Germany to help clear Qatar charges

Transcription

1 cricket Page 41 THE FIRST ENGLISH LANGUAGE DAILY IN FREE KUWAIT Established in 1977 / FRIDAY-SATURDAY, JULY 7-8, 2017 / SHAWWAL 13-14, 1438 AH emergency number 112 NO PAGES 150 FILS RIYADH ACCUSES DOHA OF USING TWITTER TO STOKE DISSENT QATAR TO MAINTAIN SUPPORT OF ANTI-TERROR EFFORTS TURKEY LOYAL Germany to help clear Qatar charges UAE predicts more isolation BERLIN, July 6, (Agencies): Germany s foreign minister says his country s intelligence service will participate in efforts to clear up accusations by Arab neighbors that Qatar supports terror groups. Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel visited Saudi Arabia, Qatar and mediator Kuwait this week as the Saudis and others seek to isolate Qatar over its alleged support for extremists. Gabriel told Deutschlandfunk radio Thursday there was an Saudis impose agreement for Qatar to open all its books to Germany s intelligence service if we have questions about certain people tax on expats or structures. The minister said he no RIYADH, July 6, (AFP): Saudi longer sees the risk of a military escalation in the stand- Arabia on Thursday said it had begun taxing foreigners working in the private sector as part Wednesday from the four Arab off despite an angry reaction of fiscal reforms aimed at coping with a drop in oil revenues. their demands. Gabriel said nations to Qatar s response to Long a tax-free haven for that, while the reaction sounded expatriates, the Saudi economy harsh, many demands were no was dealt a serious blow in longer mentioned when global crude prices plummeted. Saudi accuses Qatar The kingdom, the world s Saudi Arabia, which is leading largest exporter of oil, has since a four-country blockade launched an economic diversification of Gulf neighbour Qatar, on plan and slashed state Thursday accused Doha of be- spending in an attempt to cope ing behind over 23,000 Twitter with a hefty deficit. accounts it blames for trying to On July 1, foreigners working stoke dissent in Saudi Arabia. in the private sector began We found over 23,000 Twit- paying a family tax of 100 riyals ter accounts driven by Qatar, ($26.60/23.40 euros) per some of them linked to accounts month for every minor or unemployed calling for revolution in Saudi relative living in the Arabia, Information Minister kingdom, the Saudi general directorate Awwad Saleh al-awwad told of passports said in a AFP during a visit to Paris. statement. They included An estimated 11 million foreigners account, which claims to work in the Saudi private have the inside track on the Saudi sector, with 2.3 million of royal household and has over 1.8 their dependents based in the million followers, he said. kingdom, according to the Public The account, which has Authority for Statistics. backed Qatar, claimed that The tax is expected to increase Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Bahrain every year until 2020, and the United Arab Emirates Continued on Page 9 Continued on Page 9 An Iraqi woman, carrying an infant, walks by the destroyed Al- Nuri Mosque as she flees from the Old City of Mosul on July 5, during the Iraqi government forces offensive to retake the city from Islamic State (IS) group fighters. (AFP) Arabs finalise ARPS Payment system planned ABU DHABI, July 6, (RTRS): Arab countries are finalising plans to create a regional cross-border payments and settlements system as an alternative to the current arrangement, which has been hit by a rise in compliance costs and downsizing by some banks. Currently, many cross-border payments and settlements in the Gulf are carried out by correspondent banks banks in one country acting as agents to foreign financial institutions that do not have a local presence. However, a tightening of anti-money laundering rules by US and European banks since the financial crisis has added to the cost of this arrangement, while downsizing by some banks has seen them quit the market. US$/KD /30 Euro/KD Yen/KD British /KD KSE pts at closing July 6 See Page 35 Dow pts at 21:55 July 6 See Page 36 Nasdaq pts at 21:55 July 6 FTSE pts at closing July 6 Nikkei pts at closing July 6 Gold $1, per oz (London) NYMEX crude $45.41 pb Brent crude $47.96 pb 3-month $ LIBOR rate % The Arab Regional Payments System (ARPS) will act as a correspondent for its participants such as banks and financial institutions, through a single, centralised platform for Firemen race to put out a fire that broke out in an under-construction expansion unit of the Avenues. 7 firemen injured in Avenues expansion blaze By Munaif Nayef Al-Seyassah Staff and Agencies Just a few days after the huge fire that engulfed a building in Sharq area, a similar fire broke out in a building under construction in the Avenues Mall in Al- Rai area. The fire was extinguished in record time by 70 firefighters from four fire stations before the fire spread to nearby structures. In the process, seven firefighters were injured and received treatment at the site by paramedics. KUNA photo Ministers can t act as mediator and challenger, say MPs Bill aims to shift human rights to Parliament By Abubakar A. Ibrahim Arab Times Staff KUWAIT CITY, July 6: MPs Adel Al-Damkhi, Adnan AbdulSamad, Jaman Al-Harbash, Abdulkareem Al-Kandari and Mohammed Hayef have presented a proposal to transfer the National Human Rights Commission from the Council of Ministers to the Parliament. The lawmakers proposed amending the first paragraph in Article Two of Law No. 67/2015 in order to ensure independence of the commission. They explained the government cannot act as mediator and challenger at the same time, so the commission must be under the Parliament. According to the bill, an independent commission called the National Commission for Human Rights shall be under the Parliament, not the Council of Ministers. The amended paragraph will include the phrase, The commission shall be independent in its functions, activities and jurisdiction. They also proposed amendment of Article Three to read as follows: The work, functions and affairs of the commission shall be managed by a board of directors with eleven members citizens who are known for their competence and commitment to address human rights issues. Three of the board members will be chosen from public welfare organizations which are active in the human rights field. They shall be nominated by their governing bodies and a member of the Faculty of Law in Kuwait University. Representatives of the ministries of Justice, Interior, Social Affairs, Labor and Foreign Affairs, as well as the Fatwa and Legislation Department, shall participate in deliberations in an advisory capacity so they are not Continued on Page 9 Continued on Page 9 A handout picture released by the official Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) on July 6, shows Syrian officials and TV crews inspecting the scene of a suicidebombing attack on a bus station in the central city of Hama, which had left two dead and 11 injured. (AFP) See Page 9 Newswatch KUWAIT CITY: Kuwait ranked 139th out of 195 countries with a score of in the 2017 Global Cybersecurity Index (GCI) that the United Nations International Telecommunication Union released Wednesday. In the GCC, Kuwait landed at the bottom of the list while Oman ranked first among GCC nations and fourth internationally with a score of It is the only Arab country that entered the top 10. Qatar ranked 25th globally with a score of 0.676, followed by Saudi Arabia which ranked 46th with a score of 0.569, United Arab Emirates ranked 47th with a score of and Bahrain ranked 65th with a score of Meanwhile, Singapore has a near-perfect approach to cybersecurity, but many other rich countries have holes in their defences and some poorer countries are showing them how it should be done, a UN survey showed on Wednesday. Wealth breeds cybercrime, but it does not automatically generate cybersecurity, so governments need to make sure they are prepared, the survey by the UN International Telecommunication Union (ITU) said. The United States came second in the ITU s Global Cybersecurity Index, but many of the other highly rated countries were small or developing economies. The rest of the top 10 were Malaysia, Oman, Estonia, Mauritius, Australia, Georgia, France and Canada. Russia ranked 11th. India was 25th, one place ahead of Germany, and China was 34th. (Agencies) RIYADH: A Saudi special forces officer was killed and three others injured on Thursday morning while on duty in eastern Saudi Arabia, Saudi Continued on Page 9 The materials inside the basement of 40,000 square meters went up in flames. Investigations have been launched to determine the cause of the fire. The Avenues Mall is owned by Kuwait-listed Mabanee, which has interests in real estate, construction and investment. Mabanee said in a statement that the fire affected only the storage room where it broke out and would not slow the mall expansion project, which is in its fourth phase. Opened in 2007, The Avenues is the largest shopping mall in Kuwait with over 800 stores, according to its website. DAESH families join fight US President Donald Trump gives a speech at the Warsaw Uprising Monument on Krasinski Square during the Three Seas Initiative Summit in Warsaw, Poland on July 6. (AFP) See Page 13 Qatar off laptop ban DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, July 6, (Agencies): Qatar Airways joined two other major long-haul Gulf carriers on Thursday in getting off a US ban on laptops and large electronics in airplane cabins, despite facing logistical challenges amid the country s diplomatic dispute with several Arab nations. Doha-based Qatar Airways, Abu Dhabi-based Etihad, Dubai-based Emirates and Istanbul-based Turkish Airlines all have put security procedures in place to satisfy American authorities. US officials instituted the ban in March across 10 Middle East cities over concerns Islamic State fighters and other extremists could hide bombs inside of laptops. Qatar Airways said that with immediate effect, all personal electronic devices can be carried on board all departures from Hamad International Airport to destinations in the United States. Hamad in Doha is the hub of Qatar Airways. Safety and security are always our MOSUL, Iraq, July 6, (Agencies): Iraqi commanders say female Islamic State militants are firing on their forces and using children as human shields as the extremist group defends its last sliver of Mosul s Old City. The militants use of human shields has repeatedly slowed Iraqi advances throughout the nearly nine-month offensive to retake the country s second largest city, and the commanders frustration was on display as they watched surveillance footage from the front lines. The women are fighting with their children right beside them, Lt Gen. Sami al-aridi said as he was briefed by an officer holding a tablet computer showing drone imagery. It s making us hesitant to use airstrikes, to advance. If it weren t for this we could be finished in just a few hours. Another officer in the command post suggested using Iraqi artillery, which would not require approval from the US-led coalition. They re all DAESH, just kill them all, the commander said, referring to the IS group by its Arabic acronym. There are civilians there, but they are DAESH families, said another officer. Neither would agree to speak on the record, in line with military regulations. For a child, even if his father is a criminal, what has he done? al-aridi said. At the same time, my men are still taking casualties. We had 14 wounded today already. Women have also carried out suicide bombings against Iraqi forces. Three female suicide bombers hiding among fleeing civilians killed at least three soldiers over the past week. Prime Minister Haider al-abadi congratulated his forces on their big victory in Mosul on Tuesday, as they appeared to be on the verge of driving the militants from their last stronghold, but the grinding, house-by-house fighting continues. It s unclear how many civilians remain in the militants last enclave, which is less than one square kilometer (mile), but the UN says some 2,000 to 3,500 people have been fleeing on a daily basis. Continued on Page 9 Continued on Page 9

2 LOCAL 2 Developing local tourism spells economic prosperity for Kuwait Need to set up public authority for tourism: academic Bride and the groom being brought together by the mediator. Mission to bring together man, woman in marriage KUNA photo Family member, friends also played mediator role KUWAIT CITY, July 6, (KUNA): In old Kuwait, the mission to bring together a man and a woman in marriage was not only limited to women or the woman in charge of presenting marriage request on behalf of the groom (Khattaba). It was done through a family member, friends or rather a common person who takes up the role of mediator between the families of the bride and the groom. When the mediator visits the father (guardian) of the bride, he or she usually starts the topic by saying for instance, The father of (the name of the bride-to-be), I am here to propose marriage of your daughter to the son of (name of the father of the groom-to-be).... If the father knows the family of the groom-to-be and has no reservations about them, he gives his initial approval. He then asks for a grace period to gather detailed information about the boy (groom-to-be). If there is nothing to cause the father to oppose his daughter s marriage to the boy, he informs the mediator about it, giving him the go-ahead signal. Meet to tackle economic, cultural and social developments in addition to youth, women s issues Kuwait joins OIC meeting in Cote d Ivoire next week JEDDAH, July 6, (KUNA): The West African nation of Cote d Ivoire is set to host on Monday the 44th session of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation s (OIC) Council of Foreign Ministers, with Kuwaiti participation. Ivorian President Alassane Ouattara is expected to deliver a speech to kick off the meeting that will zero in on the role of youth, peace and development in a world in solidarity, read a statement on the OIC s official website. OIC Secretary General Dr. Yousef Al-Othaimeen is scheduled to give a speech of his own, where he will discuss some of the OIC s most recent accomplishments. The two-day session, which will also delve into the latest regional happenings, will culminate with the Abidjan Communique, the statement added. The meeting will tackle economic, cultural and social developments, in addition to issues germane to youth and women, the statement pointed out. Meanwhile, the latest developments of Yemen s crisis were the focus of a meeting held between UN special envoy for Yemen After this, the mediator tells the family of the groom-to-be about the interest. A date is set for the two families to meet. This is when the fathers of the bride and groom meet and reach a final agreement for the marriage. Usually, this process takes place without any celebrations. Often, the bride s father welcomes the groom s father with words of acceptance such as, This is a blessed moment. Our daughter is your daughter and your wish is our command. They drink tea or coffee as they iron out the details of the marriage. Unlike the Khattaba, the mediators do not take any financial commission for their task. Instead, it has become a norm for the mediator to receive a symbolic gift from both families. It could be a carpet (zuliya) or sheep or a traditional cloak (bisht). He also receives high status of honor during the wedding, such as acknowledgment and gratitude from the two families as well as appreciation for his important role. In this regard, heritage researcher Ghanima Al-Fahad explained that the process of choosing a spouse in the Ismail Ould Chaikh Ahmad and Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Youssef Al-Othaimeen on Wednesday. The meeting discussed results of talks held between Ould Chaikh Ahmad and the Yemeni parties to proceed with the political process, Saudi Press Agency (SPA) said. During the talks, the envoy stressed the UN s abidance by continuing negotiations, with the aim of resolving the crisis, the agency added. For his part, Al-Othaimeen olden days would not happen without Khattaba. Everyone used to seek her guidance because of her relations and knowledge of Kuwaiti families in various towns and villages, which gave her an edge in matchmaking. In the past, the Khattaba was not known for exaggerating when describing the characteristics of those intending to get married. Instead, the Khattaba had a way of praising the woman to the man that intends to marry her, without any exaggeration. In fact, she knew the important things that had to be mentioned when describing the attributes of the spouse-to-be. The Khattaba used to get paid for her task, although the payment depended on the family s financial wellbeing. For instance, a low income family would pay about 5 rupees, while a welloff family would pay 20 to 30 rupees for her services. A book, which was written by Salah Sabeeh and the title of which when translated is The social tradition in the life of Kuwaiti society, explains the steps taken by the Khattaba in the matchmaking process. renewed support of OIC for the UN envoy s efforts and the intra- Yemeni dialogue to find a political solution to the crisis based on the Gulf initiative, its executive mechanisms, the outcomes of the national dialogue and the relevant UN Security Council resolutions, it noted. The two sides also tackled development situations in Yemen and the necessity of providing needs in the upcoming phase, in cooperation with Yemen s legitimate government, and regional and international partners, it concluded. KUWAIT CITY, July 6, (KUNA): Developing Kuwait s tourism sector will lead naturally to the development of the national economy, said a Kuwaiti academic Thursday. Professor at Kuwait University s (KU) Industrial and Management Systems Engineering Department, Dr Tariq A. Al- Dowaisan said in a specialized study that the legislative and executive authorities in Kuwait should consider the establishment of a public authority for tourism similar to the ones in neighboring countries. Dr Al-Dowaisan added that it was important for Kuwait to facilitate travel procedures for those eager to visit the country. Kuwait has the essential elements to develop its tourism sector, but this goal will not be achieved unless the powers that be take the necessary steps to launch the country in the right direction, said the Kuwaiti academic. The current international rankings showed that Kuwait was lingering behind tourism-wise; therefore, the Gulf country must work on developing its traveling policies, natural resources, and infrastructure in order to usher in an age of economic development within tourism. In line with the Kuwaiti leadership s desire, the (Kuwait 2035) development vision was launched to transform the country to a regional and international commercial and economic hub. According to the vision, some 90,000 jobs will be created within the tourism sector until the year Tourism in Kuwait provides around two percent to the national economy through direct and indirect investments, revealed statistics from the tourism department in the Ministry of Information. There are plans to bring the number to around four percent and more. KUNA photo Kuwait s Ambassador Sheikh Azam while meeting with Bahrain s Deputy PM Sheikh Mohammad Al-Khalifa. Bahraini official extols Amir s noble deeds A Bahraini offi cial on Thursday heaped praise on Kuwait s Amir His Highness Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah for his honorable actions. According to Bahrain News Agency (BNA), this occurred when KUNA photo Minister Al-Jabri with Ambassador to Italy Sheikh Ali Al-Khalid in a group photo. 3-year contract for correspondents to cost KD 534,000 Kuwait keen to coordinate, activate Arab works at int l level Al-Jabri KUWAIT CITY, July 6, (KUNA): Minister of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs, and State Minister for Municipal Affairs Mohammad Al-Jabri affirmed the keenness of Kuwait to coordinate and activate Arab works at the international level. He said this to a KUNA correspondent recently in the Italian capital city of Rome after a series of deliberations with heads of delegations from GCC countries and Arab officials on the sidelines of a conference organized by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). Al-Jabri declared that this objective will be achieved in a manner that can best serve the interest of Arab nations and citizens along with various issues of mutual interest, especially in the area of food security. He indicated that his deliberations with delegations from GCC countries and Arab officials centered on the method of cooperation to enhance food security and the right approach to deal with challenges of food issues. Deputy Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammad Al-Khalifa met with Kuwait s Ambassador to the Gulf island nation Sheikh Azam Al- Sabah, as talks centered on the latest regional developments. (KUNA) Al-Jabri stated that this is a part of efforts of Kuwait to coordinate Gulf and Arab activities during the conference. He revealed that the meetings held in the presence of the Ambassador of Kuwait to Italy Sheikh Ali Al-Khalid were focused on modalities for developing agricultural, animal resources and food production sectors, as well as the importance of protecting natural resources, in line with the sustainable development policies. The three-year contract for provision of correspondents to serve in various sectors of Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs is worth KD 534,000, which means the annual cost is 178,000, reports Al-Rai daily quoting a source from Ministry of Finance. He said Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs has requested Ministry of Finance to extend contract No. 185 for provision of correspondents to serve for one year until end of June 30, News in Brief PAAAFR to activate Grazing Law No. 41/ 88: The Public Authority for Agriculture Affairs and Fish Resources (PAAAFR) is keen on activating Grazing Law number 41/1988 by closely monitoring areas where grazing is prohibited, reports Al-Shahid daily quoting sources. Sources disclosed the authority will issue guidelines on grazing and ensure that animals do not wander along the roads to guarantee the safety of road users. Sources added the law stipulates penalties for those proven to have committed violations such as issuance of citations and confiscation of livestock. Insurance firm terminates over 80 employees: An insurance company has terminated more than 80 Kuwaiti and expatriate employees according to the restructuring plan prepared by a global company, reports Al-Qabas daily quoting sources. Sources disclosed the company announced the decision to the concerned employees in an innovative manner as they were invited to a hotel where they discussed its work strategy and decision to terminate their services. No intention to hike petrol prices: The government has no intention to increase petrol prices despite the recommendation to do so by the committee tasked to study various types of subsidies and review oil prices every three months to be in line with global prices, reports Al-Anba daily quoting high-ranking ministerial sources. While reiterating that the government will not increase petrol prices even if the price of oil in the global market increases, sources revealed the no oil price increase policy of the government is expected to continue within three years. 16,000 citizens to enter labor market in 2018: A study conducted by the Systems Development Department at the Civil Service Commission (CSC) revealed that about 16,000 citizens will enter the labor market in 2018 compared to 15,000 this year, reports Al-Anba daily. The study added 29,000 citizens are expected to enter the labor market in 2030.

3 LOCAL 3 Al-Shall Report Liquidity in 1st half higher than 2016 Boursa Kuwait Q2 performance less active Oil A New Epoch Kuwait is known to be the mastermind behind the concept of sovereign funds sixty five years ago (1953). The concept emerged from an aware local administration which reacted correctly and positively with a British proposal to employ the oil revenues surplus in Britain which has just come out from a disastrous war. This occurred when demand on oil was prosperous and it contributed significantly to reconstruct what WW II had destroyed. Then it became the most important international trade commodity and contributed to the rising of Asian economies; China alone was responsible for 30% increase on its demand from 1980 to 2013 during which the Brent oil barrel price scored more than US$ 100 for three and half years (February 2011-August 2014) although the global economy faced a major financial crisis in 2008, says Al-Shall Economic Report prepared by Al-Shall Consulting Co headed by Jassem Al-Saadoun. This era has ended and the global economy and the Chinese in particular, became weaker and less dependent on oil. The non-traditional oil is produced economically at less than half of 2013 prices. The concern with global warming cut down the consumption of fossil oil, and clean alternatives became competitive. This means the beginning of the fading of the oil age even if it took decades. The forthcoming era is characterized by sustained weakness in demand and in prices as well. This occurs at a time when oil producers have been addicted to financing 80%-90% of their public budgets from oil revenues. At the current price levels, all of them spend at oil price levels which are less than their budgets parity prices. This means they consume savings of the oil prosperity era. It is a matter of time before they face a serious crisis. The only strength element created by the oil prosperity period is strengthening sovereign funds. Kuwait owns the third largest one in Gulf region estimated at US$ 514 billion as of June 30, (Sovereign Wealth Funds Institute). Kuwait has no other choice that admitting and accepting the fundamental change in the significance of oil and its inevitable inability to cover its uncontrolled financial policy. It should admit that if it wants to avoid colliding with the wall. Public Finance science does not acknowledge unsustainable income hence, oil should be among the last components of budget financing sources because it is no longer sustainable; its significance wears off by scientific seniority. Therefore, the investments income, or the sovereign fund revenue, should lead the budget s financing sources, without affecting its asset, because it is the main sustainable income at present. That does not exclude the necessity of substantial compacting of public expenses. The core impediment for that is the lack of awareness of the seriousness of the forthcoming public finance fire which should be the government s top priority topic. We shall address in a forthcoming report the lack of awareness of its seriousness to most parliament deputies as evidenced by the flow of their proposed populist projects. Oil and Public Finance June 2017 By the end of June 2017, the first quarter of the current fiscal year 2017/2018 ended and the average Kuwaiti oil price for June scored US$ 44.2 per barrel, down by US$ -4.2 per barrel, -8.7%, from May s average price of US$ 48.4 per barrel. It is also lower by US$ -0.8 (-1.8%) per barrel than the new hypothetical price estimated for the current budget at US$ 45 per barrel. The last fiscal year 2016/2017 which ended on March 31, 2017 scored an average price for Kuwaiti oil of US$ 44.7 Photo by Bassam Abo Shanab File photo shows traders on Boursa Kuwait floor. Thursday s trading ends mixed See Page 35 per barrel. The average price of oil for June 2017 is -1.1% less than the barrel average price for the past fiscal year and is also lower by US$ per barrel than the parity price for the current budget at US$ 71 per barrel according to the Ministry of Finance estimates and after deducting the 10% for the Future Generations Fund. Kuwait is supposed to have achieved actual oil revenues in June by about KD 0.9 billion. Assuming that production and prices would continue at the current levels -an unrealistic assumption- Kuwait s oil revenues would score about KD 12.3 billion for the entire current fiscal year, which is KD 0.6 billion higher than the estimated value of oil revenues for the budget at KD 11.7 billion. Adding an amount of KD 1.6 billion in non-oil revenues, projected budget revenues would score KD 13.9 billion for the current fiscal year. Comparing this figure with KD 19.9 billion for expenditures allocations, it is likely that the budget for 2017/2018 would achieve KD 6 billion deficit. However, this figure would be more or less based on oil prices and production during the remaining part of the year, or about the next 9 months. Performance of Boursa Kuwait First Half 2017 The performance of the second quarter was less active than the performance of the first quarter which was exceptional, the Boursa price index achieved gains by more than 20%. Trading liquidity prospered significantly driven by a combination of meritorious investment and harmful speculation. While average daily trading value for the first quarter scored about KD 42.9 million, it dropped to KD 15.9 million for the second quarter, losing about 63% of its level. Boursa liquidity was facing continuous decrease since the first six months of the current year; nevertheless, liquidity of the first half of the current year is still higher by two and half times of liquidity in the first half of The level of liquidity achieved in 124 working days about KD billion, with an average daily trading value of KD 29.6 million vis-à-vis KD billion in the first half of the previous year, with an average daily trading value of KD 12.5 million. Liquidity trends since the beginning of the year still indicate that half of the listed companies got only 4.1% of that liquidity, including 50 companies which got only about 0.5% out of that liquidity and one company without trading. As for liquid companies, 15 of them whose market capitalization value is equal to only 1.7% of the value of listed companies, got 23.3% of the Boursa liquidity. The gradual, continuous and significant drop in the Boursa activity was noticeable between the beginning and end of the first half of the year. The average daily peaked in January at KD 53.9 million and dropped to KD 45.6 million in February. Then it continued its decline to KD 13.1 million and KD 8.4 million in May and June respectively. The decline represented by the graph may be a bad indicator for the liquidity inclination towards decline in the remaining part of the current year. The distribution of liquidity among the 4 categories of companies was as follows: The Highest 10% in Liquidity: 17 listed companies contributed by 46.9% to Boursa capitalization value, while they captured about 53.8% of the Boursa liquidity, including 11 big companies which contributed by about 46.1% of the Boursa capitalization value and got about 79.2% of the liquidity of that category, and 6 small companies which took 20.8% of the liquidity of that category, whose market capitalization value did not exceed 0.8% only of all Boursa Kuwait companies capitalization value. While some big companies obtained high deserved liquidity, deviation is still significant towards small companies. The Highest 10% in Market Capitalization Value: this category contributed by about 69.6% of the Boursa capitalization value and took 33.9% of its liquidity. However, there was obvious liquidity deviation in favor of 9 companies, which captured about 92% of the liquidity of that category leaving approximately 8% of that category, liquidity for 8 other big companies. The Lowest 10% in Market Capitalization Value: this category contributed by 0.4% to the Boursa capitalization value, but took 4.1% of Boursa liquidity. Including 11 companies within this category captured 96.8%, while 6 other small companies got only 3.2% of that category liquidity. That liquidity deviation in this category suggests a very high dose of speculation on some of its companies. We do not know the impact of reduced liquidity on the deviation future of that category. Liquidity of Boursa Sectors: there are 5 active sectors in the Boursa that contribute by 86.7% to its capitalization value. They acquired 92.2% of its liquidity suggesting consistence between liquidity and the weight of those sectors in the Boursa capitalization value. But there was deviation within those sectors in the direction of liquidity. The financial Al-Shall Index Wed Thu Diff Close Diff Company Name 06/07/ /06/2017 % 2016 % 1 The National Bank Of Kuwait The Gulf Bank (3.6) (0.8) 3 Commercial Bank Of Kuwait (1.0) (17.4) 4 Al-Ahli Bank Of Kuwait Kuwait International Bank Ahli United Bank (3.9) Burgan Bank Kuwait Finance House (0.5) (2.3) Banking Sector Commercial Facilities Co International Financial Advisors (9.4) National Investments (0.1) Kuwait Investment Projects (0.6) (33.2) 13 Coast Investment & Development (4.5) Investment Sector (1.3) (21.5) 14 Kuwait Insurance Company (7.1) 15 Gulf Insurance Company (20.9) 16 Al-Ahleia Insurance Company (10.4) (5.5) 17 Warba Insurance Company (21.1) 83.6 (23.8) Insurance Sector (3.6) (13.7) 18 Kuwait Real Estate Company (0.3) (10.0) services sector got 25.9% of Boursa liquidity, equivalent to about 3.1 times its contribution to its capitalization value. The banking sector got 24.9% of Boursa liquidity which accounts for 51.6% only of its contribution to its capitalization value. This means its share of liquidity is less than half of its contribution to capitalization value. The real estate sector got 21% of Boursa liquidity, which equals 2.7 times its contribution to its capitalization value. The remaining 7 sectors, liquid and non-liquid, all acquired liquidity ratios close to their contribution to the Boursa capitalization value. Comparative Performance for Selected Stock Markets June 2017 Performance of last June, where the performance of the first half of 2017 is finished, was slightly tilted towards negative performance as compared to May. During June, 5 markets out of 14 achieved gains, while 9 markets achieved losses. The resultant was improved performance of the sample markets for the half year where the number of gainers since the beginning of the year rose to 10 markets (9 in the end of May). The highest losses were incurred by the Qatari market which lost -8.8% in June. June 5 marked the first day of sanctions by three GCC states against Qatar and the beginning of heavy losses for the Qatari market which pushed it to the bottom of the negative zone raising its losses since the beginning of the year to -13.5%. This means the Qatari market lost QR 74.4 billion of its value in half a year of which QR 43.4 billion were lost since the beginning of sanctions (58.3%). The second biggest loser in June was the Omani market which lost -5.6% in one month and thus became the second biggest loser since the beginning of the year by -11.5% losses. The logical interpretation is the market dealers feeling of rising risks, or increased level of uncertainty, in addition to the consequences of the oil market crisis and the geopolitical violence events. The third biggest loser was the French market which lost -3.1% in one month. The British and German markets also lost -2.8% and -2.3% respectively. Reasons may be due to the results of early British elections on June 8 which increased costs of BREXIT. The biggest winner in June, and with a big margin, was the Saudi market which gained 8.1% in one month including 7.2% since the beginning of the crisis on June 5 and 1.5% gains for Dubai since the beginning of the crisis too. This is a historical feature that was unique for Boursa Kuwait which used to go opposite to the impact of crises. Bahrain and Abu Dhabi markets lost -1.7% and -1.3% respectively since the beginning of the crisis. The second biggest winner was the Chinese market which gained 2.4% in one month which reinforced its position among winning markets since the beginning of the year. The third winner was the Japanese market by 1.9% gains. In performance since the beginning of the year, and excluding Boursa Kuwait price index, (+17.7%), the Indian market took the lead by 16.1% gains despite its -0.7% loss in June. The American market came second by 8% gains and the German market came third by 7.4% gains. 4 GCC markets remained in the negative zone: Qatar, Oman, Dubai (-3.9% since the beginning of the year) and Abu Dhabi (-2.7%). Only the Saudi market which was a loser until the end of May by -4.7% jumped into the positive zone by 3% gains since the beginning of the year after June gains and thus became in position # 8 in performance among the sample markets. In our opinion, the crisis atmosphere among GCC states will remain as hot as July heat and its negative impact will continue on the regional markets but with less sharp oscillation towards gains or losses. It is likely that the performance of the regional markets will be inclined towards passivity. The opposite might occur to most emerging and mature markets although the uncertainty condition might continue to prevail and be influential in the main European markets and Britain due to Britain s vague exit vision from the European Union. The Weekly Performance of Boursa Kuwait The performance of Boursa Kuwait for last week was mixed compared to the previous one, where the traded value index, the traded volume index, and the number of transactions index, showed an increase, while the general index showed a decrease, AlShall Index (value weighted) closed at points at the closing of last Thursday, showing a decrease of about 2.3 points or about 0.6% compared with its level last week and it increased by 13.2 points or about 3.6% compared with the end of The following tables summarize last week s performance of Boursa Kuwait Description Week 27 Week 26 Diff 06/07/ /06/2017 % Working days 5 2 AlShall index (35 Companies) % Boursa Kuwait index (price) 6, , % Value Trade (KD) 46,395,431 14,028,127 Daily average (KD) 9,279,086 7,014, % Volume Trade (Shares) 242,569,642 72,106,121 Daily average (Shares) 48,513,928 36,053, % Transactions 12,123 3,679 Daily average (Transactions) 2,425 1, % Most Active Sectors & Companies Description Value Traded % of Total Companies KD Market Kuwait Finance House 4,766, % Alimtiaz Investment Co. K.S.C.C 4,752, % National Bank Of Kuwait 4,430, % Agility Public Warehousing Company 3,947, % Mobile Telecom Co. K.S.C (Zain) 3,655, % Total 21,553, % Description Value Traded % of Total Sectors KD Market Banks Sector 14,916, % Financial Services Sector 9,546, % Industrials Sector 7,583, % Real Estate Sector 6,546, % Telecommunications sector 4,180, % Al Shall Index Week 27 Week 26 06/07/ /07/2017 Increased Value (# of Companies) 11 6 Decreased Value (# of Companies) 18 2 Unchanged Value (# of Companies) 6 20 Total Companies From June 29, 2017 to July 06, United Realty Company (6.4) 20 National Real Estate Company (0.9) Salhiah Real Estate Company (1.3) Real Estate Sector (0.2) The National Industries (4.1) 23 Refrigeration Industries Co Gulf Cable & Electrical Industries Contracting & Marine Services Co (8.4) Industrial Sector Kuwait National Cinemas The Public Warehousing Co (11.5) Mobile Telecommunications Co - ZAIN (5.5) Safat Energy Co Services Sector (6.5) Livestock Transport & Trading Co Danah Aalsafat Foodstuff Company (17.3) 32 Kuwait Food Co (2.0) (7.7) Food Sector (1.9) (7.3) 33 Sharjah Cement Co (2.3) 34 Gulf Cement Co (1.1) (1.9) 35 Umm Al-Qaiwain Cement Industries Non Kuwaiti Companies (0.4) General Index (0.6)

4 LOCAL 4 Complex to be officially opened at the start of next academic year Architectural design inspired by Kuwaiti boom By Mohammed Ghanem Al-Seyassah Staff KUWAIT CITY, July 6: Minister of Public Works Eng Abdulrahman Al-Mutawa visited the main headquarters of Ministry of Education in the Ministries Zone in South Surra area. He was accompanied by Minister of Education and Higher Education Dr Mohammad Al- Fares. The two ministers, along with several officials from both ministries, inspected the work flow of the project. They met the project manag- Photos by Mohammed Morsi Ministers with several officials inspecting the work flow of MoE headquarters project. ers, supervisors and representatives of the contracting company, and discussed the latest developments of the project. They enquired about the actual completion rate of the project and other aspects about it, as the complex is due to be officially inaugurated at the start of the next academic year. Eng Al-Mutawa affirmed that the project will be handed over to the beneficiaries this summer. He explained that the area of the project site is 40,000 square meters. The architectural design of the two buildings was inspired by the shape of the traditional Kuwaiti boat (boom). The first building has 11 storeys and the second building has nine storeys. There is also an auditorium with capacity of 600 people, a central library, cafeteria, conference rooms, and four basements to serve as car parking areas, as well as other services. Minister of Education and Higher Education Dr Mohammad Al-Fares praised the efforts exerted by those in charge of the project, indicating that he will order the formation of a committee to organize the process of transferring to the new headquarters in a manner that will ensure smooth transition of ministry s operations from the old headquarters to the new one. Meanwhile, Minister of Public Works Eng Al-Mutawa revealed that, the ministry, in the next three months, will open several buildings at a total cost of more than KD 157 million. These buildings include headquarters of Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs in Riggae area, permanent headquarters of Kuwait Institute of Medical Specialization in Shuwaikh Health Zone, and the Government Center for Tests, Laboratory and Quality Control in Sabhan area. Department of Safety and Security at Kuwait University has taken necessary steps to organize and secure registration of students admitted in the fi rst semester of academic year 2017/2018. Registration started on July 4, and will end on July 17, inside the Admission and Registration Hall of Shuwaikh Campus. Exhibitors should have certificates MoCI to regulate real-estate market to protect client rights KUWAIT CITY, July 6: Ministry of Commerce and Industry will issue a ministerial decree to ensure all foreign properties offered through real-estate exhibitions in Kuwait have certificates and credentials from the embassy of the country in which those properties are located in order to ascertain the seriousness of the companies participating in such exhibitions and to avoid any manipulations or fraud, reports Aljarida daily quoting sources. They said the ministry, through this decision, is seeking to regulate the real-estate market in order to make it more effective and to protect the rights of its clients. The sources stressed that the ministry will not allow any real estate exhibition inside the country without determining the seriousness and confirmation of the officials and legal documents of the projects presented. They affirmed that the ministry, through its real estate committee, will require all data of the projects presented at these exhibitions and will send its inspectors to ensure existence of the properties offered.

5 LOCAL 5 KUWAIT CITY, July 6: The Embassy of Kuwait in Cairo, Egypt has called on Kuwaitis staying there and those who intend to spend their summer holiday in the country to fully abide by the instructions and laws issued by the Egyptian government, reports Al-Qabas daily. The embassy advised Kuwaitis to cooperate with securitymen at checkpoints, refrain from taking pictures of important governmental structures to avoid legal problems, be wary of strangers so they do not fall victims to theft and assault, and refrain from handing over or mortgaging their passports to anyone. The embassy also urged citizens to strictly comply with rules on carrying cash during their trip to Egypt, disclosing that passengers are not allowed to carry more than 5,000 Egyptian pounds. On purchasing real estate properties in Egypt, the embassy stressed the need to verify all information related to the property to make sure there is no dispute over the property and there are no obstacles or problems in registering the property under the name of the buyer; indicating it is better and safer to complete purchase procedures through an authorized legal firm. Baker Tilly-Kuwait for Assurance, Tax and Consulting Services has disclosed that financial institutions operating in Kuwait are subject to a new condition related to reporting and notification requirements in accordance with Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA), indicating that they must meet these requirements from June 30 to August 30 for the year that ended on December 30, 2016, reports Al-Shahed daily. The principal partner of Baker Tilly Dr Saud Al-Humaidhi said the financial institutions concerned with implementation of the US tax compliance law FATCA should submit their second annual report during that period. He indicated that the postponement in submitting the first report from June 30 to November 30 last year was exceptional, at the request of Kuwait s Ministry of Finance, which was approved by the US Treasury Department. However, this is not likely to be repeated this year. Financial institutions operating in Kuwait subject to new condition tied to reporting, notification requirements Kuwaitis in Egypt urged to fully abide by laws of the country Top and above: Minister Al-Azeb taking a tour of the new building. Justice minister inaugurates new depository building affiliated to GED Minister of Justice and State Minister for National Assembly Affairs Dr Faleh Al-Azeb Thursday said the new depository building affiliated to General Execution Department (GED) is a quantum leap that contributes to serving citizens, litigants and judges. In a press statement issued after inaugurating the building in Ardiya area, he affirmed the keenness of Ministry of Justice to promote work in various sectors in order to provide better services to Photos by Rizk Taufiq and KUNA citizens and to expedite completion of their transactions. The minister explained that the building, which has been built on an area of about 20,000 square meters, is an architectural edifice that will be a nucleus for improving the services provided to citizens at various times including during holidays. The building has about 1,017 smart parking areas where auctions will be held for impounded cars and spare parts. It also includes a number of departments of Ministry of Justice such as the Judicial Arbitration Department and the Civil Service Administration. On a different note, Dr Al-Azeb said Ministry of Justice is on the verge of launching more services on its website in order to ensure completion of the transactions of citizens at all times, indicating that the agency s electronic service is still under consideration and can be implemented in the same manner as in some GCC countries. (KUNA) Briefs CONGRATULATIONS: His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah on Thursday sent a congratulatory cable to Malawian President Arthur Peter Mutharika on the Republic s National day. His Highness the Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al- Jaber Al-Sabah and His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah sent similar cables to the President. Also, His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah has addressed a cable of congratulations to President of the Comoros Azali Assoumani on his country s National Day. His Highness the Amir wished President Assoumani good health and his country sustainable progress and prosperity. Their Highnesses the Crown Prince and the Prime Minister, respectively Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah and Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah, sent cables of similar content to the President Assoumani. National Assembly Speaker Marzouq Al-Ghanim Thursday has sent a cable of congratulations to his counterpart in the Comoros Abdou Ousseni on his country s National Day. Speaker Al-Ghanim has also sent a cable of congratulations to his counterpart in Malawi, Richard Msowoya, on his country s National Day. (KUNA) MEDIATION: British Minister of State for the Middle East and North Africa Alistair Burt highly commended on Wednesday the mediation efforts by His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah aiming to resolve the Gulf crisis. Speaking to KUNA in a statement on the sidelines of the Kuwait-British committee meetings, Burt said the United Kingdom has strong bonds of friendship with all Gulf countries and appreciates the GCC unity and cohesion. He expressed his hope that the Kuwaiti mediation efforts would succeed in containing the crisis, referring that British Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs Boris Johnson will visit Kuwait next Saturday to discuss this issue. Earlier today, Johnson met Kuwait s Deputy Foreign Minister Khaled Al-Jarallah in London. The British official said he looked forward to visiting Kuwait to discuss the issue. Meanwhile, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain on Wednesday expressed sorrow over Qatar s negative response to their demands. They extolled the mediation role by His Highness the Amir of Kuwait Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah aiming to find a resolution to the crisis. (KUNA) Al-Saleh hails OFID role in executing SDGs Arab co-op vital to overcome regional water shortage problem VIENNA, July 6, (KUNA): Kuwait s Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Anas Al-Saleh extolled on Thursday the vital role by OPEC Fund for International Development (OFID) in the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) across the globe. Speaking to KUNA and the Kuwait TV at the conclusion of the 38th session of the OFID S Ministerial Council meeting, Al-Saleh said the fund established in 1970s is committed to completing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The meeting of OPEC member states finance ministers concluded today witnessed the approval of financial statements and annual reports of the fund for 2016, and the review of OFID s performance and accomplishments, he said. The OFID s reserve hit $7 billion and Kuwait s contributions to the fund s activities reached 11 percent, he noted. Asked about repercussions of a drop in oil prices and challenges facing some countries in the region, Al-Saleh said the fund s reserve help overcome all challenges and achieve its developmental role as well. The minister stressed that he is proud of visions of the Kuwaiti youth working at the fund that aim to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including energy, food and water security. Meanwhile, OFID Director-General Suleiman Al-Harbash said the fund s ministerial council comprises the finance ministers and other senior officials of OFID member states. It meets once a year. OFID has evolved over four decades. Today we are both a trusted global lending institution and a major player in the international development arena, Al-Harbash added. Support By the end of 2016, through the expert management of paid-in resources of just over $2.4 billion, the fund had committed more than $20 billion in support of over 3,600 development operations across 134 countries, he said, adding that this is a remarkable achievement considering its modest size. The journey has been extraordinary. We have embraced new financing instruments and models, built a more diverse partnership network and, occasionally, as our Annual Report shows, we have even ventured into uncharted territory, he said. He pointed out this is shown by the subordinated debt facilities provided to banks in Honduras and Nicaragua; the first of their kind under the Private Sector facility. For all that we have achieved in and indeed over the past 40 years we are mindful that nothing would have been possible without the trust of our Member Countries. KUNA photo Kuwait s Finance Minister Al-Saleh participates in the 38th session of the OFID s Ministerial Council meeting. During the meeting, the action Jay Program of the Foundation for Integral Development (FUDI) in Guatemala has been announced. The program will receive $100,000 from OFID in support of its efforts to improve maternal and child health and nutrition. The council also announced the winners of the 2017 OFID Scholarship Award Program. This year, more than 20,000 students from OFID partner countries applied for a chance to complete their higher-level university studies with OFID s support. Ten young and remarkable individuals were selected from Colombia, Egypt, Guyana, Mongolia, Rwanda (two students), Justice allocates over KD 12m for executing 6 construction projects KUWAIT CITY, July 6: The Ministry of Justice has allocated KD million, taken from the ministry s budget for fiscal 2017/2018, for the implementation of six construction projects, reports Al-Rai daily quoting a knowledgeable source. The source told the daily that these projects include the construction of the Public Prosecution complex with nine floors and three basement parking levels at a total cost of KD 11 million. He said the complex is located in an area measuring 10,000 sq kms in Shuwaikh; indicating that construction is expected to be completed within the current fiscal year. About the Judges Club building in Salmiya, the source revealed the project costs KD 500,000 and it consists of two floors, a basement and areas for various services offered by the club. He added the project will be completed in the current fiscal year as well. Sudan, Vietnam, Yemen and Zimbabwe. Since 2006, OFID has supported 40 outstanding young people to attend top ranking universities including Oxford, Harvard and Cambridge. Meanwhile, Kuwait s Ministry of Electricity and Water Undersecretary Mohammad Boushehri said on Thursday that water shortage is an important challenge that faces the Arab world and needs cooperation to overcome this problem. He told KUNA that many water security related issues were discussed in the meeting, such as implementing a plan to manage water resources in the Arab region, in addition to water shortage challenges. Boushehri made the comments after heading the Kuwaiti delegation at the 9th session of the Arab Ministerial Council for Water in the General Secretariat of the League of Arab States in Cairo. Consume Although many Arab states have a water shortage problem, others consume more than they should, he added. Moreover, he welcomed Kuwait s plans to host an upcoming conference on the matter in May 2018, that will also discuss Arab cooperation to manage water resources. The Arab Ministerial Council for Water urged regional and international organizations to shed the light on violations committed by Israel, which it accused of stealing water from Palestinian territories and abusing Palestinian water rights. Concerned authorities in Kuwait have been dedicated in preparing the project of Business City, which will be an incubator for small and medium enterprises in the country. This comes as part of their efforts to achieve the vision of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah to transform Kuwait into a global financial and commercial center and is based on the efforts of the state to nurture and up bring its young generation in various fields, reports Al-Kuwaitiah daily. A number of officials and youths affirmed that the Business City project is a gigantic project that is in line with their ambitions. They all agreed the project is a good idea, as it will add value and benefit Acting Director-General of the Customs General Department Suleiman Al- Fahad said the decision to stop the payment of shift and food allowances applies to more than 100 employees assigned in the General Diwan of the department, indicating the total amount of these two allowances ranges from KD 160 to KD 350 depending on the functional degrees of the beneficiaries, reports Al-Rai daily. Speaking to the daily, Al-Fahad explained the decision is part of the ongoing efforts of the department to address the violations that the State Audit Bureau has been recording for years. He added the payment of these two allowances contravenes the regulations set by the Civil Service Commission (CSC). It can be recalled that Director-General of the department Jamal Al-Jallawi had earlier issued a decision to stop the payment of these allowances to the employees of the General Diwan starting from August. the youths and the country in general, insisting that the project should be run smoothly. They stressed the need to kickstart the project as soon as possible and work on facilitating procedures related to youth projects. It is noteworthy that the project will be built on an operational area of more than 33,000 square meters and a building area of 8,125 square meters with three floors and parking lots. The Business City will play a distinctive role in the coming period and will be the largest incubator for small and medium enterprises in Kuwait and the Gulf region. Minister of Education and Higher Education Dr Mohammed Al-Fares has issued a decision to add new conditions for granting licenses to new foreign private schools in the country. The decision by the minister stipulates the need for the applicant of the new school licenses to conduct a feasibility and technical study concerning the educational level of the relevant school. The study should include a vision, mission and objectives as well as an educational plan highlighting the syllabus and teaching language in addition to mechanism for evaluating students, guiding and counseling them and their behavioral assessment. The decision also stresses the need for the applicant to conduct a financial and investment study on the operational expenses, the proposed fees as well as services fees whereby no licenses will be issued to any private school or for addition of an educational level without the ministry s approval of the technical and feasibility study as well as the proposed fees.

6 LOCAL 6 DIWANIYA A DIGEST OF PUBLIC OPINION KUNA photo Kuwait Red Cresent Society (KRCS) Chairman Maha Al-Barjas in talks with Yemen s Ambassador to Kuwait Ali Saffa a. Kuwait-funded accord to rebuild Gaza Strip inked News in Brief Maid s death probed: The remains of an unidentified Asian housemaid have been referred to Forensics to identify the cause of death, reports Al-Shahed daily. According to security source police and paramedics rushed to a house in Ardhiya after the Operations Room of the Interior Ministry received a report that the maid has fainted. However, when the paramedics reached the spot they discovered the maid was lying on the floor and was dead with bruises on parts of her body. The daily without going into details said a bedoun woman has been detained for interrogation. Rumours rejected: The Egyptian security sources have denied rumors that a Kuwaiti was detained at the Cairo International Airport for a long time for carrying excess Egyptian money in violation of the law, reports Al-Rai daily. The sources added, the Kuwaiti was carrying with him 30,000 Egyptian pounds an equivalent of KD 500, and when he was told he was in violation of the law, the issue was solved within one hour. The procedures were followed and the Kuwaiti was let go. Fire erupts in car: Fire engulfed a vehicle in Jahra area reportedly because its engine had overheated possibly due to the hot weather conditions prevalent in the country, says Al-Seyassah. According to sources, firefighters rushed to the location after receiving information about the vehicle on fire and they extinguished it within a short time. The driver said the car had overheated before it caught fire, revealing that he had stopped by the road side before the fire engulfed the entire vehicle. Investigations are underway to determine the actual cause of the fire. Italy role in fight: The Italian Ministry KRCS to continue Yemen support KUNA photo Senior Palestinian officials during the meeting where an agreement was signed thanking Kuwait for its support to the Palestinian people. All gone Boland robbed KUWAIT CITY, July 6: Prominent Kuwaiti TV announcer, Halima Boland, has posted a video clip in the social media Snapchat showing the ransacking of her suite inside a hotel in Saint Tropez, southern France overlooking the sea and swimming pool, reports Al-Qabas daily. The video clip shows security men lifting fi ngerprints from the broken door. On the other hand, Boland explained she has fi led a theft case at the district police station. The video also shows her passport as proof that she has fi led a complaint. She confirmed all her belongings and the belongings of her friends have been stolen while they were fast asleep. of Defense has revealed the presence of four Italian Air Force aircraft Black Cats at the Ahmad Al-Jaber Air Base in Kuwait, reports Al-Shahed daily. The ministry said the aircraft are part of the international coalition fight to fight DAESH organization in Iraq. The Ministry of Defense said on its official site that these aircraft work with the international alliance to carry out reconnaissance in areas of the activity of the organization in Iraq, focusing on the movement and storage sites of weapons. The aircraft take high resolution images of the operations using the latest surveillance systems and infrared sensors. These advanced fighters send the captured images to a joint intelligence cell located at the Ali Al-Salem Air Base, to analyze them and provide final data to the coalition leadership. GAZA, July 6, (KUNA): Institutions from across the Palestinian national spectrum joined forces on Thursday for 13 agreements worth $3 million, financed by the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development (KFAED). Speaking to KUNA, Rabhi Al-Sheikh, the deputy head of a Palestinian office tasked with reconstructing the Gaza Strip, said that the agreements hammered out by 13 institutions from across Palestinian territories, entail projects to rebuild Gaza through a $3 million grant provided by Kuwait. He noted that Kuwait has contributed a sum of $200 million for reconstruction efforts, of which $75 million has been allocated for the residential sector. Meanwhile, Palestinian Minister of Public Works and Housing Mofeed Al- Hasayneh, on the sidelines of a ceremony where the agreement was signed, thanked Kuwait for the country s support of the Palestinian people. Sector He divulged that a sum of $500,000 will be earmarked for the agricultural sector, which is now in tatters due to the war. Egypt, Norway and the Palestinian territories convened an international conference on reconstructing Gaza in October 2014, to respond to the needs of the Palestinian people in the aftermath of Israel s military offensive. Meanwhile, Kuwait Red Crescent will continue to provide medical, relief and development-related humanitarian aid to Yemen in cooperation with local bodies with recent repairs to water desalination and medical facility centres, its Secretary General said on Thursday. After meeting Yemen s Ambassador to Kuwait Ali Saffa a, Red Crescent chief Maha Al-Barjas said that after concluding the two projects, the organization is setting up a camp for surgeries that can accommodate up to 200 cases. The project follows a similar initiative that has already resulted in the successful completion of a large number of orthopedic, brain, nerve and ophthalmologist operations. The organization has also handed out electrical generators to hospitals across the southwestern city of Taiz, wheelchairs and crutches to around 750 Yemenis along with food and cholera medicine distributed across Yemeni governorates. For his part, the Yemeni ambassador hailed these initiatives, saying they stem from honest and brotherly feelings. Maha Al-Barjas People must work to bridge gaps Kuwait keen for GCC unity IT WAS something indeed too painful and sorrowful for me to read in the local newspaper that the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Snookers Team has refused to play with its Qatari counterpart during the preliminary round of the Asian Championship which currently takes place in Kyrgyzstan because of the current political differences between the State of Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, columnist Abdulmohsen Al- Husseini wrote for Al-Shahed daily. This happened although no decision has been issued either by the Arab League (AL) or by the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) to boycott Qatar from sports events due to the current political crisis between some GCC member States and Doha. However, we have become accustomed to seeing sports events playing a vital role in surmounting differences among sportsmen all over the world. In this context, we cite the role of Kuwait during The Friendship and Peace Sporting Tournament in the 1980s where both Iraq and Iran participated in spite of their differences and although they were involved in war. Not just that, martyr Sheikh Fahd Al-Ahmad was keen to see this tournament kicking off with a match between the Iraqi and Iranian teams to embody the role that can be played by sports in consecrating fraternity and love among the sporting teams of the various countries. However, the idea was successful and all participants lauded the kind initiative of Sheikh Fahd Al- Ahmad, we pray to Almighty Allah to rest his soul in peace, where this initiative consecrated the sporting fraternity among the relevant teams far away from political differences. Such being the case, we suggest the administrative staff members should have urged the UAE team to play with their Qatari brothers because sports should unify the teams and should not be affected by political differences. Al-Husseini Meanwhile, we refer to the Chinese initiative which was represented by the organization of an international event during the first half of 1970s between the US tennis team and its Chinese counterpart. This occurred in the framework of efforts that were exerted to open the channels to pave the way for the conclusion of a mutual understanding between Beijing and Washington. In this connection, we say this happened although the two countries were at the peak of their political and ideological differences, but it is needless to say the sporting event in question indeed played a role in easing political differences between them and the fans in both China and the United States were keen to watch and follow up the friendly match between sportsmen of the two countries far away from political differences. But it looks like our brothers in the United Arab Emirates are not familiar with the sports gatherings among various States which have no political ties to link them. For us, while we are pained to see the UAE team withdrawing and refusing to play with its Qatari counterpart, we hope the UAE will review its attitude in this connection because we in the Gulf Cooperation Council have agreed upon that the political differences among the member States should not affect the robust, fraternal and family relations among the GCC peoples. In this context, we would like to say that we are affected indeed to see some of the GCC authorities hastening to expel the Qataris from their countries and I don t think this behavior will contribute to solving the political problems, hence, let us maintain the fraternal ties tinted with love which currently links the Gulf peoples for these are distinguished with their joint family and clannish relations. While the State of Kuwait is concerned about the interest of the Gulf peoples, we would like to emphasize its keenness to see that the political differences will negatively affect the deep-rooted relations among the peoples of the GCC member States. In this context, we would like to say that the head of the Kuwaiti family Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad is currently doing his utmost to surmount all obstructions that currently impede the solution to the current political differences among some of the GCC members States. In this context, while we would like to profess the keenness of the State of Kuwait to sanctify the atmospheres among the relevant GCC States, it is needless to say the State of Kuwait is one of the most keenest countries towards protecting the coherence of the GCC. We pray to the Almighty Allah to help us in this direction. Also: The issue of the difference between some of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member States, represented by the brothers in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the Kingdom of Bahrain with sisterly country the State of Qatar, is still steadily escalating and this is evident by the acuteness of the statements issued by the officials and media men from both sides, columnist Dr Adel Ibrahim Al- Ibrahim wrote for Al-Anba daily. This happens in spite of the good offices exerted by HH the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad since the very beginning of the eruption of differences between the two parties and the unlimited support given to HH the Amir s sublime initiative by the regional and international community to solve the suspended differences between the pertinent GCC States. In this context, we say the envoy of HH the Amir to the United States of America, Britain, German and the European Union (EU), the Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs and the Acting Minister of Information Sheikh Mohammad Al-Abdullah held meetings with the concerned senior officials in the relevant countries including their foreign ministers. As a matter of fact, the tour of Sheikh Mohammad Al-Abdullah in the relevant countries falls actually within the efforts of the State of Kuwaiti to find necessary solutions to end the current differences among GCC member States and avert any further actions that are likely to be taken by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and the Kingdom of Bahrain against the State of Qatar. This we say because we know any further escalation in the differences among the relevant parties will negatively affect that GCC peoples who have attached their hopes on this council and are looking forward to see the latter being transformed into a Gulf union to encounter the regional challenges. But these peoples suddenly find themselves amid formidable differences separating them and feel the pain because of differing views among the leaders of their countries because these differences currently top international politics and analysis. However, any further escalation is likely to negatively affect the good offices that are currently exerted by HH the Amir to find a solution for, particularly since we know observers who are following up the events in the Gulf region realize some regional and international powers are currently involved in following up any escalation in the Gulf/Gulf differences. These repercussions and associations affect the regional stability and there is semi internationalization for the relevant differences particularly since we know some other Arab and Islamic countries have entered into the course of these differences and this is dangerous. In this context, we refer to the economic and military support given by Turkey to the State of Qatar in the framework of an agreement that has been concluded between the two countries. In the meantime, we also refer to the role played by Iran in putting its air space at the disposal of Qatar to ease the siege that has been imposed on Qatar. The attitudes that are adopted by the sisterly country Arab Republic of Egypt are completely in harmony with the demands of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and the Kingdom of Bahrain. It is needless to say the rejection by the State of Qatar the difficult conditions imposed on Doha by the boycotting countries show the forthcoming days will be pregnant with further events and escalations particularly on the informational and economic fronts. Privatization of consumer cooperatives means the government enables the private sector to maximize its guaranteed profits at the expense of its shareholders by enabling it to take full control of the outlets and marketing provided by the cooperative societies which currently exceeds 200, as well as the price control and quality of service provided, columnist Badr Al-Daihani wrote for Al-Jarida daily. The cooperatives sector, including 55 cooperative societies in all residential areas, plays an important role in sustainable human development and in reducing the burden of living on citizens and the population at large. The cooperative societies, as we have already mentioned, are public social property, that is, they belong to the shareholders, not the government, whose role should be confined to the general control process to prevent administrative and financial corruption. In contrast to the role of the cooperative sector and the government s responsibility, the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor last year obliged the General Assembly of the Dasma and Bneid Al-Gar to convene an emergency meeting of shareholders. The percentage was very low compared to the total number of shareholders in order to take a decision to privatize it as desired by the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor, although this contradicts the ministerial decisions governing the work of the cooperative societies, the nature of their ownership and the purpose of their establishment. It seems that the government is moving ahead, as understood by the Minister of Social Affairs and Labor, to liquidate the cooperative societies instead of reforming their administrations under the pretext of administrative and financial corruption and handing them over to commercial groups who seeking quick profit and are content under with the false media slogans. The strong regional and financial situation of Kuwait today is the result of gradual development of the country since its establishment as an emirate, until its regional strength increased following the discovery of oil, columnist Dr Anwar Al-Shuraian wrote for Al- Shahed daily. Today, Kuwait is the gift of oil. The continuity and survival of Kuwait is linked to the completion of the development stages and the exploitation of oil to ensure the continuation of their regional and economic growth. The time has come to look for other sources of income instead of depending on oil as the sole source of income, because in the long run the oil revenues will inevitably disappear and the long-term survival of the country will depend on real economic progress linked to the economies of the world and the region. Unfortunately, the Kuwaiti government is not aware of this fact, and this is clear from the studies adopted by the governments during the last two decades, from the plan 2020 to 2035 and finally the The irony is that the government, launched its vision 2035 in a dazzling celebration but the truth is that Kuwait had a clear and declared vision 14 years ago when HH the Amir envisioned to make the country into a global commercial financial center, but no government was able to take a single step in this direction to transform the vision of HH the Amir into a specific road map and make it a reality. When humanity is placed in a person, entity or state, it becomes a compassionate heart that embraces everyone and is a favorite place for every person who has suffered from displacement, poverty, disaster or hunger, columnist Abdul Rahman Al Awwad wrote for Al-Sabah daily. Kuwait has become a center of humanitarian action after being awarded this title by the United Nations and naming HH the Amir the leader of humanity because of his efforts to eradicate poverty and alleviate the sufferings of the less fortunate people irrespective of their sex, color, race or religion. It is impossible for Kuwait to stand idle and see the suffering of the people in any part of the world. Kuwait has been and will remain, God willing, the headquarters of the work of goodness and will not change this goodness through generations, God willing. The temperature in Kuwait has currently exceeded 50 degrees Centigrade. Reportedly, Kuwait will record the highest temperatures in the world this year. Amid all this, an official from Ministry of Electricity and Water comes out with a threat to disconnect electricity and water supply for those who haven t paid their bills for many years, Yousef Hajji wrote for Al-Rai daily. According to the ministry, some of the bills have reached thousands of dinars. Throughout the past years, the ministry had remained silent and did not exert any effort to ensure these bills were settled until they piled up to reach such high amounts. What mistake did the citizens commit when it is evident that the ministry had failed to collect the dues owed to them by the citizens? Citizens are not responsible for the ministry s delay of years in collecting the dues from its subscribers. I personally believe the ministry is responsible for this problem due to the slackness of its administration in executing its duty properly in this regard. Therefore, the threat to cut off electricity and water supply will be a huge mistake. In fact, it is illegal considering its necessity. It is up to the ministry to ensure there is no delay in collecting its revenues and following up its subscribers to ensure the bills are settled on time. For those with large number of accumulated bills, the ministry should find another proper manner to deal with them such as payment by installments. The ministry should also expedite installation of smart meters for ensuring better accountability. Compiled by Zaki Taleb

7 LOCAL 7 Court Cases for guardian Court acquits four siblings in theft of company fence By Jaber Al-Hamoud Al-Seyassah Staff KUWAIT CITY, July 6: The Misdemeanor Court acquitted four siblings of alleged theft of the metal fence used by Kuwait Oil Company (KOC) to protect an oil well. The Public Prosecution had charged the suspects of allegedly stealing documents of KOC when they purportedly broke the shelter after cutting the metal net covering the well and carted it away. According to Haidar the case file, a representative of KOC reported to the police about the theft of the metal fence without accusing anybody. He said the last time he saw the stolen item was over 20 days before he filed the report. Secret investigations carried out by detectives revealed the identity of the suspects who perpetrated the act. The suspects were caught with the items as well as materials used to cut the metal net. However, the defense counsel Lawyer Ena am Haider said the allegation was based on lies and was unfounded. She wondered how the prosecution officer could have arrested the suspects before they perpetrated the crime. She clarified that the first three suspects were already in prison before the day the stolen items were Other Voices purportedly found on them. Guardian gets aid: The Court of Cassation affirmed the policy guiding the new concept of family after divorce, and declared the parent who takes custody of a handicap child has the right to receive financial aid the child is entitled to. The case file indicated the estranged husband sued the ex-wife alongside Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor and the Public Authority for Handicap Affairs, claiming the woman had no right to receive the monthly salary of their handicapped child from the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor. He wanted the woman to refund all sum collected on behalf of their child for the past three years. The Court of First Instance struck out the case, but the Court of Appeals granted the pleading before the final judgment at the Court of Cassation in favor of the mother, affirming the divorced mother has the right as the family head to collect the salary of her handicapped child and spend it once the child is staying with her. Hence, the court accepted petition from the divorced woman and pronounced her right to spend financial aid of her handicapped child. Lawyer Dalal Al-Othman representing the woman told the court that her client has since been taking care of the child in her custody, so she is entitled to the monthly salary. She noted the salary will help the mother take good care of the child and ensure he enjoys a desirable living standard. A message and a wish By Ahmad Al-Sarraf Kuwaiti woman was plagued with an A incurable disease. Before her death she wrote a sad farewell message and published it in the social media. Inspired by the painful message, I write this article. The message says: When I die, I will not worry or care about my feeble worn out body. Muslims will do what is necessary. They will wash my corpse and bury me. They will take me away from my house and place me in my eternal resting place the grave. Many will come for my funeral and many will cancel their errands to bid me last farewell. All my belongings will be got rid of my keys, my handbag, my shoes and my clothes. It would be well if Al-Sarraf my possessions are given away in alms. I want to make sure the world does not grieve for me. Nothing will stop after my death. Everything will run smooth including the economy, others will take my job and my wealth will be legally distributed among my heirs, while I will be facing the Creator on judgment day for what I have done while on the face of this earth. The first thing that will vanish from me is my name because after I die I will be referred to only as the corpse. They will not call the corpse by name, and when they want to pray for me, they will just ask people to attend my funeral. There will be no name and when the time for burial comes, they will just refer to me as the deceased. Tribe or family affiliations are useless after death. We live in a trivial world but what is important after our death is the life after. News in Brief There will be three types of grievers: People who know you superficially will say poor, friends will grieve for hours or perhaps days and finally return to their old routine and you will be forgotten, but you will be deeply grieved at home by the family and this too may last for a week, a month or a year or two and what will remain only faded memories. Thus my story ends between people and the real story begins with the Hereafter. What impressed me in this message is how sad and realistic it is. The questions related to the Hereafter at the end of the message drew my attention, such as the question of what we have prepared for our graves and life after. Are we keen to perform the religious duties, giving alms in secret and good work? These questions and others are repeated by many and they satisfy the souls and reassure the hearts, but what about life? Why does nobody care about it? Is it enough to pray and fast, give alms and support or help the poor and say we have played our role in this life? Why don t differ from us in their extreme interest in life, such as the interest of some in the Hereafter from their own perspective? Why do not we try to instill in the souls and minds of the youth that it is important to leave something in our life for the benefit of humanity, for the benefit of human health, medicine, science, progress, fighting disease, drinking water to all humans, something useful in the eradication of poverty and ignorance and the suffering of 66 million refugees in the world. Why do our culture, our conversations, and the curricula of our schools lack the materials of urging the individual to take care of life, such as interest in the work for the Hereafter? Is it not surprising that the Ottoman Empire which lasted for 600 years failed to produce eminent scientists while and its European neighbors produced thousands of scientists and explorers? The answer to this question shall constitute the end of our backwardness. Op successful: Kuwait TV and theatrical director Khaled Al-Rashed underwent a successful laparoscopic surgery for change of cartilage in the neck, reports Al-Anba daily. The surgery was performed by Dr Hisham Al-Khayat at the Ibn Sina Hospital Wednesday. Al-Rashed thanked the nursing staff of the fourth wing of the hospital for their care and effort. Surgeon suspended: After completion of interrogations the Ministry of Health has suspended from work a Kuwaiti plastic surgeon for posting video clips in the social media while at work performing liposuction on a woman who appears semi-naked, reports Al-Rai daily. It was earlier been published that the Kuwaiti plastic surgeon had published a video clip on his Facebook and Twitter pages while performing liposuction on a woman. The video sparked the anger and discontent of social media users, especially in the Gulf region because the patient is shown almost naked. As a result of harsh criticism, the Kuwaiti Health Minister Dr. Jamal Al Harbi ordered the department of medical licenses in the ministry to summon the surgeon for interrogation, since what he did breached the principles and standards of the medical profession. He stressed publishing videos of patients across social media is unacceptable and incompatible with the medical profession because such acts violates the code of conduct and privacy of the patient. The minister had then entrusted the task to the Supreme Committee for Medical Investigations to take punitive measures against the culprit if found guilty. The doctor tried to justify his actions on his official Facebook page by saying, The aim of the publication of the video was to advertise an innovative technique of liposuction with local anesthesia with the patient standing up. KFSD photos A huge fire broke out in a building under construction in the Avenues Mall in Al-Rai area, says Al-Seyassah. The fire was extinguished in record time by 70 firefighters from four fire stations before the fire spread to nearby structures. In the process, seven firefighters were injured and received treatment at the site by paramedics. A large quantity of construction material inside the basement of area 40,000 square meters was engulfed by the fire. Investigations have been launched to determine the cause of the fire. Top and above: Senior KFSD officials can be seen at the blaze site. Rent of apartments in Kuwait sees sharp decrease: survey By Najeh Bilal Al-Seyassah Staff KUWAIT CITY, July 6: According to an investigative report conducted by the daily, rents of apartments in Kuwait have dropped by up to KD 100 in various areas depending on several factors related to the location and type of the apartment. In this regard, the Secretary General of Real Estate Union Qais Al-Ghanim said, Any increase in the rent of accommodation in Kuwait has completely stopped. In fact, it is currently difficult to talk about increasing rents. He affirmed that the rents have dropped but it is difficult to determine the reduction rate if it is more or less than one-third, as every area is governed by different factors in this regard. Al-Ghanim explained that Salmiya area has witnessed some reduction in rents although it is not possible to determine the exact rate due to lack of official statistics. Riggae area continues to maintain its rent value due to its proximity to military establishments and health areas as well as several active areas in the country. In Sulaibikhat, the rents have dropped due to its location, which is far from active areas. He revealed that in areas like Sulaibikhat, an expatriate can find a big apartment for about KD 250 per month, indicating that it will be possible to estimate the reduction rate of rent value in September due to the fact that it coincides with resumption of work after the summer holidays. Al-Ghanim affirmed that increasing the fees and service charges for expatriates have created more financial pressure on them; this has led significant number of expatriates to send their families back to their countries. He said, Further pressure on expatriates in terms of cost of living is automatically followed by reduction in the rents of commercial and investment residential real-estates. Al-Ghanim explained that the landlords will definitely be impacted negatively if the trend of expatriate families returning back to their countries continues. This will also affect the economy, as money transfers outside the country will increase because the breadwinner of the family is residing in the country and all of his/ her expenses will significantly drop. This will in turn negatively affect the retail market. He said the union is unable to impose a certain rent value on the landlords due to their different cir- Renew family visit visas for all expats: Al-Jarrah Fish fascinated by a coral reef formation near Kubbar Island (Ahmad Srour KUNA) Two Kuwaitis steal 3 costly phones Filipina loses cash, phones in mugging Munaif Nayef Al-Seyassah Staff KUWAIT CITY, July 6: A Filipino lady filed a complaint against a person who attacked her and stole KD 100 plus two mobile phones while she was walking in Maidan Hawalli area. A security source said the lady informed the police she was walking in the aforementioned area when suddenly a man attacked her and snatched the handbag containing KD 100 cash plus two mobile phones. A case was registered. Meanwhile, the owner of a mobile phone shop lodged a complaint against two Kuwaitis who made away with three mobiles from his shop. A security source said the company owner filed a case at the Nugra Police Station saying two Kuwaitis he knows had stolen three Samsung galaxy phones valued at KD 600 from his shop and escaped. A case was registered. cumstances and responsibilities, which dictate them to set the rent value in a manner that is comfortable for them and will not inflict any commercial losses for them. Al-Ghanim concluded by saying it is difficult to depend or rather endorse the official statistics on vacant apartments, which claim there are about 104,000 empty apartments. The reason is that such statistics are not very accurate, given that there is continuous increase in the number of residential buildings and expansion in the residential real-estate market. According to the statistics report issued by the Public Authority of Civil Information (PACI), the number of empty apartments reached 103,984, and the number of occupied apartments was 203,233, as of end of December Agencies add: Renew visit visas : The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Sheikh Khalid Al-Jarrah has issued instructions to directors of Residence Affairs Departments in all governorates to renew family visit visas of all expatriates, reports Al-Anba daily. Those benefitting from the decision are those who have overstayed their visit visas provided they pay the fines for the duration of overstay. In another story, a Kuwaiti lady has taken legal action against a popular medical establishment in Hawalli area that burnt her skin during laser treatment. A security source said the lady underwent laser treatment and suffered burns during the procedure. She obtained medical report from a hospital confirming the injury she suffered as a result of laser treatment. A case was registered against the clinic and its administration for medical error. Meanwhile, the Al-Rai daily said 2,700 Syrians have renewed their visas and KD 70,000 has been collected in the form of fines from violators. Drug pills seized: Customs officers at the Abdali border post foiled an attempt by a GCC citizen to smuggle 3,435 Captagon tablets into the country, reports Al-Anba daily. The daily added, the drugs were found hidden in two bags in secret compartment of his bus. The contraband and the smuggler have been referred to the General Department for Drugs Control.

