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Philippines drug war deaths climb to 1,800, US concerned

Malaysian rapper remanded for‘insulting Islam’

US NBA starsrip Serbia for third gold in a row

Pfizer to acquire Medivation for $14bn

Cabinet working to tackle

‘unjustifiably’ high prices

Govt taking measures against price gougers

KUWAIT: The Cabinet has tasked the Ministry of Commerceand Industry to continue to work to keep “unjustifiably highprices” in check and prevent “illegal exploitation”, Minister ofState for Cabinet Affairs Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah said yesterday. Notably, Kuwait will raisepetrol prices from Sept 1 as part of economic reformsaimed at countering falling oil revenues. In a statement toKUNA after the Cabinet’s weekly meeting, SheikhMohammad said that the Cabinet discussed a report by theMinistry of Commerce on steps taken by the ConsumerProtection Department to curb rising inflation.

Moreover, he noted that the Ministry of Commerce hasdealt with more than 350 violations committed by variousshops including inflating prices, adding that such practices willwarrant legal action. Furthermore, Sheikh Mohammad saidthat the Cabinet discussed various measures taken by numer-ous government bodies to address skyrocketing fish prices,adding that the Cabinet has urged these bodies to act urgent-ly to remedy this issue.

The ministers decided to task the Public Authority forAgricultural Affairs and Fish Resources to coordinate withthe Ministry of Interior, the Ministry of Commerce andIndustry, the Fishermen Union as well as other relevantauthorities to enforce adequate measures to stop theincrease in fish prices. The Cabinet stressed that it must be“notified regarding this issue in a month as of today”.

Continued on Page 13

RIO DE JANEIRO: Rio de Janeiro returned to thecold reality of Brazil’s political crisis and recessionyesterday after bringing a carnivalesque curtaindown on its Olympics festival and passing the torchto Tokyo. After a 16-day extravaganza of sportingheroics from the likes of Olympics legends UsainBolt and Michael Phelps, Brazil woke up to thehangover of suspended president Dilma Rousseff ’slooming impeachment trial and its worst recessionin more than eight decades.

Brazilians have mixed feelings on hosting the

Games, according to a poll released on the final day,which found that 62 percent think the $16-billionOlympics brought more harm than good. At thesame time, 57 percent were proud the event boost-ed Brazil’s image abroad. “There are doubts on theuse of public money for events of this nature whenthere are other priorities, especially considering theeconomic crisis,” summed up Marcia Cavallari, thehead of the firm that carried out the poll, IbopeInteligencia.

Security fears, concerns over Zika, off-field scan-

dals and organizational gaffes were relegated to thebackground as South America’s first Olympics endedin a blaze of color late Sunday with an exuberantclosing ceremony. Smiling and waving athletesdanced into the Maracana stadium, defying a tropicalrain storm to launch an all-night party after Olympicschief Thomas Bach described the Rio Games as “mar-velous”. The city handed over to 2020 hosts Tokyo andJapanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who arrived forthe occasion dressed as Nintendo video game heroSuper Mario. —AFP (See Page 20)

Rio hangover as Tokyo grabs baton

RIO DE JANEIRO: Fireworks explode during the closing ceremony of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at theMaracana stadium on Sunday. (Inset) Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe appears as the Nintendo game char-acter Super Mario during the ceremony. —AFP/AP

6 Filipinos die in

Saudi house fireRIYADH: A pregnant woman, her husband and infantdaughter were among six Filipinos killed in a week-end fire at their Saudi Arabian residence, thePhilippines embassy said yesterday. The blaze,blamed on an electrical overload, broke out just after6:00 am (0300 GMT) Saturday at the apartment wherethree families lived in central Riyadh, Philippinescharge d’affaires Iric Arribas told AFP. All three familymembers, including the 18-month-old daughter, diedfrom smoke inhalation, he said.

The father of a second family had just left for workwhen the building caretaker called to alert him to theblaze. He rushed home to find that his wife, son anddaughter were all dead, Arribas said. Filipinos are oneof the major expatriate communities in Saudi Arabia,working in a range of jobs from hospitality to nurs-ing, labor, and management. —AFP

Newsi n b r i e f

Former Singaporean president Nathan dies

SINGAPORE: Former Singapore president S R Nathan,whose colorful career included stints as a spymaster

and diplomat, died in hospital yes-terday, the government said in astatement. The 92-year-old veteranpublic servant, who was closelyassociated with Singapore’s found-ing leader Lee Kuan Yew, was hospi-talized on July 31 after suffering acerebral stroke. Nathan started hiscareer as a social worker and roseup the ranks to become ambassa-dor to Malaysia and the UnitedStates, two of the most prestigious

jobs in the Singapore government service. Nathan alsoserved as an intelligence chief in the military and heldvarious positions in the private sector. He was elected totwo six-year presidential terms between 1999 and 2011.

Sarkozy announces bid for presidency

PARIS: Former French leader Nicolas Sarkozylaunched a fresh bid yesterday to win back the

presidency, announcing hewould seek the nomination ofhis centre-right party to run innext year’s election. The pugna-cious 61-year-old conservative,who was deeply unpopular bythe end of his five years as pres-ident, had made no secret ofhis ambition to reconquer thetop office. “I have decided to bea candidate in the 2017 presi-dential election,” Sarkozy, who

was voted out of office in 2012, wrote in the fore-word to a new book “Tout pour la France” (All forFrance) due out later this week. His aides told AFPhe would be stepping down as the leader of theRepublicans party.

Nathan

Sarkozy

TEHRAN: Iran said yesterday that Russianraids on jihadists in Syria from one of its air-bases had ended for now, after accusingMoscow of “showing off” when it revealedthe bombing runs. “It was a specific,authorized mission and it’s over for now.They conducted it and they are gone now,”foreign ministry spokesman BahramGhasemi told reporters in Tehran. He leftopen the possibility of future Russian com-bat flights from the Islamic republic, sayingit would depend on “the situation in theregion, and according to our permission”.

A Russian military spokesman, IgorKonachenkov, quoted by his defence min-istry, said the planes had “carried out all theirtasks with success” and were back on hometerritory. Any further use of Hamedan baseby Russian aircraft would take place “in linewith mutual accords on the fight againstterrorism and taking into account the situa-tion in Syria”, he said in a statement.

The Russian ambassador to Tehran,Levan Dzhagaryan, said nothing preventeda renewed use of Hamedan. “If the leadersof our two countries consider it necessaryand reach the relevant agreements, whatsort of problems can there be?” he toldRussia’s Interfax news agency. “For the timebeing, there are no (Russians) remaining inHamedan” airbase, he added.

Ghasemi’s comments came a few hoursafter Iranian Defence Minister HosseinDehghan made a rare public criticism of Russiafor revealing that its warplanes were usingHamedan to attack insurgents in Syria.“Naturally, the Russians are keen to show thatthey are a superpower and an influential coun-try and that they are active in security issues inthe region and the world,” Dehghan told Iran’sChannel 2 television. “There has been a kind ofshowing-off and inconsiderate attitude behindthe announcement of this news,” he said.

Continued on Page 13

Russian raids from Iran airbase ‘over’

Tehran criticizes Moscow as ‘inconsiderate showoff’

DOUMA, Syria: A Syrian man stands in a morgue next to the bodies of twoyoung sisters who died after their house collapsed following an air strike onthis rebel-held town east of the Damascus yesterday. —AFP

DUBAI: The world’s largest indoortheme park is set to open in Dubai thismonth to lure back some of thetourists and residents who often fleeabroad during the scorching desertsummer.

In a sandy suburb beyond Dubai’sconcrete jungle and pockets of artifi-cially green spaces, IMG Worlds ofAdventure’s boxy exterior belies a140,000-sq-m air-conditioned cathe-dral of entertainment teeming withanimatronic dinosaurs, roller coasters,Marvel superheroes and Cartoon

Network characters.Zombies pop out from dark corners

of a haunted house and theVelociraptor coaster throttles passen-gers within a misty simulated rain for-est dubbed the Lost Valley. As it standsnow, stir-crazy families in Dubai - atourism and financial hub whichalready boasts the world’s tallestbuilding - have few places to stretchtheir legs beyond expensive mallswhile temperatures outside canapproach 50 degrees Celsius.

Continued on Page 13

THE HAGUE: A Malian militant pleadedguilty yesterday to attacking the fabled cityof Timbuktu and begged forgive-ness as the world was shownsickening videos of him tearingdown centuries-old Muslimshrines with a pickaxe. At theopening of his unprecedentedwar crimes trial before theInternational Criminal Court(ICC), Ahmad al-Faqi Al-Mahdialso urged other Muslims not tofollow such “evil” ways. Mahdi, aformer teacher and Islamic schol-ar, is the first person to plead guilty beforethe ICC and the first to face a lone charge

for the war crime of directing an attack ona historic or religious monument.

“I plead guilty,” Mahdi said,after being read the charge aris-ing from the 2012 attack on theUNESCO world heritage sitewhen a group of Islamist jihadistsswept across Mali’s remotenorth. Armed with videos,graphics and 360 degree land-scapes, ICC prosecutors minutelycatalogued before the threejudges the destruction in thewest African city, dubbed “The

Pearl of the Desert”. Continued on Page 13

Largest indoor theme

park to open in Dubai

Mali militant says sorry

for destroying Timbuktu

Al-Mahdi

L O C A LTUESDAY, AUGUST 23, 2016

KUWAIT: His Highness the Amir SheikhSabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah hasaddressed a cable to Turkish President RecepTayyip Erdogan expressing condolences onvictims who had fallen as a result of the ter-rorist explosion in the city of Gaziantep. HisHighness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-AhmadAl-Jaber Al-Sabah, in the cable to the TurkishPresident, prayed to His Almighty Allah tobestow mercy upon souls of the victims andhoped quick recovery for the injured.

The State of Kuwait deplores this brazenand criminal act that targeted the innocent,His Highness the Amir stated in the cable,affirming that the explosion that left scoresof people dead or wounded contradicts all

heavenly creeds and human values.Kuwait supports all measures that have

been taken by the friendly Republic ofTurkey against terrorist acts designed toundermine its security and stability, HisHighness said. He renewed the State ofKuwait’s unwavering rejection of all formsof terrorism, as well as its standing along-side the international community to fightthis scourge.

Their Highnesses the Crown Prince andthe Prime Minister, respectively SheikhNawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah andSheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah, sent cables of identical content tothe Turkish President. —KUNA

His Highness the Amir Sheikh SabahAl-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan

Amir expresses solace to

Turkey following deadly blast

KUWAIT: His Highness the Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah received Sheikh Ali Al-Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah at Bayan Palace yesterday. His Highness also received Director General of the Environment Public Authority (EPA) SheikhAbdullah Ahmad Al-Humoud Al-Sabah. —KUNA

CAIRO: A visiting senior Kuwaiti official yes-terday re-affirmed the State of Kuwait’s keen-ness on bolstering joint Arab action andinvolving in common projects particularly atthe legal level. Ambassador Ghanem Sagr Al-Ghanem, Assistant Foreign Minister for LegalAffairs, said in a statement on sidelines of ameeting held at the level of the Arab LeaguePermanent Commission for Legal Affairs, thatKuwait is participating in the meeting due tosignificance of the committee’s tasks, partic-ularly with respect of mapping out agree-ments and enacting laws-with aim of boost-ing the common Arab action.

Ghanem, the head of the participatingKuwaiti delegation, said the committee dis-cusses during the four-day meeting drafts forthe Arab archive covenant, a charter for pre-serving the Arab architectural heritage and

the Arab custom cooperation treaty.Moreover, the commission looks into a

MoU to establish the common joint powermarket, amending the constituent law of theArab Investment Court, Ghanem said, indi-cating that these blueprints had been sub-mitted from the Arab League agencies to thecommission for examining them from a legalperspective, as well as for preparing the war-ranted recommendations in this respect, tobe referred to ministerial-level meetings.

Ghanem added that the term regardingthe custom treaty was omitted, as it hadbeen agreed upon by the Economic andSocial Council during its regular session96/2015, and had been submitted to thehigher Arab authorities for working outnecessary measures at the local level tojoin it. —KUNA

Kuwait keen on involvement

in joint Arab activities

Assistant Foreign Minister for Legal AffairsAmbassador Ghanem Sagr Al-Ghanem

KUWAIT: Deputy Commander of Kuwait National Guard Sheikh Meshaal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah met recently with Hawally Governor SheikhAhmad Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah and Capital Governor Thabet MohammadAl-Muhanna, to discuss cooperation between Kuwait National Guard andthe two governorates.

ABUJA: Nigerian Vice President YemiOsinbajo called on Kuwaiti compa-nies yesterday to look into bountifulinvestment opportunities in the WestAfrican nation. In a meeting withKuwait’s Ambassador to Nigeria DrAbdulaziz Al-Sharrah, Osinbajo notedthat his country strives to enhance itsties with Kuwait, after a ‘period ofstagnation.’

Moreover, he lauded His Highnessthe Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah’s contributions,notably, when Kuwait hosted thethird Africa-Arab Summit inNovember 2013. Furthermore,Sharrah hoped that ties betweenboth nations are on track for furtherprogress. At the Africa-Arab Summit,His Highness the Amir promulgatedan endeavor launched by the KuwaitFund for Arab EconomicDevelopment (KFAED) to dole outloans worth $1 bill ion to needyAfrican nations. —KUNA

Nigerian Vice President seeks

to lure Kuwaiti investment

ABUJA: Kuwait’s Ambassador to Nigeria Dr Abdulaziz Al-Sharrah meets with Nigerian VicePresident Yemi Osinbajo. —KUNA

KUWAIT: Kuwait has a prominent role inglobal humanitarian assistance around theworld, South Sudan’s ambassador to KuwaitBarmina Rayak said yesterday. After his meet-ing with Deputy Chairman of Kuwait RedCrescent Society (KRCS) Anwar Al-Hasawi,Rayak expressed his country’s appreciation of

KRCS’ efforts towards those who are in need.Rayak pointed to the UN naming His

Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-AhmadAl-Jaber Al-Sabah a “Humanitarian Leader”,adding that KRCS’ help has reached manyparts of the world to provide life-saving assis-tance to victims of natural and man-made

disasters, regardless of their geographic loca-tion, religious beliefs or ethnic origins.Meanwhile, Hasawi stressed Kuwait’s keen-ness on helping other countries, and playinga key humanitarian role by offering life-sav-ing aid to many vulnerable countries acrossthe globe. —KUNA

KUWAIT: Deputy Chairman of Kuwait Red Crescent Society (KRCS) Anwar Al-Hasawi meets with South Sudan’s ambassador toKuwait Barmina Rayak. —KUNA

South Sudan Ambassador praises

Kuwait’s humanitarian work

KUWAIT: Secretary General of theOrganization of Arab Petroleum ExportingCountries (OAPEC) Abbas Al-Naqi said yester-day that some member states of the organi-zation aim to use renewable energy in the

energy mixture at rates ranging between 4.3and 40 percent.

Naqi said that OAPEC has prepared a spe-cial study on the use of renewable energy inthe energy mixture in the OAPEC states,especially that the exploitation of renewableenergy and the transfer of its own technolo-gy is a strategic choice aimed at diversifyingthe consumed energy mixture.

He pointed out that in recent years,exploitation of renewable energy sourcesand the transfer of its technologies to theMember States of the (OAPEC) had emergedas an option aims to diversify the consumedenergy mixture and lay its industry locallyand market it regionally at first and thenwork on marketing it globally at a later stagefor an additional tributary petroleum sourcesand contribute to strengthening the sourcesof income through freeing up more oil andgas for export.

He stated that the future goals of theOAPEC member states on the use of renew-able energy in the energy mixture is to copewith the growing demand for electricity, not-ing that the study that was prepared by theorganization aims to review the current situ-ation of the energy mixture in the MemberStates and to explore its main features aswell as exploring diversification opportuni-ties in the energy mixture in these countries,according to the perspective of the resourcesavailable of the stated objectives. He point-ed out that the study addresses six themesincluding definition of the status of theMember States in the global energy balanceas well as a special focus of energy consump-tion in these countries, the current mixtureof energy, exploring the future prospects ofthe energy mixture, opportunities for diversi-ty in the mixture and finally findings and rec-ommendations. —KUNA

Some OAPEC members to

use renewable energy

OAPEC Secretary General Abbas Al-Naqi

L O C A LTUESDAY, AUGUST 23, 2016

Dear readers:It seems that my article “France’s burkini ban”

evinced many different views, and I thank all thosewho sent me their opinions.

Dear Muna,Thank you for putting the burkini issue in the light

it should be seen in. I agree with you 100 percent.Apart from the obvious, swimming wearing such‘clothing’ is actually dangerous. I follow Kuwait Timeson Facebook and have entered into a discussion a cou-ple of times. I think Kuwaitis in general appear to be afar more moderate force in the region than others.

Regards from ‘Down Under’, the country where theburkini originates from. I think it may still be manufac-tured here.

Thank you,Shirlee

Dear Muna,I read your article “France’s burkini ban”. I under-

stand that you agree with the French politicians’ deci-sion. Please let me give you some very importantinformation about French society that I think you didnot take in consideration in your judgment. France is acountry with many principles. One of the most impor-tant principles is freedom - the freedom to wear theclothes that you want in public spaces like streets,metro, parks and beaches.

You don’t know the story of France. France is a mul-ticultural country with different religions likeChristianity, Judaism and Islam. These women whowear the burkini are French. This means that as per thelaws, they can do this. Their grandfathers died duringthe First and Second World Wars for this country. Theywere born and raised in France.

I am very surprised to read what you wrote. You as aMuslim should support these women and their rights,especially since the entire world knows that the FrenchMuslim community has been unfairly treated by thepolitical class for many years. How is it that non-Muslim American, British and German newspapers(New York Times, Washington Post, The Guardian, TheIndependent, Suddeutsche Zeitung, etc) mock theFrench decision, while you at Kuwait Times (in aMuslim country) agree with the French racist decision?

Why didn’t you mention that politicians keep silentover the privileges they provide to Jewish women andchildren to use public swimming pools only for them?Why didn’t you mention the affair of the private waterpark that wanted to rent out for a day to Muslimwomen, but the governor of the city took action tocancel it? It is a private water park!

Please don’t say that Muslim women going to thebeach in burkinis want to impose their vision. They arenot asking anyone on the beach to do the same. Anddon’t forget that these women are French.

Thank you,Sofiane (a French Muslim)

Letter to Muna Al-Fuzai

By A Saleh

KUWAIT: Officials from the Lands andHousing Corporation of South Korea willvisit Kuwait tomorrow to discuss proce-dures of bui ld ing South Saad Al-Abdullah City based on an agreementbetween the two countries, source said.The delegation will discuss entry visasand work permits, as well as residencefor workers, they added. The delegationare set to meet Housing Minister YasserAbul and other state officials during theirvisit to Kuwait. South Saad Al-AbdullahCity will be built as a ‘smart city ’. Theenvironment-friendly city would spreadover 59 square kilometers to accommo-date 400,000 people. Kuwait ’s PublicAuthority for Housing Welfare (PAHW )and South Korea’s Lands and HousingCorporation signed a memorandum ofunderstanding last May to establish ajoint construction company for the majorproject.

Hospital in BasraNorth Basra Mayor Abdelnabi Al-Jabiri

said Governor Majid Al-Nasrawi has ear-marked a hospital project that will be builtwith a financial grant from Kuwait for thepeople of north Basra, adding that a dele-gation will visit Kuwait to negotiate overthe requirements of this project. He saidthe hospital will have 100 beds. Nasrawisaid His Highness the Amir of KuwaitSheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabahgave a financial grant to the governorate tobuild the hospital.

Price monitoringThe department concerned with price

monitoring at the commerce and industryministry held a meeting with fish suppliersyesterday. It plans to meet with interiorministry officials today and is preparing tointensify its inspections to keep track ofprices. This comes as part of its prepara-tions to monitor prices currently and dur-ing Eid Al-Adha.

South Korean officials in

Kuwait to discuss labor issuesPreparations for South Saad Al-Abdullah City project

AMMAN/KUWAIT: Head of the Kuwaiti Cultural Office inJordan Dr Mohammed Dehayem Al-Dhafiri confirmed yes-terday accuracy of the university certificate authenticationprocess, a matter that prevents any attempt of forgery orsale of such certificates.

This came in a statement by Dhafiri during a meetingwith Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Researchof Jordan Dr Wajih Owais while commenting of socialmedia reports over sale or forgery of some certificates.Report have appeared in the Kuwaiti press lately claimingthat groups operating in Jordan offer to sell fake collegecertificates that are authenticated through official depart-ments.

Dhafiri felt that these ‘disillusioned’ declarations andallegations raised by some irresponsible people are closeto being ‘fraud’ operations, calling on students to investi-gate the accuracy and stay away from suspicious websitesand follow the correct method to get the school certifi-cates, Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) reported.

Meanwhile, the Jordanian minister praised the depth ofbilateral relations between the two countries at the cultur-al and educational levels, stressing Jordan’s keenness tostrengthen these relations with Kuwait at all levels.

He also extolled the continuous cooperation with theKuwaiti Ministry of Higher Education and its institutions,stressing the importance of raising the level of cooperationin the field of scholarship in Jordan and take advantage ofthe strong scientific programs provided by the Jordanianuniversities in the areas of human medicine, dentistry andother majors.

False reportsIn other news, the Foreign Ministry denied yester-

day signing a contract with a company owned by aperson who has security problems in Kuwait, for a

project to link up the Foreign Ministry with its mis-sions abroad. In a statement, a source at the Ministrys a i d t h a t i t h a d co n d u c te d a co n t r a c t w i t h Tat aCommunications Limited Company, explaining thata l l t e r m s fo r e x t e r n a l c o n t r a c t s b y t h e S t a t e o fKuwaiti supervisory authorities were met, also indi-cating that the offers given by Tata were “the bestand least costly” among the companies that forward-ed offers for executing the project.

The agreement was signed at Tata’s headquartersi n S i n g a p o r e , a n d n o t i n D u b a i , b y K u w a i t ’s

Ambassador to Singapore and the General Counselfor Tata Communications John Freeman. The sourceadded that the al leged news on the social mediaabout signing the agreement with an Iraqi person liv-ing in Dubai and has a security record in Kuwait isfalse, and Kuwait did not interact with any personwhose description fits that of the individual, men-tioned in the alleged reports. He noted that the min-istry will maintain its jurisdictions to take any legalaction that would preserve its rights toward thesealleged accusations. —KUNA

University certificates

hard to forge: DhafiriKuwait denies purported contract on link-up with missions

KUWAIT: Head of the Kuwaiti Cultural Office in Jordan Dr Mohammed Dehayem Al-Dhafiri meets withMinister of Higher Education and Scientific Research of Jordan Dr Wajih Owais. —KUNA

KUWAIT: Interior Ministry’s Undersecretary Lieutenant General Suleiman Al-Fahad met yesterday withseveral ministry officials who reached the retirement age. He conveyed to them greetings and appreci-ation from Deputy Prime Minister and Interior minister Sheikh Mohammad Al-Khaled Al-Sabah fortheir efforts. — By Hanan Al-Saadoun

By Hanan Al-Saadoun

KUWAIT: Director General of theInterior Ministr y ’s ForensicsDepartment Major General Shihab Al-Shimmari said the forensic pathologylab at the medical examiners’ depart-ment received international accredita-tion of criminal labs according to inter-national specifications issued by theCollege of American Pathology.

He said this accreditation is consid-ered a qualitative move and reflects thefuture vision of the medical examiners’department in particular and the generaldepartment of forensics in general. Headded this achievement would not havebeen made without the continued sup-port of Deputy Premier and InteriorMinister Sheikh Mohammad Al-KhalidAl-Hamad Al-Sabah and direct follow-upby undersecretary Major GeneralSuleiman Al-Fahd. He said Kuwait is thefirst to get this accreditation in theMiddle East, placing it among the mostadvanced countries in terms of technicalquality of forensic labs.

350 businesses

penalized for violations

KUWAIT: The Ministry of Commerce and Industry announcedyesterday that it had punished 350 companies and commer-cial stores since the decision to rationalize subsidies for fuelprices was taken by the government.

The violating companies and stores were penalized forconducting commercial fraud and increasing commodityprices for no reason, the Commercial Supervision andConsumer Protection Department said in a press release.Some of the penalties were imposed for expiry of commodi-ties and fraud related to the products’ country of origin.

The release added that Assistant Undersecretary forCommercial Supervision and consumer protection depart-ment Eid Al-Rashidi said that, under the guidance of theCabinet, inspectors from commercial supervision weredeployed in all areas of Kuwait to monitor any violations inthe business sector. —KUNA

By Hanan Al-Saadoun

KUWAIT: Kuwait Municipality ’sDirector General Eng Ahmad Al-Manfouhi said an agreement wasreached yesterday to change the colorof municipality vehicles from white toyellow. These cars are used by officialsand mandoobs (representatives). Thedecision helps prevent using the carsoutside official working hours,Manfouhi explained.

In other news, Mubarak Al-Kabeermunicipality’s emergency departmentcarried out a campaign that resultedin removing 85 advertisements,including 44 from streets and yards,and issuing 11 citations.

Navy to carry outlive ammunition drill

Kuwait Navy will carry out a shoot-ing drill on tomorrow and Thursday,using live ammunition, the Ministry of

Defense announced yesterday. MoralGuidance and Public RelationsDepartment said in a press releasethat the exercise will take place in theshooting range, where it will be 16.5miles east of Ras Al-Jelaiaa, all the wayto Garu island, six nautical miles eastof Ras Al-Zor, all the way to Umm Al-Maradem island. Sea-goers areadvised to refrain from approachingthe identified locations during thedrill. —KUNA

Municipality cars to

have color changed

forensic pathology lab

receives int’l accreditation

KUWAIT: South Saad Al-Abdullah City’s location on Kuwait’s map. - KUNA

TUESDAY, AUGUST 23, 2016

L O C A L

KUWAIT: Chairwoman of Al-Saad FoundationSheikha Fadya Saad Al-Abdullah Al-Salem Al-Sabah said that Ibtikar is an initiative that immers-es students in activities that cultivates their talentsand skills and encourages them to pursue a strongeducation. Ibtikar was inspired by the values of HisHighness the Amir of Humanity Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah.

During the closing ceremony of the summertraining camp in cooperation with Manpower andGovernment Restructuring Program (MGRP),Sheikha Fadya said that she is working on ways tofurther the progression of society by supportingthe students in the field of scientific research andhelping students better their hobbies and sheseeks to enable the women of tomorrow by invest-

ing in the youth of today. By discovering whattheir talents are and cultivating them, the studentswill ultimately benefit society as a whole, sheadded.

Empowering womenSheikha Fadya said that Ibtikar is an initiative

that seeks to empower women by encouragingtheir participation in activities from elementaryschool until their university years. Ibtikar uses dif-ferent methods to encourage the creativity of thestudents. Sheikha Fadya said that it is when stu-dents are exposed to different challenges thattheir abilities really surface.

Among the most important functions of thisinitiative is instilling a sense of national pride and

loyalty to their country, as these activities will helpshape them into proactive members of societywho are ready to serve their country. GeneralDirector of Ibtikar Dr Fatma Al-Hashim said thatthis initiative was a great success in that it pro-duced smart hardworking Kuwaiti students worththe investment.

Dr Hashim also talked about Shuwaikh sum-mer club where students are encouraged tomake use of their free time by engaging in funyet educational activities like planting and artmak ing. Direc tor of the MGRP ’s TrainingDepartment Eman Al-Ansari praised the greateffort of Al-Saad Foundation, especially Ibtikar,for its great role in helping shape and developKuwait’s youth. — KUNA

Ibtikar initiative inspired

by Amir of HumanitySummer training camp concludes

KUWAIT: Chairwoman of Al-Saad Foundation Sheikha Fadya Saad Al-Abdullah Al-SalemAl-Sabah (right) speaks during the closing ceremony, as Director General of Ibtikar DrFatma Al-Hashim looks on. — KUNA

Chairwoman of Al-Saad Foundation Sheikha Fadya Saad Al-Abdullah Al-Salem Al-Sabah(right) attends the closing ceremony.

Chairwoman of Al-Saad Foundation Sheikha Fadya SaadAl-Abdullah Al-Salem Al-Sabah awards children at the cer-emony.

L O C A LTUESDAY, AUGUST 23, 2016

FM receives

letter

Embassy advises

vigilance

KUWAIT: First Deputy Prime Ministerand Foreign Minister Sheikh SabahKhaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah receivedyesterday a letter from the ForeignAffairs Minister of the Netherlands BertKoenders tackling bilateral ties and thelatest regional and international devel-opments. — KUNA

TOKYO: Kuwait’s Embassy in Japan warned allKuwaitis in Tokyo from Typhoon Mindulle whichlashed the city yesterday. The JapanMeteorological Agency issued heavy rain andflood warnings for all 23 wards in central Tokyo.Kuwaiti embassy in Tokyo urged all Kuwaiti citi-zens to call these numbers in case of any emer-gency: 0361-3455-03 , 0362-3455-03 , 0363-3455-03. — KUNA

Suhail star

appears Aug 24

KUWAIT: A new season with cooler andmilder weather will prevail across theArabian Peninsula, as Canopus, the sec-ond brightest star in the night sky, willbe spotted tomorrow for 52 days, saidHead of the Astronomy and SpaceSciences Department at Kuwait ScienceClub Bader Al-Amirah. The star is knownacross the Arabian Gulf as the ‘SuhailStar.’ — KUNA

In Brief

Photoo f t h e d a y

KUWAIT: Kuwait boasts several beautiful tourist destinations and local landmarks including the popular manmade Green Island. Located in Kuwait City along the Gulf Road’s Corniche, the Green Island opened in 1988 andoften hosts concerts, events and other activities. Photo shows the Green Island as seen from Bneid Al-Gar. — Photo by Yasser Al Zayyat

If you would like your photograph featured here, please email us at local@kuwaittimes.net

KUWAIT: EQUATE PetrochemicalCompany, Kuwait’s first internationaljoint-venture in this industry, participat-ed in the graduation ceremony of the39th Summer Training Course forUniversity and High School Students byKuwait Institute for Scientific Research(KISR).

The ceremony was under thePatronage of His Excellency the Ministerof Information and Minister of State for

Your Affairs Sheikh Salman Al-HomoudAl-Sabah who was represented by HisExcellency the Undersecretary (acting) ofthe Ministry of Youth Affairs Yousuf Al-Yatama. During the ceremony, EQUATEwas represented by its President andCEO Mohammad Husain with the atten-dance of KISR Director-General SameeraAl-Sayyed Omar, as well as several lead-ing figures from various organizations.For the 11th consecutive year, EQUATE

has sponsored this training course aspart of its comprehensive partnershipwith KISR.

EQUATE Senior Executive forCorporate Communications andGovernment Affairs Abeer Al-Omar said,“KISR plays an integral part through itsvarious initiatives in training, scientificresearch and industrial development.The development and nurturing of theyouth is a mutual strategic objective forboth KISR and EQUATE. We believe thatthis training course is a key investmenttowards overall growth and progress inKuwait, in the present and future alike.”

Omar, who also heads EQUATESustainability Committee, added, “During2010, EQUATE and KISR signed a memo-randum of understanding for researchabout the petrochemical industry, itstechnology and industrial applications.Developing the human capital, who rep-resent the cornerstone of sustainability,is at the core this partnership throughthe training course and all other initia-tives.” With the participation of over 120high-school and university students fromKuwait and other Arabian Gulf countries,the course addressed a number of sub-jects relevant to KISR’s activities.

EQUATE participates in KISR Summer

Training Course graduation ceremony

KUWAIT: Ahmadi Governor Sheikh Fawaz Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah met yesterday with Ahmadi Municipality’sDirector Fahd Al-Shutaili, in order to discuss preparations at slaughterhouses around the governorate for the EidAl-Adha season.

KUWAIT: Kuwait’s formative artist Naji Al-Hai expressedappreciation for the generous support presented by theKuwait Disabled Sports Club, headed by Chairman Shafi Al-Hajiri, to represent Kuwait in the London gathering forArab innovators, being held with the participation of alarge number of innovators in many fields. Hai said that thesupport has a great effect on continuing his strive to raiseKuwait’s name in all fields.

Meanwhile, Hai announced that he earned two prizes

during the event, the first through his competition withArab artists, and the second in appreciation from theorganizing committee for his winning work. He alsoreceived a gold medal and two certificates of apprecia-tion. He said that his accomplishment adds to the manyachievements made by Kuwaiti disabled citizens. Hededicated this achievement to His Highness the AmirSheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah and theKuwait people.

Artist wins award in Arab

innovators gathering

F r o m t he A r a bic pr e s sTUESDAY, AUGUST 23, 2016

The World Bank, as it is known, is an internationalconsultative body that presents support to devel-oping countries to set reform policies and plans

in order to help them reach developmental achieve-ments to deal with financial and economic defects.This is what the World Bank did before and after theliberation of Kuwait in the form of studies, and none ofits recommendations were implemented even at thebare minimum.

The lack of implementing recommendations is apolitical responsibility borne by the government andNational Assembly as a constitutional legislative bodythat holds the government accountable for any dere-liction or slack in implementation, and the bank hasnothing to do with political affairs. Yet the statementmade by the Director of the World Bank in Kuwait DrFeras Raad on Aug 7, 2016 was out of the boundariesof the bank’s consultative mission, according to what ismentioned in the bank’s official website since its estab-lishment in 1944.

The decision to raise gasoline prices, which is thesubject of political argument, particularly between thelegislative and executive authorities, is a purely internalmatter, and the statement of the World Bank represen-tative in Kuwait was out of the consultative frameworkand encroached into political statement by backingthe government’s decision. This is an unjustified inter-ference and does not rely on objective motivations.

The bank’s director was not right in timing and con-tent, and he was supposed not to get into the tunnelof domestic affairs that are politically very sensitive!The World Bank representative should have given hisopinion to the government through official channels,and not give a statement to the official KUNA newsagency. He was supposed to not support the increasedecision; rather he should have reminded us all the“bundle” of recommendations the bank had givenwhich the government was lax in implementing overtens of years. These were prepared for large amountsof money but the state did not benefit from them. TheWorld Bank representative said the petrol price hikewill cut environmental pollution and motivate citizensto use public transport. The World Bank representativeshould have known that the government owns thepublic transport company and did not succeed ininstilling the concept of mass transportation. Also, thecompany uses the cheapest type of diesel and isamong the most prominent sources of pollution!

How can the increase stimulate the economy, as weknow that such a decision has long-term positivedimensions but short-term negative dimensions, be iton retail trade, goods handling and other things? Andhow can such a decision create job opportunities whilethe population structure suffers from a defect thatrequires a political decision and an increase of gasolineprices?!

The World Bank representative injected himself into a domestic political affair, and this is a new practicethat was not done by those who came before him,especially someone who contributed to the bank’sstudies after the liberation and contributed to theestablishment of the bank’s office in Kuwait. He is DrYousuf Al-Abdelhadi, an economic expert and not anexpert in public health, which is the expertise of DrRaad as mentioned in his CV!

— Translated by Kuwait Times

The World Bank’s

interference

Al-Qabas

By Khalid Al-Tarrah

CrimeR e p o r t

Roommate stabbedA Bangladeshi man was stabbed by his roommate

in Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh. When the suspect was askedwhy he did so, he claimed the victim did not return hismoney. The stabbing took place during a fight. The vic-tim went to Farwaniya Hospital for treatment, thenwent to the police station and lodged a complaint ofattempted murder. Police arrested the suspect andinvestigations are underway.

Drug possessionTwo citizens, a Saudi and a bedoon, were found

using drugs while in a car in Jahra, before being tak-en by police to DCGD. The four were visibly abnor-mal, so they were searched and six shabu envelopes,14 illicit tablets and drug paraphernalia were foundon them.

KUWAIT: A lawyer helped his father to escape from thePalace of Justice before the prosecutor issued a decision tojail him, then the lawyer himself left the country for NewZealand. Security sources said the story of the escape goesback a few months when the suspect was demanding thereturn of a debt from a person without any evidence, so herefused to pay. The suspect then used the authority of hisson to force the debtor to sign a note against his will afteran investigator and police officer coerced him to do so.Sources said the debtor filed a complaint against the sus-pect, so the suspect and his client arrived at the Palace ofJustice. When the prosecutor listened to the defense aboutforcing the debtor to sign the note, he asked him to waitoutside along with his lawyer for the decision. They saidwhen the lawyer felt that the prosecutor will order the sus-pect (his father) to be jailed, he took him out and escaped.When he was asked to bring the suspect back, he refused.Sources said the lawyer left the country for New Zealandbefore his name was placed on the travel ban list. Hisfather remains at large in Kuwait.

Lawyer flees after

assisting prison break

They did not pay attention to your personal dif-ferences and your political and election inter-ests, so they did not train to wait for you to rec-

oncile, because the sports heart does not knowgrudges, intolerance or personal interests. The cham-pions participated in the Rio Olympics despite theinternational suspension and some local and foreignthreats to punish them, aswell as not supporting themto participate although someof them had won medals ear-lier - rather they were out-standing in previous champi-onships.

Differences and electioninterests affected Kuwait ’sreputation, and not only thecitizen or the voter, and its e e m s t h a t t h e p e r s o n a linterests of some MPs areabove Kuwait, as how some of them accept the dis-respect of Kuwait as the Kuwaiti athlete is partici-p a t i n g a t h i s o w n e x p e n s e ? H e w i n s a n d t h enational anthem is not played nor is the Kuwaitif lag ra ised. The care lessness of some of them

makes the c it izens worr ied about this countr yt h ro u g h yo u r l aws a n d l e gi s l a t i o n s t h a t h a r mKuwait before the citizen.

The Olympic citizen, the champion, owner of thedouble trap gold medal in Rio 2016, Col Fehaid Al-Deehani, is a citizen who honored Kuwaitis, Arabsand Muslims by winning the gold, as well as skeet

bronze medal winnerAbdullah Al-Rashidi, Faye Al-Sultan, K hal id Al -Mudhaf,Saud Habib, Abdelrahman Al-Faihan, Abbas Qalli, AbdelazizAl-Shatti and Ahmad Al-Afasi.Those athletes are alone whofaced difficulties, bore expens-es and traveled to confirm thepresence of Kuwait youth ininternational arenas.

Thank you so much formaking us happy and keeping

our heads high at a time when we need happiness andhope, and thanks to those who honored them amongthe businessmen, citizens and establishments, and Ihope they sponsor them because they deserve it.

—Translated by Kuwait Times

Thank you

Al-Qabas

By Abdelaziz Al-Tuwaijri

NewsI n b r i e f

Olympic Committee calls fordialogue to end sports suspension

KUWAIT: The Kuwait Olympic Committee called upon theKuwaiti government to engage in dialogue in order to lookfor a solution that ends international suspension of Kuwaitisports. “The time has come to put difference aside andwork together for the benefit of athletes, especially aftercourt orders that rejected appeals from the government ofKuwait against the International Olympic Committee’sdecisions,” Obeid Al-Enezi, Secretary General of KuwaitOlympic Committee (IOC) said in a press statementSunday. The International Olympic Committee had recent-ly accused Kuwait’s government of ‘aggravating’ the ten-sions that led to the country’s ban from the Rio Olympics,saying that a new law passed in June tightens state controlover sports bodies, rather than loosening it. — Al-Qabas

Treatment overseas debts growKUWAIT: Ministry of Health is struggling to pay offdues owed to European and American hospitals wherecitizens are being treated according to the treatmentoverseas program. Ministry sources warned that sever-al hospitals could resort to legal action to demand atotal KD 150 million that Kuwait reportedly still owesthem. The total amount of monthly allocation sent topatients abroad reaches KD 40 million, after beingapproved by a joint committee from the health andfinance ministries. Meanwhile, the sources said that KD300 million have been spent on treatment aboard dur-ing the period between January 1 and August 15,2016, while KD 550 million were spent last year. Morethan 12,000 citizens are sent for treatment abroadthrough the Ministry of Health alone, the sourcesadded. — Al-Qabas

The carelessness of

some of them makes

the citizens worried

about this country

Global changes

Al-Anbaa

Neighbors’ disputeA citizen threatened to harm his neighbor following a

dispute over a parking spot on the side between theirhomes in Mubarak Al-Kabeer. A security source said a citi-zen went to Mubarak Al-Kabeer police station and toldthem that he had a dispute with his neighbor over a park-ing spot, adding that the neighbor told him “get lost... oth-erwise I will break your face!” The source said the citizenlodged a complaint and detectives are working on thecase. — Al-Rai

‘Chemical’ drug banned soonKUWAIT: A decision is expected soon to ban the drugcommonly known as ‘spice’ in Kuwait, Ministry of Healthsources said. The interior and health ministries held severalmeetings recently based on a request from the CriminalEvidence Department to study the chemical substancesthat are used in the formula of the ‘spice,’ ‘bath salts,’ andother kind of drugs that are not listed internationally asmind altering substances. An agreement was recentlyreached to list the ‘spice’ drug, which is more commonlyknown in Kuwait as ‘chemical,’ under the list of banned sub-stances in the country, and an official decision on thatregard is waiting protocol, the sources said. — Al-Rai

Study to privatize power plantKUWAIT: The Supreme Council of Privatization is currentlystudying the feasibility of privatizing the north Shuaibapower plant. The initial studying process is to be carriedout with the Ministry of Electricity and Water and Ministryof Finance, official sources said. Regarding possible meas-ures to be taken to ‘protect’ Kuwaiti manpower’s rightsonce privatization takes place, the sources commented bysaying that coordination was made with the Kuwait TradeUnion Federation regarding amendments to the privatiza-tion law. Those amendments were sent to the Fatwa andLegislation Department, and reportedly ‘guarantee’ nation-al manpower’s rights, according to the sources. — Al-Anbaa

KUWAIT: The National Bank of Kuwait (NBK) sponsored a Kuwait Red CrescentSociety (KRCS) project to educate children of families in need in Kuwait for the sec-ond consecutive year. NBK presented KD 50,000 to the program’s fund, which helpedpay tuition fees for 562 students.

KUWAIT: Al-Ahli Bank of Kuwait (ABK) wasrecently honored by the Kuwait BlindAssociation for its support of the summersport activities that were organized by theAssociation for the visually impaired. Thehonorar y ceremony was held on thepremises of the Blind Association on 14August, 2016, where the success of theinitiative was celebrated and winners ofthe sporting championship were reward-ed for their great achievements.

The week-long sporting championshipfeatured a variety of sport activities thatincluded swimming and table tennis forboth male and female categories, andgoal ball for the male category. The partic-

ipants displayed their talents in a fun,challenging atmosphere of healthy com-petition.

Fawzy Al-Thunayan, GM Board Affairsat ABK attended the ceremony alongsideFayez Al-Azmi, Chairman of the KuwaitBlind Association whereby cash prizes,medals and trophies were handed out tothe winners. ABK’s support and sponsor-ship of this initiative falls in line with theBank’s Corporate Social Responsibility(CSR) strategy, which focuses on individu-als with special needs, with the aim toraise awareness of this segment and topromote equality among Kuwait’s com-munities.

KUWAIT: Kuwait Finance House (KFH) haslaunched two new innovative features onits application KFHOnline as part of itsongoing efforts to offer best customerservice, while providing seamless advan-tages to its customers in a truly high-endbanking experience and benefits.

The new features are: Outlets, Offers andServices where the ‘Outlets’ enables cus-tomers to conveniently browse throughtheir favorite brands by interest and cate-gory in a more visual and interactive orient-ed style, listing all the discounts and offersvia KFH cards. Hence the best way to bene-fit from this feature is to access it prior tologin into the app, and simply browse alldiscounts before making a purchasingdecision which would offer the customerthe advantage and benefits of saving more.

Moreover, the ‘Offers and Services’ fea-ture delivers the customer a more interac-tive experience, where they can view thelatest weekend offers and monthly promo-tions presented from KFH. It does not stopthere as this section is set up in a way toconveniently present videos of productreviews from multiple brands and the abili-ty to deploy state-of-the-art interactive sur-veys that can be used to gather insightsfrom customers about their favorite brands,products and even banking services in gen-eral. Furthermore, the updates introduce away to engage with customers throughcompetitions and can link to various chan-nels of social media making the app evenmore entertaining.

KFH strives to deliver superior, innova-tive, comprehensive, safe and simple e-

banking service to its customers. The bankhas also recently launched a new e-servicewhich allows KFH customer subscribed toKFH’s SMS Baitak notification service toreceive Push message-type notificationsonto their smartphones. KFH’s e-Bankingcustomers who are also SMS Baitak sub-scribers will be able to register to - andreceive - the Push messages for free via theKFH Online Smartphone app regardless oftheir location or active SIM card. As thePush messaging feature is now part of themodern smartphone’s programming, cus-tomers will always be able to receive theirbanking Push messages as long as theirdevice is connected to the internet. Thismeans that customers will now no longerrequire any SIM card to be inserted in theirsmartphones.

ABK honored for supporting Kuwait Blind

Association’s summer sports activities

Fawzy Al-Thunayan, GM Board Affairs at ABK is honored by Fayez Al-Azmi, Chairmanof the Kuwait Blind Association.

KFH offers customers innovative

shopping, services experience online

Breakthrough offers on KFHOnline

Smuggling foiledA citizen ended at the Drug Control General

Department (DCGD) upon his arrival at Kuwait internation-al airport as he had 200 gm of marijuana when he arrivedfrom Amsterdam. The citizen was searched as he seemednervous and worried. He and the marijuana were sent toDCGD. Meanwhile, an Ethiopian national failed in herattempt to smuggle two kilograms of qat into the countryas she was caught by customs officers, who referred her tothe DCGD.

Arab eco

nomy

Fawzy Al-Thunayan, GM Board Affairs at ABK, other bank officials and Fayez Al-Azmi,Chairman of the Kuwait Blind Association are pictured with the winners.

LUCKNOW: At least 40 people have died and hundreds of thou-sands have been evacuated as floods hit vast swathes of centraland eastern India, officials said yesterday. Days of heavy rainhave caused the Ganges River and its tributaries to rise abovethe danger level during the past 48 hours in about 20 districts ofthe states of Madhya Pradesh, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. Officialssaid at least 17 people have died in Madhya Pradesh, 14 in Biharand nine in Uttar Pradesh because of drowning, electrocution orinjuries from collapsed houses.

In the city of Allahabad, water from the Ganges enteredmany residential areas, forcing people to move to safer areas.About 12,000 people were evacuated from low-lying surround-ing villages, a government statement said. In the Hindu holytown of Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh, flooding forced a halt to cre-mations at a main riverfront area, District Magistrate Vijay KaranAnand said.

Devout Hindus bring dead family members to Varanasi in thebelief that being cremated there frees their soul from the cycleof death and rebirth. In Bihar, 600,000 people were evacuatedand the army and air force are on standby because more rain isforecast in the next two days, said disaster management officialVyasji, who uses one name. Floods occur in many parts of Indiaduring the monsoon season, which runs from June throughSeptember.

Indian politician mocked Meanwhile, a senior Indian politician was widely mocked

yesterday after photos showed policemen carrying himthrough ankle-deep muddy water while inspecting deadlyfloods in the country’s centre. Shivraj Singh Chouhan, ChiefMinister of Madhya Pradesh state, was shown wearing crispwhite trousers and white shoes and being carried aloftthrough the water in a field, trailed by his entourage.

The photo of a smiling Chouhan with his arms wrappedaround the two officers made newspaper front pages andsparked an outpouring of ridicule on Twitter. Most commentswere lighthearted in a country where politicians are almostalways flanked by a legion of fawning officials and securityguards. “Shame on #Shivrajsinghchouhan. So embarrassing#wetyourfeet my man,” Twitter user Jennifer Fernandes wrote.“#Shivraj training Indian athletes for 400M Relay 2020Olympics,” read another.

But Chouhan was also accused of abusing his position, withcomparisons drawn to the treatment of British officials duringcolonial times. A top government public relations officerdefended Chouhan, saying it would have been dangerous forhim to wade through the waters himself. “Nobody knew if thewater level would rise suddenly or if the ground below wasslippery,” SK Mishra said. “There was also the danger of a snake

or scorpion bite. He was desperate to meet the flood-affectedpeople and the security guys could not have taken anychance.”

Floods triggered by monsoon rains have claimed hundredsof lives across India. In Madhya Pradesh at least 15 people havedied after rivers burst and flooded villages, the Press Trust ofIndia news agency said. Chouhan himself posted several pic-

tures of his flood visit on Twittter but skipped the controversialone, while his office denied yesterday releasing the image. AnIndian TV journalist was sacked in 2013 after he filed a reportabout deadly floods while perched on a survivor’s shoulders.The reporter claimed the man who carried him while standingin ankle-high water had hoisted him onto his shoulders as asign of respect.— Agencies

Big three tackle EU future on thesymbolic island

Page 10

Sex harassment ‘widespread’ in Australian policePage 12

TUESDAY, AUGUST 23, 2016

ALLAHABAD: Indian flood-affected residents use boats as they attempt to shift to dry ground after flooding in a low lying area of the River Ganges at Daraganj in Allahabad. — AFP

40 dead as floods hit central, eastern IndiaTwitter users mock Indian politician carried through floods

Need drugs in jail?

Try using a drone

LONDON: While Amazon and the British gov-ernment are looking into how to use drones todeliver parcels to customers, criminals arealready exploiting the technology to senddrugs to accomplices in prison. Police said yes-terday they recovered two drones carryingmobile phones and drugs near London’sPentonville prison and have set up a specialtask force - Operation Airborne - to catchoffenders trying to get contraband into the jail.In the early hours of Saturday, police saw a manacting suspiciously near the prison. He ranaway, dropping two bags containing drugs andmobile phones and managed to evade arrest,according to a police statement.

Next day, police found a drone that hadcrashed after being tracked flying overPentonville. They were later alerted to anotherdrone being flown at low altitude towards theprison. The unmanned aircraft was stopped inmid-flight by a police officer and a packagecontaining large amounts of drugs and twomobile phones was recovered from it.Appealing for witnesses, Detective ChiefInspector Steve Heatley said: “These recovereddrones carried a substantial amount of Class Bdrugs, legal highs and a large quantity ofmobile phones.”

Last month, Amazon announced a partner-ship with the British government “to explorethe steps needed to make the delivery ofparcels by small drones a reality, allowingAmazon to trial new methods of testing itsdelivery systems”. But while the US giant islooking into how to use drones safely and reli-ably, criminals are pushing ahead with thetechnology. British media reported in Februarythat there were more than 30 incidents lastyear in which drones were found in or aroundprisons and items such as drugs, phones andUSB drives recovered. — Reuters

Philippines drug war

deaths climb to 1,800

MANILA: The Philippines has recorded about 1,800 drug-relatedkillings since President Rodrigo Duterte took office seven weeks agoand launched a war on narcotics, far higher than previously believed,according to police figures. Philippine National Police Chief RonaldDela Rosa told a Senate committee yesterday that 712 drug traffickersand users had been killed in police operations since July 1.

Police were also investigating 1,067 other drug-related killings,Dela Rosa said, without giving details. The comments came a dayafter Duterte lashed out at the United Nations for criticizing the waveof deaths. As recently as Sunday, the number of suspected drug traf-fickers killed in Duterte’s war on drugs had been put at about 900 byPhilippine officials. But this number included people who died sinceDuterte won the May 9 presidential election.

Duterte said in a bizarre and strongly worded late-night news con-ference on Sunday the Philippines might leave the United Nationsand invite China and others to form a new global forum, accusing it offailing to fulfill its mandate. However, his foreign minister, PerfectoYasay, said yesterday the Philippines would remain a UN member anddescribed the president’s comments as expressions of “profound dis-appointment and frustration”. “We are committed to the UN despiteour numerous frustrations and disappointments with the internation-al agency,” Yasay told a news conference.

Last week, two UN human rights experts urged Manila to stop theextra-judicial executions and killings. Yasay said Duterte has promisedto uphold human rights in the fight against drugs and has orderedthe police to investigate and prosecute offenders. He criticized the UNrapporteurs for “jumping to an arbitrary conclusion that we have vio-lated human rights of people”. “It is highly irresponsible on their partto solely rely on such allegations based on information fromunnamed sources without proper substantiation,” he said of theUnited Nations.

Senator Leila de Lima, a staunch critic of the president, starteda two-day congressional inquiry into the killings yesterday, ques-tioning top police and anti-narcotics officials to explain the“unprecedented” rise in killings. “I am disturbed that we havekillings left and right as breakfast every morning,” she said. “Myconcern does not only revolve around the growing tally of killingsreported by the police. What is particularly worrisome is that thecampaign against drugs seems to be an excuse for some lawenforcers and other elements like vigilantes to commit murderwith impunity,” De Lima said. — Reuters

I N T E R N AT ION A LTUESDAY, AUGUST 23, 2016

PARIS: From Mali to Afghanistan, Syriaand Iraq, Islamist fighters have regularlyturned their sights on the priceless ves-tiges of peoples’ cultural heritage-forbeing un-Islamic. The InternationalCriminal Court yesterday opens the warcrimes trial of a jihadist charged withorchestrating the destruction of shrinesat the World Heritage site of Timbuktu inMali. The following are examples ofworld cultural heritage destroyed ordamaged during recent conflicts.

MaliThe fabled desert city of Timbuktu,

named as the “City of 333 saints” and list-ed by UNESCO, was for months attackedby jihadists bent on imposing a brutalversion of Islamic law. In June 2012, Al-Qaeda-linked militants destroyed 14 ofthe northern city’s mausoleums, impor-tant buildings that date back toTimbuktu’s golden age in the 15th and16th centuries as an economic, intellec-tual and spiritual hub. The reconstruc-tion of the shrines began in March 2014,relying heavily on traditional methodsand employing local masons. Severalcountries and organizations financedthe reconstruction, including UNESCO.Work finished on the site in July 2015,

and a ceremony marking the completionwas held on February 4, 2016.

SyriaMore than 900 monuments or arche-

ological sites have been looted, dam-aged or destroyed by the regime, rebelsor jihadists in Syria, where a devastatingwar has raged since 2011, according toAPSA, the association charged with pro-tecting Syrian architecture. InSeptember 2015, Islamic State (IS) fight-ers destroyed two of the most importanttemples in the UNESCO-listed Syrian cityof Palmyra as they pressed a campaignto wipe out some of the Middle East’smost important heritage sites.

They include the ancient city’s mostfamed shrine, the 2,000-year-old Templeof Bel, blown up a week after the destruc-tion of the temple of Baal Shamin. Othernotable sites damaged or looted includeDura-Europos in eastern Syria, onceknown as the “Pompeii of the desert”,Apamea, Ebla and Tal Ajaja. However, theIS group is not the only one responsiblefor ravaging Syria’s heritage, with all sidesin the fighting looting and destroyingancient sites. “Two thirds of the ancientcity of Aleppo have been bombarded andset on fire,” according to UNESCO.

IraqIS has carried out a campaign of “cul-

tural cleansing”, razing part of ancientMesopotamia’s relics and looting othersto sell valued artefacts on the black mar-ket. In a video released by IS on February26, 2015 militants were shown usingsledgehammers to smash pre-Islamictreasures in the museum in the country’ssecond city Mosul, sparking global out-rage. Thousands of books and rare man-

uscripts were also burned in February inMosul’s library. According to the Iraqigovernment, IS militants on March 5,2015 bulldozed and blew up Nimrud, anancient Assyrian city south of Mosul.They also attacked Hatra, a Roman-peri-od site, in the northern Ninivehprovince.

