awad al-omar as president of its operations in Kuwait as the two neighboring countries prepare to resume production from shared fields with capacity of more than 500,000 bpd, worldone.com. Mohamed al-marri will replace al- Omar as president of Saudi Arabian Chevron, Sally Jones, a spokeswoman for Chevron, said in an ed response to a Bloomberg request for comment. Al-Omar spent 48 years at Saudi Chevron, including 18 years as president. Al-Marri was senior vice president of administration at the same company. Having someone who knows both sides will help Chevron to overcome any future obstacles, said Abdulsamad al-awadhi, an independent analyst in London. Al-Awadhi represented Kuwait at the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries from 1980 to Chevron holds 50% of the Wafra onshore oil and natural gas fields that lie in both Kuwait and Saudi Arabia. Wafra, which Chevron operates on behalf of Saudi Arabia, closed in May 2015 because of difficulties in securing work permits and access to equipment. The other shared fields are offshore and run by Khafji Joint Operations. They closed in October 2014 because of unspecified environmental concerns. Wafra and Khafji have combined output capacity of more than 500,000 bpd. The shared oil fields will restart production in the first half, Kuwait Oil Minister Issam Almarzooq told reporters in December. Saudi Arabias energy minister Khalid Al-Falih agreed at a meeting in November with Almarzooqs predecessor to resolve many of the environmental and technical issues behind the shut-down of the fields, according to an official familiar with the talks. Chevron is encouraged by efforts underway by all appropriate parties to resolve the issue, according to Jones. Kuwait and Saudi Arabia have agreed that any resumption of crude production from the shared oil fields wont raise their output beyond limits set by OPEC, according to two officials familiar with the talks. MoE to begin termination of KUNA photo Kuwait s FM Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled receiving the credentials of newlyappointed Iraqi envoy. Kuwait FM receives Iraq envoy First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah received Thursday the newly appointed Ambassador of Iraq Ala Majid Al-Hashimi. The meeting were attended by Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Khaled Suleiman Al-Jarallah in addition to the senior officials at the foreign ministry. (KUNA) KUNA photo The Director of Amiri Hospital Ali Al-Alanda meeting officials from the Nutrition Department. A man handling an assault rifl e is refl ected in a rifl e scope at the International Defense Exhibition and Conference, known by the acronym IDEX, in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, on Feb 22. (AP) IDEX exhibition ends UAE signs DHS 19 bln arms procurement deals at expo ABU DHABI, Feb 23, (KUNA and Agencies): A pair of global defense conferences have induced 90 military procurement deals at a cost surpassing 19 billion dirhams, the official spokesman for the International Defense Exhibition and Conference (IDEX) said on Thursday. The exhibition and conference closed Thursday. At a press conference held during the expo, General Rashid Al-Shamsi said that 33 purchases were made by foreign companies, while local ones totaled out to be 57. Moreover, on the last day alone, arms deals worth 344 million dirhams were sealed. The IDEX expo, which kicked off last Sunday, attracted more than 100,000 visitors, with participation of 1,235 companies well-versed in the arms industry. The last edition of the biennial expo, (IDEX 2015), struck arms deals worth more than 18 billion dirhams. The four-day International Defence Exhibition and Conference (IDEX), which kicked off Sunday, is one of the largest arms fairs in the Middle East. It is held every two years to showcase the latest in defence technologies and innovations. The UAE, a longtime client of Western defence industries, signed an order with Raytheon of the United States worth more than $740 million but also with Russian arms exporter Rosoboronexport for anti-tank missiles valued at $710 million. The final day on Wednesday resulted in contracts worth $930 million, organisers said, raising the total for the four days to $5.2 billion. Oil-rich UAE is a key partner in the Saudi-led Arab military coalition that intervened in Yemen in March 2015 after Shiite Houthi rebels stormed the capital Sanaa and advanced on second city Aden. It is also seen as an important regional ally in the US-led coalition s fight against the jihadist Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria. The Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum opened the 13th edition of the International Defense Exhibition and Conference (IDEX) and the fourth installment of the Naval Defense Exhibition and Conference (NAVDEX), with the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces Mohammed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan and Sudanese President Omar Al-Bashir in attendance. The opening ceremony also featured a lavish military parade. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) awarded 4.5 billion dirhams ($1.2 billion) in military procurement deals on Sunday, part of a total of 20 billion dirhams worth of purchases it expects to make at an arms fair this week, a spokesman for the expo said. The deals awarded to local and international companies on Sunday included a 2 billion dirham award to the UAE s NIMR Automotive, part of Tawazun Holdings, for the supply of 400 armoured vehicles to the UAE Armed Forces, Rashid al Shamsi, a spokesman for the International Defence Exhibition (IDEX), said. We expect (to award) more than 20 billion dirhams in contracts by the end of IDEX, he said. Meanwhile, Australia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) will explore closer defence ties after a meeting on Sunday between a senior Australian government minister and Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al-nahyan. Australias Defence Industry Minister Christopher Pyne and Sheikh Mohammed, who is also Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, met on the sidelines of the biennial International Defence Exhibition and Conference (IDEX) in Abu Dhabi. The two agreed to consider a 10-year defence plan that could include more than 1 billion Australian dollars ($767 million) in sales to the UAE, Pyne told Reuters. 25 pct of non-kuwaiti teachers KUWAIT CITY, Feb 23: In line with the policy of the Education Ministry to replace non-kuwaiti teachers, Assistant Undersecretary for Public Education Affairs Fatima Al-Kandari said the initial step will be taken in March when 25 percent of non-kuwaiti teachers in each subject will be dismissed, reports Al-Shahed daily. Al-Kandari clarified this will not be done randomly, contrary to what some people have been claiming, as the initial stage will be terminating the contracts of non-kuwaiti teachers who have been in service for 30 years or more. Meanwhile, Minister of Public Works Abdulrahman Al-Mutawa affirmed Thursday the ministry s keenness on reviving Rahiya area, northern country, and resolving the issue of millions of scrap tires that have been dumped in the area for a long period of time. Al-Mutawa made his remarks to reporters on the sidelines his two inspection tours to Rahiya, south of Jahra area, and the Sulaibiya Wastewater Treatment and Reclamation Plant. He explained that his visit to Rahiya was to get acquainted with the performance of companies that are currently carrying out implementation of the area s revival plan, he said, adding his visit also aimed at facilitating the companies task in making Rahiya viable for residency and suitable for living. For his part, Director-General of Environment Public Authority (EPA) Sheikh Abdullah Ahmad Al- Humoud Al-Sabah said that the revival of Rahiya project is very large one and requires tremendous effort to end the environmental suffering in the area, which caused by the occasional burning of millions of dumped scrap tires, releasing, as a result, toxic pollutants that are harmful to health. The Kuwait Journalists Association (KJA) in cooperation with the Ministry of State for Youth Affairs held a ceremony to celebrate the conclusion of Sahafi initiative for training young Kuwaiti journalists. In statements to KUNA on the sidelines of the ceremony, the KJA Chairperson Fatima Hussein said that the association believes that training is better than mere learning. The talents of a journalists emerge in what they produce; and not only in the knowledge he/she acquires, Hussein said. For his part, Director of the Public Relations and Media Department at the Ministry of State for Youth Affairs Nasser Al-Arfaj lauded the initiative. He added that the ministry is eager in offering all support to any initiative that aims to harness the skills and qualify national youth to meet labor market needs. Nearly 221 young journalists have partaken in the initiative s eight training courses, which covered various aspects of journalism work. Some companies, which have withdrawn from Kuwait Stock Exchange (KSE), decided to join the informal network until their financial and administrative circumstances stabilize as the KSE has released the draft of over-the-counter (OTC) trading rules, reports Al- Shahed daily quoting sources. Sources said the number of unlisted companies reached 1,900 whose total capital exceed KD12 billion. This is a new phase for the Capital Markets Authority to undergo the real test in monitoring and protecting traders of securities. It is expected that the number of requests to withdraw from the bourse will reach 15 this year, considering the weak performance of some companies shares and they are trading below their book value. Public works ministry keen on reviving Rahiya area Kuwait University officials at the Zayed University campus in Dubai. KU officials visit Dubai s Zayed University Some department heads and supervisors from Kuwait University visited Zayed University-Dubai Campus as part of efforts to strengthen cooperation between the two universities in several administrative and training aspects. President of the host university Professor Riyadh Al-Muhaidab received the guests. Members of the delegation attended a weeklong training program entitle, Principles of Effective Administration, in Sheikha Latefah Bint Hamdan Al-Maktoum Student Activities Center at Zayed University. The program was organized by the Strategy and Future Department, in collaboration with the Community Service Institute at the university. PAAAFR to specify quota of laborers at market KUWAIT CITY, Feb 23: Board Chairman and Director General of the Public Authority for Agricultural Affairs and Fish Resources (PAAAFR) Engineer Faisal Al-Hassawi disclosed that Decision No. 329/2016 specifying the quota of laborers in the labor market will be activated on March 1, reports Burj Khalifa to display Kuwaiti flag Dubai joins Kuwait to mark National Day DUBAI, Feb 23: Dubai will join the State of Kuwait in celebrating its National Day and Liberation Day on Saturday by displaying the state s national flag and offering various tourism options to those visiting the emirate, reports the Gulf News. Burj Khalifa, the worlds tallest building and one of the most popular tourist attractions, will display the colours of the Kuwaiti national flag, according to a statement from Dubai Tourism. The Dubai Mall will also display the colours of the countrys national flag on its digital screens over the course of three days from Thursday to Saturday. The mall will also host a concert by an Emirati artist, Balqis. Shopping centres and tourist destinations across Dubai will be hosting a series of events in celebration of the occasion. The events reflect the strong, long-standing relations between the UAE and Kuwait and the people of both countries. Dubai International Airport will mark the occasion by offering flowers, Arabic sweets and coffee to Kuwaiti visitors arriving in Dubai, reflecting the spirit of Arabian hospitality and culture. Tourist destinations Global Village will also host select activities that will see artists from the GCC present evening shows expressing joy, jubilation and love for Kuwait. UAE artist Adel Ebrahim and Kuwaiti artist Badr Al Shoaib will sing in a concert on the night of Saturday at 8.30 pm, followed by fireworks at 9 pm, while the gates of Global Village will display the colours of the Kuwaiti national flag. IMG Worlds of Adventure is offering its guests deals and discounts on entry throughout the weekend. Dubai Food Festival (DFF), organised by Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment (DFRE), an agency of Dubais Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (Dubai Tourism), which started on Thursday and will run until March 11, will also join the Kuwait National Days celebrations. DFFs main platform, Beach Canteen, will feature a line-up of unique attractions, including a large mural representing some of the most important landmarks in Kuwait. The mural, which will be painted by the public under the supervision of prominent artists, will be dedicated to the Consulate General of Kuwait. Beach Canteen will also feature art performances inspired by Kuwaiti heritage. Al-Anba daily. He added implementation of the decision complements the state s plan to restructure the population to pave the way for execution of Kuwaitization policy in several functions to reduce the expatriate workforce and unemployment among the national personnel. Al-Hassawi indicated the decision requires commitment of departments affiliated to PAAAFR in determining the ratio of laborers in ships and fishing smacks, besides setting conditions for the owners of fishing licenses.

10 INTERNATIONAL 10 World News Roundup America 2 sentenced for hate crime Man gets 2 yrs for lying in terror case Davis MINNEAPOLIS, Feb 23, (Agencies): A Minnesota man was sentenced Wednesday to two years in federal prison for lying to the FBI during their investigation into the travels of young men who left the US to join the Somali militant group al-shebab. Mahdi Hussein Furreh, 34, was also sentenced to three years of supervised release. He pleaded guilty in October 2014 to making false statements during the government s terror investigation, specifically admitting that he lied about contacting a man who s wanted for allegedly encouraging others to join al-shebab. Since 2007, roughly 22 young Somali men have left Minnesota to join al-shebab in Somalia. About a dozen more people have since left Minnesota to join militant groups in Syria, including the Islamic State group. According to court documents, Furreh lied during numerous contacts with authorities. Documents show Furreh and others brought two men to the airport in July 2012 so they could join al-shebab in Somalia, and he later lied about it. He also traveled to Kenya himself with plans to join al- Shebab, thinking the group would provide him with a better life. His attorney said that once in Kenya, he realized his mistake and tried to return to the US Furreh was arrested in Kenya, and though he was not charged with a crime there, he again lied to authorities, documents show. When back in the US, he lied to the FBI about contacting Cabdulaahi Ahmed Faarax, a Minnesota man who is wanted for allegedly encouraging others to join al-shebab. Faarax is at large and believed to be in Somalia. I was scared and nervous, Furreh said about lying, adding, That was a mistake and I should not have done it. US District Judge Michael Davis said Furreh continued to lie for two years. You lie. You lie. You lie, Davis said. You re a consistent liar. So why should I believe you? Furreh faced a maximum of eight years in prison, but prosecutors asked for less, noting Furreh provided them with substantial assistance. Over a sentencing hearing that spanned two days, Assistant Federal Defender Manny Atwal asked that Furreh be sentenced to the four days he already served, in addition to either supervised release or probation. She said he s done well on supervised release so far, and a lighter sentence would send a message to the community that, even for those who traveled, their lives would not be over if they return and do the right thing. 2 sentenced for hate crime: Two southwest Kansas men were punished Wednesday for their roles in a hate crime attack on three Somali that a federal judge said flies in the face of everything cherished in this country. US District Judge J. Thomas Marten sentenced Omar Cantero Martinez, 32, a Mexican citizen, to 26 months in prison. His brother, Armando Sotelo, 24, of Dodge City, got a time-served sentence for the 20 months he had already been in jail in the case. The men were tried last year for three hate crimes charges but the trial ended in a hung jury. In lieu of a re-trial, they later pleaded guilty Sotelo to one hate crime count and Martinez to one perjury count for falsely testifying at the trial that he had been acting in self-defense. Both men told the court they were sorry in brief statements. Chrystal Krier, the defense attorney for Martinez argued the attack was not something that was thought out or planned. This was something that just happened, she told the judge But Marten chaffed at the defense attorney s characterization, saying nothing just happens that it was a deliberate act. Oklahoma court favors church: A man from Syria who says he was tortured in his home country after converting to Christianity has no legal recourse against an Oklahoma church that published his name and baptism online, the state s highest court ruled on Wednesday. The former Muslim, identified in the lawsuit only as John Doe, says that after his baptism in 2012 at the First Presbyterian Church in downtown Tulsa he returned to Syria and was kidnapped, tortured and nearly beheaded by radical Muslims who learned of his baptism online. He claims he escaped by killing a relative who aided his captors and now is wanted for murder in Syria. Appellant asserts that he suffered numerous physical injuries and psychological damage, all proximately caused by appellees publication of his baptism, in contravention of promises they supposedly made to him that it would be kept confidential, the court wrote in its majority opinion. But the court upheld a lower court ruling and decided that despite the plaintiff s injuries, courts must refrain from undue interference with religious beliefs and practices. Per the church autonomy doctrine, the courts lack subject matter jurisdiction over the matter, Chief Justice Douglas Combs wrote in the majority opinion. Canada to welcome 1,200 Yezidis: Canada will resettle 1,200 Yezidi refugees who faced persecution by the Islamic State group, the immigration minister said Tuesday. Some 400 have already been airlifted to this country. Our operation is under way and individual survivors of Daesh have been arriving in Canada for resettlement in the last number of months and this began on Oct 25, 2016, Immigration Minister Ahmed Hussen, using an Arabic name for the Islamic State. Our government will resettle approximately 1,200 highly vulnerable survivors of Daesh and their family members in Canada, he added. The initiative follows Parliament s resolution last fall to take in Yezidis facing genocide in Iraq at the hands of the Islamic extremist IS group. The original aim was to bring over women and girls at risk, but Hussen told a news conference that Ottawa had learned that Daesh has also deliberately targeted boys and as such we are helping to resettle all child survivors of Daesh. Hussen said the migrants are arriving on commercial flights at a controlled pace to avoid overwhelming Canada s refugee system. People take part in a protest outside Raritan Valley Community College before a town hall meeting on health care with Republican New Jersey Congressman Leonard Lance on Feb 22, in Branchburg, New Jersey. (AFP) Floodwaters surround a play structure on Feb 22, in San Jose, California. Thousands of people were ordered to evacuate their homes early Wednesday in the northern California city of San Jose as fl oodwaters inundated neighborhoods and forced the shut down of a major highway. (AFP) America Muslims raise over $91,000: Muslim Americans have helped raise more than $91,000 to repair vandalized headstones at a Jewish cemetery in St Louis, Missouri, according to an online fundraising page, amid attacks and threats against Jewish institutions. US Vice-President Mike Pence visited the graveyard on Wednesday and told clean-up volunteers, state officials and reporters that there was no place in America for hatred, violence, anti-semitism or acts of prejudice. I must tell you the people of Missouri are inspiring the nation by your love and care of this place, for the Jewish community in Missouri and I want to thank you for that inspiration, Pence said. About 170 headstones were toppled or damaged at the century-old Chesed Shel Emeth Society cemetery over the weekend, according to cemetery staff. Some Jewish groups described the vandalism and threats as the latest evidence that anti-semitic groups have been emboldened by the election of Donald Trump as US president. His campaign last year drew the support of white nationalists and right-wing groups, despite his disavowals of them. Muslim Americans stand in solidarity with the Jewish-American community to condemn this horrific act of desecration, the fundraisers said on their website. More than 3,000 people had donated $91,583 by late Wednesday afternoon. Cemetery staff declined comment on the fundraising. (RTRS) Mosque OK d to settle suits: A Detroit suburb that had denied a religious organization s proposal for a mosque in a residential neighborhood will allow construction to move forward to settle two lawsuits that alleged religious discrimination, US authorities said Wednesday. The Sterling Heights City Council voted late Tuesday to accept the settlements, including one in a lawsuit brought in December by the US attorney s office and one filed by the mosque last summer. The settlements still must be approved by a judge. The 20,500-square-foot mosque was denied in 2015 when the Sterling Heights planning commission voted against a special land agreement sought by the American Islamic Community Center. The city had said the application was denied because of concerns about parking, traffic, and the size of the mosque dome and spires, not because of religion. The city Politics said those issues have been addressed in the settlement. The Justice Department alleged the city violated the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act of Federal law protects the right of faith communities to build places of worship without discrimination or unreasonable burdens on their religious exercise, Acting Assistant Attorney General Tom Wheeler said in a statement. As part of the settlements, Sterling Contest to head DNC tight Dems seek gains against Trump Signs of hope in burst of anti-trump activism LOS ANGELES, Feb 23, (RTRS): Hollywood s Democrats are starting to line up again after the bruising defeat from t he 2016 elections, setting their sights not just on the midterms, but on the next presidential race. This week, a number of politicians are trekking to Los Angeles for fundraisers during the weeklong recess, even though this has traditionally been a time of donor fatigue. On Tuesday night, Sen Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass) raised money for her re-election campaign to a full house at the home of Norman and Lyn Lear. While Warren has been a favorite among showbiz progressives, interest in the event was boosted by an incident on the fl oor of the Senate earlier this month, when Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell cut her off as she tried to read a 1986 letter from Coretta Scott King about Jeff Sessions. Also in LA this week: House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi, appearing at a policy and politics discussion at the home of Damon Lindelof and his wife Heidi, on Tuesday. Also on the bill were Rep Ben Ray Lujan (D-NM) and Rep Adam Schiff (D. Calif). Lujan chairs the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, tasked with winning back the House in Sen Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) was elected just last year, but she has also been raising money for her leadership PAC, Fearless for the People, ATLANTA, Feb 23, (AP): Just days before Democratic activists pick a new party chair, the contest to head the Democratic National Committee remains fluid, as national leaders grapple with how to turn an outpouring of liberal protest against President Donald Trump into political gains. A tight race between front-runners Tom Perez, a former labor secretary, and Rep. Keith Ellison, a Minnesota congressman, marks the first heavily contested battle to run the organization in recent history. The contest comes with Democrats facing a power deficit in Washington and around the country after years of losses in Congress, governor s mansions and statehouses, while also having no unifying national leader since former President Barack Obama left the White House. Perez, who was encouraged by Obama administration officials to run for the post, has emerged as the apparent front-runner, with independent Democratic strategists tracking him at about 205 votes. But it s not yet clear whether Perez or Ellison or one of six other long-shot candidates is positioned to capture the required majority of the 447-member national party committee. Strategists The strategists spoke on condition of anonymity because many DNC members they track do not want the vote count discussed publicly. Ellison, backed by Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and his supporters, has the support of about 153 members, the strategists said. Ellison spokesman Brett Morrow blasted the count as totally inaccurate and said his camp remains incredibly confident. Lis Smith, a spokeswoman for another candidate, Mayor Pete Buttigieg of South Bend, Indiana, also disputed the count. Buttigieg is touting his recent endorsement from former DNC Chairman Howard Dean, widely regarded as a successful party leader. But neither the Ellison nor Buttigieg campaigns would release their own tracking numbers, and multiple other campaigns said the strategists are accurately reflecting the state of the stillcompetitive race. The counts have South Carolina Democratic Party chair Jaime Harrison at 27 votes, a number that could make him a kingmaker who tilts the race to the eventual winner. The counts have Buttigieg and Sally Boynton Brown, executive director of the Idaho party, combining for fewer than 20 votes, with remaining DNC members uncommitted. Party leaders will vote on the final day of its three-day meeting that begins Thursday in Atlanta, with as many rounds as required for a candidate to secure a majority. In a forum hosted late Wednesday by CNN, the candidates avoided taking shots at one another, instead blasting Trump, offering general promises to rebuild party infrastructure and pledging to reconnect with voters who have abandoned Democratic candidates. More important than the nationally televised event is the next two days leading candidates will spend wooing the state party chairs, longtime activists and donors who make up the full party committee. The race could easily tip to either Perez or Ellison; a third possibility is that the committee ends up in deadlocked with the two current leaders short of a majority. That could open up Pence Wheeler including an event at the home of Ron Burkle. Another newly elected senator, Catherine Cortez Masto (D- Nev), is scheduled to attend a thank you reception at the home of Hope Warschaw on Saturday. Also eyeing 2018 is Sen Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif), who is scheduled to attend a lunchtime fundraiser for her re-election campaign on March 17 at the home of Jon Vein and Ellen Goldsmith-Vein. Contributions start at $1,000 per person. Feinstein, however, has not officially announced whether she will seek another term, but the event is an indication that she will. Hillary Clinton s running mate, Sen Tim Kaine (D-Va), also is set for a fundraiser for his reelection campaign on March 18, hosted by fi nancial adviser Sara Qazi and attorney Rachel Rosoff. Last week, ICM Partners Chris Silbermann hosted Sen Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), who faces reelection next year, and the agency s Ted Chervin hosted Jim Johnson, who is running for governor of New Jersey, with the primary on June 6. Next month, Silbermann will also host an event for Sen Cory Booker (D-NJ), who, like Gillibrand, Harris, and Warren, are viewed as 2020 presidential prospects. Let me put it this way: After an election what happens is usually everyone needs a rest, says Mathew Littman, a Los Angeles area political consultant and speechwriter. the door for candidates like Harrison, Buttigieg or Boynton Brown to rally more support in later rounds of voting. There s also the chance that any of the three trailing hopefuls could drop out and endorse Perez or Ellison. Nobody really knows what s going to happen on Saturday, said Texas Democratic Chairman Gilberto Hinojosa, who s backing Perez. Some Ellison backers question whether Perez, who has spent a career in government but not electoral politics, is the right man to harness the anti-trump energy and use it to rebuild the party. Other Democrats, meanwhile, worry whether Ellison, an unapologetically combative liberal, is the right messenger for a Democratic Party that has lost standing across wide swaths of the country. Heights also agreed to publicize its nondiscrimination policies and practices, undergo training on the requirements of the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act and periodically report to the Justice Department. The plan for the mosque called for 130 off-street parking spaces, a 58-foot-high dome and two 66-foot-high spires. Residents opposing the plan during public comment at an Aug 13, 2015 meeting expressed concerns about traffic congestion. (AP)

11 INTERNATIONAL 11 A lifelike statue of President George Washington taking the oath of offi ce is seen through a window refl ection at the Mount Vernon Estate on Feb 22, 2017 in Mount Vernon, Virginia. Wednesday marked the 285th anniversary of the birth of George Washington, Revolutionary War general and the fi rst president of the United States of America. Built on land belonging to Washington s family, the Mount Vernon Estate became the sole property of Washington in 1761 and was his country home until his death in (Inset): Visitors pose for a selfie outside President George Washington s family tomb at his Mount Vernon Estate. (AFP) Immigration Immigration Blanket policy threatens millions New citizens breathe a huge sigh of relief JERSEY CITY, United States, Feb 23, (AFP): Overjoyed new US citizens breathed a huge sigh of relief and celebrated Wednesday, largely if not uniformly critical of the Donald Trump administration s orders for a sweeping crackdown on illegal immigrants. US Citizenship and Immigration Services said it welcomed more than 25,000 new citizens in recognition of this year s President s Day in the week beginning Feb 14 at more than 162 ceremonies around the country. Of seven new citizens who spoke to AFP at a ceremony in Jersey City, one of the most diverse towns in the United States, five expressed reservations about a blanket policy that now threatens millions with deportation. It s really scary, said Stephany Perez, 25, an employment specialist who migrated from Colombia more than 20 years ago with her family. She was one of 26 people from 18 different countries, more than half of them in Central and South America, who become citizens in Jersey City a day after the crackdown was announced. Although Perez arrived in the United States as a child with Trump proper documentation, she says she feels safe only now. She still worries for her parents, despite the fact that they are permanent residents. Honestly, becoming a citizen is kind of like a sense of relief, she said. I m personally afraid for where we re going, but I hope God helps us because I don t know what s going to happen. The number of legal permanent residents applying for US citizenship in the nine months starting October 2015 was at its highest in four years, the Pew Research Center found in a report last September. Wednesday s ceremony opened with the national anthem and a video montage of photographs showing new immigrants through the ages, and included keynote remarks from a New Jersey state congressman, himself a former refugee from Cuba. Beautiful At the end, staff distributed US flags as the vocalist sang America The Beautiful before each new citizen went up to receive a certificate. Afterward, they posed for photographs and smiled for joy, one woman from Peru almost tearful for being able to celebrate with her children in a restaurant 10 years after moving to be with her now ex-husband. Foreign-born people account for 40.3 percent of Jersey City s population and 52.6 percent of people aged five or above speak a language other than English at home, according to recent census information. Many of those who spoke to AFP said they were partly motivated by a desire to vote in last year s hugely divisive election between Donald Trump, the Republican notoriously tough on immigration, and his Democratic rival Hillary Clinton. It s the greatest day of my life, said Carl Auguste, 47, who came as a baby with his family from Haiti. Despite having lived here legally since the 1970s, he also confessed to feeling uncertainty, even fear, while going through the naturalization process. What made this country great is the fact that this was a place you could come and you could be better, you could improve yourself, so I don t think that those doors should be closed, he said. But accountant Cathy Wang, 49, who was born in China and lived in Thailand before moving to the United States, was more circumspect. Having spent more than $10,000 and waiting 14 years for a green card then five more years before applying for citizenship she had less sympathy for anyone trying to cut corners. I really support to do it the legal way, she said. I feel a little bit unfair that people just like come in and get everything overnight and I have to spend 14 years to get a green card and 19 years to become a citizen. A border marker marks the US-Canada border on Feb 22, in Hemmingford, Quebec. In the past month, hundreds of people have crossed Quebec land border crossings in attempts to seek asylum and claim refugee status in Canada. (AFP) North America Trump carries clout poll: Donald Trump has historically low approval ratings, but would still have voters support in a row with Congress, polls suggested Wednesday. Fresh surveys showed Trump s popularity is languishing threatening to sap his political capital just weeks into a four-year term. A Quinnipiac University poll reported 38 percent of voters think Trump is doing a good job. Fifty-five percent believe he is doing a bad job. That is unparalleled for a modern president so early in his term. Perhaps worse for the White House, 63 percent of voters said Trump is not levelheaded and 55 percent said he is not honest. For any normal politician, those numbers would be disastrous emboldening political rivals and encouraging allies to keep their distance. Many in Washington are already looking toward Congressional elections in 2018, which present a challenge for incumbent Republicans. Mid-term elections often serve as a referendum on the president and Democrats are baying to retake 24 seats and control of the House of Representatives, which would put a serious check on Trump s agenda. (AFP) Trudeau defends move: Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Wednesday defended plans to give more powers to US border agents stationed in Canada, saying travelers would at all times be protected by domestic laws. As part of a 2015 deal between Canada and the United States, Trudeau s government has introduced draft legislation allowing US border agents based in Canada more leeway to question and search people wishing to enter the United States. Critics say this increases the chance of abuse at a time when the administration of US President Donald Trump is cracking down on immigrants, prompting dozens of people to cross the border into Canada every week. Canadian laws are in place, so there is extra protection when Canadians go through American customs in Canada, Trudeau told reporters. US border agents have been working in Canada since the 1950s, pre-clearing would-be visitors and addressing potential security threats. The agents are currently based at eight Canadian airports and under the 2015 deal, the program will be expanded to two more airports as well as Montreal train station. Many brace for arrest Immigrants in US change routines LOS ANGELES, Feb 23, (AP): In Orange County, California, dozens of immigrant parents have signed legal documents authorizing friends and relatives to pick up their children from school and access their bank accounts to pay their bills in the event they are arrested by immigration agents. In Philadelphia, immigrants are carrying around wallet-size Know Your Rights guides in Spanish and English that explain what to do if they re rounded up. And in New York, 23-year-old Zuleima Dominguez and other members of her Mexican family are careful about answering the door and start making worried phone calls when someone doesn t come home on time. Around the country, President Donald Trump s efforts to crack down on the estimated 11 million immigrants living illegally in the US have spread fear and anxiety and led many people to brace for arrest and to change up their daily routines in hopes of not getting caught. In El Paso, Texas, Carmen Ramos and her friends have developed a network to keep each other updated via text messages on where immigration checkpoints have been set up. Surroundings She said she also is making certain everything she does is in order at all times. She checks her taillights before leaving the house to make sure they are working. She won t speed and keeps a close eye on her surroundings. We are surprised that even a ticket can get us back to Mexico, said the 41-year-old Ramos, who with her husband and three children left Ciudad Juarez because of drug violence and death threats in 2008 and entered the US on tourist visas that have since expired. We wouldn t have anywhere to return. An undocumented Guatemalan migrant mother and her son have called an Austin, Texas, church home for more than a year. Hilda Ramirez says they were fleeing the danger of their country and were caught by immigration authorities as they illegally crossed the border at Texas in After they were released from a holding facility, a pastor allowed them to live on church grounds. The unease among immigrants has been building but intensified in recent weeks with ever-clearer signs that the Trump administration would jettison the Obama-era policy of focusing mostly on deporting those who had committed serious crimes. The administration announced Chicago schools take stand on immigration enforcement CHICAGO, Feb 23, (AP): As educators around the United States wonder whether a crackdown on immigrants will reach their schoolhouse doors, principals in Chicago have been given a simple order: Do not let federal immigration agents in without a criminal warrant. The stand taken by Chicago Public Schools, the country s third-largest school system, is among the boldest of the districts that have announced measures to protect those who may be living in the country illegally. It remains unknown how much interest US Immigration and Customs Enforcement will show in schools under President Donald Trump, and there is little schools can do to thwart agents who show up with warrants, but they are acting at least in part to ease concerns of skittish immigrant communities. In districts like Chicago, where nearly half of the 381,000 students are Hispanic, there is concern that immigration authorities could grab parents outside the schools and their children inside. My 9-year-old son gets upset because he knows some of his friends in school and his father are undocumented and he is scared, and asks Am I going to see them again, said Gabriela Barajas, who was brought to this country illegally as a child but is allowed to stay as part of a federal Tuesday that any immigrant in the country illegally who is charged with or convicted of any offense, or even suspected of a crime, will now be an enforcement priority. That could include people arrested for shoplifting or other minor offenses, or those who simply crossed the border illegally. Some husbands and wives fear spouses who lack legal papers could be taken away. And many worry that parents will be separated from their US-born children. Dozens of immigrants have been turning up at an advocacy group s offices in Philadelphia, asking questions like, Who will take care of my children if I am deported? They also are coached on how to develop a deportation plan that includes the name and number of an attorney and other emergency contacts in case of arrest. An organization in Austin, Texas, Kwan Trudeau program launched in When I told him about (what CPS was doing) he was clapping, he was so happy. Alma Sigala, an immigrant who has a daughter in district, said the relief is not just for the children but for the parents. Once the parents are inside the schools they ll feel more secure, that in some form they are protected, said Sigala. Trump s decision to target more people for deportation than had been targeted during the Obama administration has ratcheted up worries about families being torn apart all over the country. In the note Tuesday to Chicago s principals, Public Schools Chief Education Officer Janice Jackson urged them to not only keep immigration agents outside and to avoid sharing any student records with the agents, but to also put plans in place for the possibility of parents being detained while their children are in school. To be very clear, CPS does not provide assistance to US Immigration and Customs Enforcement in the enforcement of federal civil immigration law, Jackson wrote. Principals around the country have been stepping up efforts to make students feel supported, said JoAnn Bartoletti, executive director of the National Association of Secondary School Principals. that runs a deportation hotline said it normally would receive one or two calls every few days. After recent immigration raids, the phone rang off the hook. We got over 1,000 phone calls in three days about the raids, said Cristina Parker, immigration programs director for Grassroots Leadership. And certainly a lot of those were people who wanted information about the raids saying, I m scared, I m worried, what can I do?... A lot of them were people who were impacted by the raids who saw a friend or family be taken. Immigrants in the Chicago area have said they are scared to drive, and some are even wary of taking public transit. When Chicago police and federal authorities conducted regular safety checks on a train line earlier this month, many assumed it was an immigration checkpoint. Travelers who change their minds and decide not to enter the United States are currently allowed to leave. The new law permits US agents to question and if need be strip search people seeking not to enter the United States. Officials say the new tougher provisions are needed to deter militants probing for weaknesses at US-operated border facilities. Trudeau is under pressure in Parliament from the left-leaning opposition New Democrats, who say US border guards are already racially profiling Canadians who wish to enter the United States. What will the government do to secure clear assurances for Canadians who wish to cross the border? When will the Prime Minister stand up for Canadians... will he stand up to the bully? asked Jenny Kwan, the party s spokeswoman for immigration, referring to Trump. (RTRS)

12 INTERNATIONAL 12 World News Roundup Britain Save child migrants: refugees Assault on UK aid based on fake news LONDON, Feb 23, (RTRS): Criticism that Britain is wasting taxpayers money by spending aid money on flawed projects overseas is based on fake news and represents the worst aspects of populism, the head of the International Rescue Committee (IRC) charity said on Wednesday. The government, which has stuck to a pledge to allocate 0.7 percent of its gross domestic product to foreign aid, has come under increasing scrutiny in the media and by lawmakers over how it spends its aid budget. Last year, the right-leaning Mail on Sunday newspaper launched an online petition calling on the British government to scrap the aid target altogether. It has accused the Department for International Development (DFID) of using UK aid to fund English lessons for North Korean officials, Palestinian terrorists and a radio programme for Somalis with tips on how to migrate to Europe.... it is disturbing to see the debate about aid spending and the role of DFID fall victim to the virus of Fake News, David Miliband, IRC s president and a former British for- Miliband eign minister, was due to say in a speech at the University of Oxford later on Wednesday. The assault on aid represents all the worst aspects of the new populism. It is based on myth not fact. It blames others for a country s own problems, he was due to say in the speech, a copy of which was seen by the Thomson Reuters Foundation. DFID, the ministry that manages overseas aid, has rejected the newspaper accusations, saying they misrepresented or inaccurately portrayed projects it supported. Miliband s prepared speech also took aim at the myth that UK aid spending was out of control, by highlighting that at 290 ($361) per person it was less than what the average Briton spends on food they never eat. He was also expected to address one of the most controversial arguments made by Leave campaigners ahead of Britain s 2016 referendum to quit the European Union who said the UK sent 350 million a week to the EU which would be better spent on the National Health Service (NHS). Remain campaigners disputed the figure. Money Just as leaving the EU was trumpeted as a way to raise money for the NHS money which is now shown to be fictitious so a raid on the aid budget is offered as a salve for an NHS in crisis, Miliband was due to say. Yet the aid budget is one tenth the NHS budget; and the problems of the NHS are not born of largesse in foreign aid. Miliband was expected to argue that on every measure of impact UK aid money was being well spent, citing recent successes such as the immunisation of 67 million children against preventable diseases last year alone. He was also expected to highlight the benefits of cash transfers for refugees and displaced people, referring to Lebanon where every dollar delivered in cash generated $2.15 in the local economy. Young refugees who came to Britain alone as children and were traded like cattle by smugglers have urged the government to ensure safe, legal routes to the UK after it announced plans to scrap a scheme to take in vulnerable child migrants from Europe. The open letter signed by 17 refugees, aged between 16 and 22, adds to growing calls from charities and celebrities to keep the scheme open. Under the so-called Dubs amendment passed by parliament last year, Britain agreed to accept vulnerable refugee children who arrived in the European Union before March 20, But earlier this month, the government announced plans to drop the scheme it said encouraged human trafficking. Many of us have been traded like cattle between groups of smugglers on our journeys, the refugees, from countries such as Syria, Afghanistan and Eritrea, wrote. Many of us boarded over-filled rubber boats to get here. Many of us know someone who died on the journey, the letter published on Wednesday said. Safely We are the lucky ones the ones that got here safely. One of the refugees, who chose to remain anonymous, spent eight hours in a freezer during his journey, according to the British Red Cross which has been helping the group. An 18-year-old from Iran, who came to Britain in a lorry from the French port town of Calais, said he decided to sign the letter after witnessing deaths and abuse on his journey. Assaulting women, sexually abusing children, the smugglers are really not nice people, he said. I saw so many people die, this is a deadly journey. The letter was published on the same day experts from refugee and children s charities were due to give evidence to a parliamentary committee on the impact of the government s plans in an emergency session. Last week more than 200 actors, musicians, authors and broadcasters including actress Keira Knightley and rock band Coldplay said the government s decision to end the scheme was shameful and embarrassing, and urged it to reconsider. The decision has also been criticised by aid agencies, opposition lawmakers, celebrities and the Archbishop of Canterbury. Two petitions calling for the government to save the scheme have received more than 50,000 signatures. One petition was brought by the politician who sponsored the Dubs scheme, Alf Dubs, a Jewish refugee who came to Britain as a child fleeing Nazi persecution. The other was started by volunteers working with migrants in Calais. Conflicts and poverty in the Middle East and Africa have forced more than 1 million people to head to Europe, fuelling the region s largest migrant crisis since World War Two. Around 30,000 unaccompanied children arrived in Greece and Italy alone in 2016, according to the United Nations children agency UNICEF. Britain s Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge (center), meets Afl ie Thomas (left), and Emily Davis (right), on a visit to Caerphilly Family Intervention Team (FIT) to learn about their work with children with emotional and behavioural difficulties, problems with family relationships and those who have or who are likely to self-harm, in Caerphilly, south Wales on Feb 22. (AFP) British opposition Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn leaves his home in north London on Feb 23. Britain s ailing Labour Party was battling today to avoid defeat in two parliamentary by-elections, fi ghting off UKIP in one Brexit bastion and fearing a historic loss to the governing Conservatives in the other. (AFP) Dick Britain Trump Dick becomes police chief: Britain has appointed experienced counter-terrorism officer Cressida Dick, best known for heading an operation which led to the killing of an innocent Brazilian, as the first woman to head London s police force in its 188-year history. Dick, 56, becomes the most senior officer in the country, heading a force of some 43,000 officers and staff and controlling a budget of more than 3 billion pounds. I am thrilled and humbled. This is a great responsibility and an amazing opportunity, said Dick, who has been working for Britain s Foreign Office after leaving the London force in The Oxford University graduate had been the favourite to succeed Bernard Hogan-Howe who steps down as Metropolitan Police Commissioner this month after five years in charge. In speeches to mark his departure, Hogan-Howe said budget pressures meant there would be fewer officers in future and that the force was struggling to recruit the extra firearms officers likely to be needed to deal with any terrorist attack. Dick will also have to decide how to police the upcoming state visit of US President Donald Trump which has already generated anger and is likely to be dogged by protests. Highly respected and popular with ordinary officers, Dick joined the London force, known as Scotland Yard, in 1983 as a constable and made her way up the ranks including a spell back in charge of her hometown of Oxford. (RTRS) Kate skills deemed dreadful : The Duchess of Cambridge has shown off her pool-playing skills though one teenager was not impressed. Visiting a mental health center for children in South Wales on Wednesday, the former Kate Middleton spent time talking to children and teens with mental health issues before picking up a pool cue. Politics Polls open in party heartlands Labour fi ghts for post-brexit future LONDON, Feb 23, (Agencies): Britain s ailing Labour Party was battling Thursday to avoid defeat in two parliamentary by-elections, fighting off UKIP in one Brexit bastion and fearing a historic loss to the governing Conservatives in the other. The votes in Stoke-on-Trent and Copeland are a test of whether Labour can hold its once core support among working-class voters in the north of England following Britain s decision to leave the European Union. Most Labour voters supported Brexit while most of their MPs wanted to stay in the EU, a gap that the party is still struggling to bridge as Prime Minister Theresa May prepares to start the withdrawal process within weeks. Under leftist leader Jeremy Corbyn, the party is deeply divided and languishing in the polls, with the latest one showing they are 18 points behind May s Conservatives. Stoke in the West Midlands recorded the strongest vote for Brexit of any of Britain s major cities in last June s referendum, and the anti-eu, anti-immigration UK Independence Party (UKIP) is hoping for a breakthrough there. New UKIP leader Paul Nuttall is himself standing there, hoping to build on the widespread sense of public alienation from mainstream politics and to prove the party has a future after securing its goal to leave the EU. But his campaign has been damaged by controversy over his experience of the 1989 Hillsborough football disaster, after admitting that claims on his website that he had close friends among the 96 victims were wrong. Meanwhile in the rural Cumbrian seat of Copeland, Labour is facing the prospect of losing to the Conservatives which would be the first time a governing party took a by-election from a rival party since They are both on a knife edge, said a senior Labour source. We believe that we will win in both Copeland and Stoke, but there s no Kate, who wore a burgundy suit paired with knee-high boots, impressed in the style stakes but her pool skills left much to be desired. Craig Davies, a 15-year-old teenager at the center, described her pool playing as dreadful. The duchess became royal patron of children s charity Action for Children in December when Queen Elizabeth II passed on some of her responsibilities due to her doubt that they are both tightly fought campaigns in different ways. That s the reality of the situation. Of Britain s 30 major cities, Stoke had the highest vote to leave the EU, at 69.4 percent even though its Labour MP, Tristram Hunt, opposed Brexit. Hunt stepped down last month to become the director of the V&A museum in London, citing in his resignation letter his frustration at Labour s direction under Corbyn. UKIP jumped at the chance to take the seat, in which it came second in the 2015 election with 23 percent of the vote to Labour s 39 percent. However, apathy runs deep in Stoke which saw a dismal turnout of 49.9 percent in 2015, with Thursday s numbers likely to be affected by a storm sweeping across northern England. If Labour lose here, where can they hold on to their seats in the north? said Mick Temple, a politics professor at Stoke s Staffordshire University. And for UKIP, if they don t win in Stoke-on-Trent, where are they going to win? Condemned Nuttall has condemned the Hillsborough controversy as a coordinated, cruel and almost evil smear campaign, but there is no doubt it has damaged his chances. May made a surprise visit to Stoke on Monday amid hopes that the Tories could eclipse UKIP there, although many in Westminster believe that Labour will hold the seat. Serious concerns remain about Copeland, however, which Labour has held since 1983 but where the Tories have been steadily building their support. Local MP Jamie Reed, a prominent critic of Corbyn who resigned to take a job in the nuclear industry in December, had a majority of just 2,564 at the 2015 general election. Many jobs in Copeland depend on the afield nuclear processing facility, and Labour fear that Corbyn s strongly anti-nuclear stance will hurt them. The party has hit back with a advancing age. (AP) Storm Doris does damage: Storm Doris slammed into the British Isles on Thursday, causing flight disruptions at Europe s busiest air hub and train cancellations. Around 10 percent of flights were scrapped at London Heathrow Airport, while wind speeds of 94 miles (151 kms) per hour were recorded in Wales. British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson (left), talks with Korean Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se (right), at Lancaster House in London on Feb 22. (AFP) campaign on threatened cuts to the local hospital, echoing Corbyn s repeated attacks on May for not giving sufficient funds to the state-run National Health Service (NHS). In Stoke Central, a Labour-held seat since its creation in 1950, the party s biggest threat is UKIP the populist anti-establishment movement that persuaded many Britons to vote Leave. Last June almost 70 percent of people in Stoke voted for Brexit. UKIP is fielding its leader Paul Nuttall and has high hopes of a victory that would give the party its second seat in parliament and a prominent platform on which to build its presence. But UKIP has been bogged down by vicious in-fighting since charismatic former leader Nigel Farage stepped down last year, and its campaign in Stoke has stuttered due to a series of gaffes by Nuttall. Failure to win in an area with such strong support for its core objective would call in to question whether UKIP is capable of making good on its often-stated promise to usurp Labour and become Britain s official opposition. I don t think anybody for one moment can underplay just how important, just how fundamental that by-election is for the futures of both the Labour Party and indeed of UKIP too, Farage told UKIP s Spring conference last week. Further north in Copeland, a rugged coastal region whose fortunes are hitched to the local nuclear power industry, May s Conservatives could reclaim a seat they haven t held in over 80 years. Although Labour s grip on the area has weakened with the decades-long decline of the local mining, steel and fishing industries, Thursday s vote could prove a tipping point. If it does, and the Conservatives claim the first by-election gain by a ruling party since 1982, many within the party will look directly to Corbyn for an explanation. Britain s Met Office national weather service said damage to structures, interruptions to power supplies and widespread disruption to travel networks are likely, with a danger of injury from flying debris as the storm passes through. Storm Doris was heading from the Atlantic Ocean eastwards across the British Isles but was expected to clear the east coast around sunset. The highest wind speeds were recorded at Capel Curig near Snowdon, Wales s highest mountain. Wind speeds of 87 mph (140 kph) were also recorded at Mace Head in County Galway on Ireland s Atlantic west coast. Irish flag carrier Aer Lingus cancelled 12 flights between Britain and Ireland. Meanwhile a Heathrow spokesman said: Strong winds and poor weather across the UK have resulted in approximately a 10 percent reduction to Heathrow s flight schedule. Speed limits of 50 mph (80 kph) were imposed on several train lines in Britain, while some roads were shut due to strong winds and snow. The Port of Liverpool in northwest England was closed due to the winds, while some ferry services to Scotland s west coast islands were disrupted. The Republic of Ireland s state Electricity Supply Board said some 41,000 customers were without power due to 924 separate faults, with high winds and falling timber damaging electricity lines. In neighbouring Northern Ireland, NIE Networks said they had restored electricity to around 14,000 customers, while around 7,000 were still without power. (AFP)

13 INTERNATIONAL 13 An Apache attack helicopter is being unloaded from a Galaxy C-5 transport plane at the US Air Base in Ramstein, western Germany, on Feb 22. The fi rst attack helicopters of the US Army, intended to be deployed during military exercises with NATO partners for the operation Atlantic Resolve, arrived for a stopover in Ramstein. (AFP) Extremism Would be Jihadist jailed Swiss police stage raids, probe terror Amri ZURICH, Feb 23, (Agencies): Swiss police raided several houses and searched a mosque in the southern canton of Ticino on Wednesday as part of an investigation into suspected Islamist activity, federal prosecutors said. More than 100 officers took part in the operation and arrested one man, the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) said in a statement. The OAG said it was conducting criminal proceedings against two men, one with dual Swiss-Turkish citizenship and the other a Turkish citizen, based on suspicions of recruiting for Islamic State or associated groups. One of the men was detained pending further enquiries, although the OAG did not specify which one. The operation was part of an independent Swiss investigation and was unconnected to the truck attack at a Berlin Christmas market that killed 12 people in December, the OAG said. Amis Amri, the Tunisian asylum seeker who drove the truck, had several links to Switzerland, and may have obtained a gun in the country. The OAG has opened its own investigation against unknown persons in relation to the Germany attack. Neutral Switzerland is not a primary target for Islamist attacks because it is not part of the military campaign against groups such as Islamic State, but the security threat level has been elevated, the NDB federal intelligence service said in its annual report last year. Meanwhile, a 23-year-old man was Wednesday sentenced to 31 months in jail by a Dutch court after he twice tried to join jihadist groups to fight alongside them in Syria. The man, who was not named, had been caught once in 2014 and then again in 2015 trying to slip across the border from Turkey into Syria. The court in The Hague imposed a sentence of 31 months with 12 months suspended for attempting to join a terror organisation involved in murder, manslaughter and arson. The sentence was meant to send a signal to deter others who may have similar plans, the court said in its judgement. The Netherlands has warned it would crackdown on nationals seeking to join groups such as the so-called Islamic State. France and Germany won backing from the European Union s executive on Wednesday for proposals to tighten security across Europe, which include giving more powers to governments to monitor frontiers with other EU states. Both governments face elections in the coming months against nationalists who say Europe s open internal borders are at least partly to blame for Islamist bloodshed in Berlin, Brussels and Paris. Their interior ministers wrote jointly to the European Commission this week listing ways to improve public safety. On Wednesday, EU Home Affairs Commissioner Dimitris Avramopoulos said he welcomed the proposals, describing them as in line with the Commission s thinking. Among suggestions for closer cooperation and better data-sharing in Europe, Germany s Thomas de Maiziere and France s Bruno Le Roux argued for a change to EU rules to allow states to more easily impose national frontier checks inside the 26-nation Schengen zone, and for longer than is now permitted. Security and freedom are two sides of the same coin. Instead of relying on catchy populist slogans, we should continue, and deepen, the ongoing work on internal security to better protect European citizens, the two ministers said. The mass influx of migrants via Greece in 2015, as well as deadly attacks in three European capital cities, saw the German, French and other governments slap new controls on borders that had been barely policed for decades, raising questions about the survival of one of the EU s most prized achievements at a time of mounting popular disillusion with the bloc in general. Spain s King Felipe (right), and his wife Queen Letizia, wait for the arrival of Argentina s president and fi rst lady before a gala dinner at the Royal Palace in Madrid on Feb 22. Argentinian President Mauricio Macri, on a three-day official visit to Spain, called for Spanish companies to invest in his country, where there is a new stage of macroeconomic stability and clear rules of the game. (AFP) Le Pen Europe Fillon Le Pen retains poll lead: Far-right leader Marine Le Pen remains favourite to win the first round of France s presidential election but would lose the May 7 runoff against either the centre-right s Francois Fillon or centrist Emmanuel Macron, two polls showed on Thursday. Both polls were conducted at the start of this week, before Wednesday evening s announcement that veteran centrist Francois Bayrou would ally with Macron rather than stand himself, a move that could boost the centrist candidate at Fillon s expense. The polls findings are in line with a slew of other opinion surveys over the last few weeks. A BVA poll showed Macron beating Le Pen comfortably, by 61 percent to 39 percent, in the runoff vote. If the scandal-tainted Fillon faced off against Le Pen in the second round instead of Macron, he would receive 55 percent against her 45 percent, a narrower margin of victory and well short of the 20-point lead polls gave Fillon a few weeks ago. A separate Harris Interactive poll also had Le Pen leading in the April 23 first round, but in the runoff Macron would secure 60 percent against her 40 percent. Fillon would get 57 percent to Le Pen s 43 percent, it showed. (RTRS) Russia s court frees activist: Russia s highest court on Wednesday overturned the conviction of a jailed opposition activist and ordered him released more than a year after he was sent to prison. Ildar Dadin in December 2015 became the first person to be convicted of breaking a new law against protesters. The bill, which made it possible to press criminal charges and imprison anyone who was repeatedly caught taking part in unsanctioned protests, was seen as the Kremlin s knee-jerk reaction to counter massive anti-government rallies in Moscow in 2011 and The Supreme Court on Wednesday annulled the 2ó-year sentence for Dadin and closed his case, more than a year after he was first imprisoned. Dadin s wife, Anastasia Zotova, who Germany Man of the streets revives party Schulz plots path to defeat Merkel BIELEFELD/BERLIN, Germany, Feb 23, (RTRS): His only experience of governing in Germany is as a town mayor. She is Europe s most powerful leader. Yet Martin Schulz wants to end Angela Merkel s 11-year run as chancellor and fundamentally shift Germany s role in Europe. He might just pull it off. Schulz has revitalised his Social Democrats (SPD) fortunes since they nominated him last month to challenge Merkel in a Sept. 24 federal election, narrowing a popularity gap with her conservatives and even overtaking them in one opinion poll. Who is he? One year Merkel s junior at 61, Schulz is the former president of the European Parliament. While she has a doctorate in physics, he left school without his final exams before working his way up through local politics and on to Brussels. He brings oratory and a common touch she cannot match. What is more, he offers change: an end to Germany s role as enforcer of the austerity that has fed deep resentment across southern Europe, and an increase in government investment at home with less obsessing about fiscal discipline. With no executive experience, Schulz faces a formidable task in taking on Merkel, Europe s anchor of stability who won the endorsement of former US president Barack Obama on a farewell to Berlin visit last November. Schulz is certainly up for the fight. I want there to be fairness in our country! he roared to thundering applause from several hundred supporters at an SPD meeting on Monday in Bielefeld in northwestern Germany, one of the many towns he is visiting to re-energise the party s base. In a 65-minute speech, Schulz took aim at job insecurity and oldage poverty, promising to defend was at the court on Wednesday, told the Ekho Moskvy radio station that the court did not indicate how soon he could be released. We have no idea when he s going to be released because all communication, visits, phone calls have been banned, Zotova said. Zotova, who said she has only been allowed a 10-minute phone call and a visit pensions, reduce temporary work contracts and revise some of the Agenda 2010 labour reforms enacted by the last SPD-led government. When we have billions in budget surpluses in this country, I don t want this money used for tax relief on big incomes but rather for it to be invested, Schulz said, demanding more investment in education, infrastructure and digital technology. By prioritising investment, Schulz contrasts with Merkel s finance minister, Wolfgang Schaeuble, who is resolute in his pursuit of a balanced budget and who wants to use surpluses to pay off debts now and cut taxes after the election. The SPD would not go so far as to ditch the so-called debt brake that allows the federal government to take on new debt only up to the equivalent of 0.35 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) each year. Debate That is not up for debate. Nobody is talking about that, Ralf Stegner, a Schulz ally and deputy SPD leader, told Reuters. But a Schulz-led government would take a more accommodative approach to euro zone peers trying to reform their economies than that championed by Schaeuble, who has raised the prospect of a Greek exit from the bloc. Under Merkel, Germany has led demands for austerity in Greece in return for aid. Her government wants Athens to reach a primary budget surplus, excluding debt repayments, of 3.5 percent of GDP, and keep it there. Berlin argues that if Athens can hit that target, no debt relief will be necessary. With his focus on fighting inequality, Schulz is trying to sharpen the SPD s policy edge, blunted by with Dadin in the past six months, said she would try to convince her husband to leave Russia once he is released. (AP) Ukrainian MP kidnapped: Ukrainian lawmaker Oleksiy Honcharenko was kidnapped by unidentified attackers in the southern city of Odessa, a senior lawmaker A man kicks away a smoke grenade launched by riot police during a protest of students against police brutality, following the alleged rape of Theo, next to the Lycee Voltaire secondary school in Paris, on Feb 23. (AFP) spending seven of the last 11 years sharing power as junior coalition partners with Merkel s conservatives. That arrangement turned voters off the two big parties and fed the rise of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD). As a new face in German national politics, Schulz is untarnished by the compromises his party made in Merkel s grand coalition. His push for social justice is resonating with voters, 10 million of whom the SPD lost in a decade. He is authentic. He speaks the language of the streets, said Johannes Kemper, 56, an engineer who travelled 120 kilometres (75 miles) to listen to Schulz speak in Bielefeld. He speaks to the worries there are on the streets. Germany has enjoyed solid growth since Merkel took office in November 2005, and unemployment has fallen to record lows. Yet many people earn low wages and feel left behind in a globalised economy that has seen the gap grow between rich and poor. If the small baker in Hamburg pays his taxes but the American coffee business next door pays no taxes... if big businesses make more profits for years but real wages in Germany stagnate or fall, that is not fair, Schulz said at a town-hall style meeting in Ahrensburg, near Hamburg, earlier this month. Conservatives have made clear they will attack Schulz s record in Brussels. As European Parliament president, he found himself embroiled in late 2014 in a controversy over how strenuously the parliament would investigate tax deals in Luxembourg during European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker s 18-year tenure as the small country s premier. The deals included favourable arrangements for Amazon and Fiat. and regional authorities said on Thursday. An emergency has happened: Oleksiy Honcharenko has been kidnapped by unknown people in Odessa in broad daylight, the head of President Petro Poroshenko s BPP faction, Ihor Hryniv, told parliament. Thirty-six-year-old Honcharenko, a native of Odessa, is one of the deputy heads of the BPP bloc in parliament and is known for being outspoken on a wide range of political issues. Odessa s prosecutor s office also said the MP had been kidnapped, but did not give further details. (RTRS) Not making enough progress : Turkey is not delivering sufficiently on reforms to meet the terms of a migration deal that would allow Turks visa-free travel into the European Union, a senior EU official told Reuters on Thursday, citing an EU Commission report. Under the agreement reached in March last year at the peak of Europe s biggest migration crisis since World War Two, Turkey committed to preventing Middle Eastern and Asian refugees moving from its territory into the EU, in exchange for financial support and visa-free access for its citizens. Turkey was doing well on border control but a regular report that the EU executive plans to publish next week will say it is still delaying reforms on anti-terrorism legislation, party financing, judicial cooperation, the source said. (RTRS)

