24ISSUE NO: 17796

28 Pages 150 Fils

www.kuwaittimes.net

Established 1961 The First Daily in the Arabian Gulf

Biden bids to quell storm over campaign trail kiss

Hamilton wins Bahrain Grand Prix after Leclerc heartbreak

RAJAB 25, 1440 AHMONDAY, APRIL 1, 2019

Colorectal cancer leading cause of death for middle-aged people5 7 28

Max 27ºMin 20

Pope warns Catholics against converting others in Morocco

Arab leaders condemn US decision on Golan • Qatari Amir leaves summit early

News in brief

Amir urges unity and concerted response amid regional unrest

Uncle abducts, tortures nephew

KUWAIT: The interior ministry yesterday arrested aKuwaiti for kidnapping, torturing and burning hisnephew. The suspect admitted to abducting hisnephew and taking him to his chalet in Khairan, wherehe tortured him with a knife. The victim also sufferedfirst-degree burns from head to toe after beingburned by his uncle. — Hanan Al-Saadoun

Man stabbed to death in fight

KUWAIT: A man was stabbed to death by a friend,who also sustained various injuries, while a thirdescaped unharmed. The three - all Indians - wereinvolved in a fight in their sponsor’s home in Ishbiliya.Police are investigating to take the necessary legalaction. A police source said the three had an argumentthat led to a fight, with two of them using sharpobjects. The owner of the house called police, whoarrived along with paramedics. The deceased wasstabbed in the heart. — Al-Rai

Visitors should buy health insurance

KUWAIT: A law was issued amending law number1/1999 pertaining collecting health insurance fromnon-Kuwaitis and fees for the health services theyreceive. Informed sources said the new amendmentwill mandate expats visiting Kuwait to purchase healthinsurance either through specialized companies or bypurchasing revenue stamps to be affixed on the visafrom Kuwaiti embassies abroad or border exits. Theamendment, which has not set a specific fee so far,exempts some visitors like those arriving for a day ortwo on official visits, official delegations and diplo-mats. — A Saleh

TUNIS: (From left) Djibouti’s President Ismail Omar Guellah, Qatar’s Amir Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, Mauritania’s President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz, HH the Amir of Kuwait Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, Saudi Arabia’s King Salmanbin Abdulaziz, Tunisia’s President Beji Caid Essebsi, Jordan’s King Abdullah II, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, Iraq’s President Barham Saleh, Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi, Yemen’s President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi andLebanese President Michel Aoun pose for a group photograph with other Arab leaders during the 30th Arab League summit in the Tunisian capital yesterday. — Amiri Diwan

TUNIS: The Arab world remains determined to over-come all challenges thrust upon the region, HH the AmirSheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah said yester-day, calling for unity and a concerted response acrossthe board in the face of such adversity. Allaying concernsover lagging growth across the region, he told a summitof Arab leaders and senior officials in the Tunisian capitalthat maintaining the status quo is no longer an option. He

highlighted a decade-long plan to fulfill the ambitions ofthe Arab people, pinpointing initiatives Kuwait has madein recent years to push this plan closer to fruition.

On the scourge of terrorism, HH the Amir said itremains a lingering threat, citing “horrific” attacks on apair of mosques in New Zealand recently as affirmation.In this context, the Amir reiterated sharp condemnationof the attacks as a criminal act, while supporting all inter-

national efforts to eliminate terrorism. On the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the Amir said it continues to be theArab world’s “chief concern”, while the matter has beenlargely overlooked by the international community.Addressing the “bloody conflicts” in Syria and Yemen, hesaid a political solution in both countries is the only wayforward, which is crucial to ultimately restore peace andstability to the war-torn nations.

Meanwhile, he pointed out that it was necessary tomaintain amicable relations with Iran that fully abide bythe principles of international law, including non-interfer-ence in the internal affairs of other states. As a non-per-manent member of the UN Security Council, Kuwait willcontinue to have the Arab region’s best interests at heart,HH the Amir promised.

Continued on Page 24

Work permit transfers eased

KUWAIT: Informed sources at the manpowerauthority said expats recruited in Kuwait in agricultur-al, industrial, shepherding and fishing activities or towork in co-ops will be allowed to transfer their workpermits after one year instead of three years, providedthe original sponsor approves the transfer. The trans-fer should also be made to another sponsor engagedin the same activity. — A Saleh

By A Saleh

KUWAIT: Recent statistics by the GCC statistical center(GCC Stat) showed 7.3 percent of the workforce inKuwait is illiterate, which is the highest amongst GCCstates, followed by Bahrain with 4.1 percent. Kuwait alsohas 23.3 percent of the workforce with only primaryschool education, which is the highest in the GCC, 12.7percent with secondary school certificates and 4.7 per-cent with two-year post-secondary education.

In addition, 31.4 percent of the total manpower work-ing in Kuwait, including citizens and expats, hold no high-er than middle school certificates, which makes Kuwaitsecond among GCC states after Oman in the number ofmiddle school certificate holders and second after SaudiArabia in terms of the percentage of holders of bachelor’sdegrees (15.9 percent of the total manpower).

The stats also showed 41.2 percent of unemployedKuwaitis hold university degrees, while the majority (75percent) of the workforce, namely expats, hold lowerdegrees. Furthermore, statistics showed that 2.7 percentof Kuwaitis hold PhD or master’s degrees, 40.8 percenthold university degrees, 20.9 percent hold two-yearpost-secondary education certificates, 20 percent holdsecondary school certificates and 13.4 percent hold mid-dle school certificates.

7.3% of Kuwait’sworkforce illiterate

Roads to partially close for repairs

By Hanan Al-Saadoun

KUWAIT: The interior ministry’s PR and securitymedia department announced that in collaborationwith the ministry of public works to maintain variousroads, partial road closures (one lane at a time) willbegin in two phases from tomorrow (April 2, 2019). Thedepartment explained that the partial closures will be

from 6 pm till 6 am on weekdays and from midnight tillnoon on weekends. The department explained that theroads involved in the maintenance plan include KingFahd Expressway (from the First Ring Road till BayanPalace), First Ring Road, Fourth Ring Road, Sixth RingRoad and Doha Spur Motorway. The departmenturged all motorists to cooperate and respect trafficregulations during the closure.

BANGALORE: In this photo taken on Jan 10, 2019, an Indian student looks at theeducation technology startup Byju’s app at the company’s office. — AFP

MUMBAI: From a multibillion-dollareducation startup to wired-up man-nequins, technology is helping to revolu-tionize the way Indian schoolchildren arelearning - provided their parents canafford it. A host of online platforms aretaking advantage of a surge in smart-phone ownership to engage millions ofyoungsters with interactive games andanimated video lessons. India’s educa-tion system suffers from a lack of invest-ment, and the apps aid students whowant extra tuition away from overcrowd-

ed classrooms and crumbling schools.Major foreign investors are ploughing

funds into India’s growing “edtech”industry as they seek to capitalize on theworld’s largest school-age populationwho face fierce competition for universi-ty places. “I have been using Byju’s sincelast year and my performance has reallyimproved. I understand mathematicalconcepts much better now,” says 16-year-old Akshat Mugad referring to aFacebook-backed, Indian education app.

Byju’s has become one of the world’slargest online learning sites since it wasfounded in Bangalore in 2011 and is cur-rently embarking on an ambitious overseasexpansion. It is just one of dozens of start-ups betting that kids are eager to learn dif-ferently from rote memorization tech-niques that are used across much of Asia.

Continued on Page 24

‘Edtech’ boom transforms how Indian kids learn

L o c a l Monday, April 1, 2019

2

Cementing regional stability: A history of the Arab summits

DHAHRAN: The Arab Leaders on the sidelines of Dhahran summit, April 2018, which was named “Jerusalem summit”. — KUNA photos

KUWAIT: The Arab world looks forward tothe outcomes of the 30th ordinary Arabsummit due in Tunis, hoping that it wouldlead to cementing Arab security, stabilityand development. A total of 42 Arab sum-mits, including 29 ordinary and 13 extraor-dinary ones have been held since a maidengathering was convened in March 1945.This is a chronology of all Arab summitsinvolving the first emergency Inshas confer-ence in 1946 and the last Zahran meeting inApril 2018:

• The extraordinary Inshas summit washeld in May 1946 upon request from KingFarouk of Egypt, with the attendance of theseven co-founders of the Arab League:Egypt, East Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Yemen,Iraq, Lebanon and Syria. They called forhalting the emigration of Jews to Palestine.

• The emergency Beirut Summit wasconvened by Lebanese President CamilleChamoun in November 1956 following a tri-partite aggression on Egypt and Gaza Strip,in the presence of nine Arab leaders.

• Cairo Summit took place in January1964 as requested by Egyptian PresidentGamal Abdelnaser, with all the 13 ArabLeague members attending.

• Alexandria Summit took place inSeptember 1964 and was attended by 14Arab leaders, mainly calling to support Arabsolidarity.

• Casablanca Summit was convened inSeptember 1965, with the attendance of 12Arab countries and Palestine LiberationOrganization (PLO). The participantsstressed regional and international backingto the Palestinian cause.

• Khartoum Summit took place in August1967 following Arab defeat in the 1967 warwith Israel. All Arab countries, excludingSyria, were represented.

• Rabat Summit was held in December1969, in the presence of 14 Arab countries,

which called for a cessation of hostilitiesbetween Palestinians and Jordanian forcesin Jordan.

• The extraordinary Cairo Summit wasconvened in September 1970 followingarmed clashes between Palestinian organi-zations and Jordanian forces in Jordan. Itwas boycotted by Syria, Iraq, Algeria andMorocco.

• Algiers Summit took place inNovember 1973 following October 1973War. It was attended by 16 Arab countries,but boycotted by Libya and Iraq.Mauritania joined the Arab League duringthis gathering.

• Rabat Summit was held in October1974, with all Arab countries.

• Riyadh Summit was convened by SaudiArabia and Kuwait in October 1974 to lookinto the conflict in Lebanon.

• The extraordinary Cairo Summit was

hosted by the Egyptian capital in October1976, with 14 countries participating.

• Baghdad Summit was hosted by theIraqi capital in November 1978 followingthe signing of a peace accord betweenEgypt and Israel. The conferees adopted a

resolution relocating the Arab Leagueheadquarters and suspending Egypt’s mem-bership.

• Tunis Summit came in November 1979upon request from Tunisian President HabibBen Ali Bourguiba. The conferees echoedcondemnation of the Camp David accord.

• Amman Summit came in November1980 and was participated in by 15 coun-tries, but boycotted by Syria, Algeria,Lebanon and PLO.

• Fez Summit was held in November1981, with all Arab countries, excludingEgypt, participating.

• Fez emergency summit, held inSeptember 1982, grouped leaders of 18 Arabstates, except for Libya and Egypt.Summiteers discussed the “Arab peace plan.”

• Casablanca extraordinary summit washeld on August 1, 1985, in response to arequest by (late) Moroccan King Hassan II.It addressed the Palestinian cause, deterio-rating conditions in Lebanon and interna-tional terrorism.

• Amman emergency summit was con-vened in November 1987 with participationof 20 Arab states and the PalestineLiberation Organization (PLO). The summitdeclared solidarity with Kuwait, SaudiArabia and Iraq in the face of Iranianthreats and provocations.

• Algeria extraordinary summit, June1988, held in response to a request byAlgerian President Chadli Benjedid to sup-port a Palestinian uprising.

• Casablanca emergency summit, May1989, during which Egypt’s membership inthe Arab League was reinstated. Lebanonthat was witnessing a power strugglebetween two governments did not take partin the summit.

• Baghdad emergency summit, May1990, which was held with absence ofLebanon and Syria addressed threatsagainst Arab national security and con-demned intensification of Jews’ immigrationto Israel.

• Cairo emergency summit, August 1990,was held in aftermath of the Iraqi aggres-sion on the State of Kuwait. Tunisia wasabsent. Kuwait was represented by the

Crown Prince (the late Father Amir) SheikhSaad Al-Abdullah Al-Salem Al-Sabah.

• Cairo emergency summit, October2000, was held upon a request by EgyptianPresident Hosni Mubarak. Iraq did not par-take in the top-level meeting that coincidedwith the Israeli right-wing movement rise topower.

• Cairo extraordinary summit, October2000, was held in aftermath of violence inthe occupied territories after Israeli PrimeMinister Ariel Sharon entered compound ofshrines in Jerusalem.

• Amman summit, March 2001, adoptedan initiative by the Saudi Crown PrinceAbdullah bin Abdulaziz with respect of nor-malizing Arab-Israeli relations on conditionthat Israel would withdraw to the June 4,1967, line.

• Sharm El-Sheikha summit, March2003, was chaired by Bahraini King Hamadbin Issa Al-Khalifa. Summiteers jointlyrejected US offensive on Baghdad.

• Tunis summit was held in May 2004.Summiteers agreed on amending the ArabLeague charter for the first time since 1945.

• Algeria summit, held in March 2005,kicked off by observing a minute of silenceand Koranic reading in homage to souls ofthe deceased: UAE President Sheikh Zayedbin Sultan Al-Nahyan, Palestinian PresidentYasser Arafat and Lebanese Prime MinisterRafic Al-Hariri.

• Khartoum summit, March 2006,approved establishment of the Arab Peaceand Security Council.

• Riyadh summit, March 2007, wasattended by 17 Arab leaders.

• Damascus summit, March 2008, calledfor tackling inter-Arab rifts.

• Kuwait economic, development andsocial Summit, January 2009. It was the firstArab summit to be held with attendance of22 Arab states. Conferees agreed on dou-bling efforts to attain inter-Arab social andeconomic integration and adopting policiesto cope with the various fallouts of theglobal financial crisis.

• Doha summit, March 2009, rejected aruling by the International Criminal Courtissuing an arrest warrant against Sudanese

President Omar Al-Bashir.• Sirte summit, October 2010, called for

an Arab plan to salvage Jerusalem and Al-Aqsa Mosque.

• Sharm El-Sheikh economic and devel-opment summit, January 2011, condemnedterrorism and called for promoting religioustolerance and dialogue.

• Baghdad summit, March 2012, adopteda full-scale vision for reforms in the Arabworld.

• Riyadh economic and developmentsummit, January 2013, welcomed an initia-tive by Saudi King Abdullah bin Abdulazizto increase capitals of Arab financial organ-izations by no less than 50 percent.

• Doha summit, March 2013, approvedestablishment of the Arab Court for HumanRights and the Fund for SupportingJerusalem.

• Kuwait summit, March 2014. It was thefirst Arab summit to be hosted by Kuwaitsince officially joining the Arab League onJuly 20, 1961.

• Sharm El-Sheikh Summit, March 2015,approved forming a joint Arab militaryforce.

• Nouakchott summit, June 2016,approved merging the Arab economic,social summit with the regular summit.

• Amman summit, March 2017, called onstates of the globe to abstain from movingtheir embassies to Jerusalem or recognizingthe holy city as capital of Israel.

• Dhahran summit, April 2018, it wasnamed “Jerusalem summit.” Summiteersdeclared Washington’s decision to recogniz-ing Jerusalem as Israel’s capital as illegitimate.

• Beirut economic and developmentsummit, January 2019, affirmed the Arabsand Muslims’ responsibility towardJerusalem and called for greater efforts toensure return of refugees to their home-lands.

• Sharm El-Sheikh summit, February 2019,it was the first summit that included leaders ofthe European Union. Summiteers affirmed thenecessity of regional cooperation to facecommon challenges, boosting Arab-Europeanpartnership, tackling irregular immigrationand protecting refugees. — KUNA

His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah during the 21st Arab Summit. The Late Amir Sheikh Abdullah Al-Salem Al-Sabah during the 2nd Arab Summit in 1964.

Late Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Salem Al-Sabah and Late Egyptian president Jamal Abdunaserduring the Arab summit 1970.

KUWAIT: His Highness the Deputy Amir and Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah received Speaker Marzouq Al-Ghanem yesterday at Sief Palace Parliament. His Highness also received His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah. HH then received Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Shiekh Khaled Al-Jarrah Al-Sabah and Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State for Cabinet Affiars Anas Al-Saleh. — KUNA photos

L o c a l Monday, April 1, 2019

3

UN Secretary General hails Amir as ‘bridge builder, peacemaker’

‘We are very proud to have Kuwait as a partner’

TUNIS: His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah meets UN Secretary-GeneralAntonio Guterres. — KUNA photos HH the Amir receives King Abdullah II of Jordan.

TUNIS: UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres yes-terday expressed enormous appreciation for the roleof His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah as a “bridge builder and peacemak-er”. This came in a press statement following hismeeting with His Highness the Amir on the sidelinesof the 30th Arab summit held in Tunis.

“Kuwait has been in the front line of all efforts tobring harmony and peace to the region and all effortsto bring humanitarian aid to those who need,” he said.

“We are very proud to have Kuwait as a partner, andwe are very proud of the friendship that His Highnessgrants to us,” he added. Guterres also voiced deepadmiration to His Highness the Amir, Kuwaiti govern-ment and people.

HH the Amir met UN Secretary-General AntonioGuterres at the Conference Palace in Tunis yesterday.During the meeting, they reviewed distinguished rela-tions between Kuwait and the UN and ways of devel-oping them as well as existing cooperation. The UN

chief appreciated HH the Amir’s role and Kuwait’sposit ions and dist inguished efforts towards al lregional and international humanitarian issues,including the hosting of international humanitarianconferences.

HH the Amir received King Abdullah II of Jordan atthe Conference Palace yesterday. During the meeting,they discussed good brotherly relations between bothcountries and their brotherly people, ways of pro-moting and developing them on all levels, issues of

mutual interest and the latest regional and interna-tional developments. HH the Amir had also met OmaniDeputy Prime Minister for Relations and InternationalCooperation and Omani Sultan Qaboos bin Said’sSpecial Representative Sayyid Asaad bin Tariq AlSaid at the Conference Palace. HH the Amir’s accom-panying delegation was present at the meetings.Later HH the Amir attended a luncheon banquet heldby Tunisian President in honor of Arab leaders partic-ipating in the Arab Summit in Tunis. — KUNA

TUNIS: Cheerful about an Arab gath-ering in Tunis, Arab media representa-tives said essential issues are to beatop the agenda of the summit.Speaking to KUNA separately yester-day, they opined that the significanceof issues and topics were very appar-ent during preparatory ministerialmeetings held on Thursday and Friday.

They listed such major subjects asSyria’s Golan Heights, Jerusalem,Yemen, Libya, Syria, development andhuman rights in the Arab world. Kamalbin Yunis, a Tunisian journalist, saidthe Arab foreign ministerial meetingheld yesterday focused on thedossiers of Yemen, Libya and Syria.He voiced confidence that the leaderswould attach much attention to suchsubjects in order to ensure securityand stability in these war-torn Arabcountries.

He considered security in all Arabnations a core public demand, stress-ing that stability is the key to develop-ment and advancement in variousdomains. Hanan Al-Qasemi, a TunisianTV presenter, hoped that the Arableaders would adopt a resolution per-tinent to human rights in Arab coun-tries in order to fend off loominginterference in this regard.

She argued that a nation could not

develop unless human rights are pro-tected, and human freedoms and digni-ty are safeguarded, voicing confidencethat the gathering would come up withrelevant positive outcomes. MohammadShawlaq, a Palestinian journalist,hoped that the Arab leaders wouldshow consensus over main issues thatmatter so much to all Arab people.Economic and development issues,chiefly cutting joblessness and raisingincomes, are deemed major subjectson the agenda of Tunis Summit,Shawlaq pointed out. —KUNA

Arab journalists upbeat about Tunis summit

Palestinian journalist Mohammad Shawlaq

KUWAIT: The globe marks the “EarthHour” on the last Saturday of March whengovernment departments, civi l societygroups and private companies turn off lightsfor an hour, 20:30-21:30. Kuwait

Environment Public Authority, KuwaitSociety for Environment Protection andother institutions marked the Earth Hourand documented the event in the officialwebsite of the Earth Hour. These events are

a reminder of the need to preserve naturalresources, refraining from excessive elec-tricity consumption and reducing gas emis-sions that would aggravate climate changeand global warming. — KUNA

Kuwait marks Earth Hour

NEW YORK: Opening Kuwait ConsulateGeneral in New York crowns the relationswith the United States and reflects Kuwait’sinterest in meeting needs of its citizensabroad, said Consul General Hamad Al-Hazeem. Al-Hazeem made the statement toKUNA on Friday on the sidelines of theopening ceremony of the consulate in NewYork. The ceremony was attended by someconsuls from brotherly and friendly countriesas well as some US officials and Kuwait’sPermanent Representative to the UNAmbassador Mansour Al-Otaibi. Al-Hazeemnoted that there are some 3700 Kuwaiti stu-dents in the northern coast of the US as wellas some people receiving medical treatment,businessmen and tourists.

He stressed that the Consulate General isready for answering questions of citizens,facilitating their tasks and guiding themhow to deal with the American institutions.The consulate’s emergency no is 917-242-6688, he said, adding that it is located inLotte New York Palace Hotel in MadisonAvenue. The Consulate General will focuson economic, commercial and investmentfields, he said.

Its role will aim to find jobs and investment

that contribute to strengthening economicand commercial relations between Kuwaitand the United States, he pointed out.Establishing the consulate in New York willcontribute also to achieving the commonvision of Kuwait and the US that aim to pro-tect citizens in their countries and across theglobe, he explained.

The consul also welcomed the resumptionof direct flights of Kuwait Airways to NewYork after coordination between the twocountries’ governments. This move will have a

positive effect on all fields as the two statesseek to promote cooperation in transportationsecurity, civil aviation and others, he stated.Al-Hazeem said that promoting trade andinvestment between the two sides has con-tributed to their prosperity and growth. Tradevolume between the two countries rose tomore than USD 8 billion in 2017, he affirmed.The Kuwaiti-US Strategic Dialogue led to thesigning of 23 agreements and memorandumsin several fields, including consular, economicand commercial cooperation as well as others.

Inaugurating consulate in New Yorkcrowns US-Kuwaiti ties

NEW YORK: Consul General Hamad Al-Hazeem during the opening ceremony of theconsulate.— KUNA

BEIJING: China is seeking to promote“effective” cooperation with Kuwait invarious economic and developmentfields, a Chinese official said yesterday.This came in a statement by DeputyDirector General of the Department ofWest Asian and North African AffairsWang Di in interviews given by a numberof Chinese officials with an Arab mediadelegation visiting China. He praisedKuwait’s strategic development vision,adding that this vision aims at boostingKuwait’s role in financial and commercialfields in the region. He added that Chinais eager to establish comprehensive rela-tions with Arab countries to achievemutual benefit in various economic, polit-ical and cultural fields.

He pointed out that China has proj-ects in various Arab countries, mainlyinfrastructure, stressing its keenness inthe next phase to cooperate in the fieldsof smart cities, vital medicines and digi-tal technology. The Chinese official saidthat the second session of the China-Arab States Forum on Reform andDevelopment, to be held in Shanghai inmid-June, will be a major step towardsjoint cooperation, as well as the secondsession of the ‘Belt and Road Forum forInternational Cooperation’, to be held atthe end of April.

For his part, Ambassador for China-Arab States Cooperation Forum(CASCF) Affairs of the Foreign MinistryLi Chengwen said outcomes of CASCF

in 2004 reflected the volume of tradeexchange, which reached USD 244 bil-lion. Moreover, he underlined the grow-ing relationship in the sphere of educa-tion, pointing out that there are 20,000Arab students enrolled in various scien-tific disciplines in China, which wouldcontribute to even deeper political andeconomic links in the future.

He added that about 15 cooperationmechanisms have been instituted withinthe framework of the Forum with the aimof strengthening bilateral relations andenhancing cooperation and coordinationin various fields. He praised deep-rootedKuwaiti-Chinese relations and effectivepartnership between the two countries,noting that Kuwait is one of the firstArab countries to have signed a cooper-ation agreement with China under theBelt and Road Initiative in 2014.

For his part, China’s Special Envoy onthe Middle East Issue Gong Xiaoshengsaid that the Belt and Road Initiative willnot only affect the economic and com-mercial side, but will also enhanceregional peace and stability. He stressedthat China aspires to play a larger role inpromoting peace and stability in theArab region through dialogue andpeaceful initiatives. The visit of the Arabmedia delegation, which includes a num-ber of news agencies and press institu-tions, comes within the framework of atraining program aimed at enhancingrelations in various fields. — KUNA

Chinese officials laud Kuwait’sstrategic development vision

Monday, April 1, 2019

4L o c a l

Photo of the Day

A man walks amidst the shadows of an old post office. — Photo by Ahmad Khamis /Kuna

KUWAIT: Zain, the leading digitalservice provider in Kuwait, recentlyorganized the 17th Umrah trip foremployees and their families to visitthe Sacred House in Mecca, theKingdom of Saudi Arabia. This annual-ly held trip aims at enriching bondingand closeness between Zain employeesout of the office atmosphere.

Zain organizes this spiritual trip onan annual basis to reflect its keennessin supporting and enhancing the spir-itual aspects of its human recourses.The trip saw a large number of Zainemployees and their families visitingthe Sacred House in Mecca, and itcame in line with the company’s con-tinuous efforts to enrich communica-tion with its own staff in one familyatmosphere.

The travelers were accompanied bySheikh Bader Al Hajraf, who was pres-ent throughout the whole trip to sharehis experiences through lectures andseminars about the rituals of Umrah,Islamic history, and more. Al Hajraf’sparticipation added value to the trip,enriching the informative aspect of it

within the traveling employees. Zainwas keen to diversify the program ofthe trip, as it was not only restrictedto the religious aspect. Many activi-ties were organized that included avisit to the home of Sheikh Nezar AlShaibi, senior bearer of the KaabaKey, where the travelers had the priv-ilege of looking at many historicalartifacts up-close and ask about theannual process of cleaning the Kaabaand other related subjects.

Zain considers its employees themain pillar of its overall success, andthus caters to the many differentaspects of their lives. This annual ini-tiative comes as part of Zain’s com-mitment towards its human resources,especially after the positive feedbackit received previously from previousUmrah trips. Zain will always put thedevelopment of the cultural and spiri-tual aspects of its employees at theforefront of its priorities.

Zain Kuwait organized its 17th annual employee Umrah trip

Company keen on enhancing bonding and closeness between employees

KFH opens its seconddigital self-bankingstation ‘KFH-Go’KUWAIT: Kuwait Finance House (KFH) inaugurated in AlJabriya Co-op its second digital self- banking stationKFH-Go with an advanced and wide range of technicaldevices and self-service instruments. Group Chief Retailand Private Banking Officer at KFH, Waleed KhaledMandani said that the new 24/7 automated branch is anadvanced step that represents clearly the achievements ofKFH in diversifying retail banking services and is a newself-banking channel to deliver better and more effectivecustomer experience via an innovative automated branch.Mandani’s speech was made at the opening of the state-of-the-art e-branch, in the presence of the executive man-agement and Al-Jabriya Cooperative Society.

“This reiterates KFH drive to lead the market in the fieldof FinTech and enhance its leadership in the Islamic finan-cial services”, he added, pointing out that the smart e-branch “KFH-Go” offers the customers round the clockservices covering over 80% of the services and transac-tions provided by traditional branches, hence making it thepreferred choice for many customer sections particularlythe youth.

Mandani added that KFH-Go is not staffed and containsstate-of-the-art XTMs and ATMs as well as cash deposit

machine (Bulk Deposit) capable of accepting 300 notes ina single transaction i.e. 6000 KD. It offers the capability ofcommunicating directly with the telephone service person-nel in audio and video calls via XTM machines.

Customers can access several services, including cashwithdrawals without a card through the mobile phoneusing the “QR code”, IDs or phone number, as well as con-ducting “Murabaha” financing transactions, requestingcredit cards and prepaid cards, updating data and phonenumbers, activating bank cards, opening deposits andaccounts and a host of banking and financing services,therefore dispensing with the need to visit the branch ordeal directly with the staff. This means more fluidity inaccessing services quickly, safely and accurately.

He pointed out that the bank plans to expand similar e-branches to reach 10 KFH Go banking stations by 2019.Mandani said: “KFH has made great strides in its digitaltransformation strategy which affirmed its leadership inadopting digital services, pioneering the offering of adiverse package of innovative e-services in several sectorsand in the Group, in addition to increasing its investment intechnology.”

He added that KFH succeeded in providing a plethoraof high-tech banking services, most of which are unique inKuwait. KFH launched the Queuing System; Skiplino serv-ice, the first of its kind in the Kuwaiti banking sector foronline appointments booking in the branches via smartphones. KFH launched its Chatbot service in cooperationwith Microsoft, to improve interaction with customers whocan use this service through different KFH channels suchas KFH.com and the mobile app KFHonline. KFH upgradeda centralized SWIFT network system for global payments

at the group level. Along with developing the other ATMs,it also upgraded its XTMs adding seven new services,some of which are the first to be offered locally, includingQR cardless withdrawals with the possibility of updatingthe information, activating the new and renewed debitcards and changing the PIN.

The Bank introduced a fast cross-border transfer serv-

ice (KFH Xpress) and operated an instant remittance serv-ice using RippleNet. KFH also launched the first bankingrobot in Kuwait. It launched KFH Pay service, where cus-tomers can receive money from any KFH account or localaccounts with just a few taps on their mobile. With justtheir payer’s email or mobile number, they can securelyreceive transfers 24/7.

KUWAIT: Zain employees honor Sheikh Nezar Al Shaib as he welcomes them tohis home.

Waleed Mandani with Baitak and Jabriya Co-op officials.

L o c a l Monday, April 1, 2019

5

KUWAIT: The use of cloud computing technolo-gy will prove instrumental in boosting productivi-ty among government bodies, while raising thelevel of economic competition, Kuwait’sCommunication and Information TechnologyRegulatory Authority said yesterday. The intro-duction of cloud computing to Kuwait is the by-product of a deal signed with Amazon WebServices, which is the American tech firm’s cloudcomputing platform, the communications regulatorsaid in a statement. Such initiatives fit into Kuwait’s2035 vision of sustained development, the state-ment highlighted; pointing out that employing suchcutting-edge systems would prop up the localinformation technology sector. — KUNA

Communicationsregulator sees benefits incloud computing

Colorectal cancer number one cause of death for middle-aged men, number two for women

‘If you are 40 years old and above, please undergo screening of the colon’By Ben Garcia

KUWAIT: Colorectal cancer is the numberone cause of death for middle-aged menand number two for middle-aged women inKuwait, according to Dr Abdullah Al-Haddad, consultant general laparoscopicsurgeon at Dar Al-Shifa Hospital. The find-ing was based on ministry of health recordsreleased recently. He advised men andwomen in Kuwait to undergo colono-scopies or any examinations available forpatients aged over 40. “If you are 40 yearsold and above, please undergo screening ofthe colon so as to help prevent the spreadof colon cancer. Colon cancer is preventa-ble, and in order to make this happen, weneed to educate the public - early detec-tion is the key,” he said.

Colorectal cancer, also known as bowelcancer, colon cancer or rectal cancer, isany cancer that affects the colon and therectum. In the US, it is estimated that about

1 in 21 men and 1 in 23 women will developcolorectal cancer during their lifetime.Most colorectal cancers begin as small,non-cancerous growths known as polyps,which are attached to the inner wall of thecolon. Over time, these polyps can slowlydevelop into cancer over a period of 10-20years.

Haddad explained that in order to pre-vent and treat colon cancer, one must knowtheir colon condition, adding proceduresbeing done at Dar Al-Shifa can helppatients. He pointed out that colon canceris more prevalent nowadays because of thelifestyle, poor eating habits of most peopleand the regular intake of processed, fattyand junk food.

‘It’s good to be checked’The symptoms of colorectal cancer,

according to Dr Haddad, include changesin bowel habits, diarrhea or constipation, afeeling that the bowel does not empty

properly after a bowel movement, stoolsthat look black which is actually because ofblood, bright red blood coming from therectum, pain and bloating in the abdomen,a feeling of fullness in the abdomen evenafter not eating for a while, fatigue ortiredness, unexplained weight loss, a lumpin the abdomen or the back passage felt byyour doctor, and unexplained iron deficien-cy in men, or in women after menopause.

“It’s good to be checked so that if it’snot related to colon cancer, probably wecan detect some other condition, which in away is a blessing in disguise. We can man-age any more medical conditions. So if youare 40 up, consult any laparoscopic doctorso as to help prevent the spread of coloncancer. It is very important to see a doctorif symptoms persist for four weeks or more.The age risk of being affected by colorcancer has been lowered from 50 years to40 now,” Haddad added.

Dar Al-Shifa Hospital, together with the

support of public hospitals in Kuwait,marked a campaign called ‘Beat ColorectalCancer” during the entire month of March.“The campaign concluded yesterday andwe were very successful on all fronts. But itdoesn’t mean it’s the end of the campaignto educate people - as a matter of fact, weare just beginning,” Haddad said.

Dr Haddad said early detection caneliminate cancer one hundred percent. “If itis already a stage one or two cancer, it canalso be removed through modern technolo-gy now. If it’s stage three or four, thepatient has to undergo chemotherapy, withabout a 60 percent rate of survival ifdetected. Don’t wait for stage four as it willbe very difficult for doctors to treat it. Themain idea is to prevent any cancer fromdeveloping, and perhaps avoiding foodsthat can trigger colon cancer,” he said.Treatment available includes surgery,chemotherapy, radiation therapy, targeteddrug therapy and immunotherapy.

Dr Abdullah Al-Haddad

ADEN: Waleed Al-Qudaimi, representing Hodeida gov-ernorate, inaugurated a campaign in Aden, funded byKuwait’s Al-Najat Charity Society, for treatment ofthousands of displaced from Hodeida on Saturday. Al-Qudaimi, in remarks following the inauguration, com-mended the “huge” humanitarian efforts made by theState of Kuwait and charitable NGOs to helping the dis-placed Yemeni people. “The State of Kuwait has a pio-neering role in helping the Yemeni people,” he said.Yanabee’ Al-Khair institute, which executed the cam-paign, said in a statement around 5,000 people fromcamps in Aden, Abyan and Lahj would be treated.

Meanwhile Yemen’s Saada Governor Hadi Al-Waily

said the “Operation Decisive Storm” had assisted theYemeni people’s efforts to regain their own country andliberate Houthi-control led lands. “The OperationDecisive Storm has destroyed the Houthi project inYemen,” the governor said to KUNA, marking the fourthanniversary of the military operation launched by theSaudi-led coalition on March 26, 2015.

Backed by the coalition, the Yemeni national army hascontrolled 60 percent of Saada Governorate, which is akey stronghold of Houthi militias, he added. “The nation-al army is now stationed in eight out of 15 districts inSaada, three of which have been completely liberated,”he boasted. He noted that Yemeni troops are also makingremarkable progress in other districts, adding that armyand security forces are struggling to secure and deminefrontier areas. Al-Waily went on to say that the peopleof Saada have borne the brunt of crimes committed byHouthi militias nationwide, since their houses and farmswere totally destroyed. However, the Yemeni officialappreciated humanitarian aid extended by the Saudi-ledcoalition’s member states through relief organizations,chiefly King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centreand Kuwait Red Crescent Society. — KUNA By A Saleh

KUWAIT: The Ministry of Interior’s residency affairsinvestigation department contacted Ministry ofEducation demanding it not hire any residency visaviolators in public schools, said informed sources. Thesources explained that MoI’s letter explained that anumber of expats had been arrested for working inpublic schools while holding visas sponsored by othercompanies or citizens, noting that most of them work inpublic schools as representatives or “office girls” with-out having any records at those schools. The sourcesexplained the number of these office girls is growing inschools of various educational stages and that theirsalaries are paid by teachers themselves.