Libya Several mausoleums have been

destroyed by Islamist extremists sincethe overthrow of longtime dictator

Muammar Gdddafi in 2011. In August2012, Islamist hardliners bulldozed partof the mausoleum of Al-Shaab Al-Dahman, close to the centre of theLibyan capital. The demolition came aday after hardliners blew up the mau-soleum of Sheikh Abdessalem Al-Asmarin the western city of Zliten. In 2013 sus-pected Islamic extremists destroyed thecenturies-old mausoleum of MuradAgha in Tripoli, but the tomb insidewithstood the attack.

AfghanistanIn March 2001, Taleban leader Mullah

Omar ordered the destruction of two1,500-year-old Buddha statues in theeastern town of Bamiyan, because theywere judged to be anti-Islamic.Hundreds of members of the Talibanfrom across the country spent more thanthree weeks demolishing the giganticstatues carved into the side of a cliff. In2003 the cultural landscape and archaeo-logical remains of the Bamiyan Valleywere put on UNESCO’S world heritage list.

AlgeriaArmed Islamic groups in the 1990s

destroyed several sanctuaries which dot-ted Algerian soil. —AFP

‘Un-Islamic’ cultural heritage in jihadists’ crosshairs

TIMBUKTU, Mali: Islamist militants destroy an ancient shrine in Timbuktu in thisfile photo. — AFP

IRBIL: A boy would-be suicide bomber wasapprehended in the northern Iraqi city of Kirkukbefore he was able to detonate his explosivesbelt, Iraqi police said yesterday. Local televisionfootage aired on Kurdistan 24 TV shows a groupof police officers holding the young boy whiletwo men are seen cutting off a belt of explo-sives. After they remove the belt, the boy is seenbeing rushed into a police truck and drivenaway.

The boy was apprehended on Sunday night,less than an hour after a suicide bomb attack ona Shiite mosque in the city, Kirkuk police depart-ment spokesman Col Avrasiya Kamil Wais said. Inthe mosque attack, only the bomber died andtwo people were wounded. “The boy claimedduring interrogation that he had been kid-napped by masked men who put the explosiveson him and sent him to the area,” said Kirkukintelligence official Brig Chato Fadhil Humadi.

The boy, Humadi added, was displaced fromIslamic State-held city of Mosul, Iraq’s secondlargest city, by recent military operations in thearea. He arrived in Kirkuk a week ago, Humadisaid. The boy’s name is known to the police. TheAP does not identify minors who may be victimsof abuse or suspected in violent crimes. IslamicState group’s media arm, the Aamaq newsagency yesterday claimed responsibility for themosque bombing, but made no statement aboutthe boy. Kirkuk, an oil rich city in Iraq’s north isclaimed by both Iraq’s central government and

the country’s Kurdish region. Kirkuk has seen arise in ethnic tensions following the Islamic Stategroup’s blitz across northern and western Iraq in2014. Iraqi security forces largely withdrew fromKirkuk and Kurdish forces known as the peshmer-ga took control of the city. Since then, Shiite mili-

tia fighters have also massed around the city. Thearea is home to Arabs, Kurds and Turkmen whoall have competing claims to the area. The Kurdshave long wanted to incorporate the city intotheir semi-autonomous region, but Iraq’s centralgovernment opposes this. —AP

Iraq police apprehend boy

would-be suicide bomber

Boy claims he was kidnapped by masked men

KIRKUK: Image from local TV footage shows a child being restrained by security forces, hold-ing his arms out-stretched as another man cuts off a belt of explosives in Kirkuk, Iraq. Iraqipolice say they have apprehended a boy would-be suicide bomber in the city of Kirkuk beforehe was able to detonate his explosive belt. — AP

JERUSALEM: A new poll of Israelis andPalestinians released yesterday found thata slim majority on both sides still favor apeace settlement establishing a Palestinianstate alongside Israel, despite years of con-flict and deadlock in negotiations. Theresults of the joint poll may provide somesmall signs of encouragement when peaceprospects appear bleak. The last round ofnegotiations broke down two years ago,and a resumption of talks, much lessprogress between the sides, at this pointseems unlikely.

Tamar Hermann, an Israeli political sci-entist who conducted the survey withPalestinian pollster Khalil Shikaki, said thatunder the current circumstances, theresults were “not amazingly encouraging,”but also “not discouraging.” “It showedthere is still some basis for optimism withthe right leadership,” she said. “Right now Idon’t see on the horizon a leader on eitherside willing or capable of using this as aspringboard for intensifying the negotia-tions. But it’s not impossible.”

The poll found that 51 percent ofPalestinians and 59 percent of Israelis stillsupport a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. On the Israeli side, 53percent of Jews support the establishmentof an independent Palestinian state.Among Israel’s Arab minority, the numberis much higher, at 87 percent. Conversely,just 34 percent of Palestinians and 20 per-cent of Israelis support the idea of a single

shared state where they are both citizenswith equal rights.

After two decades of failed peaceefforts, and nearly a year of low-level vio-lence, distrust is strong. The poll found that89 percent of Palestinians feel Israeli Jewsare untrustworthy, while 68 percent ofIsraeli Jews held similar opinions towardthe Palestinians. It also found that 65 per-cent of Israelis fear Palestinians. In con-trast, just 45 percent of Palestinians fearIsraelis. Hermann said she was surprisedby the higher fear level on the Israeli side,and cited a number of factors. She saidmany Israelis have no contact withPalestinians, making it easier to “dehu-manize the other side.”

She also said a recent wave of violencehad jolted Israeli society, which had beenmore insulated from the conflict thanPalestinians living under Israeli occupation.In addition, she said Israeli leaders - bypainting the Palestinians as “utterly hostile”- and Israeli media reports had contributedto the atmosphere.

“The only images the average Israeli,and I suppose the average Palestinian, getsare the negative ones,” she said. The surveyinterviewed 1,270 Palestinians and 1,184Israelis in June, and had a margin of error of3 percentage points. It was conducted bythe Israel Democracy Institute, whereHermann is a senior fellow, and Shikaki’sPalestinian Center for Policy and SurveyResearch.— AP

HASAKA: The Kurdish YPG militia launched amajor assault yesterday to seize the last govern-ment-controlled parts of the northeastern Syriancity of Hasaka after calling on pro-governmentmilitias to surrender, Kurdish forces and resi-dents said. They said Kurdish forces began theoffensive after midnight to take the southerndistrict of East Nashwa, close to where a securitycompound is located, near the governor’s office.

The fighting this week in Hasaka, divided intozones of Kurdish and Syrian government control,marks the most violent confrontation betweenthe Kurdish YPG militia and Damascus in morethan five years of civil war. It forms part of abroader battle for control of the long borderarea abutting Turkey. After a morning lull infighting, fierce clashes broke out again acrossthe city, the Syrian Observatory for Human

Rights said. The powerful YPG militia has cap-tured almost all of east Ghwairan, the only majorArab neighborhood still in government hands.

The YPG is at the heart of a US-led campaignagainst the Islamic State militant group in Syriaand controls swaths of the north, where Kurdishgroups associated with the militia have set uptheir own government since the Syrian warbegan in 2011. NATO member Turkey, facing aKurdish insurgency of its own, is concernedabout attempts to extend Syrian Kurdish controlwestward along its border. Turkey is currentlyallowing a rebel Syrian force under the banner ofthe Free Syrian Army to assemble on its soil foran attack on an Islamic State-held town, seekingto deny control to the YPG.

The Syrian army deployed warplanes againstthe main armed Kurdish group for the first time

during the war last week, prompting a US-ledcoalition to scramble aircraft to protectAmerican special operations ground forces. Warplanes were seen in the skies above Hasakaagain yesterday, but did not drop bombs, theObservatory said. Syrian state media accusedthe YPG-affiliated security force known as theAsayish of violating a ceasefire and said its mem-bers had torched government buildings inHasaka. It accused the Asayish of igniting theviolence through escalating “provocations”,including the bombing of army positions inHasaka, and said the Asayish aimed to take con-trol of the city.

‘We will not retreat’The YPG denied it had entered into a truce. It

distributed leaflets and made loudspeaker callsacross the city urging army personnel and pro-government militias to hand over their weapons.“To all the elements of the regime and its militiaswho are besieged in the city, you are targeted byour units,” leaflets distributed by the YPG said.“This battle is decided and we will not retreat ...We call on you to give up your weapons or countyourselves dead.” The YPG, known as the People’sProtection Units and linked to Kurdish rebelswho fight the Turkish state, appeared intent onleaving a nominal Syrian government presenceconfined to within a security zone in the heart ofthe city, where several key government build-ings are located, Kurdish sources said.

The complete loss of Hasaka would be a bigblow to President Bashar al-Assad’s governmentand would also dent efforts by Moscow, whichhad sought through a major military interven-tion last year to help Damascus regain lost terri-tory and prevent new rebel gains. Kurdish forceshave expanded their control of the city despitethe bombing of several locations by Syrian jets.Thousands of civilians in the ethnically mixedcity, including members of the Christian com-munity, have fled to villages in the countrysideas the fighting intensified, residents said.

The confrontation appears to have undonetacit understandings between the YPG and theSyrian army that had kept the city relativelycalm. Hasaka’s governor told state media afterthe flare-up of violence the military had armedthe YPG with weapons and tanks to fight jihadistelements but had not expected them to turnagainst them. Hasaka’s population, swelled bydisplaced Syrians fleeing areas that fell underIslamic State control, is broadly divided alongethnic lines, with Kurds mainly in the city’seastern neighborhoods and Arabs in thesouthern parts. — Reuters

BAMAKO: The trial of a Malian jihadistcharged with war crimes for orchestratingthe 2012 destruction of nine Timbuktumausoleums and a section of a famousmosque, opens yesterday at theInternational Criminal Court (ICC). How didthe monuments come to be consideredimportant and why were they destroyed?

Who built the mausoleums?The mausoleums of Muslim saints locat-

ed in Timbuktu’s cemeteries and mosquesdate back to the ancient caravan city’sgolden age in the 15th and 16th centuriesas an economic, intellectual and spiritualcentre. Some date back as far as the 14thcentury. The construction of the originaltombs of Muslim saints was undertaken byanonymous groups of family members ordisciples of the saints, according to experts.The earthen mausoleums around themwere erected after the tombs were dese-crated by those who believed they couldgain power from being close to theremains. In the centuries that followed,their maintenance and upkeep was takenon by descendants, local residents andpatrons of the sites. Thirteen of the city’smost revered sites became UNESCO-pro-tected in 1988.

Why are they revered?Known as the “City of 333 saints”, or the

“Pearl of the Desert”, Muslims from across

the world visited the tombs of saints asholy places where those in difficulty couldask for divine intervention. The city’s inhab-itants have long believed the tombs pro-tect them from danger and they appeal tothe saints for help. Throughout the years,residents have asked the saints to inter-vene in anything from securing a woman’shand in marriage to making the rains come.UNESCO describes them as “pilgrimagesites for Malians and neighboring westAfrican countries.”

Why were they destroyed?Islamist fighters desecrated the cen-

turies-old shrines using pickaxes and chis-els after seizing the city in April 2012. Thejihadists considered the shrines, as well aspriceless ancient manuscripts fromTimbuktu’s golden age, to be idolatrous. Ontrial next week for his alleged role in spear-heading the destruction is Ahmad Al-FaqiAl-Mahdi, a member of Ansar Dine, a main-ly Tuareg group which at the time heldsway over Mali’s desert north. Ansar Dineallied with Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb(AQIM) and a third group to occupy thecity, until being routed in a French-ledintervention in January 2013. Court prose-cutors say the jihadists’ first attempted todissuade Timbuktu’s residents from theirlong-held practice of worshipping theshrines, but after failing set upon theirwholesale destruction. — AFP

GAZA: A Palestinian masked member from the Izzedine Al-Qassam Brigades, a mili-tary wing of Hamas, stands guard in front of a mock jail for Israeli soldiers during arally in Rafah refugee camp, Gaza Strip on Sunday, Aug 21, 2016. — AP

Most Palestinians,

Israelis seek peace

Things to know about

the holy sites in Mali

Kurdish militia launches assault

to evict Syria army from Hasaka

HASAKA: A pro-regime fighter flashes the sign of victory as he drives a tank in the southerndistrict of Ghweiran in the Syrian northeastern city of Hasaka, where Kurdish forces wereadvancing. — AFP

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

TUESDAY, AUGUST 23, 2016

ALABAMA: Crime scene tape marks the home on Jim Platt Road near Citronelle, Alabama where authorities said fivepeople were killed. Police said that Derrick Dearman, 27, of Leakesville, Miss has been taken into custody in connectionwith the murders. — AP

WASHINGTON: America’s oldest millennials - near-ing 20 when airplanes slammed into the WorldTrade Center - can remember the economic pros-perity of the 1990s, and when a different Clintonran for president. The younger end of the genera-tion - now nearing 20 - can’t recall a time withoutterrorism or economic worry. Now millennials haveedged out baby boomers as the largest living gen-eration in US history, and more than 75 million havecome of age.

With less than three months to Election Day, thevalues of young Americans are an unpredictablegrab bag. What they share is a palpable sense of dis-illusionment. As part of its Divided America series,The Associated Press interviewed seven millennialvoters in five states where the generation couldhave an outsized influence this fall. They are amosaic, from a black Nevada teen voting for thefirst time to a Florida-born son of Latino immigrantsto a white Christian couple in Ohio.

These voters illustrate how millennials are chal-lenging pollsters’ expectations. “Millennials havebeen described as apathetic, but they’re absolutelynot,” said Diana Downard, a 26-year-old voting forHillary Clinton. “Millennials have a very nuancedunderstanding of the political world.” Just 5 percentof young adults say that America is “greater than ithas ever been,” according to a recent GenForwardpoll. The first-of-its kind survey of young people

between the ages of 18 and 30 was conducted bythe Black Youth Project at the University of Chicagowith the Associated Press-NORC Center for PublicAffairs Research.

Briana Lawrence, a 21-year-old videographer andeyelash artist from the South, wants America toreturn to what it was. A recent North CarolinaCentral University graduate, she’s voting for Clinton.She was just 7 on Sept 11 and the aftermath of theattacks is the only time she remembers the nationfeeling united. “My biggest hope for this country isfor us to come back together as a community,” shesaid. That’s hard when people like her begin adult-hood thousands of dollars in debt. Economic issuesare huge with this group, since many are saddledwith student loans and struggle to find jobs. Only 8percent of millennials feel their household’s finan-cial s i tuat ion is “ver y good,” according toGenForward’s poll.

National debtBrien Tillett, who recently graduated from a Las

Vegas high school, is 18. He was only 10 when therecession hit. His single mother was hospitalized formonths after a car accident and, with no safety net,the family struggled. National debt is his top con-cern. As a black man, he’s turned off by some ofDonald Trump’s remarks, but likes the Republican’saggressive economic stance. He also considered

voting for Clinton, but is angry about her use of aprivate email server while Secretary of State. Unsureat first, he recently decided on Clinton. Anibal DavidCabrera wouldn’t think of voting outside his party.

The son of a Honduran mother and Dominicanfather, he graduated from college in 2008. He was afinance major, but the economic collapse dried upjobs. Now 31 and living in Tampa, Florida, he finallyfound an accounting position at a small firm. Hefeels he’s entering the prime of his life a few stepsbehind, through no fault of his own. He’s backingTrump and prays the candidate keeps promises andboosts the economy. “That is something my genera-tion has kind of never seen,” he said. Shared paindoesn’t lead to shared views. Millennials’ disdain fortraditional party affiliation means that half describethemselves as independents, according to a 2014Pew Research report - a near-record level of politicaldisaffiliation.

They tend to be liberal on social questions suchas gay marriage, abortion and marijuana legaliza-tion. Yet they skew slightly conservative on fiscalpolicy and are more in line with other generationson gun control and foreign affairs. Trip Nistico, arecent Colorado law school graduate, is a gun rightsadvocate who visits shooting ranges - but also sup-ports in same-sex marriage. He backed PresidentBarack Obama in 2008 and Mitt Romney in 2012.The 26-year-old is voting for Trump this year.

Trump remains unpopularStill, Trump remains unpopular among millennials

and nearly two-thirds of Americans between the agesof 18 and 30 believe the Republican nominee is racist,according to GenForward’s poll. Views of Hillary Clintonalso were unfavorable, though not to the same extent.Bill and Kristi Clay, parents of two young boys anddevout Christians from rural Ohio, have struggled topick a candidate who matches their values. Kristi Clayopposes same-sex marriage and abortion and namesthose as her top issues. Yet the 32-year-old schoollibrarian reluctantly leans toward Clinton, because shefeels Trump is materialistic and prefers the Democraticviews on immigration and poverty.

Though she and her 33-year-old husband arefeeling “pessimistic” about this election, both saythey will vote anyway. Whether their millennialbrethren do the same is unknown. Some are disen-chanted that progressive Bernie Sanders, who ranagainst Clinton in the Democratic primary, is out ofthe race. The millennial vote rose steadily beginningin 2002 and peaked in 2008. In 2012, however, just45 percent of millennials cast ballots and participa-tion has leveled off or dropped since, said John DellaVolpe, director of polling at Harvard University’sInstitute of Politics. “They have a somewhat differentperspective in terms of politics,” he said. “It hasn’treally worked. They haven’t been part of a move-ment that’s been effective.”— AP

Divided America: Millennials are no voting monolith

ATLANTA: The five people slain in a massacre at a south Alabamahome included a woman who was five months pregnant, MobileCounty authorities said. The suspect, Derrick Dearman, attackedthem as they slept and then abducted his estranged girlfriend,Laneta Lester, and an infant from the home, a sheriff’s captainsaid. Both of them were found alive. Dearman, 27, of Leakesville,Mississippi, will be charged with six counts of capital murder,Mobile County sheriff’s spokeswoman Lori Myles said Sunday.

Five counts stem from the killing of Shannon Melissa Randall,35; Justin Kaleb Reed, 23; Joseph Adam Turner, 26; and Robert LeeBrown, also 26. The additional count is because 22-year-oldChelsea Marie Reed, was 5 months pregnant, Myles said. The bod-ies were found Saturday afternoon inside the home in Citronelle, asmall town 30 miles northwest of Mobile. The crime was of a mag-nitude rarely if ever seen in this corner of rural, southern Alabama,Mobile County sheriff’s Capt. Paul Burch said.

“It’s unprecedented here,” Burch said. “It has touched a lot ofpeople in the community,” said James Landers, a Citronelle citycouncil member. “It’s just such an awful, awful tragedy.” EarlierSunday, Burch told reporters that investigators expect to be at thescene for a couple of days. “It’s obviously a horrific scene,” he said.Mobile County District Attorney Ashley Rich told reporters nearthe scene that in her 20-year career as a prosecutor, she’s neverencountered a crime “where there were five people who werebrutally and viciously murdered, and that’s what we have here.”

She said “multiple weapons” were used.Dearman was taken into custody after he walked into the sher-

iff’s office in Greene County, Mississippi, about 20 miles west ofCitronelle, Burch said. Dearman was accompanied by his fatherwhen he showed up at the sheriff’s department and surrenderedSaturday afternoon, the Alabama sheriff’s office said in a state-ment. Dearman has confessed to the crimes, Burch told the newssite Al.com. “He’s been cooperative,” Burch told the AP on Sunday.Prosecutors have already begun the process of trying to extraditeDearman from Mississippi to Alabama, Burch said Sunday. Thesheriff of Greene County, Stanley McLeod, could not be reachedfor comment Sunday.

Though connections between Dearman and the five peoplekilled were not immediately clear, investigators have determinedthat Lester had gone to the home on Aug. 19 to get away from anabusive relationship with Dearman, the sheriff’s office said in astatement. Lester was staying with a relative there. Around 1 a.m.Saturday, someone inside the home called 911 and reported thatDearman was on the property, the statement said. Citronellepolice came to the house, but Dearman had left before the offi-cers arrived, sheriff’s officials said. Later, sometime between 1:15a.m. and daylight Saturday, Dearman returned to the home andattacked the victims while they were sleeping, the statement said.After the killings, Dearman forced Lester and the 3-month-oldinfant - the child of the one of the murder victims - into a vehicleat the home. The three drove to the Mississippi home ofDearman’s father. After they arrived there, Dearman releasedLester and the infant and then turned himself in at the Mississippisheriff’s department, Burch said. Dearman “always had a temper,especially when he doesn’t get his way,” his ex-wife, CrystalDearman, told WALA-TV. “I woke up to him holding a knife to mythroat in bed with my baby in the crib,” said Dearman, who saidthe two divorced in 2010. “He’s made threats the entire time wewere together and after we separated.”

The killings happened about 150 miles southwest of Rutledge,Alabama, another south Alabama town where six family memberswere found shot to death at their rural home on Aug 26, 2002. Inthat case, Westley Devon Harris was given a death sentence afterbeing convicted of slaughtering his girlfriend’s relatives.Prosecutors said he was angry because he thought they were try-ing to keep him away from her. After the killings, Harris fled withhis girlfriend and child. The girlfriend, who was 16 at the time,ended up testifying against him. — AP

Five killed in Alabama Murder suspect abducts estranged girlfriend

Flood victim finds

humor amid

devastating tragedy

WALKER: Chuck and Karen Craft are among the thousands ofLouisiana residents dragging furniture, appliances and otherbelongings out of flood-ravaged homes. Married more than 35years, the Crafts live outside Walker, a small town near BatonRouge. Chuck Craft said they thanked God that their family sur-vived and had “a good, long cry” about their irreparable home.Now, they’re trying to salvage photos of their four children and16 grandchildren. “I guess God wanted me to de-clutter,” ChuckCraft, 57, joked Sunday. “I was too pig-headed to do it.”

Outside Walker, the rural Baptist church the Crafts attendhas become an oasis for flood victims. As waters rose amid tor-rential rains earlier this month, National Guard rescue crewsdropped people off at South Walker Baptist Church because itsits on a ridge of relatively high ground in Livingston Parishnear Baton Rouge. Even as flooding has receded in recent days,the church - like many other places across hard-hit southLouisiana - has continued providing sustenance for the bodyand soul.

It sheltered 96 people in the days after the storm, and PastorMark Carroll said the sanctuary is still a dormitory for more than20 who lost their homes, including a man who had been livingin his car until Saturday. It is also housing volunteers who havecome to help people rebuild. With a congregation of about 100and with help from the community, the church is offering hotmeals, running a pantry stocked by donations from around theUS and conducting prayer services. Carroll said the church hadbeen planning a revival in about a month, but he believes thestorm recovery is making that happen now as people build rela-tionships with each other through God.

“It’s been this entire community,” Carroll said by phoneSunday. “We couldn’t have done anything without everyone,and I mean just about everyone, pitching in.” The Baton Rougearea got thunderstorms with at least 2 to 3 inches of rainSunday, the National Weather Service said. Louisiana Gov JohnBel Edwards said Sunday that people around the US are juststarting to pay attention to the extent of flooding that killed atleast 13 people in Louisiana. He told CNN’s “State of the Nation”that the disaster has received less attention because it wasn’t ahurricane or named storm.

WALKER: Charles Craft, 57 (right) gets a hug from TammieLovelady, 49, before church service at South WalkerBaptist Church in Walker. — AP

INDIANA: More than 1,000 residents of a northwest Indianapublic housing complex have been in a state of panic anduncertainty since authorities informed them last month thattheir homes must be destroyed because of serious lead con-tamination. A warning this summer not to allow children to playin the dirt and to wash toys because the soil is soaked with haz-ardous levels of lead and arsenic was the first many residents ofthe low income complex had heard about plans to removetainted soil that date back to at least 2012.

“Somebody dropped the ball somewhere,” said state SenLonnie Randolph, an East Chicago resident who began gettingcalls from panicked tenants in late July asking for help. “Maybe itwas intentional, or maybe by mistake. Maybe it was negligence.”The West Calumet Housing Complex sits in an area of windingcanals, rivers and aging factories about 25 miles south of down-town Chicago across the border in Indiana, and is home to mostlyAfrican-American and Hispanic residents.

From 1906 to 1985, a plant melting lead and copper in aprocess called smelting spewed toxic particles into the air that set-tled into the soil of residential yards throughout the area. Thesprawling US Smelter and Lead Refinery, Inc site was among sev-eral facilities contributing to the contamination. “When the windwould blow a certain way you would get a dark cloud of dust that

would blow across the whole complex. I mean, you would think itwas a sandstorm,” long-time resident Akeeshea Daniels said ofone neighboring plant that’s now closed.

Known hazardsThe lead plant closed in 1985, but despite known hazards,

neighboring areas including the public housing complex andhundreds of private residences were not added to the USEnvironmental Protection Agency’s priority list for cleanup until2009. By 2012, a plan for hauling away tons of soil from hundredsof yards was in place and more extensive tests came back show-ing alarmingly high lead levels, including in the upper six inches ofsoil in some yards in the public housing complex.

The EPA gave the results to the city of East Chicago in Mayand said it wanted to start digging out the bad soil this summer.Signs went up warning residents to keep their children awayfrom bare soil in playgrounds and yards. EPA contractors spreadrubber mulch as a temporary covering. Mayor AnthonyCopeland, who was already skeptical of the EPA plan, urged resi-dents in a letter in late July to temporarily relocate. Days later,the city sent another letter informing them it was seeking todemolish the entire 346-unit complex and they must find newhousing as soon as possible. —AP

Lead warning at Indiana

complex roils residents

I N T E R N AT ION A LTUESDAY, AUGUST 23, 2016

NAPLES: The leaders of Italy, France andGermany met yesterday to lay thegroundwork for a summit aimed at sal-vaging the European project in the wakeof Britain’s shock vote to leave. Europe’seconomic outlook, jihadist attacks, therefugee and migrant drama, the Syrianconflict, and relations with Russia andTurkey will all be on the table on the lushItalian island of Ventotene.

But more than anything else, themeeting, held three weeks before aninformal EU summit in Bratislava of 27states-minus Britain-will focus on how toreverse the rise of euroscepticism andstrengthen the hard-hit bloc. It will bethe second round of trilateral talksbetween Italian Prime Minister MatteoRenzi, French President FrancoisHollande and German Chancellor AngelaMerkel. At their first, shortly after Britain’sJune 23 vote, the leaders called for “anew impulse” for the EU.

Critics have demanded less talk moreaction over a crisis some states fearcould lead to similar referendums in oth-er countries, particularly theNetherlands, which opposes changes tothe EU to achieve closer integration.Coming up with a road map acceptable

to all will not be easy, with the CzechRepublic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakiavowing after Britain’s vote to draw uptheir own plans for a less-centralized EU.

Renzi will welcome Hollande andMerkel in Naples at 1400 GMT beforethey travel on to Ventotene, where theywill visit the grave of Altiero Spinelli, oneof the founding fathers of the ideal ofEuropean integration. Imprisoned on theisland by the fascist government duringthe Second World War, Spinelli and fel-low captive Ernesto Rossi co-wrote the“Ventotene manifesto” calling for a feder-ation of European states.

Defense, economy, cultureIn another symbolic move, the lead-

ers will hold a working dinner and pressconference on Italy’s Garibaldi aircraftcarrier, the flagship of the EU’s “Sophia”mission against people trafficking in theMediterranean. It will be the start of anintensive tour of talks for the Germanchancellor as she attempts to coordinatea response to one of the EU’s biggestcrises in decades and quell fears Berlinwants to monopolize the debate. After aseries of deadly attacks by the IslamicState group (IS), the three leaders are

expected to explore greater co-opera-tion on counter-terrorism and an inte-grated European security and defensepolicy-a long-cherished objective thatcould be easier to achieve now sceptical

Britain has departed.Italy’s defense and foreign affairs min-

isters have proposed creating “aSchengen-like defense agreement torespond to terrorism”, with a “multina-

tional force” under a single command forspecific missions. It is an idea France iskeen on, but Germany is unlikely to getbehind Paris’s suggestion for it to befunded with eurobonds, a move Berlinfears would leave it vulnerable to thedebt burdens of euro-zone peers. Interms of the economy, Hollande wantsthe Juncker Plan-the EU’s investmentfund for infrastructure, education,research and innovation-to be doubled,according to a French diplomatic source.

Renzi is tipped to unveil a proposalto use part of those funds to restoreEuropean cultural monuments. Butwhile Hollande and Renzi want to tack-le Europe’s identity cr is is throughinvestments, Merkel is unlikely to bemoved by their anti-austerity overtures.All three leaders have been hit in thepolls by varying toxic combinations ofrefugee crisis, economic slump and ter-ror attacks, with eurosceptic or populistparties gaining ground. And with 2017bringing a general election in Germanyand presidential election in France,they will be wary of ignoring opposi-tion to further European integration athome, leaving them little room formanoeuvre. —AFP

Big three tackle EU future on symbolic island

AT SEA: A general view shows the island of Ventotene, off the western coast ofItaly, from an aircraft carrier heading to the island, where the leaders of Italy,France and Germany meet to discuss the post-Brexit EU. — AFP

ARMYANSK: More than two years after Russiaannexed Crimea and promised its 2 million peo-ple a better life, residents say prices have soared,wages and pensions have stagnated and touristshave fled. The sunny and mountainous Black Seapeninsula is back in the news, with RussianPresident Vladimir Putin accusing Kiev of send-ing infiltrators across the border to wreck itsindustry. But locals say the damage has alreadybeen done by Moscow’s neglect.

“We joined Russia and they stopped giving adamn about us,” Yevgeny, a worker at a titaniumplant in the town of Armyansk said. “People arenaive. They thought that if we were part ofRussia, everything would be Russian. Prices have

now jumped to the Russian level, but wageshave stayed the same. That’s the main problem.”Fearing reprisals from his boss, Yevgeny declinedto give his surname, as did other workers whospoke to Reuters.

Armyansk, a sleepy Crimean town near thenewly-established border with Ukraine, is not farfrom where Russia says it fought armed clasheswith Ukrainian infiltrators last week. Kiev saysthe clashes never took place and Moscow fabri-cated the incident as a possible pretext for newmilitary action against Ukraine. The alleged plothas dominated headlines in Crimea, distractingattention away from the region’s own problems.But according to some residents of Armyansk, a

long way from Crimea’s Tsarist-era palaces andits picturesque mountainous sea coast, thoseproblems urgently need addressing.

Chemical plantArmyansk has never been prosperous. A

quarter of the town’s 20,000 people work at theCrimea Titanium chemical plant, riding in dozensof identical green passenger buses to the factoryfrom the town each morning, and back again inthe afternoon. When Crimea was controlled byUkraine, goods and services were affordable,and the plant’s workers were able to treat them-selves now and then, they say. But after Kievblocked freight supplies last year prices soared. “I

can only buy food and it’s hard to buy clothes,”said Pavel, a technician, who said he was paid17,000 roubles ($265) a month. That is onlyaround half the average monthly income inRussia. “It would be enough in Ukraine becauseprices were lower. I’m shocked. My wage is stuckand everything grows in price.” Three otherworkers who spoke to Reuters described month-ly salaries ranging from just 10,000 roubles for alaboratory assistant to 21,000 for a man whoruns an engineering department. The CrimeaTitanium plant is controlled by Ukrainian tycoonDmytro Firtash. His spokesman and the plant’smanagement did not reply to for requests forcomment. Russia is building a bridge to link

Crimea to southern Russia it hopes will establisha new supply route and reduce consumer prices.However the first trucks are not expected to beable to use it until 2018 at the earliest.

‘We have no money’Moscow is aware of Armyansk’s woes. It put it

on a list of more than 300 Russian towns identi-fied as needing state-backed investment todiversify their economies. When contacted byReuters, Crimea’s economy ministry said no proj-ects in the town had yet been developed. Russiaannounced plans to invest 680 billion roubles(around $10 bln) in Crimea between now and2020. That is on top of the billions of roubles itspends each month on pensions and paymentsto teachers, doctors and government employ-ees. Pensioners, state employees and peopleworking in the tourist industry were expected toenjoy a significant financial uplift after annexa-tion. Instead, the rouble has lost about half of itsvalue against the dollar since 2014 due to loweroil prices and Western sanctions. In May, RussianPrime Minister Dmitry Medvedev was filmedduring a visit to Crimea being confronted by awoman who complained about low living stan-dards for Crimea’s half million pensioners. “It’simpossible to get by on a pension in Crimea,” shesaid. “Prices are crazy ... What is 8,000 (roubles)?It’s a paltry sum.” Medvedev’s reply went viralonline: “We simply have no money ... Bear up.”

Empty restaurantsWith its spas and Black Sea coast, Crimea has

been a popular tourist resort since the Tsaristera, when Anton Chekhov wrote about illicitliaisons among the fashionable gentry vacation-ing on the Yalta promenade. Putin said last yearthat tourism in Crimea should be profitable andMoscow would consider measures to attract for-eign visitors. But annexation has cut the penin-sula off from Ukrainian holidaymakers whomainly arrived by train, and their numbers havenot been made up by Russian tourists, who musttravel by air to get there. When Crimea was con-trolled by Ukraine, 6 million tourists a year visit-ed, according to official data. Post-annexation,the number of tourists dropped sharply and hasyet not recovered.

“When we were in Ukraine, there were morepeople. You could hardly make your way throughthe crowd,” said a bored-looking waiter on thesmart terrace of a nearly empty restaurant calledEurope, close to the sea in Yevpatoriya, a popularresort. Natalya, a waitress at Dulber, anotherrestaurant in the town, said the customers thatdo come spend much less money than they usedto when the peninsula was part of Ukraine.“People now are reluctant to spend money, theymake minimal orders and we are tipped less,” shesaid. “We have a rouble crisis now, prices are high.People come from Russia and they are shockedby the high prices in Crimea. We’re shocked bythem ourselves.” —Reuters

Promised prosperity never arrived

in Russian-held Crimea, locals say

Some Crimeans say life has got worse not better

SEVASTOPOL: Russian President Vladimir Putin (left) speaks with Prime Minister DmitryMedvedev during their meeting at the Belbek airport near the Black sea port of Sevastopol,Crimea. —AFP

NAIROBI: (Left-right) US Secretary of State John Kerry meets with his fellow ForeignMinisters, Kenyan Foreign Secretary Amina Mohamed, Uganda Foreign Minister SamKahamba Kutesa, Sudan Foreign Minister Ibrahim Ghandour, Somalia ForeignMinister Abdisalam Omer and South Sudan Foreign Minister Deng Alor Kuol at theVilla Rosa Kempinski Hotel in Nairobi, Kenya. — AFP

NAIROBI: US Secretary of State John Kerryand counterparts from six African nationsmet in Nairobi yesterday to discuss waysto prevent South Sudan from sliding backinto civil war. World powers and regionalstates have struggled to find leverage overthe country’s warring factions despite USand European sanctions on some militaryleaders and African threats of punitiveactions. After a two-hour meeting withKenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta at StateHouse, Kerry joined foreign ministers fromKenya, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, andUganda to discuss options for puttingSouth Sudan’s peace process back ontrack. Ministers from Djibouti andTanzania had been expected.

The meeting was expected to discussplans by the UN to deploy a 4,000-strongprotection force in the capital Juba, aspart of the UN peacekeeping mission. TheUN has threatened an arms embargo if thegovernment does not cooperate. “We will... talk about how we move forward in try-ing to implement peace in this country,” asenior State Department official saidbefore the meeting. “The people of SouthSudan have suffered for far too long, andthe continued instability there has ledalmost a million refugees and a humani-tarian crisis that is far beyond the abilitiesof even the international community torespond to,” the official added.

South Sudan initially said it would notcooperate with the 4,000-strong force thatwill be under the command of the existing12,000-strong UN mission UNMISS. Jubahas since said it was still considering itsposition. “ We have not rejected it oraccepted it, the sovereignty of the peopleof South Sudan will be decided by the par-

l iament,” South Sudan’s presidentialspokesman Ateny Wek Ateny said. Sincethe world’s youngest nation gained inde-pendence in 2011, oil production - by farthe biggest source of government rev-enue - has plummeted.

Worsening violence has raised fears ofa return to civil war that erupted in late2013, which broadly ran along ethniclines, pitting President Salva Kiir, an ethnicDinka, against his rival and vice presidentRiek Machar, a Nuer. Machar led a two-year rebellion against forces loyal to rivalKiir before the two sides reached a peacedeal in August 2015. Under the deal,Machar returned to Juba in Apri l toresume his role as vice president. Afterviolence flared in the capital Juba lastmonth, Machar withdrew his forces andKiir subsequently sacked him as vicepresident.

Machar was picked up by UN peace-keepers in neighboring DemocraticRepublic of Congo a week ago with a leginjury and was handed over to authoritiesin Congo. Especial ly of concern toWashington was an attack on a Juba hotelin July by uniformed men who killed a US-funded journalist and raped civilians,including aid workers. The UN haslaunched an investigation into accusa-tions UN peacekeepers in Juba failed torespond properly to the attack. In a letterto Kerry before his visit, the Human RightsWatch group urged him to discuss rightsconcerns with Kenyatta. The group said ithad documented 34 cases of extrajudicialkillings and another 11 deaths of peoplelast seen in state custody over allegedlinks with al-Shabaab militants in Nairobiand in the northeast. — Reuters

Kerry, African ministers meet

over violence in South Sudan

LONDON: Britain will isolate Islamistextremists in special units in high securityjails to limit their ability to radicalize otherinmates, the government said yesterday.Justice Secretary Liz Truss said she was tak-ing action to reduce the spread of radicalideology within the mainstream prisonpopulation, including training officers todisrupt activity that could influence vulner-able prisoners.

“But there are a small number of individ-uals, very subversive individuals, who doneed to be held in separate units,” she toldBBC radio yesterday. “We are establishingspecialist units in the prison estate to holdthose individuals.”

The new policy follows a review intoextremism in prisons led by former prisongovernor Ian Acheson, which is due to bepublished yesterday. The BBC said Achesonfound there was “institutional timidity” intackling extremist ideology in prisonsbecause staff were afraid of being labeled

racist. Truss said governors and prison offi-cers would have the training and theauthority to root out extremism. The gov-ernment moves come as Britain’s mostnotorious Islamist preacher, AnjemChoudary, is due to be sentenced nextmonth after being found guilty of invitingsupport for Islamic State.

Critics have said special units couldbecome hothouses where the most dan-gerous extremists can exchange ideas andcreate networks, repeating some of themistakes made in Northern Ireland in the1980s. There paramilitary prisoners fromboth republican and loyalist sides of thetroubles were able to organize themselveswithin the system. Truss said she had leantfrom Northern Ireland. The risks would bemanaged by creating small units withinexisting prisons, she said, and by establish-ing a new directorate of security andcounter terrorism that would make sureprisoners did not collaborate. — Reuters

SINGAPORE: A Belgian expatriatewas sentenced to five years’ jail inSingapore yesterday for killing hisfive-year-old son last year while suf-fering from severe depression duringa child custody battle. PhilippeGraffart, 42, was sentenced on areduced charge of culpable homicideinstead of murder, after psychiatricfindings showed he had “diminishedresponsibility” for suffocating his sonKeryan with a pillow in their apart-ment.

Murder is punishable by hangingin Singapore. Judicial CommissionerHoo Sheau Peng said she took intoconsideration the grievous nature ofthe offence, the fact that it had beencommitted against a vulnerable child,and the fact that the offender was thechild’s own parent. “This sentence isnecessary to show that the accused’sactions are not to be condoned,” Hoosaid.

For culpable homicide without theintention of causing death, Graffartcould have been jailed up to 10 years,caned and fined-or any combinationof the three penalties. Graffart lookedimpassive when his sentence wasread out, staring straight ahead at thejudge. Representatives from the

French and Belgian embassies werepresent during the High Court hear-ing, as well as two of Graffart’s formercolleagues who briefly spoke to himbefore he was taken away to serve hissentence. His Singaporean lawyerRamesh Tiwary said after the sessionthat Keryan’s death is somethingGraffart “will have to live with for therest of his life.”

Court documents showed Graffartwas locked in a bitter custody battleover Keryan with his estrangedFrench wife Gwendoline when hesmothered the boy with a cushionafter giving him a sedative onOctober 5, 2015. After the killing heunsuccessfully tried to commit sui-cide by crashing his car before givinghimself up to police. The family hadmoved to Singapore fromLuxembourg in September 2013 afterGraffart, a financial executive, wastransferred by his employer, Europeanfirm Nordea InvestmentManagement. Their marriage brokedown early the following year. Atabout lunchtime on October 5, 2015,Graffart was told about a develop-ment in his custody suit which lefthim distraught, court documentssaid. —AFP

UK to create ‘isolation units’

to counter extremism in jails

Belgian man jailed for killing son in Singapore

SINGAPORE: Belgian expatriate Philippe Graffart (center) arrives in apolice car at the State court in Singapore. A Belgian expatriate wassentenced to five years’ jail in Singapore yesterday for killing his five-year-old son last year while suffering from severe depression during achild custody battle. —AFP

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

TUESDAY, AUGUST 23, 2016

Newsi n b r i e f

Death toll from Indonesia boat accident rises to 15

JAKARTA: The death toll from a boat accident off westernIndonesia rose to 15 yesterday after rescuers found fivemore bodies, an official said. The small wooden boat wascarrying 17 passengers and crew from Bintan Island tonearby Penyengat Island, in Riau province, on Sunday whenit sank in rough seas. Two passengers survived the accidentand were taken to hospital in critical condition. Rescuersretrieved 10 bodies at the weekend and found the final fiveon Monday, transport ministry spokesman HemiPramuraharjo said. The journey on the small craft fitted withan outboard was supposed to take around an hour.Indonesia is an archipelago of more than 17,000 islandswhich is heavily dependent on boat transport, but fatalaccidents are common. More than 60 people died inDecember when huge waves capsized a ferry near Sulawesiisland in central Indonesia.

Anti-IS forces seize more ground in Libya city Sirte

TRIPOLI: Fighters of Libya’s unity government, backed byUS air strikes, have recaptured more ground from jihadistsholed up in the centre of the coastal city of Sirte, loyalistforces said yesterday. “Our forces have retaken the internalsecurity building used as a prison by the Islamic State (IS)”group, as well as a courthouse, the Al-Naga district andDubai Street, the operations centre for fighters loyal to theGovernment of National Accord (GNA) said. A statementsaid “the new victory” was achieved in clashes which ragedthroughout Sunday in the face of “desperate resistance bythe jihadists”. IS sniper positions were “neutralized” in twoUS air strikes and “our forces destroyed two booby-trappedcars... without loss in our ranks,” it said. However, 12 fighterswere killed and 85 wounded in Sunday’s clashes, the hospi-tal in Misrata, 200 kilometers east of Tripoli where the pro-GNA military command is based, said on its Facebook page.

Putin ‘ready’ to host Mideast peace talks

CAIRO: Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi said hisRussian counterpart and close ally Vladimir Putin wants tohost an Israeli-Palestinian summit to revive peace talks, inan interview published yesterday. Sisi told state newspapereditors that he believed Israel was increasingly convinced ofthe need for a peace deal, saying it was a “positive sign.” ButPalestinian infighting between the Islamist Hamas rulers ofGaza and Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas’s Fatah inthe West Bank remained an obstacle, he said in the inter-view. Talks between Israeli Prime Minister BenjaminNetanyahu and Abbas have been suspended since 2014,despite a push by Washington and France to resume thepeace process. Sisi, who is seen as having good ties withboth Israel and Abbas’s Palestinian Authority, has also beenpushing for a resumption of negotiations. “Putin has toldme that he is ready to receive both (Abbas) and Netanyahuin Moscow to carry out direct talks to find a solution andsolve the issue,” Sisi said.

Burundi journalist wins the Peter Mackler award

WASHINGTON: A reporter from Burundi repre-senting a collective of mostly anonymous journal-ists reporting from their violence-wracked countryhas won the 2016 Peter Mackler Award forCourageous and Ethical Journalism, organizerssaid yesterday. Eloge Willy Kaneza is the publicface of SOS Media Burundi, a collective formedafter the closure of radio stations during the May2015 coup attempt against President PierreNkurunziza. Using smartphones and mobile appli-cations, the 34-year-old Kaneza and his colleagues“work under difficult circumstances as the onlysource of news for their countrymen and thoseoutside Burundi,” organizers said. Burundi hasbeen in chaos since Nkurunziza announced plansin April 2015 to run for a third term, which he wenton to win. More than 500 people have since died,and at least 270,000 have fled the country. UNinvestigators say that in the 12-month period afterthe crisis began, at least 348 people were victimsof extrajudicial killings and 651 incidents of torturewere recorded.

Contest seeks to demystify Buddhist monks and nuns

TOKYO: Two Buddhist monks and a nun strolleddown a catwalk, showed off talents such as karatemoves and answered questions in a Japanese con-test yesterday aimed at making Buddhist practition-ers more approachable and less solemn. KoyuOsawa, the nun, who wore a black robe and sportedclosely cropped hair, was voted the spectators’favorite at the Tokyo event organized byObosan.com, or “Monks.com”, a web-based providerof Buddhist services such as funerals and marriages.In response to one question, Osawa recalled when afriend was in tears trying to talk her out of becom-ing a nun. She said she wanted people to know thatbeing a monk or nun can involve hardships and it isnot simply a job relying on donations at a temple.Kazuma Hayashi, the contest organizer, said hewanted to make monks - often seen as serious, dis-tant figures associated with funerals - moreapproachable and a part of daily life.

SIRTE, Libya: A member of the forces loyal to Libya’sUN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA)runs on a street near the central area known asDistrict One, where GNA forces hold a position whilefighting against Islamic State group (IS) jihadistsholed up in the coastal city of Sirte. — AFP

OSLO: The Philippine government saidyesterday it hoped to reach a peace dealwith communist guerrillas within a year,as the two sides kicked off talks inNorway aimed at ending one of Asia’slongest insurgencies. “On the part of the(government) panel, we have imposed atimeline of nine to 12 months,” SilvestreBello, the government delegation’s headof negotiations, told reporters.

The government and the rebels hopeto breathe new life into the peaceprocess by discussing simultaneously theoutstanding issues of social and eco-nomic reforms, political and constitution-al changes, and an end to hostilities.Previous peace talks have addressed oneissue at a time.

“With this new approach we are quiteconfident that we will be able to achieveour timetable,” Bello said. PresidentRodrigo Duterte, who took office on June30, has made the resumption of talkswith the rebels one of his top priorities.He has even floated the possibility offorming a coalition government withthem.

The head of the rebel delegation, LuisJalandoni, confirmed the timetable butwas more cautious in his optimism aboutreaching a political settlement after 30years of failed talks. “I think we will try todo it in one year but it might take a littlemore time because the negotiations onsocial and economic reforms could takemore time,” he said. “It’s more complicat-ed than some may think,” he said.Established in December 1968, theCommunist Party of the Philippineslaunched a rebellion three months laterthat has so far claimed the lives of 30,000people, according to official estimates.

Many false dawnsIts armed faction, the New People’s

Army (NPA), is now believed to have few-er than 4,000 gunmen, down from a peakof 26,000 in the 1980s, when a bloodlessrevolt ended the 20-year dictatorship oflate president Ferdinand Marcos. But themovement retains support among thepoor in rural areas, and its forces regular-ly kill police officers or troops whileextorting money from local businesses.There have been many false dawns in the

peace process, most recently in 2011when the previous administration ofBenigno Aquino and the communistssaid following talks they believed peacecould be attained in 18 months.However the peace process slowly crum-bled as the Aquino government refusedto release jailed communist rebel lead-ers.

This time, the two sides agreed toceasefires from Sunday to create a con-ducive environment for the talks in Oslo.The rebels declared a seven-day unilat-eral truce hours after Duterte’s decisionto free its top jailed leaders last week.Some of those rebels flew to Oslo totake part in the negotiations, which aredue to wrap up on Friday. The govern-ment responded by saying it wouldrestore a unilateral ceasefire that wasdeclared in July but abruptly withdrawnby Duterte just days later after a rebelambush. The government has said itsceasefire will last for as long as neces-sary to bring peace.

‘Differences to overcome’ The communists said their own cease-

fire would only last until August 27, but arebel statement said they were willing todiscuss a longer truce with Manila.However, this would only be possibleafter the government freed all 550 guer-rillas detained by the government, therebels said. “We expect the realization ofthe amnesty proclamation to release allpolitical prisoners as a necessary incen-tive for the ceasefire between the twoparties,” rebel delegation head Jalandonisaid yesterday.

“ The road to peace will have itshumps and bumps. It will not be easyeven if we try to accelerate,” he said.Norway, which has been acting as inter-mediary for the peace process since2001, hailed the hopeful atmosphereyesterday, as delegates from the twosides laughed and hugged. “We knowthat there are ... challenging issues to dis-cuss and differences to overcome in thecoming days and in the process ahead,”Norwegian Foreign Minister BorgeBrende said. “We sincerely hope that youwill make (progress) for the benefit of thepeople of the Philippines.” — AFP

Philippines hopes for a

peace deal with rebels Manila, communist guerrillas kick off talks

OSLO: Wilma Austria Tiamzon (left), Benito Tiamzon (center) and exiled Chief of theNational Democratic Front of Philippines (NDFP) Jose Maria Sison wave during a meetingon peace negotiations between the Philippines government and the National DemocraticFront of the Philippines yesterday.- AFP

KORALA: Twice a year, a normally desert-ed border checkpoint high on theTibetan plateau throngs with activity astraders from Nepal flock to do businesswith their giant northern neighborChina. A biannual trade fair in Tibet offersa rare opportunity for those living in theremote former Buddhist kingdom ofUpper Mustang in Nepal to cross theusually closed border into China, which iscultivating closer ties with the Himalayannation. “This trade is very important forus because we live in such an isolatedarea,” said trucker Pasang Gurung, whowas driving to China for the fair. “Accessto Chinese customers and productsmakes our lives much easier... I wish theborder were open all the time.”

The border is usually closed for securi-ty reasons as Upper Mustang has historyas a base for the Tibetan resistance. Butauthorities in Nepal are increasinglylooked to strengthen economic ties withChina and reduce its dependence on itsother giant neighbor India. But it willhave a long way to go in order to accom-plish that. Bilateral trade with Indiabetween July 2014 and June 2015amounted to nearly $4.5 billion, dwarf-ing China’s $882 million. An energyagreement between Kathmandu andBeijing in March ended India’s monopolyover fuel supplies to Nepal, although itremains the biggest supplier by far.

That deal was prompted by a months-long blockade at the border with India toprotest the terms of a new national con-stitution that led New Delhi to halt sup-plies, leading to crippling shortages.Kathmandu accused New Delhi ofimposing an “unofficial blockade” in sup-port of the protesters, an ethnic commu-nity that shares close family links withIndians across the border-a claim Indiadenied. Sujeev Shakya, chairman of theNepal Economic Forum think tank, saysthat even before the blockade India hada reputation in Nepal for being slow todeliver.

A number of Indian hydropower proj-ects have stalled due to disagreementsover the terms of the deal, while Chinahas pressed ahead. One 60-megawattpower plant is under construction and a750-megawatt joint venture worth $1.6billion is due for completion byDecember 2019. “The perception here isthat the Chinese tend to deliver whileIndia keeps talking,” Shakya said. “Overthe years, China has gained more credi-bility in Nepal because of the pace at

which they have put up infrastructureprojects.”

Thriving tradeIn Upper Mustang’s medieval walled

capital of Lo Manthang, construction of aChinese-funded 70-kilowatt solar powerstation last year has allowed residents toaccess electricity even during themonths-long dry season, whenhydropower supplies fall short. Localshave welcomed the investment and areclamouring for deeper economic ties. “Ifthe border opens up, Lo Manthang canbe a centre for trade, religious activities,tourism,” said shopkeeper Kunga DorjeGurung.

Around 1,000 visitors a day use theKorala checkpoint during the fair, tradingin everything from carpets and clothingto tea and biscuits. The journey has beenmade easier by a new road to the borderthat opened this year, and which localshope will put pressure on Beijing to openthe checkpoint more often. “The roadhas made transportation of goods mucheasier,” said Nepali businessman TsheringPhuntsok Gurung, travelling to the bor-der with friends.

“Earlier, everything had to be carriedon horses and the costs involved in hir-ing and feeding animals meant that theprices of the goods would also go up.”The thriving cross-border trade in UpperMustang is particularly remarkablebecause the region was once the basefor a CIA-funded guerrilla campaign tooust Chinese forces from Tibet after afailed uprising in 1959. Thutop Dadhul, aTibetan refugee, was just 17 when heand his family of nomadic herders fledChinese troops and crossed over intoUpper Mustang.

He threw himself into the Tibetanresistance movement, making daringtrips across the border to gather intelli-gence. “We had to win back Tibet... I amproud of the fact that I tried to do some-thing for my country,” the 75-year-oldsaid in the resort town of Pokhara, wheretourist shopfronts display signs inMandarin. Outgunned on every front,the revolutionaries continued their fighteven after the US government withdrewsupport in 1968 and only surrenderedwhen the Dalai Lama asked them to laydown arms. “I know the Chinese arebeing very generous to Nepal now, butthat will change,” he said. “Eventuallythey will seek more control... and thingswill get worse for refugees like us.”— AFP

KASHMIR: Relatives of Kashmiri teenager Irfan Ahmed, who was killed by a teargas shell,break down as local residents visit the family to offer their condolences in the FatahKadal area of Srinagar yesterday. Teenager Irfan Ahmed was killed after he was hit in thechest by a teargas canister fired by Indian security forces to quell pro-freedom protests inthe Kashmiri capital on August 21. — AFP

NEW DELHI: India’s Prime MinisterNarendra Modi came under pressure yes-terday over weeks of deadly violence inKashmir, with the region’s oppositionleaders calling on him to rein in troopsand police. Modi stressed the need fordialogue to end the unrest in the disput-ed Himalayan region, after meeting theopposition leaders in New Delhi at theirrequest. “He (Modi) emphasized on theneed for all political parties to worktogether to find a solution to the prob-lems in the state of Jammu and Kashmir,”his office said in a statement after talkswith the delegation.

Much of Indian-administeredKashmir has been under curfew sinceprotests broke out over the death onJuly 8 of a popular young rebel leader ina gunfight with security forces. Morethan 60 civilians have been killed inclashes between protesters and policeand troops and thousands more injuredin the worst violence to hit the restiveregion since 2010.

Opposition delegates led by formerKashmir chief minister Omar Abdullahsingled out security forces’ firing of shot-guns to disperse the protesters. Hospitalshave reported hundreds of young men

and boys suffering serious eye and otherinjuries from the pellets. “We alsoimplore you to announce an immediateban on pellet guns,” said a memorandumhanded to Modi. Use of the guns, alongwith harassment, raids and arrest of resi-dents, “has worsened an already volatilesituation in the state”. The meetingcomes a day after Modi’s FinanceMinister Arun Jaitley warned that ongo-ing violence in the region would not betolerated and described stone-throwersas among the aggressors.

Many of the young men who havecome onto the streets since the rebel’sdeath are throwing stones at securityforces, an increasingly common form ofprotest in the area. Modi’s Hindu nation-alist Bharatiya Janata Party is part of anuneasy coalition government in Jammuand Kashmir, India’s only Muslim-majori-ty state. The Kashmir region is dividedbetween India and Pakistan but bothclaim the territory in full. The KashmirValley, where the recent violence hasoccurred, is the epicenter of a separatistinsurgency, with several rebel groupsfighting Indian troops and police. Theyseek either independence or merger ofthe territory with Pakistan.— AFP

India PM under pressure

amid violence in Kashmir

Nepal’s Himalayas hopes

of closer China ties

KORALA: A small truck drives along a dirt road in Korala, Nepal-China border inUpper Mustang. — AFP

I N T E R N AT I O N A LTUESDAY, AUGUST 23, 2016

TAIPEI: Taiwanese shouting anti-communist slogans stagedprotests at an airport and a school yesterday against a visit by atop Shanghai official which they see as intended to promoteChina’s unification with Taiwan. Sha Hailin, a standing commit-tee member of the Communist Party in the city and head ofthe United Front Work Department there, is the highest-levelmainlander to visit since cross-strait ties worsened underTaiwan’s new government.