14 INTERNATIONAL 14 World News Roundup Mideast UN slams demolition plans France insists on twostate ME peace deal PARIS, Feb 23, (Agencies): France is committed to a two-state solution for the Middle East conflict, President Francois Hollande said Wednesday, a week after Donald Trump broke with international consensus by stepping back from the goal. The French leader, addressing an event hosted by the CRIF umbrella grouping of Jewish organisations, said a two-state solution was the only guarantee for Israel to remain a pluralist and democratic society. His comments follow the US president s shift away from an independent Palestinian state alongside Israel. The two-state solution has long been the cornerstone of US and international policy and Trump s row-back met with hostility from other world powers when he made his remarks last week. Hollande said there was only one way to have peace in the Middle East and that was to have Israel and Palestine side by side. He said it was up to the Israelis and Palestinians to come to an agreement on each issue, especially on the status of Jerusalem. France would continue to monitor freedom of access and worship for Jews, Christians and Muslims in the Holy City, Hollande he told the audience. This is the French position and I m sure it won t change, he added, weeks before he is due to leave office. UN slams W. Bank demolitions: The United Nations raised concerns Wednesday over newly announced demolition plans in a Palestinian Bedouin village in the occupied West Bank that threaten dozens of buildings including a primary school. Israeli officials have over the past week issued dozens of demolition orders threatening nearly every structure in a part of the village of Khan al-ahmar, the UN said. The United Nations humanitarian coordinator for the Palestinian territories, Robert Piper, visited the village where the primary school is among 140 structures at risk of demolition. Khan al-ahmar is one of the most vulnerable communities in the West Bank struggling to maintain a minimum standard of living in the face of intense pressure from the Israeli authorities to move, he said in a statement. This is unacceptable and it must stop. Israel says the buildings were built without permits. The UN says such permits are all but impossible to obtain for Palestinians. In the past days construction termination warrants were served to illegal buildings in Khan Al Ahmar, Israel s defence ministry body responsible for the Palestinian territories said. The enforcement will take place in coordination with state directives and required legal certifications. Israel has occupied the West Bank for 50 years in contravention of international law. A number of traditionally nomadic Bedouin communities are based east of Jerusalem, where rights groups fear demolitions could eventually clear the way for further Israeli settlement construction. This could partly divide the West Bank between north and south while further isolating the territory from Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem, which the Palestinians see as their future capital. The UN says there are 46 communities in the central West Bank at risk of forcible transfer, ousting approximately 7,000 residents. Netanyahu calls for soldier s pardon: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday backed pardoning a soldier sentenced to 18 months in prison for shooting dead a wounded Palestinian assailant, media reported. I am still in favour of pardoning Private Azaria, Netanyahu told reporters accompanying him on an official visit to Australia, Israel s Channel 10 said. Netanyahu had already spoken out in favour of such a pardon even before the sentence. After months of an exceptional trial that captivated Israel and highlighted deep divisions in public opinion, an Israeli military court on Tuesday sentenced Elor Azaria to 18 months in prison, with a further 18 months suspended. The March 2016 shooting in the occupied West Bank city of Hebron was caught on video by a rights group and spread widely online. It showed Sharif, 21, lying wounded on the ground, shot along with another Palestinian after stabbing and wounding a soldier, according to the army. Azaria then shoots him in the head without any apparent provocation. Many Israelis sympathise with Azaria, who reportedly said the attacker needed to die. A number of ministers in the government, considered the most right-wing in Israel s history, have called for him to be pardoned. Military leaders, however, have said the conviction is important for the institution s reputation. A poll published Wednesday by the Maariv daily found 69 percent of Israelis support a pardon, with 56 percent saying the punishment was too severe. Netanyahu praises Trump: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised President Donald Trump on Wednesday for publicly condemning anti-semitic acts after bomb threats to US Jewish centres and vandalism in a Jewish cemetery. Trump s comments on Tuesday were his first explicit condemnation of anti-semitic incidents amid a wave of threats against Jews and their community centres. Instead, he spoke more generally about his hopes of making the nation less divided. Anti-Semitic threats targeting our Jewish community and community centres are horrible and are painful and a very sad reminder of the work that still must be done to root out hate and prejudice and evil. he told journalists. It s very important that President Trump took a strong stand against anti-semitism and it s important that we all continue to do so in the years ahead, Netanyahu, on an official visit to Australia, said in Sydney s Central Synagogue. A video of Netanyahu s speech in the synagogue was posted on YouTube by Israel s Government Press Office. In Israel, some media commentators had pressed Netanyahu to speak out more strongly against anti- Semitism, in light of what they said had been Trump s reluctance to do so. A White House statement on International Holocaust Day last month without any clear reference to Jews or anti-semitism was mentioned as an example of this perceived reluctance. Mourners carry the coffin of Omar Abdel-Rahman, an Egyptian jihadist spiritual leader linked to the 1993 World Trade Centre bombing, who died serving a life sentence in the United States, during his funeral in the village of Jamalia, in the Egyptian province of Dakahlia, on Feb 22. Abdel-Rahman, who led the militant Al- Gamaa al-islamiya group in Egypt before immigrating to the United States, had been sentenced in 1996 for conspiring to bomb civilian targets in the country. (AFP) Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif (left), is welcomed by Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim (right), prior to their meeting at Cankaya Palace in Ankara, on Feb 23. (AFP) El-Sisi Mideast Netanyahu Egypt denies Sinai report: The spokesman for Egypt s president is categorically denying Israeli reports that Egypt has proposed giving up part of Sinai Peninsula for the Palestinians to set up an independent state. In a statement, Alaa Youssef said the issue has not been discussed or presented on any level. It s unimaginable to get into such unrealistic and unacceptable proposals especially in Sinai, which is a dear part of the nation, he said. His remarks came at the end of a meeting on Thursday between top commanders of the Egyptian army and police with Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-sisi in Cairo. The reports of establishing a Palestinian state in Sinai were first mentioned by an Israeli deputy minister named Ayoub Kara on his Twitter account. The Israeli press published it, causing an outcry in Egypt. (AP) US official detained: Media reports say police have detained a Turkish employee of the US Consulate in the southern city of Adana for alleged links to outlawed Kurdish rebels. The Dogan news agency report said Thursday the man works as a translator for the consulate and is suspected of membership of the Kurdistan Workers Party, or PKK. The group is considered a terror organization by Turkey and its allies, including the United States. (AP) Arab car ramming wasn t attack : Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was quoted by Israeli media Thursday as saying he may have been wrong to call an Israeli Arab driver who struck and killed a policeman and was fatally shot last month a terrorist, as Israeli media reported that a preliminary investigation has determined that the car ramming was unintentional. The incident exacerbated tensions between the government and Israel s Arab minority, and a leading Arab lawmaker is now calling on senior officials to resign. (AP) Supreme Court justices named: Three conservative new members have been named to Israel s Supreme Court as part of what the ultranationalist justice minister said on Thursday was her push for a bench more representative of right-wing Israelis. The 15-member court, widely seen as a liberal bastion, has drawn criticism from the minister, Ayelet Shaked, and other politicians on the right over rulings supporting Palestinian property rights in the occupied West Bank and its occasional reversal of Israeli laws it deemed illegal. (RTRS) Tunisia torture cases falling: Cases Obituary Omar Abdel-Rehman dies in US prison Thousands mourn blind sheikh in Egypt of torture in Tunisia are falling but abuses persist in prisons and detention centres, a rights group said Wednesday. The Tunisian Organisation Against Torture Al-GAMALIYA, Egypt, Feb 23, (Agencies): Thousands of mourners gathered in a small Egyptian town on Wednesday for the funeral of the Muslim cleric known as the blind sheikh who was convicted of conspiracy in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing in New York. Omar Abdel-Rahman, who was also convicted of planning a broader war of urban terrorism in the United States, died on Saturday in a North Carolina prison aged 78. Movements across the Islamist spectrum from the Muslim Brotherhood to al-qaeda issued statements mourning him, and several leaders from Egypt s Islamic Group, which views the sheikh as a spiritual leader and renounced violence in 1997, attended. Carrying signs that read we will meet in heaven and chanting we will defend you with blood and soul, Islam, hundreds of mourners gathered at Al-Gamaliya, his hometown in Egypt s Nile Delta province of Dakahlia, to wait for Abdel-Rahman s body as it made its way back from the US via Cairo. Lost The Egyptian-born Abdel-Rahman, who lost his eyesight due to childhood diabetes and grew up studying a Braille version of the Quran, remained a spiritual leader for radical Muslims even after more than 20 years in prison. As an adult he became associated with the fundamentalist Islamic Group and was imprisoned and accused of issuing a fatwa leading to the 1981 assassination of Egyptian president Anwar al-sadat, against whom he had railed for years. Abdel-Rahman was still an important figure in radical Islam even after years in prison. A year before his al- Qaeda followers pulled off the most destructive assault on US soil, the Sept 11, 2001, attacks, Osama bin Laden had pledged a jihad to free Abdel-Rahman from prison. When Mohammed Mursi, a leader of the Muslim Brotherhood, began his short-lived presidency of Egypt in 2012, he said winning the sheikh s freedom would be a priority. The jihadists who attacked an Algerian oilfield and took hostages in 2013 also demanded his release. Yet supporters paint him as a revered scholar who faced injustice and torture at the hands of the Egyptian and US governments for sticking by his principles. Mourners chanted God is great and cheered as his body, draped in a brown blanket inside a wooden coffin, was brought out to be washed at his brother s house before the burial. If he were a bad man, people from all over the country wouldn t have came to attend his funeral, said Mostafa al-wakeel, a 40-year-old lawyer who travelled around 175 kms (110 miles) from Cairo. The sheikh said he was hung upsidedown from the ceiling, beaten with sticks and given electric shocks while held in Egypt but he was eventually acquitted and went into self-imposed exile in He managed to get to New York after the US embassy in Sudan granted him a tourist visa in Even in exile, he remained a force in the Middle East, where followers listened to cassette tapes and radio broadcasts of his sermons decrying the Egyptian government and Israel. We grew up learning his books and tapes. He was among the first people who openly spoke against a tyrant, said Wakeel. Abdel-Rahman was arrested and went on trial with several followers in 1995, accused of plotting assassinations and synchronized bombings of the UN headquarters, a major federal government facility in Manhattan and tunnels and a bridge linking New York City and New Jersey. Accused They were also accused of plotting to kill Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak during his US visit in He and nine followers were found guilty in October 1995 on 48 of 50 charges. Al-Qaeda issued a statement after his death, referring to Abdel-Rahman s instructions to seek vengeance from those who killed him, referring to the US authorities whom he accused of neglect and abuse during his incarceration. (OCTT) reported 153 torture cases in the North African country from January to November. There were 250 cases in the previous year. (AFP) Palestinian children play in the village of Khan al-ahmar near the West Bank city of Jericho on Feb 22. The United Nations raised concerns over newly announced demolition plans in a Palestinian Bedouin village in the occupied West Bank that threaten dozens of buildings including a primary school. Israeli officials have over the past week issued dozens of demolition orders threatening nearly every structure in a part of the village of Khan al-ahmar, the UN said. (AFP) This is the instruction of the sheikh in your hands, work hard to fulfil it and don t let the Americans enjoy safety and security. Kill them, keep a watch on them and plant the fear in their hearts. Seek vengeance for your sheikh. Inspired He preached a radical brand of Islam and was seen as having inspired the 1993 bombing of New York s World Trade Center, which killed six people and wounded around 1,000. We never met you but we re your students, read one banner at the funeral held up by women wearing the niqab face veil. Aida Abdel Azim, a woman in her 50s from El-Gamaleya, said she wished the sheikh had returned to Egypt alive. We would have loved him to come back while he was still alive so we could kiss his head and feet. But he has returned dead, she said. I attended his lectures. He never encouraged violence or terrorism, she added. Representatives of Sunni Islam s prestigious Al-Azhar institution and from the Vatican held talks in Cairo on Wednesday following up on a rapprochement launched in Their meeting focused on the role of the Cairo-based institution and the Vatican in countering fanaticism, extremism and violence, Al-Azhar said in a statement. Dialogue must prevail between men to dissipate... differences, and religion is capable of overcoming discord with tolerance, Mahmoud Zaqzouq of Al-Azhar said in an opening address. The Vatican delegation was led by Jean-Louis Tauran, a French cardinal who heads a Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue, of which Pope Francis is a keen advocate. The pope hosted the grand imam of Al-Azhar, Ahmed al-tayeb, at the Vatican last May, in a warming of ties damaged when former pope Benedict XVI appeared to associate Islam with terrorism in a 2006 speech. Top Libyan official wounded: A Libyan spokesman says a top security official in the eastern city of Benghazi has survived an assassination attempt by a car bomb. The spokesman, Walid Urfi, told The Associated Press that Col Salah al- Hewidi who refused to leave his post as a security chief of Benghazi after being sacked was wounded in the Wednesday explosion. (AP) Lawyer calls him a hostage : A Washington-based lawyer for a US permanent resident imprisoned in Iran has described him as a hostage. Jason Poblete said in a statement on Thursday that Iranian allegations that Nizar Zakka confessed to authorities are completely false. (AP) Jordan jails IS men: Jordan s state security court has sentenced eight men to 15-year prison terms for involvement in alleged plans by the extremist Islamic State group to attack a military airport, military personnel, foreign aircraft and foreign embassies in the kingdom. The sentences are part of an ongoing crackdown. Jordan is a member of a US-led coalition against IS, which controls territory in Syria and Iraq, and poses a domestic threat to

15 INTERNATIONAL 15 China Military vets stage protests As China ups heat on NK, US faces queries WASHINGTON, Feb 23, (Agencies): China s surprising suspension of North Korean coal imports puts pressure not only on Pyongyang, but also on President Donald Trump. The question for him: Should the US respond with new North Korea negotiations? Years of failed efforts to stem North Korea s nuclear and missile programs have followed a usual pattern. The United States seeks tougher action from China, the North s traditional ally. Beijing urges US diplomatic engagement. But China s move this weekend appears to change the dynamic, addressing the long-standing American demand, one Trump has vociferously repeated. If enforced, the loss of coal revenue could tighten the screws on leader Kim Jong Un after his government s acceleration of nuclear and missile tests this last year. China rarely makes concessions for free, and will want Trump to respond in kind. If China is squeezing North Korea, it is for one purpose and one purpose only: to offer a cooperative gesture to the incoming Trump administration in return for an initiative on negotiations, said Stephan Haggard, a North Korea expert at the University of California, San Diego. Beijing indicated such a Shuang strategy was in play. Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said the country wants parallel negotiations on nuclear matters and a formal peace treaty to replace the armistice ending the Korean War a longstanding North Korean request. Washington has said the North s nuclear weapons program must be settled first. Meanwhile, the newspaper of China s ruling Communist Party, Global Times, published a pair of editorials Wednesday calling for aid-for-disarmament talks to restart. They ve been on ice since Any breakthrough would almost surely require US- Chinese cooperation. Kim has shown little interest in relinquishing his nation s nuclear deterrent as he closes in on a weapon capable of targeting mainland America, and Sino-American disputes over the best approach to dealing with the confounding North Korean leader have hamstrung international diplomatic efforts. We continue to urge China to exert its unique leverage as North Korea s largest trading partner to convince Pyongyang to return to serious talks on denuclearization, State Department spokeswoman Anna Richey-Allen said. Trump has vowed to deal with North Korea, without saying how. His administration is conducting a broad-ranging policy review, including how to make sanctions bite. Negotiations haven t been ruled out, said a US official, who wasn t authorized to discuss internal deliberations and demanded anonymity. China s decision on coal could change the US calculus. A second administration official described it as a potentially hopeful sign, though the US was still gauging the significance. North Korea s coal exports to China totaled $1.2 billion last year, according to Chinese customs, representing more than a third of the North s total export income. Geng, the Chinese spokesman, explained China s decision by saying the coal imports this year already approximated a $400 million annual cap set by the U.N. Security Council. Chinese military veterans have demonstrated in central Beijing for two days, demanding unpaid retirement benefits in a new wave of protests highlighting the difficulty in managing demobilised troops. Hundreds of protesters, dressed in green and blue camouflage fatigues, gathered on Wednesday morning outside the Communist Party s anti-corruption agency, the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, standing in rows and chanting slogans. Reuters was sent footage of the protest by participants. A smaller gathering of protesters congregated outside the Ministry of Civil Affairs on Thursday morning but they were swiftly dispersed, a demobilised soldier told Reuters, citing protesters at the scene. Defence Ministry spokesman Ren Guoqiang, asked about the protests, said the government cared about veterans welfare, attached great importance to resolving their difficulties and had done much to better their conditions. China s defence ministry on Thursday dismissed reports Chinese military vehicles were patrolling inside Afghanistan, saying the two countries were only carrying out counter-terrorism operations along their common border. This month, the Central Asia-Caucasus Analyst think-tank said in a report on its website that Chinese troops were on Afghan soil conducting joint patrols with their Afghan counterparts. That followed a similar report in an Indian media outlet in November. Defence ministry spokesman Ren Guoqiang said Chinese public security departments had counterterrorism cooperation along the China-Afghanistan border. This is law enforcement bodies from China and Afghanistan, in accordance with a bilateral agreement on strengthening border law enforcement, conducting cooperation along the border so as to jointly carry out counter-terrorism and to fight against cross-border crime, Ren told a monthly news briefing. China on Wednesday described landmark Taiwan protests against Nationalist troops in 1947 as part of China s liberation struggle that Taiwan independence forces were trying to hijack, ahead of commemorations next week for the 70th anniversary. The 228 Incident, as it is known in Taiwan, has in recent years become a rallying point for the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), which favours formal independence for the democratic, self-ruled island China claims at its own. Chiang Kai-shek s Nationalist troops put down rioting sparked on Feb. 28, 1947, by a dispute between tobacco agents and a cigarette vendor in Taipei. That led to island-wide protests against the Nationalists, who two years later took refuge on Taiwan after losing a civil war to the Communists and imposed martial law on Taiwan until 1987, ruling with an iron fist and locking up dissidents. An Fengshan, spokesman for China s Taiwan Affairs Office, said the 228 Incident was a just action by people in Taiwan against dictatorship and to fight for their basic rights. In this Feb 12, 2017 fi le photo released by the Imperial Household Agency of Japan, Japan s Crown Prince Naruhito (center), poses for a photo with Crown Princess Masako (left), and their daughter Princess Aiko at Togu Palace in Tokyo. Naruhito celebrated his 57th birthday on Feb 23. (AP) This picture taken on Feb 22, and released by North Korea s official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on Feb 23 shows North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un (center), visiting the People s Theatre to mark the 70th anniversary of the founding of the State Merited Chorus in Pyongyang. (AFP) Asia Japan Crown Prince vows to follow father s footsteps Japan s Crown Prince Naruhito marked his 57th birthday Thursday with a pledge to follow in his father s footsteps as a symbol of the nation if his father s wish to abdicate is realized. Naruhito is fi rst in line to Japan s Record damages awarded: A Japanese court on Thursday awarded record compensation for thousands of residents near a US military base over aircraft noise, but rejected their demand to suspend flights at odd hours. An Okinawa court ordered the Japanese government to pay billion yen ($266 million) in damages to about 22,000 residents near Kadena Air Base more than three times the highest previous award over military noise. Presiding Judge Tetsuya Fujikura rapped the government, saying the noise burden on residents had continued despite a separate 2009 ruling calling for improvement. The damage has caused mental pain, disturbance to sleep and an increase in the risk of negative health effects from developing high blood pressure, he said, according to Jiji Press. Residents near US military bases in Japan have long complained about noise levels, particularly take-offs and landings at night and early morning. The 2009 ruling, which covered a different set of Okinawa plaintiffs, said the government has a political responsibility to improve the noise situation even if it has no control over the US military, Jiji said. (AFP) Operator could face questions: Japan s largest opposition Democratic Party has demanded that the head of a school operator with ties to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe s wife, Akie, appear before parliament to explain its purchase of governmentowned land, it said on Wednesday. The operator, Moritomo Gakuen, last year bought an 8,770-square-metre plot of government-owned land for 134 million yen ($1.2 million), or 14 percent of its appraisal price, to build a new elementary school, Kyodo news agency has reported. Akie Abe is set to be honorary principal of the new school in Japan s western region of Toyonaka, Moritomo Gakuen says on its website. Prime Minister Abe told parliament on Friday neither he or his wife had been involved in the transaction. Although the appraisal price of the land was 956 million yen, an estimated cost of 822 million yen for land cleanup activities was deducted from the sale price, Kyodo said. (RTRS) Russian buildup plan slammed: Japan has protested to Russia over its plan to boost troop strength on disputed islands, Japan s top government spokesman said on Thursday, the latest move in a territorial row that has overshadowed ties since World War Two. Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga told a news conference the government was closely monitoring Russia s actions and analysing information. If the move leads to the reinforcement of Russian military on the islands, it would be incompatible with Japan s stance and it is regrettable as they are inherently our territory, he said. Suga made the comment after media Chrysanthemum throne and would succeed Emperor Akihito, now 83. Akihito expressed last August his apparent wish to abdicate, citing concerns his age and health may start limiting his ability to fulfi l his duties. The government is currently discussing North Korea Pyongyang denies it was behind Kim s killing Malaysia probe full of holes SEOUL, South Korea, Feb 23, (AP): North Korea denied Thursday that its agents masterminded the assassination of the half brother of leader Kim Jong Un, saying a Malaysian investigation into the death of one of its nationals is full of holes and contradictions. The North s response came a day after Malaysian police said they were seeking two more North Koreans, including the second secretary of North Korea s embassy in Kuala Lumpur, in connection with the Feb 13 killing of Kim Jong Nam at a Malaysian airport. Malaysia police have not directly pinpointed North Korea as being behind the death of Kim Jong Nam, but have already arrested a North Korean man working at a Malaysian company along with three other Southeast Asian people. They are searching for several more North Koreans. The Korean Jurists Committee, a legal body affiliated with North Korea s rubber-stamp parliament, said in a statement Thursday that the Malaysian investigation lacks fairness and was influenced by the South Korean government, which blames Pyongyang for the death. The North has not acknowledged that the dead man is Kim Jong Nam. Thursday s statement described the man only as a North Korean citizen bearing a diplomatic passport. It said that South Korea had kicked up a fuss and had plotted to have North Korea blamed for the killing. The biggest responsibility for his death rests with the government of Malaysia as the citizen of the DPRK died in its land, the statement said. The DPRK refers to the Democratic People s Republic of North Korea, the country s official name. Malaysian police said Wednesday that the two women suspected of fatally poisoning Kim Jong Nam were trained to coat their hands with toxic chemicals and then wipe them on his face. Police say the substance used remains unknown, but it was potent enough to kill Kim before he could make it to a hospital. Inspector-General of Police Khalid Abu Bakar told reporters that the women, one Vietnamese and the other Indonesian, knew they were handling poisonous materials and were warned to take precautions. The women and a Malaysian man, believed to be the boyfriend of the Indonesian woman, have been arrested. Surveillance video showed both women keeping their hands away from their bodies after the attack, he said, then going to restrooms to wash. Those details are not clear in video obtained by media outlets. But the North Korean Embassy in Kuala Lumpur has already ridiculed the police account and demanded the immediate release of the two innocent reports that Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu talked about a plan to deploy a military division to the islands, including areas Japan claims as its territory, this year. (RTRS) Fire triggers explosions: Two hundred firefighters battled a blaze at a Singapore waste management plant which triggered a series of explosions and sent a plume of black smoke into the early morning sky. a special law to allow Akihito to step down. I would like to continue to pray for, always stand by, and share joys and sorrows with the people, Naruhito said in a birthday message released Thursday. Damage control NKorea style: deny and attack TOKYO, Feb 23, (AP): Faced with the killing of its leader s half brother in what appears to have all the trappings of a politically motivated hit, North Korea is turning up the volume on a familiar defense: Flatly deny the allegations, viciously attack the accusers. It s a position the North has been in before, from dismissing UN reports outlining human rights abuses or the fi ndings to disputing who threw the fi rst punch in the Korean War. But, while master of the message at home, rarely, if ever, has Pyongyang managed to effectively sway world opinion. With evidence emerging that seems to strongly implicate some kind of North Korea connection to the killing of Kim Jong Un s estranged half brother Kim Jong Nam, the North is intensifying its public attack on the officials in charge of the investigation in Malaysia. In its fi rst mention of the case, state-run media denied Thursday that North Korean agents masterminded the killing and said the Malaysian investigation was full of holes and contradictions. The response came a day after Malaysian police said they were seeking two more North Koreans, including the second secretary of North Korea s embassy in Kuala Lumpur, in connection with the Feb 13 killing of Kim Jong Nam in an airport lobby. North Korea s ambassador in Malaysia has made similar statements to reporters. But the decision to carry the story in the North s highly selective official media is signifi cant because it refl ects a level of concern in Pyongyang over the allegations and its desire to push harder with the counter-message of its own. women. An embassy statement asked how the women were able to survive if they also had the deadly toxins on their hands. Malaysian police said the women washed their hands soon after poisoning Kim. In related news, in its first comments on the airport assassination of Kim Jong-Nam, KCNA said Malaysia bore responsibility for the death, and accused it of conspiring with South Korea. Malaysia is obliged to hand his Abe Akie Akihito would be the fi rst to abdicate since Emperor Kokaku 200 years ago. Media reports have said offi cials are eying an abdication at the end of 2018, when Akihito turns 85 and his reign is in its 30th year. (AP) Pyongyang s fi ery and categorical denials and counter-allegations follow a well-established pattern: It has taken essentially the same tack in response to allegations leveled at it going all the way back to who started the Korean War (Pyongyang claims it was attacked, not the attacker). To this day, it also disputes as biased and politically motivated the fi ndings of an international investigation into the 2010 torpedoing of the Cheonan warship that left 46 South Koreans dead calling it fi ctitious and an intolerable mockery. A particularly damning UNbacked report on human rights abuses that came out in 2014 continues to be written off by Pyongyang as based on the lies of human scum defectors eager to please Japan, the United States and South Korea in their plot to discredit the North s social system. More recently, it fl ipped the script by claiming South Korean agents had tricked a group of North Korean waitresses at a restaurant in China to defect. Obfuscating the South s claim that the group defection indicated growing dissatisfaction in the North, Pyongyang accused Seoul of violating the women s human rights by holding them against their will and is demanding their immediate return. Malaysian officials have not directly accused North Korea of being behind the killing, and Malaysia is one of the few countries with close ties to the North. But they have arrested a North Korean man working at a Malaysian company along with three other people and are searching for several more North Koreans. And, not surprisingly, Malaysia has bristled at the North s attacks on the integrity of its investigation. body to the DPRK (North Korea) side as it made an autopsy and forensic examination of it in an illegal and immoral manner, the North s Korean Jurists Committee said, in comments carried by the state-run news agency. Malaysia has not released the corpse under the absurd pretext that it needs a DNA sample from the dead man s family, it said. This proves that the Malaysian side is going to politicise the transfer of the body in utter disregard of international law and morality and thus attain a sinister purpose, it said. The fire broke out on Thursday at the Eco Special Waste Management plant in the Tuas industrial district, bordering Malaysia, fuelled by chemical waste and other flammable materials, officials said. Videos and photos acquired by Reuters showed a large flame and a tall column of dark smoke covering part of the sky. Periodic explosions were heard as firefighters battled the blaze with foam, the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said in a Facebook post. (RTRS)

16 INTERNATIONAL 16 World News Roundup Asia Execs sentenced to death It would strain ties if China builds on shoal MANILA, Philippines, Feb 23, (Agencies): The Philippines top diplomat says any move by China to transform a Manila-claimed shoal into an island would be a game-changer in blossoming relations although he says Beijing has pledged not to undertake any construction in the strategically located area of the South China Sea. Foreign Secretary Perfecto Yasay Jr said in response to a reporter s question Thursday that any Chinese construction in Scarborough Shoal would be a very serious, provocative act that would undermine the Philippine claim to the rich fishing area. Five months after President Rodrigo Duterte made a state visit to China, Yasay disclosed for the first time that Chinese President Xi Jinping had told the Philippine leader during their meetings that China had no plans to build on Yasay Scarborough. Duterte has prioritized economic engagement with China. China s Gao postpones Manila trip: China s commerce minister decided at the last minute to postpone an official trip to the Philippines on Thursday to sign about 40 joint projects worth billions of dollars, sources at the Philippines trade and finance ministries said. It was not immediately clear what was behind the abrupt postponement of what would have been an important development in a new era of engagement between the two historic rivals under President Rodrigo Duterte, who has praised the leadership of Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping. However, two Philippines officials, who asked not to be identified, suggested Beijing may have been irked by comments on Tuesday by foreign minister Perfecto Yasay about China s robust activities in disputed areas of the South China Sea. Chinese Commerce Minister Gao Hucheng was due to arrive in Manila on Thursday with a large delegation but China informed the Philippines on Wednesday afternoon they would not be coming, the two sources said. Duterte critic issued arrest warrant: A Philippine court has issued an arrest warrant on drug charges for a senator and former top human rights official who is one of the most vocal critics of President Rodrigo Duterte and his deadly crackdown on illegal drugs. The Regional Trial Court issued the warrant Thursday for the arrest of Sen. Leila de Lima and other officials who have been charged by Department of Justice prosecutors with receiving bribes from detained drug lords. De Lima has vehemently denied the charges, which she says are part of Duterte s attempt to intimidate critics of his crackdown, which has left more than 7,000 drug suspects dead. It was not immediately clear when de Lima would be arrested or how her followers would react. BBC journalist faces five years jail: A British journalist with the BBC faces up to five years in a Thai jail after a lawyer brought a criminal defamation case against him over an investigation into fraud on a popular tourist island. Rights groups say the case exposes how Thailand s defamation and computer crime laws scupper investigative journalism and make it difficult to expose wrongdoing in an endemically corrupt country. The prosecution was sparked by a 2015 report by Jonathan Head, the BBC s Southeast Asia correspondent, looking at how two foreign retirees were scammed out of their properties in Phuket. Vietnam shipping execs sentenced to death: Vietnam on Wednesday sentenced two executives from its scandal-hit shipping industry to death for embezzlement, official media reported, the latest punishment meted out for the spectacular collapse of a state-run firm that triggered pledges to restructure the economy. The executives, Giang Kim Dat and Tran Van Liem, were the former business manager and directorgeneral of the troubled shipbuilder Vinashinlines. The firm is a subsidiary of Vinashin, a shipping behemoth that nearly folded in 2010 under billions of dollars of debt in a scandal that rocked the communist country s political elite and sparked government vows to clean up graft in its sprawling state-run sector. On Wednesday a Hanoi court deemed the pair guilty of pocketing 260 billion dong ($11.3 million) in shipping deals made between 2006 and 2008, staterun Tuoi Tre newspaper reported. 4 wealthier than poorest 100 mln: The four richest Indonesians are wealthier than the poorest 100 million people in the country, a study has found, highlighting how huge numbers have been left behind as the economy booms. Oxfam said that President Joko Widodo had failed to fulfil pledges to fight inequality and called on the government to urgently increase spending on public services and make corporations and the wealthy pay more tax. Indonesia has enjoyed an economic boom that has reduced the number of people living in extreme poverty but the gap between rich and poor has risen faster than in any other Southeast Asian country in the past 20 years, the Oxfam study said. The benefits of growth have not been shared equally, and millions have been left behind, said the research, which was released earlier this week. The widening of the gap between the rich and the rest is a serious threat to Indonesia s future prosperity. If inequality is not tackled, then reducing poverty will be much more difficult, and social instability could increase. No injuries in Sydney fire: A thick plume of black smoke rose above the Sydney skyline on Thursday as scores of firefighters battled a huge blaze at a recycling plant in the western suburbs of Australia s largest city. No injuries were reported from the blaze in an industrial park about 15 km (10 miles) west of downtown Sydney. More than 100 firefighters responded to the blaze, which broke out at about 9.30 am local time (2230 GMT Wednesday). Unidentified relatives of Taja Begum, a 60-year-old woman who was killed in a shootout grieve at her residence in Moul Village, 62 kms (39 miles) south of Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir, Feb 23. Three Indian soldiers and a woman were killed after rebels ambushed soldiers in the disputed region of Kashmir, police said on Thursday. According to police, the attack triggered a brief exchange of gunfire and a stray bullet hit the 60-year-old woman while she was sleeping in her home. (AP) A child shouts as pro-palestinian protesters demonstrate against the visit to Australia by Israel s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in Sydney on Feb 23. Netanyahu is in Sydney for a four-day official visit and will hold talks with Australian officials on bilateral and international issues. (AFP) Hundreds protest Netanyahu in Australia Several hundred pro-palestinian protesters demonstrated in Sydney on Thursday against the first visit to Australia by an Israeli prime minister, branding Benjamin Netanyahu a war criminal. A police helicopter hovered over the city as speakers slammed Canberra s strong support of Pakistani cricketer-turned-opposition leader and head of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) Imran Khan arrives at the Supreme Court to attend a hearing on the Panama Papers in Islamabad on Feb 23. Pakistan Premier Nawaz Sharif has been under growing pressure from opposition parties, mainly Imran Khan s Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) over alleged corruption charges against the prime minister s family. (AFP) Subcontinent 4 killed in Kashmir ambush: A woman and three soldiers were killed Thursday when militants ambushed an army convoy in Indian Kashmir, police said. The soldiers were returning from a search operation when the militants attacked their convoy, injuring six, three of whom later died. The civilian woman was hit by a stray bullet and died, police said. Three army soldiers succumbed to their injuries at the army hospital in Srinagar, said a police spokesman who asked not to be named, referring to the main city in Indian-administered Kashmir. Area superintendent of police Tahir Saleem told AFP the woman, who lived near where the ambush occurred in south Kashmir s Shopian district, was hit by crossfire. The area was one of the main centres of violent protests last year against the killing of a popular militant leader in a gun battle Netanyahu and his government. We are here to oppose Australia s support for Israel, for a racist apartheid nation, pro-palestinian author and Australian lawyer Randa Abdel- Fattah told AFP. It s disgusting to see that some of our Australian leaders have rolled out the red carpet and welcomed a Sri Lanka HONG KONG, Feb 23, (AFP): Sri Lankan refugees who sheltered fugitive whistleblower Edward Snowden in Hong Kong have been targeted by agents from their home country, a lawyer and legislators said Thursday. The story of how impoverished refugees helped the former National Security Agency contractor, who initiated one of the largest data leaks in US history, evade authorities in 2013 only emerged in September, propelling them into the media spotlight. Snowden s former hosts Supun Thilina Kellapatha and ex-soldier Ajith Pushpakumara from Sri Lanka told reporters Thursday they were scared and nervous about the agents activities in Hong Kong. I don t feel stable... I don t have a normal life now, said Supun, a target of politically motivated violence according to his protection claim. Accompanying the asylum seekers, their lawyer Robert Tibbo and pro-democracy lawmakers James To and Charles Mok believe Sri Lankan agents have targeted the pair. In an incident which tipped Tibbo off, another asylum seeker from Sri Lanka was allegedly approached by two agents identifying themselves as officers from Sri Lanka s Criminal Investigation Department (CID), No normal life war criminal into Australia, she said. But there are so many Australians who are against this and we are raising our voices loudly and clearly today, to say (Prime Minister) Malcolm Turnbull, and (Foreign Minister) Julie Bishop, not in our name, she added. (AFP) Snowden refugees sought with Indian troops. More than 90 civilians were killed and thousands more injured in clashes between Sanaullah Rehman which has previously been accused of kidnapping and torture. The agents, who were carrying files containing information and photographs about Snowden s temporary hosts, asked for specific details about them, Tibbo said. The asylum seekers families in Sri Lanka were also harassed and threatened by police, military and government officials about their exact whereabouts and telephone numbers, with clear intentions to locate them, said Tibbo. There s actually a treaty between the Hong Kong government and the Sri Lankan government for extradition... All they would have to do is make the formal request to the government, and they ve never done that, Tibbo said. It s quite clear that the Sri Lankan government has an interest in our clients relationship with Mr Snowden. But Sri Lankan authorities have denied this claim. The police have no interest in the two individuals or their families, a senior police source told AFP in Colombo. The Sri Lankan police does not have the time or the resources to send people to Hong Kong as alleged. protesters and government forces. Clashes occur frequently in Kashmir between rebel groups and the roughly 500,000 Indian troops deployed in the region since (AFP) Politician spends state cash: The head of India s newest state is facing condemnation after spending $750,000 in public money on gold temple offerings to thank the gods for realising his long-held ambition. Chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao campaigned for decades for the creation of Telangana state in the south of India and had promised to donate gold to a local temple if he succeeded. On Wednesday he flew to a popular Hindu temple in a chartered plane and presented a lotus-shaped necklace weighing nearly 15 kilos (33 pounds) and a five-kilo collar as priests chanted vedic hymns, according to media reports. Speaking on condition of anonymity, an official in the Rao s office confirmed the donation and said it was from the government of Telangana and its people. Social media users laid into Rao, who has been criticised in the past over his lavish use of public funds. Rao is a great CM. Never hesitates to put his hand in the State treasury for meeting personal needs. The dictionary word is theft, said one Twitter user. Instead of offering kg s of gold to temples and seeking miracles please do Rao something on the ground posted another. (AFP) B desh stopped editor flying: A prominent Bangladeshi magazine editor on bail for charges of plotting to kill the prime minister s son said Thursday he had been stopped from flying to London to visit his sick wife, despite having high court clearance to travel. Shafik Rehman, who is also a British citizen, said he was prevented from boarding a flight from Dhaka to London, where his wife is receiving treatment for leukaemia. The 81-year-old was released from jail last September, five months after he was arrested on charges of plotting to kill Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina s son, sparking fears of a media crackdown. Authorities returned his seized British passport last week after the high court granted him permission to visit his ailing wife. The police asked to see the high court order which I have already submitted to a lower court. I showed them the order s photocopy but they said they were not advised about any clearance about my flight, Rehman told AFP. It s very unjust. I m not accusing anybody, but feeling very disappointed. My wife is dying out there and she needs me beside her more than ever. Immigration authorities contacted by AFP said they needed to verify Rehman s papers. He will be able to catch the next flight once we are done with the procedure, a senior police official said on condition of anonymity. Rehman, a former speechwriter for the country s main opposition leader Khaleda Zia, was arrested last April on charges of plotting to murder Sajeeb Wazed Joy, who lives in the United States. He denies the allegations. (AFP) Blast kills 8 in Lahore: An explosion rocked an upscale neighborhood in the eastern city of Lahore on Thursday, killing eight people, officials said, in what could be the latest in a string of brazen attacks over the past two weeks that have killed over 125 people. It was not immediately clear what caused the explosion, which took place at a popular restaurant. Provincial Law Minister Rana Sanaullah told The Associated Press that along with the eight killed, 23 people were wounded in the blast. Our focus at the moment is to rush the victims to hospitals and secure the scene of crime, said Lahore operations police chief Haider Ashraf. Live local TV footages showed smoke rising from a part of the restaurant that is still under construction. The explosion was so powerful that it shattered windows of several nearby buildings. Dust and smoke covered dozens of cars parked outside, their windscreens and rear windows shattered. Details remained sketchy and no group immediately claimed the explosion as an attack. The restaurant is located in a neighborhood called Defense Housing Authority, which includes several marketplaces and shopping areas. The area is under control of the military-backed department a common practice across Pakistan in better-off residential areas and housing is mainly given to people working for the armed forces, though civilians can also buy plots and build homes. The recent attacks across Pakistan have been claimed by an array of militant groups, including the Islamic State group and a splinter Taleban faction, and have prompted a countrywide crackdown on militants. In just one bombing last week, which was claimed by IS and which targeted a revered Sufi shrine packed with Muslim worshippers, majority of them Shiites, at least 90 people were killed. Pakistan has been at war with the Taleban and allied Islamic militants, who want to destabilize the nuclear-armed country to install their own harsh interpretation of Islamic system. (AP) Dostum s guards in abuse case: Bodyguards of Afghan Vice-President Rashid Dostum who are wanted over allegations of torture and abuse of one of their boss s political rivals have turned themselves in to authorities after weeks of refusing to cooperate, officials said on Wednesday. The move comes after days of rising tensions within President Ashraf Ghani s fragile national unit government. Armed troops blocked streets around Dostum s Kabul residence to try to force him to hand the men over. Interior ministry spokesman Sediq Sediqqi said that seven bodyguards were being questioned by officials of the attorney general s office. Dostum, a powerful ethnic Uzbek warlord with decades of experience in Afghanistan s turbulent politics, faces accusations that he ordered members of his personal militia to seize and detain Ahmad Ishchi, a former ally. He has denied the accusations. Ishchi says he was subjected to days of severe beatings and sexual abuse, prompting demands from Western allies of the government for an investigation and trial. The case has caused severe embarrassment to Ghani, who has faced heavy pressure from Western allies to act against his volatile vice-president. (RTRS)

17 INTERNATIONAL 17 Lat/Am No mass roundups of migrants : The United States is not carrying out mass roundups or deportations under its tough crackdown on undocumented migrants, but it is determined to gain control of its southern border, its domestic security chief said Wednesday. We are not going out and doing mass deportations, Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly told a news conference in Guatemala, after talks with that country s president. He said that two memos he signed Tuesday, enacting directions Trump from US President Donald Trump to clamp down on immigrants deemed to be in the United States illegally would prioritize criminal offenders while ensuring due process in US courts was upheld. But there will be no mass roundups. When we do take someone into custody they are then put into the American legal justice system that s the courts, and it s the courts that will decide what happens to them, he said. Kelly s visit to Guatemala one of three violence- and poverty-wracked Central American countries that provide many undocumented migrants to the US was the first by a senior US official since Trump took power last month. Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras are especially concerned about Trump s drive to cut down on illegal immigration and to reduce the size of the undocumented migrant population in the US, estimated at 11 million. (AFP) Castro eager to maintain ties : Cuban President Raul Castro appears eager to maintain better relations with the United States and gave a group of US Congress members signed copies of a recent speech expressing his willingness to negotiate with President Donald Trump, Sen Patrick Leahy said Wednesday. Leahy and four other members of Congress spoke to reporters Wednesday at the end of a three-day trip to Cuba that included a Tuesday night meeting with Castro. The others included Republican Sen Thad Cochran of Mississippi, who spoke favorably of US relations with Cuba, although he did not weigh in on specific aspects of president Barack Obama s detente with Castro. That policy is under review by the Trump administration. Leahy and Democratic members of the delegation expressed confidence that the opening with Cuba would not be reversed, despite Trump s public pledges to do so. The Vermont Democrat, a longtime advocate of better US relations with Cuba, said Castro expressed his desire to keep carrying out market-oriented internal reforms and improve ties with Washington. Leahy said Castro gave the group two signed copies of a speech he made in the Dominican Republic last month expressing a desire to work with Trump. (AP) Peru s president, Trump to meet: Peru s President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski will meet with US President Donald Trump at the White House on Friday, the Peruvian government announced Wednesday. President Kuczynski will be the first Latin American leader welcomed by Trump as presi- dent, according to his chief of staff, Fernando Zavala. The two conservative leaders plan to discuss bilateral cooperation and the fight against drug trafficking, Zavala said. Also likely to be on the agenda is Peru s request for the extradition of former president Alejandro Toledo, who has been charged with graft and is believed to be in the United States. The White House has not yet formally confirmed the visit. So far, Trump has welcomed the leaders of Britain, Japan, Canada and Israel to the White House since taking office on Jan 20. (AFP) Taurus shipped arms UN: Brazil s Forjas Taurus SA, the largest weapons maker in Latin America, shipped guns to the son of a known arms trafficker in July 2015, three months after the United Nations imposed an arms embargo on his allies in Yemen s civil war, according to a UN report released last week. The UN document cited and expanded upon a Reuters report in September that detailed the charges in Brazil against former executives at Taurus who allegedly shipped handguns in 2013 to Fares Mohammed Hassan Mana a, a Yemeni arms smuggler sanctioned for dealings around the Horn of Africa for more than a decade. UN experts on the conflict in Yemen said an investigation turned up several red flags in the sale of the handguns, which were registered for use in Djibouti but allegedly destined for black markets in the region. Authorities in Saudi Arabia seized an arms shipment in November 2015 before it got to Djibouti, on suspicion the arms were bound for Houthi forces fighting a Saudi-backed coalition in Yemen, according to the report. (RTRS) Brazil FM Serra resigns: Brazilian Foreign Minister Jose Serra handed in his resignation to President Michel Temer on Wednesday, citing health reasons, Temer s office said in a statement. Serra, a former presidential candidate, said his health condition did not allow him to withstand the travel required by the job. He gave no details on his heath but said doctors told him a recovery would take four months. Serra said he would return to the Senate, where he has a seat, and work to push through Temer s reform agenda aimed at restoring growth to Latin America s largest economy. Serra joined the cabinet in May when Temer took over from impeached leftist Dilma Rousseff and quickly moved Brazil away from an ideologically driven foreign policy to one focused on trade promotion. (RTRS) Dissidents honor Almagro: A group of Cuban dissidents on Wednesday recognized the secretary-general of the Organization of American States for defending human rights in their country even though the government denied him entry to attend the ceremony. About a dozen dissidents and diplomats from the US, Czech Republic and Sweden honored Luis Almagro at the home of the late democracy activist Oswaldo Paya, who died in a 2012 car accident. Paya s daughter Rosa Maria invited Almagro to receive the prize from her group in Havana. She has accused the Cuban government of causing the wreck, a charge the government denies. Almagro sent dissidents a letter saying that the OAS s only interest is to help move Cuba closer to the values and principles upheld by the organization in relation to democracy and human rights. He also said his intention is not to evaluate Cuba s internal politics. (AP) US Secretary of Homeland Security John F. Kelly (left), and Guatemala s Foreign Minister Carlos Morales give a joint press conference at the Foreign Affairs Ministry in Guatemala City on Feb 22. Kelly is in Guatemala for a two day official visit. (AP) Africa Gunmen kidnap 2 Germans: Two Germans have been kidnapped while working at an archaeological site in northern Nigeria, police said on Thursday. I can confirm to you the abduction of two Germans at Jenjela village in southern Kaduna on Wednesday, state police spokesman Usman Aliyu told AFP. Aliyu said the men had been working at the site in Kaduna state for more than 10 years and had been assigned security personnel because of a spate of kidnappings in the area. But he said they had instead used local villagers as escorts. Residents said two women, also thought to be German, were with the men when they were attacked. The abductors came wielding guns and machetes and asked the two Germans to follow them into the bush, said one resident, who asked not to be identified because of security fears. Surprisingly, they did not kidnap the two female German colleagues of the men. They fired shots into the air to scare off the villagers before abducting the Germans. (AFP) Somalia s leader inaugurated: Somalia s new leader was inaugurated Wednesday while promising to restore dignity to the troubled Horn of Africa nation but warning it will take another two decades to fix the country. President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed, who also holds US citizenship, was elected earlier this month in a step toward Somalia s first fully functioning central government in a quarter-century. Multiple challenges are ahead of our government. Therefore, I am telling people that because of the limited resources we have, our achievements will be limited, said Mohamed, also known as Farmajo. For the past 26 years there have conflicts and droughts, so it will take another 20 years to fix this country. He said Somalia s main obstacles are insecurity and humanitarian crises, including a drought that the UN has said affects millions of people. The immediate priority is to avert famine, the UN s special representative for Somalia, Michael Keating, told the audience that included several regional heads of state. The new president said his government will focus on reconciliation, justice and law and the restoration of the confidence of people in the government. He already has promised to tackle graft in a country recently ranked by Transparency International as the world s most corrupt. (AP) New Somali PM named: Hassan Ali Kheyre, a former aid worker and oil executive, was named prime minister of Somalia on Thursday by the country s new President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed. Mohamed, popularly known as Farmajo, made the announcement on Twitter. After his nomination Kheyre also spelt Khaire promised to tirelessly work with the president and try to form a government that represents the public. Tensions between Somali presidents and their prime ministers in recent years have frequently stymied government business and undermined political progress in the fragile Horn of Africa nation, so the relationship between the two men will be crucial. Kheyre is a political newcomer and, like Farmajo, is from the diaspora, holding dual Norwegian and Somali citizenship. Mohamed Ansari The 49-year-old has been a regional director of the Norwegian Refugee Council charity and a director of controversial British oil company Soma Oil and Gas. (AFP) India s VP visits Uganda: India s Vice- President Hamid Ansari is meeting with Ugandan officials on the second leg of his African visit. Ansari on Wednesday held talks with Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni and attended a business forum. Ansari, who also visited Rwanda, is in Uganda on a three-day official visit at the invitation of Uganda s government. In a statement citing Nina Malhotra, joint secretary of India s foreign ministry, Uganda s government says the visit is part of the conscious broadening of India s diplomatic footprint in sub-saharan Africa, especially in the Great Lakes region. India supports some development projects in Uganda, including a tele-medical center at the national referral hospital that is connected to 11 hospitals in India. (AP) UN appeals for $5.6 bln: UN appealed for $5.6 billion this year, of which $4.4 billion is required by this March to avert catastrophe in Northeast Nigeria, South Sudan, Somalia and Yemen. More than 20 million people in North-East Nigeria, South Sudan, Somalia and Yemen are facing famine or a credible risk of famine over the coming six-months. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres briefed the press here on Wednesday alongside the UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Stephen O Brien, the UN Development Program (UNDP) Administrator Helen Clark, and by video conference, the Executive Director of the World Food Programme (WFP) Ertharin Cousin. Guterres urged all members of the international community to step up and to do whatever is in their power, whether that is mobilizing support, exerting political pressure on parties to conflict, or funding humanitarian operations. (KUNA)

