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WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 16, 2017 THULQADA 24, 1438 AH www.kuwaittimes.net

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Authorities clueless on source of new oil slick

4Abdulredha’s

death a big

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GCC actors 11Dubai magnate

tied to Trump

brand seeks new

ventures abroad 22Facebook

samples China’s

potential with

sneaky app 14Stanton hits

record 43rd

homer, Marlins

beat Giants

Newsi n b r i e f

Basra gov quits, flees to Iran over graft probe

BAGHDAD: The governor of the oil city of Basra hasstepped down and gone to Iran after Iraq’s anti-cor-ruption body began investigating graft allegationsagainst him, people close to him and officials said yes-terday. Majid Al-Nasrawi is the highest ranking publicfigure to come under investigation for alleged corrup-tion since Prime Minister Haider Al-Abadi was electedthree years ago, partly on a pledge to fight graft. Iraq’sIntegrity Commission on Monday evening issued astatement asking the foreign ministry in Baghdad toask Iran to repatriate Nasrawi. A Basra-based politicianclose to Nasrawi said the accusations against Nasrawiwere “politically motivated” by rivals. “He can travelwherever he likes as long as there are no legal obsta-cles,” the politician said, confirming that Nasrawi hadleft for Iran. Oil-rich Iraq ranks 166st out of 176 nationsin Transparency International’s Corruption Index.

Saudi Arabia, Iraq to reopen border

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia and Iraq plan to open the Arar bor-der crossing for trade for the first time since 1990, when itwas closed after the countries cut ties following SaddamHussein’s invasion of Kuwait, Saudi local media reportedyesterday. Saudi and Iraqi officials toured the site onMonday and spoke with Iraqi religious pilgrims, who forthe past 27 years had access to the crossing only onceannually during the hajj season, the Makkah newspaperreported. The governor of Iraq’s southwestern Anbarprovince, whose staff was on hand for the ceremonies, saidthe Iraqi government had deployed troops to protect thedesert route leading to Arar and called its opening a “sig-nificant move” to boost ties. “This is a great start for furtherfuture cooperation between Iraq and Saudi Arabia,” saidSohaib Al-Rawi. The announcement follows a decision bythe Saudi cabinet on Monday to establish a joint tradecommission with Iraq.

Iran rejects US claims of unsafe Gulf drone flight

TEHRAN: Iran’s Revolutionary Guards yesterday rejectedclaims that one of its drones had flown close to anAmerican aircraft without its lights on, blaming poor USidentification systems. It was the latest in a spate of closeencounters between US and Iranian aircraft or warshipsin the waters of the Gulf in recent weeks that havesparked recriminations as relations sour. “The Guards’drone patrols... will continue in the...Gulf with precision,constantly and in the framework of protecting the bor-ders of the Islamic republic of Iran and regardless of thepsychological atmosphere created by alien forces,” theGuards drone unit said. It added that the US claims of“unsafe and unprofessional” conduct were perhaps theresult of “a weakness in their identification and recogni-tion systems”. The US Navy said on Monday that anIranian QOM-1 drone had flown within 300 m of an air-craft based on the carrier USS Nimitz operating in inter-national waters in the Gulf the previous night. The inci-dent followed an August 8 encounter between an Iraniandrone and an F/A-18E Super Hornet.

KUWAIT: Authorities yesterday reported a second oilslick off the state’s shores days after saying anotherlarge spill was under control. The new slick was spottedsome 60 km north of the first spill, tweeted Sheikh TalalKhaled Al-Sabah, spokesman for national oil conglom-erate Kuwait Petroleum Corp (KPC). The EnvironmentPublic Authority said the latest spill near the Officers’Club off the Messila coast is about 1.6 km long, addingit is coordinating with the oil sector, coastguards andthe Regional Organization for the Protection of theMarine Environment (ROPME) to rid the seawaters ofthe new oil spill.

Oil Minister Essam Al-Marzouq announced thatKuwait Oil Company (KOC) has moved a number of itsvessels to the Messila coast to control the new oil spill.KOC vessels and Kuwait Fire Service frigates will surveythe surrounding areas for other oil spills, Marzouq, alsominister of electricity and water, told KUNA yesterday.He added that contacts are being made with neighbor-ing countries to inquire about any oil leakage or anyinformation that could be related to the new oil spill.

Marzouq noted that Kuwait is carrying out aerialand sea surveys of the territorial waters as well as con-tacting international environmental organizations toget satellite images of the area over the past few daysin order to collect information that could lead to iden-tifying the source of this spill. He admitted that theministry does not currently possess any informationregarding the source of the spill.

Continued on Page 11

OUAGADOUGOU: Municipal workers walk past the Aziz Istanbul restaurant yesterday, the scene of a ter-rorist attack late Aug 13. — AFP

KUWAIT: HH the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah yesterday expressed his condolencesover the death of two Kuwaiti citizens in a terroristattack targeting a cafe in the Burkinabe capitalOuagadougou. Grand Mosque Imam Dr Waleed Al-Aliand Kuwaiti citizen Fahd Al-Husseini were there on acharity mission. The Amir expressed the strongest con-demnation of Kuwait against this terrorist act, whichkilled more than 18 people and injured scores others.

HH the Amir also sent a cable of condolences toBurkina Faso’s President Roch Marc Christian Kabore.In the cable, Sheikh Sabah expressed his sincere con-dolences over the victims killed in the attack, prayingto Allah the Almighty to bless their souls with mercy,and wishing the injured speedy recovery. The Amirstressed Kuwait’s condemnation and denouncementof this “heinous crime” that targeted innocents, andruns counter to all religions and humanitarian values.

The Amir also affirmed that Kuwait supports allmeasures taken by Burkina Faso to face such terroristacts aiming to undermine its stability and security.Sheikh Sabah renewed Kuwait’s firm stance thatrejects terrorism in its forms and manifestations, andbacks the international community to counter thisphenomenon and dry up its funding.

Continued on Page 11

Amir saddened over Kuwaitis killed in Burkina

CAIRO: Egypt archaeologists have discov-ered three ancient tombs containing sar-cophagi in the south of the country in acemetery dating back about 2,000 years,the antiquities ministry said yesterday. Thetombs excavated in the Al-Kamin Al-Sahrawi area in Minya province south ofCairo were in burial grounds constructedsometime between the 27th Dynasty andthe Greco-Roman period, the ministry saidin a statement.

The team found “a collection of sar-cophagi of different shapes and sizes, aswell as clay fragments,” the statement quot-ed Ayman Ashmawy, head of the ministry’sAncient Egyptian Antiquities Sector, as say-ing. One of the tombs, which was reachedthrough a shaft carved in rock, contained

four sarcophagi each sculpted to depict ahuman face. Another tomb held theremains of two sarcophagi and six burialholes, including one for “the burial of asmall child”.

Clay fragments found at the site “datethe tombs between the 27th Dynasty(founded in 525 BC) and the Greco-Romanera (between 332 BC and the fourth centu-ry),” the statement said. The discovery “sug-gests that the area was a great cemeteryfor a long span of time,” it quotedAshmawy as saying. In one of the threetombs, excavators found bones believedto be the remains of “men, women andchildren of different ages”, Ali Al-Bakry,head of the mission, was quoted as sayingin the statement. — AFP

Qatar: Time needed to rebuild trust

Boycott adds to woes of migrant workersDOHA: Qatar’s foreign minister said yesterday it willtake a “lot of time” to rebuild any trust between sparringGulf countries because of the region’s continuing diplo-matic crisis. As the impasse between Doha and fourArab states led by Saudi Arabia entered its 11th week,Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani saidregional relations had been transformed by the dispute.

“Qatar has always been one of the founders of theGCC organization and we still consider that this has agreat importance for all of us in the region,” he toldreporters. Created in 1981, the Gulf Cooperation Council(GCC) is a political and economic union comprised ofBahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and theUnited Arab Emirates. “This organization has been builton strategic security and trust. Unfortunately, what hap-pened lately with this crisis, this factor is missing nowand needs a lot of time to rebuild the trust again. Wehope that it’s restored.”

Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates andEgypt cut ties with Qatar on June 5 - accusing it of back-ing extremism and fostering ties with Iran - triggeringthe biggest political crisis in the Gulf for several years.Doha denies the claims and accuses the other countriesof an attack on its sovereignty. The Saudi-led countrieshave also imposed sanctions including restrictions onQatari aircraft using their airspace.

The foreign minister added that the conflict wasunnecessary. “Such a crisis is not needed in our region,we have enough problems and enough conflict. Aregion like the Gulf region, which was considered themost stable region in the Arab world is now destabi-lized because... of a crisis without a solid foundation.”

However, he added that diplomatic efforts led byregional mediator Kuwait were continuing. “We havereceived a letter from the Amir of Kuwait a few days ago.And this letter is a continuous effort... to encourage the

parties to engage in dialogue.” Despite this, SheikhMohammed said Qatar was still waiting to hear from itsrivals. “Put up your claims and put up your evidence. Wetold them (Saudi-led countries) anywhere you want,whatever evidence you have, just put it on the table. Nowit’s been 72 days since the first day of their measures andwe have not been provided with a single document.”

Experts have speculated that the diplomatic uncer-tainty in the region will lead to the demise of the GCC.One, Andreas Krieg, a political risk analyst at King’sCollege London, told AFP that the GCC was “dying bythe day”. “The Kuwaiti Amir is a great believer in the GCCand will do everything he can to resolve the crisis tosave the GCC. However, realistically, the GCC cannot sur-vive this crisis,” he said. Meanwhile, the embargo onQatar is inflicting pain on foreign migrant workers strug-gling amid an oil slump and disruption of deliveries

Continued on Page 11

A handout picture shows three ancient tombs containing sarcophagi which were dis-covered in a cemetery dating back about 2,000 years in the Al-Kamin Al-Sahrawiarea in Minya province. — AFP

Egypt discovers three

millennia-old tombs

DURHAM, North Carolina: A protester kicks the toppled statue of aConfederate soldier after it was pulled down on Monday. — AP

DURHAM, North Carolina: In Gainesville,Florida, workers hired by the Daughters ofthe Confederacy chipped away at aConfederate soldier’s statue, loaded itquietly on a truck and drove away with lit-tle fanfare. In Baltimore, Mayor CatherinePugh said she’s ready to tear down all ofher city’s Confederate statues, and thecity council voted to have themdestroyed. San Antonio lawmakers arelooking ahead to removing a statue thatmany people wrongly assumed repre-sented a famed Texas leader who died atthe Alamo.

Some people refused to wait.Protesters in Durham, North Carolina,toppled a nearly century-old statue of aConfederate soldier Monday at a rally

against racism. Activists took a ladder upto the statue and used a rope to pulldown the Confederate SoldiersMonument that was dedicated in 1924. Adiverse crowd of dozens cheered as thestatue of a soldier holding a rifle fell to theground in front of an old courthousebuilding that now houses local govern-ment offices.

The deadly white nationalist rally inCharlottesville, Virginia, is fueling anotherre-evaluation of Confederate statues incities across the nation, accelerating theirremoval in much the same way that a2015 mass shooting by a white suprema-cist renewed pressure to take down theConfederate flag from public property.

Continued on Page 11

Rally accelerates removal

of US Confederate statues

L O C A LWEDNESDAY, AUGUST16, 2017

Photoo f t h e d a y

KUWAIT: Children avoid the heat of the sun by playing at Anjafa beach during the early morning hours. — KUNA

NewsI n b r i e f

Amir congratulates Kuwait shooters for winning gold

KUWAIT: His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah has sent a cable of congrat-ulations to the shooting champion Abdulrahman Al-Faihan for winning gold medals in the individual,dual and triple’s categories in the Asian ShootingTournament, recently hosted by Kazakhstan. HisHighness the Amir also sent felicitation cables toMansour Al-Rashidi for winning a gold medal in thetripartite teams’ contest, Khaled Al-Mudhaf for earn-ing a gold in the same group, Sara Al-Hawall for win-ning the same medal in the dual, Talal Al-Rrashidi forbagging it in the individuals in addition to winningthe gold medal in the two tripartite teams. He alsosent such a cable to Abdulaziz Al-Saad for winningthe gold medal in the tripartite group. His Highnessexpressed deep congratulations for earning the topmedals in this Asian tournament, expressing wishesthe champions would make more sports accomplish-ments to raise the dear homeland banner at regionaland international athletic quarters. For their parts, HisHighnesses Crown Prince and His Highness the PrimeMinister also sent identical cables to the excellingathletes.

Deputy FM, UN official discuss cooperation

KUWAIT: Kuwaiti Deputy Foreign Minister KhaledSuleiman Al-Jarallah yesterday discussed mutual coop-eration with Head of the UN High Commissioner forRefugees (UNHCR) office in Kuwait Dr Hanan Hamdan.During a meeting, Hanan lauded Kuwait’s support andthe two sides also reviewed activities of the UNHCR.The meeting was attended by Assistant ForeignMinister for the Deputy Foreign Minister’s Office AffairsAmbassador Ayham Al-Omar and Assistant ForeignMinister for International Organizations’ Affairs NasserAl-Abdullah Al-Hain.

KCCI eyes closer ties with Sudan

KUWAIT: Kuwait’s Chamber of Commerce andIndustry (KCCI) is eager to establish better relationswith Sudan and jointly pursue lucrative investmentprojects, its Chairman said yesterday. Speaking tothe press after meeting with the President of theSudanese National Council Ibrahim Omar and hisaccompanying delegation, Ali Al-Ghanim said thatKuwait’s ties with the Northern African nation dateback years, citing numerous development projectsKuwait has undertaken in Sudan. He said that theSudanese official’s visit aims to broaden the scopefor bilateral cooperation, encouraging Sudaneseentrepreneurs to visit the country more often inorder to explore viable opportunities with theirKuwaiti partners. Meanwhile, Omar said that his vis-it was an effort to solidify ties between bothnations, as he touted ample investment opportuni-ties his country has to offer. He added thatKhartoum was taking measures, including amend-ing legislations, to ensure that it provides an envi-ronment that would lure much-needed foreigninvestment.

Indian Ambassador Sunil Jain hoists the national flag as embassy officials look on. —Photos by Sajeev K Peter

India embassy celebrates 71st Independence Day

Amir congratulates Indians, leaders

By Sajeev K Peter

KUWAIT: Braving the excruciating summer heat, thousands ofIndians gathered yesterday at the Indian Embassy premises to cele-brate the country’s 71st Independence Day. The celebration com-menced with the hoisting of the national flag by Ambassador SunilJain followed by the singing of the national anthem. The ambassa-dor read out Indian President Ram Nath Kovind’s address to thenation on the occasion.

Addressing the huge gathering, comprising community mem-bers from all walks of life, the ambassador emphasized that therelations between the two countries have been historically close,warm and friendly. He commended the contribution of the Indiancommunity in Kuwait’s socio-economic development. The ambassa-dor said, His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah has high respect and love for Indians and great love forIndia, pointing out His Highness the Amir’s private visit to India inJune-July.

Minister’s visitJain said India’s Minister of State for External Affairs M J Akbar is

slated to visit Kuwait next month. “The minister’s visit is expected tofurther strengthen the bilateral relations between the two friendlycountries,” he added. He urged the community members to givepositive suggestions if any which could be considered during thebilateral discussions. Regarding the issue of non-payment of salariesand indemnities by some local companies he said the issue hasbeen taken to higher levels and some solutions have been found.

“We have a big project coming up on the left side of theembassy. That will cause some disruptions in the functioning ofthe embassy. One side of the road will be closed and no parkingwill be allowed on the road to the embassy. The embassy is dis-cussing the matter with the foreign ministry as to how to mini-mize the problem of disruption in the embassy’s functioning,”the ambassador said. On the occasion, the ambassador extend-ed warm greetings to the members of the royal family. He alsoextended greeting to the community members. The ambassa-dor highlighted the measures taken by the embassy to improvethe consular services for the community.

The Bohra community band played a variety of marching tunes.Indian associations such as Thrissur Association, Saradhi Kuwait,Indian Doctors Forum, Musiq Beats, Kaiser Ali Khan, Kalari FitnessInstitute etc rendered patriotic songs. Around 950,000 Indiannationals are working in Kuwait as businesspersons, doctors, engi-neers, chartered accountants, technicians in oil and gas sector, con-struction workers, nurses and domestic workers.

Meanwhile, His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah yesterday sent a cable of congratulations to theIndian President Ram Nath Kovind on the occasion of his coun-try’s Independence Day. His Highness the Crown Prince SheikhNawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah and His Highness the PrimeMinister Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Hamad Al Sabah sent simi-lar cables.

L O C A LWEDNESDAY, AUGUST 16, 2017

KUWAIT: His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah received His Highnessthe Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah at Bayan Palace yesterday. HisHighness the Amir also met Sheikh Jaber Al-Abdullah Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, Deputy Chairman of the

National Guard Sheikh Meshaal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, His Highness Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammad Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah and His Highness Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammad Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah. — KUNA photos

Amir receives senior officials

KUWAIT: Kuwait’s Sheikh Jaber Al-AhmedCultural Centre (JACC) has been recognizedwith the Award of Merit at EngineeringNews Record (ENR)’s Global Best ProjectsAwards. The Amiri Diwan’s complex will behonored at a gala ceremony on 23 October,at the Sheraton hotel, Times Square, NewYork. The Engineering News Record (ENR)Global Best Projects Awards focus on thechallenges, risks and rewards of designingand constructing in other countries.

Last month, Jaber Al-Ahmad CulturalCenter (JACC) was announced byInternational Property Award winner of theArabia and Africa for best project and bestinterior design. Inaugurated by HisHighness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-AhmadAl-Jaber Al-Sabah on October 31, 2016, theJACC was designed as a venue to organizeand hold cultural events aimed at spread-ing arts appreciation amongst the localmasses and help attract visitors fromabroad.

The exterior of the JACC’s headquarters -constructed on an area of 52,000 squaremeters - was built from titanium and rein-

forced concrete. Some 10,000 workers wereinvolved in the construction. The JACC con-sists of four buildings, with one housing themain stage that accommodates some 2,000attendees. The drama theater andrehearsals’ spaces could house some 900people. The second, third, and fourth build-ings consist of a 1,800-capacity musical facil-ity, a 1,072-capacity cinema and multi-pur-pose space, and a 354-seats conference hall.

It is surrounded by water fountains andother facilities that are very attractive tovisitors. The State of Kuwait, represented byAmiri Diwan, had won MEED’s BuildingProject of the Year through the country’sJahra and Farwaniya Courts Complexes.Engineering News-Record is an Americanweekly magazine that provides the engi-neering and construction news, analysis,commentary and data that constructionindustry professionals need to do their jobsmore effectively. ENR reports on the topdesign firms, both architects and engi-neers, and the top construction companiesas well as projects in the United States andaround the world. — KUNA

Kuwait’s cultural center wins ENR Award of Merit

Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmed Cultural Centre (JACC)

BAGHDAD: Visiting President of ArabParliament Mishaal Bin Fahad Al-Salmi yes-terday hailed Kuwait’s initiative to hold aconference for re-constructing Iraq. IraqiForeign Ministry quoted Al-Salmi as affirm-ing, during a meeting with ForeignMinister Ibrahim Al-Jaafari, his support forthe Kuwaiti initiative and urged Arab statesto seek greater detente with the country.

“We stand on Iraq’s side and we areoptimistic about its future due to solidarityamong its political forces and standing ofthe Arab brothers on its side,” he stated. Forhis part, Al-Jaafari affirmed that his countryneeded support and contributions to re-construction of the infrastructure. Suchhelp is also required to facilitate comeback

of the relocated to their original towns,deal with other challenges such as oilprices’ fall and high cost of the war on ter-rorism, he added.

Iraq, which depends heavily on oilexports, is engaged in wide-scale militaryaction against terror groups, namely theso-called Islamic State. The IS was drivenout of the northern city Mosul recently fol-lowing full-scale heavy fighting with gov-ernment troops and paramilitary forces. OnJuly 31, Kuwait officially announced that itstarted contacts with world countries, theWorld Bank and Iraq to prepare for hostinga donors’ conference to rebuild areas liber-ated from the IS in Iraq, forecast in firstquarter of 2018. — KUNA

Arab Parliament praises Kuwait initiative for Iraq

President of Arab Parliament Mishaal Bin Fahad Al-Salmi holds talks with IraqiForeign Minister Ibrahim Al-Jaafari. — KUNA

L O C A LWEDNESDAY, AUGUST 16, 2017

By Faten Omar

KUWAIT: The Egyptian Embassy andBoushahri Gallery held an exhibition titled‘Egyptian artists in Kuwait’ yesterday atBoushahri Gallery in Salmiya. More than20 Egyptian artists residing in Kuwait par-t ic ipated in the event . EgyptianAmbassador to Kuwait Yasser Atef praisedthe effort of Boushahri Gallery and YahiaSwailam for organizing and hosting thisexhibition of Egyptian artists. “I was hon-ored in the past two years to know the tal-ented Egyptian artists through exhibitions

organized by the Egyptian cultural officein Kuwait and see their commitment inportraying Egypt,” he said.

“These artists work and help their broth-ers in Kuwait to build new generations thatenjoy the taste of art with the ability toexpress and be creative. We are honoredtoday and through this exhibition to shedlight on their works and creations and wishbest of luck to them,” Atef added.

Ibrahim Ali Sallam, General Coordinator,told Kuwait Times that the Egyptian exhi-bition shows works of talented Egyptianswho are residing in Kuwait to those inter-

ested in culture and arts. He thanked theEgyptian Embassy and the NationalCouncil for Culture, Arts and Letters thathelped the artists to show their works.Sallam participated with a leather, porce-lain and metal piece. “My work is aboutmixing leather, metal strips and wire withclay in an artistic synthesis,” he said.

The exhibition will be open for 15 daysto the public. The exhibition is part of aser ies of successive exhibit ions byEgyptian artists, which the cultural officeis keen to highlight under the auspices ofthe Egyptian ambassador. “ We have

organized more than 20 exhibitions in2017 for professional artists in Kuwait,where each artist has an experience in adifferent field,” Sallam said.

“I am participating with five paintingsthat represent different topics related toEgypt,” said Sherif Ismail, an Egyptianartist and photographer. Ismail mergesmixed media and digital art in his paint-ings. “The home painting describes peace,represented by two doves. My secondpainting represents l ivel ihood, and Imixed it with calligraphy. It shows howsome people work hard to earn their

livelihoods,” he said.“My third piece is of a girl with golden

hair and a gold earring that reflects thetrust that we put in girls to preserve theirhonor and dignity and to defend them-selves. The fourth painting is of a queenthat has two parts - the golden one repre-sents her social l i fe and the blue hersecrets. My last painting describes anEgyptian boat, which represents stability,”Sherif explained. The exhibition includesartworks by a group of Egyptian artists,including paintings, sculptures, ceramics,handicrafts and ornaments.

Egypt Embassy, Boushahri Gallery organize art exhibition Sherif Ismail, an Egyptian artist and photographer presents his art works

‘Egyptian artists in Kuwait’

IRBIL: Kuwaiti medical aid weighing 55 tons pouredinto the war-ravaged Iraqi city of Mosul yesterday, thelatest in a special campaign Kuwait has created for itsGulf neighbor. Speaking to KUNA, Kuwait’s ConsulGeneral in Irbil, the capital of the autonomous region ofKurdistan, Dr Omar Al-Kandari, said that Kuwait’sConsulate General and the Kurdish government wereoverseeing the aid process, where medical supplieswere delivered to hospitals across the region, all ofwhich suffer from a dearth of equipment. He pointedout that Kuwait has thus far provided 400 tons of com-prehensive medical aid to the northern Iraqi region.

Meanwhile, Director of Ninawa province’s healthdepartment Dr Laith Abaalaziz told KUNA that the Iraqipeople were in dire need of such aid, thanking Kuwaitfor the continued support. He added that the copiousaid given by Kuwait would meet the needs of medicalcenters in the region, saying that it will help save thelives of many of the city’s ailing people. Similarly,Hoshang Mohammad, the director general of theKurdish regional government’s joint crisis coordinationcenter, said that hospitals across the region have beeninundated with patients, all of whom are in desperateneed of the aid. Kuwait has ratcheted up medical aid toIraq in recent months, granting many Iraqis access tourgent healthcare. —KUNA

Kuwaiti Consul General in Irbil Dr Omar Al-Kandari meets officials from Kurdish gov-ernment overseeing the aid process. — KUNA

Kuwait delivers 55 tons of healthcare aid to Mosul

By A Saleh

KUWAIT: Director of DevelopmentDepartment at the Education MinistrySaad Abu Marzouq said training hallsat Jabriya, Mubarak Al-Kabeer,Ahmadi and Jahra centers are ready toreceive new teachers for the 2017-2018 school year. The idea is to pro-vide new teachers with the technicalsupport on how to deal with students.They will also be told about theirrights and duties.

North Zour stationMEW Undersecretary Eng

Mohammad Bushehri said that theMinistry will soon announce the sec-ond stage of the North Zour stationwhich will add 1500 megawatt and100 million gallon of water. He said Al-

Kheiran project will provide 1500megawatt and 125 million gallons ofwater. The contract was signed in Mayto produce 750 megawatt in Subbiyaand will be carried out within threeyears at a value of KD 160 million.

New route to TaefKuwait Airways opened a new

route to Taef to make it easier to per-form religious rituals in November.KAC chairman Samy Al-Rushaidan saidcitizens and expats in Kuwait aredemanding the opening of new routewhich is something good and indi-cates the return of confidence in KAC.When asked about the termination of1500 KAC employees, he said therewill not be any termination but someemployees will be transferred to othercompanies.

Training halls for teachers

By Meshaal Al-Enezi

KUWAIT: The customs departmentissued a ban on importing a “bird soundsystem” based on several rules and lawsthat protect the environment. The devicemakes sounds that attract birds, whichare then caught.

Sri Lankan delegationActing Director General of the Public

Authority for Manpower Abdullah Al-Mutoutah received the deputy SriLankan labor employment minister andhis delegation. Both sides discussedissues of mutual interest.

Signing ceremonySecretariat General of the Higher

Planning Council participated in thesigning ceremony of the contract ofimplementing the electronic drivinglicense project at the UN developmentoffice in the presence of AssistantSecretary General for ConsultativeSupport Talal Al-Shimmari, ActingAssistant Undersecretary for TrafficAffairs Col Nasser Al-Subaie and NationalCoordinator for Comprehensive NationalStrategy Col Salem Al-Ajmi, in addition tothe acting representative of UNDP DimaAl-Khateeb.

‘Bird sound system’

KUWAIT: Many Gulf actors and artists hasexpressed sorrow over the passing ofrenowned Kuwaiti actor AbdulhussainAbdulredha, who to them, represented afather figured that taught valuable life andartistic lessons. In separate statement yester-day, the actors said Abdulhussain Abdulredhawas one of the most remarkable pillars ofKuwaiti and Gulf culture and arts. Saudi actorAbdulmohsen Al-Nemer said thatAbdulhussain Abdulredha was a very compe-tent person and he will always remain as greatrole model. Abdulhussain is an important fig-ure in my life and we have worked together in(Al-Tendail) series, said the Saudi actor.

For his part, Emirati actor Dr HabibGhuloom said that he would lead an officialdelegation from the UAE’s theatrical arts asso-ciation to attend and participate in the burialceremony of Abdulredah as well as offeringcondolences. This artist deserves all theappreciation as he has devoted his life fornearly six decades to serve arts and culture,he said. Meanwhile, Omani artist and cartoon-ist Fahad Al-Zadjali said that he metAbdulhussain in Kuwait, which was a greathonor. The Omani artist said he was glad tohave heard words of praise while he repre-sented the prolific Kuwaiti actor with a carica-ture as a token of gratitude.

In Kuwait, artist Abdullah Bahman said thedeath of Abdulhussian is a big lost for the artsand cultural movements. He always focused inhis works on loyalty and love to this country,affirmed Bahman. He left a good reputationand impact for artists and people, saidBahman, adding that the departed Kuwaitiactor drew smiles for more than 50 years onthe faces of people in Kuwait and all aroundthe world. Kuwaiti actor AbdulhussainAbdulredha, renowned for his works acrossthe Gulf Arab region, has died at age 78, hisfamily announced on Friday. The late actorhad suffered complications during treatmentat a London hospital. —KUNA

Abdulredah’s death a ‘big lost for art’

Emirati actor Dr Habib Ghuloom pictured andKuwaiti actor Abdulhussain Abdulredha

Saudi actor Abdulmohsen Al-Nemer andKuwaiti actor Abdulhussain Abdulredha

Kuwait artist Abdullah Bahman and Kuwaitiactor Abdulhussain Abdulredha

F r o m t h e A r a b i c p r e s sWEDNESDAY, AUGUST 16, 2017

CrimeR e p o r t

Public drunkenness A citizen and a bedoon were arrested by Ahmadi

police when they were seen with a bottle of importedliquor. They were charged with driving while intoxicat-ed in Abu Halaifa. The two said they were in a party, andthe bottle they had was from that party. Both were heldat Abu Halaifa police station. In another development,an Indian was spotted by police dancing with a bottle inhis hand near his car in Bayan, with Indian music blaringfrom his car. The policemen arrested him along withthree others. All four were charged with public drunk-enness and are being processed for deportation.

KUWAIT: Several citizens sought the help of police afterthey noticed their children were returning home drunk.They discovered they were buying some type of aftershavecologne from a grocery store in Khaitan. Detectivesreviewed a video recorded by parents speaking to the gro-cer, and found the cologne is not banned. The grocer saidhe sells the cologne legally, and that youngsters buy it,adding he did not know they were drinking it. Detectivesasked the grocer not to sell it to youngsters, and he prom-ised to do so.

Kids getting drunk

Many people found it strange that peoplerejected the idea of inviting Iraqi artistes likeKazim Al-Saher and others to perform in

Kuwait, due to their stance towards Kuwait and sidingwith the tyrant Saddam when he occupied our coun-try and wreaked havoc in our dear homeland. It is pos-sible to understand both positions, as one side saysthat we should forget and rise above our wounds after27 years, while others say why should we forget as thewound is still bleeding. Fathers, mothers, brothers andsisters of martyrs who were killed by Saddam and hiscronies are still alive and aware of events, so how willthey feel when they see the person who supportedtheir enemy, killed their children and displaced themaround the world dancing over their wounds onstage.

Each side has his own reasons, and I am not here tosupport one view over another, but I will try to take acertain stand with the following words: There is noth-ing more important in life than the human being’sbelonging to a country that protects him and safe-guards his dignity, treats him if he gets sick and giveshim a happy life, provides him with job opportunities,helps him start a family, be productive and finally beburied in this land.

We do not realize the value of health until after welose it. Similarly, we do not know what a homelandmeans or its importance until after it is lost, and this iswhat happened with us when we lost our country. Welost our dignity, security and safety, apart from money,material and psychological losses. This is not unlike thetens of millions of refugees spread over hundreds ofcamps around the world who know what the loss ofcountry means - that horrible feeling of not existingand being separated from a dear body that used tocradle all in security. So a person becomes withinhours like being hung in a room devoid of air, with afeeling of not existing, while at the same time beingworried for himself and his children!

My colleague Iqbal Al-Ahmad wrote an article inwhich she demanded that anyone who loves othercountries more than ours and prefers to live some-where else should leave our country. Some peoplewrote back saying that they actually do not belong tothis country and do not prefer to live in it for one rea-son or another, but as they told me in their letters,they are unable to do anything, as they do not havemoney and no country within their reach, and noguarantee that they will succeed or will be happieroutside Kuwait in the country of their choice.

My answer was simple - that I, along with a fewbusinessmen, will establish a fund to help them andanyone who wants to leave Kuwait quickly by payingfor a one-way air ticket to any place they want to go,and they will be given a sum of money to help themwith their new life until they get a job, provided thatthe country approves and they give up their Kuwaitinationality! Here, they changed their tone and becamehesitant and started creating excuses, as their smart-ness informed them there is no homeland like Kuwait.

— Translated by Kuwait Times

Value of homeland

Al-Qabas

By Ahmad Al-Sarraf

Al-Anbaa

Detectives hunt for suspectA Sudanese stole money from his sponsor’s farm. He

then escaped using the sponsor’s car, smashing throughthe farm’s fence, according to the sponsor’s statement toKabd police. Detectives are looking for the suspect.

KUWAIT: Kuwait Finance House (KFH) inked a significantstrategic agreement to support the youth. This agreementembodies the bank’s keenness to recognize those whocontribute in raising the Kuwaiti flag high in the interna-tional forums and championships, while confirming itsinstrumental role in the corporate social responsibility.

The agreement was inked with a group of nationalchampions who join KFH program under the theme “KFHinitiators”. KFH Initiators are all those who have a list ofawards and achievements on global levels. The initiatorsare: Kuwaiti motorcycle rider Mishari Bu-Shaiba, KuwaitiJet-Ski Champion Mohammad Bu Rabea, Kuwaiti Jet Skichampion Yousef Al Abdulrazzaq, and the Kuwaiti sky-diverMohammad AlRefae.

Executive Manager Group Public Relations and Media atKFH, Yousef Abdullah Al-Ruwaieh said on the sidelines ofthe signing ceremony of the partnership agreement withthe champions, that KFH initiators have contributed in rais-ing the Kuwaiti flag high in a plethora of international

forums. They have a proven track record of internationalachievements which urges us to recognize them andappreciate them for they are our partners in success.

He added that inking the agreement with them aims atmotivating them for further success in their future compe-titions, indicating KFH take pride in supporting them towin new titles and medals. He explained that KFH sparesno efforts in honoring the distinguished people in differentfields, be it education, sport, health, inventions and otherfields that are of interest to the society. KFH recognitionwas not confined to its initiators, it has a proven trackrecord of national names that received support from KFHin recognition of their international achievements.

Al-Ruwaieh reiterated that KFH’s efforts in supportingand honoring the distinguished people reflects its commit-ment in the corporate social responsibility, indicating KFHinked two agreements with the Ministry of State for YouthAffairs; one for partnership and collaboration, and the oth-er for supporting and sponsoring the activities of the

Kuwait Capital of Arab Youth event. This affirms the bank’scommitment towards the youth and reflects its significantrole in supporting this vital category of the society. KFH’sparticipation in the “Kuwait Capital of Arab Youth 2017”stems from its endeavors to contribute in the strategic ini-tiatives of the country that raise the name of Kuwait highon the local and world levels.

Also, it reiterates the cultural contributions and theKey role of Kuwait on the GCC and Arab levels, whileallows the youth to positively take part in this event andget acquainted with new experiences that add value tothem and enrich their knowledge. KFH spares no effortsin supporting the government’s initiatives that developthe talents and skills of the youth and cater for theirneeds. Meanwhile, the champions expressed theirthanks and gratitude to KFH for its continuing support,affirming that the partnership agreement with the youthconfirms the bank’s pioneering role in assuming thesocial responsibility.

KUWAIT: National Bank of Kuwait(NBK) launched recently the fourthand last session of the 2017Summer Internship Program. Theprogram is custom-made for highschool and college students agedbetween 14 and 21 years. YaqoubAl Baqer, NBK Public Relations offi-cer said, “NBK Summer InternshipProgram is specially designed for

high school and college studentsas an extension of NBK’s educationoutreach services. The programdemonstrates NBK’s long-standingsocial involvement as well as itsnational commitment towardsproviding the young generationswith the appropriate opportuni-ties to experience firsthand howthe actual professional banking

issues and transaction are handledand processed.”

“NBK regularly organizes anddesigns events and packages forthe youth of the country to famil-iarize them with the world ofbanking and make them responsi-ble citizens.” Al Baqer added. The5-hour daily sessions of two-weekinternship featured a mixture of

theoretical and practical trainingdedicated to providing the internswith invaluable knowledge on avariety of subjects such as; theteam work, creative thinking,means of self-expression andmodern banking work procedure,in addition to helping interns tohave greater exposure to dailybanking work procedures.

Kuwait Finance House inks strategic agreement to support Kuwait youth

NBK launches last session of its 2017 internship program

Yaqoub Al Baqer

KUWAIT: The Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs yester-day inked a memorandum with the Anti-CorruptionAuthority for cooperation against corruption and enhanc-ing values such as integrity and transparency. MohammadAl-Jabri, Minister of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs and Ministerof State for Municipal Affairs, indicated in a statement thatscholars, in Friday prayers’ sermons and other lectures,could contribute to promoting necessity of combating cor-ruption, education about integrity, transparency, renounc-ing corruption and funds’ misappropriation. The memo, inpart, stipulates cooperation to guide citizens against cor-ruption and crimes, the minister said, indicating that suchculture could be taught at schools, universities, clubs,youth and correction centers.

Meanwhile, judge Abdulrahman Al-Nimesh, who co-signed the memo with the minister, affirmed that thememo was designed to spread such values according tothe Islamic Shariaa and the Sunnah, noting that the mes-sages would be delivered at seminars and identical activ-ities. He indicated that identical memos would beworked out with other State departments for the samepurposes. — KUNA

Anti-Corruption Authority and Awqaf ink MoU

Modi urges India to reject violence in name of religion

Page 10

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 16, 2017

Falling tree kills 12 at Catholic festival in PortugalPage 8

NEW YORK: Protestors near Trump Tower react as US President Donald Trump arrives on Monday. — AP

NEW YORK: US President Donald Trump is backin the New York skyscraper that bears his nameas the furor over his reaction to race-fueledclashes in Charlottesville, Virginia, over the week-end shows few signs of dying down. Protesterson Manhattan’s Fifth Avenue tried to spoilTrump’s homecoming Monday night with signsbearing messages like “stop the hate, stop thelies” and chanting “shame, shame, shame” and“not my president!”

After two days of public equivocation and inter-nal White House debate, the president condemnedwhite supremacist groups by name on Monday,declaring “racism is evil”. In a hastily arranged state-ment at the White House, Trump branded mem-bers of the KKK, neo-Nazis and white supremacistswho take part in violence as “criminals and thugs”.The groups are “repugnant to everything that wehold dear as Americans,” he said.

The move didn’t quiet the uproar, however.The leaders of four minority House caucusgroups wrote a letter to Trump calling for theremoval of White House staff aides SteveBannon, Stephen Miller and Sebastian Gorka. Theheads of the black, Hispanic, Asian and progres-sive caucuses are calling in the letter for the fir-ings of the Trump administration officials in the

wake of a violent, racist rally in Charlottesville,Virginia. The letter asserts their continuing pres-ence in the White House is emboldening a resur-gent white supremacist movement in America.

This came a day after Anthony Scaramucci,who was fired as White House communicationsdirector after a less than two-week stay, calledfor Bannon’s ouster. He said if it were up to him,Bannon would be gone from Trump’s administra-tion. But, he noted, “it’s not up to me”. “TheMooch,” a few weeks removed from his spectacu-lar flameout following an expletive-laden con-versation with a reporter, appeared Monday onCBS’ “Late Show” with Stephen Colbert. Colberthas seen his ratings soar since Trump’s inaugura-tion with his relentless comedic attacks.

Colbert showed a picture of Scaramucci andformer White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebusglaring at each other. Scaramucci said there was“no love lost” between the two. He said he andPriebus got along well when he was writingchecks to the Republican National Committee,which Priebus once led. Scaramucci said heknows Trump “as a compassionate person,” whilereiterating that he thought the president shouldhave spoken more harshly than he did initially ofthe white supremacists. Of Trump’s frequent off-

the-cuff remarks, Scaramucci said, “That’s himwearing his heart on his sleeve.”

In his initial remarks on the violence Saturday,Trump did not single out the groups and insteadbemoaned violence on “many sides.” Thoseremarks prompted stern criticism from fellowRepublicans as well as Democrats, who urgedhim to seize the moral authority of his office tocondemn hate groups.

Trump’s softer statement Saturday had comeas graphic images of a car plowing into a crowdin Charlottesville were playing continually on tel-evision. White nationalists had assembled in thecity to protest plans to take down a statue ofConfederate Gen Robert E Lee, and counter-pro-testers gathered in opposition. Fights broke out,and then a man drove into the opponents of thewhite supremacists. One woman was killed andmany more badly hurt. Twenty-year-old JamesAlex Fields Jr of Ohio is charged with second-degree murder and other counts.

ReluctantLoath to appear to be admitting a mistake,

Trump was reluctant to adjust his remarks. Thepresident had indicated to advisers before hisinitial statement Saturday that he wanted to

stress a need for law and order, which he did. Helater expressed anger to those close to himabout what he perceived as the media’s unfairassessment of his remarks, believing he hadeffectively denounced all forms of bigotry,according to outside advisers and White Houseofficials. Several of Trump’s senior advisers,including new chief of staff John Kelly, hadurged him to make a more specific condemna-tion, warning that the negative story would notgo away and that the rising tide of criticism fromfellow Republicans on Capitol Hill could endan-ger his legislative agenda, according to twoWhite House officials. The outside advisers andofficials demanded anonymity to discuss privateconversations.

Aides were dispatched to Sunday talk showsbut struggled to explain the president’s position.A stronger statement was released - but attrib-uted only to an unnamed spokesperson. Toughercondemnations began Sunday night with VicePresident Mike Pence, traveling in SouthAmerica, declaring that “these dangerous fringegroups have no place in American public life” OnMonday, Trump had planned to interrupt his 17-day working vacation at his New Jersey golf clubto travel to Washington for an announcement he

hoped would showcase some tough talk onChina’s trade practices.

But by the time he arrived at midmorning, itwas clear all other messages would be drownedout until he said more about Charlottesville.Trump returned to a White House undergoing amajor renovation. With the Oval Office unavail-able, he worked from the Treaty Room as aidesdrafted his remarks. Reading from ateleprompter, he made a point of beginning withan unrelated plug for the strength of the econo-my under his leadership. Then, taking pains toinsist “as I said on Saturday”, Trump denouncedthe hate groups and called for unity. “We mustlove each other, show affection for each otherand unite together in condemnation of hatred,bigotry and violence,” he said.

Trump for the first time mentioned HeatherHeyer by name as he paid tribute to the womankilled by the car. At the trade event later in theday, he was asked why it took two days for himto offer an explicit denunciation of the hategroups. “They have been condemned,” Trumpresponded before offering a fresh criticism ofsome media as “fake news”. He followed with atweet declaring “the #Fake News Media will nev-er be satisfied”. — AP

Furor follows Trump home to NYFired Scaramucci calls for Bannon’s ouster

GENEVA: A Swiss hotel that posted signstelling Jewish clients to shower before usingthe pool and restricting their access to thefacility’s freezer has unleashed outrage andofficial complaints from Israel. The Paradiesapartment hotel in the Alpine village of Arosain eastern Switzerland is being accused of anti-Semitism after an outraged guest posted toFacebook a picture of a notice plastered out-side the hotel pool.

“To our Jewish Guests, women, men andchildren, please take a shower before you goswimming,” it said, adding that “If you break therules I’m forced to (close) the swimming poolfor you.” A second notice, in the kitchen, mean-while instructed “Our Jewish guests” that theycould only access the facility’s freezer between10 and 11 am and between 4:30 and 5:30 pm. “Ihope you understand that our team does notlike being disturbed all the time,” it said.

The story quickly made the rounds onsocial media and was published by Israelipapers, prompting a harsh reaction from Israeliofficials. Deputy Foreign Minister TzipiHotovely described the incident as “an anti-Semitic act of the worst and ugliest kind”.Israel’s ambassador to Switzerland, JacobKeidar, reportedly contacted the hotel andinformed Hotovely the signs had been

removed. But she was not satisfied and hasreportedly demanded “a formal condemna-tion” from Bern. Swiss foreign ministryspokesman Tilman Renz told AFP in an emailthat the ministry had been in contact withKeidar and had “outlined to him thatSwitzerland condemns racism, anti-Semitismand discrimination in any form”.

‘A mistake’ Paradies manager Ruth Thomann, who

signed the notices, meanwhile insisted toSwiss daily 20Minutes that she was not an anti-Semite, and acknowledged that her “choice ofwords was a mistake”.

She explained to the Blick daily that theapartment hotel currently had a lot of Jewishclients, and that other guests had complainedthat some of them did not shower beforeusing the pool and had asked her to do some-thing. “I wrote something naive on that poster,”she was quoted as saying, admitting that itwould have been better to simply address allguests with the same message.