He arrived in Taipei for an annual forum on municipalexchanges as protesters shouted “Sha Hailin, go back to China!”at the capital’s Songshan airport. Dozens of demonstratorswaved placards reading “Expel propaganda communist,defend Taiwan’s sovereignty” and “(Taipei mayor) Ko Wen-jesells out Taiwan”. Some supporters also rallied outside the air-port with welcome signs. While most demonstrators were cor-doned off, one man holding a poster got into the airportarrivals hall and shouted “Sha Hailin, get out!” as Sha walked by.

The protester scuffled briefly with policemen before beingtaken away. Scores of protesters rallied again when Sha visited ahigh school to open a sports festival and played table tenniswith Taiwanese students. Relations with China have grownincreasing frosty since Tsai Ing-wen of the DemocraticProgressive Party won the presidency in January. Beijing is high-ly suspicious of Tsai because her party is traditionally pro-inde-pendence, and has warned her against any attempt at a break-away. China’s Taiwan Affairs Office announced it had suspended

official contact with Taipei after Tsai’s government, which tookoffice in May, failed publicly to accept the “one China” principlewhich governed relations under her predecessor.

Sha stressed that the basis for peaceful cross-strait rela-tions was the recognition of “one China”. “If we want tomaintain peaceful developments in cross-strait ties, Ibelieve the political basis cannot be avoided... We will con-tinue to work hard to build and solidify this political basis,”Sha, who heads the visiting delegation in place of ShanghaiMayor Yang Xiong, told reporters. Asked about the protests,he said: “There were also many people who welcomed me.Their voices were small but their number was bigger.”Taiwan has been self-ruling since splitting with the main-land in 1949 following a civil war but has never formallydeclared independence. Beijing still sees it as part of its ter-ritory awaiting reunification, by force if necessary.

Critics claim Sha, as Shanghai’s propaganda chief,intends to push during his visit for reunification andaccuse Taipei mayor Ko of “selling out” to Beijing. “We arevery angry and we refuse China’s propaganda to reunifyTaiwan. Taiwan is an independent country. We must main-tain our sovereignty and dignity,” said protester SherryHuang from the pro-independence Taiwan SolidarityUnion ( TSU) party. “China has long wanted to annexTaiwan and we don’t need to continue exchanges with it,”said protester Hsu Ya-chi. The TSU said it planned anotherdemonstration yesterday night at a welcome dinner forthe Shanghai delegation in Taipei city hall, and vowed toprotest throughout Sha’s stay. —AFP

SYDNEY: Almost half of the womenworking for Australia’s national policeforce say they have been sexuallyharassed on the job, according to areport released Monday calling forurgent change. The review of the work-place culture of the Australian FederalPolice (AFP) also found that more than 60percent of staff-men and women-report-ed being bullied. “In the areas of sexualharassment and bullying, urgent action is

required,” the report’s author, former sexdiscrimination commissioner, ElizabethBroderick said.

A survey carried out for the reportfound that 46 percent of women and 20percent of men said they had been sexu-ally harassed in the workplace in the lastfive years. “These percentages are almostdouble the national average,” it noted.“Sixty-two percent of men and 66 per-cent of women reported that they have

been bullied in the workplace in the lastfive years.” The document, “CulturalChange: Gender Diversity and Inclusionin the Australian Federal Police”, also criti-cized the reporting process for com-plaints.

Some police workers felt that if theyreported harassment it would hurt theircareers or result in them being ostracizedor victimized while others said com-plaints could take too long to resolve and

questioned their confidentiality. Womenacross the AFP, which is separate to statepolice forces, also reported difficulties inhaving to “fit in” to a male-dominated cul-ture, including having to “prove them-selves”. “We have certainly made progressbut I still think there is a culture of sexualharassment and bullying,” one femaleparticipant told the survey.

Releasing the report, AFPCommissioner, Andrew Colvin admitted

that “things must change” and apolo-gized to staff past and present who hadbeen subjected to unacceptable behav-ior. “These practices will not be tolerated,”he said, adding that a new division wouldbe established to lead cultural reform.The review of AFP workplace culture fol-lows several inquiries into the nation’smilitary which has been rocked by allega-tions of sexual abuse and cruel initiationrituals in recent years. —AFP

Sex harassment ‘widespread’ in Australian police

News

Mother arrested after 4 children found dead

TOKYO: A mother is under investigation for murder afterher four children, including a girl as young as three, werefound dead, Japanese media reports and police said yes-terday. Local media reported the victims were killed bytheir mother before she tried to take her own life.According to police in the southern Japanese prefectureof Fukuoka, a 10-year-old boy, two six-year-old girls, anda three-year-old girl were found dead yesterday. “Theirfather found them dead and reported it to police,” apolice spokesman said, without providing further details.Police are questioning the children’s 41-year-old motheras a suspect in a possible murder-suicide attempt,according to Jiji Press and public broadcaster NHK. Themother confessed to police she had killed the children,according to TV Asahi. Police reportedly told media thatat least one child had a mark indicating strangulation.The mother was sent to hospital as her wrist was bleed-ing, the Asahi Shimbun daily said. She told police she cutherself with a kitchen knife but her injury was mild.

Singapore PM Lee takes abreak after fainting spell

SINGAPORE: Singapore Prime Minister Lee HsienLoong started a week’s medical leave yesterday torest after a fainting spell during a televised speechcaused a health scare. Lee, 64, underwent a series ofmedical checks late Sunday and yesterday and “doc-tors have confirmed there were no cardiac abnor-malities and no stroke,” the Prime Minister’s Office(PMO) said in a statement. However, his doctorsadvised that Lee should go on medical leave andresume his duties next Monday, the PMO said.Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean will be incharge in his absence. “I’m glad to report that thedoctors think I am ok, but they have advised me torest, so I will be on (medical leave) for this week,”Lee said in a Facebook post. Lee, a cancer survivorand son of the city-state’s late founding father LeeKuan Yew, suddenly stopped speaking more thantwo hours into a speech on Sunday and slouchedover the lectern during a live broadcast.

Japanese first lady pays tribute to Pearl Harbor

TOKYO: Japan’s first lady has visited Pearl Harbor for thefirst time to pay tribute to the victims of the Japaneseattack 75 years ago. Akie Abe said in her Facebook entryyesterday that she laid flowers and prayed at the USSArizona Memorial. “I offered flowers and a prayer,” shewrote in a short message. In one of several photos alsoposted in her Facebook, the Japanese first lady posedwith an American veteran who survived the attack. Shedid not elaborate on her visit that comes amid loomingspeculation about a similar visit by her husband, PrimeMinister Shinzo Abe. Chief Cabinet Secretary YoshihideSuga acknowledged that the first lady was in Hawaii toattend an environmental conference. Suga declined tocomment, saying she is making a private visit. Speculationfor Abe’s possible visit to Pearl Harbor has grown since USPresident Barack Obama paid tribute in May to the victimsof the US atomic bombing in Hiroshima. No servingJapanese prime minister has visited Pearl Harbor.

Thailand’s attacks probe points to Muslim south

BANGKOK: Most of those behind a string ofbombings in Thai tourist towns are Muslims fromthe kingdom’s insurgency-plagued southernprovinces, the country’s police chief said yester-day. It was the first clear indication that policebelieve a group of southern Muslims played somesort of role in the attacks which killed four andwounded dozens, including European visitors, thismonth. Police chief Chakthip Chaij inda toldreporters investigators believe a group of “morethan 20 people” were behind the coordinatedattacks. “Most of them are from the area of thesouthern border provinces police operation cen-tre,” he said, referencing a policing area thatencompasses the Muslim-majority southernmostregion. Asked whether the suspects were Thainationals he replied: “They are not Buddhists.” Headded that investigators had recently searched anIslamic school where he believed some of the sus-pects had studied or graduated from.

SEOUL: South Korea and the United Stateskicked off large-scale military exercises yes-terday, triggering condemnation andthreats of a pre-emptive nuclear strike fromNorth Korea. The two-week annual UlchiFreedom drill, which plays out a scenario offull-scale invasion by the nuclear-armedNorth, is largely computer-simulated butstill involves around 50,000 Korean and25,000 US soldiers. The exercise always trig-gers a rise in tensions on the divided Koreanpeninsula, and this year it coincides withparticularly volatile cross-border relationsfollowing a series of high-profile defections.

Seoul and Washington insist the joint mil-itary drills are purely defensive in nature, butPyongyang views them as wilfully provoca-tive. The North Korean Foreign Ministry yes-

terday condemned Ulchi Freedom as an“unpardonable criminal act” that could bringthe peninsula to “the brink of war”. TheKorean People’s Army (KPA), meanwhile,threatened a military response to what itdescribed as a rehearsal for a surprisenuclear attack and invasion of the North.North Korea’s frontline units were “fullyready to mount a preemptive retaliatorystrike at all enemy attack groups involved”,said a spokesman for the KPA General Staff.

‘Nuclear strike’ The slightest violation of North Korea’s

territorial sovereignty would result in thesource of the provocation being turned “intoa heap of ashes through Korean-style pre-emptive nuclear strike”, the spokesman said.

Pyongyang has made similar threats in thepast, and actual retaliation for South Korea-US military drills has largely been restrictedto firing ballistic missiles into the sea. TheNorth’s main ally China voiced its oppositionto Ulchi Freedom, with a commentary pub-lished by the official Xinhua news agencysaying it would only make Pyongyang “moreaggressive” at an already sensitive time.

As the drill began, South KoreanPresident Park Geun-Hye said a recent spateof headline-grabbing defections fromNorth Korea signaled political turmoil inPyongyang that could cause the leadershipthere to lash out against the South. “It isincreasingly possible that North Korea mayundertake various terror attacks and provo-cations... to block internal unrest, prevent

further defections and create confusion inour society,” Park told a meeting of herNational Security Council. On Sunday theUnification Ministry in Seoul urged all citi-zens to be on guard against possible NorthKorean assassination attempts on defectorsand anti-Pyongyang activists in the South.Park said the South’s military was on highalert and would “vigorously strike back” inthe event of any hostile action.

Communications cutAnalysts say there is a genuine risk of an

unintended incident escalating into a mili-tary clash, given the current absence ofdirect communication between the twoKoreas. As tensions rose in the wake ofNorth Korea’s fourth nuclear test in January,Pyongyang shut down the two existinghotlines with South Korea-one used by themilitary and one for government-to-government communications. And lastmonth it severed its only direct communi-cations link with the United States when itclosed the so-called “New York channel”which had previously served as a key pointof contact between North Korean and USdiplomats at the United Nations. TheJanuary nuclear test heightened NorthKorea’s isolation as the international com-munity, backed by the North’s main diplo-matic protector China, imposed substan-tially upgraded economic sanctions.

Pyongyang has remained defiant, andthere are concerns that the leadershipwill order a show of force in the wake ofthe recent defections. Last week NorthKorea’s deputy ambassador to Britain,Thae Yong-Ho, defected to the South-arare and damaging loss of diplomaticface for Pyongyang and a major PR vic-tory for Seoul. The North’s official KCNAnews agency described Thae as “humanscum” and said he had f led to avoidcriminal charges including embezzlingfunds and raping a minor. Thae’s movefuelled Pyongyang’s fury at the defec-tion in April of a dozen North Koreanoverseas restaurant workers, whom itinsists were kidnapped by South Koreanintelligence. —AFP

South Korea-US military drill

shadowed by North’s threatsPyongyang views military exercise as willfully provocative

Chinese official visits Taiwan; protests erupt

i n b r i e f

PAJU: A South Korean army soldier works on his K-9 self-propelled artillery vehicle during the annual exercise inPaju, South Korea, near the border with North Korea yesterday. —AP

In this image made from video, SingaporePrime Minister Lee Hsien Loong (fourth fromright) is helped off the stage after he felt faintwhile delivering a speech during a NationalDay rally. —AP

TAIPEI: A protester scuffles with police officers out-side the venue of a dinner party held by TaipeiMayor Ke Wen-je for Sha Hailin, head of the UnitedFront Work Department of Chinese CommunistParty’s Shanghai Municipal Committee, on the eveof Taipei-Shanghai forum in Taipei yesterday. —AP

TOKYO: A powerful typhoon struck near Tokyoyesterday, the first in 11 years to come ashore inthe densely populated region, temporarilyshutting down a major city airport and ground-ing more than 500 flights nationwide. TyphoonMindulle made landfall at about 12:30 pm inTateyama city 80 kilometers southeast of Tokyo,the Japan Meteorological Agency said. As of7:00 pm the storm-packing gusts up to 144kilometers per hour-was moving throughFukushima prefecture north of Tokyo and head-ing north-northeast at 35 kilometers per hour,the agency said.

According to public broadcaster NHK, atotal of 30 people were injured. Most of themwere minor but a 34-year-old man broke his ribafter falling due to strong winds. “In Tokyo...please exercise caution for landslides, floodingin low-lying areas, surging rivers, violent windand high waves,” the weather agency said. Itwas the first typhoon in 11 years to score adirect hit on the Tokyo region from the sea, theagency said.

Tokyo has experienced other typhoons inensuing years but they all came ashore else-where before moving on to the capital region.Downpours caused rivers to swell, with gush-

ing waterways close to overflowing but stayingwithin their banks. Narita international airporteast of Tokyo closed its runways in the after-noon for about an hour as officers evacuatedthe control tower due to strong winds, accord-ing to the airport operator. Airlines across thecountry cancelled a total of 508 flights, mostlyto and from Tokyo’s Haneda airport, NHK said.

Japan Airlines said it cancelled 185 domesticflights, affecting 33,692 customers, while AllNippon Airways cancelled 112 domestic flights,affecting 26,500 passengers. Narita is a majorpassenger airport and Japan’s biggest in termsof cargo. Haneda is the country’s biggest inoverall passenger traffic. Most major commutertrain services in Tokyo and its surroundingregion operated normally, including bullettrains. Some lines, however, suffered temporarydelays and stoppages. One train in westernTokyo derailed but no one was hurt. Sometrains on Tokyo’s major loop line were forced tostop as a tree fell on a track.

Separately, Typhoon Kompasu, which hitJapan’s northern main island of HokkaidoSunday, was downgraded to a temperatedepression by yesterday as it moved away intothe Sea of Okhotsk. —AFP TOKYO: People crowd at the departure lobby at Haneda Airport in Tokyo. —AFP

Hundreds of flights grounded

as typhoon strikes near Tokyo

N E W STUESDAY, AUGUST 23, 2016

Continued from Page 1

Even an indoor ski slope, complete with real-life penguins,has not been enough to stanch the exodus that leaves roadsand public spaces eerily quiet through the hot months.“Dubai still suffers from a certain amount of seasonality dur-ing the June, July, August period,” Lennard Otto, CEO of thenew $1 billion attraction, told Reuters. “We will hopefullydrive tourism in those periods to make Dubai an all-year-round destination,” he said, ahead of the theme park’s Aug 31opening. “Today there’s a gap in this market and in theregion. People are actually travelling to the far east and thefar west to experience theme parks,” Otto said.

Both the United Arab Emirates, which includes Dubai, andSaudi Arabia have launched initiatives this year to createmore fun for their car and smartphone-obsessed people. Aspart of a plan to diversify its economy away from oil, SaudiArabia announced in June that it was in talks with Six FlagsEntertainment Corp to build theme parks, and the UAE creat-ed a “Happiness Ministry” in February to look at ways ofmeasuring and improving quality of life. Happiness in Dubaimay soon be in no short supply, as a government-backedrival by Dubai Parks and Resorts will open by year’s end,while a Fox-branded theme park, with attractions based onTV and film titles such as “Ice Age” and “The Simpsons”, is setto open in 2020. —Reuters

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The first of three prosecution witness also describedthe detailed methods, including satellite imagery, usedto investigate the destruction.

Aged about 40, Mahdi is also the first extremist toappear before the tribunal launched in The Hague in2002 to try the world’s worst crimes, and the first facingallegations stemming from the conflict in Mali. He isaccused of “intentionally directing attacks” against nineof Timbuktu’s famous mausoleums as well as the SidiYahia mosque between June 30 and July 11, 2012.Founded between the fifth and the 12th centuries byTuareg tribes, Timbuktu’s very name evokes centuries ofhistory and has also been called “the city of 333 saints”for the number of Muslim sages buried there.

Revered as a center of Islamic learning during itsgolden age in the 15th and 16th centuries and a desig-

nated UNESCO world heritage site, Timbuktu was con-sidered idolatrous by the jihadists. Prosecutors onMonday showed shocking images of jihadists smashingdown the tombs, pushing down earthen walls that hadstood for hundreds of years and hacking at them withpickaxes while their assault rifles lay nearby. In onevideo, Mahdi and others were seen ripping open thedoor of the Sidi Yahia mosque, which had been keptclosed for hundreds of years.

ICC prosecutors allege Mahdi was a member of AnsarDine, a mainly ethnic Tuareg movement that in 2012took control of Timbuktu, some 1,000 km northeast ofBamako, along with Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb(AQIM). Mahdi, who was then head of the “Hisbah” orthe “Manners Brigade”, said he regretted the damage hehad caused and was “really sorry”. “I would like to seekthe pardon of all the whole people of Timbuktu,” hesaid. —AFP

Mali militant says sorry ...

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The Cabinet also asked the Ministry of Commerceand the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor to submitregular reports to the government regarding measurestaken to stem the unreasonable hikes in prices of com-modities. The ministers were briefed by the DeputyPrime Minister, Minister of Finance and the ActingMinister of Oil, Commerce and Industry Anas Al-Salehabout the measures that have been taken by thedepartment to ban the unjustified hiking of prices of

essential products and the penalties imposed on viola-tors of relevant laws. The Cabinet praised the action tak-en against price manipulators.

Meanwhile, the ministers were briefed about a rec-ommendation by the commission requesting theMinistry of Finance grant Kuwait Direct InvestmentPromotion Authority jurisdiction to distribute commer-cial plots. The Cabinet approved the request, andtasked the Municipality with taking the necessarymeasures for privatizing the business plots for benefitof the authority. —KUNA

Cabinet working to tackle ...

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Iran and Russia are key backers of Syrian President BasharAl-Assad, but Tehran has remained relatively guarded aboutits precise involvement in the conflict. The Islamic republic ishighly sensitive to any suggestion that it would allow foreignmilitaries to be based in its territory, which is outlawed underits constitution, and has emphasized that Russian planes wereonly refuelling in Iran. “(Russia) needed to refuel in an areacloser to the operation... But we have definitely not giventhem a military base,” said Dehghan. The flights from Iranianterritory started on Aug 16, a day after a visit to Tehran by aRussian deputy foreign minister, Mikhail Bogdanov. The use ofHamedan significantly shortened flight-times for Russian war-planes, allowing them to carry increased firepower. Russiasaid it struck targets linked to the jihadist Islamic State groupand Al-Nusra Front, now known as Fateh Al-Sham Front, in

Aleppo, Deir Ezzor and Idlib.Moscow had previously used short-range craft sta-

tioned at its Hmeimim airbase outside the Syrian coastalcity of Latakia, as well as ships in the Caspian Sea and asubmarine in the Mediterranean, to bombard rebels inSyria. Russia last week dismissed US criticism of the use ofIranian base as a possible violation of a United NationsSecurity Council resolution.

Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov denied that Moscow couldbe in breach of a ban on supply or transfer of warplanes toIran without prior approval of the UN Security Council. “Thereare no grounds to suspect Russia of breaching the resolution,”he said. Tehran, for its part, oversees thousands of troopsfighting for Assad on the ground, while Russia provides air-power. Both oppose calls for Assad to step down as a way ofresolving the conflict that has killed more than 290,000 peo-ple since it erupted in March 2011. —AFP

Russian raids from Iran airbase ‘over’

Nils Olav the penguin inspects the Guard of Honor formed by His Majesty the King of Norway’s Guard yesterday at Edinburgh Zoo in Scotland. The Guard paid a very special visit to Edinburgh Zooto bestow a unique honor upon resident king penguin Sir Nils Olav. Already a knight, the most famous king penguin in the world was given the new title of ‘Brigadier Sir Nils Olav’. —AFP

By Kizito Makoye

Katrina Hhaynihhi and her hus-band Simon could not be moreproud of the piece of paper held

tightly in their hands: A title deedwhich not only proves they are soleowners of their land but also ends asimmering dispute with their neigh-bors. The couple are crop farmers andeke out a living on a small holdinggrowing beans and maize in Tanzania’snorthern Mbulu district. For years theybattled a neighbor who insisted ongrazing his animals onto their land:“This document means a lot to us. Ourland is now secured and we do notexpect any conflicts with our neigh-bors,” said Katrina.

The title which has brought peace tothe Hhaynihhi family is known as aCertificate of Customary Right ofOccupancy (CCRO) document. “Thereused to be lots of disagreementsaround grazing and the (herders) use offorests and water sources. Those issueshave been solved,” the mother of sixtold the Thomson Reuters Foundation.The Hhaynihhi family grow a variety ofcrops including sunflower seed on their11 acre farm, earning around Tanzanian

shillings 5 million ($2,500) a year.For them, a land title has made a big

difference, providing a sense of securi-ty which means they have investedmore into their farm. “This land title hasgiven us the confidence to carry outdifferent farming activities to boost orincome, said Katrina, and we don’t con-sume everything we produce - we sellsome of our crops to get money.”

Land Mapping Key to TitlesKatrina, 48, and Simon, 46, are just

two of several hundred farmers in theMbulu district in Tanzania’s Manyararegion who have benefited from FarmAfrica’s Land Mapping Project whichaims to build a detailed land-use planto address conflicts. Land registrationin Tanzania is inefficient but can also becorrupt, according to TransparencyInternational’s 2014 Global CorruptionBarometer. While farmers across thecountry have used swathes of land forgrowing crops over many years, mostdo not have any documented evidenceto prove that it is theirs, Farm Africaanalysts said. Without adequate tenureor security, farmers are not only lesslikely to invest in their land but alsobecome vulnerable to powerful out-

siders who have been found to colludewith corrupt village leaders to seizeproperty, the charity has found.

Beatrice Muliahela, Farm Africa’sproject coordinator, said securing vil-lage land is necessary to empower ruralcommunities, giving them strong legalprotection both for the land itself butalso the resources that lie on it. “Whenthe land is clearly demarcated, it makesit easier to agree who has the right towhat,” she told the Thomson ReutersFoundation. According to Muliahela,since its launch two years ago, the proj-ect has resolved several land-relateddisputes, most sparked by the expan-sion of agriculture and dwindling waterand forest resources.

Titles Encourage Respect for NatureKatrina Hhaynihhi says the land

mapping project has changed hercommunity, helping local peopleunderstand the importance of con-serving the environment and takingcare of the land. Previously, she said,very few villagers had the skills toaddress problems such as soil erosionand falling water levels but now theyhave established a village environmen-tal committee to take care of surround-

ing resources. A bylaw has also beenput in place to ensure that farmers areaware of no-go areas for grazing ani-mals and forest land is marked outclearly so those with livestock havetheir own areas.

Thomas Mbaga, Farm Africa’s projectofficer, said the villagers participated increating the land use plan and the by-laws are approved by the vil lageassembly. Tanzania’s Village Land Act of1999 empowers village councils tomake decisions on land use and thisties in with Farm Africa’s aim to forgejoint partnerships between villagersand local authorities on forest manage-ment. Mbaga said land titles or CCROshave helped villagers to access loansand get capital to invest in their busi-nesses, learning income generatingtechniques that are environmentallysensitive such as re-planting whentrees are felled.

“It is very hard to graze around ornear water sources these days” saidKatrina, who is a member of the villageenvironmental committee. “If we hadnot received support from Farm Africaour lives would be worse because theforest cover would perish through treesfelling and grazing.” —Reuters

A N A L Y S I STUESDAY, AUGUST 23, 2016

THE LEADING INDEPENDENTDAILY IN THE ARABIAN GULF

ESTABLISHED 1961

Founder and Publisher YOUSUF S. AL-ALYAN

Editor-in-ChiefABD AL-RAHMAN AL-ALYAN

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All articles appearing on thesepages are the personal opinion ofthe writers. Kuwait Times takes noresponsibility for views expressedtherein. Kuwait Times invites read-ers to voice their opinions. Pleasesend submissions via email to: opin-ion@kuwaittimes.net or via snailmail to PO Box 1301 Safat, Kuwait.The editor reserves the right to editany submission as necessary.

The island of Ventotene, an ancient volcano offthe coast of Naples where the leaders of Italy,France and Germany met yesterday for talks

on the EU’s future, is where the dream of a unitedEurope was born. With its white granite rocks andturquoise waters, the island, the second largest inthe Pontine archipelago, has a long history as aplace of punishment and torture for the exiled andoutcast.

Known in Roman times as Pandataria, it was firstfamed for housing emperor Augustus’s daughterJulia the Elder after she was charged with adultery,before emperor Nero exiled his wife Octavia here.On a nearby, rocky outcrop called Santo Stefano,the Bourbons built a horse-shoe shaped prison in1797, made up of 99 cells set around a circularwatchtower, with room for over 600 prisoners.

It was used by the fascist regime during theSecond World War as a place to which to banishpolitical dissidents, with some 2,000 inmates lan-guishing on Ventotene, by then dubbed the “islandof confinement”. Among them was Altiero Spinelli,a journalist and communist activist, who was sen-tenced in 1927 to 16 years in prison for his writingscriticizing the rise to power of Benito Mussolini.Transferred to the island in 1941, it was during hisdetention here that he secretly drew up with fellowprisoner Ernesto Rossi the “Ventotene Manifesto”,one of the founding texts of European federalism.

The Brigand, the President Written on sheets of cigarette paper and hidden

in a tin box with a double bottom, the manifesto“for a free and united Europe” was smuggled to thecontinent by Ursula Hirschmann, a German anti-fas-cist activist, and circulated among the Italian resist-ance. The idea was to create a federation ofEuropean states which would tie the countries ofEurope and prevent future wars between them.

Spinelli asked to be buried on the island, andItaly ’s Prime Minister Matteo Renzi, GermanChancellor Angela Merkel and French PresidentFrancois Hollande laid flowers on his grave yester-day. Renzi picked the symbolic site for the crisistalks on the European project’s future “to pay hom-age to what happened during what was perhapsthe most difficult moment in the history ofEuropean identity”.

The island was taken back under Allied control in1943 under the cover of darkness by a small unit ofAmerican troops which tricked the stationedGerman garrison into surrendering without a shotfired. The volcanic rocks, sandy beaches and under-water grottos of Ventotene are now peopled withtourists and scuba diving fanatics rather than out-cast Roman women or anti-fascists. Unused since1965, its dilapidated jail - once home to such illus-trious inmates as the brigand Carmine Crocco andthe future president of Italy Sandro Pertini - has fall-en slowly into ruin. In February, Renzi announcedan Ä80-million plan to restore it and turn the aban-doned lockup into a museum and academy for theEU’s elite. —AFP

Issues

Italy prison isle,

the birthplace of

European dream

By Ella Ide

By Magdalena Mis and Isaiah Esipisu

For Kenyan farmer Pauline Wafula, there was nev-er a question that her children would have toget their hands dirty and learn how to grow

their own food. The 63-year-old mother of five said noother job could provide the same security as farmingbecause people will always have to eat so there isalways money to be made. “I always insist that even ifthey work elsewhere, they must farm on the side,” saidWafula, a teacher-turned-farmer who grows tomatoes,onions and red cabbage in her greenhouses.

But in western Kenya’s Bungoma County whereWafula lives, it’s hard to spot young people workingin the vast sugarcane fields. Most farmers areretirees like her. “It is like a norm that young peoplego to the city to search for jobs,” she told theThomson Reuters Foundation. Around the world,farmers are an ageing demographic as the sectorfails to attract younger talent who are headinginstead to cities in search of work.

Smallholder farmers produce more than 70 percentof the world’s food and to make sure there are enoughof them to feed the growing global population, farm-ing needs a makeover to attract young people,experts say. According to HelpAge International, anon-profit organization that works with older people,farmers as a group tend to be older than the widerpopulation. In Africa, where 60 percent of the conti-nent’s population is under 24, the average age offarmers is 60 years old, according to the UN Food andAgriculture Organization (FAO).

“Around the world it’s a potential problem thatfarmers are growing older, particularly smallholderfarmers in low-income countries,” said Mark Gorman, asenior policy adviser at HelpAge. Improvements inrural infrastructure such as electricity supplies andaccess to subsidies and credit could go a long way tosupport older farmers and encourage their children tostay in farming, he said. “It’s got to be made worth-while for people to be in farming,” Gorman added.

Banish the HoeThe ageing profile of farmers is a matter for con-

cern, especially in sub-Saharan Africa which hasvery low rates of agricultural productivity, saidDavid Suttie, a policy analyst at the InternationalFund for Agricultural Development (IFAD). Expertssay agriculture must be transformed so that itoffers young people an appealing alternative tourban life. “The farming sector in developing coun-tries is not attractive,” said Panagiotis Karfakis, aneconomist at FAO. “ The problem intensi f iesbecause the technologies they use are not themost productive, there is no infrastructure andthere are land security issues,” he told the ThomsonReuters Foundation.

Owning land is an incentive for farmers to investin increasing productivity, which in turn booststheir income, Karfakis said. According to rightsgroup Landesa, 90 percent of land in rural Africa isnot officially registered. “If agriculture is to beattractive it can’t be the same agriculture we’veseen in previous generations,” said IFAD’s Suttie.“This means looking at it as a business and invest-ing in modern technologies.”

Anne Mbaabu, a program director at the Alliancefor a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), said shedidn’t blame young people for abandoning life onthe farm. “They are running away from the back-breaking labour in the field with the technologywe are using. We should banish the hoe in Africaotherwise we are going to lose our youth.” Mbaabusaid access to seeds, fertilizer, chemicals and mar-kets were essential to making farming easier, moreproductive and more lucrative. “There is hope, butyou need to move fast. The clock is ticking,” shesaid. Those who do decide to ditch city careers andbecome farmers may be making a smart move, saidthe FAO’s Karfakis. “If everyone moves from agricul-ture to industr y and ser v ices, then whoeverdecides to stay in farming is going to have a hugeprofit,” he said.

Labor of LoveThousands of miles away in Lincolnshire, eastern

England, 67-year-old farmer Chris Walshaw hasnoticed fewer people working in the fields. “When youhave more machinery you need less men,” Walshawtold the Thomson Reuters Foundation by phone fromhis farm in the picture-perfect green countryside. “It’squite a lonely life. You’ve got to really love it.” Suttiesaid the focus should be on increasing productivityrather than the number of young farmers as a goal initself. “It’s not all doom and gloom,” he said, addingthat agricultural productivity in Africa has gone up byabout quarter since the 1990s.

Urban Farms Won’t Feed CitiesIn an urbanizing world, city farming has become

fashionable in recent years, with urban farms mush-rooming from Accra to Mumbai and London.According to a 2014 study, city dwellers were farm-ing an area the size of the European Union. But whilethe trend is welcome, urban farmers won’t be able tofeed themselves any time soon, experts say. “Itshould be encouraged and supported, and it can bea part of the solution but there is a danger inoveremphasizing the scope for urban agriculture tofeed the cities,” said Suttie.

According to the Washington-based WorldwatchInstitute, in 2011 around 15 to 20 percent of theworld’s food was produced in urban areas. “I wouldcaution against seeing (urban farming) as the solutionor substitute for scaling up food production and mar-ket access in rural areas,” Suttie said. Space is the mainconstraint and with rapid urbanization, cities arebecoming more crowded than ever before. Accordingto UN forecasts, two-thirds of the world’s populationwill live in cities by 2050, up from just over half now.

Back on the farm in Kenya, Wafula tends to her threeFresian cows. She hopes the rural life will appeal to thenext generation. “Some young people are settling forfarming but not in big numbers,” she said. “I hope withtime more people will become farmers.” —Reuters

Agriculture needs makeover to lure youth

Scrap of paper brings peace to farmers

A man looks out towards the island ofVentotene, off the western coast of Italy,from an aircraft carrier heading to the islandyesterday. —AFP

S P O RT STUESDAY, AUGUST 23, 2016

LONDON: Everton left back Brendan Galloway hasjoined Premier League rivals West Bromwich Albionon a season-long loan, the West Midlands club saidyesterday. The 20-year-old, who signed a new con-tract with Everton in December, played regularlyfor the first team at Goodison Park under then-manager Roberto Martinez, making 19 appear-ances for the Merseyside club last season. “I think

for me personally, it ’s really important to gainmore experience. Coming here (to West Brom) is

the perfect opportunity to do that,” Galloway told theclub’s website (www.wba.co.uk). Galloway, who has

represented England at Under-17, Under-18 andUnder-19 level, is the Baggies’ second summer sign-

ing after winger Matt Phillips. West Brom, whosuffered a 2-1 home defeat to Everton last

Saturday, will look to get back to winningways when they host Middlesbrough onSunday. —Reuters

Galloway joins West

Bromwich on loanMUNICH: Portugal midfielder Renato Sanches returned to trainingwith Bayern Munich yesterday, but is unlikely to be fit to makehis debut against Werder Bremen on Friday. The 19-year-old,who joined the Bavarian giants from Benfica for 35 millioneuros ($39.6m) in the close-season, suffered a thigh injury intraining a fortnight ago after helping his national side winthe Euro 2016 title. New coach Carlo Ancelotti will make hisBundesliga bow as Bayern kick off their search for a recordfifth consecutive title by welcoming Bremen to the AllianzArena. Douglas Costa, Arjen Robben and Jerome Boatengare all also struggling with injuries. But Spanish mid-fielders Thiago Alcantara and Xabi Alonso are back andfully fit, after being rested for the German Cup first-round5-0 win over Carl Zeiss Jena last Friday. Last week,Italian Ancelotti brushed off any concernsabout the depth of his squad. “I’m happywith this team,” he said. “We do not neednew players. The injuries will last maybetwo or three weeks, so we can hold upthere.” —AFP

BURTON-ON-TRENT: Goalkeeper Joe Hart will retain his place inthe England squad despite being dropped by Manchester City,national coach Sam Allardyce said yesterday. Hart, 29, is yet toplay for City this season after his new manager Pep Guardioladecided to install Willy Caballero as his first-choice goalkeeper.Hart, capped 63 times, endured a torrid Euro 2016 with England,but Allardyce will stand by him when he names his squad onSunday for his side’s opening 2018 World Cup qualifier in Slovakiaon September 4. “In terms of picking Joe and the goalkeeper thathe is, he will be in the squad, definitely,” Allardyce told Sky SportsNews at England’s St George’s Park training base in Burton, centralEngland. “What do we do? I won’t really know that until I speak toJoe and that will be the same with most of the players when theyarrive. “The problem for any player you want to select for England,not just in isolation, but in total areas, is that it will be a concern ifa player doesn’t play for his team. “I think that you have to haveyour doubts about that. But before I meet up with Joe, I don’t real-ly know where he lies in that process at the moment. —AFP

Coach Allardyce

stands by Hart

DENVER: Nolan Arenado broke out of a slump ina big way, hitting two homers and driving in sixruns Sunday to boost the Colorado Rockies overthe Chicago Cubs 11-4. Arenado hit a three-runhomer during a seven-run burst in the firstinning that included three Cubs errors, thenadded another three-run drive in the fourth.Arenado leads the majors with 104 RBIs - he hada big league-high 130 last year - and tops the NLwith 32 home runs. The All-Star third basemanwas 1 of 16 on the Rockies’ homestand beforegetting four hits. He passed Cubs slugger KrisBryant for the NL homer lead. Jorge De La Rosa(8-7) tossed eight innings, giving up a pair ofhome runs to Addison Russell. De La Rosa deliv-ered a two-run single in the first as the Rockiesquickly ended Jason Hammel’s 22-inning score-less streak. Hammel (13-6) had been 6-0 with an0.95 ERA since the All-Star before gettingroughed up. The Rockies scored 10 runs off him,six earned, in 3-1/3 innings. DJ LeMahieu alsohomered for Colorado.

DODGERS 4, REDS 0Chase Utley homered on the fourth pitch of

the game, 20-year-old Julio Urias won his thirdstraight decision and Los Angeles beatCincinnati to end a three-game losing streak. LosAngeles moved into the NL West lead, a half-game ahead of San Francisco. Utley connectedagainst Anthony DeSclafani (7-2) for his thirdhome run of the trip and 11th this season, thenhad an RBI single in the third and scored on CorySeager’s hit for a 3-0 lead. Utley homered twiceTuesday at Philadelphia, his former team. Urias(4-2) allowed six hits, struck out six and walkednone, throwing 62 of 97 pitches for strikes. Hedidn’t allow a runner past first base until thesixth inning despite giving up two hits in aninning three times. Urias picked off Jose Perazaat first and got Ivan De Jesus Jr. to ground into adouble play. Urias beat Philadelphia in his previ-ous start on Aug. 8, then defeated Pittsburgh inrelief five days later. Joe Blanton, Pedro Baez andKenley Jansen each followed with an inning ofone-hit relief.

METS 2, GIANTS 0Noah Syndergaard and Jeurys Familia com-

bined on a three-hitter and Yoenis Cespedeshomered off Jeff Samardzija, leading New Yorkpast San Francisco. Cespedes homered for thethird time in two days to help split the four-game series. It also was the 900th victory ofmanager Terry Collins’ career, making him the10th active manager to reach the milestone.Syndergaard (11-7) allowed two hits over eightinnings for his second consecutive victory.Samardzija (10-9) held the Mets hitless untilCurtis Granderson’s leadoff double in the sev-enth. Cespedes followed with his 25th homerun, a two-run blast that appeared to clear thestands in left field. Familia retired three battersfor his major league-leading 41st save.

ROYALS 2, TWINS 1Danny Duffy won his 10th straight decision,

Eric Hosmer doubled in the go-ahead run andKansas City beat Minnesota for its eighth consec-utive win. The Royals swept a four-game seriesfrom the Twins for the first time since 1999 andhave their longest winning streak since an eight-game run Aug. 3-11, 2014. Duffy (11-1), unbeatensince June 6, improved to 5-0 with a 1.18 ERA inAugust. He left after 6-2/3 innings, allowing one

run and a season-high eight hits while walkingtwo and striking out four. He outpitched Twinsright-hander Ervin Santana (6-10), who allowedtwo runs and five hits while striking out 10 andwalking one over seven innings. Kelvin Herrerapitched a perfect ninth for his seventh save.

CARDINALS 9, PHILLIES 0Mike Leake pitched seven strong innings and

hit a two-run single and St. Louis homered fourtimes to rout Philadelphia. Jedd Gyorko, StephenPiscotty, Brandon Moss and Jeremy Hazelbakerwent deep. The Cardinals had hit multiple homeruns in nine straight games, tying a major leaguerecord, before failing to connect Saturday nightin a 4-2 loss. Jhonny Peralta added three hits asthe Cardinals finished a 6-3 trip. They remained1-1/2 games ahead of Miami for the final wild-card spot in the National League. The Cardinalsgot six extra-base hits to set a club record of 14straight games with at least three extra-base hits.Leake (9-9) gave up seven hits and struck outeight. Philadelphia had homered in 14 straightgames before getting blanked by Leake and tworelievers. Vince Velasquez (8-6) fell to 0-4 with a6.23 ERA in his last seven starts.

BRAVES 7, NATIONALS 6, 10 INNINGSJace Peterson hit a tiebreaking homer in the

10th inning off Shawn Kelley to lift Atlanta pastWashington in a game delayed 1 hour, 4 minutesin the bottom of the eighth. Kelley (1-2) hung hishead and walked toward the dugout as soon asPeterson made contact with his seventh homer.Kelley gave up one hit and one run in two-thirdsof an inning. Joel Ramirez (1-0) faced four bat-ters in the 10th to earn the win. Four ofWashington’s five errors led to runs for theBraves. Matt Kemp homered for Atlanta, andBryce Harper and Chris Heisey connected forWashington.

ASTROS 5, ORIOLES 3Dallas Keuchel was solid through eight

innings, Yulieski Gurriel got a hit in his majorleague debut and Houston beat Baltimore in arain-delayed game. The Astros won the lastthree games in the four-game series, outscoringBaltimore 32-13 over that stretch. The slumpingOrioles have lost four of five and are 9-16 overtheir past 25 games. Keuchel (8-12), last year’s CyYoung Award winner, allowed two runs and fivehits with seven strikeouts. Ken Giles picked uphis third save after allowing Mark Trumbo majorleague-leading 37th home run. Baltimore’sYovani Gallardo (4-5) allowed four runs and sev-en hits over seven innings. The start of the gamewas delayed for 4 hours, 5 minutes because ofstorms. Another downpour at the end of thefirst inning prompted an additional 30-minuteinterruption. Jake Marisnick homered forHouston.

MARLINS 3, PIRATES 2Christian Yelich homered in the first inning,

Miami added a pair of unearned runs and theMarlins rallied past Pittsburgh to complete athree-game sweep. Jose Urena (2-4) allowed tworuns and four hits in six innings to help theMarlins sweep a series for the sixth time this sea-son. Fernando Rodney completed the five-hitter,working around a two-out walk in the ninth.Rodney retired Francisco Cervelli on a game-ending groundout for his third save of the seriesand 24th this season. Miami went 6-1 this yearagainst the Pirates and moved ahead ofPittsburgh in the NL wild-card race. Wearing1970s throwback uniforms and caps, the Pirates(62-59) dropped 1-1/2 games back of Miami.Ryan Vogelsong (2-3) gave up three runs andthree hits in six innings.

TIGERS 10, RED SOX 5Justin Upton hit two three-run homers and

struggling Detroit finished its homestand withvictory over Boston and fill-in starter Henry

Owen. The Tigers won for just the fourth time in14 games, and went 2-5 on their stay atComerica Park. Boston has lost just two of its last10. Justin Verlander (13-7) allowed one run onthree hits in six innings before being pulled witha nine-run lead. He’s 6-1 in his last 10 starts.Owens (0-1) didn’t find out he was pitching untillate Saturday night and didn’t arrive in Detroitfrom Triple-A until the early morning hours. Hegave up eight runs on six hits and five walks infive innings. Eduardo Rodriguez was scratchedfrom the start late Saturday night. He wasexpected to return from a hamstring injury topitch, but felt discomfort during the game.Owens was summoned from Pawtucket.

INDIANS 3, BLUE JAYS 2Jose Ramirez hit a two-run homer off Brett

Cecil in the eighth inning and Cleveland beatToronto to win the series between teams thatbegan the game as AL division leaders. TheIndians took two of three, with each gamedecided by one run. Ahead 2-1, Toronto threat-ened to break open the game in the seventh.But Mike Clevinger (2-1) relieved Corey Kluberand struck out major league RBIs leader EdwinEncarnacion to leave the bases loaded. Ramirezconnected after Francisco Lindor’s two-out sin-gle, sending a drive onto the home run porch inleft field. Cecil (1-7) replaced starter MarcusStroman with one out in the eighth. Cody Allenpitched the ninth for his 24th save in 27 chances.He struck out Ryan Goins and Devon Travisbefore walking Josh Donaldson andEncarnacion. Russell Martin lined out to right toend it. Melvin Upton Jr. led off the third with histhird home run for Toronto since being acquiredfrom San Diego at the trade deadline.

ANGELS 2, YANKEES 0Albert Pujols had three hits and scored twice

on singles by Andrelton Simmons, leading LosAngeles past New York. Jhoulys Chacin (4-8)allowed six hits over 5-2/3 innings, struck outfour and walked one in his first scoreless startsince April 12 for Atlanta. Deolis Guerra, JCRamirez and Fernando Salas followed with hit-less relief. Salas pitched a perfect ninth for hisfourth save. After winning the first two games ofthe series, New York entered four games over.500 at 61-57, but for the fourth time failed tomove five games over. Chad Green (2-3) allowedone run and five hits in six innings, whichmatched his big league high. He struck out 11 insix scoreless innings against Toronto on Mondaywhen he rejoined the rotation.

WHITE SOX 4, ATHLETICS 2Jose Quintana pitched into the eighth

innings for his career-best 10th win and JoseAbreu homered for the second straight game tolead Chicago past Oakland. Todd Frazier hadthree hits and drove in two runs, and JustinMorneau added an RBI double in Chicago’sthree-run first as the White Sox took the finaltwo games of the series and handed Oakland itsseventh loss in eight games. Tim Anderson alsohad three hits. Oakland’s Khris Davis hit his 32ndhomer, a two-run shot off Quintana (10-9). Theleft-hander struck out six, walked one andallowed eight hits. David Robertson got the lastthree outs for his 32nd save. Zach Neal (2-3) wasthe loser.

RAYS 8, RANGERS 4Logan Forsythe homered after missing four

games because of back spasms, and Tampa Baybeat Texas to take two of three from the ALWest-leading Rangers. Forsythe hit an opposite-field, three-run shot off Martin Perez (8-9) in afive-run fourth that made it 6-2. He has sixhomers in his last 10 games. Steven Souza Jr.put the Rays up 8-4 on a two-run homer in theeighth. Drew Smyly (6-11) allowed four runs andfive hits over 6-2/3 inning to go 4-0 in his last sixstarts. Tampa Bay, last in the AL East, has won sixof seven. Delino DeShields and Drew Stubbshomered for Texas.

BREWERS 7, MARINERS 6Keon Broxton and Chris Carter homered and

Scooter Gennett had an RBI single during a four-run ninth inning, and Milwaukee beat Seattle toend a six-game losing streak. The Brewers trailed6-3 after eight innings but rallied against TomWilhelmsen (2-4). Broxton hit his second solohomer of the game and Carter followed with atwo-run shot, his 29th, to tie it. After DomingoSantana singled, Vidal Nuno relieved Wilhelmsenand allowed a single to Manny Pina. Gennettthen blooped a single into left-center thatscored Santana from second. Tyler Thornburg (5-4) pitched the final two innings for the win. MattGarza (4-6) was the loser.

PADRES 9, DIAMONDBACKS 1Luis Perdomo ended a three-start losing

streak, Travis Jankowski and Alex Dickersonhomered, and San Diego beat Arizona for afour-game split. Perdomo (6-7) took a shutoutinto the seventh and wound up allowing anunearned run and five hits in seven innings.Perdomo, a right-hander who had neverpitched above Class A before this season, alsobeat the Diamondbacks at Arizona on July 4.Braden Shipley (2-3) gave up seven runs andseven hits over 5-1/3 innings in a matchup ofthe teams with the poorest records in the NL

American LeagueEastern Division

W L PCT GB Toronto 70 54 .565 - Boston 69 54 .561 0.5 Baltimore 67 56 .545 2.5 NY Yankees 63 60 .512 6.5 Tampa Bay 52 70 .426 17

Central DivisionCleveland 71 51 .582 - Detroit 65 59 .524 7 Kansas City 64 60 .516 8 Chicago White Sox 59 64 .480 12.5 Minnesota 49 75 .395 23

Western DivisionTexas 73 52 .584 - Seattle 66 57 .537 6 Houston 64 60 .516 8.5 Oakland 53 71 .427 19.5 LA Angels 52 72 .419 20.5

National LeagueEastern Division

Washington 73 50 .593 - Miami 65 59 .524 8.5 NY Mets 62 62 .500 11.5 Philadelphia 58 67 .464 16 Atlanta 45 79 .363 28.5

Central DivisionChicago Cubs 78 45 .634 - St. Louis 66 57 .537 12 Pittsburgh 62 59 .512 15 Cincinnati 53 70 .431 25 Milwaukee 53 70 .431 25

Western DivisionLA Dodgers 68 55 .553 - San Francisco 68 56 .548 0.5 Colorado 60 64 .484 8.5 San Diego 53 71 .427 15.5 Arizona 51 73 .411 17.5

MLB results/standings

Detroit 10, Boston 5; LA Dodgers 4, Cincinnati 0; Tampa Bay 8, Texas 4; Cleveland 3, Toronto 2;Houston 5, Baltimore 3; Miami 3, Pittsburgh 2; St. Louis 9, Philadelphia 0; Atlanta 7,Washington 6 (10 innings); Chicago White Sox 4, Oakland 2; Kansas City 2, Minnesota 1; LaAngels 2, NY Yankees 0; Colorado 11, Chicago Cubs 4; Milwaukee 7, Seattle 6; San Diego 9,Arizona 1; NY Mets 2, San Francisco 0.

DENVER: Nolan Arenado #28 of the Colorado Rockies hits a fourth inning three-run homerun - his second of the game - against the Chicago Cubs at Coors Field onSunday in Denver, Colorado. —AFP

Sanches returns to

Bayern training

Arenado’s two home runs, six

RBIs power Rockies past Cubs

S P O RT STUESDAY, AUGUST 23, 2016

RIO DE JANEIRO: Just two weeks agoNeymar’s commitment to the Olympicteam was questioned by Brazil’s fans.Now he’s a national hero - and anOlympic champion.

Neymar buried the winning kick of apenalty shootout against Germany onSaturday night at Maracana Stadium,sending all of Brazil into a boisterous cel-ebration. The cheering could be hearddown Rio’s famed Copacabana Beach,where fans yelled out “Campeoes!”Champions!

Neymar sunk to the field on his kneesas his teammates engulfed him. He layon the ground for several long momentswhile they celebrated, sobbing. “This isone of the happiest things that havehappened to me,” he said moments later.

It was Brazil’s first gold medal and itcame on home soil. For Neymar, it was aseminal moment. Some were alreadyasking whether Neymar’s name shouldbe added to the list of Brazil’s greats,

joining the Pele, Zico and “the phenome-non” Ronaldo. Brazil coach RogerioMicale essentially said it was too soon toput Neymar in that realm, suggesting hisnext step is a World Cup title.

But he nonetheless had great praisefor the charismatic 24-year-old strikerwho plays for Barcelona and is consid-ered among the best current players inthe world. Neymar has been an integralpart in Barcelona’s recent success, alongwith Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez.

“He’s a leader on the national team.Dedicated,” Micale said through a transla-tor. “Now that we’ve finished this tourna-ment, I have the best possible impres-sion of Neymar. The whole team does.”

The men’s soccer tournament attract-ed most of the attention of Brazilian fansat the Olympics. The country’s footballfederation took the Olympic tournamentvery seriously, bringing Neymar andmany talented youngsters who areexpected to be in the main squad in the

2018 World Cup in Russia.Neymar eschewed the Copa America

to focus on the Rio Games. The men’sOlympic tournament is contested amongunder-23 teams, but they can each bringthree players from the senior nationalteam.

Still, the Olympics started disastrouslyfor the hosts. Brazil struggled with score-less draws against South Africa and Iraqwas even in danger of missing out on theknockout round.

Neymar was heavily criticized by soc-cer-crazy Brazilians who saw thewomen’s national team, and particularlystar Marta, off to a fast start in contrast.

There were fans who crossed offNeymar’s name on their No. 10 jerseysand wrote in Marta instead. Neymar wastaunted with fans shouting Marta’s nameat his matches, while Marta was honoredwith fans chanting “Better Than Neymar!”at hers.

With Neymar at captain, Brazil turned

its tournament around. First came a deci-sive 4-0 victory over Denmark to closeout the group, followed by a 2-0 victoryover Colombia in the quarterfinals.

Neymar really made it known thatBrazil was back with a 6-0 victory overHonduras in the semis. He had two goals- including one only 15 seconds into thematch for the fastest goal in Olympic his-tory. “We needed to respond to theBrazilian people. Say something to thepeople and to the football community,by doing something different,” Micalesaid. “We did that. We won. We’re skilledand competent. We responded as neces-sary and we did this in the short timethat was available to us.”

As for the comparison with Marta,that was unfair. Marta is considered oneof her sport’s greatest players ever: She isa five-time FIFA World Player of the Year.“That’s just a part of the Brazilian culture,”Micale said. “That’s the way we are. Welove and hate from one day to the next.

We go to extremes. People go back andforth. But I ’m truly happy to be aBrazilian.”

Saturday night’s victory was not onlyNeymar’s redemption, it was a nation’s. Itcame two years after an embarrassing 7-1 home loss to Germany’s senior team inthe World Cup semifinals at home. Brazilwas also coming off a demoralizing elim-ination in the group stage of this year’sCopa America.

Neymar was on the World Cup teambut didn’t play against Germany becauseof a back injury sustained in the quarter-finals against Colombia.

With his penalty kick in the Olympicfinal, Neymar helped ease some of thatlingering bitterness. He also counteredthe doubters who dogged him early inthe games. “We went through difficultmoments in the beginning of the com-petition, we were criticized,” he said,“and we answered on the field, withsoccer.” — AP

Neymar finds redemption in Olympic gold

LONDON: Georginio Wijnaldum hascalled on his Liverpool team-mates to putthe disappointment of defeat by Burnleybehind them in Tuesday’s League Cup tieat second-tier Burton Albion. Liverpoolstarted the Premier League season inenterprising fashion with a thrilling 4-3win at Arsenal, only to lose 2-0 at promot-ed Burnley on Saturday despite enjoyingover 80 percent of possession.

Jurgen Klopp’s side reached last sea-son’s League Cup final, losing on penal-ties to Manchester City, and Wijnaldumhopes they can use their first game in thisseason’s competition to get back on track.“We made two mistakes and they scoredtwo goals and we didn’t create any bigchances. That was the story in the firsthalf,” the former Newcastle United mid-fielder told the Liverpool website afterthe game at Burnley. “We expected tocreate better chances than we did.

Sometimes you have the kind of gamesthat it doesn’t work and you have to keepyour confidence and look forward.

“We must move on to the next game,not make the same mistakes we made(against Burnley) and look forward withconfidence.” Tuesday’s game at the PirelliStadium will carry special meaning forBurton manager Nigel Clough, who spentthree years at Liverpool as a player in themid-1990s.

Clough, son of legendary formerNottingham Forest manager Brian,returned to Burton for a second spell lastyear, having previously spent nine yearsat the club between 1998 and 2009.Burton memorably held ManchesterUnited to a 0-0 draw in the FA Cup inJanuary 2006, but whereas they werethen a non-league team, they are nowjust one division below the PremierLeague. — AFP

BARCELONA: A Gareth Bale brace and a MarcoAsensio lob helped Real Madrid make light workof Real Sociedad, running out 3-0 winners atAnoeta in their opening game of the season inLa Liga. Back from his post-Euro 2016 holidays,Bale was the only member of the renowned‘BBC’ forward line who was fit enough to play inSunday’s game, as Zinedine Zidane’s team trav-elled to San Sebastian in the midst of an injurycrisis, with five regular starters unable to makethe squad. As well as star forwards CristianoRonaldo and Karim Benzema, Luka Modric,Keylor Navas and Pepe were also ruled out, butit didn’t stop Madrid earning a convincing winat a notoriously tricky venue, thanks to Bale’stwo goals. “I’m happy for him,” said Zidane.“Physically he’s behind the others and youcouldn’t tell. He started in the best way, with anearly goal. He’s already said it’s an importantyear for him, and he’s showing that.” Bale waspicked despite having appeared in just onefriendly in pre-season, but the Welshman gotMadrid off to a flying start, leaping into the airto powerfully nod home Dani Carvajal’s tempt-ing cross in only the second minute. Kiko Casillahad to be quick off his line at the other end aftera short back-pass by Raphael Varane, hackingthe ball to safety under pressure.