18 INTERNATIONAL 18 World News Roundup This handout infographic released by the European Southern Observatory on Feb 22, displays some artist s illustrations of how the seven planets orbiting TRAPPIST-1 might appear including the possible presence of water oceans alongside some images of the rocky planets in our Solar System. Information about the size and orbital periods of all the planets is also provided for comparison; the TRAPPIST-1 planets are all approximately Earth-sized. The stunning discovery of seven Earth-like planets orbiting a small star in our galaxy opens up the most promising hunting ground to date for life beyond the Solar System, researchers said Wednesday. All seven are within 20 percent of the size and mass of our own planet and almost certainly rocky, and three are ideally situated to harbour life-nurturing oceans of water, they reported in the journal Nature. (AFP) Exoplanets This handout artist s impression released by the European Southern Observatory on Feb 22, 2017 shows the view just above the surface of one of the planets in the TRAPPIST-1 system. (AFP) Space Perfect approach SpaceX Dragon ship lands at ISS MIAMI, Feb 23, (AFP): An unmanned cargo ship packed with food and supplies for astronauts arrived safely Thursday at the International Space Station, a day after SpaceX aborted the process due to a GPS problem. This time, the Dragon cargo ship made a perfect approach to the capture point, a NASA commentator said. The space station s 57- foot (18-meter) robotic arm, operated from inside the orbiting research lab by astronauts Thomas Pesquet of France and Shane Kimbrough of the United States, reached out and grabbed the Dragon at 5:44 am (1044 GMT). We had a great cap- Pesquet ture, Kimbrough said. Thomas did an awesome job. Gumdrop-shaped The gumdrop-shaped Dragon vessel is packed with more than 5,000 pounds (2,267 kilograms) of food, gear and science experiments for the six astronauts living at the orbiting space station. Congratulations Dragon on a successful journey from Earth and welcome aboard, said Pesquet. The cargo ship was officially berthed to the space station at 8:12 am (1312 GMT), and astronauts will begin unpacking it later Thursday, SpaceX said on Twitter. The cargo launched into space Sunday aboard a Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral, Florida, marking SpaceX s 10th resupply mission under a contract with NASA. SpaceX is currently working on another version of the Dragon that aims to ferry people to space as early as Since the US space shuttle program ended in 2011, the world s astronauts have paid Russia to ride to the space station aboard the Soyuz capsules. The price tag is currently $82 million per seat. Astronauts will be busy unloading goods again tomorrow, with a second shipment of supplies arriving Friday morning aboard the Russian Progress cargo carrier at 0834 GMT. Discovery Plan to clean up plant: The operator of Japan s stricken Fukushima nuclear plant said Thursday it will craft a plan this summer to extract highly radioactive fuel from the damaged reactors a key step in decommissioning work expected to take decades. Operator Tokyo Electric Power Co (TEPCO under its CEO Naomi Hirose) and the Japanese government have struggled to clean up the world s worst nuclear accident since Chernobyl in On March 11, 2011, a magnitude 9.0 undersea earthquake off Japan s northeastern coast sparked a massive tsunami that swamped cooling systems and triggered Cluster of planets circle around Trappist-1 star 7 Earth-size planets could hold life CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida, Feb 23, (Agencies): For the first time, astronomers have discovered seven Earth-size planets orbiting a single nearby star and these new worlds could hold life. This cluster of planets is less than 40 light-years away in the constellation Aquarius, according to NASA and the Belgian-led research team who announced the discovery Wednesday. The planets circle tightly around a dim dwarf star called Trappist-1, barely the size of Jupiter. Three are in the socalled habitable zone, the area around a star where water and, possibly life, might exist. The others are right on the doorstep. Scientists said they need to study the atmospheres before determining whether these rocky, terrestrial planets could support some sort of life. But it already shows just how many Earthsize planets could be out there especially in a star s sweet spot, ripe for extraterrestrial life. The more planets like this, the greater the potential of finding one that s truly habitable. Until now, only two or three Earth-size planets had been spotted around a star. A rocky Earth-sized world inside a star s habitable zone is considered the best candidate for finding evidence of life. Crucial We ve made a crucial step toward finding if there is life out there, said the University of Cambridge s Amaury Triaud, one of the researchers. The potential for more Earth-size planets in our Milky Way galaxy is mind-boggling. The history of planetsearching shows when there s one, there s more, said Massachusetts Institute of Technology astrophysicist Sara Seager. NASA s Thomas Zurbuchen, associate administrator for the science mission, said the discovery gives us a hint that finding a second Earth is not just a matter of if, but when, and addresses the age-old question of Are we alone out there? Last spring, the University of Liege s Michael Gillon and his team reported finding three planets around Trappist-1. Now the count is up to seven, and Gillon said there could be more. Their latest findings appear in the journal Nature. This crowded yet compact solar system 235 trillion miles away is reminiscent of Jupiter and its Galilean moons, according to the researchers. 3 in habitable zone Goldilocks Cool facts about the 7 planets CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida, Feb 23, (AP): Talk about an Earth-shattering discovery. Scientists have spotted seven Earth-size planets around a nearby star, some or all of which could harbor water and possibly life. That s the biggest cluster of planets like this yet to be found. Here s a quick look: AGE OF AQUARIUS This star system is less than 40 light-years from Earth, or 235 trillion miles away, in the constellation Aquarius. At the hub is a small, faint star known as Trappist-1. Seven planets circle Trappist-1, with orbits ranging from 1 ó to 20 days. If Trappist-1 were our sun, all these planets would fi t inside the orbit of Mercury. That s how close they are to their star and why their orbits are so short. The planets have no real names. They re only known by letters, b through h. The letter A refers to the star itself. GOLDILOCKS ZONE Three of the planets are smack Picture this: If Trappist-1 were our sun, all seven planets would be inside Mercury s orbit. Mercury is the innermost planet of our own solar system. The ultracool star at the heart of this system would shine 200 times dimmer than our sun, a perpetual twilight as we know it. And the star would glow red maybe salmon-colored, the researchers speculate. Years are exceedingly short in this star system the planets take just 1- to 20 days to orbit Trappist-1. The Leiden Observatory s Ignas Snellen, who was not involved in the study, is excited by the prospect of learning more about what he calls the seven sisters of planet Earth. In a companion article in Nature, he said Gillon s team could have been lucky in nabbing so many terrestrial planets in one stellar swoop. Altogether, astronomers have confirmed close to 3,600 planets outside our solar system since the 1990s, but three reactor meltdowns at the Fukushima Daiichi plant. Radiation spread over a wide area and forced tens of thousands of people to evacuate many of whom will likely Uchida Hirose dab in the so-called habitable zone, also known as the Goldilocks zone, where conditions are just right for water and life to fl ourish not too much and not too little stellar energy. The four other planets are tantalizingly close to the Goldilocks zone so close that they, too, could harbor water and potentially life. But just because a planet is in this sweet spot, doesn t mean life exists or ever did. If aliens were observing our solar system from the Trappist-1 network, they might be saying, Hey, there are three habitable planets there, Venus, Earth and Mars, said Sara Seager, a Massachusetts Institute of Technology astrophysicist who did not take part in the study. The point is, let s wait and see what s out there, she cautioned. HOW S THE VIEW? Trappist-1, one of numerous ultracool dwarf stars out there in the galaxy, glows red. If you were to stand on one of the planets, the star might appear to be salmon-colored. Its planets are clumped so closely barely four dozen are in the potential habitable zone of their stars, and of those, just 18 are approximately the size of Earth. Gillon and his team used both ground and space telescopes to identify and track the seven Trappist-1 planets, which they label simply by lowercase letters, b through h. As is typical in these cases, the letter A in upper case is reserved for the star. Planets cast shadows on their star as they pass in front of it; that s how the scientists spotted them. Shunned Tiny, cold stars like Trappist-1 were long shunned by exoplanet-hunters (exoplanets are those outside our solar system). But the Belgian astronomers decided to seek them out, building a telescope in Chile to observe 60 of the closest ultracool dwarf stars. Their Trappist telescope lent its name to this star. Herewith a backgrounder on the never return home. TEPCO invited foreign journalists to the site for an update on clean-up efforts ahead of the sixth anniversary of the disaster. Shunji Uchida, top on-site engineer, said important data has been obtained from recent camera probes which detected radiation levels inside the No. 2 reactor at record highs. We will also continue further research on units No. 1 and 3, Uchida said. Based on that data we will decide on a basic policy this summer for how to remove the molten fuel. (AFP) Researcher falls into volcano: An Argentine volcanologist and a Nicaraguan guide who fell into an active volcano were together, they would appear twice as big as our moon in the sky. The temperature could be pretty similar to Earth as well, at least on one of these planets. NOW WHAT? Scientists need to study the atmospheres of these almost assuredly rocky planets before jumping to any conclusions about water and life. The Hubble Space Telescope already is on the case. The stillunder-construction James Webb Space Telescope will join in once it s launched next year. The Webb will search for gases that might be a byproduct of life: oxygen, ozone and methane. Scientists say it should take fi ve years to get a handle on all these atmospheres, and fi gure out whether water and maybe life are present. Altogether, astronomers have confirmed close to 3,600 planets outside our solar system since the 1990s, but barely four dozen are in the potential habitable zone of their stars, and of those, just 18 are approximately the size of Earth. search for life beyond the horizon of our Solar System. What is an exoplanet? Simple: any planet outside our Solar System. The first exoplanet was detected in 1995, but the number has exploded in the last few years. A recent statistical study estimated that there are a trillion in our galaxy alone. Today, according to a tally by NASA, there are 3,449 known exoplanets. Of those, 1,264 are so-called ice giants, 1,043 are gas giants, and 781 are super Earths with masses many times higher than the rock we call home. Before Wednesday s announcement, astronomers had spotted only 348 smaller terrestrial planets with Earth-like mass, and of those only a handful in a temperate zone that would allow for the presence of liquid water a key ingredient for life (as we know it). in good health Wednesday after being rescued by firemen, officials in Nicaragua said. The 60-year-old researcher, Rodolfo Alvarez, and his specialized guide, Adriac Valladares, 25, fell into the crater of Masaya Volcano just south of the capital on Tuesday. The two slipped down the inside the active volcano when their rope broke and reportedly suffered dehydration from the high temperatures. They had been working just over the crater s lip when the accident occurred, the government said on an official website. Firemen used ropes and harnesses to climb down to save them. Both men were in good condition and stable, the government said. (AFP)

19 Film It s just so narcissistic In Oscar winners on H wood, undercurrents of anxiety By Jake Coyle Hollywood is ready for its close-up. Again. If Damien Chazelle s La La Land is to win best picture at Sunday s Academy Awards and just about everyone thinks it s going to it will surely go down as another in a run of movies about Hollywood to be celebrated by Hollywood. Two years ago it was Alejandro Inarritu s backstage comedy Birdman that was crowned at the Oscars. Before that, it was Ben Affleck s true-tale caper Argo, where movie magic saves the day in Iran. And before that, it was Michel Hazanavicius s black-and-white homage to the silent era, The Artist. As of 5 pm PST Tuesday, all the votes are in. But many have already lamented the increasingly self-congratulatory nature of Hollywood s already exceedingly self-congratulatory awards season. It s just so narcissistic, lamented Bill Maher recently. Another movie about movies. About us. Maher is far from alone in his disdain for the navel gazing. Hollywood, the Los Angeles Times critic Justin Chang, wrote, has fallen in love with yet another intoxicating vision of itself. Film writer Mark Harris called the anticipated sweep for La La Land (nominated for a record-tying 14 awards) Hollywood-bubble solipsism. The history of the Oscars is going to be For decades, the academy gave best picture to films about all kinds of things, wrote Harris. Then they stopped. So what s changed? Well, just about everything. In the five-year time span between The Artist to La La Land, the movie industry has been beset by a swelling tide of turmoil. Streaming services have moved in. (Amazon and Netflix have 12 nominations between them this year.) So-called Peak TV arrived, and with it came an exodus of talent to the open fields of the small screen. The studios, watching the number of tickets sold decline every year, have doubled-down on comic-book adaptations and remakes. Film, itself, turned digital. Proved Cinema has proved indomitable to countless challengers in the past. But fears are pervasive that a new wave of disruption will topple the movies. Cinema is gone, Martin Scorsese said upon the release of his little-seen religious epic Silence. The cinema I grew up with and that I m making, it s gone. Scorsese, as passionate a believer in the big screen as anyone, is reportedly taking one of his next films to Netflix. There have been a number of Oscar best-picture winners about show business and the colorful lives of performers, including The Broadway Melody (1928), Grand Hotel (1932), The Great Ziegfeld (1936), All About Eve (1950), one of the two other films to notch 14 nods) and Shakespeare in Love (1998). But it s a relatively recent development that the Academy Awards have been so swayed by movies about its own backyard. As the Los Angeles Times pointed out, it wasn t until Million Dollar Baby and Crash won in the mid- 00s that an LA-set movie won best picture. La La Land, Birdman, Argo and The Artist speak less to Hollywood s rosy view of itself than to its mounting fears and anxieties. The Artist was pure, monochrome nostalgia. Argo, like the Coen brothers recent Hail, Caesar!, portrayed the do-anything spirit of the once all-powerful Hollywood studio. In Birdman, an actor trying to make it on Broadway is haunted by his superhero past. Everybody s wearing a cape now, Inarritu sighed at the time. I think always there are great films, it s just that they don t arrive to people. Or people have lost interest. It s not that they don t exist. They exist. In La La Land, just before Emma Stone s Mia rushes off to the Rialto Theatre to rendezvous with Ryan Gosling to see Rebel Without a Cause, she sits quietly at a dinner conversation that would be familiar to anyone. Her boyfriend is bragging about his surround-sound TV. It s better than going to a theater, really. You know theaters these days. They re so dirty and they re either too hot or too cold and there s always people talking which is just so annoying. For a town flush with negativity (and fast dropping studio heads ), La La Land is like a warm ray of sunshine. You re a part of so many of those conversations. Theaters are dying. Movies are dying, etcetera, etcetera, Chazelle said in an earlier interview. It s the kind of thing where I m either hoping they re wrong or having to reflect: Man, I must have been born 30 years too late. Because all I ve only ever wanted to do is make movies for the big screen since I can remember. (AP) Variety Features FRIDAY-SATURDAY-SUNDAY, FEBRUARY , 2017 LOS ANGELES: Jake Gyllenhaal and Ryan Reynolds space thriller Life will land down at South by Southwest. The film will world premiere as the fest s closing night movie on March 18. Life, directed by Daniel Espinosa, also stars Rebecca Ferguson, Hiroyuki Sanada, Ariyon Bakare, and Olga Dihovichnaya. The film, written by Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick, centers on a team of scientists aboard the International Space Station whose mission of discovery turns to one of primal fear when they find a rapidly evolving life form that caused extinction on Mars, and now threatens the crew and all life on Earth. We are thrilled to close out the 2017 SXSW Film Festival with such a special film as Life, said Janet Pierson, SXSW s director of film. Our audiences will love this taut space thriller s twists and turns as well as its amazing cast. Producers are Skydance s David Ellison, Dana Goldberg, Bonnie Curtis, and Julie Lynn. Sony will release the film on March 24. (RTRS) SANTA ANA, Calif: Newly released video shows a small plane piloted by Harrison Ford flying low over an airliner with 116 people aboard moments before he mistakenly landed on a taxiway at a Southern California airport. Authorities have not said how much distance separated the two planes, but Ford s aircraft came close enough that its shadow distinctly passed over the jet last week at John Wayne Airport in Orange County. The 74-year-old actor was told to land his single-engine plane on Runway 20L, but he instead landed on a parallel taxiway on Feb 13. The video released Tuesday shows the incident from different angles. In one, Ford s Aviat Husky plane is seen from behind as it descends toward the airfield where an American Airlines Boeing 737 is slowly taxiing. The sky beyond the airport is bright white and the flyover is barely visible. Another angle shows Ford s plane emerge from the right side of the frame, flying low over the airliner and casting its shadow across the fuselage of the bigger plane before landing on the taxiway a few seconds later. (AP) US singer Katy Perry performs during the Brit Awards 2017 ceremony and live show in London on Feb 22. (AFP) See Page 20 LOS ANGELES: Fox is in talks with Kristen Stewart to star in adventure-thriller Underwater, produced by Chernin Entertainment. Will Eubank, who helmed the sci-fi thriller The Signal, is directing Underwater. The story focuses on an underwater scientific crew forced to go on dangerous journey for survival following an Film Films of pop star turned to serious thespian get Oscar nods Monae shines and wows critics NEW YORK, Feb 23, (AP): The journey from pop star to serious thespian is littered with casualties. For every Justin Timberlake, there are big-name hitmakers whose movie careers have stalled with dubious and disappointing results. Which is just one reason why Janelle Monae s magical movie ride is so noteworthy. The Grammy-nominated performer made her acting debut last year with two films and both are nominated for best picture at Sunday s Academy Awards. She first wowed critics in her small but pivotal role in Moonlight as Teresa, the nurturing girlfriend of a drug dealer who befriends an introverted, impoverished boy who senses he is different. But her biggest breakout would come with Hidden Figures, portraying one of three pioneering black women at NASA whose contributions to the space race were critical, but overlooked by history. As engineer Mary Jackson, Monae shows a depth and range that wowed critics and proved she could hold her own along a star-studded cast. Though Monae may be one of the biggest surprises of the Oscar season, the 31-year-old sees her acting ascension as part of her natural progression as an artist (she studied acting for years). I always did both, and I consider myself not just an actor or a musician or singer, but an artist-storyteller, and my hope is to continue to tell untold, unique universal stories in unforgettable ways, said Monae in an interview. Monae s career so far has certainly been unforgettable. Her albums a captivating mix of funk, psychedelic soul, R&B and pop have been critically lauded, and her electric stage presence recalls James Brown or Prince, who was a close friend and mentor. She s a CoverGirl spokeswoman and a fashion muse known for her eclectic style: On this day, her hair was dotted with eye ornaments. Space permeated Monae s artistic world long before Hidden Figures her alter ego was a futuristic android Cindi Mayweather, and on her last album, she paid tribute to Sally Ride, the first American woman to travel in space. She even dreamed of being an astronaut. I ve been obsessed with space and sci-fi. I was obsessed and still am with Mae Jemison, she said of the first black woman in space. And yet Monae was unaware of the story of Jackson Reynolds or the other central characters in Hidden Figures, based on Margot Lee Shetterly s book of the same name. Responsible Jackson was one of the black female human computers working for NASA in the segregated South; while the main character, Katherine Johnson (played by Taraji P. Henson) was responsible for the mathematical formula that launched John Glenn into orbit, Jackson petitioned and won her case to study engineering at an all-white school to further her career at NASA. I thought it was a fictitious story, she said. Once I found out that these women in fact did exist, and they did contribute to the space race and were an integral part of helping us win the space race, I wanted to make sure that no other young boy or girl or American, human being, went through life without knowing these phenomenal, brilliant-minded women. Monae was cast as Jackson after the Oscar-nominated Henson and Oscar-winner Octavia Spencer (up for another Oscar for her portrayal of Dorothy Vaughan) were on board. We auditioned everyone, and we were having a hard time finding someone who had the fire of Mary Jackson, said director Theodore Melfi. And then in walks Janelle, who auditioned, and I think she was burning up inside herself. She s such an activist and such a passionate and strong woman, she lit it up for us and did Mary Jackson so much justice and depth. Sharing billing with heavyweights on only her second film could have been intimidating, but Monae credits her co-stars with making her feel at ease. Octavia and Taraji are my big sisters. The sisterhood that you see on screen is genuine, she said. Spencer echoed those sentiments and called Monae a brilliant artist. She chose material that she responded to. You can t just pick films that don t resonate with you. If you pick films that don t resonate with you, then chances are, it probably won t resonate with anyone, she said. Jordan Peele is kind of done with performing. I don t necessarily love the attention, Peele said. It takes a particular kind of toll on you. While that might be a dagger in the hearts of fans who came to know and love Peele as an uncannily calm Ford earthquake, and is described as an underwater version of Michael Bay s Armageddon. Stewart would play the lead, a jaded crew member. The studio is planning to start production in New Orleans in March. Stewart rose to fame as the lead in the five-film Twilight franchise. Her credits include Snow White and the Huntsman, On Barack Obama, the endlessly annoying Meegan or any of the other characters he played in the sketch comedy series Key & Peele, the good news is that he s still in the business of entertaining. He s just taking a seat behind the camera. The better news? He s really good at it. His directorial debut, Get Out, in theaters Friday, is one of those rare creations that functions both as a taut psychological thriller and as searing social commentary about racism in the modern era. The premise is simple: A black man, Chris, (Daniel Kaluuya) goes upstate with his white girlfriend, Rose, (Allison Williams) to meet her parents (Bradley Whitford and Catherine Keener) and things get weird. It s been described as The Stepford Wives meets Guess Who s Coming to Dinner. Peele, who also wrote the film, isn t necessarily commenting on interracial relationships directly. His mother is white, as is his wife, comedian Chelsea Peretti although he met her after it was written. Instead, it s in part based on the experience of being the only black man at an event full of mostly older, white people. There s a desire to connect that is sweet and endearing, but I wanted with this movie to show how you experience it different from our perspective, Peele said. It s one thing to have one conversation with somebody but when every conversation you re having begins to resemble that conversation you begin to realize that you are being seen as other... it s at least a reminder that we re not past race. Like Scream, Get Out is a satire with full thriller vocabulary. Peele was unabashed in referencing his influences during filming often telling his production designer that he wanted one thing to feel very David Lynch and another to have more of a David Cronenberg vibe. He described it as pooling his influences and melting them down to create something new. (Quentin) Tarantino is the guy who taught me with the most clarity that you don t have to be afraid of your influences in order to create something absolutely new, Peele said. I mean, what is more unique than Pulp Fiction and what is also simultaneously more derivative? I think that s something very freeing for artists to realize. There s no way to escape that which formed you as an artist. Peele is a lifetime fan of horror films and thrillers and on one level wanted to make something for the underserved black audience but not exclusively so. the Road, Still Alice, Equals, and Clouds of Sils Maria, for which she won the Cesar Award for best supporting actress, making her the first American actress to win a Cesar. Upcoming projects include Lizzie opposite Chloe Sevigny. Fox-based Chernin is a producer on Miss Peregrine s Home for Peculiar Children and awards contender Hidden Figures. It s also producing several upcoming high-profile Fox titles, including the Amy Schumer-Goldie Hawn action-comedy Snatched, franchise entry War for Planet of the Apes, Idris Elba s romance-adventure The Mountain Between Us, and Hugh Jackman s P.T. Barnum biopic The Greatest Showman. (RTRS)

20 NEWS/FEATURES 20 People & Places Music Big Town back to roots Jay Z first rapper in Hall of Fame NEW YORK, Feb 23, (Agencies): Jay Z will become the first rapper ever inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame when he enters the prestigious organization in June. The Songwriters Hall announced Wednesday that songwriting heavyweights in the industry, including Kenneth Babyface Edmonds, Max Martin and Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis will also be part of its 2017 class. The organization s 48th Annual Induction and Awards Dinner takes place June 15 in New York. Three members of Chicago Robert Lamm, James Pankow and Peter Cetera as well as Motown founder Berry Gordy, who deferred his induction in 2016, will also be inducted. Jay Z is the first rapper to be nominated for the Songwriters Hall. Songwriters are eligible for induction after writing hit songs for at least 20 years. Jay Z, who released his debut album Reasonable Doubt in 1996, has launched multiple hits in the last two decades, from Jay Z Big Pimpin to Empire State of Mind. Babyface has won countless Grammys for writing hit songs for Whitney Houston, Boyz II Men and other acts, while Martin has become pop music s leading contemporary songwriter, co-writing No.1 hits for Taylor Swift, Katy Perry, the Weeknd and other superstars. Songwriting Hall nominees who did not move on to induction include the late George Michael, Madonna, Bryan Adams, Vince Gill, Kool & the Gang and Gloria Estefan. Only five songwriters, or songwriting groups, are inducted each year. Also a powerful entrepreneur across the music/entertainment, fashion and sports industries, Jay Z personifies the American Dream, the Songwriters Hall of Fame said in a statement announcing the class of Other inductees include songwriting-production duo Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis best known for their work with Janet Jackson and hit-maker Max Martin, who has written songs for groups from the Backstreet Boys to Katy Perry and The Weeknd. Little Big Town, The Breaker (Capitol Nashville) Regular scheduled programming has resumed for Little Big Town. The quartet gets back to their country roots on The Breaker after exploring an electronic side with Pharrell Williams on 2016 s exciting Wanderlust. They may have come home, but without much purpose. The band s famous shimmering harmonies are as airy as ever under the guidance of longtime producer Jay Joyce, although the new album is merely pretty without being particularly interesting or urgent. It s all a little aimless, like the back-to-back roaming tunes We Went to the Beach seriously? The beach? and Drivin Around, which sounds like an apparent attempt to recapture the hit Day Drinking. Little Big Town is also pretty rambling in Lost in California and Rollin, a tune with a clear lyrical warning that nothing noteworthy is going on: I m gonna take my time/throw it in neutral. Tune The most lyrically interesting song on the album is actually by Taylor Swift that s Better Man, a tune about being disappointed in someone and still loving them. Another beauty is the dreamy Don t Die Young, Don t Get Old, which seems destined to be used in a luxury car commercial or in a montage of wistful people bravely going about their day in a TV drama. Jose James, Love in a Time of Madness (Blue Note Records) After a few thrilling years of experimentation with R&B, hip-hop, electronica, neo-soul, indie rock and jazz, Jose James re-emerges this month in a quiet, more personal place. You might even call it a bedroom. Love in a Time of Madness is heavy on the love and light on the madness. There s the pianodriven jazz of To Be With You, the funky Bruno Mars-like Ladies Man and two seduction tunes worthy of D Angelo, Always There and You Know I Know. It s all very fun and sexy but there s precious little special. You can t help feeling it s a big step back from the singer-songwriter s While You Were Sleeping, his last album of original material that was astonishing in its ambition with songs such as EveryLittleThing and Angel. Instead, we re offered the disorientating dubstep of Last Night with more beeps than R2- D2, the lazy pop of Remember Our Love and Breakthrough, and the 70s disco-funk of Live Your Fantasy. Lyrics as vapid as If you wanna go/i wanna go/girl you so sweet when the lights are low from Closer, don t help. He only surfaces from his neo-soul seduction efforts for two duets with Oleta Adams on the gospel-tinged (and awkward fitting) I m Yours, and a pretty, unforced Let It Fall with Mali Music. But Jones, whose last CD explored the music of Billie Holiday, seems to have taken his own holiday. Also: MEMPHIS, Tenn: Kings of Leon, Snoop Dogg, Soundgarden and Sturgill Simpson are among the musical acts scheduled to perform at the Beale Street Music Festival in Memphis in May. Festival officials announced Wednesday that Widespread Panic, Death Cab for Cutie, Wiz Khalifa, Booker T. Jones, Bush, Ludacris and Jill Scott also are in the lineup for the 41st installment of the annual three-day festival. Several performers will be making their first appearance, including Tori Kelly, Jimmy Eat World, Silversun Pickups, The Revivalists and Midnight Oil. Chris Martin of British band Coldplay duets with a recording of late British pop icon George Michael during the Brit Awards 2017 ceremony and live show in London on Feb 22. Inset from top anti-clock wise: Pepsi (left), and Shirlie (right), and former Wham! band member Andrew Ridgeley (center), deliver a tribute to late British singer-songwriter George Michael. (Left to right): Adam Hann, Ross Mac- British singer-songwriter Emeli Sande performs during the Brit Awards 2017 ceremony and live show in London on Feb 22. (AFP) Clooney Variety Presley LAS VEGAS: A Florida man has been jailed on felony and misdemeanor charges after he fired a shot during a fight between the hip hop music group Migos and rapper Sean Kingston outside a Las Vegas Strip convention center, police said Wednesday. The gunshot was fired in the air and no one was reported to have been injured during the fracas Tuesday afternoon outside the Sands Expo & Convention Center, Las Vegas police Officer Danny Cordero said. Kingston and the three members of Migos, who perform under the names Quavo, Takeoff and Offset, were not identified as suspects in the case. Mioses Johnson, 28, of West Palm Beach, Florida, was being held at the Clark County jail pending an initial court appearance on charges of felony assault with a weapon and carrying a firearm without a permit, and a misdemeanor count of discharging a gun where persons may be endangered. Jail records didn t indicate if Johnson had an attorney. (AP) LOS ANGELES: George Clooney called President Donald Trump and his chief strategist Steve Bannon Hollywood elitists in an interview with French journalist Laurent Weil. Clooney did the interview ahead of France s Cesar Awards on Friday, where he will receive an honorary award. As part of the 13-minute-long interview, Clooney addressed Meryl Streep s political speech at the Golden Globes that sparked outrage from certain right-wing political factions. Trump reacted by tweeting that she is one of the most overrated actresses in Hollywood. There s a really interesting argument, this is the part that makes you a little crazy, Clooney said. When Meryl spoke, everyone on that one side was, Well that s elitist Hollywood speaking. (RTRS) LOS ANGELES: Lisa Marie Presley will not have to pay Music spousal support to her estranged husband while they fight over her assets, but she will have to pay some of his attorney s fees, a judge ruled Wednesday. Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Patrick Cathcart ordered Presley to pay $50,000 to the lawyer representing her estranged husband, Michael Lockwood. It comes days after Presley filed court documents stating she is Perrie Edwards, Jesy Nelson, Jade Thirlwall, Leigh-Anne Pinnock of British girl group Little Mix celebrate with the award for a British single for Shout Out To My Ex during the Brit Awards 2017 ceremony and live show in London on Feb 22. (AFP) Donald, Matthew Healy and George Daniel of the British rock band The 1975 talk on stage after receiving the award for a British group. David Bowie s son, Duncan Jones collects the award for British album of the year on behalf of his late father for Blackstar. US actor Michael C. Hall talks as he collects the award for British male solo artist on behalf of late British pop icon David Bowie. (AFP) Brit Awards pays tribute to George Michael Bowie honored with two wins LONDON, Feb 23, (AP): The Brit Awards recognized big international stars including Drake and Beyonce and a cross-section of home-grown talent Wednesday but the ceremony was overshadowed by the much-missed David Bowie and George Michael. Bowie, who died in January 2016 at age 69, was crowned British male artist of the year and won British album of the year for Blackstar, released days before his death. Bowie s son, filmmaker Duncan Jones, accepted the best album award on behalf of his father, who he said had always been there supporting people who think they re a little bit weird or a little bit strange, a little bit different. This award is for all the kooks, and all the people who make the kooks, Jones said. Kooks is the song Bowie wrote for his son when he was born. As well as rewarding Bowie, the show paid tribute to one of the music industry s many losses of 2016 George Michael, who died on Christmas Day aged 53. His Wham! bandmate Andrew Ridgeley said that with Michael s death, a supernova in a firmament of shining stars has been extinguished. Coldplay singer Chris Martin performed a moving rendition of Michael s A Different Corner dueting with a recording of Michael himself and backed by a group of violins. The flashy show at London s O2 Arena opened with girl group Little Mix giving a thunderous performance of Shout Out to My Ex, backed by a troupe of silver-pained dancers. The song went on to be named British single of the year. There were also performances by Bruno Mars, The 1975, Coldplay, Ed Sheeran, Robbie Williams and grime musician Skepta on a night where Britain s music industry celebrated UK talent and a smattering of international stars. Soulful chanteuse Emeli Sande was named female British artist of the year, while Manchester indie pop group The 1975 won the trophy for best British band. Hit Singer Matt Healy noted that the band, whose album I Like It When You Sleep, for You Are So Beautiful Yet So Unaware of It has been a hit on both sides of the Atlantic, had had the same lineup since the members were 13. Injecting a light note of politics into a show that s often slick and uncontroversial, Healy told entertainers with a platform not to heed advice to stay in your lane when it comes to social issues. He said that if you have a platform, don t do that. Please don t do that. Few of the winners and performers took up the invitation. The closest thing to edginess at the show was provided by a pinstripeclad Katy Perry. She performed Chained to the Rhythm with its references to zombified people living in a bubble accompanied by Skip Marley and a pair of giant skeletons dressed as US President Donald Trump and British Prime Minister Theresa May. The international awards went to global stars none of whom came to accept them. Drake was named international male solo artist, while Beyonce took the international female prize. A Tribe Called Quest took the trophy for international group. Adele, who took four Grammys last week, was not up for many Brits because her album 25 was eligible last year, and won four Brits. She won this year s Global Success award, which recognizes international sales. Robbie Williams, former member of boyband Take That turned adult pop hitmaker, was given the Brits Icon award. The award for British breakthrough artist went to big-voiced soul singer Rag n Bone Man, whose song Human has had heavy play around the world, Oh my days, said the singer, whose real name is Rory Graham. I m nearly speechless. Rag n Bone Man beat nominees including the favored grime musician Skepta. Grime artists Stormzy and Kano were also award contenders, reflecting the growing artistic and commercial clout of the distinctly British rap genre. The awards have been accused of failing to represent the industry s ethnic diversity. All last year s British nominees were white, and protesters rallied under the hashtag #britssowhite. Organizers responded by expanding the diversity of the voter base of 1,000 music-industry figures. This year s list was more diverse, with Sande, soul singer Michael Kiwanuka and singer-songwriter Lianne La Havas among non-white British contenders, along with the three grime performers. La Havas, who lost to Sande for best British female artist, said on the red carpet she was glad the London-centric sound of grime was being recognized. For me personally, when I hear grime, because I m from London it sounds like London to me, she said. It does in hindsight feel a bit unusual that it was something that wasn t promoted as much. But I also think now we ve got some real stars happening in that genre, it makes a lot of sense now. Keith Harris, who was appointed to head a diversity taskforce for the British music industry, said people feel there might actually be a breakthrough. The question is whether this is going to be long-term or shortterm, he said. That s my concern. Most Brits winners are chosen by music-industry members, with several selected by public vote - including a best video category decided by social-media ballot during the broadcast. It was won, for the fourth year in a row, by One Direction. Following is a list of the winners at the ceremony: Mastercard british album of the year: David Bowie, Blackstar British single: Little Mix, Shout Out To My Ex British male solo artist: David Bowie British female solo artist: Emeli Sande British group: The 1975 British breakthrough act: Rag n Bone Man Brits global success award: Adele British artist video of the year: One Direction Critics choice: Rag n Bone Man International female solo artist: Beyonce International male solo artist: Drake International group: A Tribe Called Quest deeply in debt and their 8-year-old twin daughters are subject to a child welfare case. The order does not affect the couple s children, who are in the care of Presley s mother, Priscilla. Rihanna, Harvard s humanitarian of yr NEW YORK, Feb 23, (AFP): Rihanna may be best known as an R&B superstar, but on Wednesday she was named the 2017 Harvard University Humanitarian of the Year for her charity work. The 29-year-old singer from Barbados will be given the award in person on campus on February 28, the university announced. Rihanna has charitably built a state-of-the-art center for oncology and nuclear medicine to diagnose. No details about the children were discussed in court. A trial in children s court is scheduled for March. Presley, 49, is the only child of Elvis Presley and ex-wife of both Michael Jackson and Nicolas Cage. (AP) NEW YORK: Jimmy Fallon has donated $100,000 to help fund the art program at the high school he attended, with some of the money going toward the school s TV studio. The host of NBC s Tonight Show is a 1992 graduate of Saugerties High School in upstate New York. Fallon tells The Associated Press in a statement that he s glad to be able to give something back. He adds: And if anyone there wants to return the favor with a statue of me or something, I m totally cool with that, too. While there s no word on a statue, district Superintendent Seth Turner thanked Fallon for the gift and joked that he s willing to completely eliminate Fallon s disciplinary record in return. (AP)

21 NEWS/FEATURES 21 Kristina Ti Gucci Fashion MILAN: Milan fashion designers launched six days of fall-winter fashion previews Wednesday, as the longaccepted runway format undergoes challenges like never before. Brands like Gucci and Bottega Veneta sat out last month s menswear previews to combine their efforts this round, while some labels, like Roberto Cavalli, were taking breaks during creative transitions. Master showmen Dean and Dan Caten, the Canadian twins behind the DSquared2 label, opted for showroom presentations rather than a runway show, allowing a more intimate look at their wares. Here are some highlights from Wednesday s shows, including Gucci, Fausto Puglisi and No. 21. Gucci In his two years heading the Gucci label, Alessandro Michele has created collections that looked as if they were pulled from an attic trunk. Sheer blouses tied at the neck with a bow, floral suits and proclamations of love accompanied by tiger motifs are instantly recognizable as his, even when copied, which they are, profusely. If Michele s work to date has been concrete with clear references, his latest collection was otherworldly. The ambitious, sometimes extreme, collection of 120 looks was viewed through a glass-encased breezeway, a passageway that served as the crossroads for bygone eras and ones yet to come. A pyramid stood at the center, topped with a rooster weather vane, seeing which way the fashion winds blow. Backstage, Michele said he approaches fashion like an alchemist, hewing to his own aesthetic. You take something poor and transform it into gold, into something precious, Michele said. At his most extravagant, Michele created a hooded robe of ruffles so profuse that it recalled a 17th century barrister s wig, or an adult version of a christening dress. The latter suggestion was ironically undercut by devils-horn jewelry poking out of the nose and crystal-studded lightening-shaped sunglasses. The look befitted a Venetian Carnival ball. But there was also a snugly fit black dress with a ruffle defining the curves that was as restrained and elegant as anything Michele has created at Gucci. The vastness of the tour de force collection owed to Michele s decision to show menswear alongside his womenswear collection. Fausto Puglisi Fausto Puglisi s collection for next fall and winter was part The Young Pope and part Gomorrah, with a streetwear vibe connecting the disparate ecclesiastic and mobster references. A long black dress gave a priestly Francesco Scognamiglio Above and below: Models display creations by Kristina Ti, Max Mara, Annakiki, Gucci, Francesco Scognamiglio and N. 21 during the Women s Fall/Winter 2017/2018 Fashion Week, on Feb 22 in Milan. (AFP) Kristina Ti silhouette, especially when paired with wide-brimmed clerical saturnos. Puglisi undercut any reverence with high slits and pleating, completing the look with thigh-high tights fastened with garters. On the mobster side, there were tight-fitting panel dressed laced together with marabou stork feather trim. A multi-tiered dress of red Venetian Annakiki velvet, acid green quilting and a crystal-studded bodice gave the collection noble opulence. Heavy black studded shoes grounded the street look, alternating with feathery Gucci sandals. The color palate was basic black with flashes of royal red and purple, with some peach, acid green and lavender. Max Mara Puglisi titled the collection Southern Vertigo, a tribute to his southern Italian roots. We are not all like you, declared the protagonist of a short film that narrated the collection, exploring the absolute and perhaps violent power of women. Alessandro dell Acqua Alessandro dell Acqua s collection for No. 21 mixes all-american wholesomeness with Italian sensuality. Dell Acqua said he was inspired by Italian actress Anna Magnani, who exported this Italian way in America, mixing typical Italian clothes with an Kristina Ti MILAN N. 21 American style. The looks included sheer ruffle chiffon dresses with crystal applique accents and slip dresses layered over knitwear cropped radically above the cleavage. Tweet suits and overcoats shimmered, while skirts had poodleskirt flair without the tired reference. Varsity style sweaters and jackets added an athletic touch. Satin high-heel sandals with colored ankle socks finished the looks. Chinese Francesco Scognamiglio Anna Yang designer Anna Yang showed her Annakiki line in Milan for the first time, one of six designers making their Milan Fashion Week debut. Yang said that the collection, both playful and sporty, was an ode N. 21 to the aliens world, and the futuristic looks and proportions were fitting for any space traveler. Silvery iridescent materials defined the collection, giving a space-age feel to blazers with furry pink sleeves or long trailing coats over matching mini-skirts and high boots. Yang often made sleeves out of proportion, from big puffy accents to trailing cuffs and, in its most extreme, the final look, a red-hooded coat suggestive of an intergalactic fairy tale and featuring an extra six empty sleeves hanging off the front and back. Clearly it is meant for those octopus mutants among us. Also: MILAN: Italy s top luxury designers will go head-to-head to snap up the title of greenest brand as the sector gets on board with the latest trend: ecofriendly fashion. The national fashion chamber has joined forces with sustainability brand consultancy Eco-Age to launch the Green Carpet Fashion Awards, which will be held in Milan s iconic Scala opera house. (Agencies)

22 22 Zika? It hasn t gone away, but some travelers are shrugging Events, trail celebrate Lloyd Wright s 150 birthday By Beth J. Harpaz Wisconsin is celebrating the 150th birthday of native son Frank Lloyd Wright with events and a new 200-mile trail directing visitors to nine of the sites, homes and buildings he designed. Wright, considered America s best-known architect, was born June 8, 1867 in Richland Center. The self-guided trail was announced last year. Highway signs, with a graphic design and typography inspired by Wright s spare, geometric aesthetics and style, were unveiled in December. The signs, 115 in all, are located in nine counties along various roads as well as on some Madison city streets. Events scheduled for this year to mark his birthday include an exhibit called Buildings for the Prairie at the Milwaukee Art Museum, July 28-Oct 15, featuring his early portfolio designs as well as furniture, stained glass and textiles. Wright fans who love cycling may want to register for the Tour du Taliesin cycling event, May 21, which offers rides ranging from 20 to 100 miles, all starting at the Frank Lloyd Wright Visitor Center at Taliesin in Spring Green. As a teenager, Wright worked nearby on an uncle s farm, and tours of Taliesin which include a home, studio, school and agricultural estate show how Wright s love for the rolling hills and rustic landscape influenced his designs and aesthetics. Daily tours of This Feb 21, 2017 photo shows a sign in Madison, Wisconsin pointing the way to Monona Terrace, a site on Wisconsin s new Frank Lloyd Wright Trail. (AP) Taliesin are offered May 1-Oct 31. Warehouse Another Wright site on the new trail, the Wyoming Valley School Cultural Arts Center, is 2 miles away from Taliesin in Spring Green. Also on the Wright trail is the AD German Warehouse in Wright s hometown. He designed the commercial warehouse building for a local commodity wholesaler, Albert Dell German. Now it houses a gift shop and small theater on the first floor and an exhibit of photo murals of Wright s work upstairs (open Sundays, 10 am-2 pm, May-October). In Madison, the Wright trail includes the First Unitarian Society Meeting House and the Monona Terrace Community and Convention Center. The Monona Terrace Center was first proposed by Wright in 1938 but not built until 1997, nearly 40 years after his death. In Milwaukee, an example of his Burnham American System Built Homes can be found on the 2700 block of West Burnham Street, with tours offered the second and fourth Sunday of the month. Racine is home to three Wright sites on the trail. The global headquarters of the SC Johnson Co includes the Wright-designed administration building, known for tree-shaped columns supporting the structure s Great Workroom, and a research tower where 7,000 glass tubes make up the windows. Tours, offered March through December, include a stop at a gallery with a rotating exhibit of Wright designs and artifacts. Also in Racine is Wingspread, on the shores of Lake Michigan, designed as a home for Herbert Fisk Johnson Jr, grandson of the founder of SC Johnson. The 14,000-square-foot house, now used as a conference center, is shaped like a four-winged pinwheel and is regarded as a prime example of Wright s Prairie Style. Tours are offered Wednesday-Sunday when conferences are not in session. Wisconsin has 41 Wright-designed sites in all. Not included on the trail but a bonus for serious Wright fans: Three Wright-designed homes offer overnight stays. They are the Seth Peterson Cottage on Mirror Lake in Wisconsin Dells, the Schwartz House in Two Rivers, and the Aldebaran Farm in Spring Green. Zika hasn t gone away, but as the mosquitoborne virus has faded from the headlines, travelers seem less concerned about it than they were last year. We had a big downturn in honeymoon business last year, said Hans Pfister, who owns the Lapa Rios Lodge in Costa Rica s Osa Peninsula. This year, he says, is the opposite. A real boom of honeymooners. I guess everybody is catching up. We don t get asked questions anymore. Right now is the dry season and it is not an issue. When the rainy season starts again, we stick with our recommendation that if you are pregnant, don t come. He theorized that ever since Zika was detected in Florida, it lost some of its scariness. Another reason Zika headlines have faded is because mosquitoes are less prevalent in late fall and winter, but we re entering into the phase where the season might be picking up, said Bryan Lewis, a research associate professor at Virginia Tech s Biocomplexity Institute. This time last year was when it was starting to take off. And just because Zika has fallen off the radar doesn t mean travelers shouldn t be vigilant, said Dr Kristy Murray, director of Texas Children s Hospital s Laboratory for Viral and Zoonotic Diseases. With mosquito season coming up in many regions, we are worried about new introductions and local transmission, she said. If anyone is pregnant or planning to become pregnant, then it is wise to discourage travel to areas where Zika is currently being transmitted, particularly southern Texas and Florida, Mexico into Central America, South America, and the Caribbean. Babies born to women infected with Zika are at risk for microcephaly and other birth defects. The virus can also be transmitted through sexual contact with an infected person. Some travelers say that even though they re not staying out of the Zika zone, they re taking steps to avoid mosquito bites. Tanner Callais, who runs a cruise website called Cruzely.com, is planning a cruise with a stop in the Yucatan. Before, we wouldn t have given mosquitoes a second of thought, he said. But because we have a 9-month old and have thought about having another child in the near future, we re packing plenty of insect repellent. Megan Snedden just returned from Mexico s Yucatan Peninsula. I knew already what I was getting myself into before going, but figured Zika was a lesser concern for me because I m not trying to get pregnant, she said. She and her travel companion got plenty of bites despite using repellent. (AP) click Alcoholics Anonymous: If you know someone who can t stop drinking and would like to help them please check us out and we promise to try to help at There are no fees. This is a genuine public service. Drinking problem?: Friends of Bill W. are available to help. Totally confidential. rohsecretary@gmail.com Narcotics Anonymous: NA can help with addiction problems. Totally confidential: 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: fightingwithcancer.webs.com/ This undated photo shows visitors walking down a path at the Lapa Rios Lodge in Costa Rica. (AP) Mumbai s original inhabitants fear world s tallest statue New Shivaji memorial: India s Statue of Liberty MUMBAI, Feb 23, (AFP): A fitting tribute to a local legend or a grotesque misuse of money? The decision to build the world s tallest statue just off Mumbai s coast has divided the city. But the traditional Koli community, who depend on fishing for their livelihoods, fear they will be worst hit by the construction, warning that it threatens their centuries-old existence. India will spend 36 billion rupees ($530 million) on the controversial memorial to 17th century Hindu warrior king Chhatrapati Shivaji. Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone in December. At 190 metres it will be twice the height of America s Statue of Liberty and almost 40 metres taller than the world s current tallest memorial a statue of Buddha in China. The Koli fishing community, Mumbai s original inhabitants and whose goddess Mumbadevi lends her name to the city, say the decision to build it on a rocky outcrop a couple of kilometres off the coast will sound the death knell for their traditional way of life. The breeding ground for fish will be completely destroyed, Krishna Tandel tells AFP, unfurling a net at Machhimar Nagar bay, which is tucked behind the high-rises of Mumbai s southern financial district. Divided The project has divided India s commercial capital and highlights a political obsession with statues in the country as parties seek to appeal to regional identities with ever greater effigies of historical figures. Supporters say the memorial is a fitting tribute to someone many locals consider a hero of Maharashtra state, of which Mumbai is the capital. Shivaji fought the Muslim Mughal empire, is revered by the Maratha caste and trumpeted by Hindu nationalist politicians. Opponents insist it is a gross waste of money which would be better spent on improving health, education and infrastructure in the teeming metropolis of more than 20 million people. A petition on the change.org website opposing the bronze statue, which will depict Shivaji brandishing a sword while charging on a horse, has received almost 43,000 signatures. Some 2,000 fishermen, many of whom live in shanties surrounding Machhimar Nagar, operate 350 boats out of the picturesque cove, Feels close to the sun Sungazers keep up family tradition for 4 generations catching a melange of fish to sell at markets and feed their families. Residents say disruption caused by construction will decimate their fishing stocks including pomfret, Bombay mackerel, seer fish, prawns, and crabs while heavy traffic ferrying tourists from three terminals will block access to the sea and disrupt wave patterns. We have been fishing for generations. It is our business and now our livelihoods are at stake, 32-year-old Tandel says, demanding the statue be built on land. Environmentalists agree that the project, which is due to be completed by 2021, will cause immense harm to a vibrant marine ecosystem. There s a huge diversity of fish, fauna and invertebrates there. Fish catches, sewage, and tidal currents will change, wildlife biologist Anand Pendharkar told AFP. KODAIKANAL, India, Feb 23, (RTRS): In the early morning darkness, Devendran P. walks up a hill to a solar observatory in India s southern hill town of Kodaikanal, trudging the same path his father and grandfather walked in a century-old family tradition of studying the sun. Once inside, he pulls a rope to open shutters in the dome and positions a sixinch telescope used since 1899 to photograph the sun and preserve a daily record of its activity. The sun, like stars, has a lifetime of 10 billion years, Devendran told Reuters during a recent visit to the observatory in India s southern state of Tamil Nadu. If you want to know about any small changes, you need to have a large amount of data. The observatory run by the Indian Institute of Astrophysics has a key role in providing a continuous stream of data on the sun and its influence on Earth and surrounding space, said R. Ramesh, a professor at the institute. Some of the discoveries made, based on data obtained in the Kodaikanal observatory, are so fundamental to solar physics that they vastly improved techniques used at observatories even today, Ramesh said. The Evershed effect of gas motion in sunspots, discovered in 1909 by the then director of the observatory, John Evershed, is one such example, he added. In the observatory library, shelves stretch to the ceiling, packed with volumes of handwritten records and thousands of film plates of the sun. Authorities have launched a project to digitize and preserve the data collected over the past century. Devendran s grandfather, Parthasarathy, joined the observatory in 1900, a year after it relocated from Madras, the state capital, to Kodaikanal, situated more than 2,000 metres (6,562 feet) above sea level, offering ideal weather to study the sun. Like his father and grandfather, Devendran has no formal education in astronomy. His interest was piqued during a visit to the observatory when he was a child. He became a fulltime sunwatcher in 1986 and says the six-inch (15-cm) telescope has never failed his family. It has never required any major overhaul, or change of parts, because we all take care of it, he said. More than three decades of observation has made him feel close to the sun, despite its distance of more than 149 million kms (93 million miles) from Earth. It s a feeling enhanced by the devout family s worship of the Hindu sun god Surya, he said. I feel more religious than other people, as I can see that there is a universal power which is controlling everything, he said. His 23-year-old son, Rajesh, expects to carry on the family tradition, but with one difference. He has a master s degree in physics. I get amazed by what my father does here, said Rajesh. I think observing the Sun is in my blood. It s going to affect the food base of the city, it s going to affect the economy. There is going to be a huge amount of damage. Critics question why Mumbai needs such a lavish statute when the city already has several smaller Shivaji memorials. The city s airport, main train station and museum are named after the Hindu hero while there is also a Shivaji Park. Estimates IndiaSpend, a non-profit data journalism website, estimates that a micro-irrigation project could provide water to thousands of farmers in the drought-prone state for the cost of building the statue. For the same sum, dozens of decaying Shivaji-era forts could be restored instead, it says. The Bharatiya Janata Party-led Maharashtra government, in coalition with Shiv Sena, which means Shivaji s Army, dismiss environmental concerns and say the project will draw 10,000 visitors every day. Shaina NC, a spokeswoman for the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, claims it will be an iconic memorial akin to the Statue of Liberty that will make its money back through tourism. Shiv Sena spokesman Sanjay Raut says the sea is the best site because Shivaji created India s first navy. The development comes as the BJP government in neighbouring Gujarat builds a 182-metre statue to Vallabhbhai Patel, a former Indian statesmen who was one of the senior figures in the country s independence movement and an icon of the Congress Party. Analysts say political parties are wanting to build ever-more impressive statues to claim popular historical figures as their own. The symbolism this creates translates into votes in India s identity-based politics, they say. Latest Chinese Embassy notice: Documents issued in Kuwait and to be used in China mainland shall first be notarized and legalised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Kuwait, and then be legalised by Chinese Embassy in Kuwait. Specific requirements and information for document legalisation, please refer to the website of Chinese Embassy in Kuwait. For documents issued by member countries of the Apostille Convention*, after getting Apostilles from the competent authorities, they can be used in Hong Kong SAR and Macao SAR of China directly. *Refer to the Convention of Abolishing the Requirement of Legalisation for Foreign Public Documents PJDC elects Office-Bearers: The new team of Office Bearers of PuthiyanghadiJamaath Dars Committee (PJDC) Kuwait Chapter was elected unanimously for term, in the recently concluded Annual General Body Meeting held at Kuwait City. The team is headed by S.V. Abdul Salam who was elected as the President, followed by V. K. Fayis Abdullah (General Secretary), A.V. Shibili (Treasurer), S. Ashraf, P.A.P. Abdul Salam (Vice-President), Rafeeq Layin, V. Shakeer (Joint Secretary), V.V. Abdul Salam, K.C. Abdul Kareem (Advisors). The elected EC members include Hashim Seevayi, Muhammed Shakeer, P.K. Ubaid, K.C. Abdul Sathar, Ashraf Kongen, K. Abdul Rahman, P.K. Mujeebu Rahman, Abdul Salam Mullah, S. Ashraf (jr), P.M. Iqbal, A.V. Muhammed Ali, Nizar, Saleem Seevayii, K.V. Rashid, K. Shahbaz, and K. Jamsheer. Returning officer Hashim Seevayi supervised the election process. Earlier the AGM kick started with recitation of verses from Holy Quran by Adham Shakeer, advisory committee member S.V. Abdul Salam inaugurated the function which was presided over by K.C. Abdul Kareem. The annual report and last years financial report were presented respectively by Abdul Salam Mullah and Auditor A.V. Muhammed Shakeer. Relief cell director V. Shakeer presented the bi annual report and for their outstanding performances a token of appreciation was extended to Abdul Salam Mullah, A.V. Muhamed Shakeer, Rafeeq Layin and A.V. Shibili. Newly elected President S.V. Abdul Salam, Saleem Seevayi, K.C. Abdul Kareem, V.V. Abdul Salam, Hashim Seevayi and K.C. Abdul Sathar talked on organization s future plan and vision , Abdul Salam Mullah welcomed the gathering and Fayis Abdullah proposed the vote of thanks. Invitation to Grand Mosque: The Visits Department is pleased to invite you 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 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: Continued on Page 24

23 23 Photos from the event Raag N Rhythm pays tribute to 21st Century composer of Carnatic music Raag N Rhythm, an ensemble created by Malini Viswanath to promote classical performing arts in Kuwait and Hyderabad, paid tribute to a great Vaggyekara (composer)and musicologist of the 21st Century, Maha Guru Sangeetha Mahamahopadhyaya Brahmasri Kollegal Subramanyam on Feb 18, in Kuwait. The great composer forsook his mortal coils in August 2016, after contributing to the world of Carnatic classical music for nine decades through his 700 compositions, treatises on music and Sri Thyagaraja Vaibhavam the life history of the 17th Century Bard of Thiruvayyar, Thyagaraja authored by him in English, Tamil, Kannada and Telugu languages. The tribute in Kuwait featured release of Sri Thyagaraja Vaibhavam in English (translated into English by K. Narayanswamy, IA&AS (Retd)) (father of Smt Malini Viswanath), in the presence of HE Abu Koti Baker (Ambassador, Burkina Faso), Mrs Anju Dheeman (Principal, FAIPS, DPS), Chaitali B. Roy (Special Correspondent, well known columnist and authoress) and Mr and Mrs Gopal. Suryaprakash, a technocrat and a well-known toastmaster, took the listeners with élan over the life and contributions of the great Guru. Dr Navniit Gandhi, an insightful writer/poet, presented her musings In Quest of a Guru. Sishyas of Smt Malini Viswanath rendered compositions of Guru Kollegal Subramanyam as a musical tribute and his composition Gajaanana Akuvahana in Ragam Revathi, was choreographed for Nritta/Abhinaya for the first time. Smt Malini Viswanath, presented a documentary on the life of Guru, followed by rendition of Dharu Varnam in Ragam Kamas and a rare Guru composition Paarka Paarka (in Tamil) in the Ragam Sunada Ranjani ably accompanied by S. Balamurli on the violin and P. Harilal on the mridangam. Smt Malini s global Sishyas sent in their virtual tribute. Ambika, Bhavana, Himaja, Vaishnavi, Meghna, Navya, Emma, Raghavi, Dr Jyotsna, Dr Veena, Kaushik, Nanditha, Preetha, Sheani (a specially abled child)and Raghavesh were the participating Sishyas.