The hotel is repor tedly ver y popularwith ultra-orthodox Jewish guests becauseit has been accommodating to their needs,i n c l u d i n g a cce s s to a f re e ze r to s to rekosher food. — AFP

Hotel orders ‘Jewish guests’ to shower before swimming TEHRAN: Iran’s president warned yesterday that it

could ramp up its nuclear program and quicklyachieve a more advanced level if the US continues“threats and sanctions” against the country, whichsigned a landmark nuclear accord with worldpowers in 2015. Hassan Rouhani’s remarks to law-makers were his most direct warning that the dealcould fall apart, and risked ratcheting up tensions

with the United States. President Donald Trumphas repeatedly said he wants to scuttle the accord,which limited Iran’s ability to produce a nuclearweapon while ending most sanctions against it.

Earlier this week, Iran’s parliament voted toincrease spending on the country’s ballistic missileprogram and the foreign operations of its paramil-itary Revolutionary Guard. The move came in

response to US legislation passed earlier thismonth imposing mandatory penalties on peopleinvolved in Iran’s ballistic missile program andanyone who does business with them. The US leg-islation also applies terrorism sanctions to theGuard and enforces an existing arms embargo.

If Washington continues with “threats andsanctions” against Iran, Rouhani said in parlia-ment on Tuesday, Tehran could easily ramp up itsnuclear activities. “In an hour and a day, Iran couldreturn to a more advanced (nuclear) level than atthe beginning of the negotiations” that precededthe 2015 deal, Rouhani said, though he under-lined that Iran’s preference is to remain in theaccord. The maneuvering around the Iran dealcomes at a time when tensions have skyrocketedbetween the US and North Korea, which has test-ed nuclear weapons and threatened in recentweeks to fire a ballistic missile into the waters offthe US territory of Guam. The agreementbetween Iran and world powers two years agocapped Iran’s uranium enrichment levels in returnfor the lifting of international sanctions. The USand other world powers fear Iran seeks the abilityto produce atomic weapons. Iran has long deniedthat it seeks nuclear arms and says its nuclearprogram is only for peaceful purposes. It was notimmediately clear what Rouhani was referring to -and whether he meant Iran could restart cen-trifuges enriching uranium to higher and moredangerous levels. — AP

Iran threatens to boost nuke program

TEHRAN: Iranian President Hassan Rouhani arrives at his seat after a speech in a session ofparliament to debate his proposed cabinet yesterday. — AP

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama: Emboldened and pro-claiming victory after a bloody weekend inVirginia, white nationalists are planning moredemonstrations to promote their agenda follow-ing the violence that left a woman dead anddozens injured. The University of Florida saidwhite provocateur Richard Spencer, whoseappearances sometimes stoke unrest, is seekingpermission to speak there next month. Andwhite nationalist Preston Wiginton had said hewas planning a “White Lives Matter” rally at TexasA&M University in September, but the universitylater said it had been canceled.

Also, a neo-Confederate group has asked thestate of Virginia for permission to rally at a mon-ument to Confederate Gen Robert E Lee inRichmond on Sept 16, and other events are like-ly. “We’re going to be more active than everbefore,” Matthew Heimbach, a white nationalistleader, said Monday. James Alex Fields Jr, ayoung man who was said to idolize Adolf Hitlerand Nazi Germany in high school, was chargedwith killing a woman by slamming a car into agroup of counter-protesters at a white national-ist rally Sunday in Charlottesville, Virginia.

Fields, 20, who recently moved to Ohio fromhis home state of Kentucky, was held withoutbail on murder charges. He was photographedat the rally behind a shield bearing the emblemof the white nationalist Vanguard America,though the group denied he was a member. Two

state troopers also died Sunday when their heli-copter crashed during an effort to contain theviolence.

The US Justice Department said it will reviewthe violence, and Attorney General Jeff Sessionstold ABC that the death of counter-protesterHeather Heyer, 32, met the definition of domes-tic terrorism. White nationalists said they wereundaunted. Heimbach, who said he was pepper-sprayed during the melee in Charlottesville,called the event Saturday “an absolute stunningvictory” for the far right because of the largenumber of supporters who descended on thecity to decry plans to remove a statue of Lee.

Biggest event Hundreds of white nationalists, white

supremacists, neo-Nazis, Ku Klux Klan membersand others were involved, by some estimates, inwhat Heimbach, leader of the TraditionalistWorkers Party, called the nation’s biggest suchevent in a decade or more. Even more oppo-nents turned out, and the two sides clashed vio-lently. A neo-Nazi website that helped promotethe gathering said there will be more eventssoon. “We are going to start doing this nonstop.Across the country,” said the site, which Internetdomain host GoDaddy said it was shuttingdown after it mocked the woman killed inCharlottesville.

The head of the National Socialist Movement,

Jeff Schoep, said Charlottesville was a “reallygood” white nationalist event that was beingovershadowed by the deaths. “Any time some-one loses their life it’s unfortunate,” he said. Heblamed the violence on inadequate police pro-tection and counter-demonstrators and said hedoubts white nationalists will be deterred fromattending more such demonstrations.

Preserving memorials to the Old South hasbecome an animating force for the white nation-alist movement, not because all members areSouthern, Schoep said, but because adherentssee the drive to remove such monuments as partof a larger, anti-white crusade. “It’s an assault onAmerican freedoms. Today it’s Confederate mon-uments. Tomorrow it may be the Constitution orthe American flag,” Schoep said.

At the University of Florida, where Spencerhas asked to speak, President W Kent Fuchscalled the events in Virginia “deplorable” butindicated school officials might be unable toblock his appearance. “While this speaker’s viewsdo not align with our values as an institution, wemust follow the law, upholding the FirstAmendment not to discriminate based on con-tent and provide access to a public space,” Fuchssaid in a message on the university’s Facebookpage. Auburn University spent almost $30,000 inlegal fees in an unsuccessful attempt to preventSpencer from speaking on its campus inAlabama in April. — AP

BAGHDAD: Iraqi warplanes carried out airstrikes yesterday against Islamic Stategroup positions in Tal Afar in preparationfor a ground assault to retake the townnear the Syrian border, the military said. TalAfar is the main remaining IS stronghold innorthern Iraq, after the capture by Iraqiforces in July of second city Mosul furthereast in a major blow to the militants.“Preparations are under way pendinginstructions from the commander in chief(Prime Minister Haider Al-Abadi)” for thelaunch of the assault, said a spokesman forIraq’s Joint Operation Command (JOC).

The spokesman, Yahiya Rassul, said thatalthough the main offensive to retake TalAfar had not yet begun, the air force waspounding jihadist positions in the town.Plans to retake Tal Afar were announcedon Monday by federal police chief

Lieutenant General Raed Shakir Jawdat,who said “armored and elite units” wereheaded for the town. The units, whosenumber has not been specified, were“regrouping in combat positions in prepa-ration for the next battle,” he said in astatement.

Joining them is the Hashed Al-Shaabi, aShiite-dominated coalition of paramilitaryunits deployed since 2014 to halt the mili-tant advance. “Hashed Al-Shaabi com-manders met Saturday with army andpolice commanders to decide on the planto free Tal Afar,” spokesman Ahmed Al-Assadi said. Abadi is expected toannounce the launch of the groundassault but there are no indications onwhen it is due to start. IS militants overranTal Afar in June 2014, when it had a popu-lation of around 200,000. — AFP

Iraq jets pound IS bastion ahead of ground assault

JERUSALEM: Israeli police arrested a fire-brand Islamic cleric yesterday who hasbeen repeatedly accused of inciting vio-lence over a sensitive Jerusalem holy sitewhere tensions again flared last month.Raed Salah, released from prison in Januaryafter serving a nine-month sentence, isaccused of inciting violence and terrorismas well as support for and participation inan illegal organization, police said.

His group, the radical northern branchof the Islamic Movement in Israel, was out-lawed in 2015 after it was accused of incit-ing violence linked to Jerusalem’s HaramAl-Sharif mosque compound, known toJews as the Temple Mount. Police said inyesterday’s statement that Salah, an ArabIsraeli, is accused of having publicly sup-ported violent acts against the country onseveral occasions following the ban on hisorganization.

It was not clear whether the accusationswere linked to last month’s deadly unrestsurrounding the holy site, which includesthe revered Al-Aqsa mosque and the gold-en-topped Dome of the Rock. Violenceerupted in and around the compound afterthree Arab Israelis shot dead two Israelipolicemen on July 14. Israel responded byinstalling metal detectors at the entrance

to the complex, used as a staging point forthe attack.

For nearly two weeks, worshippersrefused to submit to the checks and stagedmass prayers in surrounding streets.Ensuing protests and clashes left sevenPalestinians dead, while three Israelis werefatally stabbed by a Palestinian assailant.The crisis abated when Israel removed thedetectors. Salah served a nine-monthprison term after being convicted offomenting violent protests over the holysite. He was convicted of having incitedviolence in a 2007 speech. He was convict-ed in 2014 and his appeals were laterdenied. Israeli Public Security MinisterGilad Erdan said in a statement followingSalah’s arrest that he hoped “this time jus-tice will be done and he will be sent behindbars for a long time”. The compound, cen-tral to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, is thethird-holiest in Islam and the most sacredfor Jews. It is located in east Jerusalem,occupied by Israel in 1967 and laterannexed in a move never recognized bythe international community. Palestiniansfear Israel will gradually seek to assert fur-ther control over it, though Prime MinisterBenjamin Netanyahu has said repeatedlyhe is committed to the status quo. — AFP

I N T E R N AT I O N A LWEDNESDAY, AUGUST 16, 2017

BEIRUT: Dida Guigan was just two weeks oldwhen she was whisked out of war-torn Beirut byher new parents, one of thousands of childrenadopted internationally during Lebanon’s civilwar. She spent nine years look ing for herLebanese birth mother, only to find her living anhour away from the Swiss village where Guiganwas raised by her adoptive family. The process oftracing her birth mother is one that many ofthose adopted abroad during Lebanon’s 1975-1990 war have started.

But such searches are often complicated byreams of false paperwork and secrets that manypeople would prefer remain buried. ZeinaAllouche, co-founder of the Badael-AlternativesNGO, estimates that at least 10,000 Lebanese chil-dren were adopted during the war. Internationaladoption began before Lebanon’s conflict but bal-looned during the war, with middle men and local

officials aiding the process by producing falsifiedpaperwork, often for a fee. “It was easy,” Allouchetold AFP. “It was a gang time: no laws, no safety,and there was a kind of complicity because peoplethought this was a good way to save kids.”

Guigan’s adoptive parents collected her in 1984and she grew up mostly in Switzerland, knowingshe was adopted but with no information on herbirth family. When she was 18, her adoptive par-ents gave her a file including a “certificate of aban-donment” from her birth mother. “This is where Igot very lucky - her real name was on it,” she said.It was a lead, and more than many adoptees beginwith, but it still took Guigan nine years, multipletrips to Beirut, and the help of a Lebanese televi-sion crew to find her mother.

‘Delicate and taboo’ “I really didn’t believe that this could still be

possible in this life,” she said. “I did a lot of internalwork to prepare myself for the worst. So meetingher and knowing she’s alive... was one of the mostbeautiful experiences I’ve had.” Sophie, who askedto be identified by a pseudonym, was adopted bya couple living in France in 1966, before the war,and began her search in her 40s. “I felt the need tofill a profound void, to know the story of my birth,”she told AFP.

Armed with her mother’s name, she went toLebanon to research her roots but encounteredresistance. People told her “‘You already have afamily there! You were lucky to leave here!’,” shesaid. “They didn’t understand why I was lookingand it seems to me the subject remains delicateand taboo in Lebanon.”

Allouche said many adoptees encountered sim-ilar responses. Some were completely rejected bybirth families seeking to avoid the perception of

scandal. Badael tries to help in various ways,including the online listings that contain frag-ments of identifying information, and advice onsearch methods such as DNA analysis. That washow Sophie finally found her biological mother:DNA tests with several online companies uncov-ered a first cousin, who she searched for onFacebook. That led her to another first cousin whowas “completely aware of my existence”, she said.“His father, my uncle, had helped my mothersearch for me after my birth and in the years thatfollowed.”

She learned that her mother had emigrated toAustral ia and they are now communicatingthrough Sophie’s half-sister. “I’m relieved and sohappy to have finally found her,” she said. She hasbecome a strong proponent of DNA analysis andhopes more birth mothers seeking their childrenbegin using it. — AFP

White nationalists threatenCharlottesville just a start

Supremacists buoyed by large turnout

Lebanon war adoptees abroad dig to unearth roots

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Virginia: Matthew Heimbach voices his displeasure at the media after a court hearing for James Alex Fields Jr in front of thecourt on Monday. — AP

Israel arrests Islamic cleric for ‘incitement’

TEL AVIV: Arab-Israeli Sheikh Raed Salah, leader of the radical northern branchof the Islamic Movement in Israel, waves as he arrives at the Israeli RishonLezion Justice court yesterday. — AFP

MOSUL: In this Aug 12, 2017 photo, civilian men from the Iraqi town of TalAfar wait to undergo security screening at a collection point for displacedpeople. —AP

OKLAHOMA CITY: A 23-year-old man who was“out for blood” when he attempted to detonatewhat he believed was an explosives-laden vanoutside an Oklahoma bank in a plot similar to thedeadly 1995 bombing of the Oklahoma City fed-eral building, authorities said Monday. During ameeting with undercover FBI agents in June,Jerry Drake Varnell of Sayre, Oklahoma, said heheld “III% ideology” and wanted “to start the nextrevolution,” a reference to the “Three Percenters”patriot movement - begun in 2008, galvanized byPresident Barack Obama’s election - and that hasrallied against gun control efforts and pledgesresistance to the federal government over theinfringement of constitutional rights.

Federal officials arrested Varnell early Saturdayin connection with a plot to detonate a vehiclebomb in an alley adjacent to BancFirst in down-town Oklahoma City. Varnell is charged withattempting to use explosives to destroy a build-ing in interstate commerce. Varnell made an ini-tial appearance before a federal judge Mondayafternoon and remains in the custody of federalmarshals. Court records do not indicate whetherVarnell is represented by an attorney.

US Sen James Lankford of Oklahoma, a mem-ber of the Senate Homeland Security andGovernmental Affairs Committee, said the allega-tions are a somber reminder that Americansmust remain vigilant about home-grown extrem-ism and radicalization in local communities. AIII% group said Varnell had joined their group lessthan a year ago but was never active and hasbeen removed from its membership rolls. In astatement, III% United Patriots spokesman Dylan

Hunter says the group condemns Varnell ’salleged acts. “His claim about following the III%ideology are blatantly false as we do not con-done acts of terrorism,” Hunter said. On Saturday,a rally by white nationalists and others opposedto a plan to remove a statue of Confederate Gen.Robert E Lee from a Charlottesville, Virginia, parkturned violent and led to the death of a 32-year-old woman who was struck by a car allegedlydriven by a man into a crowd of people protest-ing the rally. A Virginia State Police helicopterdeployed in a large-scale police response to theviolence then crashed into the woods outside oftown and both troopers on board died.

A federal complaint filed on Sunday says a

confidential informant told the FBI in Decemberthat Varnell wanted to blow up a building and“that Varnell was upset with the government andwas seeking retaliation”. Officials said Varnell ini-tially wanted to blow up the Federal ReserveBuilding in Washington, DC, with a device similarto one used in the 1995 Oklahoma City bombingthat destroyed the Alfred P Murrah FederalBuilding, killing 168 people and injuring hun-dreds more.

In a series of text messages with the FBI’sinformant, Varnell “claimed to have a bunker forwhen the world (or United States) collapsed” andindicated he was trying to build a team, the com-plaint states. “I’m out for blood,” the complaintquotes Varnell’s texts. “When militias start gettingformed I’m going after government officialswhen I have a team.” But an undercover FBI agentposed as someone who could help Varnell builda bomb and the device used was actually inert,authorities said. Varnell’s actions were monitoredclosely for months as the plot developed.

“There was never a concern that our commu-nity’s safety or security was at risk during thisinvestigation,” said Kathryn Peterson, specialagent in charge of the FBI in Oklahoma. Theundercover agent met face-to-face with him onJune 1 to discuss obtaining materials for anammonium nitrate and fuel oil bomb similar tothe one used in the Oklahoma City bombing, thecomplaint states. Varnell indicated at the meet-ing that he had previously made homemadeexplosives and that he “was of the same mindwith people who wanted to use explosives andmake a statement,” the complaint says. — AP

Jerry Drake Varnell

Man planned to bomb Oklahoma bank

I N T E R N AT I O N A LWEDNESDAY, AUGUST 16, 2017

Man killed in fall at London Stock Exchange

LONDON: The London Stock Exchange says a man fellfrom an upper floor balcony at the site. The City ofLondon police say they are investigating the circum-stances after being called to the central Londonexchange yesterday morning. The incident is not beingtreated as suspicious. The stock exchange describedthe person as a “London Stock Exchange Group col-league.” It said in statement that its thoughts and con-dolences are with the family. A spokesman for LondonAmbulance Service says they were called at 9.56 a.m.(0856 GMT) to reports of a person fallen from a heightat Paternoster Square. The service says it sent an inci-dent response officer, an advanced paramedic, anambulance crew and a motorbike responder, but thatthe “patient was dead at the scene.”

Italy to host G7 Ministers’ summit

ROME: Italy will host a summit of Group of Seven inte-rior ministers centered on security issues in the fall.Italian Interior Minister Marco Minniti says the meetingis being organized at the request of Italy’s G7 partners:Canada, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, Japanand the United States. Italy currently holds the rotatinghelm of the G7 industrialized nations. Minniti said at anews conference yesterday that while the terror alertlevel remains high in Italy, there is “no trace of animminent threat” or attack. He said that since the startof 2015, Italy has expelled 199 foreigners suspected ofbeing security threats after showing initial signs of rad-icalization but “not reaching the attack plan stage.”Minniti says the G-7 summit would probably be held inOctober. —AP

Newsi n b r i e f

Portugal: Tree crashes during festival, kills 12

LISBON: A tree that fell during a popular religious festivalon the Portuguese island of Madeira killed at least 12 peo-ple, Portuguese authorities said yesterday. Regional healthchief Pedro Ramos said 52 others were injured in the acci-dent near the island capital of Funchal. The tree fell while alarge crowd was gathered as part of a traditional religiousfestival. The Nossa Senhora do Monte festival is Madeira’sbiggest annual festivity. Held Aug. 14-15, it draws largecrowds to a church on Funchal’s outskirts. RTP public tele-vision showed images of emergency workers gatheredunder a group of tall trees on the Atlantic island.Ambulances were shown pulling away from the site whileworkers wielding chain saws cut away limbs from an enor-mous tree on the ground. More televised images showedsome people attending to the injured. Others appearedvisibly shaken. The regional government of Madeira hasdeclared three days of mourning for the victims.Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa shared his con-dolences for the victims on his Twitter account.

DAKAR: Thousands of people in Sierra Leone lefthomeless by a mudslide which killed at least 270people urgently need food, shelter and healthcare,aid agencies said yesterday, as they raced to preventoutbreaks of fatal diseases such as cholera andtyphoid. A mountainside collapsed on the outskirtsof the capital Freetown on Monday morning, bury-ing dozens of homes as people slept in one ofAfrica’s deadliest mudslides in decades.

Rescue workers have recovered 270 bodies so farin the mountain town of Regent and the searchcontinues for more, Freetown mayor Sam Gibsonsaid yesterday. “We estimate that at least 3,000 peo-ple are homeless ... they need shelter, medical assis-tance and food,” Sierra Red Cross Society spokesmanAbu Bakarr Tarawallie said by phone. “We are alsofearful of outbreaks of diseases such as cholera andtyphoid,” he told the Thomson Reuters Foundationfrom Freetown. “We can only hope that this doesnot happen.”

Contaminated water and water-logging oftenunleash potentially deadly diseases like cholera anddiarrhoea after floods and mudslides. Torrentialflooding has also destroyed buildings and coveredhomes in low-lying areas of Freetown, agenciessaid. “Houses have been totally submerged andwashed away,” said Ramatu Jalloh, advocacy direc-

tor at Save the Children. “Families are trying to gath-er their lives together but they have lost theirhomes, all of their possessions, their whole liveli-hoods.” President Ernest Bai Koroma on Mondayevening told residents of Regent and other floodedareas to evacuate immediately so that military per-sonnel and rescue workers could continue to searchfor survivors that might be buried underneathdebris. The United Nations children’s agency(UNICEF) is providing trauma counselling and thera-py to families and children in the dozen-odd com-munities struck by the mudslide.

“You can see people openly grieving ... there is alot of hurt to address,” said UNICEF spokesman JohnJames. Britain’s aid department said it is sendingassistance, having invested in disaster preparednessand emergency response since the Ebola outbreakwhich ravaged the former British colony from 2014to 2016, infecting 14,000 people and killing 4,000.

“From stopping the Ebola outbreak in its tracksto helping the country rebuild ?after this deadlyevent - the UK continues to stand by the people ofSierra Leone,” said Priti Patel, the minister of theDepartment for International Development.

Several aid agencies told the Thomson ReutersFoundation they were bracing for more heavy rain-fall in the coming days. —Reuters

Thousands left homeless after S Leone mudslide

UK coastguard ends daring sea rescue

LONDON: A British rescue worker was battered by wavesbut still completed a daring sea rescue after three peoplegot into difficulty on the west coast of England, a videoreleased by British coastguard service yesterday showed.Footage shot from a helicopter showed a man clinging to arock in the sea near Bude, 200 miles (321.87 km) southwestof London, after he became cut off by a rising tide onSaturday evening. Mark Hughes, a winchman for the coast-guard who is known as “Spike”, was lowered from the heli-copter to save him when he was caught blindsided by awave. Hughes reached the man and was attaching him tothe wire when both were washed into the sea by a secondwave. They were winched quickly out of the surf, while twoother people were also rescued from a nearby beach.

SEOUL/WASHINGTON: North Korea’s leader has delayed adecision on firing missiles towards Guam while he waits tosee what the United States does next, the North’s statemedia said yesterday, as South Korea’s president said Seoulwould seek to prevent war by all means.

Signs of an easing in tension on the Korean peninsulahelped stock markets rally for a second day running evenas the United States and South Korea prepared for morejoint military drills, which infuriate the North, and expertswarned it could still go ahead with its provocative plan.

In his first public appearance in about two weeks, North

Korean leader Kim Jong Un inspected the command of theNorth’s army on Monday, examining a plan to fire four mis-siles to land near the US Pacific territory of Guam, the offi-cial KCNA said in a report. “He said that if the Yankees per-sist in their extremely dangerous reckless actions on theKorean peninsula and in its vicinity, testing the self-restraint of the DPRK, the latter will make an importantdecision as it already declared,” the report said.

The DPRK stands for North Korea’s official name, theDemocratic People’s Republic of Korea. In photos releasedwith the KCNA report, Kim was seen holding a baton andpointing at a map showing a flight path for the missilesappearing to start from North Korea’s east coast, flying overJapan towards Guam. North Korea has often threatened toattack the United States and its bases and released similarphotos in the past but never followed through.

Pyongyang’s plans to fire missiles near Guam prompteda surge in tensions in the region last week, with USPresident Donald Trump saying the US military was “lockedand loaded” if North Korea acted unwisely. South KoreanPresident Moon Jae-in said yesterday there would be nomilitary action without Seoul’s consent and his govern-ment would prevent war by all means.

“Military action on the Korean peninsula can only bedecided by South Korea and no one else can decide to takemilitary action without the consent of South Korea,” Moonsaid in a speech to commemorate the anniversary of the

nation’s liberation from Japanese military rule in 1945.“The government, putting everything on the line, will

block war by all means,” Moon said. Speaking to his Russiancounterpart Sergei Lavrov, Chinese Foreign Minister WangYi said it was urgent the United States and North Korea“put the brakes” on mutually irritating words and actions tolower temperatures and prevent an “August crisis”, China’sForeign Ministry said in a statement.

Nuclear deterrentJapan will be seeking further reassurance from

Washington in meetings between Japan’s defense chiefand foreign minister and their US counterparts onThursday. “The strategic environment is becoming harsherand we need to discuss how we will respond to that,” aJapanese foreign ministry official said in a briefing in Tokyo.

“We will look for the US to reaffirm it defence commitment,including the nuclear deterrent.” The Liberation Day holi-day, celebrated by both North and South, will be followednext week by the joint US-South Korean military drills.

North Korea has persisted with its nuclear and missileprograms, to ward off perceived US hostility, in defiance ofUN Security Council resolutions and sanctions. China,North Korea’s main ally and trading partner, has repeatedlyurged Pyongyang to halt its weapons program and at thesame time urged South Korea and the United States tostop military drills to lower tensions.

Yesterday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman HuaChunying said the crisis was approaching a critical junctureand urged all sides in the standoff to help “put out theflames” and not add fuel to the fire. Hua said she notedcomments by U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis andSecretary of State Rex Tillerson about using diplomacy toresolve the issue, saying China hoped these words can beput into action.

“We also call on North Korea to echo this in response,”Hua told a daily news briefing. Asian shares rose for a sec-ond day yesterday and the dollar firmed after Kim’s com-ments further eased tension and prompted investors tomove back into riskier assets after a sharp selloff last week.

Kim Dong-yub, a professor and a military expert atKyungnam University’s Institute of Far Eastern Studies inSeoul, urged caution in assuming North Korea was bluffingwith its missile threats.

“There is no stepping back for North Korea. Those whodon’t know the North very well fall into this trap every time(thinking they are easing threats) but we’ve seen thisbefore.”

The United States and South Korea remain technicallystill at war with North Korea after the 1950-53 Korean con-flict ended with a truce, not a peace treaty. North Korea iscurrently holding three US citizens it accuses of espionageor hostile acts but now was not the right time to discussthem, KCNA cited a foreign ministry spokesman as sayingin a separate report.

Pyongyang has in the past used detainees to extractconcessions, including high-profile visits from the UnitedStates, which has no formal diplomatic relations with NorthKorea. US officials have in recent days played down the riskof an imminent conflict while stressing their preparednessto respond militarily to any attack from North Korea. Mattissaid on Monday the US military would know the trajectoryof a missile fired from NorthKorea within moments andwould “take it out” if it looked like it would hit the USPacific territory.

“The bottom line is, we will defend the country froman attack; for us (US military) that is war,” Mattis said. OnGuam, home to a US air base, a Navy installation, a CoastGuard group and roughly 6,000 US military personnel,residents expressed some relief at the lessening of ten-sions. “I’m reading between the lines that I don’t see animminent threat,” Guam Lieutenant Governor RayTenorio told a media briefing in the island’s capital ofHagatna. —Reuters

FREE TOWN: In this Monday photo, crowds gather outside the Connaught Hospital waiting for lovedones outside a mortuary in Freetown, Sierra Leone. —AP

North Korea holds offon Guam missile plan

China urges ‘brakes’ on rhetoric

Emergency services move an injured person to anambulance after a tree fell on a large crowd gathered aspart of a traditional religious festival in the outskirts ofFunchal, the capital of Madeira island, Portugal. — AP

SEOUL: Protesters carry a banner showing illustrations of US President Donald Trump as they march in front of theUS Embassy after a rally demanding peace on the Korean peninsula in Seoul yesterday.—AP

JOHANNESBURG: The wife of Zimbabwe’s presi-dent has been accused of assaulting a youngwoman at an upscale Johannesburg hotel, andlocal media reported that she was due to appear incourt yesterday. It was not immediately clearwhere Grace Mugabe was. Minister of Police FikileMbalula said in a video posted by local broadcastereNCA that she had handed herself over to police.But a police spokesman, Vishnu Naidoo, later saidno arrest had been made and police were talkingwith the suspect’s lawyers. He would not name thesuspect, saying she had not yet appeared in court.

The case draws yet more attention to theincreasingly outspoken wife of the world’s oldesthead of state, 93-year-old President RobertMugabe. Last month she challenged her husbandpublicly for the first time to name a successor, posi-tioning herself as a possibility as his advanced agetakes a toll ahead of next year’s election. Twenty-year-old model Gabriella Engels has accused GraceMugabe of assaulting her Sunday night while shewas visiting Mugabe’s sons in a hotel room in anupscale Johannesburg suburb. She claims the firstlady ’s bodyguards stood by and watched asMugabe attacked her.

Engels posted several photos on social mediashowing a gash in her forehead, which she called aresult of the alleged encounter. “She flipped andjust kept beating me with the plug. Over and over,”Engels told local news channel News24. “I had noidea what was going on. I was surprised . I neededto crawl out of the room before I could run away.”

Engels told local radio station 702 that “I had noclue who this woman was when she started beatingme.” Police confirmed that a 20-year-old woman

registered “a case of assault with intent to do griev-ous bodily harm” on Monday, but said the suspectcould not be named as she had not yet appeared incourt. “The investigation into this case has alreadyreached an advanced stage,” a police statement yes-terday said. It was unclear whether Mugabe wouldqualify for diplomatic immunity in South Africa ifcharges are brought against her. —AP

LONDON: A public inquiry into the Grenfell Tower fire in London thatkilled 80 people in June began yesterday with a mission to examinethe cause of and response to the tragedy, but not broader issues suchas social housing policy. The destruction of the 24-storey social hous-ing block, home to a poor, multi-ethnic community, in an inferno thatspread with terrifying speed in the middle of the night shocked thenation and raised public anger over social inequalities. Grenfell Towerwas part of a deprived housing estate in the London borough ofKensington and Chelsea, one of the richest areas in the country. Thefire has prompted debate about the impact on poor communities ofyears of public spending cuts by Conservative-led governments.

The inquiry, led by retired judge Martin Moore-Bick, wasannounced by Conservative Prime Minister Theresa May to show shewanted the truth about the disaster to emerge after her initialresponse was seen by survivors as slow and insensitive. The inquiry for-mally opened yesterday with the publication of its terms of reference.Moore-Bick will start hearings in September.

It will examine the cause and spread of the fire, the design, con-struction and refurbishment of the tower, fire regulations relating tohigh-rise buildings, whether they were complied with at GrenfellTower, and the actions of the authorities before and after the tragedy.

But Moore-Bick said the inquiry would not delve into broader issuessuch as social housing policy and the relationship between the com-munity and the authorities, even though many local people wanted itto. That drew immediate criticism from the local member of parlia-ment, Emma Dent Coad of the opposition Labour Party, who said itwas precisely what the community had feared.

“We were told ‘no stone would be unturned’ but instead are beingpresented with a technical assessment which will not get to theheart of the problem: what effects if any the lack of investment intosocial housing had on the refurbishment project,” she said in a state-ment. Moore-Bick said it would take too long to fully examine socialhousing policy issues when there was a need for the inquiry to quick-ly identify safety problems that may be putting lives at risk in othertower blocks. — Reuters

Zimbabwe’s first lady accused of assault in South Africa

In this photo provided by Debbie Engels andtaken on Monday, Gabriella Engels is seen withan injury to her forehead in Johannesburg,South Africa. —AP

UK inquiry to examineGrenfell Tower fire

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 16, 2017

I N T E R N AT I O N A L

NEW DELHI: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses the nation on the country’s Independence Day from the ramparts ofthe historical Red Fort in New Delhi yesterday. — AP

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modiurged India yesterday to reject religious vio-lence, after a series of attacks against minoritiessparked debate about whether a surge of Hindunationalism is undermining the country’s secu-lar ideals. In a speech from the ramparts ofDelhi’s Red Fort marking the 70th anniversaryof India’s independence, Modi also listed hisgovernment’s achievements, including a fightagainst corruption.

The speech was light on foreign policy, mak-ing no mention of arch-rival Pakistan or ofChina.India has for nearly two months stationedhundreds of troops along its northern borderwith China because of a territorial dispute.

Modi has spoken out against attacks byright-wing Hindus, many of whom back hisHindu-nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP),against minority Muslims and lower-casteHindus accused of killing cows, considered holyby the majority Hindus.

But the setting of his denunciation of vio-lence yesterday was significant.

“We will not tolerate violence in the name offaith,” Modi said before a teeming crowd at the

fort and a huge television audience. Modimade much of the progress India has madesince independence from British rule in 1947.But he also expressed pain over the death of atleast 60 children in a state-run hospital lastweek amid shortages of supplies - a remindermuch remains to be done on India’s journey todevelopment.

‘AURA OF PROGRESS’Since coming to power in 2014, Modi has

found it difficult to balance the competingdemands of groups from his nationalist Hindupower base and those Indians striving to build amodern, secular country befitting its growingeconomic influence. Manoj Joshi, a fellow at theObserver Research Foundation think-tank saidModi was playing “good cop, bad cop” by con-demning communal violence but doing little torein in elements of his ruling party.

“There is an obvious gap between sloganand implementation. It’s a deliberate gap andit’s just for the record,” he said. Modi also spokeat length about delivering a “new India” by2022, underlining his confidence of winning the

next general election, due by 2019.Strong growth and economic reforms have

bolstered Modi’s popularity and helped his par-ty sweep state elections in recent years, leavingthe opposition severely weakened.

Still, to keep up with the demands of India’s1.3 billion people, the government needs tocreate millions more jobs a year, which it isstruggling to do.

“A certain level of triumphalism ... broughtModi to power,” analyst Ajai Shukla told NDTV.“Now he realizes people are expecting answers.He felt the need to convey an aura of progress.”

Modi was conciliatory towards the Muslim-majority Himalayan region of Kashmir, whereviolent protests against Indian rule have erupt-ed over the past year, saying neither “name-call-ing nor bullets” would be enough to pacify theregion.

What was needed, he said, were “hugs” forK ashmir is . K ashmir has been d iv idedbetween Pakistan and India, and a source ofconflict between them, since their creationupon the partition of British-ruled India in1947. — Reuters

Modi urges India to reject violence in name of religion

Indian PM addresses nation on 70th anniversary

BEIJING: The top US military officer toldhis Chinese counterpart yesterday that theUS and China have “many difficult issues” towork through, during a visit that comesamid tensions over North Korea’s missileprogram, Taiwan and China’s claims in theSouth China Sea. Marine Corps Gen. JosephDunford, the chairman of the Joint Chiefsof Staff, made the remarks at the openingof a meeting with Fang Fenghui, chief ofthe People’s Liberation Army’s joint staffdepartment.

US officials say Dunford’s visit aims tocreate a mechanism for improving commu-nication between the sides, especially onsensitive issues such as North Korea.Dunford and Fang signed an agreementcommitting the sides to that goal, with thedetails to be discussed during talks inWashington in November.

Fang said Dunford’s visit was a key partof efforts to expand dialogue between theUS and China as agreed by PresidentDonald Trump and his Chinese counter-part, Xi Jinping, when they met earlier thisyear. To that end, China has arranged aseries of important meetings and visits tohelp Dunford “know more about our mili-tary, (boost) our cooperation and build upour friendship,” Fang said.

Dunford responded that the US consid-ered the meetings important to makingprogress on areas of disagreement, with-out citing any specific examples. “I thinkhere, we have to be honest - we havemany, many difficult issues where we don’tnecessarily share the same perspective,”Dunford said.

“I know we share one thing: We share acommitment to work through these diffi-cult issues,” he added, saying that with theguidance of polit ical leaders “we are

going to make some progress over thenext few days.”

This is the highest-level meetingbetween the two countries’ militaries sinceTrump and Xi met in Florida in April. The USdelegation will be flying to the northeast-ern city of Shenyang today to observe anexercise staged by the People’s LiberationArmy’s Northern Theater Command. Fangcited the event as being among the meas-ures aimed at building mutual trust andunderstanding.

While the sides agreed several years agoto establish a hotline between thePentagon and China’s defense ministry,that mechanism has never gone into oper-ation. US officials say they’ve attempted touse it, but that the Chinese side has neveranswered their requests. The Chinese andUS militaries have joined in naval exercisesoff the coast of Hawaii and other limitedmultinational drills mainly aimed at dealingwith humanitarian disasters. They’ve alsotried to improve mutual trust throughagreements on dealing with unexpectedencounters at sea.

Despite those, China deeply resents thepresence of the US Navy in the South ChinaSea, which Beijing claims virtually in itsentirety. Last week, China expressed its“strong dissatisfaction” with the US over theNavy’s latest freedom of navigation opera-tion in which a warship sailed past one ofChina’s man-made islands. Dunford is visit-ing South Korea, Japan and China after aweek in which Trump said he was ready tounleash “fire and fury” if North Korea con-tinued to threaten the US.

In a phone call with Trump on Saturday,Chinese President Xi said all sides shouldavoid rhetoric or action that would worsentensions on the Korean Peninsula. — AP

Top US military officer notes ‘difficult issues’ with China

BEIJING: Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen Joseph Dunford reviews a Chinese honor guardduring a welcome ceremony at the Bayi Building in Beijing yesterday. — AP

EDINBURG, Texas: Police in Texas acting on a tipfound 16 immigrants locked inside a tractor-trail-er parked at a gas station about 30 km from theborder with Mexico, less than a month after thedeaths of 10 people who were packed in a hottruck in San Antonio. Edinburg Assistant PoliceChief Oscar Trevino says the immigrants may havebeen locked inside the 18-wheeler in Edinburg forat least eight hours before being freed by officerslate Sunday morning. He had earlier said therewere 17 immigrants locked in the tractor-trailerbefore correcting the number on Monday to 16.

Trevino said none of the people inside the

tractor-trailer required medical attention. He saidthey were hungry and thirsty and were givenfood and water at the scene. Those found lockedin the tractor-trailer included eight people from ElSalvador, six from Mexico and two from Romania,said Manuel Padilla, US Customs and BorderProtection’s Border Patrol sector chief for the RioGrande Valley at Texas’ southernmost point.

A man and woman who Trevino said areCuban nationals were in charge of the rig andhave been detained. US Immigration andCustoms Enforcement spokeswoman NinaPruneda said no one has been charged yet in

connection with the case but that the agency isworking with state and local officials and talkingto witnesses.

The discovery comes three weeks after 10people died who were in a sweltering rig parkedat a Walmart in San Antonio. Immigration officialssay survivors estimated 100 people had beenpacked into the back of the 18-wheeler at onepoint. Officials said 39 people were inside whenrescuers arrived, and the rest either escaped orhitched rides to their next destination. Nearly 20of those rescued from the rig were hospitalized indire condition, many suffering from extremedehydration and heatstroke. The driver of that rigremains in federal custody, charged with illegallytransporting immigrants for financial gain, result-ing in death.

On Sunday, Edinburg police went to the gasstation, a popular stopover for commercial truckdrivers traveling through the region, after receiv-ing an anonymous call from someone saying arelative was trapped inside the tractor-trailer.Officers began knocking on the sides of trailersparked at the station and eventually receivedreturn knocks from the one holding the immi-grants, police said.

The San Antonio incident demonstrated howsmugglers regularly use big rigs in an elaboratenetwork of foot guides, safe house operators anddrivers. The immigrants discovered in SanAntonio had been divided into groups andmarked with color-coded tape. Six black SUVswere waiting at one transit point to take some totheir destinations. — AP

16 found locked in Texas rig

EDINBURG, Texas: In this Aug 13 photo, US Border Patrol officers escort a group of immigrantsto a van after a group was found in the tractor-trailer. — AP

ISLAMABAD: Ousted Pakistani PrimeMinister Nawaz Sharif yesterday soughta review of a Supreme Court decisionthat disqualified him from office overundeclared assets, an official from hisruling party said yesterday.

Sharif, 67, resigned during his thirdstint as prime minister shortly after theSupreme Court ruled on July 28 that heshould be disqualified and ordered acriminal probe into his family’s wealth.

Jan Achakzai, a PML-N official, toldReuters Sharif had filed three separateappeals in the Supreme Court. “It isour right to seek a review,” he said.“People of Pakistan haven’t acceptedthe decision.”

Achakzai said the same five-judgepanel that decided on the disqualifi-cation would likely hear the reviewpetitions.

Sharif ’s disqualification stems fromthe Panama Papers leaks in 2016 whichappeared to show that Sharif ’s daugh-ter and two sons owned offshore hold-ing companies registered in the BritishVirgin Islands and used them to buyproperties in London.

In April, the Supreme Court ruledthat there was insufficient evidence toremove Sharif from office - by a split 2-3 verdict - over the Panama revelations

but it ordered further investigationsinto his family’s wealth.

The judges in July alleged Sharif didnot declare a small source of incomethat the veteran leader disputes receiv-ing. Achakzai said the appeals sought areview of the disqualification on thebasis that two of the five judges, whohad already given a dissenting note inApril’s verdict, were not supposed to siton the panel that gave the final ruling.

Sharif has kept a grip on the rulingPML-N party, which has a solid majori-ty in parliament, and elected one ofhis loyalists, Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, ashis replacement within days of thecourt decision.

Critics say Sharif remains in controlof the country through Abbasi and istr ying to undermine the judiciar y.Sharif ’s aides say he shows no signs ofleaving politics and he recently calledthe Supreme Court ruling against him“an insult to the mandate of 200 mil-lion voters”.

Last week he started a so-calledhomecoming “caravan” processionacross the Punjab region where hederives his voter base, from the capitalIs lamabad to the eastern c i t y ofLahore, drawing large crowds alongthe way. — Reuters

Ousted Pakistani PM Sharif seeks review of court ruling

BANDUNG, Indonesia: Indonesian police saidthey arrested five suspected Islamic militantsyesterday and seized chemicals that were to beused for attacks on several locations, includingthe presidential palace. West Java policespokesman Yusri Yunus said the militants arrest-ed in the city of Bandung were members ofJemaah Anshorut Daulah, a network of abouttwo dozen Indonesian extremist groups thatformed in 2015 and pledges allegiance toIslamic State group leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.

Yunus said among those arrested were ahusband and wife who were deported aboutthree years ago from Hong Kong on suspicionof spreading radical ideology.

The couple, a 20-year-old man and his 24-year-old wife, were arrested in Bandung’sKiaracondong neighborhood, not far from therented house of a man believed to be the donorand bomb maker, Yunus said. He added thatpolice discovered a chemical liquid in variouscontainers at the house.

He identified the two other suspects as a 30-year-old from the East Java town of Kediri and a28-year-old Bandung resident.

“They learn to make bombs from BahrunNaim’s blog,” Yunus said, referring to anIndonesian fighting with the Islamic Stategroup in Syria who has instigated severalattacks by Jemaah Anshorut Daulah inIndonesia. “This arrest opened a new discovery

linked to terror acts.”Yunus said the group planned to launch the

attacks at the end of August, with targetsincluding the presidential palace in Jakarta, aswell as headquarters of the police’s elite force inJakarta and Bandung. Indonesia, the world’smost populous Muslim nation, has carried out asustained crackdown on Islamic militants sincethe 2002 bombings on the tourist island of Balikilled 202 people, mostly foreigners.

The arrests of hundreds of militants and thekillings of leading figures have neutralized theJemaah Islamiyah militant network, which wasresponsible for the Bali bombings, but newthreats have emerged in recent times fromIslamic State group-inspired radicals. — AP

Militants preparing chemical attacks nabbed: IndonesiaQUETTA, Pakistan: A roadside bomb

killed eight soldiers in a remote districtinPakistan’s southwestern province ofBaluchistan, a government official said yes-terday, the second attack within days in thetroubled region.

The blast late on Monday in Harnai dis-trict was some 160 km (100 miles) east ofthe provincial capital, Quetta, where a sui-cide bomber rammed his motorcycle intoan army truck yesterday, killing eight sol-diers and seven civilians. The separatistBaloch Liberation Army (BLA) groupclaimed responsibility for the bombing inphone calls made to media in Quetta.Islamic State said it carried out Saturday’sbombing. Army chief General Qamar Bajwasaid the attack was an attempt to mar cele-

brations on Monday as Pakistan celebrated70 years since independence from Britishcolonial rule.

“Our resolve won’t succumb to any chal-lenge,” Bajwa said in a statement the armymedia wing posted on Twitter. Separatistmilitants in Baluchistan have waged a cam-paign against the central government fordecades, demanding a greater share ofresources in the gas-rich province, which isa key part of a $57 billion Chinese econom-ic corridor through Pakistan.

The province, which shares border withAfghanistan and Iran, was rocked by aseries of attacks late last year that raisedconcerns about a growing militant pres-ence, including fighters affiliated withIslamic State. — Reuters

Roadside bomb blast kills 8 soldiers in SW Pakistan

N E W S

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 16, 2017

Continued from Page 1

for large construction projects linked to the 2022football World Cup. To get around the boycott, Qatar hasflown in food from Turkey and Iran and chartered shipsvia Oman to bring in construction materials needed forWorld Cup projects.