8 LOCAL/GULF 8 Energy giants court Qatar for gas expansion role Exxon, Shell, Total CEOs visit Doha LONDON, July 6, (RTRS): The West s three biggest energy corporations are lobbying Qatar to take part in a huge expansion of its gas production, handing Doha an unintended but timely boost in its bitter dispute with Gulf Arab neighbours. The chief executives of ExxonMobil, Royal Dutch Shell and France s Total all met the emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-thani, in Qatar before it announced a plan on Tuesday to raise output of liquefied natural gas (LNG) by 30 percent. Company and industry sources told Reuters that the CEOs had expressed interest in helping Qatar with its ambition Woods to produce 100 million tonnes of LNG annually - equivalent to a third of current global supplies - in the next five to seven years. The companies already have large investments in countries on both sides of the dispute, and are keen to remain neutral after Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt severed ties with Doha on June 5. Spokespeople from all three firms declined comment. However, a top executive from one energy major looking into expanding in Qatar said the huge business opportunity was worth the considerable political risk. There is only one policy here - you have to behave like a commercial corporation, the executive told Reuters. You have to make your choices purely economically and be Qatari in Qatar, Emirati in the Emirates. Energy sales have powered Qatar s rapid rise as a regional player since the late 1990s, and the oil majors interest in the LNG expansion underline its longerterm economic muscle during the political row with its neighbours. Chief executives Darren Woods of Exxon and Ben van Beurden of Shell both met the emir after the four Arab countries imposed the sanctions. Total chief Patrick Pouyanne has also visited Doha in recent weeks. Qatar, the world s largest LNG supplier and second biggest gas exporter after Russia, has some of the lowest production costs. The plan was seen as an opening shot in a price war as Doha tries to defend its market share, especially against supplies from US shale deposits where costs are higher. The four Arab countries, which have demanded Qatar stop fostering terrorism and courting Iran, said after meeting on Wednesday that Doha s response to their grievances had been negative. Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-jubeir said the political and economic boycott would remain until Qatar improved its policies. Further steps would be taken at the appropriate time, he said. Doha denies aiding terrorism and its foreign minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-thani, accused the four of clear aggression while adding that Qatar continued to call for dialogue Kuwait Today Prayer Timings Fajr... 03:19 Sunrise... 04:54 Zohr... 11:53 Asr...15:27 Maghrib... 18:51 Isha... 20:22 Expected weather for the next 24 hours: By Night: Relatively hot with light variable wind changing to light to moderate north westerly wind, with speed of km/h. By Day: Very hot with light to moderate north westerly wind to variable wind, with speed of km/h. Kuwait Weather Station Max Min Rec Exp Kuwait City Kuwait Airport Abdaly Bubyan Jahra Failaka Island Salmiya Ahmadi Nuwaisib Wafra Salmy days forecast - Weather Friday, July 7 Expected weather...very hot Max Temp C Min Temp C Wind Direction... NW-SE Wind Speed km/h Saturday, July 8 Expected weather...hot and relatively humid over coastal areas Max Temp C Min Temp C Wind Direction...VRB-SE Wind Speed km/h Sunday, July 9 Expected weather...hot and relatively humid over coastal areas Max Temp C Min Temp C Wind Direction...VRB-SE Wind Speed km/h Monday, July 10 Expected weather...very hot Max Temp C Min Temp C Wind Direction...VRB-NW Wind Speed km/h Marine Forecast Station Max Min Sea Today s Exp Rec Surf Waves Ht Direction South Dolphin ft SE Umm Mudayrah ft SE Beacon M ft SE Beacon N ft SE to settle the dispute. Exxon, Shell and Total have already invested extensively in Qatar, particularly in projects to liquefy gas, allowing it to be shipped by tanker to consumer markets where transport by pipeline is not feasible. Woods met the emir on June 26, discussing cooperation with Qatar, where Exxon has been present since 1935, according to a statement carried by the state news agency. Industry sources close to the talks said that the Exxon CEO was very keen to join the new gas capacity expansion and expressed willingness to invest. Woods replaced Rex Tillerson, under whom Exxon helped to build Qatar s LNG industry until he left to become US Secretary of State earlier this year. Exxon will be the largest foreign investor in Qatar in 2017, with most money going into LNG facilities, representing around seven percent of its global portfolio, according to consultancy WoodMackenzie. Shell s Van Beurden was among the first foreign company leaders to visit Qatar after the crisis broke out, meeting the emir on June 14. This was followed several days later by a new deal under which Qatar will supply Shell, the world s largest LNG trader, with 1.1 million tonnes annually for five years starting in Shell s operations in Qatar include Pearl GTL, the world s largest gas liquefaction plant. Its overall investments in the state represent around six percent of its global portfolio. The three firms had been expecting Qatar to expand its LNG exports since it lifted a self-imposed moratorium on development of the North Field, the world s biggest natural gas field it shares with Iran, the sources said. Oil and gas companies generally are no strangers to operating in risky areas. This week Total became the first Western energy firm to invest in Iran since the lifting of sanctions against the country. The project, phase 11 of Iran s South Pars development, draws gas from the same reservoir as Qatar s North Field. Total chief Pouyanne discussed new opportunities in the LNG sector as well as the company s plans to develop the Al-Shaheen oil field on his trip to Doha, according to a senior source. Qatar s LNG capacity could be boosted by up to 10 million tonnes per year relatively quickly and cheaply by optimising existing facilities and upgrading a small number of units, a process known as debottlenecking, according to a senior industry source. Beyond that, the expansion would require building new liquefaction terminals involving significant investments, which the energy giants can offer. Qatar LNG is really an important part of their overall portfolio, especially for Exxon but Total and Shell are also material LNG players there, Tom Ellacott, analyst at WoodMackenzie said. Qatar LNG is very competitive. Debottlenecking will be a relatively cheap option to increase capacity, but with the industry at a low point in the cost cycle, it may also be a good time to install new terminals. Qaruh Island ft SE Umm Al-Maradim ft SE Sea Island Buo Salmiya ft SE 4 days forecast - Marine Friday, July 7 Expected weather...very hot Sea state... Slight to moderate Wave height ft Max Temp C Min Temp C Wind Direction... NW-SE Wind Speed km/h Saturday, July 8 Expected weather...hot and relatively humid over coastal areas Sea state... Slight to moderate Wave height ft Max Temp C Min Temp C Wind Direction...VRB-SE Wind Speed km/h Sunday, July 9 Expected weather...hot and relatively humid over coastal areas Sea state... Slight to moderate Wave height ft Max Temp C Min Temp C Wind Direction...VRB-SE Wind Speed km/h Monday, July 10 Expected weather...very hot Sea state... Slight to moderate Wave height ft Max Temp C Min Temp C Wind Direction...VRB-NW Wind Speed km/h Tide times at Shuwaikh Port 1st high tide:... 09:35 2nd high tide:... 23:31 1st low tide:... 17:12 2nd low tide:... 04:20 Sunrise:... 04:54 Sunset:... 18:51 Recorded yesterday at Kuwait Airport Max temp C Min temp C Max Rh... 24% Min Rh... 07% Max Wind... S 28 km/h Total Rainfall in 24 hrs... 0 mm Recorded yesterday at South Dolphin Min/Max/ Air Temp... 32/40 C Min/Max Rel Hum... 14/81% Wind Direction/Wind Speed...SE/30 km/h Prev Wave Dir/Max Wave Ht...N/1 ft Min/Max Sea Surface Temp... -/- C Sea Current...Upwelling Directorate General of Civil Aviation, Meteorological Dept. deaths Fathiya Ghloom Haji Hasan, 65 years old, buried on Thursday. Condolences: Bneid Al Gar, Huseiniyat Ashour Tel Abdul Munim Ali Saud Al Elaiwi, 77 years old, buried on Thursday. Condolences: (Men) at the cemetery only Tel (Women) Zahra, Block 1, St. 101, House 55 Tel Aysha Zaid Rashed, 76 years old, wife of Rathi Saad Ali Bin Hajar, buried on Thursday. Condolences: Qossour, Block 1, St. 8, House 12 Tel July 6, 2017 A photo shows the Opening Session of the Ninth Legislation Term of the Arab Ministerial Council for water. Qatar Airways are set to buy shares in American Airlines DUBLIN, July 6, (Agencies): Qatar Airways is to press on with plans to build a stake of up to 4.75 percent in American Airlines in the near future, despite the categorical opposition of the US company s management, Qatar Chief Executive Akbar al-baker said on Thursday. The state-owned carrier notified American Airlines last month that it was interested in buying up to 10 percent of its shares but would not exceed 4.75 percent without the approval of American s board. QA cancels order for four A350s KUNA photo Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Egypt, Saudi Arabia, UAE and Bahrain during their meeting in Cairo Wednesday. KUNA photo Minister of Defense Sheikh Mohammad Al-Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah meets with French Ambassador to Kuwait Christian Nakhlah. Kuwait s Defense Minister meets French envoy Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense Sheikh Mohammad Al-Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah met on Thursday with the French Ambassador to Kuwait Christian Nakhlah. During the meeting they discussed mutual issues that concern both sides, in addition to cooperation, mainly in the military field and ways to enhance and develop it, the Ministry of Defense (MoD) said in a statement. Al-Khaled hailed the ongoing bilateral relation, stressing Kuwait s keenness on promoting and developing this relation, the statement added. The meeting was attended by Kuwait s Army Chief of Staff, KUNA photo We will be able to start buying shares in the open market soon, depending of course on what is the share value, al Baker told reporters in Dublin, where he was launching a new Qatar Airways route. The share purchases will start as soon as Qatar receives regulatory approval, he said. However, American said in a regulatory filing dated June 22 that company rules prohibit anyone from acquiring 4.75 percent or more of the company s shares in issue without prior board approval. Shares in American were up 0.5 percent at $51.53 at 1342 GMT on Thursday, valuing the company at over $25 billion. The move by Qatar Airways would expand its investments to North Lieutenant General Mohammad Khaled Al-Khedr, Deputy Chief of Staff, Lieutenant General Abdullah Al-Nawaf Al-Sabah and Commander of the Kuwaiti Naval Forces Major General Khaled Ahmad AlKandari, in addition to the French Embassy s military attach?) in Kuwait, Patrick Peret. (KUNA) KOC stops crude pipeline leak KUWAIT CITY, July 6, (KUNA): Kuwait Oil Company (KOC) said on Thursday it has halted a leak of a crude oil pipeline in the northern Al-Ratqa oilfield without any reports of injuries or interruption to its operations. Specialised teams at the company, abiding by safety standards, managed to completely control the leak in two hours, a KOC spokesperson said in a statement. No readings of hydrogen sulfide (H2S) leakage were recorded at the scene, added Deputy CEO for Administrative and Financial Affairs Badriya Abdulraheem. Abdulraheem maintained that an inquiry into the reasons for the leak will be launched according to company procedures. America at a time when Qatar is embroiled in the region s worst diplomatic crisis in years and is locked in an airspace rights row with three other Gulf states. Qatar has no intention of going above 10 percent, al Baker said. Al-Baker said American s CEO Doug Parker told him at an airline conference in Mexico last month that he was against Qatar s planned investment and that he would not recommend that the board approve the purchase of a stake of over 4.75 percent. He categorically told us that he was not interested, that he would not suggest to his board to allow us. However, I told him we can still take 4.75 percent and we will do that, al Baker said. Maybe once we have taken that 4.75 and they see the value that Qatar Airways brings to the table for them that they will reconsider, he said. He said he had no ambition to influence American s management or soften what he said was its anti-gulf stance. Along with United Continental Holdings Inc and Delta Air Lines, American has pressed the US government to curb US flights by Qatar Airways and rival Gulf carriers Emirates and Etihad Airways. The US carriers charge that their Gulf rivals have received billions of dollars in unfair state subsidies, allegations the Gulf carriers deny. A stake in American Airlines would add to Qatar Airways investment portfolio. The Middle East s second biggest airline also has a 20 percent stake in International Airlines Group, the owner of British Airways, Iberia, Aer Lingus and Vueling, and a 10 percent stake in Chile s LATAM Airlines. Qatar Airways, American Airlines, British Airways, Iberia and LATAM are all members of the oneworld airline alliance. British Airways and Qatar Airways have a revenue-sharing partnership between their respective hubs in Doha and London, and Qatar Airways plans to launch flights to LATAM s base in Santiago, Chile. Al-Baker made repeated digs at American, saying it wanted to keep out the Gulf carriers from the US market so it could swindle their customers. My dear friend Doug Parker, a big supporter of oneworld... is now frightened of a oneworld carrier wanting to take a stake, he said. Meanwhile, Qatar Airways said any delays with the delivery of the Airbus A350 long-haul jets are down to Airbus, its chief executive said on Thursday. We are asking Airbus to deliver it faster, CEO Akbar al-baker said at a Dublin news conference. The delay is from Airbus. When asked whether he was scrapping orders, Al Baker responded: They have all our orders. They only need to deliver them to us. Qatar Airways (QA) has cancelled orders for four A aircraft, citing delays in deliveries as Airbus deals with supplier problems, two people familiar with the matter said on Thursday. Airbus was not immediately available to comment on the cancellation, which was first reported by Bloomberg News.

9 INTERNATIONAL 9 Barzani expects Yes vote in September referendum Iraqi Kurdish leader says no turning back on independence ERBIL, Iraq, July 6, (RTRS): Iraq s Kurdish leader said on Thursday that there was no turning back on a bid to achieve an independent Kurdish state, but he would pursue it through dialogue with Baghdad and regional powers to avoid conflict. Masoud Barzani, President of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), told Reuters in an interview that the timetable for independence after a Sept. 25 vote on the issue was flexible but not open-ended. He expected a yes vote. The vote could turn into another regional flashpoint, with Turkey, Iran and Syria, along with Iraq the states with sizeable Kurdish populations, all resolutely opposed to an independent Kurdistan in northern Iraq. But Barzani played down such fears. Within Iraq s borders, there is growing concern the real purpose of the referendum is not secession, but to strengthen Kurdish claims over hotly disputed territory adjoining recognised KRG boundaries, such as the oil-rich region and city of Kirkuk, whose future has been in play for over a decade. Inside the KRG, parties such as the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) of Jalal Talabani or the dissident Gorran group, all favour independence but not necessarily under the leadership of Barzani and his Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP). At his palace in the hillside village of Salahaddin, Barzani said the vote would decide the fate of Kirkuk, which Kurdish Peshmerga forces prevented Islamic State from capturing in Whatever the people of Kirkuk decide within the referendum, that decision should be respected, said a relaxed Barzani. The Peshmerga effectively runs Kirkuk, also claimed by Turkmen and Arabs. Hardline Iran-backed Iraqi Shi ite militias have threatened to expel the Kurds by force from this region and three other disputed areas Sinjar, Makhmour and Khanaqin. Barzani, a Kurdish nationalist who has long championed the rights of his people, said negotiations with Baghdad, neighbours and international powers would start immediately after the vote in order to reach an amicable agreement. Our main goal is to implement and achieve the decision of our people through peace and dialogue, he said, wearing his traditional Peshmerga uniform. Barzani accused the Shi ite-led Iraqi government, backed by Iran, of not sticking to a constitutional agreement of allowing the Kurds to have greater powers under a federal state set up after the US-led invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein in For 14 years we have been waiting and we have been discussing this partnership but we have always been told it s not a good time and it s not acceptable timing so my question is, when is the right time? The Kurds have been seeking an independent state since at least the end of World War One, when colonial powers divided up the Middle East, but their territory ended up split between modern-day Iraq, Syria, Turkey and Iran. Saddam s government waged the Anfal campaign against them in the 1980s, killing tens of thousands including with poison gas in the city of Halabja. Barzani, whose father led struggles against Baghdad in the 1960s and 1970s, grew up in Iranian exile but returned as a teenager, joined the Peshmerga and took on the mantle of resistance. He said the Kurds were ready to take responsibility for the outcome of the referendum. We have to rectify the history of mistreatment of our people and those who are saying that independence is not good, our question to them is, if it s not good for us, why is it good for you? Barzani played down speculation that the referendum would spark violence, saying the legitimacy of the people is bigger than the legitimacy of any of the political parties or any of the external interventions. Saudis impose Bill aims to Germany to Continued from Page 1 when it will cap at 4,800 riyals ($1,280/ 1,126 euros) per dependent annually. Saudi Arabia projects a government budget balance in Saudi Arabia s ambitious Vision 2030 plan, unveiled in April 2016, aims to broaden its investment base and diversify the once oil-dependent economy. The plan will also see the sale of nearly five percent of state-owned Aramco the world s largest oil company reportedly worth between $2 trillion and $2.5 trillion. Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar aim to introduce value-added taxes in 2018 to deal with fiscal deficits, followed by the remaining Gulf Cooperation Council states Bahrain, Kuwait and Oman. Continued from Page 1 entitled to vote. The president and vice-president shall be full-time members, taking into account the text of Article Four. The bill states that the president and his deputy must go through comprehensive evaluation and a report in this regard will be submitted to the Parliament speaker prior to their appointment. It also grants immunity to board members in order to ensure that they carry out their work efficiently as stated in international human rights conventions. In another development, the Negative Phenomena Committee has submitted its report on causes of the spread of drugs and solutions to the Parliament. This came after the committee discussed the issue with officials of several government bodies, including the ministries of Interior, Health, Social Affairs and Information; in addition to the General Customs Department and Bashair Al-Khair Association. In its report, the committee stressed the need to take precautionary measures to prevent the spread of drugs such as organizing programs, symposiums, conferences and public awareness campaigns. It also suggested the establishment of additional rehabilitation centers with sufficient number of doctors, nurses and specialists, allow participation of the private sector, and control agencies must intensify the fight against drugs by closely monitoring the activities of expatriates. It recommended incentives for anyone accused or convicted due to drug consumption if proven he stopped engaging in such an act; such as stopping criminal proceedings for those who undergo treatment or rehabilitation voluntarily. This is in addition to granting pardon or commutation of sentence for those proven to have changed their behavior and exhibit good conduct, making them memorize full or some parts of the Holy Quran, and restoring the rehabilitative program for memorizing the Quran to benefit from pardon as it was done in the past. Meanwhile MP Abdul Wahab Al Babtain stressed the need to grill HH the Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Al- Mubarak Al-Sabah at the beginning of the next legislative round if he fails to clarify questionable expenditures estimated at KD 308 billion. In addition, MP Al-Humaidi Al- Subaie revealed that five interpellation requests will be submitted in the next legislative round as the lawmakers are keen on pursuing corrupt ministers. He asked the government to review the questionable expenditures and take into consideration the fact that citizens want pro-reform ministers. Continued from Page 1 had set out to overthrow Qatari Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani but decided against after coming under pressure from the United States, an ally of both Riyadh and Doha. Al-Awwad accused a London-based Saudi dissident, Saad al-faqih, of being behind the account, together with Qatar. While some s claims have proven false, it reported the death of Saudi King Abdullah in 2015 a few hours before the news was officially announced. Some of the other accounts identified by Riyadh as being Qatari proxies were behind calls for protests by the jobless on April 21, he said. In the end, there were no major demonstrations in Qatar, with police flooding the capital. Further calls for protests during the holy fasting month of Ramadan also went largely unheeded. They failed, al-awwad declared. His remarks came as Saudi Arabia US says ready to work with Russia on Syria no-fly zones WASHINGTON, July 6, (AFP): The United States is willing to work with Russia on establishing no-fly zones in Syria as part of a joint effort to stabilize the war-ravaged country, the top US diplomat said Wednesday, ahead of President Donald Trump s first face-to-face with Vladimir Putin. In a wide-ranging statement, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said Russia had a special responsibility to help create stability on the ground or risk hobbling the fight against the Islamic State group. Citing past cooperation in creating deconfliction zones in Syria, Tillerson made a strong case for both countries in spite of their unresolved differences on a number of issues to work together in Syria. The United States is prepared to explore the possibility of establishing with Russia joint mechanisms for ensuring stability, including no-fly zones, on the ground ceasefire observers, and coordinated delivery of humanitarian assistance, he said. Tillerson issued his statement before joining Trump in Europe, where the US leader will meet Putin for the first time on Friday on the sidelines of a G20 summit in Hamburg, Germany. Syria will loom large in their discussions. It also came as US-backed fighters inched forwards in Raqqa s Old City, in what Washington sees as a milestone in the campaign to defeat the Islamic State group in its de facto Syrian capital. vowed to push on with its month-old boycott of Qatar after the emirate refused to meet a list of demands to end the diplomatic crisis. These include Doha ending support for the Muslim Brotherhood and closing its flagship broadcaster Al-Jazeera. Saudi Arabia and its supporters have severed air, sea and ground links with Qatar, cutting off vital routes for imports including food. Qatar has dismissed the demands as unrealistic. Qatar maintains support Qatar will continue to back international efforts aimed at combatting terrorism and fundamentalism in cooperation with its global allies, its Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammad bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani underlined on Thursday. After meeting Britain s Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Ministry of Defence Tobias Ellwood in London, he said that tackling terrorism represented a priority for national, regional and global security. Last night, the minister met House of Lords and House of Commons members, with whom he discussed the tensions between Qatar and several Arab countries, underlining Qatar s firm resolve in calls for dialogue. He also stressed the importance of boosting bilateral relations with Britain in the fields of energy, trade and mainitaining security and peace in the region. His Highness the Amir of Kuwait Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al- Sabah has been leading mediation efforts on the crisis in an effort to break the deadlock. Turkey loyal to deal President Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday reaffirmed Turkey s support for Qatar in its dispute with four other Arab states, saying their demands against the tiny Gulf nation were unacceptable. When it comes to this list of 13 items... it s not acceptable under any circumstances, Erdogan said in an interview with France 24 television. Some of the terms were tantamount to stripping Qatar of its statehood, he added. Among their demands is for Qatar to end an accord under which Turkey maintains a military base in the Gulf state. We remain loyal to our agreement with Qatar. If it requests us to leave, we will not stay where we are DAESH badly wounded in Syria not wanted, he said through an interpreter, adding there had been no such request. Turkey, the most powerful regional country to stand by Qatar, has sent 100 cargo planes with supplies since its neighbours cut air and sea links. It has also rushed through legislation to send more troops to the military base in Doha. Two contingents of Turkish troops with columns of armoured vehicles have arrived since the crisis erupted on June 5. Arab states that have cut ties with Qatar vowed Wednesday to maintain their boycott of the emirate, criticising its negative response to their list of demands to end the diplomatic crisis. Qatar appealed for dialogue to resolve the row while US President Donald Trump spoke to Egyptian counterpart Abdel Fattah el-sisi to urge all parties to negotiate constructively. The foreign ministers of Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates, meeting in Cairo, regret the negative response from Qatar, they said in a statement. Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry said Qatar s response to the bloc s conditions had no substance and reflects a lack of understanding of the gravity of the situation. The talks in Cairo came a month after the four countries severed ties with Qatar, accusing Doha of supporting extremism. The boycott will remain, Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-jubeir said at the same news conference in the Egyptian capital. The four Arab states stopped short of announcing new sanctions but Jubeir said they would take steps at the appropriate time. More isolation predicted The UAE state minister for foreign affairs, Anwar Gargash, predicted more isolation for Qatar. Next greater isolation, incremental measures & reputational damage stemming from Doha s continued support for extremism & terrorism, he tweeted. US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson spoke with the Amir of Kuwait and stressed Washington s support for his efforts to mediate a solution to the crisis, Kuwait s KUNA news agency said. The UN meanwhile said its undersecretary general for political affairs, Jeffrey Feltman, was in Kuwait for talks on ending the dispute. ISIS has been badly wounded, and is could be [sic] on the brink of complete defeat in Syria if all parties focus on this objective, Tillerson said, according to the written statement issued by the State Department. In order to complete the mission, the international community, and especially Russia, must remove obstacles to the defeat of ISIS. We call upon all parties, including the Syrian government and its allies, Syrian opposition forces, and Coalition forces carrying out the battle to defeat ISIS, to avoid conflict with one another and adhere to agreed geographical boundaries for military de-confliction and protocols for de-escalation. Russia, Turkey and Iran without the United States agreed in May to establish four de-escalation zones in Syria. These are supposed to include no-fly areas, where no warplanes can fly so as to guarantee the safety of civilians on the ground. Agree But on Wednesday those countries said they had failed to agree on the details, such as the boundaries of the zones and who will police them. Tillerson also said Moscow as a key backer of Syrian President Bashar al-assad had the responsibility of preventing his regime from further use of chemical weapons. The United States launched a cruise missile attack on a Syrian air base in April in response to what it said was a government chemical weapons attack on civilians. Tillerson, speaking later to Fox News aboard the flight to Europe, said US officials have been engaged with Russia for some time to identify areas that we should have mutual interest in. Syria is a very complex situation, especially transitioning from defeating IS to stabilizing the country and starting the lengthy process of finding political solutions for the Syrian people. US officials are at the very beginning of an effort to rebuild confidence between ourselves and Russia at the military-to-military level, but also at the diplomatic level, he said. At this point it s difficult to say exactly what Russia s intentions are in this relationship. Relationship He added that it was important for Trump and Putin to have a good exchange... over what they both see as the nature of this relationship between our two countries. US-led coalition air strikes have killed at least 224 civilians since the Syrian forces it backs entered Islamic State group bastion Raqqa a month ago, a monitor said on Thursday. But the coalition pushed back against the report, saying its critics were not conducting detailed assessments. Arab and Kurdish fighters from the Syrian Democratic Forces broke into Raqqa on June 6 after a months-long operation to encircle the northern city. At least 224 civilians, including 38 children and 28 women, have been killed in air strikes by the global coalition on Raqqa since the SDF entered it, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. The Britain-based Observatory said it did not have a toll for those killed in other ways, including by other military operations, mines, or while trying to flee the city. Tens of thousands of civilians are believed to be trapped inside Raqqa, with warnings that the jihadists are using them as human shields. Raqqa residents who have managed to escape say IS snipers are targeting anyone trying to leave the city. Germany s Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel said in a statement that he was pleased to see talks between (the US secretary of state) and the Kuwaitis. It is now a matter of the parties entering into negotiations, he added. Qatar has said repeatedly it is ready for talks on the crisis, and Sheikh Mohammed reiterated that on Wednesday. We welcome any serious efforts to resolve our differences with our neighbours, he said. The minister accused Saudi Arabia and its regional allies of demanding that we must surrender our sovereignty as the price for ending the siege. Payment system Qatar off Continued from Page 1 cross-border payments, the Arab Monetary Fund (AMF) said on Thursday. It will also aim to boost the use of local currencies in cross-border money flows. Many transactions in the Arab world have long been done in US dollars. The AMF invited central banks and banks of all member countries, including Qatar, which is facing a diplomatic and economic boycott by four Arab states led by Saudi Arabia, although there was no confirmation whether representatives of Qatari banks were present. The ARPS aims at establishing a mechanism for use of Arab currencies for settlement, it saves time and cost of transactions and will help boost inter-arab trade and investments, said AMF director-general Abdulrahman al Hamidy. The final touches are being given to the new system before we submit it for approval of the central banks who are supporting this project, he told a forum of bankers and money exchange companies. The AMF expects the ARPS to be in operation by Continued from Page 1 highest priority, Qatar Airways CEO Akbar al-baker said in a statement. They are expressed throughout all of our corporate values and must never be compromised. The airline did not respond to ques- The Raqqa is Being Slaughtered Silently activist collective says dozens of civilians have lost their lives in artillery, shelling, and explosives laid by IS in recent weeks. The Observatory said clashes and air strikes in Raqqa had killed 311 IS jihadists and 106 SDF militiamen since June 6. The US-backed coalition is providing the SDF s Raqqa campaign with heavy air support, as well as special forces advisers, weapons, and equipment. Its spokesman Colonel Ryan Dillon pushed back against the Observatory s toll, saying the coalition would be publishing its own monthly civilian casualty report on Friday. We hold ourselves accountable with an open and transparent process to assess allegations of civilian casualties, and we publish these findings on a regular basis for the world to see, he said. Most of our critics do not conduct such detailed assessments and often rely on scant information, which frequently comes from single, unreliable sources, Dillon added. He said the coalition strived for zero human casualties with tough targeting protocols aimed at protecting non-combatants. Since IS captured Raqqa in early 2014, it has served as the de facto capital of the jihadist group s Syrian territory. Lebanon s government called Thursday for the military to investigate the deaths of four Syrians arrested after Lebanese army raids last week on a refugee camp in the country s northeast. The army announced the deaths this week, saying the four men had pre-existing medical conditions, but rights groups urged an independent investigation after allegations that the detainees had been tortured to death. tions about its new procedures. Michael England, a spokesman for the US Transportation Security Administration, said Qatar Airways had been removed from the ban list, but declined to elaborate on what it did to satisfy American concerns. The US laptop ban still applies to nonstop US-bound flights from six airports in Amman, Jordan; Kuwait City; Cairo; Jeddah and Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; and Casablanca, Morocco. Saudi Arabian Airlines has said it hopes to be off the ban list on or before July 19. While Gulf airlines have not commented on security procedures, Turkish officials say they use CT scanners to take cross-section images of electronics just before passengers board airplanes heading to the US Istanbul airport now also restricts US-bound flights to two departure gates, apparently for better security. Etihad, the flag carrier of the United Arab Emirates, already has a US Customs and Border Protection facility at its Abu Dhabi hub that allows passengers to clear screening they d otherwise have to go through when landing in America. DAESH families Continued from Page 1 The battle to retake Mosul has already forced 87,000 people from their homes, according to the UN IS militants captured the entire city in a matter of days in the summer of 2014, when they swept across northern and central Iraq. Iraqi forces, with the help of a US-led coalition, have since retaken most of that territory, and view Mosul as a decisive battle. The population of Mosul has endured huge suffering in the war to retake the northern Iraqi city from Islamic State and trauma cases among civilians are sharply rising in the last stages of battle, Doctors Without Borders (MSF) said on Wednesday. The city s basic infrastructure has also been hard hit, with six western districts almost completely destroyed and initial repairs expected to cost more than $1 billion, the United Nations said. Tens of thousands of civilians remain trapped among the shattered buildings in Islamic State s final redoubt in Mosul s Old City by the western bank of the Tigris river, MSF said. Civilians who have managed to get medical treatment are suffering from burns and shrapnel and blast injuries, while many are in need of critical care and are under-nourished, MSF officials said. But there is concern that only a small number of the civilians were getting the medical attention they required. Really, (there is) a huge level of human suffering, Jonathan Henry, MSF emergency coordinator in west Mosul, told reporters in Geneva after spending six weeks in Iraq. This is a massive population that has been traumatised from a very brutal and horrific conflict, he said. Iraqi commanders have predicted final victory in Mosul this week after a grinding eight-month assault that has pushed Islamic State into a rectangle no more than 300 by 500 metres in the city whose population used to be 2 million. International charity Save the Children said in a separate report that fighting and years of living under Islamic State have left Mosul s children with dangerous levels of psychological damage. Newswatch Continued from Page 1 news site Sabq reported. The attack occurred in al- Awamiya, located in the oilproducing al-qatif province, a flashpoint between the Sunni Muslim government and minority Shi ites complaining of discrimination. No further details were immediately available. (RTRS) AMMAN, Jordan: The father of one of the three US military trainers shot dead at a Jordanian air base in November says he will honor any decision made by the military court trying the alleged killer, but that no punishment can compensate for the loss of his son. Charles and Cynthia Lewellen, the parents of 27-year-old Staff Sgt Matthew C. Lewellen of Kirksville, Missouri, attended court hearings this week. (AP) WASHINGTON: The government ethics director who prodded President Donald Trump s administration over conflicts of interest is resigning to take a new job. Walter Shaub, director of the Office of Government Ethics, is joining the Campaign Legal Center, a nonprofit in Washington that mostly focuses on violations of campaign finance law. (AFP) LILONGWE, Malawi: Seven children and one adult were killed in a stampede at Malawi s national stadium on Thursday as large crowds gathered for independence day celebrations, police said. The stampede occurred when gates were opened at the 40,000- seat Bingu stadium in the capital Lilongwe for a presidential address and football match to mark the annual holiday. (AFP) NIAMEY: Niger s army has killed 14 displaced people who were mistaken for jihadists in the restive southeast where Boko Haram Islamists have staged regular attacks, a local official said Thursday. It s an error by the military that cost the lives of 14 civilians... refugees and displaced people, the official from the Diffa region, speaking on condition of anonymity, told AFP. (AFP) ACCRA: Rescuers on Thursday called off a search for miners who were trapped underground after an illegal goldmine collapsed in western Ghana, declaring 17 dead, a local lawmaker told AFP. Nsuta representative Williams Adomako said teams that were trying to rescue the miners after the pit caved in on Sunday managed to locate the body of one miner and bring it to the surface. (AFP) NEW YORK: Madonna says the children s wing at a hospital in Malawi she has been building for two years completed its first surgery last week and will officially open July 11. The Mercy James Institute for Pediatric Surgery and Intensive Care, located at the Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital in the city of Blantyre, had a soft opening and is the first of its kind in Malawi. (AP)

10 INTERNATIONAL 10 World News Roundup In this Sept 20, 2012, fi le photo, replicas of the Nina (left), and a larger scale replica of the Pinta (right), are moored on the north shore of the Allegheny River in Pittsburgh. The replicas of two of Christopher Columbus ships, the Nina and Pinta, will be docked on July 6, at Newburgh, N.Y., and will be open to tours Friday through Tuesday before setting sail early Wednesday. (AP) Canada Immigration Overdose deaths rise Canada expands its safe injection sites MONTREAL, July 6, (AP): Canada is attacking its expanding opioid crisis with an unusual measure: It s giving addicts a safe place to shoot up. The government already has allowed seven safe injection sites to open and a score of others are being considered across the country. The storefront sites give addicts clean syringes, medical supervision and freedom from arrest. They don t get help in kicking their problem unless they ask for it, but the program dramatically reduces the chance of a fatal overdose or the transmission of blood-borne diseases such as hepatitis or HIV. The effort, inspired by some in Europe, is being closely watched in the US, where officials are struggling to cope with a surge in overdose deaths from opioid use. Several cities say they are considering similar measures despite fears that Philpott they may encourage drug use. Dozens of people a day have been coming to three new centers in Montreal, where users are given a small kit to safely inject drugs they bring with them and then an opportunity to relax for a half hour on couches listening to music, according to a 30-year-old addict who would only give his first name, Francois. The center operators denied access to the media once the center opened. They give you everything you need, Francois said as he left a center in the gentrifying downtown neighborhood around Sainte-Catherine street after injecting heroin. Everyone is pretty relaxed. A single injection site opened in 2003, run by a Vancouver nonprofit organization under authorization by Health Canada. It received 214,898 visits by 8,040 individuals last year, with nurses intervening in 1,781 overdoses. It said it s never had an overdose death. Opened Another center also has opened in that West Coast city, and in recent weeks, two more have opened in British Columbia and three in Montreal. Another is scheduled to open in Montreal soon and three in Toronto. More than a dozen other potential sites are being considered across Canada federal officials say. Health Minister Jane Philpott said the government felt compelled to add sites because of the escalating number of overdose deaths, which topped 2,400 last year. They are absolutely known to save lives and reduce infections, Dr Philpott said. We have a very significant public health issue in our country. She acknowledged they are not a complete answer to the drug problem: This is only one in a very broad range of tools. A comprehensive approach is necessary. US drug overdose deaths have tripled in 15 years, reaching at least 52,000 in 2015, making it the leading cause of death for people under 50. Seattle and King County in Washington are moving forward with plans for safe injection centers and a city task force in Philadelphia has proposed some, though such measures have faced opposition. John Walters, who directed the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy under president George W. Bush, said safe-injection sites merely prolong addiction and eventually lead to deaths. He noted that overdose deaths have risen sharply in British Columbia despite the presence of the first safeinjection site in North America. The province had 136 deaths in April, a 97 percent increase over the same month a year earlier. This undated fi le photo shows John Hancock s signature on the Declaration of Independence, which was formally signed by 56 members of Congress beginning Aug 2, National Public Radio marked Independence Day on July 4th, 2017, by tweeting the entire declaration, but it seems some Twitter users didn t recognize what they were reading. Some of the founders criticisms of King George III were met with angry responses from supporters of President Donald Trump, who seemed to believe the tweets were a reference to the current president. Others were under the impression NPR was trying to provoke Trump with the tweets. (AP) O Neill America Familia Quake hits western Montana: A magnitude-5.8 earthquake hit western Montana early on Thursday, the US Geological Survey reported, and people felt the tremor hundreds of miles away. The earthquake struck five miles (9 kms) southeast of Lincoln, Montana, at about 12:30 am local time, the USGS said on its website. New experience: woken up by an earthquake. No damage just spooky as heck! Cole Fawcett tweeted in Crowsnest Pass, Alberta, about 285 miles (460 kms) north of Lincoln. Residents in the US west flooded Twitter early on Thursday with similar experiences. My mom woke up and yelled at me and my dad that there was a bear shaking our trailer, Brad Wynder said on Twitter. No significant damage or injuries had been reported about an hour after the quake. (RTRS) Plea hearing for IS-tied man: An Ohio man was expected to plead guilty to a charge accusing him of trying to travel to Libya to join the Islamic State group. Documents filed in federal court last month say Aaron Daniels, of Columbus, will plead guilty to one count of attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization. A hearing was scheduled for Thursday afternoon in federal court in Columbus. Authorities allege Daniels wired $250 to an Islamic State operative in January 2016 and told an undercover informant he was interested in traveling to commit violence overseas. Daniels was taken into custody last year Suit slams Trump-influenced detention in Fla Most in US back limited ban at John Glenn Columbus International Airport after a monthslong investigation. (AP) Princeton professor dies: A professor from Princeton University has died after NEW YORK, July 6, (Agencies): Six in 10 American voters support the new ban on people from six predominantly Muslim countries from entering the United States unless they can show they have a close relative here, according to opinion poll results released on Wednesday. The Politico-Morning Consult poll found 37 percent of voters said they strongly supported the new US State Department guidelines that would deny visas to citizens of Iran, Libya, Syria, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen who do not have close relatives in the United States. Another 23 percent of voters said they somewhat support the guidelines. The poll was conducted online on Thursday and Friday following a US Supreme Court ruling that partly upheld the ban, with 1,989 registered voters taking part. The poll results margin of error was 2 percentage points, meaning results could vary that much either way. The survey asked respondents whether they support or oppose the State Department s new guidelines, which say visa applicants from six predominately Muslim countries must prove a close family relationship with a US resident in order to enter the country. It did not mention US President Donald Trump, nor the president s executive orders on immigration. The Supreme Court ruled on June 26 that the temporary travel ban could proceed so long as visa applicants with a bona fide relationship with a person or entity in the United States were exempted. A year before his election, Trump promised voters he would seek a temporary total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States. Trump said it was necessary to prevent attacks by Islamist militants, while critics said it was a needlessly discriminatory policy that could inflame prejudice against Muslims in the United States and abroad. Meanwhile, Hawaii state attorneys challenging the Trump administration s travel ban say the US government is holding on to the preposterous contention that grandparents aren t considered close family relationships. Reinstated Under the partially reinstated ban, people from six majority-muslim countries who want new visas must have a close family relationship or a relationship with an entity such as a business in the US. Those family relationships include parent, spouse, child or sibling. Hawaii filed an emergency motion asking a judge to clarify that the ban can t be enforced if the relationship involves grandparents and others. The government, however, said close family relationships are defined by the Immigration and Nationality Act. Hawaii responded Wednesday by saying other immigration laws include family members the Trump administration wants to exclude. falling while leading a seminar for students in India s Himalayan mountains. The Ivy League university said in a statement that Isabelle Clark-Deces died June 29 in the village of Mussoorie. An anthropology professor, she was directing a six-week international study seminar for Police officers and their co-workers react after a prayer service outside the 46th Precinct in the Bronx borough of New York, on July 5. A police offi cer from the 46th Precinct was shot to death early Wednesday, ambushed inside her command post RV by an ex-convict who once ranted online about his treatment in prison and about police getting away with killing people, authorities said. He was later killed after pulling a gun on police. (AP) A recent US Supreme Court ruling allowed for the partially restored travel ban. In related news, Miami-Dade County is violating the US Constitution by detaining people without a warrant to comply with Trump administration immigration policies, the American Civil Liberties Union said Wednesday in a federal lawsuit. The ACLU and other attorneys filed the lawsuit in Miami on behalf of a Honduran-born US citizen who was held in jail without charges because an immigration officer had requested deportation proceedings. Miami-Dade County, where more than half the population is foreign born, became the only big jurisdiction to give in to President Donald Trump s immigration order punishing so-called sanctuary cities that shield residents from federal immigration authorities. Cities in California, Massachusetts and Washington have challenged Trump s executive order in court, and a federal judge blocked it in April, at least temporarily. Meanwhile, immigrant children who cross the border without their parents have the right to a court hearing to challenge any decision to detain them instead of turning them over to family in the US, a federal appeals court said Wednesday. The 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals said two laws passed by Congress did not end the right to a bond hearing for unaccompanied immigrant children who are detained by federal authorities. a small group of undergraduate students in the northern Indian state of Uttarakhand when the accident occurred, but further details were not disclosed. Clark-Deces, 61, was born in Paris and earned her bachelor s degree and doctorate, both in anthropology, from the University of California-Berkeley. She had joined the Princeton faculty in 1996 and taught undergraduate and graduate courses on India and other topics. She also had written several books and directed the South Asian Studies program since it was established in She is survived by a daughter, two brothers and her longtime partner. (AP) What prompted deadly ambush?: At the start of her midnight shift, Officer Miosotis Familia was in a New York Police Department mobile command post, writing in her notebook, when a gunman strode toward her. She never saw Alexander Bonds coming before he shot her in the head through the passenger-side window, killing her before officers ultimately killed him, police said. Police are investigating what may have prompted Wednesday s shooting, which Police Commissioner James O Neill described as an officer being assassinated in an unprovoked attack on cops. Officer Familia was murdered for her uniform and for the responsibility she embraced, O Neill said in a message to officers Wednesday night. (AP)

11 INTERNATIONAL 11 Politics DHS should issue visas Diplomats frustrated, confused by the govt WASHINGTON, July 6, (Agencies): America s diplomats are struggling to figure out what mission the Trump administration expects them to carry out, and they see the importance of their jobs waning as President Donald Trump seeks drastic cuts to the budgets of the State Department and US Agency for International Development. The results of a survey commissioned by the State Department found a high level of confusion and demoralization among the ranks of career diplomats and civil servants who expressed concerns about their futures as well as the trajectory of American foreign policy. The survey results were released to State Department and USAID employees Wednesday in a 110-page report that was first reported by The Wall Street Journal. A copy of the report was obtained by The Associated Press shortly after it was distributed to employees. The survey, conducted by a private consulting firm, was ordered in late April by Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, the former Exxon Mobil CEO. Tillerson was Trump brought into Trump s administration in part due to his experience running a massive organization, and he was given a mission to reorganize the State Department. Tillerson has largely accepted the administration s plans to slash diplomatic and development funding, although he faces intense bipartisan opposition in Congress, which will likely reverse at least some of his proposed 31 percent cut in funding. Such funds account for a little more than 1 percent of the federal budget. Survey In addition to grave unease about the future, many of the 35,000 employees who responded to the survey complained about management culture, working conditions, uncertain performance goals and technological shortcomings that pre-date the Trump administration. No one we interviewed said that the working environment at USAID or DOS enabled them to be successful; the report s authors said, using an acronym for the Department of State. But as Tillerson weighs sweeping changes, many employees also expressed doubts that he or Trump understand their role or appreciate their work, according to the report. One employee told interviewers he feared the agency would be overhauled to save costs without an understanding of what s actually being cut. Our leaders do not understand our mission and our capabilities, said the employee, who like others in the report was not named. Tillerson, in a video message to employees accompanying the report s release, sought to alleviate concerns that the survey was being used to justify major changes that Tillerson and Trump had decided upon long ago. We began this process with no preconceived notions about the outcome, said Tillerson. Our goal is, and always has been, to address challenges to the way our department operates. The survey comes as the roughly 75,000 workers employed globally by the State Department brace for what administration officials have indicated will be a far-reaching overhaul, involving job cuts, program eliminations and the expected consolidation of many offices in the agency s sprawling bureaucracy. Trump s budget proposal to Congress includes almost a one-third cut to Tillerson s budget. Tillerson s initial proposals for reorganizing the agency also included the elimination of about 2,300 jobs, though aides have suggested those would come through attrition and retirements and not necessarily through layoffs. The slow pace of filling key State Department jobs under Trump, including most assistant secretaries who oversee geographic regions, has also raised concerns that those positions may never be filled. The issuance of US visas, passports and other travel documents should be transferred to the Department of Homeland Security from the State Department, a consulting company commissioned by US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has recommended in a report. The study, by Insigniam Holding LLC, which was seen by Reuters, also urges extending foreign postings for US diplomats by one year and ensuring overlap between arriving and departing diplomats to improve efficiency and impact. The 110-page study was based on online surveys of 35,386 people within the State Department and the US Agency for International Development as well as one-on-one interviews with about 300 workers. It was first reported by The Wall Street Journal. Tillerson commissioned the study as he looks to reorganize the State Department to cut its budget by roughly 30 percent, as laid out in President Donald Trump s budget proposal. Influential members of Congress, which has the power of the purse, have made clear that they are not willing to institute such sharp budget reductions, which have contributed to anxiety and low morale among many State Department employees. In the report, the consultants recommended that Tillerson move issuance of passports, visas and other travel documents to Homeland Security. There may be an opportunity to elevate efficiency and reduce cost by this change, it said. Indications are that doing so would elevate security at our borders. Jeffrey Gorsky, a former State Department consular official, said the idea of shifting visa issuance from the State Department had been around since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, but that improved US security had undercut the argument for this. Such a shift, he said, would likely require congressional action and could erode the principle of non-reviewability, the current doctrine under which consular decisions may not be reviewed by the courts. The report also called for crafting a unifying, clear and vibrant mission for the State Department and USAID, though the recommendations did not specify one; focusing on front-line staff at US embassies and consulates rather than headquarters personnel; and improving management to measure performance, remove poor performers and update personnel policies. This June 3, 2009, fi le photo shows cannons at the Antietam National Battlefi eld in Sharpsburg, Md. Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke announced on July 5, that President Donald Trump s salary, which he promised to give away, will go toward two restoration projects at Antietam National Battlefield. (AP) In this Feb 17, 2017, fi le photo, New York State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman sits at his desk in his office in New York. Schneiderman s office considers Secretary of State Rex Tillerson a central fi gure in his expanding investigation into whether ExxonMobil misled investors about the impact of climate change. (AP) Grassley America Kobach Panel sets confirmation: The confirmation hearing for Christopher Wray, President Donald Trump s choice for FBI director, will be held July 12. Sen Chuck Grassley, chairman of the Judiciary Committee, announced Wednesday that his panel will hold the hearing next week for Wray, a white-collar defense lawyer with a strong law enforcement background. If confirmed by the Senate, Wray would replace James Comey. Trump fired Comey on May 9, touching off an outcry. Wray was a high-ranking official in George W. Bush s Justice Department and later represented New Jersey Gov Chris Christie in the Bridgegate scandal. Wray rose to head the Justice Department s criminal division in the Bush administration and oversaw investigations into corporate fraud. He took charge of a task force of prosecutors and FBI agents created to investigate the Enron scandal. (AP) Kobach complains: The vice chair of President Donald Trump s election fraud commission is taking issue with reports that a majority of states are refusing to comply with a request for extensive personal voter information. Kris Kobach, the vice chair of the Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity, said in a sharply worded statement Wednesday that news stories stating that 44 states have refused to provide voter information to the commission are patently false and more fake news. Despite media distortions and obstruction by a handful of state politicians, this bipartisan commission on election integrity will continue its work to gather the facts through public records requests to ensure the integrity of each American s vote because the public has a right to know, he said. The commission had requested that states provide it with a list of publicly available voter data, including names, voting history and other information, as permitted under state laws. Kobach appeared to be referring to a CNN report, which counted a state as non-complying if it said it would not or could not provide every piece of information the commission requested. States have different rules regarding what information can be made public, and many states have agreed to provide Probe Tillerson in focus Investigation on Exxon intensifies some information, but not other data, citing those restrictions. Indeed, The Associated Press has found that no state so far has said it would provide all the information requested, including Kansas, where Kobach is secretary of state. Kobach said that, so far, 20 states have agreed to comply with the request, while 16 are reviewing what information they can release. Only 14 states and the District of Columbia, he said, have refused the request outright. He said the commission will use public records requests to obtain data from states that won t provide. The AP s own review has found that 26 states have said they will provide the commission with some information, but that parts of what was requested are not considered public information and would not be forwarded to the commission. States have different definitions of what s public and what s private. Most say even partial Social Security numbers should not be shared. Some say they won t provide other details including information on voters military service, felony In this June 22, 2016, fi le photo, House Majority Whip Steve Scalise, of Louisiana, speaks at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI) in Washington, on new proposals to repeal and replace oresident Barack Obama s healthcare law. The Washington hospital where Scalise is recuperating from a gunshot wound says he has been readmitted to the intensive care unit. (AP) NEW YORK, July 6, (AP): Wayne Tracker cannot be forced to testify under oath. He does not exist. But the man who used the Tracker alias, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, can be questioned and is increasingly expected to be as New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman expands his sweeping probe into whether Tillerson s former employer, ExxonMobil, misled investors about the impact of climate change. Schneiderman s office considers the nation s chief diplomat a central figure in a case that pits the ambitious Democrat against a Texas energy giant and has divided attorneys general nationwide. Republican state prosecutors from South Carolina to Utah, like Exxon s high-profile legal team, accuse the New York attorney general of abusing the power of his office to score political points with his liberal base on a politically explosive issue. Power Schneiderman may have only just begun to use the power of his office, however, in an investigation that has already spanned roughly 18 months and forced Exxon to release roughly 3 million internal documents. It remains unclear whether he will ultimately force Tillerson to answer questions under oath, but he told The Associated Press he has the legal authority to question the secretary of state, who served as Exxon s CEO until joining the Trump administration. We haven t gotten to the point where that s necessary, but yeah, we have the legal right to conduct depositions. I don t know that we re going to have to get to Mr Tillerson, but sure, Schneiderman told the AP when asked whether he has the right to question Tillerson. The New York attorney general s nonchalant tone does not reflect the intensity of the case or his office s expectation that it will likely lead to Tillerson. The confrontation could be several months or even years away, however. Schneiderman opened the Exxon investigation in November 2015, shortly after reaching a settlement with another fossil fuel giant, Peabody Coal. In that case, Schneiderman s office determined that the coal company misled shareholders, regulators and the public about the company s financial risks related to climate change. Now, Schneiderman is using the subpoena power of his office to determine whether Exxon did the same. After being forced to produce internal communications about the impact of climate change on its business, Exxon earlier this year acknowledged that Tillerson used the Wayne Tracker alias during communications. The company says the alias was created to help the former CEO avoid a flood of messages after environmental activists obtained his actual address. Most of the Tracker s have been deleted, Exxon says, citing the company s practice of automatically deleting s after a certain period of time. Exxon officials testified that the company allowed several months of Tillerson s s to be deleted even after Schneiderman s office flagged them for preservation. For now, Exxon says that many of the messages can be retrieved by collecting s from those he communicated with. Exxon s legal team features Ted Wells, who previously represented tobacco giant Philip Morris and drugmakers Merck and Johnson & Johnson. Wells declined an on-the-record interview request, but he lashed out at Schneiderman in aggressive terms during a recent court hearing. He cast the Democratic attorney general as an ambitious politician stuck in a lengthy and expensive fishing expedition. For Schneiderman to conclude his yearslong investigation without bringing a formal lawsuit against Exxon, Wells said, would deeply disappoint the New York Democrat s liberal supporters before his 2018 re-election. This is not a normal investigation. It is a political witch hunt. That s what it is, Wells told the judge. They cannot clear Exxon. The attorney general cannot be in a position of clearing the largest fossil fuel oil company in the world. They know it. I know it. Position The position is backed by Republican attorneys general in 12 states, who filed a friend-of-the-court brief late last month in a related federal case brought by Exxon to try to block Schneiderman s investigation. The state prosecutors, led by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, argue that the attorneys general in New York and Massachusetts, which is also probing Exxon are abusing their power to prove a political point about climate change. With the blessing of a New York Supreme Court judge, Schneiderman s investigation is progressing. The New York attorney general s office will depose nine Exxon witnesses in the coming weeks in a series of lowerlevel depositions in a chain that is ultimately expected to lead to Tillerson. The State Department declined to comment on Tillerson s involvement in the Exxon probe. The secretary of state has retained a private attorney to represent him in the matter. The judge presiding over Schneiderman s investigation, New York Supreme Court Justice Barry Ostrager, has so far allowed the attorney general to use his broad subpoena power to investigate Exxon. But he has been critical about both sides behavior. If you re asking me to state on the record that Exxon has behaved in an exemplary manner, I decline to do so, Ostrager said in a recent hearing. If Exxon is asking me to state on the record that the New York AG has proceeded in an exemplary manner, I decline to do that also. records or which elections they participated in either because it s private or because the states don t track that information. (AP) US retailer to pay $3m fine: US arts and crafts retailer Hobby Lobby has agreed to forfeit thousands of ancient Iraqi artifacts and pay $3 million to settle a civil suit brought by the US government, prosecutors announced Wednesday. The Department of Justice says thousands of cuneiform tablets and clay bullae, originally from Scalise readmitted to intensive care WASHINGTON, July 6, (AP): House Majority Whip Steve Scalise, grievously wounded in a shooting at a baseball practice last month, has been readmitted to the intensive care unit at a Washington hospital, according to the medical facility. The six-term Louisiana congressman and thirdranking House Republican was in serious condition Wednesday night and back in intensive care because of new concerns for infection, MedStar Washington Hospital Center said in a statement. Iraq, were smuggled into the United States via the United Arab Emirates and Israel in packages shipped to the Oklahoma-based company. Hobby Lobby said that in 2009 it began acquiring artifacts consistent with the company s mission and passion for the Bible with the goal of preserving them for future generations and sharing them with public institutions and museums. In July 2010, the firm s president and a consultant traveled to the UAE to inspect antiquities up for sale. US prosecutors said the company was warned against the risk of such items being looted from archaeological sites in Iraq and that improper declaration of country of origin could lead to forfeiture. But in December 2010, Hobby Lobby agreed to pay $1.6 million for more than 5,500 artifacts, including cuneiform tablets, clay bullae and cylinder seals. The company did not communicate with the dealer who purportedly owned the artifacts and instead wired payment to personal bank accounts held in the names of other people, federal prosecutors said. Around 10 packages were shipped to the firm, five intercepted by customs which had shipping labels falsely declaring that the artifacts came from Turkey. In 2011, the firm also received a package of 1,000 clay bullae shipped by an Israeli dealer and accompanied by a false declaration stating that the contents originated in Israel. (AFP)

12 INTERNATIONAL 12 World News Roundup Extremism Belgium seeks suspects UK opens separate jihadi prison units LONDON, July 6, (Agencies): Britain said Thursday it had begun housing Islamist extremists in separate prison units to prevent them radicalising other inmates, as it grapples with a mounting terror threat. A new separation centre has been opened at Frankland jail near Durham, northeast England, the interior ministry said. It is first of three centres which together will have a capacity of 28 inmates. The most dangerous and subversive offenders are now being separated from those they seek to influence and convert, said the minister for prisons, Sam Gyimah. The move was recommended by a review into Islamist extremism in prisons published last year, which highlighted similar schemes in the Netherlands, France and Spain. It found some charismatic prisoners were acting as selfstyled emirs and exerting a controlling and radicalising influence on the wider Muslim prison population, and also found some aggressive encouragement to convert to Islam. The review also highlighted Gyimah incidents of unsupervised collective worship, intimidation of prison imams and the availability of extremist literature. The interior ministry said 4,500 frontline prison staff had received specialist training on how to identify and challenge extremist views, adding that new recruits would receive the training as standard. Britain has suffered a string of terror attacks in recent months, and police say they have foiled 18 plots since Official figures show there were 186 people in custody for terrorism-related offences and domestic extremism on March 31 this year, up 15 percent on the previous year. In the year to March, 304 people had been arrested for terrorism-related offences the highest number since records began in September 2001, and an annual increase of 18 percent. Of these, 108 were charged and 88 were released on bail pending further investigation. In the same year, 70 terrorism-related trials were completed by state prosecutors up 55 percent from 51 in the previous year, with 68 resulting in convictions. Others may be at large : The attacker who bombed an Ariana Grande concert in Manchester wasn t part of a large network, but other people involved in the crime may still be at large, a senior police officer said Thursday. Police may make more arrests in the investigation into the attack, said Russ Jackson, head of counterterrorism policing for northwest England. Salman Abedi, a Briton of Libyan heritage, detonated a home-made knapsack bomb as crowds were leaving Manchester Arena on May 22, killing 22 people and himself. More than 200 others were wounded. In the days after the attack, police arrested 22 people on suspicion of terrorism offenses and said they had rounded up a large part of Abedi s network. But all the suspects were subsequently released without charge. We don t have evidence of a large network, Jackson told reporters at an update on the investigation. We do, however, suspect others were either aware or complicit in the knowledge of this attack. Jackson said the investigation is likely to run on for many more months to come. We are examining all sorts of lines of inquiry and it is possible more arrests and searches will take place, he said. Detectives want to question Abedi s younger brother Hashem, who has been detained in Libya, and are engaging with British prosecutors and Libyan authorities, Jackson said. A Libyan counterterrorism official has said Hashem Abedi knew that his brother was planning something, and said Salman Abedi had been radicalized in Britain. We are still working to understand the manner by which he became radicalized, Jackson said. Belgium seeks more suspects: Belgian prosecutors said Thursday they were looking for further suspects in an emerging terror investigation and feared a possible fresh attack as the country remained on high security alert. We are still looking for several terrorism suspects, Eric van der Sypt, the spokesman for the federal prosecutors office, told VTM television. We fear they may feel cornered. We therefore fear there could be the same reaction as on March 22 (2016), he said. Van der Sypt was referring to suicide bomb attacks in Brussels on March 2016 which killed 32 people as police closed in on an Islamic State jihadi cell linked to the November 2015 Paris killings. One of the Brussels bombers was later found to have left a will on a laptop computer in which he said the gang felt increasingly cornered and desperate. Separately, RTL news network cited Van der Sypt as saying: One can never know how these people might react. The authorities however had no new element suggesting that an attack was imminent, he added. On Wednesday, police charged two brothers of a convicted jihadist with belonging to a terrorist group they suspected of planning an attack after finding a large stash of weapons including Kalashnikov rifles in raids overnight. The pair, named as Akim and Khalid Saouti, were among four people detained in the Brussels suburb of Anderlecht, two of whom were later released. A fifth man was arrested across the border in northern France, near the city of Lille, in connection with the Kamikaze Bikers club based around Brussels. A source with knowledge of the French operation said this man was suspected of planning a violent attack. Another source close to the Brussels probe said the two men in custody were brothers of Said Saouti, a member of the Kamikaze Bikers club who was jailed for six years in 2016 for recruiting people to jihadist organisations and supporting the Islamic State (IS) group on social media. The Belgian federal prosecutor s office said police found automatic rifles, handguns, ammunition and bulletproof vests as well as police and security guards uniforms and four detonators in a lock-up garage in Anderlecht. Authorities were drawn to the Saouti brothers on suspicion that they had been radicalised and were planning an attack, according to reports. Canada s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau meets Queen Elizabeth at Holyrood Palace, her offi cial residence, in Edinburgh, Scotland on July 5. (AP) A woman feed swans and geese on the Serpentine in Hyde Park in London on July 5, as summer temperature hovered around 28 degrees. (AFP) Britain s Prime Minister Theresa May (left), greets Ukraine Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman outside No. 10 Downing St in central London on July 5. (AFP) Britain Corbyn blasts UK govt: Britain s opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn on Thursday blasted the ruling Conservatives for a lost decade, promising that a Labour Party government would offer free further education to boost the economy. Britain has been living through a lost decade. A decade of lost growth. A decade of stagnant living standards, Corbyn said during a speech at the British Chamber of Commerce in central London. Britain can t afford another lost decade, he added. The Labour leader described his party as a government in waiting following strong gains in a general election last month in which Prime Minister Theresa May lost her parliamentary majority. Corbyn, who has promised to scrap tuition fees for university students, also laid out plans for a National Education Service inspired by the country s National Health Service (NHS). Our National Education Service will be the key institution of fairness and prosperity in the 21st century, just as the NHS transformed people s prospects in the 20th century, he said. It is by investing in our education system that we can end the spread of low-paid, low-skilled, insecure work by providing the skilled workforce that businessese need, Corbyn argued. The party s plan to provide free life-long education would be funded by a bit more tax on businesses and more government funding, including scrapping the long-standing public sector pay cap. In a robust exchange in the House of Brexit Frictionless trade not possible: Barnier No deal not an option BRUSSELS, July 6, (Agencies): The EU s top Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier warned Britain Thursday there were no grounds for walking away without a deal, a scenario that would only harm the UK s interests. No deal would make a lose-lose situation even worse... in my mind, there is no reasonable justification for a no-deal, Barnier said, referring to recent suggestions by British ministers that London could go its own way if the talks fail. A fair deal is far better than no deal, he told an EU panel on Brexit, repeating the phrase twice in English. Britain and the EU began the formal Brexit talks last month based on Barnier s timetable of dealing first with the rights of more than three million EU citizens in Britain, and more than one million Britons living in Europe. Then follows the thorny issues of Britain s estimated 100-billion-euro ($112 billion) exit bill and future of the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, which remains in the EU. Sufficient Only once sufficient progress has been made on these issues, will the European Union consider London s demand for talks on its future relationship with Brussels, including all important trade arrangements. Barnier told the panel the EU would make no compromises on this agenda, insisting repeatedly that Britain could not expect to cherry-pick its ties with the bloc as many British politicians say it should. There can be no sector-by-sector participation in the Single Market. You Corbyn Greening cannot be half in and half out, he said. Barnier said the EU has been very clear on these issues but I am not sure they have been fully understood across the Channel. The decision to leave the EU has consequences and we have to explain... these consequences, he said, citing the example of British firms exporting to the EU facing increased customs checks which could take days rather than hours, as is the case now. Benefit Prime Minister Theresa May s spokesman said that it wasn t new that some on the EU side have strong feelings about Brexit, but that both parties would benefit from a trade deal. Barnier also warned British ministers and businesses who are calling for frictionless trade with the EU after Britain leaves that that is not possible. But Britain will stick by its aim to get a comprehensive free trade deal and customs agreement with the EU to ensure that trade is as frictionless as possible once it has left the bloc, a spokesman for May said. Barnier said he was unsure the EU s refusal to grant single market access piecemeal and insistence on control of standards in the single market have been fully understood across the Channel. I have heard some people in the UK argue that one can leave the single market and keep all of its benefits that is not possible, he said. I have heard some people in the UK argue that one can leave the single market and build a customs union to achieve frictionless trade that is not possible. Commons on Wednesday, May insisted the country should live within our means after Corbyn called on the government to raise public sector pay. Justine Greening, the education minister, described Labour s education policies as shambolic and reckless. (AFP) US urges new power-sharing govt: The United States expressed regret Wednes- day that political parties in Northern Ireland have failed to create a power-sharing regional government following elections in March. Marathon talks to form a new powersharing executive in Northern Ireland with Sinn Fein and the Democratic Unionist Party have been delayed after the parties admitted they could not reach a deal before the summer recess. The power-sharing executive in Northern Ireland is part of the 1998 Good Friday peace agreement that ended three decades of violent political conflict, broadly between Catholic Irish nationalists and Protestants backing the union with Britain. The State Department urged Sinn Fein and the DUP to continue their discussions with the aim of forming an effective, responsive, and representative government as soon as possible. (AFP) May backs hospital caring: British Prime Minister Theresa May said on Wednesday she was confident the London hospital caring for a critically ill baby would consider any offers of help after his case attracted the attention of US President Donald Trump and the Pope. The case of 10-month-old Charlie Gard, who has a form of mitochondrial disease a rare genetic condition that causes progressive muscle weakness and brain damage has gained global interest after Trump his parents lost a long legal battle to give him experimental therapy in the United States. Trump tweeted an offer of help on Monday, a day after Pope Francis offered prayers for Gard and his family. The Vatican-owned paediatric hospital in Rome has also said it is ready to offered to take over the care of the baby. I am confident that Great Ormond Street hospital have and always will consider any offers or new information that has come forward with consideration of the well-being of a desperately ill child, May told parliament. Gard s parents wanted him to undergo a US therapy trial but specialists at the London hospital where he is being cared for said the treatment was experimental and would not help. Britain s Supreme Court ruled last month that going to the United States for treatment would prolong the baby s suffering without any realistic prospect of helping him. Thoughts of all members of the house are with the family and Charlie at this exceptionally difficult time. It s an unimaginable position for anybody to be in, May said. (RTRS) Private not state hackers : A cyber attack on accounts of British lawmakers last month is likely to have been by amateur or private hackers rather than state-sponsored, European government sources said. The private accounts of up to 90 of the 650 members of Britain s House of Commons were targeted in late June, with some news reports suggesting that the attack was carried out by a foreign government, such as Russia. However, cyber security experts had found that the hackers only managed to access accounts of lawmakers who used primitive and easily discovered passwords, the sources, who are familiar with the investigations into the attacks, said. It remains unclear who did carry out the attack, they added. Investigators hope the hack will convince politicians and other public figures to use more sophisticated passwords for their and other online activities. British authorities are not commenting publicly on the progress of investigations, but an official cautioned after the hack was discovered that cyber threats to the UK come from criminals, terrorists, hacktivists as well as nation states. (RTRS) Boris wants to tweet like Trump: Donald Trump s approach to politics has gripped the imagination of people around the world, British foreign minister Boris Johnson said on Thursday, joking that he would like to be allowed to tweet as much as the US president. Johnson, famous for his gaffe-prone diplomacy, laughed off a question from the BBC that Trump was not pretty unpredictable and a bit scary. I think actually that Donald Trump s approach to politics has been something that has gripped the imagination of people around the world, Johnson said. (Trump) has engaged people in politics in a way we haven t seen for a long time with his tweets and all the rest of it. I certainly wouldn t be allowed to tweet in a way that he does much as I might like to, he said. I can see my Foreign Office minders here looking extremely apprehensive. (RTRS) Veteran medal replaced: A blind World War II veteran who participated in the invasion of Normandy has received a replacement set of medals after losing his own on a pilgrimage to the battlefields in France. Alfred Barlow lost his four medals last month after visiting a rest stop in England and was bitterly disappointed. Another blind British veteran who served in Germany and the Falkland Islands, Alan Walker, was so moved by the 96-year-old s story that he sent him replacements purchased from a dealer. Barlow said Wednesday in London: It s not quite the same, but nevertheless I have got some medals that I have earned. He said he is so grateful for the kindness he was shown. The Crimestoppers group and actor Hugh Grant have pledged a total of 6,000 ($7,750) for the return of Barlow s original medals. (AP) Crew to stage new walkouts: Britain s Unite union says that British Airways cabin crew will stage a new round of strikes in a long-running dispute over pay. Union members are set to walk out for two weeks from July 19. Members are already on a 16-day strike that began July 1. Union officer Oliver Richardson said Wednesday the move underlined members determination to fight for better pay. British Airways has said it plans to operate 99.5 percent of its normal schedule during the disruption. The company said it is leasing nine aircraft and some cabin crew from Qatar Airways to help operate some short-haul flights. Unite said it was challenging the British government s approval of that lease because it breaches European regulations. (AP)