Visa trafficking Manpower Authority Director Ahmed Al-Mousa said

the authority will not allow utilizing small and mediumprojects as backdoors for visa trafficking, and stressedthat the attempts by some owners to violate regulationsand laws will not go unaccounted for or make theauthority reduce such projects. “We will have closerinspections through specialized committees instead,”he remarked. Mousa explained that scores of suspectedfiles had been suspended and given legal warnings toundo violations and legalize their statuses. He also not-ed that the cases had been reported to interior ministryinvestigators to take legal actions against the violators.

Do not hire residency visa violators in public schools: MoI

ADEN: Campaign in Aden, funded by Kuwait’s Al-Najat Charity Society, for treat-ment of thousands of displaced from Hodeida. — KUNA photos

ADEN: Waleed Al-Qudaimi, representing Hodeida governorate, inaugurated acampaign in Aden, funded by Kuwait’s Al-Najat Charity Society, for treatment ofthousands of displaced from Hodeida.

Kuwait charity fundsmedical campaignfor displaced in Aden

KUWAIT: The Public Affairs Section at the USEmbassy in Kuwait held an outdoor performance fea-turing Kyle Dillingham and Horseshoe Road at theAmricani Cultural Center. The band is known for itseclectic style deeply rooted in Bluegrass and WesternSwing. To date the band has represented Americainternationally across 37 countries, energizing audi-ences worldwide. Below is a transcript of the speechUS Ambassador Lawrence Silverman gave to openproceedings.

“Good evening all, it’s an honor to be here in thisbeautiful theater, which carries the name of the leg-endary actor and cultural pioneer AbdulhusseinAbdulredha. Thank you to Mr Ali Al-Youha and the

National Council for Culture, Arts, and Letters, whohave generously sponsored the visit of the musicalgroup you are about to enjoy tonight.

We at the US Embassy appreciate your support andlook forward to working with you to bring even moreartists and cultural visitors to Kuwait. Such coopera-tion will be made easier by a new educational and cul-tural exchanges agreement that Mr Al-Youha and ourofficials signed during Secretary of State Pompeo’s visithere one week ago.

Ladies and gentlemen, you are in for a treat thisevening. The group you are about to see and hear, KyleDillingham and Horseshoe Road, is a country musicensemble that has performed around the world ontours, wowing audiences from Libera to Thailand toRussia to South Korea. This is the group’s first stop ona multi-nation tour and their first visit to Kuwait. Theycame all the way from the state of Oklahoma to performfor you. I’m not the only Ambassador here tonight;Kyle has been appointed as ambassador for the State ofOklahoma. American music is as diverse as our people.And while Horseshoe Road is described as country orbluegrass, you will hear many other American musicalinfluences and styles here tonight. While they are inKuwait, the group will give a workshop on Americancountry music to middle and high school boys and to

students at the Public Authority for Applied Educationand Training.

Kyle is an incredibly gifted violinist and singer whowas featured at the Grand Ole Opry theater inNashville. He has performed with legends of countrymusic such as Roy Clark and Hank Thompson. It is myhonor to introduce our musicians: Kyle Dillingham onthe violin, Peter Markes on the guitar, and BrentSaulsbury on the upright bass.”

Speech from USAmbassador at the Amricani Cultural center

ADEN: Yemen’s Saada Governor Hadi Al-Waily inaugu-rates a housing project funded by Abdullah Al-NouriCharity Society.

KUWAIT: The Jahra municipality inspection teams recently removed illegal storage sites and warehouses in the Sulaibiya agricultural area. The demolition teams were headed and supervised by Kuwait Municipality director,Ahmed Al-Manfouhi.

International‘Conversion is not your mission’, pontiff tells Catholics in Morocco

A tale of two Delhis: Deadly air exposes rich-poor dividePage 9

MONDAY, APRIL 1, 2019

NEW YORK: Democratic presidential candidate Kristen Gillibrand waits to address the rally for the official kick-off to her campaign for president in New York City. — AFP

WASHINGTON: From Martha Washington to MelaniaTrump, the role of US first lady is as old as the republicitself. But if one of half a dozen Democrat hopefuls gettheir way in 2020, the nation could soon have a firstgentleman-potentially even the husband of America’sfirst gay president-move into the White House.

The presidential spouse has always been a woman,and while her duties have never been officially codified,she is expected to function as the mansion’s hostess,overseeing its social and ceremonial events. But thelongstanding tradition and expectations of that orna-mental and highly visible role, may soon be upended.Four years ago it was Bill Clinton who was widelyexpected to become first gentleman once HillaryClinton did away with Republican Donald Trump, buthistory intervened.

Now, women senators Kamala Harris, ElizabethWarren, Kirsten Gillibrand and Amy Klobuchar, alongwith congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard, are competing tounseat Trump and become the nation’s first femalecommander-in-chief. Their husbands have largelyshunned the spotlight, all too aware of the unwrittencampaign rule: “Don’t overshadow your spouse.” Somehave taken the stage with their candidate better halvesmore than others, and social media has been the venuefor a few to shine.

One candidate spouse in particular, ChastenButtigieg, has been gaining positive attention, and is

already leading the 2020 spouse primary. He is the 29-year-old husband of South Bend, Indiana’s millennialMayor Pete Buttigieg, and their same-sex marriagewould make White House history. Buttigieg remains along shot for the nomination, but Chasten’s joyous andseemingly unscripted Twitter feed, which combines awefor his accomplished husband with well-placed humor,has a growing following.

Chasten, a middle school teacher who met Buttigiegthrough an online dating app,radiates charm as he usesself-deprecating humor andcandor when ruminating onlife as a candidate’s spouse.His unapologetic affectionfor his husband shinesthrough in his postings, as onthe January day Buttigiegannounced his presidentialexploratory committee. “I amso proud of my husband...Let’s go show the world whyI fell in love with you.” WhenChasten tweeted “I’m being replaced” under a touchingphotograph of Buttigieg cuddling with their dog, anoth-er potential first gentleman waded in.

“Ok, I thought I had pretty good 2020 SpouseTwitter game. Good job @Chas10Buttigieg!” posted

Douglas Emhoff, an entertainment lawyer who marriedHarris in 2014. Emhoff, confident and comfortable infront of cameras, routinely appears at Harris’s side atcampaign events, but he is keeping his public profile incheck. Klobuchar’s husband, John Bessler is, too.Bessler, a law professor, placed his wife’s binder on thelectern at her campaign kickoff, kissed her, thenstepped aside.

‘Perfect spouse’ First ladies have been

forced into a near-impossi-ble balancing act: conformto stereotypes of the rolel ike choosing the WhiteHouse china, and humanizetheir presidential husbands.The expectat ions aresevere: always be impecca-bly dressed-Jacquel ineKennedy set a high bar-represent the president atcertain functions, and

champion a social cause. But first ladies expertKatherine Jellison, chair of the history department atOhio University, said that while Americans for 200years have expected the president’s wife to dress,behave and speak a certain way, the prospect of a

first husband might shake up expectations.“Particularly in the mass media age since the mid-

20th century, we’ve expected our first ladies to bepractically superwomen,” she said. But “fewer expecta-tions” would likely be placed on a man in the position.“A first gentleman might give Americans a chance to‘make-over’ our unreasonable expectations for thespouse of a president and allow future first spouses,whatever their gender, to be more themselves, and nothave to live up to the role of perfect spouse.”

The behavior of some candidates as they seek tohumanize themselves and their potential first gentlemenis already stirring discussion. Warren received mixedreactions when she live-streamed from her home andcracked open a beer on camera, then offered one to herhusband of 35 years, Harvard law professor BruceMann. “I’ll pass on a beer for now,” Mann says. “This ismy sweetie, he’s the best and I’m crazy about him,”Warren adds.

While the next first spouse could be male or female,Americans expect that there be someone to fill thatrole. The nation has not had a bachelor president in thelast century, which may have led candidate SenatorCory Booker, who is single, to reveal he is datingactress Rosario Dawson. “I think she would make anincredible, incredible first lady,” Booker said recentlywhen asked if Dawson would move into the WhiteHouse should he win.—AFP

2020 spouses eye new title: First GentlemanUS women senators vie to unseat Trump

Page 7

Nation’s firstfemale

commanderin chief

WASHINGTON: Seventy years after it wasformed to counter the Soviet Union, Russia hasreturned to the top of the agenda for NATO.But the alliance faces another, more unlikelyproblem - criticism from the US president. The29-nation North Atlantic Treaty Organization iscelebrating its 70th anniversary with talksamong foreign ministers Wednesday andThursday in Washington, where, in a Cold Warredux, the resurgent power of Russia will be thechief item.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said theministers will work “to make sure that NATO isaround for the next 70 years” and take aim atRussia over its 2014 takeover of the Crimeanpeninsula from Ukraine. Pompeo told a con-gressional hearing he was hopeful “we will beable to announce another series of actions thatwe will jointly take together to push backagainst what Russia is doing there in Crimea.”

But if countering Russia is a familiar role forNATO, its new internal dynamics are not, withPresident Donald Trump repeatedly suggestingthat the allies are freeloaders. The business-man-turned-president, who berated allies at aNATO summit last year at the group’s Brusselsheadquarters, is pressing member states tomeet the alliance’s goal set in 2014 of spending

two percent of GDP on defense. Trump haseven derisively asked whether it is worthdefending small NATO states such asMontenegro. Pompeo said he will discussspending and again pointed to Germany, whichplans for defense spending well below two per-cent and declining by 2023. “When I talk to mycounterparts, they will begin by saying,‘America needs to do X and Y because Russiaposes a threat,’” Pompeo told a forum of theconservative National Review magazine. “Thenyou ask them ‘Well, that’s awesome. Tell mewhat you’re prepared to do.’ And they say, ‘It’stough. Our voters just really don’t like to spendmoney on defense,” Pompeo said to laughter.

Lower-key anniversaryNATO leaders will hold an annual summit in

December in London, but the 70th anniversarycelebrations are notably low-key. It marks astark contrast with the 50th anniversary in1999, which rattled Russia and sealed offWashington streets in a way that locals still talkabout. Heads of state visited Bill Clinton’s WhiteHouse, new members the Czech Republic,Hungary and Poland were inducted, and leadersplotted the next moves in NATO’s bombingcampaign in Serbia.

This year foreign ministers will be speakingat The Anthem, a hip new music venue bookedfor the occasion. NATO Secretary General JensStoltenberg will meet Trump tomorrow anddeliver an address to Congress the followingday. Derek Chollet, who managed US defensepolicy on NATO under former president BarackObama, said he expected NATO members topresent a “good news story” on the value of thealliance without the drama of a high-stakes

summit. “But the concern is Trump. There is asort of tangerine cloud hanging over all of this,”said Chollet, executive vice president at theGerman Marshall Fund of the United States.“They are concerned that the founding memberof the alliance has become the most unpre-dictable, and perhaps most unreliable.”

While the populist right has stepped upattacks on NATO, the alliance has long been abane for the left, which plans to be out in forceto protest the anniversary. Peace groups planmarches around Washington and a counter-conference on alternatives to NATO.

“NATO should have been retired rather thanreprogrammed for domination in the 21st century,”said Joseph Gerson, disarmament coordinator ofthe American Friends Service Committee, theQuakers’ peace advocacy organization. —AFP

NATO fetes 70years; Trumpnot partying

AL-HOL: Clashes with guards, violentfactional quarrels and a new strain ofultra-extremism-the Islamic Stategroup’s territorial “caliphate” may bedefeated, but a camp in eastern Syria isemerging as a fresh jihadist powder keg.Dislodged in a final offensive by aKurdish-led ground force and coalitionair strikes, thousands of wives and chil-dren of IS fighters have flooded in from astring of Syrian villages south of thecamp in recent months.

Among the hordes of Syrians andIraqis, some 9,000 foreigners are held ina fenced section of the encampment,under the watch of Kurdish forces. Whenthey want to go to the camp’s market orreceive aid rations, these high-risk pris-oners are escorted by armed guards. Buttensions are rife among the foreignersthemselves. “We don’t have the samementality-they (the extremists) want toimpose their vision of Islam,” saidVanessa, who came to Syria from hernative Guyana as a convert in 2013 withher husband and children.

“They say that we are infidels,” thegangly 36-year-old said, singling out thecamp’s Tunisians as especially “extreme”.The semi-autonomous Kurdish adminis-tration that rules much of northeastern

Syria is urging countries of origin to takeback their citizens. The women and chil-dren need to be “re-educated and rein-tegrated by their home countries,” saidKurdish official Abdel Karm Omar.Otherwise, he warned, they will become“the terrorists of the future”.

Under IS’s so-called caliphate-declared in 2014 over large swaths ofSyria and neighboring Iraq-minors weresystematically indoctrinated and evenexposed to public executions. In a ges-ture of continued loyalty to IS, somechildren at the camp-a few grinning, oth-ers staring coldly-pointed their indexfinger to the sky in front of AFPreporters. One woman threatened to hita cameraman, but others-anxious toreturn home and declaring they regretjoining IS-were keen to talk.

Some of the Tunisians and Russiansinterned at Al-Hol have adopted “veryextreme beliefs”, confided a Belgianwoman who came to Syria in 2013.“These people scare me”, she said. Evenjust “talking to the guards, or requestingto go to the market, can make us infidels”in their eyes, she added. Once someone islabelled a non-believer, these womendecree it lawful to strip the person oftheir belongings, the Belgian said. — AFP

Ultra-extremists fuel fear in Syria’s Al-Hol

WASHINGTON: Signs lie in the grass during aprotest ahead of the 70th anniversary of thesummit meeting of the North Atlantic TreatyOrganization (NATO) in Lafayette Square inWashington, DC. — AFP

RABAT: Pope Francis told Morocco’s tiny Catholiccommunity yesterday their role in the predominantlyMuslim country was not to covert their neighbors butlive in brotherhood with all other faiths. Francis has usedhis two-day trip to stress inter-faith dialogue. He hasalso backed Moroccan King Mohammed VI’s efforts tospread a form of Islam that promotes inter-religiousdialogue and rejects violence in God’s name. The coun-try’s 23,000 Roman Catholics- most of them expatriateEuropeans, mainly French, andsub-Saharan African migrants- make up less than one per-cent of the population ofabout 35 million.

“Christians are a smallminority in this country. Yet,to my mind, this is not a prob-lem, even though I realize thatat times it can be difficult forsome of you,” he said at ameeting with Catholic community leaders in Rabat’scathedral. Conservative Catholics have frequently criti-cized the pope’s position against organized or aggres-sive recruiting of potential converts. “The Churchgrows not through proselytism but by attraction,”Francis said to applause.

“This means, dear friends, that our mission as bap-tized persons, priests and consecrated men and women,is not really determined by the number or size ofspaces that we occupy, but rather by our capacity togenerate change and to awaken wonder and compas-

sion,” he said. Moroccan authorities do not recognizeMoroccan converts to Christianity, many of whom wor-ship secretly in homes. Conversion from Islam toChristianity is banned - as it is in many Muslim coun-tries - and proselytizing is punishable by up to threeyears in prison.

“The problem is not when we are few in number, butwhen we are insignificant,” Francis said, adding that

Catholics were called to be anintegral part of inter-religiousdialogue in a world “torn apartby the policies of extremismand division”. On Saturday,Francis and King MohammedVI visited an institute themonarch founded to trainimams and male and femalepreachers of Islam. Moroccohas promoted itself as an oasisof religious tolerance in aregion torn by militancy. It has

offered training to Muslim preachers from Africa andEurope on what it describes as moderate Islam.

At the Saturday event, Francis praised the monarchfor providing “sound training to combat all forms ofextremism, which so often lead to violence and terror-ism, and which, in any event, constitute an offenceagainst religion and against God himself”. Also onSaturday, Jewish leaders joined Christian representa-tives in the front row at two events presided over bythe pope and the monarch on interfaith dialogue.

Francis’ appeal for inter-religious dialogue was

made more poignant yesterday by the presence inRabat cathedral of Father Jean-Pierre Schumacher, a95-year-old French monk who survived what is knownas the Tibhirine massacre in Algeria. In March 1996,

seven French monks were kidnapped in a monastery inthe central Algerian village of Tibhirine during the civilwar. They were held for about two months and founddead. Schumacher managed to escape. — Reuters

I n t e r n a t i o n a l Monday, April 1, 2019

7Established 1961

‘Conversion is not your mission’, pope tells Catholics in Morocco

Pontiff promotes inter-religious dialogue

TEMARA: Pope Francis blessing Moroccan women upon his arrival for a visit to the Rural Center for SocialServices at Temara, south of Rabat, during the pontiff’s two-day visit to Morocco. Flags read ‘Pope Francis,Servant of Hope’. — AFP

Catholics makeup less than 1

percent of Morocco

population

Slovaks choosechange, electwoman president BRATISLAVA: The election of Zuzana Caputovaas Slovakia’s first female president was greetedyesterday as a vote for change, with the anti-graft activist expected to provide a check on agovernment tarnished after last year’s murder of ajournalist. The 45-year-old environmentallawyer’s clear victory Saturday over the rulingparty’s candidate was a blow to the populist-leftSmer-SD-the largest grouping in parliament-andcould spell trouble for them in the EU electionsand next year’s general vote.

She is a relative political newcomer who roseto national prominence in the aftermath of theshootings of investigative journalist Jan Kuciakand his fiancee in February 2018, which sparkedmass protests and toppled the then-premier.Caputova won 58.4 percent of the vote accordingto a final tally of results released yesterday, com-pared with 41.6 percent for her ruling party rival,EU energy commissioner Maros Sefcovic. “A can-didate embodying democratic forces has won, andSefcovic, who was a symbol of continuity, haslost,” analyst Grigorij Meseznikov told AFP.

Headlines from the country’s newspapers yes-terday suggested the vote was a fresh start for thecentral European nation of 5.4 million. “ZuzanaCaputova gives us hope but the real fight will onlycome now,” said Dennik N, a leading oppositiondaily. She ran on the slogan of “Stand up to evil”but made a point to keep her rhetoric hostility-free. “Let us look for what connects us. Let uspromote cooperation above personal interests,”she said as the results rolled in.

The office of president is largely ceremonial,

but the role does involve ratifying internationaltreaties, appointing top judges. The president iscommander-in-chief of the armed forces and canveto laws passed by parliament. Analyst AnetaVilagi predicted Caputova will “engage in a pur-poseful confrontation with the government...rather than become an opposition president criti-cizing everything the ruling coalition does.” Yet“she will represent a stronger system of checksand balances in relation to the government thanSefcovic would have.”

‘Justice for all’Caputova, who will be sworn in on June 15, is

no stranger to tough battles. She is known forhaving successfully blocked a planned landfill inher hometown of Pezinok after a decade-longgrassroots campaign. She became a familiar fig-ure in the anti-government protests last year,joining tens of thousands of people who demon-strated after Kuciak’s death. The journalist hadbeen preparing to publish a story on alleged tiesbetween Slovak politicians and the Italian mafia.The killings forced then prime minister RobertFico to resign but he remains the Smer-SD’sleader and is a close ally of the current premier.

Five people have been charged, including amillionaire businessman with alleged Smer-SDties who is suspected of ordering the murdersover Kuciak’s investigation into his activity.Speaking to AFP on the campaign trail, Caputovasaid she would “initiate systematic changes thatwould deprive prosecutors and the police ofpolitical influence.” In addition to fighting for jus-tice for all, Caputova had promised better care forthe elderly and environmental protection.

Fresh approach Teacher Iveta Rabelyova said “Caputova has

challenged the typical image of a top politician: sheis a woman, divorced, a political novice.” “It is agood feeling that our citizens chose someone who

breaks all these stereotypes,” the 34-year-old toldAFP. “Women are under-represented at top-levelposts, this might begin to change now,” added theresident of the southern town of Komarno.

Many Slovaks who voted for Sefcovic had saidthe important position necessitated a man, yet“Caputova won despite her sex” according toanalyst Vilagi. She had been “a strong opponentto Sefcovic more because of her story, her per-sonality, values and strong argumentation skills,”Vilagi said. Caputova also won in conservative,Catholic Slovakia despite being openly pro-choice and promoting greater rights for same-sexcouples. Sefcovic had tried to use that liberalstance to his advantage by stressing traditionalfamily values on the campaign trail, appealing tovoters “who insist that Slovakia remain aChristian country.” — AFP

BRATISLAVA: Newly elected Slovakia’s Presidentelect Zuzana Caputova speaks to a journalist inthe front of the Presidential palace in Bratislava,Slovakia yesterday. -—AFP

Khashoggi killersreceived training in US, report saysWASHINGTON: Members of the Saudi team that killed jour-nalist Jamal Khashoggi received training in the United States, theWashington Post has reported, revealing other new elements inthe death of the newspaper’s former contributor. A critic of theSaudi regime, Khashoggi was killed and dismembered October 2in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul by a team of 15 agents sentfrom Riyadh. His body has never been recovered.

After having denied the murder, Saudi Arabia said the opera-tion was carried out by agents who were out of control. A trial of11 suspects opened earlier this year in Saudi Arabia. Accordingto Washington Post columnist David Ignatius, a Saudi whoclosely read the transcript of a recording from a bug placedin the consulate by Turkish intelligence said it indicates theplan was to kidnap Khashoggi and bring him back to SaudiArabia for detention and interrogation. A note in the tran-script says an injection was administered to Khashoggi, whichthe Saudi source said was probably a powerful sedative.

A bag was then placed over his head, and Khashoggiscreamed: “I can’t breathe, I have asthma. Don’t do this.”According to the Post, he died soon after. The transcriptdescribes a buzzing noise, perhaps an electric saw used to dis-member the journalist. According to Ignatius, who said heinterviewed more than a dozen American and Saudi sourceswho spoke on condition of anonymity, some members of theSaudi Rapid Intervention Group received training in the UnitedStates. “The CIA has cautioned other government agencies thatsome of this special-operations training might have been con-ducted by Tier 1 Group, an Arkansas-based company, under aState Department license,” he said. “The training occurred beforethe Khashoggi incident, as part of ongoing liaison with the Saudis,and it hasn’t been resumed.” He said several other US-Saudi secu-rity exchange programs also have been suspended. —AFP

ALEPPO: Armenians in Syria’s war-torn Aleppo packed their FortyMartyrs Cathedral Saturday for thefirst mass in the centuries-old churchsince its restoration began more than ayear ago. Established in the 14th cen-tury, it is among the oldest activeArmenian churches in Aleppo, a north-ern Syrian city battered by four yearsof fighting between rebels and govern-ment forces. After rebels first overranthe city in mid-2012, its Christian quar-ter, housing the church, became one ofthe city’s most notorious front lines.

In April 2015, parts of the church’swalls, its courtyards, and its entrancewere damaged during shelling.However, it has been graduallyrestored since Damascus reasserted itscontrol over Syria’s second city in2016. State news agency SANA saysthe main entrance, the facade of thechurch, its bell tower and its courtyardshave been renovated over the pastyear. By Saturday, the church’s interiorleft no trace of the war.

Large chandeliers glittered underthe arched stone ceiling as a proces-sion of priests carried incense burnersinto the cathedral, flanked on bothsides by crowds of worshippers.People pressed up against the walls ofthe church and filled its woodenbenches, their heads turned towardsthe alter. Aram Keshishian, the Beirut-based patriarch of the Armenianchurch, delivered a sermon in

Armenian. After mass, he told reportersthat Saturday’s ceremony sent a strongmessage. It was a sign “that theArmenian community will continue toreconstruct Syria,” he said.

Syrian Armenian religious leaderHarutyun Selimian said the ceremonysparked hopes for a better future forSyria’s Armenian community. “Ourfuture is bright and in this future wewill rebuild a new Syria,” he said. JirairReisian, an Armenian member of theSyrian parliament, said it was a signthat Syria’s Armenian community “ishere to stay.” Christians made up 10percent of Aleppo’s pre-war popula-tion. Out of the 250,000 that lived inthe city before the war, thousands havefled the city since the onset of the con-flict in 2011.

Many of the Armenians among themfled to Armenia itself, while othersheaded to Lebanon. Few havereturned, according to demographicexpert Fabrice Balanche. The old quar-ter of Aleppo is home to several otherchurches, including those of theMelkite and Maronite sects. They toowere damaged by the four years offighting in the former rebel stronghold.Tens of thousands of Armenians fled toSyria and neighboring Lebanon in theearly 20th century after hundreds ofthousands of their kin were massacredby Ottoman forces in 1915. The war inSyria has killed more than 370,000people since it started in 2011. — AFP

In Aleppo, restored ArmenianChurch hosts its first mass

Brazil’s Bolsonaro arrives in Israelfor pre-electionvisitJERUSALEM: Brazilian President JairBolsonaro arrived in Israel yesterday just aheadof the country’s polls in which his right-wing allyPrime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faces atough re-election fight. Bolsonaro was wel-comed by Netanyahu and an official ceremonyat the airport near Tel Aviv. “We are making his-tory together,” Netanyahu said, adding that theyhad “opened a new era in relations between ourtwo countries.” Bolsonaro said “my governmentis firmly resolved to strengthen the partnershipbetween Brazil and Israel.” “Cooperation in theareas of security and defence is also of greatinterest to Brazil,” he said.

Bolsonaro will walk a diplomatic tightropeduring the three-day visit as he seeks to shoreup ties with Netanyahu while avoiding angeringkey Arab trade partners. Bolsonaro’s controver-sial pledge to move Brazil’s embassy to the dis-puted city of Jerusalem is expected to be highon the agenda, as Netanyahu uses the occasionto boost his standing ahead of April 9 elections.Months after promising the step already takenby US President Donald Trump - leading thePalestinians to freeze ties with the White House- Bolsonaro has yet to announce a timetable.

Speaking to reporters Thursday, Bolsonarosuggested he was in no hurry to make a deci-sion. “Trump took nine months to decide, togive his final word, so that the embassy wastransferred,” Bolsonaro said. “Perhaps now wewill open a commercial office in Jerusalem.”

While moving the embassy would pleaseBolsonaro’s evangelical Christian support base,it would run the risk of provoking commercialretaliation from Arab states, some of which aremajor importers of Brazilian meat.

Western Wall visitBolsonaro is expected to visit Jerusalem’s

Western Wall alongside Netanyahu today — acontroversial move in itself. Earlier this month,US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo becamethe first high-ranking American official to visitthe Western Wall, located in Israeli-annexedeast Jerusalem, with an Israeli premier. It couldbe taken as tacit approval of Israel’s sovereign-ty over the site, one of the holiest in Judaism

and located in the city’s mainly Palestinian east-ern sector.

The compound above the wall is known toJews as the Temple Mount - the holiest inJudaism - and also contains the Al-Aqsamosque, the third holiest site in Islam afterMecca and Medina. Later, Netanyahu willmeet with Bolsonaro and sign agreementsbefore they have dinner. Netanyahu becamethe first Israeli prime minister to visit Brazilwhen he travelled there for Bolsonaro’sJanuary 1 inauguration. In their discussionsthen, the two right-wingers talked up theirbudding “brotherhood” which they said wouldboost military, economic, technological andagricultural cooperation. —AFP

TEL AVIV: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (left) listens to a speech given by BrazilianPresident Jair Bolsonaro during an official welcome ceremony for Bolsonaro at Tel Aviv Ben GurionInternational Airport yesterday. — AFP

Anglicanspraying for unity in Brexit chaosCHELMSFORD: With Britain’s politi-cal world in chaos over Brexit,Christians across the country thisweekend took part in special prayersessions hoping for some divine help inhealing bitter Brexit divisions. “Itdoesn’t matter whether you voted leaveor remain, we’re still one humanity, onenation,” Stephen Cottrell, Bishop ofChelmsford, told AFP after imploring hiscongregation to heal the rift . TheChurch of England has promoted theinitiative as “tea and prayer drop-ins” -combining two of its most well-knownsources of comfort.

Despite a sharp decline in churchattendance, Cottrell believes faith stillhas the power to unite the country afterBrexit. “It’s no good the church standingon the sidelines, waving our hands say-ing ‘why doesn’t everybody just loveeach other’, what we’ve got to do isshow what that love looks l ike inaction,” he said. Worshipper AngelaSadler, 65, said the church needed toplay a larger role in helping resolve the

broader issues surrounding the crisis.“It’s quite difficult for the church

because the church needs to be seenas a non-political body, which is cor-rect, but I also think... we need to seemore of God’s love,” she said. As sun-l ight f looded through the ornatestained glass windows of ChelmsfordCathedral, Cottrell told the group ofaround 20 worshippers that the valuesof the church could be expressedthrough a return to “British values”that were “rooted in the Christian tra-dition”. “Those British values of carefor the underdog, care for the stranger,tolerance.”

‘Prayer is so important’ As the floor was opened to parish-

ioners, one woman called for help inbeing “patient”, something she wasstruggling with in the inescapable andever-growing crisis. Another echoed thebishop’s call for a return to “traditionalvalues”, although the definition of whatthose values are is one of many debatesswirling around Brexit, highlighting thechallenges in uniting the countryaround a common message.

“It’s going to be a long process,there’s no easy solution to unity,” saidSadler’s husband Stuart, 66. Three yearsfrom a hugely divisive referendum overBritain’s EU membership in which theLeave vote won by 52 percent, Anglicanleaders have called for communitiesacross the country “to join together inconversation and prayer”.

The result in Chelmsford was aboutthe same as the national average, withLeave winning by 52.8 percent. AngelaStuart said she felt “compelled” tocome to the service, “to stand amongstothers that believe the same”. “We are agreat nation and we do need the Lordin this nation, and prayer is so impor-tant in bringing that forward,” she said.A recent survey found that around fourin 10 British adults have been left feel-ing powerless, angry or worried byBrexit, exposing the mental toll beingtaken on citizens.

Without faith, it’s impossibleThe early-morning service began with

a reading of the parable of the Phariseeand the tax collector from Luke’s gospel,chosen as a warning against the divisive-ness of moral hubris. “For all those whoexalt themselves will be humbled, andthose who humble themselves will beexalted,” the parable ends. “The readingis about how we define ourselves, we’vegot to stop defining ourselves bywhether we voted leave or remain,” saidCottrell, who also sits in the parliament’sHouse of Lords. — AFP

LONDON: British Prime Minister Theresa May risksthe “total collapse” of her government if she fails to gether battered Brexit deal through parliament, the SundayTimes newspaper said, amid growing speculation thatshe might call an early election. Underscoring the toughchoices facing May to break the Brexit impasse, thenewspaper said at least six pro-European Union seniorministers will resign if she opts for a potentially damag-ing no-deal departure from the EU.

But at the same time, rivalministers who support Brexitwere threatening to quit ifMay decides to stay close tothe EU with a customs unionor if she sought a long delayto Brexit, the Sunday Timessaid. May’s Brexit strategy isin tatters after the exit dealshe hammered out with otherEU leaders was rejected for athird time by the House ofCommons on Friday, the daythat Britain was supposed to leave the bloc.

Nearly three years after Britons voted by 52-48percent to end the country’s EU membership after 46years, what Brexit will look like or whether it will evenhappen remains up in the air. May now has less thantwo weeks to convince the 27 other EU countries thatshe can break the deadlock. Otherwise she will haveto ask the bloc for a long extension or take Britain outof the EU on April 12 with no deal to soften the eco-nomic shock.

May has said she will step down if her Brexit dealgets through parliament, offering her critics the chance

of a different prime minister to lead the next round ofnegotiations with Brussels about Britain’s future ties tothe bloc. But that last-gasp offer has failed to break theimpasse, leading to talk of an election. The Mail onSunday newspaper said May’s advisors were dividedover whether she should call an early election if shefails to win support for her Brexit deal from parliamentin the coming week.

The newspaper said a possible “run-off” vote couldtake place on Tuesday in par-liament between May’s dealand whatever alternativeemerges as the most popularfrom voting by lawmakerstoday. That meant an electioncould be called as early asWednesday, the newspapersaid, without citing sources.An early election would needthe support of two thirds ofmembers of parliament, andthe Observer newspaper said

Conservative lawmakers were reluctant to let Maylead them into another election after she lost theirmajority in 2017.

The Sunday Telegraph said senior members of theConservative Party did not want May to lead them intoa snap election, fearing the party would be “annihilat-ed” at the polls if she faced down parliament overBrexit in the coming months. An opinion poll in the Mailyesterday gave the opposition Labor Party a lead offive percentage points over the Conservatives. Thatlead fell to three points if voters were offered thechance to vote for a new group of independent law-

makers who have not yet created an official party.One of the most popular alternatives among law-

makers, including Labor members, is Britain staying ina customs union with the EU, an option also favoredby many business leaders. Brexit supporters say acustoms union would deny Britain the opportunity tostrike trade deals around the world. Earlier on

Saturday, one lawmaker said Conservative members ofparliament had written to May telling her to leadBritain out of the EU in the coming months, even if itmeans a potentially damaging no-deal Brexit. The Sunnewspaper said the letter was signed by 170 of the314 Conservative lawmakers in parliament, including10 cabinet ministers. — Reuters

Monday, April 1, 2019

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

Established 1961

MAIDENHEAD: Britain’s Prime Minister Theresa May (left) is handed a posy of flow-ers by the vicar as she leaves with her husband Philip after attending a churchservice, near her Maidenhead constituency, west of London yesterday. —AFP

CARRICKCARNAN: Protesters against any border between Ireland and Northern Ireland because of Brexit hold plac-ards at the Carrickcarnan border between Newry in Northern Ireland and Dundalk in the Irish Republic. — AFP

News in brief

Speculation mounts on

early election

May’s Brexit strategy in tatters; deal rejected 3 times

Britain’s May risks ‘total collapse’ of government in Brexit impasse

Seven killed in China explosion

BEIJING: A plant explosion in China’s Jiangsuprovince has killed seven people, authorities saidyesterday, the second deadly blast in the provincethis month as Beijing begins a nationwide industrialsafety inspection campaign. Yesterday’s blastinvolved a container of scrap metal that exploded inthe outdoor yard of a metal-molding plant in abonded area in the city of Kunshan, causing theplant to catch fire, the local government said on itsofficial Weibo account. “The cause of the incident isbeing investigated,” it said of the blast that killedseven people and injured five others, one of whomwas severely hurt. — Reuters

Vice president survives attack

KABUL: Taleban fighters on Saturday attacked aconvoy carrying Afghanistan’s vice president AbdulRashid Dostum, in an assault that left the former war-lord unscathed but killed one of his bodyguards, anofficial said. Enayatullah Babur, Dostum’s former chiefof staff, said the hour-long attack also left severalothers in the convoy wounded. The attack occurredin the northern province of Balkh, where Dostum hadheld a rally earlier in the day. On Twitter, a Talebanspokesman said the insurgent group had carried outthe attack and claimed four of Dostum’s bodyguardshad been killed. Dostum, a powerful ethnic Uzbekleader, is notorious in Afghanistan for extreme bar-barities and for repeatedly switching loyalties over40 years of conflict. — AFP

‘Invisible yet visible’: Transgenders in Singapore SINGAPORE: A chest binder, packagingfrom used hormone injections and a pre-served sex organ donated after a sex-changeoperation - all part of an exhibition designedto showcase Singapore’s rich transgenderhistory. The display is an attempt by one ofSingapore’s best known transgender citizensto raise awareness and preserve the surpris-ingly vibrant history of LGBT+ culture in thefamously conservative country.