Alvaro Morata nearly scored his first goal

since returning to Real Madrid but, after a cleverdribble, his strike was deflected behind for acorner. A Toni Kroos effort met the same fate,with goalkeeper Geronimo Rulli quick to getdown to tip the German’s drilled strike behind.Real Sociedad had a good opportunity to levelon the half-hour mark, but former Madrid manAsier Illarramendi opted to pass to Juanmiinstead of shooting when well placed and theball didn’t reach his team-mate. It was an end-to-end affair, with Morata denied again by Rulli,while youngster Asensio, picked ahead of JamesRodriguez and Isco, continued to bewilderdefenders with his quick feet on his first start inLa Liga for the European champions.

SELECTION PROBLEMThe forward scored Madrid’s second goal

in the 40th minute with an effortless lob afterhe was sent through on Rul l i ’s goal byVarane’s pass, scooping the ball over the stop-per with ease.

Zidane acknowledged the 20-year-old’s fineform was giving him selection problems.

“I had to decide and he went out from thestart and did well. It’s a headache picking theline-up. Asensio had a great game, but so did(Mateo) Kovacic and others. The importantthing is the team,” Zidane said. Morata was see-

ing a lot of the ball in the second half but wasfoiled at every turn, being booked for diving inthe area before his shot was saved and Krooscracked the rebound against Rulli’s crossbar.The goalkeeper was called into action to tip aMateo Kovacic piledriver wide as Madrid contin-ued to turn the screw, although despite theirdominance they could not stretch their leaduntil Bale ran through, rounded Rulli andsqueezed the ball home with the last kick of thegame. Home coach Eusebio Sacristan blamedhimself for the heavy home defeat. “The personmost responsible for what happened is me andif we are capable of facing up to Real Madrid,that is my responsibility,” he explained. “Theplayers are absolutely committed, but it’s clearwe have to work hard to improve and correctour errors as soon as possible.” Atletico Madridentertain promoted Alaves in the late game onSunday, while Sporting Gijon earlier beatAthletic Bilbao 2-1.

Champions Barcelona opened their campaignin style on Saturday by beating Betis 6-2 with LuisSuarez scoring a hat-trick and Lionel Messi net-ting twice. Sevilla beat Espanyol 6-4 in an incredi-ble game with Luciano Vietto scoring twice forthe hosts and fellow summer signings PabloSarabia, Franco Vazquez, Wissam Ben Yedder andHiroshi Kiyotake also on target. — AFP

ROME: Frank de Boer admitted hehas his work cut out if he is to turnInter Milan into Italian title con-tenders after a shock defeat toChievo on Sunday.

Speaking after his first Serie Amatch in charge of the Chinese-owned club, the former Dutchinternational said he had not hadenough time to put his stamp onthe team after only two weeks incharge.

“It can’t be denied that todaywas a difficult day but we are at thebeginning and we can do better interms of our play and physical lev-el.” said De Boer, who left Ajax atthe end of last season.

“We have to get better in manylevels but I have only had a friendlyto prepare, I’ve not had much time,”he added.

Two second-half strikes bySlovenian winger Valter Birsa sealedChievo’s 2-0 win and may have giv-en Inter’s new owners pause forthought about the wisdom of oust-ing De Boer’s predecessor, RobertoMancini, who took all his backroomstaff with him when he left “bymutual consent” earlier this month.The Inter defeat was icing on the

cake for champions Juventus, whobeat Fiorentina 2-1 on Saturdayand were then able to watch someof their other potential title rivalsstruggle 24 hours later.

Napoli, second to Juve last sea-

son, had to come from two goalsdown to earn a point at Serie Anewcomers Pescara while AC Milanneeded a last-minute penalty saveto hang on for a 3-2 win overTorino. Roma top the first table of

the season thanks to their 4-0 winover Udinese, which made themthe only club to indicate they mightprevent Juventus claiming a recordsixth consecutive Italian title.

Still reeling from the loss of 36-goal striker Gonzalo Higuain toJuventus, Napoli looked out of sortsas Ahmad Benali and GianlucaCaprari gave newly promotedPescara a two-goal lead at theinterval. Belgian winger DriesMertens rescued a point for the vis-itors with two well-taken goals inthe space of three minutes aroundthe hour mark. Colombian strikerCarlos Bacca struck a hat-trick as ACMilan began a new era underChinese owenership with a nervywin over Torino. It took an injury-time penalty save by 17-year-oldgoalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarummato secure the three points forVincenzo Montella’s side afterTorino mounted a stoppage-timefightback.

Bacca, a target for West HamUnited who Milan are reportedlywilling to sell to fund a higher-pro-file acquisition, made his case forstaying at the San Siro in emphaticfashion. — AFP

PARIS: Lucas, Layvin Kurzawa and MarcoVerratti got the goals as Paris Saint-Germain beat newly promoted Metz 3-0 atthe Parc des Princes in coach Unai Emery’sfirst home game in charge on Sunday. Theresult allowed PSG to continue their perfectstart to life under their new Spanish coachbut the evening was somewhat overshad-owed by the whistles of the home supporttowards striker Edinson Cavani. TheUruguay star scored 53 Ligue 1 goals in thelast three seasons despite living in theshadow of Zlatan Ibrahimovic and toiling attimes since his 64 million-euro move fromNapoli in 2013.

With idol Ibrahimovic having departedfor Manchester United, Cavani is now PSG’smain man in attack but he missed chanceafter chance against Metz and the Frenchchampions won in spite of the Uruguayan.Cavani had a penalty appeal waved awayas he went down under a GeorgesMandjeck challenge and then saw a net-bound shot deflected onto the post bySimon Falette late in the first half.

Later on, he contrived to slice the ballwide when a rebound fell to him afterAngel Di Maria curled a shot against thebar. Cavani kicked the post in frustrationas the boos rang out from the stands inthe capital.

Fortunately for the home side, by thatpoint they were already two goals to thegood, with Lucas getting the breakthroughseven minutes into the second half.

Adrien Rabiot was almost dispossessedas he tried to dribble the ball out of his ownbox, but he escaped and the hosts brokeforward quickly. Serge Aurier teed upLucas and the Brazilian winger took a touchbefore steering a low shot across goalkeep-er Thomas Didillon and into the far corner.Paris needed goalkeeper Kevin Trapp tointervene with good saves from RenaudCohade and Mevlut Erding to preservetheir advantage before Kurzawa headed infrom an Angel Di Maria corner midwaythrough the second half to make it 2-0.

It was left-back Kurzawa’s third goal inas many competitive games this season.

Late on, Cavani latched onto a through

ball and rounded Didillon, but he betrayeda lack of confidence as he hesitated andrefused to shoot as the away defencetracked back to cover.

Substitute Verratti then put the gloss onthe scoreline when he got the third goalright at the end, his shot from the edge ofthe area coming off Metz defenderJonathan Rivierez on its way in.

“When the strikers start improving incertain aspects, we will score a lot of goals,”said Emery, who defended Cavani.

“He demands an awful lot of himself. Hehas character. If we create as many chancesin future, I am not worried about him scor-ing. “That the fans are so demanding ofCavani is a good thing too.”

MARSEILLE BEATEN PSG join Lyon and Nice on a maximum

six points from two games, but Marseilleremain without a win after the troubledgiants lost 2-1 at Guingamp on Sundayafternoon.

Yannis Salibur struck after just 32 sec-onds with Jeremy Sorbon nettingGuingamp’s second shortly after half-timeas the hosts withstood late Marseille pres-sure. Substitute Florian Thauvin pulled agoal back on 78 minutes with a low long-range effort, but Guingamp this time heldon having thrown away a two-goal lead inlast week’s 2-2 draw at Monaco.

Meanwhile, Manchester United star PaulPogba was in the crowd in Saint-Etienne asLes Verts claimed a 3-1 win overMontpellier. At the Stade Geoffroy-Guichard, the world’s most expensive play-er — who started for United in theirPremier League win over Southampton onFriday-was there to support his brotherFlorentin, the Guinea defender who turned26 on Friday. The elder Pogba played all 90minutes as Saint-Etienne came frombehind after Steve Mounie put Montpellierahead midway through the first half. KevinMonnet-Paquet equalised seconds afterthe restart before youngster Dylan Saint-Louis scored his first Ligue 1 goal andSlovenia striker Robert Beric came off thebench to clinch the points late on. — AFP

SAN SEBASTIAN: Real Madrid’s Gareth Bale, right, with Real Sociedad’s Inigo Martinez left, during the Spanish La Liga soccer match betweenReal Madrid and Real Sociedad, at Anoeta stadium in San Sebastian, northern Spain, Sunday. — AP

Bale double gives Real

Madrid winning start

De Boer admits Inter job will take time

MILAN: Chievo’s Riccardo Meggiorini, top right, is challenged by InterMilan’s Andrea Ranocchia during a Serie A soccer match at the VeronaBentegodi stadium, Italy, Sunday. —AP

Wasteful Cavani jeered

as PSG see off Metz

PARIS: PSG’s Angel Di Maria, left, struggles with Metz’s Jonathan Rivierez during theFrench League One soccer match between PSG and Metz at the Parc des Princes sta-dium in Paris, France, Sunday. — AP

Wijnaldum calls for

Liverpool reaction

S P O RT STUESDAY, AUGUST 23, 2016

R I O D E J A N E I R O : B r i t i s h c re wsto p p e d t h e m e d a l s t a b l e i n t h eOlympic rowing regatta with threegolds but rowers from New Zealandand the United States a lso put inm i g h t y p e r fo r m a n ce s to p rov i d eplenty of thrills in the spectacular set-ting of the Rodrigo de Freitas Lagoon.

The day ’s programme was twicecalled off when high winds made thewater too rough but the sun shone foran exciting final day which saw theregatta’s most breath-taking action.

I n the men’s s ingle skul ls f inal ,defending champion Martin Drsydaleof New Zealand was pushed all theway by Croatia’s Damir Martin. Thedecision went to a photo-finish afterthey crossed the l ine at the sametime, with Martin seeming to surgeforward. The gold went to Drysdale.

The New Zealander’s compatriotsHamish Bond and Eric Murray main-tained their unbeaten streak, easilywinning the men’s pair.

Bond and Murray, who took gold in

the event at 2012’s London Games,had broken away with a commandinglead by the race’s midway point andonly widened the distance betweenthemselves and the rest of the packas the race went on.

The victory reaffirmed their statusas one of the greatest rowing partner-ships of all time. They have not lost arace since they teamed up in 2009but after wards Bond admitted thepressure was taking its toll and hewould need to think about his future.

Also extending a remarkable win-ning record were the United Stateswomen’s eight. The crew came intot h e G a m e s a s h u g e f avo u r i te s ,appearing unbeatable after winningg o l d a t b o t h t h e 2 0 1 2 a n d 2 0 0 8Games, and they powered to the topm e d a l a g a i n . U n d e r co a c h To mTerhaar, they have won every race for10 years.

Britain’s Helen Glover and HeatherStanning successfully defended theirOlympic crown in the women’s pair,

extending a five-year unbeaten runover 39 races.

Despite the veterans’ dominance,there were st i l l some hard-foughtcontests and the battles for silverswere often intense.

In the regatta’s final race, Britain’smen’s eight defeated their rivals inthe favoured German boat to claimgold, leaving Germany with two goldsoverall to share second place in therow i n g m e d a l s t a b l e w i t h N e wZealand. —Reuters

Veterans provide the thrills on Rio’s Olympic lagoon

RIO DE JANEIRO: USA’s flag-bearer Simone Biles holds her country’s national flag during the closing ceremony of the Rio 2016Olympic Games at the Maracana stadium in Rio de Janeiro Sunday. —AFP

RIO DE JANEIRO: There were tales of theexpected - featuring Simone Biles and KoheiUchimura - and tales of the unexpected in gym-nastics as China lost the plot and departed theRio Olympics without a gold medal.

Eight years after China obliterated the oppo-sition to win nine of the 14 golds on offer inBeijing, including seven of the eight men’s titles,rival nations rejoiced in Rio as they completedthe Asian nation’s fall from grace.

The first signs of their decline were evident atthe London Games when China captured onlyfour golds, but that still allowed them to top the2012 gymnastics medals table. In Rio that tallydwindled to just two bronzes - both in the teamfinals - with world champion You Hao’s fall fol-lowing his parallel bars dismount providing acandid snapshot of China’s nightmare outing.

Teammate Deng Shudi summed up China’smisery. “I don’t know what happened. My brainis empty,” Deng said after his country failed towin a gymnastics gold for the first time sincereturning to the Olympics in 1984.

China’s loss was the rest of the world’s gain asnine nations shared gold-medal success, withthe Americans topping the table thanks to thebreathtaking tumbling skill of Biles.

Biles was undeniably the breakout star of Rioas she lived up to all the pre-Olympic hype bywinning a record-equalling four golds - in team,all around, vault and floor exercise - for a femalegymnast at a single Olympics.

Had it not been for a slipped foot in the beamfinal, that tally would been five golds, butinstead she had to make do with bronze asSanne Wevers claimed the most unexpected ofvictories to become the first female Dutch gym-nast to grab an individual gold.

Uchimura lived up to his ‘Supermura’ monikerby first guiding Japan to the team gold beforebecoming the first gymnast in 44 years to cap-ture back-to back Olympic all around titles.

Now unbeaten in the event since picking upa silver at the 2008 Olympics, with the 27-year-old also having won six successive world titles,he was hailed as “the greatest of all time” by

Nadia Comaneci.“Look what he’s achieved for such a long

time. Undefeated for eight years (at world cham-pionships and Olympic Games). That’s his lega-cy,” said the Romanian great.

With the next Olympics taking place in hishomeland, Uchimura is not done yet and fewwould bet against him becoming the first gym-nast to complete a hat trick of Olympic allaround triumphs.

While Japan has a rich legacy in the sport,gold medals for Britain in Olympic gymnasticsare like London buses: you wait 120 years forone and then two come along at once. MaxWhitlock ended the long wait for a champion byclaiming victory in the floor exercise and pom-mel horse finals.

There was also gold medal success forGermany’s Fabian Hambuchen (horizontal bar),Ukraine’s Oleg Verniaiev (parallel bars, NorthKorea’s Ri Se-gwang (vault), Greece’s EleftheriosPetrounias (rings) and Russia’s Aliya Mustafina(asymmetric bars). —Reuters

Biles and Uchimura

soar, China crash

RIO DE JANEIRO: Who hit, who missed atthe Rio Olympics:

HITSUSAIN BOLT

Despite coming into Rio with concernsover his fitness, the superstar crowd pleas-er romped to a “triple triple” of gold in the100m, 200m and 4x100m. The Jamaicanalso sealed his status as track and field’sgreatest showman, posing for numerousselfies while even trying his hand atjavelin in an eerily quiet Olympic Stadiumonce the crowds had left. “There you go.I’m the greatest,” said Bolt, who kissed thefinish line on the Olympic Stadium trackon his final Games appearance. In a per-fect finish, Sunday was also his 31st birth-day.

MICHAEL PHELPSThe US swimmer also had his doubters

on the eve of Rio, but left with five moregolds to take his total to a stunning 23. “Idon’t think you’re going to see anotherMichael,” said coach Bob Bowman. Phelps,watched by fiancee Nicole and baby sonBoomer, ended his career with no regretsafter flirting with retirement coming awayfrom the London Games four years ago. “Itdefinitely was a lot more emotional than Iwas in 2012,” said the 31-year-old.

MO FARAHBritain’s Mo Farah, born in Somalia but

nurtured in London, captured a “doubledouble” of 5,000m and 10,000m golds toemulate Finland’s Lasse Viren, who did thesame double at the 1972 and 1976Games. Farah, 33, last lost a race at a majorcompetition when he was beaten byEthiopia’s Ibrahim Jeilan in the 10,000m atthe 2011 world championships in Daegu,South Korea.

SIMONE BILESAmerican gymnast Simone Biles

marked her Olympic debut with a record-equalling four golds but just short of therecord five she sought. “It’s been a longjourney, but I’ve enjoyed every moment,”said the 19-year-old Texan whose early lifestruggles had not set her out as the futureface of women’s gymnastics. The only blipstanding between her and history was aslip on the beam on the penultimate dayof competition, which gave her bronze.She was the fifth woman to win four goldat the same Games after Hungarian AgnesKeleti (1956), Soviet Larissa Latynina(1956), Czech Vera Caslavska (1968) andRomanian Ecaterina Szabo (1984).

NEYMARThe Barcelona superstar scored in the

1-1 draw in the final against Germany andthen converted the winning penalty togive the hosts a first ever football gold.With Bolt looking on from the stands atthe Maracana, Neymar marked his won-

derful free-kick opener by mimicking thesprinter’s ‘Lightning Bolt’ pose in front ofthe delighted Jamaican. Neymar thenstood down as captain. “This is one of thebest things that has happened in mylife...now the critics have to swallow whatthey said,” said Neymar.

FLOPSNOVAK DJOKOVIC

World tennis number one Djokovic,looking to complete a career ‘GoldenSlam’ of Olympic gold and the four majors,was knocked out in the first round by arejuvenated Juan Martin del Potro whowent onto make the final. Djokovic leftthe arena in tears and at 29 years old, hisOlympic haul remains a modest bronzefrom Beijing in 2008.

LEE CHONG WEIMalaysia’s Lee suffered a third consecu-

tive badminton final defeat after China’sChen Long beat the world number one instraight games. “Today leaves me withsome regrets,” said Lee, putting on a braveface following his defeat to second-ranked Chen, who became Olympicchampion for the first time. The Malaysianhas never won a world or Olympic titleand will retire without that elusive goldmedal. His country is also still waiting for afirst gold medal in any sport.

CAMERON MCEVOY/CATE CAMPBELLDouble Australian swim disappoint-

ment for McEvoy and Campbell, the over-whelming favourites in the 100mfreestyle. McEvoy was the man widelytipped to seize gold after posting a world-leading 47.04sec in April but was relegat-ed to seventh-failing to break 48 seconds.In the women’s event, world record holderCampbell faded to finish sixth after lead-ing the field at the turn.

AARON COOKThe former British number one in taek-

wondo represented Moldova and wasseeded second in the welterweight com-petition. But he crashed out in the firstround. It was his first Olympics sinceBeijing in 2008 after being controversiallyoverlooked by British selectors for London2012. “I’m absolutely devastated - all thathard work and sacrifice by myself and myparents, I just feel I’ve let everyone down,”he shrugged.

RENAUD LAVILLENIEDefending champion and world record

holder in pole vault, the Frenchmanslumped to a shock loss to BrazilianThiago Braz da Silva. He was booed whenhe competed and booed when he stoodon the podium holding the consolation ofa silver medal. He didn’t help his case bycomparing the Rio jeers to the treatmentreceived by Jesse Owens at Hitler’s 1936Olympics in Berlin. —AFP

Rio 2016 - tops and flops

Weightlifting faces

‘painful’ few months

RIO DE JANEIRO: The InternationalWeightlifting Federation may need apainkil ler to get over the next fewmonths as it moves to ban several coun-tries over doping and tries to change aculture of drug taking.

Weightlifting has long been afflictedby high-profile positive tests for illegalsubstances and one medallist from theRio Olympics has already been strippedof his podium finish for doping.

Kyrgyzstan’s Izzat Artykov wonbronze in the 69kg contest but later test-ed positive for the stimulant strychnine,becoming the first Olympian from theBrazil Games to have a medal revoked.

He claimed that a rival competitorhad spiked his drink and said he wouldappeal the decision but the rulingmeant that the weightlifting competi-tion ended under a familiar dopingcloud.

Eleven weightlifters who previouslyserved doping bans, including threegold medallists, won medals at Rio,while four others were sent home forfailed tests before they were due tocompete. Another, a Mongolianweightlifter who didn’t threaten thepodium, also failed a dope test, theCourt of Arbitration for Sportannounced on Sunday.

The IWF is cracking down on doping.In June, it adopted a resolution that saidany country which returns three or morepositive drugs tests from the reanalysisof samples from the last two Olympicswould be suspended for a year.

The governing body plans to banRussia, Kazakhstan, Belarus and several

other nations for 12 months fromaround September or October for dop-ing violations stemming from the 2008and 2012 Games.

“ We had to react. I t will be verypainful for me to suspend some coun-tries but we will do this,” IWF presidentTamas Ajan told AFP in an interview lastweek.

“We wish weightlifting to be a cleansport and there’s only one way. We haveto ban all the countries which violate ourrules,” he added.

Ajan said the suspensions would bejust “the start”, but added that there wasa twin approach to the problem thatincluded educating as well as punishingcountries and athletes.

“Not only do we suspend countriesbut we also organise many anti-dopingseminars to help them. We give assis-tance so they can change completely,”he explained.

Ajan has a fight on his hands howev-er. “Unfortunately there are some coun-tries who use forbidden substances as apart of their training programme,” hesaid, pointing the finger at some formerSoviet republics.

By the time Tokyo 2020 comesaround the IWF doesn’t want to be in asituation similar to the one it’s in nowwhere medallists are being retrospec-tively stripped of medals followingreanalysis of samples.

“Improved laboratory techniqueshave created a situation where the sportcan get cleaner and cleaner,” said Ajan.

“The next two years are a very, verysensitive period,” he added. —AFP

RIO DE JANEIRO: Bookended by a no-nonsenseAmerican teenager and an emotional Italianman, the shooting gold medal winners were anassorted lot of first-time Olympians and darkhorses who left many favourites in the dust.Italy topped the medal count, with four of the 15golds, followed by Germany with three.Powerhouse China took home seven, but justone gold, and the United States had an utterlydisappointing run with one gold and twobronze. That sole American Olympic title waswon by 19-year-old Ginny Thrasher, who cameout air rifle blazing to win the first gold of theGames. Her cool confidence wowed the crowdat the Olympic Shooting Centre in Deodoro.

Her American team mates with much moreexperience and medals, like twice Olympicchampion Vincent Hancock in the men’s skeetand Matt Emmons in the 50 metre rifle threepositions, failed to qualify for the finals.

“I don’t really have an explanation for it,” saidEmmons on the final day of competition. “I reallyfelt we brought a pretty darn good team here.”

American skeet shooter Kim Rhode did makehistory with her bronze, tying an Olympic recordwith her sixth medal in six Games.

Vietnam won its first gold medal ever whenHoang Xuan Vinh won the men’s 10 metre airpistol gold and later picked up a silver in the 50metre event.

Kuwaiti men’s double trap shooter FehaidAl-Deehani won the first gold ever for an ath-lete competing under the Olympic flag afterKuwait was banned by the InternationalOlympic Committee. H is countr yman,Abdullah Al-Rashidi, was a Brazilian crowdfavourite for his charm and distinctive facialhair. With chants of “Mustache,” he went on towin a bronze in skeet. Wrapping it all up was28-year-old Italian Niccolo Campriani whowon two golds in rifle shooting. He said thekey to his success was that he was an emo-tional man from the Mediterranean whereone learns to deal with emotions from theage of two. —Reuters

Cool teenager, emotional

Italian and new champions

RIO DE JANEIRO: Dagmar Wozniak of the United States, right, dances with other athletes during the closing ceremony in theMaracana stadium at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. —AP

S P O RT STUESDAY, AUGUST 23, 2016

NEW DELHI: As Olympic under-achiev-ers India head home from Rio havingfailed to win a gold medal, its gate-crashing, selfie-taking officials havebeen accused of failing to help its ath-letes taste success.

A string of below-par performancessaw India win just two medals at theGames, fewer than the six clinched dur-ing their best-ever per formance inLondon four years earlier.

Badminton champion P.V. Sindhu’s sil-ver towards the end of the Rio Gamessparked an outpouring of national prideand celebrations, along with wrestlerSakshi Malik’s bronze.

But reports during the competition ofIndian officials seemingly living it up inRio, while athletes struggled to make itthrough qualifying, sparked anger backhome and raised questions about thecommitment of those in charge.

“Officials do not have the welfare ofthe athletes on their mind. All they arebothered about is having a good time,”Aslam Sher Khan, India’s former hockey

Olympian, told AFP.“While other countries have scripted

a turnaround in their fortune like the UK,we sadly continue to languish in medi-ocrity,” he told AFP.

“We have become the laughing stockof the world.” Indian sports minister VijayGoel has described as a “misunderstand-ing” reports that his entourage tried tomuscle unaccredited people accompa-nying him into Olympic venues.

Rio organisers reportedly accused hisentourage of “aggressive and rudebehaviour” and threatened to cancel hisaccreditation, prompting Goel to denyany involvement.

The minister also sparked ridicule onsocial media after praising one of India’sathletes on Twitter, only to use a photoof a different one. And the IndianExpress newspaper accused him ofspending his time in Rio taking selfieswith “exhausted Indian athletes”-afterposting a picture of himself ringsidewith just defeated boxer Vikas KrishanYadav.

The incidents come as little surpriseto observers who have long accusedsport administrators of being more con-cerned about protecting their own fief-doms than targeting success.

At the 2014 Winter Olympics, Indiasuffered the humiliation of beingbanned from flying its flag at the open-ing ceremony following corruption con-cerns. The Indian Olympic Association(IOA) suffered a 14-month ban whichwas only lifted after it elected new lead-ers, excluding those who had beenaccused of corruption over the chaoticorganisation of the 2010Commonwealth Games in Delhi.

India’s only individual Olympic goldmedallist, shooter Abhinav Bindra, saidhe was fed up with apathetic officials,some of whom were unqualified for thejob and were not being held account-able for a lack of success on the field.

“I won’t get angry and spoil my ownhealth. It happens every time and that isthe way it is,” the shooter, who won goldin Beijing in 2008 and finished fourth in

Rio, told the NDTV network.“We need a complete overhaul of the

system. We need more experts comingin... I have no problem with a politician ifhe can bring something to the table.”

India’s anti-doping officials were alsoleft red-faced in Rio after wrestlerNarsingh Yadav was banned for fouryears for failing drug tests-overturningIndia’s earlier decision to allow him tocompete. Indian officials had clearedYadav just days before Rio, accepting hisdefence that a rival spiked his food sup-plements, after failing two tests for abanned steroid. The World Anti-DopingAgency swiftly challenged the decisionin the Court of Arbitration for Sportwhich found “no evidence” of such con-tamination.

‘NOT BOTHERED’ India, a country obsessed with crick-

et, has never finished high on the medaltable-winning just 28 from 24 Olympicappearances.

But India, with a population of more

than a bill ion people and enjoyingstrong economic growth, had been tar-geting 10 medals in Rio and sent itslargest ever squad.

India’s government spent about 1.2billion rupees ($18 million), however,preparing the athletes, according to thesports ministry, a fraction of the amountforked out by China, Britain and othercountries.

With the lack of silverware becomingevident, media began focusing on theofficials, including a former IOA chief,currently facing trial in a corruption case,seen attending the Games with anaccreditation pass.

Veteran journalist K. Jagannadha Raowho has covered six Olympics said suchincidents involving officials were notunusual. Khan, one of the few Indians tohave tasted success when the hockeyteam won bronze at the 1972 MunichOlympics, agreed, saying few lessonshad been learnt over the years.

“They are simply not bothered if thecountry is winning medals or not.” —AFP

‘Good-time’ Indian officials under fire for Rio flop

RIO DE JANEIRO: Amid celebrations forthe end of the Rio Olympics, few spareda thought for Jordan’s Methkal AbuDrais who finished the marathon behinda Japanese comedian, a stray dog andan Argentinian running sideways. Itsounds like a punchline to a joke, butthat’s what happened as the 32-year-oldarmy sergeant trotted home last inSunday’s race, finishing 140th morethan 37 minutes behind gold medallistEliud Kipchoge of Kenya. Enough timeperhaps to fashion a sign warning“Slippery When Wet” for rivals topplinglike tenpins along the home straight ona concrete surface that resembled an icerink after a morning downpour. “ I twasn’t my best day perhaps,” Abu Draistold AFP.

“But my presence at the Olympicsamong the best marathon runners inthe world is an achievement for me.”Before Abu Drais schlepped up the longconcourse of the Sambadrome, the spir-itual centre of Rio’s famed carnival, wav-ing to fans, carnage was unfoldingahead.

Former Olympic silver medallist MebKeflezighi led the way when he lost hisfooting and skidded across the finishline on all fours. Mortified, he stayedwhere he was and began to do push-ups to loud applause.

A stray black dog made a lengthycameo appearance, to further cheers,trotting alongside runners who looked alittle wary of the furry intruder.

Abu Drais was still some way off atthis stage, huffing and puffing his wayto the closing stages of a course whichsnaked through the heart of Rio’s his-toric centre.

He insisted he had little time to takein any of the city’s iconic landmarks,such as the giant Christ the Redeemerstatue, peeking through the cloudsabove.

TOURIST SPOTS “I wasn’t here for sight-seeing,”

shrugged Abu Drais, who trains in theAtlas mountains, which stretch throughAlgeria, Morocco and Tunisia. “Amarathon runner doesn’t have time tocheck out the tourist spots.” After watch-ing Abu Drais race, some may beg to dif-fer. “The rain wasn’t helpful,” sniffed AbuDrais, who won the 2012 StockholmMarathon. “You have to deal with theelements, circumstances change fromrace to race. You just want to get to thefinish.” If the rain was not as advertised,neither was the smorgasbord of come-dy: Argentine runner Federico Brunodid a cracking impersonation of awounded crab as he crossed the linesidewards-on in 137th, dragging hiscramping leg behind him.

Iran’s Mohammadjafar Moradi col-lapsed 20 metres from the line andcrawled desperately home. Fifteen run-ners failed to finish, one wag wonderingif they had stumbled into one of thecity’s notorious ‘favela’ slums, never tobe seen again. As if praying for divineinter vention, Cuba’s Richer Perezunfurled a banner reading: “Love Jesus.”Abu Drais, meanwhile, was pipped atthe line by pint-sized Kuniaki Takizaki aJapanese comedian who competesunder Cambodia’s flag. Undeterred thedoughty Jordanian said: “I’m off for ashower. I will be back to finish in the top10 at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.” — AFP

RIO DE JANEIRO: From the dizzying gymnasticsheights of African-American Simone Biles toIndian wrestler Sakshi Malik and Brazilian goldengirl Rafaela Silva in judo-Rio proved a ground-breaking Games for women.

Usain Bolt and Michael Phelps had alreadyarrived in Rio as global superstars of men’s trackand field and swimming. But newcomer Biles’samazing acrobatic skills also won star billingwith her record-equalling four women’s goldand a bronze at her first Games. The 19-year-oldbecame the second African-American afterGabby Douglas in 2012 to win the all-aroundtitle, ending her Olympics in the spotlight bycarrying the United States flag at the closing cer-emony. “I’m not the next Usain Bolt or MichaelPhelps,” the Texan had said. “I’m the first Simone

Biles.” Despite the shining success of Biles, a gen-der gap remains with 169 events for men stagedin Rio compared to 137 for women.Nevertheless, the Games still had many firstswith judoka Majlinda Kelmendi winning Kosovoa gold at its maiden Games, as Monica Puig gavePuerto Rico tennis gold.

“I just proved that even after we survived awar, if they (kids in Kosovo) want somethingthey can have it,” said Kelmendi. Silva, 24, whogrew up in Rio’s violent, poverty stricken ‘City ofGod’ slum, won special mention from IOC presi-dent Thomas Bach as the Games drew to a close.

“Rising from the favela to become Olympicchampion, when you look at her childhood andwhat she had to overcome, she’s an inspirationacross the world,” Bach said. Malik also told how

she had to overcome prejudice to becomeIndia’s first medallist with freestyle wrestlingbronze. The 23-year-old from Rohtak, 76kmnorthwest of New Dehli, said her parents hadbeen criticised by local people when she startedwrestling. “I want to say that girls can also do alot if you give them confidence,” said Malik, whocarried the Indian flag at the closing ceremony.

‘GENDER BARRIERS’Women from the Middle East were more rep-

resented than ever before in Rio. WeightlifterSara Ahmed, wearing a sports hijab, blazed atrail by becoming the first woman from Egypt tostand on the podium, lifting 255kg to finishthird. Ines Boubakri won the Arab world’s firstever women’s Olympic fencing medal, dedicat-ing her bronze to “the Tunisian women, the Arabwoman... who has her place in society”.

US fencer Ibtihaj Muhammad succeeded inher ambition to show the world that Muslim-American women could compete in elite sports.The 30-year-old from New Jersey, the first USOlympian to wear a hijab-a headscarf worn byMuslim women-during competition, came awaywith a bronze in the women’s team sabre event.

Saudi Arabia’s Kariman Abuljadayel-one offour women athletes sent by the conservativeGulf kingdom to Rio-competed in the 100msprint. Emirati swimmer Nada Al Badwawi, whocarried her country’s flag in the opening cere-mony, said: “We are slowly starting to changethe mentality. “My main goal is to break downthese gender barriers and pave the way for otherfemale swimmers.”

‘IRON CEILING’ Forty five percent of the 11,444 athletes —

5,175 — in Rio were women, slightly higher thanin London 2012. “Every National OlympicCommittee has now sent female athletes to theGames,” an IOC spokesman said. New sports suchas weightlifting were added to the women’s pro-gramme in 2000, wrestling in 2004, and boxing in2012. The target in Tokyo in 2020 will be to makeeven more events open. Yuriko Koike, governorof the Japanese host city, said, however, it wasalso hard to change mentalities in Japan.“Women are doing fantastic performances in theworld of sports, in the world of politics, unfortu-nately the percentage of women parliamentari-ans is lower in Japan than in other major places,”the 64-year-old said. “Hillary Clinton talked of aglass ceiling, I think we have got an iron ceiling.“Along with Olympic athletes, Japan’s femalepoliticians will also take up the challenge andstrive to become good role models.” — AFP

NEW DELHI: P.V. Sindhu, the 21-year-oldbadminton player who won one of India’stwo medals at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics,returned to her hometown in southernIndia to cheering crowds yesterday.

Sindhu and freestyle wrestler SakshiMalik restored some national pride in thispatriarchal nation by returning with a silverand bronze medal respectively. Sindhu’shomecoming Monday included a ridethrough Hyderabad, the technology hub insouthern India, in an open-top bus.

Hundreds of people lined the streetsand politicians competed to have selfieswith the first Indian woman to win anOlympic silver medal.

Sindhu and Malik have faced consider-able odds to succeed as athletes - in acountry where female infanticide is still areality, sexual violence is widespread andgirls trail boys on most health and educa-tion indicators.

Sindhu was beaten by Spain’s CarolinaMarin in the women’s badminton final.Malik, a 23-year-old wrestler from thenorthern state of Haryana, defeatedKyrgyzstan’s Aisuluu Tynybekova in the 58kilogram freestyle.

Dipa Karmarkar, a 23-year-old gymnastfrom the tiny northeastern state of Tripura,placed fourth in the vault final. She lost thebronze medal by the slimmest of marginsbut emerged from obscurity to wins mil-lions of fans back home.

Athletes in India face constant hurdlesregardless of gender, often lacking theproper training, facilities and equipment,but the women have to fight even harder.Malik comes from a part of the country thatmore often makes the news for so-calledhonor kill ings and has a gender ratioskewed heavily in favor of boys. Accordingto census data, the state of Haryana hasonly 834 girls for every 1,000 boys underthe age of six. Sex-selective abortions and asystemic neglect of female children areblamed for the gender ratio.

Malik’s father said that, when he allowedhis daughter to start wrestling as a younggirl, people would laugh at him. She’s gonea long way since then: Malik was India’s flagbearer at the games’ closing ceremony.

Sindhu’s coach Pullela Gopichand pulledno punches. “Hats off to women for savingour face in front of the world,” Gopichandsaid. — AP

RIO DE JANEIRO: Bloody and bruised, Olympicboxing was left teetering on the brink of crisis atthe Olympics with several fighters complainingthey were the victims of bad judging decisionsand a few alleging more sinister wrongdoing.

The Games would not be complete withoutboxing controversy of one kind or another andgoverning body the AIBA was soon on thedefensive in Rio after at least two highly debat-able judging decisions, the most contentiousbeing in the heavyweight final.

Kazakh Vassiliy Levit appeared to have givenEvgeny Tishchenko a thorough hiding, but thejudges inexplicably made the Russian a unani-mous points winner-he was consequentlybooed up to the podium.

The next day Irish bantamweight worldchampion Michael Conlan launched a foul-mouthed tirade at the International BoxingAssociation (AIBA) saying he had been “robbed”of his Olympic dream, again at the hands of aRussian. Conlan was enraged and accused theAIBA and judges of corruption-an allegationimmediately rejected by the AIBA, which threat-ened legal action to protect its integrity and thatof Olympic boxing. But the boxing body thenacknowledged that “less than a handful of deci-sions (were) not at the level expected” and senthome an undisclosed number of judges and ref-erees. And a day later it “reassigned” one of itstop executives who was in charge of helping runthe Rio Olympic boxing.

National boxing federations have so far beenreluctant to criticise the AIBA, but BoxingCanada broke ranks with a strongly wordedstatement, warning that the sport’s integrity wasin serious jeopardy and hinted plans were afootto force AIBA’s arm. “Following questionable

Groundbreaking Games

for women in Rio 2016

(COMBO) This combination of pictures taken during the Rio 2016 Olympic Games in Rio deJaneiro and created shows (from L-top to R-bottom) Egypt’s Hedaya Wahba (aka HedayaMalek) with her bronze medal for the women’s taekwondo event in the -57kg category;Barhain’s Ruth Jebet with her gold medal for the Women’s 3000m Steeplechase in the athleticsevent; Egypt’s Sara Ahmed (aka Sarah Samir) with her bronze medal for the Women’s 69kgweightlifting event; Tunisia’s Marwa Amri with her bronze medal for the women’s 58kgfreestyle wrestling even; Bahrain’s Eunice Jepkirui Kirwa with her silver medal for the Women’sMarathon in the athletics event and Tunisia’s Ines Boubakri with her bronze medal for thewomen’s individual foil fencing event. Six women from Arab countries won six medals, justtwo less than men, during the Rio 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. — AFP

Boxing on brink after Rio

judging controversies

HYDERABAD: India’s P.V. Sindhu, left, who won one of India’s two medals at the Riode Janeiro Olympics and her coach Pullela Gopichand wave to the cameras duringtheir reception at the Gopichand Academy in Hyderabad, India, yesterday. The 21-year-old who won the silver medal in women’s singles badminton event is also thefirst Indian woman to win an Olympic silver medal. — AP

India welcomes back Sindhu

after rare medal in Rio

Jordanian runner beaten

by stray dog in Rio

RIO DE JANEIRO: Newly elected members of the International Olympic Committee (IOC)Athletes Commission, Germany’s epee fencer Britta Heidemann (front), Russia’s two-timeOlympic pole vault champion Yelena Isinbayeva (R), Hungarian swimmer Daniel Gyurta (2nd R)and South Korean table tennis player Ryu Seung-min (L) attend the closing ceremony of the Rio2016 Olympic Games at the Maracana stadium in Rio de Janeiro on Sunday. — AFP

decisions and alleged corruption claims occur-ring at the Rio 2016 boxing competition, a glob-al strategy is being put in place to ensure AIBAwill address and correct the situation,” BoxingCanada said. It told AFP that it wants a “com-plete review” of what unfolded in Rio. AIBA didnot respond to a request for comment.

TRIPLE CUBAN SUCCESS AIBA made headlines when, just two months

before Rio, it said that professionals would be

allowed to compete for the first time in Olympicboxing history.

It had already dumped the unpopular punch-counting method of scoring bouts in favour of ajudging system like that used in professionalboxing and removed headguards for men, leav-ing some fighters nursing nasty head woundsand facial cuts.

These three moves were designed to makeOlympic boxing closer to the pros and hencemore popular. — AFP

S P O RT STUESDAY, AUGUST 23, 2016

GalleryRIO DE JANEIRO: A bid by Los Angeles tohost the 2024 Olympic Games could fall victimto anti-American sentiment brewing inside theInternational Olympic Committee, sourcesinside the IOC said.

The bid, which is competing against threeEuropean cities, risks an anti-US protest voteby several IOC members angry over America’sprominent role in pursuing doping allegationsagainst Russian athletes, the sources said.

The IOC will decide on bids from LosAngeles, Paris, Rome and Budapest inSeptember next year. At least three non-Russian IOC members, speaking on conditionof anonymity, said America’s intervention intoallegations of systematic Russian doping hadmarred the run-up to the Rio Games and tar-nished the IOC brand.

“Of course the Los Angeles bid will facesome consequences from this,” an IOC mem-ber said. The US Department of Justice is prob-ing allegations of Russian doping on US soil,and the US anti-doping agency (USADA) calledfor a total ban on Russians in Rio even as USathletes with a history of positive drugs testscompeted there. None of the IOC membersinterviewed by Reuters could give an estimateof how many of the IOC’s 98 members werethinking along the same lines. Elections forhost cities can be decided by a handful ofvotes and be heavily influenced by politics.

Last year ’s vote for the 2022 winterOlympics was won by Beijing, with just four

votes more than Kazakhstan’s Almaty.Russia alone has three IOC members. The

head of the LA 2024 bid team, CaseyWasserman, said it would not make sense forIOC members to vote against Los Angeles onthe basis of investigations totally unrelated toits bid.

“Doping agencies in America are independ-ent. They are not under the control of theUnited States Olympic Committee (USOC),they are certainly not under the control of aprivate independent bid which is what we are,”Wasserman said.

“We are independent of USOC and of thecity of Los Angeles, we are private and tosomehow use that against us seems misguid-ed,” he added.

LA Mayor Eric Garcetti has acknowledgedthat there could be a backlash from some IOCmembers but has also distanced the bid fromthe actions of the other, independent U.S.bodies, such as the Department of Justice andUSADA.

Another IOC member said a separateDepartment of Justice investigation into cor-ruption at world soccer’s governing body, FIFA,also rankled with some committee members,given close links between the two sportingbodies.

Several senior FIFA officials were arrestedlast year, woken up at their five-star hotel inZurich and held in prison pending extraditionto the United States over corruption and

embezzlement charges.IOC member Issa Hayatou of Cameroon is

FIFA’s senior vice president, while SheikhAhmad Al Fahad al Sabah of Kuwait, who is incharge of the IOC’s central fund, the OlympicSolidarity, is a member of the FIFA council.

Neither of the two members, who declinedto comment, has been named in relation toinvestigations of the FIFA cases.

Another IOC member said there would be“significant” fallout for the Los Angeles bid.

A Canadian lawyer’s investigation into whathe called systematic Russian doping led to theworld athletics federation banning the coun-try’s track and field team, with the exception ofjust one athlete, from the Rio Games.

USADA had formed a coalition of anti-dop-ing bodies calling for a blanket ban on allRussian competitors at the Games, but the IOCeventually cleared more than 270 Russians tocompete.

Last month, United World WrestlingFederation President Nenad Lalovic, an IOCmember and a member of the World Anti-dop-ing Agency (WADA) board, made comments toReuters that were indicative of the frustrationfelt by some IOC members.

“USADA should be focused on the health ofAmerican athletes and those competing in theUnited States,” Lalovic said. “Now it seems thatUSADA and the Canadians took over responsi-bility of WADA. Nobody entitled them to dothat.” — Reuters

Gold Silver Bronze TotalUnited States 46 37 38 121Great Britain 27 23 17 67China 26 18 26 70Russia 19 18 19 56Germany 17 10 15 42Japan 12 8 21 41France 10 18 14 42South Korea 9 3 9 21Italy 8 12 8 28Australia 8 11 10 29Netherlands 8 7 4 19Hungary 8 3 4 15Brazil 7 6 6 19Spain 7 4 6 17Kenya 6 6 1 13Jamaica 6 3 2 11Croatia 5 3 2 10Cuba 5 2 4 11New Zealand 4 9 5 18Canada 4 3 15 22Uzbekistan 4 2 7 13Kazakhstan 3 5 9 17Colombia 3 2 3 8Switzerland 3 2 2 7Iran 3 1 4 8Greece 3 1 2 6Argentina 3 1 0 4Denmark 2 6 7 15Sweden 2 6 3 11South Africa 2 6 2 10Ukraine 2 5 4 11Serbia 2 4 2 8Poland 2 3 6 11North Korea 2 3 2 7Belgium 2 2 2 6Thailand 2 2 2 6Slovakia 2 2 0 4Georgia 2 1 4 7Azerbaijan 1 7 10 18Belarus 1 4 4 9Turkey 1 3 4 8Armenia 1 3 0 4Czech Republic 1 2 7 10Ethiopia 1 2 5 8Slovenia 1 2 1 4Indonesia 1 2 0 3Romania 1 1 3 5 Bahrain 1 1 0 2Vietnam 1 1 0 2Taiwan 1 0 2 3Independent 1 0 1 2Bahamas 1 0 1 2Ivory Coast 1 0 1 2Fiji 1 0 0 1Jordan 1 0 0 1Kosovo 1 0 0 1Puerto Rico 1 0 0 1Singapore 1 0 0 1Tajikistan 1 0 0 1Malaysia 0 4 1 5Mexico 0 3 2 5Algeria 0 2 0 2Ireland 0 2 0 2Lithuania 0 1 3 4Bulgaria 0 1 2 3Venezuela 0 1 2 3India 0 1 1 2Mongolia 0 1 1 2Burundi 0 1 0 1Grenada 0 1 0 1Niger 0 1 0 1Philippines 0 1 0 1Qatar 0 1 0 1Norway 0 0 4 4Egypt 0 0 3 3Tunisia 0 0 3 3Israel 0 0 2 2Austria 0 0 1 1Dominican Republic 0 0 1 1Estonia 0 0 1 1Finland 0 0 1 1Moldova 0 0 1 1Morocco 0 0 1 1Nigeria 0 0 1 1Portugal 0 0 1 1Trinidad and Tobago 0 0 1 1United Arab Emirates 0 0 1 1

RIO DE JANEIRO: Final 2016 Olympics medals table onSunday (gold, silver, bronze, total):

Anti-US mood could hurt LA in bid for Games

RIO DE JANEIRO: Host nation Brazil,backed by an emotional and enthusiasticlocal fan base, captured the most Olympicmedals in the country’s history but fell farshort of the haul that past host nationshave brought in.

Brazil’s 19 medals, seven of them gold,was a significant improvement over itsLondon 2012 performance, more than dou-bling the number of golds and picking uptwo more medals in total.

The country’s tally was capped off by agold in the men’s volleyball finals onSunday and Brazil’s first men’s soccer goldon Saturday. For the crowds that pouredinto the streets to celebrate the soccer win,or shouted from windows and in barsthroughout a rainy Rio during the volley-ball final on Sunday, the victories wereanother sign that a Games many oncethought destined for disaster had farexceeded local expectations.

From concerns about the Zika virus, topolluted waters, security and shortages offunds, the Rio Games faced problems thatcritics believed could derail their success.

“I can’t tell you how happy I am, and I’vebeen a critic of the games” said RafaelRocha, 28, a designer out celebratingBrazil’s soccer gold in the early hours ofSunday. “Not only have the games gonewell, Brazil is doing well too. This is a hugerelief.” Brazil could also celebrate anOlympic record pole-vault victory, gold inmen’s beach volleyball and women’s sailing49erFX class. That 49erFX win, and the will-

ingness of nearly all sailing medallists tojump into the water to celebrate, seemedto belie concerns that the dirty waters ofGuanabara Bay were too polluted to sail in.

Though Brazil’s medal performanceimpressed some here, it also fell short on arange of measures. Sports in which Brazilwas supposed to perform well in, such asJudo, were a disappointment. And athletesexpected to win medals in events rangingfrom sailing to gymnastics failed to get onthe podium. As a result, Brazil came in 13thin the gold-medal table and 12th in totalmedals, missing the government’s goal of atop-10 finish in the over-all medal count.Only hosts Canada in 1976, Mexico in 1968and Greece in 2004 have done worse, andall have far smaller populations.

Kenya and Jamaica were two of thesmaller and poorer countries that cameclose to Brazil in the gold-medal race, fin-ishing 15th and 16th, respectively.

As the cheering dies down, questionswill linger about why a country so largeand relatively rich is such an underper-former at the world’s premier sportingevent. Many medal winners called on thegovernment to spend more on sports.Brazilians frequently complain that schoolsand universities have small sports pro-grams, if any.

“I’m thrilled, but we really are not per-forming at the level our country is capa-ble of,” said musician Ivan Britz, 30, dur-ing the street parties for Brazil’s soccergold. — Reuters

Brazil medal haul best but

weak by host standards

RIO DE JANEIRO: As doping-tainted ath-letics emerges from its darkest hour fight-ing to restore its credibility, the reality fortrack and field is that it will have to crossthat rocky road without Usain Bolt.

The Jamaican, who sealed an amazingthird haul of three Olympic sprint goldmedals in Rio, has consistently been a bea-con for clean athletes amid doping andcorruption scandals that mired SebastianCoe’s first year in office as IAAF president.

Bolt will compete at next year’s worldchampionships in London as his swan-song, meaning the next Olympics in Tokyowill not feature one of sport’s most recog-nisable figures.

Coe insists, however, that athletics willendure, telling AFP that Bolt had tran-scended his sport in a way that was com-parable to boxing icon Muhammad Ali.“The man is a genius,” Coe said. “There’sbeen nobody since Muhammad Ali who’sgot remotely near to what this guy hasdone in terms of grabbing the publicimagination.”

However, Coe argued that just as a newgeneration of boxers emerged after Ali’sretirement, so track and field wouldunearth new personalities after Bolt. “It’s a

massive gap, but it’s not a gap that is insu-perable,” Coe said. “You’re not going to fillthat gap overnight, but there are great, tal-ented athletes out there.”

American Ashton Eaton, who defendedhis decathlon title in Rio, was described byBolt after his victory in London four yearsago as the world’s best athlete.

And Eaton was adamant that Bolt ’sabsence would not leave a vacuum. “I willsay that it is an absolute pleasure to beable to compete in the same era as UsainBolt,” Eaton said. “I really disagree he’llleave a vacuum. “If anything, he’s provideda platform for all the other young, aspiringathletes to launch from.

“Just now we’re not seeing the fruits ofhis accomplishments and labour, but Ithink in the years to come you’ll see a lot ofyoung athletes who’ll say ‘I got inspired byUsain Bolt’. “When I got inspired by MichaelJohnson I was eight years old and I didn’tstart coming into fruition in track until Iwas 18, so give it a decade.”

Bolt will not be lost to the sport, howev-er, with Coe saying he envisaged theJamaican, so often able to deflect badnews with his on-track performances, play-ing a key role in years to come. — AFP

RIO DE JANEIRO: International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach (C)waves the Olympic flag flanked by Tokyo governor Yuriko Koike (R) and Rio MayorEduardo Paes (L) during the closing ceremony of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at theMaracana stadium in Rio de Janeiro on Sunday. — AFP

Athletics nervously

enters post-Bolt world

RIO DE JANEIRO: Completing a thirdconsecutive unbeaten run to gold, theUnited States crushed Serbia 96-66 inSunday’s Rio Games basketball final towin its sixth Olympic title with NBAtalent in seven tries.

Kevin Durant scored 18 of his 30points in the second quarter to triggerthe rout, stretching the USA’s Olympicwinning streak to 25 games and itsdecade-long unbeaten string to 76 inwhat was the final gold medal matchof the Games.

With the win, US forward CarmeloAnthony became the first man withthree Olympic basketball gold medals.

He was on the 2004 team that set-tled for bronze, a result that sparked are - organisat ion of the USA pro -grammed that has gone unbeaten inthe Games since.

“It was a special moment for me,”Anthony, 32, said of the third gold. Heruled out returning for Tokyo 2020.

“I know this is the end. This is it forme. I committed to this in ‘04. I’ve seenthe worst and I’ve seen the best. I’mhere today three gold medals later.”

I t w a s t h e U S A’s 1 5 t h o v e r a l lmen’s basketball gold medal sincet h e s p o r t w a s f i r s t a d d e d t o t h e

Olympic line-up in 1936.It was also the farewell game for US

coach Mike Krzyzewski, who will bereplaced by San Antonio Spurs coachGregg Popovich.

A Serbian team that tested the USsquad before falling 94-91 in a groupstage game-the closest call yet in theAmericans’ long Olympic win streak-stayed c lose for barely a quar terbefore the NBA playmakers went wild.

Serbia led 14-11 with 3:12 remain-ing in the f i rst quar ter when theAmericans, who opened the gameshooting only 5-of-17 from the floor,began a 32-8 run to break it open.

Durant, who joins the NBA WesternConference champion Golden StateWarriors next season, had 14 points inthe pivotal spurt including a spectacu-lar steal and fast-break slam dunk.

Although it went unbeaten, theUSA was played a little too close forcomfort in most of its Rio Games.

That raised doubts about the abilityof the newly assembled team to playas a unit and handle the perpetualmotion of international play.

Anthony and Durant were the onlyplayers to return from 2012. “It wasthe best thing that happened for us,”

centre DeMarcus Cousins said of thosewake-up calls.

“It let us know that we had to takeit to another level because it ’s notgoing to be a walk in the park. If any-thing, I think that was the best thingfor us.”

Cousins had 13 points and 15rebounds in the game.

The f i rst hal f ended with theAmericans ahead 52-29 and playinglike the confident, flamboyant sidemost expected to see once the rosterwas named. “We’re a confident group.We corrected our mistakes and cametogether as a team. Winning’s notalways easy,” Cousins said.

In the second half, it was only amatter of settling the final margin andadding to the USA highlight reel.

Durant and Anthony hugged late inthe fourth quarter with the result longdecided, and after the final buzzer, theAmericans were dancing at mid-courtin celebration.

Nemanja Nedovic led Serbia with14 points.

Spain, which lost to the US team inthe past two Olympic finals, edgedAustralia 89-88 in the bronze medalgame. —AFP

16Bale double gives Real Madrid winning start

TUESDAY, AUGUST 23, 201618India welcomes back Sindhu after rare medal in Rio

Anti-US mood could hurt LA in bid for Games Page 19

RIO DE JANEIRO: This picture shows an overview of fireworks during the closing ceremony of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at the Maracana stadium in Rio de Janeiro on Sunday. —AFP

RIO DE JANEIRO: A blustery storm, a touch ofmelancholy and a sense of pride converged atthe closing ceremony of the 2016 Olympics onSunday as Brazil breathed a collective sigh ofrelief at having pulled off South America’s firstGames.

After a gruelling 17 days, Rio de Janeiro castaside early struggles with empty venues, securityscares and a mysterious green diving pool tothrow a huge Carnival-like party. Samba dancers,singers, drummers and a giant plumed macawfloat mixed with hundreds of athletes in the sto-ried Maracana stadium while a final volley of fire-works lit up the night sky. Brazilians came to theclosing ceremony happy, many wearing thecanary yellow jersey of the nation’s sports teams,having won two late gold medals in their twofavourite sports, men’s soccer and volleyball.

But Sunday served up tough weather condi-tions for such a big party. High winds buffetedthe Maracana, power briefly went out in theupper part of the stadium, and rain drenchedperformers and athletes as they entered the cer-emony, many with medals hanging around theirnecks.

To the beat of traditional Brazilian music,

Olympians danced and waved their countries’flags to celebrate their place on the world’s pre-mier sporting stage.

In the last of 306 medal ceremonies,International Olympic Committee PresidentThomas Bach draped the gold around the neck ofKenya’s Eliud Kipchoge, winner of the men’smarathon earlier in the day.

The city handed over the Olympic flag toTokyo, site of the 2020 Summer Games, andJapanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe appeared inthe stadium dressed as popular video game char-acter Mario, tunnelling from Tokyo to Rio.

Bach declared the Rio Games closed andexpressed hope that they had left a lasting markon the metropolitan area of 12 million people.

“These Olympic Games are leaving a uniquelegacy for generations to come,” he said. “Historywill talk about a Rio de Janeiro before and a muchbetter Rio de Janeiro after the Olympic Games.”