24 24 Don t give up treats for Lent, give up binning food Cooking on deadline: Thyme and Yukon Gold potato gratin By Katie Workman have a recipe for a potato gratin in my I last cookbook, Dinner Solved!, that I firmly stand by. Here is another that I firmly stand by. And I plan to come up with more such recipes to firmly stand by because I am committed to reminding all of us why gratins are one of the best things that could ever happen to a potato, ever. This is a rich gratin, made with all cream, no milk or even half and half. I m not apologizing, just explaining. In general, I like my indulgent dishes flat-out indulgent, and my healthier food in the form of broiled fish, or salads. And I don t have a problem with the two sharing a plate. This gratin, for instance, would be lovely next to a piece of roasted salmon with a peppery green salad alongside them. If you have a mandolin and the inclination to use it, please do, and you will get lovely, paper-thin slices for a sultry and elegantly stratified gratin. If not, use the slicing blade The January 2017 photo shows thyme and Yukon Gold potato gratin in New York. (AP) in your food processor or a sharp knife; the slices will likely not be as thin, but that s A-OK. Thyme and Yukon gold potato gratin Serves 10 to 12 Start to finish: 1 hour 30 minutes 2-/2 cups heavy whipping cream; 2 tablespoons unsalted butter; 1 teaspoon minced garlic; 3 pounds medium Yukon Gold potatoes; 1-1/2 cups shredded Gruyere cheese; 2 tablespoons minced fresh thyme; 1 teaspoon coarse or kosher salt; /2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper. Preheat the oven to 400 F. Butter a 9-by- 13-inch baking dish. Combine the cream, butter and garlic in a medium saucepan and bring to barely a simmer over medium high heat. Remove from the heat. While the mixture is heating, peel the potatoes and slice them very thinly. Combine the cheese, thyme, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Spread out half of the potatoes in the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle with half of the cheese mixture. Repeat with the remaining potatoes, and then the remaining cheese mixture. Pour the cream mixture over the potatoes, and press down on the potatoes to make sure they are mostly submerged in the liquid. Bake on a lower rack in the oven for about 60 to 65 minutes, until the top is golden brown, and the potatoes have absorbed most of the cream and are very tender; a knife should slide in easily. Let stand for 10 to 15 minutes before serving. Also: LONDON: Forget about ditching chocolate, wine or other treats for Lent; environmental activists want Britons to give up another bad habit binning food. Environmental charity WRAP says Britons throw away 7.3 million tonnes of household food every year, 60 percent of which could be eaten enough to fill Wembley Football Stadium eight times over. Every year millions of people around the world give up treats for the 40 days up to Easter. But WRAP s Love Food Hate Waste campaign says that instead of abstaining from chocolate, Britons should stop throwing out food. It estimates this could save an average household up to 60 pounds ($75) a month. Lent is a perfect opportunity for people to challenge themselves to give up a vice, campaign manager James McGowan said in a statement. Rather than ditching coffee or chocolate that don t have lasting change, people can bin their bad kitchen habits instead, saving food, money and the planet. Many people throw out good food because of confusing display until or sell by dates on packaging, according to campaigners. They said such dates were to let shop staff know when to take products off the shelves and could be completely ignored. (Agencies) PHILADELPHIA, Feb 23, (Agencies): The Barnes Foundation in Philadelphia is taking art to the streets and bringing the streets into the museum as part of a major new exhibition that looks at engaging with public space and the urban experience. Person of the Crowd: The Contemporary Art of Flanerie runs from Feb 25 to May 22, adding a decidedly present-day edge to the museum known for its legendary trove of Renoirs, Cezannes, Matisses and Picassos. More than 50 American and international artists are featured in the exhibit, which not only takes place inside the museum s Roberts Gallery, but also reaches into the streets of Philadelphia itself, via street performances, billboards, posters, themed walks and public participation in the show s social media components. It s the Barnes most ambitious project to date, said Thom Collins, the museum s executive director and president. The idea of flanerie stems from an 1840 Edgar Allen Poe story called The Man of the Crowd. It introduced the concept of a flaneur (a French word meaning one who strolls ) who ambles through the city streets, observing its fabric and inhabitants. Two decades later, poet Charles Baudelaire brought added attention to the idea of the flaneur when he called it the engine behind the new art movement of French Impressionism. The idea of the city observed through flanerie was central to art though the 1940s, until abstract expressionism started looking more inward than outward. The idea was revived again in the 1950s through artists like Robert Rauschenberg and Guy Debord, and the trend continues. The gallery installation mixes video and objects. Visitors to the show find themselves getting in the way of the video projections, and find their own silhouettes projected onto the screen, becoming part of the installation. Highlights of the gallery portion include gelatin silver prints by Marina Abramovic called Role Exchange documenting her changing roles with a prostitute in Amsterdam in 1975; and Vito Acconci s Following Piece inkjet prints depicting his selection of a passerby whom he followed for an entire day on the streets of New York. Among the street performers is Cuban installation artist Tania Bruguera, Chicago click Latest Continued from Page 22 Tour language: Arabic- English- French; Arabic (English upon prior request); Arabic- English- French; Arabic (English upon prior request); Arabic- English- French: Arabic (English upon prior request) Rules and Regulations: Please arrive in time for your visit. All visitors are kindly required to abide by the 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: / / ; gmvisits@gmail. com; Fax: native Ayana Evans, and Wilmer Wilson IV of Richmond, Virginia, who calls his work intentional urban wandering. Evans will travel to touristy and iconic Philadelphia locations cheesesteak joints, the Rocky steps, swanky hotels over 10 hours in one day to perform her physically demanding art. Wearing her signature neon yellow zebra patterned catsuit and high heels, she ll do jumping jacks, push-ups and roll around in the street, all documented on video. It s taking over a territory in an aggressive way, she said of her work. It s a response to the double standard of women being questioned about their attire or behavior and how it generally doesn t apply to men. I m sort of giving the finger to that, she said. On May 10 she ll host a dinner party open to the public in the museum s lobby. Her edited 10-hour performance will be shown on the lobby s walls during the festivities. Artist Man Bartlett is using technology and social media to explore the idea of cyberflanerie. We Are/We See/We Hear is his project that incorporates artificial intelligence, high school students filmed observations and videos of the various street performances around the city during the exhibit. He s encouraging the public to post a photo response to the question Where do you stand? to Instagram using the hashtag #Personofthecrowd. A computer Chinese Embassy notice: Please be noted that effective starting today, the photo used in a Chinese visa application must meet the requirements (For details, please visit the website of Chinese embassy eng/). Application with non-compliant photos will not be processed. will access those photos and describe what it sees, and the audio and text will be streamed into the museum s lobby. Also: MORON, Cuba: Lack of money has not kept Remigio Hernandez from making striking art. Without formal training or access to supplies, the Cuban artist has still managed to turn his ramshackle home into a museum featuring sculptures made from scraps of aluminum, busts molded from mud and portraits daubed onto discarded televisions. Museum of Baby, in the sleepy town of Moron in central Cuba, is named after Hernandez s late wife Barbara, or Baby. In one life-size sculpture, she gallops off on a white steed into paradise. In a painting, she is the Mona Lisa. I go looking for things thrown away in the rubbish, aluminum, cardboard, and I find ways to recycle them, says Hernandez, dubbed locally The Van Gogh of Moron. Frowning, the 64-year-old says he is happy to remain penniless in a world where greed and ambition have caused so many wars and tragedies. Family and religion are his subject matter. I want distance myself from all that and live dedicating my painting to poverty, humility, he said. What I have is a history, and I consider history to be greater than fame or money. Thank you for your attention and cooperation. IEI Kuwait Chapter membership: The Institution of Engineers (India), Kuwait chapter invites all its members to update their membership information for the year and actively participate in the chapter activities. Indian engineers residing in Kuwait are welcome A woman walks past a mural by English street artist Bambi depicting British Prime Minister Theresa May dancing with US President Donald Trump in London on Feb 22. (AFP) art Sotheby s auction house staff pose for photographers with Austrian artist Gustav Klimt s Bauerngarten (Blumengarten) during a photocall at their premises in London on Feb 22. (AP) to join the pool of 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 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 extn. 314 between 5:30 pm to 8:30 pm (Sunday through Thursday) or through to ieikwt@hotmail.com. You may also contact Engr Ashok Kumar ( ) or Engr Karthikeyan ( ) for any further clarification. 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 , 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 address: Mystory@darmuseum.org.kw Notes: 1. Please send your story only to the above mentioned . 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! General 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: or at kiffkuwait@gmail.com. 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: 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 or call / AWL registration: If you would like to join the American Women s League (AWL), please call or or 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 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 at ugandansinkuwait@gmail.com. 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: 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 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 Under the revamped Scheme, number of 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 Continued on Page 25

25 25 Clothes maketh the Manneken A peek into the Brussels statue s wardrobe BRUSSELS, Feb 23, (AFP): Brussels famous Manneken Pis statue has been cheekily urinating into its Baroque fountain for 400 years, and for about as long, fans around the world have dressed up the naked little boy in colourful costumes. From an Elvis Presley white-sequined jumpsuit, to Mickey Mouse, or a gilded 18th century French courtly gentleman, the landmark has an enviable made-to-measure wardrobe, even boasting top designer wear. Now, a new museum showcases the outfits, some dating hundreds of years old, worn by the bronze little boy taking a very public leak and snapped in selfies alongside millions of tourists. Curators Catherine Gauthier and Gonzague Pluvinage told AFP that the around 60 centimetre-tall (23-inch) statue, just off Brussels Grand Place, won a place in people s hearts from the start. Dressing it up soon became a tradition, not so much for modesty s sake but as a way of affirming a connection with the city at a time of bloody conflict and upheaval across Europe. The oldest illustration of a costumed Manneken Pis appears in a painting of 1615 while the earliest outfit we have goes back to 1747, Gauthier said. The 1615 painting shows him as a shepherd boy in a white-spotted red cap and blue coat, wearing boots and surrounded by sheep, while urinating with great force and accuracy into a fountain. It seems that all the first costumes were provided by kings or the city, Gauthier said. The current Manneken Pis originates from 1619 when the Brussels authorities asked sculptor Jerome Duquesnoy to make a statue of a small boy urinating who, according to one of many legends, put out a fire caused by besieging troops, saving the city. At that time, images or statues of a child urinating were common, Pluvinage said. There was also a statue in central Brussels of a child spitting and then there was the fountain of the three maids, with water coming from their breasts, he said. There have been clothes made for other statues like the Virgin Mary or Jesus since the end of the Middle Ages, Gauthier said. The Manneken Pis, however, is the only secular statue in the world to have such a wardrobe, with some 965 individual costumes, she added. A colourful book, Garderobe de Manneken Pis or The Manneken Pis Wardrobe provides a record, starting with the first written reference to the statue in After World War I, donors and costumes became more varied, Pluvinage said. They came from all over Europe, some from countries in Africa, in Asia or even from the Americas, as well as various associations, be they folk music, professional or student This file photo taken on Feb 3, 2017 shows a visitor looking at part of an historical collection of outfits created for Brussels landmark the Manneken Pis statue during a press preview of the GardeRobe Manneken Pis Museum (Manneken Pis Wardrobe Museum), in Brussels. (AFP) groups, he said. Nowadays, Manneken Pis gets about 20 to 25 new costumes a year. He is dressed about 130 times a year in different old or new outfits often donated by organisations or embassies to mark a special occasion or event, such as the death of Nelson Mandela or the start of football s World Cup. His costume for Gay Pride was made by French fashion designer Jean-Paul Gaultier; other outfits are crafted by his official tailor. Some of the costumes are of exceptional quality, Gauthier noted. The Manneken Pis is a statue and so it is no easy task to get clothes on him you need a whole system of ties and velcro stickers so they stay on! she said, adding the little boy had his own official dresser. Among the 130 on display, her favourite is a blue and gold dress suit, complete with the medal of the Order of Saint Louis, given by France s King Louis XV in 1747 shortly after French troops captured the city. Soldiers of the French garrison tried to steal the statue which made the local people furious so Louis XV tried to make amends, she said. For Pluvinage, it is the more modern outfits that appeal most. Fans of comic strips will find those of Obelix (character from Asterix series) and Mickey (Mouse) really touching. Lifestyle click General Continued from Page 24 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 - in/login/index.php. Last date for submission of applications was extended till Oct 14, Nodal officer for SPDC is P. Bharadwaj, Deputy Secretary (OIA-II), Ministry of External Affairs, New Delhi, Tel: , dsoia2@mea.gov.in 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 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 Rohaina Tanweer. 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: , , TIES Center classes: TIES Center is conducting a series of classes about some of the Prophets and Messengers of God who strove very hard to spread monotheism and teach their respective peoples how to worship God. Their message was not only spiritual; they also taught people how to conduct their daily lives and develop the living conditions on earth. In this series, we will focus on the following prophets: Adam, Nouh (Noah), Ibrahim (Abraham), Ayoub (Job), Yousuf (Joseph), Mousa (Moses), and Eisa (Jesus) - may peace, mercy and blessings of Allah (to Whom all might and majesty is ascribed) be upon them all. We will not only focus on historical facts, but will also deduce some important lessons whose application in our daily interactions and chores determine our success and salvation. Join us every Thursday at 7 pm to learn about the life and times of those messengers of firm resolve. The TIES Center is the social and educational hub for English Speaking Muslims in Kuwait. For more information, please call or info@tiescenter.net or visit Sports Chess Round Robin Challenge: Registrations are open for chess coaching and the Annual Round Robin Challenger Series. Send your name, Civil ID No., mobile number, age, rating to saviosgomes@gmail.com with CCR in the subject. No entry fee. Kwt-Brits football supporters: A new football supporters website for British expats living and working in Kuwait has been set up by an Everton supporter, Trevor Powell. The Kuwait Brits Football Supporters Association (KBFSA) site aims to provide contact information for supporters of each others whereabouts and also in the future hopes to organise social events such as quizzes and even five-aside matches on a home international teams basis. We need expats to register their support and hence we can then start to cast around for a suitable meeting venue. The site can be accessed at Free fitness classes: Free fitness classes at B.FIT studio in Salmiya! Classes include Zumba, Masala Bhangra workout, aerobics, toning & much more. Contact for further information. Hurry and enroll now! Courses Islamic and Arabic courses: Islamic and A woman looks at kimonos during the inauguration of the exhibition Kimono Au bonheur des dames at the Guimet Museum in Paris on Feb 21. (AFP) From traditional wear to glam fashion Kimono takes centre stage at Paris show PARIS, Feb 23, (AFP): The kimono, in myriad iterations from its origins in ancient Japan to its embrace by today s top fashion designers, took centre stage Wednesday at Paris s Guimet museum. While the once ubiquitous garment is now reserved for special occasions and official events in its homeland, it has inspired the likes of Jean Paul Gaultier and Dior s John Galliano in the West s fashion capitals. Around 150 styles from the collection of Matsuzakaya -- the centuries-old Japanese fashion house that became a department store -- are on display abroad for the first time in the Guimet s show, titled Kimono, The Ladies Delight. The unique pieces, some of them dazzling works of art, reflect a range of sophistication and difficulty in fabrication. Variations of the kimono first caught on in the West as part of a general fad for all things Japanese in the late 19th century when bourgeois ladies began wearing a casual version -- without the restraining obi belt -- around the house. Then Parisian couturiers Paul Poiret and Madeleine Vionnet began experimenting with the kimono in the 1920s. Fast forward to Japanese-French designer Kenzo Takada, two of whose creations dating from 2006 are in featured in the exhibit. It s thanks to the kimono that I found my identity, said Takada, the 77-year-old founder of the Kenzo luxury fashion house. When I opened my boutique (in Paris) in 1970, I told myself, I m Japanese, I probably know kimonos and Japanese traditions better than French designers and I should take advantage of that, Takada recalled. Arabic courses are being offered at the Enlightenment into Islam Center starting from 5:00-7:00 pm. Registrations can be done at the main office Women s Committee in Qurtoba. For more information contact: , , and IPC Arabic Course: IPC Rawdah Ladies Section will commence the Arabic Conversation Course. The students must have successfully completed at least 3 levels of Arabic. Placement test will be taken by those who took Arabic class outside IPC. Class is every Friday from 9-11 am. IPC Rawdah IPC Islamic Courses: Say: O my Lord, let me grow in knowledge. IPC is offering Islamic courses in English (for ladies only). Muslims and non-muslims are welcome. 1. Tilawa Surah Ar-Rad and Surah Ibrahim Killing Commendatore to hit shelves Murakami fans to packs stores at midnight TOKYO, Feb 23, (Agencies): Die-hard fans of Haruki Murakami, the Japanese author perennially pegged as a contender for the Nobel literature prize, will flock to bookstores Thursday night when his new novel hits shelves. Major bookstores are hosting late-night events and staying open through the early hours to celebrate the release at midnight (1500 GMT) of the hotly anticipated Killing Commendatore. Translated into some 40 languages, Murakami s books conjure up a fantastical world where giant frogs challenge salarymen in battle and mackerel rain down from the sky. For years, international media, scholars and bookies have listed the 68-year-old as a favourites for the Nobel, though the coveted prize has so far eluded him. Publisher Shinchosha has already printed a combined 1.3 million copies of the two-volume Japanese-language work in anticipation of brisk sales. No timetable for Before that I followed Parisian trends. I hadn t thought of the kimono in fashion. French haute couture designer Franck Sorbier s take on the kimono has been more ephemeral. An organza piece evoking an evanescent translations has been announced yet. Details of the novel have been kept under wraps, with anticipation mounting among Murakami s devotees, known as Harukists. Public broadcaster NHK was set to air a programme two hours before the book s release to discuss the Haruki Murakami phenomenon. The excitement of eager fans, the Harukists, is reaching a fevered pitch as they engage in guesswork about the book they have yet to see, NHK said on its web site. Murakami became a global sensation with the publication of Norwegian Wood in 1987 and has written several bestsellers including 1Q84 and Kafka on the Shore. He is known to guard his privacy, rarely appearing in public, and has acquired a cult following for his intricately crafted tales of the absurdity and loneliness of modern life. The novelist peppers his work with references to pop culture. white butterfly from his summer 2008 collection is in the Guimet exhibit along with pieces by Galliano and Gaultier. With its extra long sleeves and its train it has an imperial dimension, Sorbier said. Sundays at 5:30-7:00 pm; 2. Principles of Tafsir (part 2) - Sundays at 7:00-8:30 pm; 3. Tajweed 3 - Tuesday, at 5:30-7:00 pm; 4. Jesus in Surah Mariam (part 2) - Tuesdays at 7:00-8:30 pm. Instructor: Sr Zeinab Hassan Ashry Place: IPC - Women Section Al-Rawdah, Area 3, Street 30, House 12, opp 4th Ring Road. ipc_sch@yahoo.com, Telephone: His enormous global popularity has led some at home to deride his work as being too cerebral and influenced by Western authors. Also: NEW YORK: Here s a way to reach the top of the best-seller lists: Become the next national security adviser. Lt Gen H.R. McMaster s Dereliction of Duty, first published in 1997, was No. 1 on Amazon.com as of Wednesday morning. The book s popularity soared after McMaster was chosen Monday by President Donald Trump to replace Michael Flynn, who departed amid questions about contacts he had with the Russian ambassador. Harper Perennial, a paperback imprint of HarperCollins, told The Associated Press that it has ordered a new printing of 25,000 copies. Dereliction of Duty is a highly regarded work about the failures of the Vietnam War that is sharply critical of both the military and political leadership. The kimono adds instant elegance to an ensemble, he said. Throw a kimono over a shirt, skinny jeans and heels and you re dressed for a night out. No need for an evening gown. The show runs until May 22. Islamic classes in French: The Enlightenment into Islam is offering Islamic Classes in French for ladies. Timings 4:30 to 7 pm. Every Wednesday. Please register at the office (Women s Section), 2nd floor. For more information please contact us. Telephone , , , Fax (attention Enlightenment into Islam) Continued on Page 26

26 26 Film based on Sheikh Abdullah Al Sabah s memorable speeches EQUATE marks Kuwaitis resilience, pride with media production KUWAIT CITY, Feb 23: EQUATE Petrochemical Company, a global producer of petrochemicals, launched a new media production in celebration of the Kuwait s National & Liberation Day. This media production comes as an homage to the essence of Kuwait based on its people s resilience, progressiveness, patriotism and pride. The film is based on one of Sheikh Abdullah Al-Salem Al-Sabah s memorable speeches that has surprisingly never been used in any communication. On this occasion, EQUATE shares this film with the Kuwaiti people to help them understand the inspiring words of Kuwait s founder. Sheikh Abdullah Al-Salem s speech is the one he made on the occasion of Kuwait s independence as a British protectorate in In it, he expresses his gratitude and hope for Kuwait, its citizens and promising Dr Al Omar future. The film merges Abdullah Al Salem s words, voice and a few clips of his original speech with images of Kuwait s milestones throughout a course of 56 years that complement what the visionary leader is saying. EQUATE S Senior Executive of Corporate Communications and Government Affairs, Dr. Abeer Sulaiman Al-Omar, said, In this nostalgic and inspiring TVC, we have used emotional scenes from the past that reflect the essence of Kuwait and thus, its people. This interpretation means a lot to us at EQUATE because it embodies our country s innate progressiveness, tolerance, democracy, resistance and patriotism. The scenes include those from Kuwait s liberation from the Iraqi invasion that shows Kuwaitis celebrating and parading in the street, the late Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah s arrival to Kuwait after the war as he memorably and humbly kneels on his nation s precious ground, Kuwait Football Team s legendary win of the Asian Cup in 1980, Kuwaiti women s role as symbolized by Fatima Hussein during the cultural and artistic movement that was chaperoned by the late Sheikh Sabah Al-Salem Al-Sabah, Kuwait s resilience and bravery during the Gulf War which is epitomized in the Al-Qurain House. Moreover, historical events that are shown in the film, highlights Kuwait s democratic political system, a fact that is shown by political figures such as Khaled Al-Ghunaim and Abdullah Al-Naibari and finally, Kuwait s solidarity in the face of terror after the bombing of the Al Sadeq Mosque in 2015, a catastrophe that not only unified the Kuwaiti people but left the entire world in awe as the country s leader, the current Amir of Kuwait, Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, entered the bombed mosque less than an hour afterward. All of these moments are complemented by a voice over of Kuwait s founder, Sheikh Abdullah Al-Salem. The EQUATE Group is a global producer of petrochemicals that create a better world. The Group combines EQUATE Petrochemical Company (EQUATE), its subsidiaries and The Kuwait Olefins Company (TKOC). The EQUATE Group is the world s second largest producer of Ethylene Glycol (EG) with industrial complexes in Kuwait, North America and Europe that produce Ethylene, EG, Polyethylene (PE) and Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET). The products are marketed throughout Asia, the Americas, Europe, the Middle East and Africa. As a leading global enterprise, the EQUATE Group strongly pursues sustainability principles and best practices wherever it operates through partnerships with various stakeholders including employees and customers as well as societies as a whole in fields that includes human development, environment, education, health and public awareness. The EQUATE Group s shareholders include Petrochemical Industries Company (PIC), The Dow Chemical Company (Dow), Boubyan Petrochemical Company (BPC) and Qurain Petrochemical Industries Company (QPIC). The Group provides reliable services and solutions that enables global customers and stakeholders to grow and attain the success they seek by being Partners in Success. www. equate.com Warba launches A Word for Kuwait to mark National Day KUWAIT CITY, Feb 23: The best investment & best corporate consulting Bank, Warba Bank- launched its national campaign, A Word for Kuwait, in observance of Kuwait National & Liberation Days celebrations at Wonder Village Festival held in Kuwait International Fairs. Warba s booth features an array of activities to demonstrate national devotion and loyalty to our beloved country Kuwait. The festival kicked off in February 22nd and ongoing until February 26th,2017. The festival Mrs Aisha Al Salem, Ms Sahar Al Therban and Ali Baghli with the Kharafi Center s children during National Day celebration. Mrs Aisha Al Salem (Al Kharafi Center) honoring Ms Sahar Al Therban and Ali Baghli for ABK s sponsorship of the Kharafi Center s National Day celebration. click Continued from Page 25 Embassies Indian Embassy notice: India has further liberalized grant of visas to nationals of USA, Canada and Japan. visitors will have the chance to express their love and admiration of Kuwait by writing their feelings on a giant wall. Warba Bank will also be distributing a range of gifts to visitors in celebration of the occasion. The campaign derived from the Bank commitment of its social responsibility towards all segments of the society as an authentic Kuwaiti banking institution. The Bank is strongly committed to exert a vital social role in boosting patriotism and loyalty while sharing Kuwait its remarkable days. Fee structure is as below: 1. Visa fee for USA nationals: (a) Tourist visa: Multiple Entry of ten years duration KD 36; (b) Business visa: Multiple Entry of one year duration KD 51; (c) Business visa: Multiple Entry of ten years duration KD Visa fee for Canadian and Japanese nationals: (a) Tourist visa: Multiple Entry of six months duration KD 14; (b) Tourist visa: Multiple Entry of one ABK celebrates National Day with Al Kharafi Kids Center Al Ahli Bank of Kuwait (ABK) recently celebrated National & Liberation Days with children at the Al Kharafi Kids Center. The celebration, which took place on Feb 19, featured singing, Kuwaiti decorations and flags, face painting, coloring and competitions with prizes for all the children present. The day was attended by 300 children, relatives, staff from the center and employees from ABK and was designed to help children engage with the public and strengthen their understanding and sense of nationalism and joy on this special occasion. The Al Kharafi Activity Kids Center is an important Airport branch open 24/7 KFH continues e-services during holidays KUWAIT CITY, Feb 23: Kuwait Finance House (KFH) announced that it is ready to fulfill its commitments towards its clients during the holiday. The bank will continue to offer various services for its clients in Kuwait and overseas through its website that offers over 150 eservices, in addition to the 24/7 airport branch and other service channels that provide clients with necessary services round the clock. Moreover, the Call Center will be ready to receive calls from clients throughout the day, and will work relentlessly to overcome any problems that might face clients in Kuwait and overseas. In addition, KFH continues to offer its IVR service on that is available throughout the day. Clients can call to make account transactions, ask for financial transaction, pay bills, purchase cards to recharge cell phone, and other services. Further, clients can take advantage of year duration KD 22; (c) Tourist visa: Multiple Entry of ten years duration KD 42; (d) Business visa: Multiple Entry of one year duration KD 39; (e) Business visa: Multiple Entry of ten years duration KD Visa fee for Kuwaiti nationals: (a) Tourist visa: Multiple Entry of six months duration KD 14; (b) Business visa: Multiple Entry of One year duration KD 39; (c) Business visa: Multiple Entry of Five years duration KD 64. All applicants may visit Passport and Visa Centres of CKGS at (a) 17 Floor, Behbehani Building, Sharq, Kuwait : Tel. No ( indiavisa.kuwait@ckgs.com) or ; (b) Complex Kais Alghanim, 4 Floor, Mecca Street, in front of Annod Complex, Fahaheel, Kuwait: Tel. No ( indiavisa. kuwait@ckgs.com). (c) Jleeb Al Shuyoukh (Abbasiya) 2nd Floor, Jleeb Al Shuyoukh Block 1, Street 1, Xcite Building, Kuwait Tel. No ) ( indiavisa.kuwait@ckgs. com). CKGS s website is kw.ckgs.in. In emergency cases, Indian Embassy accepts visa applications directly at its Visa Wing from applicants. Indian Embassy notice: All Indian nationals in Kuwait holding hand written passports are advised once again to apply for urgent re-issuance of new passports, in lieu of handwritten passports, under the following circumstances: The International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) had set a deadline of Nov 24, 2015 for globally phasing out of all non-machine Readable Passports. From Nov 25, 2015 onwards, foreign Governments may deny Visa or entry to any person travelling on a non-machine Readable Passport. The Government of India has been issuing Machine Readable Passports since The Passports, however, issued before 2001 and particularly those issued during mid 1990s with a validity of 20 years will fall in the category of non-mrps. All handwritten passports with pasted photographs are also considered non-mrps. Indians living in Kuwait holding handwritten passports as explained in Para (b) above, are advised to apply urgently for re-issue of their passports well before the deadline in order to facility which gives children with disabilities new opportunities to learn and play within a secure and nurturing environment. The aim of the center is to assist children with their confidence and encourage them to develop their physical, social, verbal and emotional abilities so that they are better equipped to engage with the local community. ABK is a committed member of Kuwait s community, actively engaged in supporting a wide variety of events, especially those that focus on special needs. For more information about Al Ahli Bank of Kuwait please visit eahli.com or contact a customer service agent via Ahlan Ahli at KFH s ATM machines (Shamel) that are available at most of the branches in vital locations. KFH offers Mobi Baitok vehicles that serve as mobile branches that allow people to deposit and withdraw cash in addition to other usual transactions. KFH has additional technical privileges, such as allowing clients to conduct basic banking operations through smart phones on kfhonline application. KFH has recently launched a new e-service that allows KFH customer subscribed to KFH s SMS Baitak notification service to receive Push message-type notifications in addition to the regular SMS notifications onto their smartphones. KFH s e-banking customers who are also SMS Baitak subscribers will be able to register to and receive - the Push messages for free via the KFH Online Smartphone app, and will also be able to receive and view the Push messages using the smartphone apps. avoid any inconvenience in obtaining valid visa for international travel. For more details related to passport services, visit the website indembkwt.org/pages/passport.aspx or call Tribhuvan Kumar, Assistant Consular Officer at Tel: , Extn-261 or Shri. K.K. Pahel, First Secretary (Consular) on Mob: ECI registration of NRIs: The Election Commission of India (ECI) is in the process of registration of NRIs as overseas electors. The present number of overseas electors is insignificant in comparison to the number of NRIs. Overseas/NRI electors can submit their details in NVSP (National Voters Services Portal) for inclusion of their names in the State Level Electoral roll which should furnish full details of address in the country outside India where they are currently residing. An Overseas Indian (NRI) can get registered/enrolled in the electoral roll by filing an application in prescribed Form 6A before the Electoral Registration Officer or Assistant Electoral Registration Officer of the constituency at the place of residence of the applicant in India according to the address given in his/her passport. For any queries (including FAQs) in this regard, all concerned may contact the following telephone numbers which are given below: Telephone: ; Fax For more details please log on to Indian Embassy notice: At the initiative of the Hon ble Prime Minister, a scheme for Voluntary Certification of Yoga Professionals has been launched by the Ministry of AYUSH (Ayurveda, Yoga, Naturuopathy, Unani, Sidha & Homeopathy) to spread the traditional knowledge of India by assuring quality of Yoga Practices across the world. The Ministry of AYUSH in the wake of declaration of International Day of Yoga has identified Quality Council of India (QCI) to develop a scheme for Voluntary Certification of Yoga Professionals since QCI has expertise in developing such quality based on the best international practices. The objective of the scheme is to certify yoga professionals which will evaluate four levels of competence ie: yoga instructor, yoga teacher, yoga master and yoga acharya. The scheme is being launched by the Ministry of AYUSH and implemented by Quality Council of India. Yoga stands for harmony & peace. The aim of the scheme is to specify the competence requirements in terms of knowledge and skills to be complied by the Yoga professionals in the form of Competence Standard. It also aims to define the process of evaluation and certification in laying down requirements for competence and operation of assessment of bodies through Accredition after creating awareness about the launch of the scheme by the Ministry of AYUSH, Government of India. For further details about the scheme please log on to yogacertification.qci. org.in Vidya Lakshmi Portal: Vidya Lakshmi Portal has been launched on Aug 15, 2015 by the Department of Higher Education under the Ministry of Human Resource Development, New Delhi. Under this scheme, any Indian student can apply for educational loan online by browsing on The main purpose of this portal is to have facilities of education loan, scholarship and other student friendly facilities through one link. Students can apply from his/her home, institution, kiosk or Cyber café. The portal is linked with Centre for Good Governance National-e-Scholarship Portal: www. scholarship.gov.in. Students can also apply for scholarship. Besides, a good number of studentfriendly schemes are also mentioned in the portal. Students can apply, view and track their educational loan application to banks anytime by accessing the Portal which would be useful for students, parents, institutions, bankers, employers, researchers, etc. Serbian Embassy notice: The Embassy of the Republic of Serbia to the State of Kuwait makes the following announcements: 1) The new phone and fax numbers are as follows: Telephone: /45; Fax: ) The Embassy of the Republic of Serbia, Consular Section announces to all Serbian citizens living in Kuwait, Bahrain and Yemen that start issuing again of the biometric passports effective from 16/02/2016. Albanian Embassy new premises: Albanian Embassy in the State of Kuwait would like to inform on the change of its premises. The new address of the embassy is: Salam Area, Block 7, Street 717, Villa 293, Kuwait. For postal services in addition to the address: P.O. Box 3090, Safat 13031, State of Kuwait. Also, the landline phone number of the embassy is the same one: and Fax: The address: embassy.kuwait@mfa.gov.al. The working hours from Sunday to Thursday, 08:30-14:00. Brazilian Embassy notice: A Embaixada do Brasil solicita a brasileiros/as que efetuem e/ou atualizem sua matrícula consular. (formulário na página: The Embassy of Brazil requests Brazilian citizens to register or to update their consular registration (form kuaite.itamaraty.gov.br). Czech Embassy notice: The Embassy of Czech Republic in Kuwait is pleased to announce the opening of the Visa Application Centre in Kuwait City. Starting the visa applications can be submitted at the Joint Visa Application Centre in Kuwait. The Address is: VFS Global. Czech Republic Visa Application Center; 1st floor Al-Banwan Building, Ali Al-Salem Street, Al-Qiblah Area, Kuwait City; Submission of Applications: 9:00-16:00 (Sunday-Thursday) Continued on Page 28

27 27 h o r o s c o p e By Jacqueline Bigar Happy birthday for Friday, Feb 24, 2017: This year you find that a caring and sensitive style works best for you. Others seem to respond to your soothing demeanor. At times, you ll need to withdraw from others. You could choose to do some volunteer work or sign up for a yoga class. If you are single, you tend to attract people who are emotionally unavailable. Take your time getting to know any potential suitors. If you are attached, the two of you benefit enormously from a few days away together. You act like new lovers as a result. AQUARIUS reads you cold. 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) *** Use today to relax. You might decide to spend some money on your lifestyle. You seem to be more concerned about the quality of your life than you used to be. Open up to a family member who would like some more attention and time with you. Tonight: Order a favorite treat. Aquarius - (Jan 20 - Feb 18) ***** You ll note a difference in how people approach you. You could be unusually busy and focused. You might find others responses to be more positive than usual. A loved one seems set on clearing the air between you. Listen to what he or she has to say. Tonight: All smiles. Pisces - (Feb 19 - Mar 20) **** You could be tired and withdrawn from others. You need to do more sharing and talking with a dear friend who often chooses to speak openly with you. One-on-one relating might be difficult, as you will need some time to yourself. Postpone a get-together. Tonight: Say yes.. Aries - (Mar 21 - Apr 19) *** Your upbeat nature comes out in meetings and when dealing with friends. Completing or initiating any project will lead to success. Understand what is happening with your associates. You could be irritated by someone s comment; be smart and let it go. Tonight: Out late. Taurus - (Apr 20 - May 20) *** You feel renewed as you step up to the plate. You finally will get through a project or take the lead at the office. Listen to your advisers; they are on your team and are your supporters. You might not always agree with them, but they have excellent advice. Tonight: In the limelight. Gemini - (May 21 - June 20) ***** You have the desire to break a pattern. A well-meaning friend could push you to do what he or she wants. You tend to let this person get away with this behavior, but this time you might question the validity of having him or her as a friend. Tonight: Enjoy some exotic company. Cancer - (June 21 - July 22) **** You could be out of whack as you try to handle a personal matter. Listen to what a partner shares. Understand that this person s thoughts are coming from a caring place. Detach in order to see the big picture; your decisions might change as a result. Tonight: A force to be dealt with. Leo - (July 23 - Aug 22) **** You might be overwhelmed by a new friend s feelings and consequent sharing. Think through your feelings before you get any deeper into this relationship. Open up to new possibilities, and know that some could be risky! Tonight: Say yes to an invitation. Virgo - (Aug 23 - Sept 22): **** Recognize what is happening between you and someone else. You might not be as aware of this person s effect on you as you think you are. Your drive and responsiveness might be drawing a boss closer to you, as he or she likes what he or she sees. Tonight: Happy at home. Libra - (Sept 23 - Oct 22) **** Others come forward and finally are willing to discuss their feelings. At first, you might feel cornered. However, in time you might decide to open up more. Try to be as diplomatic as possible. Your creativity surges. Tonight: Go along with someone else s suggestion. Scorpio - (Oct 23 - Nov 21) **** A family member wants you to dedicate some personal time to him or her. Do your best to fulfill this person s request. If you discover that you have issues you need to discuss, you might find that a new approach works best. Tonight: TGIF with co-workers and/or friends.. Sagittarius - (Nov 22 - Dec 21) ***** You know you can be charming, but you might not always act like it. Today, however, your charisma shines through. As a result, loved ones, associates and friends all respond much more favorably to you than they have in the recent past. Tonight: Be more playful. Born today: Boxer Floyd Mayweather (1977), businessman Steve Jobs (1955), painter Winslow Homer (1836) home decor indoor gardening beauty tips taste buds wallpaper an accent wall cineraria plant hairstyles for round faces yogurt with blueberry sauce Add pattern to your walls without visual overload. Choose one accent wall in a room to cover with wallpaper that shares at least one color with your other walls. An accent wall injects an artistic touch while saving decorating time and dollars. If you re repainting the walls, too, do those first and paper last. Dear Abby Cineraria plants are beautiful small flowering plants that are available for purchase during the late winter and early spring. The compact Cineraria plant has tight bunches of petite daisy like flowers surrounded by large dark green leaves. Cineraria flowers can be red, white, blue, or purple. Light: Cineraria Plants need very bright indirect light but cool temperatures. Temperature: A Cineraria plant does well in temperatures between degrees at night and degrees during the day. Water: Keep a Cineraria Plant moist but never soggy. If your face is round, the best hairstyles generally include: Layered bangs rather than straight or heavy bangs. Short styles which give height. Styles that add length. Styles that keep the sides of your hair short or close to the face. Curls around the crown - but never near the cheeks - to create height. Keep the sides of your hair short with a curly style. Longer to very long styles, with bangs and a graduated shag or layers so that the face and the neck are given a slenderizing shape. Ingredients: 2/3 cup frozen blueberries, 2/3 cup frozen blackberries, 1/2 cup water, 1/4 cup sugar, 2 tbs fresh lemon juice, 1 tbs butter, 2 cups plain reduced-fat yogurt. Preparation: Combine first 5 ingredients in a small saucepan. Bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; gently boil 10 minutes or until sauce thickens. Stir in butter. Spoon 1/2 cup yogurt into each of 4 bowls; top each serving with about 1/4 cup sauce. Serve immediately. Mother s fiance blamed for breaking up marriage By Abigail Van Buren Dear Abby: My fiancee and I plan to be married next year. I met her after she left her husband because he had cheated on her twice. She refuses to tell her daughters that she left their dad because he cheated, so I am doomed to be the bad guy for eternity. They think I m the man who stole Mama from Daddy. Her youngest (age 25) thinks I m the devil incarnate and is unbelievably rude to me, no matter who is around. I m thinking marriage will be hell because she and her mother interact every day. What am I to do? Blameless in the south Dear blameless: This is not a question of what you should do. It s a question of what you and your fiancee should do together. While it may not be necessary for her to tell her adult daughters that their father was a cheater, and that s the reason Abigail Van Buren she left him, she should definitely call a family meeting and clear the air by telling them that you were not the reason the marriage ended. She should also insist that you be treated with respect if not affection. However, if she s unwilling to do that, then you should seriously consider calling off the wedding because a marriage under those conditions would be miserable for you. Her daughters would guarantee it. Dear Abby: This is in response to Another Husband in Oregon (Sept. 3) who wondered about the man cave behavior he had observed in his neighbors. I can tell you from personal experience that the appeal of spending long hours working on mechanical things in a garage or workshop in total solitude is strong for many men. Regarding the guy who rebuilt an antique truck from the ground up, if you go to any car show featuring restored cars, you can t help but admire the time, energy, skill and commitment some men put into a restoration. These can be works of art. Balance is very important to a successful marriage. Before a wife complains about too much time spent in the cave (and not all do complain), she should consider the upside. He is safe, he s not blowing family money in a bar or at a blackjack table, and he s not chasing other women. And he just may be creating something unique that will give him great pride and satisfaction. Paul in Wisconsin Dear Paul: When I put the question about garaged husbands out to my readers, they were forthcoming with their views. The responses predominantly from men, but also some of their wives were overwhelmingly positive. While the theory of spending too much time in the garage as a result of being frozen out of the bedroom was raised, most readers affirmed the value of having separate time from a spouse as long as it is only spare time. Wives wrote that it enables them to catch up on reading, shopping, a project with the kids or grandkids, or watch a favorite TV show or movie. Both spouses extolled the results produced in the cave restored vintage cars, woodworking items and various repairs. Visiting is permitted, and there s learning to be had for the kids. And, as a number of readers reminded us, At least you know where he is. 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 or P.O. Box 69440, Los Angeles, CA (Source: Universal Uclick) Arpan Kuwait conducted an economic seminar on your money, your savings at ICSK Auditorium, Salmiya on Feb 17. President KP Suresh presided the meeting. General Secretary Rafi Padiyath welcomed the audience and speakers. Indian Embassy Commercial attaché B.S. Bisht lightened the lamp along with Advisory chairman P.A. Menon and inaugurated the seminar. Ambassador of India Sunil Jain in a message through B.S. Bisht said: FRIDAY what s on today emergency Site for checking travel ban 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. Exclusive-private court are also available on per hour rental. For more information, please contact Dr Chie Umandap Arnis/Eskrima training: Eskrimador- Kuwait 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 Kaifan Sports Complex- Karate Gym. Text or call # 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 or get in touch with any IFRA member for registration. SATURDAY Friday Forum Medical Camp: On the occasion of the Kuwait National and Liberation Days, Friday Forum is conducting a Medical Camp in Amghara Bachelor City. The camp will be held on Saturday, Feb 25 at the Bachelor City from 8:00 am to 2:00 pm in specially built tents for the purpose. Services of doctors of specialties like; General Medicine, Cardiology, Orthopedics, Dermatology and ENT will be available. Preliminary checkups and blood examination and medicines will be distributed free of cost. TMCA blood donation camp: Tamilnadu Muslim Cultural Association (TMCA), Kuwait is organizing Blood Donation Drive every year on Feb 25, commemorating Kuwait s National and Liberation Days celebrations. In its 22nd year ( ) of existence and service, we have great pleasure to conduct our 12th year of Blood Donation Drive this year also on Saturday, Feb 25 between 8:00 am till 1:00 pm at Jabriya Central Blood Bank. Dear Brothers & Sisters Donate Blood and give somebody a Gift of Life For information & registration: , , , KPWA Kuwait Chapter AGM: Kerala Pravasi Welfare Association (KPWA) announced its first Annual General Body meeting (AGM) on Feb 25 from 1 pm to 6 pm at Hydine function hall, Abbassiya. Kerala NRIs may attend and join with KPWA regardless to any religion, caste, district, political or other discriminations. KPWA will organise a session for NRIs from Kerala to fill the NORKA identity card applications which will be held from 1pm to 3pm. Hence requesting all planning to bring along 2 passport size photos, passport copies with visa page and civil ID copies for completing the process properly. Organisers are urging the Kerala community in Kuwait to join hand-in-hand with KPWA for the betterment of fellow NRI Keralites regardless to any religion, caste, district, political or other differences. For more details please contact: President - Mubarack Kambrath, ; Vice President - Koshy Alexander, ; General Secretary - Reji Chirayath, ; Joint Secretary - Ms Celin Franscis; Vanitha President - Ms Arpan s effort to educate and give practical directions to people for better living in current scenario is valuable and commendable. KP Suresh said Arpan is trying to bring out the experts in Kuwait for sharing their knowledge for the benefit of common man in an effort to educate the expatriate Indians on money saving and investing methods in view of the current demonetization and recent union budget. Shobha Nair, ; Vanitha Secretary - Ms Ceinu Mathew; Offi ce Secretary - Ms Susan Mathew, ; Treasurer - Anil Anad, , Joint Treasurer Rose Mary, ; CORE Admin Representative - Rasheed Puthukkulangara, Konkani film fest: Konkani fi lm Enemy? is among 6 Konkani fi lms presented by Goan Cultural Centre Kuwait in association with T-Bush International Films and Konkani Community of Holy Family Cathedral will be held Feb 25 & (Public Holidays) at the spacious American International School Auditorium, Maidan Hawally. Films that will be showcased: Feb 25; Big 10:30 am; 3:00 pm; Home Sweet Home 6:00 pm. Feb 26; 10:30 am; Noxibacho 3:00 pm; NAchom-Ia 6:00 pm. Gate-passes for the festival may be picked up by dialing: , , , , , Experience Science for Adults: Registration is now open for Experience Science for Adults. Why should kids have all the fun?! The fi ve 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 education@darmuseum.org.kw Football coaching workshops: Interested in Coaching/professional development? This weekend Everton Academy, Bayan will be welcoming three top coaches from Glasgow Celtic F.C., the Scottish Premier League Champions, including number 112 Civil ID info: their International Academy Manager, Tony Massie. They will be delivering a certified Celtic Coach Education program on Saturday, 6-8pm, Sunday, 6-8pm and Monday, pm. Certificates will only be awarded to coaches attending all 3 sessions. Places are limited - register at Bayan office any evening 5-8pm. Bangladesh Embassy closure: The Embassy of the People s Republic of Bangladesh in Kuwait will remain closed from Feb 25-28, 2017 (Saturday to Sunday) on the occasion of National Day and Liberation Day of the State of Kuwait. This is for information of all concerned. Sunday South African Embassy closure: On the occasion of the National Day and Liberation Day, the Embassy of the Republic of South Africa will be closed from Sunday, Feb 26, 2017 and will reopen on Monday, Feb 27, 2017 with its official hours from 0800 hours to 1600 hours and the Consular Section operation hours will be from 0830 to For emergency calls please contact YIK investors training program: Youth India Kuwait (YIK) conducts an investors training program for Keralites who wish to start a business in India. The program will be held in Khaitan Rajadhani Palace restaurant on Feb 26. Entry will be limited to pre-registered candidates only. Contact , for registration. Indian Embassy closure: The Embassy shall remain closed on Sunday, Feb 26, 2017 on the occasion of Kuwait National & Liberation Days and will resume its duties on Monday, Feb 27, Only emergency consular services will be rendered by the Embassy on the closed holidays.