Affluent Singapore is modern in manyways, yet social attitudes are often highlyconservative, with sex between men banned.Same-sex marriage is illegal. But it has notalways been this way. Back in the 1950s,transgender people were an ever-presentpart of the lively clubs and bars of BugisStreet, Singapore’s former red light district. “Idon’t want our history to be forgotten,” saidJune Chua, who opened the exhibition inDecember and also runs Singapore’s onlyshelter for transgender people.

“I want the public to understand us. If youunderstand us, where we came from, who arewe ... you will then see us as no different,”said Chua, who said she realized she was agirl trapped in a boy’s body when she wasjust 12. The project was inspired by a visit toStonewall Inn, the bar considered the birth-place of the US gay rights movement thatnow has national monument status. Singaporeis among a handful of Asian nations that rec-ognizes transgender people, and sex reas-

signment surgery has been legal in the city-state since 1973.

Those who have undergone the procedurecan change their gender on their identifica-tion cards. “Transgender persons have aplace in Singapore society, and are entitled totheir own private lives,” a spokeswoman fromthe Ministry of Social and FamilyDevelopment said in an email. They haveaccess to employment, education and health-care as other Singaporeans and should “notbe subject to prejudice and discrimination”,she added.

Yet campaigners say transgender peopleface a great deal of social stigma, from diffi-culty in finding jobs, to bullying in school andrejection by their families. “Very often we areinvisible yet visible at the same time,” said

Chua, 45, who set up the shelter in 2014 andhas housed more than two dozen people whowere kicked out by their families or wereunable to find work.

Pioneer generationSherry, a transgender woman, lost her job

in a restaurant when she started wearingmake-up and women’s clothes about eightyears ago, and now earns a living as a sexworker. “Sex work gives me financial inde-pendence, but we know deep down in ourheart that no one wants to do this for theirwhole life,” said the 28-year-old as she lit acigarette. Sherry, who asked to be identifiedby just one name, hopes one day to findwork in hotel management - but she is notoptimistic. — Reuters

SINGAPORE: People walk on the ‘skyway’ at the Gardens by the Bay in Singapore. — AFP

Turks vote incrucial test forErdogan as recession hitshomeISTANBUL: President Recep TayyipErdogan heads into local elections yes-terday fighting for what he says isTurkey’s survival, with his party riskingdefeat in the capital amid an economicslowdown. Erdogan and his Justice andDevelopment Party (AKP) have wonevery vote since the party first came topower in 2002 but this time, analysts saythe party could lose Ankara and evenIstanbul. It is the first municipal pollsince Turks approved constitutionalreforms in 2017 to create an executivepresidency that gave Erdogan widerpowers, and follows general electionslast year.

But Erdogan, whose ability to wincontinuously in the ballot box is unparal-leled in Turkish history, is more vulnera-ble with the country’s economy in reces-sion, unemployment up and inflation indouble digits. Much of the AKP’s suc-cess has been down to his perceivedeconomic prowess, but days before thevote, the Turkish lira has been slidingagain, provoking memories of the 2018currency crisis that badly hurt Turkishhouseholds. Erdogan, who is aware ofhis potential weakness and was previ-ously the mayor of Istanbul, has cam-

paigned across Turkey every day thoughhe is not on the ballot.

Since Friday, he has held more than adozen rallies in different Istanbul dis-tricts. Voters are to elect scores of may-ors, municipal councils and other localofficials. Polls open at 0400 GMT ineastern provinces and 0500 GMT else-where in the country. “Citizens are suf-fering because of the economic prob-lems,” Dervis Dikmen, 60, told AFP at anopposition rally in the southern city ofMersin. “Citizens cannot buy anything.”“I’m a trader, I’m retired but I’ve neverseen a downturn like this,” he said.

Charges of an unfair voteFor his supporters however, Erdogan

remains the strong leader Turkey needsand they tout the country’s economicdevelopment in the decade and a halfthat he and the AKP have been in power.But rights activists and even Turkey’sWestern allies say that under his leader-ship the government has steadily erodeddemocracy, especially after a failed 2016coup that led to tens of thousands ofpeople being arrested. The vote will bethe first time since 2002 that the AKP isfielding candidates with its alliance part-ner, the right-wing NationalistMovement Party (MHP).

The opposition pro-Kurdish Peoples’Democratic Party (HDP) has refused tofield candidates in several cities, sayingthe elections are unfair. Some of its lead-ers have been jailed on terror charges,accusations they reject. Critics say thatwith most media either pro-governmentor controlled by Erdogan supporters,opposition parties campaigned at a dis-advantage because Erdogan’s ralliesdominated TV coverage. — AFP

I n t e r n a t i o n a l Monday, April 1, 2019

9

A tale of two Delhis: Deadly air exposes rich-poor divide

Air pollution kills more than one million Indians every yearNEW DELHI: Walls draped in lush vertical gardens andair filtered through purifiers insulate diners at a swankyNew Delhi food court from the choking haze outside inone of the most polluted places on earth. But these eco-eateries, offering cleaner air as well as modern menus tothe well heeled are beyond reach for the poor, who havelittle means of escaping the deadly smog which coats thecity for much of the year. Air pollution kills more than onemillion Indians every year, according to a study by LancetPlanetary Health, and Delhi is ranked one of the most toxicurban centers to live, regularly exceeding World HealthOrganization (WHO) limits.

But for Ramavtar Singh there is no escape: like many ofthe city’s poorest, he eats, sleeps, and works outside. “Iwork for six to eight hours every day and my children eatand sleep outside most times of the year,” the father of fivetells AFP at a roadside food stall, gulping down a 50-centdish of rice and lentils. Singh earns a living by cycling pas-sengers and cargo around Delhi on his rickshaw, a strenu-ous activity that means he’s inhaling dangerous concentra-tions of tiny pollutants deep into his lungs.

At best, he can wrap a rag over his mouth on smoggydays, a low-cost approach taken by laborers and rickshawdrivers that does little to prevent the most dangerous parti-cles entering the bloodstream. Delhi’s smog peaks fromOctober to February, routinely exceeding WHO recommen-dations for PM2.5 — tiny and harmful airborne particles -and some days registers levels more than 20 times safe lim-its. Experts warn the long term health consequences of liv-ing enveloped in pollution are disastrous, often causingchronic sickness and in some cases early death.

‘A quick oxygen shot’ Across town, Abhimanyu Mawatwal is settling down for

lunch at a food court in Worldmark Aerocity, a grand com-mercial centre boasting purified air. A meal here could costtwice Singh’s monthly salary, but it is a price Mawatwal iswilling to pay because outside the smog is at hazardouslevels. “I love to come here for my meals. It is like getting aquick oxygen shot,” the office worker says, surrounded bycreeper vines and a faux stream as he breathes lungfuls offiltered air circulating through expensive filters.

“We need to bring greenery to concrete jungles andcreate places where everybody can come for a breath offresh air,” insists S K Sayal, CEO of Bharti Realty whichowns Worldmark Aerocity. Delhi’s affluent, who are oftenbetter informed about the dangers of pollution, increasing-ly expect the same safety measures they have in place athome, to be available when they are out.

High-end eateries, bars and cinemas are tapping intothat demand - installing electronic air purifiers and creat-ing dedicated areas of rich vegetation to help filter air-borne toxins. But for Singh, and the one in five Indians liv-ing on less than $2 a day, visiting such places is nothingmore than a fantasy. “What will I do if I spend all the mon-ey on one meal? How will I feed my family?” said the rick-shaw cyclist, who earns about 1,200 rupees ($17) a month.

He cannot dream of buying the foreign-made air puri-fiers to protect his family at home - machines favored byDelhi’s elite, expat communities and office workers - thateasily cost Singh’s annual wage. “The rich and the poorhave to breathe the same poisonous air. But the poor aremore exposed to pollution,” explains Sunil Dahiya, a

campaigner for Greenpeace India. He adds: “Most of thetime, they don’t even know the effects the toxic air is

having on their health. Poor communities are definitely atthe losing end.”— AFP

India’s Modi launcheselection blitz, trumpetsspace achievementsNEW DELHI: India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modiembarked on a campaign blitz yesterday with three hugerallies where he declared voters would reward his decisionto test new weapons and bomb Pakistan with a thumpingelection victory. The Hindu nationalist leader addressedtens of thousands of supporters in three northern cities inhis first official campaign events since the announcementof the election earlier this month.

Modi, 68, hit the hustings a day after India destroyed alow-orbiting satellite using a ballistic missile - a militaryfeat only equaled by China, Russia and the United States.That came a month after Indian warplanes bombedPakistani territory for the first time in decades, drasticallyescalating tensions between the nuclear-armed foes.

Modi, whose economic record has come under steadyattack from a resurgent opposition, said these decisions

proved his mettle as a strong leader. “For the first time, thiscountry has seen a decisive government which knows howto turn its words into action,” he told supporters inMeerut, northeast of the capital Delhi. “India’s 1.3 billionpeople have already made up their minds. Once again, aModi government is going to be formed in this country.”

He picked up on the theme again in two separate ral-lies, pointing to last month’s “surgical strikes” on Pakistanand India’s successful missile test as evidence of his gov-ernment’s ability to defend the country. “(Be it) land, skyor space, my government has shown courage to conductsurgical strikes in all spheres,” he said. The main opposi-tion Congress party and its leader, Rahul Gandhi, haveaccused the prime minister of stoking nationalist fervor tocurry votes.

Indians will start voting April 11 in the world’s largestelection, a nearly six-week affair involving 900 millionvoters and one million polling booths. Gandhi has relent-lessly attacked Modi for failing to fulfill his 2014 electionpromises, pointing to rising unemployment and farmer sui-cides as evidence of his failures. The Congress leader hasoffered 50 million of India’s poorest families - an estimat-ed 250 million people - a guaranteed basic income of$1000 a year, if his party wins power on May 23. — AFP

Venezuela supporters, and opponents of govt rally amid blackoutsCARACAS: Venezuelan security forces fired tear gasSaturday to disperse demonstrators in Caracas out-raged by massive power outages that have kept muchof the country in darkness since early March. AFPjournalists on the scene said the security forcesblocked opposition protesters from concentrating atcertain points in the western side of the capital city.The latest power outage hit just after 7 pm Friday,affecting Caracas and at least 20 of the oil producingcountry’s 23 states.

The blackouts have hit Venezuela hard-worseningthe already-dire economic and living conditions in acountry that is witnessing a political showdownbetween the head of the country’s leftist government,Nicolas Maduro, and opposition leader Juan Guaido.The United States and more than 50 other countriesrecognize Guaido as interim president. Russia, alongwith China, back Maduro. The blackouts that beganon March 7 have affected the water service, trans-portation, and telephone and internet services acrossthe country. The most recent blackout halted activitiesbetween Monday and Thursday.

“Our lights go out at every moment, we don’t haveinternet service ... the water service has been terriblefor more than a year, and with these blackouts thingshave gotten a lot worse,” said a protester at a Caracasdemo who did not want to give her name. She was ina crowd with her neighbors protesting by bangingpots. “I refuse to leave Venezuela, because I am cer-tain that there is so much here to fight for,” saidanother marcher who identified herself only asAndrea. “We are going to stay in the street fighting.”

She said that while Caracas outages were bad, inmany states they are much worse, making it impossi-ble for millions to use refrigerators. Maduro hasblamed the previous outages on sabotage, butexperts have said infrastructure crumbling from yearsof neglect is a likelier culprit than outside interfer-ence. Malnutrition and disease are on the rise as livingconditions plummet in the oil-producing LatinAmerican nation, which is spiraling ever deeper intoeconomic chaos during the protracted political crisis.

More demos plannedGuaido moved to keep the pressure on the

Maduro government by calling for a new massprotest. “We are organizing Operation Freedom. Andwe want everyone in the streets around Venezuela onApril 6,” Guaido said at a rally in Los Teques, not farfrom Caracas. In response, Maduro also called anoth-er new mass counter-demonstration “to say no to USterrorist imperialism.” He also called on the “colec-tivos” - pro-government enforcers that the oppositiondescribe as armed paramilitary thugs - to have “zerotolerance” for violence at the protests. “They areinciting people with hatred. We are calling for love.We are calling for peace,” said Maduro’s social move-ments chief Jesus Camargo.

Separately in Moscow, Russia warned US officialsto stop interfering in the standoff between Maduroand Guaido. “We recommend that the United Statesstop threatening Venezuela, smothering its economyand pushing it towards civil war in open violation ofinternational law,” foreign ministry spokeswomanMaria Zakharova said in a statement Saturday. TwoRussian military planes landed a week ago at the mainairport outside Caracas and offloaded equipment andtroops, ratcheting up international tensions. — AFP

Karachi revitalization drive aims to remake Pakistan’s largest cityKARACHI: At a historic market commissioned by QueenVictoria in Pakistan’s southern metropolis of Karachi,third-generation spice seller Mohammad Shakeel Abbasicomplains that a move to clear illegal encroachments hasleft poor shopkeepers jobless. “My own business has beencut in half,” said Abbasi of the modernization driveordered by the country’s Supreme Court in January toclean-up large swathes of the city’s historic centre, whichhe says has driven away so many vendors that fewer peo-ple now visit the area. “We need these changes for thecountry to move forward but it needs to be done proper-ly,” he said, surrounded by barrels of mango pickle, chillipowder and turmeric at the stall his grandfather built morethan 80 years ago.

The modernization of Karachi’s old downtown is one ofa string of projects aimed at revitalizing Pakistan’s largestcity and economic powerhouse, which has long beenplagued by traffic congestion, water and electricity short-ages and rampant crime. But experts say the politicking bylocal parties and wrangling between different levels ofgovernment that have stalled Karachi’s growth for decadescontinue to hold back development. Public transit pro-grams, including a shiny new bus service and the revival ofa long-closed inner city rail service, are among the proj-ects stuck in the gridlock.

Both transport schemes have been held up awaitingauthorization from Islamabad to invite bids to supply newbuses and begin laying railways tracks, according to Sindhprovince’s Transport Minister Awais Qadir Shah.Muhammad Sualeh Faruqui, CEO of the federal develop-ment corporation in charge of the bus project that isexpected to move 250,000 commuters daily, said anagreement between the provincial and federal governmentshould be finalised soon.

But no movement has been made on the bus or rail

projects since Reuters spoke to Faruqui in January. OnSaturday, Prime Minister Imran Khan announced the allo-cation of 162 billion rupees ($1.15 billion) for Karachi’sdevelopment, to be primarily spent on transport andsewage projects. “We need to make a master plan forKarachi and define the limits of the city and whether it willexpand beyond its current area,” Khan said.

Congestion crisisIn the 1960s, Karachi boasted the tallest building in

South Asia, an operational inner-city rail service, vibrantnightlife, and booming tourism. But more than 50 yearslater, the city’s infrastructure has failed to keep pace witha population that has sky-rocketed more than 300 per-cent, leaving many public services such as health, trans-port, and water either provided by an informal privatesector or controlled by organized crime. The city never-theless remains key to Pakistan’s shaky economy, now onthe verge of its 13th IMF bailout since the late 1980s,accounting for 20 percent of the country’s gross domes-tic product (GDP), according to World Bank figures.

“Improving Karachi’s efficiency and Karachi’s econo-my, improves Pakistan efficiency and Pakistan’s econo-my,” said former finance minister and Karachi residentMifath Ismail. “It is the only port city in Pakistan and it’sthe hub of all international trade.” A study by the NEDUniversity of Engineering and Technology found thattraffic congestion costs Karachi $2 billion annually. Datafrom the local municipal corporation showed more than 3million motorcycles currently in use with 25,000 addedeach month.

Crime and neglectTo be sure, efforts to revitalize Karachi have achieved

some success, most notably in curbing the violent crimefor which the city had become notorious. In 2013, thenational government of then-Prime Minister NawazSharif gave free rein to the paramilitary Rangers for asweeping crackdown on criminal gangs. That, say policeofficials, saw the annual number of murders fall frommore than 2,500 to fewer than 500 in the space of a year.

“If this had been achieved in the West, studies wouldhave been carried out to replicate these results,” said

senior police official Abdul Khalique Shaikh. The fallingcrime rate has meant some upscale neighborhoods haveseen a spike in new restaurants, from hipster burgerjoints to taco food trucks, alongside high-end retail out-lets. But decades of growing congestion and neglect haveturned places such as the Saddar area, where theEmpress Market is located, from a spot where allKarachiites once rubbed shoulders into a rundown shop-ping and business district avoided by the well-off.

The once fashionable part of town, now lined withcrumbling colonial-era buildings, is a transport hub fornearly 20 million residents. Every day, an overcrowdednetwork of private buses and vans cart thousands to andfrom work in the bustling downtown. Shah, the provincialtransport minister, blames delays in the rail and bus proj-ects on the federal government, which he accuses of“playing political games”. The federal information min-istry did not respond to a request for comment.

Karachi’s administration has been dominated fordecades by the Mohajir Qaumi Movement (MQM), whichhas traditionally drawn support from the descendents ofUrdu-speakers who migrated from India following parti-tion in 1947, but had little following beyond the city.

The MQM was involved in bloody factional battles inthe 1990s and 2000s and was accused by opponents ofrunning the city like a mafia fiefdom, allegations it denied.It has come under increasing pressure since the crimecrackdown, which saw the party split into several fac-tions. As a result, the city’s politics are now more com-petitive, but also more fragmented.

“There is no one taking ownership of Karachi,” thecity’s MQM mayor Waseem Akhtar told Reuters, addingthe city saw little return for the millions in revenue thatwent to provincial and federal governments. “From theFederal or Sindh government there is no seriousness.”None of this is any comfort for Karachi’s long sufferingcommuters who are forced to trudge through hours oftraffic on their daily commutes, as the city’s main trafficartery comes to a complete standstill during rush hours.“With the non-serious attitude of all the parties involved,I don’t see the project taking off for the next two, threeyears,” a senior bureaucrat, who asked not to be identi-fied said. — Reuters

NEW DELHI: Indian commuters drive amidst heavy smog along a busy road past the South Extension area ofNew Delhi. — AFP

GUWAHATI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi (center) is greeted as he addresses a political rally in Dibrugarh dis-trict, some of 400 km from Guwahati. — AFP

Thai elections: What could happen next? BANGKOK: A coup leader triumphs as civilian prime min-ister, an alliance of parties unite to stop him, or a parlia-mentary deadlock forces another political crisis-the out-come of Thailand’s disputed election remains undecided aweek after the poll. So what next? Here are the possiblescenarios for how the election could play out. Will the jun-ta chief be prime minister? - It’s a safe bet. The junta-backed Phalang Pracharat party has stunned its rivals byclinching the popular vote.

That could help coup leader Prayut Chan-O-Cha justifyholding onto power. There are also 250 military-appointedsenators in the upper house who can vote for the prime min-ister. That means Phalang Pracharat only needs 126 seats ofsupport in the lower house, while its political foes need tocollect a gargantuan 376. They currently have 97 seats andare expected to pick up more through coalitions and addi-tional “party list” seats yet to be released. The remaining 150party list seats will be calculated using the popular vote ofeach party. Phalang Pracharat’s claim on the popular votemajority — 8.4 million according to the Election Commission-will work greatly in its favor. But delays and bungled ballotshave tainted the integrity of the poll in the eyes of voters.“People question the popular vote that they got,” said TitipolPhakdeewanich, political scientist at Ubon RatchathaniUniversity. “People still believe that this election is rigged.”

Can ‘democracy’ camp triumph? It’s an uphill battle, but they are already fighting it.

Seven parties have teamed up to form a “democratic front”coalition, claiming a majority in the lower house with 255seats and the right to form a government. They are led byPheu Thai, the party linked to self-exiled former premierThaksin Shinawatra whose affiliated parties have wonevery election since 2001. Pheu Thai’s most prominent allyis the anti-military Future Forward, whose telegenic bil-lionaire leader Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit hasattracted millennial voters and is now the third largest par-ty by popular vote in Thai politics.

But the claim to a lower house majority could be pre-mature. Final ratified results are not expected until May 9and a pivotal medium-sized party-Bhumjaithai-are stayingmum on their allegiances so far. The Bhumjaithai party’ssuper-rich leader Anutin Charnvirakul has described him-self as the “matchmaker”, and could be offered the primeminister’s post in a grand bargain. — AFP

CARACAS: Supporters of Venezuelan President NicolasMaduro take part in a pro-government ‘Anti-Imperialist March’ in Caracas. — AFP

Monday, April 1, 2019

10A n a l y s i s

THE LEADING INDEPENDENTDAILY IN THE ARABIAN GULF

ESTABLISHED 1961

Founder and Publisher YOUSUF S. AL-ALYAN

Editor-in-ChiefABD AL-RAHMAN AL-ALYAN

EDITORIAL : 24833199-24833358-24833432ADVERTISING : 24835616/7FAX : 24835620/1CIRCULATION : 24833199 Extn. 163ACCOUNTS : 24833199 Extn. 125COMMERCIAL : 24835618

P.O.Box 1301 Safat,13014 Kuwait.Email: info@kuwaittimes.comWebsite: www.kuwaittimes.net

Established 1961 The First Daily in The Arabian Gulf

N Zealand failed to record hate crimes for years

Weeks before a gunman killed 50 Muslims inChristchurch, a man had threatened to burncopies of the Holy Quran outside New

Zealand mosques, in what community leaders said wasthe latest in a long list of threatening behavior againstreligious minorities. Police said they warned a 38-year-old man over the incident, which was unrelated to theChristchurch attack, but could not say if it was part ofa pattern. That’s because, unlike many Western coun-tries including the United Kingdom and the UnitedStates, New Zealand’s government keeps no compre-hensive record of hate crimes, failing to act on requeststo do so from local and international agencies spanningmore than a decade.

“For many years our view has consistently been thatthis needs to be prioritized and implemented urgently,”said Janet Anderson-Bidois, Chief Legal Adviser at theHuman Rights Commission, the independent governmentagency tasked with protecting human rights. “It is impera-tive that we have good data.” A suspected white suprema-cist has been charged with murder over the Christchurchshootings and will appear in court again on April 5.

In the wake of New Zealand’s worst mass shooting,questions are being asked about what signs agenciesmissed and where resources should have been allocatedto protect vulnerable communities. Prime MinisterJacinda Ardern has ordered a Royal Commission, a pow-erful form of inquiry, into the attack. Anwar Ghani fromthe Federation of Islamic Associations of New Zealand,said anecdotal evidence suggested there had been a risein anti-Muslim behavior in recent years. “When there is ahot spot in global events and when Muslims areinvolved...we do see the pulse of hate crime coming fromcertain members of the community,” he said.

‘Not a priority’Joris De Bres, New Zealand’s Race Relations

Commissioner between 2002 and 2013, said he wasalarmed at signs of an uptick in threats againstMuslims when he took up the role soon after the 9/11attacks in the United States. De Bres said he repeated-ly asked the government and police to create a centralsystem for recording details about crimes motivated byhatred and racism. He raised the issue with the UnitedNations Committee on the Elimination of RacialDiscrimination, which in its 2007 review of NewZealand said the lack of records was a concern, andasked the government to collect data on complaints ofracially motivated crimes.

“I listed it every year...I wrote at various points togovernment about it and it was simply said that it wasn’tnecessary and it wasn’t a priority,” De Bres said. In itslatest report on New Zealand in 2017, the UN commit-tee repeated its concerns and requests and asked thegovernment to provide the data for its next report as apriority. When current Justice and Intelligence SerivcesMinister Andrew Little took office in late 2017, theHuman Rights Commission said in their incoming brief-ing the country needed a central system for recordingdetails about crimes motivated by hatred and racism andsteps currently taken by police were insufficient.

“Understanding the scale, extent, and location ofhate crimes is essential and is a prerequisite to ensur-ing adequate resources are available to address theissue,” the briefing said. Little did not respond toReuters’ request for comment but told local media onSaturday that current hate speech laws were inade-quate and he would work with officials to review thelegislation, including considering whether a separatehate crime offence should be created.

Police said they took hate crimes seriously andwere continually looking to improve the way theyworked. “We are engaged in ongoing conversationswith community leaders and representatives about arange of issues, including how police record allega-tions of hate crime and crimes of prejudice,” said apolice spokesperson via email. The National Party, inpower from 2008 to 2017, said while in government, itintroduced legislation to protect people from harmfulcommunication online. “There are hate speech laws inthe Human Rights Act, but whether data should be col-lected is an operational matter for Police,” a spokes-woman said by email.

No one was listeningNew Zealand has had no previous extremist mass

attacks, unlike neighboring Australia, but civil societymembers say an underbelly of racism has always exist-ed and may have been escalating. Anjum Rahman fromthe Islamic Women’s Council of New Zealand said thegroup had repeatedly alerted the government over thepast five years about the rise of the extreme right andthe growing threat Muslim women felt in New Zealand.“Without the data, without the measurement it’s reallyhard to push for change...I feel like it wasn’t taken seri-ously because it wasn’t hard data because we didn’thave it,” she said, adding she felt “a resistance to cre-ating that data.”

One in 10 New Zealand adults have experiencedhate speech online according to a 2018 study by inter-net safety organization Netsafe, with people of Asiandescent or who identified as ‘other’ ethnicity mostaffected. Since 2002, a law has specified judges shouldtake hostility towards a group of people with a “com-mon characteristic”, such as race or religion, intoaccount when sentencing. — Reuters

From smog breaks to pollution bonuses, Asia’s busi-nesses are promising increasingly inventive perks in adesperate bid to lure executives to a region where

toxic air engulfs major cities for much of the year. Healthconcerns are putting off those initially attracted by Asia’sgrowing economic opportunities, experts warn, so firmsare struggling to recruit-and retain-people with theexpertise they need.

According to the United Nations Environment Program,some 92 percent of people in the Asia-Pacific region areexposed to levels of air pollution that pose a significantrisk to health. This means that on top of large salaries,businesses are having to offer extra incentives. Theseinclude paying for smog breaks every few months, orallowing non-traditional working arrangements so peoplecan commute from less polluted areas, says Lee Quane,Asia director for consultancy ECA International. At “alocation with a higher level of pollution, you’re likely to seeus recommend allowances of anywhere between 10 to 20percent of the person’s base salary,” he says.

This estimate, derived from a rating system his firm usesto help companies decide appropriate financial compensa-tion for relocation, would also incorporate factors such ascrime rates and access to services, he adds. Other provisionsemployees could expect for moving to a highly polluted areainclude better insulated apartments, air purifiers for homeand office, breathing masks, and regular medical check-ups.“If you look at the cost associated with even those smallerthings... you’re probably looking at a minimum cost, on anannual basis, of maybe US$5,000 to $10,000 a year,” Quanesaid, with location allowances an additional expense.

Lower caliber employees In 2014, Panasonic confirmed that it offered a “pollu-

tion premium” for those working for the company inChina, while media reports revealed Coca Cola was offer-ing an environmental hardship allowance of around 15percent for employees moving there. China has since tak-en measures to improve its air quality, but Beijing-alongwith other key urban centers in South Asia including NewDelhi-routinely exceeds World Health Organization safelimits for air pollution.

As a result, these places are seeing a “reduction in cal-iber” of employees, Quane warns, arguing that firms areforced to opt for people who are less qualified. PatrickBehar-Courtois, who ran an organizational behavior con-sulting firm in Shanghai for more than a decade, agrees. Hesays “generous financial offers” were not enough to offsetthe pollution concerns of the highly skilled people hewanted to recruit. “I basically had to revise my hiring poli-cies and look for people locally, so obviously it means thatI got profiles that were less experienced and I had tospend more time training them,” he says.

Executives with families are often unwilling to puttheir children’s health at risk however attractive the joboffer. World Health Organization experts have repeat-edly warned the very young are particularly vulnerableto air pollution and could face a lifetime of illnessbecause of it. Eddy Tiftik built his career in China andheld a senior position at one of the world’s largest real-estate developers, but felt he had to leave for his fami-ly’s wellbeing. His then-five-year-old son was constantlyunwell with asthma because of Beijing’s very high levels

of pollution. “He literally would spend three weeks outof a month going back and forth from the hospital,”Tiftik said.

Children at risk India has one of the world’s fastest growing economies,

making it an appealing career option, but it is also home toseven of the most polluted cities, according to a recentreport by Greenpeace and IQ Air Visual. “All senior execu-tives want to have India experience on their CVs. There ishowever, a fear of pollution related health issues,” saysAtul Vohra, managing partner of Transearch, a globalrecruitment firm. Such concerns are not just an issue forexpats, he says, adding that Indians are also turning downwork in areas of the country with severe smog.

For many the rewards are simply not worth the risks.Behar-Courtois recently left Shanghai, which has seen itsair quality deteriorate in the past few years, after his wifedeveloped thyroid issues he believes are linked to thesmog. “In the last three to five years, I’ve seen a lot ofpeople, especially with kids, who basically chose to put anend to their career here and move,” he reveals.

He now works as a professor in the southern Chinesecity of Zhuhai, where the air is cleaner. Tiftik says his son’ssymptoms abruptly stopped after the family moved toBangkok, which has air quality problems of its own, but arefall less severe than Beijing. He would consider leaving thecontinent altogether if pollution worsens, he says, eventhough his Mandarin skills give him an edge in the Asianmarket. He adds: “Although my career is very important,my family’s health is more important.” — AFP

Asia pollution exodus: Struggle to woo top talent

New US gen takes to the barricades

In the United States, David Hogg is aleading campaigner for gun control,while in Europe, Greta Thunberg fights

to defend the climate. They may only beteenagers, but both have drawn worldwidefollowings for their clear messages andfierce commitment - symbols of a genera-tion of surprising militancy. Hogg, who is18, is a leader of the March for Our Livesmovement, launched by students from hishigh school in Parkland, Florida, where aheavily armed gunman massacred 17 peo-ple on February 14, 2018. The movement,pushing for stricter gun control legislation,has mobilized hundreds of thousands ofyoung Americans.

Thunberg, a pigtailed Swedish studentwho looks younger even than her 16 years,has become the European face of the fightagainst global warming, inspiring hugecrowds of young protesters to take to thestreets, including in Germany, which hadnot seen such massive turnouts since theheady days of reunification. Thunberg hascome far from the days when she mounteda brave but lonely protest standing on thesteps of the Swedish parliament. She isnow mentioned as a possible Nobel PeacePrize winner for 2019.

Were she to win that lofty award,Thunberg would be the youngest laureateever, younger even than Pakistani school-girl Malala Yousafzai, who at 17 won the2014 Nobel for her fight - even after beingshot by a Taleban gunman - for educationrights for girls and women.

Raising their voices Some members of this new generation

are even more precocious. ConsiderAmerican schoolgirl Alice Paul Tapper, whowas only 10 in 2017 when she started her“Raise Your Hand” campaign to encouragegirls not to let themselves be intimidated.The movement caught fire on social media,boosted by help from her Girl Scout troopand also by the celebrity of her father,CNN newsman Jake Tapper. Her new book“Raise Your Hand,” published this week,briefly ranked 12th on Amazon’s list of “hot

new releases.” According to severalexperts, these examples illustrate a rise inyouthful involvement not seen in years -akin, some say, to the activism seen duringthe US civil rights protests of the 1960s. Ifyouth has always been synonymous withprotests, the trend seemed to have gonelatent for years. “We went through a gen-eration or almost two when we were notseeing a lot of activism,” said ElizabethMatto, a Rutgers University specialist inyouthful political participation.

“The teenagers we are callingGeneration Z now,” she said, are showing a“real inclination to engage in expressingtheir political voice.” “They are starting torecognize what a force they are to be reck-oned with... a generation that wants tomake things better and who does not reallysee their age as a barrier.” As proof shecited the involvement of Americans aged 18to 29 in last November’s US congressionalelection: some 31 percent of them voted,the highest rate in 25 years, according toTufts University’s Center for Informationand Research on Civic Learning &Engagement (CIRCLE).

More educated than older Americans,and having grown up with - and becomecompletely fluent in - the ways of socialmedia, this generation knows how toorganize and draw attention, said SamAbrams, a political science professor atSarah Lawrence College in New York.These young mil i tants can quicklyassemble videos that are “almost movie-quality stuff,” said Abrams, who is 39.“This generation knows how to do thatand convey these stories really effective-ly.” Without social media, says Hogg -who has 950,000 Twitter followers - theParkland students could still have organ-ized their protests “but not nearly to thescale that we did.”

No guarantees of change But even if social media make it far easi-

er to attract attention or draw followers,they offer no guarantee that this younggeneration can effect real change, Abramsemphasized. “The big question always is:can they sustain a movement?” “Socialchange,” he added, “it is slow, it takesyears.” With college students coming andgoing - and graduating - Abrams says hehas seen many student movements burstonto the scene, and then lose steam andfade away. — AFP

In this file photo taken on March 20, 2017, a woman wearing a protective pollution mask walks on a street in Beijing. — AFP

Smog chokes Poland with no end in sight

Puffs of yellowish grey-and-blacksmoke billowing out of householdchimneys create a blanket of smog

choking the southern Polish mining townof Rybnik, one of the most pol lutedplaces in the European Union. Althoughit’s early spring, the weather is wintry andEwa Kempny is still shovelling coal intoan antiquated stove to heat her home.“What do you want us to use for heathere? Coal is the cheapest fuel,” says theforty-something mother to the two unex-pected visitors in her cellar. “It would befar too expensive to hook up natural gasor to connect to the town’s central heat-ing network.”

Municipal police charged with sniffingout residents illegally burning highly-pol-luting rubbish like plastic, rubber orwood-plastic composites have turned upon her doorstep following an anonymoustip-off about the odd colour of smokeemerging from her chimney. “Whetherrich or poor, people burn MDF boards,Tetra packs or plastic bottles,” explainsKatarzyna Klosok, as she checks the ash-es in Kempny’s stove and the bills for thecoal she has bought.

“The day we have wages like in westernEU countries, we’ll heat with natural gas,”says Jan Kilian, a retired miner at anotherRybnik home where the patrol showed upafter receiving a complaint. The patrol alsotells homeowners their antiquated coalstoves will have to be replaced with mod-ern, cleaner-burning models by 2021. A banon sales of the most polluting stoves wasonly imposed last year but the low-qualitycoal which is the main source of smog isstill being sold. “Coal, the main culpritbehind smog, isn’t banned,” says OliwerPalarz, a father of two and local activistwith the “Smog Alarm” NGO.

‘Trapped inside’ Despite efforts to go green, Poland is

still betting on coal, both from its owndeposits and imports, as its main source ofenergy for at least the next decade.Seventy percent of Polish households burnheavily-polluting low-quality coal or rub-

bish in old stoves for heating. Antiquatedcoal-fired power plants also generate near-ly all of Poland’s electricity, giving it someof the highest carbon emissions in the EU.

The European Environmental Agency(EEA) also blames air pollution - caused inlarge part by the burning of coal - for anestimated 50,000 premature deaths peryear in this country of 38 million people.“Smog keeps me trapped inside all winter,I can’t do outdoor sports, jog or bike, andabove all, I can’t take my kids out for awalk because the smog would damagetheir health,” says Palarz.