In a final symbolic act, the Olympic flame thathad burned since Aug. 5 was then extinguishedin a downpour of artificial rain.

TAPPING NATURAL TALENTIn the midst of it worst economic recession

since the 1930s, Brazil’s opening and closing cer-emonies relied more on the country’s uniquetalents and natural beauty and less on expen-sive technology.

On Sunday, there was an ode to the white-clad lacemaking ladies and the forro music ofthe Northeast that sparked waves of prideamong Brazilians.

One of the more stunning moments of theceremony focused on the ancient art found inthe Serra da Capivara National Park - a UNESCOWorld Heritage site in northeastern Brazil featur-ing cave paintings, some more than 25,000 yearsold. But the beauty was betrayed by Brazil’stough times. Just this week, the foundation thatmaintains the park said it could no longer do sobecause of a lack of funding. For all the troublesbefore and during the Games, Rio will surely beremembered for great sporting moments. Therewas the remarkable comeback of Americanswimmer Michael Phelps, who won five golds toreinforce his distinction as the most decoratedOlympian of all time. Jamaica’s Usain Bolt drewdown the curtain on his brilliant Olympic careerby securing a sweep of the sprint titles for athird successive Games. And American gymnast

Simone Biles, the US flag bearer in the closingceremony, kicked off her Olympic run by tyingthe record of four gold medals in a singleGames. But at times it was hard to focus on thesporting triumphs taking place across thesprawling city.

A low point for Rio came when Ryan Lochte,one of America’s most decorated swimmers, saidhe was robbed at gunpoint. That ignited furthersecurity concerns after a series of assaultsagainst government ministers, athletes andtourists. But Lochte’s story quickly unravelled,enraging Brazilians and Americans alike.

Brazilians could nevertheless take heart in thefact that there were no major mishaps or breach-es after deadly attacks in Europe and the UnitedStates had prompted the biggest security opera-tion in Brazil’s history with 85,000 troops.

‘DIFFICULT MOMENT’“Even with all our problems we pulled off a

good Olympics. Nothing too bad happened andI’d say it was better than expected,” said NiveaAraujo, a Rio resident attending the closing cer-emony.

For many in the soccer-mad nation, the best

Olympic moments happened in the Maracana,where Brazil defeated Germany in soccer onSaturday and pieced together a widely hailedopening ceremony despite the tight budget.

Rio won the right to host the Games in 2009,when the economy was booming and millionswere pushing into the middle class.

“We are in a difficult moment as a countryright now, we can’t hide that, but the Gameswere scheduled and I’m glad we could enjoythem,” said Alessandro Freitas, also from Rio.One of the major concerns for Brazilians is whatwill be the final cost of the Games for a countryand how much they actually helped improve thecity’s infrastructure. Many Rio residents couldnot afford tickets to events, leaving them feelingon the sidelines of the city’s biggest undertak-ing. And come Monday, with the Games nolonger a distraction, Brazil gets back to its dourreality of duelling political and economic crises.An impeachment vote in coming days couldlead to the permanent ouster of suspendedPresident Dilma Rousseff. Interim PresidentMichel Temer, who was booed at the openingceremony, decided not to attend the closingevent. —Reuters

Rainy Rio wraps up Games on upbeat tropical note

US NBA stars rip Serbia

for third gold in a row

RIO DE JANEIRO: The United States’ basketball team poses with their gold medals at the2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Sunday. —AP

BusinessTUESDAY, AUGUST 23, 2016

Kuwait’s real GDP grows 1.8% in 2015

Page 22

Oil price recovery to help Kuwait bring down deficit

Page 25

VW cuts 28,000 workers’ hours oversupply woes

Page 23Zain launches all-new Internet plans

Page 26

BANGKOK: Two models promoting a Nissan GTR during the annual Big Motor Sale 2016 motorshow in Bangkok. Convention centers in Bangkok host a variety of motorshows several times a year to cater to con-sumer-driven demand for both new and used cars and motorcycles, but it is often the glamorous models known as “pretties” who take center stage at these events. —AFP

DUBAI: Saudi Arabia, the world’s top oil exporter,plans to discuss energy cooperation agreementswith China and Japan, the Saudi cabinet said yes-terday. “The cabinet has approved to delegate anumber of ministers to discuss with the Chineseside the following projects: a memorandum ofunderstanding (MOU) to cooperate in the energysector; an initial cooperation memorandum inthe field of crude storage,” a cabinet statement onstate news agency SPA said.

Discussions with Japan for an MOU for coop-erating in the energy sector were also approvedby the cabinet, SPA said. Saudi Arabia has tradi-tionally accounted for most of the crude importsby Asia, the world’s biggest oil-consumingregion. But recently OPEC’s top producer has lostground in a number of major markets includingRussia and China, and faces a further threat fromIran, which is ramping up exports after theremoval of Western sanctions.

The kingdom, however, has responded bypumping and shipping more oil, and with knock-down prices in Asia from state oil giant SaudiAramco. In 2015, Asia accounted for 65 percent of

Saudi Aramco’s oil exports; an increase from 62.3percent a year earlier.

Aramco has been in talks with China’sCNPC and Sinopec for investment opportuni-ties in refining, marketing and petrochemi-cals, Saudi Energy Minister Khalid Al-Falihsaid earlier this year.

Saudi and Japanese officials had discussed inJune possible Japanese investments into theplanned initial public offering (IPO) of Aramco.Saudi Arabia’s deputy crown prince, Mohammedbin Salman, unveiled ambitious plans earlier thisyear aimed at ending the country’s “addiction” tooil and transforming it into a global investmentpower. An IPO of less than 5 percent of state-runAramco is a centrepiece of that effort. So big isAramco given its rights to the crude reserves ofSaudi Arabia, that selling even 1 percent of itwould create the world’s biggest IPO, PrinceMohammed has said. He expects the IPO will val-ue Aramco at least at $2 trillion.

New Iran contractMeanwhile, Iran’s Vice President Eshaq

Jahangiri has told the oil and finance ministriesto start using the approved new draft for theIran Petroleum Contract (IPC) for oil and gasdeals, the Oil Ministry’s news agency SHANAreported yesterday.

The launch of the IPC has been postponedseveral times as hardline rivals of PresidentHassan Rouhani resisted any deal that could endthe so-called buy-back system under which for-eign firms were banned from owning stakes inIranian companies.

Oil Minister Bijan Zanganeh attended a par-liamentary session on Sunday to answer criti-cisms of the IPC. He said last week the IPC wouldneed minor amendments but that implementa-tion of its final draft would not need theapproval of parliament. SHANA published thegeneral terms and conditions of the IPC, specify-ing that the new contracts are divided into threemain categories: exploration, development ofdiscovered fields that would lead to production,and enhanced oil recovery (EOR) to increase out-put. The Oil Ministry is allowed to sign contractsup to 20 years from the start of development.

This period can be extended for five years if EORtechniques are applied on a field.

A contract’s fees will be paid in cash or as ashare of output. Only Iranian exploration andproduction companies whose credibility hasbeen approved by the National Iranian OilCompany (NIOC) can partner with foreign oilcompanies. NIOC is allowed to sign buy-backcontracts for the development of discovered butundeveloped fields, after receiving case-by-caseapproval from the oil minister. According to theIPC, the second party would bear all costs andrisks of exploration and production. The govern-ment, the Central Bank of Iran or any of the statebanks will not guarantee any of the commit-ments in the contract.

Crude prices dropOil prices fell nearly 3 percent yesterday as

China ramped up exports of refined products,US oil producers added rigs for an eighth con-secutive week, and prospects emerged forincreased exports from Iraq and Nigeria. Brentcrude futures were trading at $49.39 per barrel at

1028 GMT, down $1.49 from their last close. USWest Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude was down$1.27 at $47.25 a barrel. China’s July exports ofdiesel and gasoline soared by 181.8 and 145.2percent respectively compared with the samemonth last year, putting pressure on refinedproduct margins. Because of the productionand storage overhang in fuel markets, Barclayssaid a 20 percent price rally seen in August wasunwarranted and that oil prices of $50 or higherwere unsustainable. “Oil prices will likely experi-ence another short-term dip in the comingweeks,” it added.

Adding to the bearish sentiment, US drillersadded 10 oil rigs in the week to Aug. 19 as cruderebounded towards the key $50 mark thatmakes a return to the well pad viable. “Weexpect the oil market next year to be some-where between balanced and up to as much as1 million barrels per day (bpd) in deficit,” BjarneSchieldrop, chief commodity analyst at Nordicbank SEB, said. Schieldrop said the 32 rigs addedin August alone would add close to 200,000 bpdof extra supply through 2017. — Reuters

Saudi to discuss energy ties with China, Japan

Iran to start using new oil and gas contract

NEW DELHI: Raghuram Rajan’s abruptannouncement of his departure as governor ofthe Reserve Bank of India came as a nasty sur-prise to many, especially his fans in the invest-ment community, but the way Urjit Patel waschosen as his successor has been anything but.

Aides to Prime Minister Narendra Modi havesought to show that the search and selectionprocess has been deliberate and controlled, thatthe nation’s leader and the Finance MinisterArun Jaitley were closely involved, and that thegovernment is fully behind the RBI’s battle tocontrol inflation.

Critically for the stability of financial markets,Patel lent his name to the panel that drew up theblueprint for formally adopting a consumerinflation target of 4 percent, as well as creating anew Monetary Policy Committee to steer inter-est rates and help India hit that goal. At thesame time, the officials have stressed that no sin-gle individual should again dominate the centralbank in the way that Rajan did over his three-year term. Where Rajan is known for pithy one-liners at news conferences and speeches lardedwith social criticism, Patel is seen as more of a

backroom technocrat who avoids the limelight.Rajan’s shock announcement on the after-

noon of June 18, a Saturday, caught the govern-ment off-guard - Jaitley was watching a movie athome with his family and took more than twohours to issue a public statement. The recoveryof composure was quick, though. A shortlist ofpotential successors was floated before theevening was out. Patel, the 52-year-old deputygovernor who takes over from Rajan on Sept. 4,was on it, along with a clutch of other con-tenders that included veterans of the RBI.

On Saturday evening, exactly nine weeks lat-er, the choice was made public. And it was donewithout Modi holding meetings about the jobwith any of the candidates, according to sourceswith direct knowledge of the process. WhileModi may have been involved in the final deci-sion on Patel, he wanted to “keep his distance” inthe weeks before as the appointment commit-tee ran the process, one aide told Reuters.

“Lobbying does not get you such a job - butModi ji’s confidence in Patel was a big factor,” theofficial told Reuters, using the honorific Indiansuffix. Patel has wide international policy experi-

ence. He worked at the IMF as an economistfrom 1990 to 1995, and for Boston ConsultingGroup and Indian conglomerate RelianceIndustries (RELI.NS).

Sources said Patel had been vetted and hiscandidacy blessed by the Hindu-nationalistumbrella group, the Rashtriya SwayamsevakSangh (RSS), that backs Modi’s nationalist party.

That marks a big change from its attitude toRajan, who came under fire from the RSS campand in particular from lawmaker SubramanianSwamy who demanded he be fired for being“mentally not fully Indian”. Rajan this monthdenounced the personal attacks he had faced as“abominable”.

Patel is looked on favourably as dependableand low-key, with no ambition to upstage thegovernment. Rajan, by contrast, drew RSS ire bystraying into politically sensitive territory inhigh-profile speeches in which he said social tol-erance was vital to a country’s economic devel-opment. That was perceived as an implied attackon the Hindu-nationalist agenda of the RSS andother supporters of Modi. Rajan has denied criti-cising the government. —Reuters

Naming of new RBI chief shows

Modi govt regains composure

DUBAI: Gulf stock markets sank yesterday as oilprices and global equities dropped because ofthe possibility of a US interest rate hike, whileDubai builder Drake & Scull dropped amid con-cern over its financial situation.

Brent crude dropped below $50 a barrel ontalk the US Federal Reserve might signal at aconference this week in Jackson Hole, Wyoming,that it is gearing up to raise interest rates. TheSaudi stock index dropped 1.7 percent to 6,110points, confirming a break of technical supporton its early August low of 6,226 points. That trig-gered a bearish right triangle formed by thehighs and lows since April and pointing down tothe 5,600-point area in the medium term.

The market’s drop was broad-based, withlosers outnumbering gainers 160 to four. SaudiIndustrial Investment Group plunged 7.7 per-cent in its heaviest trade since April. Dubai’sindex dropped 0.7 percent as Drake & Scull, themost heavily traded stock, lost 3.0 percent. It hasslipped 10 percent since mid-August, when itposted a big second-quarter net loss; the Gulfconstruction industry has been hit hard by an

economic slowdown due to low oil prices, andcompanies have had difficulties obtaining pay-ments in Saudi Arabia.

Qatar’s index dropped 0.7 percent. It hasnow erased most of the gains posted last weekon expectations for foreign fund inflows whenFTSE upgrades the market to emerging-marketstatus in mid-September. Among major losers,petrochemical producer Industries Qatardropped 1.2 percent and Qatar National Bank(QNB) , the Gulf’s biggest listed lender, slid 1.6percent.

But drilling rig provider Gulf InternationalServices rose 0.7 percent to 36.90 riyals afterQNB rated the stock “outperform” with a pricetarget of 45 riyals, though that was down from aprevious target of 53 riyals. In Egypt, the indexslid 1.3 percent with real estate firm Palm HillsDevelopment sagging 3.5 percent and EmaarMisr down 2.7 percent.

However, Minapharm Pharmaceuticalsjumped 5.5 percent in thin trade after sayingfirst-half net profit jumped 34 percent from ayear earlier. —Reuters

Region hit by lower

oil, Fed worries

MIDEAST STOCK MARKETS

B U S I N E S STUESDAY, AUGUST 23, 2016

EXCHANGE RATES

Bahrain Exchange CompanyAl-Muzaini Exchange Co.

Dollarco Exchange Co. Ltd

ASIAN COUNTRIESJapanese Yen 3.014Indian Rupees 4.508Pakistani Rupees 2.889Srilankan Rupees 2.084Nepali Rupees 2.832Singapore Dollar 225.960Hongkong Dollar 38.953Bangladesh Taka 3.850Philippine Peso 6.530Thai Baht 8.760

GCC COUNTRIESSaudi Riyal 80.576Qatari Riyal 83.001ani Riyal 784.823Bahraini Dinar 802.440UAE Dirham 82.266

ARAB COUNTRIESEgyptian Pound - Cash 29.960Egyptian Pound - Transfer 34.395Yemen Riyal/for 1000 1.213Tunisian Dinar 138.850Jordanian Dinar 426.370Lebanese Lira/for 1000 2.013Syrian Lira 2.0153Morocco Dirham 31.723

EUROPEAN & AMERICAN COUNTRIESUS Dollar Transfer 302.000Euro 343.830Sterling Pound 396.530Canadian dollar 236.490Turkish lira 103.780

CURRENCY BUY SELL

EuropeBritish Pound 0.389180 0.404180Czech Korune 0.004679 0.016679Danish Krone 0.041990 0.046990Euro 0.0337100 0.0346100Norwegian Krone 0.033019 0.038219Romanian Leu 0.086616 0.086616Slovakia 0.008986 0.018986Swedish Krona 0.032125 0.037125Swiss Franc 0.308293 0.319293Turkish Lira 0.097722 0.108022

AustralasiaAustralian Dollar 0.222456 0.234456New Zealand Dollar 0.214063 0.223563

AmericaCanadian Dollar 0.229454 0.238454Georgina Lari 0.136374 0.136374US Dollars 0.297850 0.302550US Dollars Mint 0.298350 0.302550

AsiaBangladesh Taka 0.003341 0.003925Chinese Yuan 0.043869 0.047369Hong Kong Dollar 0.036858 0.039608Indian Rupee 0.004294 0.004683

Indonesian Rupiah 0.000018 0.000024Japanese Yen 0.002937 0.003117Kenyan Shilling 0.003106 0.003106Korean Won 0.000260 0.000275Malaysian Ringgit 0.071596 0.077596Nepalese Rupee 0.002840 0.003010Pakistan Rupee 0.002677 0.002967Philippine Peso 0.006322 0.006622Sierra Leone 0.000067 0.000073Singapore Dollar 0.220116 0.230116South African Rand 0.016576 0.025076Sri Lankan Rupee 0.001637 0.002217Taiwan 0.009540 0.009720Thai Baht 0.008306 0.008856

ArabBahraini Dinar 0.794360 0.802860Egyptian Pound 0.024588 0.029706Iranian Riyal 0.000084 0.000085Iraqi Dinar 0.000180 0.000240Jordanian Dinar 0.421721 0.430721Kuwaiti Dinar 1.000000 1.000000Lebanese Pound 0.000146 0.000246Moroccan Dirhams 0.019545 0.043545Nigerian Naira 0.001244 0.001879Omani Riyal 0.777866 0.783546Qatar Riyal 0.082127 0.083577Saudi Riyal 0.079433 0.080733Syrian Pound 0.001279 0.001499Tunisian Dinar 0.134954 0.142954Turkish Lira 0.097722 0.108022UAE Dirhams 0.080784 0.082484Yemeni Riyal 0.001364 0.001444

Rate for Transfer Selling RateUS Dollar 302.350Canadian Dollr 235.150Sterling Pound 396.015Euro 343.430Swiss Frank 291.620Bahrain Dinar 799.280UAE Dirhams 82.550Qatari Riyals 83.760Saudi Riyals 81.350Jordanian Dinar 426.035Egyptian Pound 33.951Sri Lankan Rupees 2.080Indian Rupees 4.495Pakistani Rupees 2.882Bangladesh Taka 3.847Philippines Pesso 6.674Cyprus pound 159.355Japanese Yen 4.006Syrian Pound 2.400Nepalese Rupees 3.810Malaysian Ringgit 75.965Chinese Yuan Renminbi 46.025Thai Bhat 9.700Turkish Lira 103.350

Swiss Franc 317.730Australian Dollar 232.990US Dollar Buying 300.800

GOLD20 Gram 270.00010 Gram 137.9205 Gram 69.800

OPEC basket up 32 cents to $46.82 pb

VIENNA: The price of the OPEC basket last Fridaywas up 32 cents to reach $46.82 per barrel asoppose to $46.50 pb the day before, said a state-ment by the organization yesterday. According tothe OPEC bulletin, the monthly average of the bas-ket last July was at $42.68 pb. The new OPECReference Basket of Crudes (ORB) is made up of thefol lowing: Saharan Blend (Algeria) , Girassol(Angola), Oriente (Ecuador), Rabi Light (Gabon),Minas (Indonesia), Iran Heavy (Islamic Republic ofIran), Basra Light (Iraq), Kuwait Export (Kuwait), EsSider (Libya), Bonny Light (Nigeria), Qatar Marine(Qatar), Arab Light (Saudi Arabia), Murban (UAE) andMerey (Venezuela).

NewsI n b r i e f

US dollar stable against KD at 0.301

KUWAIT: The US dollar’s exchange rate against the Kuwaitidinar was stable at 0.301 yesterday while the euro’s ratewent down to KD 0.339, said the Central Bank of Kuwait(CBK). The rate of the Sterling Pound went down to KD0.392, the same case with the Swiss franc which exchangedat KD 0.312. The rate of the Japanese yen stood firm at KD0.003.

Iraq exports more cargoes of LPG, condensates

BAGHDAD: Iraq exported two new cargoes of liquefiedpetroleum gas and one cargo of gas condensates, the oilministry said in a statement yesterday. The shipments wereexported from the southern ports, on the Gulf, it said. TheOPEC nation this year began exporting LPG and conden-sates from gas associated with oil produced at its southernfields.

NBK ECONOMIC REPORT

DUBAI: Bahrain-based Islamic investment bank GFH Financial Group, acasualty of the global financial crisis, has signed a memorandum ofunderstanding to buy a majority stake in Bahrain’s Bank Al-Khair, thelatest sign it is back in expansion mode.

In a statement yesterday, GFH didn’t give any financial details butsaid the acquisition, if it went ahead, would “create a larger financialgroup having banking operations within GCC (Gulf CooperationCouncil), UK, Malaysia, Turkey, Pakistan and India”. Founded in 2004,Bank Al-Khair is an Islamic bank with total assets of $580.5 million as ofMarch 2016, according to Thomson Reuters data. GFH has assets of$2.70 billion, the data shows.

Crippled during the global financial crisis in 2008, GFH wentthrough several debt restructurings and is now positioning itself as afinancial holding company. It revealed plans in May to list its Bahrainsubsidiary Khaleeji Commercial Bank in Dubai and said it wouldacquire a financial services company to increase shareholder value.

In June 2013, Khaleeji Commercial and Bank Al-Khair signed a mem-orandum of understanding to evaluate the feasibility of a mergerbetween them, but the plan was dropped in early 2014 after theyfailed to agree on terms. Bahrain’s central bank has been encouragingsmaller lenders to merge to strengthen themselves after a local realestate crash and fall-out from the island kingdom’s political unrest.

GFH’s acquisition of a stake in Bank Al-Khair is subject to approvalby the boards of directors and shareholders of the banks, as well ascompletion of due diligence and regulatory approvals, Dubai-listedGFH said, adding that the structure of the acquisition also had to beagreed.

The acquisition would benefit shareholders of the combined entity,although the impact on GFH’s financial position cannot be measuredat the moment, it added.

GFH has been buying assets actively since last year. Last October itagreed to acquire a US industrial real estate portfolio in a deal worth$125 million, and in May last year it said it would buy a mall in theSaudi Arabian city of Jeddah for $48 million. Earlier this month, GFHsaid it had repaid $45 million worth of debt, bringing its total syndicat-ed liabilities down to $105 million. In 2008, it had liabilities of over $1billion. — Reuters

KUWAIT: Preliminary national accountfigures show overall GDP growthaccelerating to 1.8 percent in 2015from 0.5 percent in 2014, boosted byrecord high investment. While the fig-ures show nonoil GDP growth slowingto 1.3 percent in 2015, we thinkgrowth will likely be revised higherwhen final figures are published later.Data prepared by the CentralStatistical Bureau (CSB) also showdomestic demand growth improvingin 2015, with stronger investmentgrowth making up for some weaknessin government and private consump-tion.

The oil sector, which includes theproduction of crude oil and naturalgas as well as oil refining activity,shrank by 1.7 percent in 2015 in realterms. The decline, which representsthe third year of decreasing real out-put, was not due to lower crude pro-duction, which was essentially flataveraging 2.86 million barrels per dayin 2015. Instead, the sector’s contrac-tion was due to a 19 percent decline inrefining activity during 2015, accord-ing to the CSB. It is not clear why therewas such a decline especially withindependent figures indicating thatKuwait ’s refining output grew byaround 3 percent during the year.Notably, over the last five years,changes in real output have largelymirrored changes in this sector’s nomi-nal GDP.

In nominal terms, oil sector GDPplunged in 2015 on a sharp decline inthe price of oil last year. As the averageprice of Kuwaiti crude declined by halfto $48 per barrel during 2015, nominaloil sector GDP saw a 46 percentdecline. This followed an 11 percentdecrease in 2014. The price of Kuwaitexport crude (KEC) has fallen furthersince, averaging $35 during the firstseven months of 2016.

In real terms, the nonoil sector

showed a surprising slowdown in 2015to 1.3 percent, though we think thisfigure will likely be revised upwards.The largest decline was in the “electric-ity, gas and water” sector, which,according to official preliminary fig-ures, shrank by 9.8 percent. The gov-ernment-dominated “public adminis-tration and defense” sector also saw anotable slowdown with growth slow-ing to 2.4 percent. Weakness alsocame from “wholesale and retail trade”and “financial institutions and insur-ance”. Meanwhile, “real estate andbusiness services” remained in con-tracting mode, shrinking by 1.4 per-cent in 2015.

Investment saw a strong boost in2015 as Development Plan implemen-tation improved. Aggregate invest-ment spending grew by 13 percentduring the year, rising to 36 percent ofnonoil GDP, a level that has not beenrecorded for over 20 years. Thisstrength does not come as a surprise,given the clear pick up seen in theawarding of Development Plan proj-ects during 2014 and 2015. Bank lend-ing has also reflected the solidincrease in capital spending, as creditgrowth rose to 8.5 percent year-on-year (y/y) by the end of 2015.

Strong investment helped supportdomestic demand, which saw growthaccelerate in 2015. Domestic demand,which includes final consumption byhouseholds and the government aswell as investment, grew by 4.4 per-cent in 2015, up from 3.1 percent theyear before. But unlike investment, pri-vate and government consumptiondid not do as well, both appearing totake a hit in the current low oil priceenvironment. Private consumptiongrowth was more than halved to 2.4percent. Meanwhile, government con-sumption saw a small decline of 0.5percent, similar to the one seen in2014. The latest figures reveal a

notable upward revision in 2014nonoil GDP growth. According to thelatest revised figures, the nonoil sectorgrew by 4.8 percent in 2014, the mostrapid pace since the 2008 financial cri-sis, up from a preliminary 4.2 percent.Growth in aggregate investment andprivate consumption also benefitedfrom upward revisions. Meanwhile,government consumption was revisedsubstantially downwards, with a pre-liminary growth estimate of 8.8 per-cent for 2014 revised to a 0.8 percentcontraction.

In our view, nonoil activity isexpected to maintain growth of

around 4-5 percent in 2016 and 2017,and 2015 growth is likely to be revisedup. Growth ahead should continue tobe supported by strong investmentspending as Development Plan imple-mentation maintains the current,improved pace of execution.Authorities remain keen to pushahead with strategic projects worthupwards of KD 30 billion over the next3-4 years despite the low oil prices.Very comfortable fiscal buffers and anumber of fiscal reforms should helpKuwait weather a period of reduced oilrevenues without having to resort tocuts in planned capital spending.

Kuwait’s real GDP grows 1.8% in 2015

Record high investment boosts growth, but oil sector shrinks

KUWAIT: The key indices of Kuwait StockExchange (KSE) slid into the red zone yesterdayamid a persisting lackluster atmosphere andabsence of incentives in the market. Stocksunder umbrella of the key index, Kuwait-15,dominated the operations, by approximately 80percent of trading value. Stocks of the NationalBank of Kuwait (NBK) were valued at more thanKD 2 million, while those of Kuwait FinanceHouse stood at KD 1.6 million.

Stocks of the transport, financial services andinsurance’s sectors were in the green zone, amidselective trades on shares of the other sectors.Yesterday’s activity focused on bullish shares of22 companies, unlike those of 47 others thatshed losses-among 115 companies that gotinvolved in the deals.

Kuwait-15 index possessed 12.6 millionshares, valued at more than KD 6.09 million,done in 363 spot transactions, thus the indexclosed at 810.63 points. Among the effective

news at the market today was a report sayingthat JFH Group signed a MoU with Bank AlKhairto acquire most of its shares. Other attention-drawing news were those related to the financialrevelations by the Kuwait-Egyptian Holding forQ2, 2016, which climbed 16 percent as com-pared to the same period of 2015. The profitswere estimated at $10.98 million, in contrast to$9.47 million for Q2, 2015.

The Kuwait-Egyptian Holding’s statementshowed posting net profits amounting to $32.2million for 1H, 2016, against $22.8 million thesame period last year, growing by 40.7 percent.

The KSE ended trading in the red zone yester-day. The price index moved down 24.57 points tostand at 5,443.2 points, the weighted index wasalso down 1.51 points to read 348.95 points, andthe KSX 15 index shed 2.66 points reaching810.63. Value of trade was KD 8 million while thevolume was 42 million shares, done through1,380 deals. —KUNA

HARARE: Zimbabwe has stopped hiring new stateworkers after failing to pay its soldiers and teacherson time, according to an official notice, as PresidentRobert Mugabe’s government struggles with a bigfinancial squeeze. The southern African nationdumped its hyperinflation-hit currency in 2009 andadopted the US dollar, but it is facing biting dollarshortages and is struggling to secure internationalfinancing.

August salaries for the army and teachers havebeen delayed by a week. Such delays could fuelpolitical tensions in Zimbabwe, which has also been

hit by drought and a drop in mineral prices, all fac-tors behind recent protests against 92-year-oldMugabe, the only leader independent Zimbabwehas known. Zimbabwe first announced it plans tofreeze new hirings for public workers after a March2015 civil service audit, whose results were nevermade public. Pretty Sunguro, the secretary in thePublic Service Commission, which employs all stateworkers, said in a memorandum dated Aug. 2 to allgovernment departments that it had frozen “the fill-ing of all vacant critical, non-critical and promotion-al posts with immediate effect.” — Reuters

Bahrain’s GFH may buy

control of Bank Al-Khair

KSE stocks edge lower

amid selling pressure

Zimbabwe stops hiring public

workers as it struggles to pay

B U S I N E S STUESDAY, AUGUST 23, 2016

DUBAI: Turkish Airlines, Europe’s best airline forthe sixth year in a row, and flying to more coun-tries and international destinations than any oth-er airline in the world, is highlighting the contin-ued growth of Turkey as a business and tourismhubby hosting 50 influential media from theMiddle East.

The media familiarization trip included jour-nalists from the United Arab Emirates, Kingdomof Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, Lebanon,Jordan and Iraq. The five-day trip from August 5to 9, 2016, covered four different cities includingIstanbul, Samsun, Ordu and Trabzon.

Ilker Ayci, Turkish Airlines Chairman of theBoard & the Executive Committee, hosted themedia at the headquarters of Turkish Airlines. Hewelcomed the media and specifically highlightedthe all-round growth and the socio-economicprogress of Turkey and Turkish Airlines, in addi-tion to the airline’s future growth strategies andgoals, and its commitment to expand its destina-tion network to fly the most number of passen-gers. He also said that Istanbul Ataturk Airport,the hub airport of Turkish Airlines, is competingto be the best in Europe in ‘Passenger Traffic,’which is supported by the flag carrier by flying tomore countries and international destinationsthan any other airline in the world. After success-fully welcoming 62 million passengers worldwideby the end of last year, Ayci stressed that hisoverall strategies will play a key role in reachingapproximately 65 million passengers by the endof 2016. The media had a tour of Istanbul visit-ing the areas including the Blue Mosque, a popu-lar tourist site, as well as toured the Bosphorus

Bridge and Camlica Hills. In the last three days ofthe trip, they visited Samsun, which is well knownfor its large number of 5 star hotels and touristic& leisure attractions such as the waterski show,boat trip, horse riding, experiencing Amazon

Warriors Village and bike tours, and Sultan’s fish-ing area.

They also toured Trabzon, another city famousfor its luxurious hotel and touristic attractionssuch as the Ayasofya Museum, Ataturk Pavilion

and Uzungol Park Festival, among others. At Ordu,the visiting media were offered a breath-takingexperience with a visit to the biggest strawberryfield of Blacksea, and a tour around the GiresunCastle and a boat tour around Giresun Island.

LONDON: Hedge funds executed one ofthe fastest U-turns on record this monthas managers turned from super-bearishto cautiously bullish about the outlookfor oil prices. Hedge funds and othermoney managers increased their netlong position in the three main Brentand WTI futures and options contractsby 118 million barrels in the week toAug. 16. The record one-week increasein net longs came after hedge funds hadalready boosted their net long positionby 48 million barrels the previous week.Most of the adjustment has come fromthe short side of the market, wherehedge fund managers convinced that oilprices would fall further were wrong-footed by the sudden rally. Short posi-tions were reduced by 114 million bar-rels (31 percent) between Aug 2 andAug 16. The furious race to buy backshort positions sent prices higher. Front-month Brent futures prices jumped from$41.50 a barrel on Aug. 2 to $49.23 onAug. 16 and continued rising to reach$50.88 on Aug. 19 for an increase ofmore than 20 percent. The recoil in shortpositioning was particularly violent inthe W TI contract on the New YorkMercantile Exchange.

Hedge funds had established arecord short position of 220 million bar-rels in NYMEX WTI by Aug. 9, but thiswas followed by a record one-week 54million barrel reduction in short posi-tions by Aug. 16.

FOURTH CYCLEHedge funds have established a large

concentration of short positions inNYMEX WTI four times since the start of2015. Each time the accumulation ofshort positions has coincided with adowntrend in WTI prices, followed by anuptrend as the short positions havebeen liquidated. In this instance, thefourth short-selling cycle shifted fromthe accumulation phase to the liquida-tion phase around the middle of August.Some hedge fund managers seem tohave positioned themselves to takeadvantage of an expected short-cover-ing rally by establishing new long posi-tions. Nonetheless, the speed and scaleof the rally appears to have caughtmany traders off guard, adding to theviolence of the move. Market chatterabout a possible production freeze afternext month’s meeting of OPEC and non-OPEC oil ministers in Algeria fuelled arecoil that would probably have hap-pened in any event.

Following the short-covering rally, thebalance of risks appears more even, ormaybe tilted slightly to the downside.Despite the rally there was still an unusu-ally large number of short positionsacross the major Brent and WTI contractson Aug. 16, with potential for more shortcovering if prices continue to rise. But thenumber of hedge fund long positions hasincreased in each of the past six weeks bya total of 75 million barrels. — Reuters

Turkish Airlines hosts 50 influential media from ME

FRANKFURT: Embattled auto giant Volkswagensaid yesterday it would halt production at sixplants in Germany for several days as a legal dis-pute with two key suppliers deepened.

Around 27,700 workers would have theirwork hours slashed by the end of August in anew headache for the group which is strugglingto move past an emissions cheating scandal thatis costing billions.

VW had been forced to take the drasticmeasures at the factories that produce some ofits most popular models including Passat sedansand Golf compacts after the two suppliers ofgearbox parts and seat covers halted deliveries.“Although the state court in Brunswick issuedtemporary injunctions requiring the suppliers toresume deliveries, they so far haven’t fulfilledthis obligation,” the VW statement read.

Instead, the components’ manufacturers areholding out while they appeal the court deci-sion. VW said it was holding talks with the sup-pliers yesterday and that it “wishes to achieve aresult through negotiations”. At the same time, itmay also pursue legal means, a spokesman said.

The parts suppliers say that VW broke offseveral contracts with no advance warning orcompensation, leaving them with no choice butto suspend deliveries to protect their own busi-nesses and workforce. A spokesman for Prevent,the parent company of the two firms, toldGerman business daily Handelsblatt on Fridaythat VW was imposing “unacceptable conditions”on its suppliers. Handelsblatt also reported thatVW has been seeking concessions from all of itssuppliers, amounting to several billion euros.The battle has also angered Volkswagen workerrepresentatives, who complained that employ-ees are paying for a war between the manufac-turer and its suppliers which they had no role instarting. Affected factories include Emden,Zwickau, Kassel, Salzgitter, Brunswick, and a keysite at the firm’s headquarters of Wolfsburg.

Both VW and Prevent “have a seriousresponsibility to address this problem and solveit as constructively as possible,” a spokesman forthe federal economy ministry said yesterday.

Meanwhile, the economy ministers of Saxonyand Lower Saxony states offered to act as media-tors between the two sides should the need

arise. Separately, Mercedes-Benz maker Daimlerconfirmed on Monday that it too was engagedin a court battle with Prevent-but that unlike VWit was experiencing “no delivery problems”.

The Sueddeutsche Zeitung newspaperreported that the Stuttgart firm had cancelledsome of its contracts with the component sup-plier in 2013.

Vulnerability One car industry expert told AFP that

Volkswagen left itself vulnerable as it dependedon a single supplier for critical gearbox casings.“It should never be the case that a global com-pany has a medium-sized company as its solesupplier,” Ferdinand Dudenhoeffer of theUniversity of Duisburg-Essen said.

Volkswagen, which also owns brands fromluxury Audi to lower-end Skoda, is still in thethroes of its biggest-ever crisis after it admittedin September 2015 to a massive emissionscheating scandal affecting 11 million dieselengines. The revelation slashed the carmaker’s

share price by 40 percent-a drop in market valueof 25 billion euros-in two days.

Chief executive Martin Winterkorn steppeddown over the scandal, and prosecutors in theUS said in July that his successor, MatthiasMueller, may also have known of cars’ failure tomeet emissions standards as early as 2006. VWhas had to set aside billions of dollars to settledamage claims from car owners and to retrofitthe affected cars. It secured preliminary approvalfor a $14.7-billion settlement from a Californiajudge in July. But several German states areexamining legal action to claw back losses topension schemes and other holders of VWshares. The company may also be forced to payout for environmental damages in cases broughtby several US states. Analysts have estimated thefinal cost of the affair at between 20 and 30 bil-lion euros-a steep price tag even for a firm withannual sales of around 200 billion. Shares in VWslid 0.3 percent to reach 119.55 euros onMonday afternoon, while Frankfurt’s DAX eased0.3 percent. — AFP

DUBAI: Journalists from the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, Lebanon, Jordan and Iraqpose for a photograph with Ilker Ayci during a photo session. Ilker Ayci, Turkish Airlines Chairman.

VW cuts 28,000 workers’

hours over supply woesMinisters to step in if mediation is needed

WOLFSBURG: A giant logo of the German car manufacturer Volkswagen is pictured on top of acompany’s factory building in Wolfsburg, Germany. — AP

HONG KONG: Hit by bad loans, Chinesebanks are expected to show a weakeningin their capital strength in first-half earn-ings, raising the prospect that govern-ment might have to inject more than $100billion to shore them up, according tosome analysts.

There are early signs that government isalready taking action to help some of thesmaller banks, which are struggling tomaintain their capital ratios as China’seconomy slows, interest margins fall, andbad debts climb.

“We believe the recapitalisation andbailout process is already discretely under-way. However, it has gone unnoticed as ithas started with the smaller, unlistedbanks,” said Jason Bedford, sector analystwith UBS. “We expect this process to accel-erate sharply in 2017, particularly amonglisted joint stock banks,” Bedford toldReuters, adding closing the capital shortfallwould require an infusion of $172 billion.

The largest banks, including AgriculturalBank of China Ltd and Bank ofCommunications Co Ltd, start reportingearnings this week, and brokerage Daiwaestimates sector-wide profit growth in thefirst six months of 2016 will remain at just0.7 percent.

In the April-June quarter, the bankingsector’s core capital adequacy ratio, onaverage, declined by an average 27-28basis points from the preceding quarter,Daiwa said in a report, citing data releasedby the regulator. Bedford said in a reportearlier this month that fundraising bysmaller banks was partly driven by localgovernment pressure to maintain creditgrowth and cushion the economic slow-down. At the same time, the banking regu-lator wants banks to clean up their balancesheets by providing more for doubtfulloans and cutting exposure to shadowlending, which for weaker banks couldrequire extra capital or mergers with thestrong.

While the country’s top five banks had asubstantial capital buffer of around 14 per-cent at the end of 2015, smaller banks aresailing much closer to the wind, putting thesector’s weighted average Tier 1 capital at10.69 percent at end-June, down from10.96 percent a quarter earlier.

That is barely above the 10.5 percentminimum that the banks in China wouldneed to achieve by 2018. China BankingRegulatory Commission did not respond torequests for comment.

BAD DEBT HANGOVERRoshan Padamadan, equities fund man-

ager with Singapore-based LuminanceGlobal Fund, expects China’s banks willneed about $100 billion a year over the

next few years, while Wei Hou, senior equi-ty analyst for China banks at research firmSanford C. Bernstein in Hong Kong, esti-mates they will need $75 billion over thenext year. “If ... government or the bankmanagement teams decide to take a bigbet and write off most of the bad loans inthe next year or two, then that will createmuch higher capital pressure for mid andsmaller banks,” Hou added.

Chinese banks’ non-performing loansare at nearly 2 percent, the highest sincethe global financial crisis in 2009, accordingto the CBRC, but some analysts believe theratio could be between 15 and 35 percent,as many banks are slow to recognise prob-lem loans or park them off balance sheet.

Not all analysts think the banks willneed government cash. Of the 10 China-focused analysts and fund managers whospoke to Reuters, three, including a leadingglobal credit rating agency, said thelenders could avoid it by repackaging non-performing loans into marketable securi-ties. If they do need funding, however, theywill struggle to persuade private investorsto part with their cash, as most Chinesebank shares are trading below the bookvalue of their assets, and rating agencieshave a negative outlook on the sector.

That leaves government on the hook forcapital shortfalls, a phenomenon reminis-cent of the bailouts seen in the West afterthe global financial crisis of 2008. Themechanisms for getting government cashinto the banks are already being limberedup. In recent months company filings showat least half a dozen listed banks includingChina Everbright Bank, China Minshengbank and Bank of Beijing have receivedapproval for raising capital, mainly throughpreference shares.

Analysts say the shares are likely to betaken up by state-backed insurance firmsand provincial governments. Mid-tierlender Industrial Bank last month raised$3.9 billion via a private placement ofshares from provincial governments andstate-owned China Tobacco.

And at the weekend online financialmagazine Caixin said Bohai Steel Group,the indebted state-owned conglomeratewhose creditors include the Bank of Beijing,may receive help from a local governmentbailout fund to restructure its debts.

“Banks are set to write off (bad debts)with ... provisions, or perhaps to try othermarket measures, such as securitization orasset management companies,” said QinweiWang, an economist at London-based assetmanager Pioneer Investments.

“Should this not be enough, govern-ments and the PBOC (People’s Bank ofChina) are ultimately expected to step in,”he said. — Reuters

CHONGQING: Apartment buildings in Chongqing. Claiming to be the world’s largestbuilding by floor space, the 1,760,000 square metres of the New Century GlobalCenter are a monument to growing Chinese consumer power, packed with shoppers-and beach bathers a thousand kilometres from the coast. —AFP

China govt on hook for

banks’ shrinking capital

NEW YORK: Pfizer will purchase biotech firm Medivation,which specializes in cancer treatments, for some $14 bil-lion, the US pharma giant said in a statement yesterday.Pfizer’s offer for the San Francisco-based Medivation goesfar beyond the company’s market value of $11.1 billion.

The boards of directors of both companies have unani-mously approved the merger, the statement said. “The pro-posed acquisition of Medivation is expected to immediate-ly accelerate revenue growth and drive overall earningsgrowth potential for Pfizer,” said Ian Read, Pfizer chairmanand chief executive officer.

The transaction is a snub to the French pharmaceuticalgroup Sanofi, which earlier offered $58 a share, whichMedivation rejected in last month. Medivation turneddown an uninvited offer worth about $10 billion fromSanofi as “not in the best interests” of its shareholders.

The company’s founder said Pfizer, by contrast, was theideal marriage partner. “We believe the combination withPfizer is the right next step in our growth trajectory and is atestament to the passion and dedication by which theMedivation team has delivered on our mission to pro-foundly transform patients’ lives through medically innova-tive therapies,” said David Hung, founder, president andCEO of Medivation.

“This compelling transaction will deliver significant andimmediate value to our stockholders and provides newopportunities for our employees as part of a larger compa-ny.” By purchasing Medivation, Pfizer would add to its port-folio the drug Xtandi, a promising treatment againstprostate cancer that analysts estimate will generate some$1.33 billion in annual sales by 2020.

It also produces the promising new talazoparib breastcancer drug, currently in a phase three study. The purchaseof Medivation, if approved by regulators, would be Pfizer’s

biggest buy since it bought the medical device compa-ny Hospira last year for $17 billion. —AFP

Oil surges as hedge funds

reduce short positions

Pfizer says acquiring

Medivation for $14bn

B U S I N E S STUESDAY, AUGUST 23, 2016

LONDON: World stocks edged lower and thedollar strengthened yesterday on expectationsthe Federal Reserve will give a signal this weekthat it is gearing up to raise US interest rates.

An upbeat assessment of the US economy’sstrength from Fed Vice Chairman Stanley Fischeron Sunday was seen raising the prospect of Fedchair Janet Yellen flagging up a rate rise at ameeting with the world’s central bankers onFriday. The dollar index, which tracks the green-back against a basket of six major currencies,rose 0.2 percent to 94.718 , pulling away from asix-week low hit last week after minutes of the

Fed’s last policy meeting showed rate-setterssplit on when to hike.

“Fischer didn’t necessarily state when the Fedhas decided to hike rates, but his remarksseemed to be alluding that a rate hike might beround the corner,” said Craig Erlam, a senior mar-ket analyst at OANDA. European stocks fell 0.11percent, having received a temporary boost inearly trading by Syngenta after its proposedtakeover by ChemChina was approved by USregulators. Eurozone stock markets rose yester-day looking ahead to a key meeting of centralbankers at the end of the week, but London

retreated on heavy falls for heavyweight miningshares. Around 1000 GMT, London’s benchmarkFTSE 100 was down 0.4 percent compared withthe close on Friday.

In the eurozone, Frankfurt’s DAX 30 rose 0.3percent and the Paris CAC 40 gained 0.2 percent.Investors were looking ahead to “a relatively qui-et week with (Fed chief ) Janet Yellen headliningon Friday with her speech” at the Jackson Holegathering of central bankers, said Craig Erlam,senior market analyst at Oanda trading group.

“The Jackson Hole event has previously beena platform for the Fed to provide more clarity to

World stocks fall as investors await Fed hike signalthe markets and warn about upcomingpolicy changes, something the market iscurrently in desperate need of.”

The dollar rose against the euro and yenyesterday after the Federal Reserve’s vicechairman said the US economy was pickingup. Stanley Fischer on Sunday said that theworld’s top economy was meeting all theFed’s targets and that growth wouldimprove, hinting that borrowing costscould rise this year.

“It has become clear in recent days thatFed officials are increasingly divided overthe timing of when to move on rates next,and their constant briefings to the marketaren’t helping in this regard, which proba-bly explains why US markets have strug-gled for direction in the past few weeks,”said Michael Hewson, chief market analystat CMC Markets UK.

Minutes of the Federal Reserve’s Julymeeting published last week showed thatpolicymakers wanted to keep their “optionsopen” for monetary policy as they assessthe global economic outlook.

The board was divided on the near-termdanger of inflation, with some seeing littlethreat but others worried that there couldbe a sudden upward push on prices as thejobs market tightens. In London yesterdaymeanwhile, the FTSE was weighed downby a drop in prices of dollar-denominatedindustrial and precious metals. “It’s theFTSE’s commodity contingent that is hold-ing the index back... with a stronger dollarderived from hawkish Fed chat weighingon metals prices,” said Mike van Dulken,

head of research at Accendo Markets. Manyemerging countries borrow heavily in USdollars meaning an appreciation in thegreenback makes it more expensive forthem to service their debt. Interest ratefutures contracts indicate that the market ispricing in about 50/50 odds of a US rateincrease by the end of the year.

Asian shares slipped yesterday, whilethe dollar lifted off last week’s lows onexpectations a signal might emerge from aFederal Reserve gathering this week inJackson Hole, Wyoming, that the US centralbank is gearing up to hike interest rates.Global central bankers will join the annualmountain retreat that opens on Thursday,with Fed Chair Janet Yellen due to speak onFriday. The weaker yen proved a boon forJapan’s Nikkei which closed up 0.3 percent.It skidded 2.2 percent last week, as the dol-lar dipped below 100 yen.

China’s CSI 300 index retreated 0.6 per-cent and the Shanghai Composite lost 0.5percent as investors took profits. HongKong’s Hang Seng slipped 0.4 percent. OnSunday, Fed Vice Chairman Stanley Fischergave a generally upbeat assessment of theUS economy’s current strength, saying thejob market was close to full strength andstill improving. “Fischer’s comments haveraised some expectations in the market,particularly after (New York Fed PresidentWilliam)Dudley’s recent comments,” saidAyako Sera, market strategist atSumitomo Mitsui Trust Bank. Last week,Dudley said a rate hike would be possiblein September. —Agencies

B U S I N E S STUESDAY, AUGUST 23, 2016

KUWAIT: Oil prices have fluctuated inrecent months, driven in part by a numberof technical and temporary supply disrup-tions, which have contributed to slightlyhigher prices than at the beginning of2016. Consequently, we adjusted our short-term estimates for oil prices upward inJune, maintaining our medium-termassumptions of $40-$60 per barrel. Whileour revised oil price estimates were accom-panied by positive adjustments in ourshort-term forecasts for GCC countries’deficit and debt trajectories, economic, fis-cal and external challenges persist. ThisFAQ explains the limited credit implicationsof the recent oil price fluctuations.

How do the recent oil price fluctuationsaffect GCC sovereign creditworthiness? Wedo not expect the recent oil price dynamicsto have a material impact on the credit pro-files of GCC sovereigns, which will remainunder stress over the medium term.

What are the credit implications of high-er oil prices in 2016-17? As we noted at thetime of our rating actions in May, cyclical ortemporary increases in the price of oil willnot on their own change our assessment ofGCC sovereign creditworthiness. In thenear term, the principal rating driver will begovernment actions to address structuralproblems exposed by significantly lower oilprices than in 2014. Which countries bene-fit most from higher oil prices?

All GCC countries will face some near-term relief from higher oil prices. Under ourrevised oil price assumptions of $40 perbarrel on average this year, Kuwait (Aa2negative), Qatar (Aa2 negative) and Oman(Baa1 stable) will realize the largest fiscaland current account deficit reductions inthe region compared with our previousforecasts given their higher dependence onoil. Will higher oil prices affect the reformmomentum? It may. Saudi Arabia (A1 sta-ble), the UAE (Aa2 negative) and Qatar havebeen the most proactive in formulating fis-cal and economic adjustment plans todate. But a faster-than-expected rise in theprice of oil reduces near-term incentives forreform, particularly for countries that havea lower capacity and willingness to insti-tute tough adjustments.

Does the oil price recovery affect thegovernments’ debt issuance plans? Sincemost of the expected fiscal deficits in 2016are now financed, we do not expect higheroil prices to affect debt issuance plans forthe rest of the year. However, we expect2017 volumes to be lower than what wehad anticipated earlier this year, assumingthat the GCC governments advance theirreform agenda as planned.

1. How do the recent oil price fluctua-tions affect Moody’s view of GCC sover-eign creditworthiness?

Our sovereign credit analysis incorpo-rates our central expectations of key vari-ables such as the price of oil in our growth,debt and current account forecasts.Assigned ratings also take into account theuncertainty around those expectations andany upward or downward risks. The highdegree of uncertainty around the futureprice of oil, and the volatility and potentialfor downside shocks that it implies, isreflected in the significance we place on abroad price range over point estimatesover the medium term. While we haveupwardly revised our estimated oil pricesfor the next few years to reflect the recentprice recovery, our medium-term outlookremains unchanged at $40-$60/barrel, andwe continue to view this as a challengingtime for oil market participants. As such, wedo not expect recent oil price dynamics tohave a material impact on the credit pro-files of GCC sovereigns, which will remainunder stress in the medium-term. None ofthe likely oil price recovery scenarios would

have a broad, swift impact on our GCC sov-ereign ratings.

The slight rise in oil prices combinedwith a slow recovery in demand, promptedus to adjust our forecasts for 2016 and 2017to $40 and $45, respectively.

The oil market’s recent rise has beensupported by transitory factors, includingtemporary supply disruptions in Canada(Aaa stable) and violence in Nigeria (B1 sta-ble), which has curtailed production, aswell as technical factors such as a weakerUS dollar and financial market activity.

However, global oversupply will contin-ue to depress oil prices for an extendedperiod. Capital spending, which determinesfuture production capacity, has droppedsubstantially and the US rig count hasdeclined by about 70 percent. But non-OPEC supply remains at historically highlevels and the global competition for mar-ket share is not over. Saudi Arabia andRussia (Ba1 negative) have both increasedproduction to their highest levels since theearly 1990s, and Iran (unrated) continues toincrease its production.

The low oil price environment continuesto have material, and in some cases pro-found, implications for economic growthand the balance sheets of GCC sovereigns,which largely rely on oil and gas to drivegrowth, finance government expendituresand generate hard currency for servicingforeign-currency-denominated debt.Economic and fiscal strength, liquidity riskand external vulnerability are importantfactors in our sovereign risk analysis.

In May, we downgraded the ratings ofSaudi Arabia (to A1 stable), Bahrain (to Ba2negative), and Oman (to Baa1 stable), andconfirmed the Aa2 ratings of Kuwait, Qatarand the UAE while assigning negative rat-ing outlooks to all three (see Exhibit 2).These actions were driven by our viewthen, as now, that lower-for-longer oilprices resulted in a material deterioration inthe credit profiles of Saudi Arabia, Omanand Bahrain. While also true to varyingdegrees in the case of Kuwait, Qatar, andthe UAE, the far stronger net asset posi-tions of the latter three sovereigns bufferthe negative effect of lower oil prices.Consistent with our medium-term assump-tions for oil prices, those sovereigns’ creditprofiles remain weaker than they werebefore the structural change in the oil mar-ket. We expect GCC sovereigns’ net debtpositions to continue to erode over themedium term, as debt burdens increaseand reserve assets are drawn down. Assuch, our current ratings are consistentwith our medium-term assessment thatGCC sovereigns will face continued chal-lenges in adjusting to a ‘lower for longer’ oilprice environment.

2. What are the credit implications ofhigher oil prices in 2016-17?

In the nearer term, a more rapid thanexpected recovery in oil prices to the topend of our medium-term range could easesome of the more acute fiscal and externalpressures facing GCC sovereigns and,should it be sustained beyond next year,could lead to upward rating pressure on acase-by-case basis, provided that the com-plementary policy measures to reducestructural fiscal vulnerabilities to low oilprices have been taken. Given the signifi-cant challenges ahead, the credibility andeffectiveness of GCC sovereigns’ policyresponse will remain key to our analysisand ratings’ outlook.

While most GCC countries are undertak-ing some expenditure cuts, these are notsufficient to offset large revenue losses andcontain budget deficits, even with slightlyhigher oil price levels than those prevailingat the time of the review. A number of GCCsovereigns have also introduced measures

to boost non-oil revenues, including ambi-tious diversification plans, new taxes andthe privatization of state-owned compa-nies, but experience suggests that theseare subject to implementation risks and willin any event take time to yield results.

We therefore expect that all GCC sover-eigns - and especially Oman, Bahrain andSaudi Arabia given the magnitude of theirfiscal and current account deficits - willcontinue to rely on debt issuance, draw-downs of fiscal reserves, or a combinationof both to finance the fiscal deficits. Thiswill result in a sustained, albeit uneven,deterioration of their net asset positionsover the near term.

3. Which countries would benefitmost from higher oil prices?

The recent uptick in oil prices allows forshort-term improvements in GCC govern-ments’ balance sheets by reducing fiscaldeficits and slowing the build-up of gov-ernment debt. Lower current accountdeficits as a result of higher hydrocarbonexport receipts also improve external liq-uidity and slow the drawdown of foreign-exchange reserves and sovereign wealthfund assets. All GCC countries will facesome near-term relief from the recent risein oil prices. On average, hydrocarbonsmade up roughly 45 percent of GDP, 80percent of government revenues and 65percent of the goods exports in the regionin 2014. Countries that are more depend-ent on hydrocarbon receipts will be moresensitive to changes in oil prices; however,our forecasts also take into account fiscalconsolidation measures (or lack thereof )that have been implemented in responseto the drop in oil prices by around 60 per-cent since mid-2014.

We assess the relative benefit of higheroil prices on the GCC countries by quantify-ing its impact on the fiscal and currentaccount deficits of the GCC countries. Oilprices averaging $40/barrel this year ratherthan $33/barrel under our previous esti-mates will allow the largest fiscal and cur-rent account deficit reductions for Kuwait,Qatar and Oman, followed by the UAE,Saudi Arabia and Bahrain.

Kuwait, Qatar and the UAE are the moststrongly positioned GCC sovereigns interms of both the size of their financialassets compared to government spendingand low fiscal break-even oil prices, whileSaudi Arabia, Oman and Bahrain have ahigher fiscal break-even oil price along withmuch lower financial assets on which todraw, which contributes to the ratings gap.