28 28 Paula Abdul to star as herself Memphis heartbreaking, sad episode of This Is Us LOS ANGELES, Feb 23, (RTRS): Spoiler alert: Do not read until you ve watched episode 116 of This Is Us, titled Memphis. Breathe, everyone. Just breathe. In one of This Is Us most heartbreaking episodes yet, William (Ron Cephas Jones) lost his season-long battle with cancer, while he and Randall (Sterling K. Brown) were enjoying a father-and-son bonding trip to his hometown of Memphis. For the executive producers of This is Us, the decision to finally end William s life wasn t an easy one, but it was inevitable. We re like a big family and we don t want to lose anybody, explains executive producer Glenn Ficarra, who also directed the episode along with John Requa. But the beauty of the show is you don t really lose them. Because we re always going back in time. So that was the consolation. It was a decision they admit they struggled with. We went through all the stages of death, bargaining, says Requa. It s easy to get compromised with a popular show. But ultimately we felt like it was the right thing to do. But there is some good news for fans: This doesn t mean we ve seen the last of Jones. As we like to say on This Is Us, death is not a release, says Requa. Our main character has never been alive. Adds Ficarra: That s the greatest thing about this show. We re always filling in blanks in this one very small story. We re looking at things from different points of view. You just get another angle. Jones confirms that he ll return next season. I did get the word that I ll be back. We re hoping it will be in a big way, he says. It all revolves around how (showrunner Dan Fogelman) writes and what kind of stories he ll bring out for next season. There s a lot of thinking left to do. And we ll see how this season ends and what they need to focus on for next season. But I m happy to say I ll definitely be back on Paramount Studios for next season. The producers wouldn t reveal much about their plans for William s future in flashbacks, but did allow that the trip to Memphis and the reveal of family connections for Randall opened up new opportunities to explore. We ve created a world in Memphis, says Requa. The question is, do we go play there some more? Look for Randall, who s already fragile given his recent panic attack, to be impacted by his father s death, say the producers. He s going to look for meaning in it, says Ficarra. The episode completed him in a way but also tore Couch slouch something else open. It s everyday life but also his past. It s a bold new avenue to go down. Adds Requa. It s a change of direction for him. We hope we succeeded with not just a sad episode but an episode with a little bit of hope in it. Life is about transitions, and death is just one of them. Including the lingering mystery of the cause of Jack s death, perhaps? Some of this will come to a head before the season is over, says Requa. Adds Ficarra, We close a chapter and open a new one. As for this episode, the deathbed scene was shot first, and Jones says it was a difficult one to get through. There wasn t a lot of time to prep and lead up to it, so everything after that became very foreboding, he says. It was this ghostly feeling for me. Also: LOS ANGELES: Paula Abdul will play herself in Kourtney Kang s comedy pilot at NBC, Variety has learned. The iconic triple threat has signed on as a series regular, should the pilot be greenlit to series. The untitled comedy pilot is based on Kang s life, and will explore what it s like to grow up as the only girl in the only mixed race family in the suburbs of Philadelphia, dealing with realworld issues like race and gender while never losing focus of her life goal to become a Laker Girl like her idol, Paula Abdul. Young actress Isabella Russo will play the youthful lead, based on Kang s childhood self. Kang wrote the pilot and will serve as an executive producer with Fresh Off the Boat creator Nahnatchka Khan and Fred Savage, who will direct the pilot. All three are under deals at 20th Century Fox TV, which is behind the project, along with Khan s Fierce Baby banner. LOS ANGELES: August was not the hottest month for Stephen Colbert. Ratings for CBS The Late Show which had been on a steady slide since shortly after Colbert s debut as host in 2015 hit a new low, with the monthly total-viewer average slipping below 2 million for the first time. If its trajectory continued, Colbert s Late Show, already far behind Jimmy Fallon and NBC s The Tonight Show, was in danger of falling into third place in the ratings wars below ABC s Jimmy Kimmel Live. Fallon appeared primed for a long reign as king of late night. Six months later, Colbert has the industry watching the throne. tv highlights click Embassies Continued from Page 26 Passport collection time: 16:00-17:00 (Sunday- Thursday) Further instructions you can get from the website : or on call line: Note: Applicants need to come in person to submit the visa application at the Czech Visa Centre. The Embassy of Czech Republic in Kuwait reserves the right to invite the applicant for a personal interview. Embassies Football League: The Premier Sport Academy in association with Everton FC is pleased to invite embassy teams to participate in a football league dedicated to serving the international community in Kuwait. Weekly matches will be played at the Everton Bayan Sports Arena on Sunday evenings with kick off times of either 7 pm or 8 pm starting in October. Teams should consist of 7 players (one goalkeeper plus 6 outfield) and upto 4 substitutes. Matches will be two halves of 25 minutes each. Participating teams must represent their embassy and be either employees or nationals from the embassy. The league will be organised by PSA Everton and will initially run for twelve weeks followed by the Everton Cup competition. Please contact Mike Finn, Everton Academy Director to confirm your involvement or for further information on or by info@ psa-kuwait.com prior to the end of September Malaysian citizens registration: The Embassy of Malaysia in the State of Kuwait advises all Malaysian citizens residing in Kuwait who have not registered with the Embassy, to do so. For those who have registered, the Embassy advises them to update the Embassy on any changes in their particulars. The purpose of registration and updating your particulars with the Embassy is to enable the Embassy to contact you in case of Malaysian community events, information bulletins and emergencies. The registration form may be downloaded at web/kwt kuwait/forms, while the Embassy s address and contact details are as follows: Plot 5, Yemen Street, Area 5, Diplomatic Enclave, Daiya, P.O. Box: 4105, Safat 13042, Kuwait. Tel: (965) /5/6; Fax: (965) ; mwkuwait@kln.gov.my Indonesian Embassy services: The Embassy of Indonesia in Kuwait encourages anyone who needs the consular service from the Embassy to log on into: The Embassy would also like to remind that 30 foreign nationals including Kuwaiti passport holder is exempted from obtaining visa for entering Indonesia. According to Article 3 and 4 of the Presidential Decree No: 69 Year 2015 dated 9 June 2015 concerning the visa exemption for the 30 foreign nationals, this visa exemption is valid only for the touristic purpose for the period of stay of thirty (30) days and it is not extendable nor exchangeable to other type of immigration stay permission status. In order to get this facility, the tourists must enter Indonesia through nine (9) designated immigration check-points as follows: Soekarno Hatta Airport in Jakarta, Ngurah Rai Airport in Bali, Kuala Namu Airport in Medan, Juanda Airport in Surabaya, Hang Nadim Airport in Batam, Sri Bintan Seaport in Tanjung Pinang, Batam Center Seaport in Batam, Sekupang Seaport in Batam, and Tanjung Uban seaport in Riau. To get update, please check: kemlu.go.id/kuwaitcity, Facebook page: and YouTube Channel: KBRI Kuwait. For further information, please contact the Information Section of the Embassy at , ext 122. Bhutan Embassy notice: The Embassy of the Kingdom of Bhutan in Kuwait is located in South Surra, Al Salaam Area, Block 3, Street 308, House 3. Tel: /2, Fax: and address: admin@rbekuwait.bt. The Royal Bhutanese Embassy is opened Sunday to Thursday, from 8:00 am 2:00 pm. Please note that we are no longer using Gmail address. A flyer of the event Cuban Embassy notice: The Tourist Visa or Tourist Card is only for purposes of tourism to Cuba. It is valid for one single entrance into national territory for a 30-day trip and can be extended for an additional 30 days at the office in the hotel where one has accommodations or with the immigration authority. To obtain this visa in person at the Consulate, these documents are needed: Valid passport; Air Ticket with entry and return dates; Application form, available at the Embassy; Travel Insurance (to show at the Embassy); Payment of the Consular fee for this service. Embassy of Cuba in Kuwait Rawda, Block 3, Shahab Ahmed Al-Bahar St, House 74 P.O. Box Surra 45711, Kuwait 1064 Tel: Fax: consularembacubakuwait@gmail.com secretaria@cubaemba.gov.kw Sitio Web: Kenya citizen registration: For citizen registration, please visit the embassy at Zahra, Block 8, Street 807, Villa 133 or call , P.O. Box 129, Al-Surra Fax: or kenemb.kuwait@gmail. com. The embassy is open Sunday to Thursday at 8:00 to 4:00 pm. Cinema Cinema programme from Thursday 23/02/2017 to Wednesday 01/03/2017 A Dog s Purpose Sharqia 1 12:00 (No Fri) 14:00, 19:30 Muhalab 2 13:00, 15:00, 17:00 (No Fri) 13:30 (Fri) Fanar 2 12:30 (No Fri) 18:30, 20:45 Marina 1 15:15, 17:30, 19:45 Avenues 1 12:45 (No Fri) 15:00 (No Fri, Sat) 17:15, 19:30 (No Fri, Sat, Sun) Avenues 5 21:45 (Thu, Tue, Wed) 12:00 (No Fri) 19: :30 (No Fri) 13:45, 16:15, 18:30, 20: :30 (Fri) 15:30, 17:45 Al-Kout 3 Bairaq 2 12:45 (No Fri) 14:45, 19:00, 21:00 12:00 (No Fri) 14:00, 16:00, 18:00, 20:00 Laila 18:00 Grand Hamra 3 14:00, 16:00, 18:00, 20:00, 22:00 00:00 (Thu, Fri) Grand Gate 1 14:30, 16:30, 18:30, 20:30, 22:30 00:30 (Thu, Fri) Grand Gate GC 15:00, 17:30, 20:00, 22:30 01:00 (Thu, Fri) Eliminators Sharqia 1 16:00, 23:00, 01:00 Fanar 2 14:45, 23:00, 01:00 Marina 1 13:00 (No Fri) Avenues 7 22:00, 00:05 11:30 (No Fri) 13:30 Avenues 8 20:30, 22:45, 01: :30 (No Fri) 19:30, 21:45, 00: :00, 01:00 Al-Kout 3 16:45, 23:00, 01:00 Hamah (Kuwaiti Film) Sharqia 1 18:00, 21:30 Fanar 1 21:00 Fanar 2 17:00 Avenues 10 17:45, 19:30, 21:15, 22: :45, 18:30, 20:15, 22:00, 23:45 Al-Kout 4 17:00, 18:45 Grand Hamra 7 15:00, 19:00 Hidden Figures Sharqia 2 12:00 (No Fri) 14:30, 19:15, 00:05 Muhalab 3 12:30 (No Fri) 15:00, 17:30, 22:15 Fanar 4 12:15 (No Fri) 14:45, 17:15, 19:45, 22:15, 00:45 Marina 2 13:00 (No Fri) 15:30, 18:00, 20:30 Avenues 4 13:15 (No Fri) 13:30 (Fri) 16:00, 21:45, 00:30 Avenues 6 12:45 (No Fri) 15:30, 18:15, 21:00, 23: :30 (No Fri) 15:15, 21:00, 23: :30 (No Fri) 14:00, 16:30 19:15, 22:00, 00:45 (No Tue) 23:00 (Tue) Bairaq 1 11:45 (No Fri) 20:30, 23:00 Laila 15:30, 20:15 Grand Hamra 2 19:15, 21:45 01:00 (Thu, Fri) The Worthy (Arabic Film) Sharqia 2 17:00, 21:45 Muhalab 3 20:00, 00:45 Fanar 5 11:45 (No Fri) 14:00, 16:15, 21:30 18:30 (Thu, Tue, Wed) Marina 3 20:00, 22:15, 00:30 Avenues 5 16:45, 21:15 Avenues 11 20:15, 22: :30 (No Fri) 14:45, 17:00, 19:15, 21:30, 23: :00, 22:15 Al-Kout 1 19:30, 21:45, 00:05 Bairaq 2 22:15, 00:30 Laila 22:45 Grand Hamra 7 17:00, 21:15 23:30 (Thu, Fri) Grand Gate 2 14:45, 17:15, 19:15, 21:15, 23:15 Rock Dog Sharqia 3 13:00 (No Fri) 15:00, 17:00 Muhalab 1 12:45 (No Fri) 14:45, 16:45 Fanar 1 13:00 (No Fri) 15:00, 17:00 Marina 3 12:00 (No Fri) 14:00, 16:00, 18:00 Avenues 9 12:00 (No Fri) 14:00, 16:00 Avenues 11 11:30 (No Fri) 13:30, 18: :15 (No Fri) 14: :15 (No Fri) 15:15, 17:15, 19:15 Al-Kout 1 11:30 (No Fri) 13:30, 15:30, 17:30 Bairaq 1 14:30, 16:30, 18:30 Mercury Plains Sharqia 3 19:00, 22:45 Muhalab 1 21:45, 23:45 Fanar 3 14:00 (Fri) Avenues 3 16:00, 21:00, 23:00, 01:00 12:15 (No Fri) 14:30, 16:45, 19:00, 21:15, 23: :15 (No Fri) 13:30 (Fri) 15:30, 17:45, 20:00, 22:15, 00:30 Al-Kout 4 13:00 (No Fri) 15:00, 20:15, 22:15, 00:15 The Devil s Candy Sharqia 3 21:00, 00:45 Muhalab 2 22:00 (Thu, Tue, Wed) 01:00 Fanar 1 22:30, 00:15 Marina 2 13:45 (Fri) 23:00, 00:45 Avenues 9 18:00, 20:00, 22:00, 00: :00 (No Fri) 15:00, 17:00, 19:00, 21:00, 23:00, 01:00 Al-Kout 2 12:30 (No Fri) 14:30, 18:30, 22:30, 00:30 Bairaq 3 00:05 Rangoon (Hindi Film) Muhalab 1 18:45 Fanar 3 13:00 (No Fri) 18:00 Avenues 4 18:45 Avenues 7 15:45, 20: :45, 21: :00 Bairaq 3 18:00, 21:00 Plaza 15:30 (No Fri, Sat) 21:30 (Thu, Tue, Wed) Ajial 2 15:30, 18:30, 21:30 Winner (Telugu Film) Muhalab 2 16:00 (Fri) 19:00, 22:00 (Fri, Sat, Sun, Mon) Fanar 5 18:30 (No Thu, Tue, Wed) Avenues 1 15:45 (Fri, Sat) 18:45 (Fri, Sat, Sun) 21:45 (Fri, Sat, Sun, Mon) Plaza 15:30 (Fri, Sat) 21:30 (No Thu, Tue, Wed) Ajial 1 15:45 (Fri, Sat) 18:45, 21:45 (No Thu) Kaabil (Hindi Film) Muhalab 2 19:00 (Thu, Tue, Wed) :00 Ajial 3 19:15, 22:00 (Thu) El Qerd Beyetkalim (Arabic Film) How to find us Fanar 1 19:00 Fanar 5 23:45 Avenues 7 18:45, 00: :00 (Fri) 21:30, 23:30 Al-Kout 2 16:30, 20:30 Split Avenues 1 00: :30, 00:45 Grand Hamra 1 20:15, 22:30 Grand Hamra GC 15:00, 17:30, 20:00, 22:30 01:00 (Thu, Fri) Grand Gate 3 14:30, 17:00, 19:30, 22:00 00:15 (Thu, Fri) John Wick: Chapter 2 Avenues 2 12:15 (No Fri) 21:30, 00:05 Avenues 5 14:15, 23:30 Avenues 10 12:30 (No Fri) 15:15, 00:30 Avenues 11 15:30, 00: :00 (No Fri) 00: :45 (Fri, Sat) 21:45, 00: :45 (No Fri) 19:45, 22:15, 00:45 Grand Hamra 5 14:45, 17:15 Grand Hamra 6 14:30, 17:00, 19:30, 22:00 00:45 (Thu, Fri) Grand Gate 8 14:15, 16:45, 19:30, 22:00 00:45 (Thu, Fri) The Lego Batman Movie Avenues 2 14:45, 17:00, 19: : :45 (No Fri) 16:00, 18: :15, 17: 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 KD On Monday, price is KD1.500 except Digital movies. Cinescape cinema movies inquiries and Fax Back hotline The Scientific Center IMAX Opp Holiday Inn, Salmiya, Gulf Road 14. Grand Al-Hamra Grand Al-Hamra, tel: , cinemas.com 15. Grand Gate Grand Gate, tel: , Grand Hamra 4 14:00, 16:15 Grand Gate 7 14:00, 16:00, 18:00, 20:15, 22:15 YU-GI-OH!: The Dark Side Of Dimensions Avenues 8 12:15 (No Fri) 15:00, 17: :00 (No Fri) Bairaq 3 16:00, 18:45 12:30 (No Fri) 15:15 Grand Hamra 2 14:15, 16:45 Grand Gate 6 14:00, 16:45, 19:15, 21:45 Rings :15, 23:30 Grand Hamra 5 19:45, 22:15 Grand Gate 4 14:15, 16:30, 19:00, 21:00, 23:00 La La Land :00 Gold Grand Hamra 8 14:15, 17:30, 20:00, 22:30 xxx: Return Of Xander Cage :00, 20:30, 01:00 Resident Evil: The Final Chapter :45 Kung-Fu Yoga :30 (Sat) 16:30 (No Mon) Grand Hamra 4 18:45, 21:00 Grand Gate 5 14:00, 16:15, 18:30, 20:45, 23:00 Ozzy Grand Hamra 1 14:30, 16:30, 18:30 Fukri (Malayalam Film) :45 Plaza 18:30 Ajial 4 15:45 (No Fri, Sat) 18:45, 21:45 Munthirivallikal Thalirkkumbol (Malayalam Film) Ajial 1 15:30 (No Fri, Sat) 18:45, 21:45 (Thu) Ajial 4 15:45 (Fri) Ajial 3 Dangal (Hindi Film) 16:00 (Thu) Yaman (Tamil Film) Ajial 3 16:00, 19:00, 22:00 (No Thu) Bir Bikram (Nepali Film) Ajial 4 15:45 (Sat) 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 09:30 am Journey to Space 3D 10:30 am Flying Monsters 3D 11:30 am 09:30 pm A Beautiful Planet 3D 12:30 pm, 05:30 pm, 08:30 pm Humpback Whales 3D 06:30 pm Secret Ocean 3D 07:30 pm Wednesday Showtime Available for Groups 09:30 am Flying Monsters 3D 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 09:30 am A Beautiful Planet 3D 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 or visit

29 HEALTH 29 HSV-2 in pregnancy doubles autism risk: study Adding friendly bacteria to skin lotion wards off bad germs WASHINGTON, Feb 23, (AP): Bacteria live on everyone s skin, and new research shows some friendly germs produce natural antibiotics that ward off their disease-causing cousins. Now scientists are mixing the good bugs into lotions in hopes of spreading protection. In one early test, those customized creams guarded five patients with a kind of itchy eczema against risky bacteria that were gathering on their cracked skin, researchers reported Wednesday. It s boosting the body s overall immune defenses, said Dr Richard Gallo, dermatology chairman at the University of California, San Diego, who is leading the work. We share our bodies with trillions of microbes that live on our skin, in our noses, in the gut. This community what scientists call the microbiome plays critical roles in whether we stay healthy or become more vulnerable to various diseases. Learning what makes a healthy microbiome is a huge field of research, and already scientists are altering gut bacteria to fight diarrhea-causing infections. Wednesday s research sheds new light on the skin s microbiome suggesting that one day it may be possible to restore the right balance of good bugs to treat skin disorders, too. It s a really important paper, said Dr Emma Guttman-Yassky of the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York, who wasn t involved with the new research. It does open a window for a potential new treatment. Healthy skin harbors a different mix of bacteria than skin damaged by disorders such as atopic dermatitis, the most common form of eczema. Those patches of dry, red, itchy skin are at increased risk of infections, particularly from a worrisome germ known as Staphylococcus aureus. Gallo s team took a closer look at how microbes in healthy skin might be keeping that bad staph in check. They discovered certain strains of some protective bacteria secrete two antimicrobial peptides, a type of natural antibiotic. In lab tests and on the surface of animal skin, those substances could selectively kill Staph aureus, and even a drug-resistant strain known as MRSA, without killing neighboring bacteria like regular antibiotics do, the team reported in the journal Science Translational Medicine. But those good bugs are rare in the skin of people with atopic dermatitis, Gallo said. People with this type of eczema, for some reason that s not quite known yet, have a lot of bacteria on the skin but it s the wrong type of bacteria. They re not producing the antimicrobials they need, he explained. Would replenishing the good bugs help? They re normal skin bacteria, so we knew they would be safe, Gallo noted. His team tested five volunteers with atopic dermatitis who had Staph aureus growing on their skin s surface what s called colonization but didn t have an infection. Researchers culled some of the rare protective bacteria from the volunteers skin, grew a larger supply and mixed a dose into an over-the-counter moisturizer. Volunteers had the doctored lotion slathered onto one arm and regular moisturizer on the other. A day later, much of the staph on the treated arms was killed and in two cases, it was wiped out compared to the untreated arms, Gallo said. We re encouraged that we see the Staph aureus, which we know makes the disease worse, go away, he said. The study couldn t address the bigger question of whether exposure to the right mix of protective bacteria might improve atopic dermatitis itself, cautioned Mount Sinai s Guttman-Yassky. Next-step clinical trials are underway to start testing effects of longer-term use. Women who are infected with genital herpes early in their pregnancy may face twice the risk of bearing a child with autism, a team of US and Norwegian researchers said Wednesday. The report in msphere, a journal of the American Society for Microbiology journal, is the first to show that a woman s immune response could have a harmful effect on the developing fetus s brain and influence the likelihood of autism. We believe the mother s immune response to herpes simplex virus 2 (HSV-2) could be disrupting fetal central nervous system development, raising risk for autism, said lead author Milada Mahic, a researcher at the Norwegian Institute of Public Health. The causes of autism spectrum disorder remain poorly understood, and researchers believe it arises from some combination of genetic and environmental influences. As many as one in 68 US children suffer from autism, a neurodevelopmental disorder which can impair social and communication skills. About one in five American women has genital herpes, which is incurable and is typically spread through sex. For the current study, researchers examined five pathogens which have previously been shown to raise the risk of birth defects to see if there was any link between maternal infection and autism. These included Toxoplasma gondii, rubella virus, cytomegalovirus, and herpes simplex viruses type 1 and 2. Researchers examined blood samples from 412 mothers of children diagnosed with autism, and compared them to 463 mothers of children without autism in Norway. The blood samples were analyzed at around week 18 of pregnancy and at birth. Only antibodies to HSV-2, not any of the other pathogens, were linked to a higher risk of autism. And the risk was only apparent when the mother s system was fighting a genital herpes infection early in pregnancy, at a time when the fetus s nervous system is growing rapidly. The cause or causes of most cases of autism are unknown, said senior author W. Ian Lipkin, director of the Center for Infection and Immunity at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health.

30 Millennium celebrates Kuwait s National Days with exclusive offers KPC earmarks KD 5m In celebration of Kuwait s National Day and Day of Liberation, Millennium Hotels and Conventions Center Kuwait is utterly delighted to extend its warmest congratulations for this very special occasion. With Millennium s exceptional offers and special promotions during the month of February; guests and visitors are sure to enjoy an excellent stay with their friends and family members, where they can also guarantee a relaxed break time at the hotel s spacious rooms, with its modern designs and unique facilities. The extraordinary 5-Star Hotel is introducing exclusive offers during the Hala February festivities, where guests can benefit from the amazing rates on suites that include complimentary breakfast, as well as using the hotel distinctive facilities for free, such as the gym, swimming pool and free internet. In addition to the transportation service to and from Kuwait s international Airport, children of 6-12 years will be getting an exclusive 50% discount on their delicious meals at Lamar International Restaurant, while children under 6 years old are offered an entirely free meal. In word from Area General Manager of Millennium & Copthorne Kuwait, Dani Saleh, says: It gives us great pleasure to celebrate the joys of Kuwait s National and Liberation Day with all residents and visitors. We are keen on providing our competitive offers on rooms and amenities every year, along with adhering to the highest standards of quality on our hospitality services. Our annual participation in this national event contributes mainly in promoting inbound tourism in Kuwait. We believe that the month of February makes Kuwait an attractive hub for many guests visiting the country for business or for leisure. Kuwait Petroleum Corporation (KPC) has earmarked KD fi ve million for training in the fi scal year, an offi - cial of the corporation said on Thursday. Speaking at a news conference, KPC Deputy Managing Director for Training Hamad Al-Subaiee, said number of staff who have taken part in seminars and training workshops at the KPC training center will reach 26,000 by end of the current fi scal year, higher than the plan to train 23,000. (KUNA) Market Movements Change Closing pts INDIA - Sensex , S. KOREA - KRX , PHILIPPINES - All Shares , Change Closing pts HONG KONG - Hang Seng , JAPAN - Nikkei , AUSTRALIA - All Ordinaries , GERMANY - DAX , FRANCE - CAC , EUROPE - Euro Stoxx , Business DUBAI, Feb 23, (RTRS): Some $700 million in Islamic bonds issued by United Arab Emirates energy firm Dana Gas are falling sharply in the secondary market because of investor concern about the company s ability to repay the bonds maturing in October. The cash price of Dana s convertible sukuk, issued in May 2013 with a 7 percent profit rate, has dropped about 3 cents on the dollar since the beginning of this year to 87 cents. That has boosted the yield to percent from 18.5 percent at the beginning of January. The market is not assuming they ll be able to repay in full, and the fact that the bond is yielding above 20 percent demonstrates that, said a Dubaibased holder of the bonds, declining to be named because of commercial sensitivities. The company had around $300 million in cash and bank balance at the end of 2016, according to its preliminary full year results - less than half the looming sukuk maturity. Chris Hearne, chief financial officer of Dana Gas, told Reuters: whilst we have successfully grown reserves, production and asset value, we still face significant challenges with collections from Egypt and Kurdistan, and we have a billion dollars in undisputed receivables owed to us in total. Until these collections are realised, we must manage cash carefully and look for a solution for the sukuk that properly balances the interest of all stakeholders. Dana has exploration and production assets in Egypt, the Kurdistan region of Iraq and the UAE. This week Dana revised its unaudited preliminary results for 2016 to a net loss of $88 million from the net profit of $33 million which it had previously reported, citing the effect of a London court judgement on its overdue receivables. In 2012, Dana became the first UAE entity to fail to repay a bond on time. That default eventually led to a consensual bond restructuring, which some analysts described as a sign of growing sophistication in the region s debt market. Investors are now wondering whether a second restructuring may be on the cards. Are you willing to go into default and consider enforcing sharia-compliant debt secured against assets in Many investors expect consensual restructuring of bond Dana sukuk drops as concern rises over looming maturity Aramco IPO could push other Gulf states to list oil assets: economist KHOBAR, Saudi Arabia, Feb 23, (RTRS): Saudi Aramco s initial public offering (IPO) could encourage other Gulf countries to list their oil assets, a leading regional economist said, but the oil giant must clear uncertainties over taxation, OPEC policy and ownership of crude. Nasser Saidi, a former economy minister of Lebanon, told Dubai Eye Radio in an interview broadcast on Wednesday that Aramco has to address how the company will separate its assets and liabilities from those of the state. Many countries could follow in the region. (The) UAE I think could potentially be attracted to this, Saidi Egypt and Kurdistan? I think the restructuring will have to be consensual again, with the company in the driving seat, the bond holder said. A portfolio manager at a fund focusing on underperforming securities in the region said he expects the company is increasingly likely to extend the maturity of its outstanding sukuk. said. We have long discussed the possibility that well-performing state enterprises could be listed, and potentially this could open the road for that, Saidi, also a former chief economist and head of external relations at the Dubai International Financial Centre, added. While Aramco is the world s largest oil firm, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Qatar also hold major oil assets that are managed by state companies. The listing of Aramco, expected to be the world s biggest IPO and raise tens of billions of dollars, is a centrepiece of the Saudi government s ambitious Vision 2030 plan We re not blindly positive, but we think a sizeable payment from Egypt will come, he said. In this term-out scenario, Dana would likely pay down as much as they can and then extend the remaining balance. Expectations of a solution have kept the sukuk prices from falling to distressed levels, a bondholder said. Some people are comfortable in buying Dana paper at 88 because they think that s where the risk is. That price really reveals some sort of equilibrium between bond holders views. Some investors say they are frustrated by the fact that Dana has not yet communicated its intentions toward to diversify the economy beyond oil. When the plan was announced in June last year, it pledged to transform Aramco from an oil-producing company into a global industrial conglomerate, although Saudi officials still debate the shape the company should take. The Saudi government plans to list up to 5 percent of Aramco next year on the local bourse and international stock markets. The proceeds will be used to invest in other sectors likely to create jobs for young Saudis. But for the plan to succeed, Saidi said Aramco must address issues related to governance, transparency and who owns the natural resource wealth of Saudi Arabia. The big issue really is one of public finances and separating out private ownership from public and state ownership, he added. Saidi also pointed to questions concerning the 20 percent royalty and 85 percent tax that Aramco pays to the government, which many investors believe could lower its value in an IPO. There is a lot of uncertainty as to what sort of taxation regime will be applied to Aramco, whether or not resources under the ground will be included and how do you separate out those from those above and other activities, he said. the sukuk maturity. But the portfolio manager said the company was waiting for more clarity on payments of the amounts it was owed before making annpouncements. I think they re concerned about not raising expectations too much, but at the same time they don t want to lower them either. Oil prices over $55 harmful for OPEC Compliance up ISTANBUL, Feb 23, (RTRS): Iran said on Thursday an increase in oil prices to more than $55 per barrel was not in the interest of OPEC as it would lead to a rise in output by non-opec producers, the semi-official Fars news agency reported. If oil prices specifically surge over $55 or $60 per barrel, non- OPEC producers will increase their crude production to benefit the most from the price hike, Iranian Oil Minister Bijan Zanganeh was quoted by Fars as saying. OPEC is determined to reduce its production to help manage the market. Benchmark Brent crude oil was trading up $1.18 a barrel at $57.02 as of 1429 GMT. The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries agreed on Nov. 30 to cut output by 1.2 million barrels per day for the first six months of 2017, in addition to 558,000 bpd of cuts pledged by independent producers such as Russia and Oman. OPEC Secretary-General Mohammad Barkindo said that January data showed conformity from participating OPEC nations with output curbs had been above 90 percent and oil inventories would decline further this year. Output Iran was exempted from the production cut as Tehran argued its output should be allowed to recover after the lifting of international sanctions in January last year. Meanwhile, Eleven non-opec oil producers that joined a global deal to cut output to boost prices have delivered at least 60 percent of promised curbs so far, OPEC sources said on Wednesday, higher than initially estimated. The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, Russia and other producers agreed to cut production by 1.8 million barrels per day (bpd) from Jan 1 to boost prices and get rid of a supply glut. Compliance numbers were reviewed at a meeting in Vienna on Wednesday comprised of officials from countries monitoring adherence to agreed output levels OPEC members Kuwait, Venezuela, Algeria plus non-opec Russia and Oman. OPEC President Saudi Arabia also attended. This meeting shows the seriousness of OPEC and non-opec in implementing the agreed cut, an OPEC delegate said. Two OPEC delegates said compliance by Russia and the other 10 nations, according to OPEC calculations, was now estimated at 66 percent, while a third said it was 60 percent at least. This is up from earlier estimates of 40 percent. The meeting also discussed OPEC s own compliance, which in January was estimated at more than 90 percent by government agencies, consulting firms and industry media - a record level, according to the International Energy Agency. This fi le photo taken on Feb 6, 2017 shows the Ras Laffan Industrial City, Qatar s principal site for production of liquefi ed natural gas and gas-to-liquid, some 80 kms (50 miles) north of the capital Doha. (AFP) We will remain for a long time the leader in LNG chief of Qatar Petroleum A peek inside Qatar s gas capital of the world Ras Laffan RAS LAFFAN, Qatar, Feb 23, (AFP): Perched on a northern tip of Qatar, about an hour s drive from the gleaming capital Doha and at the end of Route 77, stands the secretive city of Ras Laffan. Behind its closely guarded gates, Ras Laffan is home to 30,000 people, the best white truffles in Qatar, apparently, and a turtle conservation project. It is also one of the most significant industrial sites on the planet. Welcome to the gas capital of the world, says our guide Wissam, as he ushers a small group of journalists into Ras Laffan on a rare government-invited press tour of the site. He is not exaggerating. Ras Laffan is Qatar s port for the production and export of liquified natural gas, an industrial process whereby gas is cooled to -162 degrees Celsius (-260 Fahrenheit), allowing it to be more easily shipped around the world. The LNG comes from the huge North Field, 80 kilometres (50 miles) further north of Ras Laffan, a 6,000 square kilometre (2,316 square mile) site in Gulf waters, almost half the size of Qatar itself. Since the first shipment sailed to Japan in 1997, Qatar now produces up to 77 million tonnes of gas each year. In context, a study by Royal Dutch Shell published this month said worldwide demand reached 265 million tonnes in Using those figures, tiny Qatar is responsible for 30 percent of the global LNG market. Qatar s annual volume of production not only gave its name to the road that leads to Ras Laffan, but ensures its position as the world s biggest LNG exporter. We will remain for a long time the leader in LNG, says Saad al- Kaabi, the head of state-owned energy giant Qatar Petroleum, which owns and operates Ras Laffan. Qatar s gas reserves are so vast it can maintain production at current rates for another 137 years. It is from Ras Laffan that Qatar s unimaginable wealth has been forged. In 1997, Qatar s exports were valued at around $5 billion. Many million tonnes of LNG later, that figure reached $125 billion by 2014, according to trade data site the Observatory of Economic Complexity. World Bank figures show that Qatar s gross domestic product was about $11 billion in 1997 and $165 billion in In short, Ras Laffan is the reason why there are so many skyscrapers in Doha, why Qatar has an awardwinning airport and airline, why Paris Saint-Germain have won four Ligue 1 titles in a row, why Britain has a new tallest building and why the emirate will host the 2022 football World Cup. Normally Ras Laffan remains firmly out of bounds but, for a few hours at least, the curtain has been partially lifted on the huge refinery. Security though remains tight. Video is not allowed and pictures are only permitted on one part of the tour. The visit is conducted almost exclusively by coach. It is not a place to break rules. Workers, culled from 54 different countries, who breach a speed limit on a Ras Laffan road can be instantly sacked. And as rarely as anyone is let in, no ship s crew member is allowed out when their boats are being loaded with LNG, a process that can take 24 hours. Qatar is a largely secretive country but commercial and security reasons could also lay behind its reluctance to show off Ras Laffan. The site has the feel of a vast James Bond film set. It is a metal forest of huge pipes, loading arms, holders, tank farms, cooling systems, docks, ships and trains that don t move where the natural gas is converted into LNG. There are also five fire stations, workers accommodation and, more surprisingly, somewhere in this vast complex is a picnic area. Above everything, flare stack flames burn constantly into the blue sky. After a brief stop inside Ras Laffan, it is back on the coach and through the guarded gates as the curtain falls back down. Within minutes of travelling back down Route 77, the coach passes a goat herder, a symbol of the country s past. In the vehicle s mirrors, Ras Laffan s flames can still be seen burning, a symbol of Qatar s present and future. 1 to 1.5b EGP revenue Egypt seeks tax on share trades CAIRO, Feb 23, (RTRS): Egypt s Finance Ministry is recommending a tax on stock exchange transactions of 0.2 percent on both sellers and buyers, a senior ministry official told Reuters on Thursday. The official said he expected the stamp duty to come into effect before May and to generate revenue of 1 billion to 1.5 billion Egyptian pounds ($63 million to $94.5 million) in 2017/18. We will send the income tax law amendments in early March to parliament, and they will include imposing a stamp tax on bourse transactions of 4 pounds per 1,000, which will be 2 pounds per 1,000 on the seller and 2 pounds per 1,000 on the buyer, the official said. We are targeting implementation of that tax before next May, he added. The EGX 30 main index fell by 1.34 percent after the news, but economists said investors would take it well, having expected, and priced in, a higher tax rate. The stamp tax of 0.2 pct is definitely below market speculation of 0.4 to 0.5 percent, so this is more of a relief for the market, which had been pricing in a much higher rate, said Allen Sandeep, head of research at Naeem Brokerage in Cairo. While this is an acceptable rate for an emerging market like Egypt, deferment of the tax charge would still be the ideal scenario, given the (current) emphasis on attracting foreign capital, he added. Egypt imposed a stamp duty on buyers and sellers in May 2013, collecting more than 350 million Egyptian pounds ($18.77 million) in revenue before the levy was replaced in July 2014 by a 10 percent capital gains tax. Exxon cuts 3 billion bbls from reserves WASHINGTON, Feb 23, (AFP): Exxon Mobil cut its proved oil reserves by three billion barrels to 20 billion barrels at the end of 2016, the company announced Wednesday. As a result of very low prices during 2016, certain quantities of liquids and natural gas no longer qualified as proved reserves under SEC guidelines, the company said in a statement. In an earnings report in October, the oil giant warned that a reserve cut might be coming, and Wednesday s announcement confirmed the reduction included the entire 3.5 billion barrels of bitumen at Kearl in Alberta, Canada. The reductions were partially offset by additions of oil and natural gas equivalent to about a billion barrels of oil in the United States, Kazakhstan, Papua New Guinea, Indonesia and Norway. These revisions are not expected to affect the operation of the underlying projects or to alter the company s outlook for future production volumes, the company said.

31 BUSINESS 31 Bank Muscat raising $500mn syndicated loan US average 30-year mortgage rate edges up to 4.16% Bank Muscat, Oman s largest bank by assets, is raising $500 million through a syndicated loan, banking sources familiar with the situation said on Thursday. The three-year loan refinances a $600 million facility maturing in March that the Omani lender raised in Bank Muscat s refinancing facility offers an all-in pricing of 170 basis points over the London Interbank Offered Rate. The pricing comprises a 1.55 percent interest margin plus 45 basis points in banks upfront fees, said one of the sources. Bank ABC and National Bank of Abu Dhabi are coordinating the facility, a second banking source said. Telephone calls seeking comment to two top executives of Bank Muscat and an to the bank s investor relations office were not answered. Earlier this year pricing talks between the Omani lender and international banks were in the region of 185 basis points all-in, sources told Reuters at that time. Bank Muscat raised a $315 million, three-year facility in May last year. That loan offered an all-in pricing of 200 basis points. (RTRS) Long-term US mortgage rates rose slightly this week, continuing a holding pattern that has prevailed this month. Mortgage buyer Freddie Mac said Thursday that the rate on 30-year, fixed-rate loans edged up to 4.16 percent from 4.15 percent last week. The benchmark rate stood at 3.62 percent a year ago and averaged 3.65 percent through 2016, the lowest level in records dating to The rate on 15-year mortgages rose to 3.37 percent from 3.35 percent last week. Mortgage rates surged in the weeks following President Donald Trump s election in November. Investors bid rates higher because they expect Trump s plans to cut taxes and increase spending on roads, bridges and airports will drive up economic growth and inflation. But mortgage rates reversed course in the first week of the year, falling after nine straight weeks of increases. They have moved little in the past four weeks. The economy has been showing solid gains but there is uncertainty around the new Trump administration and its economic policies. Federal Reserve policymakers early this month decided to leave a key interest rate unchanged. (AP) Move could undermine key economic indicator Analysts warn against Trump plan to use distorted trade data WASHINGTON, Feb 23, (AFP): US President Donald Trump has reportedly ordered a change to the US trade deficit calculations to bolster his argument against trade deals, but analysts say this could undermine a key economic indicator. The news follows other reports that the Trump team also has directed career staffers at the White House to engineer unusually rosy growth and revenue forecasts to support ambitious budget proposals from the new administration. These moves have stoked fears about the credibility of economic data under Trump. Over their objections, officials at the office of the US Trade Representative s office last week produced new trade balance data using a methodology that exaggerates deficits with key US trading partners such as Mexico, The Wall Street Journal reported Sunday. The picture of yawning trade gaps could help Trump s stance that the US is getting the short end of the stick in free trade deals. Trump repeatedly has vowed to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement with Canada and Mexico which he has called a disaster and senior US officials are in Mexico this week for meetings at which trade is one item on the agenda. The alternate trade data intended for consumption on Capitol Hill, according to The Journal could help the Trump administration garner support among lawmakers for what he says is the need to renegotiate those trade pacts. At issue in the new trade figures is the question of re-exports, or imported goods which transit the United States on their way to be sold in a third country. By excluding those goods from the tally of US exports, but keeping them in the calculation of imports, trade deficits would appear to be much larger than the official data indicate. Alan Deardorff, professor of international economics at the University of Michigan, said altering the data which is calculated in a common format in many countries is problematic. He told AFP that excluding reexports from exports but not from imports would create nonsense data. If all countries were to do that, then international trade data for the world would have far more imports than exports, he said. Former US treasury secretary Larry Summers, who worked under the Clinton administration, warned that manipulating statistics for political advantage would spur protectionism. Trump s alternate method would be Dumb, dishonest and dangerous, Summers wrote on Twitter. Dumb because if imports subtract, why don t exports add to trade surplus? he tweeted, adding, A reexport is just a negative import. Jeannine Aversa, spokeswoman for the Commerce Department s Bureau of Economic Analysis, told AFP that the agency counts re-exports when calculating exports and imports. And there are currently no proposed changes to BEA methodology, she said. Some lawmakers and critics of the current way of calculating deficits say excluding re-exports could be more accurate. Mining news stories catching on in economic forecasting WASHINGTON, Feb 23, (AFP): Government officials and investors are on a constant quest for more and better information about the economy to gauge what policy levers should be pulled, or just to help them make money. So in the era of big data and algorithms scraping US President Donald Trump s Twitter feed for trading signals, it was perhaps inevitable that economists would try to mine the vast array of media and social media sources to help decipher the direction of the economy. There are many big data projects underway, but some recent efforts involve scouring decades of news stories for key words indicating pessimism or worry to build a sentiment index to track where the economy is heading. Economist George Stigler wrote in 1967 that information costs are the costs of transportation from ignorance to omniscience, and seldom can a trader afford to take the entire trip. But the declining costs of computing power as well as ready availability of the raw material, are now allowing economists to build these non-traditional indicators. And as it turns out, they are pretty accurate. Using machine learning techniques to digest more than three decades of articles from 16 major US newspapers, experts at the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco have come up with an index that outperformed the highlyregarded measures of consumer sentiment used for years as market benchmarks. There is evidence that the news sentiment measures have Lori Wallach, head of the Global Trade Watch at the progressive organization Public Citizen, said counting only US-produced exports would nearly double the 2015 US trade deficit with Mexico to $109 billion from $60 billion. Interests seeking to maintain current US trade agreements and policies undoubtedly oppose refinements to the current data that would accurately expose the extent of US trade deficits with trade agreement partners, she said in a statement Tuesday. Citing Commerce Department figures, Wallach said the share of US exports to Mexico that were re-exports had risen from 3.3 percent in 1993, the year before NAFTA took effect, to 21.4 percent in However, Caroline Freund, a senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics in Washington, warned against altering the calculations. I think it actually is going to end up backfiring, she added. I think all this playing with numbers will make them lose credibility. Trump campaigned and took office significant predictive power, the creators of the new index Adam Shapiro and Daniel Wilson of the San Francisco Fed and Moritz Sudhof, of analytics firm Kanjoya (now Ultimate Software) said in a paper published last month. They showed that the new economic indicator can predict key data points, such as consumption, employment and inflation as well as the S&P 500 stock index, a year into the future. Whereas traditional consumer confidence indexes are based on consumer surveys, the technique they developed scans news stories for words like worried, anxious, satisfied or confident to gauge sentiment, and then tracks changes from month to month. We were surprised at how well it worked, Shapiro told AFP. Going loudly attacking the credibility of official numbers on subjects as varied as the unemployment rate, the results of the general election and attendance at his inauguration. And the White House reportedly instructed the Council of Economic Advisors whose chair Trump has removed from his cabinet to use growth forecasts of between 3.0 and 3.5 which only added to fears that the new administration could be cooking the books to meet its ends. Katherine Wallman, who earlier this year ended a 25-year stint as the US Treasury s Mnuchin promises 3 pct US growth by end-2018 Trump tells CEOs he plans to bring back millions of jobs into the project we had no idea how well it would work and we were pleasantly surprised it had forecasting power. Another paper from February 2016, showed that using news sentiment indexes can help predict economic growth in the United States and other countries, and improved the accuracy of estimates by professional forecasters, especially during an economic downturn. Sentiment measures contain information which is not accounted for by professional forecasters, wrote author Samuel Fraiberger, of Harvard, Northeastern and New York Universities. And as a result, News-based sentiment measures lead to a 19% average reduction in forecast error of GDP growth relative to consensus forecasts. chief statistician at the White House Office of Management and Budget, said safeguards in methodology would likely prevent any administration from directly monkeying with official figures. But funding cuts could eliminate or worsen the quality of the underlying data, she said. Despite the fact that we have safeguards, there also have been occasions in the past when political appointees have been trying to change what was highlighted in the press releases issued by the agencies, she told AFP. In this file photo, Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen appears on Capitol Hill in Washington, before the House Financial Services Committee for the Fed s semi-annual Monetary Policy Report to Congress. (AP) Jobs, inflation data key Fed minutes point to rate hike fairly soon WASHINGTON, Feb 23, (RTRS): Many Federal Reserve policymakers said it may be appropriate to raise interest rates again fairly soon should jobs and inflation data come in line with expectations, according to the minutes of the Fed s last policy meeting released on Wednesday. The minutes of the Jan 31-Feb 1 discussion, at which the US central bank voted to keep rates unchanged, also showed the depth of uncertainty at the Fed because of a lack of clarity on the new Trump administration s economic program. Many participants expressed the view that it might be appropriate to raise the federal funds rate again fairly soon if incoming information on the labor market and inflation was in line with or stronger than their current expectations, the Fed said in the minutes. Last week, Fed Chair Janet Yellen said waiting too long to raise rates again would be unwise and gave a strong indication that the central bank remains on track to consider raising rates again by the summer. Fed Governor Jerome Powell, one of the voting members at the central bank s last policy meeting, said on Wednesday a rate hike would be on the table at the Fed s next meeting in March. Seventeen policymakers deliberate at each meeting on whether to change the interest rate, although only 10 of them have a vote. Prices for US stocks fell marginally following the publication of the minutes and yields on US government debt also dropped. Expectations on when the Fed will next raise rates were little changed, with investors predicting a move in May at the earliest, according to fed fund futures data compiled by the CME Group. Among voting members in general there was much less urgency to raise rates with many seeing only a modest risk that inflation would increase significantly and that the Fed would likely have ample time to respond if price pressures emerged. In December, the Fed forecast it would raise rates three times in 2017 and so far robust readings on the economy have bolstered the confidence of many policymakers. Set against that is the continued uncertainty over President Donald Trump s economic plans, with Fed policymakers awaiting details in order to assess how the policies would affect the economic outlook. They don t see a smoking gun for them to speed up on rate increases, said Robert Tipp, chief investment strategist at PGIM Fixed Income in Newark, New Jersey. There s way too much uncertainty about the content and timing on fiscal stimulus. According to the minutes, participants again emphasized their considerable uncertainty about the prospect for changes in fiscal and other government policies as well as about the timing and magnitude of the net effects of such changes. Trump has announced plans to roll back financial regulations and implement tax cuts, while possible new taxes on imports and increased infrastructure spending could boost inflation. Fed policymakers noted both upside and downside risks to the economy from such policies and most thought some time would likely be required for the outlook to become clearer. WASHINGTON, Feb 23, (AFP): US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said Thursday tax cuts and reduced regulations, including on banks, will boost economic growth to three percent by the end of next year. I think it s very achievable. If you look at long-term growth, we have underperformed where we need to be, Mnuchin said in an interview on CNBC. We believe we can be competitive and get back to sustainable growth at three percent or more. His comments marked a step back from President Donald Trump campaign promise of four percent growth, a target widely regarded as unrealistic. Mnuchin said the key to boosting growth would be tax reform and regulatory relief, including reducing the burden of Dodd-Frank banking regulations implemented in the wake of the 2008 global financial crisis. We need to cut back regulations that have prevented small- and medium-sized businesses from being the engine of growth in this country, he said, adding that officials also are focused on Dodd-Frank and making sure banks can lend. Trump s administration is committed to getting a tax package passed in Congress by August, but the impact will likely not be seen before late Regardless of when they go in place, this won t really impact the economy until next year when you begin to see changes in behavior. And it will take a couple years to get growth. Mnuchin acknowledged that the administration s growth estimates likely will be higher than what Congress uses to score the tax plan. The US economy expanded by 1.6 percent in 2016 and 2.6 percent in The International Monetary Fund last month projected growth of US President Donald Trump speaks during a meeting with manufacturing CEOs in the State Dining Room at the White House in Washington, DC on Feb 23. (AFP) 1.9 percent this year and two percent in 2018, but said the outlook could change based on the tax and spending policies being discussed. Mnuchin agreed that the very low US interest rates may have to rise as economic growth picks up, noting that the US Federal Reserve has signaled that possibility. He said it would make sense for the government to consider issuing ultralong-term bonds of up to 100 years maturity to take advantage of the low borrowing costs. I think it s something that we should seriously look at, he said, adding that he has already begun to talk to the Treasury staff about the possibility, and will discuss the idea with investors and market participants to gauge interest. The longest maturity bond the US Treasury currently issues is 30 years. Mnuchin would not commit to taking action against China, as President Donald Trump repeatedly has threatened to do, over past currency manipulation to gain a trade advantage. Currencies are one of the things we look at, and that s something I ve talked to a lot of my counterparts about, he said. We have a process within Treasury where we go through and look at currency manipulation across the board. We re not making any judgments until we continue that process, he added. Treasury produces a semi-annual report to Congress on the currency policies of trading partners. Naming China a currency manipulator, which the last two administration s resisted doing to avoid upsetting trade relations, would initiate a process that could end in retaliatory trade measures. Meanwhile, President Donald Trump told about two dozen chief executives of major US companies on Thursday he plans to bring many millions of jobs back to the United States. Trump also touched on his plan to deport illegal immigrants to Mexico. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson is in Mexico on what Trump called a tough trip. Participants included CEOs from General Electric Co, Lockheed Martin Corp, Dow Chemical Co, International Paper Co, Ford Motor Co, United Technologies and Dell Technologies Inc, Johnson & Johnson, Corning Inc, Whirlpool, Emerson, Campbell Soup Company, Merck & Co Inc, Caterpillar Inc, 3M Co, US Steel Corp, Archer Daniels Midland Corp and General Dynamics Corp. Claims for US jobless benefits tick up, level still healthy WASHINGTON, Feb 23, (AP): More Americans applied for unemployment benefits last week, but claims remained at a low level consistent with a healthy job market. The numbers: The Labor Department said Thursday that 244,000 Americans applied for jobless aid last week, up by 6,000 from the previous week. The four-week average, a less volatile measure, fell by 4,000 to 241,000, lowest since July Overall, 2.06 million people are collecting unemployment checks, down 7.7 percent from a year ago. The Takeaway: Unemployment claims are a proxy for layoffs. They have come in below 300,000 a week for 103 straight weeks, the longest such streak since The low levels of claims suggest that employers are confident enough in the economy to hang on to their workers and perhaps know it would be difficult to find replacements in a tight job market. Key Drivers: Employers added a healthy 227,000 jobs in January after averaging 187,000 a month last year. The unemployment rate is 4.8 percent, which the Federal Reserve considers full employment. The pattern (in jobless claims) is consistent with the trend in employment growth remaining strong more than strong enough to keep the unemployment rate trending down, Jim O Sullivan, chief US economist at High Frequency Economics, wrote in a research report.

32 BUSINESS 32 New Zealand rejects Sky-Vodafone merger plan Australia Post boss resigns amid outcry over huge salary New Zealand s competition watchdog rejected a multi-billion dollar merger between Vodafone NZ and pay-tv operator Sky on Thursday, saying the combined entity would have too much market power. Sky Network Television and Vodafone unveiled the planned tie-up between New Zealand s largest subscription television service and its second biggest telecoms provider last June, estimating it was worth NZ$3.44 billion ($2.47 billion). It was widely seen as a means for Sky which has no connection with the European broadcaster of the same name to fight the rise of streaming services such as Netflix. But the New Zealand Commerce Commission said it was concerned Vodafone would have an unfair advantage if it had access to Sky s exclusive sporting content, which includes All Blacks Tests and the Olympics. Given the merged entity s ability to leverage its premium live sports content, we cannot rule out the real chance that demand for its offers would attract a large number of non-vodafone customers, it said. The regulator said that could inhibit competitors, reduce investment in the telecoms sector and, over time, allow the market s dominant player to drive up prices. (AFP) The man credited with saving Australia s government-owned postal service announced his resignation Thursday after a slap down from politicians over his A$5.6 million ($4.3 million) pay packet. Ahmed Fahour said he was stepping down as chief executive on the same day Australia Post reported a huge leap in half-year net profit to $131 million from just $16 million for the same period a year earlier. Politicians on all sides queued up to complain after a Senate committee revealed his wages earlier this month. Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull joined the clamour, publicly calling on Fahour who is paid 10 times more than the Australian leader, according to local media to take a pay cut in an economy where a lot of people are doing it hard. Australia Post had recently been facing a $6.7 billion public bailout, said Fahour, who took the helm of the postal service seven years ago. The thing that is most clear in my mind is not the compensation, the thing that is most clear in my mind is to save this company, he said. Australia Post is not just a letters and stamp business. It is today a parcels, e-commerce delivery giant. (AFP) Lull in UK housing market to persist for years Inflation set to average 2.6%: poll LONDON, Feb 23, (RTRS): The British housing market, on a tear for more than two decades with only a brief correction during the financial crisis, appears to be set for a long pause as the government negotiates its exit from the EU, a Reuters poll showed on Thursday. With average prices now at many multiples of an average salary and prohibitively expensive in London for most people, UK house prices are set to at best keep pace with overall inflation in coming years or even fall behind. That is all the more notable given that the Bank of England has cut interest rates to a record low of 0.25 percent and is not expected to move them for at least another two years while politicians navigate Britain s uncertain path out of the EU. The latest Reuters survey results come alongside a raft of recent data suggesting that consumer spending is slowing following an unexpected burst after the shock June 23 referendum vote to leave, as well as a slowdown in hiring and pay growth. The Reuters poll of more than 30 property market economists and analysts forecast 2.5 percent growth this year, 2.3 percent next, followed by 3 percent in By comparison, prices rose 7.2 percent last year, according to the Land Registry. Meanwhile, a separate Reuters poll taken last week showed consumer price inflation is set to average 2.6 percent this year, in part because of the roughly 15 percent fall in sterling since the Brexit vote. That means house prices won t rise at all in real terms. Indeed, some respondents even saw falls in nominal prices. For London, where the average price of a home is more than 10 times the average Londoner s income, the poll forecast a negligible 0.3 percent rise this year, followed by 2 percent next year and 2.5 percent the year after that. Prices appear to have stalled over the past seven months, which raises a question of the extent to which the EU vote has had an impact on the market. It is not yet showing up in the annual growth rates but it is evident in the quarterly numbers, noted Peter Dixon, UK economist at Commerzbank. Recent survey data show London has taken the biggest hit, in part because of worries over what leaving the EU will mean for its many industries, particularly finance. There is also an oversupply of luxury flats in many parts of the capital. However, an ongoing shortage of housing in Britain, particularly single-family homes, has not gone away. And there is no real prospect of Britain aggressively closing its borders to immigration in the coming years while it remains in the EU. The lack of supply has been the biggest problem in the housing market for many years and I have no reason to suppose this will change in Offer the seller a rent-back option How to buy a home when you haven t sold yours yet By Deborah Kearns You ve found the perfect new home for your family, but your current house hasn t sold yet. You can t afford to carry two mortgages, or maybe you were counting on money from your sale to help with the down payment and closing costs. Before you let that dream home slip away, consider these strategies to help bridge the transition: Make an offer that s contingent on the sale of your house A seller may be persuaded to accept your offer with the caveat that you ll have to sell your house before closing on theirs. You ll strengthen your chances of getting a seller to take a chance on you if you can show that your home is priced properly and has a solid marketing strategy, says real estate broker Dayolin Pratt with Re/ Max Advantage Plus in Minnetonka, Minnesota. Successful contingency offers depend on good communication between the real estate agents representing both sides, Pratt adds. It s up to you and your agent to reassure the seller that the closing won t be delayed. Obviously, in hotter housing markets with potentially multiple bids, it can be harder to get sellers to accept such an offer. Offer the seller a rent-back option One way to buy yourself extra time to complete your sale is to offer to buy the new house, then rent it back to the seller after closing, Pratt says. A rentback agreement is typically for just a month or two. But this arrangement can give sellers extra time to move or to find a new house of their own while putting a little money in your pocket and keeping you from having to pay two mortgages at once. Tap the equity in your current home If you have a high credit score and considerable equity in your house, you could free up some of the latter with a home equity line of credit. A HELOC lets you use up to 85 percent Brexit-related uncertainty will remain a problem but I do not expect this to do more than take the edge off the price inflation rate, Dixon said. Even given the high multiples of incomes that average prices currently are, there was a slight deterioration in how analysts of your home s value, less the balance remaining on your mortgage, and is fine-tuned based on your credit profile and income. Most HELOCs have a variable interest rate, so it s in your best interest to pay off the loan as soon as your current home sells. This strategy may let you buy a house before you sell, but it s not a last-minute option. A HELOC requires an appraisal, income verification and a thorough credit check, so it takes time generally 30 days or more to qualify, says Tim Beyers, mortgage analyst with American Financing in Aurora, Colorado. If you re thinking of going this route, make sure you run the numbers with an expert upfront, Beyers says. To qualify for the new loan, a lender will evaluate your current mortgage payment, plus the HELOC payment and your new monthly mortgage payment, to calculate your debt-toincome ratio for the new mortgage approval, Beyers says. If your income is rated affordability. On a scale of 1 to 10 where 10 is the most expensive, the UK was rated 6.5, up from 6 three months ago. London was 8.5, also up from 8 in the previous poll, with five of 28 respondents saying 10. high enough to have a debt-to-income ratio below 40 percent with all those payments and other monthly expenses taken into account, only then should you consider a HELOC, he adds. Once you start dipping into your home s equity, that changes the equation when you apply for a new mortgage, he explains. Taking too much out can hurt your qualification chances on a new mortgage. Don t make an offer, then try to scramble to do the math. Add a heloc to your new mortgage With this strategy, you break up the financing on your new home with a first mortgage for the amount you need, plus a HELOC to make up the difference in your shortfall for a down payment, says Elise D. Leve, senior mortgage banker at Citizens Bank in New York. Once you sell your current home, you can pay the HELOC portion off in full and end up with the single mortgage you wanted in the first place, Leve says. (AP) One ongoing concern is the fall in the pound. While on one hand it makes anything priced in sterling look relatively cheap for potential foreign investors, it also makes the housing that people already own worth less in a given foreign currency. Lagarde singles out some very positive discussions with Mnuchin IMF chief reassured after talks with Trump s team BERLIN, Feb 23, (AFP): IMF chief Christine Lagarde said Wednesday that she had been reassured by her first meetings with members of the new administration of US President Donald Trump, whose economic programme has caused global jitters. Lagarde singled out some very positive discussions with US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin. I have had several meetings with officials of his administration in the economic and financial domains and the meetings I had are quite reassuring and comforting, the International Monetary Fund head told German television ARD during a visit to Berlin. She said Mnuchin clearly has indicated his desire to work with the IMF, on a multilateral basis. He s expecting a candid assessment of the situation and clearly he has an interest in financial stability going forward. On Tuesday, Mnuchin called on the IMF to provide candid analysis of exchange-rate policies in member countries. The IMF monitors currencies and other economic policies in the 189 member countries, and its rules dictate that members must avoid manipulating exchange rates... to gain an unfair competitive advantage. However, in practice the fund can only exert real pressure to change policies on those countries that have IMF loan programmes in place. Trump, who has repeatedly accused countries like China, an IMF member, of using trade and currency policies to cheat its trading partners. Lagarde s comments came a month into Trump s presidency, after he had campaigned on the slogan America First. In recent weeks, he has sent senior representatives to Europe to convince allies that his putting America first does not mean they will be left behind. But he has also brandished the threat of hiking customs duties for Mexican-made products entering the United States. Earlier this month, Trump also took the first step to undoing key reforms enacted after the 2008 financial crisis, aiming to scale back toughened regulations on the banking industry. He has also accused countries including China, Germany and Japan of manipulating their currencies to boost trade. Last month the International Monetary Fund raised its estimates for US growth on expected stimulus spending by the Trump administration, but kept the forecast for global growth unchanged. The IMF warned then that executing protectionist policies could backfire on the US economy and create ripple effects abroad. A file picture taken on April 16, 2015 shows a member of the police (left), assisting former IMF head and execonomy minister with Spain s ruling conservative party Rodrigo Rato (center), into a vehicle outside his home in Madrid. Ex-IMF chief Rato was handed 4.5 years jail for embezzlement on Feb 23. (AFP) MADRID, Feb 23, (AFP): Former IMF chief Rodrigo Rato was handed a jail sentence of four years and six months Thursday for misusing funds when he was the boss of two Spanish banks. Spain s National Court, which deals with corruption and financial crime cases, said he had been found guilty of embezzlement when he headed up Caja Madrid and Bankia, at a time when both groups were having difficulties. The case caused an outrage in Spain, where it was uncovered at the height of a severe economic crisis that left many people struggling financially -- made all the worse because Bankia later had to be nationalised and injected with more than 22 billion euros in public funds. Rato, who is also a former Spanish economy minister, remains at liberty Spaniard found guilty of embezzlement Ex-IMF chief Rato handed 4.5 years in jail pending a possible appeal. He was on trial with 64 other former executives and board members at both banks accused of misusing 12 million euros between 2003 and sometimes splashing out at the height of Spain s economic crisis. They were accused of having paid for personal expenses with credit cards put at their disposal by both Caja Madrid and Bankia, without ever justifying them or declaring them to tax authorities. These expenses included petrol for their cars, supermarket shopping, pricey holidays, luxury bags or parties in nightclubs. According to the indictment, Rato maintained the corrupt system established by his predecessor Miguel Blesa when he took the reins of Caja Madrid in He then replicated the system when he took charge of Bankia, a group born in 2011 out of the merger of Caja Madrid with six other savings banks, prosecutors said. Blesa was sentenced to six years in jail. Rato, 67, had always denied any wrongdoing and said the credit cards were for discretionary spending as part of executives pay deal. He told court last October that everything was completely legal. Rato will not necessarily go directly to jail if he appeals the ruling, just like the Spanish king s brother-in-law Inaki Urdangarin who has been left free without posting bail following his sentence of six years and three months for syphoning off millions of euros. Experts must admit uncertainty to regain trust: Shafik OXFORD, England, Feb 23, (RTRS): Economic experts, maligned in an age of populist movements and fake news, must come clean when they are uncertain about the future if they are to regain the trust of the public, Bank of England Deputy Governor Minouche Shafik said on Wednesday. Her comments reflect a bout of soulsearching among BoE policymakers, who have been criticised by Brexit supporters for warning that a vote to leave the European Union could lead to a sharp slowdown something that has not yet materialised. Shafik said confidence in experts was at an all-time low. A widespread failure to predict the financial crisis had been compounded by banking scandals, culminating in open scepticism towards experts ahead of last June s vote to leave the European Union, she said. Rather than pretending to be certain and risk frequently getting it wrong, being candid about uncertainty will over the long term build the credibility of experts, Shafik said in a speech to students at the Oxford Union debating society. Her colleague, Monetary Policy Committee member Gertjan Vlieghe, made newspaper headlines this week when he told lawmakers that the BoE was unlikely to be able to forecast the next financial crisis or recession. And BoE Chief Economist Andy Haldane has compared the economics profession s troubles with meteorologists failure to predict a major storm in 1987, which unexpectedly tore through the south of England. Shafik also suggested that Britain s economic think tanks and media should adopt standards of transparency and scrutiny practised by academic institutions to help rebuild trust. For example, should think tanks have to report transparently about where their funding comes from? Should journalists and bloggers be exposed for reporting or recirculating falsehoods or rumours? she asked. Around a million households hit UK national arrested over Deutsche Telekom hacking Barclays bank returns to profit FRANKFURT AM MAIN, Feb 23, (AFP): A British national has been arrested at a London airport on suspicion of staging a cyber attack on Deutsche Telekom last year that knocked around a million German households offline, officials in both countries said Thursday. The 29-year-old, who was subject to a European arrest warrant, was detained on Wednesday by officers from Britain s National Crime Agency (NCA), German federal police and prosecutors said in a statement. The Briton stands accused of attempted computer sabotage in a particularly serious case, they said. Around a million of Deutsche Telekom s 20 million customers were unable to connect to its network in late November, with the company saying a hacking attack targeting household routers was to blame for the hours-long disruptions. An NCA spokesperson said the arrest took place at London s Luton airport at the request of German police but that the suspect was also wanted in connection to separate offences committed in the UK. German federal prosecutors said they were now seeking the suspect s extradition from Britain. If found guilty, he faces up to 10 years jail in Germany. In their statement, German police said the goal of the Deutsche Telekom assault was to infect users computers with a botnet operated by the accused a network of web-connected machines that can be manipulated with malware. The suspect allegedly offered the botnet for sale on the deep web, the statement added. Deutsche Telekom was able to fend off the attack by advising customers to disconnect their routers and restart them after a software update. The large-scale strike fuelled concerns over cyber security in Germany and officials have warned that more online assaults are possible ahead of a general election in September. The country has already been the victim of repeated hacking attacks in recent years. Last September, several political parties were targeted with fake s purporting to be from NATO headquarters but which in fact contained a link that installed spying software on victims computers. In 2015, hackers targeted Germany s lower house parliament in an attack that security services have since blamed on Russia. Germany has also anxiously eyed the impact of leaked documents obtained by hackers during last year s US presidential campaign. Chancellor Angela Merkel said late last year that cyber attacks from Russia were now so common that Germany must learn to cope with them as part of daily life. LONDON, Feb 23, (AFP): British bank Barclays returned to profit in 2016 after slashing provisions set aside for legal and compensation costs linked to foreign exchange and insurance scandals, it said Thursday. Chief executive Jes Staley saluted the performance of core operations in the UK and abroad and said the bank would complete a restructuring programme faster than expected. Barclays said it plans to shut down its non-core division six months earlier than planned, on June 30. Amid talk of banks switching operations out of the UK owing to Brexit, Staley told reporters on a call that London was set to remain Europe s financial centre. Barclays reported annual net profit of 1.62 billion ($2.0 billion, 1.92 billion euros) compared with a loss after tax of 394 million in 2015, it said in an earnings statement. The bank set aside no amount at all in 2016 for ongoing investigations and litigation including foreign exchange, whereas it had taken a hit of more than 1.0 billion relating to the matters in Barclays did provide 1.0 billion last year to compensate customers who were mis-sold a UK insurance product, although this was substantially lower compared with Regarding day-to-day operations, Staley said that the bank s core businesses were performing well, with pre-tax profits up four percent to 6.4 billion. US national Staley joined the bank in December 2015, and was tasked with restoring Barclays battered reputation following a series of high-profile scandals, including the rigging of foreign exchange and Libor interest rate markets. A year ago we laid out our intention to accelerate the restructuring of Barclays and refocus our business as a transatlantic, consumer, corporate and investment bank, anchored in London and New York, Staley said in Thursday s statement. We are now just months away from completing the restructuring of Barclays, and I am more optimistic than ever for our prospects in 2017, and beyond, he added. Later speaking to reporters, Staley pointed to the UK s solid economic performance ahead of Brexit, while insisting that London will continue to be the financial centre for Europe. He added: Obviously banks need to think about contingency during this period of uncertainty... We are looking at contingencies. Investors welcomed Barclays updates, sending its share price rising 3.1 percent to pence in morning deals on London s FTSE 100 index, which dipped overall.