On the odd day, a strong southerlywind clears out the smog but such breezydays are exceedingly rare, says JacekSzczepanski, head of Rybnik’s municipalcrisis management center that checks pol-lution levels around the clock. Each morn-ing he notif ies local schools aboutwhether the air quality is safe for childrento play outside. “Today at 7:00 am, thelevel of PM10 (fine particulate matter)was 40 micrograms per cubic metre andtherefore below the limit of 50 micro-grams per cubic metre, so children gooutside,” he told AFP.

A green smiley-face posted at theentrance of the school lets kids know theair quality is good, but a red face meansthey will have to stay indoors. Orange andyellow smiley-faces mean that childrenought not to venture outside, especiallythose with asthma.

‘Move away’ Schools close when the daily average of

fine PM10 particles exceeds 200 micro-grams per cubic metre. In January 2017,schools closed for two days when the aver-age daily level of PM10 fine particlessurged to 548 micrograms per cubic meter.By February 20, Rybnik had alreadyexceeded EU norms allowing only 35 daysper year of pollution above a threshold of50 micrograms per cubic metre. Desperatefor change, Palarz lodged Poland’s firstlegal complaint against the state, allegingthat his right to a healthy environment hadbeen violated. The presiding judge rejectedthe complaint, saying that Palarz “couldmove away” from Rybnik. “By that logic,the whole town should move,” Palarz toldAFP. He has appealed.

In Poland’s capital Warsaw, actressGrazyna Wolszczak followed his exampleand won her case against the state forjeopardizing her health by failing to curbpollution, a first in Poland. — AFP

KUWAIT: Gulf Insurance Group held its57th Ordinary General Assembly Meeting,during which shareholders approved theBoard of Director’s recommendation todistribute a cash dividend of 36 percent(36 fils per share) for the year endedDecember 31, 2018.

The Group had earlier announced a netprofit of KD 11.9 million ($39.2 million),equivalent to 66.49 fils per share, for theyear ended 31 December 2018, with anincrease of 18.2 per cent compared to netprofit of KD 10.1 million ($33.1 million) overlast year and a growth of 10.2 per cent toKD 335.7 million ($1.1 billion) in gross writ-ten premiums of conventional businesscompared to KD 304.8 million ($1.0 billion)last year. Takaful also achieved growth ingross written premiums of 46.9 per centreaching KD 28.9 million ($95 million)compared to KD 19.6 million ($64.7 mil-lion) last year.

Following the General Assembly, GulfInsurance Group held its ‘Shafafiyah’Transparency Investors Forum, to presentan overview of the Group’s performanceduring 2018 and its expectations and

prospects for 2019.Speaking on this occasion, Group CEO

Khalid Al-Hasan said, “The Group hadachieved remarkable financial results in2018, which reflects the Group’s efforts indeveloping and improving products andthe quality of services provided to our val-ued customers, strengthening our relationswith our partners, continuing the Group’sexpansion and increase our ownership inour subsidiaries. Increase the awarenessand the unification of our brand and ouridentity in various countries that we oper-ate in. These achievements were madepossible with the support of the group’smajor shareholders, KIPCO and FairfaxFinancial Holding Canada - and the Boardof Directors, to whom I extend the great-est appreciation for their continuous sup-port and cooperation.”

He added: “The year 2018 witnessed aboom in the adoption of digitization toalign with the technological developmentwhich is the characteristic of this era. TheGroup has started to launch and adoptmany strategies that aim to achievenotable development in products and

services. The Group also boasts medicalinsurance services for Kuwaiti retirees forthe third consecutive year.”

Commenting on the outlook for 2019,Al-Hasan said: “The Group operates wide-ly and hardly to meet the needs andrequirements of our valued customers,exceeding their expectations and maintainour leading position in the key markets inwhich we operate and achieve sustainablegrowth rates in the coming years and max-imize our shareholders’ interests, cus-tomers and employees. We aim tostrengthen the group’s credit rating andinvest in digitalization to develop thegroup’s operations. The Group will contin-ue to explore markets and continue ourexpansion plan, while investing in humanresources to enhance and refine theexpertise and technical and managerialcapabilities of the staff. We also will con-tinue to develop and implement corporategovernance and transparency across theGroup and respect the business ethics,legislation and compliance regulations inall the Group companies. We will also con-tinue to develop our internal and external

network and use the best technology inmarketing and developing our services andproducts to our valued customers.”

He added: “I would like to extend mysincere thanks to all of our clients, share-holders, employees, reinsurers and insur-

ance brokers and the official regulatorsfor the continued trust and cooperationwith the Group. We pray that Kuwaitcontinues to be blessed with security,safety and prosperity under the wise ruleof its leaders.”

IT played key role in achievingNBK’s strategic objectives

More than 1 million acres of US cropland ravaged by floods

Limak protects environment through Kuwait Airport’s Terminal 2 project1412 13

BusinessEstablished 1961

MONDAY, APRIL 1, 2019

Group holds AGM, shareholders approve 36% cash dividend

KUWAIT: Gulf Insurance Group CEO Khalid Al-Hasan addresses the 57th Ordinary General Assembly Meeting of the Group yesterday.

GIG achieves solid financial results in 2018

Brexit fears for British shop-owners in GermanyBERLIN: As the United Kingdom grappleswith its Brexit drama, the uncertaintyaround its decision to leave the EU per-suaded Dale Carr to close down her Berlinshop selling British goods.

The 67-year-old from Sheffield and herhusband Robin in 1996 opened “BrokenEnglish”, a shop selling British goods tohomesick expats and Germans with a tastefor UK treats in the trendy district ofKreuzberg. But things changed in June 2016when British voters opted to pull out of theEU and the couple, unsure about the future,

decided to close their business by the endof May this year.

“We decided we would close, because ofthe uncertainty-not knowing if we couldcarry on,” said Carr, who also shut a secondBroken English shop in west Berlin last year.

Carr and her husband, who first came toBerlin in 1978, will retire, leaving her twoemployees out of work, unless a buyer isfound. Visiting customers-stocking up onStilton, chocolate biscuits and chutney-saidthey were dismayed by the UK’s decision toleave the EU.

“I think it’s a joke, a bad joke,” saidGerman Manfred Denker, clutching a box ofbiscuits.

“After Brexit, what is something like a jarof English marmalade going to cost?”

Bad reminders In the wake of the referendum result,

Carr and her husband submitted theirpaperwork for German citizenship-”it was ano brainer,” she said-and the process was

finalized in the middle of 2017.“I was very grateful to get German citi-

zenship,” she admitted. “That was aweight off my shoulders and I didn’t real-ize how stressful it had been until we gotour certificates.”

After the referendum result, the shopbecame an unofficial drop-in center forother Brits working in Berlin, worried howBrexit would affect their rights, and eagerto apply for German citizenship.

“It (Brexit) has damaged a lot of people,it’s affected all of us and it will take a longtime for that to disappear,” she said. “It hasdivided people,” said Carr, who says shehas lost friends who voted “Leave”.

Carr says business is currently booming,which she puts down to customers stockpil-ing goods and Easter approaching.

‘A little island’ Up in Hamburg, Robert Berridge, who

owns the “British Food and Gourmet”, hasseen sales of foodstuffs steadily drop away

since 2016. “A lot of customers havestopped buying, some are annoyed (byBrexit) and don’t want to be reminded ofhome,” said the 60-year-old from Ascotwho moved to Germany in 1981 and startedthe business in 1985.

Using previous Christmases as a yard-stick, Berridge says business has steadilydeclined from 26,000 euros ($29,000)turnover for the last quarter of 2014 to12,000 euros for the same period last year.

“I think it’s because of Brexit, I have thefeel ing some are boycotting Brit ishgoods-annoyed at the decision,” saidBerridge, who was granted German citi-zenship in January.

He says he will probably stop import-ing British goods, focusing instead onselling second-hand English books, putoff by the potential extra paperwork andcustoms taxes.

Berridge feels his business is “on themarginal edges, where the pain sets in first”and unable to absorb potential extra costs.

‘Very, very, very unhappy’ There are no such survival worries for

Cologne’s “The English Shop”, founded in1995.

However, Brexit has caused a few con-cerns for some of the 40 employees at theflagship store and a separate shop in Bonn.“We are very, very, very unhappy withBrexit,” said Anna-Maria Boehm, in chargeof the shop’s marketing.

“We have a lot of experience of import-ing goods from the UK and a hard Brexitwill just mean more paperwork-every barof chocolate or bag of crisps will have toclear customs.

“The main impact so far has been onstaff - Brexit has been a huge issue withpeople applying for dual citizenship or get-ting married to make sure they can stay.”

However, Brits in Germany will alwayshave somewhere to get their tea-especiallyas the shop has an online store. “There willalways be a little island of the UK inCologne,” added Boehm. —AFP

Monday, April 1, 2019

12B u s i n e s s

EXCHANGE RATES

Bahrain Exchange Company

Al-Muzaini Exchange Co.

Dollarco Exchange Co. Ltd

EUROPEAN & AMERICAN COUNTRIESEuro 345.930Sterling Pound 402.510Canadian dollar 230.570Turkish lira 55.970Swiss Franc 310.010US Dollar Buying 303.850

ASIAN COUNTRIESJapanese Yen 2.752Indian Rupees 4.440Pakistani Rupees 2.198Srilankan Rupees 1.735Nepali Rupees 2.752Singapore Dollar 226.890Hongkong Dollar 38.862Bangladesh Taka 3.605Philippine Peso 5.809Thai Baht 9.633Malaysian ringgit 77.018

GCC COUNTRIESSaudi Riyal 81.401Qatari Riyal 83.839Omani Riyal 792.853Bahraini Dinar 810.550UAE Dirham 83.109

ARAB COUNTRIESEgyptian Pound - Cash 20.400Egyptian Pound - Transfer 17.585

CURRENCY BUY SELLEurope

British Pound 0.392199 0.406099Czech Korune 0.005273 0.014573Danish Krone 0.041860 0.046860Euro 0. 335698 0.349398Georgian Lari 0.132326 0.132326Hungarian 0.001150 0.001340Norwegian Krone 0.031446 0.036646Romanian Leu 0.065407 0.082257Russian ruble 0.004664 0.004664Slovakia 0.009130 0.019130Swedish Krona 0.028932 0.033932Swiss Franc 0.300650 0.311650

AustralasiaAustralian Dollar 0.209002 0.221002New Zealand Dollar 0.202023 0.211523

AmericaCanadian Dollar 0.223749 0.232749US Dollars 0.300950 0.306250US Dollars Mint 0.301450 0.306250

AsiaBangladesh Taka 0.003061 0.003862

Chinese Yuan 0.043925 0.047425Hong Kong Dollar 0.037120 0.039870Indian Rupee 0.003790 0.004562Indonesian Rupiah 0.000017 0.000023Japanese Yen 0.002674 0.002854Korean Won 0.000258 0.000273Malaysian Ringgit 0.071055 0.077055Nepalese Rupee 0.002616 0.002968Pakistan Rupee 0.001557 0.002327Philippine Peso 0.005796 0.006096Singapore Dollar 0.219895 0.229895Sri Lankan Rupee 0.001367 0.001947Taiwan 0.010182 0.010362Thai Baht 0.009286 0.009836Vietnamese Dong 0.00013 0.00013

ArabBahraini Dinar 0.794580 0.811080Egyptian Pound 0.017690 0.020290Iranian Riyal 0.000084 0.000086Iraqi Dinar 0.000210 0.000270Jordanian Dinar 0.425351 0.434351Kuwaiti Dinar 1.000000 1.000000Lebanese Pound 0.000157 0.000257Moroccan Dirhams 0.021445 0.045445Omani Riyal 0.786019 0.791699Qatar Riyal 0.079500 0.084440Saudi Riyal 0.080260 0.081560Syrian Pound 0.001293 0.001513Tunisian Dinar 0.096874 0.104874Turkish Lira 0.049153 0.060653UAE Dirhams 0.081629 0.083329Yemeni Riyal 0.000992 0.001072

Rate for Transfer Selling RateUS Dollar 303.340Canadian Dollar 227.760Sterling Pound 404.095Euro 345.095Swiss Frank 305.505Bahrain Dinar 809.355UAE Dirhams 83.265Qatari Riyals 84.500Saudi Riyals 82.055Jordanian Dinar 430.540Egyptian Pound 17.619Sri Lankan Rupees 1.727Indian Rupees 4.420Pakistani Rupees 2.169Bangladesh Taka 3.617Philippines Pesso 5.768Cyprus pound 18.105Japanese Yen 3.760Syrian Pound 1.590Nepalese Rupees 2.766Malaysian Ringgit 75.495Chinese Yuan Renminbi 45.665

Thai Bhat 10.550Turkish Lira 56.685Singapore dollars 225.141

Yemen Riyal/for 1000 1.225Tunisian Dinar 105.190Jordanian Dinar 430.860Lebanese Lira/for 1000 2.034Syrian Lira 0.000Morocco Dirham 32.418

Technology played key role in achievingNBK’s strategic objectives: Deputy CEOKokosioulis outlines bank’s digital transformation initiativesKUWAIT: In an exclusive interview withKuwait Times, Dimitrios Kokosioulis, DeputyCEO, Group Head of Operations & IT at theNational Bank of Kuwait, outlined how thebank’s IT played a key role in achieving itsstrategic objectives both in Kuwait andabroad. He also spoke in depth about NBK’sdigital transformation strategy and its latesttechnological services such as MobileBanking launched to improve and enrich cus-tomer’s experience. Excerpts:

Kuwait Times: What did NBK achieve lastyear on the IT and banking operations front?

Kokosioulis: Last year was a very signifi-cant and successful year for NBK. GroupOperations & IT played a key role in helpingthe bank achieve its strategic objectives andtargets in Kuwait and abroad. In KSA, wecommenced the preparations to open twonew branches in Riyadh and in Khobar thusexpanding our footprint and presence in thisimportant market. In KSA we also managedto successfully establish and get licensed bythe CMA to operate Watani WealthManagement as part of the bank’s strategy toexpand on wealth management opportunitiesoutside Kuwait as well.

In Iraq, we were able to establish a new,state-of-the-art modular Data Center in abox in only 5 months which is a significantachievement on its own given its complexityand local circumstances. We also laid thefoundation for a successful conversion forour Paris operations to successfully becomea subsidiary of NBK Group thus maintainingthe passporting rights in the EU and mitigat-ing any risks from Brexit. In Egypt, which isthe largest market for us outside Kuwait, wehave continued the expansion in terms ofopening new branches and continued fullspeed ahead with the transformation anddigitalization initiatives which included thelaunch of a new state-of-the-art mobilebanking application. Furthermore, we com-menced our efforts to proceed with a majorcore banking system upgrade both in Egyptand in all our remaining international loca-tions to provide solid foundation to continueour expansion in our key global markets aspart of the revenue diversification and to beable to provide new products and services toour customers.

Open banking is also a new reality that wehave started working on at our locations inEurope (London and Paris) with the imple-mentation of PSD2 (Payment ServicesDirective) as well in the GCC with the direc-tives issued by the regulators in KSA and inBahrain.

In Kuwait last year, we focused on ourtransformation led by innovation and digitali-zation activities. We delivered new productsand services to our customers and we werethe first bank not only in Kuwait but in theregion to launch innovative products such asthe biometric card, the authentication of e-commerce transactions for Mastercard prod-ucts using biometrics (Selfie Pay), the videochat feature for our mobile banking app toname a few. We also continued to add newfeatures on our mobile banking app andintroduced and pioneered the latest technolo-gies in the payments and remittances space inKuwait by being the first bank to join SWIFTgpi and Ripple Net. In Group Operations &IT we have also successfully performed aProof of Concept (POC) to utilize RoboticsProcess Automation (RPA) to our credit cardrefund process with great results. The bankalso hired a Group Chief Digital Officer and aChief Data Officer to continue to drive ourdigital agenda and to ensure we utilize data ina meaningful way that will help us introducenew products and services.

KT: IT plays a key role in NBK’s digitaltransformation strategy, what are the main

objectives that the Group seeks to achieve inimplementing its strategy?

Kokosioulis: Information technology is acritical enabler to lead the bank’s digitaltransformation strategy. Banks need tobecome agile and abandon the waterfallapproach of delivering and launching newproducts and services to their clients. NBKhas partnered with Ripple Net to offer cus-tomers a fast, safe and convenient cross-bor-der payments service, called “Direct Remit”and making NBK the first bank in Kuwait tojoin the growing network of Ripple Net glob-ally and to execute a cross border foreigncurrency payment to one of our internationallocations using X-Current’s block chain serv-ice from Ripple. In only 48 seconds the bene-ficiary of the transfer was able to receive thefunds to his account along with the relevantSMS confirmation. We are now working onopening new corridors in other marketsincluding in the UK, Egypt and inSoutheastern Asia. On another breakthroughachievement in the payments space, NBKwas the first bank in Kuwait to successfullyjoin SWIFT gpi (global payment innovation)network and we were also the first bank tooffer payment tracking feature to our elec-tronic channels (mobile banking, Watani OnLine, Watani on Line Corporate). With thetracking feature through a unique transactionreference code our customers can check onthe status of their payment online whileenjoying the processing of their paymentsecurely and fast.

Furthermore in alignment with our keystrategic pillar of digitizing processes, NBKwas the first bank in the country to offer theE-Dividend payment option to clients toreceive their dividends online rather than in aform of a check - towards that end weoffered first the online E-dividend subscrip-tion through our online banking platform(WOL) to our customers.

KT: What are the latest updates and newservices launched by NBK as part of “NBKMobile Banking”? What is expected toimprove in this application in 2019?

Kokosioulis: Mobile Banking First is a keystrategy for the bank. We want to provide allservices and products online using themobile banking app. In 2018 we have addedmore than 13 new features on our mobilebanking app, 1 feature every month. Some ofthe new features include Peer to Peer pay-ments (Quick Pay), bill payments, standingorders, add/modify/delete beneficiary, card-less ATM transactions using mobile bankingand civil ID, SMS and Miles subscription, toname a few. With the new features we haveadded on our mobile banking app and theremaining of our electronic channels, we havemanaged to have close to 70 percent of allour daily financial and non-financial transac-tions to be processed through our electronicchannels outside the branch. This is a keyachievement that will help us redesign ourbranch operations and better serve ourclients by reducing waiting lines and provid-ing all key services and products online.

As a result of the new features and servic-es we added on our mobile banking, cus-tomer satisfaction has increased to more than92 percent and our customers rated ourmobile banking app on IOS as 4.2 out of 5and on Android as 4.4 out of 5.

A key recognition of the bank’s transfor-mation efforts through innovation came fromthe globally renowned and prestigious GlobalFinance publication that gave NBK 3 majordigital awards in 2018: 1) Best MobileBanking App in Kuwait, 2) Best in MobileBanking in Kuwait and 3) Best ConsumerDigital Bank in Kuwait.

KT: Besides NBK Mobile Banking, whatare the latest technological services offered

by NBK to improve and enrich customer’sexperience?

Kokosioulis: We are the first bank inKuwait to offer ‘Tap & Pay’ wearable innova-tive services that enable our customers touse wristbands and stickers to make pay-ments up to a limit.

We have enhanced our ATMs with newinnovative features that included card-lesspayments using the mobile banking app andthe civil ID to withdraw cash and to updatetheir civil ID expiration information. We havealso successfully introduced contactless NFCtransactions on our ATMs where our cus-tomers do not need to insert their card on theATM but can commence their transactionthrough taping their card on the NFC readerlocated on the ATM.

Through our WOL channel customers canopen a savings and a time deposit account ina matter of a few minutes without visiting abranch and they can update their customerinformation such as email address online.Furthermore we were the first bank in EMEAto introduce the online PIN WEB featurewith First Data where a customer canretrieve his card PIN online.

For our corporate clients we haveenhanced the services and features at ourWatani Corporate Online (WOLC) applica-tion by offering an OTP service that replacedthe digital certificate, as well as providingintelligent inquiries and STP salary file salaryprocessing minimizing the relevant turn-around time.

We have also successfully implemented aProof of Concept to introduce RoboticsProcess Automation (RPA) in our credit cardrefund process which brought in excellentresults reducing the average handling pro-cessing time in seconds from hours. Our planis to launch RPA in 144 processes withinoperations over the next couple of years andour customers will see significant improve-ments in the turnaround time and relevantcustomer experience.

Outside Kuwait we have also continuedour efforts to enhance the digital channelofferings in key markets and have upgradedour online banking platform and launched anew state of the art mobile banking service in5 countries.

KT: Cybersecurity, is one of the biggestchallenges facing most organizations, espe-cially banks. How does IT Operation Groupmeet such challenges, especially in light of theever-accelerating progress of technology?

Kokosioulis: Cybersecurity is a key areathat NBK is focusing and placing much

importance. The bank has recently completeda cyber-security assessment with a third par-ty and we are working towards enhancingour defense and protection mechanisms tooffer our customers greater security andconvenience. Towards that end we have sig-nificantly increased the allocated budget forcybersecurity related initiatives from 3 per-cent a couple of years ago to 10 percent ofour total IT budget. We have also launchedan assessment for all our international loca-tions as well and are working closely with theregulators in the countries we operateabroad such as SAMA in KSA and NESA inthe UAE to implement the local cyber securi-ty frameworks published by the regulators inthese countries.

We have enhanced the security featureson our mobile banking and online bankingapplications as well in line with our strategicpillar of providing secure services to ourclients. In Kuwait, NBK is working closelywith the Central Bank to formulate and final-ize the country’s cyber security framework.

Awareness is critical to address forms ofcyber-security threats such as phishing, vish-ing and sms fraudulent related activities andas such we have launched awareness cam-paigns for our customers and staff.

KT: NBK pioneered in introducing Block-chain transfers across borders, so what arethe benefits of that service and what is thelevel of safety and security it provides?

Kokosioulis: As a leading bank in Kuwaitand in the region, NBK was the first bank tojoin the SWIFT gpi and Ripple Net thustransforming the payments landscape in thedomestic market. Payments can now be mademuch faster and more convenient thusenhancing customer experience.

We are using the X-current service fromRipple that is a secure and convenient way ofprocessing cross border payments. In 2019NBK will be offering new corridors forDirect Remit payments and the service iscurrently available on our online bankingplatform.

KT: In today’s world where we are gettingcloser to being cashless societies... what areNBK’s efforts towards e-payments and elec-tronic settlements? And how do you see thefuture of electronic payment system inKuwait?

Kokosioulis: NBK has worked hard toprovide e-payments solution to our clientsthrough the introduction of new servicessuch as NFC cards, wearables, cardlesstransactions, new online and mobile banking

features and by joining globally renownedremittance and payments platforms such asSWIFT gpi and Ripple Net.

The bank is also actively working with theCentral Bank to successfully implement theKuwait National Automated PaymentsSystem (KNaPS) that will revolutionize andautomate the current payment landscape inthe country and further digitize the ecosys-tem. With the introduction of a 24x7 RealTime Settlements System (RTGS), of anAutomated Clearing House (ACH), of a digitalcurrency to name a few of the new servicesto be provided through KNaPS, the entireecosystem will be significantly improved andenhanced to the benefit of the customer andthe economy.

KT: What are the latest developmentsregarding the new data center? When doyou expect it to be launched? How willNBK’s subsidiaries benefit from the new datacenter? What is the latest technology adopt-ed by the new center?

Kokosioulis: NBK is investing in a state ofthe art modular Data Center that has beencertified as a Tier 3 in the design and con-struction from the Uptime Institute and thismakes us the only financial institution in thecountry to be certified with this prestigiousaccreditation. Our new Data Center is sched-uled to be ready by end of Quarter 3, 2019and will utilize state of the art infrastructureand will give us an active - active alignmentand connection with the Disaster Recoverylocation thus giving the bank greaterresilience and safety.

The new modular Data Center will allowthe bank to get the right infrastructure tosustain its growth plan and strategic expan-sion in the future providing fast and secureservices and innovative new products.

KT: NBK’s technological infrastructure isthe foundation on which the digital transfor-mation strategy is built, what are the latestdevelopments in this regard, and what areyour future plans? How is this reflected in thebanking services provided to customers?

Kokosioulis: NBK’s technological infra-structure is the backbone of the bank andensures the bank operates efficiently, securelyand at the same time can offer fast, reliable anduninterrupted service to our customers 24x7.

Towards that end the bank has investedsignificantly over the past years in upgradingour core infrastructure by investing in a newstate of the art modular Data Center, byimplementing a new Enterprise Service Bus(ESB), by upgrading our core banking systemin our international locations and by replac-ing legacy systems and applications.

KT: NBK is the largest national employerin the private sector, would you please elabo-rate on NBK’s recruitment strategy? How isthe Kuwaitization strategy reflected on ITand Operations Group staff?

Kokosioulis: NBK is an employer ofchoice for Kuwaitis. We are proud to pro-vide opportunities for young Kuwaitis to givethem a clear future and a solid career path.NBK Academy is an institution that intro-duces young Kuwaiti university graduatesinto the bank and provides them with theopportunity to excel and have a solid careerwith us. I am proud to say that Kuwaitizationwithin Group Operations & IT has increasedby more than 20 percent over the past fewyears and in all critical managerial and lead-ership positions of the group we have suc-cessfully placed talented Kuwaitis that have aclear career path and future and the retentionrate of Kuwaitis in the group has increasedsignificantly. We are committed to continuethis trend and introduce more talentedKuwaitis in the group.

Dimitrios Kokosioulis, Deputy CEO, Group Head of Operations & IT at the National Bankof Kuwait, speaks during the interview

CHICAGO/COLUMBUS, Neb: At least 1 million acres(405,000 hectares) of US farmland were flooded afterthe “bomb cyclone” storm left wide swaths of ninemajor grain producing states under water this month,satellite data analyzed by Gro Intelligence for Reutersshowed.

Farms from the Dakotas to Missouri and beyond havebeen under water for a week or more, possibly imped-ing planting and damaging soil. The floods, which camejust weeks before planting season starts in the Midwest,will likely reduce corn, wheat and soy production thisyear. “There’s thousands of acres that won’t be able tobe planted,” Ryan Sonderup, 36, of Fullerton, Nebraska,who has been farming for 18 years, said in a recentinterview.

“If we had straight sunshine now until May and June,maybe it can be done, but I don’t see how that soil getsback with expected rainfall.” Spring floods could yetimpact an even bigger area of cropland. The US govern-ment’s National Oceanic and AtmosphericAdministration has warned of what could be an“unprecedented flood season” as it forecasts heavyspring rains. Rivers may swell further as a deep snowpack in northern growing areas melts.

The bomb cyclone of mid-March was the latest blowto farmers suffering from years of falling income andlower exports because of the US-China trade war.

Fields are strewn with everything from silt and sandto tires and some may not even be farmed this year. Thewater has also destroyed billions of dollars of old cropsthat were in storage, as well as damaging roads and rail-ways. Justin Mensik, a fifth-generation farmer of cornand soybeans in Morse Bluff, Nebraska, said rebuildingroads was the first priority. Then farmers would need tobring in fertilizer trucks and then test soil before seed-ing, Mensik said.

The flood “left a lot of silt and sand and mud in ourfields, now we’re not too sure if we’re going to be ableto get a good crop this year with all the new mud andjunk that’s just laying here,” Mensik told Reuters.

Corn concernFor farmers, “the biggest concern right now is corn

planting,” said Aaron Saeugling, an agriculture expert atIowa State University who does outreach with farmers.“There is just not going to be enough time to move a lotof that debris.”

To be fully covered by crop insurance, Iowa farmersmust plant corn by May 31 and soybeans by June 15, asyields decline dramatically when planted any later.Deadlines vary state by state. The insurance helpsensure a minimum price farmers will receive when theybook sales for their crops.

The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) forecaston Friday farmers would increase corn plantings by 4.1percent from last year, but the estimate did not accountfor the flooding. Nearly 1.1 million acres of cropland andmore than 84,000 acres of pastureland in the USMidwest had flood water on it for at least seven daysbetween March 8 and March 21, according to a prelimi-nary analysis of government and satellite data by New-York based Gro Intelligence at the request of Reuters.The extent of the flooding had previously not beenmade public. The flooded acreage represents less than 1percent of US land used to grow corn, soybeans, wheat,rice, cotton, sorghum and barley. In 2018, some 240 mil-lion total acres of these crops were planted in theUnited States, USDA data shows.

Iowa, the top US corn and No 2 soy producingstate, had the most water, covering 474,271 acres, fol-lowed by Missouri with 203,188 acres, according toGro Intelligence. That was in line with estimates givento Reuters this week by government officials in Iowaand Missouri.

Gro Intelligence used satellite data from theNational Aeronautics and Space Administration’s(NASA) Near Real-Time Global Flood Mappingproduct, to calculate the approximate extent andintensity of flooding. Gro Intelligence then identifiedhow much of this area was either cropland or pasture-land, according to data from the USDA’s National

Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS).Gro Intelligence analysts cautioned the satellite

imagery did not show the full extent of flooding inNebraska, where officials declined to provide acreageestimates to Reuters, or in North Dakota. Nebraska’sgovernor has said the floods caused agricultural damageof $1 billion in his state.

Cloud cover or snow on the ground makes it difficultto identify the flood waters in NASA satellite data, saidSara Menker, chief executive of the agricultural artificialintelligence company.

Lost cattleIn Missouri, floodwaters covered roughly 200,000

acres in five northwest counties adjoining the Missouri

River as of Wednesday morning, said Charlie Rahm,spokesman for USDA’s Natural Resources ConservationService in Columbia. In Wisconsin more than 1,000dairy and beef animals were lost during winter stormsand 480 agricultural structures collapsed or damaged,according to an email from Sandy Chalmers, executivedirector of the Wisconsin state office of the USDA’sFarm Service Agency.

In the Dakotas and Minnesota, melting snows incoming months will put spring wheat planting at risk.Gro Intelligence found nearly 160,000 acres havealready been flooded in Minnesota.

“That’s yet to come and we will deal with that at leastuntil the middle of April,” said Dave Nicolai, an agricul-ture expert at the University of Minnesota. — Reuters

Floods will impact soy, corn, wheat production

More than 1 million acres of US cropland ravaged by floods

B u s i n e s s Monday, April 1, 2019

13Established 1961

Farms from the Dakotas to Missouri and beyond have been under water for a week or more, possibly imped-ing planting and damaging soil.

China to suspendextra tariffs onUS vehicles, auto partsBEIJING: China’s State Council said yester-day that the country would continue to sus-pend additional tariffs on US vehicles andauto parts after April 1, in a goodwill gesturefollowing a US decision to delay tariff hikeson Chinese imports.

In December, China said it would suspendadditional 25 percent tariffs on US-madevehicles and auto parts for three months, fol-lowing a truce in a trade war between theworld’s two largest economies.

The State Council, or cabinet, said yester-day’s move was aimed at “continuing to cre-ate a good atmosphere for the ongoing tradenegotiations between both sides”.

“It is a positive reaction to the US decisionto delay tariff hikes and a concrete actionadopted (by the Chinese side) to promotebilateral trade negotiations,” the StateCouncil said.

“We hope the US can work together withChina, accelerate negotiations and makeconcrete efforts towards the goal of termi-

nating trade tensions.” The government alsosaid it would announce separately when thesuspension would end. US President DonaldTrump said on Friday that trade talks withChina were going very well, but cautionedthat he would not accept anything less thana “great deal” after top US and Chinesetrade officials wrapped up two days ofnegotiations in Beijing.

US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchinand US Trade Representative RobertLighthizer were in the Chinese capital for thefirst face-to-face meetings between the twosides since Trump delayed a scheduled March2 increase in tariffs on $200 billion worth ofChinese goods. The talks are set to resumenext week in Washington with a Chinese dele-gation led by Vice Premier Liu He. — Reuters

LIANYUNGANG: A staff member walks past new cars waiting to be exported at a port inLianyungang in China’s eastern Jiangsu province yesterday. China’s manufacturing sectorended its four-month downward trend in March, official data showed yesterday, butexports continued their long slide in the wake of the Washington-Beijing trade war. — AFP

US investors seek comfort in flood of dataNEW YORK: Wall Street will be watchingnext week’s economic data with a laser focusafter a dismal February jobs report andrecessionary warning signals from USTreasury yields.

After the longest US government shut-down on record, bad weather and a late 2018equities sell-off muddied market participants’view on the US economy in recent months,they are hoping for a clearer view fromupcoming data.

Investors have been anxious for reassur-ance since US Treasury 10-year note yieldslast Friday fell below three-month Treasurybill yields for the first time since 2007.

The S&P fell almost 2 percent that day asyield curve inversions are widely viewed asrecessionary indicators and this one occurredtwo days after the US Federal Reserve pulledback on expected rate hikes amid signs ofslowing economic growth. “Investors aregoing to be hyper-sensitive to data,” saidJack Ablin, chief investment officer at CressetCapital Management in Chicago. “The yieldcurve inversion is the manifestation ofinvestors’ fears that the US is getting caughtup in a global slowdown.”

Many investors say they do not expect aUS recession any time soon. But they areseeking confirmation for this optimism in nextweek’s data, which includes retail sales, man-ufacturing activity, durable goods orders andnon-farm payrolls.

Reports that meet or beat expectations

“would suggest the soft patch we entered theyear with is temporary” and would confirmeconomic projections for 2019, said RussellPrice, chief economist at Ameriprise Financialin Troy, Michigan.

February’s US retail sales data, due today,and the March jobs report, scheduled forFriday, may be the most closely watched indi-cators as economists want reassurance on thespending power and confidence of US con-sumers, which represent about 70 percent ofthe US economy.

US non-farm payroll growth almost stalledin February, with only 20,000 jobs created.Economists polled by Reuters last expectedan average of 170,000 new jobs for March.

January retail sales rose a modest 0.2

percent after a December decline, but werenot seen as strong enough to alter slowingUS economic momentum. Economists, onaverage, expect a February increase of 0.3percent. “If we were to witness a faltering ofthe US consumer, that would be very diffi-cult for markets, which are relying on the USconsumer to propel the cycle through atleast another year,” said Frances Donald,head of macroeconomic strategy at Manulifein Toronto.

But Donald expects a rebound in both retailsales and jobs, since the last reports wereweakened by the December-January govern-ment shutdown. She will also watch durablegoods data, due tomorrow, for a view on cor-porate capital spending. — Reuters

SEOUL: Currency dealers monitor exchange rates in a trading room at the KEB Hana Bankin Seoul. —AFP

ECB’s hawkish knot makes dovish sounds on rates long-termBERLIN: Dutch central bank GovernorKlaas Knot expects the eurozone econ-omy to recover speed in the second halfafter a sluggish start to the year, but inan interview with Handelsblatt the notedhawk was distinctly dovish on long-terminterest rates.

Knot, one of the most prominenthawks on the European Central Bank’srate-setting committee told the Germanpaper that though he was strongly infavor of normalizing policy after years ofanti-crisis measures, it was clear thateven afterwards interest rates would belower than before the crisis.

“It is clear that there has been a cool-ing off,” he said of the slack start to the

year. “But there is no recession or cri-sis,” he said, adding that robust demandand rising wages suggested growthwould soon pick up again.

He also repeated his skepticism aboutmulti-tiered deposit rates to help well-capitalized banks with excess liquidity,saying he would need to see clear evi-dence that negative interest rates werehurting lending to the real economy.Details for a new tranche of long-termECB bank financing would beannounced in June or July, he said,adding that conditions for the financingwould likely be stricter than previously.

“I see the news program, TLTRO III,as a bridge ... to ease the transition tomarket financing,” he said. “The newprogram’s conditions will be less advan-tageous than before... We should avoidus needing to discuss a TLRO IV or V ina few years’ time.”

He also issued a warning that marketshad not yet fully priced in the potentialimpact of a disorderly Brexit on Britain’scurrency. “If it happened, there couldpotentially be a revaluation and thepound would come under pressure,” hetold the newspaper in the interview,published yesterday. — Reuters

How Europeis faring on renewable energy targetsPARIS: The European Union’s use ofrenewable energy-such as hydropower,wind and solar-reached 17.5 percent in2017, keeping it on track for a target of20 percent by 2020. Each member statehas its own renewable energy goal, basedon its situation and potential, rangingfrom 10 to 49 percent.

While 11 countries in the bloc havealready surpassed their targets, othersare lagging behind, according to EU sta-tistics authority Eurostat. With the targetfor 2030 at 32 percent, Eurostat says:“While the EU as a whole is on course tomeet its 2020 targets, some memberstates will need to make additional effortsto meet their obligations.”

Sweden: Champion of Europe Europe’s renewable energy leaders

are Nordic countries: Sweden, Finlandand Denmark.

Since 2012 more than half of the totalenergy consumed in Sweden has comefrom renewable sources, according to theInternational Energy Agency. This is duein large part to hydroelectric power,which provides more than 40 percent ofthe country’s electricity output. Swedesheat themselves mainly with biofuels.

Denmark-a small, flat country longdependent on energy imports-now gets 43percent of its electricity from wind powerafter investment starting in the late 1970swhen it began phasing out coal plants.

The Netherlands: Lagging behind Luxembourg and the Netherlands are

the EU countries with the lowest con-sumption of renewables, reaching 6.4percent and 6.6 percent respectively.Despite its investment in offshore windfarms, the Netherlands is the furthestfrom reaching its targets. Yet, with a partof the country lying below sea level, it isparticularly vulnerable to the conse-quences of climate change.

In 2015 the Netherlands was one ofthe first countries to rule on a climatecase, with a court ordering the state toreduce national greenhouse gas emis-sions by at least 25 percent by 2020.

France: Nuclear preference Inspired by the Dutch decision, four

environmental NGOs in March sued theFrench government for failing to upholdits commitments on fighting climatechange. In 2017 France reached 16.3 per-cent of energy consumption from renew-ables, compared to its 23 percent targetfor 2020.

Wood and hydropower are the mainsources of green energy in France, aheadof biofuels. France has long preferredinvestment in nuclear power, from whichit gets more than 70 percent of its elec-tricity. The government has committed toclosing 14 nuclear reactors by 2035 andshutting down four still-active coal powerplants by 2022, on condition that it canguarantee secure electricity supplies.

Germany’s renewable energy, whichcomes mainly from wind and solar power,reached just 15.5 percent in 2017, while its2020 objective is set at 18 percent. Coalremains the cornerstone of its energy poli-cy, in part due to the government’s decisionin 2011 to shut down all nuclear plants by2022. Coal accounts for 37 percent ofGermany’s electricity production and morethan 30 percent of its heating. — AFP

Monday, April 1, 2019

14B u s i n e s s

Limak protects environment through Kuwait Airport’s Terminal 2 project

Limak aims to accomplish a LEED Gold certificate for T2

KUWAIT: Limak Insaat Kuwait S.P.C. demonstrated itseffective corporate social responsibility strategy in envi-ronmental sustainability and waste management afterreporting that 88 percent of Kuwait International AirportTerminal 2 (T2) construction waste material is divertedfrom landfills.

As the project contractor, Limak is also committed toaccomplishing all LEED Gold certification (Green BuildingCertification System of USGBC) requirements for con-struction. Since the start of construction in August 2016,the project has diverted 88 percent of all constructionwaste from landfills. The T2 project has diverted fromlandfills around 21,111 tons of materials from a total ofapproximately 23,897 tons, including 100 percent of allwood, concrete, metal, plastic, cardboard and reused tiles.

LEED Coordinator at Limak, Eng. Orcun Ozhelvaci, said:“As the contractor of the biggest landmark project in Kuwaitwe aim to obtain LEED Gold certification and to educate thecommunity on the challenges of construction, the benefits ofsustainability and how to achieve LEED certification. Wewant people to see what makes this project unique and tounderstand the concept behind green buildings.”

Limak implements its own Construction WasteManagement Plan on-site recognized by theEnvironmental Public Authority (EPA) as the best imple-mentation of construction waste management in Kuwait.The plan’s activities include the set-up of nine 100 sqmcollection areas across the site to segregate the waste, anda dedicated waste management team of loaders, foremen,supervisors and engineers.

Limak currently has four ongoing LEED projectsworldwide as part of the company’s vision to add value to

environmental protection. The company’s other LEEDprojects include the Istanbul New Airport in Istanbul,Turkey, the High Speed Train Station in Ankara, Turkey,and the Residence and Mall (Mixed-use building) inSkopje, Macedonia.

Limak announced its environmental achievements dur-ing the Project UCON event, held under the theme‘Terminal 2 Design and Construction’ at Al-Shaheed Parkfrom February 6 to 13.

Held under the patronage of Environment PublicAuthority (EPA) Director General and Chairman of theBoard Sheikh Abdullah Ahmad Al-Homoud Al-Sabah,Project UCON is a local, environmental initiative of theMinistry of Public Works that aims to promote waste man-agement and recycling in buildings currently under con-struction.

At the opening ceremony, Limak’s Project Director forthe New Kuwait International Airport Terminal 2 project,Richard Meredith, said: “At Limak, the environment hasalways been an important aspect. For every project weundertake - both in Kuwait and across the world - we pre-pare an Environmental and Social Impact Assessment con-sidering different standards like IFC, World Bank, EBRD,Equator Principles, etc. to predict and assess the potentialenvironmental and social impacts of a proposed project.This enables us to keep up-to-date with internationalstandards and practices as part of our commitment toachieve our vision of a sustainable and greener future. Weare proud to be recognized for the impact we have beenadding to this field by sharing our studies and techniqueswith the public and other corporate entities in Kuwait.Through Project UCON and our other activities in Kuwait,

we hope to raise awareness on sustainable constructionand green building certification and encourage other con-struction companies in the country and across the regionto follow suite.”

As a strategic partner to UCON, Limak donated over 8tons of construction waste materials used in the pavilions

and event signage, and designed and constructed allarrangements in the T2 Exhibition Hall. The seating andtables in the hall were produced from and filled with wastematerials gathered from the T2 construction site withinformational plaques to share information and increaseawareness on sustainable construction.

Geely Emgrand 7is the perfect choice for yourfleetKUWAIT: Kuwait Automobile Import Company(KAICO) Al-Shaya & Al-Sagar has been keensince 1936 to provide the top brands inAutomobiles, Tires, and Lubricants.

Among the vehicles on which it depends andhas a brilliant future with its brilliant future, “Geely Emgrand 7”, the ideal solution for corpo-rate fleets, which outperforms competitors in thesame category by the following:

1. A Bigger motor than competitors (1800CC)

2. Modern CVT transmission (5 speeds),which helps reduce fuel consumption

3. Bigger size

4. Spacious Cabin5. TFT Large screen (touch screen)6. Push-Start ButtonThe car is full of the features it offers to its

drivers, such as LED backlight, USP & AUXaudio system, CD player, back and front head-rests, electric glass and leather-trimmed brush-es. The car is stylish and attractive.

Geely has benefited from its investments andacquisition of major international companiessuch as the esteemed Swedish Volvo, theMalaysian Proton, London Taxi, the BritishLotus Company, and Geely is the largest share-holder of the German Daimler Group. In addi-tion to its development and research, Geely hasbeen able to offer modern cars in a short periodof time and competes with the world’s largestbrands.

Ashish Tandon, General Manager of KAICOstated: “Geely group has a clear vision to con-tinue its transformation into global leadership.As partners of Geely, we have found an excel-lent partnership to expand our services inKuwait. Their advanced technology research &development will play an important role in their

global presence and it will enhance our strongposition in the automotive market.”

Safety SystemsThese acquisitions and investments made

Geely benefit from the global experiences in themanufacturing, where it appeared that the “GeelyEmgrand 7” got 4 stars of 5 in the European pro-gram for assessment of new cars EURO NCAP interms of safety and safety, superior to many othercars that are more expensive than it, so itachieved brilliant sales over a short period amongthe daily used vehicles.

Mohammed Osman, Brand Manager of Geelyin Kuwait says “Geely Emgrand 7 changed theequation for small cars Geely comes strongly toimpose its character among its rival small cars.”

The “Geely Emgrand 7” includes a number ofinternational systems from the GermanContinental, the Swedish Autoliv, the FrenchValeo and the American TRW that combine toenhance the safety in the car, including the anti-lock braking system, braking force distributionsystem, electronic stability control, steeringcontrol, sensors, rear camera and much more. ABK announces

first winners of salary transfer campaignKUWAIT: Al-Ahli Bank of Kuwait (ABK)yesterday announced the first two winnersfor the monthly draw in its “Transfer yourSalary and Find Reasons to Smile” cam-paign, which is open to both Kuwaiti andexpatriate customers who hold Elite,Prestige or Al-Raed Salary TransferAccounts.

The first monthly draw was held on the14th March under the supervision of theMinistry of Commerce and Interior(MOCI) and the first two winners areAbdulmajeed Mashaa Allah Ali Pour andAyedh Helal Ali Awad, both from the

Farwaniya branch. The two lucky cus-tomers each receive the equivalent of theirmonthly salaries.

The next draw for the “Transfer yourSalary and Find Reasons to Smile” cam-paign takes place on 18th April. The cam-paign runs up until 31st December, withnine more draws to go. Customers musthave their salaries transferred to the bankat least one month prior to the draw dateto enter.

In addition to the draw, the “Transferyour Salary and Find Reasons to Smile”campaign offers ABK salary account cus-tomers a range of exceptional rewards.Kuwaiti salary account holders receivecash gifts of up to KD 1,000 provided thatthey transfer a salary equivalent to or high-er than KD 500. Moreover, Kuwaiti cus-tomers are eligible for an interest-free loanof up to KD 10,000 and expatriates up toKD 5,000.

These loans are subject to ABK’s termsand conditions, as well as the Central Bankof Kuwait’s regulations and policies.

Burgan Bankannounces winners ofYawmi drawKUWAIT: Burgan Bank announced yester-day the names of the daily draw winners ofits Yawmi account draw, each taking homea cash-prize of KD 5,000.

The lucky winners are: 1. Ali Abdulrahman Dashti2. Fatema Jawad Alamir3. Ghassan Mohammad Zein4. Mohammad Abdullah Ali

5. Adnan Bader SlshawamrahIn addition to the daily draw, Burgan

Bank also offers a quarterly draw withmore chances to win higher rewards, offer-ing the chance to one lucky customer towin KD 125,000 every three months. TheYawmi Account offers daily and quarterlydraws, wherein the quarterly draw requirescustomers to maintain a minimum amountof KD 500 in their account for two monthsprior to the draw date. Additionally, everyKD 10 in the account will entitle customersto one chance of winning. If the accountbalance is KD 500 and above, the accountholder will be qualified for both the quar-terly and daily draws.

Burgan Bank encourages everyone toopen a Yawmi account and/or increase theirdeposit to maximize their chances of becom-ing a winner. The higher the level of thedeposit, the higher the likelihood to win.

AUB announces winners of its ‘shop and win’ campaign drawKUWAIT: Ahli United Bank announced thenames of the winners of the third and last drawof “Shop and Win up to 100 percent CashBack” of the Value of your Purchases’ cam-paign, which took place on 26 March 2019 atthe Bank’s main branch in the presence of theMinistry of Trade and Industry’s representative.

The lucky winners: Abulrahman Hussain

Suroor, Zaid Mosaed AlMailam, Ehsan AbdullahNehayyer, Husam Ali Hasan and MohammadMenahi Al-Osaimi, all redeemed up to 100 per-cent cash-back of the value of their purchasesusing their AUB Credit Cards with a maximumcash-back of KD1, 000.

The campaign was designed to reward theBank’s customers with up to 100 percent cash-back on their purchases made using their AUBCredit Cards, with a maximum cash-back of KD1,000 for each winner. To be eligible, the AUBCredit Cardholder had to spend KD 100 orabove during the three months campaign periodwhich ran from January 2019 until 26March2019. The campaign offered 15 prizesthroughout three draws, each with five prizes.

Entry into the draw was calculated based onthe total value of purchases made during theperiod of the campaign. Customers received one

chance in the draw for every KD 10 they spentlocally in Kuwait, and received three chances inthe draw for every KD 10 they spent abroad.

In addition to the exciting cash-back cam-paign benefits, customers who spent using AUBcredit cards automatically benefited from thePearls reward program as well as AUB’s instantdiscount program. These offers provided cus-tomers a real added value that rewards the AUBCredit Card and ATM card holders throughunique discounts at major well-known compa-nies and retail outlets in Kuwait.”

In a press statement, the Bank said “We arevery pleased with the success of this campaignwhich reflects our success in introducing inno-vative offers that add to our customers’ bankingexperience. This campaign reflects AUB’s ongo-ing commitment towards our customers, and ourunderlying efforts to reward them.”

LAPA launchesWorld Theatre Day

Sponsored by NCCAL, Al-Jarida, Al-Anbaa and Al-Seyassah dailies, LOYAC’s Academy for PerformanceArts (LAPA) launched its first World Theatre Day

Festival on March 27, 2019, at 6.30 pm at the Qibliyaschool. The festival hosted elite artists, theatre icons,media figures and theatrical groups. The following is theperformances schedule: The Arabic Theatre company per-formed its ‘Saleh returns’ play at Kuwait National Museumtheatre on March 28. Al-Salam theatre company per-formed its ‘Jumanji’ play at the same theatre at 7:30 onMarch 20. The final performance by Jabloot Art

Production Company under the title of ‘The Hairy Ape’took place on March 30. Commenting on the festivalpreparations, LOYAC’s board chairperson, Fare’a Al-Saqqaf expressed her joy for cooperating with NCCALdescribing it as a ‘strategic ally of LOYAC.’

Monday, April 1, 2019

15W h a t ’ s O n

Established 1961

Aquapark summer activities kick off

Mohammed Koursheed.— Photo by Fouad Al-Shaikh

The Ambassador of Bangladesh S M Abulkalam hosted a reception on the occasion of the 48th anniversary of Independence and National day at JW Marriott Hotel. Higher official, diplomats, cross section of Bangladesh community andmedia person attended the event. — Photos by Joseph Shagra

BSK students completeInternational AwardExpeditions

In February, students from the British School of Kuwaitcompleted the Adventurous Journey section of theirDuke of Edinburgh’s International Award. The award

requires students to develop their independence, team-work and perseverance by completing a hike in which theynavigate using maps and compasses, cook their own mealsand camp in the wild - certainly not an easy task!However, after completing practice expeditions in Kuwait,the students were feeling confident and excited to demon-strate everything they had learned.

10 students travelled to Wadi Rum, Jordan for theirBronze Adventurous Journey. Soft sand, relentless sun andlimited patches of shade made challenging conditions forthe hike, but this was more than made up for by the beau-tiful scenery, and all the students maintained a fantasticattitude throughout, with both their assessor and campsitemanager describing them as the best group of studentsthey had ever worked with. All students completed thetrek successfully and were fantastic representatives fortheir school, families and themselves.

11 students completed their Silver Adventurous Journeythrough the beautiful Cypriot area of Akamas. The stu-

dents found themselves in a whirlwind of different cli-mates, from hail to glorious sunshine, as they continued topersevere through the three intense days. Blisters, achingmuscles, wet clothes and soggy socks didn’t have a chanceto stop the resilient groups from reaching their goal. Thestudents were a credit to their school, proving that team-work, friendship and a smile has the power to take youbeyond anything you felt possible. The IA staff are veryproud of their achievements; and can’t wait to see whatthese students can achieve next.

Meanwhile, nine students from Year 12 completed theirGold expedition to Nepal. This trip was longer and morechallenging than Bronze and Silver, with students takingpart in a four- day hike followed by a three-day communi-ty project. The trek was long and arduous but took insome stunning scenery and gave the students the chanceto see a totally different way of life. After the trek, studentsheaded to the Shree Ram Janaki Basic School on the out-skirts of Kathmandu.

Their project was to help build a boundary wall aroundthe school, to help keep the school and students safe, aswell as drawing and painting permanent classroom dis-plays. The students were incredible, spending most of thenext three days pick axing, shoveling and moving hugepiles of earth as well as painstakingly filling once blankwalls with hand painted artwork. They made a hugeimpression on the local community, truly becoming inte-grated into their surroundings. These trips were hugelysuccessful thanks to the dedication, commitment and hardwork of a very enterprising group of young people.

Crowne Plaza, Holiday Inn Al-Thuraya City celebrate Earth Hour

Crowne Plaza and Holiday Inn Al-Thuraya City haveturned off the lights and electricity on the main ven-ues such as: buildings signage, restaurants, parking

lights, swimming pool lights and grand staircase for anhour from 8:30 pm to 9:30 pm to commemorate the EarthHour. The goal of the World Wildlife Fund for Nature(WWF) global initiative is for individuals, communities,families and business to turn off unnecessary lights for onehour each March as a symbolic gesture of solidarity withthe environmental protection movement.

“This event is important to remind us of our responsi-bility towards the environment. This initiative helps toenhance little small things such as turning off lights inorder to preserve the world’s resources for future genera-tions. And we are very glad to be sharing this moment withour guests and staff,” said Antoine Flouty, Area GeneralManager - Kuwait/ General Manager - Crowne Plaza &Holiday Inn Kuwait Al- Thuraya City.

Crowne Plaza and Holiday Inn Al-Thuraya City havealways been a favorite destination for business people, keycharacters and VIPs. Located in a strategic location 5 min-

utes from Kuwait International Airport, it offers access tomany leisure and business activities. Al-Thuraya City has awide range of restaurants, local and international cuisines,which offers the guests unforgettable experience wherevisitors enjoy its distinctive views. The visitors can alsoenjoy the services of Edge Health Club and the uniqueAquatonic Spa in the Middle East.

Safir Fintas Kuwait Hotel celebrates Earth Hour

Safir Fintas Kuwait Hotel had ‘gone dark’ again thisyear, marking the annual celebration of EarthHour in support of the global initiative created by

the World Wildlife Fund (WWF). Safir Fintas KuwaitHotel turned off its lights for one hour on March 30,2019 to show its solidarity and support of the Earth

Hour by using non-electrical lighting. Safir FintasKuwait Hotel turned off selective lights, including thedecorative, facade, restaurant and other public areas.

Guests were informed of this global environmentalawareness event, hence allowing them to take part inEarth Hour observances at their own preference. SaifEddin Mohammed, the General Manager of the hotelsaid, “Safir Fintas Kuwait Hotel’s commitment goesbeyond one hour. It is actually a continuous effectivecontribution of reducing energy consumption throughinnovation, team work and environmental programsthat target new energy-saving alternatives in coordi-nation with the guests and customers to serve the localsociety, community and company’s goal.”

By Ben Garcia

Aquapark, the first water park of its kind inthe Gulf and among the biggest in theregion, is now open for the summer after a

complete renovation during winter. Located onArab Gulf Street adjacent to Kuwait Towers, thehuge aquatic city, which houses water and fungames, towering water slides and swimming poolareas for adults and kids, will open new restau-rants, from Hardee’s to Sbarro, Krispy Kreme,Baskin Robbins, new juice bars and other eateries.

Mohammed Koursheed, General Manager ofAquapark, said 2019 for its valued customerswill be very exciting with new rides and clean

and ready-to-use facilities. “We have done agreat deal of renovation to ensure maximumsatisfaction for our customers. The toilets arenew, entire areas have been completely remod-eled, piping and sewage facilities were changed,and doors, accessories, ceramics, lights andcentral ventilations were all changed for thecomfort of our clients. We added showers insideand outside bathrooms and added vanity areasfor men and women. This is a complete renova-tion to make these facilities better and attractiveto all,” he said.

Aquapark is spread over an area of 60,000square meters. “Among the entertainment optionsoffered by the park include a kiddy pool area, a

swimming pool for toddlers with an octopus slideand floating toadstools. In the middle area, westill have the pool where you can just floataround in a tube, a lazy river and wave pool. Theadventure area has 14 rides targeting all agegroups,” Khoursheed said. “We also have FlowHouse inside the park, but the facility has a sepa-rate gate to enter,” he added.

Aquapark is open daily from 10 am to 10 pm.The entry ticket costs KD 4.750 inclusive of allthe rides and facilities inside (except Flow Houseand surfing areas). “We have a promotion thisApril where tickets are for KD 3.500 only. So ifyou want to save KD 1.250, purchase a ticketnow!” he said.

H e a l t h & S c i e n c e Monday, April 1, 2019

16

French anti-pollution activists unimpressed by EU green record

MARSEILLE: Outside the French Mediterranean port ofMarseille, at Fos-sur-Mer, one of the largest industrial andport zones in Europe has been spewing a noxious cocktailof fumes for years. And few residents think EU pledges toclean up the continent will make a difference anytime soon.Environmental concerns are expected to be a major issuein the European Parliament elections in May, when analystssay green parties could score better than they do innational contests.

Yet anti-pollution activists say that despite EU claimsof having the toughest standards in the world, its actionsare far too feeble against places like Fos-sur-Mer, home todozens of oil refineries, chemical factories and steel com-panies. “I’m fed up with the European Union-what arethey waiting for to raise awareness about this?” saidDaniel Moutet, who has spearheaded the campaign toforce Fos-sur-Mer to clean up its act.

Rates of cancer and chronic diseases are higher in thisarea than the average in France-last year Moutet wasdiagnosed with diabetes, which he believes could be linkedto the dire air quality. In March 2018 the regional healthagency (ARS) acknowledged that the health of residents ofthe area had been hit by the pollution levels. A year earlieran independent study concluded that women questioned inthe area had cancer levels three times higher than thenational average.

12 years of warnings According to Moutet, mercury, benzene, sulfur and

nitrogen oxides are all part of that toxic cocktail along thisstretch of the French Mediterranean coastline. Last May,the European Commission took France and five othercountries to the European Court of Justice for failing toapply long-sought steps to improve air quality.

In France’s case the move came after 12 years of warn-ings over fine particles as well as nitrogen dioxide levelswhich in some cities were more than double EU limits.

Some residents have learned to live with the fumes

belching from the Fos-sur-Mer chimneys. “The white onesare just steam,” said Martine Monnier, 65, enjoying thespring sun on a beach just a stone’s throw from the site.“But there are also red ones and yellow ones, those aremore dangerous. We know how to recognize them.”

‘Cocktail effect’ According to France’s public health agency, fine particle

pollution alone is the cause of 48,000 premature deaths inthe country each year. To ensure the EU’s pollution limitsare met, countries are supposed to impose-and enforce-strict emission limits for industrial sites like Fos-sur-Mer.

Some progress has been made: A study released inMarch showed a marked decline in atmospheric concen-trations of mercury since the 1970s in response to tougherrules. And the Esso refinery, for example, which producesseven million tons of petroleum products a year, says it hascut its sulfur emissions in half over the past 10 years, whilereducing nitrogen oxide emissions by two-thirds.

“There are lots of spot checks” by state inspectors, thesite’s director, Stefaan Van Severen, told AFP. “We’ve got-ten our environmental footprint under control.”

Such claims fail to persuade the EU’s critics in Fos-sur-Mer and nearby Marseille, where there is also shippingtraffic and a heavy reliance on cars because of limitedpublic transportation options.

A recent report by Greenpeace and the Respire(“Breathe”) advocacy groups found that a quarter ofMarseille’s schools and daycare centres are in areas whereNO2 levels exceed EU thresholds.

EU has ‘very little power’ Rene Raimondi, who was the Socialist mayor of Fos-

sur-Mer for 14 years before stepping down last year sayshe is “a little disappointed” that the EU has “very littlepower” when it comes to the environment. “France hasbeen convicted several times by Europe over fine particles,but afterwards nothing ever happens,” he said.

A case in point is the steel giant ArcelorMittal, whichwas targeted in late 2018 for excessive runoffs of benzene,a known carcinogen, at Fos-sur-Mer.

Critics say the fine of just 15,000 euros ($16,850) wasunlikely to have any meaningful impact on the operationsof a company with an annual turnover in the billions.

ArcelorMittal Europe CEO Aditya Mittal says thegroup is cleaning up its act at Fos-sur-Mer.

“We are obviously making additional investment andwe plan to solve all these problems by the end of April thisyear,” he said.

The European Commission’s representative in

Marseille, Alain Dumort, said Brussels will fulfil its role asthe guardian of Europe’s air quality. He pointed to theCommission’s warning to Paris in January to enact severalEU directives into French law, a first step toward legallybinding infringement proceedings. The EU is also financinga seven-million-euro research project aimed at capturingthe industrial gases emitted at Fos-sur-Mer and usingthem in the production of insulation products and plasticfilms. But the eventual results of the four-year projectmight not be enough to convince Fos-sur-Mer residents ofthe EU’s effectiveness, less than two months from theEuropean Parliament elections. — AFP

BRUSSELS: People take part in a ‘Rise for Climate 5th Belgian and European march’, in Brussels, to raiseawareness for climate change, yesterday. — AFP

Toxic air tears apart families in MongoliaBORNUUR, Mongolia: In the world’s coldest capital, manyburn coal and plastic just to survive temperatures as lowas minus 40 degrees-but warmth comes at a price: deadlypollution makes Ulaanbataar’s air too toxic for children tobreathe, leaving parents little choice but to evacuate themto the countryside.

This exodus is a stark warning of the future for urbanareas in much of Asia, where scenes of citizens in anti-pol-lution masks against a backdrop of brown skies arebecoming routine, rather than apocalyptic.

Ulaanbaatar is one of the most polluted cities on theplanet, alongside New Delhi, Dhaka, Kabul, and Beijing. It

regularly exceeds World Health Organization recommen-dations for air quality even as experts warn of disastrousconsequences, particularly for children, including stunteddevelopment, chronic illness, and in some cases death.

Erdene-Bat Naranchimeg watched helplessly as herdaughter Amina battled illness virtually from birth, herimmune system handicapped by the smog-choked air inMongolia’s capital.

“We would constantly be in and out of the hospital,”Naranchimeg told AFP, adding that Amina contractedpneumonia twice at the age of two, requiring severalrounds of antibiotics.

This is not a unique case in a city where winter temper-atures plunge towards uninhabitable, particularly in thedistricts that rural workers moved to in search of a betterlife. Here row upon row of the traditional tents-known asgers-are warmed by coal, or any other flammable materialavailable. The resulting thick black smoke shoots out inplumes, blanketing surrounding areas in a film of smog thatmakes visibility so poor it can be hard to see even a few

meters ahead. Hospitals are packed and young children arevulnerable, common colds can quickly escalate into life-threatening illness.

Birth defects The situation was so bad that doctors told

Naranchimeg the only solution was to send her little girl tothe clean air of the countryside. Now aged five, Amina isthriving. She lives with her grandparents in Bornuur Sum, avillage 135 kilometers away from the capital.

“She hasn’t been sick since she started living here,” saidNaranchimeg, who makes the three-hour round trip to seeAmina every week.

“It was very difficult in the first few months,” she said.“We used to cry when we talked on the phone.”

But like many parents in Ulaanbaatar, she felt the movewas the only way to protect her child.

The levels of PM2.5 — tiny and harmful particles-inUlaanbaatar reached 3,320 in January, 133 times what theWorld Health Organization (WHO) considers safe. — AFP

Fine particle pollution alone is cause of 48,000 premature deaths in France each year

Ulaanbaatar’s toxic pollution presents huge risks to children,including stunted development, chronic illness, and in somecases death . — AFP

Monday, April 1, 2019

17

llf

seirgrsay

suoiisrpnar

oopeioiilaiese

reAfyicShfr

eGnidiredaair

t

llfidh�

abes,amopil(seiregrusroniM�

lllf

.seiteicoslacius

grO&yregrusyrailiB-otaercn-o

poosodnE&lanitseeniortsaGcir

yregruSlane

t c

fil

lingniorg,tsycsuoeca

otatalnarTnag

)GA(sngruScip

llG

essixueroorerS

ripeair

rtsg,evels(tisodibrmoorerS

sicgre

fouwllonanmtartsisna f

f

f

oc.cinilc-lnoitanren.ww/:th /

7766881:leeT

stcudelib&saercnap,eviL�

csorapal&ymolcetsycelohC�

seiregruslanerda&dioryhT�

seiregrustsaerB�

lana&alutsfi,sdiohrromeH�

)ssacir

lacigrullaf

r

m

seiregrus

ymtcecieppacipoc

seiruserussfil

twk_ci

.

i

.

.

gnidliuBayazaMretneerevolC-9r C

Tmoc.liamg@demiahubw:liame

il

.

1299569:.boM/11496222569:.leeT

roolFA1kcolB,dooRgniRht4,ayirbaJ

.ir

82221

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

afihslarad

 

 

5552081:eleeT

 

 

afihslarad

5552081:eleeT

Tel.: 22269369 - Fax: 22269368

- 15th Floor - Clinic B

TTeTTeell..:: 2222226699336699 -- FFaaxx:: 2222226699

99336688 Al-Jabriya - B

Block 1A - St.1 - Mazaya Building -

Salmiya, Belajat Street, Tel: 1881122

raEcipocsodnE&cipocsorciMevisavniyllamulcniyreggussuniscipocsodnEevisavniyllaminiM�

Tdna,soN,raElareneGfotnemtaeer/isongaiD� s Tr s er

sesaesidraE&tnalpmiocsorciMniytlS

egeN&nai

yregrusytsalpunisnoollaBgnidu

scirtaidep&stludanisnoitidnoctaoohT r

,regruSraEcipo-s

yrjahlaM@

nacittalPlaoloiduAdnaolott

raEcipocsodnE&cipocsorciMevisavniylla

s

ajaleB,yaimlaS

raeHyregrus

2211881:lTe,teretSt

Call: 24833199 ext:101,102or Direct line: 24835616 / 24835617

or email: ads@kuwaittimes.com

To advertise on this Page

CROSSWORD 2172

ACROSS1. Lacking in liveliness or charm or sur-

prise.5. An apparatus for exposing something to

the air (as sewage).12. The United Nations agency concerned

with international maritime activities.15. Swift timid long-eared mammal larger

than a rabbit having a divided upperlip and long hind legs.

16. The painted structures of a stage setthat are intended to suggest a particu-lar locale.

17. A unit of absorbed ionizing radiationequal to 100 ergs per gram of irradiat-ed material.

18. A member of a widespread group ofAmerindians living in northeasternSouth America.

20. A salt or ester of acetic acid.22. Cubes of meat marinated and cooked

on a skewer usually with vegetables.25. Type genus of the Anatidae.28. A state in midwestern United States.29. An officer who acts as military assistant

to a more senior officer.32. Having a beak or beaklike snout or

proboscis.34. A nucleic acid consisting of large mole-

cules shaped like a double helix.35. Top part of an apron.36. Speak in a nasal voice.40. Primitive chlorophyll-containing mainly

aquatic eukaryotic organisms lackingtrue stems and roots and leaves.

42. A Chadic language spoken south ofLake Chad.

43. Being nine more than forty.44. Either of two folds of skin that can be

moved to cover or open the eye.45. A tricycle (usually propelled by ped-

alling).47. Be about.50. A drug (trade names Atarax and

Vistaril) used as a tranquilizer to treatanxiety and motion sickness.

51. A French river that flows through theheart of Paris and then northward intothe English Channel.

52. Tropical American tree grown in south-ern United States having a whitishpink-tinged fruit.

56. (Babylonian) God of storms and wind.57. A Kwa language spoken in Ghana and

the Ivory Coast.60. (Babylonian) God of wisdom and agri-

culture and patron of scribes andschools.

63. God of wealth and love.65. A former communist country in eastern

Europe and northern Asia.70. An implement used to propel or steer a

boat.71. Any of various deciduous or evergreen

ornamental shrubs of the genus Abeliahaving opposite simple leaves andcymes of small white or pink or pur-plish flowers.

73. A subsidiary proposition that isassumed to be true in order to proveanother proposition.

74. Group insurance that entitles membersto services of participating hospitalsand clinics and physicians.

75. The amount of electromagnetic radia-tion leaving or arriving at a point on asurface.

77. The sense organ for hearing and equi-librium.

78. An adult male person (as opposed to awoman).

79. Declare formally.80. A United Nations agency to coordi-

nate international health activities andto help governments improve healthservices.

DOWN1. East Indian tree bearing a profusion of

intense vermilion velvet-texturedblooms and yielding a yellow dye.

2. Not widely known.3. An Arabic speaking person who lives in

Arabia or North Africa.4. Be on one's guard.5. Inquire about.6. An international organization of

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

7. A race between teams.8. An associate degree in nursing.9. Someone given to teasing (as by mock-

ing or stirring curiosity).10. Predatory black-and-white toothed

whale with large dorsal fin.11. The seed of the cereal grass.12. A theocratic republic in the Middle East

in western Asia.13. New Zealand conifer.14. A port city of south central Ukraine on

an arm of the Black Sea.19. The blood group whose red cells carry

both the A and B antigens.21. Wasting of the body during a chronic

disease.23. African tree having an exceedingly

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

24. Of an instrument of certain death.26. Trade name for a parenteral antibiotic.27. (British) Seating in the forward part of

the main level of a theater.30. An arm off of a larger body of water

(often between rocky headlands).31. (Irish) Chief god of the Tuatha De

Danann.33. A blue dye obtained from plants or

made synthetically.37. (medicine) Chilly.38. A woody climbing usually tropical

plant.39. Having a specified kind of border or

edge.41. The opening of a subject to public dis-

cussion and debate.46. A white metallic element that burns

with a brilliant light.48. Title for a civil or military leader (espe-

cially in Turkey).49. Not only so, but.53. A city in southern Texas on the Rio

Grande.54. Suffering from abulia.55. United States baseball player (born in

1920).58. Botswanan statesman who was the first

president of Botswana (1921-1980).59. American professional baseball player

who hit more home runs than BabeRuth (born in 1934).

61. The branch of computer science thatdeal with writing computer programsthat can solve problems creatively.

62. Capital of the state of Oregon in thenorthwestern part of the state on theWillamette River.

64. An association of people to promotethe welfare of senior citizens.

66. The capital and largest city of Yemen.67. Smallest merganser and most expert

diver.68. A woman hired to suckle a child of

someone else.69. Edible starchy tuberous root of taro

plants.72. A room or establishment where alco-

holic drinks are served over a counter.76. Being one more than one hundred.

Yesterday’s SolutionDaily Sudoku

Wordsearch Puzzle Yesterday’s Solution

Monday, April 1, 2019

18S t a r s

Established 1961

Yesterday’s Solution

You’ve been using your mind in such frenetic manner that you may feelyou need an emotional and mental vacation. What do they say, “No rest for theweary?” That’s where you are now. You can’t stop. You have an insatiable appetite forlearning and not necessarily only about items that bring money into the householdalthough it might be a shoot off from that idea that piques your interest. With yourmental aptitude you can create a link between the two items from which to start a newbusiness or add to the one you’re in. You feel even freer with your words now. Peopleexpect you to talk a lot and you give them their wish because you really have some-thing to say, Aries. You’ve got their attention.

Aries (March 21-April 19)

STAR TRACK

You feel different and you like it. You’re approaching your life now in anovel manner. You know it’ll work out for you as it should. People are flocking to you asif you’ve got a sermon to preach. You do and you love the attention. Allow your com-munication skills to reign and get feedback information you crave for enlightenment onbuilding the financial empire you want. It’s time. You’re in the mood. That’s not all youcrave now. The pleasures of the body fill your mind too but you want to exchange lovewith someone you trust and understand. It’s all coming home to you.

Taurus (April 20-May 20)

Places to go, people to see, and marks to be made is your motto now. Itsexciting to be in your life today. You love learning and you’re going at it with gusto.Viewing all you meet as having a story to tell, you invite them into your life with pleasure,Cancer. If it’s not about setting up new spiritual, monetary, romantic and workplace goalsin which you’re not interested. You want to learn it all. You’re like an intelligent childalways sticking your finger into something to see what it feels, taste, smells or sounds like.That’s the only way in which that child can learn. They also have to fall down sometimesin order to appreciate being able to learn to walk. You’re walking much better now.

Cancer (June 21-July 22)

Leo (July 23-August 22)

Today you want to burn off some of that excess mental and emotionalenergy you’ve been put to the test with this week. You know exactly what you needand hopefully you have the lover with which to be able to exchange some good-hearted exercise. That will make your day. Pent-up energy may keep you holding ontothat special love interest now, Virgo. If that person is able to discuss brilliant ideas aswell, then you’ve made the big time. Getting outside and walking, looking at the flow-ers that come up early in the spring might make a wonderful date too.

Virgo (August 23-September 22)

Broadening your mental capabilities and learning from those who believedifferently from you is at a high in your mind today. Get friends who don’t alwaysagree with you together for a good 0ld-fashioned debate. Bring all kinds of issues upand see what each think of them. Discuss anything you think pertinent, Libra. You lovelearning new things and it’s more important now than ever to you. You’ve got some-thing to say. Let it fly. Take note of others’ opinions but learn from them and don’t lettheir thoughts dissuade you if you think you’re right. Do it gently though.

Libra (September 23-October 22)

You seem to be trying to extend your work week because your mind isrunning a mile a minute. Don’t. You need the time to rest. Moreover, in your rush to getmore done, you’re going to upset the apple cart with a coworker. There is a conflictbetween you and a trusted workmate over how to proceed on something you’re prob-ably not going to change. Wait and think everything over before calling your workfriend. He or she has been behind you from the get go. Keep them there, Scorpio. Lethim or her rest today. Talk to your romantic other and enjoy them now.

Scorpio (October 23-November 21)

You’re coming back into your own now. “You could sell ice toEskimos,” as the old saying goes and you’re probably not even at work

today. Use this time to try your sales pitch out on friends. They’ll give you good,practical advice on whether your thoughts will work or not. Besides you want yourfriends around you now too. You want to socialize and have some fun, Sagittarius,which is highly recommended by friends and family. Even coworkers should agree.After all, you’ve been just a tad bit tense lately. Two things can help that situation,one is having fun, the other is where’s your love life?

Sagittarius (November 22-December 21)

Capricorn (December 22-January 19)

You have something to say and you want others to listen. It’s okaybecause you also want to learn and so you listen too. Although you may be a lit-tle frustrated with your life now, you talk with your loved ones about possibili-ties and responsibilities. Those loved ones help you make up your waveringmind. This should be a day of relaxation but it’s anything but. One thing toremember. You want answers from your family, friends and lover. Try to keep theresentment of their answers to a minimum. You asked. Now learn. Take theanswers and use them to your advantage, Pisces. You’re brilliant and have a wayof creating better from nothing.

Pisces (February 19-March 20)

Learning, communication and organization are skills you enjoy attainingwith others in tow. Counseling is beginning to look better to you as an alternate careernow. It has everything you like involved in one profession. Education and continuedlearning are big in your mind and this fills the bill. Helping others and getting accoladesfor it is also good for your ego and for making you feel needed, which is somethingyou crave, Aquarius. Lovers and children are more in your thoughts than you care toadmit now. If you don’t have children, perhaps you’re thinking of acquiring a little loveknown as a pet. Good for you. That’s unconditional love.

Aquarius (January 20- February 18)

This is a great time to be with others, converse and learn. You’re in thatmood. You want to broaden your horizons and the only manner in which to do that is toexpand your thinking. Being with those you care for opens opportunities to grasp oth-er ideas. Putting those ideas into action is also something you crave now too, Leo. Youare generally great at transferring your knowledge to others just by encouraging theirgrowth too. This helps in work and at home. Enjoy your day of being with others andthe education you receive.

This is a time to stretch your mental capacity more than you’ve had theoccasion to do lately. It feels good. You love learning and using that knowledge to helpyou in your life. Try to get a party of friends and family together today for the exchange ofideas. That makes for a good time in your estimate, Capricorn. Your energy levels are highand you need to have something nice such as heated communication in order to blow offsteam. Speak on subjects on which you want to learn. That makes for a good time.

You have something to say, people willing to hear it and those also will-ing to give you good competent feedback. Though this Sunday should be all aboutresting you’re doing mental handiwork to use later. The exchange of ideas is big timefor you now and you welcome any thoughts. You’ve got the energy and the informa-tion to create a better life for you and those you love. You’re deciding now to dedi-cate your life to making the material gains you need and helping those you love.Make the most of your day while doing practical things like bar b que and party too.

Gemini (May 21-June 20)

MONDAY, APRIL 1 , 2019

Established 1961

Lifestyle

For generations climbing has been firmly the realm ofmen among the legendary Sherpas of Nepal, traditiondictating women care for the home while their hus-

bands conquer the Himalayan peaks. But that convention isbeing challenged by two Sherpa women attempting tosummit Everest and force a rethink about the role of wid-ows in their conservative community, after their husbandsdied on the world’s highest mountain.

Furdiki Sherpa and Nima Doma Sherpa hail from theHimalayan people revered for their skill at high altitudes asclimbing guides. Neither woman ever dreamed of makingan expedition to the roof of the world themselves. But thatis exactly what they are preparing to do when the shortspring climbing season gets underway in April. “The menclimb. We had other things to do. I was running a teahouse and taking care of my family. I didn’t think aboutclimbing the mountains,” Furdiki told AFP.

That changed in 2013 when she lost her husband to themountain as he fixed ropes along the route that aidclimbers to the summit. Like many Sherpa women beforeher, Furdiki was suddenly alone without a breadwinner tohelp raise their three children, bearing the stigma of mis-fortune that can stalk widows in Nepal. A year later,another tragedy brought her into contact with NimaDoma, whose husband was swept to his death with 15 oth-er Nepali guides in a deadly Everest avalanche.

“After our husbands passed away, we spent months justcrying at home over their memories. But we had to takecare of our family and ourselves. It was not easy to do thisas a widow,” said Nima Doma. In need of work, the pairsought jobs as trekking guides in the capital Kathmandu,

and often crossed paths as they lit lamps at a localBuddhist stupa for their deceased husbands. “We startedsharing our stories, our grief, and what we should do inlife,” Furdiki said.

After helping guide some amateur treks the womenembarked on serious mountaineering training and soonplans to summit Everest took shape. In November, theysuccessfully climbed Island Peak and Chulu Far East Peak,both difficult ascents over 6,000 meters. “They grew upin the mountains,” said Ang Tshering Lama, whose AngsHimalayan Adventure company is organizing their ‘TwoWidow Expedition’ to Everest. “As climbers they are verystrong and determined.”

‘Double challenge’Their Everest dream comes as attitudes toward women

and climbing are slowly changing in the overwhelminglymale-dominated industry. Last season 18 women reachedthe top of Everest-towering over the world at 8,848-metre-a record number, according to Nepal’s departmentof tourism. Women trekking guides are more popular thanever but they are still vastly outnumbered on Everest-andSherpa women even more so. Close to 4,000 Sherpa menhave ascended the peak, according to the reputableHimalayan Database, compared to just 34 women from thelegendary ethnic group.

Professional climber Lhakpa Sherpa, 44, is the bestknown having topped Everest nine times, but she remainsvery much an anomaly. “Women are rarely encouraged totake up climbing,” said Dawa Yangzum Sherpa, the onlyinternationally certified female mountaineering guide in

Nepal. Sherpa society, like many ethnic groups in Nepal, isconservative and patriarchal. Wives and daughters areexpected to keep the home fires burning while the menclimb mountains.

But many die in the process. The Himalayan Databaseestimates that as many as one third of all Everest deathshave been Sherpas, leaving women to raise and run house-holds despite the loss of the main breadwinner. “It is diffi-cult and confusing for them. They are usually dependenton their husbands and not educated. And suddenly theyare faced with the responsibility of taking care of the fam-ily,” said Tsering Dolker Sherpa of the Juniper Fund, anon-profit that works with families of deceased mountainworkers,

For women left to pick up the pieces, their grief andstruggle is compounded by their newfound status as wid-ows, one that carries stigma. In some parts, widows areconsidered bad luck and ostracized. “Furdiki and NimaDoma are fighting a double challenge stepping into thisindustry-as women and as widows,” said Dawa YangzumSherpa, the female professional guide.

The pair said meeting other Sherpa widows whoendured discrimination has strengthened their resolve toreach the summit. “We want to climb Everest with amessage for widows and single women. We are not lessthan anyone, we are capable of achieving anything,” NimaDoma said. — AFP

In this picture Furdiki Sherpa, the Nepali widow of a mountaineer, trains at a climbing gym inKathmandu.

In this picture Furdiki Sherpa, left, and Nima Doma Sherpa, the Nepali widows of moun-taineers, prepare for their Everest expedition at a shop in Kathmandu. — AFP photos

Models display creations from the ‘Heaven Gaia’ collection by Xiong Ying during the China Fashion Week in Beijing. — AFP photos

Rolling Stones cancel tour overMick Jagger’s health

British rock icon Mick Jagger said onSaturday he was “devastated” after hisRolling Stones were forced to cancel their

United States and Canada tour dates so hecould receive “medical treatment”. “I really hateletting you down like this,” the 75-year-oldwrote on his Twitter account, without specify-ing what treatment he was receiving. “I’m dev-astated for having to postpone the tour but Iwill be working very hard to be back on stageas soon as I can.”

The rock legends earlier announced the can-cellations, saying that they would reschedulethe dates. “Mick has been advised by doctorsthat he cannot go on tour at this time, as heneeds medical treatment,” said the band’s offi-cial statement. “The doctors have advised Mickthat he is expected to make a complete recov-ery so that he can get back on stage as soon aspossible.”

Jagger has eight children, five grand childrenand a great-granddaughter, but has maintainedhis energetic stage performances well into his70s, playing Britain’s Glastonbury Festival in2013. The band, who formed in 1962, were dueto play 17 shows in the US and Canada betweenApril and June.—AFP

Sherpa widows breaking down

taboos as they eye Everest

In this file photo Mick Jagger leads the RollingStones as they perform during the Desert Trip musicfestival at Indio, California. — AFP

L i f e s t y l e Monday, April 1, 2019

20 Established 1961

Fe a t u r e s

By Nawara Fattahova

Over 3000 people attended the last musical con-cert held on Friday at the Ice Skating Rinkbefore being demolished soon according to the

organizer. The seat were completely sold out with manypeople crowding outside the rink to attend the concert.The majority of the audiences were youth. The concertstarted with a performance by young Kuwaiti singer andactor Bader Al-Shieibi. He became popular among theyoung generation just few years back with his modernmix of Arabic and English songs.

Popular singer Sultan Al-Omani from Oman, whostarted his career in 2017 and became very popular

through his Iraqi style songs also performed at the con-cert. This was his third time performance in Kuwait. Afterthe concert he said that Kuwait is the station of successfor him. “This concert was very successful, and I’m gladto be here. I would also like to thank the audience fortheir love to my songs,” Al-Omani noted.

The concert was concluded with a performance byKuwaiti singer Mutref Al-Mutref. Besides his romanticsongs, he also presented two of his late father Yousef Al-Mutref’s songs in new style. The concert concluded at1:30 am. The concert was produced by Abdulaziz Al-Zaidi, Managed by Mohammed Shehata, and presentedby the popular Kuwaiti TV presenter Halima Buland.

Ice Skating Rink holdslast musical concert

Ernest Hemingway’s legacy helps to bring Americansand Cubans together, an American congressmansaid as he opened an archive at the legendary

writer’s onetime home in Havana, despite tensionsbetween the two nations. “Hemingway is once againserving to unite Americans and Cubans,” MassachusettsCongressman Jim McGovern said at the ceremony onSaturday at the facility, already a museum chroniclingthe some 20 years the author spent in Cuba.

The inauguration came against the backdrop of asharp pivot by the administration of US PresidentDonald Trump following his predecessor BarackObama’s policy of normalization with Havana. “There isno good and rational reason” why the United States andCuba cannot have normal relations, said McGovern, aDemocrat, as flags of the two countries stood behindhim. McGovern, who has made numerous trips to the

island, in 2002 established the Finca Vigia Foundationwith Jenny and Frank Phillips.

Jenny Phillips, who died last year, was the grand-daughter of Hemingway’s editor and friend, MaxwellPerkins. Its mission is to work with Cuban colleagues torestore and preserve “Finca Vigia” (Lookout Farm) —the Havana home of the Nobel literature laureate-as wellas its contents and his fishing boat. The boat had alreadybeen renovated and the home restored “to its 1950ssplendor,” according to the foundation website.

Now the on-site archival storage facility, whose con-struction began in 2015, has also opened, withMcGovern cutting a ribbon and reviewing the archives,which include Hemingway’s passport. The congressman,who favors scrapping the six-decade-old US tradeembargo against Cuba, later met with President MiguelDiaz-Canel. Gladys Collazo, director of Cuba’s National

Council of Cultural Heritage, said the new facility is theresult of collaboration among “people of goodwill”despite the obstacles.

In a separate statement the council said “there aremany US interests linked to cultural exchanges withCuba that are curbed by the setback in bilateral rela-tions.” “With very little money, and in the midst of adauntingly difficult political climate, this project hasflourished and continues to grow,” the foundation said.Hemingway wrote many of his classics including “ForWhom the Bell Tolls” and “The Old Man and the Sea” atFinca Vigia. Most of Hemingway’s time in Cuba preced-ed the 1959 communist revolution. He committed suicidein 1961 after returning to the United States.—AFP

Hemingway legacy writes unifying chapter for US, Cuba

US Democratic congressman for the state of Massachusetts JimMcGovern, chairman of the Rules Committee of the House ofRepresentatives of the US Congress, speaks to the press at the CubanHigher Institute of International Relations (ISRI) in Havana. — AFP

MillenniumHotel holdsmusical concertBy Nawara Fattahova

The Millennium Hotel hosted a musical concert onThursday night. It was attended by 1200 peoplefrom different ages, due to the variety of singers

performing in this concert. The concert started at 10pm with a performance by Kuwaiti singer Bu Ateej.The concert continued with performances by Kuwaitsinger Khalid Bu Sakhar and Palestinian young singerMohammed Assaf. The concert concluded with aperformance by popular Lebanese singer DianaHaddad. She started her career in the early 1990s inthe UAE and became well-known in all Arab coun-tries. This event was organized by Al Hadaba MusicRamy Omran and sponsored by Sheikh Dueij Al-Khalifa Al-Sabah.

The 21-year-old actress - who plays assassin AryaStark - sat down with her mum one evening beforeshe received her scripts for the eighth and final

series of the HBO fantasy drama to write down whatthey expected to happen in the last six episodes, butneither of them made the right calls. she recalled: “Isaid, ‘Let’s predict the final series. You call who youthink is going to be alive and who you think is going tobe dead. So will I.’ And we did. And we were bothwrong.” Her co-star, Joe Dempsie - who plays Gendry- admitted one of the first things he did on receiving hisscripts was to check to see if he’d won, died or sur-vived. He admitted: “At the top of every script there is acast list for every character involved in that episode. Afew of us were tempted to check if we were in the lastone.” And asked his fate, he simply said: “Look,Gendry’s the last surviving blood Baratheon. He’s got tohave a pretty strong claim. But I don’t even trust thefact that I have the answers in my brain. It feels likeyou’re walking around with a secret that the wholeworld wants to know.” But Kit Harington, whose alterego Jon Snow is one of the favorites to end up on the

iron throne, didn’t look at his scripts until the full castgathered for a read through, and he delighted themwith his reactions. Emilia Clarke, who plays his on-screen lover, Danerys Targeryen, told the Sunday Timesmagazine: “Kit hadn’t even looked at the scripts beforethe read-through. “He didn’t want to know, so when weall read it out loud, all of us together probably for thefirst time since series three, Kit’s reactions were insane.He was just gawping.” The 32-year-old actor may havebeen gripped to the final scripts but he admitted hewould have “sneered” at the idea of watching the showwhen it first began if he hadn’t been cast. Kit said: “HadI not been in it, and someone had said, ‘Why don’t youwatch that?’ I’d have said, ‘Dragons?’ I would havesneered at it.” Kit - who is married to former co-starRose Leslie - is proud of the “skill” he has developed intalking about the show without giving away any spoil-ers. He said: “It’s something I pride myself on. Excitingpeople about it but not telling them anything is a skillthat we’ve all developed in the ‘Thrones’ cast.”

Maisie Williams unsuccessfully predicts final season of GOT

Monday, April 1, 2019L i f e s t y l e Fa s h i o n

Established 1961 21

Models display creations from the “Heaven Gaia” collection by Xiong Ying during the China Fashion Week in Beijing. — AFP photos

Models display creations from the “Maryma” collection by Ma Yanli during the China Fashion Week in Beijing.

China Fashion Week

Monday, April 1, 2019

Fe a t u r e s

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

An artist paints on a cotton fabric in his workshop, in the village of Fakaha, northern Ivory Coast. — AFP photos A group of women spin cotton in the village of Fakaha, northern Ivory Coast.

“I’m sure! I tell you, he came. I saw him!” insists SoroNavaghi, keen to extinguish any doubts aboutPicasso’s visit to a small Ivorian village famed for its

painted textiles. Whether in tourist brochures or online, itis not unusual to find references to Picasso’s reputed visitto Fakaha, a remote village in northern Ivory Coast, some650 kilometers from Abidjan, the economic capital.

French travel guide Petit Fute describes Fakaha as“internationally renowned” for its hand-spun cotton clothwhich is painted by the Senufo people and that once“charmed a certain Picasso as he paid a discreet visit tothe region at the turn of the century.” A whole mythologyhas grown up around the question of Africa and Picasso,who never spoke of having been to Fakaha.

For the artist who once provocatively brushed off thesubject, saying: “Negro art? Don’t know it” was also anardent admirer and passionate collector of African art,who built up an impressive private collection. Highlightingthe resemblance between African sculpture and some ofPicasso’s work, many art critics see the symbolism andimagery of Africa as one of his sources of inspiration.

One often-cited example is the striking similaritybetween an African Grebo mask and one of the faces in his1907 work “Les Demoiselles d’Avignon”. “Wheneversomeone emphasized the influence of African art on thedevelopment of his own work, he would shrug his shoul-ders, annoyed at being reduced to that: although it is cer-tain he was influenced by it from 1906 when he experi-enced his first (African) sculptures,” says Gilles Plazy, oneof his biographers. “Picasso used everything that camethrough his door and integrated it into the constant evolu-tion of his artistic process,” he told AFP. “He opened upnew paths.”

Out of the bush, barefoot For the several hundred residents of Fakaha, there is no

question about where the celebrated Andalusian artist andsculptor found his inspiration, after stumbling upon theirvillage some 15 km from the main road to Korhogo. Fordecades, these local artists have been hard at work inopen huts around a sandy track, where they can be foundsmearing earth-based pigments onto canvas. Their dex-terity is fascinating, their moves precise. Working withknives or sticks, they plunge their tools into the bowls ofcolor, quickly transforming the white cotton into a work ofart covered with animal motifs and figures in masks.

And there is an element of Picasso in it, with a definite

similarity between his works and those of the artists ofFakaha. But is this just a random resemblance or creativecoincidence? Or did Pablo Picasso actually see or evenown one of the Fakaha canvases? “I tell you, he camehere. He was inspired by us,” repeats Soro Navaghi, agedin his 60s. Picasso apparently broke down while driving toKorhogo, but set off on foot and eventually turned up inthe village “bare chested and without shoes”, Navaghisays. The artist stayed there for several days and evengave the villagers some advice, they say.

A Picasso self-portrait?“It was him who taught us to use sponges and tooth-

brushes to be quicker and more precise,” says SilueNaganki, one of the artists who takes his inspiration fromlong-dead ancestors. “Before him, we never used theframes either. It was him who advised us to paint the

frames.” Ducking into his house, Soro Navaghi comes upwith the “ultimate proof”-a cotton canvas featuringPicasso himself. The fabric is covered with multiple motifsof a bald, white man, sometimes wearing shorts, sometimesin a grass skirt, who is variously clutching a pencil orpaintbrush or even some twigs.

A self-portrait by the master! Surely there can be nodoubt, even for an amateur, that this is Picasso, proclaimsNavaghi. Attached to the canvas is a self-declared certifi-cate of authenticity signed by a travel agent who attests tohaving witnessed the visit. “Picasso came barefoot toFakaha in 1968. He worked shirtless and without clothes,”says the document, a copy of the original which is kept inthe village archives for safekeeping.

For biographer Plazy, the account would have delightedthe eclectic painter, the idea of him visiting Fakaha “like amagician, and infusing the traditional local art with an

invigorating breath of fresh air. “That is a fantastic talewhich would have pleased him very much,” he told AFP.“There were a lot of stories about Pablo Picasso, and sincehe had a sense of humor, he would sometimes pretendsome of them were true.”

End of his lifePicasso died in 1973 at the age of 91, and other vil-

lagers concede that his visit was probably earlier than1968 given his age by then. At that time, the world-renowned painter, in his mid-80s, would have walked 15km through the bush, chancing upon a village with noelectricity or running water and staying there several days.And all this passing under the radar... Even thoughPicasso continued working until his death, it certainly was-n’t only at the end of his life that African influences appearin his works.

But could he have been in Fakaha around the turn ofthe century, as travel guide Petit Fute suggests? If there isno trace of Picasso’s visit, it is because he wanted it to bekept secret and not give away the fact that he had beeninspired by Fakaha, a young villager says.

Picasso impersonator? If he did make the journey, Picasso would have had to

take a boat to Abidjan, then travel the remaining 1,000 kmby road in scorching, dry conditions with little shade fromthe sun-an adventure more suited to an explorer. Such anepic trip would have taken at least several months, andwould likely have featured in one of his biographies.

Even so, the story retains an element of mysteriousintrigue. In a bid to seek expert input, AFP contacted thePicasso Museum in Paris, which declined to comment, thenspoke with several of his biographers, who also refused tobe pinned down. One theory put forward by residents ofthe city of Korhogo is that it was a false Picasso-a manwho clearly resembled the famed Spanish painter andfooled the villagers by pretending to be him. But that alsoraises a question: why? —AFP

An artist in his workshop shows a painting assumed to be made by Spanish artist Pablo Picasso.

These photographs show Pakistani horse riders with lances used to pick up pegs during an attempt for a Guinness World Record for tent pegging in Khanewal district in Punjabprovince. — AFP photos

Pakistani traditional drummers perform during an attempt by Pakistani horse riders for aGuinness World Record for tent pegging.

Picasso in Ivory Coast? A village tells of its brush with the artist

Pakistanis seek world record in ancient sport of tent-pegging

Traditional drumbeats and melodious shahnai flutesare drowned out by thundering hooves in the smallPakistani city of Tulamba, as riders pound down a

dusty track seeking world record glory in the ancientsport of tent-pegging. Riders in bright costumes drivetheir lances into the targets, wooden pegs embedded inthe dry ground, their aim sometimes obscured by thedust kicked up by other competitors.

The cavalry sport requires a mounted horseman topierce and pick up a peg from the ground at a full gallop.

“This is the sport of young lions,” local politicianShaukat Hayat Bosan said. “For this sport not only agood horse but a good rider is also necessary.” Thisyear’s event organized by the Muhammadiya HyderiaSultania Awan Club in Tulamba, held on Wednesday,aimed to be a little different: organizers claim they usedit to set six world records. Admittedly, organizerShahzada Sultan Muhammad Ali said, there had been nomention of tent pegging in the Guinness Book of WorldRecords previously.

But, he told the crowd, they established a record for120 horses reaching the finish line in 166 seconds, and foruprooting 90 tent pegs at once, among others. They areawaiting final confirmation from Guinness officials.Organizers hope the bid will draw much-needed interna-

tional attention to the sport. Popular for centuries on thesub-continent, tent-pegging has become a dying pastimein Pakistan, mainly kept alive in wealthy Punjab province.

There it remains part of cultural celebrations inurban areas, where riders dress up in traditional waist-coats and turbans of vibrant colors while horses are fit-ted with shining saddles. Muhammad Sohail, one of theparticipants in Tulamba, took the opportunity to call formore support for the sport. “We are promoting thissport on our own,” he said, calling on the Pakistanigovernment to help. In 2018 Pakistan qualified for thefirst time in a decade to participate in the tent-peggingWorld Cup held in the UAE. A total of 12 teams partici-pated in the event.—AFP French artist JR promises

latest work will reveal Louvre pyramid’s ‘secret’

French artist JR on Friday put the final touches toa huge collage in the courtyard of the Louvre,his latest eye-popping-project unveiled to mark

the 30th birthday of the Louvre’s glass pyramid.Some 400 volunteers working in teams of 50 spentfour days pasting strips of printed paper on the cob-bles of the courtyard, creating a giant patchworkaround the pyramid commissioned by late Socialistpresident Francois Mitterrand.

JR, who has been dubbed the “French Banksy”after the British street artist, is famous for blowingup photographs-often of people-into huge collagesthat have graced the wall between Jerusalem and theWest Bank and the Rio favelas, among other sites.The artist promised that his latest work-createdusing a technique that distorts the image of the sub-ject unless viewed from a specific angle-wouldreveal “the Secret of the Great Pyramid.”

A camera on the roof of the Louvre fed images totwo giant screens which appeared to show the pyra-mid emerging from its foundations, as if from a giantquarry of white rock. “There are more than 2,000strips to paste on the ground, each ten metres long,so it’s a huge puzzle. And when you’re on the puzzleyou don’t see what you’re doing,” the artist told AFP.“It’s great. We’re like children watching this pyramidgrow before our eyes.”

Hated by many Parisians when it was unveiled 30years ago on Friday, Chinese-American architect I.M. Pei’s creation has wormed its way into theirhearts and is now revered like one of the Louvre’sgreatest treasures, such as the “Mona Lisa” and the“Venus de Milo”. Three years ago JR, whose realname is Jean Rene, gave the pyramid a very differenttreatment, covering it in a giant trompe-l’oeil thatmade it look as if it had disappeared. — AFP

The Louvre pyramid is seen during preparations of theinstallation of French contemporary artist and photog-rapher Jean Rene, aka JR, in the main courtyard of theLouvre Museum in Paris. — AFP

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

DIAL161 FOR AIRPORT INFORMATION

Arrival Flights on Monday 1/4/2019Airlines Flt Route TimeFEG 441 Asyut 00:05IGO 1757 Kochi 00:10THY 772 Istanbul 00:20JZR 254 Amman 00:30KAC 102 London 00:50DLH 625 Dammam 00:50KAC 504 Beirut 01:00JZR 722 Alexandria 01:00JZR 734 Cairo 01:00RJA 642 Amman 01:20UAE 853 Dubai 01:40KLM 446 Bahrain 01:45PGT 858 Istanbul 01:50KKK 1268 Istanbul 01:55ETH 620 Addis Ababa 02:15GFA 211 Bahrain 02:15QTR 1086 Doha 02:30PGT 860 Istanbul 02:50JZR 502 Lahore 02:55JZR 406 Kochi 03:05ETD 305 Abu Dhabi 03:05OMA 643 Muscat 03:05MSR 612 Cairo 03:15KAC 418 Manila 03:20QTR 1076 Doha 03:30OHY 352 Istanbul 04:00KAC 382 Delhi 04:05IGO 1751 Chennai 04:10KAC 346 Ahmedabad 04:15KAC 784 Jeddah 04:25JZR 404 Hyderabad 04:30DHX 170 Bahrain 05:05FDB 069 Dubai 05:05THY 770 Istanbul 05:20JZR 402 Mumbai 05:25KAC 344 Chennai 05:30KAC 1544 Cairo 05:45JZR 112 Doha 05:50BAW 157 London 06:10KAC 284 Dhaka 06:15JZR 714 Sohag 06:20KAC 678 Dubai 06:40KAC 204 Lahore 06:45JZR 102 Bahrain 07:00KAC 302 Mumbai 07:05IGO 1755 CNN 07:10RBG 211 Luxor 07:25FDB 053 Dubai 07:50MSC 401 Alexandria 08:00KAC 384 Delhi 08:10IRA 601 Tehran 08:10KAC 352 Kochi 08:20JZR 702 Asyut 08:25UAE 855 Dubai 08:25ETD 301 Abu Dhabi 08:50KAC 334 Trivandrum 09:00OMA 641 Muscat 09:00ABY 125 Sharjah 09:00GFA 209 Bahrain 09:05QTR 1070 Doha 09:30FDB 055 Dubai 09:40IGO 1753 Ahmedabad 09:40AXB 889 Mangalore/Bahrain 10:20GFA 213 Bahrain 10:40AXB 395 Kozhikode 10:40JZR 216 Jeddah 10:55MEA 404 Beirut 10:55QTR 1074 Doha 11:00SYR 341 Damascus 11:00THY 1282 Trabzon 11:05JZR 122 Dubai 11:45AXB 789 CNN/Bahrain 12:10THY 766 Istanbul 12:30RBG 553 Alexandria 12:30UAE 871 Dubai 12:45KAC 742 Dammam 12:55

IRA 667 Esfahan 13:10KAC 774 Riyadh 13:35JZR 212 Jeddah 13:45KAC 672 Dubai 14:00JZR 152 Mashhad 14:05QTR 1078 Doha 14:10KNE 231 Riyadh 14:10GFA 221 Bahrain 14:15FDB 059 Dubai 14:20KAC 286 Dhaka 14:35KAC 364 Colombo 14:35JZR 222 Riyadh 14:45SVA 500 Jeddah 14:45KAC 618 Doha 14:50KAC 788 Jeddah 14:55KAC 304 Mumbai 14:55KAC 118 New York 15:00KAC 516 Tehran 15:00KNE 529 Jeddah 15:05KAC 412 Bangkok 15:10ETD 303 Abu Dhabi 15:15KAC 562 Amman 15:15OMA 645 Muscat 15:20ABY 127 Sharjah 15:35UAE 857 Dubai 15:45KAC 546 Cairo 16:05FDB 051 Dubai 16:10JZR 732 Cairo 16:10KAC 502 Beirut 16:15QTR 1072 Doha 16:15SAW 705 Damascus 17:00JZR 116 Doha 17:05SVA 510 Riyadh 17:15OMS 225 Muscat 17:20GFA 215 Bahrain 17:30JZR 214 Jeddah 17:35JZR 124 Dubai 17:40JZR 104 Bahrain 18:00QTR 1080 Doha 18:10JZR 302 Istanbul 18:20MSR 620 Cairo 18:30UAE 875 Dubai 19:05RJA 640 Amman 19:05GFA 217 Bahrain 19:05FDB 063 Dubai 19:10ABY 123 Sharjah 19:20KAC 744 Dammam 19:25KAC 616 Bahrain 19:40KAC 674 Dubai 19:45KAC 776 Riyadh 19:45FDB 057 Dubai 19:50KNE 381 Taif 20:00OMA 647 Muscat 20:05DLH 624 Frankfurt 20:10MEA 402 Beirut 20:15KAC 620 Doha 20:30KAC 174 Munich 20:30QTR 1088 Doha 20:40RBG 219 Sohag 20:55KLM 445 Amsterdam 21:00ETD 307 Abu Dhabi 21:10UAE 859 Dubai 21:15ALK 229 Colombo 21:15KAC 168 Paris 21:20KAC 164 MXP 21:40GFA 219 Bahrain 21:50KAC 622 Doha 21:50KAC 564 Amman 21:55QTR 1082 Doha 22:05ETD 309 Abu Dhabi 22:15KAC 786 Jeddah 22:20AIC 975 Chennai/Goa 22:25SVA 514 Riyadh 22:30SVA 502 Jeddah 22:45JZR 128 Dubai 22:50MSC 411 Asyut 23:15MSR 614 Cairo 23:30FDB 071 Dubai 23:35

Departure Flights on Monday 1/4/2019Airlines Flt Route TimeAIC 982 Ahmedabad/Chennai 00:05JZR 713 Sohag 00:10MSR 615 Cairo 00:30FDB 072 Dubai 00:30BBC 044 Dhaka 00:40PIA 206 Lahore 00:55FEG 342 Sohag 01:05IGO 1758 Kochi 01:10KAC 677 Dubai 01:40THY 773 Istanbul 01:50DLH 625 Frankfurt 01:50KAC 363 Colombo 02:00KAC 417 Manila 02:00KAC 285 Dhaka 02:00JZR 701 Asyut 02:00JZR 111 Doha 02:10PGT 859 Istanbul 02:50KKK 1269 Istanbul 02:55ETH 621 Addis Ababa 03:05KLM 446 Amsterdam 03:10UAE 854 Dubai 03:30ETD 306 Abu Dhabi 04:00OMA 644 Muscat 04:05JZR 101 Bahrain 04:05QTR 1087 Doha 04:15MSR 613 Cairo 04:15PGT 861 Istanbul 04:20OHY 351 Istanbul 05:00IGO 1752 Chennai 05:10QTR 1077 Doha 05:15KAC 303 Mumbai 05:25JZR 215 Jeddah 05:25FDB 070 Dubai 06:00THY 771 Istanbul 06:30GFA 212 Bahrain 06:50KAC 167 Paris 07:15JZR 121 Dubai 07:15BAW 156 London 07:40KAC 173 Munich 07:45JZR 211 Jeddah 08:00IGO 1756 CNN 08:10RBG 214 Sohag 08:15JZR 151 Mashhad 08:15FDB 054 Dubai 08:35KAC 163 MXP 08:35KAC 501 Beirut 08:50KAC 545 Cairo 08:50MSC 402 Alexandria 09:00KAC 117 New York 09:00IRA 666 Esfahan 09:10KAC 787 Jeddah 09:15KAC 671 Dubai 09:15KAC 561 Amman 09:20ABY 126 Sharjah 09:40KAC 773 Riyadh 09:40KAC 741 Dammam 09:40JZR 731 Cairo 09:45UAE 856 Dubai 09:50ETD 302 Abu Dhabi 09:55JZR 301 Istanbul 09:55OMA 642 Muscat 10:00GFA 210 Bahrain 10:05KAC 101 London 10:05KAC 515 Tehran 10:35QTR 1071 Doha 10:40IGO 1754 Ahmedabad 10:40FDB 056 Dubai 10:40KAC 617 Doha 10:40AXB 890 Mangalore 11:20JZR 221 Riyadh 11:20GFA 214 Bahrain 11:35AXB 396 Kozhikode 11:50MEA 405 Beirut 11:55SYR 342 Damascus 12:00THY 1283 Trabzon 12:00JZR 213 Jeddah 12:05

QTR 1075 Doha 12:10AXB 790 CNN 13:10RBG 554 Alexandria 13:10JZR 123 Dubai 13:10JZR 115 Doha 13:25THY 767 Istanbul 14:00IRA 600 Tehran 14:10UAE 872 Dubai 14:15KNE 382 Taif 15:00GFA 222 Bahrain 15:00KAC 673 Dubai 15:00FDB 060 Dubai 15:05JZR 103 Bahrain 15:05QTR 1079 Doha 15:15SVA 501 Jeddah 15:45KNE 530 Jeddah 15:55KAC 105 London 15:55KAC 563 Amman 16:00JZR 405 Kochi 16:00KAC 775 Riyadh 16:05KAC 743 Dammam 16:05KAC 615 Bahrain 16:10ABY 128 Sharjah 16:15ETD 304 Abu Dhabi 16:20OMA 646 Muscat 16:20KAC 785 Jeddah 16:20KAC 619 Doha 16:25FDB 052 Dubai 17:10QTR 1073 Doha 17:25KAC 361 Colombo 17:35KAC 155 Istanbul 17:35UAE 858 Dubai 17:40KAC 283 Dhaka 17:40KAC 621 Doha 17:50SAW 706 Damascus 18:00OMS 226 Muscat 18:00KAC 381 Delhi 18:00SVA 511 Riyadh 18:15JZR 721 Alexandria 18:15GFA 216 Bahrain 18:20JZR 127 Dubai 18:20JZR 403 Hyderabad 18:25JZR 733 Cairo 18:35QTR 1081 Doha 19:20KAC 345 Ahmedabad 19:20JZR 253 Amman 19:20MSR 621 Cairo 19:30GFA 218 Bahrain 19:50FDB 064 Dubai 19:50KAC 331 Trivandrum 19:55ABY 124 Sharjah 20:00RJA 641 Amman 20:05KAC 357 Kochi 20:05FDB 058 Dubai 20:30JZR 401 Mumbai 20:30UAE 876 Dubai 20:35KNE 232 Riyadh 20:50DLH 624 Dammam 20:55KAC 353 Bengaluru 20:55OMA 648 Muscat 21:05MEA 403 Beirut 21:15KAC 301 Mumbai 21:25RBG 210 Sohag 21:35DHX 171 Bahrain 21:50QTR 1089 Doha 21:50KAC 203 Lahore 22:00KLM 445 Bahrain 22:10ETD 308 Abu Dhabi 22:15ALK 230 Colombo 22:20UAE 860 Dubai 22:35KAC 383 Delhi 22:35GFA 220 Bahrain 22:50KAC 783 Jeddah 22:55KAC 1543 Cairo 23:00ETD 310 Abu Dhabi 23:05QTR 1083 Doha 23:20SVA 515 Riyadh 23:30SVA 503 Jeddah 23:45

ClassifiedsMonday, April 1, 2019

Sabah Hospital 24812000

Amiri Hospital 22450005

Maternity Hospital 24843100

Mubarak Al-Kabir Hospital 25312700

Chest Hospital 24849400

Farwaniya Hospital 24892010

Adan Hospital 23940620

Ibn Sina Hospital 24840300

Al-Razi Hospital 24846000

Physiotherapy Hospital 24874330/9

Kaizen center 25716707

Rawda 22517733

Adaliya 22517144

Khaldiya 24848075

Kaifan 24849807

Shamiya 24848913

Shuwaikh 24814507

Abdullah Salem 22549134

Nuzha 22526804

Industrial Shuwaikh 24814764

Qadsiya 22515088

Dasmah 22532265

Bneid Al-Gar 22531908

Shaab 22518752

Qibla 22459381

Ayoun Al-Qibla 22451082

Mirqab 22456536

Sharq 22465401

Salmiya 25746401

Kuwait Airways 171Jazeera Airways 177Wataniya Airways 22 066 536Turkish Airlines 1884918American Airlines 22087425 22087426Jet Airways 22924455FlyDubai 22414400Qatar Airways 22423888KLM 22425747Royal Jordanian 22418064/5/6British Airways 22425635Air France 22430224Emirates 22921555Air India 22456700Air India EXPRESS 22438185/4

Airlines

CHANGE OF NAME

I, Priyanka Elizabeth Babu(given name) holder of IndianPassport L4904943 do herebychange my name to PriyankaElizabeth (given name) Babu(surname) for all purposes. Ialso undertake to effect thechange in all my other publicdocuments. (C 5507)

I, Noble John holder of IndianPassport No: J5545465 issuedat Kuwait on 19/05/2011.Hereby declare that, my givenname is Noble and surname isJohn. (C 5509)

I, Asha Abraham holder ofIndian Passport No: J6456943,issued at Kuwait on27/07/2011. Hereby declarethat, my given name is Ashaand surname is Abraham. (C 5509)

I, Anabel Noble John holder

MATRIMONIA

Kerala based Orthodox par-ents invite proposal fortheir daughter (23/154cm,fair) completed B-Tech EC(doing MBA), from parentsof God fearing professional-ly qualified (Engineers orwell employed by otherprofession) Marthoma,Orthodox, Jacobite,Catholic, CSI with goodfamily background. If inter-ested may contact: sunil-vgs73@gmail.com /s.varughese@boubyan_takaful.com (C 5508)29-3-2019

of Indian Passport No:S9733164, issued at Kuwait on11/09/2018. Hereby declarethat, my given name is AnabelNoble and surname is John.(C 5509) 31-3-2019

Monday, April 1, 2019N e w s

Established 1961 24

Continued from Page 1

Arab leaders, long divided by regional rivalries, con-demned yesterday a US decision to recognize Israel’s sover-eignty over the Golan Heights and said Middle East stabilitydepended on creating a Palestinian state. Arab leaders havebeen under popular pressure to reject Washington’s action,while they also grapple with regional differences, includinga bitter Gulf Arab dispute, splits over Iran’s regional influ-ence, the war in Yemen and unrest in Algeria and Sudan.

The abrupt departure from the summit of Qatari AmirSheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, who is locked in a rowwith Saudi Arabia and other Arab allies, suggested regionaldifferences were not easily buried. No reason was given forhis departure. Saudi Arabia’s King Salman bin Abdulaziztold Arab monarchs, presidents and prime ministers at themeeting that his country “absolutely rejects” any measuresaffecting Syria’s sovereignty over the Golan Heights.

President Donald Trump’s signed a proclamation lastweek recognizing the Golan Heights as part of Israel, whichannexed the area in 1981 after capturing it from Syria in 1967.The Saudi king’s condemnation echoed those of Arab officialsbefore yesterday’s summit of the Arab League, which usuallyends with a final declaration agreed by the 22 member states.Trump’s Golan decision followed a US move less than fourmonths ago to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, a deci-sion that also drew Arab condemnation. Palestinians wantEast Jerusalem as the capital of a future state.

Tunisian President Beji Caid Essebsi said Arab leadersalso needed to ensure the international community under-stood the importance of the Palestinian cause to Arab

nations. Regional and international stability should comethrough “a just and comprehensive settlement that includesthe rights of the Palestinian people and leads to the estab-lishment of a Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital,”Essebsi said. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, whoaddressed the meeting in Tunis, said any resolution to theSyrian conflict must guarantee the territorial integrity ofSyria “including the occupied Golan Heights”.

The Tunis summit brought together the rulers of SaudiArabia and Qatar for the first time at the same gatheringsince 2017 when Riyadh and its allies imposed a politicaland economic boycott on Doha. But Qatar’s amir left thesummit hall shortly after Arab League Secretary-GeneralAhmed Aboul Gheit praised the way Saudi Arabia handledits rotating Arab League presidency last year, live televisionfootage showed. Qatar’s state news agency did not say whySheikh Tamim left, but Tunisia’s state news agency TAP saidthe rest of Qatar’s delegation stayed.

Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain andEgypt accuse Qatar of supporting terrorism and say it hasbeen cozying up to Iran, a charge Doha denies. The row hasdefied mediation efforts by Kuwait and the United States,which called Gulf Arab states to unite in opposition toIranian influence in the region. King Salman, whose countryhas long vied with Iran for influence, called for confrontingwhat he called the “aggressive policies of the Iranianregime”. He said Iran was interfering in Arab affairs, a chargeTehran dismisses.

Arab states remain divided over other issues, includinghow to deal with pro-democracy protests that have eruptedin the region since 2011. The leaders of Sudan and Algeriawere not at yesterday’s meeting as both nations have beenroiled by anti-government protests. Syria’s seat at the sum-mit was vacant. Damascus as been suspended from theLeague since 2011 over its crackdown on protesters at thestart of its civil war. The League has said no consensus hasyet been reached to allow Syria’s reinstatement. — Agencies

Amir urges unity andconcerted response...

Continued from Page 1

Edtech platforms are also taking off in other Asiancountries, notably China and Taiwan. “We wanted tomake education fun,” said Manish Dhooper, the founderof New Delhi-based Planet Spark, which uses “gami-fied” teaching methods.

Garima Dhir enrolled her six-year-old boy into aPlanet Spark program to study maths and Englishbecause she wanted him to get used to using technolo-gy at a young age. “With interactive classes, my son ispicking concepts without any stress and enjoying theprocess without fear of failure,” she told AFP.Robomate, Toppr, Simplilearn, Meritnation and Edurekaare others in the market. India has an estimated 270million children aged between five and 17. Its onlineeducation sector is projected to be worth $2 billion toAsia’s third-largest economy by 2021, according toresearch published by accounting group KPMG twoyears ago.

With revenues heading for $200 million, Byju’s says ithas around 32 million users in India using its e-tutorialsthat feature animations, live classes and educational

games to match India’s school curriculum. It has raisedmore than $1 billion in funding since the beginning oflast year, including from Facebook founder MarkZuckerberg, valuing the firm at around $5.4 billion. “Wewant to be the largest education company in the world,”founder Byju Raveendran, 39, whose stake in Byju’s isnow thought to be worth almost $2 billion, told AFP.

Analysts say technology has the power to transformeducation in India but note that at the moment it islargely the domain of middle-class families. A year-longsubscription to Byju’s can cost upwards of $150 forexample, a small fortune for the majority of Indians. Ata state-run school in Mumbai teacher Pooja PrashantSankhe is using technology in a rather different way tochange how her pupils engage with lessons.

The 45-year-old hides an Amazon Echo device in ashop window mannequin. When AFP visited childrenaged 11 approached and asked questions such as,“Alexa, how many states are there in India?” They alsodid sums and then asked Alexa for the answer to findout if they had done them correctly. The device playsthe Indian national anthem at the start of the school dayand healing music during meditation sessions. Indianmedia have carried reports of a teacher doing the samething in another school in rural Maharashtra state, ofwhich Mumbai is the capital. “The kids get really excit-ed when they ask her questions,” said Sankhe, 45.“Pupils are coming to school more regularly nowbecause of Alexa,” she added. — AFP

‘Edtech’ boom transforms how...

ADDIS ABABA: In his first speech as Ethiopian primeminister last April, Abiy Ahmed called for an end to therepressive, exclusionary governance that had plunged thecountry into turmoil. It was a promise on which he is seento have delivered dramatically, earning him both interna-tional acclaim and domestic popularity so great that hiskeenest supporters say he deserves a Nobel Peace Prize.“Before Abiy came, our fear was that Ethiopia woulddescend into civil war,” said Hassen Hussein, a top officialin the Oromo Democratic Front, one of the many bannedgroups welcomed back from exile.

Yet the new prime minister’s first year in office has alsobeen marked by a surge in ethnic violence that has forced1.8 million people out of their homes. While Abiy hasremade the public face of the ruling omnipotent EthiopianPeople’s Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF), diplo-mats and politicians say politics remains very much asusual at the local level. “Many people, especially at thegrassroots level, are asking, where is the change?” saidMerera Gudina, a top opposition politician. “Both thedepth and pace of change... people are really doubting.”

As Abiy enters his second year in office, he faces anew challenge: Keeping his promise to make 2020 elec-tions free and fair despite rising political violence. Abiy,who was sworn into power on April 2, 2018, took officefollowing the resignation of his predecessor HailemariamDesalegn, after more than two years of anti-governmentprotests and growing discord within the EPRDF.

A former science minister, Abiy comes from theOromo people, Ethiopia’s largest ethnic group. He roseup through the military and intelligence services, reachingthe rank of lieutenant colonel. The 42-year-old won overEthiopians with his rapid, dramatic reforms, often deliv-ered with a personal touch. He met publicly with newly-freed political prisoners and held repeated meetings withold foe Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki to negotiate aJuly 2018 agreement re-establishing relations following a

bloody 1998-2000 border war.“For the first time in the country’s history, he is negoti-

ating with the opposition,” said Merera, who was jailedunder Hailemariam, then released on the eve of his resig-nation. But Merera worries whether the four parties thatmake up the EPRDF - and especially the old guard fromthe Tigrayan minority that dominated the coalition untilAbiy’s rise - really support him. “We are not sure thedegree to which the EPRDF is committed,” he said.

At the local level, politics has changed little. “The rul-ing party is the ruling party; the cadres are the same, theservice delivery is the same,” Merera said. Those whohave met the prime minister worry over his tendency toshow off his accomplishments while revealing little abouthis plans to tackle the country’s challenges.

Abiy made headlines last October by appointing acabinet in which half the ministers were women. But crit-ics say he has taken power into his own hands and side-lined government ministries. “It’s a one-man show... it’snot a functional government,” one foreign diplomat toldAFP, adding that among embassies, “a few eyebrows arenow rising.” Shortly after Abiy took office, a long-runningdispute over land in southern Ethiopia’s West Guji andGedeo zones erupted into ethnic fighting that forcednearly a million people from their homes.

Such violence continued through Abiy’s first year. LastSeptember at least 58 people, mostly from minority eth-nic groups, were killed on the outskirts of the capitalAddis Ababa, while aid groups said in December thatethnic violence in western Ethiopia had displaced250,000 people. Analysts have blamed rising violence ona slackening of the tight control the EPRDF once main-tained on regional security forces and administration.

Abiy has touted his moves to improve media freedom- following in the footsteps of Hailemariam, who releasedseveral prominent jailed journalists - but instabilitythreatens this progress. Elias Kifle, who heads the online

news outlet Mereja, believes Oromo police officers sanc-tioned the February mob beating two of his journalists inthe town of Legetafo. “I considered it not only an attackon the media, but on the reform,” he said, adding that hedoes not blame the prime minister for the assault.

In a sign of the country’s apparent precariousness,

officials in March postponed a national census, which wasseen as a precursor to next year’s vote. “Damned if youdo, damned if you don’t,” Hassen said of the elections.“With the level of polarization that exists now, I’m notsure an election would do any good for Ethiopia andEthiopians.”— AFP

One year on, tough times loom for Ethiopia’s Ahmed

AMBO, Ethiopia: In this file photo taken on April 11, 2018, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed reacts during a rally. — AFP

WASHINGTON: Former vice president Joe Bideninsisted yesterday he has never acted inappropriatelytowards women as a growing row about a kiss on thecampaign trail cast a shadow over his expected run forthe White House. The 76-year-old Biden is the clearfavorite to win the Democratic nomination to take onDonald Trump in the 2020 presidential election eventhough he has yet to declare his candidacy.

But several of his rivals have now weighed in on theallegations from a former state lawmaker who hasrecalled being “mortified” when Biden planted a “big,slow kiss” on the back of her head on the sidelines of arally in Nevada five years ago. The New York Post onSaturday ran a gallery of photographs of Biden’s “mosttouchy-feely moments”, embracing and kissing women atpublic events over the years.

His 39-year-old accuser Lucy Flores said in a new tel-evision interview that Biden’s behavior meant he shouldnot run for president shortly after Biden released a state-ment trying to quell the storm. “In my many years on thecampaign trail and in public life, I have offered countlesshandshakes, hugs, expressions of affection, support andcomfort. And not once - never - did I believe I actedinappropriately,” Biden said in his statement released byhis spokesman on Twitter.

“If it is suggested that I did so, I will listen respectful-ly. But it was never my intention. I may not recall thesemoments the same way, and I may be surprised at what Ihear. But we have arrived at an important time whenwomen feel they can and should relate their experiences,and men should pay attention. And I will.”

Flores, who was a state lawmaker at the time, hadbeen running for the post of Nevada lieutenant gover-nor when Biden appeared at a rally to offer supportwhen Barack Obama’s number two. In response toBiden’s statement, Flores said she was “glad he’s willingto listen” but added that his behavior should rule himout from seeking the Democratic nomination against apresident who has himself faced multiple accusations ofsexual harassment.

“For me it’s disqualifying,” she told CNN. “Yes, ofcourse I want him to change his behavior. And I want himto acknowledge this was wrong. I want this to be a big-ger discussion about how there is no accountability

structure within our political space either for instances inwhich women feel that there was inappropriate behavioror more serious instances.”

Biden has previously acknowledged that his “tactile”behavior could land him in trouble, especially in the#MeToo era which has already torpedoed the careersof several US politicians, including the former Democratsenator Al Franken. Senators Amy Klobuchar andElizabeth Warren, who are also running for president,both said Flores’ account should be regarded as credi-ble while another Democratic candidate, formerColorado governor John Hickenlooper, said it was “verydisconcerting”.

Asked if the allegations were disqualifying, BernieSanders - who is running second to Biden in the opinionpolls among Democrat supporters - said it was a deci-sion only Biden could make. “I’m not sure that one inci-dent alone disqualifies anybody, but her point isabsolutely right. This is an issue not just for Democratsor Republicans, but the entire country has got to takeseriously,” he told CBS.

Biden has had a reputation in Washington for awk-wardly touching the wives, mothers or daughters of sen-ators during swearing-in ceremonies, and he came undercriticism for massaging the shoulders of new defensesecretary Ash Carter’s wife in 2015. White House advisorKellyanne Conway claimed on Fox News that Biden hada “a big problem,” adding that there was multiple footageof him behaving in a “creepy” way. Trump himself suf-fered a major embarrassment during the 2016 campaignwhen an old recording of him bragging about assaultingwomen was made public although he has since disputedwhether it was actually his voice. — AFP

Biden bids to quell storm over kiss

LAS VEGAS: In this file photo taken on Nov 1, 2014,Nevada Assemblywoman Lucy Flores introduces formerUS Vice President Joe Biden at a get-out-the-vote rallyat a union hall. — AFP

DUBAI: Several Israeli speakers are to appear at abusiness conference in Bahrain next month, a movecondemned by MPs in the tiny Gulf state yesterday.At least three Israeli speakers, including the IsraelInnovation Authority’s deputy chief Anya Eldan, arescheduled to speak at the Global EntrepreneurshipCongress in Manama, according to the forum’s web-site. Members of parliament said Sunday they wereagainst hosting Israeli speakers in Bahrain, which -like most Arab states - does not recognize theJewish state.

“Parliament stresses its support for the just causeof the brotherly Palestinian people, and it will remaina priority for the Bahraini and Arab people,” it said ina statement published on its official Facebook page.“The end of the Israeli occupation and the withdraw-

al from all Arab land is an absolute necessity for thestability and security of the region and for a fair andcomprehensive peace.”

Officially, Israel only has diplomatic relations withtwo Arab states, neighboring Egypt and Jordan. TheJewish state has long faced resistance to its efforts toimprove ties with Arab nations because of its 50-year occupation of Arab territories. It has, however,recently seen increased behind-the-scenes coopera-tion with some Arab countries, particularly in tack-ling their shared enemy, Iran.

Bahrain’s foreign minister, Sheikh Khalid Al-Khalifa, last year backed Israel’s right to “defenditself” after its military said it struck dozens ofIranian military targets in Syria. He said Iran had“breached the status quo in the region and invadedcountries with its forces and missiles”. “Any state inthe region, including Israel, is entitled to defend itselfby destroying sources of danger,” he wrote onTwitter. Also in 2018, Bahrain hosted a UNESCOconference attended by an Israeli delegation. — AFP

Israelis to speak at Bahrain forum

TUNIS: (From left) EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini, Chairpersonof the African Union Commission Moussa Faki and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres listen as delegatesaddress the opening session of the 30th Arab League summit yesterday. — AFP

Park In-beebirdies 18 toseize LPGA Kia Classic leadLOS ANGELES: South Korean Park In-bee drained a long birdie putt at the 18thhole on Saturday to grab a one-shot leadover Japan’s Nasa Hataoka in the LPGAKia Classic. Park, a seven-time majorchampion seeking to end a year-longtitle drought, carded her second straightfive-under par 67 at Aviara Golf Club inCarlsbad, California.

Her 14-under par total of 202 put herone in front of Hataoka, who had eightbirdies without a bogey in her 64 for203. Park, seeking a 20th LPGA title inthis last event before the first major ofthe year, the ANA Inspiration, said thekey to her round was “a combination ofconsistency and the putting.”

“I holed some good putts, especiallyon the back nine,” she said. “Just the feelon the greens is really good this weekand I really want to keep that goingtomorrow.” Hataoka, 20, is trying to addto the two titles she won last season.

“I started out playing really well,

attacking the pins, and had a lot of parsaves as well, good par saves,” she said,adding that she wanted to take advan-tage of good scoring conditions. SouthKorea’s Hur Mi-jung made the most ofthem, firing a tournament record 62 thatincluded seven of her 10 birdies on theback nine.

“I got goosebumps,” she said. “Soexcited playing the back nine. (I) hadgreat shots and great putts and madeseven birdies in a row.” Her sparklingeffort left her tied with world numberone Park Sung-Hyun (71) on 205 — astroke behind Thailand’s ThidapaSuwannapura.

Thidapa, tied for the overnight leadwith Park Sung-hyun, carded a 70 whilethe South Korean posted a 71 — bounc-ing back from a double-bogey and twobogeys in her first six holes with sixbirdies before a bogey at the last.

Earlier, Sergio Garcia blundered witha hasty stroke Saturday to lose a hole infalling to Matt Kuchar at the WGCMatch Play Championship, then askedhis US rival to surrender a hole. The oddsituation came in Kuchar’s 2-up victoryover Spain’s Garcia in a quarter-finalmatch at Austin (Texas) Country Club.

Garcia missed a seven-foot par puttat the par-3 seventh hole, his ball an inchfrom the cup, set for Kuchar to concedeand halve the hole. But an irked Garciafollowed his shot by quickly brushing the

ball and it lipped out, all of it beforeKuchar could concede the putt and as aresult, Garcia lost the hole.

That led to tense moments for theremainder of the match, notably anexchange between the two on the 10thhole which Kuchar later said was the twogetting “on the same page.” “I said,‘Sergio, I didn’t say anything. I’m notsure how this works out,’” Kuchar said.“I didn’t want that to be an issue... Sergiosaid totally his mistake. He knew he

made a mistake.” But when Kucharadded, “I didn’t want that to be how ahole was won or lost,” Garcia replied,“Well, you can concede a hole.” “Ithought about it and said I don’t like thatidea, either,” Kuchar said.

Garcia, who was disqualified from theSaudi Arabia International in Februaryafter damaging several greens in frustra-tion, admitted his blunder after thematch, which he took to the 18th holebefore being eliminated. — AFP

NEW YORK: Anthony Beauvillier scored twiceSaturday night for the New York Islanders, who cappedone of the most remarkable stories of the NHL regularseason by clinching a playoff berth with a 5-1 win overthe visiting Buffalo Sabres. Jordan Eberle, Michael DalColle and Ryan Pulock also scored for the Islanders(46-26-7), who will return to the playoffs for the firsttime since 2016 thanks to a raucous victory in a buildingthey thought they’d left in the spring of 2015. TheIslanders moved from Nassau Coliseum to Brooklyn’sBarclays Center following the 2014-15 season but begansplitting their home schedule between the two arenasthis season as they wait for construction to begin on aproposed hockey-only building at the Nassau/Queensborder. The Islanders are 12-6-2 at the Coliseum andwill close out their home schedule there Monday. Theywill be hosting the Toronto Maple Leafs and formerteammate John Tavares in the home finale. All first-round home games will be played at the Coliseum.Should New York advance, it will head back to BarclaysCenter for home games in subsequent rounds.

KINGS 3, BLACKHAWKS 2 (OT)Drew Doughty scored with 12 seconds remaining in

overtime as Los Angeles dealt a major blow to visitingChicago’s fading playoff chances. Playing with a one-man advantage after a late penalty by the Blackhawks’Jonathan Toews, Doughty powered in his game-winnerfrom the top of the right circle and through Chicagogoaltender Corey Crawford. It was Doughty’s seventhgoal of the season. Austin Wagner and Michael Amadioalso scored for the Kings. Amadio’s goal with just overfour minutes remaining in regulation sent the game intoovertime.

HURRICANES 5, FLYERS 2Carolina scored twice on power plays in a victory in

Raleigh, N.C., which eliminated Philadelphia from play-off contention. Teuvo Teravainen, Dougie Hamilton,Justin Faulk, Jaccob Slavin and Brock McGinn scored forthe Hurricanes, who strengthened their hold on the top

Eastern Conference wild-card spot. The Hurricanesscored two goals in a 21-second span in the first periodto wipe out a one-goal deficit and later added two emp-ty-net goals.

BLUE JACKETS 5, PREDATORS 2Cam Atkinson scored twice to tie the franchise

record for goals in a season, and Artemi Panarin collect-ed four assists to set a team record for points in a cam-paign as visiting Columbus beat Nashville to remain in aplayoff spot. Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 23 shots for theBlue Jackets (44-30-4, 92 points), who have won fourstraight and are one point back of the Hurricanes for thefirst wild-card spot. Columbus is tied with the MontrealCanadiens, but holds the second wild-card spot with thetiebreaker. Nashville’s two-game winning streak wassnapped on a night the Predators (44-29-6, 94 points)failed to take advantage of an opportunity to claim thetop spot in the Central Division.

CANADIENS 3, JETS 1Joel Armia, Jeff Petry and Jordan Weal all scored as

visiting Montreal held on to claim a win over Winnipegthat was crucial to their playoff hopes. Montreal goalieCarey Price stopped 23 shots in a victory that keeps histeam in the thick of the playoff race, along with fellowwild-card candidates Carolina and Columbus. Montreal(42-29-8, 92 points) is on a 5-1-1 roll, though theCanadiens have one fewer game remaining than theHurricanes and Blue Jackets.

SENATORS 4, MAPLE LEAFS 2Anthony Duclair scored twice, including an empty-

netter, as Ottawa defeated visiting Toronto, whichmissed a chance to clinch a playoff berth. CraigAnderson made 42 saves for the last-place Senators,who improved to 6-7-1 under interim coach MarcCrawford. Magnus Paajarvi and Cody Ceci also scoredfor Ottawa, which took a 2-0 lead into the third periodbefore the Maple Leafs tied it with goals 27 secondsapart. Brady Tkachuk and Colin White each had two

assists for the Senators.

CAPITALS 6, LIGHTNING 3Alex Ovechkin scored twice to eclipse the 50-goal

mark, and Nicklas Backstrom and T.J. Oshie each hadtwo goals and an assist as visiting Washington beatTampa Bay. Ovechkin scored from the low slot at 14:35of the third period, marking the eighth time he has

reached the 50-goal milestone, and his 51st came lessthan two minutes later on the power play. Only WayneGretzky and Mike Bossy, each with nine, have more 50-goal seasons. Goaltender Braden Holtby stopped 25shots to win his 31st game for the Capitals, who havewon 14 of their last 19 and salvaged the final meeting inthe three-game season series (1-1-1) over 15 daysagainst Tampa Bay. —Reuters

S p o r t s Monday, April 1, 2019

25

NY Islanders down Buffalo Sabres, clinch playoff berth

Kings’ OT win dims Blackhawks’ playoff hopes

Established 1961

UNIONDALE: Mathew Barzal #13 of the New York Islanders runs into linesman Steve Barton #59 during the game againstthe Buffalo Sabres at NYCB Live’s Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale, New York. The Islanders defeated the Sabres 5-1 toqualify for the playoffs. — AFP

Tiger loses to Bjerregaard in WGC Match Play quarter-finalWASHINGTON: Tiger Woods won a dramaticmorning showdown with Rory McIlroy only to beupset by Denmark’s Lucas Bjerregaard inSaturday’s quarter-finals of the WGC Match PlayChampionship.

Woods, a 14-time major champion seeking afourth WGC Match Play title, defeated McIlroy2&1 in a morning knockout match only to fall 1-upto the 50th-seeded Dane, dropping the 18th holewhen he missed a four-foot par putt.

“We read it inside left center and it went left,”Woods said. “It was just one of those weird spots.It’s match play. They are going to put the pins indifficult spots and we just have to make the shots.”

Bjerregaard, who will face US 23rd seed MattKuchar in a semi-final, marveled at his achievementand the crowds Woods drew to Austin (Texas)Country Club. “We had a great match. It’s a shameit had to end like this,” Bjerregaard said. “I enjoyedplaying with him. It was a cool experience. To sayI’ve beaten Tiger, it’s right up there.

“It’s so different to what I’ve ever experiencedbefore. I’ve never heard so many yells, his name allthe way around. It was really enjoyable but it mustbe hard to do that every day.” Italy’s FrancescoMolinari, the highest remaining seed at seventh,will meet US 48th seed Kevin Kisner, last year’srunner-up to Bubba Watson, in Sunday’s othermorning semi-final to set up an 18-hole afternoonchampionship final.

Bjerregaard, who also ousted Sweden’s HenrikStenson 3&2, opened with a 5-foot birdie then ral-lied after Woods answered with three consecutivebirdies. A bogey was enough for Woods to win thepar-3 11th for a 1-up lead. Both birdied 12 and 13,then Bjerregaard missed long birdie putts to halve14 and 15. Bjerregaard sank a 29-foot eagle putt atthe par-5 16th to level the match, then drained a13-footer for birdie at the par-3 17th, forcingWoods to sink a tense six-footer for birdie to staylevel as they reached the 18th.

“His ball flight was low and in these conditionsthat was advantageous,” Woods said. Woodschipped into a bunker but blasted out and, afterBjerregaard missed a birdie putt to win, the 43-year-old American lipped out his last putt.

Woods, the 13th seed, never trailed in taking fulladvantage of McIlroy’s struggles with the putterand a double-bogey disaster at the 16th hole asspectators roared. “It was big for us inside theropes too,” Woods said. “It was fun for us. We bat-tled hard against each other. I was fortunate tocome out on top.”

McIlroy, who had dropped only three holes inthree matches, was 3-down after 10 against Woodsbut birdied to win 12 and 13 and looked to win 16after Woods buried his tee shot under a bunker lip.

Instead, McIlroy followed a mammoth tee shotby finding a right rough slope, chipping over thegreen against a boundary mark, chipping againinto a bunker and blasting out to two feet beforesurrendering the hole. — AFP

CARLSBAD: Park In-bee of Korea hits her tee shot on the fourth hole during the thirdround of the Kia Classic at the Aviara Golf Club in Carlsbad, California. -—AFP

Gvozdyk retainsWBC light heavyweight title as Ngumbu hurtWASHINGTON: Unbeaten OleksandrGvozdyk retained his World Boxing Councillight heavyweight title Saturday with a fifth-round technical knockout of Doudou Ngumbu,who was halted by a right leg injury.

Ukraine’s Gvozdyk, making his first defenseof a title he won with a devastating knockoutof Adonis Stevenson in December, improved to17-0 with 14 knockouts. Although Gvozdykhad some trouble with Ngumbu’s awkward

style, he connected with a hard right in the firstround and a left hook in the fourth.

The champion was leading on the cardswhen the proceedings at the 2300 Arena inSouth Philadelphia came to an anti-climacticending as Congolese-born French fighterNgumbu suddenly pulled back in the fifthround and limped into a corner.

The bout was paused for a few minutesbefore referee Eric Dali finally called a halt at58 seconds of the fifth round. A distraughtNgumbu, his first world title challenge in ruins,wept in his corner after falling to 38-9 with 14knockouts. “It definitely didn’t happen what Iexpected and wasn’t what he expected,”Gvozdyk said. “I just tried to do my best. Idon’t know what happened actually.”

Gvozdyk’s previous fight against Stevensonhad near-tragic consequences as the 31-year-old Canadian, who was making his 10th titledefense, suffered traumatic brain injury andwas in a coma for several weeks. —AFP

Lopez wins Tour of CataloniaBARCELONA: Colombian Miguel Angel Lopez of the Astanateam withstood a late attack by Briton Adam Yates to claim vic-tory in the Tour of Catalonia yesterday. Lopez went into the sev-enth and final stage with a 14sec overnight lead over Mitchelton-Scott rider Yates, who eventually finished second ahead of twomore Colombians in Egan Bernal (Team Sky) and Nairo Quintana(Movistar Team).

The stage, a hilly 143km ride that started and ended inBarcelona with the biggest climb an ascent up the 485m Creud’Ordal, was won by Italian Davide Formolo of the Bora-Hansgrohe team. The day’s racing was marred, however, by aheavy crash of around 20 riders. Romain Bardet, Simon Geschkeand Gari Bravo were all taken to hospital for treatment, whileMarc Soler also pulled out.

Results from yesterday’s seventh and final stage of the Tour ofCatalonia

1. Davide Formolo (ITA/BOR) 3hr 19min 41sec, 2. EnricMas (ESP/DEC) at 51sec, 3. Maximilian Schachmann (GER/BOR)53, 4. Dion Smith (NZL/MIT) 55, 5. Alejandro Valverde(ESP/MOV) 55, 6. Egan Bernal (COL/SKY) 55, 7. Adam Yates(GBR/MIT) 55, 8. Nairo Quintana (COL/MOV) 55, 9. StevenKruijswijk (NED/JUM) 55, 10. Michael Woods (CAN/EF1) 55

Overall standings1. Miguel Angel Lopez (COL/Astana) 29hr 14min 17sec, 2. Adam

Yates (GBR/MIT) at 14sec, 3. Egan Bernal (COL/SKY) 17, 4. NairoQuintana (COL/MOV) 25, 5. Steven Kruijswijk (NED/JUM) 56, 6.Michael Woods (CAN/EF1) 1:42, 7. Rafal Majka (POL/BOR) 2:27,8. Guillaume Martin (FRA/WGG) 2:41, 9. Enric Mas (ESP/DEC)2:49, 10. Alejandro Valverde (ESP/MOV) 3:02. — AFP Oleksandr Gvozdyk

Ashes rivals Warner and Bairstow combine in IPLrecord standBANGALORE: David Warner and Jonny Bairstow set arecord for the highest opening stand in the IndianPremier League (IPL), with both players notching cen-turies for Sunrisers Hyderabad yesterday. Warner andBairstow put on 185 in just 16.2 overs in a 118-run victo-ry over Virat Kohli’s Royal Challengers Bangalore, sur-passing Gautam Gambhir and Chris Lynn’s openingstand of 184 against Gujarat Lions in the 2017 season.

Former Australia vice-captain Warner is fighting for aspot in their World Cup squad after completing a 12-month suspension for his involvement in the ball-tam-pering scandal in Cape Town last year. The 32-year-oldshowed he has lost none of his power-hitting ability ashe finished unbeaten on 100 from 55 balls, which includ-ed five fours and five sixes.

Warner was playing the anchor role, while Bairstowstepped up the scoring rate to belt 114 from 56 deliver-ies, before falling to Indian leg-spinner YuzvendraChahal. England opener Bairstow smashed 12 fours andseven sixes for his second-ever Twenty20 hundred,while Warner recorded his third consecutive 50-plusscore to top the IPL scoring charts this season.

“He’s great fun, just going ahead with hitting the ball,”Bairstow said of Warner after Hyderabad finished with231-2. “It’s fantastic to bat in the middle with him.”

With the colossal partnership in Hyderabad, Warnerand Bairstow also became the first pair to make threeconsecutive 100-run partnerships in the IPL. “Must sayeverything about their partnership has been extraordi-nary. Some serious shots and hard running between thewickets in this heat. Truly remarkable,” Indian battinggreat Sachin Tendulkar said on Twitter.

Chasing 232 to win, Bangalore lost five wickets for

just 30 runs, including captain Kohli and South Africantalisman AB de Villiers. Afghanistan off-spinnerMohammad Nabi finished with four wickets forHyderabad as the hosts clinched a convincing victory.

Earlier, South Africa fast bowler Kagiso Rabada wasin his shorts and relaxing in the dressing room beforebeing forced to make a quick transition and conjure uphis lethal yorkers for the Delhi Capitals in their pulsatingSuper Over win.

The Delhi side, coached by Australia’s World Cupwinning captain Ricky Ponting, needed 18 off threeovers against the Kolkata Knight Riders to win theirIndian Premier League Twenty match but spectacularlyfluffed the chase.

Opening batsman Prithvi Shaw, 19, had made the

chase of 186 appear easy but his dismissal on 99 in thepenultimate over derailed Delhi who ended up tied withKolkata’s score needing the Super Over to decide thewinner. Kolkata fast bowler M. Prasidh Krishna conced-ed 10 in the Super Over, leaving the marauding AndreRussell, who scored 62 off 28 balls in the team’s inningsof 185-8, with a relatively simple task.

But Rabada had other plans as he produced immacu-late precision with his yorkers to give away just sevenand give Delhi their second win in three matches.

“I was sort of sitting around in my shorts... I was sittingupstairs with Shikhar Dhawan and we were having achat,” Rabada told reporters. “We thought this game isours but they say cricket’s a funny game. I said to Shikhar‘let’s go downstairs, let’s go support the boys.’ — Reuters

HOUSTON: James Harden recorded a 50-point triple-double, and the Houston Rockets fended off the hot-shooting Sacramento Kings for a 119-108 victory onSaturday at Toyota Center. Harden posted his ninth 50-point game on the season while producing 50 points, 11rebounds and 10 assists. With the Rockets clinging to a101-100 lead midway through the fourth quarter,Harden sank three free throws, converted back-to-backfloaters, and added a 3-pointer to extend the advan-tage to 111-102. Harden reached 50 points with twofree throws with 48.8 seconds remaining. The 50-pointtriple-double was the fifth of his career. Clint Capelaadded 24 points and 15 rebounds, while Chris Paulchipped in 22 points and five assists for the Rockets.The Kings were officially eliminated from playoff con-tention after going 0 for 5 from behind the arc in thefourth quarter. The Kings entered the period 15 of 24on 3s. Bogdan Bogdanovic paced the Kings with 24points off the bench, while Buddy Hield added 21 pointsand De’Aaron Fox paired 18 points with 10 assists.

MAGIC 121, PACERS 116Khem Birch gave visiting Orlando the lead for good

with a dunk in the second minute of the fourth quarteren route to a win over Indiana in an important game forboth teams. A seventh win in their past eight gamesallowed the Magic (38-39) to move within one game of.500 in a tightly bunched group of five teams vying forthe final three playoff spots in the Eastern Conference.Aaron Gordon led the Magic with 23 points, 10rebounds and seven assists, with more than half hispoints coming on four 3-pointers. Darren Collison ledIndiana with 24 points to go with nine assists, andBojan Bogdanovic had 22 points.

GRIZZLIES 120, SUNS 115Jonas Valanciunas scored 14 of his career-best 34

points in the fourth quarter and also collected 20rebounds as Memphis posted a road win over Phoenix.Mike Conley added 33 points for Memphis, which sur-vived 48 points by Phoenix’s Devin Booker. The Suns

star was 19-of-29 shooting while looking for his thirdstraight 50-point game after scoring 59 and 50 in hisprevious two games. Deandre Ayton had 17 points and13 rebounds for the Suns before leaving with a sprainedleft ankle with 3:03 left in the third quarter. The rookiecenter exited shortly after scoring a basket and notice-ably expressed his anguish on the way back upcourt.

76ERS 118, TIMBERWOLVES 109Tobias Harris scored 25 points, and Ben Simmons

had 20 points, 11 rebounds and nine assists to lift visit-ing Philadelphia over Minnesota. Jonah Bolden scored acareer-high 19 points, JJ Redick added 16 and JimmyButler had 12 points and 13 rebounds. Mike Scott alsohad 10 points off the bench. All-Star center Joel Embiidsat out for the Sixers for load management, but theymanaged to win their second in a row. Andrew Wigginspaced the Timberwolves with 24 points, while Karl-Anthony Towns added 21. Gorgui Dieng chipped in 13.

PISTONS 99, TRAIL BLAZERS 90Suddenly short-handed Detroit snapped Portland’s

win streak at six with a home victory. The Pistons, whoimproved to 39-37, have won 11 in a row at home.Detroit won in an unlikely way, losing star forwardBlake Griffin shortly before tipoff and catching fire onlyafter a woeful first half of shooting and offense. ReggieJackson scored a game-high 28 points, and AndreDrummond added 22, to lead Detroit. The Blazers fell to48-28, including 19-19 on the road. Enes Kanter, whohas been starting at center for Portland, had 20 pointsand a team-high 15 rebounds.

NETS 110, CELTICS 96D’Angelo Russell scored 20 of his 29 points in the

third quarter to lead host Brooklyn over short-handedBoston. Russell added 10 assists, Caris LeVert scored15 points and DeMarre Carroll and Joe Harris chippedin 13 each as the Nets put a 2-5 road trip behind themin their first home game since March 11. Brooklyn (39-38) remained in seventh place in the Eastern

Conference. Gordon Hayward had 19 points, andMarcus Morris and Daniel Theis added 16 apiece forthe Celtics, who lost to the Nets for just the secondtime in their last 13 meetings.

HEAT 100, KNICKS 92Dion Waiters had a season-high 28 points and

added six assists as Miami defeated host New York.The Heat (38-38), who have a tenuous hold on theeighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference,won their second straight game and reached .500 forthe first time since Jan. 27. Miami got double-doublesfrom Goran Dragic (10 points, 10 assists), Kelly Olynyk(12 points, 11 rebounds) and Hassan Whiteside (17

points, 13 rebounds). New York’s leading scorers wereEmmanuel Mudiay (24 points), Luke Kornet (17) andKevin Knox (16).

CLIPPERS 132, CAVALIERS 108Montrezl Harrell scored 23 points off the bench as host

Los Angeles recorded its 12th win in 14 outings bydefeating Cleveland. Harrell shot 10 of 13 from the floor,and rookie Shai Gilgeous-Alexander went 9 of 12 to finishwith 22 points for the Clippers (46-31), who also posted a110-108 victory over Cleveland on March 22. JordanClarkson scored 26 points on 11-of-16 shooting from thefloor, and rookie Collin Sexton added 21 for the Cavaliers(19-58), who fell to 6-32 on the road. — Reuters

S p o r t s Monday, April 1, 2019

26 Established 1961

Harden hits 50, posts triple-double as Rockets trip Kings 119-108

HOUSTON: Chris Paul #3 of the Houston Rockets shoots the ball against the Sacramento Kings at the ToyotaCenter in Houston, Texas. — AFP

Australia bowlers deny report of Warner riftMELBOURNE: Australia’s four frontlinebowlers, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, PatCummins and Nathan Lyon, have denied amedia report they were prepared to boycottlast year’s fourth test against South Africa ifDavid Warner was picked for the match.

Vice captain Warner was suspended for thematch in the immediate aftermath of a ball-tampering scandal in the third test in CapeTown, which resulted in a 12-month ban forthe opening batsman and captain Steve Smith.

Local media, however, reported onThursday that the bowlers had consideredboycotting the match if Warner, who wasidentified as the instigator of the plot forCameron Bancroft to scuff up the ball withsandpaper, was selected.

“We are extremely disappointed in an arti-cle (that) claims we intended to withdrawfrom the fourth test during last year’s tour ofSouth Africa had David Warner been free toplay,” the four bowlers said in a CricketAustralia statement yesterday.

“This claim is disappointing on a numberof fronts but most importantly because it isfalse. “As a team we are all focused on mov-ing forward together and helping theAustralian men’s team prepare for the WorldCup and the Ashes.”

The statement is the latest episode in thelong-running scandal, which forced CricketAustralia into a major overhaul of its organi-sational culture and administration after adamning review labelled it as ‘arrogant’which had produced a ‘win-at-all-costs’mentality in the team.

That hyper-aggressive mindset has disap-peared under current test captain Tim Paineand his one-day counterpart Aaron Finch, butthe board are keen on ushering Warner andSmith - their bans ended on Thursday - backinto the side as quickly as possible.

CA have attempted to smooth the pair’sreturn to the national side and published acurated video on their website earlier thismonth in which they reunited with the team inthe United Arab Emirates ahead of the one-day series against Pakistan.

While pundits have questioned whether theplaying group are accepting of their return,many have said they would be welcomed backif selected for the May 30-July 14 World Cupin England and Wales and the Ashes seriesthat follows.

Both Warner and Smith are currently play-ing in the Indian Premier League Twenty20competition, while Finch’s side finish theirfive-match one-day series against Pakistanlater in Dubai. They already hold a 4-0 advan-tage and have now won their last seven one-day internationals in succession. —Reuters

Grizzlies edge Suns despite Booker’s 48 points

Sri Lankan Test captain arrested COLOMBO: Sri Lankan Test cricket captainDimuth Karunaratne has been arrested and chargedwith driving under the influence of alcohol after anaccident in the capital, police said yesterday.Karunaratne, 30, was taken into custody followingthe pre-dawn accident that resulted in the driver ofa three-wheel taxi being taken to hospital.

“We have released him on personal bail, but hewas asked to be in court today for a magisterialinquiry,” a police spokesman said, adding that hisvehicle was detained. The incident comes as SriLankan cricket officials mull who to name as captainof the one-day squad for the World Cup hosted byEngland and Wales from May 30.

Karunaratne, who led Sri Lanka to a stunningTest series victory against South Africa last month,had been in the frame to lead the one-day side aswell. Sri Lanka’s cricket board said it would investi-gate the incident.

“Sri Lanka Cricket will also follow the dueprocess as per his ‘Player Contractual Obligation’ ...and conduct an inquiry in order to take necessaryaction,” the board said in a statement. — AFP

BANGALORE: Sunrisers Hyderabad cricketer Jonny Bairstow (R) celebrates with his teammate David Warner (L)after scoring century (100 runs) during the 2019 Indian Premier League (IPL) Twenty20 cricket match betweenSunrisers Hyderabad and Royal Challengers Bangalore at The Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium. —AFP

Chiefs pull off dramatic late win over JaguaresBUENOS AIRES: Waikato Chiefs continued theirSuper Rugby revival after a horror start to the seasonwith a dramatic 30-27 win over Argentina’s Jaguaresin Buenos Aires on Saturday. Two substitutes com-bined to snatch the match-winning try for the NewZealanders on 78 minutes with loose forward TaleniSeu breaking from a scrum and sending scrum-half TeToiroa Tahuriorangi over.

Full-back Damian McKenzie raised his matchpoints tally to 20 by converting from near the touch-line to give the Chiefs a three-point advantage whichthey defended until full-time. It was the second awayvictory in a row for the Chiefs after losing their firstfour matches in the 15-team southern hemispherechampionship.

A draw with fel low Kiwis the WellingtonHurricanes stopped the rot before they humiliated theNorthern Bulls 56-20 in South Africa last weekend.Victory in Argentina lifted the Chiefs four places fromlast to 11th in the combined standings while theJaguares remained 14th and the Tokyo-based

Sunwolves fell to the bottom.This was the third match between the teams and all

have been close encounters won by the away sidewith Chiefs 30-26 victors in 2016 and Jaguares 23-19winners last season. “It was bitterly disappointing tobe beaten at home after leading by four points withjust a couple of minutes remaining,” admittedJaguares captain and centre Jeronimo de la Fuente.

“Losing three matches in a row is not a nice situa-tion to be in and now we travel to South Africa for thesecond time this season, to face the Bulls in Pretoria.”The Chiefs survived early pressure to dominate theopening half and build a 17-6 half-time advantage ona perfect night for rugby at Estadio Jose Amalfitani inthe Argentine capital.

A McKenzie penalty three minutes into the secondhalf stretched the lead to 14 points before theJaguares took control and scored two converted triesto draw level. Full-back Joaquin Tuculet scored thefirst after a millimetre-perfect cross-field kick by fly-half Joaquin Diaz Bonilla and loose forward PabloMatera the second.

Another McKenzie penalty put the Chiefs aheadagain only for Matias Orlando to score a try for theJaguares which fellow substitute Santiago GonzalezIglesias converted.

Trailing 27-23, the Chiefs established a footholddeep in Jaguares territory and almost scored severaltimes before Tahuriorangi darted over for the deci-sive try. — AFP

S p o r t s Monday, April 1, 2019

27

Matches on TV (Local Timings)

ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUEArsenal FC v Newcastle United FC 22:00beIN SPORTS HD 2

Harper launches first Phillies home runs in win over Braves

PHILADELPHIA: High-priced offseason acquisitionsBryce Harper and J.T. Realmuto hit their first home runsfor Philadelphia and sparked the Phillies to an 8-6 winover the visiting Atlanta Braves on Saturday.

Realmuto ripped a two-run shot into the center fieldbleachers that put the Phillies ahead to stay in the fifthinning, and Harper hammered a 465-foot solo homer inthe seventh. Maikel Franco was 2-for-3 with three RBIsand homered for the second straight game. The winningpitcher was Adam Morgan (1-0), who retired the onlybatter he faced in the fifth. The losing pitcher was rook-ie Wes Parsons (0-1), who surrendered the homer toRealmuto. Atlanta’s offense was paced by FreddieFreeman, who went 4-for-5 with two doubles and twoRBIs. Dansby Swanson and Charlie Culberson each hittwo-run homers, their first of the year.

DODGERS 18, DIAMONDBACKS 5Cody Bellinger hit two home runs, and Joc Pederson

reached base six times, while Kenta Maeda pitched 62/3 much-needed innings, as host Los Angeles shookoff the effects of a 13-inning loss on Friday to defeatArizona. Pederson and Austin Barnes also hit home runsas the Dodgers scored in double digits for the secondtime in three games. Pederson and Bellinger each havethree home runs in the first three games. Jarrod Dyson,Alex Avila, Adam Jones and David Peralta all hit homeruns for the Diamondbacks. Dodgers catcher RussellMartin pitched a scoreless inning, and Diamondbackscatcher John Ryan Murphy pitched the final twoinnings, giving up seven runs on eight hits. Maeda (1-0)allowed three runs and five hits with two walks and sixstrikeouts.

MARINERS 6, RED SOX 5Jay Bruce hit a three-run homer, and right-hander

Mike Leake (1-0) pitched six strong innings to helphost Seattle defeat Boston. Trailing 6-2, the Red Soxscored three times in the ninth on errors-two throwingerrors and one fielding error-on three consecutiveplays by rookie third baseman Dylan Moore. With clos-er Hunter Strickland injured, Mariners right-handerNick Rumbelow caught Xander Bogaerts looking toend the game and record his first career save. Leake

allowed two runs on seven hits, with two walks and sev-en strikeouts. He walked two and struck out seven.

ORIOLES 5, YANKEES 3Jesus Sucre tied a career high with three RBIs, Mike

Wright recorded his first career save and BrandonHyde picked up his first managerial win as Baltimoreheld on at Yankee Stadium. Baltimore’s JimmyYacabonis (1-0) worked three innings, following “open-er” Nick Karns. Yacabonis gave up one run and threehits with two walks and two strikeouts. James Paxton(0-1) gave up two runs (one earned) and four hits in 52/3 innings for the Yankees. He struck out five andwalked one. Troy Tulowitzki hit his first home run forNew York in the bottom of the ninth, when the Yankeesscored twice but fell short.

METS 11, NATIONALS 8J.D. Davis lined a two-run single with the bases

loaded to snap a tie in the eighth, and Jeff McNeil hadfour hits and drove in two runs as New York won atWashington. The Nationals scored four in the ninth,including a three-run double by Ryan Zimmerman withtwo outs, before Edwin Diaz entered the game and gotthe last out by retiring Kurt Suzuki for his second saveof the season. The winning pitcher was Justin Wilson (1-0), who pitched a scoreless bottom of the seventh.Trevor Rosenthal (0-1) gave up the hit to Davis anddidn’t record an out, allowing four runs on three hitsand a walk.

RANGERS 8, CUBS 6Texas slugger Joey Gallo crushed a go-ahead three-

run homer 433 feet, and host Texas scored a combinedfive runs in the seventh and eighth innings come frombehind and knock off Chicago. Asdrubal Cabrera hadthree hits, including a home run, and drove in two runsfor the Rangers. Kyle Schwarber had three hits includ-ing a home run and drove in two runs for the Cubs, andWillson Contreras also had three hits and two RBIs.Reliever Shawn Kelly (1-0) got the win, pitching 1 1/3scoreless innings, and Jose Leclerc picked up his firstsave. Cubs reliever Carl Edwards Jr. (0-1) didn’t retire abatter, allowing three runs on two hits and two walks.

BREWERS 4, CARDINALS 2Christian Yelich set a franchise record by homering

for the third consecutive game to open the season, andhost Milwaukee held on to beat St. Louis. Travis Shawand Mike Moustakas also homered for Milwaukee.Yelich, the reigning National League Most ValuablePlayer, has three homers in his first 10 at-bats. KoltenWong went 3-for-3 with a double and an RBI to leadSt. Louis at the plate. Brewers right-hander BrandonWoodruff (1-0) limited the Cardinals to two runs on sixhits in five innings. Cardinals right-hander DakotaHudson (0-1) drew the loss in his first career start. Hesurrendered four runs (three earned) on seven hits in 4

1/3 innings. He walked two and fanned six.

RAYS 3, ASTROS 1Tyler Glasnow, who went 0-5 with a 10.38 ERA dur-

ing spring training, allowed one run and six hits over fiveinnings, and host Tampa Bay defeated Houston. Glasnow(1-0) gave up a solo home run to Alex Bregman in thefirst inning before the 6-foot-8 right-hander blankedHouston over the next four. Michael Perez had two hits,a run scored and an RBI in the No. 9 spot to lead theTampa Bay offense. Astros starter Collin McHugh (0-1)allowed two runs and three hits over five innings, strik-ing out nine and walking one. —Reuters

PHILADELPHIA: Jean Segura #2 of the Philadelphia Phillies is tagged out by Josh Donaldson #20 of theAtlanta Braves at third base on a tag up from second base in the bottom of the first at Citizens BankPark in Philadelphia.— AFP

Dodgers continue power play in 18-5 win over D-backs

LONDON: Unai Emery has challenged Denis Suarez tofinally make an impact as Arsenal bid to climb back intothe Premier League’s top four against Newcastle today.Suarez has struggled since his January loan move fromBarcelona and the Spanish midfielder is yet to make acompetitive start for the Gunners.

But a series of impressive displays at Arsenal’s recenttraining camp in Dubai could have earned the 25-year-olda chance to shine when Newcastle visit the EmiratesStadium. Suarez played the full 90 minutes and created agoal for Carl Jenkinson in Arsenal 3-2 friendly victory overAl Nasr.

With Granit Xhaka facing a late fitness test and LucasTorreira suspended, Arsenal boss Emery is encouraged bySuarez’s timely improvement. “He is okay for starting inthe first XI, to give us this impact,” Emery said.

“We are going to need everybody, every player for thenext matches. “We decided to go away to train for fourdays and play a match in Dubai. But it’s the same idea, thesame spirit.” Emery was keen to work with Suarez againafter signing on loan at Sevilla in 2014-15.

Asked about the time it had taken Suarez to settle innorth London, Emery added: “It’s normal. Now we have alot of players ready, with a big mentality and with a bigperformance to play and help us.”

Beating Newcastle would give Arsenal a 10th succes-sive home league win, equalling a run they last enjoyed inthe 1997-98 season in Arsene Wenger’s first full campaignas manager. A victory is essential after Arsenal dropped tofifth place on Saturday as a result of Manchester United’s2-1 win over Watford.

Emery’s men are one point behind United and can’tafford to drop points as they battle to qualify for next sea-son’s Champions League via a top four finish or winningthe Europa League. With so much at stake, Emery is nerv-ously monitoring Arsenal’s fitness updates.

“We trained on Friday morning and some players wererested to give them one day more before training with uson Saturday,” Emery said. “That’s Aaron Ramsey, DinosMavropanos. But they can be okay and ready for today.

“Xhaka also rested and we are going to wait forSaturday and Sunday. But the first previews from the doc-tor’s analysis is that they can be okay to play on Monday.”

Newcastle manager Rafael Benitez has warned his play-ers not to ease up as the inch closer to guaranteeing theirsafety. The Magpies are seven points above the bottomthree and their 35-point total is just three short of the num-ber Benitez believes will be enough to stay up. Newcastlehave lost only one of their last six league games, butBenitez is taking nothing for granted. “If you see whatArsenal are doing, they are doing really well, so we cannotexpect that it will be an easy game,” he said.—AFP

Emery urges Suarezto take his chance as Arsenal climbback to top four

LONDON: Phil Jones has saluted Ole GunnarSolskjaer as a “breath of fresh air” after ManchesterUnited made a winning start to the manager’s perma-nent reign. Solskjaer was handed a three-year contractlast week after a successful spell as interim boss sinceDecember.

The former United striker’s astute leadership hasrevived a club in turmoil during his predecessor Jose

Mourinho’s reign. Fan favourite Solskjaer has ledUnited into the Premier League’s top four and theChampions League quarter-finals.

There was a celebratory atmosphere ahead ofWatford’s visit to Old Trafford on Saturday. ThenMarcus Rashford and Anthony Martial goals sealed anarrow 2-1 win. Solskjaer knows it was a “sloppy” dis-play and Jones accepts it was far from United’s best,but the long-serving defender is excited for the futureand loving life under the Norwegian.

“The lads are buzzing. He’s come in, he’s been abreath of fresh air for us. He’s put arms around theshoulders of people who needed it,” Jones said. “Hisman management skills are terrific and he’s definitelywhat we need going forward. Everyone can see that hehas laid foundations.

“The fans, the media, everyone can see what he’s

done and how he wants to play since he has come, andwe’ve shown that in quite a few games. “It’s positive,we’re looking forward and we’re pleased with theresult.” With a remarkable 35 points since Solskjaer’sarrival from Molde, United are the Premier League’sform-team even though the title remains out of reachfor this season at least. Asked what United’s blisteringrun will do for their trophy chances in the Solskjaerera, Jones said: “I don’t think we’re far away.

“Obviously we had a poor start to the season. It’ssort of like a story of two halves of the season, really.“He’s come in and done a terrific job. I’m delighted he’shere now and we can move forward and progressunder him. “That’s the vision for the players, the staff,the fans, everyone involved in this football club, to wintrophies. “It’s a wonderful place to play football andthat’s where we want to get back to.” — AFP

Solskjaer is a breath of fresh air for United, says Jones

MILAN: Rising teenage star Moise Kean stepped up inthe absence of Cristiano Ronaldo to rescue a 1-0 win forJuventus against lowly Empoli on Saturday as the champi-ons opened up an 18-point lead at the top of Serie A.

The 19-year-old-who burst into the limelight duringItaly’s opening Euro 2020 qualifiers-came on as a substi-tute in Turin and three minutes later scored his thirdleague goal of the season after his double against Udineseearlier this month.

“I am neither (Lionel) Messi nor Cristiano but one day Ihope to become like them,” said Kean after Juventus gotback winning after their first league defeat of the season toGenoa before the international break.

Second-placed Napoli travel to Roma on Sunday look-ing to close the gap to 15 points with nine games remain-

ing. Ronaldo had been rested by Juventus against Genoaand the Portuguese star is now recovering from a rightthigh injury picked up on international duty.

Argentina striker Paulo Dybala also pulled up with athigh problem during the warm-up before Saturday’sgame. Coach Massimiliano Allegri said he had wanted toease the pressure on Kean by opting for RodrigoBentancur to replace the Argentine. “Scoring two goals forItaly in as many games, having all that attention, it uses upa lot of energy both physically and mentally,” said Allegri.

“He (Kean) returned from international duty and lookedlike he barely knew where he was.

“He’s got the qualities to be a great player, but so didmany who have lost their way over the years.”

Kean’s form, with goals for Italy against Finland andLiechtenstein, gives Allegri more options ahead of hisside’s Champions League quarter-final against Ajax.

Kean became the second youngest player after MarioBalotelli, aged 18 years and 242 days in 2009, to scoreeight Serie A goals. “I’m ready to pursue new records,” hewarned. “What Mister Allegri says is right: I hope tobecome like the greatest players in the world, throughcommitment and hard work.”

Juventus are without wingers Douglas Costa and JuanCuadrado, with centre-back Andrea Barzagli also outinjured. The seven-time defending champions struggled tobreak down the Tuscans who were targeting a secondstraight win under new coach Aurelio Andreazzoli.— AFP

LOS ANGELES: Sporting Kansas City crushed theMontreal Impact 7-1 on Saturday, Krisztian Nemethscoring a hat trick in the romp that marked the 12thtime in Major League soccer history a team won bysix or more goals.

Nemeth became the first Hungarian to score anMLS hat trick. Johnny Russell scored twice and FelipeGutierrez and Gianluca Busio added a goal apiece.Nemeth and Russell were the beneficiaries of speedyGerso Fernandes’ work in the first half, when Sportingbuilt a 3-0 led.

Fernandes himself had connected 90 seconds intothe game but the goal was ruled offside and it wasRussell who opened the scoring in the 10th minute.Fernandez, harrying the Montreal defense, fedNemeth and Gutierrez for open goals before thebreak. Sporting continued to dominate a Montrealside missing injured Ignacio Piatti and suspendedZakaria Diallo in the second half. Russell scored hissecond of the game in the 50th minute, dribbling pasta defender before beating Evan Bush with a shot inthe opposite corner.

SKC scored its fifth of the game in the 68th minute,when Russell crossed for Nemeth, the latter having notrouble finding the back of the net. Substitute Busio,16, scored a sixth goal for the hosts in the 78th minutewhen he found himself alone in front of Bush afterhaving recovered the ball from a Montreal defender.

Following a turnover in the 84th minute, Nemethcompleted his hat trick to give SKC a 7-0 lead.Finally, in the 89th minute, Saphir Taider scored hisfourth of the season-preventing Kansas City frommatching the largest margin of victory in MLS history.The match in Kansas City wasn’t the only lopsidedcontest of the day. Carlos Vela completed his firstMLS hat trick with a sensational curling second-halfgoal as Los Angeles FC beat the San JoseEarthquakes 5-0.

San Jose keeper Daniel Vega’s frightful clearanceerror paved the way for Vela’s opener. Mexico’s Velaadded a goal in first-half stoppage time, then lofted inhis stunning left-footed shot from outside the area inthe 66th. Former Quake Steven Beitashour and DiegoRossi also scored for LAFC, who remained unbeatenatop the Western Conference standings. — AFP

Sporting Kansas Cityembarrasses Montreal7-1 in MLS clash

Kean steps up in Ronaldo absence to rescue Juventus against Empoli

TURIN: Juventus’ French midfielder Blaise Matuidi (R) holds off Empoli’s Ivorian midfielder Hamed JuniorTraore during the Italian Serie A football match Juventus vs Empoli at the Juventus stadium in Turin. — AFP

SportPark In-bee birdies 18 to seize LPGA Kia Classic lead

Ashes rivals Warner and Bairstow combine in IPL record stand

Kean steps up in Ronaldo absence to rescue Juventus against Empoli2725 26

Established 1961

MONDAY, APRIL 1, 2019

Late goals hand Chelsea thrilling win over unlucky Cardiff

LIVERPOOL: Liverpool’s Dutch defender Virgil van Dijk (L) fails to reach the ball during the English Premier League football match between Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur at Anfield in Liverpool, north west England yesterday. — AFP

LIVERPOOL: A 90th minute own goal fromTottenham defender Toby Alderweireld gaveLiverpool a dramatic 2-1 win to maintain their lead atthe top of the Premier League. Spurs keeper HugoLloris parried out a back post header from MohamedSalah but the ball struck the Belgian central defenderand rolled over the line.

Liverpool are on 79 points with Manchester City,who won at Fulham on Saturday, on 77 points but witha game in hand. Roberto Firmino opened the scoringin the 16th minute getting between the Spurs centraldefenders to meet a perfectly shaped cross from left-back Andy Robertson with a firm header.

Tottenham were well on top after the break howev-er and it was no surprise when they drew level-HarryKane swinging a wonderful cross-field pass to Kieran

Trippier whose low ball was flicked on by ChristianEriksen and Lucas Moura drove home the loose ball.

Spurs could have made it even worse for JuergenKlopp’s side five minutes from the end but MoussaSissoko blasted over at the end of a dangerous count-er-attack. Then came the late winner as Anfield erupt-ed with relief and delight.

Earlier, late goals from Cesar Azpilicueta andRuben Loftus-Cheek helped Chelsea complete athrilling comeback to beat Cardiff City 2-1 away in thePremier League yesterday. With Chelsea heading foran embarrassing defeat against third-bottom Cardiff,their captain Azpilicueta dragged them back into thematch with a headed goal that appeared to be offside.

The visitors then completed the fightback whensubstitute Loftus-Cheek stormed in at the back post

to plant a header in the bottom corner. Maurizo Sarri’sChelsea stayed sixth in the table with 60 points, levelwith fifth-placed Arsenal, who have played a gamefewer, and a point behind Manchester United in fourth.Cardiff’s plight looks increasingly bleak as they arenow five points adrift of the safety zone with sevengames remaining. Chelsea, who started without talis-man Eden Hazard and midfielder N’Golo Kante, strug-gled to create chances and failed to hit a single shoton target in the first half.

Aron Gunnarsson’s long-throws for striker OumarNiasse troubled the Chelsea defence for the majorityof the match and it was key to Cardiff’s breakthroughjust after the interval. The visitors failed to clear thedelivery launched into the box, leaving midfielderHarry Arter to whip the ball back in for Victor

Camarasa, who fired a first-time finish into the topcorner. The hosts had two penalty appeals turneddown, with defender Sean Morrison tugged down byMarcos Alonso and Antonio Rudiger in two separateincidents. “We worked three weeks for this but to getlet down by decisions... no major decisions went forus,” Cardiff manager Neil Warnock said.

“It’s the best league in the world but the worst offi-cials. They don’t understand what is at stake. Theyshouldn’t make mistakes at this level. “My players feellike they have been kicked in the teeth. We’ve beenkicked so many times. I don’t deserve officials like thattoday. There is no excuse for that, it’s criminal.”

Cardiff next face a trip to second-placedManchester City on Wednesday, while Chelsea hostBrighton and Hove Albion. — Reuters

Spurs own goal gives Liverpool vital win

MIAMI: Ashleigh Barty’s transformation is complete after theAustralian defeated Czech fifth seed Karolina Pliskova 7-6(7/1) 6-3 Saturday to win the biggest singles title of hercareer at the WTA Miami Open. The 22-year-old Aussie quittennis five years ago after finding the mental grind of the tourtoo much to bear, turning to professional cricket in a bid tofind sporting happiness.

Barty, however, knew she had the tennis skills to competeat the very top and after returning in February 2016, has tak-en her career to an elite level, culminating in her first-everWTA Premier Mandatory title to follow on from the US Opendoubles crown she won last September.

Barty, a junior Wimbledon winner at age 15, will rise from11th to number nine in the world rankings and become thefirst Australian woman since Sam Stosur in June 2013 to crackthe top 10. “It feels like it’s a long time ago now since I tookthe break and since I came back,” said Barty, who alsoreached the doubles semi-finals at the Hard Rock Stadiumwith Victoria Azarenka.

“It’s been a few years now, but I certainly feel like I’m avery different person. I feel like I’m a more complete player,I’m a better player. “I was an average cricketer and I’m

becoming a better tennis player. “I feel like when I play mybest, I’m good enough to match it with the very best in theworld.” Barty hit 15 aces and 41 winners compared to 22from an out-of-sorts Pliskova. “I had to keep it physical,make as many balls as possible and keep my running shoeson,” Barty said.

Barty’s victory means that for the first time ever there havebeen 14 different winners in 14 WTA events so far this season.Pliskova, who will rise to fourth in the rankings despite a dis-appointing final, badly struggled with her serve and move-ment, off the pace mentally and physically after reaching thequarter-finals or better in her five prior tournaments this year.

“She played well and I was super tired,” said the Czech.“The conditions were different to the night matches I played.For sure I could play better but she went for it in the tie-break. “The first set was key for the match and one I shouldhave won.It was tough to fight in the second.”

The 27-year-old Czech , who beat Barty 6-4, 6-4 in theround of 16 at last year’s US Open, came into the final with 31aces, most in the women’s draw, but she won only 65% ofpoints on her first serve compared to 86% from Barty.

“She served great,” said Pliskova who defeated SimonaHalep in the semi-finals and denied the Romanian the chanceto reclaim the world number one ranking.

When the Australian double faulted at 1-1 to hand Pliskovaan early break, it wasn’t the start Barty sought and moreerrors in the following game allowed Pliskova to extend herlead. Barty then began to settle down and crisply struck aforehand winner to break Pliskova for the first time. The

Aussie started superbly in the tie-breaker, moving 5-1 aheadbefore Pliskova hit long to seal the set for Barty, who brokeearly in the second set to signal it would be her day. “It’s beenan amazing fortnight of tennis and it’s pretty cool to haveplayed a good match on such a big stage. “It was alwaysgoing to be a match of small opportunities so getting the firstset was massive. “There were zero expectations coming intothis tournament, I just saw it as an opportunity to get betterevery day but I have grabbed my chance with both hands. “Iam proud of myself,” she said. — AFP

Barty capture WTA Miami Open title

SAKHIR: World champion Lewis Hamilton wonthe Bahrain Grand Prix yesterday as CharlesLeclerc saw his hopes of a maiden victory shat-tered by his misfiring Ferrari. Hamilton claimedvictory under the safety car in front of Mercedesteammate Valterri Bottas, who won the season-opener in Australia, with pole sitter Leclerc tak-ing third place. Sebastian Vettel, in the secondFerrari, was fifth just behind Max Verstappen in aRed Bull. — AFP

Lewis Hamilton wins Bahrain Grand Prix

MIAMI GARDENS: Ashleigh Barty of Australia poses withthe winner’s trophy after defeating Karolina Pliskova ofthe Czech Republic during the Women’s Final of theMiami Open. — AFP