Oil prices averaging $40 this year willnot turn fiscal deficits to surpluses in any ofthe GCC countries, although Kuwait andthe UAE may now see a small currentaccount surplus in 2016 (according to theIMF) given their lower external break-evenoil prices, which the IMF estimates at $36.7and $38.7, respectively. Kuwait, which relieson hydrocarbon revenues for around 90percent of revenues, will be able to gener-ate an additional 6 percent-7 percent ofGDP in revenues annually over 2016-17 giv-en higher oil prices, bringing its fiscaldeficit down to 3 percent of GDP in 2016and almost 0 percent in 2017, from our pre-vious forecasts of 9.9 percent and 6.4 per-cent, respectively (see Exhibit 4). We projectfiscal gains of around 4 percent-5 percentof GDP for Qatar and 3.5 percent-4.5 per-cent of GDP for Oman, and smaller but size-able gains of 1.5 percent-3 percent of GDPfor Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Bahrain over2016-17.

Under a $40-45 oil price scenario, fiscaldeficits would be considerably lower forKuwait, Qatar and Oman. On the externalside, higher oil prices will benefit Kuwait,the UAE and Oman the most by reducingthe current account deficits by an average

of 4 percent-7 percent of GDP (with Kuwaitfacing the largest gains), followed by Qatar,Saudi Arabia and Bahrain. Under our previ-ous oil price assumptions, we expectedOman to face the largest fiscal and currentaccount deficits in the GCC of around 19percent and 23 percent of GDP, respective-ly, in 2016, but we now forecast lowerdeficits of 15 percent and 18.5 percent. ForKuwait and the UAE, we now expect a turnfrom current account deficits to small sur-pluses in 2017.

Under a $40-45 oil price scenario, cur-rent account deficits for Kuwait, the UAEand Oman would improve the most.However, the slight rebound in oil priceswill only partly compensate for the overalloil price slump for Oman, Bahrain andSaudi Arabia, and imbalances will remainconsiderable. The weaker credit profiles ofthese three GCC countries are character-ized by the larger borrowing requirementsand lower financial buffers. These countriesare also more susceptible to short-termprice swings that could impair liquidity. Weexpect their fiscal and external deficits topersist beyond 2017. Their respective poli-cy roadmaps will influence their ability toattract external funding, maintain investorconfidence and minimize the impact ofadjustment measures on growth anddomestic liquidity.

The credit profiles of Qatar, Kuwait andthe UAE remain strong despite the oil pricedrop mainly due to the availability of largefiscal buffers, which allow more room toadjust without large increases in debt.Higher oil prices would give these coun-tries more time and fiscal space to formu-late effective policy responses to absorbdeficits. We expect these three countries topost smaller fiscal deficits in 2016-17,which could turn to surpluses from 2020onwards.

4. Will higher oil prices affect thereform momentum?

During our rating review of 18 oil-exporters, including the GCC countries, welooked at each sovereign’s institutionalcapacity to implement an effectiveresponse to low oil prices. Most GCC sover-eigns have outlined policy measuresincluding subsidy reforms, new taxes andstructural reforms intended to diversify theeconomic base. However, the significantchallenges of responding to the oil priceshock, lack of clarity around specifics andimplementation risks prompted us toassign negative outlooks to even thestrongest GCC countries and downgradethree of the six countries’ ratings. Webelieved then, as we do now, that socio-economic factors risk constraining the abili-ty of governments to formulate and toimplement policies that support economicdiversification and growth withoutexhausting fiscal and external buffers.

Kuwait is challenged by its long andburdensome executive and legislativeprocesses that have long hampered policyimplementation - for instance, it was thelast GCC country to announce fuel subsidyreforms (it did so only in August 2016, andthe measures will be implemented inSeptember).

However, it faces less pressure to reformgiven an extraordinarily high level of finan-cial buffers of over 500 percent of GDP. Onthe other hand, Oman has greater fiscalchallenges and lower buffers, and faceshigh institutional and social constraintsdue to the highly concentrated decision-making process and succession risks, andrelatively lower GDP per capita levels. Ourassessment of institutional strength is alsoweaker in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia than itis in Qatar and the UAE and where thesocial impact of fiscal reforms is most likelyto hamper policy implementation.

KUWAIT: Infiniti will present VC-T (Variable Compression-Turbocharged), the world’s first production-ready variablecompression ratio engine and one of the most advancedinternal combustion engines ever created, on 29September at the 2016 Paris Motor Show (Mondial del’Automobile).

More than 20 years in development, INFINITI’s new four-cylinder turbocharged gasoline VC-T engine represents amajor breakthrough in internal-combustion powertraintechnology.

Roland Krueger, president of Infiniti Motor Companysaid, “VC-T technology is a step change for INFINITI. It is arevolutionary next-step in optimizing the efficiency of theinternal combustion engine. This technological break-through delivers the power of a high-performance 2.0-literturbo gasoline engine with a high level of efficiency at thesame time.”

VC-T technology signifies a new chapter in the story ofthe internal combustion engine - engines are no longerlimited by a fixed compression ratio. The ingenuity of VC-Tengine technology lies in its ability to transform itself andseamlessly raise or lower the height the pistons reach. As aconsequence, the displacement of the engine changes andthe compression ratio can vary anywhere between 8:1 (forhigh performance) and 14:1 (for high efficiency). Thesophisticated engine control logic automatically appliesthe optimum ratio, depending on what the driving situa-tion demands.

VC-T technology delivers multiple customer benefitsincluding significantly reduced fuel consumption andemissions, greatly reduced noise and vibration levels; it isalso lighter and more compact than comparable conven-tional engines.

More information on the world-first VC-T engine will bepresented by INFINITI at Mondial de l’Automobile on 29September, with the company’s press conference takingplace at 12:30.

Oil price recovery to help

Kuwait bring down deficit

Moody’s analysis on implications of current oil prices

Infiniti VC-T: The world’s first

production-ready variable

compression ratio engine

NEW YORK: Swiss Watchmaker Tissot announced theopening of a groundbreaking new watch boutique in theUnited States located at New York’s Westfield Mall in theWorld Trade Center. This marks Tissot’s fourth boutique inNew York, with three other boutiques already establishedin Times Square, Fifth Avenue and Wall Street, makingTissot one of the largest watch companies with a contin-ued retail venture in the city.

Tissot joined the entire Westfield World Trade CenterMall in opening their doors with a special “Family Day” incollaboration with the 9/11 Tribute Center and HEART 9/11and with support from the National September 11Memorial & Museum. As Official Timekeeper of the NBA,Tissot provided a special experience for these families andNew Yorkers with a meet-and-greet and autograph signingwith NBA Legend Nate “Tiny” Archibald at the new bou-tique. Nate is a born and raised New Yorker who spent 14years in the NBA, making his mark as an NBA Champion, 7x

NBA All-Star and ultimately being enshrined in the Hall ofFame in 1991.

Visitors to the boutique were also invited to enter for achance to spin a “Wheel of Prizes” which included a TonyParker signed jersey, tickets to an upcoming NY Knicksgame, a Tissot Everytime watch and much more. Fanscould also play the new basketball video game “HOOPS byTissot” for a chance to win a Tissot watch. “HOOPS byTissot” is available for download on Apple and Android.

The boutique will signify a new retail concept for Tissotwith animated graphics, unique customer experiences,striking brand ambassador visuals and of course a broadwatch selection from Tissot’s many collections; TouchCollection, T-Sport, T-Lady, T-Classic, T-Heritage, T-Gold,Pocket and Special Collections. A “Watchmakers Corner”will also be a featured element with a Swatch Group watchspecialist available for on premise sizing and repairs.

“Tissot’s potential for market growth in the United

States is limitless, and our introduction of the Tissot WorldTrade Center boutique - our fourth in New York City - is atestament to our dedication to developing a love for tradi-tional Swiss watches in America,” said Fran�ois Thi�baud,Tissot President. “Tissot proudly welcomes New Yorkersand visiting guests alike to experience our quality productsand celebrate the opening of this new retail mecca in theheart of downtown Manhattan.”

“The World Trade Center is a symbol of hope, opportuni-ty, progress, and perseverance,” said William Hecht,Westfield’s Chief Operating Officer in the United States.“Westfield is profoundly proud to be a part of this projectand to introduce new experiences and energy to LowerManhattan. We are incredibly excited to open our doors toour neighbors, New York and tri-state area families, visitors,and all of our partners on August 16th.”

The store will be located in the Westfield World TradeCenter Mall, located at 185 Greenwich St.

Tissot to open 4th New York City

boutique at World Trade Center

Special appearance by NBA Legend Nate ‘Tiny’ Archibald

b u s i n e s sTUESDAY, AUGUST 23, 2016

KUWAIT: Zain, the leadingtelecommunications company inKuwait, announced the launch ofits all-new Internet plans for post-paid and prepaid customers. Thenew plans were designed to offercustomers flexibility and comfortto choose the plan that specificallysuits their unique Internet con-sumption habits.

The new plans come as part ofthe company’s tireless efforts tooffer its largest customer base anunsurpassed Internet consumptionexperience on its most advancednationwide network. Zaindesigned four new plans for post-paid customers and three newplans for prepaid customers, allwith new prices that are withinreach.

Zain’s new Internet plans forpostpaid customers start at KD 6for 250 GBs, and customers havethe option to add any of the fol-lowing smart devices to the plan oftheir choice: hotspot LTE-A device,Router LTE-A device, touch hotspotLTE-A device, Playstation 4, XboxOne, iPad Mini 4, iPad Pro 9.7”, oriPad Pro 12.9” (noting that routersare with 12 months commitmentand other devices with 24 monthscommitment).

The company also designedthree new Internet plans for pre-paid (eeZee) customers, whichoffer flexibility and convenience onhow they want the plans to bestsuit their unique lifestyles startingat KD 6 for 250 GBs.

This offering comes in line withZain’s aim to provide its customerswith a superior telecommunica-tions experience, and springs fromits core understanding of postpaidand prepaid customers’ needs. Theoffer aims at providing customerswith a superior content consump-tion experience with Zain’s nation-wide LTE-A network.

By launching these exciting newplans, Zain continues to reinforceits leadership position and itspledge in offering the best servicesand offers to meet customers’ pro-fessional and personal telecommu-nications needs.

Zain launches all-new Internet plans

for postpaid and prepaid customers

Postpaid Internet plans starting at KD 6 for 250 GBs

KUWAIT: British Airways is offering studentsand teachers travelling overseas for the newschool term up to 10 per cent discount onadver tised fares, one addit ional piece ofchecked baggage and f lexibi l i ty on datechanges to ticket bookings.

The benefits are currently available for allstudents and teachers flying in World Travellerwith British Airways from Kuwait to the UK,Europe or North America when they bookthrough a British Airways shop or travel agent,Elite Holidays, in Kuwait.

“Studying abroad is a once in a lifetimeopportunity and our experience shows thatstudents travelling abroad need to take a lot ofextra baggage, particularly if they are on theirmaiden trip, but the worry of excess baggagecan be a concern for them,” says Paolo DeRenzis, Head of Middle East, Africa and CentralAsia Sales for British Airways. “If you are ateacher starting a new job, we will help makesure that you have enough allowance so thatwhen you arrive in a new country, you will haveeverything in your suitcase to get the new aca-demic year off to the best possible start.”

When purchasing a ticket and checking-in at the a i rpor t , s tudents and teachersneed to provide valid identification to takeadvantage of the travel offers. All f l ightsfrom Kuwait arrive at the airline’s home atL o n d o n H e a t h r o w Te r m i n a l 5 . B r i t i s hAir ways customers can enjoy stress-freeonward connections to cities in the UK andEurope from Heathrow.

A full timetable of British Airways’ flights toLondon and beyond is available online atba.com, where students and teachers can findthe lowest fares and book, pay and check-inonline for their flights.

This offer is for students and teachers holdinga valid student or teacher ID/student visa or stu-dent offer letter. At airport check-instudent/teacher must present theirstudent/teacher ID/student visa or student offerletter. Failure to do so will mean that they are notable to use the ticket for travel and they will needto purchase a new ticket.

British Airways offers students

and teachers added benefits

KUWAIT: Al-Sayer Commercial Engineering,one of the Al-Sayer Group HoldingCompanies is offering chance to grab excit-ing cash prizes “Meet the Challenge WithCofran” Scratch & Win promotion. Customerbuying 4 liters Cofran oil from any of theparticipating outlets between 17 July and16 October 2016 will get the chance to winguaranteed prizes such as valuable cashvouchers or other gifts.

Ahmad Abdulhamid Mohamad

became the first lucky customer to wincash voucher worth KD 1000. An award-ing ceremony was organized at theCofran Center, attended by Kr ishnaKumar General Manager Tires, Oil, Paintand Garage Equipment, Vivek Kohl iSenior Manager Oi l , Paint & GarageEquipment along with Al-Sayer Cofranrepresentatives.

According to Krishna Kumar, GeneralManager Tires, Oil, Paint and GarageEquipment, “I thank our customers fortheir active support and congratulationsto the first winner of this scratch and wincontest. We are pleased to receive suchgreat response from our customers. Thereare many more exciting cash prizes to bewon and I encourage customers to takeadvantage of this opportunity.”

Once Cofran, always Cofran Synthetic oil from France gives you

incredible performance because of itsrefined technology in oils. Cofran alwaysproves the ability to work in the toughestweather conditions to meet the differentneeds of vehicle as much as possible.

Al-Sayer offers chance to

win cash prizes ‘Meet the

Challenge with Cofran’

KUWAIT: Burgan Bank announced thelaunch of its “Back to School” Campaign incollaboration with Clarks footwear, whichprovide ‘BuBa’ Kids Account holders anattractive discount on all kids back-to-school footwear collection. The promotionis valid from 24 to 27 August 2016.

The bank is offering its BuBa KidsAccount holders 50 percent discount whenshopping at Clarks kids footwear located in360 Mall, Al-Fanar and The Avenues Mall.

Burgan Bank presents this offer as partof its efforts in accommodating optimalcustomer convenience with the provisionof added value benefits and aims to pro-vide their Customers with the best offersand shopping opportunities to commencetheir academic years with positivity andenthusiasm.

The BuBa Kids account is a specialaccount designed for Children up to 14years old, it can be opened with a mini-mum opening balance of KD 10. Bubaaccount holder will be entitled to a freebranded ATM VISA Electron card whichoffers them discounts at selected mer-chants.

To find out more about Burgan Bank’sBuBa Account as well as the latest promo-tions, customers are urged to visit theirnearest Burgan Bank branch or call theBank contact center on 1804080, or visitthe bank’s website at www.burgan.com.

Established in 1977, Burgan Bank is theyoungest commercial Bank and second

largest by assets in Kuwait, with a signifi-cant focus on the corporate and financialinstitutions sectors, as well as having agrowing retail, and private bank customerbase. Burgan Bank has majority ownedsubsidiaries in the MENAT region support-ed by one of the largest regional branchnetworks.

The Bank has continuously improved itsperformance over the years through anexpanded revenue structure, diversifiedfunding sources, and a strong capital base.The adoption of state-of-the-art servicesand technology has positioned it as atrendsetter in the domestic market andwithin the MENA region. Burgan Bank’sbrand has been created on a foundation ofreal values - of trust, commitment, excel-lence and progression, to remind us of thehigh standards to which we aspire. ‘Peoplecome first’ is the foundation on which itsproducts and services are developed.

The bank was re-certified with the pres-tigious ISO 9001:2008, making it the firstbank in the GCC, and the only bank inKuwait to receive such accreditation for thethird consecutive year. The Bank also has toits credit the distinction of being the onlyBank in Kuwait to have won the JP MorganChase Quality Recognition Award fortwelve consecutive years.

Burgan Bank, a subsidiary of KIPCO(Kuwait Projects Company), is a stronglypositioned regional Bank in the MENAregion.

Burgan Bank launches

‘Back to School’ campaign

Gold slides low on

US rate hike talk

LONDON: Gold fell to a two-week low yester-day as upbeat comments from Federal Reserveofficials on the US economy boosted expecta-tions that the central bank could lift interestrates sooner rather than later.

The Fed’s No 2 policymaker, Stanley Fischer,said on Sunday the US central bank is close tohitting targets for full employment and 2 per-cent inflation. That followed comments lastweek from New York Fed President WilliamDudley that the labour market is improving,and from San Francisco Fed chief John Williamsthat waiting too long to lift rates could be cost-ly for the economy. Gold is highly sensitive toUS interest rates, increases in which boost theopportunity cost of holding non-yielding gold,while lifting the dollar, in which it is priced. Spotgold was down 0.4 percent at $1,335.97 anounce at 1130 GMT, while US gold futures forDecember delivery were down $6.30 an ounceat $1,339.90. —Reuters

TUESDAY, AUGUST 23, 2016

T E C H NOLO G Y

Spacewalking astronauts install

new front door for visitors

CAPE CANAVERAL, FlORIDA:Spacewalking astronauts installed a newfront door for visitors at the InternationalSpace Station on Friday, the crucial first stepin welcoming commercial crew capsules assoon as next year.

The two Americans, Jeffrey Williams andKate Rubins, hooked up the docking port -their major objective - in just a few hours.They were about to tackle some extrachores, but a problem cropped up with theright earpiece in Williams’ helmet and hehad trouble hearing. Mission Control decid-ed to play it safe and bring them insideabout a half hour early. The spacewalk con-cluded at the six-hour mark.

“We’re done for the day,” Mission Controladvised the crew. Williams assured flightcontrollers that his helmet was dry. The lastNASA spacewalk in January was cut shortbecause of a small water leak in one helmet.A much bigger leak, from the suit’s coolingsystem, almost led to a spacewalker ’sdrowning in 2013.

The station’s new gateway arrived lastmonth, packed in the trunk of a SpaceXDragon cargo capsule. Americans haven’trocketed into orbit from their home turfsince NASA’s last shuttle flight in 2011.SpaceX and Boeing expect to resumehuman launches from Cape Canaveral inanother year or two. But their crew capsulescan’t dock without this new-style parkingspot, which replaces the now obsolete shut-tle setup and is meant to be internationallycompatible.

Friday’s success paved the way for thesefuture spaceships. “Thanks for your help ingetting the front door on the space station,”Mission Control radioed. SpaceX is shootingfor a test flight of its souped-up Dragon withtwo astronauts as early as a year from now.Boeing is aiming for a two-person shake-down of its Starliner capsule in early 2018.Until then, Russia will keep providing all therides - at a hefty price for US taxpayers.

NASA started using private US compa-nies to carry out cargo shipments a fewyears back. Commercial crew launches willbe an even bigger advance. This commercialhandoff is freeing up NASA to focus on trueouter-space exploration; the space agency isworking to get astronauts to Mars in the2030s. This is actually NASA’s second newdocking ring. The first was destroyed in a

SpaceX launch accident last summer. NASAultimately wants two of these 3 1/2-foot-by-5-foot-on-the-inside parking places at thelab. Another one - cobbled together fromspare parts - should fly up in about a year.

Flight controllers in Houston set thespacewalking stage earlier in the week,using a robot arm to move the docking portto within a few feet of its intended lock-down position - the very spot where Atlantisundocked on July 19, 2011, to close out theshuttle era. An hour into Friday’s spacewalk,the mechanical arm let go, and Williams andRubins took over, connecting a slew ofhooks and cables. The last of the 12 hookswere driven into place, firmly securing theport, as the 250-mile-high complex soaredover the Indian Ocean.

The space station is currently home totwo Americans, one Japanese and threeRussians. Up there for five months, Williamsand two of the Russians will return to Earthin a couple weeks. Williams will conduct onemore spacewalk with Rubins on Sept. 1 toretract a radiator.

A newcomer to spacewalking, Rubins isonly the 11th American woman to conducta spacewalk and the 12th in the world. Thefirst professional virus-hunter in space, shehas been experimenting with a DNAdecoder also delivered last month.

SpaceX’s crew Dragon ship will fly on thecompany’s own Falcon rocket from a formershuttle launch pad at Kennedy Space Centerand, at mission’s end, splash down off theFlorida coast. Boeing’s Starliner, meanwhile,will launch aboard the United LaunchAlliance’s trusty Atlas V rocket and parachutedown somewhere in the AmericanSouthwest, possibly New Mexico. These testflights - intended to go all the way to thespace station and dock - will last about twoweeks. NASA will provide most if not all ofthe initial test pilots.

One of four NASA astronauts training forthese test flights, Robert Behnken noted lastweek that the space agency has come along way since 2011, when he kept beingasked, “Hey, now that they’ve retired theshuttle, is there still a NASA?”

“We can’t tell you exactly what monththis launch is going to be,” Behnken said dur-ing a visit to Kennedy Space Center. “Butwe’re well on a track to actually get launchesoff the Florida coast happening again.” —AP

BANGKOK: Thai Royal police deputy national spokesman Colonel KrissanaPattanacharoen (R) speaks in a weekly press conference at the Royal Thai Policeheadquarters yesterday. —AP

LONDON: A range of mini-nuclear power plantscould help solve Britain’s looming power crunch,rather than the $24 billion Hinkley projectsnarled up in delays, companies developing thetechnology say.

So-called small modular reactors (SMRs) useexisting or new nuclear technology scaled downto a fraction of the size of larger plants andwould be able to produce around a tenth of theelectricity created by large-scale projects, suchas Hinkley. The mini plants, still under develop-ment, would be made in factories, with partssmall enough to be transported on trucks andbarges to sites where they could be assembledin around six to 12 months, up to a tenth of thetime it takes to build some larger plants.

“The real promise of SMRs is their modularisa-tion. You can assemble them in a factory with anexplicable design meaning consistent standardsand predicable costs and delivery timescale,”said Anurag Gupta, director and global lead forpower infrastructure at consultancy KPMG.

In a nuclear power plant, heat is createdwhen uranium atoms split. Different reactordesigns use this heat in different ways to raisethe temperature of water and create steam,which then powers turbines to produce electrici-ty. Manufacturing advancements mean SMRdevelopers are only a few years from being ableto replicate this technology on a smaller scale,and plants could be ready for deployment bythe mid-2020s. “From a technical perspectivethere is no reason why you wouldn’t be able tomake a smaller version of an already commer-cially viable nuclear technology such as PWR(pressurised water reactor),” Mike Tynan, directorof Britain’s Nuclear Advanced ManufacturingResearch Centre (NAMRC), said. There are

already more than 100 nuclear plants using PWRtechnology in operation across the globe.NuScale, majority owned by U.S. Fluor Corp, isdeveloping 50 megawatt (MW ) SMRs usingPWRs which could be deployed at a site hostingup to 12 units generating a total of 600 MW. The50 MW units would be 65 feet (20 metres) tall,roughly the length of two busses, and nine feetin diameter.

Rolls-Royce, which already makes compo-nents for PWR nuclear submarines, is part of aconsortium developing a 220 MW SMR unitwhich could be doubled for a larger-scale proj-ect. Rolls-Royce Chief Scientific Officer Paul Steinsaid the first 440 MW power plant would costaround 1.75 billion pounds ($2.3 billion) butcosts would likely fall once production is rampedup. “One of the advantages of the SMRs is thatthey cost a lot less (than large nuclear plants),and it is an easier case to present to privateinvestors,” Stein said.

Costs, viability questionedCritics, however, say there is no guarantee

that SMR developers will be able to cut costsenough to make the plants viable. “SMR vendorssay factory production will save a lot of money,but it will take a long time and a lot of units toachieve what they are calling economies of massproduction,” said Edwin Lyman, nuclear expert atthe U.S.-based Union of Concerned Scientists(UCS). “Factory manufacture is not a panacea.Just because you are manufacturing in a factory,it doesn’t mean you are certain to solve prob-lems of cost overruns,” he said.

Costs are a sensitive issue and could haveplayed a part in Britain’s decision to review the$24 billion project to build the two new Hinkley

Point nuclear reactors led by French utility EDFand Chinese partner China General Nuclear.

Almost half of Britain’s electricity capacity isexpected to close by 2030, as older, largenuclear plants come to the end of their opera-tional lives and coal plants shut as part of thecountry’s efforts to meet its climate goals.

The two new reactors at Hinkley Point aresupposed to provide around 7 percent ofBritain’s electricity, helping to fill that supplygap. Nuclear developers are confident SMRscould be up and running by the late 2020s, intime to help bridge the looming electricity sup-ply shortfall. A study carried out by the NationalNuclear Laboratory, a government owned andoperated advisory body, said Britain could hostup to 7 gigawatts (GW) of SMR capacity by 2035,more than double the capacity of Hinkley. Butanti-nuclear green groups such as Greenpeaceargue that with advances in renewable technol-ogy, such as offshore wind, Britain may not needany new nuclear plants.

This week Britain approved Dong Energy’splans to expand an offshore wind farm projectthat could ultimately span an area of the NorthSea more than twice the size of London and pro-duce up to 4 GW of electricity, more thanHinkley Point.

Nuclear power defenders say the intermittentnature of renewable electricity production andlack of grid-scale storage mean nuclear plantsare needed to ensure continuous supply of pow-er if the country is to meet its emission reduc-tion targets. “Working alongside renewables,nuclear provides the reliable low carbon energyrequired to balance variable wind and solar gen-eration,” said Tom Greatrex, chief executive of theNuclear Industry Association. — Reuters

Nuclear developers have big plans

for pint-sized power plants in UK

Help with looming power crunch

DAKAR: Hunched over her laptop, eyeslocked on the screen, Martime Seye listensto the step-by-step instructions given byher teacher. The 18-year-old isn’t studyingmath or history, however. With 24 otherSenegalese students, she is learning todevelop a mobile app to raise awarenessabout the environment.

In small groups, the students developapps focusing on environmental issues, inthe format of their choice - such as a game,quiz or a platform to look up potentiallyunfamiliar terms, such as “endangeredspecies”.

Seye has called her app “Weer Weeld�”,which means “a healthy planet for ahealthy life” in Wolof. Users must choosewhich between four pictures - for example,a person drinking dirty water, anothersmoking, industrial fumes and peopleplanting trees - to pick what represents themost positive contribution to the planet.

Choosing the correct image - in thiscase, tree planting - rewards the user withpoints, before all pictures appear with acaption explaining the dangers or benefitslinked to the activities. “I’m interested indeveloping a phone app because I usethem all the time,” Seye told the ThomsonReuters Foundation.

The three-day workshop, organised bythe Goethe Institute and mJangale, aSenegalese after-school programme, aimsto improve students’ literacy, numeracy,and foreign language skills. Christelle

Scharff, co-founder of mJangale and pro-fessor of computer science at PaceUniversity in New York, teaches partici-pants to use MIT App Inventor - a drag-and-drop tool allowing users to create abasic phone app. The students follow herevery click on a computer screen projectedon the wall. “ The goal is to introduceyoung people to computing, as well as tomake them more knowledgeable aboutthe environment,” Scharff explained, walk-ing between the groups to check theirprogress. “So it’s applying computing tosomething. We didn’t want kids to justdevelop an app, but also to gain knowl-edge in another area.”

The Android apps will be made avail-able on Google Play, where they can bedownloaded for free. Idriss Sall Diop, 18,just passed his baccalaureate. “This is total-ly new to me, I’ve never studied IT and juststarted using computers,” he admittedfrom his front-row seat. “Young people areinterested in social media but not neces-sarily in the environment,” he added. “Ithink these apps are a way around that -we’re always keen to learn about newthings.” Adja Aissatou Sy, communicationsmanager at Senegal’s Ministry ofEnvironment, said at the workshop thatteenagers have limited awareness when itcomes to environmental issues. “Mobileapps are a good way to share informationand broaden young people’s knowledgeon this topic,” she explained.— Reuters

BANGKOK: The hunters have become thehunted. Police in Bangkok announced acrackdown yesterday against Thai driversplaying Pokemon Go following complaintsthat the craze was bringing further gridlockto an already notoriously congestedmetropolis.

The mobile app-which encourages usersto hit the pavements in search of digitalmonsters-was made available in Thailandearlier this month delighting many in acountry where Japanese subcultures have asignificant following.

But the game has since sparked a flurryof headlines in the local press as well asunease among the kingdom’s military lead-ers. “The police chief has asked all police-men to detain any Pokemon players whoplay while using the roads,” deputy nationalpolice spokesman Colonel KrissanaPattanacharoen told reporters.

“People have a right to play the gamebut it must not affect other people’s rights,”he added. Colonel Veeravit Vatchanapukka,from the city’s traffic police, said teams ofofficers on motorbikes would stake out keyarteries in the capital hoping to catch driv-

ers in the act. “We do not aim to arrest many people,

instead we hope this programme will raiseawareness with people about carelessness,”he told AFP. Bangkok is not exactly an idealplayground for Pokemon players. The swel-tering Thai capital is notorious for its longtraffic queues while the World HealthOrganisation says Thailand has the secondhighest road fatality rate in the world.Pavements are patchy and those that existare often littered with hurdles ranging fromstreet vendors and fire hydrants to pot-holes and tangled wiring.

But that hasn’t stopped hordes of play-ers embracing the game in public spaces,including those jumping into cars and ontomotorbikes to hunt down digital monsters.

Some of the city’s motorbike taxi drivers,who career through the gridlock at knuck-le-whitening speeds, are even offeringhourly rates for Pokemon hunters. Twoweeks ago the spokesman for Thailand’sjunta chief warned Thais against obsessiveplaying of the game. “Thai walking cultureis not like Japan and there are limited pave-ments,” the spokesman added. —AFP

Pokemon’s a no-go

on Bangkok’s roads

CAPE CANAVERAL, FLORIDA: In this March 24, 2015 photo made available by NASA,engineers in the Space Station Processing Facility at the Kennedy Space Center. —AP

PHNOM PENH: Cambodia deployed 1,570 police athigh-school exam test sites across the country yester-day as part of a government crackdown on briberyand corruption in the education system.

Testing sites were cordoned off in the capitalPhnom Penh and students were patted down by offi-cials to check for cheat sheets and mobile devices astheir relatives waited outside. “We are doing all of thisto guarantee transparency and quality in the educa-tion system,” Ros Salin, a Ministry of Educationspokesperson, told Reuters.

In past years, students brought mobile phones andcheat sheets into exam rooms and bribed teachers toignore cheating. San Chey, executive director at advo-cacy group Affiliated Network for Social AccountabilityCambodia, said cheating was deep rooted in theCambodian education system. “Before, bribes in examsand test leaks were done openly, which helped to pushup the pass rates,” he said.

The government blitz on cheating has seen exampass rates drop in recent years. In 2014, the Grade 12exam pass rates was cut in half to 40.67 percent and in2015 it fell to 55.87 percent, according to EducationMinistry figures.

Nearly 25,000 officials were involved in this year’sexamination in which 93,755 students were expectedto take their final exams before university.

“I appeal to all students to study hard for the examsand to not bring any documents or electronic devicesinto testing sites,” Education Minister Hang ChuonNaron said in a video address on Sunday. “If there areviolations, you will automatically fail.” —Reuters

SENEGAL: Bulldozers prepare a field for construction on what is slated to beSenegal’s largest solar plant in Santhiou Mekhe on July 11, 2016. —AFP

Protecting the environment in

Senegal? There’s an app for that

Cambodia deploys

police as part of exam

cheat crackdown

PHNOM PENH: Students sit for the final examina-tions at the Sisowath High School yesterday. —AFP

SELLAFIELD, ENGLAND: The Sellafield Nuclear Power Station is seen in a May 23, 2007, photo. Developers see factory-assembled small modularreactors (SMRs) taking the place of some conventional nuclear plants. —AFP

H E A LT H & S C I E NC ETUESDAY, AUGUST 23, 2016

CINCINNATI: With online declarationssuch as “Harambe Lives!” the Ohio zoogorilla shot and killed after a 3-year-oldboy got into his enclosure has taken onlife after death. The late 17-year-old greatape has shown up in tongue-in-cheekpetitions to rename the hometownCincinnati Bengals, to add his face toMount Rushmore or the Lincoln Memorial,and to put him on the dollar bill. He hasgrown the angel wings and halo of a deityin social media memorials.

He’s even been mock-nominated forpresident. The Harambe phenomenon isfed by genuine sadness over his death,continued controversy over the circum-stances that led to it, and the penchant ofmany social media users for satire - whichsometimes turns offensive.

“There is a word we like to use in ourdiscipline, in pop culture studies, and thatis ‘polysemic’: has many meanings,” saidJeremy Wallach, a professor of popular cul-ture at Bowling Green State University inOhio. “Harambe definitely is that, a signthat possesses many different interpreta-tions.” Harambe remembrances begansoberly, with a legitimate “Justice forHarambe” petition seeking to hold the

boy’s mother responsible in his May 28death. The county prosecutor ruled therewas no cause for charges. The zooreopened its gorilla exhibit with a higher,reinforced barrier and urged support forgorilla conservation efforts.

Continued reminders. But the zoo’s hopes of moving on have

been countered by all the continuedreminders. “We are not amused by thememes, petitions and signs aboutHarambe,” Thane Maynard, Cincinnati Zoodirector, said by email. “Our zoo family isstill healing, and the constant mention ofHarambe makes moving forward moredifficult for us. We are honoring Harambeby redoubling our gorilla conservationefforts and encouraging others to join us .”

Esther Clinton, who also specializes inpopular culture at Bowling Green, said theKong-like proportions of the craze reflectlingering questions. “There are a lot ofpeople who really do feel bad about whathappened to him,” she said. “There’s asense of here’s this poor guy, just in hiscage imprisoned by humans, minding hisown business; a kid climbs into his cageand he gets shot. It brings up all sorts of

questions: About the zoo model, aboutthe rights of non-human primates, aboutparenting.”

The Harambe phenomenon turnedugly in June, when images were posted ona Facebook page likening Adam Goodes, aretired Australian football player of indige-nous ancestry, to the ape. They werepulled down and the page apologized.Twitter got caught in a similar controversyafter racial posts about “Ghostbusters” starLeslie Jones, who is black, included aHarambe comparison. The social mediasite recently announced two new settingsaimed at curbing harassment.

Social media users like to satirize con-troversies. “Never Forget #Harambe,” readposts accompanying Harambe’s photosuperimposed on sculptures, abovecityscapes, among famous dead peoplesuch as Muhammad Ali or John F.Kennedy. Some Twitter users routinelyadd the hashtag #RIPHarambe even toposts that have nothing to do with him.

He has surfaced in rewritten songlyrics, comedians’ acts, at sports eventsand in rap songs. On Change.org, a recentsearch turned up 253 references toHarambe. They include the early Justice

for Harambe petition and the recent peti-tion to rename the Cincinnati Bengals theHarambes, which has received more than21,000 signatures. Other petitions want aHarambe emoji, a Harambe character inPokemon Go, to clone Harambe, even to

canonize him. WCPO-TV web editor JamesLeggate recently declared that enoughwas enough, by starting an online petitionto end the Harambe online petitions. “Atfirst, the petitioners had good intentions,”he wrote. —AP

Harambe lives: Killed zoo gorilla gets a second life online

CINCINNATI: In this May 30, 2016 file photo, Alesia Buttrey, of Cincinnati, holds asign with a picture of the gorilla Harambe during a vigil in his honor outside theCincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden. —AP

LUBUMBASHI, DR CONGO: “In this stream, thefish vanished long ago, killed by acids and wastefrom the mines,” says Lubumbashi residentHeritier Maloba, staring into the murky waters ofhis childhood fishing hole.

Pollution caused by copper and cobalt min-ing has not only poisoned the Katapula, a tribu-tary of the mighty Congo River and one of themain waterways in this second city of theDemocratic Republic of Congo, but has alsoinduced widespread illness. “High concentra-tions of toxic metals ... cause respiratory disor-ders and birth defects,” particularly in people liv-ing near the mines, said toxicologist CelestinBanza of the University of Lubumbashi.

The damage has spread through acids inuntreated waste released into nature, pollutingthe air, the water, and much of Lubumbashi, acity of more than two million residents in thecountry’s southeast.

Until recently, Lubumbashi was the capital ofKatanga province whose fabulous copperwealth was first tapped by Belgian colonists ear-ly in the 20th century.

Last year, Katanga was divided into four newprovinces. Mining is prevalent in the two south-ern ones. Hindered by neglect during the regimeof dictator Mobutu Sese Seko (1965-1997) and inthe second Congolese war (1998-2003), the min-ing industry rose from the ashes of devastatingconflict. Between 2010 and 2014, mineral pro-duction led strong economic growth and liftedthe country up to the rank of the world’s fifthcopper producer and top producer of cobalt.

With demand for cobalt driven by its use inmobile phones and electric car batteries, thetrade has come at a dire environmental andhealth cost for DR Congo.

‘Lack of expertise’ “Mining pollution in Katanga is an undeni-

able reality,” admits member of parliamentDavon N’Sa Mputu Elima, who served as envi-ronment minister in 2012-14. He says that min-ing firms put up considerable resistance to a2009 amendment in the country’s environmen-tal code, which imposed stringent new healthand safety requirements.

Such protective measures are often notenforced because of what the MP calls “a lack ofexpertise” among administrative officials respon-sible for seeing that mining firms comply.

The public health risks listed by Banza, thetoxicologist, also include metabolic disorders,certain tumours, burning sensations in the eyesand the throat, and even “short-term sterility”.“You get the feeling you’re suffocating as youbreathe,” says Viviane Kibwe, a mother of four ina city where mining installations can be located

hard by people’s homes, schools and fields.Plumes of smoke and clouds of dust rise into

the air carrying dangerous particles, while usedwater containing cleaning chemicals and miner-al alloys runs off untreated into streams.

A 2012 toxicology study by the Carter Centerfound that many ailments in the area are indeedthe result of prolonged exposure to harmfulchemicals. The foundation set up by US formerpresident Jimmy Carter in 1982 also criticised“several flaws” and “ambiguity” with regard tothe treatment of waste in DR Congo’s miningcode of 2002.

Eric Monga, chairman of the Katanga branchof the Business Federation of the Congo, coun-ters that sustainable and safe mining practiceshave become “an ethical rule” observed by com-panies. “An approved study on the environmen-tal impact is a requirement before any opera-tions,” he says.

Yet Belgian and Congolese experts carryingout health studies since 2008 find that concen-trations of cobalt, copper, lead and even urani-um in urine samples “largely exceeded the refer-ence values accepted by the World HealthOrganization,” Banza says. This is particularly trueamong children, according to the professor.

‘Nothing has grown’ At the Shinkolobwe mine some 150 kilome-

tres (95 miles) northwest of Lubumbashi-the

source of the uranium used in the Hiroshimaatomic bomb-thousands of people worked formany years without the slightest protection.Banza told AFP that he plans to publish a newpublic health report demonstrating that peoplein the south of the former Katanga are far worseaffected by breathing difficulties than people inthe north, mainly farmland.

“My colleagues and I have recorded a come-back of cardiac and respiratory diseases, (partic-ularly) among children and women,” says Jean-Marie Kazadi, senior medical expert for the newHaut-Katanga and Lualaba provinces.

Yet many thousands of people work arduousshifts in the mines, desperate to make a living inconditions worsened by a global tumble in cop-per prices. The high price of mining is also evi-dent at Kipushi, about 30 kilometres (18 miles)south of Lubumbashi, where savannah abruptlygives way to a broad strip of scorched, barrenland where the state mining firm Gecaminesused to dump acidic waste. “For more than 30years, nothing has grown in this place,” saysMwalimu Kasongo, a retired teacher of 76.

Former minister N’Sa Mputu says several birdspecies that once thrived in the area have now“disappeared”. For Lubumbashi resident Maloba,now an unemployed man in his 30s, the child-hood fishing expeditions remain a distant mem-ory, with little hope of ever catching anythingmore in his beloved river. —AFP

LUBUMBASHI, KATANGA, DR CONGO: This file photo taken on May 23, 2016 shows a child and a woman breaking rocks extracted from a cobaltmine at a copper quarry and cobalt pit. —AFP

DR Congo’s second city

poisoned by years of mining‘Lack of expertise’

LUBUMBASHI, KATANGA, DR CONGO: This file photo taken on May 23, 2016 shows a man car-rying a bag of copper at a mine quarry and cobalt pit.—AFP

P rince died of an overdose of thepowerful opioid fentanyl, accord-ing to autopsy results released in

June. Among the questions investiga-tors were rev iewing was whetherPrince had a prescription for painkillersbefore his death.

A person close to the investigationof Prince’s death told The AssociatedPress on Sunday that pi l ls found inPrince’s home marked as acetamino-phen-hydrocodone actually containedfentanyl, suggesting they were coun-terfeit pills obtained illegally. The per-son spoke on condition of anonymitybecause the investigation was ongo-ing.

Prescr ipt ion opio id overdosesreached nearly 19,000 in 2014, thehighest number on record. Total opioidoverdoses surpassed 29,000 that yearwhen combined with heroin, whichsome abusers switch to after becominghooked on painkillers.

Some information on fentanyl:What is fentanyl?

Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid, 50times more potent than heroin, that’sresponsible for a recent surge in over-dose deaths in some parts of the coun-try. It also has legitimate medical uses.

Doctors prescribe fentanyl for can-cer patients with tolerance to othernarcotics. I t comes in sk in patches,lozenges, nasa l spray and tablets .Because of the risk of abuse, overdoseand addic t ion , the Food and DrugAdministration imposes tight restric-tions on fentanyl; it is classified as aSchedule II controlled substance.

Some pharmaceutical fentanyl isillegally diverted to the black market.But most fentanyl used illicitly is manu-factured in clandestine labs. The U.S.Drug Enforcement Administration hastied fentanyl seizures to Mexican drug-trafficking groups. On the street, fen-tanyl is sold alone as powder, added toheroin or made into counter fe i tOxyContin pi l ls. Users don’t always

know when they ’re taking fentanyl,increasing the risk of fatal overdose.

The DEA issued a nationwide alertabout fentanyl overdose in M arch2015. More than 700 fentanyl-relatedoverdose deaths were reported to theDEA in late 2013 and 2014. Since manycoroners and state crime labs don’troutinely test for fentanyl, the actualnumber of overdoses is probably muchhigher.

What is a lethal dose?It’s tricky with opioids like fentanyl.

Anyone who takes prescription opioidpainkillers for a long time builds up atolerance to the drugs. A dose thatcould kill one person might providemedicinal pain relief to another.

Experts in medical toxicology say it’simportant to know how much opioidmedication a person has been usingbefore a death to know how to inter-pret post-mortem blood levels. Pill bot-tles and medical history may becomecrucial evidence.

Does pain treatment lead to addic-tion?

Prince had a reputation for clean liv-ing, and some friends said they neversaw any sign of drug use. But longtimefriend and collaborator Sheila E. hastold the AP that Prince had physicalissues from performing, citing hip andknee problems that she said came fromyears of jumping off risers and stagespeakers in heels.

Becoming to lerant to opio idpainkillers may lead some patients toseek stronger drugs from their doctors.Some users - whether they star t asrecreational users or legitimate painpatients - become addicted, experienc-ing an inability to control how muchthey take, so they use much more thanis prescribed or seek out drugs on theblack market. With good management,however, opioids can offer rel ief topeople with only a small risk of addic-tion, according to a 2010 review of theavailable studies. —AP

Facts and background

about fentanyl

LONDON: A British nurse who developedEbola working in Sierra Leone is facing dis-ciplinary action over allegations she liedabout her temperature during healthchecks on her return.

The Nursing and Midwifery Councilalleges that Pauline Cafferkey “allowed anincorrect temperature to be recorded” atHeathrow Airport on Dec. 29, 2014, andintended to conceal from Public HealthEngland staff that she had a temperature

higher than 38 Celsius (96 Fahrenheit).The council said Thursday that a full

hearing on the allegations is scheduled fornext month. Cafferkey could lose the rightto practice.

Cafferkey, now 40, became critically illshortly after she returned from West Africaat the end of 2014 and was treated in anisolation unit at London’s Royal FreeHospital. She was twice re-hospitalizedwith complications. —AP

UK nurse treated for

Ebola accused of

concealing temperature

NEW YORK: Donald A. Henderson, whoheaded the World Health Organizationvaccination effort that wiped out small-pox in 1977 and later became a USbioterrorism expert, has died from com-plications following a hip fracture, offi-cials said on Sunday. He was 87.

The 1966-1977 smallpox program atfirst was given little chance of succeed-ing. It required the development of labsaround the world to produce vaccines, aconstant scramble for funding, arm-twisting of governments to join in, andhalting outbreaks as soon as theyemerged by focusing on vaccinatingpeople who came in contact with thoseinfected, Henderson told the WHO.

“The most important legacy of small-pox eradication was its demonstration ofhow many people could be protectedthrough vaccination, so rapidly and inex-pensively with a well planned programand quality-control monitoring,” the man

known as “D.A.,” said in an interview pub-lished by the World Health Organizationa few years ago.

Smallpox is a highly infectious virusthat kills 30 percent of its victims andscars the rest for life.

In 1972, he flew to Belgrade in the for-mer Yugoslavia to help stamp out the lastsmallpox outbreak in Europe, the WHOsaid.

After the campaign to wipe out thedisease, Henderson became dean of theJohns Hopkins University BloombergSchool of Public Health from 1977 to1990, expanding the school’s reach andmaking it a national leader in addressingHIV/AIDS, said Michael Klag, dean of theschool. “D.A. was a force of nature who,until relatively recently, seemed invulner-able. Public health has lost a hero,” Klagwrote adding, smallpox is the onlyhuman disease ever to have been eradi-cated. —Reuters

DA Henderson, who led

effort to eradicate

smallpox, dies at 87

H E A LT H & S C I E NC ETUESDAY, AUGUST 23, 2016

MIAMI BEACH: Mayor of Miami Beach Philip Levine, speaks during a news conferenceFriday. —AP

Congresswoman, mayor say more

resources needed to stop Zika

WASHINGTON: Election Day 2016 will raise thecurtain on the final act in the nation’s long-run-ning political drama over President BarackObama’s health care overhaul. If RepublicanDonald Trump wins, the unraveling begins. “Wehave an obligation to the people who voted forus to proceed with ‘repeal and replace,’” said Sen.John Barrasso, a Wyoming Republican.

If Democrat Hillary Clinton goes to the WhiteHouse, it gets very difficult for Republicans tokeep a straight face about repealing“Obamacare.” “There just won’t be any credibleway to keep talking about repealing theAffordable Care Act,” said Ron Pollack, executivedirector of Families USA and a supporter of thelaw. After years of debating health care politicsand policies, Americans remain divided over the2010 law, which was passed without a singleRepublican vote when Democrats still controlledboth houses of Congress. What happens nextcould affect health insurance for nearly every-one. It’s not just the millions who have gainedcoverage through expanded Medicaid in amajority of states and subsidized private healthinsurance in every part of the country.

It’s also anyone with an existing medical con-dition who now can apply for health insurancewithout fear of being turned away. It’s millenni-als weighing paying monthly premiums againstpaying a fine for remaining uninsured. It ’swomen whose birth control is covered free bytheir employer, and parents who can keep late-blooming kids on their workplace plans untilage 26.

People’s worriesBrian Greenberg of Stamford, Connecticut, is

in his early 30s, and his insurer has already spentmore than $845,000 on medical care for theCrohn’s disease patient. A financial services pro-fessional, Greenberg worries about a return tolifetime dollar limits on coverage, a type of cut-off that was previously allowed.

Deborah Paddison, of Phoenix, fears shewould become uninsurable. For most her life shehas battled rheumatoid arthritis, an autoim-mune disease that attacks the joints and tissues.Paddison works as a freelance editor and writerand says her independence is due in part to sub-sidized coverage under the health care law.

The law’s tangible benefits for Greenberg,Paddison and millions of other Americans pres-ent a major challenge for Republicans. They havehoned their legislative strategy for repealingmost, if not all, of Obama’s law, but they stillhave to work out key parts of their plan forreplacing it. Among the questions would be

what to do with the exchanges that serve asmarketplaces for people buying private healthinsurance policies. Many of the exchanges havecome under stress as major insurers have pulledout over rising costs, a factor that has reducedcompetition and consumer choice.

The framework that GOP congressional lead-ers have released isn’t detailed enough to allowa full comparison with current law. The Centerfor American Progress, a think tank aligned withthe Clinton campaign, estimates 24 million peo-ple will lose coverage by 2021 if the law isrepealed and says the Republican replacementwill not fill that hole.

Repeal or retain

‘Obamacare’?

MIAMI BEACH: US Republican DebbieWasserman Schultz and Miami BeachMayor Philip Levine say more federalresources are needed to combat the spreadof the Zika virus in South Florida.

They’re holding a news conference at apopular Miami Beach cafe in an effort tourge Congress to return from its summerbreak to deal with the virus outbreak.

President Barack Obama requested $1.9billion in emergency funds in February to

develop a vaccine and control the mosqui-toes that carry the virus.

But lawmakers lef t Washington inmid-July for a seven-week recess with-out approving any of the money.Mosquito-borne Zika cases have beenfound in two neighborhoods of Miami-Dade County. They’re the first areas onthe US mainland where health officialsdetermined mosquitoes were transmit-ting Zika. —AP

Election opens final act

PHOENIX: Deborah Paddison stands outside her home on Friday, July 15, 2016, while sherecovers from her latest orthopedic surgery. She fears she would become uninsurable if theAffordable Care Act was repealed. —AP

WASHINGTON: This Saturday, Nov. 7, 2009 image made from video shows the final vote for health care bill 3962 in the House Chamber of the USCapitol. —AP

UPPER MALBORO: Officials say they’vefound another instance of a potentially dead-ly bacterium inside a Maryland hospital thatwas shut down earlier this month.

Prince George’s Hospital Center officialsannounced Tuesday evening that the pres-ence of the bacteria Pseudomonas was dis-covered in at least one patient care area out-side of the neonatal intensive care unit.

The bacterium was first found Aug. 9 in thewater pipes after two newborns died. An infec-tious disease expert is investigating whetherthe deaths are linked to Pseudomonas. A num-ber of babies were transferred out of the NICUas a precaution. Crews worked Wednesday todisinfect the plumbing infrastructure for theentire hospital. It’s unclear where the bacteriacame from. —AP

MIAMI: A National Institutes of Health offi-cial said Sunday that the Zika virus could“hang around” the United States for a yearor two. Dr. Anthony Fauci told ABC’s “ThisWeek” that other Gulf Coast states, besidesFlorida, are most vulnerable to the spreadof the disease. “I would not be surprised ifwe see cases in Texas and Louisiana, partic-ularly now where you have the situationwith flooding in Louisiana,” said Fauci,director of the National Institute of Allergyand Infectious Diseases. “There are going tobe a lot of problems getting rid of standingwater.”

Mosquito-borne Zika cases have beenfound in two neighborhoods of Miami-Dade County- the Wynwood neighborhoodand Miami Beach. They are the first areason the US mainland where health officialsdetermined mosquitoes were transmittingZika, which has spread through LatinAmerican and the Caribbean.

The discovery last week of non-travel-related infections in Miami Beach prompt-ed the US Centers for Disease Control andPrevention to expand its travel warning forpregnant women to include the areaknown for nightclubs, pedestrian thor-oughfares and beaches, as well as

Wynwood, a neighborhood known for artgalleries and boutiques.

Fauci said mosquito control is the bestway to stop the spread of the Zika virus,which can cause severe birth defects,including microcephaly, in pregnantwomen. “With our experience with othersimilar viruses like dengue, this is some-thing that could hang around for a year ortwo,” Fauci said. “Hopefully, we get to apoint to where we could suppress it so thatwe won’t have any risk of it.”

Meanwhile the mayor of Miami Beachsaid city workers are doing everything intheir power to go after mosquitoes in thepopular tourist destination.

Mayor Philip Levine told New York radiostation AM 970 that Miami Beach is runningsmoothly, despite the Zika concerns.“ Those 15 mosquitoes have been putunder arrest. They’ve been apprehended.We have them in jail right now,” Levinejoked on “The Cats Roundtable Show.”

“All kidding aside, we have containedthe small little outbreak of Zika, which wasvery limited,” he added. “It’s somethingwe’re watching. It’s closely contained and itcertainly hasn’t disrupted the business ofMiami.” —AP

More potentially deadly bacteria

found at Maryland hospital

Health official: Gulf Coast

states most vulnerable to Zika

W H AT ’ S ONTUESDAY, AUGUST 23, 2016

Jumeirah Messilah Beach Hotel & Spa,Kuwait’s idyllic resort, has been certifiedby Green Globe, the global certification

for sustainable tourism, for the second consec-utive year. Following an inspection process,the luxurious landmark’s sustainability man-agement plan met all international standardsfor sustainable practices.

In-line with the hotel’s dedication to sus-tainability practices, Jumeirah Messilah BeachHotel & Spa has successfully and consistentlypracticed energy and water conservation,

reduced electricity consumption, and imple-mented many eco-friendly initiatives for thewellbeing and safety of its guests and Kuwaitcommunity.

General Manager, Hakan Petek, said:“Jumeirah Messilah Beach Hotel & Spa is dedi-cated to improve the environment and thequality of the wellbeing of our community. It isan honor to be awarded once again for theseachievements, which would not be possiblewithout the hard work and persistent dedica-tion of our colleagues. It is truly a testamentto their continuous pursuit for excellence indelivering exceptional services.”

Working hand-in-hand, colleagues haveworked continuously to raise environmentalawareness and uphold eco-friendly practicesacross all aspects of the hotel, as well asthrough the Corporate Social Responsibilitypractices and initiatives that the hotel and itscolleagues engage in.

Commenting on the hotel’s achievements,Carol Roncoletta, Director of PR &Communications and a member of the hotel’sGreen Committee, added: “Since opening in2013 we have organized several initiativeswith the objective to make a positive contribu-tion to the local community and the environ-ment. We have covered social and charitableactivities; we have invested in environmentalinitiatives and actively promoted the rich her-itage of Kuwait and its traditions. The key toour success is our guests and colleagues. Weremain committed to raise awareness throughour initiatives in the coming years and deliverour promise, Stay DifferentTM.”

Further recognizing its eco-friendly prac-tices, the hotel has also won this year the titlesof Eco Luxury Hotel of the Middle East as wellas Luxury Hotel of Kuwait at the LuxuryLifestyle Awards, the international covetedaward for the luxury segment.

Jumeirah Messilah Beach Hotel &

Spa awarded second Green Globe

Joy John Thuruthikara, Managing Director of J & AGroup has been honored by ROTARY InternationalClub, (A world famous organization which is

approved by UN, UNCSO & WHO) through providingtheir prestigious best upcoming entrepreneur awardof the year 2016. This award was given to him for hisoutstanding achievement in Business and involvement

in Social and Charity activities in India & abroad.The function was held in Swiss Bell Hotel Auditorium,

Kuwait City in the presence of large number of commu-nity leaders on 12th Aug. 2016 and the meeting waspresided by Rtn. PP. MPHF. Dr. J Moses, Secretary ofRotary International. This prestigious award was handedover by the Hon. Justice K. G. Balakrishnan, former Chief

Justice of India and Certificate of Excellence was handedover by His Excellency the Ambassador of India toKuwait Mr. Sunil Jain. This occasion was blessed by Rtn.Swami Gururatnam Jaana Thapaswi-the organizing sec-retary of Shanthigiri Asramam.

On this occasion Rtn. Major Donor P.G.Muraleedharan, OICC General Secretary B.S.Pilla,

G.Sekharan Nair-Bureau chief of Mathrubhumi NewsPaper, Suresh C. Pillai - CEO of Mark Technologies,Shemej Kumar K.K. gave given the speech in the func-tion. The function was blessed in presence of differentsocial and community leaders along with key personali-ties of the society. The vote of thanks was delivered byNissam.