13 INTERNATIONAL 13 Participants hold red scarves as they celebrate the Chupinazo (start rocket) to mark the kickoff at noon sharp of the San Fermin Festival, in front of the Town Hall of Pamplona, northern Spain, on July 6. A red-and-white sea of revellers packed Pamplona square Thursday to kick off Spain s most famous fiesta, the San Fermin bull-running festival. (AFP) Summit Putin attacks sanctions Hamburg braces for up to 100K protesters HAMBURG, July 6, (Agencies): Welcome to Hell. That s the greeting for US President Donald Trump and other world leaders from anti-capitalist protesters in Hamburg who aim to disrupt the G20 summit, already rife with tensions over trade and climate change. Thousands of protesters from around Europe were pouring into the port city to join big demonstrations later. Police expected around 100,000 protesters in Hamburg, some 8,000 of whom are deemed by security forces to be ready to commit violence. This poses a challenge for those tasked with securing the July 7-8 summit of leaders of the world s 20 biggest economies, hosted by Chancellor Angela Merkel, who face tough talks on divisive issues including trade and climate change. On the sidelines of the summit, Merkel will meet leaders including Turkey s Tayyip Erdogan and Trump, who in Poland called again on NATO partners to spend more on defence and said he would confront the threat from North Merkel Korea. Trump will also have his first session with Russian President Vladimir Putin after the US leader called Russia s behaviour destabilising, a description the Kremlin rejected. Merkel, who is running for a fourth term in a September election, stressed on Thursday that she was committed to an open international trading system, despite fears of US protectionism under Trump. We re united in our will to strengthen multilateral relations at the G20 summit... We need an open society, especially open trade flows, she said in Berlin. Several small demonstrations in Hamburg this week have passed off relatively peacefully. On Wednesday more than 7,000 mainly young and beer-drinking revelers staged a march waving placards denouncing capitalism and G20 leaders. But a fire overnight at a luxury Porsche car dealership in the north of the city that damaged eight vehicles could be a foretaste of what s to come. Police said they were investigating whether it was an arson attack linked to the summit. Locals are unhappy with Merkel s decision to hold the summit in the centre of Germany s secondlargest city to show healthy democracies could tolerate protests, as they are worried about property damage by leftist militants. Also: BERLIN: Russian President Vladimir Putin attacked sanctions against his country and called for an end to trade protectionism, in an editorial published in Germany Thursday ahead of the G20 summit. Sanctions against Russia are not just short-sighted but go against the principles of the G20 for cooperation in the interests of all countries, Putin wrote in the business daily Handelsblatt. I am convinced that only open trade relations, based on uniform norms and standards, can stimulate the growth of the world economy and promote an improvement in relations between states, he added. The two-day Group of 20 summit, starting in Hamburg on Friday, will bring together the leaders of the world s biggest developed and emerging economies. The United States and the European Union (EU) and other countries have imposed a raft of sanctions against Russia for its seizure of Crimea in 2014 and its backing for pro-russian separatists in eastern Ukraine. Russia has responded with measures of its own, including a ban on western food imports. Last month, the United States added 38 individuals and entities to its sanctions list, prompting Russia to cancel a meeting with senior US diplomats and its foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, to warn the new measures seriously threaten the whole relationship between Moscow and Washington. US President Donald Trump gives a speech at the Warsaw Uprising Monument on Krasinski Square during the Three Seas Initiative Summit in Warsaw, Poland, July 6. (AFP) Collomb Europe Guterres France confiscates weapons: France is confiscating weapons from roughly 100 people on a watchlist of potential Islamist militants, the interior minister said on Thursday, two weeks after state prosecutors said an assailant inspired by Islamic State had been a gun-club member. Minister Gerard Collomb was speaking ahead of a parliamentary vote to extend emergency search-and-arrest powers given to police after Islamist gunmen and suicide bombers killed 130 people in Paris in November We traced about a hundred... We re sizing up the situation and taking the weapons away, he told TV channel CNews, adding that police had foiled seven attacks in France this year alone. The issue of weapons came to light last month when public prosecutors confirmed that a 31-year-old man, who died after ramming his car into a police convoy in Paris, had joined a gun sports club to train as a jihadist fighter. He had built up a large weapons arsenal and renewed his gun permit, despite being on an intelligence services list of people who appear to have been radicalised and could commit attacks. (RTRS) Italy makes torture illegal: Italian lawmakers on Wednesday finally passed a bill making torture a crime under national law, after years of parliamentary back-and-forth. Rome signed the UN Convention Against Torture in 1984 but had never transferred it into national legislation. Lawmakers on Wednesday passed a bill that makes torture punishable by four to 10 years in prison 12 for members of the security forces with 198 backing the legislation, 35 opposing it and 104 abstaining. Torture is defined under the law as intense physical suffering or psychological trauma verifiably caused by violence, grave threats or cruel actions. In 2015 the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) blasted Italy for police violence against anti-globalisation activists on the margins of a 2001 G8 summit in Genoa, judging that officers actions against protesters sheltering in a school were akin to torture. Several members of the Italian security forces were convicted after the violence, but this did not include any officers who had been at the scene. Summit Trump calls Poland exemplary ally against Russia US fi rmly behind NATO pact WARSAW, July 6, (Agencies): US President Donald Trump pledged his backing for NATO at the start of a high-stakes visit to Europe on Thursday as he warned that the future of the West was at risk. In key US ally Poland on the first leg of the trip, he also accused Russia of destabilising action and warned North Korea it faced consequences after an intercontinental ballistic missile test that has alarmed the international community. On the eve of what is likely to be a prickly G20 summit, with Trump facing animosity from traditional US allies, he used his keynote address in Warsaw to warn that a lack of collective resolve could doom an alliance that endured through the Cold War. The defence of the West ultimately rests not only on means but also on the will of its people to prevail, he said. The fundamental question of our time is whether the West has the will to survive. Seeking to ease allies concerns about the US commitment to NATO, Trump endorsed its one-for-all-and-allfor-one mutual defence pact. The United States has demonstrated not merely with words, but with it actions, that we stand firmly behind Article Five, he said, while calling for more defence spending on the eastern side of the Atlantic. The transatlantic bond between the United States and Europe is as strong as ever, and maybe in many ways, even stronger, he added. Speaking in a country alarmed by Moscow s increasing military assertiveness, Trump just a day before he meets President Vladimir Putin at the G20 offered rare criticism of Russia s destabilising behaviour. He also said Moscow may have tried to influence the 2016 election that brought him to power, but suggested others too may have been involved and blames his predecessor Barack Obama for failing to act. Looming large over his entire European trip is Pyongyang s test of an ICBM that could deliver a nuclear payload to Alaska. In his first public remarks since the test, Trump said Pyongyang s military sabre-rattling must bring consequences and warned he was considering a severe response to its very, very bad behaviour. After repeatedly urging Beijing to ratchet up the economic pressure on North Korea, Trump will hold what promises to be a testy meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the G20 in the German city of Hamburg. The White House wanted to use Trump s Warsaw speech with its echoes of historic addresses overseas by Ronald Reagan and John F. Kennedy to burnish his credentials as a global statesman and deflect suggestions he is making the United States a virtual pariah. Defence Speaking at Krasinski Square which memorialises the Warsaw uprising against Nazi occupation Trump pointed to Poland as an example of resolve in the defence of Western traditions. The people of Poland, the people of America, and the people of Europe still cry out We want God, Trump said. Our citizens did not win freedom together. Did not survive horrors together. Did not face down evil together only to lose our freedom to a lack of pride and confidence in our values. Referring to the Nazi and Soviet invasions of Poland, he said: That s tough. Around 10,000 people turned out to see him, many arriving on free buses laid on by Poland s conservative ruling party, which was eager to ensure Trump got the adulation he craves. But he is likely to encounter a cool reception elsewhere. Thomas Wright from the Brookings Instition said that Trump s backing of NATO s Article Five and reference to Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel (right), arrives with Japan s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe (left), prior to their meeting in Brussels on July 5. (AFP) the Russian threat had done the bare minimum to repair a speech he made to the alliance earlier this year. But its overall thrust was one of nationalism and sovereignty, he said. The great risk is that in his off-thecuff remarks he will begin dividing Europe into old and new-- or those who don t like him and his message and those who do. While Trump positions himself as a leader with the vision to confront an epoch-making crisis, for many US allies in Europe and beyond it is Trump himself who has called the world order and a century of American global leadership into doubt. Trump s decisions to pull out of the Trans-Pacific Partnership and the Paris climate accord have dealt a blow to the near-global consensus, said Dmitri Trenin, director for the Carnegie Moscow Center. In public, European officials profess the decades-old transatlantic partnership to be inviolable but in private, they wonder whether it can survive four or eight years with an impulsive and capricious US president at the helm. Trump also insisted Thursday that ties between Europe and the United States have never been stronger, during a landmark speech in the Polish capital. Brushing aside a surfeit of transatlantic spats that have erupted since Trump took office in January, the US leader insisted that the alliance is in rude health. The transatlantic bond between the United States and Europe is as strong as ever, and maybe in many ways, even stronger, he told a large crowd in Warsaw. Meanwhile, Trump described Poland as an exemplary ally in building defences to counter Russian destabilising behaviour, while appearing to encourage Polish defiance towards the European Union. The brief visit to Warsaw was billed as an opportunity for him to patch up relations with European allies after a tense alliance summit in May. The ECHR criticised this decision, saying it showed there was a structural problem with Italian legislation. (AFP) Bid to clinch Cyprus deal: United Nations mediators brought in the UN s highest official in a last-minute push for a peace deal in Cyprus on Thursday, hoping he would clinch an agreement between the opposing Greek Cypriot and Turkish sides. It was the second time in a week negotiators drafted in UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to help out at talks in Crans- Montana in Switzerland, widely considered the best chance yet to end the conflict. Major sticking points include the future governance of Cyprus and Turkey s role in any deal. The foreign ministers of Greece and Turkey were also present at the talks, backing up the leaders of the Greek and Turkish Cypriot communities respectively. The talks are just the latest in many international attempts to mediate a peace deal which has defied mediation for years. (RTRS) Ex-papal spokesman Navarro dies: Joaquin Navarro-Valls, who as spokesman for two popes was the world s second-most visible Catholic luminary for nearly a quarter of a century, died on Wednesday at the age of 80, friends said. Navarro-Valls, a Spaniard who had degrees in medicine and psychiatry before becoming a journalist, had been suffering from cancer. He died in Rome. In 1984 Pope John Paul named Navarro- Valls, a layman, to be Vatican spokesman and gave him direct access to his inner circle to a degree that no papal spokesman had before or has had since. The photogenic Navarro-Valls became a celebrity in his own right, a global media personality often appearing on television to explain Catholic teachings in simple language. (RTRS)

14 INTERNATIONAL 14 World News Roundup Israel Israel plans 800 new homes Macron supports two state solution in ME PARIS, July 6, (Agencies): French President Emmanuel Macron said he supported a two-state solution to end the Middle East conflict as he welcomed Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to the Elysee Palace Wednesday. Speaking publicly on the issue for the first time, Macron said any deal must recognise the legitimate rights of the Palestinians to have an independent state, but also ensure Israel s security. There is no viable alternative to a two-state solution, he said, adding but today this solution is under threat both on the ground and in people s minds. The UN reported in June that Israel had announced a substantial increase in settlements in the past three months despite a United Nations resolution demanding a halt to the Jewish outposts in occupied Palestinian territory. Macron said that France has always condemned the continuation of settlement building, which is illegal under international law, and has reached an unprecedented level since the beginning of the year. His comments come after Donald Trump called on Israelis and Palestinians to make compromises for peace, saying Macron he was personally committed to helping Israel reach a deal with the Palestinians. Speaking during a trip to the Middle East in May, the US President did not specifically mention the twostate solution, long the focus of international efforts and US Middle East diplomacy. Both Macron and Abbas said they would support Trump in his efforts to end the impasse. President Abbas reaffirmed his wish to work with Donald Trump to conclude a historic peace agreement based on a two-state solution. Meanwhile, the Jerusalem municipality said Wednesday it plans to approve 800 new homes in Jewish-populated areas of east Jerusalem in the coming month, a move that could complicate President Donald Trump s attempt to restart peace talks. The housing would be the first approved in east Jerusalem since Trump called on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to curb settlement construction in February. Trump s son-in-law and adviser Jared Kushner arrived in Israel last month and sat down with Israeli and Palestinian leaders in an effort to help kick-start long-dormant negotiations. Kushner discussed potential actions to make progress toward a genuine and lasting peace between Israelis and Palestinians during his meeting with Netanyahu. But amid deep disagreements between the sides, he has not yet said how he plans to proceed. After the Israeli announcement, the White House issued a statement saying: President Trump has publicly and privately expressed his concerns regarding settlements, and the administration has made clear that unrestrained settlement activity does not advance the prospect for peace. At the same time, the administration recognizes that past demands for a settlement freeze have not helped advance peace talks. As we have demonstrated in recent trips and conversations with the parties, the Trump Administration is committed to and focused on doing everything possible to advance the prospects of a historic, conflictending agreement between Israelis and Palestinians, the statement added. City Hall said it will approve the 800 units in an upcoming planning committee meeting, along with 114 units in Arab neighborhoods. Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat said in a statement that construction in Jerusalem is essential, important and will continue full force. Israel captured east Jerusalem during the 1967 Mideast war and annexed it, but the international community doesn t recognize Israeli sovereignty. Palestinians hope to establish their capital of a future state in east Jerusalem. Sabotage Senior Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat said Israel s move constituted deliberate sabotage of Trump s efforts to restart peace talks. Furthermore, as Israel s Labor Party prepares to choose its new leader, it already has taken a big step toward shedding its image as a bastion of liberal, upper-class Israelis of European descent. A party primary on Tuesday chose two candidates of Middle Eastern heritage as finalists for next week s runoff, handily defeating a trio of established bluebloods associated with the old guard. In a strategy that could spell trouble for Netanyahu, the party is now hoping its next leadership will appeal to the ethnic working-class voters who make up the core of Netanyahu s support. Labor still has a long way to go before returning to its former glory days as the movement that led Israel to independence in 1948 and dominated Israeli politics for three decades. But both candidates for Labor leadership, Amir Peretz and Avi Gabbay, have made it clear that they are aiming to rebrand their party. You have proven that you are an open party that truly calls on new publics to join it, Gabbay, the seventh of eight children born to immigrants from Morocco, told his supporters after the first-round vote. Choosing me is a call to new constituencies saying: We want you to join us. The party s early leaders of European, or Ashkenazi, descent took a paternalistic attitude toward Jewish immigrants from Arabic-speaking countries in the Middle East and North Africa. Many of these immigrants, known as Mizrahi Jews, were sent to shantytown transit camps and largely sidelined. They found their political savior in the Likud Party s Menachem Begin, who cultivated an outsiders alliance that appealed to their sense of deprivation. With massive backing from Mizrahi Jews, he swept to power in In many ways, Labor has been fighting back ever since, rarely wrestling control from Likud. It made some inroads in 2006, after Peretz was elected party leader. But that came at the expense of support from the party s traditional Ashkenazi voters in big cities and kibbutz communities, many of whom bolted to the newly established, and short-lived, Kadima Party. Peretz, who took on the post of defense minister, also suffered from a widely criticized war in Lebanon. He was replaced a few years later by Ehud Barak, the former prime minister who once famously apologized to Mizrahi voters for the party s previous misdeeds. Opinion polls show the Labor Party in the doldrums, ranked just fourth or fifth in size, and observers fear many of its traditional voters could once again bolt, this time to the centrist Yesh Atid party and its telegenic leader, Yair Lapid. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (left), and Indonesian President Joko Widodo (second left), walk past honour guards during an official welcoming ceremony at the Presidential Complex in Ankara, Turkey on July 6. (AFP) Hamas leader Ismail Haniya waves as he arrives to give a speech in Gaza City on July 5. Haniya said that meetings between his movement and the Egyptian authorities would ease the siege imposed on the Gaza Strip for more than a decade. (AFP) Modi Mideast Netanyahu Modi, Netanyahu cause waves: A beach stroll by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu caused online waves on Thursday, with the two men seen wading barefoot into the surf together. The beach trip came on the last day of Modi s visit to Israel, the first-ever by an Indian prime minister. They had gone to the beach to see a demonstration of a mobile water desalination unit. It was closed to journalists, but images and video were distributed by the Israeli government showing the two men walking together into the water barefoot at Olga beach in northern Israel. Some on social media took Netanyahu to task for not sufficiently rolling his pant legs, with the images showing them getting wet. Others joked about a budding bromance. (AFP) Haftar declares victory: Libya s eastern commander Khalifa Haftar said on Wednesday his forces had taken full control of Libya s second city Benghazi from rival armed groups after a three-year campaign. The battle for Benghazi between Haftar s self-styled Libyan National Army (LNA) and an array of Islamist militants and other fighters has been part of a broader conflict since Libya slipped into turmoil following the 2011 fall of strongman Muammar Gaddafi. Victory would mark a major advance for the one-time commander in Gaddafi s army, who has slowly gained ground in eastern and southern Libya in defiance of a UN-backed government that is struggling to extend its influence from the capital, Tripoli. Your armed forces declare to you the liberation of Benghazi from terrorism, a full liberation and a victory of dignity, Haftar said, wearing a white uniform in a televised speech. (RTRS) Police detain Chinese Uighurs: Chinese students from the Uighur ethnic minority have been detained in Egypt in a broad police sweep that has shaken the country s sizeable Uighur student and expatriate community, activists said Thursday. Egyptian police have detained scores of Uighur students, including 20 from Cairo s Al-Azhar University who were stopped in the city of Alexandria on their way out of the country late Wednesday and told they would be deported to China, said Abduweli Ayup, a Uighur activist in Turkey. Ayup said he had heard directly from Turkey EU parliament vote to end talks terrible mistake Turkey detains 12 at rights meeting ISTANBUL, July 6, (Agencies): Turkish police have detained 12 people including the local director of Amnesty International and other rights activists at a meeting on an island near Istanbul, media said on Thursday, in a move the rights group said was a grotesque abuse of power. The detentions came less than a month after a court jailed pending trial the chairman of Amnesty s Turkey branch, Taner Kilic, on charges of membership of a terrorist organisation in a crackdown after an attempted coup in July Amnesty Turkey Director Idil Eser and the others were taken to a police station on Wednesday evening after gathering at a hotel on Buyukada, just south of Turkey s largest city, Hurriyet newspaper said. It was not clear why they were being held. Amnesty called for the group s release, saying it was profoundly disturbed and outraged at the detentions during a digital security and information management workshop. Police were not available to comment. Amnesty said lawyers were told they would be given information at 2:30 pm (1130 GMT). Among those detained with Eser were seven human rights defenders, two foreign trainers - a German and a Swedish national - as well as the hotel owner, Amnesty s statement said. This is a grotesque abuse of power and highlights the precarious situation facing human rights activists in the country, said Amnesty s Secretary General Salil Shetty. Since the failed putsch, Turkey has jailed more than 50,000 people pending trial and suspended or dismissed some 150,000, including soldiers, police, teachers and public servants, over alleged links with terrorist groups. The purge has also led to the closure of some 130 media outlets and jailing of 150 journalists and has worried Turkey s Western allies and rights groups, who say President Tayyip Erdogan is using the coup as a pretext to muzzle some of the detainees and their relatives. The detentions come amid reports that authorities in the Uighur homeland of Xinjiang in western China are seeking the immediate return of Uighurs studying abroad. Authorities in Xinjiang have significantly tightened security measures in the past year, as well as controls on religious expression, in what officials characterize as an unyielding campaign against Islamic extremism brewing in the region. Overseas Uighurs and human rights groups Members of the self-styled Libyan National Army, loyal to the country s east strongman Khalifa Haftar, ride over a tank in the eastern city of Benghazi s central Sabri district on July 5, during a military operation to retake the last remaining neighbourhood under jihadist control. (AFP) dissent. EU Enlargement Commissioner Johannes Hahn, visiting Turkey to discuss Turkey s accession progress, said the detentions would form part of his discussions in Ankara. The arrest of people, for instance last night s arrests, we have to address these issues in friendship and mutual understanding. That s why we are here, he told reporters. More than 240 people were killed in the coup attempt, and the government has said the security measures are necessary because of the gravity of the threats facing Turkey. Amnesty Turkey s chairman was detained in early June with 22 other lawyers over alleged links to the network of Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen, whom Ankara blames for the failed coup. Meanwhile, Turkey s European Union affairs minister says a possible European Parliament vote to suspend accession talks with his country would go down in history as a terrible mistake. Comments Omer Celik made the comments Thursday at the start of talks with EU enlargement commissioner Johannes Hahn in Ankara, hours before the European Parliament is due to hold a nonbinding vote on a draft report that calls for the suspension of negotiations with Turkey due to concerns over its human rights and democracy. Celik said Turkey expects strong solidarity from European legislators. Instead, we are getting calls for the negotiations to be suspended, which is extremely wrong, he said. The minister also said Turkey would never accept any proposal to reformulate EU-Turkish ties through a series of agreements on immigration, combating terrorism, and trade. EU leaders have been critical of Erdogan and his behaviour toward opponents, both before and after an abortive coup against him a year ago. But they do not want to undermine an agreement struck last year whereby Turkey effectively stopped migrants reaching Greece, easing a crisis that had threatened EU unity. The resolution passed by the parliament on Thursday calls on the Commission and the member states, in accordance with the Negotiating Framework, to formally suspend the accession negotiations with Turkey without delay if the constitutional reform package is implemented unchanged. Erdogan s proposed constitution would greatly expand his powers, which he says is necessary to ensure stability in Turkey. Opposition parties and human rights groups say the reforms threaten judicial independence and push Turkey towards one-man rule. The EU has also expressed concern. The Venice Commission, a panel of legal experts from the Council of Europe, a rights body to which Turkey belongs, warned in March ahead of Turkey s referendum that the proposed constitutional shakeup represented a dangerous step backwards for democracy. Ankara rejected the criticism. Furthermore, Turkish media say authorities have detained a British citizen who caused a small explosion at Istanbul s main airport by slamming his power bank on the ground. The Dogan news agency says the passenger got into an argument with security officials at Ataturk International Airport s departures terminal after they refused to allow him to board a London-bound plane carrying the device. The report said authorities detained the passenger after the explosion caused a small panic. A Turkish Airlines official confirmed that there was an explosion caused by a power bank a type of battery for recharging electronic devices. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity in line with government rules, said the explosion caused no injury or damage. say the measures have turned Xinjiang into a police state with widespread arbitrary detentions and invasive surveillance. The detentions in Egypt, a popular destination for religious study among China s Muslims, were seen by activists as a possible sign that China s security crackdown in Xinjiang is extending its reach overseas.(ap) Hamas says Egypt ready to help: Hamas leader Ismail Haniya said Wednesday recent talks in Egypt could lead to improving the humanitarian suffering in the impoverished Gaza Strip. The head of the Palestinian Islamist movement said it found Egyptian officials ready to work to address the crises in Gaza during a recent trip in which Hamas leaders, led by its Gaza head Yahya Sinwar, met with Egyptian officials in Cairo. The Egyptian authorities issued a package of measures and policies and fuel began to enter to the power plant, and work continues at the Rafah crossing to reopen it in the near future. The result will have the effect of alleviating the burden of the siege against our people in the Gaza Strip, Haniya said. He did not give further specific details. (AFP) Israel court rejects demand: Israel s top court has rejected a demand that the state demolish the homes of Jewish extremists who murdered a Palestinian teenager in 2014, saying the petition was filed too late. Yosef Haim Ben-David and two minor accomplices had on July 2, 2014 kidnapped 16-year-old Mohammed Abu Khdeir from Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem, beating him up before burning him alive. His body was found hours later in a forest in the western part of the city. Ben-David was sentenced to life in prison in May The two minors were tried separatedly and were given sentences of life and 21 years in February Abu Khdeir s parents had appealed to then-defence minister Moshe Yaalon to act to demolish the homes of the three assailants as Israel does in cases of Palestinian attackers, a measure it says deters future potential assailants. (AFP)

15 INTERNATIONAL 15 Japan Rivers burst banks 2 dead as southern Japan fl oods surge ASAKURA, Japan, July 6, (Agencies): At least two people have been killed and about 20 others are missing in huge floods that are surging through southern Japan, with hundreds of thousands of people ordered or urged to flee. Unprecedented torrential rain has caused rivers to burst their banks, sweeping away roads and houses, and destroying schools. Thousands of soldiers and others were scrambling Thursday to reach people cut off by torrents of swirling water or threatened by landslides, and had rescued 250 people, the government said. We are in an extremely serious situation, Deputy Prime Minister Taro Aso said, warning of the danger of collapsing hillsides and adding many people are still missing. More than 50 cms (20 inches) of rain deluged parts of Kyushu, the southernmost of Japan s four main islands, over 12 hours on Wednesday, the meteorological agency said. Downpours will likely continue through Friday, the agency said as the region grapples with the aftermath of a typhoon that raked the country Suga this week. Authorities lifted special heavy rain warnings for the hardest hit prefectures of Fukuoka and Oita, although other warnings, such as for rain, landslides and flooding, remained in place. One man was found dead in the city of Asakura in Fukuoka prefecture, while another died in a landslide in Hita in Oita prefecture, officials said. Rescue Japan is deploying 7,800 police, rescue personnel and troops in affected areas of Kyushu, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said, telling reporters that there are about 20 people who are unaccounted for. Those included a child reportedly carried off by a fast-flowing river and a couple who had not been seen since their house was swept away. Television footage showed rolling waves from swollen rivers hitting residential areas, tearing up roads and inundating farmland. Asakura was among the hardest hit with footage showing floodwaters surging through the streets. Ryoichi Nishioka, who grows flowers in the city, said he tried to save them from damage amid fast rising waters the night before. I tried to protect them by covering them up but couldn t make it, he told AFP. Then the swirling water flooded this area and swept away the greenhouses. Nishioka, 67, also described helping a man who clung to an electric pole as muddy waters rampaged through the area on Wednesday night. We had a blackout, so I used a flashlight from the second floor and shined light for him, he said. I was calling out to encourage him for three hours from 9 pm to midnight. I shouted: Hang in there! The man was ultimately rescued, Nishioka said. Nuclear shipment for Japan: A cargo of reprocessed nuclear fuel containing highly radioactive plutonium left the French port of Cherbourg for Japan under heavy security on Wednesday as demonstrators protested against the transport. The controversial shipment from a plant of the French nuclear group Areva located some 20 kms (12 miles) away arrived at the port before dawn aboard two trucks escorted by dozens of security vehicles as a helicopter flew overhead. Around 20 Greenpeace activists carried protest banners and threw smoke bombs at the convoy shortly before it arrived at the port. It is the sixth shipment of mixed oxide (MOX), a blend of plutonium and uranium, from France to Japan since We are warning of how dangerous this shipment is and especially the risk of nuclear proliferation and the possible diversion for military purposes, Greenpeace France activist Yannick Rousselet told AFP. Areva spokesman Alexandre Marinot described the cargo as being of a maximum safety level. Uranium reactors produce a mixture of depleted uranium and plutonium as a by-product of fission. These can be re-processed into MOX fuel, which can then be used in other reactors to generate more power. Japan has few energy resources of its own and relied on nuclear power for nearly one-third of its domestic electricity needs until the 2011 meltdowns at the tsunami-crippled Fukushima plant. Step towards commercial whaling: A recent law promoting whaling allows Japan to take a key step towards resuming commercial hunting of the giant mammals that are a great source of food, officials said on Thursday. Japan defies international protests to carry out what it calls scientific research whaling, having repeatedly said its ultimate goal is to whale commercially again. In the season, its fleet took 333 minke whales in the Antarctic. The new law, passed in June, will help enshrine as a national responsibility an activity that was previously just a tacit policy, said Shigeki Takaya, director of the Whaling Affairs Office at Japan s Fisheries Agency. While the government has given its support to the implementation of scientific research into whales, it is heartening to see that the law clarifies its position even further, Takaya told a news conference. In 2014, the International Court of Justice ruled that Japan should halt Antarctic whaling. Japan suspended its hunt for one season, to re-tool its whaling program with measures such as cutting the number of whales and species targeted, but resumed hunting in the season. Japan has long maintained that most whale species are not endangered and that eating whale is part of its culture. It began scientific whaling in 1987, a year after an international whaling moratorium began. The meat ends up on store shelves, even though most Japanese no longer eat it. This resource exists, said Kiyoshi Ejima, a member of the upper house of parliament from Shimonoseki, a whaling port in western Japan that forms part of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe s electoral district. There are minke whales down in the Antarctic that are of body weight of about 5,000 kgs (11,000 lb) to 10,000 kgs (22,000 lb), added Ejima, one of the lawmakers behind the bill. These are a great source of food and my position is that we should harness this. The picture shows an aerial view of a fl ooded area in Asakura City, Fukuoka prefecture on July 6. At least two people have been killed and 18 others are missing in huge floods that are surging through southern Japan, with authorities warning hundreds of thousands of people to fl ee. (AFP) A visitor walks by the wire fence decorated with ribbons carrying messages to wish for the reunification of the two Koreas at the Imjingak Pavilion near the Panmunjom, which has separated the two Koreas since the Korean War, in Paju, South Korea on July 6. South Korean jets and navy ships fi red a barrage of guided-missiles into the ocean during drills, a display of military power two days after North Korea test-launched its fi rst intercontinental ballistic missile. (AP) Asia Taiwan charges Chinese student: A Chinese graduate from one of Taiwan s top universities was charged with espionage on Thursday as prosecutors accused him of attempting to recruit spies for Beijing. The indictment comes as officials warn of growing intelligence threats from China at a time of increasingly frosty ties between Taipei and Beijing. China still sees the island as part of its territory to be brought back into its fold even though Taiwan has been self-governing since the two sides split after a civil war in Relations have worsened since Beijingsceptic President Tsai Ing-wen came to power last May. The Taipei District Prosecutors office said Thursday a man surnamed Zhou who came to Taiwan to study in 2012 violated the National Security Act. Local media identified the man as Zhou Hongxu from Liaoning province in northeastern China, who graduated from the National Chengchi University in Taipei last year. Prosecutors said Zhou was recruited by a mainland official he met at an event promoting cross-strait exchanges in Shanghai in July 2014, who asked him to build a spy network in return for remuneration. Zhou was told to introduce politicians, officials in the military, police, intelligence and diplomacy units and other influential people in society to Chinese local officials in destinations abroad, they said. (AFP) Leaders won t contest charge: Hong Kong student leader Joshua Wong, who helped lead the months-long Umbrella Movement in 2014 demanding full democracy, said on Thursday he would not fight a charge related to the protests in the spirit of civil disobedience. The Hong Kong protests that Wong and others helped drive represented one of the biggest populist challenges in decades to the leaders of China s Communist Party since the 1989 Tiananmen Square prodemocracy movement in Beijing. Wong was one of 20 protesters charged with contempt of court after refusing to obey a court order and leave a protest zone in the working-class district of Mong Kok. I choose to plead guilty in this case to show, as an organizer of civil disobedience, I am willing to bear legal responsibility, the 20-year-old Wong said outside the High Court, flanked by a few supporters. Although there s a chance I might be put in jail, I have no regrets. In written statements to the court, Wong and several respondents, including another student leader Lester Shum, admitted North Korea Mattis assures US commitment to defend Japan Trump weighs severe response WARSAW, July 6, (Agencies): US President Donald Trump said Thursday he was considering a pretty severe response to North Korea s intercontinental ballistic missile test, even as China appealed for a scaling down of rhetoric. Tuesday s launch marked a milestone in Pyongyang s decades-long drive to threaten the US mainland with a nuclear strike, posing a thorny policy challenge for Trump, who is at loggerheads with Beijing over how to handle Kim Jong-Un s regime. I call on all nations to confront this global threat and publicly demonstrate to North Korea that there are consequences for their very, very bad behaviour, Trump said during a visit to Warsaw. The United States is pushing for tougher sanctions on North Korea following the ICBM test but has also warned it is ready to use force if necessary. I have pretty severe things that we re thinking about, Trump said, adding: That doesn t mean that we ll do them. Trump has repeatedly urged Pyongyang s chief backer China to rein in the Stalinist state in, taking to Twitter this week to publicly berate Beijing for not squeezing the North hard enough on trade. China responded Thursday with a call for more moderate language from all sides. We also call on relevant parties to stay calm, exercise restraint, refrain from words and deeds that may heighten tensions, foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told reporters. Attending President Xi Jinping, who be attending this week s G20 summit with Trump in Hamburg, said China was committed to denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula, but stressed this could best be achieved through dialogue and negotiations, the Xinhua news agency reported. Trump had dismissed the idea of the North having a working ICBM, vowing it won t happen, but experts say the new missile could reach Alaska or even further towards the continental US. The test prompted the US and its ally South Korea to stage a joint missile drill aimed at countering the North s threats, after South Korean President Moon Jae-In called for a response beyond just words. Beijing insists it has made relentless efforts to curb Pyongyang s nuclear ambitions in line with UN economic sanctions. China decided to stop buying North Korean coal in February and total imports from the North have steadily dropped every month from $207 million in January to $99 million in April. But official Chinese customs data liability, rather than explicitly pleading guilty, as is the case in a civil, rather than criminal, lawsuit. (RTRS) PM s siblings offer truce: The siblings of Singapore s prime minister offered a truce Thursday in an explosive family feud over the legacy of their late father, founding leader Lee Kuan Yew, saying they wanted to settle the matter privately. China warns words and deeds can raise North Korea tensions shows a 37.4 percent rise in yuan terms in overall trade with North Korea and 30.6 percent in US dollars in the first quarter. Trade between China and North Korea grew almost 40%... So much for China working with us but we had to give it a try! Trump tweeted on Wednesday. For China, the worst-case scenario is a collapse of the regime in Pyongyang, which could see an influx of refugees from its impoverished neighbour, and worse yet, US troops stationed on its border in a united Korea. Trump had until recently nurtured friendly ties with Xi, hosting him at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida in April, when they agreed on a 100-day plan to improve trade relations. Beijing s spokesman Geng defended China s dealings with North Korea, insisting that Beijing has upheld UN sanction resolutions in a comprehensive and earnest manner. US Ambassador to the United Na- Wong Yew BEIJING, July 6, (AFP): China on Thursday warned against words and deeds that could heighten tensions over North Korea, after Pyongyang tested an intercontinental ballistic missile that Kim Jong- Un dubbed a gift to Americans. Tuesday s launch marked a milestone in Pyongyang s decades-long drive for the capability to threaten the US mainland with a nuclear strike, and poses a stark foreign policy challenge for Donald Trump. We also call on relevant parties to stay calm, exercise restraint, refrain from words and deeds that may heighten tensions, and jointly make effort for the easing of tensions, foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told reporters. US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley told the UN Security Council Wednesday that Washington was ready to use force if need be to deal with the threat of a nucleararmed North Korea and singled out China as key to any diplomatic solution. Her comments came after US President Donald Trump berated China on Twitter, saying that the country s trade with North Korea had surged by almost 40 percent in the first quarter. We will work with China, Haley said, but we will not repeat the inadequate approaches of the past that have brought us to this dark day. The United States is pushing for tougher sanctions on North Korea following the ICBM test. Geng defended China s dealings with North Korea, insisting that Beijing has upheld UN sanction resolutions in a comprehensive and earnest manner. But, he added, as a neighbouring country of the DPRK, China has maintained normal economic relations and trade. According to the DPRK-related resolutions, relevant economic sanctions should not harm the livelihood and normal humanitarian need of the DPRK, he said, using the initials of North Korea s official name. Trump has pushed China to put economic pressure on its Communist ally economically to strongarm the Stalinist regime into abandoning its nuclear and missile programmes. Official Chinese customs data shows a 37.4 percent rise in yuan terms in overall trade and 30.6 percent in US dollars. But China decided to stop buying North Korean coal in February and total imports from the North have steadily dropped every month from $207 million in January to $99 million in April. Trade between China and North Korea grew almost 40% in the fi rst quarter. So much for China working with us - but we had to give it a try! Trump tweeted on Wednesday. The US leader had until recently nurtured friendly ties with Chinese President Xi Jinping, hosting him at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida in April, when they agreed on a 100- day plan to improve US-Chinese trade relations. The two leaders are due to meet again at the Group of 20 summit in Germany, which runs Friday and Saturday. tions Nikki Haley told a meeting of the U.N. Security Council that North Korea s actions were quickly closing off the possibility of a diplomatic solution and the United States was prepared to defend itself and its allies. One of our capabilities lies with our considerable military forces. We will use them if we must, but we prefer not to have to go in that direction, Haley said. She urged China, North Korea s only major ally, to do more to rein in Pyongyang. Speaking with his Japanese counterpart on Wednesday, US Defense Secretary James Mattis underscored the ironclad commitment of the United States to defending Japan and providing extended deterrence using the full range of US capabilities, Pentagon spokeswoman Dana White said in a statement. Mattis assurances to Japanese Defense Minister Tomomi Inada came during a phone call to discuss the North Korean test, the statement said. The tightly-controlled city-state has been captivated by the row over the future of the family bungalow, which has played out in a bitter back and forth across social media since it erupted last month. For now, we will cease presenting further evidence on social media, provided that we and our father s wish are not attacked or misrepresented, said Lee Hsien Yang, 60, and Lee Wei Ling, 62, in a joint statement. (AFP)

16 INTERNATIONAL 16 World News Roundup Asia Cambodia deports 74 Chinese Vanuatu elects pastor as its new president SYDNEY, July 6, (Agencies): Vanuatu elected a pastor as its new president Thursday as the tiny pacific nation eyes continued moral leadership following the sudden death of its former head of state last month, local media said. Tallis Obed Moses, a Presbyterian and clergyman most of his life, was sworn in after winning 39 votes against former prime minister Maxim Carlos Korman s 17 votes, the Vanuatu Daily Post told AFP. He replaces Baldwin Lonsdale, an Anglican priest who was elected to the presidency in 2014 but died of a heart attack in mid-june in the capital Port Vila. It came right down to the last vote, the Post s Dan McGarry said of the nailbiting finish, which followed three rounds of voting and involved 16 candidates. Religion plays an important role in Vanuatu, whose 270,000 population is largely Christian, with the majority Protestants and about 12 percent Catholic. McGarry said support for Moses stemmed from a desire for moral leadership. Moses He is well-regarded within his community and within the church. He is somebody to whom the nation will be looking for a degree of moral leadership. Our constitution says that the office of the president symbolises the unity of the people... and there are occasions when that becomes a very important issue. The electoral college consists of 52 members of parliament and six provincial presidents. Voting in the fourth and final round included one absentee and one invalid ballot. Although the president s role is considered largely ceremonial, Lonsdale became a symbol of hope for Vanuatu when Cyclone Pam caused severe damage in early Six months later he steered the country through a political crisis when half the government of prime minister Sato Kilman was convicted of corruption, making them ineligible for office. Cambodia deports 74 Chinese: Cambodia has deported more than 70 Chinese citizens accused of defrauding people back home in an internet scam. Gen. Ouk Haiseila, chief of the Cambodian Interior Ministry s Immigration Investigation Bureau, said the 74 suspects were flown out of the capital on Thursday on a plane sent by the Chinese government. Police did not release any details on the alleged scam. Since 2012, Cambodia has deported at least 982 Chinese and Taiwanese to China. Deportations of Taiwanese to China are controversial because Cambodia defers to China s claim to sovereignty over the self-governing island. But the immigration investigation bureau chief said none of the suspects departed Thursday are Taiwanese. Five bodies found in plane crash: Five people were found dead Thursday after a small plane crashed in Indonesia s Papua province a day earlier, the latest in a series of aviation accidents to hit the country. The Pilatus Porter PC-6 aircraft lost contact around mid-day Wednesday just eight minutes after it took off from Wamena city, located in the eastern province s mountainous region. It had been flying southwest toward neighbouring Nduga province. The plane wreckage was spotted in a mountainous area nine miles (14km) from Wamena airport late on Wednesday. There were no survivors from the crash. The plane, owned by missionary firm Associated Mission Aviation (AMA), was carrying three passengers and two crew, including the Dutch pilot. The other four victims were Indonesian. Widodo s son probed: Indonesian police are investigating allegations of blasphemy and hate speech against the youngest son of President Joko Jokowi Widodo. Police plan to summon Kaesang Pangarep for questioning after receiving a complaint about a video uploaded to YouTube in May, Jakarta police spokesman Argo Yuwono said Thursday. The nearly three-minute video entitled Ask Daddy for a Project a reference to children of politicians who seek business favors includes criticism of Indonesians who during recent sectarian tensions in the Muslim-majority nation declared they would refuse funeral rites for those who supported non- Muslims as leaders. Indonesia s draconian blasphemy law, which allows for sentences of up to five years in prison, is often used to attack minorities and political foes. Thailand auctions supercars: Thai customs officials sold off hundreds of seized luxury vehicles on Thursday, including dozens of supercars although many lots were removed last minute after it emerged they were stolen from abroad. Thailand s role in the global grand theft auto trade has received fresh attention in recent weeks after British police said dozens of stolen supercars had been whisked to the Southeast Asian kingdom. Police in Bangkok have since launched a crackdown, seizing dozens of illegally imported vehicles, including at least seven stolen from Britain, and arresting a handful of car dealers. The country places a more than 300 percent tax on top-end vehicles a surcharge that investigators say fuels a lucrative black market aided by corrupt buyers, dealers and government officials. Muslim groups call for boycott: Muslim groups in Malaysia and Indonesia have called for a boycott of Starbucks because of the coffee chain s support for LGBT rights. Malaysian group Perkasa, which supports a hardline form of Islam and nationalism, this week called on its more than 500,000 members to stay away from Starbucks coffee shops. This week and last, leaders of Indonesia s second largest mainstream Muslim group, Muhammadiyah, with an estimated 29 million members, denounced the chain. The groups were apparently reacting to comments made several years ago by former CEO Howard Schultz in support of gay rights that drew renewed attention amid an increasingly anti-lgbt climate in both of the predominantly Muslim countries. Chinese citizens who have been arrested over an alleged internet scam, wait with their hands tied up before being deported at Phnom Penh International Airport in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, on July 6. Cambodian authority deported over 70 Chinese citizens Thursday over an alleged internet scam, complying with demands from Beijing. (AP) Rescuers prepare to search for trapped residents inside a destroyed building after a 6.5-magnitude earthquake hit the town of Kananga, Leyte province in the central Philippines on July 6. (AFP) An Indian woman with her family and her belongings paddles a boat through flood waters at Khola Bhuyan village, east of Guwahati, Assam state, India, on July 5. Heavy rains since the start of India s monsoon season have triggered floods and landslides in parts of the remote northeastern region, causing at least 20 deaths, authorities said Wednesday. (AP) Subcontinent China, India still in stand-off: China said on Thursday it was absurd for India to use the excuse of Chinese road-building to cross over their border, and accused India of militarising its side of the frontier. A stand-off on a plateau next to the mountainous Indian state of Sikkim, which borders China, has ratcheted up tension between the neighbouring giants, who share a 3,500 kms (2,175 miles) frontier, large parts of which are disputed. According to the Chinese interpretation of events, Indian guards crossed into China s Donglang region early in June and obstructed work on a road on the plateau. Troops from the two sides then confronted each other close to a valley controlled by China that separates India from Bhutan a close Indian ally and gives China access to the so-called Chicken s Neck, a thin strip of land that connects India to its remote northeastern regions. India has said it had warned China that construction of the road near their common border would have serious security implications. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang, speaking at a daily news briefing, again urged India to withdraw its personnel to the Indian side to avoid there being an even more serious situation creating even more serious consequences. (RTRS) Wreckage of chopper found: The wreckage of an Indian Air Force chopper which went missing a day ago near the country s border with China has been found, police said Wednesday. There were three people on board the Advanced Light Helicopter when it lost contact Tuesday in India s remote northeastern state of Arunachal Pradesh in bad weather. The wreckage has been seen in the jungle in a deep gorge, Sandeep Goel, the state police chief, told AFP. So far we have not been able to reach the wreckage spot so we cannot comment on the Philippines Duterte vows to eat alive militants Philippine quake kills 2 MANILA, July 6, (Agencies): A 6.5-magnitude earthquake struck the central Philippines Thursday, killing at least two person inside a collapsed building with more people feared trapped inside, a local official said. Rescuers were rushing to the town of Kananga where a three-storey commercial building collapsed as the tremor struck the central island of Leyte, town mayor Rowena Codilla told DZBB radio. We were able to retrieve two dead and one wounded, Codilla said. The rescue is hampered by aftershocks that continued to rock the area and lack of proper equipment, she said. The official said she did not know how many more people were inside the building. The 10-year-old building housed a small hotel upstairs and shops on the ground floor, Codilla said, adding there was little damage elsewhere in the town. The quake hit at a depth of around six kilometres (four miles), the US Geological Survey said. There was no immediate warning of a tsunami, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said. Large parts of Leyte were devastated by super typhoon Haiyan in November Huge tsunami-like waves smashed the city of Tacloban and nearby areas, leaving 7,350 people dead or missing. A receptionist at Hotel XYZ told AFP the quake was felt in Tacloban, but did not damage buildings there. It was far away from here, we are okay, the receptionist said. A receptionist at a hotel in another part of the city reported the quake was felt but did not cause damage in the area. We are safe, he said. Also: MANILA: Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has threatened to eat alive the Islamist militants behind the abduction and beheadings of two Vietnamese sailors in a furious reaction to the killings. Shuang Wani The remains of the two hostages, who were kidnapped along with four other crew members of a Vietnamese cargo ship in November last year, were recovered off the southern region of Mindanao by Philippine troops on Wednesday. The military blamed the killings on the notorious kidnap-for-ransom Abu Sayyaf group with a stronghold in the area, and which is known to behead its hostages unless ransom payments are made. I will eat your liver if you want me to. Give me salt and vinegar and I will eat it in front of you, Duterte said in a speech before local officials late Wednesday. I eat everything. I am not picky. I eat even what cannot be swallowed. Holding up a mobile phone with a photo of the slain Vietnamese sailors, Duterte angrily cursed the militants. Duterte also said on Thursday he did not initiate dialogue with Islamist militants occupying a southern town because he would never talk to criminals and terrorists. Reuters reported exclusively on Wednesday that Duterte was preparing to make a deal with the Islamic State-inspired militants in the days after they occupied the town of Marawi, but he aborted the plan without explanation. MANILA: Runway potholes forced the Philippines main airport to divert several flights Thursday, officials said, in the third such disruption at the facility in the past year. Manila s Ninoy Aquino International Airport operations chief Octavio Lina said the two potholes, both about 30 centimetres (12 inches) wide, were discovered in the morning, making landings by large aircraft too dangerous. Even if the holes are small, the plane could land on its belly if the main landing gear hits them, he told a news conference, adding the runway defect could lead to plane damage. casualties. The helicopter was on a mission to evacuate residents from flood-affected regions. Arunachal Pradesh as well as some other neighbouring states have been reeling under heavy monsoon rains that have triggered landslides and floods. Arunachal Pradesh is at the centre of a border dispute between India and China who regularly accuse each other of making illegal troop encroachments. Their mistrust stems from a brief war in 1962 over the state which has a large ethnic Tibetan population. (AFP) Indian Kashmir tense: In a crowded hospital in Kashmir a 17-year-old student is recovering from gunshot wounds, one of thousands of civilians injured in protests against Indian rule that have exploded since the death of a popular rebel leader a year ago. When government forces came to his village in the picturesque Himalayan region recently to raid a militant hideout, the teenager, who does not want to be named, threw himself into a hail of bullets to help the fighters escape. I leapt in between a trapped militant and soldiers who were shooting and took the bullets myself, he told AFP from his hospital bed in Srinagar, the main city in Indian-administered Kashmir. Kashmir, divided Modi between India and Pakistan since 1947, is one of the most heavily militarised spots on earth with a long history of conflict. The mountainous region is home to dozens of armed groups fighting for independence or a merger of the territory with Pakistan. But since the charismatic rebel leader Burhan Wani was shot dead by security forces on July 8, civilians have played an increasingly active role in the rebellion against Indian rule. The death of the dashing 23-year-old, who had built up a big following on social media as he posed with an AK-47, sparked a huge outpouring of grief in Kashmir. Jammu and Kashmir, India s only Muslim-majority state, has since 2014 been governed by the pro-india People s Democratic Party in an unpopular coalition with Prime Minister Narendra Modi s ruling Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). (AFP) US soldier killed in Helmand: A US soldier has been killed and two others wounded in an attack in Afghanistan s Helmand province while conducting operations against the Taleban, US military officials said Wednesday. Private First Class Hansen Kirkpatrick, 19, of Wasilla, Alaska died Monday following the indirect fire assault, which means he was hit by a mortar or some other incoming round. The wounds sustained by the two soldiers were not considered life threatening, and they were being treated at a coalition medical facility, US Forces-Afghanistan said in a statement. Pentagon spokesman Navy Captain Jeff Davis said the soldiers had been conducting an off-base operation with partnered Afghan security forces when they came under fire. It was presumably a Taleban attack, he said. (AFP) Pakistan test-fires missile: Pakistan says it has successfully tested a short-range surface-to-surface ballistic missile capable of carrying nuclear warheads. The military said Wednesday the NASR is a high-precision weapons system with the ability for quick deployment and a range of 70 kms, or 43.5 miles. It added that this system will augment credible deterrence against prevailing threats more effectively. Army chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa, who was at the launch, said that Pakistan will go to any lengths to ensure regional peace and stability and underlined the missiles are meant to stress that war is not an option. He also said that Pakistan s strategic capability is a guarantee of peace against a highly militarized and belligerent neighbor an obvious reference to archenemy India. The two became nuclear powers in the late 1990s. (AP) Crash kills 11 in Pakistan: A passenger bus hit a tree and overturned in central Pakistan Wednesday, killing 11 people and wounding 36 others on board, officials said. The tragedy came days after a devastating oil tanker explosion killed at least 205 people. Pakistan has a poor record of fatal traffic accidents due to badly maintained roads and vehicles, and reckless driving. A speeding passenger bus which was going to Rawalpindi from Karachi first hit a tractor trolley and then a tree, killing 11 people and wounding 36 others, 18 among them seriously, near Layyah town, a senior local administration official in Layyah, Wajid Ali Shah told AFP. A local police official, Inayat Baloch also confimed the incident and casualties. The oil tanker overturned on a main highway from Karachi to Lahore while carrying some 40,000 litres of fuel on June 25, about 270 kms from Layyah. (AFP) B desh opposition activists held: Bangladesh security agencies have secretly detained scores of opposition activists many of whom have later been killed, an international rights group said Thursday. Amid heightened political tensions, the Human Rights Watch (HRW) report was released only days after a high profile government critic briefly disappeared. HRW said Bangladeshi authorities have detained hundreds of people in secret locations since 2013, including at least 90 last year. The New York-based group said it has documented 21 cases of detainees who were later killed, and nine others whose whereabouts are unknown. Bangladesh security forces appear to have a free hand in detaining people, deciding on their guilt or innocence, and determining their punishment, including whether they have the right to be alive, Brad Adams, HRW s Asia director said. The disappearances are well-documented and reported, yet the government persists in this abhorrent practice with no regard for the rule of law, he said. Among those missing is Sajedul Islam Suman, 37, a Dhaka neighbourhood chief of the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP). Sumon s sister Sanjida Islam said Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) officers detained her brother and five other BNP activists on Dec 4, This was one month before a controversial 2014 general election which the BNP boycotted. (AFP)

17 INTERNATIONAL 17 Lat/Am Nieto, US Homeland Secy meet Maduro backers attack lawmakers CARACAS, July 6, (Agencies): Venezuelan pro-government militants wielding clubs and pipes stormed into the opposition-held National Assembly Wednesday, attacking lawmakers and leaving seven hurt including three with blood streaming from their heads. The special independence day legislative session turned into a violent, nine-hour siege when supporters of leftist President Nicolas Maduro then blocked the building and prevented 350 lawmakers, staff and others from leaving. Police initially did not intervene, but eventually joined soldiers to keep the mob at bay and allow the lawmakers to leave. The attack is just the latest episode of political violence in three months of chaos in the oil-rich but poverty-stricken country that have seen 91 people killed in clashes with police. Protesters blame Maduro for a desperate economic crisis that has caused short- Maduro ages of food and medicine. Maduro insists the chaos is a US-backed opposition conspiracy. Nieto, Kelly meet: Mexico s president has met with US Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly in Mexico City. President Enrique Pena Nieto s office said the two discussed fighting organized crime groups, an apparent reference to drug and gun smuggling across the border. Pena Nieto said that effort will be carried out with a focus on shared responsibility. Mexico wants the US to reduce its demand for drugs and the supply of illegal weapons used by Mexican drug cartels. The office said Pena Nieto welcomed the US decision to maintain a program allowing migrants who arrived as children to stay in the US Earlier Mexican foreign affairs secretary Luis Videgaray stressed the need to respect the rights of Mexicans in the United States and due process for them in immigration processes. 26 dead in Mexico shootout: At least 26 people were dead or hospitalized after a shootout in the northern Mexican border state of Chihuahua on Wednesday, the state attorney general s office said, as drug violence surges in one of Mexico s bloodiest years on record. The shootout took place near the mountainous community of Las Varas, in the heart of one of Mexico s drug trafficking regions, and it involved two armed groups. It was unclear how many of the victims were dead and how many were alive at hospitals, spokesman Felix Gonzalez told Reuters. President Enrique Pena Nieto came to office in 2012 vowing to end years of drug violence, and although the murder rate fell initially, it has been rising steadily and is on track to hit its highest level since recent government records began in FARC rebels free UN official: Colombia s dissident FARC rebels freed a member of a United Nations team it had taken hostage while he was working on a project to substitute illegal crops with legal ones, the government said on Wednesday. The Colombian United Nations contractor was seized on May 3 by gunmen close to Miraflores in southern Guaviare province, where coca cultivation has long formed a key part of Colombia s cocaine production. He was stopped by armed men in a convoy of vehicles. The UN contractor kidnapped by organized crime in Guaviare has informed his superiors that he has been freed by his captors, the defense ministry said via its Twitter account. The rebels, about 300 or so former FARC fighters who rejected a peace accord with the government late last year, want to take over coca cultivation and cocaine trafficking that was abandoned when the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) agreed to lay down their weapons. Temer presents graft defense: Lawyers for Brazil s President Michel Temer presented their defense Wednesday against corruption charges that threaten to drive him from office, denying allegations that he took a $150,000 bribe. They filed a written defense to a committee in Congress tasked with drawing up a recommendation on whether he should face trial over the allegations. Temer faces a series of hearings before lawmakers vote on whether he should face a criminal trial over claims he accepted the bribe from a meatpacking firm. He has denied the accusation, which has made him the first sitting Brazilian president to face formal criminal charges. He committed no crime, said his lawyer Antonio Claudio Mariz de Oliveira after filing the written defense. Venezuelan army female commandos participate in a military parade to celebrate Venezuela s 206th anniversary of its Independence in Caracas on July 5. Dozens of pro-government activists stormed into the seat of Venezuela s National Assembly Wednesday as the opposition-controlled legislature was holding a special session to mark the independence day. (AFP) Africa S. Africa set for ICC ruling: War crimes judges were to rule Thursday if South Africa flouted international law by failing to arrest Sudan s President Omar al-bashir, wanted for trial on charges of genocide in Darfur. Legal experts widely expect that judges at the International Criminal Court will find that Pretoria, one of the founding members of the tribunal, failed to co-operate with the ICC based in The Hague. And while the landmark decision will be aimed at sending a message to signatories of the court s founding Rome Statute that they must cooperate, many believe little concrete action will follow. Despite two international arrest warrants issued in 2009 and 2010, Bashir remains at large and in office as conflict continues to rage in the western Sudanese region of Darfur. (AFP) AU chair questions US stance: The African Union s new chair Moussa Faki Mahamat on Wednesday questioned US commitment to fighting terrorism on the continent after it blocked efforts to get UN funding for an antijihadist force in the Sahel. This is a specific case of a certain number of African states taking the initiative to create a dedicated force to fight terrorism. So, we don t understand how the United States could hold back or not engage in the fight against terrorism, Faki said in an interview with AFP. Faki s January election as chairperson of the AU commission came days after the inauguration of US President Donald Trump, who has proposed slashing US funding for aid projects and multilateral institutions like the UN. (AFP) Lungu invokes emergency state: Zambian President Edgar Lungu invoked a state of emergency on Wednesday after a series of apparent arson attacks, in a move likely to trigger fresh accusations of government authoritarianism. Several fires, including one that burnt down the main market in the capital Lusaka on Tuesday, were described by Lungu as premeditated acts which if left unchecked could have serious... consequences. My government has decided to invoke Article 31 (leading) to a state of public emergency, Lungu said in a nationally-televised address. The state of emergency will be officially imposed after approval by parliament. Zambia has enjoyed relative stability in recent years, but political tensions have been high this year after the arrest and continued detention of opposition leader Hakainde Bashir Trump Hichilema. (AFP) Boko Haram attacks military: Boko Haram jihadists believed to be from the IS-supported faction loyal to Abu Mus ab Al-Barnawi have attacked three military bases in northeast Nigeria, destroying one and killing a soldier, according to the military and vigilantes. The attacks cast doubt on the Nigerian government s claim that the jihadist group is on the back foot and may mark an end to a lull since April of Al-Barnawi s deadly attacks on military targets. In the latest attack late Tuesday, Islamist fighters in pickup trucks raided and razed a military base in Kamuya village in Nigeria s ravaged Borno state. (AFP) 3 officers die in Shebab raid: Three policemen were killed Wednesday in seven hours of fighting with suspected Shebab militants who attacked their post in southeastern Kenya, police said. Regional police chief Akello Odhiambo said the attackers raided the Pandanguo Police Camp in the coastal Lamu region. They razed a police camp and destroyed a Safaricom mast, disrupting communication among the security personnel based in Lamu. The gun fight took over seven hours before security agents took over the area, he said. He said army officers in a nearby camp were among the first to respond to the attack and engaged the Shebab in aerial and ground fighting. (AFP)