But the feud is making life harder for some foreignworkers in Qatar, already faced by layoffs caused by lowoil prices and a work-sponsorship system that restrictstheir movement. Fresh vegetables usually truckedacross Qatar’s land border with Saudi Arabia, a routenow blocked, have increased in price. That is indebtingsome workers from places like India and Nepal who typ-ically earn 800 rials ($219.78) a month and who makeup about 90 percent of Qatar’s 2.7 million population.

South Asian workers have been left stranded onQatari farms in Saudi Arabia without food after theirQatari employers fled to Doha in June, according to aHuman Rights Watch report. Last week dozens of Indianand African workers at hotels in Doha were told to takeextended unpaid leave and return to their countriesbecause of a drop in occupancy caused by the embar-go. “Our rooms were filled with Saudis on weekends butthey don’t come to Qatar any more. We can’t have work-ers cleaning empty rooms,” said a Doha hotel manager,declining to give his or his company’s name.

Qatar has denied reports of lower hotel occupancyrates and said its preparations for the World Cup havenot been affected. The tiny Gulf state’s economy,

buoyed by vast natural gas reserves, can weather yearsof sanctions, officials say. But any pause in the flow ofconstruction materials could delay projects and leavemigrant workers vulnerable to exploitation, said Gulflabor researcher Mustafa Qadri. “The impact couldreverberate to South Asia, the Philippines and EastAfrica where migrants’ families depend heavily onremittances.”

At an Indian restaurant near Doha’s airport onMonday, Japesh Afsal, a waiter serving fish curry tolaborers, said rising prices had hurt business. “Fishprices are up. If we raise our prices this will be hard forcustomers,” he said. Raji, a Bangladeshi crane-operator,said his manager told him that his pay could be delayednext month because the company was running out ofsteel, previously imported from the UAE.

A work-sponsorship system widely enforced in theGulf and known in Qatar as “kafala” requires foreignworkers to get their employer’s consent to changejobs or leave the country. Qatar says it has endedkafala but some migrants still work without properaccess to water or shelter from sun, rights groups say.The crisis may bring change. Last Wednesday, Qatarannounced a plan to allow Indians and dozens of oth-er nationalities to enter Qatar on arrival without a visa.Qatar ’s emir in a rare public address last monththanked the country’s foreign residents for their con-tributions. “Foreigners built this country. Qatar knowsit cannot survive without them,” said Marie Trichia, abarista at Doha’s Gate Mall. — Agencies

Qatar: Time needed to rebuild trust

Continued from Page 1

Private environmental group Kuwait Green Line saidyesterday that new oil slicks had been spotted and thespill was spreading. Last week, a large oil spill hitKuwait’s southern coast near Saudi Arabia and close tothe joint Saudi-Kuwaiti offshore oilfield at Al-Khafji. Oilofficials had said emergency workers managed toclean up most of the spill and that the situation wasunder control.

Precautionary measures were taken around vitalinstallations in Al-Zour where a huge $30-billion oilcomplex including a 615,000-barrel-per-day refinery isbeing built. The area also has two power and waterdesalination plants which were declared safe from con-

tamination. The source of the crude spill has not yetbeen determined but officials said samples were sentabroad for examination.

Kuwaiti media on Sunday quoted local oil experts assaying the spill came from an old 50-km-long pipelinefrom Al-Khafji. The experts estimated that as many as35,000 barrels of crude may have leaked into the watersoff Al-Zour. Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, located south ofKuwait along the Gulf coast, said slicks from the spillhad not reached their waters. The KPC said teams fromSaudi Arabian Chevron and Oil Spill Response Limited(OSRL) had joined the coastal clean-up operations.OPEC member Kuwait pumps around 2.7 million barrelsper day of crude oil, providing around 85 percent of itspublic revenues. — Agencies

Messila coast hit by oil spill...

Rally accelerates removal of US...

Continued from Page 1

HH the Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah and HH the Prime Minister Sheikh JaberAl-Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah sent Burkina Faso’sPresident similar cables.

Late on Monday, the foreign ministry said HH theAmir instructed sending a plane to Ouagadougou tobring back the two Kuwaiti victims. With shock and grief,the ministry received the news of the death of the twocitizens as well as several other innocent people in theheinous terrorist attack, a senior diplomat said. The twoKuwaiti nationals were on a charitable mission when

they were martyred in the restaurant, he said. Uponreceiving the news from its non-resident embassy toBurkina Faso, the ministry sent a diplomat to follow upthe investigations into the incident and speed up the air-lifting of the bodies of the two victims to Kuwait.

While condemning this repugnant attack, Kuwaitreaffirms its principled rejections of all forms of terror-ism, the source stressed.

He expressed sincere condolences to the families ofthe two philanthropists and prayed to God Almighty tolodge their souls in paradise. At the behest of the Amir,the two martyrs will be brought back to Kuwait soon, heaffirmed. — KUNA

Amir saddened over Kuwaitis killed...

Continued from Page 1

“We should not glorify a part of our history in front of ourbuildings that really is a testament to America’s original sin,”Gainesville Mayor Lauren Poe said Monday after the statueknown as “Old Joe” was returned to the United Daughters ofthe Confederacy, which erected it in 1904.

A county spokesman said he did not know if the statuewas removed because of the events that killed one personand injured dozens more Saturday in Charlottesville. Butmany officials who were horrified by the confrontation soonbegan publicizing plans to take down statues.

The Southern Poverty Law Center last year counted morethan 1,500 things around the country named afterConfederate figures or dedicated to the Confederacy,including holidays, statues, flags and the names of cities,counties, schools and parks. Nearly half are monuments,which are in 24 states. Most of the dedications are in theSouth, but 24 are in the North and 21 in states that did notexist at the time of the Civil War.

In Jacksonville, Florida, City Council President AnnaBrosche ordered an immediate inventory of all of theConfederate statues in her city in preparation for theirremoval. “These monuments, memorials and markers repre-sent a time in our history that caused pain to so many,” shesaid Monday. Lexington, Kentucky, Mayor Jim Gray movedup his announcement by a day in reaction to the weekendbloodshed. Memorials to John C Breckinridge and JohnHunt Morgan are perched outside a former courthouse thatwas the site of slave auctions before the Civil War.

San Antonio Councilman Robert Trevino is promoting ameasure that would remove the Confederate statue at thecenter of Travis Park, where for years people have mistakenlyidentified the figure as being that of Col. William Travis, aTexas hero who died at the Alamo.

“This is not an important art piece, but a monument topower. It was put in to remind people of that power. It is anunfortunate message of hate, and we think it’s important to

relocate it.” Trevino said Monday. “We do think that history isimportant so we’re looking for an appropriate location for it.”

St Louis dismantled its Confederate Monument in ForestPark in June, giving it to the Missouri Civil War Museum afteryears of debate.

In Baltimore, Pugh announced Monday that she wouldmove forward with the removal of Baltimore’s statues ofRoger B Taney, a Marylander who wrote the 1856 Dred Scottsupreme court ruling that denied citizenship to African-Americans, and a statue of two Virginians, Confederate gen-erals Robert E Lee and Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson. Pughsaid she was making plans to send the statues to cemeterieswith Confederate dead outside the city. But hours later, thecity council voted unanimously to have the statuesdestroyed instead of moved. It was unclear whether any-thing would happen to the statues immediately.

Seconds after the monument fell in Durham on Monday,protesters began kicking the crumpled bronze monument.In response, Democratic North Carolina Gov Roy Coopertweeted: “The racism and deadly violence in Charlottesvilleis unacceptable but there is a better way to remove thesemonuments.” Back in May, New Orleans Mayor MitchLandrieu moved his city’s four main Confederate statues,including a statue of Lee, at night after threats of violencefrom Confederate sympathizers and white supremacists.Pugh said she is consulting with Landrieu, now head of theUS Conference of Mayors, about the removal of Baltimore’sstatues and the cost.

The violence in Charlottesville will probably speed upefforts to do away with the monuments, experts said. Theconvergence of white nationalists and neo-Nazis withConfederate imagery in Charlottesville will make it difficultfor government agencies to defend having Confederatestatues on their property, Boston University history profes-sor Heather Cox Richardson said. “The idea that this some-how is about Southern heritage, I think that ship sailed,” saidRichardson, who teaches and writes about the Civil War,Reconstruction and Southern politics. — AP

DUBAI: During recent trips to Croatia and Malta, a Dubai-based billionaire and business partner of the TrumpOrganization looked more like a head of state himself -mingling with government dignitaries, receiving a presi-dential reception and visiting the glittering MediterraneanSea. Hussain Sajwani met with leaders in the two Europeannations and addressed local journalists, many of whomreferred to his ties to President Donald Trump or simplycalled him “the Donald of Dubai.”

Sajwani’s trips, as well as a recent deal in Oman, showthat Trump’s business partner in Dubai wants to expand hisdevelopment empire beyond the Mideast and a towerunder construction in London. Enter Sajwani’s DAMACProperties, which launched a new effort this week to sellTrump-branded villas at the golf course bearing theAmerican president’s name. “My dream is as we have putour major, iconic tower in London, that we do repeat thatin major gateway cities around the world,” Sajwani said in aJuly online video. “Tokyo, Toronto, New York, Paris, I don’tknow. But that would be a dream - to grow DAMAC with itsiconic brands around the world.”

Sajwani’s dream for a global expansion - as well hisgrowing online presence among social media videos andposts - received a major boost with Trump taking the WhiteHouse. It also raised the public profile of a billionairewhose fortune grew in part out of contracting work hiscompanies did in supplying US forces during the 1991 GulfWar that expelled Iraqi forces from Kuwait.

DAMAC Properties declined an AP interview requestwith Sajwani. In a statement, DAMAC spokesman NiallMcLoughlin said the company is “exploring opportunitiesin major gateway cities across Europe and the US, hencethe numerous and ongoing meetings over the past manyyears” by Sajwani.

Sajwani wholeheartedly embraced Trump, even as theUS presidential candidate’s campaign saw him call for a“complete shutdown” of Muslims coming to the UnitedStates. Once reaching office, Trump’s travel ban on six pre-dominantly Muslim countries avoided naming the UAE, a

major US ally that hosts some 5,000 American troops and isthe US Navy’s busiest foreign port of call.

In February, Trump’s sons Eric and Donald Jr opened theTrump International Golf Club in Dubai, the first of two tobe built in the sheikhdom by Sajwani. DAMAC share priceshave nearly doubled from 2.17 dirhams (59 cents) a shareon the day of the US election in November, to a high ofover 4 dirhams ($1.09). That made Sajwani, who owns over70 percent of DAMAC stock, even richer.

However, economies overall have slowed across theMiddle East amid a glut in global oil prices. An ongoingdiplomatic dispute between Arab nations and Qatar haslikely also affected DAMAC, as 6 percent of all its customersfrom 2014 to 2016 were Qataris, according to an April filingby the company on the Nasdaq Dubai. DAMAC announcedresults Monday that put its second-quarter earnings at 704million dirhams ($191.6 million), down from 864 milliondirhams ($235.2 million) in the same period last year.

Facing that sluggish market, Sajwani has begun to lookabroad. In Oman, he signed a deal in June with the state-run Oman Tourism Development Co for DAMAC to helpredevelop Port Sultan Qaboos in Muscat, a project valuedoverall at $1 billion. Then in July, Sajwani visited Croatiaand met with President Kolinda Grabar Kitarovic. Sajwanialso visited tourist towns along the coast of the AdriaticSea, according a DAMAC statement at the time. The localbranch of Colliers International, a commercial real estatefirm headquartered in Toronto, said it organized the three-day trip for Sajwani, trying to pitch him on developmentson the Istria peninsula and Central and Southern Dalmatia.

DAMAC “continues to look at the investment opportuni-ties” in Croatia, primarily along the Adriatic, said VedranaLikan, the managing partner of Colliers’ Croatian arm.Sajwani then traveled to Malta, an archipelago nation offItaly in the Mediterranean Sea, and met with PrimeMinister Joseph Muscat. Both Croatia and Malta are mem-bers of the European Union, which Emirati citizens havebeen able to travel to without visas since 2015.

That can drive business for any possible DAMAC project

Brazilian superstar and world’s most expensive footballer Neymar shoots a ball on the monumental woodsculpture “Broken Chair” during an event organized by NGO Handicap International yesterday at the Placedes Nations in Geneva. Neymar has been appointed as new goodwill ambassador for HandicapInternational, an NGO aiming to help disabled and vulnerable people in situations of poverty and exclusion,conflict and disaster. — AFP

Dubai magnate seeks

new ventures abroad

Islamic State is seeking to radicalize disaffected ethnicminorities in majority Shiite Iran to encourage attacksintended to avenge Tehran’s offensive against the group

across the Middle East. Sunni Islamic State, in decline in Iraqand Syria, claimed responsibility for an unprecedentedattack on June 7 in which suicide bombers and gunmenattacked the Iranian parliament and Ayatollah Khomeini’smausoleum in Tehran, killing 18 people. The attackers wereKurdish Iranian Sunnis.

In interviews, dissidents and representatives of Iran’sminority Kurds, Baluchs and Arabs said that decades-old liber-ation movements are evolving into sectarian-tinged strug-gles, spurred on by geopolitical rivalries in the region. Theytold Reuters some Iranian separatist groups, several of whichhave pursued armed insurgencies for their nationalist or civilmovements, increasingly see themselves as part of a strugglebetween Sunnis and Shi’ites in the region.

Some activists side with Shiite Iran’s increasingly assertiverival, Sunni Saudi Arabia, to show their anger against whatthey see as oppression by the Iranian theocratic state, inwhich up to 10 percent of the population is Sunni. Other radi-calized Iranians go even further by joining Al-Qaeda andIslamic State, enemies of both Iran and Saudi Arabia, to wagewar on Shiites on the battlefield. The Erbil-based head of theKurdistan Democratic Party of Iran (KDPI) - a secular armedgroup which launches periodic attacks into Iran - said reli-gious extremism was rapidly gaining traction among “emo-tional, poorly educated youths.”

Threatening Video“If the Islamic Republic of Iran does not change its policies

towards Sunni Muslims in Iran and in the region, more peoplewill be inclined to organizations like Daesh,” Mustafa Hijri said,using the Arabic acronym for Islamic State. The Iranian gov-ernment declined to comment. Sunni militant groups havelong carried out periodic attacks on military and civilian tar-gets, in protest against what they say is discrimination againstIran’s Arab minority and Sunni ethnic groups. Iran stepped upits crackdown against members of such networks in recentyears, with arrests and death sentences.

On Aug 9, IS issued a video threatening new attacks in Iran

and calling on young Iranians to rise up and launch jihad intheir country. The group has often showcased its global reachby airing testimonials from its polyglot foreign followersonline. But its heaviest propaganda swipe at Iran came with a40-minute documentary in March which attacked SupremeLeader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as a friend of the West and fea-tured Baluchi, Persian and Ahwazi fighters urging attacksinside Iran.

The video was released as Iranian-backed Iraqi forces andmilitias recaptured major areas from Islamic State territory inIraq and Syria. “We tell you, O Zoroastrian apostates,” said afighter called Abu Mujahid Al-Baluchi, naming Iran’s pre-Islamic faith. “Our hands won’t be far from you. As you tastedour strength in Iraq and the Levant, by God’s will we will con-quer Persia and make it Sunni.”

After the Tehran attack, Iran was quick to blame SaudiArabia, pointing to a statement by Crown Prince Mohammadbin Salman in May that the kingdom would make sure anyfuture struggle between the two countries “is waged in Iran”.Tehran offered no evidence to back up its charge, and Riyadhdenied the accusation. Reacting to the Tehran assault, thekingdom said it condemned terrorist attacks everywhere.

Iran has arrested at least 100 people linked to IS since theattack. Critics say the Iranian government has used the Juneattack in Tehran to crack down on minorities. The governmentdeclined to comment. Earlier this month, the Iranian statenews agency said that security forces had broken up a grouplinked to Islamic State which was planning attacks on religiouscenters. Intelligence ministry agents arrested “a terrorist grouplinked to Daesh (Islamic State) that intended to carry out ter-ror operations in religious cities,” IRNA said. They were tryingto bring weapons and ammunition into Iran and 27 peoplewere arrested, it added.

Days earlier, Iranian media said Iran’s Revolutionary Guardshad killed two people in clashes with a group of militants inthe northwest of the country, where shootouts with IranianKurdish militant groups based in Iraq are common. In June,Iran announced the arrests of members of a group linked toIslamic State which was planning suicide attacks. It did notelaborate. Anti-government Kurdish activists told Reuters thatauthorities for years tolerated Salafi preachers and militants

linked to Al-Qaeda on condition that they shunt their violencebeyond Iran’s borders towards Americans in Iraq andAfghanistan.

“Forces linked to Daesh were publicly collecting money insome mosques in Iranian Kurdistan and the regime was clear-ly turning a blind eye to these actions,” Hijri of the KDPI said.Iran’s Interior Ministry declined to comment.

Iranian ArabsMokhtar Hooshmand, a Kurdish activist jailed in Iran on

national security charges from 2010 to 2012, described therise of Sunni militants in Kurdish areas and meeting dozens ofthe militants behind bars. “They started preaching in 2004 inmosques. They made no secret of forming morality enforce-ment squads, attacking female hairdressing shops, weddingsand cafes. Many Iranians have joined IS, have been trained inSyria or Iraq and are now back in the country. Daesh hasinfluence in all Sunni provinces of Iran,” he added. Reuterscould not independently verify his statements.

Apart from Kurdish regions, potential flashpoints centeron Sunni Baluchis or residents of the poor area of Sistan-Baluchestan in Iran’s southeast, and ethnic Arabs of oil-richsouthwestern Khuzestan province. Minorities in Iran say theyare deprived of decent living standards and civil rights. Whilemajority Shi’ite, many Arabs of the area they call Ahwaz seethemselves as under Persian occupation. Their struggle forindependence or autonomy has taken on a religious bent.

Iran has accused Saudi Arabia of providing material orfinancial support to Ahwazi militants, a charge denied by theSaudi government. Some privately-owned Gulf religious TVnetworks have advocated the Ahwazi cause. “In Ahwaz, thou-sands of Shiites have converted to Sunni Islam after 2005, butnot all to extremist Sunni groups like Al-Qaeda,” saidMohammed Majid Ahwazi, a political activist and journalist inSweden, who was also jailed in Iran for two years for dissent.

“Before the Syrian crisis, Arab countries were indifferentto the internal affairs of Iran,” he said, adding: “But after theSyrian crisis, Bahrain unrest, war in Yemen and the pres-ence of the Revolutionary Guards in Iraq - Arab countrieshave put Ahwaz, Baluchistan and the Kurds issue on theiragenda.” —Reuters

The violent protests that left a womandead in Charlottesville, Virginiashocked many Americans with TV

footage of an estimated 1,000 neo-Nazis andwhite supremacists, guarded by “militiamen”brandishing semi-automatic rifles and wear-ing body armor. Encouraged by PresidentDonald Trump and buoyed by social media, anew generation of extremist startups hastaken root, mostly created by angry youngwhite men anxious to exploit fears of Latinoimmigration and radical Islam, the shrinkingwhite share of the US population and thecultural shifts of globalization.

Analysts say these groups may havemembers in the tens of thousands and tacitsupporters in the hundreds of thousands.They have supplanted the old hotbeds ofracist, anti-government and fascist activism,including the notorious Ku Klux Klan, whichhas dwindled to a few thousand members.Until now, even with the alliance of powerfulTrump advisor Steve Bannon, the so-called“alt-right” movement and its violent fringeshas been deeply fragmented, unable to coa-lesce around common ideologies, goals andtactics.

However, this could change. “They areacting in concert right now,” said SpencerSunshine of Political Research Associates,which specializes in research on right-winggroups. “The rising tide of Trump-ist racism israising their boats.” Sunshine pointed to theCharlottesville “Unite the Right” protests.

Against multiculturalism The alt-right rues the loss of an idealized

American identity, espousing white national-ism and “traditional” euro-centric culture asthe foundation of US culture. It rejects “multi-culturalism” that gives more prominence tonon-white groups and elevates the equalrights of women, gays and minorities. Its pol-itics connect to traditional conservatives andlibertarians, and are likened to the “identitari-an” movement in Europe.

Bannon’s Breitbart News, launched in

2007, became the media hub of the sprawl-ing movement, his support eventually ren-dering Trump a default figurehead. As “alt-right”, the movement has touted itself asjust a louder, consciously provocative butlegitimate force in conservative politics. Butthe Southern Policy Law Center, an anti-extremist research group, insists the alt-right “is pretty much the same thing as theold white supremacist right - even if it doesfavor suits and ties over Klan robes or fauxNazi uniforms.”

SPLC counts scores of such groups underthe alt-right umbrella, many of which werepresent in Charlottesville. Saturday’s rallywas led by Richard Spencer, whoseWashington-based National Policy Institutethink-tank is “dedicated to the heritage,identity and future of people of Europeandescent in the United States”. Groups he

invited were openly neo-Nazi and whitesupremacist, such as Vanguard America,whose members chanted “blood and soil,”echoing the “blut und boden” cries of Hitler’sfollowers in the 1930s.

They also included Identity Evropa, an“identitarian” group that promotes whitesuperiority and separatism, and theTraditionalist Workers Party, which marries aNazi-like logo with a Christian whites-onlyideology. Both are stridently anti-Semitic.

Defending white southern heritage The Charlottesville rally ostensibly

focused on the planned removal of a statueof Robert E Lee, the general who led thesouth in the 1860s Civil War. That attractedanother alt-right type, southerners commit-ted to preserving an idealized, heroic - andwhite - tradition of the South. They reject

the notion that the war was about slavery,and are fighting the elimination of symbolsof that racist legacy, like the Confederateflag of the Lee monuments.

To Jason Kessler, a Charlottesville organiz-er of the rally, the statue’s removal represents“white genocide”. Also taking part was theLeague of the South, which encourageswhite families to “secede” from “post-Christian culture in America,” andConfederate Riders of America, a biker groupthat says southern culture is “under attack.”

Skinheads and militiamenAlt-right rallies increasingly attract

groups determined to pick fights, includingthe Proud Boys and the DIY Division, alsocalled the Rise Above Movement. Bothallegedly have roots in the violent neo-Naziskinheads of the 1980s and white nationalistprison gangs. But also taking part inCharlottesville were so-called patriot-militiagroups. There are some 165 of these acrossthe country, according to the SPLC, well-armed but focused more on grudges withthe government, regulations and taxes andless concerned about issues of race. Someactively seek members from minorities, anddisdain neo-Nazi ideas as anti-American. Themost prominent of these groups is the OathKeepers, formed by former members of themilitary to “defend the Constitution” with astrongly libertarian ideology. Yet the pres-ence of militia at alt-right rallies is worri-some. Some clearly have white-power lean-ings. In 2014 and 2015, they appeared heavi-ly armed at anti-police rallies in Ferguson,Missouri, appearing to many as a self-appointed force ready to repress AfricanAmerican protesters.

In Charlottesville, they came well-armed, in camouflage fatigues, wieldingAR-15 assault rifles, also seemingly to pro-tect the other hardline rightists. Yet, accord-ing to Sunshine, they took no part in theviolence, and moved away when fightingbroke out. —AFP

A N A L Y S I SWEDNESDAY, AUGUST 16, 2017

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White nationalists flourish under Trump

If, after all the fanfare, North Korean leader KimJong Un doesn’t actually launch missiles towardGuam, many may write the whole episode off as

another of the North’s seemingly endless bluffs. Butfrom Pyongyang’s perspective and in the eyes ofsome US military experts, Kim and his generalshave already won this round. Launch or not,Pyongyang has caused great drama and angst,riled US President Donald Trump and alarmedAmerica’s allies in Tokyo and Seoul. It could also seta precedent for more aggressive brinkmanshipahead.

It comes as no surprise then that yesterday, asNorth Korea’s state media released photos of Kimand his military officers examining the launch plan,replete with photos of the missiles’ flight path anda big satellite image of the US territory’s AndersenAir Force Base, it also offered a seeming out. Kim, itsaid, wants to “watch a little more” before making adecision. The North’s plan is to launch four missilesinto the waters around the US Pacific territory: Oneto the north, one to the south, and one each eastand west. Pyongyang is calling it an “envelopingfire” demonstration, but in military jargon it’s morecommonly called “bracketing”. It was calculated totouch off a storm of anxiety region-wide.

But firing missiles into Guam’s exclusive eco-nomic zone, as the North threatened, would be anextremely risky move. “If they fire at the UnitedStates, it could escalate into war very quickly,” USDefense Secretary James Mattis said Monday. “Yes,that’s called war, if they shoot at us.” So, from thestart, Pyongyang gave itself big exit ramps. TheNorth has never said it would attack Guam itself. Tomake its intentions crystal clear, it provided anextremely detailed account of the planned trajec-tory of the launch, which Japanese prefectures itwould go over, the duration of the flight - rightdown to the second - and the distance of the“splash areas” from Guam’s coast.

More importantly, it never committed to alaunch date. Or, for that matter, to launching themissiles at all. “The regime composed the threat insuch a way as to allow Kim to back down withoutlosing face,” said Adam Mount, a nuclear strategyspecialist with the Center for American Progress.“North Korea’s Guam threat was more sophisticat-ed, credible, and coercive than any of the vaguewarnings Trump made last week.”

Of course, Pyongyang could blow past its ownfail-safes. It may still want to try its missiles out atan angle closer to the “battle trajectory” they wouldfly in a real attack, rather than the “lofted” trajecto-ries they’ve been using to avoid flying over neigh-boring countries. If pushed further, or possibly as ahigh-profile protest to US-South Korean militaryexercises that will begin next week, it could alsowant to use the launch to show the world what itcan do and see what it can get away with.

Win-winBut many experts who follow North Korea think

Kim isn’t in any big hurry. “It seems to me they planto draw this out, perhaps expecting Trump to loseinterest,” said Jeffrey Lewis, an arms control expertat the Middlebury Institute of International Studiesin Monterey, California. “It’s not an empty threat,but it’s also fairly high stakes. I imagine that theNorth Koreans would skip it if the rhetoric wastoned down.”

Pyongyang has suggested Kim’s decision is con-tingent on B-1B bomber flights from Guam toKorean airspace. The B-1B, though no longer capa-ble of carrying nuclear weapons, is one of the mostadvanced bombers in the Air Force andWashington has frequently ordered such missions -over South Korea but near the DMZ - as a show offorce against Pyongyang. If Washington were tohalt the flights, Kim could claim a victory. If it wereto order the B-1Bs into the air, Pyongyang wouldhave an excuse to launch. Or it could claim it mag-nanimously refrained from doing so, while reserv-ing the right to do so at a later date.

For Kim, in the convoluted world of militarydeterrence, that’s a win-win. “I think at some pointthey’re going to say, ‘Look, this is not anything dif-ferent than your flying B-1 bombers over Korea,’”said Robert Carlin, a contributor to the respected38 North website and former State Departmentand CIA analyst. “We’re going to put our missiles 25or 30 kilometers offshore. Your bombers comewithin tens of kilometers of the Demilitarized Zone.If you can ‘reach out and touch’ us, we can ‘reachout and touch’ you.” —AP

Focus

To launch or not? Either way, North

Korea may gain

In Iran, IS fans militancy among minorities

This Aug 12, 2017 while photo shows white nationalist demonstrators hold-ing their ground as they clash with counter demonstrators in Lee Park inCharlottesville, Virginia. —AP

LONDON: Spanish international striker Fernando Llorente could be readyto play for Swansea City against Crystal Palace on Saturday week afterreturning to training, manager Paul Clement said. The 32-year-oldSpaniard — who has been linked with a reunion with his former Juventusboss Antonio Conte at champions Chelsea — has recovered from thebroken arm he suffered on a family cycling holiday in Italy inJuly. However, Clement said Llorente, whose 15 goalsplayed a crucial role in maintaining Swansea’s PremierLeague status last season, would not be ready for thevisit of Manchester United this weekend as he had lost alot of upper body muscle. “Crystal Palace is a possibility.We will see,” Clement told the club website aboutLlorente, who cost the club £5 million ($6.4m, 5.4meuros) from Sevilla last year. “Because of the nature of theinjury to the arm, he lost a lot of upper-body bulk. —AFP

S PORTSWEDNESDAY, AUGUST 16, 2017

NEWARK: A judge in New Jersey has refused to overturn a RomanCatholic school’s decision to deny re-enrollment to two sisters aftera dispute over one of them wanting to play on the boys basketballteam. “The court does not have the authority to meddle in this deci-sion,” Superior Court Judge Donald Kessler said in his ruling onMonday. Kessler lashed out at the girls’ parents for making the dis-pute public, and said the family did not cite any law that wouldhave allowed the court to interfere with the religious school’s deci-sion. Cardinal Joseph Tobin testified that he decided not to allow13-year-old Sydney Phillips and her younger sister, Kaitlyn, to re-enroll because their parents’ behavior was not in the best interest ofSt Theresa School in Kenilworth. The dispute began when SydneyPhillips was not allowed to play on the boys basketball team. Whenasked about the decision, the girls’ father, Scott Phillips, said he dis-agreed with the judge. —AP

Judge won’t reinstate girls after boys’ basketball dispute

PARIS: Veteran Italian goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon has been named asone of three nominees for the 2016/17 UEFA Men’s Player of the YearAward alongside Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, European football’sgoverning body announced yesterday. The 39-year-old Buffon was a keymember of the Juventus side that reached last season’s Champions

League final, but he missed out on a first winner’s medal asthe Italians were beaten 4-1 by Ronaldo’s Real Madrid inCardiff. The shortlist was decided by the 80 coaches ofthe clubs that played in the Champions League andEuropa League group stages, as well as 55 journalists.Five-time Ballon d’Or winner Lionel Messi has won theaward twice, as has Portuguese forward Ronaldo. Sinceits inception in 2011, unlike other similar individual

awards, the UEFA accolade has not been totally dominat-ed by Ronaldo and Messi. —AFP

Buffon joins Messi and Ronaldo on UEFA shortlist

Llorente ready to play for Swansea

RUGBY

By Abdellatif Sharaa

KUWAIT: M inister of Commerce andIndustry, Acting State Minister for YouthAffairs Khalid Al-Roudhan said “We con-gratulate Kuwait ’s champions and theShooting Spor t Federat ion for theirachievement, as As ia’s top shoot ing

champions, and was able to top manycountries like China, India along withmany others.” He said “we are used toKuwait shooters raising Kuwait’s flag inmany arenas.” He thanked the KSF admin-istration as well as shooters who exertedtheir utmost efforts.

He conveyed the greetings of HH the

Amir and HH the Crown Prince to theshooters, adding that there are direct andclear instructions to support the shootersand that they remain on top with Kuwait’sname always in prominence.

Minister Al-Roudhan made his state-ment during the reception of Kuwaitshooters at Kuwait airport upon their

arrival from Kazakhstan.Meanwhile, President of Kuwait and

Arab Shooting Federations Eng DuaijKhalaf Al-Otaibi thanked HH the AmirSheik h Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah and HH the Crown Prince SheikhN a w a f A l - A h m a d a n d Pr e m i e r H HSheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-

Sabah, as well as Youth Affairs MinisterK hal id Al -Roudhan for receiv ing thechampions who won the first place inA s i a d u r i n g t h e 7 t h A s i a n S h o o t i n gTournament in Kazakhstan. Al-Otaibihoped that thesee champion continueto make their achievements and hoistKuwait’s flag high.

Kuwait shooting champion returns home

SYDNEY: Australia’s once-mighty rugby scenehas reached a low ebb after a year of problemson the pitch and off it — and things look unlike-ly to improve this week when New Zealandcome to town.

While there is perhaps never a good time toface the world-beating All Blacks, Saturday’sBledisloe Cup opener in Sydney does not comeat an opportune moment for the Wallabies.

The two-time world champions come togeth-er at a time of civil war in Australian rugby, aftera lamentable Super Rugby season was followedby the contentious axing of one of its teams,Perth’s Western Force.

The fall-out for the Australian Rugby Union isstark, with its chief executive Bill Pulverannouncing his resignation and more changeslikely to follow.

A legal battle also looks in prospect after theForce, who enjoy the heavyweight backing ofmining billionaire Andrew “Twiggy” Forrest,applied to appeal against their removal fromSuper Rugby.

Meanwhile Australian crowds and televi-sion ratings for the southern hemisphere com-petition have fallen off a cliff, with the once-popular code now wallowing behind rugbyleague, Aussie rules and soccer in this sports-mad nation.

The discontentment comes ahead of theimpending showdown with the Wallabies’ trans-Tasman nemesis, the world champion All Blacks,

this weekend. The Wallabies have won just threeof their last 29 Tests against the formidable NewZealanders, and often have been on the end ofsome on-field humiliations.

‘DARKEST DAY’ There was outrage over the Australian Rugby

Union’s decision last week to cull the WesternForce from next year’s Super Rugby competition,which prompted calls for the ARU board ofdirectors to follow departing CEO Bill Pulver outof the door.

The national body earned widespread oppro-brium when they made their long-awaited deci-sion to discontinue the Force’s Super Rugbylicence, moving from five teams to four as thesprawling competition slims down to 15 fran-chises in 2018.

The Rugby Union Players’ Association con-demned the Force’s axing as “the darkest day inthe history of Australian rugby”, while formerWallaby hooker Brendan Cannon called on theARU board to resign in the wake of its “ill-con-ceived decision”.

Australian rugby has been in freefall this sea-son, with fans’ interest plunging to new lows.

Crowds tumbled at Super Rugby matches asAustralian teams struggled, from 643,790 in2015 to just over 400,000 this year, while thehost broadcaster reported a decline of morethan 800,000 viewers from the previous year.

Australian Super Rugby teams were 0-26 in

games against New Zealand opposition, whilethe ACT Brumbies qualified for the play-offs asAustralian conference winners despite losingmore games than they won.

As one pundit put it: “An average (unimpres-sive) Brumbies outfit were only there (in thefinals) because the other four Australian teamswere considerably worse and the victims ofinept play, hazy game plans, sub-standardcoaching, poor preparation plus a lack of spirit.”

‘LOST’ AUSTRALIA Embattled ARU chairman Cameron Clyne told

reporters: “We have to face reality. Our teams arenot winning on a regular basis.

“And that is keeping fans, who have a lotmore entertainment options, saying that theyare not going to make that investment and thathas a direct impact on revenue.

“Even notwithstanding the fact that we’vemade a decision to cut a team, we will stillexpect two or three of the (remaining) teams tolose money next year.”

He added that crowd numbers across allAustralian Super Rugby franchises “were actuallyunsatisfactory”, even with teams not underthreat.

As appetite for Super Rugby diminishes,Fairfax Media journalist Paul Cully lambasted itsadministrator SANZAAR “not to underestimatethe anger among the Australian rugby public,and not just in Perth (Western Force)”. —AFP

MIAMI: Larry Bird made his plea years ago.His request to the NBA was not unique: Birdwanted the league to eliminate the dreadedstretches of four games in five days. Whatmade Bird’s pitch memorable was that itdidn’t just cite the demand of so manygames in such a short amount of time, butalso pointed out how the anxiousnesscaused by such tests can hurt a teambeforehand and how the fatigue lingerslong afterward.

“What he said to me has been ringing inmy head ever since,” said Tom Carelli, theNBA’s senior vice president for broadcast-ing. Carelli and the rest of the NBA sched-ule-making gurus were unable to makeBird’s request reality - until now. With anextra week of days to play with, along withsome much deeper looks at arena availabili-ty and ways to try to help competitive bal-ance, the NBA believes the schedulereleased Monday should be the most user-friendly in the league’s history. The four-games-in-five-days challenges? Eliminatedfor the first time in NBA history.

Back-to-backs? Only 14.4 per team onaverage, an all-time low for the third straightyear. Single-game road trips, average milestraveled and time zones crossed? All down abit as well. “I think at this point, and franklythe minute we got the extra week, we couldconclude the schedule is really, undebatably,the best basketball schedule we’ve everhad,” said Evan Wasch, the NBA’s senior vicepresident for basketball strategy and analyt-ics. “That’s what the week affords you, theopportunity to focus on all these differentmetrics.” The extra week, which allows the

regular season to start Oct. 17 - the league’searliest start since 1980 - was an obvioushelp. But schedule makers went further, tak-ing a deeper-than-usual look at arena avail-ability around the league and trying to mini-mize the nights where a weary team willface a well-rested opponent.

In other words, NBA fans, meet FTE. Themetric - an acronym for Fresh, Tired andEven - is a major part of the NBA scheduleprocess. It’s a way the NBA has charted howtired one team will likely be when facinganother. FTE has been part of the NBA’sinternal charting for years, but wasn’t oftendiscussed openly or with teams.

“If a team plays the night before and itsopponent didn’t, then one team is tired andits opponent is fresh,” Wasch said. “Thatfresh-tired ratio will be lower than ever. It’shard to measure and track when you build aschedule manually, but it’s easy to trackwhen building one with optimization soft-ware.” Instead of asking teams for 50 possi-ble home dates for their respective build-ings - the past standard - schedule makerslike Carelli, Wasch, Chris Boghosian, Gene Liand Hao Meng instead checked every avail-able date and tried a much broader look athow the puzzle might fit.

Their work might be particularlynoticed on ABC games this season. Lastseason, when stars like LeBron James, KyrieIrving, Kevin Love, Stephen Curry, KlayThompson, Draymond Green and AndreIguodala all were given nights off whenthe Cavaliers or Warriors were playingnationally televised games on ABC, therewas no shortage of scorn. —AP

How the schedule was made: NBA taking hard look at metrics

After bad year for Australia,here come the All Blacks

S PORTSWEDNESDAY, AUGUST 16 , 2017

BASEBALL

MIAMI: Giancarlo Stanton hit his team-record43rd home run, connecting in his fifth straightgame and sending the Miami Marlins over the SanFrancisco Giants 8-3 on Monday night. Stantonbroke the club mark of 42 homers set by GarySheffield in 1996. Stanton has homered 22 timesin his last 34 games. Stanton set another clubrecord for most consecutive games with a homerun when he tagged Ty Blach (8-8) for a two-rundrive in the first inning. The All-Star slugger laterhad an RBI single as Miami won its fourth in a row.Marcell Ozuna also homered for the Marlins. DeeGordon had three hits, scored twice, and drove ina run to help back Adam Conley (5-5).

ROCKIES 3, BRAVES 0Chad Bettis drew a standing ovation when he

took the mound for the first time since cancertreatment, then threw seven impressive inningsas Colorado blanked Atlanta. Bettis scattered sixhits, walked none and struck out two. He hadn’tpitched in the majors since being diagnosed withtesticular cancer in November. Bettis had surgeryfor the condition, but tests in March showed thecancer had spread to his lymph nodes. He laterunderwent chemotherapy. The Braves’ bestchance to score against Bettis came when Ender

Inciarte led off with a triple, but he was thrownout trying for an inside-the-park home run.Colorado scored three times in the eighth off RexBrothers (2-3), who relieved starter Julio Teheran.The Rockies are tied with Arizona for the top NLwild card. Mike Dunn (5-1) got the win and GregHolland closed for his 35th save. Holland hadblown his previous two save chances.

INDIANS 7, RED SOX 3Edwin Encarnacion homered twice to help AL

Central-leading Cleveland earn its fourth straightvictory by beating East-leading Boston. In arematch of last year’s ALDS, which Cleveland wonin a three-game sweep, Trevor Bauer (11-8) struckout 11 over 6 2/3 innings for his fourth consecu-tive win. He allowed three runs - all on solohomers by Red Sox rookies. Rafael Devers hadtwo and Andrew Benintendi one. The Indiansimproved to a season-high five games in front ofsecond-place Minnesota. The Red Sox lost for justthe second time in 12 games. The quick visit toFenway Park by the Indians was to make up anAug. 2 rainout that came two days after DougFister (2-6) shut out Cleveland into the eighthinning. But this time he allowed five runs on sev-en hits and four walks in 4 1/3 innings.

DIAMONDBACKS 2, ASTROS 0Zack Greinke struck out nine in six-plus

innings to bounce back from his first home loss ofthe season, lifting Arizona over Houston. Greinke(14-5) took his first home loss last week againstthe Dodgers and followed with a dominant per-formance against the majors’ top-hitting team tohelp the Diamondbacks win for the third time innine games. The NL All-Star struck out AL battingleader Jose Altuve three times and held theAstros to five hits in 6 2/3 innings. FernandoRodney got his 27th save. Ketel Marte hit a run-scoring double off Collin McHugh (0-2) in the sec-ond and J.D. Martinez had another off the right-hander in the sixth. The AL West-leading Astroshave lost six of seven. Greinke had been domi-nant at Chase Field prior to his last start, going10-0 for the best home start in franchise history.

CUBS 15, REDS 5Kris Bryant and Anthony Rizzo hit back-to-

back homers to cap a five-run fourth inning, andChicago continued its recent dominance ofCincinnati. Bryant went 2 for 4 with a walk andhas reached safely in 16 of his last 20 plateappearances. Rizzo was 3 for 5 with a season-high five RBIs. Jon Jay had three hits with an RBIand finished a home run shy of the cycle as theCubs extended their NL Central lead to 1 1/2games over idle St. Louis. Jose Quintana (3-2)allowed two runs, one earned, and four hits infive innings to snap a three-start winless stretch.Chicago has 25 wins in its last 32 games againstthe Reds. Scooter Gennett hit a two-run homer,his 20th, in the eighth for the Reds, who have fiveplayers with at least 20 home runs to tie a clubrecord. Gennett also mopped up on the moundafter beginning the game at second base. JoeyVotto went 3 for 5 to set a Cincinnati mark byreaching base at least twice in 19 consecutivegames. It’s the longest streak in the majors sinceBarry Bonds did it in 20 straight in 2004. Redsstarter Asher Wojciehowski (3-2) appeared to set-tle down after a rough first inning, but couldn’tget the final out in the fourth.

YANKEES 4, METS 2Aaron Judge hit a tying home run in the sixth

inning, Aaron Hicks and Gary Sanchez went deepin the eighth and the New York Yankees rallied tobeat the Mets in the first of four Subway Seriesmatchups this week. Curtis Granderson andYoenis Cespedes homered in the third off LuisCessa to give the Mets a 2-0 lead at Yankee

Stadium. Sanchez started the Yankees’ comebackwith a sacrifice fly in the fourth against starterRafael Montero. Two innings later, Judge hit hisAL-leading 36th home run - just his sixth sincethe All-Star break. Hicks, who returned last weekfrom an oblique injury, homered against HanselRobles (7-4) leading off the eighth, his career-best 12th of the season. Sanchez connected twobatters later against Erik Goeddel. With 20homers, Sanchez matched his total in his rookieseason last year. David Robertson (6-2) pitched ahitless eighth, and Dellin Betances finished thesix-hitter for his seventh save.

BLUE JAYS 2, RAYS 1Josh Donaldson hit a two-run homer in the

first inning for the second consecutive game,Nick Tepesch won for the first time in almostthree years and Toronto edged slumping TampaBay. The last-place Blue Jays have won 10 of 14 athome. Wilson Ramos homered in the second toprovide the only run for the offense-starvedRays, who lost their fourth straight. Tampa Bayarrived in Toronto on the heels of a 2-7 homes-tand in which the team totaled 11 runs and wasshut out five times during an eight-game span.Tepesch (1-2) had not won since Sept. 16, 2014,for Texas. The right-hander allowed one run andfour hits in six-plus innings. Roberto Osuna gotfour outs for his 30th save in 37 chances. Makinghis second start after missing more than twoweeks with a sore lower back, Jake Odorizzi (6-6)allowed three hits in six innings.

RANGERS 6, TIGERS 2Joey Gallo hit his 33rd home run and Texas

also played some small ball in a victory overDetroit. Martin Perez (7-10) had a second straightsolid start for the Rangers. The lefty made itthrough six innings without giving up any moreruns after trailing 2-0 only three batters into thegame. The Rangers led for good when DelinoDeShields executed a safety squeeze to make it3-2 in the second. Rougned Odor had three hits,including a double, and scored three times. Itwas Odor’s second consecutive multihit gameafter going 0 for 17 the previous five games.Justin Upton hit a two-run homer for the Tigersbefore a spectacular catch by center fielder DrewRobinson ended the top of the first. MichaelFulmer (10-10) gave up five runs in five innings.