Joy John Thuruthikara honored

Awareness for Hajj

As the hajj season is in full swing, health ministry authorities are holding campaigns to bring awareness to pilgrims on howto stay healthy while performing the rituals. Rumaithiya specialized health center held an awareness day, under the super-vision of Dr Sadiqa Bualyan, as advice was given to the public. Several health ministry departments and private companies

participated.

SA scientists discover

Rooibos’ unique

anti-ageing potential

Rooibos is part of the fynbos family and endem-ic to the Cederberg region of the WesternCape.

South African wonder herb, Rooibos, is sure toturn the anti-ageing revolution on its head followinga new round of research into its anti-ageing potentialbeyond that of its well-known antioxidant properties.

Rooibos - already a proven agent in thwarting theeffects of ageing and promoting general health - hasfurther been put through its paces by two leadingscientists from the Nelson Mandela MetropolitanUniversity in a bid to beat the rate at which age-relat-ed diseases develop, which makes this research studyso significant.

Lead scientist, Prof. Maryna van de Venter said itwas the first time a study such as this had beenattempted.

“Our research focussed primarily on the preserva-tion of healthy fat tissue as the redistribution of fat - anatural process which occurs with age - particularlyto the abdominal region, has been linked to theonset of many age-related diseases such as cardio-vascular disease, type II diabetes and cancer. Our aimwas to slow down the rate at which these diseasesdevelop as a way to improve the quality of an indi-vidual’s life.

Co-researcher, Dr Trevor Koekemoer, emphasisedthat the mere fact that their work suggested that theanti-ageing effects of Rooibos could be ascribed tomore than its well-known antioxidant effects, was animportant finding

“The discovery opens doors to ways in whichRooibos could prevent or at least delay the detrimen-tal effects of ageing and holds profound implicationsfor the industry. Our findings could spur novel thera-peutic approaches for improving general health inthe aged and potentially lead to a breakthrough inthe field of regenerative medicines,” he said. - Source:www.sagoodnews.co.za

W H AT ’ S ONTUESDAY, AUGUST 23, 2016

The United States Embassy in Kuwait callson Kuwaiti nationals, early career Englishlanguage teachers, and recent graduates

of journalism, mass media, or American orEnglish literature programs to apply for theFulbright Foreign Language Teaching Assistant(FLTA) Program. The Embassy is acceptingapplications until September 3, 2016.

The FLTA Program is a nine-month, non-degree program for early career English teach-ers or recent graduates in journalism andmedia or American or English literature. It isfully funded by the Department of State andprovides the opportunity for participants toteach Arabic for U.S. students, refine theirteaching skills, increase their English language

proficiency, and extend their knowledge of thesociety and culture of the United States. At thesame time, successful candidates helpstrengthen foreign language instruction at UScolleges and universities by serving as teach-ing assistants for classes in their native lan-guage.

Fluency in English is mandatory, demon-strated by a score of no less than 79-80 forTOEFL IBT or 6.0 for IELTS. Ideal candidates forthe program have a desire to meet people andbecome a part of their host community by par-ticipating in community events and campusactivities. Fulbright FLTA participants are cre-ative and self-reliant team players, who areable to maintain excellent relationships with

faculty, staff, and students. A complete application package includes:

- An online application throughhttps://apply.embark.com/student/ful-bright/flta/

- Original academic transcripts with certifiedEnglish translations

- A graduation certificate- Three letters of reference- A TOEFL or IELTS score report

Short-listed applicants will be contacted bythe Embassy for interviews. Successful candi-dates will be notified starting March 2017.Program dates are September 2017- June 2018.

Visit us online at kuwait.usembassy.gov @USEmbassyQ8

US Embassy Kuwait calls for 2017/2018 Fulbright Foreign

Language Teaching Assistant (FLTA) Program applications

Our Independence Day is undoubtedly asmuch a day to celebrate as it is to remi-niscence and to reflect. The fact that we

are a sovereign nation is to be celebrated; ourjourney so far to be remembered and where westand and are headed, reflected upon. TheEmbassy of India in Kuwait as well as theWriters’ Forum, Kuwait precisely decided to doall of the three. The two collaborated and decid-ed to commemorate this Day not just by cele-brations but also by engaging in musings andreflections.

On the evening of August 15, 2016, theWriters’ Forum, Kuwait (WFK) organised anevening of diversity, creativity and unity. Theplatform was one, poets were many; theirexpressions were in diverse languages and theaudience represented all of India. The KaviSammelan and Mushaira held in the EmbassyAuditorium received the whole-hearted sup-port of the Indian Embassy, and particularly ofH.E. Shri Sunil Jain, the Ambassador of India inKuwait, who also graciously accepted to be the

Chief Guest on the occasion.From about 6pm, Indian citizens from all

regions and strata of society began to arrive inthe Auditorium, anticipating to be immersed inthe nectar of literary diversity. H.E. Shri SunilJain arrived sharp at 6.30 pm, flanked by thePresident of WFK Umesh Sharma and the Vice-President of WFK- Dr. Waseem Siddiqi. TheGeneral Secretary of the WFK, Tajwer Sultanawelcomed the audience and the guests, whilealso speaking eloquently on the true meaningof Independence in our lives. She exhorted allthose present to look within and seek inde-pendence from one’s weaknesses as well.

A well-known personality in the literary cir-cuit and the former President of WFK—MrsMaimuna Chogule who was to preside over theKavi Sammelan and Mushaira was invited tocome on to the stage to light the lamp, preced-ed by H.E. Shri Sunil Jain, and along with thePresident Umesh Sharma, the General SecretaryTajwer Sultana and the Joint Secretary SunilSonsi. The audience stood in reverence for the

National Anthem. Floral bouquets were present-ed to the Honourable Ambassador and toMaimuna Chogule, following which the H.E. ShriSunil Jain spoke on the importance ofIndependence Day in the lives of us all and onthe need to celebrate the diversity of India. Hecongratulated the WFK for its unique identityand for bringing together the literary heavy-weights in various Indian languages on oneplatform. The President of WFK then presentedhis speech, echoing the sentiments of patriot-ism and the contributions each one can possiblymake towards the enriched nation that we are.

As is customary in the WFK, the precedingPresident and the General Secretary are hon-oured too for their services during their tenure,and accordingly H.E. Shri Sunil Jain presentedmementoes to Dr. M. U. Beg and Rajesh Verlekarrespectively. A much admired Punjabi poet andone of the leading torchbearers of the Forum-S. Gurbakash Singh Dogra, who is planning torelocate to India shortly, was also honoured onthe occasion by the H.E. Shri Sunil Jain.

The most remarkable feature of theevening was not just the presence of 25 poetson the stage but the fact that their creativeand original expressions were going to be inten different languages of India. It is not veryoften that we find poetry flowing in diverseIndian languages from one platform. The onusof steering the program from the beginningtill its zenith was on Afroz Alam-an Urdu poetregarded in high esteem and a member ofWFK himself. The mantle of making the poetryin various regional languages, understood tothe audience, by offering a translation inEnglish, rested with Dr. Navniit Gandhi whoherself writes poetry in Hindi and is a memberof WFK. The program began on a melodiousnote, with Swathi Shaker- a music teacher, pre-senting a patriotic song.

The eagerly awaiting audience was reward-ed for its patience as the Kavi Sammelan andMushaira began with gutso, and the followingpoets were invited to recite their original works:Rajesh Verlekar (English); Rajiv Athavle

(Gujarati); Aamir Diwan, Navniit Gandhi,Nazneen Ali, Syed Qamar Minto, UmeshSharma, and Vijay Dhillon (Hindi); Ameer UddinAmeer (Kannada); Jyothi Das, ReshmyKrishnakumar and Vibheesh Tikkodi (Malyalam);Chhaya Athavle (Marathi); Gurbakash SinghDogra (Punjabi); Preeti Rajgolikar (Sanskrit);Satya Narayanan (Tamil); Aamir Kidwai, KamaalAnsari, Sayeed Nazar Kadpawwi, ShahjahanJaffery, Shakeel Jamshedpuri, Tajwer Sultanaand Afroz Alam (Urdu). As is again a custom, thePresident for the evening - Maimuna Chogulewas invited towards the culmination of the pro-gram to present her poetry (in Urdu) and thePresidential remarks on the evening.

The Joint Secretary of WFK -Sunil Sonsi con-veyed sincere gratitude towards all those whohad extended their sincere support and co-operation for the evening to become a memo-rable one.

The audience left enriched and elated, andalso enjoyed tea and refreshments before theyleft the Embassy premises.

A Unique Medley Commemorated ‘Diversity: the art of thinking independently together’ —Malcolm Forbes

Message from the

Nigerian Embassy

The Embassy of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in theState of Kuwait wishes to inform the public that witheffect from August 21st, 2016, the Chancery will be

relocating from its present location to a new place - BLOCK1, STREET 103, HOUSE NO. 8 WEST MISHRIF. Phone -25379540/25379541. Fax - 25387719.

Holiday Inn Kuwait Al Thuraya City isdelighted to announce that SamirSayed won a Discovery Sport 2016,

prize of the hotel’s summer promotion.

Kuwaiti nationals and locals staying at theHoliday Inn during the months of June andJuly were entitled to raffle coupons for thedraw of the car. There were a total of 1,000

coupons associated with this promotion.The winner of the draw was announced

on 15th August 2016, 11am, in Al ThurayaCity’s Auditorium and in the presence of a

joint committee from the Ministry ofCommerce and Industry and the Ministryof Interior. Mr. Sayed held coupon no.0289.

Al Thuraya City’s car raffle winner

03:25 Mad Dogs04:10 Casualty05:05 The Musketeers06:00 Casualty06:55 Casualty07:50 Death In Paradise08:45 Call The Midwife09:40 The Musketeers10:35 Casualty11:30 Death In Paradise12:25 Call The Midwife13:20 The Musketeers14:15 Casualty15:10 Death In Paradise16:05 Call The Midwife17:00 The Musketeers18:00 Doctors19:05 Death In Paradise20:00 Silent Witness22:50 Doctor Who: The HusbandsOf River Song23:50 Doctors00:50 Silent Witness

T V PR O G R A M STUESDAY, AUGUST 23, 2016

SWORD OF VENGEANCE ON OSN MOVIES ACTION HD

WATCHMEN ON OSN MOVIES ACTION HD

03:00 Nathan For You03:50 Impractical Jokers04:40 Ridiculousness05:30 Tosh.005:55 Tosh.006:20 MLE Chowdown: The TurkeyBowl07:15 Catch A Contractor08:05 Ridiculousness08:55 Nathan For You09:45 Impractical Jokers10:35 Key And Peele11:00 Workaholics11:25 Catch A Contractor12:15 Nathan For You13:05 Impractical Jokers13:55 Ridiculousness14:45 MLE Chowdown: The TurkeyBowl15:35 Catch A Contractor16:30 Nathan For You17:25 Lip Sync Battle17:50 Impractical Jokers18:39 Key And Peele19:03 Workaholics19:27 Lip Sync Battle19:50 Lip Sync Battle20:13 Catch A Contractor21:00 The Daily Show With TrevorNoah21:30 Dl Hughley: The EndangeredList22:18 Lip Sync Battle22:42 Tosh.023:05 South Park23:30 The Daily Show With TrevorNoah00:00 Tosh.000:25 Underground With DaveAttell00:50 Brotherhood01:15 Tosh.001:40 The Daily Show With TrevorNoah02:05 Hannibal Buress: Live InChicago

00:45 CalimeroDisney XD06:00 Boyster06:10 Super Matrak07:00 Pokemon Bw: Adventures InUnova07:25 K.C. Undercover07:50 Supa Strikas08:15 Danger Mouse S108:40 Camp Lakebottom09:05 Counterfeit Cat09:10 Gravity Falls09:35 Lab Rats10:00 Rocket Monkeys10:25 Ultimate Spider-Man10:50 Boyster11:45 Pair Of Kings12:35 Lab Rats13:30 Phineas And Ferb14:20 Kickin’ It14:45 Pokemon Bw: Adventures InUnova15:10 Disney Mickey Mouse15:15 Supa Strikas16:05 Lab Rats16:30 Danger Mouse S116:55 Kirby Buckets17:25 K.C. Undercover17:50 Annedroids18:15 Gamer’s Guide To Pretty...18:40 K.C. Undercover19:05 Counterfeit Cat19:10 Gravity Falls19:35 Pickle And Peanut20:00 Lab Rats20:25 Supa Strikas20:55 K.C. Undercover21:20 Gamer’s Guide To Pretty...21:45 Guardians Of The Galaxy22:10 Marvel Avengers Assemble22:40 Disney Mickey Mouse

03:40 Missing In Alaska04:30 Monster Quest05:20 Ancient Aliens06:10 The Universe07:00 Dogfights08:00 Cities Of The Underworld09:00 The Universe10:00 Missing In Alaska11:00 Monster Quest12:00 Ancient Aliens13:00 Dogfights14:00 Cities Of The Underworld15:00 The Universe16:00 Missing In Alaska17:00 Monster Quest18:00 Ancient Aliens19:00 Dogfights20:00 Cities Of The Underworld21:00 The Universe22:00 Ancient Aliens23:00 Hangar 1: The UFO Files00:00 Ancient Aliens01:00 Dogfights02:00 Cities Of The Underworld02:50 The Universe

03:40 Auction Hunters: Pawn ShopEdition04:05 Storage Hunters UK04:30 Dallas Car Sharks05:00 How Stuff’s Made05:30 How Do They Do It?06:00 Alaska: The Last Frontier06:50 Kindig Customs07:40 Fast N’ Loud08:30 Auction Hunters: Pawn ShopEdition08:55 Storage Hunters UK09:20 Dallas Car Sharks09:45 How Stuff’s Made10:10 How Do They Do It?10:35 Gold Divers11:25 Yukon Men12:15 Trailblazers13:05 Auction Hunters: Pawn ShopEdition13:30 Storage Hunters UK13:55 Dallas Car Sharks14:20 Alaska: The Last Frontier15:10 Kindig Customs16:00 Fast N’ Loud16:50 How Stuff’s Made17:15 How Do They Do It?17:40 Boy To Man18:30 Venom Hunters19:20 Running Wild With Bear Grylls20:10 Storage Hunters UK20:35 Dallas Car Sharks21:00 Boy To Man21:50 Running Wild With Bear GryllsAnd President...22:40 So You Think You’d Survive?23:30 Fast N’ Loud00:20 Kindig Customs01:10 Boy To Man02:00 Running Wild With Bear GryllsAnd President...02:50 So You Think You’d Survive?

03:00 Extreme Engineering03:48 Smash Lab04:36 Meteorite Men05:24 How The Universe Works06:12 How Do They Do It?06:36 Food Factory07:00 How Do They Do It?07:26 Smash Lab08:14 How The Universe Works09:02 Extreme Engineering09:50 How Do They Do It?10:14 Food Factory10:38 Meteorite Men11:26 Smash Lab12:14 How The Universe Works13:02 How Do They Do It?13:26 Food Factory13:50 Extreme Engineering14:38 Meteorite Men15:26 Smash Lab16:14 How The Universe Works17:02 Extreme Engineering17:50 Smash Lab18:40 How The Universe Works19:30 Sci-Fi Science19:55 Magic Of Science20:20 How Do They Do It?20:45 Food Factory21:10 Mega World22:00 Sci-Fi Science22:25 Prank Science22:50 How The Universe Works23:40 Smash Lab00:30 How Do They Do It?00:55 Food Factory01:20 Sci-Fi Science01:45 Prank Science02:10 How The Universe Works

03:15 The Hive03:20 Sabrina Secrets Of A TeenageWitch04:10 Hank Zipzer04:35 Binny And The Ghost05:00 Violetta05:45 The Hive05:50 Mouk06:00 Hank Zipzer06:25 Jessie06:50 Disney Mickey Mouse06:55 Miraculous Tales Of LadybugAnd Cat Noir07:20 Dog With A Blog07:45 Bunk’d08:10 Austin & Ally08:35 Shake It Up09:00 Hannah Montana09:50 Wizards Of Waverly Place10:40 Good Luck Charlie11:30 Jessie11:55 Disney Mickey Mouse12:00 The 7D12:15 Miraculous Tales Of LadybugAnd Cat Noir12:40 Hank Zipzer13:05 Star Darlings13:10 Austin & Ally14:00 Liv And Maddie14:50 Dog With A Blog15:15 Hank Zipzer15:40 Bunk’d16:05 Star Darlings16:10 Gravity Falls16:35 Miraculous Tales Of LadybugAnd Cat Noir17:00 Backstage17:50 Girl Meets World18:15 Bunk’d18:40 Mako Mermaids19:05 Austin & Ally19:30 Jessie19:55 Violetta20:45 Good Luck Charlie21:10 H2O: Just Add Water22:00 Binny And The Ghost22:25 Sabrina Secrets Of A TeenageWitch23:10 Hank Zipzer23:35 Binny And The Ghost00:00 Violetta00:45 The Hive00:50 Sabrina Secrets Of A TeenageWitch01:40 Hank Zipzer02:05 Binny And The Ghost02:30 Violetta

03:10 Henry Hugglemonster03:20 Calimero03:35 Zou03:45 Loopdidoo04:00 Art Attack04:25 Henry Hugglemonster04:35 Calimero04:50 Zou05:00 Loopdidoo05:15 Art Attack05:35 Henry Hugglemonster05:50 Calimero06:00 Zou06:20 Loopdidoo06:35 Art Attack07:00 The Hive07:10 Zou07:25 Loopdidoo

07:40 Jungle Cubs08:05 Sofia The First08:30 Miles From Tomorrow08:40 PJ Masks09:10 Doc McStuffins09:55 Minnie’s Bow-Toons10:00 Sofia The First11:00 The Lion Guard11:30 Jake And The Never LandPirates12:30 Gummi Bears13:00 Sofia The First13:30 Doc McStuffins14:00 The Lion Guard14:30 Aladdin14:55 Jake And The Never LandPirates15:05 Goldie & Bear15:30 Miles From Tomorrow16:00 Doc McStuffins16:55 Sofia The First17:50 The Lion Guard18:15 Jake And The Never LandPirates19:00 PJ Masks19:30 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse20:00 Doc McStuffins20:30 Sofia The First21:00 PJ Masks21:30 Aladdin22:00 Jungle Cubs22:25 Gummi Bears22:50 Zou23:05 Henry Hugglemonster23:20 Calimero23:35 Zou23:50 Loopdidoo00:05 Art Attack00:30 Henry Hugglemonster01:00 Zou01:15 Loopdidoo01:30 Art Attack02:00 Calimero02:15 Zou02:30 Loopdidoo02:45 Art Attack

03:40 Big Rig Bounty Hunters04:30 Pawn Stars05:00 Search For The Lost Giants06:00 Shipping Wars06:50 Swamp People07:40 Mountain Men - Closest Calls08:30 American Restoration08:55 Big Rig Bounty Hunters09:45 Banger Boys10:35 Alone11:25 Search For The Lost Giants12:15 American Pickers13:05 Storage Wars14:45 American Pickers15:35 Shipping Wars16:00 Ax Men16:50 Mountain Men - Closest Calls17:40 Swamp People18:30 Search For The Lost Giants19:20 American Pickers20:10 Pawn Stars21:00 Ax Men21:50 Down East Dickering22:40 Outlaw Chronicles: Hells Angels23:30 Swamp People: SwampChristmas00:20 Ax Men01:10 Outlaw Chronicles: Hells Angels02:00 Swamp People02:50 Mountain Men - Closest Calls

03:25 Tonight At The LondonPalladium04:20 Don’t Tell The Bride05:15 Eggheads05:45 Ant & Dec’s Saturday NightTakeaway07:05 The Chase: Celebrity Specials08:00 Tonight At The LondonPalladium08:55 Don’t Tell The Bride09:50 Murdoch Mysteries10:45 Eggheads11:15 The Chase: Celebrity Specials12:10 Ant & Dec’s Saturday NightTakeaway13:25 Emmerdale13:50 Coronation Street14:45 Murdoch Mysteries15:35 The Chase: Celebrity Specials16:30 Grantchester17:25 Don’t Tell The Bride18:20 Emmerdale18:45 Coronation Street19:35 The Chase: Celebrity Specials20:30 Grantchester21:25 Don’t Tell The Bride22:20 Coronation Street22:50 Emmerdale

03:45 Gorilla Murders04:40 Hunter Hunted05:35 Cobra Mafia06:30 Man V. Lion07:25 Gorilla Murders08:20 Hunter Hunted09:15 Dr. K’s Exotic Animal

10:10 Philly Undercover11:05 Zoo Confidential12:00 Hunter Hunted12:55 Swamp Lions13:50 Fatal Attraction14:45 When Sharks Attack15:40 Hunter Hunted16:35 Dr. K’s Exotic Animal17:30 Philly Undercover18:25 Zoo Confidential19:20 When Sharks Attack20:10 Hunter Hunted21:00 Dr. K’s Exotic Animal21:50 Philly Undercover22:40 Zoo Confidential23:30 Hunter Hunted00:20 Swamp Lions01:10 Fatal Attraction02:00 Clouded Leopard02:50 Extreme Animal Babies

03:00 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles03:48 Henry Danger04:12 Nicky, Ricky, Dicky & Dawn04:36 The Haunted Hathaways05:00 Max & Shred05:24 Henry Danger05:48 Nicky, Ricky, Dicky & Dawn06:12 SpongeBob SquarePants07:00 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles07:48 Winx Club08:12 Harvey Beaks08:36 Breadwinners09:00 Get Blake09:24 Rabbids Invasion09:48 Henry Danger10:12 Nicky, Ricky, Dicky & Dawn10:36 The Haunted Hathaways11:00 Winx Club11:24 SpongeBob SquarePants12:12 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles13:00 Breadwinners13:24 The Loud House13:48 Harvey Beaks14:12 Rabbids Invasion14:36 Henry Danger15:00 Nicky, Ricky, Dicky & Dawn15:24 SpongeBob SquarePants16:12 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles16:36 The Loud House17:00 Sanjay And Craig17:24 Harvey Beaks17:48 Breadwinners18:12 Henry Danger18:36 Nicky, Ricky, Dicky & Dawn19:00 100 Things To Do Before HighSchool19:24 Game Shakers19:48 SpongeBob SquarePants20:36 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles21:24 Breadwinners22:12 Sanjay And Craig23:00 SpongeBob SquarePants23:24 SpongeBob SquarePants23:48 Henry Danger00:12 Nicky, Ricky, Dicky & Dawn00:36 Max & Shred01:00 The Haunted Hathaways01:24 Sanjay And Craig01:48 Sanjay And Craig02:12 SpongeBob SquarePants

04:00 Life In Pieces04:30 The Tonight Show StarringJimmy Fallon06:30 The Bill Engvall Show07:00 Late Night With Seth Meyers08:00 Life In Pieces10:30 The Bill Engvall Show11:00 The Tonight Show StarringJimmy Fallon12:30 Life In Pieces13:30 The Bill Engvall Show15:30 Fresh Off The Boat16:00 Grandfathered17:00 Late Night With Seth Meyers18:00 The Simpsons18:30 Black-Ish19:30 Crowded20:00 The Tonight Show StarringJimmy Fallon21:00 Fresh Off The Boat21:30 Grandfathered22:00 You’re The Worst22:30 Bordertown23:00 Family Guy23:30 Late Night With Seth Meyers00:30 Fresh Off The Boat01:00 Grandfathered02:30 Family Guy

19:00 The Wire20:00 Treme21:00 True Blood22:00 Preacher23:00 Entourage23:30 Entourage00:00 The Wire01:00 Treme02:00 True Blood

03:00 Empire04:00 Good Morning America06:00 The Family07:00 Bones08:00 Quantico09:00 The Flash10:00 Wicked City11:00 Bones12:00 Quantico13:00 The Ellen DeGeneres Show14:00 Live Good Morning America16:00 The Family17:00 The Ellen DeGeneres Show18:00 Quantico19:00 The Flash20:00 The Fosters21:00 Devious Maids22:00 The Americans23:00 Empire00:00 Bones01:00 Devious Maids02:00 The Americans

04:15 The Hundred-Foot Journey06:30 Nitro Circus: The Movie08:15 Sleepless In Seattle10:15 The Hundred-Foot Journey12:30 Raising Helen14:30 Confessions Of A Shopaholic16:30 Sleepless In Seattle18:30 Krippendorf’s Tribe20:15 What We Do In The Shadows22:00 Save Your Legs!00:00 Behaving Badly02:00 Krippendorf’s Tribe

09:00 Toy Story11:00 G-Force13:00 The Shaggy Dog15:00 The Incredibles17:00 Toy Story 219:00 Harriet The Spy21:00 Marvel’s Planet Hulk23:00 The Incredibles01:00 Harriet The Spy

04:15 Testament Of Youth06:30 Paradise08:30 Won’t Back Down10:30 The Railway Man12:30 Testament Of Youth14:45 Atlas Shrugged Part 2: TheStrike16:45 Won’t Back Down18:45 Walk The Line21:00 McFarland, USA23:30 Starred Up01:30 Eden

03:00 Attila04:30 Hercules Reborn06:15 In The Name Of The King: TheLast Mission07:45 Crimson Tide09:45 The Berlin File12:00 Airplane vs. Volcano13:45 6 Ways To Sundown15:45 Crimson Tide17:45 The Berlin File20:00 Sword Of Vengeance22:00 Close Range23:30 Watchmen02:30 Mega Shark vs. Mecha Shark

03:00 Barely Lethal05:00 A Promise07:00 Persecuted09:00 Barely Lethal11:00 Still Alice12:45 Peter Pan Live!15:00 The Duff17:00 Paranoia19:00 Mortdecai21:00 Lost River23:00 Wild01:00 Insidious: Chapter 3

07:00 Chopped08:00 Barefoot Contessa: Back ToBasics09:00 The Kitchen10:00 The Pioneer Woman11:00 Chopped12:00 Guy’s Big Bite13:00 Diners, Drive-Ins And Dives14:00 Man Fire Food15:00 Chopped16:00 The Kitchen17:00 The Pioneer Woman18:00 Chopped19:00 Guy’s Grocery Games20:00 Diners, Drive-Ins And Dives21:00 Man v Food22:00 Diners, Drive-Ins And Dives23:00 Iron Chef America00:00 Diners, Drive-Ins And Dives01:00 Man v Food02:00 Diners, Drive-Ins And Dives

03:50 Mygrations04:45 Caught In The Act05:40 Hunter Hunted06:35 Live Free Or Die07:30 Street Heat: High Speed Justice08:25 Shark Men09:20 Caught In The Act10:15 Russia’s Mystery Files11:10 Locked Up Abroad12:05 Breakout13:00 Shark Men14:00 Narco Bling15:00 Live Free Or Die16:00 Card Shark17:00 Locked Up Abroad18:00 Breakout19:00 Live Free Or Die20:00 Card Shark20:50 Locked Up Abroad21:40 Breakout22:30 Live Free Or Die23:20 Hunter Hunted00:10 Card Shark01:00 Locked Up Abroad

03:00 Two Night Stand05:00 Dying Of The Light07:00 Rosewood Lane09:00 Reach Me11:00 Dying Of The Light13:00 Miss Julie15:15 Grand Central17:00 Reach Me19:00 October Gale21:00 Lucky Them23:00 Clouds Of Sils Maria01:15 Grand Central

03:30 The Tale Of The Princess Kaguya06:00 Blue Elephant 207:45 Columbus In The Last Journey09:15 Alpha Dogz: Pups United10:45 Daddy I’m A Zombie12:15 The Tale Of The Princess Kaguya14:30 Virus Attack The First Antivirus16:00 Scooby-Doo! And The BeachBeastie18:00 Alpha Dogz: Pups United20:00 Baby Geniuses And TheMystery Of The Crown Jewels22:00 Virus Attack The First Antivirus23:45 Scooby-Doo! And The BeachBeastie01:15 Columbus In The Last Journey02:45 Baby Geniuses And TheMystery Of The Crown Jewels

04:00 Shadow Witness05:45 Veronica Mars07:45 The Song09:45 Step Up Revolution11:30 Left Behind13:30 Born To Race: Fast Track15:15 The Song17:15 The Judge19:45 True Story21:30 The November Man23:30 Annabelle01:15 The Judge

03:15 Famously Single04:10 Dash Dolls05:05 Just Jillian06:00 Fashion Bloggers06:25 Keeping Up With TheKardashians08:20 E! News09:15 Keeping Up With TheKardashians11:10 Keeping Up With TheKardashians13:05 E! News14:05 WAGs16:00 LA Clippers Dance Squad17:00 Keeping Up With TheKardashians19:00 Botched20:00 LA Clippers Dance Squad21:00 Keeping Up With TheKardashians23:00 Famously Single

03:00 Man Fire Food04:00 Chopped05:00 Guy’s Grocery Games06:00 Man Fire Food

03:00 The Night Of04:00 Vice Principals04:30 Little Britain USA05:00 Conspiracy07:00 The Pentagon Wars09:00 Sugar11:00 Witness Protection13:00 Game Change15:00 Lansky17:00 Witness Protection

03:00 Marvel’s Hulk vs. Thor &Wolverine05:00 Underdog07:00 The Hunchback Of Notre Dame

ClassifiedsTUESDAY, AUGUST 23, 2016

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

DIAL161 FOR AIRPORT INFORMATIONArrival Flights on Tuesday 23/8/2016

Airlines Flt Route TimeMSC 415 Sohag 00:10THY 772 Istanbul 00:10JZR 239 Amman 00:20JZR 267 Beirut 00:30FDB 069 Dubai 00:55DLH 635 Doha 01:00QTR 1086 Doha 01:15JZR 539 Cairo 01:20KAC 1802 Cairo 01:30MSC 403 Asyut 01:30PGT 858 Istanbul 01:40RJA 642 Amman 01:45ETH 620 Addis Ababa 01:45AXB 395 Kozhikode 01:50THY 1464 Istanbul 01:50LMU 5101 Cairo 04:00RBG 551 Alexandria 04:05JZR 555 Alexandria 04:15FEG 933 Sohag 05:00THY 1414 TZX 05:05THY 6376 Istanbul 05:05DHX 170 Bahrain 05:10THY 770 Istanbul 05:15PAL 668 Manila/Dubai 06:25KAC 412 Manila/Bangkok 06:30BAW 157 London 06:40JZR 1541 Cairo 07:10FDB 5061 Dubai 07:15KAC 382 Delhi 07:30KAC 346 Ahmedabad 07:35KAC 206 Islamabad 07:40KAC 302 Mumbai 07:50SVA 512 Riyadh 07:50FDB 053 Dubai 07:50KAC 354 BLR 08:00KAC 332 Trivandrum 08:15KAC 362 Colombo 08:20KAC 352 Kochi 08:20UAE 855 Dubai 08:25KAC 784 Jeddah 08:50ETD 301 Abu Dhabi 09:00KAC 284 Dhaka 09:00ABY 125 Sharjah 09:05QTR 1070 Doha 09:20FDB 055 Dubai 09:40IRA 675 Lar 09:40UAE 873 Dubai 10:40GFA 213 Bahrain 10:40MEA 404 Beirut 11:00JZR 561 Sohag 11:25RBG 553 Alexandria 11:30JZR 165 Dubai 11:50FDB 075 Dubai 12:25MSC 401 Alexandria 12:30JZR 241 Amman 12:30UAE 871 Dubai 12:45FEG 933 Sohag 12:55CLX 784 Luxembourg 12:55MSR 610 Cairo 13:00THY 766 Istanbul 13:10KAC 620 Doha 13:10KAC 514 Tehran 13:45AXB 393 Kozhikode 13:55BON 101 Sarajevo 13:55FBA 831 Al Najaf 14:00QTR 1078 Doha 14:05KAC 672 Dubai 14:05MSR 575 Sharm el-Sheikh 14:15KAC 178 Vienna 14:15GFA 221 Bahrain 14:20FDB 057 Dubai 14:20

SVA 500 Jeddah 14:30KAC 788 Jeddah 15:00KNE 529 Jeddah 15:05OMA 645 Muscat 15:10ETD 303 Abu Dhabi 15:10ABY 127 Sharjah 15:35UAE 857 Dubai 15:45NIA 251 Alexandria 15:50RJA 640 Amman 16:00FDB 051 Dubai 16:10QTR 1072 Doha 16:15JZR 535 Cairo 16:20JZR 563 Sohag 16:25KAC 680 Muscat 16:55KAC 562 Amman 16:55SVA 510 Riyadh 17:15GFA 215 Bahrain 17:30JZR 177 Dubai 17:45JZR 777 Jeddah 17:50QTR 1080 Doha 17:55MSR 620 Cairo 18:30KAC 786 Jeddah 18:35KAC 502 Beirut 18:35KAC 774 Riyadh 18:35KAC 742 Dammam 18:50KAC 618 Doha 18:55KAC 542 Cairo 18:55KAC 104 London 19:00UAE 875 Dubai 19:05GFA 217 Bahrain 19:05KAC 166 Paris/Rome 19:05FDB 063 Dubai 19:10KAC 614 Bahrain 19:10ABY 123 Sharjah 19:15JAI 572 Mumbai 19:35KAC 674 Dubai 19:45FDB 059 Dubai 19:50DLH 634 Frankfurt 20:05MEA 402 Beirut 20:15OMA 647 Muscat 20:20JZR 189 Dubai 20:25MSR 618 Alexandria 20:30QTR 1088 Doha 20:35FDB 5053 Dubai 20:55ETD 307 Abu Dhabi 21:05UAE 859 Dubai 21:15ALK 229 Colombo 21:20KLM 415 Amsterdam 21:25THY 764 Istanbul 21:30KAC 172 Frankfurt 21:50QTR 1082 Doha 21:55GFA 219 Bahrain 22:00NIA 151 Cairo 22:10ETD 309 Abu Dhabi 22:10AIC 987 Chennai/Hyderabad 22:25PIA 239 Sialkot 22:35JZR 802 Taif 22:40KAC 782 Jeddah 22:50JZR 185 Dubai 22:55MSC 403 Asyut 23:10JAI 574 Mumbai 23:20MSR 614 Cairo 23:30FDB 071 Dubai 23:35JAD 301 Amman 23:45

Departure Flights on Tuesday 23/8/2016Airlines Flt Route TimeAIC 976 Goa/Chennai 00:05BBC 144 Chittagong/Dhaka 00:10JZR 1540 Cairo 00:20JAI 573 Mumbai 00:25MSR 615 Cairo 00:30FDB 072 Dubai 00:30

KLM 411 Amsterdam 00:55MSC 416 Sohag 01:05THY 773 Istanbul 01:40DLH 635 Frankfurt 02:00MSC 404 Asyut 02:30ETH 621 Addis Ababa 02:45THY 765 Istanbul 02:45AXB 396 Kozhikode 02:50KAC 177 Vienna 02:55PGT 859 Istanbul 02:55KAC 783 Jeddah 03:30UAE 854 Dubai 03:45THY 769 Istanbul 03:45RJA 645 Amman 03:55FDK 802 Damascus 04:00OMA 644 Muscat 04:05SYR 342 Damascus 04:05FDB 068 Dubai 04:05ETD 306 Abu Dhabi 04:10MSR 613 Cairo 04:15KKK 6505 Istanbul 04:20PGT 861 Istanbul 04:30QTR 1077 Doha 04:35RBG 552 Alexandria 04:45JZR 560 Sohag 05:00LMU 5111 Cairo 05:00FEG 962 Sohag 06:00THY 1465 Istanbul 06:00RJA 643 Amman 06:25QTR 1087 Doha 06:30THY 6376 Dubai/Istanbul 06:35THY 771 Istanbul 06:45GFA 212 Bahrain 06:50JZR 240 Amman 06:55FDB 070 Dubai 07:05JZR 164 Dubai 07:15FDB 5062 Dubai 07:55BAW 156 London 08:25FDB 054 Dubai 08:30KAC 171 Frankfurt 08:40SVA 513 Riyadh 08:50KAC 513 Tehran 09:15KAC 787 Jeddah 09:30KAC 619 Doha 09:30KAC 671 Dubai 09:30JZR 534 Cairo 09:30ABY 126 Sharjah 09:45JZR 562 Sohag 09:50UAE 856 Dubai 09:50KAC 101 London/New York 10:00ETD 302 Abu Dhabi 10:05QTR 1071 Doha 10:35IRA 674 Lar 10:40FDB 056 Dubai 10:40KAC 501 Beirut 11:00KAC 561 Amman 11:20KAC 679 Muscat 11:25KAC 165 Rome/Paris 11:25GFA 214 Bahrain 11:35MEA 405 Beirut 12:00KAC 541 Cairo 12:05UAE 874 Dubai 12:10RBG 554 Alexandria 12:10JZR 776 Jeddah 12:15KAC 785 Jeddah 13:00JZR 176 Dubai 13:10FDB 076 Dubai 13:10MSC 402 Alexandria 13:30FEG 934 Sohag 13:55MSR 611 Cairo 14:00THY 767 Istanbul 14:10UAE 872 Dubai 14:15PAL 669 Dubai/Manila 14:45

AXB 394 Kozhikode 14:45CLX 713 Bangkok 14:55KAC 773 Riyadh 15:00MSR 576 Sharm el-Sheikh 15:00FDB 058 Dubai 15:05GFA 222 Bahrain 15:05KAC 673 Dubai 15:05FBA 832 Al Najaf 15:10KAC 617 Doha 15:15QTR 1079 Doha 15:15KAC 741 Dammam 15:30SVA 501 Jeddah 15:45JZR 188 Dubai 15:50KNE 530 Jeddah 15:55KAC 613 Bahrain 16:00BON 102 Sarajevo 16:05OMA 646 Muscat 16:10ABY 128 Sharjah 16:15ETD 304 Abu Dhabi 16:20NIA 252 Alexandria 16:50RJA 641 Amman 16:55JZR 266 Beirut 17:10FDB 052 Dubai 17:25QTR 1073 Doha 17:25KAC 781 Jeddah 17:30UAE 858 Dubai 17:40JZR 801 Taif 17:45SVA 511 Riyadh 18:15JZR 184 Dubai 18:20GFA 216 Bahrain 18:20JZR 538 Cairo 18:30JZR 238 Amman 18:45QTR 1081 Doha 19:05MSR 621 Cairo 19:30KAC 285 Dhaka 19:40GFA 218 Bahrain 19:50FDB 064 Dubai 19:50ABY 124 Sharjah 19:55KAC 361 Colombo 19:55FDB 060 Dubai 20:30UAE 876 Dubai 20:35JAI 571 Mumbai 20:35KAC 331 Trivandrum 20:45DLH 634 Doha 20:50KAC 343 Chennai 20:55KAC 353 BLR 20:55KAC 543 Cairo 21:00KAC 351 Kochi 21:00JZR 554 Alexandria 21:15MEA 403 Beirut 21:15OMA 648 Muscat 21:15MSR 607 Luxor 21:30QTR 1089 Doha 21:45DHX 171 Bahrain 21:50FDB 5054 Dubai 21:55ETD 308 Abu Dhabi 21:55ALK 230 Colombo 22:20UAE 860 Dubai 22:25KLM 415 Dammam/Amsterdam 22:25THY 1403 AYT 22:25KAC 381 Delhi 22:25KAC 301 Mumbai 22:30KAC 345 Ahmedabad 22:55KAC 205 Islamabad 23:00GFA 220 Bahrain 23:00ETD 310 Abu Dhabi 23:05NIA 152 Cairo 23:10KAC 155 Istanbul 23:15QTR 1083 Doha 23:20KAC 411 Bangkok/Manila 23:25PIA 240 Sialkot 23:35KAC 203 Lahore 23:40

112

Automated enquiryabout the Civil ID card is

1889988

X

KNCC PROGRAMME FROM THURSDAY TOWEDNESDAY (18/08/2016 TO 24/08/2016)

SHARQIA-1THE SECRET LIFE OF PETS 12:00 PMTHE SECRET LIFE OF PETS 2:15 PMTHE SECRET LIFE OF PETS 4:15 PMTHE BFG 6:30 PMSUICIDE SQUAD 9:00 PMSUICIDE SQUAD 11:45 PM

SHARQIA-2THE SECRET LIFE OF PETS -3D 1:00 PMJAHEEM FI ILHIND 3:15PMTHE SECRET LIFE OF PETS -3D 5:30 PMJAHEEM FI ILHIND 7:30 PMJAHEEM FI ILHIND 9:45 PMJAHEEM FI ILHIND 12:05 AM

SHARQIA-3SKIPTRACE 11:30 AMTHE LEGEND OF TARZAN 1:45 PMSKIPTRACE 4:00 PMSKIPTRACE 6:15 PMSKIPTRACE 8:30 PMSKIPTRACE 10:45 PMSKIPTRACE 1:00 AM

MUHALAB-1THE BFG 11:30 AMMOHENJO DARO - Hindi 2:00 PMTHE LEGEND OF TARZAN 5:00 PMSUICIDE SQUAD 7:15 PMTHE BFG 9:45 PMSUICIDE SQUAD 12:15 AM

MUHALAB-2SKIPTRACE 12:45 PMSKIPTRACE 3:15 PMTHE BFG 5:30 PMJAHEEM FI ILHIND 8:00 PMJAHEEM FI ILHIND 10:15 PMJAHEEM FI ILHIND 12:30 AM

MUHALAB-3THE SECRET LIFE OF PETS -3D 11:30 AMTHE SECRET LIFE OF PETS 1:45 PMTHE SECRET LIFE OF PETS -3D 3:45 PMTHE SECRET LIFE OF PETS 5:45 PMSKIPTRACE 7:45 PMSKIPTRACE 10:00 PMSKIPTRACE 12:15 AM

FANAR-1SKIPTRACE 12:00 PMSKIPTRACE 2:15 PMMIN 30 SANA 4:30 PMJAHEEM FI ILHIND 7:30 PMJAHEEM FI ILHIND 9:45 PMJAHEEM FI ILHIND 12:05 AM

FANAR-2WAR DOGS 12:15 PMWAR DOGS 2:30 PMSKIPTRACE 5:00 PMWAR DOGS 7:15 PMWAR DOGS 9:45 PMSKIPTRACE 12:15 AM

FANAR-3RABID DOGS 11:30 AMSUICIDE SQUAD 1:30 PMRABID DOGS 4:00 PMMOHENJO DARO - Hindi 6:00 PMTHE BFG 9:00 PMSUICIDE SQUAD 11:45 PM

MARINA-1SUICIDE SQUAD 12:15 PMTHE BFG 2:45 PMTHE LEGEND OF TARZAN 5:15 PMTHE BFG 7:30 PMSUICIDE SQUAD 10:00 PMSUICIDE SQUAD 12:30 AM

MARINA-2SKIPTRACE 11:30 AMSKIPTRACE 2:00 PMJAHEEM FI ILHIND 4:15 PMJAHEEM FI ILHIND 6:30 PMSKIPTRACE 8:45 PMJAHEEM FI ILHIND 11:15 PM

MARINA-3THE SECRET LIFE OF PETS 11:45 AMTHE SECRET LIFE OF PETS 1:45 PMTHE SECRET LIFE OF PETS 4:00 PMNO TUESpecial Show “THE SECRET LIFE OF PETS” 4:00 PMTHE SECRET LIFE OF PETS 6:00 PMTHE SECRET LIFE OF PETS 8:00 PMSKIPTRACE 10:15 PMSKIPTRACE 12:30 AM

AVENUES-1LIFE ON THE LINE 1:00 PMLIFE ON THE LINE 3:00 PMLIFE ON THE LINE 5:00 PMLIFE ON THE LINE 7:00 PMLIFE ON THE LINE 9:00 PMLIFE ON THE LINE 11:00 PMLIFE ON THE LINE 1:00 AM

AVENUES-2THE BFG -3D- 4DX 12:15 PMTHE LEGEND OF TARZAN -3D-4DX 2:45 PMTHE BFG -3D- 4DX 5:15 PMTHE LEGEND OF TARZAN -3D-4DX 7:45 PM

CHANGE OF NAME

SITUATION WANTED

I, Sangaraju Subramanyam,holder of Indian PassportNo: J7175997, havechanged my name toSurapu Raju Subramanyam.(C 5204)21-8-2016

Post Graduate in computerhaving more than five yearsof overseas experience inAdmin/HR field (Visa-article18 transferable). Contact60691841. (C 5205)22-8-16

NOTICEJUNE 26, 2016

Mr. Akashnand son of Mr. Arvind, resident of 3/43,Morkhandi, Basvakalyan Taluka, Bidar, Karnatakaand Miss Sunita Kumari Paswan daughter of Mr.Jagdish Paswan, resident of 16/40, Einstein Avenue,PO - B - Zone, Durgapur, Bardhaman, WestBengal, both Indian nationals, presently residing inKuwait, have given notice of intended marriagebetween them under the Foreign Marriage Act,1969. If anyone has any objection to the proposedmarriage, he/she may file the same with the under-signed according to the procedure laid down underthe Act/Rule within thirty days from the date ofpublication of this notice.

(Krishan Kumar Pahel)

First Secretary (Consular)

And Marriage Officer

Embassy of India, Kuwait.Ph. 00965-22533315

TUESDAY, AUGUST 23, 2016

You are always looking for new ideas that will gain the attention of thoseyou teach or that will help you excel in some task at work. Today, however,

others seem to be teaching you. A conference or business exhibition may find you con-ducting a test so that people will have to have hands-on experience with a product thatyou sell-making it impossible for anyone to walk away without a purchase. Your mind isfull of practical ideas, especially related to your job or skills. You are always coming up withnew ideas that will manage things better and make things work. People in the workplacedepend on you to make the day a more agreeable one-if you are not at work, they miss

you. This evening you will join your co-worker friends for a fun get-together.

Aries (March 21-April 19)

STAR TRACK

Today you may be out of touch with your feelings-perhaps out of focus.There may be romantic inclinations, but work is where you feel the pull to be attentive.Something new is stirring and all of the employees seem to sense that change is in the air.There may be a move of your offices to another building or some big improvements havebeen accepted. The work on the offices finally gets underway this afternoon and progresshappens with the future changes as well as the present business. You are at your bestwhen you are with your loved ones and tonight would be a good time for quiet interac-tions. Look into the possibilities of signing up for a yoga class. There are many differenttypes of exercise classes that are quite helpful in stress relief.

Taurus (April 20-May 20)

You pour a lot of energy into most things you do and can have good resultin very quick order. This is the time in which you will be able to focus and produce some ofyour best work. Your outgoing nature is what others see when you teach, guide or help insome way. Your increased self-confidence should bring you in touch with some ratherinteresting personalities. Concentrate on securing your business contacts for now. Athome you may decide to adapt some fragrance for healing and uplifting. Try aromathera-py with incense or potpourri. Myrrh, bayberry, blueberry, vanilla, pine and cedar are allgood choices. Your healthcare options, such as massage, music therapy and meditationare pathways to teach, heal or just enjoy.

Gemini (May 21-June 20)

A changeable quality in your personality is just what is needed in the work-place. You adapt easily to other people’s moods and if needed, can step in where othersfear to tread. Your intuitive abilities are heightened-you may sense and feel things thatothers do not. A higher-up has spoken, but co-workers do not understand; you just smile,enter the office of the higher-up and offer to help bridge the gap, so to speak. Results fromyour efforts could be clearer messages in the workplace. At least for this time, you havemanaged to create peace where there may have been problems. You love to work, be incharge and create things for others to enjoy. You are original and daring . . . Your enthusi-asm replaces the indifference and negative attitude of others!

Cancer (June 21-July 22)

You do well to take charge today, if not of your own work, perhaps inguiding others. You could feel great support from those around you for whatever is to beaccomplished. You feel healthy and natural. You are outgoing, overflowing and very gen-erous to those who have less, particularly today when you feel so fortunate and someonein need comes to your attention. It is easy to talk to you, as you seldom fail to exhibit com-passion and interest in others. You are proud of yourself and of your family. One memberof your family comes to your attention and is determined to show off a talent that willplease you. You join in celebrations today with the appreciation of life and all its intricacies.You are happy and motivated.

Leo (July 23-August 22)

Equipment failure may have you on the phone most of this morning. Itcould be that your computer at home would be better than this one on your desk. Youopt for home, but higher-ups say to just take a break. This may be one of those days thatyou just go with the flow. This may be the time to make use of the old beeper. Betweenyourself and a friendly co-worker, you can keep each other updated. Later this afternoonyou may find yourself volunteering to work late . . . But not too late. You could find thatthere are some fantastic opportunities to relieve stress in some fun ways this evening. Youenjoy spending a little extra money to eat in a fine restaurant or see a movie with a verygood friend and perhaps, several of your co-workers or a loved one.

Virgo (August 23-September 22)

We all have times of disappointment and this may be one of those dayswhere you become disappointed in someone or some product. There is always a chancefor improvement and if asked to help change, correct, return, guide or instruct-you will gothe extra mile to do so. Talk things over and find out what is underneath the surface. Withyour attention or guidance, difficult situations will work out right. Rising above a difficultsituation today is most admirable and may get you attention that you had not thoughtpossible. Good advice from a guide or older person may be in the forecast-a good day.There is a feeling of knowing someone or having been somewhere before when a friendtreats you to dinner at a new place this evening.

Libra (September 23-October 22)

You could experience sudden rebellious lapses when you have heard justabout enough from one person or people or sounds. This could be loud music or loudconversation. If you are in the workplace, removing yourself for a break would not be abad idea. If you are at home, your own music or a walk around the block may create agood enough break for you; consider that you probably needed the break anyway. Asenergies and concentration returns, you can complete any task that is before you with lessconfusion. Friends appreciate your gestures of kindness and goodwill this afternoon whenyou might offer to help care for young people while the adults take a break from moving,painting, yard work, etc. You enjoy sports and might have fun coaching.

Scorpio (October 23-November 21)

Some of the changes you will be making this day will really just be to yourbenefit. You might decide to update your resume, conduct research and

add your name to a list or sign up for noon classes at a nearby youth organization. Yourgoals might be to continue working in order to support some cause or sign up for anadoption or do some volunteer work. Whatever the case, you make a difference for othersand serve yourself at the same time. Small changes often have big effects later on. Makethe right choice and it rebounds to your benefit; the wrong one, or no choice at all, doesyou no favors. This is a good day for practical ideas and planning about your work or voca-tion. You may receive some recognition or special attention today.

Sagittarius (November 22-December 21)

If you have a new home, you might be considering the new antitheft devicesor perhaps you will get a dog or two. During the noon break at work today bring up thesubject and listen to what others do to feel secure. A community newspaper will be help-ful by informing you of neighborhood updates and happenings. You might join a neigh-borhood group for support and information. A clear-minded insight into your own plansand methods is available to you through one or more of these steps. You will find muchgoodwill from those around you today. Politics and community activities can captivateyou and create future ideas. A progressive and helpful mood is developing. This could

mean that you will want to participate in community activities.

Capricorn (December 22-January 19)

You will finally be able to leave work early today. Although your career ismoving along quite well, you will not be tempted or persuaded to stay late

this evening. A relative, friend or neighbor is having a big bash after a wedding or somesimilar ritual this evening and you have never had the opportunity to go to this type of cel-ebration. This may be some celebration that most people either your age or from your partof the country would never see. You will want to shop and get a gift as well as some funclothing for yourself. It may be difficult to concentrate. You could feel real support and har-mony at this time for circumstances and those around you. When you shop, consider

going where an employee can advise you regarding your purchase.

Pisces (February 19-March 20)

It may be time to look in other directions for a career . . . Your idea of how acompany should treat the employees or customers may be quite different from the opin-ion of the company or employer. You could become caught up in some political matter.Another choice seems the wise move-you have waited long enough. Intuition regardingwork or health is valuable now; heed it. Laugh at little problems and keep moving forward.Your confident outlook will see you through any difficulties now. Exhibit your abilities tobe candid and direct and save the emotions for study at a later time. Remember to useyour mind and not your emotions. There may be talk this evening about some ideas fortravel or short trips and you are ready to have an adventure.

Aquarius (January 20- February 18)

CROSSWORD 1351

ACROSS1. A federal agency established to regulate the

release of new foods and health-relatedproducts.

4. Freetail bats.12. A white linen liturgical vestment with

sleeves.15. The syllable naming the sixth (submediant)

note of a major or minor scale in solmiza-tion.

16. A cephalosporin antibiotic (trade nameUltracef).

17. Primitive predaceous North American fishcovered with hard scales and having longjaws with needle-like teeth.

18. A loose sleeveless outer garment madefrom aba cloth.

19. Holding that only material phenomena canbe known and knowledge of spiritual mat-ters or ultimate causes is impossible.

20. A benevolent aspect of Devi.21. A small cake leavened with yeast.23. Type genus of the Alcidae comprising sole-

ly the razorbill.25. The first of three divisions of the Hebrew

Scriptures comprising the first five booksof the Old Testament considered as a unit.

29. Minute floating marine tunicate having atransparent body with an opening at eachend.

31. A genus of evergreen shrub that grows inNew Zealand.

34. Having sections or patches colored differ-ently and usually brightly.

38. A light springing movement upwards orforwards.

39. A rounded projection or protuberance.41. A river of southwestern Africa that rises in

central Angola and flows east and thennorth (forming part of the borderbetween Angola and Congo) and continu-ing northwest through Congo to emptyinto the Congo River on the borderbetween Congo and Republic of theCongo.

42. A person who lacks good judgment.43. English poet (1618-1857).45. Goddess of criminal rashness and its pun-

ishment.46. On, to, or at the top.48. Studies intended to provide general

knowledge and intellectual skills (ratherthan occupational or professional skills).

49. (used especially of vegetation) Having lostall moisture.

53. Step on it.54. A silvery malleable metallic element that

resists corrosion.55. Tired to the point of exhaustion.57. United States physiologist (born in

Germany) who did research on partheno-genesis (1859-1924).

60. Being ten more than one hundred forty.62. A less than average tide occurring at the

first and third quarters of the moon.64. Small ornamental ladies' bag for small arti-

cles.69. Left-hand page.73. An Arabic speaking person who lives in

Arabia or North Africa.74. To make a mistake or be incorrect.75. A port and the capital of Guinea.77. Someone who works (or provides workers)

during a strike.78. A negative.79. Type genus of the Adelgidae.80. A river in north central Switzerland that

runs northeast into the Rhine.

DOWN1. Loose or flaccid body fat.2. A Chadic language spoken south of Lake

Chad.3. According to the Old Testament he was a

pagan king of Israel and husband ofJezebel (9th century BC).

4. A large cask especially one holding a vol-ume equivalent to 2 butts or 252 gals.

5. Fermented alcoholic beverage similar to butheavier than beer.

6. Acute delirium caused by alcohol poisoning.7. Type genus of the family Arcidae.8. A bar or bars of rolled steel making a track

along which vehicles can roll.9. A mass of ice and snow that permanently

covers a large area of land (e.g., the polarregions or a mountain peak).

10. A mountain in south central Alaska.11. (nautical, aeronautical) Situated at or

toward the stern or tail.12. Largest known toad species.13. Young sheep.14. (informal) Exceptionally good.22. The 1st letter of the Hebrew alphabet.24. An esoteric or occult matter that is tradi-

tionally secret.26. A silvery ductile metallic element found

primarily in bauxite.27. Flightless New Zealand rail of thievish dis-

position having short wings each with aspur used in fighting.

28. Durable fragrant wood.30. A Chinese breed of small short-legged

dogs with a long silky coat and broad flatmuzzle.

32. Put (things or places) in order.33. A convex shape that narrows toward a

point.35. The fourth month of the Hindu calendar.36. Of or relating to or obtained from milk

(especially sour milk or whey).37. German engineer (born in France) who

invented the diesel engine (1858-1913).40. A group of countries in special alliance.44. A translucent mineral consisting of hydrat-

ed silica of variable color.47. Of or relating to or shaped like a toroid.50. The principal evil jinni in Islamic mytholo-

gy.51. A circular segment of a curve.52. A short high tone produced as a signal or

warning.56. A white soft metallic element that tarnish-

es readily.58. Toenail having its free tip or edges embed-

ded in the surrounding flesh.59. The dialect of Malay used as the national

language of the Republic of Indonesia orof Malaysia.

61. Having or covered with protective barbs orquills or spines or thorns etc..

63. Type genus of the Percidae.65. A three-tone Chadic language.66. Swift timid long-eared mammal larger than

a rabbit having a divided upper lip andlong hind legs.

67. A flat-bottomed volcanic crater that wasformed by an explosion.

68. A French abbot.70. A Turkish unit of weight equal to about

2.75 pounds.71. Used of a single unit or thing.72. 10 grams.76. A doctor's degree in optometry.

Yesterday’s Solution

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inf or m at ionTUESDAY, AUGUST 23, 2016

Ahmadi Sama Safwan Fahaeel Makka St 23915883Abu Halaifa Abu Halaifa-Coastal Rd 23715414Danat Al-Sultan Mahboula Block 1, Coastal Rd 23726558

Jahra Modern Jahra Jahra-Block 3 Lot 1 24575518Madina Munawara Jahra-Block 92 24566622

Capital Ahlam Fahad Al-Salem St 22436184Khaldiya Coop Khaldiya Coop 24833967

Farwaniya New Shifa Farwaniya Block 40 24734000Ferdous Coop Ferdous Coop 24881201Modern Safwan Old Kheitan Block 11 24726638

Hawally Tariq Salmiya-Hamad Mubarak St 25726265Hana Salmiya-Amman St 25647075Ikhlas Hawally-Beirut St 22625999Hawally & Rawdha Hawally & Rawdha Coop 22564549Ghadeer Jabriya-Block 1A 25340559Kindy Jabriya-Block 3B 25326554Ibn Al-Nafis Salmiya-Hamad Mubarak St 25721264Mishrif Coop Mishrif Coop 25380581Salwa Coop Salwa Coop 25628241

OphthalmologistsDr. Abidallah Al-Mansoor 25622444Dr. Samy Al-Rabeea 25752222Dr. Masoma Habeeb 25321171Dr. Mubarak Al-Ajmy 25739999Dr. Mohsen Abel 25757700Dr Adnan Hasan Alwayl 25732223Dr. Abdallah Al-Baghly 25732223

Ear, Nose & Throat (ENT)Dr. Ahmed Fouad Mouner 24555050 Ext 510Dr. Abdallah Al-Ali 25644660Dr. Abd Al-Hameed Al-Taweel 25646478Dr. Sanad Al-Fathalah 25311996Dr. Mohammad Al-Daaory 25731988Dr. Ismail Al-Fodary 22620166Dr. Mahmoud Al-Booz 25651426

General PractitionersDr. Mohamme Y Majidi 24555050 Ext 123Dr. Yousef Al-Omar 24719312Dr. Tarek Al-Mikhazeem 23926920Dr. Kathem Maarafi 25730465Dr. Abdallah Ahmad Eyadah 25655528Dr. Nabeel Al-Ayoobi 24577781Dr. Dina Abidallah Al-Refae 25333501

UrologistsDr. Ali Naser Al-Serfy 22641534Dr. Fawzi Taher Abul 22639955Dr. Khaleel Abidallah Al-Awadi 22616660Dr. Adel Al-Hunayan FRCS (C) 25313120Dr. Leons Joseph 66703427

For labor-related inquiries and complaints:

Call MSAL hotline 128

Sabah Hospital 24812000

Amiri Hospital 22450005

Maternity Hospital 24843100

Mubarak Al-Kabir Hospital 25312700

Chest Hospital 24849400

Farwaniya Hospital 24892010

Adan Hospital 23940620

Ibn Sina Hospital 24840300

Al-Razi Hospital 24846000

Physiotherapy Hospital 24874330/9

Kaizen center 25716707

Rawda 22517733

Adaliya 22517144

Khaldiya 24848075

Kaifan 24849807

Shamiya 24848913

Shuwaikh 24814507

Abdullah Salem 22549134

Nuzha 22526804

Industrial Shuwaikh 24814764

Qadsiya 22515088

Dasmah 22532265

Bneid Al-Gar 22531908

Shaab 22518752

Qibla 22459381

Ayoun Al-Qibla 22451082

Mirqab 22456536

Sharq 22465401

Salmiya 25746401

Jabriya 25316254

Maidan Hawally 25623444

Bayan 25388462

Mishref 25381200

W Hawally 22630786

Sabah 24810221

Jahra 24770319

New Jahra 24575755

West Jahra 24772608

South Jahra 24775066

North Jahra 24775992

North Jleeb 24311795

Ardhiya 24884079

Firdous 24892674

Omariya 24719048

N Khaitan 24710044

Fintas 23900322

GOVERNORATE PHARMACY ADDRESS PHONE

Plastic Surgeons

Dr. Mohammad Al-Khalaf 22547272

Dr. Abdal-Redha Lari 22617700

Dr. Abdel Quttainah 25625030/60

Family Doctor

Dr Divya Damodar 23729596/23729581

Psychiatrists

Dr. Esam Al-Ansari 22635047

Dr Eisa M. Al-Balhan 22613623/0

Gynaecologists & Obstetricians

DrAdrian arbe 23729596/23729581

Dr. Verginia s.Marin 2572-6666 ext 8321

Dr. Fozeya Ali Al-Qatan 22655539

Dr. Majeda Khalefa Aliytami 25343406

Dr. Ahmad Al-Khooly 25739272

Dr. Salem soso 22618787

General Surgeons

Dr. Amer Zawaz Al-Amer 22610044

Dr. Mohammad Yousef Basher 25327148

Internists, Chest & Heart

Dr. Adnan Ebil 22639939

Dr. Mousa Khadada 22666300

Dr. Latefa Al-Duweisan 25728004

Dr. Nadem Al-Ghabra 25355515

Dr. Mobarak Aldoub 24726446

Dr Nasser Behbehani 25654300/3

Paediatricians

Dr. Khaled Hamadi 25665898

Dr. Abd Al-Aziz Al-Rashed 25340300

Dr. Zahra Qabazard 25710444

Dr. Sohail Qamar 22621099

Dr. Snaa Maaroof 25713514

Dr. Pradip Gujare 23713100

Dr. Zacharias Mathew 24334282

Dermatology

Dr. Mohammed Salam Bern University 23845955

Dentists

Dr Anil Thomas 3729596/3729581

Dr. Shamah Al-Matar 22641071/2

Dr. Anesah Al-Rasheed 22562226

Dr. Abidallah Al-Amer 22561444

Dr. Faysal Al-Fozan 22619557

Dr. Abdallateef Al-Katrash 22525888

Dr. Abidallah Al-Duweisan 25653755

Dr. Bader Al-Ansari 25620111

Neurologists

Dr. Sohal Najem Al-Shemeri 25633324

Dr. Jasem Mola Hassan 25345875

Gastrologists

Dr. Sami Aman 22636464

Dr. Mohammad Al-Shamaly 25322030

Dr. Foad Abidallah Al-Ali 22633135

Endocrinologist

Dr. Abd Al-Naser Al-Othman 25339330

Dr. Ahmad Al-Ansari 25658888

Dr. Kamal Al-Shomr 25329924

Physiotherapists & VD

Dr. Deyaa Shehab 25722291

Dr. Musaed Faraj Khamees 22666288

Rheumatologists:

Dr. Adel Al-Awadi 25330060

Dr. Khaled Al-Jarallah 25722290

Internist, Chest & Heart

DR.Mohammes Akkad 24555050 Ext 210

Dr. Mohammad Zubaid MB, ChB, FRCPC, PACC Assistant Professor Of Medicine Head, Division of Cardiology Mubarak Al-Kabeer Hospital 25339667

Consultant Cardiologist

Dr. Farida Al-Habib 2611555-2622555 MD, PH.D, FACC Inaya German Medical Center Te: 2575077 Fax: 25723123

Soor CenterTel: 2290-1677Fax: 2290 1688

info@soorcenter.comwww.soorcenter.com

Psychologists/Psychotherapists

PRIVATE CLINICS

William Schuilenberg, RPC 2290-1677Zaina Al Zabin, M.Sc. 2290-1677

Kaizen center25716707

Noor Clinic23845955

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England (UK) 0044

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New Caledonia 00687

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Wales (UK) 0044

Yemen 00967

Yugoslavia 00381

Zambia 00260

Zimbabwe 00263

G O S S I P

TUESDAY, AUGUST 23, 2016

l if e s t y l e

The ‘Picking Up The Pieces’ hitmaker has revealedshe’s expecting her first child with her long-termboyfriend Leyman Lahcine and is planning to take

some time off in order to focus on her journey intomotherhood. Writing on her blog yesterday she said: “Iam so delighted to tell you I am going to take a shortwhile off to have a baby. I have spent my whole lifewanting to be a mother and now the time has come forme to so I feel so lucky.” And, although she’s spent a largeproportion of her latter life in the public eye, the flame-haired beauty is adamant she wants to keep her unbornchild away from the spotlight. She explained: “I hope

that you will respect my new family with our privacy in atime which should be calm and without anxiety. I reallydo not want this child to be in the public eye as it won’thave chosen to and I hope everyone can understandthat.” The 35-year-old singer has also asked her fans notto criticize her pregnancy body as she doesn’t want theadded stress. She said: “I am nervous and excited aboutbeing a mum and just need to be normal and low key fora while. “Pregnancy and motherhood is a very personalthing: daunting, new and worrying at times and I don’twant to add to it by having to ‘look’ a certain way whenpregnant or be photographed pregnant of with my

child. “I wasn’t raised like that and I don’t want my childto be. I want the baby to have the freedom of a normallife.” Meanwhile, although she’s taking some time off tofocus on her unborn baby - whose due date remains amystery - Paloma is adamant she’ll return “full of energy”next year. She said: “I am grateful for your understandingand promise to return fully fledged when I have thismoment of solitude and new life. I am beyond happyabout it.”

Paloma Faith is pregnant

Mischa Barton has been ordered topay $200,000 after she ditched amovie to go on holiday. The 30-

year-old actress will have to pay out thehefty sum to screenwriter Daniel Lief afterhe sued her when she bailed on his movie‘Promoted’, for which she had been cast inthe lead role. Lief - who decided to sue the‘Notting Hill’ actress when he saw picturesof her on social media travelling aroundEurope - claims the delay in productionand the need to recast the lead role costhim more than $300,000, TMZ reports.Meanwhile, Mischa has found herselfinvolved in another big legal dispute aftershe has accused her estranged motherNuala Barton of deliberately delaying thesale of the Beverly Hills home they bothown by making sure potential buyerscouldn’t access the house. And it is not thefirst time Mischa has taken legal actionagainst her mother after previously filingcourt papers to recoup “loss of earnings”she claims she has suffered. A source said:“She is heartbroken by this, and she didn’twant to do it. She hates the attention, butshe didn’t have a choice. “When she saidto her mom, ‘I’m going to have to sue youfor the rights to what I own,’ her mom said,‘Fine, get out of the house. You will neversue us.’ This was two years ago. And[Mischa] got the point where she said, ‘Idon’t care.’” Mislabeled pills have been

found at Prince’s home. The ‘Purple Rain’hitmaker tragically passed away at the ageof 57 from a self-administered fentanyloverdose and now investigators havereportedly found counterfeit drugs, whichcontain fentanyl, at his Paisley Park estate.The pills were located in bottles of vita-mins and aspirin in his dressing room, theMinneapolis Star Tribune newspaperreports. A spokesperson for the DrugEnforcement Administration (DEA) also

told the newspaper that they “haven’tassigned a time limit” to the investigationand insist it will be “ongoing and thor-ough”. Meanwhile, Prince’s friend and col-laborator Judith Hill previously revealedthe singer “fought for his life” after he tookan overdose of Percocet on a flight onlydays before he passed away. She recalled:“We knew it was only a matter of time; wehad to get down. We didn’t have anythingon the plane to help him. [ When wearrived at the hospital], he was awake,which was such a relief to me, because Ithought he was gone ... He wasn’t drearyor drowsy, or anything. He wanted towatch ‘Zootopia’. He loved those films. Iwas going to pull it up on my phone. Hesaid, ‘No, no, no, not here. We’re going topick a special time and place to watchthat.’ He was very cooperative that wholenight, serious about getting help. “He didit because he was concerned, and hewanted to do the right thing for his ownbody. And that’s the part that breaks myheart, because he was trying. He was try-ing ... He told me, ‘I had to fight for my life.I remember hearing your voices from afarand saying to myself, ‘Follow the voices,follow the voices, get back in your body,you gotta to do this.’ And he said it was thehardest thing he’d ever done, to get backinto his body like that.”

Lea Michele wants a man who can look after him-self. The ‘Scream Queens’ star has revealed shewould like to date someone who she can “come

together with” and make “a really good team”. Shesaid: “I was reading an interview with ReeseWitherspoon and she said how it was vital to find apartner who really takes care of their side of the road.And that is something I find important. “I take care ofmyself, and I spend a lot of time and energy doingthat, so I need someone else to look after themselvestoo. It’s only then that you can come together and bea really good team.” The 29-year-old actress tragicallylost her boyfriend Cory Monteith in July 2013 and haspenned a number of tracks about him for her upcom-ing album. She added to Women’s Health magazine:“Obviously the last track was a song about Cory. And

on this new one, the last song is about him again. Butit’s very hopeful song because I’m in a different place.I’m stronger.” Meanwhile, Lea previously admitted she“feels the best” she has done about her body in herwhole life. She shared: “I’m very comfortable in myskin. I was on Broadway and I had to take my clothesoff there as well. “It wasn’t that crazy for me, but thenagain, at the end of the day when you’re taking thesepictures you’re like, ‘Oh wait, these are going to be onnewsstands for the whole world to see.’ But I’m veryhappy with how it came out. I feel the best I’ve everfelt in my whole life. I’m going to be 30 in threeweeks, so I think it was the perfect time to do that.”

Barton ordered to pay $200,000 after pulling out of movie

Lea Michele’s ideal man

Kylie Jennerwants to release

foundations and blushers

Kylie Jenner wants to release foundations and blushersto Kylie Cosmetics. The 19-year-old ‘Keeping Up Withthe Kardashians’ star - who has built up her beauty

brand for over two years - has admitted she is desperate toexpand her ever growing make-up line to include “founda-tions, concealers, blushes and bronzers”. The beauty mogul -who celebrated her birthday on the Turks and Caicos Islandwith her family and friends earlier this month - shared heraspirations for this year on her website thekyliejenner.com.She wrote: “I can’t believe I’m 19!!! When I look back at the pastyear and all that has happened, it’s seriously crazy. I can’t evenimagine what this next year will bring - not only for me, butfor my friends and family too! Check out some of my hopesand dreams for my 19th year! “Kylie Cosmetics dream achieve-ment: I want to release foundations, concealers, blushes andbronzers!” And the brunette beauty - who is set to launch twonew eye liner sets in brown and black, which will include a gelpot, eyeliner and brush, to her e-store today - has admittedshe is “obsessed” with the pink cheeky powder, especiallyBritish make-up artist and beauty mogul Charlotte Tilbury’stwo-part palette in her Cheek to Chic Swish and Pop cosmeticline. Speaking previously about her essential make-up prod-ucts, Kylie - who is currently dating ‘Rack City’ hitmaker Tyga -said: “I’m seriously obsessed with blush. I have tried so manydifferent brands and I love a lot of them, but there’s one thatstands out! “Charlotte Tilbury’s Cheek to Chic Swish and Popcollection is a two-part blush and my favorite palette is Love isthe Drug. You’re supposed to ‘swish’ the outer shade on yourcheekbone and ‘pop’ the center color on the apple of yourcheek and blend the two.”

Wu’s Hugo Boss

womenswear collection

‘more feminine’

The 33-year-old fashion designer - who was named the Art Directorof the German luxury label in 2013 - has admitted his upcomingcapsule for the fashion house will see the tailored garments “soft-

ened up”. Speaking to the Telegraph.co.uk about his forthcoming cloth-ing line, he said: “We’ve softened her up, she’s become more feminine. Thestraight lines have become more curved, the tailoring has become softer.”And the creative mastermind has revealed he is open to working longhours because he loves throwing himself into the creative processes andgetting his “hands dirty”. Jason - who oversees the production of 12 col-lections per year - explained: “I love getting my hands dirty, and I don’tmind working crazy-long hours and weekends.” Meanwhile, Jason - whowas born in Taipei, Taiwan, before him and his family moved to Canada -has admitted he learnt English by reading fashion magazines, which gavehim the “fashion bug” and inspired him to start creating his own designswith the sewing machine his mother bought him at 10 years old. Heexplained: “That’s really how I learnt English. And it was when I got bittenby the fashion bug. “She wanted my brother and me to have opportuni-ties other than those that were available growing up in Taiwan in the1980s. “It was much less acceptable there for a boy to be interested inanything that might be seen as feminine.” Meanwhile Jason - wholaunched his first fashion venture with clothes line for dolls at the age of16 before he debuted his first fashion line in 2006 has admitted he felt“more courageous” when he was younger to break into the fashion indus-try. He said: “I was much more courageous when I was younger. I’d neverbeen to New York before, and I took a train, by myself, from Connecticut,and went to have a meeting with Integrity Toys. “When I talk about itnow, it doesn’t seem believable, but that’s how I started. “My friends wereworking as baristas and I was going off to China to look at production.”

Mayim Bialik

grateful to have

a ‘wonderful’

ex-husband

Mayim Bialik is “tremendously grateful” to havesuch a “wonderful” ex-husband. The ‘Big BangTheory’ star split from her husband of nine

years, Michael Stone, in 2013 but is glad they havebeen able to keep things civil for the sake of their twochildren Frederick, eight, and Miles, 10. She said: “I’ma working mom and every night when I’m working,he’s the one feeding them dinner, giving them a bath,reading them goodnight stories, tucking them in andmaking sure they sleep well. “The best thing I can dois be tremendously grateful for what a wonderful ex-husband I have and what a great dad he is and to con-tinue to shatter the image of the perfect family Ithought my intact family would be.” The 40-year-oldactress admits there are still things about Michael thatannoy her but insists they work hard to always puttheir children first. Speaking in a vlog posted to herYouTube account, she added: “Being divorced is not afun way to raise kids. Things my ex did when we weremarried that annoyed me then, annoy me still. “Life isnot a dress rehearsal. My kids get one chance to bekids and this is their situation. I have to put them firstbecause I’m their mom and he’s their dad.” Meanwhile,Mayim previously admitted she thinks actors are“overpaid”. She said: “I don’t make as much money aspeople think I do. I don’t think about the money a lot. Iam an employed actor and we are all overpaid. I amgrateful to be employed. But I still need to think aboutwhat is next and I think about it a lot. “I don’t think thepay has anything to do with the quality of the show.We have an extraordinary cast and amazing writingstaff and people all care passionately about puttingon a show every week.”

Natalie Portman:Lena Dunhaminspired me

Natalie Portman deals with criticism betterbecause of Lena Dunham. The ‘Black Swan’star credits the ‘Girls’ actress for “inspiring her”

to not worry about the negative responses she canget. She told Entertainment Weekly: “I do think the‘vanity project’ concept is definitely used moreagainst women. I found myself very affected by see-ing reviews like that as a kid, growing up, whenBarbra Streisand directed ‘The Mirror Has Two Faces’[in 1996]. I remember, as a 12-year-old, readingreviews saying it was a ‘vanity project’ and talkingabout how she lights herself and stuff, and it mademe reluctant to try taking on multiple roles on thisfilm. To be a writer, director, and actress, I was like, ‘Ohmy God, they’re going to kill me for this!’ “I rememberseeing ‘Tiny Furniture’, Lena Dunham’s film, and whenthe credits rolled I started crying because it was writ-ten by Lena Dunham, starring Lena Dunham, pro-duced by Lena Dunham, and directed by LenaDunham ... This young woman has no fear of saying, ‘Idid it, I did all of this.’ And it was so good. It inspiredme to not be afraid of that criticism.” Meanwhile, the35-year-old actress previously admitted she finds ithard to watch herself on screen. She shared: “It’s hard[to see myself on screen]. And I think it was good forme because normally I can’t watch myself at all, andwatching myself makes me cringe, and I cover myface, and it’s very hard to watch. “I think people whoaren’t in film experience that when they hear theirvoice on an answering machine or something. “So tohave to watch myself in a way that was constructivelycritical was really good for me because it made me alittle bit more easy on myself because I wasn’tallowed to walk away screaming.”

TUESDAY, AUGUST 23, 2016

G O S S I P

l if e s t y l e

Sir Ian McKellen turned down £1 mil-lion to officiate a wedding dressed asGandalf. The 77-year-old actor - who

portrays the legendary character in the‘Lord Of The Rings’ movies - was asked toappear at the wedding of Napster founderSean Parker, but refused. He said: “I wasoffered one-and-a-half million dollars tomarry a very famous couple in California,which I would perhaps have considereddoing but I had to go dressed as Gandalf.So I said, ‘I am sorry, Gandalf doesn’t doweddings.’” However, the ‘X-Men: Days ofFuture Past’ star insists he had no idea whowas behind the offer. He said: “He was avery rich man, that’s all I know. I don’t godressing up - except in plays and things atplaces like this.” Whilst a source added tothe Mail on Sunday newspaper: “The offerto Sir Ian to officiate was made through a

mutual friend of Sir Ian’s and Sean Parker.”And Ian would have no problem in actuallyofficiating the wedding if he wanted toafter he got his qualification to marry hisfriend Sir Patrick Stewart and Sunny Ozellin 2013. Meanwhile, Sean reportedlysplashed out a total of £7.5 million on hiswedding to Alexandra Lenas in Big Sur,California in 2013. Guests at the Tolkien-themed bash were handed custom-madeoutfits by the film’s costume designer NgilaDickson whilst they dined on suckling pigs.The couple’s wedding cake was a whop-ping 9ft tall whilst guests “in need of a cud-dle” were allowed to get up close and per-sonal with a pen full of bunnies. In the end,the wedding was conducted by a UnitarianUniversalist minister.

‘Gandalf’ turned down$1.5m to officiate Sean

Parker’s wedding

The Little Mix singer went on a date with Luke Pasqualino recently but hasadmitted she’s still single and is keen to find a “hunky man” by trying out thematchmaking game. Asked if the girls in the group - also comprised of Jesy

Nelson, Jade Thirwall and Leigh-Anne Pinnock - are single, she told the Daily Mirror:“We are! [I’d look for] someone honest, fit, a hunky man. I said in the group chat I’dlove to do speed-dating, it’d be so much fun! Total jokes.” The 23-year-old blondebeauty - who split from Zayn Malik last summer - enjoyed a date with the former‘Skins’ actor when the pair took a trip to see ‘Aladdin’ in London’s West End beforepartying the night away at nightclub Mahiki. A source said at the time: “It was theirfirst date, but things are going well. They met on a night out and really hit it off,then arranged to meet up - and it seemed like they had lots of fun. Hopefully, itblossoms into something more.” Perrie’s date with Luke no doubt came as a surpriseto her former fiancÈ Zayn Malik, who previously revealed he would love for thehunky star to play him in a movie about his life. He said: “I always say the same per-son, but I always forget his name. I know his name’s Luke. ... He was in the British‘Skins’; he plays Freddie.” And Luke responded at the time to say he would jump atthe chance. Zayn, 23, reportedly dumped Perrie last year via text after four yearstogether but later penned the single ‘It’s You’ about the ‘Black Magic’ hitmaker. Hesaid at the time: “I just felt like I needed to put myself out there on that just becauseit was a form of therapy for me and it did help get me through some stuff.”

Perrie Edwards wantsto go speed dating

Sarah Jessica Parker has wished happybirthday to her “sister” Kim Cattrall. The51-year-old actress celebrated her ‘Sex

In The City’ co-star’s 60th birthday with asweet message on Instagram. She wrote:“Happy birthday you beauty @kimcattrall.Sending love and the very best for a perfectlymarvelous, joyous, healthy and adventurefilled birthday year. Your ol’ pal, fellow mis-chief maker and “sister”, Sj xxx (sic)” And Sarahand Kim might not have even known eachother as the blonde beauty - who playedCarrie Bradshaw in the hit show - previouslyadmitted she nearly turned down the pro-gram because she was concerned about“nudity and language issues”. She wrote: “He[her agent Kevin Huvane] called me up andsaid, ‘Darren Star reached out to me. ‘He’swritten this pilot [Sex and the City] and tellsme he wrote it with you in mind - you were in

his head when he was writing it. I’m going tosend it to you. I’ve read it. I think it’s reallygood. You should meet with him.’ “And I said,‘Really? I feel like I’ve got it all right now. I cando a play, then do a movie, then do a play,then do a movie. There’s a lot of flexibility.What could be better? Do I really want to goback to making a television series when I’mmaybe held hostage signing a long-term con-tract?’ “I met with Darren, and there were acouple of concerns that I had-like I really was-n’t keen on doing nudity and languageissues-but Kevin continued to say to me, ‘Thisis different. You have never done anythinglike this before. No one’s ever done a part likethis. Do this.’

Parker wishes

Cattrall a happy

60th birthday

John Newman met

girlfriend on flight

John Newman met his new girlfriend on a plane.The ‘Love Me Again’ hitmaker recently struck upa relationship with an air hostess after they hit it

off while she was working on his flight to Bornholmin Denmark. He explained: “I’m dating somebodywho is really supportive of me and really lovely.“She’s not in the industry. She’s actually an air host-ess and that sounds really, really bad. We met on aplane. I was flying from Copenhagen to Bornholm,this tiny little island off Denmark because I was film-ing there. “She was working, it wasn’t like any weirdflight thing, we started talking and she was amaz-ing. “I honestly couldn’t care about fame or celebri-ty as she’s just brilliant and I really enjoy spendingtime with her.” And the 26-year-old singer’s newromance is also helping him stay positive afterbeing told earlier this year that he needs to undergolife-saving surgery on a brain tumor. Speaking toThe Sun newspaper, he said: “I’ve got to go in for bigsurgery and radiotherapy so I don’t have to put upwith this thing again-I don’t have to live knowing itmight come back. They’re going to get rid of it thistime.” However, this isn’t the first time the talentedstar has had a brush with death as just four yearsago he was told he had a benign growth the size ofan egg pushing on his brain and was starting tomake him go blind. He explained: “It’s differentbecause it was so brutal last time. It was, ‘You needto get this sorted immediately, you’re in a really badplace. It’s grown really big and you’re starting to goblind’. I basically went in and they took it out beforeit did some really bad damage. “It has been moni-tored so much since then, they’ve been watching itgrow, they didn’t want to tell me too early becauseit might stop, now they know it’s coming back.”

Amber Heard, Margot Robbie and CaraDelevingne were reportedly deniedentry to a club in London over the

weekend. The ‘Magic Mike XXL’ star - whorecently reached a divorce settlement withher former spouse Johnny Depp - was seenout in the British capital with the ‘SuicideSquad’ stars but they were reportedly deniedentry to strip club SophistiCats inMarylebone. A source told Mail Online: “Theywere seen talking to security and then notentering the club. Cara threw her hands up inthe air in a frustrated fashion before they allheaded for Chiltern Firehouse.” Meanwhile,the 30-year-old actress - who is currently get-ting over her recent divorce from Depp - pre-viously revealed she would be donating herentire divorce settlement to charity. She saidin a statement: “As described in the restrain-ing order and divorce settlement, moneyplayed no role for me personally and neverhas, except to the extent that I could donateit to charity and, in doing so, hopefully help

those less able to defend themselves “Asreported in the media, the amount receivedin the divorce was $7 million and $7 million isbeing donated. This is over and above anyfunds that I have given away in the past andwill continue to give away in the future. “Thedonation will be divided equally between theACLU, with a particular focus to stop violenceagainst women, and the Children’s Hospital ofLos Angeles, where I have worked as a volun-teer for the past 10 years alongside organiza-tions like the Art of Elysium. “Over the years, Ihave seen firsthand how more funding forstaffing, better equipment and better med-ication can make the difference between lifeor death for a child. “I know these organiza-tions will put the funds to good use and lookforward to continuing to support them in thefuture. Hopefully, this experience results in apositive change in the lives of people whoneed it the most.”

Heard, Robbie and Delevingne

denied entry to a club

Eddie Murphy thanks God that hehas never taken drugs. The 55-year-old actor thinks there are a

number of times he could have “woundup crashing and burning”, such as whenhe was offered cocaine by his late‘Saturday Night Live’ castmates JohnBelushi - who died from a cocaine andheroin overdose in 1982 - and RobinWilliams, who committed suicide twoyears ago. And Eddie admits his narrowescapes only serve to strengthen hisfaith. He said: “I don’t drink-I don’t havelike this moral thing about it, I just don’tdo it-and I didn’t get high. “[One nightout] Belushi and Robin Williams offeredme some blow (cocaine) and I didn’ttake it, and Belushi called me a ‘tightass.’Then, years later, I was like, ‘Wow, that’sa trip.’ “[If I’d accepted it] The EddieMurphy story would have been totallydifferent. “There are a bunch of thingslike that that I look back on and be like,‘Wow.’ And that just reaffirms my faith. Iknow that God is real. There’s been abunch of times when I could havewound up crashing and burning.” The‘Mr Church’ star - who has eight childrenfrom past relationships and three-

month-old daughter Izzy with girlfriendPaige Butcher - claims he hasn’t read anewspaper for 20 years as he is nolonger interested in negative storiesabout himself or the industry. Speakingon The Hollywood Reporter’s ‘AwardsChatter’ podcast, he said: “I used to bethe hippest of them all. I used to knoweverything about everything. I used toread about everything that was goingon and I knew everybody’s name and

anybody in pop culture. Anything thatwas written about me I would read.“And for the last maybe 20 years-Ihaven’t read a newspaper in 20 years, orread a corporate magazine, I don’t readcorporate magazines or stuff, I don’tread stuff about me. I really don’t readstuff about me. “Like, if there’s an articleabout me, someone has to read throughit before they even give it to me. I don’twant to see anything that has anythingnegative. I don’t want to read any of thatthing. So I don’t know what y’all think.”And Eddie has no interest in interactingwith his fans on social media as he does-n’t even own a computer. He added: “Idon’t have a computer, I don’t haveemail, I don’t have any of that thing. “Idon’t need to be on social media inter-acting with the fans, tweeting that I justate strawberries. Nothing has made mego, ‘Oh, yeah, get me on, too, I want tobe on there with y’all! I just had straw-berries too!’ ‘I’m going to the store now!’‘Look at this picture of this baby!’ “I don’tfeel any pressure to live up to any what-ever-expectation- anyone may have.”

Miranda Lambert has got“engaged” - to a six-year-oldfan. The 32-year-old singer -

who divorced Blake Shelton last yearafter four years of marriage - wasthrilled to receive a proposal from ayoung supporter and promised theycan tie the knot, but not for severalyears. Speaking to the audience at theMetLife Stadium in New Jersey onSaturday, Miranda said: “I forgot to tellyou something really important. I gotengaged today! There’s a little 6-year-old boy here named Sebastian. Heasked me to marry him. I said yes, in 25years.” And Miranda - who was perform-ing as support act for headliner KennyChesney - showed off the pink ring“gentleman” Sebastian had given herwhen he popped the question. The‘Vice’ hitmaker said: “Look at this beauti-ful ring! He got on one knee. He wassuch a gentleman. It may be myfavorite proposal ever.” The next day,Miranda, who is dating Anderson East,uploaded two photos taken duringSebastian’s proposal to fans on

Instagram. She added the caption: “Isaid YES! But he has to wait 25 years.This sweet boy Sebastian is a little gen-tleman.” Sebastian had got into themeet-and-greet session with his idol

after spotting fan Sarah Goddard, whowas wearing a sticker to grant heraccess to see the country singer, andasking her to propose on his behalf -but she went one better and broughthim into the room with her. Sarahexplained to People magazine: “I toldhis mom he could come in with me ‘asmy son’ so he could propose toMiranda himself. “He bought the ringhimself ... his mom said he’s been hold-ing on to it since Christmas, waiting foran opportunity to propose to Miranda.”Sarah shared her involvement in theproposal on her Instagram, sharing apicture of the ring with the captions: “Imade Sebastian’s dream come true, heis the sweetest. He even practiced hisproposal with me @mirandalambert“Can’t believe Miranda just acknowl-edged Sebastian the 6yr old boy I got aM&G who proposed to her with a pret-ty pink ring @mirandalambert.” She alsouploaded a video with the caption:“The moment when Miranda tells theentire stadium about Sebastian’s pro-posal. He is such a sweet boy.”

Miranda Lambert gets ‘engaged’to six-year-old fan

Murphy’s sobriety strengthens faith

TUESDAY, AUGUST 23, 2016

l if e s t y l eM U S I C & M O V I E S

AMalaysian court yesterday remanded a rap artist incustody for a music video entitled “Oh my God”which allegedly insults Islam because it was partly

filmed in a mosque. Namewee, whose real name is WeeMeng Chee, will be held for four days, a Penang districtpolice chief, Mior Faridalathrash Wahid, told AFP. He saidthe rapper was being investigated for defiling a place ofworship with the intention of insulting a religion. The rap-per, who is also a film director, could face up to two years injail, a fine, or both penalties if convicted, according to localmedia. The word “Allah” and sounds of the Islamic call toprayer were said to have been used in the four-minuteMandarin-language music video.

The video featured footage of Namewee and othersingers, dressed in outfits representing various culturesand religions, performing inside a Penang mosque and achurch as well as Hindu, Buddhist and Taoist temples.

Namewee was arrested at Kuala Lumpur InternationalAirport while returning from overseas late Sunday.Amnesty International yesterday criticized the arrest, call-ing it a “another sign of the increasing repression by theMalaysian authorities against government critics includingartists”. “Amnesty International calls for Namewee to bereleased immediately and unconditionally if he is beingdetained purely for the peaceful exercise of his right tofreedom of expression,” said a regional deputy directorJosef Roy Benedict.

“The organization also calls on the government torepeal or review all laws that unduly restrict the right tofreedom of expression.” Malaysia generally practices amoderate brand of Islam. But Muslim moderates and fol-lowers of other religions have expressed concern at asteady rise in conservative Islamic attitudes. Earlier thisyear cinema posters and a billboard advertisement for a

Hong Kong blockbuster film were modified to erase a half-man, half-pig character. Pork and its by-products are for-bidden under the religion. In July several groups filedpolice reports claiming Namewee’s music video had insult-ed Islam.

In response he posted a YouTube video explaining thathe had no intention of insulting any religion and that thesong was written to “promote harmony”. The original musicvideo is no longer available online but an edited versionwithout footage of the mosque scenes was uploaded toYouTube over the weekend. Namewee has ruffled politicaland religious feathers several times over the years. He firsthit the headlines in 2007 when he posted a video that fea-tured him rapping to Malaysia’s national anthem usingallegedly seditious lyrics. — AFP File photo shows Malaysian rapper Wee Meng Chee, better

known as Namewee, speaking during an interview withAFP at his office in Kuala Lumpur. — AFP

Malaysian rapper remandedfor ‘insulting Islam’

Belgian legend “Toots” Thielemans has died after a 70-yearcareer as the world’s most famous harmonica player dur-ing which he made music with some of the biggest

names in jazz. Jean-Baptiste Frederic Isidore Thielemans,known affectionately as “Toots”, died in his sleep in a Brusselshospital early yesterday, his manager Veerle Van de Poel said.He was 94. “It comes as a bit of a shock and surprise as he wasdoing very well after suffering a fall last month,” Van de Poeltold AFP.

Born in 1922 in the working class Marolles district ofBrussels, Thielemans got his big break when he joined BennyGoodman on a European tour in 1950 before moving to theUnited States where he teamed up with other jazz greats,including Charlie Parker, Ella Fitzgerald and Frank Sinatra. Hetook up the harmonica as a hobby and then during World WarII, as described on his official website, he became hooked onjazz. The nickname followed, taken from US musician TootsMondello, a swing jazz saxophonist, and Toots Camarata, atrumpet player, composer and arranger. “He brought a ratherbanal instrument intended for campsites to almost sacredheights,” said jazz historian Marc Danval. Gypsy-jazz greatDjango Reinhardt and Ray Ventura were major inspirations. Achronic asthma condition also influenced his unique style ofplay.

‘One of the greatest’ Buoyed by the commercial success of his now standard

“Bluesette” in 1962, he played harmonica on the soundtrack forthe hit Dustin Hoffman and Jon Voight film “Midnight Cowboy”

in 1969 and many others. Thielemans also accompanied non-jazz artists such as Paul Simon, Billy Joel, Stevie Wonder andNick Cave. He also played the closing theme on the popularchildren’s TV program Sesame Street. In 2001, Belgian KingAlbert II made him a baron, sealing his status as one of thecountry’s best-known figures on a par with Tour de Francegreat Eddy Merckx.

In recent years, Thielemans had to cope with failing healthbut he refused to let this put him off and in 2012 he played aconcert in Brussels to mark his 90th birthday before setting outon a world tour. However, age and poor health caught up withToots, and he gave up touring in 2014. “We have lost a greatmusician, a heart-warming personality. All my thoughts arewith the family and friends of Toots Thielemans,” Belgian PrimeMinister Charles Michel said in a tweet. For musician and pro-ducer Quincy Jones, who famously took Michael Jackson’scareer to new heights with “Thriller”, Toots was one of the all-time greats. “I can say without hesitation that Toots is one ofthe greatest musicians of our time,” Jones is quoted as sayingon Thieleman’s website. A jazz festival held in his name wasdue to take place next month in the Belgian town of La Hulpewhere Thielemans resided. — AFP

A picture taken on December 4, 1988 shows then Belgium’s minister foreconomic affairs Willy Claes (left) and Belgian jazz composer and harmoni-ca player Jean-Baptiste Frederic Isidore Thielemans known as ‘Toots’(right) posing after a concert at the Theatre de la Monnaie, on the occasionof the minister’s 50th anniversary, in Brussels.

A picture taken on December 4, 1988 shows then Belgium’s minister for econom-ic affairs Willy Claes (left) and Belgian jazz composer and harmonica player Jean-Baptiste Frederic Isidore Thielemans known as ‘Toots’ (right) posing after a con-cert at the Theatre de la Monnaie, on the occasion of the minister’s 50th anniver-sary, in Brussels.

This file photo taken on July 15, 2008 shows US music producer Quincy Jones(right) gesturing next to jazz harmonica player Toots Thielemans (far left) at theend of the “Quincy Jones’ 75th Anniversary Celebration” night on the AuditorumStravinski stage at the 42nd Montreux Jazz Festival in Montreux.—AP/AFP photos

These file photos taken on February 29, 2012 shows musician Toots Thielemans playing harmonica at a press conferencefor the Toots90, to present the events organised for the 90th anniversary of the artist, in La Hulpe, Belgium.

Belgian jazz legend ‘Toots’ Thielemans dies at 94

Schwarzeneggersays he wants

world to be fitter

Arnold Schwarzenegger says being a bodybuildingchampion, movie star and governor of California is notenough-he wants people to be fit too. “To me, it was

not only important to be a bodybuilding champion and to domovies and to be the governor, but also to use my power ofinfluence to promote health and fitness all over the world,”Schwarzenegger told reporters at the unveiling of the inaugu-ral Arnold Classic Asia Multi-Sport Festival in Hong Kong.

The event, which will run until Sunday, features a range ofactivities such as fencing, bodybuilding, rugby, yoga,weightlifting, arm wrestling, chess and solving Rubik’s cubepuzzles. “It doesn’t matter-you maybe like gymnastics, I maybelike bodybuilding, but your exercise is as important as myexercise. So what we want to do is celebrate and bring every-one together,” he said. Schwarzenegger has held similarevents elsewhere around the world. — Reuters

Arnold Schwarzenegger

DiCaprio, girlfriendunhurt after

fender-bender in Hamptons

Authorities say actor Leonardo DiCaprio and hisDanish supermodel girlfriend weren’t injuredwhen their vehicle was involved in a minor

accident in the Hamptons over the weekend. Police inthe village of East Hampton say the accident occurredaround 4:30 pm Saturday on Montauk Highway onLong Island’s east end, where the 41-year-old Oscar-winning actor and 24-year-old Nina Agdal were travel-ing together.

A department spokeswoman tells Newsday theaccident, first reported by the New York Post, was “justminor” and no one was taken to a hospital. Officialshad not released any other information yesterday.DiCaprio is a frequent visitor to the Hamptons, wherehe has rented homes and frequents hotspots. Thecouple was spotted at a popular restaurant inMontauk in June. — AP

Lindsay Lohan wantsto meet Putin, Russian

TV host says

Troubled US star Lindsay Lohan has demanded ameeting with President Vladimir Putin in return forappearing on a Russian chat show, its host said, con-

firming US media reports. Andrei Malakhov, who hosts thetop-rating “Pust Govoryat” or “Let Them Talk” show, toldLifeNews Russian website late Sunday that Lohan “reallydoes have a desire to meet the Russian president.” “I don’tknow what she wants to discuss with him — saving Amurtigers or the problems of people with drug addiction,” hesaid.

US entertainment news site TMZ earlier said that Lohansent Russian Channel One television a list of demandsincluding a meeting with Putin and photos with him aswell as a private jet, a one-year visa and a fee of 500,000British pounds ($650,000, 580,000 euros). “The actual feewas a little lower,” Malakhov told LifeNews. “I also want toearn 80 million a year and have dinner with the Queen, butdreams and reality are different things. You need to look atthe situation soberly-unlike Lindsay Lohan,” Malakhov wasquoted as saying.

He posted a link to the LifeNews report on his officialTwitter account, along with a message calling Lohan a“naughty girl.” A spokeswoman for Channel One earlier onSunday confirmed to RIA Novosti news agency that Lohanhad been asked to appear on the show, but said the condi-tions had not yet been discussed and the TMZ report “didnot correspond to reality.” Lohan, a 30-year-old formerchild star who appeared in hit films “The Parent Trap,”“Freaky Friday” and “Mean Girls” has struggled with drugaddiction.

Russian television wants to interview her about her rela-tionship with Russian-born Egor Tarabasov, whose father isreportedly a businessman from Moscow. Lohan hasaccused Tarabasov of violent abuse. Putin in 2010 metHollywood star Leonardo DiCaprio at a summit on protect-ing tigers but has failed to set a date for a meeting withBritish singer Elton John to discuss gay rights. — AFP

Lindsay Lohan

TUESDAY, AUGUST 23, 2016

l if e s t y l eF E A T U R E S

As a chilly dusk fell on this tiny bay famous for wildlifeand Jurassic-era fossilized trees, a white-coated figurewaddled gingerly across tide-slicked rocks - me, trying

to get out of sight to prevent scaring off yellow-eyed penguinsI hoped would come ashore. A 2-foot-tall penguin popped outof the ocean, gave me a puzzled stare from its lemon-hued eye,and marched to its nest in the cliffs.

Nearly four times closer to the South Pole than to New Yorkor London, first settled by Maori around 950 and by Europeans900 years later, the southernmost part of New Zealand’s SouthIsland is so pristine it’s a toss-up who feels most surprised inmeeting, you or the wildlife. During an eight-day drive alongthe 380-mile (610-kilometer) two-lane Southern Scenic Route, Iwatched some of the world’s rarest penguins commute home,rode horses across rivers where “The Lord of the Rings” wasfilmed, and sailed in fjords and hiked mountain trails amongtree-sized ferns and moss-draped beech trees that looked likegiant bonsais.

A rainforest filterI started in late June (winter in the Southern Hemisphere) in

Queenstown, a buzzing ski-and-outdoors town on a turquoiselake, and ended in the stately Edwardian city of Dunedin, witha detour to its Otago Peninsula and up to Moeraki. In between,endless vistas opened up of swirling ocean and massive moun-tains in all hues of South Island’s precious pounamu, the green-stone that’s crucial to local Maori culture. From Queenstown totiny Te Anau, the gateway to Fiordland National Park, snow-capped ranges, corrugated by the ongoing collision of theworld’s two largest tectonic plates, cascade to the horizon. Intheir expansive shade, I trotted by horse along a fast, steely riv-er near Glenorchy and hiked a few miles of the AlpineRouteburn track, starting through a rainforest filter of drapingmoss and ending by a tarn at Key Summit with peaks 360degrees around.

Imagine mixing Hawaii with the Alps, then magnify it by amillion: 3,000-foot (900-meter) ridges tumble into the still, darkwaters of Milford and Doubtful sound, where it rains about 22feet (7 meters) a year and waterfalls sprout everywhere. Thecar-antenna chewing kea, the world’s only alpine parrot, liveshere, as do dolphins and seals in large colonies where thefjords end in the Tasman Sea. Tourists flock to Milford with its

picture-perfect Mitre Peak, but Doubtful Sound is three timesas long and its remoteness far more mesmerizing. Along thesouthern and eastern coasts, the mountains fade into ubiqui-tous sheep pastures. Deserted beaches stretch out, from thepebble-covered Gemstone Beach near Riverton to the sandyhalf-moon of Tautuku Bay in the Catlins region, where dirtroads meander past farms shielded by thick tree stands dou-bled over by the winds.

Wildlife sightingsIt was here that I saw my first hoiho, as yellow-eyed pen-

guins are called in Maori, one of only 2,000 estimated to exist.Farther up the coast at Katiki Point, I happened upon theirevening rush hour and watched half a dozen paddle out of theocean after a day of fishing, preen, then hurry up the cliffs astheir mates called out. On Otago Peninsula, royal albatrossessoared on their 10-foot (3-meter) wingspans at Taiaroa Head,while at Sandfly Bay, sea lions plopped belly-down and wig-gled their 700-pound (300-kilogram)-plus bulk in the sand likesunbathers. Just opposite the peninsula, in 19th-centuryCarey’s Bay Historic Hotel, I had the best dish on the trip, fresh

green-lipped mussels and Otago clams and scallops in cream.Runners-up: homemade gnocchi with wild venison at Etruscoand blue cod at Plato, both in Dunedin; “swine” burgers atQueenstown’s Fergburger; lamb roast at Te Anau’s The Ranch;fish and chips at Hampden’s Lockies.

Of Otago’s wines, my favorite was the intense Felton RoadChardonnay Bannockburn. One late afternoon toward theend of the trip, I accompanied a surfer friend to Aramoanabeach, 15 minutes from Carey’s Bay. After I had strolled towhere the white beach ended in a rocky cove, he called outfrom the waves, asking about my wildlife sightings of the day:Had I seen any penguins? Sea lions? Seals? As I bellowed backsuccessive “Nos,” a mustachioed head rose from the wet boul-ders next to me. There was no mistaking the message in thefur seal’s groggy eyes. Mumbling an apology, I walked softlyaway, while the seal settled back into its post-deepwater-fish-ing nap. — AP

Photo shows Doubtful Sound, a remote fjord within Fiordland National Park in New Zealand’s South Island. — AP photos Photo shows a sheep pasture at Katiki Point, about an hour’s drive north of the city of Dunedin in New Zealandís SouthIsland.

Photo shows a yellow-eyed penguin calling to its mate as it returned to its nestafter a day of fishing at Katiki Point, in New Zealand’s South Island.

Photo shows visitors admiring a waterfall during a cruise of Milford Sound inNew Zealand’s South Island.

Photo shows a stand of trees shaped by the strong winds on Otago Peninsula, inNew Zealand’s South Island.

Wildlife and wilderness galore in New Zealand’s South Island

The phrase “wood walls” shouldno longer conjure up images ofgloomy paneled basements or

cabins sheathed in dated, knottypine. Today’s wood walls are ridinghigh on the decor trend curve. Somepay homage to wood walls’ early ormidcentury roots. Wainscoting, thatcharm-filled wall treatment in oldtimey colonials and capes, might nowbe painted a dramatic deep violet,decked out with a lattice motif, or begiven an exaggerated scale higher orlower than the standard chair rail.

Then there’s the reclaimed woodwave, popularized by celebrity reno-vators Joanna and Chip Gaines ofHGTV’s “Fixer Uppers” series. The cou-ple frequently uses rough-hewnboards from old barns and farmhous-es. Fans of their Waco, Texas, storeMagnolia Market can buy T-shirtshash-tagged “shiplap.” Designers sug-gest creating feature walls with eithera sleek contemporary look or a rusticmodern vibe. Horizontal, vertical, her-ringbone or mosaic patterns adddepth and dimension.

Peter Glassford of San Antoniofused his studio art background andhis marketing and design job with ahigh-end Mexican furniture maker tocreate sculptural installations withthe tropical hardwood off-cuts leftover from furniture making. He nowproduces mass-market collagesquares representative of his originalsigned art. The dramatic 3-D designs,which can be lacquered in customhues, evoke the AbstractExpressionist work of American sculp-tor Louise Nevelson.

“Each panel is unique, like a smallcuration of random shapes that cele-brates chance, free of patterns,”Glassford says. Architects are adding

wood feature walls to contemporaryhomes. Angela Robinson used hori-zontal boards on a bedroom wall atInn the Estuary, a bed and breakfastin Nanoose Bay, British Columbia. Thepanels blend a modern sensibilitywith a respect for the wilderness.

“I love to incorporate natural tex-tures and materials,” says Robinson.“Wood adds warmth and, dependingon how it’s finished, can make a spacefeel more traditional, contemporary,rustic or refined.” When using wood,appreciate its characteristics,Robinson advises. “Keep in mind thatwood is a natural material that dents,scratches, swells and ages in time. Ithink that the more wood is used andaged, the more unique and beautifulit looks.” If you’re interested in tryingwood tiles, check out sites likewww.pebbletileshop.com , whichsells wood reclaimed from oldSoutheast Asian fishing boats.Marine-grade material like this makesa great kitchen backsplash.

Woodworker Jerry McCall ofSacramento, California, band-sawsreclaimed wood into thin planks thatcan be adhered to a wall with adhe-sive or peel-and-stick tabs. His com-pany, Stikwood, offers weatheredversions of the planks, as well as oak,fir, maple and cherry boards.Salvaged flooring from sports are-nas, complete with game markings,makes a unique statement. McCallthinks the appeal l ies in wood’swarmth, history, and a comfort andcalmness it brings to a space. “Theperfect antidote to the chaos of ourmodern lives,” he says. — AP

This photo provided by Stikwood shows a baby room with a wood wall designed byCarrie Rodman. — AP photos

This photo provided by Stikwood shows a bedroom with a wood wall.

Today’s wood walls makea modern statement

This undated photo provided by wood artist Peter Glassford shows one ofhis collages made out of offcuts of Parota and Rosa Morada, two CentralAmerican hardwoods.

38Malaysian rapper

remanded for ‘insulting Islam’

TUESDAY, AUGUST 23, 2016

A runner participates in the annual Color Run in Centennial Park in Sydney. The Color Run is a 5km fun run started in the US in 2012 and is inspired by the traditional Hindu festival Holi, where people throw natural coloured powders as the sea-sons change from winter to spring. — AFP

Popular Frank Sinatra tunes in Las Vegas hotellobbies have been replaced by the likes of Siaand Rihanna. The final tower of the famed

Riviera Hotel and Casino has fallen, and the SandsHotel and Casino is long gone. A tribute show tothe Rat Pack draws mainly retirees. True, Sinatra’sSin City presence is fading, and many sites connect-ed to Ol’ Blue Eyes long have disappeared. ButSinatra fans can still locate pieces of his Las Vegaslegacy with a little homework.

In downtown Las Vegas, amid the street per-formers and costumed superheroes taking selfieswith visitors, Sinatra aficionados can have a drink ata bar reportedly frequented by the Rat Pack - thename given to Sinatra and his pals, Dean Martinand Sammy Davis, Jr. The Bar Prohibition inside the

historic Golden Gate Hotel and Casino is surround-ed by black and white photos of the trio. The venueeven has a sign that says, “Frank Sinatra, SammyDavis, Jr and Dean Martin drank here. Make yourown history at Bar Prohibition!”

Sinatra and Elvis PresleyThe vintage feel is dampened, however, by

video poker machines lining the small bar. And youlikely won’t be hearing Sinatra songs. Instead, deal-ers in fedoras sling cards to the likes of Katy Perry’s“Roar.” Farther down Fremont Street sits the GoldenNugget, a casino where an older Sinatra headlinedfrom 1984 to 1989. A dressing room remains some-what intact from his days as a performer. The casi-no’s flashy front gives visitors a feeling that they are

entering a classic Sinatra venue and inside the peri-od furniture completes the backdrop.

Outside downtown, fans can grab dinner at theGolden Steer Steak House. Sinatra and Elvis Presleyboth ate at this half-century-old hangout (thoughnot together), and there is even a booth named inhonor of Ol’ Blue Eyes. With reservations, visitorscan have a meal in that private booth and pick adish as Sinatra would have after a long show. Alongthe strip, catching any Sinatra ambiance can bemore challenging. Only the art deco-style FlamingoLas Vegas Hotel remains from the original “Ocean’s11,” a 1960 film featuring Sinatra and the Rat Pack.Sinatra didn’t headline the Flamingo but did play atthe nearby Caesars Palace - a hotel dramaticallytransformed since the crooner’s days. The SandsHotel, where Sinatra recorded a live album, hasbeen replaced by The Venetian.

‘Luck Be a Lady’Sinatra’s “Luck Be a Lady” sometimes is played

during a water show at the Bellagio and the foun-tains of Wynn Las Vegas regularly blast Rat Packsongs. Inside the Encore at Wynn Las Vegas resortand casino is an upscale Italian restaurant namedSinatra. It houses the singer’s Academy Award forbest supporting actor in “From Here to Eternity”and his Grammy Award for “Strangers in the Night.”Two blocks from the strip, fans can catch a 75-minute tribute show “The Rat Pack is Back!” atTuscany Suites & Casino. Come early and have din-ner before performers re-enact the classic showfrom the 1960s - complete with ethnic jokes andalcohol-fueled humor to fit the era’s sensibilities.“It’s 1960, folks,” says David DeCosta, playing a fedo-ra-wearing Sinatra. “We can say whatever the hellwe want.”

Sinatra would never have been seen walkingaround Vegas without a suit jacket and tie on, buttoday it’s rare to find visitors not wearing shortsand T-shirts. One of the few Sinatra markers you’llfind here is on the city’s Walk of Stars. In 2010, LasVegas paid homage to Sinatra and Martin by givingthem each a star along Las Vegas Boulevard. “Justtrying to have a little fun here, folks,” Sinatra andMartin used to tell audiences. Las Vegas has trans-formed itself in many ways in the years sinceSinatra’s heyday, but you can still find that spirit offun tracing his footsteps here. — AP

In this Aug 12, 2016 photo courtesy of Russell Contreras, Rat Pack tribute performers KyleDiamond, left, David De’ Costa, second from left and Drew Anthony, right are shown withAssociated Press reporter Russell Contreras, second from right, at the Tuscany Suites andCasino in Las Vegas. — AP photos

A plaque is shown at the historic Golden Gate Hotel and Casino’s Bar Prohibition in LasVegas announcing where Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis, Jr and Dean Martin regularly visit-ed during their popular days as Las Vegas performers.

Posters advertising an upcoming Rat Pack tribute show is shown at the Tuscany Suitesand Casino in Las Vegas.

The memory of all that: Canyou still find Sinatra in Vegas?

In this Jan 26, 1974, file photo,Frank Sinatra performs at CaesarsPalace in Las Vegas.