18 INTERNATIONAL 18 World News Roundup Health Cos new battleground Robots promise a better knee ops LONDON, July 6, (RTRS): The world s top medical technology companies are turning to robots to help with complex knee surgery, promising quicker procedures and better results in operations that often leave patients dissatisfied. Demand for artificial replacement joints is growing fast, as baby boomers knees and hips wear out, but for the past 15 years rival firms have failed to deliver a technological advance to gain them significant market share. Now US-based Stryker and Britain s Smith & Nephew believe that is about to change, as robots give them an edge. Robots should mean less trauma to patients and faster recovery, although they still need to prove themselves in definitive clinical studies, which will not report results for a couple of years. Fares Haddad, a consultant surgeon at University College London Hospitals, is one of the first in Britain to use the Haddad new robots and has been impressed. However, he agrees healthcare providers need decisive data to prove they are worth an investment that can be as much as $1 million for each robot. The main reason for using a robotic system is to improve precision and to be able to hit very accurately a target that varies from patient to patient, he said. It is particularly useful in knees because they are more problematic (than hips) and there are a chunk of patients that aren t as satisfied as we would like with their knee replacement. Satisfaction rates are only around 65 percent for knee operations, against 95 percent for hips, according to industry surveys. The rival types of robots vary in cost and sophistication, assisting surgeons with precision image guidance for bone cutting and the insertion of artificial joints. Success Orthopaedic companies hope to emulate the success of Intuitive Surgical, an early pioneer of robots in hospitals, which now has more than 4,000 of its da Vinci machines installed around the world for procedures including prostate removal, hernia repair and hysterectomies. In addition to selling into big Western markets, they also want to expand robot use in India, China and other emerging markets, where owning a prestigious high-tech system can be a marketing advantage for private hospitals. Stryker is leading the charge with its MAKO robotic arm, a platform it acquired for $1.65 billion in 2013 and which has pioneered robot-assisted whole-knee operations by determining optimal positioning and then helping with bone cutting. But it has competition from smaller rival Smith & Nephew, which last week launched a cheaper product called Navio for total knee replacements in the United States. The British group bought the company behind Navio for $275 million in Battle That has kicked off the battle in earnest, since both companies are now able to do total knee replacements, which represent the vast majority of knee procedures. MAKO, which uses only Stryker s joints and implants, costs around $1 million to install, while Navio, which does not have as many features and is not tied exclusively to Smith & Nephew s products, is less than half the price. Both companies believe their robots will help them capture a bigger share of an orthopaedic market that has been split between four big players for more than a decade. Indeed, Smith & Nephew Chief Executive Olivier Bohuon said it was his company s most important strategic investment for a decade. We are now basically head to head with Stryker, he said in an interview. I do believe we are going to gain market share due to the fact we have robots, whether it s Stryker or us. Stryker, meanwhile, expects its MAKO system to start delivering market share gains from the end of As we exit this year, we expect to start to see evidence in our knee market shares, Katherine Owen, head of strategy at Stryker, told an investment conference in June. Our goal with MAKO on knees is to capture hundreds of basis points of market share. What that time frame looks like, we haven t been specific about. Zimmer Biomet and Johnson & Johnson, the two other big players in orthopaedics, are lagging in the robotics race but both have plans to enter the area in different ways. J&J is working on surgical robotics with Verily, the life sciences arm of Google parent Alphabet, while Zimmer last year bought a majority stake in France s Medtech, a specialist in neurosurgery. Analysts at Morgan Stanley believe robots have the potential to disrupt a market in artificial joints that has arguably become commoditised, with no knee or hip implant emerging as supreme in recent years. That chimes with the view of Smith & Nephew s Bohuon, who argues that robots give his company a chance to punch above its weight, despite ranking No. 4 in reconstructive surgery. He reckons robotics could account for 20 to 40 percent of knee operations. Much will depend, however, on how the rival systems stack up. Jefferies analysts said the semi-automated bone resection offered by MAKO might well win out in the long term, but Navio offers a far cheaper option and is still well ahead of anything the other two major manufacturers have today. Orthopaedic surgeon Haddad, who has experimented with both, said the machines were very different and healthcare systems would need to assess their cost-effectiveness in the light of clinical trial results. I think the clinical benefit will be pretty obvious but whether that justifies the upfront outlay is a big question. In this photograph taken on July 4, 2017 a robot waitress delivers food at a pizza restaurant in Multan. (AFP) Pizza bytes! Pakistan enchanted by first robot waitresses Pakistan s first robot waitresses are serving up smiles for customers at an upscale pizza restaurant in the ancient city of Multan, better known for its centuries-old Sufi shrines, mango orchards and handicrafts. Rabia, Annie and Jennie greet customers and bring them their pies at Pizza.com, where owner Osama Jafari -- who built the prototypes himself -- says the response has been a surge of new This handout image obtained from the European Space Agency (ESA) on July 6, shows the ESA s Mercury spacecraft, the BepiColombo Stack configuration standing in position at a test facility in Spijkenisse. (AFP) Charles Discovery Brodeur Double-charmed new particle: European scientists said Thursday they have discovered a new subatomic particle containing a never-before-seen combination of quarks -- the most basic building blocks of matter. The particle, a baryon dubbed Xicc++, contains two heavy charm quarks and one up quark, and has about four times the mass of a more familiar baryon -- the proton. The particle is predicted in the Standard Model of particle physics, and its discovery was not a shock, said Matthew Charles of the LPNHE physics lab in Paris. He is one of about 800 scientists to attach their names to the discovery by the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) of the European Organisation for Nuclear Research (CERN). The collider is most famous for discovering the Higgs boson, which confers mass on matter. The new particle is the first seen with two such heavy quarks, said the team. There are six types of quark, with exotic names such as charm, strange and beauty. The charm, top and bottom quarks are the heaviest types. Quarks make up baryons such as protons and neutrons that comprise most of the mass in the known Universe. Baryons gather together in atoms, which form the molecules that constitute matter. (AFP) Reef off in danger list: UNESCO said Thursday its World Heritage Committee (WHC) had decided not to place the Great Barrier Reef on its list of sites in danger despite concern over coral bleaching. A WHC spokesperson said the business. We went to a lot of places, but my uncle said that in this restaurant a robot serves and when the robot served us pizza we felt very happy, customer Osama Ahmed, 12, told AFP. It is an innovation, another customer, Hamid Bashir said. It feels good to be served like that and it is a good entertainment for the children. Space Committee, which is meeting in Poland, had made the decision late Wednesday and expressed deep concern over two years of back-to-back mass coral bleaching which aerial surveys found had affected some two-thirds of the World Heritage-listed site. Handout picture released by the Peruvian national news service Andina on July 4, 2017 taken during a ceremony to unveil the Lady of Cao, the name given to the mummified body of a priestess of the Moche culture whose tomb was discovered more than a decade ago in La Libertad, in the coastal desert of Peru. Using high tech 3-D printing and based on the skull of an ancient mummy, scientists have reconstructed the face of a woman who governed in northern Peru 1,700 years ago. The woman s mummified remains were discovered at the Cao Viejo adobe pyramid in 2006 in the Chicama Valley, just north of the modern city of Trujillo. (AFP) Jafari said he was inspired by videos of robot waiters in China. The 24-yearold, who studied engineering at Islamabad s National University of Science and Technology, said he began working on a prototype with the support of his parents. The response that we got is actually tremendous. People are loving it. My friends, family members and all the local people here, he said. Jellyfish invasion stirs Egypt debate CAIRO, July 6, (AP): Swarms of jellyfish have descended on Egypt s northern coast, keeping vacationers out of the water and stirring debate over a recent expansion of the Suez Canal. The nomad jellyfish is native to the Indian Ocean and the Red Sea but has been turning up in the Mediterranean in growing numbers in recent years. Experts say they are coming through the Suez Canal, which was first built in It has been expanded on a number of occasions, most recently in 2015, through a multibillion-dollar project that the government touted as an historic achievement. Jafari said he sourced and fabricated all parts for the robots locally, building them for 600,000 rupees ($6,000). He is already working on the next generation, which he says will be more interactive, able to respond to customer s questions, and hopes to spread his robot staff to his family s other restaurant in the southern Pakistani city of Hyderabad. (AFP) SpaceX launches broadband sat for IntelSat Craft unveiled for Mercury mission THE HAGUE, July 6, (AFP): European and Japanese scientists Thursday proudly unveiled the BepiColombo spacecraft ahead of its seven-year journey to Mercury, to explore one of the Solar System s most enigmatic planets. Set for launch in 2018, BepiColombo will be the European Space Agency s (ESA) first mission to the closest rock to the Sun. The craft has an unusual design, comprising a stacked aircraft carrying two orbiters one European, the other Japanese which will separate on arrival to go into different, but complementary orbits around Mercury. BepiColombo aims to follow up on many of the intriguing results of NASA s Messenger mission, probing deeper into Mercury s mysteries than ever before, the ESA said. The joint project with the Japanese agency JAXA, which has cost more than 1.3 billion euros ($1.48 billion), involves some 33 companies from 12 EU nations, as well as firms from the US and Japan. It has been delayed several times, but the mission chiefs are now confident that it is on track to launch in October next year. Mercury is the most peculiar of all rocky planets, Alvaro Gimenez, ESA s director of science told reporters at the agency s centre in the Dutch coastal town of Noordwijk. Its surface is wracked by extreme temperatures, ranging from +450 to -180 degrees Celsius (+842 to -292 degrees Fahrenheit). It also has a magnetic field, the only rocky planet besides Earth to have one. But Mercury is so weak that the field does not provide a shield against solar radiation. SpaceX on Wednesday deployed a broadband communications satellite for IntelSat, after twice ditching launch plans in Mars surface more uninhabitable than thought, say research duo the final seconds before liftoff earlier this week. The satellite, known as IntelSat 35e, soared into the blue sky over Cape Canaveral at 7:38 pm (2338 GMT), riding a Falcon 9 rocket to a distant, geostationary orbit. The force required to send the payload PARIS, July 6, (AFP): Hopes of fi nding life on Mars, at least on the surface, were dealt a blow Thursday by a study revealing that salt minerals present on the Red Planet kill bacteria. In lab tests on Earth, the compounds known as perchlorates killed cultures of the bacteria Bacillus subtilis, a basic life form, a research duo from the University of Edinburgh s School of Physics and Astronomy reported. Perchlorates, stable at room temperature, become active at high heat. Mars is very cold. In the new study, Jennifer Wadsworth and Charles Cockell showed the compound can also be activated by UV light, without heat, in conditions mimicking those on the martian surface. It killed bacteria within minutes, said the team, implying the planet was more uninhabitable than previously thought. If we want to fi nd life on Mars, we have to take this into consideration and look at trying to fi nd sub-surface life that wouldn t be exposed to these conditions, Wadsworth told AFP. Perchlorates are natural and manmade on Earth, but are more abundant on Mars where they were fi rst recorded by NASA s Phoenix Lander in The fact that perchlorates killed B. subtilis in the presence of UV radiation did not necessarily mean that all other life forms would similarly die, said Wadsworth. Further tests would have to be done to confirm this. Perchlorates have previously been spotted in lines, thought to be brine streaks, on the surface of Mars. Their presence was presented as evidence by scientists in 2015 of liquid water on the Red Planet. But the new study said brine seeps, although they represent local regions of water availability, could be deleterious to cells if they contain perchlorates. The fi ndings do contain some good news. They mean that organic contaminants left on Mars by robotic exploration, of which B. subtilis is a common one, are unlikely to survive long. It is widely accepted that the Red Planet once hosted plentiful water in liquid form, and still has water today, albeit frozen in ice underground. to space meant SpaceX decided not to attempt to return the first stage of its Falcon 9 rocket for an upright landing. The California-based company now regularly lands the tall portion of the rocket back on Earth following launches, as part of its effort to make rocket parts reusable, like airplanes. The bleaching is the result of warming sea temperatures linked to climate change. In reaching its decision, the Committee noted Australian attempts to preserve the largest living structure on Earth under its Reef 2050 Plan and did not find it necessary to place the site on its danger list, spokeswoman Anika Paliszewska said, despite fears on whether conservation targets can be met.. (AFP) Strange sea creatures: Strange sea creatures that resemble large pink thimbles are showing up on the coast of southeast Alaska for the first time after making their way north along the West Coast for the last few years. Scientists say the creatures are pyrosomes, which are tropical, filter-feeding spineless creatures usually found along the equator. They appear to be one long pink tube, but in reality, they re thousands of multi-celled creatures mushed together, generally about 6 inches (15 centimeters) long. Pyrosomes have been working their way north, Ric Brodeur, a researcher with the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, told the Associated Press on Monday. (AP)

19 Film Cast makes even bit parts more than mere stereotype The Line an entertaining, fast-paced crime thriller By Alissa Simon Redolent of The Godfather and The Sopranos with a soupcon of Animal Kingdom and a welcome dose of black humor, The Line is an entertaining, fast-paced crime thriller set in the lawless borderlands of the Slovak Republic and Ukraine prior to Slovakia s accession to the European Union in Stories abound about criminal clans and a mob kingpin s struggle to balance nuclear family with The Family. But The Line leaps to the top of its genre class with muscular direction from Slovak helmer Peter Bebjak ( Apricot Island ); a genresavvy screenplay by Peter Balko; unusual locations spectacularly captured; a propulsive score; and impressive performances, in particular, a go-for-broke, extremely physical turn from Slovak theater and TV star Tomas Mastalir as the lead. Definitely a commercial prospect in its co-production countries, The Line could also pique niche business outside the region while placing Bebjak, Balko and Mastalir on international producers radar. The film s title refers not only to changing physical boundaries when Slovakia becomes part of the Schengen Area, its frontier with Ukraine ostensibly will be the most secure of the EU s external borders and fall under multiple levels of scrutiny but also to the moral lines that the chief Slovak protagonist, Adam (Mastalir), feels he must not cross in his efforts to keep his home and business lives separate. As the story begins, buff, imposing Adam, the head of a small cigarette-smuggling empire, faces challenges on both fronts. His sexy eldest daughter Lucia (Kristina Konatova) insists on marrying Ivor (Oleksandr Piskunov), the gentle, semi-clueless nephew of Adam s trusted lieutenant Jona (Eugen Libeznuk), a Ukrainian, against Adam s wishes. Meanwhile, some of Adam s gang have been co-opted by their cross-border supplier, the ruthless Ukrainian gangster Krull (Stanislav Boklan), to smuggle narcotics, a cargo Adam steadfastly refuses to transport. Connotations While playing with additional connotations of the title, Balko s smart, twisty screenplay continually brings more characters and complications into the mix. Jona s son is suffering in a Ukrainian prison, serving a four-year sentence for having participated in a protest rally against the government, and Jona needs big money in order to free him. The local police chief (veteran thesp Andy Hryc, the father of producer Wanda Adamik-Hrycova), foresees the eventual end to his turn-a-blind-eye payoffs and starts to pit Krull and Adam against one another to up the ante. And when a big operation goes wrong during Lucia and Ivor s raucous engagement party, Adam s mother Anna (Emilia Vasaryova, the grande dame of the Slovak cinema) shows what she s made of. Stir in a truckload of illegal Afghan immigrants running through the forested green border during an unexpected police raid, a gypsy family with an eye for opportunity, a ravine where bodies are suspended in the watery depths and a strategically located quarry, and you begin to get an idea of the film s kinetic, hyper-real style. After honing his helming skills on TV crime dramas and three prior features, director Bejbak displays a gleeful mastery of genre conventions and the building of suspense. His long experience as an actor (he essayed a crucial character in Jan Hrebejk s 2016 Karlovy Vary competitor The Teacher ) clearly shows in the way his cast makes even the bit parts more than mere stereotype. Some, including Mastalir and Hryc, even get to demonstrate their musical chops. Also praiseworthy is the way that Bejbak manages to interject notes of surrealism and black humor into the proceedings without upsetting the overall tone. A cleverly visualized, dialoguefree scene of Adam trying to recover a load of stolen cigarettes manages to be at once humorous and heart-rending. Technical credits are all top-notch, with special mention due to Martin Ziaran s energetic lensing and Marek Kralovsky s pacey cutting that neatly juggles multiple storylines. Slavo Solovic s high-octane, Balkaninflected score both propels and comments on the action. (RTRS) Variety Features FRIDAY-SATURDAY, JULY 7-8, 2017 LOS ANGELES: Godzilla animated feature film, Godzilla: Monster Planet was previewed in the Work in Progress section of the Annecy animation festival in June. Godzilla: Monster Planet is the first Godzilla animated feature film in the monster s 60-year history, and it will be released as a trilogy in Japan starting Nov 17. The Polygon Pictures-Toho Animation production will be available on Netflix worldwide. The screenplay is from Gen Urobuchi, writer of animated TV series including Peulla Magi Madoka Magica and Kamen Rider Gaim. The film is set in the future world of 2048 and the story revolves around human beings who take revenge after being pushed from Earth by monsters such as Godzilla. Godzilla: Monster Planet directors Koubun Shizuno and Hiroyuki Seshita, and executive producer, Yoshihiro Furusawa were on hand at Annecy. Shizuno was the executive producer of the animated TV series G.I. Joe: Sigma which was released in the states in Seshita directed Knights of Sidonia and Blam! (RTRS) LOS ANGELES: Despicable Me 3, the latest installment of the animated crime caper series, smashed the North American box office through the US holiday weekend, taking in nearly $100 million, industry figures showed Wednesday. The latest installment of the franchise that opened in theatres last Friday hauled in $99 million through the five-day weekend, according to industry tracker Exhibitor Relations. Steve Carell stars as the voice of despicable bad guy-turnedprotagonist Gru and his twin brother Dru in the Universal film. It also features Kristen Wiig as Gru s wife Lucy and South Park co-creator Trey Parker as Balthazar Bratt, a former child star and evil villain whose fashion sense is suck in the 80s. Debuting in second place was hotly anticipated heist thriller Baby Driver, with $30 million. Ansel Elgort ( The Fault in Our Stars ) stars as a gifted getaway driver who suffers from tinnitus ringing in his ears and has to play music on an ipod to concentrate when he is behind the wheel. (AFP) A model presents a creation for Fendi during the Fall/Winter Haute Couture collection in Paris on July 5. (AFP) See Page 21 LOS ANGELES: The box office has cleared for Spider-Man s return. Sony and Marvel Studios Spider-Man: Homecoming, presented by Columbia Pictures, looks like it could gross anywhere from $85 million to $110 million during its opening weekend, according to industry tracking. The studio is hedging its bets lower, at Film Guzman, Olmas to star in Windows on the World True heroism in City of Ghosts By Jake Coyle So-called heroes sling into action just about every weekend of the summer movie season, but if you want to see the genuine article, you ll have to make your way to City of Ghosts, Matthew Heineman s documentary about the Syrian citizen journalist collective of Raqqa. Raqqa, the provincial Eastern Syrian city on the banks of the Euphrates, has for the last three years been the de facto capital of the Islamic State. The city first drew militants in the uprising against Syrian president Bashar al-assad, but in the revolution s wake, IS set up camp. Black flags overran the city, as did beheadings, crucifixions and torture. It has been one of the most impossible places on Earth to practice daily life, let alone journalism. And yet it was here that one of the more inspiring tales of citizen reporting was born with Raqqa is Being Slaughtered Silently, or RBSS. They re a small group of mostly anonymous Raqqa residents who became activists, risking and sometimes losing their lives while reporting from the heart of IS darkness. Heineman, the director of the Oscar-nominated Cartel Land, has the good sense to let RBSS leaders tell their own story, making for a bracingly intimate, heartbreaking and ultimately stirring window into the tragedy of modern Syria. They are mostly young, previously unpolitical men who found the courage to resist when the Islamic State, or ISIS, began terrorizing their home city. They are armed with nothing more than a hashtag and a logo featuring a splash of blood, but RBSS became a vital resource for news inside Raqqa for media outlets around the world. We punctured a hole in the darkness, Abdul-Aziz al-hamza, the 25-year-old co-founder, narrates. For the media-savvy Islamic State, who made slickly produced videos of their atrocities their trademark recruitment tool, RBSS is more than a nuisance. It s a threat to its PR of savagery. Stealthily, the citizen reporters get out news, video and sometimes embarrassing details of IS on social media. The risk is extreme. One reporter named Moutaz is captured, tortured and shot in public. Other volunteers are assassinated. Their teacher, Naji Jerf, is hunted down on the streets in Turkey. Even their families are in danger. The cameraman Hamoud s father is taken and shot on video. In one of the film s most agonizing Wiig moments, Heineman films Hamoud watching the video. He is shaken but remains resolute in his cause. Several of the group s leaders flee to Germany and Turkey, but continue to report remotely via anonymous reporters and sources in Raqqa. Much of the footage shot by Heineman comes from his time in their European safe houses or being celebrated by the Committee to Protect Journalists with the 2015 Press Freedom Award. In this way, City of Ghosts narrows in scope just when it should expanding. Its second half is unable to keep pace with the wider story of IS, or to maintain its close-up of Raqaa. That s surely somewhat inevitable considering the prohibitive violence in the city. But Heineman, whose Cartel Land intrepidly plunged into vigilante groups along the US-Mexico border, appears more at home on the battlefield than distant from the action. Unforgettable Still, the heroism on display in City of Ghosts is unforgettable, and the film remains an ever-essential reminder of the high costs and vital necessity of journalism in this or any fight against evil. This week, the Kurdish-dominated Syrian Democratic Forces, backed by air strikes by the US-led coalition, breached the old city walls of Raqqa. There are growing hopes the Islamic State will soon be pushed out of its first stronghold. But, as RBSS and others has cautioned, civilian casualties have been high and the fighting goes on. City of Ghosts, an Amazon Studios release, is rated PG-13 by the Motion Picture Association of America for disturbing violent content, and for some language. Running time: 92 minutes. Three stars out of four. Also: LOS ANGELES: Ryan Guzman and Edward James Olmos are starring in the feature film Windows on the World, a father-son drama about the aftermath of 9/11, Variety has learned exclusively. Shooting will begin on July 10 in Mexico and New York City. Olmos son Michael D. Olmos will direct from a script by Robert Mailer Anderson and Zack Anderson. Robert Mailer Anderson and Vicangelo Bulluck are producing. Windows on the World will start in Mexico, where a man watches the news on Sept 11, 2001, with his family and travels to New York City to find his Nolan around $80 million. Either way, it should be a major launch for the third iteration of the character in the past 15 years. This time around Peter Parker is in high school. That s important because it means the movie is more family-friendly than past versions of the character, and most other superhero films, let alone blockbusters in general. Tom Holland father, who was working on the top floor of the Twin Towers. The Windows on the World venues were on the top floors of the North Tower. Guzman broke into the business in Step Up: Revolution and Step Up All In, then starred in The Boy Next Door with Jennifer Lopez, Jem and the Holograms, and in Richard Linklater s Everybody Wants Some. Edward James Olmos broke out in 1981 s Zoot Suit and 1982 s Blade Runner. He was nominated for a best actor Academy Award for Stand and Deliver and starred in the series Battlestar Galactica and Miami Vice. He is reprising his role as Gaff in the upcoming Blade Runner Michael D. Olmos has directing credits on Filly Brown, The Green Ghost, and Bedrooms. Bulluck is a longtime executive producer of the NAACP Image Awards. LONDON: The final film in the rebooted Planet of the Apes series will hit cinemas next week, promising an action-packed conclusion to a trilogy that has garnered both critical acclaim and box office receipts. War for the Planet of the Apes sees motion-capture performance specialist Andy Serkis return in his role as Caesar, leader of a super-intelligent band of apes who take on an army led by Woody Harrelson s ruthless colonel in a post-apocalyptic setting. Serkis said the conflict between apes and humans at the film s core was a warning against supremacist ideologies. If you think your species is better, if you think your type of people or your type of religion or anything that your set of beliefs is better than someone else s, then that is the road to ruin, he said. Serkis s on-screen antagonist Harrelson, who has experience in dystopian cinema from his role in the Hunger Games films, said that he had been a fan of the renewed series before being asked to appear in it. It was a privilege to be asked to do it. I don t think it s that I m drawn to that (dark sci-fi films), I m just drawn some things make sense. Some things you can t say no to. War follows on from Rise of the Planet of the Apes, and Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, and is to be the final instalment of this series, but not the end of the franchise altogether, said the film s director and co-writer Matt Reeves. (Agencies) slaps on the suit, after playing the character once before in Captain America: Civil War. Holland got his start in the West End, playing Billy Elliot s best friend Michael in the musical that would go on to sweep Broadway. (RTRS) LOS ANGELES: Dunkirk isn t landing at the box office for another few weekends, but according to early industry tracking, it could shoot up to $40 million. The World War II movie, from Warner Bros and director Christopher Nolan s own Syncopy Inc, looks to land in the $30 million to $40 million range if estimates are accurate. Those numbers come from outside industry tracking, not Warner Bros. (RTRS)

20 NEWS/FEATURES 20 People & Places Music West takes tidal to task At 70, John Prine is hippest songwriter NASHVILLE, Tenn, July 6, (Agencies): The first time a new country songwriter named Kacey Musgraves saw one of her songwriting heroes, John Prine, she had an unusual proposition when she approached. I said, Hey, my name is Kacey and I am a really big fan. I don t want to offend you or anything, but is there any way you might want to burn one with me? Musgraves recalled saying after one of his shows in Nashville, Tennessee. Musgraves, who would later go on to win two Grammy Awards for her 2013 major label debut album, was hoping to fulfill a fantasy of smoking a joint with Prine. It was also the premise of an unreleased song she had written that somehow ended up on Prine s desk. Prine, who has survived a couple of bouts of cancer, politely declined. He says, Well, I don t do that anymore, but if I did, I would with you, Musgraves, who is now 28, recalled. Prine This 70-year-old former mailman from Chicago is the hippest writer in Nashville and still in demand. Prine has become an affable songwriting guru for many of Nashville s talented young artists, including country rebel Sturgill Simpson, Americana darlings Jason Isbell and his wife, Amanda Shires, and rocker Dan Auerbach of the Black Keys. All those artists have lined up to open for Prine, when they are easily selling out their own venues as headliners. I have met some really great people in the last five years that it s easy to see that music in general is in good hands, Prine said in an interview from his office, which is decorated year round with Christmas lights and a white Christmas tree. Well-known Prine published his first book in April, a songbook called Beyond Words, which features guitar chords, family photos, handwritten or typed lyrics with his editing marks and witty musings alongside some of his most well-known songs, from Sam Stone, Angel from Montgomery, Paradise, and Hello in There. Prine s reinvigorated career came after neck cancer in the late 90s left him with a much lower and grittier voice. After his recovery, he just moved his songs to lower key. Some of my oldest songs that I used to perform every night became brand spanking new just because I changed the key, Prine said. He started his own record label Oh Boy in Nashville in the early 80s, which sold his CDs by direct mail to fans. He enjoys his independence from major labels, even if it has meant fewer sales. He says his only advice to young songwriters is don t give up their publishing rights in a record deal. I am not a big one for advice, Prine said. I will tell them stories about things I have failed at or places I have stumbled and hope they take it as a parable. And maybe apply it to themselves and maybe not. Auerbach and Prine wrote several songs together, including the title track for Auerbach s new solo album, Waiting On a Song. It was like having a conversation really, the 38-year-old singer said of writing with Prine. And I think for me, that s what John does so well with his music. It s not over your head. He uses simple language to convey big meaning. The Grammy-winner has taken on heavy topics including coal mining on Appalachia, the treatment of Vietnam veterans and the loneliness of growing old, and earned praises from Bob Dylan, Bonnie Raitt and Kris Kristofferson, who helped Prine get his first record deal. But he also likes to write with humor, as evidenced by another popular duet with Iris Dement In Spite of Ourselves, that contains some of his best one-liners about love and marriage. I think John is very youthful at heart, Musgraves said. He s a big kid. So naturally he gets along with people that are younger than him. But also he probably recognizes himself in a lot of the up-and-coming songwriters that respect him. Even a trip to the grocery store is an opportunity for aspiring writers to pitch him. I used to leave Kroger with cassettes in my pockets because people would drop CDs and cassettes because they want John Prine to hear it, Prine said. His last album in 2016 was a collection of classic country duets with artists like Musgraves, Alison Krauss and Miranda Lambert. He hasn t released an album of new songs in 12 years, but his wife and manager, Fiona, and his son, Jody, who runs his label, convinced him it was time again. He s going back in the studio in July to record new music and he s also been nominated for artist of the year at this year s Americana Honors and Awards show held in September. Also: LOS ANGELES: Kanye West s next release will not be a Tidal exclusive if tensions between the rapper and the Shawn Jay-Z Carter-owned streaming platform continue, but instead will stream everywhere. According to multiple sources, at the heart of the issue is money West s team claims Tidal owes him for marketing efforts, including video production, as well as a bonus for subscriber thresholds met as was agreed upon ahead of the release of West s February 2016 album, The Life of Pablo. (The service saw a reported 1.5 million-subscriber bump in the wake of the Pablo release.) As first reported by TMZ, and verified by Variety, West s attorneys have fired off letters demanding payment, which, so far, has not been honored. Notice has been given that considers the exclusivity deal terminated, says an insider familiar with the situation, who likens the amount owed believed to be $3 million to chump change when one considers the reported $200 million infusion Tidal recently got from Sprint for a third of the company. (Tidal, which was launched in March 2015 with a star-studded event in New York City, aims to obtain a billion-dollar valuation, and currently claims a $600 million valuation.) Indeed, it is that very partnership that has some of Tidal s artist-owners flummoxed. The Sprint capitalization is a major infusion, is just burning money? asks the source. Japanese actress Micari performs as Antigone during a rehearsal of the eponym play by Sophocle director Satoshi Miyagi on July 4, at the Cour d Honneur du Palais des Papes in Avignon, as part of the international theatre festival. (AFP) Indian Bollywood actress Shweta Khanduri (left), and Punjabi singer Babbu Maan pose for a photograph during a promotional event for Hindi music album Baarish Ke Baahane composed by DJ Sheizwood (right), in Mumbai on July 5. (AFP) Azalea Variety Scott LOS ANGELES: New music from Kesha is coming very soon. The singer was to release a song called Praying on Thursday (July 6), the singer announced on social media. The song was first teased via itunes and on pop radio stations late on Friday (June 30). The song was written with Ryan Lewis, of Macklemore and Ryan Lewis fame, two sources tell Variety. It is unclear whether the track will be released via RCA Records, her longtime label home, which is a subsidiary of Sony Music. The singer has been embroiled in a lawsuit with former producer and songwriting collaborator Dr Luke for the past three years. (RTRS) NEW YORK: Iggy Azalea and Azealia Banks two leading women in hip-hop who were embroiled in a bitter, racially tinged row have patched up with plans in the works for a collaboration. Azalea unveiled over social media that Banks will appear on a track of Digital Distortion, the 27-year-old Australian s upcoming second album, and said she wanted to move on from the feud. I don t expect you guys to understand why I would collaborate with someone who has publicly said they hope I die, Azalea wrote on Twitter Tuesday, saying she wanted to turn YEARS worth of negativity into a positive interaction. (AFP) LOS ANGELES: The upcoming film Blind, starring Alec Baldwin as a novelist who loses his sight in a car crash, has drawn criticism for casting an able-bodied actor as the blind lead. The Ruderman Family Foundation, a leading organiza- Music Music streaming keeps booming in US Dragons emerges after dark times NEW YORK, July 6, (Agencies): A weird thing happened when the four members of the alt-rock band Imagine Dragons sat down to listen to their new album all the way through. They actually liked it. This was the first record that I think after we created it and we listened to it, we all went, for the first time, Yes. This is Imagine Dragons and we re proud of this, said lead singer Dan Reynolds. That doesn t happen very often in this band, to be honest with you. The Las Vegas-based quartet, which likes to blend rock and hiphop, has always been its toughest critic, but on Evolve, band members had to learn to let go. They relied on producers for the first time Swedish duo Mattman & Robin, who won a Grammy for Taylor Swift s 1989, and Joel Little, who produced Lorde s Pure Heroine to shepherd the album all the way through. We knew as a band one of our biggest flaws was overproducing ourselves. We ve known it since the beginning and we ve had so many conversations as a band saying, How do we peel back? And we just couldn t do it until finally somebody walked into the room and slapped our head, Reynolds said. The new approach reflects a lot of changes behind the scenes at Imagine Dragons, now re-entering the spotlight after more than a year away as a happier maybe even sunnier band. The first single, Believer, is already a hit. The group ground away in obscurity for years even for sharing a bill with mimes until being signed by producer Alex da Kid and seeing massive success with the 2012 release of the hit Radioactive. Their second album, Smoke + Mirrors, sold more than 1 million copies but didn t reach the sales height of their debut, Night Visions. They spent seven years touring, a grueling schedule that took its toll. I think it kind of snuck up on us a little bit, to be honest. The change happened pretty fast. We were this tiny little band that struggled and struggled for so long and played any show we could I mean, we opened for mimes, for heaven s sake. And that was by far not our worst gig, said guitarist Wayne Sermon. By the time they blew up with a Grammy Award and arena tours band members feared the success would stop if they stopped. It was sort of unhealthy for us, so this year-break was amazing, said Sermon. I think it reflects in the music. I think the music is brighter. I think it s cleaner. I think more vibrant. The break was most appreciated by Reynolds, who has always been frank about his battles with depression. He was desperate to get home and reconnect with his 4-year-old daughter, his wife and friends. I was in a really just scattered, depressed headspace, and I think it just came from a sense of losing my sense of self almost to a degree and all the abrupt changes. I had dealt with depression when I was young, but it really took on a whole new level and it was kind of a full year, he said. I did a lot of self-work, read a lot of books, met with a lot of people who helped me find a healthier headspace and got to a really wonderful, colorful, good headspace, which has been just great. tion advocating for disability rights, spoke out against the film, accusing it of crip-face a comparison to blackface in This June 20, 2017 photo shows members of Imagine Dragons (from left), Brittany Tolman, Wayne Sermon, Dan Reynolds and Ben McKee in New York. (AP) To make Evolve, the band leaned on Alex da Kid and new collaborators like Joel Little and Mattman & Robin. Imagine Dragons turned to the duo for several songs chiefly because they were very opinionated and very minimalistic. Reynolds and Sermon recall working in the studio for hours, trying all kinds of song approaches, until one of the Swedish producers smiled or just nodded. They helped us see the weakness of what we d done and the strengths and try to make a more evolved version of what Imagine Dragons was sonically while also retaining the elements that made the band who they were, Reynolds said. Reynolds, whose wife recently gave birth to twins, also was freed up to push himself lyrically, turning for the first time to address love on songs like Walking the Wire and I ll Make It Up to You. Since I was in a healthy headspace for the first time in a long time, love was exciting to me and it wasn t cliched or corny. It was beautiful and interesting. So I found myself writing about love. After spending much of the summer on tour in Europe, the band returns for a fall swing through the United States. Life on the road may be a grind but they say the reward is the ultimate high of playing live. Cliff jumping isn t as exciting to me as the idea of going onstage and playing for people who got a baby sitter, fought traffic, paid extra for parking and showed up, said Sermon. Also: NEW YORK: The boom in streaming shows no signs of slowing down in the United States, with music consumption soaring nearly 10 percent so far this year, an analytical firm said Wednesday. BuzzAngle Music, in a report for the first half of 2017, said listeners in the world s biggest music market streamed an average of 10.8 billion songs each week, after never crossing the 10 billion point a year earlier. Audio streams were up 58.5 percent from the first half of In welcome news for the industry, a growing number of listeners paid for services such as Spotify, Apple Music and Tidal, with subscriptions now accounting for 78.6 percent of audio streams. Overall music consumption which includes streams, downloads and physical sales grew by 9.9 percent from the same period last year. That growth outpaced the 6.5 percent growth charted for the first half of The music industry has enjoyed several years of fast-growing revenue thanks to streaming which brings listeners unlimited, on-demand choices online after two decades of decline or stagnation. But while streaming s growth has boosted the bottom line for now, two other major formats are facing decline. Digital downloads on platforms such as itunes tumbled nearly 25 percent in the first half of 2017, while CD sales slipped 3.9 percent. Sales of vinyl which has seen a rebirth thanks to hardcore music fans jumped by more than 20 percent, although the historic format remains a sliver of the industry. having Baldwin portray the main role. The private philanthropic group is known for advocating on behalf of casting disabled actors. (RTRS) PHILADELPHIA: Philadelphia is Techno grandad Henry dies at 89 PARIS, July 6, (AFP): French electronic composer Pierre Henry whose music inspired the theme tune of the American animated television series Futurama has died at the age of 89, his assistant said Thursday. Known as the grandfather of techno, Henry s Psyche Rock riff was used in the Oscar-winning Costa-Gravas film Z (1969) and later remixed by British DJ Fat Boy Slim for the 2004 Lindsay Lohan film Mean Girls. French electronic music star Jean-Michel Jarre led the tributes to Henry, which he said had opened the way for his own music. welcoming back its favorite funnyman, Kevin Hart, for a birthday celebration and the unveiling of a giant mural of the comedian near his childhood home. The festivities Thursday morning was to include an official resolution dubbing July 6 Kevin Hart Day in the city. The mural will be displayed on Max s Steaks in north Philadelphia. Hart wrote on Instagram that he was blown away by the announcement.(ap) LONDON: Carol Lee Scott, the actress best-known for entertaining British children on television as the colorful TV witch Grotbags, has died. She was 74. The entertainer s death was confirmed by her niece Gina Mear on Twitter Wednesday : My dear aunty Carol lost her brave fight against cancer yesterday. Scott appeared on several children s television shows in the 1980s and 1990s. Her Grotbags character first appeared on Emu s World before Scott went to star as the character for three seasons on ITV s Grotbags. (AP)

21 Viktor and Rolph NEWS/FEATURES 21 Fendi Fashion PARIS: Kendall Jenner and Bella Hadid were employed with devastating effect by design Maestro Karl Lagerfeld to cap Paris Haute Couture Week in Fendi s dramatic color-infused fur collection. Exuberant Lagerfeld, 83, made light of the spectacle s theater venue by making not one bow but three. Here are some of Wednesday s fall-winter highlights. Fendi A shot-red forest decor in Paris exclusive Champs-Elysees theater led down to multicolored blooms. And a few yards on, sat the VIP guests, including filmmaker Sofia Coppola. Lagerfeld s collection for haute fourrure, or high fur, went technicolor this fall-winter season in mink and sable with three-dimensional floral and flower-shaped fur detailing cutting a fine style. A bright red poppy motif sheath was followed with a sienna coat with purple fur blooms. A turquoise cape dress sported oversize red fur flowers that turned, again, into poppies on the floppy ankle boots. Later, coats with strong necklines speckled with multi-color were echoed cleverly by fur coats, with real life speckled contrasts. Then came the stars. Model of the minute Hadid, 20, prowled out animalistically in a loose and floaty, blue floral jumpsuit with peek-a-boo sheer sections and slickedback hair. Jenner, 21, followed soon after in a black tulip-shaped mini dress, with cape that curved round like a flower petal. Previous Fendi Paris fur shows have seen animal activist protests but there was no disruption this year. Valentino Coppola also held court on the Valentino front row beside house-founder Valentino Garavani at his eponymous couture show in the opulent Hotel Salomon de Rothschild. The youthfullooking 46-yearold, who s still basking in the glory of her 2017 Cannes Best Director Award for The Beguiled, looked demure in a black Valentino sleeveless silk gown. Oscar-winning actress Brie Larson also attended the silken display, alongside actress Kristin Scott Thomas. Piccioli Color-blocking mixed with historic silken gowns and a small dash of star-power for Valentino. The recently-solo designer, Pierpaolo Piccioli, is going from strength to strength. The long, floor-sweeping organza gowns that evoke the Renaissance Valentino Above and below: Models display creations by Valentino, Jean Paul Gaultier, Fendi, Viktor and Rolph and Zuhair Murad during the Fall/Winter Haute Couture collection in Paris on July 5. (AFP) Valentino now a staple of the Rome-based couture house were all there in the Wednesday show s accomplished designs. Indeed, Italian painter Titian was even referenced in the program notes and could be felt in the silken hues of the collection that fused gentle whites, blues, reds and yellows. An intarsia velvet plisse dress, which Fendi took 960 hours to make, had blown-up baroque motifs. But Piccioli mixed it up this season. Graphic shapes were produced with Jean Paul Gaultier some stylish color-blocking on gowns. One billowing cape in cerulean blue velvet sported a contrasting under garment with white sporty zip up collar. Jean Paul Gaultier Elie Saab Perhaps anticipating this month s new Game of Thrones season, Lebanese designer Elie Saab went in search of the warrior queen for his medievaltinged couture collection. Queenly golden head band crowns, Rosary-style hand ornaments, and heavy Romanesque necklaces adorned models with tousled hair parted in the center. The gowns, too, harked to a bygone era. The signature Saab silhouette floor length and cinched-waisted Valentino PARIS Jean Paul Gaultier Zuhair Murad was given an historic twist with the display s thick velvets, bands of fur, and intricate golden brocades. One archetypal medieval gown in deep ultramarine velvet had structured straps diagonally across the bust, leading the eye down to floor length slit sleeves styles worn by queens in court. A billowing cloak that faded from gray to blue was fastened by a large fairytale black velvet bow. There were great small details such as a structured peplum bodice that looked hard, yet was rendered soft by the velvet texture. Actress Rossy de Palma and socialite Olivia de Palermo applauded in delight. Jean Paul Gaultier Coco Rocha In 2007, Coca Rocha s stunned guests at Jean Paul Gaultier as the then 18-yearold Canadian model opened the show with a dramatic traditional Irish step jig that she danced all the way down the runway. Ten years later, Rocha stunned again. This time the 28-year-old who s still at the top of her game capped the snow-themed show from the French designer by cycling down the podium in a strange white, fluffy tricycle carriage in gold leggings. Guests applauded and cheered as the soundtrack boomed out a French version of Frozen s Let it Go. It s never just another runway show exclaimed the model from her Twitter account. Gaultier The ever-unpredictable couturier Jean Paul Gaultier lived up to his reputation Wednesday in a humorous couture treat for guests who included France s Former First Lady Carla Bruni. (AP)

22 22 Hive inspired by Women s March US architect creates paper forest inside museum WASHINGTON, July 6, (AFP): Jeanne Gang has dedicated her life to using architecture and design to connect people of various backgrounds who otherwise would not interact. So when the architect noticed how difficult it was to hear someone standing just 10 feet (three meters) away in the Great Hall of Washington s cavernous National Building Museum, she set about tackling how to change this feeling of being out in the open in a giant agricultural field. Her answer: building three tall, interconnected domed structures using more than 2,500 interlocking wound paper tubes that are lightweight, recyclable and renewable. Simultaneously monumental and intimate, the domes transform light and sound while also encouraging social interaction. Inside the two smaller domes, visitors are invited to play instruments made of commonplace construction materials like copper pipes, wrenches and drainage pipes. This would be similar to standing in a clearing in a forest where you can have a conversation, make music, and you would be able to hear the things around you, Gang told AFP. Jeanne Gang poses with the Studio Gang s Hive, made of over 2,700 wound paper tubes, in the Great Hall of the National Building Museum on July 3, in Washington, DC. The installation, dubbed Hive, opened Thursday and runs through September 4. Gang, a MacArthur genius fellow and French legion of honor recipient who presented a translucent marble curtain here in 2003, heads the architecture and urban design collective Studio Gang. It has been acclaimed for its innovative work on projects like the Aqua Tower in Chicago or the Taipei Pop Music Center. It s also one of two finalists in a competition to redesign the Tour Montparnasse skyscraper in Paris, which Gang says aims to bring community but still preserve this monumentality. Hive s paper tubes are a brilliant silver on the outside, contrasting with the museum s bronze and rust 19th century interior, and magenta on the inside, a color Gang said was inspired by the hats worn by protesters at the Women s March on Washington after President Donald Trump took office in January. We wanted to make a relationship to this historic structure but also be very contemporary about current events and what s going on in our country right now, Gang said. The magenta is about people coming together. So our hopes for these two months while this is up is that people from different backgrounds will intersect. And there s something about the round plan that focuses people inward toward each other. Gang is also concerned about growing polarization in the United States. We really need to speak to each other, and maybe architecture can help shape that or set the stage for that. That s my hope and my dream, she said. Hive s largest dome measures some 60 feet (18 meters) tall, with an oculus of over 10 feet in diameter opening onto the ceiling. The domes are similar to the vaulted structure of cathedrals or ancient arches designed to bear their own weight. Because such a structure had never really been done before, it was necessary to test the tubes until failure. Gang had the Carleton Laboratory at Columbia University perform a crush test on the tubes to measure compressive strength. In fact, the design is so complex that the exhibit had to be delayed by two days as workers placed the last pieces on top of the largest dome, like the keystone of a masonry arch. Destinations In this April 11, 2017 file photo, snow-covered Mount Etna, Europe s most active volcano spews lava during an eruption seen from the Sicilian village of Pozzillo, Italy. (AP) By Siobhan Starrs Sicily sits at the toe of Italy s boot, just 2 miles (3.2 kilometers) from the mainland, at its closest point, and a short ferry ride from the town of Messina. But our gateway to Sicily was on the other side of the island, flying into the capital Palermo. We have holidayed in Italy before, but now with my partner and our 6-year-old daughter Kitty in tow, and two weeks at our disposal, we were ready for a road trip. Sicily s size, culture, food and weather make it an enticing destination. Located in the Mediterranean, Sicily has been of strategic importance from ancient times. The Greeks, Carthaginians, Romans, Saracens and Normans are just a few of the civilizations that invaded, each leaving their mark. A rainy day led us to Palermo s Royal Palace. Construction began in the ninth century during the Arab era, and it was later expanded by the Normans, invaders from northern France, who assimilated designs of the Islamic and Byzantine courts that preceded them. Sicily s Arab-Norman architecture is on UNESCO s World Heritage List. The jewel of the Royal Palace is the Palatine Chapel built in Byzantine style Explore city s history through its architecture A road trip thru Sicily a trip across centuries 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: with lavish golden mosaics of saints, Arabic patterns and a wooden muqarnas-style ceiling a type of ornamented vaulting often associated with Islamic domes. Battles Sicily s Opera dei Pupi, which dates to the 19th century, features wooden puppets in tales of medieval chivalry and battles. Some of the opera s puppets, and others from around the world, are on display at the International Museum of Marionettes. An in-house show stars Orlando, a medieval knight who must rescue his beloved Angelica from a legion of Saracens. Parents, be warned: It is a rather violent plot (though our daughter loved it), with the hero slaying dozens of marionettes, which ended up in heap on the tiny stage. Some lost their heads, one lost its face. A few days later we were sitting on the terrace of our hotel in Taormina, on the island s northeast coast, enjoying the sunshine, when Mount Etna, Europe s tallest active volcano, emerged from behind clouds and appeared to float, emitting two white plumes from its snow-covered summit. Taormina is Sicily s plushest resort, more Capri than Naples, with an ambiance that recalls La Dolce Vita. Audrey Hepburn, 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/ Latest Indian Embassy notice: Indian nationals Ingrid Bergman, Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor are just a few of the famous names who have stayed here. The resort s main attractions are the ancient Greek theater and a cable car that takes you down to a rocky promontory called Isola Bella. Our quest to circumnavigate the island led us next to Syracuse on Sicily s south eastern corner. We stayed in Orytiga (Ortigia), a small island which was once the historic center of the city, connected to the mainland by two bridges. Rebuilt Syracuse s main cathedral, il Duomo, is built on the site of a Greek temple. The original Greek columns, which can still be seen, were incorporated into a church in This April 14, 2017 photo shows the Temple of Concordia in the Valley of the Temples in Agrigento, Sicily, Italy. (AFP) are issued Emergency Certificates (EC) to facilitate their one-way travel to India due to urgency or deportation, under the circumstances of loss of passport or non-retrieval of passport from their sponsors in Kuwait. Since it is illegal to hold two travel documents in India at the seventh century. A massive earthquake in 1693 devastated much of the region and many towns were rebuilt in a late baroque style, which became known as Sicilian Baroque. Syracuse s Duomo is a good example and we also visited the nearby town of Noto, also famous for baroque buildings. Even if you re not a fan of the opulent style, it s fascinating how Sicily s history can be explored through its architecture. In the middle of the island s southern coast, a road leads to the Valley of the Temples near Agrigento, an ancient Greek and UNESCO World Heritage site with seven temples dating to the sixth century B.C. We visited two, the Temple of Juno (also known as Temple of Hera) and the Temple of Concordia. Concordia, which was eventually turned into a church, is considered one of the world s finest surviving examples of a Greek temple. Our road trip through Sicily had taken us across the island and through history. But a winged bronze figure lying languidly outside the temple dozed in the sun as it has for centuries, oblivious to the stream of picture-taking tourists and to the passage of time. (AP) If You Go... Sicily: the same time, the concerned passport has to be cancelled before an Emergency Certificate (EC) is issued to an Indian national. At times, Indian nationals who are either detained or due for deportation may not have their passports with them. They apply for travel documents (Emergency Certificate) either directly or through Kuwait Police. In such cases, ECs are issued to them after cancelling their passports. However, in certain cases, they recover their passports later and travel on those passports which already stand cancelled in data available with immigration authorities in India. These passports are immediately seized by Immigration authorities in India. This results in much harassment and inconvenience to these Indian travelers, whose passports are seized. They are also liable to pay penalties as per the law. Indian Embassy advises all Indian nationals that if an EC is issued to anyone of them, that implies that his/her passport has been cancelled and that he/she should travel only on the EC issued to him/her. Chess coaching, round robin: Registrations are open for chess coaching and the summer 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. 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: 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: General 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! 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 Continued on Page 23

23 23 Maum suggests we put down our digital screens in Touch Interstellar virus makes trouble in new sci-fi novel By Carla K. Johnson he Space Between the Stars T(Berkley), by Anne Corlett Jamie Allenby, veterinary scientist on the planet Soltaire, has a lot on her mind in The Space Between the Stars, a debut novel by Anne Corlett. She s not sure if she misses Daniel, her lover of 13 years. His last known address was on another planet. When they separated, she told him she needed space. Now she has more space than she bargained for because she may be the only survivor of an interstellar supervirus. Finding other survivors is Jamie s first concern. Then she needs to get to Earth. Jamie and Daniel once promised to meet on the Northumberland coast of England in the event of an apocalypse. She must fulfill that pledge. But she s reluctant. Daniel wasn t all that great. Jamie ponders her relationship troubles with Daniel when more pressing problems need to be solved. Like finding food, staying warm, rebuilding a culture. No, it s Daniel who is on her mind. Daniel. His name in a single-word sentence plunks again and again. Daniel. This becomes tedious. Fortunately, Jamie isn t the only survivor so other characters provide relief from her Daniel obsession. She makes her way to a spaceport. She and the others hitch a ride on a spaceship. They make another stop and find someone unexpected. Daniel. In all his plunking glory. Corlett sets up a hero s journey narrative so at this point Jamie, our hero, is tempted to abandon her quest. After all, she s found Daniel, not on Earth, but on another planet called Alegria. Why go on? That isn t sufficiently answered, but it s a hero s journey, so she must get to Earth. She must go on. She must gain wisdom and mastery. In sci-fi, the science doesn t need to be fully spelled out or even plausible, This cover image released by Berkley shows The Space Between The Stars a novel by Anne Corlett. (AP) but some of the fun is missing when it lacks this much substance. Corlett has spaceships travel magically between worlds without explanation except that this is the distant future. The supervirus turns victims to dust. We learn that colonization of other worlds involved forced emigration and that authorities applied travel IDs onto people s ring fingers with lasers. We don t learn much, however, about how that history played out or how it affects Jamie. In short, The Space Between the Stars disappoints. As a beach read, it s too easy to put down in favor of a nap in the sun. Touch (G.P. Putnam s Sons), by Courtney Maum We live in a generation where we view the world through a screen. Most of our professional and social lives are dominated by a laptop, smartphone, digital tablet, or high-definition television. In her novel Touch, Courtney Maum considers a time in the not-so-distance future where communicating through Wi-Fi and Bluetooth takes a backseat to the physical need for human contact. Sloane Jacobsen is the reason people swipe. She forecast the digital wave of non-stop communication well before the world caught on. As a global trendsetter, a wide array of companies often hire Sloane to help them navigate the next big thing. Whether it s fashion, lifestyle, or gadgets, Sloane s curious premonitions help her to correctly target which direction the market is going to swing. When Sloane predicts that having children will soon be considered an indulgence, global tech giant Mammoth hires her to help market their products to a childless community. Sloane attacks the project from all angles with several in-house brainstorming sessions. She even implements an anonymous idea box. Sloane soon realizes that even though employees appear to be enthusiastic about technology, many long for something more personal. Something as simple as a hug. She must make a decision. Will her boss be angry at her sudden flipped strategy that forecasts the merchandise his company produces will be trumped by compassion? To make matters worse, Sloane s boyfriend, who was also hired by her boss, is about to publish an op-ed piece directly contradicting her informal findings. Which direction will the campaign go? Touch is an interesting take on what life would be like if we just put down our phones and stepped away from the computer. Maum reminds us to not forget about those who are living and breathing right around us. Because a loving hug, tight squeeze, or simple touch is so much more fulfilling than a text. (AP) Events A flyer of the event. A flyer of the event. A flyer of the event. click General Continued from Page 22 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 Continued on Page 24

24 24 Gardening Animals It contributes to the cultural life of the area Rare, unusual plant sale a draw for Nova Scotia town By Kim Cook They re lined up three deep after lunch, eagerly awaiting the 1 o clock opening. A bright yellow rope barrier holds everyone back. An outdoor concert? Black Friday at Walmart? No these folks are at the Annapolis Royal Farmer s Market for the Atlantic Canada Rare and Unusual Plant Sale. Nova Scotia is full of keen gardeners, and the late-spring sale has come to mark the unofficial start to gardening season here. Now in its eighth year, the sale was started by horticulturalist Jill Covill, who runs Bunchberry Nurseries just outside town. She spearheaded a community magnolia tree planting project 20 years ago, with 30 different cultivars and over 100 trees, turning Annapolis Royal into a magnolia capital. We were getting lots of high-season and early-fall visitors, but we wanted to draw In this May 21, 2017 photo, many interesting ferns are on offer at the Atlantic Canada Rare & Unusual Plant Sale in Annapolis Royal, Nova Scotia. (AP) people here in the shoulder season, Covill says. Nestled beside the Annapolis River and Bay of Fundy waters, the valley town is protected from the fiercest Atlantic weather by a gently ridged mountain. Locals refer to the area, which lies in USDA hardiness zone 5A, as the province s banana belt ; its relatively extended warm, sunny and robust growing season attracts many green thumbs. Rare plant sales are popular in many places where conditions make for avid gardening. The Atlantic Canada sale focuses on unusual flora. About 20 vendors now take part, and hundreds of people attend, from as far away as Ontario. It s now an integral part of the spring season in Annapolis Royal, says Jane Nicholson, who owns an interior decor store in town and is a long-time member of the local business council. It contributes immeasurably to the business and cultural life of the area. This year, on a cool but sunny Sunday in late May, Peter Davies, the town crier charged with announcing pretty much anything official, was in his bright red, yellow and black period costume. He grandly called the sale open with a countdown. Soon, the booths were buzzing with customers. Jean Smith clutched a Japanese maple, its slender, fountain-like leaves evocative of the harp strings for which the tree is named: Koto no Ito. Friends expressed their admiration for her find. There was much exclaiming over discoveries. Oh nice, what s that, Heather?! Marsh marigold! Wow, that s beautiful, Jim! Thanks, it s a Troat s Dwarf Birch! Marcia Field, wearing a periwinkle sweater and straw hat, toted a vibrant dwarf yellow yew that caught the sunshine. I have a gorgeous deep blue ceramic pot at home; I think it s going to look wonderful, she beamed. Iain Jack, owner of Fernwood Nursery in nearby Hubbards, displayed an elegant Lady in Red fern with red-violet stems, and an eared lady fern that transitions from chartreuse to deep green. Both generated lots of interest, as did a few pots of frothy green leaves on ebony stems Himalayan maidenhair ferns, with new fronds emerging in a bronze-pink hue. Ken Shannik of Insigne Gardens in Halifax sold out of his pink bloodroot early. Other folks strode off with rare yellow peonies and garnet red ones. Japanese mayapple was popular; deer don t like it, so it s good for country gardens. There were tables full of succulents and alpine plants. Dave Veinotte of Reo Nursery in Mahone Bay showed a rare Greenwood Lakes dwarf hemlock 12 years old, a diminutive tree prized by bonsai collectors. (AP) This handout photo from the World Animal Protection taken on Dec 1, 2016 and released on July 5, 2017 shows an elephant performing during a show for tourists in Thailand. (AFP) Thailand leads the pack for abused tourist animals Asia s performing elephants treated harshly BANGKOK, July 6, (Agencies): An animal protection group wants tourists to know that elephant you are thinking about riding during your vacation in Thailand is probably a miserable victim of abuse. London-based World Animal Protection looked at almost 3,000 elephants working at entertainment venues in six Asian nations and found three out of four of the animals are living in poor and unacceptable conditions. It cited being chained day and night when not working, receiving inadequate diets and unsatisfactory veterinary care, as well as undergoing harsh initial training, that breaks their spirits and makes them submissive enough to give rides and perform. The group wants tourists to be aware and counsels tour agencies to shun abusive venues, among other measures. It says it has already convinced more than 160 travel companies to stop sales and promotion of venues offering elephant rides and shows. The report the group released Thursday is part of a broader campaign by World Animal Protection, which has also sought to expose the living conditions of other animals used to entertain, including tigers, macaques and bears. If you can ride, hug or interact with wild animals, chances are there s cruelty involved, said Dr Jan Schmidt-Burbach, WAP s global wildlife and veterinary adviser and author of the elephant report. click General Continued from Page 23 at ugandansinkuwait@gmail.com. We hope to hear from you soon. ASSE Kuwait elects officers: American Society of Safety Engineers, Kuwait Chapter in line with its by-laws conducted the annual elections for the elect positions (President, Wildlife tourist attractions, including wildlife entertainment, have become increasing popular and hence profitable, meaning the industry is likely to expand, the report warned. The cruel trend of elephants used for rides and shows is growing, said Schmidt-Burbach. We want tourists to know that many of these elephants are taken from their mothers as babies, forced to endure harsh training and suffer poor living conditions throughout their life. Attractions The group identified venues by looking at travel guidebooks and similar resources and by visiting tourist areas most likely to offer elephant attractions. It then sent researchers to each venue at least once to document the animals situations. It found only 194 elephants at 13 venues to be living in acceptable conditions, the major criteria being that the animals do not perform and are not ridden by people. The elephants walked free during most of the day, were able to socialize with other elephants and were fed on natural vegetation at most of these venues, the report said. Tourists visiting these venues would observe elephants behaving naturally and direct interaction between visitors and elephants was usually prohibited or limited. The report surveyed elephants in Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Nepal, Sri Lanka and India, but identified Thailand as the home of threequarters of all elephants kept in captivity for Vice President, Secretary & Treasurer) for the term Following are the results of the chapter elections. President Mr. Muhammed Alamgir, CSP, CMIOSH; Vice President Aamir Rasheed, CMIOSH; Secretary Sunil Sadanandan; Treasurer Jahid Thakor. Muhammed Aamir entertainment purposes. Thailand s first animal cruelty law took effect in December 2015, carrying up to two years in prison for torturing animals. But elephants are not covered by that law nor by a separate one on wild animals. Elephants used in shows are considered a means of transportation said Thiradech Palasuwan, an officer of the Thai government s Wildlife Conservative Office. They belong to elephant camps and are not under the supervision of the department. Elephant camps do not need permission to use elephants for shows. This is an area where there are no regulations yet. The approach is an apparent legacy of what used to be the main work of elephants in captivity, to haul timber. Some elephant lovers remain optimistic. Soraida Salwala, founder and secretary general of Friends of the Asian Elephant Foundation, said the known number of cases of mistreated elephants has been declining, particularly this year. I want Thais and foreigners to be aware that we (the government and private agencies) are working on improving the welfare of elephants, she said. Twice as many elephants work in Thailand s tourism industry as the rest of Asia combined, with the vast majority kept in severely inadequate conditions, the report revealed. The world s largest land mammal is a huge draw for tourists across two continents. But These elect members will work in close coordination with present Executive Committee and take over effective from 1st July This process is being adopted in the Chapter since the year 2004 to ensure smooth transition to the Chapter year provides some sort of Sunil Jahid while Africa s elephants are more likely to be spotted roaming vast nature reserves, their Asian cousins are less fortunate. A multi-million dollar industry has flourished in recent decades with tourists taking rides on the giant beasts or watching them perform in circus shows. Survey Researchers from World Animal Protection spent two years visiting 220 venues using elephants across Asia, in what they describe as the most comprehensive survey to date of a rapidly growing, lucrative, but poorly regulated industry. Their data showed pachyderm welfare routinely came in second place to turning a fast profit, with three-quarters of Asia s captive elephants kept in conditions that were rated poor or unacceptable. Thailand stood out as the global epicentre. Of the 2,923 elephants WAP documented working within Asia s tourism trade, 2,198 were found in Thailand alone. The next largest industry was India, with an estimated 617 elephants, followed by Sri Lanka on 166, Nepal on 147, Laos on 59 and Cambodia with just 36. All the venues visited, which researchers said represented 90 percent of the industry, were rated on a scale of 1-10 in terms of conditions with 77 percent scoring between just one to five what researchers classified as poor or unacceptable. understanding of Chapter operations for the incoming Committee. ASSE Kuwait Chapter congratulates the newly elected members. For more information on the chapter activities please visit 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 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 Experience Science for Adults: Registration is now open for Experience Science for Adults. Why should kids have all the fun?! The five week programme will be held on Saturday from 10:00 am-11:30 am at the Yarmouk Cultural Centre. Registration is limited to 16. You may register at either the Amricani Cultural Centre, Sunday to Thursday 10:00-3:00 or the Yarmouk Cultural Centre, Sunday to Thursday 10:00-6:00. For more information, please education@darmuseum.org.kw IMA summer classes: Indian Muslim Association (IMA) announces its much awaited Summer Islamic classes this year immediately after Eid ul Fitr. The classes were launched in 1994 when it was widely felt by the parents that there was a need to impart fuller knowledge to students when compared to that imparted in their regular schools This year IMA (Indian Muslim Association, Kuwait) with the coordination of IPC, opens the doors of its well-known 2-month long, Summer Islamic Classes program to students in Kuwait from LKG up to 12th standard. Offering a syllabus with a wide range of Islamic subjects such as Quran reading/understanding/memorization, Prophet s Life and Day to day Jurisprudence. Apart from this, teachers work on Personality Development of the students and also engage them in various activities including field visits. Competitions are held on Islamic Quiz, Recitation of Quran and Elocution Date: July 1 to Aug 24; Timings: 4:00 to 6:30 pm; Venue: Indian Community School, Junior Branch; Salmiya, Kuwait. TIES Center events: TIES Center announces following events Tajweed and Recitation: Learn and practice the art of reciting the Holy Quran (tajweed). The instructor will also answer questions related to the meaning of the Arabic words and verses. Every Sunday & 10 11:30am; every 5-6:30pm. The TIES Center is the social and educational hub for English Speaking expats in Kuwait. For more information, please call or info@tiescenter.net or visit www. tiescenter.net. 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 Continued on Page 25

25 25 Culture Paris sounding alarm, seeking donations Hunchback s dream: returning Notre Dame to glory PARIS, July 6, (AFP): Victor Hugo would be appalled to see the ravages inflicted by time, pollution and weather on his beloved Notre Dame, the soaring cathedral that adorns the heart of Paris. The celebrated French novelist wrote The Hunchback of Notre Dame, published in 1831, largely to draw attention to the glories of Gothic architecture, which in his day was often neglected or disfigured by modern additions. With its twin towers, stained-glass windows, gargoyles and flying buttresses a colossal achievement that took more than a century to complete the cathedral is a UNESCO World Heritage site that draws between 12 and 14 million visitors each year. Though the French government currently spends two million euros ($2.3 million) a year for maintenance work, the conservation to-do list is growing long. Gargoyles that have lost their heads have been fixed up with unsightly plastic tubes for water drainage. Elsewhere, an entire stone balustrade is missing, replaced by click General Continued from Page 24 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 plywood; a pinnacle has crumbled and a stained-glass window s frame is in a sorry state of repair. Decorative details that have fallen away from flying buttresses have been set aside for safekeeping. The central lead-clad wooden spire, which rises 93 metres (300 feet) above the cathedral roof and weighs 250 tonnes, is also in need of costly restoration. The lead, meant to protect the spire from the elements, is wearing thin, noted government conservationist Marie-Helene Didier. Paris is sounding the alarm, seeking donations notably from US patrons to help pay for the work, pledging to match up to four million euros donated to a heritage fund. Through the Friends of Notre-Dame de Paris group, Paris Roman Catholic diocese is reaching out to Americans who have a culture of giving and are very attached to this monument, Andre Finot, a spokesman for the cathedral, said. Finot, who knows Notre Dame s every nook and cranny, is leading the funding drive. This file photograph taken on June 28, 2017 shows the interior of Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris, which is in need of large scale restoration. (AFP) It s really urgent, he told AFP, during a tour of the devastation caused by air pollution and acid rain. You realise that (state funds) are not enough. By his estimate, the bill could come to at least 150 million euros over 30 years. Notre Dame won some US star power in September 2014 when pop idol Beyonce and her rapper husband Jay Z and daughter Blue Ivy, then two, enjoyed a private tour of the monument. American tourists are particularly enthralled by Hugo s Quasimodo and other characters in The Hunchback of Notre Dame, immortalised in myriad films, plays and musicals. We are not in a situation of danger, we still manage to handle the most urgent needs, said Didier. But private donations would allow us to speed up the work. While France is spreading the net wide in search of contributions, we will still be appealing to the French, Finot said. They should be conscious of the incredible heritage they have. 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-a-side 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 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 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: 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) Embassies 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 HEBRON, Palestinian Territories, July 6, (AFP): The United Nations cultural arm will decide whether to declare the Old City of Hebron a protected zone this week, the latest Israeli-Palestinian spat at the international body. Hebron in the occupied West Bank is home to more than 200,000 Palestinians and a few hundred Israeli settlers, who live in a heavily fortified enclave near the site known to Muslims as the Ibrahimi Mosque and to Jews as the Tomb of the Patriarchs. UNESCO s World Heritage Committee is expected to vote Friday on a resolution brought by the Palestinians declaring Hebron s Old City, including where the settlers live, an area of outstanding universal value. The resolution was fast-tracked on the basis that the site was under threat, with the Palestinians accusing Israel of an alarming number of violations, including vandalism and damage to properties. On Tuesday in a separate vote, the heritage committee backed a resolution condemning Israeli actions in Jerusalem, sparking Israeli anger. Israel says the Hebron resolution which refers to the city as Islamic denies thousands of years of Jewish connection there. Hebron claims to be one of the oldest cities in the world, dating from the chalcolithic period or more than 3,000 years BC, the UNESCO resolution said. At various times it has been conquered by Romans, Jews, Crusaders and Mamluks. If the resolution passes it would be seen as a victory for Palestinian diplomacy and would be cited by Israel as a fresh example of what it alleges is the UN s inherent anti-israel bias. In May the Jewish state reacted furiously after UNESCO passed a separate resolution Palestinian children play with a ball outside their house in the old town of the divided West Bank city of Hebron on June 29. (AFP) UNESCO to decide whether to declare site protected zone Palestinians, Israelis square off on UNESCO vote on Hebron 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 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 org/eng/). Application with non-compliant on Jerusalem, and has recently prevented UNESCO researchers from visiting Hebron. The vote, which requires a two-thirds majority of those 21 countries that vote either in favour or against, is likely to be close, with both sides expressing quiet confidence. Fake On Tuesday the heritage committee backed the Jerusalem resolution 10 to three, with eight abstentions a couple of switched votes would have tipped the balance. The US envoy to the United Nations, Nikki Haley, voiced support for Israel s attempts to block the Hebron resolution. Alaa Shahin, from the Palestinian Hebron municipality, said UNESCO designation would help in marketing (the city) as an important global location which will support the tourism sector. The second thing is that we ll have a legal body at an international level that will help our efforts to stop any attempts to destroy it. Israeli foreign ministry spokesman Emmanuel Nahshon told AFP the Palestinian plan was fake news. They are trying to rewrite Jewish history and the history of the region, he said. Nahshon accused the Palestinian Authority of seeking to pretend that the Tomb of the Patriarchs is actually part of the Palestinian national heritage. Shahin said they focussed only on cultural heritage. Hebron itself is a stark example of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The few hundred Israelis live closed off in a settlement most of the world considers illegal, with Palestinians largely banned from entering and using nearby streets. The settlers moved in after the 1967 war in which Israel seized the territory in a move considered illegal by the United Nations. Elderly Palestinians smoke cigarettes in a cafe in the old town of the divided West Bank city of Hebron on June 29. (AFP) photos will not be processed. Thank you for your attention and cooperation. Indian Embassy notice: India has further There had been a Jewish community there decades earlier, but they were forced out by attacks in British Mandatory Palestine. Impossible They are now protected by hundreds of Israeli soldiers, with Palestinians saying the settlement makes their lives impossible. At the centre of the row is the Ibrahimi Mosque/Tomb of the Patriarchs compound, holy to both Jews and Muslims. Old Testament figures including Abraham are believed to be buried there. In 1994, Israeli-American Baruch Goldstein opened fire on Muslims praying at the site, killing 29, before being beaten to death by survivors. Inside Hebron s Old City, the stalls in the traditional souq are largely empty and in places wire mesh above the shops is choked by empty plastic bottles and other trash. The mesh was installed to prevent the settlers living above from dropping rubbish onto the Palestinian stall holders, traders said. Three traders AFP spoke to all said the UNESCO vote was unlikely to change facts on the ground. It is empty talk, shopkeeper Jamal Muragh told AFP, saying the Israeli government would not pay attention to the resolution. If they want to ignore things, they do. Faye Abu Afifih, whose tiny shop sells brooms, cloths and other household goods, said dozens of shops had closed in recent years due to the Israeli occupation. While he accepted the resolution was unlikely to change his reality, it was still symbolically important for him. It is a message to all the world that (the Ibrahimi Mosque) is Islamic only, and that is important. ness 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 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: liberalized grant of visas to nationals of USA, Canada and Japan. 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) Busi- Continued on Page 26