ORIOLES 11, MARINERS 3Tim Beckham hit the first pitch of the game

out for his first career leadoff homer, MannyMachado launched his sixth grand slam aninning later and Baltimore routed skiddingSeattle. The Orioles scored double-digit runs forthe second time in three games and the sixthsince the All-Star break. Beckham got them start-ed with his 16th homer, but it was Machado’sslam that broke the game open as part of a six-run second. Trey Mancini hit his 21st homer andSeth Smith added his 12th to turn it into ablowout. That was plenty for starter KevinGausman (9-8), who stumbled early before set-tling into a groove. Gausman allowed oneearned run in seven innings, the fifth time in hislast six starts that the right-hander gave up oneearned run or less. Meanwhile, Seattle’s suddenfade from the AL wild-card race continued. TheMariners lost their fifth straight - all at home -coming off a 6-3 road trip that had helped themhold the league’s second wild-card spot. YovaniGallardo (5-8) was tagged for eight runs andfailed to get an out in the fifth inning.

ROYALS 6, ATHLETICS 2Cam Gallagher hit a grand slam for his first

career home run and second big league hit, lead-ing Kansas City past Oakland. Gallagher’s shot inthe sixth inning marked the first slam by a Royalsrookie since Paulo Orlando connected againstTampa Bay on July 7, 2015. Jake Junis (5-2),recalled for his seventh stint with Kansas City thisseason, allowed two runs and four hits in sixinnings. The Royals are five games back of ALCentral-leading Cleveland. Jharel Cotton (5-10)gave up six runs and eight hits in six innings andhas an 8.71 ERA in four starts since coming offthe disabled list July 30 from a right thumb blis-ter. His winless stretch reached five starts and heis 0-3 since a victory at the White Sox on June 23.

PADRES 7, PHILLIES 4Jose Pirela’s two-out, two-run single high-

lighted the four-run sixth inning that carried SanDiego past Philadelphia. Cory Spangenberg hit aleadoff homer in the eighth to finish with threehits and three runs. Pirela, Austin Hedges andCarlos Asuaje each had two hits, and Hedges alsodrove in two runs. Phillies rookie Rhys Hoskins hithis first two major league home runs. The teamsswapped the lead three times, with the Padresgoing ahead for good in the sixth on three hitsand two walks off Ricardo Pinto (1-1). Jose Torres(7-3) got the last out of the sixth and Brad Handpitched the ninth for his 10th save. — AP

MLB Results/Standings

American LeagueEastern Division

W L PCT GBBoston 67 51 .568 -NY Yankees 62 55 .530 4.5Baltimore 59 60 .496 8.5Tampa Bay 59 61 .492 9Toronto 57 61 .483 10

Central DivisionCleveland 64 52 .552 -Minnesota 59 57 .509 5Kansas City 60 58 .508 5Detroit 53 65 .449 12Chicago White Sox 45 70 .391 18.5

Western DivisionHouston 72 46 .610 -LA Angels 61 58 .513 11.5Seattle 59 61 .492 14Texas 57 60 .487 14.5Oakland 52 67 .437 20.5

National LeagueEastern Division

Washington 70 46 .603 -Miami 57 60 .487 13.5NY Mets 53 63 .457 17Atlanta 52 64 .448 18Philadelphia 43 73 .371 27

Central DivisionChicago Cubs 62 55 .530 -St. Louis 61 57 .517 1.5Milwaukee 61 59 .508 2.5Pittsburgh 58 60 .492 4.5Cincinnati 49 70 .412 14

Western DivisionLA Dodgers 83 34 .709 -Colorado 66 52 .559 17.5Arizona 66 52 .559 17.5San Diego 52 66 .441 31.5San Francisco 47 73 .392 37.5

Baltimore 11, Seattle 3; Kansas City 6, Oakland 2; Arizona 2, Houston 0; Colorado 3, Atlanta 0; Chicago Cubs 15,Cincinnati 5; Texas 6, Detroit 2; Miami 8, San Francisco 3; Toronto 2, Tampa Bay 1; NY Yankees 4, NY Mets 2;Cleveland 7, Boston 3.

ST LOUIS: Twelve years after trading chessfor politics, Garry Kasparov provedMonday that time hadn’t dulled his edgeas he battled to a draw three times with afellow Russian half his age in the openinggame of a keenly anticipated comeback.

The 54-year-old Kasparov, whosegenius has left a wide mark on the historyof chess, has briefly come out of retire-ment “kicking and fighting” to competethis week at the Rapid and Blitz tourna-ment in St. Louis. It remains to be seenwhether he can beat a new generation ofplayers or if he will instead pass the torch.

In a fitting turn of events, his firstencounter against compatriot SergeyKarjakin had shades of Kasparov’s ownbreakthrough moment in 1985 when,aged 22, he defeated the legendaryRussian grandmaster Anatoli Karpov tobecome the youngest champion in histo-ry. This time around, it was Kasparov whorepresented the old guard againstKarjakin the young pretender, who nar-rowly lost last year’s world championshipto Magnus Carlsen, the top-ranked playerwho is not in St Louis this week. Threegames of speed chase between Kasparovand Karjakin ended in a draw each time.

“I’m quite pleased. The plan was to sur-vive to day one. I had to adjust myself tothis new reality, to this atmosphere. I’mhappy with these draws. I will be moreaggressive tomorrow,” Kasparov said.

CENTER OF ATTENTION Spectators were thrilled. “It was a won-

derful game. Kasparov has been showingconfidence, he has been very dramatic,”said 33-year-old Christopher Doty, a long-time Kasparov fan who traveled here fromPittsburgh, Pennsylvania to see his hero.

“Will he win? Of course not. But ifKasparov beats these kids, it will be anembarrassment for them.” Since his March2005 withdrawal from a tournament inLinares, Spain, Kasparov’s absence fromthe game has left many chess fanaticsfeeling orphaned.

So there was considerable surprisewhen he agreed to play in the event in StLouis, which follows closely after theannual Sinquefield Cup competition, amajor stop on the world tour, in the samecity on the Mississippi River.

The years have grayed his temples, butKasparov still exudes the aura of a winner— and the trademark gestures thatdefined his heyday in the 1980s and 1990swere all present on Monday. He took offhis watch, placing it to the left of theboard. He placed his pieces on the board,one by one, in a meticulous and deliberatemanner. The death stare was there too —Karjakin got one from Kasparov before thebattle began.

Despite making clear the tournamentrepresents a five-day “hiatus” from hispolitical career, Kasparov said he wasn’t

taking it lightly. “I realize that it’s serious. Iwill be the most desirable prey in the his-tory of chess,” he said in a Facebook poston Sunday. In a clear sign that Kasparovremained the center of attention, most ofthe 10 other competitors took a few sec-onds off from their games to come andsee the man once dubbed the “Beast ofBaku” in action.

‘UNPARALLELED’“It was one of my dreams to play

against him,” Karjakin said before theirmatch, praising Kasparov as “one of thegreatest players ever.”

Kasparov’s long and “unparalleled”dominance of the chess world made him“a cultural icon,” said Alejandro Ramirez, aUS Open champion who coaches thechess team at Saint Louis University. “Hiscontribution to chess theory and ourunderstanding of the game resonate stilltoday,” said Ramirez.

Kasparov is nevertheless not expectedto win the tournament, which includesfour of the world’s top 10 players, accord-ing to French world number two MaximeVachier-Lagrave, who beat Carlsen lastweek at the Sinquefield Cup.

The high-pressure, speed-chess formatof the St Louis tournament, where playersare forced to make their moves far morerapidly than during normal competitions,could be tough on the graying Kasparov,

as he takes on much younger players whospecialize in that approach.

The man himself sought to “manageexpectations,” quipping ahead of thegame that “at the age of 54, I would haveas much hope of returning to my chessform of age 40 as to my hairline of age 20!”

Still, it would be foolhardy to write him

off, said Vachier-Lagrave, who playedKasparov in a friendly match — anencounter won by the Russian — andremembers “his willingness to fight onevery turn.” Though the winner’s purse inSt Louis is a not-too-shabby $150,000,Kasparov said he would donate any win-nings to promote chess in Africa. —AFP

Stanton hits team-record homer, Marlins beat Giants

SEATTLE: Jarrod Dyson #1 of the Seattle Mariners is tagged out by Tim Beckham #1 of the Baltimore Orioles after trying to make it to second base on a center field flyout by Jean Segura #2 in the fifth inning at Safeco Field on Mondayin Seattle, Washington. — AFP]]]

Kasparov rolls back the years in competitive return

ST LOUIS: Grandmaster chess player Garry Kasparov (L) shakes hands withgrandmaster Sergey Karjakin of Russia after their opening match ends in adraw on the first day of the Grand Chess Tour at the Chess Club and ScholasticCenter in St Louis on Monday. Kasparov and other chess Grandmaters are in StLouis to compete in the Grand Chess Tour.—AFP

S P O RT SWEDNESDAY, AUGUST 16, 2017

SOCCER

LONDON: Indian spinner RavichandranAshwin will play for Worcestershire forthe rest of their County Championshipcampaign, it was revealed yesterday.

The 30-year-old — who took 17 wick-ets on the recent tour of Sri Lanka asIndia completed their first three-Testseries sweep on foreign soil on Monday— will replace Australian John Hastingsas the county’s overseas player in a coup

for the second-tier side. The county willhope Ashwin, ranked number three inthe bowler’s Test world rankings andsecond in the all-rounder lists, propelsthem to promotion in their final fourmatches. Ashwin will be the first Indianplayer to play for Worcestershire sinceZaheer Khan resurrected his internation-al career after a superb season withthem in 2006. “Ravi is a fantastic interna-

tional cricketer who is currently in terrif-ic form with his game,” purredWorcestershire’s chief executive SteveRhodes in a statement released by theclub. “He is ranked in the top three as abowler in Test cricket, is a wonderful all-rounder who can bat six and scores hun-dreds in Test cricket.

“It is unlucky for John Hastings withhis injury but Ravi is a wonderful crick-

eter for us to have at a crucial point inour season. “It is a really important lastfew games in the Championship and tohave someone of his class is a hugeboost for the club.”

Ashwin has taken 286 wickets in 51Tests, including five wickets in aninnings on 26 occasions, 150 ODI wick-ets and 52 in T20Is.

Ashwin is also a force with the bat

and has scored 2,004 Test runs at anaverage of 32.85 with four centuries and11 fifties, and had been an openingbatsman before turning to off-spin.

Worcestershire presently occupythe second and last spot for promotionto the first division, 15 points clear ofthird-placed Northamptonshire, whilstSussex and Kent are a fur ther twopoints adrift. — AFP

Indian great spinner Ashwin joins Worcestershire

Five incredible sulks

GLASGOW: Olivier Ntcham is aiming to emulateMoussa Dembele by becoming the latest Frenchimport to make an impact at Celtic.

The 21-year-old midfielder followed in thefootsteps of his under-21 international team-mate as he made a £4.5 million ($5.8 million)move from Manchester City to the Scottishchampions in the summer. The firm friends’fledgling careers have followed similar pathssince the pair from the suburbs of Paris metwhen they turned out together for the Franceunder-16 side.

While Dembele’s arrival in Glasgow came viaa spell at English second-tier Championship sideFulham, Ntcham started out kicking a ball aboutthe streets of Longjumeau — a commune in thesouthern suburbs of the French capital — beforeturning out for Le Havre’s under-23 side. A moveto English giants City materialised, but Ntchamfailed to break his way into the first team andspent the last two seasons out on loan to Italianside Genoa. His impressive displays in Serie Acaught the eye of Hoops manager BrendanRodgers, who persuaded him to make the moveto Glasgow — with a little help from Dembele.

“Moussa told me the club was good, it’s bigfun here,” Ntcham revealed. “I was 16, maybeeven before, 14, when we first played togetherfor the French national team. We always staytogether.” Dembele had a dream debut season inScotland. The striker bagged 32 goals — includ-ing a hat-trick against Old Firm rivals Rangersand a trio of Champions League goals — as hewas an integral part of the Celtic side that com-pleted an unbeaten season on the way to col-lecting a domestic treble.

And Ntcham, who watched as his friend’simpressive form saw him linked with a numberof top clubs across Europe, revealed it was thelure of silverware and the chance to test himselfin the Champions League that led him toParkhead. “It’s a nice feeling to be here at Celticand I want to win everything at Celtic as I havenever won a trophy before,” the 21-year-old said.

“I’m most looking forward to the derby andplaying in the Champions League. Not everyclub gets to play in this competition, so I’m hap-py to have the chance to play there with Celtic.”

The pressure of being Celtic’s most expensivesigning of the summer hasn’t hindered Ntcham.

The France under-21 star has enjoyed a goodstart to his Celtic career with the midfieldercatching the eye as he grabbed his first goal forthe club in their 1-0 win at Glasgow rivals PartickThistle last Friday.

The French playmaker’s impressive perform-ance against Thistle could not have been moretimely, with the Scottish champions preparing tohost Astana at Celtic Park on Wednesday in thefirst leg of their Champions League play-off tie.

Ntcham admits he is desperate to help steerthe Hoops past the side from Kazakhstan tobook their place in the lucrative group stage ofEurope’s elite competition for a second consecu-tive year and says missing out is almost unthink-able. “Do Celtic belong in the ChampionsLeague? Yes, they do. If Celtic don’t go into theChampions League, it will be a strange feeling,”the midfielder, whose friend Dembele will missout on Wednesday through injury, said.

“I hope to play and I hope we are going to dowell. “I t ’s very important to play in theChampions League but if I don’t play it’s not bad.The most important thing is the team.” —AFP

LONDON: Diego Costa’s stand-off withEnglish Premier League champions Chelseais just the latest in a long line of disputesbetween players and their employers.

Here AFP Sport picks out five such infa-mous examples:

FRENCH WORLD CUP SQUAD’S ‘BUSMAN’S HOLIDAY’

Probably the most spectacular andhumiliating spectacle experienced by anational side as the entire squad — cap-tained by Patrice Evra and including iconThierry Henry — refused to get off the busfor a training session at the 2010 WorldCup. Their fury at unpopular coachRaymond Domenech had been provokedby the sending home of the player nick-named ‘The Incredible Sulk’. Nicolas Anelkahad launched a foul-mouthed tirade atDomenech at half-time over his tactics inthe first-half of the opening loss againstMexico, and was duly punished.Unsurprisingly given the venomous atmos-phere, France went out in the first round.Evra, Anelka and others were severely disci-plined on their return whilst little has beenheard of Domenech since.

BLAME IT ON THE BOGARDECosta will have to go some to outdo

Dutch international Winston Bogarde incausing as much trouble for Chelsea.Signed aged 30 and apparently without theknowledge of then Blues managerGianluca Vialli in the 2000/01 season, thelatter’s successor Claudio Ranieri dislikedhim so much that he wanted the player toleave just weeks later. Bogarde dug hisheels in and stayed for four years, despitebeing dropped first to the reserves andthen the youth team. He justified hisbehaviour by declaring in his biography:“This world is about money (he was on areported £40,000 a week), so when you areoffered those millions you take them. Fewpeople will ever earn so many. I am one ofthe few fortunates who do. I may be one ofthe worst buys in the history of thePremiership but I don’t care.”

TEVEZ REFUSES WALK-ON PARTArgentinian international striker Carlos

Tevez played up to his nickname of ‘Apache’by refusing to warm up to potentially go onas a substitute for Manchester City in thelast moments of a Champions Leaguematch in September 2011 against BayernMunich. Manager Roberto Mancini saidTevez, then 28, would never play for Cityagain. But a combination of his massivewages and the huge fee City were askingmeant there were no takers. Tevez holi-dayed in Argentina and considered retiringbefore eventually returning to the firstteam in March 2012. He was to leave in2013 for Juventus.

VAN HOOIJDONK LIGHTS FOREST FIREDutch international striker Pierre Van

Hooijdonk’s goals had been instrumental inNottingham Forest returning to thePremier League at the first time of asking inthe late 1990s but he went on strike at thebeginning of the 1998/99 season becausehe was furious key players had been let go.He then trained at his old club NAC Bredaand demanded a move, which was reject-ed. He eventually yielded and then-manag-er Dave Bassett felt compelled to play him.But the depth of antipathy at the club wasreflected when he scored his first goal onhis return and the players congratulatedScott Gemmill for creating the chance andnot the goalscorer. Forest were relegatedand he left, Vitesse Arnhem buying him for£3.5 million.

‘GODFATHER’ JUST THESPUR FOR BERBATOV

Moody Bulgarian international strikerDimitar Berbatov tested the patience of theTottenham Hotspur hierarchy and managerJuande Ramos as he looked to engineer amulti-million pound “dream” move toManchester United at the beginning of the2008/09 campaign. Appropriately for aplayer who learnt English by watching theGodfather films, he awaited an offer Spurscouldn’t reject. He refused to play in thePremier League game with Sunderland andwas threatened with demotion to thereserves. Spurs complained to the PremierLeague about United ‘tapping up’ the strik-er but eventually sold him on September 1that season for £30 million. — AFP

Celtic looking to French connection against Astana

LONDON: Stuart Broad is “very confident”longstanding new-ball partner JamesAnderson will play a “big part” in England’supcoming Ashes defence in Australia.

Anderson recently turned 35 and thereare concerns a five-Test series ‘Down Under’,which starts in November, could be a tourtoo far for England’s all-time leading Testwicket-taker. The Lancashire paceman hastaken 487 wickets at 27.90 apiece in 126Tests but his 43 on Australian soil havecome at a more expensive average of 38.44,although Anderson was a key member ofthe England touring side that won the2010/11 Ashes.

And Broad, speaking ahead of England’shome three-Test series against the WestIndies, had no doubt the swing specialistcould be a central figure once again, what-ever the conditions.

“I’m very confident,” said Broad at anevent staged by England-West Indies seriessponsors Investec on Monday. “The last cou-ple of years he’s averaging 14 or 15 with theball in England, so we know how dangeroushe is when the ball’s moving around likethat. “But when we go to Australia, thewobble seam he bowls is a great weapon tohave in Australia-take (Australia’s) StuartClark as an example. “We’re certainly fortu-nate to have him going strong and I certain-ly expect him to play a big part in Australia.”

There was even talk Anderson coulddouble up as England bowling coach if thecurrent incumbent, Ottis Gibson, takes overas head coach of South Africa.

BOTHAM INSPIRATION “That was suggested really sarcastically

by Jimmy in the changing room,” saidBroad. “It would be a tough one for himbecause he’d have to mit to himself in themornings which wouldn’t be easy! Jimmy isalmost a bit of a bowling coach anywaywith his great experience.”

Anderson and Broad are already estab-lished as one of England’s greatest new-ballpairings, having taken a combined 720wickets in 94 Tests together.

Asked about the possibility of extendingthat figure to 1,000 wickets, Broad said: “It’dbe pretty special, but we’d have to see howlong the old bloke (Anderson) wants to goon for. “I’ve been lucky to bowl at the otherend to him and I know if I hadn’t done, Iwouldn’t have as many wickets as I havegot.” Broad himself is now just five awayfrom surpassing Ian Botham’s mark of 383Test wickets and so becoming England’ssecond-most successful Test bowler.

“Obviously he (Botham) is the biggestplayer English cricket has ever had proba-bly,” said Broad. “Anyone who’s done whathe has against Australia I’ve got a lot ofrespect for,” added the 31-year-old, whosefather Chris, an opening batsman, starredalongside Botham during England’s victori-ous Ashes tour of Australia in 1986/87.

“He (Botham) has been an inspiration tome in how to take on Australia,” said StuartBroad, whose childhood years coincidedwith a prolonged English Ashes ‘drought’.

“I grew up in our era from 86/87 to 2005when it was horrible watching the Ashes.

“That was an influence on me because itmade me very determined that if ever I gotthe chance to play against them (Australia)we’d have to win.” While Broad stressed hewasn’t motivated by statistical landmarks,West Indies fast-bowling great Joel Garner-who played alongside Botham at Somerset-was not convinced.

“He’s modest when he says he isn’t think-ing as far as getting past the record but Ican tell you he’s looking at it,” said Garner,now the West Indies team manager.

Garner, whose 259 Test wickets cost just20.97 apiece, added: “To get past the land-mark is a good thing and it sets the stan-dard for the next person coming up.” —AFP

Broad backs Anderson to fire in Ashes

NOTTINGHAM: This file photo taken on July 14, 2017 shows England’s Stuart Broad duringplay on the first day of the second Test Match between England and South Africa at TrentBridge cricket ground in Nottingham, central England. — AFP

Olivier Ntcham with the ball

BERLIN: Five teams to keep an eye on in theBundesliga, which starts Friday.

BAYERN MUNICHFew expect anything other than Bayern

Munich extending its Bundesliga record to sixstraight titles. That promoted side Leipzigpushed the defending champions the hardestlast season says much about the gap in quali-ty between Bayern and the rest. Bayern wonby 15 points last season and expects to main-tain its dominance this season as well.

The pressure is on Bayern coach CarloAncelotti to do better in his second seasonafter claiming “only” the league title in hisfirst. Borussia Dortmund ended Bayern’sGerman Cup hopes, and Real Madrid elimi-nated the team from the Champions League.It’s in these competitions, particularly the lat-ter, that Ancelotti will be deemed a success ora failure.

“Carlo Ancelotti is under observation,” for-mer Bayern goalkeeper Oliver Kahn toldKicker magazine on Monday. The Italiancoach has been boosted by the arrivals ofFrench midfielder Corentin Tolisso for aBundesliga-record 41.5 million euros fromLyon and Colombia forward James Rodriguezfrom Real Madrid, while defenders NiklasSuele and Sebastian Rudy arrived fromleague rival Hoffenheim.

The new arrivals will try to make up for theretirements of captain Philipp Lahm andSpanish playmaker Xabi Alonso. DouglasCosta has also departed for Juventus, whilenew signing Serge Gnabry has been sent outon loan again. He isn’t needed as long asRobert Lewandowski keeps scoring.

BORUSSIA DORTMUNDDortmund was the last team to win back-

to-back league titles in 2011 and 2012 beforeBayern, but years of rebuilding make that atall order for coach Peter Bosz in his first sea-son. The Dutchman takes over from ThomasTuchel, who reinvigorated the young sideafter a collapse under previous coach JuergenKlopp. Tuchel fell out with club managementand some players, and departed under acloud after winning the German Cup.

Bosz, who worked with young players atAjax, is expected to do the same again, buthis season preparations have been overshad-owed by the furor over Ousmane Dembele’spotential move to Barcelona. The France for-ward was suspended for missing trainingafter Barcelona made a huge bid and hisfuture remains unclear. Barcelona, which issearching for a replacement for Neymar, wasexpected to make another offer.

Also, striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyanghas been far from committal. The loss ofeither player would seriously impact on theteam’s prospects.

LEIPZIGLeipzig took the rest of the Bundesliga by

surprise by finishing second and earning anautomatic Champions League qualification inits debut season in the top division. Leipzig,however, only had the Bundesliga to contendwith last season after an early exit from theGerman Cup, so things will get harder for thistime.

Leipzig has managed to hold onto its topperformers from last season. Emil Forsbergand Naby Keita are still with the club andFrench forward Jean-Kevin Augustin arrivedfrom Paris Saint-Germain to replace DavidSelke, who joined Hertha Berlin. Portugalwinger Bruma was also signed fromGalatasaray.

Sporting director Ralf Rangnick has beencanny with his acquisitions so far and furtheradditions could not be ruled out before theend of the month.

HOFFENHEIMHoffenheim, which faces Liverpool in a

playoff for the Champions League, out-mus-cled more established teams like Schalke andBayer Leverkusen for a top-four position lastseason. Most of the credit goes to the 30-year-old Julian Nagelsmann, the youngestcoach in the Bundesliga and the German soc-cer federation’s coach of the year. Since hisappointment in February 2016, he hasbrought Hoffenheim from a relegation scrapto European soccer.

The team will have to cope withoutdefenders Niklas Suele and Sebastian Rudy,who were snapped up by Bayern. Germanystriker Serge Gnabry came from the defendingchampions, however. Despite the changes,another stellar campaign is expected.

HAMBURGER SVHamburg, the only founding member of

the Bundesliga still remaining since 1963, hasbeen flirting with relegation in recent seasonsand Sunday’s German Cup loss to third-divi-sion club Osnabrueck - a team that playednearly the whole game with 10 players - sug-gests another fraught campaign.

A clock in the corner of Hamburg’s stadi-um counts the years, days, hours, minutesand seconds that the side has been in theBundesliga, but instead of inspiring, it seemsto weigh on the players, amplifying the pres-sure as the team’s struggles continue.

Osnabrueck’s victory brought all the oldfears back to the surface, and the team is farfrom settled before Saturday’s league-openerat home against Augsburg, with questionsover players like Nicolai Mueller, DouglasSantos, Walace, Aaron Hunt and Lewis Holtby.

The only positive is that a lack of GermanCup soccer allows the team concentrateexclusively on the league. —AP

Five teams to watch out for this season

Matches on TV (Local Timings)

SPANISH SUPER CUPReal Madrid v Barcelona 0:00Abu Dhabi SPORTS 1 HDAbu Dhabi SPORTS 2 HD

13Kuwait shooting champions return home

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 16, 201715

Broad backs Anderson to fire in Ashes

Stanton hits team-record homer, Marlins beat Giants Page 14

MADRID: Real Madrid’s Portuguese forward Cristiano Ronaldo (L) takes part in a training session at Real Madrid sport city in Madrid yesterday, on the eve of the Spanish SuperCup second leg football match Real Madrid CF vs FC Barcelona. —AFP

MADRID: Real Madrid coach ZinedineZidane expressed his anger yesterday at afive-game ban handed to Cristiano Ronaldofor pushing a referee after being sent-offagainst Barcelona in the Spanish Super Cup.

Madrid hold a 3-1 first leg lead going intothe second leg against their fierce rivalstoday (2100 GMT), but will have to do with-out Ronaldo.

The World Player of the Year was contro-versially shown a second yellow card for div-ing on Sunday and handed an extra four-game ban for a light push on referee Ricardode Burgos Bengoetxea after being shownthe 10th red card of his career. “We are very

annoyed,” said Zidane.“When you look at everything that hap-

pened, to think Cristiano won’t play fivegames with us... it is infuriating.”

Madrid’s appeal against the red card,which could reduce the ban from five gamesto four, will be held before the game today.

“The (appeals) committee will meet and Ihope they look well upon it,” added Zidane.“Cristiano is annoyed because he wants toplay and when he doesn’t play, he isn’t hap-py.” Ronaldo was on the field for just 24action-packed minutes on Sunday as he wasonly introduced as a second-half substituteafter a curtailed pre-season due to his partic-

ipation in the Confederations Cup withPortugal.

He made a huge impact with a stunningstrike to put Madrid into a 2-1 lead 10 min-utes from time, but unwisely picked up hisfirst yellow card for removing his shirt in cel-ebration. And two minutes later he was dis-missed as he fell inside the area under pres-sure from Samuel Umtiti. “Cristiano’s ban isexcessive,” added Madrid defender DaniCarvajal. “It is a frustrating feeling for him.Hopefully the committee will reduce it by afew games.”

Should Ronaldo’s appeal not be upheld,he will miss Madrid’s first four La Liga games

of the season against Deportivo la Coruna,Valencia, Levante and Real Sociedad.

However, Zidane insisted he is not des-perate to add to his forward line before thetransfer window closes on August 31,despite selling strikers Alvaro Morata andMariano Diaz this summer.

Real have been linked for months with amove for Monaco’s 18-year-old sensationKylian Mbappe, but look set to be beaten tothe Frenchman’s signature by free-spendingParis Saint-Germain. “Anything can happenbetween now and August 31, but what I cansay is that I am very happy with the players Ihave,” said Zidane. — AFP

Zidane angered by five-game Ronaldo ban

Zinedine Zidane

MASON: Wimbledon champion RogerFederer withdrew Monday from theWestern & Southern Open because of aback injury. He has won the Masters seriestournament seven times. The move wasannounced on the first full day of matches.This US Open warmup has now lost five ofthe top six players in the men’s rankings.

Federer, a 19-time major champion,said in a statement he “tweaked” his backlast week at the Rogers Cup in Montreal,where he lost Sunday’s final to AlexanderZverev. The Swiss star, ranked No. 3, issidelined along with No. 1 Andy Murray,No. 4 Stan Wawrinka, No. 5 Novak Djokovicand No. 6 Marin Cilic, the defending cham-pion. Only No. 2 Rafael Nadal, the top-seeded player, remains in the draw.

Tournament officials tweeted that 21st-ranked Gael Monfils also is out because ofan undisclosed illness. All the missingplayers except Cilic are 30 or older. “It’s justcoincidence,” said Nadal, 31. “We’re not 20years old anymore. We’re not playing allthe weeks. It’s part of our sport. I’ve beenin their position lots of times. I’ve missedmore events than the other players. It’spart of the game. I wish them all a speedyrecovery. We need them in the game. Ihope they get back soon.”

Federer ’s withdrawal means Nadal,who lost in the third round at Montreal,will return to No. 1 when new ATP rank-ings are released Aug. 21. The Spaniardwill be No. 1 for the first time since July 6,2014. Nadal has spent 141 weeks at No. 1since first ascending there after reachingthe Western & Southern semifinals in2008. “It’s been tough to get back to No. 1,”he said. “I’m happy to have the chance tobe in that position.”

American Sam Querry became the firstseeded player to advance. The 15th seedcruised into the second round with a 6-3,

6-0 victory over wild card Stefan Kozlov.Mischa Zverev also advanced with astraight-set win, 6-4, 6-4 over FernandoVerdasco. Zverev lost just nine points onserve. In women’s first-round action, 15th-seeded Madison Keys held off unseededCoCo Vandeweghe for a 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 win.Vandeweghe fought off three match in thefinal game before hitting a forehand intothe net for an unforced error on Keys’fourth match point.

Earl ier, 2016 Olympic singles goldmedalist Monica Puig lost to fellow qualifi-er Taylor Townsend, 6-3, 3-6, 6-2. Other’smen’s matches saw wild card FrancesTiafoe beat qualifier Maximilian Marterer6-3, 7-6 (2), and qualif ier Joao Sousadefeat Kyle Edmund 6-3, 2-6, 6-3.

Richard Gasquet and wild card TommyPaul advanced in straight sets. Gasqueteased past qualifier John-Patrick Smith 6-4, 6-4, and Paul beat fellow AmericanDonald Young 6-4, 7-6 (4). Ivo Karlovicousted Jiri Vesely 6-3, 3-6, 7-5.

Also advancing in straight sets wereFabio Fognini, a 7-6 (5), 6-4 winner overDanii l Medvedev ; qualif ier MitchellKrueger, 6-2, 6-1 over Benoit Paire; andFeliciano Lopez, 7-6 (5), 6-1 over HyeonChung. In other women’s matches,Roberta Vinci knocked out Time Babos 7-5,7-5; Camile Giorgi ousted KaterinaSiniakova 6-2, 6-2; Yulia Putintseva outlast-ed Veronica Cepede Royg, 6-4, 3-6, 6-3;and Daria Kasatkina rushed past qualifierAliaksandra Sasnovich, 6-4, 6-2. Also, 14th-seeded Petra Kvitova rallied past AnettKontaveit 1-6, 7-6 (2), 6-3; Beatriz HaddadMaia topped Lauren Davis 6-3, 6-2; andLesia Tsurenko defeated AnastasiaPavlyuchenkova 5-7, 7-6 (6), 6-0. KristinaMladenovic, seeded 13th, became the firstseeded player to lose, beaten by DariaGavrilova 6-0, 7-6 (6).— AP

CINCINNATI: With sidelined Serena Williamsabout to have a baby, f ive players have achance to grab the world number one rankingat this week ’s US Open tuneup event inCincinnati.

Williams, a 23-time Grand Slam championwho announced her pregnancy and the end ofher season in April, owned the top spot for 186consecutive weeks through last September,matching Steffi Graf for an Open Era record,and traded the spot with Germany’s AngeliqueKerber earlier this year.

Defending Cincinnati champion KarolinaPliskova took over the top spot five weeks agobut will lose points from her title run, openingthe door for rivals to overtake her.

Romania’s second-ranked Simona Halep,world number three Kerber, Ukraine’s fourth-rated Elina Svitolina and fifth-ranked DaneCaroline Wozniacki could claim the top spot.

“Nothing has changed. I have a big responsi-bil ity. I ’ l l do everything as I have before,”Pliskova said. “I do think it’s a huge thing but Idon’t want to do anything just because of therankings. “I don’t try to behave differently. I trynot to see the pressure.”

Pliskova has won titles this year at Brisbane,Doha and Eastbourne but anything short of arepeat gives Halep a chance to reach numberone by winning the title. “To be number one inthe world is a big thing. It shows you have beenconsistent. You have won the place. If I deservethe place, for sure I will win it,” Halep said. TheRomanian however remains haunted by aFrench Open finals loss to Jelena Ostapenko inwhich she was up a set and a break beforesquandering a chance at her first Grand Slamtitle and number one.

“I still have bad dreams about that,” Halepsaid. “I still suffer.” She’s also trying to forget a 6-1, 6-1 loss to Svitolina in the Toronto semi-finals, one for which she apologized to specta-tors on Monday. “I was really disappointed. Itwas a horror match for me,” Halep said. “I could-n’t feel the ball. I can’t say I wasn’t ready to play.

It never happened to me before, not like that.”Svitolina, 22, has won titles this year in Taiwan,Dubai, Istanbul, Rome and Toronto.

She credits Dubai with inspiration butimproved in her Canada title run last week.

“The title in Dubai really gave me that push.I played great,” Svitolina said. “But this tourna-ment in Toronto showed me I can go there notplaying my best and fight back and still be ableto win the title. “It’s one more step in a gooddirection.”

‘IT’S GOING TO BE A BATTLE’ Svitolina’s hot season has inspired her to aim

big. “It’s very special. It gives me more energyto go for more,” Svitolina said. She needs a title

and Pliskova out before the semi-finals to reachnumber one. “I know this but I try not to put somuch pressure on myself. Of course to be num-ber one is a goal of mine. The important thingis to play well,” Svitolina said. “I know it’s veryclose for everyone. I’d prefer to play well at bigtournaments. Then the ranking will be there.”Kerber and Wozniacki need Pliskova to crashout in her opening match to have a chance atnumber one this week. And while Spain’s sixth-ranked Garbine Muguruza, can’t overtake now,she would be a threat to do so at the US Open.“It’s going to be a battle,” she said. “I like thatI’m part of it and it’s going to be a big thing.Now I feel like I’ve got to play. I can’t miss atournament. If I do I’m gone.” —AFP

Federer out of Cincinnati

with bad back, Nadal # 1

Pliskova, Halep fight for top ranking

MASON: Karolina Pliskova of Czech Republic fields questions from the media during Day 3 of theWestern & Southern Open at the Lindner Family Tennis Center on Monday in Mason, Ohio. — AFP

MOSCOW: New US sanctions on Moscow have forcedRussian business chiefs to accept that Donald Trump’s riseto power is not about to produce a “Trump Bump” in for-eign investment.

After Trump became US president, some investors saidthey would be prepared to contemplate new deals withRussian firms if they saw signs that US-Russian ties wereimproving and US restrictions on business with Russiawere being relaxed.

But the new sanctions, signed onto law by Trump onAug. 2, add new measures and codify six orders signed byPresident Barack Obama, making them harder for Trump torevoke.

For the business community in Moscow, the message isclear-there is no immediate prospect of Washington soft-ening its stance towards Moscow. “Russia faces the codifi-cation of sanctions which suggests they will be hellishlydifficult to take off and are likely to remain in place for thevery long term,” said Tim Ash, a strategist at BlueBay assetmanagement in London.

“The mere fact that the US and Western governments ...

saw fit to levy sanctions on Russia sends at the least anamber light to Western business-be careful in your deal-ings with Russia.” The United States initially imposed finan-cial and travel restrictions on Russia in 2014, after Russiaannexed the Crimea region from Ukraine following the fallof a pro-Moscow president in Kiev.

The latest measures allow Congress to block any effortby the president to ease or lift the existing sanctions, tight-ens some of those sanctions, and imposes new restrictionsin some sectors. Executives in Russian banks and energycompanies, the main targets of the US sanctions, toldReuters their compliance departments were still goingthrough the fine print of the new law to understand thepractical impact. Already clear, though, was the messageabout the duration of the sanctions.

“This is obviously for a long time,” said a source in amajor Russian oil company, who spoke on condition ofanonymity because he is not authorized to speak tothe media.

Moody’s rating agency said in a note to clients that thenew sanctions on Russia “are likely to further deter invest-

ment there.” The sanctions in place since 2014 directlyrestrict a narrow range of business dealings. Their biggesteffect, according to investment bankers and corporatelawyers in Moscow, is that they create the risk of moresanctions being added.

Under that scenario, a deal signed outside the scope ofthe sanctions could quickly fall under sanctions. If thathappened, investors would be likely to lose money and fewwant to take that risk.

On the other hand, if investors believe the sanctions willnot be expanded, they can conclude deals with some con-fidence, even while existing measures remain in place.

SHIP HASN’T SAILEDTrump’s election triumph last November led many in

the Russian business community to believe that the worstof the sanctions was over. It was at this time that a long-planned deal to privatise a stake in Sovcomflot, a state-owned shipping company with a fleet of modern vesselsand lucrative energy sector contracts, was put back on thegovernment’s agenda.

The fate of the partial privatization since then reflectsthe importance of the new sanctions to investor sentiment.No one involved in the Sovcomflot deal has publicly com-mitted to a date for the sale but two financial marketsources told Reuters late in May that the deal was expectedin early June.

The plan later changed again because of deterioratingmarket conditions, a source familiar with the situation saidin June-the same week that the Russian stock indexslipped on concerns that Washington would impose newsanctions on Moscow.

Later in June, a senior Russian government official toldReuters the deal might happen in July. But after the newUS sanctions, Moscow’s tone on the deal became morecautious though officials declined to say whether the newsanctions would alter the government’s decision aboutwhen the sale happens. “It’s clear that the USA’s toughen-ing of the sanctions regime right now will hardly make theinvestment climate for this asset more attractive on inter-national financial markets,” Transport Minister MaximSokolov told reporters on Aug. 3. — Reuters

BusinessWEDNESDAY, AUGUST 16, 2017

Solid German growth gives Merkel election tailwind

Page 19

Wall St opens flat as NorthKorea tensions fade

Page 20

Warba Bank, Mohamed Naser Al-Sayer & Sons sign biggest Toyota deal Greenspan worries, the markets not so much

Page 21Page 18

NEW YORK: Window seating in the Eataly restaurant offers a view of One World Trade Center (right) in New York. The Federal Reserve Bank of New York issued its Empire State manufacturing index forAugust. — AP

US sanctions hit Russian investment hopes

‘Trump bump’ a damp squib; sanctions may last long

WASHINGTON: US retail sales recorded their biggestincrease in seven months in July as consumers boostedpurchases of motor vehicles and lifted discretionaryspending, suggesting the economy continued to gainmomentum early in the third quarter.

Retail sales for June and May also were revised high-er, which should help to assuage concerns about con-sumer spending, But persistently sluggish wage growthhas pushed Americans to dip into their savings to fundspending. Economists say wage growth has to pick upto sustain consumer spending.

“American shoppers flocked to the malls and evendepartment stores in July, suggesting consumers arewell-positioned to propel the economy forward in thesecond half of the year,” said Sal Guatieri, a senior econ-omist at BMO Capital Markets in Toronto.

The Commerce Department said yesterday thatretail sales jumped 0.6 percent last month, the largestgain since December 2016. June’s retail sales wererevised to show a 0.3 percent gain instead of the previ-ously reported 0.2 percent drop. Economists had fore-cast retail sales increasing 0.4 percent in July. May’sretail sales were revised to show no change instead ofthe previously reported 0.1 percent dip. Retail salesincreased 4.2 percent in July on a year-on-year basis.

Excluding automobiles, gasoline, building materialsand food services, retail sales surged 0.6 percent lastmonth after an upwardly revised 0.1 percent gain inJune. These so-called core retail sales, which corre-spond most closely with the consumer spending com-ponent of gross domestic product, were previouslyreported to have dipped 0.1 percent in June.

Prices of US Treasuries extended losses after the datawhile the dollar gained against a basket of currencies.US stock index futures were trading higher.

Consumer spending, which accounts for more thantwo-thirds of US economic activity, increased at a 2.8 per-cent annualized rate in the second quarter. That boostedGDP growth to a 2.6 percent rate in the April-June period.

The acceleration in consumer spending in the secondquarter came at the expense of savings, a trend thateconomists say is unsustainable. Annual wage growthhas struggled to break above 2.5 percent. — Reuters

US retail sales post biggest

increase in seven months

In this May 16, 2017 photo, a shopper pushes a cart inside a HomeGoods store, in Salem, N.H. Yesterday,the Commerce Department released retail sales data for July. — AP

Sterling at 10-month

low vs euro as bears

tighten grip

LONDON: Sterling tumbled to a 10-month low against theeuro yesterday as weak inflation data and concerns about pro-tracted negotiations with eurozone authorities promptedinvestors to pile negative bets against the British currency.

The pound fell 0.13 percent against the euro to 91.02 cents,its lowest level since October 2016, on growing concerns that astruggling economy would force the central bank to stick to adovish policy stance in the coming months. “The weak dataand the negative headlines around Brexit negotiations isweighing on sterling and if we get through the 92 cents againstthe euro line, then we are well into uncharted territory,” saidViraj Patel, an FX strategist at ING in London.

Britain outlined plans for a future customs agreement withthe European Union on Tuesday and an interim deal to easecompanies’ Brexit concerns, proposals one senior EU officialdescribed as “fantasy”. Against the dollar, sterling slipped toone-month lows due to the dollar’s rebound against a broadbasket of currencies.

British consumer price inflation unexpectedly held steadylast month, bucking market expectations for a renewed rise,after fuel prices fell and the effect of the pound’s tumble afterlast year’s Brexit vote started to fade.

“The political cycle picks up in September and until thensterling is likely to remain sidelined, broadly tracking the dollarand other factors,” said Adam Cole, chief FX strategist at RBC inLondon.The pound fell 0.8 percent to $1.2859, its lowest sinceJuly 20, on track to break below a 50-day moving average.

The pound reached $1.3267 per dollar on Aug. 3 on a briefsurge in expectations that the Bank of England could raiseinterest rates over the next year.

But the Bank’s latest meeting and minutes quashed much ofthat talk in the market and a retreat in pricing on rates hasweakened the pound since. Sterling has fallen nearly 3 percentsince then. Wage numbers today should offer more clues onhow the economy is performing. — Reuters

B U S I N E S SWEDNESDAY, AUGUST 16, 2017

EXCHANGE RATES

Al-Muzaini Exchange Co.