33 BUSINESS 33 Bharti Airtel buys Telenor s India arm for Jio fight lower fares hit Qantas first half profit Indian telecom giant Bharti Airtel will buy the local operations of Norway s Telenor, it said Thursday, as the ultra-competitive mobile market is shaken up by the country s richest man. Tycoon Mukesh Ambani launched Reliance Jio s 4G network in September with an audacious free service for the rest of 2016, followed by vastly cheaper data plans and free voice calls for life. The move forced rivals to slash their tariffs and scramble to match the deep pockets of Jio, which is backed by Ambani s vast energy-to-chemicals conglomerate Reliance Industries and picked up 100 million subscribers in its first six months. Bharti s acquisition is the latest movement towards consolidation in India s telecoms sector as major players try to position themselves to best face the tough new environment. The move, which still needs to be approved by regulators, will enhance its coverage, the company said in a statement to the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), and see Telenor exit India. The proposed acquisition will include transfer of all of Telenor India s assets and customers, further augmenting Airtel s overall base and network, the Indian firm said in the statement. (AFP) Australian carrier Qantas Airways posted Thursday a 7.5 percent hit to first half earnings, impacted by lower fares, greater competition and empty seats. Underlying profit before tax fell to Aus$852 million ($656 million) for the six months ending December 31, but just beat the airline s own guidance. This compares to Aus$921 million in the same period of Revenue was also down to Aus$8.18 billion, 3.3 percent below the previous six months. Qantas, which has turned itself around in recent years on the back of aggressive cost-cutting, said it was facing increased competition on international routes and a soft domestic market. The international market is tough because of capacity growth and lower fares, said chief executive Alan Joyce. Qantas International is not immune from those pressures. But the work we ve done on removing costs and making the business more efficient means Qantas International is outperforming its peers in the region. Cheaper oil has led to strong capacity growth on international routes, pushing fares down and impacting all major airlines, Joyce said. (AFP) Developing countries grappling to fund massive increase in clean energy supplies Investors urged to quench thirst for climate-friendly finance BARCELONA, Feb 23, (RTRS): India, like many developing countries, is grappling with how to fund a massive increase in its clean energy supplies as part of a government push to bring electricity to every household. It plans to boost its renewable power capacity to 175 gigawatts by 2022 four to five times more than it has now which experts say will need an estimated $200 billion in investment. There is likely be a 30 percent shortfall in investment towards that goal based on current capital flows, said Gireesh Shrimali, director of the Climate Policy Initiative (CPI) India, a think tank that advises decision makers on green strategies. We need to attract institutional investment, he said, referring to pension funds, insurance companies and sovereign wealth funds. They are capable of meeting this gap, and the truth is they are not investing enough. But the falling cost of renewable power should encourage more private-sector money to flow in, he said, pointing to a recent auction in India s state of Madhya Pradesh, where solar power was priced at around 5 cents per kilowatt hour making it competitive with power produced using coal for the first time. Investors are starting to take renewable energy as a very serious asset class, he said. Shrimali and other experts at a discussion on financing the world s low-carbon energy transition in Barcelona late last week grappled with how to lower the risks of investing in clean energy projects in developing countries which are consistently higher than similar investments in wealthier countries. In India, investors remain wary of potential problems like offtake risk when agreements to purchase power do not deliver expected revenues on time and currency risk, in which depreciation could leave them worse off, Shrimali said. Payment guarantees and other instruments can be put in place to reduce those risks and if this is done using public money, it can act as a lever for private capital to enter the market, the experts said. A major barrier for low-income countries is that they often lack clean energy projects that are seen as bankable where financial returns are clearly defined or big enough to warrant international interest, said Tancrède Voituriez, governance programme director at France s Institute for Sustainable Development and International Relations. But smaller projects, such as solar power in rural areas, should be funded by development banks and donors, he said. We really need to have a serious conversation with Senegal or Mali or wherever to say what are the genuine local needs that these banks could finance, he added. Efforts are underway at both national and international level to shift the dial. On Tuesday, the World Bank said Zambia had signed agreements for a second mandate to develop utilityscale clean energy with Scaling Solar, a World Bank programme helping developing countries to procure lowcost, privately financed solar power. Scaling Solar projects in progress in Zambia, Senegal, Madagascar and Ethiopia will develop and tender over 1.2 gigawatts of solar power combined, and the programme is planning to expand to Asia and the Middle East, the World Bank said. Morocco is one country that has put in place its own financing arrangements for renewable energy projects, via the Moroccan Agency for Sustainable Energy (Masen). It has successfully arranged funding for one of the world s biggest solar power plants on the edge of the Sahara desert. The European Union, including the European Investment Bank, has paid for around 60 percent of the Noor plant, while Masen issued Morocco s first green bond of 106 million euros ($111.7 million), last November, to help finance it. With Morocco aiming to get 52 percent of its electricity from clean energy by 2030, up from around 28 percent now, Masen is developing a wind energy portfolio alongside solar, said Nisrine Elkortbi, the agency s director of finance. Yet while more money is flowing into renewable projects around the world, experts say it is not happening fast enough. Estimates for total investment in global infrastructure expected by 2035 range from $53 trillion to $90 trillion, said Luigi Carafa, a climate fellow with the Barcelona Centre for International Affairs (CIDOB), while climate finance in 2014 was $392 billion. If that infrastructure which includes transport, building and energy projects is to be green and sustainable, then the climate finance gap is at least $3 trillion per year, he said, adding that public finance alone cannot close that gap. Although the cost of renewable energy is falling, we don t see the mobilisation of capital which is required, said Irene Monasterolo, post-doctoral associate with the Frederick S. Pardee Center for the Study of the Longer-Range Future at Boston University. Issuance of green bonds and climate bonds is growing fast, but at less than $1 trillion, it is still a tiny fraction of the $90 trillion global bond market, she added. Better policy frameworks are needed to develop the market, alongside more sophisticated classification of bonds, she noted. Experts said work needs to crank up fast to turn countries climate action plans including their emissions reduction targets submitted for the Paris climate agreement into concrete projects that can be funded, and urged governments and big multilateral development banks to kickstart this process. CPI s Shrimali predicted that the required shift towards greener investment will start happening faster, now that renewable energy has become competitive with fossil fuels in many places, and cash flows are being generated over time. The transformation is just starting it is going to take place over the next 10 to 15 years, he said. Co says 2016 profit nearly doubled PSA wants to create European champion PARIS, Feb 23, (AFP): PSA said Thursday its takeover of Opel would create a European champion in the auto industry, as the French carmaker pursued its acquisition plans armed with soaring fresh profit numbers. PSA, which owns the Peugeot and Citroen brands, said net profit for 2016 nearly doubled as the group pushes plans to buy General Motors European brands Opel and Vauxhall. Chief executive Carlos Tavares said the bid to acquire GM s European brands presented an opportunity to create a European automobile champion. Net profit for the full year rose 79 percent to 2.15 billion euros ($2.27 billion) with the auto giant pledging to pay shareholder dividends for the first time since 2011 to the tune of 0.48 euros per share. If the planned takeover is successful, it would see PSA regaining its position as the second-biggest car manufacturer in Europe after Germany s Volkswagen group. That position is currently held by rival French automaker Renault. PSA would help Opel get back into the black and put the struggling German carmaker back on its feet, Tavares told a news conference. Sparked The proposed move has sparked fears in Germany and Britain, which is home to its sister brand Vauxhall, that non-french jobs could be axed if the deal goes ahead, although Tavares repeated assurances that Opel would remain a German company. And PSA would respect existing social agreements at the firm, including keeping jobs in the short term, which was a moral question and one of trust, he said, insisting the company would seek to build a partnership with the employees, the unions and the government in Germany. PSA has been active in trying to win backing for the acquisition, with Tavares on Wednesday securing the backing of Germany s Chancellor Angela Merkel. He also held a phone conversation with British Prime Minister Theresa May, pledging to develop the Vauxhall brand if the takeover plans succeed. Founded in 1862, Opel, with its lightning-bolt emblem, has long been a familiar sight on German and European roads. But in recent years the firm has booked repeated losses, costing Detroit-based GM around $15 billion (14 billion euros) since It operates some 10 factories in Europe spread across six countries and had 35,600 employees at the end of ,250 of them in Germany. In Britain, it sells vehicles under the Vauxhall brand. Improved PSA s improved profitability comes despite a decline in sales due to the scope of consolidation and foreign exchange effects. In an environment characterised by adverse exchange rates, this growth was driven by higher volumes, positive price and mix effects, and lower fixed and production costs, a statement said. Mix effects refer to the contribution that each company s product makes to sales or profits. The automaker also upped its medium-term objectives for , aiming for an operating margin of more than 4.5 percent, compared with a previous target of 4 percent. Its target for 2021 is 6 percent. Turnover for the full year fell to 54 billion euros, down from 56.3 billion a year earlier, a fall of 4.1 percent which was largely accounted for by last year s sale of the bumper arm of Faurecia, a car parts manufacturer partly owned by PSA. Excluding the sale, revenues fell just 1.2 percent, largely hit by exchange rate fluctuation, PSA said. Last month, the carmaker said car sales rose 5.8 percent to 3.15 million units in 2016 in an increase largely due to its resumption of business in Iran following the easing of most international sanctions under a nuclear deal with world powers. New Greek reforms will have no fiscal impact, says finmin ATHENS, Feb 23, (RTRS): New reforms to pensions and income tax that Greece will have to undertake to qualify for more loans will have no net fiscal impact, its finance minister said on Thursday. The minister, Euclid Tsakalotos, told parliament the basic parameters of the agreement with its international lenders brokered on Monday were already broadly known. He did not elaborate any further. Athens and its creditors - euro zone member states and the International Monetary Fund - agreed on Monday to resume talks on Greece s long-stalled bailout review, but only after Greece accepted to examine reforms for 2019 onwards. Tsakalotos comments confirmed remarks by Greek officials earlier this week that the reforms would be fiscally neutral. Even though you may have expected us to take two, or four, or six or eight measures, there will not be a net fiscal impact, Tsakalotos told opposition lawmakers. Some may lose out, but some will gain. Some whom we do not assist at present - and we should help them - will gain, he said. Tsakalotos said the government would do all it could to ensure that taxpayers who suffered a bigger hit would get something in return. Lenders, who are extending a credit line of 86 billion euros to Athens, need to sign off on a review of bailout progress before releasing fresh funds. They have repeatedly expressed misgivings over a lopsided tax system where a small pool of taxpayers are supporting a growing contingent of pensioners. Greece is edging closer towards reducing its tax-free threshold, which currently stands at 8,600 euros per annum, and pension reforms in return for tax breaks on property taxes and VAT, according to government officials. German budget surplus soars as economy motors ahead data Consumer morale hit by political uncertainty BERLIN, Feb 23, (RTRS): Germany s economy is in full swing, the government said on Thursday, a state of affairs that also led to a record 2016 budget surplus likely to irritate much of the rest of the European Union and play directly into election politics. Germany s overflowing coffers are the subject of intense debate ahead of the Sept 24 federal election, with the Social Democrats promising more investment and Chancellor Angela Merkel s conservatives a mix of investment, tax cuts and debt reduction. Merkel played down the size of the federal government s portion of the surplus, which will go into a fund for refugee-related expenditure following the influx of people, many fleeing war, over the past few years. Germany s Economic Affairs and Energy Minister Brigitte Zypries (left), and France s Finance Minister Michel Sapin attend a media conference at the ministry in Paris, on Feb 23. France s Finance Minister Michel Sapin and Germany s Economic Affairs and Energy Minister Brigitte Zypries discussed during their meeting the future of General Motors Opel subsidiary. (AP) ECB bond purchases eat into central bank s earnings Bundesbank profits cut drastically in 2016 FRANKFURT AM MAIN, Feb 23, (AFP): The Bundesbank said Thursday that its profits were cut drastically last year because it is having to set more aside in risk provisions to cover the European Central Bank s massive bond purchase programme. And that could potentially have an effect on Germany s public finances, because the central bank traditionally pays its annual profits into the state coffers. The Bundesbank said that its annual net profit amounted to 1.0 billion euros ($1.1 billion) in 2016, compared with 3.2 billion euros the year before. Of that total, 399 million euros would be handed over to the government, the lowest such transfer since That is bad news for the German finance ministry which had been pencilling in a profit transfer of 2.5 billion euros from the Bundesbank for its 2017 budget. The profit for the year is lower than in 2015 because the Bundesbank If you look at the federal level alone, the surplus is rather small, Merkel said during a joint news conference with Lithuanian Prime Minister Saulius Skvernelis. Merkel said the government would further increase spending on defence, as promised to NATO allies, as well as on domestic security and social improvements. At the same time, we don t want to take on new debt. So the room for maneuver is rather limited, Merkel added. The finance ministry, meanwhile, said the economy dominated by exports has kicked off the year in fine form. The German economy is on a solid growth path, its monthly report said, adding that indicators signalled a continuation of the economic upswing in Consumption will probably remain an important driver of economic growth, the ministry said, pointing to job creation, pay hikes, low interest rates and moderate, albeit rising energy prices. But it is the budget surplus reported on Thursday by the Federal Statistics Office that may raise most eyebrows. Germany has been running a surplus for three years. Soaring tax revenues, rising employment and low debt costs helped drive the gap higher to 23.7 billion euros ($25 billion) in That is the highest since Germany reunified in 1990, and creates a fiscal buffer at a time when authorities are working to house and integrate hundreds of thousands of refugees. However, the European Commission on Wednesday once again criticised the German current account surplus which measures the flow of goods, services and investments into and out of a country as unhealthily large for the euro zone. Deputy Finance Minister Jens Spahn, a senior member of Merkel s conservatives, defended government policy on Thursday. These figures show that Germany is doing well. We invest more than ever and still have surpluses, he told Reuters. Promised The government will use the fiscal space to further increase investment and also lower income taxes for workers by at least 15 billion euros as increased its risk provisioning, said its president, Jens Weidmann. The provisions for general risks were upped by 1.8 billion euros to 15.4 billion euros. Weidmann attributed the development to the interest rate risk arising from the growing stocks of assets held under the various monetary policy purchase programmes. As one of the eurozone s central banks, the Bundesbank is involved in buying up vast amounts of bonds under a huge scheme known as quantitative easing aimed at pumping liquidity into the financial system to boost growth and inflation in the single currency area. But as the pool of eligible bonds gradually becomes more scarce, central banks are increasingly having to buy up bonds with negative interests, effectively meaning they could take a loss on them when they reach maturity. For many years to come, the Bundesbank stands to earn only a very low rate of interest on the longterm securities acquired under the purchase programmes and on longer-term refinancing operations, while it might have to pay a higher rate on credit institutions deposits in the future, Weidmann explained. It s a completely new situation for us, he said. Weidmann has been openly critical of the ECB s QE programme in the past. Nevertheless, monetary policy decisions shouldn t be measured against central bank profits, but against the objective of price stability, Weidmann insisted. As for Germany s public finances, it is not clear yet exactly what effect the smaller transfer will have, a finance ministry spokesman said. The shortfall did not mean that the public finances would fall back into the red, since Bundesbank profit transfer was equivalent to just 0.6 percent of the anticipated revenues for 2017, the spokesman explained. Earlier Thursday, official data showed that Germany notched up a surplus in its public finances of nearly 24 billion euros last year, its largest since reunification in already promised, he said. Martin Schulz, nominated by the Social Democrats last month to challenge Merkel in the election, has said he does not want the surplus used for tax relief for the rich and wants more investment in education and infrastructure. Under Schulz, the left-leading Social Democrats have narrowed the gap in opinion polls with Merkel s conservatives. For 2016, the federal government posted a surplus of 7.7 billion euros while states and municipalities together had 7.8 billion more in their coffers, the office said. Social security funds recorded the biggest surplus with 8.2 billion euros. Higher state spending on refugees was a factor in boosting overall economic growth to 1.9 percent last year, separate data from the Statistics Office showed. This was the strongest rate in half a decade, and the finance ministry said it expected spending by households and public authorities to drive growth again this year consolidating a shift away from the export activity that traditionally powered the economy. This could help to reduce the surplus which Berlin expects to shrink this year. The government expects growth to slow to a still robust 1.4 percent in 2017, driven by domestic demand. Business morale was surprisingly buoyant this month, a survey showed on Wednesday although a consumer sentiment survey showed the mood worsened more than expected heading into March.

34 BUSINESS 34 Air NZ profit falls 24% Air New Zealand reported a 24 percent fall in interim net profi t Thursday amid increased competition in the domestic aviation market. New Zealand s fl ag carrier said net profi t for the six months to December 31 was NZ$256 million (US$184 million), compared to a record NZ$338 million for the corresponding period a year previously. Operating revenue was down four percent to NZ$$2.22 billion even though the total number of passengers carried rose 5.6 percent to 5.2 million. (AFP) Name: Kuwait Sharia Compatible Indices Providers: Al Madar Finance & Investment Co. Description: Index of Sharia compatible companies traded on the KSE Website: Bloomberg Today s Today s closing Prev closing % 1-week 3-month YTD 12-month 24-month Index name ticker value as of value value change change change change change change Kuwait Sharia Compatible Index - Composite AMIC February 23, % -0.88% 17.10% 12.89% 26.37% -5.85% Kuwait Sharia Compatible Index - Kuwait Only AMIC February 23, % -0.88% 15.61% 11.63% 22.79% -8.97% Kuwait Sharia Compatible Index - Active AMIC February 23, % -6.04% 41.52% 32.17% 65.43% 5.49% Kuwait Sharia Compatible Index - Banking Sector AMIC February 23, % -0.01% 17.54% 13.43% 17.73% % Kuwait Sharia Compatible Index - Investment Sector AMIC February 23, % -5.06% 40.04% 30.76% 51.62% % Kuwait Sharia Compatible Index - Insurance Sector AMIC February 23, % -6.35% 61.63% 61.53% 57.93% % Kuwait Sharia Compatible Index - Real Estate Sector AMIC February 23, % -1.66% 15.36% 11.32% 17.32% % Kuwait Sharia Compatible Index - Industrial Sector AMIC February 23, % 0.83% 30.64% 25.77% 31.25% 5.29% Kuwait Sharia Compatible Index - Services Sector AMIC February 23, % -2.79% 12.74% 8.05% 26.50% % Kuwait Sharia Compatible Index - Food Sector AMIC February 23, % 3.90% 0.25% 0.85% 21.11% % Kuwait Sharia Compatible Index - Islamic Sector AMIC February 23, % -0.33% 21.45% 17.34% 29.29% -0.99% Kuwait Sharia Compatible Index - Non Kuwaiti Sector AMIC February 23, % -0.91% 46.73% 37.03% % % Kuwait Stock Exchange Index - Price KWSEIDX February 23, , , % -0.22% 23.75% 18.47% 31.60% 2.99% S&P 500 SPX February 22, , , % 0.58% 7.17% 5.54% 22.98% 11.97% DJ Islamic Index. DJIM February 22, , , % 0.52% 7.03% 6.16% 18.24% 3.81% Even smugglers are feeling the pinch Clampdown on N. Korea trade squeezes Chinese border towns Saikawa to become chief exec at Nissan Le Cost Killer Ghosn quits as Nissan CEO, stays chair TOKYO, Feb 23, (AFP): Nissan chief executive Carlos Ghosn said on Thursday he will quit the post to focus on overhauling scandal-hit Mitsubishi Motors, but will stay on as chairman at the Japanese automaker he was credited with saving. Ghosn, 62, who also heads up French automaker Renault, will hand over the reins to Nissan veteran Hiroto Saikawa in April. Among a handful of foreign-born CEOs at Japanese firms, Ghosn earned the nickname Le Cost Killer for his aggressive restructuring at Renault and later the nearly-bankrupt Nissan in the late nineties. He appointed Saikawa as his co- CEO last year in order to focus on Mitsubishi s turnaround. Ghosn took charge at troubled Mitsubishi after Nissan threw it a lifeline in May, buying a one-third stake for about $2.2 billion as it wrestled with a mileage-cheating scandal that hammered sales. Two of the affected vehicle models were being made for Nissan, which was the first to uncover problems with the fuel economy data. Questions about Ghosn s succession have swirled around the company for years and they were reignited by string of defections by top Nissan executives in Ghosn will remain CEO of Renault which holds a more than 40 percent stake in Nissan under a longstanding alliance and chairman of all the three automakers, including Mitsubishi. Having recently taken on new responsibilities at Mitsubishi Motors... I have decided that the time is right for Hiroto Saikawa to succeed me as Nissan s CEO, Ghosn said in a statement Thursday. He later suggested his plate was getting too full running a trio of major automakers. There s a point in time where you have to be realistic about how much things you do and you can do well, Ghosn told Bloomberg News. This is the trigger. There s a moment when you have to pass the This fi le photo released by Nissan Motor Co, shows Nissan Motor Co Chief Executive Hiroto Saikawa. Carlos Ghosn, who leads Nissan and Renault, has tapped Saikawa, a veteran Japanese executive at Nissan, to replace him as chief executive at the Japanese automaker, although Ghosn will stay on as chairman. (AP) baton to someone else. I ve always said I would love to have a Japanese to be my successor and Saikawa-san is somebody I have been grooming for many years. Renault came to the rescue of a struggling Nissan in 1999 and parachuted in the Brazil-born Ghosn, who set about slashing costs and jobs in a huge corporate overhaul. The companies fortunes have since shifted with the Japanese firm now accounting for the bulk of profits at the Renault-Nissan alliance, a group that is effectively the fourth biggest automaker in the world behind Volkswagen, Toyota and General Motors. Ghosn has a high profile in Japan and is known as a major advocate of the country s auto sector. DANDONG, China, Feb 23, (RTRS): As Beijing tightens its grip on trade with North Korea, the economies of Chinese towns along the 1,400-km border the two countries share are floundering. On Saturday, China said it would ban all coal imports from North Korea, the latest move to enforce United Nations sanctions aimed at depriving Pyongyang of hard currency for its nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programmes. The sanctions have had a wider impact on trade, locals on the border complain, as North Koreans struggle to finds funds to pay for goods. Even smugglers are feeling the pinch. A few of my friends who used to smuggle goods from North Korea have gotten out of the business in the last two years because it s getting dangerous and not as lucrative, said an owner of a events hall in Kuandian, about 100 kms (60 miles) north of Dandong, the largest city on the border. I don t know whether it s related, but people are spending less these days. It s getting harder to earn money. While Beijing, North Korea s sole major ally, has previously said it would comply with UN sanctions, it has been criticised by the United States for not vigorously enforcing them. China buys 70 percent of North Korea s exports and Dandong, the main gateway for trade with the hermit state, is the best place to gauge the impact of the restrictions it has put in force. Linked to the North Korean city of Sinijiu via the Friendship Bridge, Dandong has boomed in recent years, swept up by speculation that North Korea s young leader, Kim Jong Un, would, in time, copy China s exportoriented economic reforms. More than 1,000 border trading companies set up shop in office complexes overlooking the river, while developers flocked to build new apartment blocks. But many of those firms have since folded, residents and traders say. Construction on at least two apartment complexes in Dandong has stalled and empty shopfronts are scattered across the city. These shops couldn t carry on because they rely on the North Koreans, and there are fewer North Koreans coming here too, said a trader, who only wanted to give his name as Jin, who helps North Korean buyers procure goods such as washing machines and construction materials from China. Three years ago we could make a profit of percent on an order, now you can t even hope for 20 percent. It is not in China s interest to ditch its old ally totally. A sudden regime collapse could throw North Korea into chaos and send hundreds of thousands of North Koreans fleeing across the border, diplomats have said. But China seems to be increasingly irked by what it sees as Kim s recalcitrance on the nuclear weapons issue. Saturday s coal ban came after Beijing had announced in April last year that it would stop importing North Korean coal. But it made exceptions for deliveries intended for the people s wellbeing and not connected to the weapons programmes. In fact, China bought about 22 million tonnes of coal from North Korea last year, up 15 percent, with most of it arriving by sea through five ports along China s east coast. Still, the impact of the April ban had already been felt heavily in Dandong. They ve stopped letting in coal since July, said a security guard at the biggest coal yard in the inland port city, now empty barring two small mounds of coal. All the workers were sent home by the company in October. Once the government decided, the port stopped allowing in the coal, it s not like we could do anything, he said, only giving his surname as Tang. Local management at state-owned Liaoning Greenland Energy Coal Group, which runs the yard, confirmed the suspension of coal shipments, which used to arrive by boat on the Yalu river that separates China from North Korea. It remains unclear how rigorously the latest coal ban will be enforced. Many people in Dandong complained that trade across the river had already fallen broadly. Dandong s economy relies on trade with North Korea, said a truck driver waiting to cross the Friendship Bridge, who estimated his income had fallen by around a third as a result. We don t have any factories that churn out goods. We don t have light industries, nor do we have heavy industry. Chinese investment spurs land rush around Gwadar port LAHORE, Pakistan, Feb 23, (RTRS): Pakistani real estate giant Rafi Group made a ten-fold profit last year from its sale of hundreds of acres of land in the remote fishing town of Gwadar, acquired soon after the government announced plans for a deep-sea port there. The windfall came after 12 years of waiting patiently for the Gwadar port to emerge as the centrepiece of China s ambitious plans for a trade and energy corridor stretching from the Arabian Gulf, across Pakistan, into western Xinjiang. We had anticipated the Chinese would need a route to the Arabian Sea, Rafi Group Chief Executive Shehriar Rafi told Reuters. And today, all routes lead back to Gwadar. Gwadar forms the southern Pakistan hub of a $57-billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) of infrastructure and energy projects Beijing announced in Since then, land prices have skyrocketed as property demand has spiked, and dozens of real estate firms want to cash in. Gwadar is a Made in China brand and everyone wants a piece, said realtor Afzal Adil, one of several who shifted operations from the eastern city of Lahore in Last year, Pakistan welcomed the first large shipment of Chinese goods at Gwadar, where the China Overseas Ports Holding Company Ltd took over operations in It plans to eventually handle 300 million to 400 million tons of cargo a year. It also aims to develop seafood processing plants in a nearby free trade zone sprawled over 923 hectares (2,281 acres). Promising The route through Gwadar offers China its shortest path to the oil-rich Middle East, Africa, and most of the Western hemisphere, besides promising to open up remote, landlocked Xinjiang. Last year, the Applied Economics Research Centre estimated the corridor would create 700,000 jobs in Pakistan and a Chinese newspaper recently put the number at more than 2 million. Authorities have completed an expressway through Gwadar, which has a 350-km (218-mile) road network. A new international airport kicks off next year, to handle an influx of hundreds of Chinese traders and officials expected to live near the port. The volume of Gwadar property searches surged 14-fold on Pakistan s largest real estate database, Zameen. com, between 2014 and 2016, up from a prior rate of a few hundred a month. It s like a gold rush, said Chief Executive Zeeshan Ali Khan. Anyone who is interested in real estate, be it an investor or a developer, is eyeing Gwadar. Prices, which have risen two- to four-fold on average, are climbing on a weekly basis, said Saad Arshed, the Pakistan managing director of online real estate marketplace Lamudi.pk. Regional fishermen have held strikes during the last two years, to protest against being displaced by the port. To keep pace with the interest, urban officials are struggling to computerise land management and record-keeping. We are trying to upgrade as fast as we can, said Zakir Majeed, an official of the Gwadar Development Authority (GDA). But Gwadar lacks basic education and health facilities, in contrast to the gleaming towers and piped drinking water of the smart city envisioned by the GDA. For commercial projects, things are moving fast, Lamudi s Arshed said. But people actually living there, that will take a long time. Port officials expect the population to hit 2 million over the next two decades, from about 185,000 now. The government commissioned work on the Gwadar port in 2002, but development was held up by chronic instability in the surrounding resourcerich province of Baluchistan, where ethnic separatist rebels have chafed against a military crackdown. Since China announced the corridor plan in 2014, security has improved, with Pakistan setting up a new army division to ensure protection, while hundreds of rebels surrendered arms. Real estate firms dismiss fears the Gwadar bubble might still burst, pointing to China s enduring interest. The risk is always there, Rafi said. But our confidence comes from knowing this is not a Pakistani initiative, but a Chinese city on the Arabian Sea coast. And the Chinese will see that it is built. investment funds Funds Fund Manager Valuation Valued date Currency Net Asset Prev NAV Prev NAV Dated Value (NAV) National Bank of Kuwait Money Market Funds Watani KD Money Market Fund NBK Global Asset Management Co. Ltd. Weekly Oct 4, 2016 KD Sept 27, 2016 Watani KD Money Market Fund II NBK Capital Weekly Jan 17, 2017 KD Nov 29, 2016 Watani KD Money Market Fund (Islamic) NBK Global Asset Management Co. Ltd. Weekly Oct 4, 2016 KD Sept 27, 2016 Watani Foreign Currency Money Mkt Fund NBK Global Asset Management Co. Ltd. Weekly Oct 4, 2016 USD Sept 27, 2016 Watani Foreign Currency Money Mkt Fund (Euro) NBK Global Asset Management Co. Ltd. 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Cayman Islands Monthly June 30, 2016 USD May 31, 2016 Multi Asset Funds Thahabi Multi Asset Fund Con Portfolio Frontier Capital Management (Jersey) Ltd Monthly June 30, 2016 USD April 30, 2016 Thahabi Multi Asset Fund Mo Portfolio Frontier Capital Management (Jersey) Ltd Monthly June 30, 2016 USD April 30, 2016 Gulf Bank Al Basha er GCC Equity Fund Kwt. Fin. & Inv. Co. & Gulf Fin. House Monthly Jan 31, 2017 USD Dec 30, 2016 Coast Fund Coast Investment & Dev. Co. Monthly Jan 31, 2017 KD Dec 30, 2016 Sanaya Dow Jones Kuwait Index Fund Industrial & Financial Investment Co. Weekly Dec 29, 2016 KD Nov 24, 2016 Markaz Capital Preservation Program 1 Monthly Dec 31, 2016 KD Nov 30, 2016 Markaz Capital Preservation Program 2 Monthly Dec 31, 2016 KD Nov 30, 2016 Markaz Gulf Real Estate Fund Bi-annual Jan 31, 2017 KD Dec 31, 2016 Al Ahli Bank Al Ahli Gulf Fund Al Ahli Bank Monthly Jan 31, 2017 KD Dec 31, 2016 Al Ahli Kuwaiti Fund Al Ahli Bank Monthly Jan 31, 2017 KD Dec 31, 2016 Burgan Bank Burgan Equity Fund Burgan Bank Monthly Jan 31, 2017 KD Dec 31, 2016 Boubyan Bank Boubyan KD Money Market Fund Boubyan Bank Weekly Feb 21, 2017 KD Feb 14, 2017 Boubyan KD Money Market Fund II Boubyan Bank Weekly Feb 21, 2017 KD Feb 14, 2017 Boubyan Capital Investment Co. Boubyan USD Liquidity Fund Boubyan Capital Investment Co Feb 21, 2017 USD Feb 14, 2017 Boubyan Multi-Asset Holding Fund Boubyan Bank Jan 31, 2017 USD Kuwait Investment Co. Local Fund Al Raed Fund Kuwait Investment Co Weekly Feb 16, 2017 KD Feb 9, 2017 Kuwait Investment Fund Kuwait Investment Co Weekly Jan 31, 2017 KD Dec 30, 2016 Al Hilal Fund Kuwait Investment Co Monthly Feb 13, 2017 KD Jan 30, 2017 Al Atheer Fund Kuwait Investment Co Weekly Dec 31, 2016 KD Nov 30, 2016 International Global Bond Fund Kuwait Investment Co Weekly Feb 8, 2017 USD Dec 28, 2016 Diversified Fund Kuwait Investment Co Weekly Feb 8, 2017 USD Feb 1, 2017 European Fund Kuwait Investment Co Weekly Jan 31, 2017 Euro Dec 30, 2016 Pacific Equity Fund Kuwait Investment Co Weekly Feb 8, 2017 USD Feb 1, 2017 North American Equity Fund Kuwait Investment Co Tw. Monthly Jan 31, 2017 USD Dec 30, 2016 National Investment Co. (NIC) Al-Wataniya Fund NIC Monthly Dec 31, 2016 KD Nov 30, 2016 Al-Darij Fund NIC Monthly Dec 31, 2016 KD Nov 30, 2016 Mawarid Fund NIC Monthly Dec 31, 2016 KD Nov 30, 2016 Zajil Fund NIC Monthly Dec 31, 2016 KD Nov 30, 2016 Al Mada Investment Fund NIC Weekly Dec 31, 2016 USD Nov 30, 2016 Kuwait Financial Centre (Markaz) Mumtaz Fund Kuwait Financial Center Weekly Jan 31, 2017 KD Dec 22, 2016 MIDAF Kuwait Financial Center Weekly Dec 31, 2016 KD Nov 24, 2016 Islamic Fund Kuwait Financial Center Weekly Dec 31, 2016 KD Nov 24, 2016 Markaz Arabian Fund Kuwait Financial Center Weekly Nov 10, 2016 KD Nov 3, 2016 Funds Fund Manager Valuation Valued date Currency Net Asset Prev NAV Prev NAV Dated Value (NAV) FORSA Financial Fund Kuwait Financial Center Monthly Dec 31, 2016 KD Oct 31, 2016 Real Estate Fund Kuwait Financial Center Monthly Oct 31, 2016 KD Sept 30, 2016 Markaz Fixed Income Fund Kuwait Financial Center Monthly Dec 31, 2016 USD Nov 24, 2016 Mawazeen International Fund Kuwait Financial Center Weekly Dec 31, 2016 USD Nov 27, 2016 Markaz MENA Islamic Fund Kuwait Financial Center Weekly Dec 31, 2016 USD Dec 15, 2016 Kuwait & Middle East Financial & Inv. Co. Al Rou yah Fund KMEFIC Monthly Jan 31, 2017 KD Dec 31, 2016 Gulf Gate Fund KMEFIC Monthly Oct 31, 2016 KD Sept 30, 2016 Global Investment House Index Funds GCC Large Cap Index Fund Global Weekly Feb 16, 2017 KD Feb 9, 2017 Equity Funds Al-Mamoun Fund A Global Weekly Feb 16, 2017 KD Feb 9, 2017 Al-Mamoun Fund B Global Weekly Feb 16, 2017 KD Feb 9, 2017 GCC Large Cap Fund Global Bi-weekly Feb 14, 2017 USD Feb 7, 2017 Al-Noor Fund Global Bi-weekly Jan 31, 2017 SAR Jan 24, 2017 Global Saudi Equity Fund Global Bi-weekly Feb 14, 2017 SAR Feb 7, 2017 Money Market Funds Global Money Market Fund Global Weekly Nov 20, 2016 USD Sectoral Funds EPADI Fund Global Weekly Feb 14, 2017 USD Feb 7, 2017 Islamic Funds Global GCC Islamic Fund Global Weekly Feb 7, 2017 USD Jan 24, 2017 Al-Durra Islamic Fund Global Monthly Feb 16, 2017 KD Feb 9, 2017 Kuwait Finance & Investment Co (KFIC) Al Wasm Fund KFIC Weekly Feb 15, 2017 KD Jan 18, 2017 Al Basha er GCC Equity Fund KFIC Monthly Dec 31, 2016 USD Nov 30, 2016 KAMCO KAMCO Investment Fund KAMCO Monthly Jan 31, 2017 KD Nov 30, 2016 KAMCO GCC Opportunities Fund KAMCO Monthly July 31, 2016 USD Feb 29, 2016 KAMCO MENA Plus Fixed Income Fund KAMCO Jan 31, 2017 USD Dec 31, 2016 KAMCO Real Estate Yield Fund KAMCO Jan 31, 2017 USD Dec 30, 2016 Kuwait Education Fund KAMCO Quartely Sept 30, 2016 KD Wafra International Investment Co. Wafra Equity Fund Wafra Co. Monthly Jan 31, 2017 KD Jan 1, 2017 Wafra Bond Fund Wafra Co. Monthly Jan 31, 2017 KD Jan 1, 2017 Masaref Investment Fund ISKAN Weekly Jan 31, 2017 KD Jan 1, 2017 Fajir Islamic Fund Wafra Co. Monthly Jan 31, 2017 KD Jan 1, 2017 Shuaa Capital Co. Emirates Gateway Fund Shuaa Capital Weekly Feb 7, 2017 AED Jan 31, 2017 The Arab Gateway Fund Shuaa Capital Weekly Feb 7, 2017 USD Jan 31, 2017 Al Aman Investment Al Aman Islamic Fund Al Aman Investment Weekly Dec 31, 2016 KD Nov 1, 2016 Tharwa Investment Co. Tharwa Investment Fund Tharwa Investment Co Weekly Nov 10, 2016 KD Oct 31, 2016 Tharwa Arab Investment Fund Tharwa Investment Co Bi-weekly July 31, 2016 USD June 30, 2016 Tharwa World Fund Tharwa Investment Co Monthly March 31, 2016 USD March 15, 2016 Tharwa Islamic Fund Tharwa Investment Co Monthly Dec 31, 2016 KD Nov 10, 2016 Bank Al-Bilad Al Seef Fund Bank Al-Bilad Daily Feb 16, 2017 KD Feb 5, 2017 Commercial International Bank CIB Money Market Fund (Osoul) CI Asset Management Weekly Feb 23, 2017 EGP Feb 20, 2017 CIB II Equity (Isthethmar) CI Asset Management Weekly Feb 23, 2017 EGP Feb 20, 2017 CIB and Faisal Islamic Al Aman CI Asset Management Weekly Feb 23, 2017 EGP Feb 20, 2017 Hemaya CI Asset Management Weekly Feb 1, 2017 EGP Jan 2, 2017 Thabat CI Asset Management Weekly Feb 23, 2017 EGP Feb 20, 2017 Takamol CI Asset Management Weekly Feb 23, 2017 EGP Feb 20, 2017 Misr El Mostakbel CI Asset Management Weekly Feb 19, 2017 EGP Feb 12, 2017 Noor Financial Investment Co. Noor Islamic Fund Noor Financial Investment Co Monthly Feb 29, 2016 KD Dec 31, 2015 Al Zumorroda Investment Co. Zumorroda GCC Fund Al Zumorroda Investment Co Monthly Jan 31, 2016 KD Dec 31, 2015 KFH Capital Investment Co. Muthanna Islamic Index Fund (MUDX) KFH Capital Investment Company Daily Jan 31, 2017 KD Dec 31, 2016 Muthanna GCC Islamic Banks Fund KFH Capital Investment Company Daily Jan 31, 2017 KD Dec 31, 2016 Baitak GCC Fund KFH Capital Investment Company Weekly Jan 31, 2017 KD Dec 31, 2016 CapCorp Investment Co. CapCorp Local Fund CapCorp Investment Company Weekly Jan 31, 2017 KD Dec 29, 2016

35 BUSINESS 35 CBQ misses forecasts with 99 pct profit slump Commercial Bank of Qatar (CBQ), the Gulf Arab state s third-largest lender by assets, reported a 99 percent fall in fourth-quarter net profit on Wednesday, according to Reuters calculations. This meant it widely missed analysts forecasts as it was hit by provisions and weakness among its overseas investments. The bank earned a net profi t of 1.4 million riyals ($384,499) in the three months to Dec 31, compared with a profi t of million riyals in the same period a year earlier, Reuters calculated based on fi nancial statements in lieu of a quarterly breakdown. The average of three analysts polled by Reuters had forecast CBQ would make a quarterly profit of 52.2 million riyals. The results, which follow a third-quarter net loss and four prior quarters of falling profits, are the fi rst since the launch of a fi ve-year plan by new chief executive Joseph Abraham in November to try to turn around its performance. The bank has struggled with a rise in bad loans due to the fallout of lower hydrocarbon prices on the wider economy, which has forced cutbacks in state and consumer spending, as well as the weaker performance of some of its overseas investments. (RTRS) Kuwait bourse winds up week with modest gains NAPESCO soars 50 fils; CBK drops By John Mathews Arab Times Staff KUWAIT CITY, Feb 23: Kuwait stocks rose further on Thursday to wind up the week on a firm footing. The price index climbed pts in choppy trade to 6, points paced by renewed buying in select blue chips and mid-caps even as the overall sentiment remained cautious. The KSX 15 gauge jumped points to pts while weighted index rose 3.63 pts to points. The volume turnover meanwhile fell further to plumb fresh month s low. 273 million shares changed hands down 2.4 pct from Wednesday. The sectors closed mostly in green turf. Technology outshone the rest with 2.88 pct gain whereas basic material shed 1.51 percent, the worst performer of the day. In terms of volume, financial services mustered the highest market share of 36.4 percent while real estate followed with 33 pct contribution. Among the prime movers, National Bank of Kuwait climbed 10 fils on back of over 1 million shares to 740 fils and Kuwait Finance House followed suit to wind up at 620 fils. KIPCO too was up 10 fils at 510 fils while Kuwait Food Co (Americana) spiked 100 fils. Zain was flat at 480 fils and Wataniya Telecom (Ooredoo) dropped 40 fils to KD extending Wednesday s losses. Kuwait Telecommunications Co (VIVA) shed 20 fils and Agility climbed 10 fils to 620 fils adding to an identical rise in the day before. Commercial Bank dipped 20 fils to 475 fils and Gulf Bank of Kuwait stood pat at 248 fils. The bank s Q4 net profit rose 7.8% to KD 10.14m and during the fiscal year of 2016, profits clocked KD million. The market opened firm but fell sharply in early trade. The main index slipped below the red to plumb the day s lowest level of 6, pts and rebounded back to scale the day s highest level of 6, points almost half way into the session. It slipped again and drifted sideways in the second half before closing with modest gains. Top gainer of the day Mowasat Hospital soared 20 pct to 300 fils while GFC climbed 8.93 percent to stand next. Kuwait Cable Visions Co slid 7.68 percent, the steepest decliner of the day and Aayan Real Estate Co topped the volume with over 32 million shares. Despite the day s gains, the losers outnumbered the winners. 56 stocks advanced whereas 60 closed lower. Of the 145 counters active on Thursday, 29 closed flat. 6,246 deals worth KD million were transacted a 6.5 pct drop in value from the day before. National Industries Group took in 2 fils before settling at 150 fils while Gulf Cable slipped 10 fils to 560 fils. Shuaiba Paper Industries Co dipped 30 fils to 480 fils while Heavy Engineering Industries and Shipbuilding Co gave up 4 fils. Dropped Jazeera Airways slipped 10 fils to 600 fils extending Wednesday s losses while ALAFCO was down 5 fils at 255 fils. Boubyan Petrochemical Co dropped 10 fils and NICBM clipped 2 fils. Kuwait Foundry Co fell 10 fils and Kuwait Portland Cement staled at KD Yiaco Medical shed 10 fils and Al Rai Media Group paused at 178 fils. NAPESCO vaulted 50 fils to 920 fils and Humansoft Holding dipped 20 fils to KD Kuwait National Cinema Co was down 20 fils at KD and ACICO Industries Co closed 10 fils lower at 315 fils erasing Wednesday s gains. Automated Systems Co climbed 15 fils to 320 fils and Burgan Well Drilling Co fell 5 fils to 90 fils. Equipment Holding Co inched 1 fil into red and Al Qurain Petrochemical gave up 5 fils before closing at 325 fils. Kuwait and Gulf Links Transport Co dialed up 1 fil and KGL Logistics followed suit. AWJ Holding slipped 4 fils to 102 fls. Combined Group Contracting Co paused at 500 fils. In the banking sector, Ahli United Bank was unchanged at 440 fils and Kuwait International Bank gave up 4 fils to close at 248 fils after trading 3.6 million shares. Al Ahli Bank rose 5 fils to 305 fils. Burgan Bank was up 5 fils at 315 fils while Boubyan Bank gained 20 fils. Warba Bank rose 5 fils to 275 fils with a volume of over 3 million. Kuwait Investment Co added 3 fils while National Investment Co and Coast Investment Co clipped 2 fils each. International Financial Advisors inched 0.5 fil into red after trading 4.9 million shares and Al Mal Investment Co closed flat at 25.5 fils. Bayan Investment Co and KAM- CO eased 1 fil each whereas Kuwait Financial Centre (Markaz) dipped 7 fils. Securities House Co inched 1 fil higher and Securities Group Co stalled at 99 fils. Osoul Investment fell 1 fil to 71 fils and Al Madina Investment Co followed suit. Al Deera Holding and Ektittab Holding fell 0.5 fil each whereas Tamdeen Investment Co rose 5 fils to 325 fils. KMEFIC dialed down 0.5 fil and KFIC took in 1 fil. Noor Financial Investment Co gained 4 fils and Sokouk Holding paused at 49.5 fils. Kuwait Insurance Co fell 5 fils and Wethaq Takafaul was up 4 fil at 62 fils. Kuwait Real Estate Co inched 1 fil up whereas Mabanee Co and Mazaya Holding were unchanged at 850 fils and 132 fils respectively. National Real Estate Co gave up 2 fils before settling at 110 fils. The market was mixed during the week. The main index closed lower in three of the five sessions and shed 15 points week-on-week. It has dipped 23 points from start of the month and is trading pct higher year-todate. KSE, with 208 listed companies, is the second largest bourse in the region. In the bourse related news, Al Mazaya Holding net profits soared 31.7 pct to KD 2.59 million in last quarter of 2016 while profits rose 10 pct to KD million during the fiscal year of The board has recommended an annual cash dividend of 8% or 8 fls per share. Gulf Glass Manufacturing Co s fourth quarter net profit dipped o 64% in KD 14,000 from KD 39,000 in same period last year. During the fiscal year of 2016, profits was down 48 percent to KD 1.21 million from KD 2.34 mln in the previous year. Al Mowasat Health Care has posted KD 1.8 million profits during the fourth quarter of 2016 and for the fiscal year of 2016, earnings rose 35.3 pct to KD 4.52 million from the year before. The board of directors has recommended a dividend payout of 20% or 20 fils per share. Injazzat Real Estate Development has posted a net profit of KD 550,000 in the last quarter of 2016 and during the fiscal year of 2016, the bank earned KD 3.2 million. The board has recommended a cash dividend of 5% or 5 fils per share for FY 2016, with a total value of KD 2.03 million. Mideast Stocks Tax plan hits Egyptian stocks Banks drag on most Gulf markets DUBAI, Feb 23, (RTRS): Cairo s main stock index retreated on Thursday after Reuters reported the finance ministry would recommend a tax on stock exchange transactions. In Gulf markets, banks were a drag on most bourses as minutes from a US Federal Reserve meeting showed little support for a March rate rise. Gulf currencies are pegged to the US dollar, so policy rates in the region would follow any move by the Fed, which would boost banks margins. Cairo s main index dropped 1.3 percent as just over three quarters of the 30 most liquid shares retreated. ing pressure intensified in the final 90 minutes of trade after Reuters reported that the finance ministry would recommend introducing a 0.2 percent stamp duty on stock transactions for both sellers and buyers. However, Allen Sandeep, head of research at Cairo-based Naeem Brokerage, said the impact would not be severe because the proposed rate was lower than the market had expected. Most emerging markets have stock market transactional costs, whether capital gains tax or stamp duty or a combination of both. The proposed rate is acceptable in my opinion, he said, adding it was lower than the 0.4 or 0.5 percent that the market had thought likely. Sandeep said the main factors driving the market had been an appreciation in the Egyptian pound in recent days, which prompted foreign buyers to book gains this week, and quarterly earnings from Egyptian companies. Earnings have been a mixed bag so far, with real estate companies coming out with healthy numbers, but we still await results from companies that are dependent on imports and those most exposed to FX losses, he said. Egypt floated the pound on Nov 3. Global Telecom Holding fell a further 5.9 percent on Thursday, after slumping 7.9 percent in the previous session on news it had been fined $60 million in a lawsuit. Saudi Arabia s index edged 0.3 percent lower after an hour of trade with half of the listed banks declining. Alawwal Bank lost 1.3 percent and National Commercial Bank fell 0.7 percent. Shares in real-estate company Taiba Holding dropped 1.5 percent after its board recommended paying a cash dividend of 0.4 riyals ($0.11) per share for the fourth quarter of 2016, taking the full year dividend to 1.6 riyals, compared to 2.0 riyals paid to shareholders in In Abu Dhabi, banks which make up almost half of the total market value underperformed the main index, which rose 0.3 percent. Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank fell 0.8 percent. However, telecom operator Etisalat, the biggest stock by market value, rose 1.4 percent. Dubai s main index, which outperformed its peers on Wednesday, fell 0.3 percent on profit taking. Builder Arabtec lost 1.1 percent on profit taking after surging 15 percent on Wednesday after the company, which reported a fourth-quarter loss last week, won regulatory approval for its recapitalisation plan. Qatar s main index dipped 0.3 percent as telecoms operator Ooredoo dropped 3.8 percent after reporting nearly flat fourth-quarter net profit attributable to shareholders of 361 million riyals ($99 million). The company s board recommended a cash dividend of 3.5 Qatari riyals per share for 2016, higher than the outlay in 2015 of 3.0 riyals per share. Qatar Islamic Bank fell 1.0 percent and rival Masraf Al Rayan lost 1.3 percent. Saudi Arabia The index fell 0.2 percent to 7,046 points. Dubai The index fell 0.3 percent to 3,640 points. Abu Dhabi The index added 0.3 percent at 4,653 points. Egypt The index dropped 1.3 percent to 12,241 points. Kuwait The index rose 0.3 percent to 6,810 points. Qatar The index edged down 0.3 percent to 10,925 points Oman The index fell 0.3 percent to 5,850 points. Bahrain The index climbed 0.5 percent to 1,349 points.