26 26 Products and services are flexible and region s best KFH-Bahrain Wealth Management Dept cites positive performance KUWAIT CITY, July 6: After more than a year since its inauguration, Kuwait Finance House- Bahrain KFH-Bahrain s Wealth Management Department has celebrated a new achievement and witnessed consistent growth and a surging customer appetite for their innovative wealth management solutions and services, which is considered the best regionally. This new achievement comes in line with the steady growth and development witnessed by the department since it was launched last Abdul Razak Jawahery year, which culminated with the CPI Award at Middle East Wealth Management 2016 in Dubai. Abdul Razak Jawahery, Executive Manager at KFH-Bahrain and Head of the Wealth Management Department explained, Since we launched our Wealth Management Department over a year ago, we have been very successful in benefitting our clients by fulfilling their objectives. We have developed a suite of products and services which are flexible and suit their individual investment needs. We are the first Islamic Bank in Bahrain to have a dedicated Wealth Management team of highly experienced professionals who are able to advise and meet the individual demands and financial goals of our client base, he added. Throughout 2016 and until today, our expert Wealth Management team managed to capitalize on the regional opportunities and shifts in capital markets as well as devised niche strategies to manage our clients wealth and to provide them with lucrative returns. We are also proud to announce that our Wealth Management strategies have generated very fruitful results in the regional Equity Stock Market and are in line with the clients investment expectations, concluded Jawahery. KFH-Bahrain provides a full range of wealth management solutions inclusive of Current Accounts, Savings Accounts, Mudharaba Unrestricted Accounts, Wakala Accounts, International Murabaha Accounts, Equity and Sukuk that are flexible, diverse and can complement the varying customer requirements and meet their end objectives. KFH-Bahrain remains dedicated to growing the wealth of its Clients and opening up the door to new investment opportunities to support their financial objectives. KFH-Bahrain is also committed to pioneering the growth and development of the local Islamic Finance sector with specialized products and services such as those provided through its Islamic Wealth Management Department. For more information on the Wealth Management services, please contact us on Get more out of your smartphone experience Tips, tricks for Galaxy S8 & S8+ click Get up to 40pct off at Atlantis Make family holiday special with Burgan Bank MasterCard cards KUWAIT CITY, July 6: Burgan Bank in association with MasterCard brings the ultimate excitement to its Master- Card Card holders by entitling them up to 40% discounts at Atlantis, The Palm Dubai. Setting the scene for the perfect holiday and a well-deserved break to stay, dine and enjoy a tailor-made package, Burgan Bank MasterCard card holders will receive 25% 40% off on Rooms & Suites, 25% off at Atlantis Restaurants, free admission to Aqua venture Waterpark which was voted Best Waterpark in the UAE, free admission to The Lost Chambers Aquarium, 25% 30% off your Dolphin Encounter at Dolphin Bay, and 25% off on treatment above AED 500 at ShuiQi Spa. To avail the offer, Burgan Bank Customers dreams come true AUB reveals 26 new winners of Al Hassad account weekly draw KUWAIT CITY, July 6: Ahli United Bank recently conducted its Al Hassad Islamic account weekly draw, Kuwait s leading Shari ah compliant rewards program that offers a broad range of prizes to the largest number of winners, on the July 5. The account provides 26 weekly prizes that are comprised of KD 25,000 as a grand prize and 25 other prizes valued at KD 1,000 each. AUB also offers four quarterly prizes that are valued at KD 250,000 to each winner allowing them to achieve their dreams of travelling, studying abroad, or owning their dream home or car. On this occasion Ahli United Bank announced, With this draw, we are adding 26 new winners and prizes to the Al Hassad Islamic account whereby, the total number of winners annually will include more than The weekly grand prize winner of KD 25,000 Saad Abdullah Al Otaibi. 25 other winners won prizes of KD 1,000 and are as follows: Kholoud Fahad Al Thlaith, Mohammad R. A. Ashkanani, Ameenah Shabab Mutairi, Khalifah Musallam Hmoud Al Ameerah, Mohammad Ibrahim Al Nabasi, Hagop Gostanian, Olga Waleed Ahmad Al Busairi, Radhi Al Haddad, Fadheelah Salem Hussain, Mai E. M. Al Mesad, Ahmad Mohammad Ata Allah, Salema M. J. Al Sarraf, A Hameed Husain Dashti, Yaqoub Habib Haji, Sayed Mohammad Sayed Ali Resalah Menshed Embassies Continued from Page 25 (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 : MasterCard card holders should book their stay through Offer is available on bookings starting anytime from now until 30th of September, and stay dates until of Oct 15th The new privilege that delivers exclusive benefits by Burgan Bank comes as part of their long standing commitment to constantly furnish its premium clients growing lifestyle demands every season. For more information on Burgan Bank s products or services, customers can contact the personal banking executive at the branch, or contact the call center on For more information, customers can also log onto the bank s website on www. burgan.com. Dokhi, Mohammed S. Al Mutairi, Mohammad Abdulaziz Shehab, Saied Attiya Abdulmoniem, Jaafar Mohamed Husain, Yaseen Yousif Kamal, Rahman A. Hussain, Esmat Ahmed Abdulla, Seddiqa Isa Abdulwahab, Ismail Haider. Ahli United Bank added, There are increased opportunities that await our current customers and those who are interested in opening an Al Hassad Islamic account to benefit from the wide range of prizes and opportunities offered this year. Al Hassad Islamic account s customers in Kuwait and Bahrain are eligible to participate in the draw in line with the program s terms and conditions. Individual customers can open their accounts with a minimum deposit of KD 100, qualifying them to enter the draw. For every KD 50 deposited in the account, customers are given one chance to enter the quarterly draw. They must have held the minimum deposit requirement for at least two weeks prior to the draw date. The more deposits made, the higher the chances of winning on a weekly basis. For more information on Ahli United Bank s products and services, customers are invited to visit any of the Bank s branches or dial the customer service Hayakum on , or log on the Bank s website 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 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 KUWAIT CITY, July 6: Ultimately, when it comes to creating technologies that help users streamline their mobile lives, UX (user experience) marks the spot. Take the Galaxy S8 and S8+. When designing its latest flagships, Samsung went to great lengths to ensure that the UX behind their groundbreaking, bezel-less designs would foster convenient and intuitive interactions. The result of the company s efforts is a seamless interface that allows users to navigate the devices immersive displays with ease and take full advantage of their powerful features. The tips and functions outlined below offer simple ways for users to further amplify their Galaxy S8 s convenience and get more out of their smartphone experience. Get to know the navigation bar The navigation bar that houses the Galaxy S8 s Home, Back and Recents buttons has a few tricks up its sleeve, including allowing users to bypass their device s Lock screen and instantly access the Home screen. After activating the Unlock with Home button feature via Settings > Display > Navigation bar, a hard press of the square Home button from the Always On Display will unlock the device (a swiping motion is not required), while a double-tap will pull up the lock screen. The navigation bar s settings also allow users to customize the Home button s sensitivity to avoid unwanted presses. Users may hide the navigation bar in apps where it does not automatically disappear or fix it to their screen by toggling the Show and Hide button, which appears on the bar s far left side. The bar s configuration may also be customized. Using certain apps and functions may cause the navigation bar to disappear entirely. In those instances, users may navigate back to the Home screen by hard-pressing on the Home button s usual location, and may access the navigation bar by swiping up from the bottom of the screen. Take advantage of the Edge screen The Edge panels in the Galaxy S8 s Edge screen offer access to apps, news and key functions with a simple swipe of the side of the screen. Users may customize their Edge panel selection and add more apps and shortcuts that work for them. The Edge screen s Edge lighting feature adds additional convenience, notifying users of incoming messages by illuminating the Infinity Display s edges. This allows notifications to be visible even when the device is facing down, and creates an intuitive means to notify users of messages without disrupting their enjoyment of videos, games and apps. Users may access the Edge screen s settings by tapping Settings > Display > Edge screen. Create convenient reminders Find an interesting article that you d like to get back to later? The Galaxy S8 allows users to conveniently save URLs using its Reminder function. With the website pulled up, simply access your browser s sharing options and tap on the Reminder icon. Webpage URLs are automatically saved, and users may additionally select exactly when they d like to receive their notification. The Galaxy S8 also allows users to create reminders based on texts. When viewing a conversation in the Messages app, long-press your selected message until the Message options menu appears and choose Send to Reminder. The message will automatically be saved to the Reminder app, and you ll also be able to specify if/when you would like the reminder to appear. In addition, the Galaxy S8 allows users to pin reminders to its Always On Display, making them visible at all times. To do so, open the Reminder app, tap on the reminder that you would like to display and select Pin to Always On Display. Power button and sensor shortcuts Sometimes taking the perfect photo requires one to be quick on the draw with their camera. To help users capture more of their special moments, the Galaxy S8 s camera launches instantly with a double-press of the power key. The camera s zoom function is similarly seamless, allowing users to easily zoom in or out by dragging the white shutter button to the right or left. In addition to unlocking the device, the Galaxy S8 s fingerprint sensor allows users to open apps and manage key functions. A simple swipe down or up will show or hide the notification panel, while swiping up on the sensor from the Home screen will launch the Samsung Pay app. The function may be found under Settings > Advanced features > Finger sensor gestures. In a meeting and can t answer the phone? With the Galaxy S8, you can politely decline incoming calls with Galaxy S8 preset text messages. The Quick Reply feature activates with a two-second touch of the device s heart-rate sensor and allows users to send a customized response that suits their needs. The function may be found under Settings > Display > Edge screen > Edge lighting > More Options > Quick reply. Step up your screenshot game The Galaxy S8 allows users to snap quick screenshots via a variety of convenient ways. Users have the option to press and hold the volume down and power buttons simultaneously, swipe the screen from one side to the other with the side of their palm, or utilize the Galaxy S8 s Smart Select feature, which is found via the Edge screen and allows you to select an area of the display to capture as an image or GIF. Located under Settings > Advanced features > Smart capture, scroll capture is another useful option that s designed to help users snap more complete screenshots. The function appears after a screenshot has been taken and allows for all of an app or page s scrollable content to be included in the image. Get more done with Snap Official UAE Exchange-affiliated service provider in Kuwait Window The Galaxy S8 s new Snap Window feature allows users to select a portion of the most recently opened app to pin to the top of their screen. This means that, for instance, a user may keep an eye on a video or constantly updated content such as stock prices and headlines via the top of their screen while using the remainder of the display to send an , browse the web or manage other apps. Activate the feature by pulling up your recent apps and tapping on the function s corresponding button. A fun way to unlock your phone After registering their irises for biometric verification, Galaxy S8 users have the option to select a fun mask or background to display when the security feature is activated. Available designs may be found under Settings > Lock screen and security > Iris scanner > Preview screen mask. Sharing links with Samsung Cloud Samsung Cloud offers users an effortless means to share large video clips and reams of pictures by creating a URL that lets others access your shared media. The function maintains full picture quality and supports files of up to 1GB in size. Users may save up to 2GB of content per day. After two days, the files are deleted from Samsung s servers. To utilize the feature, select the photo or video that you would like to share in the Gallery app, tap Share and choose Link Sharing. The subsequent screen will allow you to select the app you would like to use to send your link. Users may also provide others with access to shared content by sending a code. Those who receive the code will be able to punch it in to Samsung s Link Sharing app and instantly view and download the shared files. Kuwait Nat l Exchange wins right to use brand UAEXCHANGE KUWAIT CITY, July 6: UAEX- CHANGE is a global money remittance, foreign exchange and payment solutions brand. UAE Exchange Group has announced that Kuwait National Exchange WLL chain of remittance houses has been appointed to represent the brand UAEX- CHANGE in Kuwait. The decision, made by Kuwaiti authorities, came after the UAE Exchange Group decided to dissolve its partnership with its local partner 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 in Kuwait, citing differences. The Group then moved to serve its customers through Kuwait National Exchange WLL, which is now legally authorized to use the brand UAEXCHANGE. UAE Exchange Group is a proud partner in Kuwait s prosperity and in the development of the remittance and financial industry in the country. We regret to inform our stakeholders that we have been forced to dissolve our partnership with UAE Exchange Samsung phone Kuwait due to irrevocable differences. However, we will continue to serve our customers in Kuwait through Kuwait National Exchange WLL. We are very pleased to announce that, the authorities in Kuwait have authorized the association between UAE Exchange Group and Kuwait National Exchange WLL. This officially marks Kuwait National Exchange WLL as a Group-affiliated financial services provider in the country, said Dr B.R. Shetty, Chairman, UAE Exchange 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 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 Group. Our first priority is to ensure continuity of services to customers and the well-being of our staff members. We are confident that Kuwait National Exchange will set new standards for customer service and innovation in the country. Meanwhile, we look forward to the Kuwaiti legal system demonstrating its world-class credentials by safeguarding our rights, said Promoth Manghat, CEO, UAE Exchange Group. 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 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).

27 27 h o r o s c o p e By Jacqueline Bigar Happy birthday for Friday, July 7, 2017: This year you achieve more because of a willingness to take risks. You have the ability to appraise the likelihood of a positive response from others. You will see that you have many fans. If you are single, you easily could meet someone anytime from fall until your next birthday. Ask yourself if this person is someone with whom you want to build a life. If you are attached, your inner circle of friends will expand. You also will see the attraction between you and your sweetie heat up. CAPRICORN can challenge you. The Stars Show the Kind of Day You ll Have: 5-Dynamic; 4-Positive; 3-Average; 2-So-so; 1-Difficult Capricorn - (Dec 22 - Jan 19) **** You might be slow to start, but you ll finish the day on a winning path. You could be so into what you are doing that you ll postpone going out until you complete the task at hand. Your sensitivity to a key issue emerges, but only when you decide to relax. Tonight: Out late. Aquarius - (Jan 20 - Feb 18) ***** Stay upbeat about your choices, and be more willing to include friends in an important decision. You might not make that decision immediately, but you will give a lot of thought to this matter later in the day. Tonight: How about grabbing some dinner with a special friend? Pisces - (Feb 19 - Mar 20) **** You might not be comfortable with all the responsibilities that are weighing you down right now. Somehow, the load will lighten up enough that you ll be able to demonstrate your more fluent, resourceful problem-solving abilities. Tonight: Join a friend or two for some fun. Aries - (Mar 21 - Apr 19) ***** You could be all smiles because of some good news that heads your way early in the day. Consider clearing out as much work as you can before the weekend. Others are likely to accept your direction with ease; let them help you. Tonight: Wherever you are, you are the ring leader. Taurus - (Apr 20 - May 20) **** Financial and emotional matters are highlighted, which grabs your attention. You might decide to do your own research to determine the validity of what you hear and to see what your options are. You also probably need to talk to several advisers. Tonight: Go for togetherness. Gemini - (May 21 - June 20) ***** You could see a situation differently from how it initially was described. Recognize that this distortion exists because of several people seeing life from different perspectives. You might want to get more opinions. Listen carefully to others views. Tonight: Quality time with a friend. Cancer - (June 21 - July 22) **** Defer to someone else; you will gain a more in-depth perspective as a result. You can t seem to put the kibosh on a personal matter; accept that you might just need to ride it out. Trust in your charm and ability to surf a rough emotional wave. Tonight: Be spontaneous. Leo - (July 23 - Aug 22) *** You might be playful in the morning; however, a more serious look at what is going on at the workplace is likely to change your mood and direction. Clear out as much as you can in order to free yourself up. Understand what is going on with an associate. Tonight: Accept an offer. Virgo - (Aug 23 - Sept 22): **** Though you might be dragging your feet in the morning, by the afternoon thoughts of the coming weekend will energize you to tackle any remaining work that must be done. You could be more flirtatious than you realize. Be careful. Tonight: Opt for fun. Libra - (Sept 23 - Oct 22) **** Make calls in the morning, and clear out as much as you can. A surprise happening could result in a change of plans. Understand what is happening behind the scenes with a family member. Let this person share what is on his or her mind. Tonight: Among the crowds. Scorpio - (Oct 23 - Nov 21) **** Splurge and buy a favorite snack to share with your associates or a roommate. You ll start the day off on a pleasant note. Calls and meetings could hinder your ability to get through your all your work. Accept the challenge, and be smart: screen your calls. Tonight: Hang out. Sagittarius - (Nov 22 - Dec 21) **** Open up to new possibilities, and understand all your options before you decide which way to go. A financial issue could come into question, and you ll need to deal with it. Use the afternoon to get feedback and choose the correct choice for you. Tonight: In the limelight. Born today: Drummer Ringo Starr (1940), artist Marc Chagall (1887), film critic Joel Siegel (1943) home decor indoor gardening beauty tips taste buds backsplash using plexiglass gaillardia aristata cornstarch with makeup beef noodle soup Supplies: Wallpaper or patterned paper; Plexiglass; Spray adhesive; Painter s tape; Thin matte board/ foam core sheet Instructions: Start by measuring the backsplash area of your kitchen. Take the measurements to your local hardware or home supply store and ask them to cut sheets of plexiglass to size. Choose a patterned paper that you like and cut the paper into pieces that are the same dimensions as your sheets of plexiglass. Mount the patterned paper on a thin matte board or foam core sheet to keep it smooth and to help prop it up during installation. Try using a multi-purpose spray adhesive for a smooth, strong bond. Peel off the paper backing attached to the sheet of plexiglass. Position the paper/matte board and sheet of plexiglass on top of old backsplash and hold both in place using blue painter s tape. Once the adhesive dries, peel off the tape. Gaillardia aristata or the blanket flowers, is from the sunflower family native to North and South America. The common name refers to the inflorescence s resemblance to brightly patterned blankets made by Native Americans. It has lanceshaped leaves near the base and several erect, naked stems holding the flowers. Each flower head has a center of brownish or reddish purple disc florets and a fringe of ray florets which are about one to three centimeters long and yellow to reddish with dark bases. Site: Gaillardia aristata prefers full sun but will tolerate partial shade. Temperature: F. Water: Moderate watering. Makeup can last all day by using cornstarch as makeup protector. Mix it with a bit of foundation & your face stays dry & non greasy all day. Cornstarch balances the oiliness of moisturizing makeup. Brush on a thin layer as a finishing touch. Load a small amount of cornstarch onto your favorite powder brush and then tap the brush against the container to ensure that you don t have too much cornstarch present prior to application. You can then apply the cornstarch to your face lightly, just as you would with any other powder. Like any traditional loose powder, it s important to properly blend the cornstarch into the skin. Apply the cornstarch in small, round motions in small areas of the face until all of the skin has been covered evenly. Ingredients: 3 quarts Homemade Beef Stock; 3 carrots, chopped; Salt and freshly ground black pepper; 8 ounces medium egg noodles; Cooked Beef meat, shredded; 1/4 cup chopped fresh dill, or 1 tablespoon dried dill; 1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley Method: Place stock in a stockpot over mediumhigh heat, and bring just to a simmer. Add carrots, and simmer until tender, about 6 minutes. Meanwhile, bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil. Cook noodles until just tender, about 6 minutes. Drain noodles, and add them to the pot of stock, along with shredded beef meat. Season with salt and pepper. Heat until very hot. When ready to serve, stir in dill and parsley. Dear Abby Bluesman s wife feels no love after incident By Abigail Van Buren Dear Abby: My husband, Ray, and I have been together for 10 years and, like most couples, we have had our ups and downs. Ray is a professional musician, so a lot of my time is spent supporting this, either by promoting his endeavors or accepting the fact that I will always come second to his first love the blues. A couple of gigs ago, Ray played at an outdoor festival. So there I sat, in the rain, in the dark, watching the show. Three men approached where I was sitting and stood in a circle around me watching the show. Attendance was sparse due to the weather, so it seemed strange they stood so close to me. It made me uneasy, Abigail Van Buren but I have been in similar situations since being with Ray, so I didn t think much about it. At home later that night, while I was unwinding and listening to Ray complain about his fingers, I mentioned the three men. He said he had witnessed it and thought it was a little odd, too. This led me to ask, hypothetically, what he would do if he were on stage and I was being attacked in front of him. He said he would put his guitar in its stand, go to the microphone and ask for assistance for me. He wouldn t throw the guitar down and rush to my aid! I couldn t believe his response. I feel completely alone and unloved. I don t know what to think or what to do. Any advice you could give me would be greatly appreciated. Face in the crowd Dear face: You are neither alone nor unloved, and I seriously doubt your husband s response to your hypothetical question was an indication that he doesn t love you. It s possible that he was afraid he would not be able to adequately protect you, and that Security could deal with the three men more effectively than he could. Bear in mind that if the real thing were to happen, he might react very differently. Because you are fearful, plan ahead. Carry pepper spray when you attend his performances. Dear Abby: My daughter graduated more than two years ago. I offered to help her with her thankyou notes, but I dropped the ball and never got them completed and sent out. I feel terrible and guilty. Would it be wrong to send out letters to everyone and explain what happened? Or how else can I resolve this mess and put my conscience to rest? Proud mama in Ohio Dear proud mama: The task of writing thank-you letters was your daughter s responsibility from the start. She should send them out right away, with her apologies. Better late than never. 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) 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. Holy Quran classes: Emanway Foundation Musk is offering classes to teach English-speaking ladies (and girls ages 5 and up) to read the Holy Quran in Arabic. The method is al-qaedah Noorania, a traditional program which has been used for many years around the world. (Note: Al-Qaedah simply means base ; this can be likened to a basic phonics program.) No Arabic knowledge is required. Every Friday from 4:00 to 5:15 pm, beginning Oct 4. Al-Salam Area (south Surra), Block 2, Street 201, House 30. Classes are free, but seats are limited, so register now by calling Tagalog Khutba for Filipinos: The Ministry of Awqaf, Islam Presentation Committee, & Kuwait Philippine Cultural Center (KPC Center) invites all Filipino Muslim & Muslima to hear Khutba (Sermon) in Tagalog every Friday at Marzouq Al-Badr Mosque, Abu Bakr Al-Siddeeq St (at the back of Ambassador Supermarket and SM Supermarket, near Salhiya Police Station & Kuwait Airways Bldg) in Kuwait City. There will be a community started and lunch after Friday prayers at KPC Center in Farwaniya. For further information, please call KPC Center, Tel St Paul s Church activities: English Worship Services on Fridays at am and on Sundays at 6.30 pm at St Paul s Church in Ahmadi. The Friday English Service has got separate sessions for Children and Youth. Chinese Worship Services on Fridays at am at House No 16, Street 9, Block 11, Salwa. Urdu Worship services on Thursdays at 5.35 pm at St. Paul s Church, Ahmadi and on Fridays at 5.45 pm at Diwaniya of NECK Campus, Kuwait City. Please contact Fr Harrison Chinnakumar for English and Urdu Congregations and his phone numbers are or and address: chaplain@stpaulskuwait.com. For Chinese congregation, please contact Zhu Peijin and her number is and address is: greenolivettc@hotmail.com Redeemed Christian Church: The Redeemed Christian Church of God (HOD Parish) worship in English. Celebration Service: Friday 9 am 11 am; Divine encounter: Sunday, 6:30 pm 8:30 pm; Digging Deep (Bible studies): Tuesday, 6:30 pm 8:30 pm; Night vigil every last Friday of the month from 10 pm. Venue: New Mishref. For more information and direction please call , rccghouseofdavidq8@gmail.com El Shaddai weekly fellowship: The El Shaddai DWXI-PPFI Kuwait Chapter A flyer of the event. invites all the Filipino in our weekly fellowship. Every Monday, 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm St Joseph Hall (Basement), Holy Family Cathedral, Kuwait City. Every Friday (except 1st Friday), 12:30 pm to 4 pm, Sacred Heart Hall, Holy Family Cathedral, Kuwait City. For more information please call any of the following nos: , , , , and Father s Love Int l Ministries: Have you had a challenging week? Want to hear something different for a change? Something positive and energizing? At FLIM, you will find all this and much more... Love, laugher, life and liberty. You will find a community of God-loving believers, who come every Friday, Saturday, Monday and Wednesday to praise and worship together. There always a word of blessing and edification for everyone who comes to the Father s House. So, don t be left out! Come join the family! You will be restored, received, renewed and greatly rewarded! Father s Love Encounter Service on Friday at 11:00 am to 2:00 pm African service on Saturday at 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm Empowerment Services on Monday at 6:30 pm 8:30 pm Tamil Service on Wednesday at 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm Please call , , number 112 Civil ID info: SATURDAY 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. 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 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. KTCC activities: Worship service every Wednesday 7:00-9:00 pm at North Tent, NECK. Children s Bible School every Wednesday 7 to 9 pm at Activity Building, NECK. Overnight prayer every 1st Thursday from 10 pm 4:00 am at Diwaniya, NECK. Communion Service every 3rd Wednesday. The Following meeting are held at our KTCC Prayer House: 1) Children Bible School Teacher s Prayer 1st Saturday 7 to 9 pm. 2) Children s Prayer 2nd Friday 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm. 3) Bible Study every 2nd and 4th Sunday at 7:30 pm to 9:00 pm. 4) ISOM Batch 1 Class Tuesdays 7 to 9 pm and Batch 2 Class Fridays 4 to 6 pm. 5) Choir Practice Mondays 6 to 8 pm. 6) Men s Fellowship 4th Friday 10:00 am to 12:00 pm. 7) Women s Prayer (Abbasiya) 3rd Sunday 6:30 to 8:30 pm and (Salmiya) 4th Tuesday 6:30 to 8:30 pm. 8) Fasting Prayer every 3rd Friday from 12:00 Noon 3:30 pm. 9) Cottage Prayers every 2nd and 4th Week. 10) Baptism Service every 4th Friday. Welcome to all Tamil known people to participate in our regular activities to worship the Lord in our own mother tongue and be blessed! For details or for any prayer needs contact Tel No: /

28 28 Snowfall tells birth of cocaine in LA CNN faces backlash over handling of Trump video NEW YORK, July 6, (AP): CNN says safety concerns led to its decision not to reveal the identity of the man behind a doctored anti- CNN video. Yet the way the decision was explained and deep distrust of the network among President Donald Trump s supporters provoked a backlash Wednesday. The network said late Tuesday it had identified the Reddit user who originally posted an old WWE video of Trump roughing up pro wrestling maven Vince McMahon, superimposing the CNN logo over McMahon s face. Trump tweeted a link to the video, with some modifications, and it has become the president s most-shared social media post yet, according to Twitter. Reporter Andrew Kaczynski said in an online story that CNN had found the Reddit user, who used the tag HanA------Solo, and reached out to him Monday. Before returning Kaczynski s message the next day, the user posted a public apology for the Trump video he called it a prank and for some racist and anti-semitic postings also made under that name. He said he was just trying to get a reaction and didn t mean what he said, and was closing his Reddit account. CNN said online that it had decided not to publish the user s name because he is a private citizen who apologized, showed remorse and said he would not repeat his ugly behavior. CNN reserves the right to publish his identity should any of that change, Kaczynski wrote. That last sentence made CNN a target. That s essentially blackmail, wrote conservative activist Ben Shapiro. That s CNN stating that it will out the guy if he dares to defy their political perspective or offends them sufficiently. Such charges spread swiftly online. Fox News Channel host Sean Hannity shared another video on Twitter, this one showing a professional wrestler whose face was replaced with a Trump picture bashing several other men identified as CNN with a chair. Is CNN going to blackmail this person, too? Hannity asked. CNN said Wednesday that it did not publish the user s name out of concern for his safety, and that any claim that it tried to blackmail or coerce him was false. Kaczynski tweeted that the user told him he had not been threatened in any way. CNN s online critics, including Donald Trump Jr., claimed the Reddit user was a 15-year-old boy. CNN said he was an adult male and Kaczynski tweeted, People claiming he s 15 are wrong. The video sent out by Trump on Sunday morning had been retweeted more than 340,000 times by Wednesday morning. That passes Trump s tweet the morning of last November s election TODAY WE MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN! as his mostshared post, Twitter said. CNN also received heat from another direction for its decision to withhold the user s name. There are many reasons to keep a name out of a story, said William Grueskin, a Columbia University professor. The person could be an abuse victim, a confidential witness whose life or job would be endangered, a source promised anonymity or a juvenile. The Reddit user Couch slouch doesn t appear to fit any of these categories, he said. That puts a high expectation on other reporters, who are asked every day to withhold names and who don t, for good reason, he said. Are others now supposed to engage in a negotiation with sources that illustrates moral probity and predicts future conduct? Indira Lakshmanan, an expert on journalism ethics for the Poynter Institute, said she has no problem with CNN finding out the user s identity, since the person put his opinions in the public square and boasted about the president s retweet. She said it s more likely the user pleaded with CNN to have his name withheld out of fear than the network trying to blackmail him in any way. Filmmaker John Singleton remembered taking a ride through a section of a south Los Angeles neighborhood seeing security bars on every window and huge metal gates surrounding each home. The recent drive instantly reminded Singleton about when residents in the area first took cautioned measures to guard their house to prevent home invasions during the 1980s crack cocaine epidemic. People made it almost like they were imprisoning themselves in their homes, the Los Angeles native recalled. In the early 80s, people started breaking into people s houses. Crack really took hold back then.... But this is a story no one has ever told before. There s always a new cocaine story that s East Coast. But there s really never a story how the West Coast changed from this. So, I wanted to get into it. Singleton co-created the new series Snowfall, which focuses on the genesis of how crack cocaine became a rampant epidemic in Los Angeles inner city neighborhoods in The first season premieres Wednesday on FX at 10 pm EDT. Singleton, an Oscar-nominated writer-director, is best known for his critically-acclaimed movies from Boyz N the Hood, Poetic Justice and Higher Learning. But these days, he is doing more television after directing episodes of Empire and The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story along with the BET drama Rebel. Also: NEW YORK: Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski reached their biggest audience ever when they talked Friday about President Donald Trump s tweets about their show. The Nielsen company said Wednesday that 1.66 million people watched the MSNBC morning show the day after the tweets. That narrowly beat the show s previous record, which came the day after Trump was elected last year. Trump, in denouncing the show last week, wrote that Brzezinski was bleeding badly from a facelift when he saw them around the New Year. Friday s Morning Joe proved more popular than Trump s favorite morning show, Fox & Friends. Even Trump tweeted that he watched Morning Joe on Friday. tv highlights A flyer of the event. Aviator survived plane crash A film claims to solve mystery of Earhart s fate NEW YORK, July 6, (Agencies): The photo is haunting. Among a number of figures gathered on a dock, the fuzzy image seems to be that of a woman, her back to the camera, gazing at what may be her crippled aircraft loaded on a barge, and perhaps wondering what her future might hold. Is this Amelia Earhart, the world-famous aviator, witnessed after her mysterious disappearance while attempting the first round-theworld flight 80 years ago this month? That is the theory put forth in Amelia Earhart: The Lost Evidence, a two-hour documentary airing Sunday at 9 pm EDT on the History channel. It uncovers records, including this newly revealed photograph that shows what may be a healthy Earhart along with her navigator Fred Noonan, after they were last heard from. The film also argues that after the pair crash-landed in the Japanese-held Marshall Islands, they were picked up by the Japanese military and that Earhart, perhaps presumed to be a US spy, was held prisoner. And there s more: The United States government knew of her whereabouts and did nothing to rescue her, according to the film. The disappearance of Earhart and Noonan on July 2, 1937, in the Western Pacific Ocean has gained legendary status among the age s unsolved mysteries. By then she had already logged numerous aviation feats, including that of being the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean in She reigned as an international hero. In this June 6, 1937 file photo, Amelia Earhart, the American airwoman who is flying round the world for fun, arrived at Port Natal, Brazil and took off on her 2,240-mile flight across the South Atlantic to Dakar, Africa. (AP) And yet the US government closed the book on its investigation just two weeks after her disappearance. Its vaguely worded findings were inconclusive. Was there a cover-up? The film proposes there was. The documentary is hosted by former FBI A flyer of the event. Executive Assistant Director Shawn Henry, whose fascination with the case is equaled by former US Treasury Agent Les Kinney, who discovered the photo hidden and mislabeled in the US National Archives. In the documentary, that photo is subjected to facial-recognition and other forensic testing. It is judged authentic, and likely that of Earhart and Noonan. The film also displays plane parts found in an uninhabited island of the Marshall Islands by Earhart investigator Dick Spink that are consistent with the aircraft that Earhart was flying on her round-the-world attempt. And it hears from the last living eyewitness who claims to have seen Earhart and Noonan after their crash. The documentary tells of a world-famous aviator who got caught up in an international dispute, was abandoned by her own government, and made the ultimate sacrifice, Henry sums up. She may very well be the first casualty of World War II. The fate of aviator Amelia Earhart and her navigator Fred Noonan has remained an enigma for 80 years, but a recently discovered photograph may attempt to solve that mystery. Earhart and Noonan departed to circumnavigate the globe on July 2, 1937, in what would be a 29,000-mile flight. On the final stretch of their attempt, they both disappeared. A widely accepted theory says Earhart died after running out of fuel and crashing into the Pacific Ocean, but former FBI Executive Assistant Director Shawn Henry is backing up a different idea. Cinema Cinema programme from Thursday 06/07/2017 to Wednesday 12/07/2017 Pirates Of The Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales Sharqia 1 11:30 (No Fri) Sharqia 3 17:00 Muhalab 1 14:45, 17:15, 00:45 Fanar 1 13:30, 21:30 Marina 2 13:30, 00:15 Avenues 6 23:30 Avenues 10 13:15 (No Fri) 16:00, 18:45, 00: :45, 16:30, 19:15, 22:00, 00: :00 Al-Kout 2 16:45 Al-Kout 4 13:30 Bairaq 2 11:30 (No Fri) 00:05 Despicable Me 3 Sharqia 1 14:00, 16:00, 18:00 Sharqia 2 11:45 (No Fri) Muhalab 2 11:30, 13:30 (No Fri) 15:30, 17:30 Muhalab 3 13:45 (Fri) Fanar 4 11:45 (No Fri) Fanar 5 13:00 (No Fri) 15:00, 17:00, 19:00 Marina 2 11:30 (No Fri) 16:00, 18:00, 20:00 Avenues 2 14:30, 19:15 Avenues 4 13:00 (No Thu) 17:45 (No Sun) Avenues 6 11:30 (No Fri) 13:30, 15:30, 17:30, 19:30, 21:30 Avenues 11 14:15, 16: :30 (No Fri) 14:30, 16:30, 18:30 20:30, 22:30 (No Tue) : :30 (No Fri) :15, 20:00 Al-Kout 1 11:45 (No Fri) Al-Kout 3 15:00, 17:00, 19:00 Bairaq 1 11:30 (No Fri) Bairaq 2 14:00, 16:00, 18:00, 20:00, 22:00 Laila 18:30 Ajial 3 15:30, 23:15 Tubelight (Hindi Film) Sharqia 1 20:00 Muhalab 1 12:00 (No Fri) 19:45 Fanar 3 11:30 (No Fri) 16:15, 21:00 Avenues 1 12:45 (No Fri) 18:30, 21:15 Avenues 4 15:00, 19: :00 (No Fri) 14:45, 20:45, 23: :30 (No Fri) 17:15 Bairaq 3 18:30 Ajial 1 16:15, 19:00, 21:45 The Mummy Sharqia 1 22:45, 01:00 Muhalab 1 22:30 Fanar 1 16:15, 00:15 Marina 2 22:00 Avenues 8 12:30 (No Fri) 14:45, 00:30 Avenues 9 11:30 (No Fri) :15 (No Fri) 15:30, 17:45, 20:00, 22:15, 00: :15 (Thu) Al-Kout 4 16:00, 00:15 Spider-Man: Homecoming Sharqia 2 13:45, 16:30, 19:15, 22:00, 00:45 Sharqia 3 11:30 (No Fri) 23:45 Muhalab 2 23:30 Muhalab 3 13:00 (No Fri) 15:45, 18:30, 21:15, 00:15 Fanar 2 12:45 (No Fri) Fanar 4 13:45, 16:30, 19:15, 22:00, 00:45 Fanar 5 21:00, 23:45 Marina 1 12:00 (No Fri) 14:45, 23:30 Marina 3 13:30, 16:15, 19:00, 21:45, 00:30 Avenues 2 11:45 (No Fri) 16:30, 21:15, 00:05 Avenues 4 00:30 Avenues 5 12:00 (No Fri) 14:45, 17:30, 23:00 20:15 (No Thu) Avenues 9 13:45, 16:30, 19:15, Avenues 11 22:00, 00:45 11:30 (No Fri) 18:15, 21:00, 23: :00 (No Fri) 15:45, 18:30, 21:15, 00: :30 (No Fri) 14:15, 17:00, 19:45, 22: :30, 16:15, 19:00, 21:45, 00: :30 (No Fri) 15:15, 18:00, 20:45, 23: :15 (No Fri) 17:15, 22:00, 00:45 Al-Kout 1 13:45, 16:30, 19:15, 22:00, 00:45 Al-Kout 3 12:15 (No Fri) 21:00, 23:45 Bairaq 1 13:30, 16:15, 19:00, 21:45, 00:30 Bairaq 3 23:15 Plaza 16:00, 21:30 Laila 15:45, 22:30 Khammis & Jumma (Horoob Ejbary) Arabic Film Sharqia 3 14:30 Fanar 2 17:30 Avenues 1 00:05 Avenues 3 17:30 Avenues 10 21: :45, 16:30, 19:15, 22:00, 00: :30 (Thu, Sat) Al-Kout 2 12:00 (No Fri) 21:30 Bairaq 3 16:00 Tisbah Ala Khair (Arabic Film) Sharqia 3 19:45, 21:45 Muhalab 2 13:30 (Fri) How to find us 19:30, 21:30 Fanar 1 11:30 (No Fri) Fanar 2 15:30, 20:15, 22:15, 00:30 Marina 1 17:30, 19:30, 21:30 Marina 3 11:30 (No Fri) Avenues 3 11:30 (No Fri) 13:30, 15:30, 20:00, 22:00, 00:15 Avenues 4 22: :00 (No Fri) 15:00, 17:00, 19:00, 21:00, 23:00, 01: :00, 00:45 Al-Kout 2 14:45, 19:30, 00:05 Bairaq 3 12:00 (No Fri) 14:00, 21:15 Laila 20:30 Mom (Hindi Film) Fanar 1 18: :45 Ajial 2 15:30, 18:30, 21:30 Tafash We Arb3een Harami (Arabic Film) Fanar 3 14:15, 19:00, 00: 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: , Avenues 7 14:00, 18:30, 20: :30 (No Fri) 13:30, 15:30, 17:30, 19:30, 21:30, 23: :15 (No Thu) Al-Kout 4 11:30 (No Fri) 18:15, 20:15, 22:15 Transformers: The Last Knight Avenues 1 15: : :15, 17:15, 22:15 Science Fiction Volume One: The Osiris Child Avenues 7 11:45 (No Fri) 16:15, 22:30, 00: :45 (No Fri) :00 (Sat) 15:00 (Thu, Fri, Sat) :30 (No Fri) :15, 01:15 The Dinner Avenues 8 17:00, 19:30, 22: :00 (No Mon) 19:30, 22:00, 00:30 Role Models (Malayalam Film) Plaza 18:45 Ajial 4 15:45, 18:30, 21:30 Guest In London (Hindi Film) Ajial 3 17:45, 20:30 IMAX Imax film programme at The Scientific Center Sunday Showtime Available for Groups 09:30 am Flying Monsters 3D 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 04:30 pm Flying Monsters 3D 11:30 am 09:30 pm A Beautiful Planet 3D 12:30 pm, 02:30 pm, 05:30 pm, 08:30 pm Kenya: Animal Kingdom 3D 01:30 pm Humpback Whales 3D 03:30 pm, 06:30 pm Secret Ocean 3D 07:30 pm Wednesday Showtime Available for Groups 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 New-style vaccines cut relapses Personalised shots hold cancer at bay in early trials LONDON, July 6, (RTRS): A novel class of personalised cancer vaccines, tailored to the tumours of individual patients, kept disease in check in two early-stage clinical trials, pointing to a new way to help the immune system fight back. Although so-called immunotherapy drugs from the likes of Merck & Co, Bristol-Myers Squibb and Roche are starting to revolutionise cancer care, they still only work for a limited number of patients. By adding a personalised cancer vaccine, scientists believe it should be possible to improve substantially the effectiveness of such immuneboosting medicines. Twelve skin cancer patients, out of a total of 19 across both the trials, avoided relapses for two years after receiving different vaccines developed by German and US teams, researchers reported in the journal Nature on Wednesday. The small Phase I trials now need to be followed by larger studies, but the impressive early results suggest the new shots work far better than first-generation cancer vaccines that typically targeted a single cancer characteristic. The new treatments contain between 10 and 20 different mutated proteins, or neoantigens, that are specific to an individual s tumour. These proteins are not found on healthy cells and they look foreign to the immune system, prompting specialist T-cells to step up their attack on cancer cells. Jany Pok (right), sits next to his son Duor Jany, 11, who was seriously affected with cholera, at the clinic run by Doctors Without Borders (MSF) in Lankien, Jonglei, South Sudan, on July 5. With the increased population and lack of clean water, cholera quickly followed. The charity Doctors Without Borders (known by its French acronym, MSF), deployed an emergency team which at once was working at full tilt, with 40 patients in isolation tents and 30 new suspected cases brought every day. (AFP) One vaccine was developed at the US-based Dana-Farber Institute and Broad Institute and the other by privately owned German biotech firm BioNTech, which uses so-called messenger RNA to carry the code for making its therapeutic proteins. Roche, the world s largest cancer drugmaker, is already betting on BioNTech s technology after signing a $310 million deal last September allowing it to test the German vaccine with its immunotherapy drug Tecentriq. BioNTech s co-founder and CEO Ugur Sahin told Reuters that combination trials using Roche s drug were due to start later this year against a number of different cancers. Rival biotech firm Neon Therapeutics, which was formed to exploit the US research, initiated tests of its personalised neoantigen vaccine in combination with Bristol-Myer s Opdivo LONDON, July 6, (RTRS): Stemcell tourism involving patients who travel to developing countries for treatment with unproven and potentially risky therapies should be more tightly regulated, international health experts said on Wednesday. With hundreds of medical centres around the world claiming to be able to repair damaged tissue in conditions such as multiple sclerosis and Parkinson s disease, tackling unscrupulous advertising of such procedures is crucial. These therapies are advertised directly to patients with the promise of a cure, but there is often little or no evidence to show drug last year. New drugs like Opdivo and Tecentriq that enlist the body s immune system are improving the odds of survival, but their typical price tag of more than $150,000 a year is controversial and adding a personalised vaccine will jack costs up further. Sahin acknowledged such vaccines would be expensive at first but said costs could be brought down by economies of scale and automation. In the mid to long term the cost will fall dramatically... it is an individual treatment but it is a universal No evidence therapies help Stem-cell tourism needs tighter controls they will help, or that they will not cause harm, the 15 experts wrote in the journal Science Translational Medicine. Some types of stem cell transplant - mainly using blood and skin stem cells - have been approved by regulators after full clinical trials found they could treat certain types of cancer and grow skin grafts for burns patients. But many other potential therapies are only in the earliest stages of development and have not been approved by international regulators. Stem cell therapies hold a lot of promise, but we need rigorous clinical trials and regulatory processes to determine whether a proposed treatment is safe, effective and better than existing treatments, said one of the 15, Sarah Chan of Britain s University of Edinburgh. The experts called for global action, led by the World Health Organization, to introduce controls on advertising and agree international standards for the manufacture and testing of cell and tissue-based therapies. The globalization of health markets and the specific tensions surrounding stem cell research and its applications have made this a difficult challenge, they wrote. However, the stakes are too high not to take a united stance. process, he said. We are at a very early stage at the moment but in the long-run this approach could change everything. Cornelius Melief of Leiden University Medical Center, who was not involved in either study, said the research confirmed the potential of neoantigen vaccines. Controlled, randomised Phase II clinical trials with more participants are now needed to establish the efficacy of these vaccines in patients with any type of cancer that has enough mutations to provide sufficient neoantigen targets for this type of approach, he said. Mainz-based BioNTech is one of Europe s largest private biotech companies, with more than 500 employees and deals with Sanofi and Eli Lilly, as well as Roche. It is majority-owned by twin brothers Andreas and Thomas Struengmann, who sold generic drugmaker Hexal to Novartis in Sahin said BioNTech would probably stay private for another two to four years before deciding on an initial public offering.

30 Egypt T-bill yields mixed Turkey needs 5 pct growth Oman eyes oil storage plant The average yields on Egypt s six-month and one-year treasury bills were mixed at an auction on Thursday, data from the central bank showed, as foreign purchases of Egyptian debt continued to grow. The average yield on the 182-day bill rose to percent from percent at the last sale on July 2, while the yield on the 364-day bill dropped to percent from percent in a similar auction. Appetite for Egypt s domestic debt has increased since the central bank floated the pound currency in November as part of an International Monetary Fund loan agreement aimed at reviving the economy. Foreign holdings in Egyptian government securities reached billion Egyptian pounds ($10.13 billion) as of July 4, the head of public debt at Egypt s Finance Ministry, Sami Khallaf, said. (RTRS) Turkey needs at least 5 percent growth, and the economy will continue to grow to reach that level by the end of 2017, Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmus told Reuters. Kurtulmus also said interest rates in Turkey were too high and that state banks played an important role in lowering the rates, but added the government would recommend a rate cut as it could not interfere directly. The sector itself will make the arrangement on interest rates... Interest rates in Turkey are too high. State banks have important responsibilities on this issue, Kurtulmus said in an interview late on Wednesday. President Tayyip Erdogan often rails against the high cost of credit in Turkey, and has equated high interest rates with treason, calling it a tool of exploitation. (RTRS) Oman announced on Wednesday plans to build an oil storage station in Duqm area, with a capacity of 26 million barrels in its first phase, with an expected investment to reach $1.8 billion. An agreement was signed between Duqm Special Economic Zone Authority and Oman Tank Terminal Company (OTTCO), a subsidiary of Oman Oil Company (OOC), for implementing the project, which will grant OTTCO the right to use the land to start the project, Oman News Agency (ONA) reported. The project s phase one would be conducted in a period of 10 years and a capacity expansion will be made according to the increase of demand, the report added. According to the agreement, OTTCO should develop the five-phase station project by itself or can get other associates to invest, ONA added. (KUNA) Market Movements Change Closing pts INDIA - Sensex , PHILIPPINES - All Shares , Change Closing pts AUSTRALIA - All Ordinaries , JAPAN - Nikkei , S. KOREA - KRX , HONG KONG - Hang Seng , GERMANY - DAX , FRANCE - CAC , EUROPE - Euro Stoxx , Business OPEC oil stockpiles seen falling to five-year average Russia says global oil pact working, no new steps needed MOSCOW, July 6, (RTRS): Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak said a global pact by OPEC, Russia and other producers to cut oil output had dampened price volatility and was reducing bloated inventories, so no immediate extra measures were needed to prop up prices. The minister also told Reuters there was potential for an oil price rise from current levels and that $50 to $60 was fair value for a barrel, after benchmark Brent fell 20 percent in the first half of the year. It now trades at around $48. The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and other producers led by Russia agreed to cut production by almost 1.8 million barrels per day (bpd) from January this year to rein in inventories and support prices. The deal runs to March Despite the initiative, oil prices have registered their biggest first-half decline in almost two decades, as OPECled supply cuts have been undermined by rising output in the United States and from other producers not bound by the global pact. Some market analysts have suggested OPEC states, Russia and their allies might now need to implement additional steps, such as deepening the cuts or extending them beyond March. We believe that it is necessary to move within the framework of the agreed decisions and that new, snap decisions are not necessary, Novak said in an interview in Moscow. I think that the decisions that were taken, they were the right ones, he said, adding that any additional measures would create chaos and more misunderstanding in the market. We have got the positive effect for market stabilisation. The prices have been stabilised at higher levels, which allows the interests of investors, producers and consumers to be taken into account, Novak said. Although oil prices are now back near November levels seen before OPEC announced its plan to cut output, they are still well off lows of around $27 reached in early Novak said prices had room to rise from current levels and said inventories in industrialised nations were expected to ease back to the five-year average thanks to the decision by OPEC and its allies to extend supply curbs from the first half of 2017 to the first quarter of The Joint OPEC-Non-OPEC Ministerial Monitoring Committee (JMMC), set up to monitor the global supply Poland expects long-term deal for US LNG supplies WARSAW, July 6, (RTRS): Poland expects to sign a long-term deal for liquefied natural gas (LNG) supplies from the US to reduce its reliance on Russian gas, the country s President Andrzej Duda said after meeting US president Donald Trump. Poland imports most of the 16 billion cubic metres of gas it consumes a year from Russia, on the basis of a long-term deal with Gazprom which expires in Warsaw plans to replace the Russian gas after then with supplies from Norway via a planned pipeline as well as with more LNG from the US coming to its terminal at the Baltic Sea. Duda spoke to Trump, who is visiting Warsaw, about Poland s security and gas supplies. Let s hope for more supplies and further diversification of supplies of this commodity to Poland, Duda said at a joint news conference with Trump adding that he expects a pact, meets on July 24 in the Russian city of St Petersburg. Ministers from Russia, Oman, Algeria, Venezuela, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, alongside OPEC s secretary general, are to attend. Novak said there were no proposals for more nations to be represented at that regular committee meeting, which plans to discuss the deal implementation and the market situation. The committee had the authority to recommend any decisions to participants involved in the pact if needed, Novak said. While he saw no need for further action, he said: I can t predict what the proposals could be from (other) ministers. OPEC and its allies face a challenge from US shale producers, which ramped up output as oil prices rose from 2016 lows. In addition, Libya and Nigeria, two OPEC members which are exempt from the cuts, have also pushed up production. long term contract with the US to be signed soon and expressing hopes Poland may become a hub for US deliveries for the region. Trump confirmed that many more US LNG shipments will be coming to Poland, but said the price might rise. Maybe we get your price up a little bit, but that s ok, tough negotiations, the US president said. We are sitting on massive energy, we are now exporters of energy. Novak said it was up to OPEC to decide how to stick to its pledges on cuts while Libyan and Nigerian output climbed. The Russian energy minister also said any exit from the global pact at the end of the first quarter would be smooth, adding that inventories would have fallen by that stage and demand would be picking up in the second quarter of We are not going as we discussed with our colleagues to all Whenever you need energy, just give us a call, Trump said. Poland received its first and only LNG shipment from the US in June and its state-run firm PGNiG is in talks over more deliveries. Poland s ambition is to resell gas in future, especially to Ukraine, but also to southern Europe. Once it completes the pipeline to Norway and expands its LNG terminal it will be able to import more gas than it consumes. hike oil production on April 1 at once, he said. Other OPEC members have also confirmed their interest to exit the deal in a way that any supply increase would follow a demand rise during the second and third quarters, he added. Russia, the world s biggest oil producer, agreed under the output deal with OPEC and others to cut its production by 300,000 bpd from its October 2016 level, when it was just below 11 million bpd. Dana Gas case raises risks Islamic fi nance seeking safeguards against claims UAE s Dana Gas aims to propose new sukuk terms in coming weeks DUBAI, July 6, (RTRS): Abu Dhabilisted Dana Gas aims to communicate proposed terms of a restructured sukuk issue in coming weeks, chief executive Patrick Allman-Ward said on Thursday. He was speaking in a conference call to brief holders of the company s $700 million of outstanding sukuk, which will mature in October. There was no question and answer session in the call, and no immediate response from creditors. The company would look to communicate to the market the terms for a new restructured sukuk instrument and the process for holders to participate in such a legal and enforceable instrument over the coming weeks, Allman-Ward said. SYDNEY/KUALA LUMPUR, July 6, (RTRS): The Islamic finance industry is seeking ways to safeguard deals against challenges to their religious permissibility, after a case in the United Arab Emirates raised the risk that issuers of Islamic bonds could refuse to redeem them after such a challenge. Bankers and lawyers say several mechanisms, new and old, could address the problem, though it may be impossible to remove the risk entirely. Legal provisions in contracts for financial instruments could prevent their sharia-compliance from being questioned after they are issued. Investors may also screen scholars who certify instruments as sharia-compliant more carefully, and pay more attention to what mechanisms, such as courts, exist to rule on potential disputes. Changed Last month, Sharjah-based Dana Gas declared it would not make payments on $700 million of sukuk maturing this October because Islamic finance standards had changed since the instruments were issued four years ago. The change in standards meant the instruments were no longer sharia-compliant and had become unlawful in the United Arab Emirates, Dana argued. This raised concern across the Islamic finance industry that more companies could avoid redeeming sukuk by adopting the same argument as Dana. The outcome of the Dana case, which is being fought in British and UAE courts, could hurt liquidity and growth in the global sukuk market, Moody s said. To try to avoid similar cases in future, investors may demand more detailed and restrictive language in sukuk documentation. Such language already exists for some sukuk, but it is not used consistently and is not standardised. We foresee sukuk investors increasingly demanding sharia assurances which could include a sharia undertaking in the form of an explicit waiver of any defence of non-compliance, said Mohammad Hasif Murad, investment manager at Aberdeen Islamic Asset Management in Malaysia. Some issuers in Indonesia go further by stipulating that if their sukuk cease to be sharia-compliant, they will be declared in default, mature immediately and become repayable to investors. Sukuk issued by Maybank Indonesia, BRI Syariah and Bank Jambi include such clauses, according to Fitch Ratings. They all used an investment management partnership structure known as mudaraba, the same format employed by Dana. But early redemption is not fundamentally desirable for issuers or investors, which may limit wide use of such clauses in the Gulf region, said a Dubai-based partner of an international law firm. Also, such clauses may not suffice against an issuer in financial distress seeking to force a restructuring aggressively or delay repayment, said the lawyer. This is part of the risk that investors run in our region. Such risk already tends to be priced into instruments issued out of the Middle East. Investors may therefore cast a more watchful eye on the groups of scholars who provide sharia endorsements for sukuk. Stringent With this case, we will be more stringent when looking at what are the pledges made, who are the sharia councils, said Heddy Humaizi Hussain, director of institutional sales and marketing at Kuala Lumpur-based financial firm Saturna. At present, sukuk issuers generally choose the scholars who certify their instruments. Some analysts think that model could eventually change under pressure from investors, if that is necessary to maintain the credibility of Islamic finance. Issuers could be required to have an independent sharia board that answers to directors and shareholders rather than to management, said Sheikh Yusuf Talal DeLorenzo, a scholar with over three decades of experience in Islamic finance. In mid-june, Dana stunned creditors by announcing it would halt payments on its existing four-year sukuk because they no longer complied with changing interpretations of the Islamic sharia code, and had thus become unlawful in the United Arab Emirates. Dana said it would exchange the sukuk for new Islamic instruments with lower profit rates than the existing paper. Allman-Ward said on Thursday that the mudaraba structure of the outstanding sukuk a form of investment management partnership had become obsolete since 2007, when Dana originally issued the debt and when that structure was common. Saudi Aramco oil reserves dip in 2016 but daily output hits record CAIRO, July 6, (RTRS): Egypt will hike electricity prices by up to 42 percent this fiscal year for households but keep energy subsidies in place three years longer than expected, Electricity Minister Mohamed Shaker said on Thursday. The government has been looking to slash the subsidies it uses to keep consumers energy prices down and raise taxes in a bid to tighten up government finances. The measures are part of a three-year $12 billion International Monetary Fund loan agreement it hopes will lure back foreign investors who fled after a 2011 political uprising. It said previously it would phase out Gas reserves rise; two new oil fields discovered A direct challenge to Trump EU and Japan seal free trade deal BRUSSELS, July 6, (AFP): Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and top EU officials agreed Thursday to the broad outline of a landmark trade deal, presented as a direct challenge to the protectionism championed by US President Donald Trump. The breakthrough capped four years of talks and came on the eve of a G20 meeting in Germany at which Trump is expected to defend his America First stance on world trade. Today we agreed in principle on an Economic Partnership Agreement (with Japan), the impact of which goes far beyond our shores, European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker said at a joint press conference with Abe and EU President Donald Tusk in Brussels. The EU and Japanese economies combined account for more than a quarter of global output, making the deal one of the biggest trade pacts ever. We were able to demonstrate a strong political will so that the EU and Japan take the lead on free trade,, Abe said just hours before he was due to meet Trump at the G20 in Hamburg. With the deal, the EU is seeking access to one of the world s richest markets, while Japan hopes to jumpstart an economy that has struggled to find solid growth for more than a decade. Japan is also hoping to seize an opportunity after the failure of the 12-nation Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), torpedoed in January by Trump. The political agreement on the trade deal covers some of the accord s toughest aspects but leaves aside details that could still prove difficult. Products At the heart of the deal is an agreement for the EU to open its market to the world-leading Japanese auto industry, with Tokyo in return scrapping barriers to EU farming products, especially dairy. EU officials insist that the deal will be a major boon for European farmers who would gain access to a huge market that appreciates European products. Left untouched for now is the issue of controversial investment courts which have stoked opposition to trade deals in the EU nations, including Germany and France. After hard negotiations, the EU and Japan are sending a very positive signal to the world, said Markus J. Beyrer, Director General of Busines- Egypt to increase electricity prices electricity subsidies entirely by the end of the fiscal year beginning in July, but Shaker said tough economic conditions brought on by the floating of the pound currency in November means the subsidies will be phased out more gradually, by the end of Owing to conditions related to the big increase in the exchange rate, we have extended the period (for subsidies) by three more years, Shaker told a news conference announcing the new electricity prices. Inflation has soared in importdependent Egypt following the currency float, reaching a three-decade high of over 30 percent. Price rises are KHOBAR, Saudi Arabia, July 6, (RTRS): Saudi Aramco said on Thursday its recoverable crude oil and condensate reserves slipped to billion barrels at the end of 2016 but its daily crude oil production hit a new record of 10.5 million barrels per day. Aramco s reserves stood at billion in Its gas reserves rose to trillion standard cubic feet from trillion, Saudi Aramco said in its 2016 annual review. The company said it had discovered two new oilfields, Jubah and Sahaban, and one new gas field, Hadidah, all located in the Eastern Province, the main oil region in Saudi Arabia, the world s top crude exporter. Saudi Arabia s national oil company plans to list a stake through an initial public offering in 2018 which is expected to be the world s biggest IPO. The review did not make a reference to updates on the IPO process, which is at the heart of Saudi Arabia s economic transformation programme. For Saudi Aramco, the most notable feature of the Kingdom s transformation will be the future offering of part of the company s shares in local and international stock markets, said Khalid al-falih chairman of Aramco and Saudi energy minister. Aramco, which has exclusive rights to explore and develop Saudi Arabia s oil and gas, boosted oil production to a new record of 10.5 million barrels per seurope, a Brussels-based lobby. day (bpd) in 2016, from 10.2 million We are asking the G20 to take action against protectionism and this is Its oil exports rose to 7.6 million bpd bpd in 2015, it said in the review. a concrete example of how this could in 2016 from 7.1 million bpd in be done, he added. Asia still accounts for the lion s share of Anti-free trade activists meanwhile furiously criticised the mooted up from 65 percent in 2015, followed Saudi Aramco s exports at 66 percent, deal, calling it a dangerous sop to by exports to the United States, whose multinationals. share dropped to 15.8 percent from 16.6 This trade deal, and others like percent in it, smack of corporate protectionism at the expense of democracy and Aramco has also raised processing capacity of raw gas to 12 billion standard cubic feet per day (scfd). the environment, Greenpeace trade After raw gas is processed, output of campaigner Kees Kodde. sales gas or methane, used mainly for Last year, the EU s giant CETA electricity and petrochemicals, hit a new trade deal with Canada nearly sank record of 8.3 billion scfd. on such concerns when the small Belgian region of Wallonia threatened to feedstock for petrochemicals was also Ethane production, the favourite veto it, before eventually relenting. higher to 920 million scfd from 794 million scfd in Most opposition is centered on the investment courts, a controversial Saudi Aramco plans to double its measure designed to resolve commercial disputes. decade by including unconventional gas production to 23 billion scfd in a They have come under fierce opposition in Europe and the EU is develop gas non-associated with oil gas in the mix and by continuing to trying so far unsuccessfully to to help it limit the use of oil in power persuade partners to adopt a new system staffed by public officials. generation and provide feedstock to the petrochemical industry it is keen to grow. Divisions within the EU over the Its share of chemical production capacity almost doubled to 13,285 kilo- issue could prove significant when the EU-Japan deal faces ratification tonnes per year from 7,016 kilotonnes in the bloc s more than 30 regional per year in 2015 partly thanks to the and national parliaments. start-up of commercial operations at EU officials said they hoped to Sadara, its joint venture with US Dow implement the deal in January Chemical. Its Wasit gas plant fed by non-associated gas from offshore fields Hasbah and Arabiyah hit full capacity of 2.5 billion scfd. Aramco said more than 40 percent of non-associated gas now comes from the two fields. expected to continue following hikes Progress continued to be made in to the prices of electricity and fuel. the unconventional gas programme as Shaker said Egypt spent 64 billion the company completed wells in northern Saudi Arabia to deliver 55 million Egyptian pounds ($3.58 billion) on electricity subsidies during the scfd of gas by year-end 2017 to industrial and electrical power facilities in 17 fiscal year which ended in June, more than twice the 30 billion initially expected in the budget, largely phosphate project run by Saudi mining the Wa ad Al Shamal industrial city, a a result of higher import costs for company Ma aden. liquefied natural gas (LNG), which Saudi Aramco has responded to the challenges of the industry by lowering supply its power stations, following costs of its operations across the board. the float. As part of technological advancements, it said in the review it imple- The price hikes, which will take effect beginning August 1, will cut mented new techniques to lower gas subsidy spending to 52.7 billion production costs such as the use resinenhanced local sand to fracture a gas pounds in the current fiscal year and then to 43.4 billion pounds in the well with further trials to follow this fiscal year, Shaker said. year.

31 BUSINESS 31 valuable carmaker Tesla loses spot Canada trade deficit doubles in May After three months as the nation s most valuable automaker, a bad week in an otherwise stellar year has knocked Tesla from the top perch. Tesla s growth remains stellar, with shares soaring close to 50 percent this year, twice that at General Motors Co, which retook the spot Thursday. Ford Motor Co has actually fallen in value this year. But a trifecta of bad news in recent days, starting with a tweet from Tesla CEO Elon Musk, has delivered the worst week for the electric automaker s stock since early Shares fell 4 percent in midday trading Thursday, pushing shares down more than 13 percent for the week. On Monday, Musk sent out tweet saying that the Palo Alto, California, company anticipates production of 20,000 Model 3 cars per month in December, which was below previous estimates. Tesla also said Monday that it delivered about 22,000 vehicles in the second quarter, bringing firsthalf deliveries to about 47,100. That s at the low end of the company s projections earlier this year of between 47,000 and 50,000 deliveries. General Motors is already selling the Chevrolet Bolt, Audi plans to introduce an electric SUV next year. Ford will have one by (AP) Canada s trade deficit doubled in May to Can$1.1 billion (US$850 million) due largely to an increase in aircraft and auto imports. The deficit in April was revised to Can$552 million ($427 million). Canada s trade activity has been strong in recent months, with imports and exports both reaching record highs, Statistics Canada said. Imports rose for a sixth straight month, climbing 2.4 percent to Can$ 49.8 billion ($38.5 billion). Aircraft, car and oil imports led the increase. Exports also hit a record Can$48.7 billion ($37.6), driven by transfers of gold to Britain within the banking sector. Exports of automobiles and auto parts also rose, while deliveries of oil products fell 9.0 percent because of scheduled maintenance work at Canadian refineries. Imports from the United States, Canada s top trading partner, increased 3.6 percent to reach a record Can$32.7 ($25.3) billion, mainly in autos and aircraft. Exports to the United States were down slightly to Can$36.3 ($28) billion. As a result, Canada s trade surplus with the United States narrowed, from Can$4.8 ($3.7) billion in April to Can$3.5 ($2.7) billion in May. (AFP) BRUSSELS, July 6, (RTRS): The European Union s chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier warned British ministers and businesses who are calling for frictionless trade with the EU after Britain leaves that that is not possible. Addressing an EU business forum in Brussels on Thursday, Barnier said London s red lines for a future trade relationship meant Britain was definitely leaving the single market and the customs union, and only membership of both allowed frictionless trading arrangements. But Britain will stick by its aim to get a comprehensive free trade deal and customs agreement with the EU to ensure that trade is as frictionless as possible once it has left the bloc, a spokesman for Prime Minister Theresa May said. Barnier said, according to remarks prepared for delivery, that he was unsure the EU s refusal to grant single market access piecemeal and insistence on control of standards in the single market have been fully understood across the Channel. I have heard some people in the UK argue that one can leave the single market and keep all of its benefits that is not possible, he said. I have heard some people in the UK argue that one can leave the single market and build a customs union to achieve frictionless trade - that is not possible. Stressing that time was tight for a deal by the time Britain automatically leaves the bloc on March 30, 2019 time flies, he said. Barnier said he was ready to handle a failure of talks and no deal but that would be damaging, especially to Britain, and he saw no reasonable justification for it. A fair deal is far better than no deal, he said, turning around a phrase popularised by May that no deal is better than a bad deal. He called for rapid agreement on priority issues in talks begun last month to build a climate of trust so that trade negotiations could begin as soon as possible. But in urging businesses to prepare for Brexit now, he stressed that whatever deal was done would carry significant consequences. Britain aims to get comprehensive free trade deal No such thing as frictionless trade, Barnier warns UK US services sector growth rebounds in June after slowdown in May WASHINGTON, July 6, (AFP): The US economy s huge services sector saw growth accelerate in June after a slowdown in May, as new orders climbed even as employment slipped, the Institute for Supply Management said Thursday. The monthly survey showed 16 of 18 industries posted growth, with one unchanged and one declining. The Non-Manufacturing Index rose 0.5 points to 57.4 percent, retracting most of the slowdown seen in May. That was well above the consensus among analysts for a decline to 55.0 percent. The report is continuing to reflect strength especially after last month, A trading relationship with a country that does not belong to the European Union obviously involves friction, Barnier said. He cited disruption to cross-border traders processing value-added tax (VAT) and a need for all EU imports of animals and animal products to be tested at said Anthony Nieves, chair of the ISM s non-manufacturing survey committee. Among the components that make up the overall index, new orders rose nearly three points to 60.5 percent, while employment slipped two points to 55.8 percent from a very strong reading in the prior month, the report said. The report is continuing to reflect strength especially after last month, said Anthony Nieves, chair of the ISM s non-manufacturing survey committee. I didn t know how sustainable it would be but it seems to be taking this momentum forward. Especially borders. Those issues are of particular concern in Ireland, where farming businesses on either side of the new UK-EU border on the island fear disruption. Barnier repeated EU willingness to make a priority of agreeing border issues on Ireland, where new orders indicates still going to see continued growth going forward, Nieves told reporters in a conference call. But he said employment bears watching since that historically has tended to dip in the summer months. The overall index captures activity among all segments of the services sector, the largest component of the US economy. A reading of more than 50 percent indicates expansion, and despite the modest slowdown the sector has been growing for 90 months. Jim O Sullivan of High Frequency Economics noted that the index was stronger than expected and is up leaders on all sides fear a hard frontier could also undermine the fragile peace in the British province of Northern Ireland. After Japan and the EU agreed a free trade pact, Irish farm commissioner, Phil Hogan, said the deal shows the importance of size in significantly from 54.9, on average, in The average for the past 12 months is 56 percent. And while there is not a direct correlation to GDP growth there is certainly no sign in these data of the economy weakening, O Sullivan said in a research note. Another notable component of the index was prices, which rose to 52.1 percent from 49.2, with 14 industries reporting increased prices and only two reporting declines. Nieves previously has noted that companies lack pricing power, which has kept the index in check in recent months. global trade negotiations. A strong, unified European Union, representing 500 million citizens, can deliver benefits for both our exporters and our citizens. No individual member state could ever hope to achieve what the EU can achieve together, he said. Cheapest in world Shunned by rich, Cairo s Metro subway speaks of economic woes CAIRO, July 6, (AP): Cairo s subway is perhaps the cheapest in the world. For a fare equivalent to 11 US cents, you can ride as far as you want across the overcrowded, traffic-choked Egyptian capital. But even that feels like a burden for many of the millions who ride it each day, at a time when Egyptians are scraping to get by, their purchasing power gutted amid painful economic reforms being implemented by the government. The 30-year-old Cairo Metro typifies Egypt s deep economic inequalities and the large distances between classes. Unlike subways in New York, Washington, Paris and elsewhere in the world where the well-off and the poor mingle to at least some extent, the passengers who push and shove in and out of Cairo s metro cars each day are overwhelmingly poor or from the lower middle classes. Vital for those who take it, the subway is scorned by the upper crust that doesn t need it. Its stations and cars are almost bare of billboards because advertisers dismiss the passengers as C Class consumers. Residents of an upper-class district on a Nile island are furiously resisting having a station built in their neighborhood, fearing it will bring a flood of slum-dwellers. Despite traffic jams greeting those commuting back and forth into the city, there is no talk of extending the metro to the modern suburbs rising in the surrounding desert, where the better-off have been moving for years to escape Cairo s urban blight. Reform It is also one place where Egyptians economic vulnerability runs head on into the demands of reform. The government desperately needs to get its finances in order, unable to afford the billions it spends to keep food, fuel and many services at near rock-bottom prices. So it has reduced subsidies, increasing fuel prices and devaluing the Egyptian pound, which fell from eight to the dollar to around 18. Economists and foreign donors have praised the moves, which no previous government dared carry out. But the resulting inflation currently around 30 percent hit hard on a population where few have room to tighten their belts. Nearly a third of Egypt s population of 93 million lives under the poverty line, earning less than $2 a day. Many millions more hover just above the line, earning only slightly more. In March, authorities doubled the metro fare from one pound to two. In dollar terms, that s actually cheaper. A year ago, one pound equaled about 12 US cents. Now after the plunge in value, two pounds are worth around 11 cents. But for passengers, who largely earn the same salaries in pounds now that they did last year, the doubling was another painful blow. Complaints over the fare increase were so loud that President Abdel-Fattah el-sissi angrily pushed back in a TV appearance. You tell me you are poor and cannot afford it. Well, let me tell you that I (the government), too, am poor and cannot afford it, he said, visibly frustrated. In late May, he was furious with a lawmaker who, on live television, asked that further increases in fuel and electricity prices be put off until a minimum monthly wage of 3,000 pounds (about $165) is introduced. Who are you? the president shouted. When the lawmaker identified himself as a member of the House of Representatives, el-sissi said dismissively, What representatives? Did you study the topic you are talking about? In late June, fuel prices rose by up to 55 percent and on Thursday, the government announced electricity prices were hiked by more than 40 percent. Closer El-Sissi has repeatedly made the case that consumers have to start paying something closer to the actual cost of services. The metro is saddled with $27.7 million in debt and runs annual losses of $11.1 million, according to Transport Minister Hesham Arafat. It s fine if he wants to charge me international prices for public services. I ll pay, said Hisham Mohammed, a 26-year-old law graduate riding the subway on a recent day. But, in return, I need him to give me democracy and freedom of international standards, he said, alluding to el-sissi s iron-fist rule and the erosion of freedoms and human rights in the three years he has been in office. Mohammed was studying in the subway car as he headed to an exam for a post-graduate diploma. As a government employee, he makes 3,000 Egyptian pounds a month, a salary that nearly overnight dropped from the equivalent of $400 to $165. He s trying to get more degrees to get a promotion or find a more lucrative job in the Gulf. Nearly 5 million people a day in the city of 18 million use the subway. Running along three lines, it is by far the fastest mode of transport, since nightmarish traffic can jam the streets at all hours day and night. Only some trains are air conditioned, leaving people on other trains sweltering in the punishing summer heat. Commuters sometimes face 15 or 20 minute waits, making packed rush-hour trains even more crowded. Shouting matches are common, especially since everyone storms in the moment train doors open without letting those inside exit. At a time when security forces are in a years-long fight with Islamic militants, metal detectors have been set up at entrances of all stations, though commuters are rarely searched when the device beeps. Sniffer dogs and policemen, some wearing body armor, patrol stations. Posters of wanted militants are plastered next to ticket booths. US private payrolls growth slows; weekly unemployment claims rise WASHINGTON, July 6, (RTRS): US private employers hired fewer workers than expected in June and applications for unemployment benefits last week increased for a third straight week, pointing to some loss of momentum in job growth as the labor market nears full employment. Those signs were also evident in another report on Thursday showing growth in services industry employment slowing in June even as the sector, which accounts for more than two-thirds of the US economy, continued to expand at a healthy clip. NEW YORK, July 6, (AFP): News that JPMorgan Chase considered bidding for British payment company Worldpay signals that big US banks could be shifting back into acquisition mode after nearly a decade playing defense. JPMorgan, the biggest US bank by assets, said Wednesday that while it considered bidding on Worldpay, it would not attempt what would have been its biggest purchase since the financial crisis. JPMorgan s decision to back off opened the way for the acquisition of Worldpay announced Wednesday by US payment firm Vantiv. But the once over of Worldpay by JPMorgan is another sign of a shift from the tough regulatory environment in the aftermath of the 2008 crisis. I think the time for the big banks to break up is over, said Richard Bove, an analyst at Rafferty Capital Markets. This wasn t possible a few months ago, said Gregori Volokhine, president of Meeschaert Capital Markets. The maneuverings around Worldpay came just days after the US Federal Reserve gave the green light to large US banks for a generous round of capital distributions to shareholders after the industry passed stress tests with flying Trade defi cit declines 2.3 pct in May File photo shows workers from Faulkner s Landscaping & Nursery install an irrigation system at a project in Manchester, NH. On July 6, payroll processor ADP reports how many jobs private employers added in June. (AP) JPMorgan plans to bid for Worldpay US banks shifting back into acquisitions colors. Banks amassed some $750 billion in capital to meet rules enacted while Barack Obama was president, according to Morningstar. With President Donald Trump signaling a softer regulatory approach, some analysts expect banks to employ some of that cash on acquisitions of rivals or of technology companies and not only on returning money to shareholders. Growth Banks have to take some risks because there is not enough organic growth in their traditional business lines, said Volokhine, who expects large international banks to be active in mergers and acquisitions. Bove said the list of banks that could be primed for deal-making includes Bank of America, US Bancorp, PNC and Goldman Sachs. The whole game is that you have to get more customers, and to get more customers, you have to make more acquisitions, Bove said. A recent Treasury Department report said 171 of 370 rules implemented under the Dodd-Frank banking law enacted after the crisis could be modified. Trump has staffed his administration The moderation in job gains likely reflects difficulties by employers finding suitable workers amid an unemployment rate that is at a 16-year low. Even so, the labor market remains strong and tightening conditions could allow the Federal Reserve to raise interest rates again later this year. The slowdown in hiring, in our view, is a function of the difficulty in hiring workers, said John Ryding, chief economist at RDQ Economics in New York. Companies remain very reluctant to lay off workers and this is a continued sign of the tightness of the labor market. A report from the Commerce Department showed the trade deficit fell 2.3 percent to $46.5 billion in May. When adjusted for inflation, the trade deficit narrowed to $62.8 billion from $63.8 billion in April. Real goods exports surged to an all-time high in May, propelled by record high petroleum exports. Still, the real trade deficit averaged $63.3 billion in April and May, above the first quarter s average of $62.2 billion. That suggests trade will be a drag on gross domestic product in the second quarter after contributing 0.23 percentage point to the economy s 1.4 percent annualized growth pace in the first three months of the year. The Atlanta Federal Reserve is forecasting GDP rising at a 3.0 percent rate in the second quarter. Sector The ADP National Employment Report showed private sector payrolls increased by 158,000 jobs last month, stepping down from the 230,000 positions created in May and below economists expectations for a gain of 185,000. The report, jointly developed with Moody s Analytics, came ahead of the Labor Department s more comprehensive nonfarm payrolls report on Friday, which includes both public and private-sector employment. While the ADP report has a spotty record predicting nonfarm payrolls, June s modest job gains together with the modest rise in first-time applications for jobless benefits and cooling services sector employment pose a downside risk to the government s June jobs report. According to a Reuters survey of economists, nonfarm payrolls likely increased by 179,000 last month after May s 138,000 gain. The unemployment rate is forecast unchanged at 4.3 percent. with top officials sympathetic to big The dollar were trading lower finance, including Treasury Secretary against a basket of currencies on the Steve Mnuchin and National Economic data. Prices for US Treasuries also fell Council director Gary Cohn, both of as did stocks on Wall Street. whom once worked at Goldman Sachs. In a separate report, the Labor Department said initial claims for state Other key players in the Trump administration with banking industry experience include Joseph Otting, nominated 4,000 to a seasonally adjusted 248,000 unemployment benefits increased to be head of the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, and Randal Quarles, the third straight weekly increase in for the week ended July 1. It was who is reportedly in line for a top regulatory post at the Federal Reserve. likely reflected automakers closing claims. The rise in claims last week You have a total change in the structure, in the thinking and the policy of mer retooling. Still, it was the 122nd of assembly plants for the annual sum- regulators towards banks, which would straight week that claims remained suggest that big banks are going to be allowed to make acquisitions again, Bove with a healthy labor market. below 300,000, a threshold associated said. Applications are likely to remain elevated as some companies like Gener- One possible area of interest could be players like Worldpay active in financial al Motors embark on extended summer technology as consumers turn to their shutdowns to deal will slower sales, smartphones more frequently to buy which have led to an inventory bloat. goods and make transactions. The construction industry described Big banks have not been major players in the world of virtual currencies or constrained, and said low unem- the labor market as continuing to be in the innovation of electronic payments, ployment in most regions was making hiring difficult on all phases of the a sphere dominated by companies like PayPal, Apple Pay and Square. construction supply chain. The banks need to think about the future and not just paying out dividends, index rose to 54.2 in June from 53.6 in IHS Markit s services sector activity said Volokhine. Otherwise, they ll become has-beens. erated growth in May, marking a third month of accel- activity.

32 BUSINESS 32 Samsung to invest $18 bln in chip business Shell removes Malaysian woman cutouts Samsung Electronics will invest nearly $18 billion in its chip business, the South Korean fi rm said Tuesday, as it seeks to expand its lead in the global memory chip and smartphone markets. The world s top maker of smartphones and memory chips will invest 20.4 trillion won ($17.7 billion) by 2021 to expand and upgrade its chip plants in the South Korean cities of Pyeongtaek and Hwaseong, it said in a statement. The factory in Pyeongtaek, 70 kms (44 miles) south of Seoul, is the world s biggest and has recently started production after Samsung Electronics spent 15.6 trillion won over the past two years to build it. The company also plans to expand its NAND chip plant in the Chinese city of Xian to meet booming demand for the chips used in high-end storage products, it said. It did not elaborate on when and how much money it plans to invest there. In smartphones, Samsung has been increasingly sandwiched by smaller Chinese rivals in the low and mid-end markets, and by Apple s iphone in the highend segment. It also suffered a blow to its reputation after a humiliating mass recall last year of its Galaxy Note 7 smartphone over faulty, exploding batteries. (AFP) Energy giant Shell said it is removing life-sized cutouts of a Malaysian woman in a headscarf from its petrol stations in the Muslim-majority country after photos of men groping the fi gure started circulating online. The adverts featuring a female employee, wearing a red T-shirt with a Shell logo, black trousers and a black headscarf, smiling and with her thumb raised in the air, had been placed at Royal Dutch Shell s stations in Malaysia. But images of men kissing the cardboard cutouts, holding her hand and grabbing her chest and crotch started circulating on Facebook in recent days, in what Shell blasted as distasteful and suggestive acts. The woman, named in local reports as 25-year-old Nor Shafi la Khairusalleh, who worked at a Shell station, criticised the extreme behaviour of the men in the images. They may just be joking, but I feel humiliated because that is still myself although it is just an image, she told news portal mstar. The Anglo-Dutch group said in a statement that we do not condone this disrespectful act, which is completely against the culture of Malaysians and Shell s core values. We urge netizens and members of the public to refrain from sharing these images further. (AFP) Demand for scarce land rises Indian farmers giving up land face fewer jobs, lower income MUMBAI, July 6, (RTRS): Indian farmers forced into giving up their land for industry face dwindling earnings and fewer job options, increasing the likelihood of more bloody conflicts as demand for scarce land rises, experts say. Increased mechanisation is taking away some manual labour, while a lack of training of farmers and farm workers for alternate jobs is leaving them with few livelihood options. The Indian government s rural employment programme and construction work to build ever-growing cities are inadequate to bridge the income gap, analysts say. These are people who have known only this one job all their lives, said Bina Agarwal, a professor of development economics in the University of Manchester, told Thomson Reuters. These resource-poor, little educated people have few options outside agriculture except casual work, which would leave them poorer. Moving to the cities to work does not reduce poverty it may even increase it, she said. Employment in Indian agriculture shrank by 26 million jobs in the period 2011 to 2015, according to the McKinsey Global Institute. Jobs in skilled sectors such as education, health and hospitality rose by 33 million in the same period. Meanwhile, conflicts over land have risen as demand for industrial use increases, affecting millions of people and jeopardising billions of dollars of investment. Need a ball or umbrella? China s sharing economy more than doubled in 2016 SHANGHAI, July 6, (AFP): Basketballs, electric scooters and rainbow-coloured umbrellas nothing seems out of bounds in China s booming sharing economy. Where once Chinese consumers would look to shell out on items such as luxury handbags or cars, now they can rent them for short periods taking advantage of the explosion of mobile payment technology. As ever with China, the numbers are mind-boggling: the shared economy more than doubled to 3.45 trillion yuan ($505 billion) last year from a year earlier, according to official figures which projected average annual growth of 40 percent in the years ahead. But experts warn that China, which has rapidly become a world leader in the concept, is oversharing, and some start-ups are going bust. The fiercely competitive bikesharing craze in China s major cities claimed what was widely reported as its first victim in June when Wukong Bike reached the end of the road with 90 percent of its bikes missing and presumed stolen. The government has supported the sharing industry as a new growth driver as the overall economy slows, but there are signs Beijing is becoming wary and on Monday it asked local governments to come up with new industry regulations. In Shanghai, where bicycles of all colours threaten to take over the streets, Claire Victoria Pan said she uses a gamut of sharing services for bikes, cars, Airbnb and co-working spaces. These sharing tools make life very convenient, said Pan, from Hong Kong but living in Shanghai, where she founded a wine-trading company. Over-sharing There is over-sharing, but it is just temporary. When a new thing appears it will expand quickly so that there is excess supply. But after a period of time people find that demand is limited, then the supply will naturally reduce. Backed by a torrent of venture capital, the boom has spawned some novel ideas, including from an entrepreneur in eastern China s Zhejiang province offering basketballs for hire to save people having to carry them to games. Users can unlock a court-side locker by scanning a code with their smartphone and take the balls for 1.5 yuan (20 US cents) for 30 minutes. A camera films the transaction to discourage them running off with the balls. Spare rooms, washing machines, umbrellas and mobile-phone charging are all up for rent as China becomes the home of the sharing economy. Smartphone apps such as Alipay and WeChat have enabled the boom by allowing customers to buy products or transfer money by scanning QR codes. A 2013 land acquisition law aimed at protecting the rights of Indian farmers requires support for those displaced from their land with jobs or homes and compensation of up to four times the market value of their plot. But while it was customary in the past for large industries to offer jobs to displaced farmers, it is less common now. Of the jobs being generated, most are contract with fewer benefits and greater insecurity. Earlier, especially with stateowned enterprises, hundreds and even thousands of jobs were created, which somewhat made up for the loss of land, said Sudha Bharadwaj, a lawyer in Chhattisgarh state who represents villagers fighting land acquisitions. But now, there are very few permanent jobs created, so those giving up their land have fewer means of supporting themselves, she told the Thomson Reuters Foundation. More than 60 percent of India s population of 1.3 billion depends on agriculture for its livelihood. But more than three quarters of farmers own less than 2 hectares (5 acres) of land each, with falling incomes leading to rising debt and growing discontent. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has promised to double farmers incomes over the next five years, but recent deadly protests show farmers are frustrated with the slow pace of reform. Protesters included even the wealthy land-owning Jats of Haryana state and the Marathas of Maharashtra, who are demanding job quotas in addition to Bike-sharing, in which users can pick up bicycles on the street and leave them anywhere when finished, has been a standout success since being introduced in the last two years and latest official figures say there are now 10 million such bikes ploughing the streets of China. But with complaints soaring about bikes parked haphazardly and clogging up pavements, a backlash has begun. In an attempt to get a grip on the runaway industry, authorities in Shanghai and Tianjin will impose regulations from October 1 mandating a bicycle service life of three years and requiring companies to hire at least one maintenance employee for every 200 bicycles, state news agency Xinhua said. Wukong Bike, in the southwestern megalopolis of Chongqing, folded within just a few months and this week Beijing-based 3Vbike packed it in after most of its bikes also went AWOL. Casualties These won t be the last casualties, said Christopher Balding, associate professor at Peking University HSBC Business School in the southern city of Shenzhen. These sharing companies do provide very real benefits and in Shenzhen people are using these bikes all the time, he said. Balding added Chinese were attracted to such services because they tend to be very price-sensitive, and cited a bike-sharing firm that allows users to recharge their phones while cycling. But he warned: Investors are pouring enormous sums into this, there are too many companies and there does need to be industry consolidation. I ve joked with different people about the next crazy new sharing start-up app that we re going to generate. There is a fad and everyone s trying to think of what s the next sharing app so absolutely there s a bubble in sharing companies. William Chou at Deloitte China said it had less to do with sharing and more about rental. For example, all of the bike sharing in China uses newly manufactured bikes, not bikes from people who already own it, said Chou, leader of Technology, Media & Telecommunications. Ordinary people cannot profit from owning a bike, only the company that offers it makes money. Chou said that phone-battery chargers in shopping malls, restaurants and convenience stores were the next big thing, but also cited a shared electric scooter in Hangzhou, a city near Shanghai. Chinese consumers are getting used to the concept of sharing, in previous years they would rather own their stuff, Chou said. But as more people embrace the concept of sharing the market will continue to expand. better prices for farm output. Agarwal cites a recent survey that showed about 40 percent of farmers, when asked if they liked farming, said they did not; they included both poor and wealthy farmers. Most farmers themselves want their children to leave farming but a desire to quit does not match the ability to quit, Agarwal said. At the same time, a broader jobless growth trend means not enough jobs are being created even as the Indian Indian workers examine polished diamonds at a diamond cutting and polishing unit in Ahmedabad. The natural stones can take between 25 million to two billion years to form out of carbon-containing minerals at high pressures and temperatures deep in the Earth s mantle, and are economy expands at a fast clip. Only about 200,000 jobs were created in eight of India s most labourintensive sectors in the last two years, compared with nearly 1 million jobs a year created in the previous two-year period, official data showed. The government last month diluted its goal of training 500 million people in new skills by 2022, a setback to the goal of boosting employment. The ambitious Make in India plan to boost manufacturing and thus create jobs and the Skill India mission to improve workers skills are also falling short, analysts say. The rush to convert agricultural land into industrial land and industrial land into service land is partly responsible for the employment crisis, a trade union said in June. While larger land owners may receive enough compensation for their land with which to buy land elsewhere or set up a business, smaller farmers can do little with the money they get brought close to the surface by volcanic eruptions and are later mined by humans. India has the largest diamond polishing and cutting industry in the world, followed by Israel, where Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to seek trade collaboration on his current visit. (AFP) Complaints over accumulation of bikes soar China starts regulating bike-sharing sector SHANGHAI, July 6, (AFP): Authorities in Shanghai and Tianjin will impose regulations on the rapidly growing bike-sharing sector following mounting complaints over an accumulation of millions of the rentable two-wheelers on city streets, state media reported. The two metropolises have drafted rules that will require operators to adhere to standards on production, operation and maintenance of bicycles, Xinhua news agency said in a report late Wednesday. The regulations, to take effect Oct 1, will mandate a service life of three years for bikes and require companies to hire at least one maintenance employee for every 200 bicycles, it said. It added that there were now more than 10 million such bikes on the streets of Chinese cities, operated by more than 30 companies. Analysts say SBP effectively devalued currency Pakistan s finance minister criticises cenbank over rupee plunge ISLAMABAD, July 6, (RTRS): Pakistan Finance Minister Ishaq Dar clashed with the central bank on Thursday over a 3.1 percent plunge in the value of the rupee the previous day, denouncing an artifi cial move and vowing a new bank governor would be appointed in days. Pakistan s rupee had been stable for nearly two years, and the unexpected tumble on Wednesday caught top government officials, including Dar, off guard. Analysts said the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) had effectively devalued the rupee by not intervening to prop it up as it usually does. Traders say the SBP controls the thinly traded rupee market that works as a managed fl oat, while the bank on Wednesday evening backed a weaker rupee, saying it would ease balance of payments pressures in the $300 billion economy. But Dar said the sharp drop in the rupee was harmful to national interests and criticised the central bank, saying it was not its job to worry about the current account deficit. The current account deficit is the work of the fi nance ministry and to alter it, the State Bank is not supposed to do that, an annoyed Dar told media. The rupee regained some ground on Thursday, fi rming by 1.5 percent to trade at about /50 to the dollar in the late afternoon. A day China s bike-sharing sector has exploded from virtually nothing about a year ago into a transport phenomenon in major cities. Market entrants have flooded streets with the GPS-enabled bikes that users can unlock via a smartphone app, use as long as they want, and then leave anywhere. Support China s government has thrown its support behind the concept as a cheap, convenient, and green transport option, and leaders Ofo and Mobike have attracted hundreds of millions of dollars in venture capital. Much of this has been poured into putting more bikes on streets in a race for market share. But concerns have mounted over haphazardly parked bikes cluttering sidewalks, too many operators piling earlier the rupee tumbled to as low as The central bank governor is appointed by the prime minister and is meant to be independent. Deputy Governor Riaz Riazuddin was in May appointed as acting governor for three months until a permanent new chief was due to be named in late July. But Dar said that decision would be brought forward in light of the currency volatility and a new permanent governor would be appointed late on Thursday or on Friday. Dar also said he had ordered an inquiry into what he called a communication gap in the central bank, and between the bank and other Institutions. I don t believe that any individual has this kind of authority to make such a big decision to make an artificial adjustment, and I am calling this artifi cial, said Dar, who held an emergency meeting with heads of domestic banks and fi nancial institutions on Thursday. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) had previously said the currency was about 20 percent overvalued but Dar had rejected that, saying in May the fi gure was no more than 5 percent. One analyst said such strong pressure on the State Bank by Dar called into question the independence of the central bank, which is among the most respected Pakistani institutions. and lose their ability to grow their own food. Farm workers and tenant farmers who do not own the land they till are worse off, as they receive no compensation. We are trying to work out a way in which farmers do not lose out, and can improve their lives, T. Haque, chairman of the land policy department at government think tank Niti Aayog, told the Thomson Reuters Foundation. India s new tax makes small companies untouchables, hurts informal workers Unemployment risks, social unrest chances rise MUMBAI, July 6, (RTRS): India s biggest ever tax reform excludes tens of thousands of small businesses and millions of workers, risking an increase in unemployment and social unrest, analysts say. The Goods and Services Tax (GST), the biggest tax reform in the 70 years since independence, replaces more than a dozen federal and state levies. Officials say it will bring millions of businesses into the tax net, boosting government revenues. But critics say the tax is too complex and the cost of compliance too high. The new tax requires firms to upload their invoices to a portal that will match them with those of their suppliers or vendors. Companies that do not register for a tax number risk losing customers. Smaller, unregistered companies are being treated as untouchables, said Vinod Shetty, a rights lawyer in Mumbai. Not all companies can afford to register and invest in compliance. As a result, you will see small businesses shutting down and laying off workers. India s informal sector employs an estimated nine out of 10 workers. It makes up about half the textile industry and 70 percent of footwear and jewellery manufacturers. Any firm with an annual turnover of more than 2 million rupees ($31,000) has to register for the goods and services tax, which will require an overhaul of the firm s accounting systems and an investment in technology. For small companies operating on wafer-thin margins, this is an expensive proposition. The entire system only favours registered companies. Even firms not required to register will suffer, as other firms may not want to do business with them, Shetty said. It is really targeting a class of business owners who are not very wealthy and are likely religious minorities or of lower caste, who now stand to lose their livelihoods. Tax According to the government, the new tax makes doing business easier, and companies will gain substantial savings. Expanding the tax base will bolster public finances and boost welfare spending, officials say. For businesses, the benefits outweigh any initial costs and hiccups, said an industry representative. Small businesses face an existential question: Comply and thrive, or not comply and die, said Anil Bhardwaj, secretary general of the Federation of Indian Micro and Small and Medium Enterprises lobbying group. Inevitably, a few firms will lose out. The informal sector employs in with little business planning, and about 400 million workers and generates more than half India s gross customer payment disputes. Earlier this week, China s central domestic product. government issued broad guidelines Those losing their jobs may have for the sector designed to encourage a hard time finding employment, as prudent growth of the sector and too few jobs are being created despite an expanding economy. orderly competition. There were nearly 19 million users of shared bikes as of the end of created in eight of India s most la- Only about 200,000 jobs were 2016, Xinhua said, citing China s E- bour-intensive sectors in the last two commerce Research Center. years a fifth of the jobs created in But it quoted a Shanghai consumer affairs official saying there were showed. the previous two-year period, data more than 2,600 complaints about Meanwhile, the government has shared bikes in the city in the first diluted its goal of training 500 million people in new skills by four months of this year, nine times more than the same period in Imagine that millions of workers laid off because of GST end up The report also quoted officials saying Shanghai had more than a on the street with no jobs, Shetty million such shared bikes in operation, twice what the city needs, but It will lead to an increase in so- said. far too few maintenance personnel cial unrest unless the government to deal with broken-down bicycles. makes GST more inclusive.

33 BUSINESS 33 German industrial orders rebound Ukraine central bank says reform delays will slow IMF aid Industrial orders in Germany rebounded in May after a slide in April, preliminary offi cial data showed Thursday, but fell short of analysts hopes for Europe s largest economy. There were 1.0 percent more new contracts in May than in the previous month, correcting for seasonal effects, federal statistics offi ce Destatis said in a statement. May s rebound was well short of forecasts from analysts surveyed by data company Factset, who had predicted growth of 1.9 percent. Destatis noted that discounting more volatile large contracts for items like aircraft showed a slight contraction of 0.3 percent in overall orders in May, correcting for seasonal and calendar effects. Revised fi gures also showed that the fall in April was larger than previously thought, at 2.2 percent compared with March. (AFP) Ukraine s central bank said on Thursday that the government s delays in passing reforms mean Ukraine will probably receive $3 billion in aid from the International Monetary Fund this year instead of the $4.5 billion originally envisaged. The government is trying to push contested legislation through parliament, including raising the pension age and lifting a ban on land sales, as part of a $17.5 billion bailout agreed with the IMF in One tranche of IMF aid will likely be postponed until 2018, acting Central Bank Governor Yakiv Smoliy told reporters at a press conference. Due to the fact that the consideration of important draft laws, which were key when the IMF Board of Directors decided to allocate the next tranches, are delayed... we expect that one tranche will be transferred to the next year, he said. Smoliy spoke as the central bank kept its main interest rate on hold at 12.5 percent, after two consecutive months of cuts, saying the step was necessary to keep its inflation targets on track amid a worsening economic outlook. The bank cut its economic growth forecast for 2017 to 1.6 percent from 1.9 percent and said inflation had accelerated to 15 percent year-on-year in June, higher than predicted. The central bank also said uncertainty hangs more generally over Ukraine s ability to implement the IMF programme and that it new economic forecasts hinged on cooperation with the Fund staying on track. The inefficient implementation of reforms can lead to a deterioration in the prospects for economic growth, which will have negative consequences for inflation and exchange rate expectations and will increase inflationary pressures, the central bank said in a statement. Uncertainty remains regarding the implementation of macroeconomic policies and structural reforms necessary to maintain macrofinancial stability, increase the economy s potential and continue the programme with the IMF, it said. (RTRS) Inflation in 19-nation eurozone remains stubbornly low ECB weighs further small step towards stimulus exit FRANKFURT AM MAIN, July 6, (AFP): European Central Bank governors mulled sending a stronger signal of confidence in the eurozone economy last month as a hint at a possible roll-back of its easy money policies, but decided against it for now, accounts released Thursday showed. Financial markets are currently on high alert as to any possible signals about when the ECB might begin tapering or rolling back a range of unprecedented emergency measures designed to prop up the single currency area s crisis-battered economy. And ECB watchers minutely monitor the slightest changes in language in all of the central bank s communications. At a policy meeting in the Estonian capital of Tallinn last month, the ECB s governing council voted to remove a reference to a so-called easing bias from the bank s regular communications, minutes of the meeting revealed. An easing bias is a signal to the markets that the ECB could lower interest rates from already historic lows if needed. Governors also considered dropping a similar message that it could further ramp up its bond-buying scheme known as quantitative easing, if needed. Under the programme, the ECB currently buys 60 billion euros ($68.3 billion) of bonds every month. But in this case, they decided to retain the reference, at least for now, the minutes revealed. The assessment of the prospects for a sustained adjustment argued for patience, as the inflation outlook remained vulnerable to a premature tightening of the monetary policy stance, the minutes stated. As the economic expansion proceeded and if confidence in the inflation outlook improved further, the case for retaining this bias could be reviewed, the minutes continued. Low interest rates and mass bondbuying are designed to pump cash through the financial system into the real economy, driving growth and encouraging inflation towards the bank s target of just below 2.0 percent. They were introduced when the ECB feared that the single currency area might slip into deflation, a threat which the bank now sees as mostly dispelled. Low Nevertheless, inflation in the 19-nation eurozone remains stubbornly low even as economic growth has crept up, encouraging the central bank to stick to its stimulus measures. At the June meeting, ECB president Mario Draghi downgraded the bank s inflation forecasts for the coming years. Meanwhile, ECB governors are cautious about tapering, or unwinding, the bank s easy-money policies too quickly. Financial market reactions to higher interest rates or the ECB quitting bond markets could undermine the recovery just as it begins to gather pace. It was cautioned that even small and incremental changes in the communication could be misperceived as signalling a more fundamental change in policy direction, the accounts read. The minutes show the current ECB dilemma: how to take the first steps towards the exit without distorting markets, pointed out economist Carsten Brzeski of ING Diba bank. That lesson was hammered home for Draghi last week, when an upbeat Forget Euroglut low rates no recipe for weaker currency LONDON, July 6, (RTRS): Conventional market wisdom holds that higher interest rates strengthen a currency and lower rates weaken it. But the euro s recent run and the historical performance of the yen and Swiss franc show it s just not that simple. Since the euro s inception in 1999, by far the strongest of the world s 10 major currencies has been the Swiss franc, which has had comfortably the second lowest average interest rate over the period. Having by far the lowest average interest rate over those 17 years hasn t hampered Japan s yen too much either. The yen has come to symbolise the ultimate funding currency in which to borrow for higher yield investments, or carry trades, but has outperformed three of the 10 majors over that period and is only narrowly behind the dollar and euro. This brings us to the euro, which last week hit its highest level against the dollar in over a year. Its resilience in the face of super-loose monetary policy and negative interest rates from the European Central Bank has forced the large pack of euro bears to throw in the towel, most notably Deutsche Bank. In October 2014 Deutsche coined speech he gave hailing newfound economic confidence in Europe prompted a surge in the euro exchange rate against the dollar. This week, ECB board members have responded with calming messages, with chief economist Peter Praet calling for a steady hand in monetary policy and Benoit Coeure saying that policy changes have not the term Euroglut, shorthand for the ECB driving euro zone yields so low that the continent s huge surpluses would be funneled into markets overseas, driving the euro sharply lower. Excess savings, aggressive ECB easing and scant investment returns would lead to some of the largest capital outflows in the history of financial markets, Deutsche said back then. For a while, it followed that pattern. The euro, which had been nudging $1.40 only five months before, was at $1.26 and hurtling lower on its way to under $1.05 in March the following year. As the ECB pushed interest rates deep into negative territory and ramped up its quantitative easing bond-buying stimulus, currency speculators amassed the biggest bets ever against the euro and much of the bloc s near-700 billion euro current account surplus over 2015 and 2016 was recycled abroad. A break below parity and further weakness looked inevitable. But it didn t happen. The tradeweighted euro bottomed out and speculator bets on it falling maxed out in early Last week, it nudged $1.15 against the dollar and Deutsche Bank abandoned its subparity forecast. Deutsche Bank s George Saravelos says Euroglut wasn t a theory about the exchange rate as much as a description of the euro zone s balance of payments in recent years. As the ECB eased policy aggressively, that balance deteriorated from being strongly positive to a record negative and the euro slumped accordingly, he notes. The euro s subsequent failure to fall further is more a consequence of dollar-positive drivers, such as more US rate hikes and tax cuts, not materialising, he adds. But low inflation, low interest rates and large domestic surpluses pretty much the euro s ecosystem in recent years are often ingredients for a strong currency, not a weak one. Countries with structurally low inflation, balance of payments surpluses and high domestic savings don t need high interest rates. Over time, inflation and capital flows determine exchange rates, not shortterm rate differentials. Since the euro s launch in January 1999 the best performing G10 currency is the Swiss franc and the worst is sterling. Swiss inflation and interest rates have averaged 0.49 percent and 0.90 percent, respectively, and Britain s 1.98 percent and 2.81 percent, respectively. The Swiss franc s nominal broad effective exchange rate is up 49 percent in the last 17-1/2 years. The country last ran a current account deficit in 1980, which shows the structural support the franc enjoys, and its surplus has averaged around 10 percent of gross domestic product since It takes substantial investment or portfolio outflows to overturn such persistent demand for a currency. Japan also last posted a current account deficit in 1980, and its average annual surplus since 1999 has been around 2 percent of GDP. Japanese interest rates since 1999 have averaged 0.17 percent, and inflation precisely zero. The yen s nominal broad effective exchange rate is up a modest 5 percent since 1999, but that s more than the Swedish and Norwegian crowns, which have boasted average interest rates of 1.96 percent and 3.15 percent, respectively. Japanese and Swiss policymakers have spent years trying to push their currencies lower through the loosest monetary policies in the developed world. Longer-term fundamental forces, however, show it s just not that easy. been discussed by the governing council. The minutes of the ECB s June policy meeting suggest that the bank is preparing to taper its asset purchases, but only very gradually, commented analyst Jennifer McKeown of Capital Economics. It still sounds like interest rate hikes are a very long way off. Interest payments drop ECB easing hurts German savers, heals state finances LONDON, July 6, (RTRS): Many Germans see the European Central Bank s bond-buying scheme and interest rates cuts as subsidising indebted southern euro zone members at the expense of northern savers, but it has also transformed the finances of Germany s regions. The central bank started cutting interest rates in 2008 to help the economy after the global financial crisis and gathered pace as a series of debt crises hit the euro zone in 2011 and The monetary easing stepped up a gear when the ECB embarked on a trillion euro bond-buying scheme in March 2015 which pushed borrowing costs even lower. This punished German savers by driving interest rates to record lows but helped countries such as Spain, Italy and Portugal manage a sharp increase in their debt loads. It was also good news for the 16 regions and city-states including Lower Saxony, North Rhine Westphalia and Berlin, collectively known as the Laender. The regions have had their debt servicing costs cut by an average 40 percent in eight years, according to ratings agency S&P Global, and have been able to issue long-dated bonds and fix costs at extremely low levels. Most German states are running a surplus now and one of the reasons for this improvement is certainly the lower interest rate environment besides robust tax revenue increases, said Thomas Fischinger, a director at S&P Global. Fallen The ECB s deposit rate -- a closely watched interest rate set by the central bank -- has fallen from 3.25 percent in 2008 to minus 0.40 percent. It has been negative since Then in 2015 it started to buy billions of euros of bonds every month. This brought down yields and interest payments on government borrowing dropped sharply. Short-dated bond yields even went negative for countries with higher credit ratings such as Germany, the Netherlands and Austria, so investors were effectively paying to lend to them. This pushed German regional bond yields lower as investors bought German state debt as an alternative to Bunds. While German national debt is among the lowest in the euro zone, regional debt is among the highest. The sixteen have average debts of around 160 percent of revenues. This compares with percent for Austrian states and around percent for Russian regions, while for Swiss cantons 200 percent would be at the very high end, according to S&P Global s Fischinger. In 2009, they were running deficits of around 9 percent. In 2016, all but one of them ran a surplus partly because of low interest rates. This helped fulfil a national directive to balance their budgets four years earlier than the 2020 goal. Preliminary numbers show North Rhine Westphalia (NRW) ran a surplus in 2016 for the first time since Our budgetary performance has come as a surprise to some people, said Axel Bendick, head of funding for NRW. Numbers from the ministry show a 3.88 billion euro increase in tax revenues and a 563 million euro fall in interest payments helped the state shrink its budget by billion euros in Worries With worries increasing over a scarcity of eligible government bonds to buy under QE, the ECB in 2016 expanded its purchase programme to include bonds issued by government-related entities, including regional debt. Germany s regional benchmark bond market is the biggest beneficiary, being the largest in Europe. UniCredit analysts calculated the size of the state bond market at 364 billion euros at the end of 2016, seven times the size of the next biggest regional bond market, that of Spain, and comparable to the national debt of Belgium and the Netherlands. The yield on the March 2025 bond of North Rhine Westphalia -- with around 52 billion euros of outstanding euro benchmark bonds -- fell from 1.19 percent two years ago to 0.40 percent. The easing has also allowed German states to issue longer-dated bonds as investors look to buy longer bonds for the extra yield in a low interest rates environment. We printed our first 30-year benchmark in 2016, and certainly this part of the curve became attractive on the back of the QE programme and inclusion, said Bendick of the NRW finance ministry. We usually have a programme of around 20 billion; this has shrunk because of the extension of the portfolio. We don t have to fund as much in any given year as a result of this. Also, regions higher market profile has helped the state increase its borrowing in other currencies: in 2015, it met close to 20 percent of its funding needs in dollars. This increases the borrower s funding options and provides access to a new set of investors in case of more challenging times. UK s finance industry likely to face tipping point over Brexit Hard Brexit could cost Britain up to 38 bln pounds LONDON, July 6, (RTRS): Britain will lose its status as Europe s top financial centre unless it keeps borders open to specialist staff, improves infrastructure and expands links with emerging economies, TheCityUK said in a report published on Thursday. The report from Britain s most powerful financial lobby group said continental Europe might eventually become the preferred destination for banks, European Council President Donald Tusk (left), Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe (center), and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker greet each other prior to a meeting at the Europa building in Brussels on July 6. (AP) Govt plans to achieve target by 2040 France to end sales of petrol, diesel vehicles PARIS, July 6, (AFP): France will end sales of petrol and diesel vehicles by 2040 as part of an ambitious plan to meet its targets under the Paris climate accord, new Ecology Minister Nicolas Hulot announced Thursday. We are announcing an end to the sale of petrol and diesel cars by 2040, Hulot said, calling it a veritable revolution. Hulot acknowledged that reaching the goal would be tough, particularly for automakers, but said that French carmakers Peugeot-Citroen and Renault were well equipped to make the switch. France is the biggest manufacturer of electric cars sold in Europe, with the Renault Zoe far outselling other models in On Wednesday, Volvo said it planned to phase out production of petrol-only cars from 2019, with all new models to be either electric or hybrids. The Chinese-owned group is the first major manufacturer to electrify all insurers and asset managers as they relocate business there to retain access to the EU single market. Although companies may begin by initially shifting a small number of jobs to Europe this may begin to accelerate when property leases expire, they carry out business reviews, or when the cost of capital becomes uneconomical. Shifts out of the UK may gradually erode the cluster effect of the financial ecosystem, with the threat of a tipping point in the ecosystem being reached, the group said in a 83-page document outlining how the industry can thrive over the next decade. Securing a favourable deal for financial services from the Brexit negotiations is one of the biggest challenges for the British government because it is its largest export sector and biggest source of corporate tax. Britain s finance industry could lose up to 38 billion pounds ($49 billion) in revenue in a so-called hard Brexit that would restrict its access to the EU single market, according to some estimates. The report said the government must ensure businesses can recruit people to fill skill gaps and must simplify the process of getting a visa. Brexit has already made it harder to attract people to Britain and the government is introducing policies making immigration more restrictive and expensive, the report said. of its models. Hulot cited Volvo as an example in making his surprise announcement, part of his plan to make France carbon neutral by Hulot, a veteran environmental campaigner, was among several political newcomers to whom President Emmanuel Macron gave top jobs in his government. His nomination was seen as a statement of Macron s commitment to environmental issues. Cost It said the cost of hiring an employee on a five-year visa has risen by 250 percent to 7,000 pounds over the last year and the minimum salary a business may recruit staff for a visa has risen by almost half since Aside from Brexit, the report also looks at broader issues that threaten the competitiveness of the City of London as financial services hub, including a need to invest in transport networks and technology. It calls for government and financial services to work together closely to develop international trade policies and to improve the country s digital and physical infrastructure, including speeding up travel times between airports and different financial centres around Britain. One financial services industry veteran who had independent access to the report said it lacked urgency and there was too little on the impact of Britain leaving the EU given that Brexit is a catastrophe for the City. Mark Hoban, a former financial services minister who chaired the report, said that Brexit was only one of several challenges facing financial services. The challenges facing financial services are much more than just about Brexit. It is about emerging financial centres and also, to a degree, about unmet needs in the UK as well, Hoban told Reuters.

34 BUSINESS 34 South Africa s central bank said that changing its shareholding will not affect its mandate, the regulator said on Wednesday hours after the ruling party proposed at a policy conference to nationalise the bank. The shareholding of the SARB (South African Reserve Bank) has no bearing SARB shareholding on the policy or regulatory role that the SARB plays, the bank said in a statement to Reuters, saying it had noted the resolution by the African National Congress. The bank said that even if its shareholding were to change, it would continue to derive its mandate from the constitution. (RTRS) 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 July 6, % -2.26% -5.40% 2.16% 14.08% -4.15% Kuwait Sharia Compatible Index - Kuwait Only AMIC July 6, % -2.52% -4.82% 2.00% 12.27% -5.85% Kuwait Sharia Compatible Index - Active AMIC July 6, % -3.74% % 2.81% 19.13% % Kuwait Sharia Compatible Index - Banking Sector AMIC July 6, % -0.76% -8.57% -4.66% 7.73% % Kuwait Sharia Compatible Index - Investment Sector AMIC July 6, % -6.75% % 3.05% 1.76% % Kuwait Sharia Compatible Index - Insurance Sector AMIC July 6, % % -8.50% 29.41% 27.87% % Kuwait Sharia Compatible Index - Real Estate Sector AMIC July 6, % -3.14% % -1.85% 6.01% % Kuwait Sharia Compatible Index - Industrial Sector AMIC July 6, % -0.83% -6.09% 17.02% 22.63% 3.05% Kuwait Sharia Compatible Index - Services Sector AMIC July 6, % -5.00% 3.73% 10.45% 23.23% 13.88% Kuwait Sharia Compatible Index - Food Sector AMIC July 6, % -2.00% -4.43% -7.91% -4.33% % Kuwait Sharia Compatible Index - Islamic Sector AMIC July 6, % -0.95% -7.91% 0.42% 15.95% -9.64% Kuwait Sharia Compatible Index - Non Kuwaiti Sector AMIC July 6, % 2.22% % 6.45% 66.02% 58.86% Kuwait Stock Exchange Index - Price KWSEIDX July 6, , , % -1.22% -4.97% 16.21% 23.94% 8.31% S&P 500 SPX July 5, , , % -0.33% 3.18% 8.65% 16.47% 17.13% DJ Islamic Index. DJIM July 5, , , % -1.26% 4.60% 12.19% 12.57% 12.47% Farmerline mobile technology Prize-winning tech helps Ghana s farmers to grow ACCRA, July 6, (AFP): Agyei Douglas is a farmer who grows vegetables near Kumasi in Ghanas central Ashanti region. He used to struggle to access markets and capital. The information he needed was broadcast on the radio but often it wasnt specific enough to improve his yield of lettuce, spring onions, cabbage and chilli pepper. Two years ago, the 43-year-old began using Farmerline, which delivers weather updates, the latest market prices and other details to his second generation mobile phone. It has helped us improve on our productions through the information we get from them, it has made things easier for us as compared to our previous system, he told AFP. Start-ups The Ghanaian tech company behind Farmerline is one of a number of start-ups in the West African country working to bolster food security through better access to information. The initiative was established in 2012 and has so far helped connect some 200,000 farmers in 10 countries using the mobile technology. According to 2014 Ghana government figures, almost half of the working population are involved in agriculture, and just over half of Ghanas land is used for farming. World Bank figures indicate some 80 per cent of agricultural output came from smallholders on family-operated farms with average landholdings of less than two hectares (4.9 acres). A lack of more in-depth and accurate data have been seen as a stumbling block for Ghanas farmers, preventing them from better production or accessing financial loans. Farmerline offers a range of services for both farmers and those who want to connect to them, including non-government organisations, global food companies and local businesses. Businesses can access data and farm auditing services as well as farmer profiling, and farm mapping. For farmers, there are also weather forecasts, market prices and agricultural tips all offered as voice messages in local languages such as the Akan dialect Twi. A point of pride for Farmerlines chief executive and co-founder Alloysius Attah is its business model. It puts people in direct touch with farmers, breaking the cycle of poverty and dependency on aid. The business of agriculture has always been about aid, a feel-good project, said Attah. Agriculture Produce: Poor techniques affecting crops But we are working really hard to show you can create a business around it that provides value to farmers and you can get paid for those values you create. Farmerline this week won the King Baudouin African Development Prize, which rewards exceptional contributions to development work in Africa. The two other winners were an online legal services firm from Uganda, BarefootLaw, and Kytabu, which provides school reading content for students across Kenya. All three received 75,000 euros ($83,750) each. The prize, announced on June 20 in Brussels, aims to highlight work in driving social change across the continent and with funds attached, to help them advance. Organisers say the prize is based on the idea that entrepreneurship and local leadership, rather than traditional aid, is the key to sustainable change. Sustainable Attah isn t alone in his quest to use technology to make agriculture more sustainable and productive in Ghana. The countrys government says it wants to modernise agriculture, including mapping cocoa farms and collecting data on them. In the private sector, agri-tech firm Ghalani, set up in late 2016, also has data-collection as a key focus, digitising any manual records farmers may have. It also gives farmers access to software to keep better records, and make reports that could put them in a better position to get financing. CowTribe uses mobile technology to connect livestock farmers in northern Ghana with vets, while the start-up Hovver uses drones to help farmers map out their land. Attah says the prize has been life-changing for him but also the farmers he wants to help with the and especially the farmers he wants to help with the funds. His next project is an app that helps connect banks to farmers in need of loans, and is able to use data to predict how much can be borrowed and when it will be paid back, without having to put up collateral. Emerging currencies and equities take little solace from oil s bounce LONDON, July 6, (RTRS): Emerging currencies stayed on the back foot on Thursday after the previous day s slides, with South Africa s rand holding near seven-week lows due to a scare caused by proposals to nationalise the central bank and expropriate land. Inconclusive US Federal Reserve minutes kept the dollar near one-week highs and while some policymakers said weak inflation made them uncomfortable with the implied path of rate rises, expectations are that the Fed is moving steadily towards unwinding its balance sheet. Emerging currencies and equities took little solace from oil s 1 percent bounce with the rouble tumbling 0.7 percent against the dollar to the lowest level since January and MSCI s benchmark emerging equity index flat after a lacklustre session in Asia. JPMorgan data showed an emerging currency index, the ELMI Plus, closing at a six-week low on Wednesday. The rand fell 0.4 percent, extending the 1.6 percent slide driven by proposals at the conference of the ruling ANC to nationalise the respected central bank and expropriate land without compensation but also by the party s failure to agree any much-needed reforms. The central bank calmed some nerves by stressing its independence was enshrined by the constitution regardless of ownership. But Commerzbank said the rand faced uncertain times reminding clients of proposals last month to change the central bank s mandate to include growth. The announcement does leave a bad taste. Even well before the parliamentary elections in 2019 this is likely to cause further concerns about the central bank s independence and its stability-orientated course, Commerzbank said. Benchmark bond yields were near 2-1/2-month highs but the commodityheavy bourse rose to one-month highs. The Turkish lira, the emerging currency most vulnerable to higher US interest rates, touched six-week lows, losing half a percent against the dollar. Earlier in the day, most Asian currencies also weakened, led by the Korean won s 0.3 percent fall and the Turkish lira touches six-week lows People walk past an electronic stock indicator of a securities firm in Tokyo on July 5. Asian shares were muted Wednesday as the geopolitical fallout from North Korea s long-range missile launch weighed on investor sentiment amid trading thinned by the US Independence Day holiday. (AP) Philippine peso touching 11-year lows Morgan Stanley said however that while Western central banks stimulus unwind presented some risks to emerging markets, the latest moves were likely down to position squaring amid recovering growth and reasonable asset price valuations. We think this period of EM weakness will prove temporary and maintain a bullish medium-term view, the bank added. Assets Middle Eastern assets were steady after four Arab states decided not to immediately slap fresh sanctions on Qatar. Qatari stocks fell 0.6 percent but the riyal was flat in the spot as well as forward markets. Emerging sovereign bond spreads over Treasuries narrowed one basis point but were at the highest in two weeks. China stocks inched up on Thursday, helped by strong gains in resource firms on expectations of robust midyear earnings. The blue-chip CSI300 index was unchanged at 3,660.10, while the Shanghai Composite Index added 0.2 percent to 3, points. China s central bank skipped open market operations for the 10th day in a row on Thursday, citing relatively high liquidity levels in the banking system. The draining recently indicates that the central bank will not send any signals of loosening, in order to maintain relatively balanced liquidity conditions, Li Lifeng, an analyst with Sinolink Securities, wrote in a note. The defensive consumer and health care sectors lost 0.7 percent and 1.1 percent respectively, paring strong gains made after their inclusion in a key MSCI index. Meanwhile, Hong Kong stocks followed most Asian markets lower, after minutes from the Federal Reserve s last meeting showed a lack of consensus on the pace of US future interest rate increases. The Hang Seng index fell 0.2 percent, to 25,465.22, while the China Enterprises Index lost 0.3 percent, to 10, points. Sector performance was mixed. Gains were led by consumer and industrial stocks, and losses were seen in telecommunications and energy firms. Shares in Tencent Holdings rose for a second day and steadied after volatile trade the past two sessions. The stock, which lost 4.1 percent on Tuesday, gained 0.3 percent on Thursday. The gaming and social media firm said it would limit play time for some young users of its top-grossing mobile game, responding to criticism that Chinese children were getting addicted. The index measuring price differences between dual-listed companies in Shanghai and Hong Kong stood at A value above 100 indicates Shanghai shares are pricing at a premium to shares in the same company trading in Hong Kong, and vice versa. Oil rose on Thursday, recovering some ground after a surprisingly upbeat picture of US demand halted the previous day s steep slide, although the prospect of oversupply in 2018 has prompted yet more analysts to cut their price forecasts. 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 II NBK Capital Weekly June 20, 2017 KD May 30, 2017 Watani USD Money Market Fund NBK Global Asset Management Co. Ltd. Weekly June 20, 2017 USD May 30, 2017 Watani KD Money Market Fund (Acc to Islamic Shariah principles) II NBK Global Asset Management Co. Ltd. Weekly June 20, 2017 KD May 30, 2017 Watani USD Money Market Fund (Acc to Islamic Shariah principles) II NBK Global Asset Management Co. Ltd. Weekly June 20, 2017 USD May 30, 2017 NBK Kuwait Equity Fund Watani Investment Co. Weekly June 15, 2017 KD May 25, 2017 Gulf Equity Investment Fund Watani Investment Co. Weekly June 15, 2017 USD May 25, 2017 Gulf Bank Al Basha er GCC Equity Fund Kwt. Fin. & Inv. Co. & Gulf Fin. House Monthly June 15, 2017 USD April 30, 2017 Coast Fund Coast Investment & Dev. Co. Monthly May 5, 2017 KD March 28, 2017 Sanaya Dow Jones Kuwait Index Fund Industrial & Financial Investment Co. Weekly Jan 26, 2017 KD Dec 30, 2016 Markaz Capital Preservation Program 1 Monthly Feb 28, 2017 KD Dec 31, 2016 Markaz Capital Preservation Program 2 Monthly Feb 28, 2017 KD Dec 31, 2016 Markaz Gulf Real Estate Fund Bi-annual May 31, 2017 KD April 30, 2017 Al Ahli Bank Al Ahli Gulf Fund Al Ahli Bank Monthly May 31, 2017 KD April 30, 2017 Al Ahli Kuwaiti Fund Al Ahli Bank Monthly May 31, 2017 KD April 30, 2017 Burgan Bank Burgan Equity Fund Burgan Bank Monthly May 28, 2017 KD April 23, 2017 Boubyan Bank Boubyan KD Money Market Fund Boubyan Bank Weekly June 20, 2017 KD June 6, 2017 Boubyan KD Money Market Fund II Boubyan Bank Weekly June 20, 2017 KD June 6, 2017 Boubyan Capital Investment Co. Boubyan USD Liquidity Fund Boubyan Capital Investment Co June 20, 2017 USD June 6, 2017 Boubyan Multi-Asset Holding Fund Boubyan Bank April 30, 2017 USD April 25, 2017 Kuwait Investment Co. Local Fund Al Raed Fund Kuwait Investment Co Weekly June 30, 2017 KD June 22, 2017 Kuwait Investment Fund Kuwait Investment Co Weekly June 29, 2017 KD May 31, 2017 Al Hilal Fund Kuwait Investment Co Monthly June 26, 2017 KD May 31, 2017 Al Atheer Fund Kuwait Investment Co Weekly June 30, 2017 KD May 31, 2017 International Global Bond Fund Kuwait Investment Co Weekly June 28, 2017 USD June 21, 2017 Diversified Fund Kuwait Investment Co Weekly June 28, 2017 USD June 21, 2017 European Fund Kuwait Investment Co Weekly May 31, 2017 Euro April 28, 2017 Pacific Equity Fund Kuwait Investment Co Weekly June 28, 2017 USD June 21, 2017 North American Equity Fund Kuwait Investment Co Tw. Monthly May 31, 2017 USD April 28, 2017 National Investment Co. (NIC) Al-Wataniya Fund NIC Monthly May 31, 2017 KD April 30, 2017 Al-Darij Fund NIC Monthly May 31, 2017 KD April 30, 2017 Mawarid Fund NIC Monthly May 31, 2017 KD April 30, 2017 Zajil Fund NIC Monthly May 31, 2017 KD April 30, 2017 Al Mada Investment Fund NIC Weekly May 31, 2017 USD April 30, 2017 Kuwait Financial Centre (Markaz) Mumtaz Fund Kuwait Financial Center Weekly June 22, 2017 KD June 15, 2017 MIDAF Kuwait Financial Center Weekly June 22, 2017 KD June 15, 2017 Islamic Fund Kuwait Financial Center Weekly June 22, 2017 KD June 15, 2017 Markaz Arabian Fund Kuwait Financial Center Weekly Nov 10, 2016 KD Nov 3, 2016 FORSA Financial Fund Kuwait Financial Center Monthly April 30, 2017 KD March 31, 2017 Real Estate Fund Kuwait Financial Center Monthly April 30, 2017 KD March 31, 2017 Markaz Fixed Income Fund Kuwait Financial Center Monthly June 22, 2017 USD June 15, 2017 Mawazeen International Fund Kuwait Financial Center Weekly March 26, 2017 USD March 19, 2017 Markaz MENA Islamic Fund Kuwait Financial Center Weekly June 15, 2017 USD May 18, 2017 Kuwait & Middle East Financial & Inv. Co. Al Rou yah Fund KMEFIC Monthly April 30, 2017 KD March 31, 2017 Gulf Gate Fund KMEFIC Monthly Oct 31, 2016 KD Sept 30, 2016 Funds Fund Manager Valuation Valued date Currency Net Asset Prev NAV Prev NAV Dated Value (NAV) Global Investment House Index Funds GCC Large Cap Index Fund Global Weekly June 29, 2017 KD June 22, 2017 Equity Funds Al-Mamoun Fund A Global Weekly June 29, 2017 KD June 22, 2017 Al-Mamoun Fund B Global Weekly June 29, 2017 KD June 22, 2017 GCC Large Cap Fund Global Bi-weekly June 27, 2017 USD June 20, 2017 Global Saudi Equity Fund Global Bi-weekly June 27, 2017 SAR June 20, 2017 Sectoral Funds EPADI Fund Global Weekly June 27, 2017 USD June 20, 2017 Islamic Funds Global GCC Islamic Fund Global Weekly June 27, 2017 USD June 20, 2017 Al-Durra Islamic Fund Global Monthly June 29, 2017 KD June 22, 2017 Kuwait Finance & Investment Co (KFIC) Al Wasm Fund KFIC Weekly June 7, 2017 KD March 16, 2017 Al Basha er GCC Equity Fund KFIC Monthly May 31, 2017 USD Feb 28, 2017 KAMCO KAMCO Investment Fund KAMCO Monthly April 30, 2017 KD Jan 31, 2017 KAMCO GCC Opportunities Fund KAMCO Monthly July 31, 2016 USD Feb 29, 2016 KAMCO MENA Plus Fixed Income Fund KAMCO March 31, 2017 USD Jan 31, 2017 KAMCO Real Estate Yield Fund KAMCO April 30, 2017 USD March 31, 2017 Kuwait Education Fund KAMCO Quartely Sept 30, 2016 KD Wafra International Investment Co. Wafra Equity Fund Wafra Co. Monthly June 30, 2017 KD May 31, 2017 Wafra Bond Fund Wafra Co. Monthly June 30, 2017 KD May 31, 2017 Masaref Investment Fund ISKAN Weekly June 30, 2017 KD May 31, 2017 Fajir Islamic Fund Wafra Co. Monthly June 30, 2017 KD May 31, 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 April 30, 2017 KD Dec 31, 2016 Tharwa Investment Co. Tharwa Investment Fund Tharwa Investment Co Weekly June 30, 2017 KD June 8, 2017 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 June 30, 2017 KD June 8, 2017 Bank Al-Bilad Al Seef Fund Bank Al-Bilad Daily June 4, 2017 KD May 21, 2017 Commercial International Bank CIB Money Market Fund (Osoul) CI Asset Management Weekly July 6, 2017 EGP July 3, 2017 CIB II Equity (Isthethmar) CI Asset Management Weekly July 6, 2017 EGP July 3, 2017 CIB and Faisal Islamic Al Aman CI Asset Management Weekly July 6, 2017 EGP July 3, 2017 Hemaya CI Asset Management Weekly July 2, 2017 EGP June 1, 2017 Thabat CI Asset Management Weekly July 6, 2017 EGP July 3, 2017 Takamol CI Asset Management Weekly July 6, 2017 EGP July 3, 2017 Misr El Mostakbel CI Asset Management Weekly July 2, 2017 EGP June 18, 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 Feb 28, 2017 KD Jan 31, 2017 Muthanna GCC Islamic Banks Fund KFH Capital Investment Company Daily Feb 28, 2017 KD Jan 31, 2017 Baitak GCC Fund KFH Capital Investment Company Weekly Feb 28, 2017 KD Jan 31, 2017 CapCorp Investment Co. CapCorp Local Fund CapCorp Investment Company Weekly June 30, 2017 KD March 30, 2017

35 BUSINESS 35 CI Capital-led group to lead IPO of ENPPI Egypt s Investment Ministry on Wednesday said it had selected a consortium led by CI Capital to act as lead managers and bookrunners for the initial public offering of state-owned oil company ENPPI. The consortium includes Jefferies International Limited and Emirates NBD Capital Limited. Egypt plans to embark on its fi rst sale of shares in a stateowned company in 12 years. It aims to raise up to $150 million from the stock market listing of Engineering for the Petroleum and Process Industries (ENPPI) in the first of a series of planned public offerings. The ENPPI IPO is only the beginning of a pipeline of state-run companies to offer minority shares publicly over the next year, Investment Minister Sahar Nasr said in a statement. The government would retain majority stakes in these enterprises while helping via the IPOs to increase the size and liquidity of Egypt s stock market, the minister said. (RTRS) Kuwait winds up week in green; volume dips By John Mathews Arab Times Staff KUWAIT CITY, July 6: Kuwait stocks eked modest gains to wind up the week on a positive note. The bourse rose 9.2 points in volatile trade to 6,680.3 pts helped by strong gains in select counters even as the broader market sentiment remained mixed. The KSX 15 gauge fell 2.56 pts to points trimming the year s gains to 22 pts while weighted index eased 1.44 points to points. The volume turnover meanwhile dipped after hitting a one-month high in the last session million shares changed hands a pct drop from Wednesday. The sectors closed mixed. Healthcare outshone the rest with 5.14 percent surge whereas insurance shed 2.46 pct, the biggest loser of the day. Volume wise, financial services garnered the highest market share of pct and insurance trailed with 23 pct contribution. In the individual shares, National Bank of Kuwait gave up nearly all of last session s gains with a 5 fils drop to 689 fils with a volume of 1.2 own 7 fils at 745 fils. NAPESCO soared 60 fils to KD after hitting a shallow trough in the day before. Zain was fell 3 fils to 410 fils and after trading 1.5 million shares while Ooredoo sank 90 fils to KD taking the year s losses to 190 fils. Kuwait Telecommunications Co dipped 20 fils to 800 fils and Agility inched 1 fil into red. Commercial Bank of Kuwait took in 2 fils and Burgan Bank clipped fils. The bank has registered a 24.6% year-on-year increase in its profits to KD for the first quarter of The net operating profit however saw a drop of 3.4 pct to KD million during the quarter. The market opened wobbly and edged lower in early trade. The main index drifted sideways and jumped briefly half way into the session before retreating again into the red. It bottomed at 6, pts and rebounded thereafter to close with modest gains. NAPESCO jumps 60 fils; Ooredoo dips Mideast Stocks Top gainer of the day, Ream jumped 12.9 pct to 350 fils and International Resorts Co climbed pct to stand next. Warba Insurance Co tumbled percent, the steepest decliner of the day and Al Imtiaz topped the volume with over 7 million shares. Despite the day s uptick, the losers outnumbered the winners. 32 stocks advanced whereas 54 closed lower. Of the 113 counters active on Sunday 27 closed flat. 2,345 deals worth KD 8.3 million were transacted down 18.6 pct in value from the day before National Industries Group took in 1 fil and Gulf Cable gained 28 fils to close at 435 fils. Metal and Recycling Co was unchanged at 87 fils and Educational Holding Group gave up 3 fils to settle at 367 fils. Kuwait Portland Cement Co shed 20 fils. Kuwait Food Co (Americana) took in 1 fil with thin trading and Mowasat Hospital leapt 42 fils to 495 fils. Al Rai Media Group slipped 3 fils to 119 fils and Yiaco was down 7 fils at at 177 fils. Kuwait Foundry Co was unchanged at 270 fils off early lows and Shuaiba Industrial too did not budge from its earlier close of 300 fils. The company has logged a Q1 profit of KD 632,050 up 0.4% from KD 629,560 in the same period a year ago. Jazeera Airways was flat at 470 fils and Alafco followed suit. The company has posted a 83.3% surge in profits to KD 5.59 million for the quarter ending 31 March 2017 from year before period. Humansoft Holding paused at KD and Equipment Holding Co edged 0.9 fil higher. Eyas For Higher and Technical Education dropped 16 fils to 750 fils and Burgan Well Drilling Co gave up 4.3 fils. In the banking sector, Commercial Bank of Kuwait dialed up 2 fils whereas Gulf Bank stood pat at 238 fils. Al Ahli Bank was not traded during the session. Kuwait Finance House added 1 fil on back of 1.2 million shares and Boubyan Bank held ground at 405 fils. Warba Bank too was unchanged at 253 fils. KIPCO fell 1 fil to 334 fils and International Financial Advisors edged 0.6 fil into red. National Investment Co added 0.9 fil and Coast Investment Co clipped 1.8 Qatar flat after Arab alliance meets fils. Securities House Co closed 0.4 fil in red. Bayan Investment Co eased 0.6 fil to 48.7 fils whereas KFIC stood pat at 40 fils. Noor Financial Investment Co gave up 1 fil and Amwal Investment rose 3.9 fils to 48.9 fils. Arzan edged 1.6 fils higher and Aayan Investment was little changed at 38.2 fils.kuwait Reinsurance Co dialed down 2 fils and First Takaful Insurance Co trimmed 2.5 fils to close at 47 fils. United Real Estate Co rose 3 fils to 88 fils and National Real Estate Co stalled at 108 fils. Salhiya Real Estate Co inched 1 fil higher and Kuwait Real Estate Co took in 0.5 fil. The market was mixed during the week. The main index closed higher in three of the five sessions but has dived 82 points week-on-week. It had shed 26 points during whole of June and is trading pct higher year-to-date. KSE, with 188 listed companies, is the second largest bourse in the region. In the bourse related news, Kuwait Finance and Investment (KFIC) rebounded to post a net profit of KD 146,350 in the first three months of 2017, from KD 255,510 loss in first quarter of Operating income grew 76% yearon-year to reach KD 1.65 million. Aayan Real Estate has recorded a percent jump in its profits to KD 536,890 for the first quarter of 2017 from same period in the year before. During 2016, the profit saw a 1.5% uptick to KD 2.75 million in 2016 from the previous year. Ooredoo Kuwait has posted 26.6 pct jump in profits during the first quarter of 2017 to KD million from KD million in same period last year. It had recorded a growth of 75% in profits to KD million during Mowasat Healthcare has registered a 40.2% increase in net profits in the first quarter of 2017, to reach KD 1.92 million as compared to KD 1.37 million in the year before period. Al Ahleia Insurance s first quarter net profit dropped by 14.5% in the first to KD 2.88 million from KD 3.37 million in Q1 of Operational income dipped 39.6 pct to KD 1.58 million National Ranges Company s (Mayadeen) losses shrank by 18.2 pct in the first quarter of 2017 to KD 642,620 from about KWD 785,610 in same period of Steel, cement stocks lift Saudi index DUBAI, July 6, (RTRS): Shares in Saudi Arabia s cement and steel sectors rose on Thursday after the government cut export tariffs, but Gulf stock markets were mostly weak after a slide in oil prices. The Saudi government said it was cancelling all export duties on steel for two years to encourage local industries, and would halve cement export tariffs. Analysts said top-line growth of cement and steel companies was not expected to get a huge boost, but the news was positive for a building materials sector that has been hit hard by the government s austerity policies in the past couple of years. Despite some companies having obtained a licence to export six months ago, competition from other Asian markets is stiff and the demand outlook is relatively subdued, said a Riyadh-based cement sector analyst. Any rise in exports will still do little to reduce the supply glut in the local market. Najran Cement, one of the companies with an export licence, rose 2.6 percent in its heaviest volume since February and three other stocks among the top 10 gainers were also from the cement industry. Al Yamamah Steel Industries climbed 1.7 percent. The Riyadh index, however, fell 0.9 percent, its third straight session of losses. The banking sector was the main drag with heavyweight National Commercial Bank dropping 0.6 percent to riyals, pulling further away from a 22-month intra-day high hit of riyals on Sunday. Elsewhere, Qatar s index edged down 0.1 percent as 21 shares rose and 12 declined. Foreign funds, which have been net buyers of Qatari shares this week, were neutral on Thursday while non-qatari Gulf investors were net sellers, bourse data showed. Four Arab states decided in a meeting in Cairo on Wednesday not to slap fresh sanctions on Qatar for now, but voiced disappointment at its negative response to their demands and warned of the possibility of further action against Doha. The index is down 10.1 percent since June 5, when the diplomatic crisis erupted. Fund managers believe further sanctions, such as a pull-out of bank deposits, remain quite possible in coming days or weeks, but they may hurt the Qatari economy rather than cripple it. In Abu Dhabi, Dana Gas fell 1.4 percent after sources told Reuters that London s High Court planned to hold a full hearing in September on efforts by the company to restructure $700 million of its Islamic bonds. A High Court judge upheld an interim injunction there blocking holders of the sukuk, due to mature in October, from enforcing claims against Dana. But he also ordered Dana to cancel an injunction in a court in the emirate of Sharjah and seek a stay of its proceedings there. The Abu Dhabi index edged down 0.4 percent. In Dubai the index lost 0.5 percent in very low volumes, hit by a 1.4 percent drop in blue chip Emaar Properties and a 1.8 percent fall in peer DAMAC Properties. Cairo s stock index rose 0.3 percent in quiet trade as 16 blue chips advanced and 13 declined. Credit Agricole Egypt jumped 6.9 percent in thin volume and inevstment bank EFG Hermes surged 2.9 percent from a four-month low. Saudi Arabia The index lost 0.9 percent to 7,204 points. Dubai The index fell 0.5 percent to 3,401 points. Abu Dhabi The index declined 0.4 percent to 4,396 points. Qatar The index edged down 0.1 percent to 8,923 points. Egypt The index edged up 0.3 percent to 13,370 points. Kuwait The index added 0.1 percent to 6,680 points. Bahrain The index fell 0.1 percent to 1,311 points. Oman The index rose 0.1 percent to 5,120 points.

36 BUSINESS 36 Uber suspends unlicensed service in Finland EU suspects GE, Merck, Canon of merger violations Uber said on Thursday it would suspend its unlicensed service UberPOP in Finland until a law deregulating the taxi market comes into effect next year. The US ride-hailing company has come under fi erce pressure from traditional taxi drivers and regulators across Europe who accuse it of unfair competition and skirting traditional licensing rules. UberPOP has already been suspended in several European capitals, including Paris and Brussels. Its Finnish country manager Joel Jarvinen said it would halt UberPOP in Finland to avoid problems for its drivers. We want to ensure that we do not pose drivers who use our app or our employees any unnecessary issues - especially now that we have a bright future to look forward to. We believe that the best way to do so and focus on the future is to pause UberPOP and relaunch in the summer of 2018, Jarvinen said in a blog post on Thursday. Uber s licensed service Uber- BLACK will continue operating in the Finnish capital Helsinki and Jarvinen said the company was committed to supporting the hundreds of drivers who would no longer be able to make money with UberPOP. (RTRS) EU authorities are accusing General Electric, German drugmaker Merck and electronics manufacturer Canon of violating European rules to push through mergers or acquisitions. The EU Commission said Thursday it has fi led complaints in all three cases, amid increasing European efforts to crack down on abuses. While the Commission is not seeking to annul the mergers, it is threatening hefty fi nes if further investigation confirms wrongdoing. And EU Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager warned Thursday that authorities could seek to unwind mergers in the future if companies continue to deceive or mislead authorities. Based on preliminary investigation, the Commission says it suspects GE failed to provide full information about its wind products ahead of its $1.6 billion acquisition of Danish energy company LM Wind this year. GE could face fi nes of up to 1 percent of annual revenue. Based on GE s 2016 revenues of $123 billion, that could mean up to $1.2 billion in fines. GE promised in a statement to cooperate with the investigation, saying: We believe we acted in good faith to meet the EC disclosure requirements and there was no intent to mislead. (AP) the bottomline Global equities fall as investors LONDON: Britain s Reckitt Benckiser downgraded its growth forecast on Thursday, becoming one of the first companies to quantify the cost of a global cyber attack which the consumer goods maker said disrupted its manufacturing and distribution. Multinational companies, along with Russia s biggest oil company and Ukrainian banks, were hit in an attack on June 27 that crippled computers running Microsoft s Windows by encrypting hard drives and overwriting files. Reckitt Benckiser, which makes Dettol and Lysol disinfectants, Harpic cleaners and Durex condoms, said it estimated its like-for-like revenue in the second quarter would fall 2 percent because of the attack.. (RTRS) LONDON: Lloyd s of London insurer Novae Group Plc said it had agreed to be taken over by Axis Capital Holdings Ltd, a Bermuda-based speciality insurer and reinsurer, for million pounds ($ million) in cash, sending its shares soaring over 20 percent. The 700 pence per share offer for Novae represents a premium of over 20 percent to the London-based insurer s closing price on Wednesday. Axis Chief Executive Albert Benchimol said the acquisition of Novae, which covers property, casualty, marine, aviation and political risk, would create an about $2 billion player in the London speciality market.. (RTRS) FRANKFURT AM MAIN: Shares in Germany s biggest lender Deutsche Bank gained in morning trading Thursday, after Bloomberg News reported it would move investment banking activities from London to its Frankfurt headquarters in response to Brexit. The bank s stock added 1.04 percent to trade at euros ($18.78) by 1010 GMT, against a DAX index of leading German shares down 0.73 percent. Deutsche plans to move large parts of the trading and investment-banking assets it currently books in London to Frankfurt over the coming 18 months, Bloomberg reported, citing anonymous sources. (AFP) RALEIGH, NC: India-based information technology outsourcing company Infosys plans to hire 2,000 workers within four years in North Carolina, the second of four planned expansion sites in the US intended to create 10,000 jobs. The company said Thursday it plans to hire the first 500 North Carolina workers within two years. Infosys said in May it would also hire 2,000 new workers by the end of 2021 in the Indianapolis area, home turf of former Indiana governor and current Vice President Mike Pence. President Donald Trump has blasted an American visa program that tech companies have heavily relied upon to temporarily bring in workers from other countries at lower wages. (AP) PLANO, Texas: Toyota is officially opening its new North American headquarters in Texas. The $1 billion project includes a new campus in Plano, outside Dallas. The Japanese automaker plans to move thousands of employees from California and Kentucky and says it will eventually employ up to 4,000 people at the Plano site including about 1,000 new local hires. Toyota says Texas officials will attend events Thursday to mark the move, which is part of the company s plan to bring sales, marketing, financial and other services together in one location. Construction of the 100-acre (40-hectare) headquarters in Plano is not yet complete, but employees have been moving in since late spring. More are expected to arrive in phases through December. (AP) NEW YORK: QVC and Home Shopping Network, two of the most well-known home-shopping hubs, are combining further as they look at aggressive growth by Amazon and consumer shopping habits shifting to internet-based retail. Liberty Interactive Corp., which owns QVC and already owns 38 percent of HSN, will buy the rest of Home Shopping Network for about $2.6 billion in a stock deal. The buyout comes months after Mindy Grossman left as CEO of HSN to take the reins of Weight Watchers. Under Grossman, HSN worked to build its e-commerce presence and transform itself into a lifestyle network. It now derives half of its revenue from e-commerce, featuring more than 50,000 products on its website along with broadcasting to more than 90 million households. (AP) HELSINKI: HMD Global, the company that s licensed to produce Nokia phones and tablets, says it is partnering with Germany-based Zeiss to produce high quality optics on its new Nokia smartphones. The Finnish company says the handsets will be equipped with Zeiss cameras, building on the shared history and expertise between Zeiss and Nokia smartphones. Before selling its cellphone business to Microsoft in 2013, top-end Nokia smartphones used Zeiss optics. (AP) LONDON: NEX Group, one of Britain s largest electronic broking companies, is to establish a new trade reporting unit in Sweden that will be able to serve European Union clients needs after Britain leaves the bloc, the head of its regulatory reporting unit said on Thursday. NEX, which matches buyers and sellers of bonds, swaps and currencies, has applied to the EU markets watchdog to set up a European Market Infrastructure Regulation (EMIR) trade repository. We hope to be approved this year, which would allow us to operate in the EU 27 (the 27 EU nations) both preand post-brexit, Collin Coleman told Reuters. (RTRS) PARIS: A Paris court fined a Latvian bank Thursday for laundering hundreds of millions of euros through a vast scheme allowing French taxpayers to avoid paying their dues. The court fined Rietumu Banka 80 million euros ($91 million) for facilitating a scam to democratize tax evasion among ordinary taxpayers and small businesses in France. It also barred the bank from operating in France for five years. Investigators suspect Rietumu of helping to launder up to 850 million euros ($964 million) from 2007 to 2012 with the complicity of a French financier, Nadav Bensoussan, and his company, France Offshore. (AP) await Q2 earnings; crude jumps NEW YORK, July 6, (Agencies): Oil regained ground on Thursday but stocks around the world fell and the euro gained on the US dollar after minutes from the European Central Bank s latest meeting showed it could be open to scrapping its bond-buying pledge. The dollar pulled back after weaker-than-expected US private jobs data affirmed expectations for a gradual pace for US interest rate hikes by the Federal Reserve. Wall Street followed European shares lower as investors saw little reason to buy in a holiday week ahead of the second-quarter earnings reporting season. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell points, or 0.42 percent, to 21,388.19, the S&P 500 lost points, or 0.62 percent, to 2,417.5 and the Nasdaq Composite dropped points, or 0.85 percent, to 6, Europe s Stoxx 600 index touched its lowest point since April 21 and was last down 0.7 percent MSCI s gauge of stocks across the globe shed 0.3 percent. Some investors were also likely uneasy about geopolitical issues, according to Zaccarelli. A summit of G20 nations this week has taken on greater significance following this week s test of a long-range missile by North Korea. The dollar index, which measures the greenback against a basket of major currencies, fell 0.37 percent, with the euro up 0.44 percent to $ US Treasury yields rose on the prospect of hawkish global central bank policy and as rising oil prices suggested a potential pickup in inflation. Benchmark 10-year notes were last down 15/32 in price to yield percent, from percent on Wednesday. The 30-year Treasury bond was off 1-9/32 in price to yield percent, from percent. Those yields hit a six-week high of percent. Commodity markets continued to swing. Oil recovered some ground after a surprisingly upbeat picture of US demand halted the previous day s 4 percent slide, although the prospect of oversupply in 2018 prompted more analysts to cut price forecasts. US crude rose 2.48 percent to $46.25 per barrel and Brent was last at $48.89, up 2.3 percent on the day. Gold pared losses and was last down 0.2 percent at $1, an ounce. US US stocks were lower in early afternoon trading on Thursday as weak jobs data from the private sector struck a bleak tone for the critical nonfarm payrolls report due on Friday, while investors fretted about rising tension in the Korean peninsula. Dollar retreats against euro Another set of data showed weekly jobless claims rose for the third straight week, with claims climbing to 248,000, above the 243,000 expected. Bell said ongoing geopolitical worries around North Korea were also adding to the pressure. The United States said it was ready to use force if need be to stop North Korea s nuclear missile program after the country test launched a ballistic missile that could hit Alaska. At 12:55 pm ET (1655 GMT), the Dow Jones Industrial Average was down points, or 0.43 percent, at 21,386.45, the S&P 500 was down points, or 0.50 percent, at 2, The Nasdaq Composite was down points, or 0.5 percent, at 6, Ten of the 11 major S&P 500 sectors were lower, with the health sector s 0.98 percent fall topping the list. UnitedHealth was the biggest drag on the Dow. Traders are also grappling with comments from some central bankers, who have signalled that they are close to slowing down ultra loose monetary policies, which have supported stocks and bonds. Those concerns, along with an anticipation that the Federal Reserve will begin unwinding its bond holdings later this year, led to a sell off in bonds, with benchmark yields touching nearly eight-week highs. Shares of Tesla fell 4.4 percent after the luxury electric carmaker s Model S did not get the top score in certain tests by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. General Electric slipped 3.1 percent after the European Commission accused the company of providing misleading information during a merger deal. The stock was among the top three drags on the S&P. L Brands slumped 13 percent after the Victoria s Secret owner s June sales came in below expectations. Declining issues outnumbered advancers on the NYSE by 2,031 to 817. On the Nasdaq, 1,820 issues fell and 945 advanced. Europe European shares fell on Thursday to their lowest in 11 weeks after minutes from the ECB S latest meeting showed the central bank had left the door open to scrapping its bond-buying pledge. The pan-european STOXX 600 ended the session 0.7 percent lower, recovering some of its losses with all but three sectors closing in negative territory. Euro zone blue chips also hit an 11-week low, while Britain s FTSE 100 fell 0.4 percent. A series of earnings updates were also in focus with Sodexo leading fallers and Reckitt Benckiser also weak after both companies cut their guidance. Reckitt was down 1.5 percent, making it one of the biggest weights on the STOXX. The UK consumer goods group cut its growth forecast after a global cyber attack last month disrupted business in multiple markets. We would not see weakness in the share price today as a buying opportunity. Reckitt s markets are likely to have remained sluggish, with peers signalling no pick up here, Investec said, cutting its price target on the stock. Sodexo, the world s second-biggest catering services firm after Compass Group, also cut its sales growth goal following weaker-than-expected third quarter results, sending its stock down 6 percent to a 14-week low. Compass shares fell nearly 2 percent. Some earning updates struck a more positive note. Associated British Foods rose 2.6 percent, among top gainers in Europe, after the company said its full-year outlook had marginally improved after a better-than-expected performance from its Primark clothing chain. Banks were a bright spot, having been recently underpinned by talk of tightening monetary policy conditions. They were the top-gaining sector, up 0.7 percent. Italian lenders were the top performers, up 1.8 percent following a series of deals in the last two weeks that have restored confidence in the sector s prospects. Italy s economy minister, Pier Carlo Padoan, said there were no more brushfires threatening other banks after the government wound down two Veneto-based lenders last month in a deal that could cost the state up to 17 billion euros. Commerzbank also gained 3.3 percent after a Bloomberg report said that buy-out firm Cerberus was considering buying a minority stake in the German lender through purchases on the market. Stocks sensitive to a rise in interest rates, such as utilities, continued to weigh, with the sector down 0.8 percent. Asia Asian energy firms sank Thursday following a plunge in oil prices while equity traders remained on edge after North Korea s latest missile test and warnings from the US it would use force to deal with the nuclear-armed state. Oil had surged around 10 percent since mid-june on bargain-buying having dived about a fifth over the previous four weeks on supply worries. While the commodity rose more than one percent Thursday in Asia, Hong Kong-listed PetroChina and CNOOC were each down sharply down. Santos and Rio Tinto gave up more than one percent in Sydney and Inpex was down a similar amount in Tokyo. Broader equity markets swung back into negative territory on lingering worries about the North Korea crisis after it tested its first missile able to reach the United States. Tokyo ended 0.4 percent lower while Hong Kong slipped 0.2 percent. Sydney lost 0.1 percent and Seoul was marginally lower while Singapore and Taipei each gave up 0.4 pecent. But Shanghai ended up 0.2 percent while Wellington, Manila and Jakarta were also slightly higher. Tokyo Nikkei 225: DOWN 0.4 percent at 19, (close) Hong Kong Hang Seng: DOWN 0.2 percent at 25, (close) Shanghai Composite: UP 0.2 percent at 3, (close) Dollar/yen: DOWN at yen from yen. Oil Oil rose on Thursday, recovering some ground after a surprisingly upbeat picture of US demand halted the previous day s slide, although the prospect of oversupply in 2018 prompted yet more analysts to cut their price forecasts. Brent crude futures were up 76 cents on the day at $48.55 a barrel by 1307 GMT. The price fell as much as 4.6 percent on Wednesday, before closing down 3.7 percent, its biggest one-day drop in a month. US West Texas Intermediate crude futures were up 79 cents at $45.92 a barrel. Data from the American Petroleum Institute (API) on Wednesday showed US crude inventories fell more sharply than expected, down 5.8 million barrels in the week to June 30, against forecasts for a draw of 2.3 million barrels. This comes on the heels of last week s set of data releases that painted a less worrying picture of supply in the United States, where crude output has moderated. The oil price is heading for a 1.3 percent rise this week, but has tumbled from one-month highs just below $50 following evidence of rising exports and increased production from the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, despite the group s commitment to bolster the market by cutting output. Weekly inventory figures from the US Energy Information Administration (EIA) could confirm the hefty drop in crude stocks, thereby giving the oil price scope to rally further. Gold Gold steadied on Thursday off the previous day s two-month low after weaker than expected private sector payrolls data fed into a more cautious view on the pace of US interest rate hikes this year. The metal remained hemmed into a narrow range, however, ahead of a key US non-farm payrolls data on Friday. Investors are wary of betting that the Fed will hold off on tightening monetary policy after hiking interest rates earlier this year. Spot gold was at $1, an ounce at 1403 GMT, little changed from $1, an ounce late on Wednesday, but off an earlier low of $1, Spot prices hit $1, an ounce on Wednesday, their weakest since May 10. The dollar fell against the euro and yen on Thursday after data showed the US private sector created fewer jobs than expected in June, raising concerns that the labour market is losing some momentum. 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 July 6 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 finger tips Emergency Fire Brigade 100, 105 Traffic violation inquiry 198 Consumer protection hotline / Labour complaints hotline Fax: The Scientific Center Awqaf & Islamic Affairs Commerce & Industry Communications Defense Education Health Higher Education Electricity & Water Finance Foreign Affairs Housing Information Justice, Legal & Admin. Affairs Energy Planning Social Affairs & Labour Public Works IMMIGRATION OFFICES Farwaniya Shuwaikh , Hawalli / Jahra Ahmadi Mubarak Al-Kabeer MEDICAL SERVICES Central Ambulance Central Adan / Amiri Hospital Da iya Fahaheel Farwaniya Farwaniya Jahra Mubarak Al Kabir Sabah Salmiya Shuaiba Public Hospitals Adan Allergy Amiri Amiri Casualty Blood Bank Burns Centre Cancer Control Centre Chest Diseases / Drug Control Farwaniya / Ibn Sina Infectious Diseases Islamic Medicine Centre Jahra Kidney Centre Maternity Military Mubarak Al Kabir / 9 Opthalmology Psychiatric Centre Quarantine Razi Sabah /5000 Sulabikhat Orthopedic Transplant Centre Private Hospitals Ahmadi Dar Al Shifa Hadi Mowasat Rashed Salam /3254 Hadi Private Clinics International Clinic Kuwait Clinic Maidan Soor Center DOCTORS & DENTISTS IN PRIVATE PRACTICE Andrology, Male Infertility and Impotence Specialist Abdullatif A. Al Salim Dentists & Oral Surgeons Ahmed Al Balool Badri K. Al Rayes Duha Al Shaqan Ebraheem Behbehani Farida Al Herz Maria Blanaru Najat Essa-Bahman Najeeb Kassim Salwa A. Abdulsalam Kuwait Medical Center /5 Endrocrinologists Latifa Al Dowaisan Kamal Abdulaziz Al Shome Ear, Nose & Throat Surgeons Hossam Eldin Abdulfattah Abdulmohsen Mousa Jafar Dermatologist & Venereologists Fahad I. Al Othman Taibah M. Almonayes Dr. Mohamed Bo Hamra Gastroenterologist Mohamed A. Al Shimali / Eurologist Fawzi Taher Abul Ali Yousef Mehdi General Practitioner Dina Al Rifai / Obstetricians & Gynecologists Samira Al Awadi Ma asouma Maksheed Mohamed Gamal Mai Al Snan Psychological and Sociological Services Fahad Mubarak & Nisirine Aboul-Hosn Al-Razi Counseling & Assessment Center , Dr Kazem Abal, Ph.D., Clinical Dr Vincenza A. Tiberia, Ph.D., Licensed Dr Samira Al Dehrab, Ph.D Zainab Kahn, MA Clinical Soor Center / Dr Naif Al-Mutawa, Ph.D Dr Jeremy Alford Dr Sabahat Shah Dr Siddiqa M. Hussain Susannah Schuilenberg, MA Amal Al-Shatti, MSc LizNoël Duncan, MSW Zaina Al-Zabin, MSc Bonnie Robertson, MSc Kevin Carrico, MA William Schuilenberg, MPCP Ahmad Boustanji, BSc Dr Kazem Abal, Al-Razi Center / Tiberia Psychology Center Rheumatologist Dr Sukhbir Uppal, MD,FRCP (UK) / Ext 2189 MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS TELEPHONE FOR TEST & COMPLAINTS Jabriya (Surra) Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh Old Jahra New Jahra & Abdaly Hawally Ras Al-Salmiya Al-Riqa Salmiya Shuwaikh Sabah Al-Salem (Messila) Sulaibiya Sulaibikhat South Sabahiya Fintas Zoor Ahmadi Ardiya Fahaheel Farwaniya Kuwait City Mishref Manqaf Nuzha Umm Al Haiman & Wafra Shuaiba TRAFFIC HOTLINE KAC BOOKINGS 171 AIRPORT 180 CIVIL ID POLICE STATIONS Abu Halifa Ahmadi Ardiya Bayan Dahar Dahiya Dasma Fahaheel Faiha Farwaniya Ferdous Fintas Hawalli Jabriya Jahra Ind. Area / Jahra North Jleeb Al Shouyoukh Keifan Kheitan Mina Abdullah Nugra Omariya Qadsiya Qurain Rabiah Rawda Riqqa Rumaithiya Sabah Al-Salem Sabahiya Salhiya (Kuwait City) Salmi Salmiya Salwa Shamiya Sharq Sulaiba Ind. Area Shuwaikh / Sulaibekhat Sulaibiya Sulaibiya Ind. Area Surra Tayma a Wafra Waha Zour CAR RENTALS Europcar Al-Mulla Avis Budget Al-Sayer Rent a Honda Hertz Sanbouk Autoleas United Hospitality For Limousine National Internaitonal Car Rental Co Al-Zamel Auto Est FOREIGN EMBASSIES & CONSULATES Tel. Fax Afghanistan Algeria Argentina Australia Austria Bahrain Bangladesh / Belgium Bhutan / Bosnia Brazil Bulgaria Canada China Cuba Cyprus Czech Denmark Egypt Ethiopia Eritrea Finland France Georgia Germany Greece Hungary India Indonesia Iran Italy Japan Kenya Korea Lebanon Libya Malaysia /5/ Mauritania Morocco / Netherlands Niger Nigeria Oman Pakistan Philippines / Poland Qatar Romania Russia Saudi Arabia Senegal Slovakia / Somalia South Africa Spain Sri Lanka Switzerland / Syria Thailand Tunisia Turkey United Arab Emirates United Kingdom Chancery Commercial Section Management Section Visa Section Foreign & Commonwealth Office website: Ukraine USA Venezuela Vietnam Yugoslavia Zimbabwe WELFARE ORGANIZATIONS Name & Website/Address Tel. No. Social Work Society of Kuwait (Human Rights Organization) Fax: Q8sws@q8sws.com; com CHARGES FOR EXPATRIATES Visitors Residents C.T. Scan KD 95 KD 70 Angiogram KD 140 KD 90 I.V.P KD 55 KD 40 MCUG KD 55 KD 40 Asc Urothrogram KD 55 KD 40 Sinogram KD 40 KD 40 Sialogram KD 40 KD 40 H.S.C. KD 40 KD 40 Barium Enema KD 50 KD 35 Barium Meal KD 45 KD 30 O.C.G. KD 45 KD 30 Ultrasound KD 15 KD 10 Ultrasound destruct KD 130 KD 65 M.R.I. KD 245 KD 180 Bed in Public Ward: KD 2 per day Source: MPH LIBRARIES Name and address Tel. No. Kuwait National Public Library Al-Mubarakia, Souk Al-Mubarakia Kuwait University Library Khaldiya Heritage Manuscripts & Documents Center Jabriya, Block 5, Street 3 British Council Mansuriyah, Block 2, Street 2 Library of Gulf University Hawalli, Musa Bin Naseer Street Al Ahmadi Public, Ahmadi Al Dae ah Public Al Dae ah, Block 4 Dahiyat Abdulla Al Salem Public Block 3, beside Co-op Al Dasma Public (Women), Dasma Al-Faiha a Public Al-Faiha a, Block 5 Al Farwaneia Public Al-Farwaniya, behind Police Station Al Fehaheel Public Fahaheel, in front of Post Office Al Khaldia Public, Khaldia Al Qadseia Public, Qadsia Al Rumaitheia Public Rumaitheia, Block 7 Al Shameia Public, Shameia Al Sabaheia Public, Sabaheia Hawally Public Hawalli, Tunis St., beside Gulf Bank Kaifan Public, Kaifan, Block Kheitan Public, Kheitan Al-Babtain Central Library Gulf Road, Next to Ministry of Planning MUSEUMS Name and address Tel. No. Bait Al-Bader Est Kuwait City, beside National Museum Kuwait House Museum Shuwaikh, B17, Str 7, beside Public Theatre, Villa No. 32 Kuwait National Museum Gulf Road Mohd Al-Shaybani Museum Jabriya, Block 5, Street No. 3 Tareq Rajab Museum Jabriya, Block 12, Street No. 5 Educational Science Museum Merqab, Abdullah Al Mubarak Str. Dar Al Athar Al Islamiyah In Kuwait National Museum, Gulf Str. KOC Display Centre, Ahmadi Sadu House In Kuwait National Museum, Gulf Str. Popular Traditional Museum In Kuwait National Museum, Gulf Str. Bayt Al-Qurain Al-Qurain, Block 4, Street 3, House 59 THEATERS Name and address Tel. No. Abdulaziz Hussein Cultural Center Mishref, beside Co-op Al Dasma Theater Al Dasma, Al-Qahera Street, Block 4 Al-Shameia Theater Shamiya, in front of Shamiya Union Co-op Al-Tahreer Theater, Kaifan, Block Kuwait Public Theater South Shuwaikh, Bl 7, Str 71, House 43 Kuwait Elizabethans (Eng. lang.) Salwa Kuwait Players (Eng. lang.) Rumaithiya The Little Theater (Eng. lang.) Ahmadi Sha ab Theater Sha ab Leisure Park ext. 228 Kuwait Theater Salmiya, Block 5, Street No. 3 THE BEST RESTAURANTS & CAFÉS JAPANESE CUISINE Name and address Tel. No. Bonsai Japanese Restaurant Le Méridien Kuwait Hotel, Gulf Rd. Kei J. W. Marriott Kei Marina Crescent Edo Shaab, Block 8, Str. 80, Villa 5 Kamikaze The Palms Beach Hotel & Spa Maki Salmiya, Plajat Str. Sushi Club Salmiya, Plajat Str., Al Saraf Complex Wasabi Kuwait City, Al Mashoora Tower Hashi /5 Kuwait City, Salhiya Plaza THAI CUISINE Blue Elephant Royal Thai Cuisine Hilton Kuwait Resort Thai Chi /1 Al-Bedaa, next to Regency Hotel PIZZA RESTAURANTS Domino s Pizza Sbarq Salmiya, Salem Al Mubarak Str., opp. Al Fanar Complex Prego Salmiya, Salem Al Mubarak Str., opp. Al Rabea Bldg. Pizza Express Mangaf, Hilton Resort Villa Pizza Salmiya, Salem Al Mubarak Str. Peppe s Pizza Salmiya, Arabian Gulf Str., Beside Holiday Inn Hotel. The Pizza Company Salmiya, Souk Salmiya Pizza Inn Salmiya, Al-Rai, Fintas GREEK CUISINE Zorba s Green Taverna Salmiya, Arabian Gulf Street MEXICAN CUISINE Chi-Chi s Salmiya, Arabian Gulf Str., Sultan Center Restaurant Castello Fintas, Restaurants Str. Burrito Bneid Al Qar, 2nd Road, Behind Al-Salam Hospital SPANISH CUISINE Viva Espanole Salmiya, Salem Al Mubarak Str., Al Thuraya Complex, Mezzanine INDIAN CUISINE Caesars Kuwait City, behind Sheraton Hotel Mughal Mahal /2 Sharq, opp. Khaleejia Bldg. Dawat Bneid Al Gar, beside Al Kazmi Tower Asha s /3 Marina Mall, Crescent Side Rangoli Radisson Blu Hotel, Kuwait Winner s Salmiya, Hamad Al-Mubarak, Al-Tahreer Complex TAAL /3 Al-Bidaa, Gulf Road ITALIAN CUISINE Johnny Carino s Kitchen Sha ab, Arabian Gulf Street Nino Sharq, Arabian Gulf Street Pizza Express Al-Bedaa, next to Regency Hotel Piano Piano Mansuriyah, Mansuriyah Co-op Society Loranzo Kuwait City, Beside Sheraton Hotel Ciro s Pomodoro Kuwait City, Al-Watiah, Behbehani House La Piazza Kuwait City, Al-Watiah, Behbehani House Biella Marina Mall Crescent Side Spago Sharq, Arabian Gulf, at Opp. Souk Sharq Tosca The Palms Beach Hotel & Spa SEA FOOD Danah Salmiya, Arabian Gulf St., Opp. Sheikha Complex Al-Marsa Le Meridien Hotel, Bneid Al-Gar Totally Fish Marina Mall Crescent Side Al Boom Radisson Blu Hotel, Kuwait INTERNATIONAL CUISINE Olas Restaurant Costa Del Sol Hotel The Jungle Salmiya, Salem Al Mubarak St., Landmark Store Fresh Salmiya, Al-Khalid Complex Lamarine Sharq, Arabian Gulf Street, Souk Sharq Bait Kuwait City, Al-Watiah, Behbehani House Sultan Center Jean s Salmiya, Arabian Gulf Street Jeans Grill Sharq, Arabian Gulf Street, Souk Sharq Bredz Sharq, Arabian Gulf Street, Souk Sharq Square Kuwait City, Al-Watiah, Behbehani House Ritz METROPOLITAN AREA BUS ROUTES Salmiya, Salem Al Mubarak St., Al-Thuraya Complex Teatro Hilton Kuwait Resort Ext 7309 Jamaica Blue Salmiya, Salem Al Mubarak St., Marina Mall Water Lemon Salmiya, Salem Al-Mubarak St., Marina Mall Richoux Salmiya, Salem Al Mubarak St., Marina Mall Bays Movenpick Hotel Lebresserie J.W. Marriott Avenue Restaurant Kempinski Julai a Resort, King Fahad Highway, Road 245 Sea Shell Kempinski Julai a Resort, King Fahad Highway, Road 245 Teatro Hilton Kuwait Resort Ext 7309 Astra Lounge Shaab, Behind Abha Complex La Marina Sharq, Arabian Gulf St., Souk Sharq Al Bustan Radisson Blu Hotel, Kuwait Flavors Restaurant Al Aqeelah Beach Seashore 209 CASUAL CUISINE Hard Rock Cafe /5 Salmiya, Arabian Gulf Street, Opp. Sultan Center Chili s Sharq, Arabian Gulf Street, Beside Kuwait Towers Johnny Rockets Salmiya, Salem Al-Mubarak St. Fuddruckers Sharq, Arabian Gulf Street, Beside Kuwait Towers TGI Fridays Bneid Al-Gar, Arabian Gulf Street Applebee s Sharq, Arabian Gulf Street, Beside Kuwait Towers Buffalo s Café Salmiya, Arabian Gulf Road, opp. Scientific Center Ruby Tuesday Sharq, Arabian Gulf Street, Beside Aqua Park Subway Salmiya, Salem Al-Mubarak St. Opp Land Mark Burger Boutique Sharq, Al-Raya Complex, 2nd Floor The Burger Hub Kuwait City, Arabian Gulf St., Opp Al-Seif Palace Chit Chat Restaurant & Cafe Al Aqeelah Beach Seashore 209 STEAK HOUSE The Gaucho Grill The Palms Beach Hotel & Spa Terrace Grill J.W. Marriott Le Entrecote Salmiya, Salem Al-Mubarak St., Al-Fanar Mall Ponderosa Salmiya, Salem Al-Mubarak St., Beside Marina Mall Cascade Restaurant Steaks & Grills Le Méridien Tower Kuwait ARABIAN CUISINE Berdawni Palace Salmiya, Al-Khalid Complex Al-Saraya Palace Salmiya, Arabian Gulf Street Mais Al Ghanim Sharq, Arabian Gulf Street, Opp. Kuwait Towers Villa Fayrouz Sha ab, Bl 8, St., 80, Bld 1 Al-Bustan Sha ab, Arabian Gulf Street Classical Cafe & Restaurant Salmiya, beside Marina Mall Yaldez Palace Kuwait City, Al-Shohada St., Beside Marriott Hotel Palm Palace Salmiya, Hamad Al-Mubarak St. Veranda Cafe & Restaurant Salmiya, Arabian Gulf Road, Behind Showbiz Burj Al-Hamam Arabian Gulf Street Kababji Al-Adeiliya, Beside Kazma Sport Club Zaatar W Zeit Marina Mall Crescent Side Sarai /1 Al-Bedaa, next to Regency Hotel Awtar Salmiya, Salem Al-Mubarak St., Beside Marina Mall Al-Safadi Salmiya, Salem Al-Mubarak St., Beside Marina Mall Fircej Suweileh Salmiya, Beside Marina Mall Al Roshinah Restaurant Al Aqeelah Beach Seashore 209 FRENCH CUISINE Le Notre Paul Salmiya, Salem Al-Mubarak St., Marina Mall Dalloyau Paris Salmiya, Al-Fanar Complex PQ (Le Pain Quotidien) The Palms Beach Hotel & Spa PQ (Le Pain Quotidien) /2 Marina Mall, Crescent side Cafés Starbucks Coffee Sharq, Souk Sharq,Arabian Gulf Street Costa Coffee Salmiya, Salem Al-Mubarak St., Galleria 2000 Second Cup Salmiya, Salem Al-Mubarak St., Marina Mall Song Bird Cafe Hilton Kuwait Resort Ext 7314 Casper & Gambini s /6 Kuwait City, Al-Watiah, Old Arabic Houses Diva s Restaurant & Cafe /4 Salmiya, Blajat Street Cafe Rio Salmiya, Salem Al-Mubarak St., Al-Fanar Complex Numi Tea House Salmiya, Salem Al-Mubarak St. Bus No. Origin Destination Via 11 Orthopaedic Sharq Shuwaikh 12 Orthopaedic Sharq 4th Ring Rd 13 Kheitan* Mirgab Airport Rd 14 Messila Mirgab Ras Salmiyah 15 Salmiyah* Mirgab 4th Ring Rd 16 Kheitan* Jahra Gate 4th Ring Rd 17 Salmiyah Sharq Hawalli 18 Orthopaedic Mirgab Shuwaikh 20 Al-Jleeb Sharq Kheitan 21 Al-Jleeb* Mirgab Farwaniyah 22 Al-Jleeb Sharq 3rd Ring Rd 23 Kheitan Mirgab King Faisal Rd 24 Salmiyah Mirgab Hawalli 25 Jahra Gate Jabriya Hawalli 26 Sulaibiya Sharqq Andalus 29 Al Jleeb Mirgab Shuwaikh 31 Kheitan Sharq Shamiyah 32 Jabriya Sharq Nuzha 34 Salmiyah Sharq Farwaniyah 36 Al-Jleeb Salmiyah Farwaniyah 38 Messilah Jahra Gate Bayan 39 Kheitan Sharq Shuwaikh 40 Fahaheel Sharq Suwaikh 41 Kheitan UN Al Rai 51 Al Jleeb* Mirgab 6th Ring Rd 59* Al-Jleeb* Mirgab Al Hasawi 66 Al-Jleeb Salmiya Farwaniya & Hawally 99 Al-Jleeb Civil ID Shuwaikh & Farwaniya 101 Fahaheel Mirgab Sabah Salem 102 Fahaheel Mirgab 3rd Ring Rd 103 Jahra Mirgab Jahra Rd 105 Fahaheel Al-Jleeb Shuwaikh 139 Jahra Gate Fahaheel UN 501 Airport Mirgab Jahra Rd 502 Fahaheel Mirgab Fahaheel Rd 506 Al-Jleeb Jahra Gate Hawalli 507 Al-Jleeb Sharq Shuwaikh 602 Fahaheel Fahaheel Ahmadi 999 Jahra Fahaheel Hawally (beside Layla Gallery) Lazord Kuwait City, Salhiya Complex Jamaicablue Salmiya, Salem Al-Mubarak St., Fanar Complex Jamaicablue Sharq, Souk Sharq Milano Plaza Salmiya, Salem Al-Mubarak St., Plaza Complex Chateau Cafe Sharq, Souk Sharq, front of Sultan Center Zahra Cafe Salmiya, Salem Al-Mubarak St., Zahra Complex Chocolate Bar Marina Mall Crescent Side Lina s Cafe Marina Mall Crescent Side Cafe Blanc Marina Mall Crescent Side Shay W Nanaa Sharq, Arabian Gulf St., in front of Seif Palace Columbus Cafe Salmiya, Salem Al-Mubarak St., Al-Fanar Complex Danish Cafe Kuwait City, Sour St., beside NBK Tea Lounge Movenpick Hotel The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf Salmiya, Salem Al-Mubarak St., beside Al-Fanar Complex Astra Lounge Shaab, Arabian Gulf St., Abha Complex Hangout Lounge Salmiya, Salem Al-Mubarak St., Galleria 2000 Café Supreme Salmiya, Salem Al-Mubarak St., Al Bustan Mall Arabic Cafés Latino Cafe Salmiya, Arabian Gulf Road, beside Sultan Centre Rest. Puerto Banus Cafe & Restaurant Sharq, Arabian Gulf Street, beside Souq Sharq Port Cafe Sharq, Arabian Gulf Street, beside Souk Sharq Classical Cafe & Restaurant Salmiya, beside Marina Mall Balbak Cafe & Restaurant Salmiya, beside Marina Mall Veranda Cafe & Restaurant Salmiya, Arabian Gulf Road, behind Showbiz HOME DELIVERY Burger King Domino s Pizza Hardee s KFC Kebabjee Little Ceasars Pizza Piza Hut Shrimpy Chicken Tikka Turkish Grill Zaatar W Zeit Hotels in Kuwait Name & Website/Address Tel. No. Hilton Kuwait Resort Fax: Kempinski Julai a Hotel & Resort Sheraton Hotel Radisson Blu Hotel, Kuwait Fax: Sales.Kuwait@Radissonblu.com JW Marriott Hotel Kuwait City Costa Del Sol Hotel Fax: Crowne Plaza wwwkuwait.crowneplaza.com Sakura, Layla Gallery Noukhaza, Abu Halifa Sakura, Abu Halifa Ruby Tuesday, Abu Halifa Ruby Tuesday, Sharq Ruby Tuesday, Salmiya Peppes Pizza, Hawally Peppes Pizza, Salmiya The Palms Beach Hotel & Spa Kuwait wwwthepalms.com.kw Kuwait Palace Hotel Swiss Inn Plaza Hotel Kuwait Four Points Sheraton Kuwait Courtyard by Marriott Hotel Safir Heritage Village, Failaka Safir International Hotel Kuwait Marina Hotel Kuwait Fax: Mövenpick Hotel Kuwait Ramada Kuwait Hotel Holiday Inn Down Town Holiday Inn Salmiya Tang Chao, Ayman Zaman, L a Roma Café Le Meridien Tower Kuwait Fahed Al Salem Street, Kuwait City Oasis Hotel Imperial Hotel Spring Continental Hotel New Park Hotel Safir Airport Hotel Le Meridien Kuwait Hotel Arabian Gulf Rd., Bneid Al Gar Royal Suite Bneid Al-Gar, Gulf Str., Sea Side Ritz Sharq Boutique Sharq, Al-Shuhadaa Str. Mövenpick Hotel & Resort Al Bida a Kuwait Fax Website: com Safir Hotel & Residences Suites Refad Palace Suite Hotel Al-Fentas, Fahaheel Highway, Exit No. 209 Ritz Salmiya Boutique Salmiya, Qatar St. Corniche Suites Salmiya, Arabian Gulf Road Kuwait Continental wwwkcontl.net Carlton Tower Second Home Bneid Al Gar, Behind Safir Int l Hotel Apartments Mirage Hotel Apartment Salmiya Bahrain Str. Royal Residence Salmiya Bahrain Str. Safari House Merqab, beside Merqab Post Office Farah Motel Hala Motel Bneid Al Gar, behind Safir Int l Motel Maha House Bneid Al Gar, behind Safir Int l Safir Hotel & Residences Country Code Time-GMT Afghanistan /2 Algeria 213 GMT American Samoa Angola Antigua Argentina 54 3 Australia Austria Bahamas Bahrain Bangladesh Barbados Belgium Belize Benin Bermuda Bhutan /2 Bolivia Botswana Brazil: (Eastern & Coastal) 55 3 Brunei Bulgaria Burma /2 Burundi Cameroon Canada+ 1 5 Cent. 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38 LEISURE 38 Magazine holders When doubled, a drink with peach and cranberry juice Scratch pad C 2012 The New York Times, distributed by The New York Times Syndicate odds n ends 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 Gray geese sit near Bernau, southern Germany on the banks of the Chiernsee on July 5. (AFP) 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 11 Minutes 9 Seconds Your Working Time Minutes Seconds Word by Word Bird Asfoor A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. Assfour fe al yad yosawi ithnain fe al ajmah. Numbers 7600 Yesterday s solution Seven thousand six hundred Sabat alaf wa seto maah contract bridge Sunday: By Steve Becker BOISE, Idaho: A black bear with a cub attacked a 60-yearold woman and her two dogs in a popular area in Idaho but she was able to call relatives for help and they were forced to yell to scare off the animal, offi cials said Wednesday. The woman was visiting the Idaho Panhandle National Forests and was hiking a trail near a visitors center when the large bear charged her Tuesday, biting her head, side and abdomen, Idaho Department of Fish and Game spokesman Phil Cooper said. He described the attack as serious, and the woman lost a lot of blood but her injuries were not life-threatening. She was fl own to a hospital in Spokane, Washington. Officials decided the bear needed to be killed because it lingered after the attack, but they called off the search because it crossed a river and they could not be sure they would find the same animal in the area packed with bears. It appears the adult bear and cub were in a huckleberry patch when they were startled by the dogs, offi cials said. The bear attacked in defense, Cooper said. A veterinarian treated the dogs, and they will recover. The woman, whose name was not released, used her cellphone to call family members staying at a cabin nearby, Cooper said. They arrived 30 minutes later and had to yell to make the bear to leave. Trackers with hounds followed the bear to where it crossed the Priest River about a mile (1.6 kilometers) from the attack, Cooper said. After wading across the river, they discovered paw prints of a cub traveling with the adult. Trackers ended the search at that point. (AP) COLORADO SPRINGS: A bear that broke in to a Colorado home and tore through the place looking for food as the owner slept upstairs has been killed by wildlife offi cers. The Colorado Springs Gazette reports that the bear spent six hours trashing the kitchen. Surveillance video shows the bear standing up on its hind legs and opening the refrigerator door with ease. An offi cer shot the animal after it left the property Tuesday and then charged back toward it. Colorado Parks and Wildlife offi cials say they believe it s the same bear that ate ice cream and M&Ms it snatched from a home in June. They also believe it s the bear that trapped a woman inside her vehicle a few days later while it prowled around her garage. (AP) HONG KONG: Authorities in Hong Kong this week made their largest haul of contraband ivory in more than 30 years, amid surging illegal wildlife seizures fuelled by lax regulations and buoyant demand from mainland China. The former British colony situated at the mouth of China s Pearl River Delta is one of the world s top global transit hubs for endangered species and their products, such as shark fi n, pangolin skin and rosewood furniture. Customs offi cials on Thursday said they had seized 7,200 kg (15,873 lb) of ivory tusks, valued at around HK$72 million ($9.22 million), at a cargo warehouse beside the city s harbour. The ivory was discovered in a 40-foot container from Malaysia declared to hold frozen fi sh, beneath which offi cers found the tusks. (RTRS)

39 SPORTS 39 Jay, Happ power Cubs past Rays ner, Rangers end Red Sox longest run CHICAGO, July 6, (AP): Jon Jay connected for his third career pinch-hit homer and Ian Happ hit a tiebreaking, two-run single an inning later, helping the Chicago Cubs rally for a 7-3 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays on Wednesday. The Cubs appeared to be headed for their sixth loss in eight games before Jay drove a 1-2 pitch from Erasmo Ramirez (4-3) over the wall in left-center for a tying threerun shot with two outs in the sixth. Jay then popped out of the dugout for a curtain call, obliging the crowd of 39,855 on a picturesque day at Wrigley Field. Happ got his big hit in the seventh, driving in Kris Bryant and Anthony Rizzo with a bouncer up the middle against Tampa Bay s drawn-in infield. Pedro Strop (3-2) pitched a scoreless seventh for the win. Carl Edwards Jr and Koji Uehara worked the eighth, and All-Star Wade Davis got three outs. Rangers 8, Red Sox 2 In Arlington, Texas, Andrew ner held a hot Boston lineup hitless into the sixth inning, Rougned Odor hit an early two-run homer and Texas ended the longest winning streak in the majors at six games with a rain-delayed victory over the Red Sox. ner (4-7) retired 10 straight batters before first baseman Pete Kozma s error on a dropped throw kept the sixth going. The next batter, Xander Bogaerts, ended the no-hit bid with a two-run homer. The right-hander allowed three hits, three walks and two unearned runs with four strikeouts in seven innings. Boston, which had at least 10 hits and six runs in every game during the winning streak, missed a chance to be the first team to sweep a season series of more than three games against the Rangers since they moved to Texas in The Red Sox won the first five meetings this year. After a delay of nearly 90 minutes to start the game, Odor s 16th homer put Texas ahead 2-0 in the second. Carlos Gomez had a solo shot in the third. Odor scored three times before leaving with a bruised left hand after the fifth inning, when he was hit by a pitch. Doug Fister (0-2) gave up six runs four earned over 3 2/3 innings in his third start since Boston claimed him off waivers from the Angels. Dodgers 1, Diamondbacks 0 In Los Angeles, Alex Wood pitched three-hit ball over seven innings to start the season 10-0 and NL Westleading Los Angeles beat secondplace Arizona. Wood became the first Dodgers starter to reach 10-0 since Don Newcombe in 1955, when the Brooklyn Dodgers won the first of the franchise s six World Series championships. The 26-year-old left-hander hasn t lost since May 30, 2016 a span of 13 starts. Wood struck out 10 and walked two. Kenley Jansen pitched the ninth for his 20th save in as many chances. He put the potential tying run on with a two-out single to Brandon Drury Andrew ner #54 of the Texas Rangers pitches against the Boston Red Sox in the top of the fourth innning at Globe Life Park in Arlington on July 5, in Arlington, Texas. (AFP) before striking out Chris Herrmann to end the game. Arizona s Zack Godley (3-3) gave up one run and three hits in 5 2/3 innings. Yasmani Grandal s RBI double to deep center field in the second scored Chris Taylor from first base. Rockies 5, Reds 3 In Denver, Jon Gray hit his first career homer an estimated 467 feet the farthest by any Rockies player this season and pitched effectively into the sixth inning as Colorado beat Cincinnati on a sweltering night. Pat Valaika had a career-high three hits, including a two-run homer and a run-scoring single with two outs in the eighth. BASBALL Gray s two-run drive in the second was the longest among pitchers since MLB s Statcast began tracking distances in Gray (2-0) also was solid on the mound, going 5 2/3 innings and allowing three runs, two earned, in his second start since a broken bone in his left foot sidelined him for two months. Greg Holland threw a shaky ninth for his 28th save to help the slumping Rockies win for the third time in 14 games. The game-time temperature of 97 degrees tied for the second-hottest home contest in Rockies history. Scott Feldman (7-6) gave up four runs in five innings. Blue Jays 7, Yankees 6 In New York, Dellin Betances forced in the go-ahead run with four walks in the eighth inning, and Toronto beat New York after wasting a five-run lead. Justin Smoak and Kendrys Morales hit back-to-back home runs in the third off Michael Pineda, who also allowed Kevin Pillar s leadoff homer in the fourth. Russell Martin tied the score at 6 with a seventh-inning homer against Chad Green, then walked to drive in the go-ahead run in the eighth against Betances (3-4). Aaron Judge hit his major leagueleading 29th home run, tying Joe DiMaggio s Yankees rookie record set in 1936, and Ji-Man Choi homered in his Yankees debut. Toronto took two of three from New York, which is in its last seven series. Leading the AL East by four games on June 13 with a record, the Yankees have lost 16 of their last 22. Danny Barnes (2-2) threw 1 2/3 innings and Roberto Osuna pitched the ninth to convert his 20th consecutive save chance and 21st overall this season. Brett Gardner singled with two outs, and Osuna struck out Judge. Brewers 4, Orioles 0 In Milwaukee, Matt Garza pitched into the seventh inning and Keon Broxton hit a two-run homer to lift Milwaukee to a three-game sweep of Baltimore. Garza allowed five hits and two walks with four strikeouts over 6 1/3 innings for his first scoreless outing of the season. Oliver Drake, Jared Hughes and Corey Knebel completed the shutout with 2 2/3 innings. Garza (4-4) ran into trouble in the second inning after the Orioles loaded the bases with no outs. The veteran right-hander escaped by striking out Ruben Tejada and pitcher Jayson Aquino (1-2) before getting Seth Smith to fly out to right field. Astros 10, Braves 4 In Atlanta, George Springer drove in the go-ahead run in the seventh inning, Josh Reddick and Marwin Gonzalez each had three RBIs and streaking Houston beat Atlanta. Houston has won four straight and 12 of 15 to improve to overall, best in the majors. The first three batters Springer, Jose Altuve and Reddick went 8 for 15 with six RBIs in this one and hit a combined.581 in the two-game series with 15 RBIs in 31 at-bats. Norichika Aoki doubled to begin the three-run seventh and chase Braves starter Jaime Garcia (2-7). Springer followed with a single, Altuve with a double and Gonzalez with a single to make it 7-4. Chris Devenski (6-3) earned the win after walking one and striking out two in 1 1/3 innings. Royals 9, Mariners 6, 10 Innings In Seattle, Salvador Perez hit a tworun homer in the 10th, Alex Gordon added a two-out RBI single later in the inning and Kansas City completed a three-game sweep with a win over Seattle. Perez drove the second pitch from reliever James Pazos (2-2) out to right field for his 17th homer. It was the third home run of the game for Kansas City, adding to earlier two-run shots by Mike Moustakas and Lorenzo Cain. Anthony Rizzo #44 of the Chicago Cubs hits a single in the 7th inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Wrigley Field on July 5, in Chicago, Illinois. (AFP) Oakland Athletics Franklin Barreto (bottom), steals second base as Chicago White Sox second baseman Yolmer Sanchez grabs a high throw from home plate during the second inning of a baseball game on July 5, in Oakland, Calif. (AP) Mike Minor (5-1) pitched the ninth to get the victory and Kelvin Herrera threw the 10th for his 19th save. Minor had a scare when Mike Zunino led off the ninth with a flyball to deep left field that Gordon caught one step in front of the wall. Kansas City won for the sixth time in seven games and handed Seattle its seventh straight loss at home. Pirates 5, Phillies 2 In Philadelphia, Gerrit Cole pitched six strong innings and drove in his first runs of the season with a tiebreaking two-run single to lead Pittsburgh over Philadelphia. Cole (7-7) rebounded from a poor outing Friday against San Francisco and a shaky first inning against the Phillies, allowing two runs and seven hits with eight strikeouts and one walk. The right-hander struck out the side in his final inning. Felipe Rivero, pitching on his 26th birthday, recorded his fifth save by striking out the side in a scoreless ninth. Cole s big hit came in the Pirates four-run fourth inning, when Pittsburgh also got some help from Ben Lively (1-4). Athletics 7, White Sox 4 In Oakland, California, Sonny Gray pitched six mostly sharp innings for Oakland to beat Chicago for the second time in two weeks. Jed Lowrie had three hits and two RBIs, Bruce Maxwell doubled in two runs and Jaycob Brugman homered to help the A s to their second straight home win following eight consecutive losses at the Coliseum. Gray (4-4) allowed a two-run homer to Matt Davidson, the only blemish during an otherwise strong outing. Todd Frazier also homered for the White Sox, a two-run shot in the ninth. White Sox starter Mike Pelfrey (3-7) retired 10 batters and allowed four runs, falling to 0-6 in six career starts at Oakland. Padres 6, Indians 2 In Cleveland, Cory Spangenberg hit a two-run homer, Luis Perdomo won his third straight start and San Diego got another rare road win, beating Cleveland as the Indians played again without manager Terry Francona. Perdomo (4-4) allowed one earned run in five innings and continued his turnaround after a rough start this season. The right-hander didn t get his first win until his 11th start and is 4-1 since June 12. Carlos Asuaje drove in two runs and the Padres did just enough against starter Trevor Bauer (7-7) to improve to on the road. Francisco Lindor had three hits and two RBIs for the Indians, who dropped their second straight to the Padres, fell to at home and are 2-11 in interleague play. Francona missed his second consecutive game as he remains hospitalized at the Cleveland Clinic. Francona, who was hospitalized twice last month, has been undergoing tests to determine what has been causing light-headedness and increasing his heart rate recently. Team president Chris Antonetti said Francona will be away at least a couple more days and it s possible he ll miss the remainder of the team s homestand before the break. Giants 5, Tigers 4 In Detroit, Ty Blach took a shutout into the seventh inning, and San Francisco held off a late Detroit rally. The Giants led 5-0 before the Tigers scored four times in the seventh. Blach (6-5) was pulled after allowing a two-run single to Victor Martinez, and San Francisco needed three relievers to get through the inning. The Giants used five relievers in all, with Hunter Strickland pitching the eighth and Sam Dyson finishing for his third save. The last-place Giants have won seven of their last eight games after losing 12 of 13 before that. Daniel Norris (4-7) permitted five runs and seven hits in four innings. Hunter Pence hit a two-run triple off Norris, who has lost his last three starts. Gorkys Hernandez added three hits. Angels 2, Twins 1 In Minneapolis, Parker Bridwell tossed six scoreless innings, Kole Calhoun hit his 12th home run and Los Angeles edged Minnesota to avoid a road sweep. Bridwell (3-1) outpitched All-Star Ervin Santana while scattering four hits and stranding seven runners. Cameron Maybin stole home on a double steal in the sixth, giving the Angels a two-run cushion that helped end their three-game losing streak. Santana (10-6) allowed seven hits in his fourth complete game this season, most in the majors. He lost consecutive starts for the first time this year. Brian Dozier s run-scoring single in the seventh was all the Twins could muster on offense. Bud Norris earned his 12th save in 14 opportunities. Marlins 9, Cardinals 6 In St Louis, Giancarlo Stanton homered twice, his 22nd career multihomer game, and Marcell Ozuna and Justin Bour also went deep as Miami beat St Louis. Stanton went 3 for 4 with a walk while driving in four runs. He has five hits in his last two games after starting the Marlins road trip in a 1-for-17 funk. Dustin McGowan (5-0) gave up a run in 1 1/3 innings of relief. AJ Ramos earned his 15th save in 16 attempts. Mike Leake (6-7) went 3 2/3 innings in his shortest outing of the season. Just three of the eight runs he allowed were earned. MLB Scoreboard Suns rout Stars; Wings beat Dream WASHINGTON, July 6, (Agencies): Results from the MLB games on Wednesday. LA Dodgers 1 Arizona 0 Kansas City 9 Seattle (10 Inns) 6 Colorado 5 Cincinnati 3 Miami 9 St Louis 6 LA Angels 2 Minnesota 1 Texas 8 Boston 2 Houston 10 Atlanta 4 Milwaukee 4 Baltimore 0 San Diego 6 Cleveland 2 San Francisco 5 Detroit 4 Pittsburgh 5 Philadelphia 2 Oakland 7 Chicago White Sox 4 Chicago Cubs 7 Tampa Bay 3 Toronto 7 NY Yankees 6 MLB Standings American League Eastern Division W L PCT GB Boston NY Yankees Tampa Bay /2 Baltimore /2 Toronto /2 Central Division W L PCT GB Cleveland Kansas City /2 Minnesota /2 Detroit Chicago White Sox /2 Western Division W L PCT GB Houston LA Angels Texas Seattle /2 Oakland National League Eastern Division W L PCT GB Washington Atlanta /2 NY Mets /2 Miami /2 Philadelphia /2 Central Division W L PCT GB Milwaukee Chicago Cubs /2 St Louis /2 Pittsburgh Cincinnati /2 Western Division W L PCT GB LA Dodgers Arizona /2 Colorado /2 San Diego San Francisco MLB Linescores American League Toronto New York Estrada, Loup (5), D. Barnes (7), Osuna (9) and Montero; Pineda, Green (6), Betances (8), Warren (8) and Au. Romine. W-D. Barnes 2-2. L-Betances 3-4. Sv-Osuna (21). HRs-Toronto, Martin, Smoak, Pillar, Morales. New York, Choi, Judge. Chicago Oakland x Pelfrey, Infante (4), Minaya (6), Holmberg (7), Beck (8) and K. Smith; S. Gray, Hendriks (7), Madson (8), Doolittle (9) and Maxwell. W-S. Gray 4-4. L-Pelfrey 3-7. HRs- Chicago, Davidson, Frazier. Oakland, Brugman. Boston Texas x Fister, Scott (4), Abad (6), Hembree (7), M. Barnes (8) and Vazquez; ner, Bush (8), Claudio (9) and Lucroy, Chirinos. W-ner 4-7. L-Fister 0-2. HRs-Boston, Bogaerts. Texas, Gomez, Odor. Los Angeles Minnesota Bridwell, D. Hernandez (7), Bedrosian (8), B. Norris (9) and Maldonado; E. Santana and J. Castro. W-Bridwell 3-1. L-E. Santana Sv-B. Norris (12). HRs-Los Angeles, Calhoun. Kansas City Seattle (10 innings) Vargas, Alexander (6), Soria (8), Minor (9), K. Herrera (10) and S. Perez; Miranda, Zych (6), Rzepczynski (8), Diaz (8), Pazos (10), Vincent (10) and Zunino. W-Minor 5-1. L-Pazos 2-2. Sv-K. Herrera (19). HRs-Kansas City, Moustakas, Cain, Perez. Seattle, Cruz, Segura, Zunino. Interleague Tampa Bay Chicago x Snell, E. Ramirez (6), Kolarek (7), Whitley (8) and Sucre; Lackey, Strop (7), Edwards (8), Uehara (8), W. Davis (9) and Contreras. W-Strop 3-2. L-E. Ramirez 4-3. HRs- Chicago, Jay. Baltimore Milwaukee x Aquino, M. Castro (6), Britton (7), Brach (8) and Castillo; Garza, Drake (7), Hughes (7), Knebel (9) and Pina. W- Garza 4-4. L-Aquino 1-2. HRs-Milwaukee, Broxton. San Francisco Detroit Blach, Kontos (7), Okert (7), Gearrin (7), Strickland (8), S. Dyson (9) and Hundley; D. Norris, Saupold (5), Rondon (8), Greene (9) and McCann, Avila. W-Blach 6-5. L-D. Norris 4-7. Sv-S. Dyson (3). San Diego Cleveland Perdomo, Buchter (6), Maton (6), Hand (8), Stammen (9) and Torrens; Bauer, Goody (6), McAllister (7), Otero (8), Armstrong (9) and R. Perez, Gomes. W-Perdomo 4-4. L- Bauer 7-7. HRs-San Diego, Spangenberg. Houston Atlanta Musgrove, Devenski (6), Harris (8), Sipp (9) and Gattis; J. Garcia, Motte (7), S. Freeman (7), Wisler (8) and Flowers. W-Devenski 6-3. L-J. Garcia 2-7. HRs-Atlanta, Inciarte. National League Pittsburgh Philadelphia Cole, Hudson (7), Nicasio (8), Rivero (9) and Cervelli; Lively, Morgan (5), L. Garcia (8), Milner (9) and Knapp. W-Cole 7-7. L-Lively 1-4. Sv-Rivero (5). HRs-Philadelphia, Franco. Miami St Louis Volquez, McGowan (5), J. Garcia (6), Steckenrider (6), Phelps (7), Barraclough (8), Ramos (9) and Realmuto; Leake, Brebbia (4), Weaver (5), Bowman (7), Cecil (8), Oh (9) and Molina. W-McGowan 5-0. L-Leake 6-7. Sv-Ramos (15). HRs-Miami, Ozuna, Bour, Stanton 2. Cincinnati Colorado x Feldman, A. Hernandez (6), Cingrani (7), Brice (8) and Barnhart; J. Gray, Oberg (6), Rusin (7), McGee (8), Holland (9) and Hanigan. W-J. Gray 2-0. L-Feldman 7-6. Sv- Holland (28). HRs-Colorado, Gray, Valaika. Arizona Los Angeles x Godley, Chafi n (6), De La Rosa (7), Bradley (8) and Mathis; Wood, P. Baez (8), Jansen (9) and Grandal. W-Wood L-Godley 3-3. Sv-Jansen (20). MLB Leaders American League BATTING: Altuve, Houston,.334; Judge, New York,.331; Ramirez, Cleveland,.326; Correa, Houston,.320; Dickerson, Tampa Bay,.318; Reddick, Houston,.315; Hosmer, Kansas City,.313; Garcia, Chicago,.313; Castro, New York,.313; Mancini, Baltimore,.309; 1 tied at.308. RUNS: Judge, New York, 74; Springer, Houston, 70; Dickerson, Tampa Bay, 60; Ramirez, Cleveland, 59; Betts, Boston, 58; Gardner, New York, 58; Altuve, Houston, 57; Correa, Houston, 57; Reddick, Houston, 54; 4 tied at 52. RBI: Judge, New York, 65; Cruz, Seattle, 61; Cano, Seattle, 60; Sano, Minnesota, 60; Abreu, Chicago, 58; Correa, Houston, 58; KDavis, Oakland, 57; Morrison, Tampa Bay, 57; 3 tied at 55. HITS: Altuve, Houston, 107; Dickerson, Tampa Bay, 105; Ramirez, Cleveland, 102; Andrus, Texas, 100; Hosmer, Kansas City, 99; Abreu, Chicago, 98; Bogaerts, Boston, 96; Correa, Houston, 96; Judge, New York, 96; Springer, Houston, 96; 1 tied at 95. DOUBLES: Betts, Boston, 28; Ramirez, Cleveland, 27; Lowrie, Oakland, 26; Altuve, Houston, 25; Lindor, Cleveland, 25; Gurriel, Houston, 23; Schoop, Baltimore, 23; Abreu, Chicago, 22; Dickerson, Tampa Bay, 22; 2 tied at 21. TRIPLES: Castellanos, Detroit, 5; Ramirez, Cleveland, 5; Bogaerts, Boston, 4; Merrifi eld, Kansas City, 4; Sanchez, Chicago, 4; 6 tied at 3. HOME RUNS: Judge, New York, 29; Springer, Houston, 25; Morrison, Tampa Bay, 24; Moustakas, Kansas City, 24; KDavis, Oakland, 23; Smoak, Toronto, 23; Gallo, Texas, 21; Sano, Minnesota, 20; Alonso, Oakland, 19; Healy, Oakland, 19; 2 tied at 18. STOLEN BASES: Maybin, Los Angeles, 25; Andrus, Texas, 20; Dyson, Seattle, 19; DeShields, Texas, 18; Altuve, Houston, 17; Buxton, Minnesota, 16; Betts, Boston, 15; Cain, Kansas City, 15; RDavis, Oakland, 14; Simmons, Los Angeles, 13; 2 tied at 12. PITCHING: Vargas, Kansas City, 12-3; Sale, Boston, 11-3; Santana, Minnesota, 10-6; Carrasco, Cleveland, 9-3; Keuchel, Houston, 9-0; Bundy, Baltimore, 8-7; Fulmer, Detroit, 8-6; Pineda, New York, 8-4; Pomeranz, Boston, 8-4; Stroman, Toronto, 8-5; 10 tied at 7. ERA: Vargas, Kansas City, 2.22; Sale, Boston, 2.61; Mc- Cullers, Houston, 2.69; Kluber, Cleveland, 2.85; Santana, Minnesota, 2.99; Fulmer, Detroit, 3.20; Stroman, Toronto, 3.42; Carrasco, Cleveland, 3.50; Severino, New York, 3.52; Darvish, Texas, 3.56; 1 tied at STRIKEOUTS: Sale, Boston, 166; Archer, Tampa Bay, 139; Darvish, Texas, 119; Kluber, Cleveland, 115; Severino, New York, 114; Estrada, Toronto, 110; Bauer, Cleveland, 103; Carrasco, Cleveland, 103; McCullers, Houston, 103; Porcello, Boston, 102; 1 tied at 99. National League BATTING: Murphy, Washington,.341; Posey, San Francisco,.331; Zimmerman, Washington,.330; Harper, Washington,.324; Goldschmidt, Arizona,.315; Ozuna, Miami,.315; Cozart, Cincinnati,.313; Blackmon, Colorado,.312; Votto, Cincinnati,.312; Peralta, Arizona,.311; 1 tied at.309. RUNS: Goldschmidt, Arizona, 72; Blackmon, Colorado, 67; Harper, Washington, 66; Votto, Cincinnati, 61; Seager, Los Angeles, 57; Murphy, Washington, 55; Thames, Milwaukee, 55; Stanton, Miami, 54; Yelich, Miami, 54; 3 tied at 53. RBI: Goldschmidt, Arizona, 66; Lamb, Arizona, 65; Harper, Washington, 64; Ozuna, Miami, 64; Arenado, Colorado, 63; Zimmerman, Washington, 62; Reynolds, Colorado, 61; Shaw, Milwaukee, 61; Votto, Cincinnati, 61; Murphy, Washington, 60; 2 tied at 59. HITS: Blackmon, Colorado, 108; Inciarte, Atlanta, 108; Murphy, Washington, 105; Arenado, Colorado, 101; LeMahieu, Colorado, 101; Ozuna, Miami, 101; Goldschmidt, Arizona, 94; Gordon, Miami, 94; Harper, Washington, 94; 2 tied at 93. DOUBLES: Arenado, Colorado, 27; Herrera, Philadelphia, 26; Murphy, Washington, 26; Duvall, Cincinnati, 24; Owings, Arizona, 22; Zimmerman, Washington, 22; Drury, Arizona, 21; Kemp, Atlanta, 21; Seager, Los Angeles, 21; Shaw, Milwaukee, 21; 3 tied at 20. TRIPLES: Blackmon, Colorado, 10; Arenado, Colorado, 5; Cozart, Cincinnati, 5; Hamilton, Cincinnati, 5; 9 tied at 4. HOME RUNS: Bellinger, Los Angeles, 24; Votto, Cincinnati, 24; Ozuna, Miami, 23; Stanton, Miami, 23; Thames, Milwaukee, 23; Bruce, New York, 21; Schebler, Cincinnati, 21; Harper, Washington, 20; 6 tied at 19. STOLEN BASES: Turner, Washington, 35; Hamilton, Cincinnati, 33; Gordon, Miami, 29; Nunez, San Francisco, 17; Broxton, Milwaukee, 15; Peraza, Cincinnati, 15; Villar, Milwaukee, 15; Goldschmidt, Arizona, 13; 4 tied at 11. PITCHING: Kershaw, Los Angeles, 13-2; Greinke, Arizona, 10-4; Scherzer, Washington, 10-5; Davies, Milwaukee, 9-4; Senzatela, Colorado, 9-3; Strasburg, Washington, 9-2; Wainwright, St Louis, 9-5; Wood, Los Angeles, 9-0; 5 tied at 8. ERA: Scherzer, Washington, 1.94; Kershaw, Los Angeles, 2.19; Gonzalez, Washington, 2.77; Anderson, Milwaukee, 2.89; Greinke, Arizona, 3.05; Ray, Arizona, 3.06; Leake, St Louis, 3.12; Martinez, St Louis, 3.15; Nelson, Milwaukee, 3.20; Nova, Pittsburgh, 3.24; 1 tied at STRIKEOUTS: Scherzer, Washington, 163; Kershaw, Los Angeles, 146; Ray, Arizona, 128; Strasburg, Washington, 128; degrom, New York, 125; Greinke, Arizona, 124; Martinez, St Louis, 124; Samardzija, San Francisco, 122; Nelson, Milwaukee, 112; Lester, Chicago, 110; 1 tied at 104. Griner scores 30 points as Mercury top Mystics PHOENIX, July 6, (AP): Brittney Griner scored 30 points for her third 30-plus game of the season as the Phoenix Mercury beat the Washington Mystics on Wednesday night. Griner also had 14 rebounds for her fourth double-double of the season. Diana Taurasi made her second basket of the game with 5:26 left to extend Phoenix s lead to and she hit a 3-pointer on the Mercury s next possession for a 10-point advantage. After Washington pulled to on Ivory Latta s 3-point play, Taurasi hit another 3 with 39.4 seconds left to seal it. Camille Little added 14 points, and Taurasi finished with 12 for Phoenix (8-6). Little and Griner Griner combined to score 23 of Phoenix s 44 first-half points as the Mercury built a BASKETBALL five-point lead. Little s steal and fastbreak basket gave Phoenix an 11-point lead early in the third quarter, and Griner beat the shot clock on a lob from Leilani Mitchell for a lead. Elena Delle Donne scored 15 points, and Latta added 13 for Washington (10-7). In other WNBA games, the Suns had an win over the Stars and the Wings beat the Dream Alyssa Thomas had 13 points, eight rebounds and a career-high seven steals to help the Suns to a rout in San Antonio. Wilson held on assault charges LOS ANGELES, July 6, (AFP): Dallas Cowboys linebacker Damien Wilson was arrested during a Fourth of July celebration and charged with two counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, police in Frisco, Texas, said Wednesday. Wilson was arrested Tuesday after he intentionally backed his truck into a female while parking at Toyota Stadium, home of FC Dallas of Major League Soccer in suburban Frisco, a police report said. Wilson then brandished a rifle at another male, causing him to be in fear, the report added. Wilson, 24, was released on a $10,000 bond for each count. He is the second member of the Cowboys defense to be arrested this offseason. Cornerback Nolan Carroll, who was a free agent acquisition from the Philadelphia Eagles, was charged with driving while intoxicated in May after he steered his vehicle down the wrong side of the road. Courtney Williams led the Sun (9-7) with 17 points and Jasmine Thomas reached 700 assists for her career. Williams scored 13 points in the first half to help Connecticut build a lead. Thomas had seven points, six rebounds, five assists, and five steals before halftime.

40 SPORTS 40 New Era team Pablik 2 Bros team Tripple SFJ Logistics team Cruz leads Heisco to victory over Banta Bad Bananas, Tropang Mangaf, New Era & Pablik 2 Bro s win Bad Bananas team pose for a group photo during the Inter-Company Division of the PBLK 7th season. Jogging too dangerous Far from Oly glory, refugee fights humble battle RIO DE JANEIRO, July 6, (AFP): What Popole Misenga remembers most is the crowd chanting his name. After a lifetime of war and poverty in the Democratic Republic of Congo, here he was in Rio, competing in judo at the 2016 Olympics as part of the first international refugee team in history. But now Misenga was down on the mat, pinned in an armlock by his Indian opponent, and seconds from crashing out of the Olympics in just one bout. Nobody, he supposed, would care. Then came that chant: Popole, Popole, Popole! With a supreme effort, Misenga freed his arm and won the fight. Eleven months later, the 25-yearold doesn t look like someone who ever had an arena full of Brazilians cheering him on. You wouldn t guess he s an Olympian. He lives in a violent Rio de Janeiro favela, crammed with his partner and five children into two, tiny rooms. He s still poor. And he s still a refugee, more than 4,000 miles (6,600 km) from his African homeland. Yet that moment of glory feels fresh. My arm was almost breaking, he recalls, emotion rising in his voice. Then I heard people shouting Popole, Popole, Popole and I thought, No: if people are cheering for me, I m not going to give in. He holds a photo taken of him after the fight, arms raised to the crowd in the arena. So much emotion, he says. During the Olympics, Rio s favelas felt like different planets to the floodlit stadiums and fan zones. Even in ordinary times they can resemble ghettoes for the poor. In the northern Rio favela of Bras de Pina, Misenga and his Brazilian partner Fabiana have a tiny kitchen and a single box-like bedroom that they share with their seven-month old baby Maria-Eliza, two-year-old son Helias and three children from Fabiana s previous partner, aged six, eight and 13. In the dirt street outside, local men accompanied by stray dogs sit under a shack smoking marijuana. Cars rarely pass. There are few shops. As in many favelas, Bras de Pina is a battleground for police and drug traffickers. Shootouts are a regular danger, as evidenced by a bullet hole in the apartment s front wall. So Misenga s daily commute to a judo club on the other side of Rio doesn t always go as planned. The other day I wasn t able to leave for training because everyone was hiding indoors, he said. I was going to go outside but because of my bag the bandits could confuse me for a policeman and the police could confuse me for a bandit. Even jogging is perilous: it means crossing rival traffickers lines. They say, You don t live here, you live over there, you can t enter here, Misenga said. Running is impossible. Ahead of the Olympics last August, Misenga was a celebrity. He was one of just 10 refugees from around the world chosen to compete under the Olympic flag. International television crews flocked to Bras de Pinha to hear his incredible story. The Olympics made me famous, he said with a laugh. People recognized me in the street. They d say, It s that guy in the Olympics! Misenga was just 10 when he was split from his family during the Congolese war, in which millions died. After fleeing alone into a forest, he ended up living in UN refugee camps and it was there that he learned judo and thrived. The talented athlete won regional championships and made the national team. But sporting success brought new misery at the hands of brutal coaches who locked him in a cage without food when he lost. When Misenga was sent to Rio to compete in the World Championships in 2013, he fled again, disappearing into the city much in the same the way he d once hidden from war in the forest. Along with a female Congolese judoka named Yolande Mabika, Misenga was given refugee status and taken under the wing of the Instituto Reacao, a charity and toplevel judo facility in western Rio. Once named to the International Olympic Committee refugee team last year, they were able to train alongside Brazilian Olympic competitors, albeit with a vastly shorter build-up to the Games. Mabika was eliminated immediately. Misenga, however, surprised many by earning a second bout. This time he was up against the world number one and while he had no chance, he fought tenaciously, earning even more deafening cheers from the mostly Brazilian crowd. Then it was over. Back to the favela. Misenga still receives a stipend from the International Olympic Committee, which told AFP it is committed to supporting the refugee team members in ongoing, full time training. The money s enough to get by and for Misenga to keep going to the Instituto Reacao, but not much else. Unlike many other recent Olympians he has no corporate sponsors. Fabiana, 34, says things are better than they were a year ago. There s a new fridge, a kitchen table. Life has improved in the financial sense, she said. We have money to pay rent and things for the kids. Popole Misenga, a refugee judoka from the Democratic Republic of Congo, holds his portrait from Rio 2016 Olympic Games at his home in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on June 21. (AFP) Rutherford out of Anniversary Games By Kathrina Perea Special to the Arab Times KUWAIT CITY, June 6: The spotlight was on the Inter-Company Division of the PBLK 7th Season as Heisco collided with Banta in a thriller match-up on Friday at the Hawally Disabled Sports Club. Fredie Cruz played Mr. Hot Hands for Heisco, hitting more baskets than any other player on the floor. He led all scorers with 23 points and brought home the Best Player of the Game award. Yap and Esguerra stepped up as well with 11 and 10 points, respectively. Delgado scored 7 points while Tachagon and Pacer combined for 8. Maria Alma and Pineda also chipped in with 6 points apiece. Banta fought back with three players scoring double figures: Rustia (18 points), Dumol (16 points), and Kalaquian (16 points). Bakri also made it to the scoreboard with 5 points while Tom added 4. Saleh and Ali also helped out scoring 3 points each. Score-wise, the two teams were on equal footing from second to fourth quarter, but it was Heisco s dominance in the first quarter that gave them the upper hand throughout the game. Cruz wasted no time hitting the first basket seconds into the first quarter. Ali countered with a 3-pointer for Banta, but Heisco surged ahead with consecutive shots from Cruz, Esguerra, and Delgado. Banta rallied behind Rustia and Dumol, but Heisco s defense trumped their efforts to regain the lead. Heisco was up heading into the second quarter. The second quarter saw Cruz still on fire raking in points for Heisco and setting up plays for his teammates to score. Banta was determined to match this aggressiveness and turned to their reserves for a change in tempo. This worked to Banta s advantage as they outscored Heisco, but they still trailed by the end of the first half at At halftime, Banta made further adjustments and tapped Tom Kalaquian to lead the team in the third quarter. Kalaquian went on to lead all scorers in this quarter, but Heisco s ball distribution helped them maintain the lead at the end of the third quarter, Banta continued to fight in the fourth quarter behind the tag team of Rustia and Dumol. However, Heisco found gold in efficient ball distribution which helped them sustain their momentum even with Cruz sitting out the rest of the game. Heisco would hold on to their lead and eventually come away with the win, In other games, four teams in the 5 8 Division A went home with a win each: Bad Bananas (vs King Pirates, ), Tropang Mangaf (vs Tribal, 88-74), New Era (vs Patriates, 69-58), and Pablik 2 Bro s (vs Virtuous 97-87). Meanwhile, the Non-Leaguers Division saw three teams go home victorious: KWT Tigers (vs Rawda, 57-48), Triple STJ Logistics (vs Genesis, 81-72), and Goto Express (vs Aimcroc Riders, 68-61). The 35+ Super Fathers Division continued as well, with Mekeni getting a win against Erpats, Catch more PBLK action every Friday at the Hawally Disabled Sports Club. For more information, please contact Alan Compuesto at Van Niekerk ready for 400m return in Lausanne LAUSANNE, July 5, (Agencies): World record holder Wayde van Niekerk will return to the 400 metres at the Diamond League meeting in Lausanne on Thursday, after starting the season focusing on the shorter events. The 24-year-old, having run personal bests in the 100m (9.94sec) and 200m (19.84sec) last month, set a new world best time of 30.81sec in the rarely-run 300m in Ostrava last week, beating a long-time record held by Michael Johnson. But now van Niekerk is ready to turn his attentions back to the distance in which he is also the reigning world and Olympic champion, having run the world-record time of 43.03sec in Rio de Janeiro last August. Eight-time Olympic champion Usain Bolt has hailed van Niekerk as OLYMPICS his successor as leader of the sprinting world, with the Jamaican legend due to retire after the world championships in London in August. Van Niekerk is the only man in history to have run under 10 seconds for the 100m, 20sec for the 200m, and 44sec for the 400m. He is the fastest man this year in the 200m, and will be expected to beat American Fred Kerley s world-leading 400m of 43.70sec on Thursday. Last week s Van Niekerk 300m was the longest race van Niekerk has run since winning Olympic 400m gold. Other big names in action in Lausanne include pole vault world record holder Renaud Lavillenie, Dutch sprinter Dafne Schippers and Olympic triple jump gold medallist Christian Taylor. Meanwhile, defending world long jump champion Greg Rutherford has been ruled out of the Anniversary ATHLETICS Games in London on July 9 with an ankle ligament injury but hopes to recover in time for the World Championships in August, the 30-yearold has said. Rutherford has struggled with injuries this year and underwent scans on his ankle after winning the long jump event at the Gavardo meeting in Italy BASKETBALL last month. He also missed the British team trials last Saturday. Also: MOSCOW: Russia s athletics federation on Thursday urged athletes who were disqualified from the Beijing and London Olympics for doping to return their medals to the International Olympic Committee (IOC). The adherence to international rules of fair play and the return of Olympic emblems is one of the conditions for the rehabilitation of Russian athletics on the international stage, the federation said in a statement on its website. Russia s athletics federation was suspended in 2015 after a bombshell report by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) revealed evidence of state-sponsored doping in the sport. NBA Roundup Tropang Mangaf team Virtuous team King Pirates team Bulls sign 1st-round pick Markkanen Miami Heat and Waiters agree on new 4-yr deal MIAMI, July 6, (Agencies): Dion Waiters bet on himself last season, and it paid off. Waiters and the Miami Heat have agreed on a four-year deal, according to a person with knowledge of the negotiations. The deal is worth a maximum of $52 million, provided all incentives are met, said the person who spoke Wednesday to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because nothing can be finalized until at least Thursday under league rules. Waiters averaged 15.8 points in 46 games last season for the Heat. He was a significant part of how Miami turned its season around after an start, going in the second half. M i a m i was when Waiters played, when he did not. Last season was his Waiters first in Miami, coming in to essentially fill the role vacated when Dwyane Wade left for Chicago last summer. Miami missed out on landing Gordon Hayward this week, when the All-Star forward decided that he will be signing with the Boston Celtics. So Plan B for Miami meant retaining its own free agents like Waiters and James Johnson. The Heat are making progress toward a deal with Johnson, who has made no secret that he has wanted to be back in Miami. The 25-year-old Waiters missed Miami s last 13 games because of a badly sprained ankle, and the Heat wound up losing a tiebreaker for the final Eastern Conference playoff spot. He played for $2.9 million last season, saying he took a small deal in order to prove he was worthy of big dollars in the future. The Chicago Bulls said Wednesday they have signed Finnish forward Lauri Markkanen, the seventh overall selection in last month s NBA draft. Markkanen was drafted by the Minnesota Timberwolves, but the rights to sign him were acquired by the Bulls in the trade that brought Kris Dunn and Zach LaVine to Chicago in exchange for Jimmy Butler. The Bulls did not disclose the terms of the contract. Markkanen played one season at the University of Arizona. He averaged 15.2 points and 7.2 rebounds while shooting 49.2 percent from the field and 42.3 percent from 3-point range. The Bulls will be able to get a better look at him when they open the defense of their Summer League title in Las Vegas. Guard Nick Young, a free agent since declining a player option with the Los Angeles Lakers, is headed to the NBA Champion Golden State Warriors. Young, 32, was the 16th overall selection in the 2007 NBA draft. He spent the past four seasons with the Lakers, and averaged 13.2 points in 60 games last season. That included connecting on more than 40 percent of his shots from three-point range. His addition adds depth to the talent-laden Warriors, who have won two of the past three NBA titles. The New York Knicks have signed first-round draft pick Frank Ntilikina. The Knicks announced the deal Thursday with the No. 8 overall selection. The 6-foot-5 French guard is playing for New York s summer league team in Orlando, Florida. Born in Belgium, the 18-yearold Ntilikina averaged 5.1 points, 2.1 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 18.5 minutes in 31 games last season for Strasbourg in the French Pro A league.

41 SPORTS 41 England 357 for five at stumps Ton-up Root turns South Africa tide at Lord s England vs South Africa Scoreboard LONDON, July 6, (AFP): Scoreboard at stumps on the first day of the first Test between England and South Africa at Lord s on Thursday: ENGLAND 1st Innings A. Cook c de Kock b Philander. 3 K. Jennings lbw b Philander... 8 G. Ballance lbw b Morkel J. Root not out J. Bairstow lbw b Philander B. Stokes c de Kock b Rabada 56 M. Ali not out Extras (lb2, nb13) Total (5 wkts, 87 overs, 392 mins) 357 To bat: L Dawson, S Broad, J Anderson, M Wood Fall of wickets: 1-14 (Cook), 2-17 (Jennings), 3-49 (Ballance), 4-76 (Bairstow), (Stokes) Bowling: Morkel (6nb); Philander (5nb); Rabada (1nb); Maharaj (1nb); De Bruyn ; Bavuma ; SOUTH AFRICA: Dean Elgar (capt), Heino Kuhn, Hashim Amla, JP Duminy, Temba Bavuma, Theunis de Bruyn, Quinton de Kock (wkt), Vernon Philander, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Morne Morkel Toss: England Umpires: Paul Reiffel (AUS), S Ravi (IND) TV umpire: Simon Fry (AUS) Match referee: Jeff Crowe (NZL) South Africa s Morne Morkel bowls on the fi rst day of the fi rst Test match between England and South Africa at Lord s Cricket Ground in central London on July 6. (AFP) Union blames board intransigence Australia cricketers boycott S. Africa Tour amid pay row BRISBANE, Australia, July 6, (AP): A development tour of South Africa has become the first casualty of the Australian players pay dispute with Cricket Australia, and the Ashes series in November is also at risk. The Australia A tour will not go ahead, the first time Australian players have boycotted any tour, the Australian Cricketers Association said on Thursday. The 19-man, second-string squad led by test batsman Usman Khawaja and including test players Glenn Maxwell and Jackson Bird was due to leave Brisbane for Johannesburg on Friday and return in early August. Maxwell The union said players couldn t proceed with the tour without a new Memorandum of Understanding with Cricket Australia. The previous MoU expired on June 30 because Cricket Australia and the union are at odds over revenue sharing in a new deal, leaving about 230 players with international and domestic contracts technically unemployed. By making this call, the Australia A players have sacrificed their own ambitions for the collective an incredibly selfless act that shows their strength and overall commitment to the group, the ACA said in a statement. Cricket Australia said it advised South African authorities of the players decision not to tour. There was no immediate comment from South Africa Cricket on how Australia s absence might affect the three-team limited-overs series, which included India A, or the scheduled four-day matches from July 12 to Aug 8. Cricket Australia regrets that players have made this decision despite progress made in talks between CA and the ACA in meetings over the past week, Cricket Australia said in a statement. While a new MoU has not yet been agreed, CA is of the view that these talks should have enabled the tour to proceed as planned. Former fast bowler Jason Gillespie, making his debut as Australia A coach, tweeted: Disappointed to not be going to SA for A tour. Players have been brilliant all week at camp. Hopefully a resolution can be reached soon. The Australia A squad trained at the National Cricket Centre in Brisbane this week, hopeful that a solution would be worked out. But no formal talks are scheduled. Former Australia captain Michael Clarke suggested the previous memorandum be extended to buy more time to find a lasting solution, particularly with tours to Bangladesh and India ahead and with England visiting for the Ashes. Australia thrash Pakistan by 159 runs England women s record-breakers run riot against Proteas LONDON, July 6, (AFP): Tammy Beaumont and Sarah Taylor s recordbreaking stand of 275 laid the foundations for England s 68-run win over South Africa in a Women s World Cup group match at Bristol on Wednesday. The England pair recorded the highest-ever partnership in Women s World Cup history, as well as the highest partnership for England in women s one-day internationals. Beaumont finished with 148, one more than Taylor, whose 147 was her highest-ever one-day score. Taylor s innings was her latest impressive display in a tournament that marks the wicket-keeper s return to international cricket after she took time out to deal with anxiety issues. It was all a far cry for South Africa from their previous match, where they had skittled out the West Indies for just 48. South Africa openers Lizelle Lee (72) and Laura Wolvaardt (67) put on 128 in what was the highest-scoring match in the history of the women s one-day game. But the Proteas were never in the hunt, although they made a game 305 CRICKET for nine following Chloe Tryon s 54. Victory gave hosts England three wins from four games following their surprise defeat by India in the tournament opener and left them on course for the semi-finals, with the top four at the end of all-play-all group stage in the eight-team tournament going on to the knockout stages. It was a brilliant day, not a great day to be a bowler but a brilliant game, said England captain Heather Knight. It was lovely to watch (the CRICKET partnership), Sarah was outstanding as she was the other day and I m really pleased for Tammy. We knew she had a score round the corner, she s been hitting it well in the nets and she was desperate to get into a tournament and she s done it in style. The England duo broke the New Zealand pair of Suzie Bates and Haidee Tiffen s previous World Cup record partnership of 262 with a six from Beaumont before Taylor finally CRICKET LONDON, July 6, (AFP): Joe Root marked his first innings as England captain with a superb 184 not out against South Africa at Lord s on Thursday. England were 357 for five at stumps, having collapsed to 76 for four before lunch on the first day of the opening Test of a four-match series. But Root s 12th hundred in 54 Tests and third at Lord s justified his decision to bat first after winning the toss in what was England s first match at this level since he was appointed following Alastair Cook s resignation as skipper in February. New vice-captain Ben Stokes made 56 and helped turn the tide in a fifthwicket stand of 114. Moeen Ali s 61 not out cemented the recovery as he added an unbroken 167 with Root. Concerns had been expressed that captaincy would reduce Root s effectiveness as a batsman. But, on this evidence, Root appears destined to follow the other members of world batting s big four India s Virat Kohli, Australia s Steve Smith and New Zealand s Kane Williamson all of whose Test averages as captain of their respective countries have far outstripped their equivalent figure in the ranks. Earlier the 26-year-old Root opted to bat first after the coin fell in his favour. But a green-tinged pitch gave South Africa s bowlers hope of early movement. Cook had made just three when he was caught behind flat-footedly chasing a Philander ball outside off stump. Fellow opener Keaton Jennings, born in South Africa, fell next for eight on his home debut when lbw to Philander, who bowled the Proteas to a series-clinching victory at Lord s five years ago. The 32-year-old Philander, fit following an ankle injury sustained while playing for English county side Sussex, had now taken two wickets for three runs in eight balls to leave England 17 for two. Root, meanwhile, was fortunate, when on five a top-edged hook off Kagiso Rabada just cleared substitute fielder Aiden Markram, who was not right back on the rope at long leg. He had another break when on 16 an edged drive off Rabada flew through JP Duminy s hands at gully. Meanwhile Root s Yorkshire colleagues Gary Ballance (20) and Jonny Bairstow (10) both fell cheaply. But Stokes, who has known Root since their days as schoolboy cricket opponents, took the attack to the Proteas by driving spinner Keshav Maharaj for six. He was bowled off a Morne Morkel no-ball on 44, the fast bowler having only himself to blame for a considerable over-step. Stokes, however, fell soon afterwards when his top-edged hook off Rababa flew straight to wicket-keeper Quinton de Kock. Root, however, kept going and a swept three off Maharaj saw him to a 150-ball hundred, including 15 fours, after more than four hours at the crease. His century also meant the last four England Test captains Andrew Strauss, Kevin Pietersen, Alastair Cook and now Root himself had all scored a century in their first game as skipper. Fully in command on a pitch dried out by the sun, Root drove Maharaj for six over long-off. Root should have been out for 149 when he charged down the pitch to Maharaj and was stumped by yards. But replays showed that Maharaj had bowled a no-ball an inexcusable error for a slow bowler. South Africa, with Dean Elgar captaining the side in the absence of Faf du Plessis, still at home following the birth of his first child, had long since gone on the defensive in the hope of a wicket more than anything else. The new ball failed to produce a breakthrough, with Root dismissively driving Rababa through the covers for four and two balls later pulling him for another boundary. Play ended with the Proteas three short of the standard 90 overs in a day s play. fell by tamely lofting one to South Africa captain Dane van Niekerk at extra cover. After a while it got a bit long (fielding) but all credit to Tammy and Sarah, they batted really well, said van Niekerk. Wednesday s other matches saw reigning champions Australia and India both make it four wins from four, South Africa Women s Lizelle Lee drives watched by England Women s wicketkeeper Sarah Taylor during the ICC Women s World Cup cricket match at the County Ground, Bristol, England on July 5. (AP) Dickwella, Gunathilaka give Sri Lanka big win HAMBANTOTA, Sri Lanka, July 6, (AFP): Openers Niroshan Dickwella and Danushka Gunathilaka hit sublime centuries to help Sri Lanka humble Zimbabwe by eight wickets in the third One-Day International in Hambantota on Thursday. Chasing 311 for victory, the hosts rode on a 229-run opening stand between Dickwella (102) and Gunathilaka (116) to canter home in 47.2 overs and earn a 2-1 lead in the five-match series. The left-handed batting duo got their maiden ODI hundreds to overshadow Zimbabwe opener Hamilton Masakadza s sparkling 111 in the visitors after being put into bat first. While wicketkeeper-batsman Dickwella hit 14 boundaries during his stay, Gunathilaka smashed 15 fours and a six to flay the Zimbabwe attack at the Mahinda Rajapaksa International Cricket Stadium. It was a fantastic effort by the boys. After losing the first game, we had our backs against the wall and we came back well, Sri Lanka skipper Angelo Mathews said. The way Dickwella and Gunathilaka batted, we could have chased 350 on that wicket, he said of his team that hunted down a 300-plus run target for the first time on home soil. CRICKET However, the ICC fined Mathews 20 percent of his match fee for his team s slow over rate while the rest of the team was slapped with a 10 percent penalty. ICC match referee Chris Broad imposed the fine after finding the Sri Lankans one over short of its target when the time allowance was take into consideration, the ICC said. It warned that should there be another infringement in the next 12 months under Mathews captaincy, he will face a suspension. Off-spinner Malcolm Waller got Dickwella trudging back to the pavilion and left-arm orthodox Sean Williams cleaned up Gunathilaka, who received the man of the match award, in an otherwise disappointing show by the Zimbabwe bowlers. Upul Tharanga (44) and Kusal Mendis (28) then steered the team home with an unbeaten 75-run stand as the batting duo survived a dropped catch each as fielding lapses also hurt the visitors. The bowlers came back pretty well after the start that they (Zimbabwe) got. Hamilton played brilliantly, credit should go to him as well but the bowlers did well to keep them to 310, said Mathews. Mathews also praised Tharanga, who is unbeaten in the series so far, for being an absolute team man after he once again dropped down the order to allow Dickwella and Gunathilaka to open the innings. Earlier Masakadza put on a crucial 127-run partnership for the second wicket with Tarisai Musakanda (48) before Sri Lankan bowlers struck back to check Zimbabwe s surge. Masakadza s 98-ball knock, laced with 15 fours and a six, had Zimbabwe eyeing 350-plus at one point Hosts humble Zimbabwe by 8 wickets Sri Lankan cricketer Niroshan Dikwella plays a shot during the third One- Day International (ODI) cricket match between Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe at the Suriyawewa Mahinda Rajapakse International Cricket Stadium in the southern district of Hambantota on July 6. (AFP) Sri Lanka vs Zimbabwe Scoreboard before a middle-order collapse pulled them back. Teenage leg-spinner Wanindu Hasaranga, who took a hat-trick on his ODI debut in the second match in Galle, and paceman Asela Gunaratne grabbed two wickets each. Sean Williams contributed with a gutsy 43 while cameos from wicketkeeper-batsman Peter Moor (24) and Sikandar Raza (25 not out) helped Zimbabwe cross the 300-run mark. We need to get runs on the board batting first, but 310 was enough, we just need to get better with the field... Our bowling was probably under par (as well), Zimbabwe skipper Graeme Cremer said. The action now shifts to the fourth ODI on Saturday at the same venue. with the Aussies thrashing Pakistan by 159 runs in Leicester. Ellyse Perry, Elyse Villani and Alyssa Healy all made fifties to help Australia, without injured star batsman and skipper Meg Lanning, recover from 60 for three to set Pakistan a target of 291. Pakistan, yet to win at this tournament, managed just 131 in reply. Ellyse Perry and Rachael Haynes built a crucial partnership after a shaky start so that gave the rest of us a lot of confidence to contribute and we were very happy with our total, said Villani. It was a much closer contest at Derby where India defeated Sri Lanka by 16 runs. India captain Mithali Raj (53) and Deepti Sharma (78) shared a decisive 118-run third-wicket partnership in a total of 232 for eight. Jhulan Goswami then struck early in Sri Lanka s reply and not even a wellmade fifty from Dilani Manodara was enough to prevent the islanders suffering a fourth straight defeat. I ve always enjoyed batting and stepping up when it s required, said Raj after her 48th ODI half-century. HAMBANTOTA, Sri Lanka, July 6, (AFP): Scoreboard of the third one-day international between Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe in Hambantota on Thursday: ZIMBABWE H. Masakadza c pradeep b Hasaranga 111 S. Mire lbw b Pradeep...13 T. Musakanda c Tharanga b Gunaratne...48 C. Ervine lbw b Hasaranga...16 S. Williams b Gunaratne...43 M. Waller lbw b Malinga...17 S. Raza not out...25 P. Moor c Mendis b Sandakan...24 G. Cremer run out (Sandakan)...0 C. Mumba not out...2 Extras (lb2, w8, nb1)...11 Total (8 wickets, 50 overs) Did not bat: T. Chatara Fall of wickets: 1-39 (Mire), (Musakanda), (Masakadza), (Ervine), (Williams), (Waller), (Moor), (Cremer) Bowling: Malinga , Pradeep, , Chameera , Sandakan , Hasaranga , Gunaratne , Gunathilaka SRI LANKA N. Dikwella c Williams b Waller D. Gunathilaka b Williams K. Mendis not out...28 U. Tharanga not out...44 Extras (b4, lb2, w16)...22 Total (2 wickets, 47.2 overs) Did not bat: A. Mathews, A. Gunaratne, W. Hasaranga, D. Chameera, L. Sandakan, L. Malinga, N. Pradeep Fall of wickets: (Dickwella), (Gunathilaka) Bowling: Mumba , Chatara , Raza , Cremer , Williams , Waller , Mire Toss: Sri Lanka Result: Sri Lanka won by eight wickets Series: Sri Lanka lead the fi vematch series 2-1 Umpires: Ian Gould (ENG), Ranmore Martinesz (SRI) TV Umpire: Nigel Llong (ENG) Match Referee: Chris Broad (ENG) Lord s debut Afghanistan set for huge honour CRICLET KABUL, July 6, (AFP): Afghanistan is ready for the huge honour of making their landmark Lord s debut, officials said ahead of next week s match, after a fairytale rise catapulted them into the elite club of Test nations last month. The young side will be taking on the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), led by former New Zealand skipper Brendon McCullum, in what officials hope will be an historic 50-overs match at the so-called home of cricket on July 11. Our national team will be playing with the MCC team, full of world cricket greats, and it will be a huge honour and experience for the team, as we will be playing for the first time there, Farid Hotak, senior media relations officer at the Afghanistan Cricket Board, told AFP on Thursday. The Afghan side includes Indian Premier League (IPL) stars Mohammad Nabi and teenage leg-spinner Rashid Khan, who took 17 wickets in his debut this year. Nabi was previously on the MCC Young Cricketers scheme. Other players include captain Asghar Stanikzai, Noor Ali Zadran, Javed Ahmadi, Nasir Jamal, Samiullah Shenwari, Afsar Zazai, Shafiqullah Shafaq, Rahmat Shah, Gulbadin Naib, Dawlat Zadran, Shapoor Zadran and Farid Malik. Both Afghanistan and Ireland were confirmed as full members at an International Cricket Council (ICC) meeting during its annual conference in London late June and will be eligible to play five-day Test cricket, widely regarded as the sport s supreme format. Walking onto the pitch at Lord s will cap a dizzying rise for cricket-mad Afghanistan. Many Afghans first contact with the game only took place during the 1980s and 1990s, in Pakistani refugee camps sheltering millions who fled the Soviet invasion.

42 SPORTS 42 European Soccer Roundup Toronto FC s Jason Hernandez tackles Orlando City s Cyle Larin during an MLS soccer match on July 5 in Orlando, Florida. (AP) Toronto take overall MLS lead Zambia, Zimbabwe reach COSAFA fi nal MORULENG, South Africa, July 6, (Agencies): Zimbabwean Knox Mutizwa scored a hat-trick and Zambian Justin Shonga a brace in South Africa Wednesday as their nations reached the COSAFA Cup southern Africa championship final. Record-equalling four-time champions Zambia came from behind to defeat guests Tanzania 4-2 at Moruleng Stadium in the northwest platinum mining belt. Zimbabwe, who have also won the competition four times, triumphed 4-3 over Lesotho in the second match of a double-header that delivered 13 goals. The goal fest was a far cry from the group stage of the competition last week with spectators in nearby Phokeng having to endure 318 minutes without a goal. Tanzania coach Salum Mayanga attributed the loss to tiredness: This was our fifth match in 11 days. My boys are very, very tired. Zimbabwe coach Sunday Chidzambwa had mixed emotions after his team set up a third final against Zambia in the annual competition. Lesotho coach Moses Maliehe was upbeat despite losing: I congratulate my boys on a gutsy performance. They never stopped trying and took the match to the wire. After Erasto Nyoni gave Tanzania an early lead from a free-kick, Zambia hit back with goals from Brian Mwila and Justin Shonga just before half-time. Jack Chirwa converted a penalty and Shonga struck again to take the Zambians three goals clear before Simon Msuva claimed a late consolation goal for Tanzania. In the second semi-final, Mutizwa scored his first goal by poking a corner into the net and Sera Motebang levelled three minutes before the break. A second-half goal deluge began with Mutizwa scoring again and Talent Chawapiwa put Zimbabwe two goals ahead entering the final quarter. Mabuti Potloane brought Lesotho back into contention by finishing a sweeping move 10 minutes from time only for Mutizwa to complete his treble. Tsoanelo Koetle converted a penalty three minutes into stoppage time to complete the scoring. COSAFA Cup action resumes Friday with another Moruleng doubleheader. South Africa meet Namibia in the final of a plate competition for losing quarter-finalists, followed by the thirdplace play-off between Lesotho and Tanzania. Zambia and Zimbabwe meet Sunday in the final at the Royal Bafokeng Sports Palace in Phokeng, a 2010 World Cup venue. Sebastian Giovinco scored twice and set up Jozy Altidore s goal to help Toronto FC beat Orlando City 3-1 to take the overall lead in the MLS on Wednesday, when Chicago was held to a draw at Portland. Toronto FC (11-3-5) moved to 38 points, a point ahead of Eastern Conference rival Chicago. Altidore scored his eighth goal of the season in the 18th Mutizwa minute. Giovinco split two defenders in midfield, drew two more defenders at the top of the box, and found a wide open Altidore for a calm finish under Joe Bendik s legs. Giovinco chipped in to make it 2-0 in the 46th and, after Carlos Rivas scored for Orlando, he scored again with a free kick in the 65th. At Portland, Sebastian Blanco scored a 70th-minute equalizer to make it 2-2 and end undefeated Chicago s four-game winning streak. Fanendo Adi opened the scoring for the Timbers from the penalty spot in the 24th, and Arturo Alvarez tied it 10 minutes later. Chicago took the lead when Brandon Vincent scored early in the second half, but Blanco s equalizer ensured the Timbers shared the points. In other MLS matches Wednesday, Gonzalo Veron scored a last-minute winner as the New York Red Bulls beat the New England Revolution 3-2, the Vancouver Whitecaps had a late 3-2 win over New York City and Houston ended a four-game winless streak with a 3-1 victory over Montreal. The Red Bulls scored the only two goals of the second half, with Daniel Royer equalizing with a penalty in the 55th minute and Veron finishing off from the edge of the area. Liverpool s Senegalese star Sadio Mane is due to return to training in around 10 days following knee surgery, the club said on Thursday. The 25-year-old forward -- who shone for Liverpool last season scoring 13 goals after joining from Southampton -- suffered the knee injury in the derby with Everton on April 1. His absence at the Africa Cup of Nations earlier in the year had already proved costly to Liverpool s title ambitions. Due to the injury Mane missed eight games at the end of the campaign, but Liverpool still secured a crucial Champions League spot. A statement from the club on Thursday said Mane is on schedule, adding SOCCER he is on course to join training within a time frame of 10 days. He will continue to be monitored and assessed by the club s medical staff to ensure he returns in the best shape and ready for the remainder of the preseason schedule. Liverpool can handle the pressure of opening their Premier League campaign and taking part in a Champions League playoff within the same week as they have a stronger squad than last season, manager Juergen Klopp has said. Liverpool s fourth-placed league finish sealed a spot in the playoff round for next season s Champions League, the first leg of which will be held on Aug , with the second leg to be played the following week. The Merseyside club start their league campaign on Aug. 12 at Watford and Klopp believes that they can make a good start and seal a return to the Champions League after two seasons. English fourth tier side Wycombe have come up with a novel way of trying to stop rivals scoring next season -- a goalkeeper s shirt that is designed to confuse opponents. The club along with their kit manufacturer have come up with two strip designs which aims to make the goalkeeper appear bigger and more intimidating than he is in reality. The first strip is yellow and has a multi-coloured kaleidoscope pattern on the front, which resembles a target to aim for -- rather than the goal. Rooney linked with return to Everton United set to smash British record for Lukaku LONDON, July 6, (Agencies): Everton striker Romelu Lukaku is set to join Manchester United for a record fee between British clubs of 75 million ($97m, 85.5m euros), according to media reports Thursday. Both the BBC and Press Association reported the deal was all but done for the 24-year-old Belgian international, who will be reunited with Jose Mourinho, who sold him to Everton in 2014 for 28m when the Portuguese coach was in his second spell as Chelsea manager. Meanwhile Manchester United captain Wayne Rooney is reported to be heading the other way, set to rejoin Everton, the club where he originally made his name. The Times said the move could be part of the Lukaku deal. According to the BBC, senior United club sources had confirmed to them the Lukaku move had gone through although Everton who were said to be hoping for a fee more in the region of 100m denied any such agreement had been reached. Even if the deal were to be confirmed at 75m it would smash the record for a transfer fee between British clubs the record is the 50m paid by Chelsea to Liverpool for Fernando Torres in 2011 and register as the joint-fifth most expensive player of all time. Everton had offered the former Anderlecht star the most lucrative contract in the club s history after he scored 25 Premier League goals last season but he turned it down, saying he wanted to move on to another level. This alerted several clubs to his availability with Chelsea initially the favourites but Mourinho who enjoys excellent relations with his agent Mino Raiola looks to have snatched him from under Antonio Conte s nose. If the deal goes through, Lukaku s arrival at Old Trafford would suggest United end their interest in signing Alvaro Morata from Real Madrid. Raiola has had a profitable time since Mourinho took over at United last year, with the world s most expensive player Paul Pogba, attacking midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Zlatan Ibrahimovic, all his clients, arriving at the club in Meanwhile England and Manchester United s record goalscorer Rooney could be set for a return to Everton. The 31-year-old, who flourished at Everton by bursting onto the scene as a teenager and scoring 17 goals in 77 appearances, has become a peripheral figure at Manchester United since Jose Mourinho took over last year. Rooney, who also lost his place in the England squad, has stated the only other Premier League side he would consider joining is Everton, and with interest fading from China, either a return to Merseyside or a move to the United States looked to be his best options. The Daily Mail says Everton are hopeful of thrashing out a deal while The Guardian noted that with one year remaining on his contract, United may demand a transfer fee but not a sizeable one for the player who joined the club in 2004 for 27 million. The paper also said the deal would lighten United s annual wage bill by 13 million. Both Rooney and United favour a permanent deal rather than a loan, although Everton may balk at the wage demands, according to the reports. Rooney is not expected to demand a permanent first-team place but is keen to play more often than he did at United where he made just 26 appearances last term. Wales striker Hal Robson- Kanu s Premier League future is assured after he signed a new contract with West Bromwich Albion on Thursday that sees him tied to the club until The 28-year-old who will forever be remembered for the extraordinary goal he scored in Wales Euro 2016 quarterfinal win over Belgium only started five matches Lukaku last season and made 30 appearances in all. Robson-Kanu whose initial contract last year was a two-year deal with the option of a third year scored three times for the Baggies. However, Robson-Kanu who will compete with Salomon Rondon and new signing Jay Rodriguez for the striker spots said he hadn t needed much convincing to sign the new deal. Swansea City have signed midfielder Roque Mesa from La Liga side Las Palmas in a four-year deal for a fee of 11 million pounds ($14.25 million), the Premier League club said on Thursday. Mesa, 28, played over a 100 matches for Las Palmas since joining in 2010 and made 35 league appearances last season as the club ended their second season in 14th place in the Spanish top tier. I m very happy to be here. It s a new challenge and a new adventure, Mesa told the Swansea s website. Leicester City said on Thursday their signing of Vicente Iborra from Sevilla would be a four-year deal and they had agreed terms, with the fee reported to be in the region of 12 million euros (10.5 million pounds). Sevilla announced on Tuesday that they had agreed to sell their 29-year-old captain to the Premier League champions. Spanish left-back Yuri Berchiche is set to leave Real Sociedad for Paris Saint-Germain, the Basque club said on Thursday. The 27-year-old would be PSG s first signing of the close season and a replacement for Brazilian Maxwell, who retired at the end of last season. We have received a written offer from PSG for Yuri today and he has permission to go for a medical, Sociedad president Jokin Aperribay said in a statement on Twitter. It s the best of all the offers we received and his agents tell us he s ready to go. Leipzig, which will be playing in the Champions League for the first time this coming season, has signed French forward Jean-Kevin Augustin from Paris Saint-Germain. The Bundesliga side says the 20-year-old Augustin, who was reportedly also of interest to league rivals Borussia Dortmund and Hertha Berlin, has signed a five-year deal. Augustin has made his way through all of France s national youth sides, winning the Under-19 European Championship last year. He had been part of PSG s senior squad since Striker Fernando Torres will stay at Atletico Madrid until the end of next season after signing a contract extension, the La Liga club announced on Wednesday. The former Spain international s contract had run out, but he will now stay at Atletico until June 30, The capital-city side are under a transfer ban, but it has been a successful close-season so far for coach Diego Simeone, having also seen key forward Antoine Griezmann pen a new deal to keep him at the club until I am really happy to continue one more year together, Torres said on the club s website. Spanish goalkeeper Iker Casillas has extended his contract with FC Porto by a year. Very happy to carry on for one more season with FC Porto! Impatient to face the upcoming challenges! the 36-year-old Casillas said on twitter. The former Real Madrid shotstopper, capped a record 167 times by Spain, joined Porto in 2015 after racking up 510 first team games over a 16-season stretch in the Spanish capital. Former Manchester City and Arsenal left-back Gael Clichy is set to join Turkish club Basaksehir Istanbul, local press agency Anadolu reported on Thursday. The 31-year-old became a free agent when his contract at City ran out in June. Former France international Clichy is expected to sign a contract with Basaksehir, who finished second behind Besiktas in the Turkish Super Lig last season, on Friday after a medical. He struggled to hold down a first-team place at the Etihad Stadium in recent years, making just 30 league appearances across the last two seasons. The deal brings an end to his 14-year stay in the English Premier League, after he joined Arsenal in Clichy is the third former France international to move to Turkey in the close season, after attacking midfielder Mathieu Valbuena joined Fenerbahce and striker Bafetimbi Gomis signed for Galatasaray. Nigerian striker Emmanuel Emenike has joined Olympiakos from Fenerbahce, the Greek champions announced on Wednesday. While the club did not confirm details of the deal, local media reported the contract is for two years with an option for an additional 12 months and that the transfer fee was 2.5 million euros ($2.84m). Emenike, 30, scored nine goals for the Nigerian national team in 37 matches. While at Fenerbahce he spent spells on loan at Abu Dhabi-based club Al Ain and English Premier League side West Ham United.

43 SPORTS 43 Soccer Roundup Podolski eyes CL Germany back atop rankings ZURICH, July 6, (Agencies): Germany leads the FIFA rankings again after the 2014 World Cup winner added the Confederations Cup title on Sunday. Victory by a second-string squad lifted Germany up two places, and Brazil and Argentina fell to Nos. 2 and 3, respectively. Since Germany last led the rankings exactly two years ago, Brazil, Argentina and Belgium have held the top spot. Portugal used its third-place finish in Russia to rise four places to No. 4, higher than after it won the 2016 European Championship. Switzerland climbed to No. 5 by beating the Faeroe Islands to extend its perfect record in World Cup qualifying. Poland, which was also unbeaten in World Cup qualifying, rose to No. 6. Confederations Cup runner-up Chile fell three places to No. 7. Colombia, France and Belgium completed the top 10 though all fell three places. Other teams falling due to Confederations Cup results in Russia were Cameroon dropping four to No. 36 and New Zealand down 27 to No Host team Russia rose one to No. 62 and Australia climbed three to No. 45. Mexico, fourth-placed at the Confederations Cup, leads CON- CACAF teams at No. 16. The United States falls 12 to No. 35. Iran leads Asia at No. 23, one ahead of Africa s best, Egypt, which drops four. The FIFA rankings, weighing team s results over a four-year cycle, will have an impact later this year. FIFA typically uses the rankings to decide seeding for World Cup playoffs and the finals tournament draw, which is made on Dec 1 in Moscow. Germany s Lukas Podolski has set his sights on helping Vissel Kobe qualify for the Asian Champions League in his maiden J.League season, the World Cupwinning forward said on Thursday. Podolski became the biggest name to arrive in the J.League since Uruguayan striker Diego Forlan joined Cerezo Osaka Podolski in 2014 when the 32-year-old signed an estimated $5.3 million deal to make the switch from Galatasaray. I don t feel any pressure because I have had pressure since I started playing football, Podolski, a member of Germany s 2014 World Cup winning team, told a news conference in Kobe. It is not a problem, it is a big challenge for me. I don t play in Europe, I play now in the J.League and Asia, so it is a big move, of course, but I have a target. The first target is to fight for the first three places (in the J.League) to qualify for the Champions League, said Podolski who is set to make his debut in a July 29 home match against Omiya Ardija. Kobe had wanted Podolski to join them before the spring transfer window closed on Mar. 31 and will expect him to lift the club, currently lying 11th and 13 points behind leaders Kashima Antlers, in the second half of the season. Facebook Inc, Twitter Inc and Snap Inc are seeking online rights to video highlights from Twentyfirst Century Fox Inc for next year s soccer World Cup, Bloomberg reported on Thursday. The companies have offered tens of millions of dollars for rights to video highlights for the Russiahosted tournament that air in the United States, Bloomberg reported, citing two people familiar with the matter. Fox will retain rights to use highlights of the World Cup across its shows, Bloomberg reported, citing the people. Social media companies have beefed up their focus on signing live-streaming sports deals as young audience increasingly rely on the internet to watch sports, ditching the traditional cable services. Fox Sports said last month it partnered with Facebook to livestream UEFA Champions League matches during the season. Germany World Cup hero Mario Goetze is expected to return to training with Borussia Dortmund when the side reconvenes from its summer break on Friday. Goetze hasn t played since January and was diagnosed in February with metabolic disturbances following months of recurring muscular problems. The 25-year-old Goetze completed just four games in 11 Bundesliga appearances for Dortmund since returning from Bundesliga rival Bayern Munich last summer. Kittel returns to top of sprint tree Leader Froome has quiet day Great Britain s Simon Yates celebrates his white jersey of best young on the podium at the end of the 216 kms sixth stage of the 104th edition of the Tour de France cycling race on July 6 between Vesoul and Troyes. (AFP) Results/Standings FRANCE, July 6, (RTRS): Results from Tour de France (Vesoul - Troyes, 216 km) on Thursday 1. Marcel Kittel (Germany / Quick-Step) 5:05:34 2. Arnaud Demare (France / FDJ) ST 3. Andre Greipel (Germany / Lotto) 4. Alexander Kristoff (Norway / Katusha) 5. Nacer Bouhanni (France / Cofi dis) 6. Dylan Groenewegen (Netherlands / LottoNL) 7. Michael Matthews (Australia / Sunweb) 8. Daniel McLay (Britain / Fortuneo) 9. Ruediger Selig (Germany / BORA) 10. John Degenkolb (Germany / Trek) 11. Dion Smith (New Zealand / Wanty) 12. Adrien Petit (France / Direct Energie) 13. Edvald Boasson Hagen (Norway / Dimension Data) 14. Marco Haller (Austria / Katusha) 15. Rick Zabel (Germany / Katusha) 16. Taylor Phinney (U.S. / Cannondale) 17. Michael Schaer (Switzerland / BMC Racing) 18. Pieter Vanspeybrouck (Belgium / Wanty) 19. Jay McCarthy (Australia / BORA) 20. Rafal Majka (Poland / BORA) 21. Alexey Lutsenko (Kazakhstan / Astana) 22. Danilo Wyss (Switzerland / BMC Racing) 23. Borut Bozic (Slovenia / Bahrain) 24. Richie Porte (Australia / BMC Racing) 25. Louis Meintjes (South Africa / UAE Team Emirates) 26. Jakob Fuglsang (Denmark / Astana) 27. Oliver Naesen (Belgium / AG2R) 28. Damiano Caruso (Italy / BMC Racing) 29. Guillaume Martin (France / Wanty) 30. Juergen Roelandts (Belgium / Lotto) Classification from Tour de France after Stage 6 1. Chris Froome (Britain / Team Sky) 23:44:33 2. Geraint Thomas (Britain / Team Sky) Fabio Aru (Italy / Astana) Daniel Martin (Ireland / Quick-Step) Richie Porte (Australia / BMC Racing) Simon Yates (Britain / Orica) Romain Bardet (France / AG2R) Alberto Contador (Spain / Trek) Nairo Quintana (Colombia / Movistar) Rafal Majka (Poland / BORA) +1: Rigoberto Uran (Colombia / Cannondale) 12. Pierre Latour (France / AG2R) +1: Louis Meintjes (South Africa / UAE Team Emirates) +1: Emanuel Buchmann (Germany / BORA) +1: Jakob Fuglsang (Denmark / Astana) +1: Mikel Landa (Spain / Team Sky) +1: Tim Wellens (Belgium / Lotto) +1: Michal Kwiatkowski (Poland / Team Sky) +1: Andrew Talansky (U.S. / Cannondale) +1: Serge Pauwels (Belgium / Dimension Data) +2: Nicolas Roche (Ireland / BMC Racing) +2: Guillaume Martin (France / Wanty) +2: Tiesj Benoot (Belgium / Lotto) +2: Sergio Henao (Colombia / Team Sky) +2: George Bennett (New Zealand / LottoNL) +2: Damiano Caruso (Italy / BMC Racing) +2: Mathias Frank (Switzerland / AG2R) +2: Roman Kreuziger (Czech Republic / Orica) +2: Mikel Nieve (Spain / Team Sky) +2: Esteban Chaves (Colombia / Orica) +2:44 TROYES, France, July 6, (AFP): Marcel Kittel re-established his status as the king of sprints by winning the sixth stage of the Tour de France on Thursday. It was his second stage win of this Tour and 11th in total, moving him level with German compatriot Andre Greipel, who was third on the stage behind Frenchman Arnaud Demare in second. Kittel needs only one more stage win to equal the mark of 12 set by Erik Zabel, the most by a German. It s a nice situation for me that I can say now that I ve won 11 stages on the Tour, I m very proud of that, said the 29-year-old Quick- Step rider. I m not really pushing myself for victories because I want to break the record of Erik Zabel, I just want to keep it coming, stay relaxed and get the best from myself and for the team in the sprints, and then see how far that can get me. Kittel had dominated the sprints in 2013 and 2014, winning four stages in each Tour, but was absent the next year when Greipel matched CYCLING that single Tour feat. Last year Mark Cavendish dominated with four stage wins but following this stage, Greipel said Kittel is the best in the business. Everyone knows that I have a lot of respect for Andre, he s also a great sprinter and a very fair and nice rider. I really appreciate those words, said Kittel. Kittel is also bidding for a tilt at winning the green jersey for the first time this year as he closed the gap to leader Demare to 27 points there are 50 points available to stage winners every day. With Peter Sagan excluded form the Tour for elbowing Mark Cavendish in a muscular sprint finish on Tuesday, the race for the green jersey has come alive. But Kittel said his main focus is on stage victories. The situation is different to the last years for sure, he said, referring to Sagan winning the green jersey in each of the last five years. Already before, I said I will only focus on getting stage victories, but that s also a way to score big points, which is really important for the green jersey. Demare, who almost came a Germany s Marcel Kittel celebrates as he crosses the fi nish line ahead of Germany s Andre Greipel (left), during the 216 kms sixth stage of the 104th edition of the Tour de France cycling race on July 6 between Vesoul and Troyes. (AFP) SEOUL, July 6, (AFP): South Korea s new football coach criticised his predecessor Uli Stielike on Thursday, accusing the veteran German of lacking strategies and blaming communication difficulties with the players for poor results. Stielike, 62, won the European Championship and was a World Cup runner-up with Germany as a player, and went on to manage Switzerland and Ivory Coast, along with a series of clubs, before taking the reins in Seoul. But he was fi red last month following a run of poor results including qualifying defeats to China, Iran and Qatar that have left South Korea in danger of missing direct qualification to the 2018 World Cup in Russia. It s a bit awkward to talk about the Shin former coach, but I think the problem was the shortage in strategies, said Shin Tae-Yong in his fi rst appearance in front of the media since being appointed earlier this week. Stielike was a foreigner and Koreans tend to shy away from foreigners and this was a problem, he add- United States team poses for a photograph before an international friendly between USA and Ghana at Pratt & Whitney Stadium on July 1 in East Hartford, Connecticut. (AFP) cropper along the barriers down the inside of Alexander Kristoff in the sprint finish to the 216km stage from Vesoul to Troyes, acknowledged that Sagan s absence changed things, but insisted he d had a good chance of claiming the jersey anyway. Of course (it will be easier) but Sagan was already behind me when I took the jersey it s going to be a big fight, he said. Demare also claimed that jostling in the sprint finish was part and parcel of the game. While Sagan was castigated for causing Cavendish to crash, Demare got away largely scott free from criticism for a violent swerve that cut across the path of his copatriot Nacer Bouhanni in Tuesday s fourth stage, which he won. Bouhanni, who was fourth on Thursday, was furious but no-one was paying attention to his ire in the wake of the Sagan saga. People always rub shoulders in the sprint finish, it s competitive. There are 10 or 15 people going for the stage victory, insisted Demare. No-one s blameless, we re all fighting for positon. I came second but I went through a mouse hole it wasn t ideal. Race leader and reigning champion Chris Froome had a quiet day in the saddle, barring one bizarre moment when he and several other riders had to take evasive action to avoid a parasol that blew onto the road right in front of the peloton. Earlier, a three-man breakaway had set off inside the first kilometre but with more than 200km to ride on a pan-flat stage with powerful sprinters teams controlling the gap, it was always doomed to fail. They soldiered on, though, with a maximum lead of over three and a half minutes at one stage, but were caught 3km from the finish. Biennial championship kicks off US, Mexico to try new talent at Gold Cup LOS ANGELES, July 6, (AFP): The United States and Mexico are hoping to unearth a new crop of talent as they attempt to extend their reign of dominance when the CONCACAF Gold Cup kicks off on Friday. The biennial football championship for North America, Central America and Caribbean gets under way at the Red Bull Arena in New Jersey with French Guiana taking on Canada before Honduras face Costa Rica. The 12-team tournament is being staged at 14 venues across the United States, with the final to be held on July 26 at Santa Clara s Levi s Stadium, the home of the San Francisco 49ers NFL team. The United States will be aiming to atone for the disappointment of their 2015 campaign, when they flopped in the semi-finals of a tournament won by Mexico. The tournament has been dominated by Mexico and the United States ever since its inception in The North American rivals have won every edition of the championship between them except from Canada s victory in While history suggests another Mexico-US battle for the title this time around, the playing field may have been levelled by the fact that neither nation is fielding its strongest team. US coach Bruce Arena, whose priority remains the ongoing 2018 World Cup qualification campaign, has opted New S. Korea coach slams Stielike s lack of strategy to rest several first-choice players from duty. Mexico coach Juan Carlos Osorio has adopted a similar approach, with El Tri only recently completing their campaign at the FIFA Confederations Cup in Russia. We have a large number of domestic players because our Europeanbased players need a break, Arena said. They had long seasons plus the June World Cup qualifiers, so they needed a break and then they need to start their preseasons in July. That was the appropriate move. The Americans warmed up for their tournament -- which will kick off against Panama on Saturday -- with a 2-1 friendly victory over Ghana last weekend. The experimental line-up featured a crop of new faces, with the goals coming from MLS players Dom Dwyer SOCCER and Kellyn Acosta. England-born striker Dwyer, who became a US citizen in March, caught the eye with a lively display that included a debut goal. Arena has encouraged his youthful squad members to view the Gold Cup as a chance to force their way into his thinking for crucial World Cup qualifiers later this year. There s a great opportunity for these guys to lock down roster positions for our games in September and October as well, Arena said. The ed. Communication difficulties including language barriers were also a point of distraction, he said. Shin, 46, is a former midfi elder for Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma and Brisbane Roar, where he had a brief stint as assistant coach before returning to his Korean club as manager in 2010 and winning the AFC Champions League. I am different from Stielike in style, he said. I will pick whoever is showing good performances. Shin has a reputation as a troubleshooter and took SOCCER the national U23s to the quarter-finals at the 2016 Rio Olympics, after his predecessor developed cancer and left the previous year. He also steered South Korea to the same stage of this year s U20 World Cup on home soil. Shin said the biggest regret of his life was not playing in the World Cup, but described the opportunity to take the Taeguk Warriors to a ninth consecutive appearance at the fi nals was a chance to compensate for that. roster has a nice blend of experience and talented players with less experience. It makes for good competition. Speaking after a training session on Tuesday, Arena said while the value of a Gold Cup victory was debatable, the US had only one thing on their mind -- victory. There s no actual significance for this championship, Arena told reporters. But it s important to win your confederation championship, and we re certainly setting our sights on that. The US should qualify comfortably from Group B, where along with Panama their opponents include minnows Martinique and Nicaragua. Mexico should also have a straightforward passage to the knockout rounds from Group C, which includes El Salvador, Curacao and Jamaica. Group A features Honduras, Costa Rica, French Guiana and Canada. Trained by Dutch coaches and with players seasoned in the English leagues, the Caribbean island of Curacao takes a giant competitive leap in international football this month. The national team will compete for the first time in the CONCACAF Gold Cup, the top international tournament for North and Central America and the Caribbean.

44 PRIME TIME friday (all times are kuwait local) 07:00 pliskova vs rybarikova/tennis bein sports 10 hd 08:00 radwanska vs mchale/tennis bein sports 8 hd 09:30 germany vs bulgaria/soccer bein sports 6 hd 10:00 raonic vs youzhny/tennis... bein sports 8 hd 12:00 kerber vs flipkens/tennis... bein sports 9 hd 13:00 tour de france/cycling... bein sports 7 hd 16:00 bronby vs copenhagen/soccer bein sports 5 hd 19:30 mountpellier vs nantes/handball bein sports 7 hd 44 Sports Latest sports scores at Bethanie injury puts Nole, Fed in shadow Favourite Pliskova out LONDON, July 6, (AFP): Colourful US star Bethanie Mattek-Sands suffered an horrific knee injury at Wimbledon on Thursday which left her screaming in pain and pleading for help as officials were accused of freezing in her desperate moment of need. The distressing drama on Court 17, where the 32-year-old lay stricken for at least 20 minutes, pushed the title campaigns of Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer France s Gael Monfils serves against Britain s Kyle Edmund during their men s singles second round match on the fourth day of the 2017 Wimbledon Championships at The All England Lawn Tennis Club in Wimbledon, southwest London, on July 6. (AFP) Slovakia Magdalena Rybarikova celebrates winning a point after a long rally against Czech Republic s Karolina Pliskova during their women s singles second round match on the fourth day of the 2017 Wimbledon Championships at The All England Lawn Tennis Club in Wimbledon, southwest London on July 6. (AFP) TENNIS onto the sidelines. Please help me! Please! Please! screamed Mattek-Sands as she clutched her right knee after collapsing running to the net in the first point of the deciding set of her second round match against Romania s Sorana Cirstea. The women s tour said Mattek-Sands had suffered a serious knee injury and had been taken to hospital. Cirstea questioned why it took so long for the medical team to arrive at Court 17 which is right next door to the tournament s famed Centre Court. She was in shock. Her knee was in a very weird position. I ve never seen anything like this probably except in the movies, said Cirstea. The All England Club defended their response, claiming: The first response to Court 17 was within one minute, by a qualified ambulance technician. In a statement, they added: The player was kept on court while pain relief was given. Djokovic shrugged off sweltering 30-degree heat to breeze past outclassed Adam Pavlasek 6-2, 6-2, 6-1 and reach the third round. The three-time champion brushed aside the 136rd-ranked Czech to make the last-32 for the ninth year in succession. Djokovic, the second seed whose shock third round loss to Sam Querrey at Wimbledon 12 months ago precipitated a worrying decline in form, will next face Ernests Gulbis. Meanwhile, Seven-time champion Roger Federer reached the Wimbledon third round for the 15th time on Thursday with a 7-6 (7/0), 6-3, 6-2 win over Dusan Lajovic of Serbia. Third seeded Federer will face Germany s Mischa Zverev for a place in the last-16. I struggled at the start and couldn t find my rhythm, said Federer who dropped his first service game to trail 2-0 to his 79th-ranked opponent. But once I got rid of the nerves I played some inspired stuff after that. Zverev defeated world number one Andy Murray at the Australian Open this year, but Federer has won both his meetings against the left-handed serve-and-volleyer this year, including on grass at Halle last month. Gulbis sprang a surprise as the world number 589 defeated former US Open champion Juan Martin del Potro 6-4, 6-4, 7-6 (7/3). The 28-year-old Latvian was ranked in the top 10 in the year he beat Federer en route to the French Open semi-finals. The women s event was thrown wide open when third seed and title favourite Karolina Pliskova crashed to defeat against world number 108 Magdalena Rybarikova. Rybarikova battled back from a set down to win 3-6, 7-5, 6-2 on Centre Court, earning the Slovakian a last 32 clash with Ukraine s Lesia Tsurenko. Pliskova reached the US Open final last year and the French Open semifinals last month, but the Czech world number three has a dismal record at Serbia s Novak Djokovic returns to Czech Republic s Adam Pavlasek on day four at the Wimbledon Tennis Championships in London on July 6. (AP) Wimbledon and for the sixth successive year she failed to get past the second round. For me, the tournament is over. So whatever happens happens. I m not going to pray for somebody losing or winning. That s not my thing, said Pliskova. Pliskova can still become world number one at the end of Wimbledon depending on the results of top seeds Angelique Kerber and Simona Halep. Bernard Tomic may have been knocked out but the Australian was still making waves on Thursday when he was fined $15,000 after claiming he was bored during his lacklustre defeat to Mischa Zverev. Tomic also lost his raquet sponsor Head as a consequence. Former US and French Open champion Svetlana Kuznetsova, seeded seven, took her career record over fellow Russian Ekaterina Makarova to 7-1 with a 6-0, 7-5 win. Kuznetsova next faces Slovenia s world number 265th Polona Hercog, who reached the third round at a Slam for the first time since 2010 with a 6-7 (2/7), 6-2, 6-2 win over Varvara Lepchenko of the United States. Agnieszka Radwanska, the 2012 runner-up, saved two match points to see off Christina McHale 5-7, 7-6 (9/7), 6-3. CAS rejects Platini appeal SOCCER GENEVA, July 6, (AFP): Switzerland s highest court has rejected former UEFA chief Michel Platini s appeal against a four-year suspension from football, ending his efforts to overturn the penalty, the ATS news agency reported Thursday. Platini, 61, was hit with the penalty over a $2 million payment he received in 2011, authorised by then FIFA chief Sepp Blatter for work he did a decade earlier, with no contract to show for the deal. Platini was initially hit with an eight-year ban by the FIFA Ethics Committee in late 2015, at the height of an unprecedented scandal that upended world football, but his suspension was later cut to six years upon appeal. Platini appealed his suspension to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), which in May 2016 chopped another two years off the suspension. Switzerland s Federal Court has ruled that the ban is justified and that four years is not an unreasonable length of time, ATS reported. 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