ASIAN COUNTRIESJapanese Yen 2.759Indian Rupees 4.746Pakistani Rupees 2.870Srilankan Rupees 1.971Nepali Rupees 2.981Singapore Dollar 223.020Hongkong Dollar 38.695Bangladesh Taka 3.737Philippine Peso 5.988Thai Baht 9.127

GCC COUNTRIESSaudi Riyal 80.787Qatari Riyal 83.207Omani Riyal 786.772Bahraini Dinar 804.440UAE Dirham 82.482

ARAB COUNTRIESEgyptian Pound - Cash 21.200Egyptian Pound - Transfer 16.972Yemen Riyal/for 1000 1.216Tunisian Dinar 127.210Jordanian Dinar 427.490Lebanese Lira/for 1000 2.018Syrian Lira 2.159Morocco Dirham 32.414

EUROPEAN & AMERICAN COUNTRIESUS Dollar Transfer 302.750Euro 356.940Sterling Pound 395.540Canadian dollar 239.710Turkish lira 85.890

Dollarco Exchange Co. Ltd

BAHRAIN EXCHANGE COMPANY WLL

Swiss Franc 316.020Australian Dollar 240.230US Dollar Buying 301.550

GOLD20 Gram 249.07010 Gram 127.4505 Gram 64.570

Rate for Transfr Selling RateUS Dollar 302.350Canadian Dollar 238.735Sterling Pound 393.881Euro 357.792Swiss Frank 295.188Bahrain Dinar 801.788UAE Dirhams 82.699Qatari Riyals 83.925Saudi Riyals 81.517Jordanian Dinar 427.010Egyptian Pound 17.045Sri Lankan Rupees 1.974Indian Rupees 4.720Pakistani Rupees 2.869Bangladesh Taka 3.742Philippines Pesso 5.911Cyprus pound 17.991Japanese Yen 3.759Syrian Pound 1.589Nepalese Rupees 2.946Malaysian Ringgit 71.323

CURRENCY BUY SELLEurope

British Pound 0.386197 0.396197Czech Korune 0.005562 0.017562Danish Krone 0.043659 0.048659Euro 0. 349637 0.358637Norwegian Krone 0.033856 0.039056Romanian Leu 0.077712 0.077712Slovakia 0.009023 0.019023Swedish Krona 0.032899 0.037899Swiss Franc 0.306164 0.317164

AustralasiaAustralian Dollar 0.230046 0.242046New Zealand Dollar 0.214874 0.224374

AmericaCanadian Dollar 0.232975 0.241975Georgina Lari 0.125021 0.125021US Dollars 0.298650 0.303070US Dollars Mint 0.299150 0.303070

AsiaBangladesh Taka 0.003321 0.003905Chinese Yuan 0.043717 0.047217Hong Kong Dollar 0.036652 0.039402

Indian Rupee 0.004221 0.004909Indonesian Rupiah 0.000018 0.000024Japanese Yen 0.002667 0.002847Korean Won 0.000256 0.000271Malaysian Ringgit 0.067407 0.073407Nepalese Rupee 0.002991 0.003161Pakistan Rupee 0.002624 0.002914Philippine Peso 0.005894 0.006194Singapore Dollar 0.216485 0.226485Sri Lankan Rupee 0.001598 0.002178Taiwan 0.009886 0.010066Thai Baht 0.008737 0.009287

ArabBahraini Dinar 0.796057 0.804557Egyptian Pound 0.015566 0.021474Iranian Riyal 0.000084 0.000085Iraqi Dinar 0.000190 0.000250Jordanian Dinar 0.422401 0.431401Kuwaiti Dinar 1.000000 1.000000Lebanese Pound 0.000150 0.000250Moroccan Dirhams 0.020832 0.044832Omani Riyal 0.779944 0.785624Qatar Riyal 0.078868 0.083808Saudi Riyal 0.079647 0.080947Syrian Pound 0.001283 0.001503Tunisian Dinar 0.121912 0.129912Turkish Lira 0.080747 0.091047UAE Dirhams 0.080958 0.082658Yemeni Riyal 0.000984 0.001064

Chinese Yuan Renminbi 45.779Thai Bhat 10.082Turkish Lira 86.247

KUWAIT: World growth is on track. The Fed is pro-ceeding with tightening or “normalizing”, if oneprefers. Other central banks are getting ready to fol-low suit, but in a long while. OPEC is attempting tobalance oil markets. The Trump administrationappears, or is, in disarray. How are markets reactingto al l this? Fair ly well, thank you ver y much.Equities, the only asset market performing in linewith consensus expectations from earlier in theyear, advanced further in July. The equity markets inthe US are in fact making new historic highs (DowIndustrials 22,000). This US performance is predicat-ed on strong US earnings, steady growth, a Fedtightening very gradually, deregulation, and poten-tial tax reform ahead.

All these equity “positives” spilled over into otherequity markets (Europe, EMs). The US, of course,remains a crucial factor in the world economy, and acrucial member of the synchronized growth club:the notion that, currently, all major economies aregrowing at a moderate or good sustained clip, verymuch at the same time. The Eurozone economyedged the US last year, for the first time since 2011(GDP 1.7 percent to 1.5 percent). And in 1H17 thetwo economies were running neck-in-neck at 2.0percent growth.

In fact, the IMF just released its July update ofthe World Economic Outlook (WEO), which keptworld growth at 3.5 percent and 3.6 percent for2017 and 2018, while tweaking its US numbers low-er (2.1 percent, 2.1 percent), and its EU (1.9 percent,1.7 percent) and China (6.7 percent, 6.4 percent)forecasts higher.

ExpectationsStocks were expected to do well this year, and

have delivered, so far, beyond expectations in manycases. US stocks are up over 10 percent ytd (S&P 500),and European stocks are up 5 percent in local curren-cy (Euro Stoxx, much more in USD terms). Emergingmarkets are up 23 percent ytd (MSCI EM) while theGCC lagged in 1H17 (MSCI GCC +0.6 percent).

On the unexpected side, surprises were plentifulthis year. Coincidentally, they all seemed to add tothe bullish sentiment for stocks. One surprise, lowerinflation, means the Fed does not have to beaggressive in raising rates, the ECB can dilly-dallyon tapering and other “tighter” money measures,pressure on the BoE eases, and the BOJ needs tokeep pumping liquidity beyond forever.

Lower interest rates and available liquidity con-tinue to bolster stocks. In fact, by some measuresfinancial conditions, even in the US with higher Fedpolicy rates, have eased. The US 10-year note yieldis off 20 bps on the year (when the Fed has beenraising its policy rates), and the USD is down morethan 10 percent versus the euro, among others. Thisis somewhat reminiscent of Alan Greenspan’s bondconundrum argument of 2005. Then, the Fed wastightening and yields on long-dated securitieswould decline, the USD fall, and equities rise. Partof it was, of course, one huge buyer of USTreasuries, China. During 2004-2006, the Fed raisedthe federal funds rate 425 bps, versus a meek 30bps rise in the yield of 10-year note.

In fact ex-Fed Chairman Alan Greenspan wasback in the news recently, warning of a bond bub-

ble, as opposed to market talk of an equity bubble.Greenspan worried that rapidly rising rates (or theend of the bond bubble) could occur and would,then, impact equity markets. Greenspan did not puta time frame on his warning. He did mentionthough that things could unfold quickly once theprocess got underway, which is not atypical of mar-kets or bubbles.

Nonetheless, the markets have heard thesetypes of warnings several times since 2008, regard-ing both bonds and equities, and continue on theirmerry way. While it is certainly true that interestrates are at record lows, barring an unforeseenjump in inflation it is difficult to see Greenspan’swarning materializing in the medium term.

Bond marketsThe major central banks are today’s large buyers

of bonds who have supported the bond marketsworldwide and kept interest rates very low. Sure,the Fed is getting ready to shed some of its assets,presumably this September, but that will happen ata snail’s pace initially. Furthermore, the ECB and theBoJ are still on their buying spree. Before all majorcentral banks start “selling” at the same time (and in

serious numbers), Alan Greenspan’s warning seemssomewhat premature. Also, bear in mind that thecentral banks have been and are (since 2008)exceedingly cautious. Whenever they mention“higher rates” or “buying fewer assets”, they alwaysquickly add the proviso: we will stop and reversecourse if something goes “wrong”.

Other surprises this year came from the USD andfrom oil prices, and both ended up being further“pluses” for equities. Both the USD and the price ofoil fell, against strong and widespread consensus,and by doing so added to the positive overall mar-ket sentiment. The weaker USD was seen as a boonto US exports and to US companies, many of whichhave significant business overseas. The weaker dol-lar was also seen as removing the threat of outflowsfrom emerging markets (EMs). As to the weakerprice of oil in 1H17, it was further supportive of lowinflation (low interest rates) and positive, at least foroil importers.

So far, the expected and unexpected factors areunfolding in favor of equities at large, and are keep-ing interest rates in check, at least in the longermaturities. The Fed has signaled recently that it isabout to start unwinding its massive balance sheetin September, starting with a measly $10 billion permonth. This amount will rise by $10 billion perquarter. Thus, the current $4.3 trillion Fed balancesheet, will take three years to go down to $2.9 tril-lion, which would still leave it three times largerthan its size prior to the 2008 financial crisis. And,for now, the ECB is still buying and hinting it mayslow its purchases next year (currently euro 60 bil-lion per month).

The Bank of Japan is showing no sign of endingits purchases of government bonds. So yes,Greenspan’s warning will come due at some point.However, the financial markets are likely to fretmore about Alan Greenspan once inflationarypressures shows up in the data or once centralbanks, in concert, start shedding assets in signifi-cant amounts.

Greenspan worries, the markets not so muchNBK REPORT ON INTERNATIONAL MARKETS

LONDON: All British employers should offer flexiblehours to both sexes to make life fairer for working par-ents, the country’s equality watchdog said yesterday, aspart of a push to close gender, ethnicity and disabilitypay gaps.

Job shares and working from home are key to boostwomen’s salaries, the Equality and Human RightsCommission (EHRC) said, as British women earn 18 per-cent less than men for the same job.

“We need to overhaul our culture and make flexibleworking the norm - looking beyond women as the pri-mary caregivers and having tough conversations aboutthe biases that are rife in our workforce and society,”Caroline Waters, EHRC’s deputy chairwoman, said in astatement.

Men and women should be encouraged to sharechildcare duties and fathers should be offered well-paid“use it or lose it” paternity leave to relieve the pressureon mothers to stall their careers to take care of their chil-dren, EHRC said. The report comes a month afterBritain’s public broadcaster, the BBC, revealed that itstop male star was paid five times more than its best-paid female presenter, prompting public criticism.

In April, large firms in Britain were required by law toreport pay discrepancies between male and femaleemployees. The pay gap for ethnic minorities is 5.7 per-cent and 13.6 percent for the disabled, EHRC said. “Thepay gaps issue sits right at the heart of our society and isa symbol of the work we still need to do to achieveequality for all,” Waters said.

“While there has been some progress, it has beenpainfully slow. We need radical change now otherwisewe’ll be having the same conversation for decades tocome.” Women’s rights group the Fawcett Society agreedthat flexible working should be the default for allemployers to tackle the pay gap. “Taking these steps willbe good for employees but also good for business,” saidJemima Olchawski, head of policy at the Fawcett Society.“Without it we risk excluding talented people from ourworkforce and underperforming as an economy.” Womenfrom almost every minority ethnic group earn less thanwhite British men, the charity found in March.

Closing Britain’s gender pay gap could add 150 bil-lion pounds ($193 billion) to the country’s annual grossdomestic product by 2025, according to consulting firmMcKinsey Global Institute. — Reuters

LONDON: British Prime Minister Theresa May willvisit Japan this month for talks with her Japanesecounterpart Shinzo Abe to discuss Brexit, trade anddefense, her office said yesterday.

May will lead a business delegation drawn froma range of different sectors on the trip, whichcomes as her government looks to strengthen itsrelationship with key international investors aheadof Britain’s exit from the European Union. “The dele-gation will showcase the strength of British busi-ness, the shared confidence in the UK-Japan eco-nomic relationship as we leave the EU, and thepotential for future growth,” a spokesman fromMay’s office said.

The three-day trip begins on Aug 30. Japanesecompanies including carmaker Nissan and con-glomerate Hitachi have invested more than 40 bil-lion pounds ($52 billion) in Britain, and Japanesecompanies employ a total of 140,000 people in thecountry. May’s office did not give details of whichbusinesses would be travelling to Japan. May will

also meet Emperor Akihito, the spokesman said.Since voting to leave the EU last June Britain hastrumpeted decisions by Japanese carmakers Nissanand Toyota to continue production in the countryas a sign that Brexit will not scare off internationalinvestors.

But both those investments came after thegovernment wrote letters to ease the firms’ con-cerns, drawing criticism that May was makingsecret deals and giving firms privileged informa-tion on Brexit. Britain said the letters were com-mercially sensitive. May and Abe, leaders of theworld’s fifth and third largest economies, met lastmonth on the sidelines of an international summitin Germany, and in April she hosted him at herEnglish country residence.

After Abe’s April visit, he expressed concernsabout possible overnight changes in regulationswhen Britain withdraws from the EU in March 2019- the latest in a series of unusually strong declara-tions about the risks of Brexit from Tokyo. —Reuters

STOCKHOLM: Underlying inflation topped the Swedish centralbank’s target in July for the first time since 2010, putting the cen-tral Riksbank under pressure to tighten its ultra-loose monetarypolicy. Negative rates and a hefty bond-buying programmer arelooking increasingly at odds with an economy that expanded 4.0percent in the April-June period on an annual basis. After flirtingwith a Japan-style downward price-spiral, inflation is back on trackwith the July core reading at 2.4 percent, the highest sinceFebruary 2010.

It was last above the 2.0 percent target in December of thatyear. “This strengthens our view that the Riksbank will hike in April,which is earlier than they themselves say currently,” said AnnaBreman, chief economist at Swedbank. The central bank has fore-cast it will start hiking rates from the current -0.50 percent in mid-2018 and, having missed its inflation target for years, it will be cau-tious. Most analysts see inflation falling back later this year as theeffects of a stronger crown and a lower oil price begin to weigh.

July’s figures were also affected by temporary factors, includinga change in the calculation method for package holidays. ButSweden’s economy is growing at one of the fastest rates in theEuropean Union and the developed world. Earlier in August, theNational Institute of Economic Research increased its 2017 growthprojections to 3.0 percent. [nL5N1KQ1F8# This compares withOrganisation for Economic Co-0peration and Development projec-tions for 2.1 percent in the United States and 1.8 percent for theeurozone.

As important is the stance of the European Central Bank. WhileEuropean rate-setters have dropped their easing bias, analysts stillsee a chance the ECB will extend its quantitative easing programinto next year. Hikes in the ECB’s policy rate are seen even furtheroff. Speaking at the last rate-setting meeting, Ricksbank GovernorStefan Ingves said he did not want to get too far ahead of the ECB.That would boost the crown, undoing years of hard work on infla-tion by pushing down import prices. “It is not a scenario that weare talking about,” Ingves said.

The crown gained around 6 ore after the inflation figuresstanding at around 9.48 to the euro. “The Riksbank can’t relaxyet,” said Torbjorn Isaksson, economist at Nordea. “It needs main-tain a relatively soft tone so that the crown does not strengthentoo fast.” Overall Swedish consumer prices rose 0.5 percent in Julyfrom the previous month and were up 2.2 percent from the samemonth last year, the statistics office (SCB) said yesterday.Underlying inflation, which strips out interest rate effects, was 0.6percent on the month and 2.4 percent on the year. The Riksbankforecast headline inflation of 1.64 percent and underlying infla-tion of 1.79 percent. The Riksbank publishes its next rate decisionon September 7. — Reuters

Surge in Sweden’s inflation adds

pressure for rate rise

May to lead business delegation to Japan

In this June 6, 2015 file photo, heavy machines move imported iron ore at the dock in Rizhao in east-ern China’s Shandong province. China announced on Monday, it will cut off imports of North Koreancoal, iron ore and other goods in three weeks under UN sanctions imposed over the North’s nuclearand missile programs. —AP

All UK jobs should offer flexible

hours to close pay gap: Watchdog

B U S I N E S SWEDNESDAY, AUGUST 16, 2017

“We have been informed thatairberlin has filed foradministration.

“This development is extremely dis-appointing for all parties, especially asEtihad has provided extensive support toairberlin for its previous liquidity chal-lenges and restructuring efforts over thepast six years.

“In April this year, Etihad providedEUR 250 million of additional funding toairberlin as well as supporting the airlineto explore strategic options for the busi-ness. However, airberlin’s business hasdeteriorated at an unprecedented pace,preventing it from overcoming its signifi-cant challenges and from implementingalternative strategic solutions.

“Under these circumstances, as aminority shareholder, Etihad cannot offerfunding that would further increase ourfinancial exposure. We remain open tohelping find a commercially viable solu-

tion for all parties.“We expect airberlin operations to

continue during administration. We havea commercial relationship with airberlinacross a range of areas, including code-share operations, and we will supportairberlin’s management during these dif-ficult times.

“Germany is an important market forEtihad and Abu Dhabi, and we remaincommitted to providing comprehensiveair links as a key enabler of trade andtourism.” Etihad Aviation Group (EAG) is adiversified global aviation and travelgroup comprising four business divisions- Etihad Airways, the national airline ofthe United Arab Emirates, EtihadEngineering, Hala Group and AirlineEquity Partners. The group has minorityinvestments in seven airlines: airberlin,Air Serbia, Air Seychelles, Alitalia, JetAirways, Virgin Australia, and Swiss-based Darwin Airline, trading as Etihad

Etihad statementon airberlin

BERLIN: Strong household and state spendingconsolidated Germany’s role as the eurozone’sgrowth engine in the second quarter, helpingChancellor Angela Merkel to burnish her eco-nomic credentials less than six weeks before anelection. Tuesday’s data are the last majorgrowth figures to be published before the Sept.24 vote, in which Merkel is seeking to win afourth term.

Merkel’s conservatives enjoy a comfortablelead over the Social Democrats (SPD), their cur-rent coalition partner; an INSA poll yesterday puttheir support at 37 percent to the SPD’s 25.

Yet while neither party wants another grandcoalition, a fractured political landscape couldmake it hard to form another viable alliance. Inthe second quarter, Germany’s seasonally adjust-ed gross domestic product (GDP) was up 0.6 per-cent from the previous quarter - just below theconsensus forecast of 0.7 percent in a Reuterspoll, but still the 12th consecutive quarterlygrowth reading.

In addition, first-quarter growth was revisedup to 0.7 percent from 0.6. Annual growth in thesecond quarter, adjusted for calendar effects,rose to 2.1 percent from 2.0.

“The German economy is proving its stayingpower, the upswing continues,” Bankhaus Lampeeconomist Alexander Krueger said, adding thatthe European Central Bank’s low interest ratesand bond-buying program kept on boostingdomestic demand.

Germany’s Constitutional Court said it haddeclined to hear a challenge to the ECB’s 2.3 tril-

lion euro ($2.7 trillion) asset purchase scheme,referring the case instead to the European Courtof Justice.

Domestic demandSecond-quarter growth was mainly driven by

domestic demand as households and stateauthorities increased their spending and firmsboosted investment in buildings and equip-ment, the Statistics Office said. German con-sumers are benefiting from record employment,rising real wages and low borrowing costs. Stateauthorities are also spending billions of euros onaccommodating and integrating more than onemillion refugees who have arrived since the startof 2015, many from war zones in Syria and Iraq.

In addition, a growing population, increasedjob security and record-low interest rates arefuelling a construction boom in Europe’s biggesteconomy. Growth in the second quarter wasdampened, however, by net foreign trade, sinceexports rose less strongly than imports, whichthe vibrant domestic economy sucked in at ahigher rate.

“Germany’s economic success story goes onand on and on,” ING Bank analyst Carsten Brzeskisaid, adding there was very little reason to fear asudden end to the current performance.

He cautioned, however, that the main driverssupporting the domestic economy, such as ris-ing employment, rising wages and increasedgovernment spending, could lose some momen-tum in the coming quarters.

“The same holds for the export sector, where

a stronger euro, weaker-than-expected U.S.growth and Brexit uncertainty could take somewind out of the sails without bringing exports toa halt,” Brzeski said.

Europe’s engineUnadjusted data showed the economy grow-

ing by 0.8 percent on the year in the secondquarter. Easter fell in April this year while it was inMarch last year. The Statistics Office providedonly a qualitative assessment of the main growthdrivers in the second quarter. A more detailedbreakdown will be published on Aug. 25.

The data underlines the continued strengthof the German economy compared with itsEuropean peers. The French economy, the sec-ond-largest in the eurozone, grew 0.5 percent inthe second quarter, helped by stronger exports,according to preliminary data.

In Italy, the third-biggest economy in the 19-member bloc, the national central bank expectsa quarterly expansion roughly in line with thefirst quarter’s increase of 0.4 percent. Preliminarydata are due today.

The Spanish economy keeps poweringahead, however, with a growth rate of 0.9 per-cent in the April-June quarter. This was wellabove the euro zone average of 0.6 percent,according to preliminary estimates released bythe European Union’s statistics agency thismonth. Outside the eurozone, Britain’s eco-nomic output grew by 0.3 percent on the quar-ter, edging up from 0.2 percent in the firstthree months. — Reuters

Solid German growth gives Merkel election tailwind

GDP growth rate of 0.6% q/q in Q2, annual 2.1%

LONDON: Consumer price inflation in Britain unex-pectedly held steady in July at an annual rate of 2.6percent, official figures showed yesterday, in a develop-ment that may ease pressure on the Bank of Englandto raise interest rates at a time when the economy hasslowed amid uncertainty over the country’s exit fromthe European Union. The reading from the Office forNational Statistics was short of economists’ expecta-tions for 2.7 percent, largely because lower fuel costshelped offset a wide array of price increases. The newssaw the pound fall as traders priced in a lower likeli-hood of any imminent increase in rates. By midday inLondon, it was down 0.6 percent at $1.2883, while theeuro rose 0.3 percent to 0.9114 pound.

Homeowners on flexible mortgages and consumerswith increasing debt have been on guard for a possiblerise in interest rates as inflation has risen above theBank of England’s target of 2 percent. A minority ofrate-setters at the bank have in the past few monthsvoted in favor of raising the benchmark interest ratefrom the record low of 0.25 percent to keep a lid onprice increases. Higher rates could be an unappetizingprospect for an economy that’s slowed down this yearand has to steer the choppy Brexit waters ahead.Inflation in Britain has risen sharply over the past yearsince the country voted to leave the EU, a decision thatcaused a fall in the pound of about 15 percent andpushed up prices for imports like oil and food. Inflation,which hit 2.9 percent in May, was barely positive whenBritons cast their votes in the June 2016 referendum.

The rise in inflation has hurt living standards as priceincreases outstrip annual wage rises,

which are running at below 2 percent. The worry isthat consumers will either respond by further reining inspending or opt instead to pile up on credit, leavingthem more vulnerable in the event interest rates rise orif unemployment increases due to Brexit.

“While inflation has plateaued in recent months, cur-rent levels are nonetheless placing significant pressureon consumers,” said Jack Coy, economist at the Centrefor Economics and Business Research. The fact thatinflation is not rising further could prompt some cheerboth among policymakers at the central bank and con-sumers. Among rate-setters, it could strengthen thehand of those urging to not raise interest rates. — AP

KUWAIT: Zain, the leading telecommunica-tions company in Kuwait, announced thewinners of the second week draw of its lat-est “Win Cash Daily” campaign, which offerspostpaid customers a chance to win dailyand weekly cash prizes as well as a grandcash prize of KD 5,000 at the end of thecampaign.

Zain announced the winners of the KD350 daily cash prize: Ahmad Eid Almubayia,Meshal Hadi Aldhafeeri, Mohammad SalehAhmad Muhana, Sanabel AbdulkhudurAlsaleh, Faisal Kana Kunnumal, AltafRahsed Alraqum, and Emhala Mezel MeshelAl-Sarheed. The company also announcedthe winner of the KD 1000 weekly cashprize: Yousef Waleed Yousef Bourisly.

Zain launched this new campaign inpartnership with Samsung Al-Babtain aspart of its strategy to reinforce its relation-ship with its postpaid customers. The com-pany is keen on offering the biggest cam-paigns and promotions along with the lat-est technologies to its customer base, con-

sidered the largest in the country. The cam-paign runs for four weeks, where draws willbe held on a daily basis. The prizes includea daily cash prize of KD 350, a weekly cashprize of KD 1000, and a grand cash prize ofKD 5000 at the end of the campaign.Customers who subscribe to any of Zain’smain postpaid plans starting at KD 23 andchoose either a Samsung S8 or S8+ devicewill get a chance to win one of the dailyprizes, weekly prizes, or the grand prize atthe end of the campaign. In addition, cus-tomers who subscribe to the KD 40 post-paid plan and choose two Samsung S8 orS8+ devices will get TWO chances to winone of the valuable cash prizes.

Today’s announcement is a testament ofZain’s tireless efforts in rewarding its cus-tomer base, further reinforcing its leader-ship position. The campaign furtherdemonstrates Zain’s pivotal role in Kuwait’stelecom sector, sparing no effort in intro-ducing exceptional offerings for technolo-gy and smartphone enthusiasts.

KUWAIT: In its ongoing quest to informcustomers on the importance of purchas-ing genuine spare parts for safety and com-fort, Abdulmohsen Abdulaziz Al-Babtain Co(AABC), the sole authorized dealer ofNissan vehicles and spare parts in the Stateof Kuwait, has reignited its nationwidecampaign, ‘Brand Trust’. The latest cam-paign comes as part of Nissan Al-Babtain’sresponsibility towards quality assurancesafety and wellbeing of Nissan vehicleowners on the road.

The ‘Brand Trust’ campaign seeks to raiseawareness about the dangers of usingcounterfeit and fake parts, as road acci-dents are on the increase due to usage ofunreliable counterfeit spare parts whichcould lead to serious consequences.Counterfeit or fake parts may look similar inappearance, however their performanceand quality differ exponentially, placing allat high risk. The ‘Brand Trust’ campaignreflects Nissan’s keenness to guaranteevehicle longevity and durability as safety is

considered the prime factor during owner-ship period. As Nissan’s customers grow insize, the brand strengthens its commitmenttowards quality assurance and emphasizeson safety implications by exposing harmsof imitators and counterfeit products. Inline with the ‘Brand Trust’ campaign, NissanAl-Babtain has conducted regional andinternational educational seminars to safe-guard consumer safety through compre-hensive PR efforts and nationwide onlinecampaigns, in collaboration with the trafficdepartment and General Administration ofCustoms.

Nissan Al-Babtain and its parts networkor authorized dealers can provide cus-tomers with the entire range of Nissan gen-uine parts at very competitive prices.Nissan Kuwait has the largest AftersalesService and Parts Network in the State ofKuwait with 9 Service Centers and 14 Partsoutlets in key locations with easy accessi-bility to provide best in class service to allNissan owners.

LONDON/WASHINGTON: US PresidentDonald Trump is still expected to imposesteel import tariffs on national securitygrounds despite the delay of a probe intothe matter and pursuit of multilateral talksto reduce excess capacity, industry playersand trade experts say.

US steel stocks have fallen nearly 10 per-cent since Trump delayed the release of theso-called “Section 232” review of the USsteel industry last month, partly reflectingfears that his promises to protect the indus-try may not materialize. But industry ana-lysts say the falls might be overdone, andthere is reason to think that import reliefmay still happen.

“Based on (Commerce Secretary Wilbur)Ross’s recent statements and our discus-sions with trade lawyers engaged in sec-tion 232, we still expect measures that willhave a positive impact on U.S. steel prices,”said Seth Rosenfeld, a steel industry analystat Jefferies in London.

“The most likely outcome is tariff ratequotas where the level of tariff changesdependent on the volume of imports. Thisstructure serves as something of an upsidecap on steel pricing so they do not get outof control,” Rosenfeld added. Trumplaunched the probe into whether steelimports compromise US national securityin April, boosting US steel stocks, but saidin July a final decision might have to waituntil other top-priority issues areaddressed.

Ross said he would defer to Trump’s leadand also cited multi-lateral talks to reduceexcess capacity, fuelling concern in thesteel industry that the “232” review, initiallyscheduled to conclude in late June, mightbe scrapped or substantially watereddown. A Trump administration official toldReuters, however, that the steel proberemains active and “is still under the finalstages of review within the administration”.

He declined to comment on the possibletiming of its release. By law, Ross has untilmid-January 2018 to conclude his review.Trump would then have 90 days to act.

“Our hope and expectation is that therewould be action on (section 232) sooner,rather than going the full time,” said TomGibson, president of the American Iron andSteel Institute. In a sign that some market

players still anticipate a US tariff move,steel import permit applications fell 12 per-cent in July from June, making up 28 per-cent of the market, according to USCommerce Department data compiled byAISI. Trump’s planned steel restrictions aremostly aimed at persuading China, produc-er of more than half the world’s steel, to cutexcess production capacity, but directimports from China into the United Statehave already fallen dramatically due to pre-vious anti-dumping and anti-subsidy duties.

Instead, critics say broad new steelrestrictions would hit US allies such asSouth Korea, Japan, Germany and Turkeymuch harder, prompting warnings of retali-ation against unrelated US products.Diplomats also say “232” duties risk under-mining the global trading system if nation-al security becomes an accepted excuse toerect trade barriers. Trump during his elec-tion campaign promised supporters in rust-belt states such as Pennsylvania and Ohiothat he would restore steel and coal jobs.

US-based trade analysts say Trump maystill turn to steel import restrictionsbecause he can invoke them without con-gressional approval after suffering recentlegislative setbacks. “The healthcare billwent down, that’s a big loss. What is Trumpgoing to do to shore up his base? He seestough action on trade as a political winner.I think he’ll return to the matter before theend of the year,” said Gary Hufbauer, a sen-ior fellow at the Peterson Institute forInternational Economics.

The steel investigation has also beencaught up in Trump’s efforts to secureChina’s cooperation to impose sanctions onNorth Korea. Trump has promised easiertrade terms to Beijing if China helps rein inNorth Korea’s nuclear and missile testing.But on Monday, Trump was pressing aheadwith a separate trade probe into China’sintellectual property practices, a sign thatthe link between China trade and NorthKorea may be softening.

Steel users in the United States whorely on cheap steel, oppose steel importrestrictions, which they say would costjobs in their industries. The US steel sec-tor employs 147,000 people while manu-facturing and construction employs 12.8million. —Reuters

Nissan Al-Babtain’s new campaign ‘Brand Trust’ stresses on

safety through authenticity

Despite delay, US expected to impose steel tariffs

UK inflation lower than expected, easing

rate hike prospects

Zain announces second week winners of ‘Win Cash Daily’ campaign

In this June 12, 2017 file photo a passenger passes an Air Berlin counter at Tegel airport in Berlin. Struggling German carrier Air Berlin says it’sfiling for bankruptcy after its main shareholder, Abu Dhabi-based Etihad, said it would make no more financing available. — AP

Mark Carney

B U S I N E S SWEDNESDAY, AUGUST 16, 2017

NEW YORK: US stocks opened flat yesterdayafter North Korea’s leader delayed a decision onfiring missiles towards Guam, pointing to reced-ing tensions between the United States andNorth Korea.

Pyongyang’s plans to fire missiles near the USPacific territory prompted a surge in tensions inthe region last week, with President DonaldTrump saying the US military was “locked andloaded” if North Korea acted unwisely.

“I think it is a bit of a follow through on NorthKorea that has stepped back, things are back tosomewhat normal”, said Mark Spellman, portfo-lio manager at Alpine Funds in New York.

“US companies and the markets have also

been benefiting from the global economicexpansion. For the first time in many years,you’ve got a lot of economies throughout theworld doing better,” Spellman added.

At 9:42 am ET (1342 GMT), the Dow JonesIndustrial Average was up 29.01 points, or 0.13percent, at 22,022.72, the S&P 500 was up 1.17points, or 0.05 percent, at 2,467.01.

The Nasdaq Composite was up 1.12 points, or0.02 percent, at 6,341.35.

Six of the 11 major S&P sectors were lower,with telecom sector’s 0.70 percent fall leadingthe decliners. Data showed US retail salesrecorded their biggest increase in seven monthsin July as consumers boosted purchases of

motor vehicles as well as discretionary spending.The data helped the dollar touch its highest

level against a basket of major currencies innearly three weeks. Among stocks, Home Depotwas down 2.6 percent, despite the US homeimprovement chain reporting quarterly profitand comparable sales that topped estimates.The stock weighed the most on the Dow and theS&P 500.

Coach was off more than 6 percent after thehandbag maker issued full-year sales forecastthat missed analysts’ estimates. Dick’s SportingGoods hit near seven-year lows after the sports-wear retailer’s quarterly same-store sales andprofit missed estimates.

Advance Auto Parts touched near four-year low after the company lowered its2017 comparable store sales forecast.Synchrony Financial rose 3.4 percent afterWarren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway said ithad added a 17.5-million share stake in thecredit card issuer.

Dollar hits highsThe dollar rose to its highest level against

a basket of major currencies in nearly threeweeks yesterday after US retail sales datashowed the largest gain in seven months.Consumers boosted purchases of motorvehicles as well as discretionary spending,increasing the Commerce Department’sreading on sales by 0.6 percent.

The dollar rose by more than 1 percentagainst the Japanese yen, touching itshighest in more than a week and on pacefor its largest daily rise against the yensince June. The euro fell to its lowestagainst the dollar since Aug. 9. There weretwo factors that helped push the dollar toits highs, said Joe Manimbo, senior marketanalyst at Western Union BusinessSolutions in Washington D.C.

“One was that the consumer had been ano-show in recent months, and two wasjust the tailwind the dollar enjoyed beforethe data,” he said. “The specter of coolerheads prevailing on the geopolitical front is

dollar positive, particularly against safe-haven rivals.”

July’s reading showed the largest gain inthe retail sales reading since December2016 and followed June’s upwardly revised0.3 percent gain. “The number showedbroad-based strength, it beat forecastsboth on the headline and the core andwhat was also encouraging was how thenumber for June got revised from the redback into positive territory,” Manimbo said.

The dollar had earlier been supportedby an easing of tensions around NorthKorea that last week drove capital towardssafe-haven currencies. The yen and theSwiss franc had both surged as Washingtonand Pyongyang ramped up military threatsfollowing the imposition of new sanctionson North Korea through the UnitedNations.

Currency market strategists also pointedto a general recovery by the dollar after itsworst four months since 2011 against theeuro and the basket of currencies used tomeasure its strength.

The dollar index was last up 0.7 percentto 94.061. It earlier touched its highest levelsince July 26. Sterling also slumped afterUK inflation numbers came in marginallybelow forecast, pushing the poundthrough key levels against both the euroand dollar. — Reuters

Wall St opens flat as North Korea tensions fade

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 16, 2017

B U S I N E S S

KUWAIT: Warba Bank, the best bank in finan-cial services for corporate and investmentbanking services in Kuwait, revealed fruitfulcooperation with Mohamed Naser Al-Sayer &Sons EST CO.W.L.L., the exclusive agent ofToyota in Kuwait following the signature ofthe biggest deal of its kind since the Bankentry into the Kuwaiti market. The deal wassigned at Al-Sayer Group headquarters locat-ed in the free zone in the presence ofShaheen Hamad Al-Ghanem, Warba BankCEO and Mubarak Naser Al- Sayer, Al-SayerHolding Group CEO. The KD 9,702,250 milliondeal will allow Warba Bank to buy stock ofToyota - Land Cruiser. The new deal is in linewith the two partners’ prime objective toboost their successful partnership. WarbaBank total Toyota-Land Cruiser stock purchas-ing deals with Mohamed Naser Al-Sayer &Sons EST CO.W.L.L., have exceeded KD 20 mil-lion till now.

Commenting on the deal, Shaheen HamadAl-Ghanem , Warba Bank CEO said : “Today, we

are pleased to sign the biggest deal with Al-Sayer Holding Group to enhance cooperationbetween the two institutions. The previousdeals achieved profitable returns to the Bankand contributed towards strengthening autofinancing sector as Toyota Vehicles are witness-ing robust demand in Kuwait due to its relia-bility, durability and adequate options meetingcustomer needs and requirements whetherhaving limited or high income.”

Mubarak Naser Al-Sayer, Al-Sayer HoldingGroup CEO said: “We are glad to partner withWarba Bank and appreciate the efforts boosting its

footprint on Islamic banking sector for auto financ-ing solutions. Our previous cooperation with theBank witnessed great success that increases ourdesire to strengthen our relation with the ambi-tious Warba Bank that we expect will bring aboutnew era in the Islamic Banking Sector.”

Warba Bank has been on the forefront indesigning unparalleled auto financing solu-tions; the Bank has recently launched a seriesof promotions on several car models, underthe slogan “Installment at cash price” withoutany profits, which continue to witness a hugetraffic amongst customers and non-customers.

These offers were carefully designed to cater tocustomers’ needs to own their dream carsaccording to a convenient financing schememost appropriate for different incomes provid-

ed by Warba Bank. Nowadays, Warba Bank isrecognized as the most trusted financialIslamic institution and the customers’ firstchoice to have flexible credit facilities.

Warba Bank, Mohamed Naser Al-Sayer

& Sons sign the biggest Toyota deal

Successful partnership exceeds expectations

Deal signing ceremony

Al-Sayer Group CEO Mubarak Naser Al-Sayer

Warba Bank CEO Shaheen Al-Ghanem

Partnership agreement between Al-Sayer and Warba Bank. Warba and Al-Sayer team members.

KUWAIT: VIVA, Kuwait’s fastest-growing and most developedtelecom operator, launched thegroundbreaking draw campaign“Vanity Number Challenge” for 90days, from 19 July unti l 16October, 2017.

With a grand prize premiumnumber 56565656 wor th KD40,000, this new interactive serv-ice allows customers to win viadraw valuable prizes including 10gold coins weekly and iPhone7gold with gold SIM card monthly,throughout the whole campaign.

This campaign is the second ina row that VIVA shares with its cus-tomers. First one received signifi-cant feedback and the big prizewas premium number 56666665.

Customers can subscribe bysending “ WIN” to 52600 andanswering the questions, with a

free trial day and enjoy the dailyinfotainment content.

VIVA is the fastest-growing

telecom operator in Kuwait .Launched in December 2008, VIVAmakes things Possible for its cus-

tomers by transforming communi-cation, information and entertain-ment experiences. The companyhas rapidly established an unri-val led posit ion in the marketthrough its customer centricapproach. VIVA’s quest is to be themobile brand of choice in Kuwaitby being transparent, engaging,energetic and fulfilling. VIVA con-tinues to take a considerableshare of the market by offering aninnovative range of best valueproducts, services and contentpropositions; a state of the art,nationwide network and world-class service. VIVA offers internetspeeds of more than 100 Mbps,due to the implementation of themost advanced fourth generation(4G LTE) network in Kuwait result-ing in superior coverage, perform-ance and reliability.

VIVA launches ‘Vanity Number

Challenge’ with valuable prizes

Premium number 56565656 worth KD 40K

KUWAIT: Joyalukkas, the world’s favouritejeweller, has signed up one of the mostsuccessful and admired actresses in Indiancinema as the brand’s ambassador.

“Kajol is a perfect fit for Joyalukkas,”said Joy Alukkas, Chairman and ManagingDirector of Joyalukkas Group. “She is oneof the most iconic beauties in the industryand is an unconventional actress whoshines in the most challenging roles, yetshe is vibrant & her down to earth person-ality well loved by her legion of fans. Allthese qualities resonate with our brand.We are very happy to have her as the faceof Joyalukkas for years to come.”

Kajol Devgan is a multi-award-winningactor, holding the record for the mostnumber of Filmfare Best Actress Awards.She is known for her versatility and out-standing performances. She is signed upto be the Joyalukkas Brand Ambassadorwith the brand’s extensive expansionplans which include entering new territo-ries with the aim to “ornament the world.”

“ I have been an admirer of theJoyalukkas brand for some time now.Joy Alukkas’s success story is also veryinspiring, I am very excited to be part ofthe world’s favorite jeweller’s family.” says

Kajol Devgan. Joyalukkas is a global jew-ellery retail chain with over 140 show-rooms across 12 countries, India, UAE,UK, USA, Canada, Singapore, Malaysia,Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain &Kuwait. A massive advertising campaignfeaturing Kajol Devgan is currently inproduction and expected to rol l outacross the Group’s network in the lastquarter of the year.

“It is a privilege to work with someonewho has the same values and passion forexcellence as all of us at Joyalukkas,” saysJohn Paul Alukkas, Executive Director ofJoyalukkas Group. “We are delighted towelcome Kajol as our newest brandambassador and look forward to a fruitfuland lasting relationship with her.”

Joyalukkas Group operates its variousbusiness operations across India, UAE, UK,USA, Canada, Singapore, Malaysia, Oman,Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain & Kuwait. TheGroup’s businesses include jewellery,money exchange, fashion & textiles, luxuryair charters, malls and realty. Joyalukkasemploys over 8,000 professionals acrossthe world, and is one of the most awardedand recognized jewellery retail chains inthe world.

Joyalukkas signs Bollywood

actress Kajol Devgan

as brand ambassador

KUWAIT: Al-Ahli Bank of Kuwait (ABK) is offering its cus-tomers the ABK ‘Freedom Prepaid Card’ free of chargeon the occasion of Hajj and will cancel card issuancefees for each customer and donate the same amount toKuwait Red Crescent Society.

The ABK Freedom prepaid card is a multi-currencycash passport solution for frequent travelers, whichoffers security, convenience and total freedom. Thecard includes 10 currencies namely: The Kuwaiti dinar,US dollar, British pound, euro, Emirati dirham, Bahrainidinar, Qatari riyal, Swiss francs, the Canadian dollar andthe Saudi riyal; an important currency to consider with

the nearing of Hajj season. The card is free of chargeuntil 30 September, and can be requested at any ABKbranch. ABK customers and non-customers from age 18and above are eligible to apply.

One of the major benefits of the ABK Freedom pre-paid card is that it locks in exchange rates to protectagainst any future fluctuation rates. Users of the ABKFreedom Prepaid Card can enjoy a variety of offers andpromotions from MasterCard, free travel insurance ofup to $250,000, purchase and fraud protection and lastbut not least, 24/7 access to the account with the Bank’ssimple, fast and secure e-banking channels.

ABK offers ‘Freedom Prepaid Card’

free of charge on occasion of Hajj

DUBAI: According to market reports,the home appliances and home enter-tainment market is currently undergo-ing a significant change where con-sumers are starting to shift from tradi-tional products towards more intuitive,elegant and appealing products. Theincrease in purchasing power andimproving lifestyles are fostering thedemand for smart home appliancesaround the world, especially across theGCC, where the residents embrace apremium standard of living making it away of life for many.

Luxury lifestyle across the GCC hasbeen a fast-paced journey, fuelling theevolution of luxury and retail across theregion, according to some market ana-lysts. LG Electronics has long been a keydriver and an active participant in thisphase of evolution with innovation, ana-lytics-driven application and insights toits appliances and technology to pro-duce a unified consumer experiencethat is as intuitive as it is effortless.

Keeping up the legacy of innova-tion, is the birth of a new brand andLG’s first ultra-premium brand with anew art of essence for the most dis-cerning consumers in the region - theLG SIGNATURE.

LG SIGNATURE brand has been gain-

ing recognition across the globe fromcosmopolitan consumers since its suc-cessful debut.

By combining LG’s most forward-thinking innovations, LG SIGNATURErepresents the pinnacle of design, per-formance and usability in home appli-ances. LG SIGNATURE was developedunder the full support of the company’svision through continuous efforts tounderstand the needs of the consumerswho want the very best out of life.

LG SIGNATURE is all set to open upnew opportunities for the luxury seg-ment of the electronics industry thatcaters to the premium consumers ofthe region.

Commenting on LG Electronics plansfor a stronger foothold in the premiummarket segment, Kevin Cha, President,LG Electronics, Middle East & Africa, said,“With strong ambitions for the region,GCC has always been active in taking aprominent role on the world stage. Theresilient dynamics of the region are allset to accentuate the luxury goods seg-ment and the region has all the attrib-utes to be well-known for not only luxu-ry consumption but also luxury creation.With the GCC consumers being not onlypassionate about luxury but also beingdemanding and assertive, our latest LG

SIGNATURE products is created with astriking design that is practical and visu-ally appealing to communicate elite sta-tus while opening the doors to a newera in home appliance and home enter-tainment segment.”

The LG SIGNATURE products exempli-fy LG’s commitment to creating stylish,sophisticated products that seamlesslyblend in to any setting while performingat the highest levels. LG’s innovativedesigns and products have alwaysraised the bar across the appliancesindustry by seamlessly combining thelatest in efficiency-boosting technologywith stylish elements that create a posi-

tive first impression. With a stylish touchthat allows the collection to blendseamlessly into any environment, thispremium collection signals a shift in therole of technology in everyday life.Conceptualized to exude a sense of ele-gance and sophistication, the LG SIGNA-TURE products were not just designedwith the most exquisite materials thatare aesthetically beautiful to touch andfeel, but engineered with the mostadvanced technological systems thatheighten performance whilst enhancingoverall experience.

Within the GCC, studies have shownthat consumers are using luxury as a

way to express themselves, they aresearching for unique pieces in the rangeof well-known brands and they aremore receptive towards less knowndesigns.

LG SIGNATURE products highlightsthe true extent of LG’s innovation lead-ership and the company’s passion forconsumer-centric insights that drive theevolution of life. Leading experts havecarefully created the exquisite productsby undergoing a strict in-depth evalua-tion process to make every product feellike an extension of every individual inorder to help them create some excep-tional experiences.