36 BUSINESS 36 Tesla slips back into red but revenue grows Norwegian Air launches $65 nonstop US-Europe flights Tesla reported on Wednesday that it slipped back into the red in the recently ended quarter while revenue revved, with orders for some of electric car models hitting record highs. The company forecast that demand for its cars would show strong growth in the first half of this year, and shares rose more than 1.5 percent to $ in after-market trades despite Tesla s reporting it had slid back to a loss. Tesla chief executive Elon Musk remained confident in an earnings call that electric car production would climb to 500,000 next year. Tesla s mass-market targeted Model 3 was on track to begin production in July, with output gradually ramping up to 5,000 vehicles weekly by the end of this year, according to executives. The Model 3 was designed from the outset to be more efficient to make, a move intended to avoid production stumbles. Tesla expects to deliver 47,000 to 50,000 Model S and Model X vehicles during the first half of this year. Tesla last week announced the opening of a new Gulf headquarters in Dubai, aiming to conquer an oil-rich region better known for gas guzzlers than environmentally friendly motoring. (AFP) Budget-conscious travelers can now book $65 trans-atlantic flights on Norwegian Air Shuttle ASA, the company announced on Thursday, ramping up pressure on US carriers to compete with increasingly low fare international airlines. Beginning in mid-june, the lowcost European carrier will launch one-way flights from Stewart International Airport in Orange County, New York, T.F. Green Airport in Providence, Rhode Island, and Bradley International Airport in Hartford, Connecticut to destinations in Ireland and the UK. I pay for what I want, you pay for what you want. We don t pay for what everybody else on the plane wants, spokesman Anders Lindstrm said of the tax-inclusive low fares. Thousands of tickets will be offered at the $65 introductory rate. Tickets on the next pricing tier start at $99, taxes included. This compares to oneway New York to Dublin air ticket prices of about $655 to just over $2,755 being offered by other airlines for mid-june, online travel website Expedia shows. American carriers have for years protested Norwegian Air s presence in the US market, complaining that Europe s third-largest budget airline is adding flights that exceed traveler demand, pushing down fares and hurting airlines revenue. (RTRS) the bottomline LOS ANGELES: AMC Networks beat Wall Street s earnings estimates Thursday morning when it released its full year and fourth quarter results. The media company responsible for The Walking Dead posted net revenue of $2.756 billion for 2016 on the whole, slightly above analyst expectations, and an increase of 6.8 percent from Operating income was $658 million, down 7 percent from Adjusted EPS for the year came in at $5.73 again, well above the consensus estimate of $5.62 and $1.30 for the fourth quarter. Fourth quarter net revenues in the International and Other increased 7.5 percent, or $51 million, to $730 million; but operating income was $104 million, a decrease of 35.3 percent, or $57 million, versus the prior year period. AMC attributed that decline to a $75 million loss in its International and Other segment. (RTRS) LONDON: BAE Systems on Thursday delivered an optimistic outlook on government defence spending, in particular by the new US administration led by President Donald Trump. Posting flat annual profits of 913 million ($1.14 billion, 1.1 billion euros) a day after announcing a new chief executive, BAE said that in the US... there are signs of a return to growth in defence budgets, with the new administration expected to further increase defence and security spending. BAE is expected also to benefit further from the pound s weakness ahead of Brexit, with a large slice of the group s earnings in dollars. (AFP) LONDON: British American Tobacco said Thursday that its 2016 profits were boosted by a pre-brexit decline in the pound, as the group awaits completion of its takeover of US peer Reynolds. Net profit rose eight percent to 4.85 billion ($6.0 billion, 5.7 billion euros) last year, BAT said in an earnings release. Group revenue climbed almost 13 percent to billion, helped by weakness of sterling, BAT said. With the maker of Lucky Strike cigarettes making vast sums from sales denominated in euros and dollars, BAT s profits are inflated once converted into sterling. (AFP) LONDON: Britain s Intu Properties Plc hiked its full-year dividend as values and demand for its large shopping centres held up well despite weakness in the broader UK property market following the Brexit vote. Although UK retail property values fell 5 percent in 2016, according to CBRE, Intu s adjusted net asset value per share was flat at 404 pence, helped by its strategy of owning better-performing destination centres that have drawn visitors with attractions such as food courts. The company, which has been selling smaller malls that have struggled to combat online competition, said life-for-like net rental income rose 3.6 percent in the year ended Dec 31, in line with its forecast in July. (RTRS) GENEVA: The chief executive of Glencore says the Swiss mining and metals company is better positioned than ever before as core profits rose 48 percent last year, amid recovering commodity prices and cost cutting policies. Switzerland-based company reported net income before exceptional items rose to $1.99 billion in 2016, compared to $1.34 billion a year earlier, a time when Glencore was steeped in high debt and seen by some as on the brink of collapse. CEO Ivan Glasenberg pointed to increasingly favorable fundamentals, and Glencore said Thursday that it expects sustained reduction in zinc and copper cost structures into this year. (AP) PARIS: Bouygues Telecom said Thursday it had picked up one million new mobile phone customers last year, allowing the French telecom operator to return to profit. Net profit came in at 83 million euros ($87.5 million), after a loss of 59 million euros in The new mobile customers pushed its client base to 13 million at the end of December, it said. The positive commercial and financial results of Bouygues Telecom in 2016 confirm its strategic choices, chairman Martin Bouygues said in a statement. (AFP) MADRID: Spanish energy company Repsol has reported its best annual earnings in four years as it booked fewer impairment charges related to low oil and gas prices. Its net profit of 1.73 billion euros ($1.82 billion) compared with a loss of 1.4 billion euros in In the final quarter of 2016, it made a net 616 million euros, overturning a loss of 2.84 billion euros in the same period one year before. CEO Josu Jon Imaz said Thursday that the company had reduced its operational costs by more than 1.6 billion euros. Repsol also benefited from the acquisition of Canadian oil company Talisman, which increased production and exploration assets.(ap) MADRID: Heavily indebted telecoms giant Telefonica said Thursday its net profit fell close to 14 percent last year to 2.36 billion euros, hit by restructuring costs linked to a voluntary redundancy scheme in Spain. The results come just days after the group on the hunt for cash to reduce its debt pile agreed to sell up to 40 percent of its infrastructure unit Telxius to US investment fund KKR for 1.27 billion euros ($1.3 billion). The group is also considering a possible listing of its British unit O2. (AFP) RIO DE JANEIRO: Brazil s Vale, the biggest iron ore miner in the world, on Thursday announced a strong earnings boost for the fourth quarter and over 2016 as a whole. The company cited record production and a rally in metals prices. Profits before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization were $4.8 billion in the final quarter, the highest since the same quarter in 2013, and up from $1.4 billion in the same period in 2015, the company said. (AFP) ZURICH: Re-insurance giant Swiss Re reported weaker profits Thursday, hit by payouts for natural disasters including Hurricane Matthew in the United States. Net profit fell 23 percent to $3.5 billion, below analyst expectations. Wildfires in Canada and an earthquake in New Zealand also weighed on the bottom line, the Swiss company said. (AFP) Global stocks set record highs; crude jumps on inventory drop NEW YORK, Feb 23, (Agencies): Global stock prices posted record highs for a third straight session on Thursday, propelled by an oil rally after a surprise drop in US crude inventories and comments by US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin about pursuing significant tax reform. The dollar was bogged down a day after minutes from the US Federal Reserve s Jan 31-Feb 1 policy meeting showed the central bank was in no rush to raise interest rates. Treasury and euro zone government bond yields declined as ECB policymakers also signalled they were not getting carried away by signs the euro zone economy is gathering strength. This outlook for policy accommodation lifted gold prices to a threemonth high near $1,250 an ounce. Equity markets around the world have advanced this year as traders bet on tax cuts, less regulation and more infrastructure spending from US President Donald Trump and the Republican-controlled Congress to bolster the US economy. Details on these stimulus programs have been sparse, raising doubts whether bigger corporate profits will materialize. On Thursday, Mnuchin spoke of wanting to see very significant tax reform passed before Congress August recess and said the Trump administration was looking closely at border tax issues. The MSCI world equity index, which tracks shares in 46 nations, rose 0.48 points or 0.11 percent, to after touching a record peak at On Wall Street, the Dow booked an all-time intraday high for a 10th straight day, while S&P 500 touched a record high before retreating. In morning trading, the Dow rose points, or 0.11 percent, to 20,798.08, the S&P 500 lost 1.81 points, or 0.08 percent, to 2, and the Nasdaq Composite dropped points, or 0.46 percent, to 5, Europe s broad FTSEurofirst 300 index dipped 0.07 percent at 1,471.82, scaling back further from its 14-month peak set on Wednesday. MSCI s broadest index of Asia- Pacific shares outside Japan rose 0.89 points or 0.19 percent, to , after reaching its highest since July 2015 earlier Thursday. Gains in energy shares due to a jump in oil prices helped lift the equity market. Brent crude was last up $1.18, or 2.11 percent, at $57.02 a barrel. US crude was last up $1.09, or 2.03 percent, at $ Dollar index slips on perceived less hawkish Fed minutes A weaker dollar in the wake of Fed minutes that were perceived as less hawkish whet appetite for gold and bonds. The dollar index slipped 0.26 percent at US The S&P 500 and the Dow Jones Industrial Average reversed course after hitting record intraday highs late Thursday morning as losses in tech stocks offset the impact of a surge in oil prices. Oil rose more than 2 percent after data showed a surprise decline in US inventories, suggesting a global oversupply may be ending. The S&P 500 energy index jumped 0.6 percent, led by gains in Exxon and Chevron. The sector also provided the biggest boost to the broader index. The technology sector, however, dropped 0.3 percent, largely due to losses in Nvidia, setting the Nasdaq up for its worst day of this month. What I like about this market is that (investors) seem to be a little more focused on fundamentals as opposed to looking at the volatility coming from politics, said Omar Aguilar, chief investment officer at Charles Schwab Investment Management. US stocks have been on a recordsetting rally in the past two weeks after Trump said his administration would make a major tax announcement in the coming weeks. At 11:05 a.m. ET, the Dow was down 3.61 points, or 0.02 percent, at 20,771.99, the S&P 500 was down 4.22 points, or 0.17 percent, at 2,358.6 and the Nasdaq Composite was down points, or 0.7 percent, at 5, Five of the 11 major S&P 500 sectors were lower, with industrials, technology and financials weighing the most. The three indexes were among the top gainers since the November US presidential election. I wouldn t be surprised if by the end of the quarter we get some repositioning, especially in those sectors that have gained the most, Aguilar said. A Labor Department report showed the number of Americans applying for unemployment benefit rose slightly more than expected last week, but the four-week average of claims fell to its lowest level since 1973, pointing to strengthening labor market conditions. Shares of L Brands plunged 16.7 percent to $48.39 after the company reported weak sales at Victoria s Secret, its biggest business by revenue. Boston Scientific lost 3.4 percent after the company recalled its Lotus Valve heart devices, citing reports of problems with the locking mechanism. Shares of rival Edwards Lifesciences rose 4 percent and were the biggest gainers on the S&P. Declining issues outnumbered advancers on the NYSE by 1,528 to 1,256. On the Nasdaq, 1,863 issues fell and 819 advanced. The S&P 500 index showed 47 new 52-week highs and two new lows, while the Nasdaq recorded 98 new highs and 24 new lows. Europe European shares fell slightly on Thursday, weighed down by a pullback in banking and mining stocks in a day where trading activity was dominated by a raft of company earnings. Shares in British bank Barclays reversed course during the day to end down 2.6 percent, as a surprise boost to its capital reserves failed to convince. Some analysts flagged concerns over the sustainability of the bank s capital level in relation to the accounting treatment of its British pension scheme. Losses in Barclays and in HSBC, which continued its slide after a disappointing update earlier this week, resulted in a 1 percent fall for Europe s banking index. The Basic Resources index was another weak spot, down 1.5 percent, tracking weaker metal prices and weighed down by a drop in heavyweight Rio Tinto which went ex dividend. Copper prices tumbled as worries about demand in China resurfaced after the country s housing minister suggested moves were afoot to stabilise the property market. The pan-european STOXX 600 index ended down 0.1 percent after hitting a 14-month high in the previous session. Germany s DAX fell 0.4 percent. There was little impact earlier in the session from data which confirmed the country s economy quadrupled its growth rate to 0.4 percent in the fourth quarter. Dialog Semiconductor surged 6.9 percent, the biggest gainer on the STOXX. The maker of chips that go in Apple s and Samsung s smartphones said it expected good revenue growth in British shopping centre landlord Intu Properties was up 6.8 percent after hiking its dividend for the first time in five years, while insurer RSA was up 4.8 percent after posting a 25 percent rise in 2016 operating profit and raising its return on equity target.. Technicolor however fell 7 percent, the biggest decliner on the STOXX, after the French media and entertainment company reported a net loss. French water and waste group Veolia dropped 5.8 percent after pushing back its forecast for core earnings by a year. Asia Asian markets struggled Thursday as investors put the brakes on a Trump rally that has inflated global stocks, while Japanese car giant Nissan fell after Carlos Ghosn, the man considered its saviour, stepped down as CEO. In Tokyo the Nikkei index ended flat as the dollar dragged on exporters but having pared sharper morning losses. Hong Kong shed 0.4 percent, Shanghai closed 0.3 percent down and Sydney shed 0.4 percent, while Taipei and Bangkok also retreated. However, Seoul rebounded from morning selling to end slightly higher while Singapore was up 0.2 percent. News that Nissan chief executive Ghosn would resign his post weighed on the carmaker, sending it down 0.6 percent in Tokyo. Key figures around 0800 GMT: Tokyo Nikkei 225: FLAT at 19, (close) Hong Kong Hang Seng: DOWN 0.4 percent at 24, (close) Shanghai Composite: DOWN 0.3 percent at 3, (close) Oil Oil prices rose more than $1 a barrel on Thursday after US data showed a surprise decline in inventories, suggesting that a global glut may be ending after moves by OPEC to cut production. Benchmark Brent crude oil jumped $1.33 a barrel to $57.17 before easing back to $56.90 by 1415 GMT. US light crude hit a high of $54.89, up $1.30. Both benchmarks are near the top of relatively narrow $4 ranges that have contained trade so far this year, reflecting a period of low volatility since the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and other exporters agreed to cut output. OPEC and producers including Russia aim to cut production by around 1.8 million barrels per day (bpd) to drain an oversupply that has kept prices depressed for more than two years. So far OPEC appears to be sticking to its deal but other producers, notably US shale companies, have increased output, helping swell stocks in the United States, the world s biggest oil consumer. Industry data on Wednesday showed US crude inventories fell by 884,000 barrels in the week to Feb 17 to million, compared with analyst expectations for an increase of 3.5 million barrels. Gold Gold prices hit a three-month high on Thursday after the minutes of the latest Federal Reserve policy meeting further dampened expectations of an interest rate hike in March, lowering US bond yields and stalling upward momentum in the dollar. Spot gold was on track for its biggest daily gain since Feb. 6, rising 0.9 percent by 1611 GMT to $1, an ounce, its highest since Nov 11. US gold futures rose 1.3 percent to $1,250. The dollar s backed off, bond yields have backed off, and that s given a bit of support for gold, said Robin Bhar at Societe Generale. A weaker dollar makes gold cheaper for holders of other currencies, while lower yields reduce the opportunity cost of holding non-yielding bullion. Higher interest rates would lift yields. BEC Muzaini Dollarco Commercial Bank Gulf Bank NBK Burgan Bank ABK KFH KBE BEC Muzaini Dollarco Commercial Bank Gulf Bank NBK Burgan Bank ABK KFH KBE BEC Muzaini Dollarco Gulf Bank ABK KFH KBE exchange rates Feb 23 Buy Buy Buy Buy Buy Buy Buy Buy Buy Buy Buy Buy Buy Buy Buy Buy Buy Buy US dollar Danish krone Cyprus pound Sterling pound Indian rupee Yemeni riyal travellers cheques US dollar Sterling Euro local gold BEC Commercial Bank Gulf Bank Al-Ahli Bank BEC Muzaini Exchange Euro Pakistani rupee Thai baht Japanese yen Sri Lanka rupee South African rand Swiss franc Bangladesh taka Korean won Gold 999 kg 12, Canadian dollar Philippine peso Syrian pound Gold tola 1, Gold ounce Swedish krona Australian dollar Iranian Riyal Gold gm 22k Saudi riyal Gold gm 21k Hong Kong dollar Lebanese pound Gold gm 18k UAE dirham Singapore dollar Malaysian ringgit gm Bahraini dinar gm Jordanian dinar Indonesian rupiah Omani riyal Egyptian pound New Zealand dollar All rates in KD per unit of foreign currency

37 INTERNATIONAL 37 Yemen loyalists push back rebels on Red Sea coast Yemen rebel rocket kills policeman on Saudi border RIYADH, Feb 23, (Agencies): Rocket fire by Yemeni rebels killed a policeman and wounded a civilian on the Saudi side of the border, the civil defence department said late on Wednesday. They were the latest casualties inside the kingdom since Saudi Arabia began leading an Arab military coalition that intervened in its southern neighbour to support President AbedRabbo Mansour Hadi in March At least 128 people have died in southern Saudi Arabia since the intervention began some in border skirmishes, others in rocket fire. Video footage circulating on social media showed shattered glass and a trail of blood at the entrance to a court building in Dhahran South that its posters said was the aftermath of the Wednesday rocket strike. The building s front wall was pockmarked from shrapnel. A guard house Alf mabrook! Continued from Page 1 in the stability of the region. Kuwait is also a regional leader in constitutional and participatory governance. Kuwait s media has retained its vibrancy and its independence, allowing for a free exchange of views, charting a path for Kuwait s future. These are all distinctions of which the Kuwaiti people can justifiably be proud. It is my honor to serve as US Ambassador to Kuwait. I look forward to exploring new ways for the Governments of the United States and Kuwait, and for Americans and Kuwaitis, to work together. I thank the people of Kuwait for the warm welcome they have shown my family and me over the past five months and look forward to creating more friendships with the Kuwaiti people. Once again, Alf mabrook to our Kuwaiti friends on the marking of these proud milestones. Speed replacement Continued from Page 1 He said the draft law on increasing the capital of the portfolio will be included in the agenda of the National Assembly, indicating the legislature is expected to approve the bill unanimously considering the positive response of the representatives of various government institutions in Thursday s committee meeting. He pointed out that approval of the proposal will lead to positive competition in the field of microfinance, hoping it will increase the percentage of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the national economy. He added, The current rate does not exceed five percent of the national economy. We want to emulate the United States of America and France where SMEs constitute 70 percent of the national economy. If only we increased the percentage earlier, we would have succeeded in diversifying of national income sources by now. College Board Continued from Page 1 disclosed it was cancelling the scores of an undisclosed number of students who took the SAT overseas in January and was reviewing the scores of an additional group of students as part of ongoing comprehensive investigations. Reuters reported last week that parts of the January exam given in Asia originally had been administered last June in the United States. The June test was widely available in China and had been sold to students in South Korea. Reuters obtained more than 200 pages of scans and photographs of the leaked exam. Zach Goldberg, a College Board spokesman, declined to say how many students had their scores canceled or in which countries they took the test. The College Board s chief executive, David Coleman, said at a conference last September that the organization planned to scale back its reuse of tests. Goldberg declined to say today whether the College Board will halt the practice overseas. The College Board said starting this fall, it will cut the number of test administrations overseas from six a year to four. The SAT will only be offered in October, December, March and May. This June s international test sitting will be canceled. The College Board previously had reduced SAT administrations from six to four in South Korea, Egypt and Saudi Arabia after determining in 2013 that tests had leaked there. But at the time it decided not to take similar action in China, even though it knew that a Chinese website had compromised four SAT exams, according to an internal College Board PowerPoint presentation seen by Reuters. A spate of cheating incidents in China and other countries ensued. The College Board said its new security measures include providing law enforcement and other government agencies with the names of test prep companies and individuals suspected of stealing test materials. It promised to make it easier for students and teachers to anonymously report suspected cases of cheating. The organization also said it plans to prohibit individuals from taking future tests, including the SAT and Advanced Placement Exams, when we conclude they have gained or attempted to gain or share an unfair advantage on any College Board test. appeared to have taken the brunt of the strike, and a policeman sat slumped and bloodied in his chair, apparently dead. The death toll has been far higher on the other side of the border. More than 7,400 people have been killed in Yemen since the Saudi-led intervention began, including around 1,400 children, according to World Health Organization figures. The UN humanitarian coordinator for Yemen, Jamie McGoldrick, said on Tuesday that the death toll was closer to 10,000. Yemeni government forces made gains around the Red Sea coastal town of Mokha in heavy fighting overnight as they rebuffed a rebel counter-offensive, a military source said on Thursday. Seven loyalist troops and 16 rebels were killed in the fighting, hospital sources said. Twelve soldiers and 28 Continued from Page 1 unclear how many jihadists tried to defend the airport but US officials said Monday that only around 2,000 remain in Mosul. There are an estimated 750,000 civilians trapped on the city s west bank, which is a bit smaller than the east side but more densely populated. rebels were wounded. Government forces captured Yakhtul, 14 kms (nine miles) north of Mokha, and Jabal al-nar, 10 kms (six miles) to the east, consolidating their grip on the town they overran on February 10, the military source told AFP. Twelve rebels were taken prisoner. On Tuesday, government forces had suffered a major setback in the offensive they launched in January to try to recapture Yemen s 450 kms (280 mile) Red Sea coastline, which had previously been almost entirely in rebel hands. Rebel forces counterattacked, killing a deputy army commander and 18 other troops. The loyalists capture of Mokha was their biggest success in months. Despite nearly two years of military support from a Saudi-led coalition, government forces are largely war-torn country. The talks in the Swiss capital began as Turkish troops and Syrian opposition forces seized the center of the Islamic State-held town of Al-Bab, breaking a weeks-long deadlock between the two sides at the periphery of the town in northern Syria, according to Turkey s state news agency and Syrian opposition activists. The seizure of Al-Bab after a protracted, bloody fight that leveled large parts of the city brings Ankara closer to its stated goal for its months-long operation in Syria: Driving IS fighters from the border and preventing Kurdish rebels in the north from linking their territories west and east of Syria along the Turkish border. It also highlights the complexity of the Syrian terrain. Pro-government forces are just 3 kilometers (2 miles) south of Al-Bab, though clashes with the opposition forces in the area have so far been limited. The Geneva talks, which exclude extremist groups like the Islamic State group, are the latest bid to end Syria s catastrophic six-year war that has killed hundreds of thousands of people and displaced some 11 million more. The conflict has long been a proxy war between international and regional stakeholders in this Arab nation. UN Syria envoy Staffan de Mistura convened separate meetings with representatives of the government and opposition delegations Thursday morning. He said he hoped to convene a sort of welcoming ceremony and bilateral talks later in the day. De Mistura also met with a group of Syrian women who came to push for the discussion of the fate of detainees and abducted people in the Syrian conflict. They held a symbolic moment of silence together. There are thousands and thousands of mothers, wives, daughters who are hoping that at least this aspect will be one of the benefits of any negotiation, De Mistura told reporters. A day earlier, he played down It includes the Old City and its narrow streets, which will make for a difficult terrain when Iraqi forces reach it because they will be impassable for some military vehicles. The noose has for months now been tightening around Mosul and the living conditions for civilians are fast deteriorating. Residents AFP has reached by phone spoke of dwindling food supplies forcing many families to survive on just one meal a day. Medical workers say the weakest restricted to the south and areas along the Saudi border. The rebels still hold the capital Sanaa and much of the central and northern highlands as well as most of the Red Sea coast. The government s next goal is the main Red Sea port city of Hodeida, a vital conduit for UN-supervised aid deliveries to rebel-held areas. Coalition air strikes on Hodeida province late on Wednesday killed seven rebels and wounded 15, military sources said. The raids targeted an arms warehouse in Bayt al-faqih and a missile launcher in Bajil. More than 7,400 people have been killed in Yemen since the coalition s intervention began in March 2015, according to World Health Organization figures. UN humanitarian coordinator for are beginning to die of the combined effect of malnutrition and the lack of medicines, which IS fighters have been keeping for themselves. An army plane late Wednesday dropped thousands of letters written by residents of the retaken east bank to their fellow citizens across the river. Be patient and help each other... the end of injustice is near, read one of them which was signed People from the east side. Stay in your homes and cooperate Yemen Jamie McGoldrick has put the death toll at closer to 10,000. McGoldrick has also warned that seven million Yemenis are close to starvation. In other news, a lack of funds is putting millions of Yemenis at risk of disease and malnutrition as the country s collapsing health system faces shortages of medicines, fuel and specialist staff, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Thursday. Nearly two years of war between a Western-backed Arab coalition led by Saudi Arabia and the Iran-allied Houthi movement has left more than half of Yemen s 28 million people facing hunger, its economy in ruins and food supplies disrupted. Earlier this month the UN World Food Programme (WFP) warned that more than 20 million people may starve in the next six months in four Turkey-backed Syria rebels capture al-bab from DAESH AL-BAB, Syria, Feb 23, (Agencies): Turkishbacked Syrian rebels said Thursday they had fully captured the town of Al- Bab from the Islamic State group, marking a key defeat for the jihadists after weeks of heavy fighting. As Ankara said its allies now had near complete control of the town, a fresh round of peace talks opened between the Syrian opposition and regime in Geneva. Al-Bab, just 25 kilometres (15 miles) south of the Turkish border, was the last IS stronghold in the northern Syrian province of Aleppo. We are announcing Al-Bab completely liberated, and we are now clearing mines from the residential neighbourhoods, said Ahmad Othman, a rebel commander. After hours of fighting, we chased out the last remaining IS rank and file that were collapsing after the fierce shelling of their positions, he added. Turkish Defence Minister Fikri Isik said rebels had near complete control of Al-Bab. When the search and combing operations are over, we will be able to say that Al-Bab has been completely cleared of DAESH (IS) elements, he said, quoted by state-run Anadolu news agency. Isik reaffirmed that Turkey was now ready to join any operation by international coalition forces to take the Syrian city of Raqa, the extremist group s de facto capital. An AFP correspondent could hear intermittent gunfire on Thursday afternoon as rebel units continued to clear the heavily damaged town. Most rebel fighters appeared relieved, with some dancing in the streets and others munching on a late breakfast after hours of clashes. But others were on edge, nervously discussing three bombs that had detonated that morning in areas under their control. Several corpses of alleged IS fighters lay crumpled under a destroyed building. One rebel poached a weapon from a dead IS fighter. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said IS fighters were still present in parts of the town and that rebels were in control of less than half of it. Rebels launched an offensive to capture Al-Bab last year with the support of Turkish ground troops, artillery and air strikes. Al-Bab was IS s last remaining stronghold in Aleppo province, after a US-backed alliance of Kurdish and Arab fighters seized the town of Manbij in August. The jihadist group still controls a scattering of villages and towns in the province. Field commanders from two other rebel factions in the town also claimed the capture of Al-Bab to AFP, including Abu Jaafar, who said he expected clearing up operations would be wrapped up within hours. Dozens of IS fighters were killed and we evacuated more than 50 families from inside Al-Bab, he said. Elsewhere, Syrian peace talks under the auspices of the United Nations resumed in Geneva on Thursday, 10 months after falling apart over escalating bloodshed in the Iraqis enter Peace talks resume in Geneva Turkey-backed Syrian opposition fighters take position during their advance in the city of al-bab, some 30 kms from the Syrian city of Aleppo on Feb 22. (AFP) expectations for the talks, saying he did not expect any breakthroughs, but all parties are aware that the dynamics in Syria have changed since talks were last in Geneva in April. Abdulahad Astepho, a member of the opposition delegation, said rebels would feature in a greater role in this round of talks, reflecting the changing dynamics inside Syria, where factions are drifting away from the exiled opposition leadership and closer to ultraconservative groups like Ahrar al-sham and the al-qaeda-linked Fatah al-sham Front. Coordinated The Geneva talks come after cease-fire discussions in Astana, Kazakhstan, that were coordinated largely by Turkey, the opposition s closest state backer in the civil war, and Russia, whose air power has supported Assad s forces. In those meetings, the rebels sat face-to-face with a government delegation a first and the exiled political opposition was present only on the sidelines. They have not yet sat faceto-face under UN auspices. This is the fourth round of UNmediated talks since early last year. Despite the cease-fire, violations nevertheless occur on a daily basis, in part because of the ambiguous wording of the original agreement, signed in Ankara in late December. On Thursday, activists reported heavy clashes across the southern city of Daraa between pro-government forces and opposition factions headed by al-qaeda-linked group. Opposition media agencies also reported government air raids around the Hama countryside, in central Syria. The government has insisted that the cease-fire does not protect al- Qaeda-linked groups, while rebels say the agreement they signed in Ankara says it does. Rebels have found themselves dependent on al-qaeda s battle-hardened factions since 2015 to rebuff government advances around the country. In Al-Bab, 30 kilometers (18 miles) south of the Turkish border, Turkish troops and Syrian opposition forces were sweeping the town center for mines left over by retreating Islamic State militants, according to the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group. Footage emerging from the town Thursday showed the destructive cost of the battle. At least one of Al- Bab s arteries appears completely destroyed, with buildings crumbling or leveled on both sides. Trenches and earth berms have made other streets impassable. Few, if any, of the town s residential blocks appear inhabitable. Nearly every building shows some signs of artillery shelling or heavy machine gone fire - others appear struck by missiles or bombs. There did not appear to be any anyone from the town s pre-war population remaining to welcome the arriving forces. The Syrian government has repeatedly decried Turkey s troop presence as a violation of Syrian sovereignty and an act of aggression, but the two sides have not faced off. Government forces are instead focusing their efforts on forcing out the opposition from positions around the capital, Damascus and fighting rebels in Daraa, and the Islamic State group in the north and east of the country. Assad s forces were able to expel rebel fighters in December from a longtime stronghold on the eastern side of the city of Aleppo, which was Syria s economic capital and largest city before the war began. Speaking ahead of the Geneva meeting, an opposition delegation member told AP that they hoped to achieve at least something at the human dimension: lifting the siege in certain areas, getting aid to those who are besieged. He also hoped there would be serious work on the issue of political transition, a sticking point of past talks. The world has to end this saga. The world has to end these brutalities, said Yahya al-aridi. with the security forces. They are your brothers, they came to liberate you, read another. A smaller than expected proportion of the east side s population fled when Iraqi forces stormed it nearly four months ago but the United Nations is bracing for a bigger exodus from the west. It had said 250,000 people or more could flee their homes on the west bank and has scrambled to set up new displacement camps around the city. separate famines in Yemen, Nigeria, South Sudan and Somalia. In Yemen alone, an estimated 7.3 million people are in need of immediate food aid, WFP said. Worried that polio could reappear in the war-ravaged nation, Yemen on Tuesday launched a major vaccination campaign. With more than 14.8 million people lacking access to basic health care, the current lack of funds means the situation will get much worse, Nevio Zagaria, WHO s acting representative in Yemen, said in a statement. Last year, UN agencies including WHO, received less than 60 percent of their appeal for $182 million to support Yemen s health sector. So far this year s appeal for $322 million for healthcare has been less than 1 percent funded, according to the UN Financial Tracking Service. Newswatch Continued from Page 1 CAIRO: Two Coptic Christians, a father and his son, were found murdered Wednesday in Egypt s North Sinai, a stronghold of the Islamic State jihadist group, police and medics said. They said the son was found having apparently been burnt alive while the father, a man in his 60s, had been riddled with bullets. Their bodies were discovered at dawn behind a school in the provincial capital of El-Arish. The Islamic State group, which has mostly targeted Egypt s security forces since the army overthrew Egypt s Islamist president Mohamed Morsi in 2013, warned on Sunday it would set its sights on the country s Christian minority. (AFP) ADEN: Seven people detained in a rebel-held part of Yemen for using recycled boxes originating in Saudi Arabia to distribute aid have been released, the Norwegian Refugee Council said on Thursday. We are greatly relieved by the release of our staff members and the driver, said Mutasim Hamdan, the organisation s Yemen country director. They are in good condition, and we are pleased that they are now reunited with their families, Hamdan said in a statement. Six staff and a contracted driver, all Yemeni citizens, were detained earlier this week by authorities in the rebel-controlled Red Sea coastal district of Hodeida. (AFP) BERLIN: Fritz Koenig, a German sculptor whose work The Sphere became a symbol of resilience after the 9/11 attacks in New York, has died. He was 92. Koenig, who was already a well-known artist thanks to his distinctive large statues and sculptures, created the ball-shaped bronze over a four-year period starting in Originally called Grosse Kugelkaryatide NY, the 25-feet (7.6 meters) high sculpture stood between the World Trade Center s towers from 1971 until their collapse in the terror attack on Sept 11, It was recovered from the rubble heavily dented battered but structurally intact and was moved to Battery Park. (AP) JERUSALEM: An Israeli fighter jet on Thursday shot down a drone belonging to the Islamist group Hamas that had taken off from the Gaza Strip, the military said. The interception prevented an immediate threat of infiltration into Israeli airspace and the drone fell into the Mediterranean sea, the military s statement said. No Hamas comment was immediately available. In December, Hamas, which controls Gaza, blamed Israel for killing one of its drone experts in Tunisia. Israel had no official comment. (RTRS) WASHINGTON: The nation s top military officer says a Pentagonled review of strategy for defeating the Islamic State group will present President Donald Trump with options not just to speed up the fight against IS but also to combat al-qaeda and other extremist groups beyond Iraq and Syria. Gen Joseph Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said the intention is to craft a plan that addresses the threat of violent extremist in the broadest sense. He said this includes the problem of militants being exported from dozens of countries to unstable places like Iraq and Syria. Trump on Jan. 28 ordered a 30-day review of strategy and a preliminary draft of a plan to defeat the Islamic State. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis is expected to deliver it next week. (AP) RIYADH: Organisers of Saudi Arabia s first Comic-Con pop culture festival will be penalised over a violation, the government s entertainment agency said Thursday. It did not give details of the offence or penalty, but authorities are cautiously moving to introduce such forms of entertainment in the country despite resistance from Muslim conservatives. (AFP)

38 LEISURE 38 Scratch pad C 2012 The New York Times, distributed by The New York Times Syndicate odds n ends Giant panda Bao Bao seen napping in her former outdoor habitat at the Smithsonian s National Zoo on Feb 21, in Washington, DC. Bao Bao started settling into her new home Thursday in southwest China where she will eventually join a breeding program. (AFP) Conceptis Sudoku The grid must be so completed that every row, column and 3x3 box has every digit from 1 to 9 inclusive Answer to yesterday s puzzle Challenger DIRECTIONS: Fill each square with a number, one through nine. Horizontal squares should add to totals on right. Vertical squares should add to totals on bottom. Diagonal squares through center should add to total in upper and lower right. THERE MAY BE MORE THAN ONE SOLUTION. Today s Challenge Time 8 Minutes 29 Seconds Your Working Time Minutes Seconds Word by Word Gains Ill-gotten gains never prosper. Al makaasib gheir mashru ah la tuthmir abadan Numbers 7489 Yesterday s solution Makaasib Seven thousand four hundred eighty nine Sabat alaaf wa arbaa mia wa tisaa wa thamaneen contract bridge Sunday: By Steve Becker MOSUL, Iraq: Simba the lion and Lula the bear are the Mosul zoo s only survivors the other animals were killed by shelling, starved to death or ate each other during the fi ghting. Covered in dirt and excrement, the pair paced up and down their cramped cages. The stench of putrefying animal carcasses fi lled the air in this eastern neighbourhood of the wartorn Iraqi city. Federal forces retook that side of Mosul last month from the Islamic State group after more than two years of tyrannical rule by the jihadist group and weeks of bitter combat. Until Amir Khalil, a kind of roving war zone veterinarian, and his team of volunteers from the Four Paws animal welfare charity visited on Tuesday, nobody had entered the cages in weeks. It s very dirty, there is rubble. It is, I believe, inhuman to leave the king of the jungle, or the king of the animals, to be in this place, Khalil told AFP. A surgical mask covering his face and mouth, he loaded sedative darts into a long blowgun and aimed it at Simba s side. The sting drew a huge roar from the lion that briefl y covered the distant explosions of artillery and air strikes targeting IS on the other bank of the Tigris River. When the war started, during the fi ght, half of the animals were gone. They either got sick and died, or some of them ate the others because of starvation, said Abu Omar, the owner of the small zoo. We couldn t even come to feed them. There was shelling and guns fi ring, and a curfew, he said. And also, shelling have damaged some of the cages and some animals were killed because of that. Only Lula, a female bear, and Simba, a male lion, survived. Some pets that used to live at the zoo had found a home with neighbourhood residents, but all the birds of prey have vanished. (AFP) KENDAWANGAN, Indonesia: Baby primate Vena shyly turned her head away from a bottle as two vets tried to feed her, the latest Bornean orangutan rescued in Indonesia after being kept as a pet. Villagers on the Indonesian part of jungle-clad Borneo island often keep the critically endangered apes as pets even though the practice is illegal. Wildlife offi cials and environmentalists rescued sevenmonth-old Vena earlier in February from someone in Kendawangan district who had been looking after her. Vena is now being cared for at a centre run by NGO International Animal Rescue (IAR), whose staff ensure she stays clean by regularly changing her diapers and feed her bottles of milk mixed with vitamin supplements. Last year IAR saved 22 orangutans that were either kept as pets or whose natural jungle habitat had been destroyed by huge forest fi res started to clear land for plantations. Even when they are well looked after, such as in Vena s case, environmentalists stress keeping orangutans as pets is bad because it means they will later struggle to survive in the wild. Many people don t realise that keeping orangutans as pets is illegal and could make them lose their instincts for living in the wild, said Ruswanto, an offi cial from the wildlife protection agency who like many Indonesians goes by one name. Vena was being kept as a pet by a lady called Bariah, who found the ape in a neighbouring village. She was rescued after villagers reported the case to authorities. (AFP)

39 SPORTS 39 Around the world in 100 days Nissan sets off ICC Champions Trophy tour on its journey to the UK DUBAI, UAE, Feb 23: There are 100 days to go until the start of the ICC Champions Trophy 2017, which will be played in England and Wales from the June 1-18 and features the top eight one-day teams in the world. This milestone also marked the start of the ICC Champions Trophy 2017 Nissan Trophy Tour, a global journey bringing the excitement of the ICC Champions Trophy closer to cricket fans around the world before it arrives in England at the start of the summer. As global partner and official car of the ICC, Nissan will be transporting the ICC Champions Trophy in official vehicles on the ground in major cities as well as taking the trophy on some more unusual journeys to surprise and delight cricket fans. Nissan has also collaborated with the ICC to create a series of events that will bring fans together with the trophy and enable them to share their excitement and anticipation for the tournament. The launch of the ICC Champions Trophy 2017 Nissan Trophy Tour was held at the ICC Academy in Dubai s Sport City. The event brought together local school teams, cricket fans, Academy coaches, ICC staff, Nissan employees and former Pakistan Captain Shahid Afridi. ICC Chief Executive David Richardson said: The global trophy tour is the start of what will be a fantastic summer of cricket celebration in the UK with two major back-toback events the ICC Champions Trophy followed by the ICC Women s World Cup. Our thanks to Nissan for bringing Local school teams gather together during the launching of the ICC Champions Trophy 2017 Nissan Trophy Tour. us this global trophy tour, providing the fans from the competing nations with a special experience in the build up to the events. We are confident that the ICC Champions Trophy will be as competitive and thrilling as preceding editions, bringing together some of the finest 50-over cricketers in a short and sharp event in which every match counts. Roel de Vries, Nissan Corporate Vice President and Global Head of Marketing commented: We partnered with the ICC to bring cricket fans closer to the excitement of the game. We want the Nissan Trophy Tour to build excitement and anticipation on the journey towards the ICC Champions Trophy tournament in the UK in June. Former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi attended the launch event and added I want to thank the ICC and its sponsors for their support of cricket. By taking the Champions Trophy on a global tour, they re enabling fans to connect with the event regardless of where they live and hopefully help us build a new generation of fans. The trophy will visit all the competing nations in the next 100 days, heading to India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Pakistan in March before flying to South Africa, New Zealand and Australia in April. The ICC Champions Trophy 2017 Nissan Trophy Tour will culminate in a series of events across host cities in England and Wales in May, before the opening game between England and Bangladesh at The Oval on 1st June. Women in online sports ad strike nerve in Arab world DUBAI, Feb 23, (RTRS): An online commercial released by Nike this week that showed Arab women fencing, boxing and spinning on ice-skates has stirred controversy over its attempt to smash stereotypes about women leading homebound lives in the conservative region. It begins with a woman nervously peering out of her doorway and adjusting her veil before going for a run in the street, while a female voice narrates in a Saudi dialect: What will they say about you? Maybe they ll say you exceeded all expectations. Within 48 hours the video was shared 75,000 times on Twitter and viewed almost 400,000 times on YouTube. An ad (which) touches on the insecurities of women in a society digs deeper and becomes an empowerment tool rather than just a product, Sara al- Zawqari, a spokeswoman for the International Red Cross in Iraq, wrote on her Twitter page. But not all the reviews were positive. I think this ad was an utter fail, said Nada Sahimi on the company s Instagram page. This is not the true representation of Arab, Muslim women. We do not wear a hijab and go running in the streets, shame on Nike, she said. Filmed in the older, rundown suburbs of the glitzy Gulf Arab emirate of Dubai, the ad reflects the struggles faced not only by women across the region but also by some of its own stars. Amal Mourad, a 24-year-old Emirati parkour athlete shown leaping across rooftops, told Reuters her father was reluctant at first to let her train in a gym where men were present. Convincing my father was the toughest part... if you want something bad enough you stick to it, and you can get it done, said Mourad, who now teaches classes in a mixed gender gym. Women exercising in public is a rare sight in much of the region and women-only gyms are few, are not fully equipped for different sports and are often more expensive than gyms for men. In Saudi Arabia, physical education is prohibited in all-girls public schools and women s gyms remain illegal in the kingdom because female athleticism is deemed un-islamic. Speaking to the Okaz newspaper this month, Saudi Princess Reema bint Bandar said the government would soon provide female gyms with licenses, citing public health reasons and not women s empowerment. Riders to compete across 6 categories FBMA International Show Jumping Cup 17 kicks off ABU DHABI, Feb 23: The fourth edition of the Fatima Bint Mubarak Academy (FBMA) International Show Jumping Cup 2017 kicks off tomorrow (Friday) morning, and will run until Saturday evening at the Abu Dhabi Equestrian Club. The event is free and open to the public, with competitions starting from 8:30 am on Friday, Feb 24 and Saturday, Feb 25. Around 120 riders from 19 countries around the world will compete across six categories and competitions. The show jumping events vary according to internationallyrecognised classes and categories that determine obstacle height, course length and other factors. Competing classes are available for female and male, local and international, young and adult riders. Shining names in the world of equestrian from the Middle East region, Europe and America will take part in the two-day competition, including representation from Syria, Lebanon, Jordan and Egypt. Riders from Great Britain, France, Poland, Denmark, the United States of America, Canada and Ireland will also be present, in addition to Austria, Germany, Portugal, Italy, Norway, Puerto Rico and Spain. The largest number of riders are UAE nationals, with 42 participants across all six categories. In keeping with FBMA s broader goals, the competition provides a special platform for women, who form the majority of Emirati participants. A number of them have experienced successes at previous editions of the International Show Jumping Cup, such as Nadia Taryam, who competes for the Sharjah Women s Sport Club and came second in the 2016 Medium Tour category. Maitha Al Hajri is a 22 year-old Emirati show jumper with a number of local and international wins under her belt. Nadin Khalifa Al Maskari won first place at the Longines Small Tour category in 2014 and Both days of the Cup will feature variations of the CSICH, CSIY, CSIJ, CSYH1, CSIL2 and National Ladies categories. This year, the event introduces for the first time the family-friendly Equestrian Village, an interactive activity zone full of fun and educational equestrian-themed games and events that engage visitors with the contemporary horseriding disciplines, as well as Emirati equestrian traditions. The Equestrian Village, open from 10:00 am to 8:00 pm daily will provide the whole family with unmissable fun experience, offering popular children s games, such as egg and spoon races, snakes and ladders and sack races. Additionally, activities such as balance beams, in which children can put their balancing skills to the test, or pin the tail on the donkey and horse shoe throwing games that provide fun equestrian-themed accuracy games for children of all ages, will ensure a perfect day out. Young visitors can also get their first taste of equestrian action with pony rides in the village, while there will also be a face painting station for kids to visit throughout the day. A file photo taken during the FBMA International Show Jumping Cup Butler rallies past Villanova to end Wildcats win streak Kansas clinches a share of 13th straight Big 12 championship VILLANOVA, Pennsylvania, Feb 23, (AP): Kelan Martin scored 22 points and fueled a stunning second-half rally to lead No. 22 Butler past No. 2 Villanova on Wednesday night, ending the Wildcats on-campus home winning streak at 48 games. Kamar Baldwin added 15 points for the Bulldogs (22-6, 11-5 Big East), who have handed the defending national champion Wildcats two of their three losses this season. BASKETBALL Jalen Brunson scored 24 points and Josh Hart had 18 for Villanova (26-3, 13-3), which came into the game having already clinched at least a share of their fourth straight Big East regular-season championship. The game marked the first time Hart and fellow seniors Kris Jenkins and Darryl Reynolds lost a game at the Pavilion in their four-year careers. Kansas 87, TCU 68 In Lawrence, Kansas, Frank Mason III scored 20 points, Carlton Bragg provided a big lift off the bench and Kansas pulled away in the second half and clinched a share of its 13th consecutive Big 12 championship. Devonte Graham added 17 points and seven assists, and Bragg and Josh Jackson scored 15 points apiece, as the Jayhawks (25-3, 13-2) cruised to their NCAA-leading 60th conference title. Their streak dating to coach Bill Self s second season in Lawrence matches the Division I record of 13 straight league titles UCLA set in the 1960s and 70s. Kansas can clinch the outright title with a victory at Texas on Saturday. Alex Robinson had 15 points for the Horned Frogs (17-11, 6-9), who have lost four straight and still have Frank Mason III #0 of the Kansas Jayhawks lays the ball up against JD Miller #15 and Jaylen Fisher #0 of the TCU Horned Frogs in the first half at Allen Fieldhouse on Feb 22, in Lawrence, Kansas. (AFP) never won in Allen Fieldhouse. Oregon 68, California 65 In Berkeley, California, Dillon Brooks hit a 3-pointer with 0.2 seconds to play to cap a comeback from 16 points down and Oregon kept its hopes alive for a Pac-12 title. The Ducks (25-4, 14-2) trailed by 16 points early in the second half and were down 10 with just over 4 minutes left before rallying for the win that moved them a half-game behind Arizona for first place in the conference. Oregon holds the tiebreaker. Brooks led the Ducks with 22 points and Chris Boucher added 18. Jabari Bird scored 20 points to lead the way for the Golden Bears (18-9, 9-6), whose hopes for an NCAA Tournament berth were dealt a big blow with this loss. North Carolina 74, Louisville 63 In Chapel Hill, North Carolina, Justin Jackson scored 21 points and North Carolina pulled away after halftime. Kennedy Meeks added 14 points and 10 rebounds for the Tar Heels (24-5, 12-3), who strengthened their hold on first place in the league. The Tar Heels took over with a 13-3 second-half run to break a 40-all tie and led by 17 points late. Donovan Mitchell scored 21 points for the Cardinals (22-6, 10-5), who didn t shoot well after halftime and struggled to make much of anything outside the paint. Louisville made just 5 of 20 3-point attempts and 4 of 13 free throws. Syracuse 78, Duke 75 In Syracuse, New York, John Gillon hit a 3-pointer from the top of the key at the buzzer for Syracuse. With just 7.5 seconds left on the clock after a Duke miss, Gillon drove to the top of the key and banked in a desperation shot to send the huge crowd into a frenzy as they stormed the court. Syracuse (17-12, 9-7 Atlantic Coast Conference) had lost three straight and needed another signature victory to go with its two top-10 wins to bolster its resume for a berth in the NCAA Tournament. Duke (22-6, 10-5 ACC) had won seven straight and entered the game tied for second in the ACC with Louisville. Gillon finished with 26 points and Tyus Battle had 18 for Syracuse in a game that featured 11 ties, half of them in the closing minutes. Luke Kennard led Duke with 23 points and Jayson Tatum had 19 points and 13 rebounds. Providence 68, Creighton 66 In Omaha, Nebraska, Kyron Cartwright made a 3-pointer with 2.2 seconds left to give Providence the victory. Cartwright s shot from the right wing was the Friars first field goal in more than 5 minutes and gave them their first lead since the opening 4 minutes of the second half. Khyri Thomas s 3-point try ahead of the buzzer for Creighton bounced off the rim. Emmitt Holt scored all 18 of his points in the second half for the Friars (17-11, 7-8 Big East), who won their third straight. Marcus Foster had 18 points and Justin Patton added 17 for the Bluejays (22-6, 9-6). Minnesota 89, Maryland 75 In College Park, Maryland, Dupree McBrayer scored 14 of his 18 points in the second half and Minnesota won its sixth straight victory. The Golden Gophers (21-7, 9-6 Big Ten) are undefeated since losing to Maryland (22-6, 10-5) on Jan. 28. It was Minnesota s third consecutive road win, its longest run in the conference since Down 53-50, the Gophers got 12 points from McBrayer in a 20-7 run that broke open a game that had gone back and forth to that point. Nate Mason scored 17 points and Akeem Springs added 16 for Minnesota, which committed only six turnovers two after halftime. Maryland standout guard Melo Trimble went 4 for 12 from the field and the Terrapins went 7 for 27 beyond the arc in losing for the fourth time in six games. Backup center Ivan Bender scored a careerhigh 15 points for Maryland and Trimble and Anthony Cowan each had 11. Top seed Raonic advances at Delray Beach Svitolina poised for top 10 breakthrough with Dubai wins DUBAI, Feb 23, (Agencies): Elina Svitolina queued up a possible breakthrough into a first-time top 10 ranking as she reached the semifinals of the Dubai Tennis Championships on Thursday with a 6-0, 6-4 defeat of Lauren Davis. The seventh seed, currently ranked 13th and winner of a fifth career title this month in Taipei, will line up on Friday against either top seed Angelique Kerber or Croatian Ana Konjuh after those two meet in a quarter-final at the Aviation club. Kerber can regain the WTA top ranking from Serena Williams with a trophy performance on Saturday after losing the top honour after the American won the Australian Open. Latvian Anastasija Sevastova put out the week s last Chinese hope, defeating Wang Qiang 6-4, 7-5 as the Asian lost her first sets of the week. Sevastova will wait for an opponent from tenth seed Caroline Wozniacki and teenaged American CiCi Bellis, who upset 2012 champion and fourth seed Agnieszka Radwandka in the third round. Canadian top seed Milos Raonic advanced to the quarter-finals of the ATP Delray Beach Open on Wednesday by defeating Croatia s TENNIS Borna Coric 6-3, 7-6 (7/2). On a night when rain delayed the start of play for more than eight hours, world number four Raonic fired 12 aces on his way to victory after 94 minutes in the early minutes of Thursday morning. Raonic, who reached the tie-breaker with his 11th ace and reached match point with his last ace, booked a Friday quarter-final matchup against British eighth seed Kyle Edmund, who outlasted Taiwan s Lu Yen-Hsun 6-3, 3-6, 6-2. Also advancing to the last eight was US third seed Jack Sock, who downed Spain s Guillermo Garcia-Lopez 6-4, 6-1, and American fifth seed Steve Johnson, who eliminated Japan s Yoshihito Nishioka by the same score. Sock and Johnson will meet in another quarter-final. Thursday s Svitolina matchups find Argentina s seventhseeded Juan Martin Del Potro, in his first tournament of the year after helping his homeland win the Davis Cup, meeting Bosnia s Damir Dzumhur. Two other second-round matches Thursday will be all-american affairs, with teen star Taylor Fritz facing Donald Young and fourth-seeded defending champion Sam Querrey meeting Jared Donaldson. In Marseille, France, Daniil Medvedev upset eighth-seeded Benoit Paire 5-7, 7-5, 7-6 (4) in the first round of the Open 13 on Wednesday, and defending champion Nick Kyrgios advanced to the quarterfinals. The 21-year-old Medvedev rallied from a double break down in the decider after breaking his French opponent when Paire served for the match in the second set. Paire s fellow Frenchmen Richard Gasquet and Gilles Simon enjoyed better fortune at the indoor hard-court tournament while Kyrgios eased past Malek Jaziri 6-4, 6-2. The sixth-seeded Gasquet prevailed 7-5, 6-2 against Mikhail Youzhny and Simon joined him in the quarterfinals after beating Julien Benneteau 6-2, 2-6, 6-3 in an all-french match. In Rio De Janeiro, the Rio Open has lost some of its top players in early matches as it competes for attention during Carnival week in Brazil Top-seeded Kei Nishikori was ousted in the first round of the clay-court tournament by local favorite Thomaz Bellucci. Last year s champion and thirdseeded Pablo Cuevas was also beaten in the first round. So was Guido Pella, who lost to Cuevas in last year s final. Of the eight seeded players, five lost in the first round. That opens the door for No. 2-seeded Dominic Thiem to win his eighth ATP singles titles. Thiem defeated Dusan Lajovic of Serbia on Wednesday 6-2, 7-5 to reach the quarterfinals. Slovakia s Norbert Gombos returns the ball to France s Nicolas Mahut during the ATP Marseille Open 13 tennis match against Germany s Jan-Lennard Struff in Marseille, southern France on Feb 23. (AFP)