“The rise in demand for luxury goodsis a standard that LG can foresee acrossthe region,” added Mr Cha. “It is the righttime to invest in a new category forhome entertainment and home appli-ances especially since more and morepeople within the GCC are beginning toadapt and embrace newer technologyfor productivity, efficiency and premiumlifestyle.” The official launch of the LGSIGNATURE products will take place on22 August 2017 and the products will beavailable for purchase at the LG brandstore and leading electronics and homeappliance dealers across the GCC.

GCC’s premium home appliance market to thrive with LG signature

t e c h n o l o g yWEDNESDAY, AUGUST 16, 2017

SHANGHAI: Facebook’s sneaky launch of a pho-to-sharing app in China, where its social networkis banned, gives it a small taste of the massivemarket’s potential, but it may have to settle forjust that for now.

The US tech giant acknowledged last weekthat it was behind the Colorful Balloons applica-tion, which is similar to its Moments app butomits any mention of Facebook’s brand name.

Facebook has strived to breach the “GreatFirewall” — which tightly controls China’s inter-net content — ever since its flagship socialmedia platform was banned by Beijing in 2009.

Facebook chief executive and co-founderMark Zuckerberg has made high-profile visits toChina and met with political leaders. He is evenstudying Mandarin.

“We have long said that we are interested inChina, and are spending time understandingand learning more about the country in differentways,” a Facebook representative said last weekafter the app’s origin was revealed by The NewYork Times. But analysts voiced doubts thatFacebook will fully enter the Chinese market anytime soon, and the app has had a humble begin-ning since it emerged in May.

According to San Francisco firm App Annie,Colorful Balloons ranked 46th in the photo andvideo category for iPhone apps in China and alowly 758th among all apps.

“Facebook threw a curve ball in getting inside

the China market. It may not be effective, but itis certainly a nice try,” said Zhang Yi, head ofmobile-internet consultancy iiMedia ResearchGroup. “But it will be difficult for Facebook toenter the Chinese market as a whole because itis unlikely China will change its policies and lawsany time soon.”

The app has icons and features similar toFacebook’s Moments application. Chinese usersmust register with a local mobile number andthe app will sort through the images stored ontheir phones based on dates.

The app is not linked to Facebook accounts,so users can’t post pictures to their Facebookpages or view content from Facebook throughthe app. “If the app can’t cross the Firewall and(can) only be used in China, what’s the use of it,”one person commented on China’s Twitter-likeWeibo social media network.

Shanghai subsidiary talk Colorful Balloons was released in May by a

company called Youge, according to Apple’s AppStore and one of the Android app stores.

A company named Youge Linking InternetTechnology was registered in Beijing in March,with a capital of one million yuan ($150,000),according to the National Enterprise CreditInformation Publicity System.

While the app is not mentioned in the systemit says the firm’s business covers internet infor-

mation service and software development.Shortly after the company was registered,

Facebook’s China representative Wang-Li Moserhad a meeting with Shanghai’s commerce com-mission director Shang Yuying in May to talkabout setting up a Facebook subsidiary in thecity, according to the commission’s website.

Facebook is among the several global inter-net giants that are blocked in China, whosesecurity services closely monitor the web forsensitive content within the Great Firewall.

The government has implemented newcybersecurity measures this year to furtherpolice the internet.

Too big to pass up “China is not banning Facebook the compa-

ny. Only its social networking platform is notallowed,” said Fu Liang, an independent technol-ogy analyst based in Beijing.

“As long as this app does not go where itshouldn’t and stays as an innocent photo shar-ing app, China’s regulators won’t give it a hardtime,” said Fu. Zhang Yi of iiMedia said Facebookcould afford to try out an app that is limited toChina’s huge market and not available elsewherein the world. “China is too big a market forFacebook to pass up,” Zhang said. “And I think itis worth it to put down some chips in the gamenow, as long as it does not affect the operationof the parent company itself.” —AFP

DUBAI: Change, even one for the better,comes with risk. Migrating to a ColocationData Center - or any new Data Center- shouldbe accompanied by careful supervision and awell devised and executed strategy. Data andIT functionality are a critical element of anymodern enterprise. While adopting a newData Center strategy holds the promise ofefficiency and leaner ongoing costs, the tran-sition can also result in negative disruptiveoutcomes - if it is enacted badly.

Migrating a Data Center can be a formida-ble task at the best of times. While its advan-tages may be readily apparent as a strategy,the transition itself needs to be conductedwith due process and proper planning. DataCenters, especially ones that are optimized tothe requirements of the business they serve,are a central pillar of functional efficiency.However, most legacy Data Centers are sub-optimal in one way or another. The fact of thematter is that, as the role of Data driven busi-ness processes evolves rapidly, most legacyData Centers are found wanting in eithercapacity, computational power or other limi-tations on throughput.

Elements of best practices in data center migration

A task as complex and multifaceted, asData Center migration, requires a compre-hensive and detailed plan for successful exe-cution. A rollout of any new IT technology orapproach is fraught with unexpected out-comes. As a rule, IT professionals expect someunforeseen elements to any such change.This is especially true for a restructuring asfundamental as a Data Center migration. It is,therefore, of the utmost importance that agood transition plan is devised and adheredto. Some essential elements and best prac-tices, that can help mitigate the possibledownside to Data Center migration, are:

● Inventory of resources and analysis ofexisting system: It is important that the lega-cy system being replaced is thoroughlyassessed and tabulated. Several layers of

technology - both hardware and software -are likely to be components in an existing sys-tem. Their interplay and codependence is acomplex system that should be understoodand accounted for prior to any migration.

● Creating a Strategy for the Migration:Different enterprises have different functionalpriorities. A careful and detailed strategy notonly reduces the chance of a nasty surprise, italso helps to identify the basic elements thatthe new system needs to address as a priority,so that the least amount of disruption is expe-rienced and the migration can be measuredagainst expectations on an ongoing basis.

● Identify risks and have a risk manage-ment plan: Nearly any modern-day IT infra-structure is complex. Identifying likelysources of risk and making sure to createstrategies to minimize and mitigate them isessential to any Data Center Migration. Whileit is likely to prove very difficult to identifyevery vulnerability, the process of listing likelyrisks does help in focusing the migrationstrategy.

DUBAI: LG Electronics (LG) will incorpo-rate an F1.6 aperture camera and glasslens in the dual camera of its upcomingV30 flagship smartphone, introducingindustry-leading innovations that bring anew level of photographic innovation tothe mobile industry.

Excellence in smartphone cameras haslong been a core competency of LG’smobile devices and the dual cameramodule in the upcoming LG V30willinclude the world’s largest aperture andclearest lens ever to be featured in asmartphone. LG’s first F1.6 lens is also thelargest aperture among existing smart-phone cameras, delivering 25 percentmore light to the sensor compared to anF1.8 lens. The glass Crystal Clear Lens alsodelivers greater light-collecting abilitythan a plastic lens as well as better colorreproduction. This makes the V30 partic-ularly well suited for photography andvideography.

“LG boasts an unrivaled heritage insmartphone photography and our deci-

sion to adopt glass in the V30 camera isspecifically because this has traditionallybeen the realm of DSLRs,” said Juno Cho,president of LG Electronics MobileCommunications Company. “For the usersfor whom the V series was designed, thiskind of innovation is significant.”

In all areas, the camera in the LG V30 issuperior to the camera of its predecessor,let alone other smartphones. The camerain the V30cutsedge distortion by a thirdcompared to the V20 when capturingwide angle shots, making it ideal forgroup wefies, spacious interiors andexpansive landscapes.

Even with all these improvements, therear camera module of the LG V30 stillmanages to remain svelte,30 percentsmaller in size compared totheV20.Paired with LG’s specialized UXfeaturing laser detection AF, opticalimage stabilization and electronic imagestabilization, shutterbugs will find theV30 as easy and convenient to use as itspredecessor.

Setting your data center migration strategy

Sachin Bhardwaj

Facebook samples China’s potential with sneaky app

LGV30 to elevate smartphone camera to new heights

DUBAI: Technology has taken greatstrides over the last ten years. One ofits most notable innovations is artifi-cial intelligence - the ability for com-puter systems and machines to per-form tasks normally requiring humanintelligence. The invention of AI hasprovided us the potential to extendour capabilities, empowering us all toachieve more.

The concept of AI is not new. Overthe past few years, different tech com-panies have introduced their ownforms of proprietary AI tools. Chinesetech giant, Huawei, is rumored to benext on the list to introduce its own AItechnology. Richard Yu, HuaweiConsumer Business Group CEO, isexpected to reveal the AI based assis-tant of Huawei during his keynotespeech at IFA, taking place in Berlin inSeptember this year. But, will Huaweibe just another smartphone manufac-turer to include AI based voiced assis-tants to its devices?

Recent teasers imply that the com-pany is working on taking a majorstep forward in the realm of AI, goingbeyond just being a voice assistant.According to the brand, it wants tofocus on what AI means to people -“what it does, where it lives and how it

enhances your life.”Speculation is rifethat Huawei will soon be introducinga Huawei AI Chip, with reports indicat-ing that this announcement could bemade alongside the launch of thecompany’s all-new processor, the Kirin970. Could this be the beginning of amove from the information revolutionto the intelligence revolution?

As a leading technology compa-ny, Huawei is also one of the topspending companies in research anddevelopment capabilities, investinga significant amount of its annualsales revenue to research and devel-opment efforts, and has established16 research centers around theworld.In 2016, Huawei continued toinvest in the future, with the compa-ny’s annual spending on researchand development reaching CNY76.4billion (US$11 billion).

Huawei recently announced its2017 first half year business results,reporting strong growth with salesrevenues for the first six months of2017 increasing by 36.2% year-on-year to CNY105.4 billion. Accordingto industry analysts IDC, Huawei’smarket share rose to 9.8 percent ofthe global smartphone market in Q12017, a growth contributed to in

large part by its consumer electron-ics division. The introduction of anAI Chip could help boost the compa-ny’s promising performance in thecoming years. Whether or not AI is

just a voice assistant remains to beseen. All eyes are on Huawei as thecompany gears up for its expectedannouncement at IFA, driving the new‘smart era’ forward.

AI: What does it mean to you?More than just a voice assistant

VERTOU: This file photo taken on December 28, 2016 shows logos of US online social media and social networking service Facebook in Vertou,western France. — AFP

H E A LT H & S C I E NC EWEDNESDAY, AUGUST 16, 2017

By Abdellatif Sharaa

KUWAIT: I was privileged to visit a dedi-cated pharmaceuticals company thatplays a vital role in the society as it pro-vides genuine and quality products.Novo Nordisk came into existence about90 years ago. The idea came out of thelove a husband has for his beloved wifeas he sought ways to make - and admin-ister insulin so that his wife would live anormal life.

Novo Nordisk has become a globalhealthcare company that has been focus-ing on innovation and leadership in dia-betes care. The President & CEO LarsFruergaard Jorgensen said “the heritagehas given us experience and capabilitiesthat also enable us to help people defeatother serious chronic conditions: such ashaemophilia, growth disorders and obe-sity. Novo Nordisk products are marketedin 165 countries. The company hasresearch and development centers inChina, Denmark, UK and US.

Novo Nordisk employs over 42,000

staff, and supplies half of the world’sinsulin. Over 28,000,000 individuals useNovo products. Along with other col-leagues, we toured the Novo Nordiskfacilities in Kalundborg, Denmark.Besides being a leading research andinnovative company, Novo Nordisk isenvironmentally responsible as it gearstowards renewable energy. Officialsthere are working on “ensuring that onecompany’s waste is another company’sraw material.”

Diabetes, which affects more than 415million people around the world today, isexpected to hit 642 million by 2040. It isestimated that 86,000 children developType 1 diabetes every year, while 90% ofpeople with diabetes have Type 2. It isnoted that 70% of Type 2 diabetes casescan be prevented by adopting healthierlifestyles.

“The idea behind (Saxenda) came afterthe introduction of Victoza. When clinicalstudies were being made on Victoza priorto launching it, we realized a big sideeffect which is weight loss. This was

something strange at the time becauseour experience was with insulin whichcreates weight gain. So almost every drugat the time which reduces HbAIC oughtto increase weight”, Executive VicePresident, International OperationsMaziar Mike Doustdar explained.

“Victoza acted otherwise - and actual-ly to the level where we went into thenotion that this would be a good drugfor even non-diabetic patients. Manypeople were prescribing if off label, so itwas necessary to create the right dosefor obese people. Sexenda will most like-ly be launched next year, and it is some-thing we’ve been waiting for a long time.I see the whole Gulf region as a hugepotential,” he added.

Doustdar said that one does notneed to ask a research company to carryout a market research on obesity. “Thereare many people who are suffering fromobesity, and if you can support themearly enough, hopefully the progressionof Type 2 diabetes will be reduced,which is our ultimate goal. We know

that obesity has to do (besides somegenetics) with some simple calculationof caloric intake and output, and if theintake is more than the output, thenone becomes obese,” he said. He saidthat Novo Nordisk has a product calledSemaglutide, which is taken once(weekly). It is a glucagon-like peptide -1(GLP-1) that is used in the treatment oftype 2 diabetes. For now, it is in aninjectable form.

Responding to a question about dia-betes awareness program - in Kuwait, hesaid that there are 15 health personnelin Kuwait. He said that there are 400,000patients with diabetes according to IDF;300,000 of them are diagnosed whichmeans that the awareness and the diag-nostics are more advanced now. That isreally good, but in terms of those400,000, there are only 50,000 who areliving a normal life. “We need to putmore emphasis on making sure theyhave the best medicine, and I am veryhappy with Trisba, which was recentlylaunched,” he added.

Novo Nordisk provides genuine, quality products

W H AT ’ S ONWEDNESDAY, AUGUST 16, 2017

Elite Kuwait Company becomes

exclusive agent to Mad wave

The Elite Kuwait Company is now the exclusive agent of the Russian Company Mad Wave Ltd products, which wasestablished in 2003. Mad Wave Ltd is one of the major pioneering companies in the file of swimming accessories.Elite Kuwait CEO Mushari Rzouqi said Mad Wave will also be the official sponsor of Elite Swim Team Kuwait.

Jumeirah Messilah Beach Hotel &Spa, Kuwait’s idyllic resort, hasannounced the appointment of

Savino Leone as the hotel’s new GeneralManager. Savino Leone, a Frenchnational, joins the Jumeirah Group afterhis position as General Manager ofInterContinental Osaka, in Japan. Priorto this, he worked as the GeneralManager of Crowne Plaza Doha - TheBusiness Park, Qatar, for four yearswhere he led the pre-opening team.

With a focus on exceeding guestexpectations and instilling a Cultureof Service Excellence, Leone’s expert-ise of over 20 years in the luxury hos-pitality spans Asia, Europe, MiddleEast, and Africa. Leone held the role ofseveral senior management positionsin InterContinental properties, such asResident Manager of InterContinentalDoha, Executive Assistant of Food &

Beverage in Cairo, as well Food &Beverage Manager in London andAssistant Food & Beverage Manager inDubai. His passion for local knowl-edge and different cultures hashelped him achieve recognition forsupporting diversity and his empow-ering approach to leading, educating,inspiring, and engaging his team.

In his new role, Leone, who speaksfluent French, English, and Italian, willbe responsible for running theJumeirah Messilah Beach Hotel & Spawhich offers 316 rooms & suites, 79residential suites, Royal Suite, 12 pri-vate luxurious villas, Talise Spa, and 7unique restaurants. The luxury resortis situated in the secluded area ofMessilah along the shores of theArabian Gulf, with easy access toKuwait’s Central Business District, air-port, and major attractions.

Jumeirah Messilah Beach Hotel

& Spa appoints new GM

With the great success of theJuly tournament, X-cite byAlghanim Electronics,

Kuwait’s largest electronic retailer,prepares to host the August edition ofits monthly Gaming Tournament,where gamers compete for a chanceto win prizes worth $15,000.

The first Tekken 7 Tournament washeld on July 20 and 21, and receivedgreat turnout from gamers and sup-porters, gathering 128 participantsand over 400 supporters. Winners’prizes included the 225-gram solidgold PS4, PS4 20th AnniversaryLimited Edition, the PS4 Gold andSilver Limited Edition. Spectators alsoreceived prizes, consisting of PS4games like Horizon: Zero Dawn,Uncharted Collection, Call of Duty:Infinite Warfare and Steep.

The Tournament comes as part ofX-cite’s commitment to engage withcustomers and create bonds in com-mon activities and hobbies. WithTekken 7gaining worldwide populari-ty and bringing gamers together, X-cite has created a fun and safe envi-ronment to hold these tournamentsin Kuwait and allow local gamers toplay, network and leave with greatmemories. Gamers can visit X-cite’sInstagram account @XciteAlghanim toregister for upcoming tournamentsevery month.

To stay updated on the latestevents, product launches, monthlypromotions and offers, customers areinvited to subscribe to the dailynewsletter on xcite.com, follow X-cite’s social media channels onInstagram, Twitter and Snapchat,

@xcitealghanim, or Facebook,XcitebyAlghanim, or visit their onlinestore www.xcite.com.

X-cite by Alghanim Electronics has19showrooms spread across Kuwait,while it also offers the comfort ofshopping from home with X-cite’sfree-to-download app as well as thebrand’s official websitewww.xcite.com. Customers can alsoenjoy many of X-cite’s convenientservices including Easy Credit, shop-ping at any of X-cite’s select storesthat are open 24/7, extended andaccidental warranty programs; inaddition to the free delivery andinstallation services. X-cite also pro-vides its customers with a full-fledgedservice center that operates six days aweek, and a professional field techni-cian team.

X-cite gathers Kuwait’s gamers

in famed Tekken 7 Tournament

IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group), one of the world’sleading hotel companies, has announced its “Aon GlobalBest Employer” accreditation by Aon Hewitt. The

acclaimed accolade comes in the company’s first year of par-ticipation in the global survey and is complemented bycountry-level accreditation in 46 out of the 64countries assessed by the professional servicesfirm, representing 97 percent of its workforce.

The accreditation is part of the “Aon BestEmployers” program which evaluates anemployer’s effectiveness in creating a work-place environment that engages and enablesits people to deliver competitive advantage.Assessment is done from survey data collecteddirectly from colleagues based on four indices:Engagement, Leadership, PerformanceCulture and Employer Brand. IHG participatedin the global survey for the first time this year,contributing more than 126,000 responsesfrom colleagues around the world. The surveyresults were then benchmarked amongst theindustry by Aon Hewitt to determine whetherit qualifies for the “Aon Best Employer” accreditation.

Deborah Woollard, Vice President, Human Resources, Asia,Middle East and Africa, IHG, said: “At IHG we always say ourbrands represent our promises to our guests, but it is ourpeople who deliver on those promises. And we are absolute-ly committed to helping our colleagues grow into their fullpotential. It is this commitment that has earned us the trust

and loyalty of our people and being named “Aon Global BestEmployer” in the industry is a huge testament to that.Achieving the “Aon Best Employer” status in so many coun-ties in which we operate in our first year of participation isalso a great achievement and we will continue to invest in

our people and towards building a great work-place culture across both our corporate officesand our hotels.”

IHG places strong emphasis on growing,developing, and retaining its people by creat-ing an inclusive culture where people areencouraged to be true to themselves. Inrecent years, the company launched indus-try-leading programs to help colleaguesgrow in their roles and develop personallyand professionally.

These include the IHG Future Leaders pro-gram where young individuals with potentialto be leaders are trained to lead a function inthe hotel within two years; and the GM Expressprogram which focuses on accelerating thedevelopment of individuals with potential to

be a General Manager of a Holiday Inn Express hotel within18 months. Amongst the 46 countries IHG achieved country-level accreditation in, more than half sit in the company’sAsia, Middle East and Africa region. In the Middle East, IHGwas named “Best Employer” in 8 countries including Kuwait,UAE, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan andLebanon.

IHG achieves ‘2017 Aon Global

Best Employer’ accreditation

Since its inception in 1966; theSheraton Kuwait, a LuxuryCollection Hotel has been offering

everything innovative and seeks to satis-fy the desires of all guests with their dif-ferent tastes by providing the higheststandards of service and culinary experi-ence for its trustworthy people ofKuwait.

Since the opening of the SheratonKuwait restaurants at the famousAvenues mall and being the distinctivelocation that gives the atmosphere of joyto spend the most beautiful times, theculinary team provide distinguishedservices starting from Al-Hambra restau-rant which offers a new concept throughthe various dishes of the Kuwaiti -Middle Eastern cuisine inspired by the

heritage of Al-Hambra Palace in Spainand a tribute to the generosity of Kuwaitand the taste of its people. Le TarboucheRestaurant, with its originality and tradi-tional title, provides the spirit ofLebanese cuisine through the tastiestcold Mezza, Hot Mezzaanda variety ofdelicious grills.

For the Indian food fans, our visitorscan enjoy Bukhara Restaurant, with itscharming designs and typical condi-ments. The Persian restaurant Shahrayarprovides you the utmost experience oftraditional Iranian cuisine with thefamous Iranian mix grills. For more tran-quility, the English Tea Lounge is the ide-al place beside many luxurious brandswhich provided instinctive English Teaand scones.

Indigenous atmosphere at Sheraton

Restaurants in the Avenues

Deborah Woollard

T V PR O G R A M SWEDNESDAY, AUGUST 16, 2017

00:45 Treehouse Masters01:40 Preposterous Pets02:35 Gator Boys03:25 Project Grizzly04:15 Guardians Of Rescue05:02 Mutant Planet05:49 Untamed & Uncut06:36 Swamp Brothers07:25 Gator Boys08:15 Treehouse Masters09:10 Preposterous Pets10:05 Mutant Planet11:00 Gator Boys11:55 Project Grizzly12:50 Guardians Of Rescue13:45 Preposterous Pets14:40 Mutant Planet15:35 Untamed & Uncut16:30 Treehouse Masters17:25 The Bronx Zoo18:20 Insane Pools: Off The DeepEnd19:15 Preposterous Pets20:10 Gator Boys21:05 The Bronx Zoo22:00 Insane Pools: Off The DeepEnd22:55 Mutant Planet23:50 Untamed & Uncut

00:00 The Jail Atlanta: 60 Days In01:00 Babies Behind Bars02:00 When Life Means Life03:00 Evil Up Close04:00 The Jail Atlanta: 60 Days In05:00 Babies Behind Bars06:00 It Takes A Killer08:00 The First 4809:00 Homicide Hunter10:00 Crimes That Shook Britain11:00 Crimes That Shook Britain12:00 Crimes That Shook Britain14:00 The First 4815:00 Cold Case Files16:00 Crimes That Shook Britain17:00 Crimes That Shook Australia18:00 It Takes A Killer18:30 It Takes A Killer19:00 The First 4820:00 Homicide Hunter21:00 Cold Case Files22:00 My Haunted House23:00 Psychic Kids: Children OfThe Paranormal

00:30 Lost & Found With Mike &Jesse01:20 Driving Me Crazy02:10 Worldʼs Funniest03:00 Finding Bigfoot03:50 Guinness World RecordsSmashed UK04:40 How Itʼs Made05:30 Lost & Found With Mike &Jesse06:20 Mythbusters07:00 Kenny The Shark07:25 Adventure 8: Zoo Games07:50 Dogs/Cats/Pets 10108:40 How Itʼs Made09:30 What Could Possibly GoWrong?10:20 Mythbusters11:10 Dogs/Cats/Pets 10112:00 Finding Bigfoot12:50 How Itʼs Made13:40 Lost & Found With Mike &Jesse14:30 Kenny The Shark14:55 Adventure 8: Zoo Games15:20 Guinness World RecordsSmashed UK16:10 What Could Possibly GoWrong?17:00 Worldʼs ToughestExpeditions With James Cracknell17:50 Zoltan The Wolfman18:40 Mythbusters19:30 How Itʼs Made19:55 How Itʼs Made20:20 Guinness World RecordsSmashed UK21:10 Worldʼs ToughestExpeditions With James Cracknell22:00 Animal Nation With AnthonyAnderson

00:30 Vanity Fair Confidential01:20 Jonben?t: An AmericanMurder Mystery02:10 Your Worst Nightmare03:00 Evil Lives Here03:48 Deadly Affairs04:36 Deadly Affairs07:00 Nowhere To Hide10:20 The Locator10:45 The Locator11:10 Missing In Maui: ADisappeared Special12:00 Deadly Affairs15:20 The Locator15:45 The Locator16:10 Women In Prison17:00 Betrayed20:20 Deadline: Crime With TamronHall21:10 Evil Online22:00 Evil Online22:50 Murder Comes To Town23:40 Your Worst Nightmare

00:20 Wheeler Dealers01:05 Kings Of The Wild01:50 Treasure Quest: SnakeIsland02:35 Legend Of Croc Gold03:20 Fast Nʼ Loud04:05 Running Wild With BearGrylls04:50 Gold Rush05:35 How Do They Do It?06:00 Deadliest Catch06:45 Wheeler Dealers07:30 Fast Nʼ Loud08:15 Running Wild With BearGrylls09:00 Storage Hunters09:25 How Do They Do It?10:10 Kings Of The Wild10:55 Treasure Quest: SnakeIsland11:40 Legend Of Croc Gold12:25 How Do They Do It?12:47 Storage Hunters13:10 Gold Rush13:55 Running Wild With BearGrylls14:40 Deadliest Catch15:25 Fast Nʼ Loud16:10 Wheeler Dealers17:00 How Do They Do It?17:50 Storage Hunters18:50 Running Wild With BearGrylls19:40 How Do They Do It?21:00 Blowing Up History21:50 Strip The City22:40 Made By Destruction23:05 Made By Destruction23:30 Fast Nʼ Loud

06:00 Milo Murphyʼs Law06:25 Supa Strikas06:50 Mech-X407:15 Right Now Kapow07:40 Gravity Falls08:05 Marvelʼs Ant-Man08:10 K.C. Undercover08:35 Milo Murphyʼs Law09:00 Star vs The Forces Of Evil09:25 Supa Strikas09:50 Supa Strikas10:20 Kickinʼ It10:45 Kickinʼ It11:10 Mighty Med11:35 Mighty Med12:00 Lab Rats: Bionic Island12:30 Lab Rats: Bionic Island12:55 K.C. Undercover13:20 K.C. Undercover13:45 Gamerʼs Guide To PrettyMuch Everything14:10 Disney Mickey Mouse

00:00 Donʼt Tell The Bride01:00 Emmerdale01:30 Coronation Street02:00 Coronation Street02:30 Masterpiece With AlanTitchmarsh03:25 Martin Clunes & A LionCalled Mugie04:20 Doc Martin05:15 Couples Come Dine With Me06:05 Donʼt Tell The Bride07:05 Masterpiece With AlanTitchmarsh08:00 Martin Clunes & A LionCalled Mugie09:00 Doc Martin10:00 Couples Come Dine With Me10:50 Donʼt Tell The Bride11:50 Masterpiece With AlanTitchmarsh12:45 Emmerdale13:15 Emmerdale13:45 Coronation Street14:10 Donʼt Tell The Bride15:10 Masterpiece With AlanTitchmarsh16:00 This Is England ʻ9017:20 Catchphrase17:50 Couples Come Dine With Me18:45 Emmerdale19:15 Emmerdale19:45 Coronation Street20:10 Masterpiece With AlanTitchmarsh21:00 This Is England ʻ9022:20 Catchphrase22:50 Emmerdale

00:20 Mountain Men01:10 Alone: Lost And Found02:00 Swamp People02:50 Storage Wars03:15 American Pickers04:05 Pawn Stars04:30 Pawn Stars05:00 Mountain Men06:00 Lost In Transmission06:50 Duck Dynasty07:15 Duck Dynasty07:40 Counting Cars08:05 Counting Cars08:30 Pawn Stars08:55 Pawn Stars09:20 Storage Wars Miami09:45 Storage Wars Miami10:10 American Pickers11:00 Gold Hunters: Legend OfThe Superstition...11:50 Duck Dynasty12:15 Duck Dynasty12:40 Counting Cars13:05 Counting Cars13:30 Ice Road Truckers14:20 Mountain Men15:10 Lost In Transmission16:00 Storage Wars Miami16:25 Storage Wars Miami16:50 Pawn Stars17:15 Pawn Stars17:40 Mountain Men18:30 Swamp People19:20 Mountain Men20:10 American Pickers21:00 Counting Cars21:25 Counting Cars21:50 Forged In Fire22:40 Forged In Fire23:30 American Pickers

00:02 Max & Ruby00:25 Ben & Hollyʼs Little Kingdom00:36 Ben & Hollyʼs Little Kingdom00:46 The Day Henry Met00:51 The Day Henry Met00:57 Blaze And The MonsterMachines01:20 Blaze And The MonsterMachines01:42 Zack & Quack02:04 Team Umizoomi02:26 Olive The Ostrich02:31 Olive The Ostrich02:36 Paw Patrol02:59 Little Charmers03:11 Ben & Hollyʼs Little Kingdom03:23 Dora The Explorer03:45 Max & Ruby04:07 Nella The Princess Knight04:30 Shimmer And Shine04:53 Dora And Friends: Into TheCity!05:15 Zack & Quack05:28 The Day Henry Met05:33 The Day Henry Met05:38 Blaze And The MonsterMachines06:00 Rusty Rivets06:12 Paw Patrol06:37 Dora The Explorer07:00 Zack & Quack07:21 Bubble Guppies07:44 Blaze And The MonsterMachines08:07 Paw Patrol08:30 Shimmer And Shine08:53 Nella The Princess Knight09:15 The Day Henry Met09:22 Paw Patrol09:45 Rusty Rivets09:57 Bubble Guppies10:20 Fresh Beat Band Of Spies10:40 Zack & Quack10:52 Team Umizoomi11:15 Shimmer And Shine11:38 Shimmer And Shine12:01 Max & Ruby12:25 Ben & Hollyʼs Little Kingdom12:36 Ben & Hollyʼs Little Kingdom12:47 The Day Henry Met12:52 The Day Henry Met12:57 Blaze And The MonsterMachines13:19 Blaze And The MonsterMachines13:41 Zack & Quack14:03 Team Umizoomi14:25 Olive The Ostrich14:30 Olive The Ostrich14:35 Paw Patrol14:58 Little Charmers15:10 Ben & Hollyʼs Little Kingdom15:22 Dora The Explorer15:44 Max & Ruby16:07 Nella The Princess Knight16:31 Shimmer And Shine16:54 Dora And Friends: Into TheCity!17:17 Zack & Quack17:29 The Day Henry Met17:34 The Day Henry Met17:38 Blaze And The MonsterMachines18:00 Rusty Rivets18:13 Paw Patrol18:37 Dora The Explorer19:00 Zack & Quack19:21 Bubble Guppies19:44 Blaze And The MonsterMachines20:07 Paw Patrol20:30 Shimmer And Shine20:53 Nella The Princess Knight21:15 The Day Henry Met21:22 Paw Patrol21:45 Rusty Rivets21:57 Bubble Guppies22:20 Fresh Beat Band Of Spies22:40 Zack & Quack22:52 Team Umizoomi23:15 Shimmer And Shine23:38 Shimmer And Shine

00:15 Wineroads00:45 Fish Of The Day01:10 Sinful Sweets01:40 Bondi Rescue OutbackAdventure02:35 Charlie Luxtonʼs Homes ByThe Med03:30 Testing The Menu With NicWatt03:55 Delinquent Gourmet04:25 Fearless Chef05:20 Valentine Warner EatsScandinavia05:45 Valentine Warner EatsScandinavia06:15 Places We Go06:40 Sinful Sweets07:10 Bondi Rescue OutbackAdventure08:05 Charlie Luxtonʼs Homes ByThe Med09:00 Testing The Menu With NicWatt09:25 Delinquent Gourmet09:55 Fearless Chef10:50 Valentine Warner EatsScandinavia11:15 Valentine Warner EatsScandinavia11:45 Places We Go12:10 Sinful Sweets12:40 Bad Trip13:35 Charlie Luxtonʼs Homes ByThe Med14:30 Testing The Menu With NicWatt14:55 Delinquent Gourmet15:25 Fearless Chef16:20 One Man & His Campervan16:45 My Restaurant In India17:15 Places We Go17:40 Places We Go18:10 Sinful Sweets18:35 Cruise Ship Diaries19:05 Fearless Chef20:00 One Man & His Campervan20:30 My Restaurant In India21:00 Places We Go

00:00 Diners, Drive-Ins And Dives00:30 Diners, Drive-Ins And Dives01:00 Man Fire Food01:30 Man Fire Food02:00 Diners, Drive-Ins And Dives02:30 Diners, Drive-Ins And Dives03:00 Man Fire Food03:30 Man Fire Food04:00 Chopped05:00 Guyʼs Grocery Games06:00 Barefoot Contessa06:30 Barefoot Contessa07:00 The Kitchen08:00 The Pioneer Woman08:30 The Pioneer Woman09:00 Sibaʼs Table09:30 Sibaʼs Table10:00 The Pioneer Woman10:30 The Pioneer Woman11:00 The Kitchen12:00 The Pioneer Woman12:30 The Pioneer Woman13:00 Sibaʼs Table13:30 Sibaʼs Table14:00 Diners, Drive-Ins And Dives14:30 Diners, Drive-Ins And Dives15:00 Chopped16:00 The Kitchen17:00 The Pioneer Woman17:30 The Pioneer Woman18:00 Chopped19:00 Iron Chef America20:00 Chopped21:00 Food Network Star Kids22:00 Diners, Drive-Ins And Dives22:30 Diners, Drive-Ins And Dives23:00 Chopped

01:25 Compadres03:25 Twister05:25 Star Wars: The ForceAwakens07:45 Survivor09:25 Harlock: Space Pirate11:20 Road Wars12:55 Twister14:50 Survivor16:30 Grosse Pointe Blank18:20 The Man From U.N.C.L.E.20:20 Judge Dredd22:00 Hardcore Henry23:40 Sanitarium

00:00 Hank Zipzer00:25 Alex & Co.00:45 The Hive00:50 Evermoor Chronicles01:15 Sabrina Secrets Of ATeenage Witch02:05 Binny And The Ghost02:55 Hank Zipzer03:15 The Hive03:20 Hank Zipzer03:45 Alex & Co.04:35 Sabrina Secrets Of ATeenage Witch05:25 Binny And The Ghost05:45 The Hive05:50 The 7D06:00 Jessie06:25 Jessie06:50 Tsum Tsum Shorts06:55 Lolirock07:20 Elena Of Avalor07:45 Bunkʼd08:10 Stuck In The Middle08:35 Bizaardvark09:00 Austin & Ally09:50 Good Luck Charlie10:15 Good Luck Charlie10:40 Alex & Co.11:05 Lolirock11:30 Miraculous Tales Of LadybugAnd Cat Noir11:55 Disney Mickey Mouse12:00 Welcome To The Ronks12:15 Hank Zipzer12:40 Dog With A Blog13:05 Star Darlings13:10 Good Luck Charlie

13:35 Austin & Ally14:00 Jessie14:25 Lolirock14:50 The Zhuzhus15:15 Whisker Haven Tales WithThe Palace Pets15:20 Miraculous Tales Of LadybugAnd Cat Noir15:45 Elena Of Avalor16:10 Liv And Maddie16:35 Descendants Wicked World16:40 Girl Meets World17:05 Stuck In The Middle17:30 Bunkʼd17:55 Bizaardvark18:20 Disney Mickey Mouse18:25 Alex & Co.18:50 Best Friends Whenever19:15 Sunny Bunnies19:20 Liv And Maddie19:45 Mako Mermaids20:10 Jessie20:35 Cracke20:40 Alex & Co.21:05 Austin & Ally21:30 Stuck In The Middle21:55 Tsum Tsum Shorts22:00 Bunkʼd22:25 Miraculous Tales Of LadybugAnd Cat Noir22:50 Lolirock

00:00 Henry Hugglemonster00:15 Calimero00:30 Art Attack00:55 Zou01:05 Loopdidoo01:20 Henry Hugglemonster01:35 Calimero01:50 Zou02:05 Art Attack02:30 The Hive02:40 Loopdidoo02:55 Henry Hugglemonster03:10 Art Attack03:35 Loopdidoo03:50 Calimero04:05 Art Attack04:30 Henry Hugglemonster04:45 Zou05:00 Art Attack05:30 Henry Hugglemonster05:45 Loopdidoo06:00 Zou06:15 Calimero06:30 Loopdidoo06:45 Henry Hugglemonster07:00 Sofia The First07:25 Goldie & Bear07:50 The Lion Guard08:15 Mickey And The RoadsterRacers08:40 Doc McStuffins09:05 Jake And The Never LandPirates09:30 PJ Masks09:45 Miles From Tomorrow10:10 Little Mermaid10:35 Mickey And The RoadsterRacers11:00 PJ Masks11:25 My Friends Tigger & Pooh11:50 Goldie & Bear12:15 Sofia The First12:40 Miles From Tomorrow13:10 Jake And The Never LandPirates13:35 PJ Masks14:00 My Friends Tigger & Pooh14:30 The Lion Guard14:55 Harry And Bip15:00 Sheriff Callieʼs Wild West15:30 Mickey And The RoadsterRacers16:00 Sofia The First16:25 Goldie & Bear16:50 Doc McStuffins17:15 The Lion Guard17:40 Jake And The Never LandPirates18:05 PJ Masks18:35 Mickey And The RoadsterRacers19:05 Sofia The First19:35 Sheriff Callieʼs Wild West20:05 The Lion Guard20:35 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse21:00 Goldie & Bear21:25 Doc McStuffins21:50 Minnieʼs Bow-Toons22:00 Little Mermaid22:30 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse22:55 PJ Masks23:20 Henry Hugglemonster23:35 The Hive

00:00 Decoding The Past01:00 Command Decisions01:30 Command Decisions02:00 Missing In Alaska02:50 Ancient Aliens03:40 Hangar 1: The UFO Files04:30 Million Dollar Genius05:20 Decoding The Past06:10 The Universe07:00 Command Decisions07:30 Command Decisions08:00 Missing In Alaska09:00 Ancient Aliens10:00 Hangar 1: The UFO Files11:00 The Universe12:00 Decoding The Past13:00 Command Decisions13:30 Command Decisions14:00 Missing In Alaska15:00 Ancient Aliens16:00 Hangar 1: The UFO Files17:00 The Universe18:00 Decoding The Past

19:00 Command Decisions20:00 Missing In Alaska21:00 Ancient Aliens22:00 True Monsters

00:10 Alaska Fish Wars01:00 Wicked Tuna02:00 Air Crash Investigation03:00 Explorer04:00 Alaska Fish Wars05:00 Remote Survival06:00 Terror In The Skies07:00 Dog Whisperer08:00 Dog Whisperer09:00 Remote Survival10:00 Surgery Ship11:00 Diana: In Her Own Words13:00 Terror In The Skies14:00 Dog Whisperer15:00 Dog Whisperer16:00 Surgery Ship17:00 Fidel Castro: The Lost Tapes18:00 Challenger Disaster: LostTapes19:00 Nazi Megastructures20:00 Surgery Ship20:50 Fidel Castro: The Lost Tapes21:40 Challenger Disaster: LostTapes22:30 Nazi Megastructures23:20 Dog Whisperer

00:20 Dark Side Of Crocs01:10 Monster Fish02:00 Amazoniaʼs Giant Jaws02:50 Monster Fish03:45 Shark vs Predator04:40 Natural Born Monsters05:35 Amazoniaʼs Giant Jaws06:30 Monster Fish07:25 Shark vs Predator08:20 Natural Born Monsters09:15 Cougar V. Wolf10:10 Tiger Man11:05 Shark vs Predator12:00 Salmon Wars12:55 Crocs Of Katuma13:50 Monster Fish14:45 The Invaders15:40 Natural Born Monsters16:35 Blood Rivals: Hippo V. Lion17:30 Worldʼs Deadliest Animals18:25 Wild Colombia19:20 The Invaders20:10 Natural Born Monsters21:00 Blood Rivals: Hippo V. Lion21:50 Worldʼs Deadliest Animals22:40 Wild Colombia23:30 Salmon Wars

03:00 Harvey Beaks03:24 Harvey Beaks03:48 The Loud House04:12 The Loud House04:36 Breadwinners05:00 Breadwinners05:24 Get Blake05:48 SpongeBob SquarePants06:12 SpongeBob SquarePants06:36 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles07:00 The Loud House07:24 Rabbids Invasion07:48 Get Blake08:12 Harvey Beaks08:36 Sanjay And Craig09:00 Rank The Prank09:24 Henry Danger09:48 100 Things To Do BeforeHigh School10:12 Game Shakers10:36 Regal Academy11:00 Winx Club11:24 SpongeBob SquarePants11:48 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles12:12 The Loud House12:36 Breadwinners13:00 School Of Rock13:24 Hunter Street13:48 Nicky, Ricky, Dicky & Dawn14:12 Henry Danger14:36 The Thundermans15:00 100 Things To Do BeforeHigh School15:24 Rabbids Invasion15:48 SpongeBob SquarePants16:12 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles16:36 The Loud House17:00 Regal Academy17:24 Winx Club17:48 Hunter Street18:12 Henry Danger18:36 Nicky, Ricky, Dicky & Dawn19:00 School Of Rock19:24 Game Shakers19:48 The Thundermans20:12 SpongeBob SquarePants20:36 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles21:00 The Loud House21:24 Sanjay And Craig21:48 Rabbids Invasion22:12 Breadwinners22:36 Harvey Beaks23:00 SpongeBob SquarePants23:24 SpongeBob SquarePants23:48 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

00:15 The Middle00:40 The Middle01:05 Difficult People01:30 Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll01:55 The Big C02:25 The Tonight Show StarringJimmy Fallon03:10 Late Night With Seth Meyers04:00 The Ellen DeGeneres Show04:50 George Lopez05:15 Suburgatory05:40 Great News06:05 Great News06:30 Mom06:55 Breaking In07:20 Late Night With Seth Meyers08:10 The Ellen DeGeneres Show09:00 The Tonight Show StarringJimmy Fallon09:50 George Lopez10:15 Suburgatory10:40 Mom11:05 Breaking In11:30 The Ellen DeGeneres Show12:20 Seinfeld

12:45 Seinfeld13:10 The Middle13:35 The Middle14:00 George Lopez14:25 Suburgatory14:50 Mom15:15 Great News15:40 Great News16:05 The Ellen DeGeneres Show17:00 Seinfeld17:30 Seinfeld18:00 The Middle18:30 The Middle19:00 The Last Man On Earth19:30 The Last Man On Earth20:00 The Tonight Show StarringJimmy Fallon21:00 Seinfeld21:30 Seinfeld22:00 Difficult People22:30 Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll23:00 The Big C23:25 Late Night With Seth Meyers

00:40 Training Day01:30 Marvelʼs Agents OfS.H.I.E.L.D.02:20 Blindspot03:20 The Flash04:10 Quantico05:00 Good Morning America07:00 The View07:45 The Chew08:30 Training Day09:20 The Flash10:10 Quantico11:00 Blindspot11:45 Royal Pains12:30 The View13:15 The Chew14:00 Live Good Morning America16:00 Quantico17:00 The Flash18:00 Blindspot19:00 Rosewood20:00 Royal Pains21:00 Famous In Love22:00 The Americans23:00 Blindspot23:50 American Horror Story:Roanoke

01:10 Big Mommaʼs House02:55 Cops And Robbersons04:30 Hope Springs06:10 Sister Act 2: Back In TheHabit08:00 Cops And Robbersons09:35 Hope Springs11:10 Sister Act 2: Back In TheHabit13:00 Junior14:55 Clifford16:30 Oscar18:25 The Butcherʼs Wife20:15 Big Mommaʼs House 222:00 Get Hard23:45 Drunk Wedding

01:15 Goodfellas03:45 Young Ones05:35 No God No Master07:15 Healing09:20 Still Alice11:05 5 Flights Up12:45 No God No Master14:25 Chariots Of Fire16:35 Brooklyn18:30 Hard Eight20:20 Spotlight22:30 The Informant

00:35 Song Of The Sea02:15 Memory Loss03:40 Egon And Donci05:05 Cher Ami06:35 Poohʼs Heffalump HalloweenMovie07:45 The Heart Of The Oak09:05 Weʼre Back! A DinosaurʼsStory10:20 Micropolis11:55 Song Of The Sea13:35 Memory Loss15:00 Operation Arctic16:35 Weʼre Back! A DinosaurʼsStory17:50 Ethel & Ernest19:30 Mamma Moo And Crow20:55 Operation Arctic22:30 The Heart Of The Oak23:50 Micropolis

00:30 How Do They Do It?

00:20 My Giant Life01:05 Body Bizarre01:50 Monsters Inside Me02:35 The Undateables03:20 Our Little Family04:05 Toddlers & Tiaras04:50 Your Style In His Hands05:35 Say Yes To The Dress06:00 Obsessive CompulsiveCleaners06:45 Oprah: Where Are TheyNow?07:30 Belief08:15 Our Little Family09:00 Cake Boss09:25 Toddlers & Tiaras10:10 Obsessive CompulsiveCleaners10:55 Married By Mum And Dad11:40 Outdaughtered: BusbyQuints12:25 The Undateables13:10 Katie Priceʼs Pony Club13:55 Toddlers & Tiaras14:40 Our Little Family15:25 Married By Mum And Dad16:10 Love, Lust Or Run16:35 Cake Boss17:00 Oprah: Where Are TheyNow?17:50 Obsessive CompulsiveCleaners18:50 Your Style In His Hands19:40 Say Yes To The Dress20:10 Cake Boss20:35 Cake Boss21:00 My 600lb Life: Where AreThey Now?21:50 The Day I Almost Died22:40 Botched Up Bodies23:30 90 Days To Wed

00:05 David Spade: My FakeProblems00:55 South Park01:20 South Park01:45 Another Period02:10 Tosh.002:35 Tosh.003:00 The Daily Show With TrevorNoah03:25 Disorderly Conduct: VideoOn Patrol04:15 Lip Sync Battle04:40 Ridiculousness05:05 Disaster Date05:30 Catch A Contractor06:20 Framework07:15 Disorderly Conduct: VideoOn Patrol08:05 Disaster Date08:30 Disaster Date08:55 Ridiculousness09:20 Key And Peele09:45 Lip Sync Battle10:10 Ridiculousness10:35 Disaster Date11:00 Urban Tarzan11:25 Tattoo Disasters11:50 Lip Sync Battle12:15 Catch A Contractor13:05 Disorderly Conduct: VideoOn Patrol13:55 Sweat Inc.14:45 Lip Sync Battle15:10 Lip Sync Battle15:35 Disaster Date16:00 Ridiculousness16:30 Impractical Jokers16:55 Lip Sync Battle17:20 Ridiculousness17:45 Ridiculousness Arabia18:10 Key And Peele18:35 Impractical Jokers18:59 Disaster Date19:22 Ridiculousness Arabia19:48 Ridiculousness Arabia20:11 Lip Sync Battle20:33 Lip Sync Battle21:00 The Daily Show With TrevorNoah21:30 Another Period22:00 Broad City22:25 Kroll Show22:50 John Oliverʼs New YorkStand Up Show23:15 John Oliverʼs New YorkStand Up Show23:40 The Daily Show With TrevorNoah

00:30 Line Of Duty01:25 In The Dark02:20 Maigret03:50 Holby City04:45 The Coroner05:30 EastEnders06:00 Father Brown06:45 The Coroner07:35 Death In Paradise08:30 Doctor Who09:15 Father Brown10:05 Holby City11:00 Death In Paradise11:55 Doctor Who12:45 Father Brown13:30 The Coroner14:20 Holby City15:15 Death In Paradise16:10 Doctor Who17:00 Father Brown17:50 The Coroner18:35 EastEnders19:05 Death In Paradise20:00 Poldark21:00 Last Tango In Halifax21:50 Prime Suspect: Tennison22:35 New Blood23:30 Death In Paradise

00:30 UFC Top 1001:00 Idemitsu Asia Talent Cup03:00 FIA World Touring CarChampionship Highlights03:30 FIA World Touring CarChampionship Highlights04:00 UFC Unleashed05:00 MotoGP Rookies Cup07:00 Idemitsu Asia Talent Cup09:00 V8 Supercar SeriesHighlights10:00 V8 Supercar SeriesHighlights11:00 FIM Speedway Grand PrixHighlights12:00 MotoGP Highlights13:00 TCR International SeriesHighlights13:30 Indy Car Highlights

01:30 PGA European TourHighlights02:00 Asian Tour Highlights03:00 European Challenge TourHighlights04:00 Europro Tour06:00 Asian Tour Highlights07:00 Golfing World08:00 Chronicles Of A ChampionGolfer08:30 Europro Tour10:30 Golfing World11:30 Challenge Series GolfHighlights12:00 European Challenge TourHighlights13:00 World Golf ChampionshipsHighlights14:00 Golfing World15:00 European Challenge TourHighlights16:00 Europro Tour18:00 Golfing World19:00 Inside The PGA Tour19:30 Chronicles Of A ChampionGolfer20:00 PGA European TourHighlights20:30 This Is PGA TourLatinoamerica21:00 Golfing World22:00 Challenge Series GolfHighlights22:30 Inside The PGA Tour23:00 European Challenge TourHighlights

00:00 The Rugby ChampionshipHighlights01:30 World Rugby Special02:30 AFL Premiership Highlights03:00 HSBC World Rugby SevensHighlights03:30 HSBC World Rugby SevensHighlights04:00 NRL Premiership06:00 Watersports World07:00 Gillette World Sport07:30 State Of Origin Highlights09:00 Trans World Sport10:00 Mitre 10 Premiership Final10:30 The Rugby ChampionshipHighlights12:00 NRL Full Time12:30 World Cup Of Gymnastics16:00 The Rugby ChampionshipHighlights17:30 World Rugby Special18:30 Gillette World Sport19:00 Trans World Sport20:00 The Rugby ChampionshipHighlights20:30 The Rugby ChampionshipHighlights

00:50 WAGs Miami01:50 E! News02:50 Celebrity Style Story03:20 Celebrity Style Story03:50 So Cosmo04:40 So Cosmo05:30 Celebrity Style Story06:00 EJ NYC07:00 EJ NYC08:00 E! News: Daily Pop08:55 WAGs Miami09:55 WAGs Miami11:45 Celebrity Style Story12:15 Keeping Up With TheKardashians13:10 Keeping Up With TheKardashians14:05 Keeping Up With TheKardashians15:00 E! News: Daily Pop15:55 WAGs Miami16:45 WAGs Miami17:35 WAGs Miami18:30 Celebrity Style Story19:00 E! News20:00 Revenge Body With KhloeKardashian21:00 Life Of Kylie21:30 Life Of Kylie22:00 Famously Single23:00 Hollywood Medium WithTyler Henry23:55 Hollywood Medium WithTyler Henry

00:00 WWE 205 Live01:00 FIA World RallycrossHighlights02:00 WWE Afterburn03:00 Live WWE Smackdown05:00 Red Bull Air Race Highlights06:00 FIA World RallycrossHighlights07:00 WWE 205 Live08:00 WWE Raw10:30 Snowboarding - Skiing China11:00 Formula-E ChampionshipHighlights12:00 Formula-E ChampionshipHighlights13:00 WWE Main Event14:00 Arena Esports14:30 X Games Xtraordinary15:00 WWE Smackdown16:30 Snowboarding - Skiing China17:00 WWE Vintage18:00 Formula-E ChampionshipHighlights19:00 Formula-E Championship

14:15 Future-Worm!14:40 Kirby Buckets15:05 Lab Rats15:30 Walk The Prank15:55 Right Now Kapow16:25 K.C. Undercover16:50 Kirby Buckets Warped17:15 Mech-X417:40 Gravity Falls18:05 Disney Mickey Mouse18:10 Milo Murphyʼs Law18:35 Disney1119:00 Disney1119:25 K.C. Undercover19:50 Marvelʼs Ant-Man19:55 Milo Murphyʼs Law20:20 Mech-X420:45 Kirby Buckets Warped21:10 Walk The Prank21:35 Marvelʼs Ant-Man21:40 Disney Mickey Mouse21:45 Lab Rats: Bionic Island22:10 Lab Rats: Bionic Island22:35 Phineas And Ferb23:00 Programmes Start At 6:00am

00:20 The Parent Trap02:30 Charlotteʼs Web04:10 The Haunted Mansion05:40 Kim Possible: So The Drama06:55 The Parent Trap09:05 Charlotteʼs Web10:45 Gnomeo & Juliet12:10 The Haunted Mansion13:40 Tinker Bell And The LostTreasure15:00 Treasure Planet16:40 K-9 Adventures: Legend OfThe Lost Gold18:20 Because Of Winn Dixie20:10 Tom And Huck21:50 Treasure Planet23:35 Because Of Winn Dixie

00:25 Black Snake Moan02:25 Rise Of The Planet Of TheApes04:10 Win A Date With TadHamilton!05:50 Last Action Hero08:00 Rocky III09:40 The Invention Of Lying11:20 Spectre13:50 Reign Over Me15:55 The Blind Side18:05 Air Force One20:10 Sahara22:15 He Got Game

00:00 Xtreme Waterparks00:30 Xtreme Waterparks01:00 Bikinis & Boardwalks02:00 Top Secret Beaches03:00 Top Secret Swimming Holes04:00 Xtreme Waterparks04:30 Xtreme Waterparks05:00 Xtreme Waterparks05:30 Xtreme Waterparks06:00 Mysteries At The Museum07:00 House Hunters International08:30 Boat Buyers09:00 Lifeʼs A Beach09:30 Island Secrets10:00 Hotel Impossible11:00 Flippinʼ RVs12:00 Guiding Alaska15:00 The Treehouse Guys16:00 Lake Life16:30 Lake Life17:00 The Vanilla Ice Project17:30 The Vanilla Ice Project18:00 Guiding Alaska18:30 Guiding Alaska19:00 Hotel Impossible20:00 Texas Flip And Move21:00 Mysteries At The Museum22:00 Expedition Unknown23:00 Booze Traveler

00:00 Marvelʼs Agents OfS.H.I.E.L.D.01:00 Blindspot01:50 American Horror Story:Roanoke02:40 Training Day03:30 Marvelʼs Agents OfS.H.I.E.L.D.04:20 Blindspot05:20 The Flash06:10 Quantico07:00 Good Morning America09:00 The View09:45 The Chew10:30 Training Day11:20 The Flash12:10 Quantico13:00 Blindspot13:45 Royal Pains14:30 The View15:15 The Chew

00:12 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles00:36 Rabbids Invasion01:00 Rabbids Invasion01:24 Sanjay And Craig01:48 Sanjay And Craig02:12 Winx Club02:36 Winx Club

00:55 Food Factory01:20 Secrets Of The Underground02:10 Sci-Trek03:00 Kings Of Construction03:48 Mythbusters04:36 How Do They Do It?05:00 Food Factory05:24 Secrets Of The Underground06:12 Sci-Trek07:00 How Do They Do It?07:26 Kings Of Construction08:14 Mythbusters09:02 Sci-Trek09:50 How Do They Do It?10:14 Food Factory10:38 Secrets Of The Underground11:26 Kings Of Construction12:14 Mythbusters13:02 How Do They Do It?13:26 Food Factory13:50 Sci-Trek14:38 Kings Of Construction15:26 Secrets Of The Underground16:14 Mythbusters17:02 Sci-Trek17:50 Kings Of Construction18:40 Mythbusters19:30 Invent It Rich20:20 How Do They Do It?20:45 Food Factory21:10 Sci-Trek22:00 Invent It Rich22:50 Kings Of Construction23:40 Mythbusters

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 16, 2017

You have great internal strength and tend to be independent, preferringto lean on yourself more than on others. You may find opportunities to be self-motivat-ing-certainly no dependency here. This afternoon you may decide to sign up to work ina trade-day activity or a festival of sorts for this next weekend. You look forward to earn-ing a little extra money. Any activity that pulls in a little extra cash will also create anopportunity for you to show off your talents so also consider displaying your own tal-ents. Family matters are enjoyed most of the late afternoon. Being more involved withfamily now may involve some picture taking, social get-togethers, etc. Communicatingideas, experiences and current affairs with loved ones is most important today.

Aries (March 21-April 19)

STAR TRACK

You are very communicative-not just a little curious. You enjoy talking andwriting skills. If you are in a job that calls for a creative expression, you can excel in yourpresentation. Working with another person speeds the work along to a completion thisafternoon. At home you may become involved in much letter-writing or phone conver-sations with family members you do not get to see very often. You could be most per-suasive with others and moving in speech and communication. Study, research andinvestigations of all kinds appeal to you as well. If you are not traveling now, you will bethinking about it soon. The best places to visit, names of bed and breakfast places andthe popular restaurants are topics of conversation this evening.

Taurus (April 20-May 20)

You can be peaceful, calm and undisturbed regardless of what is going onaround you. You are a genius at bringing out the best in others and this is

something you take great pride in for today. Teaching, translating and conducting a touror an orchestra are just a few of the things you could excel in today. An elderly couple orother people show their gratefulness to you for some help or advice you shared recently.Ideas-philosophy and religion-are what make your life stimulating. Travel opportunitiesmay come to your attention this afternoon and you can make future plans with yourmate or loved ones. Before you relax this evening, you spend some time caring for ani-mals or children. Tonight is for relaxing with bubbles, music and your heart’s desire.

Gemini (May 21-June 20)

A talent of yours is required in the business place. There might be a con-vention in which your company is preparing to be represented or perhaps

there is a new opening of a branch company. Whatever the case, it could be that you willplay the piano or greet people or help in some other way. You might set aside some timeto visit with a past friend that appears on the scene. The prospects for a spectacular dayare promising. You help make the day a positive one for others. You manage to spend alot of time in the spotlight. With family or friends this evening, there is talk of a vacation.There is a love of the sea and a great desire to take some time off for a while. Travel maybe possible before the middle of next month. There is talk about the types of travel.

Cancer (June 21-July 22)

Leo (July 23-August 22)

It’s important to keep your perspective with a close relationship.Something you thought was resolved may, once again, come to your attention. Cool logicwill help you communicate. Learn from past experiences and agree to disagree. This way,there is forward movement. You have the mental drive that is necessary for politicalassignments and may find yourself enjoying the tasks. Put your artistic talents to workimproving your home this afternoon. Colorful accents will brighten the scene and thepsyche. Consider an herb garden in a bright and sunny corner of a room. Consult thosethat share your space so that everyone is able to give some input. New ways of appreciat-ing and loving may be possible now. A loved one shows off a new talent tonight.

Virgo (August 23-September 22)

Fate sends opportunity your way if you listen to your instincts and give yournatural sense of curiosity a free rein. Travel and education can help uncover some of theanswers that will give you the power or advantage you seek. Allow yourself these experi-ences. Mass communications can be financially rewarding in some way-think about adver-tising, broadcasting, publishing, etc. Something as simple as owning a computer andbelonging to a network would be what puts you into a new and rewarding business. Theway in which you respond to change and maintain your independence is a major focusnow. A young person in your family wants more independence-give this person responsi-bilities and independence will come.

Libra (September 23-October 22)

Mysterious or mystical information fires your imagination and you may findthere could be more imagination than knowledge for now. Keep an open mind and learnall you can, but do not take everything you hear for gospel. You may take action today,when an issue dear to your heart comes to your attention. Your theories are good butfacts will get you support for what you want to accomplish. Work on research and creatinga plan that will develop some positive outcomes. Patience is a key word when it comes todealing with people-timing is essential. You may be pleasantly surprised with a call or let-ter you receive this afternoon. Contacts with an old neighbor or friend bring about goodmemories from the past.

Scorpio (October 23-November 21)

Situations and people you thought you could rely on might not be so solidtoday. These are the ways we learn about people. It is very important that

you do not hold grudges and you learn from your experience with others. Look for thetruth in all of your affairs. There is a feeling that things will work out in positive ways. Youshould be able to improve your security now. This is a time of independence when youmay try new and different things. This is also a time during which you may be able tospeed up your pace to reach your goals and acknowledge your life’s purpose. You couldreceive unexpected help from someone older or from authority figures. Accept the goodadvice that somebody older gives you today-you won’t go wrong.

Sagittarius (November 22-December 21)

Capricorn (December 22-January 19)

Although work is accomplished with little or no problems, there is a feelingof low energy. This will pass but you can use the afternoon as an opportuni-

ty to clear away some unfinished business. Those old books you would like to read againmay better serve you as a gift to the library. Keep your favorites, but make room for thenew books that will be coming into your life. You may want to dedicate one room of yourliving quarters as a library or hobby room. Now is the time to be creative-perhaps after youremove the old newspapers or magazines and as your energy returns you could create anindoor herb garden that will be relaxing as you read. Education in law and philosophy

impacts your lifestyle now. You may find a way to work for the school.

Pisces (February 19-March 20)

The idea of how you want your day to go and the plans of those aroundyou may be in conflict with others today. With communication, compromise and the will-ingness to share, today can turn out to be one of your best family or friendship days. Thepeople or person you live with may agree to share or trade some book, equipment orchore with you today. Your eagerness to work or play with others and to be helpful willcreate some bonds that will last forever. This is an important time to be patient and treadlightly when it comes to indulgence and overextending yourself. Whether your relation-ships at this time are partnerships, work and social or personal, they are very importantand can have a very strong influence on your career and private life.

Aquarius (January 20- February 18)

CROSSWORD 1687

ACROSS1. Young of any of various canines suchas a dog or wolf.4. Something that interests you becauseit is important or affects you.11. A member of an Algonquian peopleliving in central Canada.15. (Irish) Mother of the ancient Irishgods.16. The slender spear of the Bantu-speak-ing people of Africa.17. Characterized by lightness and insub-stantiality.18. A hidden storage space (for money orprovisions or weapons).20. Choose and follow.21. An open jar of glass or porcelain usedas an ornament or to hold flowers.22. Any physiologically active internalsecretion especially one of uncertain clas-sification.25. An informal term for a father.27. United States swimmer who in 1926became the first woman to swim theEnglish Channel (1903- ).35. A woman religious.36. Constituting the full quantity orextent.38. Any of various dark heavy viscid sub-stances obtained as a residue.39. French classical painter (1780-1867).42. Bulky grayish-brown eagle with ashort wedge-shaped white tail.44. An appearance of reflected light.47. A unit of atmospheric pressure equalto one thousandth of a bar.49. Typical geese.50. A dull persistent (usually moderatelyintense) pain.52. Small buffalo of the Celebes havingsmall straight horns.55. (Babylonian) God of storms and wind.57. In a ruggedly tough manner.61. A worker who installs and repairselectric wiring.65. Any of various plants of the genusAlthaea.68. A loose sleeveless outer garmentmade from aba cloth.69. The basic unit of money in Romania.70. Pertaining to or containing or similarto ammonia.72. Having leadership guidance.73. The act of slowing down or fallingbehind.74. A river in northeastern Brazil thatflows generally northward to the AtlanticOcean.75. An agency of the United Nations affili-ated with the World Bank.

DOWN1. Large burrowing rodent of South andCentral America.2. Relatively small fast-moving sloth.3. A written agreement between twostates or sovereigns.4. Of or like a cecum.5. A mouth or mouthlike opening.6. An anti-inflammatory drug that doesnot contain steroids.7. A can for storing tea.

8. An inflated feeling of pride in yoursuperiority to others.9. Deeply moved.10. A luminance unit equal to 1 candleper square meter measured perpendicu-lar to the rays from the source.11. A warning against certain acts.12. Having been read.13. Any of several related languages ofthe Celts in Ireland and Scotland.14. Opinion or judgment.19. A blind god.23. United States playwright (1906-1963).24. Any culture medium that uses agar asthe gelling agent.26. A radioactive element of the actinideseries.28. Small common sandpiper that breedsin northern or arctic regions and wintersin southern United States orMediterranean regions.29. Socialist who wrote The CommunistManifesto with Karl Marx in 1848 (1820-1895).30. An account describing incidents orevents.31. The inner and longer of the twobones of the human forearm.32. A soft cotton or worsted fabric withan open mesh.33. A public building for gambling andentertainment.34. Nicaraguan statesman (born in 1945).37. Type genus of the Tetraonidae.40. English courtier (a favorite ofElizabeth I) who tried to colonize Virginia.41. An independent ruler or chieftain(especially in Africa or Arabia).43. The face or front of a building.45. (Akkadian) God of wisdom.46. An intensely radioactive metallic ele-ment that occurs in minute amounts inuranium ores.48. A tricycle (usually propelled by ped-alling).51. A state in the United States in thecentral Pacific on the Hawaiian Islands.53. Tropical American tree grown insouthern United States having a whitishpink-tinged fruit.54. A trivalent metallic element of therare earth group.56. Any of several tall tropical palmsnative to southeastern Asia having egg-shaped nuts.58. Evergreen trees and shrubs havingoily one-seeded fruits.59. (Sumerian) Sun god.60. A collection of objects laid on top ofeach other.62. A landlocked republic in northwest-ern Africa.63. In bed.64. A quantity of no importance.66. A United States unit of weight equiva-lent to 2000 pounds.67. A nucleic acid that transmits geneticinformation from DNA to the cytoplasm.71. A form of address for a man.75. Afternoon.76. A silvery ductile metallic elementfound primarily in bauxite.

Yesterday’s Solution

Yesterday’s Solution

26s t a r s

Daily SuDoku

Wordsearch Puzzle

You could find yourself feeling rebellious and independent regarding yourcurrent situation. Some difficult employee may bring opposition to a

group, or just strain relationships. There is the possibility of new visions or suddeninsights into your ability to solve problems and others take your lead. Progress in theworkplace is a miraculous thing this day as there are unusual circumstances. You natural-ly gravitate toward positions of power. Others see in you a great practical ability and willeasily accept you as a leader. This could be a very political time for you. It certainly is atime in which you can accomplish much for the workplace or your community. A shortstory has a beginning this evening and you will be pleased with the ending.

Your physical vitality, psychological or spiritual goals are highly emphasizednow. If there is something in your life that works against your progress-now

is the time to weed through and eliminate or in some way divert or control the problem.This means an abundance of old clothes or too many animals or not enough time for agood night’s rest, etc. This is not a favorable time for establishing new life directions, but isa good time for creating a healthy balance. Stay away from arguments and possible hardfeelings at this time. After the workday is over consider inviting a friend or loved one toenjoy a movie with you. You are a master of applied psychology and will be able to applya subtle influence on a young person in your family tonight.

Yesterday’s Solution

ClassifiedsWEDNESDAY, AUGUST 16, 2017

SHARQIA-1KIDNAP 12:15 PMDUNKIRK 2:15 PMTHE DARK TOWER 4:30 PMTHE EMOJI MOVIE 6:30 PMDUNKIRK 8:30 PMTHE DARK TOWER 10:45 PMKIDNAP 12:45 AM

SHARQIA-2ANTAR IBN IBN IBN IBN SHADAD -Arabic 12:00 PMANTAR IBN IBN IBN IBN SHADAD -Arabic 2:45 PMDUNKIRK 5:15 PMANTAR IBN IBN IBN IBN SHADAD -Arabic 7:30 PMANTAR IBN IBN IBN IBN SHADAD -Arabic 10:00 PMANTAR IBN IBN IBN IBN SHADAD -Arabic 12:30 AM

SHARQIA-3THE EMOJI MOVIE 11:45 AMTHE EMOJI MOVIE 1:45 PMWAR FOR THE PLANET OF THE APES 3:45 PMJAB HARRY MET SEJAL -Hindi 6:30 PMKIDNAP 9:30 PMKIDNAP 11:30 PM

MUHALAB-1JAB HARRY MET SEJAL -Hindi 12:30 PMTHE DARK TOWER 1:30 PMFRIDUNKIRK 3:30 PMDUNKIRK 5:45 PMJAB HARRY MET SEJAL -Hindi 8:00 PMTHE HATTON GARDEN JOB 10:45 PMTHE DARK TOWER 12:45 AM

MUHALAB-2THE EMOJI MOVIE 12:00 PMTHE EMOJI MOVIE 2:00 PMWAR FOR THE PLANET OF THE APES 4:00 PMTHE EMOJI MOVIE 6:45 PMKIDNAP 9:00 PMKIDNAP 11:00 PMKIDNAP 1:00 AM

MUHALAB-3THE DARK TOWER 11:45 AMANTAR IBN IBN IBN IBN SHADAD -Arabic 2:30 PMTHE EMOJI MOVIE- Arabic 5:00 PMANTAR IBN IBN IBN IBN SHADAD -Arabic 7:00 PMANTAR IBN IBN IBN IBN SHADAD -Arabic 9:30 PMKIDNAP 12:05 AM

FANAR-1DUNKIRK 12:30 PMTHE DARK TOWER 2:45 PMWAR FOR THE PLANET OF THE APES 4:45 PMDUNKIRK 7:30 PMBABY DRIVER 9:45 PMTHE DARK TOWER 12:05 AM

FANAR-2THE EMOJI MOVIE 12:15 PMKIDNAP 2:15 PMTHE EMOJI MOVIE 4:15 PMTHE EMOJI MOVIE 6:15 PMKIDNAP 8:15 PMKIDNAP 10:15 PMKIDNAP 12:15 AM

FANAR-3RESIDENT EVIL: VENDETTA- Arabic 11:30 AMJAB HARRY MET SEJAL -Hindi 1:45 PMTOILET - EK PREM KATHA- Hindi 4:30 PMJAB HARRY MET SEJAL -Hindi 7:30 PMRESIDENT EVIL: VENDETTA- Arabic 10:30 PMRESIDENT EVIL: VENDETTA- Arabic 12:45 AM

FANAR-4ANTAR IBN IBN IBN IBN SHADAD -Arabic 12:00 PMTHE EMOJI MOVIE- Arabic 2:40 PMANTAR IBN IBN IBN IBN SHADAD -Arabic 5:00 PMANTAR IBN IBN IBN IBN SHADAD -Arabic 7:40 PMANTAR IBN IBN IBN IBN SHADAD -Arabic 10:00 PMANTAR IBN IBN IBN IBN SHADAD -Arabic 12:30 AM

FANAR-5WAR FOR THE PLANET OF THE APES 11:45 AMWAR FOR THE PLANET OF THE APES 2:30 PMTHE HATTON GARDEN JOB 5:15 PM47 METERS DOWN 7:15 PMTHE HATTON GARDEN JOB 9:15 PM47 METERS DOWN 11:15 PMTHE HATTON GARDEN JOB 1:15 AM

MARINA-1THE EMOJI MOVIE 12:30 PMTHE EMOJI MOVIE 3:00 PMTHE EMOJI MOVIE 5:30 PMDUNKIRK 7:30 PMWAR FOR THE PLANET OF THE APES 9:45 PMDUNKIRK 12:30 AM

MARINA-2ANTAR IBN IBN IBN IBN SHADAD -Arabic 11:30 AMWAR FOR THE PLANET OF THE APES 2:00 PMANTAR IBN IBN IBN IBN SHADAD -Arabic 4:45 PMANTAR IBN IBN IBN IBN SHADAD -Arabic 7:05 PMANTAR IBN IBN IBN IBN SHADAD -Arabic 9:30 PMANTAR IBN IBN IBN IBN SHADAD -Arabic 12:05 AM

MARINA-3KIDNAP 12:45 PMKIDNAP 2:45 PMTHE EMOJI MOVIE- Arabic 4:45 PMKIDNAP 6:45 PMKIDNAP 8:45 PMTHE DARK TOWER 10:45 PMKIDNAP 12:45 AM

AVENUES-1THE HATTON GARDEN JOB 11:50 AMJAB HARRY MET SEJAL -Hindi 1:45 PMTHE HATTON GARDEN JOB 4:55 PMTHE HATTON GARDEN JOB 7:00 PMTHE HATTON GARDEN JOB 9:00 PMFIRST KILL 11:00 PMFIRST KILL 1:10 AM

AVENUES-2DUNKIRK -2D-4DX 12:30 PMTHE EMOJI MOVIE-3D-4DX 2:45 PMWAR FOR THE PLANET OF THE APES -3D-4DX 4 : 4 5PMTHE EMOJI MOVIE-3D-4DX 7:30 PMDUNKIRK -2D-4DX 9:30 PMTHE DARK TOWER-2D-4DX 11:45 PM

AVENUES-3DUNKIRK 1:30 PMDUNKIRK 3:45 PMDUNKIRK 6:00 PMDUNKIRK 8:30 PMKIDNAP 10:45 PMKIDNAP 12:45 AM

AVENUES-4THE EMOJI MOVIE 11:35 AMJAB HARRY MET SEJAL -Hindi 1:35 PMTHE EMOJI MOVIE 4:35 PMJAB HARRY MET SEJAL -Hindi 6:35 PMNO SUNSpecial Show “KIDNAP” 6:35 PMSUNDUNKIRK 9:30 PMJAB HARRY MET SEJAL -Hindi 11:45 PM

AVENUES-5KIDNAP 12:45 PMWAR FOR THE PLANET OF THE APES 2:45 PMANTAR IBN IBN IBN IBN SHADAD -Arabic 5:30 PMKIDNAP 7:50 PMANTAR IBN IBN IBN IBN SHADAD -Arabic 10:05 PMKIDNAP 12:30 AM

AVENUES-6KIDNAP 12:00 PMKIDNAP 2:00 PMKIDNAP 4:15 PMKIDNAP 6:15 PMKIDNAP 8:30 PMANTAR IBN IBN IBN IBN SHADAD -Arabic 10:35 PMANTAR IBN IBN IBN IBN SHADAD -Arabic 12:55 AM

AVENUES-7SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING 12:35 PMRESIDENT EVIL: VENDETTA- Arabic 3:15 PM47 METERS DOWN 5:20 PMRESIDENT EVIL: VENDETTA- Arabic 7:15 PM

47 METERS DOWN 9:15 PMRESIDENT EVIL: VENDETTA- Arabic 11:15 PM47 METERS DOWN 1:15 AM

AVENUES-8THE DARK TOWER 1:00 PMTISBAH ALA KHAIR 3:00 PMJAB HARRY MET SEJAL -Hindi 5:15 PMTHE EMOJI MOVIE 8:00 PMTHE DARK TOWER 10:00 PMTHE DARK TOWER 12:10 AM

AVENUES-9THE EMOJI MOVIE- Arabic 12:15 PMTHE EMOJI MOVIE -3D 2:30 PMTHE EMOJI MOVIE- Arabic 4:30 PMTHE EMOJI MOVIE 6:30 PMJAB HARRY MET SEJAL -Hindi 8:45 PMJAB HARRY MET SEJAL -Hindi 11:45 PM

AVENUES-10WAR FOR THE PLANET OF THE APES 11:30 AMWAR FOR THE PLANET OF THE APES 2:15 PMWAR FOR THE PLANET OF THE APES 5:00 PMTISBAH ALA KHAIR 7:45 PMBABY DRIVER 9:45 PMATOMIC BLONDE 12:05 AM

AVENUES-11ANTAR IBN IBN IBN IBN SHADAD -Arabic-CINESCAPE 11-2D12:45 PMANTAR IBN IBN IBN IBN SHADAD -Arabic-CINESCAPE 11-2D3:10 PMANTAR IBN IBN IBN IBN SHADAD -Arabic-CINESCAPE 11-2D5:35 PMANTAR IBN IBN IBN IBN SHADAD -Arabic-CINESCAPE 11-2D8:00 PMTHE DARK TOWER -CINESCAPE 11-2D 10:15 PMTHE DARK TOWER -CINESCAPE 11-2D 12:35 AM

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DIAL161 FOR AIRPORT INFORMATION

Arrival Flights on Wednesday 16/8/2017Airlines Flt Route TimeTHY 772 Istanbul 00:10JZR 513 Sharm el-Sheikh 00:15KAC 786 Jeddah 00:30JZR 267 Beirut 00:35KAC 102 London 00:55DLH 635 Doha 01:00WAN 806 Sarajevo 01:10PGT 858 Istanbul 01:15JZR 539 Cairo 01:20MSR 618 Alexandria 01:35UAE 853 Dubai 01:40RJA 642 Amman 01:45THY 1464 Istanbul 01:50KKK 6506 Istanbul 01:55KLM 446 Bahrain 02:05PGT 830 Istanbul 02:10QTR 1086 Doha 02:10JZR 553 Alexandria 02:10GFA 211 Bahrain 02:15ETH 620 Addis Ababa 02:15AEE 942 ATH 02:25THY 1404 AYT 02:30KAC 418 Manila 02:50THY 752 Istanbul 03:05OMA 643 Muscat 03:05ETD 305 Abu Dhabi 03:10RJA 644 Amman 03:10MSR 612 Cairo 03:15FDB 069 Dubai 03:15KAC 382 Delhi 03:15QTR 1076 Doha 03:45KAC 544 Cairo 03:50KAC 796 Madinah 03:55QTR 1090 Doha 04:00THY 3904 TZX 04:00RBG 559 Alexandria 04:10KAC 346 Ahmedabad 04:15UAE 873 Dubai 04:15KAC 358 Kochi 04:50FEG 931 Alexandria 05:00KAC 784 Jeddah 05:00DHX 170 Bahrain 05:10THY 770 Istanbul 05:25KAC 344 Chennai 05:30JZR 529 Asyut 05:35KAC 332 Trivandrum 05:40KAC 362 Colombo 05:50BAW 157 London 06:05KAC 1802 Cairo 06:35KAC 284 Dhaka 06:35KAC 206 Islamabad 06:40KAC 678 Dubai 06:55KAC 302 Mumbai 06:55KAC 156 Istanbul 07:05JZR 1541 Cairo 07:10FDB 053 Dubai 07:50KAC 384 Delhi 08:00UAE 855 Dubai 08:25ETD 301 Abu Dhabi 08:55ABY 125 Sharjah 09:00IRC 6511 ABD 09:10QTR 1070 Doha 09:25IRA 665 Shiraz 09:25FDB 055 Dubai 09:40IRM 1188 Mashhad 09:55MSC 415 Sohag 10:15GFA 213 Bahrain 10:40MEA 404 Beirut 10:55SYR 341 Damascus 11:00QTR 1074 Doha 11:00AXB 889 Mangalore/Bahrain 11:05JZR 561 Sohag 11:10KAC 614 Bahrain 11:15KAC 742 Dammam 11:45JZR 165 Dubai 11:50IAW 157 Al Najaf 12:00JZR 239 Amman 12:25UAE 871 Dubai 12:45KAC 774 Riyadh 12:45THY 766 Istanbul 12:50FEG 953 Asyut 12:55MSR 610 Cairo 13:00WAN 954 GYD 13:00CLX 792 Luxembourg 13:15

KAC 662 Abu Dhabi 13:15KAC 672 Dubai 13:55IRC 6521 Lamerd 14:00QTR 1078 Doha 14:10KNE 231 Riyadh 14:10GFA 221 Bahrain 14:15SVA 500 Jeddah 14:15KAC 364 Colombo 14:15FDB 059 Dubai 14:20KAC 618 Doha 14:20KAC 540 Sharm el-Sheikh 14:35JZR 357 Mashhad 14:50KAC 788 Jeddah 14:55KAC 692 Muscat 14:55KAC 304 Mumbai 14:55ETD 303 Abu Dhabi 15:05KNE 683 Madinah 15:05OMA 645 Muscat 15:10KAC 562 Amman 15:10KAC 502 Beirut 15:25KAC 412 Bangkok 15:30ABY 127 Sharjah 15:35UAE 857 Dubai 15:45SAW 705 Damascus 15:50RJA 640 Amman 16:00SVA 504 Madinah 16:00AAG 147 IQA 16:00MSR 575 Sharm el-Sheikh 16:10FDB 051 Dubai 16:15QTR 1072 Doha 16:15JZR 535 Cairo 16:20KAC 118 New York 16:25JZR 359 Mashhad 16:35JZR 787 Riyadh 16:35NIA 361 Alexandria 16:50KAC 542 Cairo 17:05KAC 514 Tehran 17:10SVA 510 Riyadh 17:15GFA 215 Bahrain 17:30JZR 777 Jeddah 17:35JZR 177 Dubai 17:45QTR 1080 Doha 18:10MSR 620 Cairo 18:30JZR 483 Istanbul 18:30KAC 512 Mashhad 18:40UAE 875 Dubai 19:05GFA 217 Bahrain 19:05FDB 063 Dubai 19:10ABY 123 Sharjah 19:20KAC 154 Istanbul 19:30KAC 616 Bahrain 19:40KAC 674 Dubai 19:40KAC 776 Riyadh 19:50FDB 057 Dubai 19:50KAC 104 London 20:00OMA 647 Muscat 20:05KAC 620 Doha 20:05KNE 381 Taif 20:10DLH 634 Frankfurt 20:15MEA 402 Beirut 20:15JZR 189 Dubai 20:25QTR 1088 Doha 20:40KAC 564 Amman 21:00KAC 172 Frankfurt 21:05JZR 1443 Doha 21:05ETD 307 Abu Dhabi 21:10KLM 445 Amsterdam 21:15ALK 229 Colombo 21:15UAE 859 Dubai 21:15THY 764 Istanbul 21:30GFA 219 Bahrain 21:50KAC 792 Madinah 21:55QTR 1082 Doha 22:00ETD 309 Abu Dhabi 22:10JZR 125 Bahrain 22:15AIC 975 Chennai/Goa 22:25BBC 043 Dhaka 22:40JZR 241 Amman 22:55RBG 551 Alexandria 23:00JZR 185 Dubai 23:00RBG 555 Alexandria 23:25MSR 2614 Cairo 23:30FDB 071 Dubai 23:35PIA 239 Sialkot 23:40

Departure Flights on Wednesday 16/8/2017Airlines Flt Route TimeAIC 988 Hyderabad/Chennai 00:05JZR 1540 Cairo 00:20JAI 573 Mumbai 00:30MSC 406 Sohag 00:30FDB 072 Dubai 00:30THY 773 Istanbul 01:40KAC 363 Colombo 01:55DLH 635 Frankfurt 02:00KAC 677 Dubai 02:15PGT 859 Istanbul 02:35MSR 619 Alexandria 02:35THY 765 Istanbul 02:50KKK 6505 Istanbul 02:55ETH 621 Addis Ababa 03:05AEE 943 ATH 03:15UAE 854 Dubai 03:30KLM 446 Amsterdam 03:30RJA 645 Amman 03:55THY 753 Istanbul 04:00OMA 644 Muscat 04:05QTR 1087 Doha 04:10ETD 306 Abu Dhabi 04:10MSR 613 Cairo 04:15PGT 831 Istanbul 04:20KAC 417 Manila 04:20JZR 560 Sohag 04:45KAC 103 London 05:00RBG 550 Alexandria 05:00THY 3905 TZX 05:00QTR 1091 Doha 05:05QTR 1077 Doha 05:30KAC 303 Mumbai 05:50FEG 954 Asyut 05:55THY 1465 Istanbul 06:00UAE 874 Dubai 06:15RJA 643 Amman 06:25THY 771 Istanbul 06:25GFA 212 Bahrain 06:50JZR 238 Amman 07:00FDB 070 Dubai 07:05JZR 164 Dubai 07:15KAC 501 Beirut 07:50KAC 171 Frankfurt 07:50KAC 613 Bahrain 07:55BAW 156 London 08:20KAC 741 Dammam 08:30FDB 054 Dubai 08:30KAC 773 Riyadh 08:35KAC 539 Sharm el-Sheikh 08:40KAC 661 Abu Dhabi 08:45JZR 356 Mashhad 09:00KAC 101 London 09:00KAC 117 New York 09:15KAC 787 Jeddah 09:15KAC 671 Dubai 09:15JZR 534 Cairo 09:30KAC 691 Muscat 09:30KAC 561 Amman 09:30JZR 482 Istanbul 09:40ABY 126 Sharjah 09:40UAE 856 Dubai 09:50ETD 302 Abu Dhabi 10:00IRC 6522 Lamerd 10:00KAC 541 Cairo 10:00KAC 617 Doha 10:15IRA 664 Shiraz 10:25KAC 153 Istanbul 10:30QTR 1071 Doha 10:35FDB 056 Dubai 10:35JZR 358 Mashhad 10:45AAG 146 IQA 11:00IRM 1189 Mashhad 11:10MSC 416 Sohag 11:15GFA 214 Bahrain 11:35MEA 405 Beirut 11:55JZR 776 Jeddah 12:00SYR 342 Latakia 12:00AXB 890 Mangalore 12:05QTR 1075 Doha 12:10

KAC 511 Mashhad 12:45KAC 513 Tehran 12:45IAW 158 Al Najaf 13:00JZR 176 Dubai 13:10JZR 786 Riyadh 13:10THY 767 Istanbul 13:45FEG 932 Alexandria 13:55MSR 611 Cairo 14:00UAE 872 Dubai 14:15CLX 792 Hanoi 14:30WAN 805 Sarajevo 14:35IRC 6512 ABD 14:50KAC 673 Dubai 15:00KNE 382 Taif 15:00GFA 222 Bahrain 15:00FDB 060 Dubai 15:05QTR 1079 Doha 15:15KAC 563 Amman 15:40SVA 501 Jeddah 15:45JZR 188 Dubai 15:50KAC 619 Doha 16:00KNE 684 Madinah 16:00KAC 775 Riyadh 16:05OMA 646 Muscat 16:10ABY 128 Sharjah 16:15ETD 304 Abu Dhabi 16:20KAC 615 Bahrain 16:30SAW 706 Damascus 16:50MSR 576 Sharm el-Sheikh 16:50SVA 505 Madinah 16:55RJA 641 Amman 16:55FDB 052 Dubai 17:05KAC 791 Madinah 17:10JZR 266 Beirut 17:15KAC 503 Beirut 17:15QTR 1073 Doha 17:25JZR 240 Amman 17:30JZR 1442 Doha 17:30KAC 361 Colombo 17:35KAC 357 Kochi 17:40UAE 858 Dubai 17:40KAC 381 Delhi 17:50NIA 362 Alexandria 17:50KAC 283 Dhaka 18:00KAC 343 Chennai 18:00SVA 511 Riyadh 18:15GFA 216 Bahrain 18:20JZR 184 Dubai 18:25JZR 538 Cairo 18:30KAC 785 Jeddah 18:45QTR 1081 Doha 19:15JZR 124 Bahrain 19:20MSR 621 Cairo 19:30GFA 218 Bahrain 19:50FDB 064 Dubai 19:50ABY 124 Sharjah 20:00FDB 058 Dubai 20:30KAC 331 Trivandrum 20:35UAE 876 Dubai 20:35KAC 353 Bangalore 20:55KAC 1543 Cairo 21:00DLH 634 Doha 21:00OMA 648 Muscat 21:05KNE 232 Riyadh 21:10JZR 554 Alexandria 21:15MEA 403 Beirut 21:15KAC 301 Mumbai 21:40KAC 203 Lahore 21:45DHX 171 Bahrain 21:50QTR 1089 Doha 21:50KAC 205 Islamabad 21:55ETD 308 Abu Dhabi 22:00KAC 155 Istanbul 22:15ALK 230 Colombo 22:20KLM 445 Bahrain 22:25THY 1413 TZX 22:25KAC 383 Delhi 22:35UAE 860 Dubai 22:35GFA 220 Bahrain 22:50ETD 310 Abu Dhabi 23:00JZR 528 Asyut 23:05KAC 783 Jeddah 23:10QTR 1083 Doha 23:20RBG 552 Alexandria 23:40

KNCC PROGRAMME FROM THURSDAY TO WEDNESDAY (10/08/2017 TO 16/08/2017)

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Fajr: 03:51Shorook: 05:16Duhr: 11:52Asr: 15:28Maghrib: 18:28Isha: 19:50

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Indian, male, MBA(finance), pursuing CFA(USA) having 12 years experience in Kuwait,presently working asfinance manager, is lookingfor similar post for immedi-ate placement. Please call90073251 / 55584351.(C 5339)14-8-2017

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 16, 2017

l if e st yleG O S S I P

The couple - who split in September 2016 after two yearsof marriage and a decade of dating - were recentlyrevealed to have put their separation on hold, but insid-

ers insist they won’t be getting back together, but are simplydelaying the process while they sort out their assets. A sourcesaid: “A reunion is incredibly unlikely... “First and foremost, it’sabout money. They have so many properties and so many areastheir pre-nup doesn’t cover. “For instance, Brad wants to keeptheir estate in France and keep up their wine brand, while Angewants to sell the property and use it all for charity. “Also, Bradhas a collection of early 20th century furnishings that’s worthabout $10 million, and Angelina wants that sold too. “The listgoes on and on and the lawyers are in staltemate.” Though itwas previously reported Brad had got sober in a bid to “winback” the ‘Maleficent’ star, the 42-year-old actress only wants tosee that he has quit alcohol so she can consider joint custodyof their six children, Maddox, 16, Pax, 13, Zahara, 12, Shiloh, 11and nine-year-old twins Knox and Vivienne. The source added

to heat magazine: “The other problem is custody arrange-ments. “Brad is still pushing for shared custody but Ange saysshe wants to see a year of sobriety before she will let that hap-pen.”Angelina recently admitted she’s thankful the pair canremain civil for their kids’ sake and insisted their home life was-n’t “negative” at all. She said: “[Our lifestyle] was not in any waya negative. That is and will remain one of the wonderful oppor-tunities we were able to give our children ... We’re all just heal-ing from the events that led to the filing ... They’re not healingfrom divorce. They’re healing from some ... from life, fromthings in life.” In May, Brad admitted his drinking became “aproblem”, but he has now quit alcohol. He said: “I can’t remem-ber a day since I got out of college when I wasn’t boozing orhad a spliff, or something. Something. And you realise that a lotof it is, um-cigarettes, you know, pacifiers. And I’m runningfrom feelings.”

Jolie and Pitt havedelayed divorce

The 56-year-old actress has joined fellow movie iconDame Helen Mirren as a representative for the cos-metics giant, and the star has admitted she feels hon-

ored to have partnered with the label above any othercompany because she likes everything the brand standsfor. Speaking to Hello! magazine about her partnership,she said: “I genuinely feel confident with the brandbecause it represents people all over the world - every eth-nicity, every culture, and every age. I love its aesthetic - it isattainable and inspirational and doesn’t have to be compli-cated and mysterious. And I like that it has all of these [dif-ferent] representations of beauty.” And the red headedbeauty has hinted she has a slight input in the products as

those working in the laboratories to create various skincareand make-up products are open to her hear suggestions,although she is not the scientist. She explained: “The peo-ple who work at the labs work so hard and truly believe iswhat they are doing but they also welcome our suggestionand do listen to what all of the ambassadors have to say.That said, they are a huge company and we are spokemod-els, not scientists.” However, the ‘Still Alice’ star has admit-ted although she has appeared in campaigns she doesn’tthink she was not an ideal candidate to boast a successfulcareer as a model because she is “too short”.

Moore ‘confident as brandambassador for L’Oreal

The couple - who split in March after10 months - have fuelled specula-tion they are an item again in the

last few days after they were spottedkissing and cuddling at an Ed Sheeranshow and riding the actor’s motorcycletogether, and insiders have insisted theyare in a relationship after “really goodtalks”. A source confirmed to E!: “Theyhave never cut communication sincethey broke up. They just took a breakbecause it was the best thing for them atthat time, [but they] are seeing each oth-er again. “Katy and Orlando want this towork this time, so they are working onmending their relationship. They’ve hadsome really good talks and have a betterunderstanding on their needs. Time willtell at this point, but [things are] lookingvery positive. “When they went out inpublic, they were aware that peoplewould start speculating that they wereback on, and they are OK with that. “Theylove each other and never stopped.” Itwas previously claimed the pair calledtime on their relationship becauseOrlando, 40 - who has son Flynn, six, withex-wife Miranda Kerr - wasn’t ready tosettle down. A source said: “Katy andOrlando had a great time together. “Itwas a great healing process for Orlandofollowing his divorce from Miranda. ButKaty and Orlando discovered they wereon different pages. “Katy wants childrenand to get married, while Orlando hasbeen there and done that. “At 32, Katydoesn’t want to waste any more time. Itbecame a strain.” Katy married comedianRussell Brand in 2010, but he filed fordivorce in 2011.

Perry and Bloomare back together

Rihanna and Bullock‘bonded’ over their

love of hot dogs

The ‘We Found Love’ singer stars with the Oscar-winningactress in the upcoming heist movie ‘Ocean’s Eight’ andthey love nothing more than sitting down to a meaty

treat together. Rihanna would like her fans to see pictures ofher and her new pal enjoying a sizzling sausage because shewants to promote a healthy approach to food. She said: “Onthe set of ‘Ocean’s Eight’, Sandra and I bonded over our loveof hot dogs. “Those are the pictures that I want fans to see, ofus stuffing our faces so they know it’s OK to eat what youwant.” The 29-year-old singer was recently mocked on socialmedia for gaining weight, and while Rihanna insists she does-n’t care about the cruel comments, she worries about themessage it sends to her impressionable fans. She told thenew issue of Britain’s Grazia magazine: “It’s important younggirls know that it’s OK to eat they like and that’s why bodyshaming makes me so angry.”It doesn’t really worry me per-sonally, but I hate the message it sends. “It is absolutely OK toenjoy your food. I love fast food and you are never going tohear me apologize for that. “Burgers, fries, hot dogs, pizza,you name it. “I am not saying I eat it every day, but when I amon tour or filming, it’s quick and easy and I know I am goingto burn a good lot of it off.”

Tiera Skovbye engagedto longtime boyfriendThe ‘Riverdale’ actress - who plays Polly Cooper in the US teen drama

took to her Instagram to show off a series of images with her fianceJameson Parker, and admitted she was taken completely by sur-

prised at his proposal. Tiera shared several pictures of the pair andrevealed he popped the question in his childhood bedroom. She addedthe caption: “This weekend was something out of a dream. The love ofmy life surprised the crap out of me and asked me to marry him in hischildhood bedroom (not planned, I’m really hard to surprise). We got tospend the rest of the weekend hanging out on the lake with both of ourfamilies and it was absolutely wonderful. I’m over the [moon emoji] hap-py (sic)” In one snap the 22-year-old actress can be holding up herengagement finger in the air during an embrace with Jameson, who ispointing his middle finger to the camera. Another more romantic shotsees the hunk planting a kiss on the side of his lover’s head as she smilesat the camera. She also shared a group shot with pals and a picture ofher and Jameson both lying out on a float in the water. Tiera had otherreasons for celebration over the weekend as ‘Riverdale’ scooped nineTeen Choice Awards at the ceremony at the Galen Center in Los Angeles,California on Sunday night. The accolades included Choice Drama TVShow and Choice Breakout TV Show, and lead stars Cole Sprouse and LiliReinhart took home the Choice Drama TV Actor and Choice Breakout TVStar prizes respectively.

NE-YO MAKES IMPROMPTUAPPEARANCE ON STAGE

The 37-year-old star headed up to the main area of The Good Nite bar inNorth Hollywood on Sunday morning to collaborate with a supporter whowas in the middle of a rendition of the singer’s 2007 hit ‘Because of You’. A

video on gossip website TMZ shows Ne-Yo duet with the surprised fan, who canbe seen dancing alongside the ‘Miss Independent’ hitmaker. Other Ne-Yo fanscan be heard screaming and clapping in excitement as he comes from nowhereto take to the stage. The star was dressed casually in a baseball cap, top and apair of trousers for the surprise performance as he sang lyrics including: “I canbarely move, but I like it; So, then it’s all because of you.”Another thing Ne-Yorecently revealed he liked was Jennifer Lopez’s Los Angeles house after the starspent some time at the ‘Shades of Blue’ star’s home while filming NBC competi-tion show ‘World of Dance’ alongside their fellow judge Derek Hough. He said:“[We] hung out a couple of times at J.Lo’s home. It’s insane. I’m telling you it’s acompound. Here’s the house; up this hill and around the corner, here’s thedance studio. It’s like J.Lo world behind the gate. “[It] was embarrassing. Youlook at J.Lo’s house and it just makes your house look like, ‘What am I doing withmy life? Jeez.’ It’s impressive to say the least.” Ne-Yo - who is married to 27-year-old Crystal Renay and has six-year-old daughter Madilyn and five-year-old son

Mason with his former partner Monyetta Shaw - recently heaped praised his wife, saying he can discuss “anything”with her. He said: “My wife Crystal. She’s the one person on the planet I can talk to about anything and everything.She’s the person I know will never judge me.”

Henson urges women to‘eat with confidence’

The ‘Empire’ star - who plays outspoken mother Loretha ‘Cookie’ Lyon in the USdrama TV series - believes ladies need to stop spending so much time a daydeciding what is best for them to eat and have fewer “feelings of guilt” about

what they consume on a regular basis. The 46-year-old actress wrote on Instagram:“statistics have shown that it takes the average woman 61 mins per day to make smartfood choices. That is 15 days that we waste our energy on deciding what’s best for usto eat or have feelings of guilt about what we ate. Transfer the negative to positiveand take the guess work out when on the go grab “Women we spend way too muchtime doubting our food choices!!! Shout out to @SpecialK for rallying women to eatwith confidence and #OWNIT.” It’s not the first time Taraji has helped people with theirlifestyle choices. Her fellow ‘Empire’ star Terrence Howard - who plays Cookie’s ex,Lucious Lyon - admitted earlier this year that he lost 40lbs after the star was teasinghim about his weight. He said: “Taraji was making so much fun of me at work aboutgaining weight. She was like, ‘Do you really want to look like this the rest of yourcareer?’ “The actor started running five miles every morning and went on a “no carbs,no salt, no sugar” diet.

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 16, 2017

l if e s t y l eG O S S I P

G o m e z ’s younger sisteris her spirit animal

The 25-year-old singer has credited her four-year-old sibling Gracie as the most inspi-rational person in her life, because she believes the youngster is “cooler” than her.When asked in a Q&A on Twitter as part of a 30 minute #StreamWithSelena session,

one social media user asked who her “spirit animal” was, to which the brunette beauty -who also has three-year-old sibling Tori - replied: “My little sister Gracie. She’s 4 and coolerthan me. (sic).” And the ‘Kill Em With Kindness’ hitmaker - who is currently dating TheWeeknd, whose real name is Abel Makkonen Tesfaye - has revealed she equally enjoysstaying in at home and talking about “everything and nothing” with her friends just asmuch as she enjoys a night out. When asked to choose what her favourite past time is shereplied: “Depends on my mood! #streamwithselena “Eat and talk about everything andnothing [with my friends].” The Texas born star - whose mother, Mandy Teefey, is fromItalian decent, whilst her father Ricardo Gomez has Mexican ancestry - has admitted shewished she was fluent in Spanish and French. When asked what language she yearned tobe an expert speaker in, she said: “French (sic).” But she swiftly changed her mind andexplained: “Spanish would be my top but then French (sic).” Although Selena does alreadyspeak Spanish with her family, she has hinted she hasn’t “perfected” it yet. When asked ifshe converses with family members in another tongue, the ‘Spring Breakers’ actress said:“Sometimes I have to even if it’s not perfected (sic).”

Dwayne Johnson ‘so proud’ of his

‘baby girl’ SimoneThe 45-year-old actor has taken to social media to gush about his 16-year-old daugh-

ter - who he has with his former partner Dany Garcia - on her birthday, which sawhim reflect on the day his oldest child was born and clasped onto his hands.

Alongside an image of the former professional wrestler - who was known as The Rock -with Simone by his side when she was a child, which was shared on the star’s Instagramaccount, he wrote: “And just like that my baby girl @simonegjohnson turns 16. Feels likejust yesterday I held her tiny body in my hands the day she was born as I whispered “I’mgonna love and take care of you for the rest of my life”. She of course cried, which in new-born lingo translates to, “you’re the best damn daddy on the planet”. True story.” The ‘SanAndreas’ star has admitted he loves the “awesome young woman” Simone has developedinto. The muscular hunk’s post continued: “Happy Birthday honey! I’m so proud of the awe-some young woman you’ve become.” Dwayne - who also has 19-month-old daughterJasmine with Lauren Hashian - only hopes his daughter will continue to stay focused andwork hard. He said: “Keep your eyes on that prize, keep working hard (sic).” But Dwayne hasvowed to always support Simone “every step of the way” throughout her future. He con-cluded: “And I got your back every step of the way. Now go have fun!#FatherDaughterBond #OurSnapPhilosophy.”

Cruise will need monthsto recover after MI:6

The 55-year-old actor was filming the latest movie in the ‘Mission: Impossible’franchise - in which he plays IMF agent Ethan Hunt - over the weekend whenhe was injured during a stunt which involved jumping from rigging onto a

nearby building rooftop. Now, it has been reported that the star has suffered twobroken bones in his ankle, and his expected recovery time has left the production ofthe movie halted for four months. A source told The Sun newspaper: “The injury isworse than was at first feared. Tom did serious damage and will need months torecover. “He is the film’s biggest star and everything revolves around him. Themovie’s bosses had no choice other than to postpone the filming.” At the time ofwriting, it has not been confirmed as to whether or not the scheduled July 2018release date for the movie will need to be altered in order to meet with the delay infilming caused by the incident. News of Tom’s on-set mishap was first reported byTMZ, who obtained video footage showing the ‘Top Gun’ star attempting to jumpfrom a rigging to a building but he appeared to miss his mark and hit the side of thestructure. Tom, who was attached to safety wires, was able to climb up onto the roofof the building but he was limping and the actor called to the production crew forassistance. He then made his way back to the scaffolding he originally jumped fromand could be seem walking away with the crew. Meanwhile, producer David Ellisonpreviously revealed that Tom has been “training for a year” for his role in ‘Mission:Impossible 6’. He said: “What Tom is doing in this movie I believe will top anythingthat’s come before. It is absolutely unbelievable - he’s been training for a year. “It isgoing to be, I believe, the most impressive and unbelievable thing that Tom Cruisehas done in a movie, and he has been working on it since right after ‘Rogue Nation’came out. It’s gonna be mind-blowing.”

Prince set to get hisown shade of purple

The late musical icon - who passed away in April last year at the age of 57after an accidental fentanyl overdose - has become synonymous with thecolor since the release of his hit single and album ‘Purple Rain’ in 1984, and

it has now been revealed that The Pantone Color Institute have teamed up withthe late star’s estate to develop a new shade of the color in his honor. The color,entitled ‘Love Symbol #2’ after the star’s famous name change to an unpro-nounceable symbol known as the Love Symbol in the late 1990s, was “inspiredby his custom-made Yamaha purple piano.” In a press release, The PantoneColour Institute said: “We are honoured to have worked on the development ofLove Symbol #2, a distinctive new purple shade created in memory of Prince. Amusical icon known for his artistic brilliance, Love Symbol #2 is emblematic ofPrince’s distinctive style. “Long associated with the purple family, Love Symbol#2 enables Prince’s unique purple shade to be consistently replicated and main-tain the same iconic status as the man himself.” Meanwhile, it was previouslyrevealed that a musical based on the works of the ‘Little Red Corvette’ hitmakeris in the works in memory of the late icon. The creators behind the MichaelJackson themed musical ‘Thriller Live’ are the creative minds behind the show,and it is set to showcase Prince’s most famous work including tracks such as‘Raspberry Beret’, ‘Kiss’, and ‘When Doves Cry’. Director Gary Lloyd said in a state-ment: “Prince’s music and constant reinvention is legendary, so to get theopportunity to bring that and all his colourful characters to the theatrical stageis a dream. “There is also a real appetite for live music shows that showcase themusicians as part of the performance. Prince was all about this. Prince was aconsummate, theatrical artist, but in our show his music is the star.”

The 33-year-old reality star struck up a relationship with the ClevelandCavaliers basketball player last year, and has said she is lucky to be dat-ing someone she has so much in common with, especially when it

comes to being “organized”. Writing in a new post on her app, the ‘KeepingUp with the Kardashians’ star wrote: “I love myself an organized man. I am sofortunate that Tristan is so similar to me. “He’s a Pisces and Pisces men arepretty much like that. My father and my brother are both Pisces, and we allhave a crazy need for everything to be perfect, neat, overly clean and organ-ized at all times. “I definitely like to oversee his organizational style. But howlucky am I that he thinks my crazy is cute?! “I also truly enjoy helping himand making things as stress-free as possible. Trust me, when you keep anorganized and clean life, it definitely helps de-stress in the life areas that justdon’t need the headache. (sic)” Khloe’s blog post comes just days after shedescribed her romance with Tristan, 26, as “the best relationship [she’s] everbeen in”, and said she would be willing to tie the knot with him in the future,although she isn’t putting a time frame on it. The star - who was previouslymarried to fellow basketball player Lamar Odom - said: “I’m in the best rela-tionship I’ve ever been in and it doesn’t take a ring for me to feel that way. Ibelieve in marriage and I want to be married again one day but I don’t havea time frame. “Why do people think that marriage equates to happiness?There are a lot of people in unhealthy marriages.” And Khloe also admittedshe “definitely” wants to have children one day and thinks Tristan - who haseight-month-old son Prince with former girlfriend Jordan Craig - is a “greatdad”. She added: “I definitely want a family, but I don’t feel any pressure.“Tristan is a great dad and he definitely wants more children, but we bothfeel that it will happen when the time is right. We’re still in a new relation-ship and I love us having time together. Once you have kids you can’t getback your non-kid years.”

Khloe ‘fortunate’ to bedating Tristan Thompson

Cabello feels ‘comfortable’ nowafter leaving Fifth Harmony

The 20-year-old musician parted ways with the girl group in 2016, and has saidthat she’s enjoying the newfound freedom she has, especially when it comesto wearing the clothes she feels the most comfortable in, rather than having to

match a theme with her four former band mates. She said: “As a solo artist, I don’thave to worry about matching a group look, which can be quite challengingbecause you have to fit with everyone else.” And as a result, the ‘Crying In The Club’hitmaker has found her style has “evolved” because she’s “comfortable in [her] ownskin.” She added: “I think my style has evolved because I’ve evolved as a person. I’malways growing and recreating myself, and because style is an expression of howyou feel, my style has changed like I have. I’m more comfortable in my own skin nowand I don’t feel like I have to do as much to feel good. I could wear jeans and a T-shirtwith no makeup and feel just as good as when I’ve been in hair and makeup for twohours and wearing a fancy dress. It’s all about feeling comfortable and feeling likeyourself.” Camila - who is set to release her debut solo record ‘The Hurting. TheHealing. The Loving.’ in September - admits she “put everything” into her forthcom-ing album, and says her music comes “from [her] heart”. She told People magazine: “Ijust want to keep living experiences and then writing about them. I’ve put every-thing into this album. I’ve opened myself up to this music and I think when you hearit you can see that this is all really coming from my heart.” — Bangshowbiz

L I F E S T Y L EWEDNESDAY, AUGUST 16, 2017

Immediately after a jury determined that Taylor Swifthad been groped by a radio station host before a con-cert in Denver, the singer-songwriter turned to one of

her closest allies - her mother - and later said she hopedthe verdict would inspire other victims of sexual assault.

Swift hugged her crying mother after the six-woman,two-man jury said in US District Court on Monday that for-mer Denver DJ David Mueller had groped the pop star dur-ing a photo op four years ago. Per Swift’s request, jurorsawarded her $1 in damages - a sum her attorney, DouglasBaldridge, called “a single symbolic dollar, the value ofwhich is immeasurable to all women in this situation.” Swiftreleased a statement thanking her attorneys “for fightingfor me and anyone who feels silenced by a sexual assault.”

“My hope is to help those whose voices should also be

heard,” she said, promising to make unspecified donationsto groups that help victims of sexual assault. Nancy Leong,a law professor at the University of Denver, said the verdictis important because “we are getting to the point in societythat women are believed in court. For many decades andcenturies, that was not the case.”

Gender studies Leong, who also teaches in the university’s gender

studies program, said the verdict will inspire more vic-tims of sexual assault to come forward. “The fact that shewas believed will allow women to understand that theywill not automatically be disbelieved, and I think that’s agood thing,” Leong said. Swift and her mother initiallytried to keep the accusation quiet by reporting the inci-dent to Mueller’s bosses and not the police. But itinevitably became public when Mueller sued Swift for upto $3 million, claiming the allegation cost him his$150,000-a-year job at country station KYGO-FM, wherehe was a morning host.

“I’ve been trying to clear my name for four years,” hesaid after the verdict in explaining why he took Swift tocourt. “Civil court is the only option I had. This is the onlyway that I could be heard.” On ABC’s “Good MorningAmerica” yesterday, Mueller he might appeal and insistedhe did nothing wrong “and I can pass a polygraph.” AfterMueller sued, Swift countersued for assault and battery,and during an hour of testimony blasted a low-key charac-terization by Mueller’s attorney, Gabriel McFarland, of whathappened. While Mueller testified he never grabbed Swift,she insisted she was groped.

“He stayed attached to my bare ass-cheek as I lurchedaway from him,” Swift testified. “It was a definite grab. Avery long grab,” she added. Mueller emphatically deniedreaching under the pop star’s skirt or otherwise touchingher inappropriately, insisting he touched only her ribs andmay have brushed the outside of her skirt as they awk-wardly posed for the picture. That photo was virtually theonly evidence besides the testimony.

In the image shown to jurors during opening state-ments but not publicly released, Mueller’s hand is behindSwift, just below her waist. Both are smiling. Mueller’sthen-girlfriend is standing on the other side of Swift. Swifttestified that after she was groped, she numbly toldMueller and his girlfriend, “Thank you for coming,” andmoved on to photos with others waiting in line becauseshe did not want to disappoint them. But she said sheimmediately went to her photographer after the meet-and-greet ended and found the photo of her with Mueller,telling the photographer what happened. — AP

Taylor Swift hopes verdict inspires assault victims

Deadpool 2” star Ryan Reynolds is mourning thedeath of a motorcycle stunt driver killed duringproduction Monday. Reynolds released a state-

ment on Twitter a few hours after the accident near thewaterfront in downtown Vancouver. “Today, we tragi-cally lost a member of our crew while filmingDeadpool,” the actor wrote. “We’re heartbroken,shocked and devastated ... but recognize nothing cancompare to the grief and inexplicable pain her familyand loved ones must feel in this moment.”

Reynolds, a native of Vancouver playing the MarvelComics superhero Deadpool in the 20th Century Foxmovie, said his heart “pours out to them - along witheach and every person she touched in this world.” Themotorcycle crash happened near the Shaw Tower officebuilding, where a crumpled motorcycle was seen lyingon its side and a window was smashed.

Nathan Kramchynski, who works on the seventhfloor of the building, said he watched rehearsals for thestunt outside the Vancouver Convention Centre. Thestunt woman had been riding the motorcycle down aset of stairs from the center and had stopped when shereached the street, he said. But on the occasion whenthe accident happened, the driver appeared to pick upspeed, crossed the street and swerved to avoid pedes-

trians before disappearing from his view, Kramchynskisaid. “She lost control really quickly. It happened in asplit second,” he said. “She was going full throttle andthen there’s a building there.”

Another witness, Sharmina Kermalli, said she hadjust walked into a Starbucks next door to where theaccident happened when she heard a loud crash. Sheran outside and saw glass still falling on the body of themotorcycle driver. The name of the stunt woman wasnot immediately released. Police said WorkSafeBC, theBritish Columbia provincial workplace safety agency,and the coroner’s service were investigating. TrishKnight Chernecki of WorkSafe BC said some investiga-tors are looking at any possible occupational healthand safety issues while others examine the cause of thecrash and prevention in the future.

The last stunt death in British Columbia was in 1996,when a person jumped from a helicopter and a para-chute failed to open, she said. In March 2016, actorDylan O’Brien suffered injuries on the British Columbiaset of the latest installment of the “Maze Runner” filmseries. WorkSafe BC said Fox Productions Inc didn’trehearse a stunt sequence properly, but Fox said thestunt was thoroughly rehearsed. — AP

Stunt driver dies whilefilming ‘Deadpool 2’

MTV says the uber-popular video for “Despacito” didn’t earn a nomination atits Video Music Awards because it wasn’t submitted for consideration, butUniversal Music Latin Entertainment says MTV didn’t ask the label to sub-

mit the video until last week - two weeks after the network announced its VMAnominees.

“Despacito” has not aired on MTV or MTV2, but it is being played on MTV Tres,the company’s Latin channel. As for the VMAs, MTV said “the ‘Despacito’ video wasnot submitted for consideration” in a statement to The Associated Press onMonday. “Until last week, MTV hadn’t solicited UMLE to submit the video for con-sideration,” a spokesperson for the record label said in a statement to the AP after itpublished a story on the reason for “Despacito’s” exclusion from the awards show.

It is unclear why the network solicited the label for a submission after the nomi-nations had already been announced. MTV did not immediately respond to a mes-sage seeking comment Monday afternoon. MTV announced its VMA nominees onJuly 25. The network said Monday that “Despacito” - the song not the video - willbe acknowledged at the VMAs as a nominee in its song of summer category. Thatcategory and its nominees will be officially announced the week of Aug 21. Thelabel said it hopes MTV will air the video at some point.

“UMLE is surprised and happy to learn that MTV plans to recognize ‘Despacito’in the VMA’s ‘Song of Summer’ category,” the label said. “We hope the nominationwill lead to MTV airing the full video on their main channels.” MTV did not explainwhy it has not played “Despacito” on its main channel when asked by the AP. LuisFonsi and Daddy Yankee’s hit song has become YouTube’s most viewed clip of all-time, surpassing 3 billion views. “We’re proud to work with MTV to expose newaudiences to our artists’ music and we would welcome MTV’s decision to recognizeSpanish-language videos on its main channel and the Music Video Awards pro-gram,” the label said. The VMAs will air live on Aug. 27.

Massive success MTV, which mainly airs reality shows like “Teen Mom” and “Catfish” throughout

the day, rarely plays music videos on its main channel. MTV2, MTV Classic and oth-er spin-offs air videos regularly. “Despacito” is the rare Spanish track that hasbecome a massive success in the US and around the world. The hit song, whichrecently became the first video to hit 3 billion views on YouTube, has become themost streamed track of all-time and is spending its 14th week at No.1 on theBillboard Hot 100 chart.

It is the first mostly Spanish song to top the Hot 100 since Los del Rio’s

“Macarena” in 1996 and has sold more than 7.7 million tracks based on digitalsales, audio streaming and video streaming. The song, released in January, got aboost when Justin Bieber appeared on its remix, helping it soar from the Top 40 tothe Top 10, and later No.1. The remix version does not have an official video.“Despacito” missed out on VMA nominations such as video of the year, best collab-oration, best editing and other more. In an interview with the AP, Fonsi said he did-n’t notice the video wasn’t nominated for the VMAs and he’s happy with the song’smassive success. “Awards are very important but what bigger award (is there) thanhaving the most watched video in the world in history? It doesn’t really get anybigger than that,” Fonsi said, referring to the song’s YouTube record. “Hopefully it’llwin some awards down the line, down the road, but I think I got the biggest one sofar, straight from the people.”

MTV, record label

debate ‘Despacito’ video

In this Feb 4, 2017 file photo, Taylor Swift performs atthe DIRECTV NOW Super Saturday Night Concert inHouston, Texas. — AP

A police officer examines a motorcycle after a female stunt driver working on the movie “Deadpool 2” diedafter a crash on set, in Vancouver, BC. — AP

This April 27, 2017, file photo shows singers Luis Fonsi, left, and DaddyYankee during the Latin Billboard Awards in Coral Gables. — AP

At 63, Oprah Winfrey isn’t apologizing for anything, especiallyher weight. The media mogul and former talk show host tellsVogue magazine that the high-profile fluctuations in her

weight over the years were “a physical, spiritual, emotional burden”for her. But she says that when you hit 60, there are no more apolo-gies. Winfrey also discussed the 2011 end of her talk show. She saysshe misses her connection to the audience, but knew it was time toend the show because the way people consume media was chang-ing. Winfrey opened up about her relationship with longtime part-ner Stedman Graham. She says if she and Graham had married longago, they wouldn’t be together. She explains that she wouldn’thave been able to fit into a traditional marriage role.

Oprah lets go of ‘emotional

burden’ of weight

In this April 18, 2017, file photo, Oprah Winfrey attends thepremiere of HBO Films’ “The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks”at the SVA Theatre in New York. — AP

This summer, as children gear up for the premieres of Spider Man:Homecoming and Disney’s Cars 3, Home Centre, the largest homeretailer in the Middle East, has launched an exclusive movie-themed

line as part of its back-to-school collection. The exclusive range comprisesof bright and playful children’s room accessories featuring Spider-Man,Cars and Disney Princess themes that are sure to spark wonder and imagi-

nation in every child. The meticulously crafted collection brings iconiccharacters to life through vibrant products such as table lamps, cushions,rugs, mugs, clocks, posters and more. The exclusive movie-themed collec-tion is available across all Home Centre stores located at Al Rai, Shuwaikh,The Avenues, Kuwait City, Fahaheel and Sama Mall (Fintas).

Home Centre brings movie magic to kids’ rooms

Five versions of a Vincent van Gogh masterpiece are beingreunited for the first time Monday in a “virtual exhibition.” VanGogh painted his “Sunflowers” series in the south of France in

1888 and 1889. Five versions of the work reside in five differentmuseums on three continents. On Monday, they all will bestreamed to a global audience in a Facebook Live broadcast. The 1hour and 35 minute broadcast begins in London’s National Galleryat 1650GMT (12:50 p.m. EDT.) It then continues at Amsterdam’s VanGogh Museum, the Neue Pinakothek in Munich, the PhiladelphiaMuseum of Art and Tokyo’s Seiji Togo Memorial Museum of Art.

A curator from each museum will describe, in 15-minute seg-ments, what makes their version unique. The museums launched avirtual-reality experience last week that shows viewers all five“Sunflowers” in one room. The paintings are so treasured and suchbig draws it would be difficult to bring them together in real life.

“We’re at a moment in time where new kinds of experience arebecoming possible for art galleries and museums all around theworld,” Chris Michaels, the National Gallery’s digital director, said.London’s version of “Sunflowers” is one of the museum’s most pop-ular paintings. It’s famous for its blue and yellow swirls, texturedsurface and rare glimpse into the happy times of Van Gogh’s life inArles, France.

More than 50,000 viewers watched a preview for Monday’sevent online. Michaels is hopeful his team will bring more of theNational Gallery’s famous pieces to online audiences. It’s an addedattraction and a way to connect with other galleries. “But it’s not areplacement,” he said. “It’s another type of thing that art museumscan do and an amazing one for us to explore in the future, in part-nership with amazing museums around the world.” — AP

L I F E S T Y L EWEDNESDAY, AUGUST 16, 2017

F E A T U R E S

Once outdated relics in a digital world, paint-ed advertisements are flourishing onceagain in New York, putting a dose of hip atti-

tude into 21st century commercial art in the citythat never sleeps. Toiling under the blazing sun of aheat wave, Justin Odaffer puts the finishing touchesto a Ray-Ban ad he has spent several days paintingon the facade of an East Village building in down-town Manhattan. For the past seven years, Odaffer— who has a degree in fine art — has painted adson walls in New York, Los Angeles and Chicago forColossal Media, which has risen from nowhere tobecome the leader in painted advertising.

“Basically we created a revival,” says Odaffer.Without the company he works for, he believespainted ads would be hanging “by a very thinthread.” But setting up the company in 2004 was aleap of faith, admits Paul Lindahl, co-founder ofColossal, which is based in Brooklyn’s hipster hub ofWilliamsburg. “Technology was taking over andthere was really no need for hand painting at thetime. Nobody cared,” says Lindahl, who comes froma family of Hungarian immigrants. “It was expensive.

It was slow,” he concedes. “I didn’t know if there wasa future in it at that point. I just knew that I loved it.”

Thirteen years later, his company has 70 employ-ees, paints 450 to 500 murals a year in major UScities and is eyeing sales of $24 million in 2017. Eventhough painted ads take longer and cost more, theyoffer advertisers a unique opportunity to set them-selves apart. Seeing painters in action can generatebuzz on street corners. “People are astonished,” saysOdaffer. “That’s why this company has done so well.It’s because people can actually watch the process.”

But is it art? That buzz carries over onto social media, fueled

by photographs and videos which enhance brandvisibility and advertising, says Lindahl. “That bringsvalue to what we do. What we realized along theway is yes, this thing takes longer than a digital ador print ad but that’s part of the benefit. It’s per-formance art. People stop and they wonder andthey’re intrigued.” Chris Cockerill, general managerof the New York office for Lamar Advertising, one ofthe largest outdoor advertising companies in the

world, agrees — even if the growth still accounts fora fraction of the overall market.

“We’re seeing more around the city. It’s a uniqueproduct that advertisers are asking for now. In thepast, it’s been something a little more difficult tosell,” he says. Lamar does not work with Colossal.Lindahl attributes the growth to multiple factors —luck, timing, the “do-in-yourself” trend and theenduring popularity of street art. Colossal secures itsown walls and real estate, which means it can sell apackage to advertisers with space and the paintedad without having to depend on another advertis-ing company. But are commercial ads really art?Odaffer says definitely.

“It’s still the same process as other street art,” hesaid, adding that many of the painters started out insome form of street art. “I see nothing wrong with it,”says graffiti artist BG 183, a member of the oldestNew York graffiti collective that is still active, TatsCru. “The quality of the painting has improved a lot,”says Cockerill. “It stands out better than it has in thepast. It makes them (advertisers) feel like it’s more ofa hip-looking kind of ad.” — AFP

NY goes back in time with revival of hand-painted adsLiam Williams, an expert painter for Colossal Media, paints an ad on the side of Colossal Media’s officebuilding. — AFP photos

Will Krieg, an apprentice for Colossal Media, organizes paints at Colossal Media’s office.

A freelance pattern maker for Colossal Media burns a pattern to paper atColossal Media’s office building.

Matthew Boyce feels like a superhero when he zips himself into aspangly Elvis Presley jumpsuit and sprints on stage to blastthrough a hip-thrusting, pulsating track by the King. “I just think if

you’re going to play a character, it might as well be your inspiration,” hesays, perfecting his hair, make-up and sideburns in an hour-plus transfor-mation from 21st century teen about to go to college to 35-year-old super-star at the prime of his life in the 1960s.

Matthew is one of thousands of Elvis Tribute Artists or ETAs who bringto life on stage the icon that was Presley’s 1954-77 career, either as full-time professionals or enthusiastic amateurs. At 18 he is younger than theRock ‘n’ Roll legend was when he cut his first record, but Matthew says hewas “bit by the bug early,” under the influence of his grandmother andaunt who were huge Elvis fans. He started performing at seven, did hisfirst paid performance aged eight and has been singing with a band sincehe was 13 or 14.

Now to mark the 40th anniversary of Presley’s death, he’s taking part inan ETA contest in Memphis where prizes range from $50 to $5,000 acrossthree divisions: youth, non-professional and professional. On stage at theNew Daisy Theatre on Beale Street in downtown Memphis, he wows anenthusiastic crowd of older women with his pelvic contortions and dash-ing performance in a tiger-embellished jumpsuit. But it’s an obsession thathas not always endeared him to his peers. While close to his youngerbrother Spencer, 12, who performs on stage alongside him, Matthew sayshe was “severely bullied” from the sixth to ninth grade.

Superhero “That was a low point,” he says. “I’d come home and the Elvis records

would always be there to help me feel better.” The ETA world is a tight-knitsupport group, or “family,” as Matthew likes to put it. But so great is theiradmiration for Presley, they never use the word “impersonator,” believingno one can ever fully recreate the unique magic that was his looks, voiceand presence.

Some of the best tribute artists have become famous in their own rightin the Presley fan world. Some even conduct weddings. The best tributeconcerts are serious affairs, undertaken with reverence. But it’s also anexpensive business. Matthew flew to Memphis from his home in upstateNew York with his parents and brother. Gigs can earn him $300 to $5,000,

but the jumpsuits alone can cost up to $5,000. “You feel like a superherowhen you’re wearing them,” he enthuses showing off a matching, embel-lished cape.

Many of his competitors are considerably older-men in their 50s, even70s paying tribute to a legend who died at just 42 in August 1977.Matthew can zip around stage the way those battling middle-age spreador cranky joints cannot. Going to college in the fall to study music industryand education, he dreams of a full-time career. “I’ve still got a good 15years left,” he reckons. — AFP

The fraternity of tribute artists keeping Elvis alive

For nearly a century, AmericanIndian jewelers, potters and otherartists have been gathering in the

heart of northern New Mexico to showoff their creations at one of the nation’smost prestigious art markets. The annualSanta Fe Indian Market begins Saturdayas organizers push ahead with raisingthe bar for showcasing what they say arethe best examples of art that hasevolved from centuries-old traditions.

Some artists and their families haveparticipated for years, but this marks thefirst time organizers have shifted entirelyto a juried application process that hasresulted in fierce competition.Organizers say the result is more fairthan the system that used to exist, saidDallin Maybee, chief operating officer ofthe Southwestern Association for IndianArts, which presents the market eachyear. “The process allows us to jury andselect people simply based on theweight and competitiveness of theirwork. Tribal affiliation, age, medium - itdoesn’t factor in anymore,” he said.

About 935 artists were selected thisyear. Many are from pueblos through-out New Mexico and the Navajo Nationwhile others are traveling from as far asAlaska, Montana, South Dakota andWisconsin. Events related to Nativefilm, literature and fashion are sched-uled throughout the week leading upto the market. Here are some morethings to know:

TraditionWhile much of the art showcased at

the market is based on methods andstyles used by tribes for generations,more modern narratives have been find-ing their way into the pieces and thework has been evolving. Maybee point-ed to pottery designs and changes intextiles. “I think the perception was thatwe were always a traditional show andthat’s just not the case,” he said. “We dohave art forms that are very old in termsof techniques and materials but fordecades and decades our artists havebeen exploring new ways of presentingthose things.” In 2015, the market startedthe Edge Contemporary Show for thoseNative artists focused on fine art with amore modern flair. Acknowledging thepopularity of the contemporary work, hesaid: “We’ll keep moving in those direc-tions. I think there’s room and space forall the different types of art forms to finda place at Indian Market.”

Film and fashionIn conjunction with the market, the

Smithsonian’s National Museum of theAmerican Indian will present its annualNative Cinema Showcase throughoutthe week, highlighting more than 50 fea-ture-length and short films created byNative artists. The Haute CoutureFashion Show on Saturday will includework inspired by the diverse back-grounds of designers across IndianCountry. That will be followed Sunday bya clothing competition in which modelswill show off traditional and contempo-rary styles. — AP

This Aug. 23, 2015, photo shows Male and Female Adult, Youth and Child cate-gory winners in the 2015 Santa Fe Indian Market Fashion Challenge of theNative American Clothing Contest at the Santa Fe Indian Market. — AP

A statue of Elvis Presley fronts a tourist gift shop at the corner of HollywoodBoulevard and Highland Avenue on August 14, 2017 in Hollywood. — AFP photos

Elvis tribute artist Ede Danna of Brazil performs duringthe preliminary round of the “Images of the King” con-test at the New Daisy Theatre.

Elvis tribute artist Matthew Boyce performs during the preliminaryround of the “Images of the King” contest at the New Daisy Theatre onAugust 12, 2017 in Memphis.

Van Gogh ‘Sunflowers’ reunited online

Santa Fe Indian Market fuses tradition with contemporary art

In this Friday, Jan 24,2014 file photo, twins

Edgar, left, and Gabriel,aged 10, arrange them-

selves to pose for pho-tographers beside twoversions of Dutch-born

painter Vincent vanGogh’s “Sunflowers”,

the left one from 1888and the right one from1889, during a photo-

call at the NationalPortrait Gallery in

London. — AP

30Stunt driverdies while filming‘Deadpool 2’

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 16, 2017

Indian girls wear tri color bangles practice prior to take part during Independence Day celebrations in Secunderabad, the twin city of Hyderabad, on August 15, 2017. Indian Independence Day is celebrated annually on August 15,and this year marks 70 years since British India split into two nations — Hindu-majority India and Muslim-majority Pakistan — and millions were uprooted in one of the largest mass migrations in history. — AFP

In the 70 years since India and Pakistan werecreated from the former British Empire, therehas never been a venue focused on the sto-

ries and memorabilia of those who survivedthat chaotic and bloody chapter in history -until now. A new museum on the Partition ofthe Indian subcontinent opens this week, as thetwo South Asian giants mark seven decades asindependent nations.

“If you look at any other country in theworld, they’ve all memorialized the experiencesthat have defined and shaped them. Yet thisevent that has so deeply shaped not only oursubcontinent but millions of individuals whowere impacted has had no museum or memori-al 70 years later,” said Mallika Ahluwalia, CEO ofthe Partition Museum.

The exhibitions, housed in the red-brickTown Hall building in the north Indian bordercity of Amritsar, include photographs, newspa-per clippings and donated personal itemsmeant to tell the story of how the region’sstruggle for freedom from colonial rule turnedinto one of its most violent episodes, as com-munal clashes left hundreds of thousands ofHindus, Muslims and Sikhs dead and another 15million displaced from their ancestral homes.

‘So grateful’An antique pocket watch that belonged to

someone killed in mob violence in Pakistan.Woven fabrics from craftsmen of the time. A tra-ditional rope cot carried by a refugee across theborder. And many old black-and-white familysnapshots. Screens show video interviews withthe now-elderly survivors. The last of the muse-um’s 14 galleries is called the Gallery of Hope,where visitors are invited to scribble messagesof love and peace on leaf-shaped papers beforehanging them on a barbed-wire tree.

The idea, Ahluwalia said, was to have visitorsparticipate in the “greening” of the tree and tothink of peace and reconciliation between thetorn nations. “You end up feeling so grateful tothat generation who, I think, helped rebuild thenation, despite having suffered such trauma,”Ahluwalia said.

She said she wanted to create the museumafter years of hearing her 83-year-old grand-mother’s tales of the subcontinent before it wasdivided, before she had to flee her Pakistanihome as a 13-year-old girl.

“What must it have felt like for her, to oneday come from, you know, a relatively affluentfamily, have a normal background, and the next

day all you have left of your things is a smallsuitcase,” Ahluwalia said. The personal experi-ence led her to believe it was important to setup the museum, “especially as we saw that gen-eration leaving us.”

The fact that it will be India’s first Partitionmuseum makes it even more crucial, she said.Tickets are priced low at 10 rupees (25 cents)for Indians and 150 rupees ($2.30) for foreign-ers to encourage more visitors. The museum isa nonprofit trust that has raised money fromindividuals such as Indian ad guru Suhel Sethand companies including Air tel and theHindustan Times. The Punjab governmentdonated the space.

Foundation of history While the bloody events of Partition became

a foundational part of India’s history and identi-ty, sparking countless works of art, literatureand film, there has been no official expressionof regret, and India’s leaders have been cautiousin mentioning the communal violence thatcoincided with the country’s earliest days. Thereare no memorials to those who perished. OnTuesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi madeno mention of Partition itself while regaling thecountr y ’s freedom fighters in his annualIndependence Day speech to the nation.

Sociologist Shiv Visvanathan suggested thetopic has simply been too painful for many todwell on, and that reconciliation would need tobe two-sided to work. Even the museum, hesaid, should reflect realities on both sides. “If anation-state becomes the repository of memo-r y, it becomes a one -sided memor y,”Visvanathan said. “We have to acknowledge the

mutuality of violence. There is no one truth. Noone victim.” The museum is located in the heartof Amritsar, best known for its famed SikhGolden Temple, because the Punjabi city wasone of the first points of arrival for millions ofrefugees to India. Dozens of people donateditems to the museum, including 81-year-oldSohinder Nath Chopra, who included an autobi-ographical novel set in his old village nearGujranwala in Pakistan.

His family had been warned by a Muslimcleric to flee the village as weaponized mobswent on killing sprees against Hindus and Sikhsin the newly declared Islamic republic. He was12 years old as they crossed the border intoIndia, and remembers “big arches welcomingthe refugees.”

“Hindi film songs were being played loudly,”Chopra said. “There were people standing onboth sides, holding bread, vegetables, water.And everybody started crying.” — AP

India opens its first Partition museum

A worker looks on from atop a wall with a banner for the PartitionMuseum. — AP photos

Workers stand around a giant saw installation that is cutting through abrick wall at the Partition Museum.

CEO of India’s new partition museum Mallika Ahluwalia looks at a steeltrunk, black, which was among items donated by the relative of a personwho had migrated to India during partition in 1947.

An old newspaper clipping from the Times of India before the division of British India,hangs on the wall of the Partition Museum.

This July, 21, 2017photograph, showsa pocket watch ofIndian man PanditDevi Dass, who waskilled in mob violence in Pakistanwhich was laterdonated by his sonto the PartitionMuseum.