40 SPORTS 40 IEAS win UGC Inter-School Soccer tourney The finalists FC Sparks and AVC pose with guests and organisers of the tournament before proceedings. AVC hold off Sparks for title KUWAIT CITY, Feb 23: The United Goans Center has been one of the premier soccer clubs in Kuwait for the past thirty eight years. We re always at the forefront of sports activities, socio-cultural activities and various social events to promote harmony between expatriate community in Kuwait. On the turn of the season, when the cold winds refused to make way for a warmer weather, the United Goans Center (UGC) honorable President Tony Alphonso along with his club members Agnelo, Rusario, Brigido and Garry held the Inter-School Soccer tournament for kids under the age of 14 at the Mishrif ground. Since its initiation in 1976, the UGC has always promoted the beautiful game among children. In 2000 and 2015 UGC had also organized a similar tournament on Jabriya Indian School lift the Inter School trophy year in 2000 and United Indian School Lifted the trophy of SOCCER Their Slogan Friendship Through Sports helps stand as a reminder to theses young athletes as they mature into grown footballers that though it is a tournament, one must maintain that sportsmanship and discipline at all times; be it on the field or off. Since its inception, UGC breathed life into football in kuwait, at a time when the sport had almost been forgotten. Now it has taken a leading role in allowing school going kids to compete with each other from different schools to help shape the next round of home grown footballers in Kuwait to take part in local sporting events. Not many kids have the luxury of making it into first teams as older players are always prefered due to their vast experience. But this year the UGC decided to give them a chance to show what they are made of by conducting the tournament for under 14 year olds to commemorate the 41st edition UGC soccer tournament Final. On what promised to be a cold yet sunny morning, United Goans Centre (UGC) held its 41st Edition football tournament. The day began with an epic showdown between Indian English Academy School (IEAS) and Indian Central School (ICS) for the Inter-School under 14 Football finals. The two finalists beat a host of other schools that consisted of United Indian School, Kuwait Indian school, Carmel School Kuwait and Indian Integrated School to reach the final. Both schools showed professionalism by arriving early on the pitch and spent some time doing warm ups and practice drills. The match itself was well balanced in the first half as both teams were evenly matched in skill and fight for possession. IEAS seemed the more threating of the two however; no breakthrough could be found ending the first half in 0-0 draw. The second half began with the same energy as the first half. IEAS seemed eager to push forward with a spectacular long-range pass from No. 4 Cailan Quiney. IEAS put forth more balls into the box with lovely crosses but there wasn t anyone to receive them except ICS players. Not wanting to be left out ICS retaliated with more vigor earning themselves a corner but it was cleared by IEAS. ICS increased their attacks inside the IEAS box. IEAS seemed flustered as they lost Multi-events second runners up Kuwait Indian School. Multi-events first runners up Indian Central School. Multi-events winners United Indian School. UGC 41st Edition Football winners AVC in a jubilant mood. Man of the Match school game. possession inside their own box leading to nervy moments. The IEAS goalkeeper though seemed to be there just when needed, spectacularly saving a good shot on goal. The game went into extra time and IEAS soaked up whatever attacks thrown at them by ICS but were quick to counter earning themselves a free kick some distance away. No. 17 Aaron D souza was tasked with taking the free kick, which he took fabulously with a long range ball. Enthused with their goal, IEAS increased pressure and crowded the ICS box. Though the game was all but won, IEAS would not back down. Their efforts paid off when No.5 Huzefa Ali doubled their lead. Even though they were trailing 2-0, ICS kept trying until the last minute of the game; emitting the sporting spirit that great teams are made of. Multi Sport Events The United Goans Centre also conducted for the first time an Inter-School Multi-Events on 4th February 2017, for children under the age of 14 years. The UGC has introduced these Multi-Events to give both boys and girls a platform to participate and enhance their extracurricular activities. United Indian School (UIS), Kuwait Indian School (KIS), Indian Central School (ICS), Carmel School Kuwait (CSK) were the four schools that participated in various events. The games were held to test the physical and mental capacity as well as create a sense of comradery and teamwork among students. United Indian School took first place due to wins in Tug of War, Relay Mix, Relay Girls, Mathematics Problem Solving and Run with the Ball. Indian Central School took Second place with wins in the Sack Race and Relay Boys. Kuwait Indian School and Carmel School Kuwait took 3rd and 4th place respectively. The Winners of the Same were announced on 10th February FC Sparks vs AVC The United Goans Centre s 41st Edition Football Final 2017 final between FC Sparks and AVC followed the Inter-School Football Final. AVC vs. FC Sparks started with a bang as FC Sparks forward No.20 Jithin burst forth towards the AVC goal in the opening minutes. He attempted to head a cross from No. 10 Hussain, towards goal but it went straight in the Goalkeepers waiting hands. The midfield of both teams were busy as interceptions, blocks and tackles were aplenty throughout the match. Hussain for FC Sparks was at it again with lovely link up play with Jithin whose header was a few feet wide off target. AVC earned themselves a free kick in a promising position. No. 20 Roland scored a beauty over a line of FC defenders into the top corner of goal. AVC controlled possession but FC Sparks wouldn t back down, fighting them on every turn. FC sparks had a good opportunity when a long ball was played to No.6 Hisham but his shot went wide over the bar just before half time. Returning from the second half, FC Sparks were determined to equalize after No.28 Sulfi put in a delectable cross across the face of the box but not a Sparks player in sight to collect it. FC Sparks kept possession well with impressive one touch passing but they couldn t break through the strong AVC defense. UIS captain receives a trophy. Sparks had a chance with intricate passing between the players but the final shot was high over the crossbar. AVC sensing the danger increased pressure inside the FC Sparks box. A shot on goal was blocked by the FC Sparks keeper, but it fell to No.61 Anthony who headed into goal. As temperatures rose on the pitch, the referee had to hand out yellow cards to couple of players as he defused the tension. Though they were leading 2-0 AVC were relentless in their effort to score again. Soon enough, the final whistle signaled the end, making AVC the Winners of the 41st Edition UGC Men s Football Final. Following both matches, a small presentation of awards was held for both football tournaments as well as the Inter School Mutlti-Events. At the end The United Goans Center (UGC) honorable President Tony Alphonso thanked the participating clubs and school team with a promise to have more and better events for schools in future. He also thanked the sponsors Almaz International Shipping Co., Gulf Bank, Mr Ross and Mrs Raina Vaz and the give away s which was donated by Al Yasara List of Winners for the Awards are as follows: Multi-Events Winners UGC Inter-School Under 14 Multi-Events Winners United Indian School UGC Inter-School Under 14 Multi-Events 1st Runner Up Indian Central School UGC Inter-School Under 14 Multi-Events 2nd Runner Up Kuwait Indian School UGC Inter-School Under 14 Multi-Events Tug of War Winners Indian Central School UGC Inter-School Under 14 Multi-Events Tug of War Runner Up Indian English Academy School \\UGC Inter-School under 14 Football Final 2017 Winners Indian English Academy School UGC Inter-School under 14 Football Final 2017 Runners Up Indian Central School UGC Inter-School under 14 Football Final 2017 Man of The Match Sayed Hassan - Indian English Academy School Football Final 2017 UGC 41st Edition Football Final 2017 Winners AVC UGC 41st Edition Football Final 2017 Runners up FC Sparks UGC 41st Edition Football Final 2017 Man of the Match Hussain FC Sparks UGC 41st Edition Football Final 2017 Top Scorer Hussain FC Sparks Best Discipline Team Curtocares One of the winning schools display their championship medals and the trophy. Best of the Rest Messi happy at Barcelona : Lionel Messi could not be happier than at Barcelona, and can crown his status as an all time great by winning the World Cup with Argentina, national coach Edgardo Bauza told AFP on Wednesday. I can see just how happy he is at Barcelona with his family around him, said Bauza, who has been at the helm of the Argentine national team since August Of course when Leo is happy that helps him give his best performance, morale is crucial for form, said the 59-year-old former defender. A footballer is happy when he is playing and winning, otherwise he is rarely happy, said Bauza. Messi s Barcelona were beaten 4-0 at Paris Saint-Germain last week in their first-leg last-16 Champions League tie and with his contract running out in 2018 there is speculation he may leave. The coach refused to be drawn on Messi s future. (AFP) Escudero extends Sevilla deal: Sevilla left-back Sergio Escudero was rewarded for his fine form this season with a new four-year contract, the Spanish club confirmed on Thursday. Sevilla and Sergio Escudero have reached an agreement that will keep the left-sided defender with the club from Nervion (Getafe) until June 30, 2021, Sevilla said in a statement. Escudero joined Sevilla from Getafe at the start of last season and helped the Andalusians to their third straight Europa League title in May. The 27-year-old also set up Sevilla s opener in a 2-1 Champions League last 16, first leg win over English champions Leicester City on Wednesday. (AFP) Mowbray to lead Rovers: Blackburn Rovers have appointed Tony Mowbray head coach on an 18-month contract after sacking manager Owen Coyle earlier this week, the Championship strugglers said in a statement. Coyle was sacked on Tuesday with Rovers currently second from bottom of the Championship, in danger of relegation to English football s third tier for the first time since The 53-year-old Mowbray has managed in both England and Scotland, with spells at Middlesbrough, Celtic and West Bromwich Albion, and was last in charge of Coventry City. (RTRS) Lallana signs new deal: Midfielder Adam Lallana has signed a new long-term contract with Liverpool, the Premier League club said on their website ( com) on Wednesday. The 28-year-old Lallana, who joined Liverpool from Southampton for 25 million pounds ($31.11 million)in June 2014, has made 23 appearances so far this season, scoring seven goals and contributing seven assists. I m very proud and feel quite humbled by the show of faith from the club and the manager in particular, Lallana told the website. Signing for a club like Liverpool is obviously a big thing but to re-sign shows you ve obviously contributed enough that the people who make the decisions want you to stay longer. This is a really good place to be at the moment and for a player who wants to be part of something special, I can t think of a better club to commit your future to. (RTRS) Captain of a winning school receives a trophy.

41 SPORTS 41 Strikers X Team World Class, Siete Pares brush aside rivals DMDA Bowleros tighten grip on leader board supremacy By Miguel Carlos Special to the Arab Times KUWAIT CITY, Feb 23: Nowhere to go except the top, the architectural designers of DMDA Bowleros tightened their grip on leader board supremacy as they book a scintillating win over the entertainment magnates of Cozmo Salmiya in their scheduled 14th week match at the on-going elimination round of the nd FTBK-Robinson s Tenpin Bowling Team Tournament being held at the Cozmo Entertainment Center bowling lanes in Salmiya. And with just four weeks left in the qualifying round, the power pin breakers of World Class also hurdled their assignment in style and are all set to join DMDA in the next stage of this tenpin bowling competition organized by the Filipino Tenpin Bowlers Kuwait (FTBK) and sponsored by Robinson s Properties. Also brushing aside their respective rivals over the weekend were Siete Pares 2, Siete Pares 1 and the K2E2 Thunders. Unmoved from the top of the team standings after assuming the tournament leadership in the seventh round, the DMDA Bowleros even with their place in the finals already assured showed up for their skirmish with the Cozmo Salmiya still looking for victory as they grabbed the early lead with an win in game one of the 4-game series encounter. In the next game, Cozmo Salmiya with Paul Arcayan, Cris Batucan, Bert Pantanilla and Arnold Mendoza showed their mettle as title contenders themselves by eking out a close victory. Up by a mere 9-pinfalls after two games , DMDA blew the match wide open with an annihilation of the entertainment magnates in game three. To underscore their top seed status, the DMDA Bowleros bannered by Alfred Avila, Jun Guerra, Tito Tamayo, Chit Mariano, Al Belarmino and Sonny Mariano closed out their stint with a superb victory in game four. Final tally of the match was for DMDA who with the victory clinched their third team high series of the week award. Meanwhile, Siete Pares 2 succeeded in getting back into serious contention for a finals berth by coming back from two successive setbacks to beat the currently third ranked D Islanders Spearheaded by the foursome of Aga Cuadrazal, Bobby Carambas, Rolly David and Edgar Pascua, D Islanders were quick out of the starting DMDA Bowleros Team block to take the first two games of the match via and scores. Just as D Islanders were quick to take the lead, Siete Pares 2 proved quicker still as they snatch the upper hand through a sterling performance in game three where they prevailed And as D Islanders continued to BOWLING squander in game four, Siete Pares 2 dished out another lopsided win. Top bowlers for Siete Pares 2 in this fruitful outing were Siddharth Nair, Lito Igot, Edwin De Mesa, Dorcas Sansone, JR Angeles and Alex Nodalo. And while the DMDA Bowleros were serious in maintaining their number one post, the second placed World Class keglers showed the same resolve as they kept their ranking after subduing the off formed Rock N Bowl pin busters Leading World Class in sweeping all four games of the match , , and were Glenn Corbit, Anastasius Menezes, Bill Stiles, Ted Ashley and Carol Awadi. Bowling for the beleaguered Rock N Bowl squad were Liza Catapia, Norie Sairat, Rod Llait and Tariq Sairat. Defending champion Siete Pares 1 was also in the winner s row this week beating the pump masters of NLB Corporation Heading Siete Pares 1 in their , and victories were Egay Cabildo, Rico Galang, Faie Reyel and Ritz Vidana. Going to the only other match of the round, The K2E2 Thunders with Edwin Latoja, Lee Mills, Jess Farne, Joan Latoja and Butch Alinea at the NLB Corporation Pin Busters Team helm edged out Strikers X For the Individual and Team High scores the current record holders are as follows: Individual High Game Men Group 1-Aga Cuadrazal 279, Men Group 2- Butch Alinea 247, Ladies Division-Liza Catapia 233; High Average Men Group 1-Mousa Abdullah 209, Men Group 2-Anastasius Menezes 182, Ladies Division-Elvie Sotio 184; Team High Game- K2E2 874 and Team High Series- NLB Corporation The team standings after 14 weeks are as follows (read as rank, team name and total score); 1. DMDA Bowleros , 2. World Class , 3. D Islanders , 4. Rock N Bowl , 5. Cozmo Salmiya , 6. K2E2 Thunders , 7. Siete Pares , 8. Siete Pares , 9. Strikers X , 10. NLB Corporation Hamilton describes new car more powerful beast F1 must embrace social media One Championship unconcerned UFC muscles into Asia with eyes firmly on China SINGAPORE, Feb 23, (AFP): The world s biggest mixed martial arts organisation, the Las Vegas-based UFC, Thursday announced its longawaited return to Asia with a Singapore show and an ambition to debut in mainland China. Ultimate Fighting Championship, which has shot to sporting prominence by making global stars of fighters such as Conor McGregor and Ronda Rousey, said it would host three events in Asia and two in Australia and New Zealand, though only confirming the Singapore date on June 17. While UFC has previously hosted two events in the southern Chinese MIXED MARTIAL ARTS semi-autonomous city of Macau, UFC Head of International and Content Joe Carr said its sights were now firmly fixed on the lucrative Chinese mainland. We re definitely working on our first event in mainland China, he said at a press conference in Singapore. We ve had a couple of events in Macau but it s completely different going to a Beijing or a Shanghai. I have nothing to announce but it s definitely a priority and a focus for the organisation. We were successful in Macau and that s fine but our ambitions are mainland China. Carr added that UFC was on the verge of signing China s biggest MMA star, without naming the fighter. The Singapore card will look to cash in on the continued rise of mixed martial arts across the Asia-Pacific region and will be the first staged in Asia by the UFC since Seoul, South Korea, almost 18 months ago. The UFC had planned to hold an event in Manila in October but was forced to cancel when headliner BJ Penn injured his ribs during his pre-fight camp. Carr said UFC would stage another show in Tokyo later this year, while another in Asia, probably in Seoul, and NHL Results/Standings Pacquiao in talks to fight Amir Khan Pacquiao WASHINGTON, Feb 23, (RTRS): Results and standings from the NHL games on Wednesday: Anaheim 5 Boston 3 Western Conference Central Division W L OTL GF GA PTS Minnesota Chicago St Louis Nashville Winnipeg Dallas Colorado Pacific Division W L OTL GF GA PTS San Jose Edmonton Anaheim Calgary Los Angeles Vancouver Arizona MANILA, Feb 23, (AFP): Philippine boxing hero Manny Pacquiao on Thursday said he was in negotiations to face British fighter Amir Khan, after weeks of conflicting reports over his next bout. M y team and I are in negotiations with Amir Khan for our next f i g h t. Further announcements coming soon, Pacquiao, 38, said on his official Twitter feed. Spokesmen for Pacquiao could not be contacted for comment. Pacquiao s Tweet follows various accounts from different sources over who he will be facing next and where the fight might be held. Pacquiao s promoter, Top Rank s Bob Arum, told ESPN sports network that he was sceptical about a Khan fight. Australia and New Zealand events, were also planned. I will admit that we ve been a little inconsistent in our event calendar, said Carr. The Singapore-based One Championship has been a main force behind the mixed martial arts boom in Asia, with 18 events confirmed for The organisation s founder Chatri Sityodtong said he was not worried about UFC muscling in on his organisation s turf. Note: Overtime losses (OTL) are worth one point in the standings and are not included in the loss column (L) MOTOR RACING SILVERSTONE, UK, Feb 23, (AFP): Three-time world champion Lewis Hamilton urged Formula One s new rulers Liberty Media to bring the sport up to date on Thursday by opening it up to social media. The Mercedes driver is a committed user of social media and came under fire last October after messing around on photo app Snapchat during a drivers press conference prior to the Japanese Grand Prix. He believes sports like football, the NBA and the NFL harness social media a lot better and says allowing drivers to use it more freely would help attract new fans to the sport. You re not allowed to do social media, at all, Hamilton told AFP during the Mercedes season launch event at Silverstone. I mean, you can take a picture and post it, but (that s it). Everyone has a phone, everyone s on their phone a large portion of the day. Everyone wants live, exclusive footage. Something as small as me being in my room, saying, Hey guys, I m getting ready for my session, this is my suit, blah blah blah. Those are things people want to see and I think excluding that is a negative for the sport, so allowing that to happen is going to be great. This year marks Hamilton s 10th anniversary as an F1 driver and he will embark upon the season with a new team-mate after Valtteri Bottas came in to replace Nico Rosberg. Rosberg pipped Hamilton to last year s Drivers Championship before abruptly retiring and with the British driver now 32, he admitted the day he walks away from the sport himself could arrive soon. I don t think about (retiring) a huge amount, but of course I do think about it, Hamilton said. At the end of each season and particularly at the beginning of each season, when you re going through the tough training, how fit you are. I got in the car today and I was like, Ah, I can still drive! So that s a good thing. I really don t know when is going to be the time. It could be soon, it could be far away. That s the exciting thing about life. Hamilton was speaking after taking his new W08 car for a spin on a damp, blustery day at Silverstone, 80 miles (129 kms) northwest of London. The new car has a black, silver and teal chassis and is lower, wider and heavier than last year s W07, reflecting new design regulations intended to make F1 cars faster and more demanding to drive. Hamilton described the new car as the most detailed piece of machinery I have seen in F1 and said it was a more powerful beast than last year s car. Former Williams driver Bottas said: I ve never driven a car with that much downforce. Hamilton and Rosberg had a notoriously fractious relationship, but Bottas, 27, believes he and his new team-mate can forge a productive partnership. We haven t raced yet together and so far it s been good, said the Finn. I see no reason why we couldn t work professionally as a good pair of team-mates, race hard but fair on the track and work as a team. We ll find out, but I have a good feeling about it. Washington 4 Philadelphia 1 Edmonton 4 Florida 3 Eastern Conference Atlantic Division W L OTL GF GA PTS Montreal Ottawa Toronto Florida Boston Tampa Bay Buffalo Detroit Metropolitan Division W L OTL GF GA PTS Washington Pittsburgh Columbus NY Rangers NY Islanders Philadelphia New Jersey Carolina Washington Capitals Lars Eller (20) cannot get the puck past Philadelphia Flyers Michal Neuvirth (30) during the first period of an NHL hockey game on Feb 22, in Philadelphia. (AP) Ducks snap Bruins streak with 5-3 win ANAHEIM, California, Feb 23, (AP): Rickard Rakell broke a tie with his second goal with 2:34 to play, helping the Anaheim Ducks end Boston s four-game winning streak under new coach Bruce Cassidy with a 5-3 victory over the Bruins on Wednesday night. Rakell also scored in the second period for the Ducks and has 24 goals in his outstanding season. Ondrej Kase, Josh Manson and Andrew Cogliano also scored for Anaheim, and Jonathan Bernier made 26 saves in his first victory since Jan 23. Frank Vatrano scored the tying goal in the third period for the Bruins, who hadn t lost since Cassidy replaced Claude Julien on Feb 7. Defensemen Brandon Carlo and Zdeno Chara ICE HOCKEY scored early goals, and Tuukka Rask stopped 20 shots. Oilers 4, Panthers 3 In Sunrise, Florida, Kris Russell s goal with 7:58 left was his first in more than a year and lifted Edmonton over Florida to end the Panthers fivegame winning streak. Russell s goal was his first since Feb 11, 2016, when he played for Calgary. He went goalless in his first 48 games with the Oilers. Fellow defenseman Oscar Klefbom also scored for Edmonton, as did forwards Zack Kassian and Ryan Nugent- Hopkins. Connor McDavid, who came into the night leading the NHL scoring race, had an assist on Russell s goal. Capitals 4, Flyers 1 In Philadelphia, Evgeny Kuznetsov scored two goals, Braden Holtby made 33 saves and Washington beat Philadelphia. Nicklas Backstrom and T.J. Oshie also scored for the NHL-leading Capitals, who snapped a two-game losing streak. Brayden Schenn had the lone goal for the struggling Flyers, who are 2-5 in their last seven games. Michal Neuvirth stopped 25 shots for Philadelphia. Russell s goal lifts Oilers past Panthers NFL Roundup NFLPA 1st exec director Garvey dies Mexico game had $45m economic impact : study NEW YORK, Feb 23, (RTRS): The NFL s return to Mexico City last November to stage the firstever Monday Night Football game outside the United States had a $45 million economic impact on the city, the league said on Thursday. The game attracted 9,500 international visitors who, on average, spent more than five days in Mexico, as well as 21,500 visitors from elsewhere in the country, according to the results of a study commissioned by the NFL. The study also said total domestic and Garvey international tourist spending was $43 million, of which $32 million was incremental to Mexico City s economy. If the Chicago Bears can find a trade partner, quarterback Jay Cutler will be relocating this offseason. Cutler, 33, has a $17 million cap number and four years remaining on a deal he signed during Phil Emery s tenure as general manager. Current coach John Fox and GM Ryan Pace afforded Cutler the chance to nail down the job in 2015 and 2016, but the Bears missed the playoffs each year. The Bears dipped into the college ranks to hire Zach Azzanni as wide receivers coach after he spent the last four seasons at the University of Tennessee. Azzanni arrives in the NFL with 18 years of coaching experience at the collegiate level, including the past two seasons as the Volunteers wide receivers coach and passing game coordinator. Pittsburgh Steelers running back Le Veon Bell, who was forced out of the AFC Championship Game because of a groin injury, is not expected to need offseason surgery. Bell appears to have avoided an operation, Ian Rapoport of NFL Media reported Wednesday. Jacksonville Jaguars tight end Julius Thomas reportedly passed his physical with the Miami Dolphins to clear the way for the expected trade to be finalized next month. According to Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald, Thomas got the thumbs up from the Dolphins after the exam and that his visit with the team will wrap up on Wednesday. He visited the Dolphins facility and met a couple of coaches. Ed Garvey, who was the NFL Players Association s first executive director, died Wednesday. He was 76. Garvey died at a nursing home in Verona, Wis, after a battle with Parkinson s disease, the Capital Times reported.

42 SPORTS 42 Ranieri hails Leicester character at Sevilla Khedira confident Juve can end 21-yr wait for Euro glory LISBON, Feb 23, (RTRS): Sami Khedira believes this could be the season that Juventus end their 21-year wait for a third European title after the Italian side beat Porto 2-0 away in their Champions League last-16 first leg match on Wednesday. Marko Pjaca and Dani Alves came off the bench to break 10-man Porto s resolve with two goals in three secondhalf minutes after the hosts had lost Alex Telles to a mindless first-half red card. While Khedira maintains the tie is still alive, he said he had a good feeling about Juve s chances of winning a first European crown since Sometimes you have a feeling and this year I do have a very good feeling, but unfortunately seven or eight other teams have the same feeling, the Germany midfielder told BT Sport. We have to work, go forward with much concentration and I think we can reach it. Serie A leaders Juventus transferred their rampant domestic form onto the European stage with a dominant display against Porto to end the hosts 20- game unbeaten home streak. Khedira, however, believes it is too SOCCER early to write off the Portuguese outfit. We know football is crazy and anything can happen, as we saw last night in Manchester (as Manchester City twice came back from behind to beat Monaco 5-3), he added. It s absolutely not over. We re happy with tonight but in three weeks we ll need to be careful as Porto are angry and have nothing to lose. The victory was Juventus s fourth consecutive European away triumph and they have now scored in their last 23 matches in all competitions. We played 90 minutes with control and patience, so it s a good result going into the second leg, added Khedira, a Champions League winner with Real Madrid in It s hard to play 11 against 10, especially at this level, as it s difficult to break the deadlock. We scored late but we never lost control. Juventus host Porto in the second leg on March 14. Leicester City coach Claudio Ranieri believed his side earned their own luck after they battled to a 2-1 Champions League defeat by Sevilla on Wednesday thanks to Jamie Vardy s late goal after being outclassed by the Spanish side. Only a string of saves from inspired goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel, including one from the penalty spot, prevented a first-half deluge for the struggling English champions and Sevilla also hit the woodwork twice after the break. Sevilla looked to be in charge of the tie when Joaquin Correa added to Pablo Sarabia s first-half header to put this hosts 2-0 ahead but Vardy made the most of Leicester s only real chance to keep them in touch. We know they are a better team than us with more quality and experience but we had more heart and we showed character. When you play with character sometimes luck is on your side, Ranieri told reporters. Soccer Roundup The first half was very tough and Kasper kept the team alive, the second half was much better from us and we believed we could do something good. We played well for a spell and then they scored again. We scored a goal that was important for three reasons: it gave us strength, it got Vardy back among the goals and for a striker your confidence depends on scoring, and it kept us in the tie. Vardy s goal, the England international s first since December, means a 1-0 win in the second leg would take Leicester through to the quarter-finals. They have endured a dismal season in the defence of their Premier league title, lying 17th in the standings and just one pint above the relegation zone. Sevilla coach Jorge Sampaoli did not hide his disappointment at his side s failure to make their dominance count and kill off the tie. We leave here with a strange feeling because of their goal but that shouldn t change how we feel about our performance. It was difficult to imagine we could dominate a game like that in the Champions League, he said. Sampaoli praised Schmeichel s performance. The only option we have is to maintain our philosophy in the second leg when the whole ground will be supporting its team intensely, he said. We dominated the first half and had six chances, we were less dominant in the second but still had more chances and they scored with their one opportunity and are alive because of that. I feel dizzy about how tight the tie still is. Juventus Argentinian forward Gonzalo Higuain (left), tries to control the ball next to Porto s Brazilian defender Felipe during the UEFA Champions League round of 16 second leg football match FC Porto vs Juventus at the Dragao Stadium in Porto on Feb 22. (AFP) Farwaniya Equestrian Club holds event KUWAIT CITY, Feb 23: Board of Farwaniya Equestrian Club will organize the 18th Horseracing Competition titled National Day and Liberation Day Festival on Friday, Feb 24, which will coincide with the celebrations of the 56th National Day and 26th Liberation Day of Kuwait. A total of 91 horses and riders are due to participate in the competition, which will be held under the patronage of the Mourinho miffed by timing LONDON, Feb 23, (RTRS): Jose Mourinho s delight at Manchester United s progress to the last 16 of the Europa League has been tempered by the timing of their FA Cup quarter-final against Chelsea, with the manager criticising the tie being scheduled for a Monday. United, who beat St Etienne 1-0 on Wednesday to progress 4-0 on aggregate, now face the prospect of playing the second leg of their next Europa League tie just three days after their FA Cup showdown against former club Chelsea on March 13. I feel really surprised that the decision is made before our draw in Europe because nobody knows who we play against, nor where the first and second matches are being played, Mourinho told reporters ahead of Friday s Europa League draw. We play Chelsea on Monday then we ve got a second match in Europe, Russia or Turkey. This is what we have. The Portuguese also criticised local rivals Manchester City, who fielded a weakened team in the FA Cup last season when faced with a similar problem under former manager Manuel Pellegrini. businessmen Nayef Gheyam Al-Mutairi and Meshal Ahmad Al-Ghanim. It will be held at the Sheikh Ahmad Al-Jaber Horse Racecourse from 2:30 pm starting with the first round, which is a 1,200-meter race for Arabian horses, in which 10 horses will participate. The second round, which is a 1,000-meter race, will follow with 17 horses. About 20 horses will participate in the third round, which is a 2,400-meter race, while 11 horses will compete in the fourth round, a 1,200-meter race for Class-2 horses, and the fifth round, a 1,800-meter race, will involve participation of 16 Class-1 horses. In the final round, a 1,400-meter race for HORSE RACING Class-3 horses, a total of 14 horses will participate. In his role, Nayef Gheyam praised the success of the festival organized by the Farwaniya Equestrian Club and the anticipation of a huge turnout of public to witness the sport of their forefathers, which is ever popular in this country due to excellent preparations by the organizing committees. He called upon the private sector to support this sport, indicating that proper Islamic teachers urge us to engage in horse riding. Amer, CITIC line up rival bid for Southampton I am staying at Man United, says Rooney LONDON, Feb 23, (AFP): Wayne Rooney said Thursday he was staying with Manchester United following persistent speculation he could make a lucrative move to the Chinese Super League. British media reports said Rooney s agent, Paul Stretford, had been in China speaking to interested clubs but the United and England captain insisted he was remaining at Old Trafford. Despite the interest which has been shown from other clubs, for which I m grateful, I want to end recent speculation and say that I am staying at Manchester United, the 31-year-old Rooney said in a statement released to Britain s Press Association. I hope I will play a full part in helping the team in its fight for success on four fronts. It s an exciting time at the club and I want to remain a part of it, added Rooney, whose current United contract runs until mid-2018, with the club holding the option to extend it by a further year. Speculation over the experienced forward s future has intensified in recent weeks with Rooney often sidelined by United manager Jose Mourinho. Chinese clubs said to be interested in Rooney, United s all-time leading scorer, included Guangzhou Evergrande, Beijing Guoan, Jiangsu Suning and Tianjin Quanjian. Rooney British media had reported that he could earn up to $1 million a week, making him the world s best paid player, but Rooney s statement has at least ended the debate over his future ahead of the closure of the CSL transfer window next Tuesday. Rooney missed Wednesday s Europa League last- 32 second leg in Saint-Etienne through injury, but dominated conversation in France. Mourinho said that Rooney s future was in his own hands in comments at his pre-match press conference that only fuelled the speculation. Chinese buyers including materials giant Amer International and CITIC Securities Co Ltd are readying a rival 246 million pounds ($305 million) bid for English soccer club Southampton, a person with knowledge of the plans told Reuters. The bid for the English Premier League side marks a potential challenge to an earlier planned acquisition by Lander Sports Development, which said in January that it was taking a stake in the club. Southampton take on Manchester United in the final of the League Cup on Sunday, after having beaten Liverpool at Anfield last month in the semi-finals. The Saints last played a major final at Wembley Stadium in Zinedine Zidane s fears that Real Madrid s lack of intensity at the start of games would eventually cost his team have proved well founded. On Wednesday night, away against a Valencia side that has endured its worst season in many years, Real showed a defensive frailty that allowed their opponents to score twice in the opening nine minutes on their way to a 2-1 upset of the La Liga leaders. That was our fault, Real vice-captain Marcelo told the club website. We started very poorly and there can be no excuses for it. Five times World Cup winners Brazil will play Australia in a friendly at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on June 13, giving the Socceroos the toughest of warm-ups for the Confederations Cup later that month. Ange Postecoglou s Australia face Saudi Arabia in a World Cup qualifier in Adelaide on June 8 and the coach had been seeking an additional match before they head to the Confederations Cup in Russia. Victorian Minister for Tourism and Major Events John Eren said Australian football fans would relish the match against Brazil, who play Argentina in a friendly at the same venue four days earlier. Arsenal midfielder Santi Cazorla s recovery from ankle surgery could see the Spain international ruled out of the rest of the English season, British media reported Thursday. The 32-year-old has been sidelined since being forced off during the second half of Arsenal s 6-0 Champions League group win against Ludogorets on Oct 19. Cazorla subsequently had an operation on a tendon in his right foot, with the Gunners estimating the time needed for rehabilitation at around three months. Star Egyptian goalkeeper Essam El-Hadary was left out of Cairo club Wadi Degla s premier league match Thursday following an altercation that may lead to his transfer. The 44-year-old, who shone during Egypt s run to the 2017 African Cup of Nations final, was involved in a scuffle with his team s third-string keeper Khaled Walid. The Egyptian press reported that El-Hadary had slapped Walid, which the veteran denied. Burnley midfielder Lee Westwood has urged his team mates not to let last weekend s fifth-round FA Cup exit at the hands of non-league Lincoln City derail their promising Premier League campaign. Burnley s eight-match unbeaten run at Turf Moor came to an unexpected end against the Imps but with four successive away games on the horizon, Westwood saw no reason to dwell on the upset. A-League team Western Sydney Wanderers have been fined A$20,000 ($15,000) for bringing the game into disrepute after fans displayed an offensive banner during their clash with Sydney FC on Saturday. The banner, depicting a blue-faced man intended to resemble Sydney FC coach Graham Arnold performing a sex act, was held aloft by Wanderers fans during their 1-0 A-League victory at Sydney s Olympic Stadium. National governing body Football Federation Australia said it had found the club guilty of bringing the game into disrepute through the actions of its supporters following the display of an unauthorised and highly offensive banner.

43 SPORTS 43 Federation aims to achieve gender equality and retain 15 Olympic events ISSF approves recommendation for Tokyo 2020 Oly program NEW DELHI, India, Feb 23: The ISSF Executive Committee and Administrative Council unanimously approved the recommendation for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic program that aims to achieve gender equality and retain 15 Olympic events. Agenda 2020 implementation and designation of 2018/2019 ISSF Championships organizers were also among key decisions taken during the meetings. The ISSF Executive Committee and Administrative Council met in New Delhi, India, on Feb 21 and 22. The OLYMPICS agenda of the meetings included the discussion of recommendations for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic shooting program, the implementation of Agenda 2020 principles regarding sustainability, and the designation of 2018 and 2019 ISSF Championships organizers. Tokyo 2020 Olympic Program recommendation The ISSF Executive Committee and the Administrative Council discussed and unanimously approved the recommendations of the ISSF Ad Hoc Committee concerning the implementation of IOC Agenda 2020 and its objective of achieving gender equality for Tokyo After an exhaustive two-year evaluation process, the ISSF Ad-Hoc Committee recommended replacing the Double Trap Men event with a Trap Mixed Gender Team event, the 50m Rifle Prone Men event with a 10m Air Rifle Mixed Gender Team event and the 50m Pistol Men event with a WASHINGTON, Feb 23, (Agencies): US alpine ski star Mikaela Shiffrin, who captured her third consecutive world slalom title last weekend in Switzerland, is looking at a possible multiple medal haul at next year s Pyeongchang Winter Olympics. The 21-year-old American will defend slalom gold next Feb 13 in South Korea after winning at Sochi in 2014 at age 18, becoming the youngest Olympic slalom champion in history. Performing at the Olympics is on a whole other level because it s only once every four years. It sets you up for the rest of your career. So there is a lot more pressure, Shiffrin said in a US Olympic Committee conference call. It s going to be a totally new feeling having won a gold medal and competed at an Olympics before. There are more expectations around me having won a gold medal. I sort of have to take it in stride. American gymnast Aly Raisman has been caught up in a whirlwind since helping the United States to its golden haul in Rio and the triple Olympic champion is waiting for her world to stop spinning before setting her sights on the 2020 Tokyo Games. Raisman, who captained the Final Five US women to the most dominant Olympic victory in the team event six months ago, will be 26 when she bids for her third Olympics, hoping to defy gymnastics stereotype as a sport built for petite teenagers. The Boston-born Raisman is in no great hurry to plunge back into competition, however, knowing a year off to freshen up could be her best chance of building motivation for another tilt at surviving the cutthroat competition to make the US team. ISSF Executive Committee and the Administrative Council during the Tokyo 2020 Olympics Program recommendation meeting. 10m Air Pistol Mixed Gender Team event. This proposal was developed to preserve discipline parity and retain 15 Olympic shooting events 5 Rifle, 5 Pistol, 5 Shotgun. This recommendation will be forwarded to the IOC by Feb 28, the IOC deadline for international federations to submit their 2020 program proposals. The IOC Program Commission will then evaluate the proposal and the IOC Executive Board will decide the 2020 Olympic shooting events program later this summer. We believe this is a fundamental step forward for our beloved sport, Fresh from setting a new world record, Japan s latest swim sensation Ippei Watanabe is plotting Tokyo Olympic glory in 2020 and he wants his gold medal sealed with a kiss. The 19-year-old, who shot to fame with a jaw-dropping time of 2 minutes seconds in the men s 200 metres breaststroke last month, plans to set another world best in the Olympic final and celebrate by sweeping some lucky damsel off her feet with a dashing wedding proposal. Meryl Davis and Charlie White won t be defending their Olympic ice dance gold medal in South Korea. They re confident they are leaving US chances in good hands. The Sochi champions haven t competed for three seasons, so their announcement Wednesday hardly was a surprise. But their decision, even as archrivals Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir have returned to competition, would seem to place an extra burden on their successors. Not so, they say, noting that ice dance once the ugly stepchild of US figure skating but now a source of unmatched strength has tremendous staying power. World champion Ning Zetao has been ditched from China s national swimming squad for violating several team rules including signing sponsorship contracts without the team s consent, the official Xinhua news agency reported late on Wednesday. Ning had been sent back to his Chinese Navy team for training, Xinhua said, citing the Chinese swimming authority. Italian paralympic fencing champion Beatrice Vio has taken legal action against an anonymous online sexual harassment campaign targeting her, it was reported on Wednesday. A wave of indignation has swept Italy amid widespread disbelief at the nature of the online abuse against a respected athlete who had to overcome astonishing physical hardship. ISSF President Olegario Vázquez Raña said. We fully support gender equality, and our Committees have worked very hard to develop a Tokyo 2020 proposal that will support the future growth of our sport. We want to retain 15 Olympic events, preserve equality in our three disciplines rifle, pistol and shotgun and offer all female and male athletes the same opportunities. Shooting is one of the oldest and most universal sports of the world; inclusion is part of our DNA. A detailed explanation regarding the development of these proposals to achieve gender equality in shooting We had unity and we lost it Budapest bid chief slams Oly withdrawal United States Mikaela Shiffrin, clears a pole, during the first run of the women s slalom at the 2017 FIS Alpine Skiing World Championships in St Moritz, Switzerland on Feb 18. (AP) Olympics Roundup Watanabe seeks Tokyo gold... and more Shiffrin eyes multiple medal haul at Pyeongchang Games Raisman BUDAPEST, Feb 23, (AFP): The chief of Budapest s Olympics bid committee has deplored the capital s withdrawal from the race to host the 2024 Games, after a referendum drive forced the city to drop its candidacy. The decision, announced by the right-wing government on Wednesday evening, leaves Paris and Los Angeles to fight a neck-and-neck battle for The International Olympic Committee (IOC) is due to vote for the host on Sept 13. Boston, Hamburg and Rome had already pulled out of the contest to follow 2020 hosts Tokyo, all because of pressure over the cost. It frustrates me because we have never been so close... We dropped out in front of the finish line, Balazs Furjes, chairman of Budapest 2024, told the Hungarian news agency MTI. We had unity and we lost it, he added of the failed campaign. Budapest City Council has to vote on the bid s withdrawal on March 2, before the committee can officially inform the IOC of its exit. The IOC said it would not comment until officially notified. The move is a setback for the sportsmad premier Viktor Orban, a key backer of the bid. It comes just months after low voter turnout voided his antimigrant referendum aimed at rejecting a troubled European Union refugee quota plan. Hungary s Olympic bid unravelled after a group of young activists collected over a quarter million signatures demanding a referendum, almost double the threshold required to trigger a ballot. OLYMPICS Critics of the Olympics drive, fearing spiralling costs and corruption, said taxpayers should decide how their money is spent. I work in sports... but even if my heart was beating for the Hungarian Olympics, my mind said no, Eszter Balatoni, 37, told AFP in Budapest on Thursday. There are so many other things that need financing in this country, like education and healthcare. Momentum Movement (MoMo), which organised the petition, said it never sought to drop the initiative but had merely wanted a public debate. We have pushed back the government... but we have also missed an opportunity for discussion, the group s leader Andras Fekete-Gyor said at a press conference on Thursday. Some locals expressed frustration at the cancelled bid. PUNE, India, Feb 23, (AFP): Australia s Matt Renshaw admitted he feared he had let his teammates down by leaving the fray with an upset stomach before returning to hit a gritty half-century in the first Test against India Thursday. In the opening day of a fourmatch series between the world s top two sides, Renshaw s innings and some late Mitchell Starc fireworks pulled Australia back from the brink as they reached 256 for nine at stumps. CRICKET Starc has so far made 57 off 58 balls and Josh Hazlewood was with him at the crease on one at Pune s Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium. Indian seamer Umesh Yadav claimed four wickets while the spinners Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja took two each. The left-handed Renshaw was the anchor of the innings, top-scoring with 68, although it was Starc who provided the entertainment and caused a rethink in assessments of who had the better of the day.all had seemed calm with Renshaw for most of the morning session but when David Warner fell with the scores on 82, the English-born batsman caused a stir by following his opening partner back to the pavilion. As news filtered out that he had an upset stomach, the 20-year-old Renshaw became the talk of social media with even the famously tough former Australian captain Allan Border weighing in. Hope he s lying down halfdead, because as a captain I wouldn t be happy, Border wrote on Twitter as Renshaw lay on his sick-bed. But after Australian skipper Steve Smith fell for 27 just before the tea break, Renshaw then strode back to the crease to register his second Test fifty in his fifth game. Renshaw said he had been feeling unwell for most of the morning and had tried to tough it out before deciding he had to leg it off the pitch. It was tough. I wasn t too sure on the ruling, I didn t know you could retire ill so I thought I just had to get out there and make sure I batted till lunch, he told reporters. It wasn t an ideal situation and coming back it was probably a bit strange for me, waiting to bat because as an opener you just go straight out there and bat. Renshaw admitted his captain Smith wasn t too thrilled about his retirement just before the break. Renshaw struck 10 fours and a six during his 156-ball stay which ended when he edged a ball from Ashwin and was caught by Murali Vijay in the slips. His dismissal was swiftly followed US Senator unhappy with response after abuse report by the departure of Steve O Keefe and Nathan Lyon who both fell for ducks off consecutive Umesh deliveries. Warner, who had tackled the Indian spinners with good feet movement, was the first of Umesh s four victims, falling to a good length delivery that hit the bat en route to stumps just before the lunch break. Lyon s dismissal meant the visitors who have a dreadful recent record on the sub-continent had slumped from to 205 for nine before Starc put on an unbeaten 51-run stand with Hazlewood. Ex-USA Gymnastics doctor charged with sexual assault LANSING, Mich, Feb 23, (Agencies): A doctor who specialized in treating female gymnasts at Michigan State University and through the elite USA Gymnastics organization was charged Wednesday with sexual assault. Online records show Dr Larry Nasser is facing nine charges in Ingham County, including first-degree criminal sexual conduct in 2015 against a victim under age 13. Nasser is also charged in nearby Eaton County, where three females say he molested them with his hands at a gymnastics club during treatments for various injuries, according to a police affidavit. They were young girls or teens at the time. No other details about Nasser s accusers were immediately available. Attorney General Bill Schuette plans to talk to reporters at a 2:30 pm news conference. A message seeking comment was left for Nasser s lawyer. Nasser, 53, had a clinic at Michigan was posted on the ISSF website on 20 February: news.ashx?newsid=2729 Agenda 2020 implementation: Sustainability The ISSF Executive Committee designated a new Ad Hoc Committee for Sustainability and appointed Jörg Brokamp, Chairman of the ISSF Technical Committee, as Chairman of the new body. The Committee will include six members: ISSF Executive Committee member Robert Mitchell, the Chairman of the ISSF Judges Committee Peter Underhill, the Chairman of the ISSF Shotgun Committee Demetris Renshaw, Starc revive Australia in India Test State, in Ingham County, where he treated members of the gymnastics team and younger regional gymnasts. He also was a doctor for USA Gymnastics, which trains Olympians. Dozens of women and girls say they were assaulted. Nasser denies the allegations In separate criminal cases filed in 2016, he s charged with possessing child pornography and molesting the daughter of family friends. Those cases are pending, and Nasser is in jail without bond. Nasser was fired by Michigan State in September after the school said he violated restrictions that were put on his treatments, following a 2014 complaint. Lordos, the member of the European Shooting Confederation Environment Committee Stefano Rosi, the Managing Director of the German Shooting Ranges Association Joachim Streitberger and the Member of the ISSF Medical Committee Dr Neda Nozari. They will be responsible for developing ISSF sustainability and environmental policies and guidelines, on the road to Tokyo Sustainability is one of the working principles of the Olympic Movement, ISSF Secretary General Franz Schreiber said. The ISSF and its Technical Committee have always paid special attention Aussies reach 256 for nine at stumps Nasser Since then, he has been the target of civil lawsuits, along with Michigan State and USA Gymnastics. After learning that he would be fired, Nasser sent an to his medical school bosses. I understand your position and appreciate all the support you have given GYMNASTICS me, he wrote on Sept 18. My heart is breaking but I will stay strong in my Faith and with the support of my family and my friends I will overcome this. Attorneys representing women and girls say Nasser assaulted them during treatments for back and hip pain. The allegations go back many years. Nasser s accusers include 2000 Olympian Jamie Dantzscher. He would put his fingers inside of me, move my leg around, to the importance of environmental issues. Now, with the appointment of an Ad Hoc Committee on Sustainability, this will become an even higher priority for the ISSF and our sport. Designation of 2018 and 2019 ISSF Championships The ISSF Executive Committee designated ISSF Championships organizers for the 2018 and the 2019 seasons, with the exception of the 2018 ISSF Rifle and Pistol World Cup Final (final decision is still pending). The Organizing Committees awarded were: 2018 ISSF Shotgun World Cup Final: Al Ain (UAE) 2019 ISSF Rifle and Pistol World Cup stage: Munich (GER) 2019 ISSF Rifle and Pistol World Cup stage: New Delhi (IND) 2019 ISSF Rifle and Pistol World Cup stage: Beijing (CHN) 2019 ISSF Rifle and Pistol World Cup stage: Rio de Janeiro (BRA) 2019 ISSF Shotgun World Cup stage: Changwon (KOR) 2019 ISSF Shotgun World Cup stage: Lathi (FIN) 2019 ISSF Shotgun World Cup stage: Al Ain (UAE) 2019 ISSF Shotgun World Cup stage: Acapulco (MEX) 2019 ISSF Junior World Cup: Suhl (GER) A full report of the meetings will be published in the ISSF News Magazine 03/2017. In accordance to the principle of transparency the agenda and the minutes will be posted on a public section of the ISSF website as soon as they are approved by the relevant bodies: organisation/issfreports.ashx. Australia s Mitchell Starc bats during the first day of the first Test cricket match against India in Pune, India on Feb 23. (AP) India vs Australia Scoreboard PUNE, India, Feb 23, (AFP): Scoreboard at stumps on the opening day of the fi rst Test between India and Australia in Pune on Thursday: AUSTRALIA 1st innings D. Warner b U. Yadav M. Renshaw c Vijay b Ashwin S. Smith c Kohli b Ashwin S. Marsh c Kohli b J. Yadav P. Handscomb lbw b Jadeja M. Marsh lbw b Jadeja... 4 M. Wade lbw b U. Yadav... 8 M. Starc not out S. O Keefe c Saha b U. Yadav... 0 N. Lyon lbw b U. Yadav... 0 J. Hazlewood not out... 1 Extras (lb 6, nb 9) 15 Total (9 wickets; 94 overs) Fall of wickets: 1-82 (Warner), 1-82 (Renshaw retired not out), (S. Marsh), (Handscomb), (Smith), (M. Marsh), (Wade), (Renshaw), (O Keefe), (Lyon) Bowling: Sharma (1nb), Ashwin , J. Yadav (1nb), Jadeja (2nb), U. Yadav (1nb) India: M. Vijay, L. Rahul, C. Pujara, V. Kohli (capt), A. Rahane, W. Saha, R. Ashwin, R. Jadeja, J. Yadav, I. Sharma, U. Yadav Toss: Australia Umpires: Richard Kettleborough (ENG) and Nigel Llong (ENG) TV umpire: Richard Illingworth (ENG) Match referee: Chris Broad (ENG) Dantzscher told 60 Minutes on Sunday. He would tell me I was going to feel a pop and that that would put my hips back and help my back pain. Meanwhile, US Senator Dianne Feinstein on Wednesday pressed her case to fellow lawmakers for requiring US amateur sports governing bodies to notify law-enforcement agencies regarding all reports of abuse. The move follows a CBS 60 Minutes report Sunday in which three women detailed their allegations of abuse by former USA Gymnastics national team doctor Lawrence Nasser, with an attorney for a group of alleged victims saying US Olympians as far back as 1996 might have suffered sexual abuse. Nasser, jailed in Michigan on child pornography and criminal sexual conduct charges, has denied the allegations and says his treatments were legitimate medical practices.

44 44 Sports Latest sports scores at Participating schools pose for a family photo during the UGC Inter-School Soccer tournament. Indian English Academy School (IEAS) edged Indian Central School (ICS) to win the title. See Page 40 Takagi continues fine form at Sapporo Games SAPPORO, Japan, Feb 23, (AP): Choi Da-bin won the women s short program in figure skating at the Asian Winter Games on Thursday. The South Korean, fifth at last week s Four Continents, opened with a triple lutz-triple toeloop combination and added a triple flip and double axel for points. Rika Hongo of Japan was second with points, followed by Zhao Ziquan of China with Choi was a last-minute injury replacement for Park So-youn, who withdrew with an ankle injury. Kaori Sakamoto of Japan, the junior national champion, withdrew because of the flu. In ice dance, Wang Shiyue and Liu Xinyu of China led after the short dance with points. Kana Muramoto and Chris Reed of Japan were second with 64.74, followed by Chen Choi leads short program edging Shane Williamson of Japan, who was second in 8: Kim Minseok of South Korea won the bronze in 8: Kim also won gold in the 1,500 meters in 1: Takuro Oda of Japan was second in 1:46.76 and Taro Kondo, also of Japan, took the bronze in 1: Yuki Kobayashi of Japan won her second cross-country skiing gold medal, winning the women s 5-kilometer classical. Kobayashi added to the 10-kilometer free title she won on Tuesday, finishing in 14:56.1. Yelena Kolomina of Kazakhstan took the silver in 15:02.8 and Li Hongxue of China won the bronze in 15:18.6. Akira Lenting of Japan won in the men s 10-kilometer classical. Lenting, whose mother is Japanese and father is from New Zealand, won in 25:15.6 to finish more than 16 seconds ahead of Magnus Kim of South Korea. Kim timed 25:32.5 to take the silver and the bronze went to Kohei Shimizu of Japan, who timed 25:39.0. In the men s biathlon 10-kilometer sprint, Yan Savitskiy led Kazakhstan to a 1-2 finish. Savitskiy clocked 26:59.2 while Vassiliy Podkorytov was second in 27:14.2. Mikito Tachizaki of Japan won the bronze medal in 27:19.4. Galina Vishneskaya of Kazakhstan won the women s biathlon in 20:32.6. Zhang Yan of China took silver in 20:56.8 and Alina Raikova of Kazakhstan won bronze in 21:23.2. In the women s giant slalom, Emi Hasegawa of Japan won the gold medal. Japanese skiers took the top three spots, but competition regulations meant third-place Mio Arai was denied the bronze. Hasegawa topped both runs to win the gold with a total time of 2: Asa Ando took the silver in 2:23.45 and Arai clocked 2: The bronze went to Kang Youngseo of South Korea, who was fourth. Cavendish wins crash-hit opening stage of Abu Dhabi Tour ABU DHABI, Feb 23, (RTRS): Britain s Mark Cavendish won the opening stage of the Abu Dhabi Tour, outsprinting his rivals to snatch the overall lead in a crash-marred climax on Thursday. The Dimension Data rider beat German Andre Greipel (Lotto Soudal) and Italy s Niccolo Bonifazio (Bahrein Merida) after a perfect lead-out from his team mates at the end of a 189-km flat ride. German Marcel Kittel (Quick Step Floors) and Australian Caleb Ewan (Orica Scott) both crashed with one kilometre to go and could not contest the final sprint. Both rode their bikes to the line with bruises. I was in the wheel of (team mate Fabio) Sabatini as we were closing in on the line, then Owain Doull came from the back and our handlebars got stuck in each other, and I crashed and lost some skin, said Kittel, who sustained bruises on his knee and elbow. Ewan was sent to a hospital for checks after hurting his shoulder, his team said. The boys were in a good position and we were set for a great final, said Orica Scott sports director Dave McPartland. It looks like Caleb took a good hit to his shoulder. It doesn t appear to be too bad but he will go to the hospital to double-check things. The second stage in the four-day race will take the peloton on a 153-km ride, with sprinters again set to take centre stage. The overall result is expected to be decided in Saturday s third stage with Tour de France runner-up Romain Bardet, of France, Italians Vincenzo Nibali and Fabio Aru, Spain s Alberto Contador and Colombian Nairo Quintana expected to shine in the mountains. ASIAN GAMES Hong and Zhao Yen of China with The women s short program featured entries from nontraditional figure skating countries including Zahra Lari from the United Arab Emirates and Tasya Putri from Indonesia. In other events, Miho Takagi of Japan won her third gold medal in speedskating by winning the women s mass start. Takagi, who also won gold in the 3,000 and 1,500 races and silver in the 1,000, maintained an early lead and won in 8 minutes, seconds. Teammate Ayano Sato finished 0.07 seconds back for silver. Kim Boreum of South Korea took third, crossing in 8: In the men s mass start, Lee Seunghoon of South Korea won in 8:12.72, Japan s Akira Lenting celebrates after winning the cross-country skiing men s 10km classical at the Asian Winter Games in Sapporo, northern Japan on Feb 23. (AP) Peterson takes 3-stroke lead JOHANNESBURG, Feb 23, (AFP): American Paul Peterson defied torrential rain to fire a first-round 62 in the Joburg Open Thursday before the weather forced play to be suspended for the day. The 28-year-old held a three-stroke clubhouse lead over Anton Rai and Paul Waring of England, Romain Langasque of France and Jbe Kruger of South Africa. Seeking a second European Tour success after winning the Czech Masters last year, Peterson birdied nine holes and did not drop a shot. Birdieing half the holes is never bad so I felt really good out there, said the golfer from Tucson in Arizona. I got into a nice rhythm today, found the fairways with most of my drives and putted well. THE FIRST ENGLISH LANGUAGE DAILY IN FREE KUWAIT Published by: Arab Times Publishing House Editor-in-Chief AHMED AL JARALLAH Editorial Office: Airport Road, Shuwaikh P.O. Box 2270, Safat, Kuwait Telephone: & Fax: arabtimes@arabtimesonline.com Advertising: Tel: Ext: 175 Fax: advt@arabtimesonline.com Annual Subscriptions: Individuals KD 45/- Companies and Official Departments KD 75 Airmail charges extra for overseas Tel: Fax: